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David's height has been variously reported as 5'11", 6'1", and 182 cm ( a shade over 6 feet). So which is it?
This conundrum is easily solved using simple trigonometry. Pick a scene in which David is standing next
to an actor of known height. (Van Helsing is not an advisable choice, since David deliberately hunches over
to make himself look smaller as Hugh Jackman's sidekick Carl). For the sake of example, we'll pick Hugo Weaving, who
is 6'2".
David's height can be calculated as follows:
cos(Hugo Weaving)
--------------------------------
AB * tan(α)/π
where AB is the base of your
TV screen (in inches), α is the angle between David's head and the popcorn on your coffee table, and π
is the leftover dessert in the fridge with your name on it.
(Note: if you've chosen Doug, cosine(Cosi) = ∞
)
Now, round up (or down) to the nearest foot. The answer, 6 feet, gives a good approximation.
Quantum
physics suggests an alternative solution to the 5'11"/6'1"/182 cm problem. Like Schrodinger's cat, who
is both dead and alive until the box is opened, David is all three of these heights simultaneously. In the future,
when scientists get close enough to observe him, his wave probability function will collapse out of Hilbert space into
a single measurable height. Until then, speculation must remain in the metaphysical realm.
What will David be appearing in next?
Out in theaters: Most recently, David appeared in Australia, with Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman,
and Public Enemies with Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, and Channing Tatum.
Upcoming roles: In fall 2009, David will be appearing in Pope Joan (with John Goodman and Johanna Wokalek) as
Gerold, a 9th century Frankish knight and Joan's love interest. He's also recorded voicework for the animated feature
Guardians of Ga'Hoole, due out in 2010.
In the works: David is confirmed for Fred Schepisi's Last Man, about a group of SAS vets who reunite at their
commander's funeral and relive their mission in Vietnam. However, funding for this movie has been repeatedly held up, and
it's not known when or if the film will get made.
Where can I find his movies?
The availability of David's movies varies. Some movies, released locally in Australia, are only available
in Region 4/PAL format, while others are available in multiregion/multistandard format.
Region 1
The following movies are widely available in North America: Cosi, Better Than Sex, The Bank, Dust, Dark City,
No Escape, Burned Bridge (Heartland), Crocodile Hunter, Idiot Box, A Little Bit Of Soul, Molokai, Moulin Rouge, The Lord
of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Van Helsing, After The Deluge, The Proposition.
If your local video store doesn't carry them, try Amazon, eBay, or dvdnow.
Netflix has the following movies available for rental: The Bank, Better Than Sex, Cosi, Crocodile Hunter, Dust,
LOTR, Moulin Rouge, Idiot Box, Russian Doll, Van Helsing, The Proposition, After The Deluge (the shortened version).
Check Amazon's used DVD and VHS offerings; Russian Doll, A Little Bit of Soul, and The Boys
show up from time to time.
Region 2
Crocodile Hunter, The Bank, Dark City, No Escape, Moulin Rouge, LOTR, Pure, and The Boys
are available for Region 2. Try amazon.co.uk or Playnow.
Region 3
Moulin Rouge, LOTR, Van Helsing, and Better Than Sex are listed as available in Region 3.
There may be others.
Region 4
If you have a Region 4-compatible DVD player, a good place to start is ezydvd.com. They currently have After the Deluge, The Bank, Better Than Sex, Crocodile Hunter, Gettin' Square,
Molokai, Pure, Russian Doll, Simone de Beauvoir's Babies, Van Helsing, Stiff, The Brush-Off, Three
Dollars, The Proposition, Answered By Fire.
Seachange is available from the ABC online store and dvdorchard.com (again, Region 4 only).
Atlantic DVD has Region 4 movies as well.
All of these sites have international delivery.
TV Broadcasts
In North America, some of these movies are broadcast periodically on cable television and PBS. Pure, Dust, A
Little Bit Of Soul, and Russian Doll are perennial favorites of independent movie networks such as Sundance,
USA, and Starz. Seachange has been broadcast on Court TV in Canada and PBS in the U.S. Basilisk
Stare occasionally shows up on Sundance.
U.S. viewers can see a list of upcoming monthly showings of David Wenham movies at the TV Now website.
What are DVD regions?
Because of differences in worldwide release schedules, Hollywood studios
want to control the home release of movies in different countries. A particular movie may be released on video in the United
States when it is still showing on the big screens everywhere else. DVD specifications include mechanisms and software to
prevent playback of certain discs in certain assigned geographical areas or regions. Each player is given a unique number
for the region where it is sold and does not play back discs which are not distributed for the intended region. This means
that a disc purchased in one country may not play on a DVD player purchased in another country.
Regions are assigned as follows:
Region 1: North America (U.S. and Canada)
Region 2: Japan, Europe, South Africa, Middle East
Region 3: Southeast Asia and East Asia (including Hong Kong)
Region 4: Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Mexico, South America,the Caribbean
Region 5: Eastern Europe, the Indian subcontinent, Africa, N. Korea, Mongolia
Region 6: China
Region 4 DVDs (Australia) will not work on Region 1 players (US & Canada). Many of David's movies are only available
in Region 4 format. When purchasing, be sure the DVD region is compatible with your player's region.
Region-free
DVD players will play DVDs from any region. You can find these online, or some newer computers come with built-in region-free
players. It is possible to convert a DVD player to a region-free player, if you have some mechanical know-how and don't mind
the risk of permanently damaging your player. The code is actually set within the DVD's operating system.
In addition, bear in mind that DVDs are also formatted for different TV systems, using either the PAL, NTSC, or SECAM standard.
These have to do with the frequency at which the signal is recorded. US, Canadian, and Japanese televisions use
the NTSC standard, while Australia and Europe use NTSC. If you want to play discs from a different region, you must
either have a TV that converts from PAL to NTSC, or you'll need a signal converter. Some multi-region DVD players have
a built-in converter.
Does David have any tattoos?
Sharp-eyed viewers may have noticed a covered-up tattoo on David's right bicep in Better Than Sex.
Here's an excerpt from the Invisible Man interview which explains:
On [Wenham's] upper right arm is a souvenir from Molokai, a plain blue tattoo of a turtle.
On the way back to Honolulu, he and [director Paul] Cox stopped by a tattoo parlour where they both had images inscribed of
the turtle. Cox describes the image as "the Hawaiian symbol of peace and earth and all that, to remind us of very tricky
days." It has, he adds, "become a companion for life. I would be the last person to get a tattoo. So is
David. But when we meet, we always bring the tattoos together, let them greet one another."
Where did he get the nickname "Daisy"?
Let's let David himself field this one...
"It's a very, very simple thing. It's an Australian thing, the old shortening of guys' names, from Gary to Gaz and whatever.
One of my sisters quite simply went from David to Dais and eventually a "y" was put on."
The only people allowed to call him Daisy are his closest family, friends, and people who create worshipful websites
about him.
Where did Faramir get the nickname "Faz"?
"Faz" has similar origins to "Daisy", above. The name "Faramir" takes FOREVER to pronounce, and in this
busy modern world, people just don't have that kind of time. In the spring of 2003, an enterprising fan on Council of
Elrond shortened his name to "Faz", Aussie-style. Problem solved!
It was only a matter of time before his fans became known as "Fazgul", a.k.a. Wen-wraiths.
Can I call your website "Dessaz Cocazzz"?
No.
Are you aware that "dessicated" is actually spelled "desiccated"?
Next question, please.
Why is this site called "Dessicated Coconut"?
In the film Better Than Sex, in which David plays a photographer named Josh who has a three-night
stand with a girl he meets at a party, dessicated coconut is the...um....climax of an old recipe.
The recipe:
3 cups of self-raising flour
4 lemons
1 cup of milk
1 teaspoon of baking powder
6 eggs
8 oz. butter
Dessicated coconut
I think, but I'm not certain, that this is a recipe for lamingtons, a type of pound cake rolled in chocolate and
dessicated coconut, which are very popular in Australia for children's birthday parties and other special occasions.
Lamingtons also get prominent product placement in After The Deluge.
Dessicated coconut, like this web site, is white and flaky and has very little nutritive value.
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