Partway into Unfinished Business, three Americans go to Berlin. It’s a busy week in the German capital, with hotel rooms hard to come by. The youngest of the trio, Mike Pancake (Dave Franco), books into the only place he and his 67-year-old colleague, Timothy Winters (Tom Wilkinson), can afford: a youth hostel. Their boss, Dan Trunkman (Vince Vaughn), unknowingly opts for a “habitable work of art”, where he’s on display in a museum. The level of comedy shown here, of the “old folks doing young things”, “look how mismatched everyone is” and “isn’t this a ridiculous idea” variety, are actually some of the film’s best work. That’s not a compliment. But when much of the movie makes fun of unusual names, of a man wearing women’s clothing, and of the difficulties someone identified as challenged has in understanding certain words, well, the bar hasn’t been set very high. Also on the hit-list of Unfinished Business’ allegedly humorous subjects: gawking at naked women, the stereotype of women acting like men to make it in business, women compared to vending machines, gay nightclub culture and steam rooms. Contrast that with the film’s supposedly softer side, attempting to address bullying, fitting in, standing up for yourself and chasing what you believe in. That the combination of crassness and schmaltz is as muddled and messy as it is ill fitting is hardly surprising. The plot stems from a Jerry Maguire moment, as family man Dan quits his job selling metal shavings to go out on his own, and Mike and Timothy follow. A year later, they’re up for a lucrative contract – but despite being told the gig is theirs by their contact (Nick Frost), they’re pitted against Chuck (Sienna Miller), their previous employer. Though both teams travel to Berlin, it seems that smarmy exec Jim (James Marsden) has already made up his mind. Dan is forced to take drastic action to succeed, and to take care of everyone counting on him. Why Hollywood is convinced that audiences want to see Vaughn making the same kind of movies – especially these kind of movies – remains a mystery. He’s a likeable enough presence, but continually playing a big-hearted underachiever trying to get his life back on track via fratboy-like antics doesn’t do anyone any favours. Vaughn and his director Ken Scott obviously disagree, re-teaming after the thematically similar Delivery Man. If you’ve seen that, or The Internship, then you know what you’re in for here. The scattershot approach shown in the script doesn’t help matters, rushing from one scene to the next as fast as it can, even though the film always feels like it is dragging. Nor does the insistence that more is more: more crude gags, more cliches, more over-the-top exploits and more drama. And then there’s poor Franco and Wilkinson, saddled with one-note characters, but trying hard. At least someone is. Otherwise, Unfinished Business is an overstuffed, underdone mess that lives up to its name – and a film easily bested by its stock image marketing campaign.
A small movie with a big heart: you've heard that claim before. Sometimes though, there's an example that proves the cliche, that one modest effort that punches above its weight in emotion. Don't just take our word for it — watch Infinitely Polar Bear, the latest great example. Its autobiographical look at growing up with a bipolar parent is the type of film this description was made for. Life doesn't fall into neat boxes for 12-year-old Amelia Stuart (Imogene Wolodarsky) and her younger sister, Faith (Ashley Aufderheide), nor for their nuclear family. Their father, Cam (Mark Ruffalo), lives with a condition that's not without its daily challenges — and even more so when their mother, Maggie (Zoe Saldana), goes away to graduate school, leaving Cam as the primary caregiver. The scenario and its stitching together of episodic slices of the Stuarts' lives sounds like something tailor-made for a quirky indie film adventure; however, writer/director Maya Forbes never takes the too-cute or too-eccentric route. Instead, in telling a tale based on her own childhood — and with her own daughter, Wolodarsky, basically playing the filmmaker's younger self — she grounds Infinitely Polar Bear in intimacy, affection and lived-in experience. Yes, the movie has adorable kids struggling with difficult situations, often embarrassed and only sometimes seeing the funny side of things — but it also shows ample warmth and acceptance. Anger and frustration bubble up on several occasions as the film touches upon issues of class, race and poverty, yet the characters are never meekly resigned their fate, nor are they despairing, self-pitying or defeated. With the type of care that only comes from having been there and done that, Forbes ensures that their perseverance remains their strongest element. You believe that times are tough, just as you believe they'll find a way to get through it all. The cast, understandably, is key, both young and old. Oozing the kind of naturalism most child actors lack, Wolodarsky's Amelia proves an ideal guide through the movie, though hers isn't the only impressive portrayal. As the younger Faith, Aufderheide is suitably innocent and mischievous in the way kids are, while Saldana simmers with the inner conflict that results from Maggie choosing the path of short-term pain for long-term gain. The movie belongs to Ruffalo, though, with his superb sliding from the manic to the depressive ends of the spectrum and back again. His isn't a performance made by the extremes, but of empathy for the moments in between, when Cam's good and bad days become one. Indeed, it is so easy to get so thoroughly wrapped up in Ruffalo's endearing turn that the film's few concessions to cliche in its style — handheld camera work, an upbeat soundtrack and heavy use of montages — are just as easily overlooked. Actually, they feel like they fit a movie that is slight but sweet in just the right proportions, and rather charming too.
Australians devour approximately 190,000 tonnes of meat per year. This equates to 120kg per person per annum, which is almost three times as much as the world average. Despite the phenomenal increase in meat consumption over the last few decades, particularly in pork and poultry, the number of pig producers in the country has reduced by 94 percent and there are only two major producers of chicken. This is largely why two-thirds of the world's meat now comes from factory farming. So what can you do about the animal cruelty and health problems this gross over-consumption is causing? Take part in Meat Free Week from March 23 - 29 to help spread the word and raise funds for this important issue. Money raised from the initiative goes to charities such as Voiceless, who help protect factory farmed animals in Australia. And they're not trying to persuade you to become an avid vegan or vegetarian; it's simply about modifying meat consumption: limiting meat intake and only choosing free-range animal products in order to reduce the amount of factory farming in Australia. You could also improve your own health in the process, as eating excessive amounts of meat can lead to heart disease, kidney failure or even cancer. Head to the Meat Free Week website to read more and sign up.
Many equations are at work in X+Y, and not just the part of one that forms the film's pithy title. Mathematics features prominently throughout the movie, as a child prodigy finds solace in numbers after being diagnosed on the autism spectrum, then attends maths camp and strives to participate in the International Mathematical Olympiad. Again, that's not all, with bigger, broader calculations at work throughout the feature. Indeed, the end product is simply one giant sum of clear-cut components. Take a true tale, add a director who has previously made the story into a documentary, plus the standard outsider-overcomes-adversity themes. Multiply the heartwarming emotions already swelling with a dash of family tragedy, a teacher looking for meaning and a teenage romance. The result is filmmaker Morgan Matthews' fictionalised account of his 2007 TV effort Beautiful Young Minds, as well as his fiction film debut. There's no mistaking the tender mood he's not only attempting to conjure but succeeds in bathing the feature in from start to finish. There's just no mistaking the obvious formula either, even given the movie's real-life basis. After the death of his father (Martin McCann), Nathan (played by Edward Baker-Close as a 10-year-old, and Asa Butterfield as he ages) struggles to connect to his well-meaning mother (Sally Hawkins). Instead, he escapes into his love of maths, warming to a local teacher, Mr Humphreys (Rafe Spall), during private lessons. Their shared affinity for advanced arithmetic sparks dreams of competing at the highest level, even more so when Nathan is selected to train in Taipei to hone his skills. There, he meets fellow numbers wiz Zhang Mei (Jo Yang), a friendship growing alongside the usually awkward Nathan's own confidence. What makes X+Y amble by isn't the narrative that would shout its message of acceptance from the rooftops if it could've found a way to make that seem even remotely plausible, but the cast. The film may lack subtlety in most areas, especially dialogue; however, it finds nuance in the work of Butterfield, Hawkins and Spall. All have played their roles before — the lonely boy looking for a place to belong, the caring woman striving to make the best of a complicated situation, and loveable but troubled companion — yet they never let that flavour their performances. Others who come into their orbit, including Eddie Marsan as Humphreys' own maths teacher, offer similarly perceptive portrayals. Elsewhere, it's a sweet affair, both in the way the film feels and looks. On one hand, that means huge helpings of syrup in the screenplay, more so as it reaches its predictable conclusion. On the other hand, the film's frames are often saturated in colour, a stylistic flourish actually — and surprisingly — also grounded in the script. Alas, though such a great visual touch shows a willingness to do more than paint by numbers, as does a brief but breezed-over flirtation with a darker subplot, such thinking outside the box is all too fleeting. The final equation: X+Y equals a nicely acted and ultimately conventional coming-of-age effort, with 111 minutes of running time as its proof.
Pussy Riot’s brightly coloured balaclavas and arrest for ‘hooliganism’ after a protest performance at a Russian cathedral instantly made them international news. Over a year has passed since Pussy Riot’s protest against Putin’s ‘excessive nationalism’ but the band members continue to make headlines. This documentary follows the band since their formation in 2011 and features footage of the three founding members during their trial. More than that, it demonstrates how Pussy Riot’s actions visibly shook the establishment of Russia, and how their incarceration prompted a sweeping global response. If you missed seeing this enthralling film at MIFF this year, here is your chance. Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer will be screening exclusively at Cinema Nova. Time to embrace your inner Riot Grrl and stick it to the man.
Because 'Make Love, Not War' is so over, Pedro Reyes latest exhibition has suggested a new alternative: make music! It may be a simple premise, but the result is amazing. Using discarded weapons confiscated by the Mexican army, Reyes has created a grand total of 47 very unique instruments. Electric guitars,violins, flutes, and intriguing hybrids — all fashioned out of artillery. Of course, it has a pretty hefty political bent, but when it comes down to it there's a simple joy in watching someone play a harmonica carved out of a handgun. Keep an eye on the Melbourne Festival site to find out when the concert's going to be (oh yeah, that's happening), and check out Pedro Reyes' free talk on October 13 to hear more about it. Check out the rest of our picks for the Melbourne Festival here.
The seventeenth annual Queenscliff Music Festival once again takes pride of place on the last weekend of November. This no smalltime coastal music festival boasts a big lineup of national and local talent, including The Living End, John Butler Trio, The Grates, Blue King Brown, San Cisco, Saskwatch, Spiderbait, Melbourne Ska Orchestra and plenty more. As always, QMF knows how to create the perfect harmony between a diverse collection of musical genres, and welcomes the latest up and coming bands as well as the well-established national treasures. Camping tickets are available for those who want to make the most of their weekend by the coast, or you are welcome to sort out your own accommodation to suit your needs. QMF is also super family-friendly and kids under 14 get in for free. If you’re after a relaxed, well-organised festival with a friendly atmosphere and outstanding music, look no further.
On Saturday November 23, local beekeepers from Rooftop Honey and quarterly magazine Dumbo Feather are joining forces to bring us a unique day of leisure. If your idea of leisure is being swarmed by bees while wearing a hazmat suit on a roof. Of course, a rooftop in the heart of St Kilda in spring is a beautiful thing, and honey is pretty excellent. We're just saying, it's probably not for the faint of heart. Mat and Vanessa from Rooftop Honey will be up there to teach you all about urban beekeeping and how to harvest honey. Then you can get your hands dirty and get a taste of your hard-fought honey over some scones, cheese and biscuits. If you find yourself hooked on the experience, you'll be happy to know this is also part of a larger series. Dumbo Feather's Culture Club run a heap of kooky one-day excursions that have in the past included backyard parties in Geelong, floral workshops, and hip hop yoga. If you decide to head along this Saturday, just remember to wear light-coloured clothing, no perfume or aftershave, and closed toe shoes. (Because, you know, bees.) Disclaimer: This write-up may have been influenced by the writer's deathly allergy to bees.
Tokyo Tina's first birthday is fast approaching (they grow up so fast, don't they?), and to celebrate they're inviting their sashimi-loving patrons to join them for a poke party. On Sunday, February 28, they'll be giving away their new summer dish to the first 450 diners to order it between noon and 4pm. But what even is poke, we hear you say. Well, we had no idea either, but we're told it's pronounced po-kay for one, and is a Hawaiian dish of raw fish, citrus, avocado, mango, lime and coconut. It's big in LA apparently. Tokyo Tina's version of the bowl was introduced at this December's Royal Croquet Club, and is a new addition to their summer menu. They'll be using raw salmon for Sunday's bowls, which are incidentally gluten free and sound worth the trip even if they weren't going for free. So get there early and enjoy — just be sure to be a good guest and say happy birthday.
Looking for something retro and rare? Then you'd best be heading to Sunday Social. For five years, they've been bringing the best vintage threads and other finds to Brisbane, after all. Now, not content with decking out the Sunshine State capital with cool outfits and accessories, they've turned their attention down south. Melburnians, it's your turn to experience the Sunday Social fun in pop-up form. Fitzroy's Gertrude Street is the place to be for the month of January — and in classic Sunday Social style, they're throwing a shindig to celebrate. Expect drinks and general merriment at their launch celebration, as well as music by Pillow Pro. For those keen on shopping rather than partying, the store is open until 4pm every day. The length of their stay is yet to be announced, though their Instagram feed indicates that they'll be around for a while. We'd recommend checking out their cardboard-adorned, architect-designed digs asap anyway, and keeping an eye on their Facebook page as well. Image: Sunday Social.
Death is everywhere in The Book Thief: sometimes shown, usually implied and — every so often — speaking as its narrator. There is death in the film's opening scene, and there is death again at its end, yet early denunciations have labelled it 'Holocaust lite' or 'Holocaust kitsch', with one critic going so far as to call it "a preposterously sanitised portrait of hardship and war". If these criticisms (of which there have been many) were to be distilled into one pure, refined quibble, it would be that The Book Thief is simply too nice for a story that, at least in part, touches upon the Holocaust. Is it Schindler's List? No, but let's be clear: it's not even remotely trying to be. Directed by Brian Percival (Downton Abbey), this is a PG film, based on a young adult novel and told from the perspective of a 13-year-old German girl. Neither the bestselling book by Markus Zusak nor the film adaptation ever set out to tell the same old conventionally harrowing and affecting war narrative, because — presumably — that story has already been told so many times before. Instead, it presents the moving, imaginative and even charming tale of a child's profound love of literature and its ability to transport, enlighten, incriminate, incite and inspire its reader. That child is Liesel Meminger (Sophie Nelisse), who's put up for adoption after her communist mother is forced to flee the Nazi purge. Liesel's brother dies en route to their new home with the elderly Hubermanns (Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson), and from the outset it's clear she has an ally in the playful Hans and a challenge in his irascible wife Rosa. She also quickly befriends her snowy-haired neighbour and champion runner Rudy (Nico Liersch), whose idolisation of African-American sprinter Jesse Owens places him at odds with local the Nazi Party officials. Most importantly, though, Liesel begins to learn how to read, and together with Hans she quickly discovers the infinite joys and rewards to be found in books. Her first is picked up on the day of her brother's funeral, the next, rescued from the ashes of a book burning event. Each book tells a story, yet also has a story of its own, and none more so than the copy of Mein Kampf possessed by Max (Ben Schnetzer), a Jewish man kept safe and hidden by the Hubermanns. Which brings us again to the accusation of 'Holocaust kitsch'. Max's torment is prolonged and palpable, drifting close to death on multiple occasions through exhaustion, malnourishment, exposure and the unremitting threat of discovery. Worst of all, he spends — quite literally — years living in the Hubermanns' basement without even a single opportunity to breathe fresh air or once see the sky. Had The Book Thief been told from his perspective, it would have been every bit the despairing and wretched tale so many apparently seek, yet it would not have been the tale told to Zusak by his grandparents and which he, in turn, wished to tell the world. If many of these critics are to be believed, the only way you're permitted to tell a Holocaust story is through bleak imagery, solemn dialogue and a complete lack of tenderness. The Book Thief, much like 1997's Life Is Beautiful, offers a different perspective. Through the extraordinarily talented Nelisse, we see a scared, confused and compassionate girl attempting to make sense of the senseless. The horrors befalling so many around her aren't explicitly shown, but our knowledge of them, matched with the meticulously recreated settings, contributes to a beautiful and largely original tale of one family's bravery, decency and humanity. https://youtube.com/watch?v=hEnLF-pCybw
From Thursday 'til Saturday this week, Next Wave Festival — those biennial bringers of greatness and good times — are asking for your help. Yes it's money, but no, it's not really charity. In a very fitting fashion, Next Wave are hosting an exhibition of visual art donated by artists involved in the festival, past and present. Everything will be available to buy — from 2-metre long prints down to the unsuspecting coffee cup. With the work of more than 20 artists on display, there will be a bit for everyone's tastes (and budgets) too. Abdul Abdullah, an artist who has been twice shortlisted for the Archibald Prize will have work on display. As will Phuong Ngo, an artist exhibiting in the currently showing NGV exhibition Melbourne Now. Each artist in this Next Wave crop fact has an impressive rap sheet behind them in fact. There's Megan Cope and her entrancing work on decolonisation, Laura Delaney's calming art steeped in nostalgia, and Eugenia Lim, an artist whose work across video, photography, and installation is always heavily tapered to place and a heavy sense of belonging. From its first festival in 1985, Next Wave has always sought to "create art for an unknown future"; a pretty admirable pursuit. Show up and at the very least have a drink — make their future a little less unknown. Image: Abdul Abdullah
Get your fix of free art and live music this July, when Unplugged Live returns to the National Gallery of Victoria. Over six consecutive Sunday afternoons at the NGV Ian Potter Centre in Fed Square, curator and musician Jae Laffer will present public discussions with a variety of contemporary artists, followed by an in-gallery performance by a different local musician or band. While a complete list of featured artists is yet to be revealed, we do know it’ll include faces from current NGV exhibitions including Indigenous Art: Moving Backwards into the Future, and Follow The Flag: Australian Artists At War. And we do have the full roster of musicians, starting with Indigenous singer-songwriter Thelma Plum on July 5. Other acts include Melbourne’s own Olympia on July 12, ARIA winner Megan Washington on August 2, and Big Scary/#1 Dads vocalist Tom Iansek on August 9. For more information about Unplugged Live, visit the NGV website. Image: Thelma Plum
Women flouting society's expectations, men unsure about how to react, and trouble springing in response: Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd may have been published 141 years ago, but the text's gender politics certainly don't seem a century old. In adapting the Victorian novel for the modern movie-going masses, The Hunt director Thomas Vinterberg and One Day writer David Nicholls clearly agree. Their condensed take on the tale may find its basis in classic literature, but it feels undated. Given the headstrong heroine they're working with, it is far from surprising that the duo thinks that writings from times gone by will resound with audiences of today. Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan) is a woman who acknowledges her disdain for her name at the outset, as well as the slim likelihood of her doing the done thing. She'd be happy being a bride but not a wife, she says. She values independence over affection, as her choices continually demonstrate. First, when assisting on her aunt's farm, Bathsheba attracts the attentions of a kindly shepherd, Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts), then rejects his marriage proposal. Next, after inheriting her own property, a reversal of fortune sees her acting as Gabriel's boss while coping with the competing advances of a wealthy landowner, William Boldwood (Michael Sheen), and a charming soldier, Sergeant Francis Troy (Tom Sturridge). A simple account of a woman trying to choose from a trio of men, this is not, though the film does focus on Bathesheba's flitting between the three. That her suitors don't quite know what to make of her gets to the heart of the story: she may be quick to tell others what she does and doesn't like, but she doesn't quite know what she really wants. Here, Far From the Madding Crowd doesn't just do what every movie today is expected to, i.e. subvert feminine stereotypes and champion a strong lady as its lead. In its portrait of a character who astonishes even herself, it does something better, showing a complex woman complete with flaws, and capable of both making mistakes and learning from them. It helps that Mulligan — adding to her recent spate of great work in Drive, Shame, The Great Gatsby and Inside Llewyn Davis — makes for an equally fragile and fearless protagonist. Whether her hands are trembling with uncertainty or her face can't quite conceal a wry smile, she's ever the enthralling picture of complication. The actress also sets a high bar for her co-stars, though the quietly commanding Schoenaerts and the stately yet adoring Sheen are each up to the task. That Sturridge doesn't fare as well is partly a reflection of his role, playing the least sympathetic of the bunch by far. Of course, the cast's to-ing and fro-ing is perfect fodder for Dogme co-founder Vinterberg. He might be helming his first period film, but he's already shown that he knows a thing or two about labyrinthine relationships and ambiguous motivations from his Danish movie output. His eye for the countryside and fondness for close-ups similarly get another outlet, with Far From the Madding Crowd as simultaneously pastoral and intimate as a feature can be. In fact, the blend of swelling sentiments and handsome scenery suits the director so completely, there's little wonder he has crafted an offering that's beautiful and timeless in both emotion and imagery.
The team at La Mama Theatre are pulling all the right strings, as the hosts of the 2015 Melbourne Festival of Puppetry. Presented in association with the Lemony S Puppet Theatre, this six-day festival features a dozen different shows, including a dedicated after-dark program that is decidedly unsuitable for children. The daytime lineup consists of plenty of family-friendly acts, including a pop-up picture book show and a puppet-making workshop. But it’s the evening stream that’s really grabbed our attention, with a number of performances designed specifically for grown-ups. A surreal, cross-disciplinary examination of human mortality, Post Mortem was a highlight of last year’s Melbourne Fringe Festival. Augustine’s Circus Spectacular combines time travel with gallows humour, while things get even more morbid in Nightmare, a creepifying sideshow performed to an audience of just eight. For more information including the full festival program, visit the La Mama website.
Grab your vomit bag: one of the most notorious and disgusting franchises in the history of horror movies is slithering into cinemas for round number three. From the demented mind of writer-director Tom Six, The Human Centipede 3 is being touted as the most extreme film in the series so far, featuring a centipede more than 500 people in length. It’s also currently sitting at a whopping 7% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is roughly seven percentage points more than we expected. The Human Centipede 3 will have its Melbourne theatrical premiere at the newly opened Lido Cinema in Hawthorn on Friday, June 26, followed by an encore screening at Cameo Cinemas in Belgrave the following day. Actor Laurence R. Harvey will be on hand for both screenings for a post-film Q&A, assuming the entire audience hasn’t already fled the theatre.
Get ready to feel insecure about your age. That dynamo 17-year-old with the Grammys and the dance moves and the best friend named David Bowie is set to finally hit our shores in July. Lorde will play eight massive shows across the country including Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney, Newcastle and Brisbane. After a heartbreaking cancellation and an illness postponement earlier in the year, this will be Lorde's first Australian stadium tour after playing smaller clubs and the Laneway circuit. Ever the social media savvy teenager, Lorde announced the rescheduled tour dates with a Twitter pic, sprinkled with crystal ball and lightning bolt Emojis. While we're sure to get the full Royal(s) treatment from her 2013 breakthrough album Pure Heroine, the highly-anticipated tour is said to have some big surprises in store. It's been announced there will be a large-scale light show component, but we're keeping our fingers crossed for a cameo from Ziggy Stardust. In good news for wunderkinds nationwide, every show on the tour will also be all ages. Stands to reason, really — if the main act is underage why should you have to flash ID? https://youtube.com/watch?v=f2JuxM-snGc
What do Franz Kafka and a misspelt offensive YouTube comment have in common? Usually nothing. But in the magical world of theatre — and more specifically, Malthouse Theatre's 2014 Helium program — the realms of high and low culture are coming into proper alignment. Like the recently-ogled red moon, this five-show program is casting an exciting glow on Melbourne; unlike the scarlet lunar moment, it's sticking around until early November. Now in its third year, Helium is a celebration of independent theatre-makers and original ideas. Partnering up with Next Wave and the Melbourne Fringe for certain productions, this year's initiative from the highly respected Malthouse Theatre is quickly building momentum and looks to be a major player in this year's already bustling cultural program. First cab off the rank is SEETHrough. Run in collaboration with Next Wave, this multimedia production from Sean Jorvn and the Ilbijerri Theatre Company tells a story of a friendship between a "blackfella" and a "whitefella", and the differing journeys they take on the path from childhood to adulthood. However the real innovation is to be seen in its audiovisual work. Containing hypnotic videography and soundscapes, Next Wave artistic director Emily Sexton describes the piece as both "menacing and fantastical". Helium's second production, Intimacy, will continue this contemplative style. Telling the story of Michelle Ryan, a dancer diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at age 30, the show will be a fictionalised version of real life events and performed by Ryan herself. Devised by Torque Show, the piece will feature a live score by Lavender vs. Rose and will no doubt continue the hybridity of the Helium program with some inclusion of dance. After these two, the program gets a little weird (in a good way, of course). In what's been described as a "multimedia This is Spinal Tap", Applespiel Make A Band and Take On the Recording Industry is a live-action rockumentary from Sydney performance group Applespiel. The show follows a fictional eight-piece indie band who crave success, complicated riders and "truckloads of cocaine". Needless to say, things don't work out for them, but an insight into their downfall will prove to be amusing nonetheless. In September, the Fringe brings with it some trademark strangeness; this time in the form of The YouTube Comment Orchestra. Presented by The Last Tuesday Society, this show represents months of sifting through the dark underbelly of YouTube for lyrical gold. Like a real-time, musical Google Poetics this stage spectacular will no doubt provide some srs lolz (and if you don't like it, I'm sure there's some kind of video platform you can anonymously criticise them on). Last but not least, Kafka gets an appropriate reimagining in The Second Cousins' META. Dragging the classic surrealist tale of Metamorphoses into the modern day, Samara Hersch and co. tell the story of Gregor Samsa — a family man whose mundane world unravels into a "multi-sensory nightmare". Spoiler (because you've now had 99 years to read the original): he might turn into a giant cockroach. Malthouse Theatre's 2014 Helium program: April 30 - May, 11 — SEETHrough August 13 – 23 — Intimacy September 3 -13 — Applespiel Make A Band and Take on the Recording Industry September 17 – 27 — YouTube Comment Orchestra October 22 - November 1 — META For more information including ticketing see the Malthouse website.
Visual artist Lisa Roet has a long-running history with using images of primates to comment on environmental issues, genetic discoveries and the evolving place of humanity within nature. This time, Roet has created jewellery that is both beautiful and unusual to explore these themes in Humanzee. Roet’s work has a very scientific feel to it, so it’s no surprise she has worked with everyone from zoologists to taxonomists for her art. Some of the pieces from the exhibition include silver bracelets made from caste gorilla skin, and a gibbon hand that wraps itself around the arm or wrist of the wearer like it was clinging to a tree branch. Materials used to create the jewellery include gold, silver, bronze, bone carved and caste. If jewellery as art is your jam, Pieces of Eight Gallery is also running the exhibition Compact Museum Gacha-Gacha, which features small-scale objects and jewellery by Nicholas Bastin.
What happens when you throw a rotating roster of 10-15 of Brisbane's biggest shredders and wailers in a studio together and let the music sort itself out? The super slick, self-titled debut from garage-pop powerhouse Velociraptor, an album oozing with snappy beats and boundless swagger (released August 15 via Dot Dash/Remote Control). To celebrate their debut LP — their first release since 2012's The World Warriors — Velociraptor are hitting the road, set to make a pit stop at Northcote Social Club. This is your best chance to get amongst the catchy crooning of frontman Jeremy Neale in the flesh, with lead singles 'Ramona' and 'Sneakers' guaranteed to be crowd favourites on the night. With support from Bloods, Dorsal Fins and Sunbeam Sound Machine, this is one gig you want front and centre on your agenda this week. https://youtube.com/watch?v=VqtxLk3Co5M
Melbourne's hypnotic four-piece are returning home to take you through heir latest album. After recently touring with Chet Faker for his national Built On Glass tour, Rat & Co will be setting up their night of audiovisual delights at the Shadow Electric Bandroom. The lads will be joined by renowned beatmakers Silent Jay and Lucianblomkamp and accompanied by a 30-minute visual performance by Blunk. Both transfixing and transcendental, Rat & Co's music is perfect for getting lost in your own little world far, far away from here. Having said that, the tunes are by no means sleep-inducing; latest single 'Samurai' and previous single 'Vocal Insanity' are more beat-driven, boasting flawless production. In short, don't expect to sit still. Rat & Co released their second album Binary in May this year, and enjoyed an overwhelmingly positive response to their sophomore efforts. As well as producing their own music, they've also worked on some fantastic remixes of the likes of Chet Faker, Snakadaktal and I'lls — their Soundcloud is certainly worth checking out. If underground hip hop, house beats and precisely-selected samples are your jam, you'd better head along to this gig and enjoy your audio-trip. https://youtube.com/watch?v=_k82xzdkBaw
In 1999, You Am I frontman Tim Rogers broke out on his own to record his first solo album, What Rhymes with Cars and Girls. Fifteen years later, playwright Aidan Fennessy has turned the album into a stage play which examines the blossoming of an unlikely romance in contemporary Australia. Tash (Sophie Ross) is a feisty singer in an indie rock band. Johnno (Johnny Carr) is a pizza delivery guy 'from the wrong side of the tracks'. Then one fateful night — yep, you guessed it — their worlds collide (to a Rogers-arranged soundtrack). If you’re looking to see Timmy Rogers treading the boards than you're sadly out of luck, but to hear his songs transformed into theatre will undoubtedly bring new life to a classic album. What Rhymes with Cars and Girls will run at the MTC until the end of March. This raw, complex and highly relatable tale of urban romance is sure to make you feel all the feels.
Australia’s oldest, largest and most celebrated queer film festival is back for another year, showcasing the very best of LGBTQ cinema from all around the world. With screenings at ACMI and Hoyts Melbourne Central, the Melbourne Queer Film Festival is the premier event for queer cinema in Australia, with dramas, comedies, documentaries, shorts and now, in its 24th year, a lesbian werewolf movie with a cameo by Kylie Minogue. There will also be speed dating, gay bingo and a 20th anniversary screening of that quintessential Australian queer film Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, complete with an audience costume competition. For more information, check out our list of the five best films or see the festival program.
There's always something going on at Federation Square. Maybe there's some sport on the big screen, a street clown intent on including you in his act, or perhaps there's an old man asking you to play a game of giant chess. It's one of the few areas in our CBD where we really connect with each other. And this weekend, things are about to get a lot more communal. The Fresh Air Festival is an annual event run by excitable purveyors of good times, Pop-Up Playground. Also known for their month-long offering, This is A Door, the Melbourne-based group specialises in interactive and participatory games often in public spaces. If you're intent on being a spectator, this is not the event for you. This year will involve scary games with torches played at night, a very public game of truth or dare, and the biggest round robin thumb-wrestling tournament you've ever seen. All games and events are free, and to register just head to the Atrium from 11am each morning. As if you've never wanted to be the thumb-wrestling champion of the city? For more information on dates and times, check the program. Otherwise, just turn up and roll the dice.
If you’re a fan of quality television, this upcoming ACMI panel discussion is guaranteed to hold you captive. Inspired by the recent commercial and critical success of jailhouse comic-drama Orange is the New Black, Live in the Studio: TV Behind Bars will examine our morbid fascination with life under lock and key. Hosted in ACMI’s Studio 1 on the evening of February 27, TV-savvy speakers Clementine Ford, Byron Bache, Jess McGuire and Ben Pobjie will be on hand to dissect 2014's first season of US programming. They’ll also be talking about Australia’s own forays into the 'women in jail' genre, in the form of the iconic '70s series Prisoner as well as its recent quasi-reboot, Wentworth. No word on whether Channel 9’s ratings bomb Schapelle will get a mention. I suspect we’re all sick of hearing about it.
The only thing wrong with Cut Snake is that it's over too soon. If you blink, you're likely to be sorry you missed something in this outrageously fun yet poignant 50-minute acrobatic, theatrical rollercoaster from independent theatre company Arthur. The script revolves around three maverick characters. There's Jumper (Kevin Kiernan-Molloy), a loveable, devil-may-care 19-year-old who, at the play's opening, is drinking his way around Europe on a Contiki tour. His sudden death, caused when the bus on which he is travelling swerves to miss a dog, introduces the bittersweet tension between risk and hope that drives Cut Snake's dramatic energy. For the rest of the play, Jumper's closest friends, Kiki (Catherine Davies) and Bob (Julia Billington), must cope with this tragedy. Through puppetry, acrobatics and dance, they recount and enact various scenes from their past and future lives. Kiki tangos with a bearded lady on Mt Kilimanjaro, Bob longs to know who would win a fight between a horse and a hippo, Jumper juggles between his feelings for a talking snake named Trix and his love for Kiki. Yes, it is as crazy as it sounds, and that's just the start. The highly skilled Kiernan-Molloy, Davies and Billington never miss a beat, delivering lines that depend on microsecond timing and maintaining a pace that would keep Usain St. Leo Bolt on his toes. Davies' fluent somersaults, tumbles and twirls are particularly lovely to watch. Patterned cotton sheets and doona covers that look as though they've been pulled out of your mother's favourite cupboard form the backdrop, which extends all the way around the theatre. Walking in, you feel like you're entering a secret cubby house, an experience that sets the atmosphere for the play's magical realist world in which time is no longer linear and anything is possible. Death is the only certainty. Indeed, mortality's sadness hovers over the play, but overwhelmingly, Cut Snake reminds us that we can make life as daring, exciting and unpredictable as we imagine it to be. It's all about leaving a story behind that might be worth the telling. This review was written about the 2013 production of Cut Snake at the Bondi Pavilion Theatre in Sydney.
For those in need of some celestial shoegaze this summer, but weren’t lucky enough to score tickets to Laneway, Youth Lagoon is bringing his delicious dream pop to Ding Dong Lounge on February 5. After his extremely well-received debut record, The Year of Hibernation, the Idaho-raised Youth Lagoon (aka Trevor Powers) dropped his second album, Wondrous Bughouse, last year and is responsible for a handful of gems such as '17', 'Mute' and 'Dropla'. His nostalgia-fuelled, reverb-heavy sound is as intriguing as his lyrics, which explore everything from internal conflict to the metaphysical universe. They may sound like heavy topics to delve into, but Youth Lagoon’s music can make you feel as light as a feather. Get swept up in these aural delights before he disappears off into the cosmos, or wherever it is he goes to create that ambient and hypnotic sound.
If there's any music that takes its roots in storytelling, it's the love song. Just ask Taylor Swift. Except don't. You'll never hear the end of it. Instead, head along to Donkey Wheel House for this one-off hybrid event of music, writing and performance. Presented by Red Stitch, PLAYlist is an evening dedicated to love, its stories, and its many forms. The idea is this: writers select a love song and write a short play about it which can only go as long as the song. These are then performed by an ensemble cast of Red Stitch regulars and special guests. The writers on hand include Dean Bryant, Marieke Hardy, Michele Lee, Joanna Murray-Smith and Tim Rogers; and Missy Higgins is even heading along for a top-secret surprise. Though we don't yet know what songs will be included, the taste of those involved is sure to guarantee a good time.
For anyone with even the slightest claustrophobic tendencies, submarines probably don't sound too appealing. Nor will 12 men headed for wet depths, fighting over a pile of Russian gold and trapped in a secondhand vessel barely fit to sail. In fact, it sounds quite torturous. That's the predicament at the heart of Black Sea, an underwater heist film bursting with pressure of both the deep-sea and crammed-together varieties. When veteran salvage captain Robinson (Jude Law) is given his marching orders after more than a decade of service, he cottons on to a guaranteed get-rich-quick scheme. Rounding up a crew of other discarded workers, he heads to the ocean floor to trawl for a treasure trove once meant for the Nazis. Everything that can go wrong does, to paraphrase Murphy's law. Tensions rise between the half English, half Russian shipmates, with loud-mouthed diver Fraser (Ben Mendelsohn) particularly unhappy about splitting the loot with his comrades. The presence of the American representative (Scoot McNairy) of the mission's wealthy backers only makes everyone anxious. And the rusty, submerged boat springs more than its fair share of breaks and leaks on its voyage. There's a formula at work, filled with dire circumstances, desperate deeds and double-crossing, but there's also the involvement of director Kevin Macdonald, whose skills can't be underestimated. Few filmmakers make terse tales like the man behind Touching the Void and The Last King of Scotland, with Black Sea a worthy, if workmanlike addition to his growing resume. Macdonald styles the movie not as a gold-snatching drama or a watery adventure, but as a horror movie steeped in greed. His film lays bare humanity's most self-serving motivations in an every-man-for-himself display of selfishness and survival, while heightening the oppression of the enclosed space. With its sustained atmosphere of unease and kill-or-be-killed progression, Black Sea is surprisingly more than a little reminiscent of that other great trapped-in-close-quarters effort: Alien. Yes, really. The end result makes you sweat, even though guessing where the story is heading isn't difficult. And in a feature that really is about the journey rather than the destination, top marks must also go to cinematographer Christopher Ross (Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll), who contrasts the many jumps and slides through cramped hallways with an unsettling awareness of the dark depths that surround the submarine. Then there's the excellent cast, led by Law continuing his recent hot streak of good performances in things that aren't called Sherlock Holmes. He ensures Robinson avoids coming across as stir-crazy; with a weathered face and a furrowed brow, he's simply willing to do whatever it takes to turn every losing hand he is dealt into a win. While McNairy plays to type, as does Australia's latest great acting export, Mendelsohn, watching both doing what they do the best is never unwelcome. Claustrophobia, be damned: these are fine folks and a finessed film that you'll want to sink to the bottom of the ocean with.
Take a trip through the history of house music at ACMI this July, with the exclusive Melbourne season of Mia Hansen-Løve’s Eden. Screening at the Fed Square cinema from June 29 until July 17, the critically acclaimed drama follows the rise and fall of a young DJ named Paul (Félix de Givry) who finds himself at the forefront of Paris’ electronic music scene in the early 1990s — an era that gave rise to a whole new generation of artists including French house heavyweights Daft Punk. Running in conjunction with the three-week season are two additional films with a Daft Punk connection. Directed by Kazuhisa Takenouchi, Interstella 5555 is an anime adaptation of the band's iconic album Discovery, and tells the story of an alien rock band who are kidnapped by a malevolent record producer. Even stranger is Daft Punk's Electroma, a surreal sci-fi road movie directed by the duo themselves, about two silent robots in the wilderness of the Californian desert. For session times, visit the ACMI website.
When it comes to film and TV depictions of a certain European country shaped like a boot, as well as its island offshoot, one topic has proven unavoidable. That'd be the mafia, known as the Cosa Nostra in Sicily, and responsible for many a movie cliche about folks of Italian descent. And that's what filmmaker and comedian Pierfrancesco Diliberto, or Pif, wants to call to attention to. Leaping from his homeland's television screens to making his feature writing and directing debut, Pif plays Arturo, a life-long Palermo resident who can't escape the city's criminal underbelly. In fact, he owes his conception to a gunfight on his parents' wedding night, and the first word he ever uttered was mafia. Of course, growing up in the 1970s and 1980s when Toto Riina (Antonio Alveario) bombed, shot and otherwise disposed of his law-abiding enemies and similarly insidious rivals alike, Arturo's connection with gangland antics doesn't end there. As a boy (Alex Bisconti), mob activities constantly interfere with his obsession with his pretty classmate, Flora (Ginevra Antona). As an adult, trying to carve out a career on television while still chasing the girl of his dreams (Cristiana Capotondi), his efforts are shaped by continued violence and corruption. The film's title comes from the reassurance his father offers to soothe Arturo's childhood worries about increasing bloodshed and rising body counts; however, The Mafia Only Kills In Summer isn't as flippant as that line and the movie's romantic comedy leanings may indicate. Humour may be Pif's primary form of expression, but there's never any doubt that he's cultivating laughs from dramatic circumstances for a variety of reasons: as a coping mechanism, as recognition of the commonplace nature of crime at the time, to bring the mob bosses and those who aided their reign of terror down a few pegs, and as a way to subvert the usual Italian stereotypes. The task he sets himself, starring, helming and co-scripting as he does, is considerable — and sometimes, it does seem too much for one person to bear. What the warmly shot The Mafia Only Kills In Summer boasts in earnest intentions and intelligent satire, it sometimes lacks in its mix of tones and plots. Some sections charm, the coming-of-age focus of the first half for example. Others feel too easy, such as the eventual conclusion. And in an attempt to include as many instances of actual gang-caused carnage as possible, much is crammed in and skimmed over. Having ample ambition and being feverishly passionate about getting its many points across isn't a bad thing, though, and even when the film is a bit too clumsy or relies too heavily on convenience, the strength of its message shines through. Well, that, and the likeable lead's unlikely love letter to his real-life birthplace and his resilient compatriots. No, this isn't your usual Italian mafia movie.
At the end of each season, Sydney label enthusiasts are often rewarded with a sample sale where loyal fans of the brand can pick up pieces from the previous collections for far below the retail price. Now Ellery is hosting one of these occasions at which people tear through racks of garments hoping for something in their size. Whatever you get your hands on (the Kodak Funnel Neck Top or Churchill Drop Waist Dress, perhaps?), expect it to be over 50% off. Kym Ellery has become one of the most important names in the Australian fashion landscape over recent years. Since launching her brand Ellery in a friend's art gallery in Surry Hills in 2007, she has secured a following both within Australia and overseas. Friday 7am - 9pm, Saturday 8am - 6pm, Sunday 9am - 5pm
On your bikes, greenies. Australia's most environmentally-conscious film forum is back for another year. With more than 20 documentaries showing all around Melbourne, this year's Transitions Film Festival has the makings of their biggest yet. The fun begins with a number of outdoor screenings, starting with program opener Inside Out: The People's Art Project at Testing Grounds on Friday, February 13. Other open-air options include a free screening of the nine-part climate change series Years of Living Dangerously at Federation Square, plus a special projector bike session that begins with a cycling tour around town. Less weather-dependent sessions will be hosted at Cinema Nova and our pick of the litter is Robert Kenner's Merchant of Doubt — a jaw-dropping doco about the shady business of climate change denial. Other tantalising titles include food waste documentary Just Eat It, as well as the visually splendid Love Thy Nature, which is narrated by Liam Neeson.
Look, up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! Wait, no, it's actually Michael Keaton, star of one of the most influential superhero movies of all time, as well as more recently, one of the strangest. Inspired by the actor's Oscar-nominated turn in Birdman, The Astor is hosting a Keaton double feature, proving that even after 25 years, the man still looks good in a cape. First, travel back to 1989, with Tim Burton's original Batman. A masterwork of production design, this film laid the groundwork for the "dark and gritty" comic book adaptations by Christopher Nolan and co. Keaton is great as Gotham's nocturnal protector, going head to head with a scenery-chomping Jack Nicholson as his maniacal arch nemesis, The Joker. Then, after intermission, head back into the cinema, for a more meta take on the superhero genre. In Alejandro Inarritu's showbiz satire Birdman, Keaton plays a washed-up Hollywood star attempting to revitalise his career while being tormented by the voice of his most famous on-screen persona. Co-starring Edward Norton, Zach Galifianakis, Emma Stone and Naomi Watts, it's already an early frontrunner for one of our favourite films of the year.
For years, Ai Weiwei has been a thorn in the side of the Chinese government. Through sculpture, photography and documentary film, the internationally-renowned artist has criticised Beijing's ruling authority, and protested their stance on democracy and human rights, even when it means putting his own personal liberty at risk. Inspired by Ai's remarkable courage as both an artist and a political dissident, ACMI are hosting a panel discussion on the point where art and politics intersect. Chinese art historian Dr. Claire Roberts, art curator Aaron Seeto and theatre director Scott Rankin will discuss how artists like Ai Weiwei use their work as a form of protest, and draw international attention to their cause. The talk will be accompanied by a screening of Alison Klayman's documentary Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry. The award-winning film explores Ai's politics and artistic methods, as well as his 81-day detainment by the security forces in 2011. The Art of Dissent is one of numerous talks being hosted at ACMI as part of their summer China Up Close program.
Films about terminal illness can be a tricky proposition. There’s only so much drama that can be wrung from the mundane inevitability of death, a process that, by its very nature, is so horribly undramatic. Too often do filmmakers and actors make the mistake of overcompensating, wallowing in misery or resorting to cheap emotional manipulation. It’s for its avoidance of these pitfalls, as much as anything else, that Still Alice deserves your attention. Adapted from the novel by neuroscientist turned author Lisa Genova, Still Alice tells the story of Columbia linguistics professor Alice Howland (Julianne Moore). In one of the first scenes we see her, she’s giving a lecture in Los Angeles, when suddenly she finds herself unable to recall a specific word. At first she dismisses the lapse as one of those inevitable side-effects of turning 50. When she gets lost on her regular morning jog, however, she realises something more serious is amiss. A visit to her doctor brings a devastating diagnosis: early onset Alzheimer’s, a disease without a cure. In the film’s lead role, Moore is simply magnificent — she’s already taken home the Golden Globe, and seems a lock to win the Oscar. Alice deals with her condition proactively — at one point she even visits a nursing home, under the guise of finding a room for an elderly parent. Inevitably, however, the illness takes its toll. Slowly, we watch her go from an articulate, passionate, independent woman to a shell of her former self. It’s a heartbreaking transition, and Moore captures every moment — with honesty, nuance and whatever small measure of dignity she can muster. So too do we witness the effect the disease has on the afflicted person’s family. Alec Baldwin gives a terrifically understated performance as Alice’s husband, John, a New York intellectual suddenly confronted with a future he may not be able to accept. Even more impressive is Kristen Stewart as Lydia, the youngest of John and Alice’s adult children. Although she's (rightfully) bemoaned for her wooden performances in the Twilight movies — frankly, no one could make that dialogue sound good — it’s abundantly clear that Stewart has talent. Here, both the actress and her character exhibit a maturity far beyond their years. Credit must also go to the movie's married co-directors, Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer. They’re the perfect fit for the project, having experienced similar medical hardship themselves. Glatzer lives with ALS and is unable to speak, communicating with actors on set via an iPad. It’s their sensitive, compassionate storytelling — channeled by their cast — that ensures Still Alice sticks in your memory even after Alice forgets.
The Old Melbourne Gaol has turned out to be quite the party destination this summer. First, with the Piknic Electronik finding its first Melbourne home there, and now with the returning Vodka Pop-Up Bar. We don’t know what you had in mind for this summer, but we bet you never thought you’d be spending so much of it at a prison, and having an excellent time to boot. Your ticket gets you two vodka-based cocktails, or wine or beer if you’re not the spirits type. You’ll also get access to all sections of the jail for those looking to learn a little more about ye olde Victorian outlaws. For an extra $10 you can partake in a vodka masterclass with the experts, or $15 on the night if you decide late in the game that being a vodka connoisseur is straight-up bad-ass. Best to jump on this one quick sticks as the Vodka Pop-Up Bar events have sold out pretty swiftly in the past. Image: CNK Food Design.
Underground Cinema — Melbourne-born innovators of secret immersive film experiences — have announced their latest instalment: Patriot. These are the people who take cinema out of the cinema and into boatyards, beaches and after-hours schools, creating a world in sync with the evening's film though real-life actors, evocative food, intricate sets and costumes. It's all themed to set the scene and get guests guessing, because the film, of course, is a secret. So what do we know? We know that UGC Patriot will transport guests back to the 1950s for a cinema event that's more like walking onto a film set than anything else. Think Cold War, blacklists, espionage and presidential motorcades. Dress is "1950s city sleek", and you're mysteriously required to bring an A4 envelope, a notepad and pen. The dates confirmed for Melbourne are Thursday, March 19; Friday, March 20; and Saturday, March 21. Whatever the film is, viewers can expect immersion bordering on camp. In the past they've taken toga-clad cinema-goers to ancient Rome (for Life of Brian) and given out white jumpsuits, student cards and medical examinations before filing people into a snow-covered Swedish academy (Let the Right One In). As distinct from World Movies Secret Cinema, the focus is really on interactivity, immersion and theatricality, quite like the UK institution Secret Cinema. Sometimes the screening location takes a back seat (the Life of Brian space was in Moore Park; the screening, Hoyts). Tickets are on sale on Tuesday, February 24, at 1pm sharp. There's a cash bar and hot food on site, and all ticketholders will be sent details of the location via SMS on the day. Keep an eye on the UGC Facebook page for more details.
This year there’s more to the Sportingbet Blue Diamond Stakes Day than throwing down a bet or two. Introducing the Flavours of Asia Market Festival, from the brains behind the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. Coinciding with Chinese New Year celebrations, the day will include feasting on Asian street food (for as cheap as $5), watching cooking demonstrations and enjoying some live entertainment. The legends at Hammer and Tong, Uncle, Hoy Pinoy, Overdosa, Rice & Dice, Gogi, Lankan Tucker and Wonderbao will all be offering up their delectable goodies for you to enjoy in their alfresco dining areas.
'Help!' 'Come Together.' 'All You Need Is Love.' Songs and lyrics that have influenced countless people around the world. Young and old. Hip and square. At the height of The Beatles' popularity, John Lennon declared that the band was bigger than Jesus. For the three lost souls at the centre of Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed, his words might as well have been gospel. Taking its title from the opening verse of the Fab Four's psychedelic ballad 'Strawberry Fields Forever', this uplifting Spanish road movie takes place in 1966, at a time when the country was still under the thumb of the fascist General Franco. Javier Camara plays Antonio, a middle-aged English teacher and diehard Beatlemaniac who, after learning that Lennon is in Spain for a film shoot, makes it mission to meet the man himself. Shortly after hitting the road, Antonio picks up a pair of hitchhikers, both of whom want nothing more than to leave their pasts behind. Pretty young Belen (Natalia de Molina) is three months pregnant and has fled the monastery where she was sent to give birth to her fatherless child. Starry-eyed Juanjo (Francesc Colomer) is a teenager with long hair and an artistic streak. He too is running away, from the demands of his domineering father. All three actors do excellent work, their underdog characters all but impossible not to like. Camara, in particular, is perfectly cast as Antonio, an eternal optimist and nice-guy who remains steadfast in his belief he will get the chance to shake his hero's hand. The interplay between the three unlikely travelling companions is funny and disarming — and while the stakes of the film may not be particularly high, you can't help but feel invested in the journey. The politics of the era are confined mostly to the background. Franco and his conservative dictatorship can be felt whenever someone turns on the radio, blaring dour Catholic masses rather than music. The film's overwhelming vibe is one of positivity and acceptance. As such, writer-director David Trueba treats the regime like the bullies that they were, doomed to be defeated by a belief in something more. Maybe that sounds a little twee, but then again, that's what The Beatles were about. Living Is Easy captures the spirit of the band — their energy, their idealism, and the hope that they inspired. It's a shame the film contains next to none of their actual music, presumably because it's so exorbitantly expensive to license. No matter. Life, as they say, goes on. https://youtube.com/watch?v=uO1jXG38XbM
"I don't gravitate towards records that keep me in one mood," said Kimbra in a recent Guardian interview, explaining new LP The Golden Echo. "I like to be taken on a journey and that's what I wanted to do with the album." She can say that again. Shifting away from the quirky yet somehow unified jazz-inspired pop sound of Vows, the Kiwi singer's sophomore offering is an ambitious, kaleidoscopic, one-hour long extravaganza through, it seems, every influence that's ever possibly influenced her and every feeling she's ever possibly felt. Rock, R&B, funk, electronica, bizarre sound effects: you name it, you'll find it on there. Perhaps the input of a huge cast of collaborators has something to do with such immense sonic variety. Along the way, Kimbra worked with Daniel Johns, Thundercat, Matt Bellamy of Muse, Van Dyke Parks and John Legend, among many others. To find how it all manifests live, catch Kimbra at one of her three upcoming Antipodean shows, happening in late November, in Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland. https://youtube.com/watch?v=4K1hoMlxQmg
The inaugural edition of Melbourne's latest specialty film festival is set to light up the Bella Union with tales of identity, humour and courage. Hosted over three days, tilde will showcase films featuring trans and gender diverse characters and content, made by filmmakers from all around the world. The festival begins on Friday, November 21 with Boy Meets Girl, an American coming of age comedy set in a small town in Kentucky. The movie will be followed by an opening night party with music by local DJ Simona Kapitolina. Other feature films on the program include German drama Romeos, Hawaiian documentary Kumu Hina and experimental Swedish film She Male Snails. Saturday afternoon also boasts an intriguing lineup of short films including Sistagirls, about a pair of indigenous transwomen living in Central Australia. For the full program and more information about tilde, visit their website.
With crime-fighting werewolves, self-cannibalising starlets, karate-kicking little people and a horde of Nazi zombies all descending on Cinema Nova for the fourth consecutive year, Melbourne's largest exploitation film festival is not for the easily offended or faint of heart. The blood starts flowing on Thursday, November 20, with the savage local slasher film Charlie's Farm. Additional standout titles include Eli Roth's latest gore-fest The Green Inferno, Astron-6's ludicrous Italian horror spoof The Editor and the unflinching rape-revenge tale Julia, starring one of the survivors of The Human Centipede, Ashley C. Williams. Old-school horror fans can also get their fix, courtesy of either a Lloyd Kaufman double feature introduced by the man himself, or a 10-hour movie marathon starring the world's most dangerous hockey fan. Extracurricular events, meanwhile, include a trivia night, masterclasses and a karaoke party — because let's face it: nothing is more terrifying than karaoke. For the full Monster Fest program, visit their website.
If you needed any more proof that Melbourne Fringe really is the place to be over the next couple of weeks, Thursday, October 2 will see eight of Melbourne's best indie musicians take to the stage to perform a set of exclusive new songs. These are no newbie acts either. The lineup includes: Angie Hart of Frente, Jae Laffer of The Panics, J. Walker of Machine Translations, Ainslie Wills, Charles Jenkins, Mikelangelo, Jess Cornelius of Teeth and Tongue and James O'Brien of Darling James and The Boat People. See the festival out in style: free music in the heart of it all, at the Fringe club. This event was chosen as one of the top ten things to see at this year's Melbourne Fringe Festival. See the full list here.
North London’s latest incarnation of alternative rock and roll is about to roll into town, and we’re certainly happy to have them. They've just released their debut album, My Love Is Cool, in June this year, with producer Mike Crossey (Arctic Monkeys, Foals, Black Keys) at the grungy helm. Haven't heard 'em yet? Single ‘Moaning Lisa Smiles’ is particularly dark and seductive, and ‘Giant Peach’ has us positively hooked on Ellie Rowsell’s vocals. We have a feeling that out of all the newcomers coming to Splendour this year, Wolf Alice are going to be one of those gigs you’ll kick yourself in years to come for missing out. So don’t.
When it comes to musical families it doesn’t get much more talented than Kitty, Daisy and Lewis Durham. This sibling trio's live shows cover everything from R&B, swing, jump blues, country and western, blues, Hawaiian, and good old fashioned rock 'n' roll, so get ready to fly from one genre to the next. On top of this, the Durhams are multi-instrumentalists, who easily move between guitar, piano, banjo, lapsteel guitar, harmonica, double bass, ukulele, drums, trombone, xylophone and accordion throughout their sets. Singles ‘No Action’ and ‘Don’t Make A Fool Out Of Me’ are straight-up excellent tunes to get sassy to, so do yourself a favour and drop in on these guys while they’re in town for Splendour.
If you want a healthy dose of British indie rock this winter, the double bill of The Vaccines with Palma Violets could be just the ticket. Both bands were last here in 2013, and we’re certainly happy to see them again to shake our winter blues loose. The Vaccines released their third album English Graffiti in May this year, with songs such as 'Handsome' and 'Dream Lover' working their way into our subconscious. Coincidentally, Palma Violets have also released a new album in May, entitled Danger In The Club. Two great bands with plenty of new material, this is what we like to see.
In Christopher McVinish’s latest exhibition, Theatre of the Street, the artist explores the mysteries of our contemporary existence; hidden in everyday moments we often miss. McVinish’s realistic paintings depict a moment of tension or curiosity between people and their environment. When constructing the images, the artist first photographs places and people, waking up early in new cities to search through alleyways, country towns and empty spaces. None of the paintings McVinish creates are recreations of original photographs, but rather a combination of places, people and stories. For McVinish, it’s about capturing the ambiance — something outside one's own experience. McVinish has been greatly influenced by the work of American street photographers, focusing on swirling tonal skies and buildings that aren't immediately inviting. His work has been described as conceptually portraying a moment between breakthrough and breakdown. Explore his work at Flinders Street Gallery until June 13.
Odd Future may have called it a day, but the gang's still going strong in their own pursuits. One such OFWGKTA rapper who's dropping by for this year’s Splendour in the Grass is Earl Sweatshirt, tipped to be one of the big tickets of this year's sideshows. The Los Angeles-based rapper/producer has brought out two solo albums: Doris in 2013 and I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside, in 2015 — both of which have been commended for Earl's distinctive and cerebral brand of hip hop. The former featured a plethora of guest appearances including fellow OFWGKTA Tyler the Creator and Frank Ocean, as well as RZA and The Neptunes — but don't go crossing fingers for cameos, sorry guys.
What better way to ward off the winter chill than with a decent dose of Japanese liquor? And while you may know them best for their sake, our Asian neighbours are actually unlikely champions at whisky too. Bill Murray may not have been that psyched for it in Lost in Translation, but outside of Sofia Coppola films, it's pretty dang great. To mark the launch of Suntory's expansion into Australia, they're taking over Hihou in the city for one night only. This Wednesday, June 18, Suntory's whisky specialists will be pairing their liquor with assorted bar snacks, or a three-six course menu (for those who want the comprehensive experience). This event actually marks the first in a series of Suntory bar takeovers, with the other locations yet to be announced. Stay tuned for the next takeover scheduled on the third Wednesday of next month. And prepare yourselves, people will undoubtedly be doing Bill Murray impressions all night. Book your place via the Hihou website.
