Tucked away on Thornbury's unassuming Wales Street is Rat the Cafe, a local fave for brunch and speciality coffee in an airy, understated setting. The tidy menu is a constantly evolving one, often guided by the cafe's commitment to reducing food waste while showcasing organic produce as much as possible. If you can get your hands on one — they're pre-order only — the must-try is the breakfast sandwich, featuring swiss cheese, house-made sauerkraut, special sauce, dill pickle and a fried egg, to which you can also add Meatsmith bacon. There's also a daily pastry offering and a selection of mostly locally made provisions available to purchase. Images: Julia Sansone
Good news, North Melbourne locals, the old Courthouse Hotel is back, and it was lovingly restored in 2023 by four hospo pros who actually know what they're doing. You'd be forgiven for forgetting about The Courthouse. It was a popular pub in the early 2000s, with celebrated chefs like Zoe Birch and Stephen Burke running the restaurant pass. But popularity kind of waned over the years, and COVID put the final nail in the venue's coffin. But now, the Courthouse is officially back, having quietly reopened earlier in May. The new team are the same minds behind Parkville's Naughtons Hotel: Ryan Moses and Rusty Sturrock, along with Ryan and Laura Berry. And we have to say, these guys have really nailed the refurbishment. The Courthouse hasn't been gutted, just lovingly restored, bringing the venue up to modern gastro pub standards. Architect Alana Cooke and Blueprint Commercial handled the refurb, and they've managed to keep the old wooden panelling — stripped and sanded by hand — the floorboards, and the classic art deco features. The result is North Melbourne's hottest new pub, and it's fair to say locals are stoked. So what about the food? Well, Rusty Sturrock has designed the menu, and he cut his teeth in some of London's finest gastro pubs, so expect UK classics with a Euro-Australian twist: Lancashire hotpot with lamb shoulder and Brussels sprouts, whole-roasted leatherjacket, Coq au Vin, kangaroo carpaccio and an excellent crowd-pleasing wiener schnitzel with chips. The guys have even installed an old-school hand pump behind the bar, which will be pouring English-style ale from Two Metre Tall and Love Shack. Aussie beer fans, don't worry, they've also got Hop Nation and CBCo brews on tap. The cherry on top? The crusty old rooms upstairs have been transformed into two boutique hotel rooms, so you can now stay overnight at The Courthouse. Prices start at $325 per night.
It might seem a little on the nose, but the Pyrenees region of Victoria does indeed get its name from the Pyrenees region stretching between France and Spain. Our Pyrenees wine region dates back to the 1960s, so expect your visit to this thriving food and wine country to be overflowing with delicious flavours. More than 40 cellar doors provide ample opportunity to sample the local varieties, and Blue Pyrenees Estate is considered one of the best. Head to this sprawling vineyard on the outskirts of Avoca for tasting tours and a refined cafe that overlooks the vines.
Roslyn Oades has built her theatremaking practice on a distinctive 'headphone verbatim' technique; wearing headphones in performance, actors attempt to replicate Oades’ constructed recordings of interviews with real life figures. While her 2012 work for Belvoir, I’m Your Man stuck closely to its origins, with actors whose physicality at least partially resembled the original characters they portrayed, Hello, Goodbye & Happy Birthday Oades dislocates these voices to stunning effect. With the text built from Oades’ interviews with 18 and 80-year-olds, the excellent ensemble cast (Matthew Connell, Jim Daly, Evelyn Krape, HaiHa Le, Roger Oakley, Diana Perini) inhabit a performance space that suggests the communal room of a nursing home, or the inside of suburban high school’s demountable. Designed by Christina Hayes, it’s the perfect, amorphous setting for a vivid assembly of rehearsed moments and memories. Although all the actors play different roles throughout the work, the typical set-up is a younger performer representing an older character, or vice versa. The best parts of the show are found in this divergence, especially when an older actor like Jim Daly perfectly captures an 18-year-old girl’s slightly tipsy, improvised birthday speech. Hello, Goodbye & Happy Birthday never once succumbs to trite sentimentality or didactic exposition of the issues that permeate its text, such as the treatment of the elderly, fears and dreams of death, and the relationship between music and memory. The work is utterly heartwarming, and often hilarious, and in its depiction of a man whose wife has slid into dementia — captured with exceptional sensitivity and skill by Matthew Connell — it harbours the kind of heart-rending depth that’s hard to find on any Melbourne mainstage.
Let's just call it here and now: Robert Duvall will be nominated for Best Supporting Actor at next year's Academy Awards. It'll be his seventh nomination, and it'll be entirely deserved. The Man. Can. Act, and in his latest film — The Judge — you get the privilege of seeing that ability up close and incredibly personal. As the title suggests, Duvall is 'the Judge' — an elderly statesman of the justice system who's presided over the legal affairs of a small town in Indiana for over 40 years. When his wife passes away, the judge dutifully farewells his sweetheart only to then find himself accused of a hit-and-run that very same night. Thankfully, his high-flying, big-city lawyer son Hank (Robert Downey Jr) is in town for the funeral. Hank is, at least publicly, master of his domain, king of the jungle, pisser on the pants of his opponents. Privately, however, his marriage is crumbling, his daughter pines for more attention and the death of his mother has done nothing to assuage the chasm of estrangement between him and his father. They can scarcely look each other in the eye, let alone share any form of actual dialogue or physical contact, which makes establishing any form of legal defence markedly challenging. Throw in the attentions of the ex-girlfriend (Vera Farmiga), the grumpy brother (Vincent D'Onofrio), the mentally challenged brother (Jeremy Strong) and the unrelenting prosecutor (Billy Bob Thornton), and Hank's already reluctant return home fast becomes an almost unliveable nightmare. The Judge was directed by David Dobkin, whose previous films have largely fallen into the comedy/action arena (most notably: Wedding Crashers and Shanghai Knights). Here, he wields the direction with a split personality: sometimes hitting home runs, other times swinging and missing with wildly misfiring scenes. When the latter happens (and, regrettably, it's probably more than the former), The Judge descends into by-the-numbers schmaltz and dials up the cheese. Surprisingly this is often in the courtroom scenes where, traditionally, drama is most at home. The revelations are either too insignificant or heavily flagged, meaning the jurors' gasps and gallery's sighs are more comical than convincing. Downey Jr is well-cast as Hank, bringing the swagger of Iron Man without the bells and whistles to protect him. His scenes with Duvall carry the movie entirely, and whether by design or misstep, every other character becomes little more than background noise. It's not a film with a lot to offer by way of innovation, but it knows how to jerk the tears on more than a few occasions and (despite its unjustifiable length) keeps you engaged enough right through to the end. Most of that engagement, though, comes via Duvall, whose layered and moving performance is right up there with the best of the year. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZBvK6ni97W8
Melbourne four-piece The Harpoons are set to release their debut album Falling For You, which features singles such as the utterly gorgeous 'Unforgettable' and slightly more chilled gem 'Can We Work This Out'. To celebrate this long-awaited LP, they’ll be playing shows in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney. The Harpoons consist of brothers Jack and Henry Madin, stunning vocals from Bec Rigby and man about town Martin King (you might remember him from the likes of Oscar and Martin) Sweet one moment, breathtakingly soulful the next, get ready to go through a kaleidoscope of emotions and feel all the feels. The Harpoons pair flawless vocals with hypnotic beats and Aunty aptly described them as the R'n'B of both today and yesteryear. Their album launch at Howler will include other local favourites Kirkis, Dorkus Malorkus and DJ LA Pocock.
Nanananananana Batman! Just when you thought Melbourne had no room left in its market calendar, this little beauty opens up in Coburg. Consider your dilemma of where to have brunch over the weekend eliminated — Batman Market is bringing fresh produce and delicious street food to all hungry and hungover Northsiders. With over 40 food trucks and stalls doing business, Batman Market is all about offering up multicultural cuisine. Options include Chinese, South-East Asian, Middle Eastern, Indian and European, but we’re particularly keen to check out the quesadillas at the Treat Yo Self cart operating out of a 1986 Franklin Regent caravan. If you get a little overwhelmed from the choice, or you’ve already managed to get yourself stuck in a food coma, take a break and grab a cuppa at the Impala & Peacock stall. It’s not just about feeding your face here, folks. There are also plenty of arts and crafts delights to spruce up your digs. As for those who don’t live in the ‘hood don’t sweat it, this is one brunch date worth catching the tram for. Batman forever. Batman Market will be open at 14-22 Gaffnet Street, Coburg every Saturday and Sunday 9am-3pm.
Kevin Smith fans have to put up with a lot. His films in recent years have been akin to cruel and unusual punishment, especially when compared to his work in the 1990s that was comparatively affectionate and funny. His modus operandi these days appears to be to come up with ideas that are ripe for the cinematic picking — two friends making a sex tape to pay the bills in Zack and Miri Make a Porno; horny teenagers finding themselves in a fanatical religious cult after using an app to hook up with strangers in Red State — and defusing them of all their potential. In Tusk, Wallace (Justin Long) is an incredibly rich (six figures a year!!) podcaster who ventures into the unknown to experience all the weird and wacky things that America has to offer before going back to the studio to spend an hour telling his travel-phobic co-host all about it. Their show is called The Not-See Party, and as if the joke wasn't bad enough, Smith finds the time to explain it over and over again like the idiot at a party who goes around telling all the guests the exact same risque joke under the belief that he's funny. On one of his missions north of the border (cue terrible Canada jokes), Wallace is abducted by a psychotic madman named Howard Howe (Michael Parks), who wants to — and I am not making this up — turn his young guest into a walrus. Tusks and all. It is The Human Centipede Goes to the Canadian Wilderness and it is quite easily the worst film I have seen all year. It's not even because of the bad acting — Parks goes for broke, but there's little to be said of the rest (Haley Joel Osment and Genesis Rodriguez), and Johnny Depp goes so far overboard he needs a paddle — or the way the film lacks any sense or logic or scares to make it a satisfying horror entry beyond the gruesomeness of its third act. No, where Smith and his screenplay go so completely wrong is the laziness that overcomes the film. The jokes that come thick and fast can barely even be described as jokes. These are lowest-common-denominator gags that go for cheap, easy laughs over genuine smarts and wit. The horror is underutilised, the tragic nature of this character undermined by a stoner childishness that renders the material unwatchable. Even stoners deserve better than this. This is a movie that filled me with such contempt for its filmmaker that I want to swear off ever seeing another one of his films ever again. Life is too short for whatever cheap, cynical nastiness he has in store next. https://youtube.com/watch?v=trTTjvPCLJQ
The NGV's Great Hall has been home to a lot of strange and fantastic happenings over the years, but what's going down on Sunday September 28 is sure to be a first. To cap off the 2014 Liquid Architecture program, Canadian artist Christof Migone is asking 50 volunteers to lie face down on the floor and bang microphones on the ground for 1000 times each. The result? Art! This symphony of strange and menacing thuds has been on show all over Migone's native country with 15 participants taking part, but this Australian premiere will see the intensity increase more than three-fold. According to the artist Hit Parade seeks to "explore the fault lines in the communicative act" and "sound a city through its citizenry". It's a theme Migone has explored in the past too. In an earlier work, Crackers, he asked people to crack their bones in sync — a sounds that's either satisfying or incredibly irksome depending on your inclination. If you don't fancy watching a bunch of weirdos banging stuff on the ground, be part of the action instead! The NGV is calling for volunteers before the performance. Sign up here.
On paper, Speakeasy's Once Were Pirates has everything you could want out of a Fringe show. A dark sense of humour, an award-winning writer, an energetic and talented small cast and, of course, pirates. While all these elements work well on their own, the show as a whole is lacking. As the characters fight and gripe about their somewhat confusing circumstances, you're never quite sure whether you're watching a slapstick comedy or a contemplative drama. Because of this, it doesn't quite satisfy as either. Wrangling absurdity into the everyday, Emily Collyer's story follows the new workaday lives of reformed pirates Shane and Gareth (Ben Clements and James Cook). Living amidst a sea of knick knacks and rubbish, the pair spend their time devising get rich quick schemes and wrestling with the difficulties of getting by in the normal modern world. As Gareth accepts the constraints of his new workaday life faster than Shane, the pair develop a great on-stage dynamic as an unconventional odd couple. Tensions between the two are amusing and get a big reaction from the audience with their slapstick physical humour. At times their outlandish style and high-energy performances are reminiscent of the work of gross-out greats Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson. If utilised for the entirety of the show, this relationship would have made for a great dark comedy but the story too often delves into philosophical drama. While some reviewers found this to be rewarding, I found it to jar with the absurd nature of the work. It's hard to give genuine empathy to these characters with no discernible backstory or outside context. If we can't muster sympathy for the squabbles between Captain Hook and Smee, how can we offer it to two confusing Aussie counterparts. On a faultless note, the set design by artist Alexandra Hiller is beautifully ornate and well-utilised. Garbage bags pile atop one another to frame the action perfectly, and the grand romance of piracy is subtly recreated onstage with considered props and intriguing shadowplay. Like a grand ol' ship sailing the seven seas, it's a shame the story itself was a little too turbulent for our liking. For more works at the 2014 Melbourne Fringe Festival, check out our top ten picks.
Joan Jett. Jane Fonda. Kathleen Hanna. These are just some of the awesome women in the spotlight at Melbourne's newest film festival. Held over three days at the Northcote Town Hall, the inaugural Girls on Film Festival will screen ten feminist-themed flicks, showcasing some of the most memorable female protagonists from the past 35 years in film. It's an eclectic blend of titles that includes the likes of Heavenly Creatures, Nine To Five and the brilliant anti-teen movie, Heathers. Younger audiences can enjoy Hayao Miyazaki's Ponyo or Niki Caro's Whale Rider. Eye-popping burlesque documentary Exposed, on the other hand, should probably be restricted to the adults. GOFF will also be hosting a special afternoon social event, complete with music, cosplaying, DJ lessons, a unisex nail-bar and the chance to shoot the shit with women in the Melbourne media scene. Naturally, it's called Girl Germs.
The Melbourne Fringe Festival is all about discovering new work, but it might not be where you expect it. This year, the festival has commissioned 10 artists to create site-specific work all across the city, Carlton and North Melbourne. Centred around places of transit or gathering you may stumble upon works outside the Swanston Street McDonald's or even at your local tram stop. If you'd prefer to seek out particular works, take a look at this map and curate your own journey. Hot tip: take a stroll to the City Baths or Pellegrini's at night. 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.
Straight back in the action after this year's Edinburgh Fringe, young comedian Steen Raskopoulos has a lot going for him. Not only did he win Best Newcomer at last year's Sydney Comedy Festival, he was nominated for the same award in Edinburgh — that's a big freakin' deal. It sold out last time he was in Melbourne, but this may be your last time to see the show that's making everyone swoon. Admittedly, this isn't a show for someone who likes their humour toned down and quietly witty. This is one for those that like their characters big, their comedy physical and their suits properly double-breasted *ba dum tss*. 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.
Making a movie, even a short one, is a difficult and time-consuming process. You've got to come up with a concept, write a screenplay, find a producer, scout locations, rent equipment and hire a cast. Then you shoot it, score it, edit it, re-edit it, tweak the sound and produce the special effects. Sounds like a lot of hassle, right? Now imagine doing it all in the span of a single weekend. The filmmaking equivalent of a 100-metre dash, the idea behind the 48 Hour Film Project is simple. On the first Friday in September, more than 50 teams from around Victoria are given a prop, a character and five words of dialogue. Two days later, they submit a finished film. This year's entrants will screen at ACMI in Federation Square, over five consecutive evenings beginning Monday, September 22 (plus the awards night on Friday, October 3). So get off the couch and celebrate local filmmaking. You'll be hard-pressed to see anything this spontaneous all year.
Detective Robbie Green (Jonathan LaPaglia) is called in to investigate the murder of his former partner, Detective Jason Pearson (Luke Hemsworth). Green and his new partner, Detective Jane Lambert (Viva Bianca), find themselves on the tail of two runaways, ultra-religious cancer-ridden Rachel (Hannah Mangan Lawrence) and her unstable boyfriend, AJ (Alex Williams), who are filming a "documentary" as they seek Biblical retribution for the drug-related death of Rachel's sister. If this sounds like the type of story (and character naming conventions) of an American film circa 1993, you wouldn't be far off. The Reckoning, despite being filmed in Perth and featuring an Australian cast, feels like as if its main concern is ensuring that every element be a facsimile of US thriller tropes. LaPaglia's Green is a short-tempered alcoholic who is trying to be a good father despite being married to the job. Priests wait in candlelit gothic churches to talk wisely to those seeking guidance. High-tech, CSI-style equipment can be used to facially identify anyone spotted on a security camera. And so on. This aping isn't inherently a bad thing. Even the best Australian films are criticised for not even trying to appeal to mass audiences, and the ones that do are so often dismissed as being populist. An industry that produces as few films as ours does cannot afford sub-genres, and so there's little patience for films that are not all things to all people. So with the wider context established, let's pull back before we fall into the trap of reviewing the industry instead of the film. As a gritty crime thriller, The Reckoning is moderately successful. It's diversionary, predictable, derivative and silly, and there's no denying that there's an audience for that. It's slick, too. The kind of slickness that will make it palatable to someone who wants to have something on in the background when it finally does the home video and TV rounds. But there's little in here that would interest a modern audience looking to plonk nearly $20 down for a night out at the cinema. It's not just the story and style that feels dated, but the idea that this possesses anything to distinguish it from a thousand other similarly themed thrillers. Everything in The Reckoning is achingly American, and this would be annoying if it wasn't so obviously deliberate. This is a film with its eye firmly on international sales and goes out of its way to filter out anything that makes it feel Australian. The religious angle, for instance, is weirdly anachronistic, with a priests talking in haughty "my child" this and "the Lord says" that dialogue. Blurry number plates are zoomed in on and enhanced into the sort of clarity that only made sense about twenty years ago when nobody knew how video worked. If all this sounds like nitpicking, well, yes, it is. But it is these details that make or break a film, and with a plot that is as by-the-numbers as this one is, we rely on details to turn it into something more interesting or unique. The Reckoning is a fascinating film for all the wrong reasons. It is out of time, decades too late to be of any interest, and so desperate to cover up its country of origin that its edges are sanded down into something that is ultimately of zero consequence. https://youtube.com/watch?v=gjJgFijldaw
Melbourne's own 17-year-old bedroom producer, Gab Strum, is probably more talented than you are. Strum, who otherwise goes under the moniker of Japanese Wallpaper, recently played Splendour in the Grass for the first time, won this year's triple j Unearthed High Competition and had his music featured on the soundtrack of Zach Braff's new film, Wish I Was Here. Now, he's embarking a mini-national tour of sorts, with a couple of shows spanning Melbourne and Brisbane. Japanese Wallpaper's ambient electronic-pop is a breath of fresh air in the Australian music scene, drawing similarities between other lo-fi artists like Washed Out or Teen Daze. His recent single, Between Friends, is a lush track of summer nostalgia, thanks to his collaboration with vocalist Jesse Davidson, who elevates his tunes with a splendid three-dimensionality. Tickets to his first two shows in Melbourne have sold out and this is the final additional show, so get on it before it's too late.
It's that time of year again. Art and theatre are literally spilling out of our city's theatres and galleries into the surrounding streets, laneways and bars. This year, Melbourne Fringe is densely packed with hundreds of shows over 18 solid days of programming. From September 17 - October 5, don't expect a call back from any of your creative friends. They are deep in the land of Fringe. Though the festival really has found its way all over the city, the epicentre is once again in North Melbourne. The Fringe Hub should really be referred to as the Fringe precinct or postcode — this year the hub is consistent of 10 venues and 3 bars on Errol Street and surrounds. The Fringe Club however, is a cosy little warren to be found inside North Melbourne Town Hall. If you're a little further from the northside, there's a bunch of events to be found in the CBD and a bonus performance hub at The Substation for those a little further out west. Unlike the upcoming Melbourne Festival, Fringe isn't a place you head out for a single show and make your way home again — it's a world unto itself. Catch a few works at a time, have a drink at the Fringe Club, or just drift through the night at the various satellite hubs. Whether it's dancing to a symphony of forks, a night of yelling at Joe Hockey, or an intimate set with some local indie music gods, anything you stumble upon is sure to lead to some interesting stories to tell the next day. To make things a little easier for you, we've compiled a list of the best ten things to see. If you want the full overview, check out the program at Melbourne Fringe.
Valhalla Social Cinema really understand what you want to see at the movies. You're not interested in the latest Michael Bay blockbuster. Sometimes you can't even be bothered with the latest MIFF hit. Honestly, it would be ideal if your local cinema played nothing but old, trusty Bill Murray flicks. If that sounds about right, you're going to love this weekend's programming. On Friday, September 19 and Saturday, September 20 Valhalla are presenting the The Weekend of Wes. Screening Bottle Rocket, Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums for $13 a pop, not only is this a great time to re-live Wes's pre-Budapest glory, it's the perfect opportunity to rock that crested navy blazer and don your wanky beret. No, it's not officially a costumed event, but we'll basically jump at any chance to dress up like Max Fischer or Margot Tenenbaum. Unsurprisingly tickets are selling fast. Best to secure your seat online before you head over in a full fur coat.
Remember Miami Horror? Back in 2010, the Melbourne electronic-pop band set our hearts alight with their excellent debut LP Illumination. Their hit single from the same album, 'Sometimes', has been on rotation on summer playlists ever since. It's been four years since then and Miami Horror are finally returning in grand comeback style. During their hiatus, they've been busy living it up in sunny Los Angeles and putting the finishing touches on their forthcoming sophomore album due later this year. In the meantime, they; sneakily released the catchy 'Wild Motion (Set It Free)' — the perfect anthem for lazy days lounging by the pool. To promote the new single, Miami Horror are heading back to the homeland with a massive eight-day headlining tour — only their second since 2011. To amp it up a notch, they're promising to build a whole new projection-based light show with hand-drawn images and and splashes of animated colour. Who knows where the band will disappear to next, so catch them live before they're off again. Supported by Thief + Tora. https://youtube.com/watch?v=IolDbdoQbaM
It's extraordinary that with only one film to his name, Zach Braff's directorial style became instantly recognisable. Perhaps because it was so influential, his popular 2004 film Garden State quickly became the shorthand for a certain type of independent film with a checklist of insta-clichés: a manic pixie dreamgirl who rouses a sullen lead out of his ennui; droll metaphorical imagery (a shirt that looks just like the wallpaper!); profundity in the mundane (a big hole in the ground that represents in the infinite abyss!); a carefully considered collection of melodic indie songs on the soundtrack (The Shins! Coldplay! The Shins!). It's odd that with such a big success under his belt, Braff took ten years to make his follow-up. Difficult second album syndrome? Perhaps. But in doing so, Garden State has calcified in our shared cinematic memory as a sub-genre unto itself; for Braff's second film to have any chance at all, it would have to shake off all the tropes that are now synonymous with his name and do something drastically different. It does not. In fact, aside from the fact that Braff is now looking at the problems faced by rich white actors in their 30s (as opposed to rich white actors in their 20s), his new film Wish I Was Here plays like a biting parody of Zach Braff. All the hallmarks of Garden State are present, and what should, in a more just world, be considered an authorial style, now feels like a failed attempt to recapture a movement and a mood that expired years ago. Much has been made of the fact that Braff turned to crowdfunding to raise the budget that he could have so easily raised with a studio; famously, he feared interference from the suits and wanted to make his own vision. Perhaps some interference might have been a good thing. But this path is only galling in light of the journey of Wish I Was Here's characters: wealthy people who need slightly more money asking for charity. This is hardly an exaggeration. The film's story — which I'm now only getting to at the tail end of the review — follows a failed actor who is still trying to follow his dreams despite the fact that he has responsibilities to his family. His father, stricken with cancer, needs to pay for his own treatment, and so can no longer pay for his grandchildren's expensive religious education. This is the inciting incident that's meant to inspire sympathy, but the stakes are so low and so unrelatable to the average moviegoer, that the film is crippled from the outset. It's so poorly judged, few changes would be needed to turn it into an all-out pastiche; Not Another Zach Braff Movie, if you will. Both Braff's character and his on-screen brother (Josh Gad) are manchildren who essentially learn that the women in their lives will continue to support them so long as they persist in their manchildish ways. The "lessons" learned at the end feel superfluous and unaffecting, despite what the last shot tries to tell us. The brother's storyline is the most baffling, and possibly the worst idea in a film full of poor choices. I wanted to like this film. I really did. For all that it now represents, I still hold a soft spot for Garden State, and I like Braff as both an on-screen performer and a filmmaker. As a director, he has a keen eye; it just failed him horribly here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=XWZWJtHrG4U
The distinction between American and Australian cop dramas is about as close to black and white as you can get before literally stripping them of colour. Thematically, the US genre is driven by 'heroism' — brave (and usually maverick) police officers who go above and beyond the line of duty to save anything, from a family member to an entire city. Not so in Australia. Here, it is 'corruption' that most frequently forms the basis of plot lines, reflecting either a sorry state of confidence in our law enforcement agencies, or acceptance that action films don't really work in Australia (ie: Mission Impossible II). The latest offering, Felony, takes place in Sydney's inner west and was written, produced and starred in by Joel Edgerton. Edgerton plays Malcolm Toohey, a hero cop whose near miss during a drug raid (he's shot by a fleeing suspect in the film's frantic opening scene) leads to a heavy night of drinking alongside the other officers involved. Later, as he drives home (narrowly avoiding an RBT arrest thanks to a 'cop to cop' password), he accidentally knocks a young boy off his bike and makes the split-second decision to lie about how he came to be first on scene. From that moment on Felony becomes a story about the toxicity of deception and its capacity for infecting all those who are touched by it. It's one of those films that almost immediately registers in that part of your brain where uncomfortable truths reside, refusing to let you dismiss the story as 'mere fiction'. It's all very real, and human and confronting in its simplicity. One lie builds upon another so quickly that you soon find yourself gasping for air on behalf of the characters, and you can never shake the feeling that it will all eventually come crashing down. Worse, you can't quite decide if you want it to. Edgerton managed to pull together an impressive cast to star alongside him, including Tom Wilkinson as the senior cop spearheading the coverup, Jai Courtney as Wilkinson's eager young partner and Melissa George as Edgerton's wife; however, it's Edgerton who most impresses. He neatly captures his character's confusion, fear, conflict and self-loathing without ever threatening to overplay any of it, and his performance is strong enough to rise above the occasional misteps in the script. The ending is unnecessarily symmetrical, certainly, and there's a subplot that goes confusingly AWOL somewhere in the third act, but overall it's a solid film with an excellent turn from its lead. https://youtube.com/watch?v=qjHvfnB8SRI
The Melbourne show for Kanye West’s Yeezus Tour is fast approaching, but before you go HAM at Rod Laver Arena, the good guys at Rooftop Bar are throwing an all-things-Kanye themed party. The inaugural (and free) Kanye Westival is a celebration of Yeezy being the stylish, provocative and self-proclaimed demigod that he is. DJs for the evening include Fletch, Gamegirl, FashGIF, Baby Bonus, YUNG JACU$$I and SET LIST. A montage of Kanye’s epic video clips will be screened throughout the evening, and let’s be honest, there are some great ones to choose from. There will also be Kustom Kanye Kut-out photo backdrops so you can get snapped living the good life with 'Ye. BYO croissants.
Nobody can resist a subtle jab at Tom Cruise, but Com Truise is known for more than just the pun. The New Yorker's been generating buzz ever since appearing on the electronic music scene four years ago. Now, Truise, aka Seth Haley, is touring Australia for the first time, taking him across Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Sydney in a series of intimate sets. Like his name, Com Truise's music is fun and energetic, hailing back to an era of luscious '80s synth. Haley's most recent release, Wave 1, from the faultless Ghostly International label, is a trademark to his signature style — slick production which transforms the otherwise monochrome sounds of today's pop with an eclectic mix of sci-fi sounds, funk beats and drenching bass. It's music that makes everything feel textured, fuzzy, lo-fi and somewhat rainbow-coloured. Just go with it. Supported by Midlife.
Quiet achievers Little Dragon are a bit of an elusive bunch. Despite jamming together for nearly two decades, the Swedish quartet only gained a serious fan-base following their breakout hit 'Twice' in 2009. But these high school pals-turned-internationally touring chart-toppers are proof that sometimes the best things take time. Making their way around Australia for a string of Laneway Festival appearances, Little Dragon have squeezed in a couple of sneaky sideshows for those not festivaling. Channeling their signature blend of genre-bending beats, their latest fourth studio album Nabuma Rubberband sees a smooth set of dance tracks with strong electro-pop and R&B tendencies. Previous collaborations with the likes of the Gorillaz, SBTRKT and Big Boi have seen these guys go from virtual unknowns to a globally recognised act. With captivating vocals courtesy of Yukimi Nagano guaranteed to get audiences grooving, these performances won't disappoint. Supported by Kilter.
After the enormous success of their Friday Nights series, the NGV are taking things up a notch. In a move to finally bridge the divide between gallery and all-out art party, this Melbourne institution is setting up a weekly music festival to run on every Sunday for the remainder of summer. And here's the best bit: it's all totally free. Taking place in the garden at NGV International, Summer Sundays will operate in collaboration with Mushroom Music and, because of this, all bands involved will be much-loved Melbourne locals. Everything will be kicking off on Sunday, February 1 with bluesy singer-songwriter Lanie Lane from 1-7pm. This will then be followed up by appearances from festival favourites World's End Press, indie four-piece Husky, and the always excellent Alpine. Of course, there wouldn't be any proper festival vibes with just one act. Each band will be backed up by DJs and smaller local outfits. There will also be Mambo-themed tents to chill out in courtesy of the ongoing retrospective at the Ian Potter Centre, as well as beers from local microbreweries and feeds from Huxtaburger. Summer Sundays take place in the Grollo Equiset Garden adjacent to NGV International from 1 - 7pm.
You wouldn’t think that the almost-impenetrable writing of Gertrude Stein would lend itself to the spirit-fingered, glittery world of musical theatre. But somehow, Tony-award winning composer Stephen Flaherty has wrangled Stein’s writing into the lyrics of an ambitious chamber musical, Loving Repeating. This may be an impressive feat from Flaherty but he’s perhaps best known to tragic 90s kids for his work with Lynn Ahrens on the not-sure-if-Disney-or-not animated classic, Anastasia. Loving Repeating is also the first offering from fledgling Melbourne theatre outfit Vic Theatre Company, a fledgling Melbourne theatre outfit who have an unashamed and admirable commitment to providing actors with sustainable work. For the company’s first show it features a stellar cast, including Australian TV and stage legend Deidre Rubenstein and Melbourne cabaret star Gillian Cosgriff.
Dig out those once-a-year novelty gumboots, Groovin the Moo is back for another year of out-of-the-city footstomping. Taking the large-scale music festival out of CBDs and into regional centres for another year, GTM will kick things off on the ANZAC Day long weekend and travel through Oakbank, Bunbury, Bendigo, Canberra, Maitland, and Townsville. This year's lineup sees syper-hyped internationals like the legendary Peaches, 'Boom Clap'-per Charli XCX, A$AP Mob's A$AP Ferg US trap king RL Grime, UK indie-gazers Peace and NZ festival favourites Broods alongside one of the most Aussie-heavy lineups GTM has seen in recent years. High-fiveworthy locals like Flight Facilities, The Preatures, Sticky Fingers, Hermitude, DMAs, Tkay Maidza, Ball Park Music, Meg Mac and more will also make their way to the Moo. So enough lowing, here's that lineup you're after. GROOVIN THE MOO 2015 LINEUP: A$AP FERG (USA) BALL PARK MUSIC BROODS (NZ) CARMADA CHARLI XCX (UK) THE DELTA RIGGS DMAs FLIGHT FACILITIES HERMITUDE HILLTOP HOODS HOT DUB TIME MACHINE MEG MAC NORTHLANE ONE DAY PEACHES (CAN) PEACE (UK) THE PREATURES RL GRIME (USA) SAN CISCO SASKWATCH STICKY FINGERS TKAY MAIDZA WOLFMOTHER YOU ME AT SIX (UK) GROOVIN THE MOO 2015 DATES & VENUES: Saturday, April 25 – Oakbank Sunday, April 26 – Bunbury Saturday, May 2 – Bendigo Sunday, May 3 – Canberra Saturday, May 9 – Maitland Sunday, May 10 – Townsville For more info, head to GTM's website. Image: Joseph Mayers, GTM.
It doesn't matter how good your cast is if you don't give them a compelling story to tell. That's the lesson of My Old Lady, the motion picture debut of playwright Israel Horovitz. An obvious stage-to-screen adaptation that shows little consideration to the differences between the two, it's a film so stuffy and slow-moving that it makes its geriatric headliner look positively spritely by comparison. The great Maggie Smith plays the old dame in the title, a 92-year-old British expatriate named Mathilde Gerard, who lives in a spacious Parisian apartment thanks to a peculiar French real-estate law called a viager. Under the arrangement, Madame Gerard receives regular cash instalments from a buyer, who will eventually gain full ownership of the property when the old lady finally dies. It's a fantastic deal for her, but a right pain in the arse for Matthias Gold (Kevin Kline), a deadbeat New Yorker who inherits the building in his estranged father's will. So Matthias skulks around Paris, trying to figure out a way to sell his newfound property while contending with his stubborn new tenant and her hostile adult daughter, Chloe (Kristen Scott Thomas). But soon the comic setup gives way to something much more serious. Information comes to light regarding the relationship between Matthias' father and Gerard, unscrewing the lid on a can of Daddy Issues in the process. It's interesting subject matter, to be sure. The problem is that Horovitz doesn't know how to translate his material to the screen. A vast majority of the truly relevant action takes place inside Gerard's apartment — and no number of aimless shots of Paris can disguise the film's origins on the stage. The dialogue itself feels better suited to the theatre as well, with a number of theatrical monologues in the movies' second half running unnecessarily long. At least it goes without saying that all three of the film's main actors are fantastic. Frankly, it's hard to think of a single bad performance across their entire combined body of work. In truth though, none of their characters are particularly easy to like, each one of them consumed by a mixture of blind entitlement and self-pity. That's the other lesson to be learned from My Old Lady. When a film's central conflict comes down to bickering over a $9 million deed, it's difficult to feel much sympathy for anyone involved.
Experience the best of Israeli and Jewish-themed cinema, courtesy of the film-savvy folks at the Jewish International Film Festival. Not to be confused with the Israeli Film Festival, whom I like to imagine JIFF is locked in some sort of epic power struggle with, this 18-day cinematic showcase features films from countries including France, Germany, the US and the Philippines, in addition to Israel itself. In doing so, the festival shines a spotlight on the experiences of the Jewish diaspora all around the world. Standouts on the 2014 JIFF program include critically-acclaimed black comedy Zero Motivation, WWII boxing film Young Perez and the searing Israeli divorce drama Gett, the Trial of Vivian Amsalem. Many of the screenings will be followed by Q&As and guest speaker seminars or, in the case of this doco about Orthodox matchmaking, a speed-dating night. Shalom! For the full JIFF program, visit their website.
Alaskan-bred, Portland-based indie foursome Portugal. The Man will be hitting the road for an epic string of Australian dates this November. We're talking a whopping 25 shows — and all free. Presented by Corona Extra, the tour kicks off in Western Australia on October 31 and travels through Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria before finishing up in Melbourne on November 30. With seven albums under their belt — including their most recent, Danger Mouse-produced, 2013 album Evil Friends — and playing up to 200 shows a year since they started, Portugal. The Man aren't ones to shy away from a long touring stint. They're big ol' festival favourites, making highlight lists at all the big guns from Coachella, Lollapalooza to Laneway Festival and Splendour. After their huge US tour wraps up, the foursome are going to bring their psychedelic, indie outdoorsiness to Australia's snuggly pubs and bars. Corona's last epic Australian tour saw Sydney's beloved Cloud Control hit the road for an unfathomable amount of free shows, so we'll see how the Portland locals go with such a schedule. Get along, burl out 'Got It All', 'Evil Friends' and 'So American' like you're front and centre for a P.TM festival set. It's freakin' free. Victoria Friday, 28 November — Torquay Hotel, Bell St, Torquay at 9pm. Saturday, 29 November — Westernport Hotel, 161 Marine Pde, San Remo at 9pm. Sunday, 30 November — The Deck, 2-4 Davey St, Frankston at 8.30pm. All tour dates are 18+ only and free entry. More info here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=EITwxJrZKj0
Romantic comedy cliches have earned their label for a reason; the more they're used, the more expected they become. And so it's that films like Love, Rosie emerge, wholly comprised of the seen-before and the been-there-done-that, as rendered with similarly customary sweetness. Here's the gist: girl and boy have clear feelings for each other, but are forced to stumble through a range of obstacles. Even if you've only ever seen one rom-com, you know where this is going. Rosie Dunne (Lily Collins) is an average 18-year-old girl. She's about to finish school and looking forward to a future certain to include her neighbour and lifelong best pal, Alex (Sam Claflin). There's a spark to their friendship that suggests something more, however when they take others to the prom — he escorts Bethany (Suki Waterhouse), and she goes with Greg (Christian Cooke) — it appears fate has other plans. The night has long-lasting repercussions pushing them in different directions. Alex moves to the US for medical school and after falling pregnant, single mother Rosie stays in the UK. Of course, they keep in touch. Cecelia Ahern's best-selling novel Where Rainbows End, upon which Love, Rosie is based, relates its tale through the pair's emails, letters and texts. The film uses the gimmick to a lesser extent, but their correspondence still guides a feature that charts the will-they-or-won't-they of this unconventional long distance relationship. Director Christian Ditter (best known for French for Beginners) and screenwriter Juliette Towhidi (Calendar Girls) don't stray far from the source material, nor do they need to. When it comes to cloying romantic plots, Ahern literally wrote the book. What good rom-coms do well, the most predictable included, is cultivate investment in the central couple. And even when forced into silly situations and saddled with stereotypes, Collins and Claflin are suitably charming, selling the camaraderie central to their close platonic relationship, as well as the uncertainty needed to make their 12-year flirtation endearing. They're the bright sparks in an effort otherwise happy with obviousness. You can count on picturesque imagery, heavy-handed pop cues, and tonal wobbling between contemplative drama and over-the-top comedy. Having each actor play their characters from ages 18 to 30 never quite convinces, but that's a minor issue. That's the film all over — never believable, constantly trite, but endlessly likeable. It's also the rom-com prescription in willingly evoking a necessary wish-fulfillment fantasy. Soppily telling tales of yearning loves and lives dictated by wanting what you can't have, Love, Rosie seemingly aims to be a younger-oriented successor of Bridget Jones' Diary. In its focus on its messy but spirited heroine, its lacings of cringeworthy humour and its adherence to genre formula, it doesn't miss the uninspired mark. https://youtube.com/watch?v=cweASWVpkVM
There's an unshakable sense of menace throughout the low-key mob movie The Drop that lifts it above the outward cliches of its story. Then again, that's hardly surprising, given it was written by Dennis Lehane. The American crime novelist responsible for Mystic River, Shutter Island and Gone Baby Gone — books whose subsequent film adaptations rank amongst the best big-screen potboilers of the past 20 years — Lehane's mastery of the blue-collar crime genre is second to none. And, while his screenplay for The Drop doesn't quite reach the same impressive heights, it's a thoroughly compelling drama all the same. The story takes place, as Lehane's stories tend to do, in a working class microcosm in the north-east US. In this case it's Cousin Marv's bar, a grimy Brooklyn watering hole run by a bitter old barkeep whose name sits on the sign above the door. In reality, however, the bar hasn't belonged to Marv (the late great James Gandolfini) since he was muscled out by the Chechen mafia, who now use it as one of several collection points — or "drop bars" — for all of their ill-gotten cash. When the bar is robbed by a pair of desperate stickup men, Marv and his unflappable bartender Bob (Tom Hardy) are tasked with recovering the money. At the same time, Bob find himself caught up in the life of local waitress Nadia (Noomi Rapace) after rescuing a wounded dog left abandoned in her front yard. What Bob doesn't count on is the attention of Nadia's unhinged ex-boyfriend Eric (Matthias Schoenaerts), a local crim who, if rumours can be trusted, has a habit of making people disappear. How the storylines intertwine... well, that would be telling. Belgian director Michael R. Roskam is a skilled hand behind the camera, but it's easier to identify the influence of Lehane: the decaying urban setting, the unspoken threats of violence, the characters all speaking in thick, working class drawls. So too can you locate the DNA of earlier crime pics. Bob's frequent trips to a local Catholic church call to mind Scorsese's prototypical gangster movie Mean Streets; the theft of mob money, meanwhile, was the catalyst in the recent Andrew Dominik joint Killing Them Softly. As such, The Drop can at times feel a little familiar. But the strength of Lehane's screenplay lies in the information he keeps obscured. His characters' pasts remain shrouded in mystery, leaving you constantly unsure of how far they're willing to go. The star of Roskam's previous film Bullhead, Schoenaerts radiates danger in every scene. Likewise Gandolfini, whose portrayal of a washed-up tough guy reminds us just how big a talent the actor was. It's Hardy, however, who really steals the show. At first, his character strikes us as a gentle giant; a nice guy caught up in a situation he can't control. But as the movie goes on, we're forced to look again. There's something deeply unsettling about the way Bob never seems phased, even as his situation spirals further out of control. As always, that's the appeal of Lehane's writing. Things are never quite what they appear. https://youtube.com/watch?v=9xAKTGPbhQk
The winner of this year's Cannes Film Fest Palm d'Or is an exercise in movie-going endurance. Written and directed by celebrated Turkish filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Winter Sleep clocks in at a gruelling 196 minutes long, a figure that makes the most recent Hobbit flick look positively breezy by comparison. Frankly, only the most committed of arthouse nerds should even attempt Ceylan's latest — and even they may find themselves struggling with the picture's slow-as-molasses pace. Indeed, despite his film's epic run time, Ceylan appears committed to keeping actual dramatic incident to a minimum. Concerned, at its core, with the erosion of the marriage between a conceited old hotel owner (Haluk Bilgine) and his miserable young wife (Melisa Sozen), Winter Sleep at times feels more like a stage play than a movie. Characters argue at inordinate lengths about marriage, money, philanthropy, class and the nature of good and evil. Then they argue some more. The topics that Ceylan sets out to explore are certainly intriguing. In its best moments, Winter Sleep calls to mind the likes of A Separation and Two Days, One Night — films in which the dialogue cuts not just to the hearts of the characters, but to the issues facing the society in which those characters live. At other points, however, Ceylan's writing becomes strained, laying out his themes in painfully literal language, as if we can't be trusted to understand them on our own. On a more unequivocally positive note, Gokhan Tiryaki's cinematography is genuinely stunning. Under the harsh, grey-white light of foreboding winter skies, the Anatolian landscape seems almost otherworldly. Equally beautiful are several night-time interior scenes, the flickering glow from the fireplace casting shadows across the walls. Even so, it's difficult to get past that ridiculous three-hour run time, which drags behind the film like a ball and chain. Ironically, most of the truly compelling content can be found in the movie's second half. The problem is that, by the time you get there, there's a good chance that your brain will have already checked out. https://youtube.com/watch?v=P1nQbYtTPQg
The Wheeler Centre is packing a punch, presenting a program of important panels and impressive parties as part of Middlesex: Queer Week. The program explores sexuality and identity in all their alternate forms, offering you the chance to have a think about trans bodies at The Wheeler Centre and have a big ol' Queer Party at the "climax" of the week at the Melba Spiegeltent. The program features a long list of guest speakers including Christos Tsiolkas, Buck Angel, Anne Hunter, Amy Middleton, Selina Jenkins, Benjamin Law and much more — a lineup that's sure to deliver entertaining and thought-provoking conversation. Over the next five days, various talks will cover topics such as sexuality and sexual identity as a spectrum and the evolution of gay representation on screen, stage and page. Check out the full program here, and remember to book, as sessions are selling out fast!
It's bands like Bloods that make you proud of the Australian music scene. Their crazy addictive fusion of pop and garage punk are just the kind of tunes for letting loose on the dance floor, with their catchy guitar riffs and gritty vocals calling back to an era of Joan Jett bad-assery. After previously supporting bands like the Dum Dum Girls and DZ Deathrays, it's great seeing Bloods embarking on a nationwide headline tour of their own to promote their debut album. While they've released a steady stream of singles and EPs since first coming onto the scene in 2011 – Golden Fang, We Are Bloods, among others — it was only this year that the trio have finally put together their first full-length, Work It Out. It has everything you'd expect from a Bloods record: hook-filled headbangers spliced with a couple of mellow slow burners (just to catch your breath a little). Bloods are one of the most loved local live acts around right now, and for good reason. Catch 'em in these cosy venues before they get snapped up by the big ones. https://youtube.com/watch?v=9QNxOsDeot8
The horrors of the Holocaust have spawned countless, often interchangeable stories on film and television. In comparison they've inspired far fewer pieces of theatre — although plays like Arthur Miller’s late work Playing For Time spring to mind. In its depiction of musicians interned in concentration camps Miller's play has a kind of resonance with The Artisan Collective's Requiem for Dalinka, which will soon have its premiere at Gasworks. Since late 2009 the indie company — helmed by Requiem director, Benjamin Pfeiffer — has won praise for its honed, stylish pieces of theatre unafraid to confront difficult material; plays like Brendan McCallum’s If It Bleeds, or Kristina Brew's adaptation of John Fowles' The Collector. Alongside this impressive reputation, co-creator of Requiem Peter Marks is both an experienced musician and the son of a Holocaust survivor, attuned to the sensitivities required when spinning art out of lived experience. This story will undoubtedly be no exception.
This mouthful of a show is an ambitious attempt to stage the first psychotic episodes of a mother and son. Its creators, UK company Ridiculusmus, have carved out a position as one of England's most exciting independent outfits. Here, they draw on a Finnish method of treatment called 'Open Dialogue'; one that holds that psychosis exists "between" people, rather than "within" individuals, and picks apart the nebulous web of relationships in which it lives. Co-creator David Woods might be familiar to local audiences from his star turn as the "director" in Back to Back’s acclaimed 2011 Melbourne Festival offering Ganesh Versus The Third Reich. Just like so much of Back to Back's work, this sounds like the kind of show that only theatre can do; one that inhabits the form's unique ability to show multiple voices and bodies moving through both space and time — giving full expression to psychotic confusion and hallucination through split staging and polyphony. If you think The Eradication of Schizophrenia in Western Lapland sounds a bit heavy, take some solace in the fact it's garnered rave reviews in its native England. Ridiculusmus were praised for their ability to find humour and tenderness in this darkest of subject matter.
Leave your Hunters and your oversized sunhat behind to spontaneously frolic and make out with strangers. Pepa Knight, Jinja Safari's co-frontman, is launching his solo career with the announcement of a 2015 album release. But fans won't have to wait until next year to take off their shoes and enjoy that unmistakably JS-popularised brand of atmospheric, drum-thumping pop. On Friday, November 28, the first collection of Knight's solo recordings, Hypnotized Vol. 1, will be released — following on from his two critically-acclaimed singles 'Rahh!' and 'Clams'. Throughout November, Knight will be performing a series of headline shows to celebrate this first half of his highly-anticipated double album. Presented by Artists Voice and Rare Finds, the confirmed dates include appearances in Melbourne, Sydney, Central Coast, Newcastle and Brisbane. In the coming weeks, Knight will also be releasing another single in support of the tour, giving fans a further insight into the infectious, whimsical sounds of his debut solo effort. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ysx8lssBeIE
You may not have heard of it before, but Wednesday, December 3 marks the United Nations International Day of People with Disability. Not coincidentally, it's also the first day of The Other Film Festival, one of the largest film festivals on the face of the earth catering specifically to people with disabilities. Hosted in the Melbourne Brain Centre on Royal Parade, the films across the five-day program include shorts, documentaries and features from all around the world, complete with captioning and audio description options, wheelchair accessible seating and water bowls for seeing-eye dogs. Opening night of the festival features the standout documentary Fixed, about radical advances in medical technology meant to enhance the human body. Another sure highlight, if you can handle the grim subject matter, is Canadian documentary Out of Mind, Out of Sight, which explores what happens to people with mental illness who have committed violent crimes. Classic film buffs can also get their fix with a not-so-silent-screening of the iconic 1922 vampire movie Nosferatu, in which audience members provide live audio description for the blind. Yes please. For the full TOFF program, visit their website.
It’s exciting times in the Missy Higgins camp right now. Firstly, there’s a baby on the way, due in early January. Secondly, she has a new album, a collection of essays, and a national tour right around the corner. Though the album is titled OZ it's far from your average Great Australian Songbook – that would be too easy and, to be honest, a little unoriginal. In the end, Higgins went with songs by esteemed Australian songwriter she was convinced she could make her own. She calls the results "a real mixed bag of lollies". Sounds delicious. A few of the songs featured in OZ include Paul Kelly’s 'Before Too Long', The Drones’ 'Shark Fin Blues', and The Go Betweens’ 'Was There Anything I Could Do?' The essays Higgins has written to accompany the album are supposed to go hand in hand with the songs she has chosen, but obviously if you want to enjoy them separately, you have her permission to go for it. Fans of Higgins’ original material needn’t be disappointed; 'Scar', 'The Special Two' and 'Everyone’s Waiting' are all likely to make an appearance during her national tour. The eerie yet majestic singer/songwriter Dustin Tebbutt, as well as OZ collaborator Jherek Bischoff will join Higgins during her national tour. This might be your last chance to catch Missy Higgins live for a while, and OZ looks like a wonderful world we can’t wait to get lost in.
With a young man immersed in underworld dealings and learning life lessons along the way, there's no mistaking Son of a Gun's fondness for standard crime caper cliches. The film begins with prison hierarchies, navigates a jailbreak and daring heist, and dallies with ruthless Russian mobsters. It also traverses romance and a complicated mentor-protegee relationship, just in case its adherence to formula wasn't apparent. And yet, in wholeheartedly embracing genre basics, complete with the accompanying twists, Julius Avery's debut focuses on execution and performance over plot and story to exceed the sum of its obvious parts. That's not to say that the movie's narrative isn't engaging; however, it is in its eye for action and its finessed portrayals that Son of a Gun best impresses. Nineteen-year-old JR (Brenton Thwaites) enters his six-month stay in a maximum-security facility with a warning to keep out of trouble, though the resident bullies have other plans. Veteran inmate Brendan (Ewan McGregor) becomes his saviour, but his help has consequences: JR must return the favour upon his release. Extricating Brendan and his right-hand man (Matt Nable) from prison is the first step. Next, assisting the convicted armed robber in doing what he does best. Writer/director Avery came to fame courtesy of his 2008 short Jerrycan, a Cannes Film Festival award winner. His first feature has been eagerly awaited since, and in its bright lensing of the Western Australian landscape, moody score from Snowtown and The Babadook's Jed Kurzel, and sustaining of tension, it proves worthy of such anticipation. Avery shows a knack for set pieces and a mastery of pace and tone that keeps Son of a Gun moving, patching over its lack of surprises and extended length. From the sombre drama of its jail-set opening to the cat-and-mouse chases that follow in helicopter hijackings, car chases, boat rides and stand-offs, the filmmaker crafts a competent, compelling thriller. Otherwise, casting is the film's biggest strength, from Thwaites' second role in succession as a naive pawn awakening into a position of influence after The Giver, to A Royal Affair's Alicia Vikander as his potential love interest. Of course, it is the star power of McGregor, complementing his usual cheeky grin with a menacing glint in his eye, that rightfully commands attention. Although appearing to play against type, his charming wrongdoer isn't that far removed from his morally dubious breakout role in Trainspotting, complete with his natural accent. Indeed, McGregor's fate mirrors that of the film, never straying far from the familiar, but doing so with energy and aplomb. Son of a Gun may be another gritty Australian crime offering, but it is also an enthusiastic, expressive and engrossing example of its genre. https://youtube.com/watch?v=eTOBcelRo9M
Time to start sleuthing through all of the internet. Converse are hosting a series of amazing A-list gigs in Melbourne, Sydney and New Zealand, and they're hiding tickets where you'll least expect them. So far we know that The Vines — who are all about the freebies lately — and Bloods are playing a free show somewhere in Melbourne on Wednesday, October 22; Remi and Collarbones are hitting up Sydney the following night; and a fresh lineup is heading over to New Zealand soon after. Oh, and we have your first clue. Converse sneakily posted an ad on Seek for a casual "fist pumper". "This temporary, one night only, position is open for a front row fist pumper at a free gig," the ad read. "The successful applicant will show a willingness to party in the front row of the mosh pit ... [They also must] appreciate the epic sounds of bands, The Vines and Bloods". In case you haven't worked it out already, this is your ticket. If you're from Melbourne and maintain any of the above characteristics, we highly recommend applying for this job. They're currently taking "applications" for the position at hey@converse.com.au, but maybe trade in a full cover letter for a few photos of you in the mosh. This is possibly the only time making a resume link to your Facebook photos is a good thing. UPDATE: We can now reveal the show will be held at Ding Dong Lounge at 8pm. Check out the Converse Facebook page for more details on how to get tickets.
At first glance, mid-week raving and healthy living don’t seem to go hand in hand. The energetic people behind Morning Gloryville are here to turn that preconception on its head with their ingenious way to start your day in style. After a wildly successful launch in Sydney, the London-founded breakfast rave is making its way to Melbourne, launching October 15. From 6.30 to 9.30am on the last Wednesday of each month at 1000 £ Bend, Morning Gloryville will host a monthly all-ages, drug and alcohol free rave to kickstart your day. Music will be pumping with an eclectic mix of '90s dance to jungle beats and soul tunes; you’re encouraged to jump around and shake those cobwebs loose before heading to work. PBS FM's CC:DISCO, Fintan McGivern and Salvador Darling will be storming the decks, along with a dance team to get the party going. But it’s not just the furious dancing that's helping you start your day off on the right foot. The Morning Gloryville sessions will also include yoga, massage, fresh smoothies and healthy food. The recommended dress code is simply 'dress to sweat', but loads of colour and festivalwear is also encouraged — anything to help you seize the day. The only real rule is sobriety; let your inner dance monster show the world what it’s made of unimpeded by plonk. The Morning Glory rave started in London’s Shoreditch — where else — by Sam Moyo and Nico Thoemmes. "We’ve noticed the habit that when people start getting really serious jobs or have a family, or if they want to live free of alcohol and drugs, then they almost stop partying and stop dancing in that way. We thought that was a shame," says Thoemmes. "Morning Glory is a revolution of conscious clubbing. For us it’s really important to get people embodied and dancing and moving freely." It has since gathered a global following with offshoots in Barcelona, New York, Tokyo, Amsterdam, Sydney and now Melbourne. Morning Gloryville is a great alternative for those who truly dread climbing out of bed during to head to the gym before work. If you’re looking down the barrel of 8-12 hours at a desk or in an office environment, this is one sure fire way of getting an endorphins hit. The next Morning Gloryville Melbourne event will be on November 26, entry is $25 for adults and children under 12 rave for free. Get your tickets here.
Whip out the picnic rug, crack open a bottle of wine and make the most of the summer while you can. Over the next two weekends, January 10-11 and 17-18, Fitzroy Gardens will play host to a selection of live music performances and dance workshops. It’s the perfect place to hang out with mates and forget about the work year that’s already inconveniently underway. The 2015 Sunset Series kicks off each evening at 5pm. Saturdays are dedicated to local music acts, including Jakubi, Afro-Columbian outfit Madre Monte and nine-piece dub/reggae group Echo Drama, among others. Sundays are dedicated to dance workshops where you can practice your salsa moves, or learn how to twist like a Bollywood star. So kick back, relax and enjoy the sunset. BYO food and drink, or you can take advantage of the services of some of Melbourne’s favourite food trucks, who’ll be on site all evening for dinner.
UK label Defected Records throw epic dance parties worldwide all year round. This time around, Melbourne is the target; with Defected In The House set for New Year's Day. International DJs Oliver Dollar, Franky Rizardo, Sonny Fodera and Crazy P are among the special guests, as well as supports from Simon Digby, Steve Bleas, APAP and more. Considering Defected In The House hosts regular nights at London's Ministry of Sound, Singapore's Zouk and Pacha in Ibiza, if house music is your thing you couldn't get 2015 off to a better start.
If you're citybound and missing out on New Year's Eve festivals like Falls and Beyond The Valley this year, don't fret. Let Them Eat Cake is your inner city solution to satisfy those festival urges. Held for one day only at Werribee Park, LTEC is not only great for the music, but also plays host to installation art, openair exhibitions and some killer foodie offerings. But back to the music, this year's lineup includes the likes of Hudson Mohawke, Todd Terje, Cashmere Cat, Carl Craig and many others. Have your cake and eat it too guys, you've earned it this year.
Somewhere in the dark recesses of a record company, a phone rings in the jazz music copyright department. Five minutes later, an email begins to circulate around Hollywood: "URGENT: 1920s costumes required. Wooden tennis racquets also welcome. Destination not yet known, but assume Manhattan or France". Finally, casting agents receive a visit from a mysterious stranger with a very specific request: "I need a girl. Young. Sexy but approachable. Almost too young, without being obvious, if you follow?" He winks and disappears into the smog. The clues are unmistakeable. The conclusion, unavoidable. Woody Allen is making a movie. His 47th, in fact, and his most handsome in quite some time. Yet the eyes can deceive, and just as his characters learn throughout Magic in the Moonlight, beauty all too often masks a shallowness that will always, eventually, out. It is, to put it simply, very light fare across the board. Amusing more than hilarious, sweet yet far from moving, Magic in the Moonlight is as fun to watch as it is easy to forget. Set (once again) in the 1920s, the entire film is built around a simple, singular premise: esteemed magician Stanley Crawford (Colin Firth) is brought to the French Riviera to debunk the charming young American clairvoyant Sophie (Emma Stone). Her bewildering talents, however, quickly defy his every attempt to expose her, deftly penetrating every layer of his stoic scepticism. Faced with the possibility that real magic might exist, the insufferably rational and pragmatic Stanley finds himself questioning everything, from the meaning of life to the love of his soon-to-be wife. It's a romantic comedy of sorts, but the pairing of Stone and Firth fails to spark any real on-screen connection despite both actors ticking all the boxes individually. It's worth remembering there's almost 30 years between the two, an age gap (or chasm, rather) that Stanley acknowledges early on as 'preposterous'. It's perhaps less a joke than a symptom of the film's ultimate inability to resonate. Either way, you don't really care whether they get together or not, just as it matters little whether Sophie's talents are legitimate. The stakes are low, and for a film all about magic, the only genuine mesmerising comes from the scenery. https://youtube.com/watch?v=nzcPdGxuewU
Stroll the catwalks of Europe's premiere fashion houses, or get up close and personal with the dying art of men's tailoring, as part of the latest documentary line-up at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. Presented as part of the cultural leg of Melbourne Spring Fashion Week, ACMI's Fashion on Film program covers all things haute couture. Produced by James Franco during his tenure as the male face of Gucci (because of course that happened), The Director: An Evolution in Three Acts presents a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most influential fashion labels in the world. Première: Ellery in Paris takes viewers from Sydney to Paris with celebrated Australian designer Kym Ellery. While on a more intimate note, Men of the Cloth explores the devotion of three old-school Italian tailors to their disappearing craft.
Straight from the Design Museum in London, this new exhibition at the RMIT Design Hub is definitely one to get you thinking. Interrogating our changing relationship with manufacturing and production, The Future is Here is about to take a diverse look at the new technologies that are coming to shape us. Exploring 3D printing, nanotechnology and digitally networked marketplaces, the thinkers and makers behind the works on show make their case for an exciting future that's unfolding right in front of us. From August 28 until October 11, the RMIT Design Hub will be showcasing the works of local design research projects and work from the original exhibition in London. Alisa Andrasek's noteworthy project 'Bloom' will also be on display. Seen in London during the 2012 Olympics, this "urban toy" and "collective gardening experience" that looks like a giant pink feather boa asks audiences to mould, shape and build different formations from the separate hot pink elements of the structure. By asking people to interact with the object, 'Bloom' demonstrates a new method for production — one that is crowd-sourced and unpredictable. The exhibition will also be accompanied by a series of lectures and talks from those involved. Andrasek will be hosting a free lecture on Friday, August 29. And, if you'd like a free rundown of the show before checking it out for yourself, Design Museum curator Alex Newson will be speaking prior to the exhibition opening on Thursday, August 28 from 12-1pm.
Earlier this month we rejoiced in vintage shopping for a cause, and we're happy to say it was a pretty great turn out on the day. But if you missed out, never fear! The Conscious Closet is here to ease your woes. Also in support of Fitted for Work, The Conscious Closet offers amazing deals on new and pre-loved designer clothing and accessories from brands such as Carla Zampatti, Jigsaw, Scanlan & Theodore, Perri Cutten, Alannah Hill and Veronika Maine just to name a few. Fitted For Work is an organisation which provides support and assistance to disadvantaged women seeking secure employment. They do so through mentoring, interview preparation, outfitting and support during the transition from unemployment to working life. Since 2005, they've helped a whopping 14,500 women secure employment. It's a great cause to get behind, and really, there's no excuse not to when prices at start off at just $2. On Friday August 29 and Saturday August 30, these charitable champions are holding a massive sale with nothing over $20. We'll say that again. None of this amazing designer clothing will be over $20. Open your hearts (and your wallets) and grab a cute outfit for a good cause.
