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.
We see a plethora of photos every day. They're on our Facebook feed, pop-ups and billboards — we're bombarded. But after two years in rural Victoria, Daniel Bushaway seems to have found some remarkable serenity in the photographic form. Debuting at Edmund Pearce Gallery, Bushaway's latest exhibition is guaranteed to bring you some country bliss right in the heart of the city. Still Places is a body of work which investigates semi-permanent human structures in natural environments, and asks us to consider how we can interact harmoniously with nature. Bushaway reflects upon his relationship with 'off the grid' living and his personal experiences with the smells and sounds of the Moonee Creek Co-op in Lima East, north of Mansfield in Victoria. The artworks were created predominately in winter, influencing the tonal quality of the pieces and resulting in a body of lush photographic works. Head down for opening drinks on Thursday, February 6 from 6-8pm, or check out the exhibition any time between now and March1. Image credit: Daniel Bushaway, Tree House, via Edmund Pearce Gallery.
To commemorate the anniversary of the 2008 apology to Australia's Stolen Generations, the Healing Foundation is throwing a free concert on February 13 at Sidney Myer Music Bowl. The show will feature both Indigenous and non-Indigenous performers such as Archie Roach, Blue King Brown, Tim Rogers, Thelma Plumm and Claire Bowditch; and is to be hosted by Eddie Perfect (Offspring, The Beast) and Miranda Tapsell (The Sapphires). Everyone is welcome at this all ages gig, and the grass surrounds of the Bowl are prime location for picnic rugs and a basket full of snacks. Though the night will undoubtedly be a celebration, it also has an important message. As Archie Roach puts it, “What happened to the Stolen Generations can’t be erased or taken back and the anniversary is there to remind people it shouldn’t have happened, and we need to come together on that day to make sure it never happens again." Doors open from 5.30pm and the show will run until 10pm. For more information including a full lineup, check the website.
"And now you want to be my friend on Facebook? Are you fucking kidding me?" The gal who brought us the anthem to sing at exes attempting to Facebook stalk us is releasing her latest album (album number four) on March 14 and heading on tour. She'll be singing 'Lose my shit', 'Ghost' (featuring Megan Washington) and other new tunes and hitting notes that most of us could only ever dream of. O Vertigo is Kate Miller-Heidke's first independently released album. And how did she make it happen? Crowdfunding. That's one way of getting around it. She hit her target three days after launching the campaign, and some of the lucky donators will be getting a Happy Birthday phone call from Ms Triple-Octave Pipes. The rest of us will attempt to suppress our jealousy. This is one worth heading to. https://youtube.com/watch?v=X0FdR7dEAYU
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.
From the mind of Englishman, Mike Bartlett, this play starts with a kind of ending. The relationship of John (Tom Conroy) and his older partner, M (Angus Grant), is in its death throes. After years spent together the two men have grown distant, and as soon as they’re apart John meets W (Sophie Ross) — a woman who gives him everything his partner had neglected. They have sex, they fall in love, but John’s stuck. He wants to go back to his partner, wants to stay with W — he wants to make a decision. What follows is a tortuous conflict between the three over his affections, ending in a passive-aggressive, farcical dinner between the 'couples' as well as M’s father F (Tony Rickards), who makes a late appearance in the piece. While this basic premise of the love triangle could seem a bit naff, the play makes some bold choices (as its name suggests), some of which overshoot their target. The cast of four deliver warm and well-rounded performances, especially Angus Grant as the uptight M — he manages to balance some of the play’s most vicious (and funny) lines with sensitivity and tenderness. And this is lucky because performance is really all you have to go on. The set is made up mostly of 250 thick pillows, which cover the floor and are rearranged by the characters in transitions between scenes. It’s in these transitions that the director's (Leticia Caceres) stark vision for the play is most transparent and at times these shifts feel laboured — although the convention it sets up is sometimes smashed to devastating effect once it’s been established, throwing the audience headlong into the middle of confrontation. Caceres’ approach is one that removes props and a representational aesthetic, foregrounding the text and the relationships between the characters. But it’s difficult to tell how important the original script’s Englishness is and what might be lost with Australian accents and an abstract setting. Some might argue it’s essential to the mannered bitchiness the text demands, but ultimately the fact that Caceres and her actors convey the story so clearly speaks to something more universal about the fraught relationships that Bartlett has captured. Some sequences spark perfectly. In particular, the sex scene between John and W — his first time with a woman — is executed with exquisite awkwardness and bravery. But, much like John himself, at times Bartlett’s play seems unsure of its identity. The love and chemistry at the heart of these moments sits uncomfortably with the play’s brutal, backbiting comedy. At times the ambiguity is thrilling; at others, it's surprisingly irritating. What’s perhaps most interesting about Cock is the way in which the central character, John, is so thoroughly unlikeable. Like an even more effete Hamlet, he’s caught up in endless prevarication and self-doubt yet still somehow strongly desired by both M and W. Conroy’s performance gives us so many opportunities to ask ourselves why anyone would find John appealing, and that speaks to the play’s central concern — we’ve got no control over who we fall in love with.
"What do we want?" "Time travel!" "When do we want it?" "It's irrelevant!” And so it is that the Terminator franchise rediscovers its sense of humour. As for everything else, well, the ground’s a little less resolute. Somewhat appropriately, Terminator: Genisys is either the fifth film in the franchise, or the third, depending on your perspective. James Cameron, who wrote and directed the first (and best) two, openly declared both Rise of the Machines and Salvation to be blips on the radar that are best ignored, meaning — at least in his view — Genisys now rounds out the unofficial trilogy (cue joke about a director from the future going back in time to terminate inferior sequels). Certainly, Genisys goes out of its way to fit solidly within the original movie's timeline, at least to begin with. In fact, it’s worth re-watching Terminator beforehand, if only to appreciate the lengths to which director Alan Taylor and his production team have gone in painstakingly recreating some of the film's signature moments (right down to casting a Bill Paxton lookalike for the then-unknown actor’s punk cameo). The reason for the cinematic fidelity quickly becomes apparent, too, when those well-known moments from the original are hugely turned on their head. It’s difficult to explain without revealing giant spoilers, but suffice it to say Sarah Connor (played with remarkable likeness to Linda Hamilton by Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke) no longer needs rescuing back in 1984 by Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney), and Arnie isn’t the first Terminator to be sent back there. Everything’s changed, and therein lies both the film’s strength and weakness. As a positive, switching everything up was a sensible and necessary move to breathe new life into a franchise already guilty of retelling the same story with merely cosmetic differences. John Connor (Jason Clarke) undergoes a dramatic amendment in Genisys, and Schwarzenegger’s T-800 (easily the film’s shining light) has noticeably aged, explaining “I’m old, not obsolete”. Going back to 1984, too, is a clever device because — at least for fans of the original — as soon as the first difference becomes apparent, it raises a lot of questions that help drive the story forward. The downside, however, is that making those changes requires some serious amendments to one of the more established and analysed lores in film history, and unless you’ve got rock solid explanations to back them up, gaping potholes quickly reveal themselves. In Genisys, some are answered via hastily mumbled lines about 'nexus points’ and parallel timelines, but the more critical ones — like how terminators ended up in the timeline long before 1984, who sent them there and why — remain unanswered. It’s a clear setup for a sequel, but mostly just lazy film-making, failing to tell the story it promises. When the credits roll on Genisys, you soon realise you’ve no idea what it was actually about. 2015 is proving itself the king of the reboot, with Jurassic World already destroying box office records, and new entries for Mission Impossible, James Bond and Star Wars all to follow. Terminator: Genisys will likely find itself somewhere towards the bottom of that list, mostly because — while it’s a lot of fun — it fails to ‘wow’ us like its predecessors. The terminators’ technology is largely the same, the action sequences are again mostly variations on a theme, and somehow the phenomenal special effects of 1991’s Judgment Day still remain more jaw-dropping than most things that have come since.
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.
Last year, Sisters Grimm’s smash hit Calpurnia Descending was created to take advantage of Paul Capsis considerable talents. Now, the star is getting treated to his own solo show crafted by Patrick White Award-winning playwright Nicki Bloom. Little Bird is a gender-bending tale of transformation made especially for the iconic performer, and with accompanying original music composed by Cameron Goodall from The Audreys and Quentin Grant it's looking like one of the year's first must-sees. Capsis possesses a staggering, searing voice — look no further than his take on Leo Sayer’s ‘Giving It All Away’ in The Boy Castaways — that’s matched only by his complete vulnerability on stage. At a time of year when substantial theatre offerings are thin on the ground Little Bird stands out as a likely hit of the summer.
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
For the third year running, the fair city of Melbourne is gearing up for an arts festival of truly epic proportions. On Saturday, February 21, White Night takes over the CBD, with an astonishing lineup of installations, performances and activities running from sundown until the first light of dawn. This year’s event features work by more than 700 artists, ensuring there’s no shortage of things to discover over the course of the night. Of course, when you’re battling crowds of more than half a million people, a little planning can go a very long way. With that in mind, here are our picks for the ten things not to miss on White Night 2015. Check out our guide to the best things to see at White Night over here.
It has dragons, shape-shifting, power struggles and Kit Harington — and someone is told that they know nothing, though not the man best known as Jon Snow. We’re not talking about Game of Thrones. If only. Instead, the latest effort to wave the fantasy flag is Seventh Son. The film is based on the novel The Spook's Apprentice and was actually shot three years ago, but it clearly really wants to be everyone’s favourite TV show. It also wants to be every other story about epic quests, long-held feuds, strange creatures and supernatural powers that has reached a screen — large, small or kindle — over the past ten years or so. The bad news: shared dashes of drama, magic and medieval theming aside, and there's plenty, trying to be just like everything fantasy fans know and love doesn’t do this movie any favours. The worse news: it also leaves it looking like a pale imitation of better work. From the computer-animated monsters to the lukewarm love story, Seventh Son comes second in every category. The title and the tale tell of a young man, Tom Ward (Ben Barnes), whose birth order sees him selected to learn the witch-hunting, realm-protecting trade. He’s not just a seventh son — he’s the seventh son of a seventh son — so legend has it that he’s something extra special. Master Gregory (Jeff Bridges) tries to teach Tom new tricks, but time isn’t on their side. A once-in-a-century blood moon is a mere week away, with evil enchantress Mother Malkin (Julianne Moore) planning to use the occasion to take over the world. If it all sounds like your average good-versus-evil scenario, that’s because it is. More than that, it’s dull, familiarity not quite breeding contempt but certainly not inspiring much interest. That every plot point just feels like an exercise in ticking the requisite boxes doesn’t help, including the complications added when half-witch Alice (Alicia Vikander), the nicer niece of Malkin, falls for our hero. The 3D action sequences do the same; even when they’re trying to ramp up the spectacle with giants, tumbles down waterfalls and shape-shifting henchmen, everything is firmly in by-the-numbers territory. What Seventh Son does boast is ample talent, though two-time Oscar nominee Sergei Bodrov (Prisoner of the Mountains, Mongol) doesn’t fare so well with his slapdash efforts in the director’s chair. Thankfully, 2011 best actor Oscar winner Bridges and newly minted best actress Oscar recipient Moore do better — or as well as they can given what’s being asked of them. Indeed, the veteran performers are the most watchable part of the movie, one grumbling, mumbling and stumbling, the other relishing an over-the-top role, and both as cartoonish as you can get. That Barnes and Vikander — and everything else — seems bland in comparison is hardly surprising. As an adaptation of the first book in a now fourteen-strong series, Seventh Son was obviously once seen as the start of a new film franchise. If there’s any real magic in this movie, it is in ensuring that that doesn’t happen.
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.
Death and the Maiden is a psychological thriller focusing on the aftermath of the Pinochet regime in Chile. Written in 1992, but still frighteningly relevant, Ariel Dorfman's script sheds light on the cultural and political suffocation of Chile that lasted nearly two decades. We're given insight into this historic event through his traumatised heroine, Paulina (Susie Porter). This production, which opens at Melbourne Theatre Company before traveling to Sydney, is generating excitement because of the cultural insight provided by its Argentinian-Australian director, Leticia Càceres. Càceres has climbed the theatre hierarchy quickly in recent years, earning much critical praise as well as the MTC Associate Directorship. But even with all her successes, she maintains that this project holds particular importance. "I regard Death and the Maiden as part of my heritage", Càceres reveals. "I am honoured to be able to share it with a new audience and demonstrate why this play is so tremendously important."
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.
All the talented people you follow online are about to jump straight out of Tumblr and into the real world, the Independent Photography Festival is back for another year. Co-ordinated by the local legends from Hard Workers Club, Smalltime Projects and The Good Copy Shop, this unique love-in will be hosted in Melbourne's best small galleries, shops and bars. Featuring seven solo exhibitions, a zine fair and a few cheeky soirees, this little gem of a festival is the best place to discover the amazing art that's right on your doorstep. This year, the festival hub will once again be at The Good Copy shop on Johnston Street. Here you can bunker down in a hands-on collage workshop with Minna Gilligan or survey the spoils of the annual zine fair. For individual exhibitions you'll have to cruise through a selection of galleries in the city and inner north, but to get you started we suggest heading along to Opening Night at Strange Neighbour. With submissions from the 2014 IPF Photo Prize plastered all over the walls, it'll be the perfect transition for those still pining for their Tumblr dashboard. See the full Independent Photography Festival program here. Photo: Ben Clement.
'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
If walls could talk, what would they say? Hopefully, something a lot more interesting than imagined by Cathedrals of Culture, a monotonous three-hour documentary screening at ACMI from October 28. Pompous, vapid and repetitive by design, it's a film that feels not only likely but practically determined to lull audience members to sleep. The film is split into six consecutive chapters, each with a different director, each of whom focuses on a different, significant building in either Europe or the United States. The gimmick is that, rather than just touring the corridors, imagined voiceover provides us with the "perspective" of the structure. The Berlin Philharmonic, for example, is given the voice and temperament of an eloquent middle-aged woman with just the faintest hint of an ego. The National Library of Russia, on the other hand, sounds like a Soviet from a bygone era. It's a neat idea that wears thin after fifteen minutes, which unfortunately leaves an awful lot of minutes still to go. The film's subject matter is extraordinarily niche to begin with, but even someone who is genuinely interested in architecture will most likely be put off by the stream-of-consciousness narration, which alternates between self-aggrandising and annoyingly mundane. Frankly, while the buildings may be unique from a design or even historical standpoint, their actual functions — library, concert hall, opera house — are not. The one notable exception to this is the subject of chapter three: Norway's Halden Prison, considered among the most comfortable in the world. A jail in which every inmate gets not only a TV but an ensuite bathroom, this is the one location in Cathedrals of Culture that might actually have been worth committing to film. The episodic structure is another problem. The fact that we're moved to a brand new setting every half-hour makes it feel as though we're watching a six part ABC series, as opposed to a proper film. There's no sense of momentum, nor any kind of narrative arc, making the movie feel even longer than it is. Even the involvement of name filmmakers Wim Wenders and Robert Redford fails to invigorate the project. One of the best things about anthology films can often be that they showcase a wide variety of visual styles. On Cathedrals of Culture, however, it would appear that all six directors intentionally aimed for the exact same approach, characterised by slow, floating camera moves that could hardly be more bland. Then again, perhaps that's only fitting.
In late 2008, voters in California passed Proposition 8, reinstalling a ban of same-sex marriage following its brief legalisation in the state earlier in the year. In doing so, they effectively told gay and lesbian couples — not to mention an entire generation of young people — that the love those couples felt for one another was somehow less legitimate than that of their heterosexual neighbours and friends. One of the year's most emotional documentaries, The Case Against 8 chronicles the long and personal legal battle to see the controversial ballot overturned. In a case all about public opinion, the proponents of same-sex marriage needed a face for their campaign. After an extensive search for the perfect plaintiffs, the American Foundation for Equal Rights filed a suit on behalf of Kristin Perry and Sandra Stier, and Paul Katami and Jeffrey Zarrillo, two loving couples who over the next half-decade would come to represent millions of other gay and lesbian partners around the state, the country and the world. But their aces in the hole were the two men who would argue the case. In 2000, David Boies and Ted Olsen stood across from one another in Bush vs. Gore, the trial that ultimately saw George W. Bush claim the Presidency of the United States. That the famously conservative Olsen, who went on to serve as Bush's Solicitor General, could see eye to eye with Boies and the plaintiffs on same-sex marriage provides the case, and the doco, with exactly the hook it needs. Of course as is often the case with documentaries like these, there is a distinct sense that the film is just preaching to the choir. At the risk of generalisation, anyone who feels inclined to buy a ticket to this film probably supports same-sex marriage already. As informative and rousing as the movie is, it's hard to imagine it'll win many hearts or minds, because those who might be challenged by what it says won't bother seeing it in the first place. But whether or not the film will succeed in changing attitudes, there's no denying its intense emotional effect. Directors Ben Cotner and Ryan White don't just take us inside the trial preparation, but the lives and homes of the plaintiffs. We spend Christmas with Paul and Jeffrey's in-laws, and watch Kristen and Sandra's twin boys grow up. Again, maybe it's personal bias speaking, but how can you not feel elated when a mother of four receives a call from the President telling her that she's made a difference in millions of people lives? How can you not be moved when you watch two people affirm their love for one another, after struggling for that right for so long? It may not get the opportunity to change minds, but that shouldn't stop it fro trying.
"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
You can't help but conjure up images of the romanticised '60s Woodstock era while listening to Richard In Your Mind. Putting forward a Beatles-ish pop sound swathed with psychedelic and krautrock rythyms, the Sydney five-piece have just released their newest album, Ponderosa via Rice Is Nice, the local record label boasting a host of Sydney talent such as Donny Benet and SPOD. RIYM's tunes are a fun and light-hearted affair, exploring overarching themes of things like nature, exploration and escapism — no doubt influenced by the band's hours spent in the Blue Mountains, where they recorded the tracks. To launch Ponderosa, Richard In Your Mind are playing a couple of intimate shows along the East Coast. It might not be the 1960s anymore, but these guys are definitely making sure the crazy psychedelia still lives on. And if you haven't seen the video for latest single 'Hammered in the Daytime', do yourself a favour and click the tab above. It's the family TV show we truly wish existed. https://youtube.com/watch?v=kMyxjFAyLMU
Melbourne may be Australia's self-styled cultural capital, but within our city's cultural scene, live art still maintains a kind of awkward adolescence — a form that marries the outsider status of Melbourne's independent theatre with the aloof coolness of its galleries. Now, Arts House are ramping it up a notch. Joining forces with artists in Cambridge, they're presenting a biennial mini-festival of live art that leapfrogs international borders and kickstarts a deeper discussion of the fledgling form. Operating out of the North Melbourne Town Hall and Meat Market, Arts House consistently flies the flag for compelling experimental artwork with a curated year-long program of Australian and international pieces. They then took this to the extreme with the inaugural Festival of Live Art in March this year. Going Nowhere is the next logical step. A (mostly free) weekend of events characterised by environmentally-sustainable practice and inter-continental collaboration, this collection of works features local favourites like Tristan Meecham, pieces that ask you to get out and explore the city, and art that begins in your own home. For those that missed out at FOLA earlier in the year, you can once again throw digital paint at the North Melbourne Town Hall thanks to Olaf Meyer. What a time to be alive.
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.
The NGV is really shaking things up recently. Not only is it full of cone bras and bejewelled pubic hairs courtesy of Jean Paul Gaultier, it's now about to unleash the work of Scottich comic genius David Shrigley upon its hallowed walls. Though both showings are extraordinarily far from past NGV offerings — remember that time it was full of Renaissance masterpieces? — they're a welcome move for gallery-goers with a healthy sense of humour. In this, Shrigley's first major Australian show, we see a broad range of his much-loved work. Of course, there will be a bunch of his iconically crude drawings that take on larger existential themes, but there will also be broader selection of sculpture, video and painting. Most notable of which will be the work from which the exhibition takes its name. Life Model is an interactive sculptural piece that earned Shrigley the Turner Prize in 2012. Featuring a life-sized cartoonish sculpture of a man peeing at regular intervals — stay with us — the work asks audience to sit down and participate in a life drawing class. Their drawings will then be mounted all over the walls of the gallery space. No, it might not be the way you imagined it happening, but this may be your only chance to get exhibited in the NGV.
Sydney trio Little May could be Australia's answer to folk warblers First Aid Kit. They've certainly been compared to the Swedish duo, and to New Zealand's Tiny Ruins, but at the moment they are carving out their own path. They've recently put out their debut, self-titled EP and just wrapped up an Australian tour with the legendary Rodriguez. But there's no rest for the wicked (or the wickedly charming, in this case). Little May are about to embark on a 12-date national headline tour to promote the EP. They'll be spreading the good vibes around Northcote Social on both November 20 and 21 supported by Winterbourne and HOWQUA. To find out more, check out our interview. We asked them for their best tips for summer road trips.
It's a time-travelling romantic dramedy shot in the desert on the cheap, but what The Infinite Man lacks in size it makes up for in brains and heart. In that way, the film is a lot like its protagonist, the jumpy, obsessive, hopelessly romantic Dean (Josh McConville). A scientist of non-specific genius, Dean wants desperately to give his girlfriend, Lana (Hannah Marshall), the perfect anniversary weekend. Instead, his controlling behaviour ends up driving her back to her ex (Alex Dimitriades). Not to worry though. Dean can just casually invent a time machine and give the holiday another go. And another. And another. And another. Supported by the same South Australian funding initiative that helped pay for 52 Tuesdays, The Infinite Man is the rare sort of film that feels invigorated, rather than hamstrung, by its obvious financial constraints. Limited to just three cast members and a single, isolated location — an abandoned desert motel — first-time writer-director Hugh Sullivan has very few crutches to fall back on, and is instead forced to draw on a deep well of creativity to ensure his movie is a success. And what a success it is. Sullivan's script pulls from all manner of time-travel scenarios, including The Terminator, Back to the Future and a healthy dose of Primer. Each time our hero travels back in time, the situation grows steadily worse, as he finds himself interacting, and them competing, with different iterations of himself. It's not always easy to keep track of which Dean is which, but to be honest that's part of the fun. Sci-fi fans will delight in piecing the puzzle together — and after multiple viewings, we can confirm that the layers line up. Similarly sharp are the film's comedic sensibilities, riffing not just on the paradoxes of time travel but also sex, jealousy and love. McConville is brilliant as Dean, a perpetually insecure 'nice guy' who goes from endearing to pathetic to just plain creepy. At the opposite end of the alpha-male spectrum is Dimitriades, hilarious as Dean's dim-witted, javelin-throwing rival, who can't seem to acknowledge his relationship with Lana is over. Marshall is also great as the movies' perpetual straight-woman, although it's shame she's not given a bit more comedic stuff to do. But what really cements The Infinite Man as special is how it captures what it feels like as a relationship falls apart. To Dean in particular, the intricacies of time travel are nothing compared to the mysteries of the heart. His overwhelming need to recreate what has been lost is a compulsion that nearly everyone can understand. https://youtube.com/watch?v=-P7bQ9fUw7A
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.
It's not often that you find yourself frequently laughing out loud in an adaptation of Shakespeare. Rarer yet, that such a classical work would be appearing at Fringe. And yet, in this stand-out show of the festival, Mark Wilson has created something rare, inventive and wholly satisfying. Richard II interrogates leadership, corruption, celebrity, gender and our national politics in one fell swoop. If you see one show this year that features a thought-provoking lap dance from a voluptuous Julia Gillard impersonator, make it this one. It should be said from the outset that Mark Wilson is extraordinary. An international fellow of Shakespeare's Globe, Wilson has dragged this rarely performed text into the modern day and transformed it into a dynamic modern allegory of Australian leadership. A feat not to be scoffed at, his performance as the ill-fated god-king Richard II *coughKevinRuddcough* combines enthralling Shakespearian soliloquy with modern razor-sharp comedy that is both relatable and intellectually engaging. Joining Wilson onstage, co-creator of the work Olivia Monticciolo also shines as a particularly ocker, feminine version of Richard's usurper Henry Bolingbroke (no guesses at who she's satirising). Whether stripping down while rocking out to the Boss or defending herself against Richard's telling misogynistic outcries, Henry offers both complementary reason and determination to Richard's hilarious flamboyancy and hubris. Descending from knowing winks at satire to full-blown out of character diatribe from Wilson himself, the allegory of the play is the work's most controversial element. While certain reviewers have expressed disdain for the work's supposed left-wing bias, we feel it's a telling representation of broader political frustrations nationwide. Our country's leadership has been described as Machiavellian and theatrical for some time now, it's only natural that it would eventually work its way on stage. Don't be put off by your political inclinations or feelings towards Shakespeare. A seamless patchwork of theatrical styles and tongue-in-cheek references, Richard II is a work that can be experienced in many ways. Shakespeare buffs can get a thrill from the innovative performances on show, those well out of the loop can laugh at the straight-up comedy, and together we can all take a bittersweet moment to reflect on the nature of leadership itself. Does it console you at all to know that politicians have been douchebags since the 1500s? 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. Photo: Sarah Walker.
Off the back of rave reviews at Adelaide Fringe, it's clear that Symphony of Strange is a totally unique performance. A solo dance piece with a twist, this work sees Edward Willoughby take to the stage supported by a 50-piece live orchestra of "non-musical instruments". While we're not entirely sure what that entails, we can only assume it includes some crazy work on the spoons and, judging by the promo shots, forks. One of the works performed at The Substation (the west-side Fringe hub), this is definitely going to be well worth the trip across the West Gate. 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.
There's no need to be coy while at the Fringe Festival so you may as well jump straight into the deep end with some live art. One of the exciting free works you might stumble upon at the North Melbourne festival hub, A Day Like Every Other offers a dreaded one-on-one experience with the artist (Mattie Young or Georgia Mill). Thankfully that portion of the work only lasts five minutes. After being subjected to a short interview and supplying your mobile phone number, the artists will fill your following day with an elaborate list of adventure and whimsy. Go about your daily routine with a couple of playful and surprising differences. Australia now has its own version of Miranda July. 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.
Some of the biggest and most imaginative names in Australian animation will explore the ins and outs of their craft, in an exclusive ACMI panel discussion on Monday, September 15. Hosted in conjunction with the final months of the DreamWorks Animation Exhibition, Legends of Australian Animation will bring together award-winning local filmmakers in order to examine the boundaries of the animated medium. The five-strong panel represents a diverse cross-section of visual styles. Adam Elliot's morbid claymation Harvie Krumpet won the 2004 Oscar for Best Animated Short, as did Shaun Tan's computer-animated fable The Lost Thing seven years later. The pair are in good company with Bruce Petty, whose hand-drawn satire Leisure became the first Australian cartoon to win Academy gold back in 1977. Rounding out the lineup are Sejong Park and Anthony Lucas, best known for their shorts Birthday Boy and The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello, respectively.
Andy Bull is on one big ol' ride. The Sydney-based singer/songwriter has been unfathomably busy over the past year, juggling tour dates and life commitments while penning and producing his second album, Sea Of Approval. Released in July, the 29-year-old's newest record is a brilliant blend of insightful lyricism and exquisite electro pop. Bull's unique vocals and his knack for catchy hooks have caught the ears of listeners Australia-wide. Bull's latest three singles have notched up hours of radio play; you've definitely heard his voice on the airwaves. 'Talk Too Much', 'Keep On Running' and 'Baby I Am Nobody Now' have helped build anticipation for his second LP, which was almost entirely written and self-produced by Bull. We spoke to the Sydneysider not long after the announcement of his national tour in support of Sea Of Approval, hitting the Corner Hotel for two shows. An insightful young pop virtuoso with a unique take on the creative process, Bull took us through his penchant for DIY, staying sane in the business and dealing with second album demands. Check out the interview here. September 27 — Supported by New Navy + Japanese Wallpaper. September 28 — Supported by New Navy + Peta & The Wolves. https://youtube.com/watch?v=7sqR15lBVkE
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.
Look, doo-wop, funk and punk don’t normally go hand in hand at first glance, however somehow King Khan & BBQ Show manage to pull it off in a flurry of fun and sweat. Canada’s Mark Sultan and Arish Ahmad Khan were formally part of Spaceshits, and actually split up King Khan & BBQ Show in 2010 at the Sydney Opera House. Thankfully this wasn't a long-term grudge situation and they have since returned in 2013, releasing their fourth studio album Bad News Boys in March. For something a little out of the ordinary and hip-thrustingly danceable, head along to their Splendour sideshow.
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.
It's something we've all thought a million times before: "It's a Monday / It's so mundane / What exciting things will happen today?". In her huge single, 'Avant Gardener', Melbournian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett has managed to capture our first world struggles perfectly in her hilariously matter-of-fact, charming drawl, stream of consciousness lyricism and folky-psychedelic tunes. Barnett has received a ton of press since last year's release of her double EP A Sea of Split Peas, on which 'Avant Gardener' was the lead single. She's been compared to Bob Dylan by Rolling Stone, debuted in the US on Jimmy Fallon, and had the privilege of performing at Glastonbury and Coachella this year. Now, you can catch her playing a string of shows on her headline tour around Australia (supported by Castlemaine's supremely talented multi-instrumentalist D.D Dumbo). Supported by D.D Dumbo and Fraser A. Gorman. https://youtube.com/watch?v=bcnIhzaDTd0
"They're more scared of us than we are of them," many mothers have told their offspring, soothing fears of monsters, spiders and other scary forces — and in The Boxtrolls, the adage proves accurate. The village of Cheesebridge is intent on exterminating the cardboard-wearing, subterranean-dwelling titular creatures, driven by tales of child stealing, people eating, and rivers of blood. All the benevolent grey critters want, however, is to play with junk and tinker with machines. A lost baby is the source of the boxtrolls' bad reputation, after the villainous Archibald Snatcher (Ben Kingsley) convinces the townsfolk of their involvement. A decade later, the missing boy has been raised by his new pals and christened Eggs (Isaac Hempstead Wright), happy in his existence beneath the streets. Then Winifred (Elle Fanning) spots him, her morbid curiosity soon turning to affinity. Alas, Snatcher's pursuit continues, with the rest of the populace ambivalent to the girl's protests. From animators Laika, The Boxtrolls is steeped in the offbeat and styled in the eccentric; this is the stop-motion studio that brought Coraline and ParaNorman to life, after all. Adapted from Alan Snow's novel Here Be Monsters!, the film shares many aspects with their previous hits: gorgeously grotesque imagery, smart gags slipped amongst endearing detail, a winning blend of the sweet and surreal, and intelligent messages for young and old. With a steampunk aesthetic, directors Graham Annable and Anthony Stacchi lovingly revel in their intricate world, complete with rusting metal, slops of mud, unattractive adults and more. They remain unafraid of letting the harshness of life manifest in the gothic look, albeit lightened by the sense of adventure, the cuteness of the boxtrolls, a celebration of cheese (food, not corniness) and a story concerned with acceptance outside the norm. The weighty themes don't stop there, nor does the studio's penchant for a specific type of material. Outcast children find fondness in things typically considered strange, looking beyond accepted bounds to discover their identities and values. Open-mindedness is championed, just as the blinkered view of most — Snatcher's coveting of social-climbing grandeur, and Winifred's father's (Jared Harris) preference for dairy over his daughter — is skewered. The thoughtful feature even contemplates self-determination and the outsourcing of immoral deeds to the poor through the comic conversations of Snatcher's employees, voiced by Richard Ayoade, Nick Frost and Tracy Morgan. Such high-profile casting tops the delightfully dark film, its talent deepening the characters rather than merely inciting the usual celebrity spotting (although Ayoade and Frost's banter is always a treat). Stitching together the sensibilities of Tim Burton and Roald Dahl, The Boxtrolls is a warm and witty excursion through the weird and wonderful, as well as a true slice of cinematic enjoyment for all ages. https://youtube.com/watch?v=uHfkJMILG4U
The wonderful, knowledgeable people behind Blackhearts and Sparrows are opening up their own pop up this Spring in Collingwood. Black Market will offer a rotating wine list, along with bottled and kegged beers, and we highly suggest asking for a recommendation — they’ve never steered us wrong before. But it’s not all about the grog, folks. Raph Rashid, the legend behind Beatbox Kitchen, Taco Truck and All Day Donuts, will be supplying the tasty treats to accompany your tipple. Think tacos, fried chicken, duck-fat potatoes, and plenty of other goodies to sustain you while you sample all the wines. DJs will be spinning tunes while you sip away just as the sun is starting to come out. The best news? This pop up is going to be around for quite a while, as they plan to keep it open until the year's end.
It might seem obvious to declare, but light and colour play a fairly big role in the art world. Even the ornate works of the Renaissance with their much-coveted chiaroscuro are at their simplest, a study of light. So, ACCA is really going back to basics with this one. Their latest exhibition, Optical Mix is an examination of perception and light in its many, many forms. Through the work of ten internationally-acclaimed artists, Optical Mix explores the kinetic and illusory properties of light and colour. Work from the iconic psychedelic artist Bridget Riley will be on display to trick your eye and move off the wall in front of you. American conceptual artist Joseph Kosuth will be showing some of his signature neon texts. And, to reduce the concept right down to its core, Martin Creed's self-explanatory, minimalist work 'A lamp going on and off' will give you a first-hand account of what it's like to live in a haunted house. Other artists on show will include Callum Morton, Daniel Von Sturmer, Ken Jacobs, Stanislaus Ostoja-Kotowski, Nick Savvas, Ego Rondinone and Cake Industries. Running alongside Optical Mix at ACCA is Australian artist Christian Capurro's similarly light-based exhibition SLAVE. We suggest you head along on a rainy day and check out both exhibitions. If Melbourne winter won't grant us any sunshine, we can get our light from other sources.
Dust off your sombreros, amigos. The latest international excuse for a good time to reach our shores is Cinco de Mayo — a celebration of all things Mexican (which, if we’re being nit-picky, is really more of an Americanisation than anything but shh, let us party). In celebration, the folks at Corona and Beach Burrito Company Bondi are putting together a fiesta, complete with face painting by local street artists and the first ever Taco Time Trials Eating Contest. For the less competitively inclined but equally taco-happy, Cinco de Mayo falls conveniently on a Tuesday, and Beach Burrito Co’s regular $3 taco deal applies, so your pesos’ll stretch further. With what you’ve got left, you can sip salt-rimmed margaritas, down trays of tequila shots (not recommended) or share a bucket of ice-cold Coronas. And, of course, come prepared to smash and whack your way to glory, because they wouldn’t be doing Mexico right without pinatas.
In the ballad of the Barden Bellas, it's time for another verse. That gang of college pals is back — aspiring record producer Becca (Anna Kendrick), group stalwart Chloe (Brittany Snow) and outspoken Australian Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) included — and they're trying to sing their way to supremacy once more. Is their second outing a toe-tapping rehash of their catchy debut tune, or does it drag on past the natural fade-out point? The answer is both. Pitch Perfect 2 alternates between the cinematic equivalent of the catchy melody you don't mind having stuck in your head, and the earworm you quickly grow tired of. Just three short years ago, an a cappella comedy was considered a gamble, but now we don't just have a repeat effort — we have a ready-made formula to follow as well. With mashups of songs old and new, rivalries getting heated, against-the-odds challenges to overcome, and one-liners a plenty, there's not much that's different, save for a new character setting up for a potential third instalment. That'd be freshman Emily (Hailee Steinfeld), a wannabe Bella since birth thanks to her ex-member mother. Fresh blood aside, everyone is older this time around, given that three years have passed in the film as well. They're also clouded in scandal, after an important show exposes too much of Fat Amy, leaving the Bellas banned from performing as punishment. Chloe finds a loophole that will see them on stage again, but only if they can beat their stereotypically tough-talking German counterparts at the world championships. Becca's focus is elsewhere, though, as she's thinking of life beyond study and competitive singing. It was the jukebox-like playlist of tracks and the loveable cast playing quirky characters that helped Pitch Perfect hit the high notes the first time around, so here, it isn't surprising to see a whole lot of doubling down on both. Expect an eclectic compilation of Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus tunes, as well as '90s hiphop jamz and songs about butts. Expect Kendrick and the group cycling through sing-offs, fall outs, bonding sessions and realisations about what's really important — and copious amounts of harmonising. What you shouldn't expect is anything beyond a more is more approach — more music, actors, complications and reminders that it's all about a singing sisterhood, that is. If it sounds routine, that's because returning screenwriter Kay Cannon, once again taking inspiration from the book Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory, doesn't stretch anything very far. Pushing boundaries is left to Wilson, who steals the show all over again. In a lineup that includes Arrested Development's David Cross, Key and Peele's Keegan Michael-Key, Snoop Lion and the Green Bay Packers (yep, the American footballers), it helps that she's the only one who doesn't seem like she's just going through the motions. Of course, it's always difficult for a sequel to a breakout hit to pave its own way, a problem Pitch Perfect 2 clearly struggles with. Sitting in the director's chair as well as popping up again as sarcastic commentator Gail, Elizabeth Banks bubbles over with enthusiasm, but not with flair. She's pitch-slapping audiences and staying in key; however, her film isn't a fun new must-listen track — it's more like movie karaoke. The verdict (sing it with me): aca-average.
