Melbourne's most excellent funk and soul experts are bringing their sweet groove to The Corner this month for the Soul A-Go-Go New Years Eve bash — featuring PBS DJs Vince Peach, Miss Goldie, DJ Manchild, Matt McFetridge, Andrew Young, Zack Rampage and Women of Soul. This right here is seriously good value, $35 for a ticket (or $30 if you’re a PBS member) and the party goes from 9pm-3am. Tickets are strictly limited so if you want to get on down to Funky Town, book now.
Swords, sandals, speeches and spectacle: in a Ridley Scott-directed epic, all are to be expected. It comes as no surprise that Exodus: Gods and Kings has each in abundance. Men fight, moral dialogue dominates, and 3D computer-generated imagery delivers everything from palaces and now-fallen monuments to parted seas and giant waves. What might come as a surprise is that Scott’s latest round of swinging steel fares better than it perhaps should. The veteran helmer’s vision of the tale from the Old Testament Book of Exodus falls between his lauded Gladiator and less applauded Kingdom of Heaven. Repetition reigns in an over-extended, blood-soaked effort, but so does a strong sense of character and contemplation. For those unfamiliar with biblical narratives, the story of Moses swaps between sides in one of the greatest tussles in Judaism. In Egypt circa 1300 BC, a punishing regime saw the empire’s 400,000 Hebrew inhabitants worked to death as slaves — a system that had been in place for over 400 years. Moses (Christian Bale) grew up alongside Pharaoh-in-waiting Rhamses (Joel Edgerton), unaware of his true heritage. Upon discovering he belongs to the people his friend so willingly exploits, he is exiled, but remains unwavering in his quest for change. So far, so standard — at least where film depictions of the oft-covered pseudo-sibling-rivalry circumstances are involved. Indeed, standard is an apt description for a feature that goes through the motions in relaying its well-documented plot points. Moses and Rhamses argue. God sets Moses on a mission. Plagues — a river of blood, frogs, locusts and more — try to convince Rhamses of the right decision. Bale’s involvement, as culturally questionable as his and other casting may be, provides a stirring central performance and a strong protagonist. In channelling the conflict at the heart of the story, he broodingly expresses the impact of Moses’s many battles — with himself, his origins, his identity, and the notion of faith. In an effort that muses at length about these issues, he offers an eloquent manifestation of the inherent struggle. The film suffers whenever he isn’t on screen, though such instances are rare. Elsewhere, the rest of the cast doesn’t fare as well, more as a result of a script tinkered with by four writers than anything else. With eyeliner aplenty, Edgerton simmers with corruption and confusion, and Ben Mendelsohn hams it up (in an unlikely Animal Kingdom reunion). Ben Kingsley is quiet but convincing as a symbol of the oppressed, but many other big names — Aaron Paul and Sigourney Weaver, most notably — are given little to do. The less said about the squandering of talented actresses such as Golshifteh Farahani and Hiam Abbass, the better. Thankfully, among the clumsiness and the bulging roster of familiar faces, Exodus: Gods and Kings finds the midway point between the overblown and unnecessary, and the interesting and epic. Come for the biblical action, stay for the powerful lead performance, and witness an average but still engaging take on a famous tale.
It takes a truly talented band to reach the heights of international stardom without a drummer, but New Zealand eight-piece Fat Freddy’s Drop make it look a synch. They’ve been touring for well over 15 years now, their inimitable horn-based sound, bringing together a soul, dub, reggae fusion that sends audiences loco. Now, they’re bringing their brass, bass and organic melody and lyricism to Australia for a nationwide tour. Testament to Fat Freddy’s Drop success is their ability to remain independent and reassured that the crazy little thing they’ve got going on is worth it. They were first band to hit number one in New Zealand with an independently produced record, and said album, Based on a True Story, is still the highest selling album by a national artist in the country’s history. They’ve released three studio albums, two live albums and several singles, and even built a studio. As for their live performances, they’re infamous for their energy. From the music to the atmosphere, the reggae sounds hit hard, and the techno spin Fat Freddy’s Drop has taken lately keeps the rhythm dynamic.
Put one foot in front of the other, keep going, and you’re on a journey — and sometimes an adventure that captures attention. Add a few interesting incidents, and/or intentions fuelled by self-discovery, and you might just have a book and then probably a film. In fiction, it worked for Forrest Gump; in reality, it worked for Into the Wild. It is in the footsteps of the latter, not the former, that Wild follows, as it turns the true trek of Cheryl Strayed into a cinematic hike. In 1994, Strayed (Reese Witherspoon) was 26 and struggling with her lot in life, lingering grief inspiring a raft of destructive decisions. With her marriage in tatters, and her daily routine in the doldrums, she opted to take time out to achieve what seemed an impossible feat: walking the 1770 kilometres of the Pacific Crest Trail alone, and truly coming to terms with her identity and existence in the process. Of course, helmer Jean-Marc Vallée and scribe Nick Hornby don’t just jump from point A to point B in telling Strayed’s tale on screen, nor is the considerable physical feat the point of their film. As might be expected from the linear-averse director of Cafe de Flore, as well as the emotionally astute screenwriter of An Education, flashbacks during Strayed’s wander prove as crucial as the walk itself. The usual array of dire events and moments of discovery furnish the familiar storyline, one that continually emphasises its message of persevering regardless of the circumstances. So too do glimpses of the naturalism that flavoured Vallée’s last feature (and one also based on real-life circumstances), Dallas Buyer’s Club, as well as Hornby’s witty way with words. There may be few surprises in the movie that evolves as a result, but that doesn’t mean that the voyage it depicts isn’t worth taking. Expressive cinematography and fine-tuned editing help immerse the audience in Strayed’s fractured yet persistent mindset and rough yet picturesque surroundings, creating an offering of style and sensitivity in charting a predictable triumph over adversity. As awards bodies have duly noticed, however, Wild is less remarkable for the plight it portrays and its manner of doing so, and more worthy of praise for the accompanying performances. Eschewing glamour, playing a real figure and inhabiting a gruelling experience are all common fodder for accolades and attention, yet Witherspoon is as committed to getting to the heart of her endeavour as the character she plays. Laura Dern radiates empathy and earnestness in the role of Strayed's mother, even if her scenes are tinged with tragic cliches. Indeed, that’s the film from the start of its travels until the end: weighty but always apparent, contemplative while laced with truisms, and making more than a modest attempt at striving for something beyond the usual.
For the uninitiated, Nas’s debut album Illmatic is widely regarded as his magnum opus, if not one of the best rap albums ever created. Songs like ‘Halftime’, ‘It Ain’t Hard To Tell’, and ‘New York State Of Mind’ are both ageless and highly representative of their time. In other words: it’s gold. To celebrate the record’s 20th anniversary, Nas has been touring Illmatic, playing it start to finish, all over the world. Now, it’s Australia’s turn. Nas will be headlining Sugar Mountain Festival in Melbourne, but also playing solo shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Perth. As well as tearing through Illmatic, he'll be performing a few other hits from the records that followed. While Illimatic may have been groundbreaking, the albums after that certainly weren’t shabby either, and this is a rare chance to relive something truly great in hip-hop history. If you want to go to there, we recommend snapping up some tickets quick-smart. Don’t sleep (cause sleep is the cousin of death).
Since legendary Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki announced his retirement in late 2013, many a film lover has taken the opportunity to revisit the man’s incredible body of work. Last year’s nationwide Studio Ghibli Showcase inspired us to count down our five overlooked Ghibli films, and now Melbourne’s favourite repertory cinema is getting in on the whimsy as well. In much the same vein as their recent Hitchcock and Tarantino retrospectives, The Astor Theatre will celebrate the best of Miyazaki’s career via a series of double features. The three-week overview begins on Monday, January 12 with two of the animator’s earliest films: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Laputa: Castle in the Sky. The series continues the following week with Princess Mononoke and the Oscar-winning Spirited Away, before concluding on January 26 with Howl’s Moving Castle and Ponyo.
For a slightly more civilised evening, dinner at Pope Joan for New Year's Eve is less about the boozy d-floor sessions and more geared toward a sumptuous feast of the finest local produce in a relaxed but festive setting. Tasty morsels you can look forward to include duck cigars and salmon wings, vitello tonnatos and king prawns, Flinders Island lamb and carrot terrine, and for dessert there's chocolate mousse, wattleseed sponge, fennel and smoked salt. It's $95 for the feast and matching drinks will set you back $150. We can honestly say you'll be in exceptional hands for the last meal of 2014.
It's been nearly four months since we were first introduced to MPavilion and, though they debuted with the extraordinary promise of 118 free arts events, we're now unfortunately having to face the the last few. The temporary venue will be shutting up its petal-like structures for the final time on Sunday, February 1. Now, to celebrate the creative spirit with which the project was founded, MPavilion is hosting an incredible artwork from the UK's Alisa Andrasek and Jose Sanchez. Previously seen at in the London Design Museum, 2012 Olympics and The Future Is Here exhibition at RMIT, BLOOM is an enormous structure composed of small interchangeable components like giant hot-pink Lego. On Tuesday, January 27, four design agencies (Assemble, Edwards Moore, Sibling, and ARM Architecture) will face off against one another to manipulate pieces of the artwork into the best new form. You're invited to head along along from 10am-1pm to watch the action or lend a helping hand. From the sheer size of the thing, it looks as though they may well need it.
Another summer, another EDM sweatfest. While its more well-behaved, boutique festival cousins have been dropping off one by one over the last few years, Future has only upped the ante, with this year's giant lineup boasting more than 200 artists. And sure, wrestling with singlet-clad bros fistpumping to Avicii isn't everyone's idea of fun, but while you're waiting for the beat to drop there's a load of other international and local artists to check out in the meantime. There's Drake of course, who recently dropped his surprise mixtape, If You're Reading This It's Too Late, '90s legends The Prodigy, German techno pioneer Sven Väth, and irresistibly catchy pop artist Kiesza. Locally, watch out for Brisbane management company Mutual Friends, who manages producers along the likes of Young Franco and DJ Butcher, Sydney stalwart DJ Deckhead (whose Drake stunt exploded on social media), and house producer Acaddamy, who has played alongside Disclosure and Dusky. Plus, Darude's going to be there. So if you've ever wanted to see 'Sandstorm' dropped by the dude who created it, this is your big chance.
Like your films short, though not necessarily sweet? Keen to check out up-and-coming homegrown talent? If you answered yes to either of the above questions, then Flickerfest is the event for you – but this really shouldn’t be news. Australia’s leading Academy® accredited and BAFTA recognised short film festival has been running for 24 years now. Come February 18, the fest’s annual national tour stops by Kino Cinemas to share the local love via a jam-packed Made in Melbourne program. Over 2,300 entries were received for Flickerfest 2015, and only the top 110 shorts made the cut for the entire national tour, so the handpicked Melbourne flicks are certain to be something special. The moving and mesmerising Grey Bull, the thrillingly scary Waterborne, and the very funny time travel film I’m You Dickhead are just a few of the shorts in the session. Of course, it wouldn’t be a festival without a bit of post-film fun, aka the afterparty. Hang around after the screening for delicious food from misschu and drinks from Little Creatures, Vodka O, Rosnay Wines and Phoenix Organic Juices, all included in the ticket price.
An antihero in a spiral of self-destruction? Here we go again. In The Gambler, Jim Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) descends into a dangerous gambling addiction from privileged heights, risking more than most people dream of. He comes from a rich family and has a plum associate professor job teaching literature. He also has two big debts to the type of people you don’t want to owe money to, is thinking about taking on a third and walks around scowling beneath his sunglasses. A good guy with good vibrations Jim is not, as his put-upon mother (Jessica Lange) would confirm. He isn’t anything special either, as he admits in rants on genius to his students — including star pupil Amy (Brie Larson) — about his failed novelist career. His story has been seen before, quite literally given that the film remakes the 1974 movie of the same name. And yet, there’s something fascinating about Jim, The Gambler, the drifting and grifting, and the overall mood of just not giving a damn. Perhaps it is seeing Wahlberg as a different type of character, relying on looks and glances rather than muscle and weapons. He’s more than a step away from the well-intentioned heroes he usually plays. He is also paired well with The Wire’s Michael Kenneth Williams and John Goodman, both standouts as two of the formidable loan sharks trying to collect their cash. It isn’t a coincidence that Marky Mark does his best work with conflicted protagonists caught in dubious situations; think Boogie Nights and the more recent Pain & Gain. He may not show the depths of compulsion others have managed, but he convinces as someone given every advantage and opportunity to make the right choice, yet constantly, selfishly and damagingly, opting otherwise. Also effective is Rupert Wyatt’s direction, a clear change of pace from making Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The script, by The Departed’s William Monahan, relies on the gimmick of time, giving Jim seven days to settle up or get killed, but Wyatt’s ‘70s-influenced look and feel — favouring patient pacing, wide spaces and lingering moments — helps patch over a story that’s often more than a bit too convenient. The Gambler isn’t without its troubles, almost unforgivingly furnishing Larson and Lange with little to do, their talents wasted on their slight roles. The film also hits the audience over the head with its blunt themes and a few silly twists, not to mention heavy-handed music cues. Pulp’s Common People as Larson’s supposedly normal Amy walks along campus? A choral rendition of Radiohead’s Creep as Wahlberg’s Jim ponders his actions? We get it. There’s a reason that antihero stories just keep on coming, feeding viewer interest in complicated folks in tricky situations. The Gambler may not sell everything about its scenario, but it embraces its grating character and its familiar circumstances with style and assurance. Like Jim, the film goes all in, never playing it safe or hedging its bets. There are worse things to take a punt on.
The ReelGood Film Festival is back for round two, out to prove that sometimes the sequel can be even better than the original. After a successful launch in 2014, this returning one-day film forum once again aims to promote the work of local filmmakers, screening 24 shorts over the course of an afternoon and promoting discussion between directors and their audience. Organised by Melbourne-based film website reelgood.com.au, this year’s festival will be hosted at the Schoolhouse Studios in Collingwood on Sunday, March 29. Films start at 1pm and screen in groups of two and three, giving viewers the chance to grab a drink and have a chat in between sessions. The festival closes with a small awards ceremony, with prizes given out for Best Film and Audience Favourite. For more information on the ReelGood Film Festival, check them out on Facebook.
There's no doubt about it, the Scandinavians are a stylish bunch, with their immediately recognisable modern and minimalist aesthetic. We largely have Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto to thank for this iconic and organic form, and the NGV is paying tribute to his great work in their latest exhibition Nordic Cool. The exhibition will focus on pieces created from the 1920s to the 1960s including ceramics, glass, silver, furniture, textiles and lighting. Is it a sculpture? Can I sit on it? What would this go with in my house? These are all questions you’re likely to ask while perusing Nordic Cool, which will most likely send you into an irrefutable desire to redecorate your abode. Just don’t head straight to IKEA after visiting this exhibition, it will only lead to disappointment.
Celebrate Aboriginal voices in the contemporary Australian screen industry, at the latest edition of Blak Nite Screen in the Treasury Gardens this weekend. Hosted across two nights by actor Aaron Pederson, the free event will include live music, Q&A sessions and film screenings, as well as a tribute to one of Australia's most iconic Indigenous performers. The evening begins on Friday, February 6 at 7pm, with a set by singer and guitarist Frank Yamma. After that, Pederson will be joined in conversation by the legendary actor David Gulpilil, as well as acclaimed Indigenous director Darlene Johnson. The talk will be followed by a screening of Rolf de Heer's Charlie's Country — for which Gulpilil just won an AACTA award — along with Johnson's hour-long biographical documentary Gulpilil: One Red Blood. Saturday will begin at the same time, with a performance by Ursula Yovich. She'll then join Pederson, as well as Jon Bell, Bruce Carter and Jub Clerk, in a talk about the rise of the Blak New Wave in Australian film and television. The night will conclude with three segments of the recent Australian anthology film The Turning, plus episodes of Gods of Wheat Street and Redfern Now.
Classic film buffs, clear your calendars: the big screen matinee is back. Starting February 1, Palace Kino on Collins Street are dedicating Sunday afternoons to cinema’s golden oldies, screening quintessential titles from critically-acclaimed filmmakers for a fraction of the regular price. The series begins, in suitably epic fashion with David Lean’s Dr. Zhivago. Other standouts in February and March include Taxi Driver, Blade Runner and Gone with the Wind, along with the first two parts of The Godfather trilogy and the mesmerising horror film The Shining. Looking further ahead, genre lovers can get revved up for Mad Max and Mad Max 2, dropping just in time for the reboot in early May. Also on tap: a handful of Hitchcock classics like Rear Window and The Birds, early Bond flicks Dr. No and From Russia with Love, plus several much-loved comedies including The Castle and Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Check out the complete Vintage Classics program here.
We're not ones to make light of someone's sexuality, but when people say they want to marry the Eiffel Tower we're happy to have a little giggle. Representing the ladies in the Fringe Festival comedy stakes and exploring the odd life choices of objectum sexuals with a 50-minute stage show, Nicolette Minster comes out — she's officially in a relationship with her security blanket. It's a naturally funny concept and one we can't wait to see come to life on stage, but if there's a warning for mature audiences at the door we're calling quits. We don't know how you can fully prepare yourself to watch someone seduce a step ladder. 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.
Heralding from Argentina, the enigmatic Juana Molina makes her way to the Thornbury Theatre Ballroom for a one-night-only performance guaranteed to dazzle. Described as "Spanish-sung folktronica", Molina's performances are as unique as they are playful; full to the brim with experimentation and honest passion in song. Continuing soundscapes full of surprises, never dull or anticipated. Some have attempted to pigeonhole Molina, tried to fit her into a niche genre or have compared her to other songstresses such as Beth Orton or Bjork while trying to describe her sound; one of the most admirable characteristics of Juana is her very selfness, her unique sensibilities and authentic original sound. Molina's always in good company, even as a staunchly solo artist — she's worked with the likes of Vetiver and Vashti Bunyan and has toured with David Byrne and Feist. Molina is also a member of the Congotronics vs Rockers collaboration with Konono N°1, Kasai Allstars, Deerhoof, Wildbirds & Peacedrums and the Skeletons' Matt Mehlan. Busy, busy. https://youtube.com/watch?v=UC2lFttTOIM
Whether you're a fan of Nick Hornby's original novel, or John Cusack's iconic performance as worldweary rock nerd Rob Gordon, High Fidelity is a modern classic. The world of Championship Vinyl has become sacred ground for all music lovers, and the story's heartbreaking truths about life and love have rung true for decades. This production at Chapel off Chapel will follow the same formula, but it will breath new life into the story with the inclusion of a live band on stage. Originally appearing on Broadway in 2006, this musical version of the famous novel was the work of talented American composer Tom Kitt. The concept is understandably a daring one. How do you create a live soundtrack for a story about the best music of our time? How can the sacredness and beauty of Rob's treasured little musical realm translate to such a big stage? Though many reviewers felt the Broadway show fell at these intimidating hurdles, there's definitely still hope for this Australian premiere. Far from the glitz and showmanship of Broadway, this production has been crafted by local independent theatre company Pursued by Bear. Maybe an intimate setting at Chapel off Chapel will recreate the magic and importance of the illustrious Championship Vinyl.
One Day is the closest thing Australia's got to a hip hop supergroup. The crew comprises Sydney acts Horrorshow, Spit Syndicate, Jackie Onassis and Joyride. They're probably best known for their now legendary One Day Sundays at Sydney's Vic on the Park pub — a regular hip hop social on the last Sunday of the month, headlined by the sharpest producers and best up-and-comers in local hip hop, plus slow-cooked spit, live graffiti art, basketball and a heaving dancefloor in the carpark. But the One Dayers haven't limited themselves to the monthly local block party. The collective/powerhouse have just released their debut record Mainline and its first single 'Love Me Less'. Now they're taking their Sydney-born brand of hip hop on a national tour — to the biggest venues they've played to yet. These guys go from strength to strength, and they're proving some pretty sweet things about the quality of Aussie hip hop. For the tour, each act will play an individual set — but hold out for the collaborative finale. All seven crew members will come together on stage together for the first time, and if their trajectory so far's anything to go by, you can expect something big. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZSxCB7wU1gw
Recreating the amusement and festivities of the fairground with an important touch of luxe, Belgian artist Carsten Höller is bringing his golden mirror carrousel down under to the NGV. Höller has been exhibiting fully-functional carrousels in galleries in the US and Europe for some time now, but his attractions always have a crucial difference from what you might find at the Royal Melbourne Show. In the past, he has altered the speed or rotation of the carousel to slightly disorient or confuse visitors, but recently he's been focussed on surface material. A plain mirror carrousel was exhibited in New York a few years ago, now we get the upgraded version. I It's sure to bring a few smiles and selfies along the way, but don't expect any showbags or dagwood dogs after the ride. This event was chosen as one of our top ten things to see at the Melbourne Festival 2014. See the full list here.
Market Week is back for its fourth year, ready to fill your quota of good old crafty, musical, educational and edible fun. They've gone for a global theme this year, celebrating the cultural and sensory diversity of a bunch of Melbourne institutions: the Queen Victoria, Prahran, Dandenong and South Melbourne markets. The schedule is bursting out of its hand-stitched seams with workshops, tastings, demonstrations, tours, masterclasses and performances. Revel in the festivities of the full moon and end of the harvest at the Mooncake Festival, take a dumpling masterclass, get your fromage on at a lunch composed solely of cheese and wine or treat your pooch to a goat's milk puppycino (yep) and an organic peanut butter dog biscuit at the Dogs of the World Morning Tea. For the two-legged among us looking for a teatime sweet fix, or a (literal) slice of Australiana, there's a daily CWA tribute stall. Think mini pavs, lemon meringue pies and lamingtons. We're not sure about their definition of week, considering it actually spans two weekends. But who's complaining? Foodies, DIY aficionados and general good-times-havers, take note.
Pacha Mama Wines have two new offerings just in time for spring — a pinot gris and a riesling — and to celebrate, they are hosting an all-out street party. This laneway fiesta at Blender Studios will include Peruvian street food, a gypsy band, live street art performances and plenty of the new Pacha Mama wines to go around. But, if you’re looking for a little extra courage to test out your Latino dance moves, Gin Palace will be making cocktails inspired by the new wines throughout the evening. Finally, to cool down after a night of festivities and burning up the dance floor, Pidapipó have teamed up with Pacha Mama to create a special flavour gelato for the event. Ticket price includes all your food and drink for the evening, and at $45, it’s a lot of bang for your buck. Photo credit: tassie mark via photopin cc.
This month ACCA will be taking its cues from Chunky Move across the road by delving into the ever-evolving world of dance. Like many shows at this year's Melbourne Festival, Framed Movements will combine art forms. They're bringing in the big guns to explore the intersection of dance and visual art. The centrepiece of the exhibition will be daily shows from New York performance artist Maria Hassabi. After rave reviews at last year's Venice Biennale, Hassabi will be showing her installation dance work Intermission — a slow, almost hypnotic performance that transfixes its audience. Berlin-based Kiwi expat Alicia Frankovich will also be performing briefly as part of the exhibition alongside regular shows from Helen Grogan and Brian Fuata. Though it makes sense that the concept of movement would be explored through dance and installation, photography and film will also be used. With works that are often surreal and unnerving, prepare to feel very aware of your movements through the gallery. For more information including performance times, see the ACCA website.
"I've never wanted to look young; I want to look great". Great is an understatement: Joyce Carpati's ensemble is unashamedly chic. Dressed in head-to-toe black, the octogenarian sports a classic braided up-do, flashes a statement lip and is positively dripping in pearls. Pearls, feathers and fur aplenty — not mention many an outrageous hat — make Advanced Style a visual feast. Based on the blog of the same name by Ari Seth Cohen, the documentary flies in the face of today's youth-obsessed fashion culture, exploring the eclectic flair of seven New Yorkers aged between 62 and 95. Cohen teamed up with Lithuanian-born filmmaker Lina Plioplyte to spend four years shooting the low-budget documentary with the help of a Kickstarter campaign. The small scale of the production comes through in the intimacy of the finished feature. The documentary give us insight into the lives of these unique New Yorkers, weaving together vignettes of their personal stories in a structure that is at times rambling yet nevertheless engaging. You simply can't help but be captivated by the bright red eyelashes of Ilona Royce Smithkin, a 93-year-old art teacher whose falsies are cut from her own flame-coloured hair. Or take Tziporah Salamon, the 64-year-old who spends seven years perfecting a single ensemble and refuses to cycle with a helmet because "every outfit has a hat". The documentary skilfully portrays the diversity of these seven women. They range in age, taste and socioeconomic background; one has a penchant for Chanel handbags, while another worries about rent and (somehow) manages to create striking jewellery from used toilet paper rolls. At the same time, however, the film doesn't shy away from the shared reality of ageing. Concerns over lost loved ones, responsibilities as carers and missing out on motherhood arise, as well as the difficulties of physical disabilities that come with getting older — ex-dancer Jacquie Tajah Murdock is legally blind and still looks fabulous. These more serious moments lend real humanity to the individual women and depth to the film as a bold and refreshing celebration of ageing. These seven women are a testament to a future the rest of us can all look forward to — an age when we'll also have the self-confidence to team bright red eyelashes with look-at-me lipstick and a giant feather boa. https://youtube.com/watch?v=9g5FOEG99yo
In 2004, Denzel Washington starred in Man On Fire, a violent action thriller about an ex-special forces loner named John who establishes a special bond with a young blonde girl and then embarks upon an uncompromising vengeful rampage against a cartel that assaults her. His latest film The Equalizer is entirely different in that his character's name is now Robert. Not that there's anything wrong with typecasting yourself every now and then, especially in this genre. Liam Neeson's practically become a synonym for 'gruff vigilante', though when Denzel busts out his busting chops, he's as good as anyone at rocking the unflappable one-man-army vibe. In The Equalizer, the unfortunate recipients of Robert's wrath are a gang of Russian mobsters, who he coolly dispatches in a Sherlock Holmes-esque sequence of blow-by-blow preemption. That enrages their Moscow-based kingpin, who orders his 'fixer' (Marton Csokas) to track him down and restore order. Instead, Robert begins to singlehandedly dismantle every tier of the crime lord's operations. It's bloody, violent and wildly implausible, yet — like so many of these recent vigilante flicks — also largely satisfying. The Equalizer was directed by Antoine Fuqua, whose previous collaboration with Washington in Training Day garnered two Academy Awards. While his leading man has lost none of the cool that made his turn in Training Day such a powerhouse performance, what's lacking this time round is tension. Robert is simply too good at kicking arse, thereby making The Equalizer a victim of the 'Superman zone' wherein a character's ostensible invulnerability robs the film of any suspense. It's a solid action film, but without at least a hint of peril for the main man, you're left feeling like you just saw a superhero movie minus the superpowers. https://youtube.com/watch?v=64QGV7bf3hE
After sell-out engagements at the Edinburgh and Adelaide Fringe Festivals, the ultimate midnight rave party is touching down in Melbourne. One of the more gleefully out-there events at this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival, this late night powder keg at the European Bier Cafe will pay tribute to all the terrible music you’re too embarrassed to admit you love. The live equivalent of the world’s worst jukebox, Crap Music Rave Party is the brainchild of West Australian alt cabaret master Tomas Ford. From early '90s boybands to Eurovision nightmares, whatever you ask for, DJ Ford will play. You can even put in requests via Facebook, where suggestions already include such timeless classics as Meco’s space disco remix of the Star Wars theme, as well as Hampton the Hamster’s ‘Hamster Dance.’ God have mercy on us all. To book tickets to the Crap Music Rave Party, go here. For more on the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, check out our list of the Top 12 Shows To See. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3G5IXn0K7A
Sydney electronic outfit Carmada — one part wave-making Yahtzel, one part ‘trapical’ artist L D R U – have had a good twelve months. The double act of harbour city producers got major triple j airplay last year with their hit 'Maybe' making it to #41 on the Hottest 100, not to mention that whole being signed to Skrillex’s label OWSLA thing (after the man himself called them his favourite sound of summer '14) and following that up with the December release of their debut EP Realise. The two have played together as Carmada for the past couple of years, doing the solid festival circuit of Splendour in the Grass, Stereosonic and Groovin' the Moo. Now, they're hitting up the Corner with fellow Sydneysider Kilter, bound to pulse with bass so dirty it'll have even the most knock-kneed, reluctant dancer hitting the d-floor. You’ve been warned.
Prepare to be plunged into an unsettling world in Partisan, but prepare to be unable to look away, too. A charismatic man charms struggling single mothers into his thrall, and the film casts the same spell on its viewers. The magnetic figure at the centre of the movie is Gregori (Vincent Cassel), who wields his influence over Susanna (Florence Mezzara) when her son is born. Eleven years later, Alexander (Jeremy Chabriel) is the eldest child in Gregori's commune, secreted away on the outskirts of a rundown city and sheltered from the rest of the civilisation. His days, like those of the other kids living there, are filled with lessons and attempts to win gold stars for good behaviour. They're taught about gardening and trust, and play violent games with paintball guns — which Alexander then relives, outside the compound's walls, with a real weapon. Much of Partisan beguiles, early on, by remaining ambiguous and refusing to make plain its story — and by the time some of the pieces start to come together, you'll probably realise that you're already hooked. Just what Gregori is up to isn't the real point, nor why. Instead, the film pulls apart the bonds that a parent holds over his progeny, with Alexander's questioning nature kicking into gear when a new boy, Leo (Alex Balaganskiy), joins the fold but refuses to do what he's told. First-time director Ariel Kleiman, who also co-wrote the script with his partner Sarah Cyngler, was inspired by actual accounts of child assassins; however, their movie doesn't even pretend to reflect reality. It's not a typical killer kid flick either, for those familiar with The Professional and Hanna. Partisan toys with recognisable components such as cults and crime, but makes everything in its frames its own. That includes an ambient score that will echo around your head as it sets an eerie, uneasy tone, and lingering images that do what so many films try to: find glimpses of beauty in gritty, grimy brutality. While the narrative demands attention, doling out its details in fits and spurts, it's the way that Kleiman creates an unnerving atmosphere with both sound and vision that intrigues the most, and proves completely immersive. Well, that and the performances, particularly Cassel and newcomer Chabriel. Oscar Isaac was originally set to play the part of Gregori, and though there's no doubt he would've fit the bill (as his mesmerising menace in Ex Machina proves), Cassel is never anything less than hypnotic. There's something especially savvy about using the actor, who is so often seen as a more blatant threat, as someone with such power and allure. Plus, his rapport with his inexperienced but all-round excellent co-star is simultaneously natural and on-edge, as a father-son bond threatened by rebellion should. Watching Partisan, you'll swiftly become invested in their efforts, and in a moody, tug-of-war-like thriller that both creeps up on the audience and slaps them in the face.
Composer Kate Neal and director Laura Sheedy join forces to create an immersive dance piece that explores signalling, communication and (inevitably) miscommunication. The performance combines physical movement with visual and aural encoding systems, touching on the use of semaphore, morse code, pennants lights and binary code. Timothy Walsh choreographs dancers James Welsby and Briarna Longville to work alongside Sal Cooper’s animations. The piece also includes eight musicians and archival audio recordings of WWII signalmen. Semaphore is one big interplay between light, sound and dance. Multimedia meets movement in exploring the transition of messages and how we make meaning from code.
All Melburnians know that Fitzroy and Collingwood aren't known for their glitz and glamour. Yes, the coffee is good and the food is amazing, but Gertrude Street is much more likely to offer up some decaying street art and chipped paint than anything particularly fantastical. Well, that's true for all but one time of year — now in its seventh year, Gertrude Street Projection Festival is here to shine a dazzling neon light on Fitzroy once more. From July 18-27, GSPF will be lighting up 40 sites along this small and charming street in the inner north. Works by Andy Buchanan, Arika Waulu, Ian de Druchy, Nich Azidis and Amanda Morgan will be cast upon unassuming shopfronts, houses and tree trunks; and they'll no doubt pop out at you while you least expect it on your way home from dinner. This year's theme, 'Transcience', is both appropriate and saddening as it reminds us all that the lights will eventually go out. But that shouldn't stop you taking it all in while you can. This year's festival hub, The Catfish, will see a huge array of performances, panels, art and live music; and the projections themselves will be alight from 6pm 'til midnight every night of the festival. It may be fleeting in nature, but we've gotta say — there's no better cure for your winter blues than some mesmerising technicolour. Check out the full program here.
Returning for a second year after a widely-publicised Parklife rebrand, national electronic dance music festival Listen Out has locked in dates for another year. Spearheaded by organisers and promoters Fuzzy (the team behind Field Day, Shore Thing and Harbourlife), Listen Out marked its debut last year to generally upward thumbs and rants about Azealia Banks' smokebomb. Stopping by Sydney, Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane in spring, Listen Out's so-called 'boutique' set-up will "showcase the best dance music in a small but perfectly formed setting," according to Fuzzy. The nationally-touring festival will return to Sydney's Centennial Park, Perth's Ozone Reserve and Melbourne's Observatory Precinct, with a change in Brisbane venue from Southbank's Cultural Forecourt to the Brisbane Showgrounds. Headlined by staggeringly popular UK duo Disclosure last year with highlights including Azealia Banks (very briefly), AlunaGeorge and Classixx, this year's lineup sees Flume, Chet Faker, Zhu, Schoolboy Q and more crank the beats up in the Observatory Precinct of the Royal Botanic Gardens. LISTEN OUT 2014 LINEUP: FLUME (only 2014 shows) CHET FAKER ZHU SCHOOLBOY Q FOUR TET YG TA-KU TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS (DJ Set) SHLOHMO BONDAX YOUNG FATHERS YAHTZEL (DJ Set) GOLDEN FEATURES TKAY MAIDZA TRIPLE J UNEARTHED WINNER + more Image by Dominic Loneragan. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Lk3vbB_yuk0
Electronic whiz kids don't come more stylin' than Sydney's multitalented Caitlin Park. With her 2011 debut album Milk Annual applauded Australia-wide and the 2012 Qantas Spirit Of The Youth Award under her belt, Park inked a deal with Create/Control in February this year (home to fellow Aussies Oliver Tank, Feelings, Go Violets and internationals Parquet Courts and Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros). Marking the team-up with the release of her second album The Sleeper, the smoky-voiced Sydneysider will bring her brand new tunes to Bella Union on Friday, August 1. Disarmingly catchy singles like 'Lemonade' are sure to get table-sitters up and toe-tappin'. (She's releasing a just-announced EP of instrumental tracks and spoken word on July 11, so she's a busy lady.) Park toured recently to promote the album's first single, 'Hold Your Gaze', but we're certainly not objecting to more of her brand of dreamy folktronic. Park has been cranking tunes aroundaboutown of late, dominating East Coast stages as well as the UK's Great Escape, New York's CMJ conference and support slots for Butterfly Boucher. Headlining her own tour aptly dubbed 'The Sleeper Tour', Park is proud to present her super slick electro-meets-acoustic album to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane crowds. The Sleeper is a sharpening of everything her first album, Milk Annual, was about — slick production, soothing sounds and deep vocals that make me wish I could use the word husky without feeling like a creep. Listen out for 'Lemonade', the album's second single. The video is a woozy, aesthetically and sonically-pleasing journey through the main character's gender identity that should appeal to anyone who appreciates good-looking people in technicolour garb dancing in slow motion (that's everyone, surely?). "I am so proud and excited about this release!" said Park. "It's louder, more rhythmic, more energetic and more complex than anything I have written before. It was made in a quiet place, so I felt like we had to fill the space. It was made with love and light and darkness. I can't wait for people to hear it." Words by Jessica Surman and Shannon Connellan. https://youtube.com/watch?v=AS1htl7smnk
In Locke, the improbable proves possible — and in more ways than one. The second film from director Steven Knight (best known as the screenwriter of Dirty Pretty Things, Eastern Promises and The Hundred-Foot Journey) takes the simple and routine and turns it into the complex and compelling. Never before has a one-man effort, set solely in a car, structured around a series of phone calls and ostensibly concerning the machinations of the largest concrete pour in history become so engaging and immersive. As the titular figure and only on-screen presence, Ivan Locke (Tom Hardy) is the lynchpin in the spoken drama. He leaves work one evening, but rather than head for a home that boasts a wife (Ruth Wilson) and two sons (Tom Holland and Bill Miner) waiting to watch a soccer match with him, or even for a good night's rest before the important day that awaits, the building site foreman drives away from his usual responsibilities. Conversations crystalise the details, sentiments escalating as he informs all those relying upon his dependable nature of the departure from his duties as an employee, husband and father. Increasingly upset altercations with a co-worker (Olivia Colman) in hospital are revelatory, as Locke faces the repercussions of an ill-thought-out act from his past. Of course, the central conceit of a single protagonist within a lone location is far from new; however, Knight does more than merely follow a formula. Avoiding easy comparisons with the likes of classics Lifeboat, Rope and Rear Window and recent thrillers Cube, Phone Booth and Buried, the filmmaker explores a situation marked by its modesty rather than its gimmick. The stakes are far from life and death, the crux of the story is akin to those seen in a soap opera, but tension radiates from the mundane and relatable. What results is the juxtaposition of several layers of confinement: physically, in a car careening towards London; emotionally, amid the reactions of all immersed in the mess; morally, in doing the right thing in the wrong circumstances Accordingly, Locke succeeds via the astute intersection of terse scripting, inventive filming and an exceptional performance. Knight's war of words never falls victim to complacency, every exchange adding to the pile of punishing problems and pulsating pressure. Cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos's (Thor) slick gaze offers a shiny veneer peppered with imperfections, creating imagery that matches the film's thematic thrust. But it is Hardy, Welsh-accented and stone-faced, that makes the scenario leap from the screen as he simmers under the strain of his character's choices. The feature's greatest achievement may stem from eliciting interest from its story, style and structure; however, it is its lead that sears its exploration of the inescapable inexplicably into memory. https://youtube.com/watch?v=HxLPXMEYGeI
This article is sponsored by our partners, Rekorderlig. The words 'Full Moon Party' might usually bring to mind sandy, sunburnt backpackers in their tens of thousands lost in a cocktail-bucket-fuelled dance frenzy on some remote Thai island, but Thredbo's reclaiming their wintry potential on Australian soil. On three separate occasions this ski season, the Thredbo Alpine Hotel's Keller Bar is being transformed into a black-lit, werewolf-ridden dance cave, where you're pretty much invisible unless you've donned your white or fluorescent best. Just in case you're the forgetful type, you'll be presented with face paint and glow sticks as you walk through the door — free of charge (as is entry). For a beautifully Swedish start your night, arrive at the firepit-lined courtyard nice and early. The tunes start at 3pm and the Rekorderlig Hot Pool will be steaming (bonus: delicious mulled Winter Cider will be steaming too). The first part in the three-act series took part on July 12, with sets from SOSUEME DJs and Purple Sneakers, but the good news is, you've still two more opportunities to get in on the action. On August 10, you'll catch the Crooked Colour DJs, who were recently shortlisted in the Stoney Roads Producer of the Year Awards, and the I Oh You DJs. Then, on September 9, you'll be hearing from The L D R U, fresh from their crowd-wowing Splendour appearance, and Leah Mencel, 2012 winner of EMI's She Can DJ Comp.
MTC's latest work, The Sublime is an exploration of sport, sex, violence and the media from award-winning screenwriter and actor Brendan Cowell. The performance will consist of three interwoven monologues of an NRL player, a brother who has defected to AFL, and a teenage girl. Each character will tell their sides of the story, and in doing so all have the opportunity to be seen as human beings, and even victims, underneath their athletic persona. When questionable events arise from a footy trip to Thailand between the NRL star Liam and young athlete Amber, older brother Dean desperately tries to clean up the mess. They are the only three who knows what actually happened, and the story is not as straightforward as what most sports news headlines often suggest. Cowell's play will also explore the clashes between NRL and AFL, and the ongoing rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney with actors Josh McConville, Ben O’Toole and Anna Samson bringing the gripping and fiery story to life.
Old-growth forests in Victoria's Yarra Valley provide the breathtaking backdrop for an impressive new arthouse drama. The debut feature from award winning short form and music video director Kasimir Burgess, the fable-like Fell tells the interlocking stories of two devoted Australian fathers whose lives are rocked by unexpected tragedy. Clumsy plot mechanics as well as some freshman affectations count as marks against the movie early on. But Burgess hits his stride in the picture's magnificent second half, delivering a tense and thoughtful look at guilt, obsession and revenge. Fell begins after a young girl on a camping trip wanders fatally into the path of a semitrailer. The driver, a day-labouring lumberjack named Luke (Daniel Henshall), succumbs to panic and flees the scene, a mistake that eventually earns him a five year stint in prison and leaves his own unborn daughter Madeline without a dad. Meanwhile, the dead girl's father Thomas (ex-rugby league player Matthew Nable) retreats into the forest, where his all-consuming grief slowly festers into a plan for revenge. Emerging under an alias, he takes a job with Luke's old logging crew. And then, for five long years, he waits. As much as there is to like about Fell, the set-up leaves a lot to be desired. Nable's performance is brimming with palpable anguish, yet you can't help but feel as though there are a couple of major steps missing in his descent into cabin-dwelling seclusion. Natasha Pincus' screenplay is intentionally light on dialogue, and does little to sell such an extreme transformation. The same is true of Thomas' decision to join up with the loggers, a fairly integral plot point that never really manages to convince. But the movie improves dramatically with Luke's release from prison. After convincing his old boss to let him have his job back, Luke finds himself working closely with Thomas, of whose true identity he remains totally unaware. There's an incredible tension to every scene in which the two are alone together, with the sense that every breath Luke takes could very well be his last. Yet as Thomas becomes an increasingly bigger part of Luke's life, he's forced to confront the reality of what taking the man's life would mean. The ambiguous atmosphere is heightened by the beautiful locale. Lush green foliage and thick clouds of mist give the film an almost dreamlike quality which is then further enhanced by moments of imagined violence. An indulgence in empty nature shots suggests that Burgess, like a lot of first-time directors, is a little too enamoured with the work of Terrence Malick. Even so, it's hard to deny the extent of talent on display.
With winter making its chilly, soul-destroying presence well known this year, it's a relief that the Melbourne Writers Festival is nearly upon us. Giving us all a viable and damn near social opportunity to rug up with a good book, this bastion of our city's cultural calendar is about to stroll on into our jumper-clad, tea-loving lives and make things a whole lot brighter. This year they're bringing the big guns too. The 2014 headliners include Helen Garner, Salman freakin' Rushdie, Dave Eggers, and a David Bowie-singing astronaut. There's hands-on experience being offered from Lonely Planet's Don George and The New Yorker's Emily Nussbaum. Even politicians are getting involved; you can offset your nights of heavy boozing with some highly intellectual discussions from Bob Brown, Malcolm Fraser and Bob Carr (provided you're feeling up for it). Of course, it doesn't matter if you're not a writer yourself. These kinds of festivals are just spaces for ideas. Rub shoulders with the nation's best thinkers, jot down some newfound inspiration, and float around the many city venues fuelled by curiousity and an unwavering stream of quality caffeine. Get ready for some literature, politics and gin, people. This one's going to be a doozy. The Melbourne Writers Festival is on August 21-31. Tickets are on sale via the festival website, though many events are free. For more, check out our full MWF run-down including our picks of the top ten events.
After two bumper years and three singles, Melbourne foursome Kingswood decided to go all out when it came to their debut full-length album, Microscopic Wars. So they made an appointment at Blackbird Studios with Grammy-winning producer Vance Powell (The Raconteurs) and jumped on a plane to the US. Before heading into the studio, they spent three months living and working together in Nashville; then spent the rest recording whatever they damn well felt like on the day. With the album set for release on August 22 via Dew Process, single 'Sucker Punch' has already been attracting many a rock-loving ear — and tickets for Kingswood's national tour (running August 20 to October 24) are selling like hotcakes as a result. Their sizeable Aussie following has been built up through an array of festival appearances and support slots — Splendour in the Grass billed them on the main amphitheatre stage and they've toured with the likes of The Living End, British India and The Saints. https://youtube.com/watch?v=lHjnOlQQ49U
From that hotbed of contentious global politics comes the latest national film festival on the Australian cultural calendar. Hosted in various Palace Cinema locations around the country, the AICE Israeli Film Festival aims to showcase the best of the Israeli film industry, with more than a dozen features and documentaries to choose from. An initiative of the Australia Israel Cultural Exchange, the festival was the subject of controversy last year after abruptly cancelling screenings of a film that depicted Israeli brutality in the West Bank. The 2014 line-up contains several pictures that explore Israeli-Palestinian relations, including the critically acclaimed opening night film Self Made and the Israeli-Palestine-US co-production Under the Same Sun. Other highlights on the program include moving doco Shadow in Baghdad and a pair Cannes selected dramas in Next to Her and The Kindergarten Teacher. The festival is also hosting early previews of upcoming American films by noteworthy Jewish directors, in the form of Woody Allen's Magic in the Moonlight and Zach Braff's Wish I Was Here. For the full AICE Israeli Film Festival program, visit the festival website. Image: Next to Her.
Audrey Hepburn. Federico Fellini. Woody Allen. Names and faces synonymous with film history, they'll now be the subject of a series of free Sunday night screenings at the National Gallery of Victoria, presented by academics from the University of Melbourne. The six-week program includes a combination of classic and contemporary films designed to tie in with the NGV's Italian Masterpieces season, on display until the end of August. Split into two parts, the series begins with images of the region as shot by foreigners, starting with William Wyler's Roman Holiday followed by a pair of Woody Allen films in To Rome with Love and Vicki Christina Barcelona. Then in mid August, Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita will kick off a trio of critically acclaimed Italian films. Fellini will be followed by Giuseppe Tornatore's love letter to cinema in Cinema Paradiso, before the series concludes with the most recent winner of the Best Foreign Language Oscar, Paolo Sorrentino's The Great Beauty. https://youtube.com/watch?v=fJfvX6zPAuQ
After taking home awards at the Edinburgh and Adelaide Fringe Festivals, Cat Jones' relentless play Glory Dazed, about the long-term psychological effects of warfare, will enjoy a month-long engagement at the Red Stitch Actors Theatre. Fuelled by a series of interviews the playwright conducted with former British servicemen now serving time in person, the show combines harrowing drama with moments of acerbic black comedy, following an unstable veteran — played here Andre de Vanny — as he forces his way into a pub in an attempt to win back his ex-wife. The Red Stitch production is directed by company regular Greg Carroll, and represents the theatre's second consecutive show to explore the theme of post-war trauma, after George Brant's Grounded scored rave reviews last month. Early impressions suggest the reaction to Jones's work may be similarly strong.
At the risk of pointing out the perpetually obvious, Australians love their sport. We love our rugby, AFL, tennis, cricket... basically anything that involves sweating profusely and chasing after something. We're a sporting nayshun and it's an important part of our national identity whether we like it or not. With so many poetic, victorious moments in sporting activity, there's plenty of opportunity for artful glorification. Celebrating these fleeting snapshots is an exhibition for those craving to see Australia's sports culture celebrated in art. The biennial Basil Sellers Art Prize honours the presence of sport in contemporary Australian art and is regarded as one of Australia's most prestigious art competitions. This year, the winner will receive a whopping $100,00 prize for their work — and the shortlisted pieces are looking pretty strong. Artists up for the top prize include some of Australia's most celebrated talent: Tony Albert, Narelle Autio, Zoe Croggon, Gabrielle de Vietri, Ivan Durrant, Shaun Gladwell, Richard Lewer, William Mackinnon, Rob McHaffie, Noel McKenna, Rob McLeish, Fiona McMonagle, Raquel Ormella, Khaled Sabsabi, Jenny Watson and Gerry Wedd. There's also a People's Choice award of $5000, so you can make your visit really count by having a cheeky vote. To check out the competition before the winner is announced on July 25, head to The Ian Potter Museum of Art at the University of Melbourne ASAP. Otherwise the exhibition is open until October to peruse in your own bench time.
If you haven't dined on traditional Russian fare (and would like to), head to Elsternwick stat. Although Melbourne may have its fair share of European cuisine, good, authentic Russian food is hard to come by; except for Nevsky Russian Restaurant on busy Glen Huntly Road, that is. Named after the main boulevard in St Petersberg, Nevsky is unassuming, with exposed brick walls, simple timber furnishing and a chandelier that is out of place, yes, but somehow adds to the charm of this place. But boy, does it serve up some tasty, traditional and home-style Russian and Eastern European cooking. If in a large group, there's plenty of Russian banquets to choose from, all of which come with a free shot of vodka. Sample red caviar with blinis, king prawns and oysters; beetroot salad with herring; cabbage piroshki; and veal and mushroom stroganoff. Otherwise opt for the a la carte menu, featuring seliodka (marinated herring fillets) with potatoes ($8); Georgian kharcho soup of spicy lamb, tomato, rice and coriander (half serve $6; full serve $10); and heartier meals of ragu ($27), oven roasted pork loin with red cabbage, potatoes and red wine sauce ($28) and Polish sosiski (kranksy sausages) on mashed potato with caramelised onions and port wine sauce ($24). Plus, there's a whole load of dumplings and deep fried pastries, if you're after a snack. Drinkwise, the name of the game here is vodka, naturally. However, there's a small selection of beers, wines and cocktails (all vodka-based) available also.
Cue giggles galore when the Melbourne International Comedy Festival descends on the city from Wednesday, March 29–Sunday, April 23, dishing up more than 600 shows for its 2023 instalment. Big-ticket program highlights include the national grand final of esteemed open mic competition RAW Comedy; Upfront's one-night showcase of stereotype-smashing female and non-binary comics; and the Deadly Funny National Grand Final, which spotlights the country's funniest First Nations talent. As always, MICF will see comedic heroes flying in from all corners of the globe, taking the stage for sidesplitting solo shows and special events alike. Among them are celebrated British stars like Paul Foot, Carl Donnelly and Rosie Jones, plus Irish funnymen David O'Doherty and Dylan Moran, Emmy Award-winning US artist Sara Schaefer and Icelandic icon Ari Edljárn. Homegrown heroes pack out the program, with big-name guests aplenty — Tripod, Claire Hooper, Lawrence Mooney, Kirsty Webeck, Wil Anderson, Alex Ward and Rhys Nicholson are all there, along with the likes of Lano & Woodley, Osher Günsberg doing Night Time News Network National News, Dave Thornton, Diana Nguyen and stacks more. The rising stars of Aussie comedy will also get a huge look-in. Check out the next generation of comic geniuses with a show at Comedy Zone, or stick closer to home and get your comedy kicks at one of the famed Neighbourhood Sessions. Meanwhile, Best of Comedy Zone Asia will deliver a lineup of emerging and celebrated talent from across Malaysia, India, Singapore and more. And, Headliners is set to dish up a hilarious taste of the US comedy circuit, featuring The Lucas Brothers, Patti Harrison, Sheng Wang and Shalewa Sharpe. [caption id="attachment_806196" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jim Lee[/caption] Top image: Jim Lee.
More than most games, Dungeons & Dragons thrives or dies based on the people rolling the dice, creating their own characters and casting spells. Whether Stranger Things' demogorgon-slaying teens are hunched over a table imagining up their fantasy dreams, or flesh-and-blood folks who aren't just part of a TV series find themselves pretending that they're fighters and clerics, an adventure or campaign is only as good as the party at its core. Writer/directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley understand this. The latter definitely should: the one-season TV great Freaks and Geeks, which gave him his start as an actor when he was just a kid, threw D&D some love, too. As filmmakers, Goldstein and Daley jump from Game Night to Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves with a clear mission: making the swords-and-sorcery flick's cast its biggest strength. This game-to-screen flick sports a stacked roster, starting with Chris Pine (Don't Worry Darling) as Edgin Darvis, a bard and former member of the Harpers who turned petty thief — complete with a Robin Hood-esque attitude — after his wife passed away. Since his daughter Kira (Chloe Coleman, Avatar: The Way of Water) was a baby, he's been co-parenting with his gruff best friend Holga Kilgore, a stoic exiled barbarian, who is played with exactly the stern look that Michelle Rodriguez (Fast & Furious 9) was always going to bring to the part. When Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves opens, however, Edgin and Holga have been in prison for almost two years thanks to a job gone wrong. Brought out of their dank dungeon to plead for their release, Edgin and Holga are determined to get free by any means necessary. And, once they're out, they're equally as committed to reuniting their makeshift family. Yes, a dungeon is indeed sighted within seconds of the film starting. Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves doesn't skimp on dragons when it's their turn to arrive, either. But there's more cast members to bring into the fray — and, handily, Edgin and Holga had a whole gang back in their escapade-heavy days. Rogue and con artist Forge Fitzwilliam (Hugh Grant, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre) was one such party member. Simon Aumar (Justice Smith, Sharper), a sorcerer with hefty confidence issues, was another. These days, Forge has turned nefarious, seized guardianship of Kira, become Lord of Neverwinter, and gotten far too friendly with the fierce, fearsome and necromancy-loving Red Wizard of Thay Sofina (Daisy Head, Wrong Turn). Simon is still trying his magical luck, which is quickly needed, alongside help from tiefling druid Doric (Sophie Lillis, IT and IT: Chapter Two) and paladin Xenk Yendar (Regé-Jean Page, The Gray Man). As Dungeon Masters — co-scripting with Michael Gilio (Jolene), and working with a story by him and The Lego Batman Movie's Chris McKay — Goldstein and Daley thrust their various figures together, then shape a story around them. So, it's all classic D&D, just on-screen with copious amounts of special effects (some overdone in the usual CGI-dripping fantasy blockbuster fashion, some pleasingly looking more tangible, such as reanimated corpses voiced by Aunty Donna Down Under) rather than sitting around a board. Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves' tale couldn't be more straightforward, or fittingly episodic — with actions to complete, skills called upon and combat unleashed. There's no 20-sided die, but there is said bard and barbarian, and the sorcerer, druid and paladin with them, battling a rogue and wizard. And, straight out of the Monster Manual, owlbears, displacer beasts, red dragons and gelatinous cubes all make an appearance. Whether they first had everyone moving miniatures or mashing buttons, games are having a heap of big- and small-screen moments in 2023. The Last of Us is one of the year's very best new TV shows, a film about getting Tetris out of Russia and to the masses makes for a tense and entertaining streaming thriller, and The Super Mario Bros Movie gives the Nintendo favourite the animated treatment. A question lingers over all of them, though, and for fans and newcomers alike: would it be more engaging, and more fun, just to play? Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves answers by giving the act of watching the feel of playing regardless of whether you're a level zero or level 20 with its mythology — in its light, jovial and energetic tone, with the film taking itself earnestly but never grimly seriously; and in no small part thanks to its array of faces. Stranger Things has been helping broaden D&D's influence for nearing a decade now, but everything from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Futurama and Community to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The IT Crowd and Gravity Falls have nodded its way, too — and Goldstein and Daley also understand this. Their take on the game is welcomely accessible, while appropriately loving and still packed with nudges and references. That said, it's also padded and repetitive the more that it goes goes on. And Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves does go on, clocking in at 134 minutes. Some lengthy films make the time fly by — see: John Wick: Chapter 4, which could've lasted forever — but this one doesn't quite realise when a good time becomes an overly formulaic one. The fights and confrontations, the quips and character beats, the beasts and underground cells: after a while, a fantasy-101 feeling sinks in, especially in these days of ample worshipping thrown Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, The Witcher and company's ways. Mostly, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves is enough of a romp — a romp with clear franchise-starting ambitions, even though there's already been three D&D movies dating back to 2000, but a romp nonetheless. Take out Pine and his on-screen pals, though, and it would've been all over the map. His charm is breezy, and his rapport with Rodriguez gives the film a likeable chalk-and-cheese duo. Page is as smooth as ever — yes, Bridgerton-level smooth — and Grant is visibly having a blast of a time getting villainous Paddington 2-style. Head, daughter of Buffy and Ted Lasso's Anthony Stewart Head, frequently shows up the pixel wizardry with just her glare and makeup. Yes, Dungeons & Dragons is all about the folks playing both on- and off-screen, and Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves' bunch makes viewers want to play along with them.
In the bar and nightlife world, clocking up a huge 17 years of life slinging beers, tunes and good times is no mean feat. So it's only fitting that shipping container haunt Section 8 celebrates that big milestone this week with some super-sized festivities. The beloved laneway bar is going all out and throwing a huge three-day birthday fiesta, kicking off this Friday, March 17. It's set to be a truly Melbourne affair, complete with a jam-packed program of tunes from more than 15 artists, hailing from near and far. A diverse array of sounds comes courtesy of acts like French producer GUTS, Melbourne-based Tokyo-born star Elle Shimada, and Afrocentric DJ and radio host NayNay, along with the likes of Mothafunk, Plastiq, Pookie, Crybaby, Shelley and more. And there'll be moves aplenty, too, with dance performances from Senuri & Romaine, and Ate Cheska. Rounding out the fun and keeping you fuelled for all that dance floor action, the bar will be pouring a stack of birthday drink specials from favourites like Beefeater, Jameson and Melbourne's own Hop Nation. The tunes will be rolling right through the weekend and entry will be free, so drop by any time. Images: Leilani Bale
One of South Melbourne's iconic food celebrations is back for a lip-smacking weekend of music and molluscs, as the Port Phillip Mussel & Jazz Festival returns to the South Melbourne Market from Saturday, March 11–Sunday, March 12. Once again, the precinct will come alive for a food-focused, tune-filled street party from 11am each day, with the humble mussel as star of the show. Seafood lovers will find themselves in heaven, feasting their way through a host of special dishes from resident vendors including Bambu, Claypots Evening Star, Simply Spanish, Gem Pier Seafood and (of course) Mike's Mussels. Plus, catch all the usual market favourites slinging everything from pastries and porchetta rolls to fine cheese and gelato. What's more, casual eatery Smithburg will also be debuting its new streetside Lobster Roll & Margarita Shack, where you'll find three different margs and a trio of signature lobster rolls on offer. The market has once again teamed up with The Nature Conservancy to deliver the Shuck Don't Chuck recycling program — leftover mussel, oyster and scallop shells from the weekend's feasting will be collected, cured and reused to help rebuild marine ecosystems in the bay. As always, there'll also be plenty of fresh catches when it comes to the entertainment — enjoy soul and jazz tunes from acts like The Sugarfoot Ramblers, Margie Lou Dyer, The Swinging Cats Pyjamas, Hoodoo Mayhem and Steve Sedergreen. Top image: Simon Shiff.
For one night this March, an iconic movie will serve up a glorious blast from the past in a whole new way. That's what Not-So-Silent Cinema is all about. A collaboration between ACMI and Federation Square — and screening at the latter, too — this outdoor event showcases iconic silent films for free under the stars, complete playing with live soundtracks. And it's back for the Labour Day long weekend. Silent cinema didn't mean ditching all sound completely a century back, after all, and it definitely doesn't now. So, while you sit in a deckchair and peer at Fed Square's big screen on Sunday, March 12 from 7.30pm, you'll be listening to something ace as you watch. The film in the spotlight: Indian silent film Muraliwala from 1927, with Hari Sivanesan and the South Asian Music Ensemble providing the tunes. Sure, you've seen plenty of movies, and spent plenty of time in Fed Square — but this free evening is far more than your usual trip to the pictures. Images: Tobias Tltz.
They don't call it movie magic for nothing, as plenty of Hollywood's leading lights have made it their mission to stress. A filmmaker's work should ideally make that statement anyway — seeing any picture and taking any trip to the pictures should, not that either always occurs — but overt odes to cinema still flicker with frequency. Across little more than 12 months, Kenneth Branagh's Belfast has featured a scene where his on-screen childhood alter ego basks in the silver screen's glow, and Damien Chazelle's Babylon made celebrating Hollywood and everything behind it one of its main functions. With The Fabelmans, Steven Spielberg revisited his formative years, following the makings of a movie-obsessed kid who'd become a movie-making titan. Now 1917, Skyfall, Spectre and American Beauty director Sam Mendes adds his own take with Empire of Light, as also steeped in his own youth. A teenager in the 70s and 80s, Mendes now jumps back to 1980 and 1981. His physical destination: the coastal town of Margate in Kent, where the Dreamland Cinema has stood for exactly 100 years in 2023. In Empire of Light, the gorgeous art deco structure has been rechristened The Empire. It's a place where celluloid dreams such as The Blues Brothers, Stir Crazy, Raging Bull and Being There entertain the masses, and where a small staff under the overbearing Donald Ellis (Colin Firth, Operation Mincemeat) all have different relationships with their own hopes and wishes. As projectionist Norman, Toby Jones (The Wonder) is Mendes' mouthpiece, waxing lyrical about the transporting effect of images running at 24 frames per second and treasuring his work sharing that experience. Empire of Light is that heavy handed, and in a multitude of ways. But duty manager Hilary (Olivia Colman, Heartstopper) and new employee Stephen's (Micheal Ward, Small Axe) stories are thankfully far more complicated than simply adoring cinema. Actually, despite spending her days slinging £1.50 tickets and popcorn, Hilary has never seen a movie at The Empire. That might seem unlikely, but it's a crucial and thoughtful character detail. Navigating a journey with her mental health, her conscientiousness at work helps her to keep busy away from her lonely apartment. Having spent a lifetime thinking little of herself, she doesn't for a moment contemplate enjoying what her workplace sells (the fact that it's where she's being taken advantage of sexually by Donald also leeches joy from her view of the place). Accordingly, she has a stronger affinity for the venue's empty third and fourth screens, both of which have been shuttered — plus the upstairs bar that services them — and allowed to fall into pigeon-filled disrepair. When Empire of Light begins, Hilary has recently returned from a hospital stint, too, and the lithium her doctor has prescribed since is stifling. Watching someone go through the motions in a place that's all about motion, possibility, and shiny visions of other lives and realms paints a powerful portrait, with Mendes — who writes his first-ever solo feature script in addition to directing — crafting a keen character study layered with symbolism. Welcomely, when Stephen arrives to break up The Empire's routine, he's never merely a catalyst in another's tale or an emblem of Britain's struggles with race. Empire of Light takes the time to chart his path as well, including the discrimination he faces walking down the street; his devotion to his single mum, Trinidadian nurse Delia (Tanya Moodie, The Man Who Fell to Earth); and his growing romance with Hilary. Stephen's story is a coming-of-age story, all about finding himself in and through a space where audiences flock to find everything imaginable. So too is Hilary's, of course. That said, it's easy to see how Stephen could've just been a device, helping to keep the plot turning and Hilary's tale progressing, if someone other than Ward had taken on the part. His is a rich, sincere and soulful performance, playing a young Black man with the clearest of eyes as he surveys a hostile Thatcher-era England, yet remaining kind and caring — to people and injured birds alike — and perennially optimistic. Holding one's own against Colman is no mean feat; this film's own light largely beams from the pair. Whether they're sharing a frame or taking centre stage alone, they're always a key force drawing viewers in, no matter how forceful Mendes is with his cinema-conquers-all message (and how adamantly the score by Bones and All's Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is telling the audience what to feel). What a stunning portrayal Colman delivers beside Ward; Hilary was written specifically for her, unsurprisingly, and plays that way at all times. Saying that the Oscar- and Emmy-winner — for The Favourite and The Crown, respectively — is phenomenal in any role is like saying that popcorn is salty, but it doesn't make it any less true (as her recent work in Landscapers, The Lost Daughter and The Father also demonstrates). Deep-seated sorrow and heartbreak lingers in Hilary in Empire of Light, and not just because the screenplay says it must. The talented actor is a marvel at not only opening up a character's inner tussles and emotions in her gaze and stance, but making them feel hauntingly real, which Mendes makes exceptional use of. It's no wonder that the movie peers at her face often — a face that makes its own case for movie magic whether it's staring intently at Hilary's latest cinema task, revelling in Stephen's company or breaking down at The Empire's big moment: the glitzy regional premiere of Chariots of Fire. Alongside Colman and Ward, the man responsible for Empire of Light's gaze — and lighting it — is the feature's other immense and essential asset. Just like the film's two key actors, Roger Deakins' impact is so pivotal that this'd be a completely different movie sans his input. Earning the picture's only Academy Award nomination — his 16th, fresh from consecutive wins for Blade Runner 2049 and 1917 — he ensures that every shot speaks volumes about The Empire and the people who consider it a type of home. Sometimes, he achieves that by mirroring the big screen's frame, finding other frames to place around the picture's characters where possible, and stressing that everyone's tale is worth telling. Sometimes, too, he actively seeks out reflections, nodding to how cinema interacts with the world around it while also literally showing multiple sides of a character at once. That's movie magic alright, and Empire of Light is at its best when it lets its craft demonstrate cinema's glory itself.
The newly expanded Carlton Farmers Market is reopening for 2023, kicking off on March 4 with an inaugural Saturday session featuring family-friendly activities and new stallholders. Marketgoers can expect 20 market stalls boasting fresh Victorian produce, locally-made products, coffee, pastries and snacks. Market lovers still reeling from the shock loss of the Abbotsford Farmers Market can also rejoice at this news: many of the Abbotsford stallholder favourites will make The Carlton Farmers Market their new home. The Carlton Farmers Markets were paused at the end of last year, in order to rejig and revamp the long-standing community event. The markets are $2 to enter but all funds go towards donations for MFM and Carlton North Primary School. Pooches and kids are welcome.
