If you're going to fork out an arm and a leg for candy bar concessions, the food may as well be good. That's the thinking behind the Coburg Drive-In Food Truck Festival, which after tantalising our tastebuds in previous seasons is back for a spring run. Sit back in your car and enjoy the latest Hollywood releases while chowing down on delectable offerings from Melbourne's leading mobile food vendors. Look out for the likes of Sliders On Tyers, Taco Truck, O Tuga Tastes of Portugal, Smokin Barrys, The Kaiser's Sausages, Manny's Donut Cafe and Jay's Yogurt on Wednesday, then Real Burger, Flamin Lamb Spit, Pizza Wagon, Nem N' Nem, Korean Fried Chicken, Brazilian Bites, Crepes for Change and St. Gerry's on Thursday.
Have you got a sweet tooth that just won’t quit? Fancy yourself a bit of a whiz when it comes to baking and cake decorating? Or maybe you find yourself drooling over display cabinets at your local patisserie more than you’re willing to admit? We hear you, so let us point you in the direction of this year’s Cake Bake and Sweets Show at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. This three-day live event is packed to the mixing bowl brim of celebrity chef demos, classes and interactive workshops so you can create the cake magic at home. As well as picking up some new tips and tricks, now’s your chance to stock up on the perfect baking supplies and sample the goods from Melbourne’s best pastry and dessert chefs. We don’t want to alarm the chocoholics out there, but there will be a Willy Wonka-inspired chocolate river and garden created by Kirsten Tibballs and Savour Chocolate School. Run, don’t walk. Image: Katherine Sabbath/Cake Bake & Sweets Show.
If Falls seems a little too large for your liking, but you’re still looking for a sweet escape from the city, then NYE on the Hill might be just what you need. Brought to you by the legends behind the equally awesome The Hills Are Alive festival, this boutique NYE experience is small on scale but big on good vibes. 48 hours of freedom never looked so blissful, with the likes of Jackie Onassis, The Smith Street Band, The Delta Riggs, Jakubi, City Calm Down, World's End Press and many more dropping in to help you welcome 2015.
With an already excellent summer season underway, The Gasometer is rearing to cement itself as one of the go-to music destinations of the inner-suburbs. Now, with a nod to its 'hood of choice, it's launching its first major set of shows since its big revamp in May last year. Kicking off on January 25 and running all through till late-Feb the Gaso will be bringing the noise with the Collingwood Open. With big-name shows on an open-air stage for around $20 a pop, where else would you rather be? After dropping their latest album Grids late last year and doing a huge string of shows including Meredith Music Festival and playing support for Adalita, Teeth & Tongue will round out a solid summer effort on January 25. Melbourne locals The Harpoons and Twin Beasts will follow that up on January 31 and February 6 respectively. Lanie Lane will be serenading you with tracks from her latest album Night Shade on February 19, then loveable folksters Sweet Jean will be hitting the stage on February 22. The unmistakable highlight though is bound to be Gareth Liddiard. The Drones frontman will be bringing his distinctive brand of Aussie twang and soulful storytelling to the Gaso on February 27 and 28. Much like his stint at Workers Club last year, a second show was added due to popular demand. Unlike Workers, this show will be your only chance to hang with this charming songwriter under the stars. Get in quick. Tickets won't last long.
Electro party in at Old Melbourne Gaol? Yes please! Organised by Montreal’s club brand Piknic Electronik and local Melbourne promoter outfit Stable Music have teamed up to bring us a range of house and techno artists from home and abroad. From humble beginnings in 2003 in Montreal, Piknic Electronik caught on with the crowds of Barcelona, and Melbourne will be the mini-festival's debut in the Southern Hemisphere. Last week, the festival opened with Oliver Schories for his first ever Australian show. In the weeks coming, Nico Stojan and Sasse will headline, with guest appearances from Phil K, Uone, Mike Buhl and Matt Radovich. Food trucks and drink stalls will sustain you until the sun goes down, and the boutique festival shuts up shop at a sensible hour so you don’t start off your working week on the wrong foot. Piknic Electronik Festival is on every Sunday from midday until 9pm until March 29. Keep an eye on the Facebook page for any changes.
It turns out that people were interested in sharing pictures of cats well before the internet. In this summer-long survey exhibition, ACCA are giving you the chance to stroll through the long and adorable history all kinds of animals in the art world. From December 13 until March 1, you can discover the duelling forest beasts of Mircea Cantor and the bizarre creatures that spill from the mind of Patricia Piccinini. This is an art nerd's version of a day at the zoo. "Culture has [always] looked to animals to understand, describe and represent aspects of the self," says Artistic Director Juliana Engberg. "From animals we learn strategies of survival, mutual existence and use animals to express empathy." In this epic overview, ACCA is presenting this idea through the work of 34 artists from home and abroad. Far from mere Polaroids of the artists' dogs, Menagerie will feature pieces from Joseph Beuys, David Noonan, Ricky Swallow, and Anastasia Klose just to name a few. As part of next year's Summersalt Outdoor Arts Festival, Klose will also be hosting an exciting extension to the exhibition as well. For the final two weeks of February, the ACCA forecourt will be completely transformed into an interactive dog park. See you there.
When a film bears the name American Sniper – and the memoir it adapts includes The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in US Military History in its title – certain things are unsurprising. To judge a movie by its moniker and a book by its cover, patriotism is expected, as are ample scenes seen through the crosshairs of a riflescope. Clint Eastwood’s latest feature delivers both. The true tale inspiring jingoistic fervour is that of Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper), a Texan rodeo cowboy turned Navy SEAL. In four tours of Iraq post-9/11, he was credited with 160 confirmed kills. His fellow soldiers anointed him with the nickname 'Legend', continually proffering their thanks and idolatry. With each deployment, the worries of his wife, Taya (Sienna Miller), grew, as did the distance in their marriage. As the man who played Dirty Harry, Eastwood is no stranger to portrayals of men steeped in violence, or to positioning their deeds as those of necessity. Symbolism torn from many a western and war movie included, he takes to the story with passion and without subtlety. With his protagonist pledging allegiance to “God, country and family”, in that order, he paints Kyle as a hero, and shapes the feature as a tribute. Treading the fine line between condoning certain actions and representing reality is a tricky task, and one Eastwood’s feature does show signs of struggling with. Only slivers are glimpsed of a more complex and conflicted train of thought than the feature’s primary narrative. Shadows of martial discontent flicker over supporting characters, but the enemy is not within, in American Sniper's case, as an insurgent enemy sniper threatens the unit. It's a dramatic tension that's technically well-executed but thematically questionable. Similarly, Kyle’s difficulties on the home front are tinged with the weight his work bears on his conscience, explained as regret over the lives he couldn’t save, rather than any troubles with what he did and saw. And then there's the Iraqi problem. Whenever the viewpoint of the other side threatens to interject, such as with the plight of a local family forced to inform against a villain, empathy is absent. American Sniper presents one perspective only, so the occupied people of Iraq remain strangers. While Eastwood’s Flags of Our Fathers did the same, here there’s no Letters from Iwo Jima to offer balance. Performance-wise, the duty-bound feature isn’t helped by Cooper’s lead turn, even if an Academy Award nomination seems to indicate otherwise. He looks the part, complete with a hulking swagger and an aversion to his usual charm, but his rendering of Kyle is as one-note as the bulk of the storyline. Similarly, Miller plays the stereotypical neglected wife in a paint-by-numbers performance. Of course, countless films – war and otherwise – spin one-sided yarns of good-versus-evil and even do so well; however, American Sniper is never anything less than uneasy. The sand-swept action that clouds the frame, the unwavering conviction and the sentiment of the ending are predictably blatant and sometimes brutal – and so is the accompanying discomfort.
Making music can be just as political as personal for some, especially if you're Melbourne trio The Basics. Their 12-year career has seen the band go through its fair share of ups and downs, with 1000 shows locally and abroad and even a three year hiatus from the music scene (seeing frontman Wally De Backer embark on a little ol' solo venture as Goyte). Then, 2014 casually saw The Basics' Tim Heath and Kris Schroeder enter the Victorian political sphere as the Basics Rock'n'Roll Party (BRRP), to many a divided opinion. But stronger than ever with brand new material, The Basics are headed back to the stage, hitting Melbourne's Corner Hotel to launch their brand new EP 'The Lucky Country'. Using music to spread their messages of innovation and education, these boys are going from strength to strength (tackling an election while recording a bunch of stellar tracks at Abbey Road). Supported by fellow Melburnians The Gun Barrel Straights, this promises to be a high-energy set from the reunited De Backer, Heath and Schroeder.
It seems like someone at The Bridge Hotel might have misplaced their calendar, because Halloween is still ten full months away. That being said, who amongst us can resist a good old-fashioned haunted house? On New Year's Eve, the Richmond venue is whipping out the cauldron and fake cobwebs for a truly spook-tacular party. Your ticket ($120) gets you access to a four-and-a-half-hour food and beverage package, including a cocktail on arrival. There'll be live entertainment until the early hours of the morning...we just hope you survive past midnight to enjoy it.
See the film that many have tipped to clean up big at this year's Oscars, at one of a handful of gala previews on New Year's Eve. Set in New York City during the early 1950s, Carol follows two women — played by Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara — who embark on a forbidden romance with drastic consequences for them both. The film is due to release in mid-January, however Palace Cinemas are hosting early NYE screenings at Brighton Bay, Palace Balwyn, Cinema Como, Dendy Brighton, Palace Westgarth and Kino Cinemas. Attendees with receive a glass of wine on arrival, as well as a complimentary ticket to see Brooklyn – another potential awards contender – when it hits cinemas on February 12. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4z7Px68ywk Session times vary cinema to cinema. You can check the times here.
Not to be confused with the pioneering hip-hop DJ, Marlon Williams a.k.a. Marley Marl a.k.a. the "Every Saturday Rap Attack, Mr. Magic, Marley Marl" referenced by Notorious B.I.G. in his classic 1994 single 'Juicy', Kiwi troubadour Marlon Williams is embarking on an extensive national tour throughout November and December. The ambitious run of dates will take Williams all over our wide brown land, hitting most major cities as well as some slightly off-the-beaten-track regional centres. The prolific singer-songwriter will be unleashing his unique brand of critically acclaimed alt-country alongside his band, The Yarra Benders. Described by WOMADelaide as "the impossible lovechild of Elvis, Roy Orbison and Townes Van Zandt" and having recently starred in the ABC drama The Beautiful Lie, Williams' star continues to rise rapidly. If you want to be able to say that you saw him before he became a household name, get tickets pronto. You can also catch Marlon Williams playing in picturesque wineries across the nation as part of A Day on the Green.
It has been less than two years since Ridley Scott told the tale of Moses leading the Hebrews from Egypt using a cast of white actors. Controversy surrounded Exodus: Gods and Kings, yet that hasn't stopped the latest Hollywood effort to spin a mythical story set in the region from following in its footsteps. Gods of Egypt asks audiences to accept Game of Thrones actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Olympus Has Fallen star Gerard Butler as a pair of Egyptian deities. Australians also feature, with ex-Home and Away star Brenton Thwaites as the human caught in the middle of their feud, and national treasure Geoffrey Rush also popping up, all under the guidance of local writer-director Alex Proyas. That a modicum of controversy has resulted from the casting could be a blessing in disguise, since the film offers little else to inspire much in the way of conversation. Aussie audiences might get a thrill out of spotting the likes of Bryan Brown and Tiriel Mora amidst the action, albeit only briefly. Video game fans might enjoy the movie's glossy, CGI-heavy visuals, which look as if they should be interacted with, rather than watched. Few will find much of interest in the overarching story, which sets Coster-Waldau's Horus against Butler's Set in a battle for the Egyptian throne. When the latter interrupts the former's coronation, he takes control of the nation, threatens his fellow gods into submission and enslaves his subjects. Enter Thwaites' Bek, a thief more interested in his girlfriend, Zaya (Courtney Eaton), than his divine overlords — but willing to help Horus regain his rightful place, initially simply to please the object of his affections. Gods of Egypt might sound like a sombre affair, but it soon proves anything but. Hammy performances and cheap looking special effects aren't the norm, though someone obviously forgot to tell that to the scenery-chewing Butler and whoever was responsible for the painfully unconvincing CGI flames. Elements like these are indicative of the film's cheesy, light-hearted tone. Trying to have fun with the material can't save or even significantly improve the film, but it does make it slightly easier to endure. If the feature isn't taking itself too seriously, audiences can follow suit. In fact, in making a pseudo swords-and-sandals adventure that's also an odd couple buddy comedy and a clichéd romance, perhaps Proyas isn't just fashioning a fantasy version of the past. Perhaps he's also dreaming of the future. After all, both The Crow and Dark City, the two features the filmmaker remains best known for, largely became cult hits through repeated home video viewing. Gods of Egypt is unlikely to join them, but years from now, viewers might be laughing, Flash Gordon-style, at the ungodly mess Proyas has made.
Looking for some healthy new recipes for summer? We may have found you the perfect thing. This Wednesday, local model and A Conscious Collection blogger Brooke Meredith is sharing her culinary expertise in a three-hour cooking class at The Urban Kitchen in South Melbourne. Participants will watch as Meredith conjures up various tasty, guilt-free treats, such as zucchini noodle rice paper rolls, low carb cauliflower pizza and chocolate macadamia brownies. How those last ones qualify as healthy we're not quite sure, but, to be honest, we're kind of happy to take her word for it. Once you've had the chance to see Meredith in action, it'll be time to put your newly acquired cooking skills to the test. Assuming no one has any major kitchen disasters, you'll wrap up the evening with a casual group dinner. You'll also receive a copy of Meredith's healthy chocoholics e-book, as well as a goodie bag full of edible surprises.
When it comes to annual traditions, the release of a new ensemble Christmas movie is among the most reliable. That doesn’t mean that it’s good — it just means that another festive feature seems to reach screens every year, overflowing with star power as well as predictability. This year's entry is Love the Coopers, and if you've seen a holiday flick before, you can probably already guess the storyline. On Christmas Eve, a dysfunctional family has to overcome their differences and learn to appreciate each other — and yes, the film really is that routine. That's not the only dash of formula director Jessie Nelson (I Am Sam) and writer Steven Rogers (P.S. I Love You) sprinkle throughout their big screen attempt to deck cinemas with some yuletide cheer. There's nothing like a last chance at happiness, aka a potentially final Christmas together as a group, to up the stakes. And, when following a big group getting into the spirit of the season, why not flit between individual stories before weaving them all together in the manner of Valentine's Day and New Year's Eve? Indeed, on the checklist of standard elements in occasion-oriented offerings, Love the Coopers ticks all the boxes. The characters continue the trend, including bickering, long-married parents Sam and Charlotte (John Goodman and Diane Keaton), and troubled adult children Hank and Eleanor (Ed Helms and Olivia Wilde). Sam and Charlotte are about to separate, but haven't told anyone yet. Hank has just divorced from Angie (Alex Borstein), struggles with sharing custody of his three kids and can't find a job, while Eleanor is sick of being judged for being single, so she convinces Joe (Jake Lacy), a soldier she meets in an airport bar, to pretend to be her boyfriend. Throw in a few other stragglers — Charlotte's jealous sister Emma (Marisa Tomei), who spends her day dispensing amateur counselling to a closeted cop (Anthony Mackie); Aunt Fishy (June Squibb), the requisite eccentric elderly person with a failing memory; and family patriarch Bucky (Alan Arkin), who's closer to the waitress (Amanda Seyfried) at his local diner than his family — and the scene is set for the usual festive hijinks. Arguing and hugging ensue, and then more of the same. Presents and food are often in the frame. It's all as predictable as eating too much at Christmas dinner, only not at all filling. Narration links what are essentially intertwined short films; however the feature falls victim not just to cheesy clichés, but to blandness. Wilde and Lacy's segment invests a little energy into proceedings, and Arkin and Seyfried share the sweetest story, but they're the highlights of an average-at-best lot. The performances meet the same fate, with the rest of the high-profile cast largely squandered. Wasted, too, is any sincerity and good cheer, as an overdose of sentiment and contrivance leaves the bulk of the movie veering in tone and feeling forced. Sweeping camerawork can't improve matters, nor can a schmaltzy soundtrack. The end result: Love the Coopers isn't a seasonal gift, but a holiday chore.
I scream, you scream, we've all been screaming for ice cream — and for once the gods have answered our prayers (and then some). The Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery is once again hosting their annual Ice Cream Festival from February 10-21. You may want to prepare the smelling salts because they’ll be trotting out 12 new flavours a day. For 12 days. That's 144 unique flavours all up. Cue Homer-esque drooling. For $15 you can try four flavours of your choice, indulge in an $18 tasting session that covers 12 flavours at once, or just rampage around the place like a deranged, hungry Pac-Man and try to taste 'em all. Compare the relative merits of flavours like tutti frutti, pineapple coconut, rhubarb ginger and bacon maple syrup — all while relaxing in the 16-hectare grounds in the picturesque Yarra Valley. The view may well be lost on you as you slide into a sugar-induced happiness coma, but that's okay. They aren't inventing all those flavours for you to not try them. Check out tasting session times on the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie website.
The first rule of film club is you don't talk about film club. But we're going to make an exception — if only so we can talk about it here. Besides, we're super excited about the NGV's latest initiative, a monthly movie discussion night hosted by local film expert Ben Buckingham. The talks will take place in the NGV Members Lounge, although they're open to non-members too. Each film up for discussion will tie in with a current exhibition at the gallery. Case in point: as part of the current Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei exhibition, their first film club screening is Billy Wilder's 1959 comedy Some Like It Hot, starring cultural icon Marilyn Monroe. Enjoy a drink (or several) with your fellow crazed film lovers, delve into the themes of the movie, its history and its impact. Tickets are $16 for NGV members and $20 for non-members.
Sip tea-zy with Yeezy at Belleville this weekend, when two unlikely concepts come together in one place. Hosted by local DJ MzRizk, Hip Hop High Tea is more or less what it sounds like – although you'd be forgiven for thinking you misread the name. Hip Hop. High tea. How was no one thought of this before now? Well actually, they have. MzRizk actually hosted two sold out high teas back in 2013 before disappearing overseas. But now she's back, with a whole bunch of exotic new teas — and presumably some new tracks to go with them. Chefs Jarrod Moore and Slash Vala have collaborated on a menu that promises to put a spin on the traditional high tea. Scones with jam and C.R.E.A.M, anyone? They also promise to cater for vegetarians, vegans and people with food allergies, just as long as you let them know ahead of time.
This review was written about the show's Sydney run in October-November 2014. Very rarely do you attend an STC show with no clue what’s waiting for you. Yet Sisters Grimm’s Calpurnia Descending allures, ensnares then disorients, till you’re not sure you're even in the theatre/on Planet Earth/in this dimension any longer. The Sisters Grimm (Declan Greene and Ash Flanders) are a spicy item on the Australian theatre menu, with their "gay DIY drag-theatre". Their newest creation, Calpurnia Descending, is a cynical farce, co-written by the Sisters and directed by Greene. Its witty, fast-paced dialogue and hilarious one-liners demonstrate why the company has burst beyond the confines of queer cabaret to stir up the Australian main stage. Despite its covetable spot at the Wharf 2 Theatre, Calpurnia refuses to behave politely. It pisses on the sanctity of theatre and is sometimes downright silly. It begins with abrupt fanfare, leaving no time for us to get our bearings and continues full-pelt until every sense has been saturated. The plot loosely follows the return to fame of washed-up New York actress Beverly Dumont, played superbly by Paul Capsis. Pack your asthma puffer for the stitches you’ll be in as Capsis performs the ageing diva, combining irreverence, melodrama and fragility in equal measure. His foil is Ash Flanders as Violet St Clair, the ever-recognisable ingenue who proves the age-old adage: anything too sweet will eventually kill you/make you fat. It's Sandy Gore who delivers the most laughs, though, as she channels the crafts(wo)manship of 1980s New York drag king scene. The voice work and choreography is astonishing, almost too good. At times you have to pinch yourself to remember it's all live. The show transports us to the silver screen of the '30s, which (thanks to the design team) is a surreal world of excess. Jed Palmer’s sound design playfully nudges us at key points of action, and Matthew Gingold and Matt Greenwood’s AV and animation overload us with colour, movement and product placement. Calpurnia never misses a cheap gag either. I found the mix of high-budget tech-experimentation with moments of daggy melodrama delightful. Calpurnia constantly undermines the drama it has set up, making us sprint to catch-up. The flouncing, pouting behaviour of Beverly Dumont is mimicked by the whole production: it asks, “Look at me! Look at me!” then leaves us embarrassed when the zoom-in results in overexposure. It’s as if Sisters Grimm received a healthy budget and so decided to Use. Every. Trick. I for one loved the splurge that afforded such vibrant, vacillating drag and disrobing.
Melbourne’s folk-pop darlings are coming home, and they're bringing some tasty remixes with them. Their critically acclaimed 2012 album Over The Sun led to international festivals and more recently Riverboats Music Festival and WOMADelaide in Australia. While there’s a lot to like about Over The Sun, Tinpan Orange have decided to take their songs one step further, by releasing a remix EP featuring songs from their latest album. Way of the Eagle, Laser Cat and Spender have all picked a different song and worked their magic to produce both dreamy and darker interpretations. To have a little listen, check out their Soundcloud. Even if you’re not really familiar with the band, you’ve undoubtedly heard lead singer Emily Lubitz’s voice before. You know those cute Metro ads, Dumb Ways To Die? Yep, that’s Lubitz singing along as colourful blob people die unusual deaths. Cute ads aside, Tinpan Orange are brimming with musical talent and are sure to be a treat at the Northcote Social Club this week.
Performprint is FoLA's finest offering of the traditional extreme strain of live art. In a ten-hour durational work Joel Gailer and Michael Meneghetti will do everything from give printmaking lectures to perform a live branding on the former's skin. Of course, with a work so long it's hard to make any hard and fast judgment calls but the artists claim their main focus will be on masculinity and reproduction. Joel Gailer is in fact a printmaker by trade and will explore the intricacies and issues of Andy Warhol's Brillo boxes with the help of a Harley Davidson, a skateboard, and two warring live bands. Turn up any time in the day and make of it what you will. This event was featured in our top ten things to see at the Festival of Live Art. See the full list here.
Billy Bragg has had 36 years in the music biz and he's showing no signs of slowing down. Bringing a full band along to perform his signature politically charged folk rock, Bragg is touring the entire country with his latest album, Tooth & Nail — his first in five years. Incredibly the album only took five days to make and has been met with great critical acclaim, highlighting the fact that this is a man and a musician fully revitalised. For those who are after the old stuff you can be assured that Bragg will be digging around in his war chest of songs to give the people what they want. Songs like ‘A New England’, ‘There is Power in a Union’, ’Take Down the Union Jack’ and ‘You Woke Up My Neighbourhood' are looking like distinct possibilities, so get excited.
After spending most of his career dancing the tango with Simon Pegg, the loveable Nick Frost gets the chance to take the lead. It's a shame that the tune he's moving to is so embarrassingly out of key. A bland, salsa-themed rom-com without a single surprising bone in its silk-and-sequin-clad body, Cuban Fury is a comedy of the most risk averse and unimaginative kind. The premise goes like this: Bruce Garrett (Frost) is a former child salsa dancer, now lonely, overweight engineer, who spends his days being belittled by his womanising colleague Drew (Chris O'Dowd). But Bruce's passions are reignited by the arrival of his new boss, a beautiful American woman named Julia (Rashida Jones). She's way out of his league, physically speaking, but it turns out Julia loves salsa, which puts Brucey in with a chance. All he has to do is get his groove back. Frost is an endearing screen presence and ensures Bruce is easy to root for. He's also not a bad dancer, as it turns out. Sadly, natural comic charm and fancy footwork can only do so much when the script is as woeful as this. Working from an 'original idea' by Frost, Jon Brown has produced a screenplay that is predictable, cliched and strangely scarce in actual jokes; what few there come usually at the expense of either Bruce's weight, or the campy mannerisms of Bejan (Kayvan Novak), a flamboyantly gay man in Bruce's dance class. Such a cringingly one-dimensional representation is typical of all the supporting characters, which is an even bigger shame considering the genuinely high calibre of the cast. O'Dowd lands a handful of funny lines, but ultimately can't do much with such a stock-standard slime ball. The great Ian McShane, meanwhile, is left to slum it in his role as Bruce's grizzled former dance instructor Ron. Still, the most thankless part belong to Jones, whose talents as comic performer go unforgivably unexploited. Introduced via full body panning shot, it's immediately clear that Julia will be nothing more than the love interest; a pretty face for Bruce and Drew to dance-battle over. There's an unpleasant, all-too-common double standard at play in Cuban Fury's body and gender politics. Bruce finds his mojo and gets the girl in spite of his weight, yet Julia is only seen as an object of desire because she's physically attractive. That being said, it's hard to be seriously offended by a movie as generic and forgettable as this one. The highest praise Cuban Fury deserves is that will rightfully fade from the public consciousness as soon as it disappears from theatres, doing little likely long-term harm to the careers of anyone involved. https://youtube.com/watch?v=tpiyFHf7GKU
The recent trend of cinemas screening 'live' showings of stage production is a strange sort of phenomenon. An imperfect marriage of mediums, these shows seem on the one hand like a rather counterintuitive concept, possessing neither the immediacy of theatre nor the aesthetic craftsmanship of film. On the other, it’s a testament to the power of great art that these screenings have proven so popular with audiences, with the quality of the productions transcending the shortcomings of the exhibition. There’s also something nicely democratic about the idea that viewers in Australia can sit down and enjoy a show from the Bolshoi Ballet or the New York Metropolitan Opera — and all for little more than the price of a ticket to an Adam Sandler movie. The latest live show to hit screens around the country is the UK Donmar Warehouse’s production of Shakespeare’s Coriolanus. It's one of the Bard’s longer, grimmer and generally less well known works, although perhaps that’s changed in the wake of the recent film adaptation directed by and starring Ralph Fiennes, the play tells the story of Caius Marcius Coriolanus, a fierce Roman General whose prowess as a military man is matched only by his woefulness as a politician. Perhaps in acknowledgement of the cross-over nature of her international viewing audience, Josie Rourke, both director of the play and artistic director of the trendily stripped-back warehouse theatre where it’s being staged, casts Tom Hiddleston (Thor) in the lead. It’s a little stunty, maybe, but he’s a great actor either way, bringing both gravitas and humanity to the play’s proud and prickly protagonist. Coriolanus has nothing but contempt for the common man, who the script portrays as a fickle, easily led mob. If the notion of a righteous patrician class is rather outdated, the 400-year-old text’s depiction of the two-faced politicians who connive behind Coriolanus’ back still feels right on the money. Hiddleston’s co-stars include a few recognisable TV figures, including Birgitte Sørensen (Borgen) as Coriolanus’ wife and Mark Gatiss (Sherlock) as his sole political ally. The entire supporting cast acquits themselves well, with one huge exception: Emma Freud as herself, the inanely bubbly presenter, whose fawning, superficial interview with Rourke between the end of intermission and the beginning of act two could not be a bigger or more nauseating distraction. Nothing like hearing about how Tom Hiddleston was recently voted MTV’s sexist man alive to put you back in the headspace for a violent Shakespearean tragedy. Perhaps the producers felt they had to spice up their broadcast with supplements. They shouldn’t have. The production is strong enough on its own. Coriolanus will be on screens for a strictly limited season. For a list participating cinemas and screening dates, visit www.ntlive.com.
Five minutes into Sex Idiot I had to put my reviewer’s pad and pen away — halfway through scribbling the immortal lines “pre-cum doesn’t count”. Bryony Kimmings has brought Melbourne a show that’s so tender, sly and warm that it’s impossible to look away. It’s a deceptively simple premise: Kimmings gets an STI test, discovers a common sexual disease and gets in contact with her former partners. On the surface it might sound like a familiar formula; the kind of narrative that’s convenient to market and even easier to hang jokes on. But Kimmings stretches the stale traditions of stand-up in every direction at once, making a work that straddles (and grinds) the line between comedy and her background in performance art. She wrings the story through so many different styles and costume changes with a delivery that oscillates so quickly between mock seriousness and devastating confession that we’re left reeling. The responses to emails from her partners are bound up in anecdotes about each lover, before she rebirths each in song, dance or movement. At some points the unspoken, physical narrative that pours unspoken from Kimmings’ body is so breathtaking that it’s easy to forget you’re watching a comedy. But that’s the beauty of Sex Idiot — by embracing the tragedies bound up in sex and love the show becomes as true to life as it is funny. Moreover, though most comedians like a bit of audience involvement — whether it’s making fun of punters for coming in late or inviting heckles from the floor — Kimmings leaves them all for dead in Sex Idiot’s inevitable climax. After inviting audience members to harvest their pubes, she gathers them all up and sticks them to her face as a prop moustache. See? Impossible to look away. Unmissable at this year's comedy festival. For more coverage of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, check in with our regularly updated diary.
It's not surprising to hear that the Spanish have a fair that not only runs for six days, but from noon until sunrise the following day as well. Usually celebrated in Seville with flamenco, tapas and lots of Spanish wine, Feria de Abril is this year having its own Melbourne reincarnation at Collingwood's Robert Burns Hotel. In celebration of everything the region has to offer, the Andalucian Party will bring the Spanish summer to Smith Street. The party kicks off at 12.30pm this Sunday, February 16, with fish, cured meats, tapas and Spanish drinks and flamenco flowing all afternoon. The event is free and dishes will range from $5-10 each. Just don't forget your castanets.
Clare Bowditch is a pretty busy lady. She writes killer songs, acts in Offspring (haters be quiet, that show is incredible), runs Big Hearted Business (a company aiming to help creatives make money and vice versa), has two kids and boasts a knack for making you feel like you're the only person in the room when she performs. This is rather good news for you, because she's coming to The Corner Hotel. Bowditch is lacing up the tour boots this July for her Winter Secrets Tour, the perfect lure to get out and about in the middle of winter. We probably should have mentioned she has eight successful albums and a 15 year music career to pack on the tour. Why should you go? Because Bowditch describes the shows as an 'Interactive Co-Creative Transformative Absurd Joyful Experiences between Audience and Performer'. How can you say no to that? Ex-Magic Dirt frontwoman turned solo artist, Adalita, will be the opening act in each state with tunes from her latest album All Day Venus. She'll also be joining Bowditch onstage for a joint performance. Bowditch is continuing her Winter Secrets tour tradition. One local musician in each state is getting the chance to join Bowditch on stage to perform one of her songs and be in the running to win $1000. Hello music career. This year, the song to nail will be 'I Thought You Were God'. Winners will be announced closer to each date. https://youtube.com/watch?v=aqppMH8_uYQ
Howler is all about being cheap and cheerful this August, by hosting a slew of local talent in on Sunday nights for the whole month — and all it's going to cost you is a tenner. 'In For 10' nights at Howler are a great chance to check out some live and local artists in their top notch band room. Doors open at 6pm every Sunday and tickets are only available at the venue. You can check out the lineup on their Facebook page, so if there's someone you're especially keen to see, we'd recommend penciling a Sunday session into your diary. We're particularly geared up for the first Sunday, featuring Andras Fox with Oscar Key Sung. Last time we saw these two together was at Golden Plains 8, where they played a beautiful early afternoon set in matching Pharrell hats. Both acclaimed artists in their own right, when these two get together it's all about the blissful vocals. Also joining the pair for the evening is Sui et Sui and Elevator Alligators. https://youtube.com/watch?v=0ThKZfGjbqE
You could drive an Argo through the gaps in history, the discrepancies between opposing accounts, the complexities of narrative accuracy. This amnesia that exists between cause and effect is one that genuinely fascinates emerging Melbourne-based curator, Amelia Winata, in a brand new exhibition: What Follows Came Before. The recipient of the inaugural SEVENTH Gallery Emerging Curators’ Program, Winata has crafted her latest exhibition with artwork focused around diaspora — and how this term is often merged with cosmopolitanism in the age of globalisation. What Follows Came Before sees artists working in several different mediums, from painting and site-specific immersive projections to a large-scale installation. Artists featured in this exhibition include Mariana Jandova, Phuong Ngo, Nikos Pantazopoulos, Steaphan Paton and Julie Shiels. Capitalising on their respective styles, Winata's chosen artists invite viewers to reconstruct the personal narratives of others — and consider the gaps in the story.
Alright everyone, look busy; Sheezus is coming. Headlining Splendour in the Grass at the end of this month, Lily Allen will be performing just two sideshows during her stay — one in Sydney and one in Melbourne. Allen is known for putting on a furiously fun-filled live set, often featuring some pretty colourful costumes – and plenty of banter. Most recently the 29-year-old stepped in for Two Door Cinema Club at Latitude Festival, and even when put on the spot didn't disappoint. Allen's third album Sheezus was released earlier this year and while it was met with mixed reviews, it has certainly had chins wagging. Most notably the first single 'Hard Out Here' with that video clip assured fans that Allen would be as outspoken and tongue in cheek as ever. Having said that, Allen is also incredibly capable of displaying a pretty candid side in her music — it's that contrast between vulnerability and volatility that makes her such an intriguing artist. If it's straight-up entertainment and bragging rights you're after, don't miss this. https://youtube.com/watch?v=lDlofPAOZy0
This article is sponsored by our partners, Rekorderlig. Christmas in July first took hold in Australia back in 1980. An otherwise cheery group of Irish travellers hanging about in the Blue Mountains got teary when they saw snowflakes falling outside their window and, instead of moaning about it, decided to throw themselves a Christmas dinner six months early. Ever since, Australians, especially in mountainous regions, have turned July into an excuse to indulge in Yulefest feasts, knock back an eggnog or three and generally get festive. If there's one place where the celebration takes on an especially Northern Hemispher-ean flavour, it's Thredbo. Between July 20 and 26, the resort will be transformed into a winter wonderland, complete with overloaded Christmas trees, glittering tinsel, fairy lights, baubles, toasty log fires and gallons of mulled warm Winter cider from Rekorderlig. Various eateries will be hosting epic, multi-course feasts, serving up all the European goodies that our ridiculously hot December Christmases often make unpalatable. Think stuffed turkey, ham, cranberry sauce, mince pies, plum pudding and mulled wine. Plus, there'll be a steady stream of live entertainment and, of course, a visit or several from Santa Claus, who, according to rumour, has been waxing his skis in preparation.
Think about your favourite musician. Now, have a little ol' fantasise about where they rehearse, record and hang out with your other favourite musos. If you can't get a clear image in your head of such a heavenly place, relax. The legendary Bakehouse studios are throwing open the doors for an open day at their Richmond digs. With musicians the likes of Nick Cave, Tool, Beck, The Cat Empire, The Drones, Paul Kelly, Ladyhawke and a bucket-tonne more to have played within these walls, Bakehouse is a pretty special place. The Hoddle Street staple will be opening their glorious doors for the first time ever and to celebrate, Leaps and Bounds Festival are throwing a street party with plenty of music and frivolity. There's also going to be enough contemporary Aussie art to poke a metaphorical stick at, and Bakehouse have also let loose their artist buds to create innovative and immersive installations within the rooms of the studio. It's probably the hippest thing that's ever happened to Melbourne to date; you should almost certainly check it out for bragging rights alone.
Of all of Earth's natural resources, it is water that is perhaps the most precious. We need it to drink; to grow food; to bathe in. It's the key ingredient in industry and agriculture. It's part of recreation, sport and religious practices all around the world. It drives our entire planet, nourishing every living thing. And so often, we take it for granted. It's a finely tuned balance, but one that can easily be thrown off its axis. Watermark isn't your typical environmental doco, although it makes the need for environmentalism clear. Directed by Canadian documentarian Jennifer Baichwal along with photographer Edward Burtynsky, the film consists of contrasting scenes and interviews, shot in every imaginable corner of the globe. Ranging from images of everyday domesticity to events of staggering scale, each sequences sheds further light on the importance of H2O. Using a variety of techniques including aerial photography, slow motion and time-lapse, the sorts of visuals the filmmakers capture are nothing short of astounding. In the opening few minutes, for example, we see millions of tonnes of water crashing through giant floodgates as part of the annual silt release at the Xiaolangdi Dam in China. One abrupt cut later, and we're looking at a desert; a grey, dried-out wasteland that was once the Colorado River. The juxtaposition could hardly be more striking. Over the next 90 minutes we're taken all around the world. On a single day in India, 30 million Hindus cleanse their sins in the holy Ganges. At Huntington Beach in California, the world's best surfers compete for fortune and fame. On the edge of the East China Sea, abalone farmers tie their floating houses together; the idea is that if a typhoon severs one anchor, the rest hold the structure in place. Elsewhere canals and tributaries weave mesmerising patterns across the land. Yet while the imagery is beautiful, its implications are often dire. In Bangladesh, toxic runoff mixes with river water. Vast areas of the world are ravaged by drought, while at the frozen polar ice caps the sea levels start to rise. Scientists studying ice in Greenland provide the film with its most explicit statements about mankind's effect on our plant. But we also hear from farmers, fisherman and leather tanner in the developing world, communities that feel the impact of environmental changes firsthand. https://youtube.com/watch?v=2FHi2n9NPPY
The Thredbo Freestyle Series is one of the few comps on the planet that calls for skiers of all levels. Whether you carve it up like Lindsey Vonn or you’re still experiencing pride at your newly acquired snow ploughing skills, you can get in on the action. And let’s face it: the more variety there is, the more fun the spectators will have. Five events make up the series — Slopestyle, Ridercross, Big Air, Banzai off the Bluff and Rails — and they’ll be happening over the course of July and August. Winners will be announced in every event, and, at the end, an overall, out-of-control Freestyle champion will be crowned. To be a part of the first chapter of the affair — Rails — rock up at the Thredbo Tennis Courts on Thursday, July 17. At 3.30pm, you’ll be handed your bib; from 4pm, training will begin; and, at 5pm, skiers and boarders of all abilities, shapes and sizes will head to Friday Flat for the starting gun. Once darkness starts to fall, spotlights will take over, keeping visible the array of specially built course features and the athletes attempting to conquer them. Live DJs will be supplying the tunes. Don’t fancy competing? Just come along and watch — it's a visual spectacle worth dragging yourself out of the Rekorderlig Hot Pool for.
While there are lots of words you might use to describe Northcote, 'magical' wouldn’t normally be one of them. But that all changes for two weeks in July, with the arrival of the largest magic showcase the Southern Hemisphere has to offer. With more than 50 different acts hosted at the Northcote Town Hall, the seventh annual Melbourne Magic Festival looks to have plenty of tricks illusions up its sleeve. The MMF Galas highlight top acts from the festival, although you'll need to act fast to grab tickets before they sell out. Of the individual shows, some of the more intriguing titles include Sarah Jones' Talking to Yourself: A History of Ventriloquism and Dane Certificate's Vanishing Elephant. High profile international performers, meanwhile, include America's Got Talent finalist Dan Sperry, and Singapore's enchanting Yong Tian. There's also a variety of family options, including the irresistibly titled Make Your Parents Disappear. Lastly, for any burgeoning wizards out there, the festival offers a heap of different workshops and classes. Just try not to set yourself on fire. For more information about the Melbourne Magic Festival, check out the website.
While Melbourne is generally the best place to be if you're a hip thespian, it's about to get a whole lot better. MTC's annual NEON Festival of Independent Theatre is back for another year, and it's bringing with it five exciting new works from up-and-coming companies (and a heap of free events to boot). Did someone say free? Yes! You’re darn right they did! A drawing card for NEON is its many free events. Broke creatives are the target audience, so these events are sure to be bustling with exciting, vibrant and upcoming kids of the theatre scene. Included in these freebies are late night play readings for NEON UP LATE run by Melbourne theatre darlings MKA. Whilst NEON EXTRA will see to it that workshops, masterclasses and public lectures provide you with the networking and arts industry knowledge you’re after. It’s free, so really you’d be losing money by not going. First company up is Little Ones Theatre. From May 29, this queer theatre collective will be re-imagining Dangerous Liaisons in a seductive, extravagant, and opulently playful start to the festival. Then from June 12 things will be getting a little more serious with Angus Cerini and doubletap. Delving into the nature of existence, Resplendence will beusing the international trade in weapons, drugs and people to springboard into an expressionistic response to everyday life. Midway through NEON audiences will be treated to the work of Antechamber Productions and Daniel Keene. From June 26, the MTC will be home to Photographs of A. This poetic production starring Helen Morse examines the life and work of Louise Augustine Gleizes, an extraordinarily influential figure in modern psychology. From the mind to the body, NEON will then present The Myth Project: Twin from July 10. Featuring a large ensemble cast from Arthur, this will be the first instalment of a highly physical work about myth and murder. Then, to finish off an amazing month of theatre Sans Hotel and Nicola Gunn will present Green Screen. Part careers expo, part social experiment, this will be a work that looks at identity and who we are we can no longer be defined by what we do. We know it's a lot to take in. It's definitely a jam-packed month for lovers of the theatre, but don't worry it'll all drift over you in a beautiful haze. Head to the NEON website to find out more, make sure to fill your quota of freebies and Q&As and, as always, check out something new. It wouldn't be a festival of independent theatre, if you didn't take a chance on a newbie.
This legendary New York duo are hitting up The Corner this Wednesday to play a set of highly entertaining indie rock. They've brought with them a string of singles from their classic album With Love and Squalor, such as 'Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt' and 'It's A Hit', as well as tracks from their new album, TV en Francais. In addition to pumping out perfect indie tunes, these guys have a great sense of humour. Check out their clips for 'Nice Guys' and 'After Hours' for proof. Along with the standard tickets, there is also the option to upgrade to a deluxe ticket. This includes the opportunity to watch their soundcheck, meet the band and get a photo, attend an intimate performance of four songs, receive a limited edition four track CD and get some merch signed. Warming the stage for the duo are local legends, Cash For Gold and Flyying Colours. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Et9llKBJdEs
OMG Philip Quast! Sorry. We know that’s an undignified way to start a review of something as venerable as an MTC production of Henrik Ibsen but the sight of Quast on the posters for Ghosts has been exciting us for weeks. For those unfamiliar with him, Quast was the first man to play Javert in an Australian production of Les Miserables and his glorious stentorian voice has a special place in the hearts of theatre nerds nationwide. In Ghosts he plays a tormented priest, which is just perfect, opposite Linda Cropper (Offspring) who delivers a commanding performance as embittered widow Helene Alving. The drama on stage is so thick you could carve it. Ghosts is about as bleak a piece of theatre as you could wish for in your darkest hour. The widow Alving is sourly planning a memorial to her late husband, who she detested. Her maid (Pip Edwards), mistreated and manipulated by her drunken father (Richard Piper), schemes ruthlessly for advancement. Alving’s son (Ben Pfeiffer) is decaying with illness. Meanwhile Quast’s priest, Pastor Manders, scarce able to control his own tangle of emotions, savagely judges everyone else. Every single character is in some way haunted by their past. The ghosts of the title are not supernatural spirits but the echoes of bygone deeds, the lasting damage done by destructive people or obsolete ideas that continue to control people’s lives. The play appalled critics when it was first performed in the 1880s. It was described as “revoltingly suggestive and blasphemous", “as foul and filthy a concoction as has ever been allowed to disgrace the boards of an English theatre,” and “gross, almost putrid, indecorum.” Ibsen gave the critics a lot to be rattled by. Not only does the story includes illicit affairs, sexually transmitted disease and incest, the play’s indictment of outdated ideas is a clear tilt at religious moralising. MTC’s production, far from being putrid, is elegantly dark. The emotional tone is emphasised by a stark set, depicting the widow’s house as a mouldering barely furnished mansion. Rain beats constantly against a glass wall, heightening the feeling of entrapment, and characters frequently appear first through the fogged glass, like phantoms out of mist. At times the show does seem to waver between trying to modernise Ibsen and milking 19th century melodrama for all it’s worth. It can feel a little disjointed at times but this works in context with the script, which is after all about people failing to break free from their past. It is as if the play is also trapped by history, trying to modernise but unable to avoid sliding back into melodrama. While there are some inescapably dated elements — the depiction of illness in particular feels antiquated — Ibsen’s rage against the societal hypocrisies of his day shines through fiercely with strong resonance to our current time. It is still a powerful drama and this production drives that home with some blistering performances. Image: Jeff Busby.
Contemporary art is so often buzzy and fast. Trends change, innovation is the only thing that's sacred, and the more glitz and excitement the better. For a group of people stereotyped as contemplative and morose, it's strange we don't see more artists delving into the past. This latest exhibition at MUMA takes issue with exactly that. Marking the centenary of the First World War, sixteen artists from Australia and abroad have been tasked with examining the fleeting nature of time. In these works they create a solemn and considered monument to impermanence. With varied focusses on the destruction or abandonment of various social and geological phenomena, the artworks featured in the collection examine the nature of both memory and construction. In Comparative Monument, Tom Nicholson catalogues Australian war monuments that feature the word 'Palestine'. In Un-resettling, James Taylor re-erects Indigenous settlement areas along the Australian countryside. It's an earnest collection of works that admittedly aren't going to provide a pick-me-up on a weekend afternoon, but they will give your mind a workout. With social and physical changes in constant motion around us, it's important to take a moment to reflect. What better place to do so than the sacred space of the art gallery?
One of world cinema's great comic geniuses will be the subject of a career retrospective at the iconic Astor Theatre this week. Beginning on Saturday, June 14 and continuing over the follow two weekends, a trio of double features will showcase the complete works of Jacques Tati. After beginning his career as a mime, Tati turned to directing during the mid-1940s. While he only ever made six feature films in his lifetime, the Frenchman is widely held as one of the all-time greats, beloved for combining the irrepressible visual humour of the bygone silent era with a sly social commentary on the fast-paced modern age. Synonymous with his films is the beloved character of Monsieur Hulot, a pipe-smoking, umbrella-wielding forbearer to Mr Bean, who appeared in many of Tati's works including Mon Oncle and his masterpiece, Playtime. It'll be a treat to see such cultural history played out on the medium it was intended — the big screen at one of our most iconic theatres. For the complete Astor Calendar visit their website.
Since we last heard from Jonathan Boulet, he's shaved off his beard, parted ways with Modular Recordings and swapped his electronica-dashed folk for rock. The Sydneysider also spent a year living in Berlin, where he recorded new studio album Gubba, released on July 18. "The new music will be described as post-pop, punk rock, chocolate-chip sludge, crust pop, rock pop, pop cock and cock stop in the rock blot bop," he explains in the promo video, "but it is neither of those things. For our children's sake, we shall henceforth categorise this music as rock." Gubba is Boulet's third release, following 2009's self-titled debut and 2012's We Keep the Beat, Found the Sound, See the Need, Start the Heart. For those familiar with his bass contributions to power violence band Snakeface, the album's driving guitars and distorted vocals might not come as too much of a surprise, but they're certainly a dramatic deviation from previous solo work. "I've always been a fan of trying to surprise people or get a reaction out of them," Boulet told the SMH. "I don't feel that my musical ventures are unpredictable, but there are lots of roads you can take and sometimes it's easier to take one road over another and sometimes you're presented with a new road you haven't had access to, and that's definitely more inviting." In August, he'll be hitting Melbourne's Northcote Social Club on Friday 15, Adelaide's Pirie and Co. on Saturday 16, Sydney's Goodgod Small Club on Thursday 21 and Brisbane's Black Bear Lodge on Thursday 28. https://youtube.com/watch?v=FOcziciUnr0
In modern day Iran, filmmaking and censorship go hand in hand. Before a director can start work, their script must receive government approval, which means none of the material can be explicitly critical of the regime. In spite of this, Iranian filmmakers have been delivering a string of powerful works over the past few years, many of which rank among the best of what world cinema has to offer. Inspired by such success, Australia's Iranian Film Festival will this year emphasise the work of the country's young and emerging directors. The opening night film I'm Not Angry!, the sophomore effort from Reza Dormishian, chronicles a tumultuous love story set against the heated political protests of 2009. Other highlights include The Paternal House, a recently unbanned film that explores how an honour killing reverberates through the generations of a single family; and Fish & Cat, an existential horror movie shot in one unbroken take. Check out the full program at the Iranian Film Festival website.
There's an undeniable MC Escher-esque quality to Christopher Nolan's films: a recurring preoccupation with infinity, architectural impossibilities and mathematical paradoxes that explodes (if also confounds) on the screen. For the director and his brother, time and space are not constrictions but ideas to be played with, and engaging with them unconventionally is a device that often underscores their scripts, or — as was the case with Memento — forms their entire plot. Interstellar, Nolan's ninth and newest film, once again places time as the driving force behind the story. A lack of time, to be precise, because earth's days are numbered. In the near future, climate change has finally, fundamentally and — as we soon learn — irrevocably imperilled the planet and its remaining citizens. Farming is now the industry, and almost everyone does it. If you've ever had a taxi driver tell you he was formerly a surgeon in his own country, imagine that, but that on a global scale. Even former NASA pilots like Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) find themselves toiling the fields and ducking the sandstorms. But the crops are dying, and pretty soon there'll be nothing left to produce the oxygen required to sustain life. Earth's last hope, it turns out, is a secret NASA plan to seek out appropriate new planets for humans to live on in the far reaches of the galaxy. "Ahh," you might say, "that's all good and well, but the nearest ones are lightyears away." True, but hope springs forth courtesy of a wormhole that one day simply appeared in our solar system: a secret backdoor to viable new planets that the NASA team can only presume was 'sent' to us by a higher intelligence. So, Cooper makes the heart-wrenching decision to leave his kids behind and give both them and the planet one last chance at salvation. The crux, of course, is time. The distances and physics involved with interstellar travel — especially when relativity comes into play — mean time is measured in almost impossible scales. An hour on Planet X equates to seven years on the spaceship orbiting just above it, just as a day to Cooper represents a lifetime to the family he left behind. It's a device reminiscent of the 'dream within a dream' world of Inception, only here the stakes are so much higher. Naturally for a film of this scale, Nolan elected to shoot more than 100 of its 180 minutes in 70mm IMAX, and the result is breathtaking. Matched with a Hans Zimmer soundtrack that's so epic it sounds like the composer simply threw himself on a giant organ and writhed around for a few hours, Interstellar is a film that's experienced as much as it's watched. With clear allusions to its predecessors, including 2001, Contact and even Event Horizon, Interstellar still manages to forge its own unique style and story, albeit with 'revelations' that most will predict a long way off. Performance wise, McConaughey is solid in the lead and finds ample support from a packed ensemble featuring Michael Caine, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Topher Grace, John Lithgow, Wes Bentley, Casey Affleck and Ellen Burstyn. The standouts, however, are Mackenzie Foy as Cooper's rambunctious daughter Murph (named after Murphy's Law), and a faceless, wise-cracking robot named TARS. The conceit sounds cringeworthy, but the result is amazing, boasting some of the funniest, smartest lines in any film this year. In all, this will surely prove a divisive picture, with debates certain to arise over its science, storyline and ultimate resolution. Time-travel films inevitably involve paradoxes that, in turn, must (by tradition if not by law) spark heated arguments over causality and order and the misconception of time being linear and… well, you get the idea. It's not Nolan's best film, but it's perhaps his most ambitious, and it's to be applauded for its determination as well as its technical achievements. https://youtube.com/watch?v=0vxOhd4qlnA
Dysfunctional siblings come together after ten years apart in The Skeleton Twins. Hardly the most original of storylines, but while it's true that this film could have easily fallen through the cracks like so many other Sundance dramedies no matter how well it was written — and make no mistake, this is a fantastic screenplay — it was to the film's incredible fortune that Saturday Night Live alumni Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader signed on to play the titular twins. The two clearly built up a rapport working together on the famed sketch comedy series for so long, and watching these two wonderful comedians play depressed sad-sacks who find comfort in each other's comedic company is a joy. They're believable as the troubled twins whose lives come crashing down in unison, and a sequence in which they mime their way through Starship's 1987 hit 'Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now' is a stellar, funny example of their unmatchable chemistry. Hader is Milo, so distraught over his nonexistent career in LA and a broken romance that he attempts suicide to the blaring tunes of Blondie. Wiig is Maggie, Milo's no less fragile sister, who we're introduced to with her own pile of pills in her hand and who lets Milo move in to recover alongside her and her husband, Lance (Luke Wilson). In their quaint hometown there is also Rich (Ty Burrell), a former teacher with whom Milo had an illegal affair during high school; their new-age mother (Joanna Gleason), who they blame for their problems; and an Australian scuba instructor (Boyd Holbrook) who Maggie has sex with to numb the sadness of her own disappointing life. The real surprise of the film is Hader, graduating from more juvenile cinematic entries like The To Do List and Men in Black 3 and giving a beautifully crafted performance that allows his knack for voice and facial expressions to shine in the stronger material. His reading of a line where he equates himself to a "tragic gay cliche" hums with melancholy as much as it made me guffaw. Wiig, finally finding an appropriate post-Bridesmaids vehicle, gives excellently matched work. The Skeleton Twins is a massive step forward for each of the principal talents involved and ought to make sophomore writer-director Craig Johnson a star, as well as propel Hader and Wiig into the big(ger) leagues. Perhaps more importantly, just like other recent comedies Obvious Child and Happy Christmas, Johnson's film proves that Hollywood needs to step up their game. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Bn4VpK0gdyU
We like our cities big, bustling and constantly changing. But it doesn't hurt to sit down every so often and have a think about what we're actually doing. What does this new skyscraper mean for life in the city? How can we improve on design and function? Thankfully, this is exactly what is happening this week. Inspired by the forthcoming construction of the MPavilion in the Queen Victoria Memorial Gardens, The Wheeler Centre are hosting two talks with local and international designers, architects and thinkers. Architecture and Cultural Identity on Monday, September 15 will see David Gianotten in conversation with Virginia Trioli. Gianotten is a world-renowned architect based out of Hong Kong who has in the past done research for the Venice Architecture Biennale. During the one-hour session he will be advocating a case for local design culture — he claims you must totally familiarise yourself with a city if you intend to design for it. On Thursday, September 18, Creating a City with Meaning will see a panel of local architects give their perspective on the state of Melbourne's skyline. Debating issues like modern design, the importance of heritage, and the problems of Melbourne's impending population growth, they'll explore the role of architecture in our everyday lives.
The story behind Melbourne folk foursome Husky's new song, 'I'm Not Coming Back', sounds pretty damn cute. It's something to do with looking up at the stars in the night sky, seeing the lights of airplanes gliding under them and the universal need to leave parts of ourselves behind. Swoon. This whimsically starry-eyed vision fits perfectly with the soaring sounds of the track itself. But contrary to the song's title, Husky are indeed coming back — with a show at The Hi-Fi on November 29. The folk-fuelled whiz kids stole our hearts back in 2011 with their debut LP Forever So. Husky then became the first Aussie band to be signed to Seattle label and arbiters of cool Sub Pop, then toured pretty much non-stop around Australia, the USA and Europe for a couple of years. It's a good thing they stopped to take a break, because now we're privvy to a whole lot of new Husky — as well as promising to play much-loved tracks from Forever So, they'll be showing off their new album Ruckers Hill. Half a decade later and we're still swooning. https://youtube.com/watch?v=FkkSw4HM0_8
As The Delta Riggs return home for their national tour one wonders if these Brit rock look-a-likes from Melbourne, in their extra skinny jeans, Vince Noir haircuts and lyrics about winklepickers and marmalade shoes, will miss the Notting Hill scene they seem so at home in. The four-piece band, known for their gritty blend of blues, psychedelica and classic Brit rock are fresh off the plane from this year's CMJ Music Marathon — New York's five-day music mecca — keeping up the brutal momentum of an epic year in which they've hit over 20 European gigs and toured Australia with their long-time idols Kasabian. The new album Dipz Zebazios is described by lead singer Elliot Hammond as a "sonic shift" from their previous work, with singles 'The Record's Flawed' and 'Supersonic Casualties' dialling up the psychedelic guitars and keyboard to give an intoxicating, almost sinister sound. It's sure to be a high-energy, whisky-drenched tour as The Delta Riggs endeavour to perfect their unique Brit-rock-from-Fitzroy sound. https://youtube.com/watch?v=KEgB2ra5su8
Sibling rivalries and scandalous family secrets come bubbling to the surface following the death of a Moroccan business man, in this amusing and insightful (if mostly predictable) comic drama set at the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea. Heavily indebted to the collected works of Jane Austen, the new film from writer-director Laila Marrakchi distinguishes itself via a purposeful sense of cultural specificity within a more broadly relatable story. Rock the Casbah offers some shrewd observations on a society caught between the Islamic world and the West, particularly in regards to the role of women. At the same, Marrakchi's portrayal of familial dysfunction feels so maddeningly familiar that you'd swear it all took place around your parents' dining room table. Born in Casablanca but educated abroad, one imagines that Marrakchi feels a certain connectedness with her protagonist Sofia (Morjana Alaoui), the youngest daughter of wealthy Tangier businessman who now works as an actress in Hollywood. She's the only member of her family to have left Morocco, and as such, finds herself feeling decidedly out of place when she returns home to attend her father's funeral. Amidst the gossip and judgements of her sisters Miriam (Nabine Labaki) and Kenza (Lubna Azabal) and the cold stoicism of her mother Aicha (Hiam Abbass), Sofia is forced to confront her strained relationship with her late father, as well as the demons surrounding the suicide of her other sister, Leila, under mysterious circumstances years before. The film's opening titles established the contradiction of Tangiers, as women in conservative religious garb relax on the beach alongside others in bikinis. Although still governed by long-standing patriarchal traditions, there's a sense that the country's value structures are becoming increasingly outdated. Marrakchi, an outspoken feminist, laces her mannered domestic comedy with no shortage of scathing social criticism, including a contemptuous portrait of a deadbeat uncle who stands to inherit the family fortune simply because he's a man. Nor does she show any qualms in calling out the exaggerated assumptions many westerners have about the Muslim world: one of the great recurring jokes of the film revolves around Sofia's inability to find an acting job playing anything other than a terrorist. The film is at its best when poking fun at cultural stereotypes such as these. Even as religious men prepare the deceased man's body for burial, his crotchety old mother-in-law chows down on a McDonald's value meal in the other room. We watch the sisters drink like fish, joking and giggling about sex. Likewise, we watch them argue, bitterly and without any sense of decorum. In other words, they're a family, probably a lot like your own. Loud. Judgmental. But mostly brutally, agonisingly honest. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Zud2_-im5aM
Tony Mahony's The Mule is a film about a universal human experience. Its message of determination is one that anyone can relate to, regardless of their gender, their colour or their creed. In some ways, its protagonist Ray Jenkins epitomises the common man. He's not a superhero or a crime fighter, or even particularly smart. He just really, really needs to use the toilet. Such is the conceit of this '80s-set Australian crime comedy, one that gives new meaning to the words 'stomach churning'. Angus Sampson plays Mahony's eponymous drug mule, a dim-witted TV repairman detained by airport customs with a kilogram of heroin nestled snugly in his guts. It's a huge bust for the authorities, except for the fact that the only physical evidence remains trapped inside their suspect. Legally prohibited from x-raying his stomach without his consent, the only other option is to keep Ray in custody, and hope he goes to the bathroom before the seven-day holding period expires. So begins the longest week in Ray's pathetically misspent life. Strong-armed into drug-trafficking by a teammate on his local footy team (Leigh Whannell), Ray's a far cry from a criminal mastermind, and woefully ill-equipped for the pressures of police interrogation. Sampson — who co-wrote the screenplay with Whannell and Jaime Browne — does a good job of making his characters seem sympathetic, even if it's mostly in a sad, flop-sweaty kind of way. Ewen Leslie and Hugo Weaving, meanwhile, play the pair of federal police officers who are tasked with monitoring Ray's case. Both performances are excellent, although it's Weaving who's particularly funny as the moustachioed Detective Croft, a bullying old-school copper who grows more and more frustrated with every scene. The sheer absurdity of the situation lends the film an air of satire; there's something deliciously twisted about watching cops, crims, judges and lawyers all awaiting the outcome of a single, stubborn shit. Mahony and the trio of screenwriters also turn their lens on some of the worst and/or most cringeworthy elements of 'true blue' Australian culture. Even as Ray fights to keep his buttocks clenched, the country sits glued to the television, watching the last days of the 1983 America's Cup yacht race. The rampant nationalism is enough to make you squirm — as is the old Holden TV jingle that blares merrily across the airwaves. Football, hot pies, kangaroos and Holden cars? What a load of crap. The Mule will screen in Melbourne on Wednesday, November 26 with Hugo Weaving and Angus Sampson in attendance for a one-off Q&A session at Cinema Nova. This film releases on Tuesday, November 18.
You know a show is a big deal when you have to Google whether the musician is still alive or not. Thankfully for us, the legendary tambourine man is still very much alive and kicking. And, to celebrate his 73rd birthday yesterday, Bob Dylan is embarking on a month-long run of Australian and New Zealand tour dates kicking off in August. Though this birthday would signify the age of retirement for many, this world-renowned singer-songwriter is showing no signs of slowing down. Having last toured the country with his 2012 album Tempest, Dylan has recently been leaking new content on his website. After releasing a cover of Frank Sinatra's 'Full Moon and Empty Arms', some have suggested the prolific musician's next album — number 36 — could be a compilation of covers. Either way, it'll be a treat to see this living legend perform live. But be sure to get in early! With an iconic sound that has spanned generations, these all ages shows are bound to sell out quick. https://youtube.com/watch?v=e7qQ6_RV4VQ
Are you full of weird obsessions and obscure cultural knowledge? Do you love art and supporting local artistic institutions? Can you claim, to a reasonable degree of certainty, that you are in possession of nine or more friends? If your answer to all three of these questions is 'yes', then it sounds like you're the perfect match for the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art's 2014 Mega Quiz. A big-brained battle royale, the ACCA Mega Quiz is a bit of a step up from your local pub trivia — hence of hefty ticket price of $250 for a 10 person table. On the upside, the trimmings are a hell of a lot better than a stock-standard parma and pot, with a selection of gourmet finger food and a wide variety of drinks. Likewise, the prizes, which include weekend getaways, opera tickets and ACMI film memberships, blow a slab of Victoria Bitter out of the water.
