Imagine that you have a box filled with many toys, some new, some old, and each one has the ability to come to life when shook up by a hyperactive child. Next, imagine that this chest of thrills has fallen into the thespian clutches of the Actors College of Theatre and Television, busted open and unleashed upon the unsuspecting minds of you and your loved ones.This is an artist's rendering of what you can expect from the Imagine Festival - two nights and days worth of art and antics at the Cleveland St Theatre. Storytellers unleash primal screams and peyote dreams while burlesque dancers coil around the stage until the A.M., when poets and yogis apparate for breakfast and energising classes. Do not be fooled by second-rate American festivals from the past - Imagine festival is the best way to savour the right lobes of your fellow Sydneysiders this weekend.
In sharp contrast to the ever-growing presence and dimensions of warehouse-cum-gallery spaces, there is the James Dorahy Project Space. Perched above Macleay Street in Potts Point, it’s a refreshingly intimate and domestic feeling space. The attraction lies not only the New York apartment feel of the gallery, but in the represented artists and this week, JDPS presents Nuha Saad: Imagined Constellations. Saad is interested in form and colour, order and repetition. Continually interrogating domestic space, the Sydney-based artist's past work has incorporated the finer details of the home, like cornices and skirting boards, commenting on the trimmings we add to the necessities. Imagined Constellations features a series of wooden blocks, some painted, some not. The poetry is in their constellation – patterns and forms emerge from Saad’s placement of the pieces, and also from the wood itself. The cross section of the wood is like a thumbprint, at once individual and universal. As the title suggests, the arrangement of the forms here are guides to something greater in our universe.
Oh Mercy are one of the crop of Australian bands that are indulging their more sensitive side, leaving the angular jaunts and sweat for harmonicas and acoustics, not afraid to demand attention for their lyrics rather than their volume. I'm thinking of bands like The Panics or The Middle East, and solo artists like Whitley and even the young Aus-Idol-turned-credible-folkey Lisa Mitchell with whom the Melbourne youngsters have just been touring with. The two songwriters in the band, Alexander Gow and Thom Savage, barely scrape 20 years old, but with a musical pedigree that has them plucking their band name from a 1989 Bob Dylan album, they pen words and melodies that stick in your head and have demanded the band some much deserved attention, including tours with Ben Kweller and Little Birdy and spots on the Big Day Out and Come Together festivals. They have released two EP's, the latest one with the witty yet juvenile pun-title In The Nude For Love. This tour sees them spruiking their debut long player Priveleged Woes. The all opera-jazz-singing and piano-shredding pop dynamo Megan Washington and her band are supporting. Get along for sweet melodies, heartfelt tunes and not-too-sore an ear.https://youtube.com/watch?v=oYMSJFwtmcM
If you’ve ever bothered clicking on one of those facebook video posts captioned ‘check this out â€" the most inspirational talk, like, ever’ it was more than likely filmed at TED. Every year at TED conferences around the world, forward thinkers gather to hear some of the world’s most innovative, dynamic individuals deliver their ideas to a likeminded audience, in what are often funny, inspiring and eye-opening talks.Until now, the only access us idea thirsty Sydney folk had to these incredible speakers was via the TED website, where the videos are posted, sometimes months later. But for one night only, in an independently organized event, four local speakers at the pinnacle of their fields, will address a Sydney audience. The 2.5-hour event will take place mid-September and tickets are available to plebs and professionals alike. Surplus proceeds of all ticket sales will be donated to Kiva, a worthy organization you can read more about on the TEDxNSW website. So if the thought of yet another labotomising evening of Tuesday night television isn’t enough to catapult you from the couch, think of all the karmic credit you’ll be clocking up simply by buying a ticket.https://youtube.com/watch?v=GXEbqKaFf6A
When a band are described as recalling Liars, Sonic Youth and echoes of an African mountain tribe you have to take notice. Another reason to notice Sydney's No Art, is that despite having been together less and a year, they've already performed with Midnight Juggernauts, Lost Valentinos, Sherlock's Daughter, Songs, and Kirin J. Callinan. Oh, and then there is the music; sprawling, drum-driven journeys through jungle, electronica and 90s indie rock peppered with sweet feminine vocal cries. See them do their thing on Saturday night at Spectrum for with venue dressings by superbly talented visual artist Kevina-Jo Smith, and a couple of DJs of the African tribal persuasion. No Art also have 50 free limited edition CDs available to the first folk who ask nicely. Sounds amazing.
Like longer days and warmer temperatures, Tame Impala is now a thing that without which summer would potentially just cease to exist. Luckily the band has released a spectacular sophomore mind-trip just in time to help each of us switch seasons in a blissful state of cloistered delirium, and are touring it this December so we can see what all the wooziness looks like in 3D. Like the title suggests Lonerism fleshes out the themes of isolation put forward on debut LP Innerspeaker, and makes being alone and a little bit crazy seem like the ideal state to be in. In "Why Won't They Talk To Me" Kevin Parker sings about being "out of the zone", while spacey guitar riffs layered with and asphyxiated by other instrumentation adds to the listener's jonesing for marijuana, sunshine and solitary time out. However so long as everyone else is in the same mindset there's no reason why these songs should be enjoyed in that state only, especially when Tame Impala's live shows guarantee so much pretty stuff to look at. https://youtube.com/watch?v=b0jqPvpn3sY
They named their band after a recreational drug, they had a hit (or two) and suffered a pretty long comedown. But the perpetually relevant Dexys are back with a new album, more of the soul-tinged pop tracks that propelled them to fame three decades ago and dapper new threads to wear while they play them. With three of the original members and a compact new moniker Dexys are heading to Harvest in November to put on one of their infamous live shows, characterised by great outfits and a Dexedrine-like energy. They’ll put on one Sydney sideshow at the Enmore on the 15th, playing old hits alongside new ones from their well-received 2012 album One Day I’m Going to Soar. “We’ll wear great clothes and make soulful music”, was the promise frontman Kevin Rowland made to the original line-up when he formed the band back in 1978. They’re still doing both those things, and that’s well worth paying $68.70 to see IRL.
First Draft the gallery has a quiet sibling in the form of its Depot, hidden along the city edge of Wolloomooloo. The Depot has the occasional exhibition, plays host to some interesting residents and mostly just lies low in the shadow of St Mary’s Cathedral. On a regular week it’s a hive of artistic activity, but this week it's rolling into the weekend with something special. The Depot is putting on its first end of year Christmas party in the form of Night Depot. Expect musical experiment and a line up of performers curated by Tom Smith, including Pettigrew and Lucy Cliche. Entry is at 7pm for an 8pm start.
"We're trying to make a difference in people's lives, and one way to do that is to stop them from killing themselves." At Seven Oaks College, a group of gorgeous young women are determined to improve the acrid-smelling, hyper-masculine culture that prevails at the once boys-only campus. Led by the obsessive Violet (played by the ever-delightful Greta Gerwig), the clever coterie run a suicide prevention centre with a focus on doughnuts and dance as therapy. The film is director Whit Stillman's first since The Last Days of Disco (1998), and fans can expect his deliciously wry, dry, comedic portrayal of America's preppy and proper. Violet is confident in her craziness, and her earnestness to improve the souls of her crude contemporaries is both comical and heartwarming in its sincerity. Her minions Rose (Megalyn Echikunwoke), Heather (Carrie MacLemore) and Lily (Analeigh Tipton) are, yes, all curiously named after various flowers, and at once adorable and utterly ordinary. It is through this ordinariness that Stillman depicts the complexities of finding one's identity. Each player attempts to invent a version of themself — Rose, a Londoner; Fred (fidgety, fabulous Adam Brody), a suave playboy — to varying success. Though the clique's intentions are to help those students who are ignorant, unintelligent, and downcast through a celebration of hygiene and dance, they, too, are subject to despair, and the realisation of their (and, indeed, our) shared anxieties is as refreshing as it is unnerving. For all that Violet likes to 'civilise' those less intelligent than herself with both her soapbox and soap, new girl Lily is her opposite, questioning Violet's zealousness and suggesting that perhaps what society really needs is conventional, cool people en masse. The characters' seriousness, playfully contrasted by their retro-fabulous attire and self-deprecating rhetoric, keeps the film in a constant flux of funniness and unbearable awkwardness. Despite, and possibly because of, the pretty 1950s frocks and the tap-dancing to Gershwin tunes, Damsels in Distress is fresh and relevant. There is a longing for lost innocence and echoes of the familiar desire of college students for romance and ideas. Whimsical and witty, and often unnerving in its honesty, the film has a only a brief run at the Dendy, so get in for a hit of Whit while you can. https://youtube.com/watch?v=EVK4jrBKBls
There are some things you know are moving, but their subtle movements only become obvious with time. Watching living statues shift their weight, waiting for the clock of the long now to chime or measuring circumference of the earth with a stick. At the Carraigeworks this weekend, some subtle aggregation will come thanks to Indian artist Nikhil Chopra. Chopra plans to use over a tonne of coal and six moveable walls as he mixes three days of drawing into accreted art. Art that he’ll put together as he steps in and out of nineteenth-century character, the Carriageworks foyer and shopping among the crowds at Everleigh Markets. Chopra will put this shopping to good use Saturday evening as he cooks an 18-person banquet, inviting some of the public to join in. Chopra's art-making runs 10-9pm daily.
Ten years ago, during a year abroad backpacking, I was living in Seattle. Wandering into one of the city's many vintage stores, I was struck by the beautiful music playing, which sounded like '60s Dylan, yet I didn't recognise the song. Further enquiry led to the revelation that it was, in fact, a little-known singer called Rodriguez, a contemporary of Dylan's for sure, but who had slipped by virtually unnoticed. Fast forward to 2012, and I am reminded of the enigmatic musician once more. In the late 1960s, Sixto Rodriguez was making waves playing guitar and singing in bars around his native Detroit. The down-and-out singer, who at the time may not even have had a fixed abode, was discovered by producing legends Mike Theodore and Steve Rowland. His debut album, Cold Fact, was released in 1970, followed closely by Coming from Reality a year later. Though these were considered masterpieces by many in the music industry, they failed to make even a small splash, slipping away into obscurity virtually unnoticed, as did the musician who made them; however, in a parallel country, or reality, as it were, a completely different story was unfolding. Searching for Sugar Man tells how the singer Rodriguez became the voice for a generation of liberal white South Africans during the height of the Apartheid years. I've verified this fact with a South African friend, and he's assured me he can sing the lyrics to several of his songs. It's not clear how the music got there, but it has been speculated that a bootlegged cassette tape copy of Cold Fact may have been brought back from the States by a South African girl. Firm figures for sales of his records are not available, but the South African RPM Records estimate them to be at least half a million. Yet little was known about this incredibly popular artist and rumours abounded that the singer was dead, having committed suicide on stage in a most gruesome fashion. In the late '90s two South Africans — one a journalist, Craig Bartholomew, the other a record shop owner, Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman — teamed up to solve the mystery. They had little more to go on than the lyrics of Rodriguez's songs, the world wide web yet to have thrown its ubiquitous, all-knowing embrace around us. As they delved deeper, awakening several sleeping canines, a story began to unfold, much more remarkable than either of them could have foretold. A few years later, Swedish TV documentary-maker, Malik Bendjelloul, was on an overseas trip in South Africa looking for new ideas when he discovered the subject and instantly seized upon it for his next film, which he wrote, edited, and directed. The documentary cleverly weaves an intricate tale, filled with intrigue, quirky anecdotes, and moving personal histories, though it does leave many questions unanswered (such as, what happened to royalties?). It also reveals relatively little about Rodriguez's life over the last 30 years, the narrative focussing much more on the South African side of things. But to levy criticism in Bedejelloul's direction on these grounds would be unfair. After all, documentary filmmaking is by its very nature subjective. One could even argue that the genre itself can be defined as the art of telling a good story well, in which case he has done a stellar job. Furthermore, 30 years is a lot to fit into a mere 86 minutes. Take my advice and don't research the backstory too much; maybe watch the trailer and listen to a few Rodriguez tracks beforehand. Then go and see this documentary and let the emotive story and incredible music sweep you away. https://youtube.com/watch?v=QL5TffdOQ7g
When Charles M. Schulz announced his retirement from the daily comic strip business in 2000, he stated that Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang would not be appearing in future papers because his family didn't want the comic to be continued by anyone else. It would be interesting to know, then, what the late comic legend's relatives would make of Bert V. Royal turning his loveable pals into fully fledged hormonal teenagers complete with drug problems, gothic siblings, eating disorders and institutionalised ex-girlfriends. Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead, staged for the first time in Sydney by the Actors Assembly, propels the Peanuts kids out of the daily papers and into a future rife with the harshest elements of adolescent debauchery. The play commences with Charlie questioning the existence of an afterlife after his beloved dog dies from rabies, but this is only the starting point for a sequence of events that encapsulate the gritty (yet often hilarious) reality of teenage life. Dog Sees God was Royal’s first play and is still earning him as much praise as it did when it premiered at the New York International Fringe Festival seven years ago. But the young writer hasn't rested on his laurels — the six-figure advance he subsequently received from Paramount to write them an original screenplay went toward penning a critically acclaimed teen comedy you might know as Easy A.
Dirtier, filthier and nastier than Christina Aguilera circa 2002, The Nasty Show is about to get all up in Sydney’s face with the most crass, depraved and downright offensive run of comedy club nights ever billed at Sydney Opera House. Hidden away in the Studio theatre, US stand-up comedian Jeff Ross – aka ‘The Roast Master General’ from New York’s Friar’s Club and Comedy Central Roasts – will lead the shameless, unrelenting onslaughts of celebrity roastings, insults, attacks and “too-soon” bad taste comedy that’ll have audiences cowering from fear and snorting with laughter. The show features local wunderkind, and Comedy Store regular, Rhys Nicholson; winner of the Piece of Wood Comedian’s Choice Award, Tom Gleeson; trash-talking Mike Wilmot (also known as “Canada’s answer to Bill Hicks”) – plus Philadelphia’s colourful Big Jay Oakerson and Just For Laughs veteran Dom Irrera. Beware, this rebellious little sister of the Just for Laughs line-up is not for the faint-hearted.
At a speed that’d give Usain Bolt a run for his money, traditional forms of information dissemination — and knowledge storage — are slipping through our fingers. Album cover art has been all but resigned to museum relic status. Kindle has more or less stolen the fire from the print press. Newspapers are dropping off like flies. Don’t get me wrong. There are zillions of things to love about the internet. Like downloading every single one of Hitchcock’s films, being able to Google Shakespeare’s entire oeuvre and writing this in my pyjamas. But, should cinema ever be cast into the digitally dictated funeral pyre, I’ll cry a Pacific Ocean of cyber tears. So, thank god that the film creatives of this world keep on keeping up ways to keep it relevant. Exotic festivals, underground shenanigans and immersive experiences have been inspiring us to unplug and jump off the couch in droves. And thankfully, World Movies Secret Cinema is back. In fact, it’s triple back. Given that previous sessions have sold out in 15 minutes, 2014 will see five screenings over three days (April 11-13) — in a venue that’s never been used before for anything. Needless to say, the event’s classified nature means that there’s not much else we can tell you. But we do remember last October. In response to a last-minute clue sent by text, guests gathered at King Street Wharf. After boarding a boat — destination unknown — they were handed backpacks containing maps, water and weapons, which, they were told, might be necessary to survival. No wild beasts were encountered on Goat Island, but filmgoers did get to watch performances from TaikOz and burlesque artists, show off their Bruce Lee-esque moves in a martial arts lesson, eat and drink harbourside and, finally, watch the director’s cut of Battle Royale at their very own private island cinema. Oh, and witness a real-life, blood-soaked, dramatic death scene. Unfortunately, ticket prices have nearly doubled since last time to $63.15 (including booking fee), but that should mean the production values are equally increased. Tickets go on sale on Wednesday, March 12, at 9am via Oztix. They include a complimentary beverage and snack from Salt Meats Cheese. Session times are Friday, April 11, at 7pm; Saturday, April 12, at 12.30pm and 7pm; and Sunday, April 13, at 12:30pm and 7pm. Update April 11: All remaining sessions of World Movies Secret Cinema have been postponed due to "unforeseen circumstances". Get updates from the Facebook page.
Robyn Beeche became known for her photographic work in London during the '80s. Australian-born Beeche's breathtaking photographs depicted painted bodies and came about through collaborations with counterculture personalities of the likes of Vivienne Westwood, Leigh Bowery and Divine. And now the home-grown snapper is bringing her work back here, with the retrospective exhibition Fade to Grey. Her work a fusion of London fashion and art, Beeche was a trailblazer — until an experience at an Indian festival altered her; the photographer made a life-changing pilgrimage to Vrindavan soon after. And there she remained, and has for the past 25 years. With selected works from the artist's most renowned creative period — a decade characterised by change — Fade to Grey is a trip back to the '80s. Minus the Lycra dress code. Prints and copies of Beeche’s book, Visage to Vraj, will be available for sale during the exhibition.
Manu Chao visits Australia for the first time to play exclusively at Sydney Festival. Having made music since the late '80s as leader of rock outfit Mano Negra and then as a solo artist, Chao is one of the world's most well-known and respected musicians, with a huge cult following in all corners of the globe - from South, Central and North America to Europe, Japan, Africa and back - selling more than 10 million albums. Chao's music is multilingual and broadly multicultural, blending rock, reggae, punk, ska, and found sounds in compositions sung in English, Portuguese, French, Spanish and Italian. The Paris-born, Barcelona-based artist of Spanish descent finds inspiration in street culture and local bar scenes, and has long collaborated with musicians and artists who share his ethos. Chao's first solo album, 1998's Clandestino, was a huge success, shifting in excess of four million copies worldwide to become the second biggest-selling world music album in history after Ry Cooder's Buena Vista Social Club. His next album, 2001's Proxima Estacion: Esperanza ('Next Stop: Hope' - a reference to an announcement on a Madrid train station) consolidated his place as one of the world's most successful recording artists.
Get up close and personal in Rushcutters Bay with some theatre stripped down to the basics. Six solo performances, written and directed by both established and up and coming Sydney artists, will be taking place each night at the BARE BOARDS BRAVE HEART festival at subtlenuance. The pieces use themes as diverse as Justin Bieber and eroticism, Celtic lore, sexuality, human courtship rituals and expressing our feelings through art, as they tackle the human condition and a variety of other social conundrums. Each piece will offer a unique perspective or line of investigation through which to explore personal expression and the meaning of things in general. subtlenuance was founded by Danieli Georgi and Paul Gilchrist in 2008, both of whom are writers and directors in their own right, and have received praise for much of their work in and around Sydney. Sharing a love of unconventional theatre, and indeed for unconventional performance spaces, the pair previously founded Thrown Together Theatre, experimenting with pop-up theatre in non-traditional venues and unusual locations. Their latest offering promises to be innovative, challenging and inspiring.
If I am honest, the title of the latest offering in the Late Night Library series, taking place at Surry Hills library every Thursday evening, did make me titter a little: Jodie Foster's Beaver. It is, in fact, the name of the latest monologue by Daniel Mudie Cunningham, part of his ongoing project: The Jodie Foster Archive. The prolific Sydney-based artist, curator and writer has been collecting clippings, photos and bios of the star since he was a kid. More recently the collection has evolved to include his own self-penned “Jodie Performances” which parody some of her most famous movie scenes, in an attempt to subvert her into the gay icon he wishes she always had been. No doubt some lively discussion will ensue about this most topical of subjects (gay rights). With cheese, wine and scintillating conversation all on offer, it feels like so many taboos are being broken: eating, drinking and talking in the library after dark! So head along if you fancy some risqué adults only entertainment, or even if you just want to browse the selves and borrow a book. The library itself will be open until midnight. Entry is free, but if you want to take part in the event, booking ahead is essential: 02 8374 6230
Watching filmmaker Tom Kuntz's work you get the unsettling feeling he has somehow tapped into our collective subconscious and is hanging out our dirty washing for all to see. In his advertising work, such as for Skittles, he employs seemingly unrelated objects or concepts to symbolise our hidden desires, the elusive want, which can in fact be directed towards whatever product is being advertised. This relationship between the 'signifier' (i.e. whatever appears in the film) and the 'signified' (the desired object) was examined in great detail by the famous French psychoanalyst Lacan. His theories would provide some good background reading for this event. Produced in collaboration with maverick music deconstructoralists the Lucky Dragons, the untested installation, which will run for two weeks as part of VIVID Sydney, will be an experiment in image and sound. The objects portrayed will be insects, represented by images of large, unearthly looking insects and with sounds made by either rudimentary musical instruments, or by body parts. It will most likely make no sense, and perfect sense, at the same time. Tom Kuntz has made music videos for bands such as the Avalanches, Electric Six, MGMT and LCD Soundsystem. His advertising work has included ads Skittles and Old Spice, and he's also made several very intriguing short films. His installation will be running for the duration of the festival from 11am daily.
In the mood for a little cross-consuming over a glass of champagne? Australia's first interactive online market place, The Young Republic, is launching itself into the world of the real with all the lights, glamour and speciality objects it can muster. Taking over the Aurora Bar with their very own night market, The Young Republic will be showcasing a range of pieces from designers such as Fiel Sol, Toby E, TopazTurtle, KnitKnit, Dubbleyou and ATAT. Also on offer will be a 'fashion installation' (yep, these exist) featuring Casper & Pearl,Sovii, Das Monk, KID., Ames and Evyie. To attend simply RSVP to: rsvp@youngrepublic.com.au
My first thought here is, why not erotic fan ghost stories? Why not put Albert Einstein in the middle of a sweaty flesh muffin with Grace Kelly and Biggie Smalls? I want to hear stories told about Cleopatra taking it mummy style (that means being wrapped up and covered in salt for thousands of years, FYI) at the hands of Burke, while Wills is getting nailed by Martin Luther. And what about the basement? JUST DON'T GO INTO THE BASEMENT! But for the time being, you will all have to be satisfied with these two events existing as separate sessions of some of the funniest and scariest spoken fiction in town. Hosted by the Imperial Panda and Sydney Writers' Festival, Erotic Fan Fiction and Ghost Stories gathers up a clutch of Sydney's best writers and performers to deliver the seedy antics of celebrities, or the ghoulish moans of sinister spooks. Or both, dammit. Come hear Charlie Garber, Virginia Gay, Ewen Leslie and Eddie Sharpe spin sauce through the fictive legs of the famous, then chill out before Nick Coyle, Claudia O'Doherty and others stab you in the heart with a cold blade of fear. No money back for dying of either lust or fright — both of these events are free. Image by James Brown
Too expensive? Too long? Seats too far away? Regardless of your reason for not going to the (capital O) Opera, there has been a noticeable drop-off in opera attendances in recent years. It is no surprise then to see young opera companies emerging to reclaim an art that has often been considered to be the epitome of live performance. One of the more dedicated companies is the humbly named Sydney Chamber Opera, who are bringing their production of The Cunning Little Vixen to CarriageWorks at the end of this month. Chamber operas are one of the perfect tools for reinvigorating interest in the art form. Intimate and petite, they are able to offer very affordable tickets and therefore have the financial freedom to take more risks in their material. Sydney Chamber Opera are embracing this completely, and are following up their first production (Notes from Underground by Jack Symonds and Pierce Wilcox, after Fyodor Dostoyevsky) with a tale of woodland animals tackling love, heartbreak and the enduring cycle of life and death. Directed by Kate Gaul (of Siren Theatre) and conducted by Jack Symonds, this version of The Cunning Little Vixen promises to be as sleek as a wild fox. Julie Goodwin, previously seen in national tours of Phantom of the Opera and West Side Story, helms a cast of beautiful ferals amidst a stylish, clear-cut world where the rhythms and melodies of life flow relentlessly on.
Calling all feline fans. Catmosphere, Sydney's space-themed cat cafe, is launching Cat Cinema. This May, you'll be able to cat-ch your favourite flicks while socialising with the resident cats. Cult classics will be played on the just-refurbished cafe's 120-inch screen and purrfecting the night will be complimentary vegan popcorn shakes for each guest. The feline experience will set you back $40 and includes light refreshments during intermission and, of course, many curious cat companions for the night. Bean bags are also supplied for you and your cats' comfort during the movie. As well being a place for you to pat a cat over a cupper, Catmosphere houses displaced and rescued cats and hopes to encourage visitors to foster furry friends of their own. While exact dates and films have not yet been announced, the cinema is set to launch in May. Keep an eye on the cafe's Facebook page for further updates. Catmosphere is located at 66 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills. For more information, opening hours and to book your very own cat cuddle session, visit catmospherecafe.com. Images: Andy Fraser
For the past 11 years, the Sydney Underground Film Festival has walked on the weirder, wilder side of cinema, and 2018 is no exception. In fact, with its 12th program including everything from a time-travelling New Zealand comedy to a bloody Christmas flick to Nicolas Cage at his most unhinged, this year might just be more over-the-top than ever. Returning to Marrickville's Factory Theatre from Thursday, September 13 to Sunday, September 16, SUFF kicks off with what could just be the next great (and greatly hilarious) Kiwi effort. Mega Time Squad stars What We Do in the Shadows' Jonny Brugh, and follows a small-time crook who steals an ancient time-travel device, only to be forced to face the demonic consequences — as happens in madcap NZ movies, obviously. Then, at the other end of the festival, get ready to go full Cage on SUFF's closing night. Sure, you've seen Nicolas Cage do plenty of strange things on screen, but Mandy dials his antics up a few notches and then some. Charting a lumberjack's quest to save his girlfriend from a creepy cult and a trio of satanic bikers, it features a vodka-swilling, revenge-seeking, angrily growling Nicolas Cage that really has to be seen to be believed. Throw in lurid visuals and an intoxicating soundtrack, and it demands to be experienced in a cinema. In between SUFF's two big events sits 25 other features, 13 documentaries, four shorts programs, eight workshops and the return of the late-night cereal cartoon party, so prepare to get comfy across the festival's four-day run. Feature highlights include the Aubrey Plaza and Jemaine Clement-starring An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn, Ethan Hawke stepping behind the camera with music biopic Blaze, the violent vengeance of French effort Revenge and Sion Sono's undead extravaganza Tokyo Vampire Hotel. Or, there's also Guy Maddin's San Francisco mashup The Green Fog, stylishly sensory spaghetti western homage Let the Corpses Tan, and the hypnotic Madeline's Madeline — with the latter about a teenage acting student channelling her woes into her work, complete with a incredibly memorable lead performance. On the documentary front, SUFF-goers can step into a varied array of subjects, including folks who believe the earth is flat, the world's first all-girl punk group, legendary exploitation filmmaker Larry Cohen and another director who has made more than 180 movies in 20 years. The list goes on, but this year's fest wouldn't be complete without the man, the myth and the enigma that is Bill Murray — or a documentary about him, more accurately, although he will be in the country later this year. The 2018 Sydney Underground Film Festival runs from September 13 to 16 at The Factory Theatre, Marrickville. For more information or to buy tickets, visit the festival website
Empty plates are a diner's nightmare. If you're sitting in a restaurant and there's nothing in front of you, it's either because your meal hasn't arrived or because you've come to the end of a tasty dish. But at Matt Moran's Solotel group, empty plates will now help a very worthy cause: Australia's drought-affected farmers. With the country currently doing it tough, drought-wise — and farmers doing it even tougher — the hospitality empire has launched 'Plate for a Farmer', which encourages patrons to buy an empty plate to support those in need. You can purchase an empty entrée plate for $5 or a main plate for $10, with Solotel matching every dollar spent. The proceeds will then go to Rural Aid to assist with their mental health counselling and other drought support programs. If you're keen to give farmers a helping hand next time you're eating out, you can do so at Aria in both Sydney and Brisbane, plus Bea at Barangaroo House, Chiswick Woollahra, Chiswick at the Gallery, Paddo Inn, North Bondi Fish, Opera Bar and Chophouse. Solotel's initiative recognises the importance of Australian produce and rural suppliers to the group's meals, as well as Moran's background as a fourth-generation farmer. "Throughout my career, having access to the very best produce in Australia has been a joy, but the drought conditions that now shroud our countryside are having a devastating effect on our rural suppliers," says Moran. "As both a chef and a very proud fourth-generation farmer, this is heart-wrenching. Our Aussie farmers' hard work and innovation have enabled the team and me to bring wonderful seasonal menus, year after year. It's now time for us to step up and help them."
Red Bull's artist development program Sound Select is about uncovering and supporting the very best of local talent by pairing them up with established acts. The result is a monthly gig that's both emblematic of the sonic culture of our cities, and pushes the boundaries of the music we know and love. This month's incarnation of the sonic celebration is curated by Sydney's own FBi Radio — because if anyone's qualified to comment on the music culture in this town, it's them. Taking over Parramatta's Abion Hotel on Friday, April 28 the gig will bring together three of Sydney's best hip hop acts: B Wise, Tapz and Manu Crooks. It's been curated by new FBi music director Amelia Jenner alongside local music flag-fliers I OH YOU's Johann Ponniah and Travis Banko of Laneway Festival. Since launching in the States in 2012, Red Bull Sound Select spread to Canada and New Zealand before launching in Sydney in April last year. They hold monthly live gigs in Sydney to support upcoming artists and allow us to discover them.
Maybe I'm just a sucker for absurdist advertising, but if the poster for your show is a drawing of a guy with a lobster on his head, I'm coming to your show. If the poster for your show is a drawing of a lobster balanced precariously on a telephone which is somehow part of a guy's head, I stop asking questions altogether. Hysteria places a speculative microphone in a meeting between surrealist painter Salvador Dali — of melting clocks acclaim — and Sigmund Freud, who introduced us to a little something called the Oedipus Complex. It's 1938 — Freud has just given the Nazis the slip and taken refuge in London. But as well as contending with the madly moustachioed Dali, Freud receives another guest. One intent on making him realise the cost of his choices and the toll of his research. With the walls rapidly turning into penguins, Freud's choices are limited. Your queries are no good here — these people don't play by your rules. Just remember: sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Especially if it's mustard.
The parents are away, which means everyone's invited to a house party. This Saturday, the absolute legends at Darlo Bar are kicking it old-school and throwing their very first house party, on from 7pm until late. Local DJs will rock the party into the wee hours of the morning, while the bar slings drinks and patrons dance like it's the year 2000 again. Throwing it back to Sydney's Olympic-hosting glory days, you can expect to dance to the likes of Madison Avenue, Killing Heidi and Kylie Minogue. You can't have a good house party without red Solo cups, so the bar will be putting on "red-cup specials" and local Darlinghurst eateries will deliver food to the venue, directly onto your lap. Apparently there will be a few celebrity appearances, which would just be the cherry on top of this pretty banging party. Darlo Bar loves the weird, wacky and random, and that's exactly what the house party will be about. Get into the spirit and go back in time to the year 2000 this weekend.
There are few things in life that can't be improved with a nice single malt or two, including your own talents. Unleash your inner artist with a drink in your hand at Whisky & Watercolour, the new boozy creative collaboration between The Whisky List and Billy & Scarlet. The former, with help from whisky connoisseur Dan Hutchins-Read of The Glenrothes, brings scotchy scotch scotch to the easel. Yes, Ron Burgundy would approve. The latter, aka illustrator Jill Tasker, brings mini-lessons in watercolour techniques. Combine the two together, and you'll learn and taste something new — and paint your own watercolour whisky bottle (what else?) too. The first in what will hopefully be a series of Whisky & Watercolour workshops takes place at WeWork Pyrmont from 7pm on June 2, with tickets costing $75. For that price, you'll get to sip, eat your way through some nibbles, pick up a new skill and make a whisky-themed masterpiece.
Grab your leg warmers, throw on some lycra and get your skates on, literally, at the frostiest, quietest event in the Vivid lineup. Yes, the Silent Disco Ice Skating Festival is back for another round of peaceful gliding fun. If you've always wanted to relive Blades of Glory, here's your chance. From May 26 to June 9, a purpose-built ice rink will transform Chippendale's Central Park Mall. Take to the floor, put on your headphones and skate along to live DJ sets, with Bobby Gray/BBG — aka one half of dance music duo SVSSY — and DJ Urby among those spinning tracks. The silent disco fun kicks off at 4pm daily; however anyone just keen for some ice time, sans tunes, can head along from 10am. Regardless of the time of day, capacity is limited to 45 people at a time, with sessions running for 30 minutes starting on the hour, every hour. Sounds cool as ice, doesn't it? Or even better, really, given that Cool As Ice is actually the name of a Vanilla Ice-starring '90s rom-com that somehow doesn't involve ice skating. Throw in the fact that it's all free, and it's a winter wonderland indeed.
Sporting horn-rimmed glasses and a cranky hankering for complaining, Woody Harrelson is clearly having fun in Craig Johnson's Wilson. Channelling his inner Larry David, he plays the cantankerous title character with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, delivering his misanthropic lines with glee. His grouchy protagonist drips with the same attitude he displayed in The Edge of Seventeen, Now You See Me and the Hunger Games movies – and yet not once does it feel like he's following a playbook. But while you could never accuse Harrelson of going through the motions, the same cannot be said about his latest film Here, a world-weary middle-aged grump is content with spitting acid at everything around him, until a series of life-changing events threatens to interrupt his sour status quo. Alas, though it is based on Daniel Clowes' graphic novel of the same name — and as such possesses the same spirit as the cartoonist's Ghost World and Art School Confidential — this big screen adaptation could hardly be more formulaic. That the film can't quite fashion its episodic antics into anything more than obvious observations — about the state of modern society, family and the notion of making a mark — certainly doesn't help. Nor does the unconvincing seesawing between comedy and something more serious. When we first meet Wilson, he's a lanky, bearded package of conflicting impulses and disdain. When he's not admonishing people on the street for taking a shine to his cute pooch, he's annoying strangers by sidling up close and starting intrusive conversations. For a while, he's happy in his unhappiness — but after his only friends move away and his ill dad takes a turn for the worse, he finds himself yearning for a connection. Looking up childhood pals and hooking up with women in the supermarket doesn't work, so he tracks down his ex-wife Pippi (Laura Dern), only to learn that he has a 17-year-old daughter (Isabella Amara). Clowes wrote the screenplay himself, while Johnson previously — and effectively — delved into dysfunction in The Skeleton Twins. Despite this, Wilson simply isn't the winning collaboration it could've been. Instead of providing any real insights into its motley crew of miserable souls, or fleshing them out beyond easy caricatures, the film instead uses its array of characters for eccentric amusement and overt sentiment. An old man doesn't literally yell at a cloud, but it wouldn't feel out of place. The same is true of a big schmaltzy family hug. Of course, if there had been a huge hearty embrace, there's no prizes for guessing who would've been in the middle — and who would've been forced to the edges. Films about curmudgeonly men too often run loving eyes over their protagonists while pushing women to the side. Here, Dern shines brighter than the material asks, while the always-great Judy Greer is squandered in yet another thankless girlfriend role. Ultimately, their treatment is emblematic of a feature that only knows how to do one thing well. Wilson, the man, may serve up great work from Harrelson, but Wilson, the movie, soon proves that 94 minutes in the character's company are far too many. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kudZx_f7-mk
Outdoor escape artists We Are Explorers are leading 20 adventurers on a two-day Wilderness Survival Course for the weekend of May 20 through 21. The excursion will take participants through rainforest and caves in a remote valley along the NSW Central Coast, where they will be led by Australian survival experts on a hike to a secluded campsite. Upon arrival, the group will be taught to build their own shelter and campfire using ancient techniques. Apart from natural campsite building, ticket holders will learn how to catch, cook and eat their own dinner, bush forage, make weapons and learn traditional Aboriginal celestial navigation skills. This course will basically turn the novice into a bad ass, whether you just want to show off on your next camping trip or prepare for the apocalypse. All tickets will also include a weekend photography package, so you can remember yourself in all of your "into the wild" glory.
Parklands Food Fest is returning to western Sydney with a lineup of some of the city's best chefs and food trucks. The festival, which is now in its sixth year, will feature Dan Hong (of Sydney's Mr Wong and Ms.G's) and his mum, Angie. Angie, who is also a restaurateur, is known for her weekly Monday Hong family dinners. While it's hard to snag yourself an invite to one (it's close friends and family only), you will be able to see her on stage recreating Vietnamese classics at the festival on Saturday, September 9. As well as the mother-son act, there will be over 50 food stalls, serving up everything from Egyptian meat pies from El Qahirah to seafood paellas and Salvadorian tortillas. Food rescue charity OzHarvest will also be parking its truck at the Abbotsbury site to serve up zero-waste meals. (Don't be put off though — OzHarvest employs award-winning chefs to help create their dishes.) Little Veggie Patch Co.'s Mat Pember will hold workshops teaching you how to grow produce anywhere. Pember promises the workshops won't just be for the lucky few Sydneysiders who have a garden, but will also be appropriate for those in apartments. Image: El Qahirah.
Andrew Upton's been at the Russians again and this time it's Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters that has fallen prey to his adaptation laser. Not known for his trick titles, Chekhov's work revolves around three sisters getting to grips with life in 1850s Russia: Olga (Alison Bell), a schoolteacher, Masha (Eryn Jean Norvill) an artist of sorts, and Irina (Miranda Daughtry) an idealist who is being flattened by reality. Oh, and their brother, Andrei (but he made the title much less snappy). Opening on the first anniversary of their father's death, Three Sisters documents the efforts of this foursome to experience joy and fulfilment as the bland reality of adult responsibility slips a noose round their necks. This may sound like a broad synopsis, but it's a pretty broad play. Even with Upton's modifications, this thing runs at three hours. It's said that tragedy plus time equals comedy. Not always. It also equals the Russian classics.
If you're a North Shore resident and you can't find something to do in September, you're not trying hard enough. That's when the region's annual Emerge Festival takes over Sydney's northern suburbs for a month-long celebration of community and culture. More than 30 events comprise the 2017 program, ranging from Chatswood's annual street fair to a short film festival dedicated to joy and diversity, and from Willoughby's craft beer affair and its Visual Arts Biennial as well. An afternoon of jazz, a chance to learn how to play croquet (attn: Heathers fans), bushwalking to find beetles and bugs, a pop-up repair cafe for broken household items and a three-day oasis hangout are all also on the agenda. Theatre, ballet, the Sydney Taiwan Festival, deckchair chill sessions, arts and writing workshop: they're all on the stacked lineup too, and the list keeps going on. It all promises to be a busy few weeks — and if you don't live in the area, you might want to cross the bridge to get in on the fun.
Think Sunday brunch can't get any better? Think again. The concept of indulging away the morning after a big night out is tried and tested, but Moya's Juniper Lounge have managed to improve perfection with their gin-soaked liquid brunch. From August 20 until the end of the year, the third Sunday of each month is now a Vietnamese soup and Red Snapper cocktail wonderland — and if you're wondering what the latter is, it's a Bloody Mary with gin. Yum. Banh Xeo Bar will be on food duties, while Melbourne Gin have the tipples taken care of. All you have to do is crawl your way out of bed, shuffle along to the fine Redfern establishment and prepare for some curative eats and hair-of-the-dog drinks. Of course, if you're feeling fresh and zesty instead, it'll make the perfect start to your Sunday session as well. The festivities start from midday, with Moya's opening up a few hours early before rolling into their regular jazzy evenings. And yes, there'll be $10 Negronis on offer all day as well.
On June 11, things are getting hot at The Bank Hotel. Tongue-tinglingly hot. Face-meltingly hot. Homer Simpson running, screaming and waving his hands around hot. That's what happens when you spice up your Sunday with a chilli festival, after all. Adding some zest to the long weekend and to Sydney in general, the King Street pub is hosting the inaugural Newtown Chilli Festival from midday. There'll be a chilli brew off, chilli-inspired cocktails and chilli barbecue specials — aka chilli galore. And yes, there'll definitely be enough hot hot heat to help you turn several different shades. Of course, it wouldn't be a chilli festival without the spiciest event of them all: a chilli-eating competition. If you're currently thinking "I can consume anything!", there's vouchers, hot sauce and beer on offer in your tastebuds emerge victorious. Our tip, and we think you'll need it: remember that milk is a chilli-lover's best friend.
As part of the 40th Mardi Gras Festival, soon-to-be-knighted British artist Isaac Julien will be visiting Paddington's Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, armed with his stunning, 29-year-old film Looking for Langston (1989/2017) and a solo exhibition filled with new large-scale and silver gelatin photographic works. The film, which visited MoMA, New York City, and Tate Britain in 2017, is an exploration of African–American poet Langston Hughes, particularly his relationship with other artists of the Harlem Renaissance, an explosion of culture and art that took over Harlem, New York City, in the 1920s. As part of the adventure, Julien makes references to works by 1980s artists, including James Van der Zee, George Platt Lynes and Robert Mapplethorpe. In addition, Julien's film Young Soul Rebels (1991) will show at Golden Age Cinema on February 18, as part of the Queer Film Festival. He'll also make an appearance at the AGNSW on Wednesday, February 14, in conversation with Maud Page, the gallery's deputy director, following a screening of Looking for Langston in its original 16mm format.
Imagine starting the day with a spot of yoga above the city. That's the new weekly promise at Level Seven, the Primus Hotel's newish rooftop pool bar. In collaboration with lululemon, the Pitt Street venue adding six-week season of sky-high sunrise yoga sessions to its lofty repertoire. And each class is free. From 7am every Wednesday between November 8 and December 13, instructors Brooke Elliston and Ciara Fanning will lead 50-minute flow on the rooftop. Early risers can stretch their limbs, salute to the rising sun and sink into savasana before trundling off to work. The classes are free, but you'll have to register beforehand.
The man behind the book that inspired the movie about the man behind the movie affectionately known as the best worst movie of all time is on his way to Australia. If you found that sentence a little bit on the baffling side, just know that it's got nothing on the mind-bending saga behind the creation of Tommy Wiseau's The Room, aka a flick that really has to be seen to be believed. The Citizen Kane of Bad Movies, The Room is a bonafide cult classic. In fact, it's so beloved that Wiseau's co-star Greg Sestero wrote a book, The Disaster Artist, about how the whole thing came together. His text, in turn, has been turned into a film directed by and starring none other than James Franco. And to celebrate the film's Australian premiere, Sestero is heading down under. Sestero will take part in Q&A screenings in Sydney and Melbourne, at the Hayden Orpheum on November 17 and 18 and Cinema Nova on November 21 and 22. Make sure you come armed with a question… a maybe a couple of plastic spoons.
Soft, plush and fruity, there's a reason everybody loves a good Malbec. The South American red wine pairs perfectly with just about everything, after all — and it even has its own day of celebration. It's no wonder that Porteño is getting in on the action. The Surry Hills' venue's Malbec Festival is their first foray into celebrating the vino varietal, specifically those from Argentina; however with more than 40 different tipples on offer for $40, they clearly know what they're doing. Pairing up with Jed Wines, three things will be on offer: tasting an array of flavoursome plonk, munching on traditional Argentinian favourites from Porteño's kitchen and learning more about South American specialities. It all takes place between 1pm and 4pm on September 24, proving quite the fun Saturday afternoon session.. The ticket price includes tastings, snacks and your own Riedel glass to take home afterwards — and if you're keen to take some Malbec with you too, bottles will be available to purchase.
What better way to embrace October's fine and dandy weather than with some good old-fashioned outdoor moviegoing? Kicking off this month, Sweethearts Rooftop is serving up the ultimate cinematic experience with a new season of cult classic film screenings hosted up on its roof. From 8pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the Potts Point bar will be breaking out the projector to show a range of well-loved movie gems, including titles like Empire Records, The Breakfast Club, The Big Lebowski and Mighty Ducks. Backing up Sweethearts' usual selection of Mexican eats, there'll be popcorn galore, a swag of food specials and even movie-themed cocktail jugs. Early birds can also take advantage of a range of 'tappy hour' treats between 4-6pm. Image: James Ambrose.
Separate the things that matter from the things that really don't at this special event with celebrated blogger and author Mark Manson. The man behind the self-help guide The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living the Good Life is coming to Australia for a select number of speaking engagements in Sydney and Melbourne, where he'll espouse the virtues of a healthy dose of pessimism while revealing his strategies for living a better life. Presented in partnership with The School of Life, this special in conversation event will see Manson break apart "the fallacy of unfounded positivity" that is so common in self-help circles. Instead, he'll talk openly about which problems to tackle, and how to "fail better", before concluding the night with an audience Q&A.
Bottomless cocktails, waffles and beats... it's hard to think of a better way to banish a hangover on a spring afternoon. Introducing Since I Left You's fourth Beats 'n' Brunch. On September 30, doors will open at midday, which is when the bottomless cocktails will start to flow — lasting an hour-and-a-half and helping everyone to settle in, before giving way to drinks specials. Keeping everyone's hunger at bay will be a massive paella, as well as a selection of SILY's waffles (including waffalafels). Meanwhile, on the decks you'll find the Post Pluto Intergalactic Groove Committee spinning a stack of hip hop jams. Karaoke too depending on how loose things get. Even though this thing's called a brunch, like the others, it'll inevitably carry onto into the late, late afternoon.
From the prawn cocktail to the huge map of Australia on the wall, The Unicorn is unashamedly Australian. And they've taken it even further by launching a new 'My Australia' lunch series. On selected Sundays, the Paddington pub will feature some of Australia's best chefs, who will display their interpretation of Aussie cuisine. After kicking things off with award-winning Adelaide-based chef Duncan Welgemoed, the second lunch in the series will welcome 10 William Street's Enrico Tomelleri. While the menu is under wraps for now, you can expect an Australian-Italian riff on the Sunday lunch. The five courses will cost $65 per person, and spots can be booked through The Unicorn. Owner Jake Smyth has also selected a number of natural wines for the occasion, available at an extra cost. Image: Lachlan Townsend.
Prepare to drool all over yourself Homer Simpson-style, because the Yaks Ale Barbecue Festival is coming to New South Wales for the first time. This weekend-long celebration of all things smoked and slow-cooked will bring together some of the biggest names in Aussie barbecue, along with celebrity pitmasters from Memphis to LA. Held on February 10 and 11 at Central Coast Stadium, the festival will feature live music acts, culinary demos, a cook-off and a butcher battle. But let's not beat around the bush here: you want to know about the food. Chances are, you won't be disappointed. Bluebonnet, Burn City Smokers, Hard Style Kitchen Southside Smokers and Sugarfire Smoke House from the US are but a few of the meat maestros who'll be in attendance. Our advice? Start fasting now. Image: Southside Smokers.
Mardi Gras is back. With the festival celebrating its 40th year and the recent passing of Australia's marriage equality bill, expect celebrations to be bigger and more colourful than ever. To help you get in an appropriately sparkly spirit, Darlinghurst menswear boutique Fine Fellow, together with The Groomed Man Co, is holding a one-day glitter beard bar. It's exactly what it says on the packet: for $15 (or $10 if you pre-book online) you can have your beard expertly doused in colourful glitter. No beard? No worries. The pop-up is also sparkling moustaches and hairdos. Bookings include a complimentary tinnie of alcoholic lemonade from Frank Strongs and, if you book online, you'll get free beard oil from The Groomed Man Co (so you can keep looking slick, throughout the weekend celebrations). The Glitter Beard Bar will run from 12pm to 5.30pm on Saturday, March 3. To pre-book your spot, head here.
The 2013 Boston Marathon came to an end with the kind of bang that no one could've imagined. As spectators lined the streets on April 15, cheering and chatting while waiting for competitors to cross the finish line, two brothers detonated home-made explosives. Showing the strength that its inhabitants pride themselves on, the city banded together as victims were mourned, the injured treated and the culprits pursued. You know the details — they were splashed across the news around the world. Now, in their third collaboration based on true life events, writer-director Peter Berg and star Mark Wahlberg dramatise the events in Patriots Day. After probing an unsuccessful military counter-intelligence mission in Lone Survivor, and gushing oil in the Gulf of Mexico in Deepwater Horizon, the pair once again offer an on-the-ground look at a tragic event in recent history. It's an ambitious task, particularly given the number of characters featured, as well as the intricacies of the post-bombing manhunt. Those complexities keep the procedural aspects of Patriots Day tense and involving. Unfortunately, they don't make Berg's fondness for easy sentiment any less obvious. Specifically, the film presents a case of patriotism versus terror — or us versus them — clear and simple. In the first camp sits cop Tommy Saunders (Wahlberg), an always-everywhere everyman drawn from several real-life people, who is trying to keep his boss (John Goodman) happy by working the marathon. Cautious but determined FBI agent (Kevin Bacon) oversees operations following the attack, while a local sergeant (JK Simmons) polices a nearby town. Their targets: Dzhokhar (Alex Wolff) and Tamerlan Tsarnaev (Themo Melikidze), whose deeds and paths overlap with plenty of others, including a couple watching the race, an officer guarding a university and a Chinese student proud of his new car. Using individual experiences to piece together a broader narrative isn't a new approach when it comes to stories like this. It's simple and it's effective – descriptors that could also be used to describe the docudrama shooting style, the frenetically paced editing, and the tense, pulsing score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. It's not hard to appreciate the technical prowess on display as Berg turns much of the movie into an action-thriller. Nor can you fault him for wanting to pay tribute to the folks left to search and scramble in the aftermath of the bombing. And yet despite this, Patriots Day makes for uncomfortable viewing. The film was shot in early 2016, and therefore can't really be accused of intentionally pushing an agenda linked to recent political developments. Nevertheless, there's a lingering sense of awkwardness that springs from the way the film leans on easy cliches, stereotypes and emotions for entertainment — even though it's based on something that really happened, and even as it tasks Bacon's character with voicing a few token words of warning about needlessly perpetuating fear. That's where the complicated nature of the underlying story, and of bringing historic tragedies to the screen in general, proves most difficult for Berg.
For screen fiends who spend their winters indoors at their favourite picture palaces, there's one surefire way to know that better weather has hit: the arrival of outdoor cinema season. When Sydney's chillier temperatures give way to sunny days and warm nights, the city's spaces set up plenty of openair big screens showing flicks. One such spot: The Rocks Laneway Cinema. As you might know from past runs, this film-loving pop-up sticks around for half the year, screening movies every Wednesday night — and for free. Across the end of 2023 and beginning of 2024, mark Wednesday, October 4—Wednesday, March 27 in your diary for a date on Atherden Street. Also, get ready for different monthly themes. First up: comedy classics in October, which is where Bridesmaids, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Anchorman and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me come in. Then, November will deliver five films that'll get you singing as part of its music strand: School of Rock, The Sapphires, Almost Famous, Pitch Perfect and Mamma Mia!. While exactly what'll be on the bill from there hasn't yet been unveiled, December will naturally showcase Christmas classics and January will capitalise upon vacation vibes with holiday road trip-inspired titles. Then, February will go with a summer of love focus — again, 'tis the season for it — while March is all about 80s favourites. Laneway Cinema's movies screen from 7pm each week — and although entry is free, bookings are recommended because seating is limited. Heading along also means helping a good cause, with the proceeds from every $2 bag of popcorn sold going to charity. The beneficiary changes monthly, too, with Beyond Blue receiving the funds in October, Support Act in November and the rest of the lineup to come. If you're the kind of cinemagoer that needs snacks and sips, the venues around laneway have plenty to eat and drink on offer. That means making a date with spots such as Caminetto Restaurant, P'Nut Street Noodles, El Camino Cantina and The Mercantile Hotel. Obviously, you'll need your wallet for whatever tempts your tastebuds. Laneway Cinema returns to Atherden Street, The Rocks from Wednesday, October 4, 2023—Wednesday, March 27, 2024 — head to The Rocks' website for free bookings and further details. Images: Anna Kucera / Cassandra Hannagan.
It could be easy to take it personally if you’ve had the kind of life Kutcha Edwards has. Part of the stolen generation, he was separated from his parents from the age of 18 months to 13 years old. He’s struggled with this separation, his aboriginality, racism, drink and drugs throughout his life. But Kutcha’s never been one to take it lying down, and "Get Back Up Again", the first single from his just released third album Blak and Blue, is a testament to his attitude. Facing adversity and bouncing back is a recurring theme for this blues-soul singer, who’s used his life of ups and downs to weave raw, honest and intimate songs about his life, family and culture that have seen him earn a place as one of Australia’s most respected soul singers. A compelling storyteller and a powerful live performer, his music has taken him from ovals in the NT, to sharing a stage with the likes of Paul Kelly. In this show, you can expect a combination of originals and songs which have had meaning and impact, which make up Kutcha's latest album.
