The Thread That Keeps Us – the ninth album from Calexico – is yet another artful collection of stories. They’re told with the band’s eclectic musicality and a mature songwriting sensibility that shows up primarily in strong, impressive melodies. Rooted in the long collaboration of singer/multi-instrumentalist Joey Burns and drummer John Convertino, and favoring a…
Kathryn Marquet’s The Dead Devils of Cockle Creek begins in darkness. When the stage is lit, it reveals a ramshackle ranger’s station shack somewhere in the wilds of south-western Tasmania. Centre-stage is Dr George Templeton (Emily Weir), cradling an infant devil in her arms. The environmental scientist is determined, passionate and intelligent enough to know…
Rear Window meets The Girl on the Train in thriller The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn. A chilling psychological thriller about an agoraphobic woman convinced she’s seen a crime take place, the twisty-turny story brims with red herrings and doubts as it draws readers to a disturbing conclusion. Here’s the blurb: What did she see? It’s been ten…
Among my favourite TV shows growing up were the household staple of comedies: Get Smart (1965-70), I Dream of Jeannie (1965-70), Hogan’s Heroes (1965-71) – and Gilligan’s Island (1964-67). So with a great sense of excitement, I ventured into Chapel off Chapel to see my childhood memories revived in Gilligan’s Island: The Musical. I felt wary…
Esther Hannaford, take a bow. What a star! Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is a showcase of all that is great about musical theatre – joyful and triumphant, with Hannaford front and centre. The music is outstanding – hit after glorious hit – with superb voices to match. The story is wonderfully crafted – lovingly populist, with…
– The Mercy – Only in cinemas from 8 March 2018 We have 5 double in-season passes thanks to StudioCanal. *(Tickets valid in Australia only)* Watch the trailer HERE Based on the incredible true story that captivated the world, Academy Award® winners Colin Firth and Rachel Weisz take us on the extraordinary journey of amateur…
Peter Berg’s Patriots Day looked at the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the massive police manhunt for the terrorists that followed. Berg gave the material an almost documentary-like feel as he explored the stories of many of the people involved. Many more tales from that atrocity however have gone untold. Stronger tells a more personal…
Happy End is another typically downbeat drama from misanthropic Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke (The White Ribbon). Set in the coastal French town of Calais, the film follows the affluent but dysfunctional Laurent family. Haneke works in heavy themes of death, power, the refugee crisis, social media and class. And despite the title, there is no…
Marvel Studios’ latest superhero flick, Black Panther, tells the tale of T’Challa, an African prince who takes on the mantle of king and the centuries’ old legacy that comes with it. Crossing racial and cultural lines, the groundbreaking Black Panther character is another creation of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. He made his first appearance in the…
I’m a big fan of Greta Gerwig. Along with the likes of Brit Marling and Natalie Portman, she’s part of the vanguard of women filmmakers who can literally do it all. As well as 40 acting credits, she has 10 writing credits under her belt. Now she makes her solo directorial debut with Lady Bird. This…
