Outside of the first two films in Edgar Wright’s so-called Cornetto Trilogy, Simon Pegg’s film career has probably seen more misses than hits. He recently redeemed his reputation with roles in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation and the romantic comedy Man Up, although the latter’s success was due more to the superb chemistry he shared with…
It’s astonishing to think that Bob Dylan unwittingly worked on creating the music and lyrics for Girl from the North Country for more than four decades. For most of his career this vibrant and touching musical lay hidden within his many albums. Finally, in 2013, the creative genius of writer/director Conor McPherson imagined the plot,…
It really shouldn’t be a surprise that it was impossible to listen to the new Shellac record without mourning the sudden loss of Steve Albini 10 days before its release. With that said, Shellac’s latest album To All Trains, their first record of new material in ten years, is a fierce and now permanent reminder…
Life is tough for a pair of adult sisters in Little Woods. Ollie (Tessa Thompson) and her estranged sibling Deb (Lily James) live in the economically depressed fracking town of Little Woods, North Dakota. Deb has a young son with a deadbeat dad (James Badge Dale). Mother and son live illegally in a caravan that…
Robin Williams was and remains for me a legendary actor. When I was young I watched Mork and Mindy and was always looking forward to witness the hyperkinetic way of acting that this star in the making showed on the screen. When I heard the news about his death, I was speechless. The days after…
The life-changing influence of platonic female relationships rarely gets covered in fiction, and for this alone Seven Lies deserves a tip of the hat. It’s not a subject matter many writers have invested in and anyone who has ever been or spent time around a teenage girl would know that the connections young women make…
Bold, brassy, belligerent, sensitive and respectful. The supremely talented Christie Whelan-Browne is all that and much more, as she tackles the thorny subject of making it in the world of musical theatre. Not content with playing herself, she assumes multiple personas. First up, a new graduate – Jessica – whose job it is to introduce Ms Whelan-Browne…
A spoof on mercenary Hollywood producers, The Comeback Trail delighted me. It features three of the biggest stars in the business. It’s Hollywood, 1974. Max Barber (Robert De Niro) is a producer whose lack of success in churning out D-grade dirges precedes him. Barber works in partnership with his nephew, Walter Creason (Zach Braff), although…
What a superb visual and aural feast Walanbaa Yulu-Gi is and how it has metamorphosised since Burn the Floor first burst onto the scene 25 years ago. Featuring the incredibly talented First Nations’ performer Mitch Tambo, the production has no shortage of sizzle. The deft footwork … the singing … the showmanship is top shelf all the…
Exploitation and heartache are at the centre of Indivisible, a gritty story about attractive, singing 18-year-old conjoined twins. Connected at the hip, Daisy (Marianna Fontana) and Viola (Angela Fontana) are gifted. They have beautiful voices and often sing at local weddings, family functions and communions. Their father, a seedy, small-time businessman, has turned them into an…
