Yorgos Lanthimos can be polarising. Even among his own fan-base, his films can be divisive. Recently, something of a split has emerged between fans of his “old stuff” (like Dogtooth and The Lobster) and those of his “new stuff” (The Favourite and Poor Things). I’m a bit on the fence here, because I’m certainly a…
I have fond memories of Twister (1996), starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton. Even though plot points may differ, I felt like I was getting a repeat dose in Twisters. This is a special effects movie, with romance thrown in for good measure. Perhaps it will resonate more strongly with those that haven’t seen the…
Aaron Frazer’s sophomore album, Into the Blue, updates his smooth soul sound, and shows the singer and drummer isn’t afraid to branch out. An integral member of Durand Jones & The Indications, Frazer’s first album (2021’s Introducing…) felt like a natural extension of that band’s 60s and 70s soul influence; but on Into the Blue,…
A striking reimagining of Shakespeare’s tale of murder and madness, Zinnie Harris approaches the tragedy from Lady Macbeth’s perspective. Macbeth’s wife is the one pulling the strings … or so she thinks. For those familiar with Macbeth, the basic plot remains … with twists. Scottish general Macbeth receives a prophecy from three witches that he…
Lots of great speculative fiction books involve steam trains. Some highlights of this China Mieville’s Iron Council, Terry Pratchett’s Raising Steam to Harry Potter’s Hogwarts Express. And of course, being steam driven, trains often feature in pretty much anything written in the steampunk sub-genre. Sarah Brooks’ debut draws on some of this but also on…
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical takes audiences on an emotional rollercoaster, showcasing the extreme ups and even more extreme downs of her legendary career. She was in the music industry for many decades, from her glory Ike and Tina Turner days in the 1960s and ‘70s (at least performance-wise) to her being a ‘has been’…
The title says it all you need to know about this visceral, ultra-violent action thriller from India. Kill delivers a high body count and plenty of gore and mayhem. Most of the action is confined to a train, so it comes across like The Raid set on a train. The film takes place on a…
Our selection of the best new music across a range of genres from the week ending 5 July 2024. Featuring the triple j playlisted and Rolling Stone praised “Sunday Drive”, Eves Karydas steadies to embark on a new trail, burning all the tapes and moving on. Written across Stockholm and Meanjin / Brisbane, recorded in…
The artistic links between France and Japan run (perhaps surprisingly) deep. The French Impressionists were obsessed with Japanese woodblock prints, for example. In the 1950s, while French filmmakers and audiences embraced Japanese cinema, with Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon (1950) and Kinugasa Teinosuke’s Gate of Hell (1954) featured at the Cannes Film Festival; while Alain Resnais’ seminal…
Queensland Theatre’s Cost of Living comes with a number of audience warnings, including as to its occasional strong language and nudity. It is not, however, a confronting work, so much as an honest and tender balance of heart and humour. Indeed, the Australian premiere of Polish-American playwright Martyna Majok’s seemingly unassuming play, is, through Priscilla…
