From relatively humble beginnings in 1956, when only seven nations competed, the Eurovision Song Contest has grown into a juggernaut of entertainment. There’s a great sense of anticipation before each year’s fresh competition, as TV audiences burgeon. Some 160 million people from more than 150 countries were involved in voting for their favourite artist this…
Think of the notoriously sinful cities Sodom and Gomorrah referenced in the bible that were destroyed by sulphur and fire because of their wickedness. That is the starting point for the satirical opera The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. Premiering in Germany in March 1930, with text by Bertolt Brecht, Elizabeth Hauptmann and…
Harry Potter is a global cultural phenomenon. It started with what became the most successful book series in history (more than 600 million sold). Then, it transformed into one of the highest grossing film franchises (with a take of upwards of 12.75 billion Australian dollars for the eight movies). Further, the theatrical production Harry Potter…
Risque business? Unfunny business? Long gone are the days when Vince Vaughn used to make energetic and enjoyable comedies. But recently the aggressive motor mouthed comic actor has recently made a number of largely unfunny, mediocre and embarrassingly dull comedies of late, with films like The Dilemma, Fred Claus, The Watch and Delivery Man to…
There is something deep in the shared global psyche that draws us to stories of prodigies, particularly those who have dragged themselves up out of obscurity. Amazon recently released the Indian film Shakuntala Devi based on the true story of a women who came from poverty to become a world renowned “human calculator”. The Queen’s…
A sea change turns into a tsunami of grief in Sixty Seconds by Jesse Blackadder. Here’s the blurb: The Brennans – parents, Finn and Bridget, and their sons, Jarrah and Toby – have made a sea change, from chilly Hobart to subtropical Murwillumbah. Feeling like foreigners in this land of sun and surf, they’re still…
Their mother has deteriorated sharply and her three children have gathered to determine which facility to send her to. She has Alzheimer’s and has been looked after at home by one of her two daughters, Vicky (Tottie Goldsmith), but it is time to put her into full time care. Vicky has visited several places and assessed each…
– Their Finest – Only in cinemas from 20 April 2017 We have 5 double in-season passes thanks to Transmission Films. *(Tickets valid in Australia only)* Watch the trailer HERE With London emptied of men now fighting at the Front, Catrin Cole lands herself a job writing copy for propaganda films that need “a woman’s touch”. Her…
The official soundtrack to StalkHer, the new Australian movie starring John Jarratt (Wolf Creek 1 & 2) has been released and is now available via Remote Control Records.OK The film’s title track is performed by Wishful, whose members include Memphis & Maddy Kelly – the daughters of the film’s lead actress and co-director Kaarin Fairfax and…
Paris is on my bucket list so the title of this book was always going to hook me. After reading this, I want to go to Paris more than ever. Here’s the blurb: Rosalie Laurent is a graphic artist and proud owner of a little postcard shop in Saint-Germain. Her specialty is producing ‘wishing cards’, and…
