Kedi is the Turkish word for cat, and cat lovers everywhere will relish this simple but charming documentary from Turkey about the stray cats that live on the streets of Istanbul. Cats have been a feature of the city for hundreds of years. The adorable feral felines are cared for by the various local people…
If you find period ghost stories appealing and are a fan of Charles Dickens, I may have just the ticket for you. British writer Hugh Janes has combined five of Dickens’ lesser-known ghost stories with elements of the author’s private life, his books and letters to create The Haunting. The action is set in an ancient…
The music world is littered with tragic stories of popular singers and their downfall – from Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Amy Winehouse, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. Most of these stories follow a similar trajectory – a rise to fame at a young age which they struggle to handle, and a descent into…
In an age of political correctness, this is one film that well and truly breaks the mould … and then some. Hotel Coolgardie is a warts-and-all look at Australia’s ugly drinking culture and its impact. Walk into any bar across outback Australia and there’s a good chance your beer will be poured by a young female…
Between 1915 and 1923, the Ottoman Empire murdered some 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children in a systematic policy of genocide aimed at wiping out the entire population. It has been recognised as one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century. But when the history of WWI is written, this horrific episode is…
In large measure decidedly unfunny, Rough Night is a lame version of Weekend At Bernie’s crossed with The Hangover and Bridesmaids. Sorry to say, but its attempt to be edgy largely fails. Ten years ago five young women were college buddies, but a decade later they have all gone their separate ways. Scarlett Johansson plays Jess Thayer,…
A series of vignettes about what it is like being disabled and chronically ill, and the judgments others make, Have You Tried Yoga? is both illuminating and engaging. The star of the piece is also the creator and director, Rachel Edmonds; who makes her professional theatrical debut. Edmonds radiates warmth with her matter-of-fact style of storytelling….
Dream Machine is a new band from lo-fi master Matthew Melton (Bare Wires, Warm Soda) and his wife Doris. You get Melton’s craft of fuzzed up power pop with the late 60’s / early 70’s rock of The Doors, Deep Purple and Iron Butterfly. This mix brings you plenty of organ with lots of riffing…
Warm, witty and engaging, Ordinary Days is a contemporary musical about making real connections in a city that never sleeps – New York. It is about our search for meaning and purpose, and how to celebrate beauty and the simple things in our everyday lives. The longer it went the more I embraced and fell…
Youth drug culture may not sound like the material to make a short but compelling musical out of, but the reality is quite the opposite in 21 Chump Street. Firstly, the story is not only relevant, but it reflects upon a scourge of our age. Secondly, the way it has been written and is performed gives it…
