Australia has doesn’t seem to have had the plethora of famous serial killers that America has. As a result, few characters loom larger in the Australian consciousness than Ivan Milat – the so-called ‘Backpacker Murderer’. Milat’s crimes were uncovered when bodies were found in the Belanglo State Forest a few hours south of Sydney. In…
The price of fame drives one of the most intense and remarkable films of the year. The Substance is about physical beauty, adoration, self-love and loathing. It explores the lengths someone will go to remain relevant. Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) used to be a movie star, before transitioning to hosting a successful workout show on…
A moderately engaging Australian drama set in the 1970s, Kid Snow is set against the backdrop of circus troupes of tent boxers that travelled through the outback. This is a tale of outsiders on the fringes of society fighting for survival; and also something of a comeback story and a redemption tale. The film centres…
Our selection of the best new music across a range of genres from the week ending 20 September 2024. The multi-award-winning tenor saxophonist, bandleader and composer Nubya Garcia’s new album, Odyssey, is out now on Concord Jazz. Following her critically acclaimed debut album, SOURCE, Odyssey is a majestic feat that blends orchestral arrangements with R&B,…
What you read into and see in dance is very much about interpretation. Here is a piece where the mood is constantly shifting. What starts out as beautiful, gentle, caring and nurturing, turns into something frenetic and disturbing. So, what is at play? Why do we transition from calm to calamitous? Needs, wants and desires…
Many a prairie oyster has been consumed at Buckingham Palace over the years. Perhaps done none better than by the popular matriarch of the Windsors, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. With a penchant for a lunchtime gin and Dubonnet, she was a real advocate for ‘drinkypoos’ in the Royal household. This, and other ‘secrets’ of…
If you are after something that is mighty special, you shouldn’t go past Melbourne Opera’s stunning rendition of La Bohème. It is simply sensational. The story. The music. The voices. The realisation. It is so lively and emotional. It is cheeky and sexy and fraught. Giacomo Puccini composed the opera in four acts between 1893…
In the same way that Spider-Man transposed from live action back to animation so successfully, now Transformers has done the same. Transformers One is a high-octane adventure with umpteen twists and turns, and extremely well-realised. I’d also like to think that as with Spider-Man, the same will be the case for Transformers moving forward. This…
Stirring solos, captivating duets and soaring ensemble numbers are the hallmarks of a stunning world premiere concert production of an age-old story. The work, which is based around the tale of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, has been a labour of love for composer and librettist Samuel Kristy. With original orchestrations by Hamish Ander, under…
As a pre-show soundtrack reminds us, love is a drug, a crazy little thing and the thing of which sweet dreams are made. It is also very much all around courtesy of Trent Dalton’s Love Stories, appearing in its world premiere as part of the 2024 Brisbane Festival. The stage adaption of popular author Trent…
