America is obsessed with mythical superheroes. However, no one can eclipse China’s real-world superhero: Tank Man. He is the lone figure holding two shopping bags in front of a line of Chinese tanks in Tiananmen Square in June 1989. It is an iconic and enduring image celebrating non-violent protest. Lucy Kirkwood, the author of Chimerica,…
Inspirational. Damon Gameau makes compelling and engaging documentaries (That Sugar Film really struck a chord). Importantly, he delivers his messages in a decidedly different manner. He puts himself at the centre of the docos and makes them relatable. Apart from consulting experts, they feature his family. In the case of 2040, particularly his four-year-old daughter,…
A Dodgeball Named Desire is a clever, creative and involving hoot, contrasting the literary with the sporting. It is a decidedly fresh take on A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. First performed on Broadway in December 1947, that is the story of former Southern belle Blanche DuBois, whose personal circumstances have changed for the worse. An…
At age six months, three identical male siblings are adopted out to three different families by a now defunct adoption agency. The reason they are separated has to do with a bizarre nature-versus-nurture experiment, the results of which are never published. In a nutshell, that’s the documentary Three Identical Strangers. The trio – Edward Galland,…
On their 6th album in a little over a decade, Kaiser Chiefs, the British indie rockers have turned in from their more political, guitar-driven garage rock in a decidedly poppy direction. Once you learn that leader Ricky Wilson was a celebrity judge on the British version of The Voice, the singer contest/reality show, and it’s…
What an uplifting experience Hour of the Wolf is. It is 65 minutes of intriguing, immersive theatre that sees 12 characters interacting across a dozen rooms, arranged as a labyrinth within the Merlyn Theatre and dock. Patrons can choose to wander from room to room at will, follow one or more performers, or a combination thereof. We…
Based upon the successful memoir and stage play of the same name, this is a true story of a 15-year love affair between two people who met at school. It is Australia in the ‘70s and Tim Conigrave, a budding actor at an all-boys Catholic school, has fallen big time for the captain of the…
A psychological suspense novel with touches of paranormal, Tess is a beautifully balanced, chilling, claustrophobic and clever novel. Set in small town New Zealand, at the turn of the millennium, Tess is, as the blurb puts it “a gothic love story about the ties that bind and tear a family apart.” It’s also a story…
Taciturn American Lee Miller (Kate Winslet) is about to be interviewed in her London home. She questions why she should allow the interview to take place and then agrees on the condition that she can ask the interviewer some hard questions of her own. That (apparently) is Lee Miller to a tee – unapologetic, surly,…
– Partisan – Only in cinemas from 28 May 2015 We have 5 double in-season passes thanks to Madman Films. *(Tickets valid in Australia only)* Watch the trailer HERE Alexander is like any other kid: playful, curious and naive. He is also a trained assassin. Raised in a hidden paradise on the outskirts of…
