The vicissitudes of show business are brought into sharp focus in theatrical’s production of A Chorus Line. Under the keen eye of formidable director Zach and his assistant choreographer Larry, 24 dancers audition for an upcoming Broadway production. Two dozen are soon whittled down to 17. That is when, in between the dancing, Zach asks…
If there’s one takeaway to be had from this review of Shake & Stir’s GRIMM, it’s this: parents, leave the kiddies at home; this one is not for them. Treat yourself to a night off and bring the girlfriends along instead. Officially, GRIMM is advertised for ages 14 and above, but it’s a show that…
On an Egyptian paddle steamer in the 1950s, heiress Kay Mostyn boards with her new husband Simon. Stalked by Simon’s ex-fiancée, and joined by a colourful cast of other passengers with dark motives, their honeymoon quickly becomes a nightmare, in this gripping murder mystery play from the Genesian Theatre Company. Death on the Nile is…
Where have all the indies gone? The days when the likes of Steven Soderbergh or Hal Hartley were delivering idiosyncratic but exciting films seems a world away. With the rise of franchises and “sequel-itis”, a lot of American indie movies seem to have been squeezed out of cinema real estate. But occasionally one sneaks through,…
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is so much riotous fun – a zany hoot. The 36-year wait for the sequel to the beloved Beetlejuice has well and truly been worth it. Just seeing Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara “doing their thing” again is joyful. I relished the addition of Jenna Ortega as the third-generation member of…
Noni Hazlehurst delivers an inspired performance in the slice of life piece Mother. Homeless and shoeless, she plays the character Christie. Christie married Lenny (who we don’t meet) because both were lonely. They had a baby, but Lenny is critical of Christie because she drinks – a lot and frequently. Christie channels their conversations. There…
Ex Pilots began as Ethan Oliva’s solo project in 2015 with the release of Findlay, a compilation of demos from 2009. By 2019, the project evolved into a full band with the release of their excellent self-titled LP, which was remastered and reissued last year on Smoking Room. Now with a solid six-member lineup, Ex…
We seem to have been getting more European – specifically French – films in Australian cinemas recently. That might be a hangover from Hollywood’s troubles over the past year or two, but it provides an opportunity for more diverse offerings. And few films could be further from a Hollywood blockbuster than Catherine Breillat’s enigmatic Last…
Epistolary novels are always a bit of a tightrope. How do you explain, particularly in this day and age, why people are writing lengthy letters to each other with pen and paper. In her latest novel The Sleepwalkers, Scarlett Thomas walks this tightrope, mostly successfully, to deliver an unsettling, gothic mystery that holds its secrets…
The full programme for the 2024 ST. ALi Italian Film Festival has been announced, with this year’s event featuring a stunning selection of box office hits and award-winning films plus family fun and anniversary celebrations. Sydney will be the first to experience la dolce vita from September 18 with Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Byron Bay, Ballina,…
