WHAT`S - Altmedia

Transcription

WHAT`S - Altmedia

INSIDE:
• Global heat melts Libs
Page 3
• Licence to bounce
Page 8
• Eat & Drink
Page 14
• What’s On
Page 17
w w w. c i t y h u b . n e t . a u
DECEMBER 3-16, 2009
FREE
THE BIG SCOOP
Ben & Jerry’s sell out
page 4
CITY HUBRIS
Holy Toledo, Batman!
BY LAWRENCE GIBBONS
Kristina Kerscher Keneally should
know a thing or two about shopping
centres. Born and bred in Toledo,
Ohio, KKK’s hometown sports
more mega box stores, faceless chain
outlets and struggling shopping
malls than any one Midwest
community ever could support.
Holy Toledo sits midway along the
rust belt that girdles the Great
Lakes: somewhere between Detroit’s
decaying sprawl and Ohio’s largest
city — Cleveland, which locals call
“the mistake on the lake.”
Now NSW Planning Minister,
KKK’s local electorate includes
Green Square and RedfernWaterloo. Combined, her South
Sydney neighbourhoods comprise
the inner city’s largest urban
revitalisation project since Lord
Mayor Frank Sartor worked hand
in hand with the State Labor
government to redevelop the
Sydney Harbour Foreshore around
Pyrmont. His reward was to be
catapulted into cabinet as Planning
Minister with control over the
Redfern-Waterloo Authority and
the Sydney Harbour Foreshore
Authority, until KKK was anointed
and Sartor was replaced.
Say what you will about her,
Labor’s newly appointed real estate
agent is no ordinary blonde
bombshell. All year long her
Department has been busy crafting
a new shopping centre policy for
metropolitan Sydney. Under the
guise of “increasing competition”
and “reducing prices for
consumers” the Minister’s proposed
new laws would grant developers
the right to erect massive shopping
centres and retail barns the size of
football fields without considering
their impact on Sydney’s local
village precincts. They would be
proud of her in Toledo.
To study how large, chain-store
operations can destroy a local
community at the expense of local
business, KKK’s planning
department should visit the
Minister’s hometown, where big box
stores are devouring one another
and shopping malls are struggling to
survive. In downtown Toledo, the
former, massive nine story Macy’s
Department Store (which housed a
dry goods store for sixty years
before Macy’s opened) sat derelict
until the City government was
forced to maintain the vacant site.
As one urban planning expert
commented, “The strip malls of
Toledo have literally stripped
downtown Toledo of its people, and
its character—at the expense of the
all-American taxpayers.”
With two mega Wal-Marts having
recently expanded in Toledo, locals
are fighting back, rallying and
demanding comprehensive ‘Big
Box’ store ordinances to help
communities gain more leverage in
the development process. But here
in NSW, the State’s Ohio-born
Planning Minister is proposing new
regulations that will make it easier
for Australia’s global retail
developers and mega chain store
operators to put local, small shops
out of business. As the Sydney
Morning Herald recently reported on
its front page, “[Proposed new laws
will] give big developers and
supermarkets free rein to open
stores. Under the plan, no
consideration would have to be
given to the effects on small
businesses or the proximity of other
shops when decisions are made to
approve large new stores. The term
‘neighbourhood shop’ would be
deleted from local environmental
plans.” Once adopted, the State’s
planning guidelines will ensure that
Sydney’s traditional village high
streets, including Marrickville
Road, Parramatta Road, the
Princess and the Hume Highways
all go the way of the American
Midwest: malled to death.
Born in the shadow of Detroit,
KKK envisions a new Motor City
where consumers can drive to malls
and big box stores to fill up their
cars. In April the Minister told the
Herald that her new centres policy
would stimulate economic activity
“by co-locating business, shopping
services and entertainment in
centres using transport and other
infrastructure more efficiently.” And
yet in a world planning for reduced
energy consumption, studies in the
US consistently find that people
who live near small stores are more
likely to walk to the shop. While
local neighbourhood shops reduce
green house emissions, large
shopping centres have the opposite
effect. Study after study has found
that people who live near local,
small shops drive less, walk more
and use less petrol. Big box stores,
chain stores and superstores waste
land resources, contributing to
urban sprawl and suburban blight;
to say nothing of the social cost of
spending your money at a mega
chain store. Dollars spent at a local
shop stay in the local community.
One recent American study showed
that for every $100 spent at a localindependent business, $73 stays in
the community versus $43 at a
non-locally owned business.
Large chain stores suck money out
of the local community, while local
small businesses provide colour,
character and a unique cultural
experience. Local small businesses
generate local jobs; large retail barns
create a workforce of minimumwage slaves. Having escaped the
urban blight of America’s decaying,
poorly planned rust belt, the
Planning Minister appears hell bent
on bringing the same unsustainable,
auto dependent sprawl she grew up
with in Ohio here to Sydney.
Having witnessed the effects of
rampant, unregulated retail growth
on local small businesses in her
home town of Toledo, Ohio,
Kristina Kerscher Kenneally plans
to bring the same poor planning
policies to Sydney, regardless of the
social, environmental and economic
costs to the Australian community.
In a world where ubiquitous chain
stores are determined to create a
homogenous retail experience,
Sydney could wind up looking a lot
like Toledo once the Ohio-born
Planning Minister has made her
mark on the local landscape.
20, 50, and 100 years ahead are
science fiction.
And this crew has been quick to
claim that the hacked
‘Climategate’ email – in which an
IPCC scientist stated that elements
of the climate model don’t fully
mirror current weather patterns –
is evidence that climate change is
one big media scam.
And how unpredictable was it that
a government elected with a
mandate for climate action chose
to water down targets, pay billions
to polluters, say yes to almost
everything demanded by their
opponents, and excise the
crossbench independents and
Greens. One of those
‘independents’ is Stephen Fielding,
who this week launched the
equivalent of an 8-year old’s
tantrum in the Senate to aid
Coalition filibustering as he
moaned about the evil popular
influence of Al Gore’s film An
Innocent Truth (yes, he got that one
wrong too).
Amazingly, it has not been the
Rudd Government’s timidity and
big talk to attract global attention.
It has, instead, been “The Perils of
Malcolm”. The BBC Worldwide
has been reporting that
negotiations with the federal
opposition have collapsed amid
Liberal infighting, and that the
result could be a change of
leadership and the calling of a snap
election in which they would
certainly be decimated.
It is likely such an election would
see Fielding sacked from the
Senate, more Greens elected, and
Nick Xenophon put in a better
position to bend the government’s
will as part of a progressive and
newly-empowered crossbench.
Xenophon has been pushing well-
prepared modelling and research
upon a hapless Penny Wong.
Bound by party discipline and
exasperated with a scheme already
reconfigured three times, she has
politely rejected his input.
Xenophon, however, has
continued to argue that his
proposal would save $50 billion,
impose a smaller burden on lower
and middle class families, and
enable much higher carbon
reductions and better
environmental outcomes. The
only hope for his plan now would
be continued Liberal rejection of
the CPRS which is very likely
after the leadership change and a
double dissolution delaying an
outcome until February after the
Senate is flushed clear.
For the environment, for the
Australian public and for future
generations, this would be the best
possible outcome.
The CPRS and ETS are deeply
flawed. They can be regarded as
better than nothing if they are
mere framework, but we should
remember Kyoto was also a
framework.
Twelve years on, the time for
action is still now.
Global heat melts Libs
BY ROGER HANNEY
Despite all the climate change
denial in the Liberal party, rising
temperatures have delivered the
Opposition its third leader in just
over a year, placing ETS vacillator
Tony Abbot in the hot seat. And it
seems the global zeitgeist has
ferociously outpaced the Rudd
Government in the same way
basic reality has outflanked the
Abbott-Minchin-Robb COALition.
China has just announced a 40
per cent reduction in ‘carbon
intensity’, although they have yet
to specify an overall carbon
pollution reduction. Unfortunately,
this measure was invented by
Published fortnightly and freely avalaible
Sydney wide. Published by The
Alternative Media Group of Australia.
While every effort is made to ensure the
accuracy of content, City Hub takes no
responsibility for inadvertent errors or
omissions. ABN 48 135 222 169
colleagues of George Bush. It
indexes carbon emissions to GDP,
so the Chinese are essentially
locking their economy into a
radically more energy efficient
paradigm.
For China, which cares enough to
send its president to Copenhagen,
this is a solid first step. For
Australian climate sceptics and
other idiots, it’s one less stalling
point. No longer can they
legitimately say we should wait
until China acts.
So get ready to hear Andrew Bolt,
Stephen Fielding et al talking up
the “global cooling” myth.
According to these wits, because
Publisher: Lawrence Gibbons
Group Manager: Chris Peken
Editor: Pam Walker
Editor at Large: Matt Khoury
Publishing Manager: Scott Love
Sales Manager: Rachel Tarquinio,
David Sullivan
Publisher’s Assistant:
Lynda Kennedy
Arts Editor: Angela Bennetts
the globe hasn’t turned into a ball
of molten lava in the last 12
months, all projections looking 10,
What’s On Editor: Sophie Tarr
Environment Editor: Roger Hanney
Dining Editor: Jackie McMillan
Cartoon: Peter Berner
Email: [email protected]
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Contact: PO Box 843 Broadway 2007
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Design: Gadfly Media
Cover: Minas Arony - Dene and Yogi
3
COVER STORY
The Big Scoop
BY JACKIE MCMILLAN
Last Saturday I joined a smallerthan-expected queue outside
Australia’s first Ben & Jerry’s for
their ‘12-Hour Scoop-A-Thon’.
Surrounded by fake cows and
eager families, I felt conflicted: we
had to decide on a flavour before
entering the store. I chose Phish
Food on the advice of
an experienced
consumer: “You’ve
got to be careful; the
ones that sound really
good are too rich.”
One super-sweet scoop
later, the horizon
disappeared as a haze
descended on Manly. The
queue had mostly dissipated.
With temperatures already in the
high 20s, most people seemed
more interested in swimming.
Flyer-wielding Ben & Jerry’s staff
did their best – peace, love and
free ice-cream for all.
Catharine Munro wrote in SMH’s
Good Living: “Ben & Jerry’s feelgood flavour has come to our
shores.” She’s not the only one
touting the feel-good vibe.
A Current Affair’s Kirstine Lumb
4
was also on the bandwagon:
“It really is the ultimate guilt-free
ice-cream isn’t it?”
Am I the only one who finds
transporting ice cream across the
Pacific ludicrous? We make it
here. Sure I’m chuffed they’re
offsetting their (massive) carbon
footprint, but perhaps they could
try not making one in the
first place? Of course it’s
just for a few years while
the actual owners of
Ben & Jerry’s, Unilever,
assess the worth of
establishing regional
headquarters.
That’s right folks, the feelgood founders Ben Cohen
and Jerry Greenfield were bought
out nearly 10 years ago. These
days they’re more like mascots,
trotted out to cut a ribbon and
announce the new ‘Australian’
flavour name – Peanut CookieBurra Dough. So let’s talk about
Unilever instead.
Nick Ray is part of the Ethical
Consumer Group – they make a
booklet designed to assist
Australian consumers make more
sustainable purchasing choices. In
Nick Palumbo
Gelato Messina
their guide Nick says: “Unilever
receive a cross due to criticisms
related to animal testing.” Their
Australasian products are not
tested on animals but they are a
global company, and “the
European Union has this year just
phased out all testing... on
animals... It began the process in
2003.” Nick points out, we’re
talking about one of the world’s
largest corporations with “annual
sales of approximately $54.4
billion in 2004” and an equally
“huge responsibility to be leaders”
when many smaller companies
have managed to phase out
animal testing entirely!
The Ben & Jerry’s ingredient list
also poses a few problems for the
ethical consumer. First there’s
Pat and Sticks
high-fructose corn syrup, the
dominant U.S. sweetener.
University of Florida researchers
have linked it to obesity. There are
healthier and greener alternatives;
sugar is better for you.
There’s also palm oil, linked to
rainforest destruction, climate
change and the likely extinction of
Orang-utans within 20 years. The
Palm Oil Action Group
www.palmoilaction.org.au are
fighting for compulsory labelling
so we can make informed
decisions, but as Greenpeace’s
Sue Connor warns, the palm oil
industry is already out of
control: “There’s no way for the
end user to know whether the oil
comes from destructive sources
or not... None of the oil is
segregated by traders.”
In a small Leichhardt premises
Pat & Stick’s are a two-man
operation turning out excellent
ice-cream sandwiches. I liked their
Expresso Lace better than my
scoop of Ben & Jerry’s; it’s made
with sugar. Pat handed me a wellthumbed book: “We started off
reading Ben and Jerry’s story...
They just wanted to make
something that everyone enjoyed.
They did it for a lot of years.
They’re inspirational.”
Imagine how he felt when one of
his stockists was asked by
Unilever representatives to replace
their Pat and Stick’s freezer with a
Ben & Jerry’s one.
Back in the day, the Ben and
Jerry’s Homemade Ice Cream and
Dessert Book explains that they
too were the victim of nasty
corporate tactics: “We knew a
little company with 23 employees
could not hold its own against a
company with annual sales of
four billion dollars...” They rallied
behind: ‘What’s the Doughboy
Afraid Of?’
Now the shoe’s on the other foot.
The founders were recently
spotted taking notes in Gelato
Messina, home of Sydney’s best
gelato (according to the 2009
SMH’s Foodies’ Guide). Are Ben
& Jerry’s afraid of Nick Palumbo?
I hear his new Pecan Pie flavour is
outrageously good! Nick says:
“While Ben & Jerry’s is
undoubtedly king of the mass
market ice-cream world,
ultimately it is still a mass
produced product made by
machines in an automated
factory... My product is boutique
– all handmade, every day, tub
by tub... using fresh produce
purchased from local producers.”
Underneath the mainstream
media’s feel-good ‘hippy
capitalist’ stories, I found a
buyout that has (at best) diluted
the core ethical practices that Ben
& Jerry’s began with. They’re a
corporate giant using ingredients
that don’t feel good.
Photo: Karen Spring
Fears for Honduras
People rally against human rights abuses
BY ROSANNA WONG
This week’s election of
conservative candidate Porfirio
Lobo, a rich landowner, has
ended the dream of true
sovereignty and an equitable
society for many Hondurans.
The non-violent resistance that
emerged after the June 28
military coup which sent leftist
president Manuel Zelaya into
exile, has suffered grave human
rights abuses: suspension of
basic civil rights, curfews, rape,
torture, more than two dozen
assassinations, hundreds beaten
up or suffocated by gas,
thousands illegally detained,
6
attacks against and closure of
alternative media, sedition
charges against peaceful
protesters, and fully-armed
soldiers everywhere.
On election day the resistance
called for a boycott of the vote
and claims a 65 per cent
absentee rate. There is also talk
of a legal challenge to declare the
election process illegal.
Thousands have daily taken to
the streets with cries of “We are
not 5, we are not 100, sold-out
press, count us well!” and “Are
we tired? NO! Are we scared?
No! So? Adelante! Adelante!
The struggle is constant!”
They were demanding the
reinstatement of President Zelaya
before the November 29
election, formation of a National
Constituent Assembly,
punishment for human rights
crimes and a boycott of the
election if Zelaya was not
reinstated. President Zelaya was
a landowner elected from a
conservative Liberal Party. It
came as a surprise when,
responding to grassroots
demands, he implemented
reforms such as the 70 per cent
minimum wage increase,
consultation on forming a
Constituent Assembly, blocking
of further mining concessions
and the privatisation of telco
Hondutel. Zelaya called for a
non-binding consultation on
election day, via a 4th voting
box, so people could indicate if
they want a people’s assembly to
reform the constitution.
Such an assembly would be
formed after the election, and
Zelaya was not on the registered
candidates list. It is against the
constitution to hold a
referendum to move the work of
changing the constitution from
representative to participative
democracy, but Zelaya was not
proposing a referendum.
The regime has used its control
of the army to hold on to stolen
power and the US
Administration has consented to
this coup by not calling for
strong sanctions.
The latest agreement (now
broken) was used by the US to
recognise the November election
against Honduran grassroots
demands – under mass
repression, against evidence of
fraud, and despite threats of the
Honduran army to massacre the
resistance, particularly its leaders.
Honduras is the third poorest
country in Central America,
and several families control most
of the country’s wealth.
A Sydney forum organised by a
coalition of local Latin American
and social justice community
groups and organisations was
held in the Addison Road
Community Centre, Marrickville
in late September. Speakers
included Santiago, a Honduran
who fled persecution in the ‘80s,
UNSW lecturer in the School of
Latin American Studies Peter
Ross, and Rosanna Wong, who
went to Honduras in September
as an observer. The forum
passed a resolution in solidarity
with the Honduran people.
We fear for them. Please take
action in solidarity, and email
[email protected]
om. We will forward your
messages to them.
Gunns in the Wilderness
BY ROGER HANNEY
As ever, the campaign against
Gunns pulp mill in Tasmania
continues, far from the interest of
national and commercial media.
But a new twist may woo a
renewal of coverage.
The Wilderness Society (TWS)
has launched a campaign in
Tasmania to persuade politicians,
and apparently the public, to
support an expansion of
industrial timber plantations and
a Gunns-owned pulp mill, albeit
smaller than the one currently
going ahead. Activists, whether
campaigning for environment,
social justice or local businesses,
will be confused and divided by
this new push.
Generally, TWS uses membership
and donor funds to support
existing campaigns, either by
resourcing local campaigns,
generating public awareness of
issues, or mounting expensive
legal action in parallel to
grassroots direct actions. The
new campaign, however, is being
questioned by Tasmanian-based
pulp mill opponents, who now
find their efforts divided between
fighting logging behemoth Gunns
and an environmental NGO which
seems disinterested in concerns
about reallocation of productive
private and public lands and
natural resources.
Concerned local campaigners
point to a TWS media release in
early November, “The Wilderness
Society welcomed the news
announced today at the Gunns
AGM that Swedish pulp and
paper company Sdra is one of
the potential pulp-mill investors
the company is in talks with”.
TWS insisted its support for
Sodra is because the company
attaches strict conditions to mill
financing, including the use of
totally chlorine-free processing,
the use of non-native forest
resources and not litigating
against community activism.
But there are local concerns that
TWS is operating beyond its
mandate and the wishes of its
financial base, promoting
forestry, mythical profits and job
creation and Gunns at the
expense of nature, community,
and future generations in a state
where democracy seems to have
gone astray.
The saga continues.
OPINION
Bouncers a law
unto themselves
BY MATT KHOURY
It has become a hallmark of Sydney: burly,
uneducated, ego-driven security guards outside
licensed premises, making prejudiced decisions
regarding entry and often being violent and overaggressive towards patrons.
A largely ignored fact is that ‘bouncers’ have no
legislative power to use force. Although crowd
controllers hold batons and clench fists, they’re as
entitled to use them as anyone else. A threat of
violence is a threat of assault.
But a problem remains: regulation is entirely with
NSW Police. The state’s 38,000 licensed security
personnel constitute a second-tier police force that
enjoys a tolerant attitude from law enforcers. The
majority of court cases against them are civil, as
criminal charges are seldom laid.
In NSW the licensing of security guards is to “the
satisfaction of the Commissioner”; Andrew Scipione
maintains discretionary power. Recent legislation
bans the mentally and physically unfit (deemed by
Scipione) – and, of course, bikies and terrorists.
NSW has been waiting two years since the
introduction of the Security Industry Regulation
(Patron Protection) Bill by former Nile-sidekick
Gordon Moyes. The law, which allows random
drug and alcohol testing of bouncers, has been
passed by the upper house and will go before the
lower house next year.
A NSW Police spokesperson wouldn’t say how
many ‘bouncer’ licences they have revoked, but
industry insiders say cases are isolated. Changes
8
Trainless tracks de-rail metro buzz
Cartoon: Nath Colby
made since 2007 has seen a drop in the calibre of
personnel, according to a security company CEO.
Two-day courses have evolved to 10-day – this has
attracted full time, often unskilled workers, rather
than the educated and casual employees the
industry demands.
NSW is presided over by the western world’s
fourth largest police force and an ever-growing,
sub-standard array of security guards – many who
break the law by assaulting patrons. And it’s
getting worse.
BY MATT KHOURY
For all the NSW Government’s
ambivalence and inaction on
public transport, the ‘metro’
buzz word has appeared. The
ALP initially denied reports that
Sydney was ‘going
underground’ but jumped
on the train of the ‘tabloidpolitical complex’ once the
fervour began.
Federal funding was granted for
feasibility studies, and
approaching an election year,
Macquarie Street nurtured a
public perception that
something might actually
happen. Press was generated
on future dreams rather
than the present,
underperforming nightmare.
The ‘metro’ system, which to a
large extent mirrors the city’s
light rail, will not get
underground anytime soon.
Insiders say a
Strathfield/Parramatta
underground line – also parallel
with existing infrastructure – is
being talked about.
What has been laid deep in the
ground is what the city really
needs: the Hills
District/Maroubra ‘metro’
originally suggested within the
Department of Transport, and
reported in the media. But when
politicians lie, they don’t do it
too extravagantly. They lie
within reason.
In fact, the Department of
Transport is so short of funds
that ferry privatisation has
been tendered.
The Dulwich Hill residents’
campaign for a light rail
extension from Rozelle on
existing freight tracks has been
ignored. Inexpensive to repair
these would link the inner west
and south western rail lines. The
state’s Northern Rivers region
understands their frustration: a
few hundred kilometres of
unused rail tracks and signal
boxes stand idle. It’s no wonder
hitch-hiking is in vogue.
Across the continent, success
stories reign: Melbourne’s
transport is a global prototype;
Adelaide’s integrated light rail is
nearing completion; small town
residents in south-eastern
Queensland are celebrating a
steam train on existing tracks
that has seen local business
thrive. But in NSW, it took 15
years to complete a ParramattaChatswood rail link that doesn’t
make it to Chatswood.
All aboard the ‘metro’: the word
buzzes and although the train
has no legs, the story does. It
hogs headlines and initiates
protest. The Pyrmont community
– supported by this newspaper
– is up in arms about plans to
demolish heritage. But local
unrest in the ALP-dominated
inner city is irrelevant compared
to statewide press that the
government has a vision.
The current political mess has
ensued. For all the hype, rail
lines lie dormant. An active
government could change that.
As Sydney falls below
mediocrity, talk of ‘metro,
metro’ takes over. Gotta love
that word. Gotta love this city.
A microcosm of madness
Holy Mother of Marx, why
would anybody want to lead
the Liberal Party at the
moment?
This isn’t going to be a good
period for any mainstream
politician but for the right it’s
going to be a stinker. The
world just isn’t facing the sort
of rising economic tide that
carried political conservatives
ranging from Thatcher, Blair,
Clinton, Keating, Bush and
Rudd to the brief triumph of
market fundamentalism.
Because they carry the seeds
of their own destruction,
some things can only be done
once and a breakneck
expansionist boom like we’ve
seen, with a few nasty little
interruptions for more than a
century, can’t go on forever.
Eventually the grog runs out,
the music dies and the sun
comes up; the party’s over
and everybody must face the
consequence of excess.
Just look at the ghastly line up
of interrelated problems
society faces. Firstly there’s
the GFC. Don’t believe for a
moment that it’s history. Last
week, stock markets around
the world slumped on the
news that a construction
company in tinpot Dubai was
likely to default on its US$80
billion debt. More big
collapses and even national
defaults are looming. The
Great Bailout was just a quick
reflation trick – a get-out-ofgaol-free card that’s just
encouraged the big looters to
start all over again.
Then there’s that great, ugly
material fact: the last century
of relentless growth was
powered by the miracle fuels
– oil and gas – but world
production of both has finally
peaked and we’re now on the
downward slide with no
replacement fuels of
comparable efficiency and
cheapness anywhere on the
horizon. The resulting spike
in oil prices triggered the
GFC. At the moment, oil
prices are hovering just below
US$70 a barrel, but any
serious sign of an economic
upturn will push it up again
and trigger another collapse.
So oil and gas prices are
acting as a natural dampener
on the world economy and, in
the background, the running
down of supplies continues.
In a couple of years’ time, the
rate of decline could be as
high as 4 per cent a year.
Ah, but is the decline of oil
and gas good news for the
climate change front? Won’t it
mean fewer carbon
emissions? Unfortunately,
that’s unlikely. We’re really,
really, going to be pushing it
to replace electricity supplied
by existing coal-fired power
stations with renewable
sources, but if there’s a move
to replace our existing car
fleet with electric cars, the
only way the surge in demand
could be accommodated
would be with a couple of
dozen new coal-fired or
nuclear power stations. Would
you want to decide where
they’re going to be built?
They’ll need copious and
reliable supplies of cooling
water. Which of our already
failing rivers are you going to
locate your power stations on?
Did you know that the
Wallerawang power station is
going to be closed down over
Christmas? It normally uses
water pumped from mines
and the Fish River. The water
from the mines is too salty to
be used undiluted, so they
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vehicle) to deliver our newspapers.
All enquiries please call
Chris on 9212 5677 or email
[email protected]
10
mix it with the river water but
there’s almost no water in the
river so they’re having to use
water from the Oberon Dam,
which is at 12 per cent. Does
that sound bad? Wait for this:
by agreement, the electricity
company will only take
minimal levels of dam water if
the dam falls to 5 per cent
but, being big-hearted, they’ve
decided to cut to minimal
levels if the dam only falls to
8 per cent. I don’t know
about you, but to this
possum it reads like a
microcosm of the whole
irresponsible madness.
Things would be bad, but not
quite this bad, if the idiots
who run this society had
taken a stand against the
widespread installation of airconditioning, which is what’s
driving an increase in power
demand right at the time we
need to be driving usage
downwards. But of course,
even in this small matter,
nobody in mainstream politics
is willing to take a stand
against an irresponsible
product the big companies
want to push into the mass
market, so what chance is
there that they’ll ever do
anything to confront
climate change?
Much of our best farmland is
sliding inexorably towards
dustbowl conditions while the
Libs and Nats run around
with one hand out for
perpetual drought relief and
the other waving a placard
that says ‘Global Warming is
a Commie Plot’.
So what’s the reason for this
collective madness and
denial? Our politicians know
instinctively that if breakneck
growth stops, then under the
present market fundamentalist
regime they’ve all committed
themselves to, the illusion of
trickle-down solutions will
evaporate, social inequality
will spin out of control and
socialist solutions will be back
on the agenda.
THE NAKED CITY
WITH MISS DEATH, JAY KATZ & COFFIN ED
Sydney is a city of villages, a city of plenty and a city of sin – a Naked City. Stroll the dark alleys, the mean streets and the fatal shores
each fortnight with Miss Death, Jay Katz and Coffin Ed as they navigate their way through this city’s most treacherous cultural waters.
half dozen highly trashable hotel
rooms or the VIP lounge of
some trendy nightclub, a
smattering of heavily tattooed
rock babes and a bar tab that
match to the plasma and
will never run out because most
watched that sucker melt!
of the guests are too stoned to
Wanton vandalism aside, and we drink anyway - it’s rock’n’roll
are not for one minute
debauchery at its finest, and on
advocating it, a genuine old style the cheap!
record company after bash
And here’s a final plus. With
would send the ratings soaring as Channel 9 still milking the
celebrity after celebrity crashed,
success of Underbelly, it was no
trampled and snorted their way
accident that Gidon Grantley
through a set of especially
found himself as the beaming coprepared hotel rooms and
compere of this year’s gongfest.
chintzy late night bars. There’s
The cross promotion could
room for that old gag of course
certainly weave its magic way
when the odd Aria or two is
through next year’s telecast,
discreetly slipped under a lounge especially as the forthcoming
seat with the pointy end up. It’s
series hits the mean streets of
an absolute riot when somebody Kings Cross. And because
finally sits on one, even more so nothing on TV is ever really
animal of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s - when it’s an entirely
“real”, there’d be the obligatory
and he’s a dying breed.
unsuspecting Robbie Williams or shower of icing powder coke,
These days it’s almost
any other dubious import out
bottles of Dom Perignon refilled
impossible to hurl a TV out of
here to join our celebration of
with Porphyry Pearl and all the
a hotel window, what with
Australian music.
Pollywaffles you could eat. A
double plated glass, and even
All in all there’s a massive saving couple of actors could be hired
more so when it’s a big sexy
for the network involved and the to make out “Underbelly style”
flat screen screwed to the wall.
record companies that pour
on the balcony and John Ibrahim
That didn’t stop Matthew and
thousands of dollars into
might even be persuaded to do a
his band of partygoers recently expensive sets and props to
surprise DJ set.
– they allegedly just put a
promote their overblown acts. A Eventually the Arias could
THE ULTIMATE ARIAS AFTER PARTY!
Here at The Naked City we have a
theory: that the established
music industry isn’t going to take
too kindly in the euphoric wake
of last week’s Acer Arena Aria
Awards. We honestly believe
popular music is getting worse!
As record companies become
irrelevant and today’s new breed
of popstars struggle for new
ideas, top 40 pop is on a serious
downward spiral - not yet
diabolical but way past crap and
getting uglier everyday.
Hands up if you sat through the
entire excruciating two and a half
hours of the Arias, maybe in the
hope that Empire Of The Sun’s
pseudo Mayan clobber might
trigger a mini apocalypse in
keeping with 2012 prediction for
the end of the world. No such
luck and hopefully by the time
they had collected their third
gong you had switched over to
the Walkleys on SBS,
desperately looking for a
drunken Glenn Milne to restore
your faith in shameful
12
outrageous behaviour.
You see, that’s what we found
totally disturbing about this
year’s Arias and the pop music it
supposedly celebrated. Where
was the shock factor? Where
were the foul mouthed inebriated
presenters? Where was the
gratuitous display of naked flesh
and where was the tantrum
packed backstage barney? It was
all so horribly sanitised!
Next year, regardless of who
chooses to telecast the Arias, we
have a suggestion. Forget about
the actual awards and cross
straight to the after party, live
from the Vibe Hotel at
Rushcutters Bay where your
MC for the night, all Australian
bad boy Matthew Newton has
already destroyed half of the
penthouse suite. Matthew might
have attracted some bad
publicity of late (and an equally
bad bum shot in Underbelly) but
hey, he is the living embodiment
of the hard-living, hard-drinking,
room-trashing, rock’n’roll party
THE HIT LIST
Maynard presents The Keepin’
It Real, By Keepin’ It Wrong
Xmas Show. Thursday
December 3, 7.30pm,
Mu-Meson Archives: It was a
real crowd pleaser last year
and Maynard has spent all
year collecting videos to
present in a night of music,
clips and trivia, including
“Moneyshot Theatre” and
“Facebook Failures”
www.meson.org
Heavy Petting, Friday
December 11, 7.30pm,
Mu-Meson Archives: An
entertaining and sometimes
salacious exploration of the
sexual mores of the ‘50s
through the eyes of a
generation that lived through
the Sexual Revolution.
become just another episode of
Underbelly where art and culture
are merged with corruption,
drug taking, sexual promiscuity
and a $200 haircut. Who
knows, you might even get a
good song or two out of the
miasma – just in time for the
end of the world in 2012!
EAT & DRINK
[email protected]
by Jackie McMillan
F O O D I E S ’ D I A RY
PRICING
$ - mains less than $15
$$ - mains between $15-$22
$$$ - mains between $22-$30
$$$$ - mains over $30
ROCKS & CBD
Artful Food 1
Living in the inner west, I sometimes avoid the city’s plentiful
restaurants in favour of a quick (motorised) getaway – sadly
parking can be the decider. But when it comes to shows, the
Sydney Opera House is unmatched as a venue and their
Director of Contemporary Culture,Virginia Hyam, knows
how to put together an enticing programme. So next time
you’re booking a show, take a look at the new Show Plus
packages, which combine a two-course pre-theatre dinner at
restaurants like Aria, Bilson’s Number One,Wildfire and East
Restaurant with interval drinks and parking. It’s a two tiered
pricing system ($78/ Silver, $98/ Gold) dependent upon
which restaurant you choose, so why not try out some top
end venues at a (safely) fixed price? Aria’s offering a tempting
Kurobuta sweet pork belly with pork croquette, paradise
pears and pear chutney... but if you need more food for
thought, menus are online at www.sydneyoperahouse.com.
Artful Food 2
In a temptingly edible piece of theatre, the Sugar Spun Fairy
wiggled coquettishly while Australian gastronomic legends
Tony Bilson (Bilson’s), Cheong Liew (formerly The Grange,
Adelaide) and Tetsuya Wakuda (Tetsuya’s) used hammers to
denude her of her sweet attire.The sugary spoils were met
with enthusiasm from foodie notables like John Newton,
Lyndey Milan and this humble scribe, at the launch of Cuisine
Now last week. I’m already itching to attend a bunch of events
in the two week festival which starts on the 11th January,
2010, running concurrently with the Sydney Festival. Events
include the Australian chefs mentioned above, and some
notable international stars like Nicolas le Bec (Lyon) matched
up with stars of opera and cabaret like Australia’s Paul Capsis
and French chanteuse Caroline Nin.Those living in the inner
west will be well placed to attend with many events hosted at
the brand new green-star Doltone House! Tickets go on sale
on the 28th November, 2009 at www.cuisinenow.com.au.
Tarting Up Xmas
If you’re a deft hand at tarting up Christmas leftovers, FoodWise
have rebranded Boxing Day as National Leftovers Day, to help
raise awareness about the environmental and financial costs of
food wastage.They’re running a competition on their website
www.foodwise.com.au until the 15th December.To be in the
running to win a $2000 Tupperware makeover all you need to
do is give away your best method for using up tasty Christmas
leftovers.They have already received a bunch of great
suggestions, including this corker from Amy Miller:“We take all
left over fruit & nuts and any Christmas cake, mix it in with
some vanilla ice cream and make a whole new Boxing Day ice
cream cake.” Now that sounds both tasty and clever!
14
Ocean Room
Sit beneath a wood-wind cathedral
of quivering wood batons and
explore contemporary tradition in
Executive Chef Raita Noda’s updated
menu. His Chotto Collection ($23)
is playfully tactile; his Sake Jelly Bar
Cod ($21) drips umami as you
unwrap smoky konbu ribbons to
reveal silky seared cod; and the Tuna
Creation ($23) combines creative
cubes with salted spoons, but
eschews sharing.A salmon pink 2007
Chateau Riotor Rose ($11/glass,
$58/bottle) wins with sweet
strawberries and reassuring dryness.
Decadent Peppercorn Lobster
($19/100g, 600-800g) is salty yet
satisfying, and a steaming Ocean
Trout Pot ($37) was creamy and
entertaining.
Bay 4, Ground Level, Overseas
Passenger Terminal, George Street,The
Rocks (02) 9252 9585
www.oceanroomsydney.com
DARLO, KINGS X
& SURRY HILLS
Tharen’s
This iconic venue dates back to
1979. Groups flock here for fun
headwear dress-ups, lubricated by
sparkling La Vie Pinot Noir
Chardonnay ($38); flaming Bombé
Alaska; and a surprisingly good meal.
Entrees like Twice Cooked Four
Cheese Soufflé or Chicken Liver
Parfait with Roast Honey Figs are
great. For mains I favoured Veal with
Porcini Gratin over the nicely
cooked Lemon and Dill Crusted
Salmon with Citrus Sabayon. Bread,
salad, vegetables and dessert are
included too.While we finished our
lovely 2007 Daniel Dampt Chablis
($55) almost everyone got up
dancing! Grinning staff side-stepped
expertly - refreshingly attitude-free.
13-15 Kellett Way, Kings Cross
(02) 9326 9510 www.tharens.com.au
Theatre Restaurant ($59.50/head,
$93.50/unlimited alcohol)
Cantina Bar & Grill
Easy drinking jugs of Margaritas
Espana ($35/carafe) have a citrusvanilla flavour that suits Scallop and
Prawn Stuffed Piquillo Peppers
($5/piece).The specials board
produces a generous bowl of
Steamed Mussels ($12) with tomato,
white wine, saffron and coriander it begged for a bit of bread.
Chickpea Salad ($14) with grilled
peppers, Manchego, cucumber, mint
and onion proved a compelling foil
to the Char Grilled Angus Beef
($20) with Chimichurri.Walk-up
diners are welcomed, often to stoolstyle seats, but after a few selections
from wines from Argentina, Chile
and Spain, you probably won’t care
where you’re sitting.
245 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst
(02) 9357 3033 www.cantina.net.au
Mediterranean Tapas $$-$$$
Legno
This light and airy, modern space
won me; over-delivering with a
Legno Pizza ($20) – big taste from
pancetta, porcini, Italian sausage and
garlic, on a delicious, thin base.The
aged Beef Carpaccio ($19) is easy to
eat, as are ricotta-stuffed Zucchini
Flowers ($17). Confit Duck-Leg
Risotto ($26) is heavy on the duck
and big on flavour.The hand-made
mint pappardelle with slow cooked
Lamb Ragu ($22) shows their
commitment to sourcing great
produce. Our 2008 Pasqua Soave
($7/glass, $24/bottle) was easydrinking and affordable.The
caramelised Banana and Chocolate
Calzone ($12) with butterscotch
sauce will lure me back.
529 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills
(02) 9698 8225
www.legnopizzeria.com.au
Italian $$$
INNER WEST
(Pyrmont/Balmain/
Leichhardt/Glebe)
Revolver
Rod Jones (Cafe Niki) has opened the
hip, local cafe of my dreams in the
genteel surrounds of a quiet
Annandale back street - think refitted
general store, antiques and a great
young chef, Rebecca Chippington. I
enjoyed her gently cooked
Scrambled Eggs with Avocado,Tomato
and Fetta Salsa ($12); her lean and
lovely Ultimate Cheeseburger with
Dijonaise Potato Salad ($14); and her
fabulous House-Made Granola
($9.50) with fruit, orange reduction
and Evia gelatine-free yoghurt. Enjoy
one of Rod’s Mum’s sublime Choccy
Melting Moment ($3.50) with a wellmade (Morgan’s) Coffee ($3.20) or a
lovely house-blended tea like Carnival
($4) with papaya and coconut.
Baroque Bistro Patisserie
*NEW*
Let’s not mince words - Pierre
Gobert’s macarons are excellent. Cafe
Gourmand ($10) gives you a coffee
and three ‘flavours of the day’
including the lovely Olive Oil and
Vanilla – I’m yet to strike a bad flavour. Now the important stuff is
out of the way; the heritage space had been kept nicely raw,
accented with gleaming rose copper and expensive foreign (Italian)
chairs you can see right through! Behind the pans,Yann Fontaine
(ex-Bilson’s) makes quality French bistro-style (fast) food. If that’s
not enough, the handsome French waiters decked out in handmade aprons should seal the deal – highly recommended for the
‘ladies who lunch’ set! Married me settles for Baked Eggs with
Porcini Cream and Toasted Baguette ($13) – who knew it could be
an entree as well as breakfast? If you’re not partial to butter and
cream (why?) the Snail and Asparagus Salad ($13) is lovely and
bright, with orange segments and baby spinach. The wine list reads
like a list of my all-time favourites. If you like to drink local, go the
2008 Crawford River ‘Young Vines’ Riesling ($10/glass, $42/bottle)
or the 2009 Spring Vale Chardonnay ($9/glass, $39/bottle). If you’re
partial to the foreign stuff, the 2008 Daniel Dampt Chablis
($14/glass, $64/bottle) is also lovely.
88 George Street,The Rocks (02) 9241 4811www.baroquebistro.com.au
Modern French $$$
Alio *NEW*
With the office Christmas party
looming, many a social club director
will be looking for the perfect place to
please everyone, within the constraints
of budget. If you’re the one struggling,
this venue is an accessible, middle-ofthe-road Italian restaurant conveniently located for both parking and
public transport. I’d take the latter and leave the wine in the capable
hands of owner Tracey Hughes. She’s a star on the floor with genuine
warmth and her seductive description of the 2007 Joseph Cattin
Pinot Blanc ($45) involved toasting the insides of the wooden barrels
to produce the yummy caramel notes the wine displayed so readily.
The dishes of her brother, Head Chef Ashley Hughes, celebrate
simplicity with the hand-made Focaccia and Grissini ($2) being a
great example.The best way to sample his menu is in the extremely
well-priced 6-Course Degustation ($65/head), which includes dishes
like the tasty Char-Grilled Black Angus Fillet with Fresh Baby Peas
($35); the zingy Fettuccine with King Prawns,Tomatoes and Nduja
Salami ($22/$30); and the approachable entree of Prosciutto, Rocket,
Walnut, and Pear with Gorgonzola Dressing ($22). À la carte diners
have the ability to add a refreshing Blood Orange Sorbet ($3)
between entrees and mains – an unusual, unpretentious & egalitarian
twist!
5 Baptist St, Surry Hills (02) 8394-9368 www.alio.com.au
Modern Italian $$$$
Din Tai Fung *NEW*
Dumplings are about precision; perhaps
that’s why an international chain does ‘em
best. First thing each day temperature
and humidity readings are taken to
calculate the perfect dough formula. Each
masked, white-clad, member of the
dumpling chain gang uses gold scales (accurate to 0.01) to ensure
uniformity; down to a minimum of eighteen pinched folds. Daily staff
tastings happen with enough time to correct the dough. Dumplings are
made to order (no circulating trolleys), the silky pleated perfection of the
Crab Meat, Roe & Pork Dumplings ($15.80/6 pieces) shows why; the
signature Pork Dumplings ($8.80/6 pieces) are damned fine too.Avoid
dumpling overload with a Vegetarian Delight ($3.80) dried tofu, seaweed
and glass noodles in sesame; and a refreshing Lychee and Mint Juice
($6.00) before you sample excellent Pork and Prawn Wontons in Spicy
Sauce ($8.80/6 pieces).You can try a Pork Bun ($2.80) if you save room
for an even better dessert, a Steamed Black Sesame Bun ($2.80). Deep
fried only gets a menu look-in with divine Golden Red Bean Bread
($5.80/2 pieces).You will appreciate the sparkling clean, non-intimidating
surrounds; the nicely lacquered picture menus; attentive, impeccably
dressed staff and the concise guide to dipping, stabbing, slurping and
swallowing your way to dumpling heaven.
Level 1,World Square Shopping Centre, 644 George Street, Sydney
(02) 9264 6010 www.dintaifung.com.tw
Taiwanese/Dumplings $-$$
Spigolo *NEW*
One glance at the menu and you’d
be forgiven for thinking that Pino
Nocera just delivers ordinary Italian
classics. After you cut into your
huge, puffy Calzone Pulcinella
($22.90) revealing creamy white
contents wrapped in tasty, chewy
dough topped by fresh tomato and shaved Parmesan, you’ll be a
convert. A neighbouring lady diner seemed daunted by hers but
recovered to pose open-mouthed before it, quipping to her male
companion: “I’m that good!” Ah sex in the città! She can be
excused - al fresco tables under the faux grape vines are romantic,
and the handsome, muscular wait staff ooze Italian charm and
speak the mother tongue. So do many of the patrons. Pino’s son
Luigi stands out on the floor with five-star experience, coaxing us
into a (regular) special of Fettuccini Lobster ($31.90) with a good
bisque-like sauce evenly coating every al dente strand. The popular
Eye Fillet ($31.90) is almost eclipsed by the accompanying pepper
sauce, so good it turns all items on my plate into vehicles for
delivering more! There’s a lot of time in the detailed explanations
on the Italian wine list. We opted for an inexpensive Fazio
Montélimo Nero D’Avola Merlot ($26.90) - a fruity, easy
companion to our food and the hot night.
60 Riley Street, Darlinghurst (02) 9356 3288 www.spigolo.com.au
Italian $$-$$$
EAT & DRINK
291 Annandale Street,Annandale
(02) 9555 4727
Cafe $
The Restaurant at 3 Weeds
Leigh McDivitt is the current head
chef at Rozelle’s gastro-pub hero. It
doesn’t get much better than his
Rabbit, Chestnut and Foie Gras
Terrine ($23) unless you try his
Seared Scallops with Morcilla,
Chorizo,Truffled White Bean Puree
and Coriander ($22). Mains like
Thirlmere Duck Breast with Lentils,
Beetroot, Parsnip, Orange and
Pistachio ($38) use eye-catching
plating, but it’s pricy when you
consider that you’ll need three
courses plus sides.The decadent
Truffle and Parmesan Potato Puree
($10) is worth a whirl. Stand-out
sommelier Nicholas Luhman
triangulated us a superb drop in the
Central Otago 2007 Rippon Riesling
($55)!
197 Evans Street, Rozelle
(02) 9818 2788 www.3weeds.com.au
Gastro Pub $$$$
NEWTOWN & ENVIRONS
(Marrickville/Petersham
/Dulwich Hill/Waterloo
Eagle Boys, Newtown
This bastion of regional Australian
cuisine has landed in the big smoke,
taking on the cheesy, fast-food pizza
set with (according to franchisee
Brian Meknas (ex-Pizza Haven), lighter
dough and “unlike Domino’s and Pizza
Hut they don’t use flavoured meats”.
Shudder. Commence with a Garlic
Aioli Four-Slice Pizza ($4.95) then
[email protected]
by Jackie McMillan
order the Chicken Club ($13.95) or
the perennial regional favourite, surf
and turf, in a Steak and Prawn
($13.95) pizza.The Apple Crumble
Dessert ‘Thingie’ ($4.95) is warm and
full of spiced apple. I doubt gourmet
pizza makers will tremble, but I’d
crown ‘em king of the rest.Tuesdays
see super cheap pick-up pizzas
($4.95)!
2 King Street, Newtown
(131) 433 www.eagleboys.com.au
Pizza $
Black Star Pastry
Is this Sydney’s best pastry shop?
Strawberry Crumble Tart ($4.50) is a
vivid strawberry explosion with a
buttery pastry shell. Rose and Lilac
Macaroons ($3.50) are texturally
perfect; Custard Tarts ($5) are rich
and creamy.White Nectarine Jelly
Panna cotta ($5) gives restaurant
quality dessert for very little coin!
Well-made Little Marionette Coffee
($3) comes quickly, from affable staff.
Savoury treats like Zucchini and
Pumpkin Muffins ($3.50) are moist
and tasty; the Lamb Shank Pie ($6.50)
is a contender for Sydney’s tastiest
pie. Christopher The (ex-Claude’s) is
doing quality baking in this tiny quirky
space with rustic furnishings for eat-in
fun.
277 Australia Street, Newtown
(02) 9557 8656
Cafe $
Guzman y Gomez
If (like me) you rushed in here when
they first opened, give them another
go.They’ve tightened the menu,
adjusted the chilli, improved the
Le Pain Quotidien *NEW*
This week I am touting Norton Street
venues that stray from the expected
cuisine. I recently reminded myself on a
sun-drenched afternoon why I frequent
this cafe.Their Toasted Ham and Cheese
Croissant ($7.95) remains an exercise in
perfection, perched on an artist’s palette with a trio of mustards and
artfully arranged slices of radish and cucumber.A thick toasted slice of
Banana Bread ($5) came with naught but a golden wedge of butter – ah
simplicity.The latter suited the well-made Iced Coffee ($5.50), while the
former was accented by a refreshing Apple and Ginger ($4.75).With
the memory of this experience fresh in my mind, when we were next
struck with a hunger plagued by indecision (a rare thing in my house)
we returned for an evening grazing meal made up of two platters. Did I
mention indecisive? The Board of Fine Cheeses ($19.95) impressed
with super fresh pecans, a chalky goat’s cheese, aged cheddar and
Gruyère, mild brie and a Fourme d’Ambert blue.The Charcuterie
Platter ($19.95) had a good assortment of cold meats, a fat slice of pate
and cornichons. Both were accompanied by a generous selection of
rustic breads; and went well with a surprisingly accessible Hunter Valley
Rosemount Show Reserve Chardonnay ($8/glass, $36/bottle).
54 Norton Street, Leichhardt (02) 9564 0099 www.lepainquotidien.com
French/Café $-$$
guacamole and added alcohol. I loved
the Smokin’ Hot Margarita ($8) with
chilli infused Tequila, and the Beef
Chilli Nachos ($9.90) with excellent
black beans, tomato salsa, guacamole
and chunky steak-rich chilli.A Steak
and Onion Quesadilla ($7 / 2 pieces)
is fat with tasty filling; and the Mini
Burrito ($7) fits better in your mouth.
The caramel Flan ($2.80) will put out
the fire.Also in Bondi Junction, Kings
Cross and Australia Square.
175 King Street, Newtown
(02) 9517 1533
www.guzmanygomez.com.au
Mexican $
EASTERN SUBURBS
& BEACHES
Ravesi’s
A floor above and a cut above the
standard Bondi Beach fare, now with
wine bar! Take in the panoramic view
from resort style lounges on the
spacious balcony, with Seared Tuna
Spoons ($12/4 pieces) and Fantinel
Extra Dry Proscecco ($9). In the
restaurant, Grilled Scallops with
Roasted Peppers,Tomato and Goats’
Cheese ($18) are unusual but
accessible. Mains like Lamb Loin
The Balkan Grill *NEW*
This recently reborn space will speak to
those who have a penchant for the
cuisines of Central Europe. Climb the
stairs from Norton Street and leave
behind the buzz of ‘Little Italy’ for a (much
needed) cultural interloper. I must not be
the only one who thinks so because as I enjoyed my lunch on the wide,
covered balcony, I noticed staff from the neighbourhood’s community bank
also taking advantage of the very reasonable prices.With Sasha Alexsander
(Taste of Brazil) in charge of the menu, you’d be right to assume that grilled
meat will be well handled.The tender lumps of skewered lamb Raznjici
($19) were indeed a highlight. More surprising was the bowl of Mushroom
Dumplings ($8.50) so tasty they are only topped with a blob of sour
cream and a sprinkle of lightly charred onion.The Balkan Antipasta Platter
($12.50) includes bread, a selection of home-made dips, salads and tasty
lean cevapcici (skinless sausage); so it’s an excellent option if you like
grazing. Balance is important to this cuisine, so throw in a refreshingly
simple Cabbage Salad ($4.50/small) regardless.To drink select from
exclusive on tap beers like Hoegaarden, Asahi or Fat Yak ($4-$6.50); or
wines including a decent Cape Campbell Pinot Gris ($8/glass, $45/bottle).
The Zoo Bar, Level 1, 55 Norton Street, Leichhardt (02) 9564 1777
www.thezoobar.com.au
Central European $$
Cutlets with Horseradish Crust,
Golden Shallots and Beetroot ($36)
still showed lipstick traces of winter’s
cool kiss, but the White Chocolate
and Coconut Panna Cotta ($15) with
a passion fruit sorbet was all
summer!
118 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach
(02) 9365 4422 www.ravesis.com.au
Modern Australian $$$-$$$$
Abang Sam
The Malay tiger may have been
tamed too far - our Eggplant Sambal
($10) raised no sweat. Success was
had with Abang Sam’s Famous Satay
Sticks ($9 / 6 pieces) with good
peanut sauce and cute compressed
rice squares. Rendang Daging ($14) is
rich and complex; Roti Canai ($9/2
piece) are good too, but take chicken
curry over the dhal. Friendly staff coo
over youngsters, and warned us we
wouldn’t like the sour (and fishy)
Penang Laksa ($12). End with a
surprisingly complex shave-ice Ais
Kacang ($6), made with palm seed,
corn kernels, grass jelly, red beans and
brown sugar syrup.
Shop 1, 214 Anzac Parade, Kensington
(02) 9662 6554
Malaysian $$
15
A RT S & E N T E RTA I N M E N T
BY SOPHIE MALLAM
a&e
COMEDY:
DANIEL KITSON’S
66A CHURCH ROAD
ARTS &
ENTERTAINMENT
WHAT’S ON
EXHIBITION: FIONA FOLEY’S FORBIDDEN
HHH #1 2004 © Fiona Foley, photo by Dennis Cowley
Photo by Benjamin Townsend
18
There’s something spectacularly
familiar about Sydney summers: the
floating jasmine musk in dusky streets
and the smell of sunscreen and salty
ocean all combine to invoke
sometimes incredibly intense echoes
of childhood in this reviewer.This
nostalgia thing is an interesting beast,
as the flipside of its element of rosetinted happy snaps is the darkness of
all unrequited love - a longing that’s
inherently unsatisfiable, for a place in
time to which we can never return.
The word nostalgia’s original
meaning, UK comedian Daniel Kitson
tells us in the first moments of his
beautiful and bittersweet new theatre
work, is a painful ache to a return to
home or country. It is through this
notion that he frames his one-man
elegy to the flat he lived in for sixand-a-half years in Crystal Palace. He
intersperses his wry and delightful
monologues of finding and inhabiting
the place with more melancholy
voice-overs, through which the lost
flat becomes a symbol of a lost girl
and the untraversable distances
which separate us from what’s
passed.The battered old suitcases
which surround Kitson on the set
and which conceal tiny dioramic
representations of 66A’s old rooms
fit this moving (pun!) lament perfectly.
A work that brought sadness but
mostly joy.
Until Dec 13, Sydney Opera
House, $30-$54, 9250 7777 or
sydneyoperahouse.com
21
MUSIC
22
MOVIES
BY SOPHIE MALLAM
Go to:
www.altmedia.net.au
for more A&E stories
Arts Editor:
Angela Bennetts
Listings Editor:
Sophie Tarr
Music Editor:
Chris Peken
Contributors:
Aidan Roberts, Michelle Porter,
Kate Britton, Adam Guetti,
Leon Rogovoy, Meenal Kumar,
Rebecca Keane, Mark Gertskis,
James Harkness,
Anthony Edward Bell,
Lena Rutkowski, Nell Greco,
Komi Sellathurai, Alex Bodman,
Alex Britton, Sam Moginie &
Sophie Mallam
THEATRE: SHINING CITY
BY KOMI SELLATHURAI
The city is Dublin and its shine, lacklustre. Beneath the grey, a man (John)
is haunted by the ghost of his newly deceased wife.To keep from going
insane, he seeks the help of a therapist.Written by Irish playwright Conor
McPherson, Shining City is easily the best play I’ve seen all year. Like that
subtle line in a book that speaks only to you, McPherson’s words pull you
in without your knowledge. Couple that with two brilliant leads Laurence Coy playing John and Alan Dukes as Ian, his therapist - and
you’ve got story telling at its best. Half the story is told through John’s
honest to goodness monologues and the other half through Ian’s painful
and awkward encounters, both gelled together by the bleakest of human
loneliness.This is an exploration of a fragile subject matter conveyed with
a self-deprecating sense of humour. And of course, there’s the case of that
wandering ghost in a red coat.
Until Dec 19, SBW Stables Theatre, 10 Nimrod Street, Kings Cross,
$23-$30, 8002 4772, griffintheatre.com.au
“She’s very interested in Australia’s colonial history
and its impact on the present, and essentially sees her
role as being that of an educator,” says MCA Senior
Curator Rachel Kent of prolific Fraser Island-based
artist, academic and curator Fiona Foley.The subject
of a new solo exhibition at the museum
encompassing work from the past fifteen years of her
practice, a key element of the Badtjala woman’s visual
art is about,“bringing these often quite confronting
and tragic stories to light that we may not be aware
of or frankly would prefer not to be aware of”, says
Kent.
Particularly compelling for Kent in her joint curatorial
venture with the University of Queensland Art
Museum was a sculptural work called Land Deal;
comprised of a haunting inventory of objects like
flour, tomahawks and eyeglasses for which Tasmanian
colonist John Batman traded a tremendous area of
land from the Wurundjeri people of Victoria in 1835,
along with the promise of a yearly exchange of
further objects.“Quite clearly it was an inequitable
exchange and I doubt there would have actually been
an awareness that actually what he was doing was
taking the land ...yet this is what subsequently has
become the basis of Melbourne - it’s essentially
stolen land,” she says. Not only was the subsequent
yearly tribute of items never paid, but,“Two years
later the Governor of NSW actually turned around
and declared that this exchange was invalid because
the land had been essentially awaiting colonisation on
the basis of Terra Nullius. I found this history to be
quite shocking.”
Of a similarly revelatory nature is an utterly
mesmeric video work called Bliss which contrasts
exquisitely lovely, almost Keatsian footage of a hazy
field of mauve poppies shimmering in the wind, with
textual information about the history of indigenous
exploitation and addiction that was the opium trade
in Far North Queensland. It should be noted that,
while political in nature, Foley’s work also
demonstrates incredible restraint.“She uses a
combination of subtlety, provocation, sometimes it’s
humour or an element of irony,” says Kent,“which is
a more effective way to get her message across than
direct confrontation.” From the austere elegance of
Wild Times Call; a photographic work of Foley in
Seminole dress that the viewer must wade through a
sea of corn kernels to experience, to the understated
defiance of Black Velvet; an evocation of female
genitalia printed on dili bags to hint at the colonial
exploitation of indigenous womens’ sexuality - it’s
powerful work that should not be missed.
Until Jan 31, 2010, Museum of Contemporary
Art, 140 George Street,The Rocks, mca.com.au
17
W H AT ’ S O N
THEATRE &
PERFORMANCE
Absurd Person Singular
Three’s a charm in Alan
Ayckbourn’s comedy, as a trio of
married couples celebrate
Christmas Eve.
Until 16 Jan.
Ensemble Theatre, 78 McDougall
St, Kirribilli. $39-63. 9929 0644,
www.ensemble.com.au
Cabaret
Over a few tumultuous months, a
young writer and a child-like singer
are swept up into a dark world of
political chaos in 1930s Berlin.
Meanwhile, things are hotting up in
the decadent Kit Kat Klub cabaret
too.
Until 19 Dec.
New Theatre, 542 King St,
Newtown. $17-28. 1300 306 76,
www.newtheatre.org.au
Chatroom
Six teenagers flirt with power and
rebellion in cyberspace in this
production from the NSW Public
Schools Drama Company.
8 – 9 Dec.
Seymour Centre, cnr Cleveland St
& City Rd, Chippendale.
$18.50-27.50. 9351 7940,
www.seymourcentre.com.au
The Christian Brothers
Ron Blair’s classic monologue of
50s faith, doubt and possibility.
Until 6 Dec.
TAP Gallery, 278 Palmer St,
Darlinghurst. 9361 0440,
www.tapgallery.org.au
Dickens Down Under
Melvyn Morrow does Dickens with
a special nod to his two Australiabound boys.
Until 12 Dec.
Genesian Theatre, 420 Kent St,
Sydney. $20-25. 1300 306 776,
www.genesiantheatre.com.au
Happy Days
Everything’s gone to mud in Samuel
Beckett’s play – or dirt, rather.
Winnie is half-buried in a mound of
earth, her husband lives in a hole in
the ground behind her, and she’s
keeping a revolver handy just in
case it all gets too much. But don’t
call her a pessimist:Winnie’s still
firmly holding out hope that love
will conquer all.
Until 16 Dec.
Belvoir St Theatre, 18 Belvoir St,
Surry Hills. $34-56. 9699 3444,
www.belvoir.com.au
Hymn à Piaf
Cabaret sensation Caroline Nin is
back to perform a tender tribute
to Piaf, reinvigorating the classic
songs.
Until 5 Dec.
The Vanguard, 42 King St,
Newtown. $40-45, $76-105 with
dinner. 9020 6959,
www.thevanguard.com.au
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Eamon Flack directs this
contemporary revisit of one of
Shakespeare’s most popular
comedies.
Until 20 Dec.
Belvoir St Theatre, 18 Belvoir St,
Surry Hills. Previews $20. $23-29,
cheap Tuesdays from $10.
9699 3444, www.belvoir.com.au
Lovebites
The blissful, heart-breaking and
purely tragic scenarios of love
thoroughly entertain in this musical
by James Millar and Peter
Rutherford – despite the odd naff
moment so familiar to this genre.
(NG)
Until 5 Dec.
& City Rd, Chippendale. $19-34.
9351 7940,
18
The Mysteries: Genesis
A team of Australian writers and
directors present the stories from
the big dawn: the Creation, the
Fall, the Expulsion from Eden, Cain
and Abel, Noah’s Ark.
Until 19 Dec.
Sydney Theatre Company, Pier 4,
Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay. $30-75.
9250 7777,
www.sydneytheatre.com.au
Pennies from Kevin:The
Wharf Revue
Some skits miss the spot, but
writer-performers Jonathan
Biggins, Drew Forsythe and Phillip
Scott have come through with an
enjoyable enough romp through
the year’s political ups and downs.
(ST)
Until 16 Dec.
Sydney Theatre, Pier 4, Hickson
Rd, Walsh Bay. $45-55. 9250 7777,
www.sydneytheatre.com.au
Public Bunnies (Op. In C#
Minor)
The 2009 imPACT ensemble
perform their self-devised
installation work, centred on a city
of debris. Directed by composer
and filmmaker Michal Imielski,
Public Bunnies is at once about an
organism and a culture.
Until 12 Dec.
PACT Theatre, 107 Railway Pde,
Erskineville. $15-20. 9550 2744,
www.pact.net.au
Ruby Moon
White-picket-fence comfort
adopts a darker edge in this
suburban Little Red Riding Hood
update, from writer Matthew
Cameron.
Until 12 Dec.
Newtown Theatre, cnr King &
Bray St, Newtown. $18-27.
newtowntheatre.com.au
Shining City
On discovering that even death
isn’t enough to part from his
recently deceased wife, Dublindwelling John turns to the friendly
neighbourhood priest-cumtherapist for some advice.
Until 19 Dec.
SBW Stables Theatre, 10 Nimrod
St, Kings Cross. $23-30. 8002 4772
or www.griffintheatre.com.au
Sunset Limited
A God-fearing ex-con throws
himself under a train only to be
rescued by an atheist professor,
prompting both to confront life’s
big questions anew.
Until 12 Dec.
Ensemble Theatre, 78 McDougall
St, Kirribilli. $39-63. 9929 0644,
www.ensemble.com.au
Sydney Ghost Stories
You might want to invest in a
night light before coming along
to this series of short plays
from some of Sydney’s best
and brightest young thespians,
including Toby Schmitz, Stephen
Sewell and Lachlan Philpott.
Until 10 Dec.
Old Fitzroy Theatre, 129
Dowling St, Woolloomooloo.
$17-29 or $25-35 with dinner.
1300 483 849,
www.rocksurfers.org
Wicked:The Untold Story of
the Witches of Oz
Long before Toto and Dorothy
turned up, two girls had a
rendezvous in Oz: one beautiful
and popular, the other smart and
fiery but decidedly – well – green.
Wicked follows the girls as they
grow to become Glinda the Good
Witch and the Wicked Witch of
the West, with appropriate dashes
of wit and warmth.
Until 12 Dec.
Capitol Theatre, 13 Campbell St,
Haymarket. $69.90-129.90.
1300 723 038,
wickedthemusical.com.au,
ticketmaster.com.au
World AIDS Day Concert:The
Elton John Tribute
Performers including Ricki-Lee
Coulter, Rob Mills and Courtney
Act are coming together to raise
awareness of HIV/AIDS, and
celebrate the music of the
legendary Elton John. Proceeds
from this year’s concert will help
fund vital services for people living
with HIV.
6 Dec.
& City Rd, Chippendale. $60-70.
9351 7940,
COMEDY
Thursday 3 December
The Christmas Special – The
Comedy Store ($20)
Dave Jory, Peter Green, Greg Fleet –
Laugh Garage Comedy Club
($11.50-17)
Good Evening:The Sketches of Peter
Cook, Dudley Moore, Shaun Micallef,
Stephen Curry – Sydney Opera
House ($49.90-59.90)
Quick, Some Comedy, Quick – Star
Bar ($9)
Scared Scriptless – The Roxbury
Hotel ($10)
Stand Up Comedy Cruise – Pyrmont
Bay Wharf ($90)
Friday 4 December
Comedy Store ($30)
Comedy Court – Star Bar ($15)
Damian Smith, Dave Jory, Peter
Meisel, Greg Fleet – Laugh Garage
Comedy Club ($22.50-27)
House ($49.90-59.90)
Jason Alexander – Enmore Theatre
($89.50)
Saturday 5 December
Anthony Salame’s Xmas Special –
Metro Theatre ($30)
Comedy Store ($30)
Cranston Cup Final – Enmore
Theatre ($38.50-45.50)
Damian Smith, Dave Jory, Peter
Meisel, Greg Fleet – Laugh Garage
House ($49.90-59.90)
Theatresports Grand Final – Enmore
Theatre ($38.50-45.50)
Tim Minchin – State Theatre
($49.95)
Sunday 6 December
House ($49.90-59.90)
Kosher Theatresports – Bondi
Pavilion (TBA)
Monday 7 December
Monday Night Comedy – Fringe Bar
($10)
Tuesday 8 December
Comedy Store ($10)
Clint Paddison, Brett Nichols, Dave
Eastgate – The Sugarmill ($10)
Comedy Competition – Laugh Garage
Full Body Contact No Love Tennis –
The Roxbury Hotel ($10)
Gagging For It: Clint Paddison, Brett
Nichols – Kit & Kaboodle ($10-25)
House ($49.90-59.90)
Wednesday 9 December
Comedy Store ($15)
House ($49.90-59.90)
New Comics Night – Laugh Garage
Thursday 10 December
Brett Nichols, Martin Henchion,
Darren Sanders – Laugh Garage
Comedy Store ($20)
House ($49.90-59.90)
A Mic in Hand – Friend in Hand
Pub ($8-10)
Quick, Some Comedy, Quick – Star
Bar ($9)
Friday 11 December
Brett Nichols, Bruce Griffiths, Darren
Sanders – Laugh Garage Comedy
Club ($22.50-27)
Comedy Store ($30)
Comedy Court – Star Bar ($15)
House ($49.90-59.90)
Scared Scriptless – The Roxbury
Hotel ($10)
Saturday 12 December
The Al Pitcher Picture Show – The
Comedy Store ($20-25)
Brett Nichols, Bruce Griffiths, Darren
Sanders – Laugh Garage Comedy
Club ($22.50-27)
Comedy Store ($30)
House ($49.90-59.90)
Sunday 13 December
House ($49.90-59.90)
HOT TIX
Echo & the Bunnymen
Liverpool’s cult faves present
their latest album The
Fountain. Tickets on sale 7
Dec.
27 Jan.
Enmore Theatre. $85.20.
132 849,
www.ticketek.com.au
Phoenix
The indie popsters behind
tracks like Everything is
Everything and Long Distance
Call are heading back to
Australia for a national
headline tour.They’ll be
supported by Miami Horror,
and tickets go on sale 10
Dec.
2 Mar.
Hordern Pavilion, Moore
Park. $79.90. 132 849,
www.ticketek.com.au
Them Crooked Vultures
With a lineup that reads like
a who’s who of
contemporary rock (Josh
Homme, Dave Grohl and
John Paul Jones, anyone?),
little wonder that the Vultures
have already sold out their
Sydney and Melbourne
shows. Happily, they’ve lined
up an extra performance in
each city, and tickets go on
sale 4 Dec.
27 Jan.
Hordern Pavilion, Moore
Park. $105.75. 132 849,
www.ticketek.com.au
PUBS, CLUBS AND BARS
Annandale Hotel:
Cnr Nelson St and Parramatta Rd,
Annandale. 9550 1078,
www.annandalehotel.com.au
The Argyle:
18 Argyle St,The Rocks.
9247 5500, www.theargyle.biz
Bank Hotel:
324 King St, Newtown.
9557 1692
The Basement:
29 Reiby Pl, Circular Quay.
9251 2797,
www.thebasement.com.au
Beach Road Hotel:
71 Beach Rd, Bondi Beach.
9130 7247,
www.myspace.com/beachroadbondi
Candy’s Apartment:
22 Bayswater Rd, Kings Cross.
9380 5600, www.candys.com.au
Club 77:
77 William St, Kings Cross.
9361 4981,
www.myspace.com/club_77
Cricketers Arms Hotel:
106 Fitzroy St, Surry Hills.
9331 3301
The Different Drummer:
185 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe.
9552 3406,
www.differentdrummer.com.au
The Duke Hotel:
148 Enmore Rd, Enmore.
9519 1935, www.duke-hotel.com
Empire Hotel:
32 Darlinghurst Rd, Kings Cross.
9360 7531, empirehotel.net
Enmore Theatre:
130 Enmore Rd, Newtown.
9550 3666,
www.enmoretheatre.com.au
Excelsior Hotel:
64 Foveaux St, Surry Hills.
9211 4945,
www.excelsiorhotel.com.au
The Factory Theatre:
105 Victoria Rd, Enmore.
www.factorytheatre.com.au
Friend in Hand Pub:
58 Cowper St, Glebe. 9660 2326,
www.friendinhand.com.au
Fringe Bar:
106 Oxford St, Paddington.
9360 5443, www.thefringe.com.au
Gaelic Theatre:
64 Devonshire St, Surry Hills.
9211 1687, www.thegaelic.com
Gaslight Inn:
278 Crown St, Darlinghurst.
9360 6746
The Harold Park Hotel:
70A Ross St, Glebe.
9660 4745,
www.haroldparkhotel.com.au
Hopetoun Hotel:
416 Bourke St, Surry Hills.
9361 5257,
www.myspace.com/hopetounhotel
Lansdowne Hotel:
2-6 City Rd, Chippendale.
9211 2325
The Laugh Garage:
Cnr Church and Market St,
Parramatta. 8883 1111,
www.thelaughgarage.com
The Loft:
University of Technology,
15 Broadway, Sydney. 9514 2000,
www.myspace.com/utsloftbar
Manning Bar:
Lvl 1, Manning House,
Manning Rd,
University of Sydney.
1800 013 201,
www.manningbar.com
Mars Lounge:
16 Wentworth Ave, Surry Hills.
9267 6440,
www.marslounge.com.au
Melt Bar:
12 Kellett St, Kings Cross.
9380 6060,www.meltbar.com.au
Metro Theatre:
624 George St, Sydney.
9550 3666,
www.metrotheatre.com.au
The Nags Head Hotel:
162 St Johns Rd, Glebe.
9660 1591,
www.nagshead.com.au
Newtown Theatre:
Cnr King St and Bray St.
9519 5081,
www.newtowntheatre.com.au
The Oatley Hotel:
8 Oatley Ave, Oatley.
9580 1117,
www.oatleyhotel.com.au
Opera Bar:
Lower Concourse Lvl, Sydney
Opera House, Sydney.
9247 1666,
www.operabar.com.au
Oxford Art Factory:
38-46 Oxford St, Darlinghurst.
9332 3711,
www.oxfordartfactory.com
Rag & Famish:
199 Miller St, North Sydney.
9955 1257,
www.ragandfamish.com.au
The Roxbury Hotel:
182 St Johns Rd, Glebe.
9692 0822,
www.roxbury.com.au
Roundhouse:
University of New South Wales,
Anzac Pde, Kensington.
9385 7784,
www.unswroundhouse.com
Ruby Rabbit:
231 Oxford St, Darlinghurst.
9332 3197,
www.rubyrabbit.com.au
The Sound Lounge:
and City Rd, Chippendale.
9351 7940,
www.seymour.usyd.edu.au
Sandringham Hotel:
9557 1254,
www.sando.com.au
Sapphire Suite:
2 Kellet St, Kings Cross.
9331 0058,
www.sapphiresuite.com
South Sydney Juniors:
558A Anzac Pde, Kingsford.
9349 7555,
www.southsjuniors.org.au
Spectrum:
34 Oxford St, Darlinghurst.
1800 438 849 (moshtix),
www.pashpresents.com
Star Bar:
600 George St, Sydney.
9267 7827,
www.starbar.com.au
The Vanguard:
1800 438 849 (moshtix),
www.thevanguard.com.au
World Bar:
24 Bayswater Rd, Kings Cross.
9357 2755,
www.theworldbar.com.au
The White Horse:
381-385 Crown St, Surry Hills.
8333 9999,
www.thewhitehorse.com.au
W H AT ’ S O N
FOR THE KIDS
Carols by the Tree
Sydney’s finest a cappella groups
perform traditional carols live in
this series of family concerts.
Until 24 Dec.
Darling Harbour Convention
Centre Forecourt. Free.
Christmas Craft and
Storytimes
Keep the kids busy with this series
of free storytime sessions and craft
activities.
Until 18 Dec.
Various City of Sydney libraries.
Free. See www.cityofsydney.nsw.
gov.au/library
Jeral Puppets
A series of puppet shows to
delight young children: Pirates Ahoy!
(for children aged three to nine)
and Froggy Tales (for children aged
two to five years).
Until 9 Dec.
Puppeteria Theatre, 48 Carrington
Rd, Randwick. $10-13. 9371 7328,
www.puppeteria.com
GALLERIES & MUSEUMS
EXHIBITION: SPOOKY ACTION AT A DISTANCE
BY ANGELA BENNETTS
It’s time for a confession. I am obsessed with all
things Japanese, excluding wasabi peas and
whaling. And so is Amelia Groom, the curator of
the upcoming video art show at Black & Blue
gallery entitled Spooky action at a Distance.You
may recognise Amelia’s name as Arts Editor in the
pages of this here paper, and we’re so excited
about her latest venture.
Can you explain the title of this show?
It is a phrase taken from a letter Einstein wrote
to his lifelong friend Max Born, the Nobel Prize
winning atomic physicist who shall be
remembered as grandfather to quantum
mechanics and to Olivia Newton-John (whose
plea, “Let’s get into physical” probably had nothing
to do with physics). Basically Einstein wasn’t too
happy with quantum theory in its current form; he
felt it went against his own theory of Locality and,
he said, it, “Cannot be reconciled with the idea
that physics should represent a reality in space
and time, free from spooky action at a distance.” I
like the idea of Albert Einstein in a theoretical
pickle over quantum mechanics, and I like the
word spooky.
What does it have to do with the artists in
the show?
Possibly very little. Really I want the artists to
stand on their own rather than be blanketed by
this phrase, but there is a loose running theme of
action and physicality in the works, from the
movements of the anonymous KATHY dancers or
Kiiiiiii performers to the way Yukihiro Taguchi
invests floorboards and furniture with
choreographed movement, the electrically
manipulated body movement of Daito Manabe,
the more subtle kinetic movements in Tetsushi
Higashino’s highly restrained series of works, or
the banal domestic action of vacuuming
transported to fantastical worlds by Ine wo Ueru
hitu.There’s also the idea of geographic and
cultural distance, and Japan being seen this
perplexing and eccentric faraway place of
mysterious action.
You just returned from a residency in
Japan.What kind of arts scene did you
encounter over there?
20
An exciting but kind of dispersed one that takes a
bit of time to start to penetrate.There’s so much
in Tokyo, I guess a good place to start is with
some of the new independent spaces, such as
Magical Artroom and Gallery ?M, which are doing
some really interesting things. I was struck by how
collaborative everything is - there are so many
joint ventures across various fields and the act of
working as part of something bigger than yourself
is really valued.Yokohama is an interesting city for
contemporary art, just 40 minutes out of Tokyo it
has some of the most exciting new spaces and
artistic communities.
What interests you about ‘video art’? I
know you have a gripe with the term ‘timebased art’; but is ‘video art’ any more
accurate?
I did say that I thought ‘time based art’ was a
vague and slightly annoying term. Actually most of
the artists in this show are not strictly video
artists - I’ve included dancers, programmers,
musicians, installation artists - these just happen
to be some works on video, either created as
video art works or, in some cases, as
documentation of something else. But yes video
can be an interesting medium, I think there is still
a lot of things to be explored with it, especially
the live and/or interactive possibilities.
How does the website initiative ‘Big in
Japan’ factor into this project? Can you tell
us a little about that?
The website www.biginjapan.com.au was launched
six months ago, as part of an initiative by Ksubi
for Kirin.The idea was to create a platform for
cultural exchange between Japan and Australia, so
I use it to profile a broad range of things from
contemporary Japan including art, fashion, film,
architecture, music, design and so on.The
exhibition is part of the first series of Big in Japan
events, including a huge event at CarriageWorks
on Wednesday 2nd December featuring some
amazing live acts who are coming out from, of all
places, Japan.
Spooky Action at a Distance is presented by
Big in Japan, a cultural exchange program
created by Ksubi for Kirin. Dec 4-19, Black &
Blue Gallery, 302/267-271 Cleveland Street
Redfern, blackandblue.com.au
Annandale Galleries
Gunybi Ganambarr until 5 Dec
Tues – Sat 11am-5pm.
9552 1699, 110 Trafalgar St,
Annandale.
www.annandalegalleries.com.au
Art Gallery Of New South
Wales
40 Years: Kaldor Public Art Projects until
14 Feb
Contemporary Collection until 14 Feb
The Dreamers until 18 Dec
Dobell Prize for Drawing until 21 Jan
From the Archive of Rubery Bennett
until 18 Dec
Garden and Cosmos until 26 Jan
Rupert Bunny:Artist in Paris until 21
Feb
Tatzu Nishi:War and Peace and In
Between until 14 Feb
10am–5pm, 7 days a week.
Art After Hours – every Wed until
9pm.
Art Gallery Rd,The Domain, Sydney.
9225 1744,
www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au
At The Vanishing Point
Gilbert Grace:Trauma Porn until 20
Dec
Thur 10am-8pm, Fri 10am-6pm,
Sat – Sun 10am-5pm.
565 King St, Newtown. 9519 2340,
www.atthevanishingpoint.com.au
Blender Gallery
Through the Eyes of a Muse until 24
Dec
Tue – Sat 10am-6pm.
16 Elizabeth St, Paddington.
9380 7080, www.blender.com.au
Breenspace
Emma White: Study until 19 Dec
Joyce Hinterding:Aura until 19 Dec
289 Young St,Waterloo.
9690 0555, www.breenspace.com
Conny Dietzschold Gallery &
Multiple Box Sydney
Maximal Minimal until 19 Dec
Tue – Sat 11am-5pm,
Sun 11am-3pm.
2 Danks St,Waterloo. 9690 0215,
connydietzscholdegallery.com
Craft NSW
Riches of the Earth until 26 Jul
Mon – Sun, 9.30am-5.30pm.
Craft NSW, 104 George St.
9241 5825,
www.artsandcraftsnsw.com.au
Customs House
Peter Murphy: ModelCity until 31 Jan
Peter Solness: Light Play until 31 Jan
Mon – Fri 8am-12am,
Sat 10am-12am, Sun 11am-5pm.
31 Alfred St, Circular Quay.
9242 8551,
www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au
/customshouse
Darren Knight Gallery
Joanna Braithwaite until 12 Dec
840 Elizabeth St, Waterloo.
9699 5353,
www.darrenknightgallery.com
Depot Gallery II
Design Centre Enmore End-of-Year
Exhibition: Allegory until 5 Dec
2 Danks St, Waterloo.
www.2danksstreet.com.au
ESP Gallery
Three Artists: Materials, Materialism
and Contemporary Culture
until 6 Dec
Thu – Fri 3pm-6pm.
Sat – Sun 11am-4pm.
228 Illawarra Rd, Marrickville.
www.esprejects.com.au
Gaffa Gallery
Mixed Dozen until 8 Dec
Mon – Fri 12pm-6pm,
Sat 11am-6pm.
1/7 Randle St, Surry Hills.
9281 1103, www.gaffa.com.au
Gallery 9
Last Show: Clare Milledge, Simon
Kennedy and others until 23 Dec
Wed – Sat 11am-6pm.
9 Darley St, Darlinghurst.
9380 9909, www.gallery9.com.au
Gallery Adagio
Gifted 09 11 Dec – 10 Jan
Tue – Sun 11am-6pm.
91 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe.
9552 2833,
www.galleryadagio.com
Gallery Red
Two: Rachel Carroll, Anthony
Cummins, Margaret Carey and
others until 31 Dec
Mon – Fri 9am-5pm,
Sat 10am-3pm.
Shop 11, 131-145 Glebe Point Rd,
Glebe. 9692 0030,
www.galleryred.com.au
Gig Gallery
Sydney College of the Arts Glass
Studio until 12 Dec
Sun 1pm-5pm.
70A Glebe Point Rd, Glebe.
9660 2785, www.giggallery.com
Global Gallery
John Scott:Telesma until 6 Dec
Nik de Masi: Open Spaces until 6
Dec
Rebeccah Dent: Fragility until 6 Dec
Wed – Sat 11am–6pm,
Sun 12pm–4pm.
5 Comber St, Paddington.
9360 5728,
www.globalgallery.com.au
Harrison Galleries
Hilton Owen: System until 18 Dec
John Sheehy: Sydney Harbour: An
Undercoat until 18 Dec
Robert Delves:The Art Rebel
until 18 Dec
Tue – Fri 10am-6pm,
Sat 10am-5pm.
294 Glenmore Rd, Paddington.
9380 7100,
www.harrisongalleries.com.au
James Dorahy Project Space
Lit Up Like a Christmas Tree (Volume
IV) until 13 Dec
Sun 11am-5pm.
Suite 4, 1st floor, 111 Macleay St,
Potts Point. 9358 2585,
www.jamesdorahy.com.au
Justice & Police Museum
Femme Fatale until 18 Apr
Mon – Fri 10am-5pm, daily in
school holidays.
Cnr Phillip & Albert St, Circular
Quay. 9252 1144
Macleay Museum
Macleay Reworked permanent
Makarr-garma: Aboriginal collections
from a Yolnu perspective until 15 May
Mon – Fri 10am-4.30pm,
Sun 12pm-4pm.
Gosper Ln, near the Footbridge St
entrance to the University of
Sydney. 9036 5253
Meyer Gallery
Saltwater: Sydney Pools until 31 Dec
Thur – Sat 11am-6pm,
Sun 12pm-4pm.
269 Bourke St, Darlinghurst.
9380 8014,
www.meyergallery.com.au
Museum of Contemporary Art
Almanac:The Gift of Ann Lewis 8 Dec
– 18 Apr
MCA Collection: New Acquisitions
until 31 Jan
Take Your Time: Olafur Eliasson
10 Dec – 11 Apr
10am-5pm daily.
140 George St,The Rocks.
9245 2400, www.mca.com.au
Museum of Sydney
Up the Cross: Rennie Ellis and
Wesley Stacey
Ellis and Stacey’s work harks
back to early-70s Kings Cross, a
summer of free love in a part of
Sydney better known for
purchased love.This exhibition
reveals moments of joy and
pathos, the surface glitter and
the backstage, providing a
fascinating glimpse of life up the
Cross.
9.30am-5pm daily.
37 Phillip St, Sydney. 9251 5988,
www.hht.net.au
Nicholson Museum
Egypt: Life and Death in the Black
Land until 18 Feb
Mon – Fri 10am-4.30pm, Sun
12pm-4pm. Southern entrance to
the Quadrangle, the University of
Sydney. www.usyd.edu.au/museums
Peloton
Frances Meredith Lynch until 19
December
One After 09 until 19 December
Thur – Wed 1pm-6pm, Fri 1.30pm6pm, Sat 1pm-6pm. 19 & 25
Meagher St, Chippendale. 9690
2601, www.peloton.net.au
Powerhouse Museum
Artefact H10515 until Aug
Living in a Sensory World: Stories from
People with Blindness and Low Vision
until 1 Jan
10am-5pm daily. 500 Harris St,
Ultimo. 9217 0111,
www.powerhousemuseum.com
Robin Gibson Gallery
Small is the New Big until 19 Dec
Tue – Sat 11am-6pm. 278 Liverpool
St, Darlinghurst. 9331 6692,
www.robingibson.net
Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery
Daniel Boyd: Freetown until 5 Dec
TV Moore until 5 Dec
Tue – Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 11am6pm. 8 Soudan Lane, Paddington.
9331 1919,
www.roslynoxley9.com.au
Sarah Cottier Gallery
Julie Fragar:The Oracles until 12 Dec
Wed – Sat 11am-5pm. 3 Neild Ave,
Paddington. 9356 3305,
www.sarahcottiergallery.com
TAP Gallery
Steve McLaren until 6 Dec
Daily 12pm-6pm. 278 Palmer St,
Darlinghurst. 9361 0440,
www.tapgallery.org.au
TALKS & EVENTS
Australian Poetry Slam 09
Tortured poets have been battling
it out nationwide for the title of
Australian Poetry Slam winner, and
now we’re down to the final
challenge.
3 Dec.
Sydney Opera House, Circular
Quay, Sydney. $25. 9250 7777,
www.sl.nsw.gov.au/poetryslam
The Capitalism Delusion
In his new book, Bob Ellis argues
that capitalism, though allpervasive, has more in common
with some crackpot quasi-religious
MUSIC
[email protected]
THE BLACKEYED SUSANS REVEAL YOURSELF
Christmas has come early, complete
with a beautifully “wrapped” box and
gorgeous artwork courtesy of
Madeleine Stamer.This box-set
contains three CD’s and a DVD that
encompasses twenty years of a band
that formed in Perth from the ashes of
The Triffids and Chads Tree; played
cover versions of everything from
Prince and Hot Chocolate to Bruce
Sprinsteen and John Cale; and featured
two of Australia’s best voices.The
Blackeyed Susans have always been
about as far away from hip as you can
get, perennial outsiders doing their
own thing, eschewing fashions and fad;
and if this collection of fifty-five songs
tells you anything, it is the virtues of
such an approach. This One Eats Souls,
Don’t Call Yourself an Angel, No Direction
Home, Glory, Glory...I could list most all
the tunes here, and a few they have left
off.The third disc contains demo, live
and single versions of such treats as
State Trooper, Oceans of You and a
previously unreleased version of the
Hoodoo Gurus Zanzibar. Put a ribbon
around it and stick it under your tree
now. (CP)
DIAFRIX - CONCRETE JUNGLE
MC Momo and Azmarino are a
multicultural mixed bag, and they’ve
translated that into a debut mix-tape
of hip hop sounds from the dusty
heart of Africa and the sketchy streets
of Footscray. Time Will Tell opens with a
loungy, sauntering pace that can be
labelled:“Easy Listening with a
conscience”.That’s the first thing you
notice about Diafrix - their lyrics are
some of the most poignant I’ve heard
in Oz hip hop possibly because they’re
bringing their own refugee status and
displacement issues to the table.
Towards the middle they tinker with
the genre, bringing a Roots Manuva/feel
to ESL.Then, with an injection of
reggae, afro beat, old-school rap and
(oddly) 40s jump blues, it’s like they’re
slowly unravelling influences song by
song.The album’s centerpiece is
dedicated to the birthplace of hip hop
championed by the refrains of Mama
Africa (Djarabinge), which is almost a
saddening in its beauty. Fittingly, it ends
with the lazy ode to Marley,
Redemption. Diafrix have managed to
pay homage to their roots while
remaining contemporary; producing a
well-rounded, well-played album. (RK)
framework than with a rational
economic system. He’ll be talking it
out with Tony Abbott, with whom
he’ll be discussing capitalism, yes,
but also marriage, monarchism,
government intervention and
foreign wars.
3 Dec, 6.30pm for 7pm.
Gleebooks, 49 Glebe Point Rd,
Glebe. $7-10. 9660 2333,
www.gleebooks.com.au
Keepin’ it Real by Keepin’ it
Wrong
Maynard presents this hand-picked
collection of videos including
Moneyshot Theatre and Facebook
Failures in a night of music, clips and
trivia.
3 Dec, 7.30pm for 8pm.
Mu-Meson Archives, cnr Parramatta
Rd & Trafalgar St, Annandale. $10.
9517 2010, www.mumeson.org
FESTIVALS
Anode Festival
A genre-busting seasons of events
around Sydney and Melbourne,
connecting independent, local and
experimental artists in unique
spaces across the two cities.
Until 5 Dec.
Various venues.
www.anode2009.com/sydneyprogram.html
Festival of the Sun
Line up a date with Spiderbait,
Little Birdy,The Beautiful Girls,
Children Collide and Urthboy.
There’ll be camping, sunshine and
beaches on the side.
11 – 12 Dec.
Sundowner Breakwall Tourist Park.
$120. www.fotsun.com.au
Laneways by George
What do you get when you give
artists, landscape architects, poets
and a lawyer free rein over the city
CBD? Find out in this hidden
network of inter-connected
laneways and a series of eight sitespecific projects, including a
pocket-sized open-air cinema and
bar.
Until 31 Jan 2010.
Off George St, Sydney. Free.
Storylines
A month-long festival of
performing and visual arts.
Until 7 Dec.
Riverview College.
www.oiu.org.au/storylines.html
LIVE MUSIC
LEGENDS OF MOTORSPORT YEAH UH HUH
It is important -nay, imperative - that
one listens to the Legends as a stoner
band. Otherwise, the joke is lost.The
ridiculous lyrics will sound ridiculous
and the cock rock motifs will only
remind you of worse albums done
better.This is heavy rock and roll, via
the comedy-thrash stylings of the
Melvins.The songs are about thinks like
barbecues, taxis, homework, bugs.The
first audible lyric is “I can’t believe I
never used to like blue cheese.” But
the album is book-ended by an intro
and an outro, introducing the band,
letting you know it’s all a silly
performance.A heavy, silly
performance. In fact, Yeah Uh Huh
(their third full-length) has got to be
one of the heaviest non-metal albums
of the year, a title brought upon them
by their unique combination lowstrung guitars, Farfisa organ and
constant drum thrashing.Where the
tempo drops (not often), it drops only
to the level of a noodling metal jam.
Yeah Uh Huh has so much energy, your
headphones might blow up. But you
have to get the joke. (SM)
DAN SULTAN - GET OUT
WHILE YOU CAN
“Dare I say it / You have won my
heart”. Dan Sultan and friends are in
no rush. Picking and choosing when
to play live (in venues like the Famous
Spiegeltent) their 2006 debut
Homemade Biscuits was a knock-out.
So three years on Get Out While You
Can fits comfortably under the “much
anticipated” tag. Choosing to croon
his way in via some Goddess Love, and
following it with the Archie Roach
inspired Sorrowbound, the album is off
to a low-key yet insidious start.The
tempo of the album remain curious,
not really kicking into fifth gear and
letting the guitars and horns loose
until the second half with Crazy. But
then the gloves really come off and
the 50’s rocker Fear of Flying is pure
Eddie Corchran, while the album
closer Cadillac and a Mustang revives
the blue soul of Stax Records via
Fitzroy. Sultan and his right hand man
Scott Wilson (who writes or cowrites almost all the songs) are hitting
their groove, and when the Bran Nue
Dae hits screens Dan Sultan will be a
man in demand. Get in first. (CP)
For more album reviews go to www.altmedia.net.au
George Harrison, 1968, photo by Pattie Boyd
CD REVIEWS
MOVIEMICROS
Thursday 3 December
Extended Family – Macquarie Hotel
(free)
Resist the Thought, State of East
Longon,Three Faces West – Spectrum
($10-12)
Mr Wilson – Marble Bar (free)
Richie Spice – Manning Bar (TBA)
Three Oh Sees, Eddy Current
Suppression Ring, Straight Arrows,
Royal Headache – Annandale Hotel
($17)
The Whitlams – Sydney Opera
House ($35-89)
Friday 4 December
Gin Wigmore,The Cardinals – Gaelic
Theatre ($25)
The Holy Sea, Little Lovers, Catherine
Traicos – Excelsior Hotel ($12)
Kirk Burgess – Nag’s Head Hotel
(free)
Luke Escombe, Lanie Lane – Raval
($10-13)
Mr Laneous & the Family-Yah,
Olmecha Supreme, Pata Physics –
Beach Road Hotel (free)
Underground Lovers,The Devoted Few
– Annandale Hotel ($20)
Saturday 5 December
Dream Theatre – Hordern Pavilion
($129.90)
End of Yeah Folk Bash: Mothers of
EXHIBITION:
THROUGH THE EYES OF A MUSE
BY ANGELA BENNETTS
So often we gaze upon the eyes of a muse - not
through.They have come to signify beauty or style
alone, when originally in Greek mythology they
were thought as the source of knowledge.
Interestingly, the etymological root of muse is
similar to that of music - where their inspirational
force is most often felt. Pattie Boyd, the ‘Queen of
the Sixties’, a woman over whom two great
musicians (George Harrison and Eric Clapton)
duelled, is a muse par examplar. But more than
that, she is a source of knowledge on an era
swirling with sex, spirituality and the burgeoning
sense that anything was possible. From her unusual
childhood in Kenya to her fashion modelling and
Intention and others – Gaelic Club
($15)
Firehouse, Hurricane Sound,
Judgement, Mickey Glamour –
Hermann’s ($12)
Kes Band – Spectrum (TBA)
McGann Grabowsky Quartet – The
Sound Lounge ($15-25)
Mono, Laura,The Dead Sea –
Manning Bar ($39)
Ninetynine, Lee Memorial – The Red
Rattler Theatre ($10)
Thee Oh Sees, Naked on the Vague,
Holy Balm – Oxford Art Factory
($12)
Sunday 6 December
The Bird’s Robe Collective, Closure in
Moscow, Squid, Pirate – Annandale
Hotel ($17)
Circle, Jumpin’ John Seagull –
Excelsior Hotel ($8)
Guttermouth – Manning Bar
($28-33)
Michael Garnett – Nag’s Head Hotel
(free)
Serenik – Spectrum (free)
Unforgettable – Newtown RSL Club
(free)
Monday 7 December
Bernie – The Observer Hotel (free)
Candlesnuffer,The Splinter Orchestra,
Clocks & Clouds – Serial Space (free)
Carla Werner – The Vanguard
($18-20)
Dave Halls – The Basement ($20)
Tuesday 8 December
Andy Golledge – Sandringham Hotel
(free)
Daniel Weltinger Trio – Café Bondi
(free)
intimate connection with the world of rock n roll,
this is a snapshot of a time that, at first, she was
hesitant to revisit, “I didn’t want to open boxes of
accumulated photos that I had taken over the
years; I believed they would remind me of times of
both sadness and happiness that I wasn’t ready to
look at.” Marking her first solo exhibition in the
southern hemisphere, this collection of 50
fascinating photographs is accompanied by her
recent autobiography Wonderful Today. On
December 5th you will have the chance to meet
the muse face-to-face as she signs her books
nestled amidst what she calls the, “frame of
something wonderful that I have observed.”
Nov 26-Dec 24, Blender Gallery, 16 Elizabeth
St Paddington, 9380 7080, blender.com.au
The Grey Man Sings for Freedom,
Lena Cruz, Brett Robin Wood, Evi Jean,
Elouise – The Vanguard ($28-30)
Yuki Kumagai, John Mackie, Marty
Mooney – Hernandez Café (free)
Wednesday 9 December
Crocodiles, Skull Squadron, Jack
Ladder and others – Oxford Art
Factory ($20)
Jager Uprising Christmas Party:
Children Collide – Annandale Hotel
(free)
Patrick Wolf, Danimals – Metro
Theatre ($47)
The Slowdowns – Sandringham
Hotel (free)
Tina Harrod – The Vanguard
($22-25)
Thursday 10 December
Fergus Brown, Sherlock’s Daughter,
Richard in Your Mind and others –
Oxford Art Factory ($12)
Kitty Daisy & Lewis, Dan Kelly –
Manning Bar ($35)
Lime Spiders, Death Mattel,
Thundabox – Sandringham Hotel
($15-20)
Mr Wilson – Marble Bar (free)
Off the Streets Benefit Concert: Lions
at Your Door, Ghoul, Bird Automatic,
Winter People – Annandale Hotel
($12)
Renee Cassar,The Former Love
Pirates,The Ivies – Oxford Art
Factory ($10)
Skunkhour – Metro Theatre
($35.50-40)
Friday 11 December
Animal Collective, Bachelorette –
Enmore Theatre ($61.60)
Ben Romalis, Brian Campeau,Tim
Sladden – Raval ($12)
Dust Tones – Beach Road Hotel
(free)
Lord, Alarum,The Darker Half,
Backyard Mortuary – Gaelic Theatre
($15)
Mick Thomas & the Sure Thing,
Chuck’s Wagon – The Vanguard
($22-25)
Sampson & Sharkey – Nag’s Head
Hotel (free)
Saturday 12 December
Akron/Family,The Paper Scissors, Oh
Ye Denver Birds – Annandale Hotel
($38)
Bachelorette, Pikelet – Spectrum
($12)
The Church, Belles Will Ring, Kicks –
The Factory Theatre ($32.50)
Glenn Whitehall – Nag’s Head Hotel
(free)
Inheritors, Sailmaker – Oxford Art
Factory (free)
Lamb of God, DevilDriver, Shadows
Fall – The Big Top at Luna Park
($78.70)
Tinpan Orange – Notes Live ($15)
Sunday 13 December
Black Cab – CAD Factory (TBA)
Bruce Kulick,The Next, Six Hours –
Gaelic Theatre ($44)
Heavy Trash, Super Wild Horses,
Straight Arrows – Manning Bar
($38-45)
Jordie Lane, Lanie Lane, Shady Lane –
The Vanguard ($15)
Lamb of God, DevilDriver, Shadows
Fall – The Big Top at Luna Park
($78.70)
21
MOVIEMICROS
THE FRENCH KISSERS
ADAM A heart-warming
“dramedy” about an Aspergersafflicted engineer (Hugh Dancy)
grappling with the demands of a
relationship after falling for his
broken-hearted neighbour Beth
(Rose Byrne). Director Max Mayer
hits the feel-good spot without
reducing Adam’s disability to a
comic quirk. (LRu)
AMREEKA Muna and her son,
Fadi escape the hostilities of the
West Bank for a new life in
America. However, the dream life
doesn’t come easily.While Amreeka
probably won’t have any lasting
effect, its understated study of
displacement is interesting enough
to capture your attention and
empathy. (MP)
AN EDUCATION Sixteen-yearold Jenny is fulfilling her father’s
dream for her to go to Oxford
University until she meets a much
older David, with whom her
daydreams are tangible. Nick
Hornby’s adaptation of Lynn
Barber’s memoir is a seductive
miseducation of an adolescent life.
(KS)
A SERIOUS MAN The Coen
brothers have produced another
gem with A Serious Man. Following
feckless physics professor Larry
Gopnick’s struggles with family,
work and marriage, the film is a
masterly black comedy exploring
questions of faith, family, mortality,
academia and everything in
between. Hilarious and profound,
this is one not to be missed. (KB)
ASTRO BOY With astounding
CGI aesthetics, honest humour,
and an empowering story, this
rendition of the legendary Astro
Boy story cannot be missed. (AEB)
BEAUTIFUL KATE For her
directorial debut, Rachel Ward
channels Picnic at Hanging Rock
with a tragic, gothic tale of family
dysfunction, death and redemption
set against the isolated outback.
Led by Ben Mendelsohn, Beautiful
Kate is flawlessly executed, jarring
and totally unforgettable. (RK)
BLESSED Although the plot
seems contrived at times, it
captures the emotional realities of
modern Australian families and the
complex relationships between
mothers and children.While it can
22
be confronting, the film shows that
beauty exists amongst tragedy and
people can rediscover what was
seemingly lost. (MP)
CAPITALISM: A LOVE
STORY Michael Moore point
his imposing finger at capitalism
and American uber-companies in
his latest doco.This is the usual
Moore fare, it may reek of
propagandist agenda, but at least
here it’s the right agenda. (KB)
CASE 39 sees social worker
Emily fight to save a girl from her
abusive parents, only to discover
the situation is more dangerous
than she expected. Ultimately,
there’s enough here for
horror/thriller fans, but for
everyone else there isn’t much
point. (AG)
CHE PART ONE & TWO A
marathon two-part epic charting
the rise (and eventual fall) of the
rebel Argentinean doctor Che
Guevara.The madcap
determination and sheer
charisma of Benicio del Toro’s
Che, and the visual beauty of the
Cuban landscapes, are compelling
enough to carry the extreme
length of this film. (SM)
COLD SOULS In Sophie
Barthes’ existential farce Cold
Souls, abject actor Paul Giamatti
(playing himself) has his soul
removed to escape the
emotional demands of his latest
role. Also starring David
Strathairn and Dina Korzun, few
films are this funny or pensive.
(JH)
CORALINE There is no squeak
of Disney in this so-called ‘family
film’. Darker than the witching
hour, with more surreal
flourishes than a Dali and a hardknuckled moral lesson to boot
(be careful what you wish for!),
it’s a fantastical modern fable for
all. (AB)
THE COVE Debut director
Louis Psihoyos has delivered a
film that pulls no punches with
all-adventure, call-to-arms doco
The Cove. Pitting himself and his
crack team of divers, adventurers
and high-tech gadgets, he
exposes horrific realities of
dolphin fishing in small-town
Japan. (KB)
Remember the awkward just-hit-puberty
years when you were totally consumed
by the opposite sex – particularly when
you were going to talk to/pash/shag
them? The director of The French Kissers
does. And he puts us right back into the
classroom so we can smell the BO,
witness the whitehead cycles and taste
the swapped saliva. Squeamish yet?
Graphic artist Riad Sattouf transformed
his cartoons into an uncompromising
cultural milieu filled with average-looking
outcasts like Herve and the awesomelymulleted Camel who, without their
sexual urges, are nothing. But unlike
those American viginity-losing banalities,
this film loses the clichés and ups the
masturbation quota making it more
clumsy, real and shocking – not to
mention hilarious. Completely left of
centre, this underdog is the funniest
gross film of the year. (RK)
DEPARTURES Oscar winning
Departures gives us access into
the Japanese ritual of
encoffination. It transports you
into someone else’s life and
world, as only the best stories
and films can do. (KS)
FUNNY PEOPLE Even with a
Comedy Gala’s worth of cameos,
the scarily funny Eric Bana, Judd
Apatow’s travelling circus, filthy
language and the expectation of
hilarity, Funny People isn’t
constantly funny. But this amusing
look at human behaviour is
constantly excellent. (RK)
GENOVA The grieving process
is beautifully visualised in this
slow-paced film about a widower
(Colin Firth) who copes with his
wife’s death by relocating his
family to Italy. Sun dappled
location shots are offset by
strong performances, but Genova
feels somewhat shallow. (LRu)
G-FORCE I’m not sure if GFORCE was meant to be a film
for kids or adults but it fails to
impress on both counts. The
writing is lazy, painfully
predictable and lacks any
measure of imagination expected
in this genre of filmmaking. (KS)
IMAGINE THAT Eddie Murphy
plays just one role in this family
comedy. I had to make that clear
for anyone, who like me, are not
amused by his screen hogging
tactics.This film works on clichés
but succeeds by not revealing too
much.And who says happy
endings are out of fashion? (KS)
IN SEARCH OF
BEETHOVEN may not be the
action blockbuster of the year,
but it is certainly an educational
and musically rich two hours that
gives a real insight into one of the
greatest composers of all time.
(KB)
MAO’S LAST DANCER This
is Communist China’s Cinderella
with Li Cunxin as the peasant
made famous “ballerino”. Bruce
Beresford’s rough-and-ready
direction leaves the bestselling
story and convincing cast to
carry the film.Although canonical,
it’s well-executed (much like the
dancing within) and will leave you
soggy-eyed and inspired. (RK)
$9.99 If the word ‘claymation’
conjures up little more for you than
vague memories of Bump in the
Night, you’re missing out – if not on
all-out enlightenment, then certainly
on a beautiful exploration of urban
life. (ST)
PAPER HEART Starring indie
darlings du jour Michael Cera and
Charlyne Yi this is a charming slice
of Americana, with some ‘quest for
love’ a la mode. Overtly 50%
documentary, 50% pre-planned
drama, you don’t feel ripped off by
the romantic storyline, but neither
do you feel reeled in. Nonetheless,
it’s full of heart. (AB)
PONYO The latest Hayao
Miyazaki animation dives deep
beneath the ocean’s surface for a
tale based loosely on The Little
Mermaid. Some delightful moments
are found, but overall we drown a
little in the cute. (AB)
THE PRIVATE LIVES OF
PIPPA LEE The enigmatic title
character (Robin Wright Penn) is
forced by a drastic change in
lifestyle to reflect on her
dysfunctional upbringing.This film
works best when it trades
melodrama for oddball humour.
(JH)
PUSH Set in the deadly world of
psychic espionage, Nick Gant – a
second-generation “mover”, is being
chased by a deadly government
organisation hell-bent on using
psychics to help assemble the
greatest army known to man.The
poor man’s X-Men. (LR)
SHORTS The latest from Robert
Rodriguez, it offers up light kids
entertainment with a good message
at heart. Following chaotic events
ensuing after the discovery of a
magic wishing rock, Shorts won’t be
the most original film you’ll see this
year, but has some good laughs.
(KB)
SISTER SMILE Cecile de France
delivers an unmissable performance
in Stijin Coninx’s latest film Sister
Smile (soeur SOURIRE), based on the
life of Jeannine Deckers, one of the
highest selling artists of all time.
Deckers, who lived through a stifled
adolescence, a Dominican convent,
worldwide fame, financial and
personal hardship and early
feminism, makes for a fascinating
PLANET 51
“They’re gonna eat our brains for
dinner!” The strangest thing about
the alien in Planet 51, is that he’s
human and not all that fussed
about brains.When Charles
‘Chuck’ Baker’s spacecraft lands in
Glipforg, he expects he’s the next
Neil Armstrong of new uncharted
territory but finds out how very
wrong he is. He meets Lem, the
15 year old ‘alien’ and they
become unlikely friends as Lem
helps Chuck find his way back to
his spacecraft. References to
infamous Sci-Fi films (ET, Aliens,
Star-Wars to name a few) will
keep the adults entertained and
although Planet 51 isn’t of the
same calibre of recent animated
releases such as Coraline, Ponyo
and Up, it is still amusing. (NG)
story, done justice by a magnificent
performance. (KB)
SORORITY ROW Despite a
mixed script, some B grade acting
and a predictable plot, this latest
film in the ‘slasher’ market still
manages to create a few scares for
fans of the genre who are sure to
enjoy the bloody tale. (AG)
SURROGATES As it stands, this
is an enjoyable sci-fi thriller.
However clocking in at just 88
minutes the whole thing feels a tad
rushed and you’re sadly left
wondering what could have been
with an extra 30 minutes. (AG)
THE BOYS ARE BACK
Director Scott Hicks of Shine fame
returns to his native South Australia
to deliver a ponderous, funny and
deeply moving exploration of
fatherhood, starring Clive Owen.
Heightened by the rugged, idyllic
beauty of the countryside, it is a
requiem to grief, a cry for
redemption and an ode to life.
(MG)
THE INVENTION OF LYING
is set in a world where no one has
ever been dishonest. Life is hard for
struggling writer Mark Bellison
(Ricky Gervais), until he becomes
the first person to ever tell a lie.A
flat and at times incoherent
comedy. (ABo)
THE TAKING OF PELHAM
123 When Travolta (with a
Chopper mo) takes over a subway
train and demands ten mill, it’s
Denzel’s pot-bellied dispatcher who
gets the ransom call. Not as sharp
as some due to Tony Scott cheese,
but worth it for the Travolta vs
Washington title match. (RK)
THE TOPP TWINS An utterly
endearing biopic laying bare the
lives of kiwi entertainment icons:
the Topp Twins. Funny, touching and
inspiring portrait of the all singing,
all dancing lesbian twin sisters. Go
see this and let them yodel their
way into your hearts. (ABr)
VAN DIEMEN’S LAND This is
the brutal and tummy-turning tale
of Australia’s other most notorious
criminal;Alexander Pearce, a man
who led eight convicts to their
grisly demise in Tasmania, 1822.
Trading more in atmosphere than
character development, this is an
oddly beautiful study of cannibalism
YOUR LOCAL
SCREENS
BONDI JUNCTION
GREATER UNION
Level 7 & 8 Westfield Shopping
Town, 500 Oxford St, Bondi
Junction, 9300 1555,
www.eventcinemas.com.au
BROADWAY
HOYTS CINEMAS
Broadway Shopping
Centre, Broadway
Ph: 9211 1911
www.hoyts.com.au
CHAUVEL CINEMA
Cnr Oxford Street & Oatley
Road, Paddington 9361 5465
DENDY NEWTOWN
261 King St. Newtown
Ph: 9550 5699
www.dendy.com.au/newtown
DENDY OPERA QUAYS
Shop 9, 2 East Circular Quay,
Sydney, 9247 3800
EASTGARDENS HOYTS
Westfield Shopping Centre, 152
Bunnerong Rd, Eastgardens,
8347 5900,
ENTERTAINMENT
QUARTER HOYTS &
LA PREMIERE
Building 206, ph. 9332 1300
Cinema Paris
Building 215, ph. 9332 1633
Entry via Lang Road on Bent
Street, Moore Park,
www.hoyts.com.au
GEORGE ST
ENTERTAINMENT
COMPLEX
505 George St. Sydney
Ph: 9273 7431
MARKET CITY
READING CINEMA
Level 3, 9-13 Hay St,
Haymarket, 9280 1202,
www.readingcinemas.com.au
PALACE ACADEMY
TWIN
3a Oxford Street, Paddington,
9361 4453
PALACE NORTON ST
99 Norton St. Leichhardt
Ph: 9550 0122
www.palacecinemas.com.au
PALACE VERONA
17 Oxford Street, Paddington,
9360 6099
RANDWICK RITZ
CINEMA
39-47 St. Pauls St Randwick,
9399 5722,
www.ritzcinema.com.au
and the inhuman things humans are
capable of. (AB)
WHATEVER WORKS
Improbable romance ensues when
Larry David’s misanthropic quantum
physicist offers a ditzy-butendearing Southern beauty queen a
bed in the big bad city. No one
believes this somewhat dated Allen
fairy tale for a second but that’s
hardly the point. Equal parts silly
and delightful. (SM)
THE YOUNG VICTORIA
Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend
radiate warmth and chemistry in
this period drama about the
early years of Britain’s longest
reigning monarch. Historical facts
are glossed over, but nothing is
spared in creating a visual feast
with intricate costume design
and lavish sets. (LRu)
FREEWILLASTROLOGY
BY ROB BREZSNY
뵺
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
When Carolee Schneeman
was a kid, her extravagant adoration
of nature earned her the nickname
“mad pantheist.” Later, during her
career as a visual artist, she
described her relationship with the
world this way: “I assume the
senses crave sources of maximum
information, that the eye benefits by
exercise, stretch, and expansion
towards materials of complexity and
substance.” I hope that you’re
attracted to that perspective right
now, Aries. To be in most productive
alignment with the cosmic rhythms,
you should be in a state of nearly
ecstatic openness, hungry to be
stretched — like a mad pantheist.
뵻
TAURUS (April 20-May
20): “Dear Rob: Last night
my son and I were star-gazing.
When we focused on the
constellation Cassiopeia, an owl
started hooting. Then a brilliant
shooting star zipped by as a huge
bat flew right over our heads. Was
this a bad omen? Bats are creepy —
associated with vampires. And in
Greek mythology Cassiopeia got
divine punishment because she
bragged that she and her daughter
were more beautiful than the sea
god’s daughters. But I don’t know,
maybe this blast of odd events was
a good omen. Owls are symbols of
wisdom and shooting stars are
lucky, right? What do you think? Are
we blessed or cursed? -Spooked
Taurus.” Dear Spooked: The question
of whether it’s good or bad luck is
irrelevant. Here’s what’s important:
You Tauruses are in a phase when
the hidden workings of things will be
shown to you — the mysterious
magic that’s always bubbling below
the surface but that is usually not
visible.
‫ﺐ‬
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
The week ahead will be a
ripe time to pull off magic reversals.
May I suggest that you try to
transform dishwater greys into
sparkling golds? Or how about
recycling the dead energy of a lost
cause in such a way as to generate
raw fuel for a fresh start? I’m
confident, Gemini, that you’ll be able
to discover treasure hidden in the
trash, and that you’ll find a way to
unleash the creative zeal that has
been trapped inside polite
numbness. Now ponder this riddle,
please: Do you think there’s any
mystical significance in the fact that
the word “stressed” is “desserts”
spelled backwards?
‫ﺑ‬
CANCER (June 21-July
22): Lately you remind me
of the person Robert Hass describes
in his poem “Time and Materials”:
“someone falling down and getting
up and running and falling and
getting up.” I’m sending you my
compassion for the times you fall
down, and my admiration for the
times you get up, and my excitement
for the times you run. It has probably
become clear to you by now that the
falling down isn’t a shameful thing
to be cursed, but rather is an
instrumental part of the learning
process that is teaching you
marvelous secrets about getting
back up and running.
뵾
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “I
burn for no reason, like a
lantern in daylight,” writes poet
Joseph Lease. I think that’s a
succinct formulation of one of your
central issues, Leo. Burning for no
reason, like a lantern in the
daylight, can be the cause of either
failure or success for you,
depending on subtle differences of
emphasis. This is how it can be
failure: When you’re mindlessly and
wastefully burning through your
prodigious reserves of fuel without
any concern for the benefits it may
provide you and others. This is how
it can be success: When you are
exuberant and self-disciplined in
shining your light and radiating your
warmth just because it feels so
good and so right and so healthy,
and without any thought about
whether it’s “useful” to anyone.
뵿
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
In one of his short poems,
John Averill (twitter.com/wiremesa)
describes a scene that I think
captures the essence of your
current astrological omens: “Today
is the day of the photo of moonrise
over Havana in a book on a shelf in
the snowbound cabin.” Here’s a
clue about what it means: The
snowbound cabin is where you are
right now in your life. The moonrise
over Havana is where you could be
early in 2010. How do you get there
from here?
부
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
An estuary is a bay where
the salt water of a sea mixes with
the fresh water of rivers. These
days you remind me of such a
place. You are two-toned, Libra.
You’re dual-purpose and doubletracked. You’re a hybrid blend of the
yes and the no, the give and the
take, the extravagant and the
traditional. And somehow this has
been working out pretty well for
you. You’re not so much a
dysfunctional contradiction as an
interesting juxtaposition. You’re not
being crushed by a squeeze of
opposites so much as you’re getting
massaged by the oscillating throbs
of complementary influences. Keep
doing what you’ve been doing, only
more so..
북
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov.
21): Big shiny egos with
flashy tricks may be mucking
around in everyone’s business,
calling narcissistic attention to
themselves as they pretend to do
noble deeds. Meanwhile, I hope
you’ll be doing the hard, detailed
work that must be done to serve
the greater good — quietly and
unpretentiously improving people’s
lives without demanding major
tribute. That approach will stir up
some sleek, silky karma that will
come in handy when you undertake
the building of your masterpiece in
2010.
붂
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21): “Dear Rob: I love
to be proven wrong. That’s not an
ironic statement. I actually get
excited and feel creative when I
acquire new information that shows
me I’ve been operating under a
misunderstanding. One of my very
favorite life moments occurs when I
am convincingly liberated from a
negative opinion I’ve been
harboring about someone. As you
can tell, I’m quite proud of this
quality. The way I see it, emotional
wealth and psychological health
involve having so much self-respect
that I don’t need to be right all the
time. -Sagittarian Freedom Fighter.”
Dear Freedom Fighter: Thanks for
your testimony. The capacity you
described is one that many
Sagittarians will be poised to
expand in 2010. And this is an
excellent week for them to start
getting the hang of it.
붃
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan.
19): In an early version of
the tale of Pinocchio, friendly
woodpeckers chiseled his nose
back to its original size after it had
grown enormous from his
incorrigible lying. From a
metaphorical perspective,
Capricorn, a comparable
development may soon occur in
your own life. A benevolent (if
somewhat rough) intervention akin
to the woodpeckers’ assistance will
shrink an overgrown, top-heavy
part of your attitude, allowing you
to proceed to the next chapter of
your story with streamlined grace.
뵸
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb.
18): “There is light enough
for those who wish to see,” wrote
French philosopher Blaise Pascal,
“and darkness enough for those of
the opposite disposition.” I’m
hoping you will align yourself with
the first group in the coming week,
Aquarius. More than ever before,
what you choose to focus on will
come rushing in to meet you, touch
you, teach you, and prompt you to
respond. Even if all the smart
people you know seem to be drunk
on the darkness, I encourage you to
be a brave rebel who insists on
equal time for the light.
뵹
PISCES (Feb. 19-March
20): White dwarfs are small
and extremely dense stars. They’re
typically no bigger than the Earth
but as heavy as the sun. You
currently have a resemblance to
one of those concentrated balls of
pure intensity. I have rarely seen
you offering so much bang for the
buck. You are as flavorful as
chocolate mousse, as piercing as
the scent of eucalyptus, as lustrous
as a fireworks display on a
moonless night. Personally, I’m
quite attracted to your saucy and
zesty emanations, and I think most
people with strong egos will be. But
some underachievers with lower
self-esteem may regard you as
being more like astringent
medicine. My advice: Gravitate
toward those who like you to be
powerful.
Homework: Meditate on the
difference between your fearful
fantasies and your accurate
intuitions. For inspiration, listen to
my free podcast at
http://bit.ly/unqAj.

WHAT`S - Altmedia

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