A blog for artists and lovers of the arts from around the world, featuring discussions, appreciation and commentary on visual art, performance art and art-film.
I went and checked out the Aussie flick 'Footy Legends'. Here's what I thought:
Luc Vu (Anh Do) is an Asian-Australian who has grown up in the less than affluent Sydney suburb of Yagoona (incidentally, my first girlfriend lived in Yagoona so it’s a place I know a bit about). Luc has been out of work for nearly six months since the factory where he worked went bust. Every advertised job seems to require a degree or skill set Luc doesn’t possess, but he has still managed to eke out a decent existence for himself and his sister Anne (Lisa Saggers), to whom he has been guardian since their mother died. In his spare time, he gets together with his ragtag high school mates and throws the footy around.
But when he is denied a dole cheque for allegedly not applying for jobs, Luc’s fragile financial balancing-act collapses. Anne’s unpaid school fees spark an investigation by a Department of Community Services officer (Claudia Karvan) and Luc is faced with an ultimatum: get a paying job or have his sister put in a foster home.
Luc’s one undeniable talent is playing halfback in rugby league, so together with his friends (who were a promising team playing for Yagoona High School) he forms the Yagoona Schooners and they enter the inaugural Holden Cup – first prize being a brand new ute and a modelling contract for Lowes (if there’s been a recent film with less subtle product placement I don’t know what it is).
They fight their way to the final, where they face the well-to-do Double Bay side coached by the unscrupulous Billy Major (Peter Phelps), who has hired half a dozen of the game’s all-time greats to take the field.
As you can see, the film has all the ingredients of a feel good, overcoming adversity to carry the day, kind of movie. Battlers trying their hearts out and triumphing against all the odds. But this, in my opinion is exactly where the film falls down. There's a thin line between following the conventions of a genre, in this case, the 'overcoming adversity' kind of movie, and formulaism. 'Footy Legends' unfortunately falls into the second category. Everything was so predictable, so formulaic, that I found it difficult to engage wth the characters, who became, for my mind, simple plot devices needed to propel the film towards its telegraphed ending. Also, as other reviewers have noted, the movie is not helped by a weak script and poor acting.
This being said, I love rugby league and it was great to see the sport, as well as suburban Sydney, used as the film's setting. It was also refreshing to see a male lead not of Anglo-saxon heritage in an Australian film. and for all its flaws the film had a charming quality that made it enjoyable to watch. It was kinda like watching A-Grade Rugby League. The standard may not be great, and there might be a lot of dropped ball, but at the end of the day it's quite nice to sit on the hill with a beer and watch the game play out.
I will never forget first hearing Berlioz' 'Symphonie fantastique'. It's evocation of passion's extremes and love's changeability stays with me to this day. As Berlioz himself desribed it, his oeuvre relies on the point and counterpoint of human drama: "To render my works properly requires a combination of extreme precision and irresistible verve, a regulated vehemence, a dreamy tenderness, and an almost morbid melancholy."
Here's a short biography of the High Priest of French Romanticism:
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Just an update for all you Hilary Duff freaks out there. I thought that Hilary was going to cover Madonna's famed 'Material Girl' and release it as a single as part of the promotion for her new movie 'Material Girls' with is going to be released in Australia later this year. However, news is that Hilary and Haylie Duff aren't going overboard with their cover of Madonna's "Material Girl," the song that inspired the sisters' upcoming flick. "The song's going to be in the movie, but we're not going to release it as a single," Haylie said. "There's no time to shoot a video ... but we already recorded it, it'll be in the opening of the movie, and it'll be on a compilation coming out [(Lip Smackers Presents) Girl Next], but not as a single." On related news - the poster for the film has been released. I think it looks fabulous. As do the majority of Hilary fans.
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As the result of late night channel surfing I happened to recently stumble upon a little show on the E! channel you all have to check out 'The Girls Next Door' a new reality TV program that goes inside the Playboy mansion following the lives of Hef's three girlfriends Holly, Bridget and Kendra . Basically, there is no plot to speak of. Each episode usually revolves around the camera perving on the girls as they do silly activities (organise birthdays, go to parties, buy pets, visit family) in skimpy outfits - great TV in my opinion.....No wonder the Islamic world hates the US! Hef is also looking really creepy in the show... like a warmed up corpse, and whenever he kisses or touches the girls it's a bit sickening. I imagine it feels like a moribund cockroach crawling across your face.
Playboy describes the show in the following way:
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The Art Gallery of NSW is currently presenting for the first time an exhibition of sketchbooks and sketchbook drawings from the collection, by Sydney artist Frank Hodgkinson. Frank Hodgkinson (1919 - 2001) is remembered for his large abstract paintings inspired by the natural, earthy qualities of the Australian bush and his experience of Europe, especially Spain, where he lived for long periods in the decades following the Second World War. However, drawing formed the cornerstone of Hodgkinson's art from the very beginning, and remained a central part of his practice.
This focus exhibition presents sketchbooks and sketchbook drawings made by Frank Hodgkinson between the years 1945 and 1948, when he was in his twenties. Included are three bound sketchbooks as well as a number of loose sketchbook drawings made by the artist when he first discovered the towns and cities of Europe as a young man, released from war service.
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Monica Bellucci is one of my favourite continental actresses. She is beautiful and possesses an amazing ability to convey feeling through not only dialogue but also through her body. Here's some info about the star:
Monica Bellucci was born on September 30, 1964, in the village of Citta di Castello, in Umbria, Italy. Initially pursuing a career as a lawyer, Monica decided to start modeling in order to help pay for her tuition while at the University of Perugia. But of course, the glamorous life of a model -- which includes travel and a sweet income -- tempted Monica away from her law studies.
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This film revolves around a family of fishermen on a small Sicilian island, Lampedusa, east of mainland Sicily in the present day, and as seen through the eyes of Pasquale, a highly sensitive teenager and Grazia, his mother, a young and whimsical woman, despised by the inhabitants of the island who are jealous of her beauty and her care-free ways. The majority of her fellow islanders think she is "over-the-top" and although he is embarrassed by her behaviour, Grazia’s son Pasquale does his best to buffer her against growing pressure by both the community and Grazia’s husband to have her hospitalised in Milan
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Jane Rutter has to be the sexiest woman in classical music (apart from those girls in BOND who are so smokin' hot). Rutter is established as one of Australia's most brilliant and versatile flautists. Rutter began training on the flute at an early age. She credits as a great early influence an occasion when aged 12 while on holiday in Bali with her mother. As she was improvising and playing some Balinese tunes she had heard, her playing came to the attention of a local Balinese flute orchestra that sought her out. She claims this validated her playing and set her sights to being a professional flautist.
On saturday afternoon at the Star City Showroom I was lucky enough to attend 'The Young Divas' second sold out show at the venue. A high energy performance the group performed some items together and others individually, the audience getting the opportunity to taste the potential that the group has to offer and to savour the amazing vocal abilities of these talented Australian youngsters. Obviously, not having yet recorded an album together, the Young Divas relied almost exclusively on covers to flesh out their playlist and this was probably the only downside of the show, as at times it felt a bit like karaoke. Another slight criticism would be that at times when performing ensemble there was the tendency for the girls to vocally compete with each other destroying any harmonic dynamic. Also, Kate, who has gained some weight since competing in Idol, looked quite self conscious on stage, seeming unwilling to dance and covering up much more than the other girls. This was a real shame as Kate is an attractive young woman who should not be ashamed of her full figure. However, the girls' engaging personalities and their passion for performance and music carried the day, the show proving to be highly enjoyable. I hope they release an album and tour again.
I though Ricki-Lee was especially impressive, you can check out her website here.
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After the exclusive interview with Kylie which aired on channel nine on Monday in which she discussed the pain and struggle of the past year I'm sure there is going to be huge interest in her upcoming Showgirl tour. Well, just a reminder to people who haven't got tickets for Kylie's impending tour that a small number of tickets will be put on general sale on Wednesday 19 July. They're not expected to last for long as there are no plans for additional shows at this stage. People wishing to purchase tickets to see Kylie will need to be on the ball at 9am!
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Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Philip Glass is a graduate of the University of Chicago and the Juilliard School. In the early 1960s, Glass spent two years of intensive study in Paris with Nadia Boulanger and while there, earned money by transcribing Ravi Shankar's Indian music into Western notation. Upon his return to New York, he applied these eastern techniques to his own music. His music is frequently described as minimalist, though he prefers the term theatre music. He is considered one of the most influential composers of the late-20th century and is widely acknowledged as a composer who has brought art music to the public
ABC News Online reports that the national leader of the Greens will today spend a second day at the Burrup Peninsula, in north-west Western Australia, to help raise awareness of the area's Aboriginal rock art.
The State Government has recently released a plan which would leave 40 per cent of the Burrup open for further industrial development.
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Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan (b. 25 December 1957 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England) is an Irish musician. He is best known for his involvement with The Pogues as their original vocalist, and is considered one of the most important and poetic songwriters of the last thirty years, often echoing his influences such as Brendan Behan in his writing style.
Zen or Ch'an Buddhism represents a sectarian movement within the Buddhist religion that stresses the practice of meditation as the means to enlightenment. Zen and Ch'an are, respectively, Japanese and Chinese attempts to render the Sanskrit word for meditation, dhyana.
Zen's roots may be traced to India, but it was in East Asia that the movement became distinct and flourished. Like other Chinese Buddhist sects, Ch'an first established itself as a lineage of masters emphasizing the teachings of a particular text, in this case the Lankavatara Sutra. Bodhidharma, the first Ch'an patriarch in China, who is said to have arrived there from India c. 470 AD, was a master of this text. He also emphasized the practice of contemplative sitting, and legend has it that he himself spent 9 years in meditation facing a wall.
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One of the most significant photographic voices of the Sixties, Lewis Morley's work covers a range of the photography from portraiture, theatre, reportage to fashion.
The extensive exhibition now showing at the Art Gallery of NSW from 5 July to 10 September showcases the 50 year span of Morley's career. There are many works never seen before along with his best-known photographs including the portrait of Christine Keeler, which is now one of the most iconic images of the 20th century. In addition there is a large selection of contact sheets and publications.
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I recently had the pleasure of seeing Coldplay at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. I'm not a huge Coldplay fan, but having been impressed with their show at the Horden Pavillion in Sydney when they last toured Australia, I thought I'd check them out again.
And what a powerful show Coldplay puts on. More akin to pentecostal revival than a rock concert, Coldplay's performance inspires a sensation of 'togetherness', of collective unity, in the audience. Different to, say, the Rolling Stones, that most professional of rock bands, Coldplay's appeal does not appear to lie in the specific sentiment expressed in the lyrics of a particular song. Indeed, the ubiquity of Colpay's music, its proliferation in advertisements, soundtracks, sporting events etc, testifies to its lyrical mysteriousness; rendering the music aplicable in a plethora of fora.
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Having fully recovered from his fall from a coconut tree whilst on holiday it has been widely reported that Rolling Stone Keith Richards is to play Johnny Depp's father in Pirates Of The Caribbean 3. The actor based his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow on the guitarist. I can't wait, Richards is hilarious just being himself, so it should be pretty funny seeing him be himself in a pirate outfit.
Having recently developed a disturbing liking for country music, I thought some information about one of its leading lights, Willie Nelson, was in order. Hope you enjoy.
Nelson and his sister, Roberta Nelson, were raised by their grandparents after their father died and their mother ran away. His Grandparents gave him mail order music lessons starting at age six. Willie played the guitar, while Bobbie played the piano. She met Bud Fletcher, a fiddler, and both siblings joined his band Bohemian Fiddler's while Willie was in high school.
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At the Ohio Art League during July, 2006, in The Part You Throw Away artists John Beaver and Teresa Saska explore the interplay between the fleeting transience of the living subject and the permanent flatness of a photographic object.
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Rigoletto is an tragic opera filled with curses and irony. Initially named La Maledizione, Giuseppe Verdi later changed the title to that of the opera's most unfortunate of characters, the court jester Rigoletto. Here's a short synopsis of the opera.
Act I
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I know that this doesn't really fall within the 'art' theme of this site, but who cares. Having a little obsession with the bizarre and crazy that proliferates the internet, I stumbled across this little gem...a Mexican bloke who's obviously had one too many tacos. Seriously though, apart from the voyeuristic pleasure of the video I feel pretty sorry for the poor bastard. Check out the video here.
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