Ghost Empire – Launch by Richard Fidler
Bob Hawke PM Centre, 11 August 2016 It was said that a Greek, Byzas, founded Byzantium about 658BC. It is accepted that Constantine the Great (converted but not baptized after the Battle of the Milvian Bridge had shown him the sign Hoc Vince) appropriated it for his ‘new Rome’ in 330 and called it Constantinople. The Christian Centre in the East endured till its fall in 1453, when the great city became the prize of the Ottoman Empire (til 1922), Istanbul being a Turkish transfiguration. Mehmet II wisely retained much of the infrastructure, converting Sainte Sophie into the famous mosque. Enter…
Continue Reading →Walk on the Wild Side
Graffiti photo by By Thierry Ehrmann
Songs in Our Heart # 38 Walk on the Wild Side (Lou Reed) (Written by Lou Reed; released November 1972) [Dave Brubeck meets Nelson Algren meets William Burroughs meets Andy Warhol. Lou’s most famous slice of urban depravity.]
Continue Reading →Absolutely Fabulous
(The Movie) (Dir. Mandie Fletcher, 2016) ♥ We love Absolutely Fabulous, The TV show with its shrill and frabjous Carve-up of the naff world of fashion; The celebrity swim-through, the sterile passion Bubbling away in a Bollinger glass, Emptied like life and sadly come to pass. But as for the film, we rate it Poor, Great moments, yes: Patsy walks into a door And Edina sings her ‘road-walking’ song But the laughs aren’t sustained for very long. The walk-ons wholly fail to satisfy And Patsy’s Bowie disguise refuses to fly. We’re given a gloss on tired old themes And the plot design is showing its…
Continue Reading →The Sound of Silence
(c/- Columbia Records)
Songs in Our Heart # 37 The Sound of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel) (Written by Paul Simon; released October 1964) [Urban Alienation Classic. See also the great version by “Disturbed.” As to that, in the interests of ‘balance’, note the comment on that band’s version and film of the song at: http://fasterlouder.junkee.com/how-the-hell-did-disturbeds-sound-of-silence-become-a-viral-hit/860332 (though we have to say it reads like a ‘Disturbed’ fan carrying a lot of pre-packed resentment….It’s just a song, people. It’s not like it’s Why Does it Always Rain on Me? or anything.]
Continue Reading →The Crucible
(by Arthur Miller) Adelaide University Theatre Guild, August 2016 ‘Desperate and hot.’ That’s how Miller wanted his Witch Trial / Cold War hysteria tale to play; stoke the fire till someone gets burnt. Whilst at the time of debut in 1950s America the piece served a political purpose, sixty odd years later, we can appreciate the wider themes of group-think and guilt. In this production, directed by Geoff Brittain, the essential drama is delivered in a powerful and solid fashion. Despite a few misfires in delivery, the odd uncertain accent and some overly shouty bits, the acting was generally good. Of the brat…
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