I TELL YOU WHAT I THINK
First on Entertainment

Why is Ed Sheeran one of the most beloved (and, unquestionably, highly talented) musical artists on the planet?   Having arrived by train from Sydney, he answered that emphatically on the opening night of a three-night stadium concert series in Melbourne, as part of his Loop Tour.   Marvel Stadium was metaphorically heaving under the collective anticipation of 60,000 plus fans.  Photo by Mark Surridge Then, spot on 8pm, he wandered into the middle of the packed arena, and del

When Terminator 2: Judgment Day was released 35 years ago, it was a movie well ahead of its time.   Its special effects were awesome.   Even looking at it now, it measures up well.   Those scenes of transformative liquid metal continue to impress. Photos by Simon Aubor   And with the emergence of all powerful AI in recent years, the film’s backbone – man vs machine (humans at war with Skynet) – is particularly salient.   And remember, the opening scene had a location and da

Why and when do marriages turn sour?   A couple of broad questions, I know, but ones picked apart in Bradley Cooper’s third directorial film (which he also co-wrote and in which he features).   The other two he directed are A Star is Born and Maestro.   Is This Thing On? starts with the words “We need to call it, right?” “I think so, too.”   That effectively brings down the curtain on a relationship that has run for 26 years, or does it?  Alex and Tess Novak (Will Arnett and

What do Crocs have in common with the most stylish silver stilettoes?   If you answered “absolutely nothing”, you just have to hear and see fashionista and inveterate warbler Glynis Traill-Nash’s take on it. Does she have stories to tell from a stellar career that has taken in the world’s fashion capitals!   And I tell you, she could make a bar of soap sound interesting.   Put simply, she is a raconteur. She has the gift of the gab and plays dress up with words … and music. 

What an experience!   I speak of a searing, at times humorous trilogy covering 16 years and lasting seven hours, in which, on several occasions, the characters eviscerate one another. Photos by Chris Parker And “yes”, I approached it with fear, simply because even for an unashamed theatre enthusiast like me 420 minutes in a small, black box theatre seemed like a huge ask.   I should add that there are breaks within and between each play, which extend the day from midday to ju

If you ever wanted to get up close and personal with The King in his heyday, here is your chance to do so in retrospect.   As a follow up to his 2022 biographical film Elvis, Baz Luhrmann has crafted a compelling documentary in which Presley is front and centre, larger than life.   Most of the time, Elvis is shot in close up, appearing just in front of your face, making the great music for which he was renowned, forever gyrating.   What extraordinary stage presence! The visua

What makes life meaningful? Why do we do what we do?   These large existential questions are dealt with humorously and poignantly in Jean Tong’s Do Not Pass Go.   Flux (Ella Prince) walks into a new job needing the money for surgery, as they are not comfortable in their own skin.   There they meet the strait-laced, by the book mother of a 15-year-old daughter, Penny (Belinda McClory).  Photos by Pia Johnson Flux has been hired after the firm with high expectations retrenched

White man has a lot to answer for … and Black Light makes it clear just how much in an expressive family drama with comedic elements.   A cataclysmic event envelopes the nation. Planes have been grounded. Blackouts are frequent. There is no choice but to wait it out.   Outside Darwin, three generations of the one clan reflect on the importance of Country and the ills that have befallen Australia’s First Peoples since colonial rule. Photos by Pia Johnson That includes displace

Sexually charged, Pillion is a dramatic comedy that opens the door on relationships between gay men with a dominatrix mentality.   Written and directed by Harry Lighton, it is based on the 2020 book Box Hill by Adam Mars-Jones, which was set in the pre-AIDS era.   Colin (Harry Melling) is an introverted, naïve homosexual parking officer who lives with his kind-hearted parents in London.  Pete (Douglas Hodge) and his wife Peggy (Lesley Sharp), who is dying, but is not backward