Just came from "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea", and I do have to say that it was quite strangely spectacular. It is a mix of goth acting and multimedia and... and... you know, it's really hard to describe. For one, the description of "David Lynch meets Tim Burton" is quite accurate. The acting was superb and the mini-stories are quite ... interesting.
Imagine the video clip for "Tonight, Tonight" (Smashing Pumpkins) on stage, except the script was by Gabriel Garcia Marquez on serious drugs. Yeah, that's how I would describe it.
And there is audience participation - at least, for one fellow in the audience.
In a nutshell, 4 out of 5 slices.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
A Good Leap of Faith: The Altar Boyz (A Review)
Just came back from Altar Boyz, a musical comedy about a Christian boyband. It was held in the Seymore Theatre, and I do have to say I came out of that fairly impressed. It is difficult to sing and dance for 1.45 hours, but I guess boy bands do it live in concerts, so yeah.
As expected, there are a few giggles and laughs at the expense of Catholics, but given the initial premise and all, it was nothing out of the ordinary. What I found surprising was the reaction of one of audience members. At the end of a song, he walked out with his wife in tow, yelling out "Blasphemy!"
I can see how he can find it offensive, but given that this is Australia, where people can take a piss out of themselves, I felt the reaction was pretty extreme. Still, the cast members handled the situation well, and actually managed to turn it to their advantage. No one else walked out after that, and admittedly, the cast energy turned up HEAPS.
Ironically, the man's act of putting down the show actually helped it.
So do I recommend it? As a Catholic, I thought it was funny - from the poke at First Communion mass rituals, to the play on the Catholic nursery rhymes, to the subtle Biblical references and all. It was funny for me, at least. Others might not feel the same way. Still, the energy of the cast members really helped pull the show.
Advice: Get something in the middle of Row F, for a little audience participation... or something in the first two rows for a little stage action.
Rating: 3.5/5 slices
As expected, there are a few giggles and laughs at the expense of Catholics, but given the initial premise and all, it was nothing out of the ordinary. What I found surprising was the reaction of one of audience members. At the end of a song, he walked out with his wife in tow, yelling out "Blasphemy!"
I can see how he can find it offensive, but given that this is Australia, where people can take a piss out of themselves, I felt the reaction was pretty extreme. Still, the cast members handled the situation well, and actually managed to turn it to their advantage. No one else walked out after that, and admittedly, the cast energy turned up HEAPS.
Ironically, the man's act of putting down the show actually helped it.
So do I recommend it? As a Catholic, I thought it was funny - from the poke at First Communion mass rituals, to the play on the Catholic nursery rhymes, to the subtle Biblical references and all. It was funny for me, at least. Others might not feel the same way. Still, the energy of the cast members really helped pull the show.
Advice: Get something in the middle of Row F, for a little audience participation... or something in the first two rows for a little stage action.
Rating: 3.5/5 slices
Sunday, May 18, 2008
A Bunch of Poems from "The Serpent's Teeth" by Daniel Keene
I really liked the poetry in this play. I think I am writing this more for me, rather than anyone else. :-)
These are all lines from grieving characters.
---
(Sam)
My brother is swallowed in his death
His baffled cry still echoing
Footprints still hardening in his blood
The days at least are merciful
I lose what's already lost
But at night, the darkness blazes
with the music of his voice;
Our games have never ended
The rubber ball we bounced
Pounds inside my chest
Our game of hide and seek
Ends only when I wake
Still searching for his hiding place."
(Catherine)
"They'll carve his name in stone,
Why not here in my breast?
Why not here in the palm of my hand?
I'll wear his absence on my face,
why not his name?
There is a flame that burns
for dead soldiers;
What feeds the flame of remembrance?
The living are the fuel that memory burns.
We burn more slowly than the dead.
Our crematoria are the beds we sleep in,
the streets we walk,
the rooms where we wait
for the son who is not returning.
We leave a trail of ashes
That are slowly scattered by the wind."
(Helen)
We lived in our own country
And knew each other's seasons
His body was naked as air,
His hands a harbour and a sea.
Our bed was a wild garden
Where my eyes were mirrored in his.
We drank from each other's bodies
and slept in each other's silence.
How should I remember him?
Who should I tell that I loved him?
(Tom)
What's left of my son?
What's in that box, draped in a flag?
Have they managed to stitch anything together?
Does it even resemble a body?
Does it matter?
I remember holding his hand
That was in another life
But it was my life
My son in my arms is something I've felt
My son's voice is something I've heard
I've seen his shoulders broaden
His voice darken with manhood
I don't want to see my son again.
I want him in my arms,
dead or living,
the bright grave joy of his youth,
his going away and his coming home again
I want my son.
(Robert)
I hear the voice of son calling
He looks homewards to me
where I burn
in the suspended nightmare of his loss,
not yet able to scream, nor weep, nor curse.
My son calls me
and I answer him.
Come home to me now
Bring your lost life
to grief's foundry.
We'll forge a meaning from it;
the hammer of my tears
on the anvil of your blood.
It is in the labour that matters,
the shaping out of emptiness
the necessary presence of your death.
(Catherine)
Now we will learn our grief, waiting
for those not coming home
to come home nonetheless.
We'll make new lives
and learn to live with emptiness.
These are all lines from grieving characters.
---
(Sam)
My brother is swallowed in his death
His baffled cry still echoing
Footprints still hardening in his blood
The days at least are merciful
I lose what's already lost
But at night, the darkness blazes
with the music of his voice;
Our games have never ended
The rubber ball we bounced
Pounds inside my chest
Our game of hide and seek
Ends only when I wake
Still searching for his hiding place."
(Catherine)
"They'll carve his name in stone,
Why not here in my breast?
Why not here in the palm of my hand?
I'll wear his absence on my face,
why not his name?
There is a flame that burns
for dead soldiers;
What feeds the flame of remembrance?
The living are the fuel that memory burns.
We burn more slowly than the dead.
Our crematoria are the beds we sleep in,
the streets we walk,
the rooms where we wait
for the son who is not returning.
We leave a trail of ashes
That are slowly scattered by the wind."
(Helen)
We lived in our own country
And knew each other's seasons
His body was naked as air,
His hands a harbour and a sea.
Our bed was a wild garden
Where my eyes were mirrored in his.
We drank from each other's bodies
and slept in each other's silence.
How should I remember him?
Who should I tell that I loved him?
(Tom)
What's left of my son?
What's in that box, draped in a flag?
Have they managed to stitch anything together?
Does it even resemble a body?
Does it matter?
I remember holding his hand
That was in another life
But it was my life
My son in my arms is something I've felt
My son's voice is something I've heard
I've seen his shoulders broaden
His voice darken with manhood
I don't want to see my son again.
I want him in my arms,
dead or living,
the bright grave joy of his youth,
his going away and his coming home again
I want my son.
(Robert)
I hear the voice of son calling
He looks homewards to me
where I burn
in the suspended nightmare of his loss,
not yet able to scream, nor weep, nor curse.
My son calls me
and I answer him.
Come home to me now
Bring your lost life
to grief's foundry.
We'll forge a meaning from it;
the hammer of my tears
on the anvil of your blood.
It is in the labour that matters,
the shaping out of emptiness
the necessary presence of your death.
(Catherine)
Now we will learn our grief, waiting
for those not coming home
to come home nonetheless.
We'll make new lives
and learn to live with emptiness.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
A Breathtaking Night: A Review of "The Serpent's Teeth"
Last Wednesday, I went with the Falster family to watch Daniel Keene's The Serpent's Teeth. Prior to this, I had not seen a production of The Sydney Theatre Company, so I was quite excited. Given that it was at the Opera House playhouse, I felt I was in for a double treat.
True to form, I was amazed. The Serpent's Teeth is actually two one-act plays. The first is called Civilians, a story of Palestinians trapped by the walls that divide their country. In another way, it can reflect as well the walls we erect around ourselves and the way in which we break them down sometimes in order to communicate with others around us. I loved the set here (just a brick wall spanning the entire length of the stage), as there were subtle parts of it which reflect a deeper despair amongst people trapped by overpowering presence of a wall represting the corrupt power of the same people who are supposed to help and protect them.
Because this is set in a country that is so different from my own, it seemed so much easier to accept what was on stage and every little small detail could be easily taken in. Despite its depressing nature, I loved it.
Sadly, I did not find the second one-act play as engaging. It was called Soldiers and revolved around the effect of the death of Aussie soldiers in Iraq. The concept was quite basic and familiar, and perhaps that is what made it less interesting.
However, what wowed me was the way in which the thoughts of the characters were written. It is basically a combination of prose and poetry, and Daniel Keene has such a gift in verbalising the grief, anger and bewilderment that loss can bring.
That second play was so well-written that I had to get a copy of the scripts. Well worth the $15, in my honest opinion.
Here are some lines for your scrutiny.
(from a grieving mother)
"They'll carve his name in stone,
Why not here in my breast?
Why not here in the palm of my hand?
I'll wear his absence on my face,
why not his name?"
(more to follow)
True to form, I was amazed. The Serpent's Teeth is actually two one-act plays. The first is called Civilians, a story of Palestinians trapped by the walls that divide their country. In another way, it can reflect as well the walls we erect around ourselves and the way in which we break them down sometimes in order to communicate with others around us. I loved the set here (just a brick wall spanning the entire length of the stage), as there were subtle parts of it which reflect a deeper despair amongst people trapped by overpowering presence of a wall represting the corrupt power of the same people who are supposed to help and protect them.
Because this is set in a country that is so different from my own, it seemed so much easier to accept what was on stage and every little small detail could be easily taken in. Despite its depressing nature, I loved it.
Sadly, I did not find the second one-act play as engaging. It was called Soldiers and revolved around the effect of the death of Aussie soldiers in Iraq. The concept was quite basic and familiar, and perhaps that is what made it less interesting.
However, what wowed me was the way in which the thoughts of the characters were written. It is basically a combination of prose and poetry, and Daniel Keene has such a gift in verbalising the grief, anger and bewilderment that loss can bring.
That second play was so well-written that I had to get a copy of the scripts. Well worth the $15, in my honest opinion.
Here are some lines for your scrutiny.
(from a grieving mother)
"They'll carve his name in stone,
Why not here in my breast?
Why not here in the palm of my hand?
I'll wear his absence on my face,
why not his name?"
(more to follow)
Saturday, April 12, 2008
A New Movie with Old Tricks: Before The Devil Knows You're Dead
To be perfectly honest, the whole "bungled heist that rips a family apart" routine has been done before. There is little in this movie that presents something new to the genre (genre???) and the directing is nothing to get all excited about.
What the movie has going for it: the acting. As expected, Seymour-Hoffman and Hawke are exceptional. Surprisingly, Tomei does a good job as well. She is cute as a button even though her character can be described as two dimensional at best.
What sucks about the movie: Nothing "sucks" too much about the movie, really. However, it doesn't have that much going for it either. I don't regret spending $5.50 on it, but if I had paid full price, I would have been disappointed.
If seeing some of the private parts of the actors above gets your rocks off, then be the first in the queue to grab a ticket. Otherwise, you can seriously give this one a pass in lieu of DVD rentals.
Rating: 3/5 slices
What the movie has going for it: the acting. As expected, Seymour-Hoffman and Hawke are exceptional. Surprisingly, Tomei does a good job as well. She is cute as a button even though her character can be described as two dimensional at best.
What sucks about the movie: Nothing "sucks" too much about the movie, really. However, it doesn't have that much going for it either. I don't regret spending $5.50 on it, but if I had paid full price, I would have been disappointed.
If seeing some of the private parts of the actors above gets your rocks off, then be the first in the queue to grab a ticket. Otherwise, you can seriously give this one a pass in lieu of DVD rentals.
Rating: 3/5 slices
Thursday, April 10, 2008
A Mist: ...take
Watched Stephen King's "The Mist" tonight and geez, he has made an awesome horrid mess of Lord of the Flies, the Harvest and Sally Kern.
There is no redeeming value in the film other than a few cheap thrills, the random foreign language singing female (aren't they sick and tired of that style by now??? She sung her snatch out in Braveheart and 300, and she's still belting it out with the best of 'em), the creative creature effects and the awesome old woman who plays the gutsy school teacher.
The ending is so unexpected though. Hehehe. Made me chuckle.
Anyway, don't watch it unless you are super shallow mode. 2 out of 5 slices.
There is no redeeming value in the film other than a few cheap thrills, the random foreign language singing female (aren't they sick and tired of that style by now??? She sung her snatch out in Braveheart and 300, and she's still belting it out with the best of 'em), the creative creature effects and the awesome old woman who plays the gutsy school teacher.
The ending is so unexpected though. Hehehe. Made me chuckle.
Anyway, don't watch it unless you are super shallow mode. 2 out of 5 slices.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
A Doll of a Movie: Lars and the Real Girl
At first, I didn't want to watch it. Given its main premise, I imagined a comedic romp about a man who has an obsession with sex dolls to the point of wanting to marry one. Although it was a unique premise to say the least, I wasn't too keen on really venturing into Ryan Reynolds territory.
Oh, hold on. It's Ryan Gosling, the same tortured soul from Half-Nelson. I haven't watched the movie myself, but people have been raving about him left and right. I still haven't recovered/forgiven him for The Notebook, so I really was umming and ahhhing, but I said to myself, what the hey. Nothing to lose.
The movie was astounding.
The premise was not exactly what I envisioned. Gosling played Lars, a dysfunctional chap who has intimacy issues and his "girlfriend", Bianca, is a reflection of that. I was fearing that the movie would fall into slapstick territory, but not once did it do so. The comic relief came mostly in the form of Lars' workbuddy whose screen time barely lasted 5 minutes. The movie itself was highly dramatic, with excellent performances from Gosling, Patricia Clarkson and Emily Mortimer.
It's not a movie about sex dolls and perverted twists. It's about growing up a few years later than expected, facing your demons and embracing the lovely things in the world, even the ones that can hurt you. Yes, there are a few giggles here and there (given the premise, kinda hard not to), but mostly the movie is still a lot of heart. Highly recommended.
Rating: 4.5/5 slices
Oh, hold on. It's Ryan Gosling, the same tortured soul from Half-Nelson. I haven't watched the movie myself, but people have been raving about him left and right. I still haven't recovered/forgiven him for The Notebook, so I really was umming and ahhhing, but I said to myself, what the hey. Nothing to lose.
The movie was astounding.
The premise was not exactly what I envisioned. Gosling played Lars, a dysfunctional chap who has intimacy issues and his "girlfriend", Bianca, is a reflection of that. I was fearing that the movie would fall into slapstick territory, but not once did it do so. The comic relief came mostly in the form of Lars' workbuddy whose screen time barely lasted 5 minutes. The movie itself was highly dramatic, with excellent performances from Gosling, Patricia Clarkson and Emily Mortimer.
It's not a movie about sex dolls and perverted twists. It's about growing up a few years later than expected, facing your demons and embracing the lovely things in the world, even the ones that can hurt you. Yes, there are a few giggles here and there (given the premise, kinda hard not to), but mostly the movie is still a lot of heart. Highly recommended.
Rating: 4.5/5 slices
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