New Film /

Samson and Delilah, an Australian movie

This is not an enjoyable film, but it is excellent. Immediately after watching Samson and Delilah, I thought it was awful. Exactly because I thought it was awful, a week later I’m convinced it’s brilliant. There are many different types of films. Some are immensely entertaining, but immediately forgettable. Like Avatar. Others stick with you, no matter how much you wish they wouldn’t, because they show you a truth about the world that you wish wasn’t so spot on. Samson and Delilah is based around the real-life experiences of director Warwick Thornton and present a part of Australia that most people, myself included, suspected existed, but really wish it didn’t. Now, what the hell do we do about it?

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Animal Kingdom: Australian crime movie

Australia has been criticized for only doing two types of films well: the quirky comedy such as Strictly Ballroom, Priscilla or Crocodile Dundee, and the hardened drama that centres around crime such as Two Hands, Noise and Lantana. Animal Kingdom firmly sits in the second category and while lacking the humour of those mentioned, it makes up for it with some shockingly bleak scenes. Read more

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Balibo: Australian documentary about East Timor

For a small country so close to Australia, so many of us know way too little about East Timor. Balibo makes it clear that the small nation was invaded by the Indonesians over thirty years ago, while Australia let it happen. This well paced, passionately acted portrayal of the events centres around the death of five young Australian journalists. Experienced Australian journalist Roger East tries to find out what happened to them, with the help of Jose Ramos Horta, who is still a pertinent figure in East Timorese politics. Anthony Lapaglia gives a spirited performance as East, who at one point comments, “Thousand of little brown people die; nobody back home (in Australia) is going to care. But five Australian journalists are killed and that’s front page news.” Which helps explain why their deaths were kept covered up for three decades. [read about more Australian pop culture at The Colour]

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Sarah Watt’s My Year Without Sex trailer

An Australian film that focuses on the hardships suffered by a typical lower-class family. I can feel you cringe, but there’s no need. This isn’t another clanger that relies on clichés and lame jokes, that portrays average Australians as simple and backward. Here are intelligent, warm, loving people struggling with a series of hardships with individuality, honesty and strength. Read more

Also by XAVIER TOBY

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Australian movie A Few Best Men

With all the gross out jokes and silliness of the common comedy romp, you’d think making them would be easy. Well, it’s not. It’s actually really difficult. Writing a joke is one of the hardest tasks anyone can undertake. Read more

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Melancholia: a film by Lars von Trier

I wish there were a lot more of the types of films made by Lars von Trier. Each is very different but still distinctly von Trier, and each is superb. Melancholia is the follow up to the wonderfully confronting Antichrist. This is all about the end of the world, and told with an honesty and pacing that is probably much closer to the actual end of the world than all the Hollywood crap would have you believe. Read more

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We Need To Talk About Kevin: based on Lionel Shriver’s novel

A delightful uncomfortable film, told from the point of view of a broken woman. Kevin’s just not right, and that’s obvious from the outset as mother Eva battles to bring him up in a world where the onus is put squarely back on the mother. The intensity is poured on throughout, as tragedy seems imminent. Read more

YOU'RE SAYING (1)

Rocky Spry said | 18 February, 2010

Supporting 100 % aboriginal owned remote community based art centres is a good place to start. We provide all aboriginal members of the community young and old alike with an opportunity to earn an income from the creation and sale of artwork. Essentially aboriginal community based art centres are safe places where Indigenous Australians are earning a living and improving the quality of their lives in a positive, meaningful and empowering way. 60 % of the sale of each work goes to the artist while the remaining 40 % goes towards running costs of the art centre. Buying direct from art centres ensures all profits are returned to community.

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Like so many visual artists, Christopher MacDonald draws a lot of inspiration from music — literally. On his blog, the Milwaukee-based illustrator posts the images he creates every time he becomes obsessed with a song or a live performance. Read more

I got into comic books right when artists like Jim Lee, Marc Silvestri, Todd McFarlane, and Erik Larsen dominated the scene. Rob Liefeld, who was also enjoying a good deal of fame with his work with X-Force and The New Mutants at the time, was the only prominent artist I absolutely hated. Read more

God save the Queen. Oh, and Johnny Rotten, Sid Vicious, Steve Jones and Paul Cook too. Read more

What is it with these big fake islands that look like things from the air? We’ve had palm trees, a map of the world, and now an island that looks like Russia! Read more

Mark Mothersbough, jack of all trades, most famous as frontman of iconic 80s band Devo, has recently started designing wallpaper and rugs, which are available from Walteria Living. Read more

Metronomy are a cool little London-based group headed by producer and remix extraordinaire, Joseph Mount. The sound sits somewhere between Autechre and Vitalic: clanging keyboards and body-gurning beats laced with an undercurrent of ominous electronica. It’s not as inaccessible as much of the more twisted electro-based stuff out there at the moment, although it retains an edge perhaps unpalatable for some ears. Yet there’s a catchiness to it that is clearly roping in the crowds: their live shows are a spectacle, complete with synchronised dancing and flashing costumes. If that floats your boat, they’re playing for free at the Tate Britain, London, on 27 September.

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Yes, Karen O wears it. And we don’t blame her. Launched by make-up artist, Mike Potter, Knock Out Cosmetics nail polish is a little Victorian, a touch art deco, and a lot of rock n’ roll.

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Michelle Blade’s psychedelic artwork

Michelle Blade’s washed out paintings are deceptively simple, her washy acrylics creating psychedelic textures and conjuring ghostly figures from the past. Read more

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Joe Kievitt

It’s refreshing to see artists like Joe Kievitt who are contented to explore the beauty in simple forms and asymmetrical patterns. Read more

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Christoph Niemann illustrates a nightmare flight

New York Times illustrator Christoph Niemann has created a brilliant visual diary outlining the peril and pitfalls that beset the everyday passenger based on his recent experience flying from New York to his home town of Berlin. Read more

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Baltimore Mural by Josh Van Horne

My friend Josh Van Horne, a local Baltimore artist, did this amazing mural in our neighborhood that depicts the history of this warehouse-laden area.

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Disorder Disorder in Sydney

Pitched as ‘Ulterior Motives in Contemporary Art’, Disorder Disorder is running until November 14 at Penrith Regional Gallery. It’ll be well worth the trip out west of Sydney: the Australian, Japanese, American and European cast reads like a warriors of street art roundup and includes Mike Giant, Ed Templeton, Anthony Lister [artwork above], Ozzie Wright, and Jonathan Zawada. Read more

This Powder Necklace features a pearlized Turbo Cinereus shell with tiny holes drilled into the bottom, filled with a sparkling silver-colored powder that when gently tapped, sprinkles a light dusting on the wearer’s chest. Designed by Stephanie Simek. Read more

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