Vacant Mind

6 Links January 28th, 2008

Close to the corner of Swanston Street and Little Flinders it’s a nice basement bar which some great furniture and good selection of drinks with carlton draught, asahi, pure blonde on tap.

To be honest the seating isn’t that great, it’s a little to much form over function but there is enough standing room for it to not matter too much.

I didn’t have a camera this night, but they have a website at http://www.6links.com.au/ which has better pictures.
From what I have heard is that the drinks are set at a good price and it doesn’t get too crowded, a good combination.

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American Gangster January 27th, 2008

I have been hearing about this movie for quite some time, obviously the advertising has been top notch. I like Denzel as an actor, he can really bring some anger to a role when needed, but I think that this means that he only gets roles of this nature and his anger can get a bit repetivite sometimes but regardless he can really make a movie.

After hearing this film review from triple J, I thought that this would be great to check out.

In short I thought that it was great, because there was nothing over powering about the movie but there was enough of an actual story to make it real and gritty and if I might say so meaty!

Well worth seeing.

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I am Legend January 15th, 2008

I got to see this on the weekend and I must say that I loved it, there was a lady next to me who didn’t like it very much, so much that she turned to me at the end of the night and said “thank god that is over’ I head similar stuff from here through out the movie.

I could to an extent understand why the movie was graphic and somewhat violent but it wasn’t unnecessary it was all in context, we were able to see the desperation of a man who’s only goal was to keep living against everything that was thrown at him while still trying to keep his sanity in various ways.

I liked watching the character fight both the internal and external struggle, what aspects the film touches on such as survival, and to a lesser extent on what makes us human (aka bladerunner)

I’m glad that I was able to see this, as Will Smith is really coming along in a lot of his movies that he producing, I hope that he will come into his own and be of the same standards of Denzel Washington.

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Melbourne Comedy Festival May 6th, 2007

As last year the Melbourne International Comedy Festival rolled around again, and similar to last year I decided to see a few shows. While I’m not really a reviewer of sorts I will give you my best recollection and thoughts about the gigs that I did see.

Charlie Pickering
Surprisingly not as funny as last year I’m uncertain if it was because I saw him on the first night of his show and didn’t really quite have the time to build up the audience. The content was good though with a little bit of a side step while he was having a discussion with himself when he was younger and a imaginary fence post digger with a French accent – that was an interesting couple of minutes.

There was some good solid laughs and he was pretty committed to his act which was even better to see, I’ve seen acts who seem to get a little disappointed when the crowd isn’t laughing and they seem to falter. None of that with Pickering.

It was a good show but not the best that I have seen (or will as you read on)

Comedy Short Films
Probably the low point for me in the festival for two reasons. The actual films that I saw (first 40 minutes) I didn’t really go with anyone.
Not much else to say really

Adam Hills
I had wanted to see Adam Hills last year and my growing love for Spicks and Specks made the decision to again go it alone easier. The show was everything that I thought that it would be according to The Groggy Squirrel while he was actually quite funny and yes the sign interpreter was also very funny. I found his references to weird notion of rules and bureaucracy sometimes a little late to the laughter but otherwise spot on.

Worth it
Read more..

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Sarah Blasko November 16th, 2006

Went and saw Sarah Blasko at the Forum Theatre in the city, just in case anyone doesn’t know it’s probably one of the best if not the best live music venue I have ever been. The acoustics are so much better than anywhere else including the Prince of Wales in St. Kilda and there is ample standing and seating room unlike the Hi Fi Bar the only other place that might come close would have to be the Corner Hotel and the Northcote Social Club if only it was bigger. Then again I’m no expert I haven’t been to that many venues.

But back to the task at hand, honestly I have only listened to her most recent release a couple of times and remember her first The Overture & The Underscore (2004) & What The Sea Wants, The Sea Will Have (2006) – (warning music will play when links are clicked)

She has an amazing vocal range for someone of her size, I didn’t really expect to hear that much sound and clarity come out of her and again I was extremely pleased (as I seem to be with all good Aussie acts) to notice that there was negligible difference between the way her album sounded and the live sound. Of course they might have played a few songs differently and the instruments might have been been of a different tune…you know what I mean…what you hear is what you get, nothing better than that.

I managed to get a few photos, although they weren’t very good and most of the time quite out of focus, but I hope that you will get the idea anyway.

Stern(8,g)

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Thank You For Smoking October 10th, 2006

An odd sort of film and nothing something that I would have picked straight away, but glad that I did. Although on the surface you might not like the premise of the movie you have only got to dig a little deeper and the humor of it is brillent and so still the story telling. Well that is my interperation of it.

I am no good at writing reviews…for anything. So instead I wish to quote Megan Spenser

Yes, smoking is no laughing matter it seems… But Thank You For Smoking is one of those delicious movies that gives us permission to laugh at something we shouldn’t – encourages us to even! Part of this film’s agenda is to (subtly) tackle the political correctness that often imbues films about ‘serious issues’, and the other is to throw the responsibility of smoking and our cultural addiction to tobacco back into the lap of the audience, which is unusual, and quite brave.

Thank You For Smoking is also surprising in its sympathetic portrayal of Naylor, who, for all intents and purposes, is pretty evil. To Reitman’s credit (and unlike his dad’s films), he doesn’t take the easy way out. In his adaptation (which Reitman scripted), he takes the road less travelled. Surprisingly, this isn’t a didactic tub thumper about the evils of corporate America. Instead it is a portrait of a fallible human like the rest of us. Reitman subverts our expectations – which I kind of resented, not being able to hate Nick Naylor – yet admired the film for not making it easy to do just that.

Which makes Thank You For Smoking unpredictably enjoyable, very, very funny and memorable.

Source

Stern(8,g)

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The Proposition September 30th, 2006

The Proposition I hadn’t seen it even thought it was much advertised and touted as a really great aussie film.

It was really good not jump out of your seat, happy good but dirty, violent and disgusting good. Each of the roles played by the actors where fantastic and helped in no small part by the script its self. I think that Nick Caves songs helped the backdrop and the feel for the scenes as well.

Altogether and unexpectantly excellent film

Stern(10,g)

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The Hard Road July 25th, 2006

I like my music varied, which can lead me to rock, alternative, jazz and Hip Hop, now I should define what I mean by Hip Hop. What I wouldn’t buy is the popular American stuff not because it’s popular but because I don’t see the same artistic merit as I do in a group such as Jurassic 5 who’s beat and rhythm go well beyond anything that I normally hear on chimerical radio. It is the same feeling that I get with the Hilltop Hoods, if I were to take a higher ground, when you listen to the album you hear about social issues, personal problems and political protests, none of the gun toting drug running booty shaking we are accustomed to hearing from American artists.

I was a fan of their first album and the track “I believe” was the reason that I began to listen out for them more often and started buying the LP’s. And after buying The Calling was the time I decided that I have to seen this group live and what an experience it was, they electric on the stage at the corner hotel and I was bouncing and singing along to all of the tunes.

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Posted in Music, Reviews | 4 Comments »

Desert Lights July 8th, 2006

Something for Kate released their latest album on the 1st of July, they are my favourite band, I’m not too sure how they became some of my most often listened to tracks, I just remember listening to some of the first tracks of Elsewhere for 8 minutes and just immediately liking the music. As I do i just keep listening to the music and then album after album, gig after gig I went along.

I love the fact they they are Australian and most of all that they are from Melbourne, they are unpretentious and love what they do, they also seem to really like their fans, releasing great extra tracks on singles and even on the new album some ‘bootleg’ recordings of songs.

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Three Below May 21st, 2006

Three Below is little a bar that is located at the city square.
City Square
Shop 3 Ground floor
44-86 Swanston St
Melbourne 3000 VIC

The place is rather cosy, and by cosy I don’t mean cramped or small, which is it, but clever use stools and little nooks and well designed seating spaces, lighting and outdoor space. The sections of stained glass are also a nice touch which gives it a different feel, I was impressed at although how every small it was it didn’t feel that way.

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