New Music 05/2023 – Neil Young, Beyoncé, Wet Leg

Sometimes you suddenly find yourself getting into the artists you were never all that interested in, and that was the case with Neil Young and Beyoncé for me. Plus, a debut album from one of last year’s most-hyped bands.

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Childhood, Youth, Dependency by Tove Ditlevsen – Book Review

This trilogy of autobiographical novellas from one of Denmark’s best-known poets and writers is one of the most striking memoirs I’ve read, reflecting on life, art and addiction with remarkable, matter-of-fact clarity and honesty.

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MSO: The Music of Hans Zimmer @ Hamer Hall (05/2023)

There’s no such thing as too much Hans Zimmer! I’ve already seen film music maestro’s own show twice, and this week I went to Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s tribute to some of the most iconic and influential film scores of all time.

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The Northman – Film Review

Sometimes I kick myself for not seeing a movie on a big screen during its cinematic run, and that’s how I felt after finally watching this ambitious, beautiful and brutal Viking revenge story soaked in blood and Norse mysticism.

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Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie – Book Review

My Christie re-readathon keeps coming up with pleasant surprises. I’ve never read these loosely linked short stories before, but the last Tommy and Tuppence book on my list turned out to be the most enjoyable one in the series.

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Little Shop of Horrors – Film Review

This movie was a blind streaming pick on a Sunday night; I had no idea what to expect, but a horror sci-fi comedy musical about a sentient bloodthirsty plant from outer space probably wouldn’t have been my first guess. It turned out to be a wacky, campy, satirical and at times even touching delight.

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Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner – Book Review

This razor-sharp, shrewdly observed novel about marriage, divorce and middle-age malaise provoked a whole range of reactions in me. I was engrossed at first, then a tad frustrated, and finally appreciative when I realised what a clever Trojan horse of a story it really was.

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