Blue Velvet Cat

As a fan of Christopher Nolan, it pains me to say that I can’t recall the last time I was this disengaged at the cinema. For me, his take on Homer’s epic was mostly a slog, with some redeeming aspects. (more…)

I have a soft spot for anthropomorphic images of animals, especially cats. In this lithograph by J. J. Grandville, a prolific 19th-century French illustrator, a young kitty is caught between her angelic and demonic nature. She seems keen on the Evil One, but can you blame her when the angel looks almost as malicious but nowhere near as fun.

A pick from the Spanish & Latin American Film Festival, this quiet, thoughtful and engaging family drama about religious calling is also an unusual coming-of-age story. (more…)

I had fun with this buzzy tradwife thriller, but it’s fair to say that it entertained and frustrated me in equal measure. (more…)

This week’s theme from That Artsy Reader Girl invites you to choose a word and share book titles with it. It’s a very open topic, but the recent winter solstice inspired me to pick the flaming hot ball of hydrogen and helium at the centre of our solar system. (more…)

This vast outback region has been on my travel list for years, and I finally made it there on a camping tour. It’s a truly special part of Australia. (more…)

I finally watched this horror movie, a rare example of a genuine word-of-mouth phenomenon, and thought that the hype was mostly justified. While not especially scary, it’s well-acted, disturbing and darkly funny. (more…)

Another gritty, twisty and nasty entry in the Harry Hole series. It could be pure recency bias, but I thought it was one of Nesbo’s best. Continue reading The Snowman by Jo Nesbo – Book Review

As a graphic designer, I work on a computer all day long, but I do love this quote from the Westwood I Kawakubo fashion exhibition I saw a while ago.

The artwork is now completed, framed and hanging in my Mum’s dining room. The sky was a bit trickier to do than the mountains; I had to scrap a couple of completed sections because the balance just wasn’t right and the fabrics I picked were too dark or too light, or too shiny and reflective. At this point I know better than to go, oh no that’s not too bad, it will do. Gut instinct is always right…

I never read the original 1942 French novella by Albert Camus, but this stylish, beautiful and unsettling adaptation casts a haunting spell of its own. Continue reading The Stranger – Film Review

This flimsy but intriguing novella mixes horror and philosophy for a mind-bending take on the afterlife. I enjoyed its ideas if maybe not the execution. Continue reading A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck – Book Review

This week’s topic from That Artsy Reader Girl was a fun challenge. Not only do you have to pick your favourite books by your favourite authors, you also have to decide who your favourite authors actually are. It made me realise that a great deal of my best-loved books are by the authors that I haven’t really explored beyond one or two of their works. Because I’m a stickler for self-imposed rules,…

The absolute stars of this Melbourne Symphony Orchestra concert, featuring music from Mozart, Beethoven and more, were the most animated conductor I’ve ever seen, and a big beautiful shiny horn. Continue reading MSO: Storm & Serenity @ Hamer Hall

May Flowers is this week’s theme from That Artsy Reader Girl, so here are some books that have a flower name in the title. Continue reading Top Ten Tuesday – Book Titles with Flower Names

I watched my first silent film, a 1927 romantic comedy starring Clara Bow, the It Girl of the flapper era. Continue reading “It” – Film Review

This intimate musical celebration was a lovely way to mark the 25th anniversary of Peter Jackson’s epic trilogy and its iconic score. Continue reading Candlelight: The Lord of the Rings @ Collingwood Town Hall