Florence is

Photo Credit: Phil Kitt

I was fortunate enough to review the incredible Chrysta Bell at Dark Mofo on Saturday night. Check out my piece for Aphra on David Lynch's new muse:

I.

Music seeping from my eyeballs,

a slow swagger up the rotted stairs,

clouds of dust rising from under my black shoes,

the dark room throbbing

with muted admiration for the mediocre tunes,

eyelids half closed,

‘it’s you I want,

it’s you.’

  II.

That glorious summer day,

drunken young revelers

kicking up a grassy fuss in

the back yard,

were we happier than

we are now?

  III.

We sat in the amber light

of the dark-edged room,

a thread of smoke was rising from the incense

and twirling like an elusive ribbon:

an infusion of light and smoke.

  IV.

Sun drenched honey drenched

backs and necks and squinty eyes,

the still of the trees and

bustling whining cars,

the baked salty bread,

and stretching out like

a lazy striped cat to doze,

the unsaid words

a warm melted smile.

  V.

The glistening mud:

bodies moving rhythmically to the dark

beats of primitivity,

the ground a bath of intoxication,

lights accentuating the hard, rippled riverbed

of a sodden identity.

So I finally got to see Wes Anderson's latest and I rate it a solid 5/5 stars. Check out my review of The Grand Budapest Hotel for Aphra Mag. 

After reading Donna Tartt's latest work, the highly captivating The Goldfinch, I managed to pick up a copy of her previous novel for a few bucks at the op shop. I love a bargain and I love Tartt's exquisite skill for creating such enigmatic characters.

Martha Marcy May Marlene

No, this is not merely some crazy tongue-twister, nor the tale of a happy-go-lucky woman from the midwest of America – this is a truly disturbing drama/thriller by writer and director Sean Durkin. Martha (Elizabeth Olsen) is a young, presumably twenty-something woman. We first meet her as she successfully manages to escape from an abusive cult in the Catskill Mountains, New York state.

Martha goes to stay with her sister Lucy (Sarah Paulson), who she has become estranged from, and Lucy's husband Ted (Hugh Dancy) in Connecticut. It soon becomes clear that Martha is suffering from some serious psychological effects as a result of her experiences: she is often disoriented, paranoid and has lost her sense of identity. Subsequently her enigmatic past is revealed piece by piece – much to the detriment of her relationship with her sister.

This film is frighteningly realistic. Elizabeth Olsen's performance as a young woman who has been indoctrinated is simply stunning, as is the sinister presence of Patrick, the cult leader (played by John Hawkes). Although it is by no means a groundbreaking film, Martha Marcy May Marlene is definitely worth a watch.  

Check it out if you've recently watched HBO's new series True Detective. Not only did it give me the heebie jeebies, it made me think a little bit about the female characters.

Kathleen Hanna doing her thang in the 90s. Is that sparkly underwear? If so, I want some. If you want to be inspired by a woman of true talent and determination, check out the recent documentary The Punk Singer. It had me drinking wine, shedding a few tears (wishing that I hadn't missed her  Julie Ruin show in Melbourne recently) and and saying 'YES'.

I am a huge Wes Anderson fan, so it is safe to say I'm extremely excited to see his latest film, Grand Budapest Hotel.