Mark Ravenhill’s Shopping and Fucking has often been criticized for its lack of subtlety, which is odd, given the title alone should inform you subtlety is not an aim of the writer. It was written in 1996 and considering its subject matter, I’d place it more at a cross section between Mike Leighs film Naked […]
Author Archives: lisathatcher
June
28
Shopping and Fucking – Mark Ravenhill is facelifted by Alan Chambers. (Theatre Review)
posted by lisathatcher
June
25
No Exit – Celine Oudin and John Paul Sartre and the problem of the gaze. (theatre review)
posted by lisathatcher
“To forget about the others? How utterly absurd! I feel you there, down to my marrow. Your silence clamors in my ears. You can nail up your mouth, cut your tongue out – but you can’t prevent your being there. Can you stop your thoughts? I hear them ticking away like a clock, tick-tock, tick-tock, […]
June
24
A Scanner Darkly – Richard Linklater and the separation of left and right brain. (film review)
posted by lisathatcher
A Scanner Darkly is easily one of Linklaters best films, and one of the best science fiction films I’ve ever seen. I haven’t read any Phillip K Dick novels or short stories, but according to my reading around, A Scanner Darkly was what he considered to be his best and the work his had been […]
June
24
The Unlikely Maestro – Australian’s win the 2013 Tropfest in New York Competition
posted by lisathatcher
Have a look at this lovely film. Tristan Klein and Nick Baker are $20,000 richer today and are looking forward to a “week of meetings’ with notable executives and producers in Los Angeles, courtesy of the Motion Picture Association” – which is part of the prize. In front of a New York audience of more […]
June
24
Dazed and Confused – Richard Linklater and the horrors of teenage life. (Film Review)
posted by lisathatcher
If I ever say these were the best years of my life, remind me to kill myself. – Dazed and Confused As far as I can tell we’re pretty much done with teen nostalgia. This is partly due to films like Richard Linklaters Dazed and Confused, overdone now-a-days but important and poignant in its day; […]
June
23
Helter Skelter – Jonathan Wald and the tragedies of Neil LaBute. (Theatre review)
posted by lisathatcher
The first thing to note about Helter Skelter is that normally the play is shown with another one of LaBute’s plays – which may or may not be a good thing. Helter Skelter is currently having its Australian premiere at the Old 505 theatre, shown without The Furies or Land of the Dead. Having never […]
June
22
Body Language – Luke Holmes and the problems of connection. (Theatre Review)
posted by lisathatcher
All writers (and almost all creatives) need their influence. Satre’s criticism (and Lacan’s) of the ’empty gestures’ associated with appropriating a kind of persona in order to achieve is warranted, but one of the pains of creation turns out to be, the need for this appropriating on the journey to finding the elusive voice. What […]
June
22
Satelite Boy – Catriona McKenzie brings the land to our laps. (Film Review)
posted by lisathatcher
A strange thing happened in Sydney a few years back. A surprisingly gentle wind lifted the orange dust that coats the outback and carried it in an enormous cloud and dumped it on the city. We woke to a strange apocalyptic world where the sky was orange, the sun a muted red ball and all […]
June
18
Sydney Film Festival Round up – 60 film filled years!
posted by lisathatcher
At the suggestion of my good friend Chris over at moviesandsongs365, I thought I’d give a small closing post regarding my Sydney Film Festival experience. I still have reviews to post – a few feature films, the Paradise trilogy, and I’d like to say something about the high quality short films that I saw – […]
June
16
Antichrist – Lars Von Trier and extreme grief. (Film Review)
posted by lisathatcher
It’s difficult with Lars Von Trier. A part of me wants to adore him, but a part of me knows he panders to women, so another part of me looks upon that with suspicion. But not as much as I look with suspicion on men who hate his films – or women who passionately adore […]
Lisa Thatcher 