Words to Lyrics Ben Ho's observations from the cloud

8 February 2016

Sausage Sizzle!

Filed under: I Wonder,review,Uncategorized — Ben @ 12:13 pm

The sausage sizzle is a venerable Australian tradition. It is a staple of community fundraisers across the country. Whether it is the local sports team, fire brigade or interest society barbecuing sausages and onions; its product and purpose is universally understood.

Recently a Brisbane man has ‘completed‘ his search for Brisbane’s best chicken parmigiana, a pub food staple. He ate a chicken parma at a different pub each week for a year, and wrote a review for each.

Maybe I should do the same for sausage sizzles!

They’re not hard to find. It’s a safe bet that every weekend nearly every Bunnings Warehouse (and some other hardware stores) will have a sausage sizzle running; it’s part of their efforts to support local communities. Extend that to community events, and that’s potentially lots of sausages each month!

But why Ben? Why spend time and energy reviewing $2.50 food? Well firstly, thanks to reality television, everyone seems to be obsessed with food and its nuances. So reviewing sausage sizzles won’t be out of place in today’s discourse. Secondly, like almost every other aspect of life, there’s no such thing as a free lunch (pardon the food pun). If a community group consistently serves up bad sausage sizzles, why should they deserve our money? If a business neglects its customers, then it goes out of business. The same standard should apply to those who want our money for good causes.

But a sausage sizzle is just bread, sausage and onions! How much can you say about this delicacy?

Plenty.

Bread: One slice of white bread or two? Or have they gone fancy and given us a hot dog bun or bread roll? Or (on one occasion) brown bread?!
Sausage: How’s the taste? Served not cold? Also, is it served intact or cut in half?
Onions: Are they golden brown? How generous are they with the onions?
Sauces: What is provided? Tomato and barbeque are compulsory. Other choices are appreciated.
Price: Very important. As of 2016, anything more than $2.5 for the sausage sizzle and $1.5 for a can of drink is frowned upon.
Community group/cause: Who will receive the proceeds of the sausage sizzle? Be specific, because only saying “to charity” leads to suspicion and will be frowned upon.

Well, I’d better get started!

7 May 2012

Review: Strange Interlude

Filed under: Arts,Attended,review — Tags: , , , — Ben @ 11:45 am

Well, it’s been a while since I wrote a review for a theatre play. I feel I should in this instance because I’ve finally seen something early enough (last night’s performance was a preview) in its run to be able to at least encourage someone to go see it.

Strange Interlude had been written about no less than three times in the Fairfax press. Which was surprising because they wrote a rather harsh review about Belvoir’s previous play, Every Breath. Well, they convinced me to go see this play, and I’m happy to report back to you!

This was the first time I had seen something at Belvoir St. So it was interesting to see whether the crowd was similar to that at Sydney Theatre Company plays (I’m a subscriber to STC). To my surprise, there was a larger contingent of younger people. I think it is great that main stage theatre in Sydney is no longer the domain of older patrons.

Now about the actual play.

Strange Interlude is originally written by Eugene O’Neill, Pulitzer Prize winner and one of America’s well known playwrights. Director Simon Stone has rewritten this with a contemporary twist. No, it’s not a rewrite of the five-hour original, but a compact piece that still gets across the main issues. I really loved how he has kept the original setting and has added references to modern conveniences to make the play remain relevant.

The story goes like this. 20 year old Nina Leeds (played by Emily Barclay, who was recently in This Is Our Youth) has just lost her husband to the war. We follow her life over the next 25 years as she attempts to get her life back on track. Through a series of affairs, another marriage and a pregnancy, we see the small events in life shown against a web of secrets.

The set was minimal, yet functional: a seamless white backdrop (photographer’s heaven) that allowed a lot of imagination. Also fascinating was the rolling shower and the toy train track (which was somewhat distracting).

Because Strange Interlude is set over a long period of time, it is up to the actors to ‘look the part’ to preserve the story, especially in the later scenes. Barclay’s portrayal of Nina remained true and real to Nina’s life. Mitchell Butel’s Charlie Marsden becomes more of a caricature towards the end, which helped keep the comic relief present.

I really enjoyed this play. Some people will never like the classics to be rewritten, but if it gets young people interested, then it is well worth it. You should go see this too, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

Strange Interlude plays until 17 June. Tickets are $42 for students/concession, $62 for adults. There is a $29 student rush for the Tuesday evening and Saturday matinée. Details: http://www.belvoir.com.au/productions-1/strange-interlude

30 June 2011

Review: Terminus

Filed under: Arts,Attended,review — Ben @ 4:16 pm

A word of warning before you go see this: If you can’t focus for more than an hour, don’t go. Also, note there is no interval to gather your thoughts.

Terminus by Mark O’Rowe follows the stories of three strangers going about their lives. From the dead of night to the deadly violent, the stories take wild turns until they somehow relate, similar to the 2006 film Babel (starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett). From the stage, we can only rely on the limited body movements and the rich, rhyming dialogue. The rhyme keeps the stories going, renewing the audience’s (and certainly my) attention. There’s not much else to see, except for the occasional flashing light. But from what we get from the stage, the imagination is left to paint the picture of what is going on.

For me, it took a while to ‘settle in’ into the play. The stories become more intense as the play progresses, and more gruesome as well. As for the supernatural element (B gets caught by a demon), it was fun imagining what it was like. (Actually, kind of hard when it is described frequently as a ‘can of worms’!) The thing to take away from this play is that ‘click’ moment, when you realise three stories combine into one, and how much of a train wreck one of the characters is. All in all, I liked it, although I could have been more awake throughout.

This is a play for the mind, not the eyes. You have been warned.

Terminus plays until Saturday, 9 July at the Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House.

8 April 2011

Review: Sucker Punch

Filed under: Movies,review — Tags: , , — Ben @ 6:11 pm

I don’t watch too many mainstream films, mainly because they follow the overused storyline for a particular genre. But when I saw the trailer for Sucker Punch, I couldn’t resist to at least watch it once. I don’t know whether it was the mostly female ensemble cast, or the stunning visual effects, but I said to myself, “I have to watch this.”

Sucker Punch is a story about freedom and standing for what you believe in. Director Zack Snyder has blended action, video games, and girls into something rather tasteful. (Note: I have not seen any his previous work (300, Watchmen))

The first ten minutes of this film resembles a short prequel to set the scene and tone of the story. I found it strange that the only dialogue was of a cover of the Eurythmics’ ‘Sweet Dreams’, accompanying vision of Baby Doll’s stepfather raging throughout the house; akin to a combination of the prologue and the opening titles of a James Bond film. Following this we reach the main plot, ‘Find the five items to set you free!’

Did I not mention that this film was a visual feast? Apart from the amazingly graphic battles against the machines, steampunk soldiers, dragons and the humanoids, the moving between the dreamworld and reality becomes a bit ordinary after the second time. Nevertheless, there is an urge to keep watching and thinking ‘What will they do next?’ The film takes on a twist eventually, and the two worlds merge into one.

In many ways, you could argue that Sucker Punch is almost like a storyline from a video game. With a few prominent film adaptions of popular games released in the last few years, you wouldn’t be the only one thinking the same.

So, should you watch it? I think you should. With any film, whether you like it depends on what you make of it. See it for the visuals, the soundtrack but not so much for the story.

I give this 3.5 out of 5. What do you think?

20 January 2011

Review: LIVE at Sydney Festival 2011

Filed under: Arts,review — Tags: , , , , , , — Ben @ 8:00 am

The concept for LIVE seems so simple: musicians, black and white, solo performance. But after viewing a few of the 20 performances on show, you’ll realise that there is more behind what you see.

LIVE is a project by Jasmin Tarasin to attempt to study ‘the art of performing’. I have to agree that large-scale performances that musicians do these days have lost their ‘intimacy’, and Tarasin does well to bring us right up close to these artists. Showing the performances in black and white removes the distraction of key elements of a performance such as their dress, and instruments.

The performance that represented Tarasin’s vision the best was that of Julian Hamilton, one half of The Presets. Hamilton’s performance had no instrumentation, so all you could focus on was his singing voice. His vocal part from ‘People’ is vastly different to that on the album recording, and it shows the song from another perspective.

By watching long enough, the subtle differences between performers are apparent, and interesting to watch. At one stage, three guitarists were pictured side-by-side. Each had a different way of playing their guitar. You could notice the positioning of the guitar, and their style of playing.

LIVE is a rather inexpensive way of seeing 20 songs from 20 different artists. I would highly recommend you to see it before it closes this weekend.

LIVE is open until January 23, at the lower part of Sydney Town Hall. Tickets are $15/$12.

PS: I’m volunteering at LIVE handing out headphones on the 23rd between 5pm and 7:30pm. Come visit!

11 January 2011

Review: Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer’s Life, 1990-2005

Filed under: Arts,Attended,review — Tags: , , , , — Ben @ 8:59 am

The first thing that comes to mind when one mentions Annie Leibowitz would be her striking photos of photographs of various celebrities. This exhibition not only invites us to share in these celebrities’ glory, but also to understand her largely unseen personal side.

Sprinkled like confetti between portraits of Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and Nicole Kidman are glimpses of Lebovitz’s family. In these black-and-white images, Lebovitz presents the raw emotion and experience. Rarely do you see a photograph of the ‘happy’ family; a typical photograph found in the family album. It is all about the intimacy, a characteristic not seen much in modern photography.

For me, the portrait of Al Pacino stood out among others. Shot in an empty studio and in monochrome, Pacino is pictured simply with hands in pockets. The message is conveyed very simply via the expression of his face.

Among the personal photographs, eight frames tell the story of a family trip to the beach. The backs of the children and mother can be very revealing (just like Winston Smith said).

All in all, a very revealing, and insightful exhibition. Followers of celebrities and art enthusiasts alike can learn something from the portraits, even if it is as small as understanding someone else’s family situation.

Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer’s Life, 1990-2005 is showing until 31 March at the MCA. Tickets can be booked online to avoid the queue.

18 September 2010

Review: Stories from the 428

Filed under: Arts,Attended,review — Tags: , , , , , — Ben @ 10:01 pm

Earlier this weekend (Sat. 5pm in fact), I went to see Stories From The 428 at Sidetrack Theatre in Marrickville. It’s part of the Sydney Fringe Festival, and it’s got two shows left tomorrow. So if you are reading this now, I suggest you book tickets now, because in short, it’s really good.

Stories From The 428 is a collection of anecdotes and stories collected from the passengers of Sydney Buses route 428 (Canterbury <-> City). It’s presented in a way so that your attention span will not be tested (i.e. short and sweet). As someone who has never caught the 428, it’s an engrossing look into the diverse group of people who fill the seats and aisle. Whether it’s the two old folks, the city worker, the tertiary student or the socialist (oh yes, the socialist!), each have a unique and somewhat relatable story to tell.

I would have thought the monotony of the ordinary bus trip to work or uni would be rather boring. Instead the team of writers and the cast inject plentiful amounts of humour and life into each story. The intimacy of the venue also adds to the experience; it’s just like listening to the passenger next to you. If you have a spare 90 minutes tomorrow, go see this, you’ll smile once you leave.

Stories From The 428 Twitter

PS: I’m volunteering at the Sydney Fringe, selling tickets at the Greek Theatre tomorrow afternoon, next Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. If you like, come along, say hi and enjoy a show. Details at the Fringe website.

5 September 2010

Film Review: Tomorrow, When the War Began

Filed under: review — Tags: , , , , , , — Ben @ 10:33 pm

Notes: This is quick and short review. My election night post is coming soon.

Tomorrow, When the War Began is the film adaptation of the first of the Tomorrow series of young adult novels by John Marsden. It follows the life of seven, later eight teenagers during the school holidays. What starts out as the perfect camping trip turns into a fight for their survival.

Upon the first viewing of the film, you get the impression that it would deviate greatly from the books. But as it progresses, director Stuart Beattie deals with the core subject of survival very well, emphasising the situations that Ellie and her friends have to deal with. Explosions and action scenes are not in short supply, so those that enjoy blowing things up won’t be disappointed.

Character development is another focus in this film. We do see the relationships between Ellie and Lee, Homer and Fi, and Kevin and Corrie presented with subtlety, and sprinkled throughout. As Ellie is the narrator, it’s also good to see the characters from her perspective. There are a few ‘cheesy’ bits in this film, although I think it won’t matter to most people.

I enjoyed this film, and I would be excited if the second book is to be made.

I give this four stars. What about you?

11 February 2010

Review: Olafur Eliasson at the MCA

Filed under: Arts,review — Tags: , , — Ben @ 3:43 pm

The foyer of the MCA is now lit by an elaborate spherical light. This light, with a complex arrangement of mirrors surrounding it, is the work of Olafur Eliasson, the Danish/Icelandic artist. Eliasson specialises in large-scale installations that “transforms our experience of the space around us”.

Contemporary art for me is always somewhat controversial. Sometimes the artworks are too abstract to interpret, sometimes the message is clear (this is good), and sometimes they raise questions about whether the work is authentic. In regards to the last point, have you ever seen an artwork and said to yourself, ” I could have done that!” ?

Upon walking into the exhibition, there lies a large table of white LEGO blocks, and constructions. There are three tonnes of these ubiquitous blocks, and this installation could potentially win the award for the longest interaction with the audience. Yes, those LEGO blocks are for you to build something to your heart’s content. I must have spent about 20 minutes joining blocks into something unsubstantial. Still, it’s a nice metaphor for “I’m lazy, you make something cool.”

Another of Eliasson’s installations is a room of ‘monofrequency’ lights, shining down to the ground. Once you walk in to the room, your vision is altered by the intense colour of the light. Trying to return to reality is tempting, although your vision entices you to watch it go by, as the sights are somewhat peculiar. Eliasson has several other installations that play with light and your sight.

I was somewhat surprised that I was able to offer an interpretation to most of Eliasson’s works. But I was also surprised that simple elements (like water and light) can combine to create something visually interesting.

If you want to see some ‘different’ art, I would recommend seeing this exhibition. Just make sure you know when you need to return to reality.

MCA website: Olafur Eliasson

Update: The exhibition finishes on the 11th April.

18 January 2009

Chocolate Cafés in Sydney

Filed under: review — Tags: , , , — Ben @ 12:37 pm

Updated: Max Brenner review

Over the past few holidays, I have tried several chocolate cafés in Sydney. There are three that I have been to. Now, if you don’t mind, here is the boring bit about how I reviewed each of them.

The product that I reviewed from each café is a take-away iced milk chocolate. Each café gets rated out of 5 on three things: Service, Food and Value. Food is how good the drink is.

So, here goes.
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