CONCLAVE peels back the ornate curtain of the Vatican to reveal a drama brimming with ambition, secrecy, and humanity’s frailties. Described as a political thriller, I found it more of drama with a twist. Unlike political elections played out in public, this is centred on the sacred yet politically charged process of electing a new…

MARIA CALLAS, the quintessential diva of 20th-century opera, might not sing to everyone’s taste, but her life—filled with glamour, heartbreak, and relentless pressure—transcends the operatic stage.  In Maria, Angelina Jolie delivers a compelling performance as Callas during the final weeks of her life, capturing the fragility and fire of a woman who lived in the…

BABYGIRL, staring Nicole Kidman and Antonio Banderas, is a deeply unsettling psychological drama that revels in ambiguity and alienates more than it intrigues.  The story tries to push boundaries and light a shock fire but instead is a slow burner, leaving you wonder why??? What is the point?  Nicole portrays Romy, a high-powered CEO of…

THERE’S still time to catch some great events at the Perth Festival before it winds up on Sunday night. The repurposed East Perth Power Station has taken centre stage during the festival, providing a stunning backdrop for electronica and live music. On Saturday (March 1) grammy-nominated Jordan Rakei will be wowing audiences at the venue…

WITH major music festivals dropping like flies and question marks over the future of live music at Freo.Social, the Chook was delighted that grassroots music festival Gerry’s Gold is back for another year. Held in Gerry’s Lane, off Chalmers St in Fremantle, the afternoon neighbourhood music festival debuted last year with around 200 folk watching…

RENOWNED Fremantle artist Ian de Souza is holding his first solo exhibition in WA in more than a decade. Clear Light features a series of large-scale abstract ink-on-rice-paper works. An exercise in negative space, the wispy colours and shapes are like fragments of memories or fleeting moments in time. There is a lyrical movement to…

A NEW Perth exhibition pokes fun at the use of the male nude as a symbol of machismo and power in the art world. Featuring a mix of provocative drawings, photos and sculptures, The Bachelor is a wry and at times hilarious send-up of the archetypical male nudes you would find in ancient Greece and…

SOME of Freo’s best musical talent will pay tribute to the late Richard Lane at Mojos next Sunday. A talented guitarist, keyboardist and singer, Lane was the founding member of the legendary garage band The Stems and also played in The Chevelles, The Rosebuds and The Rosebud Generation. But younger folk will probably know him…

AI-generated music has a lot of musicians, especially older ones, spooked. They’ve spent years learning their instrument and honing their songwriting skills, but now live in a world where they could be replaced  by a few clicks of a mouse. Paul McCartney is the latest high-profile artist to raise concerns about the technology, warning AI…

HIDDEN Treasures is my favourite music festival in WA. Every winter, local artists play left-field venues in Fremantle like The Buffalo Club, The Navy Club and the old Wyola Club. Crumbling heritage mingles with neo punk and alt rock in a strange and intoxicating brew. It’s an odd juxtaposition, like historian John Dowson shredding on…