Melbourne Insider: the talk of the Hollywood town

Thursday 22 July 2010, 9:25 AM
By The Team | Posted in Events

Noticed those queues of people outside city cinemas? Locals will know this means one thing: it’s Melbourne International Film Festival time again. This month’s Melbourne Insider takes a look at our city’s passion for popcorn, our love of that moment when the lights go down, and our fascination with flickering images.

So straighten your skivvy, get comfy in your directors chair and let’s roll the tape.

One of our hot tips for MIFF is the opening night film, The Wedding Party, starring Adam Zwar (of SBS’s Wilfred fame). You can read all about Adam’s filmic experiences in today’s City Weekly (Thursday 22 July).

Adam’s first film was a short called My Night with Ava, based on the true story of Ava Gardner’s Melbourne romance with a male journalist. (Ava was here in 1951, filming On The Beach.)

FYI, the rumour that Ava described Melbourne as ‘the perfect place to make a film about the end of the world’ is untrue. Another journo – who wasn’t in Melbourne and clearly had no idea what he was talking about – made that up.

And besides, it’s clear Ava liked something (or someone) Melburnian!

 FYI, the rumour that Ava described Melbourne as ‘the perfect place to make a film about the end of the world’ is untrue. Another journo – who wasn’t in Melbourne and clearly had no idea what he was talking about – made that up!

Obviously, Ava liked something (or someone) Melburnian – and she wasn’t alone. Melbourne is a favoured location of film makers.

The Wedding Party was shot in Melbourne, Tim Burton spent a whole week here when his exhibition opened at ACMI, both Robert DeNiro and Clive Owen have been hanging out here in recent weeks, shooting a new thriller, The Killer Elite. So while we’re quoting (NOT misquoting) film heroes, here’s what Tim Burton had to say about Melbourne’s ACMI:

 ‘…what I love about this place (is) the interactive nature of it. It’s not as stand-offish as the museum experience.  People who don’t normally go to a museum would go to the show.’

Tim Burton: The Exhibition features more than 700 Burton creations, from paintings to puppets and from costumes to cars. (That’s right, there’s a Batmobile on display.) The exhibition closes on Sunday 10 October.

And Robert De Niro, what did he have to say about Melbourne?

‘It’s a terrific city, even in winter, not like New York, which is cold and slushy.’ And:  ‘Melbourne is a real city, it’s got different cultures, it’s got a good energy, good restaurants, it’s a great city – good place to be.’

 You talkin’ to us? Aw shucks, Mr De Niro…you’ve got that right for sure.  And our film festival kicks international celluloid butt!  

The Wedding Party screens at the Melbourne International Film Festival tonight at 8pm, Saturday 31 July at 7pm and Tuesday 3 August at 7pm. (Thursday 5 August session is sold out.)

LINKS:
Melbourne International Film Festival
Tim Burton: The Exhibition

In season: winter at the Queen Victoria Market

Friday 16 July 2010, 12:56 PM
By The Team | Posted in Places

With that frosty chill in the air, nothing is a comforting as a hearty soup or a slow-cooked dish with a good glass of red wine. Now that we’ve got you thinking about your dinner, it’s time to see what’s in season in at the Queen Victoria Market.  One of the market’s traders,  Joseph Manariti from Office Fresh, has kindly offered to share his tips on what’s fresh and fabulous this winter.

Winter is a great time to rug-up and head to the Queen Victoria Market for all your fruit and vegie needs. With the cooler weather you have an endless choice of vegetables. Pumpkins come in a wide range of varieties, including japanese, kent, butternut and gray. All the ingredients to make a heart-warming soup are in season: leeks, turnips, parsnips and swedes. All of these are in full supply and very well priced.

Winter is also a great time to try something new with a wide selection of gourmet potatoes including kipfler, knoffler and dutch creams. These will make your winter roasts extra special.

Fight those colds away with a full selection of citrus now available: look for South Australian and Mildura navel oranges, along with top quality Mildura mandarins. Full season apples are in full swing with most varieties at lower prices than what we see in the summer months. Some speciality fruit lines like kiwigold and passionfruit will add plenty of colour to your fruit salad.

Here’s a winter dish that I love. Rhurbarb and apples are both at their peak right now. This is a cosy dessert and it is easy to prepare, too.

Rhubarb and apple pie

Ingredients
30g unsalted butter
6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, sliced
150g caster sugar, plus extra to sprinkle
1 bunch rhubarb, washed, sliced
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbs milk
Thick cream or homemade custard to serve

Pastry
300g plain flour
150g unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg

Method

1. To make the pastry, place the flour and butter in a food processor and process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg and 1 to 2 tablespoons chilled water. Process until the mixture comes together to form a smooth ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C.
3. Melt the butter in a large frying pan. Add the apples and sugar and cook for 2 to 3 minutes over a low heat. Add the rhubarb and cinnamon and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes until the fruit just starts to soften. Transfer into a 3 litre (6 cup capacity) pie dish and set aside to cool.
4. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and cut a 1½ cm-wide strip of pastry. Press it around the rim of the pie dish and brush with a little water. Cover with remaining pastry, and then trim the edges. (This method helps stop the pastry lid shrinking.) Pinch the pastry together to seal, brush with milk and scatter with the extra caster sugar.
5. Bake the pie for 35 to 40 minutes until the pastry is golden. Serve hot or warm with thick cream or custard. Serves six.

Hot Spots: Light my fire

Thursday 24 June 2010, 11:42 AM
By The Team | Posted in Places

When it’s cold outside and you can’t feel your frostbitten bits, what could be better than defrosting them around a cocklewarming drink and nuzzling in beside an open fire. However in this age of the airconditioning unit, it can be tough nuts to find a crackling blaze. We put on our Sherlock Holmes spy spectacles and discovered there are actually several fireplaces in the city, all in working order and calling out to be cosied up to. Here are a few of our favourites.

Waterside Hotel
 This Yarra-side watering hole was a nineteenth century favourite amongst Melbourne dockworkers, and now sure to be everyone’s favourite serving up delicious pub fare and well-priced drinks. Especially on Mondays when meals are 2 for 1.

The Red Hummingbird
A stylish haunt atop a Russell Street stairway, Red Hummingbird should also be atop your after-works drinks list.

Woolshed Pub
With panoramic views across the water and lofty ceilings that are a nod to its previous life as a wool storage facility, Docklands’ newly-opened Woolshed Pub offers fireside fine dining or casual reclining.

Double Happiness
Pull up a crimson embroidered cushion by the authentic-looking glow in this Chinatown laneway bar. True, it’s not a genuine open fire, but with Mao on its mantelpiece it’s certainly serious about keeping you warm.