2009 December | BNE: HOT OR NOT

Archive for December, 2009

HOT: Thai Charms Restaurant, 1/92 Merthyr Rd, New Farm

By Jetsetting Joyce ⋅ December 30, 2009 ⋅ 6 comments

There’s a little strip of shops across the road from Merthyr Village where it seems restaurants have difficulty in keeping business. In the few years that the Jetsetting Parents have become New Farm locals, the location has variously housed a Vietnamese restaurant, a South American restaurant and who knows what before that. Don’t let the [...]

HOT Gig List – January to March

By CC ⋅ December 28, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment

Today we say hi to our new contributor CC, a cool ex-Aussie who now calls East London home. Her motto is ‘with great musical wisdom, comes great musical responsibility’ and she’ll be bringing you regular new of upcoming HOT gigs in Brisbane. This girl has cred – I’ve followed in her musical wake at New [...]

HOT: The Men Who Stare at Goats

By Yalin ⋅ December 26, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment

If someone told you that the US military had approved a special unit to train psychic soldiers in the 80s and tested their effectiveness on goats, would you believe them? Grant Heslov’s feature, The Men Who Stare at Goats, cautions the viewer at first sight by warning that more of the film than what we [...]

NOT: The Lovely Bones

By Yalin ⋅ December 25, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment

Jackson’s latest outing The Lovely Bones is definitely not an epic film, which has been his forte. By contrast, it is a decidedly small drama with an ensemble cast that’s as good as it gets. On top of that, Jackson’s signature is obvious in the editing, the attention to detail and the special effects. However, [...]

HOT: Aria, 1 Eagle St Pier, Brisbane

By CazM ⋅ December 23, 2009 ⋅ 6 comments

If you get a Christmas bonus from the boss this year, Aria is the place to spend it. I’m struggling to think of a better in venue in Brisbane when it comes to food, service and scenery. If you got sucked into the reality TV extravaganza that was MasterChef Australia, then you’ll know that the [...]

HOT: Onyx Bar and Restaurant, 1/12 Park Rd, Milton

By CazM ⋅ December 21, 2009 ⋅ 4 comments

The festive season has well and truly kicked in and to be honest I really enjoy the vibe on Park Road at this time of year. Balmy Friday afternoons are none better spent than at the bar of a funky venue that is only a short stroll from the office or the train station. Onyx [...]

HOT: Arj Barker, Original Style Bits ‘n’ Pieces, Powerhouse, New Farm.

By CazM ⋅ December 20, 2009 ⋅ 3 comments

Australia’s adopted son, comedian Arj Barker, has just completed his tour of duty in Brisbane on the Turbine Platform at the Powerhouse. I’m sorry to say his final show was Sunday December 13th and now he’s moved to Canberra, which isn’t much help for the Brisbanites who didn’t know he was here. Keep an eye [...]

HOT: Nowhere Boy

By Jetsetting Joyce ⋅ December 18, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment

Poor John Lennon. Nowhere Boy is an engaging biopic directed by conceptual artist Sam Taylor-Wood about the turbulent teenage years of the Beatles’ life in post-war Liverpool. From age five he’s brought up by his strict and stern Aunt Mimi and kindly Uncle George and then he discovers that after all these years his mother [...]

HOT: In Search of Beethoven

By Jetsetting Joyce ⋅ December 16, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment

Who would have thought that a documentary about Beethoven would be so popular? We tried to get tickets to sold-out sessions of In Search of Beethoven twice before we finally managed to get seats. First things first – I am a great admirer of Beethoven. I love his passionate wildness, the musical innovations he developed [...]

HOT: Gusto da Gianni, Portside Wharf, Remora Rd, Hamilton

By Brek ⋅ December 14, 2009 ⋅ 9 comments

Gusto da Gianni is an Italian restaurant, located on the river in the stylish but unpretentious Portside Wharf precinct. Although we chose it more for its location than for its reputation, we were rewarded with a pleasant experience. The first thing we noticed on arriving was the funky chandelier made from about 20 desk lamps, [...]