THE MERGER - film

I'd put this Australian film up there with classics The Castle and Crackerjack. It's an absolute gem.

The Merger is set in a fictional regional town called Bodgy Creek, home to Troy Carrington (Damian Callinan), a bloke who locals hate for his 'greeny' views that contributed to the local timber mill being shut down. As regular readers will know, this blog is not a place for long plot descriptions but this one is hard to condense into a sentence or two! Just know that Troy's history as the town's once loved footy hero is rediscovered with a bunch of eclectic local players, including a number of refugees who have settled into the town to mixed local reaction.

Damian Callinan, who is wonderfully understated as Troy, wrote this film based on a one man show he's performed in comedy festivals around Australia so it's got solid comedic bones but is also not without heart and soul. I was really surprised that I found myself crying in this film more than once! But the comedy is of course solid, with stand-up comedian Nick Cody delivering a fantastic performance as Roosters captain, Goober and Aaron Gocs in a smaller but very funny role too. I mean, Aaron's hair alone makes me laugh so that's a good start.

John Howard, Kate Mulvany, Fayssal Bazzi and Penny Cook (yes, Vicki from A Country Practice!) all add their own more nuanced performances too, rounding out a wonderfully talented cast.

I love an Australian comedy and I really hope Australian audiences get behind this film, not for any reason other than how great it is. See it soon, love it, tell your friends.

Trailer here*. In cinemas 6 September.

* I re-watched the trailer when I wrote this blog and thought to myself, I might go and see this one again. That rarely happens!

WAYNE - film

As a colleague said when I mentioned I was seeing a film called Wayne, "How Australian!" And if you pay any attention at all to the narrative around Australian films you'll know that Australians often have an aversion to seeing them. I'm afraid this doco is not a white knight that will turn that around.

A documentary about Australian motorcycle rider Wayne Gardner, to my mind this is a story that probably should have been told in 30 minute episode of Australian Story. He seems like a lovely, driven bloke and his wife at the time features heavily and adds a little interest but for me, this just isn't the stuff of a feature film.

To cut to the chase, if you know and love Wayne Gardner (a small cohort of my readers I suspect but who knows, I guess) then sure, his life story in film form is for you. But unfortunately this wasn't one where a fascinating story rose above my lack of interest in the motorcycles and racing to make it worth rushing to the cinema for.

Trailer here. Opens 6 September 2018.

BLACKKKLANSMAN - film

Based on an autobiographic novel, BlacKkKlansman is hailed by some as a dark comedy but for me it's more of a drama with some fantastic funny moments. It's well worth a look and I mention the comedy/drama thing because I think if I'd gone into it expecting a comedy I'd have been disappointed, or perhaps just a bit puzzled, but if you go in thinking it's a drama with many moments of amusing light relief, I think you'll dig it.

Based in the 1970s, Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) becomes the first African American detective in the Colorado Springs Police Force. He faces the kind of discrimination I dare say you can imagine but he makes a name for himself an earns the respect of his colleagues when he takes on infiltrating the Ku Klux Klan. (Him by phone, a colleague (Adam Driver) for face-to-face meetings...!) Topher Grace plays the enigmatic leader of the KKK very well, matching the excellent performances of others in the cast including Washington and Driver.

For those of you who care about such things, this is the latest film from acclaimed director Spike Lee, responsible for iconic films such as Malcolm X.

If you want to know more about the plot, check out this three star review in The Guardian. For me, it's more like 3.5 or 4, though - well worth your time.

Opens 16 August. Trailer here.

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT - film

Mission Impossible - Fallout and indeed all of its MI predecessors and the whole action genre in general is not really my cup of tea. But you know what? I enjoyed this in spite of myself!

I mean, sure, like most action films, the plot was utterly implausible and often predictable but the action was so good that it was easy enough to look past it. I'm talking car and motorbike chases, martial arts and even a helicopter chase. They all had me pretty engrossed! This film is two and a half hours long but it doesn't feel it - I didn't look at my watch once.

Tom Cruise is of course back as special agent Ethan Hunt and despite the fact the guy is a complete kook, he continues to deliver. Others back from previous MI films include Simon Pegg, Michelle Monaghan and Alec Baldwin who I love. They're joined by faces new to the MI franchise such as Henry Cavill and Vanessa Kirby (who gives good villain) who many will recognise as Princess Margaret from the TV show The Crown.

I'm actually not even going to tell you about the plot - it's not important. The thing is, there's been so many Mission Impossible films before this one that you know if they're your thing. If they're your thing, I reckon you'll love this and if, like me, they're not your thing, it's actually pretty good fun so by all means give it a go.

If you do want to know more about the plot, read this three star review in The Guardian which I reckon is fair.

THE BREAKER UPPERERS - film

This movie is bloody hilarious. Go see it.

The end.

OK I guess I should at least tell you a teeny bit more. But not much more given this is #cuttothechase after all.

The Breaker Upperers is a comedy out of New Zealand stacked full of funny women. Jackie van Beek and Madeleine Sami are Jen and Mel - best friends running a business that breaks up relationships for people without the courage to sort it out themselves. It's a unique and silly premise that delivers LOL after LOL.

Australians will likely recognise comedian and actress Celia Pacquola who is of course also funny as a woman they break up with her on behalf of her gutless partner.

If you've seen and loves NZ comedies such as Hunt For The Wilderpeople and What We Do In The Shadows, there's little doubt you'll love The Breaker Upperers too. All are directed by Taika Waititi who is currently taking Hollywood by storm, most recently directing Thor: Ragnarok. If you haven't seen and loved NZ comedies, let this be your introduction. The Breaker Upperers is well worth your time and hard-earned.

It's been pretty universally well received, for example these glowing reviews on news.com.au and the ABC.

In cinemas now. Trailer here. (FWIW, I think the trailer emphasizes the 'love story' too much and the doesn't do justice to how funny the film is. #armchairexpert)

WHITNEY - film

I really enjoyed this documentary about singer & actress Whitney Houston. Well, as much as you can enjoy the story of someone on a path to sad self-destruction.

I suspect I'm at the younger end of audience spectrum for this one. I am, afterall, very young indeed. This film made me realise that I know the lyrics to many of her hit songs (How will I know, I wanna dance with somebody, Greatest love of all, I will always love you etc), I guess because even though I wasn't consciously a big fan, they were part of the soundtrack to my childhood. I mean, what's a spin on your roller skates around the Roller Rink without one of her bangers blaring?!

I did know she married Bobby Brown and tragically died from drug abuse but nothing much of what filled the significant gaps around those things. This doco interviews loads of people (almost too many to keep up with to be honest - I mean, her first manager's son?!) to paint a fullsome picture of a woman with incredible talent who couldn't stay on a clean path to enjoy it, or at least live it fully and happily. And if you think her life started to go off the rails when she hooked up with Bobby, think again. There's some real pieces of work in her family who took advantage of her terribly, well before he came along.

As I hadn't followed her story in much depth as it actually unfolded, I was unsure as I watched this if things that seemed revelatory were so just for me or for everyone. Turns out in some cases it was for everyone.

I think if you have a passing clue who she was (eg spun around the Roller Rink with one of her songs in the background) through to being a fan who followed her story closely, you'll find this documentary a really terrific watch. One of the many interview subjects said that when she was young she was encouraged to create legacy music not fad music and this film shows that she lived up to that.

At this risk of sounding curmudgeonly, could I just ask that you keep the singing for the car on the way home if you feel inclined to sing along? Everyone's there to hear Whitney, not you!

Whitney opens 26 July and is rated M. Trailer here.

MARY SHELLEY - film

There's nothing terribly wrong with this film about the author of the iconic novel Frankenstein, but there's nothing terribly right about it either.

Mary Shelley is played by Elle Fanning, who does a good job surrounded by a decent support cast. But see that's the thing - they're decent but not amazing. It's all just a bit ho hum for me.

I didn't know anything about Shelley or any of the other now-well-known authors who surround her so the story line was vaguely interesting to me but to be honest, it felt quite long (2 hours, feels like 2.5, as the Bureau of Meteorology might say) and the third quarter or so nearly sent me off to sleep.

I guess in summary I'd say if you love a bonnet drama, loved history and/or literature at school or love just passing a rainy day in a cinema without much care for what you watch, then this might be for you. But even then I fear you won't love it but perhaps just like it. Gosh, it's not exactly a ringing endorsement.

Mary Shelley has attracted some mixed reviews. If you're considering seeing it, have a look at this three star review in The Guardian and this less positive (un-starred) review from the ABC.

Mary Shelley is in cinemas now. Rated PG. Trailer here.

THE LEISURE SEEKER

Ella and John Spencer (Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland) have kicked up their heels and headed off on a road trip in an old campervan called 'The Leisure Seeker', despite the grave concerns of their children. (The West Wing fans, the actress who plays Donna Moss is the daughter here and the son, well, he's pretty forgettable.)

Ella and John are battling cancer and dementia respectively and though it's not said explicitly, this is their last hurrah. They encounter various hiccups along the way, as you might expect. None of them are overly compelling and I confess I spent a lot of this film thinking it is definitely too long. Mirren's southern American accent disappears occasionally, leading me to wonder why she'd say yes to a film like this. I mean, she's Helen flippin' Mirren. I also couldn't shake the thought that she looks a bit like Dustin Hoffman as Tootsie in this...

The target audience of this film is more my parents than me but when I think about whether they'd like it, I suspect not.

The Leisure Seeker isn't terrible but it's also not great. Maybe 'watch at home on telly' good but not 'get a babysitter and drop $80 on a night out' good. To be fair, despite thinking it was a bit dull right throughout, I did shed a few tears at the end so it obviously drew me in to some degree!

The Sydney Morning Herald gave it 3.5 stars which is a bit too generous for me. I reckon it's more like 2 stars, as it was given by The Guardian.

Trailer here. In cinemas 14 June 2018. Rated M.

BROTHERS' NEST - film

Before I get to Brothers' Nest I want to start by saying that when people get all Debbie downer about Australian films, I say, but what about Muriel's Wedding?! Lion?! Animal Kingdom?! Lantana?! Crackerjack?! Strictly Ballroom?! Look, I'll stop now but you get the idea - Australia makes some really wonderful films and I make an effort to say so.

Sadly I don't think Brothers' Nest will be recalled in the same breath as any of those classics.

Brothers Jeff and Terry, played by real-life brothers Shane Jacobson and Clayton Jacobson, visit their old family home in country Victoria with a plot to make sure the estate of their dying mother (Lynette Curran) doesn't go to the step-father (Kim Gyngell) they hate. The complexities of their relationship play out as the plot unfolds.

For me, the film has an identity crisis. Promotional material describes it as a "tragic comedy" but it's not funny enough to be a comedy and not dramatic enough to be a drama. You can never be sure of their motivation but for what it's worth, four people from a crowd of about 25-30 in the screening I was at left before the film had finished.

I always walk into an Australian film desperate to love it so I can annoyingly sing it from the rooftops to the aforementioned Debbie downers so I'm really disappointed this one didn't get there for me. I know lots of Aussies love Shane Jacobson after his performance in the Australian film 'Kenny' but as Shane and Clayton have said themselves in promoting the film, if you come to this one looking for something like Kenny you will be disappointed. (You will see some blatant expectation-management around this if you watch the trailer.)

As some of the mainstream Australian media organisations share their reviews I will update this blog to include them. As regular readers will know, I'm always happy to share the counter-view in the interests of fairness, especially if lots of people disagree with me.

Brothers' Nest opens in cinemas on 21 June and is rated MA 15+. Trailer here. (If you watch this and wonder why I haven't mentioned Sarah Snook's role it's because it's so small, which you might not guess based on the trailer.)

PS. [added 22 June 2018] Other reviews as follows:

The Guardian 4 stars / Fairfax 3.5 stars / Herald Sun is behind a paywall so I'll just share the hint from the preview "BROTHERS’ NEST marks a big step down in quality, execution and direct audience appeal for the team that gave us the classic Australian crowd-pleaser Kenny."

PPS. I know the spelling is different but these two will always be my favourite on-screen Jeff and Terry!

Breath - film

Based on a Tim Winton novel, Breath is a lovely, gentle film set in Australia in the 1970s.

Filmed on the south coast of Western Australia, Breath captures the stunning beauty of Australia's bush and beaches, which feature heavily thanks to a storyline dominated by surfing.

The film tells the coming-of-age story of Pikelet (Samson Coulter) and Loonie (Ben Spence), young teenagers who learn to surf together, eventually under the tutelage of Sando (Simon Baker) who comes to be a father/older brother figure to them. All three give fantastic performances.

As in any decent coming-of-age tale, all is not always as it seems and the relationships between the three of them, Pikelet's parents (Rachael Blake and Richard Roxburgh) and Sando's partner (Elizabeth Debicki) all prove rich, complex and often subtle.

I happen to have just finished reading Tim Winton's newest novel and between that and this film I am reminded that he doesn't typically go in for a big crescendo. If you're waiting for one big knock-out punch, it won't come. Fine by me; like I said, this is a gentle film.

I hadn't read the book, read any reviews, or seen any interviews with Baker when I saw this film and it was a great way to go into it - everything was new and intriguing.

Here's a four star review in the Sydney Morning Herald if you do want to know more.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

LIFE OF THE PARTY - film

This comedy starring Melissa McCarthy is so bad it doesn't warrant any further effort in commenting on it. I saw it with a friend and she hated it too.

I find it hard to imagine, but in case this critique is unsatisfactory for you, read this one star review in The Guardian by a proper critic.

I FEEL PRETTY - film

I Feel Pretty is an American comedy starring Amy Schumer, who has a large and loyal following I count myself among, for not only her comedy but her brash, feminist, devil-may-care attitude to the world.

As a fan, I desperately wanted this film to be great. So is it?

*SIGH*

Sadly, it is not.

Schumer plays Renee Bennett, a young woman with dreams of what she perceives as the success and happiness that comes with being "undeniably pretty". And for some, there's the rub. Is Amy Schumer not pretty as she is? What even is 'pretty'? Who decides what and who is pretty? You get the idea. For a comedy, this film actually opens Pandora's Box to some pretty complex stuff that it simply can't manage in a 110 minute film with rom-com brains behind it.

Unfairly short version of the plot... Renee feels bad about herself and lacks confidence. Renee hollers to the universe that she wants to be "undeniably pretty". Renee falls over, hits her head and suddenly believes she looks pretty. Renee lives life with confidence in the extreme and reaps the rewards - new job at a fancy cosmetics company and new boyfriend chief among them. Renee realises pretty people have problems too. Renee takes it too far and loses valued relationships. Renee falls over again, hits her head and goes back to seeing her real self. Renee learns that she has to love herself as she is. Of course a silly plot is forgivable if it's entertaining and/or funny. Alas...

I could probably forgive the unsuccessful attempt to turn this film into a "love your body" call-to-action if this film were really funny but it just isn't. I laughed a few times but nowhere as much as you would hope for from a film starring someone with the comedic reputation of Amy Schumer. I saw it in a cinema with about 40 people and there was a smattering of laughs but overall it just seemed to fall flat in the room time and time again.

The supporting cast bring some joy. Michelle Williams plays the boss of the cosmetics company in a strange, high pitched voice kinda way that's pretty amusing. Renee's besties are played by Busy Philipps and Saturday Night Live comic Aidy Bryant, whose talents are really wasted in this.

To be fair, I Feel Pretty is not terrible but if that's the best you can say of a film, it's not exactly a ringing endorsement. Maybe when it pops up on telly...? But for me, not worth $20+ at the cinema, sadly.

Fairfax critic Jake Wilson gave it three stars which I reckon is a bit too generous. The Guardian gave it two stars which is probably what I'd give it if I did that sort of thing. And last but not least, News Ltd critic Leigh Paatsch's review is currently behind a paywall but the preview says "I Feel Pretty is the third film to star Amy Schumer in her short career so far. She may not have too many left in her if she keeps pushin' duds like this"... OH DEAR.

I Feel Pretty is rated M and in cinemas now. Trailer here.

Damien Power "Violent Chaos Anyone?" - MICF

Damien is an Australian comedian from Brisbane and his show last year was my pick of the festival. Even though we're only one week into this year's festival, it looks like he could take that crown again. (There's no crown guys, I'm a blogger for crying out loud.)

"Violent Chaos Anyone?" is so, so funny. The humour is so searing it will make you think but not in that awful pretentious way, just in a bloody hilarious way. There's certainly a few uncomfortable not-sure-if-we-should-be-laughing-at-this moments but he's just so clever in how he manages the tension and releases in the room, calling out hypocrisies that we conveniently forget we even have.

Damien has a beautiful way with words even when the words are sweary and ranty. The image he conjures of his uncle from regional Queensland has stayed with me! He's a good actor and improvisor too, which also helps with the image conjuring. His delivery is confident bordering on arrogant but never slides too far into the latter.

This is a top notch show that I'd highly recommend. If you can only get one show in for the festival, this could be the one! Details here https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2018/shows/damien-power-violent-chaos-anyone

Dave Thornton "So What Now?" - MICF

Dave Thornton has been part of the Australian comedy scene for a really long time and that's obvious when you watch him on stage. He's got a warm, natural style that brings the crowd along with him.

The comedy in "So What Now?" is enjoyable but it won't blow your socks off. Material about gentrified Brunswick and baby boomers being mystified by smart phones and Uber was enjoyed by the crowd, which unfortunately only filled about half the room.

Dave's comfort on stage was also evident when he interacted with the crowd. There was some fun had in these interactions but for me, it was too great a proportion of the overall show. Some of it went really well, some of it less so.

The Herald Sun have reviewed this show and given it three stars which I reckon is just right. You can get the details of the show here https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2018/shows/dave-thornton-so-what-now

Danielle Walker "Bush Rat" - MICF

OK so we have our festival surprise package, folks. Danielle Walker's show Bush Rat is absolute bonkers hilarity. I laughed so hard and so much! I took my 22 year old nephew along (I am WAY younger than that implies) and he laughed so much I feared he might stop breathing.

In her first hour-long stand-up comedy show, this young gun from Townsville draws beautifully on what she knows - growing up in rural Australia surrounded by wacky characters, mainly members of her eccentric family.

Her lack of experience is revealed only in the way she jumps a bit awkwardly between topics but truly she's so charming you just go with it.

Danielle is performing in a pretty small room (a feeble air conditioner by the entrance set to 18 degrees did nothing to bring down the steamy temperature of it, sadly) but I daresay that won't last and you can expect her to be filling bigger and bigger ones as the years go by.

Get along to this show so that in 10 years time when she's filling the Comedy Theatre like Celia Pacquola does, you can say you got behind her back when she was performing in a broom cupboard.

Details for Danielle's show are here https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2018/shows/danielle-walker-bush-rat

Cal Wilson "Hindsight" - MICF

As I was watching this show and occasionally turning my mind to how I would describe it on this blog, the word pleasant kept coming to mind. It's not a word I've ever used to describe comedy, I don't think, but it seems just right for this show.

In "Hindsight", Cal reflects a lot on parenting an eight year old, living with anxiety and the #metoo movement with the skill of someone who has spent many hours on stage. She mixes a kind of girl-next-door charm with very brief moments of sweary aggression that reminds us she's more than just pleasant.

After chuckling and grinning more than laughing out loud for the first half or so of the show, it built up to some much bigger laugh-out-loud moments in the second half or so.

I don't think this show will blow anyone's socks off but I reckon it's pitched perfectly at people with mainstream taste, especially those who are parents of young kids.

Get the details of Cal's show here https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2018/shows/cal-wilson-hindsight

ADDED 5-4-18 (later): The Herald Sun has given Cal's show 3.5 stars. You can read their review here.

Rhys Nicholson "Seminal" - MICF

Hooooo boy, this is a killer show! I've seen and loved Rhys' comedy festival shows in the past and he's never disappointed but I think this is probably his best yet.

Maybe it's that the subject matter is a bit more universal than in past years, when he's strayed into some pretty crass territory that isn't for everyone. That's not to say he plays it safe in this show. There was one gag especially which I won't spoil but it definitely produced that 'eeek we don't know if we should laugh at that' reaction from the crowd. If you're highly sensitive this might not be the show for you but otherwise, I'd definitely recommend it!

Rhys' razor-sharp wit made light work of anti-vaccers and his material about getting older and your interests changing (eg how great are cancelled plans?!) was definitely relatable. When he got a bit serious and told a true story about being threatened on a train it felt like the oxygen was momentarily zapped from the room but it was in a good way that showed he had the whole room in the palm of his hand. The laughs quickly returned following the pause for thought.

There was a few stumbles along the way when the words didn't come out quite right but I suspect that will be ironed out as the festival continues and he delivers the material night after night. They were nothing major but enough for him to call it out and it make me think, if this is you when you're not nailing it, I can only imagine how cracking this show will be when you do. (Though given how funny the improvised recoveries were, I'd almost prefer he stuck with the less polished version!)

I've recommended Rhys is previous years and happily do so again this year. Practical tip if you do plan to go - dress for an arctic cold room. Get the details on Seminal here https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2018/shows/seminal

Dilruk Jayasinha "Bundle of Joy" - MICF

I'm a big fan of Dilruk, primarily due to his appearances on a comedy podcast I love, "The Little Dum Dum Club". He's had commercial success of late, regularly popping up on TV shows like "Have You Been Paying Attention" and "Cram".

I liked this show but confess I didn't love it as much as I hoped to. To my mind this show was a bit up and down. There was funny material the crowd really seemed to love about stuff like expensive candles and bladder infections (or not, as the case may be) but the candle gear was the first time the crowd really laughed hard and that wasn't until about 20-25 minutes into the one hour show. There was lots of other material that was good but didn't seem to soar as you might hope, generating more a chuckle from the crowd than a big collective cackle. The art of balancing introspection with gags is really hard to master and whilst this show takes a good shot at it at various points along the way, overall it doesn't quite nail it for me.

I've seen Dilruk at MICF in previous years and there's no doubt his delivery gets slicker and slicker as the years go by and his time spent on stage increases.

In the interests of fairness I'll keep an eye out for professional reviews of his show and post them here, especially if they have a markedly different view to me. As yet, I can't see any on the Herald Sun, Age or Chortle, a UK comedy site who send their main reviewer to Melbourne for this festival. 

ADDED 5-4-18: The Herald Sun has given Dilruk's show four stars. You can read their review here.

You can get the details of Dilruk's show here https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2018/shows/dilruk-jayasinha-bundle-of-joy If you are going, wear warm clothing because the room is crazy cold!

Helen Bidou (Anne Edmonds) "Enter the Spinnaker Lounge" - MICF

You know who Helen Bidou is, right? She's the beauty expert on the ABC TV show Get Krack!n which is a spoof of breakfast TV shows, of course!

Anne Edmonds is the real Helen and if you don't know her from Get Krack!n you might recognise her face from her own stand-up comedy as well as recent appearances on TV shows like Have You Been Paying Attention. Anne is hilarious so I was bang up for a whole show of bonkers Helen Bidou.

AND BONKERS IT WAS!

It's a show that's difficult to describe but essentially Helen is trying her hand at stand-up comedy for the first time and she's taking a cabaret-style approach by including a bunch of original songs in the show. Helen's side-kick for the show is her son Connor who helps give the show enough tangents and distractions that the intensity of Helen never gets too much. Though a warning - festival management have recently put an 18+ restriction on her show because, well, you'll see!

I'm not sure if this is the case in every show but in the one I was at, fellow comedian Greg Larsen was a guest. It's no reflection on him but I confess that when Helen said, at what must have been the 45-50 minute-mark of the show, "let's bring on a guest!" I wondered if it might be better to start wrapping up. Not because it wasn't going well but just because I desperately didn't want the craziness of what was going on to jump the shark. (A saying which has probably jumped the shark. Sorry.)

I needn't have worried - the show definitely didn't go down hill and I did enjoy every crazy minute. And crazy, it was. I can't emphasize that enough. If you want a tidy, rehearsed, pleasant show, Helen Bidou is not for you. But if you want madness and crazy laugh upon laugh where you start to lose a sense of what you're even laughing at, go for your life! Helen will bring you loads of joy.

And just if you need any more affirmation for how funny this is, I saw the likes of Wil Anderson, Tom Ballard and Nath Valvo the night I was there - people who I trust to know where to find the quality laughs!

I think Helen's shows are selling fast as she has a cult following so I wouldn't drag your feet with getting tickets to this one. Details here https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2018/shows/anne-edmonds-helen-bidou

Tim Key "Megadate" - MICF

Tim Key is an English comedian (also actor & writer) who has done the Melbourne International Comedy Festival before but this is the first time I'd seen him.

He won best show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2009 (as he reminds us many times with comic effect in Megadate) and whilst that was a while ago, it gives you a sense that we're dealing with a fairly heavy hitter. He lives up to that in this wacky show that tells a story of an epic first date in London, where he and his date visit famous landmarks such as Madame Tussauds. There's videos dotted throughout the show that are really slick and make a great contrast to what he's doing on stage. It's cleverly and amusingly done.

Tim's delivery involves lots of yelling which, for me, added to the laughs, but I wonder if it would be off-putting for some people. It took some getting used to! The whole show is quite the ride, with moments of mania and moments of introspection. It reminded me a bit of some Sam Simmons shows in that regard, so if you know and love Sam's work, this show might be right up your alley.

Megadate also involves some costume changes and Tim popping up in places around the room other than the stage. Certainly no big deal but I guess what I'm saying is, if your taste is someone standing at a microphone just shooting the breeze, you might find Tim Key a bit too strange for your taste.

Some of Tim's material didn't land because of UK references that Aussies don't get. For example, a gag where the punchline required the audience to know British journalist John Craven got crickets. His response? "Yeah, that one doesn't work here." I suspect it'll be cut from the show.

That said, I really liked Megadate even with it's craziness, probably actually because of it. He's performing in a fairly large room and on the night I was there it was only a third or so full which is a shame. I think his is the kind of comedy that would benefit from a big full room of people egging each other on.

So if you're into trying something a bit different, get yourself some tickets to Tim Key! The Herald Sun have reviewed him giving four stars. Details on the show here https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2018/shows/tim-key