This week SBS is putting on their full metal jackets and hosting Kubrick Week. Every night this week they will be screening one of the master filmmaker’s classics. For those of you who love a quest for infinity sadly 2001: A Space Odyssey was screened last night – but don’t fret tonight the doco Dark Side of the Moon, which reveals unknown facts about the filmmaker's involvement with theatrical elements of the US Space Program, airs at 10:55pm. Kubrick’s timeless interpretation of Nabakov’s Lolita will of course be a part of the fun, tomorrow night at 11:40pm. The timeslots are painfully late but at least we know they’ll be aired uncensored in their original eccentricity.

Head to www.sbs.com.au/schedule to check the Kubrick calendar.

Maybe I’m being an eager beaver in writing up my Christmas list in November, but now I’ve seen this there is no way I can go possibly go without it. Thanks to artist Chris Dimino breakfast just got dorkier and being that ‘le geek c’est chic’ the market for these little babies is going to be huge – or perhaps I’m overestimating our love of recycled goods. In any case it looks a lot tastier than the crumbs stuck in my keyboard right now!

   

The release date for the much awaited film Hippie Hippie Shake is still yet to be confirmed and I can’t wait much longer. I was shaking with excitement when I heard rumour that the film will finally be released in min-January in the States so hopefully it will hit our shores soon after.

The Brit flick follows the ‘obscenity’ trials of the Oz magazine crew whose notoriety sent them from Sydney to London in the late 1960’s. The magazine became the ‘voice of dissent’ for its controversial figureheads who tackled contentious issues like homosexuality, police brutality and abortion. The movie is based on the memoirs of editor Richard Neville (played by Cillian Murphy) and follows the Oz crew of Louise Ferrier (Sienna Miller), Germain Greer (who told her counterpart Emma Booth to ‘get an honest job’) and Martin Sharpe (Max Minghella) through the psychedelia and nudity of Oz’s London years. Here’s hoping “its in the bag” for 2009.

Halloween may be over but I’ve decided to preemptively give everyone the heads-up for next year. I suspect that for those of you who were out on freaky Friday the night was filled with endless ghouls, skeletons and vampires spouting fake blood over their black attire – YAWN! A legion of my facebook ‘friends’ have updated their profile pictures with their Halloween shots; most of the gals look like victims out of some E-grade Hollywood horror-flick and as for the guys well, ‘joujing’ your hair Horrors style just doesn’t cut it.

I’m hoping for some better scare tactics next year so here are a few truely creepy suggestions:

 Genie in a Lamp                                                The Breathalyser

                    
         
The legendary Leonard Cohen is coming to Aus for the first time in 24 years to perform at wineries around Australia in January and February. A Day on the Green promises to be a truly poetic day out combining wine, grass (no pun intended) and the sad rousing lyrics of one of the most significant balladists ever. At 74 years of age Cohen is still exciting young audiences and still having a profound influence on artists today.

For tickets and to check out the rest of the lineup head to http://www.adayonthegreen.com.au 

Yen Editor Jacqui & Cameron Peters            Director Karen Shakhnazarov & Virginia Judge

Friday night marked the start of one of the biggest celebrations of Russian cinema and culture with the opening night of the Russian Resurrection Film Festival at the Paddington Town Hall. Audiences were treated to a screening of the highly anticipated comedy The Vanished Empire, the film, set in 1970’s Moscow was directed by celebrated filmmaker Karen Shakhnazarov (pictured), who spoke at the event. The night kicked on post screening as the vodka flowed and the Russian beauties were out in force. The Baltics also showed their wild side in a dance competition with sounds provided by the Sydney Balalaika Orchestra which kept the crowd going late into the evening.

The festival continues in Sydney at the Chauvel Cinema until November 10 and then goes on tour around Australia.

Head to http://www.russianresurrection.com/ for details of events in your state.

Dangerous night crawlers could be a menace of the past for fashion savvy Tokyo girls due to the wildly creative talent of artist Aya Tsukioka. The artist has invented a chic skirt that doubles as a vending machine disguise in case the Yukuza (Japanese mafia) should be lurking near by – fingers crossed they’re not feeling parched! Several variations of the costume are currently in the making including a deluxe model which folds from a kimono, for the streetwise Geisha.