New Curiosity and Book Shop for Muizenberg
British antiquarian book-dealer and binder Andrew Berki recently opened a quirky new shop in Muizenberg, Cape Town selling items ranging from ancient maps and books to antiques.
Rattlesnake Books is situated in vibrant York Road, Muizenberg and was named after the HMS Rattlesnake, a 16-gun sloop which featured in the Battle of Muizenberg in 1795.
The name sets the tone for a shop specialising in desirable and affordable historical artefacts. Huge antique maps and vintage movie posters adorn the walls, as well as art works by South African painters. Some of Berki’s more recent finds include a signed first edition of Pieter Hugo’s ‘The Hyena and Other Men’ and Sue Williams’ iconic South African Resistance Art.
Rattlesnake offers a wide selection of paper and hardback books, including modern firsts, on subjects ranging from Africana, natural history, literary fiction, politics, history and much more. The shop also stocks highly-collectable books with fine leather bindings such as Bell’s Engravings of the Arteries, dated 1801, which contains early hand-coloured anatomical plates.
“Back in London, I made my reputation dealing in rare and interesting books. But here in Cape Town I can really indulge in sourcing some fabulous examples of Africana while also bringing to the market some exquisite European pieces,” says Berki.
Win Double Movie Tickets with Spl!ng and The Labia
One lucky reader will win double tickets to a movie at the Labia Cinema complex in Cape Town.
To enter, all you have to do is answer this simple question: Who directed The Bang Bang Club?
Email your name, contact details and answer to info@capetowncreatives.co.za:
Competition closes on 26 August , 10h00.
Terms and Conditions:
You (and partner) must be available to attend a film at the Labia in Cape Town between the 26 August and 2 September 2011.
Tickets are not transferrable and cannot be redeemed for cash.
Valid for Labia Screenings only. Terms and Conditions apply.
Prizes courtesy of the Labia Theatre. See what’s showing: http://www.labia.co.za
The Bang Bang Club Movie Review: Snapshots from a Hidden War
The Bang Bang Club is the story of four conflict photographers, Greg Marinovich, Kevin Carter, Ken Oosterbroek and João Silva, in the build-up to South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994. These high profile photographers were like soldiers, their weapons – cameras and their ammo – extra spools.
As South African photo journalists, they were on the forefront of a civil war, one being fought in areas known as “dead zones” between two warring political parties. Fearless sometimes foolish, they captured a portrait of life and death in motion and relayed it to white South Africans and the rest of the world, who were largely unaware of the bloodshed.
The Bang Bang Club were the equivalent of rock stars and documentary director Steven Silver has developed a film that captures the Zeitgeist, touching on the ethical dilemma and moral point-of-view that confronted these adrenalin junkie photographers. It follows a similar trajectory to most “rockumentaries” as a band of talented artists club together, go on the road, live hard, play harder and win fame, only to suffer the consequences.
The film is a journey from Greg Marinovich’s perspective, based on his and João Silva’s experiences of the events as depicted in their book, The Bang Bang Club: Snapshots from a Hidden War. The movie has a similar edge to many Vietnam war films, setting music from the same era against disturbing images of war with questions arising about the media’s role and responsibility in times of war.
The Bang Bang Club recreates the stories in a biographical manner, giving each major event in their timeline a context and dramatising them to give more depth and raw emotional power. It’s like fleshing out the pictures, giving their side of the story and making sense of a time when you had to conserve photographs, carry camera bags and load spools quickly in a hot situation. These photographers were in the line of fire, risking their lives to bring news to life and earn an income.
Greg Marinovich is played by Ryan Phillipe, who recently co-starred in The Lincoln Lawyer. This Hollywood actor has been steadily carving a name for himself with a string of solid supporting performances and continues the trajectory into The Bang Bang Club. Phillipe captures Marinovich, who is depicted as the new kid in town – earning respect from his peers while repressing a spate of violent memories, starting with a man being killed in the street by a gang of ruthless opposition party supporters.
Malin Akerman, The Bang Bang Club’s leading lady is something of an Amy Allen to the photo journalist equivalent of The A-Team. While her role as Robin Comley is not in the firing line, she represents the group’s “agent” – providing a classic lead to offset the testosterone and help convey more of Marinovich’s psychological frame of mind. Case in point, her inclusion in the iconic Bang Bang Club members photo turn movie poster.
Taylor Kitsch stars as Kevin Carter, delivering a free-spirited Jim Morrison take on Carter – giving creedence to the soundtrack and Rock ‘n Roll atmosphere as the group hit bars, girls and Bang Bang gigs. The up-and-coming actor delivers one of the better performances of the ensemble in a fairly sympathetic portrayal of a man obsessed with death and haunted by his encounters with violence and suffering.
Of the supporting South African actors, Frank Rautenbach plays Ken Oosterbroek. The much-admired photographer was thought to be invincible and Rautenbach gives the tragic figure a superhero quality – establishing a strong South African flavour. Neels van Jaarsveld’s subtle portrayal of João Silva, gives the character a low profile just out of the spotlight’s reach. Vusi Kunene delivers a powerful, heartrending single scene performance as a distraught father, while Russel Savadier is the “David Brent” figurehead for the toothless newspaper tiger.
The Bang Bang Club’s production values are phenomenal, recreating documented scenes with a strong sense of accuracy from protest mobs and police trucks to special forces uniforms and violent personal attacks. The extras deserve a special mention, capturing an anger and restless spirit that adds documentary realism to the events.
All in all, Silver has composed a compelling day-in-the-life style docudrama with a solid ensemble and a great sense of realism. While key ethical dilemmas and struggles are merely presented, it’s more about relaying stories than pointing fingers and entering debate. The film captures the Zeitgeist of pre-election South Africa and delivers harrowing photographic evidence of a violent, complicated time in its history from the perspective of four gung-ho photographers, whose Pulitzer prize-winning photographs and notoriety has etched an indelible mark on photographic journalism. Be sure to catch the Special Assignment feature on The Bang Bang Club for more context.
The bottom line: Powerful.
Stephen ‘Spling’ Aspeling
www.spling.co.za
www.spling.mobi
Some Like it Vrot: New musical comedy by David Kramer
Comedian Marc Lottering and songwriter David Kramer have joined forces once again to bring a brand new musical comedy to the stage at the Baxter Theatre in October. Some Like it Vrot is written and directed by Kramer and will star Lottering and Christo Davids in the lead roles of Smiley and Fuad, characters created by Lottering in his stand up routines.
Kramer, one of the most successful creators of original musical theatre in South Africa has had a longtime association with comedian Marc Lottering. Although David is most often associated with writing musical theatre, he has also enjoyed great success directing comedy. Three of Marc’s solo shows, From the Cape Flats with Love, Hallelujah & Big Stakes & Slap Chips were directed by Kramer and Three Wise Men & its sequel, Three Wiser Men starring Marc Lottering, Riad Moosa and Nik Rabinowitz were all directed by David as well.
Lottering, famous for his stand-up comedy, and having performed in several pantomimes in Johannesburg, has always dreamed of singing and dancing in a musical of his own. Kramer has now taken one of Lottering’s most loveable characters, Smiley the taxi gaartjie and written a musical comedy tailored to the talents of the versatile Lottering. Christo Davids, well-known for his role in SABC’s 7de Laan, recently won a Kanna Award for his performance in the drama My naam is Ellen Pakkies, which enjoyed a sold out season at the Baxter in April. He now shares the stage with Marc for the first time, playing Smiley’s brother Fuad.
Some Like it Vrot is set in contemporary Cape Town and moves between Wynberg and Woodstock, Grassy Park and the Waterfront. It features Mercia Meintjies, a police detective played by Larissa Hughes, Tammy the night club singer played by Jill Middelkop, and Big Bucks the notorious crime boss played by Abduragman Adams. Alistair Izobel who started his stage career as one of the original Broetjies in the Kramer Petersen musical District Six and went on to perform the role of Bingo in Kat and the Kings on Broadway in 1999, also features in this musical comedy.
In Some Like it Vrot, Smiley (Marc) and Fuad (Christo) become entangled in a life threatening situation and have to run for their lives. They turn to Inspector Meintjies to help them escape their predicament. She comes up with a novel and outrageous solution. They are reluctant to go along with her plan, but have no choice. It might just save their lives.
Some Like it Vrot has been designed by Saul Radomsky who was responsible for the set design for Kat and the Kings on the West End & Broadway, as well as the 2003 production of District Six at the Baxter Theatre. Fahiem Bardien will be responsible for lighting design.
The Show opens on 21 October with performances from Mondays to Fridays at 8pm and on Saturdays at 5pm and 8.30pm. Booking is now open and tickets cost from R90 to R150 via Computicket or 0839158000. There is a special preview weekend on 21 and 22 October when tickets will cost R100 throughout.
Cape Furniture Exhibition: 24 – 26 August
Don’t miss this great collaborative exhibition between some of Cape Town’s top furniture designers and manufacturers!
Participating exhibitors include: Pedersen & Lennard, Woodlam, Liam Mooney, Heath Nash, Supreme Upholstery, Kluyts & Co, Petersen’s, Haldane Martin, Pierre Cronje, CO Designs, Vogel Designs, Feeling African, Bellacraft Design, On Q Design, Woodworld, Tsai Design Studio and more.
RSVP by Tuesday, 23 August at 12 noon info@capefurniture.za.org
Urban Aesthetic: A Street Art inspired exhibition
Worldart is hosting an exhibition of street art-inspired paintings by Ricky Lee Gordon (aka Freddy Sam) and Paul Senyol from Saturday, 20 August to 3 September 2011 at its Cape Town gallery in Church Street. The exhibition will consist of four large paintings – one work by each artist and two collaborations.
Although Ricky Lee Gordon’s work can be seen on walls in Woodstock here in Cape Town and places as diverse as New York City and a village in Gambia, the opportunity to experience his work on canvas is a rare occasion and one to look forward to.
Paul Senyol is perhaps better-known for his work as a mixed media artist and he has participated in group exhibitions in SA and abroad. A not so well-known fact is that his work has also on occasion featured on walls in and around Cape Town and is strongly influenced by the freedom and design associated with skateboarding and punk rock.
Both these artists have just returned from excursions abroad – Ricky Lee Gordon (aka Freddy Sam) from a mural project in Los Angeles and Paul Senyol from a residency in Finland, bringing with them fresh ideas and perspectives on urban and street art.
Exhibition concludes Saturday, 3 September 2011
Zookeeper Movie Review: Paul Blart, Night at the Zoo
It’s like Kevin James is Adam Sandler’s fall guy. He’s part of the Happy Madison team and generally takes on the roles that Adam Sandler finds a bit too close to call – the sort of over-the-top comedy fare that Will Ferrell would usually thrive in. Both are funny, likable guys. Sandler works the charm and angry scenes to perfection, while James licks the schtick and let’s face it, Wayne Knight was right, fat guys doing superhuman fat guy things… funny! In Zookeeper, Kevin James stars as… a shy zookeeper that needs a little help with the ladies.
Zookeeper is like a mash-up of Night at the Museum and Paul Blart: Mall Cop. Zookeeper’s antics and visual effects may not be as epic as Night at the Museum, but the premise of a somewhat magical romantic comedy adventure in a public attraction is consistent. Paul Blart: Mall Cop is the other active ingredient… taking a seemingly ordinary security management job and turning it on its head for a bit of fun with Paul Blart’s title actor, guess who… Kevin James.
The big difference is that the animals can talk… after they break their silence to help a guy out. Now before you write it off as another one of those talking animal movies aimed at kids… know that this one’s different. The zoo’s animals can talk, well at least that’s how it sounds with an animal voice cast including: Nick Nolte, Adam Sandler, Sylvester Stallone, Cher, Jon Favreau, Judd Apatow, Maya Rudolph and even Bas Rutten. The live-action talking animal idea is tired, but don’t give up on Zookeeper before you hear them out.
These voice actors are respected and don’t just sign onto anything… especially when it comes to talking animals. Add the likes of Rosario Dawson as the leading lady, with Leslie Bibb, Donnie Wahlberg, Joe Rogan and Ken Jeong into the mix and you’ve got a pretty potent comedy ensemble. Round the production off with Frank Coraci, longtime Sandler collaborator and director of The Wedding Singer, Click and The Waterboy and that paper will self-combust!
Oodles of credibility is one thing, but execution is another. Zookeeper isn’t meant to be taken seriously. Just like Night at the Museum was part fantasy, so is Zookeeper. Visit your local zoo at night, talk to the animals, run experiments… talking animals don’t exist. Just like we believed that a boney Tyrannosaurus Rex could be a dog, you’ve got to take Zookeeper with a big pinch of salt and let go of it for maximum enjoyment.
This is a light-hearted, fun, rollicking comedy adventure where anything goes. That’s the magic, it’s totally unpredictable and gives you license to laugh, be silly and feel like a kid for a while. Awaken the child within… give it an earful of that nostalgic Adam Sandler-type soundtrack. The talking animals, the slapstick stunt work from Kevin James and the zoo wooing all point towards one thing… a little something called fun.
It does take a little while to get into the groove, but once you’ve accepted the basic premise… the floodgates open and thankfully not in an Evan Almighty kind of way. The romantic interplay is hilarious as our head honcho learns a thing or two about love from his animal counterparts. James is perfectly likable and automatically makes you want to enjoy the film even if it’s just for his sake – whether he’s jamming guitar with a gorilla or flying around a dance floor like a swan.
The secret to enjoying Zookeeper is that you’ve got to let it wash over you. Don’t fight the suspense of reality, don’t question the talking animals and don’t try to make sense of the plot. Just like Joe Dirt, it’s the sort of light-hearted, immature whirlwind adventure feel good fun that asks for a little slack. Enjoy the set pieces like an amusement park, let Kevin James get a bit ridiculous in a Steve Irwin sort of way and let those laughs out! Zookeeper isn’t a laugh-a-minute misadventure, it’s there to tickle, amuse and playfully win your heart over. Roll with it.
The bottom line: Breezy.
Stephen ‘Spling’ Aspeling
www.spling.co.za
www.spling.mobi
Both sides of the track – The iconography of Woodstock
Both sides of the track is a visual survey of Woodstock architecture, landmarks, street art and the ever present dynamics of change.
Using meticulous stencil cutting as a metaphor for the tension between intellectual and new creative development, these cityscapes reflect the current interest in urban regeneration and opposing social sub-cultures. Representative of the time and place in which they were made, they are also underscored by a subtle message of hope and respect. Urban landscapes contrast, but also support, the graphic language of advertizing, grafitti and roadsigns. Their textures reflect the gritty surfaces of lived-in, urban squalor while their weathered exteriors often romanticize the canvas quality of street art with its industrial elegance and explosion of contemporary ideology.
Respectfully inclusive of what is “home” to a multi-faith, socially complex and cultural melting pot, these works pay homage to an eternally inviting, intriquing and creative suburb: Woodstock, Cape Town.
Opening night: Thursday, 11 August 2011, 5pm to 9pm
Business Hours: Tuesdays to Fridays, 10am to 4pm
Saturdays by appointment Tel 021 4472396
Win Double Tickets to see Swan Lake on Opening Night
Congratulations Dominika Kowal, Tina Striegler, Jenna Caldron, Kerry McLachlan and Belinda Weston! You’ve won double tickets to see Swan Lake performed at the Artscape on opening night! Enjoy! Check your inbox for more details.
5 lucky readers will win double tickets to see Swan Lake performed by Cape Town City Ballet on opening night at Artscape!
To enter, all you have to do is answer this simple question: Name one of the international guest performers starring in Swan Lake.
Email your name, contact details and answer to info@capetowncreatives.co.za
Competition closes on 17 August 2011, 10h00.
Terms and Conditions:
You (and partner) must be available to attend the show in Cape Town on the 19th of August 2011 at 8pm.
Tickets are not transferrable and cannot be redeemed for cash.
Prizes courtesy of Cape Town City Ballet (CTCB).
Your Street Competition
Design Indaba recently launched a competition inviting creatives and designers to re-imagine and re-engineer an aspect of street life in Cape Town and in doing so effect positive social change. The brief is to own your street, love your street and improve your street and the deadline for entries is: 31 August 2011.
R250 000 has been pledged for the designer who comes up with the winning idea and the motivation to implement it.
- The first prize of R100 000 will be awarded to the designer that comes up with the best idea AND a sound business model that illustrates how their idea can feasibly be implemented.
- Three second-place winners will each receive R50 000 for innovative design solutions that can be immediately implemented using the prize money.
Here are some ideas as to what the judges will be looking for:
- Generosity: How many people other than you does your design solution effect positively?
- International excellence and innovation: Does your design solution stand up to and trump similar world-class ideas? Is it new, original and forward-thinking?
- Feasibility: How do you propose to allocate the R50 000?
- Fun: How much pleasure, enjoyment, beauty and smiles do your design solution inspire
- Do: Can and will the design solution actually be executed?
- A better world through creativity: How does your design solution make the world better and further inspire other people to make the world even better?
For more information and to enter the Your Street Challenge visit www.designindaba.com/yourstreet. Be sure to enter before 31 August 2011.
