Feature: 'Attack of the superhero' for The Courier-Mail

8 June 2011

There's something about men in tights, writes Anna Angel.

GREEN Lantern Corps, the intergalactic police squad, fights some of the universe's nastiest villains, but will struggle to topple Marvel's heroes at the box office.

DC's much-loved comic series Green Lantern opens on June 17 in a live-action, 3-D adaptation starring Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively.

The timing lands it in a battle for movie-goers' dollars with Marvel's mutant prequel X-Men: First Class, which has been called the thinking man's superhero movie, and Captain America's live-action debut on July 28.

It's also fresh on the heels of Marvel's portrayal of Thor, god of thunder, which won over the fans despite being labelled a ``Shakespearean epic for nerds''.

The marketing team behind Green Lantern, which centres on a test pilot bestowed with a mystical green ring and responsibility for keeping universal peace, have all claws out. Two trailers for the Warner Bros production have gone viral.

With the third Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises, and Avengers set for release next year, comic fans can expect this standoff to get even bloodier.

Feature: 'Brought up by Broadway' for Biscuit Magazine

Biscuit Magazine issue 9. It's a really great issue, glad to be a part of it!

Feature: 'Roll up in your soles' for The Courier Mail

Written for The Courier-Mail's Friday liftout, CM2. Also published online.

Barefoot bowls is a perfect way to have a good time with your mates, so kick off your shoes and have a go at this game of concentration and technique, writes Anna Angel

IF THERE'S a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than with a few drinks in the sun, and some friendly competition between mates, I'd like to hear about it.

Barefoot bowls, lawn bowls' younger and less uptight cousin, is winning over Queenslanders young and old.

In a successful bid to breathe new life into the sport, bowls clubs across the state have kicked off their shoes - literally - and shaken off a stigma of the game known as ``old man's marbles''.

Brisbane clubs have been bowled over by how popular their combination of cheap food, drinks and entertainment is with those in their teens through to late 40s.

Inteview: The Vines for Tom Magazine

For TOM Magazine. Published June 1.

Aussie rockers The Vines return with their long-awaited fifth record ‘Future Primitive’. Frontman Craig Nicholls and bassist Brad Heald sat down with Anna Angel and dished their Splendour in the Grass must-sees and tips for living the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle.

Future Primitive is the band’s first release since 2008, but delays are due more to a change of record company than a change of direction. "I wanted to get it out end of last year, but we were still getting it all wrapped up," Nicholls says. "It’s all right to wait that extra bit of time, to make sure everything’s right for when it does come out."

Fans can expect a classic Vines vibe from their latest offering, somewhere between psychedelic ‘60s rock and ‘90s garage. "I’m not for believing that every album has to be completely different," Nicholls says, spinning his cigarettes on the table. "It’s just kind of rock music, with a bit of a different flavour."

Feature: 'Girl power on screen' for The Courier-Mail

30 May 2011

Big-screen comedy Bridesmaids has been praised for avoiding stereotypes, writes Anna Angel

WOMEN in comedy, with the exception of all-rounder Tina Fey, seem to be always the bridesmaid, never the belly-laugh inducing brides.

Finally, a raunchy wedding comedy from producer Judd Apatow is proving there's more than one smart, funny woman on the big screen.

Bridesmaids has all the trappings and toilet humour of Apatow films such as Knocked Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin but is written and led by women.

Co-writer Kristen Wiig, of Saturday Night Live fame, stars as Annie, an out-of-luck maid of honour navigating her best friend's wedding with a crew of kooky bridesmaids, including Australia's Rose Byrne.

Critics have praised the film for its genuine depiction of female friendships in a genre content to simply pit a loveable sap against a maniacal bridezilla and call it a day.

The ``chick-flick for dudes'' smashed box-office expectations during its opening weekend in the US, suggesting audiences are ready to toss the pallid bouquet of bridal rom-coms usually on offer.

Opening on June 16 across Australia, Bridesmaids just might dethrone the royals for wedding of the year.

Feature: 'Go for it!' for The Courier-Mail

27 May 2011

The Courier-Mail

46

Taking up roller derby and adopting the fishnet-clad alter ego of Dan Sin Queen turned 39-year-old Herston-based web content producer 's life around, she tells Anna Angel

I WENT to my first game with my job, to write about it. I thought it was bizarre, like wrestling.

The only idea I had of it was from the '70s. I came home thinking, ``It's the best thing in the world, I want to do that!''

I started talking to one of the girls from Northern Brisbane Rollers on Twitter and she suggested I try out.

I was full of excuses. I said, ``I have a full-time job and two kids.'' She said, ``So do I.''

I thought I was too old. When I told her I was 38, she said, ``So am I. What else have you got?''

When the next tryout for ``fresh meat'' came around in July last year there were no excuses left.

Feature: 'Hands on a touchy subject' for The Courier Mail

Written on my placement in Courier-Mail features. I adore arts writing, so I'm thrilled I got to do this piece.

16 May 2011

An innovative show shines light on child neglect, writes Anna Angel

PUPPETRY is seen as child's play for some; a comic device for others. For Halcyon Macleod, writer and director of Africa, a troubling tale of child neglect and joyous idealism in suburban Australia, it is so much more.

Playing Brisbane's Powerhouse from May 18, Africa is neither theatre for young people nor a puppet show, but a whimsical and emotional production for adults, conveying the strength of human will and the power of the imagination.

Review: 'Kosciuszko' by Jedediah for Tom Magazine

Album of the week for TOM Magazine.


JEBEDIAH
Kosciuszko (Dew Process/ Universal)
Aussie rocker Kevin Mitchell is back to his Jebediah roots after a few years’ stint as soloist Bob Evans and member of supergroup Basement Birds, alongside the likes of Josh Pyke and Eskimo Joe’s Kavyen Temperley. Jebediah have been announced to play this year’s Splendour in the Grass festival, and it’s this, their fourth studio album, that’ll be taking the forefront alongside their career hits.

There’s much more on offer here than hit lead single ‘She’s Like a Comet’. It’s a solid return, featuring a number of strong tracks across a wide breath of style; from the quiet pop-rock of closer ‘Are We OK?’ to the effective rock hooks of ‘To Your Door’ and ‘Under Your Bed’. It’s not their best release to date, but Kosciuszko is, as the title would suggest, a distinctly Australian and likeable release, sure to please fans.
(Anna Angel) 

Review: 'The Great Impression' by Sparkadia for Tom Magazine

Whoops, missed this one going up on TOM Magazine.

SPARKADIA

The Great Impression (Ivy League)
Australian alternative-pop outfit Sparkadia return to deliver a second release, well, one of the band members does. Alex Burnett does brilliantly on his own, with the help of a handful of contributors and one trip to Mother Britannica. The record’s first single, ‘Talking Like I’m Falling Downstairs’ has been on Triple J high rotation since late last year, with freshly released ‘China’ also scoring its fair share of airplay. Both are fine examples of tender indie-pop  -  all soaring choruses, desolation and ironically upbeat choruses. The other tracks that make up the bulk of the record do not disappoint. 
The Great Impression is haunting and expertly constructed, with deliberate peaks and troughs. It opens strongly with the simply effective title track, quickly covering the lead tracks and keeping on a high with ‘Love Less Love’. Other highlights are the gently building power of ‘I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish’ and the drawn-out concluding ‘Fade From View’. It’s a strong release that proves a change of band structure, a change of location, or a change of heart can do more good than harm. 

Column: 'Have your say' for The Courier Mail's Village Green

Published in The Courier-Mail, May 14, pg. 71.  Written during my placement there in April. I am in the middle of a placement in the features department, so will hopefully have more to show from that, too.

Have your say - Anna Angel, Clayfield

IT mightn't be as bloody as the Roman's, but the digital era has its gladiator-style battles.

The speed of your laptop's processor goes up against the strength of your opponent's Wi-Fi connection.