Online Oddities: Twitter.

Twitter.

What is it?

Twitter is many different things to many different people. Right now for me Twitter gives me direct communication to @LeeLinChinSBS, an insight into the controversial mind of @kanyewest and a weekly reminder that a new episode of @Brooklyn99FOX is out.

But it wasn't always like this. 

The first time I used Twitter I was truly overwhelmed and frankly a little scared that I would get Twitter famous for drunk tweeting and anyone who has read my drunk texts knows that is NOT good. Re-tweeting made no sense to me and hashtags were not the same kind that you spam on Instagram. This was a whole new world and the combination of tags and hashtags confused me enough to delete the app entirely off my phone.

Until recently...

It probably happened when another @kanyewest twitter rant was reported on the news and I thought "I'm missing out, @kanyewest is more entertaining then the entire Kardashian clan combined." So I re-downloaded the app from the ever mystical cloud and tweeted for the first time:

I then messaged my best friend and fellow contributor Beth to let her know about the new change in my life to which she replied "Twitter is very you." Which I like to think translates to "You're a witty narcissist."

In the days following I mastered the re-tweet and then I decided to take the plunge:  I got a fake tan for the first time, so I tweeted about it.

The joke fell flat but I laughed at my phone for 20 minutes... and then when there was still no appreciation for my mild humour I was pretty sure I was private messaging myself. 

But little did I know Twitter fame was about to hit me. Hard. 

Kind of.

#GreaseLive was on TV and I decided to live tweet it. It was fun but also kind of stressful because it made me feel like if I missed one moment of #GreaseLive it could mean one less funny tweet and that was a sacrifice I was not willing to take. Within minutes my tweet made it onto the screen and fans were screaming my name. I was basically a cast member on #GreaseLive. (*Disclaimer: these are my friends not fans. I am not a cast member on #GreaseLive. But I was pretty close).

I jumped off my couch and shouted at my parents "I'M ON TV! I'M ON TV!" They were confused and I spent the next half of the movie regretfully explaining what Twitter was. Overall the night was fun and it tested how quick I could come up with quick one-liners.

Twitter has been great ever since. I have seen @kanyewest deny butt sex rumours and change the title of his album 193740730820+ times. @AnnaKendrick47 and @Wil_Anderson have made me laugh out loud as they kill the Twitter Game. I have tweeted at @LeeLinChinSBS a gazillion times (and will continue to until she lets me take over the world with her).

Twitter is a great, confusing, strange place that unites narcissist from all walks of life and lets them compete for the greatest punchline.

Get amongst it.

-Alessandra

*Mosaik does not take credit for the image of the twitter icon used in this article

Movie Review-vie: Chef.

It is very hard for me to watch films about food. Very hard. Saliva fills my mouth and I start to get hungry, instantly craving whatever is on the screen. I go to the fridge and pantry to find something but  there is nothing that could even slightly compare to what I'm seeing and I just go back to watching the movie and convince myself I'm going to start cooking more.

This is literally how Chef made me feel.Hungry... but also happy, incredibly happy.

Jon Favreau, the director and star of the film found the perfect recipe and created a rare feel good movie (where I actually felt good and I didn't cringe at the corniness.) The cast was incredibly diverse, fresh and funny. The story line was relevant and original. When it ended I wanted to do the conga, order a cuban sandwich and go on a road trip all at the same time. 

Rated: As beautiful as Sofia Vergara (she's in it too, so in case I haven't convinced you yet ...) 

- Alessandra 

Lido Cinema, movies and a little night music.

Let yourself be transported. Leave behind the plain, white arcade, the sounds of cars and the city rushing by. Walk up a bright red stairwell, to lime green booths with lemon yellow and chrome tables. Mirrors cut in geometric patterns line the wall. Fluorescents scatter the midnight blue above you like zaps of light from the opening of the first Star Wars movie. Music twangs from invisible speakers, full of nostalgia, and from a different time. A projection on the floor directs you to the bathrooms, to the bar, to your seat.

It’s The Jetsons meets Battlestar Galactica, and it’s right in the heart of Hawthorn.

Lido Cinema sits majestically on Glenferrie Road above the Troubadour Arcade and is the third acquisition from Eddie Tamir, owner of the Classic Cinema in Elsternwick and the Cameo in Belgrave.

Tamir has always been immersed in Melbourne’s colourful cinema culture. His love of cinemas began at a young age, as he recalls visits to the Art Deco Rivoli cinema in Hawthorn East as a child. “It was very special, to go there, it was always like an event”, he says. 

As a teen, Tamir would go to the cult-cinema Valhalla on Victoria Street in Richmond. “It was an amazing experience,” he says with awe. “It was new and quirky, with all the movie posters and the people…” While the original building no longer stands, the Valhalla was the stuff cinema and film love is made of. Their cult-film screenings, 24 hour movie marathons, themed weekly screenings, Rocky Horror and Blues Brothers participation screenings remain legendary (and has been recently revived under the Valhalla Social Cinema.)

Having opened its doors in June, Lido never intended to be like every other renewed, 'old style' cinema.

“One of the challenges with the cinema is that it’s recorded media, it’s controlled.” Tamir tells me, “So I wanted to have kind of a live element in the cinema.” And thus the Lido Jazz Room was born. Every Friday and Saturday night, the Jazz Room hosts jazz trios and quartets to play live for a maximum of 40 people.

The Jazz Room is intimate, situated under one of the cinemas, with small, round tables and chairs (about six in total) and a small platform stage to fill the room. A small bar, just large enough to hold your drink or rest your arm, and row of stools line the back wall.

The lighting is low, and it makes the room feel cool and secretive. A waiter dressed in black stands in the corner waiting at your beck and call. It’s a tight squeeze as I pull my legs in from my perch on a stool, allowing for a waiter to walk past, a large box of popcorn, poised on a tray extended on one hand. All the while, the music envelopes you in warmth and sound. Patrons either talk softly to each other, or prefer to sit in silence, content to listen and applaud after each song.

The Jazz Room is a dream come to life for Tamir, “It’s always been an ambition of mine.” Its exclusivity and intimacy has the power to transport you to another place. A windowless alcove, it’s hard to believe you’re only across the road from Glenferrie station, a McDonalds and a Starbucks. You forget you’re really in Melbourne at all.

I tell Tamir this, “Yeah, kind of like Paris.” He agrees. I laugh nervously, I’ve never travelled out of Australia. But this is the beauty of it: whether you’ve been to Paris or not, right in Melbourne, the Lido Jazz room will give you the experience of transportation.

But the Jazz Room is only one unique aspect of this “futuristic 60s” cinema. Lido is also gearing up for the opening of their Rooftop Cinema, boasting 360 degree views of the city skyline, Hawthorn and surrounding suburbs, 100 seats and something no other rooftop cinema has done, showing new releases on its screen.

If jazz just isn’t your thing or you’re afraid of heights, Lido has eight different screens, showing a variety of new releases, as well as hosting special events. Sink into their plush, red velvet seats and take in a film. Not ready to go home? Gather your friends in their lime-green booths, and stay for a drink or browse their menu for a bite to eat (I will admit, their coconut oil popcorn is phenomenal).

Lido Cinema is more than just a cinema, it’s a place to stay a while, and get lost.

- Claire 

Lido Cinema is open 7 days a week, at 675 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn

The Jazz Room is open 9pm-11pm every Friday and Saturday night. 

Tickets & info available at www.lidocinemas.com.au/Page/Lido-Jazz-Room

* Mosaik does not take credit for the images used in this article

The Bombay Royale @ Howler.

The Bombay Royale have a residency at the Howler bar in Brunswick every Wednesday night during December, and attending one of their weekly gigs is a must!!

Not only because they're musical and theatrical geniuses, or because they are one of the most whimsical, wonderful bands out, (not even for the great beers Howler has on tap) but because The Bombay Royale give their audience freedom and the permission to dance and move, indirectly through their music. They are able to create this non-judgemental, euphoric atmosphere that is not always present at a bar on a weeknight and you need to experience that. 

One of my favourite bands at one of my favourite bars. 

 -Alessandra 

Get Tickets

*Mosaik does not take credit for any of the images used in this article 

Jewish International Film Festival.

I spend 40% of my time at the cinemas living on a diet of popcorn, coke and classic choc tops. This is mainly because my mum is a major movie enthusiast and I am my mother's daughter. One of our favourite things to do is go to international film festivals and watch as many of the movies as we can back to back. 

Our most recent film festival was the JIFF which has been running from the 4th of November, and will continue until the 29th of November at the Classic Cinema in Elsternwick, Melbourne. I was lucky enough to watch a couple and I am planning to go to a few more, so here they are, my 2015 recommendations:

Dough- 

This movie is as warm as fresh bread and as funny as a hash brownie. Set in London, the movie deals with  whole set of current issues and presents them in a light-hearted way, issues including racism, drug trafficking, refugee assimilation, ageism, secular societies and the continuation of family business. It was truly enjoyable and, dare I say it, a feel good film. 

A Tale of Love and Darkness (Sippur Al Ahava Ve Hosech) - 
Based on the novel of the celebrated jewish author Amos Oz, Natalie Portman's adaptation, of which she wrote, directed and starred in, is exquisite. The movie is truly a tale, or infact a series of tales, of love and darkness. This film is one of literature and poetry and cinematic beauty. 

Deli Man -

A documentary about the famous jewish delis in New York city. I love a good documentary and I love food, and I love people who love food so its only natural that I would love this doco. 

-Alessandra 

*Mosaik does not take credit for the images used in this article

Movie Review-vie: The Dressmaker.

A very last minute plan to have dinner and see a movie found us at the opening night of The Dressmaker.  

This wonderful film based on the novel of the same name by Rosalie Ham is sure to become an Australian classic as it captures the beautiful and sometimes harsh terrain of Australia perfectly. Set in the 1950s, Myrtle 'Tilly' Dunnage returns to the small Australian town she was forced to leave as a child. Now an accomplished dressmaker who has travelled across Europe, Tilly learns that her time away hasn't healed the wounds left behind from her childhood scandal. As she tries to piece together her past, she begins a relationship with Teddy McSwiney.

It is a story laced with complexities and perhaps not the romance that you so hope for, or expect going in - in fact it's not at all what you expect. It possesses the ability to make you laugh even in moments of sadness, through the use of a humour that is so unique to Australia. Despite the surprises found in the plot, with a title like 'The Dressmaker' you expect that the costuming would be stunning, and the film's costume designers Margot Wilson and Marion Boyce do not disappoint. Each outfit is a true work of art. 

An additional success of the film is the unique set of characters played by a wonderful cast led by Kate Winslet. (Special mention to Hugo Weaving as the copper / closet transvestite.) And also, Liam Hemsworth is in it ... enough said really. 

- Alessandra and Miriam

* Mosaik does not take credit for the images used in this article

Podcast Edit.

Wilosophy with Wil Anderson

Wilosophy is hosted by Australian comedian Wil Anderson. Each episode, Wil sits down to chat with a new guest - Glenn Robbins, Judith Lucy and Dr Karl are just some examples. But rather than simply interviewing his guests, Wil engages with them in conversation; the result is a natural and free flowing discussion on everything: life, death, ambitions, past experiences, and of course, personal philosophies. I’ve loved hearing about the moments that have shaped these individuals and formed their outlook on the world. You find yourself mentally answering the questions as you’re listening to the podcast and one of the best - and most unexpected - things I’ve taken from listening to the podcast is actually learning more about myself.     

Undisclosed: The State Vs. Adnan Syed

Picking up where the seriously addictive 'Serial' left off - if you haven't heard about 'Serial' you really need to catch yourself up, and fast - 'Undisclosed: The State Vs. Adnan Syed' re-examines the evidence presented in 'Serial' and provides new clues and information about the murder of school girl Hae Min Lee. While it doesn't quite match the quality of the original podcast,  if like me, Serial's 12 episodes left you wanting more, Undisclosed definitely fills the void and keeps you guessing with every twist and turn in the case.

Mystery Show

A relatively new podcast hosted by Starlee Kine with only 6 current episodes, Mystery Show was a real gem to stumble upon. Each episode of the series follows an every day 'mystery' that would have otherwise gone unnoticed; a video store that disappears without a trace before her friend could return her copy of Must Love Dogs, who the owner is of an elaborate belt buckle found by a nine-year old boy in the 1980s, what would possess someone to make their personalised number plate 'i luv 911'. These mysteries manage to be simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary and the real magic is in Starlee's storytelling. Her voice just makes you smile and you often don't care where the story is going because you just love the ride. 

Invisibilia

It has been a while since Lulu Miller and Alix Spiegel have released an episode of Invisibilia and yet every time I talk to people about podcasts I recommend this one and still consider it my all time favourite podcast series. Invisibilia is a podcast about the unseen factors driving human nature- the podcast is named after the Latin word for 'all the invisible things'. These include ideas, emotions, and long held beliefs such as how from a young age we learn to categorise and this need for categorisation continues into adulthood, how a woman with Mirror Touch Synesthesia can physically feel what she sees others feeling, the importance of fear and what life is like in those who can't feel fear, and the story of a blind man who says that ignoring expectations has allowed him to see. It is a truly fascinating podcast and one that has me starting a lot of conversations with 'I was listening to this podcast...'

-Miriam and Beth

*Mosaik does not take credit for the images used in this article

Movie Review-vie: The One I Love.

Don't read about this movie. Don't even read this. Just go and watch it. 

The One I Love, directed by Charlie McDowell is possibly one of the smartest and understated movies I've watched in a while. The film is ultimately a psychological thriller, a contemporary version of The Twilight Zone, as a couple in a failing marriage go on a weekend retreat and find themselves in "some weird version of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"

Mark Duplass and Elisabeth Moss' acting is the crux to the entire success of the film as they don't leave you bored for a moment, despite being the only two actors in this film. The soundtrack and the skillful editing also aid this suspenseful comedy that leaves you gasping at the end. (Sidenote: Elisabeth Moss is just bloody brilliant and everything she touches should just be given an award).

 
I wish I could say more but I can't. I don't want to spoil anything.

Just go and watch it. Please. 
So then I can talk to you about it.

-Alessandra

* Mosaik does not take credit for the images or trailer used in this article.