Trivial Trivia

1. What is the most costly spice by weight?

2. Who was Pistol & Boo’s male owner?

3. As of July 1, 2023, what is the superannuation guarantee percentage?

4. Where does a ‘purser’ usually work?

5. Which Tuscan table wine was originally placed in straw covered bottles?

6. What is the Roman counterpart of Eros, the Greek god of love?

7. Who wrote the music and lyrics for the musical 9 to 5: The Musical?

impressionism to Australia (7)

26. Flame-loving insect (4)

Down

1. Blink 182 drummer (6,6)

2. Ball bowled at batter’s feet (6)

3. Salt-water bivalve (6)

4. Hairdresser’s office (5)

5. Unable to pay debts owed (9)

6. Dwarven god of greed (8)

11. City on Fiji’s main island (4)

13. 1980s alien movie (1,1)

16. Alter a soundtrack (5)

17. Capital of Senegal (5)

18. Commoners (5)

22. Do something (3)

24. The primordial sound of creation (2)

8. The ‘boneshaker’, ‘dandy-horse’ and ‘penny farthing’ were all early examples of what vehicle?

9. The Glen Eagles Hotel in Torquay, Devon, was the inspiration for what British sitcom?

10. Which chemical element is also a term for a police officer?

Sisu

Genre Action, War Reviewer Linda Heller-Salvador

Sisu is definitely not for the fainthearted when it comes to ludicrously large body counts and relentless carnage, but for those of us who giggle at the audacious tongue-in-cheek genre of pulp fiction and gratuitous violence, then this film will bring a gleeful smile to your face.

If you have seen writer-director Jalmari Helander’s film titled Rare Exports then you will have a rough idea of what you are in for. Except, in his latest film, he has dialled up the gore and outrageousness to a piercing eleven.

Aatami (Jorma Tommila) is unassuming and resilient. He lives a simple reclusive life prospecting and minding his own business. That is until he crosses paths with a platoon of Nazis who try to steal his gold, and they find out, when pushed, he is an army of one, reminiscent of Rambo and The Terminator.

You’ll need to be an adventurous film-goer with a dark sense of humour for Sisu. Hilariously gruesome and absurdly enjoyable, it will leave you gasping with shock and shrieking with laughter.

TROPHY EYES Suicide

and Sunshine

Label Hopeless Records

Reviewer @aldothewriter

Rating 

Yes, yes, yes! I am Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally listening to Suicide and Sunshine, but I ain’t faking, baby! Admittedly, it is peak emo and comes with one massive trigger warning - if your teenager is into these guys, I recommend checking on their mental health regularly - but strewth, it is exceptional. If they came out in the early 2000s, they’d be one of the biggest bands in the world. Imagine Michael Hutchence fronting Unwritten Law and you’ll have yourself Trophy Eyes. Now, excuse me while I go dig out my old Dickies shorts and fall off my wife’s skateboard.

FOO FIGHTERS But Here We Are

Label RCA Records

Reviewer @aldothewriter

Rating 

A confession: this is the first time I’ve listened to a Foo Fighters album in full. I’ve always felt they’re like Fireball Whisky - great for a party pick me up, but if you stick with it too long your eyeballs start rolling around your head. Obviously, the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins hangs heavy overhead But Here We Are, and you can feel the sadness and tenderness in that regard. There is more intimacy than their usual stadium rock bluster. Dave Grohl is not just a rockstar, he is a human being, who once sat on couches by campfires and drank cheap liquor, I assume.

Meshell Ndegeocello

The Omnichord Real Book

Label Blue Note Records

Reviewer @aldothewriter

Rating 

First things first, this is not barbecue music. This is for sipping on a nice wine and cooking from a cookbook. To call it ‘background music’ would do it an injustice, but you know what I mean. It is intricate jazz, with more layers than a kueh lapis and just as likely to impress the in-laws. Perhaps you could even pop it on when you have casual company? I know most of my friends would just ask, “What the hell are you listening to? Play Chisel!” but your clique may be a little more cultured than mine.

Star Signs

Visions Beardy from Hell

Libra Sep 24-Oct 23

Everyone has a friend who complains about the cost of living while driving around in a fancy car. It’s okay to steal from them.

Scorpio Oct 24-Nov 22

Knowing a little bit about something important is way better than being an expert on something that nobody cares about.

Sagittarius Nov 23-Dec 21

You need to start wiping your bum more carefully, before passers-by start catching a waft of your leftovers.

Capricorn Dec 22-Jan 20

If you’re thinking about moving out of Sydney, you must first accept that once you leave you will never be able to return.

Aquarius Jan 21-Feb 19

Everyone has a Triple J Hottest 100 top ten song hidden somewhere inside them; it’s time for you to start digging yours out.