Geek of Oz

2023 was a very special year for many reasons, most of all because it saw the arrival of my beautiful daughter. The other reason, from our site’s perspective, was that it happened to be one hell of a year for movies. I only caught 51 films this year. A solid mixture of cinema visits and streaming watches. Apparently having a child mercilessly eats into your movie watching time. Be that as it may, here are my favourite films of the year: 1. Oppenheimer - Christopher Nolan 2. Past Lives - Celine Song  3. Return to Seoul - Davy Chou  4. Roald Dahl Collection (Netflix) - Wes Anderson  5.  Fingernails -  Christos Nikou. 6. The Super Mario Bros Movie - Aaron Horvath Michael Jelenic Pierre Leduc  7.   Asteroid City - Wes Anderson 8.  Barbie - Greta Gerwig 9.  Killers of the Flower Moon - Martin Scorsese  10.  The Pigeon Tunnel - Errol Morris 11.  Dungeons and Dragons : Honor Among Thieves -  John Francis Daley & Jonathan...

It is the book that has taken Australia by storm, with the author frequently popping up on national television and radio to be quizzed about his new release and a topic we all love – the Hottest 100.   If the media buzz doesn’t convince you, the book’s cover almost certainly will. Pull quotes by none-other-than Paul Dempsey (Something for Kate), Odette, Alex Dyson and Tyler Jenke speak to “a visual and hilarious detailing of Australian music history”. It is agreed that “Clarke’s knowledge, humour, and passion for the poll is the tribute Aussie music needs.”  Having now read the book myself, I can tell you outright: the hype is entirely justified.  ‘Shoulda Been Higher’ is nostalgic, nerdy and deeply funny. It is somehow both chock-a-block with stats and completely fascinating – not a combination I have witnessed previously, of that you can be sure. Tom W Clarke approaches the Hottest 100 with the studiousness of an academic, the joy of a comedian and the anecdotes an...