HELLENIC REPUBLIC - take away lunch special

My posts on here are usually about things in the entertainment world but I'm taking a break from usual programming to let you know about a great discovery I've made in the world of food. ('Cause there just isn't enough people blogging about food these days.)

I found out via Twitter that Hellenic Republic, a fantastic Greek restaurant owned by George Calombaris in East Brunswick, do a take away lunch special on weekends. It changes each week and they spread the word via Twitter what it is with a pic. A few recent examples...

• char-grilled swordfish and chips, grain salad and risogalo
• fasolatha soup, olive and feta bread and chocolate baklava
• braised lamb & onion pie with feta & mint, cucumber yoghurt salad & salted caramel risogalo
• chicken from the spit & chips, Hellenic slaw & salted caramel risogalo

I've only tried the lunch special once so I certainly haven't tasted all of the above but when I tried it I got chicken from the spit & chips, grain salad and the risogalo and it was all so delicious! I love the grain salad at Hellenic Republic so that was a no-brainer and the risogalo is an unbelievably tasty creamy rice pudding kind of thing with salted caramel, pistachios and yummy crumbly biscuit on top. And the chicken and chips are of course up to Hellenic Republic's usual excellent standard. Simple but fantastic.

The really great part is the value - all of that for just $12! As a sucker who can easily spend up to $30 on a weekend brunch, this is a truly great find.

You don't have to be on Twitter yourself to get the lowdown, just visit https://twitter.com/Hellenic434 and you can see it all there including the photos they post of the special. You call to order (their phone number is in the tweets) and then bam, it's yours on arrival to take home or wherever you like.

You. Are. Welcome.

MOVIES ON THE CHEAP - my tips

I’ve been meaning to write this for ages but finally got my act into gear after reading this by comedian Cal Wilson in The Age. It’d been a while between drinks for Cal and she was shocked to learn that a movie ticket these days is $19. A trip to the movies can be a bloody expensive outing! I’ve gathered up some tips to do it on the cheap and in a break from my usual style of posts, I thought I’d share them. They’re not rocket science and you’ll be familiar with many of them but can’t hurt to have them all here in the same place as a handy reminder...

• If you’re a Telstra customer you can get $10 movie tickets! Check with your own carrier to see if they have a deal or if you’re keen you could just buy a cheap Telstra SIM – a small investment for long term savings if you see a few movies.
• You know those member reward brochures they give you when you renew your health insurance, car insurance etc? They actually contain genuine discounts! For example, Bupa members can get 25% off movie ticket prices at Village and Hoyts and other companies are bound to have offers too so have a dig around on their website if you’re not sure.
• Cinemas usually have a cheap day where tickets are considerably discounted. For the big chains it’s Tuesday but some of the smaller joints do their own thing so check out their website. Go to the movies on cheap day!
• More and more movies are 3D these days and the cost of buying the stupid glasses every time is ridiculous so take them with you when you leave the cinema and leave them in your glove box or something for next time.
• Cinema Nova in Carlton have the best cheap day offer - $6 for sessions before 4pm and $9 for evening sessions.
• For the love of God, do not buy anything from the candy bar. If you do need to snack during the movie, swing by the supermarket on your way & boldly ignore the ‘request’ signs in the cinema asking you not to bring in food purchased outside. If you’re particularly nervous or self-conscious about it, bring along a bag of some kind to conceal it.
• Lots of workplaces, especially big ones with large numbers of employees, have special offers for staff including cheap movie tickets. If you hear someone mention getting cheap movie tickets through their work, ask them if they can buy them for friends... ie YOU.
• If you can afford a bigger initial outlay or have a bit of time to arrange going to the movies with a group, buy tickets in bulk. Chains often have deals such as this one from Village Cinemas where adult tickets are $13.90 if you buy a book of five and slightly less again if you buy a book of 10.

So there's my tips to save a few pennies... Happy movie-going, folks!

THE GREAT GATSBY - film

So much has been said and written about this film by Australian Baz Luhrmann, some of it pretty negative. Australians have a propensity to hate on Australian films and I think Baz attracts more than his share of the tall poppy syndrome.

So, is this film as much of a stinker as some of the critics are saying? (For example... here from Crikey and here from The New Yorker)

Whilst I wouldn't quite give it the 4.5 stars The Age did, I did really enjoy this film. It's bloody good fun and really easy to watch. You don't need to have read the book or know anything of the story, it stands alone well. It goes for almost 3 hours (including the ridiculously long trailer/ad part of the sessions these days) but you don't feel it, it all moves pretty quickly. I saw it in 3D but it wasn't overwhelming 3D like Avatar which managed to give me motion sickness!

The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio ('The Great Gatsby' himself), Tobey Maguire and Carey Mulligan as well as two Aussies in fairly large roles, Joel Edgerton and Isla Fisher, who are both excellent. The cast more broadly is full of familiar faces as it was filmed in Australia - Jack Thompson, Steve Bisley and that guy who played Stan on Hey Dad! who now does voiceover on Media Watch, to name a few. (Yes I've been tracking his career, what's it to you?)

The costumes are stunning - I gather Carey Mulligan's dresses are a result of a collaboration between the film's costume designer Catherine Martin (who is also Baz's wife) and Prada.

I was a bit disappointed that the dance and party scenes shown in the trailers weren't longer in the film. Considering how much work has clearly gone into them - they are spectacular - I wish there'd been more to watch. I was also disappointed that the soundtrack wasn't showcased more. The executive producer of the soundtrack is Jay Z and it looks amazing on paper. It's a shame it wasn't allowed to steal a little more of the show in the film.

There was a couple of super cheesy moments that had my sympathising with the Baz-is-too-over-the-top critics. For example, in one scene Gatsby (DiCaprio) points to the starry sky and says "my life has to go like this" and a shooting star flies through the air. Urgh. Too much. But in spite of my few criticisms, I loved seeing this and would happily watch it again. A 3.5-4 star film for me.

Plot summary here and trailer here.

THE COMPANY YOU KEEP - film

Went into this one knowing nothing at all about the film. (Hello, last minute freebie!)

It started out well and I was really enjoying it but it did start to drag and by the end it felt like it had gone for four hours! (It actually went for two.)

Robert Redford is the leading man in the film and while he's undeniably an excellent actor, it's absurd to me that he was cast, at the age of 77, as the father of an 11 year old girl. It just didn't work. But guess who the director of the film is, the person who made this silly choice?... Robert Redford. Yes, the man couldn't help but give himself the lead role. 

That aside, this is an interesting thriller of sorts with all sorts of underlying mysteries playing out as it goes along. (Plot summary here.) Susan Sarandon and Brendan Gleeson are great in the film which also stars Shia LaBoeuf (or Shia The Beef as I prefer to call him) and Nick Nolte whose voice is as weird as ever.

Margaret and David from The Movie Show both gave this four stars (it's always nice when mum and dad don't fight) but it wasn't quite up there for me, more like three or three and a half.

If you are lucky to be a regular cinema-goer, check this one out but if it's a rare outing, I can recommend better flicks for your night out.

Trailer here.

THE HANGOVER PART III - film

If you saw and enjoyed the first two films, you'll enjoy this. Some really implausible plot twists but this is Hollywood, what's new?

It's good fun and plenty of laughs, mostly from Zach Galifianakis as hopeless Alan and Ken Jeong as crazy drug-addled Mr Chow. Also stars Bradley Cooper looking pretty damn hot... what can I say, I call it as I see it.

Important note: Stay for the credits!

Trailer here.

THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES - film

Really enjoyed this one. Caught wind of it when I saw two film critics talking about it on Twitter, saying that they were surprised it wasn't released in 'awards season', meaning they thought it would've been in the running for Oscars, Golden Globes etc. High praise! Apart from an absolute clanger of a coincidence that the plot hangs on, the story is excellent.

The film stars Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes and Bradley Cooper & regular readers of this blog will know I'm very fond of the latter! He's great in this. The whole cast is actually with, for me, the exception of the young bloke who plays Cooper's son. Really wished they chosen someone with a remote resemblance, it just didn't quite work for me and others who I know who've seen it agree.

More of an art house one so look out at Nova, Palace and those kind of joints. Worth the trip.

Trailer here.

THE BIG WEDDING - film

Great cast that could never quite lift this out of firm *meh* territory.

I was the only one in the cinema and like everyone else seems to be, I'd say give this one a miss.

Trailer here.