Mark Sholtez debut album “real street” has already spent an amazing ten weeks in the number one position of the ARIA Jazz Chart. With eleven original tracks ranging in style from 50’s jazz to soulful New Orleans tunes, to more modern romantic, and even tongue in cheek pieces. Mark Sholtez has proven his talent as a contemporary writer, with a musical and lyrical sophistication to match his savvy style.

I was lucky enough to catch this boy from Brisbane at Bennets lane (for his second performance there), and was pleasantly surprised by the personal and charismatic performance. No longer a stranger to attention, Mark has become one of the hottest Jazz performers in the country, with over 1000 gigs under his belt over the last five years, ranging from up close and personal like Bennets Lane style venues, to the Sydney Opera House. Mark has recently opened for Diana Krall on her Australian tour, as well as Italian newcomer Patruzio Buann, while in the country.

Watch this one closely – from the preview of his new music at his latest performance, the next album is bound to be a big hit! Can’t wait.

see Mark’s website: http://www.marksholtez.com/

Superman finally returns to the big screen 28 years after the hugely successful original movie, and director Bryan Singer (who also directed The Usual Suspects, X-Men 2, and produced House, M.D. amongst others) has done a nice, if not “safe”, job of reviving the most supreme of super-heroes.

Superman Returns is set 6 years after Superman II. After returning from a soul searching journey to his home galaxy to find other survivors of his race when scientists announced they may have found the remnants of Superman’s home planet, six years have passed and the people of Metropolis have become a little more than disillusioned with the world without Superman, perhaps most of all Louis Lane, who took his disappearance rather personally.

Crime is rampant, Sir Richard Branson is chief engineer of the worlds’ first civilian commercial space shuttle fleet, and of course, Lex Luther (still obsessed with real estate) has been released from prison, and even more determined to remove Superman than ever before, this time with the secret of Superman’s own alien technology at his behest.

Superman Returns, sees newcomer Brandon Routh take the red cape, as a quiet, reserved and loveable Clarke Kent, and perhaps a less confident, but more empathic (and very well pressed) Superman than previously seen. The character has definitely had some development since leaving his only true love to find himself, only to return to find Louis Lane has found another love, and had a child to top it off. But of course she still loves him in her own way.

Superman and Lex Luthor have lost a lot of the comedic interaction from the first two movies – the new world is a much darker place, and Lex can even seem down right scary at times. But other than that, a spectacular revival of the worlds most loved super-hero.

This movie really is an orgy of special effects that truly bring the believability of the Superman character in to the 21st century, with effects from slow motion impacts, to sonic boom, to the weightless drifting of his cape in space. I’m not sure if it was entirely worth the $300 million they spent on it, but it was good!

Rating: 4