Edgar Wright has a strike rate that would make the world's finest batsmen blush.
In the last decade, the director released three films — ‘Shaun Of The Dead’, ‘Hot Fuzz’ and ‘Scott Pilgrim Vs The World’ - and all three achieved 'instant classic' status with legions of dedicated fans. His latest effort, ‘The World's End’, concludes the Cornetto Trilogy that began with ‘Shaun’ and ‘Hot Fuzz’, and it's about as bittersweet an ending as you could hope for.
The film tells the tale of Gary King, an absolute train wreck of a human being played by Simon Pegg. Once considered the king of the castle in high school, King has been unable to move on with his life, and his attempts to relive the past culminate when he gathers four of his old friends to finish off a pub crawl they started 20 years ago.
“We talked about him as The Ghost Of Sixth Form Past,” Wright says of his protagonist. “You've got five friends, and four of them are grown-ups with proper clothes and everything, and then Simon shows up wearing his black trenchcoat, Sisters Of Mercy t-shirt, dyed black hair and sunglasses. So we wanted him to feel like he was The Ghost Of Christmas Past come to haunt them.
“That's kind of what the movie's about, in a way - it's a cautionary tale about the dangers of looking backwards. Gary King is desperate to relive his glory days, and as soon as they do that, it starts to go badly wrong. They want to recreate this wild night, and they get a very different kind of wild night as their punishment.”
'The World's End' is the latest in a recent string of apocalyptic films, and Wright has a theory about why that's such a prevalent theme.
“When I was a kid,” he explains, “I felt like a lot of sci-fi was a bit more optimistic. When I was growing up, the space race still existed. I thought, when I was a little kid, that we'd all be living on the moon by 2010, and of course that isn't true. I think because of that, and because of the knowledge that we may never get to other planets in our lifetime, and maybe there isn't anything else that is actually reachable in our lifetime, the focus goes inwards. The focus is on us destroying ourselves.
“So it's a bit of a downer, but I think that's basically what it is. Most sci-fi and horror films are concentrating on smashing the world up.”
'The World's End' is in cinemas August 1.
Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon. Directed by Zack Snyder.
This is big.
Big doesn't necessarily equate to good, of course, but the first thing that must be noted about ‘Man Of Steel’ is its sheer size and scope. This is a proper epic, and whether you can enjoy it on that level will very much depend on your tolerance for incredibly loud noises and the sight of dudes punching other dudes through skyscrapers. (Believe it or not, there are people who get sick of that sort of thing.)
Screenwriter David Goyer and director Zack Snyder take a few cues from each of the comic book interpretations of Superman's origin story, but aren't beholden to any of them. Their vision stands apart as a bold, original take on the mythos from the outset, thrusting viewers straight into an 18-minute sequence set on a truly alien version of Superman's homeworld.
Goyer and Snyder's version of Krypton is an allegorical jackpot — not only have the Kryptonians depleted their natural resources, they've also stopped funding space exploration. No, it's not subtle, but it works, as does the decision to make baby Kal-El "the first natural birth in centuries", casting Superman as both an environmental refugee and something of a political asylum seeker.
The decision to jump from Krypton's destruction to an adult Clark Kent working a series of odd jobs and pulling off super-rescues on the sly is a smart one, structurally. It saves us from having to go over every inch of the same territory ‘Smallville’ just spent 10 years covering, while allowing Snyder and Goyer to flash back and flesh out Clark's past when it suits them.
The other benefit of skipping forward is that it means we don't have to wait too long to see leading man Henry Cavill (unlike ‘Superman: The Movie’, which kept Chris Reeve on the bench for an hour). Cavill is a revelation, possessing the physicality, empathy and charisma necessary for the role and capably carrying the hopes of a franchise on his shoulders.
Michael Shannon, too, is tremendously (and typically) intense as Kryptonian zealot General Zod, while Antje Traue ends up stealing a few scenes as his second-in-command, Faora-Ul. Zod is the best kind of villain, one whose motivation is understandable, even while his actions are reprehensible enough to warrant the audience's hatred.
Amy Adams' portrayal of intrepid reporter Lois Lane can't be faulted (and she's certainly more capable than Margot Kidder and Kate Bosworth), but her chemistry with Cavill isn't quite as strong as it needs to be. It's easy to believe Superman could sweep Lois Lane off her feet, but they just don't have enough time on-screen together to explore anything beyond that.
The biggest problem that most of the film's critics have with it is the action — or, more accurately, the length of the action sequences — and honestly, I don't know what to tell you there. We're talking about a character who debuted in the pages of ‘Action Comics’; whose earliest adventures were characterised by their raw, primal energy. I am very, very okay with watching him duke it out with Kryptonian bad guys in extended action sequences, particularly when they're as creative and as technically impressive as the ones Snyder has cooked up.
Ultimately, ‘Man Of Steel’ is the best Superman movie ever made, if only because all the others were so deeply flawed. It's also Zack Snyder's best film. This is a big, loud movie, and sure, there were a lot of computers involved in making it, but it's also the most human take on the character that I can recall. It's occasionally cheesy and it's never subtle, but it's not cynical, either, and I think that's something Snyder and Goyer should be very proud of.
4/5
‘Man Of Steel’ is now showing.
In the age of Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, sites that aggregate critical reviews and attempt to assign definitive scores to every movie at the multiplex, it seems like the lines between good and bad, adored and reviled, are pretty clear.
Sometimes, though, the audience decides that the critics have gotten it wrong.
‘The Great Gatsby’ is one of those cases. Not a critical darling by any stretch of the imagination, ‘Gatsby’ — a period romantic drama, not usually the stuff of blockbusters — has taken north of $300 million at the box office, and it's not done yet.
Curious about this disconnect, I get director Baz Luhrmann on the phone at his New York home and ask him if he’s read the bad reviews.
“Well, yes,” he says, “and I'm used to it. I mean, the critical response to ‘Romeo + Juliet’, ‘Moulin Rouge!’, ‘Strictly Ballroom’, and ‘Australia’ for that matter, but especially ‘Romeo + Juliet’... the critical response to ‘Romeo + Juliet’ was identical to ‘Gatsby’.
“Look, I feel for critics, because what I make isn't exactly cookie cutter. So you're sitting there in a screening and you're with some other guy who's maybe 65 or whatever and he's a revered critic, and you're looking at him sideways going, 'what am I supposed to make of this?' I think if you're with an audience ... when audiences go and see it, they just go: 'It's my Saturday night. I hope this comes alive, affects me, engages me, moves me.' You know?
“I always admired Owen Gleiberman, who's one of the big heavy hitter critics for Entertainment Weekly. A couple of years ago, he put ‘Moulin Rouge!’ in his top 10 films of the past 10 years. Great honour. Lovely. Except that when the film came out, he totally slated it.
“But this is the balls he had, and I'll always admire him for this. He wrote: 'I have never re-written a review in my life, but I'm going to re-write my review of ‘Moulin Rouge!’ Because I've seen it 10 years later and I realised that I just totally couldn't read what Luhrmann was trying to do. I saw it again on Blu-Ray and I'm making it one of my top 10 films of the last 10 years.' So I'm used to it, is all I'd say. I'm used to that. Look, audiences have made it move past $300 million, and we're not done yet, you know? The audience decides.
“What's a shame is when someone's sitting on the fence, and they read a review, and they go, 'ooh, is it all going to be just noise and crazy town video clip stuff for two hours?' And I don't think that's, in any way, an honest description of the film. So that person might miss it in the cinema, and end up seeing it on an aeroplane somewhere. And then they always say, 'oh, I wish I'd seen it at the movies'. You know? So I think audiences should decide for themselves. Which they have, in this case.”
The film’s box office success is certainly a vindication of sorts for Luhrmann, who sees a lot of himself in the title character.
“I think we fellows that weren't born into privilege and have imagined a big life and have dreamt with dimension can relate to that character in some regard,” he admits. “You know, I came from a very small town and I had big dreams from day one. I wasn't sitting in a small town thinking, 'gee, I'm going to stay here in Herons Creek and maybe run the farm', and then someone stole me away to the circus. No, I ran away to the circus. I ran away to a big life. Even as a young child, I imaged a life not too dissimilar to the one I'm living. So I guess I relate to that, you know?”
‘The Great Gatsby’ is in cinemas now.
It's the end of the world and Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg feel fine.
The childhood friends and longtime writing partners ('Knocked Up', 'Superbad', 'Pineapple Express', 'Funny People', 'The Green Hornet') make their directorial debut with 'This Is The End', an apocalyptic comedy that suggests the safest place to spend the end of days might just be James Franco's house.
Rogen, Franco, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Emma Watson, Michael Cera and dozens of other actors play themselves in the audacious comedy. None of the celebrities come off too well in the film, but when we caught up with Rogen and Goldberg in real life, both gents were warm and witty.
Though it's yet to be released here, the film is already a monster hit in the US, where it came second only to 'Man Of Steel' at the box office. Now that it's a success, it's easy for industry observers to say they knew the metafictional comedy would work, but Rogen and Goldberg admit they had their doubts.
“We knew that the stupid people would think it was self-indulgent,” Rogen laughs, in that over-powering way that only he can, “the people that didn't want to take the time to really try to read into what we were doing in any way, shape or form. I mean, it's self-referential, more than it is self-indulgent. It's all done with the goal of entertaining the audience and telling a story. It's not just so we could hang out with each other. There are much easier ways for us to hang out with each other than to make a movie!”
“I don't know if you can call it self-indulgent,” Goldberg adds, “when everybody's making themselves look absolutely terrible.”
Each actor plays a caricature of themselves, and like all caricatures, there is some basis in reality for their heightened portrayals. Rogen really is a nice guy, Baruchel really is a Hollywood outsider, Franco really is a renaissance man, Hill really is proud of his dramatic roles, McBride really is a straight-shooter and Robinson really does sing 'Take Your Panties Off' at Hollywood parties. If any of them had dropped out of the production, they'd have been impossible to recast.
“Oh, we would have had to completely re-write the character,” Goldberg says, confirming how exposed the production was. “All six main characters are completely designed for these actors, and we did it with the actors. We worked on it with them, so... that would have sucked.”
“We really put on as much pressure as we could,” Rogen laughs. “We really tried to get across to them, you know, that if you tell us you're doing this, it would put us in a really weird situation if you then decided not to do it.”
'This Is The End' showcases Rogen and Goldberg's comedic sensibility in its purest state, a far cry from their watered down work on 'The Green Hornet'. When asked if they'd ever take on another big-budget franchise like that, they admit they prefer to work without a filter.
“Honestly, I think the 'PG-13-ness' of it all is the most off-putting thing for us creatively,” Rogen says. “It's just so frustrating when you're making a movie and you know it could be funnier than what you're doing. That was the thing we encountered a lot in 'Green Hornet'. There were so many times when we were like, 'oh man, if they could just say this, it would be so fuckin' funny'. But you just can't do it, you know?
“That's what's so much fun about a movie like 'This Is The End'. You can do anything! Those crazy ideas? You can do them! For us, honestly, for how we want to spend our days... it's so much more fun to spend your day doing what you really feel is the funniest thing you could possibly be doing, as opposed to doing what you know is a muted version of what you could be doing.”
'This Is The End' lays waste to Australian cinemas on July 4.
Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Benedict Cumberbatch. Directed by JJ Abrams.
It looks like Paramount might have pulled a swift one on us. When JJ Abrams' 'Star Trek' was released in 2009, it seemed to signal the beginning of a new, more accessible era for the franchise. "Come on in," the studio seemed to be saying, "the water's fine. Oh, you don't like Star Trek? That's cool; this is just a fun, sexy, action flick set in space. It's a lot like Star Wars, actually. You like Star Wars, don't you? Of course you do."
This time around, though, the message is very different: "True Star Trek fans or GTFO."
Sure, there are still touches of Star Wars in Abrams' approach to the action sequences, but 'Into Darkness' goes relatively deep into Trek lore. There are stacks of references to the original series, and certain plot points and character motivations that won't make much sense to casual audiences.
More than continuity, though, it's the tone that recalls classic Trek. 'Into Darkness' shuffles along at a much slower, more deliberate pace than its immediate predecessor; it's certainly more dialogue-heavy, and weighed down with the sorts of Starfleet intrigue and moral debates that were routine in older incarnations of the franchise and largely absent in Abrams' 2009 reimagining.
Having said all that, I adored this movie. It may not be for everyone, but if you're not completely averse to classic Trek, it's an absolute treat — the plot grips, the dialogue retains a sharp wit even at the darkest of times, and the action impresses.
Benedict Cumberbatch delivers a stellar performance as the mysterious John Harrison. He's the sort of proper thesp who lends gravitas to lines that should sound ridiculous. Meanwhile, the core cast — Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho and Anton Yelchin — continues to make these roles their own.
With Abrams off to direct 'Star Wars Episode VII' — which, let's face it, probably would have been a better use of his time from the beginning — it's unlikely we'll see him in the chair for another Trek. If this is the end, it's been a worthy voyage.
4 Stars
‘Star Trek: Into Darkness’ is out now.
If Kool Herc is the father of hip hop, Afrika Bambaataa is the Godfather. And he’s going to the mattresses.
A Bronx legend known as an originator of both breakbeat DJing and electro funk, Bambaataa has never been one to let genre stand in the way of a good tune. He believes boundaries have no place in hip hop, as evidenced by the influence of Kraftwerk, Yellow Magic Orchestra and Gary Numan on his signature track, 'Planet Rock'. But he looks around today and sees people fixated on authenticity; on what is 'real' hip hop and what is not.
“Well, those are the people that just don't know,” he says dismissively. “Most people say 'hip hop' today and they just think of rap records. Most don't even recognise the whole cultural movement of hip hop. Most radio stations, when they play hip hop, all they're into is payola and getting money for commercial tracks; they don't care too much about the culture. Most of the people who get in there, they claim they're in it for the 'culture', but they're not. They just want a paycheck. And they're going to dictate to you what rap music is today?
“Then you go to these parties today, and people get mad if you play the breakbeat. They say, 'oh, can I hear some hip hop?' What's wrong with you, man? The breakbeat is hip hop! If you want to hear a rap record, just say you want to hear a rap record! These people have jacked up what hip hop truly is, and was, and made it commercial. That's why you've got apartheid now in hip hop. You've got people who think, 'this is real hip hop'. It's not.
“They don't even know that hip hop is all different categories and styles of music. You can have your R&B, you can have your hip house, you can have your trance, you can have your jungle hop, you can have your Calypso reggaeton style of hip hop... I always give credit to the people who are progressive-minded. People like Missy, Outkast, Busta Rhymes. These are great people who are not scared to play with the different sounds of hip hop and different sounds of music.”
As you can probably tell, Bambaataa's not a big fan of US radio stations. He believes they continue to wield influence, and they don't use it for good. Among other things, he blames them for hip hop's short attention span — whereas classic rock and funk acts can continue to get airplay and tour sizable venues for years, if not decades, after their commercial peak, hip hop isn't so kind to its elders.
“I blame the stations,” he confirms. “Because if you played all that [older hip hop] music along with what's happening now, they still would get respect. Some people want to hear old funk music, some people want to hear old soul music. Those type of people will pack out a Temptations show; I mean, they might not be able to fill stadiums, but those people will pack out a club to see Ohio Players or Dr John. Whereas in hip hop, well, when was your last hip hop record? It could be Busta Rhymes today and Lil Wayne tomorrow.
“They say this is what the people want to hear, but they're liars. That's what somebody told you that you ought to be playing, but you know you could play other things. If you're gonna play a gangsta record with people cussing each other out, why can't you play a Public Enemy record? It's like, if you can play a rock record by a new group, why can't you also play The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. If you play Sean Paul, why can't you play Bob Marley? It's like a game being played on the people.”
Whether there's a mainstream audience for it or not, Bambaataa is doing his part to ensure the history of hip hop is preserved. He's donated his immense record collection to Cornell University, curators of the largest collection of historical hip hop music in North America, and he's also been given a special role to play there. |
“I'm a visiting scholar,” he says of his three-year appointment, “teaching hip hop culture and trading knowledge with the students and the staff, working on the hip hop archive, speaking on certain things that we deal with in the hip hop culture throughout the world. A lot of people have donated to the hip hop archive at Cornell University, and it's amazing to see hip hop sitting right next to the Gettysburg Address, sitting right next to indigenous treaties, sitting right next to books dealing with witchcraft and religion and all types of things. It's amazing.”
For students with a sense of history, it must be a thrill to learn from Afrika Bambaataa. But he'd rather they didn't stand on ceremony.
“I always tell everybody to keep it humble,” he laughs. “You know, I feel strange when they say 'Professor Bambaata' or things like that. Just call me Brother Bam! When we're trading knowledge, when you hear from all these other geniuses, it's just amazing, speaking with them on different subjects and topics. People just get all up in it.”
Like Professor Henry Jones on a treasure hunt, Bambaataa will be stepping away from the podium briefly to tour Australia this month. “I'll be coming with my Serato and my MC and we're going to play our music and we want people to party and dance and act crazy,” he says. “I play the music and it's up to you to make the party happen. So let's party. Let's party on the mothership.”
Afrika Bambaataa celebrates the 30th anniversary of ‘Planet Rock’ at The Hi-Fi Friday May 17.
Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Kingsley. Directed by Shane Black.
Don't envy Shane Black. Sure, the director's got a massive budget and a great cast to work with here, but he also has the thankless task of replacing Jon Favreau at the helm of the Iron Man franchise, and the brutal task of following up Joss Whedon's ‘Avengers’.
And, at least at first, he makes a hash of it. Frankly, ‘Iron Man 3’ gets off to a rough start — for the first hour or so, it plays out like a disjointed mess, weighed down by tonal issues, awkward dialogue, broad humour, an intrusive score and a hokey, by-the-numbers, logic-optional plot that relies on smart characters doing stupid things to propel itself forward.
There seems to be nothing here we haven't seen before — anxiety attacks have replaced the Palladium poisoning of ‘Iron Man 2’ (the producers have clearly figured out Tony Stark is most interesting when he's plagued by something, but refuse to delve into the alcoholism of the comics). The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) appears to be a stock standard Bin Laden analogue, and Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) is the least impressive villain in a series that hasn't exactly been known for its impressive villains, his character arc seemingly lifted wholesale from Jim Carrey's in ‘Batman Forever’.
But the film comes alive in its second half, with the reveal of a certain character's true nature. Trust me, you'll never see them coming. It's not just that the twist is clever or funny, it's that it's only at that moment that ‘Iron Man 3’ starts to feel like a Shane Black movie in the vein of ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ and ‘Lethal Weapon’, as opposed to something that was made by a committee.
From there on in, the run to the finish line is filled with clever winks to the audience and plays on action movie tropes, and packed with spectacular action sequences (which were largely spoiled by the trailers, but whatever; that'll only ruin your first viewing). It's not like all the problems with the film are magically fixed; it just gets a lot easier to ignore them.
Most impressively, Black — the king of bromance — is finally able to make the relationship between Tony Stark and James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) work on screen. Which just makes it more of a shame, in hindsight, that Cheadle is largely absent for the first half of the movie.
It all builds to a stirring finale, not just for this film, but for the series as a whole. We all know Stark will be in the ‘Avengers’ sequel, but where they go from there — and whether Downey Jr is still interested in going with them — is anyone's guess. (And yes, there's a post-credits scene, and yes, it's worth waiting for.)
It's not how you start, it's how you finish. That's what they say, anyway, and ‘Iron Man 3’ certainly finishes strongly enough to make you forget the way it stumbles out of the gate. Still, I can't help but hope they give this particular character a rest for a while.
3.5/5
‘Iron Man 3’ is now showing.
With all due respect to Margaret Thatcher, Rebecca Hall is the new Iron Lady.
The Golden Globe nominee — best known for her work in 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona', 'The Town' and 'The Prestige' — stars opposite Robert Downey Jr in 'Iron Man 3' as Maya Hansen, a brilliant bio-technologist with an extremely shocking new invention.
“'Extremis' is a formula that my character has developed,” Hall explains, “that essentially reprograms your genetic code so that you can re-grow your body to be however you want it to be, essentially so you can become superhuman. But it's got some issues and problems.”
That's an understatement, but to say anything more than that would be to say too much. What Hall can talk about are the experiences she had on the set, highlighted by working with Downey Jr.
“I have loved working with Robert Downey Jr,” she enthuses. “He is a real force and he's very energising to work with because he's very unexpected. He knows this character; he knows Tony Stark inside out. He understands him so completely. I think what's particularly charming and wonderful about Tony Stark, and what Robert's done to create it, is his great wit.
“He's very funny and he shows his intellect through his wit. And that's pure Downey Jr.; that's not really anything else; that's just him, and he is quick-witted like that. So it's very thrilling to work with him because you have to give as good as you get, which is a great challenge and fun.”
Of course, the clothes make the man, and getting the chance to see the Iron Man armour on set was another highlight of the gig for Hall.
“The coolest aspect of the Iron Man suit, in my opinion, is the shoes. You don't really see them that often, but they're like these incredible, kind of full-on power shoes. But I think the most interesting part about the suit is probably the glowing hand, and seeing how they do the glowing stuff in the eye. Because I assumed, in my sort of film naiveté, that you do all that stuff in post, but it actually glows on set and that's quite exciting.”
'Iron Man 3' is in cinemas now.
As his last season races towards its conclusion, we sit down for a spoiler-filled discussion with the departing showrunner about his work.
Of all the possible explanations for the show's unprecedented success, the most compelling is its unpredictable nature. It's simply impossible to guess what's going to happen from one episode to the next with any degree of accuracy, as demonstrated by the sudden death of lovable prisoner Axel a few weeks back.
Using that death as a case study - why did someone have to die at that moment, and why did it have to be Axel? - Mazzara provides us with a revealing insight into his creative process.
“When The Governor shows up,” he explains, “he's not there to invade the prison or launch a major attack, he just wants to send a message to these people. And as he's doing that, he will look ineffectual if it does not result in a death. You know, we want to have a big gun battle, but he's not invading, so he's just going to snipe at somebody, and that's going to result in a death. Otherwise he looks completely impotent.
“Now the question is, whose death? To be very honest, I didn't want to kill off any of the major characters. We obviously didn't want to kill Rick. Carol was on the chopping block, but I didn't want to kill Carol, because we have a story coming up with her. We looked at the possibility of killing Beth. I don't think that actor knows that... but I felt that would have had too big an impact on the group. It would have just devastated poor Herschel. It would have taken him down a path I didn't want for the rest of the season. And we were already dealing with Maggie's feelings about her sexual assault by The Governor, so we didn't want to complicate that with mourning for her sister.
“We talked about killing Carl in that episode! We really did... unfortunately, you know, by the process of elimination, we got to Axel. Now I like Lew Temple's performance of Axel very, very much, and we were just starting to find that character and develop him in a way that we loved. And we probably could have had more stories with him. But The Governor was the main character in that piece. We needed to make sure he was not ineffectual. Because otherwise he's not a bad guy that could possibly take out our guys.”
If The Governor doesn't “take out our guys” by the end of this season, he'll have to do it under someone else's watch. Mazzara's run is coming to a close, and 'The Walking Dead' is about to welcome its third showrunner in four seasons. There was a time when fans wouldn't have noticed, but they seem to know everything that happens behind the curtain now. Is that increased attention a good thing?
“I think so!” Mazzara laughs. “I think the showrunner deserves it! They're driving the creative vision of the show. So even though it is a collaborative medium, the showrunner is the equivalent of the director of a feature film... there's no aspect of the show that I'm not involved in, that I don't approach from a position of authority.
'The Walking Dead' Season 3 premieres every Tuesday at 7:30pm AEDT on FX, exclusively on FOXTEL, less than 33 hours after US audiences. Read the full transcript of this interview at scenestr.com.au.
RIP to Ajax, my thoughts are with all the Australian homies, I can't believe this. Such a warm and generous dude, a real leader.
— Krazee Eyez Killa (@atrak) February 28, 2013
If you're a DJ and you ever toured Australia chances are you knew Ajax, he was like the ambassador. Much love to the Banggang homies.
— Krazee Eyez Killa (@atrak) February 28, 2013
Last week we told Ajax he influenced us to get into music. We celebrated signing to Sweat it out. He was so passionate. A genuine legend.RIP
— RUFUS (@rufussounds) February 28, 2013
RIP Australia's DJ Ajax. A friend and a great guy. fb.me/2hQQpU7sy
— StantonWarriors (@StantonWarriors) February 28, 2013
Rest In Peace Ajax. we Lost One of The Best Dj On Earth. Thinking About His Family and His Friends. We Gonna Miss You Man <3
— Louis Brodinski (@Brodinski) February 28, 2013
Can't believe this has happened. So long Ajax.. Thanks for the good tunes, good times & good vibes.. Love you homie, RIP Dance Legend..
— bag raiders (@bag_raiders) February 28, 2013
Ajax. Quite a legend. The one who always kept the vibes going in Australia, both on the music scene and also as an all round good bloke. RIP
— Fake Blood (@IamFakeBlood) February 28, 2013
I can't believe it.... RIP Ajax. thank you so much for the good times. instagr.am/p/WSG7exMtke/
— Surkin (@Surkin) February 28, 2013
i can not believe the news that our good aussie friend Adrian DJ Ajax has passed away :( thank you for all the joy you gave us**RIP**
— Boys Noize(@boysnoize) February 28, 2013
Dj Ajax was the first guy who brought me down to Sydney to DJ together with him in 2006. he was an outstanding DJ, amazing skills
— Boys Noize(@boysnoize) February 28, 2013
Heart breaking news about Ajax.A genuine talent with such a warm, happy soul...You will be so greatly missed
— Jack Beats (@jackbeats) February 28, 2013
My heart just sank. RIP DJ Ajax. One of the best DJs I've ever known & an amazing human being. Love & deepest condolences to the Aussie fam.
— davenada (@davenada) February 28, 2013
RIP AJAX.vivid memory of us leaving a hotel one morning, and him not realizing he had no shoes on until we were outside
— JFK MSTRKRFT (@jfkmstrkrft) February 28, 2013
Saddened to hear about the passing of Dj Ajax. RIP
— erol alkan (@erolalkan) February 28, 2013
RIP to the dance legend AJAX... you'll be missed. You made the world a better place
— Grant Smillie (@grantsmillie) February 28, 2013
Truly saddened by the news that one of Australia's most talented DJs, Ajax, has died. My thoughts go to his friends and family #RIPajax
— Danny Clayton (@DannyjClayton) February 28, 2013
R.I.P. Ajax, you'll be missed. Stay tuned for a classic track this morning, we'll be playing one from his early work. #ajax
— FBi Radio (@fbiradio) February 28, 2013
Ajax is dead? Oh fuck this. Bang Gang for life.
— Lee Smart (@VonBayce) February 28, 2013
RIP Adrian. You were a wonderful man and a treasured part of our music scene. #ripajax
— Simon Keck (@simonkeck) February 28, 2013
Awful news from home about the tragic passing of DJ Ajax. RIP #legend #BangGang #SweatItOut
— Sgt Slick (@sgt_slick) February 28, 2013
Adrian, you will be missed… / such a huge loss / such a massive talent… in shock about this right now. #RIPajax
— Phil Jamieson (@philjamieson) February 28, 2013
I remember when I used to listen to the Bang Gang Show, few years ago. It was absolutely huge. Oz lose one of his best DJ. RIP Ajax.
— don rimini (@donrimini) February 28, 2013
Very sad news about Ajax passing. My condolences to the Bang Gang, Sweat it Out crew, and everyone else feeling bummed out right now
— Jeremiah Neoteric (@neoteric) February 28, 2013
R.I.P DJ Ajax .....was a good man and a world-class DJ...terrible news to wake up to...thinking of my Bang Gang homies on this rainy day.
— The Tongue (@TheTongueIsDead) February 28, 2013
RIP Dj Ajax, a true legend. Very glad our paths have crossed!
— Mightyfools (@Mightyfools) February 28, 2013
RIP Ajax, shocking news.
— Yacht Club Djs (@YachtClubDJs) February 28, 2013
#RIPAJAX. Not only an incredible musician, but a legendary human being. Dirty nightclub dancefloors will not be same without you.
— Camilla Mary-Rose (@CamillaMaryRose) February 28, 2013
Going through video teasers Ajax posted this month of new EP. Guy was really on the edge of something musically. What a goddamn shame.
— Rachael(@strictlyandlow) February 28, 2013
