BingeFest

By Josh Ives

I love TV. I love movies. Perhaps too much, actually. It’s well known to my circle of pals that I can quote the lines from maybe a few too many movies. I tell you what though; I didn’t get to that level of quotable mastery without binge-watching a bit too much TV.

Binge-watching. It’s something a fair few of us are guilty of on a frequent occasion. I can’t explain it, there’s just something about stocking up on supplies – Coca-Cola and a jumbo Malteser box – and literally watching an entire day pass you by while you enjoy endless hours of mind-numbing entertainment, only to rise from your square-eyed stupor and realise that you’ve missed dinner and still have a paper due the next day.

So why do we all do it from time to time? It doesn’t get us anywhere, it doesn’t make us smarter or more employable and I think it’s hardly what the Roman poet Horace had in mind when he shouted Carpe Diem!.

Maybe not, but you know what? Life’s hard, it’s a crazy journey and sometimes, just sometimes, we all need to say “screw it” and put it all aside for just long enough that the guilt sets in.

So, on behalf of fellow bingers everywhere; for those who play the next episode when they know they shouldn’t, and the tweens who drive their parents up the wall by rehearsing Beyonce dance moves till the wee hours, I have a treat. Come and laze about, guilt-free at Binge-Fest!

Yeah, you heard that right.

I’m talking about a 24-hour festival dedicated to laziness!

The program – which will run from 3pm on Saturday until 6am on Monday morning – will showcase the best of our childhood Saturday morning TV sessions.

I’m talking Buffy, Doctor Who and Soprano marathons. For lovers of video games, there’s an all-day Street Fighter set-up, where gamers can drop in and test their mad skills against randoms.

Shia Labeouf will even be there – yep, the guy from Even Stevens who made it big in Transformers and has since kinda lost the plot (we all remember the viral video…#DoIt!). Shia and some fellow artists have created a work specifically for BingeFest.

We don’t know what it is yet but if Shia’s attached, you know it’s sure to be a ride.

If you’re feeling a little rusty after your Buffy binge, fret not; Amrita Hepi will be holding Rihanna and Beyonce dance classes in the ballet rehearsal room where you can ‘Work, work, work’ your ‘Single Ladies’ moves!

And for you lovers of all that is feline, get ready for a cuteness overload as the Internet Cat Festival makes its debut. That’s right, someone has painstakingly trolled through hours of only the best kitty-clips to bring cat-lovers the purr-fect night.

Ok, I’m done with the bad puns.

Before I wrap this up, what’s a BingeFest without snacks? If you’re going to dedicate hours of your life to this, you need some sugary sweet energy. Don’t worry, if your stash disappears, Redfern Convenience Store will open a special stall for replenishments.

To secure tickets and to grab more info, check out the full BingeFest website HERE

Let the binge begin.

Bingefest will be at the Opera House from December 17 – 19.