Month: March 2014

the AU interview at SXSW 2014: Dead Stars (Brooklyn, NY)

We got to know Indie Fuzz Pop band Dead Stars from Brooklyn, NY while we were both at SXSW. You can watch the clip from our brief but wonderful chat, here: Learn more about the band here: https://www.facebook.com/deadstarsmusic

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the AU interview at SXSW: Allen Stone (Washington) looks forward to returning to Australia for Bluesfest!

Returning to Australia for the second consecutive year to play Bluesfest in Byron Bay, we had the chance to catch up with Allen Stone while at SXSW to talk about his experiences at Bluesfest in 2013 – including standing in the urinals next to Paul Simon (as you do) – we look forward to his…

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the AU interview: Davis of Front End Loader (Sydney) on the relaunch of the Lewisham Hotel!

This coming Saturday (April 5th), the beloved Lewisham Hotel in Sydney is officially ‘back from the grave’! Under new management, punters are invited down to celebrate the relaunch of the hotel’s live music program, with this special event set to see performances from the likes of Front End Loader, Chase The Sun, The Lazys and…

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The 1st Annual AU Review SXSW Music Awards!

Having returned from our fifth SXSW a little over a week ago, we’ve spent some time reflecting on our experiences and now present to you the AU review SXSW Music Awards – acknowledging the bands who made the biggest impressions on us at the event. These awards were voted on by our team at the…

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First trailer for live action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) reboot.

Just a few years after the animated TMNT (2007), we are getting a live-action reboot of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. Based on the comic book series that began in the 80s, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles looks like it has a pretty good chance of reigniting the popularity of the franchise. With Michael Bay on board as producer, the film…

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The 9th Indonesian Film Festival to kick off 24th April in Melbourne; 25th April in Sydney.

The 9th Indonesian Film Festival (IFF) will be held in April till May to showcase the best from contemporary Indonesian cinema. The festival is in its 9th season and is a collaboration between Indonesian Student Association of University of Melbourne and University of Technology, Sydney. Dubbed as the “Largest Celebration of Indonesian Screen Culture held in Australia”,…

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Box Office Report: Aussies flood cinemas to see Russell Crowe in Noah.

It must be a big relief to the studio heads at Paramount to see Darren Aronofsky’s Noah do so well around the world in its opening weekend. The film has been plagued by behind the scenes struggles and religious controversy. But it seems that Australian audiences were not deterred by any of this, as the film easily…

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The Iris Interview: Chris Keely – General Manager of World Movies Secret Cinema.

Running across four days in Sydney next month, the World Movies Secret Cinema is one of the film season’s most anticipated events. We caught up with Chris Keely, general manager of the event to talk about its origins, how they put each season together and much more: How did the concept for World Movies Secret…

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Harry Potter spin-off film to launch a new trilogy

We haven’t had an update since it was announced last year that Warner Brothers would be teaming with JK Rowling to make a spin-off film from her astronomically successful Harry Potter series. But now we know more… The film, titled Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, will follow magizoologist Newt Scamander’s search for magical creatures and will be…

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Film Review: Half of a Yellow Sun (M) (UK/Nigeria, 2013)

Half of a Yellow Sun should be a good film. A critically acclaimed novel, an emotionally charged historical period, an all star pedigree – on paper, you’d be forgiven for approaching the film with high expectations. Sadly, it’s an unfortunately undercooked melodrama that feels decidedly half baked. Set within 1960s Nigeria, headstrong twin sisters Olanna…

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SXSW Film Review: Road to Austin (USA, 2014)

Concert movies are a rare breed. It goes without saying that if you’re not a fan of the music of that particular musician or band, then you’re probably not going to have a fun time. Road to Austin, however, is somewhat of an oddity – because even if you’re not familiar with any of the…

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Travel Experiences: Eureka SkyDeck and The Edge (Melbourne, VIC)

Every major city has its premiere viewing platform. New York has the Empire State Building. Sydney has the Centrepoint Tower. Auckland has the Sky Tower. And never a city to be outdone, Melbourne has the Eureka Tower, which has its viewing point – the “SkyDeck” – on the 88th floor of the building. At 285…

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the AU interview: Matt Hayward of Band of Skulls (UK) reflects on SXSW, their new record Himalayan and a June tour!

Larry catches up with drummer Matt Hayward from UK trio Band of Skulls to talk about their brand new album Himalayan, which was released in Australia on Friday, and working with Producer Nick Launay on it. We reflect on their experiences at SXSW this year, Splendour in the Grass in past years… plus we look…

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Exclusive SXSW Interview: Cast and Crew of Two Step (USA, 2014)

While at SXSW earlier this month, The Iris’ Larry Heath sat down with the cast and crew of the “slow-burn thriller with rich Texas flavour” (Variety), Two Step. In part one, which you can listen to in full below, we meet Andrew Kenny, who scored the film, Director Alex R. Johnson and Actress Ashley Rae…

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Live Review: Thirty Seconds To Mars + White Lies – Qantas Credit Union Arena, Sydney (29.03.14)

I wasn’t entirely sure what sort of a show I was expecting for this night. In some aspects, I was pleasantly surprised and in others I was a little disappointed, and this was applicable for both bands. An intriguing choice of Americans and Brits sharing the stage together, one a very well-known band and the…

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the AU interview at SXSW 2014: Danny Harley aka The Kite String Tangle (Brisbane) reflects on his experiences in Austin, Texas!

Filmed at The Aussie BBQ on the final day of events at SXSW 2014, we sit down with Danny Harley aka rising Australian electronic star The Kite String Tangle to look back at his time and experiences at the event in Austin, Texas. And looking forward, Danny returns to Australia to tour with Groovin’ The…

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the AU interview: Craig Pearce, co-writer of Strictly Ballroom talks about adapting the play and film for the new musical!

I met with Baz Luhrmann’s long time co-writer Craig Pearce at The Star in Sydney, as the cast and crew were feverishly preparing for the premiere of Strictly Ballroom – while the Lyric Theatre itself underwent a facelift in time for its glamorous debut. We headed into The Star’s new food court for lunch and…

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Watch Tim Chaisson perform "The Healing" at SXSW 2014!

the AU review captures Canadian artist Tim Chaisson performing his track “The Healing” – and tells us a story about Leann Rimes – at the Canadian House during SXSW 2014.

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the AU interview: The Aston Shuffle (Canberra) talk about their new album "Photographs" and announce August tour!

the AU review sit down with Vance and Mikah, who make up the Canberra electronic duo The Aston Shuffle. We talk about their new album Photographs, which is released today March 28th, they announce an August tour and more.

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Album Review: Foster The People – Supermodel (2014 LP)

To be honest, I did judge a book by its cover when it came to listening to Foster the People’s sophomore album. While I loved their catchy hooks and sing-a-long creations in Torches, what led me to pay particular attention to this release was the psychedelic touch on the album art, injected with colour, and…

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The five best moments from Addiction Week on SBS 2’s The Feed.

With addiction week now at an end, The Iris looks back on five stories that really caught our attention during the week. As is typical with The Feed itself, some stories are serious, others are more fun – but everything is informative in its own way: 5. Porn Free: What life is really like when…

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TV Review: The Walking Dead – Season 4 Episode 15 “Us” (USA, 2014)

‘Us’ had one job and it was to put at least some of the splintered survivors onto the same trajectory. As such, we were given a mildly touching reunion with Glenn and Maggie, preceded by a showing of just how desperate Glenn can get; desperate enough to wander into a dark cave with an unknown…

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The Iris at SXSW: Patrick’s Day director & cast open up about the film’s premiere; challenges of bringing it to the screen.

One of the strongly praised films of the 2014 SXSW Film program has been the Terry McMahon-directed Patrick’s Day. Centering around the turbulent relationship between 26 year old schizophrenic Patrick (Moe Dunford), his overprotective mother Maura (Kerry Fox) and the object of Patrick’s love, Karen (Catherine Walker), the film deals with lust, love, manipulation and…

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Film Review: Noah (M15+) (USA, 2014)

There’s been a lot of debate about this film, from many angles and many outlets and many voices. On the one hand it depicts an enormous natural disaster with large scale action sequences the likes of which we see in Hollywood blockbusters as a dime a dozen. On the other, it focuses on a very…

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the AU interview at SXSW 2014: Travis Barker (California)

the AU review’s Sosefina sits down with Travis Barker from Blink-182 at SXSW 2014. Watch below! Part One: Part Two:

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the AU interview at SXSW 2014: Black Lips (Atlanta, GA) on their first album in three years "Underneath the Rainbow" and more.

the AU review sits down with Atlanta, GA punk rockers Black Lips at SXSW 2014 to talk about the festival, their new record Underneath the Rainbow, which is out now and much more… Part One: Part Two: Camera: Johnny Au Sound/Interview: Sosefina Fuamoli Edit: Larry Heath Filmed in Austin, Texas during SXSW – March 2014.

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Exclusive Video Premiere: Sarah McLeod and Jeff Martin "Man The Life Boats" (2014)

Having toured the country together, it’s only natural that Jeff Martin and Sarah McLeod‘s would collaborate on record. Their epic debut single “Man The Life Boats” has been a highlight of their national tour and now we have the official video premiere on the AU review! Fans of the pair have been overwhelmed with the…

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