Year: 2014

Emirates British Film Festival Review: Jimmy’s Hall (UK, 2014)

By Alexandra Donald Jimmy’s Hall, the latest from veteran filmmaker Ken Loach, is a stately portrait of a struggle for justice that’s a delicately executed, picturesque film and a charming watch – if not a particularly memorable one. Based on the life of Irish political activist Jimmy Gralton, the film charts the titular character’s return…

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Netflix orders fourth season of Longmire

It has been confirmed that Netflix, the world leader in Internet TV  has ordered the fourth season of the hit drama Longmire , from Warner Horizon Television. With Netflix hitting our shores in March of next year (finally!), ten new episodes will be premiered exclusively on the network. The 10 brand-new episodes will also be…

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Eating with the AU: La Svolta Italian Restaurant – Prahran and Hampton (Melbourne)

As I enter La Svolta I am warmly welcomed by owners Valerio Calabro and Giuseppe ‘Pino’ Russo and I immediately feel like I’ve come to an Italian home as my hand is shook, names are vocalised and I am ushered outside to their new, ready for summer, dining space to eat and drink their exclusive…

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the AU review celebrates live music by announcing nominees for the 1st annual "AU Awards" including public voted category!

Picture: Amy Hetherington captures Violent Soho in Darwin… Today the AU review – and parent company Heath Media – are excited to announce the nominees for the first annual AU Awards, a celebration of the best in live music in Australia. From the finest tours, to the best bands and our favourite venues, the AU…

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Jurassic World is so big that its trailer needs a trailer

The very long-awaited fourth installment in the iconic Jurassic Park film series is not longer just a rumour, with the blockbuster to be released on June 12, 2015. Just in case you still refuse to believe the news, a teaser has dropped before the first full-length trailer, which is expected to be unveiled on November…

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TV Review: The Walking Dead Season 5 Episode 6 “Consumed” (2014, USA)

Fans of The Walking Dead have been waiting for Daryl and Carol to have their own episode for awhile, with the chemistry between these two both interesting and unique. Any sexual tension is mostly attributed to fan speculation, but what these two have here is an endearing platonic magnetism that always deserved to be explored…

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Podcast: Listen to our full, exclusive interview with Angus Sampson and Leigh Whannell on The Mule (Australia, 2014)

If you were reading The Iris back in March of this year, you may remember we posted parts of an interview we conducted with Angus Sampson and Leigh Whannell to talk about their new film The Mule, which premiered at SXSW 2014. Some eight months later and the film has finally had an Australian release,…

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TV Review: Chicago P.D Season 1 Episode 1 & 2 (USA, 2014)

Chicago P.D premiered to Australian audiences with a double episode last night. The series is the newest in but a long line of crime dramas by Law & Order mastermind Dick Wolf, and so it makes sense that all the experience will pour into making the show something special, right? Law & Order has been…

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The Iris Interview: Ryan Kwanten on life after True Blood.

  Back in 2008, TV audiences around the world were introduced to the fictional world of True Blood, the television adaptation of Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire novels and the first major HBO produced series Alan Ball created since the wrap of the hugely successful Six Feet Under series back in 2005. It was a time where vampire mythology was growing for itself a stronger…

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DVD Review: Imaginaerum by Nightwish (Finland & Canada, 2012)

The film Imaginaerum is like opening the doors of perception and entering a music video by Finnish metal band, Nightwish. The movie is based on their seventh studio album and concept record. Imaginaerum seems to have the same trappings as most rock operas once they are adapted for the screen. That is that while the visuals…

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Film Review: The Mule (MA15+) (Australia, 2014)

The Mule marks the Directoral debut of Angus Sampson and Tony Mahony, starring Sampson as Ray Jenkins alongside Leigh Wannell (Gavin) as “brothers in life”, with Gavin roping Ray into becoming a heroin mule following a trip to Bali. After getting nervous at Sydney Airport, he gets taken away by the police for suspicious behaviour and in…

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such gold the new sidewalk album art

Album Review: Such Gold – The New Sidewalk (2014 LP)

There’s no real definition of “punk hardcore”- something of a pop punk evolution – and when it comes to bands such as Such Gold, we see a band who don’t give a shit about how their music is defined as long as they’re having a baller of a time creating it. With the band’s sophomore release, The…

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Stumbled Upon #003 – Luke Bennett (Byron Bay / Launceston)

In our new series “Stumbled Upon”, we get to know a new Australian band we’ve stumbled across. In our third instalment, we meet Launceston native, now Byron Bay local Luke Bennett and chat about his musical journey so far and sample some of his acoustic rock goodness. Musician: Luke Bennett Website / Social Media: www.lukebennettmusic.com…

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The best photos of the year to feature in "Australia's Year in Music: 2014 Edition" – pre-orders now open!

Heath Media – publishers of this very website – are excited to announce that their annual photo book Austraila’s Year in Music – capturing the best in live performance – has opened for pre-orders. Releasing just in time for Christmas, Australia’s Year in Music: 2014 Edition takes us from Summer through to Spring, with close…

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AU Abroad Feature: 15 things to do and places to visit on a Singapore Stopover

The Singapore Tourism Board recently carried out some research that revealed that over one million Australians have missed their first day back at work as a result of a holiday, costing businesses thousands of dollars. In addition to the 1.1 million missing their first day back at work after a flight of 10 hours or…

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Exclusive Interivew: Miyavi (Japan) discusses the film Unbroken and working with Angelia Jolie

Unbroken, directed by Angelina Jolie, premiered this week in Sydney – ahead of its Australia wide release on January 15th. In the film, singer Miyavi plays Mutsushiro “The Bird” Watanabe, a World War II POW camp guard. We spoke to him earlier in the year about the performance and are excited to be able to…

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TV Review: The Mindy Project, Season 3, Episode 8 “Diary of a Mad Indian Woman”

By Amy Nancarrow Who hasn’t seen a friend, family member or significant other’s personal diary and been tempted to sneak a peek at their most intimate thoughts? Danny succumbs to his curiosity in “Diary of a Mad Indian Woman”, and doesn’t necessarily like what he reads. Mindy realises that Danny never stays at her house,…

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What to Watch: The Iris’ Weekly TV Picks (20th – 23rd November 2014)

Thursday Soul Mates, ABC 2, 9:33 pm AEST Brought to you by the creators of Bondi Hipsters, Soul Mates is a new sketch-show that tackles life’s big questions in a hilarious manner. In this episode, two fundamental creationists visit Travel Time whilst Rocky and Sticks question whether it’s wrong to eat babies. Friday MythBusters, SBS…

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Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 gets a trailer…Yes, really.

Well it’s happening. Like it or not, Paul Blart is making a return to the silver screen. Not content enough to weave his unusual brand of justice in his home town, Paul Blart takes a trip to Vegas to attend a security guard convention. (Are those actually a thing?) Its here that Paul stumbles (probably…

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Looking ahead to police drama Chicago P.D (Australian premiere on Thursday 20th November)

Police dramas seem to come naturally to Dick Wolf, an Emmy winner involved in the Law & Order franchise, and the more recent Chicago Fire; so when he dabbles further into the genre, there’s no doubt that the result is worthy of attention. His latest exploration of city crime comes in the form of Chicago…

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Film Review: The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1 (USA, 2014)

You may be feeling your patience wearing thin while watching The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1; that is, if you’ve only come on board for the tense wheel of brutality in which two tributes from each district are forced to kill each other until one remains. No, there’s no such hunger games here as compared…

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Stumbled Upon #002 – Astrid (Brisbane)

In our new series “Stumbled Upon”, we get to know a new Australian band we’ve stumbled across. In the second installment, we meet Brisbane’s soulful Astrid, who talks about her love of great female singer/songwriters and gives us a taste of some new music… Musician: Astrid Website / Social Media: www.astridjmusic.com Genre: Soul Members &…

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Arts Feature: 7 Reasons Law & Order creator Dick Wolf has kept audiences hooked

What is it about Dick Wolf programs that has made him one of TV’s most successful producers? What is it about them that has audiences so captivated, sometimes for decades? First debuting in 1990, the iconic series Law & Order is without question Wolf’s most endearing program, running for twenty seasons, making it the longest-running…

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Conference Round Up: AWME – Arts Centre Melbourne (13-16.11.14)

The 7th Australasian Worldwide Music Expo – featuring 58 groups performing over 4 days alongside a two day conference – kicked off with an opening party early on Thursday evening with Pete Murray, Benny Walker and a Welcome to Country ceremony. Benny Walker impressed at the opening night event, performing solo on the guitar –…

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Live Review: Manchester Orchestra + Apes + Kevin Devine – Corner Hotel, Melbourne (14.11.14)

As it seemed most of Melbourne were dressing as cats and making their way to the Katy Perry concert (#katycats), an nonetheless impressive contingent of the city’s less under-16 female crowd filled up the Corner Hotel for the second of two just-about-sold-out performances from Manchester Orchestra, supported by Ballarat’s Apes and Brooklyn based Kevin Devine….

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Australia Council For The Arts announces details of their New Grants Model at AWME in Melbourne

“A culturally ambitious nation” is the phrase that the Australia Council for the Arts are using to encapsulate the biggest changes to the way the Council issues grants in some 40 years. From structural changes to a new skill based board, the Council went through the finer details of their plans at a special panel…

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the AU interview: Tommy Victor of Prong (USA) ahead of their Australian tour dates!

US metal band Prong kick off their debut Australian tour in Sydney tomorrow night, a run of shows which has been a long time coming for their fans out this way. Tommy Victor chats with the AU about their extensive catalogue, the dates they’ve got coming up and their new album, Ruining Lives. Few articles…

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ABC TV pronounces “Its All Good” with 2015 content line-up

After a scary few months that saw ABC TV almost being axed, the network are back on top following a relieving announcement last week. ABC will again welcome in 2015 with a four-hour entertainment extravaganza to celebrate NEW YEAR’S EVE when we join with the City of Sydney to bring the world-renowned fireworks to audiences…

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Box Office Report: Let’s Be Cops is no match for Interstellar

Despite an impressive opening by Lets Be Cops – one to the tune of $1.6 million – it just didn’t pack enough of a punch to usurp top spot. Interstellar retains its position at number 1 pulling in another $3.7 million. Christopher Nolan’s spectacle has received tremendous reviews, lauded for its ambitious storytelling and sheer scope….

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