Month: May 2015

Games Review: The Witcher III: Wild Hunt (PS4, 2015)

<i>The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt</i> is finally here. Years of waiting, delays and many, many trailers with glimpses of what Geralt of Rivia’s next adventure would look like have built fan hype to fever pitch. The question everyone seems to be asking now is: can CD Projekt Red deliver a game that achieves its lofty…

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TV Review: Game of Thrones Season 5 Episode 7 “The Gift” (USA, 2015)

While pacing was surprisingly rapid in the half of “The Gift”, the episode served us up some big, although fairly quiet, developments. Similarly to last weeks “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken” focus was on the smaller character moments here, with storylines leaping forward involving Sansa, Tyrion, Cersei, and Sam. Let’s start with the more negligible part of…

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Where The Force Is Taking Us: Episode II From Skyfall to Skywalker

It’s not the geekiest publication in the world, but Vanity Fair has posted a bunch of treats from Episode VII (2015) in the past week, including interviews with costume designer Michael Kaplan, legendary composer John Williams, and veteran Star Wars writer Lawrence Kasdan. At the bottom of each page are set photos by legendary photographer…

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Film Review: Woman In Gold (M) (USA/UK, 2015)

During World War II, the painting The Woman in Gold by renowned painter Gustav Klimt was illegally taken from the home of Adele Bloch-Bauer by the Nazis, and would eventually end up in the Belvedere Gallery in Vienna. It was a practice that went on throughout the war, when many Jewish homes were ransacked, their…

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Live Review: The Great Conjunction + Hattie Carroll + Forster Anderson – Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Sydney (23.05.14)

In one of Sydney’s few remaining small live music pubs on an unseasonably warm Autumn evening, some local talent come out to perform their tunes to a small but appreciative crowd. It’s an eclectic little mix of artists, from a singer-songwriter with some Bob Dylan tendencies, to an indie pop rock outfit and then our…

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NBC release trailer for Season 3 of Hannibal

After what seems like a ridiculously long wait, NBC are finally gearing up for the start of the third season of the acclaimed TV adaptation of Hannibal. The show, which has been lauded for it’s clever writing, stylish violence and superb acting, seems to be using season two’s sinister ending to start anew, also drawing…

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Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck gets a DVD & Blu-Ray release date

  Since its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January, Cobain: Montage of Heck by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Brett Morgen (Crossfire Hurricane, The Kid Stays In The Picture) has received a phenomenal response from fans and critics alike, and from June 4 it can be yours on Blu-ray and DVD. Morgen received unprecedented access to Cobain’s…

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Vivid Live Review: Sufjan Stevens – Sydney Opera House (22.05.15)

Photo: Daniel Boud It’s the hardest part of being an artist – letting go of your work – and Sufjan Stevens lets go all the way. In the first of his performances for Vivid 2015, he transformed the Concert Hall into a mesmerising montage of his life’s narrative. First thought when the lights came on…

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Look at this crazy mousepad that can pulse in 16.8 million different colours if you want

Razer have unveiled their new hard gaming mouse mat with a wealth of crazy built-in lighting effects. It’s called the Firefly. The Firefly uses a lighting feature built by Razer called Chroma that can deliver 16.8 million colour options and a bunch of different effects to use them with like pulse, reactive, weave and spectrum…

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Film Review: Poltergeist (USA, 2015)

While not exactly a shot-for-shot re-make, Gil Kenan’s version of classic supernatural-horrorPoltergeist sticks fairly close to the original, at least when it charges into the brunt of the action. The 1982 original, from horror masterminds Tobe Hooper and Steven Spielberg, has been cemented into popular culture so the story should be familiar to most. You…

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Stumbled Upon #049 – Love Like Hate (Brisbane)

In our 49th instalment of “Stumbled Upon”, we meet Brisbane duo Love Like Hate , and chat about their upcoming English summer tour and get a sneak peak at their latest track Unnoticed. Band Name: Love Like Hate Website / Social Media: www.lovelikehate.com.au Facebook / Soundcloud Genre: Alternative / Indie / Rock Members & their…

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Australian film The Daughter to premiere at Sydney Film Festival

The upcoming Sydney Film Festival will play host to the premiere of Australian feature film The Daughter. Starring Sam Neill, Miranda Otto, Paul Schneider and Geoffery Rush, The Daughter follows Christian (Schneider), who returns to his hometown, reunites with his childhood friend, and discovers family secrets that could tear everyone’s lives apart. The Daughter is…

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Interview: Ryan Fogwell and Tavis Cunningham on the musical Chess

It’s hard to describe Chess, the musical composed by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus from ABBA with lyrics by Tim Rice, with its intricate plot, complex characters and multitudinous themes of love, politics and war – one really has to see it to experience it. With such well known songs as “Anthem” and “One Night…

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other lives

Jonathan Mooney of Other Lives (Oklahoma) talks on new LP, Radiohead and more

Being influenced by highly acclaimed alternative rock band, Radiohead, it’s clear that three-piece indie-rock band, Other Lives put a sense of passion and feeling in their music. Coming from Stillwater, Oklahoma, the band feel that their latest album, Rituals is their best work and as they grow as a band, the bond they have with each other strengthens as…

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Shooting Starts for Season 3 of Josh Thomas’ Please Like Me

Shooting is underway in Melbourne for the third season of Please Like Me, an international television comedy success created by Josh Thomas. Comedian Thomas wears multiple hats for the series, as creator, writer, and star, and will be making his directorial debut in an episode for the upcoming season. Thomas reveals, “This time around I’m…

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Box Office Report: Mad Max roars to the top

For the second week straight, the number 1 spot has a new resident. This time it’s a little taste of home as George Miller’s Mad Max sequel Fury Road has broken all kinds of records. Earning $6.19 million domestically, it soared to the top, assisted by its stellar reviews. Globally, Fury Road earned $109.4 million making it…

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Six Bands we Discovered at The Great Escape 2015 – and now you need to listen to them here…

With The Great Escape at an end, we’re looking back at the weekend of incredible performances by sharing with you our favourite discoveries of the event! Now, some of these names we’d heard before, but all of them were bands we witnessed live for the first time. And boy were we impressed… here now, counting…

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Partnership and Collaboration the key words amongst panelists on the first day of All That Matters in Singapore.

Today marked the first day of the 10th annual All That Matters conference in Singapore – a three day event which takes over the Ritz Carlton for talks on Music, Video, Sponsorship, Sync and Live Events. The first day kicked off with special panels highlighting the music industries in India, Indonesia, Australia (pictured above) and…

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Live Review: The Aussie BBQ ft. Flyying Colours + Millions + Klo + Tora and more – Hoxton Square, London (17.05.15)

Pictured: Klo Sunday in London saw the return of The Aussie BBQ – the live initiative of our music export body Sounds Australia. Hundreds of music fans – both locals and expats – came out for the event which saw over twenty Australian artists performing on two stages over ten hours at the Hoxton Bar…

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Watch Peter Dinklage sing a tribute to dead Game of Thrones characters

Peter Dinklage who portrays Game of Thrones’ Tyrion Lannister has picked up a mic and gotten all emotional to promote NBC’s Red Rose Day and the Game of Thrones musical written by Coldplay. Dinklage uses his deep vocals to re-open old wounds and reminds us that George RR Martin is pretty much a fictional serial…

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Magical new trailer for Pan has arrived

The infamous and beloved characters from J. M. Barrie’s series are brought back to the big screen in this live-action adventure film with a true magical heart. Peter (Levi Miller) is a mischievous 12-year-old boy with an irrepressible rebellious streak, but in the bleak London orphanage where he has lived his whole life those qualities…

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Get Your (Rocky) Horror Fix At Golden Age

Are you a fan of things that go bump in the night? If so, it’s time to make a date with the Golden Age Cinema in Sydney to see the latest horror flicks that have critics and filmgoers alike jumping in their seats. It Follows, directed by David Robert Mitchell, is a genre-pushing, atmospheric and…

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Exploding onto ABC3, Tomorrow, When The War Began series in production

Bringing the beloved John Marsden books to life, ABC and Ambience Entertainment have announced that a new mini-series of Tomorrow, When The War Began will commence pre-production in June. Published in 1993, the novels follow the new reality of a group of teenagers who have been separated from their families after their country is invaded,…

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Interview: Warwick Doddrell (Perth) talks audience expectations, directing Under This Sun and more

Ahead of its Opening Night we caught up with Warwick Doddrell, director and producer of Under This Sun to discover a little bit more about what audiences can expect from the play, the initial inspiration behind the work and just what directing for the first time is like! Under This Sun is the first production…

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Live Review: Count Basie Orchestra – Perth Concert Hall (16.05.15)

Last week, the tour celebrating the 80th Anniversary of the legendary Count Basie Orchestra reached Perth and the Perth Concert Hall. Now under the leadership of Scotty Barnhart, the 18-piece orchestra played two, hour-long sets to an appreciative and attentive audience of young and old. Now I wouldn’t consider myself a connoisseur of jazz music,…

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from first to last album art dead trees

Album Review: From First To Last – Dead Trees (2015 LP)

Lineup change for a band can impact their musicianship and when looking back at the band’s history, Dead Trees isn’t a strong comeback album from post-hardcore outfitters From First To Last. Comebacks normally mean power and success but it’s hard to ignore the weak points this album encompasses. Some tracks capture a strong reunion within the band and…

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Stumbled Upon #048 – Sam Wright (Townsville)

In our 48th instalment of “Stumbled Upon”, we meet the charming Sam Wright from Townsville and chat about his friends influencing his songs and his latest single, “Make It So”. Musician: Sam Wright Website / Social Media: Facebook / Soundcloud / Bandcamp Genre: Indie pop Members & their roles: Matt Elwin – Electric Guitar Justin…

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Photo Gallery: The Aussie BBQ ft. Safia + Saskwatch + Remi + Hein Cooper and more – Hoxton Square, London (17.05.15)

An eclectic mix of over 20 artists from around Australia came together on Sunday in London for a massive day of live music – showcasing the finest in new, emerging and established artists from our region, many of whom were making their London debut at the annual Aussie BBQ event, held at the Hoxton Square…

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The Aussie BBQ ft. Remi, Tkay Maidza, Saskwatch and more highlights from Day Three of The Great Escape 2015

Saturday marked the third and final day of the 10th annual The Great Escape Festival in Brighton, England. Larry Heath was on ground at the event to discover new talent and witness some of Australia’s finest bands in a unique setting. It is with this in mind that the day started at The Aussie BBQ,…

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Games Review: Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (Xbox One, 2015)

When Machinegames released <i>Wolfenstein: The New Order</i> in 2014, it took the industry by surprise. A near-perfect blend of shooter mechanics both classic and modern, with a bizarre, pulpy story that cheerfully embraced the ridiculousness of its aging premise, <i>The New Order</i> was a sorely needed shot in the arm for modern-day single-player FPS design….

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