Month: July 2015

Disney is working on a live-action prequel to 1992 classic Aladdin

Well this should be interesting. Hollywood Reporter has broken the news that animation giants Disney are working on a live-action comedy prequel to their 1992 classic Aladdin. Titled Genies the film will be produced by Tripp Vinson (exec producer of San Andreas) with a script written by Damien Shannon and Mark Swift (the writers behind…Freddy…

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Official trailer released for David O. Russell’s new film Joy starring Jennifer Lawrence

The official trailer for David O. Russell’s new film Joy, with a familiar yet fantastic ensemble cast,  has just been released.  The film will hit Australian cinemas on Boxing Day.  Like David O. Russell’s previous films, Joy defies genre to tell a story of family, loyalty, and love. Jennifer Lawrence stars with Bradley Cooper (again with the pairing of these…

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First games line up announcement for EB Expo promises Star Wars Battlefront and Fallout 4

EB Games have released the first official games line up for this year’s EB Expo and it’s a doozy. Headlining the announcement is the news that both Star Wars Battlefront and Call of Duty: Black Ops III will be playable at the PlayStation 4 stand. But that’s not all. Also on hand will be titles like Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, Rainbow…

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Benjamin Burnley of Breaking Benjamin (USA) talks ‘Dark Before Dawn’, new band lineup, and more!

After reaching Number One on the Billboard 200 with their new record Dark Before Dawn, Breaking Benjamin are dominating the rock scene. No road was ever easy with this band as unfortunate legal affairs led to the band’s hiatus back in 2010. Since then, a new lineup of members as well as a record that signifies a solid…

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Photo Gallery: Ottawa Bluesfest Day Six ft. Edward Sharpe + Lynyrd Skynyrd + John Butler Trio + Mama Kin and more… (14.07.15)

We head to the sixth day of Bluesfest in Ottawa, and bring you some photos of Australia’s own Hamish Anderson, John Butler Trio and Mama Kin who played alongside the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Dan Boeckner’s new project Operators, METZ, Black Lips and many more. Enjoy these photos and…

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Arts Review: Energies: Haines and Hinterding – MCA, Sydney (Free Entry – Until 6 September)

Currently taking over the first floor of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney is Energies, a new (and free) exhibition that brings together the works of Australian artists David Haines and Joyce Hinterding, in what is the first comprehensive survey of their combined works from the last twenty plus years, curated by the MCA’s…

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Scandinavian Film Festival Review: Paris of the North (Iceland, 2014)

Paris of the North is director Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson‘s second feature film. His first feature was the Icelandic comedy Either Way, which was remade into the US film Prince Avalanche, directed by David Gordon Green. The film was written by Icelandic script writer and novelist Huldar Breidðfjörð. Long time actor and musician Helgi Björnsson plays the father (an unwanted guest); previously…

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Insert Coin(s) returns to Sydney August 6, brings Street Fighter V

It’s been a few years since the last Insert Coin(s) event, dubbed Back in the Game. The party/gaming event was renowned for their old school gaming tournaments and allowing the public to get hands on with upcoming titles. The event returns to The Oxford Art Factory on August 6 – and they’re bringing playable Street Fighter V…

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Batman: Arkham Knight getting ’89 Batsuit and Batmobile in August

Those who forked out for the Batman: Arkham Knight season pass are getting a pretty awesome drop next month with the release of a new set of skins, including the “1989” pack that will contain the Batsuit and Batmobile designs from Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman. Considering that film is now over 25 years old, these designs have…

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Film Review: Ant-Man (PG, USA, 2015)

Trailing behind the release of the enormous The Avengers: Age of Ultron comes the final film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 2 line up of films, Ant-Man. After much talk surrounding the production prior to its release, and always ongoing questions of ‘what if’ we’re now witness to the final product. It’s surprisingly small…

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The best games of 2015 … so far

2015 has been a great year for gaming so far. Current-gen consoles are finally coming into their own and we’re seeing some truly creative, interesting new IP emerging as well. Here’s our ten favourite games of 2015 so far. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUytj7jaIIo 1. Cities: Skylines (PC) If EA’s much-maligned Sim City reboot failed to impress you then Cities: Skylines may…

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Dragon Ball Z: Ressurection ‘F’ in Australian and New Zealand Cinemas August 6th

Madman Entertainment has announced the latest blockbuster film in the DRAGON BALL Z franchise, DRAGON BALL Z: RESURRECTION ‘F’ will screen across 69 locations and counting in Australia and New Zealand from August 6th, 2015. Hot on the heels of last year’s blockbuster, BATTLE OF GODS, DRAGON BALL Z is back in cinemas. DRAGON BALL…

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Australian Box Office Report: Inside Out makes a dash for the top in its 4th week

Despite the introduction of dinosaurs, time travelling cyborgs and male strippers, one adorable and very resonant animated film has weathered the storm and secured top spot over the weekend. In its 4th week since opening, Inside Out has been rewarded for its consistency and rose (deservedly so) to the the top of the box office…

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What To Watch: The Iris’ Weekly TV Picks (15th to 21st July 2015)

Simon brings us his weekly picks for the best on Australian free-to-air TV and Foxtel! Read on for the best in entertainment over the next seven days…

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The Iris Opinion: Warner Bros’ reaction to trailer leaks is bizarre and fan-hostile

Marvel Studios and Warner Bros. have very different opinions on what makes a good superhero movie. To date, Marvel’s formula has worked out a lot better for them than Warner’s, but then again the WB is only now getting the ball rolling on their DC Cinematic Universe. On the topic of how successful Warner’s strategy…

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Win a double pass to a screening of Ant-Man in Sydney, thanks to HOYTS Australia!

This week sees the release of Paul Rudd‘s foray into the Marvel universe as Ant-Man in Australian cinemas. You may have seen a recent interview the star did where he hilariously told a reporter how unimpressed his son was when he revealed his role in the film but let’s not joke, Ant-Man is not to be messed…

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Stumbled Upon #062 – Salvador Dali Llama (Sydney)

In our 62nd installment of “Stumbled Upon”, we meet Sydney’s Salvador Dali Llama, and chat about blending psych pop with gospel soul, band couples and their brand new single, ‘I Want You’. Band Name: Salvador Dali Llama Website / Social Media: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Soundcloud Genre: Psychedelic Soul Members & their roles:…

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Photo Gallery and Live Review: Ottawa Bluesfest Day Five ft. Blue Rodeo + Arkells + CeeLo Green + Sticky Fingers (12.07.15)

Photo: Mark Horton captures Sticky Fingers in Ottawa! Australian acts Sticky Fingers (pictured) and Hat Fitz and Cara were among the main attractions on the fifth day of the Bluesfest in Ottawa, Canada this week, with the festival’s stages being closed out by the likes of Richard Thompson, Blue Rodeo, Arkells and CeeLo Green. CeeLo…

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Live Review: Alpine + Pearls + Olympia – Metro Theatre, Sydney (10.07.15)

It’s not often that a band will introduce a song by ordering the audience to dance more expressively, “not just this bopping up and down” as Phoebe from Alpine did. She momentarily turned the attention away from their colourful stage presence to the night as a whole. Despite joining fellow vocalist Lou in an uninhibited…

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Exclusive Interview: Carl Barron talks about his role in Manny Lewis – out now on DVD!

This week the AU had a chat with household name, Carl Barron. The Aussie king of comedy came to us with some different news this time. He’s promoting his first feature film, co-written and directed by Anthony Mir. Released this year, Manny Lewis is a film about an Aussie comic (sound familiar?) who struggles with…

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The dramatic Comic-Con trailer for Fantastic Four is here

Just when you thought Comic-Con was done with superhero trailers, Fox went and screened the brand new trailer for the forthcoming Fantastic Four at their recent panel. That trailer has now been officially released, giving us a deeper look into “huge, multipower slugfest” that Director Josh Trank promised would be one of the major talking…

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Win a special Blu-Ray Box Set of The Decline of Western Civilization!

Written and directed by Penelope Spheeris (Wayne’s World) and available for the first time in a three volume boxed set, The Decline of Western Civilization Collection documents the city of Los Angeles from the perspective of three distinct scenes across the course of two decades, changing fashions, trends and styles. The seminal first film charts the…

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Twelfth annual Arab film festival pushes boundaries in 2015

This August, the twelfth annual  Arab Film Festival Australia returns to cinemas  with an array of stunning feature films and four shorts. Festival co -director, Fadia Abboud, is particularly  thrilled with this year’s variety, stating they will “push boundaries both physically and ideologically”.

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Live Podcast festival Cast Party to hit Australian screens

Hosts of the biggest and best podcasts in the world will convene on stage for the inaugural Cast Party. Celebrating the emergence of podcasting as a powerhouse medium, the live festival will be captured for cinema screenings across Australia on 22nd of August.

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Official trailer released for Miss You Already

The official trailer for the new comedy-drama film Miss You Already, directed by  Catherine Hardwicke,  has finally been released.  The film will be screening nationally from the 15th of October.

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Free screening of Buried Country with live Q&A and music acts!

Songlines, the Gertrude Street Projection Festival,  and Leaps and Bounds Music Festival have announced a free screening of Buried Country this Thursday the 16th of July at *MAYSAR (Melbourne).

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Video Game First Impressions: Until Dawn (PS4, 2015)

Years in development, the latest project from Supermassive Games may be very well prove their defining hit. Developed exclusively for Playstation 4, Until Dawn shuffles into the same category of interactive cinema games like Heavy Rain with a rich, textured narrative that is well thought out, driven by character dynamics, and terrifyingly immersive. What’s more…

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The Iris’ 10 Silliest Super Hero Names of all time…

In the lead up to the July 16th release of the next Marvel Cinematic Universe film Ant-Man we’re taking a look into the comic realm and some of the silliest super hero names. Generally the ridiculous names also mean that our heroes have some pretty ludicrous super powers too, and some of them are just…

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Theatre Review: Songbird – Blue Room Theatre, Perth (Performances through July 18th)

Songbird, presented as part of NAIDOC week, is the sophomore production from local theatre group Imprint Productions, and the final production in the current season at Perth’s Blue Room Theatre. Written by Shakara Walley, directed by Ian Wilkes and featuring live music, Songbird tells the story, of three young indigenous people and their fracturing relationships….

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Winners are crowned as Stevie Wonder helps bring the 103rd annual Calgary Stampede to a close

Following 10 days of carnival fun, rodeo action, live music, agriculture and a tonne of entertainment, the 103rd annual Calgary Stampede came to an end today in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, crowning their winning riders with huge pay checks and seeing legendary artist Stevie Wonder close out the event with a special performance in the Scotiabank…

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