Month: April 2017

Blu-Ray Review: The single disc release of Doctor Strange (USA, 2016) arrives jam-packed

As we now roll into Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe we are pulled to the beginning of one character’s story. Doctor Strange is Marvel’s step back to delivering an origin story for a new superhero but in some ways this film is a giant leap forward in universe building. It’s hard to fathom…

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Michael Bonfiglio talks about his new HBO Documentary May It Last: A Portrait of The Avett Brothers, co-directed with Judd Apatow

While in Austin last month, we caught up with Michael Bonfiglio, co-director of May It Last: A Portrait of The Avett Brothers (the much loved US band) with Judd Apatow. We spoke about premiering the film at the iconic SXSW festival and working with (and discovering) the band across the album three years it took…

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VR Pods Make For An Egg-splosive Attraction At The Sydney Royal Easter Show

This week, I was given a preview of the newest attraction at the Sydney Royal Easter Show – VR Land, a virtual reality experience with a host of different and exciting games. The set up at the Easter Show features several double-cabin egg pods, as well as single or three-person pods, and smaller game-based machines…

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Video Games Review: Persona 5 (PS3/PS4, 2017) Steals Hearts and Takes Souls

As someone new to the Persona series, the newest entry had me equal parts curious and baffled. Coming into a series with little prior knowledge or experience is a daunting experience, but Persona 5 had me wrapped around its finger from the moment it began. With the introduction of the game, which features a mysterious…

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Workaholics‘ Adam Devine to host the 2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards as Get Out leads the nominations

Formerly known as the MTV Movie Awards, all the details have been revealed about the 2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards, set to be held in Los Angeles on May 8th at 10am, Sydney time. This year’s host will be Workaholics‘ Adam Devine, who takes over from last year’s duo Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson….

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Film Review: Power plays and the clearing out of idiocy in Denial (UK, 2016)

The question a film critic often wants to ask, but is discouraged from for fear of offending someone, is why make this film? The answer is, more often than not, “because now was the right time.” And for Denial, this is most certainly true. In a world of newly termed ‘disenfranchised voters’ that are seemingly comfortable…

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Film Review: Colossal (Canada/Spain, 2017) is a miraculous achievement

Nacho Vigalondo has always been an exciting filmmaker for me. Ever since I saw his first feature film Timecrimes, I’ve always wanted to see more of this work. His handling of genre film and melding it with themes of humanity or topical themes has always fascinated and thrilled me. Timecrimes was a great time-travel film that…

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Are modern gamers expecting too much from their favourite developers?

In this modern age we live in, there’s no doubt in my mind that games today are as good as they have ever been. This is not to suggest that the importance of games that came before are diminished, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for instance is and will remain a classic, but rather a way…

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MICF Review: Guy Montgomery’s Let’s All Get In A Room Together is a fun, goofy bit of storytelling (performances until 23rd April)

Guy Montgomery has this interestingly crescendo-like style of stand-up in Let’s All Get In A Room Together. It’s certainly a set full of happiness and goofiness, free from any political doom and gloom that many other comedy shows are focusing on this festival, but he can certainly be set to go on a really good story which rises to…

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Win a double pass to Hidden Sydney – The Glittering Mile at Sydney’s World Bar

Back by popular demand, Hidden Sydney – The Glittering Mile will return 25 May – 18 June 2017 as part of Vivid Sydney’s Kings Cross program. Hidden Sydney – an immersive cabaret experience celebrating Kings Cross in the 50s, 60s and 70s at the Nevada-the former Sydney brothel which boasted the biggest bed in the world….

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MICF Review: Grant Busé’s The Birds and the Beats is lovingly fair (performances until April 23rd)

SEX! Now that I’ve got your attention – imagine a darkened room, an empty stage, when suddenly a 27-year-old, self-described as the love child of Kurt Cobain and the Paddle Pop Lion, demonstrates his conception and birth using various props and an amply-placed curtain. The man is Grant Busé and it’s the intro into his…

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Flower Child Cafe brings a taste of the tropics to Warringah Mall (Sydney)

Co-founded by Chris Lu (Happy as Larry Pizza Truck, Bondi Hardware) and Adam Choker (The Grounds of Alexandria) newly launched cafe, garden and eatery the Flower Child Cafe lends itself to Warringah Mall’s ‘world class design’ philosophy whilst providing a tropical oasis from the exhausting business of retail therapy. ACME & Co (The Grounds, Drake…

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The Best Places to Celebrate Easter 2017 in Sydney

Easter AKA the longest public holiday of all time, is upon us once again. While chocolate is definitely what the doctor ordered for the four-day weekend, there’s going to be plenty of special menus and events offering all kinds of savoury and sweet deliciousness. We’ve rounded up some of our favourites in Sydney for you,…

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Epic program announced for Melbourne’s Good Beer Week 2017

Australia’s premier craft beer festival, Good Beer Week is returning to Melbourne from 12-21 May for its seventh year, celebrating the best of Australian and International brews. To help punters choose their own Good Beer Week adventure, this year’s program has been streamlined into four main categories: Beer Lover, Foodie, Beer Geek, and Good Times….

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Here’s the Midnight Oil setlist from today’s surprise Sydney gig; their first show since 2009

Tonight, legendary Sydney group Midnight Oil played a surprise, mid-afternoon hometown gig at the Marrickville Bowling Club (capacity being around the 400 mark), in what was their first public show since 2009’s Sound Relief appearance. The gig sits ahead of their already announced “intimate pub” performance which is happening this Thursday at Selina’s in Coogee,…

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Film Review: Personal Shopper (USA, 2016) falls flat with its supernatural elements

Poor Maureen (Kristen Stewart). Her boss, Kyra (Nora von Waldstätten) is impossible, sending her all over Europe for clothes and shoes she is too rich and famous to buy for herself. On top of that, her twin brother died a few months ago, and he still hasn’t contacted her from the beyond, even though he…

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MICF Review: Rhys Nicholson’s I’m Fine is flamboyantly astute (performances until April 23rd)

With a characteristically flamboyant style, Rhys Nicholson could be the best-dressed-in-show for the whole of the comedy festival. He has a theatrical sensibility to him, and subsequently can be the most melodramatic-in-show for the damn festival as well. As a result, Nicholson doesn’t keep a slow pace through his hour dubbed I’m Fine. Which is…

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Theatre Review: STC’s Talk is a searing, hilarious look at modern journalism (Performances at the Sydney Opera House until 20th May)

Talk is a play that feels like Frontline version 2.0. It’s a satirical look at the modern state of journalism, a place that has seen many experienced reporters lose their jobs while amateurs and citizen journalists have risen up. This Sydney Theatre Company production is a searing indictment on the current media climate as it…

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MICF Review: Puppetry of the Penis is as quirky as one can be… down there (performances until 9th April)

It was just like any other Sunday evening as I sat in the audience of the Palms theatre at Melbourne’s Crown Casino. However, on this particular evening, two men were about to walk onstage, throw off their cloaks, and perform for a paying audience the ‘ancient art of genital origami.’ For those a bit slow…

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Recipe: Sake Jr’s Japanese Fried Chicken with Gochujang Sauce

By day, fast-casual chain Saké Jr is a health-focused Japanese inspired smorgasbord of fresh DIY Japanese bowls and sides. With an injection to their menu from renowned chef Neil Perry, the increasingly popular chain has introduced a “Jr By Night” menu that pushes into a different kind of vibe, with a special night-only offering including…

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Wizardfest is Australia’s first touring Harry Potter inspired party

If you hadn’t noticed already, pop culture inspired parties are very popular. There’s something about dressing up and stepping into an IRL RPG-like world where you down cocktails named after cultural touchstones and quote things in badly imitated voices without getting awkward stares. So Wizardfest should go down a treat. What’s Wizardfest? Well as you…

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MICF Review: DeAnne Smith’s Post-Joke Era targets everyone, even herself (performances until April 23rd)

DeAnne Smith loves to poke fun. She pokes fun subtly. She pokes fun with as much full-on intensity too and there’s a bit of intriguing wit in there as well while we are at it. The title of her show, Post-Joke Era is a simple phrase which kind of encapsulates what is all shitty with society….

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Single of the Day: The Ocean Party “Quality Control” (2017)

The Ocean Party are an enigmatic kind of group, with each member sharing vocals and writing. The Melbourne-via-Wagga six piece have just dropped hazy, dreamy, guitar-pop single ‘Quality Control’, recorded in just over an hour in a small NSW coastal town. The track is tongue in cheek, arising from a friend’s comment that the band…

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Real Estate line up three headline gigs in Australia

US indie-rock group Real Estate are treating us with not only a Splendour in the Grass appearance this July, but also with three headline shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. This is the five-piece’s first time returning to Australian shores after their sold out national tour in 2015. This time the group are supporting the release of their…

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Catfish And The Bottlemen announce biggest headline shows ever in Sydney and Melbourne

If blowing crowds away at Falls Festival wasn’t enough of an achievement for the year, Catfish And The Bottlemen are not only taking on Splendour this July, but are also performing two huge sideshows in Sydney and Melbourne. With three entries in 2016’s Hottest 100, it’s no surprise that Aussies have a lot of love for Catfish and The Bottlemen; catch…

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Indie-pop Queen Banks announces headline shows around the country

Indie-pop queen Banks has announced three sideshows to accompany her appearance at Splendour in the Grass this July. Her last Australian appearance was in 2015, where she was a crowd favourite at St Jeromes Laneway Festival, and her headline shows were likened to religious experiences. Don’t miss what are sure to be some of the most alluring SITG sideshows of 2017. Tickets…

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Stormzy announces Gang Signs & Prayer Aussie tour sideshows

Not only will UK grime sensation Stormzy be appearing at Splendour In The Grass this July, he’ll also be performing in Perth, Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne. The multi-award nominated, South London MC will be performing tracks from his UK chart-topping debut album Gang Signs & Prayer. Stormzy, aka Michael Omari, is undoubtedly one of the best grime artists the…

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Lil Yachty announces first ever Australian and New Zealand headline shows

‘Rap’s next big thing’, Lil Yachty, has just announced his first ever Aussie headline shows, accompanying his appearance at Splendour in the Grass in July. The Atlanta rapper is fresh off a sold out North American tour, and will be bringing his hyped live show to stages in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Auckland. Catch Lil Yachty at the dates below…

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Spend “An Evening with Sigur Rós” at their Splendour sideshows

Icelandic dreamweavers Sigur Rós have announced two very special Australian sideshows, to accompany their Splendour in The Grass appearance. The trio are touring Australia for the first time without a support act, and their first non-festival shows in our country in quite a while, performing a transcendental set that spans their career, complete with an interval in the middle….

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Missed out on a Splendour ticket? These sideshows may help ease the pain

With Splendour selling out in record time, it only follows that there’s people who are still desperate to see their favourite acts. If you’re one of the unlucky souls who missed out on a Splendour ticket, this sideshow announcement is bound to cheer you up. Sideshows have just been announced for acts including Two Door Cinema Club, HAIM, George Ezra, Tove Lo, Rag’n’Bone Man, Maggie Rogers, Bishop…

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