Month: October 2017

Games Review: South Park: The Fractured But Whole (PS4, 2017) is a hilariously addictive RPG adventure

When you first jump into South Park: The Fractured But Whole, you pick up from where the last game, The Stick of Truth, and the last episode of the TV series (Season 21, Episode 4 “Franchise Prequel”), leave off. The boys have stopped playing a Lord of the Rings style quest and are now building their own…

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Nightmares come to life as Stranger Things unleashes one final trailer before its release

After a commercially and critically acclaimed first season, the Netflix exclusive series Stranger Things is back for its second season, and it’s right around the corner, with all episodes releasing October 27th. And to get everyone a little more excited, today they’ve released one final trailer to tease us of the coming mystery… This is…

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The Looming Tower coming to Amazon Prime Video in 2018

Amazon has recently announced that it will be bringing the highly anticipated new series, The Looming Tower, to Amazon Prime Video as an exclusive title for Australian members in early 2018. Packed with an all-star cast, The Looming Tower stars Emmy Award Winner Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom, Dumb and Dumber) and Golden Globe and Screen Actors…

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Wintergarden Pictures receives Create NSW funding and SBS Deal for its first project

New Australian independent film company Wintergarden Pictures has secured a selection as one of six filmmaking teams chosen to create fully funded short films that will air on broadcaster SBS’s coverage of the 40th anniversary celebration of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival, taking place in 2018. As the recipients of this year’s Create…

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Nine Network’s new crime thriller Bite club reveals an all-star cast

An all-star cast for Playmaker’s new crime thriller production Bite Club was recently announced at Nine Network’s up-fronts event. Currently in production in Sydney, Bite Club has attracted the attention of both Screen Australia, with a major investment in association with Create NSW. Bite Club revolves around two detectives who after surviving a shark attack, join forces…

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Games Review: Middle-earth: Shadow of War (Xbox One, 2017) is a good idea pulled in too many different directions

Middle-earth: Shadow of War is a game suffering an identity crisis. It knows what it wants to be and makes genuinely big strides in that direction, but it’s hampered by what seems to be publisher interference. Even at the surface level, it feels like a case study for the growing divide in AAA between developer…

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Cunard British Film Festival Review: That Good Night (UK, 2017) is a dull adaption of a stage play that grapples with morality

That Good Night is a film that could be been called “The Last Night.” This is because it’s a drama about second chances and forgiveness. This handsome film is the last one that the late Sir John Hurt acted in and while it has some intriguing moments, it ultimately suffers from being a play that…

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Greek Film Festival Review: Mythopathy (Notias) (Greece, 2016) is a coming-of-age story that should appeal to Greek audiences

Mythopathy (Notias) is a film about a boy. Except he’s not just any old kid. This child is one that experiences heartbreak in a novel way. When it happens, he looks towards ancient Greek mythology and stories and he changes aspects of these to suit his own narrative. This coming-of-age story is emotional and imaginative…

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Theatre Review: Miracle City is a colourful & spirited musical about some kooky televangelists (Sydney Opera House until Oct 29th)

Miracle City is not your typical musical. The show’s director even dubbed it an anti-musical. It’s what you get when the shiny veneer of a Christian family of televangelists implode, live on air. The results are something that are ironic, funny and tragic in almost equal measure. This show first premiered at Sydney Theatre in…

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Shaun Presland returns to make some changes at Sake Restaurant & Bar

When Saké Restaurant & Bar first began in The Rocks back in 2008, celebrated chef Shaun Presland was a major factor in its success. Now Saké is one of the biggest Japanese restaurant names in the country, with venues up and down the east coast and a tremendous following and things are about to take…

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Moon Dog Brewery Bar now doubles as a late-night roller disco (Melbourne)

Melbourne’s packed with inner-city breweries, and all of them have their own special charm but there’s always been something different about Moon Dog Brewery Bar especially now that they’ve taken on more space. The notoriously inventive brewery now serve their best brews in what is best described as a super eclectic (and ridiculously hipster) garage….

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The Middle Aisle brings popular Melbourne Macramé institution to Sydney this weekend

The Middle Aisle, developed and led by Melbourne graphic designer, stylist and Macramé artist Maggie May, has flourished into a popular fixture within the Melbourne arts scene in recent years. Holding an impressive following online and spurring on that momentum with the opening of Think Thornbury (a creative enterprise established by Maggie and fiancée, musician Josh Kelly, to facilitate…

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Robert Plant and the Sensational Shape Shifters & José González bound for the Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is set to host two incredible vocalists next March, with Robert Plant and José González each stopping by for unmissable headline performances alongside their Bluesfest festival appearances. Bringing his band The Sensational Space Shifters to the Concert Hall, Plant will be treading the stage twice, taking the crowd through his extensive career with Led Zeppelin…

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Midnight Oil bringing 10-1 to Fremantle for ‘the oceans’

Their Australian tour is already boasting some of the best shows in recent memory for fans and now, Midnight Oil have added a new date to their extensive list of dates over the next few months. Heading to the Fremantle Arts Centre later this month, the Oils are presenting a special benefit concert to raise money for…

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Music Video of the Day: Holiday Sidewinder “Casino” (2017)

Holiday Sidewinder has returned with a new single in “Casino”, taken from her forthcoming new EP – this is a return we have been hanging out for for ages. Signed with Personal Best Records, “Casino” heralds a new chapter for Holiday as she continues to mine the depths of some hectic psych infused disco pop and…

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Tickets for Angus & Julia Stone’s new Australian tour go on sale this week

Jumping on the momentum their recent run around Australia had spurred on, Angus & Julia Stone are already planning huge shows for 2018. With their new album Snow continuing to make a solid impact with fans, the siblings are striving forward with this new chapter and off the back of recent shows, they’ve proven that they’re…

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The east coast should prepare for another Grouplove onslaught next February

Grouplove‘s connection with Australia extends back far – if you remember that Splendour in the Grass event that first brought the US group out, you’ll remember how much potential burned away and burned brightly on each of those stages Grouplove headlined alongside the festival appearance. Fast forward through albums and various tours that have led…

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Album Review: St. Vincent – MASSEDUCTION (2017 LP)

I have never listened to St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark) before this album, and while I feel I need to go and do that now, I am happy that MASSEDUCTION was my introduction to her music and her amazing talent. MASSEDUCTION is, quite frankly, the best thing I’ve listened to in a while. The production…

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Photos: Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo hit the red carpet at the Sydney premiere of Thor Ragnarok

Stars Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth joined director Taika Waititi and producer Brad Winderbaum at the Sydney premiere of Thor: Ragnarok today. Nathan Atkins was there and brings The Iris these pics from the red carpet: [print_gllr id=43529] Thor: Ragnarok arrives in cinemas on October 26th. ———- This content has recently been ported from its original…

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DVD Review: A Family Man (USA, 2017) is a dull, cliché-ridden family drama

A Family Man is a film about an ambitious, corporate-type who is forced to reassess his priorities. Sound familiar? It’s because this road to redemption is a well-trodden one. A Family Man continues along this journey of clichés without offering anything particularly original or endearing through the process. Gerard Butler (300) stars as Dane Jensen…

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Jerome Borazio announces one-of-a-kind immersive theatrical experience for Melbourne in 2018

He’s widely known as founder of the triumphant St Jermone’s Laneway Festival, the mind who brought a world’s first glamping experience as well as one of the city’s coolest bars, and the guy who turned a disused factory into a hipster chapel of love and creativity, but for his latest gift to Australia Jerome Borazio…

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Melbourne is getting a unique immersive and participatory theatrical experience in 2018

He’s widely known as founder of the triumphant St Jermone’s Laneway Festival, the mind who brought a world’s first glamping experience as well as one of the city’s coolest bars, and the guy who turned a disused factory into a hipster chapel of love and creativity, but for his latest gift to Australia Jerome Borazio…

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Sydney’s top academics to turn the city’s bars into classrooms this month

Following a successful Sydney edition last year, internationally recognised keynote concept Raising the Bar will once again be taking over the city’s favourite drinking holes for the third year in a row. The concept is simple really: facilitated by the University of Sydney, a total of 20 academics will be spread across a program of…

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Sarah Blasko, Jed Kurzel, Briggs and more nominated for the 2017 APRA Screen Music Awards

Nominees for the 2017 Screen Music Awards have been announced by APRA AMCOS and the Australian Guild of Screen Composers, and will be recognised at the official ceremony being held at Melbourne Recital Centre on Sunday Monday 13 November. The awards celebrate the achievements in music composition for documentaries, short films, children’s television, advertising, film…

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Hearing stories of over 65’s having sex is a genius work at the 2017 Melbourne Festival

Sex is such a wonderful exploration of two bodies on an intimate and physical level. For some, it started at a very young age, for others they may have been late bloomers or are even still virgins. Either which way, sex has always been a conversation topic for everyone, but have we as a society…

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Watch Vance Joy bring the certified Platinum “Lay It On Me” to Jimmy Kimmel Live

“Lay It On Me”, could it be Vance Joy‘s next “Riptide”? According to statistics, possibly. The latest single from the Melbourne songwriter has recently been certified Platinum and while his breakthrough debut currently sits pretty at 8x Platinum, “Lay It On Me” is no doubt going to snip away at its heels, and at those of “Fire…

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Music Video of the Day: Milk & Bone “Daydream” (2017)

Canadian duo Milk & Bone have released new visuals, this time for their single “Daydream” – their first release since “New York” first debuted to great response. Rhythmic and intoxicating, “Daydream” is bright and fresh, and the music video reflects it awesomely. Hit the basketball court in the music video, where the landscape’s spaciousness is heightened by…

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The Age Music Victoria Awards open public voting as 2017 nominees are unveiled

The Age Music Victoria Awards are set to take place at 170 Russell in Melbourne on November 22nd as part of this year’s Melbourne Music Week, celebrating 12 years of recognising Victorian musicians and venues continuing to put their city on the map as a thriving artistic hub. Today, the nominees have been announced, with the…

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Gotye set to return home with the music of Jean-Jacques Perrey for MOFO 2018

It makes sense that Gotye‘s return to Australia would have to be with something a little special, no? The musician has been announced on the 2018 MOFO line up with a premiere performance alongside the Ondioline Orchestra. Paying tribute to the late French electronic composer Jean-Jacques Perrey, Gotye has already been named as a program highlight of next year…

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Ecca Vandal recruits Dennis Lyxzén & Jason Aalon Butler for fiery “Price of Living”

We’re just a week out from Ecca Vandal coming through and delivering her much-anticipated debut album and from what people have been hearing already, her self-titled record is set to demonstrate the wide musical spectrum the Melbourne artist has dove into, headfirst. This morning, we’ve received the latest from Ecca – “Price of Living” – arguably one…

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