Month: March 2021

First Impressions: Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is comforting in its canon familiarity

Right from the opening moments of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier – an extended action sequence amid rock formations spearheaded by Anthony Mackie‘s Falcon – it’s evident that the intent of this show is to link it to the prototype of the Marvel canon we’ve come to expect.  After WandaVision took bold swings, this…

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Guest Playlist: Set the mood with Riley Pearce’s top 10 love songs

After being caught up in Melbourne’s lockdown, indie singer-songwriter Riley Pearce and his long-term girlfriend took two big steps: they returned to Riley’s hometown of Perth AND got a puppy. That sure sounds like love to us! It was also a great opportunity for Pearce to take his first musical deep dive into love song…

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Square Enix Presents

Every trailer from today’s Square Enix Presents broadcast

The first-ever Square Enix Presents broadcast arrived early this morning, showing off a raft of new games from one of the world’s most beloved third-party publishers. Before you get too excited: there were no Final Fantasy announcements to be found. Indeed, the show ran surprisingly low on the JRPG’s that are Square’s bread and butter. However,…

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The Paris Library

Book Review: Reading is a rebellious act in Janet Skeslien Charles’s The Paris Library

In 1939, Odile Souchet applies for a job at the American Library in Paris, having just completed her library studies degree. An avid reader, Odile is so well-suited for a job as a librarian she even thinks in Dewey Decimal subject headings sometimes. Odile is drawn to the ALP because it is the place where…

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PlayStation EVO

PlayStation acquires EVO fighting game tournament, drops 2021 dates

Sony announced this morning that it has acquired the Evolution Championship Series, the biggest fighting game tournament in the world. Fans and contestants simply call it EVO. Sony Interactive Entertainment and RTS, an esports startup under Endeavour, have acquired the “assets and properties” of the EVO tournament. From today, all future EVO events become PlayStation…

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SXSW Film Review: Swan Song is a reminder to the queer trailblazers of where they have been and how far the community has come

German character actor Udo Kier is so synonymous with villainy that his role in Swan Song appears all the more revelatory.  But given the actor’s own queer identification and penchant for theatrical performances, a character like his at the centre of Todd Stephens‘s gentle dramedy feels quite in tune with the actor’s aesthetic. Based on…

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SXSW Film Review: Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil amplifies her unique voice over the tragedies that have defined her existence

Not unlike the professional front Katy Perry put forward in her Part of Me documentary, where she grinned and performed for a mass crowd only moments after being informed that her marriage (at the time) was over, Demi Lovato similarly bravely faces her adoring fans night after night in the early seconds of Dancing with…

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SXSW Short Film Review: The Thing That Ate The Birds holds up a mirror to one’s own conscience in a more fantastical manner

Written and directed by Sophie Mair and Dan Gitsham, The Thing That Ate The Birds is an atmospheric short that teases a darker universe we can only hope could be expanded on. Abel (Eoin Slattery) and Grace (Rebecca Palmer) are on the verge of separation, but the tragic circumstances surrounding their farmland have pushed their…

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SXSW Film Review: The Feast delights in both metaphorical and mythical terror

One of those films that has a log line that feels all too familiar, Lee Haven Jones‘s The Feast presents itself as a supernaturally inclined horror film on the surface, only to gradually morph into an allegory of sorts that runs deeper than the film’s initial mentality would have you believe. Set in a secluded,…

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Interview: French Exit actress Danielle Macdonald on the specificity of the script and witnessing masterclass acting with Michelle Pfeiffer

Australian actress Danielle Macdonald has wasted no time racking up an impressive resume in the near-decade she’s been working on screen.  Biding her time between acclaimed Australian dramas (I Am Woman) and Netflix successes (Dumplin’, Bird Box), the Sydney-born talent is furthering her mark in Azazel Jacobs’s surreal comedy French Exit (Read our review here)….

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SXSW Film Review: Introducing, Selma Blair highlights the actress’s wit and charm in the face of her battle with MS

As displayed by her effortless wit and charm in the opening seconds of Introducing, Selma Blair, the actress’ own self-awareness has been one of her pillars of strength as she battles multiple sclerosis (MS).  Always aware of her supporting actress stance in Hollywood – the star noting as such throughout – the Legally Blonde alum…

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SXSW Film Review: Paul Dood’s Deadly Lunch Break is as uplifting and positive as it is dark and shockingly violent

A film that’s as uplifting and positive as it is dark and shockingly violent (at times), Paul Dood’s Deadly Lunch Break is a quintessentially British black comedy that roots for the underdog, even when he perhaps doesn’t deserve it. The titular Paul Dood (Tom Meeten) is a bit of a pathetic character, but one who’s…

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Maisie Peters

Interview: Maisie Peters on “John Hughes Movie”, Brighton and her debut album

Maisie Peters grew to Internet fame since launching her YouTube back in 2015. Six years on and she’s rising to take over the globe with the success of her latest single “John Hughes Movie” (her favourite is Ferris Bueller’s Day Off).  Touting Taylor Swift as a fan and her inspiration, Peters is the next generation…

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SXSW Film Review: The Fallout is an authentic snap-shot of a movie that runs high on emotion

A devastatingly topical drama surrounding a school shooting and the emotional and psychological damage such a tragedy can cause for its survivors, The Fallout takes a quieter, more intimate look at the unseen faces – those that aren’t framed in the media as “a survivor”, merely fellow students who are unsure how to navigate their…

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Inklines

Inklines share the albums that got them through 2020 and new single “Blossom”

Sydney’s Inklines are tracing out their path for 2021 with the drop of their new single, “Blossom”. Following the release of their EP Bookclub, last year, the band have been generating powerful and earnest alt-rock blends and testing the lengths and limits of their sound. Leading the way on vocals and guitar is Will Tremain….

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Pinkish Blu’s Top 5 Adelaide Haunts

Indie outfit Pinkish Blu are officially coming in not pink, not blue, but red hot, with a new single and a list of live shows. Previously supporting the likes of The Rubens and Trophy Eyes, the Adelaide band is quickly becoming one of South Australia’s most promising acts, with their new track “Backward” being all your…

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Today We're The Greatest

Album of the Week: Today We’re The Greatest sets up Middle Kids to become one of the country’s best

The last time I wrote anything about Middle Kids I made a not so subtle comparison between the Sydney band and Australian musical royalty Paul Kelly. At the time, they were touring their debut album Lost Friends and had released a little song called “Mistake”, which I’d go on to call the best song of 2018….

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SXSW Film Review: Potato Dreams of America tells a bold story in an artificial manner

There’s that old chestnut saying that truth is stranger than fiction, and it would appear that no one knows this more than writer/director Wes Hurley.  An autobiographical tale of growing up queer in the USSR in the 1980’s, Potato Dreams of America is an often bizarre, occasionally sad, but completely unique feature that, however trite…

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Hold Your Fire

Book Review: Chloe Wilson pulls no punches in their debut Hold Your Fire

Hold Your Fire is the highly anticipated short story collection by Australian writer, Chloe Wilson. Containing work which has been previously published in Granta, The Iowa Review, The Big Issue and the Australian Book Review online, the publication of this book marks the arrival of a new powerhouse in Australian short fiction. Each of the seventeen…

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Camarano

WA’s Camarano takes us on a journey through their debut album, Where Am I Now?

Last week saw West Australian act Camarano release their debut album, Where Am I Now?.  The album is the band’s first major release since their EP Shadow Calling in 2019. Meanwhile, they’ve been teasing the album across the last year, drip feeding us a trio of singles: “Holiday Inn”, “Give It To Me Straight”, and…

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Paradise Teo & Jay

Exclusive Single Premiere: Teo & Jay “Paradise” (2021)

Duo Teo & Jay release their second single of 2021 this week. “Paradise”, only the duo’s third single, is a sweet self-produced slice of R&B. Officially released on Friday, we’re excited to bring you this chance to hear it before the rest. The duo met at Berkley’s College of Music, and have been working together…

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Film Review: Crisis details a heavy story without succumbing to its own weight

A multi-faceted drama designed in a manner not unlike Steven Soderbergh’s acclaimed, layered Traffic, Crisis‘ own multiple-strand approach to storytelling is understandable, but also can’t help but highlight the fact that director Nicholas Jarecki‘s ambition outweighs his ability to smoothly execute. There’s much to be discussed here, with Jarecki commenting on the many facets of…

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SXSW Film Review: Here Before utilises its supernatural premise and twists it when we least expect

Creepy children are always good fodder for horror-leaning films, and Here Before, whilst more psychological thriller than all-out horror, is no exception with writer/director Stacey Gregg utilising the premise and twisting it just so. Andrea Riseborough leads the charge as Laura in this small, gradual thriller that focuses on young Megan, a seemingly friendly school…

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SXSW Film Review: Recovery adds as much levity as it can to the global pandemic

A comedy both made during and about the pandemic that has forever altered the landscape of the world, Recovery adds as much levity as it can to the most devastating of situations.  Written, directed and headlined by the relatable comedy duo of Mallory Everton and Whitney Call (Everton serving as director and co-writer, Call as…

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EggSlut’s Alvin Cailan leads new Potts Point pop up “Iconic Burger”

To celebrate the fact that online platform The Burger Collective is now doing delivery – TBC Delivery (it’s like your favourite delivery service, but only with burgers) – celeb chef Alvin Cailan has decided to open a new Potts Point pop-up called Iconic Burger. Kicking off on the 17th March for 3 weeks only, the…

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Paul The Kid

Exclusive Single Premiere: Paul The Kid “WYD” (2021)

Paul The Kid, the versatile Kiwi artist pumping out a fun blend of hip hop, reggae and dance has another banger to brighten our day. We premiered “Palm Trees & Ciggies” back in December last year, and we are thrilled to be premiering his latest tune, “WYD”, short-hand for “What Ya Drinking?”. The big questions…

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Track of the Week: Bugs “Diamond” (2021)

It’s been a monster six months for Bugs. They’ve shared sold out stages with the likes of Mallrat and Waax, and even made their triple J Hottest 100 debut with their Like A Version cover of Mallrat’s “Charlie”. Now, the trio is back with a new single, and we’re stoked to be naming “Diamond” this…

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Scribd has entered the Aussie ebook arena

US ebook and audiobook subscription service Scribd has officially thrown its hat into the Australian ring – and it’s got Amazon and Audible firmly in its sights. For $13.99 month, Scribd users will get unlimited access to a vast library of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, podcasts, and sheet music. And to sweeten the deal, the Scribd…

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Brother Sister Mother Explorer

Book Review: Jamie Figueroa captivates with debut novel Brother, Sister, Mother, Explorer

In the tiny tourist town of Ciudad de Tres Hermanas, brother and sister Rafa and Rufina are slowly unravelling in the aftermath of their mother’s death. But, although Rosalinda has passed away, she is yet to pass on, making her presence known by banging pots and pans and kicking the walls. Rufina sees and hears…

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SXSW Film Review: Executive Order is an often infuriating and incredibly timely film

Literally adopting the phrase “Go back to where you came from” and structuring a thriller-leaning narrative around it, Lazaro Ramos‘s Executive Order is an often infuriating and incredibly timely film given the racial prejudice that has framed the last 12 months. Set in a near-dystopian future in Rio de Janeiro, the film starts on the…

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