Year: 2021

Film Review: A Writer’s Odyssey is a visually astounding fantasy thrill ride

A Writer’s Odyssey (formerly known as Assassin in Red) is the latest film from Chinese filmmaker Lu Yang. He is best known for the Brotherhood of Blades films; sterling examples of martial arts pieces that manage to branch out of genre conventions and become something more as they both venture into crime fiction. They were…

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Vietnamese Curry Lamingtons: Tokyo Lamington and Hello Auntie are a match made in Lunar heaven

It’s no secret now that Tokyo Lamington is one of the best new dessert shops in the country. After all, they are taking the most beloved spongy treat the country has ever known and layering on a dazzling amount of creativity, with everything from Davidson Plum to Pandan & Coconut sprucing up the classic. Now…

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Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury Review: Never count the plumber out

Nintendo loves getting experimental with their flagship franchises, and Mario has by far benefitted most from this penchant. From make-your-own Mario games packed full of features to redefine creation-based gaming, to legendary kart-racing and unique RPGs, there is honestly very few words as exciting as “Mario” for Nintendo players. But overkill is easy. Exhaustion can…

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Aussie thriller The Drover’s Wife joins SXSW Film Festival as full lineup revealed

The 2021 SXSW Film Festival has revealed its full line up for its 28th edition for SXSW Online, running March 16th-20th, 2021.  The previously announced Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil, a hard-hitting documentary covering the personal and professional life of the pop star, including her fatal near-overdose, will serve as the festival’s opener, whilst…

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Black Star Pastry new store in Newtown

Black Star Pastry opens fresh Newtown store, this time on King Street

It has been 13 years since Black Star Pastry opened un unassuming shopfront in Newtown, slightly veered off the main strip of King Street with a diminutive space popping with vibrant cakes and fresh pastries. Now, the internationally renowned bakery and sweets shop has firmed their grip on Newtown’s culinary scene by making the big…

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Live Review: Holy Holy + Queen P – Forum, Melbourne (11.02.21)

9:30pm on a Thursday night and the Forum had a long line queuing around the side of Hozier Lane. Everyone was waiting to get in to see Holy Holy and their opening act, Queen P. There was extra tension in the queue: for many of us, it was the first time seeing an artist play…

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Destruction AllStars

Destruction AllStars Review: Return of the weekend rental

In a year like 2021, I think Destruction AllStars is the video game vibe we may all be looking for. Last year, Animal Crossing: New Horizons gave us solace, somewhere peaceful to retreat to as the world fell apart. Among Us would later change that vibe to something more aggressive. It allowed us to reconnect through…

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Change Your Thinking to Change Your Life

Book Review: Kate James’s Change Your Thinking to Change Your Life brims with life positivity lessons

These crazy Covid times have most likely left people feeling as though they were living the wrong life. For those of you questioning and soul-searching, never fear as life coach, Kate James is here to help. She is an author who has worked in the realms of positive psychology and meditation practices for some time….

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Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart launching in June, drops brand new trailer

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart has a release date. Insomniac’s latest will arrive June 11, 2021, according to a new post on the official PlayStation Blog. “When the evil Dr. Nefarious uses a device that can access alternate dimensions to find a galaxy where he always wins, Ratchet and Clank are separated,” the post reads….

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Film Review: I Care A Lot is further proof of Rosamund Pike’s devilish star quality

Given just how maliciously magnetic she was in Gone Girl, it makes sense that devoted fans would be awaiting another Rosamund Pike performance that allows the actress to delight in all the dark ambition so evident in her Oscar-nominated turn. That’s certainly not to say she hasn’t been delivering the goods in the years since,…

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Film Review: Another Round overcomes its farcical premise with an organic honesty

You’d be forgiven for reading the plot outline for Another Round and assuming wacky comedic hijinks would ensue.  Based around a surprisingly real theory put forward by Norwegian psychiatrist Finn Skårderud, who suggested that humans could operate at their best with a consistent blood alcohol level of .05%, Thomas Vinterberg‘s dramedy is occasionally humorous as…

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Sundance Review: I Was a Simple Man is a beautifully assembled and yet malnourished film

Set in the present-day Oahu, Hawaii, the film follows the story of Masao (Steve Iwamoto), an aging patriarch who is spending his serene days in his home, with his vast family who intermittently keep him company. His health is deteriorating and his relationship with his family becomes more and more estranged. When he contemplates his…

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Melbourne’s Musical Theatre Scene Revived: 5 shows not to miss in 2021

Melbourne’s theatre scene is back! If you’ve missed the feeling of sitting in one of Melbourne’s lavish theatres, enjoying snacks and a drink from the bar while enjoying a show to remember, get excited because there’s a stellar lineup of shows ready to blow you away. From the Comedy Theatre to Her Majesty’s, Melbourne’s best…

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Sundance Review: We’re All Going to the World’s Fair is an outstanding directorial debut from Schoenbrun

Set in present day America, the film follows the story of Casey, a lonely teenager who participates in an online game known as the World’s Fair Challenge; a game that promises to be the scariest game in existence. After starting the game, Casey records videos of herself and posts them online in order to document…

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Luca Brasi

Album of the Week: Luca Brasi – Everything is Tenuous (2021 LP)

Google defines tenuous as “very weak or slight; insubstantial”. While this could very well be a text book definition of my physique, there’s nothing tenuous about my next claim: Luca Brasi has absolutely crushed their new album, Everything is Tenuous. Returning with their fifth LP, the Tasmanian legends have managed to kick things up a…

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Sundance Review: In Prisoners of the Ghostland, Nic Cage’s acting style fits Sono’s direction like a glove

When one hears of a collaboration between acclaimed Japanese maverick filmmaker Sion Sono between American’s acting dynamo Nicolas Cage; one cannot help but be intrigued. Even people who dislike their work would love to see the final result of their work just to see what it would be like because the very idea of such…

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Film Review: Wrong Turn takes a couple of wrong turns and becomes a hodgepodge of horror

Wrong Turn appears to be your stock-standard horror which takes a group of young twenty-somethings into a remote rural part of the US for some hiking fun. Although none of it is very fun and absolutely no good times are had. As you might imagine, during the hiking trip, on the Appalachian trail, one of…

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Eye Of A Rook

Book Review: Invisible illness spotlighted in Eye of a Rook, the insightful debut novel from Josephine Taylor

Josephine Taylor‘s debut novel is something a little bit different for Fremantle Press. Mixing historical fiction with contemporary, Eye of a Rook takes a look at women’s health throughout recent centuries, shining a light particularly on attitudes to chronic illnesses and women’s pain. Based on the author’s own experiences with vulvodynia, Taylor hopes that this book…

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Win a double in-season pass to MINARI in Australia

Thanks to Madman Entertainment we have ten double passes to give away to the upcoming release of the Golden Globe-nominated MINARI, the tender and sweeping story for writer/director Lee Isaac Chung, and starring Steven Yuen. The film arrives in Australian cinemas on February 18th. Minari follows a Korean-American family that moves to a tiny Arkansas farm in…

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Duckboi

Exclusive Single Premiere: Duckboi “Going to the Beach” (2021)

Wollongong must have something in its waters because it keeps throwing up talented artists. Duckboi, the solo-project for Jack Lincoln is no exception. He is about to drop his latest surf-infused hypnotic song, “Going to the Beach”. We are excited to have the premiere of this short, fun and quirky tune ahead of its release…

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Five gorgeous tiny homes perfect for a completely private Valentine’s Day in NSW

Forget cards, jewellery, chocolates or flowers this Valentine’s Day. In 2021, a romantic staycation is quite possibly the best way to mark the occasion. Better still, Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday this year, so there’s an ideal excuse to enjoy a weekend escape. If you’re feeling like a tiny house escape this weekend, you’re…

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Yawdoesitall

Guest Playlist: Yawdoesitall and Tawanda take us through the tracks which have influenced them

Sydney emcee Yawdoesitall has started the year with the release of a smoking new track, “Test Drive”, featuring the vocals of fellow Sydney-side producer Tawanda. This is a tune with an infectious beat and gives off some serious vibes. The two vocalists bounce off each other, complementing each other perfectly. Producer Miiner provided the beat…

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Hearthstone

Hearthstone adds its own new WOW Classic-style format

Hearthstone fans are celebrating the announcement of a new Classic Format game mode that mimics what the game was like at launch. Classic Format uses only the original 240 cards that Hearthstone launched with. Any changes made to these cards since launch are rolled back. Warsong Commander will once again grant all your minions Charge….

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Zac Henderson

Track by Track: Zac Henderson takes us through his debut LP Lay The Stones

Tasmanian singer-songwriter Zac Henderson has just dropped his debut LP, Lay The Stones. It’s a beautiful collection of songs he has meticulously crafted over the years. This follows on from his debut EP, Procrastination which was released four years ago. Touring has kept Zac busy, but finally, he has been able to spend time in…

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Film Review: Long Story Short expresses the importance of time and relationships without resorting to emotional manipulation

The tried and true formula of the “time loop” sub-genre in film has been adopted many a time; the Happy Death Day films, Edge of Tomorrow, the recent Palm Springs, and the seminal Groundhog Day being arguably the prototype for such offerings.  For Long Story Short, the sophomore effort from Australian writer/director/actor Josh Lawson (The…

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Riley Pearce

Exclusive Single Premiere: Riley Pearce “Golden Retriever” (2021)

Alt-folk singer-songwriter Riley Pearce, is about to release the third single, “Golden Retriever’ off his forthcoming EP, Love And All That Stuff. We are thrilled to have the premiere of this bouncy summery track ahead of its release this Friday. This track has a beat and a groove which sucks you in from the first few…

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The Moroccan Daughter

Book Review: Explore family secrets and Moroccan culture in Deborah Rodriguez’s The Moroccan Daughter

The Moroccan Daughter, the new novel from bestselling author Deborah Rodriguez, will take you on a journey through the streets of Morocco. Introducing you to the sights, smells and tastes of the culture, and the traditions and dynamics of family and country. Amina Bennis returns to Morocco and her childhood home for her sister’s wedding….

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Ben Elton to kick off rescheduled 2020 Australian shows next month

Comedy returns to Australia from March 2021 with news that Ben Elton is returning for his first stand-up show in 15 years. In 2019, Ben Elton announced a brand-new comedy show called Ben Elton Live, which was to tour Australia in 2020. That was postponed for obvious reasons. His tour has been expanded with new…

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Track of the Week: KAI CULT “Cigarette Burns” (2021)

Melbourne post-punker KAI CULT has dropped his follow-up to “Massive Checks“, and it’s another absolute ripper. Mixed by Ashwin Rao of Singapore’s Knightingale, “Cigarette Burns” is a fast-paced slice of frenetic punk. It’s energetic and anthemic, designed to be played loudly or not at all. The accompanying music video is a deliciously DIY affair, shot…

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Loud

Book Review: Tana Douglas’s Loud proves it’s a hard rock life

Rock and roll ain’t easy on the artists. It’s no picnic for the roadies either, as Tana Douglas’s memoir, Loud proves. Douglas was the world’s first female roadie. Her first book gives us a fly on the wall account of her life and career in music. She and her fellow crew members worked hard, played…

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