Year: 2021

Last Night in Soho is a gorgeously crafted giallo tribute drenched in 1960’s London culture: Brisbane International Film Festival review

A gorgeously rendered, lovingly crafted, maybe slightly messy, giallo tribute drenched in 1960’s London culture, Last Night In Soho is the type of film one wishes to dissect and divulge in intimate detail.  But that would entirely undo any service to writer/director Edgar Wright, who has implored audiences the globe over to keep their mouths…

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November 2021 Australian cinema releases: Five films you need to see

After months of theatres sitting dark in NSW, Victoria, and the ACT, cinemas are now open again in every corner of Australia. As expected, the lockdowns brought those painful release date delays most thought we’d left behind in 2020. That means November is stacked with several big releases to encourage Aussie audiences back to the…

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Interview: Azure Ryder on showing imperfection, manifestation and her Ladder To The Moon EP

Azure Ryder launched onto the scene just 18 months ago with “Dizzy” – a track that earned her the most played spot on Triple J despite being previously unknown. That same year, she released two revered EPs Running with The Wolves and Crazy With The Light, while making her live show debut with sold-out shows at Sydney’s Oxford…

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Interview: Remi Wolf on competitiveness, reinvention and Juno

Remi Wolf is a Californian artist making it on to every ‘Must Watch’, ‘Next Generation’, ‘Rising Star’ list with her boundary-pushing pop that is changing the music landscape. She became a global sensation with her I’m Allergic To Dogs! EP which features hits “Photo ID” and “Disco Man” – a follow up to her 2019 You’re A…

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Film Review: Antlers favours emotionally complex horror over standard genre thrills

One of many 2020 titles that saw its original release delayed due to the pandemic, and one of the few that held its nerve and opted out of a streaming alternative, Antlers, from director Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Black Mass) and producer Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, The Shape of Water), proves its bold mentality…

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Every Announcement from PlayStation’s October State of Play

PlayStation’s October State of Play rolled around this morning, with a fresh focus on third party titles and indie games. While some announcements unveiled some entirely new and unseen projects, it was also nice to see some indie games getting the love with some expanse updates. And with that, let’s have a look at the…

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Johnny Hunter

Interview: Nick Hutt from Johnny Hunter on “Life”, influences and dream venues

Sydney’s Johnny Hunter are a post-glam punk rock outfit that has been captivating audiences since 2018. With Nick Hutt providing lead vocals and theatre upfront, Xander Burgess on lead guitar, Nick Cerone on bass and Gerry Thompson on drums, the band has an incredibly captivating live show. Taking their influences from bands such as Joy…

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The Countess from Kirribilli

Book Review: The Countess From Kirribilli delves deep into the life of a complicated woman

Former arts editor turned biographer Joyce Morgan turns her pen to one of Australia’s most famous literary ex-patriots in her latest biography. The Countess from Kirribilli is an in depth look at the life and career of Mary Annette Beauchamp- a.k.a. Elizabeth von Arnim, the beloved author of classic novels like The Enchanted April and Elizabeth and her…

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Subtle Mullets

Exclusive Album Premiere: Subtle Mullets – Burns Still (2021)

Subtle Mullets are a five-piece band from the Inner West of Sydney. They are all self-taught musicians, and with the band starting in high school, they pride themselves on being a queer band. This week they release their debut album, Burns Still. We are thrilled to be premiering the album, ahead of its release tomorrow,…

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The War On Drugs

Album of the Week: The War on Drugs – I Don’t Live Here Anymore (2021 LP)

As far as band names go, The War On Drugs is one of the best. Another thing they do pretty damn well is making fulfilling and assertive stadium rock. Returning more than four years since previous album A Deeper Understanding, The War On Drugs are back with I Don’t Live Here Anymore, a more toned…

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Film Review: Halloween Kills delights in gory nonsense, but none of the atmosphere of its predecessors

As the flashing lights of fire brigades speed past a bruised and bloodied Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) in the opening moments of Halloween Kills, it becomes all too evident that the haunting figure that is Michael Myers is far from vanquished; her desperate screams of “Let him burn” practically beg the oft-called ‘boogeyman’ to…

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Interview: Mildlife on playing to penguins, Opera House dreams and messages from afar

Melbourne psychedelic jazz rockers Mildlife should have been embarking on an Australian tour right now, including playing at Vivid Sydney and the revered Sydney Opera House. But COVID-19 had other ideas. Instead the five-piece, who had been working on a new album prior to the proposed tour, have been stuck in lockdown in Melbourne like…

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Interview: JESSIA on her debut EP “How Are You?”, Ryan Tedder and being present

January 1st 2021 was a literal reset for JESSIA, when she posted a little snippet of a melody on TikTok that had viewers hooked. Within 72 hours, she’d polished it into an entire single and released the anthemic “I’m Not Pretty”, which went on to inspire a viral trend on the platform. It’s been less…

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Briggs

Track of the Week: Briggs ft. Troy Cassar-Daley “Shadows” (2021)

Our Track of the Week is “Shadows”, from hip-hop artist and Yorta-Yorta man, Briggs, featuring Troy Cassar-Daley. The track is an adaption of Troy Cassar-Daley’s “Shadows On The Hill”. These two potent artists have combined to share and acknowledge a shameful and important part of this country’s history. Troy shares the background of the track, and how…

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Good Sport

Exclusive Video Premiere: Good Sport “Big Push” (2021)

Good Sport is the solo project for Pittsburgh producer and songwriter Ryan Hizer.  We are thrilled today to be premiering the video of “Big Push”, which was on his debut album, Boring Magic. This is a track with a strong hypnotic beat, bursting with catchy hooks and layered vocals. There are many elements in this…

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Interview: Halloween Kills director David Gordon Green on how classic cinema inspired him and the pressure of taking on an iconic horror franchise

After pushing 2018’s sequel-cum-reboot Halloween to record breaking statistics, it only made sense that writer/director David Gordon Green was handed a sequel to continue revelling in Michael Myers’ carnage. Not only granted a sequel – Halloween Kills – but a trilogy (Halloween Ends, set for a 2022 release) to boot, Green expanded on the violent…

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Film Review: Ron’s Gone Wrong delivers its mature message with a sense of adolescent abandon

Comparisons between Ron’s Gone Wrong and 2014’s Big Hero 6 seem inevitable, yet, apart from the central relationship between a young adolescent boy and an operated robot, the two share little DNA, so it’s probably best that’s put to bed before going any further.  Much like the titular Ron, the Sarah Smith/Jean-Phillipe Vine-directed feature is…

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Terrify your TBR with the Book Team’s favourite spooky reads!

The AU Review film buffs have had their say, now it’s time for the Books Team to have theirs! If you’re considering spending Halloween buried in a book with the lights firmly on (no judgement here!), allow us to recommend a few spooky season reads! From the Corner of His Eye by Dean Koontz On…

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Acchy

Melbourne’s Acchy releases his fiery new single “Never Falling in Love Again”

Melbourne’s Acchy has launched a blistering retort via his latest single, “Never Falling in Love Again”, lamenting a relationship that has turned sour. Lachlan Sallabank (aka Acchy) burst onto the scene in 2019, inspired by artists such as Green Day, Bliss n Esso and Eminem. You can definitely get some Green Day feels in this…

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My Dead Dad is a deeply personal feeling film with an accessible personality: Austin Film Festival review

  When Lucas (Pedro Correa) learns that his father has passed away and subsequently left him an entire apartment complex in Los Angeles, he’s emotionally perturbed, to say the least.  Learning of such tragic news and such a vast inheritance in the one sitting would be enough for anyone to re-evaluate their existence, but given…

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Age of Empire’s WOLOL-O’s Cereal is a Nutritious Blast From the Past

If you’re old enough, you might remember getting your first taste of Age of Empires, along with a bite of nutritious cereal, from a Nutri-Grain box. It’s also hard to believe that sweet moment from my childhood was also almost 20-years ago. Damn. Well apparently so do the team at Microsoft were fond of this…

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The Latest Halo Infinite Trailer Brings the Goods

343 Industries revealed the latest look at Halo Infinite overnight, presenting an action-packed look at what Halo fans can expect from the campaign, when it launches on December 8. Accompanied by that sweet, glorious Halo theme, we get to see Master Chief embark on a quest to track down what remains of Cortana, as the…

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How to Start a Travel Blog in 8 Steps

If you’re wondering how to start a travel blog, you’ve come to the ideal place. With blogging, you get the chance to educate, inspire and entertain your readers, and as you grow, you begin making money. While most people think of travel blogging as time-consuming and daunting, you cannot go wrong with this. In this…

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Yours and Owls

Yours and Owls set to return in April 2022 – dates announced

Yours and Owls is set to return in 2022, two weeks before Easter, on 2nd and 3rd April. It will be returning to Stuart Park in Wollongong. The organisers somehow managed to pull off a fabulous event in 2021, despite significant social distance restrictions being put in place. It was one of the few festivals…

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“What’s your favourite scary movie?” The AU Team share their top cinema scares just in time for Halloween!

Spooky season is well and truly upon us, and the team here at The AU Review are firing up the popcorn maker and getting ready to enjoy our favourite scary movies. If you’re looking for some ideas for that horror marathon you’re planning this weekend, here’s a few films had us checking under our beds…

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Two Tickets to Mars embraces the pessimism and metaphysical questions that come with facing the end of the world: Austin Film Festival short film review

In these pandemic-driven times, the idea of inhabiting another planet sounds more and more appealing.  And with space travel now becoming somewhat generally accessible – sure, you have to be filthy rich, but it’s still a step up from it being exclusive to astronauts only – it stands to reason that such a concept could…

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Time Now skewers a tried and true narrative with a surprise unconventionality: Austin Film Festival review

A descent into grief and an examination on the affects of re-opening old wounds, Time Now, from writer/director Spencer King, is a tragic thriller that implements an unreliable narrator to maintain a certain intrigue as it navigates its central tragedy. Jenny (Eleanor Lambert, daughter of Diane Lane and Christopher Lambert) is feeling secluded and alone…

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Florian

Florian’s ultimate 80’s inspired birthday playlist

Last month, Sydney’s Florian released another sparkling pop song, this time being the shimmering “Seventeen”. 2021 has already been a year of quality releases for the talented singer/songwriter, with “Patrick Swayze” and “Yours & Mine” both making waves. “Seventeen” is tinged with an 80’s vibe, as she reflects on a younger version of herself,  with…

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The Card Counter is unsure of which narrative hand it wants to play: Brisbane International Film Festival review

Kenny Rogers so famously told us “You gotta know when to fold ’em”, and in The Card Counter writer/director Paul Schrader seems unsure as to which hand he wants to confidently play.  It’s not that this film is poorly made, nor is his commitment to the representation of desolation anything other than pure, but it’s…

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Swan Song proves an absolute joy to behold due to Udo Kier’s beautiful, vanity-free performance: Brisbane International Film Festival review

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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