Month: October 2023

Film Review: Victim is a distressing watch about the online radicalisation of today’s youth

Throughout Victim‘s 14 minute running time, the tension laid forth by writer/director Robin Summons is near-unbearable as it traces a radicalised teenager and his increasingly concerned mother. Offspring favourite Kat Stewart brings a sweet yet stern nature to the role of Chrissy, a single mother whose seeming one wish is to have a collected dinner…

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SXSW Sydney – What did we see?

For those in the know, South by Southwest (always referred to as SXSW) is an institution. It’s an all-encompassing media, technology, gaming, film and music conference, networking opportunity and party that lasts a week and –some would say – takes a year to get over. It’s been going for 35 years in its hometown and…

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Interview: Scarygirl‘s Remy Hii on his love of animation and finding the right voice for his unique character

From the glamour of Crazy Rich Asians to the Christmas cheer of The Princess Switch 3, by way of being Tom Holland’s romantic rival in Spider-Man: Far From Home, Malaysian-Australian actor Remy Hii certainly forged a formidable path in his career thus far. But I don’t think any of that prepared him for the “Giant,…

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Beck

Review and Photo Gallery: Harvest Rock II showcases global music and regional Adelaide food and wine

The second instalment of Harvest Rock is back in the Adelaide parklands, bigger and better than even the first. After last year’s wet weather, the event organisers ensured plenty of astroturf would keep the mud away if it did rain. Luckily, this weekend we were blessed with glorious weather after a brief early shower at…

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Interview: Jillian Nguyen on voicing Scarygirl; “It felt very sacred.”

In another case of someone making the most of their lockdown potential during COVID, Australian actress Jillian Nguyen auditioned for a voice role as she was confined to hotel quarantine.  That role ended up being for the lead in a bold, ambitious new locally made animated feature – Scarygirl. As the family film continues to…

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Late Night With the Devil is a twisted take on the “found footage” horror film: Brisbane International Film Festival Review

“Before we continue I’d like to apologize to anyone who might be upset or offended by what you saw before the break. It’s not every day you see a demonic possession on live television.” Not the most typical sentence you’d expect to hear from a late night host, but such is the statement made by…

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Briohny Doyle

Book Review: Briohny Doyle’s Why We Are Here teaches that when life knocks you down have faith in Dog

Miles Franklin Award nominated author Briohny Doyle earlier this year released, Why We Are Here, a touching new novel about love, loss, dogs and golf courses. Frankly any book that starts with discussions of dogs’ scrotums and golf course mishaps has succeeded in piquing my interest. The novel follows the story of a girl –…

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Game Review: Gargoyles Remastered serves up stellar visuals but falters with shallow gameplay

I grew up in the late 90s watching most of these animated Disney shows, but Gargoyles seemingly evaded me. Be it the limited exposure here in Australia, or my own ignorance, I never really had much of a connection to it. While I’ve certainly watched a few episodes of the series since then, my knowledge…

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Brisbane International Film Festival’s uproarious reception as the sunshine state centres on cinema

The BIFF is back! As the Brisbane International Film Festival continues to go from strength to strength as an industry must-do, newly appointed CEO Luke Wheatley and Screen Queensland CEO Jacqui Feeney made sure the festival’s 29th year was worthy of an Uproar-ious reception. A celebration of films for audiences seeking new perspectives and memorable…

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Live Review: The Corrs leave Sydney ‘Breathless’ – Qudos Bank Arena (29.10.23)

There has to be something said for the power of nostalgia. Despite not having any major success in Australia as of late – at least comparatively to when they first burst on the scene in the mid-90s – The Corrs packed out Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena to practical maximum capacity as they delighted fans with…

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Game Review: Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 is still a worthy package

Providing some of the most memorable titles across nine generations of consoles, from the NES to the PlayStation 5, Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 wraps up a significant portion of this franchise’s history in one convenient package. While there are plenty of reasons to return for the ride, this collection feels like a missed…

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How to travel in style with Levi’s 501 jeans

Compromising on your personal style while travelling has always been a big issue. You’re limited by luggage, it’s often hard to get a sense of the weather each day, and sometimes you’re too rushed to even think about what to wear. That’s why it’s a good idea to find a balance when you’re travelling. You…

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SXSW Sydney 2023: Our top 5 experiences

SXSW celebrated its inaugural event in Australia with events happening all across the city of Sydney. While there were over 500 events to choose from, we managed to whittle it down to the five best gaming experiences we had during our time across the various events. Please note, these are in no particular order. Troy…

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SXSW Sydney 2023: Lenovo launches Legion Go

Fresh from its showcase at SXSW, Lenovo has revealed the launch of the Legion Go, a handheld gaming device that offers console-level performance with a beautiful touch display. The console itself may remind you of another certain hand-held on the market as it “Switches” up its format with two detachable controllers on each side of…

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Photo Gallery: The Lemon Twigs – Corner Hotel, Melbourne (26.10.23)

New York quirky rockers The Lemon Twigs packed out the Corner Hotel on Thursday, swinging past the Melbourne venue on their Harvest Rock sideshow tour. With equally enigmatic Jack Ladder as support, the Southside bandroom was truly rocked by the Long Island twins. Eloise Coomber was there to capture the action.

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Live Review: Paul McCartney – Allianz Stadium, Sydney (27.10.23)

How does someone with more than 60 years of music fit it all into a headline show? The answer is, dear reader, they don’t. It’s simply not possible. Playing night one of two at Allianz Stadium, the legendary Paul McCartney did however manage to warm the hearts, ears, memories and nostalgia of the Sydney crowd…

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Win a slick new gaming mouse from Logitech valued at $199

Speed, accuracy and as low an input lag as physically possible. These are the qualities you’d want from a high-end gaming mouse, such as Logitech’s G303. Luckily for you, it’s part of our run of giveaways in the lead-up to Christmas. And we’ve got two units that’ll go straight to some of our lucky readers….

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You can now get Vietnamese pho-inspired beef wellingtons in Sydney

The fusion between French and Vietnamese is well-recognised but hardly represented as well as it should be in Sydney. There are exceptions. One of my favourite Vietnamese restaurants in Sydney, Hello Auntie, offers a masterclass in Vietnamese cuisine while paying homage to its French roots. And sister venue Hey Chu does it just as well….

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Bring Him To Me‘s masculine energy can’t mask its genre unoriginality: Brisbane International Film Festival Review

Having dealt with a duo of alien invasions for his Occupation films, it makes sense that Australian filmmaker Luke Sparke would want to look at something a little more grounded for his next cinematic feat.  Whilst still working with an exaggerated mentality, Bring Him To Me is a crime thriller that bathes in a smaller,…

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Interview: My Cousin Vlad chats about his journey from real estate agent to comedian

Landing by accident on the comedy scene in 2019, My Cousin Vlad is Australia’s first official ‘Immaculagent’. A real estate agent by day, and an observational professor by night… actually… by day as well. While on his CATASTROPHA National Tour, and ahead of his shows in Newcastle, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth, we called him to…

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Album Review: Taking Back Sunday’s 152 is a tremendous return to form

Taking Back Sunday‘s triumphant return to the music scene is marked by their eighth studio album, 152 This long-awaited release, their first full-length endeavour since 2016, is a nostalgic ode to their roots and the memories of their formative years in North Carolina. The album’s title, a reference to the road connecting Highpoint, Chapel Hill,…

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Film Review: The Killer is a precise and darkly comedic antidote for genre expectation

With its tried and true premise, and graphic novel origins, one may expect The Killer to fall into the expected traps and tropes of the hitman subsect of the action genre.  And though that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing, with David Fincher at the helm, as well as reuniting with his Se7en screenwriter Andrew…

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Uproar is an uplifting coming-of-age dramedy grounded by a sublime Julian Dennison: Brisbane International Film Festival Review

Outside of New Zealand it’s highly likely that the political clash at the centre of Hamish Bennett and Paul Middleditch‘s Uproar is one that’s never been heard of. Set in 1981, the ultimately uplifting, oft-powerful coming-of-age dramedy centres around the controversy that arose from the South African rugby team touring New Zealand at the time. …

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Obscura Hail

New Music Discoveries 27th October: Obscura Hail, Crusher, Yard Act and more

November is just around the corner, and this week we have added another ten tracks to our Discovery playlist on Apple Music and Spotify, including two singles we exclusively premiered earlier in the week. Our track of the week is “Playing Dead”, the title-track from the forthcoming album from Melbourne indie-rock trio, Obscura Hail. The…

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Tech Review: The DJI Osmo Action 4 sets a new standard for action cameras

The action camera market has been dominated by a few key players over the years, and DJI, known for its high-quality drones and imaging technology, has made a significant impact with their Osmo Action series. Their newest addition, the DJI Osmo Action 4, continues to raise the bar for action cameras and solidifies itself as…

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Angie McMahon

Album Review: Angie McMahon – Light, Dark, Light Again (2023 LP)

I vividly remember the first time I saw Angie McMahon live. The Jezabels had announced a week-long residency at The Lansdowne in Sydney, and with each of these shows, a different act opened as support. Out walks Angie and her guitar. As humble and nervous as you’d expect someone to be supporting such an influential…

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Crime writers festival BAD Sydney returns for a five day run this November

Running from Wednesday November 1st to Sunday November 5th, BAD Sydney is back and bigger than ever! It all kicks off in just a few days, with an infamous Literary Death Match at the State Library of NSW’s Metcalfe Auditorium. Writers Tim Ayliffe, Anne Buist, Candice Fox, and Rob McDonald will duke it out in…

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Film Review: Netflix’s opioid crime drama Pain Hustlers benefits from Emily Blunt’s passionate performance

There’s already been an abundance of films, television series and books that have detailed the greedy, unethical foundations of the pharmaceutical industry in America.  And whilst Netflix’s Pain Hustlers may not be the most investigative and favours entertainment over education, it’s a further insight into the peddling of the opioid crisis and acts as something…

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A whiskey and ice cream pop-up is coming to Darlinghurst’s The Mayflower

One of Sydney’s most upscale cafes, The Mayflower Darlinghurst, is paying tribute to the odd combination of whisky and peanut butter with a summer-ready pop-up bar exclusively dedicated to espresso martinis and ice cream. Yes, it may sound like a strange shot in any season, but Sheep Dog Peanut Butter Whiskey and Elato Ice Cream…

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DEVO

DEVO announce Good Things Festival sideshows

American new wave legends DEVO return to Australia celebrating 50 years of De-Evolution. In 1978 DEVO released their debut album Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! produced by Brian Eno after David Bowie and Iggy Pop convinced Warner Bros to offering them a recording contract. DEVO made their mainstream breakthrough with their…

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