Cameron Mackintosh’s acclaimed production of Boublil and Schöberg’s award-winning musical, Miss Saigon, premiered at Melbourne’s Her Majesty’s Theatre on Friday night and let me tell you now – you’re not going to want to miss this one. With a star-studded guest list, the red carpet was rolled out and the drinks were flowing as attendees…
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WarioWare stands as one of the most unique and ambitious Nintendo franchises of the bunch. An opposite take on the Mario Party series, this game throws hundreds of mini-games at you in a chaotic fashion that makes this one of the most entertaining and joyous titles in an overcrowded game release month. While there isn’t…
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Pop music is rarely interesting these days. White-washed R&B that would be nothing without a TikTok-friendly snippet and a made-for-radio hook qualifies for good music in 2023. Sure, people who use terms like “bop” and phrases like “vibes are immaculate” see little wrong with the worrying churn that’s turning the music industry into a goal-shifting…
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Within the opening minutes of May December, small-town mother Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore) is throwing a community BBQ with all the social niceties we come to see over the future 113 minutes she shrewdly projects. In hoping she has enough food to feed the masses, she opens the refrigerator and questions if she has enough…
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Teenage Joans are touring their debut album The Rot That Grows Inside My Chest across Australia, and played Sydney’s Factory Theatre last night. They were supported by the impressive emerging artists Bella Armor and Aleksiah. Teenage Joans, a duo consisting of vocalist and drummer Tahlia Borg and vocalist and guitarist Cahli Blakers, powered through their…
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Whenever a horror film does well at the box office, the internet as a collective (or, more specifically, Twitter, sorry, X) likes to announce that “horror is back!” But the truth is, it never really went anywhere. Sure, like most genres it has its ups and downs in terms of general interest and monetary returns,…
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Niche hobby festivals are always worth checking out in Sydney, especially when you’re looking for something new to do as the silly season approaches. In early December, all eyes will be on Sneakerland, which arrives in town after a successful run in Perth and Melbourne. And you don’t really need a synopsis to know what…
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As we roll into November, we have added another ten tracks to our Discovery playlist on Apple Music and Spotify, including one single we exclusively premiered earlier in the week. Our track of the week is “Waves” from Norwegian pop artist Metteson. Sydney-based artist Somber Hills is a creative powerhouse and has today released the…
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Inspired by Hotel Coolgardie, Pete Gleeson’s shock 2016 documentary about two female Finnish backpackers and their work experience at a predominantly male-frequented pub, The Royal Hotel similarly shines a light on the the disturbing, toxic nature that can spawn from a small, isolated town that exploits Australia’s “drinking culture” mentality. An ironic title that will…
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As someone who lost their father at a young age, and therefore never had the conversation regarding my sexuality (and all that could possibly entail), the thought process throughout and inability to hold back my emotions during All of Us Strangers was palpable. Adapted by writer/director Andrew Haigh (Looking: The Movie) from Japanese author Taichi…
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Though she’s known for her dramatic work primarily on television’s Grey’s Anatomy and Killing Eve, Sandra Oh enthusiasts are all too aware that the actress has a serious talent for the comedic flare; The Princess Diaries, anyone? But even still, the absolute let-loose mentality the actress adheres to for Quiz Lady is another level entirely,…
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Adapted by Verity Laughton from the novel by Pip Williams, The Dictionary of Lost Words centres around the Scriptorium, where the very first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary is being compiled. It is 1886, and researcher Harry Nicoll (Brett Archer) is working while his four-year-old daughter Esme (Tilda Cobham-Hervey) plays under the table. The…
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Gorgeous but unsatisfying, Pedro Almodóvar‘s campy telenovela Strange Way of Life is a sexy short feature that proves the ultimate tease as it doesn’t entirely deliver on the sex appeal of its leads and then climaxes before we’ve even moved on from foreplay. Said leads are Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal, playing two perfectly-tailored cowboys…
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With the Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements featured prominently, as well as the overall intertwined arc of the COVID-19 pandemic, Black White and the Greys is a film that eerily encapsulates the emotional push-and-pull we universally experienced. A relatable, at-times uncomfortable drama, Black White and the Greys is a collaboration between Marchelle Thurman and…
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Aussie Indie Artists is a series of interviews with lesser known Aussie creators across all forms and fields. The goal is to share exciting new works, find new angles towards the art, and peek behind the scenes. Lara Villani’s music journey began at age 6, when her big sister started singing lessons. Like all little…
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The fabulously named Virgin Mary Disco is a four-piece hailing from Melbourne, cranking out kick-arse post-punk new-wave garage rock. Their debut single, “Modern Man” was released earlier this year, and was followed up by “Automation”. We’re stoked to be premiering today their third single, “For Free”, ahead of its release tomorrow. “For Free” is ridiculously…
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I’m going to come out swinging. Mike Mignola’s Hellboy is simply one of the best comic book characters ever made. While I’m not an avid reader of comics in general, I’ve certainly read most of these, complete with a unique, yet unmistakable art style, complex and diverse themes and some impressive writing across the board….
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Since 1991, Sega’s blue blur mascot Sonic the Hedgehog has dominated the gaming industry with classic side-scrolling adventures, many defining a particular decade or console genertaion. After Sonic Mania re-invented the series again in 2017, the next big 2D platforming game starring our blue hero is finally here. This time around it is 2.5D expereince…
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*Trigger warning: This review discusses eating disorders* The satirical possibilities present within Jessica Hausner‘s dramatic Club Zero are ripe. The execution, however, is undercooked; ironic, considering the topic at the core of this truly odd and oft dangerous film. At an elite private school, the enigmatic Miss Novak (Mia Wasikowska) has arrived to teach a…
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Given that Jim Weir and Jack Clark‘s frighteningly uncomfortable Birdeater is an Australian chiller set in the outback (at least for the majority of its running time), audiences are justified in thinking it could fall in line with other brutality-in-the-bush titles like Picnic at Hanging Rock or even Wolf Creek. The more accurate comparison though…
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Multi-disciplinary vocalist Sampha is set to return to Australia and New Zealand in February/March 2024 in the wake of his successful sophomore album LAHAI. Following the announcement of a coveted Perth Festival slot, the singer/songwriter/ producer will take the stage in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Auckland. With LAHAI, Sampha invites listeners on a transformative journey,…
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Trophy Eyes wrapped up their epic regional tour with a bang last Sunday night at the Torquay Hotel, and what a time it was! They brought their buddies, Dear Seattle, along for the ride, and the entire night was a wild rollercoaster of energy and music. After dropping their killer fourth studio album, Suicide and…
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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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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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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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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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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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“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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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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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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