Month: December 2024

Interview: The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim producer Philippa Boyens on the challenges of animation and staying faithful to Tolkien’s words

The original anime feature The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim returns audiences to the epic world brought to life in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, based on the revered books by J.R.R. Tolkien. Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, The Lord of the…

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Film Review: The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is a visually stunning return to Middle Earth

It goes without saying that The Lord of the Rings film trilogy is one that left an impressionable in-print on cinema.  Many other films have tried their best to emulate its epic nature in the years since – even director Peter Jackson himself with the shaky Hobbit series – but few have captured correctly, so…

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Ritz-Carlton Maldives Beach Villa

The ultimate in luxury resort experiences meets a tropical natural wonder at the Ritz-Carlton Maldives Fari Islands

There’s a common theme across many of the luxury resorts you’ll find scattered across the Indian Ocean’s Maldivian archipelago. Large, wooden villas, decked out in island chic to look like they were built by indigenous people centuries ago, all while housing modern luxuries within. Tall jungles reaching for the sun between them, as the reef…

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The Alienware 32-Inch 4K QD-OLED monitor sets a new standard for gaming visuals

As one of the first monitors to leverage Samsung’s next-generation 4K 240Hz QD-OLED panel, the Alienware 4K QD-OLED (AW3225QF) arrives with plenty of hype, and for good reason. This 32-inch, curved display builds on Alienware’s previous QD-OLED models, combining impressive technical specs with thoughtful design choices and stellar desktop appeal. It not only meets the…

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Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 expands upon its predecessor in all the right ways

When we reviewed Microsoft Flight Simulator back in 2020, there was no doubt that we were playing something special. Something crafted for not only hardcore flight fans but also a new adventure for curious future enthusiasts to explore and experiment with. It’s something I can admit I never thought I would come to love, but…

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The Used announce 25th anniversary world tour, including a massive Australian run

A few days ago, The Used‘s Instagram went dark. Facebook ads began circulating, putting Australian fans on stand-by for a big announcement. This weekend, posters appeared at Good Things Festival, confirming a tour in August and September. And then, in the wee small hours of Tuesday morning, we finally had the big reveal – and…

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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is nothing short of an incredible, whip-cracking adventure

Raiders of the Lost Ark is not only my favourite Indiana Jones movie, it’s one of my favourite films of all time. I also tend to soak up everything else this franchise has to offer. I’ve played the games, from Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, Infernal Machine, and the Emperor’s Tomb, and have…

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Ferguson Rogers Process

Interview: Lance Ferguson on disco, Donnie Sutherland and Style And Or Substance with The Ferguson Rogers Process

A week ago, The Ferguson Rogers Process unveiled their debut album, Style And Or Substance. The project is the brainchild of two of Australia’s most treasured musicians, Lance Ferguson* of The Bamboos and Tim Rogers, best known for being the frontman of You Am I, although limiting them to mentions of just those two bands is doing…

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Interview: Director J.C. Chandor on the familial core of Kraven the Hunter and what impressed him the most about his lead star, Aaron Taylor-Johnson; “It’s beautiful in a weird way to see what he’s able to do.”

Kraven the Hunter is the visceral, action-packed origin story of how and why one of Marvel’s most iconic villains came to be. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Kraven, a man whose complex relationship with his ruthless father, Nikolai Kravinoff (Russell Crowe), starts him down a path of vengeance with brutal consequences, motivating him to become not only…

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The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts reveal 2025 AACTA Award nominees

The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) has announced the nominees for the 2025 AACTA Awards, presented by Foxtel Group. Returning to the Gold Coast, the awards will celebrate the finest achievements in Australian film, television, documentary, and online content as part of the AACTA Festival, which will run for 5 days from…

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AFI adds headline shows in Sydney and Brisbane

AFI have just announced two sideshows alongside their support slot for Green Day‘s Saviors tour. Dates have been added for Sydney and Brisbane, with presale kicking off next week. AFI (short for A Fire Inside) began as a hardcore act in the early 90s, and eleven studio albums, 10 EPs, 4 MTV Music Video Awards,…

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The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus laptop takes some decent steps forward, even if it stumbles in a few areas

  The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus comes from a workhorse line, designed for users who need an affordable daily laptop without compromising on utility. With its latest iteration—the Inspiron 14 (5441)—Dell has taken something of a gamble, swapping out its traditional Intel or AMD silicon for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platform. While the move to ARM chips…

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Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club offers a chilling triumph of mystery and suspense

When Nintendo announced remakes of the long-dormant series Famicom Detective Club, it seemed like a nostalgic one-off experiment and no sure thing that the revamped titles from yesteryear would work in the present gaming landscape. Fast-forward and it would appear that those remakes were just a prologue, with more in store for fans. Enter Emio…

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The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds are some of the best in the business

SteelSeries is well known not only for its fantastic variety of gaming peripherals and accessories but also for its consistent quality. From the Arctis Nova Pro to the Arctis Nova 5 and even the Arctis Nova 1, it’s safe to say their newer headsets have all been winners in their own right. The SteelSeries Arctis…

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Good Things Festival kicks off in Melbourne, with a great day of heavy music despite lineup changes

Melbourne kicked off Australia’s annual Good Things Festival yesterday, drawing thousands of heavy music fans for a packed day of performances. With nu-metal legends Korn and pop-punk icons Sum 41 originally headlining, the event promised to deliver an unforgettable experience. However, a significant last-minute lineup change and looming storm clouds added unexpected challenges to the…

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Danielle Spencer returns to music scene with first single in 14 years, “Regenerate”

Beloved Australian singer-songwriter Danielle Spencer has returned to the Australian music scene with her long-awaited new single, “Regenerate”, the first from her anticipated third album, due for release next year, which signals a bold and deeply personal evolution in her artistry, blending her signature haunting melodies with a modern sonic edge. An eclectic blend of…

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New Music Discoveries 6th December: Yo Yo Sun, Mallrat, Hot 8 Brass Band, and more

As the first week of December comes to a close we’ve updated our Discovery playlist on Spotify and Apple Music with ten new tracks, including one we premiered the music video for earlier in the week. And, with Christmas only a few weeks away we may have snuck in a festive track or two too….

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Metaphor: ReFantazio sharpens its RPG blade to deliver one of the games of the year

Positioned as a spiritual successor to the Persona and Shin Megami Tensei series, Metaphor: ReFantazio is the latest offering from Japanese studio Atlus, trading in school halls for castle walls. Boldly delving into heavy themes of inequality and the corrupting influence of power, Atlus has certainly crafted one of the standout RPGs of the year….

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The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Headset (Gen 3) shines with incredible audio quality and versatility

We’ve reviewed a bunch of Turtle Beach headsets over the past couple of years, from the high-end Stealth Pro to the more modest, yet value-packed Stealth 500. There’s no doubt that Turtle Beach is providing a wide range of features and price points across their headsets, and the newer Stealth 700 (Gen 3) is no…

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Win tickets to return to Middle Earth with The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim

Thanks to Warner Bros. Pictures Australia, we have 5 double digital in-season passes (Admit 2) to return to Middle Earth with the original anime feature The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, in Australian cinemas from December 12th, 2024. Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films,…

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Yellowcard announce 20th anniversay tour for Ocean Avenue Down Under with Motion City Soundtrack and Plain White T’s

For the first time since 2017, Yellowcard are returning to Australia. Celebrating the overdue twentieth anniversary of their groundbreaking and iconic album Ocean Avenue. As exciting as that is in itself, what makes it even better is the lineup they’re bringing with them- Motion City Soundtrack and Plain White T’s. If you’re unfamiliar with Yellowcard,…

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Review: VIP Soundcheck Experience – Crowded House Gravity Stairs Tour, Sydney

These days it is increasingly common to see VIP experiences on offer when tours go on sale.  Crowded House‘s Gravity Stairs Tour, currently in Sydney on the forecourt of the beautiful Sydney Opera House, included the option to purchase a VIP soundcheck experience alongside access to the show.  This afternoon I had the chance to…

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AURORA announces second Brisbane show due to high demand

Norwegian alt-pop singer, songwriter, producer and star AURORA returns to Australia this February 2025 on her What Happened To The Earth? Part 4 tour. Due to popular demand after selling out Brisbane and Fremantle, a new show has been added at the Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane. In 2024 she released her fourth studio album What…

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Win tickets to see Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Kraven the Hunter

Thanks to Sony Pictures Australia we have 5 double in-season passes (Admit 2) to see Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the visceral, action-packed origin story of how and why one of Marvel’s most iconic villains came to be in Kraven the Hunter, exclusively in Australian theatres from December 12th, 2024. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Kraven, a man whose…

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Netflix’s Black Doves is your next binge-worthy obsession

Arriving just in time for Christmas – though the holiday setting ultimately has no bearing on the show’s intrigue-heavy plotting – Netflix’s British action-thriller series Black Doves has all the surface-level expectation of a classic government conspiracy narrative, before revealing itself as something far deeper, darker, poignant and, surprisingly, humorous. Toplined by Keira Knightley –…

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Interview: Aleks Le on new anime feature Solo Leveling – ReAwakening and the importance of voice acting

Over a decade has passed since a pathway called a “gate” which connects this world and another dimension suddenly appeared, and people with superhuman powers called “hunters” have been awakened. Hunters use their superhuman powers to conquer dungeons inside the gates to make a living, and Sung Jinwoo, a hunter of the lowest rank, is…

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Bella Deer

Exclusive Video Premiere: BELLA DEER “In The Nebula” (2024)

Last month, BELLA DEER, the Wadawurrung-based (Geelong) singer/songwriter, released her formidable debut EP, Age of Alchemy. It’s a beautiful record, showcasing an artist with talent that belies her years. One of the standout tracks on the album is “In The Nebula”, and today we have the pleasure of premiering the video. We were crushing on…

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Stellar Blade x NieR Automata DLC is gorgeous, but feels like a missed opportunity

We personally loved Stellar Blade when it was released earlier this year, and based on our review, still stand by the fact that it’s one of the better action games we’ve played this year. I’m also personally a huge fan of NieR: Automata, and it’s one of the first reviews I had ever written for this…

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Frank Turner

Interview: Frank Turner (UK) talks about songwriting and endless tour life

Frank Turner is one of the most prolific touring musicians on the planet and happily he’s landed in Australia for a whistle-stop appearance with The Sleeping Souls at Good Things Festival this weekend. We caught up with him ahead of their show at Sydney’s Crowbar. Welcome back! Melbourne last night, Sydney today. You must be…

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The gaslight anthem

Live Review: The Gaslight Anthem – Liberty Hall, Sydney (03.12.24)

A lot can change in ten years. Economics, politicians, relationships, the ability of your football team to win four grand finals in a row. What hasn’t changed though is the quality of The Gaslight Anthem‘s live show. Returning to Australian shores for the first time in a decade, the New Jersey band, led by frontman…

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