Author: Erica Enriquez

Australian Box Office Report: Lion proves to be king of the box office for the 2nd week in a row

Hooray for Australian film! Oscar hopeful Lion continued to dominate at the box office this week, bringing in $4.18m.  As an Aussie indie production, it’s doing quite well.  Lion and The Great Gatsby have been the only Australian films to earn more at the box office in its second week in the cinemas. As predicted last week, M. Night Shyamalan’s newest…

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Seminyak gets a new Miami inspired dining experience with Bikini (Bali)

Seminyak, Bali has a new hotspot in it’s endless line of options. The recently opened Bikini, a luxe, architecturally designed space, blends the urban style of a New York warehouse with a decadent Miami beach party feel. With up to 120 seats in both its bar and restaurant areas, it looks to be a very…

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Public tastings announced for Sydney International Wine Competition

The 37th Sydney International Wine Competition (SIWC) will feature two public tastings on Saturday 11 February at the Novotel Sydney Central, and will feature over 280 wines awarded TOP 1OO, Blue Gold, and Gold medals, including trophy winners. Included in this group are two ‘surprise’ medal winners – the debut Shiraz and Rosé wines blended…

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Interview: Ransom composer Guillaume Roussel talks music, Hans Zimmer and negotiating a career between the USA and Europe

Starring Luke Roberts (Game of Thrones, Holby City), Sarah Greene (Burnt) and Brandon Jay McLaren (Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce), Ransom takes much of its storylines from the real life on-the-job experience of actual crisis negotiators Laurent Combalbert and Marwan Mery, who are some of the top negotiators in the world. On TV, Roberts plays Eric…

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The Bold and the Beautiful anniversary episodes to be filmed in Australia

The Forresters Down Under! That’s what’s happening in February this year when the cast and crew of the popular daytime soapie, The Bold and the Beautiful, makes its way to Australia to film special anniversary episodes. As the world’s most watched daily drama, it’s only fitting that Australia feature in special episodes, with the series…

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Tropfest announces 2017 finalists for 25th anniversary event

The world’s largest short film festival, Tropfest,  has announced it 16 finalists for 2017, in this its 25-year anniversary.  The festival will take place on Saturday, 11th February.   This year, the films drew inspiration from the infamous Tropfest Signature Item (TSI), which in 2017 was PINEAPPLE. The films will screen to a live audience at…

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Michelin star chef plans “try-before-you-buy” concept restaurant Calia for Emporium (Melbourne)

A new dining experience is set to open in Melbourne’s stylish Emporium precinct, bringing a new restaurant-to-retail concept to the ever-growing precinct. Calia, named after an old lady that Michelin Star chef Francisco Javier Araya met in Spain, will open early this year. The new venue will allow diners to “try before they buy” from the sustainability-minded menu,…

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What does rum sound like? Barcardi and Major Lazer announce unique collaboration

In a delightful – and possibly delicious – collaboration, music trio Major Lazer and rum manufacturer Bacardi will begin a year-long partnership to launch The Sound of Rum, which will focus on multimedia events and experiences, unique music offerings and the development of a batch of limited-edition Bacardi rum. Dubbed “The Sound of Rum “, the recently announced project is tipped to…

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Australian Box Office Report: Nicole Kidman and Dev Patel take the lion’s share of this week’s box office earnings

Whether it’s from its recent positive publicity, school holidays drawing to a close or just the fact that it’s a brilliant film, Lion, starring Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman, did extremely well in its opening weekend, earning $4.19m, where it now sits at the top of the box office ladder.  Opening on 254 screens nationally, it…

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Works by contemporary female artists from remote Aboriginal areas to tour North America for the next two years

Miami’s The Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum FIU will exhibit the work of nine contemporary female artists hailing from remote Aboriginal areas, in an exhibition called Making the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia. Artists featured are Nonggirrnga Marawili, Wintjiya Napaltjarri, Yukultji Napangati, Angelina Pwerle, Carlene West, Regina Pilawuk Wilson, Lena Yarinkura, Gulumbu…

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North Sydney gets its own world-class infinity-edged rooftop pool

A world-class 25m infinity-edged rooftop pool has opened this month in North Sydney, Australia, on the rooftop of Crown Group’s latest residential development, Skye by Crown Group. Construction of the building was completed in December.  The property group has secured more than $100-million worth of apartments in the first week of sales and all apartments now sold. Residents of the…

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Australian Box Office Report: No Swan Song for Sing as it tops the ladder yet again

Animated musical flick Sing did well this week, earning $2.32m at the Australia box office.  In its third week in the cinema and second week at top spot, it’s already earned $22.3 million, although it has dropped in earnings from last week by 33%. Hot on its tail is the live action musical (no animals this time) La La Land, which took…

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Princess Cruises to launch first-of-its-kind wearable technology in November

Looks like app technology has caught up with the gentle wave of cruise ship holidays. Princess Cruises will be the first Carnival Corporation brand to feature the Ocean Medallion™, a wearable device powered by a first-of-its-kind interactive technology platform within the O·C·E·A·N, One Cruise Experience Access Network.  It will available for use from November 13, 2017, onboard…

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Victorian Cider & Pork Festival is back for 2017 (Melbourne)

Back for the second year in a row, the Victorian Cider & Pork Festival will be held over the weekend of January 21 – 22, 2017, this time at the Flemington Racecourse.  It’s aiming to be the biggest feast of cider and pork that has hit Victoria.  Running from 11am -10pm, festival admission is from $30.00 per person, per day including…

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The Meatball & Wine Bar expands to Windsor (Melbourne)

Wildly popular Melbourne restaurant, The Meatball & Wine Bar, is adding another location to its impressive roster, this time opening up at 150 Chapel Street, Windsor. The recently opened expansion joins a family of venues in Flinders Lane, Richmond and Collingwood, all speaking to a love of good, hearty meatballs and even better wine. When it first opened…

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Australian Box Office Report: Singing animals top this week’s box office charts

When 2016 ended, the world, and everyone in galaxies far far away, knew for bloody sure that Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was going to blitz the box office.  However, with the release of Christmas and holiday entertainment, this has now slipped down the ladder, making way, this week, for the Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon animated…

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Australian Box Office Report: Rogue One is lightyears ahead at no. 1 on the box office ladder

It comes as no surprise that the highly anticipated Rogue One: A Star Wars Story should blitz the box office in its premiere week.  It made an epic $14.75m, which means that 3 out of every 4 tickets sold this week at the movies was for this film!  It’s also had the second best opening weekend of the…

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Film Review: Disney’s newest heroine Moana (2016, USA) is destined to be a classic

Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) is the spirited daughter of a Polynesian chief, Chief Tui (Temuera Morrison). She’s loveable and affable and Chief Tui is pretty much training her up to be the next big kahuna in her village. Her father has warned her that their village and island paradise is the only safe place for her,…

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Australian Box Office Report: Fantastic Beasts weaves its magic for the fourth consecutive week

It seems there’s no stopping Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, which topped the Box Office chart again for the fourth week in a row, hauling in $2.21 million.  It’s tipped to be 2016’s sixth highest grossing film.  Only Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Finding Dory  managed to take the no. 1 spot four weeks in a…

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Australian Box Office Report: Fantastic Beasts is 3rd time lucky at number one spot

There must be an abundance of bottled good fortune (or Felix Felicis for the HP nerds) sent to the Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them cast and crew – as it’s remained at no. 1 at the box office for the 3rd week in a row, earning another $3.25 million, while its international tally crosses US$600m.  As the…

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Australian Box Office Report: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Roars into No. 1 Spot Again

For the second week in a row,  Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them roared ahead to no. 1 on the box office ladder, earning $5.44 million this week.  Although this film was dropped from 86 screens nationally, it still manager to garner a screen average of $8,761 from 622 screens. A surprise placing in not just the…

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Australian Box Office Report: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them slays at the box office this week

It appears the Wizarding World beats the Marvel Universe, at the box office this week anyway.  Well and truly knocking last week’s no. 1 film, Doctor Strange, out of its top spot, is this week’s absolute cracker of a film, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.  It has done so well that it accounted for at least two…

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Film Review: Drama (Australia, 2016) offers a hopeful alternative to the usual coming-of-age story

Some people claim they don’t look for drama, that drama looks for them. In Anna’s case, drama’s reared its ugly head in her life in the form a breakup with older man John. She seeks solace and support in her best friend Jean, who lives across the English channel in Paris. Jean welcomes his London-based…

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Australian Box Office Report: Doctor Strange tops box office again for the third week in a row

Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange topped the box office ladder again this week, making it the third time in a row it’s been at the no. 1 spot.  Although faced with tough competition from two Amy Adams films, both debuting in the top five, the Marvel film still generated $2.57 million in ticket sales this week. The most successful of Adams’ new…

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The drama of growing up: We meet Dominique Mathisen, producer of the Australian feature Drama

In an ever-changing entertainment landscape, Aussie sisters and co-producers Sophie and Dominique Mathisen have taken production and distribution of their Australian feature film, Drama, into their own hands. Creation of this indie film was possible through a crowdfunding campaign, and they are releasing through a film biz model known as “day and date”, whereby content…

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Australian Box Office Report: Doctor Strange on top for 2nd week in a row

Doctor Strange dominated the box office again for the second week in a row, taking in $3.70 million this week, despite only showing at 558 screens (it opened on 643 screens last week).  This makes it Marvel’s 14th consecutive #1 movie. In 2nd spot on the ladder is the Mel Gibson-directed Hacksaw Ridge, which premiered this week.  It…

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Australian Box Office Report: Doctor Strange is the perfect medicine for moviegoers this week

No surprises that yet another superhero from the Marvel universe will do so well at the box office, with Doctor Strange topping the ladder, earning $6.42 million at the box office in its premiere week. The Benedict Cumberbatch vehicle has performed so well, its earnings make up a little over half of what was made at the box…

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Australian Box Office Report: Tom Cruise’s Jack Reacher knocks Emily Blunt off the train

If you think Tom Cruise’s ability to pull a box office coup was over, think again. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back has only entered its first week in theatres and it’s already gained the top spot, earning $2.61 million.  Whilst that’s great news for Cruise and his fans, it has, however, earned the the lowest screen average for the #1 movie…

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Australian Box Office Report: The Girl on the Train remains steady in the no. 1 spot

It seems many are still willing to take a thrilling ride (sorry) with Emily Blunt and Co., as The Girl On The Train retained its top spot on at the box office this week, earning $2.61 million.  Although the earnings were down by 35% since last week, this film still managed the best revenue retention of any…

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Australian Box Office Report: The Girl on the Train steams ahead to the top of the ladder

With the school holidays winding down this weekend, it seems audiences were more of the MA15+ variety, as The Girl On The Train took top spot with $4 million earned this weekend.  Changing the setting from England to upstate New York, the film’s screen average was among the top 10 so far this year, the best result since Suicide…

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