Seasoned film critic. Gives a great interview. Penchant for horror. Unashamed fan of Michelle Pfeiffer and Jason Momoa.
It seems only fitting that a character as undead as Dracula has an immortal lifespan when it comes to big screen adaptations. It was only a few months ago we had Nicolas Cage’s iteration in the blackly comic Renfield, and now, in a complete mood shift from his camp goriness, we have Dracula: The Last…
Read MoreIt’s the incredible true story that you may have never heard of. The latest film from acclaimed District 9 director Neil Blomkamp, Gran Turismo is a biographical sports drama based not only on the iconic race simulation game from Playstation, but the true story of Jann Mardenborough, a British Gran Turismo player who harnessed his…
Read MoreThough there are the occasional exceptions, movies based off video games don’t have the greatest reputation when it comes down to it. So it makes sense that, perhaps, there’s a certain sense of trepidation when going into Gran Turismo. Despite the calibre of the creatives both behind and in front of the camera – it’s…
Read MoreAnother Wes Anderson creation, where the sheer cast alone is unfathomable in their collective talent and the twee is as twee as can be, Asteroid City, with its distinct colour pallet and deadpan performances, won’t convert any viewers over to the Wes way of watching, but those that have stuck with the auteur through his…
Read MoreAn eco-terrorism thriller where the bombers are the good guys, Daniel Goldhaber‘s How To Blow Up A Pipeline is structured as if it’s playing to a heist movie temperament, but it’s layered with a topical, current commentary that lends the film a young freshness; very much a movie of the “now”. Relying on ideas realised…
Read MoreDespite the simple premise of Celine Song‘s Past Lives and its romantic comedy connotations, the film is anything but. Burning slow and composing its emotions until it knows when to release them in a flood of responsive passion, Song’s impeccable debut is a drama of humanism and quiet complexity. Set over the span of 24…
Read More“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…
Read MoreFor a film that sold itself on the premise of action staple Jason Statham facing off against a giant, prehistoric shark – and grossed over $500 million globally in the process – it was a particular let-down that 2018’s The Meg had, well, very little of Statham v shark to speak of. A creature feature…
Read MoreWith a spotlight on the Asia-Pacific region, but inclusive of all corners of the globe, the SXSW Sydney 2023 Screen Festival will bring together screen creatives to deliver an experience at the forefront of discovery, creativity and innovation. With an aim to platform, showcase and support the most exciting new voices, new forms and new…
Read MoreBranding itself as a reimagining rather than a traditional remake – and this is one of those cases where that wording does actually tie into the overall mentality – River Wild takes the basic premise of Curtis Hanson’s 1994 thriller The River Wild, a Hitchcock-in-the-great-outdoors chiller that raised its own profile through the inclusion of…
Read MoreDespite some satisfactory performances, a clear bout of good intentions, and a dollop of Irish charm, Thaddeus O’Sullivan‘s The Miracle Club can’t overcome its rather maudlin dialogue and sporadic meanness to earn a recommendation as the joyous Sunday afternoon viewing it so clearly wants to be. Set in 1967 in a small Irish village, the…
Read MoreThanks to StudioCanal we have 5 double in-season passes (Admit 2) to see the new gothic horror film Dracula: Voyage of the Demeter, starring Corey Hawkins and David Dastmalchian, from director André Øvredal, the Norwegian horror virtuoso behind Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and Trollhunter. The film is in Australian cinemas from August…
Read MoreA historical figure whose achievements are all the more remarkable due to the obstacles faced as the son of a white father and black mother, Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, is highlighted, but not quite as richly celebrated in Stephen Williams‘s Chevalier. And given the extraordinary details of his life story, it’s a shame that…
Read MorePerforming for the first time EVER in Australia, The Jonas Brothers have announced they’ll be bringing their “FIVE ALBUMS. ONE NIGHT” tour down under as part of a colossal extension that will add 27 shows across Europe, Australia and New Zealand. This newly announced leg will see Joe, Nick and Kevin perform all the hits…
Read MoreThere’s both a sense of adhering to the temperaments of action films gone by and embracing the current and future state of the genre present in Jalmari Helander‘s Sisu. Matching its dark sense of humour (and I mean dark) with a violently bloody mentality (and I mean bloody!), Sisu manages to present the simplest of…
Read MoreAnother slice of media that feeds into our obsession with true crime, Susie Searches is a quirky comedy/thriller that can’t altogether escape the trappings of its by-the-book structure, but an engaging performance from the always watchable Kiersey Clemons, a few neat twists and turns throughout, and one hell of an ending is sure to leave…
Read MoreWhilst it’s fair to be tired of the “elevated horror” tag that so many genre pieces aim for nowadays, and the attachment of the-little-studio-that-could A24 only fans the fire, one needn’t worry with Talk To Me, an Australian-made horror effort that was acquired by the aforementioned studio for US distribution following wild reactions out of…
Read MoreWork hard. Fail hard. The “true story” of the meteoric rise & catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone, BlackBerry is a whirlwind ride through a ruthlessly competitive Silicon Valley at breakneck speeds. A loose adaptation of Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s “Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall…
Read MoreAfter previewing at the 2022 Adelaide Film Festival, before taking the world by storm at its global Sundance Film Festival premiere earlier this year (read our review here), Talk To Me has become the little horror that could. A supernatural horror experience unlike any other, Talk To Me is the twisted brainchild of Australian filmmaking…
Read MoreThanks to Maslow Entertainment and Umbrella Entertainment we have 5 double digital in-season passes (Admit 2) to see the acclaimed new horror film Talk To Me, the directorial debut from Danny and Michael Philippou (aka RackaRacka) and from acclaimed Australian producers, Causeway Films (The Babadook). After an international premiere at Sundance Film Festival 2023, the cinematic and authentic horror sparked…
Read MoreYou have to hand it to Christopher Nolan for convincing a major studio to spend $100m (USD) on a 3-hour long drama detailing the development of the atomic bomb and releasing it in the prime film season that is the US summer. Whilst the film itself will prove drastic counter-programming to its fellow ambitious release…
Read MoreUndoubtedly 2023’s most anticipated – and most aggressively marketed – filmic event, Barbie has finally arrived in cinemas for the masses to ingest in droves. It’s understandable though that some audiences still are unsure as to how it’ll taste as a whole, as despite its candy-coated aesthetic, pitch-perfect casting, and amusing, if ambiguous trailers, there’s still a…
Read MoreShe’s everything. We’re just living in her world. Undoubtedly one of this year’s most anticipated films – if not THE most anticipated – Barbie is a pink-splashed comedy that’s all about living in the Barbie world, where giant summer blowout parties, planned dance choreography and Ken’s beaching make it the perfect place to live. That…
Read MoreThough the title of Benjamin Millepied‘s feature directorial debut Carmen – the dancer-turned filmmaker having cut his teeth on short films and music videos – suggests a connection to Georges Bizet‘s French opera of the same name, his script – co-written with Alexander Dinelaris Jr. and Loïc Barrere – only mildly references its narrative mentality and…
Read MoreTo celebrate the release of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (now screening exclusively in cinemas), with thanks to Paramount Pictures Australia we are giving away 5 major prize packs of the film’s poster signed by cast members Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Hayley Atwell and Pom Klementieff and a double in-season pass (Admit 2),…
Read MoreAs he celebrated his 61st birthday, Tom Cruise proclaimed there was nowhere else he’d rather be than in Sydney to premiere his latest action spectacle, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. Returning as IMF agent Ethan Hunt, Cruise touched down on Australian soil to greet his fans alongside the film’s director, Christopher McQuarrie, and…
Read MoreIn Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake,…
Read MoreIn Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake,…
Read MoreIn Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake,…
Read MoreWhen it’s said that Tom Cruise saved cinema in 2022, it isn’t a statement made lightly or with any false sincerity. Top Gun: Maverick was the invitation needed to truly bring audiences out of the comfort of their home after almost 2 years of enforced hibernation and the ease of the streaming services. Had the…
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