Author: Peter Gray

Seasoned film critic. Gives a great interview. Penchant for horror. Unashamed fan of Michelle Pfeiffer and Jason Momoa.

Netflix announce release date for Chris Hemsworth’s Spiderhead

Netflix have released the first official still and release date for their forthcoming Chris Hemsworth thriller Spiderhead. Based on “Escape from Spiderhead” by George Saunders, a short story from The New Yorker, the Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) directed film follows a brilliant visionary (Hemsworth’s Steve Abnesti) who runs a state-of-the-art penitentiary who experiments on…

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Win a double in-season pass to see Wheel of Fortune & Fantasy, from the director of Drive My Car

Thanks to Potential Films, we have 3 double in-season passes (Admit 2) to give away for the upcoming release of Wheel of Fortune & Fantasy, the new film from Ryusuke Hamaguchi, director of the Oscar-winning Drive My Car, set for release in Australian cinemas from April 28th, 2022. Composed of three short stories, WHEEL OF FORTUNE AND FANTASY is a Japanese…

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Lightyear‘s origins are out-of-this-world in brand new trailer

To get to infinity and beyond, we need to explore the before.  The upcoming animated sci-fi adventure Lightyear, from Disney and Pixar, is the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear, the hero who inspired Toy Story‘s fearless space warrior. Lightyear follows the legendary Space Ranger (voiced by Chris Evans) after he’s marooned on a hostile…

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Film Review: The Northman is an ugly, brutal, Shakespearean drama indulging in its unconventionality

“I will avenge you, Father; I will save you, Mother; I will kill you, Fjölnir.” These muttered, repeated words by Viking prince Amleth (played by Oscar Novak as a young boy, and a hulking, angry Alexander Skarsgård as an adult) are essentially summarising Robert Eggers‘ narrative intentions in The Northman, an ugly, brutal, at-times Shakespearean drama….

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Film Review: The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is a love letter to the force that is Nicolas Cage

In the lead-up to the release of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Nicolas Cage spoke of the countless VOD titles he had littered his filmography with over the last decade-or-so – film choices made primarily to pay off serious debt – with a positive tongue.  Whilst such trashy thrillers as Inconceivable, Trespass, and Left…

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First Impressions: A messy script doesn’t serve The First Lady, but Michelle Pfeiffer sure does!

As Gillian Anderson states – under a set of prominent teeth that appear almost caricaturish in their imagery as Eleanor Roosevelt – being a first lady isn’t a job, it’s a “circumstance”.  Such a circumstance, it would seem, that Showtime thought it only fair to showcase the women behind some of the most powerful Presidential…

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Interview: Director Fernando León de Aranoa on creating The Good Boss and trusting Javier Bardem enough to take risks.

With The Good Boss currently screening in Australian theatres (you can read our review here), Peter Gray spoke with the film’s writer and director, Fernando León de Aranoa, about creating such an interesting character, balancing the tone between humour and drama, and working with Javier Bardem, an actor he trusts enough to take risks with…

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Interview: Elisha Cuthbert on filming The Cellar, approaching the horror genre, and her love of Australia

Now streaming on Shudder, The Cellar (you can read our review here) is a haunted house-themed horror film starring Elisha Cuthbert as a mother whose daughter mysteriously vanishes in the cellar of her family’s new house in the country.  She soon discovers there is an ancient and powerful entity controlling the home that she will have…

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Film Review: The Cellar is a haunted house effort that aims for tension over bloodshed

Whilst The Cellar won’t exactly be riding high on viewers’ lists of must-see scary movies, Brendan Muldowney‘s haunted house horror effort at least conjures an atmosphere and an unlikely climax to earn it valid points for trying. Muldowney’s script initially plays into the genre tropes we expect when Keira Woods (Elisha Cuthbert) and her family…

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Win a double in-season pass to see The Northman starring Alexander Skarsgard and Nicole Kidman

Thanks to Universal Pictures we have 5 double in-season passes (Admit 2) to give away for the upcoming release of The Northman, starring Alexander Skarsgard and Nicole Kidman, set for release in cinemas from April 21st, 2022. From visionary director Robert Eggers comes THE NORTHMAN, an action-filled epic that follows a young Viking prince on his…

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Film Review: The Good Boss finds the humour in its commentary on workplace dynamics

Javier Bardem knows how to play men with a charmingly evil demeanour, and in The Good Boss (El Buen Patrón) – which reunites the actor with his Loving Pablo director Fernando León de Aranoa – his confident walk and solid grey quaff of hair lend themselves to a disarming character who uses his good standing…

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Film Review: Everything Everywhere All At Once is everything that makes cinema as magical as it truly is

The idea of a multiverse isn’t a new faction within the science-fiction film realm, but because the comic book movie has become more and more prominent in the last decade – and last year’s biggest film took the idea and ran with it to the most epic of proportions – no doubt something like Everything…

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Win a double in-season pass to see The Good Boss starring Javier Bardem

Thanks to Sharmill Films we have 10 double in-season passes (Admit 2) to give away for the upcoming release of The Good Boss, starring Javier Bardem, set for release in cinemas from April 14th, 2022. Blanco (Academy Award winner Javier Bardem), the charismatic owner of a family-run scale factory, is under pressure as he covets…

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Interview: Dominic Cooper on playing a villain in That Dirty Black Bag and injecting his own essence into a vile character

Streaming on AMC+, That Dirty Black Bag is a raw, epic and romantic eight-part series about the dark side of the Far West.  Starring Douglas Booth as bounty hunter Red Bill and Dominic Cooper as the savage Sheriff McCoy, the series follows their eight-day clash as blood, bullets and bodies fly in the wake of…

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Sydney Film Festival announces 2022 in-cinema return with sneak look at its programming

The 69th annual Sydney Film Festival has announced a sneak peak look at 22 film titles that will be featured during this year’s event, running 8th-19th June, 2022. Ahead of its full program announcement on 11th May, this first taste of of programming “gives audiences a snapshot of the selection and flavour of films featured…

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Win a double in-season pass to see The Lost City starring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum

Thanks to Paramount Pictures we have 10 double in-season passes (Admit 2) to give away for the upcoming release of The Lost City, starring Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum and Brad Pitt, set for release exclusively in cinemas from April 14th, 2022. Brilliant, but reclusive author Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock) has spent her career writing about…

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Interview: Director Jay Cheel on Cursed Films II; “There’s weird energy around this production”

When people look at films that are super beloved and then hear stories about the difficulties or tragedies that happen on set, they then go onto describe that production as “cursed”.  After exploring such controversial productions as Twilight Zone: The Movie and Poltergeist during its first season, Cursed Films II explores a further quintet of…

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Film Review: All The Old Knives is a conversational thriller intelligently carried by Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton

Despite both Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton proving their worth as action figures within the spy genre previously – Pine in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit and Newton in Mission: Impossible II – All The Old Knives steps away from the action-driven physicality of the genre and opts for proceedings more in tune with a John…

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Interview: Eddie Redmayne, Mads Mikkelsen and the cast of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

The magic of the Wizarding World is once again conjured with the release of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (you can read our review here).  As the film prepares for its global launch, Peter Gray was fortunate to speak with key cast members Eddie Redmayne, Jessica Williams, Mads Mikkelsen, Alison Sudol, Callum Turner and…

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Film Review: Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is the most confident of the series yet

There’s a certain amount of baggage and controversy that comes with the release of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, additives that, for the sake of the film itself, I won’t delve into; a swift google will catch you up to speed though. From the off, Fantastic Beasts was always a series that seemed a…

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Interview: David Yates on directing Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore; “These stories mean something to a lot of people”

To say director David Yates is synonymous with the Wizarding World would be putting it mildly.  Having directed half of the Harry Potter film series – Order of the Phoenix, The Half-Blood Prince, and Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2 – and both Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes…

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Film Review: The Lost City is a playful romp elevated by the charm of Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum

Reminiscent of the studio mentality of days (years, even) gone by of when the star-driven comedy was enough of a draw to reel audiences in, Adam and Aaron Nee‘s throwback romp The Lost City serves as a healthy reminder that not all playful, high-concept comedies have to exist solely for the streaming services. Resuscitating the…

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Interview: Director Michael Bay on injecting a level of humanism into the action of Ambulance

Since breaking out with 1995’s Bad Boys, director Michael Bay has been synonymous with the action genre.  Defying the critics year after year, Bay’s films have collectively grossed over $7.8 billion, making him one of the most successful directors in cinematic history. After taking a break from the big screen – he helmed 2019’s Netflix…

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Interview: Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II on forming a brotherly bond on Ambulance, the safety of filming, and “directing” action sequences

Speeding into cinemas this week (you can read our review here), Ambulance is the latest action extravaganza from Michael Bay.  Starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as two brothers who hijack an ambulance following a bank heist gone wrong, Universal Studios put our own Peter Gray in touch with the acting duo to discuss…

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Film Review: Ambulance is pure unadulterated Michael Bayhem!

Say what you will about Michael Bay, but the man knows how to craft an action sequence.  Sure, throughout his career, said action sequences have been featured in the type of blockbusters that so often favour spectacle over substance, but he’s great at what he does and, really, no one is watching a Transformers movie…

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Interview: Night’s End director Jennifer Reeder on loving horror, making an isolated film, and casting Michael Shannon

The streaming service Shudder has cornered the market on the horror genre since its 2015 inception.  Known for housing horror classics, as well as distributing its own original films, Shudder has allowed genre enthusiasts and filmmakers to explore their macabre mentality.  One such director doing so is Jennifer Reeder, whose latest effort, the supernatural scarer…

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Film Review: Morbius; as you’d expect for a film about a living vampire, it sucks!

Whilst certain studio efforts saw their initial releases delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, few films were as hard done by as Sony’s latest Marvel entrant, Morbius.  With no less than 7 release dates to its name – it was first intended to be released in July 2020 – the living vampire can at least…

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Interview: The Bad Guys author Aaron Blabey on making a kids film inspired by Tarantino; “That balance is something I’ve dedicated my life to finding”

With The Bad Guys officially out in Australian cinemas now (read our review here), Peter Gray spoke with Australia author Aaron Blabey (again), whose series of books the film is adapted from.  Talking at the Australian junket, Peter and Aaron, after the pleasantries of finally meeting in person, discussed where the idea originated from, the…

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Win a family in-season pass to Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Thanks to Paramount Pictures we have 5 family passes (Admit 4) to give away for the upcoming release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, set for release exclusively in cinemas from March 31st, 2022. The world’s favourite blue hedgehog is back for a next-level adventure in SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2. After settling in Green Hills, Sonic is eager to prove…

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First Impressions: Moon Knight is a stranger effort from the Marvel brand bolstered by Oscar Isaac’s dual performance

So often favouring spectacle over character development, the comic book action movie has gradually skewered its initial action-centric mentality towards a dramatic outreach (however melodramatic) that speaks to the quality talent the films so often manage to lure.  And for Marvel, not only are their films consistently cast, but their Disney+ series’ have more than…

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