Seasoned film critic. Gives a great interview. Penchant for horror. Unashamed fan of Michelle Pfeiffer and Jason Momoa.
Director Molly Reynolds has long had a history with the subject of her latest film. Her partner, trailblazing filmmaker Rolf de Heer, has directed David Gulpilil in such critically acclaimed efforts as The Tracker and Charlie’s Country, whilst she has documented these collaborations with the companion pieces Twelve Canoes and Another Country. Her closeness and…
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Introducing My Name Is Gulpilil as “my story of my story”, subject David Gulpilil, along with director Molly Reynolds, is all too aware of the duality the film frames itself around – Gulpilil’s running life and that of his persona on-screen. As a performer, Gulpilil has that undeniable star quality, and this stunning film proudly…
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Given both our fascination and reliance on the support of technology, it only makes sense that the relationship between man and machine is one oft explored throughout the annals of cinema. From John Connor’s correlation with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator to Joaquin Phoenix’s obsession with Scarlett Johansson’s voiced AI in Her, so often are these links…
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If there’s one thing that’s concrete in the rather contradictory personality of The Audition‘s focal character – Nina Hoss‘s Anna – it’s that music is her only unwavering interest. Scenes of her championing a young musical student – a mentality that soon graduates to near chastising – showcase her evident passion for the art of…
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As much as Alecia Moore, best known professionally as P!nk, claims to be juggling the responsibilities of being a mother, a manager, and a performer with a worried anxiousness, this behind-the-scenes documentary has a certain self-promotional sheen about it that seems to prove the opposite. That’s not a criticism of the singer/songwriter’s struggles, or meant…
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Thanks to ABCG Film we have five double passes to give away to the upcoming release of the documentary My Name is Gulpilil, in Australian cinemas from May 27th, 2021. Looking back over a 50-year screen career that has unquestionably changed the face of Australian Cinema, David Gulpilil, now terminally ill, generously shares his own story with…
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Expanding the ravaged world he teased us with in the 2018 original, unlikely horror aficionado John Krasinski returns for another play in the unbearably tense playground that is A Quiet Place Part II. Whilst the overall surprise element of the first film is perhaps not quite as prominent here, Krasinski still expertly manoeuvres around apocalyptic…
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Singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen has often had his work incorporated into film. Sarah Polley’s Take This Waltz was one such work that set itself to the name-same song, whilst the documentary Marianne & Leonard highlighted the singer’s relationship with his “muse” and the time they spent together throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s. Death of a Ladies’…
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Set for an exclusive theatrical release in July this year, Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins stars Crazy Rich Asians breakout Henry Golding as the titular ninja commando made famous from his appearance in the G.I. Joe line of action figures, comic books and animated series. Known for his concealed appearance behind all-black attire and lack of vocals,…
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After over a decade of vacating the director’s seat on the Saw franchise, Darren Lynn Bousman has returned to the series that gave birth to his career as a staple within the horror genre. As the latest instalment releases in cinemas across the country, Spiral: From the Book of Saw (read our review here), our…
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Defying the critical odds in 2004 and spanning an unlikely 8-film-strong series in the process, the original Saw became much more of a phenomenon than expected, and, arguably, than originally intended. Often synonymous with the horror sub-genre of “torture porn”, James Wan‘s grimy, low budget affair delighted in its gory aesthetics, but tried its best…
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Adhering to a similar action efficiency of his penned Sicario, though not quite as emotionally rousing as his own Wind River or near-note perfect Hell Or High Water, Taylor Sheridan‘s Those Who Wish Me Dead is nonetheless a strong continuation of his brand of modifying the western genre. Adopting an environmental temperament and leaning into…
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Australia’s national museum of screen culture, ACMI (formerly Australian Centre for the Moving Image), has brought the internationally acclaimed Disney: The Magic of Animation exhibit to Melbourne for its Australian debut as part of the city’s Melbourne Winter Masterpiece series. From today, May 13th, through to Sunday, October 17th 2021, the exhibition celebrates a near-century…
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At the age of just 14 years, Brisbane-born talent Finn Little has already amassed an impressive filmography. After securing the lead role in the Australian drama Storm Boy at just 11, Little has continued his steady rise in the industry with roles in the Netflix series Tidelands, the mini-series The Reckoning, and the Luke Evans-led…
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Thanks to StudioCanal we have five double passes to give away to the upcoming release of the horror film Spiral: From the Book of Saw, starring Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson, the anticipated continuation of the Saw film series, in Australian cinemas from May 13th, 2021. A sadistic mastermind unleashes a twisted form of justice…
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A staple of the Australian entertainment landscape for over 30 years, Claudia Karvan has amassed countless accolades – including Logie and AACTA Award wins – and an enviable catalogue that has seen her conquer theatre, television and cinema. To coincide with the release of the new dramedy June Again (read our review here), Karvan spoke…
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“The world may change and evolve, but the one thing that will never change: we’re all part of one big family.” As the world slowly starts to find its footing once more, so too one of the greatest past time activities; going to the cinema. One studio that has arguably reshaped the movie-going experience and…
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Despite a rather sunny marketing campaign – the poster alone evokes feelings of joy – June Again is a far more emotionally devastating feature than audiences may be expecting. That’s certainly not a criticism on behalf of JJ Winlove‘s feature film debut, more a light warning to audiences who may not be prepared for its…
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Famed on Instagram for his 6’7 frame and popularisation of the “man-bun”, California native Brock O’Hurn has traded in influencing for entertainment, transitioning from the phone screen to the big screen. Having made his film debut in Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween, and its subsequent sequel, before earning television roles in drama series such…
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There’s nothing particularly original about The Resort. In some manner hoping to be a type of The Shining-in-Hawaii set-up, Taylor Chien‘s supernatural scarer at least doesn’t tread on the expected genre trope of the found footage angle – something that this type of narrative could easily have adopted. A film that unfortunately lets itself down…
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“Action-capable hero seeks revenge following the murder of his wife” is one generic genre outline that many an action film has adhered to. And whilst Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse (as it’s being touted) is a film stocked with considerable talent who all deserve better than such a configuration afforded, their combined efforts can’t exactly lift…
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After making a name for himself in the late 90’s/early 2000’s with his distinct brand of British gangster villainy, writer/director Guy Ritchie seemed to trade in authenticity for capital. The success of such studio projects as Sherlock Holmes and Aladdin seemed to gradually distance Ritchie from his more unkempt beginnings, before 2019’s The Gentlemen seemingly…
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Satirical without ever being savage, YouthMin adopts a cringeworthy mockumentary style of approach to its narrative, bringing to mind the same uncomfortable comedy that made The Office such fascinating viewing. Whilst its thematics of being primarily raised in the protestant church and the subsequent camps that came with such faith is more likely to resonate…
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The teen-centric, modernised adaptation of classic literature is a road travelled before throughout cinema. Jane Austen’s Emma was revamped for the Valley girl-focused Clueless; Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew was the basis for Heath Ledger’s taming of Julia Stiles in 10 Things I Hate About You, and, however surprising it may be, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark…
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As much as The Oak Room‘s narrative basis of “A man walks into a bar…” sounds like a gag set up, Cody Calahan‘s slow burning thriller is anything but a humorous punchline. The man walking into said bar is Steve (RJ Mitte), a prodigal son of a small Canadian town who, as we learn through…
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With Nomadland having just earned Academy Award accolades as the Best Picture of 2020, a film like Land being released is curious timing. It’ll inevitably be compared to Chloe Zhao’s inward masterpiece and, in its own way, it’s something of a more digestible, audience friendly take on the narrative of finding yourself in the wilderness. The…
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The first ever African-American film producer to solely produce an Oscar-winning film (when Halle Berry won her Best Actress statue for Monster’s Ball), Lee Daniels has long associated himself with acclaimed fare throughout his career thus far. After a near-decade long break from directing films, the Academy Award-nominated director of such lauded features as Precious…
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After making a name for himself in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Sam Claflin soon earned global recognition as Finnick Odair in The Hunger Games series. Romantic leading roles and character driven projects followed, with his exercises in the dark psyches of his roles continuing with the release of Every Breath You Take….
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The spirit of the 1990’s thriller is alive and well within Every Breath You Take. The upper-middle class family having their perfectly manicured lives upended by the arrival of a mysterious figure – this one British and in the form of the disarmingly handsome Sam Claflin – is a road travelled many times before; hell,…
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Though the battle grounds of Mortal Kombat are far from the usual comedic landscape Josh Lawson is used to, the Australian actor/writer/director has certainly put his own stamp on proceedings in bringing the character of violent mercenary Kano to life. Touching down in Sydney to discuss his foray into the world of blockbuster cinema, Lawson…
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