The iconic Melbourne identity “Chopper” is back reincarnated in the hilariously talented Heath Franklin. Heath will present his brand new show “Not Here To F*** Spiders” over two nights in Melbourne in November. This is Chopper’s triumphant return after a short break to focus on his ‘other’ life and come back fiestier than ever. We…
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New office. New Aussie boss. The hotly-anticipated Australian Original comedy series is the thirteenth version of the global hit juggernaut franchise The Office and has the first-ever female lead in the iconic role, comedian and actor Felicity Ward. In the eight part series, Hannah Howard (Ward) is the managing director of packaging company Flinley Craddick….
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After a 14 year hiatus, Australian improv series Thank God You’re Here was rejuvenated in 2023 for a whole new generation to bask in the unpredictable comedy stylings of some of Australia’s (and the world’s) most loved comedians. Hosted by national treasure Celia Pacquola, the series is back in 2024 for a brand new round…
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Brace yourselves, comedy fans. US comedy stars Andrew Santino and Bobby Lee, the co-hosts of wildly popular podcast Bad Friends, have announced they will be trekking down under for their ‘Bad Friends Tour‘ this November! Establishing themselves first within the elite ranks of the US comedy scene, Santino and Lee’s podcast venture has amassed a…
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John Krasinski has primarily set himself up in the horror space across his directorial career. And though his latest could give way to genre tendencies – imaginary friends can indeed be a terrifying notion – he’s decidedly opted for a more wholesome, family-friendly mentality with the release of IF. IF (which stands for Imaginary Friend)…
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There aren’t many people who would willingly publicise themselves as a “huge twat,” least of all a celebrity. But actress, comedian and writer, Dawn French, is exceptional in every sense. Her latest standup show – an extension of her recent memoir The Twat Files – is all about embracing your failures and relishing every minute…
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Before the internet gave way to the keyboard warriors of the world, if there was a bystander of sorts that you wished to give a piece of your mind to (however warranted or not), one had to put pen to paper and post such. In the early 20th century these were the days of the…
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Renowned stand-up comedian and award-winning actress, Ali Wong, is excited to announce Australian dates for her “Ali Wong: Live” comedy tour, taking in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane this July. Produced by Live Nation, the tour has been a massive success, playing to full houses right across North America, Paris and London! Having captivated audiences worldwide with her…
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Whilst The Nut Farm undeniably goes for simple, perhaps obvious humour over the course of its brisk 80-ish minutes, audiences looking for clean(ish) humour and a sense of family fun should have an easy time digesting Arj Barker‘s absurd, well-intentioned comedy. Barker, an American comedian whose very much made Australia his second home over the…
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After finding Oscar glory as a solo filmmaker – with arguably one of the more controversial Best Picture wins in the Academy’s history (see Green Book) – there’s a nice sense of coming back home in the case of Peter Farrelly helming Ricky Stanicky. Now, it does pale in comparison to the comedy works he…
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When three childhood best friends pull a prank gone wrong, they invent the imaginary “Ricky Stanicky” to get them out of trouble! Twenty years after creating this ‘friend,’ Dean (Zac Efron), JT (Andrew Santino), and Wes (Jermaine Fowler) still use the non-existent Ricky as a handy alibi for their immature behaviour. When their spouses and partners get…
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The type of film surrounding a character we know we shouldn’t like, Jennifer Cram‘s Sick Girl manages to overcome its central figure’s questionable morals by never asking its audience to forgive her. The “sick girl” in question is Wren Pepper (Nina Dobrev, great), a slacker, party girl-type who’s never grown up in the same manner…
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Whilst it commits to the kill from an on-screen carnage perspective, Nahnatchka Kahn‘s Totally Killer has a bit more of a Disney Channel Original vibe going for it in terms of its heart and structure; and that’s in no way meant as a diss against what’s ultimately a very digestible, oft witty slasher. In 2023,…
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With its ludicrous potential built right into its title, Slotherhouse nabs your attention immediately with its narrative hook. A mammal as notoriously slow as a sloth surely can’t be fast enough to kill predatorial animals, let alone a house full of sorority girls, right? It’s just so bombastically ridiculous that it could absolutely work as…
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The Queen of British comedy, Dawn French, has announced her return to the Australian stage with her one-woman stand-up show, “Dawn French is a Huge Twat”, playing across the country in April and May of 2024. Few people are as firmly ensconced in the British comedy firmament as Dawn French. As one half of the…
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Two powerful families unite through their son’s misunderstanding. A tale of enemies to lovers. Red, White & Royal Blue, based off the book by Casey McQuiston, is a romantic comedy directed by Matthew Lopez, produced by Amazon Studios and Berlanti-Schecter Films. The central characters are sons from two powerful families in the western world; Alex…
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Heartstopper Season 2 continues to explore the importance of representation. Not only in the LGBTQIA+ community, but through families, relationships, friendships, and abilities. The heartfelt romantic tv drama series aired on Netflix on the 3rd of August, produced by See-Saw Productions, written by Alice Oseman, and directed by Euros Lyn. Based on Oseman’s webcomic and…
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Enmore Road was buzzing. Not just because it was a crisp Saturday night in mid-winter, but because Reuben Kaye was back and his presence at the glorious Enmore Theatre was highly anticipated by the public and police alike. Many words have been written about Kaye’s appearance on The Project in April, but it was the…
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Whilst Jennifer Lawrence has lightly flexed her comedic muscle over the years – her Golden Globe-winning turn in 2013’s American Hustle probably the closest she’s come to being the comedienne she so clearly is – No Hard Feelings finally allows the supremely charismatic and comedically capable performer to embrace the genre with all the shamelessness…
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Bert Kreischer is not a personality I’m familiar with. And having no idea as to who he was in a professional capacity meant The Machine – a star vehicle centred around his most famous stand-up story – was a film I entered with zero expectations. Perhaps that was what ultimately got me over the line…
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Andrew Hansen is a well-known comedian starring in Australian satirical shows such as The Chaser, CNNNN and The Hampster Wheel. Recently he’s been on the road with his one-man comedy show entitled Andrew Hansen – is Cheap. We caught up with him to chat about the show and some of the inspiration behind his comedy….
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As Comedian Sammy J hits the road with his new show Good Hustle, John Goodridge catches up with him to find out about he some 20 characters that will feature in the show, reflect on how he keeps his seemingly hectic schedule together – and they talk about the passing of Barry Humphries. Hey Sammy,…
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Eldritch, USA wears its miniscule budget and make-shift mentality with a gleeful pride over the course of its 108 minutes. Its limitations are obvious, but there’s a certain scrappy charm to it all that you can’t help but be a little taken by its ambition and camp B-movie mindset; there’s a certain Little Shop of…
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Only a few weeks after Jane Fonda navigated pedestrian, older-skewered comedy in 80 For Brady, the legendary actress is working with similar, though admittedly better material in Book Club: The Next Chapter, an unnecessary, but serviceable laugher that reunites Fonda, Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen for another round of mostly safe, occasionally suggestive…
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The Sydney Comedy Festival has finally rolled around and it’s time for four weeks of comedy to take over a multitude of venues in the city, but first, the fabulous Sydney Opera House gets to host one of the opening week galas that showcase a selection of artists to be found on the programme. A…
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Michael Shafar is a testicular cancer survivor, hence the chemo joke. It was what his oncologist told him after he had seen the show; “You were well worth the chemo, Michael.” Which is a pretty good recommendation. On a Tuesday night after a long weekend, the house is full. Even if the stage is an…
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Skinny dipping, throat punches and pepper spray. What won’t Jennifer Lawrence endure to date an “unfuckable” 19-year-old? No Hard Feelings proves it all. The red-band trailer for the new Gene Stupnitsky-directed coming-of-age sex comedy has been released, with Lawrence embracing her natural comedic sensibilities as Maddie, an “Uber driver without a car” who’s close to…
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As the crowd filled the smokey Wonderland Spiegeltent in the Wonderland Festival Hub, the excitement in the air was palpable. And it was no surprise, considering that The Marvellous Elephant Man: The Musical had been described as The Book Of Mormon meets Beauty and the Beast. Just how on Earth were they going to pull…
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Right from the opening of M3GAN it’s obvious what type of film Gerard Johnstone‘s A.I. horror-lite is going to be: one that doesn’t take itself remotely seriously, has its wink poised at the audience, and knows you can’t think it’s ridiculous any more than the creators already do. If its trailer didn’t already clue you…
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A satire surrounding the wealthy, faux celebrities, foodies and their misplaced importance, or chefs with a God complex seems far too easy to execute for a mock artist. For director Mark Mylod (What’s Your Number, TV’s Succession) and screenwriters Seth Reiss (TV’s Late Night with Seth Meyers) and Will Tracy (TV’s Succession) it’s low-hanging fruit…
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