Review

Film Review: Johnny & Clyde sadly shoots blanks in its overly wild attempt at rebranding a familiar tale

Even though the title of Johnny & Clyde may indicate that writer/director Tom DeNucci has gender-flipped the classic criminal couple of Bonnie & Clyde – which could actually be quite a fun, progressive angle – audiences are in for no such change; at least from a gender point of view. DeNucci, unfortunately adopting an “everything…

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Series Review: Bupkis is a semi-autobiographical comedy series that defines the charm of creator Pete Davidson

Whilst some could accuse Pete Davidson of repeating (or, re-Pete-ing, sorry) himself in Bupkis, given that he already gave us an “inspired by” piece in 2020’s The King of Staten Island, his 8-episode dramedy series at least gives the actor/writer more breathing room to delve into what makes him tick and heighten the situation accordingly….

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Film Review: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is an emotional send-off to the MCU’s most endearing outlaws

Since Avengers: Endgame – arguably the last great Marvel movie to be created – the cinematic universe of Kevin Feige‘s box office-conquering superheroes has been creatively rocky.  Sure, they’re still bringing in considerable bank, but the audience enthusiasm has seriously waned in the wake of too many cooks in the kitchen, and their served dishes…

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Game Review: Crime Boss: Rockay City is as cheesy as it is messy

Crime Boss: Rockay City’s reveal felt like a nail being hit on the head. Between the stellar cast, featuring Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs), Chuck Norris (Walker Texas Ranger), Kim Basinger (Batman), Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon), Michael Rooker (The Walking Dead) and even rapper Vanilla Ice, and the satiric nature of a crime-ridden beach city in…

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Game Review: Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is nothing short of a tremendous sequel

I’ve been a Star Wars fan for almost as long as I can remember. While it started with a love for the original trilogy of films, it soon extend to books, TV shows and most importantly, games. While I won’t run through that entire list of top Star Wars games (let’s save that for another…

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Game Review: Dead Island 2 brings the fun, yet feels a little dated

The time has finally arrived. After what feels like an eternity, Dead Island 2 has finally made its way to our homes, bringing with it waves of zombies to dismember in gory fashion. In many ways, Dead Island 2 is a solid action title, packing in brutal melee combat and a consistent sense of humour….

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Film Review: Polite Society is a manic, unpredictable comedy that’s as sweet as it is sinister

You have to hand it to writer/director Nida Manzoor for mashing up genres so bombastically in Polite Society and still managing it to make sense when our lead heroine finally lands with her feet planted on the ground. And that’s meant quite literally, as Polite Society‘s lead energy charge – Priya Kansara‘s Ria – has a…

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Film Review: 80 For Brady; Kind intentions and a good heart does not always a good movie make

Given the absolute decorative nature given to the four leading ladies of 80 For Brady – there’s 5 Oscar wins between them for starters – it’s a shame that such a throwaway, consistently silly comedy is what has brought together the powerhouse quartet that is Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Sally Field. It’s…

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Game Review: Minecraft Legends provides a solid strategy spinoff

For everything that Minecraft has done over the past decade or so, it’s surprising top realise that the franchise has not yet touched the strategy genre. That is, until now. Minecraft Legends looks to fill that gap, providing fans and newcomers alike with an RTS spinoff that feels accessible to both younger and older gamers…

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Series Review: Dead Ringers is a deliciously depraved thriller led by a stunning, dual Rachel Weisz

You have to hand it to the creative team behind the new series Dead Ringers for having the gumption to remake a piece that was birthed from the mind of one David Cronenberg.  The darkly-driven filmmaker’s 1988 psychological thriller – which followed his 1986 horror success The Fly – starred Jeromy Irons in a dual…

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Film Review: Backwards Faces is a science-fiction fuelled comedy that revels in its own complexities

Just as confusing as it is fascinating, Backwards Faces, a science-fiction fuelled comedy from writer/director Chris Aresco, seems as if it’ll run the risk of being a little too smart for its own good. It all starts straightforward enough, with a post-one night stand scenario setting up the dynamic between Ken (Andrew Morra, also serving…

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Film Review: Mafia Mamma is tonally jarring and decidedly unfunny

There are certain films that, as an audience member, you can tell were an absolute blast to film.  You imagine the on-set atmosphere was one of joy and gaiety, quite often enhanced if said film is being shot on location.  Mafia Mamma feels like one of those productions.  It’s just a shame the presumed fun…

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Film Review: Evil Dead Rise is a relentless and beautifully horrific addition to the long-running franchise

Enhancing the punishing and graphically gory nature of Fede Álvarez’s 2013 “reimagined” Evil Dead and the more comedic inclination of Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead 2 (1987), Lee Cronin‘s Evil Dead Rise is a manic, at-times disgusting horror treat that proves there’s still a whole lotta (after) life left in this franchise. Given that Cronin seems…

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Film Review: Chrissy Judy embraces its own queer personality with a raw, occasionally unlikeable edge

The release of Chrissy Judy feels rather aptly timed at the given moment considering the unnecessary controversy around the artform that is drag.  Its history has never been tied to sex or sexuality, so it’s incredibly ironic that anti-LGBTQIA+ conservatives have peddled their agenda against the art and have positioned themselves as “protecting” children from…

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First Impressions: Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies doesn’t quite ascend in the manner akin to the original musical

There’s something kind of ironic in Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies aiming to ramp up the female empowerment.  As seems to be the norm now for familiar property, the creators of this prequel series have essentially refashioned it for modern audiences and, in the process, made it feel like a separate entity entirely to…

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Film Review: Despite Russell Crowe’s camp commitment, The Pope’s Exorcist is never the horror romp we pray for

Remember the uproar there was regarding Jared Leto’s Italian accent in House of Gucci?  Prepare to have a field day with whatever Russell Crowe is attempting in The Pope’s Exorcist. And not only is it the vocal inflection of good ole’ Rusty, but his whole general demeanour throughout Julius Avery’s horror romp, where he swigs…

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Film Review: Allelujah is too insulting and manipulative to ever earn the titular praise it hopes to elicit

Judging a film by its poster art is never the safest thing to do (what’s that old judging book cover quote?), but in the case of Allelujah it’s a safe assumption that anyone who even remotely glanced at the colourful, rainbow-adorned title and collective cast ensemble on display would have an idea of the film’s…

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Film Review: The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a safe, shiny, optimistic vehicle that will “level up” for families these school holidays

We’ll address the elephant in the room first.  Yes, Chris Pratt does indeed adopt a stereotypical Italian accent for his voice work as Mario in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.  No, it’s actually not as offensive or as wince-inducing as you may be anticipating because, quite ingeniously, the film makes a joke out of the…

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Film Review: Ben Affleck’s Air; Yes, it’s cliché to say, but it’s a slam dunk!

Telling a story with an ending we’re already aware of and centred around a subject that could be considered mundane to many, Ben Affleck‘s strength as a director – and enthusiastic support player – is on full display in Air, an immensely humorous, consistently riveting and passionate drama about the basketball league’s greatest ever player…

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Film Review: Tetris is a far more thrilling tale than audiences will expect about the game’s creation

As we’re seeing superhero films flounder under audience fatigue, there’s a new subsect of IP being explored in a particularly exciting fashion; and it has nothing to do with sequels either! (Although, given how well received Creed III, Scream VI, and John Wick: Chapter 4 have all been, sometimes following through on existing titles isn’t…

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Game Review: Mato Anomalies feels like Persona with promise

Following in the footsteps of critically acclaimed games with a fiercely loyal fanbase always feels like risky business. But Mato Anomalies by developer Arrowiz has stepped up to the plate, to produce their own take on the much loved visual novel meets turn-based JRPG genre. While the game is far from perfect, it brings to…

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Scrap is an honest dramedy that finds purpose in its message without succumbing to preachiness: Phoenix Film Festival Review

The unlikeable, but relatable, protagonist rings strong in Vivian Kerr‘s Scrap, a feature-length adaptation of her own similarly-named 2018 short film that she fronted as lead and writer.  For her filmic go-around, Kerr has assigned herself directorial duties as well, assuring that her character (Beth) is presented in a way that holds authenticity; whether we…

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First Impressions: Rabbit Hole; Kiefer Sutherland’s ever-twisted action series provides effortless binge service

Flirting with the type of action-heavy chaos that served his character for 9 seasons on the surprisingly resilient 24, Kiefer Sutherland embraces coincidental lunacy and a healthy supply of narrative twists for Rabbit Hole to deliver on its promise on the type of genre fun born from political thrills and double-crossing intent. Given just how…

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Game Review: WWE 2K23 remains the king of the ring

If you’ve fallen out of love with the WWE 2K series in recent years, we don’t blame you. Aside from the inconsistent performance and rampant bugs and glitches, the franchise certainly seemed to be heading toward a breaking point of sorts. Thankfully, WWE 2K22’s fresh showcase mode and steady performance yanked the franchise away from…

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Film Review: John Wick: Chapter 4 continues to push the boundaries of the action genre’s capabilities with a grand, operatic manus

It’s hard to believe that, at one point, 2014’s John Wick was practically considered dead on arrival.  A combination of unproven directors (eventual franchise mainstay Chad Stahelski and uncredited “co-director” David Leitch), a screenwriter with only a duo of barely-registered titles under him (Derek Kolstad), and a lead actor with a slew of underperforming box…

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Film Review: Boston Strangler is a fascinating, yet familiar, true crime drama anchored by Keira Knightley

There’s a formula adhered to and a lack of mould breaking throughout Matt Ruskin‘s Boston Strangler, but that doesn’t mean it still isn’t an effective take on an establish genre, with his script executing compelling narrative arcs and supplying the always-watchable Keira Knightley a role with sense and purpose. She stars as Loretta McLaughlin, a…

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Film Review: Melissa Barrera is hauntingly captivating in All the World Is Sleeping, a harrowing drama on addiction and generational abuse

A harrowing tale of addiction, psychological instability, and the humanising of substance abuse, All the World Is Sleeping is a generational drama that provides no easy answers within.  Inspired by the true stories of Carly Hicks, Patricia Marez, Jade Sanchez, Myra Salazar, Kayleigh Smith, Malissa Trujillo, and Doralee Urban, a collective of New Mexico women…

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Film Review: Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves is a journey of fantastical and comedic riches

23 years after Hollywood first attempted to adapt the Dungeons & Dragons phenomenon with an entirely forgettable fantasy that starred Jimmy Olsen from TV’s Lois & Clark, and had Marlon Wayans setting back racial stereotypes by a good few decades, the (studio) powers that be have opted to re-polish the IP, rolling the dice on…

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Film Review: Living is an understated piece of beauty about the importance of existence

Based on Akira Kurosawa’s 1952 Japanese film Ikiru, which in itself was inspired by the 1886 Russian novella The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy, Oliver Hermanus’s Living is an understated take on one of life’s most complicated musings: What does it mean to truly live? It’s a big question, but in the hands…

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Film Review: Shazam! Fury of the Gods is a crowd-pleasing continuation of DC’s most enthusiastic superhero

Similar to how Henry Cavill’s (re)appearance as Superman was all but confirmed prior to the release of Black Adam (and then, you know, leaked in its entirety through supposed bootleg footage), which in itself was viewed as a desperate ploy to drum up interest for the Dwayne Johnson-led superhero flick, there’s a similar air of…

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