Indie horror It Follows is simple in it’s execution but a bit complicated in it’s innovative idea, combining the sexual angst of teens with a ridiculous premise and somehow making it work through director David Robert-Mitchell’s atmospheric and effectively creepy style. Shifting the focus to the viewers’ imaginations and curiosity, using our own minds to…
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As the days shorten, and autumn bleeds into winter, the chill temperatures are enlivened by the start of the 2015 Spanish Film Festival, running in Sydney exclusively at Palace Verona and Norton Street from 21 April until 10 May, opening at staggered dates in other cities subsequently. Amongst its offerings are the multi-Goya winning Marshland,…
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Another installment in the Halo franchise has once again satisfied revelers of the Halo story. Much like a piece of the Halo ring floating in space, this feature is also an element that can be part of the Halo universe or a story all of its own. Considered the “origin story” of the one of…
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When we left the Nine-Nine precinct at the end of Season 1, Det. Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) was asked to go undercover for the FBI, his unrequited feelings for fellow detective Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero) were still, well, unrequited, Terry Crews was still a large mass of comedic dynamite and Gina Linetti (Chelsea Peretti) had…
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When Ryan Gosling premiered his Directorial debut Lost River to a packed house at Cannes last year, it’s fair to say the odds were stacked against him. He couldn’t have picked harsher critics to premiere his film to. This is a crowd who have rarely been fans of Actors turned Directors. Do you remember The Brave – Johnny…
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Every once in a while a phrase or acronym surfaces which unjustly gives legs to a social stereotype. In The Duff (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) Director Ari Sandel applies his tongue in cheek approach to some of the more serious social undercurrents that continue to plague ‘young people’ working out their place in the world, resulting in a film…
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Gang culture and it’s devastating effects are never far away from the front pages of London’s newspapers. 2008 was one of the worst years for gang-related violence. The murder of Shakilus Townsend was arguably the most shocking. Honeytrap, which is based around this murder, follows Layla (Jessica Sula), the girl who would ultimately lead this young man to…
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A crude comedy starring Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart, fraught with cliche stereotypes and offensive humour. This is going to be the description a lot of people who watch Get Hard will jump to, but – assuming they are offended by one of the many exaggerated stereotypes in the film – they will probably throw…
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Will we or won’t we? The Mindy Project’s fourth season has yet to be given the go ahead by US network Fox, but here’s hoping that we’ll see Mindy again – if for no other reason than I want to finally meet Mindy’s parents! I find it a little hard to believe that Danny’s never met Mindy’s…
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For nearly 40 years, Tower Records stood as the largest and most successful record store chain in the world, regularly raking in the millions of dollars in profit per year. In 1999, they managed to pull in a staggering $1 billion dollars. Five years later, they went suddenly bankrupt. It was an astonishing rise…
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Last year’s Divergent introduced us to Beatrice (later known as Tris) Prior (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James) in a post-“war” Chicago split into factions which are organised around the different character traits of its citizens. You can read our Divergent review here. Still hot on the heels of the YA post-apocalyptic phenomena, Insurgent hits our screens as the much-anticipated part…
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Doug Sahm lived and breathed Texas music. But he was also largely unknown outside of that particular American state. Until now. The documentary film, Sir Doug and the Genuine Texas Cosmic Groove looks at the chameleon musician and gets at the heart of all of his layers of complexity. Sahm was a charismatic bloke who…
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UnReal is a TV series that will appeal to fans of Frontline or Ben Elton’s Chart Throb or Dead Famous books. The series looks at the chaotic world of filming a fictional reality dating program. It’s an insightful and honest account of the depths of manipulation that are employed by a reality show’s production staff…
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As many fans expected, the reason for these episode titles lately is beginning to make a bit more sense. All these one-word titles seem to be in reference to a speech the ill-fated and loveable Dale gave in season 2; a moment in time when a confrontation between the relatively soft Rick and the relatively…
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From the minute the opening theme rolls into the bass lines to Simple Minds anthem for The Breakfast Club ‘Don’t You Forget About Me’ it’s apparent that this episode’s going to be something special. In hindsight the title really says it all, meshing elements of the play on The Breakfast Club, the fashion runway themes…
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Rosemary’s Baby gets the micro budget lesbian remake it deserves in Lyle, an unsettling domestic horror that wins in its grand ambition and unfailing earnestness – despite being somewhat lacking in genuinely terrifying scares. Leah (Gaby Hoffmann) and her partner June (Ingrid Jungermann) move to New York with their adorable toddler Lyle (Eleanor Hopkins) –…
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Olive Kitteridge is part curmudgeon and all chameleon. The difficult high school teacher is caustic and thorny as a mother and wife living in a bleak town in Maine in the seventies and eighties. The mini-series is a slow, nuanced affair that contains as many layers as an onion. It’s something that will keep you…
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In the penultimate episode of this season, Mindy finally faced something that she hasn’t faced since, arguably, way back in season one: a complete and total loss of confidence. She’s definitely pregnant, and starting to show, and her confidence has completely been drained by the fact that she no longer fits into her pre-pregnancy clothing. This episode has…
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“I’m the luckiest human being in the world,” says Eugene ‘Gene’ Cernan. In December 1972, he was the commander of the Apollo 17 mission, the final moon landing. Leaving behind his footprints and his daughter’s initials in the dust, Cernan returned to Earth. From this simple and yet extraordinary premise, director Mark Craig weaves together Cernan’s story, from his…
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How do you look at someone that’s committed a reprehensible act? Can they be forgiven, are they the devil and what do you do if they’ve achieved great success prior to this event? These are the sorts of questions that are raised in the documentary short, unmappable, which is about Denis Wood. The film is…
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For the love of food. For Grace is a documentary that follows world-acclaimed chef, Curtis Duffy as he embarks on a journey to open his dream restaurant called Grace. The film is an insightful look at the highs, lows and the meticulous and determined attention-to-detail that is required in opening a fine dining establishment. It…
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Two young women from two continents live apart for a quarter of a century. Twinsters is the story of these two identical twin sisters who were separated at birth, adopted by different families and their subsequent reunion. This documentary is heart-warming, emotional and unique. In February 2013 LA-based actress, Sam Futerman received an odd Facebook…
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In the not too distant future robots will soon become part of the police force helping to stave off rising crime rates. But what happens when the machines we program and command can think and feel for themselves? How do we reconcile the human concepts of consciousness and a soul if a robot can feel…
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Director Paul Thomas Anderson has faithfully adapted a novel of the same name by Thomas Pynchon for Inherent Vice, an hilarious look into a 1970’s L.A, awash with drugged-up eccentricity as a convoluted would-be missing persons case is sniffed around by a stoner private investigator. Said P.I is portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix who brings Larry…
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Mindy is, professionally, breaking out on her own. Her fertility clinic is up and running and all she needs now are the patients. Unfortunately for her, no one wants to go to a clinic that doesn’t have an established client base and excellent track record. The staff of Shulman and Associates are trying to help her by…
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At first, it seems like Hannah is back in self-destruct mode. Yes, she’s inexplicably found herself a job as a substitute teacher at a private Manhattan school; and yes, she’s found herself a date in adorable and witty history teacher Fran (guest star Jake Lacy); but this is Hannah Horvath, and she wouldn’t be Hannah…
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When The Wachowskis make a new film, we take notice. There is this endless desire we have as film fanatics that we’ll see them pull out something as impressive as their classic sci-fi film The Matrix. Time and time again fans and critics are disappointed, as proven by fairly low Rotten Tomatoes scores, poor word…
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Colin Firth isn’t exactly the type of guy you would imagine as a highly capable master spy, but after watching Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman: The Secret Service it’s quite hard to get the image of him in badass mode out of your head. Firth (code name Galahad) portrays a dapper, and quite ridiculous, super spy in…
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Our Girls are moving up in the world. They’re following their passions, righting their wrongs and becoming genuine adults. Well, they’re trying, at least, and isn’t that half the battle? Look at Shoshanna for example: she’s out of college and at her first big job interview. She nails her interview and is told that the…
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Girls isn’t a glamorous show and in many ways that’s what makes it feel so brutally honest and real. In the third season the characters are the most fully developed and realised versions of themselves to date. It’s also one that is full of the kinds of stories and things that will challenge, enthral, frustrate…
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