Queer is an erotic, but empty escapist fever dream: TIFF 2024 Review

Described as his most personal work yet, Luca Guadagnino‘s Queer is an adaptation of William S. Burrough‘s 1985 novel of the same name; though published in the 80s, it was written between 1951 and 1953.  Guadagnino has made a career out of telling vastly opposing stories with each of his productions – Call Me By…

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The Hoxton Downtown Los Angeles Review: A hotel gem in the heart of the all

Debuting in October 2019, The Hoxton Downtown Los Angeles sits as one of 16 Hoxton properties around the world. With locations in Edinburgh and Florence coming later this year, and Melbourne and Oslo due in 2027 – making the boutique chain’s Australian and Scandinavian debuts, respectively – it’s a brand you’re bound to encounter soon…

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1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge mixes uncompromising luxury with genuine sustainability

Greenwashing is far too common these days. Shallow attempts at being eco-conscious are expected of just about every business now, and not all of them rise above the bare minimum. I’m cynical about it. I’ve heard the sustainability tagline thousands of times over. But there’s something about the 1 Hotel brand that’s hooked me. Its…

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Shell disregards subtlety in favour of its trashy 90s cinema personality: TIFF 2024 Review

Screening so soon after The Substance doesn’t bode well for something like Shell, Max Minghella‘s campy, body horror ode to trashy escapist 90s cinema that similarly explores the world of ageing in Hollywood and how far someone will go to maintain perfection.  With both films screening within a week of each other at this year’s…

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The iPhone 16 will be bigger, smarter and… cheaper

In Australia, the iPhone 16 Pro 128GB will cost $1,799. The base model iPhone 16 128GB will cost $1,399. On average, most of these models will see a price drop of up to $100 compared with last year’s iPhone 15 lineup.. It’s not much, but it’s a meaningful step Apple has been working up to…

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Interview: Kate Hudson, Kaia Gerber and director Max Minghella on their campy black comedy Shell

If you could restore youthful beauty and guarantee longevity by committing to a few days of mysterious treatments, would you? Would you trust your life and health to science and technology that might be more hype than healthy?  Enter Shell. Samantha (Elisabeth Moss) is thinking it over. She’s a slightly unkempt, earnest, talented actress who…

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Paradox Hotel Vancouver brings quiet luxury to the city’s Golden Mile

Wouldn’t it be amazing if every Trump International was reflagged, refurbished and stripped of any and all political connotations to make way for a much better, less divisive hotel? Much like Hilton, Trump International has the immense privilege of location. Look at any Trump International property across the USA and they are almost always in…

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Saturday Night envelops with its charm and riotous humour: TIFF 2024 Review

For almost 50 years, Saturday Night Live has been an institution of (primarily) American culture.  Every weekend it invites audiences to surrender to the thrill of live television, where anything could go wrong at any given moment, amongst a staple of regular segments and musical performances.  Its structure has shifted over time, but the core…

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The Life of Chuck is a beautiful, weird celebration of life and the moments that make so worth living: TIFF 2024 Review

Author Stephen King and filmmaker Mike Flanagan have made careers predominantly out of their affinity for horror.  With The Life of Chuck, they have decidedly pivoted and leaned into another of their shared strengths; broadcasting emotional stories.  The result, however schmaltzy it may threaten to be, is a beautiful, weird celebration of life and all…

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Film Review: Subservience; Humanoid thriller is more artificial than intelligent

Just call her M3GAN Fox. One of the few movies in the last few years of Megan Fox‘s career that actually earned acclaim was the 2021 home invasion thriller Til Death.  It is a lo-fi VOD affair that has probably gone largely unnoticed, but it has a fun elevator pitch premise – that of Fox…

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New Music Discoveries 13th September: Alana Wilkinson, The Terrys, Miami Horror, and more

It’s spooky Friday, and to celebrate we’ve added ten new tracks to our Discovery Playlist on Spotify and Apple Music, including two we exclusively premiered earlier in the week. Our track of the week is “Ultraviolet”, from singer/songwriter and storyteller extraordinaire, Alana Wilkinson. Everyone should have a friend like Alana. In “Ultraviolet”, she tells the…

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The CRKD Neo S Wireless Controller is a fun addition to your accessories line-up

Late last year, we took the time to review the CRKD Nitro Deck, which turns the Nintendo Switch into a beefed-up pro controller. We loved it, and couldn’t wait to sink our teeth into CRKD’s latest controller, the Neo S. This wireless controller is compatible with a few different platforms, including the Nintendo Switch, PC…

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Age of Mythology: Retold is a breath of fresh air for an ancient classic

If you’re even the tiniest bit interested in strategy games, you’ve almost certainly heard of Age of Mythology, or one of its many sequels, or just the franchise it spun from, Age of Empires. Even I played it for a bit when I was a kid, and the original title and I are close to…

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Interview: Dacre Montgomery, Vicky Krieps and the creatives behind Went Up The Hill on the TIFF Red Carpet

Jack (Dacre Montgomery) travels to a remote region of New Zealand to attend the wake of his estranged mother Elizabeth, a troubled architect who abandoned him as a child. Jack claims he was invited to the funeral by his mother’s widow, Jill (Vicky Krieps), who has no recollection of contacting him. Out of a sense…

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Dua Lipa announces 2025 global tour dates for “Radical Optimism” tour, including Australia and New Zealand

3x GRAMMY and 7x BRIT Award-winning global pop powerhouse Dua Lipa has announced a global 2025 run on her Radical Optimism Tour with over 40 new dates across Australia, New Zealand, North America, Europe, and the UK next year. Additionally, South America shows will be announced at a later date. The tour announcement follows Dua’s highly anticipated…

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US psychedelic rockers The Flaming Lips to tour Australia summer 2025

The Flaming Lips return to Australia performing their 2002 alt classic release Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots played in full, plus other cult classics. The Flaming Lips live show is a total psychedelic trip full of colourful props and of course the giant inflatable ball which Wayne Coyne jumps inside to ride across his adoring…

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Northern Irish rap sensations Kneecap announce Australian tour and venue upgrades

Belfast trio Kneecap announce their first Australian tour for March 2025, with a Sydney venue upgrade and a second Melbourne show. The trio consisting of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí deliver a concoction of satirical yet socially conscious Irish and English lyrics with their explosive live performance and we can expect one of…

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Generations of Men is a powerful short that generates a wealth of conversation: Darwin International Film Festival Review

A film that speaks volumes in its silences just as much as it does its audible dialogue, Generations of Men, a powerful new short inspired by Judith Wright‘s book of the same name, is just as much a testament to the strength and resilience of women during colonial times as it is a reminder of…

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Call The Mourning muse on being used with new single “Switch”

Following the release of “Agonal” back in May, Brisbane/Meanjin’s Call The Mourning have just dropped “Switch“, and it’s another heavy-hitter from the trio. Drawing on bassist Lachie Grumley‘s experiences of so-called friends taking advantage, and singer/guitarist Constance Grafos‘ time spent in EMDR therapy, where she could safely re-examine her emotions about people and situations in…

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The Rayes

Exclusive Single Premiere: The Rayes “Bat’s Wing” (2024)

Last month, we had the pleasure of premiering the single “Sister Jane“, from Seattle-born now Naarm/Melbourne-based group The Rayes. Today, we are back at it, premiering “Bat’s Wing”, the final single from their upcoming EP, Limb Pulled Taut. The track opens gently, reminiscent of the great Nick Drake, wistfully with a melancholic tone, as it…

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Lest

Book Review: Mark Dapin’s Lest is a lighthearted account of Australia’s Military History

Just as the world seems to be again on the verge of WWIII, Lest serves as a timely reminder of previous wars and military operations the ADF were part of. Mark Dapin, who has a PhD in military history, adopts a fresh approach of debunking popular myths around Australia’s military record, emphasising the cultural shifts…

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Interview: Runt star Matt Day on his villainous role in the new Australian comedy; “Sometimes I made Baz Luhrmann look understated.”

Runt, based on Craig Silvey’s best-selling novel, is a delightful Australian family film that blends heartfelt moments with humour. The story revolves around eleven-year-old Annie Shearer and her best friend, Runt, an adopted stray dog. The novel was released in 2022 and has achieved significant acclaim, winning several major Australian literary awards. These accolades include…

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Hannah Stow

Track by Track: Hannah Stow takes us through her debut EP, Sidelined

Hailing from Perth, singer/songwriter Hanah Stow has today dropped her debut EP, Sidelined, and it’s a beauty. Six tracks of intimate, emotive and melancholic musings, it’s a beautiful first record for the talented artist. Hannah reflects on her journey to get to this important milestone. From the ache of leaving her home town to pursue…

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Film Review: Runt is a comfortable, cordial comedy for the entire family

Based on the beloved novel by Craig Silvey, Runt is an effortlessly likeable Australian family venture that overcomes any of its cheesiness thanks to an ensemble committed to the cause of providing old-fashioned entertainment There’s some topical themes at bay here under the surface – drought-stricken farmers, real estate corruption – but Silvey’s script never…

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Heretic; Hugh Grant delivers career-best work in this truly riveting genre piece: TIFF 2024 Review

In the last few years Hugh Grant has truly taken pleasure in playing against the grain of expectation he laid upon himself after a career of inhabiting predominantly likeable characters.  Arguably starting with his wonderfully committed camp turn as the villainous Phoenix Buchanan in Paddington 2 in 2017, Grant has been on an incline of…

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Language of Limbs

Book Review: A Language of Limbs is an affirming celebration of queer joy

Dylin Hardcastle’s A Language of Limbs is a profound and compelling exploration of Queer identity set against a backdrop of 1970s and 1980s Australia. Written as part of their PhD in Creative Writing at UNSW, the narrative unfolds through two intertwined ‘limbs’, each following a distinct yet deeply connected journey of self-discovery. Beginning in 1970s…

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Anora; Mikey Madison delivers a performance for the ages in Sean Baker’s passionate and profane piece of art: TIFF 2024 Review

It’s too easy to claim that writer/director Sean Baker makes inaccessible films due to the fact that so many of his narratives centre around the society underrepresented, chief among them being sex workers.  As we saw in such previous works as Tangerine and Red Rocket, Baker seeks to remove such a stigma around pornography performers, prostitutes…

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Terra Rouge

Exclusive Single Premiere: Terra Rouge “Couch Song” (2024)

We’ve some classic garage alt-rock coming out of Naarm/Melbourne via the rockin’ Terra Rouge, in her new single, the visceral “Couch Song”. We are thrilled to be premiering it ahead of its release on Friday. Terra Rouge has been lighting up Melbourne since 2019, with Brianna Brady (she/her), vocalist, songwriter and guitarist at the helm….

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Nightbitch is a meditation on motherhood, isolation and female rage, driven at the helm by a fearless Amy Adams: TIFF 2024 Review

Despite the fact that the recently released trailer made Nightbitch look more like a quirky comedy – think a female-drive, R-rated take on Tim Allen’s The Shaggy Dog – I can attest that Marielle Heller‘s take on Rachel Yoder‘s seemingly unadaptable 2021 novel of the same name is far from the laughable ridiculousness some may…

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PlayStation 5 Pro revealed along with price and release date

It’s official. After long running rumours, the PlayStation 5 Pro has been officially revealed via PlayStation’s latest Technical Showcase, along with a new hefty price tag and November 7 release date. The console will also be priced at A$1199.95 down under. While we’re getting an increase in processing power, we’re unfortunately not getting a disc…

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