Year: 2015

“It was a real eclectic mix from people all over the world,” treasured actress Rose Byrne says of the upcoming movie Spy. Larry Heath was on hand at the SXSW premiere and caught up with Rose, who talks about working with the likes of Jason Statham, Curtis Jackson AKA 50 Cent, Jude Law, and more……

The Iris’ Larry Heath was fortunate enough to catch up with actress Barbara Steele, on the Red Carpet at the North American SXSW premiere of Lost River, directed by Ryan Gosling. Steele chats about how Gosling approached her to star in his film, musing on the fact that she is a frequent collaborator with first…

The Iris’ Larry Heath recently had the chance to chat with composer Johnny Jewel, on the Red Carpet at the North American SXSW premiere of his new film Lost River, directed by Ryan Gosling. Jewel discusses how he first met Gosling while working together on the 2011 film Drive, how he got on board working…

With the release of their second album Smoke + Mirrors, the gents from Imagine Dragons returned to our shores for a very brief visit to give us a taste of their new songs live at an exclusive predominantly fan populated event at The Star Event Centre.

Sleeping with Sirens have explored their pop rock dimensions on another level with their newest album Madness. Since their last release, the band have further explored something different from their usual scope of music and this will surely have old and new fans divided. It’s hard to move past the heavy sounding, in-your-face back catalogue offered in…

Ian Hultquist is at SXSW promoting the horror film The Diabolical, for which he composed the musical score. He is also a founding member of synth pop band Passion Pit, although in October 2014 he announced his departure from the band. In this interview, Hultquist chats about the nature of composing for film, his inspirations, and his reasons for leaving Passion Pit.

After five days of talks, events and parties (…lots of parties), the Interactive portion of SXSW came to an end tonight with a massive party at Austin’s iconic Stubb’s BBQ outdoor amphitheater, presented by Media Temple. The drinks and BBQ flowed as Z-Trip, Ludacris and TV on the Radio performed in front of some two…

It’s been almost four months since the first episode of Tales from the Borderlands was released and the wait for the next installment has been an especially long one. Telltale are obviously aware of the delay, opening their “Previously on” intro with the line “Yes, yes, it’s been a while. Everyone knows.” This cheeky, self-aware…

“I wrote pages and pages of notes,” Rollins laughs, “the director told me to chuck it all out.” We’re on the red carpet, and Henry Rollins is deep into explaining how he prepared for the role of Jack, a cannibalistic immortal that’s the antihero of Jason Krawczyk’s new film, He Never Died. “I read the…

Finally, after months of preparation, the ultimate winners of South by Southwest were finally announced this week. The Jury and Special Award-winners of the 2015 South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival were announced at the Festival’s Awards Ceremony at the historic Paramount Theatre. The awards were hosted by Saturday Night Live’s Vanessa Bayer, who…

Earlier today at SXSW in Austin, Texas, the new USA Network series Mr. Robot premiered its pilot episode to a packed out Vimeo Theatre crowd. The series, a psychological thriller which closely follows the life of a computer hacker as he gets in deep in a world of corporate espionage, was followed by a Q&A…

It’s not about her. At least, that’s the mantra that Hannah’s repeating to anyone and everyone about the recent revelation that her father has come out as a proud gay man. Tad (guest star Peter Scolari) is spending time in New York to see Hannah, and also to learn from his new Obi-Wan: Elijah. Elijah takes Tad out…

For better or worse Liam Neeson has essentially become the Charles Bronson of the 21st century. No longer the brooding performer from fare like Schindler’s List, Neeson’s action quota is generally either the Taken films or features courtesy of Jaume Collet-Sera. It’s safe to say the Taken films have dwindled in quality over their run, but his…

Bringing us the story of a brain, a beauty, a jock, a rebel and a recluse, The Breakfast Club has been hailed “an iconic comedy that defined a generation”. In celebration of the film’s 30th anniversary, SXSW 2015 hosted the world premiere of the newly restored version of The Breakfast Club. 1,300 fans watched the beloved John Hughes’ classic…

There’s really no stopping this girl. Known for her bluesy sound and witty, realist approach to songwriting, Courtney Barnett has conquered Australia and is now moving on to bigger things. The songstress made an appearance on US talk show The Ellen Show today with host Ellen DeGeneres introducing her as “one of my favourite new artists, I love her so much!” Barnett won hearts of many Americans with her stunning performance of “Depreston,” before DeGeneres gave everyone in the audience a copy of her new album Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit.

Three of Australia’s most respected acts will come together at The Corner Hotel this April for a benefit for John Hedigan. Fellow bandmates and friends Something for Kate, Clare Bowditch and Darren Middleton will join forces for what will be a very special and memorable night, as they recognise Hedigan’s achievements to date and celebrate all he has done for them.

The Iris’ Larry Heath caught up with Will Ferrell, star of the new film Get Hard, at the film’s premiere at SXSW in Austin, Texas. It was the actor’s first time at SXSW, “it’s wild to see it unfold,” he said. He spoke about the film, whether he’d be ready for jail after being a part…

The day after the premiere screening of the Silk Road documentary Deep Web, director Alex Winter, Lyn Ulbricht, consulting producer Andy Greenberg and producer Marc Schiller answered questions about the trial of Ross Ulbricht, the longtime legal implications of the ruling, and the notions of online anonymity. Below are five key points that were discussed….

SXSW Film has kicked off with a bang with the “Witches Playground” event, celebrating the upcoming release of the second season of WGN America’s flagship show Salem. The party, held in the notoriously haunted Speakeasy on the Avenue venue in Austin on Friday the 13th, served as the opening event for the festival. The 1,300…

Underneath what we see in our daily browsing – our emails, Facebook, people’s banal commentary on Twitter – is something called the dark web. It’s like looking under the hood of a car – a mind bogglingly immense and completely unseen part of the Internet that is mostly made up of lines of HTML code….

The Iris’ Larry Heath recently had the chance to chat with actor Iain De Caestecker on the Red Carpet at the North American premiere of his new film Lost River, directed by Ryan Gosling. De Caestecker shares his thoughts on the SXSW Festival experience as a whole, before discussing some of the intricacies that went…

When the Nine Network and Fairfax Media announced they were developing online streaming service Stan, it seemed like only a matter of time before they started producing original Australian content. Unsurprisingly, this announcement has been made sooner rather than later, though their first project may come as something of a surprise itself. Yes, Wolf Creek…

The Iris’ Larry Heath caught up with Irish actress Saoirse Ronan on the SXSW Red Carpet at the North American premiere of her new film Lost River, directed by Ryan Gosling. Saoirse discusses how she became involved with the film, as well as the unique filming experience that Gosling created on the set, and what…

Not even sporadic torrents of rain on Friday night could deter the most eager food enthusiasts flocking to the heart of picturesque Centennial Parklands for a chance to dine, shop and learn from a selection of Sydney’s finest culinary innovators, as part of the annual Taste of Sydney premium food and drink festival. A comfortably spaced array of restaurant…

In the 30th instalment of ‘Stumbled Upon’, we meet Melbourne’s In Capital, and get an exclusive preview of their second single Fighting for the Light. Band Name: In Capital Website / Social Media: Facebook / Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Twitter Genre: Electronic, EDM Members & their roles: Nick Jenkin – Engineer, Producer, Guitar, Bass, Synth,…

Country rock superstars Lady A took Sydney’s Qantas Credit Union Arena and dominated the stage on the weekend. Gwendolyn Lee was on hand and brings you this gallery.

In celebration of the new season and a new menu designed to showcase the best of autumn produce, Q Station’s Boilerhouse Harbourside Restaurant has announced dates and details for their inaugural Autumn Harvest Dinner.

The annual celebration that is Spotify House returned to SXSW today, for the start of no less SIX days of live music, free food, free drinks and something called “SoulCycle”, which seems to include live music and a bunch of exercise bikes… you may have to head along to find out for yourself, should you…

This morning at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas, a packed out Paramount Theatre enjoyed the World Premiere of the new music documentary Mavis!, telling the story of the legendary Mavis Staples. Making her feature length documentary debut with the film was Director Jessica Edwards, who joined Mavis and other members of the crew…

For those who’ve never made the trip to Austin for SXSW, our best advice is to go with the flow. Follow the crowds, take chances, give yourselves the ability to stumble across bands you’ve never heard of, in locations you don’t expect. It’s the best way to discover something new. But it doesn’t hurt to…