Year: 2017

A Beginner’s Guide to BoJack Horseman

This weekend heralds the return of everyone’s favourite anthropomorphic horse, with Netflix streaming the eagerly awaited fourth season of BoJack Horseman. Since its premiere in 2014, the animated comedy has received much praise from critics – despite an initially frosty reception – with some going as far as to call it the best television series…

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Win a double pass to the opening night of The Sydney Underground Film Festival

Sydney’s leading Festival for cult and underground films, the Sydney Underground Film Festival (SUFF) returns for 2017 with a huge program at Marrickville’s Factory Theatre from 14th to 17th September. Over four big days, the Festival will screen more than 100 films sourced from the world’s very best experimental, innovative and controversial filmmakers, with a…

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Opinion: Yes, Wonder Woman is a creation of “male Hollywood”, but her film is anything but “the same old thing”

It was only recently that I was walking into my local cinema, almost shaking with excitement, as I sat down to witness the feature film debut of one of the most iconic characters in modern history – something I had been anticipating for the better half of two years. It was an event that had…

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Interview: Claudia Pickering takes Hollywood by the balls with her US$5k film Frisky

What’s amazing about Claudia Pickering? For one, Claudia taken a huge risk, travelled overseas and directed a film based on her own personal experiences. It could be that the movie has been a huge success in the States and now it’s finally arrived for us Aussie folk in selected cinema runs as well as a…

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Video Games Review: Guardians of The Galaxy: The Telltale Series – Eps 2 and 3 help the season finally find its rhythm

Telltale’s Guardians of The Galaxy is finally back. Episodes of this season have been released quite far apart — it will be another month or so before Episode 4 drops and then the Episode 5 finale will release towards the end of the year. Episodes 2 and 3 are now available, however, and we’ve happily dug…

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The first trailer for Stan’s Electric Dreams has landed; release date confirmed

Stan has released the first trailer for their original series, Philip K Dicks’ Electric Dreams, an ambitious anthology drama series based on the short stories written by award-winning sci-fi novelist Philip K. Dick. Not dissimilar to the ever popular Black Mirror, the series will consist of ten epic, stand-alone episodes, each set in a different…

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Melbourne to Sydney for $25 as Tigerair kicks off sale to celebrate 25 millionth passenger

To celebrate flying 25 million Aussies on 200,000 flights round the country, Tigerair have launched a national sale on 8000 fares, with one-way flights going from $25. The ’25 Millionth Passenger sale’ kicks off from today, and runs until midday Saturday 9 September. The four day sale features fares across 23 Tigerair domestic routes, with…

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Book Review: Dirk Kurbjuweit’s Twins shows friends who put their bond to the ultimate test

Twin: duplicate or match. Identical: being the exact same one. Once again Dirk Kurbjuweit brings us a novel with some unusual characters, something I feel he is mastering rather well. Twins, is a novel about growing up, first loves and friendships. And whilst it touches on eccentric behaviour, it also involves two main characters that you’ll…

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Brisbane Festival Interview: Composer Robert Davidson talks about The Singing Politician

Taking the words out of our Prime Ministers’ mouths and merging them seamlessly together over of stirring music, The Singing Politician is the classical performance you didn’t know you wanted to see. From Menzies’ ‘Declaration of War’ to Whitlam’s ‘Well May We Say,’ and even a possible appearance from Donald Trump, Brisbane’s Topology and The…

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Brisbane Festival Interview: Lyall Brooks talks Australian Politics and A Prudent Man

Inspired by recent Australian political events, A Prudent Man takes an unapologetic look at memory, ego and power! Written and directed by award-winning playwright Katy Warner and performed by Lyall Brooks, this one-man monologue promises to take a dark comedic tour towards what it means to be right. Playing at the 2017 Brisbane Festival this…

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Confidence Man, West Thebarton & more open BIGSOUND 2017 with impressive flair

Over the next few nights Australia’s music industry will come together with musicians and fans to not only celebrate, but evolve and progress. In addition to endless showcases of homegrown talent across Brisbane’s best live music spaces, BIGSOUND will be brimming with keynotes, masterclasses, and industry events where some of the biggest issues behind the scenes…

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Video Games Review: Madden NFL 18 (PS4, 2017) is somehow both the same game and a very different one

As of this filing, I will have now reviewed fully three instalments of the Madden NFL series for this website. Reviewing sports titles, as I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, is one of the easier aspects of the gig as a games critic — the games don’t change much year-to-year and they are, by and large, quite…

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TV Review: Amazon gives The Tick a taste of the modern day Superhero

Attention Planet Earth: The Wild Blue Yonder has arrived; The front line in the seemingly endless list of franchises that fate and television executives have seen fit to revive. Amazon Prime subscribers, you face … The Tick!

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Film Review: The Dinner (USA, 2017) is an uncomfortable debate that will stay with you after you’ve left the cinema

In We Need To Talk About Kevin writer Lionel Shriver explored the idea of a mother grappling with her son’s heinous act. In The Dinner, four parents deal with the ramifications of a shocking crime perpetuated by their boys. They have to decide how far they will go in order to protect their teenage sons….

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Saint Lucia is Windsor’s new Caribbean barbecue and rum bar (Melbourne)

Caribbean influences sit alongside flavours from Cuba and Southern America at Windsor’s recently opened Saint Lucia, which popped up on Chapel Street earlier this year. The tropical-minded BBQ and rum bar offers a soulful, colourful space to Melbourne’s famously dynamic hospitality scene, illustrated with eclectic trinkets and lush greenery. With an inclusive dining experience (vegetarians…

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Tiger Trek is now open at Taronga Zoo to get you insanely close to these remarkable animals

An Indonesian-themed experience is now open at Taronga Zoo to get you frighteningly close to Taronga’s Sumatran Tiger conservation and education program. A simulated plane cabin will transport you to the jungles of Sumatra to begin your education journey about how choosing Certified Sustainable Palm Oil will have a role in saving this tiger species….

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Single of the Day: S.M. Jenkins “High Beamin'” (2017)

Melbourne’s S.M. Jenkins have been brewing up some great moments of slacker goodness with that classic Melbourne flair bands of the ilk have been so good at producing in recent years, notably seen on “High Beamin’”. Forming when Step-Panther’s Steve Bourke moved to Melbourne and linked up with Big Scary’s Jo Syme, Dumb Punts’ Jimmy Gallagher and…

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SZA to make her Australian debut as part of next year’s FOMO Festival

The FOMO brand sure is bossing up in becoming an Australian festival to watch, with this afternoon’s announcement for the 2017 run seeing some heavy hitters bound for our shores. Namely, SZA will be making her Australian debut as part of the festival tour, having broken through in 2017 as more than a buzz artist on the Top…

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Music Video of the Day: The Coathangers “Perfume” (2017)

The Coathangers have returned with a brand new music video, directed by Jason Travis and arriving just in time for some warmer weather. “Perfume” comes as a cure for seasonal depression, with the song’s glistening melodies and lyricism that drips with yearning and a certain sense of forlorn aching that strikes right at the heartstrings. The tune itself…

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Exclusive Single Premiere: Scalphunter “Life Sucked” (2017)

Set to fire up in Brisbane this week, Perth’s Scalphunter have got BIGSOUND well and truly in their sights; with two hectic shows lined up, best believe this group is ready to shake things into submission ahead of the release of their debut album Lies. From it comes new single “Life Sucked”, which we are stoked to…

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Guy Pearce and Kylie Minogue reunite as Swinging Safari gets an Australian release date

Swinging Safari (formerly titled Flammable Children) will be released across Australia on 11 January 2018. Written and directed by Stephan Elliot ( The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert) Swinging Safari will star fellow Australian actors Guy Pearce and Kylie Minogue. Swinging Safari is set in a typical Australian beachside neighbourhood at the height of…

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New NFL series to arrive on Amazon Prime Video this week

Sports fans can go inside their favourite NFL teams for the first time, with All or Nothing: A Season with the Arizona Cardinals. Available on Amazon Prime Video on 6th September, the first season of All or Nothing takes viewers inside the locker room, on the sidelines and on and off the field for an unprecedented…

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Cara Delevigne to star in Amazon Original Series Carnival Row

Amazon Prime Video have recently announced that actress Cara Delevigne (Suicide Squad) is set to star in Carnival Row, a one-hour fantasy noir Amazon original project. The eight-episode series will be produced by Legendary Television and be written and executive produced by showrunner Rene Echevarria (Star Trek, Teen Wolf, Castle, Medium). Travis Beacham (Pacific rim, Clash of the Titans)…

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Netflix Review: Mockumentary American Vandal is the surprise of the season

When spoofing a film or television series, one could create a shot-for-shot parody of the source material, or merely utilise its formula. The latter approach is the preferred option for many, but that brings with it a need to produce original, compelling material that is worthy of viewing in its own right. Such an example…

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Video Games Review: Life Is Strange: Before the Storm Ep. 1 is a worthwhile prequel

Guess what, Life Is Strange is back and guess what? I played it, you want to know what else? All my fears of it being a shoe-horn tie in for some quick payout were put to rest, Life Is Strange: Before the Storm only grows on the originals strengths and weaknesses and we are left…

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Interview: Griffin Newman talks about playing Arthur in the new incarnation of The Tick

Now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, The Tick is a super hero parody unlike any other, based on the comic book of the same name. Across a three part interview, we had the chance to sit down with with actor Griffin Newman, who plays Arthur Everest, sidekick of the eponymous Tick. In part one, Griffin discusses…

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You can now buy movie tickets and snacks using Qantas Frequent Flyer points

Qantas’ Frequent Flyer program and Hoyts have partnered on a redemption program that will allow Aussie locals and visitors to use their points at Hoyts cinemas to purchase movie tickets and snacks. In addition, members of Hoyts Rewards and the Qantas Frequent Flyer program will be able to earn points when catching a film. QFF…

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Win a double pass to see The China National Symphony Orchestra in Sydney

The China National Symphony Orchestra will dazzle Australian music-lovers with a one-night-only performance at the iconic Sydney Opera House Concert Hall on Monday 23 October. Over 100 musicians make up this exceptional orchestra under the baton of the CNSO’s world-renowned chief conductor Maestro Li Xincao. The concert also features violinist Lü Siqing, the first Asian…

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Book Review: Pulse Points by Jennifer Down is an exploration of heartbreak in all its forms

Jennifer Down‘s book of short stories, Pulse Points, opens with a story about two men who are driving home from visiting one of their fathers at a retirement home, when they discover an injured person lying in the middle of the road. It is a shocking moment, which leaves both men reeling, and yet, the story…

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Foodora is delivering free cheese kits straight to your door every Sunday of September

Delivery service Foodora has teamed up with the folks behind Cracker Barrel for a new campaign designed to encourage people to be less glued to their phones and more in-tune with each other. In an attempt to bring back “real conversation”, the well known Australian cheese brand, which is produced locally by Warrnambool Cheese and…

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