Year: 2017

E3 2017: Hands On: Matterfall (PS4, 2017)

Matterfall revealed itself to me in stages, and each reveal was a little surprise. Housemarque’s sci-fi shooter throws a lot of different concepts at the wall and, for me, at least with the short window I had with the game, each of them stuck.

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Interview: Ricky Whittle on American Gods, why it’s groundbreaking television and Season 2 predictions ahead of his Supanova visit

When we last spoke with Ricky Whittle he was on his way to Australia for the very first time as part of the Supanova Brisbane and Adelaide tour in November of 2016. Not only that but he had just wrapped from filming the hotly anticipated show of 2017, American Gods, based on the cult Neil…

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Australian Box Office Report: Wonder Woman tops the charts again with a higher per-screen average

Wonder Woman took the top spot at the box office for the second week in a row, earning $5.70m.  Its screen average was $13,589, up more than $2k per screen from its opening weekend – something almost unheard of for “blockbuster” film; a testament to the incredible buzz around the film. Don’t expect it to fall…

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Sydney Film Festival Review: Better Watch Out (Australia, 2016) is a brilliant twist to the home invasion thriller

You may want to walk away from Better Watch Out during its first half. For the first 30 minutes Chris Peckover gives us a Christmas-themed home invasion thriller that is sorely lacking in originality and only manages a few mild chuckles, upheld by teenage actors who are clearly struggling with the seemingly insipid material script….

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Sydney Film Festival Review: To Stay Alive – A Method (Netherlands, 2016) is a quiet and thoughtful piece with Iggy Pop & Michel Houellebecq

Some people subscribe to the theory that you’ve got to suffer for your art. Two such individuals include the Godfather of Punk, Iggy Pop and the best-selling French novelist, Michel Houellebecq. In To Stay Alive – A Method the pair share a meeting of minds in a film that is artistic, experimental and semi-autobiographical and…

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Sydney Film Festival Review: Spoor (Poland, 2017) explores the extent of one woman’s compassion

Agnieszka Holland creates a character to love and to loath in Spoor, the Polish thriller-comedy that follows one woman’s passion for animal justice in a town that doesn’t share the same sentiments. Spoor, meaning the tracks left by an animal, is a film that rarely falls from the trail, coming together as a poignant comedy…

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Netflix Review: The third season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt season is fun, hilarious and surprisingly deep

It doesn’t take very long for the third season of Netflix’s Original Series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt to remind its audience why it’s such a powerful and unexpected treasure. In 2015, the show first hit Netflix and was praised by critics and general audiences for its humour and overall freshness from the generic television show. By the…

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Shaun Greenhalgh author of A Forger’s Tale talks forgery, felony, and fine art

Written from a prison cell, British art forger Shaun Greenhalgh‘s memoir A Forger’s Tale details his life and work , from the faux Victorian pot lids of his childhood to the Armana princess that led Scotland Yard to his door. Accompanying the book’s release, The AU Review’s Jodie B. Sloan had a chat with Shaun about…

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Book Review: A Forger’s Tale by Shaun Greenhalgh is an art memoir with a difference

An art memoir with a difference, A Forger’s Tale doesn’t trace the life and work of a celebrated artist, but that of Shaun Greenhalgh, one of Britain’s most infamous art forgers. A working class kid from England’s North West, whose backyard workshop was jokingly referred by police as “the northern annex of the British Museum,”…

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Theatre Review: MTC’s production of Macbeth is a Hollywood action blockbuster on stage (Performances until July 15th)

If having Jai Courtney in the title role wasn’t enough to draw theatregoers in, let it be known that this modern-day reimagining of Shakespeare‘s Macbeth is like watching a Hollywood blockbuster come to life on stage. Right from the get-go, it’s as if we are immersed into the world of Mad Max with its rough guts…

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Theatre Review: The Moors at Melbourne’s Red Stitch Theatre brings much needed humour to the Victorian era

The Red Stitch Theatre is utterly beguiling. I’m not sure if it is the fact that they are staging a play set in the Victorian era, or the inviting smell of mulled wine that makes me want to talk like this, but one thing’s for sure, it’s fitting. Affectionately dubbed ‘The Red Shed’, Red Stitch…

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Music Video of the Day: Aldous Harding “Blend” (2017)

Aldous Harding has backed up awe-smacking live shows and that hypnotic performance on Later…with Jools Holland with a new music video, this time for “Blend”. Once again compelling and captivating, “Blend” has been a stand out tune off Harding’s sophomore album Party and the visuals have been equally as striking. Working again with Director Charlotte Evans, Harding dances for the camera…

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Starboy Lands: The Weeknd unleashes debut Australian tour dates for December

Phase Two of The Weeknd‘s ‘Starboy World Tour’ has been revealed on social media today and guess what? Australian and New Zealander fans are finally set to get a dose of Abel Tesfaye, with a national run of tour dates set for December. Venues have yet to be revealed but going off this new tour poster that…

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Exclusive Music Video Premiere: Low Dive “Common People” (2017)

For some well crafted dream pop sounds out of Brisbane, look no further than the talents of Low Dive. The duo have been together only eight months but they haven’t wasted any time at all in bringing different sonic influences and personal tastes together in presenting us with a kicking debut single in “Common People”. Taking…

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The Palace Hotel in Sydney introduces ‘Rastaman Fridays’ this week – we find out more from organiser Errol Renaud

Heading to left of field from their normal run of events and aiming for more heated, tropical vibe, Sydney’s Palace Hotel  is launching a live music night dedicated to dancehall, reggae and Soca with Rastaman Fridays. At the helm of the weekly event is Errol Renaud, who has been in the game for over two decades now,…

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Live Review: San Cisco + APES + Stella Donnelly-Village Green Hotel, Melbourne (10.06.2017)

San Cisco have captured Australian audiences with their quirky, bright hooks and unique bouncy sound. Their carefree energy and irresistible charm make them one hell of a fun band to see live, and their set on Saturday night at The Village Green Hotel in Mulgrave was no exception. The night began with Perth based artist…

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Playlist: Ten times Rihanna nailed the collaboration game

Rihanna is one of modern pop music’s most bankable artists. Since her “Pon De Replay” days, the Bajan vocalist has been an in-demand name both as a solo artist and as a hot guest artist on many a pop and hip hop chart buster. The years have seen Rihanna collaborate with the likes of Maroon…

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Single of the Day: Demure for Sure “Coconut Rum and Banana” (2017)

Music doesn’t always have to give us the hard hitting truths we’ve come to expect when we first put our headphones on for the day. Sometimes you’re just looking for something jangly to start your day off with a spoon full of delight, or in this case, “Coconut Rum and Banana”. The title alone should…

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E3 2017: Hands On: Pokken Tournament DX (Switch, 2017)

I’m starting to wonder if I’ll ever truly get Pokken Tournament. As a fighting game idea, it’s great! In practice, at least for some, it’s a spectacular fighter, full of surprise twists and reversals of fortune. For me, it remains an odd experience, though one that feels perhaps more at home on the Switch than it did…

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E3 2017: Hands On: Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle (Switch, 2017)

One of the oddest surprises of this year’s E3 Expo has been Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle. Ubisoft’s collaboration with Nintendo raised eyebrows when it debuted during yesterday’s #UbiE3 Press Brief but after spending some time with the game on the show floor this afternoon, we’re all but convinced that this is a game to watch.

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E3 2017: Hands On: Super Mario Odyssey (Switch, 2017)

Five minutes into my session with Super Mario Odyssey and it felt like coming home. You can’t even call Mario’s first (at least in part) open world adventure a return to form because the truth is, the form never went away. Even now, four months out from release, it is a clear example of Nintendo doing what…

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E3 2017: Not to alarm anyone, but Nintendo just announced a Pokemon RPG for the Switch

Slipped in amongst this morning’s Nintendo Spotlight E3 2017 presentation was an acknowledgement by The Pokemon Company’s Tsunekazu Ishihara that an entry in the mainline series of Pokemon RPG’s is in development for the Nintendo Switch.

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E3 2017: Kirby is back, bringing friends and hungrier than ever

Nintendo have unveiled a new Kirby title for the Nintendo Switch during their Spotlight E3 presentation at E3 2017. And it’s, predictably, adorable.

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E3 2017: The new Yoshi game for Nintendo Switch is the cutest thing

Nintendo have revealed that everyone’s favourite egg-laying dinosaur Yoshi is returning with another game of his own, this time to the Nintendo Switch.

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Watch the whole Nintendo Spotlight presentation right here

Nintendo have just completed their 2017 E3 Spotlight presentation, providing a fast glimpse of everything that they’ve got coming this year and into the future for their new Nintendo Switch. Hit the jump to see it all.

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E3 2017: Super Mario Odyssey gets a transformative new trailer

Nintendo have released our next look at their upcoming platformer Super Mario Odyssey. The trailer shows Mario shifting forms using the power of his new transforming cap.

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E3 2017: Metroid Prime 4 is real and we’re not crying, you’re crying

Nintendo have announced that the long-awaited fourth entry in the Metroid Prime series is officially in development during their Nintendo Spotlight E3 presentation.

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E3 2017: Insomniac’s Spider-man blends the best of Batman: Arkham and Uncharted

Insomniac Games closed out tonight’s PlayStation press briefing with a truly bonkers look at their forthcoming game, currently simply titled Spider-man. It takes the pick-your-battles, gadget-heavy approach of the Batman: Arkham games and melds it with the over-the-top action movie rollercoaster of the Uncharted series. What’s more? Goddammit, it looks like they’ve made strange mash up work.

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E3 2017: Detroit: Become Human is going to make you answer some hard questions

In an era where people are divided on all sides of the political aisle, demand has been rising for a game that takes these issues seriously and opens up a dialogue. That game may well be Detroit: Become Human, the new title from Quantic Dream. Quantic Dream are known for their cinematic, quicktime event heavy approach…

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