Year: 2025

Interview: Ari Aster on his pandemic thriller Eddington; “I wanted to make a movie about what it feels like to live in a world where nobody can agree on what is real.”

From writer-director Ari Aster comes a modern Western and paranoid thriller set in the American Southwest during the tumultuous summer of 2020. Isolated and sheltered in place, in a global pandemic, a nation under pressure found itself sifting reality through the haze of social media and lost its collective mind. A “true conversation starter” (you…

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Film Review: Eddington is a divisive neo-western that delights in its provocation

Forgoing the surrealism that largely laced his previous films (Hereditary, Midsommar, Beau Is Afraid), Ari Aster‘s Eddington is, arguably, his most straightforward film to date.  It’s also likely to be his most divisive. Set in the heat of the pandemic – May 2020, to be exact – the film’s lead focal character, Sherriff Joe Cross…

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Interview: Director M.J. Bassett and Matilda Lutz on reinventing the classic Red Sonja for their new filmic adaptation

A reinvention of Robert E. Howard’s classic sword-and-sorcery character, Red Sonja is an empowering new action film from director M.J. Bassett (Deathwatch, Rogue), starring Matilda Lutz as the titular warrior, who after being enslaved by an evil tyrant who wishes to destroy her people, finds that she must unite a group of unlikely warriors to face…

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Parkway Drive’s Ben Gordon on teaching Chris Hemsworth how to play drums with Ed Sheeran and their upcoming Park Waves Festival

Australian metal band Parkway Drive have had a huge couple of months- from playing a one-night-only show at Sydney Opera House to announcing their very own Park Waves Festival to now appearing on Chris Hemsworth’s Disney Plus show Limitless: Live Better Now. I sat down with drummer Ben Gordon to chat about teaching Hemsworth how…

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Ethel Cain just added even more Australian dates to The Willoughby Tucker Forever Tour

Following a completely sold-out run across North America and Europe and fresh off the release of her highly anticipated new album Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You, Ethel Cain has just added a bunch of new Australian dates to her biggest tour so far. After years of building a project that spans music, visuals and…

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With Drag X Drive, Nintendo Rolls Out Its Most Unlikely Sports Hit Yet

Nintendo has a long history of taking sports games in unexpected directions. They turned tennis into a Mushroom Kingdom showdown, turned kart racing into an all-out weaponised brawl, and made golf somehow involve chain chomps. Now, with Drag X Drive, they’ve taken one of the most technical, fast-paced adaptive sports — wheelchair basketball — and…

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Get your presale tickets now as Holly Humberstone announces headline Australia tour dates

Fresh off the back of supporting Taylor Swift at a humbly sold-out Wembley Stadium and now joining Sam Fender on his upcoming Australian run, Holly Humberstone is heading back our way for a string of intimate headline shows this November for the first time since her sold-out debut tour in 2023. 9th October update –…

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Interview: Director Gino Evans, Joe Gill and Becky Bowe on the importance of their film Treading Water; “It’s about the resilience of the human spirit.”

A beautiful, affective drama about the resilience of the human spirit, Treading Water features a star-making turn from Joe Gill as Danny, who, following his release from prison, tries to take control of the mental health issues that have shaped his life. When a chance encounter with a former flame, Laura (Becky Bowe, in an…

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New Music Discoveries 15th August: The Belair Lip Bombs, Mansionair, Full Flower Moon Band, and more

At the midway point in August, we’ve added ten new tracks to our Discovery Playlist on Spotify and Apple Music, including two exclusive premieres from earlier in the week. Our track of the week goes to Naarm indie-rockers Belair Lip Bombs, with their grand, lush and driving new single, “Hey You”. With bustling guitars, intense…

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Joan & The Giants

Interview: Gracie from Joan & the Giants on The Five Stages of Grief, their vulnerable and deeply personal EP

Yesterday, Naarm’s Joan & the Giants released their latest EP, the emotive and healing The Five Stages of Grief. The genesis of the EP was the ending of the relationship between frontwoman Gracie Newton-Wordsworth and former guitarist Aaron Birch. It’s an incredibly vulnerable and honest record, featuring contributions from both parties. It was a nine-year relationship, so its…

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39 Steps

The 39 Steps is a spy thriller that delivers a rip-roaring night of belly laughs

The 39 Steps’ evolution dates back to the novel of the same title by John Buchan, published in 1915, Alfred Hitchcock’s film in 1935, then reimagined on stage in 1996 by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon, and then Patrick Barlow in 2005. As eloquently noted by director Damien Ryan, “The stage version winks at the…

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Cover of What Did I Miss? by Holly Brunnbauer

Book Review: What Did I Miss? is a premise worthy of your favourite early 2000s movie, with a few important updates

Recently divorced phys-ed teacher Makayla is about to turn thirty and is determined to make up for lost time by having as many of the quintessential experiences that she missed out on in her twenties as possible. She makes a list. It includes such things as: go skinny-dipping, get a tattoo, and, the first cab…

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Photo Gallery: Radio Free Alice – Kaz Stockroom, Liverpool, UK (12.08.25)

Radio Free Alice are currently tearing it up in the UK. They are on a massive tour, with more than twenty shows in the UK sold out, as well as shows in New York, Canada, as well as appearances at the famed Reading and Leeds festivals on the immediate horizon, as well as Shaky Knees…

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Film Review: Nobody 2; comedic beats and consistent brutality abound in fun, violent sequel

Despite opening during the pandemic when going to the cinemas wasn’t exactly the easiest excursion, Nobody – released in March of 2021, having been pushed from its original date of August 2020 – managed to (rightfully) fight its way through opposition to relative success; on a $16m budget it earned a solid $57.5m worldwide. It…

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Matlida

Exclusive Video Premiere: Matilda Duncan “Grocery Store” (2025)

We are blessed in Australia with a plethora of talented female singer/songwriters. A newcomer to the list, with a bullet to her name, is Townsville-raised, now Melbourne-resident Matilda Duncan. Recently, Matilda released the emotional and poignant piano ballad, “Grocery Store”, and we are stoked to be premiering its video today. About the track, Matilda writes:…

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Experience a once-in-a-lifetime solar eclipse at a unique music and arts festival in Iceland

Iceland’s Snæfellsnes Peninsula will play host to a celebration of human connection and celestial wonder in August next year with the Iceland Eclipse Festival. Running across four days and with a solar eclipse to kick things off, the limited capacity festival will see punters rubbing shoulders with astronauts, global innovation leaders, and a whole host…

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Interview: Luke McCulloch on the challenges of being a police diver and using writing to help find a light in the dark

Luke ‘Macca’ McCulloch spent eight years on the WA Police diving team, working on well-known cases like the light plane crash in 2017 which killed two people on Australia Day, and a prominent 2018 murder. Two years ago he left his role, and he has recently independently published an account of a particularly arduous ten-day…

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Interview: Rise Against’s Tim McIlrath talks album number 10, Ricochet and touring Australia with Blink-182

Since forming in Chicago in 1999, rock powerhouse Rise Against have carved out a fierce and loyal global following with their anthemic choruses and unapologetic activism. Now, two decades and nine records deep, Rise Against are gearing up to release their tenth studio album, Ricochet, out August 15. Taking their sound to a whole new…

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Super Mario Party Jamboree: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV is the ultimate Mushroom Kingdom game night

When Super Mario Party Jamboree launched on the original Switch, it genuinely surprised me. What looked like another family-friendly board game romp turned out to be one of the most fun and fully-realised party games Nintendo has ever made. Fast-forward to its new incarnation on the Switch 2, bundled with the shiny new Jamboree TV…

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Calibrate Reds: Can phytonutrients really help you lose weight and live longer?

Let me start with a confession: I am a woman of a certain age, and yes, the algorithm knows me too well. It’s that shady little gremlin living in my phone, reading between the feeding me ads that are a little too on the nose. Case in point: my feed is a minefield of “miracle”…

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Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster is a lovingly crafted JRPG for the Switch 2

Nothing could have prepared me for the full weight of Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster on Nintendo Switch 2. I knew going in that it was an enhanced re-release of a cult-favourite Square Enix RPG originally on the 3DS. I knew there would be tactical turn-based battles, branching strategies, and a Job system built…

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Tool, Weezer and Garbage lead a stacked lineup for Good Things 2025

Another year, another Good Things lineup- and I mean it when I say that this might just be the biggest and best one yet. Back for its sixth year, this lineup feels reminiscent of the first two years- a little more variety to cover a wider range of genres. This year will see Tool, Weezer…

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Linkin Park return to Australia on their From Zero World Tour 2026

Just announced Linkin Park return to Australia on their From Zero world tour with three massive shows in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney in March 2026. This marks Linkin Park’s first Australian tour in over a decade, bringing fans both their classic hits “In the End”, “Numb”, “Crawling”, and “One Step Closer” and fresh material from…

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Good Charlotte

Album Review: Good Charlotte – Motel Du Cap (2025 LP)

Pop-punk trailblazers of the early 2000s- Good Charlotte, burst back onto the scene after seven quiet years with Motel Du Cap. A highly anticipated release, expectations were high after the release of the lead single “Rejects”, which felt like a true return to form. The record kicks off with a spoken word monologue, an homage…

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SNL Alumni Pete Davidson’s debut Australia tour just added an extra show

SNL alum Pete Davidson is making his way Down Under this September for a compact, four-show standup sprint that is way overdue. He’ll kick things off at Perth’s Riverside Theatre on September 29th, before hitting up Melbourne’s Palais Theatre on September 30th and wrapping it up in Sydney with two shows at the Enmore Theatre…

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Where to go in Melbourne for food, fashion and fun

Melbourne is full of incredible places to eat, explore, and unwind – but not every spot brings it all together. One of Australia’s leading shopping destinations, Chadstone, is one such spot, with fashion, food, and entertainment all under the same roof. Here are the reasons why a visit to Chadstone should be on every itinerary in…

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First Ride: The record-breaking AlpenFury launches as one of the world’s best roller coasters

It’s not every day that a record-breaking new roller coaster arrives at any theme park. Last month, Canada’s Wonderland, just out of Toronto, Canada, enjoyed such a privilege, with the long anticipated AlpenFury boarding its first riders. Last week, I was amongst the lucky few to ride the park’s first major new attraction since their brilliant…

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Win a double in season to see The Life of Chuck starring Tom Hiddleston

Thanks to StudioCanal Australia, we have 5 double in-season passes (Admit 2) to see the life affirming drama The Life of Chuck, starring Tom Hiddleston, in Australian cinemas from August 14th, 2025. From the hearts and minds of Stephen King and Mike Flanagan comes THE LIFE OF CHUCK, the extraordinary story of an ordinary man….

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Interview: Bob Odenkirk and Connie Nielsen on returning for the “bloodier, funnier” Nobody 2; “The intention was to start unveiling more about how (our) relationship started.”

Sometimes the most dangerous place for a dad is a family vacation. Emmy winner Bob Odenkirk returns as suburban husband, father and workaholic assassin Hutch Mansell in Nobody 2, the sequel to 2021’s bare-knuckle action-thriller that opened at number one at the U.S. box office. Four years after he inadvertently took on the Russian mob,…

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The Inadequates

Exclusive Single Premiere: The Inadequates “Genevieve” (2025)

At the AU, we’re big fans of folk music, and a relative newcomer on the Australian scene is the trio The Inadequates. The Meanjin/Brisbane-based trio have made a splash at festivals with their high-energy, bright outfits and complex arrangements. We’re thrilled to be premiering just their third single, the bittersweet “Genevieve”, ahead of its release…

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