Author: Matthew Arcari

The Occupation immediately hit me with a refreshing change of pace. For a game of this nature, throwing you into the thick of a terrorist plot might seem like an action packed outing, but rather takes the subdued approach, opting for investigative intrigue over the running and gunning. It’s safe to say that The Occupation…

As a major racing fan, it’s no secret that developer Codemasters is quickly becoming the king of racing games, nearly perfecting the Formula 1 racing series. Dirt Rally 2.0 is absolutely no exception, proving to be not only one of the best rally games from Codemasters, but one of the best rally games of all…

If I know one thing, it’s that the Far Cry series has always found its beauty amongst the insanity. From highlights like Far Cry 3, it’s safe to say the series had morphed from a tropical survival experience into an insane holiday of blood, hallucinations and chaos. Far Cry: New Dawn stands as a worthy…

The NBA Playgrounds series is back once again for its second attempt at a slam dunk, with a fun, charming and old school approach rarely seen since the good old days of NBA Jam. I’m happy to say that NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 is an improvement over its predecessor in almost every single way, with…

Dark Souls Remastered finally makes its way onto the Nintendo Switch after bringing its most polished iteration of the game to date on those respective consoles. I am glad to say that Dark Souls Remastered’s latest outing is as good as it’s ever been, bringing players back to the world of Lordan; and being able…

For Honor made a few splashes when it debuted in early 2017, showing off some impressive combat mechanics topped off with a varied and intriguing mix of knights, vikings and samurai all duking it out for territorial supremacy. While I had enjoyed For Honor immensely, I won’t lie when I say I fell off the…

For the second time in a row, PAX Aus 2018 has managed to blow me away yet again with the overwhelming presence of indie titles on display. With so many fantastic ideas coming to fruition and the increasing number of titles being made within Melbourne, I couldn’t help but jump back into the madness and…

It’s no secret that PAX Aus is one of the most talked about events in Australian games industry calendar. With that being said, you can imagine it’s quite busy, with three days of non-stop action for fans from across the nation and the world. With an overwhelming amount of AAA titles, indie marvels and everything…

Thought that ‘toys to life’ video game fad was over? That the days of collecting Skylanders and Disney Infinity figures were behind you? Guess again. Starlink: Battle for Atlas marks developer Ubisoft Toronto’s first attempt at creating a fun, friendly, accessible spaceship combat-based experience for the young and old alike. While it’s not perfect, Starlink: Battle for…

The NBA 2K series is back for its 20th anniversary, which seems like a long time for a video game franchise, but has proved to be time well spent, with the NBA 2K franchise becoming the preferred platform for many NBA fans, including myself. It is with great satisfaction that I can say that while…

Pro Evolution Soccer has always been appreciated by fans for its uncompromising, detailed and rewarding structure and gameplay; and with PES 2019 the series continues this tradition. Thanks to some fantastic overall gameplay, admirable presentation and slight adjustments to modes PES 2019 may scratch that football itch as a valid alternative to the wildly popular FIFA series….

Ok, first things first? Do you like going fast? I mean really, really, really fast? Well then F1 2018 may just be suited to you. The latest iteration of developer Codemasters’ premiere Formula 1 franchise may just be the best we’ve seen so far, thanks to some handy improvements presentation and controls, all while holding…

Battlefield V looks to bring a ton back from its critically and commercially successful predecessor year’s Battlefield 1. The series’ current waiving of numbering convention confuses me a tad — Battlefield V is a sequel to Battlefield 1, but its official numbering means it technically comes after Battlefield 4, which was a modern warfare shooter. …

It will help if you read this introductory par in the voice of a 1930’s movie serial announcer. Greetings fellow adventurers, and welcome to Strange Brigade, the new cooperative shooter from developer Rebellion. Right out the gate, Strange Brigade prides itself on blending Indiana Jones with Brendan Fraser’s The Mummy franchise in order to create…

Two-time Oscar nominated actress Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook) will lead an all-star cast in the upcoming Stan Original series Bloom. The six-part drama series from Playmaker will be distributed by Sony with principal funding from Screen Australia. The all-star cast will also include Bryan Brown (The Light Between Oceans, Red Dog True Blue), Phoebe Tonkin…

Streaming service Amazon Prime Video have just shown off the first footage from the anticipated third season of their critically acclaimed series The Man in the High Castle. Based on author Phillip K. Dick’s award-winning alternate history novel, The Man in the High Castle paints a daunting picture, placing the axis powers in a state of…

After its world premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival, the new feature Jimmy Barnes: Working Class Boy was released on 220 Australian cinema screens last week, making it the biggest documentary release since Michael Jackson’s This Is It back in 2009, and the biggest ever release for an Australian documentary. From acclaimed director Mark Joffe (Jack…

Production has officially begun on Disney’s live-action adaptation of the 1998 animated classic coming of age story, Mulan. This marks yet another live-action adaptation for Disney, which found massive success in the recently adapted Beauty and the Beast. The film will shoot in various locations in New Zealand and China and will open in cinemas…

ABC and Screen Australia have announced four short-form documentary projects have received funding through ABC and Screen Australia’s Art Bites Initiative. This initiative is currently in its third year, encouraging filmmakers to produce a total of 6 x 5-minute documentary series for ABC’s online viewing platform ABC iView, based around art. Each team will receive…

With the list of new and available smartphones increasing daily, the Huawei Nova 3e, known elsewhere as the Nova P20 lite, is admittedly a surprising entry promising high tech, for the low RRP of $399 AUD. While it seems like a lot to live up to, don’t let the price tag fool you. This is…

Screen Australia has announced that celebrated Australian actor Hugo Weaving (Lord of the Rings, The Matrix) will star in M4M, a contemporary take on Shakespeare’s play Measure for Measure. Set within Melbourne’s commission flats, M4M tells the unlikely love story of a Muslim woman Jaiwara and a local loner musician Claudio. While their relationship develops, local…

Screen Producers Australia (SPA) has announced they are now partnering with airline Virgin Australia in order to create a new offers and opportunities for Associate Members, now allowing a whopping 64kg of checked baggage per member, when traveling domestically within Australia. This partnership hopes to address the ongoing issues that crew members and productions alike…

Three films have been selected as part of the 75th Venice International Film Festival program, which will run from 29 August to 8 September, 2018. The three films selected include Jennifer Kent’s (The Babadook) highly anticipated second feature film The Nightingale, alongside two virtual reality films The Unknown Patient and Awaneva. Director Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale is…

Transmission Film has announced that actress Jane Fonda (Grace and Frankie, Barbarella) will attend the Australian premiere of her upcoming comedy Book Club. Starring alongside Diane Keaton (The Godfather), Mary Steenburgen  (Step Brothers) and Candice Bergen (Murphy Brown), Book Club centres around Diane, played by Keaton, widowed after 40 years of marriage. On the contrary, Vivian, played by…

Screen Australia have announced they will be investing a whopping $17 million across 23 projects comprised of six films, ten television series and seven online productions. Highlights include a movie adaptation of Jane Harper’s international hit novel The Dry, to be directed by veteran filmmaker Robert Connolly. Graeme Mason, CEO of Screen Australia commented on the…

Famous Australian actor Joel Edgerton (Warrior), takes his talents to the directing chair, as the first trailer for his film Boy Erased is released. Edgerton will also write, produce and co-star. The film will focus on the trails and tribulations of homosexuality, as Jared, the son of a Baptist pastor in a small American town, comes…

ABC, Screen Australia and Film Victoria have announced that filming has begun on the second season of the comedy series Get Krack!n, created, written, produced by and starring Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan. As the follow-up to ‘The Kates’ classic first series hailed by critics as “the finest satire ever put to air on Australian…

Attention filmmakers! Film submissions for the 2019 SXSW (South by Southwest) Film Festival are now open, providing both established and aspiring filmmakers alike to jump on board! Once again held in Austin, Texas, the 2019 Festival is set to take place from 8-17 March. The SXSW offers filmmakers a life changing opportunity, ranging from feature…

With San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) wrapped up for this year, there’s no doubt each year’s conference rules the entertainment universe with its mind blowing announcements from films, TV shows and the latest and upcoming games. So without further ado, let’s recap some of the biggest announcements you may have missed this year. FILMS First off,…

The newest web series created by sisters Hannah and Eliza Reilly (Growing Up Graceful) will be known as Sheilas, and is set to premiere later next month and the 21st of August. The four-part series has been funded under Screen Australia’s Gender Matters, a celebration of brilliant and innovative storytelling celebrating the growth of female…