Author: Peter Gray

Seasoned film critic and editor. Gives a great interview. Penchant for horror. Unashamed fan of Michelle Pfeiffer and Jason Momoa. Contact: [email protected]

Interview: Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi on transforming for Predator: Badlands and fusing the character with his Polynesian spirit

Set in the future on a deadly remote planet, Predator: Badlands follows Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), a young Predator outcast from his clan, who finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Elle Fanning) and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary. The first film in the long-running Predator franchise that focuses on a…

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Interview: Holly Marie Combs on her cross-generational impact with Charmed and Pretty Little Liars; “I’ve been lucky that way.”

After cutting her teeth with her critically acclaimed turn in the seminal 90s drama Picket Fences, Holly Marie Combs became a household name as Piper Halliwell in the long-running fantasy series Charmed. Moving from the magic of that show to the murderous mystery of Pretty Little Liars, Combs has become a cross-generational figure, something our…

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Interview: Brian Krause on the legacy of Charmed; “To hear the impact that it made on so many lives is a blessing.”

From the tropical shores of the Blue Lagoon to Stephen King’s vampiric world in Sleepwalkers, Brian Krause has indulged in a plethora of genres across his varied career, but there’ll always be one role synonymous with his name – that of Leo the white lighter in The WB’s long running fantasy series, Charmed. As the…

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Interview: John Boyega on what he’s learned from the Star Wars franchise; “The biggest lesson was understanding my value.”

An award-winning actor and producer who has captivated audiences worldwide, from the cult classic sci-fi comedy Attack the Block, to the cinematic galaxy far, far away that is Star Wars, John Boyega, with his undeniable talent, magnetic presence, and dedication to his craft and community, has established himself as a force to be reckoned with….

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Dead Giveaway is a bitingly comedic murder mystery: Philadelphia Film Festival Review

Serving as something of a spiritual sister to the 2000s cult classic Dude, Where’s My Car?, Ian Kimble‘s Dead Giveaway is a biting mystery of a comedy that continually elevates beyond its premise due to the winning dynamic of leads Ruby Modine (Happy Death Day) and Mikaela Hoover (Superman). Across a slick 88 minutes, in…

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Film Review: All Is Fine in ’89 transcends its era setting with a narrative universality

The “high school dramedy” is a tried and true genre that (arguably) everyone can relate to in some form or another.  Teen angst and the tumultuousness of that life period before you are officially deemed an adult is a universal experience, and, for whatever reason, the 1980s are so often reserved to explore such.  Whether…

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Ghostface is going to burn it all down in first trailer for Scream 7

“I’m gonna burn it all down!” And with that fiery threat, Scream‘s resilient serial killer, Ghostface, seems to make good on such if the explosive trailer for Scream 7 is anything to go by. When a new Ghostface killer emerges in the quiet town where Sidney Prescott (a returning Neve Campbell) has built a new…

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What to Watch This Halloween: The AU Review’s Creepy Curated List of the Best Horror Movies You (Maybe) Haven’t Seen

The spooky season is once again upon us, and with that comes necessary horror viewing. Sure, you could always revisit the classics (we’re talking your Halloween, Friday the 13th, Scream – and they’re iconic for a reason, so no judgement), but half the fun of the Halloween season is unearthing something scarily unexpected.  Between endless…

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Radiya Festival, Australia’s biggest LGBTQIA+ music event, announces headlining act for first ever dance party in Sydney’s The Domain

With less than 3 weeks to go, RAYDIA Festival has revealed its final line-up additions, announcing global dance music icon Cascada and international drag superstar Marina Summers joining DJs Manuel Coby, Ana Julieta, BRYANT and festival curator Dan Slater for the highly anticipated new open-air day-into-night festival set to take over The Domain, Sydney on Saturday 15th November, 2025. Joining them are Sydney…

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Film Review: Kiss of the Spider Woman; a magnetic Jennifer Lopez ensnares us in her web of awe in this vibrant, romantic musical

Given how effortless a performer she is, it’s quite incredible that, prior to Kiss of the Spider Woman, Jennifer Lopez hadn’t appeared in a movie musical. Thankfully, Chicago scribe and helmer of such filmic musicals as Dreamgirls and the live-action Beauty and the Beast, Bill Condon, has corrected such a travesty with his vibrant, beautifully…

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Film Review: Bugonia is bleak, satirical and deliciously bizarre

It speaks to just how truly bizarre Yorgos Lanthimos‘s filmography is if his latest, Bugonia – an English language remake of the 2003 South Korean black comedy sci-fi outing, Save the Green Planet! – is considered one of his most accessible.  Yes, there’s a certain comedic universality to the film’s premise – that of a…

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Fernando director

Interview: Guillermo Diaz on the universality of love explored with his directorial debut Dear Luke, Love, Me; “It’s okay to be unique and different.”

A true When Harry Met Sally for a new generation, Dear Luke, Love, Me is a groundbreaking story of Penny and Luke, two best friends, who find love in unconventional ways. A nostalgic look back into the early-mid 2000’s, we watch these two music-loving tree-huggers grow from college Freshman to 30-something adults. We peek into…

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Film Review: Good Fortune; Aziz Ansari’s directorial debut is a playful, crowd-pleasing comedy

A rougher slog to get to his directorial “debut” as a feature filmmaker than he would have liked, Aziz Ansari – seven years after he was accused of sexual misconduct and three years after his planned first feature, Being Mortal, was shut down over the inappropriate behaviour of its lead actor, Bill Murray – finally…

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The Wilderness

Film Review: The Wilderness offsets the beauty of its location with the brutality of its subject matter

In a time when conversion therapy is once again in discussion as to whether or not such a practice will be allowed to be constitutionalized once more, a film like Spencer King‘s The Wilderness feels even more topical.  Whilst King’s film isn’t exactly detailing the same notion as conversion therapy, it’s still bringing awareness to…

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Chris Hemsworth is breaking every rule he’s ever lived by in action-packed first trailer for Crime 101

In the twisty, stylish crime thriller Crime 101, Davis (Chris Hemsworth) is an elusive thief whose high-stakes heists have mystified police. He’s planning his biggest ever score – hoping it’ll be his last – when his path collides with Sharon (Halle Berry), a disillusioned insurance executive whom he’s forced to work with, and Orman (Barry…

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Film Review: Shelby Oaks; YouTube critic-turned-filmmaker Chris Stuckmann displays directorial promise with effective, if unoriginal debut

Film critics making their own films can go a multitude of ways.  Given the expected penchant for critiquing what they do – or don’t – expect out of a genre film, one could assume that their idea of a film would be, at the very least, acceptably serviceable.  For Chris Stuckmann – a YouTube-based film…

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Film Review: Frankenstein; Guillermo del Toro’s classic retelling is as haunting as it is beautiful

Though it’s been a story told countless times before, you can’t help but still be monstrously excited at the prospect of Guillermo del Toro adapting Mary Shelley’s classic Frankenstein.  His name above the title just feels correct, and not just because the director has been talking about helming his version of the story for close…

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Interview: Harrison Sloan Gilbertson on playing Bruce Springsteen’s close friend, Matt Delia, in the new biopic Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere

From 20th Century Studios, Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere chronicles the making of Bruce Springsteen’s 1982 Nebraska album when he was a young musician on the cusp of global superstardom, struggling to reconcile the pressures of success with the ghosts of his past. Recorded on a 4-track recorder in Springsteen’s New Jersey bedroom, the album…

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Everything we learned from Jeremy Allen White, Jeremy Strong and director Scott Cooper at the Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere press conference

From 20th Century Studios, Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere chronicles the making of Bruce Springsteen’s 1982 Nebraska album when he was a young musician on the cusp of global superstardom, struggling to reconcile the pressures of success with the ghosts of his past. Recorded on a 4-track recorder in Springsteen’s New Jersey bedroom, the album…

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Film Review: The Hand That Rocks the Cradle is a quiet, more patient thriller than the 90s original

Given this day and age where (mostly) everyone is traced to a social media presence and it’s not as easy to get away with saying who you aren’t, the premise of the original 1992 domestic thriller The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, where a sweet-natured mother essentially hires a stranger off the street to watch…

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Interview: Michelle Garza Cervera on reimagining the classic 90s thriller The Hand That Rocks the Cradle through a modern lens

One of the most defining thrillers of the 1990s, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle terrified a whole generation into second-guessing who they invite into their home.  With the release of the 2025 reimagining, clearly a lesson hasn’t been learned, as a new progeny will learn “the help” have other plans for your supposed domestic…

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Mighty Hoopla Sydney 2026 announces massive lineup for Kesha-led pop festival

Following the electrifying announcement last week that global superstar Kesha will headline the inaugural Mighty Hoopla Sydney on Saturday, February 21st, 2026 on the famous Bondi Beach, the UK’s iconic celebration of pop and queer culture has just dropped its second wave of performing artists — and the lineup is nothing short of fabulous. Joining the party will be Becky Hill;…

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Conan Gray announces 2026 Australian dates for his global ‘Wishbone World Tour’

Multi-platinum singer-songwriter Conan Gray has announced his highly anticipated 2026 Wishbone World Tour with special guest Esha Tewari, in support of his critically acclaimed fourth studio album Wishbone (Republic Records). The 42-city global run kicks off February 19th, 2026 at Target Center in Minneapolis, bringing Conan’s next era to life across North America, Europe, the UK, Australia, and New…

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A montage

Win a double in-season pass to the new Colleen Hoover romance adaptation Regretting You

Thanks to Paramount Pictures Australia and Superdream, we have 5 double in-season passes (Admit 2) to the new romance Regretting You, based on the best-selling novel from Colleen Hoover (It Ends With Us), starring Mason Thames, Mckenna Grace, Dave Franco, Allison Williams, Willa Fitzgerald and Scott Eastwood. Based on the bestselling book, REGRETTING YOU introduces…

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Interview: Aisha Dee and Olivia Vásquez on the importance of their thrilling new series Watching You

Watching You follows thrill-seeking paramedic Lina (Aisha Dee), who, despite being happily engaged, has an impulsive one-night stand with a mysterious stranger. Their dalliance is secretly filmed and used to blackmail her. As her life spirals and paranoia grows, Lina sets out to expose the voyeur – only to discover the true threat is far…

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Film Review: Held Hostage in My House; Netflix thriller is a campy, melodramatic affair

With a title that can’t be misconstrued in all its obviousness, it makes sense as to why Held Hostage in My House adheres to a melodramatic, campy temperament. Despite the cheapness of proceedings, you have to hand it to writer/director Anna Elizabeth James (who seemingly has a penchant for blatantly titled thrillers, with Sinister Sorority…

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Film Review: After The Hunt; Julia Roberts anchors frustratingly tailored drama

A loud ticking clock accompanies the opening minutes of After the Hunt, Luca Guadagnino‘s topical #MeToo drama that presents the mundane actions of its central focus, Professor Alma Imhoff (Julia Roberts), as she goes about her day at Yale.  It feels as if perhaps the ticking is leading to something substantial – a revelation –…

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Interview: Hunter Doohan and The Wilderness director Spencer King on respecting nature and trusting one another

Both rising forces in the film and television industry, expressing their passions for emotional, captivating storytelling, director Spencer King and actor Hunter Doohan have joined for the survivalist drama The Wilderness. Detailing a group of troubled teenage boys who are kidnapped from their homes and taken deep into the unforgiving Utah desert, where they are…

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Interview: Scott Derrickson on what inspired him to make Black Phone 2

The Black Phone rightfully terrified audiences when it was released across theatres in 2022.  And now, just in time for the Halloween season, director Scott Derrickson is bringing the nightmarish void of his supernatural world back to the masses with Black Phone 2, where true evil transcends death…and the phone is ringing once more. As…

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Interview: Madeleine McGraw on the deeper understanding of her character in Black Phone 2

The Black Phone rightfully terrified audiences when it was released across theatres in 2022.  And now, just in time for the Halloween season, director Scott Derrickson is bringing the nightmarish void of his supernatural world back to the masses with Black Phone 2, where true evil transcends death…and the phone is ringing once more. As…

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