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]

It’s sudden death for Samara Weaving in the first blood-soaked trailer for Ready or Not 2: Here I Come

Samara Weaving is back, and just as blood-soaked as ever, in the first-look trailer for Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, the long-awaited sequel to 2019’s sleeper smash horror-comedy Ready or Not. Once again helmed by Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, the filmmaking duo who go by Radio Silence and are also known for…

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Film Review: Oh. What. Fun.; Michelle Pfeiffer is as luminous as she is biting in warm Christmas comedy

From the opening of Oh. What. Fun., director/writer Michael Showalter and his co-writer Chandler Baker very much express both the importance of mothers during the festive season and how, in the realms of cinematic ventures, they’re an under valued character.  As the film’s loving focal point, Claire Clauster (Michelle Pfeiffer, always a treat to see…

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Interview: Michael Showalter on his chaotic Christmas comedy Oh. What. Fun., and the “gifted comedienne” that is Michelle Pfeiffer

Come for the presents. Stay for the baggage. It wouldn’t be a Christmas comedy without some familial dysfunction, and, in 2025, the Clauster clan are delivering such in Oh. What. Fun., a new seasonal laugher from director Michael Showalter (Spoiler Alert, The Idea of You). Flipping the script on classic holiday movies to remind us…

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Film Review: Eternity is a new classic of the romantic comedy genre

There’s something rather amusing about what constitutes an “A24” movie.  There’s an expectation placed upon the studio as of late regarding the type of film it releases into theatres, and within its own genre, the A24 comedy has rarely been as wholesome as what Eternity projects.  Between the the darker fare of Sorry, Baby and…

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Interview: David Freyne on the classic inspiration behind his new romantic comedy Eternity

Eternity is an imaginative and bittersweet romantic comedy about the afterlife, where souls have one week to decide where to spend eternity. For Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) it’s a facing of an impossible choice between the man she spent her life with (Miles Teller) and her first love (Callum Turner), who died young and has waited decades…

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Interview: Emerging filmmaker Darcy Conlan on winning the AACTA Wake in Fright Development Initiative for his cosmic horror debut feature The Harvest

AACTA, Sanctuary Pictures, Umbrella Entertainment and the Wake in Fright Trust today announced The Harvest, written and directed by emerging filmmaker Darcy Conlan, as the 2025 recipient of the Wake in Fright Development Initiative. Conlan will receive $30,000 in funding and dedicated development support to take the project toward production; the Wake in Fright Development Initiative honours the…

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Blackout at 18: How Britney Spears Rewrote the Future of Pop Music

When Blackout arrived in October 2007, it felt less like an album release and more like a cultural reset. Britney Spears – the most photographed woman in the world, trapped in an aggressive media cycle – walked into one of the most turbulent years of her life and somehow delivered a record so forward-thinking that…

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Margot Robbie announced as Jury President for landmark return of Tropfest 2026

Tropfest – the world’s largest short film festival – is set to make its spectacular return to Centennial Park, Sydney, on Sunday 22 February 2026, with internationally acclaimed and Academy Award nominated actor and producer Margot Robbie leading the charge as Jury President; she joins a prestigious list of fellow Australian and international celebrities, such as…

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Film Review: Dead of Winter; Emma Thompson is an unlikely action heroine in mature, tense thriller

Director Brian Kirk manages to set quite the tone within the first minutes of his icy thriller Dead of Winter, with Emma Thompson‘s Barb navigating the snowy environment in the isolated Minnesotan wilderness she has ventured into to spread the ashes of her recently deceased husband. The emotionality conjured through Barb’s motivation offsets the terrifying…

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Interview: Director Gurinder Chadha on reimaging a seasonal classic through a musical lens with Christmas Karma

Gurinder Chadha is one of Britain’s most distinctive filmmakers, known for telling stories that reflect the rich diversity of modern life.  She broke through internationally with Bend It Like Beckham, and has since directed a string of much-loved films, including Bride and Prejudice, Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, and Blinded by the Light.  Her work is marked by warmth,…

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Film Review: Eleanor the Great; Scarlett Johansson’s meditation on grief is poignant and profound

One of the most poignant lines of Eleanor the Great is “Talk about the things that make you sad,” and it’s with such a notion that Scarlett Johansson‘s affecting dramedy takes it on as a throughline.  A film that so easily could have been about deception becomes something far greater and more profound, transforming itself…

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‘G’day & Goodbye’; Belinda Carlisle announces farewell Australian Tour for 2027

In March 2027, international pop icon Belinda Carlisle will bid a celebratory farewell to Australian fans, with a national run of dates saluting four decades of hits on the aptly titled G’day & Goodbye Tour. One of the most distinctive voices of the 1980s and beyond, Belinda will take fans on a musical journey through her extraordinary…

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Forever: Why The Spice Girls’ Much-Maligned Third Album Deserves Its Flowers 25 Years Later

Twenty-five years after its release, the Spice Girls’ third album Forever has returned to turntables with a celebratory anniversary vinyl edition – an event that has inspired a wave of reassessment from fans and critics alike. It’s fitting that this reissue has sparked renewed conversation as Forever has long lived in the shadow of its…

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Interview: He Had It Coming creator Gretel Vella and Jungle Entertainment Producer Chloe Rickard on their odd couple crime comedy series

Produced by Jungle Entertainment with major production investment from Screen Australia, He Had It Coming is an odd couple comedy-drama of two women accidentally entangled in a murder mystery when their spontaneous feminist art activism is co-opted by a killer. Now streaming on Stan Australia, where it’s immediately raced into the Top 10 current most-streamed series,…

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Catch Fish and Chips makes a splash at Westfield Chermside in Brisbane

A new name is reeling in the good stuff at Westfield Chermside this November, as Catch Fish and Chips has officially opened its doors! Bringing a fresh take on the classic Aussie fish and chip shop, Catch Fish and Chips is all about simple, feel-good food done right – fast, fuss-free, and full of coastal…

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Film Review: Sisu: Road to Revenge; bloody action speaks louder than words in risible, near-silent sequel

They often say actions speak louder than words. So it’s entirely fitting that the dialogue is minimal in Sisu: Road to Revenge, Jalmari Helander‘s brutal, gloriously implausible follow-up to 2022’s surprise success Sisu. Following relatively the same structure as its predecessor, the sequel (Sisu is a Finnish word-blend of strength, resilience, willpower, and grit) once…

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Film Review: Blue Eyed Girl; Marisa Coughlan confidently navigates relatable coming-of-mid-age dramedy

When we think of coming-of-age stories, so often is it pictured as a teen or young adult navigating their life towards a sense of maturity. The truth is though, such a term can really be applied to anyone who is experiencing a reset in their life – whether it’s emotional, professional or psychological – which…

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Interview: Marisa Coughlan on writing the personal Blue Eyed Girl and trusting the process of releasing it to the world

When Jane Messina returns home to visit her two sisters and her ailing father, she’s forced to re-evaluate her life, and to wonder what could have been. Blue Eyed Girl is a coming-of-age story at forty-something, not fifteen. It’s about midlife and marriage, chasing dreams, letting go of regrets, and most of all, reconciling who…

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Interview: Josh Hutcherson on returning for Five Nights at Freddy’s 2; “A lot of attention was put on making something that the die hard fans are going to completely love.”

They’re not just at Freddy’s anymore. In 2023, Blumhouse’s box-office horror phenomenon Five Nights at Freddy’s, based on the blockbuster game series by Scott Cawthon, became the highest-grossing horror film of the year. Now, a shocking new chapter of animatronic terror begins in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. One year has passed since the supernatural…

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Interview: Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 director Emma Tammi on “bigger, scarier” sequel and catering to the passionate fanbase

They’re not just at Freddy’s anymore. In 2023, Blumhouse’s box-office horror phenomenon Five Nights at Freddy’s, based on the blockbuster game series by Scott Cawthon, became the highest-grossing horror film of the year. Now, a shocking new chapter of animatronic terror begins in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. One year has passed since the supernatural…

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Everything coming to Prime Video Australia this December

Prime Video Australia are the gift that keeps on giving this festive season, with the streamer announcing their December slate to ensure their viewers will be entertained all the way into the new year. From anticipated series returns to Christmas comedies, NBA championships to some modern classics, here’s a look at everything you can stream…

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Interview: Charles Venn on returning for another powerful chapter of fan favourite series Casualty

After two years of being off Aussie screens, BritBox is bringing back the long-running UK soap and fan-favourite drama Casualty, much to fans’ delight. Leading the cast is Charles Venn (EastEnders, The Dark Knight), who returns to the drama as Jacob Masters, the direct, confident, unconventional former army medic-turned-nurse who, for over a decade now, has proven one of…

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Theatre Review: Gravity is a topical romantic dramedy that honours all facets of sexual fluidity

With sexual fluidity becoming more a open topic of discussion and exploration, it’s quite surprising how revelatory something like Gravity still feels in 2025; Bradford Elmore‘s sexual celebratory romantic dramedy that flips the usual boy-meets-girl narrative with a boy-meets-boy-meets-girl layering. A tale of two distinct love stories unfolding simultaneously, Gravity initially sets up the meet-cute between Heather (Annabelle Kablean, comedically…

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Film Review: Wicked: For Good; thrillifying sequel is a more emotional affair celebrating the beauty of female friendship

“And now whatever way our stories end, I know you have rewritten mine by being my friend…” And in that one line of lyricism, songwriter Stephen Schwartz perfectly encapsulates the bittersweet mentality of Wicked: For Good, the suitably thrillifying conclusion to last year’s cultural phenomenon, Wicked. With a large subsect of audiences somewhat uninitiated in…

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Interview: Shiva Negar and Peter Facinelli on the importance of their domestic abuse drama Deadly Vows

Inspired by true events, Deadly Vows is a gripping thriller about love turned lethal. After fleeing the Iran Iraq war, Darya (Shiva Negar) begins a new life in Los Angeles and is swept off her feet by the charming Sam Lebon (Peter Facinelli). But behind his promises of safety lies a violent darkness. As their…

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Film Review: Trap House; Dave Bautista’s kinetic actioner is surprisingly layered with a tender edge

Despite the fact that it’s directed by Michael Dowse (Stuber) and comes from a story credit by Gary Scott Thompson (The Fast and the Furious), Trap House manages to not entirely fall into the familiar action genre tropes both creatives have expressed before. It isn’t shaking up the ground in any manner, but its blend…

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Interview: Trap House director Michael Dowse and star Kate del Castillo on grounding their action film and navigating grief on screen

El Paso DEA Agent Ray Seale (Dave Bautista) and his team infiltrate a drug trafficking operation run by notorious cartel boss ‘Guzman’. But things go wrong and one of his team is shot and killed. In the aftermath, the slain agent’s son, Jesse (Blu del Barrio), is devastated and struggles financially having to move back…

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Interview: Trap House stars Whitney Peak, Zaire Adams and Blu del Barrio on their heist film and new generational visibility

El Paso DEA Agent Ray Seale (Dave Bautista) and his team infiltrate a drug trafficking operation run by notorious cartel boss ‘Guzman’. But things go wrong and one of his team is shot and killed. In the aftermath, the slain agent’s son, Jesse (Blu del Barrio), is devastated and struggles financially having to move back…

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Interview: Exit Protocol director Shane Dax Taylor and actors Stephanie Beran & Michael Jai White on finding their action language

A notorious hitman who made a career killing other assassins, wants out. But walking away is not an option. Now marked for death, he unexpectedly finds himself partnering with a former target to outrun his boss. Directed by Shane Dax Taylor, and headlined by action legends Scott Martin and Dolph Lundgren, Exit Protocol is an…

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Film Review: In Your Dreams; Netflix’s new family adventure is magical, wonderous viewing

There’s a Pixar-like wonder to In Your Dreams that helps this particularly sweet family adventure film feel like it’s somewhat of a classic – despite the fact that it’s freshly releasing on Netflix as perfect programming for the impending holiday season. Embracing a mentality that likens it to the types of family films we saw…

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