Author: Peter Gray

Film critic with a penchant for Dwayne Johnson, Jason Momoa, Michelle Pfeiffer and horror movies, harbouring the desire to be a face of entertainment news.

Film Review: Love the Coopers (USA, 2015)

What used to be, what is now, and what the future potentially holds are the main framing points screenwriter Steven Rogers (Kate & Leopold, P.S. I Love You) strands together in Love The Coopers, a deliriously schmaltzy and often contrived dramedy that’s a particularly mixed stocking when it comes to its individual characters chapters.  There’s…

Read More

Film Review: The Dressmaker (Australia, 2015)

Comedy and tragedy go hand-in-hand in The Dressmaker, a larger-than-life, heartbreaking laugher that benefits from its brave cast and stellar wardrobe selection.  Not the warm and fuzzy dramedy some may be expecting based off its trailer, Jocelyn Moorhouse’s adaptation of Rosalie Ham’s novel is a considerably dark affair with vibrant brushes of eccentricity to keep…

Read More

DVD Review: Barely Lethal (M, USA, 2015)

Oh the movie Barely Lethal could have been had it been in the hands of the right people.  There’s a neat little premise here, even a hint of charming self-awareness, but sadly director Kyle Newman and screenwriter John D’Arco have ignored the multitude of opportunities presented to them and ultimately made just another high school comedy…

Read More

Film Review: Vacation (MA15+, USA, 2015)

Given that at some point everything that is old becomes new again, it makes sense that the National Lampoon Vacation series would be on the reboot agenda. A surprisingly durable series that has spanned over three decades, the latest in line acts as a semi-reboot-come-sequel with enough sly nods to pay tribute to the original without…

Read More

Seven things we learnt at the Magic Mike XXL Australian Arena Premiere in Sydney*

*Some facts may or may not be said in jest Monday. July 6th. 2015. The magic begins. After a surprisingly well choreographed, and I might I add scintillating, dance routine from an all-male Aussie troupe dubbed the ‘Magic Mike XXL Aussie Dancers, the men of the hour – one Mr Channing Tatum and a Mr…

Read More

Film Review: Run All Night (MA15) (USA, 2015)

For better or worse Liam Neeson has essentially become the Charles Bronson of the 21st century. No longer the brooding performer from fare like Schindler’s List, Neeson’s action quota is generally either the Taken films or features courtesy of Jaume Collet-Sera. It’s safe to say the Taken films have dwindled in quality over their run, but his…

Read More

DVD Review: Mom The Complete First Season (USA, 2014)

As the first episode of Mom begins, titular parent Christy (Anna Faris) – a waitress at a middle-to-high-end restaurant – is crying to her customers, battling tears as she reads the night’s specials and suffering through having to sing “Happy Birthday” to elderly patrons. Although the studio audience would have you believe it’s one of the…

Read More

Film Review: Whiplash (MA15+) (USA, 2014)

Apparently the world of jazz musicianship is particularly vicious if Whiplash is anything to go by, a “Full Metal Jacket at Julliard” type thriller that comes courtesy of producer Jason Blum, whose credits include such scarers as Insidious, Paranormal Activity and Sinister. Though it seems strange that a producer best known for his work in the horror…

Read More

DVD Review: Brick Mansions (Canada, 2014)

A loose remake of the French action film District 13, Brick Mansions is likely to be known as nothing more than the last completed film of Paul Walker. With his work in the Fast and Furious franchise, and lesser known features like Running Scared, Walker was arguably proving himself as a charismatic action star and something…

Read More

DVD Review: Road To Paloma (USA, 2014)

Better known for his intense stare and inaudible grunts as Khal Drogo on the original Game of Thrones series, Jason Momoa proves there’s more to him than meets the eye with his work in Road To Paloma. As the film’s lead he provides his most emotive performance yet, as the director he displays his strength at…

Read More

Blu-Ray Disc Review: Irreversible (France, 2002)

To say Irreversible is tough viewing is an understatement to say the least. When first released in 2002 the film was both universally acclaimed and condemned due to its confronting nature, and now, 12 years on from its initial release, the film is no less threatening. Given that Irreversible deals with unadulterated violence and brutal…

Read More

Film Review: Maleficent (PG) (USA, 2014)

It’s hard to believe it’s been four years since we last saw Angelina Jolie on the big screen (the tepid 2010 thriller The Tourist sitting as her most recent live action affair) and in the time waiting to see her as the titular Maleficent we’ve been teased and taunted with imagery greatness, leading us to believe that…

Read More