Author: Peter Gray

Seasoned film critic. Gives a great interview. Penchant for horror. Unashamed fan of Michelle Pfeiffer and Jason Momoa.

Film Review: Concussion (M15+) (USA, 2015)

It goes without saying that football is a sport that potentially endangers its player’s week in and week out with their bodies constantly put at risk due to the intense contact required for the game to be played. Of course, the money involved in all aspects surrounding the game means everyone involved will do whatever…

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Film Review: Room (M) (USA, 2015)

Adopting a story that tragically resembles real-life accounts, and presenting an opening 40-or-so minutes that prove an uneasy watch, Room is an initially cold but masterful drama all the same.  Describing the film as cold is not a criticism on its part though as director Lenny Abrahamson has displayed such skill in housing the film…

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Film Review: The Danish Girl (UK, 2015)

Vanishing before our eyes in a far more detailed manner than what he achieved with his Oscar-winning role of Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything, Eddie Redmayne’s transformation into The Danish Girl is nothing short of outstanding. A multi-faceted performance that never crosses into parody, Tom Hooper’s subtle drama allows the actor both a…

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Film Review: Goosebumps (PG) (USA, 2015)

The Goosebumps novel series was one I read religiously as a child growing up – in fact I don’t know many 90’s children who weren’t invested in this wonderfully ghoulish series – so the idea of a (long overdue) cinematic adaptation of R.L. Stine’s classic tales was one I embraced wholeheartedly.  The type of subject matter…

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DVD Review: Vacation (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…

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DVD Review: Knock Knock (USA, 2015)

It’s a real shame that Keanu Reeves opted to follow-up his acclaimed actioner John Wick with Knock Knock, a deliriously campy, sexed-up thriller that could quite possibly be the most embarrassing feature Reeves has had the displeasure of involving himself with. Toeing the camp line is always a risk with any given actor but, let’s face…

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DVD Review: The Voices (USA, 2015)

Black comedy is a tricky thing to execute correctly, and sadly The Voices, despite an intriguing premise and a considerably talented ensemble, fails to balance its ingredients successfully.  It’s a bit too brutal to be truly funny yet similarly it’s a little too off-kilter to be deemed a straight-up horror film – but who’s to…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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