Author: The AU Review

Born and raised Port Macquarie man Patrick James is quickly moving from strength to strength as he debuts his first album, Outlier. Building his art by busking in the streets of Sydney, James is now headlining his own sold out shows, while supporting the likes of Boy & Bear, Pete Murray, Josh Pyke, Emma Louise and more. Check out this travel…

This Friday at 7pm, the current In The House season at the George Street Event Cinemas in Sydney will come to an end with a special screening of the 1982 Sci-Fi classic Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. In anticipation of the screening, we’re looking back at the film to bring you nine facts…

AU Abroad is taken to North America with South Australia’s olivers army from the time they played at Canadian Music Week. They share with us their experiences playing shows in Toronto and the USA, plus reflect on overeating Mexican delicacies and visiting the Smorgasburg Markets for some sausages courtesy of the great… well, actually we’ll let you find out for yourself….

When it comes to rich cultural history, there are few cities in America with more to offer than San Antonio, Texas. Situated less than 90 minutes drive from Austin, Texas, San Antonio used to be one of the State’s best kept secrets. But now, it’s one of the fastest growing cities in the USA, with…

While on tour for Lollapalooza, Angus and Julia Stone recorded their adventures for us with an exclusive tour diary. We follow the musical duo as they travel around Chicago and play at the iconic festival. During their visit, they explored the many film locations of The Blues Brothers and talked about how influential the film…

From December 2013 to June 2014, Andrew Smith was appointed Destination NSW’s “Chief Funster”, and travelled all around NSW to see the best of what our country had to offer. Among this time, he went to Tamworth, joined the AU on a weekend in Newcastle and much more. Now back in the real world (though…

This Friday, April 22nd, Sydney’s Event Cinemas is holding a special screening of the 1968 classic Planet of the Apes as part of their In the House series (you can win tickets HERE!). In anticipation of the screening, we’re looking back at the film to bring you some of our favourite trivia about the film……

HTC have finally lifted the veil on their latest smartphone, the simply titled HTC 10, with the hopes that the company can make a strong comeback among solid competition from the likes of Samsung and Apple. Announced today at an event simulcast around the world, the HTC 10 looks to be a necessary step in…

In a deal worth US$2.6 Billion, and one that is sure to shake up the US domestic travel industry, Alaska Airlines have confirmed they have won a bidding war with JetBlue Airways to purchase the much loved airline Virgin America. The merger will see Alaska Airlines become the 5th biggest in the USA, with 1,200…

Today we want you to join us for the unique experience offered by Hauraki Blue Cruises, based out of Auckland: an overnight cruise that takes you through the islands just outside of Auckland Harbour. Their cruise ship is a sizable catamaran named Ipipiri (in fact, she is the largest cruise ship permanently based in New Zealand),…

Tigerair are today putting on two very tempting sales to further their commitment to affordable travel. The first is following the concept of ‘pay to go on way, return for $1’ as they look to do something special for the approaching Easter holidays. The second sale will be to celebrate the recently launched services to…

Jenny Slate and Zoe Kazan were on-hand at the premiere of their latest film My Blind Brother at SXSW, along with co-star Nick Kroll, who all formed part of a panel to answer questions after a screening at the Topfer Theatre in Austin. The audience Q&A that followed didn’t quite start the way anyone expected…

It looks good and it plays better than it’s predecessors; World of Tanks, Wargaming’s multiplayer phenomenon, has now gone live on Playstation 4, free to play for anyone with a Playstation account irrespective of whether or not they subscribe to Playstation Plus (although the “Plus” members had access to a premium bundle on launch). Maintaining…

Hailing from Perth, indie-electronic sensation Angus Dawson recently found himself abroad for Singapore’s Music Matters festival. From conferences and gigs, to hangovers and exploring the city, Angus takes AU Abroad along for the ride with this tour diary. Click through for all his insights and photos of his international adventure… Day 1: 3:30am. Alarm blaring in…

Today, the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival announced several sections of its features lineup for its 23rd year. During its nine days, 139 features will be shown, with further titles to be announced closer to the event (and as we’ve seen in past years, even as the event gets started!). The full…

Now in its 23rd year, Queer Screen’s Mardi Gras Film Festival proves it’s as important as ever in bringing LGBQTI stories to audiences, with a massive program across 2 weeks. Held at The Star Event Centre, Festival Director Paul Struthers took us through an upcoming program with films from all over the world as well…

Last month, Bake Bar opened its third highly anticipated artisan bakery in the Kiaora Place redevelopment in Double Bay, making it the second Bake Bar shop to open in 2015, with the other being in Alexandria. Bake Bar now joins 20 specialty retail shops spread throughout the development, standing as the space’s only bakery. Bake…

Now that we’ve all had a chance to watch Star Wars and the run of Boxing Day films, join The Iris as we count down our twenty favourite films from 2015… and for our overseas readers just take note that we at The Iris can only include films that received cinematic release in Australia between…

The Keystone Group have announced their summer activities in venues scattered all over Sydney, with venues spanning The Newtown Hotel, Cargo Bar, and Chophouse Throughout the season, the Newtown Hotel in the city’s Inner West will host blues and roots entertainment in their Cider Yard every Sunday from 3pm. Guests are also able to enjoy the…

Ali Larter this year returned to the horror genre she’s flourished in previously in the sci-fi horror flick The Diabolical (out on DVD this month!). The American actress, who we’ve seen in memorable movies including the Resident Evil and Final Destination franchises, Legally Blonde and not to mention Heroes on the small screen, recently took…

A live action version of Tarzan is coming next year, with True Blood‘s Alexander Skarsgård playing the eponymous character. Interestingly enough, Disney is not behind the production, with Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures delivering the new take on the legendary character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The film also stars Australian actress Margot Robbie as Jane, Samuel…

New seasons for 2016 have been announced for the popular In The House classic cinema series held by Event Cinemas on George Street in Sydney and at Innaloo, Marion, Brisbane. The two cinemas are in their fourth and second seasons, respectively. Here’s the lineup of films planned for next year: Event Cinemas – George Street,…

American cuisine has become common place in Sydney, to the point it’s impossible to escape. Most bars now offer a menu inspired by the best and worst of American cuisine. Whether it’s Miss Peaches’ New Orleans themed menu or the mix of dishes that places like Dove and Olive or the Norfolk offer, there is…

The Governor in Hindmarsh has long been an Adelaide institution for music lovers, hosting a wide variety of artists in its extensive history. It’s front bar and restaurant also has maintained its position as both a favourite watering hole and food spot for people looking for a pre-show bite or for a drink at the…

Set for release in a time usually suited to Academy Award favourites and the tail end of the big blockbuster runs (see: Star Wars), one of the first big comedies set for release in 2016 is shaping up to be Dirty Grandpa, starring Robert De Niro, Zac Efron, Julianne Hough, Aubrey Plaza and Dermot Mulroney and…

It’s time to celebrate Halloween! And as part of Event Cinema’s In The House series, tonight at 10pm they’re taking us back to 1987 and the now classic horror film Evil Dead 2. We’ve teased the audience with this little bit of trivia: So, did you spot director Sam Raimi in the film? He was the first…

Here we go! The epic final trailer has arrived for the final instalment in the Hunger Games series.  We won’t waste any of your time with banter though, enjoy the trailer here ahead of its release in Australian cinemas on November 19th:

One of the biggest buzz films for this holiday Oscar season is 20th Century Fox’s The Revenant, which hits Australian cinemas January 7. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Will Poulter, Lukas Haas and directed by Academy Award Winner Alejandro González Iñárritu, in what is his first film since Birdman. A brand new trailer has…

On a recent flight from Toronto to Edmonton with Air Canada, which is a 4 hour and 20 minute flight, I enjoyed an upgrade at the gate to Business Class. And I certainly made the most of the experience. On the way to the airport in Toronto, I took the UP Express for the first…

For the first time, Ray-Ban is offering customers the exclusive opportunity to design their own eyewear with Ray-Ban Remix. By choosing and mixing colour combinations, including frontal and temple colours, lenses and even personalized engraving, anyone can create their own unique Ray-Ban sunglasses. There is a range of models available, such as the Ray-Ban Aviator…