Film

It’s not often that a show so incredibly surprising, ridiculous, and fantastic finds its way onto our screens, but that’s exactly what happened when Jane the Virgin aired in America in late 2014. Equal parts comedy, drama, murder mystery, soap opera, romance, family drama, and coming-of-age, Jane the Virgin has something for everyone, and even…

Mankind’s eternal search for the fountain of youth has seen Hollywood explore more than one scenario where immortality is a reality, always at some morally reprehensible dystopic expense. Films such as Elysium,The Island, Transcendence or more recentlyChappie have approached the idea from different angles with great success. Whether director Tarsem Singh’s (The Fall, Immortals, The…

In the Heart of the Sea is exactly as it sounds – a film centred on the perils for seamen and sea creatures alike. Directed by award-winning director Ron Howard, the film is historically based on the whaling ship Essex and how real-life author Herman Melville (Ben Whishaw) became inspired to write the classic Moby…

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…

Flight Facilities are a household name in Australian dance music but a never-before-seen mini documentary shows us that behind the polished performances are two good mates who make music for a living, and love it. Red Bull Media House  produced Across America during the duo’s coast-spanning tour of the USA in early 2015. It is hard…

Long time no Z. The anticipation for Zoolander 2 is still at fever pitch, thanks the very first trailer released the other week. Now, the sequel to one of the most quotable (and hilarious) comedies of all time has an official international trailer, showcasing even more footage and giving us a closer look at Penelope…

For the second week straight, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 leads the charge against its blockbuster brethren Spectre. Despite earning US$100 million less in its second week, Hunger Games still sits on top both here and in The States. It made AU$5.2 million and kept the new Bond film to AU$3.4 million. Not…

Steven Stelfox (Nicholas Hoult) is an A&R agent for a top record label. Those who live and breathe music would kill for that job. He lives and breathes cocaine. When one of his colleagues outperforms him, he copes by listing the different names for it – blow, bugar-sugar, lump etc – like counting to ten….

“What a waste of a good holiday”, exclaimed the woman seated next to me as the credits rolled. And she’s not wrong – there’s plenty of things I’d do in France if I was given the chance. I would swim every single day. I’d go for walks in the beautiful countryside. I’d drink every bar…

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…

It’s devastating when a popular figure, particularly one who is renowned and hero-worshipped for their domination in their chosen field, is unmasked as a fraud. It’s especially hard news to swallow when the person in question denies cheating allegations again and again, and is seen as a community leader. This is exactly what happened to…

In 1976, a relatively unknown actor named Sylvester Stallone wrote a screenplay that would change his life and the lives of many young men from that generation forward. That screenplay turned into the boxing film Rocky, and we would grow to become or know of people who would shadow box in their bedrooms, making “dsh-dsh-dsh”…

Sitting alongside Harry Potter star Matthew Lewis at the autograph signing table at Supanova Adelaide, I watch a trio of little girls who are engaged in a battle of charm with the 26 year old Leeds native. The girls compliment Lewis on being ‘very good’ in the Potter films before turning their attention to the…

I guess it was just bad timing on Spectre’s part. Kept to a solitary week at the top of the box office, Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 opened with AU$9.8 million last week, leaving the new Bond film with a comparatively small AU$5.4 million. Despite falling short of Spectre’s stellar opening in Australia by $2…

Some terrible madman is going around killing the world’s most beautiful people, including Usher and Justin Bieber, in Zoolander 2, forcing them to leave the world one last selfie with Derek Zoolander’s (Ben Stiller) signature look, Blue Steel. Such is life in the Zoolander universe as we once again take a close look at the…

The illusionists known as The Four Horsemen are back for their second act in Now You See Me 2. Original cast members such as Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson and Dave Franco are all returning, with the addition of Lizzy Caplan and Daniel Radcliffe. After the first installment Now You See Me in 2013, featuring magic…

In news that surprises absolutely nobody, Spectre, the 24th James Bond film has effortlessly shot to top spot both here and in The States. Helmed by Sam Mendes and once again starring Daniel Craig as the suave agent 007, Spectre made AU$11.3 million down under and with that I’d like to throw some facts at…

Absolutely Anything may be one of those laugh out loud type of comedies, but it’s also a subtle satire about the state of the world and the people populating it courtesy of Terry Jones, one of the original Monty Python crew. The premise is a bit like Hitchiker’s Guide To The Galaxy meets Bruce Almighty. When…

Suzanne Collins’ trilogy of novels was finally adapted onto the big screen in 2012, with Collins herself writing the screenplay alongside Director Gary Ross, both of whom gave us a version of The Hunger Games which expanded and retooled the first novel into a powerful, effective, and affecting viewing experience, one which quickly saw the…

Once named “the director of the decade” from the late, iconic film critic Roger Ebert (who, in turn, has this film dedicated to him), Ramin Bahrani’s new film 99 Homes is a self-described “humanist thriller”, which takes us into the realities of the American housing crisis, out of which tragedy and corruption has emerged. Set…

Life Story is nothing short of amazing. The incredible nature film starring Sir David Attenborough and produced by the Emmy award-wining team that made Life is an intense ride that is supported by a sensitive soundtrack performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. It conveys a thrilling roller-coaster of emotions, as it chronicles the…

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, the follow-up to the first installment of the romantic comedy will be on screens early 2016. Written by Academy Award nominee Nia Vardalos, who stars alongside the cast of favourites, including John Corbett and John Stamos. The film reveals a Portokalos family secret that will bring the beloved characters…

You read that right, the folks behind Zoolander 2 have just released a new poster to whet our appetites for the upcoming sequel. Check it out here. In case you missed it, here’s the teaser trailer for the film… ZOOLANDER 2 will be in cinemas FEBRUARY 11, 2016 ———- This content has recently been ported from…

I must confess, I geek out a little when there’s Doctor Who DVD’s about; I’ve got every boxset from New-Who (though I’m still working on collecting all the classics). Every Christmas I would receive the latest season, using my holidays to productively nestle in and watch the entire season…twice. Doctor Who Series 9: Part 1 comes a little…

For the second week running, an Australian drama about a seamstress has relegated a Hollywood blockbuster to number 2 at the box office. The Dressmaker starring Kate Winslet pulled in another impressive AU$3 million last week as it does its best numbers in Australia. The Martian is still the only real contender at this point having…

Spectre is the 24th James Bond film, 52 years into a franchise that has defined and redefined espionage thrillers, showing absolutely no signs of stopping both financially and creatively after Skyfall’s overwhelming success in 2012. Sure Daniel Craig’s iteration of Bond has given us some dull moments (see Quantum of Solace), but the 47 year…

David Fincher’s adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s bestselling novel Gone Girl was a sensational suspense-driven thriller and one of last year’s cinematic standouts. The film adaptation of Flynn’s other book, Dark Places, doesn’t land with quite the same punch. The film’s source material carries it far but not far enough to compete with Fincher’s lavish production….

If you know anything about Malala Yousafzai, you would know that her story is not necessarily one of happiness, but one of suffering, struggle, but most of all inspiration. It is the powerful character and true story of this now 18-year-old girl that dominates the character-driven documentary He Named Me Malala. The documentary is directed by…

Based on Irène Némirovsky’s bestselling novel, Suite Française challenges the true nature of people through forbidden love, generosity and understanding during a time of vast demise and depression resulting from the horrors of war. Directed by Saul Dibb, it is a romantic drama set in the small French village Bussy. The film follows the tribulations of…

Over the last couple of years thanks to the wonderful team at National Theatre Live they’ve been bringing some of the greatest theatrical plays from the National Theatre in London to cinema screens across the world. For those who are unable to see these plays in the flesh, seeing them via NT: Live has been…