Film

Interview: Elisha Cuthbert on filming The Cellar, approaching the horror genre, and her love of Australia

Now streaming on Shudder, The Cellar (you can read our review here) is a haunted house-themed horror film starring Elisha Cuthbert as a mother whose daughter mysteriously vanishes in the cellar of her family’s new house in the country.  She soon discovers there is an ancient and powerful entity controlling the home that she will have…

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Film Review: The Cellar is a haunted house effort that aims for tension over bloodshed

Whilst The Cellar won’t exactly be riding high on viewers’ lists of must-see scary movies, Brendan Muldowney‘s haunted house horror effort at least conjures an atmosphere and an unlikely climax to earn it valid points for trying. Muldowney’s script initially plays into the genre tropes we expect when Keira Woods (Elisha Cuthbert) and her family…

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Win a double in-season pass to see The Northman starring Alexander Skarsgard and Nicole Kidman

Thanks to Universal Pictures we have 5 double in-season passes (Admit 2) to give away for the upcoming release of The Northman, starring Alexander Skarsgard and Nicole Kidman, set for release in cinemas from April 21st, 2022. From visionary director Robert Eggers comes THE NORTHMAN, an action-filled epic that follows a young Viking prince on his…

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Film Review: The Good Boss finds the humour in its commentary on workplace dynamics

Javier Bardem knows how to play men with a charmingly evil demeanour, and in The Good Boss (El Buen Patrón) – which reunites the actor with his Loving Pablo director Fernando León de Aranoa – his confident walk and solid grey quaff of hair lend themselves to a disarming character who uses his good standing…

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Film Review: Everything Everywhere All At Once is everything that makes cinema as magical as it truly is

The idea of a multiverse isn’t a new faction within the science-fiction film realm, but because the comic book movie has become more and more prominent in the last decade – and last year’s biggest film took the idea and ran with it to the most epic of proportions – no doubt something like Everything…

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Win a double in-season pass to see The Good Boss starring Javier Bardem

Thanks to Sharmill Films we have 10 double in-season passes (Admit 2) to give away for the upcoming release of The Good Boss, starring Javier Bardem, set for release in cinemas from April 14th, 2022. Blanco (Academy Award winner Javier Bardem), the charismatic owner of a family-run scale factory, is under pressure as he covets…

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Sydney Film Festival announces 2022 in-cinema return with sneak look at its programming

The 69th annual Sydney Film Festival has announced a sneak peak look at 22 film titles that will be featured during this year’s event, running 8th-19th June, 2022. Ahead of its full program announcement on 11th May, this first taste of of programming “gives audiences a snapshot of the selection and flavour of films featured…

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Win a double in-season pass to see The Lost City starring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum

Thanks to Paramount Pictures we have 10 double in-season passes (Admit 2) to give away for the upcoming release of The Lost City, starring Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum and Brad Pitt, set for release exclusively in cinemas from April 14th, 2022. Brilliant, but reclusive author Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock) has spent her career writing about…

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Interview: Director Jay Cheel on Cursed Films II; “There’s weird energy around this production”

When people look at films that are super beloved and then hear stories about the difficulties or tragedies that happen on set, they then go onto describe that production as “cursed”.  After exploring such controversial productions as Twilight Zone: The Movie and Poltergeist during its first season, Cursed Films II explores a further quintet of…

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Film Review: All The Old Knives is a conversational thriller intelligently carried by Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton

Despite both Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton proving their worth as action figures within the spy genre previously – Pine in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit and Newton in Mission: Impossible II – All The Old Knives steps away from the action-driven physicality of the genre and opts for proceedings more in tune with a John…

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Interview: Eddie Redmayne, Mads Mikkelsen and the cast of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

The magic of the Wizarding World is once again conjured with the release of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (you can read our review here).  As the film prepares for its global launch, Peter Gray was fortunate to speak with key cast members Eddie Redmayne, Jessica Williams, Mads Mikkelsen, Alison Sudol, Callum Turner and…

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Film Review: Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is the most confident of the series yet

There’s a certain amount of baggage and controversy that comes with the release of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, additives that, for the sake of the film itself, I won’t delve into; a swift google will catch you up to speed though. From the off, Fantastic Beasts was always a series that seemed a…

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Interview: David Yates on directing Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore; “These stories mean something to a lot of people”

To say director David Yates is synonymous with the Wizarding World would be putting it mildly.  Having directed half of the Harry Potter film series – Order of the Phoenix, The Half-Blood Prince, and Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2 – and both Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes…

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Film Review: The Lost City is a playful romp elevated by the charm of Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum

Reminiscent of the studio mentality of days (years, even) gone by of when the star-driven comedy was enough of a draw to reel audiences in, Adam and Aaron Nee‘s throwback romp The Lost City serves as a healthy reminder that not all playful, high-concept comedies have to exist solely for the streaming services. Resuscitating the…

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Interview: Director Michael Bay on injecting a level of humanism into the action of Ambulance

Since breaking out with 1995’s Bad Boys, director Michael Bay has been synonymous with the action genre.  Defying the critics year after year, Bay’s films have collectively grossed over $7.8 billion, making him one of the most successful directors in cinematic history. After taking a break from the big screen – he helmed 2019’s Netflix…

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Interview: Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II on forming a brotherly bond on Ambulance, the safety of filming, and “directing” action sequences

Speeding into cinemas this week (you can read our review here), Ambulance is the latest action extravaganza from Michael Bay.  Starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as two brothers who hijack an ambulance following a bank heist gone wrong, Universal Studios put our own Peter Gray in touch with the acting duo to discuss…

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Film Review: Ambulance is pure unadulterated Michael Bayhem!

Say what you will about Michael Bay, but the man knows how to craft an action sequence.  Sure, throughout his career, said action sequences have been featured in the type of blockbusters that so often favour spectacle over substance, but he’s great at what he does and, really, no one is watching a Transformers movie…

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Interview: Night’s End director Jennifer Reeder on loving horror, making an isolated film, and casting Michael Shannon

The streaming service Shudder has cornered the market on the horror genre since its 2015 inception.  Known for housing horror classics, as well as distributing its own original films, Shudder has allowed genre enthusiasts and filmmakers to explore their macabre mentality.  One such director doing so is Jennifer Reeder, whose latest effort, the supernatural scarer…

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5 places every movie fan must visit in Hollywood

Being the home of so much of the entertainment we enjoy daily, it’s no surprise that Hollywood is filled with experiences made especially for film and TV lovers. And they’re adding new ones all the time. We’re not talking about celebrity house hunting with TMZ or your local movie star maps here. These are experiences…

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Film Review: Morbius; as you’d expect for a film about a living vampire, it sucks!

Whilst certain studio efforts saw their initial releases delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, few films were as hard done by as Sony’s latest Marvel entrant, Morbius.  With no less than 7 release dates to its name – it was first intended to be released in July 2020 – the living vampire can at least…

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Interview: The Bad Guys author Aaron Blabey on making a kids film inspired by Tarantino; “That balance is something I’ve dedicated my life to finding”

With The Bad Guys officially out in Australian cinemas now (read our review here), Peter Gray spoke with Australia author Aaron Blabey (again), whose series of books the film is adapted from.  Talking at the Australian junket, Peter and Aaron, after the pleasantries of finally meeting in person, discussed where the idea originated from, the…

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Film Review: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a fast, zippy and frothy sequel that runs circles around videogame film adaptations

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 picks up after the events of the first film as the titular character (voiced by Ben Schwartz) has taken the mantle of being the hero for the people in the town of Green Hills. But his recklessness and overeager bravado has consequences as he wreaks unintentional havoc while trying to do…

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Win a family in-season pass to Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Thanks to Paramount Pictures we have 5 family passes (Admit 4) to give away for the upcoming release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, set for release exclusively in cinemas from March 31st, 2022. The world’s favourite blue hedgehog is back for a next-level adventure in SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2. After settling in Green Hills, Sonic is eager to prove…

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Interview: Zazie Beetz and Lilly Singh on voicing The Bad Guys; “Animation makes everything you do 100 times better”

As The Bad Guys releases in Australian cinemas (you can read our review here), Peter Gray spoke with actresses Zazie Beetz and Lilly Singh about their voice work in the animated heist caper, how they reacted to first reading the “Tarantino for kids” script, and the “thrilling” experience of recording their roles in the same…

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Film Review: The Bad Guys is a humorous crime caper fit for adults and children alike

Selling itself as “Tarantino for kids” may give parents valid reason to pause on The Bad Guys, but it’s an ultimately safe and reliable child-friendly affair that more circles the neighbourhood of the adult-aimed heist film rather than being an all out animated edition of Pulp Fiction; though its opening sequence certainly brings that effort…

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Interview: Director Pierre Perifel and producer Damon Ross on bringing The Bad Guys to life; “It was very much in the spirit of the kind of movies we make at DreamWorks”

A New York Times #1 best-seller, The Bad Guys series from Australian author Aaron Blabey has solidified itself as one of the most successful collections of graphic novels aimed at younger audiences.  With such success comes the inevitable big screen adaptation, and arriving in Australian cinemas on March 31st from award-winning filmmaker Pierre Perifel, the…

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Win a double in-season pass to return to the Wizarding World with Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

Thanks to Warner Bros. Pictures we have 5 double passes (Admit 2) to give away for the upcoming release of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, the anticipated continuation of the Wizarding World, starring Jude Law, Eddie Redmayne and Mads Mikkelsen, set for release in Australian cinemas from April 7th, 2022. Professor Albus Dumbledore (Jude…

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Film Review: Ti West’s X is a horny, gory throwback to the 70’s era slasher movie

Taking it back to the basics of the horror genre – i.e. sex and blood sprawled out on a big cinema screen – Ti West‘s return to the fray (his last horror effort being the 2013 found footage outing The Sacrament) indulges in the slasher mentality of eras gone by whilst fusing it with a…

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Film Review: The Duke is a crowd-pleasing affair stirred by the incomparable Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren

Blending his knack of humour, tenderness, and dramatic stakes that speaks to his strength as a storyteller, there’s a bittersweetness to Roger Mitchell‘s The Duke.  Sadly passing away prior to the film’s release, his swan song couldn’t seem more perfect as it encapsulates his talents in all the best ways possible. And The Duke just…

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Film Review: Panama indulges in an excessive aesthetic that speaks to Mel Gibson’s unbridled energy

Sporadically seen but frequently heard throughout via storytelling-like narration that speaks to the throwback era of filmmaking Panama adheres to, Mel Gibson waltzes in and out of Mark Neveldine‘s action effort with little care as to how his scene chewing is going to disrupt the heavy lifting supplied by co-star (and actual lead) Cole Hauser….

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