Hal Thomas is finishing school and he’s ready for a monster night out with his friends. Sure, he’s been uninvited from the party, the girl he likes just wants to be mates, and he’s got a massive NADA audition coming up, but that’s not about to stop him. Turn up the Dune Rats, roll another…
A peculiar film aided by two strong central performances but a distinct nastiness that keeps it from maintaining consistency, Judy & Punch is a brave debut feature from Australian actress-filmmaker Mirrah Foulkes. Unsure if it wants to be a dark comedy or something more horrific – it sadly lacks orderly humour or thrills to be…
A tender coming-of-age story about a 10 year old boy learning to navigate a Nazi summer camp and fantasising about being best friends with a slapstick version of Adolf Hitler. How the hell did Taika Waititi pitch this, successfully? The Kiwi auteur seems to have made the most unlikely (and, to some, offensive) film he…
Ready to feel old? The big-screen adaptation of Charlie’s Angels was released almost 20 years ago. Yes, it’s been nearly two decades since Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu lit up the screen with McG’s (remember him?) glitzy relaunch that was all sorts of campy fun. Alright, it wasn’t exactly a masterful film. And it certainly…
Some of the cinema history’s most acclaimed films have revolved around stories of journalistic, procedural or investigative narratives. And with most of the selected group based on true stories, it begs the question: how can you make a gripping film where you already know the outcome of the story? Case in point: writer/director Scott Z….
The 1960s set Ford v Ferrari might not sound appealing to anyone with limited knowledge of or interest in the world of motor racing. But, in the world of cinema, any story can work, regardless of its premise, thanks to the themes it examines. In the case of director James Mangold‘s latest, these universal themes cover…
Oh to imagine how much fun this all-star cast must have had during the making of Knives Out, the off-the-wall whodunit homage from director Rian Johnson. Although its ultimate revelation isn’t quite as electrifying as watching the entire thing unfold, the snapping wit that drives this film is impossible to resist. And – surprise –…
The Russian Resurrection Film Festival is considered one of the largest and most well respected film festivals outside of Russia. Travelling to Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra, the festival offers an insight into Russian culture through some of the most imaginative and creative cinema you’ll see. After some welcome speeches, including the Russian…
Every year, in November, the Adelaide Showground springs to life with colourful characters when the Supanova Comic Con & Gaming Expo rolls in and offers a chance for Adelaide’s creative community to come together, show their art or cosplay and meet some of the biggest Film & TV stars out there. Sunday morning began with Julie Benz of Buffy the Vampire…
As much as Last Christmas is selling itself on the notion that it’s “inspired” by the musical catalogue of the late, great George Michael – or more specifically the Wham! festive classic that this film’s title has lifted as its own – it’s ultimately not as formidable as it wishes to be. That’s certainly not…
In the late 1980s, a young ship’s cook named Tracey Edwards had had enough. Sick of sailing’s impenetrable boys club, where women were barely tolerated on board – let alone in control on deck – she made an extraordinary decision. Edwards bought a boat, put together a team, and announced that she would be heading…
Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love is a documentary about music’s biggest bohemian and his muse. Poet and songwriter, Leonard Cohen and his lover, Marianne Ihlen had a rich and complex relationship, before they both passed away in 2016. This documentary is like a love letter to their passion; a flawed yet visceral look at…
They called him “Uncle Carl”. For some of the employees at Universal Pictures that’s because he was their actual family member. But for many others, this diminutive entrepreneur was a well-respected man and a boss with a gigantic heart. This documentary is an illuminating guide to this gentle and helpful soul, and a testament to…
It’s the wrong time of year for us to be having an animated kids movie set in the arctic coming to our screens. However there is slim pickings for families in the lead up to Christmas, so for those wanting to keep their little ones entertained comes Arctic Justice. The film has been marketed overseas…
The release of Terminator 2: Judgement Day in 1991 was proof that the oft-expected “inferior sequel” is a projection able to be shattered. It surely helped that that film was helmed by the original director, James Cameron, and in bringing the visionary filmmaker back on board for this fifth sequel, there’s somewhat of an expectation…
Neil Finn may have sung about seven worlds colliding, but in After the Wedding it’s really only about two. A pair of women – one obscenely rich and the other a selfless worker at an orphanage – come together for a chance meeting due to money. The result is an overlong affair that fails to…
Australian cinema has already seen Ali and Muriel getting married (to other people) but Promised takes a different approach. This dramedy, set in the 1970’s, is a look at an arranged marriage, starring a pair of Italo-Australians. The results are an imperfect story that brims with real heart. It’s obvious that this independent film was…
Horror comedies are a sub-genre that are hard to pull off successfully. One has to steer tonal shifts smoothly and juggle both laughs and scares with skill and balance; all whilst not overwhelming or underwhelming on either front. Successful horror comedies include Sam Raimi‘s horror entries — The Evil Dead Trilogy and Drag Me To…
“Uptown Funk”, “Shallow”, “Valerie”, “Joanne,” “Late Night Feelings,” and the list goes on. Producer, songwriter, musician and singer, Mark Ronson has contributed to some of the biggest songs and records of modern times. In How to be Mark Ronson, fans are given a taste of the man behind the music and learn that this subject…
Back in 2014 Disney decided to release a movie about one of their most iconic villains. Maleficent, the evil fairy and protector of the Moors was a rather ambiguous character in the film adaptation. Toeing the line of an antihero, as she fought to protect her realm against the twisted King Stefan whilst also befriending…
When Rowan Athale‘s ambitious neo-noir thriller Strange But True opens on the sight of a panicked Nick Robinson running from an unseen threat – with a broken leg, of all things – there’s an immediate sense of intrigue that settles in. Just what he is running from is gradually revealed when the film takes us…
There have been many adaptations of Shakespeare’s work to the big screen with varying results. Twice before Australians have tackled the Bard’s work with Baz Luhrman’s Romeo + Juliet and Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth both hitting the silver screen with positive critical response. Once again it seems the combination of Australian director David Michôd, with fellow…
There’s at least one Oscar-grab movie released every year designed with the intent on pushing its lead performer to the front of the nominee queue. Judy appears to be that movie for 2019. And that’s certainly not a criticism against the film as it’s a fine biopic in its own right, but Renee Zellweger‘s dedicated…
On its surface, Hustlers appears like something more at home in a summer blockbuster run than amongst a litany of awards season hopefuls. With its ensemble female cast stacked with big names, of both the film and music world, and a narrative centred on the exploits of a group of strippers, you may be expecting…
If you’ve been living under a rock you may have missed all the buzz about Fleabag. The British comedy-drama, written and created by Phoebe Waller-Bridge that follows a young woman known as “Fleabag” navigating life and love in London whilst trying to cope with tragedy. Waller-Bridge stars as the titular character who will often break…
It may sound wrong to start off a review in the first person as well stating my personal bias, but I am planning to anyway because it would be unfair for the reader and myself due to certain restrictions in my writing. First off, I love horror films of the ’80s. I grew up watching…
For cinemagoers we’ve been inundated of late with films that are adaptations, remakes or film franchises. So it’s unusual for us to finally have one that’s an original concept, which inadvertently puts a lot of pressure on it to be worth the time and money to see. Gemini Man was originally conceived in 1997 and…
A lot has been said leading up to the release of Joker, with some of the most common arguments surrounding whether the film was necessary and whether there would be fatigue around yet another portrayal of the Clown Prince. The trailer didn’t reveal much and left audiences a little perplexed. But after predominantly receiving positive…
Whilst I’m sure the plethora of talent on hand here had an absolute ball making The Dead Don’t Die, Jim Jarmusch‘s deadpan (emphasis on the dead) zombie comedy fails to translate that suggested fun to its audience. Set in the fictional mid-American town of Centreville – the epitome of smalltown USA where there isn’t much…
What a strange little arthouse horror flick Koko-di Koko-da is. What starts out as a relatively straight-forward tale of a once-happy family trying to maintain a sense of worth before breaking down entirely, quickly descends into an experiment of madness, one that is often repetitive and unlikeable but no less inherently fascinating. The aforementioned once-happy…
