Film & TV

Win a double pass to see La Femme Nikita at In The House in Sydney

Rediscover a new kind of lethal weapon in Luc Besson’s 1991 classic La Femme Nikita in the next instalment of In The House at Event Cinemas George St, September 8th. Before it spawned a cornucopia of television series knock-offs, the stylized French crime thriller set a new standard for the girl-with-a-gun movie trope. Tickets are…

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Review: Marvel’s Inhumans may be game changing for IMAX, but is it a missed opportunity?

At the end of this month, Inhumans, the latest entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe will kick off as a television series on ABC TV in the US – the home of the successful Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. series, which will enter its fifth season later this year. Today, Inhumans – the third ABC studios series…

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Australian Box Office Report: American Made tops list, beats Annabelle to no. 1 position

After an impressive two weeks in the top spot, horror film Annabelle: Creation was ousted from its prime position by the new Tom Cruise action/comedy American Made.  The filmed debuted in cinemas by earning $2.13m in its opening weekend, while Annabelle: Creation pulled in a not-too-shabby $911k.  Our reviewer called this week’s no. 1 film a “a welcome return to…

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Film Review: Girls Trip (USA, 2017) is a hilarious time thanks to an energetically raunchy script

Director Malcolm D. Lee is a filmmaker whose work has been quite the mixed bag. While he has strong pieces of work like the action/comedy cult hit Undercover Brother, The Best Man films and the criminally underseen coming-of-age Roll Bounce, he also has terrible pieces of work (which is one way to put it) like Welcome…

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Film Review: Small Town Killers (Denmark, 2017) never completely commits to its nasty premise

Like fellow Danish filmmakers Lars von Trier and Nicholas Winding Refn, Ole Bornedal made the leap from his homeland to Hollywood, though he opted for more an entertaining stance on his career as opposed to the heavy artistry his peers practiced; Bornedal was behind the rather unspectacular 2012 haunted house pic The Possession, whilst von…

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Win a copy of the French crime series The Frozen Dead on DVD

A horrific discovery in a small town nestled high in the French Pyrenees begins to unravel a dark mystery that has been hidden for years. On an unforgiving winter morning, a group of workers discover the headless body of a horse, hanging suspended from the edge of a frozen cliff. Commandant Martin Servaz starts investigating…

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Film Review: God’s Own Country (UK, 2017) is a moody and haunting emotional journey

As easy as it is to liken God’s Own Country to the similarly themed Brokeback Mountain, doing so is only ultimately stripping Francis Lee‘s film of its own identity.  A moody and haunting emotional journey for its protagonists, God’s Own Country is a slow burning, though rewarding drama propelled by a duo of strong performances…

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Win $10,000 cash and a trip to Singapore by submitting your five minute short film

The Connect5 short film competition is back, giving two Australian filmmakers the chance to win $10,000 cash each and a trip to Singapore! Presented by Optus, the competition encourages anyone who wants to make a positive change within a five minute short film to enter. The theme for the films centres on the relationships people…

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Film Review: The Hitman’s Bodyguard (USA, 2017) is a funny, familiar buddy-cop ride

Sometimes it’s not always necessary for a film to be unique or spectacular or innovative for it to be enjoyable. Sometimes all we need is for it to be fun and ridiculous and easily digestible for it to provide that escapism. The Hitman’s Bodyguard brings together two particular Hollywood actors who have their own distinct…

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Film Review: Ali’s Wedding (Australia, 2017) is a warm comedy with a big heart

It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world. The events depicted in Ali’s Wedding, the new Australian film and Muslim rom-com are based on true events. Unfortunately. This comedy is a funny and vibrant look at life in Australia for a family of Middle Eastern immigrants and like Looking For Alibrandi, The Family Law and Acropolis…

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Win tickets to see the first two episodes of Marvel’s Inhumans at IMAX Melbourne

In a groundbreaking move for the industry, the first two episodes of the new Marvel TV series Inhumans have been filmed entirely with IMAX cameras, and this weekend (from September 1st) they’ll be released exclusively on IMAX screens around the world, almost a month ahead of its premiere on ABC TV in the USA. Marvel’s…

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Netflix Review: Death Note (USA, 2017) has good intentions, but fails in the process

Whitewashing! Americanized! Lack of ethnicity! Yeah, I’m gonna talk about that in great detail, just to make that clear. Anyway, a lot of negative buzz has been going around this project due the things mentioned above and it definitely is a valid argument since the source material is distinctly Japanese. So to retroactively set the…

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Stan releases trailers for two of its returning exclusive series

Stan has recently released trailers for two of its exclusive series, both returning for second seasons. First up is the locally produced Stan Original Series Wolf Creek. The show brings back crazy serial killer Mick Taylor who returns yet again to terrorise outback tourists to an unsettling degree. The first season was received positively by…

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Netflix set to release Lady Gaga documentary later this year

Lady Gaga is a worldwide phenomenon, with her catchy music, over the top style and wacky personality proving to be an interesting idea for a documentary. Netflix has announced they will release Lady Gaga’s documentary aptly named Gaga: Five Foot Two, which will focus in on a year in the life of music superstar Lady…

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Blu-Ray Review: The Boss Baby (USA, 2017) can be applauded for its audacity

The Dreamworks dynasty is far from a reemerging period. Wowing with visceral marvellous and poignant features such as Antz and The Prince of Egypt amongst others, a film like The Boss Baby exists more as an oddity, as it seems so disparate from the sensibilities of what the company has produced in previous years. The…

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South Australian theatre production School Dance to be adapted into a feature film

After the international success of its first feature film Girl Asleep, Windmill Theatre Co., the award-winning South Australian theatre company, has announced today the launch of Windmill Pictures, a new arm of the company dedicated to developing and creating screen projects from their range of live theatre projects. The company has also announced it has successfully…

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Video Game Review: Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (PS4, 2017) tackles mental illness in a bold, disturbing yet beautiful manner

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is developed by Ninja Theory, the team that brought you games such as Heavenly Sword and Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. While these games are exceptional examples within the third person action genre, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice stands out as a monstrous cut above the rest.

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Video Game Review: Matterfall (PS4, 2017) is somehow imperfect AND engaging, addictive and fun at the same time

Matterfall comes to us from developers Housemarque, who brought you addictive arcade experiences such as Resogun and Super Stardust. Matterfall returns in the same spirit, mixing challenging combat and platforming with great effect.

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Australian Box Office Report: Annabelle: Creation still thrills audience in its 2nd week in cinemas

Audiences are still into creepy dead-eyed children’s toys, so Annabelle: Creation stays in the no.1  spot for the 2nd week in a row.  Earning $1.52m this week, it has also made $4.58m since its theatrical debut in theatres. New to the box office this week is the Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba sci-fi The Dark Tower.  Based on the Stephen…

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Win a double pass to see Ali’s Wedding in cinemas

Ali’s Wedding is an entertaining and moving comedy, based on the almost unbelievable true story from co-writer and star Osamah Sami, brought to life by some of Australia’s top cinema talent. It’s a unique and charming look at the life of a young Australian Muslim as he balances his hopes and dreams for life and…

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Win a Taboo complete first series prize pack

Set in 1814, Taboo follows James Keziah Delaney (Tom Hardy), a man who has been to the ends of the earth and comes back irrevocably changed. Believed to be long dead, he returns home to London from Africa to inherit what is left of his father’s shipping empire and rebuild a life for himself. However,…

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Oz Comic-Con to bring Doctor Who‘s Jenna Coleman to Brisbane and Sydney

Australia has had a long standing love affair with Doctor Who and thanks to Oz Comic Con we’ll get the opportunity to meet one of its most popular companions. Jenna Coleman best known as Clara Oswald aka the Impossible Girl will be heading down under and appearing at OzCC’s Brisbane (23-24th Sept) and Sydney (30th…

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Film Review: Killing Ground (Australia, 2017) is an assured and unapologetic debut feature

Offsetting its grand, sprawling Australian outback locale with a dark, often uncomfortably intimate story that crosscuts between altering timelines, Killing Ground is an assured, at times unapologetic, debut feature from writer/director Damien Power. Taut, tightly wound and brutal without resorting to exploitation, the film initially focuses on sprightly couple Ian (Ian Meadows) and Sam (Harriet…

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The Jewish International Film Festival will kick off its program with screenings of Jungle

The Jewish International Film Festival (25th October – 22nd November) will host four screenings of Jungle, the incredible real life survival story of Australian based Israeli entrepreneur Yossi Ghinsberg, by Wolf Creek director Greg McLean. Tickets are on sale now for Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Canberra audiences, with a special Q&A with Yossi Ghinsberg following…

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Create NSW announces 12 new screen productions for the state

Screen production in NSW continues to boom with 12 new projects set to go into production with the support of the NSW Government. ‘Create NSW’ CEO Michael Brealey said the screen productions, which include drama and factual programs, will receive investment through Create NSW’s Production Finance Program, Made in NSW and Regional Filming Fund initiatives….

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Win a double in-season pass to see God’s Own Country in cinemas

Johnny Saxby works long hours in brutal isolation on his family’s remote farm in the north of England. He numbs the daily frustration of his lonely existence with nightly binge-drinking at the local pub and casual sex. When a handsome Romanian migrant worker arrives to take up temporary work on the family farm, Johnny suddenly…

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Melbourne International Film Festival Review: The Killing of a Sacred Deer (USA/UK, 2017) is the product of skilful filmmaking

It’s not often that an art-house thriller comes together so perfectly to create an unsettling horror capable of antagonising your thoughts even after you’ve walked out the cinema doors. But that is exactly what The Killing of a Sacred Deer does, the fifth feature film of Greek auteur Yorgos Lanthimos. As a darkly comic rendition…

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The Poster Art Renaissance: Modern and retro collide in a flurry of designs

Anybody who has stepped foot in a cinema or video retailer will be familiar with the concept of movie posters – they act as advertisements for upcoming, or newly released, films and help consumers to understand if its content is suitable for them. Some consider these posters an artform in themselves, but it is only…

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Simon Baker’s directorial debut to premiere at TIFF in Toronto

Aussie actor Simon Baker’s feature film and directorial debut Breath will have its world premiere at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), featuring as part of the event’s Contemporary World Cinema program. Breath stands alongside Warwick Thornton’s Sweet Country and Violeta Ayala’s Cocaine Prison, two competing Australian films. “There is no doubt that TIFF sets Australian films on the…

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Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water reveals its first trailer

Guillermo del Toro is no stranger to fascinating visuals that extend to imaginative and creative storytelling. With that being said, del Toro is back with The Shape of Water. The Shape of Water follows the story of mute janitor Elisa, who cleans a mysterious high security government lab. However upon a routine shift, she comes across a…

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