Film & TV

I was under the impression that Ash vs Evil Dead had reached it’s peak. That episodes like the last two and season one’s finale and Killer of Killers couldn’t be topped. After all, a goofy horror/comedy genre mash-up probably has no right to strive for anything brilliant. Right. Right? No. Ashy Slashy now holds the crown as…

The second and final instalment of the fourth season of hit historical series Vikings will return to Australian televisions in early 2017. The top-rating Nordic drama will air on SBS, with new episodes beginning on Wednesday, January 11 at 8.30pm. “This season is monumental and unlike anything we’ve ever done,” says series creator and writer,…

The highly anticipated Monster Fest begins today at Melbourne’s Lido Cinemas and will be running until November 27. Jam-packed with insightful Q&A events and films to choose from, this festival has a little something for everyone. We have chosen 5 films you should see at Monster Fest to make the most of your experience. The…

Likely to come as a surprise to many that The Founder is less a success story regarding the origins of McDonalds, but more a tale on greed and the value of real estate, John Lee Hancock‘s engaging drama benefits from its stellar central performance from Michael Keaton, continuing the run he so assuredly began with…

Mat Damon (The Martan, Greenzone) returns to his most iconic role after a nine year hiatus in Jason Bourne, the next chapter in the explosive Bourne franchise, available to own on 4K ULTRA HDTM, Blu-ray, DVD & Digital from November 23, 2016. This high octane, edge of your seat, espionage thriller features an all-star cast…

The Secret Life of Pets is a comedy about the lives that pets lead after their human companions leave for school or work each day. The animation follows Max (Louis C.K.) a rescue dog who’s convinced that he’s the centre of owner Katie’s (Ellie Kemper) universe, finds his ideal relationship shattered when she brings home…

There a few signs which signal summer is truly here – longer days, warmer weather and the return of Ben & Jerry’s Openair Cinemas. The University of Sydney Union is thrilled to be host again this year for the quintessential summer event returning to Cadigal Green at University of Sydney, bringing new releases and cult…

If last week’s “Service” showed me anything it was that the very excellent Jeffrey Dean Morgan is turning in an uncharacteristically dull performance as Negan. There’s something about having pretty much the same cadence for every single darkly jolly line that starts to get dull after awhile, so it was nice to leave him behind…

From Wizards to Superheroes and Robots in the West, here are this week’s TV picks on Foxtel and Free-to-Air… Tuesday,  22nd November Kevin Can Wait, Ch 9, 8:00pm AEST A police officer retires and plans to spend time with his family, but soon finds out that’s his greatest challenge. Supergirl, Fox8, 8:45pm AEST Supergirl is…

Though it is arguably the least respected franchise of the venerable Pixar stable, the Cars series has no doubt flourished at the box office. It’s no surprise then that it is now the second franchise to get a trilogy (behind Toy Story,) and today we get a brief look at the 2017 release thanks to…

BBC Worldwide Australia & New Zealand (ANZ) and Sharmill Films have announced that there will be special Boxing Day screenings of this year’s Doctor Who Christmas special: The Return of Doctor Mysterio, at cinemas around Australia. The special will see the Doctor team up with a Batman/Superman-esque comic-book superhero in New York. The cinema event will…

President Obama’s time in the White House is almost at an end, so in honour of the 44th president, Netflix are debuting a new film entitled Barry, focusing on the man himself. Appearing at the 2016 Toronto Film Festival to critical-acclaim, Barry is a nuanced, artistic exploration of a pivotal year in the life of a…

It appears the Wizarding World beats the Marvel Universe, at the box office this week anyway.  Well and truly knocking last week’s no. 1 film, Doctor Strange, out of its top spot, is this week’s absolute cracker of a film, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.  It has done so well that it accounted for at least two…

Some people claim they don’t look for drama, that drama looks for them. In Anna’s case, drama’s reared its ugly head in her life in the form a breakup with older man John. She seeks solace and support in her best friend Jean, who lives across the English channel in Paris. Jean welcomes his London-based…

In Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them we are returned to the world of magic and wizards and witches but set in 1926 New York, USA well before our boy wonder Harry Potter was born. The film shifts the focus not only to a new protagonist but a brand new location which expands the…

As we approach the end of the second season of Ash vs Evil Dead, we sat down with the iconic star of the series – Bruce Campbell – to talk about working with Ted Raimi (again), what we can expect from the rest of the season and we reflect on “that” scene from “The Morgue”….

The guys down at Event Cinemas George St are finishing up ‘Season Zero’ of In The House with what is arguably the best sequel of all time, Aliens! Check out Sigourney Weaver kick butt on November 25. This time there’s more. This time it’s war. Tickets are only $13 (or $11 if you’re a Cine…

For those that have fond memories of their childhood watching the animated version of Beauty and the Beast, can now officially experience the magic of its first feature-length version starring the talented Emma Watson as Belle. In this adaptation, there are elements to the trailer that make it such a cinematic and magical experience. We…

If you’re not too sure what you’re going to do once Summer comes around, then your best bet is to attend this year’s national Moonlight Cinema program. For those that love film and want to do something different outside of traditional cinema, this outdoor event caters to all people who want to soak up the…

From Egyptian tombs to Wizards and Cowboys, here are this week’s picks for Free-To-Air TV and Foxtel: Tuesday, 15th November Hap and Leonard, Showcase, 8:30pm AEST Hap and Leonard try to survive and on a search for money, Hap discovers something life changing. Wednesday, 16th November  Tutankhamun, SBS, 8:30pm AEST Carter discovers the tomb but…

To celebrate the upcoming live action Ghost in the Shell adaptation, stars Scarlett Johansson, “Beat” Takeshi Kitano, and director Rupert Sanders joined fans in Tokyo on Sunday for the film’s global launch party. The celebrations, which were held at Tabloid, kicked off with Taiko drummers, including the legendary anime film composer Kenji Kawai. Attendees were given an exclusive behind-the-scenes look…

After a couple self contained episodes that explored characters that are no longer with the group in Alexandria, we’re back home and the all of the tension and palpable hatred has come flooding back. Negan has come to collect his first batch of goods and Service, despite a very rudimentary premise (Negan and his crew taking their…

Pausing from his planned trilogy of films with Brendan Gleeson – which has already seen the release of the brilliant The Guard (2011) and Calvary (2014) – English/Irish director John Michael McDonagh makes his debut outside of Ireland with the incredibly black comedy War on Everyone, starring Alexander Skarsgård and Michael Peña – who are…

With Baal now risen and and Pablo apparently holding the key to stopping him, Ash vs Evil Dead is getting pretty tense. And Trapped Inside is an action packed episode filled with a tonne of violence and homages that will please Evil Dead fans. The crew head back to Ash’s place again to make good…

I remember writing a review for a season one episode of Ash vs Evil Dead that started with “well that was different”. The final verdict was that it was the first mediocre episode of the series. Delusion also goes through a vicissitude, breaking the norm and presenting something totally different to what we have expected. Only this…

When Neil Gaiman‘s popular fantasy novel American Gods was announced to be coming to television, it was met with the kind of reception you’d expect when it comes to a beloved literary work: much excitement and bated breath. We all know what it can be like to have our favourite source materials screwed with when it comes to big…

Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange topped the box office ladder again this week, making it the third time in a row it’s been at the no. 1 spot.  Although faced with tough competition from two Amy Adams films, both debuting in the top five, the Marvel film still generated $2.57 million in ticket sales this week. The most successful of Adams’ new…

What if the only way to battle our demons is to surrender to them? This is the question asked in the darkest and most thrilling season of Penny Dreadful yet, as explorer Sir Malcolm Murray (Timothy Dalton), American gunslinger Ethan Chandler (Josh Hartnett), scientist Victor Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway) and medium Vanessa Ives (Eva Green) unite…

Miss Saigon is an acclaimed stage musical that follows the epic love story of young, orphaned Kim and America GI Chris, whose lives are torn apart by the fall of Saigon.  It recently celebrated its 25th anniversary with a performance featured appearances by original cast members Jonathan Pryce and Lea Salongo. They filmed the event…

It almost seems uncanny that Netflix‘s new royal drama, The Crown, would be released the same time that the drama in the US had been at its peak – and it has absolutely paid off. As I’m sure for many viewers, this series came as a well-received break from the real life drama unfolding on our…