Far from Disney’s little mermaid, The Lure is a film that mixes musical, comedy and horror together. The story centres on a family of entertainers who find a pair of mermaids and decide to take them in since they have beautiful singing voices. The mermaids immerse themselves in the human world, but soon one of…
One of the first thing that Blood Father makes clear is that John Link (Mel Gibson) is over being a flashy action hero type. It’s old hat to an ex-con like him and he doesn’t want anything to do with it. However, don’t be fooled, Gibson himself seems to be having a hell of a…
As someone completely unschooled in the world of Warcraft, I entered the filmic adaptation of the popular video game franchise with an open mind and no expectations. On its own merits it’s a perfectly serviceable action/fantasy opus that’s heavy on CGI and spectacle but short on much else – not that that is necessarily a…
Craig Boreham’s beautifully filmed coming of age tale Teenage Kicks is a film that leaves you thinking long after the final credits have rolled. Writing this review two days after the film had its world premiere at the Sydney Film Festival I find myself still grappling with its expert exploration of cultural and sexual identities…
I’ve got to get one thing out of the way before I can get on with the rest of this review – who would have thought that Nick Jonas was such a good actor. I mean seriously, I’ve heard nothing of this guy since his Disney starring, purity ring wearing days but he completely knocks…
Goldstone was easily my most anticipated film of this year’s Sydney Film Festival, and it’s fair to say it did not disappoint. Written, directed, edited and pretty much everything else by Ivan Sen, it is sure to join the pantheon of great Aussie films – a triumph from start to finish. Seeing the return of…
Like many people in the world, Roald Dahl has been one of my favourite authors during my childhood. His twisted sense of humour, his unique whimsical touch and its warm-hearted tone have delighted kids as well as adults all around the world and even the film adaptations of his works have all been well-regarded by…
“You are made for the day, not the night.” –Kaetenay This week on Penny Dreadful, series creator John Logan returns as writer, and despite the past two action-packed episodes, they were missing the eloquence and emotion we have come to expect from Logan’s scripts. But that is well atoned for in “Ebb Tide” and the…
I’d be lying if I said I was an Australian Cinema connoisseur. Despite being an avid cinephile, I guess I’ve always been a bit ignorant towards my home country’s unique brand of cinema. But Girl Asleep may have absolutely opened my eyes. Girl Asleep is set in the 70’s, as Gretta who is about to…
Closet Monster isn’t a film that succeeds because on its premise alone. It’s all in the execution. Though hardly the first drama film to concern itself with what it means to grow up queer in the 21st century, it feels rare to find a film as well realised as this one. The acting, direction, editing and music…
The Sydney Film Festival is set to be slightly-extended this year, with addition screenings announced for the event’s most popular films. The screenings will take place at Palace Cinemas in Leichhardt and Paddington across the 20th to 22nd of June. “This is the second year we will extend our run for top-selling films beyond the…
Over the course of the last century, warfare has been conducted on land, in the sea or in the air. But with thanks to our ever evolving technology there no longer needs to be a physical presence for war. It can now all be done electronically, digitally, silently and invisibly and cause irreparable damage. When…
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 both…
Larry Heath sits down with Ryan Guzman, Tyler Hoechlin, J. Quinton Johnson and Wyatt Russell to talk about their work as part of the ensemble cast of Richard Linklater’s brand new film Everybody Wants Some!! I talk to the quartet about how the film related to their actual College experience, their love of ice cream, their training…
New Zealand born Director Jake Mahaffy was trawling the news one day when he came across a chilling story from 2003 concerning the death of an 8 year old autistic boy named Terrance Cottrell. His death was seemingly the unintentional consequence of a modern-day exorcism performed by members of a small storefront Milwaukee church who…
Blood Punch is a cool, innovative little horror flick that takes inspiration and crafts something wholly unique, but its appeal lies in knowing next to nothing about its plot. Our story centres on Milton, a former meth cook who finds himself in rehab. When Skylar shows up and plans a breakout, under the guise of…
“No One” is an episode of Thrones that can’t seem to decide what it wants to be. It isn’t quite clear whether this episode is the spark that sets off the cascading events of the season’s final two episodes or a climax in its own right. Though it offers some closure to the Braavos and Riverlands…
We all heard the stories, “Sony are working on a a more powerful PlayStation 4”, but now the company have finally appeared to confirm it.
I Saw The Light is the new feature film from second time director Marc Abraham, focusing on the short life and influential career of iconic American musician Hank Williams. It’s not the first time Williams’ story has found its home on the big screen, but it’s the first major take since 1964’s Your Cheatin’ Heart,…
Defiance in the face of constraint brought on by stringent cultural convention is a favourite topic for Sydney Film Festival year in and year out. Falling into that category this year is Turkish award-winner Mustang which, following last year’s release, picked up the coveted Cannes Directors’ Fortnight prize, four Césars and an Oscar nomination, well…
In a village in the north of Turkey, Lale and her four sisters innocently celebrate the end of the school year at the beach with some boys. The supposed debauchery of their actions causes their home to progressively transform into a prison; classes on housework and cooking replace school, and marriages are arranged. The five…
Embedded fits nicely within the growing catalog of Australian films determined to prove our country has much more to offer the world of cinema than just koalas and beaches. Part erotic thriller, part political statement. Embedded revolves entirely around the relationship between disillusioned war correspondent Frank (Nick Barkla) and Madeline (Laura Gordon), the enigmatic woman he shares…
Any documentary ambitious enough to tackle different facets and implications of the “internet” is going to fall short of something. The single most influential creation of the past few decades has grown into such an impossibly complex and overwhelming force that it would be pure insanity to think one could encapsulate all its infinite intricacies…
What would an Almodovar film be like without the major presence of women? Certainly not an Almodovar film, that’s for sure. And it is a delight to see him back in his normal ways of female-centric stories that made him renowned and acclaimed around the world by audiences and critics over. Films of his like…
If there’s anything that sticks with you the most about Jan Gassmann’s latest documentary effort Europe, She Loves, it’s the striking cinematography. A surprisingly intimate look into the emotions and lives of five couples across Europe, the film never really looks, nor feels, like a documentary. It wears its authenticity with pride, inviting you to engage and…
Kicking off this year’s “Freak Me Out” program as part of the Sydney Film Festival was Tyler MacIntyre’s Patchwork, a horror-comedy gem that managed to fly under the radar when it was released last year. The charming indie is a literal blend of character, inventive in the way it draws from the influential idea behind…
Crowdfunded sci-fi action comedy, Lazer Team is making its way down under. The cinematic lovechild of Youtube’s Rooster Teeth, Lazer Team, is releasing to home video in Australia following box office success through its partnership with the cinema-on-demand platform Tugg. Lazer Team follows four small-town friends who stumble upon an alien crash site containing a segmented alien…
Palace Cinema’s third annual Scandinavian Film Festival, sponsored by Volvo, opens around the country this July, offering a selection of 22 films from Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland. Director Rune Denstad Langlo‘s sharp and insightful black comedy, Welcome to Norway will open the festival. The film follows an aspiring hotel owner who turns his half-built…
Following its premiere as the opening night film of the 63rd annual Sydney Film Festival, The Iris sought to learn more about Goldstone from Director Ivan Sen. Chatting character, corruption, representation and scale, Sen gives us further insight into the follow-up to 2013’s universally acclaimed Mystery Road, as well as discussing how his direction has…
Consider yourself a reality TV junkie? Are you a Foxtel subscriber? If you’ve said yes to both, then you’re in for a treat. Foxtel announced on Tuesday that customers who are subscribed to the network with an additional subscription package including the channel E! Entertainment Television* will be able to access the new NBC Universal…
