Film & TV

DVD Review: Doctor Who Series 9: Part 1 (UK, 2015)

I must confess, I geek out a little when there’s Doctor Who DVD’s about; I’ve got every boxset from New-Who (though I’m still working on collecting all the classics). Every Christmas I would receive the latest season, using my holidays to productively nestle in and watch the entire season…twice. Doctor Who Series 9: Part 1 comes a little…

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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child extended to May 2017; tickets already going for $6,000 on resale sites.

If the latest information released about Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them wasn’t enough to satiate your Harry Potter hunger, then get ready for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, set to hit London’s West End with previews as soon as June next year. We last left Harry and the Potter family nineteen years after…

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Australian Box Office Report: The Dressmaker keeps The Martian at second spot once again

For the second week running, an Australian drama about a seamstress has relegated a Hollywood blockbuster to number 2 at the box office. The Dressmaker starring Kate Winslet pulled in another impressive AU$3 million last week as it does its best numbers in Australia. The Martian is still the only real contender at this point having…

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Acting coach to the stars Ivana Chubbuck talks exclusively about her work with Travis Fimmel on Vikings

Internationally acclaimed acting coach and author Ivana Chubbuck is associated with some of Hollywood’s most elite actors, but she also has a close association with Australia. She has conducted numerous Masterclasses in Australia with 16th Street Actors Studio and will hold an exclusive Actor Director Masterclass in Melbourne in January 2016. Chubbuck is also the…

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Film Review: Spectre (USA, 2015)

Spectre is the 24th James Bond film, 52 years into a franchise that has defined and redefined espionage thrillers, showing absolutely no signs of stopping both financially and creatively after Skyfall’s overwhelming success in 2012. Sure Daniel Craig’s iteration of Bond has given us some dull moments (see Quantum of Solace), but the 47 year…

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What to Watch: the Iris’ Weekly TV Picks (11th November-17th November)

Need to catch a TV break and don’t know what to watch? Simon takes us through his top picks on must-see shows and films for the week. Click through to see what’s showing for your entertainment needs… Wednesday 11th November 2015 Videodrome-SBS2-8.30pm AEST With modern society’s obsession with television and the rise of the binge…

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ACMI To Present Feelings are Facts: The Life of Yvonne Rainer

Celebrating the legacy of Yvonne Rainer, the choreographer, dancer and filmmaker, The Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) will present Jack Walsh‘s documentary, Feelings are Facts: The Life of Yvonne Rainer. The film is a documentary tribute to the artistic legacy of choreographer, dancer and filmmaker, Yvonne Rainer. The film is presented as part…

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DVD Review: Dark Places (USA, 2015)

David Fincher’s adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s bestselling novel Gone Girl was a sensational suspense-driven thriller and one of last year’s cinematic standouts. The film adaptation of Flynn’s other book, Dark Places, doesn’t land with quite the same punch. The film’s source material carries it far but not far enough to compete with Fincher’s lavish production….

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TV Review: The Walking Dead Season 6 Episode 5 “Now” (USA, 2015)

The last time we were in Alexandria was during The Wolves’ big invasion, leading to chopped up bodies, brutal action, and a whole lot of death. “Now” marks the first time we have properly caught up with Alexandria (Michonne stumbling into a broken down Alexandria, and Morgan entertaining his Wolf hostage with his backstory do…

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DVD Review: Suite Française (UK, 2015)

Based on Irène Némirovsky’s bestselling novel, Suite Française challenges the true nature of people through forbidden love, generosity and understanding during a time of vast demise and depression resulting from the horrors of war. Directed by Saul Dibb, it is a romantic drama set in the small French village Bussy. The film follows the tribulations of…

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Film Review: He Named Me Malala (USA, 2015)

If you know anything about Malala Yousafzai, you would know that her story is not necessarily one of happiness, but one of suffering, struggle, but most of all inspiration. It is the powerful character and true story of this now 18-year-old girl that dominates the character-driven documentary He Named Me Malala. The documentary is directed by…

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TV Review: Doctor Who Series 9 Episode 8 “The Zygon Inversion” (UK, 2015)

“Since when is Doctor Who political?”, says my Tom Baker adoring mother after seeing the credits roll for “The Zygon Inversion”. Bewildered and a little confused as any long-term fan of the show would be, my mum encapsulates a stark change in the landscape of Doctor Who – that it has the power to transcend…

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BlizzCon 2015: The full trailer for the Warcraft movie premieres

It has been a massive week for Warcraft fans, who have patiently waited for more images and a trailer from the upcoming epic fantasy film based on the phenomenally popular game World of Warcraft since San Diego Comic-Con when we saw the first official character art. Earlier this week, Legendary revealed a new poster for…

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Doctor Who Pop-Up Shop opens at Broadway Shopping Centre in Sydney

Ahead of the big Doctor Who Festival this month at Hordern Pavilion/Royal Hall of Industries, Broadway Shopping Centre has become the new temporary home to the returning Pop-Up Shop completely dedicated to the iconic sci-fi franchise. Aimed at all the companion, Whovians, and Time Lords around the city, the pop-up stocks exclusive merch, toys, gifts,…

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Plot details released for Harry Potter prequel Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

The November issue of Entertainment Weekly has just been released, and with it is a bunch of first-look imagery and details on Harry Potter prequel Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the first in a planned trilogy. First off, it’s important to note that although J.K. Rowling was heavily involved in all 8 Harry…

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DVD Review: Mega Shark vs. Kolossus (USA, 2015)

I know what you’re thinking. “Ryan, didn’t you just write a review for 3 Headed Shark Attack? There’s even a link right here) Yes, I did. Call me a glutton for punishment. Someone has to do it!! So this one isn’t so easy to explain if you can believe that. Bare with with me. So…

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Film Review: National Theatre Live: Hamlet (UK, 2015)

Over the last couple of years thanks to the wonderful team at National Theatre Live they’ve been bringing some of the greatest theatrical plays from the National Theatre in London to cinema screens across the world. For those who are unable to see these plays in the flesh, seeing them via NT: Live has been…

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Watch the bloody new trailer for Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight

As with all Quentin Tarantino films, The Hateful Eight has quickly become one of the most anticipated releases of the new year, and after watching the newly released second trailer, it’s not hard to see why. The all-star, gloriously violent project is led by Kurt Ressell, who plays John “The Hangman” Ruth, a man transporting…

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Watch a ton of new footage from Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Even though the recently released trailer of Star Wars: The Force Awakens is said to be the only glimpse of the new film before it’s released next month, a new Japanese trailer has surfaced, with a surprising amount of new footage that gives a closer look at some of the characters. This isn’t one of…

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TV Review: Let’s Talk About (Presto – Australia, 2015)

From the opening scene – Director, Writer and Star Matilda Brown is found accidentally peeing on her hand while she performs a pregnancy test; the unwitting father sitting by her side, complete in clown make up – it’s clear that Let’s Talk About is going to be far from your typical or predictable pregnancy tale. Balancing…

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First Impressions of StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void and “Archon Mode” (PC, 2015)

Next week, gamers around the globe will finally get their chance to play the much anticipated Legacy of the Void; the finale of the Starcraft II “trilogy”. Unlike other editions of the series before it, Legacy of the Void is not technically an expansion, and does not require the original game to run. Aside from the main quest, which…

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Win a double pass to see The Dark Knight at In The House

IN THE HOUSE has returned to Sydney’s Event Cinemas on George Street for its third season. The series of classic films, returning to the big screen for one night only, runs every other Friday at the cinema and Season Three will also see the likes of The Goonies in VMAX, a special Christmas screening of…

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Win a DVD copy of Pay The Ghost starring Nicolas Cage

Oscar winner Nicolas Cage stars in this intense thriller about one man’s desperate search for his missing child. One year after his young son disappears, Mike Cole is haunted by eerie images and terrifying messages he can’t explain. Together with this estranged wife, he will stop at nothing to unravel the mystery of the kidnapping…

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Win a double pass to the screening of No Cameras Allowed in Melbourne

Marcus Haney has made a career as one of the most sought-after photographers in music. His story has become infamous with his now cult film – No Cameras Allowed. This November Jack Daniel’s Future Legends will exclusively screen the film in Australia and host Q+As with Marcus himself. No Cameras Allowed is a documentary that…

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Watch the trailer for Chris Hemsworth’s In the Heart of the Sea

This December, Chris Hemsworth stars in the film adaptation of the book by Nathaniel Philbrick In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex. It’s the true story that inspired the classic Moby Dick. Watch the trailer for the blockbuster here. Synopsis: In the winter of 1820, the New England whaling ship Essex was assaulted…

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This Week’s DVD Release Picks: Best of the Box (5th November 2015)

This week offers an abundance of top-quality television series on DVD – perfect for that university exam-time procrastination. THE MINDY PROJECT, SEASON 2 The Mindy Project really finds its footing in the second season. Mindy (Mindy Kaling) returns to New York after a stint in Haiti, to find that her place at Shulman and Associates…

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DVD Review: 3 Headed Shark Attack (USA, 2015)

“MORE HEADS! MORE DEADS!” That’s actually the tag line on the poster of 3 Headed Shark Attack. Granted, I added the exclamation marks which may serve to prove that maybe, once and for all, even production company Asylum are getting tired of the drivel they’re producing. That, or it’s just another blunder in a series…

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Photographer James Marcus Haney (LA) talks about his cult movie No Cameras Allowed

Marcus Haney has made a career as one of the most sought-after photographers in music. His story has become infamous with his now cult film – No Cameras Allowed. This November Jack Daniel’s Future Legends will exclusively screen the film in Australia and host Q+As with Marcus himself. Our reporter John Goodridge caught up with…

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Interview: Robert Scoble – Futurist at Rackspace – talks about VR, Uber, Twitter and the future of technology

While he was in Sydney for the Telstra Digital Summit last month, Rackspace Futurist Robert Scoble sat down with Larry Heath to talk about the future of technology – from VR to Uber, Twitter and everything in between. To start off, tell us a little about where you work and what you do there… I’m…

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TV Review: Ash vs Evil Dead Season 1, Episode 1 “El Jefe” (USA, 2015)

The Evil Dead trilogy is a god damn institution for me. Not only is the 1981 classic my favourite horror movie, it is also hands down one of my most beloved movies of all time. So imagine my elation when Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell announced that they were bringing their wacky creation to the…

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