Paul Cox‘s new film Force of Destiny made its Australian premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival this week (a sold out event), officially opening the festival for 2015, well establishing itself as a certain highlight of the diverse and entertaining film roster. Starring David Wenham and Shahana Goswami, Force of Destiny details the course of the relationship of…
Happy birthday to Bugs Bunny, who turned 75 on 28 July. You haven’t aged a day! In movie news, The Bourne Identity franchise is returning with Matt Damon and Tommy Lee Jones in Bourne. No plot details have been released as yet, but it is scheduled to hit cinemas in July 2016. In TV, sadly Key &…
A clever, coming-of-age story that recounts the adventures of Minnie Goetze (Bel Powley) in 1970’s San Francisco, “this is one for all the girls when they have grown.” The Diary of A Teenage Girl is based on the acclaimed novel by Phoebe Gloeckner and was a hit at the Sundance Film Festival. After Minnie is…
Much has been written about the stunts in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation – because as in many Tom Cruise films, the idea of “CGI” or “Stunt Doubles” is a thing of make believe. In Rogue Nation, when you see a car barreling down the corners of streets, with Cruise and Pegg inside, that is…
The trailer for Michael Bay’s new thriller 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi has just dropped! John Krasinski stars as tough guy, Jack Silver, who joins a secret club of soldiers that lay low as the last resort for the U.S military. But when the state goes under attack, these men are the only ones left to help. Based on…
Like the titular feathered character, I am Big Bird: the Carroll Spinney Story is big-hearted, filled with love and curiosity. This documentary by Dave LaMattina and Chad Walker explores the life and times of the man inside the big yellow bird that has been a joyful part of an inestimable number of childhoods over the…
Funded by Kickstarter and produced by the filmmakers behind The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, Finders Keepers is a documentary that tackles the bizarre story of a legal dispute between a man who lost his severed leg in a plane crash and the man who found the appendage inside his barbecue.
Tonight the 2015 Melbourne International Film Festival kicks off with the anticipated world premiere of the Australian film Force of Destiny in an opening night gala. Running until 16th August, the festival will bring us hundreds of screenings over the next two or so weeks, and it’s quite hard to decide which films to see! So, we…
While it opened as the MCU’s least successful film to date, Ant-Man is still sticking around in top spot. In just its second week, Marvel’s newest hero has put some distance between itself and its competitors, earning $3.2 million in Australia while also remaining on top in the US with $24 million. Judd Apatow’s new film…
Christmas time is only about five months away and what a perfect way to anticipate a comedy film like no other, The Night Before. Directed by Jonathan Levine (50/50 & The Wackness), The Night Before tells the story of three childhood friends: Ethan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Isaac (Seth Rogan) and Chris (Anthony Mackie). Each year, for the…
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 29th July 2015 Bosch-SBS-9.30pm AEST For those unfamiliar with the character of Hieronymus ‘Harry’ Bosch, you’ve got…
Madman Entertainment has announced that the Chinese-Hong Kong martial arts blockbuster, SPL 2: A TIME FOR CONSEQUENCES will screen in Australian cinemas from tomorrow (July 30) and in New Zealand from August 13, 2015. Ten years after Wilson Yip’s martial arts blockbuster, SPL (SHA PO LANG) became a breakout hit, a sequel starring Tony Jaa…
Hollywood charm and charisma just doesn’t exist the way it did in the Golden Age of Cinema. The “It” Factor, that certain something that turns a simple screen test into an experience akin to finding cinematic gold, is now often replaced or loosely recreated through physical enhancements, as if Botox or a boob job is…
So if you’re fresh off the blockbuster wave of dinosaurs and teeny tiny superheroes and are ready for some more action packed fun, then this week’s big release Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation will be able to fill that gap nicely. As with any of the Mission: Impossible (aka MI) films, you need to suspend…
Whether we’re talking about the impressive work that Neil Marshall has done on Game of Thrones or the Wachowski’s ambitious Sense8, it’s becoming clear that a lot the directors that cross the line from Hollywood to TV bring their reputation with them. And love him or hate him, M. Night Shyamalan is a director with…
Melbourne’s resident art house of learning, ACMI, will open its doors for the up coming film experience Fashion Mavericks On Film. In collaboration with Melbourne Spring Fashion Week 2015, a culmination of engaging films are set to showcase the best of the fashion industry, featuring designers with the likes of Jean Paul Gaultier, Delphine Manivet and more,…
Soon our cinema screens will once again be host to enormous explosions, high tech gadgetry and sneaky secretive spies. With the release of the new trailer for Spectre and Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation opening in cinemas this week, plus The Man From U.N.C.L.E. only a few weeks away – we’re taking a look at some…
Directed by Peter Sollett and starring the incredible ensemble that is Julianne Moore, Ellen Page, Steve Carell, Josh Charles and Michael Shannon, the gay rights drama Freeheld – out in November – is one of the early Oscar buzz films for 2015. And today, a just released trailer let’s us in on what we’re in…
The next generation of Griswolds are at it again. New Line Cinema’s Vacation stars Ed Helms (The Hangover films) and Christina Applegate (the Anchorman films) taking their family on the road for an ill-fated adventure. A grown-up Rusty Griswold (Helms) decides to follow his fathers footsteps and, desiring some much needed family bonding, surprises wife Debbie (Applegate) and…
I think all self-professed 80s and 90s kids are rejoicing right now. First, we got Jurassic World. In December, we can feast our eyes on the new Star Wars film. And as if this year couldn’t get any better, there is word now that Space Jam 2 could be in the works. So what has sparked these rumours? On Wednesday, LeBron…
First up for our weekly news round up, we’d like to wish a happy birthday to the late, great Robin Williams, who would have turned 64 on July 21st this week. You are missed! In movie news, this week saw the bashing of Adam Sandler film Pixels by MovieBob that has been doing the rounds on…
Well technically that’s true; Ant-Man has continued that classic Marvel tradition of clutching the top spot in its opening weekend, earning $5.3 million in Australia and $57 million in the US. Impressive yes, but given the unstoppable nature of the MCU, it doesn’t exactly live up to expectations. The first Avengers movie for instance made…
“We march TOGETHER!” The moment all fans of The Hunger Games franchise have been waiting for – the official trailer release for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2! Due out in theatres this November, the film is set to be a thrilling ride as the series comes to an end with heroine Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) coming up against higher…
Another entrant in the found-footage genre of horror that might have reached its expiry date. The Gallows would have had to do something exceptional (and exceptionally different) to tear it apart from the usual suspects. This all started with Blair Witch Project, reprised by the Paranormal Activity franchise, and many many others that never saw…
The creators of Disney and Pixar have teamed up once again for the upcoming release of The Good Dinosaur, which is expected to be out at the end of this year (November 25). The trailer showcases snippets of the film that resonates a story filled with adventure and friendship with a little boy being protective…
The BOFA Devil Awards is one part of the Launceston event which examines the changing screen landscape through master classes attended by makers, actors and technicians. This year’s BOFA Festival will run from November 4th to 8th with industry master classes and Award presentations on Saturday, November 7 and submissions for the Filmmaker awards are closing soon.
Simon brings us his weekly picks for the best on Australian free-to-air TV and Foxtel! Read on for the best in entertainment over the next seven days…
Set for release in Australia on November 12th, the latest James Bond venture, Spectre, is looking to carry on the huge success of 2012’s well-received Skyfall, which made $1.1 billion worldwide and us currently the biggest Bond film of all time. Now we a bit of a closer look, with the film’s most revealing and…
CinéfestOZ has announced the five finalists who will be in the running for the second annual Film Prize worth $100,000. The Film Prize encourages excellence in filmmaking in Australia, and supports the nation’s film industry. The Film Prize goes to the producer of an Australian feature film or feature-length documentary and this year there were more…
Academy award winner Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s latest feature film The Revenant has just released its official trailer. Featuring an impressive ensemble cast, this immersive depiction of the human spirit will be shown in cinemas from January 7th. Inspired by real events, the film tells the tale of one man’s epic adventure of survival and redemption. In…
