In my review for the first Girls episode of this season, I said that if the rest of the season was as good as that episode and back in the realm of season one form, that I would eat my words and stop hating on Lena Dunham’s show. Here we are, nine episodes later, and here I…
With Netflix finally launching in Australia and New Zealand today, all eyes are on the online entertainment service and it’s promising potential to shake up what we know of Australian subscription television/streaming. Already the service has attracted praise for their very reasonable price point and humongous collection of new and classic films, series, documentaries, and…
This week we’re seeing the appearances of several films that opened this week, pushing old favourites like The Theory Of Everything and American Sniper officially out of the top ten. Topping the charts was the latest instalment of The Divergent Series, Insurgent, grossing $4.1 million. This dystopic action film is sure to please any thrill…
Late in the film, iconic fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent is rumoured to have died. A few opportunistic journalists decide to get a headstart on the obituary. They discuss their angle: take it easy on the drugs, alcohol. They agree he was a visionary, that he transformed fashion. They say they ‘liked’ him. Maybe they mean ‘admired’, since…
First-time director Yann Demange’s historical drama ‘71, about a British soldier abandoned behind enemy lines in sectarian Belfast at the start of the Troubles, received nine nominations at the British Independent Film Awards. Unlike James Sheridan’s In The Name Of The Father and Ken Loach’s The Wind That Shakes The Barley, ‘71 doesn’t focus on whole families being torn…
As many fans expected, the reason for these episode titles lately is beginning to make a bit more sense. All these one-word titles seem to be in reference to a speech the ill-fated and loveable Dale gave in season 2; a moment in time when a confrontation between the relatively soft Rick and the relatively…
Full disclosure: Kurt Cobain has long been one of my music idols, and as a result, anything which grants any insight into his life is only going to receive the utmost of praise from me. I expected that Brett Morgen’s long in the works Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck would be no exception to this rule, but I…
“No one ever knows what we do.” Ever wonder where those captions on your TV come from? Do you know what a court reporter is? Both utilise the invisible art of stenography – “the act or process of writing in shorthand by hand or machine” – a tradition that dates back to the time of Cicero, who developed…
Sex, Love & Therapy (Tu veux… ou tu veux pas?) contains about as much insight and laughs regarding love as a garden hose and a bread basket. This French rom-com is a superficial tale about a sex-obsessed man and woman who have to work together. It’s a complicated romantic situation but the script is simple…
From the minute the opening theme rolls into the bass lines to Simple Minds anthem for The Breakfast Club ‘Don’t You Forget About Me’ it’s apparent that this episode’s going to be something special. In hindsight the title really says it all, meshing elements of the play on The Breakfast Club, the fashion runway themes…
Le Pédophile is a confronting short film about a young girl’s abuse. It is Montreal writer and director, Ara Ball’s third short film. Ball has been previously nominated for Canada’s annual cinema award, the Jutra. But this film is much darker and harder than his previous work. The short is provocative in its portrayal of…
The name Danny Fields may not mean much to some people but to those in the know he is “The coolest man in the room”, a number one fan and groupie and even the “Mayor of New York City”. The man seems to have seen and done it all in music, having fully immersed himself…
Claire (Anaïs Demoustier) and Laura’s (Isild Le Besco) friendship is not that unique. Having met when they were young, they had grown up together, and forged a relationship that would see them through school, first love, first heartbreak, marriage and children. Their friendship is like any between two women who grew up together as little girls. When Laura dies…
The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival announced the Audience Award winners from the Narrative Feature Competition, Documentary Feature Competition, Headliners, Narrative Spotlight, Documentary Spotlight, Visions, Midnighters, Episodic, 24 Beats Per Second, SXGlobal, Festival Favourites and Design Award categories. Among the winners was Australia’s own Josh Lawson for his film The Little Death….
Kimberley suggests we get laughing this week, and recommends both the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala and also Eric Bana hosting a documentary analysing the Australian comedy landscape, read on for more … Monday 23rd March 2015 The Odd Couple – Ch. 10 – 7:30 pm AEST Tune into the pilot episode of The Odd…
Attempting to intersect race, sexuality, religion and small town values, Patrik-Ian Polk’s Blackbird is a coming out and coming of age drama that’s an enjoyable watch, but ultimately proves too conventional to be truly special. Randy (Julian Walker), a devoutly Christian choirboy from small town Mississippi, is plagued by a host of personal problems –…
Rosemary’s Baby gets the micro budget lesbian remake it deserves in Lyle, an unsettling domestic horror that wins in its grand ambition and unfailing earnestness – despite being somewhat lacking in genuinely terrifying scares. Leah (Gaby Hoffmann) and her partner June (Ingrid Jungermann) move to New York with their adorable toddler Lyle (Eleanor Hopkins) –…
Like every genre of storytelling on the big and small screens, LGBT narratives are not without their cliches. Unfortunately, the strongest trope in queer media seems to misfortune – whether it’s bullying, unrequited love, parental disapproval or greater tragedies. But All About E seems determined to shatter every preconceived idea about both the stories of…
Shaun the Sheep is a simple but smart story. It also marks the big screen debut for the Aardman Animations’ character who was spun-off from Wallace & Gromit’s A Close Shave before he got his own popular TV show. This little sheep that could is as charming and engaging as ever and along with his…
The 2015 SXSW Festival is in full swing in Austin, Texas. And undeniably, one of the most anticipated highlights of this year’s conference was the world premiere of the long awaited, fan-funded, Ktown Cowboys – a film based on the wildly popular web-series of the same name. Directed by Daniel Park, Ktown Cowboys follows the lives of…
Olive Kitteridge is part curmudgeon and all chameleon. The difficult high school teacher is caustic and thorny as a mother and wife living in a bleak town in Maine in the seventies and eighties. The mini-series is a slow, nuanced affair that contains as many layers as an onion. It’s something that will keep you…
Ian Hultquist is at SXSW promoting the horror film The Diabolical, for which he composed the musical score. He is also a founding member of synth pop band Passion Pit, although in October 2014 he announced his departure from the band. In this interview, Hultquist chats about the nature of composing for film, his inspirations,…
UDPATE — Netflix have officially confirmed the below pricing to Gizmodo AU. To reiterate, that’s AU$8.99, $11.99 and $14.99 on each plan. Original news piece follows. — There’s only two days left before Netflix officially reveals their Australian pricing and library of titles but someone on Reddit may have beaten them to the punch. Hit…
The Circle (Der Kreis) was a gay magazine produced in Switzerland and distributed internationally between 1932 and 1967. It is also the name of a docudrama film by director, Stefan Haupt. The film tells the story of a couple who were members of this underground movement that went on to become Switzerland’s first legally-married couple…
Tom Cruise is back, baby. This time it’s in the form of a fifth instalment to the Mission Impossible franchise – Mission Impossible – Rogue Nation. The film stars Tom Cruise reprising the iconic role of Ethan Hunt, who was first introduced to moviegoers in 1996. Returning to the franchise are Simon Pegg as Benji,…
The Iris is proud to support the In The House series at Event Cinemas on George Street in Sydney – helping bring classic films back to the big screen. This week, Little Shop of Horrors was screened, and the trivia question was: Before Steve Martin featured as The Dentist in Little Shop of Horrors, what other on…
The Iris’ Larry Heath recently had the chance to chat with composer Johnny Jewel, on the Red Carpet at the North American SXSW premiere of his new film Lost River, directed by Ryan Gosling. Jewel discusses how he first met Gosling while working together on the 2011 film Drive, how he got on board working…
The Iris’ Larry Heath was fortunate enough to catch up with actress Barbara Steele, on the Red Carpet at the North American SXSW premiere of Lost River, directed by Ryan Gosling. Steele chats about how Gosling approached her to star in his film, musing on the fact that she is a frequent collaborator with first…
“It was a real eclectic mix from people all over the world,” treasured actress Rose Byrne says of the upcoming movie Spy. Larry Heath was on hand at the SXSW premiere and caught up with Rose, who talks about working with the likes of Jason Statham, Curtis Jackson AKA 50 Cent, Jude Law, and more……
While at SXSW for the debut of ‘Spy’, The Iris’ Larry Heath spoke to veteran action star Jason Statham about the style of the film, his role, and more. On working with Melissa McCarthy, Statham says: “She’s just an exceptional talent at whatever she puts her hand to” and as for comedy: “I tried not…
