Film & TV

TV DVD Review: The Simpsons – The Complete Seventeenth Season (USA, 2014)

The Simpsons is one great but frustrating TV show. The animated series about our favourite dysfunctional family and the other characters that inhabit Springfield is now in its 26th series. The DVD releases are a little delayed with season 17 (which aired in 2005) only just being released. In the style of the more recent…

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Film Review: The Water Diviner (Australia, 2014)

Russell Crowe doubles as director and lead actor in Australia’s latest global contender, The Water Diviner, bringing something to the world which deals with the hellish Battle of Gallipoli, Australia’s most impactful war and the primary reason for our national day of mourning – ANZAC day. While the story may be a bit too complex…

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Film Review: Big Hero 6 accompanied by the short Feast (USA, 2014)

The new Disney animated film Big Hero 6 – released in cinemas today – is the anticipated effort from directors Don Hall and Chris Williams, inspired by an obscure Marvel comic of the same name. Though Marvel were not involved in the film directly, a cameo from a certain Marvel patriarch keeps at least one…

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Producer Roy Conli talks about the creation of Disney’s Big Hero 6

Having produced the hit Tangled, and been part of the team behind Wreck-It Ralph and the sensation that is Frozen, Roy Conli is part of Disney’s incredible track record from the last few years. His latest effort sees him serving as the Producer for Big Hero 6 – which was released in Australian cinemas today (read…

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New trailer for Pixar’s Inside Out takes us into the human mind…

As Disney’s Big Hero 6 hits cinemas with plenty of Pixar charm, the next film that’s actually produced by Pixar – Inside Out – has a new trailer doing the rounds, which you can view below. The film literally takes us into the mind of a child – Riley – as various emotions guide her through…

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The Entourage movie gets an official trailer

More than three years after we last saw the crew of Ari, Turtle, E, Johnny Drama, and of course, Vince, we are to be pulled back into their world through a continuation of a film adaptation of Entourage. Promises of a film have been flying around for awhile now, so it’s only right that those…

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Film Review: St. Vincent (USA, 2014)

Initially, St. Vincent may seem like a rather bland story, and it’s far from the most original idea. Take a grumpy, cynical aging man who lives on his own and gradually dig into his heart by way of teaming him up with the endearing 10 year old boy who he is roped into babysitting. A…

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First look at official trailer release for PAN

With a new take on the classic characters created by J.M Barrie, the story of action-adventure film, PAN, directed by Joe Wright (Atonement and Pride & Prejudice), is about an orphan who is taken away and brought to the magical and unknown place of Neverland. Here, he begins to find the fun and also dangers…

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A second series of The Code is set for ABC TV in 2015.

ABC TV recently announced that Emmy award-winner Guy Pearce is set to return as Jack Irish in the six-part, highly acclaimed political thriller, The Code for its second series, after receiving critical acclaim in its first, which screened earlier this year. Head of ABC Fiction, Carole Sklan, said, “We are delighted to be partnering again with…

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Watch the legacy trailer for The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies, out Thursday!

They’re really getting on the nostalgia train to promote the final in The Hobbit trilogy aren’t they? Well, this recent trailer is no different. Highlighting the journey from Lord of the Rings to now, the featurette is a culmination of everything leading up to the defining chapter of the Middle-earth legend. In their own promotional…

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New details revealed for the upcoming ABC TV Mystery Glitch.

A new six-part drama series, Glitch, tells the discovery of 6 people who have inexplicably risen from the dead in perfect health. Although without any memory of their identities, it’s not long before the links to why they have risen start to show. Written and produced by the team from Matchbox Pictures (The Slap, Old…

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The Five Best Motion Picture Soundtracks of 2014

Kat Czornij counts down her five favourite motion picture soundtracks of 2014. To avoid any confusion, this list only takes into account the original soundtracks – the ones that feature the film scores and original compositions – rather than the soundtracks inspired by a motion picture. You know, the one that has 14 tracks that…

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Japanese Film Festival 2014 Review: A Drop of the Grapevine (ぶどうのなみだ) (Japan, 2014)

“Earth is all that live here.” The magic of Japanese cinema is its vibrant, often startling diversity; perhaps most favoured for samurai action flicks, or dream-like anime films, Japanese filmmakers have become synonymous with movie masterpieces. More prominently, however, dramas have similarly come to the fore; following the 2012 film Bread of Happiness, Yukiko Mishima’s…

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TV DVD Review: The Sixties (USA, 2013)

If you remember the sixties, you weren’t there. But this is no longer a problem thanks to the 10-part documentary series, The Sixties. The program is an informative and in-depth account of a formative and tumultuous decade, especially for America (and it is from this slant and perspective that this TV series is told). The…

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Film Review: The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (USA/New Zealand, 2014)

One Last Time. It’s the hashtag that’s being used to promote the last film in the epic Lord of the Rings universe – a reference to a line in the film, but also a clever reminder about how we’re supposed to feel about the film. NOSTALGIC. This is (hopefully) the last time we’ll have the…

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Film Review: The Imitation Game (USA, 2014)

In this dramatic thriller biopic The Imitation Game examines the life of Alan Turing, an English mathematician and logician who along with his team of code-breakers, crack the German Enigma code and helped the Allies win World War II. The film examines the parallels of Turing’s personal and early life and how it shaped him…

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Film Review: Night at the Museum 3 – Secret of the Tomb (USA, 2014)

In the next installment of the Night At The Museum film franchise our hero, night security guard Larry must discover why the magical tablet that brings all the museum displays to life is beginning to lose its power. As one of a handful of family friendly films released for the Christmas holiday period we check…

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What to Watch: The Iris’ Weekly TV Picks (22nd – 24th December 2014)

Monday The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, ABC 2, 7:53pm AEST Join Jimmy Fallon on Monday for what is sure to be a fantastic show with Amy Adams and Nick Offerman. Offerman, in particular, is always a good interview with his unique sense of humour and surprising talents. Castle, Ch. 7, 9:30pm AEST Enjoy Castle’s…

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ABC iview launches on PlayStation 4 and release of Good Game Pocket Edition

Good news for PlayStation 4 (PS4) owners, from today, all users will have access to one of Australia’s favourite internet TV service, ABC iview. The new ABC iview app for PS4 will make it even easier for users to enjoy ABC TV on demand through a cinematic and easy-to-use big-screen interface. In addition, the latest version…

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2014’s The Projects Short Film Festival is back! Submissions open on January 5th

After the success of their debut event in February this year, the launch of The Projects Short Film Festival will be back for 2015. Once again hosted by The Projects Enmore, one of Sydney’s newest and hippest art venues, the festival will bring together a collection of the greatest shorts from around Australia. The team…

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Film Review: The Making of Boyhood (USA, 2014)

The Making of Boyhood is a ten-minute feature about the film of the same name that was written, produced and directed by Richard Linklater (Dazed & Confused, School of Rock). Boyhood is a film that was 12 years in the making and is partly fictional and partly autobiographical. It’s also one that could be renamed…

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What to Watch: The Iris’ Weekly TV Picks (18th – 21st December 2014)

Thursday Stephen Fry’s Key to the City, ABC, 9:21 pm AEST In this special program, the ever-charming Stephen Fry takes the viewer on a tour around the city of London, divulging some of the hidden mysteries of this fascinating city. A must-see for history buffs and Fry fanatics alike. Friday Heart and Souls, Eleven, 7:30…

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Box Office Report: Horrible Bosses laughs its way to the top

    Well Hunger Games may have slowed a little. Mockingjay Part 1 has been relegated to 2nd spot earning $1.7 million. No small feat but the action flick has been toppled by the second installment of comedy goldmine Horrible Bosses. The film (read our review here!) fell just short of $2 million. Ridley Scott’s…

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New King Kong movie gets a proper title and release date

Legendary Pictures’ epic follow-up has received a definitive name. The upcoming film will now be titled Kong: Skull Island. Originally slated for release in Novemeber 2016, the monster flick has been pushed back to March 10th 2017. That is a US release date and no word of an international date has been reported. The second installment to…

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Dwayne Johnson’s disaster flick San Andreas gets a trailer

  Not to be confused with gaming giant Grand Theft Auto and its PS2 record breaker, San Andreas – Dwayne Johnsons latest venture – is no less exciting. And now its has a trailer. Who doesn’t love a classic disaster movie? While Roland Emmerich has entered a couple of duds into the sub-genre, Brad Peyton…

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Nominees for 72nd Golden Globe Awards include Birdman, Boyhood, Sia, and more

Nominees for the 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards has been announced, reflecting upon the year that was in the world of entertainment. In celebrating the best cinema and TV had to offer, the January 11th ceremony comes off of an amazing year in cinema with films like Richard Linklater’s Boyhood and Morten Tyldum’s The Imitation…

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Blu Ray/DVD Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (USA, 2014)

The home release of this year’s long awaited film reboot of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is now in stores, bringing the epic Michael Bay remake to homes around the world and packing on the special features to really play on nostalgia as well as give insight into how the reboot came together as well as…

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TV Review: Bones Season 10, Episode 10 “200th in the 10th” (USA, 2014)

By Kimberley Veart This week Bones went back in time to the glory days of Hollywood, when the hairstyles were sprayed to perfection and the dialogue was fast and witty. The 200th episode acts as a tribute to its stars, the series and to the Hitchcock style mysteries it descends from. The show is a…

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What to Watch: The Iris’ Weekly TV Picks (15th – 17th December 2014)

By Kimberley Veart Monday Win Win, ONE, 9.30 pm AEST This skilfully created drama-comedy will make you laugh, cry and everything in between. Paul Giamatti stars as lawyer/high school wrestling coach Mike Flaherty who discovers wrestling talent in the troubled grandson of one of his clients. The talented Amy Ryan also features as his wife,…

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TROPFEST 2014 Winners Announced plus 2015 Signature Item

Tropfest announced recently on the 7th of December that Julian Lucas from Elwood in Victoria has won the coveted fruit trophy for Granny Smith. The short film was chosen by an expert panel of five judges – Australian actor Kat Stewart (Offspring’s Billy Proudman); Australian writer Marcus Zusak – writer of The Book Thief; Hannibal,…

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