Film & TV

Film Review: Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (M) (USA, 2013)

Ask anyone under the age of 30 what they think is the funniest film ever made, and 9 out of 10 of them will say Anchorman. Hardly a success when released in 2004, the film became a hit on DVD and has since become the most frequently quoted film amongst members of Generation Y. Who among us has…

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First trailer released for Blended, starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore.

The first official HD trailer for Blended has been released and we have it for you here on The Iris! Blended marks the third comedy collaboration between stars Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, following their successful onscreen pairings in the hit romantic comedies 50 First Dates and The Wedding Singer. After a disastrous blind date,…

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22 Jump Street gets a Hilarious Red Band Trailer. Watch it here!

The Iris presents the new trailer for 22 Jump Street, starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. Note: this is the uncut, red band trailer and it contains coarse language and adult themes. In the action-comedy 22 Jump Street, after making their way through high school (twice), big changes are in store for officers Schmidt (Jonah…

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The Iris Interview: Adam McKay – Director of Anchorman 2

Released today in Australian cinemas, The Iris meets Director and Comedian Adam McKay on the red carpet of the Sydney premiere of Anchorman 2 to talk about the unlikely return of Mr. Ron Burgundy. ———- This content has recently been ported from its original home on The Iris and may have formatting errors – images…

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The Iris Interview: Josh Lawson talks Anchorman 2 and House of Lies

The Iris talks to Australia’s own Josh Lawson from Anchorman 2 – which opens in cinemas today – at the Sydney Red Carpet premiere. We talk about his role in the film, House of Lies – the US TV series starring Don Cheadle he’s a part of – and much, much more… ———- This content…

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BIFF Review – Venus in Fur (France/Poland, 2013)

Earlier this year, I was fortunate enough to see the Australian premiere of Venus in Fur in its original form as a production from Queensland Theatre Company. The play easily joined the ranks of my favourite experiences at the theatre, and completely won me over with its winning combination of comedy and drama. So when I heard that Roman…

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TV Review: American Horror Story: Coven – Episode 9 “Head” (USA, 2013)

The season has been hinting at Witch-hunters for a while but now they finally become a prominent part of the storyline. This steers the narrative into an interesting direction bringing with it fresh characters and conflicts and pushing the possibility of an alliance between Marie and Fiona. Meanwhile, Queenie educates Delphine on racial prejudice and…

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TV Review: Homeland Season 3 Episode 12 – “The Star” (M) (US, 2013)

Homeland is back for another year. I will be chronicling the journeys of Carrie, Saul and Brody throughout the third season of the best show currently on television. Spoilers within so don’t read before viewing the episodes! *SERIOUS SPOILER ALERT* Previously on Homeland… Brody (Damian Lewis) has managed to assassinate Javadi’s boss, and Carrie (Claire Danes) is doing…

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Box Office Report: Jennifer Lawrence and friends Hustle their way to the top

Well this is impressive. David O. Russell’s period con artist dramedy has managed to debut at #1. Hype has been building ever since it was announced that Russell had gathered an all-star cast (Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence) for his follow up to the much-loved Silver Linings Playbook. Nevertheless, it is still impressive…

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British Film Festival Review: Private Peaceful (M) (UK, 2012)

As we approach the 100th anniversary of the beginning of World War I, it is good for us to be reminded of the terrible and destructive nature of war. The most effective war films are able to give their audiences a tiny taste of what it might have been like to live through those times, as…

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TV Review: Homeland Season 3 Episodes 7-11 (M) (US, 2013)

Homeland is back for another year. I will be chronicling the journeys of Carrie, Saul and Brody throughout the third season of the best show currently on television. Spoilers within so don’t read before viewing the episodes! Previously on Homeland… Saul (Mandy Patinkin) has been successful in his plan to use Carrie (Claire Danes) as bait in…

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First Look Trailer: Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” (USA, 2014)

The Iris brings you the first look official trailer for Interstellar, directed by the acclaimed Christopher Nolan and starring Matthew McConaughey. The trailer introduces us, vaguely, to the film’s premise, with a brief period of shots from the film and found footage from the history of American space exploration. Interstellar opens nationally in Australia on…

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On the Red Carpet: American Hustle Premiere (Sydney, Australia)

Daniel Bolt takes us to the red carpet with these photos from the Sydney, Australia premiere of the acclaimed film American Hustle. You can read our review of the film right HERE. The premiere took place on December 11th at the George St Event Cinemas. [print_gllr id=895] ———- This content has recently been ported from…

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Film Review: American Hustle (M) (USA, 2013)

With an ensemble cast of some of Hollywood’s current A-list crop and an Oscar nominated multi-award winning director/writer helming the film American Hustle is already garnering a lot of hype and I would say that you better believe it’s worth it. We open with the film telling us that “some of this actually happened” and…

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TV Review: American Horror Story: Coven – Episodes 7 and 8 (USA, 2013)

More secrets are unveiled in this episode and things begin to look interesting again. In episode 7, Queenie and Delphine’s friendship grows as Zoe and Cordelia attempt to discover Madison’s murderer. The turning points in this episode are quite dramatic but, as observed in previous reviews, the lack of effective characterisation has decreased their impact. Unlike previous seasons where the…

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Iris Interview: Paul “Brian Fantana” Rudd talks Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

The Iris meets Paul Rudd on the red carpet of Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues in Sydney, Australia. We talk about what it was like to return to the screen, about his time in Australia so far and the potential of a third Anchorman film! Interview: Chris Singh Camera: Nathan Atkins Edit: Larry Heath Filmed…

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New Photos and International Trailer Premiere for “Edge of Tomorrow”

The first international trailer for the sci-fi thriller Edge of Tomorrow has premiered, and we have it for you on The Iris! The film stars Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt under the direction of Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Mr. & Mrs. Smith). It’s a pretty epic trailer which continually promises that “this is not…

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Hola Mexico Film Festival Review: Nosotros Los Nobles (We Are The Nobles) (Mexico, 2013)

Seeing any film at the Chauvel cinema, Paddington in Sydney is like stepping into an intimate experience. The service is friendly and personalised, and the cinema itself exudes a kind of chilled-out classy atmos; before your chosen film starts, you can order a beer or glass of wine to enjoy out on the balcony, or…

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New Trailer and Poster revealed for 2014’s GODZILLA reboot.

The Iris brings you the trailer for Godzilla, which was released internationally today. The film is set to release in cinemas across Australia on the 15th of May, 2014. The film is Hollywood’s second attempt at a rebirth to Toho’s iconic Godzilla, this time from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures and directed by Gareth…

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Katniss is still on Fire at Aussie Box Office

Three major debuts could not unseat Jennifer Lawrence from her box office throne in Australia this week. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (which has a fair chance of cracking $1 billion worldwide) retained its top spot despite strong competition from animated sequel Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 and new Vince Vaughn comedy Delivery Man. Hopeful franchise-starter Ender’s Game came in with…

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Redfern Now and The Rocket win big at the 2013 APRA Screen Music Awards.

Presented by APRA, AMCOS and the AGSC, the winners of the 2013 Screen Music Awards have been announced at a gala event at the Sydney State Theatre. Hosted by The Chaser’s Andrew Hansen and Chris Taylor, the winner’s list features an impressive group of composers who reflect the diversity and depth of the Australian screen…

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Film Review: Kill Your Darlings (MA15+) (USA, 2013)

“Rhyme, meter, conceit. Without this balance, a poem becomes slack.” Allan Ginsberg’s poetry professor proclaims this line in the earlier moments of Kill Your Darlings, and throughout its runtime I found myself wishing that the film had heeded this advice. Kill Your Darlings is a schizophrenic trip through the origins of the Beat Generation that never…

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Film Review: The Spectacular Now (M) (USA, 2013)

After receiving rave reviews from its debut at the Sundance Film Festival earlier in the year, buzz has been building for James Ponsoldt’s The Spectacular Now. So, does it live up to the hype? No, not really, but films rarely do. Despite being overrated by critics during its currently-brief lifetime, the film still impresses in many ways. It…

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New Trailer released for 300: Rise of an Empire

The Iris brings you the brand new official trailer for the cinematic sequel (or “sidequel” as it’s being called), 300: Rise of an Empire, which is released in Australian cinemas on 6th March 2014. The film will be released in 3D, 2D and in IMAX. Starring Eva Green, Rodrigo Santoro, Lena Headey and more… ———-…

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First full trailer unveiled for The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Rise of Electro

Released in Australian cinemas on the 17th of April 2014, part two of the four expected Amazing Spider-Man films, starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, just had its first full trailer unveiled. The title of the film on the official Australian site seems to suggest that we’ll be getting a tagline for the film that…

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Watch: Gravity companion piece “Aningaaq”, directed by Jonás Cuarón.

Check out the recently released companion piece for the acclaimed film Gravity. It’s a short film entitled Aningaaq, and though it was originally planned as an exclusive feature on the Gravity Blu-Ray/DVD release, the makers have ended up with an Academy Award eligible live-action short after showcasing the film alongside selected festival screenings of Gravity….

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Iris Interview: Marc Fennell talks Tropfest broadcast on SBS2

The Iris talks to Marc Fennell to talk about his upcoming co-hosting duties for the 22nd Tropfest short film festival in Sydney, Australia, broadcast on SBS2 around the country. The broadcast is happening this Sunday, December 8th from 8.30pm! For more details head to http://www.tropfest.com/ ———- This content has recently been ported from its original…

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Iris Interview: AACTA Nominees Ewan Leslie, Tasma Walton and Catherine Knapman.

Following their nomination announcements earlier this week, we caught up with three of the AACTA nominees to discuss what this recognition meant to them, learn a little bit more about their films and find out what they thought about the broader nominations. With thanks to Chris Singh for taking on these interviews: CATHERINE KNAPMAN: PRODUCER,…

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TV Review: New Girl – Season 3 Episode 10 “Thanksgiving III” (USA, 2013)

Sad to say I was a little disappointed when this week’s episode of New Girl began. It was worrying to see it turn down a cliché Thanksgiving/camping ‘everything goes wrong’ path that most sitcoms seem to have gone down at one time or another. New Girl is usually quite consistent in its originality, and while…

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TV Review: American Horror Story: Coven – Episodes 5 and 6 (USA, 2013)

The zombie sub-genre can produce gory fun and easy thrills but the incorporation of the undead in Episode 5 of American Horror Story: Coven is nowhere near the standard of a George A. Romero picture. The zombie encounter is the highest point of the episode and it concludes half way through. Following on from the…

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