Film & TV

From the man that brought you Trainspotting we have another gritty, intense depiction of debauchery, excessive drug and alcohol intake and the deterioration of the mind courtesy of the abuse of those substances. Climb aboard the rollercoaster and see if you can deduce what’s really going on in this mind-melding trip. Bruce Robertson ( James…

And we’re back. It’s the sort of feeling you get the minute The Hunger Games: Catching Fire hits the screen, throwing you right back into Suzanne Collins’ hypnotising dystopic world of Panem, this time in a film helmed by Francis Lawrence (no relation to the film’s star). The sequel to the international hit film The…

Most people would have heard of, or at least recognise actor Bryan Brown, he’s an iconic part of Australian film, prolific in the 70s and 80s. There’s no doubt he’s brilliant, but it’s his daughter Matilda Brown who’s come into her own acting, writing and producing, that deserves kudos for creating this gem of mini-series….

With Supanova winding down in Adelaide today, fans had scattered to catch the final panels for the weekend and take up final opportunities in snagging autographs and photos with their favourite guests. Sitting in on the Spartacus panel (one of the funniest of the weekend), I was interested in the popularity of the historic drama – in the case…

It’s been a few years since the last Jackass film; the hit and miss formula of ridiculous public stunts, aimed to shock and confuse bystanders is incredibly fun to watch at times, which is why the brand has always been entertaining. Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa threads this formula throughout an actual narrative, much like one…

The Complex is the latest horror offering from Director Hideo Nakata, who’s credited with directing the original versions of the Ring 1 & 2. To complement the release, a 12 episode drama titled Kuroyuri Danchi was aired prior, which follows events leading up to those that take place in the film. Although the film debuted…

One of the great things about Brisbane International Film Festival is not only the celebration of new films and innovations but also the celebration of old ones. Six Degrees of Separation is almost incidentally nostalgic of New York, the 90s and the fantasy of socialites. Though there’s been enough time to get informed, it’s obvious…

Viewers going in to see this documentary were warned that it was going to be grizzly. But none were prepared for the disturbing images this film produced. Most of which were re-enactments and fantasies, but they were all horrific and true. The Act of Killing focuses on a group of retired gangsters in Indonesia. In…

We’ve really got to give kudos to New Girl for still coming up with the quirkiest plot ideas without getting too off-track or repetitive. This was a really solid episode, ticking all the boxes for amusement, development, and character airtime – Coach and Cece included. That being said, in the aftermath of last week’s episode,…

You know when you watch a film, and when someone asks you to describe what you just watched you’re completely lost for words? Ari Folman’s The Congress is one of those films. It’s a psychedelic rabbit hole that you’ll tumble down with increasing velocity, leaving logic and reason behind for an experience like no other. Robin Wright stars…

It’s that time of the year again when not only the social and cultural Brisbanites band together but people come from all around the world for the Brisbane International Film Festival. A little bit of Hollywood found its way to Brisbane’s renowned Gallery of Modern Art on Wednesday night when the red carpet rolled out,…

Meredith McLean attended the Red Carpet Opening of BIFF 2013 and had a chance to speak with Jonathan Teplitzky about “The Railway Man” and it’s screening at BIFF. Hi, it’s lovely to meet you. Hi I’m Jonathan Nice to meet you, Jonathan. I’m Meredith, I’m from the AU review and The Iris. First of all,…

Being produced right here in Australia at Animal Logic (Happy Feet), is the new film from Phil Lord & Christopher Miller – directors of 21 Jump Street and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. The film is the first ever full length theatrical LEGO adventure, and is aptly titled The LEGO Movie, set for an Australian cinematic…

Taking in picturesque locations in around the country, Maltesers Moonlight Cinema has announced the first half of its 2013/14 program, which will once again see the cinema under the stars feature an exciting mix of advance previews, contemporary, classic and cult films. Advance previews that will be on offer include the comedy sequel, Anchorman 2: The Legend…

There have been mixed reviews for Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore’s latest masterpiece. His name is perhaps not extensively known in Australia, but some may remember his film Baarìa, a beautiful piece from 2009. The Best Offer may just be his best to date, showcasing his talents as both a director and a writer, casting insight to the mind…

Available from 5pm on the 11th of November UK time, Yahoo! Movies will take you live to The Hunger Games: Catching Fire global red carpet premiere in the UK. Find the stream available below, which will go live at about 4am Sydney time. The film is released in Australia on 21st November 2013. ———- This content…

The Supanova Pop Culture Expo has recently wrapped up its Brisbane leg, bringing some awesome talent from the fields of TV, film, graphic novels, comics and more to Australian fans. One such member of the guest lineup is Stanislav Ianevski, also known to many Harry Potter fans as the Durmstrang Champion, Viktor Krum. The actor, who played the role in Harry Potter…

This week’s episode brought the whole gang back together with the arrival of Coach (Damon Wayans Jr), and, let’s be honest, was anyone really expecting that plot? Strip clubs, crying, getting drunk (we probably expected those last two), and Taye Diggs saying ‘rubber baby buggy bumpers’. All signs of a great episode. It was nice…

Poor Camille Claudel. The famous artist would create a lasting legacy of sculptures and drawings that are still important and relevant today. But she was also one tortured artist. Camille Claudel 1915 attempts to capture all of these emotions and feelings. It’s also a French biopic that is a claustrophobic chronicle of three days in her sad life. Claudel…

Forget the Big Brother finale or the latest instalment of Underbelly, Australia’s television event of 2013 comes with the return of everyone’s favourite (or least favourite) polarising comedian. Chris Lilley’s Ja’mie: Private School Girl essentially picks up where we left off after Summer Heights High – it’s Ja’mie’s last year of high school, she’s the ‘quichest’ girl…

The fruits of plot and character seeds are beginning to flourish. Episode 4 illuminates character history and sets the foundation for war between the witches of Salem and the voodoo witches. Although a step up from the state the series began with, it is still unsubtle in conveying information. If you haven’t seen the last…

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… So the whole ‘Saul betraying Carrie and having her put in a mental institution’ scenario…

Directed by Akiva Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind), February 2014 will see the international release of Winter’s Tale, an adaptation of Mark Helprin’s celebrated novel of the same name. The story is simultaneously set in 19th Century and present-day Manhattan, revolving around a thief, a dying girl and a flying white horse. We’re thinking of this…

The horror genre has always been filled with a lot of rubbish. Audiences will pay to see anything if they think it will scare them, regardless of the quality. This has led to the success of many sub-par horror films in recent years. However, there has been one director quietly championing the return of proper,…

As an adaptation of Lloyd Jones’ award winning novel of the same name, Andrew Adamson has taken this story and breathed a visually rich and emotionally moving story to life on the big screen. On the island of Bougainville it’s idyllic, with white sandy beaches and crystal blue water, palm trees that are as tall…

Currently celebrating “drug week”, Larry Heath caught up with Jeannette Francis from SBS2’s current affairs series The Feed to talk about the week, a taste of what’s to come before this series comes to an end – and we celebrate the fact SBS has commissioned the series to return in 2014, doubling its length from…

  Accompanied by the news this week that the show will live to see a season two, Thursday’s Masters of Sex brings us just one episode shy of the freshman season’s halfway mark. The show has fast established itself as the new kid on the cable drama block and here’s what we’ve seen so far….

In this issue: [V] Island Parties set to scorch through summer, first Sydney International Film Festival in November, watch the trailer for Wolf Creek 2, Anchorman 2 cast staying classy and heading to Sydney, new series’ on ABC, Gravity breaks box office records, results are in from the Australian Drama Survey and the Hola Sol…

The stylistic approach of Wes Anderson is one that you either love or you hate – but either way you have to admire his consistency. The team at the weekly US program Saturday Night Live, who each week feature a Celebrity guest host (and musical guest) alongside a team of comedians performing live sketch comedy,…

Three disconnected episodes make up this incredibly visceral short series, created by the incredibly talented and thought-provoking Charlie Brooker. The series has been described by some as a tragicomedy, and while it does have hints of sharp, witty humour throughout, the show is much more bone-chilling than anything else. A pervasive theme throughout the series…