Film & TV

Jewish International Film Festival Review: Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love is a flawed look at a bohemian love story

Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love is a documentary about music’s biggest bohemian and his muse. Poet and songwriter, Leonard Cohen and his lover, Marianne Ihlen had a rich and complex relationship, before they both passed away in 2016. This documentary is like a love letter to their passion; a flawed yet visceral look at…

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Film Review: Carl Laemmle is an insightful look at Universal Pictures’ founding father & visionary uncle

They called him “Uncle Carl”. For some of the employees at Universal Pictures that’s because he was their actual family member. But for many others, this diminutive entrepreneur was a well-respected man and a boss with a gigantic heart. This documentary is an illuminating guide to this gentle and helpful soul, and a testament to…

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Film Review: Arctic Justice is an adequate family movie with some take home messaging

It’s the wrong time of year for us to be having an animated kids movie set in the arctic coming to our screens. However there is slim pickings for families in the lead up to Christmas, so for those wanting to keep their little ones entertained comes Arctic Justice. The film has been marketed overseas…

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Photo Gallery: Supanova Comic Con & Gaming Expo – Adelaide Showgrounds (03.11.19)

Another awesome weekend of pop culture, comic, gaming and cosplay rolled through Adelaide on the weekend at the 2019 Supanova Comic Con & Gaming Expo, with Supa-Star guests like John Travolta, Deborah Ann Woll, Jason Isaacs and Mark Sheppard. Take a look at some of the fun! Shot by Kerrie Geier.

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Six underrated horror films to watch this Halloween

There are so many well-known horror movies out there. But there are also quite a lot of underrated ones too. Here are six horror films I believe more people should know about this Halloween. Grab some snacks, and settle in tonight! You’ll not want to miss watching any of these. All Hallows’ Eve (2013) All…

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Film Review: Terminator: Dark Fate is enjoyable surface-level fodder that’s unable to bring anything new to the genre table

The release of Terminator 2: Judgement Day in 1991 was proof that the oft-expected “inferior sequel” is a projection able to be shattered. It surely helped that that film was helmed by the original director, James Cameron, and in bringing the visionary filmmaker back on board for this fifth sequel, there’s somewhat of an expectation…

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Film Review: After the Wedding promises a tomorrow that never actually comes

Neil Finn may have sung about seven worlds colliding, but in After the Wedding it’s really only about two. A pair of women – one obscenely rich and the other a selfless worker at an orphanage – come together for a chance meeting due to money. The result is an overlong affair that fails to…

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Film Review: Promised is an unpolished dramedy that’s all about love

Australian cinema has already seen Ali and Muriel getting married (to other people) but Promised takes a different approach. This dramedy, set in the 1970’s, is a look at an arranged marriage, starring a pair of Italo-Australians. The results are an imperfect story that brims with real heart. It’s obvious that this independent film was…

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Film Review: Ready or Not is gleefully sadistic fun, with a great performance from Samara Weaving

Horror comedies are a sub-genre that are hard to pull off successfully. One has to steer tonal shifts smoothly and juggle both laughs and scares with skill and balance; all whilst not overwhelming or underwhelming on either front. Successful horror comedies include Sam Raimi‘s horror entries — The Evil Dead Trilogy and Drag Me To…

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Interviews: Joel Edgerton and David Michôd on the red carpet at THE KING Australian premiere.

Netflix’s THE KING took over Sydney’s The Ritz Cinema for its Australian premiere and brought along its director and co-writer extraordinaire David Michôd as well as actor and co-writer Joel Edgerton. The film follows Hal [Timothée Chalamet], the heir to the English throne, who is “crowned King Henry V after his tyrannical father dies. Now the young king must…

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Film Review: How to be Mark Ronson introduces us to the man behind the music

“Uptown Funk”, “Shallow”, “Valerie”, “Joanne,” “Late Night Feelings,” and the list goes on. Producer, songwriter, musician and singer, Mark Ronson has contributed to some of the biggest songs and records of modern times. In How to be Mark Ronson, fans are given a taste of the man behind the music and learn that this subject…

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Film Review: Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is a messy darker watch that fails to live up to its potential

Back in 2014 Disney decided to release a movie about one of their most iconic villains. Maleficent, the evil fairy and protector of the Moors was a rather ambiguous character in the film adaptation. Toeing the line of an antihero, as she fought to protect her realm against the twisted King Stefan whilst also befriending…

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Film Review: Strange But True is an ambitious neo-noir thriller

When Rowan Athale‘s ambitious neo-noir thriller Strange But True opens on the sight of a panicked Nick Robinson running from an unseen threat – with a broken leg, of all things – there’s an immediate sense of intrigue that settles in. Just what he is running from is gradually revealed when the film takes us…

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Film Review: The King is exhaustingly long but has moments of medieval greatness

There have been many adaptations of Shakespeare’s work to the big screen with varying results. Twice before Australians have tackled the Bard’s work with Baz Luhrman’s Romeo + Juliet and Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth both hitting the silver screen with positive critical response. Once again it seems the combination of Australian director David Michôd, with fellow…

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Film Review: Judy is as heartbreaking as it is joyous

There’s at least one Oscar-grab movie released every year designed with the intent on pushing its lead performer to the front of the nominee queue.  Judy appears to be that movie for 2019.  And that’s certainly not a criticism against the film as it’s a fine biopic in its own right, but Renee Zellweger‘s dedicated…

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Paul Feig is coming to Australia to promote his George Michael inspired feature Last Christmas

Christmas comes early this year as director Paul Feig has been announced to tour Australia to unveil his new romantic comedy, Last Christmas. Universal Pictures announced today that the director will visit Sydney and Melbourne between November 4th and 6th, 2019 for a series of press opportunities. Feig is a writer, producer and director whose…

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Film Review: Hustlers serves up more than just a good time

On its surface, Hustlers appears like something more at home in a summer blockbuster run than amongst a litany of awards season hopefuls. With its ensemble female cast stacked with big names, of both the film and music world, and a narrative centred on the exploits of a group of strippers, you may be expecting…

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Film Review: National Theatre Live: Fleabag proves Phoebe Waller-Bridge in raw form is a force to be reckoned with

If you’ve been living under a rock you may have missed all the buzz about Fleabag. The British comedy-drama, written and created by Phoebe Waller-Bridge that follows a young woman known as “Fleabag” navigating life and love in London whilst trying to cope with tragedy. Waller-Bridge stars as the titular character who will often break…

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Monster Fest Review: In Search of Darkness gives horror fans what they want in spades

It may sound wrong to start off a review in the first person as well stating my personal bias, but I am planning to anyway because it would be unfair for the reader and myself due to certain restrictions in my writing. First off, I love horror films of the ’80s. I grew up watching…

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Film Review: Gemini Man looks pretty but lacks substance

For cinemagoers we’ve been inundated of late with films that are adaptations, remakes or film franchises. So it’s unusual for us to finally have one that’s an original concept, which inadvertently puts a lot of pressure on it to be worth the time and money to see. Gemini Man was originally conceived in 1997 and…

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Film Review: Joker is a thought provoking examination of the thin edge of the sanity wedge

A lot has been said leading up to the release of Joker, with some of the most common arguments surrounding whether the film was necessary and whether there would be fatigue around yet another portrayal of the Clown Prince. The trailer didn’t reveal much and left audiences a little perplexed. But after predominantly receiving positive…

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Photo Gallery: Sydney Oz Comic Con 2019 with Celebrities Hayley Atwell, Michael Eklund and more

Cosplayers and fans of Film and TV descended on Sydney’s Showgrounds over the weekend for the NSW leg of Oz Comic Con 2019 with celebrities Hayley Atwell, Michael Eklund, KJ Apa and Australia’s own Kid Flash Keiynan Lonsdale in attendance. Nathan brings us all the action from the weekend.

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Timothée Chalamet is coming to Australia to promote The King

We’ve loved him since Interstellar, but fell in love with him in Call Me By Your Name. And now Timothée Chalamet fans are getting the chance to see their divine partner in the flesh as he walks the red carpet for the Australian premiere of THE KING. 23-year-old Chalamet depicts young Hal, later crowned King…

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Eric Andre confirms The Eric Andre Show return in 2020 as he readies his “Black Borat movie”

Last night, comedian Eric Andre hit the stage at the Meridian Hall in Toronto as one of the headliners of the annual Just For Laughs comedy festival. Part of his Legalize Everything Tour, the hilarious hour and a half show was something of a tamer affair than what you might have seen on his popular…

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Renee Zellweger to visit Australia for Judy in October

Shout hallelujah c’mon get happy because Renee Zellweger is coming to Australia! Universal Pictures has announced that the Academy Award winning actress will visit Melbourne and Sydney this October to celebrate the highly anticipated release of Judy, the Judy Garland biopic from Rupert Goold. Zellweger’s portrayal of the legendary star has been widely predicted by…

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Film Review: The Dead Don’t Die is disappointingly void of humour and scares

Whilst I’m sure the plethora of talent on hand here had an absolute ball making The Dead Don’t Die, Jim Jarmusch‘s deadpan (emphasis on the dead) zombie comedy fails to translate that suggested fun to its audience. Set in the fictional mid-American town of Centreville – the epitome of smalltown USA where there isn’t much…

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Fantastic Fest Review: Koko-di Koko-da should satisfy enthusiasts of surreal horror films

What a strange little arthouse horror flick Koko-di Koko-da is.  What starts out as a relatively straight-forward tale of a once-happy family trying to maintain a sense of worth before breaking down entirely, quickly descends into an experiment of madness, one that is often repetitive and unlikeable but no less inherently fascinating. The aforementioned once-happy…

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Interview: Michael Eklund on complex characters, Wynonna Earp, Dirk Gently, and his first Oz Comic Con

There are actors who make their career out of being “that guy”, able to drop in and out of inhabiting a character and then moving on to the next. Sometimes they’ll snag a role that will last a few seasons and they’ll get to leave a longer lasting impression. Michael Eklund is one of those…

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Film Review: Ad Astra will prove to be one man’s wonder to another’s waste

The effects are seamless.  The acting is introspective.  The emotional undercurrent aims for supremacy. It’s an operatic space venture that defiantly refuses to adhere to cohesiveness on a narrative level.  And it’s because Ad Astra flirts with moments of greatness only to stubbornly stifle them that James Gray‘s ambitious drama will prove to be one…

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