The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre treads familiar territory for seasoned Natasha Lester readers, namely the streets of Paris during and immediately after the Second World War. The novel opens with Alix about to leave her Swiss finishing school to pursue her dream of working in fashion. She is devastated to leave her closest…
Perth indie-pop singer Madoc Plane has today released his debut EP Own Worst Enemy, featuring the groovy singles “Right Reason” and “Overdrive”. The four-track project showcases his dazzling vocals over shimmering guitars and ambient textures in a short but bold offering. As the title suggests, the EP explores the inner workings of Madoc’s mind and…
It’s the last Friday of October and we have updated our Discovery playlist on Spotify and Apple Music with ten new tracks, including two tracks from albums we premiered this week. Our track of the week is the visceral “6ft Baby” from singer/songwriter Mvlholland. This is the third release from the Australian singer/songwriter, and she…
Upon its relatively recent reveal, New Tales from the Borderlands immediately drew me in with its familiar visuals and charm, what with the original Tales from the Borderlands being my favourite Telltale game to date. Developer Gearbox Software has picked up the franchise with confidence, retaining much of the wit and charm via general humour and likable…
The Woman King is the remarkable story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s with skills and a fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen. Inspired by true events, the film follows the emotionally epic journey of General Nanisca (Viola Davis) as she…
Black is beautiful, and never has it felt more apt a saying than when viewing Gina Prince-Bythewood‘s stunning historical actioner The Woman King. Inspired by true events, The Woman King centres itself around an all-female unit of warriors known as Agojie, who protected the African kingdom of Dahomey during the 17th to 19th centuries; the…
Make no mistake; both Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy still serve as two of the best games to ever grace the PlayStation 4 console. Given their earlier availability on the PlayStation 5 and Sony’s newfound love for PC with the introduction of many of their greatest hits to a new…
It was twenty years ago that many of us first saw author Nigel Marsh at play. Back then Marsh was the self-proclaimed “Fat, Forty & Fired” corporate type whose career had derailed. Many people could relate, so he followed up his debut with Fit, 50 & Fired Up. Another decade on, and he comes to…
Developer Platinum Games returns with an undoubtedly ambitious follow up to 2014’s otherwise stellar Bayonetta 2. Now exclusively on the Nintendo Switch system, the franchise feels settled into its skin this time around – delivering huge action and an epic multiverse-inspired tale featuring the most unpredictable story both the series and studio have delivered to…
Going into a film like Terrifier 2, audiences can’t help but be versed in the news surrounding the film that has largely focused on just how spectacularly gory this thing is and the fact that such splatter has caused American cinemagoers, who have pushed the micro-budgeted horror film to rope in over 5 times its…
We’ve been fans of Sydney duo Salarymen since their debut single “Please” was released in November of 2019. Fast forward three years, and today they are releasing their second EP, the fabulous Head in the Sand. For those late to the Salarymen story, the duo is a collaboration between Thom Eagleton (Wild Honey, Burn Antares) and Renee del…
Melbourne alt-rock quartet Outloved are the underdogs of the local punk scene and ready for their big break. Their latest offering “Never Enough” is the band’s second single of the year, following previous banger “Still Lonely” and 2021’s only release “It’s All Hate”. We caught up with frontman Jaydon Colvin to discuss the single and…
While most commonly used for Canadians looking to travel abroad, Air Transat do have a number of domestic services in a network dominated by the country’s two biggest airlines – Air Canada and Westjet. One route that just about all these airlines share is the quick hop from Toronto (either Billy Bishop or Pearson) to…
Indie-quartet Wet Denim hail from Wellington, which is undoubtedly one of my favourite towns in New Zealand. A number of exciting bands have emerged from NZ in recent years and Wet Denim are part of the latest crop. Today they have released the single “Free”, an exciting follow-up to their debut single, “Another Hit” which…
Beloved Melbourne rock quintet The Smith Street Band have a knack for crafting equally personal and uniting music. After Don’t Waste Your Anger debuted at #1 on the ARIA Album Chart in 2020, their sixth studio album Life After Football is out 25 November via their own label Pool House Records. We caught up with…
An “exercise in kindness and couture”, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (read our review here) is the cinematic warm embrace we need in this age of blockbusters. The enchanting tale of a seemingly ordinary British housekeeper whose dream to own a couture Christian Dior gown takes her on an extraordinary adventure to Paris, the film…
It’s hump day Wednesday, and what better way to power your way through than by getting on board with some loved-up neo-soul/RnB. We’ve got just the tonic, with the premiere of Lovestoned, the fabulous debut album from Sunshine coast based singer/songwriter Chris Ah Gee. Not just possessing a warm and rich voice, Chris is a…
New Jersey-born, Los Angeles-based Adam Melchor likens his music to the TikTok sounds asking ‘What’s the worst pain you’ve ever felt that’s not physical?’ – he’s on the feelings frontline with his diaristic ballads from his sophomore album Here Goes Nothing! “Now I really feel like I know who I am, who I identify with and…
– With pull quotes on its cover from the likes of Charlotte Wood, Tony Birch and Laura Elvery, Anne Casey-Hardy’s debut collection of short stories, Cautionary Tales for Excitable Girls promises to be something special – and it does not disappoint. Often exploring themes of coming of age, motherhood, loss and friendship, these stories are about…
It doesn’t seem to matter what time of year it is, there’s always room for a movie like Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris to warm our hearts and prove simple, undemanding counter programming to the usual loud blockbusters, or, in 2022’s case, creepy horror films, that are often occupying the multiplexes. An exercise in kindness…
Based on an incredible true story centred in the world of hospitals and health care, about how one woman’s growing suspicion of her co-worker led to America’s most prolific serial killer being brought to justice after 16 years of quietly killing patients across the US, The Good Nurse is a chilling true crime story that…
The Adelaide Film Festival helps cement Adelaide’s place in the world of cutting-edge arts, music and film. With Gala nights, forums and talks, award nights, and even a children’s program there really is something for everyone. Over 12 days and nights, over 120 films are presented, including many with the directors or stars in attendance….
The first Pakistani film to premiere at Cannes, Joyland is a daring queer drama by director Saim Sadiq about forbidden desire. The extended Rana family live together in Lahore and the opening scenes are celebrations for the arrival of the fourth child for the older brother’s family. The fourth girl in a row is an…
There’s something incredibly refreshing about The Good Nurse in that its true-crime temperament isn’t marred by overt manipulation – as so many of such adapted tales can be. Jessica Chastain (as typically great and committed as expected) is Amy, the titular good nurse, a single mother who is hiding her own ailment as she dedicates…
Newcastle indie-pop duo The TryOuts have given us a tasty preview of their debut EP Nothing Bad is Ever Going to Happen, out tomorrow. In support of the EP, they will be heading out on a six-date national tour this Saturday in Newcastle. The TryOuts are married couple Chelsea Reed (drums/vocals) and David Macmichael (guitar/vocals)….
Presenting a jam-packed program of over 50 of the best new Jewish-themed films from all across the world, the 2022 Jewish International Film Festival presents a blockbuster line-up of must-see headliners, literary deep-dives, extraordinary true stories and laugh-out-loud comedies. And, to celebrate, we have 4 digital* double passes (Admit 2) and 2 physical passes to…
Taking his confronting, wise-cracking comedy from the street to the screen, Billy Eichner (Billy on the Street) is shattering the glass ceiling on queer comedy with the first major studio production to champion an all LGBTQ cast in Bros. As the romantic comedy sets its local release (Universal Pictures will release the film on October…
With the recent release of Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, we got the chance to chat with Lead Producer Xavier Manzanares on the newest features and mechanics of the highly anticipated Mario + Rabbids sequel. What systems and mechanics have made their way over from the first title, and what changes have been made to…
The first major studio production to feature an all LGBTQIA+ cast, Bros is a smart, swoony and heartfelt comedy about how hard it is to find another tolerable human being to go through life with. A collaboration between the ferocious comic mind of writer/star Billy Eichner and director Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, the Bad…
Gotham Knights shines a much needed light on the accompanying sidekicks that Batman has either trained, raised or worked with. From the likes of multiple Robins both past and present, including Nightwing and the Red Hood, there’s much to be told and explored within the confines of these characters in video game form. As a…
