Square Enix announces Kingdom Hearts IV

Kingdom Hearts IV has been announced by Square Enix at the Kingdom Hearts 20th Anniversary Event overnight, along with a second game, titled Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link, a smaller title coming to iOS and Android platforms. The 7-minute trailer below features clips of both new games, preceded by footage of Kingdom Hearts Dark Road’s final story…

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Interview: Dominic Cooper on playing a villain in That Dirty Black Bag and injecting his own essence into a vile character

Streaming on AMC+, That Dirty Black Bag is a raw, epic and romantic eight-part series about the dark side of the Far West.  Starring Douglas Booth as bounty hunter Red Bill and Dominic Cooper as the savage Sheriff McCoy, the series follows their eight-day clash as blood, bullets and bodies fly in the wake of…

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Sydney Film Festival announces 2022 in-cinema return with sneak look at its programming

The 69th annual Sydney Film Festival has announced a sneak peak look at 22 film titles that will be featured during this year’s event, running 8th-19th June, 2022. Ahead of its full program announcement on 11th May, this first taste of of programming “gives audiences a snapshot of the selection and flavour of films featured…

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Win a double in-season pass to see The Lost City starring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum

Thanks to Paramount Pictures we have 10 double in-season passes (Admit 2) to give away for the upcoming release of The Lost City, starring Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum and Brad Pitt, set for release exclusively in cinemas from April 14th, 2022. Brilliant, but reclusive author Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock) has spent her career writing about…

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The Ghost Inside

Full Tilt Festival Returns in July 2022 with The Ghost Inside, Underoath, PVRIS and more

Calling all Metalcore, post-hardcore, and pop-punk fans! The team at Destroy All Lines have surprised us with a return of Full Tilt, scheduled for July 2022. A line-up of mammoth proportions, with international heavy hitters and local alternative acts, will be touring across the east coast this July, visiting Brisbane on the 16th of July,…

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Interview: Director Jay Cheel on Cursed Films II; “There’s weird energy around this production”

When people look at films that are super beloved and then hear stories about the difficulties or tragedies that happen on set, they then go onto describe that production as “cursed”.  After exploring such controversial productions as Twilight Zone: The Movie and Poltergeist during its first season, Cursed Films II explores a further quintet of…

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Photo Gallery: DMA’S + Hayley Mary – The Hordern Pavilion (08.04.22)

DMA’S finally got to bring their The Glow tour to Sydney at The Hordern Pavilion last night. It might have taken them two years, but it was worth the wait. Always fabulous live, they put on a faultless show to the adoring crowd. It was packed to the rafters and a massive euphoric sing-along. With…

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Film Review: All The Old Knives is a conversational thriller intelligently carried by Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton

Despite both Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton proving their worth as action figures within the spy genre previously – Pine in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit and Newton in Mission: Impossible II – All The Old Knives steps away from the action-driven physicality of the genre and opts for proceedings more in tune with a John…

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Soft Powder

Soft Powder explains the creative process behind his latest track, “Close Your Eyes”

Soft Powder creates emotive lo-fi dream pop, and today he has released his debut full-length album, Somewhere Like Paradise. The album is eight tracks of shimmering shoegaze and melancholic pop. The album followed on from his two earlier EPs, Shangri-La and  Faber Ria which received widespread critical acclaim. Soft Powder is the solo project for producer…

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LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Review: May the bricks be with you

The lightsaber battles. Dogfights. Distant planets. Iconic characters. The Star Wars saga has brought with it many memorable moments that have stood the test of time. While I won’t begin to list those moments here, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga has decided to cram them all into one neat package, reinventing the LEGO game formula…

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New Music Discoveries 8th April: WAAX, Spacey Jane and more

Today we’re adding ten more tracks to our Discovery playlist on Spotify and Apple Music; including two singles that we exclusive premiered earlier this week. This week, our Track of the Week goes to WAAX, with a  new tune that might surprise you with “Dangerous”, a poignant piano ballad. “Dangerous” was co-written with ’90s rock…

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Max Payne 1 and 2 remakes coming from Remedy and Rockstar

In today’s landscape of constant remakes and remasters, we’re surprised these two PlayStation 2 classics have not yet made the list. That time, however, is coming to an end. Remakes of Max Payne and Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max have been announced by developer Remedy in partnership with Rockstar Games. With no release window…

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A new Tomb Raider is in development, will use Unreal Engine 5

A brand new Tomb Raider game is currently in the works, with developer Crystal Dynamics dropping the news at yesterday’s State of Unreal Engine stream. It has also been announced that the game would also utilise the brand new Unreal Engine 5. “We have just started development on our next Tomb Raider game, powered by…

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Sonar Lisboa

Sónar Lisboa 2022 to kick off this weekend, showcasing music, creativity and technology

Sónar Lisboa 2022 kicks off in the Portuguese capital this weekend. It commences at 12:00 pm on Friday the 8th of April, concluding at 10:00 pm on Sunday the 10th of April.  The festival is three days packed with music, creativity and technology. Sónar Lisboa brings together more than 100 artists to Lisbon. The festival…

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Reckless Coast

Exclusive Single Premiere: Reckless Coast “Do You Want Me?” (2022)

Fans of nostalgic Aus-rock are going to love “Do You Want Me?”, the new tune from Brissie-rockers Reckless Coast. With a fresh contemporary feel, yet with a passing nod to Australian rock from the ’80s, the track is a gas from start to finish. Driving vocals, a pulsating beat and gritty guitars takes the listener…

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Interview: Eddie Redmayne, Mads Mikkelsen and the cast of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

The magic of the Wizarding World is once again conjured with the release of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (you can read our review here).  As the film prepares for its global launch, Peter Gray was fortunate to speak with key cast members Eddie Redmayne, Jessica Williams, Mads Mikkelsen, Alison Sudol, Callum Turner and…

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Album of the Week: Wet Leg’s self-titled debut well and truly delivers

Wet Leg feels like a band that would have absolutely dominated that teen blog/ tumblr period of 2007-2012. Maybe it’s because I was at the peak of my awkward teen powers in that period, but having listened through the self-titled debut album from The Isle of Wight act a couple of times now, their sound…

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Disney’s California Adventure Food & Wine Festival brings the spirit of EPCOT to the West Coast

At the end of the 1980s, Walt Disney World in Orlando was booming; overtaking the swampland they acquired for “The Florida Project” while founder Walt Disney was still alive with no less than three parks: Magic Kingdom, EPCOT and what is now known as Hollywood Studios (on its opening in 1989, it was the Disney-MGM…

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Most Anticipated Books

The AU’s Most Anticipated Books of 2022: Apr – Jun

Somehow it’s April already, with Easter coming up just next week. And in our opinion nothing pairs better with a chocolate egg and a long weekend like a good book.  To help you decide what to read next, we at the AU Books Team are here to pick out some choice cuts from the many…

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Film Review: Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is the most confident of the series yet

There’s a certain amount of baggage and controversy that comes with the release of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, additives that, for the sake of the film itself, I won’t delve into; a swift google will catch you up to speed though. From the off, Fantastic Beasts was always a series that seemed a…

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Interview: David Yates on directing Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore; “These stories mean something to a lot of people”

To say director David Yates is synonymous with the Wizarding World would be putting it mildly.  Having directed half of the Harry Potter film series – Order of the Phoenix, The Half-Blood Prince, and Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2 – and both Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes…

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Exclusive Single Premiere: Zac Eichner “Not A Break-Up Song” (2022)

Adelaide-based indie-electronic artist Zac Eichner is back with new music, this time the heartfelt and personal “Not A Break-Up Song”. Indeed, the track is not a break-up song, but it is a song about letting go of an earlier version of himself. Zac produced the track himself, alongside Matt Cooper. We are thrilled to be premiering “Not A…

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Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone

Book Review: Benjamin Stevenson’s Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone lives up to the whodunit hype

Benjamin Stevenson’s third novel, Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, has been described as “Agatha Christie meets Knives Out“; which is a tall order for the whodunit genre and its legion of dedicated followers. But, I am deeply pleased to report that it is, indeed, a very apt description. Narrated by our protagonist, Ernest Cunningham,…

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Film Review: The Lost City is a playful romp elevated by the charm of Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum

Reminiscent of the studio mentality of days (years, even) gone by of when the star-driven comedy was enough of a draw to reel audiences in, Adam and Aaron Nee‘s throwback romp The Lost City serves as a healthy reminder that not all playful, high-concept comedies have to exist solely for the streaming services. Resuscitating the…

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Kid Kyoto is still one of Sydney’s most charming Japanese dining experiences

Kid Kyoto is like your trendy cousin. You envy their effortless style and try to imitate their endearing nature, but no matter how hard you attempt to recreate their swagger, it just isn’t right. These are my favourite types of dining experiences – the ones you genuinely can’t replicate at home. As I walked Bridge…

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Interview: Director Michael Bay on injecting a level of humanism into the action of Ambulance

Since breaking out with 1995’s Bad Boys, director Michael Bay has been synonymous with the action genre.  Defying the critics year after year, Bay’s films have collectively grossed over $7.8 billion, making him one of the most successful directors in cinematic history. After taking a break from the big screen – he helmed 2019’s Netflix…

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Interview: Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II on forming a brotherly bond on Ambulance, the safety of filming, and “directing” action sequences

Speeding into cinemas this week (you can read our review here), Ambulance is the latest action extravaganza from Michael Bay.  Starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as two brothers who hijack an ambulance following a bank heist gone wrong, Universal Studios put our own Peter Gray in touch with the acting duo to discuss…

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Film Review: Ambulance is pure unadulterated Michael Bayhem!

Say what you will about Michael Bay, but the man knows how to craft an action sequence.  Sure, throughout his career, said action sequences have been featured in the type of blockbusters that so often favour spectacle over substance, but he’s great at what he does and, really, no one is watching a Transformers movie…

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Young Henrys teams with Byron Bay’s The Rails for Best Served Loud

Free up your Saturday nights, Byron Bay, because Young Henrys is taking over The Rails for the latest edition of Best Served Loud, a huge series of free gigs kicking off this weekend. Presented with Tiny Minds Agency, Best Served Loud champions some of the best in emerging and established Aussie music. Expect great music,…

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Interview: Night’s End director Jennifer Reeder on loving horror, making an isolated film, and casting Michael Shannon

The streaming service Shudder has cornered the market on the horror genre since its 2015 inception.  Known for housing horror classics, as well as distributing its own original films, Shudder has allowed genre enthusiasts and filmmakers to explore their macabre mentality.  One such director doing so is Jennifer Reeder, whose latest effort, the supernatural scarer…

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