There are flashes of an interesting film present within Jesse Eisenberg‘s directorial debut When You Finish Saving the World, it’s just a shame that the satirical flourishes and occasional nuances teased throughout aren’t devoted enough to to be deemed an overall success. The film’s closing 20 minutes leans into the emotional gut-punch Eisenberg clearly hopes…
Off-putting it may be, there’s enough deliciousness throughout the wicked Fresh that your pallet is sure to be satisfied in spite of the cannibalistic practices laid forth. An initial romantic dramedy, director Mimi Cave sets up the dating scene with all the discouragement you’d expect, with Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) endlessly swiping through her Tinder-esque apps,…
I’m going to level with you; this is my first foray into the Rainbow Six world, so if you are looking for an expertly crafted history of the franchise and its entries, this is probably not the review for you. If like me, you are intrigued by the introduction of monsters into this shooter that…
At times unsettling but decidedly open and honest, Sarah Walker’s collection of essays The First Time I Thought I Was Dying explores the often-taboo aspects of life and living. Told from her perspective as an actor and photographer, the collection examines the awkwardness, the disgustingness and the discomfort of our bodies and minds in a…
This week, in our first update for 2022, our discovery playlist has been loaded up with ten new tracks. This includes our Track of the Week, the latest collaboration between Khruangbin and Leon Bridges, “Chocolate Hills”. The track is the second track to come off the Texas Moon EP, which the artists are putting out…
Marvel Studios’ Eternals is gearing up to defend humanity on Blu-ray™, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD™ from February 2nd, 2022, and to celebrate the release we have 5 Blu-ray copies up for grabs! Marvel Studios’ Eternals follows a group of ancient heroes from beyond the stars who had protected Earth since the dawn of man. When monstrous…
Belle tells the story of Suzu, a jovial yet emotionally withdrawn high schooler who is distraught over the loss of her mother. She bears a seething hatred due to the lack of understanding as to why her mother performed such an act of self-sacrifice. Hating her position in her life, she retreats to a vast…
It’s not often a band can claim Elton John as a fan. It’s even less often when they can say that well before they release their debut album. For Yard Act it appears John is a massive fan of their whimsical, offbeat and humourous take on British post-punk. Proclaiming the band as his favourite new…
Described by Bangarra Director Stephen Page as “narrative dance theatre and contemporary ceremony”, Wudjang: Not the Past follows the journey of a young woman Nananhg (Jess Hitchcock) as she struggles to understand her cultural heritage while existing in a white system. When ancestral bones are discovered during excavation for a dam, one of the men,…
Washington presents Insomnia promised to be one of the many standouts from this year’s Sydney Festival, and it met its lofty expectations last night, at ‘Speakers Corner’ near Hyde Park. In an evening with intermittent showers, we luckily dodged most of the bad weather. With Jack Moffitt (ex Preatures) and Gab Strum (Japanese Wallpaper) making up…
Following its acquisition by Shudder, Edoardo Vitaletti‘s horror film The Last Thing Mary Saw will commence its streaming season on the genre-centric service from January 20th, 2022. To coincide with the film’s release (you can read our review here), Peter Gray discussed with the writer/director the religious origins of the film, if he felt any…
GOLDHEIST is the moniker for regional NSW singer/songwriter Hester Fraser. We are thrilled today to be premiering Eyes of Love, the third album from this outstanding artist. Releasing an album through these times is no easy feat, and for GOLDHEIST adapting to the circumstances has proved to be the order of the day. The album…
It is easy to imagine Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens, the new novel by Shankari Chandran becoming an amazing television miniseries. On first glance at its beautiful green cover, the reader might be forgiven for thinking that they are in for a sweet, gentle, heartwarming novel about relatively harmless retirees living in a nursing home. Instead,…
In the opening moments of Pablo Larraín‘s Spencer, his subject – Princess Diana (Kristen Stewart, beyond impressive) – hopes to maintain any shred of autonomy she can through a lifestyle she knows has wildly altered her reality. Late to a family Christmas celebratory weekend – the film focuses on December 24th-26th in the early 1990’s,…
We’ve spoken a lot over the years about the differing experiences flying Canada’s two main airlines – Westjet and Air Canada – as well as the shorter range journeys with Porter. But on a recent trip between Montreal and Toronto, I decided to try one of Canada’s more recently established budget (“Ultra Low Cost”) carriers…
The Indie Book Awards have today announced a 24-strong shortlist, celebrating the very best in Australian literature, as chosen by the booksellers who have made a year of lockdowns and isolation a little more bearable for many. Established back in 2008, the Indie Book Awards recognises the contributions made by Aussie booksellers, and the impact…
For Perth’s annual Fringe World festival, the delightfully ridiculous Shakespearean drinking game Booze & the Bard has returned for 2022 with two shows: their tried and true Macbeth, the Scotch Play and the brand new Twelfth Pint (or What You Spill). We caught the Saturday night showing of Macbeth on the 15th of January and happily…
In these times of uncertainty, it’s good to have some positive energy to look forward to. Adelaide’s own Spin Off Festival is back in 2022 with some of Splendour’s most popular bands. Get ready to party on Friday 22nd July with… GLASS ANIMALS · JACK HARLOW · SPACEY JANE · BALL PARK MUSIC · G…
So intoxicatingly beautiful is Guillermo del Toro‘s haunting Nightmare Alley that its sheer aesthetic pleasures alone are enough to forgive the narrative sins it commits along the way. Far from the unnerving horror film the trailers would have you believe, del Toro’s adaptation of William Lindsay Greshem‘s 1946 novel – first made into a feature…
Melbourne-based electronic-indie artist Bailey Judd is bursting out of the blocks in 2022, with his latest release, “Brand New Car”. The track reflects on the challenges faced by a musician in these modern times. The release of “Brand New Card” is eerily prescient, given the lack of support given to the arts industry and the thought…
In a stunning move, Microsoft has purchased publisher Activision Blizzard for a whopping sum of $68.7 billion. If Microsoft had stumbled in recent years with exclusives and variety of games, they’re definitely back on track. While it’s no secret that Activision Blizzard has been dealing with a number of discrimination and mistreatment allegations and legal…
John Safran is no stranger to stirring the pot. In his third book, Puff Piece, he asks and answers some of the burning questions aimed at Big Tobacco. The result is an enjoyable read that’s full of his trademark humour and is a clever examination on some ethical grey matters. Many readers will perhaps be…
Religious principles and the notion of intolerance run thematically rampant in The Last Thing Mary Saw, a horror-leaning drama film that announces first time filmmaker Edoardo Vitaletti as an intriguing mind to keep our radar on. Opting for tension and unease rather than overt gore, Mary… is an 1843 set period chiller that opens on…
Disney+ have debuted the thrilling trailer for the upcoming Marvel Studios series Moon Knight ahead of its streaming release date of March 30th, 2022. The series follows Steven Grant, a mild-mannered gift-shop employee, who becomes plagued with blackouts and memories of another life. Steven discovers he has dissociative identity disorder and shares a body with…
As we move into the new year, it’s that time when we look back on the highlights of the past 12 months and remember what made them so. With much of the world still emerging from lockdown, many artists have been quietly busy making music off the stage. The heavy scene in particular has had…
We’re officially back from our Summer hiatus, and kicking things off with a look back at our favourite tracks of 2021. Unlike our albums of the year piece, we won’t go in depth about each song on the list, and why it was included, but rather let the music itself do most of the talking….
Originally available exclusively for the US, the eternally party-minded Fireball Whisky is doubling down on the liquor’s racous image by bringing a 5.25-litre keg to Australia. Doubling as a collectable, the Fireball Whisky keg is now available with a strictly limited quantity of just 1,000 exclusively for sale online via BoozeBud. All you’d need to…
Forming part of the 2022 Sydney Festival, A Chorus Line at Riverside Theatres in Parramatta delivers a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a dancer trying to forge a career on Broadway. Set on the stage of a theatre during auditions for a chorus line, the musical centres on the lives of seventeen hopefuls and…
Whilst there’s nothing remotely original about The 355, that certainly doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of fun to be had with this slice of pure escapism fluff that manages to mask its simplicities with a willing cast and a scrappy, can-do attitude. Outside of directing, Simon Kinberg has a rather enviable resume. He served as…
The Wombats are kicking off the new year in style, about to release their fifth studio album Fix Yourself, Not The World. Lead singer Murph caught up with The AU Review’s John Goodridge about the making of the album; out tomorrow through Warner Music Australia. Would you say this album is the most challenging one you’ve…
