Nintendo Direct in Australian times

Here’s when you can watch tomorrow’s Nintendo Direct in Australian times

A massive hour-long Nintendo Direct broadcast drops tomorrow, but when can you see it in Australian times? Don’t worry — no matter which state you’re in, we’ve got you covered.   Where can I see the new Direct? You can watch it live on the official Nintendo YouTube channel, or on Nintendo’s official Twitch channel….

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Nintendo Direct

Hour-long Nintendo Direct to drop tomorrow morning, this is not a drill

Nintendo has announced a Nintendo Direct broadcast for tomorrow, February 18, at 9am AEDT. The broadcast will feature “roughly 50 minutes of information focused on available games like Super Smash Bros Ultimate and games coming to Nintendo Switch in the first half of 2021.” The broadcast will be the first “full size” Nintendo Direct since…

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Film Review: In Search of Darkness II provides another bountiful smorgasbord for 1980’s horror fans

Two years after the first instalment, the search for darkness continues! Director David A. Weiner is back with another entry in examining horror films in the 1980’s with In Search of Darkness Part II. The first film, while very well-received (especially from yours truly), did receive some reserved criticism. One example is the lack of…

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Preview: STC’s Appropriate has all the benchmarks of great theatre

With everything that occurred in the year that was 2020, Appropriate, directed by Wesley Enoch seems, well, appropriate. Written by the American playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, the play centres around a dysfunctional American family brought together by the death of their father. As they begin to sort through his belongings they struggle between a desire to…

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Main image credit: Jess Gleeson

Interview: Imogen Clark on Bastards, London and collaborating

Imogen Clark is a machine when it comes out to music. And yet her constant output doesn’t diminish the quality of her work. Her recent release “Forget About London” is the first indicator of her EP Bastards, out later in the year. Clark fuses rock and indie pop to tell her own stories of love…

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Lenovo Duet Chromebook Review: Costs less, offers more

I’m shocked. Not because Google and Lenovo have produced a capable entry-level 2-in-1 with the Lenovo Duet Chromebook, but because it’s only $599 (although you can probably get it for much less right now). That’s not cheap per se, but it’s incredible value for something that doesn’t feel like a heavily compromised budget PC. The…

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Amazon Echo (4th-Gen) Review: Spheres are sexy, and so is surface area

We haven’t even reached the point where smart devices are truly mass market, but we will get there. Curating smart homes has been a big talking point over here at the AU, and in general. It’s a fascinating lean forward into the IoT world, and the big companies like Google and Amazon are starting to…

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Literary Lion Tamers

Book Review: Delve into the fascinating history of Australian publishing with Craig Munro’s Literary Lion Tamers

Covering a century of Australian literature, author and editor Craig Munro has assembled a somewhat motley crew of characters, to celebrate a handful of key figures from the world of publishing and editing. From A.G. Stephens, the “three initialled terror” of the critic world, to Munro’s former colleague, the late Roseanne Fitzgibbon, Literary Lion Tamers…

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Joe Mungovan

Exclusive Video Premiere: Joe Mungovan “Lemon + Lime” (2021)

There might only be a couple of weeks of summer left, but Joe Mungovan is doing his best to extend it for us, with his summery-vibed track “Lemon + Lime”. Today we are excited to have the video premiere for this chilled tune, ahead of its release tomorrow. “Lemon + Lime” follows on from “You…

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Film Review: Zappa is a frank & creative look at Frank Zappa’s weirdly provocative genius

Zappa is a documentary that feels like one giant motherfucker of a film. At 129 minutes, director Alex Winter (the former lead actor of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure) covers lots of ground about this enigmatic genius. They broke the mould when they made Frank Zappa. So, while the proceedings are detailed and capture his…

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Theatre Review: Filled with chamber music, The Gang of Five is a bittersweet comedy for theatre lovers at La Mama Mobile

Theatre was briefly back in Melbourne before another five day lockdown saw shows rescheduled. Before the enforced hiatus, I was fortunate enough to catch a performance of The Gang of Five at La Mama Mobile Theatre. The Gang of Five opened to a full house, based at Creative Spaces’ Studio 1. Repurposing a dance studio…

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JBL Party Box On-The-Go Review: A creative way to party

Whatever your feeling towards the rather aggressive and inelegant name JBL have given their new party box, it’s hard to deny the brand’s impeccable timing. At the tail-end of 2020, where people are looking for different ways to recreate some nightlife at home, the JBL Party Box On The Go is heaven-sent. The pricey, chunky…

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Arlo Essential Wire-Free Video Doorbell Review: It’s all about that 1:1 aspect ratio

By 2024, its predicted that more than 7 million smart video cameras will be totalled across Australian households. Does that sound accurate? It just might. Interest in smart security picked up dramatically in 2020, even though most people were staying at home. And as 2021 continues to unfold, it’s highly likely that interest will keep…

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Film Review: A Writer’s Odyssey is a visually astounding fantasy thrill ride

A Writer’s Odyssey (formerly known as Assassin in Red) is the latest film from Chinese filmmaker Lu Yang. He is best known for the Brotherhood of Blades films; sterling examples of martial arts pieces that manage to branch out of genre conventions and become something more as they both venture into crime fiction. They were…

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Vietnamese Curry Lamingtons: Tokyo Lamington and Hello Auntie are a match made in Lunar heaven

It’s no secret now that Tokyo Lamington is one of the best new dessert shops in the country. After all, they are taking the most beloved spongy treat the country has ever known and layering on a dazzling amount of creativity, with everything from Davidson Plum to Pandan & Coconut sprucing up the classic. Now…

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Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury Review: Never count the plumber out

Nintendo loves getting experimental with their flagship franchises, and Mario has by far benefitted most from this penchant. From make-your-own Mario games packed full of features to redefine creation-based gaming, to legendary kart-racing and unique RPGs, there is honestly very few words as exciting as “Mario” for Nintendo players. But overkill is easy. Exhaustion can…

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Aussie thriller The Drover’s Wife joins SXSW Film Festival as full lineup revealed

The 2021 SXSW Film Festival has revealed its full line up for its 28th edition for SXSW Online, running March 16th-20th, 2021.  The previously announced Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil, a hard-hitting documentary covering the personal and professional life of the pop star, including her fatal near-overdose, will serve as the festival’s opener, whilst…

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Black Star Pastry new store in Newtown

Black Star Pastry opens fresh Newtown store, this time on King Street

It has been 13 years since Black Star Pastry opened un unassuming shopfront in Newtown, slightly veered off the main strip of King Street with a diminutive space popping with vibrant cakes and fresh pastries. Now, the internationally renowned bakery and sweets shop has firmed their grip on Newtown’s culinary scene by making the big…

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Live Review: Holy Holy + Queen P – Forum, Melbourne (11.02.21)

9:30pm on a Thursday night and the Forum had a long line queuing around the side of Hozier Lane. Everyone was waiting to get in to see Holy Holy and their opening act, Queen P. There was extra tension in the queue: for many of us, it was the first time seeing an artist play…

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Destruction AllStars

Destruction AllStars Review: Return of the weekend rental

In a year like 2021, I think Destruction AllStars is the video game vibe we may all be looking for. Last year, Animal Crossing: New Horizons gave us solace, somewhere peaceful to retreat to as the world fell apart. Among Us would later change that vibe to something more aggressive. It allowed us to reconnect through…

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Change Your Thinking to Change Your Life

Book Review: Kate James’s Change Your Thinking to Change Your Life brims with life positivity lessons

These crazy Covid times have most likely left people feeling as though they were living the wrong life. For those of you questioning and soul-searching, never fear as life coach, Kate James is here to help. She is an author who has worked in the realms of positive psychology and meditation practices for some time….

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Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart launching in June, drops brand new trailer

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart has a release date. Insomniac’s latest will arrive June 11, 2021, according to a new post on the official PlayStation Blog. “When the evil Dr. Nefarious uses a device that can access alternate dimensions to find a galaxy where he always wins, Ratchet and Clank are separated,” the post reads….

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Film Review: I Care A Lot is further proof of Rosamund Pike’s devilish star quality

Given just how maliciously magnetic she was in Gone Girl, it makes sense that devoted fans would be awaiting another Rosamund Pike performance that allows the actress to delight in all the dark ambition so evident in her Oscar-nominated turn. That’s certainly not to say she hasn’t been delivering the goods in the years since,…

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Film Review: Another Round overcomes its farcical premise with an organic honesty

You’d be forgiven for reading the plot outline for Another Round and assuming wacky comedic hijinks would ensue.  Based around a surprisingly real theory put forward by Norwegian psychiatrist Finn Skårderud, who suggested that humans could operate at their best with a consistent blood alcohol level of .05%, Thomas Vinterberg‘s dramedy is occasionally humorous as…

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Sundance Review: I Was a Simple Man is a beautifully assembled and yet malnourished film

Set in the present-day Oahu, Hawaii, the film follows the story of Masao (Steve Iwamoto), an aging patriarch who is spending his serene days in his home, with his vast family who intermittently keep him company. His health is deteriorating and his relationship with his family becomes more and more estranged. When he contemplates his…

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Melbourne’s Musical Theatre Scene Revived: 5 shows not to miss in 2021

Melbourne’s theatre scene is back! If you’ve missed the feeling of sitting in one of Melbourne’s lavish theatres, enjoying snacks and a drink from the bar while enjoying a show to remember, get excited because there’s a stellar lineup of shows ready to blow you away. From the Comedy Theatre to Her Majesty’s, Melbourne’s best…

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Sundance Review: We’re All Going to the World’s Fair is an outstanding directorial debut from Schoenbrun

Set in present day America, the film follows the story of Casey, a lonely teenager who participates in an online game known as the World’s Fair Challenge; a game that promises to be the scariest game in existence. After starting the game, Casey records videos of herself and posts them online in order to document…

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Luca Brasi

Album of the Week: Luca Brasi – Everything is Tenuous (2021 LP)

Google defines tenuous as “very weak or slight; insubstantial”. While this could very well be a text book definition of my physique, there’s nothing tenuous about my next claim: Luca Brasi has absolutely crushed their new album, Everything is Tenuous. Returning with their fifth LP, the Tasmanian legends have managed to kick things up a…

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Sundance Review: In Prisoners of the Ghostland, Nic Cage’s acting style fits Sono’s direction like a glove

When one hears of a collaboration between acclaimed Japanese maverick filmmaker Sion Sono between American’s acting dynamo Nicolas Cage; one cannot help but be intrigued. Even people who dislike their work would love to see the final result of their work just to see what it would be like because the very idea of such…

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Film Review: Wrong Turn takes a couple of wrong turns and becomes a hodgepodge of horror

Wrong Turn appears to be your stock-standard horror which takes a group of young twenty-somethings into a remote rural part of the US for some hiking fun. Although none of it is very fun and absolutely no good times are had. As you might imagine, during the hiking trip, on the Appalachian trail, one of…

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