TV Review: Fire reigns in epic Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 4 “The Spoils of War”

In a move to rival the sheer scale and CGI glory of “Hardhome”, Game of Thrones have just presented what is probably its most epic battle yet, even outranking the “Battle of the Bastards” in some ways by pitting Jamie, Bronn and the Lannister forces against Dany, Drogon, and the Dothraki army. Like all of…

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Calling all filmmakers: Optus opens entries for Connect5 short film competition

Optus has launched a new initiative to support local Australian filmmakers with the Connect5 short film competition! If you have a penchant for working behind the camera and bringing your creative ideas to film, vlog, or animation, $10,000 cash and a trip to Singapore is up for grabs. Anyone who wants to make a positive…

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Video Games Review: Hey! Pikmin makes a good first impression but has no staying power

Crash-landing on alien terrain, long-time Pikmin hero Captain Olimar seeks to repair his talking spaceship and get home. Without Sparklium, the fuel that powers his ship, he’s a bit of a sitting duck. From this simple (and familiar) premise, Hey! Pikmin begins.

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Blu-Ray Review: Prison Break: The Event Series (USA, 2017) helps make amends for a lackluster “final” series

First we got The X-Files, and then over the course of April and May of this year, we were gifted with the return of another beloved FOX TV series: Prison Break. The series had most of the original cast returning for another round of prison breaking escapades, conspiracy filling plots, twists, turns and above all…

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Interview: Elden Henson talks Marvel’s Daredevil and the nostalgia of The Mighty Ducks

There are some actors that have the good fortune of traversing the generations through the medium of pop culture. One of those actors, Elden Henson, has been lucky enough to star in some major franchises as a fan favourite character spanning decades. Recently out in Australia for Oz Comic Con Melbourne 2017, we sat down…

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PSX17SEA: Highlights from PlayStation Experience 2017 South East Asia

The first ever PlayStation Experience held in Kuala Lumpur went down this weekend and we were there to take it all in! Read on as our correspondent in KL, Jasmin Giebel-Osman, takes you through the highs, lows and best games from Malaysia’s first taste of the PlayStation Experience!

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Interview: Producer Jason Michael Paul on bringing The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of The Godesses show to Australia, RePlay and working with Nintendo

When you get the chance to sit down with a concert producer who has continually worked to bring the video game industry we all love into the theatre, you don’t lose your words, you make some up! Last week, I got to speak with Jason Michael Paul before his globe-trotting adventures bring his The Legend of Zelda:…

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Film Review: Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets (FRA/USA, 2017) is pure visual escapism but hampered by unconvincing casting

When visionary filmmaker Luc Besson first picked up a copy of the French graphic novel series Valerian and Laureline by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mezieres he was inspired to bring that story to cinema screens and has been working towards that goal for most of his life. Coincidentally Mezieres was hired by Besson to assist…

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Video Games Review: Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator (PC, 2017) is the year’s most pleasant gaming surprise

When I first heard about Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator on Twitter a few months ago, I must confess I thought it might have just been a meme designed to harvest irony likes. After discovering that not only was the game real, it was being developed and published by famed internet snark machine Game Grumps,…

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Film Review: The Time Of Their Lives (UK, 2017) is a pleasant road trip & light comedy about two unlikely friends

The Time Of Their Lives is a film about two unlikely friends getting a second chance at life. It’s one where you feel like if it had had its own second chance it could have been excellent, but instead will have to settle for being just good. This is ultimately a light, comedy caper and…

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Disney’s Star Wars Land gets a name, new concept art and a themed resort in Orlando

At the recent D23 expo, we were finally able to uncover some more details about the highly anticipated Star Wars theme parks set to land at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World in Anaheim and Orlando, respectively, in 2019. Yes it’s a ways away, but these kind of conferences are all about putting the hype into hyperspace…

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POPSART: Tex Perkins’ hilarious, raw, Rock n’ Roll memoir TEX

This weekend I had the pleasure of hosting a Q & A with Tex Perkins at the Byron Bay Writers Festival about his new book Tex. The famous line from the John Ford film The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance “If you are going to print the facts about the man or print the fiction,…

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Here’s what to expect from the ambitious art program at Helsinki’s award-winning Flow Festival

Heading to Flow Festival in Helsinki this year? Great choice; not only will you be getting amongst performances from world-renowned acts like Frank Ocean, Lana Del Rey, Aphex Twin, London Grammar, the xx, and Angel Olsen, you’ll be able to experience an immersive cutting-festival which has been named one of Europe’s very finest. And that’s…

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Woollahra’s The Lord Dudley ushers in new era with Garden Restaurant (Sydney)

As one of Sydney’s oldest English pubs the usual expectation of a little old world charm that comes with being a staple watering hole for Paddington locals may be warranted but it’s stumbling onto The Garden Restaurant, nestled beneath a cosy light filled atrium within the hotel’s quirky layout, that comes as a pleasant surprise….

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Glass Animals prove festival highlight while Chance the Rapper celebrates in his hometown on Lollapalooza Saturday

Much warmer temperatures and clearer skies awaited the hundred plus thousand people that attended day three of Lollapalooza. Day One was filled with pouring rain and a thunderstorm that cut the day short and Day Two had a little rain but cold temperatures and almost no sun. So Day Three was just what the crowd…

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Live Review: Shane Nicholson impresses at the beloved Caravan Music Club alongside Imogen Clark

It was a bittersweet night for Shane Nicholson at the Caravan Music Club last Friday night, with the venue announcing its closure after a decade of providing an iconic venue for bands and artists to play. Always a highlight venue on the Victorian leg of his tour; singing songs from his twenty-year career repertoire and…

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New Music to Listen to This Week (7th August 2017)

Welcome to the start of the new week. It’s time to take a moment and reflect on last week’s best new singles and music videos, hand-picked by our writing team for you to enjoy. I’m gunna be honest, this playlist is knee-deep in bangers, both the sexy kind (Kelela, Left., Milwaukee Beats) and the heavy…

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Five Albums You Must Listen to This Week (#011)

This week, we have recommendations stretching back to 2014 with Moses Gunn Collective‘s Morning Shakes, through to this year with Poolside‘s Heat. Reminisce and find something new! POOLSIDE – Heat (2017) by Dani Marsland Can you get sunstroke in the middle of winter? Asking for a friend whose had the sun-soaked sounds of Heat, the new full-length from LA duo Poolside…

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Hotel Review: Ramada West Hollywood offers beautiful, luxurious rooms and spiral staircases

Seriously though, how many hotel rooms do you ever get to stay in that have a spiral staircase? Like, actually in the room? My first thought entering my room at the luxurious Ramada West Hollywood was that I was in a room far fancier than I was used to. The bottom floor of the room is…

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The Novotel Canberra opens First Edition Bar & Dining

The Novotel Canberra has opened a new dining venue, First Edition Bar & Dining, on its first-floor mezzanine. The newly refurbished 180-seater restaurant is under the direction of Brandworks Australia in combination with Accor Hotels, drawing on inspired old-world reading rooms with bespoke woodwork to create a space of sophisticated charm. The newly opened restaurant…

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Finland’s finest food and drink planned for Helsinki’s award-winning Flow Festival

If you’re heading to Flow Festival in Helsinki this week then congratulations; you’ll be spending a weekend (11th-13th August) immersed in what has been named one of the very best and most inventive music and arts festivals in Europe. Though it’s not just music and arts for responsible for Flow Festival’s universal acclaim; the annual…

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Henry Deane takes a big step with a new menu from former Mr Wong chef (Sydney)

One of the city’s most impressive rooftop bars, Henry Deane has given a refresh to its food and drink offerings in collaboration with chef consultant Brendan Fong, former Head Chef at Sydney’s world renowned Mr Wong, and Matt Linklater from Melbourne’s awarded Black Pearl. The impeccable views of the harbour and the city that define…

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The Killers & Run The Jewels make Day Two of Lollapalooza one to remember

Day Two of Lollapalooza was much dryer, longer and drama-free than its first day, which saw artists storm off stage early, torrential down pours and an evacuation that cut the headliners sets to less than 15 minutes. Friday’s headliners had a very nostalgic 2000s kind of feel as The Killers and Blink 182 played the two…

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Melbourne International Film Festival Review: Something Quite Peculiar (AUS/UK, 2017) is a rich and tantalising portrait about the one and only Steve Kilbey

You get the feeling that the story of The Church has enough in it to fill up several movies. But the documentary, Something Quite Peculiar doesn’t try to be a definitive guide to the band. Instead, it lays its focus squarely on front man, Steve Kilbey and adapts his 2014 memoir of the same name….

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Melbourne Film Festival Review: Ask the Sexpert (USA, 2017) is a surprisingly funny, frank & fascinating discussion about sex

You may not be familiar with the name, Dr. Mahinder Watsa but to many people he could be “Dr Love.” This nonagenarian is a former gynaecologist turned sexologist and author of a daily column in the Mumbai Mirror. Ask The Sexpert is an intimate portrait of this charming, progressive and wise old man who will…

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Lollapalooza succumbs to heavy rain and winds as Lorde, Muse and Liam Gallagher cut sets short in Chicago

The 13th edition of Lollapalooza kicked off with a bang Thursday night before ending on a slight sour note. Over 100 thousand people braved the rain and cold temperatures to catch the many highlights of Thursday. The day was filled with great sets and the threat of major storms almost held off until after the…

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Interview: Gabriel Akon on his journey to DyspOra & growing a hip hop empire in Adelaide with Playback808

Being able to speak with Gabriel Akon, I knew instantly I was speaking with an artist on the precipice of actual greatness. The Adelaide-based rapper has been making waves through much of this year; his work as DyspOra and as a label head of independent hip hop collective Playback808 set Akon’s course early and through 2017, the industry…

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Single of the Day: Kele Okereke ft. Olly Alexander “Grounds for Resentment” (2017)

Kele Okereke has continued to share some new music from his forthcoming new solo album, Fatherland, in “Grounds for Resentment”. A sweet duet with Years and Years‘ vocalist Olly Alexander, the song tells the story of a relationship from two different perspectives; oozing soul and vocal texture, it’s another reminder that Okereke’s new material is not what fans might be…

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Exclusive Music Video Premiere: Self Talk “Bedside Dictionary” (2017)

Melbourne’s Self Talk first garnered our attention during some sweeps of triple j Unearthed last year; their indie pop/rock sensibilities were quick to shine and stand above the rest. Whether it was in the draw of “Untitled” or the catchiness of “Clean Washing”, there was something about this group that had people abuzz and we were quick…

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Track By Track: Mount Defiance introduces us to Yankee Flat

Today, Melbourne indie four piece Mount Defiance release their new EP in Yankee Flat, seven tracks of fresh heat from the pop lads who are continuing to push on through and add vibrancy to each composition their name is attached to. Their sophomore release, Yankee Flat was recorded up in Mount Helen at Homestead Studios and is an easy…

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