Masaya Nakamura, the man who founded video game publisher Namco and was in charge of the company during the video game boom of the 1980’s, has died at 91.

From the guy who brought you the X-Men, Bryan Singer, and the guy who brought you the TV version of Fargo, Noah Hawley, and based on the Marvel Comics by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz comes an origin story series for one particular obscure character from the X-Men universe. Legion follows the story of David…

I don’t do well in carnival haunted houses. If you want to test my loyalty and devotion as a friend or loved one, do not accompany me into a house of horrors. You could be the most important person in the world to me and I will throw you under the spooky-ass bus if it…

So, you’re looking anxiously through your Netflix list to find the next binge worthy show to eat up. You’ve already had a massive meal with some great sci-fi (Sense 8), comedy (Brooklyn Nine Nine), drama (The Queen) and of course Stranger Things. But now you want something fresh, a little bit of all of the…

National Theatre Live in conjunction with Sharmill Films are once again bringing Australian cinema-goers a chance to experience the magic of the theatre. This time with Harold Pinter’s acclaimed play No Man’s Land, starring the incomparable Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Patrick Stewart. After a successful hit run in Broadway USA, the play returns to…

Following its celebrated run at the Melbourne International Film Festival, the new Australian feature documentary Winter at Westbeth will screen in select cinemas around the country from next week. In anticipation of the release, we caught up with the film’s director Rohan Spong to talk about the project, which was filmed across one extraordinary year…

When it comes to UK teen series, few have been as popular or become as iconic as the series Skins, which ran for some seven years and as many seasons. Premiering ten years ago this week, the first series in particular remains the most acclaimed of the run, with a cast who have gone on…

I would be very surprised if any frequent traveller had never heard of W Hotels & Resorts. Though down here in Australia the luxury chain no longer has much of a presence (that’ll all change with W Brisbane in 2018 and W Sydney in 2019), there are around 47 W properties in over 20 different…

Here at the AU offices, we go through all your spruces and gooses and have collated the best events in this, our monthly look at the best the art, theatre and cultural world has to offer this month for the month of February 2017. Go out and enjoy one of these little events around Australia,…

Last year Kit Kat Japan broke naive hearts across Japan as they announced that their “Kit Kat Sushi” concept was indeed an April Fool’s Day joke. But now it seems what started as a fun (evil) way to mess with their customers has now turned into a reality as website Tokyo Bargain Mania are reporting…

Modern Australian influences drip all over Barangaroo’s new rooftop bar, which is now open and comes to us from Dixon Hospitality, the fine folk behind institutions like The Norfolk and Forresters. Dubbed Untied, the breezy indoor-outdoor addition to the flash precinct is a light-hearted look at Australiana through the lens of Queensland’s tropical rainforests, meaning…

As we dive into the nitty gritty of summer, the end of January brings a time to reflect on what has been a packed 12 months for Sydney’s excellent bar scene. Influential publication Time Out did just that for their annual Sydney Bar Awards, rewarding top performers across several categories such as “Best Restaurant Bar”,…

Made up of Danalogue the Conqueror on synth/keys, Betamax Killer on drums and King Shabaka as their resident sexy sax man sologram, East London trio The Comet is Coming know how to deliver dance worthy, saxophone heavy jams. And at yesterday’s Sydney Festival appearance, set inside the beautiful Spiegeltent, the group made sure we knew…

Performing at St. Stephen’s Uniting Church on Saturday night, Dori Freeman‘s set offered the perfect mix of her own country tunes along with a wonderful selection of country, Americana and gospel classics. Accompanied by her new husband Nick Fall on percussion and vocals, Dori Freeman’s show well and truly supported the buzz hailing her as…

Adelaide’s Naomi Keyte has long been a part of the tapestry that is the South Australian songwriter scene and this year, she’s striking out on her own with the release of her debut album, Melaleuca. The first release from Keyte since her 2013 EP Edge of Morning, Melaleuca sees the artist further flourish and perform with a refreshed sense of confidence and…

One of electronic music’s most exciting duo’s, consisting of Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory, are returning to us with a killer new single and the announcement of their eighth studio album, Silver Eye. From it, Goldfrapp have released the first cut from the highly anticipated record, “Anymore”. If you were a fan of Goldfrapp’s glamorous Black…

Melbourne based singer/songwriter Mark Zito, also known by his stage name Fractures, has revealed a new single set to feature on the muso’s second album Still Here, due February 10. Titled “Lowcast”, it’s the third cut from Still Here and swells with Zito’s layered harmonies and unrestrained guitars. It’s perfect for a Sunday morning and beckons you…

The 37th Sydney International Wine Competition (SIWC) will feature two public tastings on Saturday 11 February at the Novotel Sydney Central, and will feature over 280 wines awarded TOP 1OO, Blue Gold, and Gold medals, including trophy winners. Included in this group are two ‘surprise’ medal winners – the debut Shiraz and Rosé wines blended…

Seminyak, Bali has a new hotspot in it’s endless line of options. The recently opened Bikini, a luxe, architecturally designed space, blends the urban style of a New York warehouse with a decadent Miami beach party feel. With up to 120 seats in both its bar and restaurant areas, it looks to be a very…

The lower north shore’s S’Age Bistronomy is unexpectedly great, calling on a fusion of flavours where east and west meet. Head chef Tomoyuki Usui has worked abroad before making Sydney his home, so it’s no surprise that his cooking brings French cuisine with Asian and especially Japanese influences. The beautiful presentation indicates French fine dining,…

Having been back in Australia for a little over a week now for the Electric Gardens Music Festival, iconic house duo Basement Jaxx have been reconnecting with fans around the country with their unmistakeable DJ style and flair. Their festival and club tour has today added a special and exclusive show for Sydney, with Basement Jaxx…

How do you even begin to describe Car Seat Headrest’s music – ‘lo-fi’ is a commonly used word, but what even is that? The opposite of hifi? As in, Max Watts-formerly known as-Hifi? How would that even be a genre? I digress. Really, lo-fi is a phenomenon, something in the post-emo movement, with less angst…

Australian music industry veterans James Power and Jesse Barbera, have announced the launch of Social State Entertainment, a new full service national venue booking agency that will provide a time efficient and high quality booking service, tailored to each individual performance venue’s unique identity and brand. According to James Power, whose music industry experience includes everything from…

“Kick some ass, get the girl, and try to look dope while doing it” That inane piece of dialogue is essentially what xXx: The Return of Xander Cage bases its existence on. Never a film that was going to be considered good, but at the very least could have been fun, this useless threequel comes…

The Forresters Down Under! That’s what’s happening in February this year when the cast and crew of the popular daytime soapie, The Bold and the Beautiful, makes its way to Australia to film special anniversary episodes. As the world’s most watched daily drama, it’s only fitting that Australia feature in special episodes, with the series…

Starring Luke Roberts (Game of Thrones, Holby City), Sarah Greene (Burnt) and Brandon Jay McLaren (Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce), Ransom takes much of its storylines from the real life on-the-job experience of actual crisis negotiators Laurent Combalbert and Marwan Mery, who are some of the top negotiators in the world. On TV, Roberts plays Eric…

Last Month, Canadian province Manitoba’s not-for-profit industry association Manitoba Music, who develop and promote the growth and sustainability of the Manitoba music industry, released a report analysing the music industry’s economy impact in the province. In it, among many other key figures, is one that sticks out: The music industry in Manitoba generated $4.12 for…

Since its opening in 1963, the Loews Regency New York has been one of the most sought after hotels on Park Avenue. A recent US$100 million renovation has ensured it has maintained that status – not just becoming one of the finest luxury hotels in the city, but easily sitting amongst the best hotels of…

Take a Cirque du Soleil show. Strip out all the colour, the costumes, the set. Turn off the music. What you’d be left with is something that looks a lot like Dimitris Papaioannou’s Still Life. Featuring feats of acrobatic strength and clowning, Still Life is a beautiful piece of moving art, created from the most…

The state of live music has been one of contention recently, especially within Australian culture, where various scenes have been going through stages of flux. Some good, some bad. Sydney in particular has been going through it, and going through it quite obviously. In the eyes of the rest of the country, the city has…