Exclusive Single Premiere: BIRDZ “Hunger Voodoo” (2016)

If you thought “Black Lives Matter” was BIRDZ at his ferocious and gnarly best, then “Hunger Voodoo” is the second hit in a masterful one-two punch the Butchulla emcee has successfully landed in a short amount of time. With a solid groove in the beat, “Hunger Voodoo” is easy to lean back into and vibe with. Listen further…

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Reminder: Overwatch is free-to-play this weekend

Wanna take Sombra for a spin? Of course you do. Lucky for you, Blizzard’s team shooter Overwatch is free all weekend and you can grab it right now.

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Warner Bros. takes “full control” of Machinima under new acquisition deal

Warner Bros. have announced overnight that they have acquired gaming fan site Machinima. The deal sees Machinima join Warner Bros. Digital Networks which launched in June, and will help build the company’s digital video portfolio.

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Epic Summer program unveiled for national Moonlight Cinema locations

If you’re not too sure what you’re going to do once Summer comes around, then your best bet is to attend this year’s national Moonlight Cinema program. For those that love film and want to do something different outside of traditional cinema, this outdoor event caters to all people who want to soak up the…

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The magic of Beauty and the Beast is brought to life in its first official trailer

For those that have fond memories of their childhood watching the animated version of Beauty and the Beast, can now officially experience the magic of its first feature-length version starring the talented Emma Watson as Belle. In this adaptation, there are elements to the trailer that make it such a cinematic and magical experience. We…

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Tech Review: HTC One X9 (HTC, 2016)

HTC is one of what could be considered the “old guard” when it comes to Android smartphones. Despite a clear commitment to the Android market, they’ve never achieved the lofty successes of some of their contemporaries despite many innovations. The HTC One X9 aims to change this by taking an “if you can’t beat them,…

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Win a double pass to see Aliens at In The House in Sydney.

The guys down at Event Cinemas George St are finishing up ‘Season Zero’ of In The House with what is arguably the best sequel of all time, Aliens! Check out Sigourney Weaver kick butt on November 25. This time there’s more. This time it’s war. Tickets are only $13 (or $11 if you’re a Cine…

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Bruce Campbell talks about “that” scene in Ash vs Evil Dead, Ted Raimi and more

As we approach the end of the second season of Ash vs Evil Dead, we sat down with the iconic star of the series – Bruce Campbell – to talk about working with Ted Raimi (again), what we can expect from the rest of the season and we reflect on “that” scene from “The Morgue”….

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Book review: Ray Connolly’s Being Elvis: A Lonely Life is an excellent, though tragic, examination of the price of fame

On the surface, Elvis Presley seemed to have it all. Money, gold records, women, incredible fame. Yet underneath was a lonely man, addicted to prescription drugs and terrified that, at any moment, it might all be taken away from him. In Being Elvis: A Lonely Life, music journalist and screenwriter Ray Connolly steps into the…

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Theatre Review: Seymour Centre 2017 Season Launch

The Seymour Centre is known for its innovative and provocative productions, and 2017 looks to be no different. In its seventh year, the Reginald Series present unique performances from some of Australia’s leading small and independent arts companies. With work that touches on transgender and gender issues, violence against women, future technologies and speaking out…

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Out From Under: Messages of hope from the Australian entertainment industry to those suffering mental health issues in the arts

On Monday 21 November, stars of the Australian entertainment industry will come together at the Seymour Centre to perform in a ONE NIGHT ONLY concert – Out From Under 2016. The event is in response to the issue of mental health within the profession and aims at removing the stigma surrounding mental health by bringing…

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Book Review: Cut by Marc Raabe is a page turner of a thriller for fans of Stieg Larsson and Val McDermid

Cut, the new book from Marc Raabe, starts with Gabriel, an eleven year old boy, discovering a secretive and disturbing crime that happened in the family home, before both his parents are killed. Then the story moves forward 29 years later and we learn where Gabriel is now, what happened to his little brother and just…

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Merrigong Theatre Company announces 2017 season

At a special event at Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, Merrigong Theatre Company revealed their 2017 lineup, which includes smash hit cabaret VELVET. Merrigong Artistic Director, Simon Hinton said “Season 2017 is a celebration of characters. From some of the great theatrical classics, like Cyrano de Bergerac, to characters that give us a window into the…

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All Killer, No Filler: Meet Adelaide’s YEWTH

Adelaide has been existing in an interesting state of flux, when it comes to music and the arts recently. More and more, our interstate cousins have been turning their heads for what we’ve got to offer. We’ve got some of the country’s most exciting musicians getting that bread interstate and abroad, out of the ashes…

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Little Wise talks us through an intensely personal debut record in Silver Birch

At the end of last week, we featured songwriter Little Wise (aka Melbourne’s Sophie Klein) and her new music video for “Don’t Hurry Back”. Today, we find out a bit more about the talented musician as her album tour in support of the impressive debut Silver Birch takes her around the country. Congratulations on the new record;…

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Handpicked Wines have opened a cellar door in Chippendale (Sydney)

A slick new cellar door by Handpicked Wines has opened its doors on Kensington Street in Chippendale. The simply named Handpicked Cellar Door promises guests a journey around Australia and the globe through the ever-loved scope of their quality wines. Far from traditional, the urban cellar door showcases a curated list of wines from some of…

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‘Uncorking the Bottle’: Writing, producing & mixing in Bad Pony’s Sydney home studio

We got to know Sydney band Bad Pony a little better when out in Singapore this year for Music Matters – with their latest single “Bottles” setting them up for a round of tour dates through November (wrapping up this weekend), there were some exciting times still ahead for the band when we last saw them. As…

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Music Video of the Day: STORK “No Waves No Babes” (2016)

Introducing STORK: a humble surf-rock outfit from Adelaide who appreciate the simple pleasures in life- waves and babes. Inspired by those two precious things, this frantic mob have rolled around the beach and promoted a whole lotta West End to bring you their first ever video clip that the boys think is so good, it’ll snag…

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Single of the Day: Oliver Tank “Swerve” (2016)

Oh, Oliver Tank – how we have missed you. The Sydney producer and muso is back with “Swerve”; a melodic and stirring new release Tank made to encourage parting with doubt and finding confidence in what you’re doing. Admitting its personal nature, Tank has commented on his own struggles over the past few years. “I’ve doubted…

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Midas.Gold announces Australian headline tour dates for February

Emerging Australian hip-hop talent Midas.Gold is set to tour his new music in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne early 2017. Recently gaining fans across the nation with his unique sound that brings a fresh and exciting new element to the Aussie hip-hop scene. The Brisbane born artist dropped his debut EP, For What It’s Worth last…

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Boyce Avenue (US) chat tours, covers and doing it independently

It’s predicted that next year, Boyce Avenue will hit ten million YouTube subscribers and over three billion video views. They’ll also play Royal Albert Hall in London. Not bad for three brothers who started with nothing but some instruments, a YouTube channel and a dream. Well, there’s also the matter of them being extraordinarily talented… So…

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Australian Box Office Report: Doctor Strange tops box office again for the third week in a row

Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange topped the box office ladder again this week, making it the third time in a row it’s been at the no. 1 spot.  Although faced with tough competition from two Amy Adams films, both debuting in the top five, the Marvel film still generated $2.57 million in ticket sales this week. The most successful of Adams’ new…

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From the Shadow into the Spotlight: Ricky Whittle opens up about one of 2017’s most hyped shows, American Gods

When Neil Gaiman‘s popular fantasy novel American Gods was announced to be coming to television, it was met with the kind of reception you’d expect when it comes to a beloved literary work: much excitement and bated breath. We all know what it can be like to have our favourite source materials screwed with when it comes to big…

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TV Review: Ash vs Evil Dead Season 2, Episode 7 “Delusion” (USA, 2016)

I remember writing a review for a season one episode of Ash vs Evil Dead that started with “well that was different”. The final verdict was that it was the first mediocre episode of the series. Delusion also goes through a vicissitude, breaking the norm and presenting something totally different to what we have expected. Only this…

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TV Review: Ash vs Evil Dead Season 2, Episode 6 “Trapped Inside” (USA, 2016)

With Baal now risen and and Pablo apparently holding the key to stopping him, Ash vs Evil Dead is getting pretty tense. And Trapped Inside is an action packed episode filled with a tonne of violence and homages that will please Evil Dead fans. The crew head back to Ash’s place again to make good…

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Film Review: War On Everyone (UK, 2016) shines a hilarious light on the worst of humanity

Pausing from his planned trilogy of films with Brendan Gleeson – which has already seen the release of the brilliant The Guard (2011) and Calvary (2014) – English/Irish director John Michael McDonagh makes his debut outside of Ireland with the incredibly black comedy War on Everyone, starring Alexander Skarsgård and Michael Peña – who are…

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TV Review: The Walking Dead Season 7 Episode 4 “Service” is a highlight of the season

After a couple self contained episodes that explored characters that are no longer with the group in Alexandria, we’re back home and the all of the tension and palpable hatred has come flooding back. Negan has come to collect his first batch of goods and Service, despite a very rudimentary premise (Negan and his crew taking their…

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Ghost in the Shell trailer launches with massive celebration in Tokyo

To celebrate the upcoming live action Ghost in the Shell adaptation, stars Scarlett Johansson, “Beat” Takeshi Kitano, and director Rupert Sanders joined fans in Tokyo on Sunday for the film’s global launch party. The celebrations, which were held at Tabloid, kicked off with Taiko drummers, including the legendary anime film composer Kenji Kawai. Attendees were given an exclusive behind-the-scenes look…

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The Iris’ Weekly Australian TV Picks: 15 – 21 November

From Egyptian tombs to Wizards and Cowboys, here are this week’s picks for Free-To-Air TV and Foxtel: Tuesday, 15th November Hap and Leonard, Showcase, 8:30pm AEST Hap and Leonard try to survive and on a search for money, Hap discovers something life changing. Wednesday, 16th November  Tutankhamun, SBS, 8:30pm AEST Carter discovers the tomb but…

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Hotel Review: Fraser Place Melbourne (Melbourne, VIC)

Serviced apartments are absolutely my kind of hotel room. They not as crazy fancy as some higher-priced hotel rooms, they provide more storage and in-room amenities than a traditional hotel room, they’re designed for longer stays so things are usually a great deal more comfortable, but there’s still room service and they make you breakfast…

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