Dustborn is as charming as it is visually engaging

For a few important reasons, Dustborn immediately grabbed my attention upon its reveal. This Telltale-inspired adventure looks like it was ripped off the page of a comic book and translated into video game form, while the story of a rock band on the run seemed like a cool promise to bring a group of misfits…

Read more

The Penny is much than just a hip Brooklyn hotel

The Penny is one of only several premium hotels in Brooklyn. And of course, it’s in Williamsburg. Brooklyn’s most attractive neighbourhood for trendy locals and visitors hogs the lion’s share of Brooklyn’s best hotels, while a few others are located over in Dumbo. There’s reason for this. You won’t find luxury hotels in Bushwick (yet)…

Read more

The Aster is one of Hollywood’s best kept secrets

The Golden Age of Hollywood is a well-worn aesthetic that’s often too broad and hard-to-define, written on paper like it’s some magic spell conjuring up enough good-will that designers can afford to be lazy. “it’s just like, Hollywood glamour, ya know?” For some, it means high-waisted and ostentatious with just enough raunchiness to tease the…

Read more

The Last Showgirl; Pamela Anderson is an actress reborn in Gia Coppola’s quiet snapshot of a movie: TIFF 2024 Review

At the centre of Gia Coppola‘s The Last Showgirl is Shelley (Pamela Anderson), a 57-year old (though she’ll initially tell you otherwise) Vegas all-girl revue performer whose 30+ years in the Razzle Dazzle show are coming to an abrupt end.  But just as Shelley’s tenure is closing, and the uncertainty of life sets in, Anderson’s…

Read more

Unstoppable is a rousing true story that speaks to the power of resilience: TIFF 2024 Review

Not to be confused with Denzel Washington’s 2010 runaway train thriller – or the lesser known 2004 outing from Wesley Snipes – Unstoppable, which marks the directorial debut of editor William Goldenberg, whose credits include such titles as Coyote Ugly, Miami Vice and Air, is a by-the-numbers sports drama that lives by its inspirational hook. …

Read more

Album Review: GIFT – Illuminator (2024 LP)

With the release of their sophomore album Illuminator, American psychedelic rock quintet GIFT showcases a bold evolution in their sound and direction. The band brings together nostalgic electronic pop-rock elements with expansive, synth-heavy production, resulting in a sound that feels drawn from the wells of bygone eras but equally modern and current. Following their 2020…

Read more

Album Review: Rex Orange County – The Alexander Technique (2024 LP)

The music of English singer-songwriter Alexander James O’Connor, better known as Rex Orange County, has always felt like a taste test: love at first listen or not for you at all. The 26-year-old musician’s indefinable genre fusion, best described by Google as jazz, hip hop, bedroom pop, indie rock and lo-fi soft rock is arguably…

Read more

Presence; Steven Soderbergh’s haunting POV drama favours style over substance: TIFF 2024 Review

Much like how his 2018 psychological thriller Unsane was elevated by it being shot entirely on an iPhone 7 Plus, Steven Soderbergh is implementing another technological gimmick of sorts in Presence, a ghost story that’s filmed entirely from the point of view of the haunting figure lurking within the walls of a sprawling suburban residence….

Read more

The Substance; Coralie Fargeat’s meditation on the standards of today’s beauty indulges in bloody, black humour and body horror: TIFF 2024 Review

The idea of wanting to be younger and create a more perfect aesthetic version of one’s self is a thought many (if not all) of us have conjured at one point or another.  And so often do the two go hand-in-hand, despite the fact that being younger and looking better aren’t always reliant on the…

Read more

Film Review: Bonnard, Pierre And Marthe is as much a love story as it is a character study

Behind every great man is a great woman. Especially if that man is as shrouded in mystery and as reclusive as post-impressionist French painter and printmaker Pierre Bonnard. Bonnard, Pierre & Marthe is as much a character study as it is a love story about the decade-spanning romance between famed painter Pierre Bonnard (Vincent Macaigne)…

Read more

The Dreame L10s Pro Ultra Heat is a big step up for robot vacuum cleaners

Chinese manufacturer Dreame Technology introduced its first robot vacuum in January 2022. The brand then exhibited at Berlin’s annual IFA a year after. Now, look through the market in Australia and you’ll see the name pop up everywhere, typically playing in the premium space with super high-end robot vacuums. That’s a lot of growth in…

Read more

Star Wars Outlaws is a flawed, yet fun action-adventure

I’ve been a Star Wars fan ever since I was a kid, introduced to the franchise via the original trilogy of films. While the quality of Star Wars media has fluctuated over the years, there have indeed been a few decent Star Wars video games to grace our consoles. But for every Knights of the…

Read more

Book Review: Lynda Holden’s This Is Where You Have To Go is a memoir of love and loss

This Is Where You Have To Go – that is what Dunghutti woman Lynda Holden was told when she became pregnant. Directed to stay at a Catholic home for unmarried mothers, her child was taken from her and put up for adoption without her consent. Many years later, those same words have become the title…

Read more

New Music Discoveries 6th September: Nice Biscuit, STONE & DOPE LEMON, The Ferguson Rogers Process, and more

We’re welcoming Spring with ten more tracks added to our Discovery playlist on Spotify and Apple Music, including two we exclusively premiered earlier in the week. Brisbane psych rockers Nice Biscuit take home the first Track of the Week of the month with “Love That Takes You Up” – the final single from their forthcoming…

Read more

Adelaide Film Festival announce four movies ahead of full program

Four movies and other events have been teased out ahead of the full Adelaide Film Festival announcement coming on September 17th. Cannes Film Festival 2024 Palme d’Or Award winner, Anora, reimagines Pretty Woman as a tragicomedy and cements director Sean Baker as someone to watch. It screens at the AFF on Thursday October 24th. Screening…

Read more

Theatre Review: Shore Break is a powerful portrait of masculinity

Writer /actor Chris Pitman has created a powerful story with his one-person show, Shore Break. It is a fictional story about a solitary figure, unable to connect, abandoned at the edge of the world. It’s a combined snapshot of the older men living in remote campgrounds and their isolated existences. Director Chelsea Griffith has helped…

Read more

You can drink from an honest to god Fireball whisky bubbler in Sydney

We’ve seen some pretty strange things from behemoth spirit labels before, but this one takes the stream of alcoholic cinnamon bombs. The fun-loving folks at Fireball Whisky have introduced an actual Fireball Bubbler to celebrate Footy Finals season. Yes, you read that right. It’s just like those bubblers that you never drank from in high…

Read more

Civilian Hotel struts with style on the edge of New York’s Theatre District

Sitting at the edge of New York’s Theatre District is CIVILIAN, one of Manhattan’s newer hotels and a nice balance between designer charm, premium accommodation and – what is perhaps most important in New York right now – affordability. New York always so desperately needs more hotels to accommodate the constant influx of visitors that…

Read more

AUTO-TUNE at the Sydney Opera House is like a fever dream you don’t want to wake up from

If you had the ability to travel back in time and correct your past mistakes, would you? Forming part of the September season of UnWrapped at the Sydney Opera House, AUTO-TUNE examines how life-altering our choices can be. Set in Wagga Wagga in the early 2000s, the performance follows Michael (Mark Rogers), a young Silverchair…

Read more

UPDATED: Concord is serviceable at times, but largely misses the mark

EDITOR’S NOTE: We are updating our Concord review, given the recent news that Sony is pulling the game from digital and physical storefronts alike, with full refunds being offered. The game will go offline at the end of the week, and will not be playable in any fashion.  Live-service games take a little longer to…

Read more
Fruit of the Dead

Book Review: Rachel Lyon explores power, temptation and Big Pharma with Fruit of the Dead

Readers should be advised that this book contains themes of sexual assault. Inspired by the Ancient Greek myth of Persephone and Demeter, Rachel Lyon’s sophomore novel Fruit of the Dead is an inventive tale that explores mother-daughter tensions, power plays and addiction amidst the backdrop of a billionaire’s private island. If you haven’t brushed up…

Read more
Boston Manor

Boston Manor outdo themselves with their latest release Sundiver

Boston Manor‘s fifth studio album, Sundiver drops this Friday, September 6th and serves as the follow-up to their 2022 release, Datura. Sundiver, produced by Larry Hibbitt and engineer Alex O’Donovan, represents a clear departure from its predecessor, with a refreshing evolution in sound and style. “Datura (Dawn)” opens the album with a serene ambiance, featuring…

Read more

Boston Manor’s Henry Cox on Sundiver, touring with Trophy Eyes and creative processes

English rock band Boston Manor have been making quite an impact within the scene since the release of their debut album in 2016. Now, over eight years later, the group are getting ready to release their fifth studio album, Sundiver, which is serves as a contrasting second part to their 2022 album Datura. Recently supporting…

Read more
Brianna McGeehan

Exclusive Single Premiere: Brianna McGeehan “Home” (2024)

At the AU we are suckers for beautiful folk music, and today we have a gem from Atlanta-based folk artist and singer/songwriter Brianna McGeehan with “Home”, her first new single since 2020, and indeed her debut release under her own name. We’re thrilled today to be premiering the track ahead of its release on Friday. Brianna’s…

Read more

Interview: Eliza & the Delusionals’ Eliza Klatt talks new album, relearning the guitar, and tackling the US

After releasing second album Make It Feel Like the Garden in July of this year, Queensland’s Eliza & the Delusionals are gearing up for a tour through North America with The Frontbottoms. We were lucky enough to catch up with lead singer, and the band’s namesake, Eliza Klatt to chat about hand injuries on the eve…

Read more

SXSW Sydney announces exciting screen program for 2024 addition

SXSW Sydney (October 14th – 20th, 2024) is back for its second year, and its bringing a bold and inspiring mix of local and international features, showcasing the best across drama, horror, comedy and documentaries for its Screen Program. The lineup includes the Australian premiere of Lucy Lawless‘s directorial debut, Never Look Away, a documentary about…

Read more

The ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra does enough to feel like a worthy flagship alternative

The ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra is the latest flagship phone to hit the Android market. It’s impressive at first glance with a shiny AMOLED 6.78-inch screen that can go up to 144HZ refresh in-game genie mode. While it has a sleek and comfortable body that does feel good to hold in the hand, what’s keeping…

Read more

PAX Aus announces an absolutely stacked panel schedule for 2024

Is it that time of year again already? PAX Aus is finally nearly back on our shores bringing with it, the largest-ever schedule ever assembled! The jam-packed event will keep everyone busy and find something for everyone over the three-day event. With special guests this year from the Weta Workshop to talk about their upcoming…

Read more

Trophy Eyes, Boston Manor and Towns close out their tour with a bang

Saturday August 31st saw the last gig of Trophy Eyes’ headline tour, with support from Towns and Boston Manor. Melbourne’s Forum was packed for the sold-out show, with fans lining up hours in advance. It was great to see hundreds there early to show their support for Adelaide duo Towns, who in the past have…

Read more
Mark Muposta-Russell

Book Review: Mark Muposta-Russell’s deadly debut The Hitwoman’s Guide to Reducing Household Debt is a hit(woman)

I have to admit, I mostly picked this one up for two reasons – the title, and because I chuckled at the premise. The Hitwoman’s Guide to Reducing Household Debt, the debut novel from Mark Muposta-Russell, promised to be everything I love in a book – funny and quirky, but still full of enough heart…

Read more