Comedy

Film Review: Wicked Little Letters; Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley flex their profane vocabulary in wicked little comedy

Before the internet gave way to the keyboard warriors of the world, if there was a bystander of sorts that you wished to give a piece of your mind to (however warranted or not), one had to put pen to paper and post such. In the early 20th century these were the days of the…

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Ali Wong announces first ever live Australian tour

Renowned stand-up comedian and award-winning actress, Ali Wong, is excited to announce Australian dates for her “Ali Wong: Live” comedy tour, taking in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane this July. Produced by Live Nation, the tour has been a massive success, playing to full houses right across North America, Paris and London! Having captivated audiences worldwide with her…

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Film Review: The Nut Farm cracks charm out of its undecorated nature

Whilst The Nut Farm undeniably goes for simple, perhaps obvious humour over the course of its brisk 80-ish minutes, audiences looking for clean(ish) humour and a sense of family fun should have an easy time digesting Arj Barker‘s absurd, well-intentioned comedy. Barker, an American comedian whose very much made Australia his second home over the…

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Film Review: Ricky Stanicky; John Cena livens up an otherwise missed opportunity of a comedy

After finding Oscar glory as a solo filmmaker – with arguably one of the more controversial Best Picture wins in the Academy’s history (see Green Book) – there’s a nice sense of coming back home in the case of Peter Farrelly helming Ricky Stanicky. Now, it does pale in comparison to the comedy works he…

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Interview: Director Peter Farrelly, Zac Efron, John Cena and the cast of Ricky Stanicky; “I think you need audacity to make a great comedy.”

When three childhood best friends pull a prank gone wrong, they invent the imaginary “Ricky Stanicky” to get them out of trouble!  Twenty years after creating this ‘friend,’ Dean (Zac Efron), JT (Andrew Santino), and Wes (Jermaine Fowler) still use the non-existent Ricky as a handy alibi for their immature behaviour.  When their spouses and partners get…

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Film Review: Sick Girl gets away with its morally questionable premise thanks to a knowing sense of humour

The type of film surrounding a character we know we shouldn’t like, Jennifer Cram‘s Sick Girl manages to overcome its central figure’s questionable morals by never asking its audience to forgive her. The “sick girl” in question is Wren Pepper (Nina Dobrev, great), a slacker, party girl-type who’s never grown up in the same manner…

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Film Review: Totally Killer; Time travel slasher puts some heart into its horror

Whilst it commits to the kill from an on-screen carnage perspective, Nahnatchka Kahn‘s Totally Killer has a bit more of a Disney Channel Original vibe going for it in terms of its heart and structure; and that’s in no way meant as a diss against what’s ultimately a very digestible, oft witty slasher. In 2023,…

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Film Review: Slotherhouse; Curiously titled “slasher” flick fails to execute its farcical potential

With its ludicrous potential built right into its title, Slotherhouse nabs your attention immediately with its narrative hook.  A mammal as notoriously slow as a sloth surely can’t be fast enough to kill predatorial animals, let alone a house full of sorority girls, right?  It’s just so bombastically ridiculous that it could absolutely work as…

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Dawn French announces long awaited return to Australia with new show “Dawn French is a Huge Tw*t”

The Queen of British comedy, Dawn French, has announced her return to the Australian stage with her one-woman stand-up show, “Dawn French is a Huge Twat”, playing across the country in April and May of 2024. Few people are as firmly ensconced in the British comedy firmament as Dawn French. As one half of the…

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Film Review: Red, White & Royal Blue is a must watch comedic romance about two powerful men

Two powerful families unite through their son’s misunderstanding. A tale of enemies to lovers. Red, White & Royal Blue, based off the book by Casey McQuiston, is a romantic comedy directed by Matthew Lopez, produced by Amazon Studios and Berlanti-Schecter Films. The central characters are sons from two powerful families in the western world; Alex…

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Series Review: Heartstopper Season 2 continues to represent minority groups on television

Heartstopper Season 2 continues to explore the importance of representation. Not only in the LGBTQIA+ community, but through families, relationships, friendships, and abilities. The heartfelt romantic tv drama series aired on Netflix on the 3rd of August, produced by See-Saw Productions, written by Alice Oseman, and directed by Euros Lyn.  Based on Oseman’s webcomic and…

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Review: Reuben Kaye proves that love and acceptance always triumph over fear and hate

Enmore Road was buzzing. Not just because it was a crisp Saturday night in mid-winter, but because Reuben Kaye was back and his presence at the glorious Enmore Theatre was highly anticipated by the public and police alike. Many words have been written about Kaye’s appearance on The Project in April, but it was the…

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Film Review: No Hard Feelings; Jennifer Lawrence runs unashamedly free in this raunchy, heartfelt comedy

Whilst Jennifer Lawrence has lightly flexed her comedic muscle over the years – her Golden Globe-winning turn in 2013’s American Hustle probably the closest she’s come to being the comedienne she so clearly is – No Hard Feelings finally allows the supremely charismatic and comedically capable performer to embrace the genre with all the shamelessness…

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Film Review: The Machine; Bert Kreischer fans are likely to enthusiastically gel with exaggerated comedy actioner

Bert Kreischer is not a personality I’m familiar with.  And having no idea as to who he was in a professional capacity meant The Machine – a star vehicle centred around his most famous  stand-up story – was a film I entered with zero expectations. Perhaps that was what ultimately got me over the line…

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Interview: Andrew Hansen is cheap but incredibly funny

Andrew Hansen is a well-known comedian starring in Australian satirical shows such as The Chaser, CNNNN and The Hampster Wheel. Recently he’s been on the road with his one-man comedy show entitled Andrew Hansen – is Cheap. We caught up with him to chat about the show and some of the inspiration behind his comedy….

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Interview: Comedian Sammy J chats Barry Humphries and the 20 characters in his Good Hustle Tour

As Comedian Sammy J hits the road with his new show Good Hustle, John Goodridge catches up with him to find out about he some 20 characters that will feature in the show, reflect on how he keeps his seemingly hectic schedule together – and they talk about the passing of Barry Humphries. Hey Sammy,…

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Film Review: Eldritch, USA is a weird and wonderful genre piece that wears its make-shift mentality with a gleefulness

Eldritch, USA wears its miniscule budget and make-shift mentality with a gleeful pride over the course of its 108 minutes.  Its limitations are obvious, but there’s a certain scrappy charm to it all that you can’t help but be a little taken by its ambition and camp B-movie mindset; there’s a certain Little Shop of…

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Film Review: Book Club: The Next Chapter turns pages as it lifts up the power and beauty of female friendship

Only a few weeks after Jane Fonda navigated pedestrian, older-skewered comedy in 80 For Brady, the legendary actress is working with similar, though admittedly better material in Book Club: The Next Chapter, an unnecessary, but serviceable laugher that reunites Fonda, Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen for another round of mostly safe, occasionally suggestive…

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Sydney Comedy Festival Gala Review: International comedy is back and it’s frenetic

The Sydney Comedy Festival has finally rolled around and it’s time for four weeks of comedy to take over a multitude of venues in the city, but first, the fabulous Sydney Opera House gets to host one of the opening week galas that showcase a selection of artists to be found on the programme. A…

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Adelaide Fringe Review: Michael Shafar is definitely well worth the chemo

Michael Shafar is a testicular cancer survivor, hence the chemo joke. It was what his oncologist told him after he had seen the show; “You were well worth the chemo, Michael.” Which is a pretty good recommendation. On a Tuesday night after a long weekend, the house is full. Even if the stage is an…

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Jennifer Lawrence will “date” you hard in hilarious No Hard Feelings trailer

Skinny dipping, throat punches and pepper spray.  What won’t Jennifer Lawrence endure to date an “unfuckable” 19-year-old? No Hard Feelings proves it all. The red-band trailer for the new Gene Stupnitsky-directed coming-of-age sex comedy has been released, with Lawrence embracing her natural comedic sensibilities as Maddie, an “Uber driver without a car” who’s close to…

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Adelaide Fringe Review: The Marvellous Elephant Man: The Musical is an absolute riot

As the crowd filled the smokey Wonderland Spiegeltent in the Wonderland Festival Hub, the excitement in the air was palpable. And it was no surprise, considering that The Marvellous Elephant Man: The Musical had been described as The Book Of Mormon meets Beauty and the Beast. Just how on Earth were they going to pull…

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Film Review: M3GAN; A.I. horror-lite comedy is a self-aware slice of glorious lunacy

Right from the opening of M3GAN it’s obvious what type of film Gerard Johnstone‘s A.I. horror-lite is going to be: one that doesn’t take itself remotely seriously, has its wink poised at the audience, and knows you can’t think it’s ridiculous any more than the creators already do. If its trailer didn’t already clue you…

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Film Review: The Menu is an eat-the-rich black comedy that’s prepared and plated to near-perfection

A satire surrounding the wealthy, faux celebrities, foodies and their misplaced importance, or chefs with a God complex seems far too easy to execute for a mock artist.  For director Mark Mylod (What’s Your Number, TV’s Succession) and screenwriters Seth Reiss (TV’s Late Night with Seth Meyers) and Will Tracy (TV’s Succession) it’s low-hanging fruit…

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It’s Magic Mike’s Last Dance for Channing Tatum in threequel’s first-look trailer

The gang isn’t all here, but the ultimate front-man is in Magic Mike’s Last Dance, the third installment in the Magic Mike franchise from Channing Tatum and director Steven Soderbergh. Just in time for Valentine’s Day next year, “Magic” Mike Lane (Tatum) takes to the stage again after a lengthy hiatus, following a business deal…

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Comedian Michael Shafar brings new stand up special to Adelaide & Melbourne

Comedian and cancer survivor, Michael Shafar, is back with a fresh new comedy show. Shafar is a regular on television shows The Project and Studio 10 as well as having a huge following on YouTube. We’ve also captured him at the Adelaide Fringe, where his stand-up comedy shows were well-received. Shafar’s comedy is not for the…

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Interview: Annie Mumolo on Confess, Fletch, choreographing comedy and if she’d ever write her own classic remake

If you’re one of the many that have laughed on repeated viewings of Bridesmaids (and hopefully the underrated Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar) then it’s because of Annie Mumolo.  A writer and actress who has long been a reliable staple in the comedy genre, she’s once again making her presence undeniably known…

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Film Review: How to Please a Woman aims for surprising realness over obvious raunch

Though its title may suggest it’s a comedy of somewhat raunchy proportions, Renée Webster‘s assured debut feature film How to Please a Woman is a far more accessible, rather delightful dramedy that furthers the female view in a male-dominated industry. Filmed in Western Australia (and looking particularly stunning in the process), Webster’s film centres around…

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Cameron James

Sydney Comedy Festival Review: Cameron James – Electric Dreams

  Nostalgia. It can happen to anyone, any time. The song that’s playing, that film you saw, the piece of memorabilia you found in your parent’s cupboard. They can spark memories of a time and place that you may have thought you’d forgotten. It’s those feelings of going back, remembering and sometimes cringing that Cameron…

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Greg Larsen

Sydney Comedy Festival: Greg Larsen – We All Have Bloody Thoughts

There could not be a more suitable title for a comedy show. We All Have Bloody Thoughts is exactly what you’d expect from a comedian that is known for quite shouty diatribes, especially from his appearances on the now defunct ‘Tonightly’ show, various other stand-up appearances or his opinion articles which dance on the line between…

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