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Alex First

Alex First is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.

A Dog’s Journey – movie review

A Dog’s Journey is true to its title, following on in the trajectory of its forerunner, A Dog’s Purpose (2017). The result is a contrived tear-jerker with plenty of heart; despite some serious overacting, The dog of the title, Bailey (the voice of Josh Gad), is living the good life on the Michigan farm owned…

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Midsommar – movie review

Midsommar is one of the most bizarre and perverse movies I’ve seen. The second feature film from writer and director Ari Aster (Hereditary), is a journey into the heart of darkness – a hallucinatory and disquieting fairy tale. During a getaway with academic mates to a bucolic Swedish village, American couple Dani (Florence Pugh) and…

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Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan

Danger Close provides an insight into the horror and heroism of the Battle of Long Tan from an Australian perspective. Although overacted, this is a movie not easily forgotten. The movie is based on the true story of that battle in South Vietnam on 18 August 1966. It saw 108 young and largely inexperienced Australians…

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Late Night – movie review

Late Night pokes fun at a flawed TV talk show host who’s been sacked after a decade of plummeting ratings. After almost 30 years on the box, legendary entertainer Katherine Newberry (Emma Thompson) – a pioneer in her field – is losing her touch. She dismisses contemporary guests in favour of those who are rock…

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