Things go bump in the night in the horror-thriller The Curse of the Weeping Woman. It’s the first feature film from director Michael Chaves. James Wan – one of the producers – made an art form out of exploiting the horror genre; specifically the Annabelle franchise. The Curse of the Weeping Woman references the spooky…
The Trouble with You is an absurdist French comedy that’s both clever and silly. I didn’t know whether to delight in its eccentricities or howl at its stupidity, so I flipped from one to the other and back again. Let’s be clear on one thing – the plot is ridiculous. Detective Yvonne Santi (Adèle Haenel)…
California has gone to pot and Sister Kate is front and centre of the crusade in Breaking Habits. She calls herself a nun, but she created her own ministry after her husband blindsided her. Let’s just say life hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for this former corporate high achiever. As this doco written and directed…
Writer and director Jonah Hill pulls no punches in Mid90s; a coming of age story about a 13-year-old skateboard enthusiast. Hill himself grew up skateboarding in LA in the mid ‘90s, but he maintains the movie is not autobiographical, even though some of the imagery in the film is just as it was back in…
A quirky, subversive gem, Woman at War gives Icelandic cinema a platform on the world stage. It’s beautifully nuanced and skilfully performed by a small cast. Halla is a 49-year-old Icelandic woman. She’s a respected choir leader, who leads a mysterious double life. Her other self is a passionate environmental activist who flouts the law….
You want to go to hell? Then just watch Hellboy. That’s probably a bit harsh; although you certainly won’t get those two hours – which can definitely be better spent – back. From the pages of Mike Mignola’s seminal work, the legendary half-demon superhero Hellboy (David Harbour) travels England to battle a trio of rampaging…
As an arts lover and reviewer, I try to enter a theatre without knowing anything about the production I’m about to see. It’s usually possible by steering clear of promotional guff. I like to be surprised and hopefully engaged by what I see through fresh eyes. In that way, I feel I can tell whether…
Tahir, Jimeoin, Arj Barker, Jimmy McGhie and Akmal were the standouts for me in a 12-strong, two-hour showcase of some of this year’s acts from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. It’s a taste-test – and if you want more you can catch their individual appearances. There’s a lot to like. They’re slick, professional, well-rehearsed ……
Last year I saw the quintessentially Australian comedy film The Merger. Now I’ve be able to see one man – Damian Callinan – on stage doing it all, in the show that inspired the film. He fills multiple roles – primarily coach Troy Carrington, who is trying to lift his beloved Australian Rules team from…
It’s not hard to see why West Side Story has become such a staple. The tale it tells continues to resonate – in fact perhaps even more so today. Whether we’re talking gang violence or racial or religious divisions, the enmity continues unabated. The depth of feeling in the way the story is told –…
