After the overthrow of Nicholas II in 1918 the Russian peasants of the Ukraine thought they would be better off under the Bolsheviks. But it was not to be as the socialist ideal of collectivisation decreed that they had to cede a certain percentage of their harvest to feed the country. The peasants eventually rebelled…
What an engaging, charming and heart-warming film! David Stratton: A Cinematic Life opens up the life history and passion of one of this country’s most revered reviewers. Cinema has always been an obsession for the English-born Australian critic David Stratton. Filed in a ring binder labelled “1946” on a shelf in his office he can,…
King Kong re-imagined as a horror-thriller adventure in Kong: Skull Island is fun, fanciful, clunky and inane, all at the same time. This is a world populated by massive dinosaur-like creatures, brought to the big screen by the producers of Godzilla. The film tells the story of a diverse team of scientists, soldiers and adventurers…
She’s a YouTube sensation on her first trip Down Under and judging by the reception she received the night I attended her one-woman show at The Alex Theatre in Melbourne, she’s also a massive crowd magnet and audience pleaser. I speak of Diva impersonator extraordinaire, diminutive, playful and big voiced Christina Bianco – a woman…
– Berlin Syndrome – Only in cinemas from 20 April 2017 We have 10 double in-season passes thanks to eOne Films. *(Tickets valid in Australia only)* Watch the trailer HERE BERLIN SYNDROME follows Clare (Teresa Palmer), an Aussie photographer, who travels to Berlin and meets a charismatic local named Andi (Max Riemelt). Their attraction is…
– Denial – Only in cinemas from 13 April 2017 We have 10 double in-season passes thanks to eOne Films. *(Tickets valid in Australia only)* Watch the trailer HERE Denial is a riveting drama about the real-life showdown between American historian Deborah Lipstadt and notorious English Holocaust denier David Irving. In 1993, Lipstadt publishes a…
Science fiction is a genre that leaves room for ideological visions and fictional future scenarios. A technological fantasy story, as it were. In Arrival this is more applicable on a human level. In this case it’s the effort of humanity to communicate with an alien civilization. That’s fiction enough already. We’re not even capable of…
It’s been a while since I’ve immersed myself in some Scandi crime … what a terrific book to start with. Stefan Ahnhem is a new author to me, but he clearly has what it takes to deliver a gripping read. Two countries in the grip of winter. On the coldest day of the year, Sweden’s…
Canadian band Heat, describes itself as “post-punk” on its Facebook page and lists Sonic Youth and Oasis as influences, while those writing about the band compare them generously to Echo & the Bunnymen, The Jesus & Mary Chain, and Psychedelic Furs. That places the Heat sound firmly in the 80’s, which fits well with the…
– Young at Heart Film Festival – Only in cinemas from 3 April 2017 We have 5 double in-season passes (one session each) thanks to Palace Cinemas. *(Tickets valid in Australia only)* Visit the official website HERE Young at Heart is the only film festival in the world catering to film lovers over 60 years…
