How can you stand up to a bully? That’s the question at the centre of the crime drama Dogman. Timid dog groomer Marcello is separated from the mother of his young daughter, whom he adores … and vice versa. He lives in a barren, downtrodden Italian neighbourhood and gets on well with everyone. To make…
A brilliant, if complex, script and a series of magnificent voices are the hallmarks of this wickedly funny celebration of 1940s film noir and dark detective fiction, which is two musicals in one. City of Angels focuses upon an ambitious Hollywood screenwriter, Stine (Anton Berezin), who struggles with a demanding studio boss (Troy Sussman) as…
Damn time loops. Bill Murray got stuck in one in Groundhog Day and could escape it by surrendering to love. And Tom Cruise had a less pleasant loop in Edge of Tomorrow. He died every time during an alien invasion. Samantha (Zoey Deutch) faces the same problem in Before I Fall. A night out with…
A New Zealand fundamentalist church is under the spotlight in Gloriavale. The Christian community, located at Haupiri, north-west of Christchurch, is home to about 600 people from 70 families. Neville Cooper, who changed his name to Hopeful Christian, founded it in 1969. It stands accused of using slave labour and exploiting women and children. The…
The ancient and modern worlds collide in the special effects action blockbuster Monster Hunter. Based on a video game series of the same name, the plot – such that it is – is basically inconsequential. It’s merely an excuse for non-stop fighting and a legion of monsters to test and retest the limits of human…
Our selection of the best new music across a range of genres from the week ending 4 October 2024. The Smile have revealed their new album Cutouts. The trio – Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Tom Skinner – debuted several songs from Cutouts during The Smile’s UK tour in March. Cutouts features 10 new-tracks, produced…
I never thought I would miss Will Smith in a movie. Well, for everything there’s a first time. And damn, I missed our friend Smith in this sequel to the blockbuster Independence Day from 1996. Not because of his acting talent or his good looks; but because of his dry humor and his sometimes hyperactive…
For those unfamiliar with John Steinbeck’s classic 1937 novella Of Mice and Men, a strumming pre-show soundtrack accompanying the rustic bunkhouse staging (Bill Haycock, designer) plants Ad Astra audiences firmly in its Depression-era California setting. Lighting also warms us to the tender take at the heart of the story as we meet is main characters,…
For the VFL/AFL club that has finished runner up more than any other, the continued pain of losing Grand Finals and wasted seasons (when the result was far worse) was piling up. From working class roots, Tony Shaw tried his hand as basketball, but lack of height saw him turn his energies to Aussie Rules. At least,…
On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 took off from New York’s La Guardia Airport. A few minutes after take-off the plane was struck by a flock of geese, which disabled both engines. Veteran pilot Chesley Sullenberger (played here by Tom Hanks) was forced to make an emergency landing, bringing the plane, carrying 155…
