Call me a muggle but I was left cold by Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, the bloated third instalment in the Fantastic Beasts series created by Harry Potter author J K Rowling as part of the extended Potterverse. The series serves as a kind of prequel to the Harry Potter series, and explores the…
The publication of what is regarded as one of America’s greatest novels is the pretense for shenanigans from two of Australia’s favourite comics in Lano and Woodley (Colin Lane and Frank Woodley). It starts with imagery of an albino whale accompanied by the silhouette of a couple of musicians – one on guitar and the other…
Based on the 1988 film, Heathers: The Musical is a slick show about dark issues, including bullying, teen suicide, sexual assault and school violence. What makes this realisation of the rock musical such a success is the way that it leans into the irony built into Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy’s book. It does not shy from the…
Cesare Aldo is back in the sequel to DV Bishop’s historical crime debut City of Vengeance. Once again, Bishop brings the world of Sixteenth Century Florence vividly to life while delivering a well paced murder mystery While this book deals with a very different crime, Bishop keeps some of the threads hanging from his debut…
– The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent – Only in cinemas from 21 April 2022 We have 5 double in-season passes thanks to StudioCanal Australia. *(Tickets valid in Australia only)* Watch the trailer HERE Nicolas Cage stars as NICOLAS CAGE in the action-comedy THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT. Creatively unfulfilled and facing financial ruin,…
COVID-19 has provided plenty of rich fodder for comedians Judith Lucy and Denise Scott. They take to the stage in presumably faux fur as is befitting two “living legends”, after a video montage announcing their arrival. Post exchanging some pleasantries and put downs with a few audience members, they turn the past two years into Comedy Central….
A perennial favourite of mine, Michael Shafar is one very funny man who has no hesitation in pushing the boundaries and fortunately he is back at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival with a batch of new material. He starts his 50-minute set by telling us that before the pandemic he entertained on cruise ships. Then he…
Gold Logie winner Tom Gleeson is highly entertaining and hilarious as he hosts the equivalent of an episode of his popular comedic ABC television show after a few minutes of stand up. In his opening, he pokes fun at 7.30 host Leigh Sales (his lead in to Hard Quiz on TV) and Eddie McGuire. He singles out…
Texas 1979. A group of six amateur filmmakers head into rural Texas to film an adult movie called The Farmer’s Daughter, but end up in a “f***ed up horror movie” instead. Buoyed by the commercial success of adult films like Debbie Does Dallas and Deep Throat, both of which were massive box office hits, and…
Art and crime have always been strange but frequent bedfellows. From the often-illegal activities of Caravaggio to the sensational art heists of the 20th Century, public fascination with both never seems to wane. And while art crime can be deadly serious, director Roger Michell gives it a comic twist in The Duke. Michell’s films tend…
