The ABC has a (deserved) reputation as a standard-bearer for Australian television production. Aunty’s latest crime drama, Harrow, does nothing to harm that. Okay, it might not have the fun of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries or the grit of Jack Irish; but this is a solid drama with enough intrigue to keep you coming back….
I decided to watch Russian Doll when I saw Amy Poehler was one of the show’s writers and producers. But if you think this show is going to be a light Parks & Recreation-style comedy, think again. It is a comedy but it’s dark – a fact the writers specifically acknowledge in one episode. The…
What a legacy the Swedish pop group ABBA has left the world! That was my overwhelming sentiment while watching the fun of Mamma Mia! unfold at Capitol Theatre in Sydney. It’s a heartwarming romp that gets better until the final three crowd-pleasing numbers. The whole audience is on its feet clapping its hands and dancing to…
Why is it that film purists and aficionados so readily embrace the obscure? Embrace of the Serpent is a title that was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at this year’s Academy Awards and collected eight Columbian Oscars, including best picture, director, screenplay and cinematography that will appeal to three men and a dog. Okay,…
Korean filmmakers have produced some of the tougher, more brutal horror films of recent years, from Old Boy through to Snowpiercer. One of the rising stars of Korean cinema is director Na Hong-jin, who makes tough thrillers like The Yellow Sea. His latest film is no exception. The Wailing is a gory, blood soaked and…
Imagine if you had the ability to see into the future and change the outcome. That idea is at the centre of Marvel’s latest superhero movie, which the studio would like to turn into a franchise. Brought up in foster homes, Cassandra Webb (Dakota Johnson) is a paramedic. All she knows is that her mother…
Bananaland opens in the wake of Covid’s decimation of the performing arts sector. Only the determined can survive, and lead singer of Kitty Litter, 21-year-old Ruby Semblance (Maz McKenna) is certainly determined… uncompromising in her pursuit to have society wake up and also realise her unconventional onstage artistry. It’s all quite tongue-in-cheek as along with…
The Goldfinch spends a great deal of time working out how the puzzle fits together. Theodore “Theo” Decker was 13 years old when his mother was killed in a bombing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Not surprisingly, it changed the course of his life. Moments before Theo’s attention was taken by a pretty, young…
An English/Spanish co-production, It Snows in Benidorm is the new film from writer-director Isabel Coixet (Learning to Drive). This languidly paced, slow-burn mystery lacks any real sense of threat or menace, and unfortunately it leaves many questions unanswered. The film deals with the search for identity and connection, but the ending is vague and unsatisfying….
– BBC Shakespeare Collection Vol. 5 – On DVD now We have 5 Blu-ray copies thanks to Via Vision Entertainment. *(Valid in Australia only)* Watch the trailer HERE In 1978, the BBC set itself the task of filming all of William Shakespeare’s plays for television. The resulting productions, renowned for their loyalty to the…
