Okay, a few caveats. I am most definitely not the target audience for Trolls: World Tour – because I’m not 8 years old. That disconnect makes reviewing this film difficult, because what I see isn’t what an 8 year-old sees. The character design alone made me nauseous; but they’ll love it. The film operates on…
As influential as UK post/punk rock band The Psychedelic Furs has been in modern music circles, it’s pretty surprising to look back at their discography and realize that the entirety of their studio recordings can be found on seven albums released over eleven years, between 1980 and 1991. The band’s string of hits – “Sister…
If you can imagine James Bond, mixed with Harry Potter and topped with Edge of Tomorrow, you might have some idea what Christopher Nolan’s new epic Tenet is all about. In terms of scope and ambition, this is one of Nolan’s grandest films. But the big ideas get lost in an overly complicated script and…
For those of you still missing the soaring strings of a certain English drama, try Belgravia. Set in the early Victoria era, a time in which the aristocracy was losing its treasured sons to the Napoleanic wars, Belgravia is a lavish and grandiose production in which evidently no expense has been spared. Beginning with the…
It is timely, of course, reading a novel about an airborne illness that necessitates changes in human behaviours in order to reduce its deadly impact upon a population. The Pull of the Stars is set over a three day period, sharply focused on one woman’s battle to keep her head about water as she cares…
Our selection of the best new music across a range of genres from the week ending 21 August 2020. Nubya Garcia’s first official LP, Source, explores a multidimensional jazz sound layered with soul, afro-diasporic sounds and hints of dub-step along the way. It tells a deeply personal story, despite having no lyrics to accommodate it….
– Palace Encore! – We have 5 double in-season passes thanks to Palace Cinemas. *(Tickets valid in Australia only)* Palace Encore! brings you the best in classic & cult cinema around the country, every week. Encore Screenings at the Palace Barracks Cinema in Brisbane are always 6:45pm on a Monday and 8:30pm on a Friday….
Not everything is spelt out in writer-director Itay Tal’s drama God of the Piano. In Israel, Anat (Naama Preis), makes a shocking decision in hospital after receiving unexpected news following the birth of her son. The daughter of an elite piano teacher, Arieh (Ze’ev Shimshoni) Anat never reached his heights, despite her talent. She never…
From 1996 to 2001, the Taliban ruled over Afghanistan with an iron fist. During this time, many basic human freedoms were curtailed and public executions became common place. All are highlighted in The Swallows of Kabul, a remarkable portrait of life under Sharia law. Specifically, we are in the Afghan capital, Kabul, in the summer…
Paul Murphy’s NZ feature Lowdown Dirty Criminals is an enjoyable but somewhat derivative crime-comedy. The darkly comic caper cribs from the Guy Ritchie playbook, with a lot of his flashy visual flourishes. The non-linear narrative structure uses plenty of flashbacks and replays scenes from different perspectives. The film opens with a Mexican standoff in a…
