I’ve had this book on my shelf for a while but after a run of books focusing on the Nazi regime, I held off reading it until I was ready. When I finally picked up the novel, I discovered a quirky character tale that lingered with me. Here’s the blurb: Aged 105, Rose has endured more…
What is a life worth and what is its impact on others? That is at the heart of the Australian premiere of Di and Viv and Rose by British writer (and actor) Amelia Bullmore. It is a reflection of friendship and how ties that bind can be oh so strong. Rose (Mandy McElhinney) is a…
Six strangers are brought together in an escape room challenge and have to use their wits when the game turns lethal in this hybrid horror/survival-thriller. It’s a bit like Saw, but without the torture. Six strangers – who seemingly have nothing in common – each receive a mysterious cube. When they manage to open it,…
Krampus was a movie I was really looking forward to. Partly because I picked up a radio report about a ban in some Austrian villages to use this folklore figure (I had never heard of it by the way) and his assistants. And partly because I was curious how a horror Christmas movie would look…
After Kingsman: The Secret Service and Kingsman: The Golden Circle, director Matthew Vaughn delivers a prequel. The King’s Man is the origin story, explaining how and why the spy organisation the Kingsman was formed. And it’s jam-packed full of action. The story starts in South Africa in 1902. Orlando Oxford (Ralph Fiennes) from the Red…
In October 2013, the enigmatic and subversive British street artist known simply as Banksy headed to New York to create an original work of art a day for the entire month with an ambitious project known as Better Out Than In. Every morning he would place a picture of his latest creation on his Instagram…
Fifty years on, it remains just as wacky, bold, sexy, energetic and as much fun as when Tim Curry first took to the London stage in 1973. Rocky Horror Show is, of course, a loving tribute to the science fiction and B-grade horror movies of the late 1940s through to the early 1970s. It’s the story of…
The Eyes of Tammy Faye is a cheesy melodrama that plots the rise and fall of televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Baker. Jim (Andrew Garfield), with the help of loyal supporter Tammy (Jessica Chastain), created a 24/7 TV Ministry that was beamed to 20 million people in 56 countries. Jim also siphoned huge monetary pledges…
Jennifer Garner returns to the big screen in Peppermint. This by-the-numbers crime actioner features a vigilante seeking revenge. I counted one surprise in the entire film. The criminal justice system fails Riley North (Garner). She and husband Chris (Jeff Hephner) have a 10-year-old daughter, Carly (Cailey Fleming). While they may be struggling to make ends…
Razor sharp writing by Joanna Murray-Smith (featuring acerbic put downs), and bravura acting performances, are features of the brilliant two-hander Switzerland. The focus is the best-selling author of The Talented Mr Ripley, Patricia Highsmith, who is living as a recluse in the Swiss alps. She finds solace in her seclusion, her cats, her booze and…
