“It took five years for the film to get made,” says writer/director Brendan Cowell when talking about his feature film directorial debut Ruben Guthrie, which hits local cinemas on July 16. Brendan Cowell is a familiar face through his work on stage, on television with appearances in Love Your Way and through his film work,…
I wish I could say great things about the sequel to the bump and grind we got in 2012 with Magic Mike. Three years after Mike Lane (Channing Tatum) bowed out of the male stripper life at the top of his game, “Magic Mike” finds the remaining Kings of Tampa, likewise, ready to throw in…
Sweden is more than idyllic red cottages and affordable housing in flat packages. Today it is also a country with a big youth unemployment problem. It is so massive, in fact, that hundreds of thousands of young Swedes see no option other than to move across the border to Norway. They hope to find work…
A brief sexual encounter between Jay (Maika Monroe, from The Guest) and Hugh (Jake Weary) has terrifying consequences. An unwanted and malevolent presence begins following Jay everywhere and seems intent on killing her. The problem is that only she can see this mysterious and relentless boogeyman, and it can even change shape. Jay’s sister Kelly…
Joe Lui is a vibrant and natural performer. He speaks from the heart and that comes through in his latest work and why shouldn’t it because it is autobiographical. Lui was only 17 when he left Singapore and went into exile after refusing more than two and a half years compulsory military service. That made…
It’s interesting how often one book flows on to another, whether by theme, a place or a name. Plane crashes seem to be a theme this week, with Judy Blume’s In The Unlikely Event rounding out three books with that as the inspiration. This is the first book written for adults by Blume that I…
Yet another sold out show from Queensland Ballet, and one aimed squarely at the children. This restaging of the Houston Ballet production has lots of slapstick comedy, sword fighting, pirates, mermaids, scary Red Indians, and fairies. There’s not a tutu in sight and a complete lack of adagio! There were also a lot of masked…
If there’s something Travolta remained loyal to, then surely it’s his distinctive, sad look. Ever since I saw him the first time appearing in Saturday Night Fever (ages ago), he uses that sad expression. It always looks as if he’s going to burst out in tears. And the movie The Forger is substantively perfect for…
Energy, heart, joy and fun are the ingredients of the latest circus to hit town. This year, more than any other in recent memory, has been the year of the circus, and we are only at the half-way point! Show after show has showcased (pardon the pun) feats of athleticism, dexterity, strength and endurance. Some…
He promised he’d be back, and it’s good to report that Arnold Schwarzenegger has returned to the Terminator franchise that made him a bona fide box office draw card looking little worse for wear. Thirty years ago James Cameron gave us an ambitious mix of sci-fi and action in the original Terminator movie about an…
