The Despicable Me series, created by French filmmaker Pierre Coffin, has developed and expanded over the past 14 years, and the franchise has grossed over $4 billion worldwide. Given its success it’s no great surprise that we now have a fourth film in the series (not counting the two stand-alone Minions movies). Over the course…
The consummate stylist of the American cinema is back and in top form. Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City is another excellent entry in the director’s canon and is probably his most accessible work since Rushmore. As I’ve said in these (digital) pages before, Anderson is a love-him-or-hate-him proposition. If you’re in the “hate-him” camp, you can…
Minions: The Rise of Gru is an origin story and an ode to the music of the ‘70s. The year is 1976. A bored teacher asks the children in her class at elementary school what they want to be when they grow up. Gru (voiced by Steve Carrel) is certain – he wants to be…
I don’t often get excited about politics. I mean, look at the state of political discourse in this country! But when I see what’s going on in America, I sometimes think maybe we don’t have it so bad. The abyss that is current US politics obviously interests (maybe appals is a better word) late-night talk…
Geez, you think you know a guy! Whether you loved or loathed former US Vice-President Dick Cheney, Adam McKays’ new film Vice will probably give you new insight into this enigmatic figure. Oh, and it may just illuminate some recent history as well. But the most important thing about Vice is that it’s fun. Although…
Beautiful Boy tracks the love and loss of an 18-year-old. Nicolas Sheff was a good student, editor of his high school newspaper, an actor in the school play and a member of the water polo team. A voracious reader and a talented artist, he was set to enter college. He had started experimenting with drugs…
Boyhood was a very good film, but it was bloated. Last Flag Flying, by the same director, Richard Linklater, isn’t as good. Like Boyhood, it’s also distended, but still has its moments. Three buddies who served in Vietnam together reunite after decades for one express purpose. In 2003, soft-spoken family man Larry “Doc” Shepherd (Steve…
– Last Flag Flying – Only in cinemas from 25 April 2018 We have 10 double in-season passes thanks to Transmission Films. *(Tickets valid in Australia only)* Watch the trailer HERE One of the most acclaimed American filmmakers of his generation, Richard Linklater (Boyhood, Before Sunrise), teams up with an exceptional ensemble cast to deliver…
In 1973, former Wimbledon champion Bobby Riggs played women’s champion Billie Jean King in a spectacular tennis match – dubbed the Battle of the Sexes – at the Houston Astrodome. Riggs was also a serial tennis hustler, gambling addict and sexist braggart. It proved a landmark that ultimately had repercussions for the status of women’s tennis and…
With the successful Despicable Me franchise, new kids on the block, Illumination Studios, have rivalled animation giants Pixar and Dreamworks who once set the bar. The success of the Despicable Me franchise is largely due to the scene-stealing antics of the mischievous, diminutive and simple minded yellow creatures known as the minions, who talk in gibberish. The…
