It has been described as one of the films of the year so take a listen as Dave Griffiths delivers an interview with Ansel Elgort. Elgort talks about how important music was to the film and tells us all about his character of Baby.
You can listen to or download our Ansel Elgort interview right here.
Port Augusta based Metalcore lads Alda Sky recently released their new video ‘Odium’.
‘Odium’ is taken from their debut EP ‘Reflections’ that was released in 2018.
Check out the new video below!
Robert Downey Jnr. returns as Iron Man in Spider-Man: Homecoming and Dave Griffiths was able to deliver this interview with the man talking all about the role. Downey Jnr talks about how Tony Stark is a mentor to Peter Parker and how he believes that Iron Man is the heart of the Avengers franchise.
You can listen to or download our Robert Downey Jnr interview right here.
When a seasoned actor like Liam Neeson tells you that his latest film made him cry you not only sit up and take notice but you realise that as a cinema lover you are about to watch a film that really means something.
Long before he was chasing bad guys in Taken or taking on Jedi skills in Star Wars Neeson worked on some of the most emotional films that Hollywood has ever seen – from the brilliant portrayal of a man overcome with grief during World War II in Schindler’s List through to Gangs Of New York and Les Miserables… Neeson knows a thing or two about films that are going to emotionally affect their audience.
When Neeson sits down to talk about his brand new film A Monster Calls – in which he voices the monster – his excitement and commitment to the film are clearly evident and you can tell that this wasn’t a film that he needed much persuading to be involved with. “It’s magical realism,” he says with his eyes lighting up. “It’s a fable about the complexity of our emotions, and how we navigate that complexity as we are growing up. The film is as rich and as imaginative as the book is – it’s quite a cinematic achievement. The subjects that the film deals with are how to grow as a young boy and how to handle very, very complex emotions, especially when a lot of those emotions deal with loss, death and it looks at where you fit in the world – especially when you are at school, and we have all been through that and we have all have tales to tell. The book and the film both very, very beautifully navigates you through this web of heavy and extreme and grey moral issues that all young boys and girls are confronting these days.”
Even Neeson’s role is very much full of subtext and is perhaps the most important character in the entire film. “I plays a character called The Monster,” he explains. “He is conjured up in our young heroes mind. He is like thirty metres tall, he is huge. He comes from the Earth and he is essentially made of the Earth – timber and trees – ancient trees at that – and he represents the universe.”
Neeson is quick to admit that one of the reasons why he wanted to be part of the film was because it had director, J.A. Bayona, at the helm. “I saw two of his films – The Orphanage and The Impossible – and they kind of blew me away. I thought ‘wow here’s a real cinema talent.’ So when I heard that he was doing Patrick Ness’s book A Monster Calls, which I had read, I thought that was a marriage made in heaven right there. Working with J.A. Bayona has been one of those unique experiences that you don’t come across very often. I’ve done 63 or 64 films and every so often you work with a director who just takes you into their world and takes you into the world of the film that they are shooting, He eats, sleeps and drinks films – film and cinema – he’s a little walking encyclopaedia – in fact he is very much like Martin Scorsese. He takes care of you as a director, he nurtures you – he nurtures the performers in the scene, he even nurtures the scene. He allows you to experiment and he just wants you to get to the truth of what the scene is and he will takes as long as it takes to get there and I love working with a director like that.”
With a film that has obviously left an impression on Neeson himself he has no trouble explaining what he thinks audiences will be left feeling after they have viewed it. “It think audiences will be stunned by the technical achievement of not just the motion capture but how it integrates with the story and it is a very moving story, a very, very beautifully written story and it has been very beautifully acted. There is some comedy in it but I think audiences will connect with the emotion in a very, very big way.”
The beautiful and moving A Monster Calls will be released in Australian cinemas on 27th July.
When Dave saw Bad Girls at the Melbourne International Film Festival he gave it an amazing five out of five stars. Now Dave catches up with the film’s composer Warren Ellis to learn exactley what into putting together this amazing film.
You can listen to our Warren Ellis interview right here.
For me Schitt’s Creek is a sort of “Adam’s Family,” or maybe”The Munsters.” Filled with loveable, extremely strange people, completely out of odds with the world, unable to see themselves as others might see them. But deep down there is a sense of kindness and redemption that is their story.
The series is over, it swept the Emmys this year. I was completely unaware of this massive gold nugget until the Emmy’s so I started watching. I haven’t stopped.
Set in the very fictional town of Schitt’s Creek, the multi million dollar empire of the Rose family has collapsed and they are allowed to keep the one thing no one wants, the town of Schitt’s Creek, bought in some heady by Johnny Ros(now disgraced multi millionaire) moment of ignorance.
Populated by the oddest collection of people, that no doubt the casting crew had to really search for. Schitt’s Creek for all that strange collection is a kind town, filled with good natured people. Gay, Straight or bi, every one gets along with each other in a more or less ordered fashion.
But Schitt’s Creek starts with some pretty mean people, or at least people who start mean. The Roses of Los Angeles (or somewhere?) are selfish and manipulative and over-pampered. But Schitt’s Creek is not some sour comedy series about people behaving badly.
The Roses can be awful, ignorant, almost cruel but they also grow from their mistakes. They experience and express contrition. It’s a show about how to care, how to relate and how to bridge that awful social divide. There is a werid out of place logic that seems to apply in this place.
The Rose family is filled with the most insane, silly people. Take Johnny Rose, father of the family. David’s out of place self interest, his attempts to keep his family inline, his love for Moira Rose and how he has to sidestep her outlandish approaches to life, together with the fact he has trouble mixing with others.
Then there is David Rose, never having ridden a bycyle, or really driven a car, fashion obsessed and completely our of place in Schitt’s Creek, it is a delight to see him embrassed, frought and befuddled by the family. The honesty of his sexuality and how it as a part of him and some of the ridiculous outfits, make him in the end as much loved character.
The same goes for Annie Murphy’s Alexis, David’s self obsessed and self-interested sister, who has not lost any of her precocious ways. How those boyfriends stay around? Mutt and the beard episode, or the strange relationship with the Vet. Who is strange himself.
And then there’s Catherine O’Hara playing faded and loopy ex soap star from Sunrise Bay. Moira with has a bulldozer full of front end comedy straight out of some Mel Brooks film.
Her voice alone, is enough to set he apart in comedic history. Its a wonderful performance and you are never sure what the next line, or the next situation is going to present. The town Council scenes where she applies the theatre opening night are comedic genius.
It is all supplemented beautifully, garishly by a collection of hideously ornate costumes and wild wigs. Moira Rose is one of my favorite female television characters of all time, beating Morticia Adams to the vote.
I have come to Schitt’s Creek late. It’s over. Finished. But this Canadian series is something I think the Americans could no longer make. Gentle, sweet, funny, its scene after scene of copmic brilliance within each episode.
Highly recommend.
To fans of Buffy The Vampire Slayer Clare Kramer needs no introduction. The actress portrayed Glory in the hit television series and also appeared in cult films like Bring It On, Rules Of Attraction and Big Ass Spider. Now Kramer is coming to Melbourne for Oz Comic Con and we sat down and caught up with her beforehand.
You can listen to our Clare Kramer interview below.
Clare Kramer will be hosting a lot of the panels at this year’s Oz Comic Con in Melbourne which is being held in Melbourne on 9-10 June. Tickets can be purchased here.
Listen to “Oz Comic Con – Clare Kramer Interview” on Spreaker.
Summary: A group of bullied kids band together when a monster, taking the appearance of a clown, begins hunting children.
Year: 2017
Australian Cinema Release Date: 7th September 2017
Australian DVD Release Date: TBA
Country: USA
Director: Andy Muschietti
Screenwriter: Chase Palmer, Cary Fukunaga, Gary Dauberman, Stephen King (novel)
Cast: Mollie Jane Atkinson (Sonia Kasprak), Stephen Bogaert (Mr. Marsh), Joe Bostick (Mr. Keene), Megan Charpentier (Gretta), Ari Cohen (Rabbi Uris), Neil Crone (Chief Borton), Pip Dwyer (Sharon Denbrough), Sonia Gascon (Mrs. Ripsom), Jack Dylan Grazer (Eddie Kaspbrak), Nicholas Hamilton (Henry Bowers), Stuart Hughes (Officer Bowers), Chosen Jacobs (Mike Hanlon), Tatum Lee (Judith), Jaeden Lieberher (Bill Denbrough), Sophia Lillis (Beverly Marsh), Katie Lunman (Betty Ripsom), Wyatt Oleff (Stanley Uris), Geoffrey Pounsett (Zach Denbrough), Elizabeth Saunders (Mrs. Starret), Jackson Robert Scott (Georgie Denbrough), Jake Sim (Belch Huggins), Bill Skarsgard (Pennywise), Jeremy Ray Taylor (Ben Hanscom), Owen Teague (Patrick Hockstetter), Logan Thompson (Victor Criss), Anthony Ulc (Joe The Butcher), Kelly Van der Burg (Abigail), Steven Williams (Leroy Hanlon), Finn Wolfhard (Richie Tozier)
Runtime: 135 mins
Classification: MA15+
Dave Griffiths:
Horror fans have had a bit of a mixed bag over the last couple of years. Films like Lights Out and Don’t Speak seemed to suggest that production companies were starting to realise that mainstream horror fans wanted a little bit more grunt when it came to the horrors that were hitting cinemas screens. But then came Annabelle: Creation and Get Out which went back to the tired old, too lame, too tame style of mainstream horror that had been disappointing horror fans for years. It was almost a toss-up on what the remake of Stephen King’s classic tale It would be. Would they take it down the tame horror lane or would they want to take a chance and really impress fans. The good news is that the latter is the case as director Andy Muschietti (Mama, Historias Breves 3) brings back a welcome dose of nastiness to mainstream horror.
This version of It is told through the eyes of the children of Derry. Headed by Bill (Jaeden Lieberher – St. Vincent, Midnight Special) whose younger brother Georgie (Jackson Robert Scott – Skin, Criminal Minds) is the latest child to go missing in the town a group of youngsters starts to piece together the puzzle that has been haunting the town for generations. Bill wants to spend the summer with his friends searching for Georgie and dodging the local bullies but when the troubled Beverly (Sophia Lillis – The Garden, 37) starts to have some terrifying experiences that they can all see and the new kid in town Ben (Jeremy Ray Taylor – Ant-Man, Alvin And The Chipmunks: Road Chip) delivers his theory about an evil hitting the town every 27 years all the pieces of the puzzle starts to fall into place.
Soon it becomes obvious that a deadly clown called Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard – Simple Simon, Atomic Blonde) is behind everything and the group of friends which also includes Richie (Finn Wolfhard – Stranger Things, Sonara), Mike (Chosen Jacobs – Cops And Robbers, Hawaii Five-O), Eddie (Jack Dylan Grazer – Tales Of Halloween, Beautiful Boy) and Stanley (Wyatt Oleff – Guardians Of The Galaxy, Once Upon A Time) have to overcome their fears and face them head on.
To be honest we probably haven’t seen a director take such a chance with a remake since Rob Zombie worked his magic on Halloween. With It Muschietti has delivered a completely different film to what we have seen with any adaption of It previously. He takes Stephen King’s tale and turns it into a coming age of film… and a damn fine at that. These kids aren’t your stereotypical ‘film kids.’ First he’s got kids that aren’t your average ‘child model’ actor and then has them speaking the way you would expect them to, yes parents kids do use the f**k word, and has given them each their own unique personality, which comes in handy as their fears come to the surface, rather than just simply having all the kids act exactly the same way. And while I’m sure some critics will question the scene with the kids sitting around their underwear but to me it brought a real natural feel to the film.
That natural feel also comes through in other ways throughout the film. Going back to the novel and giving the main character a stutter again makes the film feel incredibly natural and the fact that the team of screenwriters who worked on the film also saw fit to bring in controversial storylines such as child abuse only grounds the film even more in the real world. It would have been very easy to give the kids simple fears such as spiders and what not but to take it that step further and actually introduce things, like child abuse and bullying, that sadly some kids have to go through in their lives is something that not many people would have expected the script to have done.
Of course the best part of what Muschietti has done with this version of It is to remember that he is actually making a horror film and that it is more than okay to actually deliver some horror. Yes there are confronting moments of teens having to get violent with baseball bats, but realistically what are they to do when they are going into battle evil. Muschietti also doesn’t fall into the trap that so many horror filmmakers do and decide to rest his laurels on jump scares to get at his audience, instead he creates truly horrific moments that are really going to impress the hardened horror fans out there.
When looking at the cast you just have to say that the kids do an amazing job as an ensemble. Having said that though Jaeden Liebehrer and Sophia Lillis do put in performances well and truly beyond their years though. Aside from the terrifying scenes with Pennywise these two youngsters have to conjure up the emotions that a teenager would be feeling after losing a sibling or being sexually abused by their father. No doubt both actors had to go to some pretty dark places in order to tap into that and both need to be congratulated. Billy Skarsgard also does an amazing job playing Pennywise and hopefully if they are able to do the sequel set twenty-seven years into the future that they are able to retain him.
Andy Muschietti has delivered one spectacular horror film with It. The harshness of the horror will keep fans happy while the characterisation and coming-of-age storyline is a welcome change to what could have been. Group that together with a great soundtrack, sadly no Pennywise on it though, and what we are left with is a horror remake that far exceeds what anyone expected for it.
Average Buzz Rating (out of 5):
Summary: Falling in love is easy, getting out of it is hard. Our hero, Josh finds himself ‘LoveStuck’ between his best friend, his ex-girlfriend and the new girl he is about to move in with. As a lowly clerk working with the public service in Canberra, Josh is used to procrastination, but his fear of con*ict and knack for stretching the truth gets him into trouble with the women that he loves.
Year: 2017
Australian Cinema Release Date: 24th August 2017
Australian DVD Release Date: TBA
Country: Australia
Director: Murray Fahey
Screenwriter: N/A
Cast: Rik Brown (Josh), Fenella Edwards (Horatio), Murray Fahey (Polonius), Cathy Hagarty (Cath), Malcolm Irvin (Rosencraztz), Ali Little (Barnardo), Jenny Lovell (Gertude), Heady Manders (Voltemand), Gabby Millgate (Bag Lady Ophelia), Glen Morrison (Laertes), Robert Morrison (Guilderstein), Rama Nicolas (Kate), Emma Reid (Hecuba), Patti Stiles (Trish), Geoff Wallace (Claudius)
Runtime: 73 mins
Classification: TBC
Dave Griffiths:
The Australian film industry has been throwing up some extremely experimental films over the past few years – from one-shot action films through to filmed theatre productions. Well now comes Lovestuck – a completely improvised film from director Murray Fahey (Cubbyhouse, Dags). Not only does the film toss up a story that keeps you guessing but also gives you a look behind the scenes of what goes into making an improvised film at the same time.
The film centres around Josh (Rik Brown – Utopia, Dinner For Three) a man who is struggling with his feelings with three woman – his ex Kate (Rama Nicolas – Little Solider, The Mutant Way), his current girlfriend Cath (Cathy Hagarty – newcomer) and his best friend Trish (Patti Stiles – Neighbours, Stingers). On one disastrous day he meets with Kate to hand back some of her things – which then sets him on a journey to find a pen that she once gave him – while meanwhile Cath and Tess meet for the first time. The result is him having to make a decision about the three woman if he has any chance of moving on at all.
The danger of doing an experimental film like Lovestuck is that sometimes the experiment itself can get in the way of the story or can distract the audience from getting immersed in the film. Strangely, given that the film also shows the audience what is happening behind the scenes at times, neither happens here. The actors at hand – especially Rik Brown – are so good at the improvisation that you forget that you are watching a film that never technically had a script. The scenes flow together well and while there are some scenes that perhaps didn’t need to be there, most of the scenes featuring the main four characters tie in together well and do raise the suspense of who Josh will choose at the end… something that director Murray Fahey let Rik Brown decide as part of the improvisation.
The improvisation of the film does allow for the tone of the film to switch at times which gives Lovestuck a really unique feel. From comedic moments when Josh runs into Cath outside a massage parlour and tries to explain that he didn’t get one of ‘those’ massages right through to more dramatic scenes like Cath and Trish meeting for the first time this is a film that at one moment feels like an episode of Seinfeld one moment and the latest romance drama the next. Even the Hamlet Hip-Hop scene which had the potential of feeling out of place in the film works well because as an audience member you find yourself sitting there thinking ‘do they have the pen or not?’
The key to this film working though was the cast and to Fahey and his casting assistant’s credit they get this 100% right. Rik Brown carries the film throughout and with the tone changes that is no easy feat. From moments of complete awkwardness right through to almost slapstick comedy he delivers each time while Nicolas, Hagarty and Stiles also amazing throughout the film. Not once does there seem to be a moment where they hesitate when they think of what to say next and to be able to deliver improv lines so naturally means they deserve high credit… it is no easy feat.
Lovestuck just shows what you can create when you get together a creative team of people. While an improvised movie sounds like it shouldn’t work this one does to the point where you really do care which decision Josh makes. Worth checking out if you like your cinema a little left of centre.
Bad Girl is a psychological drama about the toxic relationship between two adolescent girls. It is the feature directorial debut for Fin Edquist, who has written for tv shows like McLeod’s Daughters and Home And Away, etc, as well as directing commercials and music videos. As part of our MIFF 2016 coverage, Greg spoke to Fin about the ten year struggle to get his film to the screen.
Bad Girl screens at Melbourne International Film Festival – Thurs Aug 11 at 9pm @ Hoyts Melbourne Central and Sat Aug 13 at 4.15 @ the Kino. Edquist will be in attendance at both screenings for Q&As.
You can listen to or download our Fin Edquist interview right here.