Kicking off the first ever University of Sydney Union Identity Revue Season, the stakes were high for the Autonomous Collective … Continue reading Review: ACAR Revue (2016) brings their best for their sophomore year
Directed by: Babak Najafi Starring: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Melissa Leo, Robert Forster, Angela Bassett As a sequel … Continue reading Review: London Has Fallen (2016)
Turandot is without a doubt one of the most popular and enduring operas created, so naturally it was only a … Continue reading Review: Turandot, Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour (2016)
On the week of their 45th wedding anniversary, Geoff (Tom Courtenay) and Kate (Charlotte Rampling) are a seemingly happy couple … Continue reading Review: 45 Years (2016)
2005 was the last time a huge professional production of Fiddler on the Roof played to Sydney audiences. While significant time … Continue reading Review: Fiddler On The Roof, Capitol Theatre (2016)
The Seekers hold a place in Australian music history and have contributed significant amounts to music culture. Yet, when I … Continue reading Review: Georgy Girl: The Seekers Musical, State Theatre, Sydney (2016)
There are few cinematic experiences a fimgoer has when they see a new, groundbreaking work at a theatre. Though nobody … Continue reading Review: The Witch (2016)
Directed by: Louis Letterier Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Strong, Rebel Wilson, Gabourey Sidibe There are expectations when going into … Continue reading Review: Grimsby (2016)
Entering the Reginald Theatre at the Seymour Centre, completely unaware of what Unfinished Works is, or what it is about, … Continue reading Review: Unfinished Works, Seymour Centre (2016)
There are many expectations going into Ghost The Musical at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre on opening night. Bruce Joel Rubin’s adaptation … Continue reading Review: Ghost The Musical, Theatre Royal (2016)
Directed By: Michael Bay Starring: John Krasinski, James Badge Dale, Max Martini, David Costabile, Pablo Schrieber What happens when you … Continue reading Review: 13 Hours (2016)
Four girls live in New York City and try to navigate through the trials and tribulations of dating life. Sound … Continue reading Review: How To Be Single (2016)
It was the nights of nights yesterday, with all the top film stars and Hollywood celebrities descending on Los Angeles’ … Continue reading The best moments from the 2016 Oscars
Directed by: John Crowley Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Emory Cohen, Domhnall Gleeson, Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters Old-fashioned storytelling, classic film techniques … Continue reading Review: Brooklyn (2015)
When Zoolander opened in cinemas in 2001, like most cult films, it premiered to poor reviews and little audience love. … Continue reading Review: Zoolander 2 (2016)
Unless you were sleeping under a rock yesterday, you would’ve known (or at least heard) about the 2016 Grammy Awards … Continue reading Grammys 2016: Our favourite moments
Last night Eden Caceda scoped the red carpet at the fifth annual AACTA Awards held at The Star in Sydney. Continue reading Hijack The AACTAs: Where do Australia’s top screen stars wanna go for the break?
Last night Eden Caceda hit up the ARIA Awards red carpet at The Star in Sydney. He spoke to some of the biggest names in music to see what they’re up to over the summer. Continue reading Hijack The ARIAs: What are Australia’s biggest musos doing this summer?
In the hype of reality cooking television series that appear to be overrunning our networks, it’s not unusual that film studios have tried to commodify this trend. Continue reading Review: Burnt (2015)
There’s obvious hesitation to Joe Wright’s new film Pan. It’s the latest in a slew of remakes, sequels, prequels and reimaginings of old classics and adored children’s stories that seem to be saturating every cinema across the world right now. Continue reading Review: Pan (2015)
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1981 blockbuster musical Cats is without a doubt an example of worn out musical theatre, and in many circles is considered one of Lloyd Webber’s productions to dismiss entirely. Continue reading Review: Cats, Capitol Theatre (2015)
Macbeth is certainly one of Shakespeare’s most popular works, and after so many adaptations through the years, there’s any wonder that a new film of the play could bring anything new to the table. But somehow Australian filmmaker Justin Kurzel takes the source material, cuts out its best parts and makes it his own, contributing unique elements and creative flair so that it feels original and refreshing. Continue reading Review: Macbeth (2015)
After a long five films of the Paranormal Activity film series, everything finally comes to a head in the final chapter, The Ghost Dimension, sadly ending with a whimper than one large scream. Continue reading Review: Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (2015)
Fortunately for comedy lovers, The Dressmaker is a deviation from serious flicks, and evokes the absurdity and farce of past Australian classics like Muriel’s Wedding and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert that have been absent from our domestic screens for too long. Continue reading Review: The Dressmaker (2015)
From What Women Want to Something’s Gotta Give to my personal favourite The Holiday, audiences have complained about Nancy Meyer’s approach to romance, feminism and viewpoint on life. Continue reading Review: The Intern (2015)
It’s safe to say that director Ridley Scott hasn’t had the best luck with his films of late. From the tedious Prometheus to the disastrous Exodus: Gods and Kings, Scott has struggled to regain the brilliance and gravitas that his earlier works, including Alien and Blade Runner, added to the cinematic canon. Continue reading Review: The Martian (2015)
Anything Goes is one of Cole Porter’s most well known musicals and had been performed countless number of times since it was written. But while each amateur and professional production may be full of fantastic singing and stunning set design, Anything Goes is not one of the best shows in the musical theatre canon. Continue reading Review: Anything Goes, Opera House, Sydney
When I was in high school, I remember once being told by a new teacher that she had to take a different approach to teaching us because we were an all boys class. She continued to explain that she had to treat our class more harshly than any class at an all girls high school, simply because we were another gender. Continue reading Teaching Girls, Teaching Boys
From the first few moments of Life, there’s absolutely no indication where the story is about to go. Continue reading Review: Life (2015)
In recent days American singer Taylor Swift and music video director Joseph Kahn have come under fire for their representation of ‘Africa’ in Swift’s newest hit video ‘Wildest Dreams’. Continue reading Taylor Swift’s ‘Wildest Dreams’ and the Problem with Nostalgia
Holding The Man is one of the most profound LGBT Australian books ever published. Released in 1995, the memoir chronicles the life of actor and activist Timothy Conigrave and his relationship with long-time partner John Caro, from their early days in high school through to their joint fight against HIV. Continue reading Review: Holding The Man (2015)
There is absolutely no denying that television shows and films have begun to feature more diverse LGBTIQA+ characters in recent years, and thank god for that. However, as audiences are increasingly more exposed to representations of different sexualities and varied queer experiences, it becomes clear that bisexuality lacks representation on the small screen, both domestically and internationally. Continue reading Where are the bi men on TV?
Every few years sees the release of a new teen film dedicated to representing the quirkiness and nature of a generation. Millennials have already seen Mean Girls, Easy A and Juno represent many of our attitudes and contemporary behaviours, but there has always been a tendency toward fewer younger male voices who are less Perks of Being A Wallflower, and more 21 And Over. Continue reading Review: Me and Earl and The Dying Girl (2015)
Last month there was significant debate when Mackay Member of Parliament and Liberal Party politician George Christensen announced that he was to attend and speak at a Reclaim Australia rally in Queensland. At the time, the Labor Party condemned Christensen for attending, while conservative columnists applauded his stand for “free speech” against the “politically correct”. Continue reading Normalising racism
Roald Dahl’s classic Matilda comes to life on Sydney’s Lyric Theatre after playing on Broadway and the West End, with music and lyrics by Australian musical comedian Tim Minchin. Continue reading Review: Matilda, Lyric Theatre, The Star (2015)
The Mission: Impossible series has lasted for almost 20 years and is one of Tom Cruise’s most recognisable roles. They aren’t groundbreaking cinema, nor are they the best films about espionage in the modern age. But what they never fail to be is an entertaining, high impact action film series, with Cruise’s headstrong performances a primary reason to revisit them again and again. Continue reading Review: Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)
Unfortunately this is not the reboot of Fantastic Four that the original 1961 comic book series deserves. Fant4stic (as it’s been remarketed) lacks the thrill, charisma and chemistry necessary for a superhero film to succeed. Continue reading Review: Fantastic Four (2015)
From the outset, Paper Towns just looks like another boring, predictable teenage film about a White unpopular high school boy and his infatuation with his beautiful White popular girl neighbour. But instead the film handles the main themes and common clichés well, with depth and humour throughout, making the film an above average teen rom com. Continue reading Paper Towns and the death of the teen Manic Pixie Dream Girl
Eden Caceda isn’t excited to visit a graveyard any time soon. Continue reading Review: Glitch Season 1 (2015)
It’s said that there are variations of Hollywood films in every country around the world. If that’s true, newly released Australian comedy Ruben Guthrie is no doubt the equivalent of 2013’s modern classic The Wolf of Wall Street. Continue reading Review: Ruben Guthrie (2015)
Long time musical theatre favourite Les Miserables took home Best Musical last night at the annual Helpmann Awards at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre. Continue reading Helpmann Awards 2015: Les Miserables, Paul Kelly and Kip Williams win top prizes
In recent years Melissa McCarthy has brought to our screens a different kind of funny woman: rowdy, sex-positive, dirty-talking, and unconventional in every sense of the word. But comedienne Amy Schumer’s debut film Trainwreck embodies many of these aspects and more as she continues to drive a provocative humour that pushes many boundaries, making the film one of the funniest and more original ones this year. Continue reading Review: Trainwreck (2015)
Eden Caceda describes what it’s like to represent Iran in a mock COP21 conference. Continue reading Representing Iran at “Make It Work” – A COP21 Simulation
It’s been seven years since Matthew Mitcham made sporting history and became the first openly gay man to win an Olympic gold. But when I have the opportunity to talk to Mitcham, he still speaks like the fresh-faced diver who made Australia proud in Beijing all those years ago. Continue reading Profile: Matthew Mitcham
When Bring It On: The Musical opened on Broadway in 2012, audiences had only five months to catch the show before it was unceremoniously taken off the Great White Way. Continue reading Review: Bring It On, Parade Theatre (2015)
Watching Inside Out with a large audience of older people and young children in a cinema reminds me of the potential for animated films, mostly because the concept is devoid of talking animals and supernatural beings. Continue reading Review: Inside Out (2015)
Eden Caceda on Paris COP21 and how experimental negotiation methods can change how the United Nations discusses climate change. In … Continue reading On The Road To Paris: Changing modes of negotiations
Channel Ten’s Carrie Bickmore won hearts and brought some tears to viewers of last nights TV Week Logie Awards as she walked away with the coveted Gold Logie. Continue reading Carrie Bickmore among big winners at TV Week Logies
On November 14th, I got a call from conservative columnist Tim Blair while at dinner with work colleagues. At the … Continue reading Australia, Cultural Appropriation and I
Nothing has challenged the 600-year tradition of indoor opera more than performing it outdoors. Without the imposition of a theatre, Handa Opera’s outdoor production of Aida on Sydney Harbour is one that aims to bring down the well-established walls of the opera experience. Unfortunately, it delivers delicious spectacle without an emotional build. Continue reading Review: Aida, Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour (2015)
