Everything old is new again, or so it seems. In Retro Review, our resident film buffs take a dive into a movie classic -- and tell us why it worked then, and whether it still works now. This week, Sarah Rose looks back at Richard Curtis' 2003 romcom extravaganza Love, Actually THE MOVIE: Hailed as the “Ultimate Romantic Comedy”, Love, Actually by renowned romcom director Richard Curtis follows several couples from across the spectrum of love during the December holiday per

Wil Wagner's band -- born in a Melbourne street, taken to the world -- has many stories to tell, including about the front man's own life, writes Louie Cina. On the surface, it’s easy to dismiss the Smith Street Band as a hyper-Australian group that just sings songs about getting drunk. Whilst hyper-Australian may be undeniable, especially given the band’s name is a direct nod to a popular Melbourne street, the last part could not be further from the truth. “It’d be easier i

The Academy has released new rules for next year's show … so how does it all work again, and what hope of local filmmakers getting to Hollywood's biggest stage? Sarah Rose explains. Two months on from the monumental 96th awards show, which saw Barbie singing for the limelight and Christopher Nolan collecting his dues from Oppenheimer , the Academy has decided to do some seasonal weeding of its awards criteria. New rules were announced at the end of April which now require a

Everything old is new again, or so it seems. In Retro Review, our resident film buffs take a dive into a movie classic -- and tell us why it worked then, and whether it still works now. This week, Genevieve Nardella lo oks back at a classic from 1993. THE MOVIE: The Nightmare Before Christmas , 1993. One Oscar nomination (Best Visual Effects), 2 Saturn Awards (Best Fantasy Film and Best Music) WHO’S IN IT? Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara, Paul Reubens. DO I K

Melbourne cinemas are revelling in alternative cinema experiences that invite audiences to become a part of the action. Spencer Gilder-Smith reports on the unique experiences being embraced by cinemas and audiences alike. The space is filled with wizards, ghosts haunt the bathrooms, letters are flying everywhere, and butter beer is being poured. No, this is not Hogwarts (well, not technically). Rather, Lido Cinemas have transformed their eight-screen boutique cinema in Glenf

Swinburne’s 2023 Movie Mogul pitch winner has been named. Issie Soudy reports . Adam Coustley and fellow students present their curation, 'The Lamington Movies', at ACMI's Swinburne Studio during the Movie Mogul event on Friday, May 26. Photo: Issie Soudy / The Burne. From technicolour horror, to lamingtons and Kylie Minogue, there was something for everyone at Swinburne University of Technology's annual Movie Mogul pitch event on Friday, May 26 at the Australian Centre for

Genevieve Nardella summons a bit of history on that famous Candyman coat.

Genevieve Nardella splits hairs over the unlikely buzz surrounding the new Game of Thrones prequel.

Trigger warning: This story covers topics such as addiction and early 2000s romantic comedies starring Katherine Heigl. You have been warned. Do you know that scene from 27 Dresses when Katherin Heigl’s character is getting changed in the back of a cab because she has three weddings to attend – all on the same night? I recently experienced a similarly eerie feeling of déjà vu while getting changed in the back of an Uber to attend my upcoming volunteer shift at Wild Cit

FILM REVIEW Title: Thirteen Lives Run time: 2h 27m Director: Ron Howard Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell, Joel Edgerton Where and when: Streaming on Amazon Prime Rating: 4/5 Ron Howard’s Thirteen Lives details the incredible true story of the rescue of 12 boys and their coach who were trapped deep in a cave system in Thailand for 18 days. With detailed precision and claustrophobic tension, Howard has returned to form with a massive success. The film explores the many

MIFF FILM REVIEW Title: Holy Spider Run time: 1h 57m Director: Ali Abbasi Cast: Zar Amir Ebrahmi, Mehdi Bajestani Where and when: No current plans for release in Australia Rating: 4/5 Ali Abbasi’s Holy Spider details the horrific true events that took place in the holy city of Mashhad, Iran, in 2000 and 2001, when 16 women were murdered because they were sex workers. Abbasi has created a nightmarish noir that sickens and shocks not with just the explicit acts of violence,

For 22-year-old Megan Sloane, Olivia Newton-John came into her life at exactly the right moment. “My grandmother passed away of cancer in 2014 when I was only 14, I didn’t know how to deal with that properly; I started self-harming. I was on anti-depressants and during that time was when I found her,” she said. “She was able to drag me out of that negative headspace with her bubbly personality, she made me want to change my outlook on life.” Olivia Newton-John was not only a