No one can deny the sheer film nerd excitement and anticipation surrounding the release of the Coen brothers’ take on True Grit, which rode into Australian cinemas last week. To have Joel and Ethan at the helm of a (Western) project starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin, it’s a nigh-on pants wetting excitement. Wondering what filmic magic the Coen brothers have in store for [...]

Nice and early yesterday morning, the movie world welcomed the official release of the 52^nd Oscar nominations, but not everyone has been left to thank the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

As the nominations reflect the work of this past year’s films and filmmakers, Oscar buzz has certainly left a sour lump in the back of Buried Screenwriter Chris Sparling’s throat. Unfortunately for Sparling, [...]

A weekend or school holiday trip to the movies has long been a staple occurrence to the coming of age of millions of teenagers the world over. Catching a flick without Mummy or Daddy for the first time is a monumental right of passage: more-so if you’re daring enough to let them buy you a ticket to something they want you to see and then sneak into a [...]

Welcome to 2011… this year, the Gods of cinema have a gift they’re sure you’ll love, but nevertheless cannot exchange or refund! In the wake of franchise returns for Meet the Parents: Little Fockers, The Chronicles of Narnia: the Voyage of the Dawn Treader and Pirates of the Caribbean: [...]

I’m sure most critics will agree that writing an end of year list is a frustrating and unnecessarily difficult process. You’d think the 5-star grading system this site employs would make the task easy, but it doesn’t; an action blockbuster I gave four stars doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better than that gritty urban drama I gave three-and-a-half. And then comes the issue of ordering; what makes film B not quite [...]

If you’re like me, then you probably have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Christmas. Present-giving and copious amounts of food? Definitely the highlights. Not so wonderful, are the endless crowds and modern pop or rap interpretations of Christmas carols. Similarly, for every genuinely funny or heartwarming Christmas film release, there’s undoubtedly a Jingle All the Way or Christmas With the Cranks or anything starring Tim Allen. So, in this season [...]

Where did you go Mel Gibson? You were so crazy cool in the Lethal Weapon films. You had your hard-boiled characters of vengeful action in Payback and Ransom. You delivered memorable moments of heroic leadership in epics Braveheart and The Patriot. Where are you now? With your hand up a beaver puppet begging for a second chance, that’s where.

Despite everything, is there a chance – even just a [...]

The poster is likely to be the first thing moviegoers will see of an upcoming film, so it’s vital that they make a good first impression. A great poster possesses many qualities; they’re visually arresting, they’re in sync with the mood and themes of the film and, most importantly, they increase your anticipation for the movie. Few posters fit this bill each year, which is why it’s important to acknowledge [...]