Empire Magazine Australasia

12/02/2021

DAYS OF THE BAGNOLD SUMMER will appear in Aussie cinemas on February 18.
When a summer in Florida with his father doesn't pan out, a heavy metal-loving teenager is forced to spend six long weeks with his mild-mannered librarian mother. A feel-good British tale adapted from Joff Winterhart's graphic novel, the movie stars Earl Cave (Nick's son), Monica Dolan (The Dig), Tamsin Greig (Black Books, Green Wing) and Rob Brydon (The Trip).
Check out the trailer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0vfVMm0aRc

DAYS OF THE BAGNOLD SUMMER Trailer (2020) Teen, Comedy, Drama Movie © 2020 - Altitude Films

30/12/2020

The compelling bush noir mystery drama THE DRY opens in Aussie cinemas tomorrow (January 1). It got four stars from us and we say it is well worth checking out!


Melbourne cop Aaron Falk (played by Eric Bana) returns to his hometown during the middle of a long drought for the first time in decades to attend the funeral of an old friend Luke (Martin Di**le Wall), who apparently slaughtered his wife and son before turning the gun on himself. When Luke’s parents beg Falk to investigate the case, he reluctantly accepts the task and soon starts unearthing evidence and dark secrets that throw doubt on the murder-suicide verdict.
Meanwhile, Falk’s presence upsets some locals, who remember his and Luke’s involvement in the mysterious drowning 20 years ago of teenager Ellie Deacon (BeBe Bettencourt). As long-buried anger and resentment bubble to the surface in the fierce summer heat, Falk discovers there may be a connection between both crimes.

15/12/2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_xZGoYU1eg&feature=youtu.be
Premiering in Australia cinemas on Thursday, December 17 is “Crock Of Gold: A few rounds with Shane MacGowan”. Check out the trailer.

From multiple award-winning and critically acclaimed film, documentary and music clip director Julien Temple (“The Filth and the Fury”) comes CROCK OF GOLD, a feature documentary about the legendary poet, punk and Pogue, the unique Shane MacGowan.

No one has bared their soul quite like MacGowan. Growing up in a culture of strong anti-Irish sentiment in Britain, he has lived life to the hilt and beyond, putting every atom of his humanity on the line with his raw, unflinching and unashamed music.

Through creative use of animation; unseen footage from Temple’s own archives; and contributions from collaborators, artists and, most importantly his own family, the film celebrates Shane’s seemingly effortless facility for writing lyrics to some of the world’s most listened to songs including “Fairytale of New York”, the world's most popular Christmas song.

Shane captures the spirit of Ireland and the mood of the Irish diaspora while on his own very personal voyage into the heart of darkness, always with a drink in his hand. The documentary culminates in Shane's 60th birthday celebration where singers, movie stars and rock’n’roll outlaws gather for a knees-up to remember.

Follow Crock of Gold https://www.facebook.com/crockofgoldfilm https://www.instagram.com/CrockofGoldFilm https://www.twitter.com/CrockofGoldFilm CROCK OF GOLD...

09/12/2020

"Would you like a copy of 'Godfather III' on Blu-ray?" they asked. "Yes, please," we replied.
And so we received a copy of the Blu-ray today.......and THIS!!!
Holy heck! Now, THAT'S a cannoli!!!!!!! :)
Thanks, Paramount. :D

08/12/2020

OCCUPATION: RAINFALL the spectacular new Australian Alien Invasion blockbuster, produced entirely independently, will release in Australian cinemas on 28 January 2021. The film will open across more than 120 screens, reaching a wide audience of sci-fi adventure lovers and will be distributed by genre film specialists Monster Pictures.

Directed and written by Luke Sparke and produced by mother and daughter duo Carly & Carmel Imrie (Occupation, Red Billabong) and co-executive producer Todd Williams (The Nun, Alex and Me), OCCUPATION: RAINFALL is an action-packed, unstoppable thrill-ride that stretches from the scenic hills of the Blue Mountains to the battle-ravaged streets of Sydney. The film features eye-popping visual effects by local industry leaders including Creative Cupids, FIN and countless independent artists with backgrounds working on major studio pictures.

Check out the trailer!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8tofjqqrV8&feature=youtu.be

The film’s top-line cast includes Ken Jeong (Crazy Rich Asians, The Hangover Trilogy), Daniel Gillies (The Originals, Vampire Diaries), Dan Ewing (Love and Monsters), Dena Kaplan (Dance Academy), Temuera Morrison (Aquaman), Mark Coles Smith (Last Cab To Darwin), Jet Tranter (Thor: Ragnarök), Lawrence Makoare (The Lord Of The Rings), David Roberts (The Matrix 2 & 3), Vince Colosimo (Chopper), Zac Garred (General Hospital ) and Trystan Go (The Family Law), as well as Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter) as the voice of Steve the alien.

In Cinemas January 28 2021 Filmmaker Luke Sparke‘s highly anticipated follow-up to the 2018 OCCUPATION, picks up two years into an intergalactic invasion of ...

06/12/2020

"MONSTERS OF MAN": This Aussie-made sci-fi actioner will be released worldwide tomorrow. Check out the trailer!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFcf0dWKyjw&feature=youtu.be

OFFICIAL www.monstersofman.movie

04/12/2020

*** IT'S REVIEW TIME! ***

"MARIO PUZO’S THE GODFATHER CODA: THE DEATH OF MICHAEL CORLEONE"
OUT: DECEMBER 9 / CERT: MA15+ / 158 MINS

Fans of the multi-Oscar-winning "Godfather" trilogy can finally see the controversial final chapter the way director Francis Ford Coppola intended with this recut version – available on Blu-ray and Digital – of 1990’s "Godfather III". The conclusion to the epic rise and tragic fall of crime boss Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) received plenty of Academy Award noms itself but no gold – only brickbats from critics and fans who were disappointed by its convoluted plot and the miscasting of Sofia Coppola as Michael’s daughter Mary. That’s a shame because, even if you haven’t seen parts one and two, "The Godfather Coda" is a compelling drama about a bad man trying to break free from his past and go legit. The final 30 minutes is as tense and gripping a set-piece as one will ever see. The director’s cut reveals how badly some have misjudged this film for the past 30 years.

02/12/2020

This Christmas, Spin Master is reimagining where imagination can take us with a cool range of TV and film-related games.
One boardgame that should be at the top of the list for fans of all things Marvel is "Marvel United".
It's a strategy card game that allows players to become the heroes they always dreamed of being!
"Marvel United" is a fast-paced, cooperative game where players take control of Marvel superheroes and band together to thwart the master plans of the most dangerous super-villains in the Marvel Universe.
The game is suitable for ages 8+ and has an RRP of $34.99.

01/12/2020

MISSING PIECES

Eagle Entertainment’s new release ‘The Vanished’ – out on DVD on December 2 – is a chilling tale about loss, grief and the extreme lengths that some parents will go to protect their child.
Loving couple Paul and Wendy Michaelson (played by Thomas Jane and Anne Heche) are plunged into a nightmare scenario when their daughter Taylor goes missing while on a family vacation in a remote RV park.
Despite a massive search of the surrounding area conducted by the local police, led by Sheriff Baker (Jason Patric), the distraught parents refuse to sit idly by and wait for news, especially when they learn there is an escaped convict in the nearby woods. The couple takes matters into their own hands, going down a dark path that leads to some shocking revelations.
EMPIRE recently spoke with writer/director PETER FACINELLI who confessed that his second movie – his directorial debut was 2018’s ‘Breaking & Exiting’ – threw up some unexpected hurdles while being filmed in the American wilderness.
“It was a tough shoot,” he said. “The universe was kind in some ways and in other ways kept throwing up roadblocks. One time, we had a rainstorm that blew over a light and we had to shut down. One time, we had wild hogs in the area…we sat there waiting for them to leave. And one time the drier started smoking in the RV for no reason – it was an electrical thing – and the RV filled up with smoke. Nobody was using it, nobody was near it. We had to wait for the smoke to clear out. And, y’know, time is money. Those things present challenges and hurdles, and every day is a race to get your work done from sun-up to sundown. And when the sun’s down, you’re done. And it’s reversed when you’re shooting nights; when the sun comes up you’re done.”
Facinelli said the disturbing plot of ‘The Vanished’ was inspired by personal experience.
“When my daughter was five I was on a motor home trip with her and we pulled into this little RV park and I remember going to the front desk to pay. I heard some gunshots in the background and asked, ‘What’s that?’ The guy behind the desk said, “Oh, don’t worry. There’s a prison a couple of miles down the road. They do drills and if you hear 2-3 gunshots that’s normal. Anything more, though, come running to the front desk. So I thought to myself, ‘Wow! What if someone escapes from prison? What if my daughter went missing? What a horrific thing to happen among such beautiful scenery. We’d be looking for a needle in a haystack in the middle of these woods.’ That planted the seeds for this film.”
In the lead roles of parents Paul and Wendy are Thomas Jane and Anne Heche, who previously worked together on TV’s ‘Hung’. Facinelli praised the two actors and the rapport they had with one another.
“I cast Thomas first and we were trying to think of female leads to play his wife. I hadn’t seen them work together, but he mentioned that he and Anne worked on a project before. And I liked that because I figured if they knew each other that they would have this chemistry and they did. I thought they did a fantastic job.”
‘The Vanished’ is a thriller-mystery with a killer twist ending that races along at a mile a minute. The lack of slow build – with viewers thrown in the deep end almost immediately – was a deliberate move by Facinelli: “I want the audience to feel like there’s something not quite right here. There’s something off and you can’t quite put your finger on it. I want to give the audience a chance to solve the case.”
But with the amount of red herrings dotted throughout proceedings by the director…well, solving this case won’t be so easy.
Which is why Facinelli believes seeing ‘The Vanished’ a second time would be a worthwhile endeavour: “What I enjoy about it is that the audience is watching one movie – they THINK they’re watching one movie – but there’s another movie happening that they don’t know they’re watching. And if you go back and watch it privy to that, then there is a second enjoyment of the film.”

* THE VANISHED (M) is available on DVD from Eagle Entertainment from December 2.

27/11/2020

Spin Master is reimagining where imagination can take us this Christmas with some of the hottest toys, activities and games for all age groups.
A big fave in the EMPIRE office is the new special edition party game "Blockbuster", which is a must-have for all fans of the good ol' days of video stores and weekly rentals.
Two teams race against the buzzer to get their team to shout out movie titles using three tricky techniques – acting, quoting or describing the movie.
The winning team is the first to collect a movie title from all eight genres, which include comedy, horror, action, drama, classics, family, animation and sci-fi.
"Blockbuster" is the perfect party game for anyone 12 years and older. It has an RRP of $29.99.

25/11/2020

***COMPETITION TIME***

****COMPETITION NOW CLOSED****

* Win one of FIVE digital double-passes up for grabs to see Eric Bana's new bush noir mystery THE DRY, which hits Aussie cinemas on January 1!
Just comment below on the best country town you ever visited and why. We'll select the FIVE most entertaining answers as the winners.
***The competition closes on Monday, November 30 at 5pm. Winners will be drawn on Tuesday, December 1 at 9am. Winners will be informed and sent their digital double-passes later that week.
Good luck, everyone!

23/11/2020

2020? Pffffffft...you can have it. We're already looking ahead to 2021, which promises to be a great year for movies. Case in point, our cover feature in the December issue of Empire (on sale now): THE SU***DE SQUAD. Get all the hot goss and even hotter new photos from what promises to be a superhero action flick unlike any other you've ever seen!
Also in this issue are exclusive interviews with the directors of two huge Aussie movies coming to cinemas in January: THE DRY (starring Eric Bana) and PENGUIN BLOOM (starring Naomi Watts).
We also look at the fast times and short life of comedian Chris Farley, talk about new Ryan Reynolds vehicle FREE GUY and wonder whatever became of George Clooney in the never-released-till-now GRIZZLY 2?
All this and so much more in the new issue of Empire magazine, on sale now!

16/11/2020

LOCAL ACTOR TAKES ARTISTIC TALENT TO A NEW LEVEL

MELBOURNE actor Nathan McCarron has taken a side hobby of drawing pop culture figures and achieved worldwide success with it.
“At the start of COVID-19 I joined TikTok,” he said, “posting my artwork to continue being creative as I could no longer attend auditions.”
What started as something to keep himself occupied during lockdown blew up and Nathan has now had more than 24 million views and picked up over 400,000 followers. He even appeared on TV’s ‘Sunrise’ talking about his artwork.
To see more of Nathan’s work check out his Instagram () and TikTok: .

10/11/2020

28/10/2020

The darkly comic romcom SPONTANEOUS is available for sale now on digital. Check out this short clip from the movie! :)

27/10/2020

Spontaneous... Buy it Now on Digital!

Get ready for the most outrageous coming-of-age love story about growing up and blowing up! When students in their high school begin inexplicably exploding (literally), seniors Mara (Katherine Langford) and Dylan (Charlie Plummer) struggle to survive in a world where each moment may be their last. As an unexpected romance blossoms between them, Mara and Dylan discover that when tomorrow is no longer promised, they can finally start living for today!

26/10/2020

Have you seen HOPE GAP yet? If not, we highly recommend you do. Check out the trailer and our review from earlier this year (below).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAP1fA-bp5k

The intimate, intense and loving story of HOPE GAP charts the life of Grace (Annette Bening), shocked to learn her husband (Bill Nighy) is leaving her for an...

26/10/2020

EMPIRE's cover feature for December is a massive tribute to the talented Chadwick Boseman. We interview some of the great actor's close collaborators and look at his most iconic roles in such movies as BLACK PANTHER, DA 5 BLOODS and 42.
Also in this issue, we interview Bill Murray, Rebecca Ferguson and George Clooney, and take in-depth looks at coming films SOUL and MANK.
Plus we deep-dive into one of the strangest sci-fi films ever made, ZARDOZ.
All this and so much more in the December issue of EMPIRE, on sale now.

07/10/2020

FILM REVIEW: "BLOODY HELL"

OUT OCTOBER 8 (CINEMAS), JANUARY (DIGITAL) / CERT MA15+ / 95 MINS
DIRECTOR Alister Grierson
CAST Ben O’Toole, Meg Fraser, Caroline Craig

Ex-US soldier and ex-con Rex (Ben O’Toole, most recently seen in "Halifax: Retribution") heads to Finland to start a new life and is immediately invited to dinner by a local family. Unfortunately, they happen to be cannibals and he’s the main course! Even more unfortunately for the über-blonde meat-eaters, their latest guest is actually crazier than them and they may have...ahem, bitten off more than they can chew. Fans who miss the classic Ozploitation era of the ’70s and ’80s will love this gruesome black comedy that lays on the jokes and ultra-violence thick and fast. It’s insane, it gory and it’s a whole lotta fun. You could easily imagine sitting at home in the mid-’80s with a pizza and sixpack and popping this flick (on VHS) into your VCR and laughing yourself silly.
- DAN LENNARD

06/10/2020

FILM REVIEW:
“DIRT MUSIC”

OUT OCTOBER 8 / CERT M / 105 MINS
DIRECTOR Gregor Jordan
CAST Kelly Macdonald, Garrett Hedlund, David Wenham

A movie based on Tim Winton’s beloved book – winner of the 2002 Miles Franklin Award – always had big shoes to fill, but this gorgeously filmed adaptation of the romantic thriller gives it a red-hot go.
Former nurse Georgie (Kelly Macdonald) is trapped in a loveless relationship with controlling, distant small-town fisherman Jim (David Wenham). One night, she encounters poacher Lu (Garrett Hedlund) mid-theft but instead of reporting him, she starts a passionate relationship with the emotionally bruised fella, who gave up a promising music career after a tragic accident killed his brother, sister-in-law and young niece.
Unfortunately, Georgie and Lu’s blatant affair can’t stay hidden too long and Jim takes swift and brutal revenge, forcing Lu to flee into the desolate-but-beautiful wilderness in far north WA.
But Georgie is unable to give up on her lover and so begins her desperate quest to find Lu before he succumbs to the harsh elements.
“Dirt Music” may not be for everyone, but if you enjoyed Winton’s novel, then I recommend you check it out.
The West Oz scenery is stunning, the soundtrack is spectacular (much of it courtesy of Julia Stone, who has a small-but-significant role in the movie), and a who’s who of local talent – Aaron Pedersen, Dan Wyllie, Chris Haywood – give depth to several crucial supporting characters.
– DAN LENNARD

29/09/2020

Hungry for an Aussie horror flick you can REALLY sink your teeth into? Then go see "Bloody Hell" for a bloody good time.
BLOODY HELL will screen across Australia at selected EVENT Cinemas from Thursday, October 8.
New South Wales
EVENT Cinemas - Bondi Junction, Burwood, Campbelltown, Castle Hill, Glendale, Hornsby, Hurstville, Kotara, Liverpool, Macquarie, Miranda, Parramatta, Shellharbour, Top Ryde) and Tuggerah
Northern Territory
EVENT Cinemas – Darwin Casuarina and Palmerston
Queensland
EVENT Cinemas – Brisbane City Myer Centre, Brown’s Plains, Cairns Central, Capalaba, Carindale, Chermside, Coomera, Indooroopilly, Kawana, Loganholme, Mackay North, Maroochydore, Morayfield, Mt Gravatt, North Lakes, Pacific Fair, Robina, Rockhampton North, Southport, Springfield, Strathpine, Toowoomba GC and Townsville Central
South Australia
EVENT Cinemas – Marion
Western Australia
EVENT Cinemas – Innaloo, Morley and Whitford

*Check local cinema guides for in-season screening dates and times.

https://www.facebook.com/BloodyHellTheFilm
https://www.instagram.com/bloodyhellthefilm/
https://twitter.com/BloodyHellFilm

Starring Ben O'Toole, Caroline Craig, Matthew Sunderland, Travis Jeffery, Jack Finsterer and Meg Fraser.

28/09/2020

The October issue of EMPIRE is on sale now and it's our massive DUNE issue. Twelve pages of exclusive content about this year's hottest sci-fi movie, plus TWO variant covers (one for subscribers and one for regular newsstand buyers)!
The issue also includes huge posters of WW84 and David Lynch's ambitious version of Dune, plus features on new films REBECCA and DEATH ON THE NILE, a deep dive on classic comedy CLUELESS, the lowdown on spooky prequel series RATCHED and an exclusive interview with BLACK WIDOW's Scarlett Johannson and Florence Pugh!
All this and so much more in the October EMPIRE, available now.

22/09/2020

Love FORTNITE? Love computer games in general? Love romantic comedies? Then THIS Aussie webseries - LOVE, GUNS & LEVEL-UPS -s has you covered. Check out the first episode now. :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLH0S3bm_Ls

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

09/09/2020

The 14th annual Sydney Underground Film Festival is upon us again...and this year it's all ONLINE. Head to https://www.suff.com.au/ to find out what mind-bending, brain-exploding feature movies and short films are on this year's program! SUFF runs from September 10-20.

07/09/2020

SUFF 2020 is coming!

30/08/2020

Our September issue – on sale NOW – gives readers THE ULTIMATE MOVIE PLAYLIST, courtesy of some of filmdom's biggest movers'n'shakers including Edgar Wright, Delroy Lindo, Ethan Hawke, Henry Golding, Samantha Morton, Joe Dante and John Landis!
More than 200 movies listed - all of them absolute winners. How many have YOU seen?
More importantly, what would be your TOP FIVE AUSSIE MOVIES? Tell us 'cos we wanna know! :)
This month's issue of EMPIRE - featuring huge posters of upcoming blockbuster THE KING'S MAN and 1986 classic PLATOON - also features exclusive interviews with Oliver Stone and Riz Ahmed, plus we deep-dive into the phenomenon known as SpongeBob SquarePants and the 20th anniversary of AMERICAN PSYCHO.
All this and so much more in the September EMPIRE, available at all fine newsagencies, supermarkets and probably on eBay. :)

30/08/2020

***** COMPETITION NOW CLOSED ********

To celebrate the September 10 release of BILL & TED FACES THE MUSIC in Australian cinemas, EMPIRE (in conjunction with Madman) is offering FIVE double-passes in this fantastic ticket giveaway competition!
To enter, just tell us in 25 words or less below why you reckon Bill & Ted are so excellent!!!
EMPIRE will choose the FIVE best answers and they will each win double passes. The competition opens now (August 31) and closes at 12 noon on Friday, September 4.

02/08/2020

Our August issue – on sale from Monday, August 3 – celebrates the (tentative) return of movies to our cinemas. TOP GUN: MAVERICK, WEST SIDE STORY, BLACK WIDOW, WONDER WOMAN 1984 and many more. We have all the hot news about the hot new releases!
Elsewhere, we celebrate the 25th anniversary of BABE, with exclusive comments from star Magda Szubanski and director Chris Noonan. Learn how the "under-pig" became a worldwide phenomenon!

29/07/2020

Russell Crowe is fantastic in his new movie UNHINGED, which comes to Aussie cinemas on Thursday, July 30.
That's TOMORROW!
Check out the trailer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EtytOgGj5o

Academy Award winner Russell Crowe stars in Unhinged, a timely psychological thriller that explores the fragile balance of a society pushed to the edge, taki...

27/07/2020

We love SAINT FRANCES, but don't take our word for it. Check it out for yourself now on Stan. :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqKfxEGuxtE

Flailing thirty-four-year-old Bridget (Kelly O’Sullivan) finally catches a break when she meets a nice guy and lands a much-needed job nannying six-year-old ...

15/07/2020

Coming out tomorrow (July 16) is the explosive fear-ride that is FOLLOW ME. A YouTube superstar who loves experiencing extreme scares - and sharing them with his millions of subscribers - gets more than he bargained for when he and his friends accept an invitation to fly to Russia and take part in the "Ultimate Escape Room Experience". Things are about to turn a little HOSTEL...er, we mean HOSTILE.

06/07/2020

Our July issue – on sale NOW – counts down the Top 50 Movie Heroes Of All Time – from James Bond and Ellen Ripley to Mad Max and Moana – featuring exclusive interviews with Sigourney Weaver, Keanu Reeves and more! Who made the coveted No. 1 spot? Also, we talk to Spike Lee and Charlize Theron, and have exclusive comments from the stars of ‘The Matrix 4’!