Stan today announced that every episode of It’s A Sin, the brand new 5-part drama series from award-winning writer, Russell T. Davies, will premiere 23 January, same day as the U.K. and only on Stan.
Set in the 1980s, It’s A Sin stars Olly Alexander, Neil Patrick Harris and Stephen Fry and explores the lives of Ritchie (Alexander), Roscoe (Omari Douglas) and Colin (Callum Scott Howells) as they embark on a new life in London at the beginning of the decade. Strangers at first, these young gay lads, and their best friend Jill (Lydia West), find themselves thrown together, and soon share each other’s adventures. But a new virus is on the rise, and soon their lives will be tested in ways they never imagined. As the decade passes, and they grow up in the shadow of AIDS, they’re determined to live and love more fiercely than ever.
It’s A Sin stars a cast of established and rising talentled by Olly Alexander (Skins, God Help the Girl, Penny Dreadful) including Neil Patrick Harris (A Series of Unfortunate Events, How I Met Your Mother), Stephen Fry (Wilde, Gosford Park, Bones), Lydia West (Years and Years), Keeley Hawes (Honour, Bodyguard, The Durrells, Line of Duty), Shaun Dooley (Gentleman Jack, Broadchurch, Woman in Black), Omari Douglas (Wise Children) and Tracy-Ann Oberman(Friday Night Dinner, Toast of London, After Life). The series also sees television acting debuts for exciting new talent Nathaniel Curtis and Callum Scott Howells.
Produced by Red Productions, the series is written and executive produced by Primetime Emmy Nominated Russell T Davies (Queer as Folk, A Very English Scandal, Years and Years), with Red Production’s Nicola Shindler(Happy Valley, Traces) also executive producing.
All episodes of It’s A Sin premiere 23 January, only on Stan.
Stan today announced the brand new Punky Brewster series will premiere 26 February, with all ten episodes available at once, same day as the U.S. – only on Stan.
In this continuation of the iconic ‘80s sitcom about a bright young girl raised by a foster dad, Punky is now a single mother of three trying to get her life back on track when she meets Izzy, a young girl in the foster system who reminds Punky a lot of her younger self.
Soleil Moon Frye (Punky) and Cherie Johnson (Cherie) will reprise their original roles. The series also stars Freddie Prinze Jr. (Travis, Punky’s ex-husband), Quinn Copeland (Izzy), Noah Cottrell (Diego), Oliver De Los Santos (Daniel) and Lauren Lindsey Donzis (Hannah).
From UCP and Universal Television, divisions of Universal Studio Group, and premiering on Peacock in the U.S., Punky Brewsteris written and executive produced by Steve and Jim Armogida (School of Rock, Grounded For Life). Frye serves as executive producer alongside original series creator David Duclon (Punky Brewster, Family Matters, Silver Spoons) and Emmy-winning producer Jimmy Fox (The Arrangement, United Shades of America) of Main Event Media, an All3Media America company.
Punky Brewster premieres 26 February, same day as the U.S. – only on Stan.
Stan today announced the highly anticipated brand new drama series Claricewill premiere 12 February, same day as the U.S. – only on Stan.
Starring Australia’s ownRebecca Breeds (The Originals, Pretty Little Liars) in the title role, the series will deep dive into the untold personal story of FBI Agent Clarice Starling as she returns to the field in 1993, one year after the events of The Silence of the Lambs.
Brilliant and vulnerable, Clarice’s bravery gives her an inner light that draws monsters and madmen to her. However, her complex psychological makeup that comes from a challenging childhood empowers her to begin to find her voice while working in a man’s world, as well as escape the family secrets that have haunted her throughout her life.
Created by Star Trek: Discovery Executive Producers Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet, Breeds starsin the title role as Clarice Starling and is joined by Michael Cudlitz (The Walking Dead), Kal Penn (House), Lucca de Oliveira (SEAL Team), Nick Sandow (Orange Is the New Black), Jayne Atkinson (Criminal Minds), Devyn Tyler (The Purge) and newcomer Marnee Carpenter.
Clarice premieres 12 February, same day as the U.S. – only on Stan.
Madman Films this week announced that The Flood would screen in Australian cinemas from the 21st January so this week we sat down and had a chat with the filmmaker behind the film Victoria Wharfe McIntyre.
Summary: During World War II a young Aboriginal woman sees the injustice that she and her community endures under white settlement and decides to get revenge.
Year: 2020
Cinema Release Dates: 21st January 2021 (Australia),
VOD Release Dates: 6th January 2021 (Australia)
Country: Australia
Director: Victoria Whafre McIntyre
Screenwriter: Victoria Wharfe McIntyre
Cast: Brendan Bacon (Tick), Eddie Baroo (Bushy), Suzannah Bayes-Morton (Marlee), Lance Brown (Doug Bradfield), Vida Elaine Brown (River Brown), Sarah Butler (Sister Marie), Shaka Cook (Waru Banganha), Angus Rose Dann (Alinta), Joy Jasmin Dann (Lowanna), Kenneth Paul Dann (Nudgee), Priscilla Vida Isabelle Dann (Darri), Summer Sky Dann (Molly), Lucas Dillon (Young Kelly), Anni Finsterer (Wilma Wilson), Rob Flanagan (Terry), Karen Garnsey (Pam Bradfield), Barnaby Hanning (Young Shamus), Rupert Hanning (Young Paddy), Maci Grace Johnson (Wanna), Aaron Jeffrey (William ‘Minto’ Minton), Dean Krywood (Shamus/Paddy Mackay), Simone Landers (Binda Banganha), Alexis Lane (Jarah Banganha), Keith Learn (Sorley Mackay), Peter McAllum (Gerald Mackay), Joseph James Brown McLeod (Gari), Justine Angus May Brown McLeod (Alkina), Paul James McLeod (Uncle Jack), Michael McStay (Constable Neale), Jillian O’Dowd (Constable Brady), Socrates Otto (Miller), Daniel Potts (Detective MacGregor), Soraya Rennie (Billie), Toby James Sakeld (Jackson), Petra Salsjo (Majorie), Tykia Simpson (Young Jarah), Tyson Towney (Knorre), William Usic (Jim Wilson), Bendedict Wall (Kelly Mackay), Dalara Williams (Maggie Banganha), Sarah Woods (Meg)
Running Time: 117 mins
Classification: MA15+ (Australia)
OUR WORDS THE FLOOD REVIEWS
David Griffiths’ The Flood Review:
I often laugh as a film critic when I see somebody try to compare one film to another when really the films actually don’t share that much in common. That is certainly the case with the brand new Australian film The Flood. As soon as the trailer landed people were comparing it to The Nightingale.
Now I will admit that The Flood does share some similar themes – revenge and retribution (but so does a million other films out there on the market) and it does explore indigenous culture, although to say that it explores the same aspects of indigenous culture as The Nightingale I would have to say is incredibly narrow minded.
Directed by Victoria Wharfe McIntyre (Miro) The Flood explores several themes that I have found to have been sadly not explored on the Australian cinematic landscape. Topics such as indigenous Australians fighting for Australia in war and the brutal rapes that many First Nation’s women had to endure at the hands of the white settlers.
The film centres around Jarah Banganha (Alexis Lane – Cleverman) who during the time of World War II watches as her family is ripped apart by the new ‘laws’ introduced by white settlers including the cruel Gerald Mackay (Peter McAllum – The War At Home) and his son (Dean Kyrwood – Water Horse). While Jarah experiences the first hand cruelty delivered by the settlers her anger is further fuelled when her husband Waru (Shaka Cook – Top End Wedding) returns from war is not treated the same way as his best friend, Minto (Aaron Jeffrey – X-Men Origins: Wolverine).
There is often a harsh diversity to The Flood. The visuals of the Australian bush from cinematographer Kevin Scott (Backburning) are truly spectacular and beautiful but at the same time the events happening in and around them are of sheer brutality. Having said that though the brutal nature of the film is in context and possibly the only way to describe what Victoria Wharfe McIntyre does with the film as similar to the style of Quentin Tarantino with Django Unchained or Inglorious Basterds.
While important themes and often forgotten parts of Australian history are explored during The Flood it is important to remember that at the heart of this film is a genre flick. Dig deep under the storyline of the film is a harsh, yet realistic western caked in revenge in desperation. The mere fact that the screenplay allows for character and character development of course means the film is a lot better than some other revenge flicks I have had to sit through over the years.
I think what I will take away from this film though is the excitement that surrounds the future of Victoria Wharfe McIntyre, Alexis Lane and Shaka Cook. I get a distinct feeling that McIntyre is going to be a great Australian director while it will not take long for Hollywood to come calling for Alexis Lane. Shaka Cook is also sensational in this film and of course has already been snapped up to be part of the Australian production of Hamilton.
While comparisons to the masterpiece that is The Nightingale is completely unfair in its own right The Flood is an amazing genre film that lifts the lid on some of the darker sides of Australian history.
Summary: A young teenager, who is obsessed with cooking, suddenly finds himself having to battle schizophrenia during his senior year at High School.
Year: 2020
Cinema Release Dates: 10th December 2020 (Australia), 6th November 2020 (UK), 21st August 2020 (USA)
VOD Release Dates: TBA
Country: USA
Director: Thor Freudenthal
Screenwriter: Nick Naveda, Julia Walton (based on the book by)
Cast: Cruz Abelita (Danny), Devon Bostick (Joaquin), Aaron Dominguez (Todd), Reinaldo Fabrelle (Manuel), Andy Garcia (Father Patrick), Walton Goggins (Paul), Beth Grant (Sister Catherine), Latifa McIaney (Monica), Molly Parker (Beth), Charlie Plummer (Adam), AnnaSophia Robb (Rebecca), Taylor Russell (Maya), Drew Scheid (Ted), Lobo Sebastian (The Bodyguard), Evan Whitten (Ricky)
Running Time: 110 mins
Classification: M (Australia), 12A (UK), PG-13 (USA)
OUR WORDS ON BATHROOM WALLS REVIEWS
David Griffiths’ Words On Bathroom Walls Review:
There have been some amazing films made about mental illness over the years. Films like Girl, Interrupted and Rain Man have managed to be both entertaining films while exploring mental illness in such a way that they also educated the people watching the film. Now another film joins that list, Words On Bathroom Walls, but this is also a film with a difference because director Thor Freudenthal (Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters) finds creative ways to reveal how a teenager with schizophrenia sees the world.
The teenager at hand is Adam (Charlie Plummer – Lean On Pete) who lived a pretty regular life with his mother (Molly Parker – The Wicker Man), then all of a sudden everything changed. First his mother began dating Paul (Walton Goggins – The Shield) and then after a violent episode at his High School Adam suddenly finds himself diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Now his constant companions are the rude and obnoxious Joaquin (Devon Bostick – The 100), the violent Bodyguard (Lobo Sebastian – The Longest Yard) who seemingly wants to protect Adam whenever he feels threatened and the free-spirited Rebecca (AnnaSophia Robb – The Way Way Back) who surprisingly seems to be full of good ideas.
That’s when the pressure really hits Adam. Suddenly he is at a new school on a strict probation and although he quickly makes friends with Maya (Taylor Russell – Waves) he finds that he can’t tell her about his schizophrenia. Now he has to try and find a way to keep his life together while undertaking a medical trial while the only person he can be honest with is Father Patrick (Andy Garcia – Ocean’s Eleven).
What sets Words On Bathroom Walls apart from most other movies about mental illness is the fact that the film is not simply just ABOUT a character with schizophrenia it is a film written and viewed FROM the perspective of the person with the mental illness. The result is purely unbelievable. The genius of the idea best comes to the screen when Adam is being interviewed by the Head Nun at his new High School while in Adam’s mind the office around them is on fire. The way the scene is handled by Thor Freudenthal is absolutely amazing – visually it is spectacular and for once the audience gets to see how the world through the eyes of someone with schizophrenia… I know for me that visual with stay with me for a long time.
One of the amazing things about this film is that while at its very heart Nick Naveda’s (Say You Will) screenplay is a teenage romance the film goes a lot deeper than that. It has the visual presence of a film like Fight Club while the full rounded characterisation of the characters gives the feel a realism that so few teenage films have.
Those well-rounded characters also give the cast a chance to shine. As many of us who had already seen Looking For Alaska and Lean On Pete knew Charlie Plummer is the future Leonardo DiCaprio. He is amazing actor who just gets stronger and stronger with every performance, but it is easy to see that he has already captured the art of method acting brilliantly well. Here his performance is very reminiscent of the work of a young DiCaprio in The Basketball Diaries.
Plummer is also well supported by Taylor Russell who also put in a hopefully award-winning performance in Waves earlier this year. Walton Goggins also relishes the fact that he gets to play one of the film’s most interesting characters while Andy Garcia is a real stand-out as Father Patrick… one of the more conventional priests to hit the big screen over the past few years.
Words On Bathroom Walls is one of the surprise films of 2020. I went into this expecting just an ordinary teenage drama and came out of firmly believing that I had just seen one of the films of the year. An amazing film that gives the world an insight that they would not normally have while also revealing that there is more to Thor Freudenthal as a director that we may have previously thought.
A new TV spot airs tonight featuring Marvel Studios’ upcoming new Disney+ series “WandaVision,” a blend of classic television and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The spot reveals an original theme song written by Oscar®-winning songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (“Frozen”), who penned unique songs for several episodes, spanning from the 1950s to the early 2000s.
“‘WandaVision’ is such a cool, strange, one-of-a-kind project,” says Lopez.
“When the director, Matt Shakman—an old friend from my college days—pitched it to us, we didn’t have to think about it. We loved the bright feeling of American sitcoms mixed with the deep sense of unease the story had, and it was a really inviting challenge to help set that tone.”
Adds Anderson-Lopez, “I grew up in the ’80s watching shows from every decade on the networks all day long. Episodes from ‘I Love Lucy,’ ‘Brady Bunch’ and ‘Family Ties’ shaped who I am and how I move through the world. So this project was a dream come true.”
“WandaVision,” the first Marvel Studios series created exclusively for Disney+, stars Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff, Paul Bettany as Vision, Kathryn Hahn as Agnes, and Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau, who was introduced to audiences in “Captain Marvel.” Kat Dennings will reprise her role as Darcy from “Thor” and “Thor: The Dark World,” and Randall Park will reprise his role as Jimmy Woo from “Ant-Man and The Wasp.”
Marvel Studios’ “WandaVision” is a blend of classic television and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which Wanda Maximoff and Vision—two super-powered beings living idealized suburban lives—begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems. The series is directed by Matt Shakman with Jac Schaeffer as head writer. Composer is Christophe Beck, and theme (for certain episodes) is by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.
Featuring nine episodes, “WandaVision” kicks off on Disney+ on January 15, 2021.
One of the most renowned guitarists in the world, Alexi Laiho, has passed away. The musician, most notably known as the front man of Children of Bodom, died in his home in Helsinki, Finland, last week. Laiho had suffered from long-term health issues during his last years.
Alexi Laiho and drummer Jaska Raatikainen founded Children of Bodom in 1993, and the band was one of the most internationally acclaimed metal acts in Finland up until their very last farewell concert in December of 2019. Last year Alexi Laiho put together Bodom After Midnight, who recorded three songs and shot one music video, which will be released later on posthumously.
Besides Children of Bodom, Laiho was known for acts such as Warmen, Sinergy, Kylähullut and The Local Band. Awarded with a Metal Hammer Golden Gods and several other international prizes, the guitarist was also the main star, leading a group of one hundred guitar players at Helsinki Festival in 2015 in “100 Guitars From Hel” – a massive concert piece he composed.
“We are crushed by the sudden passing of our dear friend and band member. Words cannot describe this shock and the profound sadness that we feel”, Daniel Freyberg, Mitja Toivonen and Waltteri Väyrynen from Bodom After Midnight state.
The talented guitarist and musician relished his roles as stepdad in his patchwork family, and as uncle and godfather. Especially during the last years, the important family ties brought a welcomed balance to his life and the active touring. Laiho was particularly close with his big sister, parents and his sister’s daughter. Laiho’s sister says:
“We are all absolutely shocked and devastated. We ask for privacy and understanding during these hard times. My little brother’s funeral will take place privately.”
Alexi Laiho will also be deeply missed by his family in Australia.
“Alexi was the most loving and magnificent husband and father. Our hearts are eternally broken”, Kelli Wright-Laiho says.
THE DRY has taken audiences by storm across Australia, taking in an astounding $3.5 million since it was released on New Year’s Day. The figure gives THE DRY a place amongst the highest grossing Australian film opening weekends, joining classics including HAPPY FEET and MAD MAX.
“The box office results on the dry are truly extraordinary and absolutely confirm that Australian films can deliver blockbuster results alongside their Hollywood counterparts.” Said Joel Pearlman, CEO Roadshow Films “This result is an incredible example of just how willing Australian audiences are to support their own cinema and stories and how important it is for the local filmmaking community to continue to be provided with opportunities to create great works of cinema for Australians to delight in.”
Starring Eric Bana and directed by Robert Connolly, THE DRY is based on Jane Harper’s international and award-winning best-selling novel. Bana plays Aaron Falk, a Federal Agent who returns to his drought-stricken hometown to attend a tragic funeral. But his return opens a decades-old wound — the unsolved death of a teenage girl.
Filmed in Melbourne and throughout the Wimmera region of rural Victoria, THE DRY also stars Genevieve O’Reilly, Keir O’Donnell and Miranda Tapsell alongside newcomers Joe Klocek, Bebe Bettencourt, Sam Corlett and Claude Scott-Mitchell.
Directed by AACTA Award winner Robert Connolly (Balibo, Paper Planes), the film is produced by Made Up Stories’ Bruna Papandrea (Big Little Lies), Jodi Matterson (Little Monsters) and Steve Hutensky, alongside Bana and Connolly.
