Online/Streaming... NOW! - Long Weekend Edition

As it's a long weekend (in Sydney and some other Australian states) why not head off to Bali this long weekend. Well I have it's 6 hours away, less of a rats race, still pumped for the AFL grand final yesterday and loads of sunshine.

Heaven is only 6 hours away from the hell of Sydney. Why not these coming Summer holidays give it a go. No not a paid endorsement of the Indonesian luxury island of Bali, more a get out of jail card from the pits of hell of Sydney. Thanks Gladys for creating such a mess, these songs go out to celebrate life escaping from a lockout ridden, nanny state where businesses close daily and good luck getting a feed after 8pm.

Now a post usually reserved for my music blog Flashing off the Record, time to look at some new music from Friday. This weekend Flashing off the Record is celebrating a stunning record from Eves Karydas, it landed on Friday and is getting us ready for Summer, it's called summerskin.

A remix album of the 2016 alt-j album Relaxer landed on Friday, Reduxer. It has heaps of guests and it sounds cool thus far, checkout the GoldLink feature below.

From Tuesday the latest from John Butler Trio will be featured on Flashing off the Record. The album is called Home and this video became available over the long weekend.

Get ready to move, Dillon Francis is back! This time with Wut Wut and a busload full of guests

With footy finals weekend in full swing I was sure The Living End would be performing something from Wunderbar on at least one of the codes? Oh well, good timing maybe for the release of their new album. This is the boys eighth studio album and marks over 20 years on the scene. Good job fellas.

Bringing Lana Del Rey along for one of the songs on her new record, Cat Power is back with Wanderer.

Super fun stuff here, it's Nile Rodgers & Chic with It’s About Time. Polish off those disco balls y'all!

Long weekends are for dancing, hello new Roosevelt, Young Romance.

Speaking of dance Sigala get everyone from Kylie to Craig David on Brighter Days. Brighter Days, YASS cause Summer is almost here!

On the singles front, talented act, Yeo is back with a new single, The Comments


Until next New Music Friday, where we can expect new releases from Bleeding Knees Club, Bootleg Rascal, Last Dinosaurs and more...

Movie Matinee Madness - Searching

Where is the Crazy Rich Asians hype for this Asian American lead thriller? John Cho basically is Searching via screens, FaceTimes and video chats.

Searching is first up despite my query and excellent modern thriller. Cho is outstanding, Debra Messing is great on the other end of the "search" as a detective and Joseph Lee as Cho's brother is extremely handsome.



OK so a dad detective looking for his school girl via social media profiles and whereabouts may not sound like everyone's cup of tea, but this film, is excellent.

The start of the film is moving, excellent character development and sets up the tech savvy dad David Kim as a caring, loving husband and father.

I am going to be honest this is my favourite thriller in sometime. It's fresh and it' totally on social trend and John Cho's performance is simply outstanding.

I am forgetting young Michelle La as missing Margot. A teen with a few things to hide and an interesting relationship with her uncle is an interesting character for this film to revolve around.

I loved every minute of this and so glad I saw it on the big screen. There is honestly something to be said for still seeing films at the actual cinema.

Great job all evolved, yep 5 Stars.

9-1-1 Season Two (double opener)

Moving from Wednesday's to Monday's and adding a bumper opening over two nights, 9-1-1 is back for 2018-2019.

9-1-1 was one of the biggest breakthrough hits in early 2018 and like most of Ryan Murphy's hits, he sampled it, it worked the first 10 episode season has now grown to a second 16 episode run. Like Empire and Star the show will be spilt in two so we will get one half this side of Christmas and the other sometime in 2019.

With Connie Britton leaving at the end of season one, we score 90's scream queen Jennifer Love Hewitt. Love Hewitt commences as Buck's sister, Buck is the star hunk Oliver Stark from season one, but now faces a new hunk on the block, Ryan Guzman playing single father Eddie Diaz.

Peter Krause and Angela Bassett continue to lead the show whilst being backed up by a strong supporting cast. Scoring a Sunday night monster 10 million (or close enough) live viewers, the show is a shoe in for a third season.

FOX struggles with dramas at present and with Empire entering a fifth season and looking a little tired, a fresh hit like 9-1-1 is just what the doctor ordered.



9-1-1 is good escapism TV, it's easy to watch, easy on the eye and a great cast on board.

Interesting stories and the major earthquake were a good way to open the second season. Sunday was a blockbuster night on US TV with new Lifetime series You being an early frontrunner for one of my favourite new shows, The Deuce rolling on HBO and Shameless only one episode away from it's 100th episode.

9-1-1 continues Mondays on US Fox network, I will be interested to see how episode two goes up against The Good Doctor and new NBC drama Manifest.

Playing For Keeps

Channel Ten has a hit and miss past with local drama, Sisters last year was a massive dud, Secrets and Lies whilst not very popular here, was remade in the USA and actually got a second season unlike it's original Australian series and Neighbours just goes on and on and well on.

So it is interesting to see Wrong Girl star Madeline West return to the network for Playing For Keeps. Whilst the Wrong Girl is yet to be announced for a third season and with Craig McLachlan's situation it's unlikely to return, West has a much more commanding role in Playing For Keeps.

Also starring Olympia Valance, Jeremy Lindsay Taylor and familiar ABC face Annie Maynard, Playing for Keeps launched last week with close to 600,000 live viewers.

Whilst not hitting the magic million mark, Playing for Keeps is off to a better start than Nine drama Bite Club, which is actually a well received (by critics) series and honestly not bad.

Australian dramas are on struggle street right now, they are not as cheap to make as reality rubbish and don't draw the crowds like The Block or The Bachelor.

So it's a tough place to be right now, Australian stories need to be told and the one of WAGS is honestly an untapped tale that us sport loving Aussies demand to hear/see. Madeline West is great as the lead WAG and we get a wee mystery to start the season which is may be less interesting than the bitchy behaviour by the existing WAGS to the new WAG from regional Victoria on the block.

AFL is the most popular code right now and less scandalous so it's probably a better bet than NRL. Will the show last more than one year? Will it get the viewers it deserves? Time will tell but there was buzz in my office about it, as the subject matter is something that does interest Aussies leading into Footy Finals times.

(Mini) Sunday Spotlight: Tia Gostelow

Hailing from Mackay now calling Brisbane home, Tia Gostelow has got it going on right now. Releasing her debut album on Friday, touring the East Coast of Australia next month and playing at Fairgrounds in November.

Young star was originally discovered as part of Unearthed High on Triple J and continues to show Unearthed brings Australia some of our biggest stars.

Working with Lanks on Strangers and appearing on Like a Version with a great Empire of the Sun cover, Tia Gostelow is way beyond her years. With a number of recent achievements, no one is more deserving of today's Mini Sunday Spotlight than Tia Gostelow.

Check out some highlights thus far below.

YOU | Lifetime

I swore to myself I would not take on any more new TV shows, however with The Sinner wrapping up, Insecure almost done, Fear the Walking Dead wrapping up same day as Insecure and The Bite Club about to conclude locally, I added YOU to my list.

Coming to Netflix in Australia, YOU has had two episodes in the USA on Lifetime (the network for 40 year old women and gay men) and having less than a million viewers for each episode but critically it's been a hit.


Trash meets thriller is a real buzz with this show and former Gossip Girl (spoiler alert if you get the reference) Penn Badgley stars as the lead Joe Goldberg a stalker who is actually kind of sweet.

It's a boy meets girl at a local NY book store, he follows her, he gets into her online world and now in the year 2018, know needs a private detective, we all overshare.

YOU could be a breakout hit, after two episodes I am already hooked. With How to Get Away with Murder, 9-1-1, Empire, Star and Station 19 incoming I need less on my books, however I think I just found space on my dance card for this thriller.

Keep an eye out on Netflix soon for YOU.

Movie Matinee Madness - The Nun

The Conjuring series has now spun out to five films. Two original Conjuring tales and two Annabelle films, now it's time for the Nun to strike.

In Romania in 1952 a demonic force is running wild, mainly in the form of a nun and for a packed Wednesday midweek session, this film had me shook!



I used to be a whole bunch better in scary films, but now in my thirties, I get freaked, easily.

There are a whole bunch of jump scenes in this film and the tension builds and builds and builds.

It does take a while to get to the point after the initial scary set up scene, but once it hits it's stride it works. Using original Conjuring stars Vera Farmiga's sister Taissa (pictured in the still above) as one of the main stars is an interesting move too.

Demián Bichir from the US season of The Bridge is a great choice for the Father who visit's this haunted and unholy site in Romania.

Overall I have enjoyed these Conjuring films and I that continued with The Nun. I liked Annabelle but the fact is a scary Nun is a bit more intense than a doll, as ugly as the doll was.

The Nun is the latest in James Wan's horror story, it's pretty excellent for the horror genre and I am giving it, 4 solid demonic Nun stars.

Movie Matinee Madness - The Predator

After a few an eight year break and two crossovers with Alien, The Predator is back.



With a lot of swearing and violence this is perfect for teenage boys and well me...

Handmaid's Tale and maybe Emmy winner today, Yvonne Strahovski was one of the most strangely cast, she is a solid actress now, star of one of the most watched shows around and formerly starring in Dexter, why this? I know you have a child on the way, but why?

Netflix star Boyd Holbrook is Strahovski's husband and the lead and Lily Allen's brother Alfie pops up.

The action scenes are fun and it does have some 14 year old boy humour, but overall it's not great, it's got a super random ending and the set up for the next film is just so obvious.

Box office is not great thus far so let's see if the next film actually gets up.

My session was fairly small in size, despite the fact I wanted to attend a session at Fox Studios, but Sydney roads have an issue. The issue is one issue and the whole system goes to hell in a handbag.

So The Predator, so brutal action, some shocking language, 3 Stars.

American Horror Story TURNS 8...

Opening to just over 3 million live viewers, however getting fairly solid reviews, American Horror Story returns for it's promised crossover series Murder House x Coven.

The only thing is episode one, it was all new characters and the end of the world as we know it.

American Horror Story has been around since 2011 and a fan favourite on FX network in the USA. Unlike the brilliant last season Cult which was for some reason held by Foxtel in Australia, Apocalypse is being fast tracked. Thanks for the consistency Foxtel.

The usual suspects are back, Evan Peters (Pose fame recently), Sarah Paulson, Kathy Bates, Billie Lourd returns for a second outing and Murphy sure likes her after her role in Scream Queens previously. While Emma Roberts, Jessica Lange are set to return and Joan Collins has joined the family.

American Horror Story is a phenomena, it's got a big online cult following, the teasers and lead up to what the theme will be each year gets the online community talking and Murphy is lucky hitting reset at the start of each new season.

Following a few meh seasons, I have high hopes for the future setting of Apocalypse, it started a little slow but the set up is there. Love, tension, suspense and not much hope given for each of our new TV friends.

I look forward to episode two and seeing where Murphy will take up this time around. Season eight of a horror show on TV, that in itself is a huge achievement.

(Mini) Sunday Spotlight: Jungle

Hailing from London, England it's eight piece (yes eight piece) neo soul group Jungle, Friday they released their second album For Ever and today, they are my (Mini) Sunday Spotlight.

Four years ago the group popped up on the scene with their awesome self titled debut. Folks loved The Heat and Busy Earnin' earning the group a fairly loyal fanbase.

We heard four singles prior to For Ever seeing the light of day and you can check them out along with the visuals below.

Jungle have had their music on a variety of TV shows and received this week's feature album @ Triple J.

Funk, neo soul, however you take Jungle's infectious tunes, it's time to discover Jungle ahead of their April, 2019 tour (details HERE for Sydney) check out some highlights below...

Movie Matinee Madness - A Simple Favor

Pitch Perfect legend, Gossip Girl and a Crazy Rich Asian, yes Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively & Henry Golding have all teamed up for A Simple Favor.

Following Paul Feig's biggest directorial hit Bridesmaids in 2011, Feig has put the failed Ghostbusters project behind him and tried to forget last years miss more than comedy hits Snatched for a thriller.



After a few so-so comedies I touched on above, Feig has teamed up with some of Hollywood's finest stars right now. Lively is the standout for me and as a huge fan of Anna Kendrick that is a statement. Henry Golding is seriously good looking and Girls favourite Andrew Rannells is excellent as a bitchy parent at Kendrick/Lively's school.

The twists at the end get a little silly, however it starts strong and does have some funny parenting moments.

Lively shakes off the Serena van der Woodsen days and had me as excited as her outstanding role in the shark film The Shallows.

Rupert Friend has one of the strangest roles in the film as Lively's boss, however it really is a highly talented cast. It just does go on a bit long. Overall though this was a nice change to see Feig ditch another so-so comedy and give u something different.

3 Stars.

Shameless Inches Towards episode number 100!

How many shows inch towards their 100th episode and still have the wind 100% in their sail? Well guess what Showtime's leading Drama-Comedy title Shameless does.

Starting the season a little softer in the ratings, however I think this would be a big DVR title, so give it a week. With 1.31 million US viewers tuning in to episode one this will be a big season, for a number of reasons.

One in a few weeks we will see episode 100, two the season this year has grown to 14 episodes, three, there will be a mid season break for the first time.



I loved the first episode and can hardly wait for next Monday. Sundays are so packed right now with Ballers, Insecure, The Deuce and Fear the Walking Dead, so it takes a lot to standout, but this show is a standout.

It's constantly changing, reinventing the family dramas, finding another thing for Frank to fuck up and I am honestly loving Ian sick. Lip is so gosh damn handsome and Debbie did #MeToo proud.

Fiona (Emmy Rossum) has announced already she is out (most likely) at the end of this season. So will the show return for a tenth season? Time will tell but with Homeland wrapping, Showtime needs a consistent fan favourite and I have a feeling Shameless fans are for life!

Season Nine started with pure fire, loved every minute, YASSSSSS

Movie Matinee Madness - Mile 22

Peter Berg has made some interesting films, collaborated a lot with Marky Mark and told some interesting true stories, reimagined for the cinema, this however is not one of those tales.

Mile 22, looks great, but don't be tricked, it's a complicated thing...



Rotten Tomatoes has given this a shocking score thus far but all credit has to go to Iko Uwais as Li Noor, the material arts and action scenes with him in it, make this a passable film.

Ronda Rousey was a random casting choice, but I guess it gets her fans to buy tickets and Marky Mark was not at his best in this role.

Unfortunately this aimed high, promised a lot and completely 100% underdelivered. Mile 22 is a very average action film and with Predator on the way, Crazy Rich Asians slaying at the Box Office and school holidays incoming (AGAIN) this will be short lived at your local cinema.

2.5 Stars, all for Iko Uwais, that underwear 2:1 fighting scene, WOW!

(Mini) Sunday Spotlight: MNEK

MNEK, where on Earth do we start, well actually the best place is the fact his debut album was the feature all this week on Flashing off the Record. You can stream it, see the videos behind the songs and more...

But MNEK, arrived on the scene around 2012, lending his vocals to Rudimental's Spoons. This lead to a long term collaboration between the two with MNEK appearing on a number of Rudimental tracks.

Around 2014-2015 I feel in love with MNEK's Rady for Your Love with Gorgon City and Every Little Word his debut solo single from the Small Talk EP.

The EP spawned three great singles and I was hungry for more. So when his debut album landed on Friday I was super excited. MNEK also had a hand in songwriting Beyonce's anthem Hold Up.

MNEK has worked with Jax Jones, Stormzy, Zara Larsson, The Knocks, Bastille and so many more. Keep an ear out for MNEK as this is just the beginning!

One Night, Two New Shows

So this past week we got two blockbuster spin off shows, one a spin off of an acclaimed hit TV series, one of a cult movie series, it's time to look at Mayans MC & The Purge.




Sons of Anarchy finished just eight episodes shy of the big 100 episodes in 2014. Since then we have been missing our favourite motorcycle gang, now ally on the original series, the Mayan MC group have their own show.

With a ten episode first season, the show started relatively strong with 2.53 million fans tuning in to see the pilot. No doubt with DVR viewers the viewership will go up. Not to mention worldwide fans.

I love a ten episode season, down with the long, drawn out 22 episode runs, give us short and sharp. The first episode however was a little long, overly violent in parts, but showed us into the new world of the Mayans. With a bit of homage to the old guard, the show is building it's own following other than original Sons of Anarchy fans.

Speaking of violent, the Purge launched it's TV series over on the USA network. From the violent films to a more story based series, the Purge like Mayans will also see a first season run of ten episodes.

The Purge started strong and I honestly out of the two new shows enjoyed this more. A look at future America, one without crime (except on Purge night), low unemployment and a strange way of controlling the population.

The Purge had a few less viewers than Mayans MC reaching 1.39 million live viewers however this could be another strong DVR title.

The first reviews are not promising for the series, however fans of the movie will probally lap this up, also the underlying mysteries and secrets will have me coming back for episode two next week.

As the main TV season launches this month in the USA for the 2018-2019 season, look forward to more reviews, comments and weird blog posts from me. In HBO news, Insecure and Ballers will thankfully be back in 2019, both getting renewed during the week, yay.

Movie Matinee Madness - The Meg

Led by Jason Statham, the latest shark, thriller is all killer almost no filler.



Joining Statham is Aussie Ruby Rose, Li Bingbing and a cast of hundreds being chased/hunted by the largest shark known to human kind. Problem is they were believe to have been extinct for like millions of years.

The plot goes out the window, the action ramps up, Statham as a 51 year old man is in top shape and does some amazing moves to save the day across multiple near death situations.

Unfortunately for the film, it feels like it takes a while before the beast really steals the show. I know you need to build suspense and don't do the big reveal too early, but the reveal does take a while in this shark tale.

All in all it is what it is, a giant popcorn film, filling cinemas for the last few weeks.

The Meg will win no awards, it's a total 100% guilty pleasure but man it was a much better shark film than some others that have come before it. Well done. 3.5 Stars, a fun night out at the cinema.

Wentworth Season 6 Ends with...

an anti climax....

I have been a huge fan, but with a number of high profile characters the show is sliding. This season we realised the Freak was actually dead, Franky found happiness and Boomer is on the edge of release. We have already lost Dor, Sonia Stevens, Maxine and Liz also looks like she is on the way out.

So  it was with great sadness Season Six sort of ended with less of a bang than previous seasons, season four Bea Smith was killed off by The Freak, season five The Freak was buried alive, can you get the drift, The Freak, The Freak....

Bea Smith of course was a huge loss to the show to, but The Freak or Joan Ferguson just added that unpredictability which made the show so addictive.

Vera's stalker reveal was honestly one of the most, oooohhhhhhhhh, is that it moments of the season. Admittedly unearthing the dead corpse of The Freak was pretty epic, but the Stalker Murphy, was lame. Until she was shot dead on Vera's door stop.

Jake and Will seem to be completely off the hook, as is Vera and will Vera keep the baby? Will mat leave bring a new more interesting Governor? And will Marie and Rita fight to the death now Rita is stuck in prison with her sister Ruby?

Ruby, Rita, Marie and Kaz have never (for me) replaced The Freak, Bea Smith or Franky. Kaz is a lame top dog, Marie started out promising but the weird Allie/Will/anyone who would look at her love/sex triangle.... weird.

Anyway at least locally Bite Club is semi entertaining as we now wait till 2019 for the seventh (and most likely last) season. The show's future was meant to be announced this week, however radio silence over at Foxtel. Who knows, with Secret City coming back soon, A Place to Call Home wrapping, will they give Wentworth another season? Maybe get them to the lucky 100 episodes? It's only 30 episodes away or 18 if you count the 12 filmed and in the can for season seven!

Wentworth it sort of went out with way less of a bang this year, shame cause it really is some of this countries best TV.

Goodnight readers...

The Bite Club

I wanted to like this show, Todd Lasance, Damian Walshe-Howling & Deborah Mailman, well it does promise a lot.

Channel Nine has an issue with Australian dramas right now, Doctor Doctor is woeful and they have milked the Underbelly franchise all out of full cream milk.

But the good news is, by episode two things pick up. I am now up to date and episode three things really pick up.



The shark attack in the first episode, the whole set up is not done well and is it just me or does Todd Lasance look older than 33? I also see links between this and 2016's Hyde & Seek which had promise but did not receive a second season.

It is nice however seeing Manly exposed on the small screen and it makes a good setting for a series, but is it really the crime capital of Sydney?

As we approach a new USA season of our favourite shows, new series, reboots and The Conners, this is good filler (unless you are backlogged with Netflix series like me) it's not perfect, it's not the next big Australian thing, but it's decent.

Bite Club is back tomorrow night after Australian drama farewells the sixth season of Wentworth tonight. Where is the Freak?

Movie Matinee Madness - Crazy Rich Asians

Honestly I am breaking rules with this review, this film has had the BEST PR in the lead up to it's release, it's had so much hype, it's advertising works and honestly believe the Rotten Tomatoes score, believe the glowing reviews, go out and see it, it's honestly bloody brilliant.



The cast is vast and amazing, Constance Wu was divine as the romantic lead, Awkwafina stole the show a lot of the time, Jimmy O. Yang and as my favourite character in Silicon Valley, it was no doubt Jimmy brought the fun to Singapore.

Singapore was front and centre in this film, it was maybe the best thing to happen to Singapore tourism since Kim and Donald shared a high tea recently.

Singapore is a truly remarkable city, why this film took so long and why we had to wait for beautiful Asian female leads and sizzling male leads (and co stars hello Remy Hii (Aussie), Chris Pang (Aussie) and Ronny Chieng (sort of Aussie).

Harry Shum Jr had a very small role but here is hoping a sequel/spin off whatever includes him more.

I said I was breaking the rules with this rule, that's because I loved every minute, it's unique, it's beautiful (the wedding scene is remarkable) and I laughed out loud. A true masterpiece, this is event cinema, this is what 2018 in film should look like. 6 out of 5, yes an extra star, after a number of dull event films, Avengers latest outing, the 50 Shades finale, this is now, this is relative, this is Crazy, Rich and spectacular!

6 STARS, YASS 6!

(Mini) Sunday Spotlight: Troye Sivan

Troye Sivan, born in South Africa, grew up in Perth, Australia, now calling LA home, Sivan has finally released his second full length album.

Sivan will soon commence a Bloom tour kicking off in Texas, USA and we will see where his album lands next week on the ARIA Charts. Unfortunately Eminem had a surprise new album still Troye's thunder yesterday.

My My My! has been easily one of the best pop songs of 2018 and I love the original and the accompanying remixes. Ariana Grande and Troye continue their friendship on the track Dance to This, with a super cute video (below) to boot.

Troye is out, proud and a star, it's a great pleasure to feature Troye the weekend of Father's Day, the weekend of his album landing. Take a listen to the brilliant youngster below and if you want to see the biggest tunes of the last three months, HERE you go, your welcome.