Film Influencer 2025 - Nobody 2

Bob Odenkirk returns as suburban husband, father and workaholic assassin Hutch Mansell in the new chapter to Nobody,. Look I'm having trouble remembering the hit 2021 first Nobody film, however it did open at number one at the U.S. box office.

So where do we find Hutch? Four years after he inadvertently took on the Russian mob, Hutch remains $30 million in debt to the criminal organisation and is working it off with an unending string of hits on international thugs.

Odenkirk is joined by his wife Becca (Connie Nielsen), their kids (Gage Munroe, Paisley Cadorath), his brother Harry (Grammy and Emmy nominee RZA) & Hutch’s dad (Emmy winner Christopher Lloyd). Yep it's a full family affair.

While Hutch & Becca, find themselves overworked and drifting apart. They decide to take their kids on a short getaway to Wild Bill’s Majestic Midway and Waterpark, the one and only place where Hutch and his brother Harry went on a vacation as kids.

With Hutch’s dad in tow, the family arrives in the small tourist town of Plummerville, eager for some fun in the sun.

But when a minor encounter with some town bullies yanks the family into the crosshairs of a corrupt theme-park operator (John Ortiz) & his shady sheriff (Colin Hanks), Hutch finds himself the focus of the most unhinged, blood-thirsty crime boss he (or anyone) has ever encountered (Sharon Stone).

Yes Sharon Stone is the BIG bad! Nice! Like in comparison to The Naked Gun, this is solid gold.

I'm not sure why action film, Nobody slipped my memory, however this was damn good entertainment. Perfect at the end of a long, wet, dull week!

If you need an escape from the weather, I recommend seeing this an hour and a half, full metal action assault. They even use a Little Mix song, in the mix! Did you know too, that queen JADE on the new Confidence Man song, Gossip, is Jade from Little Mix! Fun fact!

Now to the star rating....

3 Stars. Fun!

Winter Warmer Watchlist - Duster - Season One/Series Final

Duster is sadly, a one and done crime/thriller series created by J. J. Abrams & LaToya Morgan.

Starring Lost legend, Josh Holloway, Rachel Hilson, & Keith David. 

Set in 1972; Hilson portrays the FBI's first Black woman agent & Holloway plays a getaway driver using a 1970 Plymouth Duster. So there is 70's fashion, music and culture! Meow!

The HBO Max series had a short two month run during May & July this year before being canceled after one season.

Now HBO Max are having a moment. With And Just Like That.. finally wrapping, we finally get into Peacemaker's second season this week.

I really didn't mind this eight episode run. The action was fun, the characters were most likely, and J. J. Abrams, I'm not sure why this didn't work out.

Either way Duster was a fun little watch. It does though leave HBO Max with not a great deal of content left when it only just launched. Hacks in Australia streams on Stan whilst The Pitt only just streamed.

For a new streamer with a large HBO branded library, maybe they can rely on nostalgia. However for someone like me who seeks new content, if they keep cutting new series like Duster, maybe its lucky the OG brand HBO has Task, IT: Welcome to Derry, with new series of Euphoria, The White Lotus and The Last of Us coming over the next few years.

For now Duster streams it's only eight episodes now.

Winter Warmer Watchlist - BMF - Season Four

BMF (or Black Mafia Family) may not be part of the Power franchise, however the storylines and subject matter are similar enough to think, does Starz have a gangster/drug/crime obsession?

Following the Black Mafia Family, a drug trafficking and money laundering organisation, the fourth season premiered early June, concluding on Friday, along with And Just Like That... & Smoke. All on different streamers, all concluding the same Friday. BMF in Australia streams on Stan. 

Alongside BMF, Starz still have a reboot of the Spartacus franchise incoming, the final run of Power: Force, Tommy's story and P-Valley. The later about strippers has been missing in action for three years since the second season finale aired.

BMF with Covid, writers strikes has been one of the most consistent series airing almost yearly, with a short year off in 2022. 

Season four continues the journey inspired by real life street legends and brothers, Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory and Terry “Southwest T” Flenory (Da’Vinchi), who created one of the most influential crime families in the country, Black Mafia Family. 

This season, as Meech and Terry fight to keep their American Dream alive, staying ahead of their rivals and law enforcement takes a toll on their relationship. The brothers occasionally put aside their differences for their common goals but the events of what happened in Mexico will change them forever.

With a sprinkle of music, strippers, full frontal female nudity and a high body count, BMF continues to kill off large numbers of cast members. A lot of which you barely get to know before they are knocked off. Making it very hard to grow a connection with the ever growing, then shrinking cast.

BMF feels a lot like a Power spin-off while also feeling like season four might be the last time we see the Flenory brothers. The show is usually renewed ahead of a season finale. And with Starz launching into Spartacus (again), another Power spin-off (Origins), two UK co-productions (Sweetpea - renewed and The Couple Next Door) plus growing the Outlander universe, Starz seems fairly full at present.

Each season it feels like there is less and less of a story to tell with BMF.

Time will tell if indeed it gets a fifth and final season, or if indeed, it ended last week.

Winter Warmer Watchlist - Playing Gracie Darling - Miniseries

Filmed across New South Wales, from the scenic Hawkesbury River region to the rugged south coast, Playing Gracie Darling is set in a town where everyone knows each other, secrets are tightly held, and being different is impossible to hide. The Paramount+ miniseries commenced streaming last Thursday. It was a very easy watch, with me finishing it over the weekend.

The six episodes follow the events of Gracie Darling and her friends who haven't seen Gracie since a séance went wrong 27 years ago. Joni, her friend feels like she failed her and when she receives a mysterious call saying another Darling sibling has disappeared, Joni's haunted by the events of the past catching up to the present. 

From Curio Pictures (The Narrow Road to the Deep North, The Artful Dodger) led by New Zealand powerhouse Morgana O’Reilly (The White Lotus Season 3, Friends Like Her) as Joni, Dame Harriet Walter (Succession, Ted Lasso) as Pattie, and Rudi Dharmalingam (Wakefield, The Lazarus Project) as Jay.

ABC favourite Celia Pacquola (Love Me, Rosehaven) also stars as Ruth, with Annie Maynard (Colin From Accounts, Upper Middle Bogan) as Anita, Dan Spielman (The Code, New Gold Mountain) as Peter, and screen icon Anne Tenney (The Castle, A Country Practice) as Moira.

Can an Aussie series actually pull off a small town gripped by the unknown? An Australian horror series? Really? Surely not...

Horror is a hard genre to get to work on the small screen.

When Joni was 14 her friend Gracie Darling disappeared after séance went wrong, she harbours guilt and hasn't been the same since. Joni, now a child psychologist, is still haunted by her past and when she gets a call from a local cop that another Darling has gone missing after a séance all the guilt of the past comes to the present.

I'm not sure if I was 100% in on this one. The Family Next Door set the bar high for Aussie content of late. This was the first local series on Paramount+ since the shared US NCIS: Sydney concluded a couple of months back.

We are also still awaiting word on a final or another season of The Last King of the Cross. At least in October the local NCIS version returns potentially for a longer third season.

Playing Gracie Darling had potential, the Hawkesbury is as gorgeous as ever, however this just didn't 100% suck me in. Even though it was an easy watch, you were left thinking, was that it... No epic conclusion, just the end credits rolling. Oh well. At least The Twelve has returned and Mystery Road is incoming next month for another Origin series.

Film Influencer 2025 - The Naked Gun

Oh dear, like Bride Hard, what the hell did I just watch!

A preview weekend of The Naked Gun, landed over the weekend. So before it officially opens Thursday, I'm here to tell you, AVOID this at all costs!

Directed by Akiva Schaffer & written by Schaffer, Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, this serves as a sequel to 1994's Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult.

This is the fourth film in The Naked Gun franchise, starring Liam Neeson, with Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Danny Huston, CCH Pounder, & Kevin Durand.

The Naked Gun, follows the son of Lt. Frank Drebin who must succeed in his father's footsteps to prevent the closure of Police Squad.

Promo materials describes the film as, only one man has the particular set of skills... to lead Police Squad and save the world! Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. (Liam Neeson) follows in his father's footsteps in THE NAKED GUN, directed by Akiva Schaffer (Saturday Night Live, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping) and from producer Seth MacFarlane (Ted, Family Guy). 

I hated the TV show Ted, so I have no idea why I took in more Seth MacFarlane, while I remember totally hating Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.

So let's just get to it, how many stars? I dare you to watch the trailer to this 80 minute insane film.

OK so I am loving having Pamela Anderson back on the big screen, but this is no The Last Showgirl. This is horrid.

Whilst it's meant to be slapstick, a lot has changed since the last film and 1994.

The jokes were lame, cringe and borderline insane. I really wonder why Paramount decided to throw money at this, along with still owning the failing Channel Ten in Australia. Hows 10 News+ doing now The Project is RIP?

So this was not that impressive, actually along with Bride Hard, comedies are really struggling at the cinema right about now. Bring on another horror film I guess.

Hopefully the next film I see is a little more entertaining. The Naked Gun gets a solid 1 star. Mainly for Pamela.

Please Note: I also saw the incredible Urzila Carlson Saturday night at the ICC. So I know good comedy when I see it. The Naked Gun, wasn't it.

Winter Warmer Watchlist - And Just Like That... - Season Three/Series Final

And Just Like That... is finally over!

The hate watching stops now.

Another HBO Max bites the dust. Following Bookie, Sex Lives and College Girls and recently one and done, Duster.

The revival & sequel of the HBO television series Sex and the City created by Darren Star, which is based on Candace Bushnell's newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the same title.

Season one was billed as a one-off miniseries, however, a second season was announced in March 2022. The following August, the series was renewed for a third season, which was announced to be its last the same month, expanding the season from 10 to 12 episodes, & therefore concluding the Sex and the City franchise.

Across the three seasons, AJLT has received mixed reviews, with some critics deeming it unnecessary and inferior to the original Sex and the City series.

The third season however was awful!

But how'd it all end? Was the series finale as bad as the rest of the cringe third season? With so many cringe moments, this season went to new lows.

Could AJLT be the worst ever reboot? With Dexter currently rewriting wrongs of that terrible season ending, along with the average OG reboot. Dexter is currently airing a second brilliant reboot in a row. Original Sin was a fun, prequel series, while Resurrection, is a super charged sequel series, which takes the lead to New York.

But back to AJLT.

Miranda and Steve admit they are unready to be grandparents. 

Harry regains his sexual function. FUCKING CRINGE!

Lisa and Marion confront their mutual attraction and agree to be strictly professional. Lisa and Herbert reaffirm their relationship, and Herbert rebounds from his election defeat. Why were these character added? So boring.

Guiseppe assures Anthony that he does not consider him as a parental figure. Likewise here, Guiseppe was good looking but Anthony was just too much!

Seema accepts that Adam does not believe in marriage. This was a better storyline than the crystal as an alternative deodorant!

Miranda's large Thanksgiving dinner party dwindles as invitees bail, including Harry and Charlotte, the Wexleys, Steve, Seema, and Anthony. Meanwhile, Mia arrives with two eccentric friends, one with dietary issues. God this was CRINGE! Everything involving Miranda this season was DIRE!

Carrie is surprised when thrice-married Mark Kasabian also arrives, apparently as a set-up arranged by the absent Charlotte. But will Carrie end the run a single lady? Answer below.

Chef Brady, dealing with an undercooked turkey, is annoyed by Mia being there. Miranda briefly leaves the party to comfort Joy, whose dog is having emergency surgery. 

The evening finally washes out when the toilet backs up and floods Miranda's bathroom. This could not symbolise the series any clearer. Shit all over the floor! A clogged toilet caused by a young lactose intolerant brat, named after a Disney park! FUCK!

Back home, Carrie amends her novel's epilogue to read that the heroine realised she was not alone but was 'on her own'. This is what we watched all 12 final episodes for?

Thank god that is over. HBO Max better deliver with the second run of Peacemaker. Thank god for them, The Pitt was a hit.

Hacks is still their best series. But with limited shows incoming, does HBO Max still need to exist? I think it's time for HBO just to operate on its own. With Task and IT incoming, HBO could finish the year on a high, however some of the Max titles have been questionable as fuck! 

AJLT left our screens with a whimper, this was a trainwreck!

Winter Warmer Watchlist - Smoke - Miniseries

Friday was a big day of TV finales. I was a little swamped yesterday, so over the weekend, I will get into the three finale Friday.

Smoke is first up.

A crime miniseries created by Dennis Lehane, inspired by Firebug, a podcast about the crimes of arsonist John Leonard Orr. 

It is another premium Apple TV+ drama which started late June.

Taron Egerton & Jurnee Smollett lead this nine episode series as, a detective and an arson investigator work together to stop two serial arsonists in the Pacific Northwest.

Alongside Egerton & Smollett, John Leguizamo, Rafe Spall, Greg Kinnear, Ntare Mwine & Hannah Emily Anderson also star.

The series was filmed in Vancouver last March. 

So was this any good over 8 or 9 Friday's?

I didn't mind this at the start. I felt the wheels feel off a little towards the end. It was a very intense finale between leads Egerton & Smollett.

I reckon over six tight episodes with less filler this could have been amazing. The US teams need to learn from the UK. Keep it short and sharp!

Next up Sex & the City finally wraps! BMF also incoming. It was a huge Friday. Not to mention that big Dexter episode!

Winter Warmer Watchlist - The Family Next Door - Season One

The Family Next Door just landed on ABC. With episode one airing on Sunday, with all episodes landing on iView too. All six excellent episodes can be binged nice and easily of the local series, based on the novel of the same name by Sally Hepworth.

It’s peak holiday season in the popular seaside town of Osprey Point when an enigmatic stranger, Isabelle (Teresa Palmer), rents a family home in a quiet cul-de-sac. As Isabelle charms her way into her neighbours’ homes and lives, she quickly discovers that everyone at Pleasant Court has something to hide. 

With an all star local cast featuring Aussie TV's IT girl, Teresa Palmer as Isabelle.

Alongside Palmer, we have, Bella Heathcote as Ange, Catherine McClements as Barbara, the super hot Bob Morley as Lucas, Ming-Zhu Hii as Fran, Jane Harber as Lulu, Daniel Henshall as Nigel & Philippa Northeast as Essie.

The series filmed on location in Anglesea, Victoria, and several suburbs alongside the coastline. The series created over 200 jobs for cast and crew.

This is ABC at its best.

It gives real Liane Moriarty vibes. Family secrets, local drama, the mystery, the build up.

This was exceptionally addictive TV. I am also very happy to report the ABC will next up air the second run of Mystery Road: Origins in late September! Cannot wait!

The local TV just keeps flooding in this week with Playing Gracie Darling landing tomorrow on Paramount+.

Until then, seeya!

Film Influencer 2025 - Weapons

Well, well, another horror film on our screen. If the international news isn't enough horror for you, New Line Cinema and Zach Cregger, the wholly original mind behind Barbarian, comes a new horror/thriller: Weapons.

Yes whilst there is horror, there are elements of a thriller in the mix too. Weapons starts, when all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance.

Lead by Josh Brolin, Ozark's Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, with Benedict Wong, & Amy Madigan.

Rotten Tomatoes, has lead the critical praise for Weapons, which currently sits at 96%. A big improvement on Bride Hard which I saw earlier in the week.

Rotten Tomatoes states, Zach Cregger spins an expertly crafted yarn of terrifying mystery and thrilling intrigue in Weapons, a sophomore triumph that solidifies his status as a master of horror. Now that is a big call!

So what did I think?

Well it does take a minute to get out of the blocks, however I did like the different perspectives take on letting the viewer know how and what horror was to unfold.

The film does go for a little over two hours, however seeing the film from a wide range of characters really worked for me. Leading up to that big ending.

Horror continues to dominate the big screen with Jordan Peele's next film, Him hitting the cinemas next month, along with another The Conjuring film.

So was Weapons the horror movie we needed in 2025? Look it was good, but not life changing for me. 3.5 Stars.

Winter Warmer Watchlist - Hal & Harper - Season One

Starring Mark Ruffalo, Lili Reinhart, Cooper Raiff and Betty Gilpin and, from the Award winning filmmaker of Cha Cha Real Smooth comes the new series.  

Hal & Harper streams right now on Stan across all nine episodes.

Following two siblings (Reinhart and Raiff) as they try to preserve their childhood even though their single father (Ruffalo) forces them to grow up too fast. 

The series landed late June on the Aussie streamer. I struggled getting into the show. Even though the episodes are relatively short, the first four episodes were a real struggle.

I did start it a while ago, leaving it and moving onto other more upbeat series. Maybe I am too lowbrow, but this was just a bit too arty for me.

Hal and Harper had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival in January. Oversees the series will air on Mubi. I feel like this is a one and done however there is limited info online about the series.

Director Cooper Raiff, in 2020, described the plot as following two siblings and their single dad who is making them grow up too fast. With that in mind, the 7-year old and 9-year-old characters would be cast with adult actors

If you like a random drama with major family ties or just like Mark Ruffalo, this might be for you. Ruffalo, will also appear next in HBO miniseries Task. Apparently set to air next month.

It's the weekend folks, I'm set to see Weapons tomorrow, so expect another film review real soon y'all!

Big finale week next Friday. BMF, Smoke and the last ever And Just Like That.. episode incoming!

Winter Warmer Watchlist - Austin - Seasons One - Two

Michael Theo, a neurodivergent participant on reality series Love on the Spectrum, makes his acting debut as the title character Austin. Austin landed on ABC TV last June. With the second season currently airing or all episodes now streaming on iView.

The Australian-British comedy, starts off at a book tour in Canberra, recently cancelled English children’s author, Julian, is approached by a 28 year old man named Austin, who claims to be his biological son conceived in London. Austin, who is autistic and lives with his mother and grandfather, may provide Julian with a path to redemption.

The second season kicks off as, Austin grapples with sudden literary fame when his novel, “An Autistic Guide to Britain” is picked up by an international publisher. 

Meanwhile, his previously estranged father, Julian, and stepmother, Ingrid, sell their beloved Big Bear series to Australian TV. Julian is swiftly cut out of the process due to his status as a social media pariah, leaving Ingrid to take the wheel. As Austin tries to stay true to himself, everyone else scrambles for relevance.

Alongside Theo, the series stars Ben Miller as Julian, Sally Phillips as Ingrid, Gia Carides as Austin's mother Mel, Roy Billing as Austin's grandfather Bill, Kate Elliott as Heidi, Zahra Newman as Monica, Charlotte Nicdao as Yolanda and Billie Piper as herself in the first season.

I binged both seasons back-to-back after sleeping on season one last year.

This was a sweet local comedy, shot on location in sleepy Canberra. Which is refreshing in a way to see another city used as a back drop for a local series.

Hopefully this Sunday, The Family Next Door will also be a good new drama series on the ABC. Following the ABC cleaning up at this years Logies (which Austin was also nominated) they need to lay the foundations down for next years nominations.

No word on a third season yet. However the ABC is short of comedies, given Optics has been given the green light for a second run yet, nor another run of award winning smash hit Fisk.

If you need a comfort viewing series this week, maybe give Austin a go.

Till next time!

Logies - My Response

Not usually one my blog's post, but the Logies was the talk of the town late Sunday night, Monday morning. TV is not dead yet. But close. Also how'd they pick the winners? Is Irene really Australia's best actress?

Why'd Netflix get so many nominations and nearly no Logies.

Also how'd A Current Affair get a Logie for Most Popular News or Public Affairs Presenter? Weird right.

Now I also made my predictions earlier, you can view them here, to see how I went.

So the winners, I got the big gold, mainly cause everyone loves a retirement of an Aussie icon.

Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television

WINNER: Lynne McGranger, “Home and Away,” Seven Network

I somehow also guessed this one. Random I know. But Jelena Dokic also made Todd seem like a total winner on the night. Cute!

Bert Newton Award for Most Popular Presenter

WINNER: Todd Woodbridge, “Tipping Point Australia,” “Australian Open,” “The Olympic Games Paris 2024,” “Paris 2024 Paralympic Games,” 9Network

Totally got this one wrong. Prefer Aaron Chen.

Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent

WINNER: Guy Montgomery, “Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont Spelling Bee,” ABC

This one, as above like WTF!

Ray Martin Award for Most Popular News or Public Affairs Presenter

WINNER: Ally Langdon, “A Current Affair,” 9Network

Netflix was like seriously robbed the entire night. But Sam Neil did return to The Twelve this week, I picked this and he did deserve it!

Silver Logie for Best Lead Actor in a Drama

WINNER: Sam Neill, “The Twelve,” BINGE / FOXTEL

The Gold yes, but beating Kaitlyn Dever from Apple Cider Vinegar, come on! Netflix continued to be robbed!

Silver Logie for Best Lead Actress in a Drama

WINNER: Lynne McGranger, “Home and Away,” Seven Network

As above, love you Aaron Chen!

Silver Logie for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy

WINNER: Aaron Chen, “Fisk,” ABC

Colin From Accounts was also robbed like Netflix! But Fisk was AMAZING! Kitty is Queen!

Silver Logie for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy

WINNER: Kitty Flanagan, “Fisk,” ABC

Fisk really dominated the night!

Silver Logie for Best Supporting Actor

WINNER: Glenn Butcher, “Fisk,” ABC

Like Fisk really smashed it! Even beating the final run of fellow ABC series, The Newsreader

Silver Logie for Best Supporting Actress

WINNER: Julia Zemiro, “Fisk,” ABC

This was a massive shock! Like WTF! The ABC was on fire!

Best Drama Program

WINNER: “Return To Paradise,” ABC

Finally a win for Netflix, LOL!

Best Miniseries or Telemovie

WINNER: “Apple Cider Vinegar,” Netflix

Has this show, ever had a successful winner? Like ever?

Best Entertainment Program

WINNER: “The Voice,” Seven Network

How was 7NEWS Spotlight, ever nominated? Go the ABC, again!

Best Current Affairs Program

WINNER: “Australian Story,” ABC

Bad night for Stan's Good Cop/Bad Cop as the ABC continues it's run! Poor Optics, I liked it. I don't think many others did though.

Best Scripted Comedy Program

WINNER: “Fisk,” ABC

A random win for Channel Ten

Best Comedy Entertainment Program

WINNER: “Have You Been Paying Attention?,” Network 10

Channel Nine literally had barely any joy on the big night.

Best Competition Reality Program

WINNER: “LEGO Masters Australia,” 9Network

How'd this ABC show win against all the commercial stuff? It really was ABC or bust last night!

Best Structured Reality Program

WINNER: “Muster Dogs: Collies & Kelpies,” ABC

One of the guys on this show is hot AF!

Best Lifestyle Program

WINNER: “Travel Guides,” 9Network

Again the ABC....

Best News Coverage or Public Affairs Report

WINNER: “Betrayal of Trust,” “Four Corners,” ABC

Jelena Dokic's speech was unreal!

Best Factual or Documentary Program

WINNER: “Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story,” 9Network

A rare win for Stan! Even though it was with Channel Nine!

Best Sports Coverage

WINNER: “The Olympic Games Paris 2024,” 9Network / Stan Sport

Did anything other than Bluey stand a chance?

Best Children’s Program

WINNER: “Bluey,” ABC

And that's it till 2026! Here is the king, Sam Pang! What a legend!

Film Influencer 2025 - Bride Hard

Oh dear, Bride Hard falls flat in every way possible.

The action sequences, lame.

The one-liners, mostly fall flat.

Is the Rebel Wilson honeymoon period over?

Directed by Simon West and written by Shaina Steinberg, this film is honestly one of the most average films I have seen this year.

Alongside Rebel Wilson, fresh from her double run in You, Anna Camp, Anna Chlumsky, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Gigi Zumbado, Stephen Dorff, & from US network TV's biggest drama, Tracker, Justin Hartley

Unsurprisingly the film was panned by critics.

Let's keep this quick and painless, 1 Star. Oh Anna Camp you are better than this. Also Stephen Dorff, WTF!

Also Anna Chlumsky this is definitely no Veep doll. Bride Hard will 100% appear on the The Golden Raspberry Awards nominations for 2025(also known as the Razzie Awards).

Film Influencer 2025 - Together

Together is a supernatural/body horror (remember Demi Moore's body horror film, The Substance) filmed right here in Australia.

Directed by Michael Shanks, in his directorial debut, starring real-life married actors Dave Franco and Alison Brie.

Years into their relationship, Tim and Millie (Franco & Brie) find themselves at a crossroads as they move to the country, abandoning all that is familiar in their lives except each other. With tensions already flaring, a nightmarish encounter with a mysterious, unnatural force threatens to corrupt their lives, their love, and their flesh.

Together is a fresh take on the horror genre. With Victoria looking damn fine on the big screen.

Local, Damon Herriman plays Jamie McCabe, one of the only other main characters in the film focusing on Franco & Brie

Honestly I didn't know what to expect, however I left going, well that was fun. Along with the use of the Spice Girls, 2 become 1 as a closing piece.

I am back to the cinema again with yet another big wet this winter.

If horror is your jam, you want something fresh in the genre, give locally shot, Together a crack.

3 Stars. Fun!

Winter Warmer Watchlist - The Last Anniversary - Miniseries

I've finally made my way back to The Last Anniversary.

Following Nine Perfect Stranger's random second season recently, Liane Moriarty is doing well on the small screen in 2025.

Directed by John Polson and is an adaptation by Samantha Strauss of the Liane Moriarty novel of the same name. 

It is executive produced by Nicole Kidman amongst other producers. 

Starring Binge favourite Teresa Palmer (also the lead in MixTape), Miranda Richardson, Danielle Macdonald, Helen Thomson, Susan Prior, Claude Scott-Mitchell, Charlie Garber, Uli Latukefu & Jeremy Lindsay Taylor.

Uli Latukefu is also currently starring as a lead in Amazon's action romp, Countdown.

So what's The Last Anniversary all about? Sophie Honeywell (Palmer) inherits a house on Scribbly Gum Island from her ex-boyfriend's great-aunt Connie. However the island has many secrets.

Apparently, Moriarty insisted that the novel be filmed in Australia, because according to producer Jodi Matterson the location where the book is set, on the Hawkesbury River in New South Wales, Moriarty considered to be a real character within the story.

Filming began in Sydney in November 2023, with the series streaming March till May this year.

It was an easy six episode watch. Filmed across beautiful sights around the Hawkesbury River.

Using great music across the six episodes, The Last Anniversary was a solid local production. Moriarty has now had a decent share of her books turned into series. With HBO apparently with the rights to Truly Madly Guilty.

I must say I enjoyed this more than Apples Never Fall that streamed on Peacock, in Australia Binge like The Last Anniversary.

Now we wait patiently for a third Big Little Lies and news of renewal for Nine Perfect Strangers. Nicole Kidman is 100% in demand right now!

Film Influencer 2025 - The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Marvel is back! Taking on the new Superman. The Fantastic Four: First Steps landed last Thursday.

This is the 37th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the second reboot of the Fantastic Four film series. 

The film was directed by Matt Shakman from a screenplay by Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, and the team of Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer. 

Starring man of the moment, Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn as the titular team, alongside Julia Garner, Sarah Niles, Mark Gatiss, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, and Ralph Ineson. 

The film is set in the 1960s of a retro-futuristic world which the Fantastic Four must protect from the planet-devouring cosmic being Galactus (Ineson).

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the first film in Phase Six of the MCU. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and has grossed over $218 million worldwide. A sequel is in development. Which guess what, you get a sneak peek at in the mid-credits as usual.

Unlike recent Marvel films, this was more about family and collaboration. The whole world needs to work together as one to defeat Galactus. 

Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal AKA the Silver Surfer, is one of the more interesting Marvel villains.

The movie also moved a hell of a lot quicker than most Marvel affairs. All done and dusted in under 2 hours. Including that mid-credits scene.

This won't win any awards (gosh I say that about a lot of the shit I see) but it did also set up Avengers: Doomsday. Yep the Avengers are back!

So the superhero genre has felt a little cooked, however Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps are starting to get audiences back to the big screen.

These films for me now are simply just an escape from the world. The 24/7 news cycle. The world being ruined by greedy old men. And to be honest some greedy old women, but mostly men.

Superheros are fun on the big screen, however on Earth it is beginining to feel like we need our own real life Fantastic Four.

For it's tight run time, star cast, I'll give it a solid 3 Stars.

Music Update V5.0

It's been a hot minute since I have done a music update from my other part-time blog. Yes part-time as when I'm off holidays, or need to focus on my TV. I result to just posting here. So for now, let's look at some of the fun happening over here, right now.

It feels the time when Triple J are celebrating their second Hottest 100 for 2025. Today is the celebration of Australian songs, however right now let me focus on the return of the Friday Flash(back). Season two has just kicked off with a month of incredible acts and albums.

From local favourites to Garbage, Morcheeba and Bon Iver. The Friday Flash(back) continues next Friday (August 1st, can you believe it!) with The Kooks! Yes The Kooks!

So let's look at the albums that shaped the Friday Flash(back) second season for 225.

Morcheeba - Escape the Chaos

Bon Iver - SABLE, fABLE

The Superjesus - The Superjesus

Garbage - Let All That We Imagine Be the Light

Lastly lets check out this week's brilliant feature record from Chris Lake. Chemistry has been a wonderful record to dance to this winter.

Sneak peek, here is a look at next week's feature record....

Winter Warmer Watchlist - The Hunting Wives - Season One

The Hunting Wives finally landed on Stan on Monday after being held by Starz in the USA for a hot minute! I finished it this morning. We need more erotic thriller/mystery/dramas in our lives. The Hunting Wives delivered just that.

Based on the novel by May Cobb, the eight episode series stars, Malin Akerman, Brittany Snow, Dermot Mulroney, Evan Jonigkeit, Chrissy Metz, Jaime Ray Newman, & Katie Lowes. 

While in the USA this low hyped series, landed on Netflix, Aussies we this series set in a fictional East Texas town on locally run and operated Stan. Sophie (Snow), a young woman and mom, falls into an affluent socialite's seductive orbit - where a circle of housewives who have dangerous secrets themselves - that culminates in her becoming a prime suspect in the death of a teenage girl.

Brittany Snow is Sophie O'Neil, a woman from Cambridge, Massachusetts who recently moved to Maple Brook, Texas for her husband's job. She randomly falls for Malin Akerman as Margo Banks, the leader of an elite socialite group of wives known as the Hunting Wives.

Jaime Ray Newman as Callie, the number two of the Hunting Wives and town sheriff's wife who also loved Margo. Evan Jonigkeit has a lesser role as Graham O'Neil, Sophie's husband who is an architect.

While George Ferrier as Brad, Jill's teenage son who is having an affair with Margo, Katie Lowes plays Jill, Brad's mother who is the wife the reverend and member of the Hunting Wives. Chrissy Metz is Starr, a working class single mother whose daughter Abby is dating Brad and is not part of the elite socialite group, while Dermot Mulroney as Jed Banks, Margo's wealthy husband and Graham's boss who is an oil tycoon and aspiring candidate for governor.

Sounds like a lot... Well it is! There is strap on's, full frontal (male) nudity and a few C bombs. It's chaotic and erotic all at once!

Spoilers ahead if you didn't speed watch The Hunting Wives like I did.

While Callie revels in her hero status, Margo discovers who's her blackmailer is. Meanwhile, finally released from custody, Sophie thinks the worse is over, but she gets thrown for a loop when she uncovers a deadly life altering secret that not only links together the events of Abby's murder, but also exposes the skeletons in Margo's closet.

The drama, the lesbian sex, the jailbait sex.

This could be one of my favourite Stan shows of 2025. Stream it now, its a damn easy watch!

Winter Warmer Watchlist - The Bear - Season Four

The fourth season of The Bear streamed all 10 episodes, on my Dad's 90th. So I am finally catching up with the Jeremy Allen White lead series.

He reprises his role as Carmy Berzatto, an award-winning chef who returns to his hometown of Chicago to manage the chaotic kitchen at his deceased brother's sandwich shop.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas, Abby Elliott, Matty Matheson, & Edwin Lee Gibson also return for the fourth season of the hit series for FX/Disney+.

The Bear began filming with the third season in February 2024, and was completed in early 2025. 

This season has had positive reviews from critics, though reception was more muted than prior seasons.

Earlier this month the series was renewed for a fifth season. So more The Bear is on the way, likely gaining more award nominations.

If like me you are not up to date with your stories, then don't read on cause we are diving head first into episode ten of season four!

Sydney confronts Carmy over his decision to quit. Carmy insists he is making the best decision for the restaurant, arguing that he became a chef to avoid facing his familial trauma, and that Sydney is pursuing the field for the right reasons. 

He tells Sydney she is the reason the restaurant is surviving, and that he believes in her more than he believes in himself. Richie interrupts them; he is initially flippant about the news until Carmy reveals he came to Mikey's funeral, but could not bring himself to attend. 

The two have an honest and heartfelt conversation in front of Sydney, where they admit the resentments they held towards one another in the wake of Mikey's death. 

Carmy tells Richie that he is retiring in part to learn who he is outside of the kitchen. Sydney ultimately agrees to take over if Richie is also given a partnership stake, which he accepts. Natalie arrives and tearfully embraces Carmy upon learning the news while Cicero's clock eventually reaches zero.

So will season five be the end? I think it needs to end. This season was fine, it's not a comedy people at the Emmy's, but I reckon a fifth and final season is in order.

Winter Warmer Watchlist - Adolescence - Season One

Adolescence is one of those water cooler Netflix series. One of those ones that come along from time to time, that everyone is talking about. Department Q recently was another one, Baby Reindeer last year and the list goes on.

The British have done well for Netflix, with this series earning loads of praise, while receiving thirteen nominations at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards

Created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham and directed by Philip Barantini. It centres on a 13-year-old schoolboy, Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), who's arrested after the murder of a girl in his school. Each of its episodes was shot in one continuous take.

So this came mid-March, so there may be no spoilers here as you all, probably watched this one already. It's part of my winter watchlist raid.

One month later, Deadline reported that Netflix and Plan B Entertainment were in talks about a second season of the series. It does feel like a miniseries however I could see now how a second series would go.

So what's the plot for this exceptional drama?

In an unspecific English town, armed police raid a family home and arrest Jamie Miller, a 13-year-old boy, on suspicion of the murder of his classmate Katie Leonard, whom the viewers later learn had rejected his advances and then mocked him online. 

Jamie is processed and held at a police station for questioning and then remanded in custody at a secure training centre. Investigations at Jamie's school and interviews by a forensic psychologist uncover Jamie's views towards women associated with the manosphere and mockery he has received on social media. 

At home, Jamie's family deals with the community's backlash against them as they work together to cope with Jamie's arrest and subsequent detention.

After three brutal episodes, the finale focuses on Jamie's families life on his dad's birthday.

Stephen Graham as Eddie Miller, Christine Tremarco as Manda Miller & Amélie Pease as Lisa Miller all play brilliant roles. Obviously Owen Cooper completely shines as Jamie. However this episode does so well at focusing on life for the family.

A year after the murder, the Millers have made attempts to return to normality as Jamie awaits trial. On Eddie's 50th birthday, his van is spray-painted by teenagers that attend Jamie's school. Eddie plans to take Manda and Lisa to the cinema later that day to lighten the mood, but they first go to a hardware store to buy something to remove the paint from the van. 

There, Eddie is further distressed by an employee recognising him and awkwardly expressing support for Jamie. Eddie buys some paint to recoat the van. Outside, he spots the teens who tagged the van and angrily threatens them before throwing the contents of the can of paint on his van out of anger. 

On the drive home, Jamie calls and announces his plan to plead guilty. At the house, Eddie and Manda come to terms with Jamie's predicament, blaming themselves for not paying attention to his online radicalisation. Lisa joins them, expressing support for Eddie's decision not to move the family, knowing their connection to Jamie would eventually catch up with them. 

They decide instead to rent a film to turn the day around, with Manda and Lisa leaving to prepare breakfast. Alone, Eddie breaks down on Jamie's bed. He tucks in a teddy bear, kisses its head, and apologises to Jamie for not doing better before joining his family.

This was so well acted, such an important topic for the creators to tackle. It was shocking, raw and real. I highly recommend this. The hype was real.

Film Influencer 2025 - I Know What You Did Last Summer

OK, so the Amazon series was axed after one season, however I Know What You Did Last Summer is back on the big screen after that short lived small screen version.

Filmed across NSW and LA, there even is a post credits scene, so stay in your seat people.

Last night's Friday 7pm session was almost sold out. It was a full crowd of young adults and a few older folk like me remembering the 1997 OG film.

So how does this film go down?

When five friends inadvertently cause a deadly car accident, they cover up their involvement and make a pact to keep it a secret rather than face the consequences. 

A year later, their past comes back to haunt them and they’re forced to confront a horrifying truth: someone knows what they did last summer…and is hell-bent on revenge. 

As one by one the friends are stalked by a killer, they discover this has happened before, and they turn to two survivors of the legendary Southport Massacre of 1997 for help.

I Know What You Did Last Summer is a sequel to 1998's I Still Know What You Did Last Summer & the fourth instalment in the I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise. 

Starring Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, Tyriq Withers, Sarah Pidgeon, Billy Campbell, Gabbriette Bechtel, and Austin Nichols, with Freddie Prinze Jr. & Jennifer Love Hewitt reprising their roles from the first two films.

Continuing with the plot, which takes place 28 years after the Tower Bay murders, when another hook-wielding killer appears and begins targeting a group of friends one year after they covered up a car accident in which they supposedly killed someone.

I Know What You Did Last Summer has mixed reviews from critics, however for me, the throwbacks to the OG film, the links to it's sequel, the set up for another film. I was sold by the final credits.

Freddie Prinze Jr. & Jennifer Love Hewitt have both changed so much since the OG film, however JLH does roll out that famous line from the first film.

There are a couple of cameos that even Marvel would say, OKKKKKKKKKK. The soundtrack is great too, with a range of current hits, including personal favourite, Leave Me Alone, by Reneé Rapp.

This is not a fresh take on the slasher film formula, however it was a bit of fun. I also did jump a few times.

So I slept well and went from planning to pass this, to giving it 3 Stars. No awards will be won, it might be forgotten, however I'd love to see where the cliffhanger finale sends the viewers.

With no new ideas left in Hollywood, a sequel is a must, come on Sony!

Winter Warmer Watchlist - You - Season Five/Series Finale

The fifth and final season of You landed around Anzac Day on Netflix. So yeah I'm a little behind!

So how does the final season go? Joe Goldberg returns to New York City to live a peaceful life, but the appearance of a woman, Bronte, and the need to satisfy his darkest needs will put his entire life in danger.

Penn Badgley returns as Joe Goldberg, with Charlotte Ritchie returning from the previous season; and Griffin Matthews, Anna Camp and Madeline Brewer joining for one final season. With Anna Camp actually playing twins!

The final ten episodes kick off 3 years after returning to New York, Joe Goldberg has become famous due to his relationship with Kate, who has become CEO of her family's company. He has his son Henry back, and has put Mooney's up for sale. 

Joe learns from Kate's paternal half-brother Teddy that a hit piece is going to be published about an old business deal Kate made, which would ruin her reputation. Teddy and Joe confront Reagan Lockwood, Kate's paternal half-sister, who denies involvement in the hit piece. 

Going through Reagan's identical twin sister Maddie's phone, Joe discovers that Reagan, Maddie, and Kate's mentor Bob are planning a vote of no confidence against Kate. Joe later fantasises about murdering Bob and is caught writing about it by Kate at Mooney's. 

While leaving, he meets Bronte, who had been breaking in and borrowing books from his shop. When Kate confronts Bob, he confirms he leaked the information to the press and reveals he knows about Kate's involvement in covering Rhys Montrose's death. 

Joe murders Bob and stages his suicide later that night. Upon visiting Mooney's again, Joe discovers Bronte sleeping there and offers her a job, telling her to never go into the basement. Later, Joe goes there, revealing he has reassembled his glass cage.

Yeah Joe has a new obsession in Madeline Brewer as Louise Flannery / Bronte. Yes she also has two identities. It's a lot! Spoilers below. However like Mayfair Witches, I am way behind on this one!

In the finale, after loads of drama, back stabbing, whilst the body count builds, Joe and Bronte begin to go on the run after Kate's recorded confession of Joe's crimes.

Bronte debating when to corner Joe. Joe plans to cross the border into Canada under a false identity provided by Will Bettleheim, including Henry in his plans. 

Joe and Bronte break into a vacation house for a night until they get the papers. The two take a romantic boat ride, and later while they're having sex, Bronte points a gun at Joe and demands to know how he killed Beck, but he refuses to tell her. Bronte then forces Joe to identify his contributions to Beck's posthumous bestselling book, using a copy she bought at a gas station earlier. 

Joe manages to contact Henry through Will, but Henry rejects him and calls him a monster. 

A fight ensues between Joe and Bronte outside after Bronte attempts to escape. Bronte calls 911 before Joe seemingly drowns her, and the police arrive. Joe kills a police officer while trying to escape, but is then cornered by still-alive Bronte. 

Bronte shoots Joe in the genitals, and he is arrested. Joe is sentenced to life in prison; Bronte rewrites Beck's book, removing Joe's additions, which becomes a best-seller; Kate, who survived the fire, leaves the company–which becomes fully non-profit under Teddy–and helps Marienne with her art and raises Henry; Nadia leaves prison and becomes a writing teacher; Maddie and Harrison are released from prison and are expecting twins. 

Joe, in prison, reads fan mail, continuing to think he's not the problem, but society.

OK, so that was a lot. The final ever episode had loads of loose ends to wrap. It mostly did well as yet another major Netflix series calls it a day. This year alone. You, Squid Game, Heartbreak High, Stranger Things and Outer Banks all to end in 2025.

Yes Heartbreak High might be big for us Ausie's, however that list above is fairly major!

Until next time, Penn Badgley is a total hot rat boy!

Emmys 2025 Nominations | Predictions

Severance, The White Lotus, The Last of Us & The Studio dominate as HBO and Apple TV+ reign supreme over in yesterday's nominations. I still need to watch the second season of The Last of Us, however I was exceptionally surprised at how wonderful The Studio was.

Here are my Emmys predictions in red & bold.....

OUTSTANDING DRAMA

Andor (Disney+)

The Diplomat (Netflix)

The Last of Us (HBO)

Paradise (Hulu)

The Pitt (HBO Max)

Severance (Apple TV+)

Slow Horses (Apple TV+)

The White Lotus (HBO)

LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

Kathy Bates, Matlock

Sharon Horgan, Bad Sisters

Britt Lower, Severance

Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us

Keri Russell, The Diplomat

LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA

Sterling K. Brown, Paradise

Gary Oldman, Slow Horses

Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us

Adam Scott, Severance

Noah Wyle, The Pitt

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

Patricia Arquette, Severance

Carrie Coon, The White Lotus

Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt

Julianne Nicholson, Paradise

Parker Posey, The White Lotus

Natasha Rothwell, The White Lotus

Aimee Lou Wood, The White Lotus

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA

Zach Cherry, Severance

Walton Goggins, The White Lotus

Jason Isaacs, The White Lotus

James Marsden, Paradise

Sam Rockwell, The White Lotus

Tramell Tillman, Severance

John Turturro, Severance

GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

Jane Alexander, Severance

Gwendoline Christie, Severance

Kaitlyn Dever, The Last of Us

Cherry Jones, The Handmaid’s Tale

Catherine O’Hara, The Last of Us

Merritt Wever, Severance

GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA

Giancarlo Esposito, The Boys

Scott Glenn, The White Lotus

Shawn Hatosy, The Pitt

Joe Pantoliano, The Last of Us

Forest Whitaker, Andor

Jeffrey Wright, The Last of Us

OUTSTANDING COMEDY

Abbott Elementary (ABC)

The Bear (Hulu)

Hacks (HBO Max)

Nobody Wants This (Netflix)

Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)

Shrinking (Apple TV+)

The Studio (Apple TV+)

What We Do in the Shadows (FX)

LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

Uzo Aduba, The Residence

Kristen Bell, Nobody Wants This

Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary

Ayo Edebiri, The Bear

Jean Smart, Hacks

LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY

Adam Brody, Nobody Wants This

Seth Rogen, The Studio

Jason Segel, Shrinking

Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building

Jeremy Allen White, The Bear

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

Liza Colón-Zayas, The Bear

Hannah Einbinder, Hacks

Kathryn Hahn, The Studio

Janelle James, Abbott Elementary

Catherine O’Hara, The Studio

Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary

Jessica Williams, Shrinking

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY

Ike Barinholtz, The Studio

Colman Domingo, The Four Seasons

Harrison Ford, Shrinking

Jeff Hiller, Somebody Somewhere

Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear

Michael Urie, Shrinking

Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live

GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

Olivia Colman, The Bear

Jamie Lee Curtis, The Bear

Cynthia Erivo, Poker Face

Robby Hoffman, Hacks

Zoë Kravitz, The Studio

Julianne Nicholson, Hacks

GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY

Jon Bernthal, The Bear

Bryan Cranston, The Studio

Dave Franco, The Studio

Ron Howard, The Studio

Anthony Mackie, The Studio

Martin Scorsese, The Studio

OUTSTANDING REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM

The Amazing Race

RuPaul’s Drag Race

Survivor

Top Chef

The Traitors

OUTSTANDING UNSTRUCTURED REALITY PROGRAM

America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (Netflix)

Love on the Spectrum (Netflix)

RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked (Paramount+)

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (Hulu)

Welcome to Wrexham (FX)

OUTSTANDING STRUCTURED REALITY PROGRAM

Antiques Roadshow (PBS)

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Food Network)

Love Is Blind (Netflix)

Queer Eye (Netflix)

Shark Tank (ABC)

OUTSTANDING HOST FOR A REALITY/COMPETITION PROGRAM

RuPaul Charles, RuPaul’s Drag Race

Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Kevin O’Leary, Barbara Corcoran, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John & Daniel Lubetzky, Shark Tank

Alan Cumming, The Traitors

Kristen Kish, Top Chef

Jeff Probst, Survivor

OUTSTANDING LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES

Adolescence (Netflix)

Black Mirror (Netflix)

Dying for Sex (Hulu)

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (Netflix)

The Penguin (HBO)

OUTSTANDING TELEVISION MOVIE

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (Peacock)

The Gorge (Apple TV+)

Mountainhead (HBO)

Nonnas (Netflix)

Rebel Ridge (Netflix)

LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES, OR MOVIE

Cate Blanchett, Disclaimer

Meghann Fahy, Sirens

Rashida Jones, Black Mirror

Cristin Milioti, The Penguin

Michelle Williams, Dying for Sex

LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES, OR MOVIE

Colin Farrell, The Penguin

Stephen Graham, Adolescence

Jake Gyllenhaal, Presumed Innocent

Brian Tyree Henry, Dope Thief

Cooper Koch, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES, OR MOVIE

Erin Doherty, Adolescence

Ruth Negga, Presumed Innocent

Deirdre O’Connell, The Penguin

Chloë Sevigny, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

Jenny Slate, Dying for Sex

Christine Tremarco, Adolescence

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES, OR MOVIE

Javier Bardem, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

Bill Camp, Presumed Innocent

Owen Cooper, Adolescence

Rob Delaney, Dying for Sex

Peter Sarsgaard, Presumed Innocent

Ashley Walters, Adolescence

OUTSTANDING SCRIPTED VARIETY SERIES

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO)

Saturday Night Live (NBC)

OUTSTANDING VARIETY SPECIAL (LIVE)

The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar (Fox)

Beyoncé Bowl (Netflix)

The Oscars (ABC)

SNL50: The Anniversary Special (NBC)

SNL50: The Homecoming Concert (Peacock)

OUTSTANDING VARIETY SPECIAL (PRE-RECORDED)

Adam Sandler: Love You (Netflix)

Ali Wong: Single Lady (Netflix)

Bill Burr: Drop Dead Years (Hulu)

Conan O’Brien: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor (Netflix)

Sarah Silverman: PostMortem (Netflix)

Your Friend, Nate Bargatze (Netflix)

OUTSTANDING TALK SERIES

The Daily Show (Comedy Central)

Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC)

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (CBS)

OUTSTANDING ANIMATED PROGRAM

Arcane (Netflix)

Bob’s Burgers (Fox)

Common Side Effects (Adult Swim)

Love, Death + Robots (Netflix)

The Simpsons (Fox)

Winter Warmer Watchlist - Mayfair Witches - Season Two

Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches is based on the novel trilogy Lives of the Mayfair Witches by Anne Rice.

Mayfair Witches stars Alexandra Daddario as Rowan Fielding, Harry Hamlin as Cortland Mayfair, Tongayi Chirisa as Ciprien Grieve, and Jack Huston as Lasher.

Joining season two is Ben Feldman as Sam Larkin, Rowan's former boyfriend, the CEO of a genetics startup & Alyssa Jirrels as Moira Mayfair, Rowan's cousin who has the power to read minds.

Mayfair Witches is the second television series set in the Immortal Universe, a shared universe based on Rice's novels, with the series in April 2025, being renewed for a third season.

In Australia I believe this streams on AMC+, however it's also streaming for free on ABC iView.

I am late to the party streaming the second season, so I avoided spoilers for a hot minute. If you are still not up to date, please stop reading now!

In their wedding chamber, Emaleth and Lasher talk about the upcoming birth of their Taltos children. 

Julien (in Cortland's body) gives Rowan drugged tea and is taken to an underground cell where she meets Ciprien and Polina, who were captured earlier. While Emaleth is in labor, Lasher is convinced to go to the woods with Julien and Ian for a ceremony, only for Ian to slit his throat and gathers his blood. 

Moira escapes from her cell and disguises herself as a Scottish Mayfair, finding out through her telepathy their horrific plans for Lasher & Emaleth children. 

Rowan, Ciprien and Polina escape and find Lasher in the woods. Rowan revives him with her healing powers while Ciprien & Polina call for back up. Moira meets up with Rowan and Lasher and reveals the Scottish Mayfair's plans. 

Lasher, Rowan and Moira confront Ian & Julien regarding the Taltos children. Ian threatens Lark's life, but Julien reveals the stitching spell has been broken leaving Scottish Mayfairs vulnerable. Lasher and Rowan fight off Ian & other Mayfairs, while Moira and Lark try to get the Taltos children. 

Amintha kills Lasher with an axe in the chest. Julien discovers Ciprien & Polina have taken the Taltos children and summons lightening, killing Polina. Rowan confronts Julien, only for him to disappear.

Rowan drinks Lasher's blood, gaining more magical power. 

Later, Lark states he cannot be a part of the "war" Rowan is preparing between her and Julien. Rowan makes a tea for Lark to drink so he can forget her & anything involving the Mayfairs. 

Rowan and Moira arrive back home in New Orleans, bringing back Daphne and Jojo from the thrall.

Outside the deteriorating First Street House, Rowan looks on while Julien watches from a distance.

I for the most part had no idea what I was watching this season. It was honestly all a blur. It is definitely not as good a series as Interview with the Vampire.

Interview with the Vampire will also be back, most likely before the third season of the Witches. With two years in between seasons one and two, season three is probably a few years away.

Seeya next time kids!

Film Influencer 2025 - Superman

Superman is back on the big screen and doing big business!

Written and directed by James Gunn, it is the first film in the DC Universe (DCU) produced by DC Studios and the second reboot of the Superman film series. 

David Corenswet stars as Clark Kent / Superman, alongside Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, and Isabela Merced. 

With less backstory (thank god!), the action starts early, with Superman proving to the world that he is their protector after billionaire Lex Luthor enacts a plan to turn public opinion against him.

Development on a sequel to the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) film Man of Steel (2013) began by October 2014, with Henry Cavill set to reprise his role as Superman. Plans changed after the troubled production of Justice League (2017) and the Man of Steel sequel was no longer moving forward by May 2020. 

Gunn began work on a new Superman film around August 2022. In October, he became co-CEO of DC Studios with producer Peter Safran and they began work on a new DC Universe. Gunn was revealed to be writing the film in December. 

The title Superman: Legacy was announced the next month, Gunn was confirmed to be directing in March 2023.

The subtitle was dropped by the end of February 2024, when filming began in Svalbard, Norway. Production primarily took place at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, with location filming around Georgia and Ohio. Filming wrapped in July. The film takes inspiration from the comic book All-Star Superman (2005–2008) by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely, among others.

Superman  is the first film of the DCU's Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. Superman received positive reviews from critics and has grossed $220 million against a $225 million budget. 

My review might not be so positive. It was long, CGI plagued and chaotic. However it didn't dwell on Superman's arrival to Earth, origin story or the usual half an hour of these Superman films.

Skyler Gisondo was excellent as Jimmy Olsen, who ended up via Lex's lady friend, saving the world. Sorry brief random spoiler alert. But it's not really just a straight up Superman film, it's filled with additional characters.

Superman is also flawed and gets smacked down on multiple occasions.

Edi Gathegi as Michael Holt / Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner / Green Lantern and 

Isabela Merced as Kendra Saunders / Hawkgirl, whilst Aussie Milly Alcock has an uncredited cameo appearance as Superman's cousin Kara Zor-El / Supergirl ahead of Supergirl, the next DC film to land in 2026.

Look this wasn't anything new. Particularly after watching all four seasons of Superman & Lois on The CW, which actually moved forward, with Superman and Lois joined by two teenage boys.

This will continue to do good school holidays business. It's not a great superhero film, however it was like Jurassic World, a fun popcorn flick, that despite it's long run, the film breezed by!

2.5 passing stars for the latest Superman film.

Winter Warmer Watchlist - Motorheads - Season One

Motorheads landed Amazon Prime Video back in May. I finally finished it over the week. OK we need to talk about these coming of age teen DRAMA.

It might be a teen drama, however hunky Ryan Phillippe also stars alongside, Nathalie Kelley, Michael Cimino (SO HOT!) Melissa Collazo, Uriah Shelton, Drake Rodger, Johnna Dias-Watson, Josh Macqueen, Mia Healey, Matt Lanter, Sophia Esperanza & Nicolas Cantu. 

Love Victor's Michael Cimino really is a treat to watch on the small screen. He is just so handsome!

The series kicks off with Darren Bowders & Christian Maddox race in a street race for an undisclosed beat; Maddox easily wins and leaves. 

Seventeen years later, teenager twins Caitlyn and Zac Torres move to Ironwood, Pennsylvania, from Brooklyn with their mother Samantha. Ironwood is their mother's birthplace and the twins ask her if she has ever jumped off the bridge entering the town, which she admits. 

Cate says that she will jump from the bridge too, one day. They stay with uncle Logan, a former NASCAR driver and now owner of an auto body shop. Logan is struggling to make ends meet and is forced to let some of his mechanics go. 

At school, Cate and Zac quickly meet with their lost father's legend: he was the best street racer in town, until he mysteriously disappeared one day after a heist and a spectacular police chase. 

Zac befriends Marcel, an unpopular boy, and makes an enemy of the local street races champion Harris Bowders over Alicia Whitaker, Harris' on-and-off girlfriend. 

Meanwhile Cate meets Curtis, a loner caught in the war between his father — the Sheriff — and his criminal brother Ray. 

At a party at Alicia's home, Harris Bowders throws Curtis' motorbike in a lake and Curtis steals Harris' Corvette, which he had taken without his father knowing, and takes it to his brother's chop shop. 

Back from the party, the twins, Curtis and Marcel decide to repair their father's Dodge Charger, the UNB10, which Logan has been keeping in his garage since decades.

The series is a bit of a slow burn despite the eye candy.

I'm not gonna lie, I wasn't 100% into the series the entire run time of the ten episodes. However it was an easy watch, however the episodes could have been slightly shorter. The music used was brilliant and current.

I would be surprised if Amazon gave this a second season order. No spoilers but it does end on a bit of a cliffhanger.

Amazon is staying in it's lane by hedging bets on their action alpha male Jack Ryan, Countdown series along with these young adult series, like this, The Summer I Turned Pretty and recent We are the Lairs.

See you next time. We are finally at the mid point of winter 2025!

Film Influencer 2025 - Jurassic World Rebirth

Jurassic World Rebirth is a sequel to 2022's Jurassic World Dominion, whilst being the fourth Jurassic World film and the seventh instalment overall in the Jurassic Park franchise. 

With a fairly damn talented cast including, Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, and Ed Skrein.

David Iacono as Xavier Dobbs is handsome AF but has some of the worst lines in the film, along with some of the most cringe scenes. Back to my first film in a hot minute.

Work on the film began shortly after the release of Jurassic World Dominion, when executive producer Steven Spielberg recruited Koepp to help him develop a new instalment in the series. 

Koepp previously co-wrote the original Jurassic Park film back in 1993. Along with writing the sequel, The Lost World: Jurassic Park in 97. 

Development of Rebirth was first reported in January 2024. Edwards was hired as director a month later, and casting commenced shortly thereafter. Principal photography took place in Thailand, Malta, and the United Kingdom from June to September 2024.

Jurassic World Rebirth premiered mid last month, while being released to the general public earlier this month.

Receiving mixed reviews from critics, the film has still grossed over $390 million worldwide against a budget of $180 million, making it the eighth-highest-grossing film of 2025. So do film critics still matter if the box office says it's a huge success?

Yes Jurassic World Rebirth has become a bit of a hit! Jurassic World Dominion was a bit of a meh effort, so for me this was a huge improvement. There are less raptors, but more cross breed random dino's for a new, younger audience to enjoy.

For us older viewers, this was actually like one of the rides at Universal Studios. With every turn a new challenge.

So what's the basic plot of these humans chasing dino's? Again.

Set five years after the events of Dominion, Earth's environment has largely proven inhospitable to the remaining populations of dinosaurs and other de-extinct prehistoric animals.

The surviving creatures now reside in remote areas of the equatorial region, reminiscent of the environments where they once flourished. Zora Bennett (Johansson), a covert operative, is recruited by ParkerGenix, a pharmaceutical company, to collaborate with palaeontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Bailey) and team leader Duncan Kincaid (Ali) on a top-secret mission to infiltrate Ile Saint-Hubert, a forbidden island in the Atlantic Ocean, once used by InGen as a dinosaur research facility. It received mixed reviews from critics.

This was a real popcorn blockbuster, with a couple of jump scares and fun along the way.

3 Stars.

Winter Warmer Watchlist - Murderbots - Season One

Murderbot just finished streaming on Apple TV+ & is based on All Systems Red, the first book of the series The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells.

Starring Alexander Skarsgård as the titular character., the first season commenced mid-May, concluding yesterday.

Days before the finale, the series was renewed for a second season.

A media-obsessed private security construct (manufactured from cloned human tissue and mechanical parts), calling itself Murderbot, must hide its newly acquired autonomy, while completing dangerous assignments and being simultaneously drawn to humans and appalled at their weakness.

Alongside Skarsgård, David Dastmalchian and Noma Dumezweni, Sabrina Wu, Tattiawna Jones, Akshay Khanna, and Tamara Podemski also star.

So how'd Apple TV+ set up the second run?

Just when Murderbot's systems reboot, Corporation Rim technicians delete its memory and install a new governer module. 

At the same time, the PresAux team negotiates with company representatives in order to find the SecUnit. 

They offer to buy it and threaten with a lawsuit, but the company refuses and tells them that its memory has been wiped anyway. 

So Pin-Lee files an injunction to seize Murderbot for evidentiary reasons, while Gurathin manages to get access to the data that has been downloaded during the memory wipe. 

He locates Murderbot's personality files among Sanctuary Moon episodes. The team can keep Murderbot from being melted down, and Gurathin uploads its personality. 

The team invites Murderbot to live as a free agent on their home planet. Later that night, Murderbot attempts to leave but is intercepted by Gurathin, who tries to make it feel welcome. Murderbot insists that it needs to check the perimeter. When Gurathin relents, Murderbot thanks him. 

Posing as an augmented human, it boards a cargo ship as Mensah awakens and realises that it has left.

I for one, like Murderbot just wants to be alone and watch my shows LOL

Happy mid-winter!

Winter Warmer Watchlist - Poker Face - Season Two

Poker Face returned to Stan for its second season.

Ceated by Rian Johnson and starring Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale, a woman with the innate ability to detect when people are lying, who finds herself solving murders as she travels across the United States.

This could be US streamer Peacock's biggest series. Well Twisted Metal returns later this month, so the Anthony Mackie lead series will continue their solid winter programming.

Back in February 2023, the series was renewed for a second season, however we have no news on a third season as yet. Spoilers below about the finale, The End of the Road.

Alongside Lyonne, this episode stars Justin Theroux as "The Iguana" / Todd Tolocci, Lili Taylor as Agent Darville, Patti Harrison as Alex, Haley Joel Osment as Kirby Kowalczyk, Taylor Schilling as Agent Annie Milligan, Simon Helberg as Agent Luca Clark, Rhea Perlman as Beatrix Hasp & Adam Arkin as Mark Getzler.

Some of the finales casting did actually appear in previous episodes.

The twelfth episode & season finale is the 22nd overall episode of the series and was written by co-executive producer Laura Deeley, and directed by main lead actress Natasha Lyonne.

The series follows Charlie Cale, a woman with the ability to detect if people are lying, who is now embarking on a fresh start after criminal boss Beatrix Hasp cancels a hit on her. In the episode, Charlie and Alex reach Indiana to try and save Beatrix Hasp from a deadly assassin.

The episode received critical acclaim, with critics praising the episode's plot twist, performances, tone, directing, and set-up for next season.

So how does it all go down, While traveling to Greenville, Indiana to meet with Beatrix Hasp (Perlman), Charlie (Lyonne) and Alex (Harrison) are called by Luca (Helberg), who warns him that "The Iguana" might be following them, and it could be anyone. 

Charlie hangs up the phone before the FBI can trace her precise location; while Luca and Milligan ( Schilling) deduce she is heading for Indiana, there are over 50 safe houses in the state.

Charlie and Alex stop at a diner to eat. Charlie notices a suspicious man. When he yells at Alex, calling her "oyster girl", they flee the diner and he is tackled by other patrons. As they reach Hasp's house, Charlie investigates the area. Hearing Alex scream, she returns to the car, but finds her missing. In the house, she discovers the bodies of multiple federal agents and of Hasp. Alex appears, and Charlie deduces she is the Iguana.

Alex explains that she had killed powerful people across different circles in the world, but felt depressed and stagnant in her career until her agent told her about Charlie, who cannot be lied to and is the only one with a connection to Beatrix Hasp. Through meticulously controlling her reactions, she has been able to lie to Charlie and earn her trust. 

When she found that Kirby (Haley Joel Osment) was going to get married, she hired another assassin (Theroux) to kill him and find a patsy. Alex then killed the other assassin to cover her tracks, and framed herself to gain Charlie's sympathy. At the diner, she attacked a man in the bathroom by offering an oyster so that he would later recognise her, making Charlie believe he was the Iguana.

Alex prepares to kill Charlie, but the latter reveals that she caused a small fire in the kitchen, which alerted the authorities and allowed the FBI to find the safe house. Taking Charlie hostage at gunpoint, Alex flees in the Barracuda with the FBI in pursuit. Charlie goads Alex into playing Two Truths and a Lie: if Charlie wins, they both live and become nemeses, but if Charlie loses, Alex will drive them both off a cliff. Charlie wins the game, but the car's brakes fail. Charlie is able to jump out of the car and is pulled over the cliff by Luca.

Luca tells Charlie that she will be hunted by the FBI. Nevertheless, he lets her go with a warning that he will arrest her if he finds her again. At the bottom of the cliff, Milligan finds the Barracuda empty. Charlie and a stray dog are picked up by a trucker (Steve Earle) on the way to Wichita, Kansas.

Also starring in the second season, Giancarlo Esposito, Katie Holmes, Gaby Hoffmann, Kumail Nanjiani, Kathrine Narducci, Ben Marshall, Kevin Corrigan, Sherry Cola, Cynthia Erivo, Margo Martindale, B. J. Novak, John Mulaney, Ego Nwodim, & Sam Richardson.

So here is hoping for a third season? Well maybe, it did get a little tired throughout this season.

I must say I enjoyed the first season a little more. Both seasons however stream on Stan, NOW!

Winter Warmer Watchlist - Warm Props - Miniseries

Warm Props is another one of those SBS/NITV Digital Originals. It's NAIDOC week, so step into the world of Warm Props. The six episodes takes audiences behind the scenes with Charlie (Tehya Makani), who returns to a chaotic film shoot in her hometown in Western Australia and must then face her past as her narcissistic boss threatens the stability of her career and personal life. 

The heartening series is brought to life by acclaimed creator and writer Jub Clerc (Mystery Road: Origin, Sweet As), co-writer Kimberley Benjamin (Our Medicine, Big Backyard Quiz), directed by Clerc and Benjamin, and produced by Jodie Bell for Ramu Productions. 

Alongside Makani, the series stars Rarriwuy Hick (True Colours, Erotic Stories, Wentworth, Redfern Now) & Jillian Nguyen (Apple Cider Vinegar, Hungry Ghosts). 

When Charlie returns home to Broome and runs into someone from her past while she is in the middle of a chaotic film shoot and it threatens her career and her relationships with those on set. You can catch up on Warm props on NITV and SBS On Demand.

Rarriwuy Hick is a total legend. Her role as Ruby Mitchell on Wentworth, spanned 42 episodes across the final few seasons.

Next up for Hick, she will appear in the second prequel season of Mystery Road: Origin on ABC TV. Hopefully that will land later in 2025.

Until next time, hopefully I get off to see Jurassic Park or Superman soon. Yep, it's blockbuster season.

Winter Warmer Watchlist - Moni - Season One

The third and final new drama from SBS / NITV Digital Originals, Moni, is a gay Samoan man, returns to Sydney determined not to miss his sister Hana's wedding. But an unexpected arrival throws things into disarray.

After a decade living in the UK, Moni turns up at his sister Hana's wedding rehearsal in Western Sydney, where he is welcomed by the whispers of the Samoan community he escaped from.

Starring super sweet, Chris Alosio as Moni, Tina Leaitua - Moni's mother Tina, Ilaisaane Green as Moni's sister,  Hana, Maiko Taukafa, Maila Latukefu, Maua Fuifui, Julian Maroun & Ella Ganza.

Along with Moni returning home from London for his sister's wedding, but he is also arriving six months after the death of his mother, Tina.

Tina then appears to him,  first as an apparition, giving him life advice ahead of his sisters wedding.

This can be a bit awkward, but overall this is a sweet family drama with some hard hitting themes across the short six episodes. These new mini digital series could be a way forward for some more local content. Good news on that front though, The Twelve will finally return to Binge on August 4th! Hooray! That's a Monday streaming services folks!

Right now though, Moni streams on SBS on Demand.

Winter Warmer Watchlist - Such Brave Girls - Season Two

The BAFTA-winning dark comedy returns. Such Brave Girls streams on Hulu today in the USA, here in Australia we got six new episodes last week on Stan.

The easy UK watch returns with Josie (Kat Sadler) is on a never-ending quest for meaning, Billie’s (Lizzie Davidson) chasing a fairytale romance, and Deb (Louise Brealey) is hoping for a financial miracle. Expect bigger disasters, terrible choices, and more harrowing love stories as this family continues their impossible journey for a better life.

This show was really a wild watch the first season around. It's a little less shocking when you have an idea of what is coming. However it is still loads of fun. Not to mention a quick and easy watch!

If this winter you need comedy to warm up, look no further than Such Brave Girls. If you missed season one, its easy as to catch up and binge both all at once.

Coming up some even shorter SBS new series have just landed. I cannot wait to share my thoughts with you.

Almost halfway (officially) through winter!

Winter Warmer Watchlist - Gangs of London - Season Three

The gruesome Gangs of London landed on Stan back in March, however I just sat down to all eight bloody episodes of the third season.

Across three seasons, the British action/thriller series has received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its performances, narrative, and action sequences, though some criticism was aimed at its excessive violence.

So what are we (the viewers) in for in season three?

Anyone can fall as chaos erupts in London after a spiked shipment of cocaine kills hundreds, fan-favourite characters collide with new faces bound by blood ties, sparking brutal power struggles, unexpected alliances, and fierce rivalries.  

Former undercover cop turned gangster Elliot navigates his new role as a top-level criminal alongside the Dumanis, but the spiking throws their operations into disarray. The Wallaces, Luan, Lale, and the street gangs face devastating consequences as personal vendettas collide with professional power struggles bleeding into violent turf wars.  

In the ruthless fight for control of London’s criminal underworld, no one is safe. This was no accident — it was a calculated attack. But who’s pulling the strings? 

The main players are back, Sean Wallace (Joe Cole), his mother, Marian Wallace (Michelle Fairley), and brother Billy(Brian Vernel), while hunky Elliot Finch (Sope Dirisu), also stars.

Newcomers to season three include Andrew Koji as Zeek Kimura, Richard Dormer as Cornelius Quinn , T'Nia Miller as Simone Thearle, who is actually also, the mayor of London who targets organised crime in the city by starting a war on drugs.

Across eight episodes the bodies pile up sky high. There is loads of violence, guns and guts. There is even one scene (which if you watch it, you know) that is the most wild kill scene, I've seen in a minute.

Stan have done well to keep this little UK nugget on their service as an exclusive.

There is no word on a fourth season, however the ending leaves you on a mega cliffhanger!

This week Murderbot and Poker Face conclude, along with me catching up on some other series I missed earlier this year! Have a good (NAIDOC) week ahead.