Prime Target is a maths (yes 1+1 = 2 maths) thriller miniseries starring The White Lotus and Bridget Jones (the latest one) Leo Woodall as a mathematician.
This was a really low quality Apple TV+, which gave US procedural network TV vibes. It was super basic, but tried to be complex. Whilst being mega fucking dull.
Even a gay(ish) lead storyline was not even to keep any of the 8 episodes interesting.
Basic plot, and I mean BASIC! A post-graduate mathematics student discovers an effort being made to destroy his work in finding a pattern in prime numbers that would allow him to access every computer in the world.
Leo Woodall is Edward Brooks, a mathematics student at Cambridge University, the lead who works with Quintessa Swindell as Taylah Sanders, an NSA agent remotely spying on various academics.
The weakest link had to be bad girl, Martha Plimpton as Jane Torres. So bad man. Like so bad!
If this wasn't a miniseries and easy to have on in the background, I might even have dumped this. Which is weird cause Apple TV+ originals of late have been great.
Bad Sisters had a solid second series. Not as good as the first, but still solid. Bad Monkey was a bit of fun whilst Severance still airing its second series is one of the weirdest things on TV.
Prime Target just doesn't fit the regular Apple TV+ thang. Maybe give this one a hard pass. Its not great.
Paradise is the latest political thriller on Hulu/Disney+ in Australia.
Created by Dan Fogelman & starring Sterling K. Brown, Julianne Nicholson, and James Marsden.
The eight part first season commenced streaming late January, concluding last night.
Receiving generally positive reviews from critics, the series was renewed for a second season ahead of the finale.
Set in a city-sized underground bunker in Colorado three years after a doomsday event, the series follows United States Secret Service agent Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown) as he seeks to discover the truth behind the killing of the President of the United States(James Marsden).
As Xavier comes under suspicion for President Bradford's death, he searches for answers about what really happened, and is unsure of who he can trust as his questions lead to many shocking revelations.
Paradise is set in a serene, wealthy community inhabited by some of the world's most prominent individuals. But this tranquility explodes when a shocking murder occurs and a high stakes investigation unfolds.
So how does it all end... SPOILER ALERTS!
Twelve years before the present day, a project manager demands that the bunker construction be shut down due to arsenopyrite poisoning of the workers and gets locked out of the site. Disgruntled and aware of the prediction, he infiltrates a press conference in the White House lawn to assassinate the President but fails, shooting Collins instead.
In the present day, Collins, Robinson and their team surrender and return the weapons. Driscoll assures Redmond that Presley will stay quiet, but is denied the Wii as a reward for her loyalty. Robinson and Dr. Torabi examine the arrival list and confront the diner waitstaff Maggie who confesses that she infiltrated with Trent.
Meanwhile Collins finds notes hidden by Bradford in library books; Trent knocks him unconscious and steals the notes. When Collins awakens, Trent recounts the story how he and the waitstaff stole the identities of the real Trent and his wife Maggie.
Initially comfortable with life in the bunker, the false Trent's desire to assassinate the President resurfaced upon meeting him; Trent snuck in Bradford's bedroom, then killed him with a construction tool on display.
Trent leaves the library, then commits suicide in front of Robinson and Collins, jumping off the skylight's maintenance station.
Collins confronts Redmond and demands his daughter back, while Driscoll shoots her non-lethally. Presley and Robinson encourage Collins to find his wife and other survivors using Bradford's notes.
Redmond is in recovery, Driscoll enjoys the Wii, Jeremy gathers supporters, and Collins pilots an aircraft out of the bunker to search for his wife.
With some answers, some questions and a search for Collins wife, season two of Paradise will be a must watch!
Disney+ has done well with content of late. Sadly that came with a price hike. With streaming services running out of ways to generate income, a year CPI price hike seems something we streamers sadly will need to live with.
Tonight, the finale of Prime Target. The big finales week has just started!
Spit is my first Aussie film for 2025! I never saw the OG Gettin' Square, however through brief flashbacks, recaps throughout the film, you get the gist. It was a heist film gone wrong with bad cops.
After 20 years on the run overseas, Spit returns home with a super fun airport scene.
The small-time ex-criminal Johnny Spitieri (Spit) slips back into Australia on a false passport only to find himself locked up in an Immigration Detention Centre with a massive target on his back as old enemies come looking for him, determined to settle old scores.
As he struggles to stay one step ahead, the resourceful Spit finds new friends in detention, teaching them his version of mateship, and what it means to be truly Australian.
Starring David Wenham as lead Spit, this film has a hell of a lot of heart. Even rounding things off with a dance sequences to one of Australia's biggest bands, Amyl and the Sniffers. There is also a classic Frenzal Rhomb song thrown into the soundtrack. While the chaotic opening scene is set to the legendary Genesis Owusu.
The Genesis Owusu song is also now doing the rounds for KFC. Will it be the next I Love It!
Alongside Wenham, David Field, Lewis Fitz-Gerald, Bob Franklin, Sofya Gollan, Arlo Green, David Roberts, Pallavi Sharda, Gary Sweet and Helen Thomson from Colin from Accounts all star.
This was a solid effort. There are heart warming moments, laugh out loud moments, all with a load of Aussie swearing!
This was a fun night out at the cinema. If only more people would see this as I read Gettin' Square was a flop back in the day. And that had Sam Worthington in the cast!
Spit is as Aussie as you get. While also showing the wonderful diversity this country hosts in 2025.
I enjoyed this a lot. It's getting a random star rating though, 4.25 locally created stars. Yep. Can't quite give it 4.5, but close enough. Excellent. Well done all invovled!
Heart Eyes is considered a romantic comedy slasher, is that a new Valentine's Day genre? So no longer does Hollywood need to reserve their horror films for Halloween.
Starring a fun duo, Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding as a pair of coworkers who are mistaken as a couple by a serial killer. Gigi Zumbado, Michaela Watkins, Devon Sawa (what a comeback he is making, first the Chucky series, now another horror film!), and Jordana Brewster also star.
Heart Eyes landed earlier in February, with the romantic notion that, for the past several years, the Heart Eyes Killer (AKA HEK) has wreaked havoc on Valentine’s Day by stalking and murdering romantic couples. This Valentine’s Day, no couple is safe!
This is the second horror film I have seen this week. It's the second horror film to not take itself too seriously and have fun! The kill scenes are still intense, it almost begs for a sequel with Gooding already a scream king, starring in the Scream series, with a seventh film to come out.
Surprisingly the "Seattle based horror was actually filmed across the ditch, in New Zealand last year.
For a horror film, Rotten Tomatoes, scores the film high at 82%, with the film also grossing $30 million worldwide. That is against a modest $18 million (USD) budget. Not bad.
This film was decent. It was also, short, sharp and 100% to the point.
Good job all involved. You even managed to make NZ look like Seattle. One of my favourite US cities to visit in my youth.
It's been a quiet TV week this week. However next week will make up with that with finales galore. Tuesday Paradise on Disney+, Wednesday Prime Target on Apple TV+, later in the week it's School Spirits on Paramount+ and the soon to be HBO less The Way Home on Binge.
See you next week for a massive TV week. I am also seeing another Aussie film tomorrow night too. So many films before Japan! Cherry Blossoms here I come!
Apple Cider Vinegar is set for all sorts of Boy Shallows Universe awards in coming months/2026. The Netflix Aussie limited series starring Kaitlyn Dever and Alycia Debnam-Carey as wellness guru Belle Gibson and Milla Blake, respectively, who both use their platforms to promote alternative medicine is excellent.
Gibson fools her following and the world with a fake cancer diagnosis, while Milla convinces her mother to join her in eschewing scientifically prescribed medical treatment. Following the series the famous Channel Nine 60 Minutes interview has again being doing the rounds and documentaries and news stories are flooding in around Gibson.
So who remembers Belle Gibson?
Across the six excellent episodes, the local Netflix production follows Belle Gibson as she commits fraud by pretending to have cancer to promote alternative medicine.
Gibson launches a wellness recipe app and cookbook, but soon her lies are uncovered. Alongside Dever and Debnam-Carey, it's an all-star outstanding local cast.
With Aisha Dee as Chanelle, Milla's friend and Belle's assistant, Tilda Cobham-Hervey as Lucy, cancer patient and fan of Belle, ABC's Mystery Road star, Mark Coles Smith as Justin Guthrie, Lucy's husband with Ashley Zukerman as Clive, Belle's partner.
Smaller roles are covered by Phoenix Raei as Hek, crisis manager, the incredible Susie Porter as Tamara, Milla's mother, Matt Nable as Joe, Milla's dad, an Aussie icon, Catherine McClements as Julie, Belle's book publisher, the unstoppable, Essie Davis as Natalie, Belle's mother, the beautiful Chai Hansen as Arlo, Milla's partner, Five Bedroom's Doris Younane as Dr. Chidiac, Sibylla Budd as Tara Brown, Jeremy Stanford as Dr. Walsh and Kate Lister as Jordan.
The finale is titled Tapeworm. Spoilers below. Read at your risk. However I was late to this series and most people absolutely smashed it!
In 2015, Belle lies in an interview, and Hek uses that to remember a suspicious story she had told about expelling a tapeworm from her nose after drinking apple cider vinegar.
In 2014, Belle arrives late at Milla's funeral, making a scene that makes everyone uncomfortable. During the funeral, Hunter's mother Fiona calls Belle charging her for the donation, and her excuses lead Fiona to realise the journalists were correct about the fraud claims.
Belle tries to manipulate Milla's widower Arlo, who kicks her out of his room. Justin publishes a story on Belle's charity frauds. Belle victimises herself online, and while she starts with public support, the tide turns against her once people start questioning her finances.
Desperate, Belle decides to do a fresh start in Beverly Hills and schedules an interview with 60 Minutes Australia, where she has a disastrous, contradictory performance. Justin comforts Fiona, who cannot afford further treatment for Hunter, and decides to fully support Lucy as she goes after traditional cancer treatments.
Okay it's HOT but its apparently Autumn. Hope Nuclear power fixes this Dutton. Or should we saw Monopoly Dutton with 26 properties to his trust, that's right 26!
OK sorry an election is around the corner and God help us if we get the kings and (occasional) queen of Liberal fake news. Like Belle Gibson we live in an alternative facts world now. This series exposures how desperate people, will do and believe almost anything.
In a world of scams, Belle Gibson is the OG local queen of scam!
Brilliant work Netflix. Now produce more local content since you are charging Aussie's more for shit like sub-par Cobra Kai.
The Monkey does what horror films should always do. Not take themselves too seriously.
The short AF latest horror film written and directed by Osgood Perkins, produced by Aussie horror God James Wan, The Monkey is based on Stephen King's 1980 short story.
Starring the White Lotus hunk, Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Christian Convery, Colin O'Brien, Rohan Campbell, Sarah Levy, Adam Scott, and Elijah Wood.
Yes Severance's Adam Scott, The White Lotus Theo James and Yellowjackets creep, Elijah Wood, all star in this $10–11 USD million buck film.
It follows twin brothers whose lives are turned upside down by a cursed toy monkey that causes random horrific deaths around them.
Released just after Valentine's Day, horror films are all in right now. Heart Eyes (which I think I've sadly missed) and Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare are always at the cinemas right now!
I thought horror was the genre leftover at the cinemas from everyone's Covid years nightmares. But no it continues to grow, shapeshifter and have an obsession with weird toys.
The Monkey felt slightly fresh, with actual laugh out loud moments and Final Destination style deaths. It was whack, over the top and Theo James is really easy on the eye.
My second short film in February. Following Presence at 85 minutes, The Last Showgirl clocks in at 89 minutes. While short though, the Pamela Anderson led Las Vegas drama packs a punch.
Directed by Gia Coppola and written by Kate Gersten. Alongside Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Billie Lourd, Dave Bautista, Brenda Song, & Kiernan Shipka all star.
With a super small budget of USD two million, 18 days to shoot, this film was solid. With that all star cast. From Baywatch to a middle-aged Las Vegas showgirl. Anderson really excelled in this role. So raw, so passionate.
The Last Showgirl focuses on a middle-aged Las Vegas showgirl who is faced with an uncertain future after learning that the revue she has performed in for three decades is scheduled to close.
The screenplay was adapted by Gersten from her own play, Body of Work, which she based on her visits to the Jubilee! show shortly before its closure in 2016.
The Last Showgirl has received generally positive reviews from critics, with Anderson's performance garnering critical praise. The film received two nominations at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama (Anderson) and Best Original Song for "Beautiful That Way", and two at the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role (Anderson) and Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role (Curtis).
Curtis additionally received a nomination at the British Academy Film Awards for Best Supporting Actress for her performance.
Jamie Lee Curtis as Annette, Shelly's waitress best friend and former showgirl was exceptional too. I saw a friend telling me she was recording a country, concept album of songs outlining it's a hard being a woman in a man's world. This film showcased exactly that. Anderson looking at a future with fading looks and little income, while the male lead (Dave Bautista as Eddie, producer of the revue) would just bounce onto the next show.
Watching this film in my early 40's showed me, how fast time can go. If you are doing some you love (even if it's work) time just flies. When I worked on event ticketing and live events, it was hard work, but I loved it. Time flew in my mid-20's to 30's.
The pay was average, but it was good times. It was something you couldn't do forever, however I look back at my memories fondly. There were lot's of life lessons and wisdom from the grown, mature women in this film.
