Making a Murderer - Netflix strikes GOLD and 2016 is looking DAMN HOT!

The most talked about Netflix series (doco) over the Summer period and I am writing about it almost at the end of the long, wet, sometimes hot, stormy, bushfire infested, flooding Summer of 2015/2016.

It's been a shit Summer right, Spring was better, Autumn will almost definitely be better and Winter will be cold, wet and almost a repeat of Summer just without those random hot days, followed by a cold wet one.

Anyway Netflix has continued over Summer world domination, blocking VPN's, adding content, renewing House of Cards for a fifth season ahead of the fourth season air date, had great reviews for Jessica Jones, adding another season to it's already growing belt of Superhero shows. Speaking of Luke Cage (the next Netflix Marvel attempt is likely to land in November), along with The Get Down's Part One, coming in August.

Along with these shows, the re-worked Fuller House and Love are coming next month, Luke Cage maybe in November (Twitter clue recently online), the above mentioned House of Cards Season4 coming March 4, Orange is the New Black June 17 and finally again at Marvel Daredevil Season Two coming on March 18, making it an 11 month rest since we got the brilliant Season One last April.

All this on the way and Australian TV networks are excited that after the Tennis and Cricket we get another season of MKR and Australia's Got Talent. Wow I think $10 a month is sounding pretty fucking good right now!

So Making a Murderer it compelled millions to talk about it online, it was the first thing I heard about returning to my local boot camp, my place of casual Summer work, at lunches/breakfasts/dinners out, at Summer parties, it was inescapable.

People everywhere were talking about Steven Avery, people everywhere were outraged at the judicial system in Manitowoc County. A place I had never heard of before this. So I jumped in binged all 10 hours worth of this well made and truly distressing documentary.

What I found was pure incompetence, frightening lack of justice and also my understanding of the criminal system was lacking. That said I was still thinking to myself at the end if not Steven Avery who committed this crime, how did it happen, why was it on his property, how did the police get away with what they did with his previous case??????

More questions were left unanswered by the end than answered and perhaps this is why the show has been such a success.

The team at Netflix is 100% at the top of their game, HBO and Showtime in the USA must be scared, the long time running kings of drama now have a major competitor. Not only cable in the US but commercially operating stations worldwide should be on notice. No one watches standard TV anymore, and by no one I mean no one in the targeted key demos advertisers want to reach. Anyone under 39 is too busy working, checking their smart phones, playing on social media, stalking on social media or just generally having a life.

Netflix is pure perfection right now and like Uber and Airbnb the business models across many areas are changing and changing fast. If you are sitting back now (like Channel 7,9 and 10 have been for the past number of decades) hoping things will remain the same, well I have news for you even without broadband and the NBN nationally Australia is online and changing rapidly. Sorry local stations it's time to change or face the reality of the taxi industry in Australia, some hotel chains or actually your own ratings numbers, which really are quiet telling at present that Australia is in bed with Netflix already.

That Movie Gay #2016

Please ignore the next review if you are easily offended or don't like people preying on Zac Efron like he is a piece of man meat as that's what the review for DIRTY GRANDPA beholds, here is the unedited fully rude as trailer...



Now I love ZAC EFRON first up, I used to work with another Gay in a former workplace and he loved Zac back in High School the Musical days and I thought he was on Meth (and that's when Meth wasn't a thing) but Zac is one of those guys who has gone from blah to fuck my ass you are super hot as.

In this film he does the Macarena with only a stuffed toy over his junk, bares his perfect rear end multiple times and is void of a shirt for the majority of the second half of the film.

Now to the film as the Zac Efron sexiness is my main reason behind the star rating of this very average gross out/sex/nothing is off limits comedy.

Look it has redeeming features which most reviewers will overlook but this people probably avoid spending time with some of the most wise and experienced people in our lives, our grandparents. I for one spend Saturday nights with mine having meat and three veggies.

I have spent 2 out of the last 4 Saturdays with my Grandma and Grandpa and my Grandpa doesn't say fuck or buttfucker often but he does find sex funny like a grade 3 school boy making me see this film through his eyes, my eyes and a very general public eye.

Yes all the swearing and sex is a bit much, Aubrey Plaza's character Lenore is horrific and if I was a girl I would be super pissed a character like this was on the big screen in 2016 but Zac Efron adds such appeal for women (and maybe even more men like me, and look he is 28 now so he is no longer jail bait nor looks like, he is BUFF as in this film) and like Neighbours 2 (the original one of my favourite comedies of the past few years) he loves to go topless.

Now overall aside from the being nice to your older relatives and spending quality time with them, the rom com element of the film is so predictable a 3 year old would have guessed who Efron would end up with and De Niro (I have not mentioned him till now as this was such weird casting, but a man gotta work right?) his final scenes were just weird and fucked up. Most fucked up was the opening funeral scene in which Efron's Grandma who has just passed has the most random of get togethers.

Look most people will hate this film, some reviewers (Today's - Saturday Telegraph for example) gave this film 0 stars, I am not like them. Yes at the moment we are spoilt for choice, great dramas (Spotlight, The Big Short, Joy & Room), survival at the greatest odds (The Revenant & The Hateful Eight) and along with these there is some other shit The 5th Wave for example out there, so Dirty Grandpa is not the best nor worst on offer.

You will either laugh a little (most of the funny bits are in the red band trailer above - SPOILER ALERT) or just be plain offended, I was neither, I laughed a bit, got moist at Efron's performance and thought about how special my Grandfather is to me. Dirty Grandpa, it's polarising, it's the way some films will also be 2.5 passing stars for Efron's hard as fuck chest and sexy buttocks.

That Movie Gay #2016

It's award season and another film hotly tipped for a bag load of awards is SPOTLIGHT, and I see why.



It is nominated for 6 Oscars and I have a feeling it will at least win one of these. It had no joy at the Golden Globes from it's 3 nominations but we all know the last Golden Globes were a bit... a bit, shit.

So Spotlight sees the return of Michael Keaton to another great film after Birdman last year and Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams are fabulous too. Liev Schreiber is much better suited in this after the flop of the 5th Wave.

Spotlight like the Royal Commission in Australia right now shines the spotlight through their newspaper on sex abuse and the catholic church in Boston. This topic is always not easy to take and also by the end of this film you feel a little uneasy.

It doesn't paint the church as extreme assholes but it does enough and explains the story enough to know how deep this goes. Spotlight is sensitive to all parties and is so well done.

As far as dramas go this is pretty top notch (not as top notch as as unique as Room, but still good) and the acting is first class and what a stellar cast.

I was largely impressed by this film and currently I have to say there is some quality stuff at the cinema right about now.  Spotlight is not going to be everyone's cup of tea, it's an adults only affair so lucky School Holidays is finally fucking over, this film rates a rock solid 4 Stars. Tough viewing but brilliant.

Spotlight today, more Dance Music and Australian Music Month, when will it end?

Hopefully heading off to see this weeks biggest film release SPOTLIGHT so come back here for a THAT MOVIE GAY #2016 review. Of course January has been huge for me and the cinema so check below at some of this years (and last) biggest films reviewed in my own unique style.

Flashing off the Record will crack on with the Dance Tracks of 2015 this Sunday and a brand new Fresh Friday Countdown tomorrow. Will Flume continue his 2016 run at number one? Who said releasing a song at the sleepy end of the year is a bad thing, this song is heading to Summer Anthem status, good timing for his Laneway performances at the sold out Sydney & Melbourne crowds.

Australian Music Month wraps this Sunday but never fear I have a feeling another month long celebration of Australian Music is well on the way. Stay tuned to Flashing off the Record for more details.

Sia's 7th record This is Acting has leaked online (which is a shame, but it's 2016 so what doesn't leak) so on a flip side this album is brilliant and will be the first official Feature Album of 2016 all next week on Flashing off the Record.

Now I will leave you with a touch of Aussie music, again outta Sydney and bringing some fine new guests along for the ride, Urthboy has a new album coming out in March and here is the follow up to the Bertie Blackman guested single Long Loud Hours, Second Heartbeat:



If you haven't had a chance to this Stan Grant speech last year (released around Australia Day, good timing Centre for Ethics) is a must watch 8 minutes of pure brilliance.

Australian Music Month - Must Close this Sunday

No further extensions possible, until maybe April???

Sales speak over, yes Australian Music Month departs this Sunday as I cannot believe it January comes to a quick close. February is here Monday and then we move into Easter ahead of another Aussie tradition, Anzac Day.

Controversially I was a little over Anzac Day last year, however this year April for me might be all about local Australian Music releases, that will be on my other BLOG Flashing off the Record as I have a HUGE movie schedule this week (and beyond).

Yesterday I announced the BRILLIANT Hermitude as my Australian Album of 2015.

Dark Night Sweet Light was such a brilliant release, they were amazing live and I just love there hardworking, touring and great outlook on life. Brilliant stuff boys and such a fun Summer album.

Next yesterday I announced my second round of killer songs in 2015, Major Lazer, MO and DJ Snake's 2015 anthem was my Number One.

Over on Triple J, they gave there Hottest track to former Unearthed champions the Rubens, for their track Hoops.

I am going to enjoy their 200 - 101 list this Sunday from 10am. My votes in this years hottest 100 were as follows:

Yeo	Icarus
Cosmo's Midnight	Walk With Me {Ft. KUCKA}
Sia	Alive
Jamie xx	I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times) {Ft. Young Thug/Popcaan}
Jamie xx	Loud Places {Ft. Romy}
Kendrick Lamar	These Walls {Ft. Bilal/Anna Wise/Thundercat}
Kelela	Rewind
Illy	Swear Jar
Hermitude	Searchlight {Ft. Yeo}
GoldLink	Spectrum

So as you can tell only 4 of my 10 made it in the countdown, I also totally forgot to vote for Disclosure and a number of other tracks/artists. So here is hoping some of my other cuts will make it in. I must say I was surprised when the The Rubens took out the top spot.

Still to come on Flashing off the Record, a list of the Top 20 Dance Singles of 2015 this Sunday evening, a FRESH Friday countdown on Friday and more hits and memories from my 200 BEST songs of 2015.

What a great year for music 2015 was, let's hope 2016 is just as great. If Rufus and Sia's new albums are anything to go by 2016 will be great again for Australian music. PS Sia's new album has leaked.

That Movie Gay #2016

Transgender became a lot more fashionable 2015 when Call me Cait hit the stands, and THE DANISH GIRL continues this.



So Leo has the Oscar this year, I am yet to see Trumbo or Steve Jobs but this by Eddie Redmayne has nothing on Leo in the brilliant and Australian #1 movie The Revenant and unfortunately for yet another white guy Matt Damon in the Martian was a slightly forgettable film. Yeah at the time I loved it, but now it's kind of like that was a thing back then but all these sneaky films coming out at the front of mind are so much better.

Now to the actual film, Alicia Vikander was great and a beautiful support (however Jennifer Jason Leigh from the Hateful Eight should 100% get the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress - she was flawless) for Redmayne and looks amazing on screen.

Ok so the thing about this film is it's like Carol, it's beautiful on the surface but there is not much substance to back up the beauty.

Yes it's based on true events but is it a true reflection of where the trans society are in 2016? I know and know of trans people and it's not all glamorous events and beautiful clothes, it's a struggle, struggle to pay bills for operations, a struggle to fit in, a struggle to find love.

But all that aside if you look at this as entertainment and an Oscar nominated film this film is better than some of the other nominated works. It's up for 4 awards (the same as my five star recent favourite Room) and is beautiful but I left the cinema thinking will I remember this film in a few months to come (like the Martian)? Most likely not, will I recommend this to others like I have done so actively for Room? Most likely not. Don't get me wrong when I was in the moment of this film I was in that moment but Redmayne's character never spoke to me like others on the screen in the past have.

Honestly this film like Carol suffers the hype machine and the expectation that this is a great piece of work when films like Straight outta Compton were completely ignored (besides Best Original Screenplay) at this years awards. Straight outta Compton was an extreme Box Office success story, had great performances and in the time were in (like this film for Trans people) was wonderful. Police vs a Hip Hop group and a true story - brilliant! Yes they avoided some of the bad behaviour members of the group got into, but I am sure the Danish Girl in real life did not only get bashed once and was not always the most beautiful and sought after woman at fancy parties.

What I am getting at is this is such a white, glaze over the real issues and just keep moving on.

This has been a long review mostly about what I think about the Oscar nominations so I will wrap this up with an Australia Day score for the DANISH GIRL, 2.5 Stars for one of the best looking films on the big screen right now. The ending was also beautifully done, but again in real life I am sure it was not so beautiful.

Australian Album of 2015, revealed Tuesday - STRAYA Day MATE

From 9am Tuesday morning (Australia Day) my Australian Album of 2015 will finally be unveiled. I posted last time around the first five nominations and here are the raining five to make up my ten best Aussie records of 2015.

Check out the first five album nominations HERE and my complaints about a very ordinary and at times vile Sydney Summer 2015/2016.

Tomorrow on Flashing off the Record, sales wise you can check out the Top 20 Australian Albums of 2015 and also on Tuesday the Top 100 songs of the year will be revealed. 200-101 have already been posted HERE and you can dare to compare against Triple J's list and various other online lists.

It's been a great start to the year for Australian music with Flume topping the iTunes singles chart yesterday with his latest track (in my mind a vast improvement from Some Minds his previous single) ahead of his Laneway Festival performances. Rufus also dropped an excellent second album yesterday Bloom and Sia's 7th album is dropping on Friday.

In the meantime like last week here is another choice Aussie cut as part of my Australian Music Month across the two blogs (would have liked to have done more here however films take priority and there is loads of Aussie stuff on Flashing off the Record - so head there NOW!), this is Paces outs of the Gold Coast joined by former Adelaide (via the UK and now calling Sydney home) vocalist and upcoming superstar Jess Kent. Enjoy!