August 23, 2025 – SparklyPrettyBriiiight

(courtesy Hachette Australia) Like many other people, I am well acquainted with Walt Hitman’s immortal line “I contain multitudes”, taken from his poem “Song of Myself, 51”. It is one of those popularly understood but not always fully ruminated on lines that resonate with people, even if many of us Continue Reading

“This hotel has a darkness!” Trailer for Haunted Hotel delivers all the hilarious goosebumps

(courtesy First Showing (c) Netflix) SNAPSHOTThe adult animated comedy series created by writer Matt Roller will center on a single mother of two who struggles to run The Undervale, a hotel that just so happens to be haunted. Luckily, she has some help from her estranged brother… who is now Continue Reading

Looking ahead: Wicked for Good featurette promises a wild and unbridled story

(courtesy IMP Awards) SNAPSHOT“You’re the only friend I ever had…” The final chapter of the untold story of the witches of Oz begins with Elphaba and Glinda estranged and living with the consequences of their choices. Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), now demonized [sic] as The Wicked Witch of the West, lives Continue Reading

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds review: “Shuttle to Kenfori”, “A Space Adventure Hour” and “Through the Lense of Time” (S3, E3-5)

(courtesy IMP Awards) “Shuttle to Kenfori” Zombies! Yes, my friends, zombies! Granted Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a little late to the party on this one, but when it’s executed with as much as this episode, you can forgive their tardiness. In this case, the zombies, though Dr M’Benga Continue Reading

“We’re gonna leave it all better than we found it…” Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical debuts a gorgeously upbeat trailer

(courtesy First Showing (c) AppleTV+) SNAPSHOTSnoopy Presents: A Summer Musical is a musical special about the joy and magic of summer camp and the importance of preserving what you love. Charlie Brown loves camp and is determined to make his final year special, but Sally, a first-time camper, is nervous Continue Reading

Book review: Ghosted by Amy Hutton

(courtesy Simon & Schuster) Passion projects are always a delight to read. There’s something about a novel that an author has long held close to their heart that reads with extra vivacity, reflecting a prevailing love of genre or storytelling style that has had to be put aside for other Continue Reading

The world keeps spinning … the threat evolves on Invasion S3 trailer

(courtesy First Showing (c) AppleTV+) SNAPSHOTInvasion follows an alien invasion through different perspectives around the world. In season three, those perspectives collide for the first time, as all the main characters are brought together to work as a team on a critical mission to infiltrate the alien mothership. The ultimate Continue Reading

Book review: The Potency of Ungovernable Impulses (Mossa & Pleiti book #3) by Malka Older

(courtesy Pan Macmillan Australia) Arriving at the third book in any series is a thing of quiet and fulfilling joy. You have had two books to be introduced and get to know the main characters, to be come familiarised with the world in which they love and to understand the Continue Reading

Tall Pines seems like a such a happy place … until it isn’t and it all goes Wayward (teaser trailer)

(courtesy First Showing) We think you’ll be very happy here.” 🚪 In the picture-perfect town of Tall Pines, sinister secrets lurk behind every closed door. Not long after police officer Alex Dempsey (Mae Martin) and his pregnant wife Laura (Sarah Gadon) move into their new home, he connects with two Continue Reading

Movie review: The Mountain (Fjallið)

(courtesy IMDb) What happens when you assemble all the tropes and cliches of a particular genre and a decent film forgets to turn up? You get Fjallið (The Mountain). An Icelandic film written and directed by Ásthildur Kjartansdóttir, Fjallið (The Mountain) looks for all the world like the sort of Continue Reading

Mixed bag of movie trailers: Dogs on the Sendero, Sketch + The Occupant

(via Shutterstock) Eclectism is the stuff of a rich and full life. Well, for this reviewer anyway; while I do have my favourite genres, I also loving mixing it up whenever I can with my movie consumption leaping from rom-coms to animation to serious drama to sci-fi, sometimes in the Continue Reading