In the well-trodden, Santa-saturated, redemption-obsessed world of the Christmas film, there is very little snow-covered ground that hasn’t already been well and truly sleigh ridden over. Nowhere this is likely more true, besides the story of the baby Jesus himself, than in stories which address the origins and activities of Continue Reading
Book review: The Wailing Woman by Maria Lewis
If you’ve ever had a sneaking suspicion that more goes in this crazy, mixed-up world than meets the naked mortal eye, then has Australian author Maria Lewis got a tale (or five) to tell you. A whole universe of them in fact with the fantasy author on the rise responsible Continue Reading
On 2nd day of Christmas … I read The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Lisa Dickenson
Christmas is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. Or so the 1963 evergreen classic by Edward Pola and George Wyle would have us believe, what with “kids jingle belling”, “everyone telling you to be of good cheer” and “caroling out in the snow” (unless you’re in Continue Reading
Movie review: The Addams Family
People, by and large, are not that good with anything that deviates from universally-agreed norms. Quite when this great conformist meeting of very small minds took place is never quite clear, but somewhere at some point, a group of people decided that things should be this way and not that, Continue Reading
On 1st day of Christmas … I decorated my tree wth 10 new pop culture ornaments incl. Forky, Carl & Ellie (Up), Huckleberry Hound, Mary Poppins and Big Bird
You know that old classic Christmas song “O Christmas Tree” which contains the very appreciative line – “How lovely are your branches”? It’s a lovely sentiment, and as a piece of lauding nature, pretty damn exultant, but what it misses, and yet even with all the gushing positivity it misses Continue Reading
Forget phoning home! ET comes back to see Elliott and the result is magical
SNAPSHOTDuring this [year’s] Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Xfinity dropped an incredibly nostalgic commercial reuniting Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster alien with his former co-star Henry Thomas. It’s a moving commercial, all things considered, mostly due to all the callbacks and the use of John Williams’ iconic score. Die-hard fans will no doubt Continue Reading
Book review: After the Flood by Kassandra Montag
As a species, humanity is deeply attached to the idea that adversity builds some kind of nobility of purpose, that by going through metaphorical fire we are somehow purged of our lesser selves and emerge with a flawless, unimpeachable self. It’s a heartwarming idea and so it’s no surprise we Continue Reading
Comics review: Star Wars – Allegiance
To whom or what do you owe allegiance? Is it to an unshakeable set of ideals or unassailable principles? Is it to those who hold and fight for those beliefs? Or is it simply to the highest bidder, to whomever offers the greatest opportunity for wealth, advancement or power? These Continue Reading
Movie review: Frozen 2
You have to applaud the bravery of directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee (the latter also wrote the screenplay) who took on the challenge of crafting a sequel to arguably the biggest animated hit of the last decade, Frozen. Bestriding the cultural landscape in late 2014 and well into 2015 Continue Reading
Book review: The Best Kind of Beautiful by Frances Whiting
There is something almost indescribably wonderful about watching someone come to life again. Perhaps that’s because of the simple of beauty of watching something rich and vibrant spring forth from seemingly nothing – that’s never strictly speaking completely true; there’s always something there, it’s usually just deeply repressed and dormant Continue Reading