@lilithia

Australia is the largest island in the world. But even so, we are still far, far away from everyone, especially Europe. We are a multicultural country with a lot of expats from Europe, so for us it comes as no surprise that we love watching Eurovision.

Australia has been watching Eurovision for 30 years. We used to just follow the BBC coverage with hilarious commentary by the amazing Sir Terry Wogan. But when he stepped down, Australia decided instead of following the lovely Graham Norton who has taken over commentary since, to set up our own hosts, send them to Eurovision every year and have our own commentary. From 2009 we were introduced to our new hosts Julia Zemiro and Sam Pang who were although new to the SBS Eurovision gig, were no strangers to Australian audiences. For me, it took a while of getting used to because I severely loved Terry Wogan‘s commentary so much (and I still do. I miss him!).

So what exactly does Australia do for Eurovision? Some of us cheer on our native countries that we were originally from, or the countries that our parents come from. Most of us however just love a good show with many creating drinking games or holding big parties inviting  friends and family to gather and watch the song contest together.

Due to the time difference we barely ever get to watch Eurovision live, but we do our best to avoid spoilers. Many hardcore Australian Eurovision fans actually watch the finals LIVE online during crazy hours in the middle of the night or early hours of the morning. Social media has also made viewing of the contest more fun with live commentary (sometimes serious, sometimes hilarious) from viewers popping up on screens whilst the show airs on Australian TV. Australians love doing this so much, our hashtags on Eurovision end up becoming worldwide trending topics on Twitter during and long after the show has aired.

During the first semi-finals this year, the video above was played to the whole of Europe which brought back an amazing response. Many did not even know that Australians were fans and have been following Eurovision all this time. Not only was this an eye-opener for Europe, but also for Australia as we are the only non-participant to have had a host speak on Eurovision; which means not only have we made a statement, but we also have made Eurovision history.

I don’t know if Australia will ever compete in Eurovision, and I don’t think many of us really care. The most important thing is that we enjoy it. The whole idea is to bring people together. For 30 years we have enjoyed watching the great acts, the disasters, the wardrobe malfunctions, the weird, wacky, sparkly, wind-machine, lullaby singing, costume changing, dance hopping, ear-worm enchanting performances that have come our way and we are keen to continue our love affair with Europe’s biggest song contest.

Aussies have always loved Eurovision and now the rest of the world knows too. And they love us back for it.

It’s not often we see a sequel outshine it’s predecessor. In this case, I do believe that “Star Trek Into Darkness” is one of the few films that does. It really is better than the first film, “Star Trek” and let me tell you why.

I loathe reboots. In fact, I cringe at even the thought of them. I am a “purist”. I don’t like it when things I love get redone for a more commercial audience and in turn, ruins everything I loved about the original series/films. But with “Star Trek” & “Star Trek Into Darkness”, I don’t have to worry about that. J.J. Abrams knows how to maintain the spirit of the original series while appealing to a mass audience. I found myself laughing and recognising a lot of references to the original series. But even if you aren’t a big Trekkie, not knowing these references won’t impede on your viewing and enjoyment of the film either.

The storyline is actually really intriguing. We are introduced to a still very rebellious Captain Kirk that has problems with following the rules. As the movie progresses, we are made to understand it isn’t that Captain Kirk is purposely being difficult and causing trouble, but that Kirk is actually a man that reacts more on emotion, trust, insight and intuition. The story is also about family and friendship and resonates the same spirit that the previous film had.

“Star Trek Into Darkness” expands on the series with more action, more drama, more humour, more amazing special effects, more references and more character than it’s predecessor. It’s exciting that we get to see our favourite characters again through the great acting of Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin and John Cho. Although the cast performed well all round, I do believe that Benedict Cumberbatch almost steals the show with his outstanding performance and I daresay the movie wouldn’t be nearly as good without him.

The special effects are amazing and viewing this film in 3D is a definite MUST for Star Trek Into Darkness. I understand many of you are sceptical about 3D in general, but let me tell you now that seeing this film in 3D is worth it. Sequences of the film have actually been shot in IMAX, so I would definitely recommend that if you are going to see this film, see it in IMAX 3D. I saw this film in IMAX Digital 3D at IMAX Melbourne in a preview screening and was really impressed. I cannot wait to see this in IMAX Film 3D because then I will be able to compare the two and see a difference in quality, and how this effects the overall viewing of the film.

I loved Star Trek Into Darkness. As a big Star Trek fan having grown up watching most of the Star Trek series as a kid, I do believe that this new film series does do the original series justice. Not only do I boldly say this is THE SCI-FI MOVIE of THE YEAR, but I do believe that 2013 is the Year of the Sci-fi, and rightly so. I can’t wait for the next film in the series already, and I want more!

To celebrate the release of Star Trek Into Darkness, I am personally giving away one Hot Wheels: Star Trek 2013 USS Enterprise figurine. To enter, you must have commented on at least one previous review here to be eligible, be following me on Twitter, comment on this entry with your response to this review and also answer this question below: “Why do you love sci-fi?” Best answer will win the figurine. Competition ends May 19th. Winners will be contacted directly. Goodluck and thankyou for reading this review!

There is always something interesting about a dysfunctional family. But very few of these stories turn out to be light-hearted, loving and endearing without the characters being annoying. I know, I know, we’ve seen it all before; the big ensemble cast, the different individual storylines, the forced and unnecessary banter – but I do believe that “The Big Wedding” is one of the very few films that have done this concept well.

It all starts off with Alejandro and his partner Missy preparing to get married. Alejandro is actually adopted and his birth mother is coming all the way from Colombia to attend the wedding. The problem? Just a tiny one. Alejandro‘s mother is a severe Catholic. What does this mean? This means that divorce in her eyes is considered a sin. Of course this has nothing to do with Alejandro and Missy directly, but Alejandro‘s adopted parents are divorced.
Don and Ellie have actually been divorced for 10 years but because of the situation, now find themselves pretending to be married again. Don‘s long time partner and former best friend of Ellie, Bebe also finds herself moving out of the house before Alejandro‘s mother promptly arrives. As crazy as it sounds, this is only the surface of all the dilemmas in this storyline. Together they make one interesting and entertaining film.

The acting in this film is great, as you would expect. Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon, Topher Grace, Katherine Heigl, Robin Williams, Ben Barnes and Amanda Seyfried all have great comic timing, but what I loved most was the chemistry between the characters. The actors all managed to make their relationships believable, like they were a real family and not just a bunch of actors thrown together.

When I saw this film, I laughed, I cringed, I was surprised, and even then I laughed some more. I can honestly vouch for this film and say with confidence that this really is one of the good family comedies out there.

In short, please do check out this film if you’re into romantic comedies, because The Big Wedding is a real treat.

Ever since the success of “The Avengers”, I always had a feeling that the following movie in the series would do well regardless. “Iron Man 3” is definitely performing well at the box office since it’s release, but is it really worth the ticket?

“Tony Stark” played by Robert Downey Jr. is a changed man once again after the events of what happened in “The Avengers” that took place in New York. We have been so used to his “in your face” kind of cocky, ballsy and somewhat invincible attitude. But the Tony Stark we see in “Iron Man 3” is sensitive, emotional, stressed, anxious, waning and barely holding it together.

For the first time since the Iron Man film series began, we are exposed to a different side of Tony Stark. The ‘genius man of machines‘ is finally shown to us as “human“. While Tony has found love and is a changed man, this does not make up for the things he has done in the past. So when the ghosts of his past begin to haunt him, Tony must face his demons or suffer the consequences of his actions.

While I can’t exactly say that this movie is amazing, it is a very interesting take on Tony Stark and Iron Man. Can these two coexist as one? And if so, what does this actually mean?

I enjoyed Iron Man 3 because of the topics it highlights. Yes, it was very cheesy and strange in many parts but deep down, despite the cheesy and random parts of the script, the storyline itself is actually really clever for the character and highlights things we probably never thought we would see happen to Tony Stark. I understand that many purists who love the comic books may dislike this film, but we need to understand this isn’t just for the geeks anymore. Ever since The Avengers was released, superheroes aren’t for the geeky anymore, they’re for everyone, and because these type of movies have now become more commercial, so have the storylines and the characters. This can be seen as both a ‘good thing’ and ‘bad thing’ depending on the way you look at it.

Although I liked the film, I did not like it straight away. I believe this was because I was unsure of what I just saw. It is a very different spin for any superhero story. During my second viewing I found the time to appreciate Iron Man 3 for what it is. I do not believe seeing it in 3D is necessary either, but if you want to go see it in 3D, then why not?

Overall, Iron Man 3 is a good film, but it is no way near perfection as it’s predecessor, The Avengers is. While the acting won’t be winning any awards any time soon, this film is definitely entertaining and exciting. It may not be the best of the series, but I can promise you that you will want more. I definitely recommend viewing this in cinemas because it won’t be the same watching it on your little screen at home.

If there is one thing I took after my viewing of Iron Man 3, it is that whether we like it or not, for better or worse, superheroes aren’t just for geeks anymore. I guess, we geeks need to learn to share and be more open about our obsessions and loves. Look at it this way, the more the general public love this stuff, the more stuff like this we will get. If you put it into that perspective, I guess everyone loving superheroes now is not so bad?

To celebrate the release of Iron Man 3, I’m giving away one Iron Man 3 movie poster & one pair of Iron Patriot 3D glasses to one lucky winner. To win, all you have to do is tell me why you love Iron Man. You must be following me on twitter and have commented on a previous review before at least once in order to be eligible. Competition ends May 6th. Winners will be contacted directly. Goodluck to all who enter and THANK-YOU for reading this review!

I have a confession to make. I don’t really like zombies, but I actually LOVE “Warm Bodies”!

We are introduced to “R”, a very attentive zombie who yearns for more than his undead life. Not the average zombie, he has a habit of collecting things and ends up falling in love with a beautiful human named “Julie”. Instead of eating her, her saves her. What starts off as something innocent, ends up becoming something big and life changing in more ways than one.

I really enjoyed Nicholas Hoult‘s portrayal of “R”. He makes R seem very sad, lonely, curious, clever, loyal and endearing all at the same time. Although the role he plays has very little dialogue, what little lines R has, he makes up for in action and expression. I really think Nicholas Hoult is one of the best young actors of our era and I look forward to seeing more of him. I also loved Teresa Palmer‘s portrayal of “Julie” who is an independent, fearless, optimistic, understanding, open-minded, stubborn, determined, young and beautiful girl. Although these characters are both quite different and from different walks of life, they go together like missing pieces of a puzzle.

In fact, all of the acting by even the background characters is superb. That zombie walk in my opinion must be hard to master. Every single person, no matter how small their role was to help create this film have helped make something quite amazing. There is definitely no other film quite like this one.

I have not read the novel, but I really like the idea that “love is stronger than death”. Zombies are a concept that has been carbon-copied over an over, but Warm Bodies breathes new life and a fresh new perspective to the zombie genre.

With a marriage of romance, comedy and a little bit of horror, this is definitely one film worth checking out. Even if you don’t really watch horror, or are like me not being fond of zombies, I still highly recommend watching this film. It’s so very clever and is one of the better movies of 2013.

I don’t like zombies usually, but I love Warm Bodies. And I honestly believe that it would be a shame if you missed it. I am so happy I decided to watch it and I would love to see it again. It’s just such a smart film – but you will only truly understand what I mean if you go see it yourself.

Because I enjoyed Warm Bodies so much, I am happy to announce I am willing to give away 5 Warm Bodies promo door hangers to the best answers of this question, “What do you think would be the best possible concept to the cause of a zombie outbreak in a story?” To enter, you must have commented on an entry at least once before, be following me on twitter and comment on this entry with your opinion of this review and an answer to the question above. Competition ends on May 9th and the winners will be contacted directly! Goodluck and thanks for reading this review!