Wimbledon starts this Monday and runs for two weeks from the 28th of June to the 11th of July. As one of the four Grand Slam tournaments in the tennis calendar, alongside the Australian Open, French Open and US Open, Wimbledon is exciting viewing – especially if you like tennis.
Most of the greats will be there including Ashy Barty and Roger Federer – who didn’t play at the Australian Open because he was undergoing two knee procedures. But both Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka have said they won’t be at Wimbledon this year.
How to Watch Wimbledon
As England is still coming out of a severe lockdown, Wimbledon will operate at 50% capacity across the grounds but it will build up to full capacity crowds of 15,000 on the Centre Court for the finals weekend. The easiest way to watch Wimbledon in Australia is to watch it on Stan Sport and you can sign up for a free 7-day trial for the competition. You can watch it for free on 9Now as well. This sporting event looks set up to be unmissable so stay tuned.
Wimbledon will stream on 9Now and Stan Sport from next Monday 28th June…
Watch Old
The latest film from M. Night Shyamalan will be in cinemas soon
This July, the latest movie from the visionary filmmaker – M. Night Shyamalan (think of The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable) – will be in the cinemas. Called Old, this film is a mysterious thriller about a family on a tropical holiday who discover something at the secluded beach where they’re staying is somehow causing them to age rapidly … reducing their entire lives into a single day.
The film is written by M. Night Shyamalan and based on the graphic novel called Sandcastle, by Pierre Oscar Lévy and Frederik Peeters. Old features an impressive cast including Golden Globe winner Gael García Bernal (Amazon’s Mozart in the Jungle), Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread), Rufus Sewell (Amazon’s The Man in the High Castle), Ken Leung (Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens), Nikki Amuka-Bird (Jupiter Ascending), Abbey Lee (HBO’s Lovecraft Country), Aaron Pierre (Syfy’s Krypton), Alex Wolff (Hereditary), Embeth Davidtz (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Eliza Scanlen (Babyteeth, Little Women), Emun Elliott (Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens), Kathleen Chalfant (Showtime’s The Affair) and Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit).
When asked what inspired him to adapt the book to film, director M. Night Shyamalan explained: “The book gave me the opportunity to work through a lot of anxieties I had around death and aging, and things like my parents getting older.”
Old will be in Australian cinemas by July 22nd…
Watch Cousins
New Zealand film – Cousins – is in cinemas now
Connected by blood but separated by circumstances, three cousins spend a lifetime in search of each other. This is the basis of a film called Cousins, adapted from the acclaimed novel by Ainsley Gardiner and Briar Grace-Smith – two of New Zealand’s most prominent and celebrated Māori authors.
The cousins are Patricia Grace Mata, Missy and Makareta. They are three cousins living three lives – separate, yet bound together forever. Orphaned Mata believes she has no whānau and lives out her lonely childhood in fear and bewilderment. Back home on the land, educated Makareta flees an arranged marriage to study law and begin the search for her missing cousin. She leaves behind cheeky yet dutiful Missy who takes on her role of kaitiaki (guardian) of the land. As the years pass and land surveyors begin to encroach, their promise to bring their stolen cousin home seems more unlikely than ever, until a chance encounter changes everything.
Tikanga Māori (Māori cultural practice) is an integral part of Māori culture and is at the heart of the Cousins’ story. Filming in Rotoiti at Te Waiiti Marae under the care of Muriwai Ihakara and the local Ngāti Hinekura and Ngāti Pikiao people, meant the film was grounded in Te Ao Māori. Aunties, uncles and cousins all played a role, some as actors and others lending a hand to the production. This gives the film an integrity that is palpable so add this one to your ‘Must Watch’ list.
Cousins is showing in Australian cinemas now…
Watch Loki
We had to show you this trailer for Loki because it sort of sums up Loki’s personality in just a few minutes. Have a laugh watching Owen Wilson, Wunmi Mosaku and Sophia Di Martino as they read ‘special’ cue cards introducing the Loki series – and of course, we get to see Tom Hiddleston as Loki himself.
This series is the latest from Marvel Studios. Loki is the God of Mischief and as he steps out of his brother’s shadow, we get to know him in far more detail as events take place after the Avengers: Endgame.
Loki streams every Wednesday night on Disney+
A new episode of Loki streams every Wednesday night on Disney+…
Fifty Shades Darker
Fifty Shades Darker is still trending on Binge.
Many of the reviews of the sequel to Fifty Shades of Grey haven’t been good. While Fifty Shades of Grey was accepted as something new and interesting, Fifty Shades Darker has never garnered the same type of buzz. But interestingly, Fifty Shades Darker is still trending highly on Binge, showing our appetite for Christian Grey and his antics with Anastasia haven’t abated just yet.
Yes, Christian Grey returns and new revelations of his past are laid bare. As he struggles to let those who care for him get closer, he faces people from a dark past who are determined to destroy his chance of a happier future. So, yes you may have to sit back on the lounge and watch this sequel when you get the chance.
The first film – Fifty Shades of Grey – is a movie adaptation of the first of a trilogy of high-selling erotic novels by Erika Mitchell (pen name E. L. James). This film was directed by the respected artist Samantha Taylor-Johnson and it’s been reported that she and Mitchell argued over almost every aspect of the production. Mitchell signed over the rights to her books but only after she was granted creative control when she signed over the rights to her books. The result was a very bad movie but some would say – better than the book it was based on.
This time out, Taylor-Johnson has been replaced with James Foley, best known for directing Glengarry Glen Ross. As well, the previous screenwriter, Kelly Marcel (Saving Mr Banks), has been replaced by Niall Leonard, a television writer who also happens to be Mitchell’s husband. The result is, as we’ve alluded to, not that thrilling.
Fifty Shades Darker begins shortly after Anastasia or Ana, walks out on Christian. They meet at a photo exhibit where Ana’s friend has displayed bigger-than-life portraits of her. Christian buys them all and convinces her to have dinner. “I’ll have dinner with you,” she says, “but only because I’m hungry.”
To cut it short, Christian says he wants her back and Ana says she wants a “vanilla relationship.” He agrees but then, hey, the story unfolds. Dakota Johnson is still interesting to watch and Jamie Dornan has improved since last time out. But Fifty Shades Darker may not be able to stir you in the same way as the first movie. As quite a few reviewers have said – when Ana says during the movie: “It’s all wrong… All of this is wrong,” – it’s quite possible she is speaking the truth.
Fifty Shades Darker is streaming now on Binge…
Watch Retro Tech
Retro Tech – a series about our past, present and future tech inventions
YouTuber, Marques Brownlee, hosts the Emmy-nominated series, Retro Tech, on his channel, sharing tech dreams of the past, examining our present tech, and pondering the tech of the future. So go back in time and check it all out. You can go back to the beginning and watch season 1 or catch up with season 2 now. The series guest stars prominent names including Neil deGrasse Tyson, Austin Evans, Michael Ian Black and more.
To check out Retro Tech, take a look here…