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Stephen A Russell

@stephenarussell.bsky.social
1K followers 868 following 2.4K posts

Glasgow-born, Naarm (Melbourne)-based arts journalist and award-winning critic obsessed with film, theatre and a whole lot more. Live on the unceded lands of the Kulin Nation. Snorts generally included. He/him, quite gay. Substack: Orion's Shoulder

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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Was really moved by Koreaboo, The Newsreader star Michelle Lim Davidson’s bittersweet reckoning with her own forced adoption bit.ly/4yn4ULj
bit.ly
Adoption dramedy Koreaboo is a bittersweet marvel
Now showing in Melbourne, this semi-autobiographical work, written by and starring Michelle Lim Davidson, draws on the difficult history of a divided Korea.
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I can’t take all the 30 year olds playing teenagers in The Shards seriously. Why are Americans like this? Also, why is this alternate reality LA blindingly white?
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Josh Taylor @joshtaylor.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
How's that social licence for AI going hey www.theguardian.com/business/202...
The RBA board said it voted unanimously for a hike in response to higher prices from the AI investment boom and amid fears that firms would begin passing on rising costs to consumers. Bullock singled out the US war on Iran, saying it could disrupt oil supply longer than expected.
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Sleestak @sleestak.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
and behold a pale horse. and the name that sat on him was death. and hell followed with him
cat on a statue
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Amanda Katz @katzish.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Tfw you’re deeply in touch with the audience
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Love the weirdly relatable mayhem Zach Cregger unleashes in Resident Evil bit.ly/47jGPcs
bit.ly
Here's what's worth catching at the cinemas these school holidays
From a mile-a-minute Filipino romp, to a claymation that will keep littlies in their seats, to a very-nearly-shelved Looney Tunes caper, there is something that will keep all age groups happy.
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
I dug the slipperiness of Angus Cameron’s Luke, now at Red Stitch, and its unreliable narrators bit.ly/4yNdN0B
bit.ly
Angus Cameron's slippery new play Luke is full of shifts and surprises
A long-buried scandal in a regional college is twisted out of shape in Angus Cameron's button-pushing new play, Luke, at Red Stitch Actors' Theatre in Melbourne.
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Need even more Kylie, post-Grand Final? You can pay tribute to her sparkling hotpants at AMPA bit.ly/4xSnNWk
bit.ly
Take another bow: Encore celebrates Australian icons
From Archie Roach’s denim vest to Kylie’s hotpants, the Australian Performing Arts Museum's latest exhibition offers up an Aladdin’s cave of riches.
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Was really moved by Sand Roads at the Italian film festival, which is as much about the resilience of friendship as it is about unimaginable loss ab.co/4xPgMES
ab.co
When a world record attempt went horribly wrong, these friends held tight
Debuting at the Italian Film Festival, Sand Roads is a heartfelt tribute to the strength of friendship against all odds.
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Was really moved by Sand Roads at the Italian film festival, which is as much about the resilience of friendship as it is about unimaginable loss ab.co/4xPgMES
ab.co
When a world record attempt went horribly wrong, these friends held tight
Debuting at the Italian Film Festival, Sand Roads is a heartfelt tribute to the strength of friendship against all odds.
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Need even more Kylie, post-Grand Final? You can pay tribute to her sparkling hotpants at AMPA bit.ly/4xSnNWk
bit.ly
Take another bow: Encore celebrates Australian icons
From Archie Roach’s denim vest to Kylie’s hotpants, the Australian Performing Arts Museum's latest exhibition offers up an Aladdin’s cave of riches.
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
I dug the slipperiness of Angus Cameron’s Luke, now at Red Stitch, and its unreliable narrators bit.ly/4yNdN0B
bit.ly
Angus Cameron's slippery new play Luke is full of shifts and surprises
A long-buried scandal in a regional college is twisted out of shape in Angus Cameron's button-pushing new play, Luke, at Red Stitch Actors' Theatre in Melbourne.
021
Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Alaska looks awesome in David Ayers’ familiar if diverting Heart of the Beast (which Uber obvs steals from Brad Pitt) bit.ly/4ruWuz5
bit.ly
Heart of the Beast review: Brad Pitt takes an Uber into the Alaskan wilderness
David Ayer’s survivalist drama is solid but unspectacular
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Love the weirdly relatable mayhem Zach Cregger unleashes in Resident Evil bit.ly/47jGPcs
bit.ly
Here's what's worth catching at the cinemas these school holidays
From a mile-a-minute Filipino romp, to a claymation that will keep littlies in their seats, to a very-nearly-shelved Looney Tunes caper, there is something that will keep all age groups happy.
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Well fuck me, for someone who doesn’t care, that had me gripped to the point of losing my voice 🏈
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Footy
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Brandon D. Wilson @geniusbastard.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I said to my students this week that watching Warner Bros. come off of a banner year where it had big hits and won a lot of Oscars only to be consumed by a wealthier crappier studio really makes you wonder what the point of any of this is. Studios should be trying to be Warner Bros, not buy it.
static.klipy.com
Elijah Smoke Shaking Head in Sinners Movie
ALT: Elijah Smoke Shaking Head in Sinners Movie
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Anne Billson @annebillson.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
TIL that FRANKENSTEIN (1931) was Boris Karloff's 81st film. And "hardly anybody saw the first 80,” recalls Karloff. Lovely article by @pamhutch.bsky.social
theguardian.com
My dad was a monster! Sara Karloff on reviving Frankenstein, 95 years on
Boris Karloff’s daughter and composer Michael Shapiro, whose musical score for the 1931 film is finally coming to London, talk about how it became a much-loved classic
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
As cute as the main image looks, my sick puppy love for Resident Evil is in the mix with this ABC review round-up lol bit.ly/47jGPcs
bit.ly
Here's what's worth catching at the cinemas these school holidays
From a mile-a-minute Filipino romp, to a claymation that will keep littlies in their seats, to a very-nearly-shelved Looney Tunes caper, there is something that will keep all age groups happy.
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
When is someone gonna murder me in a horror film?!? You can even murder me as a film critic if you like…
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Ooft 🙊 🪰 🐷 bit.ly/3TLYTZF
bit.ly
All sound and fury, this Lord of the Flies stage play signals far too little
Currently showing in Melbourne, Director Steven Mitchell Wright’s cacophonous production of Lord of the Flies loses sight of the novel's deeper meaning.
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Brad Pitt takes an Uber into the Alaskan wilderness in Heart of the Beast bit.ly/4ruWuz5
bit.ly
Heart of the Beast review: Brad Pitt takes an Uber into the Alaskan wilderness
David Ayer’s survivalist drama is solid but unspectacular
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Beautiful Ballkids sadly had to close early for family reasons, but, sheesh, I hope it bounces back (again-again) bit.ly/4y870il
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Let's hope Ballkids bounces back onto stages soon – it deserves to be seen far and wide
Tennis is the backdrop of a beautiful friendship in Ballkids, the award-winning two-hander starring Mich McCowage and Izabella Yen.
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
History is full of mythmaking, so what is the truth of Angus Cameron's Luke, now at Red Stitch? bit.ly/4yNdN0B
bit.ly
Angus Cameron's slippery new play Luke is full of shifts and surprises
A long-buried scandal in a regional college is twisted out of shape in Angus Cameron's button-pushing new play, Luke, at Red Stitch Actors' Theatre in Melbourne.
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
A late contender for the year’s most cursed headline
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Xero Reynolds 41/100 on Patreon @artificer-ind.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Still patiently waiting to be "left behind" by AI rather than it chasing me across every damn space like a slasher in a low budget flick.
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Mark Harris @markharris.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
In today's installment of the most tin-eared awards campaign of the year so far, Tom Cruise basically DOGE-brags about how he made the make-up people on Digger work faster because he's an efficiency expert. www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie...
hollywoodreporter.com
Tom Cruise Reveals How He Cut ‘Digger’ Transformation Time From Six Hours to Under One
Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s dark comedy with an unrecognizable Cruise as the lead opens in theaters Oct. 2.
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Candice Frederick @candicefrederick.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Happy 75th anniversary to The Day the Earth Stood Still
static.klipy.com
John Travolta: Robot & Spaceship
ALT: John Travolta: Robot & Spaceship
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Greg Jericho @grogsgamut.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
"Can someone explain why – in an economy in which the central bank has decided we need almost 700,000 people to be unemployed – those people live in such dreadful poverty that it can make you up to 10 times more likely to die in the prime of your life?" www.theguardian.com/business/gro...
theguardian.com
In such a rich country, it is shameful how many Australians on jobseeker are dying in desperate poverty | Greg Jericho
Lifting the abysmally low jobseeker rate to the poverty line would save thousands of lives
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Was evil corporate tax write-off Coyote vs Acme worth saving?? bit.ly/4gUjunx
bit.ly
Why you should see Coyote vs Acme, the ‘toon accountants wanted to erase | ScreenHub: Film, TV, Streaming and Games
Director Dave Green’s fusion of live action and animation has more than a little in common with Who Framed Roger Rabbit – and it’s a delight.
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Kylie’s tiny hotpants are just the tip of the iceberg in Encore, the new exhibition at the Australian Museum of the Performing Arts bit.ly/4xSnNWk
bit.ly
Take another bow: Encore celebrates Australian icons
From Archie Roach’s denim vest to Kylie’s hotpants, the Australian Performing Arts Museum's latest exhibition offers up an Aladdin’s cave of riches.
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
With Adelaide Film Festival’s program live, here are a few tips from me on what to start booking bit.ly/4z0tyld
bit.ly
From lost loves to time travel: 10 highlights of the Adelaide Film Festival | ScreenHub: Film, TV, Streaming and Games
Adelaide Film Festival has once again snaffled a host of great films from the leading international festivals.
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
With Adelaide Film Festival’s program live, here are a few tips from me on what to start booking bit.ly/4z0tyld
bit.ly
From lost loves to time travel: 10 highlights of the Adelaide Film Festival | ScreenHub: Film, TV, Streaming and Games
Adelaide Film Festival has once again snaffled a host of great films from the leading international festivals.
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Was unexpectedly bowled over by the new Oasis doco, Don’t Look Back in Anger bit.ly/4j2wLf0
bit.ly
The glorious new Oasis doco is not just for the fans | ScreenHub: Film, TV, Streaming and Games
Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace’s concert movie documenting the Oasis Live 2025 tour is so much bigger than the Gallagher brothers.
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Kylie’s tiny hotpants are just the tip of the iceberg in Encore, the new exhibition at the Australian Museum of the Performing Arts bit.ly/4xSnNWk
bit.ly
Take another bow: Encore celebrates Australian icons
From Archie Roach’s denim vest to Kylie’s hotpants, the Australian Performing Arts Museum's latest exhibition offers up an Aladdin’s cave of riches.
022
Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Kylie’s tiny hotpants are just the tip of the iceberg in Encore, the new exhibition at the Australian Museum of the Performing Arts bit.ly/4xSnNWk
bit.ly
Take another bow: Encore celebrates Australian icons
From Archie Roach’s denim vest to Kylie’s hotpants, the Australian Performing Arts Museum's latest exhibition offers up an Aladdin’s cave of riches.
000
Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Was evil corporate tax write-off Coyote vs Acme worth saving?? bit.ly/4gUjunx
bit.ly
Why you should see Coyote vs Acme, the ‘toon accountants wanted to erase | ScreenHub: Film, TV, Streaming and Games
Director Dave Green’s fusion of live action and animation has more than a little in common with Who Framed Roger Rabbit – and it’s a delight.
051
Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Was unexpectedly bowled over by the new Oasis doco, Don’t Look Back in Anger bit.ly/4j2wLf0
bit.ly
The glorious new Oasis doco is not just for the fans | ScreenHub: Film, TV, Streaming and Games
Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace’s concert movie documenting the Oasis Live 2025 tour is so much bigger than the Gallagher brothers.
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
I’ve been sent screeners for a show. I’ve watched eps one and two. The next available episode is five…. Ummmmmm
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
I can just about scrape by in lower register (generally husky women vocals) but I’m utterly hopeless at high notes, so sound half terrible squawking along to Orville Peck’s Already Gone 🤠
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
A few Sunday reads, starting with a focus on Deaf artists at Melbourne Fringe bit.ly/4hUn95C
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Deaf artists lead the way at this year’s Melbourne Fringe
Deaf-led projects are hitting the spotlight at Melbourne Fringe, from a performance marrying opera and Auslan, to a panel talk on queering the music video.
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Sexy comedy is back, baby, with Olivia Wilde and Gregg Araki leading the charge bit.ly/3UKx5Fq
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Hot and bothered
Olivia Wilde’s The Invite and Gregg Araki’s I Want Your Sex bring sweat back to comedy
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Sexy comedy is back, baby, with Olivia Wilde and Gregg Araki leading the charge bit.ly/3UKx5Fq
bit.ly
Hot and bothered
Olivia Wilde’s The Invite and Gregg Araki’s I Want Your Sex bring sweat back to comedy
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Catch Tim Roth and Radha Mitchell in Seven Snipers on Netflix now bit.ly/3OTTIVh
bit.ly
Tim Roth battles Radha Mitchell in gripping Australian action flick
Shooting in snake-and-spider-infested grass on a Queensland farm, Seven Snipers spooked its stars.
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Catch Tim Roth and Radha Mitchell in Seven Snipers on Netflix now bit.ly/3OTTIVh
bit.ly
Tim Roth battles Radha Mitchell in gripping Australian action flick
Shooting in snake-and-spider-infested grass on a Queensland farm, Seven Snipers spooked its stars.
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The Cathy Wilcox @cathywilcox.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
The best piece of news, after a relentless and brutal attempt to destroy a decent person and make an example of her, to scare others to silence. No thanks to the mainstream, which said and did nothing to defend the principle of press freedom and her right to report fact and express an opinion.
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
I haven’t listened to Oasis with any regularity since I was a teenager, and yet I just sat through Don’t Look Back in Anger and wept. And wept, and wept until my throat hurt. Power of music, and memory, man.
static.klipy.com
Liam Gallagher from Oasis
ALT: Liam Gallagher from Oasis
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Long-delayed, here's part one of my MIFF 2026 faves bit.ly/4gGaTEV
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Tea and sympathy
Part one of my favourite films from this year’s Melbourne International Film Festival
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Patricia Cornelius’ Savages are stalking the cruise club again, this time at Theatre Works, but this time they look very different bit.ly/4r1KZPp
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Patricia Cornelius’s takedown of toxic masculinity cooped up on a cruise ship sharpens in this gender-queer retelling
★★★★: Savages at Theatre Works, Melbourne
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Stephen A Russell @stephenarussell.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
With Agata the Writer at Venice and Kick On at TIFF, following Saccharine at Berlinale, Australians are taking over the Big Five bit.ly/4gFQ64k
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The Australian filmmakers at the biggest overseas festivals: 'It really is a pinch-me moment’ | ScreenHub: Film, TV, Streaming and Games
What does it mean to have your feature selected a film festival like Sundance, Berlinale, Cannes, Venice or Toronto?
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