Simon de Bruyn

Australia & NZ Editor; Melbourne, Australia

Simon de Bruyn has been writing about Australian & New Zealand films for 5 years, and in that time he's seen the region grow into a white-hot crucible for amazing genre cinema. He also works for Twitch-associated company XYZ Films as an acquisitions consultant.

Yuen Woo Ping To Direct ZU WARRIORS In 3D For Tsui Hark

It's Yuen Woo Ping this week here at Twitch. Only yesterday we heard news the prolific director and veteran stunt coordinator would direct the sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and not to be outdone, Hong Kong filmmaker Tsui Hark... More »

By Simon de Bruyn

Michelle Yeoh, Donnie Yen Set For CROUCHING TIGER II, Yuen Woo Ping To Direct

Where there's a will there's The Weinsteins. So goes the old Chinese saying. And their iron will has proven unstoppable once again, with The Weinstein Company powering along in its plans to follow up its 2000 international smash hit Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon... More »

By Simon de Bruyn

Captain Kirk Joins Post-Apocalyptic Z FOR ZACHARIAH

With their movies currently rolling out into theatres, Chris Pine and Tobey Maguire are back in the news as part of a collaboration to adapt Z For Zachariah, the iconic 1974 young adult novel set in the wake of a... More »

By Simon de Bruyn

Fox International to Remake Sundance Hit METRO MANILA

Fox International Productions has bought the remake rights to Metro Manila, the Tagalog-language heist thriller directed by Sean Ellis that won the Sundance World Cinema audience award at the 2013 Park City festival.The original story centres on a Filipino farmer... More »

By Simon de Bruyn

St Kilda 2013 Preview: Why the Annual Music Video Program Rocks

Last year two things completely changed my perspective on watching music videos.First, Natasha Pincus' phenomenally successful video for Gotye's Somebody That I Used to Know was selected to play in SXSW and I helped Natasha with a little freelance... More »

By Simon de Bruyn

VAN DIEMEN'S LAND Meets PREDATOR In New Australian Horror TERRITORIAL

Hell yes, this is exactly what the world needs. A Predator-style movie, set in the harsh Australian colonial landscape - with tough criminals being hunted by a mythological being that has its roots in the oldest Aboriginal stories. And who better to... More »

By Simon de Bruyn

WOLF CREEK 2 Sales Poster Inspired By EVIL DEAD Reboot

Well if it was good enough for the Evil Dead reboot then it's good enough for relaunching Wolf Creek to the world. So appears to be the thinking behind the new sales poster art leading into the Cannes market for Wolf Creek... More »

By Simon de Bruyn

St Kilda 2013 Preview: SXSW Sidebar to Showcase the Best of Texas

In this first preview of the St Kilda Film Festival which is held in St Kilda, Melbourne in May, I'm going to highlight the four SXSW sidebars that have been incorporated into the broader program this year. Known by its... More »

By Simon de Bruyn

RAKE Greenlit As Fox Drama Series

Rake is a TV program I've written about a few times here on Twitch, both in my best of 2012 list and in following the progress of Sony Pictures Television picking up the original Australian series and developing it as... More »

By Simon de Bruyn

Ewan McGregor Jumps From SON OF A GUN to JANE GOT A GUN

Ewan McGregor has just wrapped filming on Australian crime action-thriller Son of a Gun, and rather than get back home and chill out, he's opted to jump straight onto another project already in production. And it's not just any production... More »

By Simon de Bruyn

Christopher McQuarrie Boards ICE STATION: ZEBRA Remake

Any idea what Ice Station: Zebra is? Until now I had no idea. However after the fantastically entertaining Jack Reacher, today's news that Christopher McQuarrie has signed on to direct the remake of this icy adventure makes it a must... More »

By Simon de Bruyn

Aussie Filmmaker Andrew Morgan Uses Indiegogo In Reverse To Distribute Debut Feature

Andrew Morgan is an experimental filmmaker, with his feature debut Yes No Yes Yes Go a sort of documentary-fiction hybrid, so it's fitting that he's also decided to release the film in an experimental way. It's a variation of what... More »

By Simon de Bruyn

Full St Kilda Film Festival Program Announced For 2013

Australia's best short film festival, the St Kilda Film Festival, is turning 30 this year and in the lead up has unveiled an epic line-up of shorts, music videos, sidebars from SXSW, retrospectives and restored short films. Twitch will dissect... More »

By Simon de Bruyn

Mr Hyperbole Teases WALKING WITH DINOSAURS 3D In First International Trailer

If you played this teaser without watching the video and just listening to Mr Voice, you'd be forgiven for thinking it's the latest Jaden Smith movie. But open your eyes and you'd see it's a tale about a little dinosaur... More »

By Simon de Bruyn

Out, Damned Spot! Natalie Portman To Play Lady Macbeth In Justin Kurzel's MACBETH

After news broke yesterday that rising-fast Australian director Justin Kurzel would direct Michael Fassbender as Macbeth for the producers of The King's Speech, we heard the reveal of who would play Lady Macbeth wasn't far away. Well, turns out that... More »

By Simon de Bruyn

Christiaan Van Vuuren Directs Alternate Party Universes for Dutch

We're big fans of rising director Christiaan Van Vuuren here at Twitch, so it's great to see him unveil a new music video for Sydney hip hop dude Dutch. Made for the song Hank Moody, the video depicts Dutch experiencing... More »

By Simon de Bruyn

Hey Australia & New Zealand! Win Amiel Courtin-Wilson's Brilliant HAIL On DVD!

Update: Due to an overwhelming response from readers the competition is already closed and all DVD's claimed - with both Australian and New Zealand readers getting copies, which is great.One of the most acclaimed Australian films of last year and... More »

By Simon de Bruyn

Well-Timed GREAT GATSBY Extended TV Spot Joins Promo Avalanche

While most here at Twitch appear to be hungrily anticipating Pacific Rim, I have the same fervour for Baz Luhrmann's take on The Great Gatsby, and am eating up every morsel of promo in the lead up to its May... More »

By Simon de Bruyn

A Completely Accurate Portrayal Of The Modern Cinema Experience

Thanks to Michael Cusack for hitting the nail on the head. This should really stand alongside the Alamo Drafthouse no cell phones PSA.... More »

By Simon de Bruyn

SNOWTOWN's Justin Kurzel to Direct Michael Fassbender in MACBETH

Back in 2006 the director of Romper Stomper, Geoffrey Wright, directed a rising Sam Worthington in a contemporary retelling of Macbeth set in the ganglands of Melbourne. It was an interesting if flawed adaptation, certainly made more compelling by a... More »

By Simon de Bruyn

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Leading Voices in Global Cinema

Todd Brown, Founder & Editor Toronto
Peter Martin, Managing Editor Dallas
Ryland Aldrich, Festivals Editor Los Angeles
James Marsh, Asian Editor Hong Kong
Brian Clark, European Editor Paris

China Beat: What did China See in IRON MAN 3?

Much has already been written, both on these pages and many others, about the landmark Hollywood-China co-production that is Marvel and DMG Entertainment's Iron Man 3. The film, directed by Shane Black, is the third solo outing for Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark, and has proved a phenomenal success around... More »

FEAR & LOATHING AT CANNES, PART 2: I'M IN LOVE WITH EVERYBODY'S GIRL

CHAPTER 4: THE PHILOSOPHY OF ANNA KARINA AND BUTT PLUGSI'm sitting outside at a small Café that my editor told me to meet him at. I'm a 10 minute walk from the Marche Du Film convention hall and I'm still waiting for my editor to arrive so he take guide... More »

CINEMA HOLOCAUST ON THE FRENCH RIVIERA, PART 1: THOSE GOD DAMN FILM BLOGGERS

MIKE'S JOURNAL. MAY 13. MORNINGI wake up sometime around five AM. My flight to France doesn't leave until five PM. I should be there for security check in sometime around 3PM. There is no reason for me to be up this early but I'm feeling anxious. I have an itch... More »

FEAR & LOATHING AT CANNES, PART 1: A MAN'S HANDSHAKE SAYS EVERYTHING

CHAPTER ONE: THE BIGGER THE SIDEBURNS, THE BIGGER THE ASSHOLE. I've hit the big time now. I've finally made it. I'm in like Flint from here on out. I'm boarding a plane to France where I'll be attending the Cannes Film Festival for the first time.No more unpaid blogging from... More »

Destroy All Monsters: Leo DiCaprio and the Myth of the Chick Flick

I have a running argument about whether or not movie box office is a zero-sum game. I tend to attack film earning potential from the "mother of two" perspective - which is that while yes, it's nice to believe that if a film is good it has a theoretically unlimited... More »