Visiting New York City sits on plenty of bucket lists, and there are more than a few reasons why that's the case. But if you've always wanted to head to the Big Apple, wear designer outfits, get paid to write about your love life and, between cocktails and dates, hang out outside your apartment — sitting on the stoop with your significant other, whether you're making up or breaking up — then you obviously have Sex and the City to thank. Running from 1998–2004 (forget the terrible 2008 and 2010 movies), the hit HBO series made Manolo Blahniks a must-wear, turned cosmopolitans into the drink of choice for sips with the gang, and gave tutus their moment outside of ballet. It also showered Carrie Bradshaw's apartment stoop with ample attention, including in big, life-changing moments. Unsurprisingly, the filming location has become a tourist attraction over the last quarter-century. Always wanted to make the trip to follow in Sarah Jessica Parker's footsteps, but haven't yet had the chance? With Sex and the City spinoff And Just Like That... arriving for its second season this month — after first debuting in 2021 — Binge is bringing a replica of that famous apartment stoop to Melbourne. And if this sounds familiar, that's because it did the same a couple of years back in Sydney. This time, the 2.2-metre-wide, 4.8-metre-high stoop is popping up at the David Jones Dome at Melbourne's Chadstone Shopping Centre for three days, between Thursday, June 8–Saturday, June 10, ready to fill your Instagram feed. Just like when the Friends couch toured Australia, the Squid Game Red Light, Green Light doll towered over Sydney Harbour and a statue of Borat made an appearance at Bondi Beach — and when the Iron Throne did the rounds, and all of the other film- and TV-themed pop-ups over the years — this is all about three things: indulging one of your pop-culture obsessions, taking snaps and promotion ahead of And Just Like That...'s season two return on Thursday, June 22. It also marks 25 years since Sex and the City began. And no, as you're taking photos of yourself living out your Carrie Bradshaw stoop dreams — Manolo Blahniks optional — you won't find any Peloton fitness equipment in sight. Find the replica Sex and the City and And Just Like That... apartment stoop at the David Jones Dome at Melbourne's Chadstone Shopping Centre from 11am–3pm and 5–9pm on Thursday, June 8–Friday, June 9 — and 11am–3pm on Saturday, June 10. Images: Chris Pavlich Photography.
In time to come, we may well look back on the 21st century as the 'Age of the Bicycle'. We've run music festivals on pedal power, attempted to crowdfund the world's first flying bicycle, designed fashion for two-wheeling commuters, built cycle super highways and proposed the construction of sky-high bike paths. Nearly every week, it seems, someone, somewhere finds a way to extend the scope, relevance and fun factor of the humble bicycle. Now, a maverick composer by the name of Johnny Random has demonstrated its capacity as a musical instrument. Actually, not just an instrument, but an entire orchestra. He's written and recorded a song titled 'Bespoken' in which every single sound is generated via bicycle parts. As difficult as it is to believe when you hear it, no traditional instruments, synthesisers, samplers or drum machines are used. Instead, the spokes are tuned to various pitches, then plucked, picked and bowed to create melody, with other components employed percussively. "I remember my first time riding a bicycle," Johnny Random says. "It felt like freedom. I associate the sounds of a bike with this feeling. As a composer, I wanted to capture this through music, specifically by using the sounds of bikes and their components ... Through music, I want to change the way that people perceive their surroundings and I hope that this will inspire others to look at every day objects with more curiosity and wonder". Via PSFK.
The rise of the smartphone has seen the demise of the public telephone booth. Good riddance, you might say — those things were an eyesore anyway (and they didn't even have Instagram). But it's a bit of a different story in the UK; their fire engine-red phone booth are iconic cultural landmarks, and the streets of London just wouldn't look the same without 'em. So to stop them from entering extinction, New York co-working company Bar Works are looking to repurpose the booths into tiny on-street offices. It's not the first time someone has decided to give telephone boxes a new life — Berlin have turned theirs into a series of mini nightclubs — but it certainly seems like the most productive way to use them. Pod Works, which will be launching in London, Edinburgh and Leeds, will transform the phone booths into mini workstations for people who are working in the city and need a place to tap out some emails, make a call or prep for a meeting on the go. The pod 'offices' will be fully equipped with Wi-Fi and internet connections, a printer and scanner, a wireless mouse, a 25-inch screen, a hot drinks machine and a power source. Membership will cost £19.99 (roughly AUD $39) and will allow you to access the pods whenever you like through an app on your phone. "Entrepreneurs and others constantly on the move need a convenient, affordable and private place to work," said CEO Jonathan Black in a press release. "Why should they sit in Starbucks or any other coffee bar when using one of our Pods will allow them to truly focus on their job before an important meeting or presentation at less than the price of two cups of coffee a week?" If you've ever had to make an important Skype call in a loud cafe with shitty Wi-Fi (or had to endure someone else doing the same), you'll know that an insulated internet pod is exactly what this world needs. Telstra, please take note. Image: Negative Space.
Break out the martinis and prepare for a shaken but not stirred couch session: Bond, James Bond, is coming to your lounge room. Just in time for wintry binge-viewing marathons, the famed espionage franchise has hit Prime Video, spanning every flick in the series from the now 60-year-old Dr No through to 2021's No Time to Die. Sean Connery smouldering his way through everything from that first-ever Bond instalment through to Diamonds Are Forever, Roger Moore stepping into 007's shoes between Live and Let Die and A View to A Kill, Timothy Dalton's two-film run in The Living Daylights and Licence To Kill — they're all included. So is Pierce Brosnan's stint as the secret agent between GoldenEye and Die Another Day, and Daniel Craig's five contributions from Casino Royale onwards, wrapping up with what might be the best Bond film yet. Aussie actor George Lazenby's one-movie appearance as Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service is also on the bill. That's all 25 official movies in total covered, but there is also a 26th movie, Never Say Never Again, that you might want to watch. Made in 1983, it stars Connery as the suave spy. But, because it was made by a different company from the rest of the Bond movies, it's not considered part of the franchise itself. If you're a completist, it's also on Prime Video now. Exceptional Bond flicks, terrible ones, everything in-between: if 007 is involved, it's now in this one spot. For everything other than No Time to Die, this isn't the first time the franchise has all sat on one streaming platform, and we've all seen various flicks hop between different services over the years. That said, the Bond movies aren't likely to move from Prime Video moving forward given that Amazon recently purchased MGM, the nearly century-old film studio that's behind all things 007. That deal will see the platform access MGM's 4000-plus films and more than 17,000 TV episodes, spanning the likes of the Rocky and Legally Blonde franchises, as well as other classics such as Thelma & Louise, The Silence of the Lambs, The Magnificent Seven and Raging Bull. For now, though, the focus is on a certain Aston Martin-driving spy — and the villains, women, gadgets, songs and stylishing opening credits sequences that go with him. If you want to don a tuxedo while you watch, well, that's up to you. The entire Bond franchise hit Prime Video on Wednesday, May 11 — and is now available to stream.
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to watching anything, we're here to help. From the latest and greatest to old favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue for July. NEW STUFF TO WATCH NOW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSCKfXpAGHc HAMILTON If you haven't been lucky enough to catch Hamilton on the stage — and, let's face it, most of us haven't — a filmed "live capture" version of the popular hip hop musical here to fill the gap. The story, for those who aren't intimately acquainted with US revolutionary history, chronicles the Caribbean-born eponymous "bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a Scotsman" from his arrival in New York in the early 1770s. As the informative opening number explains, Alexander Hamilton will go on to become "the ten-dollar Founding Father without a father", with the production charting how he "got a lot farther by working a lot harder, by being a lot smarter and by being a self-starter". And, as shot on Broadway back in 2016, the results really are as phenomenal as we've all been hearing for the past five years. The entire cast, including not only creator, writer and star Lin-Manuel Miranda but Tony-winners Daveed Diggs (Snowpiercer) and Leslie Odom Jr (Murder on the Orient Express), Mindhunter's Jonathan Groff and Waves' Renee Elise Goldsberry, is superb, as is every element of the production. Infectiously exuberant from its first moments, and not only lively but frequently funny, Miranda's rich, dense but always accessible words and songs interrogate US history with passion, intelligence and energy. They'll also become firmly lodged in your head, too, so don't say we didn't warn you. The filmed version of Hamilton is available to stream via Disney+. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8zHfScOWO8 MCMILLIONS Your next true-crime obsession is here and, as all these types of docuseries tend to, McMillions charts quite the case. The McDonald's Monopoly promotion isn't just confined to America, as anyone who has collected the chain's peel-off tokens and tried to win big prizes (or just score a few free burgers and fries) knows; however when it ran in the US between 1989 and 2001, it was the target of an enormous scam. If you don't know the rest of the details yet, let this in-depth six-part HBO show do the honours. Featuring interviews with those involved in the FBI investigation into the winners and chats with some of the latter as well, it makes for engrossing viewing — even though the series features a hefty amount of recreations and talking heads compared to archival footage. Writer/directors James Lee Hernandez and Brian Lazarte are fond of teasing out revelations, but that just comes with the territory. And it's part and parcel of this tale, too, which definitely falls into the 'so wild it can only be true' category. All six episodes of McMillions are available to stream via Binge. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK-X2d0lJ_s THE OLD GUARD If Charlize Theron starred in every action movie, the genre would vastly improve. That isn't a criticism of this very busy, very popular category of flicks, but recognition of how great the Mad Max: Fury Road, The Fate of the Furious and Atomic Blonde star is when she's in them. The latest movie to prove it: The Old Guard. Based on the comic book of the same name, it's a superhero film of sorts, following a group of immortal warriors (including Kursk's Matthias Schoenaerts, Aladdin's Marwan Kenzari and Trust's Luca Marinelli) led by Theron's Andromache of Scythia, or Andy. They use their skills to help those in need, and have done for centuries and centuries, although Andy's patience with humanity's pervasive cruelty is wearing thin. Then, just as a job set up by an ex-CIA operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor) goes awry, the gang gets a new member in the form of US Marine Nile (If Beale Street Could Talk's KiKi Layne). Unlike most movies that aim to set up a franchise — which this clearly does — The Old Guard never feels like filler for the next chapter. It's far more focused on character to fall into that trap, all while still boasting lithe, energetic action sequences. Thank not only Theron and her co-stars, but also Beyond the Lights director Gina Prince-Bythewood. The Old Guard is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJqHpN9b0U4 JU-ON: ORIGINS First, an obvious truth: this year's latest American version of The Grudge, which marks the fourth US film adapted from the J-horror series, is downright awful. Thankfully, 2020 isn't a wash for Ju-On fans, with the six-part Ju-On: Origins getting suitably eerie on Netflix. In fact, it's the streaming platform's first original Japanese horror series. As the name suggests, Origins jumps back in time, starting in 1988. The cursed Tokyo house everyone knows but no one loves looms large over the show, obviously, with upsetting incidents happening not only within its walls, but to those who visit. When Tetsuya Fukazawa (Kai Inowaki), the boyfriend of TV host Haruka Honjo (Yuina Kuroshima), checks out the place, it comes with repercussions. When schoolgirl Kiyomi Kawai (Ririka) is lured there by her new classmates, her life will never be the same. Unfurled over 30-minute episodes, filled with dread-inducing horror filmmaking yet never leaning too heavily on the franchise's iconic imagery, and switching between restrained and brutal, this is exactly what the Ju-On series needed right now. The first season of Ju-On: Origins is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Atqf47wM5Gg RELIC It's a recognisable setup: a remote house, a family haunted by decades-old troubles, a murky history that's still leaving an imprint and tension levels rising when, naturally, strange things start to happen. But new Australian horror movie Relic has more than a few tricks up its sleeves as it follows three generations of women in a Victorian-based family. In fact, while the slow-burning affair is set in a nerve-shatteringly creepy house that's up there with many a horror great, and it serves up well-executed jumps, bumps and unnerving sensations, this smart, thoughtful and constantly disquieting film also uses its concept and plot to ponder the physical and emotional impact of ageing, including dementia. It all starts with the disappearances of the widowed and elderly Edna (Top of the Lake's Robyn Nevin). Her daughter Kay (Mary Poppins Returns,' Emily Mortimer) arrives from Melbourne to join the search, with her own offspring Sam (Bloom's Bella Heathcote) in tow, but then Edna reappears suddenly without any explanation for her absence. In the assured feature directorial debut of Japanese-Australian filmmaker Natalie Erika James, Kay and Sam still need to try to ascertain just what happened, though, and work out why Edna's house — and, increasingly, Edna too — seems so sinister. Relic is available to stream via Stan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5O3cMmg3JQ PERRY MASON When a young boy is kidnapped, murdered, then returned to his parents with his eyes stitched shut, private investigator Perry Mason (Matthew Rhys) is brought onto the case. The time: the early 1930s. The place: Los Angeles. The outcome: an instantly engaging new take on the famed detective, who is down on his luck, trying to navigate depression-era America, makes questionable personal decisions and often rubs those in his orbit the wrong way. Mason first popped up on the page in the 30s, actually, and in cinemas then, too — before a radio serial followed in the 40s and 50s, then TV shows in the 50s, 60s and 70s, and television movies in the 80s and 90s. But, while HBO's new eight-part noir mini-series is set almost 90 years ago, it confidently presents an alluringly murky, impeccably performed and grandly stylish version of Perry Mason that's firmly made for today. Casting the ever-reliable Rhys helps, of course, as fans of his work in The Americans, The Post and A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood already know. Also impressive: a number of episodes are directed by Mustang filmmaker Deniz Gamze Ergüven. The first three episodes of Perry Mason are available to stream via Binge, with new episodes dropping weekly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq2iTHoLrt0 DARK There's only one thing wrong with Netflix's thrilling, labyrinthine, time-travelling science-fiction series Dark — and that's the fact that, with its just-dropped third season, the German-language show has now come to an end. Like Stranger Things, it follows odd occurrences in an eerie small town, focuses on a group of teens and their families, and isn't afraid to jump into another realm; however this immensely intricate tale tumbles down its own rabbit hole. At the centre of a very complex narrative sits the depressed Jonas Kahnwald (Louis Hofmann), a spooky cave beneath a nuclear power plant and a spate of missing kids going back decades. When the third season begins, Jonas has just lost the girl he loves (Lisa Vicari) and met her almost-identical counterpart from an alternate reality, with things only getting more complicated from there. There's no quick way to summarise Dark's period- and world-hopping story, but no one does smart, philosophically minded, cliffhanger-heavy, constantly circling and looping sci-fi quite like this compelling, quickly addictive series. Visually, emotionally, thematically and in its alluring soundtrack, it lives up to its name, too. The third season of Dark is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEFfIc5GzM4 WAR OF THE WORLDS HG Wells passed away more than seven decades ago but, when it comes to new adaptations of his work, the famous author is having a good year. Leigh Whannell's update of The Invisible Man is savvy, scary and excellent and, for those who prefer their Wells-penned stories with a dash of extra-terrestrial conflict, a new episodic version of War of the Worlds is now streaming. The alien-invasion tale has been brought to the screen many times, of course, including by Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise back in 2005. And yet, this eight-part international TV production never feels overly bogged down by familiarity. Starting with a strange transmission detected by astronomers, the show finds its own way to work with Wells' classic, enduring premise — with ample help from a first-rate cast that includes Gabriel Byrne (Hereditary), Elizabeth McGovern (Downton Abbey), Lea Drucker (Custody), Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People), Adel Bencherif (The Little Drummer Girl) and Stephen Campbell Moore (also Downton Abbey). The first three episodes of War of the Worlds are available to stream via SBS On Demand, with new episodes dropping weekly. ONES TO WATCH OUT FOR LATER IN THE MONTH https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqzgDB1CMI4 LUCE In Waves, Kelvin Harrison Jr currently stars in one of the best movies to hit cinemas Down Under this year — and he puts in a powerful, unforgettable performance. But he's also stellar in Luce, a tightly wound drama that similarly casts him as a star high-school athlete whose life changes abruptly, but couldn't be more different in style and tone. Here, he plays the titular character. A refugee from Eritrea who was adopted by Amy and Peter Edgar (Naomi Watts and Tim Roth) ten years earlier, Luce has embraced his new life, and is considered a role model academically, too. Then he has a run-in with his history teacher (Octavia Spencer), who is concerned about one of his assignments, and everything shifts. Adapted from the play of the same name, this is a tense, taut affair that ponders the subject of assimilation deeply, also serves up a sociopolitical puzzle, and benefits from excellent on-screen work all-round. An assured and engaging piece of filmmaking, it's also worlds away from director Julius Onah's last film, aka the forgettable The Cloverfield Paradox. Luce will be available to stream via Amazon Prime Video from Saturday, July 25. CULT CLASSICS TO REVISIT AND REDISCOVER https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4lGzgVqVvU A WHOLE HEAP OF CLASSIC AUSTRALIAN FILMS Whether you like your Aussie films romantic and vibrant, as seen in Baz Luhrmann's Strictly Ballroom, or unsettling in the outback, as all-time great Wake in Fright achieved so well, the ABC's Australian Movie collection has you covered. This nation of ours has made many a feature over the years — and you can now stream plenty of them for free, including the Kylie Minogue-starring The Delinquents and the Michael Hutchence-starring Dogs in Space, if you have a think for local music icons on-screen as well. Also on offer: standout Indigenous stories such as Jedda, Satellite Boy, Samson & Delilah, Spear and Goldstone, plus the unnerving crime antics of Animal Kingdom, Snowtown and The Boys. Or, you can join Willem Dafoe on a search for the Tasmanian tiger in The Hunter, and witness the blistering work of Oscar Isaac in Balibo. Our must-revisit pick, if you're only going to choose one, is Two Hands. It'll always remain one of the best Aussie movies ever made, with both Heath Ledger and Rose Byrne excellent in early-career performances. ABC's Australian Movie collection is available to stream via iView. Top images: The Old Guard via Aimee Spinks/Netflix; Hamilton filmed version courtesy Disney+; Perry Mason courtesy of HBO and Merrick Morton; McMillions courtesy of HBO.
Before the pandemic, when a new-release movie started playing in cinemas, audiences couldn't watch it on streaming, video on demand, DVD or blu-ray for a few months. But with the past few years forcing film industry to make quite a few changes — widespread movie theatre closures and plenty of people staying home in iso will do that — that's no longer always the case. Maybe you've been under the weather. Perhaps you haven't had time to make it to your local cinema lately. Given the hefty amount of films now releasing each week, maybe you simply missed something. Film distributors have been fast-tracking some of their new releases from cinemas to streaming recently — movies that might still be playing in theatres in some parts of the country, too. In preparation for your next couch session, here are ten that you can watch right now at home. TÁR The least surprising aspect of Tár is also its most essential: Cate Blanchett being as phenomenal as she's ever been, plus more. The Australian Nightmare Alley, Thor: Ragnarok and Carol actor — "our Cate", of course — unsurprisingly scored an Oscar nomination as a result. Accolades have been showered her way since this drama about a cancelled conductor premiered at the 2022 Venice International Film Festival (the prestigious event's Best Actress gong was the first of them), deservedly so. Blanchett is that stunning in Tár, that much of a powerhouse, that adept at breathing life and complexity into a thorny figure, and that magnetic and mesmerising. Even when she hasn't been at her utmost on rare past occasions or something she's in hasn't been up to her standards — see: Don't Look Up for both — she's a force that a feature gravitates around. Tár is astonishing itself, too, but Blanchett at her finest is the movie's rock, core and reason for being. Blanchett is spectacular in Tár, and she also has to be spectacular in Tár — because Lydia Tár, the maestro she's playing, earns that term to start with in the film's on-screen world. At the feature's kickoff, the passionate and ferocious character is feted by a New Yorker Festival session led by staff writer Adam Gopnik as himself, with her achievements rattled off commandingly to an excited crowd; what a list it is. Inhabiting this part requires nothing less than utter perfection, then, aka what Tár demands herself, her latest assistant Francesca (Noémie Merlant, Jumbo), her wife Sharon (Nina Hoss, Shadowplay) and everyone else in her orbit constantly. Strong, seductive, severe, electrifying and downright exceptional, Blanchett nails it. That Lydia can't always do the same, no matter how hard, painstakingly and calculatingly she's worked to ensure that it appears otherwise, is one of the movie's main concerns. Tár is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. MEET ME IN THE BATHROOM In 2022, The Strokes and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs were meant to share the same Splendour in the Grass bill. Karen O's band didn't make it to what became Splendour in the Mud, but the two groups have shared plenty before — and for decades. Their maps have overlapped since pre-9/11 New York, when both were formed in the turn-of-the-millennium indie-rock wave, then surfed it to success and worldwide fame. Both The Strokes and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs were born of the Lower East Side pre-gentrification. Both spun in the same orbit as late-90s saccharine pop and Y2K nu-metal rock gave way to electrifying guitar riffs and an explosive sound that'd become a whole scene. Both are led by charismatic singers who came alive onstage, but also found chaos and challenges. Alongside Interpol, LCD Soundsystem, The Moldy Peaches, The Rapture and TV on the Radio, both now sit at the heart of documentary Meet Me in the Bathroom. Based on Lizzy Goodman's 2017 book Meet Me in the Bathroom, an oral history that focuses on exactly what its subtitle says it does — Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001–2011 — this is a fond look back at bands setting the room on fire and rolling heads as one century gave way to the next. While the film isn't about just one or two groups, it returns to The Strokes and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs again and again, and not simply because they're two of the early 00s' biggest NYC post-punk, garage-rock revival names. Listening to The Strokes' first record, 2001's Is This It, is a jolt and a buzz. With Julian Casablancas behind the microphone, it thrums and hums with the energy of hopping between bars, gigs and parties, and with the thrill of a heady night, week, month, year and just being in your 20s. Hearing O's voice is galvanising — intoxicating as well — and has been since the Yeah Yeah Yeah's self-titled EP, also in 2001. It's no wonder that directors Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern just want to keep listening, and also inhabiting that vibe. Meet Me in the Bathroom is available to stream via iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. KNOCK AT THE CABIN Does M Night Shyamalan hate holidays? The twist-loving writer/director's Knock at the Cabin comes hot on the heels of 2021's Old, swapping beach nightmares for woodland terrors. He isn't the only source of on-screen chaos in vacation locations — see also: Triangle of Sadness' Ruben Östlund, plus oh-so-many past horror movies, and TV's The White Lotus and The Resort as well — but making two flicks in a row with that setup is a pattern. For decades since The Sixth Sense made him the Oscar-nominated king of high-concept premises with shock reveals, Shyamalan explored the idea that everything isn't what it seems in our daily lives. Lately, however, he's been finding insidiousness lingering beyond the regular routine, in picturesque spots, when nothing but relaxation is meant to flow. A holiday can't fix all or any ills, he keeps asserting, including in this engaging adaptation of Paul Tremblay's 2018 novel The Cabin at the End of the World. For Eric (Jonathan Groff, The Matrix Resurrections), Andrew (Ben Aldridge, Pennyworth) and their seven-year-old daughter Wen (debutant Kristen Cui), a getaway isn't meant to solve much but a yearning for family time in the forest — and thinking about anyone but themselves while Eric and Andrew don robes, and Wen catches pet grasshoppers, isn't on their agenda. Alas, their rural Pennsylvanian idyll shatters swiftly when the soft-spoken but brawny Leonard (Dave Bautista, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery) emerges from the trees. He says he wants to be Wen's friend, but he also advises that he's on an important mission. He notes that his task involves the friendly girl and her dads, giving them a hard choice yet also no choice at all. The schoolteacher has colleagues, too: agitated ex-con Redmond (Rupert Grint, Servant), patient nurse Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird, Avenue 5) and nurturing cook Adriane (Abby Quinn, I'm Thinking of Ending Things), all brandishing weapons fashioned from garden tools. Knock at the Cabin is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. THE WHALE The actors have it: in The Whale, Brendan Fraser (No Sudden Move), Hong Chau (The Menu) and Sadie Sink (Stranger Things) are each masterful, and each in their own way. For viewers unaware that this drama about a reclusive 600-pound English professor stems from the stage going in, it won't take long to realise — for multiple reasons, the film's performances chief among them. As penned by Samuel D Hunter (also a writer on TV's Baskets) from his award-winning semi-autobiographical play, The Whale's script is talky and blunt. The movie is confined to its protagonist Charlie's home, and is as claustrophobic as it's meant to be as a result. But it's that key acting trio, with the portrayals they splash through a flick that's a complicated sea of feelings and ideas, that helps The Whale swim when it swims. Yes, the Brenaissance is upon us, showering Fraser in accolades including his first-ever Oscar; however, fellow Academy Award-nominee Chau and rising star Sink are equally as powerful. Is it really the Brenaissance if Fraser hasn't ever been too far from our screens for too long? When he was recently stellar in 2021's No Sudden Move, albeit in a supporting part? Given that it's been decades since he's had the space and the feature to serve up this kind of lead effort, the answer remains yes. Slip his The Whale performance in beside standout 2002 thriller The Quiet American — although the latter didn't place The Mummy action star and Encino Man comedic force beneath considerable prosthetics. Fraser doesn't let his appearance here do all the work, though. Filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, who hones in on the stressed and tested as he has so frequently before (see: Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan, The Wrestler and mother!), doesn't allow it to, either. At the core of the pair's collaboration is a portrayal that overflows with vulnerability and grief alongside optimism for humanity, and acutely fuses Charlie's emotional and physical states. The character self-mockingly jokes that his internal organs are buried deep, but nothing conceals Fraser's sensitivity. The Whale is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. CREED III Punching has never been what matters most in the Creed movies, no matter how fast and furiously fists frequently fly. One of the key things that's always set this boxing franchise apart — with its first instalment landing in 2015 and sequel Creed II hitting in 2018 — is its focus on character and emotion first and foremost, including favouring both above going round for round in the ring. Blows are traded, obviously. Bouts are fought, bruises inflicted, bones broken and titles won. But the Creed saga has kept swinging again and again, leading to latest instalment Creed III, because it's still about its namesake, who he is as a person, and his feelings, demons and conflicts. When you have Michael B Jordan (Just Mercy) leading a series — even when it's a part of the broader Rocky series, or perhaps especially when that's the case — you give him the room to dig deep. You also give him weighty material to bear, as well as the space to bare Adonis 'Donnie' Creed's soul. Jordan gives himself that room, weight and space in Creed III, in the actor's first stint as a director. Notching up a ninth chapter for the overall saga that dates back to 1976's three-time Oscar-winner Rocky, this is also the first film to sport either that character or Creed's moniker but not feature Sylvester Stallone on-camera — or his involvement beyond a producer credit. Creed III is all the better for Rocky Balboa's absence, despite Stallone turning in his best performance yet in the initial Creed film. Understanding what it means to move on and openly unpacking what that truly entails is something else this franchise-within-a-franchise has long gotten right. So, Donnie has moved on from struggling with his father's legacy, and from his need to live in the past. He has another date with history, but Jordan and screenwriters Keenan Coogler (Space Jam: A New Legacy) and Zach Baylin (King Richard) — with a story also credited to the original Creed's director Ryan Coogler (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) — aren't just mindlessly repeating the series' pattern. Creed III is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. YOU CAN GO NOW Who better than frank, lively and charismatic First Nations artist Richard Bell to sum up what You Can Go Now is truly about: "I am an activist masquerading as an artist," he offers. The Kamilaroi, Kooma, Jiman and Gurang Gurang man says this early in Larissa Behrendt's documentary about him, because he and the Eualayai/Gamillaroi After the Apology and Araatika: Rise Up! filmmaker both know how essential and inescapable that truth is. They're not here to reveal that Bell's art is layered with statements. Neither is the feature itself. Rather, in a powerful instant must-see of an Australian doco, they explore and contextualise what it means for Bell to be an activist spreading his advocacy for the country's First Peoples around the world by being an artist, especially when the Aboriginal art realm is so often dominated by white interests. They address and examine not just what Bell's work says but why, what it responds to and how it's significant on a variety of levels, including diving deep into the personal, national and global history — and modern-day reality — informing it. Seeing what Bell's art literally expresses — simply taking it in, as splashed across the screen instead of hanging in a gallery — is still crucial to Behrendt's film, of course. In an array of pieces that frequently use heated words on intricately and colourfully painted canvases, his work utters plenty. "I am not sorry". "Give it all back." "We were here first." "Ask us what we want". "Aboriginal art — it's a white thing." Among these and other declarations, You Can Go Now's title gets a mention, too. Every piece sighted — works that riff on and continue a dialogue with styles synonymous with American artists Roy Lichtenstein and Jackson Pollock among them — conveys Bell's activist-artist raison d'être overtly, unflinchingly and unmistakably. Excellent art doesn't end conversations, however, but continues them, pushes them further and prompts more questions. Not that this is You Can Go Now's main takeaway, but Bell makes excellent art, with Behrendt helping to fuel and unpack the discussion. You Can Go Now is available to stream via DocPlay. Read our full review. COCAINE BEAR Killer trailer, filler flick: that's the Cocaine Bear story. This loosely based-on-a-true-tale horror-comedy sports a Snakes on a Plane-style moniker that sums up its contents perfectly, as the sneak peek that arrived at the end of 2022 made enticingly clear. Going heavy on the so-OTT-it-can-only-be-real vibe, that initial glimpse also tasked Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story) with exclaiming a couple more sentences to express the utter bewilderment that this story sparks. "The bear, it fucking did cocaine. A bear did cocaine!" he shouts, and with exactly the right amount of infectious incredulity. That is indeed what happened in reality back in 1985, after all, and it's what Elizabeth Banks brings to the screen in her third stint as a director after Pitch Perfect 2 and Charlie's Angels — always playing it, for better when it's at its goriest and for worse when it stretches its idea thinner than a white line, like wild tale that it inescapably is. Yes, almost four decades ago, an American black bear did cocaine when drug smuggler Andrew C Thornton (Matthew Rhys, Perry Mason) dropped a hefty pile of the narcotic from the air. The stash landed in the wilderness, catching the attention of the world's most unlikely coke fiend in Georgia's Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. The creature ripped open the white powder-filled containers, then ingested — and Cocaine Bear endeavours to have fun hypothesising what could've come next. On-screen, a rampage by the critter now-nicknamed Pablo Escobear ensues, with blood, guts and limbs flung around; the body count mounting like Michael Myers is doing the offing (or maybe Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey's other recent ravenous bear); and two words getting screamed over and over. They're just the terms a picture called Cocaine Bear was always bound to focus on: cocaine and bear, obviously. Cocaine Bear is available to stream via iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. OPERATION FORTUNE: RUSE DE GUERRE Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre isn't the best chance to see Aubrey Plaza slink around swanky locales filled with the one-percent in the past year. That honour goes, of course, to her award-nominated turn in the second season of The White Lotus. Plaza's new action-comedy also isn't the best recent movie to cast the deadpan talent as enterprising, resourceful and calculating, and see her plunged into a dangerous, largely male-only realm, all while putting a scheming plan into action. That film is the exceptional Emily the Criminal, which sadly bypassed cinemas Down Under. And, thanks to her star-making turn in Parks and Recreation, wannabe franchise-starter Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre definitely isn't the finest example of her wry comic talents, either. But in a rarity for writer/director Guy Ritchie and his typically testosterone-dripping capers — see: Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, Revolver, RocknRolla and The Gentlemen — Plaza is the gleaming gem at the centre of this formulaic flick. Putting in a more vibrant performance than the scowling Jason Statham isn't hard, but this is firmly Plaza's picture. Ritchie's go-to leading man still plays Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre's namesake, though: the improbably titled super-spy Orson Fortune, an off-the-books agent who does jobs the British Government can't officially be involved with. Handler Nathan Jasmine (Cary Elwes, Best Sellers) has one such task, recovering a just-stolen item known as 'the handle', which the powers-that-be don't want going to nefarious parties. But, in a mission that first requires collecting a contact at Madrid's airport, then gets far more chaotic quickly, Fortune will have to work with a new team. And, he'll have to jet around the globe with stops at Cannes, in Turkey and more, doing an aspiring Bond and Mission: Impossible act, but in a film that never even threatens to shake or stir the espionage genre. It also doesn't venture beyond mixing Ritchie's beloved bag of tricks together, reading like an effort to split the difference between his last two movies: The Gentlemen and effective revenge thriller Wrath of Man. Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. THE SON With a title that speaks of next generations, The Son is a film about second efforts, including off-screen. For writer/director Florian Zeller, it marks the French novelist and playwright's sophomore stint behind the camera, and notches the list of movies he's helmed based on his own stage works up to two as well. After dual Oscar-winner The Father, which earned Zeller and co-scribe Christopher Hampton the Best Adapted Screenplay award and Anthony Hopkins the much-deserved Best Actor prize, it's also his second feature with a family member in its title. And, it's his second largely confined to interior settings, focusing on mental illness, exploring complicated father-child relationships within that intimate domestic space and driven by intense dialogue spouted by a committed cast. Hopkins pops up once more in another psychodrama, too, as a dad again. Within its frames, The Son follows New York lawyer Peter Miller (Hugh Jackman, Reminiscence) as he's happily starting over with his second wife Beth (Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of a Woman) and their newborn Theo, his second son. Here's the thing about second chances, though: sometimes your first shots can't simply be forgotten, no matter how eager you are to move on. Peter confronts this truth when his ex-spouse Kate (Laura Dern, Jurassic World Dominion) unexpectedly knocks at his door one day, distraught about learning that their 17-year-old Nicholas (Zen McGrath, Red Dog: True Blue) has been ditching school long-term. The teen hasn't been a contented presence around her home since his dad left, either, with depression setting in after such a big upheaval to his status quo. So, Peter and Kate agree to a parental rekindling, with Peter giving being an active dad to Nicholas — having him come to live with him, Beth and Theo, in fact — a second go. The Son is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS A sequel to 2019's Shazam! and the latest film the DC Extended Universe, Shazam! Fury of the Gods goes all-in on family — but Billy Batson (Asher Angel, High School Musical: The Musical — The Series) and his pals are too young to knock back Coronas. Also, Shazam! Fury of the Gods isn't much concerned with Billy in his normal guise, giving his Shazam self (Zachary Levi, Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood) the bulk of the character's screentime. The time for origin stories has been and gone here, but largely ditching Angel robs this franchise-within-a-franchise of one of its main points of difference in the DCEU. None of the series' other flicks are about awkward adolescents learning to grapple with power, and understanding that their wildest dreams aren't as easy as they'd always hoped. Shazam! Fury of the Gods still manages to hit some of those notes thanks to a bigger focus on Billy's best friend and fellow foster kid Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer, We Are Who We Are), a person with disability, but sidelining the teenager who turns into Shazam is clumsy and noticeable. Similarly plain as day from scene one: that Shazam! Fury of the Gods got as lucky as any superhero movie can with its new cast members. The film opens at the Acropolis Museum in Greece, where two of Atlas' offspring are determined to get back the Wizard's (Djimon Hounsou, Black Adam) broken staff and reclaim their dad's magic — and those two daughters, Hespera and Kalypso, come in the form of Helen Mirren (1923) and Lucy Liu (Strange World). Despite splashing around the film's fondness for dim lighting and dull CGI early, this introductory sequence lets its big-name talents make more of an imprint standing around in their costumes and looking formidable than much that follows. Indeed, whenever Mirren and Liu are on-screen, and West Side Story's Rachel Zegler as well, Shazam! Fury of the Gods makes a case for pushing aside not just Billy, but Shazam and everyone else. Shazam! Fury of the Gods is available to stream via Prime Video. Read our full review. Looking for more at-home viewing options? Take a look at our monthly streaming recommendations across new straight-to-digital films and TV shows — and fast-tracked highlights from January, February and March, too. You can also peruse our best new films, new TV shows, returning TV shows and straight-to-streaming movies, plus movies you might've missed and television standouts of 2022 you mightn't have gotten to.
It might just be Australia's brightest festival, and it's returning to light up Alice Springs once again. That'd be Parrtjima - A Festival In Light, which will deliver its fifth annual program between Friday, April 3–Sunday, April 12 — and it has just started announcing its latest lineup. The nation's first indigenous festival of its kind, Parrtjima's 2020 event will mark the festival's second in its new autumn timeslot. That move proved a big hit last year, with a record crowd of 25,000 attending the 2019 event. As always, the fest will continue its free ten-day public celebration of Indigenous arts, culture, music and storytelling — and its focus on dazzling light installations — in the CBD's Alice Springs Todd Mall, as well as at tourism and conservation facility Alice Springs Desert Park Precinct just out of town. On the bill: new luminous displays, including a glowing sphere that'll be suspended three metres above the ground and a four-metre-tall flower, plus an opening night performance by Dan Sultan. They all fall under the theme 'lifting our spirits', with the 2020 fest particularly enthusiastic about "lifting the spirits from the work of artists, old and new, to the spirit of this year's audience". If the thought of towering art already has you excited, the two aforementioned pieces — Grass Seed and Alatye (Bush Yam) — actually form part of a larger new artwork called Werte. Taking inspiration from the circular and lined meeting place symbols painted by local Arrernte artist Kumalie Kngwarraye Riley, it's designed to take visitors on a journey through the Alice Springs Desert Park Precinct, and also features an eight-metre-high piece about emus dubbed Emu Laying Eggs at Night. [caption id="attachment_715722" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Lighting the Ranges, Parrtjima festival, Alice Springs, Australia.5/4/2019. Images courtesy Parrtjima / NTMEC[/caption] The 2020 lineup will also include Sultan's roots and blues tunes, with the musician hitting the stage alongside Australian earth sound band OKA — plus a heap of other Aussie acts that haven't yet been revealed. Then there's Deep Listening, a new series of talks in the Desert Park Cinema that'll pair contemporary topics of interest with a selection of films by Aboriginal filmmakers. And, over in the Todd Mall, Fire Stories will showcase local storytellers, alongside cabaret and music performances, and a roster of workshops. As always, the Alice Springs Desert Park will come alive with the festival's main attraction. Once again, a huge artwork will transform a 2.5-kilometre stretch of the majestic, 300-million-year-old MacDonnell Ranges, showering it with light each night of the festival. Just what it'll feature this year hasn't been unveiled, but it's always spectacular — and it always highlights stories, symbols and knowledge of Aboriginal culture. Another returning favourite is Ahelhe Itethe – Living Sands (Grounded), where installations are projected onto the earth accompanied by a striking soundscape. [caption id="attachment_715710" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Parrtjima festival, Alice Springs, Australia. 6/4/2019. Images courtesy Parrtjima / NTMEC[/caption] Of course, Parrtjima is just one of Northern Territory's two glowing attractions in 2020, with Australia's Red Centre lighting up in multiple ways. The festival is a nice supplement to Bruce Munro's Field of Light installation, which — after multiple extensions — is now on display indefinitely. Parrtjima – A Festival in Light runs from April 3–12, 2020 around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. For more information, visit the festival website. Images: James Horan.
Australia may be girt by sea and boast plenty of pools in plenty of backyards, but we're not really cabana dwellers. When we go for a splash, we throw our towels down on the beach or cement, bake under umbrellas, and eat ice cream and fish and chips, instead of hanging out in white-walled structures. If you'd like to experience a rather European-style of going for a dip, however, Noosa's latest addition has the answer — that is, five new luxe poolside spaces on Hastings Street. Part of the Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort, The Cabanas takes inspiration from the French Riviera with their pristine shelters and decadent menus, aiming to make visitors think they've been whisked away to Europe. Open to those staying at the resort, they come complete with personalised butler service, fresh fruit platters, a selection of French still and sparkling water, and an iPad loaded with reading material. Champagne and seafood are available as part of customisable packages, and live music is also planned. In short, it's the type of luxurious waterside experience you won't get if you just head up for a Brissie day trip to the nearby beach, or as part of your usual Noosa long weekend. The resort is calling the first of its kind in Queensland, but, unsurprisingly, it doesn't come cheap. The basic half-day offering (sans booze and seafood) costs $125 and the full-day stint $175 — but, given that each cabana holds a maximum of four people, splitting the cost with your mates makes it much more reasonable. Find The Cabanas at Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort, 14-16 Hastings Street, Noosa Heads, or check out the hotel website for further details. UPDATE 13/9: This article originally stated that The Cabanas was open to everyone. As per the updated hotel website, anyone eager for a French Riveria-style poolside experience will need to be checked in for an overnight stay at the resort.
Before SXSW made its way Down Under, Australia was already home to an annual event filled with live tunes, plus musicians and industry experts chatting about the business. In 2025, BIGSOUND marks 24 years of serving up that exact combination, and also of making Brisbane the centre of the Aussie music scene for a spring week in the process. How is it celebrating nearing its quarter-century milestone? With quite the hefty lineup. Briggs, Tash Sultana and Blur drummer Dave Rowntree are just some of the talents on the program — and that's just at BIGSOUND's conference. There are two key strands to this Sunshine State event: getting an array of people talking about all things music, and enlisting as many Brissie sites as possible in turning the River City into a multi-venue festival heaving with gigs. The first part is where well-known names usually come in. The second is where discovering your next favourite act is on the agenda. In 2025, you can enjoy both across Tuesday, September 2–Friday, September 5. Yorta Yorta rapper and Bad Apples Music founder Briggs will be in conversation with Gomeroi musician Kobie Dee, digging into their journeys, while Sultana is on the bill fresh from releasing her Return to the Roots EP. As for keynote speaker Rowntree, he heads to Brisbane just as he releases his new photography book No One You Know, which is filled with behind-the-scenes snaps taken by the man himself. Also among the folks on the conference lineup: Mallrat, Elly-May Barnes and Josh Pyke, adding to the musos picking up the microphone in a different way; Darcus Beese, aka the first Black President of a UK major label and the executive who signed Amy Winehouse at Island Records UK; Music Supervisor Anne Booty, who has worked on Poor Things and Kinds of Kindness; plus SXSW Music Festival Director Dev Sherlock, Reeperbahn Festival's Senior Partnerships Manager Robin Werner and The Great Escape's Head of Music Adam Ryan. So far, the list of musicians among the 120-plus acts that will play 18 Brisbane stages includes WAFIA, KAIIT, Inkabee, Azure Ryder, The Southern River Band, Hatchie and plenty more — all following in the footsteps of Sultana, Flume, Courtney Barnett, Baker Boy, King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard and others at past BIGSOUND festivals. "BIGSOUND is about taking stock of where we are and imagining where we want to go next. At a time of rapid transformation in the music sector — across tech, touring, sustainability, and artist income — we want to amplify the value of meaningful connection. Between creators and audiences, between industry peers, and artists and the people who can take their careers to the next level. Whether it's onstage or over coffee, BIGSOUND is where new ideas and partnerships begin," said QMusic and BIGSOUND CEO Kris Stewart about 2025's lineup so far. "Curating this year's program has been such a joy — the artists we've selected reflect the incredible depth of talent in Australia, and each one is doing truly exciting things with their music. We're so proud of this group and can't wait to see them bring the Fortitude Valley to life in September," added BIGSOUND Co-Programmers Casey O'Shaughnessy and Katie Rynne. [caption id="attachment_907796" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dave Kan[/caption] [caption id="attachment_851424" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lachlan Douglas[/caption] [caption id="attachment_861894" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lachlan Douglas[/caption] [caption id="attachment_907800" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Simone Gorman-Clark[/caption] BIGSOUND 2025 takes place between Tuesday, September 2–Friday, September 5 in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. For more information and tickets, visit the event's website.
Having already been more successful in one career than most of us will, let's face it, ever be at any, Tavi Gevinson is about to extend her foray into a second: acting. The 17-year-old Rookie editor-in-chief is set to make her Broadway stage debut later this year in Kenneth Lonergan's comedy-drama This Is Our Youth alongside Michael Cera and Kieran Culkin. Cera and Culkin have played the same roles in a previous production, which played at the Sydney Opera House in 2012, when audiences flocked to see whether Cera could break the George Michael mould (a goal he finally achieved slapping Rihanna's bottom in This Is the End). The play falls firmly into the 'bored, disaffected New York youth' genre, elevated by its Reagan-era setting and a caper with cocaine and toy collection. After writing it in 1996, Lonergan went on to script Gangs of New York. Gevinson will play the character of Jessica Goldman — appropriately enough, a 17-year-old student of fashion. She's a character full of nervousness but also curiosity and hunger for experience. "I guess Jessica is often played by people who are older and have more distance from that time," Gevinson told the Chicago Tribune. "But I am living it. I really am cocksure of all my opinions, and I really do feel anxious when challenged. My issue, I think, will be having to zoom out of what I actually am experiencing." Everything Happens So Much http://t.co/ccZDEmufQf — Tavi Gevinson (@tavitulle) April 9, 2014 This production of the play will be directed by Anna D. Shapiro, the Tony Award winner who directed the super-famous August: Osage County for Steppenwolf Theatre Company. It will make its premiere at Steppenwolf's Chicago theatre before moving to Broadway in September. Gevinson, who also had a role in the 2013 film Enough Said, will miss her last couple of weeks of high school in order to appear in the play. A genius move if ever there was one.
Cinematic conversation densely populates a significant proportion of the internet, and finding a site that addresses your interests can be exhausting. But brand-new website The Dissolve looks to provide a comprehensive and accessible online complex for discussion that cinephiles can enjoy liberally. The Dissolve is the newest cultural offspring of the team behind Pitchfork and is ready to talk anything and everything film related, in a way that is appealing to all film aficionados. "There's a lot of great film writing on the Internet," says Keith Phipps, editorial director of The Dissolve, in an interview with Mashable, "but there really wasn't anyone doing what Pitchfork has done for music, which is smart, opinion-driven, critic-driven, review-driven, and written for an audience that was passionate about film but not necessarily coming at it from an academic view." With the jargon out of the way, The Dissolve facilitates cinematic conversation between cinephiles — a discussion simplified by the broadcasting of their net. Not only will they discuss the latest films, but they will also explore where cinema has come from as well as the endless ephemera generated by the craft, right down to film-inspired board games. Where The Dissolve stands out from the crowd, though, is its appreciation of modern cinematic digestion. "With moviegoing changing (and continuing to change) in the 21st century, The Dissolve wants to account for the many different ways our readers experience movies, whether they’re at the multiplex, in their favorite New York City arthouse, or watching a new indie On Demand at home in Des Moines," says site editor Scott Tobias. The introspective and retrospective site is ambitious in its comprehensiveness, so whether you want to talk about the newest blockbuster or your favourite monster from that Japanese romance-horror, The Dissolve has got you covered. The feature we are anticipating most is their 'Short Cuts', a weekly selection of lunch-hour friendly films to fill the time whilst eating that chicken salad.
It's time to kick off your boots and relegate cardigans to the back of the cupboard: summer is almost upon us. When it comes to sunshiny good times, we're kind of experts here in the land of Oz. From coastal escapades and balmy starlit parties to adventures through our epic and varied landscapes, we've got plenty of awe-striking experiences to discover when the weather is fine. Many of these splendid excursions are best enjoyed with a rejuvenating tipple. So, if you're after a fresh beverage to colour your summer, why not check out the flavourful range from new-to-the-scene Mosey Fruity Beer. These zippy brews provide the refreshment of a poolside beer enlivened with fruity, tropical tang. To spruce up these three classic summer experiences, just add a few cans to your bar fridge or moveable feast. GRAB YOUR MATES FOR A PARK HANG AND CHEESE BOARD It's safe to say that, after the last few years, we appreciate picnics in the park and group hangs like never before. Whether you're chilling with your best mates every other day or are in dire need of a catch-up, a romp around the park in the sunshine is sure to boost the communal serotonin. If you want to elevate it to a fancy affair, delegate menu items to construct an epic picnic. Naturally, you'll need cheese — from crumbling fetas to sharp cheddar, nut-based vegan delights and explosive blobs of burrata, a well-appointed cheese board is a luxury that can be enjoyed by the masses. Make sure each member of the picnic party adds to the spread. You'll want to tick off cured meats, pickled veg, fresh fruits, nuts and every chip and dip imaginable. And of course, there are the drinks. Locate a glorious patch of grass where booze consumption is allowed and load up your portable mini bar — making sure to add a blueberry Mosey Fruity Beer to the collection. It imbues the classic crispness of a lager with the summer-fresh essence of ripe blueberries for a flavour combination that'll sit happily in any picnic mix. If you prefer your picnics with some background beats, Mosey's got you sorted with a bop-heavy playlist ready to go. GET THE FAM TOGETHER FOR A POOLSIDE BARBECUE As the days grow longer and the breezes warmer, Aussie families naturally congregate by the barbecue for practice runs before the big Christmas bash. While we aren't all blessed with a sparkling backyard pool, there's surely a distant aunt or pretty-much-family-at-this-point friend with a chlorinated or salty oasis for you to dive bomb. So, don your cossies, dig the noodle out of storage and stock your chilly bins ready for an epic family get together. Fun is the aim, so be sure to come ready for a few rowdy matches of backyard cricket, an ultimate frisbee sesh and competition-heavy shoulder wars in the pool. These festive occasions with the cousins you haven't seen in yonks inevitably involve impressive chargrilled feasts. The lime Mosey Fruity Beer is the perfect complement to rich cuts of lamb, stacks of potato bake and the essential pavlova finisher. Any beer bitterness is stripped away, so you can enjoy the citrusy hit of lime alongside the warming palate a crisp lager is known for. The brew is just as well paired with a plate of fresh prawns — what more could you ask of a family feast under the summer sun? And in case you're lacking in the tunes department, Mosey has a premixed playlist that will keep the vibes high. END THE WORK WEEK WITH BEVVIES AND A VIEW On struggle street as you limp towards Friday afternoon after a massive week of work? Hold onto the promise of knock-off drinks with the work gang. We all know how demoralising it can be when you're stuck toiling away while the weather is blissful, especially if you take a peek at the 'gram and see folks of leisure surfing waves or soaking up the sunshine in luxe holiday destinations. But, rest assured, your time will come. Start the weekend early with celebratory Friday arvo drinks and snacks. You'll want to seek out the most scenic spot for your well-deserved session to eke the most out of the fading afternoon light. If your office has a balcony — or you work somewhere with a slick bar area or cute garden — stake out your chill-out station. Then, pass around a few cans of passionfruit Mosey Fruity Beer to get things started. It's an easy-drinking brew with a summery sweetness that'll delight drinkers of all sorts, regardless of whether you're into sessionable lagers or extravagant cocktails. Match this sweet refreshment with some salty good times in the form of fried chicken or a simple-yet-crowd-pleasing bag of chippies — and an equally punchy playlist. C'mon, you've earned it. Armed with a four-pack of Mosey Fruity Beers, you'll be ready to make summer yours. To find out more about the juicy bevs, head to the website. Images: Chester Newling
Feel so passionate about your Friday night pizza delivery that you want to wear it? Now you can. New Zealand fashion label YOUKNOW has teamed up with Pizza Hut to create a range of clothing dedicated to that controversial call: putting pineapple on pizza. If you're staunchly in the "it belongs" camp, you'll want to take a squiz at this limited-edition capsule collection inspired by the chain's Hawaiian Deluxe pizza. There aren't many (if any) dine-in Pizza Hut restaurants left around Australasia so this range is giving us a heap of nostalgia, thanks to the illustrations of the chain's iconic red roof and Hawaiian palm trees. The colours are all inspired by delicious pizza toppings like streaky bacon, pineapple and aioli. And now we're hungry. Designed and made over the ditch, YOUKNOW'S capsule range includes t-shirts, tote bags, shorts and bucket hats. Buy the items individually or get the whole damn 'fit for your next summer festival — according to the website, the label ships to Australia via DHS. YOUKNOW founder Joe Webb says the collaboration with Pizza Hut marks a "significant milestone" in the brand's journey. "It's a really special moment for us. It's amazing to see how this milestone translates over to the garments that we're super stoked to produce here in Aotearoa." It's not the first time we've seen a clothing line inspired by a classic takeaway feed. Who can forget this Big Mac-inspired 'fit or last year's ugly KFC Christmas jumpers? If you like to choose your clothing based on your weekend drive-thru order, you'll want to add one of these items to the current lineup. YOUKNOW's range is available to buy online now, with prices starting at $25 NZD — not including international shipping costs. Check out the full range here.
Huge music festivals have largely been on pause over the past 15 months or so, including one of the biggest there is: Coachella. The 2020 event was less than a month out from its April dates when it postponed until October due to COVID-19 — and then, a few months later, it cancelled last year's fest completely. The aim was to return in April 2021 instead; however, unsurprisingly, that didn't happen either. But now the event has announced that it's planning to make a comeback in April 2022. Mark April 15–17 and April 22–24 in your diaries and, if you'd like to cross your fingers and hope that Australians will be allowed to travel internationally by then, mark Friday, June 4 as well. The latter date is when advanced tickets will go on sale. At the moment, it's expected that the Australian border won't open until mid-2022, so if you are keen to snap up a ticket, you obviously need to factor in the reality that you mightn't be able to use it. Music lovers will be able to watch along from home, though, with Coachella once again teaming up with YouTube to live-stream the festival. That's no longer such a novelty in these pandemic times, given that streamed live music has been one of the industry's coping mechanisms of late. Splendour in the Grass is even going virtual this July, ahead of its IRL fest in November. Still, given the calibre of Coachella's usual lineup, there'll be plenty of bands tempting your eyeballs. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coachella (@coachella) No lineup details have been revealed as yet. So, if you're wondering whether 2020's planned headliners — that'd be Frank Ocean, Rage Against the Machine and Travis Scott — will feature next year, there are no answers yet. In the interim, you can still check out the free YouTube documentary Coachella: 20 Years in the Desert, which does an entertaining — albeit highly official, and therefore highly celebratory — job of exploring the fest's origins, growth and success. The doco also includes some killer performance footage, highlighting performers who've graced the Indio stage over the past two decades, such as Jane's Addiction, Bjork, Daft Punk, Madonna, Amy Winehouse, Beyonce and Prince, plus Tupac in hologram form. Coachella will take place April 15–17 and April 22–24, 2022. For further information, or to access the pre-sale from Friday, June 4, visit coachella.com.
Before the pandemic, when a new-release movie started playing in cinemas, audiences couldn't watch it on streaming, video on demand, DVD or blu-ray for a few months. But with the past few years forcing film industry to make quite a few changes — widespread movie theatre closures and plenty of people staying home in iso will do that — that's no longer always the case. Maybe you've been under the weather. Perhaps you haven't had time to make it to your local cinema lately. Given the hefty amount of films now releasing each week, maybe you simply missed something. Film distributors have been fast-tracking some of their new releases from cinemas to streaming recently — movies that might still be playing in theatres in some parts of the country, too. In preparation for your next couch session, here are 13 that you can watch right now at home. CRIMES OF THE FUTURE It takes a brave filmmaker to see cancer and climate change, and think of art, evolution and eroticism in a possible future. It takes a bold director to have a character proclaim that "surgery is the new sex", too. David Cronenberg has always been that kind of visionary, even before doing all of the above in his sublime latest release — and having the Scanners, Videodrome and The Fly helmer back on his body-horror bent for the first time in more than two decades is exactly the wild and weird dream that cinephiles want it to be. The Canadian auteur makes his first movie at all since 2014's Maps to the Stars, in fact, and this tale of pleasure and pain is as Cronenbergian as anything can be. He borrows Crimes of the Future's title from his second-ever feature dating back 50-plus years, brings all of his corporeal fascinations to the fore, and moulds a viscerally and cerebrally mesmerising film that it feels like he's always been working towards. Long live the new flesh, again. Long live the old Cronenberg as well. In this portrait of a potential time to come, the human body has undergone two significant changes. Three, perhaps, as glimpsed in a disquieting opening where an eight-year-old called Brecken (debutant Sotiris Siozos) snacks on a plastic bin, and is then murdered by his mother Djuna (Lihi Kornowski, Ballistic). That incident isn't unimportant, but Crimes of the Future has other departures from today's status quo to carve into — and they're equally absorbing. Physical agony has disappeared, creating a trade in "desktop surgery" as performance art. Also, a condition dubbed Accelerated Evolution Syndrome causes some folks, such as artist Saul Tenser (Viggo Mortensen, Thirteen Lives), to grow abnormal organs. These tumours are removed and tattooed in avant-garde shows by his doctor/lover Caprice (Léa Seydoux, No Time to Die), then catalogued by the National Organ Register's Wippit (Don McKellar, reteaming with Cronenberg after eXistenZ) and Timlin (Kristen Stewart, Spencer). Crimes of the Future is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. NOPE Kudos to Jordan Peele for giving his third feature as a writer/director a haters-gonna-hate-hate-hate name: for anyone unimpressed with Nope, the response is right there. Kudos, too, to the Get Out and Us filmmaker for making his third bold, intelligent and supremely entertaining horror movie in a row — a reach-for-the-skies masterpiece that's ambitious and eerie, imaginative and expertly crafted, as savvy about cinema as it is about spectacle, and inspires the exact opposite term to its moniker. Reteaming with Peele after nabbing an Oscar nomination for Get Out, Daniel Kaluuya utters the titular word more than once in Nope. Exclaiming "yep" in your head each time he does is an instant reaction. Everything about the film evokes that same thrilled endorsement, but it comes particularly easily whenever Kaluuya's character surveys the wild and weird events around him. We say yay to his nays because we know we'd respond the same way if confronted by even half the chaos that Peele whooshes through the movie. As played with near-silent weariness by the always-excellent Judas and the Black Messiah Oscar-winner, Haywood's Hollywood Horses trainer OJ doesn't just dismiss the strange thing in the heavens, though. He can't, even if he doesn't realise the full extent of what's happening when his father (Keith David, Love Life) suddenly slumps on his steed on an otherwise ordinary day. Six months later, OJ and his sister Emerald (Keke Palmer, Lightyear) are trying to keep the family business, which dates back to the 1800s, running. The presence lurking above the Haywoods' Agua Dulce property soon requires just as much attention, though. Just as Get Out saw Peele reinterrogate the possession movie and Us did the same with doppelgängers, Nope goes all in on flying saucers. So, Emerald wants the kind of proof that only video footage can offer. She wants her "Oprah shot", as well as a hefty payday. Soon, the brother-sister duo are buying new surveillance equipment — which piques the interest of UFO-obsessed electronics salesman Angel Torres (Brandon Perea, The OA) — and also enlisting renowned cinematographer Antlers Holst (Michael Wincott, Veni Vidi Vici) to capture the lucrative image. Nope is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. THE BLACK PHONE The Black Phone didn't need to star Ethan Hawke. In a way, it doesn't really. Fresh from Moon Knight and The Northman, Hawke is definitely in this unsettling 1978-set horror film. He's also exceptional in it. But, his top billing springs from his name recognition and acting-veteran status rather than his screen time. Instead, superb up-and-comer Mason Thames gets the bulk of the camera's attention in his first feature role. After him, equally outstanding young talent Madeleine McGraw (Ant-Man and The Wasp) comes next. They spend most of their time worrying about, hearing rumours of, hiding from, battling and/or trying to track down a mask-wearing, van-driving, child-snatching villain — the role that Hawke plays in a firmly supporting part, almost always beneath an eerie disguise. Visibly at least, anyone could've donned the same apparel and proven an on-screen source of menace. There's a difference between popping something creepy over your face and actually being creepy, though. Scary masks can do a lot of heavy lifting, but they're also just a made-to-frighten facade. Accordingly, when it comes to being truly petrifying, Hawke undoubtedly makes The Black Phone. He doesn't literally; his Sinister director Scott Derrickson helms, and also co-wrote the script with that fellow horror flick's C Robert Cargill, adapting a short story by Stephen King's son Joe Hill — and the five-decades-back look and feel, complete with amber and grey hues, plus a nerve-rattling score, are all suitably disquieting stylistic touches. But as the movie's nefarious attacker, who has been terrorising north Denver's suburban streets and soon has 13-year-old Finney Blake (Thames) in his sights, Hawke is unnervingly excellent, and also almost preternaturally unnerving in every moment. Whenever he opens his mouth, his voice couldn't echo from anyone else; however, it's the nervy, ominous and bone-weary physicality that he brings to the character that couldn't be more pitch-perfect. The Black Phone is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. OFFICIAL COMPETITION Every actor has one, albeit in various shades, lengths and textures, but sometimes one single hairstyle says everything about a film. Wildly careening in whichever direction it seems to feel like at any point, yet also strikingly sculptural, the towering reddish stack of curly locks atop Penélope Cruz's head in Official Competition is one such statement-making coiffure. It's a stunning sight, with full credit to the movie's hairstylists. These tremendous tresses are both unruly and immaculate; they draw the eye in immediately, demanding the utmost attention. And, yes, Cruz's crowning glory shares those traits with this delightful Spanish Argentine farce about filmmaking — a picture directed and co-written by Mariano Cohn and Gastуn Duprat (The Distinguished Citizen), and also starring Antonio Banderas (Uncharted) and Oscar Martínez (Wild Tales), that it's simply impossible to look away from. Phenomenal hair is just the beginning for Cruz here. Playing filmmaker Lola Cuevas — a Palme d'Or-winning arthouse darling helming an ego-stroking prestige picture for rich octogenarian businessman Humberto Suárez (José Luis Gómez, Truman) — she's downright exceptional as well. Humberto decides to throw some cash into making a movie in the hope of leaving a legacy that lasts, and enlisting Lola to work her magic with a Nobel Prize-winning novel called Rivalry is quite the coup. So is securing the talents of flashy global star Félix Rivero (Banderas) and serious theatre actor Iván Torres (Martínez), a chalk-and-cheese pair who'll work together for the first time, stepping into the shoes of feuding brothers. But before the feature can cement its backer's name in history, its three key creatives have to survive an exacting rehearsal process. Lola believes in rigorous preparation, and in testing and stretching her leading men, with each technique she springs on them more outlandish and stressful than the last. Official Competition is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING No one should need to cleanse their palates between Mad Max movies — well, maybe after Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, depending on your mileage with it — but if anyone does, George Miller shouldn't be one of them. The Australian auteur gifted the world the hit dystopian franchise, has helmed and penned each and every chapter, and made Mad Max: Fury Road an astonishing piece of cinema that's one of the very best in every filmic category that applies. Still, between that kinetic, frenetic, rightly Oscar-winning movie and upcoming prequel Furiosa, Miller has opted to swish around romantic fantasy Three Thousand Years of Longing. He does love heightened drama and also myths, including in the series he's synonymous with. He adores chronicling yearnings and hearts' desires, too, whether surveying vengeance and survival, the motivations behind farm animals gone a-wandering in Babe: Pig in the City, the dreams of dancing penguins in Happy Feet, or love, happiness and connection here. In other words, although adapted from AS Byatt's short story The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye, Three Thousand Years of Longing is unshakeably and inescapably a Miller movie — and it's as alive with his flair for the fantastical as most of his resume. It's a wonder for a range of reasons, one of which is simple: the last time that the writer/director made a movie that didn't connect to the Mad Max, Babe or Happy Feet franchises was three decades back. With that in mind, it comes as no surprise that this tale about a narratologist (Tilda Swinton, Memoria) and the Djinn (Idris Elba, Beast) she uncorks from a bottle, and the chats they have about their histories as the latter tries to ensure the former makes her three wishes to truly set him free, is told with playfulness, inventiveness, flamboyance and a deep heart. Much of Miller's filmography is, but there's a sense with Three Thousand Years of Longing that he's been released, too — even if he loves his usual confines, as audiences do as well. Three Thousand Years of Longing is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. BULLET TRAIN Buy the ticket, take the ride, strap in for an onslaught of frenetic locomotive-bound fights: that's high-octane action-comedy Bullet Train on- and off-screen. Set on a shinkansen hurtling from Tokyo to Kyoto, in as stylised a vision of Japan that anyone not named Quentin Tarantino has ever thought of, this neon-lit adaptation of Kōtarō Isaka's 2010 page-turner Maria Beetle couldn't be more onboard with its central concept. That premise isn't snakes on a plane, but rather assassins on a train — plus one snake, one of nature's hitmen, actually. Cramming all those killers onto a single engine sparks mayhem, banter and bodies, not to mention chaotic frays in the quiet car and almost every other space. And when it works, with John Wick and Atomic Blonde's David Leitch steering the show, Tarantino and Guy Ritchie alum Brad Pitt as his main passenger, and a lifetime's worth of references to Thomas the Tank Engine slotted in, Bullet Train is as OTT and entertaining as it overtly wants to be. It doesn't always completely work, however; every journey, zipping along on a high-speed train or not, has its dips. Still, there are plenty of moving parts trying to keep the movie in motion — and plenty of plot, for better and for worse in both instances. In his second 2022 action-comedy after The Lost City, Pitt plays Ladybug, who is back riding the hired-gun rails after a zen break packed with new-age self-help platitudes. That's what he spouts to his handler (Sandra Bullock, The Unforgivable) by phone, in-between rueing his bad luck, as he tries to carry out what's supposed to be an easy job. All that Ladybug needs to do is take a briefcase, then disembark at the next station. But that piece of luggage is being transported by British assassin double-act Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson, The King's Man) and Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry, Atlanta), as they escort a Russian mobster's son (Logan Lerman, Hunters) home. To up the hitman ante, the shinkansen is also carrying The Prince (Joey King, The Princess) and Kimura (Andrew Koji, Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins), who have their own beef, as well as the revenge-seeking Wolf (Benito A Martínez Ocasio aka Bad Bunny, Fast and Furious 9). Bullet Train is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. BEAST Idris Elba fights a lion. That's it, that's Beast, as far as film pitches go at least. This South Africa-set thriller's one-sentence summary is up there with 'Jason Statham battles a giant shark' and 'Liam Neeson stares down wolves' — straightforward and irresistible, obviously, in enticing audiences into cinemas. That said, the latest addition to the animals-attack genre isn't as ridiculous as The Meg, and isn't a resonant existential musing like The Grey. What this creature feature wants to be, and is, is a lean, edge-of-your-seat, humanity-versus-nature nerve-shredder. Director Baltasar Kormákur (Adrift) knows that a famous face, a relentless critter as a foe, and life-or-death terror aplenty can be the stuff that cinema dreams and hits are made of. His movie isn't completely the former, but it does do exactly what it promises. If it proves a box office success, it'll be because it dangles an easy drawcard and delivers it. There is slightly more to Beast than Idris Elba brawling with the king of the jungle, of course — or running from it, trying to hide from it in a jeep, attempting to outsmart it and praying it'll tire of seeing him as prey. But this tussle with an apex predator is firmly at its best when it really is that simple, that primal and, with no qualms about gore and jump scares, that visceral. Elba (The Harder They Fall) plays recently widowed American doctor Nate Samuels, who is meant to be relaxing, reconnecting with his teenage daughters Mare (Iyana Halley, Licorice Pizza) and Norah (Leah Jeffries, Rel), and finding solace in a pilgrimage to his wife's homeland. But Beast wouldn't be called Beast if the Samuels crew's time with old family friend Martin (Sharlto Copley, Russian Doll), a wildlife biologist who oversees the nature reserve, was all placid safaris and sunsets. Beast is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER What do you call a movie filled with giant screaming goats, magic weapons vying for attention like romantic rivals, a naked Chris Hemsworth and a phenomenally creepy Christian Bale? Oh, and with no fewer than four Guns N' Roses needle drops, 80s nostalgia in droves, and a case of tonal whiplash as big as the God of Thunder's biceps? You call it Thor: Love and Thunder, and also a mixed bag. The fourth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to focus on the now 29-title saga's favourite space Viking, and the second Thor flick directed by Taika Waititi after Thor: Ragnarok, it welcomely boasts the New Zealand filmmaker's playful and irreverent sense of humour — and the dead-serious days of the series-within-a-series' first two outings, 2011's Thor and 2013's Thor: The Dark World, have definitely been banished. But Love and Thunder is equally mischievous and jumbled. It's chaotic in both fun and messy ways. Out in the cosmos, no one can swim, but movies about galaxy-saving superheroes can tread water. Thor Odinson (Hemsworth, Spiderhead) has been doing a bit of that himself — not literally, but emotionally and professionally. Narrated in a storybook fashion by rock alien Korg (also Waititi, Lightyear), Love and Thunder first fills in the gaps since the last time the Asgardian deity graced screens in Avengers: Endgame. Ditching his dad bod for his ultra-buff god bod earns a mention. So does biding his time with the Guardians of the Galaxy crew (with Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper and company popping up briefly). Then, a distress call from an old friend gives Thor a new purpose. Fellow warrior Sif (Jaimie Alexander, Last Seen Alive) has been fighting galactic killer Gorr the God Butcher (Bale, Ford v Ferrari), who's on a mission to do exactly what his name promises due to a crisis of faith — which puts not only Thor himself but also New Asgard, the Norwegian village populated by survivors from his home planet, at grave risk. It also puts Thor on a collision course with his ex-flame Dr Jane Foster (Natalie Portman, Vox Lux), who's changed dramatically since last they crossed paths. Thor: Love and Thunder is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. ORPHAN: FIRST KILL What's more believable — and plot twists follow: a pre-teen playing a 33-year-old woman pretending to be a nine-year-old orphan, with a hormone disorder explaining the character's eerily youthful appearance; or an adult playing a 31-year-old woman pretending to be a lost child returned at age nine, again with that medical condition making everyone else oblivious? For viewers of 2009's Orphan and its 13-years-later follow-up Orphan: First Kill, which is a prequel, neither are particularly credible to witness. But the first film delivered its age trickery as an off-kilter final-act reveal, as paired with a phenomenal performance by then 12-year-old Isabelle Fuhrman in the pivotal role. Audiences bought the big shift — or remembered it, at least — because Fuhrman was so creepy and so committed to the bit, and because it suited the OTT horror-thriller. This time, that wild revelation is old news, but that doesn't stop Orphan: First Kill from leaning on the same two key pillars: an out-there turn of events and fervent portrayals. Yes, a big twist is again one of the movie's best elements. Fuhrman (The Novice) returns as Esther, the Estonian adult who posed as a parentless Russian girl in the initial feature. In Orphan: First Kill, she's introduced as Leena Klammer, the most dangerous resident at the Saarne Institute mental hospital. The prequel's first sighted kill comes early, as a means of escape. The second follows swiftly, because the film needs to get its central figure to the US. Fans of the previous picture will recall that Esther already had a troubled history when she was adopted and started wreaking the movie's main havoc, involving the family that brought her to America — and her time with that brood, aka wealthy Connecticut-based artist Allen Albright (Rossif Sutherland, Possessor), his gala-hosting wife Tricia (Julia Stiles, Hustlers) and their teen son Gunnar (Matthew Finlan, My Fake Boyfriend), is filmmaker William Brent Bell (The Boy and Brahms: The Boy II) and screenwriter David Coggeshall's (Scream: The TV Series) new focus. Orphan: First Kill is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. THE FORGIVEN Patience is somewhat of a virtue with The Forgiven. It would be in it, too, if any of its wealthy white characters hedonistically holidaying in Morocco were willing to display the trait for even a second. Another addition to the getaways-gone-wrong genre, this thorny satirical drama gleefully savages the well-to-do, proving as eager to eat the rich as can be, and also lays bare the despicable coveting of exoticism that the moneyed think is an acceptable way to splash plentiful wads of cash. There's patently plenty going on in this latest release from writer/director John Michael McDonagh, as there typically is in features by the filmmaker behind The Guard, Calvary and War on Everyone. Here, he adapts Lawrence Osborne's 2012 novel, but the movie that results takes time to build and cohere, and even then seems only partially interested in both. Still, that patience is rewarded by The Forgiven's stellar lead performance by Ralph Fiennes, playing one of his most entitled and repugnant characters yet. Sympathies aren't meant to flow David Henninger's (Fiennes, The King's Man) way, or towards his wife Jo (Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye). Together, the spiky Londoners abroad bicker like it's a sport — and the only thing fuelling their marriage. Cruelty taints their words: "why am I thinking harpy?", "why am I thinking shrill?" are among his, while she counters "why am I thinking high-functioning alcoholic?". He's a drunken surgeon, she's a bored children's author, and they're venturing past the Atlas Mountains to frolic in debauchery at the village their decadent pal Richard (Matt Smith, Morbius) and his own barbed American spouse Dally (Caleb Landry Jones, Nitram) have turned into a holiday home. Sympathy isn't designed to head that pair's way, either; "we couldn't have done it without our little Moroccan friends," Richard announces to kick off their weekend-long housewarming party. But when the Hennigers arrive late after tragically hitting a local boy, Driss (Omar Ghazaoui, American Odyssey), en route, the mood shifts — but also doesn't. The Forgiven is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING Timing is everything in Where the Crawdads Sing, the murder-mystery melodrama set in America's Deep South that raced up bestseller lists in 2018, and now reaches cinemas a mere four years later. Its entire narrative hinges upon a simple question: did North Carolina outcast and recluse Kya Clark (Daisy Edgar-Jones, Fresh), cruelly nicknamed "the marsh girl" by locals, have time to speed home from an out-of-town stay to push star quarterback Chase Andrews (Harris Dickinson, The King's Man) from a fire tower, then resume her trip without anyone noticing? On the page, that query helped propel Delia Owens' literary sensation to success, to Reese Witherspoon's book club — she's a producer here — and to a swift film adaptation. But no timing would likely have ever been right for the movie's release, given that Owens and her husband are wanted for questioning in a real-life murder case in Zambia. Unlike the film, those off-screen details aren't new, but they were always bound to attract attention again as soon as this feature arrived. One of the reasons they're inescapable: the purposeful parallels between Owens' debut novel and her existence. Like Kya, Owens is a naturalist. The also southern-born author spent years preferring the company of plants and animals, crusading for conservation causes in Africa. Where the Crawdads Sing is timed to coincide with Owens' own life as well; it's set in the 50s and 60s and, as a child (played by Jojo Regina, The Chosen) and a teenager, Kya is around the same age that Owens would've been then. Another reason that the ways that art might link with reality can't be shaken, lingering like a sultry, squelchy day: what ends up on-screen is as poised, pristine and polished as a swampy southern gothic tale can be, and anyone in one. There's still a scandal, but forget dirt, sweat and anything but lush, vivid wilderness courtesy of filmmaker Olivia Newman (First Match), plus a rustic hut that wouldn't look out of place on Airbnb. Where the Crawdads Sing is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. MURDER PARTY If Amelie and Knives Out combined, the end result would look like Murder Party. If Wes Anderson and Agatha Christie joined forces, the outcome would be the same. It's highly unlikely that first-time feature writer/director Nicolas Pleskof and his co-scribe Elsa Marpeau (Prof T) were ever going to call this feature Murder in the Game-Filled Mansion or Death While Rolling the Dice, but that's the overwhelming vibe. There's an escape room element, too — thankfully, though, nodding towards the Escape Room franchise isn't on the agenda. Murder Party's characters get stuck in intricately designed locked spaces and forced to piece together clues to secure their freedom, and are only permitted to remain breathing by keeping their wits about them, but no one's in a horror movie here. The feature starts with a killer setup: an eccentric crew of relatives, their brightly hued home on a sprawling country estate, an usual task given to a newcomer and, naturally, a sudden passing. Architect Jeanne Chardon-Spitzer (Alice Pol, Labor Day) is asked to pitch a big renovation project to the Daguerre family, transforming their impressive abode so that living there always feels like playing a game (or several). Patriarch César (Eddy Mitchell, The Middleman) already encourages his brood to enjoy their daily existence with that in mind anyway, including dedicating entire days to letting loose and walking, talking and breathing gameplay. But he's looking for a particularly bold next step. He's unimpressed by Jeanne's routine proposal, in fact. Then he drops dead, the property's doors slam shut and a voice over the intercom tells the architect, plus everyone else onsite, to undertake a series of challenges to ascertain the culprit among them — or be murdered themselves. Murder Party is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Read our full review. THE PHANTOM OF THE OPEN If The Phantom of the Open was part of a game of golf, rather than a movie about the club-flinging, ball-hitting, bunker-avoiding sport, it wouldn't be a hole in one. It couldn't be; perfection doesn't suit the story that director Craig Roberts (Eternal Beauty) and screenwriter Simon Farnaby (Paddington 2) are telling, which is as real and as shaggy — as so-strange-it-can-only-be-true, too — as they can possibly come. That other key factor in spiriting dimpled orbs from the tee to the cup in a single stroke, aka luck, is definitely pertinent to this feel-good, crowd-pleasing, happily whimsical British comedy, however. Plenty of it helped Maurice Flitcroft, the man at its centre, as he managed to enter the 1976 British Open despite never having set foot on a course or played a full round of golf before. It isn't quite good fortune that makes this high-spirited movie about him work, of course, but it always feels like a feature that might've ended up in the cinematic long grass if it wasn't so warmly pieced together. When Maurice (Mark Rylance, Don't Look Up) debuts on the green at the high-profile Open Championship, it doesn't take long for gap between his skills and the professionals he's playing with to stand out. In the words of The Dude from The Big Lebowski, obviously he's not a golfer — although what makes a golfer, and whether any sport should be the domain of well-to-do gatekeepers who reserve large swathes of land for the use of the privileged few, falls into The Phantom of the Open's view. So does a breezily formulaic yet drawn-from-fact account of a man who was born in Manchester, later settled in the port town of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria and spent much of his life as a shipyard crane operator, providing for his wife Jean (Sally Hawkins, Spencer), her son Michael (Jake Davies, Artemis Fowl), and the pair's twins Gene (Christian Lees, Pistol) and James (Jonah Lees, The Letter for the King). Maurice had never chased his own dreams, until he decided to give golfing glory a swing. The Phantom of the Open is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Looking for more at-home viewing options? Take a look at our monthly streaming recommendations across new straight-to-digital films and TV shows — and our best new TV shows, returning TV shows and straight-to-streaming movies from the first half of 2022. Or, check out the movies that were fast-tracked to digital in January, February, March, April, May, June, July and August.
Anyone whose daily commute takes them down Broadway has probably noticed some big changes over the past few years. The space just opposite the UTS Tower building is being developed into an 'icon of 21st century living' as part of the Sydney Central Park project. While construction takes place, Sydney residents will be treated to a suite of four installations by Australian artists Brook Andrew, Mikala Dwyer, Claire Healy & Sean Cordeiro and Caroline Rothwell. It's a temporary public art project called Artists In Residence, turning heritage Irving Street Brewery yard buildings and brick stack into concrete canvases, from April 2011 for a year or two. The first work is Brook Andrew's 'Local Memory' and comprises 18 3-metre high protraits snugly fitted into the grid formed by the building. But who are they? People who worked in or were associated with the brewery’s history, living, working and witnessing change on the brewery site between 1909 and 1998. Neon frames border each portrait, lighting up at night time in a series of programmed sequences. Of his subjects, Brook says "These people are often the forgotten ones of societies whose importance in work and lifestyle has little or no public memory, let alone the intimate social and cultural lives they lived and legacies within local families and brewery production." Brook was a featured artist at last year's Biennale of Sydney, and you might remember tackling the moral dilemma of 'To jump or not to jump" on his jumping castle war memorial installation on Cockatoo Island.
We’ve known for a while that Public Enemy are headlining the eighth Golden Plains Festival next year, so we knew it would probably kick a fair few arses. But we had no idea it would be this many. The lineup includes such a tasty smorgasbord of local and international artists that the March long weekend can’t come quick enough. The overseas contingent boasts some of the world’s finest, including the soulful, confusing and perpetually beautiful Neko Case, Japanese funk legends Osaka Monaurail and Kiwi super-dub soldiers Fat Freddy’s Drop. The home crowd is just as exciting, with rock stalwarts You Am I leading the charge, followed closely by new rave pioneers Cut Copy and the supernatural soul crew that has earned Questlove’s glowing endorsement, Hiatus Kaiyote. The lineup is an eclectic mix of dance, funk, soul, blues and good ol’ rock 'n' roll, all spaced out with care over a long weekend in the country. Hot damn, we say to Golden Plains. Hot damn to the promise of a chilled-out festival in the middle of nowhere with a lineup that’s got something for everyone, and then a little more. Words cannot express. For the full lineup, check out the Golden Plains website. The ballot is open now for tickets.
It's not every day that one of the world's best bars starts pouring tipples in Brisbane. It isn't every day that you can sip a cocktail out of a treasure chest, either. But both of those things are now a reality at Brisbane's Living Room Bar, which has just kicked off a boozy collaboration with Spain's Paradiso, one of the top watering holes on the planet. That world's-best label isn't just hype; on the World's 50 Best Bars list for 2022, the Barcelona spot came in first — yes, it's the best bar on the planet — after placing third on the same rundown in 2021 . The venue is acclaimed for its striking design (which obviously hasn't made the leap to Brissie) and its elaborate Universo menu (which absolutely has). Wondering what makes a cocktail menu so beloved that it's named one of the globe's standouts? Paradiso's Universo lineup goes big on theatrics; think: glowing green concoctions, tipples in smoky domes, dry ice, light, innovative glassware and one particular drink served in a treasure chest. Inspired by the cosmos — hence the menu's name — the Universo range of tipples is led by the Mediterranean Treasure, which goes both savoury and sour with its blend of elderflower, honey, citrus fruits, coriander oyster-leaf sherry. And yes, it's the drink that comes in its own box, with smoke wafting out when you open the chest. Also on the lineup: the Great Gatsby, Paradiso's take on the old-fashioned, which is served in a glass dome with a chocolate and vanilla tobacco cloud (and features Glendronach Port Wood, amaro, white truffle honey and lavender bitters). Or, there's The Big Bang , which blends spiced cane rum, guava liqueur, earl grey tea, pandan, beetroot, clarified lemon juice and almond milk, and is served on a platter of sweets that are meant to mimic the creation of the universe. Plus, The Cloud uses a bit of levitation, with its mix of Amor de Maguey mezcal, Herradura Añejo tequila, Amaro Montenegro, Mandenii La Tonique vermouth, hibiscus and birch syrup topped with an edible coffee cloud. As well as ten tipples from Paradiso, W Brisbane is also plating up Spanish-style tapas such as jamones ibericos with guindilla peppers and picos (Spanish breadsticks); duck pate with davidsons plum compote on rye; and flatbread with hummus, fried chorizo and shrimp. And, it's pairing the sips and bites to eat with live beats every Friday and Saturday night. Updated October 5.
It has been more than 40 years since Harris Farm Markets opened in Sydney, with a particular focus on fresh local produce. And if you're a Brisbanite wondering why the chain has both stood the test of time and amassed a considerable following, you can now find out for yourself — with the family-run brand launching a new Brisbane store, and planning a seconds one in 2021. The first has popped up at the former Clayfield Markets site, and it actually marks a homecoming. While Harris Farm Markets is definitely based in New South Wales, it used to own the Sandgate Road spot until it handed it over to Carlo and Susan Lorenti. The pair have run it for a couple of decades since, and are staying onboard to manage the store now that it has changed its name. Launching on Wednesday, December 16, Harris Farm Markets' Clayfield shop features a tomato shed, a huge deli with more than 200 cheeses on offer, and a leaderboard focusing on Queensland strawberries and mangoes — plus an organic produce section, a gourmet grocery range showcasing boutique local wares, a bakery and a hefty array of meat. Also on offer: milk on tap, from Maleny Dairies. The idea is to highlight Queensland and Australian products, all at a site that underwent a rebuild and redesign before it reopened. Then, in May 2021, Harris Farm Markets will open its flagship Queensland store, which'll set up shop in West Village in West End. It'll sprawl across a warehouse space in part of the old 1920s-built Peters Ice Cream building, so it's safe to expect that it'll be sizeable — and, obviously, conveniently located. At both sites, shoppers will be able to buy products from more than 300 Queensland growers, creators and producers — with Barambah's organic milk, frozen fruit from My Berries in Caboolture and organic chicken from Hobbs Family Farms Organic in Pittsworth just some of the items on offer. The two new stores will mark Harris Farm Markets' first outside of NSW, with 22 locations currently open down south. Find Harris Farm Markets at the current 823 Sandgate Road, Clayfield — and at West Village in West End from May 2021.
If you're a film buff, then you're also a travel buff. Even if you don't venture further than your nearest cinema, you're often journeying to other countries when you sit down to watch a movie. Thanks to the Cine Latino Film Festival, the sights and sounds of Latin America await Australian filmgoers in November, taking them on a trip to Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay, Cuba, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic. Australia's second Spanish-language film festival (after the Europe-centric Spanish Film Festival), the Cine Latino Film Festival will bring 26 titles from Central and South America to Aussie screens from November 14 to 29. The fun kicks off with You're Killing Me Susana, a marital comedy featuring Mexican star Gael García Bernal. Other highlights span a variety of genres and nations. Audiences can check out Inseparables, the Argentinian remake of French film The Intouchables, or get an authentic glimpse into prison romance in the Dominican Republic with Woodpeckers – about inmates from neighbouring jails communicating via their own form of sign language. Elsewhere, Cannes Critics' Week hit Gabriel and the Mountain combines documentary and drama to tell the true tale of a Brazilian traveller; Tales of Mexico asks eight filmmakers to spin stories about Mexican history; and Lost North tracks a man trying to find his girlfriend across the 900 miles between Santiago and the Bolivian border. Other notable titles include Peruvian musical-comedy Crazy in Love, Colombian paramilitary thriller Guilty Men, and Ecuador's submission to next year's foreign-language Oscar category Such is Life in the Tropics, about a battle between a land owner and squatters. The festival will also shine a particular spotlight on Argentinian and Mexican filmmaking in two specific program strands. The latter is a collaboration with the Hola Mexico Film Festival, while the former will thrill fans of familiar faces, with The Secret in Their Eyes star Ricardo Darín playing an Argentinian president in The Summit, and Gloria's Paulina García going soul searching in The Desert Bride. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gALX8_SHP68 The 2017 Cine Latino Film Festival will screen at Sydney's Palace Norton Street and Palace Verona from November 14 to 29, Melbourne's Palace Cinema Como and Palace Westgarth from November 16 to 29, and Brisbane's Palace Centro from November 16 to 29. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the festival website.
The teenagers of Point Place are at it again: hangin' out down the street, that is, usually in the Forman family basement. This time, decades have passed on- and off-screen since the world first met a group of high schoolers happily doing the same old things they did last week in the fictional Wisconsin town. Netflix's new That '90s Show picks up just over 15 years after That '70s Show's timeline, embracing all that the mid-90s had to offer from raves and Alanis Morissette's initial fame to video stores and Donkey Kong. (Yellowjackets isn't the only series going all-in three decades back right now.) For viewers, the 1995-set series arrives 17 years after its predecessor said farewell. The years might've changed, but the basics stay the same in a wave of familiar places, faces, scenarios and themes — and the overall formula. From 1998–2006, Eric Forman (Topher Grace, Home Economics), girl-next-door Donna Pinciotti (Laura Prepon, Orange Is the New Black), and pals including Michael Kelso (Ashton Kutcher, Vengeance), Jackie Burkhart (Mila Kunis, Luckiest Girl Alive) and Fez (Wilmer Valderrama, NCIS) earned That '70s Show's attention as they chatted through their hopes and dreams, got stoned frequently, and tried to work out who they were, who they loved and what they wanted. Now, doing the same is Eric and Donna's 14-year-old daughter Leia (Callie Haverda, The Lost Husband), plus the new friends she makes while visiting her loving, supportive but sometimes embarrassing empty-nester grandparents. It's during a July 4th weekend stopover at Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp, WandaVision) and Red's (Kurtwood Smith, The Dropout), aka her dad's childhood home, that Leia finds something she doesn't have in Chicago: peers that truly understand her. Despite dashing Eric's dreams of a father-daughter space camp trip just as Red is informing him and Donna that they're now "upstairs people", Leia decides to stay in Point Place for the summer. As perky as ever, Kitty is thrilled to have the house — all levels — filled with kids once more. The perennially cantankerous Red doesn't share or even feign her enthusiasm, but he is eager to start threatening another generation with an emphatic kick in the rear — and to call them all "dumbass". Those new teens? The elder Formans' neighbours Gwen (Ashley Aufderheide, Four Kids and It) and Nate (Maxwell Acee Donovan, Gabby Duran & The Unsittables) — one a feisty riot grrrl getting Leia to rebel for the first time in her life, the other the airhead successor to Michael Kelso — and their existing friends. There is a genuine Kelso, too, in the form of hunky ladies' man Jay (Mace Coronel, Colin in Black & White), who's firmly his dad's son. Rounding out the gang: the witty Ozzie (Reyn Doi, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar), the openly gay member of the group, and Nate's super-smart girlfriend Nikki (Sam Morelos, Forgetting Nobody). Including recognisable character traits and the entire new pot-smoking, basement-dwelling crew's dynamic, as well as their hijinks — and spanning the chaos brought by Gwen and Nate's mother Sherri (Andrea Anders, Ted Lasso) as a replacement for Eric's elder sister Laurie, plus the return of the same theme tune (but given a decade-appropriate makeover), the stoner circle and each episode's interludes — That '90s Show is the blatant doppelgänger of TV sequels. Reviving teen-centric hits from decades back is one of pop culture's favourite recent trends, covering everything from Saved by the Bell and Gossip Girl to Bel-Air, but this comeback is deeply determined to give exactly what worked the first time — and for 200 episodes at that — another spin. In a series developed by That '70s Show creators Bonnie Turner and Terry Turner alongside their daughter Lindsey Turner and also That '70s Show producer Gregg Mettler, cue layer upon layer of nostalgia — for That '70s Show and for the new series' own titular decade alike. Entertainingly for fans of the original, That '90s Show's love of nods and references to its predecessor is as vast as Eric's still-buzzing love for Star Wars (see: Leia's name, and Eric's job as a professor exploring the religion of Star Wars). Obviously, the Netflix continuation couldn't be called That '90s Show if it didn't embrace its namesake as well, complete with references to Clerks, Home Alone and Free Willy, and a Beverly Hills 90210-inspired fantasy sequence. The extra dose of nostalgia? Not only getting viewers thinking about That '70s Show and the 90s, but recalling watching it in the 90s and 00s, and also wading through its affection for the 70s at the same time. Here, nostalgia and familiarity are in, making any big new moves is out — other than for Leia when she decides to stay with Kitty and Red the summer, putting herself out there to make new friends and chasing her heart. Sticking with what this franchise knows could've been unambitious and straightforward, but it couldn't suit both That '70s Show and That '90s Show better. Before it made stars out of Grace, Prepon, and the now-married Kutcher and Kunis, a considerable part of the first series' appeal was its low-key vibe; it was a show to hang out with, just as its main players did with each other while they navigated recognisable and relatable suburban teen life. This follow-up knows not to depart from that key trait, just as it knows that the mechanics of being in high school haven't shifted no matter how long has passed. Could this be a continuation of That '70s Show if the old gang didn't show up at various points, including the OG Kelso, Jackie, now-celebrity hairdresser Fez and always-high hippie Leo (Tommy Chong, Color Out of Space)? Of course not. Could this new series escape the temptation to have Leia fall for Jay and use that will-they-won't-they situation as one of its ongoing threads? Of course not again. That '90s Show is an endearing, laidback, easily bingeable throwback all the same — well-cast, too, although Doi and Morelos deserve more focus if it returns for a second season — and one that gets its levels of dripping nostalgia exactly right. Case in point: when it opens, it's with Kitty dancing in her kitchen to the apt 'Groove Is in the Heart', that 1990 Deee-Lite hit that hailed back to the 70s. Check out the trailer for That '90s Show below: That '90s Show streams via Netflix. Images: Patrick Wymore/Netflix © 2022.
For six days each April, the music-loving world's eyes turn to the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, where Coachella takes place each year. Maybe you're there on the ground. Perhaps you spend two weekends watching along via the festival's livestream. Either way, it's a helluva time — and 2025's festival will feature Lady Gaga, Green Day and Post Malone on headlining duties. The Coachella lineup normally drops in January as a start-of-year highlight, but the details have arrived early for the next festival. Post Malone had jumped the gun, revealing a stadium tour with Indio dates on Coachella's two weekends — and so now organisers have unveiled the full details. [caption id="attachment_972776" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raph_PH via Flickr.[/caption] Mark Friday, April 11–Sunday, April 13 and Friday, April April 18–Sunday, April 20 in your diaries — including if you you're just keen to check out the livestream. (Remember, Coachella was livestreaming its sets long before the pandemic.) The full bill is impressive, as usual, with Lady Gaga headlining the Friday nights, Green Day doing the Saturday nights and Post Malone on Sunday nights. Also, Travis Scott is on the lineup as well, but without a set day so far. From there, get ready for jam-packed roster of acts that also spans everyone from Missy Elliott, Charli XCX, Megan Thee Stallion, Travis Scott, The Prodigy and Kraftwerk through to Benson Boone, FKA twigs, Basement Jaxx and The Go-Go's — and plenty more. Anyway, let's be honest, you haven't truly read any of those words — you'll be wanting this: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coachella (@coachella) For music lovers planning to watch along from home, Coachella keeps teaming up with YouTube to livestream the festival. That's no longer such a novelty in these pandemic times but, given the calibre of Coachella's lineup, it's still a mighty fine way to spend a weekend. For those eager to attend in-person, you can signup for access to tickets over at the festival's website — with pre-sales starting at 11am PT on Friday, November 22 (aka 5am AEST/6am AEDT on Saturday, November 23). [caption id="attachment_907691" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chrisallmeid via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Coachella 2025 runs from Friday, April 11–Sunday, April 13 and Friday, April April 18–Sunday, April 20 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Find out more information and register for tickets at coachella.com — with pre-sales starting at 11am PT on Friday, November 22 (aka 5am AEST/6am AEDT on Saturday, November 23). Top image: Raph_PH via Flickr.
Idris Elba fights a lion. That's it, that's Beast, as far as film pitches go at least. This South Africa-set thriller's one-sentence summary is up there with 'Jason Statham battles a giant shark' and 'Liam Neeson stares down wolves' — straightforward and irresistible, obviously, in enticing audiences into cinemas. That said, the latest addition to the animals-attack genre isn't as ridiculous as The Meg, and isn't a resonant existential musing like The Grey. What this creature feature wants to be, and is, is a lean, edge-of-your-seat, humanity-versus-nature nerve-shredder. Director Baltasar Kormákur (Adrift) knows that a famous face, a relentless critter as a foe, and life-or-death terror aplenty can be the stuff that cinema dreams and hits are made of. His movie isn't completely the former, but it does do exactly what it promises. If it proves a box office success, it'll be because it dangles an easy drawcard and delivers it. There is slightly more to Beast than Idris Elba brawling with the king of the jungle, of course — or running from it, trying to hide from it in a jeep, attempting to outsmart it and praying it'll tire of seeing him as prey. But this tussle with an apex predator is firmly at its best when it really is that simple, that primal and, with no qualms about gore and jump scares, that visceral. Elba (The Harder They Fall) plays recently widowed American doctor Nate Samuels, who is meant to be relaxing, reconnecting with his teenage daughters Mare (Iyana Halley, Licorice Pizza) and Norah (Leah Jeffries, Rel), and finding solace in a pilgrimage to his wife's homeland. But Beast wouldn't be called Beast if the Samuels crew's time with old family friend Martin (Sharlto Copley, Russian Doll), a wildlife biologist who oversees the nature reserve, was all placid safaris and sunsets. Kormákur doesn't even pretend that bliss is an option, or that the stalking, scares and big man/big cat showdown aren't coming. Ramping up the tension from the outset, his feature begins with the reason that its main maned (and unnamed) creature wants to slash his way through Nate and company: poachers hunting, with the culprits sneaking in at night to elude human eyes and snuff the light out of every feline in a targeted pride, which leaves one particularly large animal, the patriarch, angry and vengeful. Arriving unknowingly in the aftermath, the Samuels family have just chosen the wrong time to visit. Their first encounter with another pride, which Martin helped raise, leaves them awestruck instead of frightened; then they spy Beast's killer beast's handiwork at a nearby village, and surviving becomes their only aim. Swap out Elba from the 'Idris Elba fights a lion' equation and Kormákur would've had a far lesser film on his hands. His premise, wonderfully concise as it is, wouldn't work with any old actor. His entire movie wouldn't, and Beast works on the level it's prowling on — mostly. Screenwriter Ryan Engle (Rampage), using a story by Jaime Primak Sullivan (Breaking In), gives Nate grief and guilt over his past mistakes to grapple with as well as that persistent lion. Yes, the script is that cliched, because action heroes almost always seem to be wooing, worrying about or mourning a woman while they're endeavouring to save something, be it the world, their families or themselves. Elba dances the bereaved absent father dance well, though, with the Beast's depths springing from him rather than the material and its deceased spouse/regretful dad/seize-the-day tropes. Whether coming to widespread fame in one of the best TV dramas ever made, cancelling the apocalypse in a different on-screen altercation with critters, or playing a complicated detective, the man with The Wire, Pacific Rim and Luther on his resume (but not yet Bond) excels at playing people juggling problems and worries beyond their immediate threats. As sure as any feline, big, small, wild or domesticated, will swipe when it's being aggressive, that's what makes Elba brawling with Beast's revenge-seeking big cat such an appealing idea. The other troubles his character weathers here are both formulaic and thinly written, as they were always likely to be in a 93-minute lion attack flick — but, reliably as ever, Elba imparts Nate with the unflinching sense that this bout of king-of-the-jungle chaos is just one of many burdens he's had to face. Elba would've brought that complexity to his part even if Beast didn't saddle Nate with an obligatory dead wife, and often that trauma feels like every other animal in the feature — merely there because the film needs to be about more than Elba feuding with a lion. Nate's thorny relationship with his daughters could've still prickled, then softened and resolidified in the throes of panic, anyway; indeed, both Halley and Jeffries are at their finest when Mare and Norah have to be resourceful, brave and in the moment amid such ever-lurking danger. Kormákur makes that peril palpable, too. With cinematographer Philippe Rousselot (an Oscar-winner three decades ago for A River Runs Through It), he keeps the camera moving and roving amid eye-catching surroundings, letting the beauty of the place linger but rarely allowing a minute's peace in lengthy, unbroken shots. The Samuels' new nemesis is fast, savage and erratic, after all — even if lions are majestic creatures — and also willing to lay in wait, and the director of disaster movies Adrift and Everest wants his viewers to feel all of the above. Perhaps it's apt that when Beast struggles, it's because it's doing more than it needs to, but also with not enough effort — over-plotting Nate, Mare, Norah and Martin's backstories, and yet keeping them so well-worn. The pixels behind the film's animal antagonist also suffer a touch of the same fate; in trying to truly terrify, this CGI cat looks photorealistic as the live-action The Lion King's creatures did, but also preternatural. Nonetheless, the narrative's inherent silliness and illogical leaps aside, too — yes, including Elba punching the movie's bloodthirsty namesake — Beast remains as ruthlessly proficient as a lion at drawing, demanding and grabbing attention. Add it to the menagerie alongside alligator flick Crawl, another wholly predictable, sparse, taut, menacing and effective effort that's never Jaws but never Sharknado. It also isn't 1981's Roar, the wildest lion picture that'll ever exist and one plagued by animal attacks off-screen as well, but nothing else is.
Congratulations. Not only have you made it through an entire year, and an entire month of Christmas carols, but you've also reached a neat yearly milestone. Today is the longest day of the year — and not just because you're staring out the window before your office goes on holidays tomorrow. Today — that is Wednesday, December 21 — is the 2017 summer solstice. What does that mean? Well, it means that today has the most daylight hours of any other day this year. That's because the earth's axis at this point in time puts the sun is at the highest point in the southern hemisphere's sky, creating a longer period of sunlight. This happens once a year in each hemisphere. How long the day is exactly will depend on where you live — the further south you are (i.e. closer to the South Pole), the longer the day. According to ABC News, Sydney will get 14 hours, 24 minutes and 43 seconds of sunlight today, while up north Brisbane will get about half an hour less. Hobart gets the longest one of all, with the day stretching for 15 hours and 21 minutes. Interestingly, the summer solstice doesn't coincide with the earliest sunrise or latest sunset, which take place on separate summer days. It might not have the hype of the last month's supermoon, but it's still a great excuse to get do something outdoorsy after work tonight. Via ABC News.
First, Melbourne Museum became the top spot right now, in this very galaxy, to see Star Wars come to life via Lego. Thanks to the world-premiering Lego Star Wars: The Exhibition, it's the only place to see life-sized recreations of the space saga's locations, characters, duels and moments as made out of eight-million-plus plastic bricks, in fact. Next, the same venue in the Victorian capital is welcoming another Australian debut: the nation's first-ever Star Wars cafe. Blue milk is definitely on offer, because it wouldn't be a Star Wars-themed spot for a snack and a sip without it. That's the only menu item that's been revealed so far. The full range will feature other dishes and selections inspired by the franchise, however — but it hasn't yet been confirmed if green milk, fruit platters, fish eggs or purple juice will be among them. While Lego Star Wars: The Exhibition opened on the appropriate date — May the fourth, of course — the Star Wars Galactic Cafe is launching on Saturday, June 7, 2025. The pop-up also promises an immersive eating and drinking experience beyond what you're consuming, taking you to a Corellian Star Cruiser to get feasting, as part of an Australian-first collaboration between Museums Victoria, Disney and Lucasfilm. "The Star Wars Galactic Cafe showcases Museums Victoria's expertise in creating rich, sensory experiences — taking visitors on a deliciously immersive, intergalactic journey. Combining world-class hospitality with the timeless appeal of the Star Wars galaxy, the Star Wars Galactic Cafe offers Melbourne Museum's visitors yet another way to engage with this premier exhibition, in a cosmically cool atmosphere," said Museums Victoria Chief Executive Officer and Director Lynley Crosswell. As for the Aussie-exclusive exhibition, aka the largest collection of life-sized Lego Star Wars models ever assembled and the biggest touring Lego showcase ever, the force is strong with this one — the Lego-building force, that is. The Millennium Falcon, Emperor Palpatine's throne flanked by two Royal Guards, a stormtrooper helmet, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader facing off, and the Mandalorian and Moff Gideon: they're all featured. Lego Star Wars: The Exhibition hails from Ryan McNaught aka Brickman, who has indeed been spending time turning plastic rectangles, squares and other shapes into a recreation of the smash-hit franchise that's been soaring across screens big and small — and beyond — for almost five decades now. To build, the showcase took more than 25,000 hours at McNaught's headquarters in Tullamarine. The Star Wars Galactic Cafe opens on Saturday, June 7, 2025 at Melbourne Museum, 11 Nicholson Street, Carlton. Head to the museum's website for bookings and more details. Lego Star Wars: The Exhibition runs from Sunday, May 4, 2025–Monday, January 26, 2026 at Melbourne Museum, 11 Nicholson Street, Carlton. Head to the exhibition's website for tickets and more details. Exhibition images: Eugene Hyland, Museums Victoria / The Brickman.
Before the pandemic, when a new-release movie started playing in cinemas, audiences couldn't watch it on streaming, video on demand, DVD or blu-ray for a few months. But with the past few years forcing film industry to make quite a few changes — widespread movie theatre closures will do that, and so will plenty of people staying home because they aren't well — that's no longer always the case. Maybe you haven't had time to make it to your local cinema lately. Perhaps you've been under the weather. Given the hefty amount of titles now releasing each week, maybe you simply missed something. Film distributors have been fast-tracking some of their new releases from cinemas to streaming recently — movies that might still be playing in theatres in some parts of the country, too. In preparation for your next couch session, here are 12 that you can watch right now at home. ASTEROID CITY In 1954, one of Alfred Hitchcock's greatest thrillers peeked through a rear window. In Wes Anderson's highly stylised, symmetrical and colour-saturated vision of 1955 in Asteroid City, a romance springs almost solely through two fellow holes in the wall. Sitting behind one is actor Midge Campbell (Scarlett Johansson, Black Widow), who visibly recalls Marilyn Monroe. Peering through the opposing space is newly widowed war photographer Augie Steenbeck (Jason Schwartzman, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse), who takes more than a few cues from James Dean. The time isn't just 1955 in the filmmaker's latest stellar masterpiece, but September that year, a month that would end with Dean's death in a car crash. Racing through the movie's eponymous setting — an 87-person slice of post-war midwest Americana with a landscape straight out of a western, the genre that was enjoying its golden age at the time — are cops and robbers speeding and careening in their vehicles. Meticulousness layered upon meticulousness has gleamed like the sun across Anderson's repertoire since 1996's Bottle Rocket launched the writer/director's distinctive aesthetic flair; "Anderson-esque" has long become a term. Helming his 11th feature with Asteroid City, he's as fastidious and methodical in his details upon details as ever — more so, given that each successive movie keeps feeling like Anderson at his most Anderson — but all of those 50s pop-culture shoutouts aren't merely film-loving, winking-and-nodding quirks. Within this picture's world, as based on a story conjured up with Roman Coppola (The French Dispatch), Asteroid City isn't actually a picture. "It is an imaginary drama created expressly for the purposes of this broadcast. The characters are fictional, the text hypothetical, the events an apocryphal fabrication," a Playhouse 90-style host (Bryan Cranston, Better Call Saul) informs. So, it's a fake play turned into a play for a TV presentation, behind-the-scenes glimpses and all. There Anderson is, being his usual ornate and intricate self, and finding multiple manners to explore art, authenticity, and the emotions found in and processed through works of creativity. Asteroid City is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE — DEAD RECKONING PART ONE Pick your poison, action-franchise edition circa 2023: balletically choreographed carnage; cars, kin and Coronas; or Tom Cruise (Top Gun: Maverick) constantly one-upping himself in the megastar stunts stakes. Hollywood loves them all. Screens keep welcoming them all. So, after John Wick: Chapter 4 and Fast X comes Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One to deliver the kind of movie spectacle that always looks best on the biggest and brightest of viewing formats. And, as its lead actor's gleaming teeth do, the seventh instalment in the TV-to-film spy series shines. Like Cruise himself, it's committed to giving audiences what they want to see, but never merely exactly what they've already seen. This saga hasn't always chosen to accept that mission, but it's been having a better time of it since 2011's Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, including when writer/director Christopher McQuarrie jumped behind the lens with 2015's Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. Rubber masks so realistic that anyone on-screen could rip off their face to reveal Cruise's Ethan Hunt? Of course they're present and accounted for. Espionage antics that involve saving the world while traversing much of it? Tick that off ASAP. The saga's main Impossible Missions Force operative doing whatever it takes, including sprinting everywhere and relentlessly exasperating his higher-ups? Check. A trusty crew faithfully aiding the always-maverick Hunt, plus slippery adversaries to endeavour to outsmart? Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One gives them a hefty thumbs up as well. Shady forces with globe-destroying aims, being able to trust oh-so-few folks, wreaking slickly staged havoc, those jaw-dropping stunts, top-notch actors: Cruise and McQuarrie, the latter co-writing with Erik Jendresen (Ithaca), feel the need to feed it all into the flick, too. They're also rather fond of nodding to and reworking the franchise's greatest hits. Happily playing with recognisable pieces while eagerly, cleverly and satisfyingly building upon them isn't the easiest of skills, but it's firmly in this team's arsenal. Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. BLUE BEETLE Buzzing at the heart of Blue Beetle are two contrasting notions: fitting in and standing out. Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña, Cobra Kai) wants to feel at home not just in his own slice of El Paso-esque Texan spot Palmera City, but beyond his neighbourhood. When he assists his sister Milagro (Belissa Escobedo, Hocus Pocus 2) working at the well-to-do's houses, he searches for opportunities, especially given that he's in need of a steady job to help his family save their home as gentrification swoops in. Thanks to a run-in with Kord Industries, its warmongering CEO Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon, Maybe I Do) and an ancient artefact known as the scarab, however, the recent Gotham Law University graduate will soon be his hometown's most distinctive resident. Getting covered in blue armour, being able to fly — wings and other bug appendages come with the suit — and hearing a robotic voice (Becky G, Power Rangers) chatting in your head will do that, as will having a multinational company try to swat you down because it wants to deploy the technology RoboCop-style. So scampers the latest entry in the DC Extended Universe — a movie that grapples with the same concepts as the ever-earnest Jaime beyond its storyline. It slots into its franchise while providing something new 14 entries in, before the DCEU comes to an end with the upcoming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (under fresh DC leadership, a different silver-screen saga is coming, which might still link in with Blue Beetle). Directed by Ángel Manuel Soto (Charm City Kings), this is the superhero genre's first live-action flick with a Latino lead, be it from DC or Marvel. It's a family drama as much a caped-crusader affair. It's a story about immigrants striving to thrive and retain their own culture. And, it revels in an 80s sheen and sound. Blue Beetle battles enthusiastically to claim its own space, then, as almost constantly seen and felt. Alas, that doesn't stop it from getting generic as well, as much save-the-world fare is. Blue Beetle is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. BLACKBERRY There's rarely a still moment in BlackBerry. Someone is almost always moving, usually in a hurry and while trying to make their dreams come true everywhere and anywhere. Those folks include Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel, FUBAR) and Douglas Fregin (Matt Johnson, who also directs and writes as he did with The Dirties and Operation Avalanche). The pair created the game-changing smartphone that shares this movie's name. Also always frenetic: Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), the executive they pitch to, get knocked back by, then hire as co-CEO. That near non-stop go-go-go look and feel — cinematography that's constantly roving and zooming to match, too — isn't just a stylistic, screenwriting or performance choice. It's a case of art imitating the impact that the BlackBerry handsets and their tiny QWERTY keyboards had on late-90s and early-00s life. Before the iPhone and its fellow touchscreen competitors took over, it was the key device for anyone with a work mobile. The big selling point? Letting people do their jobs — well, receive and send emails — on the move, and everywhere and anywhere. Should you blame Research in Motion, the Canadian technology company that Lazaridis and Fregin founded, for shattering work-life balance? Dubbed "crackberries", their phones played a significant part in extending the office's reach. Is anyone being inundated with after-hours emails on a BlackBerry today? Unless they have an old handset in their button-pressing hands, it isn't likely — and BlackBerry the film explains why. Spinning on-screen product origin stories is one of 2023's favourites trend, as Tetris, Air and Flamin' Hot have demonstrated; however, history already dictates that the latest addition to that group doesn't have a happy ending. Instead, this immersive and gripping picture tells of two friends with big plans who achieved everything they ever wanted, but at a cost that saw the BlackBerry become everything, then nothing. Like its fellow object-to-screen flicks, it follows a big leap that went soaring; this one just crashed spectacularly afterwards. BlackBerry is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. CHEVALIER "He is the most accomplished man in Europe in riding, running, shooting, fencing, dancing, music." Writing in his diary in 1779 about Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, American Founding Father and future second US President John Adams didn't hold back with his praise. But the world has barely taken his cue in the nearly two-and-a-half centuries since, letting the tale of this gifted French Creole violinist, conductor and composer slip from wider attention. Within a sumptuous period drama that's charmingly, confidently and commandingly led by Kelvin Harrison Jr — with the Waves, The High Note, The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Cyrano star full of mesmerising swagger, and also endlessly compelling as a talent forced to struggle as a person of colour in a white aristocratic world — Chevalier endeavours to redress this failing of history. Veteran television director Stephen Williams (Watchmen, Westworld, Lost) and screenwriter Stefani Robinson (Atlanta, What We Do in the Shadows) begin their Bologne biopic boldly, playfully and with a front-on confrontation of the "Black Mozart" label that's surrounded their subject when he has been remembered — even if they also commence Chevalier with likely fiction. In pre-revolution Paris in the late 18th century, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Joseph Prowen, Father Brown) has an enraptured crowd in his thrall as he both plays and conducts. He pauses, then prompts his audience for requests. The response comes as a surprise: Bologne striding down the aisle, asking if he too can pick up a violin, then getting duelling with the musical instrument against the acclaimed maestro. Williams and Robinson start their film with a statement, announcing that they're celebrating a life that's been left not only ignored and erased — especially in a realm that's so often considered old, stuffy and definitely not culturally diverse — but also been stuck lingering in someone else's shadow. Chevalier is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. SANCTUARY Succession with BDSM. A reminder that love can sear. A slinky two-hander that's sometimes about only having one free hand. Sanctuary is all of the above, plus a psychosexual battle and a romp of a twisty erotic thriller-meets-romantic comedy — and also a reminder that there's something about Christopher Abbott in chic hotel rooms being teased out of his comfort zone by blonde sex workers (see also: Piercing). There's something about the actor in confined settings in general (see there: Possessor, The Forgiven and Black Bear), but only this supremely confident affair about a significantly complicated affair pairs him with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood breakout Margaret Qualley. As they verbally tussle and sometimes physically tumble, unpacking class, control, chemistry, intimacy and authority along the way, they're a chamber-piece dream. Sanctuary's chamber: a sleekly appointed suite decked out in saturated colours and ornate patterns at one of the 112 hotels that share Hal Porterfield's (Abbott, The Crowded Room) surname. And the piece's point? The thorny, horny relationship between the born-to-privilege heir and Rebecca (Qualley, Stars at Noon), who enters his room with a sharp knock, a no-nonsense stare, business attire and a briefcase filled with paperwork. Hal's father has just passed away, and he's now Kendall Roy awaiting the anointing that he's been promised since birth. His companion runs through background-check questions, veering into the highly personal. Soon, after drinks, dismay and a snappy debate, he's on his hands and knees scrubbing the bathroom while she watches on. Now he's Roman Roy, complete with dirty-talk banter, but in a film directed by sophomore helmer Zachary Wigon (The Heart Machine) and penned by Micah Bloomberg (Homecoming). Sanctuary is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. BIOSPHERE If an apocalypse ever brings humanity so close to extinction that there might only be two people left, one thing is certain: if that duo is together and can communicate, they'll spend most of their time nattering about nothing. They'll talk. They'll argue. They'll fill the days, months and years by talking and arguing. They'll still be human, in other words, doing what humans do. Biosphere sets up house within this very scenario, and in that exact truth. Here, lifelong pals Billy (Mark Duplass, Language Lessons) and Ray (Sterling K Brown, This Is Us) are the only folks left after the planet has met a catastrophic fate — one that, because he was the US President when things went dystopian, Billy likely had a hand in — and they're now confined to the movie's titular structure. So, they talk. Sometimes, they argue. When first-time feature-length filmmaker Mel Eslyn plunges the audience into this situation, her characters have been talking and arguing, then arguing and talking, for so long that it's just what they do. Working with a script that she co-penned with Duplass, Eslyn introduces Biosphere's viewers to a self-contained ecosystem of discussing and disagreeing. In the abode designed and built by Ray, a scientist and Billy's former advisor, this pair has no other choice. "Self-contained" perfectly sums up the sensation when the film begins flickering, too — as Ray and Billy go for their daily jog around the sphere, talking and arguing as they trot, their dynamic and their routine is conveyed with such efficiency that it feels like you've been watching for longer than you have. Biosphere doesn't drag, though. Rather, it's excellent at constructing a lived-in world with Billy and Ray as they live through what could be the end of the world. It's ace at storytelling as well, but the talking, the arguing, and the immersive and relatable air all smartly say plenty about a movie that recognises from the outset how adaptable people are. Biosphere is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. EGO: THE MICHAEL GUDINSKI STORY Post-viewing soundtrack, sorted: to watch Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story is to take a trip down memory lane with the Australian music industry and hear homegrown standouts from the past five decades along the way. Unsurprisingly, this documentary already has an album to go with it, a stacked release which'd instantly do its eponymous figure proud. His tick of approval wouldn't just stem from the artists surveyed, but because Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story's accompanying tunes comprise a three-disc number like Mushroom Records' first-ever drop, a 1973 Sunbury Festival live LP. To tell the tale of Gudinski, the record executive and promoter who became a household name, is to tell of Skyhooks, Split Enz, Hunters & Collectors, Jimmy Barnes, Paul Kelly, Kylie Minogue, Archie Roach, Yothu Yindi, Bliss n Esso, The Temper Trap, Gordi and Vance Joy, too — and to listen to them. Need this on-screen tribute to give you some kind of sign that the Gudinski and Mushroom story spans a heap of genres? Both the film and the album alike include Peter Andre. Any journey through Michael Gudinski's life and career, from his childhood entrepreneurship selling car parks on his family's vacant lot to his years and years getting Aussie music to the masses — and, on the touring side, bringing massively popular overseas artists to Aussies — needs to also be an ode to the industry that he adored. The man and scene are inseparable. But perhaps Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story plays as such an overt love letter to Australian music because it's an unashamed hagiography of Gudinski. Although the movie doesn't deliver wall-to-wall praise, it comes close. When it begins to hint at any traces of arrogance, moodiness or ruthlessness, it quickly does the doco equivalent of skipping to the next track. Australian Rules and Suburban Mayhem director Paul Goldman, a seasoned hand at music videos as well, has called his feature Ego and there's no doubting his subject had one; however, the takeaway in this highly authorised biography is that anything that doesn't gleam was simply part of his natural mischievousness and eager push for success. Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. DRACULA: VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER In the Bram Stoker vampire novel that's inspired almost all other vampire novels, Dracula is undead. In popular culture since and forever, the fictional Transylvanian bloodsucker will never die. Regardless of his fate on the page back in 1897, the most-portrayed character in horror movies ever keeps baring his fangs on-screen, rising again and again like the sun that this creature of the night can never bask in. 2023 brings two new Dracula films, which isn't overly notable, but this crop of Stoker-influenced flicks doesn't simply retell the usual 126-year-old tale. Leaning into comedy and action, Renfield sunk its teeth in by giving the vampire's long-suffering familiar some love. Now the dread-dripping Dracula: Voyage of the Demeter hones in on one chapter of the book that started it all, detailing the captain's log from the neck-munching fiend's journey to London via ship. Starring for Trollhunter, The Autopsy of Jane Doe and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark director André Øvredal: Corey Hawkins (In the Heights) as physician Clemens, Aisling Franciosi (The Nightingale) as stowaway Anna and Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones) as Captain Eliot. The former hops onto the latter's ship in Eastern Europe, where a promised job falls through due to his race, forcing a pivot onto the Demeter's crew to return to England. Clemens isn't the only new boarding, with the vessel also welcoming 50 unmarked crates from the Carpathian Mountains. Given that the film is named Dracula: Voyage of the Demeter Down Under — elsewhere, it's known as just The Last Voyage of the Demeter — there's no surprises about what's among the cargo. So, as initially told in Dracula's seventh chapter, in the epistolary format of letters, journals and clippings that Stoker's tome deployed across the entire novel, the key contents of those mysterious wooden chests soon begins offing fellow seafarers. Dracula: Voyage of the Demeter is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. GRAN TURISMO: BASED ON A TRUE STORY Speeding onto screens with instant brand awareness is 2023's big trend. Air, Tetris, The Super Mario Bros Movie, Flamin' Hot and Barbie: they've all been there and done that already. Now it's Gran Turismo's turn, albeit with a film that isn't quite based on the video game of the same name. Directed by Neill Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium, Chappie), and penned by Jason Hall (American Sniper) and Zach Baylin (King Richard), it also doesn't tell the racing simulator's origin story. Rather, this pedal-to-the-metal flick focuses on the real-life Nissan PlayStation GT Academy initiative from 2008–16, and the tale of British racer Jann Mardenborough specifically. The overall program endeavoured to turn the world's top Gran Turismo players into IRL motorsports drivers — and the Cardiff-raised Mardenborough is one of its big success stories. The ins and outs of GT Academy receives hefty attention in Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story, plus Mardenborough's (Archie Madekwe, Beau Is Afraid) life-changing experience along with it; however, much is also made of a massive marketing push. Here, Nissan executive Danny Moore (Orlando Bloom, Carnival Row) wants to attract new customers, ideally those leaping from mashing buttons to hitting the road. Accordingly, he conjures up the console-to-racetrack idea to help make that sales boost happen, even if racing veteran Jack Salter (David Harbour, Violent Night) is skeptical when asked to come onboard as a trainer. You don't see it in Gran Turismo the feature, but surely taking the whole situation into cinemas if the underlying concept proved a hit was part of that initial plan as well. Amid the ample product placement anywhere and everywhere that the film can slide it in, that certainty thrums constantly. Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. STRAYS Canines are so beloved in cinema that the Cannes Film Festival even gives them a gong: the Palm Dog, which has been awarded to a performing pooch (sometimes several) annually since 2001. Among the past winners sit pups in Marie Antoinette, Up, The Artist, Paterson, Dogman and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood — most real, one animated, some anointed posthumously and none scoring their prize for a quest to bite off someone's penis. That genitals-chomping journey belongs to the four-legged stars of Strays alone. They're played by actual animals, with CGI assisting with moving lips and particularly raucous turns, and they're unlikely to win any accolades for this raunchy lost-dog tale. The pooches impress. They're always cute. Also, they're capable of digging up laughs. But Strays is a one-bark idea that's tossed around as repetitively as throwing a tennis ball to your fluffy pal: take a flick about adorable dogs, and talking ones at that, then make it crude and rude. Games of fetch do pop up in Strays, but via a version that no loving pet owner would ever want to play. This one is called "fetch and fuck", with stoner and constant masturbator Doug (Will Forte, I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson) doing the pitching. He isn't a kindly human companion to Reggie (voiced by Will Ferrell, Barbie). He's cruel and resentful — and constantly drives Reggie to various distant spots, sends him running and ditches the pooch. With unwavering affection, plus the naivety to only see the good in his chosen person, Reggie thinks that it's all meant to be fun until he's abandoned in a city hours away. There, he meets Boston terrier Bug (Jamie Foxx, They Cloned Tyrone), Australian shepherd Maggie (Isla Fisher, Wolf Like Me) and great dane Hunter (Randall Park, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania). Realising the truth about his relationship with Doug, he's sent by Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar director Josh Greenbaum and American Vandal creator/writer Dan Perrault on a canines-gone-wild revenge mission with his new dog squad trotting along to help. Strays is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. HAUNTED MANSION There's almost nothing that's bold about Haunted Mansion, but making the Disney family-friendly horror-comedy about moving on from the past is downright audacious. What the film preaches, the company behind it isn't practising — with this specific movie or in general. This flick isn't the first that's based on the Mouse House's The Haunted Mansion theme-park attraction, thanks to a 2003 Eddie Murphy (You People)-starring feature. In 2021, the entertainment behemoth also combined the Disneyland, Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland highlight with The Muppets in streaming special Muppets Haunted Mansion. And, no matter how Haunted Mansion circa 2023 fares at the box office, there's no doubting that the idea will get another spin down the line. Nearly everything Disney does; this is the corporation that keeps remaking its animated hits as live-action pictures (see: The Little Mermaid), revelling in sequels even decades later (see: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny), and getting franchises sprawling as films and TV shows alike (see: Marvel and Star Wars). When Dear White People and Bad Hair filmmaker Justin Simien begins his Haunted Mansion, it's with backstory that explains why astrophysicist Ben Matthias (LaKeith Stanfield, Atlanta) is himself so unwilling to embrace the future. He meets Alyssa (Charity Jordan, They Cloned Tyrone), falls in love, then understandably falls apart when he's suddenly a widower — and, once he's consumed by mourning he's committed to staying that way. Then priest and exorcist Father Kent (Owen Wilson, Loki) ropes him into a gig at the movie's central abode, enlisting not just his help but the use of his specially developed camera that photographs dark matter and, ideally, spectres. The gadget was a labour of love for Alyssa, who worked as a ghost tour guide around New Orleans, a job that Ben has swapped science and the lab for after her passing. Now, he needs his invention to assist Gabbie (Rosario Dawson, Ahsoka), a doctor who has just relocated with her son Travis (Chase W Dillon, The Harder They Fall) — while calling in psychic Harriet (Tiffany Haddish, The Afterparty) and college historian Bruce Davis (Danny DeVito, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) to also lend a hand. Haunted Mansion is available to stream via Disney+, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Looking for more at-home viewing options? Take a look at our monthly streaming recommendations across new straight-to-digital films and TV shows — and fast-tracked highlights from January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August and September, too. You can also peruse our best new films, new TV shows, returning TV shows and straight-to-streaming movies of 2023 so far
When the theatre powers that be wondered if Moulin Rouge! could leap to the stage from the screen, the answer was simple: yes it can can can. And when the hit Broadway version notched up 14 Tony nominations, another question arose. Could Moulin Rouge! The Musical become the first Australian-produced show to win the coveted Best Musical Tony Award? Again, yes it can can can. After being delayed due to the pandemic, the 74th Annual Tony Awards were held on Monday, September 27 Australian time, recognising the best that theatre had to offer in the 2019–20 season. And, Moulin Rouge! The Musical did indeed emerge victorious. Including Best Musical, it took out ten gongs in total. Produced by the Sydney-based Global Creatures — and marking the first Australian-produced show to originate on Broadway — Moulin Rouge! also nabbed prizes for Best Direction of a Musical (f0r Alex Timbers), Best Choreography (Sonya Tayeh), Best Orchestrations (Justin Levine with Matt Stine, Katie Kresek and Charlie Rosen), Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (Aaron Tveit) and Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (Danny Burstein). And, it won Best Scenic Design in a Musical (Derek McLane), Best Costume Design in a Musical (Catherine Zuber), Best Lighting Design in a Musical (Justin Townsend) and Best Sound Design of a Musical (Peter Hylenski) as well. The Tonys sweep comes as Australians will finally get to see the stage production later this year, after its long-awaited local premiere season in Melbourne was delayed due to lockdown. It was set to open in mid-August, but is now selling tickets for shows from early November in line with Victoria's roadmap out of stay-at-home conditions. When it was announced back in 2016 that Moulin Rouge! was being turned into a stage musical, fans around the world thought the same thing in unison: the show must go on. Since then, the lavish production hit Broadway in 2019, and now has a date with Melbourne's revamped Regent Theatre. Based on Baz Luhrmann's award-winning, Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor-starring movie — which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year — the stage musical brings to life the famed Belle Époque tale of young composer Christian and his heady romance with Satine, actress and star of the legendary Moulin Rouge cabaret. Set in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris, the film is known for its soundtrack, celebrating iconic tunes from across the past five decades. The stage version carries on the legacy, backing those favourites with even more hit songs that have been released in the two decades since the movie premiered. Moulin Rouge! The Musical wasn't the only production soon headed to Australia to nab a Tony, with Jagged Little Pill the Musical also collecting two ahead of its Sydney premiere in December. Elsewhere at the high-profile awards, A Christmas Carol nabbed five gongs in the play categories, while The Inheritance picked up four. Moulin Rouge! The Musical is due to make its Australian debut at The Regent Theatre, at 191 Collins Street, Melbourne from November — depending upon Victoria's COVID-19 restrictions at the time. To buy tickets, and for further details, head to the production's website. Images: Matthew Murphy.
Master of surreal everything (movies, TV shows, music, coffee), David Lynch has released a new track titled 'Crazy Clown Time' through his Facebook page. The experimental track is as weird as you would expect (see Twin Peaks soundtrack and Lynch's 'Good Day Today') and is part of Lynch's debut album of the same name, due to be released in November. It sounds like anything he'd include in his cooky cinematic or television work - a touch of weird appearing in the non-descript auto-tune vocals provided by Lynch himself. Of the album the song is on, Lynch thinks it's full of accidents and "should be in hospital." Is there anything the man can't do? https://youtube.com/watch?v=2GXGc4EobS8 [via Stereogum]
There's a reason that some types of meals always stay in fashion. Classic dishes like omelettes, steak sandwiches, lasagne and apple pie can evolve with the times and adapt to suit the latest trends — plus, they're always tasty. That's the mindset Paddington's Affinity Restaurant has adopted with their seasonal, modern Australian menu. There's nothing bland or boring on offer, with everything given a signature twist, but there's nothing faddish either — and almost everything is made in-house. Indeed, whether you're looking for a new weekend brunch spot, a place for a nice meal on a weekday evening or somewhere for a quick snack and a cocktail, you're certain to find something — or multiple things — that you'll want to devour as soon as possible. The breakfast bruschetta is a certain hit, the twice-cooked pork belly sounds divine, and if you can pass up the choc chip cheesecake with salted caramel, well, you've got better willpower than us. Affinity Restaurant also offers something extra special for those who think cheese is the best dessert — and who doesn't? Their cheese trolley can be wheeled to your table for you to pick three, four or five to feast on. Now that's a twist you probably won't see anywhere else.
It's already nicknamed the River City. It's also locked in for a stint as an Olympic city. Now, Queensland's capital will become the shimmering city, too, thanks to a new long-term after-dark light show. When Lumina Night Walk makes Brisbane its latest home, it'll get the Botanic Gardens at Mt Coot-tha aglow — and it won't just be sticking around for a few weeks or months. Brisbane City Council has announced that it approved an application on Friday, July 28 to establish a Lumina Night Walk in the inner-west spot, and for 150 evenings per year. The plan is to get the gardens looking luminous on Friday and Saturday nights, and also likely during school holidays, with attendees peering at eight light show stations across a one-kilometre path. The site's existing Gardens Explorer Trail will get the Lumina Night Walk treatment, with the light show stations being camouflaged from view. BCC advises that no plants or trees will be removed for the new attraction. Although no opening date has yet been announced, visitors will take 50–60 minutes to enjoy the experience, with between four and six sessions held every ten minutes each night that Brisbane's Lumina Night Walk runs. The River City joins seven locations in Canada, three in Japan, one in Singapore and another in France in boasting a Lumina Night Walk. Moment Factory, which keeps hosting radiant pop-ups to the Adelaide Botanic Gardens as part of the South Australian capital's winter Illuminate Adelaide festival, will design and produce the light show. The company's standard remit: getting botanical gardens, zoos, national parks and heritage sites dazzling, aka exactly what it's bringing to Brisbane. Brissie's Lumina Night Walk will be funded, installed and operated by Australian company LightDreaming, and BCC advises that the revenue that the council receives from LightDreaming will be put back into the gardens. And, it expects that taking a lit-up stroll will be popular, increasing the Mt Coot-tha location's visitors by up to 15 percent per year. Brisbane does love an excuse to bask in a glow, as Roma Street Parkland's annual end-of-year Enchanted Garden keeps proving to sellout crowds. Over at the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens, after-dark fest Botanica: Contemporary Art Outside shines a light — many, many lights — each year, too. And, during 2023's Brisbane Festival this September, Lightscape will come to town, setting up a two-kilometre trail of light and colour also at the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens on Alice Street in the CBD. Of course, shimmering sights aren't just a Brisbane favourite, as Lightscape's stints in Melbourne and Brisbane have proven, plus everything bathing both cities in radiance during their respective RISING and Vivid fests. Brisbane's Lumina Night Walk is planned as a tourist drawcard in the lead up to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, as one of many changes sweeping the city before, during and after the global sporting events. "Brisbane is Australia's fastest growing capital city and a world class night-time experience such as Lumina Night Walks will create more to see and do and make Brisbane an even better place to live and visit," said Deputy Mayor and Civic Cabinet Chair for Economic Development Councillor Krista Adams about the approved application. Among the other changes headed Brisbane's way: a two-level pavilion with a gin distillery and rooftop garden at The Summit atop Mt Coot-tha; a 100-metre-tall Sky Deck at the new Queen's Wharf precinct in the CBD; tearing down and rebuilding the Gabba; renewing and reinvigorating South Bank, complete with a treetop walk, a permanent handmade goods market and new riverside lawns; and making over Victoria Park. And, there's also the revamping and expanding of Northshore Hamilton, adding a new seven-hectare riverside parkland to South Brisbane, opening a fifth theatre at QPAC, and Kangaroo Point's new green bridge with an overwater bar and restaurant. Brisbane's Lumina Night Walk doesn't yet have an opening date, but will run 150 nights per year, on Friday and Saturday nights and during school holidays. Keep an eye on the Lumina website for further details. Images: Lumina.
Last summer, Australians sat down in front of their televisions to watch a famous train cross the country. And, it proved a hit. In fact, a three-hour documentary about Adelaide-to-Darwin locomotive The Ghan was such a success that SBS aired a 17-hour version that followed the entirety of the train's daytime trip. Yes, 17 whole hours. It cut out the evening parts, where the screen would just be black, for obvious reasons. Come January 2019, The Ghan will have company in the very niche genre that is TV docos about super-lengthy Aussie train journeys — and, once again, there's two versions. Following the Indian Pacific, the transcontinental railway line that crosses Australia from Perth to Sydney, the documentary will air on SBS in a three-hour format at 7.30pm on Sunday, January 6. It'll then be followed by the entire 17-hour marathon, which'll run on SBS Viceland from a yet-to-be-confirmed time on Saturday, January 12. Now, The Indian Pacific: Australia's Longest Train Journey could've been longer. Much, much longer. In fact, the whole 4352-kilometre trip takes 65 hours from coast to coast, with stopovers in places such as Broken Hill, Adelaide, the Barossa Valley, Kalgoorlie, Rawlinna and Cook depending on the direction of the journey. A train with a hefty history, the Indian Pacific first ran along the rails on February 23, 1970, and is now considered an Aussie icon. The lengthy doco forms part of the slow TV movement, and it's not the only instance that's coming to SBS this summer. Like boats? Multiple types of transport? The broadcaster is also airing The Kimberley Cruise: Australia's Last Great Wilderness, which follows a Broome-to-Darwin route through the Top End; plus North to South, which ventures from Auckland on New Zealand's north island down to the Southern Alps and Milford Sound on the country's south island, including railways, sailing and driving the route. Both will screen three-hour cuts as well as lengthier versions up to 18 hours, with the Kimberley getting its time to shine on Sunday, January 13 and Saturday, January 19, and NZ in the spotlight on Sunday, January 27 and Saturday, February 2. If that's not enough, SBS Viceland will replay the whole The Ghan experience on Saturday, January 26 too. If staring at transport trekking across landscape is your kind of thing, there's your Saturdays in January well and truly sorted. For further details, visit the SBS website. Image: Great Southern Rail.
When it comes to tipping buskers, 'no cash' will no longer be a problem, thanks to a new tap-and-go payment system being trialled by performers across the city. As reported by the Age, the pilot scheme, which is being headed up by online payment company Alipay, will see 20 City of Melbourne-licensed buskers issued with portable payment devices. They'll each get to set a certain small donation amount — of $2 or more — which passersby can then pay with a simple tap of their card. Customers will be able to tip extra with a few more taps of their plastic, and the system can also be used to buy merchandise. Buskers will only be hit with a small one-percent per-transaction free for using the system. No more digging in your pockets for coins, or feeling sheepish when you come up empty handed. Visitors from China, where Alipay originated, will also be able to pay via their smartphones, with the use of QR technology. The trial is expected to run for the next four to six weeks and could be rolled out across other cities if successful. Via theage.com.au
Feeling a little anxious about saying farewell to Brooklyn Nine-Nine? Since it was announced earlier this year that the beloved sitcom would end after its next (and eighth) season, that's been an understandable reaction. Long-running shows become a comforting part of our routines, giving us something to look forward to with each new episode — and in the case of this supremely warm-hearted comedy, giving us all plenty of feel-good laughs as well. If you think that you're dreading B99 coming to an end, you might still want to spare a thought for Charles Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio). If the show comes to a conclusion and sees him spend less time with Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg), he obviously won't cope well. That's the angle the just-released full trailer for the series' final season takes, in fact. "No more stakeouts, or drinks after a long shift, or midnight calls when you've had a breakthrough in a case," Boyle laments — while wearing a big fluffy coat for some reason. Heart and laughs: that's been a noice, toit and cool cool cool formula for Brooklyn Nine-Nine over the years. "Title of your sex tape" jokes, Die Hard nods and Halloween heists have all worked well, too. Cross your fingers that's all in the pipeline during the last batch of ten episodes as well, which will start streaming on SBS On Demand and airing on SBS in Australia come Friday, August 13. Definitely on the bill: other districts' versions of Hitchcock (Dirk Blocker) and Scully (Joel McKinnon Miller), Raymond Holt (Andre Braugher) accidentally sending intimate pics, Peralta and Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero) trying to handle parenthood, Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz) on edibles and Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews) popping his pecs. And, to answer an obvious question, it wouldn't be a last ride for Brooklyn's fictional 99th police precinct without Gina Linetti (Chelsea Peretti) making a final appearance. Check out the full trailer for Brooklyn Nine-Nine's final season below: The first two episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine's eighth and final season will be able to stream via SBS On Demand (and to view on SBS) on Friday, August 13, with new episodes dropping weekly afterwards.
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations, giving you inspiration for your next trip. In this instalment, we take you to beautiful Bali for a special stay at Plataran Canggu Bali Resort and Spa. We love this place so much that we teamed up with the resort to offer an exclusive three-night travel deal — including meals, massages and exclusive access to the iconic Cafe del Mar below. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? There is so much more to Bali than Bintang beers and boogie boards. In fact, despite a reputation among Aussies for its larger-than-life party scene, traditional Balinese culture embraces patience, peace and placidity. And Plataran Canggu Bali Resort & Spa one is of the best places to lose yourself to this experience ... without completely forgoing access to your favourite beach bars. Cocooned within lush rice fields and tropical green gardens, the tranquility of Plataran will transport you to a bygone Bali. Head back to a time when tourism on the island was practised through rich spa rituals, extraordinary cuisine and truly spiritual traditions. While this secret hideaway will make you feel removed from the chaos and crowds, swept away to the simplicity of village life, the magic of cool Canggu is right at your doorstep. THE ROOMS Designed in the form of a labyrinth (the legacy of the late renowned landscape architect, Made Wijaya), Plataran's landscaped gardens ensure that each of the property's private villas are protected from the outside world — the ultimate in serenity. Featuring traditional alang-alang grass-thatched roofs and antique carved doorways, villas are either one or two bedrooms, most accompanied by private pools, and all featuring modern comforts, luxurious bedding, natural stone bathtubs and private terraces with day beds. For a truly unforgettable stay, consider booking the Founder's Home. Personally designed by Platarn's founders, this options allows you the opportunity to sample the Founder's Menu and take part in the Founder's Activities, a series of experiences curated by the resort. FOOD AND DRINK With three on-site restaurants, you're sure to find a meal to tempt your tastebuds. If you're seeking rustic yet refined al fresco dishes, you'll find them in abundance at Plataran At Canggu. The resort's namesake restaurant is surrounded by lush forestry with seating under the sparkling lights of the evening stars. Or you can secure a table at Teras Canggu, which elevates Balinese street food into a world-class fine dining experience. Guests who book this deal can enjoy a complimentary dinner for two adults at either destination included in their package. Alternatively, settle in for a feast at Tiga Dari Snack Bar, with its flavour-packed fast food perfect for a catch-up with friends. If you're confident in your own culinary abilities (or want to improve them), consider enrolling in a Plataran Canguu cooking class. The experience kicks off with a chef-led excursion to the local markets to collect fresh products and ingredients and culminates in a private lesson in a traditional Balinese kitchen, complete with wood-fired oven. Designed to help you craft a shareable spread, the class offers insight into local cooking practices – with a delicious meal to show for it at the end. THE LOCAL AREA As social as Seminyak (minus the traffic jams) and almost as unadulterated as Ubud (minus the 60+ minute drive to get there), Canguu is primed for new and returning visitors to the Island of the Gods. And at Plataran Canggu Bali Resort and Spa, you have a brilliant base to enjoy the best of the area's offerings. Extend your stay in the zen zone with a sunset stroll along Echo Beach or an afternoon surfing the waves at Berawa. Otherwise, dedicate your day to brunch-stopping and bar-hopping at one of Canggu's many cool beach clubs. If the options feel overwhelming, let us choose for you. Guests who purchase the Concrete Playground Trips Plataran Canggu three-night travel deal receive access for two adults to one of the world's most iconic beach clubs — Cafe del Mar — including day bed and a bucket of beer, absolutely free. THE EXTRAS As well as the previously mentioned complimentary dinner and beach club access, guests who take advantage of this exclusive Concrete Playground Trips promotion can also enjoy a free, 60-minute Balinese massage for two adults at the resort's Padma Spa. With a Sanskrit name that translates to 'sacred lotus', this spa embodies the quintessential qualities of the iconic flower. It's certain to leave you feeling beautifully balanced in body and soul (and budget). Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world.
In 2019, just one Australian bar made it into the World's 50 Best Bars list: Maybe Sammy. This year, not only has the innovative bar in The Rocks made the list again, it has jumped 32 places to number 11 — and it's joined by two more Sydney spots. Laneway mezcal bar — and one of Concrete Playground's favourite openings of 2019 — Cantina OK! came in at number 28, while Bulletin Place, which has made the list many times during its eight-year life, came in 39. If you've been looking for an excuse to spend a night drinking cocktails in the city, this is it. With many Sydneysiders WFH during the pandemic, CBD bars have done it tough, with some venues reporting drops in revenue of 40 percent and more. Now, it's more important than ever to go out and support them (in a COVID-safe way, of course). For those yet to be acquainted with Maybe Sammy, its luxurious styling nods to old-school Vegas glamour, all blush pink velvet banquettes and lush indoor greenery, while the list of theatrical signature drinks pays homage to the classics. Cocktails are served with the likes of scent-filled pillows, hand cream and rosemary bubbles. The latter, comes atop the much-Instagrammed Dunes cocktail, pictured below, which is a delicate balance of gin, fino sherry, watermelon and agave. [caption id="attachment_788842" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dunes cocktail at Maybe Sammy by DS Oficina[/caption] While Sydney cleaned up in the top 50, only Melbourne venues (from Australia) featured in the 51–100 list, which was announced late last week. Fitzroy bar The Everleigh snagged the 73 spot, while newer CBD haunt Byrdi came in at 80. Petite Collingwood bar Above Board followed not too far behind at number 84 and the long-running Black Pearl — which has scooped a spot in the Top 50 list numerous times throughout the award's 12-year history — was voted in at 98. The annual World's 50 Best Bars awards are voted on by over 540 bar industry experts from around the world, including bartenders, consultants, drinks writers and cocktail specialists. You can check out the full lineup of the World's 50 Best Bars 2020 here, and see 51–100 here. Top image: Cantina OK! by Kimberley Low
Maybe you jumped on the Saltburn bandwagon early, catching Promising Young Woman filmmaker Emerald Fennell's second feature when it was in cinemas. Perhaps you saw the Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin)- and Jacob Elordi (Euphoria)-starring thriller when it hit streaming over Christmas. Either way, once you watched the movie, you were probably as obsessed as Oliver Quick is about Felix Catton — and after you've ordered your Jacob Elordi's bathwater candle, you can hit up a party that's all about paying tribute to the instant cult-favourite flick. A series of shindigs is touring Australia, kicking off at Sydney's Oxford Art Factory on Thursday, January 25. From there, the Saltburn soirées will head to Ballers Clubhouse in Melbourne on Saturday, February 3, then to The Court in Perth on Friday, February 16. Come Saturday, March 2, it's Brisbane's turn at The Wickham. What does celebrating one of 2023's best movies at a boozy party entail? Dressing like it's Oliver's birthday party, for starters. From there, you'll enjoy a 'Murder on the Dancefloor' sing-along — even though you won't be dancing naked around a mansion — as well as crooning karaoke and hearing 'Mr Brightside', all while sipping Bathtub Brew, Grave Grinding Gulp and Felix's Fangirl Fizz drink specials. If you're keen to add some sparkle to your look while you're there, there'll be a free glitter bar. And the best-dressed attendee at each shindig will win a prize. In the film, Keoghan plays Oliver, who arrives at Oxford University as part of the future class of 2006, but finds himself stuck as an outsider among his well-off classmates. Enter Elordi as Felix Catton, the charming campus favourite who gains a helping hand in Oliver, then invites his new pal to his family's eponymous estate for the summer. Fennell won a rightly deserved Oscar for her Promising Young Woman script, and reteams with Carey Mulligan (Maestro) again here. Also demonstrating the actor (The Crown)-turned-filmmaker's knack for casting: 2023 Academy Award-nominee Keoghan, aka one of the screen's most interesting and talented rising stars, plus Elordi, Rosamund Pike (The Wheel of Time), Richard E Grant (Persuasion) and Lolly Adefope (Miracle Workers). As Felix's sister Venetia, Conversations with Friends' Alison Oliver is similarly excellent — as is Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story's Archie Madekwe as fellow Oxford student and Catton cousin Farleigh. 'SALTBURN' PARTY AUSTRALIAN TOUR: Thursday, January 25 — Oxford Art Factory, Sydney Saturday, February 3 — Ballers Clubhouse, Melbourne Friday, February 16 — The Court, Perth Saturday, March 2 — The Wickham, Brisbane Saltburn parties are touring Australia from January–March 2024. Saltburn is available to stream via Prime Video. Read our review.
If you've ever spent hours falling down the wildlife and nature video rabbit hole online late at night, this one's for you. National Geographic's Symphony For Our World will combine the best of the footage from the organisation's 130-year archives with a live orchestral performance, synchronising the triumphant moments of both music and nature under one spectacle. And, that soundtrack will feature a Hans Zimmer-flavoured score and feature a live choir as well. The natural history footage will be drawn from years of past images, drawing from Nat Geo's shots from all over the world. The accompanying symphony will be created by Bleeding Fingers Music, featuring the work of composers such as the legendary Hans Zimmer, as well as Austin Fray and Andrew Christie. Just like the recent Planet Earth II Live in Concert, Zimmer's score especially will make you feel things you didn't know you could about animals you'll never meet. A five-part composition that'll tour Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, Symphony For Our World will take the audience on a journey from the sea, along the coastlines, across the land, through the mountains and then finally into the sky, with differing orchestral movements for each world environment. It's the story of our planet, but brought to life in a different way — so why not get out of the house and off YouTube and go see some fully immersive nature. SYMPHONY FOR OUR WORLD TOUR DATES Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Brisbane – Sunday, August 26 ICC Sydney Theatre, Sydney – Friday, August 31 Hamer Hall, Arts Centre, Melbourne – Sunday, September 2 Symphony For Our World will tour Australia from August 26 to September 2. For more information and to buy tickets, visit natgeo-symphony.com.
Mass environmental protests will flood the streets of Australia on Friday, September 20, when thousands of people across the country walk out of school and work to demand action on climate change. Part of the Global Climate Strike movement, and organised locally by School Strike 4 Climate, events will be held in cities and towns across the nation — not only in state capitals such as Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, but in more than 100 Aussie spots. With the United Nations' Climate Change Summit happening on Monday, September 23 in New York, the huge worldwide protests are timed to send a message. Taking place in 120 countries, they're the latest initiative to take the climate crisis to the streets, building upon the outcry expressed in other rallies this year. In March, a Global Climate Strike for Future attracted 1.4 million people around the globe. This week's strikes have significant community backing this time, too — thousands of Australian school students are expected to walk out of class to attend, more than 30 unions have pledged their support, and over than 1200 Australian and global businesses have committed to giving their employees time off so that they can head along as well. As well as drawing attention to Australia's horrific two years, weather-wise — as seen via soaring temperatures, prolonged drought conditions and the horrific bushfires that have plagued the Queensland and NSW for the last fortnight — protestors are fighting for three specific demands. They're asking for a ban on new coal, oil and gas projects, including the recently approved Adani mine; that 100-percent energy generated and exported by 2030 comes from renewable sources; and the funding of fair transition processes, including the provision of jobs, for fossil fuel industry workers and the communities currently reliant upon the sector. Unsurprisingly, most places across Australia can expect disruptions and delays on Friday as a result of the strikes, including possible road closures and traffic diversions. If you're planning to join the crowds or you're pondering your transport options for the day, here's how the events will go down in your city. And here are a few placard ideas, too: https://www.instagram.com/p/B2ev1lbHuwE/?igshid=yaz9l9ueayup SYDNEY Sydney protestors will converge on The Domain on Art Gallery Road at 12pm, then march to Hyde Park — heading down Macquarie Street, then along Elizabeth Street and ending on Park Street. For those keen to march through the city beforehand, a Global Climate Strike bridge walk will set off from Bradfield Park near Milsons Point Station at 10am. Accompanied by a marching band, walkers will stroll over the Harbour Bridge, then continue along the Cahill walk to The Domain. If you're looking for a caffeine hit before the strike, Single O in the CBD and Surry Hills will be doling out free coffees to protesters between 10–11.30am — don't forget to BYO cup (obviously). For public transport and traffic updates on the day, check Transport NSW and Live Traffic Sydney. MELBOURNE Melburnians will start their protest at the Treasury Gardens on Spring Street at 2pm, with people advised to arrive from 1.30pm. After a Welcome to Country, speeches and performances, a march will take place from 3pm. Protestors will walk down to Collins Street, keep going until Exhibition Street, then head down to Flinders Street — which'll bring them back to the gardens. If you're commuting to the strike via train, you may want to join one of the four pre-strike train parties — on the Belgrave, Mernda, Craigieburn and Upfield — where there'll be snacks, chanting, singing and dancing. For public transport and traffic updates on the day, check Yarra Trams and Vic Traffic. BRISBANE Brisbanites will assemble in Queens Gardens on the corner of George and Elizabeth Streets from 12.30pm, with speeches commencing at 1pm and a march to Musgrave Park — via Victoria Bridge — starting at 1.30pm. More speakers and performances will follow in West End's Musgrave Park until 4pm. Unions and workers will also be marching to Queens Gardens beforehand, meeting at 12.30pm at Brisbane Square in Reddacliff Place. For public transport and traffic updates on the day, check Translink and Qld Traffic Metro. Australia's Global Climate Strike protests will take place at various times on Friday, September 20. For further details, visit the School Strike 4 Climate website. Top image: School Strike
If you visited a supermarket on the weekend, you would've encountered mayhem: long lines, empty shelves, people battling over the last packets of beans. Many Australians are panic-buying in case they need to self-isolate because of COVID-19, and it's causing chaos at shops across the country. To help some of society's more vulnerable groups get the groceries and essentials they need, Woolworths has launched a dedicated shopping hour for the elderly and people with disability. Running from 7–8am from Tuesday, March 17 to at least Friday, March 20, stores nationwide will open exclusively to concession card-carrying people in these communities. The Woolworths stores will then open to the general public from 8am. https://twitter.com/woolworths/status/1239273390382276610 Woolworths says the decision was made after many elderly customers failed to purchase the items they needed. "While we'll continue to do our very best to restock our stores during this period of unprecedented demand, we know many of our elderly customers have been missing out on essential items when they shop," Woolworths Supermarkets Managing Director Claire Peters said in a statement. "This temporary measure will give them, and those with a disability, the opportunity to shop before our stores officially open - helping them obtain the essential items they need most in a less crowded environment." For now, the dedicated hour is only in place until this Friday, but Woolworths says it will "review opening arrangements" at this point. If you're unable to leave your house, Deliveroo has just added kitchen and household products to its remit and has implemented a 'no-contact' drop-off service, too. For more information about Woolworths' dedicated hour for elderly and people with disability, head to the Woolworths website. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
Are you feeling a bit left out at work when people are discussing their weekend whisky sour at Shady Pines because you are at a loss as to what is in that drink or where that bar is? Or do you miss the camaraderie that comes with a university pub crawl but feel your palette has matured beyond fire engines and snake bites? Do not fret if so, Sydney Bar Tours has arrived. Headed up by two of Sydney's most illustrious foodies, Alex Adams from EatDrinkPlay.com and Simon McGoram, drinks editor of Australian Bartender magazine, the tours are aiming to illuminate the ever changing Sydney nightlife landscape. The experience is simple but unique, a small group of ten (friends or strangers) introduced to Sydney's best new bars. You'll meet the owners, managers and bartenders, sample the bars menu and even have cocktails and drinks designed just for you. McGoram points out: "In short, you'll get the rock star treatment." Currently offering two tours focusing on the small bars in Darlinghurst and the CBD, the operation looks to expand to the locales of Surry Hills, Bondi Beach and Kings Cross. The tours run for a little over three hours, include food and drinks, and tickets are limited. Check out Eat Drink Play for more details.
Hello, sunshine and goodbye cold winter nights — that's right, summer is right around the corner, which means we can finally get our tan on at the beach or enjoy a sunny Sunday (boozy) brunch. There are a lot of things to take into consideration when planning a day out in the heat, so we've joined forces with Mr Black to compile a list of things for you to take note of to further elevate your summer experience. From revamping your picnic setup to stocking up on ready-to-drink Mr Black Espresso Martinis, here's your cheat sheet on how to be best prepared for the warmer days ahead. [caption id="attachment_870994" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chloe Smith[/caption] UPGRADE YOUR PICNIC GEAR WITH A MULTI-PURPOSE BASKET Picnics usually happen on the spur of the moment, so having a multi-purpose basket on hand — like one of these sturdy, insulated ones by Picnic Season — is always a good idea. Consider opting for one with sturdy straps to keep cutlery, cups, plates and more in place, as well as a built-in thermally-insulated cooler bag to store your cold drinks (like a pack or two of Mr Black Espresso Martinis). A good rule of thumb: have a basket on hand that looks bigger than what you think you'll need. [caption id="attachment_870827" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Declan Blackall[/caption] INVEST IN A PICNIC TABLE WITH DRINK HOLDERS If there's one thing more heartbreaking than dropping your picture-perfect sanga on the ground, it's spilling your drink all over your picnic setup. To avoid potential disaster (and clutter), consider investing in a picnic table that comes with drink holders. Whether it's for your canned espresso martini or – if you're taking a break from alcohol – iced latte, a table like this one from Temple & Webster will save you from cleaning up a mess. Trust us, you'll thank us later. CATCH THE SUN WITH A SUNSET APP — AND MAKE SURE THERE'S PLENTY OF SUNSCREEN Admit it, there's a 99% chance that you've got at least one sunrise or sunset photo on your phone or camera. To make life a little easier for you and not disappoint your next sunrise or sunset adventure, download the Sun Chaser app to keep track of when the next Instagram-worthy sunrise or sunset will happen in your current location. The platform provides details like the intensity of the clouds and how colourful the light rays will be on any given day. And if you're chasing the sun, don't forget the sunscreen, too! [caption id="attachment_870828" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Declan Blackall[/caption] OVERSTOCK ON THE ICE (ESPECIALLY TO KEEP YOUR CANNED ESPRESSO MARTINIS COOL) The weather has been exceptionally unpredictable recently, so you've got even more reason to be prepared for the unexpected. Despite what your weather app says, you'll never know how hot the day could get. So if you're at the beach (or basically anywhere outdoors) this summer, always bring more ice than you need — especially if you're storing drinks that are best consumed cold, like a Mr Black Espresso Martini. [caption id="attachment_870830" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Declan Blackall[/caption] KEEP IT INTERACTIVE WITH ACTIVITIES LIKE FINSKA, KUBB OR A FRISBEE While sunbathing, eating and drinking sound like the perfect combination, why not kick it up a notch by taking part in an activity with your crew? Stick to the classics like Finska or Kubb, which will without a doubt unleash everyone's competitive side while also getting the endorphins going. You could also go for a laid-back activity like frisbee to get your fur baby involved as well. [caption id="attachment_871154" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Supplied[/caption] SEATING, BLANKETS AND CUSHIONS KEEP THINGS COSY AND COMFORTABLE Don't neglect your comfort. Be sure to always have a quality picnic blanket if you plan to spend the day at the garden or beach — we love the colourful, waterproof and eco-friendly designs by Central Coast maker Saltwater Picnic Co (pictured above). Spruce your setup with cosy cushions and extra blankets in case you decide to extend your stay. [caption id="attachment_870834" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Declan Blackall[/caption] PREPARE ONE-BITE FOOD THAT'S EASY TO EAT Some of you might love to go the extra mile and prepare a hearty spread when you're out and about. However, if you aren't in the mood to go through a 12-step recipe, you could always put together something simple like a hearty, veggie-filled sandwich or wrap. After something sweet that won't melt? On the morning of your trip, chop up fresh seasonal fruit and store them in a reusable container, with an ice block or two to keep it cool. [caption id="attachment_870835" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Artur Lewandowski (Unsplash)[/caption] A GOOD SPEAKER TO CREATE THE PERFECT VIBE Music not only brings people together, but it's the easiest way to set a mood. Which makes a speaker an essential item to bring when you're out with your crew. If you want to go the extra mile, curate a playlist for the day, too. If you currently don't have a portable speaker, look into the Marshall Emberton Portable Bluetooth Speaker or a UE MEGABOOM 3, which bring both style and good vibes to any gathering. [caption id="attachment_870847" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Declan Blackall[/caption] MAKE SURE THERE'S REAL CUTLERY AND GLASSWARE (PERFECT FOR ESPRESSO MARTINI O'CLOCK) Sipping on an espresso martini out of a lovely glass just hits different and you can't deny that. Treat yourself and your crew by elevating your picnic setup with stainless steel flatware, ceramic plates and wine or cocktail glasses for an upgraded experience. This is where your multi-purpose basket will come in handy as you won't need to worry about your cutlery and glassware shattering into pieces during your commute. Looking for more easy ways to elevate your summer gatherings — especially when espresso martini time hits? Head to the Mr Black website. Top image: Declan Blackall
Summer is well and truly upon us and that means one thing: it's boat party season. Whether you're a seasoned sailor or a nautical novice, packing for a boat trip can be a surprisingly tricky task. As space on board is limited, you'll want to make sure you pack the perfect mix of practical and pleasurable items to elevate your time on the high seas. To make things a little easier, we've teamed up with our friends at Jim Beam to bring you three essential items that'll upgrade your day, from covetable coverage to an impressive drink to make for the whole crew. UPGRADE YOUR SPF TO THIS CHIC THREE-IN-ONE Since the 80s, Sid the Seagull has been encouraging us to slip, slop and slap, and you best believe that includes during boat trips. With the sun's rays reflected off the water, your chance of getting sunburn increases — so you'll want to bring a seriously good sunscreen to protect you from those harmful UV rays. Level up your sun protection with Aussie brand Ultra Violette and its Supreme Screen SPF 50+ Hydrating Facial Sunscreen ($45). It's a moisturiser, sunscreen and primer all in one. This lightweight all-rounder is the perfect size to slip into your beach bag and it has super-cute packaging sure to make you appear sun-smart and chic all at once. BRING THE PARTY VIBES WITH FUN INFLATABLES The best thing about a boat trip is being able to oscillate between the wet and the dry so freely. And, for the party-starters among us, you can have the best of both worlds with inflatables. Thankfully, the team at Sunnylife has your back with Rosie, a rose gold inflatable flamingo ($79.95), that gives you a vibrant, show-stopping seat on which to soak up the summertime gladness and look the part for all those boat party snaps. It's perfect if you want to stay mostly dry while still getting your feet wet, so long as your mates don't dunk you into the drink. SWAP BEERS FOR A ROUND OF HIGHBALLS Speaking of drink, a day on the water is thirsty work. If you want to impress your mates with something other than beer or wine on your next outing, pack a bottle of Jim Beam and some cordials to make this no-fuss highball for everyone aboard. To make the drink, simply pour 15ml of lemon cordial (like this one by Bickford's), 5ml of lime cordial and 30ml of Jim Beam into a cup. Add ice and top with soda water. Easy! It's a refreshing beverage that is guaranteed to go down a treat among your friends this summer. Top image: Angelo Pantazis via Unsplash
US singer-songwriter Julie Byrne is returning to Australian shores for a run of east coast dates in 2024. The acclaimed folk musician is currently touring behind the release of her devastating new album The Greater Wings, a record which reckons with the passing of Byrne's longtime creative partner Eric Littmann. You can expect an intimate journey through the songs of The Greater Wings and Byrne's back catalogue at the Brisbane Powerhouse's Underground Theatre on Saturday, January 20. [caption id="attachment_641500" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jonathan Bouknight[/caption] If you want to inject some beautifully gentle, intensely personal music into your summer, this is your opportunity. Byrne will be bringing her kaleidoscopic folk to Brisbane for her first trip Down Under since her 2018 tour with Mount Eerie — a must-see for anyone whose Spotify Wrapped was filled with plenty of sad-girl indie. If you want to secure your spot, tickets are available for $59 via Ticketek. Top image: Alexander Kellner
If all this social isolation has left you keen to kick start some positive lifestyle changes, helping to save the planet seems like a pretty good place to start. After all, there's nothing like being cooped up indoors to inspire a newfound appreciation for blue skies, clean beaches and big, green open spaces. As a whole, Aussies have been gathering some momentum in the war against plastic waste in recent years, embracing bans on single-use plastic bags, swapping out plastic straws for sustainable alternatives and championing the humble reusable coffee cup. But, if you're feeling a little overwhelmed and unsure where to begin your own journey to a waste-free life, we've found a new local read that'll help put you right on track. Penned by ocean-lover and avid enviro-warrior Kate Nelson — aka Plastic Free Mermaid — I Quit Plastics And You Can Too is a practical guide to ditching disposable plastics and living more sustainably. And, given that Nelson broke up with single-use plastics over a decade ago, it's safe to say she's something of a guru on the topic. Whether you're keen to follow her lead completely, or simply want to learn how to live a little lighter, consider this book your new encyclopedia. It's chock full of handy, helpful information, served alongside manageable tips and how-tos aimed at reducing your plastic use, easily. Small, everyday changes can do big things for the environment. You'll discover how to cut down on waste, while shopping, cooking, cleaning and living with a more planet-friendly, plastic-free mindset. And Nelson shares lots of easy-to-implement strategies along the way, with more than 60 recipes to help de-plastic all areas of your life — from bodycare to breakfast. This is one online purchase the oceans will definitely thank you for. You can grab a copy of 'I Quit Plastics And You Can Too' for $26.25 from Booktopia. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
With croissants and pains au chocolat staples of its menu, Rise Bakery is fond of French fare, baking that affection not only into its OG Sanctuary Cove venue, but into its Portside spinoff since mid-2023 as well. The team behind the patisserie isn't content with running just one Gallic-inspired eatery in this patch of Brisbane, however. Soon, Hamilton's riverside precinct will also be home to Parisian-influenced brasserie Mademoiselle from the same crew. Rise Bakery's Harry Ohayon and Maxime Bournazel have replicating classic French eateries in their sights for their second Portside spot, which doesn't yet have an opening date. When it begins welcoming diners through the door, Mademoiselle will serve up traditional dishes — think: rotisserie meats and salads, for starters — given a modern twist. "Our vision is to create a warm, inviting space where people can enjoy long lunches, hearty dinners and Sunday roasts with their loved ones," said Ohayon [caption id="attachment_940766" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rise Bakery[/caption] The aim for the vibe is comfortable and cosy, but with luxe touches across the 245-square-metre booth-filled space, such as marble tops and stone. Sydney-based architect Tom Mark Henry has designed the fitout, which also heroes bold hues. If the concept is a success, the hope is to roll it out beyond Portside, including more Brisbane locations and at the Gold Coast. But each won't be exact copies of the other, with tailoring menus to suit each community that Mademoiselle calls home also the plan. The French restaurant joins an ever-growing list of new additions to Portside as part of the inner-north spot's current $20-million revamp. Not just Rise Bakery but also Fosh, Rosé Gelateria and Birds Nest Yakitori set up shop at the Hamilton precinct in 2023. Portside Social, a gastropub from the Newstead Social crew, is also on the way, as is Italian restaurant Sbagliata and burger joint Dumbo. And, Little Saigon Eatery is among the newly announced restaurants, marking the Vietnamese street food-slinging venture's second Brisbane venue. [caption id="attachment_778600" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kgbo via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Find Mademoiselle at Portside Wharf, 39 Hercules Street, Hamilton in the near future — we'll update you when an opening date is announced. Top image: Bastion Photography by Paul A Broben.
There's a knowing bit of casting at the heart of Yellowjackets for viewers who've been following Melanie Lynskey throughout her career. In the hit TV series — one of the best shows of 2021 when it first debuted, and equally as excellent in its just-arrived second season — the New Zealand actor plays Shauna, a New Jersey housewife and mother. Enlisting Lynskey in anything is always welcome, as everything from But I'm a Cheerleader and Up in the Air to I Don't Feel At Home in This World Anymore and Candy has proven. It's one of Yellowjackets' many strokes of genius with its stacked on-screen talent, which also includes Juliette Lewis (Welcome to Chippendales) and Christina Ricci (Wednesday). But it's a particularly savvy move to cast Lynskey as a woman who was once a teen stranded in the Canadian wilderness for 19 months, forced to do whatever it took to remain alive after her high-school soccer team's plane crashed, and has since spent a quarter-century since grappling with what came next. Lynskey herself was once a movie-starring teenager, debuting in Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures opposite Kate Winslet. There, she was a murderous teen, too, and kicked off her penchant for playing immensely complicated women (so much so that she earned a New Zealand Film and TV Award for her efforts). The glorious symmetry with Lynskey's role in Yellowjackets doesn't end there, however. As the adult Shauna — Monsieur Lazhar and The Book Thief's Sophie Nélisse plays the younger version — she's commanding and compelling in every scene as someone who survived having her life turned upside down, as Lynskey clearly did when she was thrust to fame at a young age. Of course, there's a vast difference between becoming a film star before you're old enough to drink and endeavouring to endure in spooky woods, through freezing winters, and with food in scarce supply — and, as Yellowjackets keeps hinting at, perhaps turning to cannibalism. Still, Lynskey couldn't be a better fit for the Emmy-nominated show's present-day timeline. There's not just complexity but persistence, strength and vulnerability in her portrayal. They've long been hallmarks of her work. Shauna has trekked over life's peaks and valleys, and knows that her journey onwards will never just be simple. Yellowjackets doesn't lack in phenomenal performances — with its packed team of talent playing both its teens and its adults, how could it? — but Lynskey is downright magnetic. With Yellowjackets' eagerly-anticipated return, its NZ star is also two for two on small screens in 2023. This year's big new hit also featured Lynskey in a pivotal part, and also in a survivalist thriller. She isn't the lead of The Last of Us' first season, but she left a firm mark as resistance leader Kathleen. She also hasn't been diving into this genre repeatedly on purpose. Ahead of Yellowjackets' season two debut on Friday, March 24 via Paramount+ in Australia and Neon in New Zealand, we chatted with Lynskey about that, being hooked on Yellowjackets since reading the very first script, having an instinct for killer roles and more. ON HER CURRENT SPATE OF SURVIVALIST STORIES When you've been a working actor for almost three decades, as Lynskey has since 1994's Heavenly Creatures, you're a survivor of sorts. Actively embracing on-screen stories about trying to endure through extreme events wasn't a concerted choice, however. You could throw in her part in Don't Look Up, too — but having two strong survivalist stories in Yellowjackets and The Last of Us is just a result of great roles coming her way, Lynskey notes. "I think it's just coincidence. I mean, for the character obviously in Yellowjackets, the survivalist part has already happened — so that's an interesting thing, and I think now I'm sort of grappling with the trauma of the aftermath." "And in The Last of Us, the character is in the middle of this crazy, apocalyptic scenario, so it feels like different kind of experiences of a similar thing." "But, it's interesting. It's fun to play kind of an ordinary person who is put into an extraordinary circumstance — and wonder how does that shape and change them." ON HER FIRST REACTION TO YELLOWJACKETS Survivalist thrillers might be having a moment on Lynskey's resume, but she was drawn to Yellowjackets based purely on the strength of its script. "Well, the main thing I think is that I finished reading it and I wished I had episode two, which is a good sign," she explains — having the same reaction to the show's debut episode that viewers everywhere did. "I wanted to know what was going to happen next. And I was like 'oh that was well-written'. It was really well-written!" "And as far as my character goes, there was something about her — you know, you see her in her domestic life, and then the scene with Taissa (Tawny Cypress, Billions) in the diner, you realise she has a huge amount of power somehow. And people are quite afraid of her." "And I was like 'oh that's interesting, like how did that happen and when did that end — or did it end?'. I just had so many questions. And it was a little bit of a leap of faith, but I'm very happy that I chose to do it." ON WHAT SHE LOOKS FOR IN A ROLE Lynskey's career isn't short on highlights between Heavenly Creatures and Yellowjackets. She's just as exceptional in two-season 2015–16 HBO dramedy Togetherness, and in parts big and small in Shattered Glass, Happy Christmas, Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later, Easy and Mrs America, too — just to name a few standouts on her resume. She puts her stellar choices down to going with her gut. "It's honestly an instinct. I just have to, when I'm reading it, if I start to read it out loud and a personality comes out of me. Or if there's like a voice — if there's some shape to what I'm reading where I feel like organically it can be created from me, then I'm interested." "If I'm just reading something and reading it as a script, and I start to think about how I could make it work or how I would play that part, then I know it's not a good fit for me." "It has to be something that comes — even Two and a Half Men, the first time I read the pilot for that, I just started to read it aloud, like the person just came off the page to me. So it's just an instinct, really." ON YELLOWJACKETS' COMPLICATED AND FULLY FLESHED-OUT WOMEN Yellowjackets has been likened to Lord of the Flies since day one thanks to its 90s-era woodland savagery between school students. One big difference: seeing girls, not boys, stuck in the woods and falling prey to their worst impulses to get by. That feels revolutionary in the series. It shouldn't, but it does. And, asked if the show's strong and complex female focus was part of the appeal, Lynskey is adamant: "very much — it was very much a draw." "I think the main thing about it was, in reading the script all the women were so fully realised. Even the smaller parts, the characters who didn't have that much to do in the pilot, or the younger cast — I understood them as human beings. I understood them as complex creations. And there were no sort of stereotypes." "There was no like 'here is the pretty one, here is the bitchy one, here is the whatever', you know. Everyone was very, very complicated and I felt like I had an understanding of who all of them were after the first episode — which is kind of a feat of writing wizardry, honestly." "So I was really, really intrigued to see writers [series creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, who've previously written for Narcos, Narcos: Mexico and Dispatches From Elsewhere] who were that talented, who could give so much depth within one episode, to see where they would take all these different characters." "Because it's a lot to juggle with so many different characters — and they've done an amazing job, I think, of managing all the different storylines." Season two of Yellowjackets streams weekly from Friday, March 24 via Paramount+ in Australia and Neon in New Zealand. Read our review of season two — and our review of season one. Images: Colin Bentley, Kailey Schwerman and Lorenzo Agius/Showtime.
When was the last time that you picked up a pen, sat down in front of a piece of paper and wrote someone a letter? When was the last time you picked up a pen and wrote something other than a reminder note, shopping list or a scribbled signature, for that matter? Handwriting is no longer a daily part of many people's lives, and nor is corresponding with others via mail — but both are in the spotlight at Dead Letter Club. Founded in Melbourne and now making its way around the country, Dead Letter Club is reviving the art of simply writing letters, although it's doing so with a twist. It's also a creative writing night, where people grab some stationery, choose a pen name and start scrawling missives. The letters are then sent via secret post — that is, swapped with other attendees, with everyone paired up with a mystery pen pal — creating a back-and-forth of handwritten correspondence throughout the evening. On the club's website, creator Melanie Knight describes it as "a chance to turn the tides on consumerism. Rather than consume more, we can make something". Dead Letter Club also presents itself an antidote to today's texting, twittering, emoji-sending, like-clicking forms of communication, instead requiring someone to spend time and energy to carefully compose a long-form piece of correspondence to someone else. Celebrating its first birthday at Melbourne's Noisy Ritual Urban Winery on Wednesday, October 10, Dead Letter Club often takes place in boozy establishments — so if you need some inspiration, the liquid type is available to purchase. Hundreds of writing prompt cards are also on hand, should you simply need an idea to get you started. The club comes to Sydney on Wednesday, October 17 thanks to a session at Daisy's Milk Bar, with fellow nights following in Wollongong and Canberra as part of an east coast tour. A session also occurred in Brisbane in September — and the club welcomes enquiries from folks eager to start up regular events in their city or town. Image: Dead Letters Club.
Lewis Hamilton has called F1 "the most-authentic racing film you will ever experience in a cinema". "Audiences around the globe are going to feel like they're on the track and in the driver's seat," the superstar driver — who is one of the film's producers — has also advised. Director Joseph Kosinski, who knows a thing or two about making immersive high-octane movies thanks to 2022 smash Top Gun: Maverick, has talked about his determination "to make it authentic" and to represent the sport "in the absolute best way we could", including via collaborating with Hamilton and other Formula 1 insiders. F1 shot on real Formula 1 race weekends. Stars Brad Pitt (Wolfs) and Damson Idris (Snowfall) do their own driving, too. The world will discover how the end result turns out in cinemas Down Under from Thursday, June 26, 2025 — but if you'd like a taste of the flick's commitment to authenticity and immersion in advance, Apple's new haptic trailer will do the trick. Across the past few months, F1 has dropped multiple trailers, but its latest sneak peek is different — because it isn't just about watching. If you have an iPhone, Apple wants you to feel this glimpse at the film. It means that literally. That's where the haptics come in, with your iPhone vibrating as engines rev and roar throughout the trailer. Why Apple? Because, although F1 definitely has a date with cinemas and has been made for the big screen, the technology company's Apple Original Films is behind it. Accordingly, eventually it'll join Apple TV+'s catalogue — but long after it speeds into cinemas. This Formula 1 racing thriller tasks Pitt with feeling the need for speed as a former driver who returns to the track. Fictional team APXGP is at its centre, with Pitt as Sonny Hayes and Idris as his colleague Joshua Pearce — and reaching the sport's heights is their aim. Also featuring on-screen: Kerry Condon (Skeleton Crew) and Javier Bardem (Dune: Part Two), giving the movie a recent Oscar-nominee (for The Banshees of Inisherin), plus another winner (for No Country for Old Men) alongside Pitt. Tobias Menzies (Manhunt), Sarah Niles (Fallen), Kim Bodnia (Nefarious) and Samson Kayo (House of the Dragon) co-star as well. Hamilton's involvement comes courtesy of his Dawn Apollo Films production company. The feature is also being badged as a collaboration with the Formula 1 community, spanning its teams, drivers and promoters. Check out the regular trailers for F1 below — and hit up Apple's website via an iPhone for the haptic trailer. F1 releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, June 26, 2025. Check out the haptic trailer via Apple — and read what Joseph Kosinski and Lewis Hamilton told us about the film.
