When Brisbane favourite Longtime shut up shop, it marked the end of an era. The Ann Street restaurant had only been open since 2014, but the Thai joint had amassed a hefty following. Thankfully, when one door closes, another one opens — in this case, new upscale eatery Same Same from the same crew. The focus on street-inspired Thai cuisine remains the same — think salt and pepper tofu sliders, and whole crispy fish with sweet four chilli dressing — however Same Same has plenty of surprises in store. This isn't just a case of transplanting a successful concept to a new spot and giving it a new name. Other food highlights include grilled scallops lathered in a curry butter, banana blossom salad with fermented shrimp salad and grilled sweet soy chicken. Or, you can pick from five types of curry, featuring the likes of lamb shanks, angus beef cheeks, and Queensland grouper. The Longtime chicken burger has made the jump over, sitting on the bar menu, while the dessert lineup is worth a trip all on its own — with coconut pana cotta, tamarind pudding with butterscotch sauce and condensed milk ice cream ($12), and mango sticky rice with coconut foam and toasted sesmae on offer. Dining with seven or more others? Then you'll need to tuck into the $79 or $120 banquet menu. You'll receive a selection of Same Same's most popular dishes, including some of the aforementioned ones — ranging from snacks and mains through to dessert. Located in the same Ada Lane strip as The Calile — one of the best hotels in Brisbane — its location also makes an imprint, joining the busy James Street precinct. Spread across two levels, it's a place with clean lines, concrete and wicker design flourishes, and, on the ground level, a long bar curving around an open central kitchen. Drinks-wise, expect a heavy focus on riesling, rose and rhone on the 140-bottle wine list, as well as a nice range of natural, organic and biodynamic Aussie drops. Given the restaurant's overall Thai flavour, Thai-inspired cocktails are also a highlight. And, if you're particularly keen on having a few beverages, Same Same's upstairs level is home to dimly lit bar LOS — and more than 110 tequilas. It's open from Thursday to Sunday until late. The team has also opened a collection of other restaurants in Brisbane, including Bianca, Honto and Agnes — if you fall in love with Same Same, perhaps give the rest of these a go as well. Appears in: The Best Restaurants in Brisbane
We know it's nothing revelatory, but we've spent far more time staring at our own four walls these past 18 months. Our homes have become our havens (and our hells), meaning it's high time to spruce up our pads. And one surefire way to give your living room a lift or brighten up your bedroom — even if you rent — is with some brand-new homewares. But this is your sanctuary, so any old couch won't do. Instead, pick up some wares that'll spark serious joy, and save yourself from the less-than-joyful activity of assembling flat-pack furniture while you're at it. In partnership with Great Southern Bank, we're helping you skip the flat-pack struggle — and still stick to your savings goals. In fact, with Great Southern Bank, you can actually top up your savings account with The Boost, which lets you add small amounts (between $0.01 and $5) to your savings as you spend on stunning new wares. So, if you're after colourful handmade ceramics, plush sofas, linen sheets and quirky chairs, check out these eight stores with homewares that won't break the bank. CASTLERY If you'd describe your taste in homewares as 'modern minimalist' then check out Castlery. There's something decidedly homey and comfortable about its affordable furniture range, though it still has a sleek edge. This 100-percent online store also makes it dead easy to browse from the comfort of your couch. Want a new dining room set? Take your pick of retro-style sideboards, mango wood tables and sleek dining benches. Or, maybe it's time to finally get rid of your nan's hand-me-down sofa and replace it with a luxe sectional. Whatever you're looking for, Castlery probably has it — and at a competitive price — so jump online stat. Be sure to sign up to its mailing list for a cheeky $50 off your first order, too. BED THREADS The clue is in the name here, so if you're looking to level up your bedding, look no further. Bed Threads is your go-to for linens and will set you up with the snoozing ensemble of your dreams. You can mix and match its 100-percent flax linen sheets, with more than 20 colours to pick from. Plus, you can currently score 20 percent off its 'build your own bundle' sets. The great news, though, is that Bed Threads services other rooms, offering a great selection of bath and table accessories to bring some pep into every space, including waffle towels, vibrantly hued table linens and quirky serveware. It's got a concise-but-killer collection of cookbooks, too. [caption id="attachment_798511" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] OPUS DESIGN Fun and functional, Opus Design's homewares range from subtle and understated to ostentatious and fun. Whether you're after a new set of knives or big-ticket items like coffee tables and chairs, everything here looks and feels high-end — but without the hefty price tag. A great shout if you're looking to pick up a few pieces to breathe new life into your living room, it also offers free delivery across Australia on orders over $100. Result. THIRD DRAWER DOWN Melbourne-based shop Third Drawer Down is a top homewares contender (which thankfully has a comprehensive online store, too). Stocking bold (and sometimes tongue-in-cheek) designs from an impressive list of local and international artists, Third Drawer Down celebrates individualism and playfulness with its carefully curated selection of wares. Everything here is as much a work of art as it is a functional piece of furniture, so expect a heap of bright colours, out-there drawings, crude knick-knacks and pop-culture influences. This is a great store if you're after a fun statement piece (or a few) without wanting to fork out a fortune. GOODSPACE Goodspace is a humble Instagram page dedicated to redeveloping and repurposing preloved furniture. Not only will you score something unique for your pad, but you'll also be doing the earth a solid with these sustainable pieces. The social media store sells all manner of small and large storage units, tables, chairs, sofas and lamps, to name but a few. The price on these beauties varies greatly, so be sure to check its swag regularly. It also recently launched its own line of bright-hued checkerboard rugs that'll add a splash of colour and help spiff up any room. MUD Founded in 1994, Mud has been going strong for 27 years with its minimalist ceramic designs. Perhaps best known for its handmade porcelain range brought to life by designer Shelley Simpson, Mud is all about clean, colourful pieces that are as much about the artistic process as they are functionality. So, if you're in the market for a statement salad bowl, a new mug or some unique hanging lights, check out its online store. SUNDAY SOCIETY This Brisbane-based store delivers across Australia, which is the first bit of great news you need to hear. The second? Sunday Society embraces individualism and creativity while remaining approachable in aesthetic and, perhaps more importantly, price. It has a diverse range of lounge and bedroom furniture as well as a timeless selection of outdoor wares. Style and sophistication go hand in hand every step of the way here, so no matter what you're looking for, you're bound to find something that suits your taste. LOUNGE LOVERS Whether it's the comfortable, stylish sofas or rustic, asymmetrical tables stocked at Lounge Lovers, you may find yourself being surprised at the price tag on these slick pieces. Lounge Lovers keeps things simple by offering concise variations on a number of easily workable themes. Classic and contemporary designs are brought to life via chic colour palettes that range from neutral to jewel tones, allowing you to add your personal flair to any of these accessible pieces. Great Southern Bank is empowering Aussies to get clever with their banking. Whether you want to stick to your savings goals with The Boost or hide your house deposit fund from yourself with The Vault, Great Southern Bank helps you get there. For more information on savings tools and home loan options, head to the Great Southern Bank website. Top image: Opus, Cassandra Hannagan
When it's festival time in Brisbane, the city lights up. That said, expect this town of ours to shine a little brighter when Curiocity Brisbane rolls around. A first-time event that's all about imagination, innovation, creativity, science, technology and art, this fest will see immersive installations pop up all over the place between Friday, March 15 and Wednesday, April 3. Leading the charge is Ross Manning's Wave Opus IV, a large-scale self-playing instrument that resembles a waveform. A new iteration of a work first commissioned by the Institute of Modern Art back in 2017, it's headed to Brisbane Powerhouse — and it's just one of the pieces on the bill. From making stickers out of your own shadow to wandering between luminous statues, there's plenty to pique your interest, all thanks to a lineup of local and international artists, technicians and makers. The free interactive installation trail will span from South Bank and New Farm, running day and night across the 20-day period. And if you're looking for talks, performances, movies and more, Curiocity also includes this year's World Science Festival Brisbane from Wednesday, March 20 to Sunday, March 24.
Dust of your black-hued and gothic-looking outfits: what else do you wear to Wednesday Island, a fan festival dedicated to the creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky Netflix series, that'll have Jenna Ortega (Death of a Unicorn), Emma Myers (A Minecraft Movie) and Tim Burton (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) in attendance? On Saturday, August 16, 2025, one Australian spot — Cockatoo Island / Wareamah in Sydney Harbour — will embrace the macabre with the Wednesday crew themselves. Netflix has been teasing Wednesday Island for a few weeks now, including officially announcing the event when the platform dropped the full trailer for Wednesday's second season, then opening entries for VIP attendance to feel like you're at Nevermore Academy. Now, the streamer has confirmed that Ortega, Myers and Burton will be there, and also Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, who created the show in the spotlight (and wrote the screenplay to 2024's Burton-helmed, Ortega-starring Beetlejuice Beetlejuice). All five key Wednesday folks will make appearances at Wednesday Island as part of their global Doom tour to promote the series. Peach PRC and ŪLA are also on the lineup at Cockatoo Island's temporary makeover, providing the tunes. Netflix is calling the pop-up takeover a "Nevermore playground" and promising a "most grave surprise", too — and there'll be a walk-in doll's house and a cocktail spot as well. If you've always had a fondness for anything Addams Family-related, this probably sounds like a dream. Whether you first discovered pop culture's eeriest family via the 90s films, through old episodes of the 60s TV show, in various animated guises over the years — including on the big screen — or thanks to Wednesday, that fantasy can now become an IRL reality if you score admission to Wednesday Island. Applications for VIP double passes have closed, but you'll be able to enter for regular passes between Wednesday, July 23–Sunday, August 3 via the pop-up's website. To do so, you'll need to provide your details, and give an original and creative answer to this question: "in 25 words or less, confess your most delightfully deviant Outcast trait — the kind that would make Wednesday smirk with approval". You'll find out if you've scored a ticket on Monday, August 4. Only those aged over 16 can go in the running, and you'll then need to dress in attire to suit the Wednesday celebration. Boat transport to the island, plus one food and one beverage token, will be included if you're selected. As for watching the series when it returns for its second season, you'll be doing that in two batches. Part one arrives on Wednesday, August 6, then part two on Wednesday, September 3. Check out the full trailer for Wednesday season two below: Wednesday Island is taking over Cockatoo Island in Sydney on Saturday, August 16. Head to the pop-up's website to enter for general admission tickets between Wednesday, July 23–Sunday, August 3, 2025 — or just for further information. Wednesday season two arrives in two parts, with part one dropping on Wednesday, August 6, 2025 and part two on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, both via Netflix. Read our full review of Wednesday season one. Images: Bernard Walsh, Helen Sloan and Jonathan Hession/Netflix © 2025.
Airports are a necessary part of the international travel experience. They're hardly most people's favourite place or anyone's ultimate destination, but you can't fly overseas without visiting them. Next time you're jetting abroad, however, you might want to add a visit to Singapore's Changi Airport to your trip. Nothing breaks up a long-haul journey like a 40-metre tall indoor waterfall, after all. After hosting a short-term immersive Harry Potter-themed world over the Christmas period, the Asian transit point has now launched a new permanent addition — the 137,000-square-metre Jewel Changi complex, under a glass-and-steel dome, that's jam-packed with shops, dining options, greenery, activities and one massive water feature. Designed by Safdie Architects, it takes over ten storeys, including five above the ground and five below, as part of the airport's terminal one expansion project. If it's the cascading attraction that you're most interested in, it's called the Rain Vortex. As the name suggests, it uses water collected from above. Running from 8am–12.30am, it's also the world's tallest indoor waterfall, and also provides the backdrop for a light show. Surrounding the Rain Vortex is the Shiseido Forest Valley, which is home to over 2000 trees and palms, as well as more than 100,000 shrubs, all across five storeys. To allow visitors to really soak in the natural splendour, the manicured garden features a number of walking trails that take around half an hour each to complete — and they're open 24/7. Although the waterfall and garden have been welcoming travellers since Wednesday, April 17 — as has Jewel Changi in general, its new onsite IMAX theatre and YOTELAIR Hotel, plus Nike, Marks & Spencer, Muji, Zara and Uniqlo stores as part of 280 retailers and eateries overall — there's also more to come. From June 10, the site will mark the opening of its fifth-level Canopy Park, which'll bring with it a heap more adventurous activities. Specifically, visitors will be able to walk along a bridge suspended 23 metres above the ground, and even see through the glass floor to the garden below. You'll also be able to bounce along a 250-metre span of sky nets, wander through both a hedge maze and a mirror maze, and slip down the slide-filled sculptural playground. Forget just killing time on a layover, searching for a phone charger or suffering in uncomfortable chairs while you're waiting for your flight home. Here, you might have to remind yourself that you're actually at an airport. For further details, visit the Jewel Changi Airport website.
Surrounded by towering mountain vistas, Ayrburn is the brand-new must-visit destination in New Zealand's Arrowtown, just 20 minutes from Queenstown. The ambitious precinct already features six venues plus its own vineyard — and it's expanding. Still to come is a flagship fine-diner, a butcher, a bakehouse, luxury housing and a hotel right by a waterfall. The mind behind the project, Chris Meehan of Winton Property Group, hopes the destination can become the top most visited attraction in Queenstown, with the precinct designed to be a year-round hub for holidays. Snow-capped mountains in the winter, mild summers that never tip past 30 degrees, and Arrowtown's famous changing of the leaves in autumn provide the backdrop for a genuinely impressive food and drink program. As you wander through the precinct, the smell of a fire and the sound of a trickling creek are never too far away. This idyllic atmosphere persists across the six distinct venues that are already open at Ayrburn, each of which serves its own purpose. The Menure Room (named after its previous occupation) serves as a hybrid wine bar, pub and cellar door. The menu here provides pieces of advice like "drink some wine, talk some sh*t", with Central Otago vino at the centre of its offerings — particularly Ayrburn's own already award-winning range. You can taste your way through these outstanding drops with the wine flight of your choice, pairing the samples with moreish share plates of gildas, chicken liver parfait on brioche, and caramelised cauliflower croquettes. The Woolshed has more of a focus on homely cooking and sizeable cuts of meat, functioning as a sleek yet approachable bistro for long lunches and celebratory dinners. Must-try menu highlights here include the Southland venison tataki paired with nashi pair, spring onion, togarashi and coriander; and the grilled octopus with a chilli sesame dressing. There's three more venues comprising The Burr Bar, a breezy spot up on the hill serving inventive takes on margaritas and gin sours; The Dairy, where you'll find scoops of black forest or salted caramel ice cream; and The Dell, an outdoor meeting area built to facilitate events and live entertainment. The latest space to open at Ayrburn is the Barrel Room — a moody private bar and diner lined with wine barrels and sporting a lavish fitout complete with a baby grand piano. Shut out from the outside world with low lighting and an expansive dining room, this hidden adult playground will have you whiling away the hours over great food and wine, losing track as time passes by. Yet to arrive is the flagship venue Billy's which will open towards the end of 2024. Set in a huge homestead-style building, the 170-capacity pièce de résistance of the Ayrburn dining precinct has been billed as an experiential dining experience with each room consisting of its own unique theme. Open 12 months of the year, Ayrburn is another reason to spend a ski season hitting the slopes in Queenstown, but it's also a reminder that New Zealand's show-stoppingly stunning South Island should be at the top of your travel hit list all year round, especially for any foodies and all of the wine aficionados out there. You'll find Ayrburn at 1 Ayr Avenue, Arrowtown. Head to the precinct's website for more information on each of its venues.
Over the past month, Arnott's has been unveiling a new recipe for one of its famed bikkies every week. As part of the snack expert's Big Recipe Release, it has unveiled its Monte Carlo, four-ingredient Scotch Finger and Iced VoVo recipes, as well as a twist on its Tim Tam: a salted almond Tim Tam brownie. This week, it's thrown us another curveball. The recipe isn't for one of its sweet snacks; instead, like the Tim Tam brownie, it uses one of its sweet snacks. The key ingredient this time is Nice biscuits, which you'll use as a sugar-dusted base for a silky but classic cheesecake. Obviously, the new recipe still ticks another very important box: giving everyone currently working from home — or just spending more time indoors than usual — something different to bake. Australia's oldest baker will continue to release a new recipe for one of its famous biscuits every week until social distancing regulations are lifted. Next up, will it be the Mint Slice? Pizza Shapes? We'll have to wait and see. In the meantime, though, here's the classic Nice cheesecake recipe: https://www.instagram.com/p/CAeYW1GgwSs/ CLASSIC NICE CHEESECAKE 1 250 gram packet of Arnott's Nice biscuits 125 grams melted butter 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 250 gram packets of cream cheese, at room temperature 3 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup caster sugar Method BASE: Preheat the oven to 150°C. Grease a 20 centimetre (base measurement) springform tin. Place Arnott's Nice biscuits and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor, then process until biscuits are finely crushed. Add melted butter, then process until combined. Transfer mixture to the prepared tin — and, using the back of a spoon, press over the base and up the sides of the tin until it is spread evenly. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until needed, to ensure a firm crust. FILLING: Combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract in a medium bowl, then beat until well mixed. Add eggs one by one, beating well after each addition. Pour mixture over the biscuit base. Bake for 50 minutes, or until set. Turn the oven off, but leave the cheesecake in the oven with door ajar until it has completely cooled — as this will help prevent the cheesecake from cracking. TIPS: Add a teaspoon of lemon or orange zest to your cream cheese mixture for extra flavour. Replace the cinnamon with mixed spice for a twist. Serve with your favourite berries and double cream. If you don't have a food processor, you can crush the biscuits it the old-fashioned way — by placing them in a zip lock bag and crushing with a rolling pin. Top image: Arnott's
Look for the orange door on Ann Street and step through to Savile Row, one of Fortitude Valley's most beloved cocktail lounges. Inspired loosely by the elegance and craft of London's tailor-streets, this bar is a masterclass in atmosphere and precision. Inside, a dazzling chandelier hangs above an expansive bar that's flanked by a back wall packed with spirits – more than 900 bottles spanning whisky, gin, rum, tequila, amaro, sherry and more – all curated to offer range without being overwhelming. Behind the bar, seasoned bartenders build drinks with an eye for classic technique and seasonal nuance. Signature cocktails such as the House Martini, Savile Old Fashioned and Smoked English Highball showcase balance and simplicity, while bespoke pours speak to the team's depth of craft. The venue's multi-level layout shifts subtly from bar counter to intimate booths and mezzanine nooks, encouraging both deep conversation and relaxed group sessions. Leather seating, warm lighting and dark wood accents make it feel more like a private club than a typical nightspot. Although Savile Row's heart is cocktails and spirits, there's also a small selection of beers and wine for those who prefer something lighter. Service here is poised and assured; bartenders know regulars by name, and recommendations come with thoughtful context rather than hard sell. Whether you're marking an occasion, lingering late into the night, or simply chasing well-made drinks in an elevated setting, Savile Row delivers a memorable experience that rewards attention and curiosity. Images: Millie Tang.
If you're looking for a weekend of relaxation, heading to the coast and zoning out by the beach is up there with the best options around. Throw in Queensland's sunny tropical weather and you have a recipe for a perfect warm-weather vacay. Whether you're looking for a lavish waterfront mansion, a quaint beachside cabin or an eco-friendly floating houseboat, there's a spot for everyone around southern coastlines of Queensland. Check out these twenty charming spots — then check your calendar and book in your next getaway. Recommended reads: The Best Dog-Friendly-Stays in Queensland The Best Places to Go Glamping in Queensland The Best Hotels in Brisbane The Best Island Stays in Queensland The River House, Noosa Heads It doesn't get much more summery than this waterfront house. Step out your front door to palm trees, white sand and a private jetty, or enjoy a drink and the dusk breeze from the expansive al fresco area. $1057 a night, sleeps six. Quirky Black Shack, Burnett Heads If you're looking to be consumed by the sounds and sights of the ocean, this unique three-bedroom beach house will set you up nicely with panoramic views of the beach from the laid-back front porch. $490 a night, sleeps six. The Lake Shack, Weyba Downs As the name suggests, this lush natural haven is closer to a lake house than a beach house, sitting on the banks of Lake Weyba. It's still only a short drive from multiple white-sand beaches, and the renovated fisherman's cottage comes decked out with a pool, outdoor bathtub and fire pit. $390 a night, sleeps two. Sophisticated Coastal Sanctum, Noosa Heads You'll find views of the Noosa river system, Mount Cooroy and Mount Tinbeerwah from this expansive three-storey house. You'll never run out of new reading spots here, with multiple expansive living areas both inside and out. $950 a night, sleeps eight. Floating Oasis, Noosa Heads This dreamy part-house boat, part-eco-friendly tiny house promises morning views and tranquil relaxation like no other. $589 a night, sleeps two. Bicentennial Oasis, Agnes Water You can find this quiet stay resting among the trees, just one kilometre from a dog-friendly beach and less than three kilometres from Agnes Water's main beach. Sit around the fire pit and enjoy watching the local kangaroos that wander the property. $100 a night, sleeps eight. Arkaba Views, Noosa Heads With a seven-metre pool, air hockey table and smart TV, this Noosa Heads house is a perfect group getaway. The sleek architectural style, abundance of light and picturesque views will have you slipping into complete holiday mode on arrival. From $1494 a night, sleeps eight. Mango Lodge, River Heads If you're looking for a relaxing home base before jetting off on day trips, try this bushland property. The wheelchair-accessible house is located just three minutes from the Fraser Island ferry and a short drive from Hervey Bay. $225 a night, sleeps four. Waterfront Resort, Banksia Beach This five-bedroom waterfront house sits on the banks of a pontoon, and comes fitted with a home theatre, pool, kayaks and outdoor barbecue. $550 a night, sleeps 14. Decked Out Holiday Home, Woorim Park yourself in this sleepy beachside town and enjoy a relaxation-filled stay at this leafy coastal house with shaded front and back decks. From $297 a night, sleeps six. Eclectic Oasis, Doonan An abundance of trees overrun this sunny coastal stay. The two-bedroom space comes with everything you need for a wholesome, nature-filled holiday including hammocks, board games and stars aplenty once night rolls around. $400 a night, sleeps four. Glass on Glasshouse, Glass House Mountains While this glass-walled house is less beachy than other stays on this list, what it lacks in direct access to the surf it makes up for with its picturesque location on Glass House Mountains. Plus, it's still less than 30 minutes to multiple bodies of water, including Golden Beach and the Bribie Island waterways. $494 a night, sleeps three. 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. All photos supplied by Airbnb.
Every year, no matter which movies earn Oscars — regardless of what and who is nominated, the titles and talents that miss out, the fun of the ceremony and the scandals that pop up beforehand — the best way to celebrate a great 12 months in cinema is also the easiest. Films are made to be watched, be they blockbuster musicals, deeply personal documentaries, gorgeous animation, sci-fi spectacles, top-notch dramas or anything and everything in-between. If you hadn't seen 2025's newly anointed Academy Award-winners in advance, now's the time to change that. Almost every feature that picked up a gong on Monday, March 3, Down Under time is available to watch this second. Put Flow on your list for later, when it releases mid-March — but check out these other ten winners now. Need the full list of 2025's Oscar recipients? The nominees? Our pre-ceremony predictions regarding what would and should win? A rundown of where the rest of 2025's contenders are screening in Australia? Consider that pre-movie reading, then get comfy at your favourite picture palace or on your couch. Anora Along with playfulness, empathy, and an eagerness to look beyond the usual characters and pockets of America that tend to grace narrative cinema, tenderness is one Sean Baker's special skills, as splashed across the New Jersey-born talent's filmography for more than two decades now. It's in Tangerine, The Florida Project and Red Rocket, for instance, all three of which are stunning feats. It also couldn't be more evident in his Cannes Palme d'Or-recipient and now five-time Oscar-winner Anora. The writer/director's work has always been as clear-eyed as movies get, unflinchingly seeing the struggles that his protagonists go through, though — but their troubles are never the be-all and end-all for anyone in front of his lens. No one should be defined by their circumstances, their misfortunes, their unlucky lots in life, their woes, their mistakes, their missed chances, or how their existence does or doesn't measure up to anyone else's, and no one is in Baker's features. He pens, helms and edits with a wholehearted commitment to seeing people who they are. The fact that he undertakes all three roles on his films, each of which earned him an Academy Award here, means that the credit is almost all his, too; it isn't just the use of his beloved Aguafina Script Pro font that signifies a Baker flick. Spotting Cinderella elements and riffs on Pretty Woman isn't hard in Anora, as the picture's eponymous Brooklyn erotic dancer (Mikey Madison, Lady in the Lake) meets, dances for, hangs out with and is soon wed to Vanya, the son (Mark Eydelshteyn, Zhar-ptitsa) of a wealthy Russian oligarch (Aleksey Serebryakov, Lotereya). But just as Ani is always her own person, the magnificent Anora is always a Baker film. Fairytale experiences in life don't always come with a happy ending. Failures aren't always the worst options. Following your heart or whims is rarely either solely sublime or awful. Baker knows this, and so does this feature. Assured yet vulnerable, playing a woman capable of holding her own against mobsters — and standing up to almost anything else that comes her way — but not immune to sadness and disappointment, Madison is hypnotic as Ani. Eydelshteyn, Compartment No 6's Yura Borisov as one of the henchmen tasked with babysitting Vanya: they're mesmerising as well. The spirt of Anora — the vivid and audacious way that it bounds from start to finish, the grit and heart that it sports — is equally as pitch-perfect. Oscars: Won: Best Picture, Best Director (Sean Baker), Best Actress (Mikey Madison), Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing Other nominations: Best Supporting Actor (Yura Borisov) Where to watch: In Australian cinemas, and via Apple TV and Prime Video. A Real Pain He didn't feature on-screen in his first film as a writer/director, but 2022's When You Finish Saving the World couldn't have sprung from anyone but Jesse Eisenberg. Neither could've 2024's A Real Pain. In the latter, the Fleishman Is in Trouble actor plays the anxious part, and literally. He's David Kaplan, with his character a bundle of nerves about and during his trip to Poland with his cousin Benji (Kieran Culkin, Succession) — a pilgrimage that they're making in honour of their grandmother, who survived the Second World War, started a new life for their family in the US in the process and has recently passed away. David is highly strung anyway, though. One source of his woes: the ease with which Benji seems to move through his days, whether he's making new friends in their tour group within seconds of being introduced or securing a stash of weed for the journey. With A Real Pain as with When You Finish Saving the World, Eisenberg is shrewdly and committedly examining an inescapable question: what is real pain, and who feels it? Are David's always-evident neuroses more worthy of worry than the despondency that Benji shuttles behind his carefree facade, and is it okay for either to feel the way they do, with their comfortable lives otherwise, in the shadow of such horrors such as the Holocaust? As a filmmaker, Eisenberg keeps interrogating what he knows: A Real Pain's main train of thought, which was When You Finish Saving the World's as well, is one that he ponders himself. Although he's not penning and helming strictly autobiographical movies, his latest does crib some details from reality, swapping out an IRL aunt for a fictional grandmother, as well as a trip that Eisenberg took with his wife for a cousins' act of tribute. It's no wonder, then, that he keeps crafting deeply felt features that resound with raw emotion, and that leave viewers feeling like they could walk right into them. With A Real Pain, he also turns in a stellar performance of his own and directs another from Culkin, who steps into Benji's shoes like he wears them himself everyday (and takes on a part that his director originally had earmarked for himself). Thrumming at the heart of the dramedy, and in its two main players, is a notion that demands facing head-on, too: that experiencing our own pain, whether big or small, world-shattering or seemingly trivial, or personal or existential, is never a minor matter. Oscars: Won: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Kieran Culkin) Other nominations: Best Original Screenplay Where to watch: in Australian cinemas, and via Disney+, Apple TV and Prime Video. Read our full review and our interview with Jesse Eisenberg. The Brutalist Since switching from acting to writing and directing — in his on-screen days, Thirteen, Mysterious Skin, Funny Games, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Melancholia, Force Majeure, Clouds of Sils Maria, Eden and While We're Young were among his credits, spanning works by quite the array of excellent fellow filmmakers — Brady Corbet hasn't lacked in ambition for a second. Still, as excellent as both Childhood of a Leader and Vox Lux are, and they are, his third feature towers above them. With Adrien Brody (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty) as Hungarian Jewish architect László Toth, The Brutalist is as epic as a three-and-a-half-hour drama about trying to escape life's horrors, including those of the Holocaust, by chasing the American dream can be. The buildings designed by its protagonist aren't the only things that are monumental here, career-best turns by Guy Pearce (Inside) and Felicity Jones (Dead Shot) among them. The Brutalist is a vision, too, with Corbet's ambition apparent in ever millimetre of every frame. (Shooting in VistaVision, a format used for Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest and Vertigo, but last deployed in the US for an entire movie with 1961's One-Eyed Jacks: yes, that's bold as well). Crossing the world is meant to bring the Toth family a new beginning. Waiting for his wife Erzsébet (Jones) to follow, and their young niece (Raffey Cassidy, a Vox Lux alum) with her, László arrives in New York and then Philadelphia solo, however — and etching out a fresh start with help from his cousin Attila (Alessandro Nivola, The Room Next Door) doesn't pan out the way he hopes. Neither does scoring a job revamping the personal library of the wealthy Harrison Lee Van Buren (Pearce), even when it seems to, then doesn't, then sparks the opportunity of László's dreams. Given everything that its protagonist needs to wade through, as does Corbet thematically, it's no wonder that The Brutalist clocks in at three-and-a-half hours with its intermission. Not a moment is wasted, that mid-movie pause included. As it muses on what it means to leave a legacy, this is a film to sit with. It's filled with performances that demand the same. Brody, Pearce, Jones: what a haunting trio. Oscars: Won: Best Actor (Adrien Brody), Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Other nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Brady Corbet), Best Supporting Actor (Guy Pearce), Best Supporting Actress (Felicity Jones), Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Production Design Where to watch: In Australian cinemas. Read our interview with Adrien Brody, Guy Pearce, Felicity Jones and Brady Corbet. Conclave Who knew that papal succession would become a film and TV trend? Fights for supremacy have driven three of the biggest television shows of the past 15 years, of course — Game of Thrones, Succession and Shogun — so repeatedly bringing the battle for the head Catholic Church job to the screen shouldn't come as a surprise. The Young Pope, The New Pope, The Two Popes, Conclave: they've all headed to the Vatican. The latter is quite the entertaining thriller, too. The idea behind this page-to-screen delight, as based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris: cardinals, they're just like everyone else seeking power, aka bickering, gossiping, scheming, feuding and trying to find their way to the top by any means possible. Here, when the pope passes, Canadian cardinal Joseph Tremblay (John Lithgow, The Old Man), American cardinal Aldo Bellini (Stanley Tucci, Citadel), Nigerian cardinal Joshua Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati, A Gentleman in Moscow) and Mexican cardinal Vincent Benitez (feature first-timer Carlos Diehz) are among the contenders vying to step into their religion's ultimate position — all with differing views on social issues, ranging from liberal to conservative leanings. Voting for a new pope is a ceremony that lends itself to theatricality on-screen, which Conclave eagerly captures. The manoeuvring guiding the College of Cardinals' various rounds of choices is the movie's focus; trying to win support is an election campaign, and a heated one. At the heart of the drama is Britain's cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes, The Return), Dean of the College, and also responsible for ascertaining the complete circumstances surrounding the last pope's death. Aided by a stellar cast that's answering viewers' prayers (also outstanding: Spaceman's Isabella Rossellini as Head Caterer Sister Agnes), filmmaker Edward Berger swaps World War I's horrors in fellow Oscar-winner All Quiet on the Western Front for a pulpy and twisty but smart affair. He hasn't completely switched thematically, though: how tradition and modernity butt against each other also remains in the director's view amid Conclave's many secrets and scandals. Oscars: Won: Best Adapted Screenplay Other nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor (Ralph Fiennes), Best Supporting Actress (Isabella Rossellini), Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Production Design Where to watch: In Australian cinemas, and via Apple TV and Prime Video. Dune: Part Two Revenge is a dish best served sandy in Dune: Part Two. On the desert planet of Arrakis, where golden hills as far as the eye can see are shaped from the most-coveted and -psychedelic substance in author Frank Herbert's estimation, there's no other way. Vengeance is just one course on Paul Atreides' (Timothée Chalamet, Wonka) menu, however. Pop culture's supreme spice boy, heir to the stewardship of his adopted realm, has a prophecy to fulfil whether he likes it or not; propaganda to navigate, especially about him being the messiah; and an Indigenous population, the Fremen, to prove himself to. So mines Denis Villeneuve's soaring sequel to 2021's Dune, which continues exploring the costs and consequences of relentless quests for power — plus the justifications, compromises, tragedies and narratives that are inescapable in such pursuits. The filmmaker crafts his fourth contemplative and breathtaking sci-fi movie in a row, then, after Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 as well. The vast arid expanse that constantly pervades the frames in Dune: Part Two isn't solely a stunning sight. It looks spectacular, as the entire feature does, with Australian cinematographer Greig Fraser (The Creator) back after winning an Oscar for the first Dune; but as Paul, his widowed mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson, Silo), and Fremen Stilgar (Javier Bardem, The Little Mermaid) and Chani (Zendaya, Euphoria) traverse it, it helps carve in some of this page-to-screen saga's fundamental ideas. So does the stark monochrome when the film jumps to Giedi Prime, home world to House Harkonnen, House Atreides' enemy, plus Arrakis' ruler both before and after Paul's dad Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) got the gig in Villeneuve's initial Dune. People here are dwarfed not only by their mammoth surroundings, but by the bigger, broader, non-stop push for supremacy. While there's no shortage of detail in both Part One and Part Two — emotional, thematic and visual alike — there's also no avoiding that battling against being mere pawns in an intergalactic game of chess is another of its characters' complicated fights. Oscars: Won: Best Sound, Best Visual Effects Other nominations: Best Picture, Best, Cinematography, Best Production Design, Where to watch: Via Netflix, Binge, Apple TV and Prime Video. Read our full review and our interview with Greig Fraser. Emilia Pérez As it follows its namesake character's (Karla Sofía Gascón, Harina) identity-swapping journey from cartel leader to trying to live her authentic life, Emilia Pérez isn't just a musical and a crime drama rolled into one. It's also happily and devotedly a melodrama — and French filmmaker Jacques Audiard (Paris, 13th District) goes bold in leaning in, and in embracing the juxtapositions of the movie's three main genres as they jostle against each other. That audacity; that willingness to be both spectacular and messy again and again; the feature's three key performances, including from Zoe Saldaña (Special Ops: Lioness) and Selena Gomez (Only Murders in the Building): they all assist in making this vivid viewing. Also pivotal: the clear cues that A Prophet and Rust and Bone writer and helmer Audiard has taken from the work of Spanish great Pedro Almodóvar. The Room Next Door, the latter's latest, was completely overlooked by this year's Oscars, but it's easy to connect the dots between Almodóvar's immense filmography over four decades now and the look, feel and themes of Emilia Pérez. In Mexico City, defence attorney Rita Mora Castro (Saldaña) begins the film languishing in her job and its grey areas. She wins a high-profile case, but knows that she shouldn't have. Then comes a proposition delivered via an unexpected phone call, plus a secret meeting that she's whisked off to blindfolded: a job to assist a drug kingpin with transitioning from Juan 'Manitas' Del Monte to Emilia Pérez. Making that mission happen isn't simple. Everyone connected to Manitas' old life, wife (Gomez), children and colleagues alike: none of them can know. As it unfurls its story largely through exuberantly staged songs, the film is still really just kicking off when it then hops forward in time, diving into what comes next when Emilia is living her new life and Rita has been well-compensated for her efforts — and, in the process, exploring the consequences of getting what you want, or seeming to. The entire female cast won Cannes Best Actress prize but, after years spent on-screen tinted green (in the Guardians of the Galaxy films) and blue (in the Avatar flicks) in big-budget fare, this is Saldaña's moment to shine. Oscars: Won: Best Supporting Actress (Zoe Saldaña), Best Original Song — 'El Mal' by Clément Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard Other nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Jacques Audiard), Best Actress (Karla Sofía Gascón), Best International Feature Film, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Sound, Best Original Song — 'Mi Camino' by Camille and Clément Ducol Where to watch: In Australian cinemas. I'm Still Here It came as no surprise when Fernanda Torres (Fim) won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Eunice Paiva in Walter Salles' (On the Road) deeply moving political and personal drama. Her understated yet also expressive performance as the real-life wife of Rubens Paiva (Selton Mello, Bury Your Dead), who was taken away by Brazil's military dictatorship in 1971 and never seen again, is that powerful. I'm Still Here poignantly charts the task of endeavouring to endure under such heartbreaking circumstances — under oppressive rule, when your existence crumbles, when your family is fraying courtesy of the trauma and when fighting back is the only choice, too. The film sees the early happy times for the Paivas, even as uncertainty lingers. It watches their lives by the beach, where Eunice, Rubens and their five children fill busy days. It then looks on as the military raids their home, as more than one Paiva is imprisoned and interrogated, and as the husband and father who was previously a congressman doesn't return. Also, it stares solidly as the quest for answers and justice never fades among Rubens' loved ones. Conveying the pain, the fortitude, the grief and the despair of someone in Eunice's situation might seem easy, not that relaying those emotions ever is; who wouldn't feel that way in these circumstances, or understand how someone would? It isn't a straightforward ask, though, giving a part the complexity that every role should demand when much about a character's inner life appears obvious — because the job is to dig far deeper than that, and to unpack what that natural reaction means for this person and this person only. Torres perfects the task. As a director, working with a screenplay that Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorega (also collaborators on Mariner of the Mountains) based on Eunice and Rubens' son Marcelo's memoir, Salles is in superb form as well. Teaming up with the filmmaker keeps turning out exceptionally for Torres and her IRL family, with her mother Fernanda Montenegro also Oscar-nominated for Salles' Central Station back in 1999, long before featuring here as the elder Eunice. Oscars: Won: Best International Feature Film Other nominations: Picture, Best Actress (Fernanda Torres) Where to watch: In Australian cinemas. No Other Land In No Other Land, Basel Adra films what he knows but wishes that he doesn't — and what he knows that the world needs to see. Co-directing with Israeli investigative journalist Yuval Abraham, plus farmer and photographer Hamdan Ballal and cinematographer Rachel Szor, the Palestinian activist chronicles the takeover of the West Bank region of Masafer Yatta, purportedly for an Israeli military base. As a result of the latter, families with generations and centuries of ties to the land are forced to dwell in caves, battle soldiers and fight to survive. Their possessions, their homes, their lives: none seem to mean anything to those displacing the area's villagers. The suffering, the deaths, the grief, the children growing up knowing nothing but a literally underground existence: that doesn't resonate with the occupation, either, or with the trigger-happy soldiers patrolling in its name. Also falling on deaf ears: the please that gives this documentary its title, from a woman understandably asking where else these communities are meant to go. The apathy and worse that's directed towards Adra's family and other Palestinians in No Other Land, as captured in footage spanning from 2019–2023, could never be shared by this film's audience. As is plain to see by everyone watching, making this doco is an act of bravery of the highest order. It's also a downright daring feat — not only to record its contents in the most difficult of circumstances, at a potentially fatal cost, but with two Palestinians and two Israelis coming together to make the movie happen. Viewing No Other Land, and bearing witness as Adra demands, couldn't be more essential. It's as distressing as cinema gets, too, especially as the campaign of destruction against Masafer Yatta's residents just keeps repeating within its frames. While the urgency of Adra, Abraham, Ballal and Szor's film is inherent, thrumming from start to finish, so too is the thought and care that's gone into its construction. As with 2024 Oscar-winner 20 Days in Mariupol , this is truly unforgettable cinema. Oscars: Won: Best Documentary Feature Other nominations: NA Where to watch: Via DocPlay. ano The Substance If you suddenly looked like society's ideal, how would it change your life? The Substance asks this. In a completely different way, so does fellow Golden Globe-winner A Different Man (see: below), too — but when Revenge's Coralie Fargeat is leading the charge on her long-awaited sophomore feature and earning Cannes' Best Screenplay Award for her troubles, the result is a new body-horror masterpiece. Pump it up: the sci-fi concept; the stunning command of sound, vision and tone; the savagery and smarts; the gonzo willingness to keep pushing and parodying; the gore (and there's gore); and the career-reviving performance from Demi Moore (Landman). The Substance's star has popped up in Feud, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Please Baby Please and Brave New World in recent years, but her work as Elisabeth Sparkle not only defines this period of her life as an actor; even with an on-screen resume dating back to 1981, and with the 80s- and 90s-era likes of St Elmo's Fire, Ghost, A Few Good Men, Indecent Proposal and Disclosure to her name, she'll always be known for this from this point onwards, regardless of whether awards keep rolling in. Turning 50 isn't cause for celebration for Elisabeth. She's already seen film roles pass her by over the years; on her birthday, she's now pushed out of her long-running gig hosting an aerobics show. Enter a solution, as well as another 'what if?' question: if you could reclaim your youth by injecting yourself with a mysterious liquid, would you? Here, The Substance's protagonist takes the curious serum. Enter Sue (Margaret Qualley, Drive-Away Dolls), who helps Elisabeth wind back time — and soon wants Elisabeth's time as her own. Just like someone seeking the glory days that she thinks are behind her via any means possible, Fargeat isn't being subtle with The Substance, not for a second. She goes big and brutal instead, and audacious and morbid as well, and this is the unforgettable picture it is because of it. No one holds back — not Elisabeth, not Sue, not Moore, not the also-fantastic Qualley, not Dennis Quaid (Lawman: Bass Reeves) eating shrimp, not Fargeat, and definitely not cinematographer Benjamin Kracun (Promising Young Woman) or composer Raffertie (99). Oscars: Won: Best Makeup and Hairstyling Other nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Coralie Fargeat), Best Actress (Demi Moore), Best Original Screenplay, Where to watch: Via Stan, Apple TV and Prime Video. Read our full review. Wicked The colour scheme was always a given. "Pink goes good with green," Galinda (Ariana Grande, Don't Look Up) tells Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo, Luther: The Fallen Sun). "It goes well with green," the grammar-correcting reply bounces back. The songs, beloved echoing from the stage since 2003, were never in doubt, either, as both centrepieces and a soundtrack. As a theatre-kid obsession for decades, it was also long likely that the big-screen adaptation of Wicked — a movie based on an immensely popular and successful musical springing from a book that offered a prequel to a film that walked the celluloid road 85 years ago, itself jumping from the page to the screen — would have big theatre-kid energy as it attempted to ensure that its magic enchants across mediums. Enough such buzz and verve to fill every theatre on Broadway radiates from Grande alone in the two-part franchise's first instalment, beaming from someone who, as a kid, won an auction to meet the OG Wicked good witch Kristin Chenoweth (Our Little Secret) backstage. For audiences watching on, that enthusiasm is impossible not to feel. No one would ever want a muted Wicked, where the hues, in yellow bricks and emerald cities and more (rainbows of tulips and sprawling university campuses, too) weren't trying to compete with Technicolor — and where the tunes, with Chenoweth and Idina Menzel's (You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah) voices previously behind them in such full force, weren't belted to the rafters. Jon M Chu has a knack as a filmmaker of stage hits reaching cinemas: matching the vibe of the show that he's taking on expertly. It was true of his version of In the Heights, which is no small matter given that it's a Lin-Manuel Miranda musical. It now proves the case in its own different way with Wicked. Achieving such a feat isn't always a given; sometimes, even when it does happen, and blatantly, any stage spark can be lost in translation (see: Cats). Again, movie viewers can feel that synergy with Wicked's first part, and also feel how much it means to everyone involved. Oscars: Won: Best Costume Design, Best Production Design Other nominations: Best Picture, Best Actress (Cynthia Erivo), Best Supporting Actress (Ariana Grande), Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects Where to watch: In Australian cinemas, and via Apple TV and Prime Video. Read our full review and our interview with Nathan Crowley. Looking for more Oscar-nominees to watch? You can also check out our full rundown of where almost all of this year's contenders are screening or streaming in Australia.
Home to brews, bands and giant-sized board games since 2014, Ann Street's Woolly Mammoth Alehouse now has an in-house sibling venue: a tropical-themed watering hole called Ivory Tusk. The bar has taken over Woolly Mammoth's Mane Stage area and given it a Palm Springs-inspired revamp, complete with plenty of pastels. As well as transforming the Fortitude Valley's site's existing garden terrace into a tequila-focused party space, Ivory Tusk boasts three bar areas, all serving up cocktails on tap. Expect eight different concoctions made from fresh ingredients and botanicals — such as the Living Vanilla Loca, with rum, French vanilla syrup, citrus and spritz; and the Apricot Julep with bourbon, apricot brandy, lime, mint and sugar. Wine and craft brews are on the menu, too, plus ten types of tequila. And, you can nab either a cocktail tasting paddle or a tequila flight, each featuring four tipples. Food-wise, the venue champions Mexican cuisine, with the kitchen overseen by Executive Chef Graeme McKinnon (Covent Garden) and Head Chef Jack Thompson (The Line & Label, Port Lincoln). Think gazpacho tequila shooters, lamb barbacoa, chorizo sliders, black bean chilli and roast pork, as well as vegetarian, vegan-friendly and gluten-free options. With the site also doubling as an events space — and catering for between 20-1000 people — set menus are a feature. Visitors will also spy plenty of colour, new furnishings and a lighter, airier feel to suit the 'tropicali' vibe, thanks to renovations led by Luis Nheu of BSPN Architects. In the garden terrace, that means pendant lighting and a stencilled terrazzo floor. Back inside, Woolly Mammoth's band room has also been given a makeover. Ivory Tusk's entertainment lineup will span regular DJs, live bands and rockaoke — aka karaoke, but with a live band playing as you sing. And if you're fond of Woolly Mammoth in its current guise, its Mane Stage is still hanging around — just smaller, and on the site's upper level.
It arrived in 2019 with a name out of a Dr Seuss book, an aim to level-up the fish-and-chip experience while still appreciating the old-school joys (including paper-wrapped takeaways), plus a love of themed pop-up menus. Six years later, Kangaroo Point's One Fish Two Fish is set to say farewell. Brisbanites have until the end of April 2025 for a last order — or several — at the bistro, which is closing when owners Daniel and Amelia Miletic's Main Street lease finishes. "After six incredible years, it's time for us to share some bittersweet news — One Fish Two Fish will be closing its doors at the end of April as our lease has come to an end," advised the Miletics in a statement on the eatery's social media. "What a privilege it's been to host people from all over the world in our little white Queensland cottage, where we've been lucky enough to share so many special moments. We've hosted baby showers, birthdays, engagements, anniversaries, hen's parties, weddings, product launches, a few locals escaping disastrous DIY projects, and countless, long, laughter-filled lunches." "We would like to sincerely thank you for the incredible support you showed One Fish Two Fish over the years — especially through the wild rollercoaster that was COVID." One Fish Two Fish will spend its last few months serving up its existing dine-in and takeaway menus, and also continuing to host its regular events. Oyster Frenzy, the venue's annual six-course feast, is the first to return. Love Bug, where Moreton Bay bugs are in the spotlight around Valentine's Day, will also be back. Then, come March it'll be time for the last Crab and Cray Cray specials. Midtown, the martini bar that the Miletics launched in South Brisbane's Fish Lane in 2023, will become the pair's new main focus — and yes, seafood is also on the menu there. "We hope to see you soon at our newest baby, Midtown, where we'll continue doing what we love most — hosting epic events, pouring delicious drinks and serving brilliant bites," the duo shared. Find One Fish Two Fish at 708 Main Street, Kangaroo Point — open 5–9pm Wednesday–Thursday, 12–9pm Friday–Saturday and 12–8.30pm Sunday — until the end of April 2025.
Bulimba's Oxford Street might be the cafe capital of Brisbane's inner east, but it isn't the only place to grab a daytime bite and a caffeinated brew on that side of town. For breakfast, brunch and lunch over a coffee, Riding Road is no slouch — and, in the street's Fifth Avenue precinct, it's exactly where newcomer Hawthorne Coffee has set up. Every cafe wants to be known for its cuppas, and this one is no different. Brisbane's own Bancroft Roasters is behind its beans, which get a workout in the usual coffee lineup. The eatery's beverage range also spans other daytime standards such as iced and hot chocolates, tea, milkshakes, acai smoothies and cold-pressed juice, but it's just as much of a go-to for its toastie-heavy food selection. Welcoming customers into its light-filled corner space, Hawthorne Coffee knows the magic of a hot drink paired with a hot-toasted sandwich. Its food menu levels up the humble toastie with gourmet fillings, including garlic thyme truffled mushroom; basil pesto chicken with sun-dried tomatoes and mozzarella; and a breakfast option with two eggs and streaky bacon. The classic ham-and-cheese combo still has a place, of course, and so does the simple gooey goodness of two types of cheese between warmed-up bread. Hawthorne Coffee also prides itself on its house-made muffins, which range in flavour from staples like raspberry and white chocolate and blueberry lemon curd through to whatever seasonal produce inspires.
At Suntory, the spirit of "Yatte Minahare" — "You never know until you try" — remains as strong now, as it did 126 years ago. It has led to the creation of Japan's first whisky distillery, the reimagining of classic cocktails like the highball, and it now houses some of the world's finest brands –Yamazaki, Hakushu, Toki Whisky, Roku Gin, Haku Vodka, Maker's Mark, Jim Beam, -196 and BOSS Coffee to name a few. As Suntory looks to the future, let's travel back 126 years to the very beginning, when Shinjiro Torii, Suntory's first Master Blender, saw an opportunity and "went for it." Where it All Started Over a century ago, in a small store in Osaka, Japan, Shinjiro Torii had a dream: to create an authentic whisky in Japan. Having saved enough from his early Akadama Port Wine successes, Torii, with much resistance from family and colleagues, invested his whole fortune into the establishment of the Yamazaki Distillery in 1923. He didn't know it then, but this uncharted move transformed the spirits industry in Japan and changed the whisky-drinking world. Since then – despite some challenges along the way – the brand has grown into a global leader of drinks, with products found in countless venues across Australia and the world. Shaping how Japan drinks and what the global community knows about flavour and innovation. Successive leaders have carried forward Torii's legacy, future-proofing Torii's vision while staying true to the company's founding values of Yatte Minahare: Giving Back to Society and Growing for Good. The Recipe for Success Suntory's ability to innovate while staying grounded in its Japanese roots is a testament to the brand's vision. Take Suntory Whisky Kabukin, for example. Launched in 1937, it was Japan's first big foray into the whisky business, helping to cement Suntory's reputation as a trailblazer in the industry. The whisky's signature square bottle (Kakubin means "square bottle") became an enduring icon, and today, it remains a beloved part of Japanese drinking culture — particularly in the form of the highball, a whisky-soda cocktail that Suntory helped popularise. But Suntory's innovation continued beyond whisky. In 1992, the brand launched BOSS Coffee, a flash-brewed cold coffee in a can designed to keep Japan's workforce fuelled. This product quickly became a hit, and even today, BOSS Coffee remains a go-to drink for coffee lovers (and tradies) seeking convenience without sacrificing quality. The company's relentless pursuit of innovation led to another groundbreaking product with -196 — a vodka based ready-to-drink beverage that's taken the world by storm with its flavour and the bold process by which it's made. The 'Freeze Crush Technology' involves freezing and pulverising whole fruits in liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -196°C. While Suntory has a significant global presence, its inspiration remains true to its founding philosophy: to inspire the brilliance of life. From the pristine water used at its distilleries to the careful selection of ingredients for its products, Suntory's emphasis on nature and tradition flows through everything it creates. The House of Suntory line, which includes celebrated names like Suntory Whisky, Toki, Roku Gin, and Haku Vodka, exemplifies this approach and its connection to nature. Each product in the collection pays homage to something unique from Japan's rich cultural heritage. For Roku Gin, this is done by using six carefully selected Japanese botanicals, while Haku Vodka is crafted from 100 percent Japanese white rice for an exceptionally smooth finish. [caption id="attachment_1017676" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Jiwon Kim[/caption] The Spirit of Suntory in a Glass If you've walked down the bar-lined streets of Japan or even visited one of Australia's top whisky bars, you would have encountered the highball cocktail. A balanced combination of whisky and soda (and a wedge of lemon), it has long been a fixture of Japanese drinking culture, and Suntory has played a vital role in its revival. While the highball originated in the UK, Suntory perfected the drink, rolling out Tory's Bars in the 1950s, where patrons could sip highballs after a long day at work. Today, the highball is trending. Sipped by young folk in bars, paired and reimagined by the best bartenders in the world. Celebrating 126 Years As Suntory celebrates its 126th anniversary, it remains deeply rooted in the values that Shinjiro Torii instilled over a century ago. "We have grown from our roots in Japan to become a truly global company," says Greg Hughes, president and CEO of Suntory Global Spirits. [caption id="attachment_1017677" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Jiwon Kim[/caption] From the first drops of Akadama Port Wine to the pioneering Japanese whisky and beyond, Suntory's history is marked by a continuous drive to innovate. Whether perfecting the highball or creating products like Minus 196, the company's story is one of bold experimentation, guided by a deep respect for tradition. As Suntory moves into the future, one thing is clear: it will continue to shape how the world drinks, one glass at a time. The best time to sample Suntory's work will be when Suntory Bar takes over Whisky Thief inside Sydney's Prefecture 48. Running from Friday, August 8 to Saturday, November 8, Suntory will be serving refreshing highballs and signature Suntory and experimental cocktails alongside select snacks for three months. Find out more about Suntory's legacy and full range of products at the website.
After the year or so we've all had, a vacation is always on the cards. But sometimes the best option is to have a sneaky weekend getaway without leaving Sydney at all. There's something undeniably romantic about staying in a hotel room in your own city. It should be mandatory for us all, at least once in a while. We all need to take a break from the drudgery of life, and to become the best versions of ourselves — that is, the hotel version. Staycationing in Sydney has never been better, with quite the cornucopia of boutique hotels popping up around the city — from heritage-listed warehouses to Victorian mansions and everything in-between. There are some seriously impressive (and incredibly designed) hotels awaiting your arrival. Pencil one into your calendar as soon as possible. PARAMOUNT HOUSE HOTEL, SURRY HILLS When Paramount House Hotel was first announced back in August 2017, the hotel promised it wouldn't be your standard luxury hotel, but rather an experience that would embed patrons into the culture of Sydney's inner city suburb of Surry Hills. All we can say is that, when it opened in 2018, it delivered on that guarantee. You'll never have a dull moment at Paramount, as the building offers up a rooftop gym, independent cinema and one of Sydney's best cafes — plus, depending on when you book your stay, you're likely to find a dance party, art exhibition or a film retrospective awaiting your attendance. Set in an old 40s warehouse, the 29-room hotel features soaring ceilings with exposed brickwork, and while there's also luxury copper finishes, Jardan sofas, premium kilim rugs from Pakistan and a one-of-a-kind vending machine, the appeal of the place is less tangible in its nature. It's both the vibe and history of the surrounding community that make Paramount House Hotel a special stay. WILLIAM INGLIS HOTEL, WARWICK FARM Named after Australia's renowned thoroughbred company, William Inglis and Sons, Western Sydney's latest hotel is a sure thing if you're after a mini Sydney staycation. The William Inglis Hotel's centrepiece is its rooftop bar, which offers a spot to relax by the pool with a drink — and to soak in the stunning panoramic views of the surrounding Warwick Farm. Once you've built up an appetite, head downstairs to the Newmarket Room, the hotel's luxe dining room overlooking the gardens and riverside horse stables. It serves up everything you want on a carefree staycation, from oysters to prawn linguine and NSW Riverina black angus steak. Whisky fans will be at home here, too — the mezzanine's 1867 Lounge serves high-end cocktails and boutique wines. THE OLD CLARE, CHIPPENDALE Since its highly anticipated re-opening back in 2015, Chippendale's Old Clare Hotel has held a firm place as one of the city's best boutique hotels. Reborn from the (metaphorical) ashes of the historic (and dearly beloved) Clare Hotel, and adjoining Carlton United Brewery Administrative Building, the hotel boasts heritage timber panelling and exposed brick walls, furnished with pendant lighting and vintage furniture. Plus, you can bring your pup along thanks to several dog-friendly suites. Other hotel amenities include a rooftop pool and bar, private gym and free bike hire, as well as in-room massage services. Guests can also take advantage of custom-made bicycles to explore the surrounding neighbourhood. At night, simply relax at The Clare Bar — or at the hotel restaurant, Automata, which gives all guests a cool 20-percent off. OVOLO, WOOLLOOMOOLOO Situated in a gorgeous heritage-listed building in Sydney's harbourside suburb of Woolloomooloo, the Ovolo is a concept boutique hotel that has plenty of character. The amount of free amenities and offerings for guests is unrivalled, including continental breakfast, a free in-room mini bar, happy hour drinks in the evening and ultra fast wifi. Plus, there's an indoor pool and gym, too, as well as pet-friendly rooms. The stunning rooms are all generous in size, the facilities are open 24 hours a day and flexibility lies at the heart of every feature. Now, the hotel is also a go-to for culinary delights, thanks to plant-based restaurant Alibi. It's the first Australian venture by world-famous vegan chef Matthew Kenney, who hails from California. The menu is big on creative combinations of fresh, local and seasonal ingredients, and the new drinks list focused on Australian drops. CRYSTALBROOK ALBION, SURRY HILLS Crystalbrook Albion is a luxurious operation in the heart of Surry Hills. It was launched back in July 2018 by 8Hotels, but has since been acquired by the Crystalbrook Collection hotel group. With 24-hour service and brekkie included, this guest house is pitched as a fusion of hotel and home. Here, you'll get to lounge around in designer interiors decked out with a covetable art collection — and in a rooftop garden complete with an outdoor shower and panoramic city views. There's also an honour-system bar, where guests can help themselves to high-end nibbles and drinks. When it comes to the food and drinks, both at the breakfast table and in the mini bar, working with local businesses such as Brix Distillery, Infinity Bakery and Poho Flowers is of major importance. CITADINES CONNECT, SYDNEY AIRPORT Airport accommodations are normally pretty drab, but the lively 150-room Citadines Connect (formerly the Felix Hotel) is bucking this trend with a truly first-class stay. Inspired by the golden age of air travel in the 60s — that is, before budget airlines made you pay for water — the seamless experience starts from the get-go with guests heading straight to the top-level penthouse to check-in. From here, overlooking the runway, guests can enjoy the rooftop cinema, dining area, heated outdoor terrace and colourful cocktail bar — the latter of which will undoubtedly be a departure from the usual monotonous airport watering holes. QT SYDNEY, CBD Every one of QT Sydney's guest suites have been carefully crafted to reflect and honour the historic Gowings and State Theatre buildings in which it resides. QT's exterior sports a striking blend of gothic, art deco, and Italianate-influenced architecture — and inside, the luxurious rooms carry through that art deco-meets-gothic aesthetic to quite the striking degree. Plus, thanks to its location right in the centre of the CBD — and alongside one of the city's most famous theatres — it's a great pick for out-of-towners, while locals can often be found making the best of its various bars, bistros and restaurants. Just nearby, you'll find Sammy Junior, Glass Brasserie and The Grounds of the City; however, if you don't feel like leaving your hotel, you're in luck. The QT hosts the renowned Gowings Bar & Grill, too. Want to stay a little closer to the beach? Hop over to the QT Bondi for a coastal escape. THE LANGHAM, MILLERS POINT Just a ten-minute walk from Circular Quay and The Rocks, The Langham is the epitome of boutique indulgence. With only 96 exquisite rooms on offer, demand for even just one night at this Sydney institution is high all year round — and with facilities like its fitness centre, sauna, day spa and a spectacular 20-metre indoor pool with a star-dappled sky ceiling, you'll find it hard to tear yourself away from the hotel to explore the amazing areas that surround it. Within the suites, expect plush furniture, high ceilings and large windows over-looking the western side of the harbour. Bed and breakfast specials are also on offer, as is a 'pampered pets program' — making it one of Sydney's only pet-friendly accommodation options at luxury level. OUT OF TOWN: BANNISTERS, PORT STEPHENS Bannisters opened its much-anticipated third NSW hotel in Port Stephens back in 2018. With two already in Mollymook, the boutique chain's latest outpost is perched on absolute beachfront in Soldiers Point. The luxury digs includes dog-friendly rooms, stunning views, super-luxe suites and, for very special occasions, a penthouse. Depending on where you choose to stay, you'll be looking out at either the tranquil waters of Nelson Bay or dense forest — or both. Wherever you sleep, you can look forward to light-filled spaces, Hamptons-inspired white hues, king-sized beds and decadent touches. Among the common facilities is an infinity pool — looking out across the river — and the Terrace Bar. Plus, if you're keen to indulge, Rick Stein at Bannisters is also on the water, with Stein and head chef Mitchell Turner overseeing a menu big on premium seafood. Top image:
Next time you head to Blackbird Bar and Grill, you'd best prepare for the Eagle Street Pier eatery to look a little different. You can breathe a sigh of relief, because their current drinks and steaks offerings aren't changing. Instead, they're taking a great place and making it even bigger and better. Say hello to Blackbird Private Dining and Events, aka the restaurant's expanded setup on the floor below their current digs. Come April 27, their new operations will be in full swing, complete with a dedicated second kitchen run by Lyndon Tyres, the former head chef at Melbourne's Circa, The Prince. Basically, if you're looking for a party, reception or meeting space that can cater for up to 400 people, and boasts riverside views spanning from the Story Bridge to the Kangaroo Point cliffs, then you're in luck. Blackbird 2.0 is now a one-stop shop for all your fine dining needs, whether having a quiet dinner and a few beverages in the main area takes your fancy, or celebrating something special with everyone that you know is in order. Just don't expect to always eat upstairs and hold your functions downstairs, because with more room comes more options. Reversing the spaces for the right event isn't out of the question. Yep, we know where we want to hold our next fancy occasion. Find Blackbird Bar & Grill at 123 Eagle Street, Brisbane, or check out the Blackbird Private Dining & Events website for more information.
Wikipedia tells us that to be 'at sixes and sevens' is to be in a state of confusion or disarray. James Street's newest watering hole looks set to replace confusion and disarray with a slightly more positive state of mind. At Sixes and Sevens, the young trendy sister to Cru Bar, has both style and substance. The bar is housed in a heritage-listed cottage on the corner of James and Arthur Streets, and while the building interior has received a makeover, the homely feel and classic features have been well preserved. Close enough to the heart of Fortitude Valley to draw a enthusiastic groups yet far enough away from the maddening crowd of the Valley mall to feel like a sanctuary, it is a great location to enjoy a casual lunch or start the evening's festivities. Mixing kitsch with classic, At Sixes and Sevens' fit-out incorporates Astroturf, log stools, striking wallpaper, emerald green tiles, worn leather armchairs, exposed light bulbs and candles in wine glasses. Rest your bones in front of the original fireplace, enjoy a summer night's breeze in the outside seating area or share a meal in the dining corner; all options are comfortable and well thought-out. All the usual suspects are on offer at the bar, with the happy addition of sauvignon blanc and pinot grigio on tap. A lengthy food menu keeps the kitchen busy with a selection of snacks and larger plates. Despite the prestigious James Street location, drink prices are very reasonable and most dishes come in under $20. Eftpos can be used over the bar and an ATM is also available towards the back of the establishment. This is a bar that looks likely to draw an upwardly mobile crowd with a slightly younger average age than traditionally frequents James Street.
After a hefty renovation, Fortitude Valley favourite The Wickham has reopened its doors. Hitting up the heritage-listed Wickham Street now means enjoying a revamped beer garden — one that's now weather-proof, too, taking not only Brisbane's sunshine but the city's storms into account — and spying pops of colour everywhere, spotting Jennifer Coolidge among the artwork and tucking into Disco Fruit Tingle cocktails served in disco balls. It was back in August 2022 that the 138-year-old venue's makeover was announced, with Australian Venue Co advising that it'd be putting $1.5 million into The Wickham's fresh look. Renovating a bar that dates back to 1885 isn't a small task, though. Accordingly, in early March the hospitality company advised that hotel's do-over cost $3.1 million. As seen across the revamped outdoor area and two newly done-up indoor spaces, that sum has gone into a new design by Newline Design — well, as new as the site's heritage listing allows. Walk through The Wickham now and you'll notice a mix of the old and the fresh, aka balancing historic charm with upgrades. A new kitchen has been put in as well. Among the existing areas of the pub that've been given a new lease on life, The Wickham's old corner bar and studio spaces are now welcoming in patrons in their new guise. They've both been renamed, dubbed The Peacock Room and Garland Room, respectively. And yes, they now sport decor to match. The Peacock Room is decked out with vintage furniture, work by local artists — heroing LGBTQIA+ talent — plus nods to the Wickham's peacock Frankie. It's also the venue's favourite option for cruisy drinks. Garland Room is the venue's new club space, which means that DJs, performers and parties will be filling it ASAP. The Wickham's reopening also sees it bring back Thursday night trivia in the beer garden, live tunes from Friday–Sunday and drag shows on Friday and Saturday evenings. The Peacock Room is also set to host bottomless burlesque brunch sessions once a month. Menu-wise, Executive Chef Dylan Kemp is overseeing the new food lineup, which spans stone-baked pizzas, bar snacks and late-night options, including a sizeable range of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes. On offer: cauliflower hot bites, fried quail with truffle mash — and a menu just for dogs that spans crispy pig skin, meat balls, gravy and peanut butter. Taking cues from the 70s and its fondness for disco, the drinks list has scored a once-over as well. Think: those aforementioned Disco Fruit Tingles; Glitter Bellinis, complete with edible glitter; and frozen G&Ts made with pineapple tonic. If you're keen on a tipple without the booze, the venue has upped its non-alcoholic range of wines, spirits, beers and cocktails as well, which'll feature a No-groni and the Espresso Marti-no. The Wickham is no stranger to nips and tucks during its century-plus existence, of course, including last undergoing a refresh back in 2014 and gaining five completely new spaces in the process.
Music, as with any art form, can serve as a means to escape; therapeutic and magical, infectious and addictive. For Adit Gauchan of Horrorshow, making music is a labour of love — actually, it's his every waking moment. "I love and breathe music so heavily that it's all I can do," he says. Horrorshow is an Australian hip hop duo from Sydney's inner west. The band is made up of producer, Adit Gauchan, and Nick Bryant-Smith (or MC Solo) on vocals. The two met at high school and released their first album in 2008 through Sydney label, Elefant Traks. Adit explains, "we started out making music in our dad's houses. We'd write and record in our bedrooms and I guess that way of working has never really stopped for us". In partnership with Sonos, we've been delving into some of our favourite artist's home studios – here is where the Horrorshow magic happens. THE MAGIC HAPPENS IN A CONVERTED BEDROOM Three years ago, Adit moved in with Sarah Corry, his partner in life, love and music (she's one half of Sydney electronica duo, Left). They soon converted the second bedroom of their Newtown house into a studio space. "One of the best things about having a home studio is the creative people that come through regularly", he says. "Every couple of months we'll have a party, and what happens when you get a bunch of musicians in the same room, dancing and drinking? They want to record some demos in the studio". His second-bedroom home studio serves as a safe, creative space for many of the other musicians the pair work with (Left and the One Day project, to name just two). "This is where we write a lot of the music". 'Sleep', a song by Hau (the solo project of Hau Latukefu, formerly of Koolism) was worked out at one of Adit's parties. "Capturing that kind of energy, it's a real positive for me". Of course, music is played at parties and music gets heard at parties. If you create the right environment, music can be created at parties. He continues, "Luckily we have some very lovely neighbours who support us and don't mind the noise". THEIR HOUSE IS NEVER, EVER SILENT I ask him what's it's like living with another creative - after all, Sarah is a successful vocalist and musician herself. "It brings an interesting dynamic. Creatively, there's an understanding", he says. Music pulsates through their house almost constantly, through his Sonos speakers. Good sound is important to him. Especially, Adit says, when the pair (or anyone that happens to visit their house) are recording. Our conversation continues and he voices a well-humoured frustration with Bluetooth. "Like most people, I don't have the best relationship with Bluetooth. It's just so unreliable, which is why I'm so pumped that Sonos speakers connect with Wi-Fi". FIGURE OUT WHAT WORKS FOR YOU AND RUN WITH IT After almost a decade, Horrorshow's method of writing and recording hasn't really changed. Adit's home studio functions as a writing space where he crafts and layers beats, usually on his own. Once he feels he's onto something good, Solo will come over and the two will jam out the direction the song will take. "We'll work on songs together, but Solo might go and chill in the back yard and work on raps and melodies for beats I've already laid down". Like many musicians, Horrorshow started out with home recording and stresses how important it is to figure out what works for you. "I would love to have a studio at my place of residence, but not necessarily inside the house. If one day, I had a bigger back yard and there was a bit more space, I'd love to house a recording space in a different building", he says. Everyone works differently and there are certainly challenges to working from home - concentration, motivation, loneliness. WORK EVERY DAY, UNTIL YOU LOSE YOUR FLOW. THEN GO TO THE BEACH There are few things more frustrating than a creative block, when the pace slows and your fingers are giving you nothing. For Adit, his creativity suffers when he loses momentum. "When I've been writing a lot, the ideas will flow. Shooting videos, going on tour - these things get in the way. I really find routine is the most important thing when it comes to creativity", he says. "Create a space that you want to spend time in and work on something everyday. That's how you'll make great stuff and get better". What about when the dreaded creative block hits? "Just stop. Go outside, have a meal, go to the beach, enjoy the sunshine". Yes, sir. SWITCH OFF, AND LOVE WHAT YOU DO When it comes to switching off, Adit doesn't struggle too much. "Being in the studio is never work to me. Sure, there is work relating to what I do — meetings, tour rehearsals, that sort of stuff — but when I'm in the studio, that's a whole different thing. It's important to have a space that encourages your creativity, that you're happy to use regularly". Naturally, when you spend every waking minute practicing your art, it can be difficult to switch off. "Even when I'm doing my tax, it's related to music in some way. Switching off can definitely be a problem, but it's not insurmountable. It doesn't make me want to change the way I do things, it's something I'm happy to put up with", Adit continues. "With music, it's fun and all that, but if you want to make a living out of it, you have to live and breathe it. But, if you love what you do, it's worth it right?" Get studio-level sound in your home with Sonos. Walk from one room to another and hear the same song in perfect quality – speakers are powered by wifi and tune automatically. Horrowshow are pumped for their thirteen date national tour. It's their first time on the road in nearly a year, and they're promising new tracks alongside old favourites.
Little Stanley Street is a popular restaurant mainstay and easy go-to when finding a place to eat. But with so much choice, where to start? We’ve been around the block and selected our choice of old favourites and new neighbours. NEXT DOOR KITCHEN & BAR Travel back in time to jazz music, wild parties and sophistication at Next Door Kitchen and Bar. The prohibition-themed venue is bringing back jazz and naughtiness with a modern twist. Next Door Kitchen offers share plates, and while one dish could keep an individual happy, it’s much better to share a few. As one might expect at a prohibition-era venue, you come for the food but you’ll stay for the cocktails. With drink names such as Hootenanny, Giggle Juice and Cotton Club Swinger’s Punch, book your cab home now. Shop B11, Little Stanley St CHE ASADO New kid on the block Che Asado has just replaced The Point Bistro and brings a fresh Argentinian flavour to the street. Asado pretty much means barbecue, so if you’re after a not-your-average steakhouse, head in here for a meat-filled feast. Not just playing to Aussie tastes, the venue offers a handful of traditional South American drinks and dishes too — try the pickled veal tongue if you dare. Wash it down with a jug of sangria. Shop 15, Little Stanley St SOUTH SIDE DINER What would a multicultural street be without a slice of American pie? Step into a diner for the 21st century. South Side is decked out with pop art and polished concrete floors. Maintaining a retro vibe (but not sparkly red vinyl a la Hungry Jacks), South Side Diner’s subtle ode to yesteryear is in its small touches: sauce bottles on the table and a tasteful tiled bar with chrome bar stools. Pop by at lunch for a New York Skyscraper burger ($13.50). Towering high in the basket, this guy is stacked with a beef patty, caramelised onion, cheese, lettuce, tomato, bacon and mustard mayo — all makings of a great burger. OLE Your mother would approve of the Spaniards, who choose not to drink on an empty stomach, and instead accompany their tipple with some of the finest Mediterranean flavours your mouth can try. Mum’s the word, so with that in mind say, ‘hola, Ole!’ and order a jug of their finest sangria - red of course, we’re fond traditionalists. With a swish of the wooden sangria spoon, stuff some deep-fried, cream cheese-filled olives ($6) down your gob and chase it with more sangria. Ahhh, the temporary mindset of summer is settling in and the best way to keep is there is order more tapas. More friends = more tapas = more fun. See, maths is easy. 12 Little Stanley St DENIM CO Can you believe that Little Stanley Street’s unique combo cafe and fashion boutique has been around for 20 years? Always on trend, the venue does a mean breakfast – whether it’s a classic benny and pancakes, or a health-kick breakfast board, bliss balls or acai bowl – Denim Co has it all. Just be sure to save room and the calories to indulge in the thick Italian chocolate and peanut butter drink. It’s worth it. Shop 9a, Little Stanley St HOP & PICKLE Hop & Pickle is another newbie stepping up the pub stakes (or steaks). The ex-Beastie Burgers owners have reinvented the space by opening this gastronomy pub. A set of bar plates are mainstay, while mains change daily and you can pop by on Saturdays for pub classics and Sundays for roast. Perfection. Shop 6e Little Stanley St AHMETS Oh Ahmets, it feels like you’ve always been there for us. When you don’t know where to eat in South Bank, you go to Ahmets – and for good reason, the food is damn tasty. Combining culture and dining in one, enter the bazaar and sit your tush on a Turkish rug draped stool where you can peruse the menu while watching belly dancing or listening to live music. The first Sunday of every month Ahmets also hosts a special ‘Istanbul Night’ with belly dancing, coffee reading, a grand bazaar and live music.
Within a concave of urban luxury, on a street that emits the same, sits a restaurant that skips the thrills and provides food unrateable by Michelin stars. It combines class with culinary perfection, simplicity with authenticity and uses the finest picked ingredients, sourced from local producers to create meals that exceed perfection to something rather enigmatic. Vintaged Bar + Grill, on the sixth floor of The Hilton, is by no means fit only for the rich and famous – it's a gift for any palate. There's a certain authentic awareness that goes into every meal at Vintaged. Components aren't put on a plate for mere presentation or to show off, that yes, this kitchen can afford truffles – deep thought goes into the marriage of flavours, textures and aromas. And not in cheap Heston Blumenthal methods like so many contemporary chefs are attempting to pull off today. The food is rich in its raw components, and most dishes have an organic, homely feel. The beauty of Vintaged Bar + Grill is that it has its thumb in every meal and course. Lunch is extra special here, with a hint of extra class and a menu that throws away the BLT, instead offering ravioli, burrata, 250-gram beef rumps and meals you won't fathom deserving. Dinner surpasses each sitting before it, with a menu as perfectly curated and tasteful as the culinary passion expelled throughout the Vintaged restaurant. It includes grilled prawns with Spanish onion salsa, pork cutlets with sautéed brussels sprouts and grass-fed Tasmanian eye fillets. Vintaged Bar + Grill is a jack of all trades, though don't let any aspect of this idiom diminish its flaw-free name. It caters to high tea, hosts birthday parties and runs special events and functions — all to a glamorous backdrop of mood lighting and contemporary furnishings. While the setting screams ritz, the food declares otherwise, showcasing what homegrown excellence tastes like – humble, hearty and just perfect.
Since 2017, Revel Brewing Co has been brewing and pouring yeasty beverages at the river end of Oxford Street in Bulimba, and drawing a crowd away from the suburban hustle and bustle of hotspot's main strip. But these beer fiends clearly have a theory: two eastside breweries are much better than just one. Accordingly, since late 2021, Revel has also been operating at its second venue in Morningside — a sprawling spot in a century-old riverside factory in the fast-growing Rivermakers precinct. The company's new site was once the Commonwealth Acetate of Lime Factory, which dates back to the 1920s and was involved in making wartime ammunition. It even has a history linked to Revel's beverage of choice, with August de Bavay, who was commissioned by the Queensland Government to design and build the factory more than a century ago, a chemist, distiller and brewer. Now, the patch off Colmslie Road is home to a striking brewpub. Brisbane beer lovers will find heritage-listed features aplenty — brick, cement and timber aplenty as well — as part of a precinct-within-a-precinct that Rivermakers has dubbed its Heritage Quarter. The old factory is also set to house Bavay Distillery, giving drinkers options when it comes to tipples. But if it's a few brews that you're after, including under umbrellas and fairy lights, then Revel is the place for it. In addition to a beer range that spans an XPA, IPA, hazy IPA, pale ale and lager among its core range, the brewery's Rivermakers digs serve up a food menu filled with share options, burgers and hearty mains. With its laidback outdoor space — grass beneath your feet included — Revel's second home also hosts regular events, including trivia on Thursday nights. Or, head along on a Sunday afternoon for live acoustic tunes from local musos, games and platter deals.
How good at Pictionary would Grimes be? Would Mac Demarco's sketches found in an art gallery? How would Future Islands go in a life drawing class? Sydney's FBi Radio intended to find out, by inviting a list of over 30 musicians to try their hand at a handdrawn masterpiece. Bringing back their wildly successful 'Brush With Fame' art auction, FBi asked a serious banquet of bands, rappers, ARIA-nominees, folksters, singers and beatmakers to create drawings on canvas especially for the station, ready for auction from Thursday 10 March (9pm AEDT) until Sunday 20 March (9pm AEDT). All proceeds raise funds for the independent, not-for-profit, top notch station. Kudos to FBi for one of the best group show lineups around, y'ready? You (YOU) can own a handdrawn work by these guys. FULL ARTIST LIST: Alabama Shakes Albert Hammond Jr (The Strokes) Alison Wonderland Benjamin Booker Best Coast Cosmo’s Midnight Courtney Barnett DIIV Django Django Dune Rats Elliphant & MØ Future Islands Grimes Hot Chip The Internet Little Simz Mac Demarco Matt Huynh Metz Neneh Cherry Parquet Courts Perfect Pussy Perfume Genius Peter Bibby Purity Ring The Rubens Run The Jewels* Rustie Thundercat Total Giovanni TV On The Radio Tycho Vic Mensa * Two individual canvases by Killer Mike and El-P respectively, sold together All works are on display over here. The auction will run on eBay from Thursday 10 March (9pm AEDT) until Sunday 20 March (9pm AEDT). Each piece comes complete with a Certificate of Authenticity from FBi. Here's a couple of our favourites in the bunch, that you'll have to furiously outbid us on.
Back in 2017, the Fortitude Valley watering hole formerly known as Fringe Bar and Kerbside became The Osbourne Hotel. That name isn't quite new. Instead, at this spot on the corner of Ann and Constance streets, it dates back over a century and a half. In fact, that's what the pub was called right up until 1992 — when it became The Dead Rat Hotel, and then the Rat & Parrot. To jump backwards even further, in 1864, The Osbourne Hotel was the second hotel to open in the Valley — a fact that's certain to have made it popular. All these years later, the site enjoys the benefits of a visible multimillion dollar makeover both outside and in, which restored the building to its original colourings, fittings and layout. [caption id="attachment_847140" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Drag bingo at the Osbourne Hotel in Brisbane[/caption] The Osbourne Hotel features 94 taps throughout the now 800-person venue, as well as a 400-seat glass-ceiling bistro and beer garden. For those after more than a casual drink and a meal, the old boarding rooms on the first floor have been transformed into function and meeting rooms, as well as a private dining area for hire. With two bespoke copper bulkheads boasting 31 taps each — and proving the only two of their kind in the country — thirsty visitors can expect a beer-heavy drinks menu focusing on craft, local and international brews. Also a highlight is a cocktail list providing new takes on old favourites, such as blueberry Tommy's margaritas, banana bread old fashioneds and and apricot sours. The Osbourne Hotel kitchen dishes include all-day pizzas, chargrilled meat and fish tacos. Classics like beer-battered fish and chips, chicken parmigianas, steak sandwiches and salt-and-pepper calamari abound, while duck pancakes, sweet corn arancini and cured salmon pastrami also make an appearance. And if you're keen on watching a game, you'll find four HD TVs outside and four inside — plus a massive stadium screen.
Ever had an urge to try something different or learn a new skill, but haven't known where to start? That's where Work-Shop comes in. Since 2013, the community class collective has been waging a creative crusade, and now they're bringing it to Brisbane. Come August 7, fun, affordable and diverse short courses in life skills, alternative art and unleashing your inner awesome will take over The Autumn Co. at 29 Merivale Street, South Brisbane. Whether you want to learn about making Polish paper chandeliers, the basics of hand lettering or the Japanese art of flower arranging, this is the place to do it. Work-Shop is the brainchild of Sydney's Matt Branagan and Chester Garcia, who wanted to create a space where broadening your horizons was something people actually did, not just something they said — or something they typed into a screen. If it sounds like the kind of idea someone would come up with over a drink, well, that’s because it is. When the duo first conjured up the concept, "It was just two guys getting together in a pub, talking about some ideas around a bar, and about things that we love," says Branagan. They soon discovered that quite a large number of folks were on the same wavelength — 23,705 to date, in fact, because that's how many students have come through their doors so far. After initially setting up their headquarters in Redfern, Branagan and Garcia then expanded to Melbourne and added another Sydney site. Now, Brisbane beckons. "I feel like Brisbane is the next big town for art, music, all those things," observes Branagan when asked about Work-Shop's new location. "There’s a lot of great talent coming out of there, and I think it is time to unite the community and show that you don’t need to be in Sydney or Melbourne to do these things." That's good news not just for anyone who wants to discover new skills, but also for Brisbane's existing creative forces. Capitalising upon artistic heart of the city is the organisation's mode of operation, after all. “We like to tailor our classes to the local community, so we try to work with all the artists that we are surrounded by, and to collaborate with as many of them as possible," Branagan says. So what can Brisbanites expect when they head to Work-Shop — other than becoming experts in everything from succulents to DIY resin jewellery, that is? "They can expect to be surrounded by a supportive environment of like-minded individuals and a teacher that is passionate and inspiring — and hopefully this can lead to a new hobby, a new career or a new way of life," advises Branagan. If that's not reason enough to rush out to a Work-Shop class on zine making, herbs, or — our personal favourite — watercolour, whimsy and wine, we don't know what is. Find Work-Shop at 29 Merivale Street, South Brisbane from August 7, or head to their website for more details.
If you're a regular coffee drinker, no doubt you've been caught up in the recent push towards recyclable or reusable coffee cups. And for many of us, drinking the sweet nectar from a one-use, environmentally-unfriendly takeaway cup is just not the same as a weighty, handmade ceramic cafe cup. But who has the time to stop and sip? Where can you find a fusion of both? Thanks to a talented Queensland couple, you can now have your ceramic-bound coffee and drink it (on the go) too. Queensland potter Renton Bishopric and partner Clare Botfield have recently launched Pottery for the Planet — a series of limited edition pottery pieces that raise money and awareness of environmental issues. "If we want to continue living in a beautiful clean country and world, we have to make some serious changes and that starts with the choices of each individual," says Bishopric. In an effort to make this choice a little more design-savvy, the duo has begun making what customers have dubbed 'Planet Cups', bespoke ceramic coffee cups that reduce paper cup wastage, one coffee at a time. Bishopric and Botfield make each 8oz or 12oz cup by hand on the pottery wheel, drying and firing them in the kiln before glazing in a selection of colours. The intricate process by which they are made means each Planet Cup is unique. "With a handmade product there are so many variables starting with the hands of the person that threw the pot, down to the firing environment in the kiln. So no matter what, each cup is unique from its brothers and sisters," says Bishopric. Each Planet Cup comes with a silicone lid and the option of a heat band so extra hot coffee drinkers can protect their fingers. Due to the incredible popularity of the Planet Cups, an online shop is set to be launched soon. In the meantime, the colourful creations can be purchased through the pair's Sunshine Coast retail store, Cinnabar Soul. You can also check out the Pottery for the Planet website for a list of local stockists. If you live in Hobart, you're going to need one very soon. Image: Renton Bishopric Ceramics.
Summer is close, and so is the summer festival season. Now is the time to sit down and have a long hard think about where you're going to allocate the festival money you've been saving up this year. We reccomend the ten below. Whether you're in Victoria over New Years Eve for Beyond the Valley, or taking a trip to Tasmania later in the summer to Party in the Paddock, these festivals tick all the boxes when it comes to camping facilities, scenery, amenities, crowds and of course, music. Just so you know, we're running a competition with Teva where you can win yourself a pair of their Arrowood boots, a tent, water bottle and a whole bunch of camping things that will make your life easier. Pack your tent and your 24-hour deodorant — it's summer festival season. LOST PARADISE December 29-31 Glenworth Valley, New South Wales Lost Paradise, held in the picturesque Glenworth Valley an hour from Sydney, has upheld an image as one of the more wholesome Australian music festivals. This is its third year, and it's set to be a banger. Lost Paradise is renowned for its food line-up, but it's well catered for in the camping department too, with the whole spectrum of outdoor living arrangements available — from super luxe glamping to renting a basic tent, with many stylish options in between. The holistic vibe appears in attractions like yoga, massages, sound baths, and kayaking. We're mostly loving the 2016 lineup though — Flight Facilities, Fat Freddy's Drop and Hot Chip are on it. Kapow. SOUTHBOUND January 8-10 Busselton, Western Australia Western Australia's Southbound is popular with people who like tents. You can bring your own esky and food (not booze unfortunately), you can camp with your car and there are have loads of amenities available to use over the three day event. The festival takes place a few hours drive outside of Perth, make a trip out of it and go wine tasting, surfing and sky-diving. This year's line up has Hermitude, Drapht and Boo Seeka, among many others. PARTY IN THE PADDOCK February 10-12 Burns Creek, Tasmania Party in the Paddock is yet another reason to love Tasmania. The festival takes place in White Hills, which is 25 minutes outside Launceston. The range of artists is huge — there's Sticky Fingers, Sampa the Great and The Bad Dad Orchestra, and then there's a huge number of spots reserved for new and upcoming acts. You'll likely find your new favourite band at PITP. It's known as one of the friendliest festivals going around, and there's free camping with a first in best dressed approach. See also: beer gardens, general stores, bathrooms, food and juice bars a plenty. MEREDITH MUSIC FESTIVAL December 9-11 Meredith, Victoria Starting in 1991, Meredith Music Festival takes place in the country town of Meredith, Victoria. It's one of the longest standing festivals there is, and it is blissfully free of commercial intervention. It's finest feature is the fact that it's BYO. Yes, you may bring your own alcohol. Camping is free and self-allocating. Meredith is a nature-focused festival that marches to its own beat. Its extremely strict "no dickhead policy" should be instated at all festival across Australia. Right on. There are massages, Tai Chi and an 'Arch of Love' at Meredith, as well as an outdoor cinema. Also, Peaches is playing. We're in. BEYOND THE VALLEY December 28 - January 1 Lardner, Victoria Having an energy supply tent area is sure to make your festival popular with campers. Beyond the Valley has one, it's called Electric City, and it certainly makes it a popular place to spend New Years Eve. It's free to camp, and the area has a pretty lovely view of Lardner Park in Victoria. There's the basic camping option, the luxury option, and the bell tent option. This year's lineup is killer — it's got Ladyhawke, Jarryd James, The Delta Riggs and Emma Louise. [caption id="attachment_589321" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Zakarij Kaczmarek.[/caption] SECRET GARDEN February 24-25 Brownlow Hill Farm, New South Wales With a a big emphasis on fancy dress and high detail costumes, Secret Garden is a 48-hour forest disco, and it's one of the most popular festivals going around. For those who like a condensed party full of shiny, colourful characters covered in glitter that look like disco tree fairies — the Garden might be your festival camping pick. Camping is free, tent hire is available and an always joyous list of acts is only announced after the festival sells out. It sells every year. That's confidence. PARADISE MUSIC FESTIVAL November 25-27 Marysville, Victoria Rather than going for the big names, Paradise music festival focuses on getting the smaller acts, so it's one for the music connoisseurs. The three day event is held in Victoria, and has views over the Great Dividing Range. It's a pretty self-sufficient affair for campers — BYO pretty much everything, which is great news for those who like to do camping their own way. There's an emphasis on local and unsigned acts and a strong level of industry alliance at Paradise, it's not to be missed for devotees or those looking to discover their new favourite band. STRAWBERRY FIELDS November 17-20 Tocumwal, New South Wales A celebration of art, sounds and creative expression, Strawberry Fields is an all encompassing sensory experience. A few hours outside of Melbourne, stages, venues and pop ups are like the pirate ship above are design-focused and curated to showcase art and music. There are workshops, experimental sounds, emerging artists and decor displays — this is an artistic-muso-camper's dream. It's one of the few festivals that allow RVs, teepees, tents, and caravans inside. MOUNTAIN SOUNDS February 17-18 Mount Penang Parklands, NSW One of the more boutique music and cultural festivals near the Central Coast in NSW, Mountain Sounds scored RUFUS as headliners this year. Cars and camper vehicles are allowed on the grounds, and tents can be hired for the weekend as well. The amenities are basic, but abundant, and while it doesn't have some of the flashier conveniences of the others, it has a low-key and unpretentious vibe. FALLS MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL New Years Eve New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia The Avalanches are just one of the artists who have just been announced in the full 2016 lineup for Falls Festival this year, alongside Childish Gambino, London Grammar, Grouplove, Broods, Jamie T, Parquet Courts and heaps, heaps more. As always, Falls will be heading to Lorne in Victoria for four nights, and Marion Bay in Tassie and Byron Bay on the NSW coast for three nights over New Year's Eve. They'll also be setting up shop in Fremantle for the first time with Falls Downtown, a two-day city festival slated to take place over the weekend of January 7-8. We're giving away a whole heap of camping gear, in collaboration with Teva. A pair of hiking boots, a tent, water bottle and a whole bunch of extras will come in very handy this festival season. Head here to enter.
Shelves of board games. Rows of arcade games. A wall of old-school consoles with retro televisions to match. Daytona given pride of place. The sound of The Simpsons' theme filtering through the playing space. Welcome to Netherworld, which earned the honour of being Brisbane's first arcade game bar when it opened in 2017. If you like hitting flippers, smashing buttons and passing go, all while drinking brews and eating burgers, you'll like it here. Trust us. Don't go thinking that this is a nerd dungeon, however. The Fortitude Valley venue is accessible for everyone that's keen on pairing their beverage with something fun. Like Holey Moley Golf Club just a few blocks away, having a good time is the name of the game here (and yes, shuffling between the two is one of Brisbane's best pub crawls). From the moment that you walk into Netherworld, you'll notice a laidback vibe — and games a plenty, unsurprisingly. If cards, counters, dice and decks all form part of your preferred kind of gaming, you're in luck. Everything from a Fallout-themed edition of Monopoly to Settlers of Catan to Balderdash can be or have been found on Netherworld's shelves. They're all be free to play for patrons — and if there's a better thing to do while knocking back one of the bar's craft beers, with a focus on local brewers, we can't think of one. [caption id="attachment_622335" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sarah Ward[/caption] Okay, maybe we can: roaming between the venue's rooms pumping shiny Netherworld tokens or coins into pinball and arcade machines, the main attraction. Mosey past the heritage-listed bar itself — which has been given a nice touch-up, but still boasts the requisite retro feel for anyone feeling nostalgic — and you might NBA Jam, Space Invaders, Frogger, Centipede, Double Dragon, Street Fighter, Pac Man, Donkey Kong and more, with the range changing and rotating. Pinball-wise, tables devoted to Ghostbusters, The Addams Family, Metallica, The Twilight Zone, Batman, Tales from the Crypt and Flash Gordon could await. There's more, namely Nintendo, Sega and Atari video game consoles hooked up to classic TVs (because you can't go OG with one and not the other), plus bright, lively murals pushing Netherworld's monster theme, and a few spooky characters if you look up in the right spot. A stage, projector and pull-down screen sit at the end of the space, with live gigs and film screenings also on the hangout's agenda. For a place named after somewhere hellish or hidden, it's all rather inviting, which also fits the food and drink lineup. At the Hellmouth Diner, American and Japanese influences infiltrate a selection of bar fare that aims higher than the greasy usual bites to eat. All standard items such as burgers, karaage and bowls are also vegan-friendly, though meat and dairy can be added. Images: Cole Bennetts / Sarah Ward.
While we were pushing through our first autumn Monday — fittingly caffeinated to the nines — the best actors, directors, cinematographers and costume-makers were walking the red carpet leading to Hollywood's Dolby Theatre. And they were collecting a slew of well-deserved gold statues on stage, too. At the 90th Academy Awards, host Jimmy Kimmel didn't shy away from discussing #MeToo, Weinstein and last year's Best Picture fiasco, Jodie Foster took the stage on crutches (and blamed Meryl Streep) and Frances McDormand made a rousing speech, encouraging the telling (and funding) of more women's stories in Hollywood. On the awards front, some hot favourites battled it out for the 2018 titles. There were big winners — The Shape of Water, going in with a massive 13 nominations, took home four — and others you may believe were cheated (Timothée Chalamet is a winner in our hearts), but, regardless, this year's Oscar winners make for a stellar must-watch list. Here's who took home the gongs, and who you should be watching on the big (or little) screen. Some are still in cinemas, so hop to it tout de suite. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFYWazblaUA THE SHAPE OF WATER Won: Best Picture, Directing (Guillermo del Toro), Original Score (Alexandre Desplat), Production Design (Paul Denham Austerberry, Shane Vieau and Jeff Melvin) What our critic said: "Equally vivid and violent as it jumps between matters of the heart and moments of espionage, the film entrances with its sweet, soulful, delicate approach while never shying away from weighty themes of persecution or oppression." — Sarah Ward Where to watch it: In cinemas. Read the full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aZ3r-84EQc THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI Won: Actress in a Leading Role (Frances McDormand), Actor in a Supporting Role (Sam Rockwell) What our critic said: "Packed with dark, hilarious, nigh-unprintable dialogue, McDonagh's script mightn't be subtle, but it is teeming with complexity... Taking his cues from gunslinging revenge tales gone by, the filmmaker crafts a complicated rumination on humanity's contradictions." — Sarah Ward Where to watch it: In cinemas. Read the full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpKvpSr7p1g DARKEST HOUR Won: Actor in a Leading Role (Gary Oldman), Makeup and Hairstyling (Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Mlinowski and Lucy Sibbick) What our critic said: "While both Churchill and Dunkirk are clearly no strangers to cinemas of late, Darkest Hour has one particular weapon all of its own: recent Golden Globe winner Oldman. The veteran actor gives a captivating performance, even coming hot on the heels of Brian Cox's excellent work in Churchill just months ago."— Sarah Ward Where to watch it: In cinemas. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ9J1FgA0A8 DUNKIRK Won: Film Editing (Lee Smith), Sound Editing (Richard King and Alex Gibson), Sound Mixing (Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landarker, and Gary A. Rizzo) What our critic said: "Unrelenting from start to finish, there's never a moment that's easy to watch, but there's never one devoid of hope either. This is an astonishing feat of storytelling, aesthetics and emotion, one from which you will not be able to look away."— Sarah Ward Where to watch it: Rent or buy on iTunes. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DIm1PyBSwc COCO Won: Animated Feature Film, Original Song ('Remember Me') What our critic said: "Coco enchants with warmth and authenticity from start to finish. In fact, as bright as its images shine, as high as its heartfelt emotions soar, and as perfectly as its voice cast fill their roles — including Gael García Bernal stealing scenes as a dead prankster — it's the film's embrace of its setting and culture that truly makes it sing." — Sarah Ward Where to watch it: In cinemas. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCYB28iknIM PHANTOM THREAD Won: Costume Design (Mark Bridges) What our critic said: "Every textile metaphor you can think of applies to Phantom Thread. It's a film that's carefully woven from the fabric of human urges, teeming with hidden layers and positively bursting at the seams with emotional detail. It's also one made by the finest possible craftspeople, with Anderson and his three stars fashioning the cinematic equivalent of haute couture." — Sarah Ward Where to watch it: In cinemas (but the run is almost over). Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJHex4ZitgA A FANTASTIC WOMAN Won: Foreign Language Film What our critic said: "It can't be overstated how wonderful it is to see transgender representation on the big screen (no offence Eddie Redmayne, but this is how it should be). Vega's performance as Marina feels authentic, in no small part because it is authentic. Every movement, every delivery is subtle, considered and real." — Imogen Baker Where to watch it: In selected cinemas. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGa3M0hfTCo BLADE RUNNER 2049 Won: Visual Effects, Cinematography (Roger A. Deakins) What our critic said: "For a film that overwhelms with its extraordinary sights and echoing sounds, Blade Runner 2049 revels in the little things, and in the potent cumulative toll that they can have...Villeneuve achieves the cinematic equivalent, making each moment resound with meaning while honouring the legacy of the original." — Sarah Ward Where to watch it: Rent or buy on iTunes. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=AHEl7Pji0f8 GET OUT Won: Original Screenplay (Jordan Peele) What our critic said: "One of the most assured, astute, entertaining and intelligent horror movies to creep out cinemas in years." — Sarah Ward Where to watch it: Rent or buy on iTunes. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0UgXrhCPHo CALL ME BY YOUR NAME Won: Adapted Screenplay (James Ivory) What our critic said: "Weaved from quiet, tender, everyday encounters that pepper every love story, it swells and surges, taking both its characters and its viewers on an emotional rollercoaster ride. Think of it as perhaps the greatest example of cinematic show and tell there is: to watch it is to experience the same heady, heated feelings as its central couple." — Sarah Ward Where to watch it: In selected cinemas (but the run is almost over). Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXZQ5DfSAAc I, TONYA Won: Actress in a Supporting Role (Allison Janney) What our critic said: "I, Tonya seems intent on reversing the popular consensus around its title character. The real Harding appeared at premieres of the film in the US, standing alongside Margot Robbie on the red carpet. But while she might finally have gotten the chance to prove she's not just the butt of a joke, you can't help but feel that the filmmakers – intentionally or not – treat her abuse as exactly that." — Kat Hayes Where to watch it: In cinemas. Read our full review.
People who live in Manly have always thought they had it all. It 'all' used to be the surf, the sand, the pub, a 18-minute alcohol-serving fast ferry into the city, and a home within walking distance to all these things. But things are changing in the north shore suburb — and it's giving locals even less reasons to leave the Manly bubble. And more reasons for you to see what it's like inside. Reason one: the food. It's not just Hugo's, Manly Wine and Papi Chulo anymore. If you haven't visited in a while, you might be surprised to find the Chica Bonita team have opened a Japanese joint, The Boathouse has settled at Shelley Beach, there's a whole bar dedicated to charcuterie and cheese (!!) and even a cafe dealing in fermented foods — and that's all happened in the last year months alone. Reason two is not a new one — it's the water. The surf isn't as life-threatening as Bondi, and Shelley Beach is prime for snorkelling on a clear day. If you want to explore past the esplanade (and you do), there's plenty of kilometres for you to walk and even a few hidden coves to discover. The best part about this Manly + weekend + you equation though is that it's right down the coast or across the harbour (if you don't already live there). Sure, it's only the north shore, but it's all surf, sand, spritzes and toned beach volleyballers — tell me that doesn't sound like a holiday, inner westsiders. So forget all those reasons you don't want to go to Manly; there's some seriously good, little-talked about tasty things going on here. And they shouldn't be ignored. FRIDAY NIGHT: DINNER AT SUNSET SABI Most destinations that aren't bed are a bit tough to get to on a Friday night, but not Manly. Knock off work, head straight for Circular Quay and you could be there before you can even finish a beer. Try it: the fast ferry only takes a very precise 18 minutes, and it has a bar on board — which everyone is most definitely taking advantage of on a Friday eve. For accommodation, there are plenty of Airbnb options, but if you want to stay right across from the beach, the Novotel Manly Pacific is your best bet. While watching the sun go down over the beach is highly recommended, stray away from the beachfront to Pittwater Road for a sunset of a different kind. At Sunset Sabi, food is done in an izakaya style, but it sure ain't tradition. Ingredients like jalapeños, bacon, parmesan and Kettle chips (the chilli kind) all make their way into sushi rolls and other bite-sized morsels. Make sure you try the teeth-gluing caramel miso popcorn, the deep fried rice balls and the sweet heat roll with spicy tuna, cucumber, green beans and avocado inside, and tuna, white onion, shallots, chilli roe with sabi'q sauce on the outside. Book in advance to ensure you get a seat — this place is busy. SATURDAY MORNING: BREAKFAST BOWLS AND A BIG WALK Healthy eating seems to be synonymous with beachside suburbs, but this ain't Bondi — well, not yet anyway. Manly does have its own little health hub though, with Pure Wholefoods, Ora and Bare Naked Bowls. A contender for the best breakfast bowls in Sydney, this hole-in-the-wall cafe does seven different acai bowls, along with oats, porridge and smoothies. Best to get there early as the post-yoga crowd fill it out quite quickly — or get it takeaway, get a coffee from Barefoot around the corner and eat it by the beach. After you've finished breakfast, pull your walking shoes on and join up with the Manly Scenic Walkway and head in the direction of North Head. The track will take you past Spring Cove, uphill to the North Head sanctuary, right out to the killer views at Fairfax Lookouts and back down the other side of the head to Shelley Beach (see map). All up, it's about nine kilometres. You might want to wear your bathers for a post-walk dip. [caption id="attachment_557644" align="alignnone" width="1280"] The Boathouse[/caption] MIDDAY: LUNCH AT THE BOATHOUSE Every challenge must have its reward and after that hefty, hilly walk, your reward is this: lunch at The Boathouse. Securing the absolutely kickass location with frontage at pedestrian-only Shelley Beach, the newest Boathouse has really outdone itself. You can head in salty and sandy or recently showered in your crisp white linens — it doesn't matter here. Order seafood, perhaps in the form of the tuna crackers, the trout board (with sliced trout and trout pate) or the decadent seafood platter. The hectic 'order at the counter and find a table' system still stands, so come with both patience and an appetite. It's worth it. [caption id="attachment_560528" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Manly Kayak Centre[/caption] AFTERNOON: KAYAK TO STORE BEACH Manly Beach is great for a surfing lesson (see Sunday's activities) or a quick dip, but it's pretty busy and generally feels a bit hectic. So we suggest going somewhere a bit more secluded for the afternoon. Store Beach on Manly's North Head is accessible only by water, meaning its visitors are restricted to boat owners, stand-up paddleboarders and kayaks. Rent a kayak from Manly Kayak Centre at Manly Wharf, take in a few tips and paddle around the head to the small beach. It only takes about 30 minutes, and it's well worth it for this little patch of paradise. EVENING: BEER, WINE AND CHEESE Did you know that 4 Pines was named after the pine trees that line Manly beach? Did you even know Manly had pine trees? Well, you'll be able to get a good look at 'em from the 4 Pines Brewpub, which sits just across the road from the beach on the East Esplanade. Here you can try a pint of their pale ale or their stout, or give them all a go with a tasting rack. When you're feeling peckish, wander over to Cured, which sits in one of Manly's little laneways off the main mall (which, we're warning, you should probably avoid on a Saturday night). Cured has only been open since September, and it's a wonder nothing like this has been opened before. This small bar ticks all the small bar boxes with its triple threat offering of cheese, charcuterie and wine. They've got 18 meats — most of which come from a farm up at Byron Bay — and ten cheeses, which include an epic triple cream brie, a tasty blue and some seriously milky burrata. They'll also help you out with some chicken liver pate, an Aperol Spritz if you're so inclined, or some local beers from Dad & Dave's Brewing. Buy a bottle and settle in. SUNDAY MORNING: BREAKFAST AT ORA You've ticked breakfast bowls off your list, and at Ora you can cross off fermented foods as well. Ora have a long mission statement — of which is literally written on their walls — but here's the short of it: all their ingredients are organic, healthy and locally grown. Much of their menu is good for your gut too; the fermented oatmeal with carrots and spices may just be the thing to settle your wine-addled stomach. Their breakfast plate is much more satisfying though, with eggs fried in ghee, mushroom, greens, avo, sauerkraut and their seedy 'sai' bread. Naturally, they serve kombucha, as well as tumeric lattes (and, thankfully, normal lattes) and — for the really committed — cups of bone broth for $6. [caption id="attachment_561211" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Manly Surf School[/caption] MIDDAY: JOIN A SURFING LESSON As one of our best beaches to learn how to surf at, it would be remiss for you to spend a weekend in Manly without catching a wave. Book a lesson with the guys at Manly Surf School — they'll get you kitted out with a wetsuit and a board, and then take you out for two hours on the waves. Their groups are small, the instructors are literal pros, and they're very patient with even the most unpromising of surfing students. Lessons run for two hours and cost $70. Book in advance and hope for some sweet surf. Or, head along to the Australian Open of Surfing from February 27 to March 6 to watch instead. AFTERNOON: LUNCH AT THE HERRING ROOM There's just something about swimming in the ocean that inspires a tummy to rumble, and after two hours in the surf it's probable that yours will be absolutely roaring for something to eat. If you can manage to shower without wasting away with that empty stomach, know that lunch is going to be worth it at The Herring Room. Having opened in August last year in a renovated surf shop on a quiet part of Pittwater Road, it's away from all the hubbub of Manly's main drag and is an absolute delight. The space is cosy, bright and feels somewhat like a friend's home, making it perfect for Sunday lunch. Order a bottle of sparkling (or bring your own for $6 corkage per person) and tuck in. The salt and pepper squid are a must if you're dining post-surf, and the scallops with cauliflower puree and pancetta are top notch. Cut into the squid ink ravioli and watch it ooze with egg yolk, then eat it up with the crabmeat, salmon roe and lemon thyme buerre blanc it's served with. The service here is excellent, and it's the ultimate way to wind down your weekend in Manly. Lauren Vadnjal stayed as a guest of Destination NSW and Novotel.
Even vegetarians and vegans need a filthy food option sometimes — and Lord of the Fries is one of few fast food joints that really gets this. Now, Australia's homegrown vegetarian chain is expanding their offering to include all-day vegan breakfast. The photos may look like Maccas knock-offs, but the brekkie options — like the rest of the Lord of the Fries menu — are 100 percent vegan. Think BLTs, sausage and hash brown muffins, and a fried chicken and waffle bun with bacon, butter and maple syrup. Plus, there's also an English muffin stuffed with the holy trinity of 'bacon', 'egg' and 'cheese'. All made without any animal products, of course. The idea of vegan eggs might make some people squirm, but the mere fact that vegan fast food breakfast options are readily available is roof-raising news for those who like to keep their hangover cures cruelty-free. The all-day breakfast is now available nationwide and in all stores. Check out the full menu here.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wnmC7uLTNQ THE DISSIDENT If you know even the slightest thing about the circumstances surrounding Jamal Khashoggi's death, it's impossible to watch The Dissident without feeling angry. That's most viewers' starting mood, given that the Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist's assassination has garnered ample media attention — and Oscar-winning director Brian Fogel (Icarus) is well aware of how much coverage the subject has received, and of how the world feels about the situation. Indeed, his thorough and exacting documentary both feeds upon and fuels that shock and ire. The mood is tense, the commentary is pointed and the prevailing sentiment is savage. Both rage and outrage permeate each frame, unsurprisingly so, as the film lays bare the brutal facts surrounding Khashoggi's murder, its lead-up and its aftermath. No other tone would be acceptable. Nothing other than dismay, abhorrence and anger would be either. When you're making a movie about a man who entered his nation's embassy to obtain paperwork so that he could get married, then left it in dismembered pieces while his bride-to-be waited outside, how could anything other than fury, horror and alarm eventuate? Although the details have already been well-documented since October 2, 2018, they're still reassembled in The Dissident. Accordingly, the doco tells of Khashoggi's visit to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul just over a year after fleeing his country, after which he was never seen alive again. He wanted to marry academic Hatice Cengiz, his Turkish fiancée. To do so, he needed a document certifying that he was no longer wed to his prior wife. He'd first sought that necessary certification from the embassy just a few days earlier, so they knew that he'd be returning — and once he stepped inside once more, he was ambushed, attacked and killed by a newly arrived team of Saudi agents. Cengiz contacted the authorities when the man she thought she'd be spending the rest of her life with didn't surface, but the Saudi government claimed that the exiled reporter had left via a back entrance. It didn't take long to ascertain the truth, as was suspected from the moment he failed to reemerge. The official story changed several times, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman denied any knowledge of a premeditated plot, but the fact remains that Khashoggi was slaughtered by operatives from his homeland. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGLmTd8q3Ec&t=7s THE UNITED STATES VS BILLIE HOLIDAY More than 80 years after it was first sung and heard, Billie Holiday's 'Strange Fruit' still isn't easily forgotten. Drawn from a poem penned to protest lynchings, it's meant to shock and haunt. It's designed to galvanise and mobilise, too, as drawing attention to the extrajudicial killings of Black Americans should. Indeed, so vivid is the song in its language — "Black bodies swingin' in the southern breeze" describes the third line — US authorities demanded that Holiday stop performing it. She refused repeatedly, so there were repercussions. Concerned that the track would spark change, inspire Holiday's fans to fight for civil rights and justice, and perhaps motivate riots against against oppression and discrimination as well, the US Treasury Department's Federal Bureau of Narcotics went after the musician for her drug use. If it couldn't get her to cease crooning the controversial tune via other means, such as overt warnings and a prominent police presence at her shows, it'd do whatever it could to keep her from reaching the stage night after night. With Andra Day (Marshall) turning in an intense, impassioned, career-defining portrayal as its eponymous figure (and in her first lead film role, too), so tells The United States vs Billie Holiday, the latest Oscar-nominated biopic to step through its namesake's life. Back in 1972, Lady Sings the Blues loosely adapted Holiday's autobiography of the same name, enlisting Diana Ross to play the singer — but, in taking inspiration instead from Johann Hari's non-fiction book Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs, this latest big-screen vision of the music icon's story adopts its own angle. Holiday's troubled childhood and youth has its part in this tale, which is scripted for the screen by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks. Her addiction, and the personal woes that she tried to blot out, clearly don't escape filmmaker Lee Daniels' (The Butler) attention, either. But The United States vs Billie Holiday also falls in alongside Seberg, MLK/FBI and Judas and the Black Messiah in interrogating bleak truths about mid-20th century America. In a film that manages to be both rousing and standard, that includes surveying the misplaced priorities of its government during multiple administrations, and the blatant determination shown by an array of agencies under various presidents to undermine, persecute and silence those considered a supposedly un-American threat to the status quo. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNE7ap2lOnU MORTAL KOMBAT No one enjoys watching someone else mash buttons. While it's a passable way to spend a few minutes, losing interest quickly simply comes with the territory. That's how viewing Mortal Kombat feels as well, except that watching your friends play any of the martial arts video game franchise's 22 different arcade and console titles since 1992 (or any game at all) would be far more entertaining. Shot in South Australia and marking the feature debut of filmmaker Simon McQuoid, the latest attempt to bring the popular series to the big screen — following a first try in 1995 and a sequel in 1997 — feels like watching cosplay, too. The movie's cast literally dresses up in the outfits needed to recreate the game's characters, of course, but the film shouldn't so overtly resemble fans donning costumes at a pop culture convention. And yet, Mortal Kombat evokes this situation from the moment its 17th century Japan-set prologue, which is also its best scene, comes to an end. After establishing a mythic and bloody backstory for the movie's narrative as a whole, the character that'll become an undead ninja ghost called Scorpion (Hiroyuki Sanada, Westworld) and his prophecised descendants, this B-grade flick is happy to, in fact. It's not just the violence that's cartoonish here; it's every glare exchanged and word uttered, with much of the script trading in cliches, dramatic pauses and catchphrases. Mortal Kombat's gaming fanbase may be eager to see their beloved characters given flesh and blood, face off against each other and spout lines that usually emanate from a much smaller screen, but that doesn't make a movie engaging. Nor can a flimsy screenplay by first-timer Greg Russo and Wonder Woman 1984's Dave Callaham, which follows the battle between Earthrealm and Outworld — one that'll be lost by the former if an MMA fighter named Cole Young (Lewis Tan, Wu Assassins), who bears a dragon birthmark, doesn't team up with the other figures with the same marking to stop humanity from losing for the tenth time. That's where the no-nonsense Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee, Black Water: Abyss) comes in, and also the grating, wisecracking Kano (Josh Lawson, Long Story Short). The villainous Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim, Warrior) might be threatening to freeze all of earth's champions so that Outworld's Shang Tsung (Chin Han, Skyscraper) can rig the tournament before it even happens, but Mortal Kombat still has time — and far too much of it — to spend pondering supernatural destinies and letting an over-acting, always grating Lawson mug for attempted laughs. The end result is intentionally ridiculous, and presumably unintentionally dull, all while setting up an unearned sequel. And although brutal enough amidst the silliness for an R rating, even the film's fight scenes merely go through the motions, especially given the heights that films like The Raid and John Wick have scaled in with their eye-popping action choreography over the past decade. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YZuNQLSJlQ EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE In The Nightingale, Sam Claflin wasn't charming, kindly or gallant. He was worlds away from his roles in rom-com Love, Rosie, weepie drama Me Before You and the page-to-screen Hunger Games franchise — and, playing a supporting but still key part in the exceptional 2019 film, he was excellent. Alas, while he remains in darker territory with Every Breath You Take, this psychological thriller isn't a highlight on his or anyone's resume. The good news: it doesn't feature the 1983 single by The Police that shares the film's title. The not-so-great news: it is indeed about someone surveilling others, so it must've taken the production's entire reserves of restraint not to include that song. Little subtlety seems to be displayed elsewhere, including by Claflin, and little intelligence, either. In development for almost a decade, once set to be directed by Misery's Rob Reiner, and also slated to star Harrison Ford and Zac Efron over the years, the film focuses on the fallout from a psychologist's decision to talk to one of his patients about his own problems. Not long after gushing to a lecture hall filled with students about his successful new technique, however, he finds himself the target of a vindictive stalker who is intent on destroying his entire family's lives. Debut screenwriter David Murray has clearly seen Fatal Attraction, Unfaithful, Cape Fear and Fear, and The Silence of the Lambs as well, and he's not afraid to mash pieces of each together here. Looking pensive, grappling with family woes again but worlds away from his Oscar-winning performance in Manchester by the Sea, Casey Affleck (The Old Man and the Gun) plays Philip, the analyst in question. He crosses paths with James (Claflin, Enola Holmes) at the scene of a tragedy, then finds him knocking on his door — and soon his wife Grace (Michelle Monaghan, The Craft: Legacy) and teenage daughter Lucy (India Eisley, Dead Reckoning) are both bumping into the newcomer seemingly everywhere they go. In an already tense household thanks to an accident years earlier, James easily upsets the status quo. When Philip starts having professional problems as well, the trio's struggles only deepen. It's hard to guess what attracted this starry cast to such a routine film, but it definitely isn't the pulpy script or Vaughn Stein's (Inheritance) overboiled direction. Indeed, in a movie that somehow thinks that being as blatant as possible will ramp up the suspense — which, unsurprisingly, it doesn't — only the icy visuals by cinematographer Michael Merriman (another Inheritance alum) garner much attention. Well, that and the screechy score by Marlon Espino (also returning from Inheritance), although the latter does so with the same obviousness that characterises almost everything about the feature. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COLOJaM3k_M SISTER More than once during Sister, An Ran (Zhang Zifeng, Detective Chinatown 3) is reminded that her status as a sibling — and as a woman — is burdened with strong expectations in China. With her much-younger brother An Ziheng (Kim Darren Yowon) earning pride of place in her parents' hearts, and in Chinese society's patriarchal hierarchy in general, she's meant to defer her dreams and desires in favour of her family's male heir. That's just what's done, and always has been. And, after the pair's mother and father are killed in a car accident, no one can quite understand why An Ran is determined to buck convention. But, after weathering a childhood coloured by her dad's disappointment about her gender, she has spent years trying to break free from her past. A nurse hoping to gain acceptance into medical school so that she can become a doctor, and so distanced from her parents and brother that she doesn't even know the latter, she doesn't just vehemently disagree with the idea that she should now devote her life to An Ziheng; she refuses to abide by it. Instead, An Ran wants to sell the family apartment, find adoptive parents for her sibling and continue working towards her own future. Neither director Yin Ruoxin (Farewell, My Lad) nor screenwriter You Xiaoying (Love Education) shies away from the harsh reality facing their protagonist in Sister, or from the fact that her plight is emblematic of the nation's women in a much broader sense. And, for most of its duration, their sensitive but clear-eyed drama firmly and unflinchingly tackles the ramifications of simply being born female in China. The continued pressure directed An Ran's way and the treatment she receives for not toeing the line aren't the film's only sources of conflict, with class differences and the way that power structures play out both domestically and professionally also playing their part in the movie's layered narrative. They're aided by Zhang's weighty performance, too — a portrayal that segues seamlessly back and forth from defiant and committed to exhausted and exasperated, and shows both the will to eschew norms and the weariness from the constant battle on multiple levels. The film's boldness is eventually undercut, though. Budding within its naturalistically lit imagery and its often roving and restless frames is an awareness that the bonds of blood will eventually pull at An Ran. The script ensures that her growing bond with her brother feels genuine; however, it's also a far more sentimental turn of events than Sister indulges otherwise. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SodO2VN0iYY SIX MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT Eddie Izzard takes inspiration from her home town of Bexhill-on-Sea in Six Minutes to Midnight, using its pre-World War II history as the basis for an intriguing but also muddled thriller. Before the conflict broke out, the coastal spot was home to the Augusta Victoria College, where the daughters of high-ranking Germans were sent to finish their education. In Izzard's hands as the film's star, executive producer and co-writer — the latter with Celyn Jones (The Vanishing) and director Andy Goddard (A Kind of Murder) — this real-life scenario gives rise to espionage antics. She plays Thomas Miller, the school's new teacher, and also a spy sent to keep tabs on the students' whereabouts for British intelligence. Headmistress Miss Rocholl (Judi Dench, Blithe Spirit) dotes on the girls, and naively sees only camaraderie in the college's existence, but Miller and his superiors are concerned that the institution's pupils could be smuggled out in secret. It doesn't help that Ilse Keller (Carla Juri, When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit), the school's only German employee, hardly seems trustworthy. The pro-Nazi ideology infused into her lessons is hardly a promising sign, but soon it's Miller that is the object of suspicion, despite his efforts to uncover just who in English society has been pledging their allegiance abroad. No one can fault Izzard's interest in Augusta Victoria College, or her eagerness to bring its little-known place in Britain's past to the screen. But Six Minutes to Midnight is so caught up in being a spy film — and one that takes its cues from Alfred Hitchcock at that — that it serves up a paper-thin story that's on the verge of blowing over in the East Sussex breeze. Twists, double crosses, wavering loyalty, murder, chases, interrogations and clandestine plots all ensue, but with few surprises, and with exactly why the students' possible return to Germany would be so catastrophic never fully fleshed out. Handsome seaside scenery does abound, though, and so does a committed performance from Izzard. She spends much of her screen-time running, as she often does in reality — completing 43 marathons in 51 days in 2009, 27 in 27 days in 2016 and 32 in 31 days earlier this year — but her wit and charisma are always evident. Saddled with a one-note role, Dench is less convincing, but supporting players Jim Broadbent (King of Thieves) and James D'Arcy (Avengers: Endgame) make the most of their small parts as a kindly bus driver and a wily detective respectively. As for the young women, the fact that they're primarily regarded as a group, rather than given the time and space to convey their personalities, speaks volumes about their function as the feature's MacGuffin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xXFm78O6P8 MOON ROCK FOR MONDAY Kurt Martin, the first-time feature writer/director behind Moon Rock for Monday, must owe much of his film education to Australian cinema of the 90s. His road-trip drama — which is also a coming-of-age tale and a crime thriller, and happens to be set in the 90s, too — takes clearcut cues from The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Two Hands. Here, though, a 12-year-old girl and an older teen sit at the centre of the narrative. Thankfully, while the nods towards other prominent homegrown movies are obvious, these sources of inspiration don't cast an overbearing shadow. There isn't much about Moon Rock for Monday that proves overtly novel, but it doesn't simply trudge in other films' footsteps, either. The importance of the feature's canny casting can't be understated, with fellow debutant Ashlyn Louden-Gamble a winsome presence as the titular pre-teen and George Pullar (Playing for Keeps) infusing his wayward but well-meaning jewellery store thief-turned-fugitive with more depth than might be expected. Indeed, their rapport as their characters first evade the police on Sydney's streets, then take to the highway towards the Northern Territory, gives this warm-hearted movie enough charm to do more than simply coast by. Named for the day she was born, Monday's (Louden-Gamble) entire life has revolved around an illness that requires frequent medical treatment. But, despite the lived-in weariness and worry perennially plastered across the face of her dad Bob (Aaron Jeffrey, The Flood), she handles the situation with a sunny disposition, an eagerness to see the world and an obsession with Uluru — or Moon Rock, as she calls it. Then, this father-daughter duo stumble into Tyler's (Pullar) orbit. Soon Monday is by the latter's side, indulging her thirst for adventure and tagging along as he hightails it out of town. Bob isn't the only one desperate to find them, with Detective Lionell (David Field, Mortal Kombat) also on their trail in the aftermath of Tyler's light-fingered ways. From the outset, even before Monday and Tyler start heading west, there's an episodic feel to Moon Rock for Monday; however, flitting from one narrative incident to the next suits the road-trip premise. When nothing but landscape surrounds its central pair, that dusty red expanse does plenty of heavy lifting — a scene outside of Coober Pedy is particularly striking, both visually and emotionally — but this is still a promising big-screen start for its director and leads alike. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyopYXVJNmQ THIS LITTLE LOVE OF MINE Blatantly formulaic rom-coms are cinema's version of junk food, as Netflix has been trying to use to its advantage. Scroll through the platform's catalogue, especially around Christmas, and a wealth of straight-to-streaming movies that eagerly play up every trope and cliche await — but being easy to make and undemanding to consume isn't the same as being worth watching. This Little Love of Mine is debuting in cinemas; however, it'll feel at home when it does find its way into a streaming service's lineup. Its story is that predictable and its dialogue is that hoary. The setup: ambitious workaholic lawyer Laura (Saskia Hampele, The Heights) is certain that she'll finally make partner and be able to start doing worthwhile work helping small business owners if she convinces a building magnate's (Martin Portus, Home and Away) island-dwelling boat captain grandson Chip (Liam McIntyre, Them) to take over his billion-dollar development company. The catch: the island, Sapphire Cove, is where she grew up before she left for her high-powered, big-city life in San Francisco, and Chip is the childhood best friend she's thought of fondly over the years, but hasn't seen since she departed. Romantic comedies don't need to trade in surprises. When you're just aiming to bring two characters together so that they can presumably live happily ever after, twists aren't a necessary feature. But viewers should enjoy their time watching said central figures overcome the obligatory obstacles that come their way on the inevitable path to becoming a couple. They should get invested in their plights, be charmed by their personalities and care about their fates —and, even with the ultimate outcome remaining obvious to anyone and everyone, no one should feel as if they're just peering on as a movie works through a checklist. While Hampele and McIntyre do their best to liven up Georgia Harrison's (Rip Tide) rote script, they can't nudge This Little Love of Mine into engaging waters. The same applies to Lynn Gilmartin (How Do You Know Chris?) as Laura and Chip's fellow lifelong friend Gem, who proves the kind of dutiful sidekick-slash-trusty confidant character that could've strolled out of almost every rom-com ever made. Also unable to lift the material: the eye-catching Far North Queensland backdrop, which sets a suitably swoon-worthy scene; however, the repeated palm tree and beach shots peppered throughout the film by first-time director Christine Luby and cinematographer Simon Harding (Ruben Guthrie) begin to feel like filler quickly. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on January 1, January 7, January 14, January 21 and January 28; February 4, February 11, February 18 and February 25; March 4, March 11, March 18 and March 25; and April 1 and April 8. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman, The Dry, Promising Young Woman, Summerland, Ammonite, The Dig, The White Tiger, Only the Animals, Malcolm & Marie, News of the World, High Ground, Earwig and the Witch, The Nest, Assassins, Synchronic, Another Round, Minari, Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra, The Truffle Hunters, The Little Things, Chaos Walking, Raya and the Last Dragon, Max Richter's Sleep, Judas and the Black Messiah, Girls Can't Surf, French Exit, Saint Maud, Godzilla vs Kong, The Painter and the Thief, Nobody, The Father, Willy's Wonderland, Collective, Voyagers, Gunda and Supernova. Top image: Takashi Seida.
If you're a fan of God's gift to vegetables, boy do we have some news for you. Melbourne-born ethical fast food institution and promoters of the best chips in the universe, Lord of the Fries, has landed in Fortitude Valley with its first Brisbane store. Setting up shop in Brunswick Street, this isn't the chain's first Queensland shop, with that honour going to its already-open digs in Surfers Paradise. But, the new eatery does mean that fries-loving Brisbanites no longer need to head down the coast to get their fix. The much-loved Aussie chippery first hit the streets in 2004 as a food truck in Melbourne. The initiative was started by Mark and Mandy Koronczyk, with the pair discovering a mutual love of potato slivers — and a conscience to help build a better world by finding an alternative solution to the chemical and beef-tallow-laden fries swallowing the market. Hence, the Lord's offerings sit atop a 100-percent vegetarian menu, using oil free of chemicals, preservatives and animal products. In addition to the immensely addictive fries, other menu items include plant-based patties, hot dogs, nuggets and mac 'n' cheese balls, as well as shakes and ice cream. The chain now has 24 stores around the country, plus four across the ditch in New Zealand, with plans to expand across Asia in the not-too-distant future. Find Lord of the Fries at 3/352 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley — open 11am–10pm Monday–Thursday, 11am–3am Friday, 11.30am–3am Saturday and 11.30am–10pm Sunday. If you're choosing to go out and support local businesses, have a look at the latest COVID-19 advice and social-distancing guidelines from the Department of Health.
Australia has been welcoming a steady stream of stunning new hotel properties from local brands, from dog-friendly boutique stays to history-filled inner-city escapes. But that's not the case for our latest grand arrival, which officially opened today, Thursday, March 23, towering above Melbourne CBD's Lonsdale Street. After much hype, the Ritz-Carlton Melbourne has finally been unveiled in all its luxurious 80-storey glory. It marks the second Aussie property for the international Marriott-owned brand after an existing site in Perth, with the next slated to open on the Gold Coast by 2026. The new 257-room hotel is a high-end affair, with renowned Aussie architects Cottee Parker behind the build and BAR Studio to thank for the elegant interiors. Here, they've flipped the script on the usual hotel formula, placing the impressive Sky Lobby Reception way up on Level 80, where lofty ceilings and huge windows offer panoramic views to greet its guests. Rooms are kitted out with hand-made glass panels, dark timber and gold finishes, while artworks pay tribute to both the city location and the area's indigenous heritage. Splash out to stay in the enormous Ritz-Carlton Suite and you'll enjoy your own in-room sauna, walk-in wardrobe and private pantry. Last year, the hotel named Michael Greenlaw (London's Bibendum, Vue de Monde) as Executive Chef and Mark Best (Peninsula Bistro, Marque) in the role of Culinary Advisor, hinting at some buzz-worthy food and drink offerings to come. That looks set to be the case, with three onsite venues now unveiled — Atria is the innovative fine-diner celebrating hyper-seasonality, Cameo is the glam cocktail bar promising top-shelf sipping and the Lobby Lounge is the more casual counterpart that'll also play host to high-tea sessions. All of these sit at the top of the hotel, showcasing eye-popping views across the city. Of course, with all that luxury there had to be a standout wellness offering involved — and the Ritz-Carlton Spa promises not to disappoint. Here, you'll find six treatment rooms and a hefty menu of therapies, as well as a soaring infinity pool, yoga studio and fitness hub. The hotel is also home to no less than 2500 square metres of event space, including the expansive Ritz-Carlton Grand Ballroom, which boasts space to sit 550 guests. Find the Ritz-Carlton Melbourne at 650 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Austrian-British philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein once famously stated that "the limits of my language means the limits of my world". Wittgenstein was part of a philosophical movement whose intense and sustained navel-gazing gave rise to an idea known as the "linguistic turn". This was an idea, with which everyone from novelists to zoologists jumped on board, suggesting that our creativity and conceptual imagination is limited by the fact that our languages are made up of a limited number of words. So we are stuck with a limited number of meanings. As such Wittgenstein, and his quite morbid buddies, argued that language is inadequate to the task of expressing human experience. The website "Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows" are doing their little bit to make the inexpressible more expressible, by creating an ever-growing list of new words to describe the sad little idiosyncrasies that make up modern life. This consistently hilarious and subtly insightful website believes that if words like "gif" and "trolling" deserve a place in the Macquarie Dictionary then why shouldn't words like "astrophe" or "heartworm." (Which describe, respectively, the hypothetical conversations we have with other people in our head, and those past relationships that are buried deep in our psyche.) With Dictionary.com recently releasing their "word of the year" here are our five favourite contender entries for next year from of "The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows". Contact High-Five An innocuous touch by someone just doing their job—a barber, yoga instructor or friendly waitress—that you enjoy more than you'd like to admit, a feeling of connection so stupefyingly simple that it cheapens the power of the written word, so that by the year 2025, aspiring novelists would be better off just giving people a hug. Reverse Shibboleth The practice of answering a cellphone with a generic "Hello?" as if you didn't already know exactly who was calling—which is a little like the egg requirement that marketers added to early cake mixes in the 1950s, an antiquated extra step that's only there to reassure you that it's an authentic homecooked meal, just like grandma used to make. Sonder The realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you'll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk. Astrophe A hypothetical conversation that you compulsively play out in your head—a crisp analysis, a cathartic dialogue, a devastating comeback—which serves as a kind of psychological batting cage where you can connect more deeply with people than in the small ball of everyday life, which is a frustratingly cautious game of change-up pitches, sacrifice bunts, and intentional walks. Semaphorism A conversational hint that you have something personal to say on the subject but don't go any further—an emphatic nod, a half-told anecdote, an enigmatic 'I know the feeling'—which you place into conversations like those little flags that warn diggers of something buried underground: maybe a cable that secretly powers your house, maybe a fiberoptic link to some foreign country. Entries and text from the wonderful Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows.
Delivery service apps like UberEats continue to rise in Australia and New Zealand, claiming exclusivity deals with everything from major grocery stores to hardware giants. Yep, hardware, you read it right. The latest Australian megastore to join the order-to-your-door offer posed by Uber Eats is the home of things home and garden — Bunnings. Following a successful Victorian pilot program in January, the nationwide rollout will begin in 15 locations across Australia, with plans to expand further and over to New Zealand throughout the year. The partnership will give eligible customers access to 60-minute guaranteed deliveries of over 30,000 items from the Bunnings catalogue — including lawn mowers, power washers, pet food, gardening equipment, DIY products, nuts, bolts and packing boxes. Bunnings COO, Ryan Baker, told 9Honey that the partnership will "offer customers another convenient way to shop a wide range of products from Bunnings, delivered directly to their home or worksite via the Uber Eats app. While many customers enjoy visiting our stores to browse and get advice in person, we know there are times when convenience and speed are the priority." [caption id="attachment_1076390" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Ceri Breeze via iStock[/caption] "This partnership complements our existing delivery options and helps us better understand how customers want to shop with Bunnings," Baker added. Lucas Groeneveld, General Manager of Uber Eats APAC, said in a press release, "From last-minute DIY fixes and garden projects, to preparing for a BBQ or keeping a work site moving, this partnership makes it easier than ever for customers to get what they need, delivered on demand, whatever the occasion." Bunnings joins a mix of other non-edible delivery partners on Uber Eats, including Pet Barn, Officeworks and EB Games. If you're wondering, though, Bunnings snags are not included in the delivery service — you'll still have to get those yourself. Check to see if your local Bunnings delivers via UberEats here, more stores are expected to roll out later in 2026. Images: iStock
When it comes to eating out, we're spoilt for choice at every turn. Choosing where to eat is a difficult choice relegated to only the most decisive of friends. But, even so, sometimes you want to cook something at home. With that in mind, we annoyed the Porteño team to give us a recipe. So they relented and told us how make their insanely good, crispy brussels sprouts. You can make 'em too! PORTEÑO'S CRISPY BRUSSELS SPROUTS Serves eight 2kg brussels sprouts, cut in half 150g lentils 1 bunch of mint 1 bunch of continental parsley river salt flakes cottonseed oil (for deep frying) For dressing 2 tbls hot English mustard 100ml vincotto 200ml EVOO salt and pepper to taste Cook lentils in simmering water until tender, drain and set aside. Whisk all ingredients for dressing together. Trim ends and remove outer leaves of Brussels sprouts then cut in half lengthways. Heat cottonseed oil to 180˚ in a heavy based saucepan. Deep fry brussels sprouts in batches until golden and crispy. When done, drain on paper towel then place in a large bowl. Season with river salt flakes, add dressing, mint, parsley and lentils and toss to coat. Updated: December 24, 2017. This article was originally published in the lead-up to Taste of Sydney 2016.
When it's hot and humid you'll find us hurling ourselves into the nearest water source to take the heat off. And after the past couple of years we've all had, we're pretty keen to cool off somewhere extra special in 2022. One place that is overflowing with waterfalls and crystal clear freshwater swimming holes is Tropical North Queensland. Autumn is the perfect time to see the rainforest and its waterfalls truly thrive thanks to higher rainfall. From natural rock waterslides to rope swings in the Daintree, there's no shortage of incredible ways to make a splash and extend your summer in the north this year. Just make sure you always follow the advice from Queensland Parks and steer clear of out of bounds zones, flooded waters or dangerous areas so you're always swimming safely. [caption id="attachment_830046" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] SLIDE DOWN A NATURAL WATERSLIDE AT JOSEPHINE FALLS When you drive 75 kilometres south of Cairns to Josephine Falls, you'll quickly realise why this picturesque playground is so popular among locals and tourists. Located in Wooroonooran National Park, which is home to the Noongyanbudda Ngadjon people, this incredible waterfall cascades through World Heritage-listed rainforest near Queensland's highest peak, Mount Bartle Frere. From the carpark, you'll wander 600 metres through lush rainforest before reaching the viewing decks that overlook the falls. Here, you can take a few snaps of the incredible view before making your way down to the water peppered with smooth boulders for you to perch on — then it's time to get wet. If you're feeling adventurous, have a crack at the natural waterslide in the main pool. Or, if you like to take your swimming at a slower pace, there's plenty of space to float about in the rejuvenating water fresh from the mountain. [caption id="attachment_830048" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] HIKE THROUGH AN INCREDIBLE NATIONAL PARK TO CLAMSHELL FALLS If you want to get properly warmed up before jumping into fresh rainforest water, take the track through Behana Gorge to discover the impressive swimming spot that is Clamshell Falls. Situated 30 minutes drive south of Cairns, the track winds its way alongside a babbling creek for 3.5 kilometres before opening up to a dreamy dip destination. The waterfall itself acts as an active backdrop to the gentler swimming hole that sits below. The incline of the walk can be challenging in parts which means it's likely there won't be too many people around. Just make sure you take all your essential items with you as there are no amenities when you're this deep into the jungle. [caption id="attachment_830044" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] GET UNDERNEATH THRIVING FALLS IN THE ATHERTON TABLELANDS If seeing one waterfall in a day isn't enough, head to the highlands to experience the beauty of the Atherton Tablelands waterfall circuit. With a bunch of tumbling waterfalls and vast crater lakes to explore, the trip up the mountain range to these rainforest delights is essential Tropical North Queensland travel. Take the Gillies Highway from Cairns to Crater Lakes National Park to dive into Lake Barrine and Lake Eacham. Unlike their explosive origins, these water-filled volcanic craters are ideal for a serene morning float. Next, drive to the nearby town of Millaa Millaa to find out why its eponymously named falls are one of the most photographed cascades in the country. Have a soak in the swimming hole at the base of Millaa Millaa Falls or get underneath its 18-metre drop to have your very own rainforest shower. And, if more waterfall action is what your heart desires, visit nearby Zillie Falls and Ellinjaa Falls to round out the circuit. [caption id="attachment_830047" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] SWING INTO THE PRISTINE WATERS OF THE DAINTREE RAINFOREST Willing to head off the beaten track to find a quality swimming hole? Then head a couple of hours north of Cairns to beat the heat at Emmagen Creek. You'll bounce down an unsealed road to reach this picturesque pool located five kilometres north of Cape Tribulation in the Daintree National Park. From the carpark, head toward the Emmagen Creek road crossing and take the track on the left-hand side to the swimming section of the creek located a few hundred metres upstream. If the water is high, consider plonking yourself in the clear rainforest water via the rope swing. Or, clamber down the twisting tree roots to enter the freshwater swimming hole slowly and try to spot a cassowary from the creek. [caption id="attachment_830054" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] BE SPOILED FOR CHOICE AT CRYSTAL CASCADES When you want to get wet on a whim in Tropical North Queensland, head to Crystal Cascades. This stunning swimming spot is a popular place for locals to plunge and it's located only a 20-minute drive from the Cairns CBD. Crystal Cascades boasts a series of swimming holes and waterfalls that tumble down the mountain in a section of Freshwater Creek. If you don't feel like walking far, cool off in one of the cascade's lower pools. Or, if you're keen for a longer stroll, head to the top to take a dip at the larger waterfall at the track's end. The arching rainforest canopy provides for shady swimming and the granite boulder-filled creek helps to keep the pools cool year-round. There are picnic tables and barbecue facilities available too, so pack yourself some seasonal tropical fruit to refuel after all your waterfall exploration. [caption id="attachment_830049" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] SPEND THE NIGHT CAMPING AT DAVIES CREEK Drifting off to sleep to the sound of falling water doesn't have to be created through a mindfulness app and your imagination when you're in Tropical North Queensland. If you head to Davies Creek National Park and Dinden National Park, you can listen to the sounds of an actual babbling creek situated right next to your campsite. To get there, drive an hour west of Cairns and then pitch a tent at either the Lower Davies Creek or Upper Davies Creek campsites. Then, spend a couple of days exploring the hikes, mountain bike trails and waterfalls throughout the neighbouring parks. Just make sure you book your campsite in advance as there are only eight spots available at each campground. [caption id="attachment_832593" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] EXPLORE THE JUNGLE AT STONEY CREEK In the rainforest at the back of Cairns, you'll find locals cooling off at much-loved swimming hole Stoney Creek. Whether you want a quick dip not too far from town or to hike your way to a waterfall further afield, this series of private swimming holes has all your swim cravings covered. It's just a short walk from the carpark in Barron Gorge National Park to the first pool perched underneath a small footbridge. Swim here or continue down the left side of the creek adjacent track past a series of swimming spots before reaching the spilling waters at Old Weir Falls. If you're keen for even more mountain action, head back to the footbridge after a swim at the falls and take the right side track up to Glacier Rock. [caption id="attachment_832594" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] DIVE INTO THE MAGIC OF FAIRY FALLS If you make your way to Crystal Cascades, it's worth checking out its little sister swimming spot located close by, too. Tucked away in the dense rainforest next door to the cascades, you'll soon realise what's so magical about Fairy Falls. Take the track to the left of the carpark at Crystal Cascades to make your way to the mystical falls a 15-minute walk away. The narrow waterfall shoots into a clear blue swimming hole and the log wedged in the centre of its stream makes it easy to imagine fairies frolicking in this picture-perfect rainforest pool. Just make sure you follow the path along the creek when you're trying to find this veiled treasure — the alternative track at the fork won't lead you to the magical place you're seeking. [caption id="attachment_832597" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raging Thunder Adventures[/caption] FLOAT DOWN THE TULLY RIVER TO PONYTAIL FALLS A couple of hours south of Cairns is where you'll find the spectacular sights of Tully Gorge National Park. The Tully River churns its way down the mountain creating rapids and world-class white water rafting throughout this stunning gorge. But it's not all rough and tumble in at every turn along this river. You have two options to find Ponytail Falls — by car or by raft with Raging Thunder Adventures. For drivers, follow signs to Cardstone Weir until you spot the number 11 painted on the road. Then, take a short stroll through the rainforest to uncover the hair-like spout that spills into pale blue water below. Or, if you want to see the falls from a raft, sign up to a white water rafting adventure and a guide will take you there via wet and wild rapids. Ready to extend your summer by soaking up waterfalls and freshwater swimming holes in Tropical North Queensland? For more information and to book your holiday in the tropics, visit the website. Top images: Tourism Tropical North Queensland.
If the end times were coming, and the antichrist as well, how would an angel and a demon on earth cope? That's the question that fantasy authors Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman explored in 1990 novel Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, winning awards and plenty of fans as a result. Now, what'd happen if Michael Sheen (Quiz) was that heavenly figure and David Tennant (Doctor Who) his demonic counterpart? That's exactly what the Good Omens streaming series dived into when it initially arrived back in 2019. Four years later, the Prime Video show is finally returning for season two. With Sheen back as Aziraphale and Tennant as Crowley, that key casting remains intact. Jon Hamm (Confess, Fletch) also returns as Gabriel, this time showing up at Aziraphale's bookshop with zero memory of who he is — sparking the show's new mystery. Cue hiding the archangel from all interested parties — below and above — and, as is Good Omens' custom, getting Aziraphale and Crowley leaning on each other. Cue jumping from before The Beginning through to modern times as well, including stops in the biblical and Victorian eras, and the Blitz in 1940s England. As the trailer for season two shows, divine chaos ensues, even though Aziraphale and Crowley thwarted the apocalypse in season one. How it all turns out, other than amusingly, will be revealed when the series hits streaming again on Friday, July 28. Also back for a second go-around are Doon Mackichan (Toast of Tinseltown) as archangel Michael, plus Gloria Obianyo (Dune) as archangel Uriel, while Miranda Richardson (Rams), Maggie Service (Life) and Nina Sosanya (His Dark Materials) return as well — but in different parts. They're all joined by series newcomers Liz Carr (This Is Going to Hurt), Quelin Sepulveda (The Man Who Fell to Earth) and Shelley Conn (Bridgerton), the latter as Beelzebub. And Neil Gaiman is back as executive producer and co-showrunner, helping guide a season that now expands past its source material. Check out the trailer for Good Omens season two below: Good Omens returns for season two from Friday, July 28 via Prime Video.
Catching a blockbuster or indie flick beneath the stars is already pretty special. Yet part of the reason so many people love Moonlight Cinema is that you can bring your dog along for the ride. Good luck finding a conventional cinema with that perk — unless Yarraville's Sun Theatre and their doggy day sessions are within reach. Now the experience for your pooch is getting even better, as Moonlight Cinemas across the country (except Perth) are adding exclusive Lyka doggie bag meals to the menu for the first time. So, when it's time to hit up the kitchen and bar for your movie night snacks, pet parents can also grab some dog-friendly goodies to keep their pup occupied. While you get stuck into the popcorn and perhaps a wine or two, your dog could be munching on a tasty kangaroo meal. Served as part of a goodie bag for $17, it comes with a handy DOG by Dr Lisa Lick Mat and a Turkey Dental Jerky Treat, perfect for times when your dog grows a little restless. And with everything handed over inside a convenient Lyka cooler bag, it's easy to keep the doggy snacks chilled on a warm evening. Ready for a night out with the fam — pets and all? Moonlight Cinema's 30th season kicks off on Friday, November 21, in Sydney, with Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne soon to follow.
When Josh and Julie Niland announced in 2024 that they're launching their debut Queensland restaurant this year, with Hamilton Island their destination, it was huge news. As the venue gets closer to welcoming patrons in the door — from Thursday, April 24, in fact — it remains one of the big culinary openings of 2025. You'll find the pair's first Sunshine State eatery at The Sundays, a brand-new hotel that's launching on the same date. But Catseye Pool Club, as the Nilands' venture is called, stands out from the pair's other restaurants. There's the location, of course — and eating here does indeed mean dining at an oceanfront spot in The Whitsundays. Then there's the fact that Catseye Pool Club isn't a seafood joint. Whenever Josh and Julie's names come up, it's usually in the same breath as their preferred form of protein. Acclaimed Sydney restaurants, award-winning cookbooks, global kudos, a sustainable seafood restaurant in Singapore: championing a fin-to-tail approach to the ocean's finest, their footprint spans all of the above. Whole-fish cookery remains a feature at Catseye Pool Club, though, but it's just one part of the menu. The plan is to hero Australian ingredients and celebrate shared dining, with dishes designed to be tucked into communally. Taking your time in the sun, making the most of the fact that you're on an island and relaxing in general are also key aspects of the vibe — and the pool club part of the restaurant's name says plenty. Yes, it the eatery is by the pool, too, so you'll be peering at water from multiple sources. "Whilst 'family-style' or 'share-style' dining is very much a way restaurants have operated for many years, the Catseye Pool Club approaches its menu with each item very much designed to be enjoyed as a whole table, with all the trimmings coming with each dish," explains Josh. "The menu is still undergoing final deliberation, but guests can expect beautiful fresh pastries made by the team, 'CPC' spanner crab royale, and coconut and verjuice honey bircher." The Nilands have released a sample menu, to give a further idea of the types of dishes that might be on offer. Think: eastern rock lobster with white bread rolls and tarragon mayonnaise; roasted chicken for two and four, paired with slow-cooked zucchini, chicken-fat roast potatoes, and tomato and grilled bread salad; grass-fed beef rib eye for four, accompanied by boiled greens and house fries; hard line-caught coral trout in salt pastry, again for four; and a neapolitan sundae for dessert. Catseye Pool Club will also serve up breakfast just for hotel guests — and you'll be able to enjoy its range of meals if you're hanging out by the pool rather than sitting at a table. "It's about creating an atmosphere where everyone can detach, unplug and simply enjoy being together. We will also extend our hospitality offering to the guest's pool and sun loungers, with a Queensland ingredient-focused cocktail menu curated by Sam Cocks, the Saint Peter Bar Director," explains Josh. While The Sundays is a luxury boutique hotel, being family friendly is part of the point of difference for the 59-room venue at Catseye Beach's northern end. That mindset applies to the new restaurant, too, with catering to family holidays a guiding principle. At a hotel run by Hamilton Island Enterprises, which is also behind qualia, guests can also look forward to that oceanfront swimming pool surrounded by private cabanas, alongside a pickleball court and tropical gardens. Room options include balcony and terrace, plus interconnecting family rooms, all decked out in calming hues. Find Catseye Pool Club at The Sundays, Catseye Beach, Hamilton Island, from Thursday, April 24, 2025. Head to the hotel's website for more details in the interim. Images: Hamilton Island Photography, Sharyn Cairns, Adam Rikys, Nick Leary.
As much of the TV-watching world is, Ashley Zukerman is a Succession fan. Unlike almost everyone else, however, his affection was partly built from inside of the award-winning series. In a recurring role across the HBO masterpiece's four seasons, he played political strategist Nate Sofrelli, whose past romantic relationship with Shiv Roy — portrayed by fellow Australian Sarah Snook (Memoir of a Snail) — kept spilling over into their present professional and personal spheres. But "there was periods where I didn't know if I was coming back", Zukerman tells Concrete Playground, "and there were periods where I just became more fan than part of it". A role in one of the best TV shows of the 21st century, plus a range of others in fellow international fare — big-screen horror-western The Wind and drama Language Arts; television's A Teacher, The Lost Symbol and City on Fire; and the three straight-to-streaming Fear Street movies among them — kept Zukerman away from home for years. Then In Vitro, an Aussie sci-fi thriller that premiered at the 2024 Sydney Film Festival and hit local cinemas in general release on Thursday, March 27, 2025, came his way. Before this, he hadn't worked on a homegrown project since 2017's The Easybeats miniseries Friday on My Mind. Prior to that, he'd hopped between the Australian and Aussie-made likes of The Pacific, Rush, Terra Nova, Underbelly and The Code, and Manhattan, Fear the Walking Dead, Masters of Sex and Designated Survivor overseas. Starring in In Vitro eventuated because he initially met two of the film's co-writers and fellow actors, Will Howarth (who also co-directs with Tom McKeith) and Talia Zucker, in Los Angeles when they were all stateside endeavouring to establish their careers. Due to release timing, audiences who didn't catch In Vitro on its 2024 festival run will have seen Zukerman pop up in homegrown efforts in Aussie limited series Apple Cider Vinegar first, earlier in 2025. Later this year, he also has Australian-made, New Year's Eve-set time-travel film One More Shot heading to Stan. Only In Vitro has him playing a cattle breeder in an eerie vision of the potential near future, though — a livestock farmer experimenting with biotechnology in a world, and an industry, decimated by the climate crisis and struggling to adapt to the new reality. As Jack, husband to Zucker's (Motel Acacia) Layla, Howarth (Toolies) and McKeith's (Beast) movie also tasks Zukerman with exploring the distance that clearly lingers in the the feature's central marriage, digging into the source of Jack and Layla's domestic disharmony, and unpacking the impact of controlling relationships. More than two decades have now passed since Zukerman's initial screen role, also in an Australian film, with playing Thug #2 in Tom White his debut performance. Looking back on it, "so that was my first-ever thing, and I hadn't gone to the Victorian College of the Arts yet. I had no idea what I was doing", he advises. "My family, no one in my family, was in creative industries at all. I was just trying to brute-force my way through, trying to get headshots and making cold calls and just trying", Zukerman continues. "And then when that called and I got a role, I thought it was the craziest thing in the world. Then I get there and I do it, and I'm in a scene with Colin Friels [Interceptor] and Dan Spielman [Black Snow], who I ended up playing brothers with in The Code years later. And I thought that was just very, very special at the time. Dan was on, I think, The Secret Life of Us, and Colin Friels on Water Rats, and they were heroes of mine at the time. And then to be able to revisit that with Dan years later as, I guess, equals, was very special." [caption id="attachment_997134" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Succession, David Russell/HBO[/caption] From the outside, the success that Zukerman has enjoyed over the last few years with Succession, Fear Street, City on Fire, A Teacher, The Lost Symbol and more seems huge. It is huge. He's also added Apple TV+'s Silo to his resume. For him, however, "it hasn't felt huge, but I don't think I necessarily ever have that feeling of looking at things from the outside", he reflects. "From the inside, I'd say that it's felt really fun. I know that the thing I love most is when I love the project and I feel like I'm close to the coalface of something. I thought that they were all great projects, and so that has been fun." "You're right, it's been a really nice few years, and it felt comfortable," Zukerman goes on. "I guess I'll say I've just never really stressed work. I've always known things will come, and I've always been aware that if I'm not chosen for something that it's because the person, the artist in charge of it, just doesn't need my specific colour, my specific paintbrush, and so I've never really sweated it if things haven't come to me. But the last couple of years, it's just been really enjoyable to just work on special things — and to be able to have a continuous run of that, I do feel very full now. I'm not someone who enjoys acting all the time, I don't necessarily love the experience, but I do love it when I feel that there are certain elements there, and I've been on a run projects now where those elements were largely there. It has been a really fun few years for that." From what excited Zukerman about In Vitro, his read on his complicated character and the research that went into his performance, to farewelling Succession, returning home and his initial acting dream, our chat with Zukerman covers them all — and more — as well. On What Excited Zukerman About In Vitro, and About Making His First Australian Project Since Friday on My Mind "So I knew Tahlia and Will. I'd known them before. We all met in LA when we were all younger and hustling out there. It was just this coffee shop that we all ended up frequenting, and that's where we got to know each other. It was during the pandemic that they sent the script and said 'we've been working on this, we've been thinking about you for it'. And I read it and I thought 'wow'. And I was honoured that they thought of me for it. But I thought that they had done something just really special. I think that the horror genre or the thriller genre is interesting when it's used to explore other themes. And so the thriller part of it didn't necessarily pop for me, but I thought that they were able to thread together some nuanced questions about a few issues that we're dealing with in the world, and finding a connection between them — with the climate crisis; domestic violence; how we use tech to brute-force our way through solutions; and how some people in our world don't really care about our world or the natural world or each other as the actual life that exists in it, but just what they can take from it. And I think that they were able to thread all those ideas in a very nuanced way, offering something new to the questions of 'what do we do in this world?' and 'how are we going to deal with all of these issues we have?'. The climate crisis, like so many of us, that keeps me up at night. One of the things I worry most about it is this idea that it's happening just, just slow enough that we get used to it, and it's so hard to talk about. It's so difficult to engage with it, because it's so scary for so many of us. As soon as, I know for me personally, it's hard for me when I see an article written about it for me to click on it, for me to actually open that page and delve into it. It's hard for me to watch something about it. And I thought that what they did here was they did it in a very nuanced way, where they offered something very new to that conversation, and in a way that I thought was going to be very useful and interesting — and human. It was just that the film seemed to have a very new idea to approach this issue, and that's I think what moved me about it. And then, as we went on, there were questions about the character that became far more important for me to ask. But when I first read it, that's what touched me." On Zukerman's Read on Jack and His Motivations "I think it depends how far back we go with him. If we go from what we know backwards, I think he's gotten to a stage where he has lost his sense of humanity and he's just so far down the rabbit hole on this that he can't actually turn back. I was working on this show, The Lost Symbol, the Dan Brown thing, at the time that I read this, and I was researching these secret societies and how people who were doing bad things justified them. And I came across this quote, which was from the Bible: 'to the pure, all things are pure'. I think that that is key to Jack, that because he felt he was doing something worthy and important, everything else he was doing was fine and justified … It's this idea that he's probably just a bucket with a hole in it. It doesn't matter what you pour in, he's always going to be empty. I think he's one of these just incredibly ordinary people who thinks that he's a vulnerable genius, and no one is giving him the adulation he deserves, and he will never get enough love from his partner, and that then leads to control and violence. So I think those are the things that are at play in him." On Playing a Part That's a Puzzle for the Audience as They Try to Piece Together the Full Story "Typically, the more complex a character, the less challenging I find it, because then there are just so many things underneath the surface. So those things were great, and once I knew the approach, what we were trying to do, we talked, Will, Tom and Tahlia and I talked early about this idea that we'd be doing a disservice to this story if he was arch — especially the domestic control, domestic violence story. And that he had to be so ordinary in that way, that if we were trying to portray a villain, it would do a disservice to Tahlia's story and it would be doing a disservice to the wider story. So the fact that we could let all of that complexity live in him, that gave me a lot of freedom. But you're right that the challenging thing in any of these stories is how we bury the lead when we choose to drop breadcrumbs, how we lean on awkward moments as clues for the idea — like leaving just enough the information for the audience to question what is going on to lead them down the rabbit hole with us ,but gently. That is the more challenging thing, because that's not necessarily about just living in the scene naturally. That's trying to plan the larger story. I was buoyed when I saw it — I thought we did that quite well. I really loved especially how they put it together in the edit, leaning on those awkward interactions, I thought was quite nice." On the Research That Goes Into Playing a Part Like This, Digging Into Coercive Control, Biotech and More "Typically I do love a lot of research, and I started down the path of him being an engineer. I wanted to make sure those thoughts were in there. I wanted to know where we were at with that stuff. But I think ultimately where I got to was, all that stuff — like you like feel at the end of the film — I think is window dressing in a way. I needed to know enough about that so that I could know what he was doing, but ultimately the key to him is what we're talking about — how to actually think about these men who do these things, like 'what is the wiring going on in in them?'. That's the work of understanding this character. It's the domestic work. It's the human work. And to try to explain, empathise, not absolve, but just to understand what makes these people do those things. I think that was the work with him." [caption id="attachment_997132" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Succession, Macall Polay/HBO[/caption] On Saying Goodbye to Succession, and What It Meant to Zukerman to Be a Part of It "I think it's so nice that that show will exist forever. I think it's now part of television canon, and to be a part of it, I'm just so proud. So I think it will just always have a life. I grew up loving The Sopranos and Six Feet Under and The Wire and Oz, and those seminal TV shows — and The West Wing. I knew characters that were there for an episode, that were there for three episodes. I was so aware of every little storyline on all of those shows, and I was just like 'if only I could be in something like that, that would be it'. Like, 'I would be fine'. [caption id="attachment_997133" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Succession, Peter Kramer/HBO[/caption] And I'm lucky that I got to do one of those, and I got to be there for a little bit, and I got to witness how they made it, and I got to be around those people. I just feel so lucky. I was there and I was a part of it, but I got to also be an audience just as much as, I think, in it. It's an interesting question. It was something just so special about that production that I think I'll continue to try to, I guess, understand and learn from and think about. [caption id="attachment_997137" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Succession, David Russell/HBO[/caption] All I love about any work is how close to the creative muscle I can be, and I think what was special about that show was that. I was on the periphery. There were moments when I was a little more forward in the story, but largely I was orbiting the story. And I think what was special about that is that it doesn't matter how big your role must have been — that's both the cast and crew — everyone on that set felt like they were a part of it, that they had agency to make decisions, that they were genuinely like what was being asked of them was what was special about them to only bring that. That was what was special, and that's what I'll remember. And I think it left something with me that I've taken to other things. I think it's that energy that I've brought with me after that show. " [caption id="attachment_997145" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Apple Cider Vinegar, courtesy of Netflix © 2025[/caption] On Heading Back to Australia After a Significant Run of Roles Overseas "It was never by design that I would be away. It was just that the right things didn't come up, or scheduling got in the way, or something happened for me over there that meant that I couldn't come back for various things. And it was just always I missed it. I really missed being back. I really love it here. I love the way we work. I love how fast we are, how efficient we are. We work with few resources sometimes, but it's an advantage, it creates the style of TV and film that we make. It all goes into it. It ends up on camera, that energy. And it kind of has become our visual language sometimes. [caption id="attachment_997144" align="alignnone" width="1920"] One More Shot, Ben King/Stan[/caption] And I also guess there is something about being overseas and an expat which means I'm always playing someone else in a way. There's something about home, is what I'm saying, that's important. That I know the rules of Australia. I know how people interact, that there's the micro gestures between us all, how we all interact. I guess that is home for me, that when I get back to Australia my shoulders drop and I just know how to live here. Even though the US isn't that different, it's different enough that it changes me. It requires something else of me to live there. And that's a joy sometimes. I mean, to leave is wonderful — but to come back is really, it's home. It's just a very special thing. And also, I feel very fortunate because of what I've been able to do overseas, I can now come back and work on these great things, and help these great things get up." On the Initial Dream for Zukerman's Acting Career When He Was First Starting Out "It's such a great question, because it's so rare to look back and go 'what was it that that younger person had actually wanted, and are you there now?'. That's a very special question that I don't really often give myself time to do. But I think I probably had a lot of chutzpah and a lot of ambition back then. I probably had ideas, but I didn't know what the job was, even. I didn't know what the work of being an actor was. I had a feeling that acting gave me the ability to do something I couldn't do in life, that I loved the analysis of human beings, and I loved being able to express things that I didn't express in my normal life. I loved that. But that hadn't really congealed yet, and probably at the time I just had ideas about wanting to play these big roles and do these big things, but I didn't know what it was. [caption id="attachment_997146" align="alignnone" width="1920"] City on Fire, Apple TV+[/caption] Once I started studying and I started understanding what it was, I think very quickly the only goal of mine was to have choice — just to be able to do the things I love. Like I said, it's just not always the case that I love acting, and I knew that early on that sometimes the experience can be difficult for myriad reasons. But to be able to get to a point where I can just, from project to project — based on, whether it's the quality of the work or it's the quality of the people, or both — that I could just choose to do that. I think that's nice to think about that. I think I have it, I am doing that now. I get to be pretty picky with what I do, and I get to do things for the right reasons." In Vitro opened in Australian cinemas on Thursday, March 27, 2025.
On a brisk April morning, the busiest destinations in countryside New South Wales aren't the pubs, local cafes or anything in the main stretches of these quaint towns — crowds are flocking to the various state forests. To the untrained eye, these forests have nothing of value but pine trees, but in the right conditions, the soil comes alive with carpets of glorious pine mushrooms. These crown-protected woodlands are the last bastion of mushroom foraging in NSW — a practice of times gone by that's now making a comeback in the modern world. Helping to stage that comeback is the jovial wizard of foraging: the self-proclaimed 'weedy one', Diego Bonetto. With a lifetime of foraging practice that began as a child in Northern Italy, Bonetto has made it his life's mission to share everything he can about the lost art of foraging, not only mushrooms but native plants, seaweed and weeds. But it was a brisk April morning in the Lidsdale State Forest when he led Concrete Playground on an expedition into the trees, specifically in search of juicy mushrooms and knowledge. [caption id="attachment_1007875" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Alec Jones[/caption] The Good, the Bad and the Deadly It's no secret that mushroom foraging should not be undertaken lightly. With over 5,000 species of mushrooms that grow across NSW, an inexperienced, unguided amateur forager is at immense risk of misidentifying their harvest, which can have painful and life-threatening consequences. That's why you should never forage without expert advice. As an expert himself, Diego Bonetto cannot stress that enough — for your sake and the forest's: " The biggest mistake people make is trying to go mushroom foraging just by reading an article on the internet and downloading some pictures. There are lookalikes, there are similarities [between mushrooms]. There are ethical steps that you need to understand to protect the ecology. Harvesting wild produce is not walking into a supermarket". That's because the mushrooms you can safely eat, and even those that should be left alone, are vital to the ecosystem. Fungi decompose dead organic matter into raw nutrients to be reabsorbed into the soil. How would you feel if a giant walked into your home and ripped your compost bin off the ground? "Be nice to nature", Bonetto adds. "Nature has got plenty to worry about already". [caption id="attachment_1007974" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Helen Algie[/caption] You may be wondering: why pine forests? Legalities and complexities of fungi ecology aside, pine forests are home to two edible and easily recognisable – to the trained eye – mushroom species: Saffron Milk Caps and Slippery Jacks. The former boasts a reddish-orange cap, typically four to 30+ centimetres across, with gills and an orange, milky sap that leaks from cuts in the flesh. They're meaty and have a mild bitter taste, and work great pan-fried, pickled, as schnitzels, or to bolster pies and casseroles. The latter has a brown, slimy cap and a spongy yellow underside free of gills, which grow up to 25+ centimetres across. With the slimy layer peeled off, it can be chopped and used in Asian-style soups, fried with butter or worked into an omelette. Any other species in a pine forest, even the iconic red-and-white-spotted fly agaric (aka fairy toadstool), is either too risky to prepare safely or outright dangerous to consume, so don't be greedy. [caption id="attachment_1007873" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Alec Jones[/caption] Listen to the Experts Only an experienced forager can tell the edible from the deadly, so you should never claim to know how to mushroom forage until you have the qualifications, not just a weekend of research online. Booking a foraging session with someone like Diego is non-negotiable. You don't want to take home something poisonous — or break a law you didn't know existed. " It doesn't need to be me, but someone who can take you there, who's done it before, done it for a few years, and can take you through the steps of what it is you're looking for and why all those others are not [edible]." No matter what, there are three things Bonetto believes every forager should remember in the forest. "First, the assumption of knowledge is very problematic. Second, people always want to be right — be humble, it's not about you being right, it's about you being safe. Third, only harvest what you can eat that night, mushroom frenzy can make you fill six boxes, but then you don't want to process it and end up wasting it." [caption id="attachment_1007972" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Helen Algie[/caption] Find Your Nearest Legal Foraging Ground A little-known fact: NSW is the only Australian state where mushroom foraging is legal, as long as it's done inside a State forest. While permits are required for commercial foraging, foraging for personal consumption is legal and open to all. That means you'll need to make a drive out of it. Bonetto explains it best. "I teach mushroom foraging in pine plantation State forests for a very specific reason. And as such, there are no pine plantations in Greater Sydney. The closest pine plantation you will find [to Sydney] would be in the Southern Highlands or the western slopes of the Blue Mountains". "And that's where I teach. So if you would like to harvest mushrooms legally, you need to come to a pine State forest. Unless you do it on your own property, if you have a property big enough to have pine trees and big enough to support a mushroom ecology, then you can do it on your own property. But most people do not have the kind of land in greater Sydney, am I right?". [caption id="attachment_1007973" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Helen Algie[/caption] Plan Ahead — Far Ahead The other key consideration for a foraging booking is that the mushroom season in NSW is only eight to ten weeks long, typically from March to May. You're waiting for Goldilocks conditions, since fruiting bodies of pine mushrooms grow only after heavy rain and overnight temperatures in the single digits. Any colder, though, and the season will grind to a halt. An easy way to remember: the best time for mushroom foraging (and also the busiest) is the Easter long weekend. Bonetto preaches foresight. "Your readers might just be a bit disappointed to know the season is already over [for 2025]. So join the mailing list. If you're into mushroom foraging, join our mailing list and we'll let you know when we've released the workshop dates for 2026. Or just check all of the other workshops available on the website, or just go and talk to your neighbour. You don't need to come to Diego. There's also plenty of foraging knowledge in ethnic communities, they'll offer you tea and sit you down in the garden. People love to talk about plants. Lemme tell you." To book a foraging experience with Diego Bonetto or join the mushroom foraging waitlist, visit his website. Concrete Playground joined a foraging workshop as a guest of Destination NSW. Foraging for wild mushrooms is not without risk — some mushrooms are toxic and will cause bodily harm and even death if consumed. If in doubt, throw it out, and if you become unwell after eating wild mushrooms, call the Poisons Centre on 13 11 26. Header image courtesy of Destination NSW
First films are special. With Aftersun as her feature debut, Charlotte Wells knows this. Ahead of dedicating time to writing her second movie, a project eagerly awaited by the cinema-loving world, the Scottish filmmaker is deep in celebrating fellow directors starting out — leading the jury for the Bright Horizons competition at the 2025 Melbourne International Film Festival, then jumping to Venice afterwards to do the same for its debut film accolade, the Luigi De Laurentiis Award. She's an apt choice for both, given Aftersun's dream run from its premiere at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival onwards. Widespread acclaim came the coming-of-age gem's way, and deservedly; so did a strong bond with viewers who saw themselves in a picture that Wells drew in part from her own experiences. When Concrete Playground first interviewed Wells at the beginning of 2023, as Aftersun was about to enjoy its Australian theatrical release — after its local premiere the year prior in MIFF's the Bright Horizons competition, fittingly — she advised that she "had naively not thought about what came after making the film". She continued: "it's been really special. I don't think you set out to make films to get that type of award recognition, but it's been really nice to see the work recognised, and the work of my collaborators recognised". At the time, Wells and Aftersun had been nominated for four BAFTAs, but hadn't yet won Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer. (Among the prestigious award's other recipients before and since: We Need to Talk About Kevin and You Were Never Really Here's Lynne Ramsey, Senna and Amy's Asif Kapadia, Pride & Prejudice and Atonement's Joe Wright, American Honey and Bird's Andrea Arnold, Shame and Widows' Steve McQueen, Moon and Source Code's Duncan Jones, Four Lions' Chris Morris and, most recently, Rich Peppiatt for Kneecap.) Speaking with Concrete Playground again now, Wells is grateful for the opportunities that Aftersun's recognition gave her to share in that success with its cast and crew, and with her family. "I kind of took each of them as an opportunity to recognise different people who had a role in the shaping of the film," she explains. For portraying Calum, father to 11-year-old Sophie (then-debutant Frankie Corio), in a movie that sees the adult version of the latter (Celia Rowlson-Hall, Vox Lux) look back on the dad and daughter's 1999 holiday to Turkey, Paul Mescal (Gladiator II) earned his own acclaim for Aftersun: an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, and the same recognition from the BAFTAs, Gotham Awards, Film Independent Spirit Awards and a wealth of critics' associations, plus winning the field at the Irish Film and Television Awards. Speaking about the experience to GQ in 2024, he shared that he was keen to have "a De Niro–Scorsese relationship" with Wells. She's eager to collaborate again as well, she tells Concrete Playground. "I'm excited to work with him again." Casting Aftersun wasn't simple, Wells stressed to us in 2023. "I think when before I worked on things that were inspired by experiences that I had or people that I knew, my instinct was always to cast away, as far away as possible, and that was my instinct here — and yet I was constantly drawn back, apparently, as Barry Jenkins [the Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk and Mufasa: The Lion King filmmaker produced Aftersun] likes to point out in public when we're together, to people who were fairly close in resemblance to their sources of inspiration. And that was really challenging in the casting process," Wells told us at the time. "And Lucy [Pardee], our casting director, was really patient with me as I was constantly articulating wanting something and then responding to something very different, and I think that's just the push and pull of one's subconscious throughout this process. And some things were easier to separate from myself than others. Casting proved to be really quite tricky in that way. But ultimately, I don't think it was a physicality that I responded to most of all, but I think it was an energy more that I was looking for. I think it was the stability that I feel in Paul, and the vulnerability that he's able to portray." Back to 2025: in Melbourne for her Bright Horizons Jury President stint, Wells also chatted with us about Aftersun's BAFTA, the film's resonance with and love from audiences, becoming closer with Mescal and Corio while actually taking the movie around the world, and, yes, what's next. [caption id="attachment_1018670" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Stuart Wilson/BAFTA/Getty Images for BAFTA[/caption] On Aftersun's Widespread Recognition, Including Winning the BAFTA for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer — and Its BAFTA Scotland Award Wins "The special thing about home screenings and home awards was the opportunity to share it with my family. My mum and brother were there that night, and the film team. Any time I was anywhere with our crew, in whatever configuration that was — that night was with my producers and Paul and Frankie — it was just a really special place to be. I just enjoy all of those people so much. And that felt like in many ways — I think that was the last event that Frankie, or maybe there were a few in the US after, but if felt like one of the last events with kind of all of us there, and it felt like very much the peak, I think, collectively of that experience for the three of us, Paul, Frankie and I. It was a really special night, and it definitely helped the film continue to be seen and pick up momentum with audiences. It played really well in the UK, which was a really special thing. But more than anything, I think about that night, I think about having my mum there and just having the opportunity to acknowledge her. I think that's what was so nice about many of the award ceremonies is, I kind of took each of them as an opportunity to recognise different people who had a role in the shaping of the film — either directly, like our team, or indirectly, like family." On If Wells Has Any Thoughts on Why Aftersun Resonated So Strongly with Audiences "Yeah. Maybe. No. I don't know. I think there's something about a parent-child relationship that is a lot more relatable than I maybe thought. I had always thought personally of Aftersun as Sophie story, I suppose because to the degree it was a personal film, that was my story, and I saw the film as being through her eyes — and the overarching point of view of the film was Sophie as an adult looking back. I didn't really count on so many people connecting with Calum, which I think really broadened people who felt like the film was also about or for them. But I think ultimately, themes of grief, specifically parental grief and that pivotal coming-of-age moment — not just for Sophie age 11 or so, but also for Calum kind of tipping into his 30s, just connected with a lot of people. I think the alchemy of those things together just gave it a certain reach. At least, that's how I think about it. But I'm always curious on other people's take on this, because it's just a special thing, I think — a moment in time where people happen to connect with something that you've made. I think it's always hard to identify exactly why, but those are the things I tend to think of when I reflect back on it — and I consider that every film I make will not be about themes or characters that can connect with so many people." [caption id="attachment_1018669" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images[/caption] On Paul Mescal Saying That He Wants to Have "a De Niro-Scorsese Relationship" with Wells "I love Paul. I'm excited to work with him again, and definitely giving present consideration as to what that next project will be. It's kind of funny, because I think on set, Frankie and Paul really had the closest relationship between the three of us — and that was what was important. That was the most-important thing to me, was that those two were connecting and that they had a foundation on which to build the performances on-screen. But really afterward and through the distribution and sharing of the film, I really got to know both of them a lot better. So it's kind of a funny thing. I feel like the three of us became a lot closer in the sharing of the film than we were on set, just because we were pulled in the directions of our respective roles there. So it will be really nice to get back on set with Paul at some point and have that foundation, and I think we were able to have a certain trust in the making of Aftersun that you're able to have in a feature that is very difficult in a short. The idea of building on that in future projects is really exciting. Yeah, I'm all for it." On How Taking the Film Around the World, Including Festivals and at Awards Ceremonies, Brought Wells, Mescal and Frankie Corio Closer Together "I think for a film, the vast majority of it is not production — unfortunately, because production is, in so many ways, the most-fulfilling part, at least for the director. It's the part I would like to be experiencing a lot more often, but it's really the shortest part. You're editing for two, three, four times as long. You're writing for many times more than that. And then you're promoting the film for more as well. So yeah, it's a funny thing. I think people tend to think about production itself, but it's just a small, although very important, obviously, part of the process of making a film." On What's Next for Wells — What She Can Share Right Now, At Least "Can? Want to? I think I went into this post-Aftersun process wanting not to be in the position I'm in right now again, which is to say not knowing exactly what comes next. I think I had a fancy of when I got into the edit for Aftersun I would start writing again, which really turned out to be not so much a fancy as a delusion as to what's possible — because the edit process was so consuming. And I took a bit of time. It was nice to have that time just to live my life a little bit again. And I wanted to know not just what's next, but what's next after that, so inevitably that takes a little bit of time. So now there are a few things in the works, I suppose, is all I'll say — a couple of which are kind of New York-based, where I've lived for a long time now, which is exciting." The 2025 Melbourne International Film Festival runs from Thursday, August 7–Sunday, August 24 at a variety of venues around Melbourne; from Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 17 and Friday, August 22–Sunday, August 24 in regional Victoria; and online nationwide from Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 31. For further details, visit the MIFF website. Aftersun is available to stream via SBS On Demand and iTunes. Read our review, and our interview with Wells from 2023. Aftersun images: Sarah Makharine.
Central's name is accurate in two ways. Located in the Piccadilly Arcade building on Queen Street in Brisbane's CBD, this 80-seater subterranean restaurant is indeed central in the River City. The venue's moniker also takes inspiration from the Central district in Hong Kong, as its menu does with its dishes. Eat at Fish Lane's Southside in South Brisbane, or at Rick Shores in Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast, and you'll likely grab a serving of dumplings with your meal. Some feature lobster and prawns. Some come stuffed with truffle pork or chilli crab. The bite-sized favourite is a staple of both restaurants, but it isn't the star attraction at either. For a place with that focus — and plenty of love for Hong Kong — the team behind the two beloved eateries has launched Central. Southside Executive Chef Benny Lam, one of Central's driving forces alongside Southside's General Manager Maui Manu and co-owner David Flynn, has worked in the favourite tourist destination, and is now bringing some of the parts of it that he loves to Brisbane — including the rush, the dining-out culture and the flocking to third places. If Central can be that kind of space for Brisbane, the pair will be happy. The menu does its part, with the dim sum range the highlight. Peking duck potstickers and prawn har gao sit beside mushroom dumplings, barbecue pork puffs, king crab and prawn spring rolls, and more. Eager to hang around for a bigger dinner? Just like serving up snack-sized options if you're dropping by on your way elsewhere, Central can cater for it. Mixing Cantonese meals with western influences, Central's other dishes include lobster noodles and wagyu short ribs, both to share; drunken chicken with aged shaoxing rice wine, plus red date and golden sesame, as a starter; smoked foie gras with youtiao, aka Chinese fried dough, plus Davidson plum, also to begin; and traditional steamed Queensland grouper among the bigger fare. Char siu pork and roasted half duck feature as well — and for dessert, mango pudding leads the list. Whatever you pick — dim sum, raw plates, barbecue, sweet treats and more — it's whipped up in the venue's raised kitchen. After helping revamp Gerard's Bistro, architect and designer Jared Webb of J.AR OFFICE turned his attention to Central, where granite and timber are heroed among exposed-rock walls. The lighting remains low, befitting the restaurant's underground berth. Another inspiration comes from one of the space's past guises. Primitif Cafe called it home in the 50s and 60s, with jazz and poetry a feature. As for the drinks, sommelier Peter Marchant — also the Group Wine Director — has built a wine list of around 30 drops that can be mixed and matched with the food menu. Available by the glass, half glass and bottle, it spans both Australian and overseas tipples, and also vino from producers doing new and exciting things in the industry. The cocktails nod to the Hong Kong nightclub scene, as well as to Primitif, including a house harvey wallbanger, a Sichuan Martini Sidecar and a nitrogen-compressed piña colada.
When Robert De Niro asked his reflection who it was talking to, Joe Pesci questioned whether he was funny, and Leonardo DiCaprio crawled along the ground under the influence of Quaaludes, one man was responsible. Over a career spanning almost six decades, Martin Scorsese has brought tales of taxi drivers, goodfellas and wolf-like stockbrokers to the screen — and now an exhibition dedicated to his work is coming to Australia. From May 26 to September 18, the Melbourne's Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) will pay tribute to one of America's most iconic directors, exploring everything from his early experimental beginnings to the award-winning films that have shaped many a movie buff. If you're already a fan, you'll be in Scorsese heaven. If you've somehow resisted the charms of (or completely missed) the likes of Raging Bull, The Departed and Hugo — or his concert flicks such as The Last Waltz and Shine a Light, or even Boardwalk Empire and Vinyl on TV — then prepare to have your eyes opened. [caption id="attachment_561113" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Exhibition section "New York". Photo: Deutsche Kinemathek / M. Stefanowski, 2013.[/caption] In its only Australian stop after wowing Berlin, Ghent, Turin and Paris, SCORSESE will present a collection of more than 600 objects spanning the filmmaker's entire cinema resume, as curated by the Deutsche Kinemathek, Berlin's Museum of Film and Television. Expect storyboards, hand-annotated film scripts, unpublished production stills, costumes, film clips and more, all drawn from the private collections of De Niro, Taxi Driver writer Paul Schrader, and Scorsese himself. No ACMI exhibition would be complete without a bustling lineup of screenings, talks and other events, so expect plenty of those as well. The complete program is yet to be announced, but we'd advise blocking out a few days to delve into the influence and impact of the guy who hasn't only mastered movies, but directed the music video for Michael Jackson's 'Bad' too. SCORSESE will run from May 26 to September 18 at ACMI in Melbourne. For more information, visit the ACMI website. Top image: Ray Liotta, Robert DeNiro, Paul Sorvino, Martin Scorsese, Joe Pesci in GOODFELLAS, USA (1990). Source: Sikelia Productions, New York.
