It might've hit our streaming queues way back in mid-2019, but we all remember how Stranger Things wrapped up its third season. Change swept through the 80s-set Netflix sci-fi series in a big way — seeing multiple characters head out town and venture towards several destinations will do that — leaving us all wondering how things will play out in season four. In 2022, we'll finally find out after a hefty delay due to the pandemic. And to help fill the gap, Netflix has dropped another teaser trailer that offers a glimpse of what's to come. Yes, another one. This time around, the brief clip heads to California, which is where Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown, Godzilla vs Kong), Joyce (Winona Ryder, The Plot Against America), Will (Noah Schnapp, Waiting for Anya) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton, The New Mutants) have washed up. Eleven is settling in as well as she can settle in anywhere, as she explains in a letter to Mike (Finn Wolfhard, The Goldfinch) — but she also can't wait until she can see him in person again. It's the latest Stranger Things season four trailer in a long line of them, starting back in February 2020. Since then, a couple more teasers dropped in May this year, then another one back in August, followed by yet another in September. So, we've now caught a glimpse of what happens to beloved police chief Jim Hopper (David Harbour, Black Widow) after season three's big cliffhanger and Russian-set post-script, and spent time with Steve (Joe Keery, Spree), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo, The Angry Birds Movie 2), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin, Concrete Cowboy) and Max's (Sadie Sink, The Last Castle) in a haunted house in Hawkins. We've also headed back to Hawkins Laboratory and its whole eerie setup and, now, seen a new Californian future as well. Of course, it's worth remembering that when Netflix announced the show's renewal for a fourth season back in 2019, it did so with the catchphrase "we're not in Hawkins anymore". That clearly applies in a number of different ways. If you're wishing it was 2022 already, you're not alone. Check out the latest Stranger Things season four sneak peek below: Stranger Things season four will be able to stream via Netflix sometime in 2022 — we'll update you with an exact date when one is announced.
There's no Academy Award solely for vocal performances. If there was, Lupita Nyong'o might've added another of Hollywood's prized statuettes to her mantle when the 2025 ceremony rolls around. A decade after taking home an Oscar for 12 Years a Slave, her first feature, and following standout work in everything from Black Panther and Us to Little Monsters and A Quiet Place: Day One since, she's the voice of Roz — short for ROZZUM unit 7134 — in the big-screen adaptation of Peter Brown's The Wild Robot. Unsurprisingly, she's marvellous and moving, taking viewers on an emotional journey even while playing a robot without facial expressions. When Roz is fresh out of the box, powering up on an animal-filled island devoid of humans in a futuristic vision of earth, Nyong'o lends her vocals to the perky Siri and Alexa peer that audiences will wish spoke back to them from their own devices. As the task-oriented mechanical helper learns that there's more to life than her programming — as she befriends a gosling that she names Brightbill (Kit Connor, Heartstopper) and a fox called Fink (Pedro Pascal, Drive-Away Dolls), too, and wins over other wild critters who are initially fearful of the metallic interloper — the warmth that begins to infuse Roz's tones couldn't feel more genuine. The Wild Robot doesn't only prove a gem thanks to Nyong'o's pivotal performance, but it wouldn't be even a fraction of the film that it is without her. In 2024, the actor has had two movies in cinemas. In A Quiet Place: Day One, speaking was one of the worst things that anyone could do. In The Wild Robot, Nyong'o's entire portrayal comes down to talking. "I love that you made that comparison. I hadn't even thought about it that way," she tells Concrete Playground when we point out the contrast, and also ask what she seeks out in new projects at this point in her career. "What gets me excited? I think about the character that I've been offered to play, and I think about what I will require to play the character — and what I could learn as well from playing the character, what I'm curious about. If the character makes me ask questions of the world and of myself and I'm excited to find out the answers, then I want to play that character," Nyong'o explains. When The Wild Robot came her way, she didn't say yes immediately, however. For Nyong'o, voicing Roz was always going to need to be a creative collaboration; just showing up to speak her lines and leaving it at that isn't how she wanted to work. "I don't know how to be just a voice for hire. I have opinions and I want to share them, and I want to make sure that the person I'm sharing them with wants to hear them," she notes. Nyong'o joined the film after meeting with director Chris Sanders and understanding his vision. "You shape these things together. You go on this journey together, and she is a creative force just like every other artist in this film, for sure," he tells us. "And I have to say, she's an absolute genius. Taking Roz apart bit by bit to understand her thinking kept me honest as a writer," he continues. The Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon and The Croods director — and voice of Stitch — couldn't be more enthusiastic about the latest picture that now sits on his packed resume (also on his filmography from the 90s when he was starting out: production design on The Lion King, visual development on Beauty and the Beast, and story credits on both alongside Aladdin). Before signing on for The Wild Robot, Sanders describes himself as "book-adjacent" to Brown's illustrated tome, as his daughter had read it. "I saw it sitting around the house and I'd actually forgotten about it until the day I came into DreamWorks to look at what was in development. And there was the book, and they described it, and I thought 'that's the one I'm interested in'," he advises. As the feature's writer and director, he's crafted a version that takes inspiration from Hayao Miyazaki's enchanting Studio Ghibli fare, classics such as Bambi and the work of painter Claude Monet, too — and a gem for all ages. How does Nyong'o tackle a voice-acting part — and, whether she's seen on-screen or heard echoing from it, how does she find the right voice for a character? What kind of thinking and planning goes into expressing Roz's inner journey? How important was it to Sanders that the film didn't shy away from animals being animals, not just in appearance but also into recognising the food chain and cycle of life? We chatted with the pair about all of the above as well, and more, including how animated movies trade in big emotions —because we all have that flick, or several, that we'll never forget — and how that sits in your mind when you're making one. On How Nyong'o Approaches a Voice-Acting Part, Especially Playing a Character Without Facial Expressions Lupita: "I think the animators did a great service to Roz — and a great service to an audience — by not giving her facial features. Because then we stay truer to the fact that Roz is not a feeling entity. She is a robot and has a goal — she's goal-oriented and her goal, luckily, is to be of service to whomever purchased her. So that lends itself to kindness. And she's also very adaptable, so she's able to adapt to the behaviours and expressions of the wild animals that she is now living with. And through that, you can adopt sensibilities akin to emotional expression. I like figuring that out cerebrally. How do I play a character without emotions but still be able to convey a bunch of emotions, and then trust that an audience will project their emotions onto her? We are given that license because she doesn't have facial expressions, so she's not doing it for us. We were very much a part of the performance." On Finding the Right Voice for the Right Character Lupita: "It starts off with understanding the given circumstances of the character. What are the facts, right? And so for Roz, one of the main facts that was very important was that she is a programmed robot. That was very informativem and it led me to listen to automated voices like Siri and Alexa, the voices on TikTok and Instagram — they were an inspiration, their relentless, positive vibrancy was the inspiration there. For someone like Red in Us, I knew that there had been a strangulation at some point, and so that fed my imagination on what could that sound like if you were strangled. Things like that. Then I also work very closely with a vocal coach, and I worked with her on both Us and The Wild Robot, and that's really helpful to just externalise my ideas and make sure that I'm doing it in as healthy a way as possible to stave off injuries." On What Sanders Was Excited to Bring to the Screen in Adapting The Wild Robot Chris: "The story for sure. I've always wanted to do a robot movie. And the other thing that I never thought I'd get a chance to work on would be an animal movie like this. This is a lot like Bambi — the forest, the animals, the creatures. And it's a real forest, they're only slightly anthropomorphised. Bambi is a huge favourite. It always will be. One of the things I think that you cannot understate is the emotional power of that film. It has a staying power and a beauty that we wanted to emulate. Aspire to it, actually, is a better way to say it — that and the art of Miyazaki films. These are things that have a huge influence on us as animators and filmmakers. So we had big boots to fill if we were going to equal the power and the scale of those of those stories. Our animators really took to it, by the way. I didn't understand until they started working on the film the level of excitement that they had to do animals that were animals. That kind of movement, I guess, is really a huge thing for an animator. They're usually doing animals carrying cell phones and they have jobs, etcetera. Animals that are animals, there's a purity to the motion that I was really struck by. The animation went unusually quickly because of the lack of things, like jackets and coats and stuff. And so it was a joy to see all of this come to life day by day." On the Importance of Not Shying Away From the Reality of Animals Being Animals Chris: "It was critical because if there isn't consequence, then the story is just not going to work. We don't want to shy away from any of those things because we need that kind of ballast. I would actually harken back to things in The Lion King — if you don't have consequences, you're not going to have that emotional resonance, and I don't think you going to have a movie that works. So death shows up several times in this movie. The first time, of course, is the critical and pivotal event where Roz accidentally, quite literally, runs across this goose's nest by accident and that sets this whole story in motion. Later on, we revisit it, but we often revisit it with humour. We get a laugh out of it. It's a dark kind of humour, but boy is it effective. The animals on this island have programming, and that's the way that Roz looks at it. She's a creature of human programming, and she sees the animals as running programs as well. I thought that was a really interesting way to look at the world, and one of the load-bearing ideas and themes of the film is the idea that someday you may have to change your programming in order to survive. In our lives, we are creatures of habit, we resist change, and we may have to change the way we think. I think that sometimes we're so fearful of losing ourselves for some reason. I think we're very protective of ourselves. I can only speak for myself, but I get that — but whenever I've been forced to see things in a different way, I've been better for it." On What Goes Into Conveying Roz's Inner Journey Through a Vocal Performance Lupita: "I would say the intention was set at the beginning. Before I took on the role, I asked Chris why he thought I would be good for it, and he said he liked the warmth of my voice. So that was very good information for me, so that I knew what I had for free to offer Roz, and so that was where we would end up — that's the voice when Roz has taken on and embraced the role of mother most fully, that she sounds most like me. And then in the process, a two-and-a-half-year process, the script is developing, and along with it our understanding of who Roz is and how we experience her evolution is also developing. That was really quite technical, and we had certain markers, certain benchmarks for where the quality of my voice was shifting. And I did it quite technically, so it dials up in a way that when you're watching the performance is perhaps, hopefully, quite subtle and unnoticeable — until you meet the robots that are more like the other robots like her, towards the third act of the film." On the "Miyazaki by Way of Monet" Visual Approach to the Natural World Within the Film Chris: "All these things we've been talking about, what a perfect line of questioning actually, all these things are linked together like spokes of a wheel. I felt that it was absolutely critical, and I pushed very hard for this level of sophistication in the look of the movie. Think back to what we were talking about with Bambi, that level of sophistication, I felt, would make our audience see this film in the right way, if that makes sense. This is a film that kids will love. Kids should go see it. Families should go see it. But it's not a little kids' film — it's a film. And that's how Walt Disney looked at those stories as well, he always said so. So that level of sophistication helps us to get into the film in a certain way, and it really immerses us in a way that I've never seen a film like this accomplish. I have gotten so much feedback since we finished the film that it really blurs the line between a live-action film and an animated film, frankly, the way that you see it — and that was very deliberate. And I have to credit the artists and the incredible advances that DreamWorks had made technologically that allowed this look. The funny thing is all that technology opened this film up so that humans are more present than ever before. Literally everything is hand-painted. It would be as if I took out a brush and started painting dimensionally in space. That's exactly what they were doing. So there are no forms underneath the trees or the rocks. It's free handed. So the beauty that you get from that, there's no substitute for it. There's an analogue warmth that we reconnected with on this journey that we've taken through CG." On How Animation Allows Audiences to Have Big Feelings — and Thinking About That When You're Making an Animated Film Lupita: "You have to keep the audience in mind. One of the things that I remember us discussing, Roz has a lot of robotic language, just mumbo jumbo that she says — and you want to keep that in a way that allows for children to grow their vocabulary, and also a way for adults to understand and appreciate what she is saying. But you can't make it too difficult that you lose the children altogether. So those were fun workshops where we tried different words. I remember in the script, there was a time when a character asks Roz something and she goes 'hmm, let me see'. But 'hmm', that's a very human expression, and so I said 'processing' and everybody broke out laughing, and it became part of Roz's vocabulary. For children, that is perhaps maybe a new word — children never say processing, I can't imagine they do. But in that sense, you've expanded their vocabulary and stayed true to the character." Chris: "It's something I don't know if I'm really thinking about it, but in a sense I'm striving for it as I'm working on scenes. I'm scaling things. I think one of the neat things about taking a story like Peter Brown's to the screen is the potential for how big these feelings can be. I'm always going for audacity and scale. And I will run a scene over and over and over in my head, modifying it before I even commit anything to paper a lot of the time, until I'm feeling I've found every edge of the boundaries of that particular moment, and I've built it as large as it possibly can be. Because why wouldn't you, you know? Why wouldn't you? And then the really amazing thing is, I take it only so far, and then we have our actors and our and our animators — and eventually the cinematographer, the lighting, and then eventually Kris Bowers [who composed The Wild Robot's soundtrack]. I cannot overstate his contribution as well. I credit him for, I think, the gosh-darn best score I've ever heard in a movie ever." On What Nyong'o Makes of Her Career Over the Past Decade Since 12 Years a Slave Lupita: "I was sitting at the premiere of The Wild Robot at TIFF [the Toronto International Film Festival], and there was a moment, I think it was a moment when Brightbill is flying away and a feather floats into Roz's hands. And it's a very emotional moment within the story. But in that moment, I was just caught, I was struck by the truth that I have been living out my dreams and this project is another dream come true. I was just filled with gratitude, because not everybody gets to live out their dreams so exactly. And I've had that wonderful, wonderful privilege, and I just don't take it for granted. It's been deliberate. It's sometimes been scary. I've had to say no before I knew I could in order to wait for the project that felt like it would give me the kind of expansion I was looking for. And those times that I've said no have paid off. And looking at the last ten years, I'm very, very proud of the work that I've been able to do, and I look forward to continuing to live out my dreams one decision at a time." The Wild Robot opened in Australian cinemas on Thursday, September 19, 2024.
UPDATE, APRIL 4: Due to concerns around the coronavirus, Disney has announced that The French Dispatch will no longer release on its initially scheduled date of Thursday, August 13, 2020, with the film now hitting cinemas on October 15, 2020. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. An offbeat storyline. Mesmerisingly symmetrical frames. A cast that includes Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Owen Wilson, Saoirse Ronan, Willem Dafoe, Jason Schwartzman, Edward Norton, Bob Balaban and Anjelica Houston. Yep, it must be a new Wes Anderson film — and, based on its just-dropped first trailer, The French Dispatch looks like Wes Anderson at his most Wes Anderson-esque yet. The premise: in the fictional French town of Ennui-sur-Blasé sometime in the mid-20th century, Arthur Howitzer Jr. (Murray) has turned a series of travelogue columns into a weekly American magazine. A supplement to the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun, The French Dispatch resembles The New Yorker, is staffed by top expatriate journalists, and covers life in France, world politics, high and low art, and diverse stories of human interest. As for the film that shares its name, it focuses on three tales printed in the publication's pages. Cue 'The Concrete Masterpiece', with Benicio del Toro as incarcerated artist Moses Rosenthaler — who paints portraits of his prison guard (Léa Seydoux) and tries to fend off the interests of an art dealer (Adrien Brody). Next comes 'Revisions to a Manifesto', featuring Timothée Chalamet and Lyna Khoudri as student revolutionaries, as well as Frances McDormand as a journalist. And, there's also 'The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner', about a big kidnapping, plus a chef (Stephen Park) known for "the mode of cuisine known as police cooking". A framing story also steps inside the inner workings of the magazine itself, and the publication of a special issue, complete with writers played by Swinton, Wilson, Elisabeth Moss, Jeffrey Wright, Fisher Stevens, Griffin Dunne and Wally Wolodarsky. The cast list isn't done just yet, with Christoph Waltz, Liev Schreiber, Henry Winkler, Rupert Friend, Cecile de France, Matthew Almaric, Lois Smith and The Grand Budapest Hotel's lobby boy Tony Revolori all popping up. Obviously, as has proven the case in every Anderson film from Bottle Rocket and Rushmore to Isle of Dogs, every frame looks like it belongs on a wall — or in Anderson's own recent museum exhibition. Check out the trailer for The French Dispatch below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcPk2p0Zaw4 After being delayed from its original release date of August 13, 2020, The French Dispatch will now open in Australian cinemas on October 15, 2020.
Folks, it's the happiest time of the year — and it's not Christmas. Netflix has come to town, the streaming video on demand service everyone is always talking about. If you like film and television, prepare to spend more time than you should picking from more movies and shows than you could possibly watch in your lifetime. But the fact is, having jumped through a number of well-publicised hoops, you might already be using Netflix US. Should you make the switch to the fully legit Australian service? There's a few factors to consider. Netflix never reveal the extent of their libraries, but more than 1000 titles are available locally. While that's only a fraction of the 8000-plus options on offer in the US, it's still plenty. Between Presto, Stan, Quickflix and Netflix (plus the range of services available with a little IP address masking), we're spoiled for choice. Here are some of the Australian Netflix inclusions and omissions that are swaying our decision. WHAT YOU SHOULD WATCH UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT Unless you've been trapped in an underground bunker, the name Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt probably rings a bell. The facts: it stars Ellie Kemper from The Office and Bridesmaids, it's the latest sitcom written by 30 Rock's dream team of Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, and it might just be your new favourite show. It's not just the earworm of a theme song that gets stuck in your head, but the irreverent sense of humour and can-do attitude, too. The show follows a wide-eyed 30-year-old freshly saved from 15 years in a doomsday cult and now trying to make it in New York City, after all. What more convincing do you need? BLOODLINE It may have made its premiere at the Berlin Film Festival in February, but Bloodline is actually Netflix's newest release. The latest original drama in the service's growing TV stable only dropped in the US last weekend — that's how fresh it is. Since then, the buzz has been building, particularly about Australia's own Ben Mendelsohn. He's joined by Kyle Chandler proving he's no longer Friday Night Lights' Coach Taylor, plus a cast that rounds up the likes of Chloë Sevigny, Linda Cardellini and Sam Shepard into a tale of family troubles. Just don't expect the standard sibling squabbles, given that the psychological thriller comes from the creators of Damages. BOJACK HORSEMAN His sitcom-starring days are long gone, and his tell-all biography is his last-ditch attempt at fame, so what's a washed-up talking horse that sounds just like Will Arnett to do? Yes, that's the premise of animated series Bojack Horseman — and it's only the beginning of its offbeat appeal. A whole host of other animals with human traits are in the mix, plus a swag of familiar voices, including Community's Alison Brie and Ken Jeong, as well as Kristen Schaal and Stanley Tucci. Patton Oswalt pops up as a penguin and recent Oscar winner J.K. Simmons becomes a turtle, while Aaron Paul plays — what else — a slacker. VIRUNGA AND OTHER NETFLIX ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARIES Netflix doesn't just produce television shows — it is also in the movie-making game. Funding new features takes some time, but there's already a stack of slices of real life available to choose from, covering topics as varied as human rights abuses, failed US presidential candidates, and the meaning of manhood. One of them, Virunga, crafts a compelling account of conservation efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where a species of mountain gorillas face extinction courtesy of oil exploration, armed conflict and poachers. The heartbreaking film was even nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature just last month, following in the footsteps of fellow Netflix offering, Egyptian revolution chronicle The Square, the year before. AZIZ ANSARI: LIVE AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN AND OTHER NETFLIX STAND-UP COMEDY SPECIALS You like to laugh, we like to laugh, and Netflix likes us all to laugh, clearly. Why else would they stack their library with stand-up comedy specials, featuring all the funny people we know and love, that you can't find anywhere else? Aziz Ansari: Live at Madison Square Garden is the latest and greatest of the lot, not to mention the perfect antidote to those suffering from Parks and Recreation withdrawals. The Australian catalogue doesn't feature the full suite of comedy sets, but it does include exclusive shows by Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Chelsea Peretti and Sleepwalk with Me's Mike Birbiglia, so we're not complaining. WHAT YOU CAN'T WATCH FRIENDS, AND YOUR OTHER FAVOURITE TV COMEDIES When all 236 episodes and 86 hours of Friends came to US Netflix at the beginning of 2015, fans of the program rejoiced in the thought of revisiting it from start to finish. Binge-watching older TV comedies and catching up on past seasons of newer shows you might have missed has always been one of the drawcards of the service, whether Archer, Portlandia, Peep Show or It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is your thing, or something else. All of the above are absent from the Australian lineup, meaning you'd best hang on to your DVDs for now. With more titles added all the time, perhaps you'll soon be marathoning Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock and Bob's Burgers. Given Netflix was the driving force behind Arrested Development's revival, at least you know they'll always have that — though, curiously Trailer Park Boys isn't available locally, even with the service funding its latest seasons. KILLER MERMAID, AND OTHER MOVIES YOU WON'T BE SEEING IN MULTIPLEXES Yup, a movie about a man-eating mermaid actually exists, starring Franco Nero — aka the original Django. No, despite the appeal of the idea, the film isn't very good. But it is this kind of fare that makes Netflix US great for cinephiles with adventurous tastes, or just those looking to stumble across something outside the norm. Cult classics and foreign films that will never make it to a big screen are also typically well served by the service, as well as US indies, such as quite a bit of the work of Joe Swanberg. For now, this level of depth is absent, though the Australian lineup does boast some movies not available elsewhere, particularly local content. TWIN PEAKS We’re always going to tell you to watch Twin Peaks, but if you want to do so, you best seek it elsewhere. David Lynch’s surreal, small-town series is nowhere to be seen here — well, not in its small screen version. In one of those strange situations that can only be chalked up to rights issues, you can't watch season one or two of the program, which is available in America, but you can watch Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, which isn't. Given the kooky twists in the series in question, it actually feels quite fitting. Of course, we'll take some over none any day, especially when the movie sequel-slash-prequel is one of the scariest horror films there is. FIREPLACE FOR YOUR HOME Sure, we'll admit that much of Australia doesn't really have the climate for fireplaces for most of the year, but that doesn't mean that we don't want to pretend. Whatever the weather outside, we want to snuggle up on our couches, turn on Netflix, and look at a streamed video of crackling flames — just like it was the real thing. Alas, we can't, with Fireplace for Your Home glaringly absent from the local catalogue. It looks like we'll never know the joy of "a classic tale of logs and fire like you've never seen it before", or its holiday-themed winter wonderland spin-off. THE MAJORITY OF NEW TV SHOWS Netflix launching in Australia is certainly a step forward for our film and TV viewing choices; however, it is worth remembering that it isn't the be all and end all of SVOD services. Even in the US, it doesn't carry the newest seasons of the majority of television programs, other than the select few — such as House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black — Netflix makes themselves. As a catch-up service, there are still plenty of gaps too, including all the HBO shows you've obsessed about for years (sorry Game of Thrones fans). Instead, think of it as a great online library that you can always access — but like its offline counterparts, there's always bound to be something missing. Image: The stars of Netflix come out for the Netflix Australia launch.
Ten-year anniversaries are traditionally celebrated with tin, but fantastic NZ designer Karen Walker has no time for such banalities. To mark ten unconventional years in the eyewear game, she has released the 'Celebrate' collection, entirely done in gold. If they look like lavish versions of what's come before, well, that's exactly what they are. Each style is an iconic favourite from a previous year's collection. So there's 2005's Annie, earlier seen on this vampire; 2013's Northern Lights, earlier seen on this grande dame; and 2012's Number One, earlier seen on this balloon. The metal frames have been encased in a clear epoxy resin, making them look like solid gold. But you'll be looking more Greek island hopper, less Daft Punk member thanks to the warm, amber-brown mirrored lenses, which is what's really elevating these golden oldies to the next level. Here's to another ten years of taking loud, playful and sometimes silly risks on our faces, and another ten years of waiting to see who/what will model Karen Walker's designs next. Check out the festive campaign for Celebrate, shot by Derek Kettela, below. To see out the full collection or just dive in and buy, head to the Karen Walker Eyewear website. Each style is priced at NZ$399 ($358) and is in store from October 9.
It's happening months earlier than anticipated, but New Zealand is set to reopen its doors to tourists from next month, kicking things off by welcoming back its closest neighbours. In news sure to trigger a sigh of relief for tourism operators and those keen on a winter break, from 11.59pm NZST / 8.59pm AEST on Tuesday, April 12, Aotearoa will scrap its current international border ban for Australian tourists — meaning double-vaccinated Aussie holidaymakers will be able to travel across the ditch without requiring isolation. Then from 11.59pm NZST / 8.59pm AEST on Sunday, May 1, double-vaccinated holidaymakers from visa-waiver countries like the US and UK will be able to follow suit. New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the move in a press conference on Wednesday, March 16, revealing that she's excited and ready "to welcome the world back". "In particular, I'm ready to welcome back our trans-Tasman travellers… they'll be able to arrive in time for the Australian school holidays and provide a boost for our winter ski season," she said. "I'm asking our Australian family and friends to book their tickets." Tourists will be required to test negative for COVID-19 with a PCR or RAT before leaving Australia for their trip, before providing negative tests on day one and day five of their stay in New Zealand. The new plan is an expedited version of the New Zealand Government's original border-reopening arrangement announced back in February, when it was proposed tourists from Australia and around the world would probably be able to visit New Zealand by July. However in March, NZ COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said he believed that would be "at the latest". The change of plans has come amid New Zealand's current Omicron outbreak, which sees the country currently ranking among the highest rates of COVID-19 transmission in the world. Australian tourists will be able to enter New Zealand without isolating from 11.59pm NZST / 8.59pm AEST on Tuesday, April 12. For more information, head to the New Zealand Government's official COVID-19 website.
2023 was huge for women's soccer in Australia. 2024 mightn't boast the World Cup rolling out Down Under, sadly, but with the Matildas competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics, it's still a massive year for fans of the country's national squad. 2023 also brought documentary Matildas: The World at Our Feet to streaming queues, too — and 2024 is following suit there as well thanks to Stan's Trailblazers, which was announced earlier in the year and now has a Tuesday, June 4 release date. While The World at Our Feet chronicled the current team's path to the 2023 Women's World Cup, Trailblazers is taking a broader look at the Tillies' story and also at women's football in Australia, as the trailer for the doco makes plain. Sam Kerr, Steph Catley, Mary Fowler, Ellie Carpenter, Katrina Gorry and Teagan Micah all feature as interviewees — but chronicling the Matildas' journey before their current success is also in the documentary's remit. If your obsession with the Tillies started in July 2023, this is your chance to dive into the first FIFA-recognised game in 1979, the team's 2015 strike for equal pay and its fortunes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics — and to reflect upon the the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 in Australia and New Zealand, plus the squad's qualification for Paris. So, you'll hear from and about earlier players, such as first-ever Matildas captain Julie Dolan, alongside Kerr and company. The Matildas' first Indigenous female player Karen Menzies also features among the discussions, as do fellow past players Melissa Barbieri, Kate Gill and Moya Dodd. Tommy Sermanni, who coached the Tillies from 1994–97 and 2005–12, similarly gets chatting. And, so does ex-Socceroos captain-turned-commentator Craig Foster. Stan is dropping Trailblazers not only in the lead up to the Paris Olympics, which take place from Friday, July 16–Sunday, August 11, but also just after the Matildas play two warmup friendlies in Australia on Friday, May 31 (in Adelaide) and Monday, June 3 (in Sydney) against China. Behind the scenes, Maggie Miles (Dare to Be Different) and Maggie Eudes produce, write and direct the documentary — aka your next chance to revel in all things Tillies. If you want to wear green and gold while watching, or the recently released (and soldout) purple Mackenzie Arnold goalkeeper kit if you got your hands on one, that's up to you. Check out the trailer for Trailblazers below: Trailblazers will stream via Stan from Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
Japan has continued to grow in popularity as a holiday destination. A (relatively) short flight away, it offers nature, cities, unbeatable food, cultural experiences, and a famous public transport system that makes getting around a breeze. But if you want to see the real Japan, you need to explore its culture a little deeper. In collaboration with the Japan National Tourism Organization, we've selected eight traditional events that will allow you to dive head-first into the country's lesser-known regional culture. [caption id="attachment_916162" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Mu Mu via iStock[/caption] Yuki Matsuri — Sapporo Snow Festival People may know Japan for its fantastic skiing, but fewer are up to speed with this fascinating winter festival, which showcases some of the most inventive culture that Sapporo has to offer. What began in 1950 as a festival with 50,000 attendees organised by a local high school in a park is now an eight-day artistic winter extravaganza that attracts over two million visitors every year. The February 2025 incarnation takes place across three separate sites and features snow sculptures from world-renowned artists, plus winter sports exhibitions and a range of family-friendly sub-zero activities. [caption id="attachment_972213" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Japan National Tourism Organization[/caption] Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri — Osaka Harvest Festival Danjiri matsuri are "float" or "cart-pulling" festivals that are held across Japan, and while the coastal town of Kishiwada may be small in stature, it hosts one of the largest such events in the whole country, all to kick off the harvest season. A tradition that dates back three centuries, crowds come from afar to witness teams pull their elaborately decorated danjiri festival floats — which can weigh up to four tons — through the city streets. This important historic festival is held every September in the quaint locale in southern Osaka Prefecture. [caption id="attachment_972214" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] RnDmS via iStock[/caption] Nada Kenka Matsuri — Dynamic Hyogo City Festival Nada Kenka Matsuri is a "fighting festival" where teams of local men carry intricately carved floats through Himeji City before smashing them into one another to assert dominance and claim the honour of a blessing at the local shrine. Over 100,000 people every year come to witness this traditional, not to mention dangerous, ritual. It's believed the winners will be blessed with a bountiful harvest. So, if you're keen to experience something that ties organised choreography, all-out carnage, and traditional beliefs together, head to Hyogo Prefecture in October — Nada Kenka Matsuri could be exactly what you're looking for. [caption id="attachment_972223" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Subajogu via iStock[/caption] Eisa Matsuri — Okinawa Dance Festival Eisa is a form of folk dancing that originated in Okinawa and every year, the region pays homage to its heritage with this festival. Over three days, hundreds of thousands of visitors watch the people of Okinawa honour their ancestors and traditions. On the final day, spectators get the opportunity to join the eisa dancers in a celebratory denouement. As if that wasn't enough, there's a dramatic climax, during which a technicolour fireworks display closes out this unique part of Okinawa culture during summer. Chichibu Yomatsuri — Saitama Winter Night Festival You'll have realised by now that if the word "matsuri" is somewhere in the title, there will be a float parade involved. Chichibu Yomatsuri is no exception. This festival, held annually at the start of December, features floats on which kabuki (traditional Japanese dance theatre) is performed. What sets this apart from some of the other similarly-sized festivals is its two-and-a-half-hour fireworks display — a highlight for attendees enjoying the sights and sounds of the area. Don't forget to make the most of the musical performances and street food stalls that have been set up to mark the occasion. [caption id="attachment_972236" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Grandspy707 via iStock[/caption] Usuki Takeyoi — Oita Bamboo Festival In case you're wondering what a bamboo festival might entail, the answer is over 20,000 bamboo lanterns lining the streets of eight different towns. This beautifully illuminated spectacle is held to retell the legend of Princess Hannya, who, legend says, needs the lights to light the path for her soul to return to its rightful place. Oita Prefecture is famous for its bamboo, so it's only natural that it's the material celebrated at Usuki Takeyoi. The lanterns are lit around sunset, providing a warm, otherworldly experience that has to be seen to be believed. [caption id="attachment_972241" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] RealdWorld8 via iStock[/caption] Nachi no Ogi Matsuri — Wakayama Shinto Festival Wakayama is home to a picturesque waterfall known for its beauty and tranquillity. However, once a year, the peace is shattered thanks to Nachi no Ogi Matsuri, a festival of fire where roaring flames and religious chanting combine. This is a sacred rite where heavy torches are carried along the staircase to the local shrine, transforming the waterfall into a thrilling collision of water and flame. It's held every year on July 14 and is a popular event, so make sure you arrive early to get a good vantage point for the festivities, which kick off at 2pm sharp. [caption id="attachment_972243" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Kuremo via iStock[/caption] Oga no Namahage — Akita Demon Festival How did you spend NYE last year? Did you brave the eye-watering prices to go to an event in the city, or did you just spend it with friends? Whatever you did, chances are you didn't have an evening like the people of Oga. Every December 31, local men in demonic masks roam the streets, searching for young children to scare. The demons can be satiated with rice cakes and sake, before leaving the house with a blessing for the year ahead. No one is entirely sure where this tradition originated, but in 2018, UNESCO awarded it the classification of Intangible Cultural Heritage. It'll certainly be a New Year's you'll never forget. Discover more and start planning your trip to Japan at the Japan National Tourism Organization website.
No longer confined to children's birthday parties, bouncy castles, inflatable obstacle sources and blow-up labyrinths have become hot property for adults (and their inner kids, of course). And the next blow-up event to return to Australia is big. Really big. Dubbed 'The Big Bounce Australia', it's an inflatable theme park made up of the world's biggest bouncy castle — as certified by the Guinness World Records — plus a 300-metre long obstacle course, a three-part space-themed wonderland and a sports slam arena. You're going to need a lot of red cordial to bounce your way through all of this. Set to tour the country in 2022, The Big Bounce is open to both littl'uns and big'uns, but there are a heap of adults-only sessions — so you don't have to worry about dodging toddlers on your way through. Tickets for adults will set you back $59, which gives you a whole three hours in the park. Yes, you'll need it. Inside, you'll encounter the aforementioned bouncy castle — aptly named The World's Biggest Bounce House — covering a whopping 1500 square metres and, in some spots, reaching ten metres off the ground. In this house, you'll encounter a heap of slides, ball pits, climbing towers, basketball hoops and (if you can believe it) a stage with DJs, confetti cannons and beach balls. Then, there's The Giant, with 50 inflatable obstacles, including giant red balls and a monster slide. [caption id="attachment_825374" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Sarasota Experience[/caption] Before you hit the next, three-part section of the extremely OTT theme park, you may need to pause, down some red frogs and maybe even have a nap. Or not, as you do only have three hours to explore it all. Either way, at Airspace, aliens, spaceships and moon craters collide with a five-lane slide, some more ball pits and an 18-metre-tall maze. After that, you'll certainly need a nap. And, new for 2022, there's also the Sport Slam, which is rather self-explanatory — and will be a must of you're keen to add a competitive spin to all that bouncing. THE BIG BOUNCE AUSTRALIA 2022 TOUR DATES: January 14–16: Eagles Sports Complex, Brisbane January 28–30 and February 4–6: Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne February 18–20: Ellis Park, Adelaide March 4–6: Canberra, venue TBC March 11–13: St Ives Showground, Sydney April 8–10: Newcastle, venue TBC May 6–8: Claremont Showgrounds, Perth The Big Bounce tours Australia from January–May, 2022. For more information, or to buy tickets, head to the event's website.
By now, you've probably forgotten what an overseas holiday even feels like. But you might want to pull out a map and start flexing those vacation planning skills, because the folks at Qantas and Jetstar have just announced plans to kick start international flights from late-October. Yep, if all goes to plan, the two airlines could have you jetting off to foreign lands as early as spring. The Qantas Group today announced it aims to resume flights to most international destinations from October this year, after it ramps up flights on its trans-Tasman routes from July. The news comes almost a year after the COVID-19 pandemic first forced Qantas and Jetstar to suspend overseas flights back in March 2020. The tentative plans also take into consideration the Aussie rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine. Last week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed the Federal Government aims to give every Australian the opportunity to get vaccinated by October. You might not be able to fly until you've received your jab, with Qantas CEO Alan Joyce previously stating the airline would only allow vaccinated passengers to travel on international flights. The airline is also currently trialling digital health pass apps, such as Common Pass and IATA Travel Pass, which contain information about a passenger's COVID-19 status, testing and vaccinations, on current international repatriation flights. Come October 31, Qantas expects to have resumed flights to 22 of its 25 international destinations, including London, Singapore and Los Angeles. Unfortunately, if you've got New York, Santiago or Osaka on your wish list, you may have to wait a little longer to fly. Meanwhile, Jetstar plans to resume all of its 13 international routes by the same projected date, though flight frequencies will be determined by what's happening in the rest of the world. Got your sights set a little closer to home? Both airlines are aiming to dramatically increase their trips to and from New Zealand, starting from July 1. Of course, even once international flights are up and running again, you can expect a much lower capacity than pre-COVID travel — Qantas says it's not anticipating a full return to normality until 2024. In good news for planners, Qantas has also announced some extra flexibility for customers booking international flights. It's expanded its Fly Flexible policy to include overseas routes that are booked from now until at least the end of April 2021. That'll allow you to change your flight date to any other currently available, up to 355 days in advance. Learn more about Qantas and Jetstar's international travel plans at the website.
Come 2026, almost a decade will have passed since Qantas proposed changing the way that Australians travel to two of the world's biggest cities — and most-popular holiday destinations — from the east coast. That plan: Project Sunrise, the initiative that's making non-stop flights from Sydney to London and New York a reality. It was first announced in 2017, ran trial flights in 2019 and has undergone delays since, including moving a 2025 start date to mid-2026. With its launch date now just two years away, Qantas is speeding ahead with the lengthy journeys, which'll join the Perth-to-London flights that began in 2018. (From Western Australia, the carrier also boasts straight-to-Rome routes, and just implemented Perth-to-Paris legs as well.) If spending all of that time on a plane sounds like it'll be an experience — the aircrafts are capable of staying in the air for up to 22 hours — the airline understands. Indeed, part of the Project Sunrise development process has been dedicated to ensuring that passenger wellbeing doesn't suffer, and also working out how to combat jetlag. Here's one solution, or at least a tactic to help: Qantas has revealed that its 238-person Project Sunrise A350-1000 planes will feature cabin lighting inspired by the Australian landscape, which will cycle through phases to help travellers adapt to the ultra long-haul voyage — and to the time zone when they disembark. The airline has been making the most of Hamburg's Airbus Customer Definition Centre, using a mockup of the A350 cabin to test lighting patterns and sequences, after the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre conducted research during the Project Sunrise test runs on the inflight experience and reducing jetlag. Those learnings noted that some light spectrums work better to get circadian rhythms adapting. Cue plenty more testing, resulting in 12 lighting scenes for Project Sunrise's trips. Among them: using a broad-spectrum glow enriched with blue hues as an awake setting, which can also be softened; cycling through the tones of the sunset as it turns into a moonlit night, complete with clouds, to get travellers ready to go to sleep; and replicating an Aussie sunrise, starting at the front of the aircraft and rolling out to the back, when it's time to greet either London or NYC. Boarding, taxiing, take-off, sleep, landing and disembarking also have their own lighting modes. The planes will feature wellbeing zones that'll sport the colours of a daytime sky, clouds and all, when the flight is in its daytime setting. The same space will move to moonlight and water rippling during the journey's evening phase. And for those flush with cash, the enclosed first-class suites will let passengers fully customise their own lighting. As advised back in 2023, those wellbeing zones on the stopover-free hauls will sit between the 140-seat economy and 40-seat premium economy cabins. Inside, stretch handles and an exercise program guided via screens will get you active, while refreshments will be on offer at the hydration station. As for the cabins themselves, every seat will have free wifi, USB-C charging ports and also wireless charging and bluetooth connectivity so that you can use your own headphones — and, they'll feature in good news for your body, Qantas' most-generous seat pitches yet, plus ergonomic leg and foot rests. Qantas' direct flights from Sydney to London and Sydney to New York are set to take to the air in mid-2026. For more information, head to the Qantas website.
Intelligent machines that interact with humans have long been a sci-fi staple in books, cartoons and film. Whether the future will hold the doe-eyed Haley Joel Osment of Artificial Intelligence or the all-destroying Terminator is still the stuff of fiction, but the fact is thinking machines are already among us, watching us, and telling us what to drink. Japanese beverage company JR East Water Business Co. have created the ultimate in customer service with the Acure vending machine. This oversized box can be found on train platforms in Shinagawa and Tokyo. It boasts a 47-inch touch screen and a camera that uses inbuilt technology to detect sensory data, including the age and sex of the individual standing before it. When the hi-tech device is idle it engages in its 'intelligent marketing system' whereby advertisements relevant to the season, weather and time of day are displayed. If it’s a cold winter’s eve you can expect a nice warm cup of cocoa tempting you on its LCD. While it offers demographically targeted drink selections it also collects marketing data, which is stored and then collated by the company. Launching their first Acure vending machine in August 2010, they already know the most frequent users of the device are men in their 30s and that an inordinate number of juices are bought by them at night. [Via Hypebeast]
Inspired by Madonna, Michael Jackson and Nine Inch Nails, Auckland based synth pop duo Computers Want Me Dead have decided they're not going to take themselves too seriously – resulting in a sound that's chaotic, almost dizzying synth pop that you can't help but pull shapes to. They've played Rhythm + Vines, Big Day Out and supported 30 Seconds to Mars – all while having only released their debut EP in March this year. They've taken over New Zealand and plan to take over the rest of the world later on this year, one synth track at a time. One half of Computers Want Me Dead, Sam Harvey, chats to Kirstie Sequitin about Gary Numan, Nine Inch Nails and embracing their inner synth pop. I read this thing on your Facebook profile last night, saying that your set is 'a whirling and buzzing tornado of sound akin to some wonderful lovechild of Gary Numan and Nine Inch Nails on ecstacy'. And then I saw that you had a photo taken with Gary the other day – did he have something to say about that? Yeah, yeah that was amazing! A friend of mine was organizing the Gary Numan show over here in Auckland, so as soon as I found out I ran in saying 'please, please, please can I meet him?' And I met him, he was the nicest guy I've ever met, it was incredible. Did he listen to your music at all? I don't know. It was funny because the friend that hosted the television show knows I'm a huge fan (of Gary) and actually gave him a copy of our CD live on air. I was like 'Oh my God, I can't believe you did that.' But, I don't know. I'd like to think that he would have heard it but yeah, no idea. Why do computers want you dead? The name is definitely ironic, because we both love computers and we're kind of nerdy in that way. But it actually comes from a friend of mine who had moved to Chicago wrote me this massive long email on MySpace, back in the day when MySpace was all the rage. So she wrote me this massive email and clicked send and… it timed out. She had spent two hours writing this email and was really really pissed off. The next email she wrote was titled 'Computers want me dead'. I was like, "I'm totally going to use that as a band name". She didn't believe me until we put out a single. What were you guys doing before Computers Want Me Dead and how did you guys start working together? I was wearing a Nine Inch Nails t-shirt at a work function and Damien came up to me and was like, "Oh yeah, I'm a fan of Nine Inch Nails too." And we just got talking. We were both talking about how we wanted to, you know, start a band, and we started jamming. We ended up moving into an apartment – I live here with Damien and his girlfriend – and it kind of just went from there. So how does a love for Nine Inch Nails translate to the stuff that you guys make together? Well, it's funny - it started off being a lot darker and kind of grittier. Then one day I changed the bass line on something and added the sort of poppy sounding synth and all of a sudden it was a different song and we just ran with that. But yeah, Nine Inch Nails are definitely a massive influence on both of us and kind of evidence of earlier stuff that we've done. I've played one of our singles to a friend of mine who is also a Nine Inch Nails fan and – I don't know if this is compliment but - he said "It sounds like Nine Inch Nails on E". And I was like, "Sweet. That's awesome". That was the coolest thing he could've said. You say that your music comes from being able to embrace pop music shamelessly; do you think other bands take themselves too seriously? Do you think that there's a bit of synth pop in every band? (laughs) I think everyone has a potential to take themselves too seriously. We're all guilty of it sometimes. But yeah, I don't know, there's some music that's more serious than others – and I'm a big fan of all kinds of stuff. I don't look at people who are really into what they're doing as taking themselves too seriously – I don't think they're pretentious or anything, but it's just not what this band is about. Computers Want Me Dead's self-titled EP is out now.
Two robot enthusiasts, Peter Seid and Phu Nguyen, have found a way to smarten up your already intelligent smartphone by turning it into a robot. The Romo robotics platform uses your phone, its apps and their software to perform robotic tasks, like bringing you a drink. According to its designers the Romo is able to 'learn, grow, and change' because users can add new hardware modules. Other Romo functions include turning your smartphone into a 'spy robot', play a 'mixed-reality version' of Mario Kart and execute commands through a drag and drop programming module. The designers behind the Romo have posted the project on crowd funding site Kickstarter, where it has received over $85,000 in seed capital. [via PSFK]
When The Sopranos came to a close with perhaps the most controversial ending in television history, it left fans with plenty of questions. If you're keen to get some closure — or simply find out more about the iconic gangster series — then open up your 2019 diary: three of the show's stars are coming to Australia next year. Touring the country between May 25 and June 1, In Conversation with The Sopranos will see Michael Imperioli, Steve Scirrippa and Vince Pastore take to the stage to chat about their time on the HBO series, including everything from behind-the-scenes stories to theories on how the eight-season show ended. That means that Sopranos aficionados can hear all of the insider details from none other than Tony Soprano's unofficial nephew, Christopher Moltisani, plus two of the mob boss' enforcers in Bobby Baccala and Big Pussy. While the man who became synonymous with the series obviously, sadly can't be there, Imperioli, Scirrippa and Pastore will also chat about the late, great James Gandolfini — including their friendship with him both on- and off-screen, and the impact that he had on their lives and careers. No word yet whether the trio will come out on stage to the sounds of Journey's 'Don't Stop Believin'; however they will indeed be answering attendees' questions at the end of their discussion. Tickets start at the $100 mark (give or take a dollar or two depending on the city), and if you're feeling flush with a spare $285 burning a hole in your pocket, you can also opt for the VIP package which includes a meet and greet. In Conversation with The Sopranos tours Australia in 2019, coming to Sydney's Enmore Theatre on Saturday, May 25, The Star Casino on the Gold Coast on Sunday, May 26, Perth's Crown Theatre on Wednesday, May 29 and Melbourne's Palais Theatre on Saturday, July 1. Tickets go on sale at 9am on Tuesday, August 21, with a pre-sale from 9am on Friday, August 16 — for more information, visit the event website.
Iconic Brisbane band Gentle Ben And His Sensitive Side are known as icons for a reason. Their dark howls and smooth crones have long struck a chord with audiences who are thirsty for their unique style of cabaret rock. Which is why their latest album Magnetic Island may come as a surprise to most. It seems the band's over-the-top front man (and of Six Ft Hick fame) Ben Corbett has, well, found his sensitive side. Straight melodies, softer vocals, pop songs and piano ballads litter the new album, while a slight darkness and intensity also haunts the lyrics. The band's signature drama is still evident though, along with Ben's exuding charisma. Magnetic Island may mean a shinier sound for Gentle Ben and his Sensitive Side, but you can be sure their live show still holds the same lively passion and magnitude as always. But you don't have to take my word for it. Go and see for yourself when Gentle Ben And His Sensitive Side perform at an all ages show at Tym Guitars on Sunday. A nice place to spend a leisurely afternoon, the astro-turfed Winn Lane will play host to an intimate gig, and best of all it's free.
December is a time for reflection. A time to look back on the year that was, read round-ups to check up on what you've missed and put together best-of lists (indeed, we've just launched our own in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane). Earlier this week Time Magazine announced the 'silence breakers' behind the #metoo campaign as its 'Person' of the Year, which, if you needed reminding, is pretty indicative of how difficult and momentous this year has been. How to deal with it all? With purple, apparently. Ultra Violet (PANTONE 18-3838) has just been named as Pantone's 2018 Colour of the Year. The dramatic shade was chosen by Pantone's colour experts not only because it's "provocative and thoughtful", but because its connection to cosmos suggests that there's more out there to be discovered and limitless possibilities of what's to come. Of course, purple has a cultural significance too — many of us would associated it with the late Prince. According to Pantone, the enigmatic colour has long been a symbol of counterculture and experimentation, as popularised by Prince, David Bowie and Jimi Hendrix. Referencing the year that was, Pantone executive director Leatrice Eisemen says that Ultra Violet inspires creativity and imagination and "takes our awareness and potential to a higher level". Then there's Ultra Violet's association with mindfulness; the colour is often used in meditation and spiritual practices. So paint your room in it, cover your body in it or just buy some purple socks — it might help you get through this crazy messed up world in 2018.
If you're starting to feel like a new season hasn't truly started until Finders Keepers has come to town, you're not alone. The ever-expanding art and design market has been bringing us face-to-face with some of the country's most quirky and creative designers for over a decade now — and it's set to do it all over again when it returns to Brisbane this November. The autumn/winter event saw the festival extend its trading hours, a move which will be repeated this time round, giving you maximum opportunity to explore the extensive program of vendors, food and entertainment. Of course, the focus remains on helping you discover and connect with the next wave of independent and emerging artisans, so expect to find plenty to take home with you from the event's more than 200 stalls. As usual, there'll also be live music and other entertainment scattered across the weekend to keep the good vibes going. And you're covered when the inevitable shopping-induced hunger strikes, a heap of food trucks will be dishing up bites to eat. Tickets are $5, available at the door and valid for the entire weekend. Finders Keepers Spring/Summer Brisbane will run from November 9–11 at 12pm–9pm on Friday, and 9am–5pm on Saturday and Sunday. Image: Mark Lobo.
Dubbed as the biggest night of the year for Sydney, the Mardi Gras Parade usually fills the streets of Darlinghurst and Surry Hills. In 2021, however, the celebration of LGBTQIA+ culture and communities — and its colourful array of hundreds of floats and performers — will actually take place in the Sydney Cricket Ground. Announced back in November, the parade has been moved to the SCG to help ensure social distancing is maintained. The 23,000-capacity event has been sold out for a while; however, a final release of tickets will go on sale from 2pm on Wednesday, February 17. If you're in need of some motivation to nab a seat, the parade's lineup should help. Rita Ora leads the bill, alongside Electric Fields, Montaigne and G Flip. Before the parade, DJs Kitty Glitter and Dan Murphy will hit the decks, with hosts Bob Downe and Julie McCrossin helping to get the crowd excited. When the floats start, however — after a Welcome to Country ceremony at 6pm — Nell Schofield and Kyle Olsen will be on voiceover duties. The full Mardi Gras festival runs from Friday, February 19 until Sunday, March 7, should you be wondering what else is in store around the main festivities. You can view all currently announced programming and events and stay up to date with all the news at Mardi Gras website. And, if you can't make it to the parade, it'll be broadcast live on SBS. Updated February 17. Images: Jeffrey Feng
When Brisbane's new Queen's Wharf precinct starts welcoming in patrons from the end of August, a culinary feast will await. They're not all opening upon launch, but this new riverside hub will feature restaurants serving up Indochine, Japanese, Italian, noodle, lamb, steak and seafood dishes — and that's just a taste of the eateries that'll call the site home. Add French fare to the list as well, courtesy of the just-announced Pompette. Escargot? Tick. Champagne? Tick. Oysters? Tick again. Classic French menu items will be on offer at this restaurant and champagne bar, but with two guiding principles in mind. Firstly, Pompette's dishes are set to give traditional meals a modern spin. Secondly, if sending your tastebuds to Paris normally gets you thinking about extravagant fine-dining, this spot is aiming to be more accessible. Tassis Group is bringing Pompette to fruition, with the hospitality group now boasting not one but two Queen's Wharf venues after the lamb-heroing Dark Shepherd. Both are set to open in September, the month after the precinct initially begins launching. For Pompette, you'll be heading to The Terrace on level four of The Star Brisbane. Michael Tassis, Tassis Group's owner, sees the site as "the perfect opportunity to experiment with a fun and fresh venue concept." He continued: "we're so excited to expand on our offerings and bring a slice of France to Brisbane. French cuisine is renowned for its rich flavours and textures — but many people find it intimidating. The concept of Pompette is to make that French dining experience a little more approachable". The restaurant will be located at at the end of the Neville Bonner pedestrian bridge, not only giving it views of the Brisbane River out over to South Bank, but continuing another trend for the hospitality company. Before 2025 hits, it'll add to its growing array of Brisbane restaurants — which also includes Longwang and Fatcow on James Street, both of which also opened in 2024, plus Yamas Greek + Drink, Opa Bar + Mezze, Massimo Restaurant & Bar, Rich & Rare and Fosh Bar & Restaurant — with two new venues as part of Kangaroo Point's green bridge. At Pompette, regular Tassis collaborators Clui Design are responsible for the look and feel, too — taking inspiration from Paris here, of course. As for what else the eatery will serve up under Head Chef Jean-Luc Morcellet, most menu details are still under wraps, other than the aforementioned escargot, oysters and champagne. You can start looking forward to steak au poivre — aka pepper steak — however, and all-day dining will be a big drawcard. Find Pompette at The Star Brisbane, Queen's Wharf Road, Brisbane from sometime in September 2024 — we'll update you with an exact opening date when it is announced. Head to the restaurant's website for more details in the interim. Food images: Markus Ravik.
As fans of whodunnits on the page, stage and screen know, anything can and often does go wrong in sleuthing tales. Usually, however, the antics remain in the story. That's not the case in The Play That Goes Wrong, as its title indicates — and as theatre audiences have enjoyed for over a decade, watching what happens when The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society endeavours to put on a murder-mystery, then chaos ensues. When the production premiered in 2012 in London, it not only proved a hit but won Best New Comedy at the Laurence Olivier Awards. It's also still treading the boards in the UK, making it West End's current longest-running comedy. For its first Broadway season, it also nabbed a Tony Award for Best Scenic Design of a Play. The Play That Goes Wrong has made its way Down Under before, too, but audiences will have another chance to catch it locally when it tours Australia again in 2025. Sydney Opera House is hosting the show's first — and longest — Aussie stop from Thursday, June 19–Sunday, August 3. After that, it'll play HOTA, Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast from Wednesday, August 6–Sunday, August 10 and Empire Theatre in Toowoomba from Monday, August 11–Friday, August 15. Next, the production will head back to New South Wales with a stop from Tuesday, August 19–Sunday, August 31 at Civic Theatre in Newcastle, before hitting Victoria from Wednesday, September 3–Sunday, September 21 at Athenaeum Theatre in Melbourne. The plot: when The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society give the whodunnit genre a spin, telling the tale of a murder at a country manor and the quest to find the perpetrator, making it through the show becomes an accident-filled challenge. Since its debut over a decade ago, The Play That Goes Wrong has been seen by more than 4.2-million people worldwide — in 49 countries — and given 3500-plus performances at West End's Duchess Theatre alone. Another tidbit: also in West End, members of The Drama Society have been hit more than 125,545 times, sometimes by objects and sometimes by each other. The Play That Goes Wrong 2025 Australian Dates: Thursday, June 19–Sunday, August 3 — Sydney Opera House, Sydney Wednesday, August 6–Sunday, August 10 — HOTA, Home of the Arts, Gold Coast Monday, August 11–Friday, August 15 — Empire Theatre, Toowoomba Tuesday, August 19–Sunday, August 31 — Civic Theatre, Newcastle Wednesday, September 3–Sunday, September 21 — Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne The Play That Goes Wrong is touring Australia from June 2025 — head to the production's website for tickets and further details. Images: original West End cast, Robert Day.
The director of Seven, Fight Club and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, David Fincher has made a career out of stylish, devilishly entertaining pulp. His latest film, Gone Girl, is absolutely no exception. Adapted from Gillian Flynn's bestselling novel of the same name, it's a dark and twisting tale that presents itself as both a biting commentary on relationships and media frenzy, and a subversion of procedural film conventions. And at the same time, it fully embraces the sleaze and exploitation of that which it critiques. Despite his superhero physique, Ben Affleck looks decidedly schlubby as Nick Dunne, an out-of-work writer from a small town in Missouri whose wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike), goes missing on their five-year anniversary. Signs of a struggle indicate she might have been abducted, and before long the entire country is following the case. But as more and more evidence comes to light, including a six-figure life insurance policy and a string of expensive credit card purchases, suspicion is soon cast upon her husband. And as a series of flashbacks told from Amy's perspective expose a marriage that had begun to turn sour, we're forced to confront to possibility that Nick may be a killer. Of course, it's nowhere near as simple as all of that. Gone Girl is the sort of movie that is very difficult to review, because so much of what makes it interesting lies in its second and third act revelations — each more deliciously silly than the last. Viewers unwilling to suspend their disbelief may struggle with the film, which really pushes the boundaries of plausibility. Then again, lurid, outlandish plot twists go part in parcel with the genre, as Fincher fans would well know. Although the movie plays fairly straight, there is definitely an element of subversion here, along with a jet-black sense of humour that manifests itself in unexpected ways. For example, it's hard not to snort when Nick complains, with a completely straight-face, that he's tired of "being picked on by women." The film's representation of gender and marriage could be the subject of an essay in and of itself. Suffice it to say, any movie that can be read as both a bloody tale of female empowerment and a twisted fantasy that implicitly exonerates domestic abusers is worthy of critical attention. Affleck, to his credit, gives what is probably the best performance of his career. One suspects that the casting choice was a self-aware one, given how much of the actor's life has been scrutinised in the tabloids. In a film full of unlikeable characters, the most repugnant are the likes of talk-show host Ellen Abbott (Missi Pyle), quick to condemn Nick's awkward, emotionless television appearances as evidence of his guilt. The film is very much a double-edged sword though. It condemns us for our obsession with violence while funnelling it down our throats. Once again, Fincher is dressing up trash as serious art, wanting to have his cake and eat it too. And frankly, we wouldn't take it any other way. https://youtube.com/watch?v=2-_-1nJf8Vg
Move over Babe, Piglet, Porky and Peppa. Thanks to monochrome-hued documentary Gunda, cinema has a brand new porcine star. Or several, to be exact; however, other than the eponymous sow, none of the attention-grabbing pigs in this movie are given names. If that feels jarring, that's because it breaks from film and television's usual treatment of animals. Typically on-screen, we see and understand the zoological beings we share this planet with as only humans can, filtering them through our own experience, perception and needs. We regard them as companions who become our trustiest and most reliable friends; as creatures who play important roles in our lives emotionally, physically and functionally; as anthropomorphised critters with feelings and traits so much like ours that it seems uncanny; and as worthy targets of deep observation or study. We almost never just let them be, though. Whether they're four-legged, furry, feathered or scaly, animals that grace screens big and small rarely allowed to exist free from our two-legged interference — or from our emotions, expectations or gaze. Gunda isn't like any other movie you've seen about all creatures great and small, but it can't ignore the shadow that humanity casts over its titular figure, her piglets, and the one-legged chicken and paired-off cows it also watches, either. It's shot on working farms, so it really doesn't have that luxury. It features animals destined to play their parts in the food chain, a fact that can't be avoided. But, surveying these critters and their lives without narration or explanation, this quickly involving, supremely moving and deeply haunting feature is happy to let the minutiae of these creatures' existence say everything that it needs to. The delights and devastation alike are in the details, and the entire movie is filled with both. Filmmaker Victor Kossakovsky (Aquarela) looks on as Gunda's namesake gives birth, and as her offspring crawl hungrily towards her before they've even properly realised that they're now breathing. His film keeps peering their way as they squeal, explore and grow, and as they display their inquisitive, curious and sometimes mischievous personalities, too. Sometimes, this little family rolls around in the mud. At other times, they simply sleep, or Gunda takes the opportunity to enjoy some shut-eye while her piglets play. Whatever they're doing, and whenever and where, these pigs just going about their business, which the feature takes in frame by frame. In one of the documentary's interludes away from its porcine points of focus, the aforementioned chook hops about. Whether logs or twigs are involved, it too is just navigating its ordinary days. In the second of the movie's glimpses elsewhere, cattle trot and stand, and their routine couldn't seem more commonplace as well. It doesn't take a particularly observant person to notice the tag through Gunda's ear, or the fencing surrounding her and her fellow cast of creatures. No one need listen intently, their own ears figuratively pricked, to discern the noise of the human world beyond the sounds of nature. Evidence of people — even without even the slightest glimpse of a single one — is always there for viewers to see and hear, with Kossakovsky's engrossing and meditative documentary presenting it as plainly as it does everything else throughout its duration. The audience knows that these stories won't end happily as a result. It's well aware that humankind's intended use for the film's animals will trump the critters' own urges, desires and clearly apparent emotions. Indeed, Gunda screams its abhorrence of eating flesh without saying a word; to the surprise of no one who saw his Golden Globes and Oscars speeches in 2020, Joaquin Phoenix is one of its executive producers. Everyone finds their own meaning in every movie, but patient, dialogue-free, near-hypnotic documentaries like Gunda enhance that sensation several times over. Staring at its intimate visuals — at the stunning, resonant and evocative sights it presents again and again — sparks a shower of thoughts, threads and questions, and, sans guiding words dictating what to focus on and why, each individual viewer will veer in their own direction. Some will be struck by the act of watching life come into the world, then shaken by knowing its ultimate purpose. Others might be shocked by the way that even the simplest trace of routine connects every living thing. Others still could come to think differently about their diet choices. All three and more are options here, because Gunda ensures that its audience isn't just seeing its pigs, chicken and cows in a strikingly realistic, authentic and compassionate fashion, but is also confronting and challenging their own personal choices around animals at the same time. Gunda is an immensely empathetic film — director/co-writer/co-editor/co-cinematographer Kossakovsky was inspired by his own childhood experience, when he had a pig for a best friend — and also a work of astonishing skill. So seamless are Kossakovsky and fellow writer/editor Ainara Vera's (Aquarela) efforts that it's impossible to guess that Gunda and her piglets' lives in Norway are interspliced with scenes from British and Spanish farms. Every shot seen on-screen is so gorgeously framed and lit by the filmmaker and his co-director of photography Egil Håskjold Larsen (When Man Remains), and so vivid and textured in its inky black-and-white colour scheme, that avoiding the lure of its imagery is unimaginable. It's no wonder that taking in the documentary's every second feels like an act of surrender — visually, intellectually and emotionally, and to its layered and immersive soundscape as well. This isn't just a nature doco; it's a poetic musing on what it means for every creature to be alive and an examination of humankind's display of force over the natural world, and it's as staggering as it is stirring. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilNHPfOOeIs
The role of Andie Whitford, the lead part in High Country, was written for Leah Purcell. It's easy to understand why. There's a quiet resolve to the character — a been-there-seen-that air to weathering tumult, too, and to knowing that she'll always have to fight hard for what she wants — that's long been a part of the Indigenous Australian star's acting toolkit across a three-decade career. Purcell first appeared on-screen in 90s TV shows such as GP, Police Rescue and Water Rats. In the past year before High Country, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart and Shayda also popped onto her resume. In-between, the 2000s brought Lantana, Somersault, The Proposition and Jindabyne — and the 2010s added Redfern Now, Last Cab to Darwin, Janet King and Black Comedy. Across three formats, as a play, a book and a movie, she also interrogated and reimagined Henry Lawson's The Drover's Wife in blistering fashion, and while writing, acting and directing. It's thanks to Wentworth that High Country came Purcell's way, however. Creators Marcia Gardner and John Ridley worked with her there, then made this the trio's next shared project. The nuts and bolts of the series are solid anyway, but it joins the ranks of Aussie detective and mystery tales made all the better due to their main talent. Mystery Road, which High Country co-star Aaron Pedersen (High Ground) has led in films and on TV, was the same. Jack Irish, featuring Guy Pearce (The Clearing) as its namesake and also Pedersen as his righthand man, equally fits. So does The Dry and its sequel Force of Nature: The Dry 2, both with Eric Bana (Blueback) — the latter of which also used Victoria's alpine region as a backdrop, as does High Country. Andie is a seasoned police detective who takes a job back in uniform overseeing the town of Broken Ridge, which is located in the mountainous Victorian spot that gives the show its moniker. While High Country might be the second Aussie effort in 2024's early months to embrace this part of the nation — among a small but growing wave of rural-set Down Under movies and programs that aren't traversing red earth, such as the Tasmanian-set Deadloch, The Gloaming and The Kettering Incident, too — it's no mere rehash there, or anywhere. High Country's framework, down to its character types, is easily recognisable. Gardner and Ridley know what everyone does, though: that a great story can make any whodunnit-driven procedural feel different, as can excellent casting. A big reason for Andie's move: stability and work-life balance, aka relocating for the sake of her personal life with spouse Helen Hartley (Sara Wiseman, Under the Vines) and daughter Kirra (Pez Warner, making her TV debut). An existence-resetting tree change is meant to be on the cards, then, in a place where leafy vantages stretch over mountains and down into valleys as far as the eye can see. But her arrival, especially being installed as the new police chief, doesn't earn the sunniest of welcomes. Then there's the missing-person cases that swiftly start piling up, some old, some new, some previously explained by pointing fingers in specific directions. An absent doctor (Francis Greenslade, Irreverent) and the car he leaves behind is Andie's entry point, but that isn't the beginning or the end of the tale. Also key to the series are Andie's retiring predecessor Sam Dryson (Ian McElhinney, The Boys in the Boat), who is fixated on the past disappearance of a young boy — and former teacher Damien Stark (Henry Nixon, The PM's Daughter), who he's certain is responsible, has become the town outcast as a result and contends that he's psychic. Andie is soon perched between them. She values Sam's advice, yet spies how fixated he is in his vendetta (one wall in his house is right out of the obsessed-cop playbook). At the same time, she enlists Damien as a consultant to help on active cases, hoping that he'll accidentally reveal his involvement in the process. Ranger Owen Cooper (Pedersen) is one of the few other Indigenous faces in town; his teenage son Ben (Pedrea Jackson, Sweet As) quickly befriends Kirra. Throw in Rose De Vigny, the financially challenged proprietor (Linda Cropper, How to Stay Married) of a haven for artists, plus cop colleagues of varying help and loyalty (Romance at the Vineyard's Matt Domingo and Wyrmwood: Apocalypse's Luke McKenzie), and Broken Ridge doesn't lack in players. Rabble-rousing siblings (Boy Swallows Universe's Nathaniel Dean and The Clearing's Jamie Timony), town bigwigs (Geoff Morrell, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) — the list goes on. Crucially, no matter how many of High Country's characters feel as if they could've walked in from fellow Aussie fare, where the show takes them is always its own journey. The same is true of Andie, and not just within a homegrown context; Jodie Foster (Nyad) in True Detective: Night Country and Kate Winslet (The Regime) in Mare of Easttown have charted comparable paths, but never this exact route. Pivotal to giving High Country its own flavour is its sense of place — not merely as a source of picturesque sights, which Andie often takes in as a newcomer to these parts, but in getting entrenched in the ragtag Broken Ridge community. When Sam reflects early that disappearances and deaths are just what happens here, Andie is horrified. Digging into the motivation behind his words becomes another of her missions, and the series'. With a wealth of fellow Wentworth alum behind the camera — Kevin Carlin (Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries) and Beck Cole (Deadloch) direct; Craig Barden (The Rooster) and Darrell Martin (White Fever) are High Country's cinematographers — this is a probing affair. The surroundings that make us, and also hide our secrets, prove a canvas, a minefield and a map. Discovering what they contain in this small-town thriller makes for addictive viewing, unsurprisingly. And in Purcell as Andie, High Country has a discerning and determined guide to fuel not just one season and its mysteries, but hopefully much more to follow. Check out the trailer for High Country below: High Country streams via Binge. Read our interview with Leah Purcell Images: Sarah Enticknap / Narelle Portanier.
Whether you've been directly impacted, have watched on from your own less-waterlogged patch of southeast Queensland or have seen the news from further afield in Sydney, the past week's catastrophic wet weather has been impossible to ignore. It's been a lot to take in, actually, thanks to record rainfalls in Brisbane, relentless deluges hitting from the Sunshine Coast down to northern New South Wales, and floodwaters destroying homes and businesses in two states. Accordingly, it might've left you wanting to do your part to help out. In Brisbane, you can sign up to the Mud Army 2.0 to assist on the ground — and wherever you're located, you can also throw your support behind a fundraising effort by Surry Hills' Bar Suze. The late-night Sydney haunt is helping the flood-relief cause in two ways: in-person at a big wine-fuelled five-hour event on Sunday, March 6, and online via a raffle. For Sydneysiders, you'll want to swing by Foveaux Street between 1–6pm to sip rare natural wines, mix them up with Poor Toms gin and tonics, and tuck into Bar Suze snacks. Whatever you choose to eat and drink, all of the proceeds will go to flood-relief funds for folks impacted by the weather in NSW and Queensland. At the event, the venue will also be drawing a raffle, with more than 25 prizes on offer — and all of the proceeds from the $50-each tickets will also go to the flood relief fundraising effort, too. Prizes include a dinner for two at Bar Suze, as well as a one-night stay at the soon-to-open Ace Hotel Sydney in Surry Hills, a two-evening trip to a Byron hinterlands retreat that sleeps 12 — and boasts its own saltwater pool and outdoor cinema — plus an In Bed linen set, hair salon vouchers, a Coffee Supreme subscription, and a bar tab at Redfern's The Woolpack. There are also prize packs on offer from DRNKS, Cocktail Porter, Pepe Saya Butter, Worktones and Lo-Fi Wines — and the list goes on. The raffle is open to everyone, and tickets can be bought online, too — so that's how you can get involved if you're not located in Sydney or can't make it along on Sunday. (Obviously, tell your Sydney pals to attend either way). For tickets, just get buying before 5pm AEST on Sunday, March 6, with the raffle drawn live at Bar Suze that evening. As for all of those proceeds, they're going to on-the-ground initiatives in the Northern Rivers and Queensland. At the time of writing, Bar Suze is supporting Flood Relief Cook Up — Northern Rivers region, Bundjalung flood relief and Northey Street City Farm flood relief — with more worth initiatives likely to be added. Bar Suze's flood relief fundraiser will take place from 1–6pm on Sunday, March 6. Raffle tickets are on sale online now, with prizes drawn at 5pm AEST on Sunday. Images: Nikki To.
It has been a big year for fans of The Crown, and the show hasn't even released any new episodes in 2020 so far. At the beginning of the year, Netflix announced that it would end the royal drama after its fifth season. Then, it had a change of heart, revealing it would continue the series for a sixth season. That's quite the drama — and all of this before the show's fourth season has even aired. If you prefer your royal intrigue on-screen, however, the streaming platform has now just dropped its first teaser trailer for the aforementioned fourth batch of episodes. The clip only runs for 46 seconds, so it doesn't give very much away at all; however Oscar-winner Olivia Colman is back as Queen Elizabeth II. Fans also get the tiniest of glimpses of The X-Files icon Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher and Pennyworth's Emma Corrin as Lady Diana Spencer, too. Also included is a rather pivotal tidbit for The Crown aficionados: just when the show will make a comeback this year. Block out Sunday, November 15 in your diaries, as that's when you can start binging. As Anderson's casting intimates, the fourth season is set to take place during Thatcher's time as Britain's prime minister — and as the sight of Diana in a wedding dress demonstrates, will feature the latter's wedding to Prince Charles (God's Own Country's Josh O'Connor). It'll also be the last chance for fans to enjoy seeing the current lineup on talent, with the series' fifth and sixth seasons — which are expected to follow the Queen in the 1990s and 2000s — switching out its cast again. The show already did exactly that after seasons one and two, of course. This time, after season four, Downton Abbey, Maleficent and Paddington star Imelda Staunton will don the titular headwear, and Princess Margaret will be played by Staunton's Maleficent co-star and Phantom Thread Oscar-nominee Lesley Manville. Also, Game of Thrones and Tales from the Loop's Jonathan Pryce will step into Prince Philip's shoes and Australian Tenet, The Burnt Orange Heresy and Widows star Elizabeth Debicki will play Princess Diana. Check out The Crown's first season four teaser below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TGInHPoufg The Crown's fourth season will hit Netflix on Sunday, November 15. Image: Sophie Mutevelian / Netflix
"Siri — write my Her review". "[da-dup]…I'm not sure I understand". Yeah, okay. So, it's not perfect, but the fact is, I just had a conversation with my phone. What's more, I didn't feel weird about it, and — most crucially — neither did the people around me. It's for this reason that Spike Jonze's new movie Her feels eerily and uncomfortably plausible. Familiar, even. In fact, inevitable. Set in the almost certainly near future, Joaquin Phoenix plays Theodore Twombly — a gentle, retiring man who works at BeautifulHandwrittenLetters.com penning heartfelt correspondence between people he's never met. In his personal life, his wife (Rooney Mara) has left him and now communicates exclusively via their lawyers. In short, nobody really talks anymore. Then one day he buys and installs a new operating system called 'OS1' — an artificially intelligent construct that names herself, or rather itself, 'Samantha' (voiced to perfection by Scarlett Johansson). At first Samantha simply streamlines Theodore's life, triaging his emails and encouraging him to get out more, but gradually, as she evolves and learns more from their interactions, they begin to fall in love. It seems ridiculous, yes, but thanks to Jonze's masterful script and direction, it never really feels it, and that's what makes HER the first must-see film of 2014. "Is it a real relationship?" Theodore asks his best friend (a game designer played by Amy Adams), to which she replies: "Well… what is real?" It sounds like hack freshman philosophy but actually cuts to the core of the film, because — in essence — Theodore's relationship is largely indistinguishable from every real-world, long-distance one. In this increasingly international age where overseas employment and study opportunities beckon with greater frequency and ease, it often feels like the number one obstacle for couples to overcome is mere geography. Hence, nobody bats an eyelid when two people attempt to sustain a relationship exclusively and indefinitely via phone calls, meaning — to the outside world — Theodore's interactions with Samantha are just as commonplace and unremarkable. And ultimately, who's to say they're not? Look around you right now. How many people are on their phones — talking, listening, scrolling, reading or playing? The loneliness and isolation of an increasingly interconnected world is a pervasive and fascinating phenomenon, but few have yet explored how humanity's growing fusion with technology might lead to actual relationships with it. Well, except maybe for the Japanese. To say much more is to risk giving away precious moments and quiet surprises (of which there are many), though it's worth noting Her pleasantly avoids a lot of tech in-jokes and future gags that could easily have rendered it a far more pedestrian affair. Ultimately, it is a beautiful, imaginative and provocative offering by Jonze that asks some fascinating questions about the direction love is taking in the technological age. Could we love an operating system, and — more importantly — could it love us back? "Siri - do you love me?" "[da-dup] Look…a puppy!" Man, love is hard. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ne6p6MfLBxc
Think size is a reflection of quality? Think again. One of Brisbane's quaintest little bars is striving to prove otherwise by showing off some of the nation's emerging talent. Just head down to Ashgrove's Junk Bar this Saturday to catch some of Australia's best acts in the World's Smallest Festival. Playing on two incy wincy stages will be Arbuckle, Scraps, plus Louis Forster and James Harrison from newly signed Brisbane band The Goon Sax. The evening kicks of at 7.30pm, with all of Junk's signature cocktails and drinks guaranteed to be flowing. It's only $8, which probably makes it also one of the world's cheapest festivals, too — and tickets can be purchased at the door. If you've never been to Junk Bar before, this is as good an excuse as any to jump on the Maroon Glider as it heads in the Ashgrove direction and check these humble little digs out. And hey, you might even discover a new favourite band while you're at it.
Have you ever been half way through the work week and fantasised about living a simple life? Perhaps you've been dreaming about waking up in a timber cottage with nothing but rolling hills as far as the eye can see? Well, luckily for you, there's a small collection of architecturally designed houses on vineyards and cabins set amongst idyllic gardens in New South Wales — perfect for your next serene weekend venture. To help you live out your dungaree wearing, straw chewing, horse riding dreams, here's a list of the most charming farm stays across NSW you can book right now. Recommended reads: The Best Glamping Sites in NSW The Best Hotels in Sydney The Best Luxury Getaways From Sydney The Best Places to Stay in the Blue Mountains The Blacksmith's Luxury Cabin, Bellbrook Perfect for a rejuvenating and relaxing getaway. Situated on a regenerative organic farm, you can preorder hampers filled with the farm's fresh produce, book meditation sessions at the nearby "spirit pools", one-on-one yoga classes, massages, and Ayurvedic diet coaching. From $250 a night, sleeps two. The Gate House by Yeates Wines, Eurunderee This architecturally designed, split-level farm stay shares a backyard with Yeates Wines cellar door, so expect a complimentary wine tasting on arrival. It also boasts high ceilings, a slow combustion fireplace, a kingsize bed and sprawling views of the vineyard. From $390 a night, sleeps two. Jaguar Stay, Mogo One of three adult-only luxury villas on the property, all of which have their own plunge pools. Jaguar Stay is close to nearby South Coast beaches and is directly next to Mogo Wildlife Park, a small, privately owned zoo, so you'll be waking up to the sound of exotic animals. From $575 a night, sleeps two. Rustic Country Escape, Tenterfield An idyllic cottage situated on a creek with homely, rustic interior styling in the Northern Highlands. Set amongst picturesque gardens with a view of the adjacent farm, this farm stay is the perfect spot to switch off and unwind. From $247 a night, sleeps two. Vibrant Meadow Lodge, Far Meadow Gaze across the rolling countryside while lounging by the pool in this quaint and summer-heat-friendly cottage. Inside, cook up a feast in the bright and colourful country kitchen. From $399 a night, sleeps five. Kestrel Nest Ecohut, Mount Adrah Halfway between Sydney and Melbourne, this eco-hut is nestled above a rocky mountain stream on the edge of rolling farmland and a conservation area, with an outdoor bathtub, a fireplace and firepit. From $460 a night, sleeps four. The Shearing Shed, Cowra A charming renovated shearing shed with an open-plan living room. Five kilometres from historically rich Wiradjuri Country (Cowra), what was once a vibrant area during the Gold Rush era. From $250 a night, sleeps two The Loft, Kyangatha The perfect farm stay for animal lovers, this two-level timber loft is set in a paddock with two horses, a small herd of cows and free-range ducks. It also has outdoor shower, a galley-style kitchen and a river on its doorstep. From $195 a night, sleeps three. Kumbogie Cabin, Daruka Situated on a working sheep farm, this eco-friendly retreat is as secluded as they come. Kumbogie Cabin is 900 metres from any neighbours that aren't the kangaroos, wallabies, birds and echidnas that frequent the surrounding bushland. From $150 a night, sleeps two. Luxurious Farm Stay, Peak Hill A renovated two-bedroom 70-year old shearing shed with French doors leading onto decks with views across the 118-year old property. Offers a family-sized barbecue for open-air cooking, and an outdoor bar to match. From $240 a night, sleeps five. All photos courtesy of Airbnb. 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.
The perpetual re-creation of urbanscapes amounts to copious waste. It's true that an abundance of recycling processes aims at diminishing resource use. However, they're often heavy on the energy consumption front. Consequently, designer Omer Haciomeroglu, in conjunction with Atlas Copco, has come up with 'ERO: Concrete De-Construction Robot'. It's programmed to pull apart reinforced concrete structures, so that they can be re-used in the construction of pre-fabricated concrete buildings. 'Today, operators manually control different sized demolition machines to smash and crash the concrete structure into dusty bits within the demolition location,' Haciomeroglu explains. 'All of these machines consume a lot of energy to operate. Water has to be sprayed constantly over the pulverised surfaces with fire hoses to prevent harmful dust from spreading around. After the work is done, big machines come and scoop the rebar and concrete mixture and transfer them to the recycle stations outside the city. There, the waste needs to be separated manually.' So, Haciomeroglu designed ERO to separate materials during the de-construction process, achieved through Hydro-demolition and Centrifugal Decanter technologies. This means that new concrete blocks can be created onsite. In the 2013 International Design Excellence Award (IDEA), ERO won First Prize in the Student Designs category. Haciomeroglu has studied design at California State University, Istanbul Technical University and the Umea Institute of Design, Sweden. 'As a developing designer I always look forward to being part of design teams that develop projects, concepts and products that will grant us, the humankind, valuable and entertaining vision of a better and sustainable future,' he explains. [via PSFK]
There's a reason that the Ekka comes with its own public holiday. Brisbanites are set free from work to rush to the Royal Queensland Show, fill themselves up with fried and sugary goodness, then brave the rides and gaze at the fireworks. In 2019, the annual exhibition runs from Friday, August 9 to Sunday, August 18 — and, as always, that means ten days of sideshows, show bags and more. Of course, there's much more going on than that, with everything from animal competitions to cooking demonstrations on the bill. Where else are you going to see a giant pumpkin, pat a pig, eat a strawberry sundae, listen to live music, crash dodgems, throw a ball in a clown's mouth for a prize and take home all the Bertie Beetles you can eat? Specifically on the 2019 lineup, Ekka-goers can also feast their way along King Street, mash buttons at the pinball and games arcade (complete with 50 pinball machines and 20 arcade games), and wander along a 70-metre stretch of Gregory Terrace that'll be turned into a lush green zone. Feeling thirsty afterwards? There'll also be a craft beer alley. Tickets cost $35 for adults, but if you're keen to head by at night, nab a $20 twilight pass — it gets you in from 6pm onwards.
Brisbane is home to plenty of glorious cinemas, new and old, in former skating rinks and in art galleries alike, but sometimes you just want to see a movie somewhere other than an indoor picture palace. Cue outdoor cinemas, which the River City has its fair share of, too, including the permanent year-round setup at Dendy Powerhouse. Here's another that'll get you catching flicks under the stars: Queen's Wharf's new Skyline Cinema. A place to watch films was long promised as part of Queen's Wharf, over the years that the precinct was in the works before it finally opened in 2024. Skyline Cinema sits on the site's Leisure Deck on level seven, and pairs its range of movies with Brisbane by twilight as a backdrop. The one catch: it's only operating once a week, getting the projector whirring on most Wednesday evenings. From 6pm, you won't be catching brand-new releases, but rather settling in to watch recent-ish and retro fare while also peering out over the city. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Hunger Games, Wonder Woman, The Maze Runner, Cool Runnings: they're on the bill in July and August. Tickets start at $5, which gets you entry only, so you'll need to bring your own picnic rug to get comfortable on. For $10, you can sit on a chair at a cafe table, and also sip a soft drink. For $20, a beanbag, plus popcorn and a soft drink are all included. Luke Nguyen's Fat Noodle is also delivering dishes such as chicken salad, seafood laksa, wok-tossed pad thai and caramelised honey pork bowls to your seat, although that'll cost you extra. Updated: Tuesday, July 15, 2025.
Heading to one of the many markets around Brisbane is a weekend tradition, especially for those keen to stock up on fresh, tasty treats for the week ahead. For residents of the inner west, it's now something they can do closer to home, courtesy of the brand new Red Hill Farmers Markets. Every Sunday morning from May 31, Ithaca Tafe will turn into market central, foodie heaven and all things in between. Featuring produce supplied by farmers and sourced locally, with a strong focus on all things spray-free, this is where everyone serious about their meals is going to want to be. For culinary wizards, gourmet goodies including deli lines, fresh seafood and premium meats are the drawcard, though those fonder of eating than cooking will find plenty to devour on the spot. Those more interested in the non-edible things in life can survey the arts and crafts stalls, or browse for fashion, jewellery and gifts. Shopping is only part of the fun, of course, with live music and other activities also on offer. It's a dog-friendly event, too, so you can take your pet pooch along. This is the fourth venue run by Mark Power, a veteran of the farmers markets game. Regulars at Carseldine, Nundah and Kuraby know just the kind of goodness they're in for. Everyone else: prepare for an artisanal explosion. From May 31, find the Red Hill Farmers Markets at Ithaca Tafe, Fulcher Road, Red Hill, every Sunday from 6am until 12noon. Visit their website for more information. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
Last month, Melbourne's Anthony Douglas of Axil Coffee Roasters did his notoriously coffee-obsessed city proud, taking out the title of Australia's National Barista Champion for 2022 at the Australian Specialty Coffee Association (ASCA) National Coffee Championships. Now, the rest of the world has discovered what this barista can do, too. Last week, Douglas smashed some fierce international competition to nab first place at the World Barista Championship. Yep, he's officially put himself — and Melbourne's coffee scene — on the map, as the best barista on the planet for 2022. With almost a decade at Axil under his belt and over 12 years in the industry, the coffee maestro battled it out against 47 other international hopefuls competing at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from September 27–30. [caption id="attachment_869967" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anthony Douglas[/caption] Competitors were judged by a global panel on taste, technical skill and presentation across the three-round championship, with Douglas whipping up espressos, milk-based drinks and his own original signature concoction to impress the judges. All of the local's creations were crafted using coffee from El Diviso in Colombia, while his signature drink is one that'd put all your past coffee orders to shame — featuring Colombian honey, lacto-fermented passionfruit, hibiscus cold brew tea and a 'cryodesiccated' (evaporating water via freezing) date syrup for extra intensity. Axil has a swag of cafe locations across Melbourne — find your local by jumping to the website.
American artist James Turrell is known for his manipulation of light, colour and physical space in large-scale art installations. His new exhibition See! Colour! has opened in Järna, Sweden, and features five key works which use intense combinations of colour and real-world light phenomena to create a mind-blowing visual spectacle, specific to locations in space and time. Light sways between the red/blue spectrum in Ganzfeld; while Skyspace (best viewed during twilight or dawn) includes illuminated walls which transform the sky with programmed lighting elements. Bindu Shards transports a single observer on a 15-minute journey of light and sound. Provided with headphones and a panic button, you are situated inside a sphere. The experience triggers "Behind the Eye Seeing," which Turrell explains to be the sensation of having your entire field of vision extended through to 360 degrees. [Via Cool Hunting]
It might just be Australia's brightest festival, and it's returning to light up Alice Springs once again. That'd be Parrtjima - A Festival In Light, which was originally slated to deliver its fifth annual program between Friday, April 3–Sunday, April 12 — but, after delaying its 2020 event due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will now do so between Friday, September 11–Sunday, September 20. The move marks the fest's temporary return to the latter half of the calendar, following a shift to an earlier autumn timeslot in 2019 — which attracted a record crowd of 25,000 attendees. Regardless of this year's coronavirus-inspired change of dates, the fest will continue its free ten-day public celebration of Indigenous arts, culture, music and storytelling — and its focus on dazzling light installations — in the CBD's Alice Springs Todd Mall, as well as at tourism and conservation facility Alice Springs Desert Park Precinct just out of town. On the bill: the festival's signature installations, new luminous displays, live music and other performances, all falling under the theme 'lifting our spirits'. The 2020 fest is particularly enthusiastic about "lifting the spirits from the work of artists, old and new, to the spirit of this year's audience". While an initial 2020 program was released earlier this year, just how much of it will make the leap to September is yet to be revealed. [caption id="attachment_715721" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Lighting the Ranges, Parrtjima festival, Alice Springs, Australia.5/4/2019. Images courtesy Parrtjima / NTMEC[/caption] That said, as it always does, the Alice Springs Desert Park will come alive with the festival's main attraction. Once again, a huge artwork will transform a 2.5-kilometre stretch of the majestic, 300-million-year-old MacDonnell Ranges, showering it with light each night of the festival. Just what it'll feature this year hasn't been unveiled, but it's always spectacular — and it always highlights stories, symbols and knowledge of Aboriginal culture.Another returning favourite is Ahelhe Itethe – Living Sands (Grounded), where installations are projected onto the earth accompanied by a striking soundscape. Of course, Parrtjima is just one of Northern Territory's two glowing attractions in 2020, with Australia's Red Centre lighting up in multiple ways. The festival is a nice supplement to Bruce Munro's Field of Light installation, which — after multiple extensions — is now on display indefinitely. Parrtjima – A Festival in Light runs from September 11–20, 2020 around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. For more information, visit the festival website. Images: James Horan.
When the pandemic started impacting events in 2020, Dark Mofo was one of the first to scrap its plans for the year. So, when festival organisers said that they'd be forging ahead in 2021, it was welcome news for fans of its weird, wonderful, distinctive and attention-grabbing programs. There's a difference between pushing boundaries and completely misjudging them, though, as the Tasmanian fest has discovered in the past few days. Accordingly, after revealing its first artwork for the 2021 festival, Dark Mofo has now announced that the piece will no longer go ahead. The backlash to the event's first program reveal for this year hasn't been surprising. In a piece called Union Flag, Spanish artist Santiago Sierra was planning to immerse a British flag in the blood of First Nations peoples from territories colonised by the British Empire. Yes, that sounds ill-thought-out, as well as immensely tone deaf and traumatic — as did the accompanying request for First Nations peoples to donate their blood for the artwork. Dark Mofo announced its plans for Union Flag on Saturday, March 20, and received calls for it to be cancelled the same day. Again, that should surprise absolutely no one. Nor should the fact that those calls have only grown since the weekend — as you'd expect given that the project asks First Nations peoples to literally spill their blood, and for a piece of art that purports to comment on a painful colonial history of being forced to do just that. Today, Tuesday, March 23, Dark Mofo Creative Director Leigh Carmichael has announced that Union Flag has been scrapped, and also issued an apology. "We've heard the community's response to Santiago Sierra's Union Flag. In the end the hurt that will be caused by proceeding isn't worth it," Carmichael said. "We made a mistake, and take full responsibility. The project will be cancelled. We apologise to all First Nations people for any hurt that has been caused. We are sorry." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dark Mofo (@dark_mofo) The news comes just a day after Carmichael issued a statement supporting the piece. Yesterday, on Monday, March 22, Carmichael said that Dark Mofo had "been overwhelmed with responses to Santiago Sierra's Union Flag by Indigenous and non-Indigenous people from around the world, but that "self-expression is a fundamental human right, and we support artists to make and present work regardless of their nationality or cultural background." Dark Mofo will announce its 2021 program — without Union Flag — in April. Dark Mofo will run from Wednesday, June 16–Tuesday, June 22 in Hobart, Tasmania. For further details, head to the festival's website. Top image: Lusy Productions.
Netflix is making a controversial docu-soap about Byron Bay influencers. Hulu's next star-studded miniseries was shot in the area. And, come June, Stan will unveil a new eight-part series that was also filmed in the coastal town and New South Wales' Northern Rivers region. It seems that streaming services and TV networks everywhere are mighty keen to beam the spot's scenic backdrops into our homes — and, in the latter case, to get everyone hooked on a local mystery-drama. Called Eden, the Stan series begins with a missing person. When 20-year-old Scout (Sophie Wilde, Bird) returns to the titular beach community after a year at Juilliard in New York, she realises that her best friend Hedwig (BeBe Bettencourt, The Dry) has changed. Following a drug-fuelled night that sees them delve into their feelings, Hedwig disappears but Scout can't remember a thing. From there, the show charts the secrets and revelations festering beneath the surface of its small-town setting, all as Scout tries to find her bestie. Also pivotal: flashes back to Hedwig's summer. If it sounds somewhat familiar, that's because plenty of TV shows — Twin Peaks and The Killing, just to name two — have begun with missing people. That type of premise doesn't seem to be disappearing from our televisions anytime soon. Still, in both its first teaser and just-dropped full trailer, Eden tries to find its own look, vibe and mood. Come Friday, June 11, you'll be able to find out how it unfolds — and watch a cast that also includes Keiynan Lonsdale (The Flash), Cody Fern (American Horror Story), Samuel Johnson (Molly), Christopher James Baker (True Detective), Rachael Blake (Cleverman), Leeanna Walsman (Penguin Bloom), Simon Lyndon (Mystery Road) and Maggie Kirkpatrick (The Letdown). Behind the camera, the show stems from head writer Vanessa Gazy (Highway) and writing team Jess Brittain (Clique), Anya Beyersdorf (Shakespeare Now), Clare Sladden (Freudian Slip) and Penelope Chai (Other People's Problems) — and directors John Curran (Chappaquiddick), Mirrah Foulkes (Judy & Punch) and Peter Andrikidis (Alex & Eve). Plus, the creator of Skins, Bryan Elsley, helped created Eden, too, with Fiona Eagger and Deb Cox (Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries). Check out the full trailer for Eden below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0LOYAPh3es Eden will be available to stream via Stan on Friday, June 11. Top image: Every Cloud Productions.
The perks of living in a metropolitan city are many. There's a selection of Thai restaurants on a single block, coffees that are genuinely good, and mouthwatering desserts available until midnight, if you know where to look. Newstead's Chester Street — artisan bakery with woodfired pizzas, fresh coffees, beer, wine and hand-crafted cocktails by day — is now adding late-night desserts to their menu. Nutella pizza with caramelised banana and toasted marshmallow, waffles with candied bacon and maple syrup ice cream, and 'peanut butter and jelly' (a peanut butter Blondie with jelly ice cream and hot chocolate sauce) and many more will be on offer — and probably swallowed whole by the first patron in sight. They're available till midnight every night of the week. “We make everything on site including all the cakes, fillings sauces and garnishes from scratch from quality ingredients, all made by skilled and devoted pastry and cake lovers here at Chester Street,” patron chef Jocelyn Hancock said of the recently launched dessert menu. Hancock worked with owner Damian Griffiths on the menu on designing the menu. “We’ve focused on the fun aspect of modern day sweets. There’s something for everyone on the menu, which means there’s plenty of options for our regular dessert devotees.” All we know is, a Nutella pizza at midnight sounds like a treat.
Can't make it to Venice any time soon? Don't worry — a taste of the Italian city is coming to Australia. At the beginning of every year, the canal-heavy locale erupts into a colourful festival complete with elaborate costumes and masks. It's a tradition dating back to the 12th century, and it's making its first trip to our shores. The Carnevale Australia Masquerade Ball will brighten up The Peninsula at Docklands on February 11, 2017, asking attendees to don their fanciest threads and best facial covering in the name of the most appropriate theme imaginable in mid February: amore, or love. Indeed, the event certainly plans to share plenty of affection, and not just through its elaborate theming and food. The ball will also include a live silent auction, with proceeds going towards earthquake victims in the Italian village of Amatrice. If that sounds like your kind of shindig (and who doesn't want to dress up, party and pretend they're in Venice?), be prepared: masks are mandatory, and with tickets starting at $450, your masquerade fun doesn't come cheap. In good news for anyone that doesn't have that kind of spare cash, it's also a taster for things to come, with the ball acting as a launch event for Carnevale Australia's full two-week celebration, slated to be held in late October / early November 2017. The Carnevale Australia Masquerade Ball takes place on February 11, 2017 at The Peninsula, Docklands. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the event website and Facebook page. Image: L G.
Over the past 13 years, plenty of excellent filmmakers have helmed Marvel movies, including Iron Man's Jon Favreau, Thor's Kenneth Branagh, Thor: Ragnarok's Taika Waititi and Black Panther's Ryan Coogler. But none have a Best Director Oscar to their name, or made history by winning said coveted accolade — until, come October this year, Nomadland's Chloé Zhao adds a film to the always-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe. That movie: Eternals. Focusing on an immortal alien race, and boasting a cast spanning Angelina Jolie (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil), Kumail Nanjiani (Stuber), Salma Hayek (Like a Boss), Barry Keoghan (Calm with Horses), Gemma Chan (Captain Marvel), Brian Tyree Henry (Superintelligence), and Game of Thrones co-stars Richard Madden and Kit Harington, it's one of four MCU movies set to drop in 2021 — alongside Black Widow, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and the latest Spider-Man flick. It's also Zhao's first feature after the vastly different film that's been winning her so much praise this year, as well as her first leap into the blockbuster realm. And, if you're wondering what to expect, Marvel has just revealed its first sneak peek. A full trailer hasn't been released as yet, but Marvel has unveiled a celebratory clip that champions the movie-going experience now that cinemas are getting back into the swing of things in the US, and it includes snippets of footage from Zhao's upcoming film. The video isn't big on story details, but the filmmaker's visual sensibilities shine through — even though she's working on a far bigger scale than seen in her first three movies. The Marvel clip also shouts out to a heap of other big MCU movies that are headed to the silver screen in the coming years, should you need a reminder. The aforementioned Black Widow arrives on July 8, and will be available on streaming at the same time as well, before Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings drops in theatres only on September 2. Next comes Eternals on October 28, then Spider-Man: No Way Home in December. In 2022, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is due in March, Thor: Love and Thunder in April, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in July and Captain Marvel sequel The Marvels in November. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania hits in February 2023 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 in May the same year, while the clip also teases a new Fantastic Four movie. Check out the celebratory Marvel video below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW6MegWambc&feature=youtu.be Eternals opens in cinemas Down Under on October 28.
Bringing Shakespeare to the big screen is no longer just about doing the material justice, or even about letting a new batch of the medium's standout talents give their best to the Bard's immortal words. For anyone and everyone attempting the feat (a list that just keeps growing), it's also about gifting the playwright's material with the finest touches that cinema allows. It's never enough to simply film Macbeth like a theatre production, for instance, even if all that dialogue first penned four centuries ago still ripples with power — while riffing about power — without any extra adornments. No Shakespeare adaptation really needs to explain or legitimise its existence more than any other feature, but the great ones bubble not only with toil and trouble, but with all the reasons why this tale needed to be captured on camera and projected large anew. Joel Coen knows all of the above. Indeed, his take on the Scottish play — which he's called The Tragedy of Macbeth, taking Shakespeare's full original title — justifies its existence as a movie in every single frame. His is a film of exacting intimacy, with every shot peering far closer at its main figures than anyone could ever see on a stage, and conveying more insight into their emotions, machinations and motivations in the process. The Bard might've posited that all the world's a stage in As You Like It, but The Tragedy of Macbeth's lone Coen brother doesn't quite agree. Men and women are still merely players in this revived quest for supremacy through bloodshed, but their entrances, exits and many parts would mean nothing if we couldn't see as far into their hearts and minds as cinema — and as cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel's (The Woman in the Window) stripped-down, black-and-white, square-framed imagery — can possibly allow. In a year for filmmakers going it alone beyond the creative sibling relationships that've defined their careers — see also: The Matrix Resurrections — Joel Coen makes a phenomenal solo debut with this up-close approach. His choice of cast, with Denzel Washington (The Little Things) as powerful as he's ever been on-screen and Frances McDormand (The French Dispatch) showing why she has three Best Actress Oscars, also helps considerably. The former plays the eponymous Scottish general, the latter his wife, and both find new reserves and depths in the pair's fateful lust for glory. That's another key element to any new silver-screen iteration of Shakespeare's most famous works: making its characters feel anew. Washington and McDormand — and Coen as well — all tread in the footsteps of of Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard and Australian filmmaker Justin Kurzel (Nitram) thanks to 2015's exquisite Macbeth, but they stand in absolutely no one's shadows. As also previously splashed across cinemas by Orson Welles, Akira Kurosawa and Roman Polanski, the narrative details remain the same, obviously — from the witches (all played by Kathryn Hunter, Flowers) prophesying that Macbeth will soon be monarch, through to his murderous actions at Lady Macbeth's urging to make that prediction become a reality. All that scheming has consequences, both before and after King Duncan (Brendan Gleeson, Mr Mercedes) is stripped of his throne. One of the smartest parts of the movie's central casting is the change it brings to the Macbeths' seething desperation. Due to Washington and McDormand's ages, their versions of the characters are grasping onto what might be their last chance, rather than being ruthless with far more youthful abandon. They're susceptible to the Weird Sisters' suggestions in a different way, too, embracing what they think should already be theirs rather than seizing a shot they may not have expected for some time otherwise. McDormand's involvement is hardly surprising — she's married to Joel, is one of the Coen brothers' mainstays when her husband and his sibling Ethan share directorial credits, and won her first Academy Award for playing a pregnant police chief in their crime classic Fargo. But The Tragedy of Macbeth moulds what could've just been a given, a case of spouses reteaming again, into an inspired opportunity to give its source material a few shrewd tweaks. Writing as well as helming, that's the intensely fastidious level that Joel operates on. His work has always been assembled with precision, but that devotion to detail feels as stark here as the movie's overwhelmingly evocative monochrome visuals. For a filmmaker known for surveying life's chaotic and careening turns, dating back to 1984's Blood Simple, spanning comedies such as Raising Arizona and The Big Lebowski, and evident in the more recent Inside Llewyn Davis and Hail, Caesar!, too, he makes mess and mayhem look meticulous in The Tragedy of Macbeth. This towering adaptation may carve its own space among the many other Macbeths, but it also shows Coen's penchant for Welles' rendering — and his films in general — plus Kurosawa's Throne of Blood. Those nods come through aesthetically, flickering through a feature that masterfully looks as if it could've been made decades ago. The Tragedy of Macbeth's German expressionism-influenced use of light and darkness isn't just sharp, it's piercing, aptly so when Washington stands in a lengthy corridor to ask "is this a dagger which I see before me?". They're intense words from one of the Bard's greatest soliloquies, and they're paired with such stunning cinematography — that hallway appears to keep extending forever, a sight that says oh-so-much about the moral precipice Macbeth stands at — that the effect is scorching. Something wicked this way comes within the narrative, of course, but something magnificent unfurls in this new retelling. Stepping back into the acclaimed play proves a lean and ravishing experience again and again here, and also eerie and potent — a mesmerising brew when it comes to this story. Strutting and fretting as Delbonnel's staggering cinematography gazes his way, and as Carter Burwell's (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs) score ramps up the tension, Washington is equally transfixing. He needs to be to play this part. He needs to be remarkable to express Macbeth's transformation from loyal royal offsider to killer, and to navigate the corresponding existential torment. Something astonishing this way comes as a result, a feat that isn't The Tragedy of Macbeth's alone with this tale (Kurzel's version was the best film of its year), but provides another masterwork full of sound and fury signifying everything. The Tragedy of Macbeth opens in Australian cinemas on December 26, 2021, and will be available to stream via Apple TV+ on January 14, 2022.
In the space of just a few weeks, we've been promised appearances from Usher, Salt-N-Pepa and Eve for RnB Fridays, and Aqua and Vengaboys for a So Pop tour, along whole stack of others. But, just when you thought no more of your teenage dreams could come true, there's yet another juicy serve of musical nostalgia heading our way early next year. The next edition of RNB Vine Days is set to deliver a lineup that'll have you throwing back hard to the good ol' days. The one-day festival differs a little from the aforementioned arena spectaculars — instead of being held in stadiums, the concerts will take over wineries across the country. It makes sense — the tour comes from the same minds that brought you A Day on the Green. Similarly, RNB Vine Days will be all ages and bring with it a star-studded cast of old-school music icons. Hitting the stage this time around is none other than UK pop royalty Craig David, who'll be performing alongside his full live band. Brit-Canadian girl group All Saints will send you tripping back in time as they revisit smooth hits like 'Never Ever' and 'Pure Shores', while renowned rapper Nelly will be getting the crowd 'Hot In Herre' as he throws down previous gems like 'Dilemma', 'Ride Wit Me' and 'Just A Dream'. Singer-songwriter Amerie and RnB Fridays Live resident DJ YO! MAFIA round out the lineup, to be be enjoyed alongside a day of sunshine, gourmet eats and the venue's own signature wines. RNB VINE DAYS 2019 TOUR Saturday, February 2 — Bimbadgen, Hunter Valley, NSW Sunday, February 3 — Sirromet Wines, Mount Cotton, QLD Saturday, February 9 — Mt Duneed Estate, Geelong, VIC Sunday, February 10 — Leconfield Wines, McLaren Vale, SA Wednesday, February 13 — Kings Park & Botanic Garden, Perth, WA RNB Vine Days will tour Australia in February 2019. Tickets go on sale here from 10am this Friday, November 2.
To the casual observer, the rise in plant-based eating has seemingly come about overnight. Brands like Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods and V2Food have signalled a major shift in the way we think about meat, while thought-provoking documentaries like Food, Inc., The Game Changers and Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret have sparked conversations around our relationship with food and behaviours of consumption. Elsewhere, online resources like Vegkit — a new initiative by Animals Australia — offer a world of resources that have made it more accessible than ever before to embrace the many ways to eat plant-based. From a culinary choice you used to associate with your kooky aunt to now seeing legitimate alternatives lining supermarket shelves — could it be that plant-based eating has suddenly become cool? It's more than just marketing spin. Factors such as increased awareness of the environmental impact of agriculture, rising meat prices and the health benefits linked to a reduced meat intake have seen Australia's meat consumption hit a 25-year low, according to research released earlier this year. While plant-based diets and meat-centric ones might have once been seen as a one-or-the-other thing, the increased visibility of meat-free options is helping many shift to full- and part-time veganism. Sure, the merits of lab-made meat alternatives are certainly open for debate. But that's kind of missing the point: these products have become a successful gateway to reducing meat intake for the otherwise disinclined. PLANT-BASED EQUALS CREATIVITY Many venues around Australia are embracing the creativity offered by cooking without meat. Karl Cooney of Sydney restaurant Yulli's and brewery Yulli's Brews has been vegetarian for nearly 25 years and vegan for the past seven. He considered his decision to switch to plant-based cooking as both a blessing and a curse. "Being from a very food-oriented background, I wanted to eat good shit, so it forced me to learn ways of seeking out and creating well-rounded dishes that didn't seem lacking for not having meat," Cooney tells us. Co-owner of plant-based Brisbane diner Fitz + Potts, Cassie Potts (pictured above), had a similar experience: "When a meal doesn't revolve around one central, dominating ingredient, [which] is often the case when you cook with meat, you can explore how a range of ingredients and flavours can work in balance and harmony." For celebrated American chef Matthew Kenney (pictured above), plant-based eating and cooking represents a new frontier. "This is the most exciting food sector and the future of how we cook, eat and live," says Kenney, who recently opened Alibi, an entirely plant-based restaurant and bar inside Ovolo Woolloomooloo and his first Australian venue. "Cooking and eating plant-based connects us with seasonality and local ingredients," he continues. "It is also incredibly motivating to work with a cuisine that is not fully developed, allowing us an opportunity to craft a path toward the future." Potts agrees that when it comes to exploring food options that go beyond animal ingredients, we're only just getting started: "I feel like a bit of an alchemist in the kitchen, because plant-based cooking is still such a new concept. When I first became a vegan, there weren't all the [current] meat- and dairy-alternative options, so I learnt to cook creatively," she says. "Coming up with new versions of meat-based recipes or experimenting with fresh new combinations of vegetables, grains and plant-based proteins is hugely exciting stuff for me." This creativity benefits diners, too — walk into any of these chefs' restaurants and you'll be treated to a cracker of a meal. [caption id="attachment_798372" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yulli's Surry Hills (supplied)[/caption] PEOPLE THRIVE ON A PLANT-BASED DIET The idea of plant-based cooking being 'new' might seem a little strange — after all, humans have been cooking plants for more than 10,000 years. What has changed, though, are perceptions around a plant-based meal as 'missing' something. "Ironically most people probably think a vegan lifestyle is all about denying yourself of things, but I've always been obsessed with food, and enjoy it in excess," says Potts. Cooney has also found himself responding to many doubters over his years of plant-based eating and cooking. "The biggest misconception [around cooking plant-based] is that you can't create flavour," says Cooney. "The obvious response is well, you're doing it wrong." "[Another] misconception is that you get tired on a vegan diet," Cooney adds. "I don't think I've ever eaten meat in the couple of decades I've worked [in] hospitality — and we all know what a brutal industry it is — and the one thing I never lack is energy. Sometimes I lack patience but that's another story." Kenny adds to this: "The reality is that we always had to overcome perceptions of plant-based not being fulfilling or not having enough protein. However, with elite athletes, many of the world's highest-performing CEOs and the general public thriving on plant-based diets, those misconceptions are thankfully put to rest." [caption id="attachment_663302" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alibi (supplied)[/caption] Perhaps, though, it's a cultural thing? "Many cultures don't think anything of eating a purely plant-based meal," says Potts. "I think it would benefit people's health, the planet and of course animals, if western society didn't think it was so unusual to appreciate a tasty meal without getting hung up on the fact there isn't a lump of flesh central on the plate. Plant-based eating is honestly no different to eating any other meal. Good food is good food." Looking for more plant-based meal inspo? Check out Vegkit — it's loaded with hundreds of plant-based meals you can enjoy any time of day.
When Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows dropped its last terrible three words on us at the close of the book, all was not well. It would never be well without Harry, Ron, Hermione fighting the Dark Lord in a series of fantastical and wholly engrossing scenarios. But, little did we know, this would not be the end of the Age of Harry Potter. Thanks to the internet and the sheer demand for all things HP, Harry has lived on through new books, fan website Pottermore, the Fantastic Beasts film spinoff series and all manner of events dedicated to the franchise. One of the biggest things to come of the post-Harry Potter era has been Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, of course — aka the West End play that's essentially the eighth book in the series. It first arrived in Australia in February 2019, hitting up Melbourne's Princess Theatre, and proved unsurprisingly popular. Now, after closing down during the Victorian capital's 2020 lockdowns, then returning early in 2021, the production has announced that it's sticking around until the end of the year. Muggles, rejoice. Harry Potter fandom aside, this is also something that all theatre-goers can get excited about. Since debuting in London in July 2016, the production has won a swathe of awards and has proven a repeated sell-out — in the West End, on Broadway and in San Francisco, too. Melburnians — and other Australian Harry Potter and/or theatre aficionados — will be able to access tickets for the new dates from 9am on Thursday, April 29. You'll be able to book right through until Sunday, December 12. So yes, if you feel like a pre-festive date with all things Potter, that's on the cards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Gp6ekBcNYY&feature=emb_logo So what exactly is The Cursed Child about? Well, it picks up 19 years after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and that abominably cheery epilogue on Platform 9 3/4. Harry is now an overworked Ministry of Magic employee, and the play focuses on both him and his youngest son Albus Severus Potter as they grapple with the past and future. The production is presented in two parts, so you'll have to book into two performances, either on the same day (matinee and evening) or on consecutive evenings. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is playing at Melbourne's Princess theatre until December 12, 2021, with tickets for the newly extended season on sale from 9am on Thursday, April 29. Top image: Evan Zimmerman for Murphy Made.
There's no shortage of things to do on a trip to Paris, or iconic sights to see. Between now and September, visitors can add taking a dip in a canal to their travel bucket list — and while it mightn't initially sound all that special, it's the first time Parisians have legally been able to do so in nearly a century. As part of the annual Paris Plages, a summer-long event that turns the banks of the river Seine into short-term artificial beaches, the Bassin de La Villette now boasts three temporary pools. Measuring 100 metres in length in total and 16 metres across, the trio of splash-tastic bodies of water is comprised of a shallow paddling pool for kids, a second shallow pool with a depth of 1.2 metres and a 2.2-metre deep pool for adults. Given that going for a swim isn't just about jumping into some refreshing H20, with lazing around afterwards also part of the fun, the pool area includes a beach with huts, deckchairs and palm trees — aka a tropical getaway right in the heart of the city. And if you're wondering why it's all so novel, Paris' canals have historically been known for their murky state, making the fact that the Bassin de La Villette is now clean enough for people to soak in an event worth celebrating. While the pools will be dismantled at the end of the season, it is hoped they'll return next year. Paris has further plans to open up its waterways, including in the Daumesnil lake in the Bois de Vincennes on the eastern side of the city, as well as part of its 2024 Olympics bid. In Australia, similar plans have been mooted for Melbourne and Brisbane, although neither have come to fruition yet. Via The Local / The Guardian. Image: Jmpoirier1
Those at the G20 last weekend may have been some of the most powerful people in the world, but they're also just humans. Like us, they all need food. While here in Brisbane the world leaders, their spouses, delegates and international media got busy dining and drinking out and about in the city. But where did they go? Don't worry, we've done the research. If you didn’t get to catch a glance of the Obamacade rushing through, take the chance to dine in their foodsteps at some of Brisbane’s finest establishments. GOMA Restaurant GOMA Restaurant can thank its lucky stars for the chance to host all the G20 world leaders last week for a cocktail reception and leaders' dinner, chaired by our Finance Minister, Joe Hockey. Executive chef Josh Lopez designed a special menu featuring one of GOMA's signature dishes — the wattle seed custard, Daintree chocolate and vanilla curd. You know, the one that looks more like art than food. The three-course menu was inspired by Queensland's best produce including Hervey Bay scallops, Kalbar carrot, Lockyer Valley cauliflower and Kenilworth VIP Wagyu fillet. On December 2, they're offering everyone the chance to dine on the same menu for $250. Brewski We all need the chance to let our hair down sometimes, and Caxton Street is a great place to do it. As we're sure you’ve heard, German Chancellor Angela Merkel had the right idea when stopping by craft beer bar Brewski to mingle with the locals and get to know Brisbane’s bar scene. Not one of the 205 beers Brewski stock is German, but I'm sure the owners could find you something you'd enjoy too. Be sure to request '99 Luft Balloons' to make your experience authentic. Stokehouse Afraid of being shirtfronted by Julie Bishop, British Prime Minister David Cameron hid out riverside at Stokehouse in South Bank on Friday night. If bugs are on the menu, the choice is always easy, so we hope he dined on Moreton Bay's finest with braised leeks, spinach, whole-egg fazzoletti and shellfish butter. And there's always room for dessert, right David? You can't get more Queensland than slow-roasted pineapple with young coconut, kaffir lime sorbet and passionfruit. Alchemy Hola! The Mexican president and delegation found a home at Alchemy one evening. We assume they went for the degustation, because when you're the president you can do that sort of thing more regularly. If so, he got a taste for our fine state with courgette flowers from Noosa, Hervey Bay scallops, and pork belly from Kingaroy. And of course, it's all best washed down with a healthy dose of tequila. Esquire You don't become Brisbane's top restaurant — or earn yourself three hats — for nothing. Last week another Mexican leader took a liking to this local legned. The Secretary-General of the OECD dined at the restaurant no less than three times in the week he was here. He even found the time to grab dinner on his way back from Hamilton Island before jetting home on Wednesday night. The establishment also hosted a number of economic world leaders including International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde. Oui oui! Bacchus Set up within the restricted area, Bacchus proved to be a safe haven for many during the G20. The Australians stayed there, the Spanish President and delegation popped by for dinner and Madame Lagarde was spotted yet again. Sure the location was convenient, but from what we’ve tried there before, the food was fit for royalty of all kinds. Post G20 meetings, we’re told the Aussies invited all to kick on at Soleil Pool Bar for a Sunday session (of sorts). Jade Buddha Known for its Full Moon parties, Jade Buddha was an unexpected choice for the glamorous wife of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto. Mexico's First Lady, Angelica Rivera, popped out for a drink at Jade Buddha bar at Eagle Street Pier and allegedly stayed two hours to enjoy a cold glass of white wine. And we don't blame her — it was certainly the right weather for it. Gambaro Seafood Restaurant Angela Merkel proved to be a lady about town while in Brisbane, also stopping by Gambaro Seafood for a feed. Further projecting her image as 'one of us' ordinary people, her delegation required no special attention as the group dined straight off the a la carte menu. Sadly no #MerkelSelfies have surfaced. Secretary General of the UN, Ban Ki-moon found himself at home here too, but may have been tight on space since the Germans conquered the private dining room for their office, and used the function centre to meet with the Indonesian President. Pony Dining While Pony didn’t host any official delegates, it did host a number of quizzical minds. The venue became the unofficial media hangout with reporters from New Zealand found grazing about, and an entourage of American journalists hunting Obama’s every move. The more the merrier, Pony is best known for it’s share plates. Room Service A lot of these VIPs opted to ‘dine in’, and judging by the security entourage they cart around, that was surely the easy option. Sadly for us, this made it hard for celebrity spotting. The Hilton was home to Putin and his pals, Gambaro had Angela Merkel and Barack was found at The Marriott. Treat yourself, stay the night and order take in. Photos via Dominika Lis/G20 Australia and KassandraBayResort via photopin cc.
