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.
No doubt by now you've heard something about the Kony 2012 campaign. I know that I got at least three Facebook invitations to Kony-related events last night alone, and in the past few days the link has been shared on Facebook over 750,000 times, making it one of the fastest trending topics of conversation alongside this crazy weather. For those not quite on top of it yet, Kony 2012 is a viral campaign spearheaded by the humanitarian group Invisible Children, an ambitious attempt of a group of Americans who have been trying for nigh on a decade to get Western governments to pay attention to the injustices occuring in Uganda. Joseph Kony is the leader of the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda, a terrorist rebel group active for 26 years, and wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, including the abduction of over 30,000 African young people to be used as child soldiers or sex slaves. He is the world's most wanted war lord. Unfortunately, while some of the most atrocious crimes against humanity occur in Africa, little is done by Western governments to intervene unless they have a direct foreign policy or financial interest in the country. As a consequence people in the Western world have been largely ignorant of the problems in Uganda until about 48 hours ago. The Kony 2012 video, made by US director Jason Russell utilising an appealing soundtrack and the emotional heartstring pull of an adorable blonde child, has been viewed more than ten million times in two days. While the group's motives and plan of attack have been criticised because a high proportion of the donations they receive are spent on travel costs and postage expenses, their attempts at raising public awareness in the navel-gazing West is certainly proving effective. A Facebook event has been planned for April 20, where Sydneysiders are set to cover the city in Kony 2012 posters to help raise awareness of the campaign. Hopefully all the awareness will lead to real action in Uganda itself.
When the Gold Coast Film Festival kicks off for 2025, it'll launch with a Carey Mulligan-starring British comedy about a man keen to get his favourite musicians back together. By the time that it wraps up after a 12-day run, the event will have seen Pete Murray and Peter Andre grace its screens as actors, and also walk its red carpets. This year's event isn't solely focusing on flicks with a connection to music, but that theme is coming through anyway. Two more examples: documentary Pavements, which focuses on the band Pavement but is far from your standard doco, and a retro session of musical favourite Grease. Mulligan (Spaceman) features in The Ballad of Wallis Island, while Murray makes his first feature film in Blue Horizon and Andre takes his first lead movie role in dramedy Jafaican. Story-wise, the first also involves a lottery winner on an isolated island, the second follows a music star who might be heading to jail and the third — which is world-premiering on the Gold Coast — focuses on a small-time criminal attempting to rustle up cash fast to look after his grandmother. Across Wednesday, April 30–Sunday, May 11, GCFF 2025 also has sport in the spotlight via documentaries Queens of Concrete, about three skateboarders trying to balance being teens with attempting to score an Olympics berth; 7 Beats Per Minute, which hones in on freediving champion Jessea Lu; and Ballkids, chronicling the eponymous position at the Australian Open. The Edge, another world premiere, chronicles the experience of being an elite athlete for three women, including Australian powerlifter Lily Riley. In The Cigarette Surfboard, too, surfer Taylor Lane uses his love for riding the waves as a way to learn and raise awareness about protecting the beaches, especially from cigarette butts. Among this years' Australian contingent — in addition to Blue Horizon and the bulk of the sports-related titles above — drama Kangaroo Island charts a homecoming to the place that gives the movie its name, Hagar's Hut puts a young girl who is escape abuse at its centre, romance Christmas Keepsake adds a festive layer, body-swapping drives Carnal Vessels and My Eyes is based on true events as it tells of an optometrist attempting to save her daughter's sight. My Tai is a comedy but it might feel timely, given that it's about a bar threatened by an impending cyclone. The international lineup includes Japanese drama Cottontail, French comedy Funny Birds, India's Together at 35, Yellowjackets star Sophie Nelisse in the World War II-set Irena's Choice and a bookseller endeavouring to avoid escaping into fantasy in France's Jane Austen Wrecked My Life — and also Architecton, a musing on architecture from Victor Kossakovsky, the director behind the 2020's stunning animal-centric documentary Gunda. For attendees keen for a feast of short films, SIPFEST, Shorts in Paradise remains on the GCFF lineup as well, screening for free on the HOTA Outdoor Stage. And for those eager to do more than watch movies, the Women in Film Lunch is back, while the Gold Coast Film Festival Awards Gala will feature a celebration of 2025 Chauvel Award-winner Robert Connolly (The Dry, Force of Nature: The Dry 2, Magic Beach).
Jack White of the White Stripes, The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather will celebrate the release of his first solo album with a live streamed New York concert. The show, to be held April 27 at NY's Webster Hall, will be directed by Gary Oldman and will come three days after White's album 'Blunderbuss' (Third Man Records/Colombia) hits retailers. The event, the first instalment in the third season of American Express's 'Unstaged' series, will be available to view via YouTube, and mobile devices via VEVO and YouTube apps for iPhone, iPad, iTouch, and Android. 'Unstaged' is an artistic endeavour which pairs major musical acts with renowned filmmakers. Past collaborations have included an Anton Corbijn-directed Coldplay video, which drew over 19 million YouTube streams. Other participating musical artists have included John Legend, Mary J. Blige and the Roots. The show will air on April 27 at 9 pm ET (11am on the 28th for Sydneysiders). 'Blunderbuss' is also currently available for download on iTunes. https://youtube.com/watch?v=DsixWMdScUI
Eyes to the sky, Australia — it's time to catch one of the year's most-impressive meteor showers. Each autumn Down Under, the Eta Aquariids meteor shower sets the sky ablaze. And yes, it's happening right now. This vibrant astronomical vision starts in April every year, but is at its peak in early May. In 2024, the best date to mark in your diary is the early hours of Monday, May 6, which is when the shower will be at its most spectacular. If you're eager to catch a glimpse, even from just your backyard or balcony, here's what you need to know. [caption id="attachment_769233" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] What Is It? The Eta Aquariids might not be as famous as Halley's Comet, but the shower is actually a distant relation — because the bits and pieces you see flying around were on Halley's path a really, really long time ago. And, rather than only being visible every 76 years (the next Halley's Comet sighting is in 2061), the Eta Aquariids come around every year, usually between April 19–May 28. The shower's name comes from the star from which they appear to come Eta Aquarii, which is part of the Aquarius constellation. So, that's what you'll be looking for in the sky. Luckily, being in the southern hemisphere, we get some of the best views in the world. On average, you can see up to 20–40 meteors per hour. When to See It The shower will reach a peak in the early morning of Monday, May 6, but its best viewing window runs for a few days on either side. The optimal time to catch an eyeful is just before dawn after the moon has set, so around 3am AEST — but between 2am–7am is also recommended. At that time, you'll be in the running to see as many as 50 meteors every 60 minutes. Each will be moving at about 225,000 kilometres per hour, shining extraordinarily brightly and leaving a long wake. The shower's cause is, essentially, the Earth getting in the comet's way, causing stardust to fry up in the atmosphere. How to See It Usually, when a meteor shower lights up the sky, we'd tell city-dwellers to get as far away from light pollution as possible to get the best view. If you can't venture out of town at the moment, you can still take a gander from your backyard or balcony. To help locate the shower, we recommend downloading the Sky Map app — it's the easiest way to navigate the night sky (and is a lot of fun to use even on a non-meteor shower night). If you're more into specifics, Time and Date also has a table that shows the direction and altitude of the Eta Aquariids. It has been updating this daily. The weather might get in the way of your viewing, though, depending on where you live. Sydney and Brisbane are set for showers until at least Thursday. Melbourne will be partly cloudy on Sunday and mostly sunny on Monday, and Perth partly cloudy across both days, with Adelaide mostly Sunny on Sunday and sunny on Monday. The Eta Aquariids meteor shower runs until Tuesday, May 28, 2024, and will be at its peak during the night on Sunday, May 5–Monday, May 6. For further details, head to Time and Date. Top image:
Has your dog always wanted to sit on a 'Game of Bones'-style throne? More importantly, have you always wanted your four-legged sidekick to pretend that they're in Westeros — all so you can take the world's most adorable photo? If so, then you might just go barking mad for Australia's latest pop-up installation. It calls itself a museum, but it's really just an excuse for you to snap pics of your cute canine against extremely photogenic backdrops. Think Sugar Republic and Melbourne's Christmasland — but, instead of focusing on desserts and all things festive (and human), Pet Stars is all about those gorgeous little animal critters that we choose to spend our lives with. The name is a little misleading, because the pop-up is "encouraging dogs only", according to its website. That said, it is hosting VIP cats-only nights as well, should you have a Ser Pounce to take along. If you're the proud parent of a "larger animal, snake or scary creature", though, you'll definitely have to leave them at home. Debuting at the Gold Coast's Carrara Market Event Space on Thursday, November 28 ahead of planned 2020 seasons in both Sydney and Melbourne, Pet Stars will boast an array of themed spaces for puppers to frolic through. In addition to 'Game of Bones', there's a Kong dog ball pit, a room that's all about chewed shoes and a doggy high tea set-up. Or, maybe your furball needs a trip to the 'Doggy Style' grooming roomor the glamour room? Given the season, of course there's a Christmas-focused room on the premises — there's your end-of-year pics taken care of. As well as more than 20 snap-happy scenes, Pet Stars will feature pet cosplay and a hall of fame room. You can also hang out in a park area with your pooch, and meet other dogs and dog owners. And, you can buy merchandise while you're there — but if you want to treat your doggo to some actual edible treats, you're encouraged to bring them with you. During its Queensland run, which spans three weekends until Sunday, December 15, Pet Stars will be donating $1 from each entry ticket to the Animal Welfare League of Queensland (and it's safe to assume it'll do something similar in New South Wales and Victoria, too). Don't have your own pet? You're still welcome to head along. In fact, if you stop by the Pet Rescue Area run by AWLQ, you might even find a dog and cat to adopt, take back through the installations, snap in heaps of pics and become your life-long best friend. Pet Stars will launch at the Carrara Market Event Space, on the corner of Gooding Drive and Manchester Road at Carrara on the Gold Coast, from Thursday, November 28–Sunday, December 15 — with tickets on sale now. It's open Thursday–Sunday during its run, welcoming dogs from 12–6pm on Thursdays, 12–8pm on Fridays, 10am–8pm on Saturdays and 10am–4pm on Sundays. Cat nights take place on Thursdays from 6–7pm. Pet Stars will also head to Sydney and Melbourne in 2020, although dates haven't been announced — we'll update you when they are.
Something delightful is happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made over the past three months, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_jjELPpKkk HAPPIEST SEASON Heading home for the holidays and stepping into a sea of interpersonal dramas is a familiar on-screen set-up, as a new movie every Christmas or so reminds us. By now, then, we all know the formula. Adult children make the pilgrimage to their parents' place, rivalries and animosities flare up, secrets are spilled, chaos ensues and, by the end of the film's running time, everyone has learned something. Happiest Season fits the template perfectly. With the merriest time of the year in full swing, the Caldwells converge on the Pennsylvanian family home, with their celebrations given an extra edge due to patriarch Ted's (Victor Garber, Dark Waters) mayoral campaign. His fastidious wife Tipper (Mary Steenburgen, The Book Club) insists on snapping every moment for his Instagram feed, all as stern eldest daughter Sloane (Alison Brie, GLOW) arrives with her husband (Burl Moseley, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), two children (Asiyih and Anis N'Dobe) and plenty of unspoken tension in tow; zany middle sister and aspiring fantasy writer Jane (Mary Holland, Between Two Ferns: The Movie) is largely ignored; and Pittsburgh-based political journalist Harper (Mackenzie Davis, Irresistible) returns with the girlfriend, Abby (Kristen Stewart, Charlie's Angels), that none of her relatives know about because she hasn't come out to them yet. If someone other than The Faculty, Girl, Interrupted, Veep and The Handmaid's Tale actor-turned-filmmaker Clea DuVall had made Happiest Season, the above paragraph would accurately reflect the feature's character hierarchy — because Sloane would take centre stage, and Harper and Abby would hover around the narrative's edges. But DuVall did make Happiest Season and, with co-writer Holland, she flips the movie's focus, even while still sticking with a well-worn general premise. Accordingly, this festive flick resembles a comfy sweater that often gets a wear, but seems welcomely different on this particular occasion. It shouldn't be so subversive to take an overused genre that's heavy on recognisable tropes, then strip away the engrained heteronormativity, but it is. Amid the sibling struggles, the re-emergence of old flames both male (Jake McDorman, What We Do in the Shadows) and female (Aubrey Plaza, Parks and Recreation), and the always hectic whirlwind that surrounds every seasonal family affair — and every attempt to run for political office, too — Happiest Season also explores two crucial themes in a meaningful way. First, it unpacks the performative nature of human existence, where too often we're all trying to match other people's perceptions and expectations without consistently remaining true to ourselves. And, it also interrogates how coming out isn't a simple or straightforward act, even in seemingly loving circumstances. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97nnV0fNd30&feature=youtu.be AMERICAN UTOPIA There may be no catchier lyric in music history than "same as it ever was", the five words repeated in Talking Heads' 1981 single 'Once in a Lifetime'. As uttered again and again by the band's inimitable frontman David Byrne, it's a looping phrase that burrows into your skull and never leaves. So when American Utopia opens with the musician sat at a table holding a brain and talking about what its various parts do, it feels as if Byrne is acknowledging what everyone already knows in the deepest recesses of their consciousness: that Byrne long ago got cosy in our craniums and has been nattering away to us ever since. As he stares at grey matter while wearing a grey suit — a perfectly fitting one, unlike the famed big number he wore in iconic 1984 Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense — he has something else on his mind, however. American Utopia starts with the part of our bodies where we all mentally reside, but slowly and smartly evolves from the cerebral to the communal. It segues from one man alone on a stage lost in his own thoughts to 12 people singing, dancing, playing instruments and connecting, and also pondering the state of the world and how to better it in the process. And it takes its titular concept seriously along the way, confronting America's political and social divisions in Byrne's witty, wise and impassioned between-song chats, but never satirising the idea that the US could be improved to the benefit of everyone. American Utopia is a concert film like its predecessor but, as that masterpiece proved, the whole notion means more to Byrne than merely standing in front of a camera and busting out well-known hits.From the sublimely soothing 'This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)' to the punchier 'Burning Down the House', plenty of Byrne's best-known songs do grace American Utopia. 'Once in a Lifetime' is among them, of course, as are 'Road to Nowhere' and 'Everybody's Coming to My House', with the film's playlist spanning his career with Talking Heads and solo. Across a range of styles and tempos, each track is a wonder, and not just in the way that fans already know. As should be obvious from the way in which Byrne has conceptualised this stage performance — which he toured in 2018, then adapted for Broadway in 2019, and has now turned into this standout movie directed by Spike Lee — this is a meticulously crafted work. Basking in the glory of Byrne and his band is inevitable and would happen regardless, but soaking in everything that American Utopia does is another marvel entirely. Before the film forces you to do so, you probably won't have realised how enlivening, wondrous and cathartic it is to see the act of connecting so firmly thrust to the fore. It takes an incredible amount of work to make something so tightly constructed seem so loose and natural, and that's just one of the reasons that American Utopia is yet another of the star's masterpieces. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFqCTIdF7rs&feature=youtu.be POSSESSOR In Possessor, technology permits assassins to hijack the bodies of people close to their targets, letting them assume not just their identities but their physical presence to fulfil their murderous missions. Tasya Vos (Andrea Riseborough, The Grudge) is one such killer, and she is so exacting and accomplished at her job that her no-nonsense boss and handler Girder (Jennifer Jason Leigh, Annihilation) keeps trying to push her further. Such work comes with consequences, though, with Tasya slowly estranging herself from her husband (Rossif Sutherland, Catastrophe) and young son (Gage Graham-Arbuthnot, Becky). During the luridly shot undertaking that opens the movie and the assignment that the often neon-hued flick spends the bulk of its time on, Tasya also begins to realise that separating herself from the folks she's temporarily inhabiting is becoming difficult. In the first job, Tasya's consciousness takes over a woman called Holly (Gabrielle Graham, On the Basis of Sex) to gun down a high-flying lawyer at a swanky hotel party. Every mission should end with extraction via suicide — the possessed person's, as forced by the possessor, who then returns to their own bag of bones, flesh and blood — but Tasya can't pull the trigger on her host body. When she's later sent into Colin (Christopher Abbott, Vox Lux), the fiancé of the daughter (Tuppence Middleton, Mank) of a ruthless business mogul (Sean Bean, Snowpiercer), she similarly struggles to retain control. As depicted in gory detail, being able to stick a probe into your head and mind-hop into someone else's may be pure science fiction, but writer/director Brandon Cronenberg intentionally apes The Matrix when he shows how the tech behind his premise operates. Our present analogues to Possessor's body-jumping concept exist in the online world, virtual reality, avatars, catfishing, trolling and even just anonymous commenting while you're tapping at your keyboard or phone, and this film makes it ferociously clear that it all has a significant cost. Cronenberg isn't just taking cues from his father David — whose 1999 film eXistenZ, also starring Jason Leigh, toyed in somewhat similar territory — or from a beloved sci-fi franchise. As many works that reflect upon humanity's true nature via dystopian futures tend to, the writer/director adds an entry to both the body horror and science fiction canons that seems like it might've appeared in a feverish dream after a life spent consuming those exact types of tales. But Possessor also always feels like a unique creation, and never a film puppeteered by its influences in the same way that Tasya pulls the strings of her marks. Cronenberg's feature boasts far too much of its own chilliness, daring and determination, as well as the filmmaker's fondness for particularly gruesome imagery, to merely be the sum of its various sources of inspiration. Possessor also has its own wellspring of nihilism pumping through its veins, not only tackling big notions in a bold and ultra-violent way, but proving deeply, gut-wrenchingly, existentially dark. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp3WjuJJYB8 MISBEHAVIOUR The fact that it took 50 years to bring Misbehaviour's true tale to the screen is nothing less than remarkable. Following the protests staged by the women's liberation movement at the 1970 Miss World Pageant in London, it harks back to a noteworthy and important chapter of history — so much so that you would've expected filmmakers to have been clamouring to give it the cinematic treatment. A plethora of compelling topics are baked into this story, after all, including calling out the gross sexism inherent in objectifying women and ascribing their worth according to their looks, questioning society's narrow view of beauty and making plain the racial prejudice that's also frequently in play. But you don't need a movie about all of the above to tell you the obvious, and also the reason that a film about this incident hasn't existed until now. Much may have changed in the past half-century, but the feminist quest for recognition, fairness and equality in every way isn't over yet. Indeed, it's galling how many of Misbehaviour's observations about the way women are treated — and how women of colour fare on top of that — continue to ring true in 2020. Director Philippa Lowthorpe (Swallows and Amazons) and screenwriters Rebecca Frayn (The Lady) and Gaby Chiappe (Their Finest) are eager to pay tribute to pioneering feminists, but they're also very keen to make a feel-good, cheer-inducing movie that fits a clear formula. So it is that a seemly mismatched group comes together, united by the shared goal of improving how women are regarded by society, and decides to target the giant, glitzy and televised spectacle that is the Miss World Pageant — which 100 million people will watch. The two main instigators, aspiring history academic Sally Alexander (Keira Knightley, Official Secrets) and graffiti-spraying anarchist Jo Robinson (Jessie Buckley, I'm Thinking of Ending Things), are initially worlds apart, but squaring off against a common enemy has a way of bringing people together. Also earning the film's attention: contestant Jennifer Hosten (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Farming), pageant founder Eric Morley (Rhys Ifans, Berlin Station) and the year's host Bob Hope (Greg Kinnear, Strange But True). The result is a rousing, overt and easy movie that ticks all the boxes it has placed on its own checklist, but doesn't do anything more — and it definitely could. Getting caught up in Misbehaviour's plot, purpose and impressively staged climax is almost a foregone conclusion. Being happy that it's hitting screens and telling this tale at all after all of these years is as well. But so is knowing that this is the most standard and clearcut rendering of this story possible. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tibarzGOUSk LET HIM GO Hell hath no fury like a grieving mother and grandmother in Let Him Go, an involving drama that shows that few actors can convey quiet anger and unflinching determination quite like Diane Lane. The Unfaithful and Under the Tuscan Sun star plays Margaret Blackledge, a Montana rancher with a way with horses, and with strong, silent ex-sheriff George (Kevin Costner, Yellowstone) for a husband. Soon after the family's rural idyll is first established, she not only loses her adult son (Ryan Bruce) to a tragic accident but, just a couple of years later, is shocked to discover that her newly remarried daughter-in-law Lorna (Kayli Carter, Bad Education) has left the local town in a hurry one night with Margaret's three-year-old grandson Jimmy (Bram and Otto Hornung). Determined not to see more of her family members ripped away, she convinces George that they should set off on their trail. Complicating their plans is he fact that Lorna has wed into the Weboys, who hold significant — and criminal — influence over their patch of America's north. As the Blackledges learn after finally tracking down their new relatives-via-nuptials, brash Weboy matriarch Blanche (Lesley Manville, Misbehaviour) isn't keen to relinquish her claim on the only link Margaret has left to her dearly departed child. Adapted by writer/director Thomas Bezucha (screenwriter of 2018's The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society) from the novel of the same name, Let Him Go follows a straightforward narrative with a smattering of hits and misses — but its two main female roles are so superbly cast, and the film's handling of tension so finely tuned, that it proves gripping for the bulk of its running time. The last time that Bezucha dabbled with complicated family antics, in 2005's The Family Stone, he was in far lighter territory; however, he's more than adept at handling the fierce confrontations, simmering and overt suspense, and pulpy revenge-fuelled setpieces that are pivotal here. And, he does so in a fittingly pared back but forceful manner; Let Him Go takes its time and doles out only the necessary details, butt does so with maximum emotional impact in mind. While Costner is also solid as a man trying to deal with his own heartache and disappointment in his own way, and Booboo Stewart (The Twilight Saga) leaves a lasting impression as a Native American teen the Blackledges cross paths with on their journey, Let Him Go is at its best when it cedes the screen to the potent Lane and the gloriously overt Manville. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqEQyL8prJg&list=PL6F30AC1F68415FCE IN THE NAME OF THE LAND In We'll End Up Together, French filmmaker and actor Guillaume Canet directed a sequel to his friendship-driven drama Little White Lies, this time ruminating on his characters' choices and struggles years latter. In La Belle Époque, he played the man behind a company that lets anyone pay to recreate the place and time of their choosing, whether to enjoy a life they didn't get to live, temporarily try to correct past wrongs or revel in happier memories. His third release to reach Australian cinemas this year, In the Name of the Land is a vastly different film — but it too is about someone grappling with his chosen path and wondering what might've been. Here, Canet steps into the shoes of Pierre Jarjeau, who returns to his dad's (Rufus, Amelie) modest farm in 1979 after a stint on a vast Wyoming cattle ranch and, with a 25-year-old's hope for the future, instantly agrees to take over the family property. Fast-forward to the mid to late 90s, when the majority of the movie takes place, and Pierre is saddled with debt and trouble. He's still repaying his father, the price he earns for his produce just keeps dropping and, despite his wife Claire's (Veerle Baetens, The Broken Circle Breakdown) disapproval, he's certain that expanding and taking on bigger loans is the only way forward. Pierre's plan requires building a coop to house 20,000 chickens — livestock he doesn't currently farm — and getting into bed with a giant agriculture company to do so. First-time feature writer/director Edouard Bergeon bases In the Name of the Land on his own father's story, and it's a grim one, as every move Pierre makes seems to place the Jarjeaus in a worse situation with ever-increasing stress and higher stakes. Given that this is a personal tale and topic for the filmmaker, it's hardly surprising that he draws such nuanced and authentic performances from Canet, Batens and Rufus, and from young actor Anthony Bajon (The Prayer), who is virtually playing the director's on-screen surrogate. The prominence given to the gorgeously shot landscape, including golden and green fields that stretch as far as the eye can see, isn't the least bit astonishing either. And, neither is this solemn but passionate movie's unshakeable condemnation of the current state of French agriculture, and of the very real toll that the push towards corporations and mass production is taking on those who dedicate their life to working the land. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30; August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27; September 3, September 10, September 17 and September 24; October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22 and October 29; and November 5, November 12 and November 19. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves, The King of Staten Island, Babyteeth, Deerskin, Peninsula, Tenet, Les Misérables, The New Mutants, Bill & Ted Face the Music, The Translators, An American Pickle, The High Note, On the Rocks, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Antebellum, Miss Juneteenth, Savage, I Am Greta, Rebecca, Kajillionaire, Baby Done, Corpus Christi, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, The Craft: Legacy, Radioactive, Brazen Hussies, Freaky, Mank, Monsoon and Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt).
Pop on your ruby slippers, click your heels three times and prepare to defy gravity: Wicked is returning to Australia. When 2023 sweeps in, it will have been two decades since composer Stephen Schwartz and playwright Winnie Holzman took a book inspired by The Wizard of Oz, put it to music and turned it into one of Broadway's biggest hits of the 21st century. And, it'll also mark Australian musical theatre fans' latest chance to see that very show right here at home — in Sydney from Friday, August 25. Even if you haven't seen the blockbuster show before, including on its past Aussie run from 2008–11, then you've likely heard of it. Following the Land of Oz's witches — telling their untold true tale is the musical's whole angle, in fact — Wicked has notched up more awards than you can fit in a hefty cauldron over the years. That includes three Tonys from ten nominations, a Grammy, an Olivier Award and six Drama Desk Awards. Also huge: its worldwide footprint, playing in 16 countries around the world since its 2003 debut. And, when it makes its way to Sydney Lyric for its latest Aussie run, it'll do so after enchanting itself into fourth place in the list of longest-running Broadway shows ever — even surpassing Cats. [caption id="attachment_872890" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wicked NY[/caption] Story-wise, Wicked starts before The Wizard of Oz and continues its narrative after Dorothy Gale lands, adapting Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The text itself has sold 5.5 million copies, including five million since the musical first opened. Here, before Dorothy blows in, two other women meet in the Land of Oz: Elphaba and Galinda. One will later be known as the Wicked Witch of the West, while the other will become Glinda the Good Witch. Exactly why that happens, and how, and the pair's relationship from rivals to unlikely friends to grappling with their new labels, fuels the show's tale. Wicked is being brought to Australia by John Frost for Crossroads Live Australia, Marc Platt, Universal Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B Platt and David Stone — and will also take to the stage again before the in-the-works two-part film adaptation starring Cynthia Erivo (Pinocchio) as Elphaba and Ariana Grande (Don't Look Up) as Galinda, and directed by Jon M Chu (In the Heights, Crazy Rich Asians), is due to start reaching cinemas in 2024. Images: Joan Marcus.
UPDATE, July 13, 2021: Due to travel and quarantine requirements stemming from Greater Sydney's current lockdown, the 2021 2021 Brisbane Night Noodle Markets have been postponed. With many of the event's vendors based in New South Wales, the markets can't go ahead as planned on from Wednesday, July 21–Sunday, August 1. New dates haven't yet been announced, but we'll update you when they are. Usually when July rolls around, Brisbane's culinary scene gets thrust into the spotlight, all thanks to Good Food Month. In 2020, things were a little different, with the jam-packed celebration of all things food and drink taking place in November instead. This year, though, Brisbanites will be hopping between eateries to warm up their winter once more. It's the eighth year that Good Food Month has hit the city, and 2021's program takes its cues from one of the big culinary trends of the past decade. Yes, it's skewing local and heroing homegrown talent — including by welcoming back acclaimed chef Alanna Sapwell (ex-Arc Dining and Bar), with her pop-up Esmay returning for a day of dishes at Spring Hill's Alliance Hotel. Among the other Brisbane stars making an imprint, Louis Tikaram will lend his skills to this year's Young Chefs Lunch, which will serve up a four-course meal prepared by the Stanley chef with the city's culinary up-and-comers — and Ben Williamson will open Agnes up to celebrated Melbourne restaurant Embla, teaming up with the latter's Dave Verheul on a one-night-only meal. Over at Gerard's Bistro, Adam Wolfers will join forces with Shane Delia (Maha Bar, Layla) for a night of Middle Eastern cooking. And Za Za Ta Bar and Kitchen will play host to Shannon Martinez (Lona Misa), with a plant-based, Tel Aviv-inspired feast clearly on the menu. Also on the lineup: a five-course truffle degustation at Otto, a murder mystery dinner at Alchemy, a shawarma party at Gerard's Bar and Libertine's Bastille Day French-Vietnamese menu. Montrachet will host a decadent five-course dinner, E'cco Bistro is dedicating an afternoon to cheese and wine at and The Gresham will roll out Whisky Appreciation Month sessions. Plus, over at the Living Room Bar at W Brisbane, a three-course cocktail degustation will let you sample its new menu created by the team behind London's Oriole Bar. And, the Night Noodle Markets are returning as part of this year's Good Food Month, too — this time at the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens. Top image: Libertine.
So many places to visit, such little time to see them all: that's about to become the kind of problem Aussies absolutely love to have. International travel from Australia is set to resume on a state-by-state basis from November, kicking off in New South Wales on Monday, November 1. And, because it's all happening faster than expected, Qantas has announced that it's speeding up some of its plans. The Aussie airline revealed back in August that it was planning to begin flying overseas again in December this year, based on when it forecast that Australia's international borders would reopen again. Then, it advised that it was moving forward its flights from Sydney to London and Los Angeles — the former direct via Darwin — to mid-November. So, in an ever-changing space, its latest announcement is hardly surprising news. It's still thoroughly welcome by everyone already mentally packing their bags, obviously. Overall, Qantas' Australian-based Qantas and Jetstar employees will all head back to work in early December, ahead of international travel resuming nationwide — but some flights will kick off before that. At present, just the Sydney details have been revealed, with trips to Singapore recommencing on Tuesday, November 23, four weeks earlier than initially scheduled; legs to Fiji beginning on Tuesday, December 7, just under two weeks early; and flights to Johannesburg starting on Wednesday, January 5, a huge three months before originally outlined. Also, if you're keen to head to Thailand, flights to Phuket and Bangkok will restart on Wednesday, January 12 and Friday, January 14, respectively. That's more than two months early, and perfectly timed to kick off 2022 with a getaway. Qantas has also announced a new route, from Sydney to Delhi via Darwin, starting Monday, December 6. It'll mark the carrier's first commercial flights between Australia and India in nearly a decade. Before you go digging out your passport, it's worth remembering that different border rules apply both internationally and domestically. So, the rules at your destination — and the requirements upon coming home, depending on where you live in Australia — will vary. One place where the conditions might soon be cemented: Singapore. At the same press conference where Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce announced the airline's latest change of plans, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison also revealed that an agreement should soon be finalised regarding Aussie travel to the southeast Asian city-state. "We are in the final stages of concluding an arrangement with the Singapore Government. I was in a position, as you know, some months ago when I met with the Prime Minister of Singapore, Prime Minister Lee in Singapore, to set up a new arrangement which will see our borders open more quickly to Singapore. We anticipate that being able to be achieved within the next week or so, as we would open up to more visa class holders coming out of the Singapore. We will see that occur," said the Prime Minister. News of a possible quarantine-free travel bubble with Singapore was first floated back in March, and mentioned again by both Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has just met with his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong in June. For more information about Qantas' international routes or to book, visit the airline's website.
It's here. Oh God, oh God, it's finally here. After more than a year of bickering, speculation and a seemingly never-ending parade of scandals, in the next four to six hours we'll probably know the name of the next American President. Just about every new organisation on the planet will be covering the race. Below, we've put together a list of the best places to tune in to the finale of the most exhausting reality show in the history of modern democracy. GOOGLE This year, Google launched their new election tool that presents election results in real time. Just pop in "US election" into search. YOUTUBE Hop on to YouTube for live streams from NBC News, Bloomberg, PBS, MTV News, Telemundo and The Young Turks. Complex News is also streaming an election-night special at YouTube Space NY. TWITTER BuzzFeed News has teamed up with Twitter for an exclusive election live stream, available via election.twitter.com, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Xbox One. FACEBOOK LIVE A few US news outlets will be using Facebook Live to stream election results, commentary and analysis. Check out PBS NewsHour, AJ+, The Washington Post and The New York Times. Alternatively, Huffington Post are streaming a Donald Trump candle melting in real time. So, y'know, there's that. OTHER GO-TO NEWS PLATFORMS The Guardian has the most adorable and comprehensive map and tracker we've seen. Huffington Post and Fox News will be streaming through Verizon's go90streaming service. US news sites like CNN (also fronting a killer interactive electoral college map) and MSNBC will be streaming from their own websites, and Fox will be streaming from their Fox News Go app. BLOGS You definitely want to keep your eyes on Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight, along with The New Yorker and Politco. Oh, and The Onion, because laughing is better than crying. CLOSER TO HOME The ABC is operating an up-to-the-minute live blog, as is SBS and SMH. You can also stream ABC News 24, and yes, Antony Green will be on hand to break down all the numbers. VIRTUAL REALITY Yes, that's right, virtual reality. Because why wouldn't you want to get ever closer to Donald Trump. AltspaceVR have teamed up with NBC News to present VR coverage throughout the night. By Tom Clift and Shannon Connellan. Top image: The Guardian.
Swedish fashion blogger and international face of Rekorderlig Cider, Caroline Blomst, had a very busy schedule while visiting Australia for the first time this month. Attending shows at L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival, shooting street style for her blog in Sydney and Melbourne, as well as a Sydney exhibition of her work at the Somedays Gallery in Surry Hills were just a few of the things on her to-do list. Blomst and her boyfriend Daniel Troyse launched their blog, Stockholm Street Style, in 2005, and in 2007 the pair added Caroline’s Mode. According to Blomst, “People have a hard time understanding that it’s a job and not a hobby.” With her Stockholm-meets-Paris style, she adds “I try and keep it simple, minimalistic and comfortable but still I want to add some pieces to make it chic which is the Paris part”. We caught up with the fashion forward model-turned-blogger to ask her thoughts on blogging, designers and Australian fashion. What have you learnt since you started blogging? In the beginning hardly anyone knew what a blog was, it was only the hardcore bloggers that knew. I think in the last 2 years maybe people are starting to learn what a blog is. I’ve been doing this fulltime - 6 months into blogging, so since late 2005. The hard thing is to make people realise that it’s a job and that we do it seriously. It’s not a personal blog, it’s more like a fashion magazine in the blog forum but from my sense of style. It’s still something new to people but for me it's like I’ve been doing it forever. Do you have any advice to give to fellow bloggers? I think if you want to start a blog today it is very important that you find a niche, that you do something that not everyone is doing. For example, if you want to do street style you might want to focus on bloggers or you might want to focus on models or men? Something that makes you unlike everyone else and also consistency - keep updating frequently. We do five posts a day for street style I know that’s quite a lot but I think for blogs its hard because on the internet you need to keep going all the time. Make your own content so that you’re not constantly re-posting other peoples' stuff. Who are some of your favourite designers? My favourite designers are Isabel Marant (surprise surprise!). I also love Chanel, Celine, and Balenciaga. Swedish designers? I’d say Carin Wester - she does both menswear and womenswear - and it’s really nice stuff. Also in Australia, which is totally new to me, I have discovered Bec & Bridge (which I love!), Scanlan and Theodore and Maurie & Eve. What is it about the designer that makes you love them? I think for Isabel Marant they have a very French chic but kind of minimalistic style, which is very much me. Carin Wester, I mean she makes very casual pieces that are wearable for everyday; the casual kind of approach but you feel well dressed. Balenciaga and Celine for their great accessories like bags and shoes, and also Chanel for their bags. What are your thoughts on Australian fashion? I think it looks kind of similar to the fashion in Europe. Actually people were telling me when I came, 'oh they are so behind' but I think that is not true at all. I think you have a lot of interesting designers that I had never heard of before. It’s been very interesting getting to know what they do. What did you get up to at L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival? We went to some shows - the opening show, the Harper’s Bazaar show and maybe 4 other shows and we tried to stay outside shooting some street style. We also promoted Rekorderlig Cider that sponsored some of the shows. So which city in the world is your favourite fashion city? I would have to say Paris. I mean shooting street style in Paris is amazing because of the light and they’re are so many people to pick fromm and the shopping - they have everything. I would choose Paris for fashion definitely.
When the long-awaited sequel to Black Panther hits cinemas, one thing will obviously be different, with star Chadwick Boseman sadly passing away in 2020. Just what that means for the series is yet to be announced — but Disney, the company behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has revealed that it'll be returning to Wakanda more than once in the near future. It's very likely that Black Panther II will be another enormous hit, and that more movies will follow. But the Mouse House's latest announcement actually involves broadening the Black Panther world, rather than just continuing it. That's slated to happen via a just-announced new spinoff series for Disney+, which'll be based in the Kingdom of Wakanda. What it'll be about, which characters will feature and who will star in the show all haven't been revealed. Neither has a name for the series, in fact. Still, the new program will hail from writer/director/producer Ryan Coogler, who wrote and directed the original Black Panther film — and will do the same on the upcoming follow-up flick. All three of Coogler's movies to-date — Fruitvale Station, Creed and Black Panther — have featured Michael B Jordan, so you have reason enough to start dreaming about his involvement in the new Wakanda series. Of course, the events of Black Panther might seem to preclude that, but the MCU has been known to get playful when it wants to bring its star talent back (see also: WandaVision). Interestingly, Jordan told People magazine in late January that he'd be open to returning to the franchise if he was asked. Coogler's company, Proximity Media, has signed a deal with Disney to develop multiple new television series, so you can look forward to more than one new project with his involvement — although only one linked to Black Panther has been announced. Whenever it joins your streaming queue, the Wakanda show will join a growing list of new TV series set within the MCU. The aforementioned WandaVision is streaming now, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier launches in March, Loki is set to follow in May, and others about Hawkeye, Ms Marvel, She-Hulk and more are also on Disney+'s upcoming slate. For now, while you're awaiting your return trip to Wakanda, you can check out the trailer for the original Black Panther film below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjDjIWPwcPU Disney+'s new series set in Wakanda doesn't yet have a release date — or a title. We'll update you when further details are announced. Via Marvel. Images: Marvel Studios.
Before getting a glimpse into everyone else's lives was as simple as logging into your social-media platform of choice, a game arrived that let its players do something similar with computerised characters. A spinoff from SimCity and its city-building follow-ups, The Sims allows whoever is mashing buttons to create and control virtual people, then step through their existence. First hitting in February 2000, it has spawned three sequels, plus a whole heap of expansion and compilation packs for each — and online, console and mobile versions as well. A quarter of a century since its debut, The Sims still keeps dropping new releases. To mark its 25th birthday, there's now The Sims: Birthday Bundle. That's one way to celebrate the game's latest anniversary. Here's another: stepping inside a three-day Australian pop-up dedicated to the beloved life simulator, which is heading to Melbourne's Australian Centre for the Moving Image from Friday, February 21–Sunday, February 23, 2025. Despite The Sims' more-recent titles, thinking about the game usually means thinking about the 2000s. So, this pop-up is taking that truth to heart by celebrating the Y2K era, too. Going along involves entering inside a 2000s-era pre-teen bedroom that's been decked out by Josh & Matt Design with all of the appropriate touches. Yes, it'll be nostalgic. Yes, there'll be CD towers and blow-up couches, just to name a few decor choices. The pop-up will also feature free stations where you can play The Sims: Birthday Bundle, if the best way for you to commeroate the occasion is by diving into the franchise virtually. In addition, there'll also be a free panel about the game on the Saturday, with speakers including Josh & Matt Design's Josh Jessup and Matt Moss — who are big The Sims fans — and EA/Firemonkeys' Simulation Division General Manager Mavis Chan. "As Australia's home of videogames, ACMI is so chuffed to be celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Sims! For 25 years, The Sims has provided a platform for so many kinds of imaginative play for multiple generations, allowing them to achieve great feats of digital architecture, guide their Sims to dizzying success — or cruelly remove their pool ladders. With each new expansion and sequel, The Sims has expanded its complex social world, reflecting changes to real-life society, and facilitating even more forms of self-expression in its passionate player base," said ACMI Curator Jini Maxwell, announcing the pop-up. "As a long-term Sims player myself, I'm so thrilled to celebrate the game's cultural legacy and personal significance in this event and free talk hosted by ACMI." EA Presents The Sims 25 is popping up from Friday, February 21–Sunday, February 23 at ACMI, Federation Square, Melbourne — head to the venue's website for more details.
Please allow us to introduce Australia's next big pop culture exhibition: Exhibitionism: The Rolling Stones Exhibit. Firmly focused on the British rockers that are still starting things up 56 years after first forming, the touring showcase makes its Aussie debut at the Sydney International Convention Centre. After premiering in London, then heading to New York and Nashville, it'll bring more than 500 Stones items to our shores between November 17, 2018 to February 3, 2019. Attendees will be able to get some satisfaction thanks to an enormous array of objects and memorabilia, including a vintage guitar gallery, a number of rare instruments, the band's lyric books, plus all kinds of backstage and touring paraphernalia, album art. If you've ever wanted to read Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and company's personal diaries and letters, they'll feature as well, alongside Stones photography and examples of their stage design. Given the group's considerable longevity, one section of the exhibition will focus on five decades of their outfits — and yes, you can expect more than just Jagger's leather pants. On display will be articles from designers such as Alexander McQueen, Prada, Dior, Gucci, Hedi Slimane, Ossie Clark and L'Wren Scott, not only charting Stones history but fashion over the same period. Exhibitionism: The Rolling Stones Exhibit also includes 190 original artworks, with everyone from Andy Warhol to Shepard Fairey to Robert Frank involved with or taking inspiration from the band over the years — and doing more than just painting things black. Because no huge music exhibition is complete unless it makes you feel like you're at a gig in some way, Stones aficionados will get what they want (and what they need as well) thanks to interactive sound mixing decks and a recording studio, videos throughout the displays and a screening cinema with narration by Martin Scorsese. Also featured is an immersive backstage recreation, which leads visitors to a 3D concert finale. If you're a fan of the band, wild horses probably wouldn't drag you away from a showcase that Jagger describes as both an event and an experience. "It's about a sense of The Rolling Stones — it's something we want people to go away talking about it," he explains. For Richards, "while this is about The Rolling Stones, it's not necessarily only just about us. It's also about all the paraphernalia and technology associated with a group like us". Exhibitionism: The Rolling Stones Exhibit displays at the Sydney International Convention Centre (ICC) from November 17, 2018 to February 3, 2019. For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.stonesexhibitionism.com.
If, like Twin Peaks' Agent Dale Cooper, you believe there's few things better than a great slice of pie, then you've probably already acquainted yourself with Brisbane's Pie Hole. Sweet, savoury — it does them all, including everything from sweet cherry, banoffee and matcha custard pies through to Guinness-braised lamb, kimchi-braised chicken and red wine-braised brisket varieties. And, it'll soon be serving them up at a brand new location. Brisbanites who love cakes will be just as familiar with Lady Bouchon, and their baked goods will be on the menu as well. Head to Brass Tacks when it opens — sometime before 2021 is out — and you'll find Pie Hole's Isaac Hull and Lady Bouchon's Catherine Marot joining forces on their new culinary endeavour. The two chefs are teaming up on a bakery and deli that'll sit within Albion's new Craft'd Grounds precinct. Due to launch this summer — before Christmas, for all your festive sweet treat needs — it joins a venue that'll also be home to coffee roastery Seven Miles, brewery Brewtide, street food, a craft bottle shop, a wine and cocktail bar, and more. And, it'll be combining everything that Pie Hole and Lady Bouchon do best with cheese and charcuterie, salads and sandwiches, and croissants and other provisions. Yes, Lady Bouchon's lemonade and elderflower cake will be on the menu. "Our name 'Brass Tacks' was drawn from an American saying, meaning 'the essentials' — the very ethos of what we do," says Marot. "Brass Tacks is everything you need for experiencing some of the best regional epicurean produce and treats — whether you're indulging at Craft'd Grounds, enjoying every day at home, or celebrating special occasions with loved ones." The pair will be focusing on local goods, and making all of their own wares onsite. "We wanted to do things differently — curating a selection of local, regional and Australian-only products, alongside our in-house made baked goods," explains Hull. As well as sharing a love of pastries and baked sweets, Marot and Hull share a history dating back 14 years. The friends travelled through France, then both came home to score jobs at Jocelyn's Provisions. From there, work overseas beckoned, before again returning to Brisbane to set up their own businesses. Find Brass Tacks at Craft'd Grounds, Collingwood Street, Albion, at a yet-to-be-revealed date sometime late in 2021. We'll update you when exact opening details are announced.
Gone are the days when showing your pop culture love meant being glued to a screen. That's still on the cards, of course, but there's an ever-growing list of ways that you can interact with your favourite movies and shows beyond simply watching them. Disney does cruises, balls inspired by Bridgerton have been popping up around the country, The Simpsons got the adults-only burlesque and drag treatment, and Shrek raves involve copious amounts of dancing and the colour green — to name just a few examples. So of course an interactive IRL game based on Beauty and the Beast that has fans running around the streets was going to materialise at some point. It's a tale as old as time, again, but in an escape room-meets-scavenger hunt way. This new game hails from CluedUpp, which has already busted out CSI, Jack the Ripper, and witchcraft and wizarding-themed activities around Australia — plus Alice in Wonderland games, too, with another based on The Smurfs also still to come. In a year that's set to deliver the Beauty and the Beast musical Down Under as well — in Sydney from June — CluedUpp wants you to be its guest to get sleuthing. Also arriving from the first month of winter onwards, its Beauty and the Beast game involves roaming around outdoors on an adventure that takes its cues from the classic 18th-century fairy tale that's earned such a folllowing, as combined with a whodunnit-style mystery. Beloved story? Tick. Inserting fans into said narrative? Tick again. Working in the ever-popular genre that is the whodunnit? Tick once more. Throw in the whole escape room and scavenger hunt elements, and it does sound like something that an algorithm would come up with — and a lot of fun. Hitting Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide on various dates, this spin on Beauty and the Beast starts with the latter getting cursed again. Forget love — this time, there's challenges to complete, clues to crack and fairy tale characters for you and your mates to interrogate. Participants get involved in teams of up to six, roaming around outdoors with their phones to help. And yes, if you want to dress up to fit the theme, you can. "We're committed to creating unique, outdoor experiences that bring people together and encourage them to have fun with family and friends," said Tref Griffiths, founder of CluedUpp Games. "With Beauty and the Beast, I'm confident people of all ages will love this magical mystery-solving adventure." CluedUpp's game isn't officially connected to Disney's movies, but if you want some costume inspiration, check out the trailer for the Emma Watson-starring version below: CluedUpp's Beauty and the Beast game will start taking over Australia's streets from June 2023 — head to the company's website for further details.
Queenslanders are preparing to say goodbye to plastic bags and hello to a heap of change as the Queensland Government last night passed a bill to clear everyone's cupboards of both single-use plastic carriers and plastic containers — via a ban on the former and a refund-fuelled recycling scheme for the latter. Come July 1, 2018, all stores in Queensland will be ditching lightweight single-use plastic bags, including degradable and biodegradable options. The move brings the state into line with South Australia, the ACT, the Northern Territory and Tasmania, and follows the news that Woolworths and Coles will also be doing the same nationwide. And while it might seem like a long time coming...well, better late than never. Introducing a container refund scheme might also seem as though Queensland is playing catch-up, with SA and the NT already operating similar systems, and New South Wales bringing their own in from December this year. Hobart is aiming to completely ban the things by 2020. Applicable containers — which include cans and bottles of sizes between 150ml and three litres, though not any that hold plain milk, wine and pure juice — will each attract a ten-cent refund. Which can only be good for your overflowing recycling bin and piggy bank. To facilitate the scheme, designated collection points will be set up across the state, with reverse vending machines also likely to be part of the rollout. The receptacles will collect your containers and spit out refunds, (rather than vice versa) and will probably put an end to every conversation you've ever had about filling up your car with cans, driving to SA and filling your wallet. Let's hope Victoria and NSW follow suit.
When it comes to all things gaming, Brisbane has been levelling up over the past few months. First came Netherworld, the city's first arcade game bar. Then Super Combo arrived with its Street Fighter-themed burgers. Now, add 1UP Arcade's retro-style freeplay gaming to the mix. Setting up shop on the basement level of 230 Lytton Road, Morningside, 1UP opens its doors at 2pm on May 13, operating from 2pm to 10pm Wednesday to Sunday from then on. Once patrons step inside to mash buttons on usual suspects such as NBA Jam, multiple versions of Street Fighter and rarer finds like Garou: Mark of the Wolves, however, it has more than just pumping coins into machines in mind. In fact, the 80-machine joint wants you to play all of the above, plus the likes of Tekken, Cyber Sled, Puzzle Bobble, Bad Dudes Vs DragonNinja, and Aliens, The Simpsons and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles tie-ins too, without needing to continually reach for your wallet. Patrons will pay a flat $15 daily entry fee, or opt for a weekly ($29), monthly ($79) or quarterly ($129) membership, and then play to their heart's content. If you've been having Timezone lock-in withdrawals, you'd best start stretching your fingers now because you'll be in your element. We want to attract players of all ages and skill levels, and that means removing all roadblocks to enjoyment," says owner and founder Stephen Holmes. "Usually you have to feed a machine dollar after dollar to get enough playtime to improve — but not at 1UP." Yes, gaming is firmly in the spotlight — and, in a departure from the current trend, drinking and eating at the same venue isn't. While a selection of suitably retro snacks is on offer, including drinks such as TAB, Minute Maid and Cherry Coke, 1UP proudly stands alone as dedicated arcade, rather than falling within a bar or cafe. Staying true to old-school parts is also on the agenda, with Holmes focusing on authenticity, both among the machines he has in place, and in his forthcoming additions. Prepare to stare at arcade-standard CRT monitors in original cabinets for hours on end, with anything needing a bit of love being rebuilt from original bits and pieces. Game on. Find 1UP Arcade at 230 Lytton Road, Morningside from 2pm on May 13. For more information, head to their website.
Summer in Brisbane is hot. There's no denying that. Other than taking a dip, what better way to take the heat off than with a (free) ice-cold beverage? Luckily, these bars and pubs around Brisbane are offering a complimentary Chandon Garden Spritz on arrival on Friday, February 28. Make a beeline to these beach clubs and inner city rooftops to enjoy a Chandon Spritz on the house to end your summer with a pick-me-up. Chandon's Garden Spritz is a natural, ready-to-serve blend of sparkling wine handcrafted with navel and blood oranges, dried orange peel and natural herbs and spices. All the way from the Yarra Valley, it's not too bitter, but not too sweet and has half the sugar of most spritzes thanks to its natural ingredients. For the perfect serve, just add ice and an orange slice, and top with a sprig of rosemary if you're feeling fancy. Juju Nobby Beach This Mermaid Beach hotspot is one of the best on Nobby's strip. A combination of fine dining and Gold Coast party vibes, Juju has space for 400, so it's always pumping, making it the perfect spot to cheers to the end of summer with a free Chandon Spritz. Little Miss Sunshine Nestled in the heart of Brisbane's CBD, Little Miss Sunshine is an ode to the sunny state. The bistro and brewery is one of a kind, with a huge space set across two levels (which sprawls out into the laneway), serving up brews and an Aussie-Mediterranean-style menu. And what better way to balance out all the beer-drinking than with a blood-orange-infused spritz? Isles Lane This inner-city dining haunt is an ideal spot to end your summer. The airy eatery is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and is known for its delicious cocktails and refined take on classic pub food. The only thing that could make a long lunch (or early morning brekky) better is a complimentary spritz. Cali Beach Club We can't think of a more suitable place to indulge in a Chandon Spritz than Australia's largest rooftop beach club. With epic views, live music and the perfect dose of luxury, Cali Beach Club is the place to be on the last day of summer. Tetto Rooftop For the ultimate rooftop vibes, head to Tetto Rooftop in Everton Park. The coastal Italian-inspired hub hosts DJ's every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The venue is also infamous for its bottomless weekends, which are always a good idea. If sipping an ice-cold Chandon Spritz on a rooftop bar with share plates and panoramic views is your idea of heaven, then you know what to do. The Beach Hotel Broadbeach This laid-back Gold Coast pub is a favourite among locals. The menu focuses on fresh seafood and elevated pub classics, with a fun cocktail menu, perfect for when you've finished your spritz and are looking to keep the party going. Head into these venues around Australia on the last day of summer to receive a complimentary Chandon Spritz on arrival. First in best dressed and T&C's apply. Enjoy Chandon Responsibly. Images: Supplied.
When Dirty John and The Case Against Adnan Syed leapt from audio to television, it was a floodgates moment. The true-crime genre definitely isn't new, but more shows based on grim real-life stories — and inspired by the podcasts that cover them, to be specific — were always going to follow. Dr Death is the latest, sporting a moniker that speaks volumes from the outset. Even if you know nothing about Christopher Duntsch going in, and you've also never heard the Wondery podcast that shares the series' name, that title really doesn't bode well for the surgeon's patients. Working in Dallas during the past decade, Duntsch was originally a rising neurosurgery star. Then, as the series charts, his patients started leaving the operating theatre either permanently maimed or dead. If you've ever faced going under the knife, this is pure, unfettered and deeply disturbing nightmare fuel — and it all really happened. Joshua Jackson plays Duntsch, and is bound to shed any lingering Dawson's Creek-era affection audiences might have for him in the process (and fondness from The Mighty Ducks and Fringe, too). He's joined by Alec Baldwin (Pixie) and Christian Slater (Dirty John) as fellow surgeons who raise the alarm, and also by AnnaSophia Robb (Words on Bathroom Walls) as the Dallas prosecutor who takes the case. As the just-dropped first trailer for the series show, this is quite the bleak story. Whether you already know how it all turns out or you'll be discovering the details fresh, you'll be able to watch Dr Death on Stan sometime this year — although exactly when it'll start streaming hasn't yet been announced. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYWEAWFONSw Dr Death will be available to stream via Stan sometime in 2021 — we'll update you with a release date when further details are announced.
No one loves choosing between two of their favourite foods. Also, everyone likes pies. They're two of the truths behind Banjo's Bakery Cafe's range of culinary hybrids, and it has just come up with another: the spaghetti bolognese pie. After introducing Australian tastebuds to the lasagne pie and the double cheeseburger pie — plus Tasmanian scallop pies, bangers and mash pies, and chicken parmigiana pies, too — the Banjo's team has launched another Frankenstein's monster of a snack. Pastry is a feature, as usual. This time, though, it encases angel hair spaghetti and meaty bolognese sauce, and is then topped with melted cheese and parsley. Yes, they're exactly what they sound like. Yes, your tastebuds now want to devour them ASAP. Yes, being unable to think of anything else until you eat one of these creations is completely understandable. The aim: to satisfy your cravings when you just can't bring yourself to pick between a pie and some spag bog, obviously. If you're a little indecisive when it comes to choosing what to eat in general, you're probably already a big fan of food mashups that find ways to combine two popular dishes — so this is an easy must-try. The spaghetti bolognese pies have joined Banjo's signature range, alongside the aforementioned other creative varieties — but only for a limited time. They'll be available from the company's stores from today, Wednesday, June 8, as well as via online click-and-collect orders and delivery services. In NSW, you'll need to head north to Glendale to get your fix. In Victoria, stores are located in Mornington, Traralgon and Mildura. Queenslanders can pick from ten spots, including Darra, Cleveland, Park Ridge and Redcliffe, while pie-loving SA residents can hit up Glenelg — and there's 27 stores in Tasmania. Banjo's Bakery Cafe's spaghetti bolognese pie is on the menu at the chain's stores nationally from Wednesday, June 8. To find your nearest location, visit the company's website.
First announced in 2015, Brisbane's second Art Series Hotel is getting closer to opening its doors — and when it launches in March 2019, it'll pay tribute to world-renowned Australian painter and photographer Vincent Fantauzzo. Each of the brand's hotels takes inspiration from a different artistic great, and Fantauzzo is in the spotlight at the new Howard Smith Wharves hotel, which will be known as The Fantauzzo. A winner of plenty of weighty prizes — the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, the Archibald Packing Room Prize, and the Archibald People's Choice Award a whopping four times — Fantauzzo has committed everyone from Heath Ledger and Matt Moran to Brandon Walters and Julia Gillard to his canvas. Prepare to feast your eyes on 500 of his most recognised pieces, with reproductions set to grace The Fantauzzo's walls — but that's not the hotel's only stunning sight. Built into the cliff underneath the Story Bridge, the $100 million site will boast one mighty fine view of the city and the Brisbane river, plus custom furniture and original artworks. Across six levels, it'll also include 166 guest rooms, four spots to eat and drink, a hotel bar, a gym and three conference rooms. Like Brisbane's only other Art Series Hotel, The Johnson in Spring Hill, its pool will be a highlight. Here, guests will be able to splash around on the rooftop while gazing out over the CBD. The Fantauzzo marks the eighth Art Series Hotel across the country, with five in Melbourne and one in South Australia. If you're keen to make a staycation date with the brand's newbie, it'll start taking reservations from Friday, November 30 for stays from March 2019 onwards. And, of course, given the Howard Smith Wharves location, you'll be right on the doorstep of Brisbane's newest precinct. It already has its own riverside brewery, will welcome an overwater bar this week, and will later include a Greek taverna, a two-level Asian fusion joint, Brisbane's first Toko restaurant, indoor entertainment spaces, outdoor multi-use areas and entertainment stages, and a whole heap more. Find The Fantauzzo at Howard Smith Wharves, 5 Boundary Street, Brisbane from March 2019. Visit the hotel website for further details and to make a booking.
Everyone's favourite 'candy man' made his way to Aussie shores back in 2019, which is when the smash-hit musical production of Charlie And the Chocolate Factory premiered in Sydney. After also travelling to Melbourne the same year, it was meant to make the trip Brisbane in 2020; however, the pandemic had other plans. Thankfully, Brisbanites won't miss out on the popular musical. Instead, it'll now bring its song-filled stage show to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre's Lyric Theatre in September. Flowers won't be the only thing blooming around the city between Thursday, September 2–Sunday, September 19 — because a hankering for more than a few sweet treats will be, too. In the popular musical, Roald Dahl's classic sugar-dusted tale is brought to life by a collaboration between theatre producers John Frost, Craig Donnell, Langley Park Productions, Neal Street Productions and Warner Bros Theatre Ventures. Following the worldwide popularity of both the original book and the 1971 Gene Wilder film, the musical has been confirmed a sweet success internationally, scoring rave reviews during its stint on Broadway and selling out a heap of shows in Sydney. With original songs like 'The Candy Man' and 'I've Got a Golden Ticket' featured alongside new tunes from the songwriters of Hairspray, this confection of a show promises to lure audiences of all ages into, shall we say, a land of pure imagination. It's directed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O'Brien, with music by Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner Marc Shaiman, lyrics courtesy of Grammy and Tony Award winners Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, and choreography by Tony Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Joshua Bergasse. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory's Brisbane season will run from Thursday, September 2–Sunday, September 19, with tickets on sale from 9am on Friday, May 21. Images: Brian Geach.
The first WorldPride to ever be held in the southern hemisphere is upon us, boasting more than 300 shows, gigs, exhibitions and parties, and taking over Sydney across 17 days from Friday, February 17–Sunday, March 5. On the program: everything from art exhibitions and film festivals to dance parties and big-name international headliners, in one helluva jam-packed festival. We've pulled together a list of ten events popping up throughout the festival that feature once-in-a-lifetime lineups or celebrate LGBTQIA+ pride in their own unique way. From the long-awaited return of the annual Mardi Gras parade to its spiritual home through to multi-day party programs, these are the cream of the crop that will have you considering last-minute flights to Sydney. Explore our picks for the best WorldPride events this massive program has to offer. LIVE AND PROUD: SYDNEY WORLDPRIDE OPENING CONCERT Who else to open the Southern Hemisphere's first WorldPride than Australia's pop princess Kylie Minogue? Sydney shall be so lucky, with the iconic hitmaker taking to The Domain for a blockbuster concert kicking off the festivities on Friday, February 24. But, it doesn't end with Kylie. Live and Proud will also feature appearances from Charli XCX and Jessica Mauboy, with local legends Casey Donovan and Courtney Act on hosting duties. If you can't be there in person, the performance will be broadcast live nationwide on the ABC as well. [caption id="attachment_749877" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jeffrey Feng[/caption] MARDI GRAS PARADE One of Sydney's biggest nights of the year is returning in a massive way in 2023. Not only is this Mardi Gras parade the event's 45th anniversary, as well as its return to Oxford Street, but it's also part of WorldPride. It's all happening on the streets of Darlinghurst on Saturday, February 25. The theme: gather, dream, amplify. All of the colourful floats and community groups the parade is known for will begin to march from 6pm, with the parade continuing until 11pm. Expect more than 12,500 marchers and 200 floats throughout the five-hour celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community. DOMAIN DANCE PARTY Two days after Kylie takes to The Domain, another megastar will arrive, with Kelly Rowland headlining DJ Dan Slater's Domain Dance Party. DJ Suri and DJ Isis Muretech will also be on the decks, but the big star is clearly the former Destiny's Child member, who'll work through tracks from across her career. Fancy getting sweaty on the dance floor with 10,000 people? That's what's on offer on Sunday, February 26, with Rowland, the DJ lineup, onstage dancers and surprise acts all providing good times. MARDI GRAS FAIR DAY Fair Day is traditionally one of the first events of Mardi Gras each year, but in 2023 it's going one better: happening on Sunday, February 19, it's also the first major event of WorldPride. Get ready for a family-friendly, pup-friendly, eco-glitter-friendly day in Camperdown's Victoria Park that's inclusive, relaxed and free. This year's Fair Day will feature a fancy dress competition for dogs, over 300 market stalls, pop-up bars, a main stage with leading queer performers in Australian music, plus the chance to shine brightly with your nearest and dearest chosen family. Highlights from the performance lineup include Eurovision champion Conchita Wurst, a Sissy Ball vogue showcase, The Buoys, Nana Miss Koori, Carla Wehbe, Jamaica Moana and Latifa Tee — plus pop-up bars from the likes of Archie Rose and Squealing Pig. RAINBOW REPUBLIC: SYDNEY WORLDPRIDE CLOSING CONCERT While we'd love the celebrations to continue year-round, nothing lasts forever, and WorldPride will be coming to an end on Sunday, March 5 — but not before one last pop-filled party. Wrapping things up will be Rainbow Republic, another hit parade in The Domain featuring German pop star Kim Petras. Joining the 'Unholy' and 'Coconuts' hitmaker is MUNA, G Flip, Peach PRC, Alter Boy, BVT and Vetta Borne. Keiynan Lonsdale (Love, Simon, The Flash, Eden) will also be performing and taking to the stage between acts on hosting duties. MARDI GRAS FILM FESTIVAL The annual Mardi Gras Film Festival returns with a bumper edition celebrating both WorldPride and its own 30th anniversary. Fans of queer cinema, rejoice: this annual Sydney film fest is screening 166 films at eight venues around the city, running from Wednesday, February 15–Thursday, March 2. MGFF highlights include All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, 2022's Venice Film Festival Golden Lion-winning documentary about queer artist Nan Goldin, her life and career, and her battle against the billionaire Sackler family — plus closing night's The Venus Effect, with the Danish movie about two young women in love enjoying its Aussie premiere. The full fest program includes 100-plus sessions in cinema, outdoors and on-demand, alongside panel discussions, workshops, networking events and parties. Plus, there's an online component showing 21 movies nationwide. [caption id="attachment_887917" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alex Davies[/caption] DAY FOR NIGHT: THE PLEASURE ARC Festivalgoers should prepare their endurance for The Pleasure Arc, a 24-hour party packed with incredible talent set to immerse attendees in an extravagant queer utopia. Enjoy some of Australasia's best queer artists including House of Sle, House of Silky, Marcus Whale, Basjia Almaan and imbi during the opening weekend of the festival across Saturday, February 18–Sunday, February 19 at Carriageworks. In charge of keeping the tunes rolling during the overnight extravaganza will also be the Your Pleasure DJs, meaning there won't be a dull moment across the non-stop party. [caption id="attachment_887907" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Boud[/caption] MARRI MADUNG BUTBUT Also at Carriageworks is Marri Madung Butbut (Many Brave Hearts): Sydney WorldPride First Nations Gathering Space. This six-day program from Thursday, February 23–Tuesday, February 28 celebrates Indigenous LGBTQIA+ artists and communities. Kicking off the festivities is a free-to-attend opening night party, the Djarraba Disco, featuring some of Eora and Naarm's best performance artists lighting up the dance floor. From there, you can head along to 11 different free events and several ticketed pop-ups ranging from variety shows to heartfelt plays. "Marri Madung Butbut is a place where everyone is welcome to experience the rainbow heart of the oldest surviving culture on the planet," explains Festival Creative Director Ben Graetz. ALL THE SEX I'VE EVER HAD We've all heard of the saying "the older you are, the wiser you are" — and in this case it stands true. It is common knowledge that we can glean so much from our elders with their breadth of experience. So when it comes time to learn about experiences pertaining to love, romance and sex, who better to ask than the ones with the most expertise? Strap in — or on — for a wild ride, as All The Sex I've Ever Had returns to Sydney completely revamped for WorldPride. The Darlinghurst Production Company has teamed up with Canada's Mammalian Diving to bring an LGBTQIA+ edition of the hugely successful, 90-minute tell-all production back to Sydney. From Tuesday, February 21–Friday, February 24, plus a 5pm show on Sunday, February 26, you can draw upon the wisdom of queer local senior citizens at the Eternity Playhouse Theatre. You'll also experience the climaxes of truly raw storytelling as these generous elders recount some of the highest highs and lowest lows when it comes to dating, relationships and sexuality. THE ABERCROMBIE WORLDPRIDE PROGRAM Following years of lockouts and lockdowns, the dance floor has finally made an emphatic comeback in Sydney. Part of this return is the reopening of storied nightclub The Abercrombie, which is making full use of its 24-hour license and multiple dance floors for WorldPride by rolling out a stacked program of parties. Curated by DJ Kate Monroe and party-starter Xander Khoury, the program runs from Friday, February 17–Sunday, March 5, and enlists the help of party crews like Heaps Gay, Kerfew, Fur Ball and the Queer House Collective to bring together three weeks of packed dance floors, thumping bass and joyous energy. From full-venue takeovers and post-parade kick-ons raging until 8am to rooftop recovery brunches, this lineup has packed in as much dance music and good times to WorldPride as possible. The entire program features plenty of free events as well as a few ticketed nights — and all events are free for drag performers and First Nations attendees. Sydney WorldPride runs from Friday, February 17–Sunday, March 5 — for information, or for tickets, head to the event's website.
So you think your Prius is green? How about a car made from bamboo and rattan for a set of sustainable wheels? The Phoenix, unveiled at the "Imagination and Innovation" exhibition in Milan is an experimental vehicle from furniture designer Kenneth Cabonpue. The car borrows heavily from his furniture designs, which highlight natural materials, flowing lines and quality craftsmanship. The end product is a thing of bird-like beauty, with little resemblance to a vehicle churned out of a factory. An experimental design, the Phoenix is unlikely to make it on to the streets. Although it does use steel and carbon fibre in the frame, the display model has no engine although there is space for one. Perhaps putting a combustion engine in a largely wooden vehicle could end up with the Phoenix living up to its name. [via habitusliving]
Last week, Australia had its first ever drive-in concert. It took place in Sydney's Robyn Webster Sports Centre in Tempe on Thursday, May 21, with Australian Idol winner Casey Donovan as the headline act. It was free and — despite the midday time slot and the slightly off-kilter artist choice — it garnered a crowd. Drive-In Entertainment Australia's first concert was an example of how it plans to run its (many) future events. From July, the company hopes to host live music concerts for up to 600 people, in 300 cars, with plans to launch eight drive-in venues across NSW and Victoria. Depending on how successful the events are, more states may follow. So, how does it work? Much like a scene out of hit 70s film Grease — or any drive-in cinema, really — you drive in, park up and watch from your car. The sound will be broadcast by an FM radio to your car, with the option for the spectacle to be live streamed via Zoom, too. You won't be able to get out of your vehicle though, unless going to the bathroom. All ticketing will be contactless, as will any snack purchases, which will be delivered to your car from onsite food trucks. It's no secret Australia's music industry has been hit hard during the pandemic, with website I Lost My Gig reporting about $340 million in lost income since COVID-19 saw the cancellation and postponement of festivals and gigs nationwide. With Australia's proposed roadmap out of COVID-19 lockdown, mass gatherings of up to 100 will be permissible from July, which isn't a sustainable outlook for all facets of the industry. Despite Falls Festival 2020 announcing its plans to go ahead, a public health expert predicts music festivals may not be able to restart until September 2021. At least with drive-in concerts, larger live music events will be able to have a small revival — even if it means you must cut shapes in your car. Australia is not the first country to trial drive-in gigs, with one of the first happening in an LA carpark back in March and another in Aarhus, Denmark last month, which sold out in minutes according to Forbes. Drive-In Entertainment Australia plans to launch eight venues across NSW and Victoria, with other states to potentially follow. Entertainers, producers, agents and managers can register for a gig from Saturday, July 18 onwards. More information and contact details can be found on the website.
For those of you who want to transform your morning walk into a catwalk, the lovechild of activewear brand Jaggad and high fashion mogul J'Aton Couture has just the outfit for you with their new collaboration. Launching November 10, the team-up's new activewear line is touted as 'haute couture meets high-performance wearability', and features an undeniably striking line of leggings, crop tops and muscle tanks. Described as a "capsule collection of activewear for the everyday consumer", with prices ranging from $79.95 for rose gold running shorts to $159.95 for the Baroque Contour 7/8 leggings, the line certainly isn't for the shallow-pocketed. For the Melbourne couture house with only 100–150 dresses being produced each year for high profile women around the world including Nicole Kidman, Poppy Delevingne, Ellie Goulding and Margot Robbie, J'Aton claims the collaboration is an opportunity to reach a wider audience. Whether or not this audience will necessarily be able to splurge for a $160 'panelled–bodice' running jacket is another question, but there would certainly be few who would turn down the opportunity to look this flashy in the weights section. J'Aton have also been the recipients of many prestigious awards, including the 2009 Prix de Marie Claire Awards for Best Eveningwear Designers. It remains to be seen if this line could score the 2016 'Best Leggings to Squat In' Award. The capsule collection is available online and in-store at Jaggad stores and extended local retailer boutiques from November 10, 2016.
Having recently spent a crazy couple of months living in Berlin, the news of East Berlin club Salon Zur Wilden Renate installing a real life maze in the two-storey abandoned building comes as no surprise. With the intention of creating an other-worldly, ethereal experience, the Peristal Singum labyrinth uses confined spaces to confuse your sensory perceptions, where one visitor at a time is forced to crawl, duck, and slide to their salvation. Prepare for a lucid mind where your whole metaphysical being is questioned while disproportionately-sized objects create the illusion of fantasy characters that roam rooms that seem smaller than they actually are. There is no marked pathway, so drinking too much prior to entering may not be the wisest of ideas. Peristal Singum
UPDATE, October 19, 2022: The Stranger released in Australian cinemas on October 6, then streams via Netflix from October 19. No emotion or sensation ripples through two or more people in the exact same way, and never will. The Stranger has much to convey, but it expresses that truth with piercing precision. The crime-thriller is the sophomore feature from actor-turned-filmmaker Thomas M Wright — following 2018's stunning Adam Cullen biopic Acute Misfortune, another movie that shook everyone who watched it and proved hard to shake — and it's as deep, disquieting and resonant a dance with intensity as its genre can deliver. To look into Joel Edgerton's (Thirteen Lives) eyes as Mark, an undercover cop with a traumatic but pivotal assignment, is to spy torment and duty colliding. To peer at Sean Harris (Spencer) as the slippery Henry Teague is to see a cold, chilling and complex brand of shiftiness. Sitting behind these two performances in screentime but not impact is Jada Alberts' (Mystery Road) efforts as dedicated, determined and drained detective Kate Rylett — and it may be the portrayal that sums up The Stranger best. Writing as well as directing, Wright has made a film that is indeed dedicated, determined and draining. At every moment, including in sweeping yet shadowy imagery and an on-edge score, those feelings radiate from the screen as they do from Alberts. Sharing the latter's emotional exhaustion comes with the territory; sharing their sense of purpose does as well. In the quest to capture a man who abducted and murdered a child, Rylett can't escape the case's horrors — and, although the specific details aren't used, there's been no evading the reality driving this feature. The Stranger doesn't depict the crime that sparked Kate Kyriacou's non-fiction book The Sting: The Undercover Operation That Caught Daniel Morcombe's Killer, or any violence. It doesn't use the Queensland schoolboy's name, or have actors portray him or his family. This was always going to be an inherently discomforting and distressing movie, though, but it's also an unwaveringly intelligent and impressive examination of trauma. There's no other word to describe what Mark and Rylett experience — and, especially as it delves into Mark's psychological state as he juggles his job with being a single father, The Stranger is a film about tolls. What echoes do investigating and seeking justice for an atrocious act leave? Here, the portrait is understandably bleak and anguished. What imprint do such incidences have upon society more broadly? That also falls into the movie's examination. Mark, along with a sizeable group of fellow officers, is trying to get a confession and make an arrest. Back east, Rylett is one of the police who won't and can't let the situation go. Doling out its narrative in a structurally ambitious way, The Stranger doesn't directly address the human need for resolution, or to restore a semblance of order and security after something so heinously shocking, but that's always baked into its frames anyway. Travelling across the country, Henry first meets a stranger on a bus, getting chatting to Paul (Steve Mouzakis, Clickbait) en route. It's the possibility of work that hooks the ex-con and drifter — perhaps more so knowing that his potential new gig will be highly illicit, and that evading the authorities is implicit. Soon he meets Mark, then seizes the opportunity to reinvent himself in a criminal organisation, not knowing that he's actually palling around with the cops. It's an immense sting, fictionalised but drawn from actuality, with The Stranger also playing as a procedural. The connecting the dots-style moves remain with Rylett, but Wright's decision to hone in on the police operation still means detailing how to catch a killer, astutely laying out the minutiae via action rather than chatting through the bulk of the ins and outs. When Wright made his initial leap behind the camera after almost two decades on-screen — an acting resume that spans a range of weighty fare, such as Van Diemen's Land, Balibo, Top of the Lake, The Bridge and Sweet Country — he spun a tale of two men connecting, entangling and grappling with hard truths. Acute Misfortune and The Stranger are immensely different movies in a plethora of ways, even if both do find their basis in IRL situations, but there's no missing their common central dynamic. While The Stranger wouldn't be the film it is without its time with Rylett, and with the phenomenal Alberts in that key role, the interplay between Mark and Henry retains its core focus. To be accurate, Mark sits squarest in its spotlight — including surveying the anxiety he feels as a single father tasked with such a case, which plays out in striking domestic and dream sequences — but it isn't a coincidence that Edgerton and Harris are styled to visibly resemble each other. Also never an accident: that The Stranger's male leads turn in transfixing performances, whether guiding the film's viewers through Mark's waking ordeal and literal nightmares, or showing their cause. This is Edgerton and Harris' third project together in mere years, after The King and The Green Knight — but if it wasn't, it'd be clear why both Wright and Edgerton (who produces and optioned the rights to The Sting to begin with) opted for the pairing. The Stranger sears not just with intensity but tension, so much of which jitters whenever the two men share the frame. A blazing car fire aside, the largely muted colours lensed by cinematographer Sam Chiplin (Penguin Bloom) add to the brooding, primal, dread-filled mood. The nervy soundscape by composer and cellist Oliver Coates (Aftersun, and also a Radiohead collaborator) does the same. But The Stranger's faces and bodies, as haunted and unbalanced as they always are, say — and silently scream — everything. Wright wants his audience to observe carefully, and to listen. The feature's sound design toys with this very idea; when a drive with Mark and Henry switches its dialogue to surveillance audio, it's such a straightforward choice, and yet its execution is layered, smart and immensely powerful. There's no such thing as passively and easily viewing The Stranger, it tells us, as does describing calming breathing techniques in its opening moments. Engaging with this movie has to be an active and complicated feat because engaging with the darkness it explores always is. Who retells grim chapters of history, and why and how, aren't questions isolated to Australian cinema, especially with true crime a perennially popular genre on screens large and small — and pages and podcasts, and wherever and however else such tales are told — and with The Stranger, they've surfaced again just a year after bubbling up around Justin Kurzel's Nitram. Like that, this equally exceptional and unsettling film makes plain that interrogating events like these is crucial. Here, it's also transformative for those doing the probing, the world they inhabit and those watching.
Trekking across a continent is the type of bucket-list activity plenty of people think about, but few ever manage. If you're in Canada, however, walking across the country just got a whole lot easier. Spanning 24,000 kilometres across 13 provinces and territories, the world's longest hiking track has just been completed. It has taken 25 years to come to fruition, so it's no wonder that they're calling it The Great Trail. Opening in its 100% connected form at the end of August, the path connects Canada's east and west coasts via an outdoor journey through all of the terrain the nation has to offer. Urban, rural and wilderness landscape is featured, plus greenways, waterways and roadways, with track perfect for not only hikers, cyclists and horse riders, but anyone keen for a paddle, cross-country ski or snowmobile trip as well. The trail was first conceived as part of Canada's 125th anniversary celebrations in 1992, with Pierre Camu, Bill Pratt, and Paul LaBarge coming up with the idea to connect all of the country's various tracks. As well as the types of treks you'd expect — over rocky ground and through leafy forests, for example — highlights include wanders through major cities such as Toronto and Ottawa, a sea-to-sky marine trail around islands and waterfalls, and dog-sledding during snow season. Via Travel + Leisure / Image: The Great Trail.
Many discovered it through its gigs. A few by suggestion, and some out of sheer chance, a drunken stumble and good luck. The reality is, most of us were lured there after a tireless, soul-crushing wait in a Rics line, where only 10 meters away, faint dance beats drifted down a Lodge stairwell, beckoning us into a pair or warm, fuzzy Black Bear arms. In two year’s, Black Bear Lodge has added more than a bit of spice to the Brunswick Street ‘party scene’. They’ve hand picked and hosted bands dreams are made of, set up a dance floor that would have Kevin Bacon weeping, and drowned lodge-goers in the finest of drinks – and for that they're celebrating with Black Bear Radio. Leading the night will be garage-psych heroes The Frowning Clouds, with all girl super-group The Madisons, and homegrown, under-aged rock geniuses The Kramers working stage. It wouldn’t be a Black Bear bash without some of our best local DJs in the mix - Black Amex, Soul Train and Bris Springsteen, as well as London’s DJ Philistine giving a hearty hip-hip-hooray on the turntable. Admit it – in the two years of Black Bear Lodge we’ve all been just that little bit more cultured and educated at their hands. Now it’s your turn to say thanks, cheers and happy birthday in one huge night of jamboree.
UPDATE, May 5, 2021: Willy's Wonderland is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. If you've ever wondered how Nicolas Cage might've fared during cinema's silent era, Willy's Wonderland has the answer. A horror film about killer animatronic restaurant mascots, it's firmly a 2021 feature. It wasn't made a century ago, before synchronised sound forever changed the movie business, so it's definitely a talkie as well. Cage doesn't do any chattering, however. He groans and growls, and often, but doesn't utter a single word. The actor's many devotees already know that he's a talent with presence; whether he's cavorting in the streets under the delusion that he's a bloodsucker in Vampire's Kiss, grinning with his locks flowing in the wind in Con Air, dousing himself with vodka and grunting in Mandy or staring at a vibrant light in Color Out of Space, he repeatedly makes an imprint without dialogue. So, the inimitable star needn't speak to command attention — which is exactly the notion that Willy's Wonderland filmmaker Kevin Lewis (The Third Nail) put to the test. First, the great and obvious news: Cage doesn't seem to put in much effort, but he's a joy to watch. Playing a man simply known as The Janitor, he glowers like he couldn't care less that furry robots are trying to kill him. He swaggers around while cleaning the titular long-abandoned Chuck E Cheese-esque establishment, dances while hitting the pinball machine on his breaks, swigs soft drink as if it's the only beverage in the world and proves mighty handy with a mop handle when it comes to dispensing with his supernaturally demonic foes. Somehow, though, he's never as OTT as he could be. Cage plays a character who doesn't deem it necessary to convey his emotions, and that results in more restraint on his part than the film demonstrates with its undeniably silly premise. Accordingly, cue the bad news: as entertaining as Cage's wordless performance is — even without completely going for broke as only he can — Willy's Wonderland is often a ridiculous yet routine slog. The Janitor finds himself locked in Willy's Wonderland in the sleepy Nevada town of Hayesville courtesy of an inconveniently placed spike strip. Driving over the device trashes his tyres, which local mechanic Jed Love (Chris Warner, Machete) can replace, but The Janitor doesn't have cash, credit isn't accepted and there's no working ATM within a handy distance. So, he's offered a deal. If he spends the night cleaning the shuttered children's eatery for owner Tex Macadoo (Ric Reitz, Finding Steve McQueen), Jed will fix his car. The Janitor agrees and gets a-scrubbing, but animatronics Willy Weasel, Arty Alligator, Cammy Chameleon, Tito Turtle, Knighty Knight, Gus Gorilla, Siren Sara and Ozzie Ostrich (no, not Ossie Ostrich from Hey Hey It's Saturday) have him in their sights. Willy's Wonderland could've opted for a stripped-back, action-heavy approach, solely focusing on Cage's clash with the critters after the movie's obligatory setup scenes. The film clearly only exists because he's in it, after all. And, the idea of seeing Cage in a John Wick-style flick that's built upon relentless fights for survival is a concept made in cinematic heaven — if Charlize Theron (in Atomic Blonde) and Bob Odenkirk (in Nobody) can do it, he can as well. But first-time screenwriter GO Parsons opts for a different template. The horror genre's fondness for offing meddling teens comes into play, and Willy's Wonderland is a worse movie for it. Hayesville high schoolers Liv (Emily Tosta, Party of Five), Chris (Kai Kadlec, Dropouts), Kathy (Caylee Cowan, Incision), Aaron (Christian Delgrosso, School Spirits), Bob (Terayle Hill, Judas and the Black Messiah) and Dan (Jonathan Mercedes, Cobra Kai) know that something isn't right at Willy's. They're aware that folks have gone missing there before, too. And, after the rest of the group helps Liv escape the handcuffs her guardian and local sheriff Eloise Lund (Beth Grant, Words on Bathroom Walls) uses to try to keep her safe, they all head to the condemned building to stop The Janitor from becoming its next victim. When it wallows in by-the-numbers slasher territory, just with homicidal puppets and not maniacal humans picking off pesky teens, Willy's Wonderland delivers the least-engaging version of its premise. That's when it resembles the video game Five Nights at Freddy's mixed with terrible sequels to 80s fare like Friday the 13th, and blandly so. Lewis and Parsons might intend to wink and nod at the decades-old pictures that started their chosen subgenre, rather than lazily ape them — as the retro animatronic designs appear to indicate — but when their film happily embraces every cliche it can, it's neither fun or funny. The flick's disposable adolescents make the usual range of stupid choices, including having sex in the doomed space, and whenever they open their mouths, they rarely do the movie any favours. Indeed, the dialogue is so thin, clunky and unconvincing that you can be forgiven for desperately wishing that, like Cage's unnamed drifter, no one in the feature spoke. It isn't hard to squander Cage's talents in a lacklustre-at-best movie, though. Lewis can take solace in the fact that plenty of directors have, and their star has let them. Of late, the actor's resume overflows with films that've only garnered attention because he's in them — see also: the tedious Jiu Jitsu and Primal in just the past two years — and Willy's Wonderland easily joins them. He's nowhere near his best here, but he's still the best thing about the picture. Jittery editing, oversaturated visuals and oh-so-much formula can't dampen his noiseless performance, although, conversely, he can't help Willy's Wonderland overcome its many struggles. 2021 has already let Cage completists see him drip profanity and wax lyrical about the origins of curse words in History of Swear Words, so perhaps this dialogue-free affair is just his way of retaining a sense of cosmic Cage balance. It's never anywhere near as goofy, wacky or out-there as it seems to think, however, and it's positively dull whenever its leading man is out of sight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE5-hkHIZF4
Now in their fourth decade, Novocastrian stalwarts The Screaming Jets, also widely-known as 'the last great Aussie Pub Rock band', is bringing their much-loved brand of hard rock back to the masses. Led, as they have been since the band's formation in 1989, by frontman Dave 'Gleeso' Gleeson, the group spent their time in lockdown reworking and rerecording five of their most iconic tracks, including 'Shivers' and 'Helping Hand', and releasing the new versions as a new EP entitled Bitter Pill. You can head to either a homecoming show at The Camberidge Hotel, lovingly known as The Cambo, on Friday, November 27, or a beachside performance in Towradgi on Saturday, November 28. Or, if you're a real Jets tragic, why not both? For the latest info on NSW border restrictions, head here. If travelling from Queensland or Victoria, check out Queensland Health and DHHS websites, respectively.
If one person's trash is another man's treasure, then a trunk full of junk may as well be a treasure chest. Suitcase Rummage gets that when it comes to shopping, secondhand reaps the best bang for your buck. For years, it has been hosting regular events around town — and, although the past few years have been a bit chaotic, it's still going strong in 2024. Next unpacking its bags from 12pm on Sunday, September 15 and Sunday, October 6 at Reddacliff Place — and Sunday, October 20, too — Suitcase Rummage features a crowd of open suitcases filled with the type of clothes, knick-knacks and craft you probably don't need but definitely deserve. [caption id="attachment_653944" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yan Chen[/caption] If you can't make it now, try again on the first and third Sundays of each month. And, if you've got a pile of unwanted bits and pieces that someone else could love, you could always take your own suitcase along. Those who wanting to sell their wares must register — and it'll cost $33 for a 'stall'. You can bring up to three suitcases, so you can lug in all those shoes you've been promising to wear but certainly will not. [caption id="attachment_885725" align="alignnone" width="1920"] tcfairyqueen via Flickr[/caption] Top image: Suitcase Rummage.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. YOU WON'T BE ALONE What's more terrifying: knowing that death is inevitable, because our fragile flesh will fail us all eventually and inescapably, or accepting that little we ever sense can truly be trusted given that everything in life changes and evolves? In horror movies, both notions stalk through the genre like whichever slasher/killer/malevolent force any filmmaker feels like conjuring up in any particular flick — and in You Won't Be Alone, the two ideas shudder through one helluva feature debut by Macedonian Australian writer/director Goran Stolevski. An expiration date isn't just a certainty within this film's frames. It's part of a non-stop cycle that sees transformation as just as much of a constant. You Won't Be Alone is a poetically shot, persistently potent picture about witches but, as the best unsettling movies are, it's also about so much that thrums through the existence we all know. Viewers mightn't be living two centuries back and dancing with a sorceress, but they should still feel the film's truths in their bones. First, however, a comparison. Sometimes a resemblance is so obvious that it simply has to be uttered and acknowledged, and that's the case here. Stolevski's film, the first of two by him in 2022 — MIFF's opening-night pick Of an Age is the other — boasts lyrical visuals, especially of nature, that instantly bring the famously rhapsodic aesthetics favoured by Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life, A Hidden Life) to mind. Its musings on the nature of life, and human nature as well, easily do the same. Set long ago, lingering in villages wracked by superstition and exploring a myth about a witch, You Won't Be Alone conjures up thoughts of Robert Eggers' The Witch, too. Indeed, if Malick had directed that recent favourite, the end product might've come close to this entrancing effort. Consider Stolevski's feature the result of dreams conjured up with those two touchstones in his head, though, rather than an imitator. The place: Macedonia. The time: the 19th century. The focus: a baby chosen by the Wolf-Eateress (Anamaria Marinca, The Old Guard) to be her offsider. Actually, that's not the real beginning of anyone's tale here in the broader scheme of things — and this is a movie that understands that all of life feeds into an ongoing bigger picture, as it always has and always will — but the infant's plight is as good an entry point as any. The child's distraught mother Yoana (Kamka Tocinovski, Angels Fallen) pleads for any other result than losing her newborn. You Won't Be Alone's feared figure has the ability to select one protege, then to bestow them with her otherworldly skills, and she's determined to secure her pick. That said, she does agree to a bargain. She'll let the little one reach the age of 16 first, but Old Maid Maria, as the Wolf-Eateress is also known, won't forget to claim her prize when the years pass. Nevena (Sara Klimoska, Black Sun) lives out that formative period in a cave, in her mum's attempt to stave off her fate — and with all that resides beyond her hiding spot's walls glimpsed only through a hole up high. Then the Wolf-Eateress comes calling, as she promised she would. From there, Nevena's initiation into the world — of humans, and of her physically and emotionally scarred mentor — is unsurprisingly jarring. Her transition from the care and protection of her "whisper-mama" to the kill-to-survive ruthlessness of her new "witch-mama" disappoints the latter, soon leaving the girl on her own. Still, the need to hunt, devour and mutate has already taken hold, even if Nevena is left fending for herself as she shapeshifts between animals and other humans. With Noomi Rapace (Lamb), Alice Englert (The Power of the Dog) and Carloto Cotta (The Tsugua Diaries) also among the cast, You Won't Be Alone turns Nevena's curiosity-driven experiences of life, love, loss, identity, desire, pain, envy and power into an unforgettable, mesmerising and thoughtful gothic horror fable — charting switches and the stories that come with them with each metamorphosis. Read our full review. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on June 2, June 9, June 16, June 23 and June 30; and July 7, July 14, July 21 and July 28; August 4, August 11, August 18 and August 25; and September 1, September 8 and September 15. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Mothering Sunday, Jurassic World Dominion, A Hero, Benediction, Lightyear, Men, Elvis, Lost Illusions, Nude Tuesday, Ali & Ava, Thor: Love and Thunder, Compartment No. 6, Sundown, The Gray Man, The Phantom of the Open, The Black Phone, Where the Crawdads Sing, Official Competition, The Forgiven, Full Time, Murder Party, Bullet Train, Nope, The Princess, 6 Festivals, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, Crimes of the Future, Bosch & Rockit, Fire of Love, Beast, Blaze, Hit the Road, Three Thousand Years of Longing, Orphan: First Kill, The Quiet Girl, Flux Gourmet, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Moonage Daydream, Ticket to Paradise and Clean.
For plenty of Australians, a piece of toast isn't complete unless it's slathered with Vegemite. For others, musk sticks are a go-to sweet treat and always have been. Of course, what one person eats for breakfast or dessert, another considers gross, with both Aussie favourites earning a place in Sweden's new Disgusting Food Museum. Now open in Malmö, the museum does indeed feature Vegemite and musk sticks, as well as a third Australian item: witchetty grubs. Beyond much-loved but highly polarising Australian spreads and sweets, everything within the site's walls is considered food somewhere. Think Sweden's own surstömming, aka fermented herring; cuy, the Peruvian roasted guinea pigs; casu marzu, a maggot-infested cheese from Sardinia; hákarl, the Icelandic dish comprised of well-aged shark; and Thailand's notoriously pungent durian. In total, 80 foods from around the world are on display until January 27, with liquorice, jell-o salad, fruit bat and bull's penis among the other exhibits. For an entry fee of 185 Swedish krona (approximately AU$29), visitors can also smell and taste selected items. Plus, the museum holds 'taste one for the team' sessions for groups of six or more, where you can challenge your friends to the kinds of tastings that you don't get every day. If you're currently asking yourself the obvious question — not 'what's wrong with Vegemite?', but rather 'what would inspire someone to open this kind of place?' — the Disgusting Food Museum is all about challenging accepted ideas of what's edible and tasty. It recognises that what one person finds delicious, another might find revolting and vice-versa. Speaking to Vox, curator and 'chief disgustologist' Samuel West specifically uses Vegemite as an example, explaining that it initially tastes awful, but you can learn to like it. Find the Disgusting Food Museum in Malmö, Sweden from October 29. For more information or to buy tickets, visit the museum's website or Facebook page. Via ABC.
You've entered the workforce. You enjoy where you work and what you do. Congrats, you've successfully adulted. But, seeing as your career will likely span upwards of 40 years of your life, you'll want to be in a position where you can actually get the most out of your job. How? We have one word for you — upskill. By taking a course or studying a single subject related to your career goals, you'll expand your realm of knowledge beyond any original training you've done, keep up to date with the latest research and methodologies in your field and show your present (and prospective) employers your ambition and drive for self-improvement. And, you don't even need to put your career (or life) on hold to do so. Senior manager of marketing Rhiannon Farrar is one of the thousands of Aussies who have studied online through Open Universities Australia (OUA). She got her degree — maintaining a healthy study-work-life balance in the process — and she's now kicking some serious career goals. This is how she did it. DON'T PACK YOUR BAGS Forget Hollywood's idea of the university experience — moving across the country, living on campus and going to frat parties. For a lot of people, pausing life to study for a period of time is just not feasible. But, luckily, you don't need to. OUA partners with universities all across Australia to bring over 290 degrees and 1500 subjects to students studying remotely. Sydney-based Farrar went straight into the workforce after high school, starting out as a casting agency talent booker before taking on a front of house role at a Sydney advertising agency. So, when it came to studying, moving wasn't really an option — she already had her foot in the door in Sydney. Instead, she undertook her preferred degree — Griffith University's Bachelor of Communication (majoring in Public Relations) — online through OUA. FIT STUDY AROUND YOUR LIFE (NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND) Life can be unpredictable, which makes locking yourself into a degree feel completely daunting. But, one of the biggest drawcards of studying through OUA is the flexibility. OUA lets you select the number of subjects you complete per study period, semester or trimester (depending on the qualification). So, if in one study period, life gets busy, you want to travel or complete an internship (like Farrar did with the Sydney Kings basketball team), you can scale back to one subject — or take off a semester altogether. You can then take on an extra load in the following block to catch up if you like. On top of the industry-specific knowledge that Farrar gained, she notes that this flexible style of studying also improved her work style — from learning how to manage her time to working independently and feeling confident asking for help when necessary. USE WHAT YOU'RE LEARNING STRAIGHT AWAY Chances are, you only remember a fraction of what you learned in high school (Pythagoras theorem, we're looking at you) and the same can happen with uni, too. If you're not thinking about it on a daily or weekly basis, some information just doesn't stick after a certain period of time. When you're working and studying simultaneously, you get to implement what you're learning in real time. Similarly, everyone likes a shortcut — and earning credit for the work experience you have under your belt already is a surefire way to fast track your degree. Just five years on from her graduation, Farrar now oversees the marketing strategy for the entire Asia Pacific region for Rakuten Marketing. She partly credits her quick rise through the ranks to being able to put what she was learning into practice immediately — and vice versa. "Working in adland and studying PR, there were a lot of overlaps between what I was learning and what was happening at work," says Farrar. "My studies helped me get a greater understanding of the industry, and my work helped me to make practical sense of what I was learning." FIND YOUR PERFECT MATCH You may not be interested in a full degree right now. Perhaps you've identified a knowledge gap or want to specialise to future-proof your job (and make yourself more attractive to potential employers). OUA also offers a heap of post-graduate single subjects that you could study in your lunch break, commute or after work. It's a minimal commitment (aside from sacrificing a few hours at the pub or watching Netflix) for maximum return. From learning how to code with RMIT to a subject on Innovative Business Practice with Swinburne University through OUA, there are plenty of subjects that will get you up-to-date in your field and supercharge your career. Take it from Farrar: "We live in a competitive world where new trends and technology are constantly coming into play. Keeping yourself upskilled is so important to ensuring career development and growth." Start looking at all the subjects on offer online from leading Australian universities through Open Universities Australia and you could have a new skill by the end of the year. Hop to it.
