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.
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.
"He came to Italy, moved into Dickie's house. He just wouldn't go away." That's what Patricia Highsmith's 1955 book The Talented Mr Ripley charted when it introduced fictional con artist Tom Ripley. It's also the plot of 1960 crime-thriller Purple Noon starring French acting icon Alain Delon, then of 1999's Matt Damon (Oppenheimer)-led The Talented Mr Ripley as well. And, it's part of Netflix's new Ripley, too. Move over Damon, Delon, the great Dennis Hopper, Lawmen: Bass Reeves star Barry Pepper and John Malkovich: there's a new Ripley in town. Actually, Malkovich hasn't gone far. Netflix's upcoming limited series stars All of Us Strangers and Fleabag favourite Andrew Scott as its namesake, but he's joined by an actor who has also played the Highsmith-penned part. That was unveiled in the show's initial teaser; now, Ripley has just dropped a moody full trailer. An eight-part effort arriving on Thursday, April 4, Ripley isn't short on drawcards, then — Scott chief among them. He's stepped into classic characters' shoes before, and suave yet scheming folks that can't be trusted, thanks to his stint as Moriarty in Sherlock. So one of the internet's boyfriends taking on Tom Ripley feels like a stellar and natural next step. Where The Talented Mr Ripley also featured Gwyneth Paltrow (The Politician) as Marge Sherwood and Jude Law (Peter Pan & Wendy) as Dickie Greenleaf, Dakota Fanning (The Equalizer 3) and Johnny Flynn (One Life) are doing the honours this time. As seen in the initial sneak peek at Ripley, Malkovich (Billions) also pops up in the series, which follows its eponymous figure to Italy. Tom's gig: being paid by a rich man to persuade his son to come home. Steven Zaillian, who has excellent fellow miniseries The Night Of on his resume alongside screenplays for Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York and The Irishman, plus an Oscar for Schindler's List, scripted and directed all eight episodes. He takes his cues from the novelist who also gave the world Strangers on a Train and The Price of Salt — with the first brought to cinemas by Alfred Hitchcock and the second adapted as Carol. And if you're wondering about Malkovich's time as Tom Ripley, he played the character in 2002's Ripley's Game, the second adaptation of Highsmith's third Ripley novel of the same name after 1977's The American Friend with Hopper. The author also wrote Ripley Under Ground, which was turned into a 2005 Pepper-led film, plus The Boy Who Followed Ripley and Ripley Under Water. Check out the full trailer for Ripley below: Ripley streams via Netflix from Thursday, April 4, 2024. Images: Lorenzo Sisti / Stefano Cristiano Montesi, Netflix.
Fancy an art experience that extends beyond looking at works on a wall? Then prepare to be impressed by Melbourne's new 3000-square-metre, 11-metre-high immersive digital art gallery. Originally set to open in late 2020, then in autumn this year, and then in September, The Lume will finally open its doors on Monday, November 1. The big drawcard: projections of some of the world's most celebrated artworks, which will be splashed across various surfaces at the site's permanent home at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC). Those luminous displays will be backed by powerful musical soundtracks, too, and even complemented by aromas. So yes, the idea is to engage multiple senses — and build the kind of art experience that surrounds you in multiple ways. When it opens its doors, The Lume's inaugural exhibition at will celebrate the works and life of Vincent van Gogh — so, you'll be able to walk through artworks like The Starry Night and Sunflowers while listening to a classical music score. For the latter, there'll be a dedicated mirror infinity room filled with sunflowers. Elsewhere, expect a reimagined Café Terrace 1888, and a life-size recreation of Van Gogh's Bedroom. If you were lucky enough to make it up to Sydney last year for Van Gogh Alive, you'll know what you're in for. The project is the brainchild of Melbourne-based Grande Experiences, which, for the past 15 years, has hosted immersive exhibitions and gallery experiences in over 130 cities across the world — and is taking Van Gogh Alive around Australia this year, too. The company also owns and operates Rome's Museo Leonardo da Vinci. Abiding by Victoria's reopening roadmap, The Lume will only be welcoming in double-vaccinated patrons upon opening. The Lume will open at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Monday, November 1 — operating Monday–Thursday from 10am–9pm, Friday from 10am–10pm, Saturday from 9am–10pm and Sunday from 9am–9pm. For more information, or to buy tickets, head to the venue's website.
Goodbye gin shrine, hello doing the environment a solid and scoring some cash. If you'd like to turn your empty glass spirits bottles into money, you now can in Queensland. Wednesday, November 1, 2023 marks five years since Queensland's Containers for Change refund scheme launched, encouraging folks to recycle their drink containers — and also giving everyone who participates some funds back for their efforts. How is the Sunshine State marking that milestone? As announced earlier in the year, it's expanding the scheme to say cheers to glass wine and spirits bottles (after you say cheers to them yourself by sipping their contents, that is). The refund system has proven popular over its run so far, receiving more than 102-million empty drink containers in its first two months, rocketing up to over 400-million containers in its first five months and currently sitting at more than seven-billion recycled containers as at mid-September 2023. Expect those numbers to grow with its big upcoming change, which was first floated back in November 2022 and has now kicked in. Accordingly, your at-home cocktails and vino sips can now help the planet, with each bottle between 150 millilitres and three litres scoring you a ten-cent refund. You'll just need to take the glass remnants of your dinner party or after-work drinks to one of the scheme's 360-plus collection points, as is the case with other containers. The CRS, as the program is also known, previously only accepted water bottles, beer cans, juice containers and more — saving a hefty amount of aluminium, glass, plastic, steel and liquid paperboard items from landfill and our waterways, with a focus on beverage containers between 150 millilitres and three litres in volume — but glass vino and spirits bottles weren't covered. To decide whether to change that state of affairs, the Queensland Government ran a consultation period, with 6600-plus folks providing their thoughts, 98.1 percent of which were in favour of adding more containers to the refund program. Queenslanders can still keep popping their glass wine and spirits bottles in their yellow bins at home — and not getting any money in return — if that's easier. Need some motivation to hit up a CRS collection point with your bottles instead? The 7.1-billion containers recycled before now equates to $710 million in refunds. Glass wine and spirits bottles have been added to the Containers for Change program effective Wednesday, November 1, 2023. For more information about Containers for Change, visit the scheme's website.
You might associate Newcastle with surf, sand and summer, but the coastal location also makes this a perfect winter short break. There's no more invigorating way to start a frosty morning than with a brisk beachside walk. What's more, winter equals whale-watching season, and for spotting humpbacks, Newie's towering headlands are spectacular. When you're ready to head back indoors, you'll find the city packed with excellent chefs, baristas, artists, designers and makers. Many of them have escaped the big smoke to set up digs here, where they get to be beside the sea without paying torturously high rents. With that in mind, set up home base at one of the AccorHotels in the city and follow our guide to a warming, delicious winter weekender, just a two hours' drive north of Sydney. EAT AND DRINK Good cafes aren't hard to find in Newcastle; it's choosing one that's the tough bit. For a cheery beginning, settle among the bright tiles, artworks and plants of Ground Up Espresso in Carrington, a waterfront suburb on Newcastle Harbour's north shore. The most decadent, comforting brekkie on the menu has to be the crepes with smoked salmon and creme fraiche. Afterwards, cross the water to Maryville to warm your mitts on bakery treats at Uprising. Alternatively, if you want to stick to the CBD, then One Penny Black serves a bunch of single origins and blends, as well as winter-inspired dishes including coconut and cinnamon porridge. For tea drinkers, The Tea Collective in inner-city Cooks Hill is something of a mecca. Here, leaf obsessive Becci Fowler serves premium-quality, perfectly brewed cuppas. On a frosty morning, the gingerbread chai is hard to beat. Downstairs are The Autumn Rooms, a sun- and greenery-splashed space, offering buttermilk waffles with chai-infused mascarpone, pistachio crust, mixed berries and dark chocolate ganache, among other delights. At a nearby bowling club is Bistro Lowlands, home to some of Newie's tastiest burgers, including the Firebird 2.0 (buttermilk fried chicken, double cheese, sriracha slaw and jalapeno mustard). If it's Italian you're hankering for, head to the CBD's Napoli Centrale, where Naples-trained chef Alfonso Muras whips up traditional pizzas and a mean black truffle gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce. Mediterranean eatery Rustica offers both stunning views overlooking Newcastle Beach and a hearty share-style menu. Start with tapas and small plates, think Turkish-style carrot labne, before graduating to roast pork belly and Moroccan vegetable tagine. Meanwhile, for indulgent dining, book a table at hatted restaurant Subo. You'll be treating yourself to a set five-course menu, designed especially for winter. Dishes include carpaccio of Hervey Bay scallops with jamon, nori and XO sauce, as well as Cape Grim short rib cooked overnight in Guinness and red wine with bagna cauda (an Italian dipping sauce), turnip and fried herbs. Pre- and/or post-dinner drinks? There's The Grain Store for an epic craft beer collection, Reserve for hundreds (really, hundreds) of wines and The Koutetsu for cocktails among antique lampshades, dark timber and secretive nooks. DO Winter might not be the most appealing time for a swim at Newcastle's pretty, blissfully uncrowded beaches, but it's a whale watcher's dream. Get an eyeful on foot at either Nobbys Headland or Shepherds Hill Lookout, or take to the sea aboard the trusty vessel Coast XP. Another way to embrace the salty air is with a hike. The Bathers Way coastal walk stretches from Nobbys to Merewether Beach, with views of Newcastle from every which angle and a chance to learn about the city's history at Fort Scratchley, where guns were fired in 1942 during shelling by a Japanese submarine. Another key point along the walk is the Anzac Memorial Bridge, an icon of Newcastle that offers a 450-metre clifftop walkway. Not enough outdoorsiness for you? Hit the dunes of Stockton Beach on a quad bike (hire from Sand Dune Adventures, Quad Bike King or Port Stephens 4WD), take to the skies at TreeTops adventure park, or get some wind in your hair on one of Newie's many cycle paths. The 15-kilometre Fernleigh Track takes in peaceful bushland and wetlands. Meanwhile, you can get your art dose at the Olive Tree Art and Design Market, where local creatives gather on the first Saturday of every month, or anytime among the indie shops and galleries of the Darby Street Precinct in Newcastle's urban heart. Also worth checking out is the Newcastle Art Gallery — which hosts talks, tours and concerts throughout winter — and the Newcastle Jazz Festival that comes to town in August. SLEEP If there's one element that's vital to a winter weekender, it's a warm, tranquil hideaway for the evenings. If you're keen to snuggle up with the beach at your doorstep, book at the Novotel Newcastle Beach. Rooms — which range from Standard to Superior Balcony — come with king-sized beds, bucketloads of winter sunshine, loads of space and uplifting splashes of orange and blue. There's also a spa, sauna, gym, on-site restaurant and 24-hour room service. For a real indulgence, head to the on-site restaurant, Bistro Dalby, for high tea. Mini pressed Cuban sandwiches and prawn brioche sliders feature among the savouries, with salted raw caramel slice and chocolate eclairs in the sweet selection. A more affordable, yet still cosy, hotel option is the Ibis Newcastle, located near the city's Honeysuckle Precinct, a harbour-front area where former shipping wharves have been transformed into eateries and apartments. Some rooms offer water views, while all give you a super-comfy bed, flat-screen TV, free wifi and 24-hour room service. Alternatively, if you're on a brief visit, then the Mercure Newcastle Airport could be the way to go. It lets you easily explore nearby areas, such as Port Stephens, and all rooms have a sleek, minimalist design and photos of iconic landmarks taken by local Owen Signs. Go to the AccorHotels website to book your stay in Newcastle, and to discover more of regional NSW, swing by Visit NSW.
What does a gin made on a farm in far north Queensland have in common with beer brewed in the middle of Adelaide? Or with a nice vino from a winery located outside Geelong, a premix sangria from New South Wales, a rum hailing from a Western Australian property and a cider from southern Tasmania? As well as offering a top-notch choice for your next beverage, they've all been named among Australia's favourite local drops as part of BWS' Local Luvvas initiative. In an effort to not only gauge which smaller and independent homegrown tipples Aussies love, but also to give the country's breweries, winemakers and distilleries some extra support, BWS asked the nation to name their go-to local beverages. From all of those votes, the bottle shop retailer has now announced the top picks, spanning drinks in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania. It's a sizeable list — and, as part of the campaign's overall aim, it isn't just filled with names you'll already know. You might be a Brisbanite who's been singing your local brewery's praises; however, you may not have heard about a stellar outfit pumping out great beers down south. Or, even if you consider yourself very well-acquainted with Aussie wines, it's likely that there's still some labels you haven't come across. In their respective states, 18 winners will be given an extra helping hand with getting their products stocked in more BWS stores. And if you're currently wondering which tipples you should be looking out for — whether it's for a cold one after a busy day, a glass of nice wine with lunch or dinner, or a cocktail just because — we've run through the entire list of fan favourites state by state. [caption id="attachment_787625" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Kitti Gould[/caption] NEW SOUTH WALES From New South Wales' variety-filled lineup of local drinks producers, four brands emerged victorious. That's more than other states, because wine lovers gave themselves two choices — this is a state that's clearly serious about its vino. For a straight drop, NSW residents selected Audrey Wilkinson from the Hunter Valley. For something a little different, Local Luvvas voters also highlighted Nueva Sangria, which serves up an Aussie twist on the Spanish drink. In the beer category, Sydneysiders made their preference known, picking craft brew outfit Akasha out of Five Dock in the city's inner west. And just like in the wine field, premixes obviously have a hefty amount of fans among spirits drinkers, too, with Lust Liquor's low-calorie range getting the nod. VICTORIA When you're Melbourne's oldest independent brewery and boast a 17-year history, you've had plenty of time to rustle up hordes of beer-loving aficionados. So it should surprise absolutely no one that Thornbury's 3 Ravens has been named Victoria's favourite local brew. Victorians also showered some affection on another brewery, Billson's, but for the Beechworth-based company's spirits range — which includes bottles of gin and vodka, as well as vodka premixes. And, as picked from all the local wineries that the state has to offer, 6Ft6 has been dubbed Victoria's most-loved. Based in the Moorabool Valley in Geelong, it focuses on seven specific varieties spanning both white and red drops. QUEENSLAND Queensland's far north isn't just home to tropical greenery, picturesque beaches, and a climate that's even warmer and sunnier year-round than Brisbane. It's also home to Mt Uncle Distillery in the Atherton Tablelands. That's where the state's favourite spirit springs from, in the form of its Botanic Australis gin. When it comes to the Sunshine State's preferred beer, a Brisbane local has won out — and it's one with a considerable following around the city. That'd be Aether Brewing, the family-owned brewery that started in the city's west, is now based in Brissie's north and has been doing its beer-making thing since 2016. WESTERN AUSTRALIA Just shy of 400 kilometres south of Perth sits the vineyard responsible for Western Australia's favourite vino, Ferngrove Wines, which has been making top-notch drops since 1998. Keep heading down and, once you hit Albany, you'll find WA's best-loved beer as well. Wilson Brewing Company has seven different brews among its range, including lighter session and blonde ales, plus heavier dark and brown ales. Wondering which type of spirits WA residents like best? That'd be Illegal Tender Co's rum. Fans can also be forgiven for dreaming about following in the brand's footsteps — it's a labour of love from an electrician who decided to leave his career behind and follow his passion instead. SOUTH AUSTRALIA Even if you've never been to South Australia, or to its famed wine regions, every Australian knows that McLaren Vale and vino go hand in hand. It's also where Never Never Distilling Co is based, and where the company whips up beverages made from juniper instead of grapes. Obviously, we're talking about gin. For SA's favourite wine, you'll actually want to sip a drop from the Adelaide Hills, and from the tiny 343-person township of Paracombe specifically. There's no prizes for guessing where Paracombe Wines gets its name from, of course. And, in the beer category, Adelaide's Little Bang Brewing Company topped the poll thanks to its yeasty brews made in its inner-city base in Stepney. TASMANIA Tasmania's well-known nickname has clearly struck a chord with fans of a nice crisp drink. In the brewery category, the state's residents have chosen Plenty Cider as their pick. It's made from 100-percent local apples on the Apple Isle, which is patently a winning combination. In the vino field, Pepik Wines nabbed top spot, hailing from Josef Chromy Wines and its 61-hectare vineyard at Relbia, just south of Launceston. For Tassie's preferred spirits, your tastebuds are heading to Marion Bay. Hellfire Bluff Distillery launched in 2017 out of a potato farm, and it now not only makes vodka but also gin, coffee liqueur and limoncello as well. For more information about BWS' local range — and to pick up one of the above beers, wines and spirits — head to the retailer's stores in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania.
Prepare to spend more time scrolling through streaming queues — Apple is following in Netflix's and Disney's footsteps and releasing its own streaming platform. Called Apple TV+ and set to launch in spring this year — in the southern hemisphere — the new subscription service will feature a heap of new original television shows, movies and documentaries. They'll all be available ad-free and on demand, with access via the company's existing Apple TV app. While the platform's exact release date hasn't been announced, nor has pricing or the regions that it'll be available in, the company has revealed a sizeable lineup of new series it hopes will attract your TV-loving eyeballs. Fancy watching Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell navigate the world of morning television in the appropriately titled drama series The Morning Show? Jason Momoa in a new sci-fi show called See, which is set in a world where humans are born blind? A revival of Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories anthology series? A new docu-series from Oprah — and the return of her book club? They're all on the way. So is Are You Sleeping?, which is based on a novel about true crime podcasts and featuring Octavia Spencer and Aaron Paul; crime thriller Defending Jacob, starring Chris Evans; and a TV remake of Terry Gilliam's film Time Bandits, with a pilot directed by Taika Waititi. The list goes on, and includes a comedy set in a video game development studio from the folks behind It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, a yet-to-be-named CIA undercover agent series starring Brie Larson, and new shows from both M. Night Shyamalan and La La Land director Damien Chazelle (separately, not together — although a collaboration between the two would certainly be interesting). In preparation for its new streaming service, Apple also announced an update to its existing Apple TV app, which'll be available from May. The app will also become available on Samsung Smart TVs in the second half of the year, and via Amazon Fire TV, LG, Roku, Sony and VIZIO platforms sometime in the future — meaning that you won't need an Apple device to watch Apple TV+. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=15&v=Bt5k5Ix_wS8 Also on the cards: Apple Arcade, a paid gaming subscription service that'll feature more than 100 new and exclusive games on an all-you-can-play, ad-free basis — and, crucially, with no additional in-game purchases required. It's due to release in more than 150 countries around the same time as Apple TV+, and will be accessible via a new tab in the App Store. For news junkies, the company also launched Apple News+. Available now in the US and Canada, but not coming to Australia until later this year, it offers access to more than 300 magazines, newspapers and digital publishers in one spot. Titles included range from Vogue to National Geographic Magazine to The Wall Street Journal, for the US price of $9.99 per month. Apple TV+ is set to launch in spring 2019, Australian and New Zealand time. We'll keep you updated with further details when we have them.
Move over Google Glass. After years of development, the search engine-cum-world-enveloping-super-corporation have announced the very first public rollout of their brand new modular phone. Codenamed Project Ara, Google has confirmed that the customisable device will be made available for purchase in the second half of 2015. The only downside? You'll have to live in Puerto Rico in order to do so. The Puerto Rican pilot program is part of ongoing testing for the smartphone, which consists of a special exoskeleton into which users can slide various physical 'modules', such as a camera, external speakers or an extra battery — essentially building their own phone. According to Google, the potential for modules is limitless — and we can certainly appreciate the theoretical advantages. Not only will users be able to customise their phone's appearance, they’ll also be able to incrementally upgrade obsolete hardware, cutting out the cost and general inconvenience of purchasing a whole new phone. On an even more practical level, as someone who habitually drops their phone on the footpath, the prospect of being able to simply detach a cracked screen and replace it with a new one is pretty damn appealing. Google is remaining coy when it comes to things like pricing, although according to the Project Ara website, the cost of the components will hopefully be between US$50-100. Google have also stated that they hope to have as many as 20-30 different modules available by the time the phone is on sale. Taking a tip from the mobile food industry, Google will also roll out several 'food-truck' style stores in conjunction with the Puerto Rican release, with users able to trial the device before they commit to purchase. Presumably the reception in Puerto Rico will be used as a baseline, in order for the company to tweak the device ahead of a wider release at some point in the future. Via Time. Images: Google ATAP.
It's not every day you see Poison Ivy making out with Captain America, William Shatner ranting about UFOs or people paying cash money for 30 seconds with Orlando Bloom, but Comic Con is truly a universe of its own. Taking over Sydney Exhibition Centre on Glebe Island this past weekend (and Brisbane's Convention and Exhibition Centre last weekend) with thousands of hardcore geeks, curious tourists and entire families all dressed as Superman, Oz Comic Con is Australia's answer to the mighty American flagship event for enthusiasts of all things nerdtastic. A truly judgement-free realm of total escapism and investment in fantasy, Oz Comic Con saw packed out panels squealing at Buffy cast members, new Nintendo Wii U consoles tested by know-it-all Rainbow Roadmasters and more corsets than the Pirates of Penzance. Here's what we took away from the two-day convention — aside from a serious swag of busty, lycra-clad costume party ideas. William Shatner Believes in UFOs Nothing says Comic Con like watching William Shatner talk about the early Star Trek days and UFOs. Trekkies came out of the woodwork to live long and prosper with the sci-fi legend, who took a moment to seriously rant about the existence of life in other dimensions. In a totally dad-like Shatner ramble, the 83-year-old spoke of a ignorant radio show host of yesteryear. "He said, 'Do you believe in UFOs?' and I said, 'Do you know who you're talking to?'" Delving into a seriously epic speech about human ignorance, Shatner preached to the Spock-eared choir on this one. "We don't know what we don't know we don't know... If we can suspend our disbelief about a Czechoslovakian bearded acrobat, why can't we suspend our disbelief about UFOs?" Image: Dark Age. Khal Drogo Goes for Port Adelaide In one of the most surprisingly great panels of the whole weekend, Game of Thrones actor Jason Momoa had the (primarily female) crowd in the palm of his giant, giant hand. Kicking off his panel session with an unexpected rant about AFL and a loud "Fuck the Sydney Swans," the 35-year-old Hawaiian powerhouse continuously ended every response with a loud, growling "PORT POWER!" and a fist pump. Also wore only a pink spotted fluffy sock for that horrific wedding night scene in Game of Thrones but changed to a white one because Emelia Clarke was laughing too much. Yeesh. Image: Javis Wong Buffy Fans Are Intense. Like, Really Intense. Whenever anyone asks a question at Comic Con, it's actually the most awkwardly adorable thing in the world — cold sweats, shaky voices, "I'm your biggest fan" pre-question rants. During a morning panel with Buffy stars Nicholas Brendon (Xander) and Emma Caulfield (Anya), one particular fan asked the pair if they'd had any freaky experiences with their fans (and let's be honest, Buffy fans tend to be more intensely hardcore Fans than most). While Brendon explained he's had limited stalker vibes or hate mail due to his character, "My character was always in the friend zone. People don't get weird over friends," Caulfield has been bullied on social media, abused in person and even cursed by a fan. Cursed. Like, Practical Magic cursed. Lightening the mood, Brendon then went on to say he'd tap co-star Michelle Trachtenberg, which got weird. "She was 14. Then she did that magazine shoot. Then she wasn't 14 anymore. I would hit... that... hard. Would you hit that?" Yikes. Image: Rob Johnston. The Army Thinks Call of Duty Fans Will Make Good Soldiers In one of the most sort-of-genius branded stalls at the event, the Army Reserve were on site for the weekend to recruit the biggest, most fearsome commandos in Sydney for the defence force: gamers? We guess this was some kind of weird hope of transforming the best Modern Warfare players into actual soldiers, but... really? Comic Con is Really Truly About Unbelievably Epic Costumes Because just look at these totally homemade creations. This is months and months of glueing, pasting, crafting — not to mention most of these punters had been awake since 4am painting themselves. Bloody legends. Finally, our personal favourite. MILHOUSE.
As filmgoers, it would seem that we have a unique fascination with anthropomorphised machines. From WALL-E to Blade Runner to Spike Jonze’s recent Her, movies are full of artificially intelligent creations who have captured the imagination of audiences, and in doing so blurred the line of what it truly means to be human. The most recent robot to achieve sentience on screen is the title character in Chappie, the latest film from writer-director Neill Blomkamp. A member of Johannesburg’s robotic police force, Chappie (voiced and motion captured by Sharlto Copley) is earmarked for decommission after being damaged during a drug raid. Instead, his designer Deon Wilson (Dev Patel) decides to use him as a guinea pig for a radical new form of AI, one that more closely resembles human consciousness. But Deon’s success is soured after Chappie is stolen by a group of gangsters (South African rap group Die Antwoord playing fictionalised versions of themselves), who plan on using the impressionable robot to execute a heist. Three films into his career, Blomkamp has proven himself as a storyteller with a lot on his mind. His hit debut District 9 used an outlandish sci-fi premise as an allegory for racial prejudice and discrimination, while his big-budget follow-up Elysium touched on notions of immigration and class divide. In Chappie his ideas get even bigger, hitting everything from police militarisation to the nature of consciousness, loss of faith and even alternate modes of parenting. If anything, Blomkamp maybe tackles too much, packing his movie with a litany of different concepts at the expense of covering any of them in depth. There’s an argument to be made for quality over quantity, yet it’s hard to fault the director for his ambition. Nor can you ignore the amount of food for thought the film provides — brains being an increasingly rare commodity in Hollywood blockbusters, after all. And to its credit, Chappie succeeds as more than just a think piece. Possessing the innocence and excitability of a child, Chappie makes for a wonderful protagonist, with Copley’s mo-cap and vocal performance comparable to the work of Andy Serkis. As Chappie slowly matures, viewers will find themselves caught up in his emotional journey; particularly moving is the dynamic between Chappie and his surrogate mother Yolandi, who helps the robot attune his moral compass. Chappie does unfortunately suffer from one major flaw, and it comes in the form of its villain. Sporting his natural accent in one of the most poorly written parts of his career, Hugh Jackman plays the brutish Vincent Moore, a former soldier who plans on sabotaging Deon’s police robots — including Chappie — so that the force might invest in his more heavily armoured, remotely piloted drones. Even if you can ignore his cringeworthy Australian slang and unintentionally hilarious Steve Irwin-style khakis, Moore’s motivations remain excruciatingly one-dimensional. His only purpose is to manufacture conflict, and he basically derails the movie whenever he appears on screen. Luckily, Chappie is always there to get the story back on track. And perhaps it’s only fitting that, in a story about artificial humanity, the most emotionally intricate character isn’t a human at all.
For 125 million film and television lovers around the world, Netflix's two-note intro sound is synonymous with one thing: settling in to watch an episode or movie on your TV at home (or on your computer during your lunch break, or on your phone during your commute, let's face it). Soon, however, it could also echo through cinemas, with the streaming platform apparently looking into buying its own theatres. First reported by The Los Angeles Times regarding the sale of one particular US chain — Landmark Theatres, which Netflix ultimately opted not to purchase — the potential move would assist the company in achieving two things. Firstly, it could give the company a bigger footprint within the entertainment landscape. Secondly, it'd provide a cinematic outlet for its films. And, as you might've noticed, there's no shortage of the latter. Indeed, whether it's snapping up flicks at festivals, funding them from the get-go or saving the day when traditional distributors want to back out of putting their movies in theatres — as happened with both The Cloverfield Paradox and Annihilation earlier this year — Netflix's slate of originals is only growing. It has released more than 20 so far this year, and will more than double that number by the time December comes to a close. In total, Netflix will spend up to $8 billion on content in 2018 alone, and CEO Reed Hastings has recently said that's not enough. You mightn't think screening their films in cinemas would be important to the streaming behemoth, but playing in theatres is absolutely essential for one thing: collecting Oscars and other industry accolades. And they're starting to do just that, with Netflix's Icarus picking up the Academy Award for best documentary this year, while drama Mudbound garnered four nominations. Both had a short cinema run, something that's a necessity to meet the Academy's criteria. But, unsurprisingly, few existing theatre chains are eager to screen flicks that are also available on the streaming platform at the same time or shortly afterwards. On the international front, it's a battle that saw Netflix withdraw its films from this year's Cannes Film Festival, after the fest announced it had banned flicks that wouldn't also play in French cinemas. Part of the prestigious event's requirements is that movies also screen locally; however France also stipulates that a film can't make its way to home entertainment platforms, be it DVD or streaming, for three years after its big-screen appearance. Obviously, that doesn't work for Netflix. Last year, Okja was available online a month after it premiered it Cannes, while the Noah Baumbach-directed, Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller-starring The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) released in October. Just how far Netflix will pursue their cinema prospects is yet to be seen, but the company isn't known for doing things by halves. At present, reports centre on opening theatres in the US, with no word on any international plans. Via The Los Angeles Times.
Whether you're checking into a nearby spa for the day or heading further afield for a lengthier stint of bliss, visiting a wellness retreat is supposed to be relaxing. But that doesn't seem to be the case in upcoming miniseries Nine Perfect Strangers. The star-studded show was shot in Byron Bay, so it looks the scenic part — but the nine guests who turn up in search of a new lease on life all appear set to get much more than they've bargained for. That's how the series' new trailer unfolds, at least, with the latest sneak peek offering a bigger glimpse at the show following a very brief clip back in April. Given the cast involved — including Nicole Kidman (The Undoing), Melissa McCarthy (Thunder Force), Michael Shannon (Knives Out), Luke Evans (Crisis) and Asher Keddie (Rams) — Nine Perfect Strangers is easily one of the big series of the year, and that long list of famous faces will be navigating quite the eerie and creepy situation. Also part of the show: Bobby Cannavale (Superintelligence), Regina Hall (Little), Samara Weaving (Bill & Ted Face the Music), Melvin Gregg (The United States vs Billie Holiday), Asher Keddie (Rams), Grace Van Patten (Under the Silver Lake), Tiffany Boone (The Midnight Sky) and Manny Jacinto (The Good Place), who'll all navigate a ten-day retreat overseen by Kidman's Masha throughout the drama's eight episodes. The latter oversees a resort that promises to transform nine stressed city-dwellers — but, clearly, things aren't going to turn out as planned for the show's titular figures. As with Kidman's last two miniseries — Big Little Lies, which like Nine Perfect Strangers, was also based on a book by Liane Moriarty; and The Undoing — David E Kelley (LA Law, Ally McBeal, Mr Mercedes) is leading the charge behind the scenes. He's the show's co-writer and co-showrunner, with Long Shot's Jonathan Levine directing every episode. And if you're wondering where and when you'll be able to see the results, Nine Perfect Strangers will stream Down Under via Amazon Prime Video, with the series set to debut on Friday, August 20. Check out the full trailer below: Nine Perfect Strangers will start streaming in Australia and New Zealand on Friday, August 20 via Amazon Prime Video — starting with its first three episodes, with new episodes then dropping weekly afterwards. Images: Vince Valitutti/Hulu.
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to watching anything, we're here to help. From the latest and greatest to old favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue for June. NEW STUFF TO WATCH NOW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5RDTPfsLAI DA 5 BLOODS A fiery examination of both the Vietnam War and US race relations, Da 5 Bloods is a Spike Lee film through and through. It nods liberally to its influences, such as Apocalypse Now, but only the acclaimed Do the Right Thing and BlacKkKlansman filmmaker could've made a war movie this affecting, incisive, entertaining and politically astute — especially given its focus on African American men expected to fight and die for the same country that still struggles to treat them equally. Plot-wise, the part combat drama, part heist thriller, part history lesson follows four ex-soldiers (Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis and Isiah Whitlock Jr) who make the trip back to Ho Chi Minh City decades after the conflict. They're searching for buried gold, as well as for the remains of their beloved squad leader (Chadwick Boseman, as seen in flashbacks). In Lee's hands, and with Lindo taking charge as a PTSD-afflicted, MAGA hat-wearing veteran, the results are energetic, passionate, and both intellectually and emotionally stunning. Da 5 Bloods is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEiwpCJqMM0 THE VAST OF NIGHT When strange things start happening in a 50s-era New Mexico small town while most of its residents are attending a school basketball game — unusual lights in the sky, and eerie sounds interrupting both radio broadcasts and phone calls — radio DJ Everett (Jake Horowitz) and phone switchboard operator Fay (Sierra McCormick) decide to investigate. That's the premise behind The Vast of Night, and it couldn't be more simple and straightforward; however this smart and engaging sci-fi film is inventive and compelling from the moment it begins. In terms of its narrative, a few surprises pop up, even for those with a knowledge of history. But it's the movie's strong focus on character and its commanding style that's always riveting. Every shot, every camera movement and, crucially, every single sound contributes to an ambitious and gripping filmmaking debut (and a certain calling card) from first-time feature director Andrew Patterson. The Vast of Night is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWYPlhHbKtM RAMY In Ramy's first season, creator, writer, director and star Ramy Youssef explored the daily life of his on-screen surrogate: Ramy Hassan, a twenty-something New Jersey-based American Muslim of Egyptian heritage. Ramy struggles to reconcile his culture, religion and family's expectations with his own wants, needs and dreams, continually professing his desire to make the right choices while often overtly following questionable paths. In the show's just-released ten-episode second season, the same still rings true — although, this time, Ramy seeks guidance from a new Sheik (Moonlight and Green Book Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali, who's excellent as always) while getting closer to the latter's daughter (MaameYaa Boafo). Youssef won a Golden Globe for his first-season performance earlier this year, and he's just as great in the next batch of episodes; however, it's the show's continual refusal to gloss over, ignore, excuse or accept Ramy's frequent array of self-sabotaging decisions that stands out. The just-released second season of Ramy is available to stream via Stan. The show's first season is also available, too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGcJL6TG5cA SNOWPIERCER First, the bad news: Snowpiercer, the series, isn't directed by Bong Joon-ho. Now, the good news: while it isn't as great as Bong's film — because, honestly, how could it be? — it takes the same dystopian concept, heightens the suspense and drama, and serves up a class warfare-fuelled survivalist thriller that also spends its first five episodes unravelling a murder-mystery. Think constant twists, reveals and reversals, cliffhangers at the end of almost every scene, and a 'Murder on the Snowpiercer Express' kind of vibe. Once again, it all takes place on a 1001-car locomotive carrying the last remnants of humanity while constantly circling the frozen earth. Hamilton's Tony Award-winning Daveed Diggs plays an ex-detective who has spent seven years in the tail end of the train, only to be summoned to the upper carriages when bodies start piling up. Also excellent: Jennifer Connelly as the engine's all-seeing, ever-present head of hospitality. The first five episodes of Snowpiercer, the series, are available to stream via Netflix — with new episodes dropping weekly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaMIcuVH83M&feature=emb_logo THE BEACH Whenever Warwick Thornton makes a new project, it demands attention — and the Indigenous Australian filmmaker has never made anything quite like The Beach. The director of Samson & Delilah and Sweet Country turns the camera on himself, chronicling his quest to escape his busy life for an extended soul-searching getaway. With only chickens and wildlife for company, Thornton bunkers down in an electricity-free tin shed in Jilirr, on the Dampier Peninsula on the northwest coast of Western Australia. He fishes, cooks, chats to the chooks, wanders along the shoreline and reflects upon everything that's led him to this point, with this six-part documentary series capturing the ups, downs, sublime sights and epiphany-inspiring moments. Unfurling quietly and patiently in the slow-TV tradition, Thornton's internal journey of discovery makes for both moving and absorbing viewing. Indeed, combined with stunning cinematography (as shot by Thornton's son and Robbie Hood director Dylan River), it just might be the best piece of Australian television you see this year. The Beach is available to stream via SBS On Demand. ONES TO WATCH OUT FOR LATER IN THE MONTH https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_ozcr43fP4 WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS First hitting cinemas back in 2014, What We Do in the Shadows is a perfect comedy. It's clever and creative, finds new ways to satirise and deploy familiar tropes, genres and formats, and features a spot-on cast — and, of course, the Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement co-directed, co-written and co-starring movie is also sidesplittingly funny. Thankfully, the film's US TV spinoff also fits the above description. Focusing on a group of vampires living in a Staten Island sharehouse (rather than the original movie's Wellington location), it could never be considered a mere small-screen copy. Instead, it's a lively and captivating addition to the broader What We Do in the Shadows universe, which also includes New Zealand series Wellington Paranormal. Back for a second season (and already renewed for a third, too), the What We Do in the Shadows television show has two specific aces up its sleeves, too: the combined on-screen talents of Matt Berry, Kayvan Novak and Natasia Demetriou as three of the central bloodsuckers, plus the time to delve deeper into their undead world. The second season of What We Do in the Shadows is available to stream via Foxtel Now from Thursday, June 25, with new episodes added weekly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q6Co-nd0lM EUROVISION SONG CONTEST: THE STORY OF FIRE SAGA As music, spandex and glitter fans everywhere know, the Eurovision Song Contest didn't go ahead this year. That's left a sizeable Europop-shaped hole in plenty of hearts; however Netflix's new comedy is here to help. Called Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, the film follows two Icelandic singers who've always wanted to represent their country at the famed sing-off. Lars Erickssong (Will Ferrell) and Sigrit Ericksdottir (Rachel McAdams) aren't particularly well-liked in their homeland, but when they're named as the next Eurovision contestants, they're determined to prove that chasing their lifelong dream was worth it. Directed by Wedding Crashers, The Change-Up and The Judge filmmaker David Dobkin, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga looks set to feature plenty of Ferrell's over-the-top antics, as well as icy backdrops and a song called 'Volcano Man'. Also on offer: a fierce rivalry between Fire Saga and fellow competitor Alexander Lemtov (Legion's Dan Evans), and a cast that spans Pierce Brosnan and Demi Lovato. Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga will be available to stream via Netflix from Friday, June 26. CULT CLASSICS TO REVISIT AND REDISCOVER https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA87ltqFEIQ IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA This May, when It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia was renewed for a 15th season, it made history. When those episodes make it to the screen, the cult US sitcom will become the longest-running live-action comedy series that's ever aired on American television. That mightn't sound all that surprising given the general concept — a group of friends (Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, Kaitlin Olson and Danny DeVito) try to run their own Irish pub and usually fail at everything they attempt — but It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's dark, nihilistic and irreverent sense of humour is all its own. This is a show that's dedicated most of its episodes to a whole range of taboo topics, after all, while also watching its characters stage a twisted rock opera and make their own version of Lethal Weapon 6. Indeed, when it comes to satirising despicable behaviour and attitudes, It's Always Sunny is on another level. Amazon Prime Video is now streaming the first 13 seasons, which means you now have 144 episodes to binge. The first 13 seasons of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia are available to stream via Amazon Prime Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Skpu5HaVkOc ALMOST EVERY FAST AND FURIOUS MOVIE It's the big-budget franchise that likes driving speedily and passionately, can't get enough over-the-top car antics and loves filling its frames with a constant onslaught of hectic stunts. It's also the Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster and Michelle Rodriguez-starring saga that adores family — and Corona-swilling friends who become family — just as much as vehicular mayhem. And, it's ridiculously entertaining. Not every Fast and Furious movie is a winner (2 Fast 2 Furious definitely isn't, for example), but this huge series boasts more than a few high points. Of course, 2020 will no longer see the saga's ninth official film hit cinemas, with F9's release postponed until 2021 due to COVID-19; however you can now marathon the first seven movies on Stan. Come for a Point Break ripoff that swaps surfing for street racing, which is where it all began. Then, stay as everyone from Tyrese Gibson, Gal Gadot, Eva Mendes and Ludacris to Dwayne Johnson, Luke Evans, Jason Statham and Kurt Russell shows up, because of course they do. The Fast and Furious collection — featuring the franchise's first seven movies — is available to stream via Stan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw1euaNtuXM SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL'S PAST HITS Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's Sydney Film Festival didn't take place physically. Instead, it moved online, making 33 new films available for cinephiles to stream at home. And, as part of the one-off virtual move, SFF 2020 also features a whole heap of ace movies that have previously screened at the festival — 40 of them in fact, all thanks to a Sydney Film Festival Selects collection on SBS On Demand. It's a best-of lineup, so get ready to revisit Studio Ghibli co-production The Red Turtle, Taika Waititi's Boy, the Greta Gerwig-starring Frances Ha, Aussie comedy That's Not Me and New Zealand's The Breaker Upperers. You can also feast your eyes on Palme d'Or winner The Square, Scandi thriller The Guilty, Turkish drama Mustang and Xavier Dolan's Heartbeats, among other films. And, they're all available to watch for free. The Sydney Film Festival Selects Collection is available to stream via SBS On Demand until Friday, July 10. Top images: Da 5 Bloods via David Lee/Netflix; Ramy via Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu; Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga via Elizabeth Viggiano/Netflix.
Welcome to the world of wild speculation surrounding the destination for The White Lotus season three. According to Variety, the next season will be set somewhere in Thailand. HBO hasn't confirmed this news, but it does seem to be the likely home of Mike White's next murder mystery. But the predictions don't end there. Variety has sourced — from multiple folks close to the publication — that The White Lotus team might also stick with filming at Four Seasons resorts. They have doubled as the titular fictional hotel chain for two seasons so far, meaning it isn't a stretch to think they'll be used again. That puts four possible Thailand spots on the list: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui and the Golden Triangle. And we've done some digging around our own travel booking website, Concrete Playground Trips, to come up with an even juicier theory. As it stands, you can book three of these lavish hotels and resorts through Concrete Playground Trips, but one of them is unavailable for many months. Has Mike White already placed his reservation? Or are we simply grasping at straws? Read on to get a closer look at each of the Four Seasons hotels we think might be the next filming location for The White Lotus — three of which can be booked with us right now. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL BANGKOK This opulent Four Seasons hotel is located within Thailand's bustling capital city. You can enjoy views over the Chai Phraya River and of the surrounding cityscape from one of the 299 rooms, the three outdoor pools or the six restaurants and bars. Within the hotel, there are clearly heaps of luxe filming locations where guests could meet their untimely end. The local galleries, boutique stores, restaurants and cafes would certainly need to make an appearance — as well as many of Bangkok's other superb travel destinations. This would be the first city location for The White Lotus, which may be an interesting change of pace for the show, too. FOUR SEASONS TENTED CAMP — GOLDEN TRIANGLE (CHIANG SAEN) A series of luxury treehouses and lodges scattered around the jungle in Chiang Saen — in the north of Thailand, right near Myanmar and Laos — would be a pretty epic setting for the next series. We can already hear the ominous The White Lotus music playing now, as guests wander around the remote landscape in designer clothes. Want to visit? You'll wake up in your own glamping tent fitted out with bamboo furniture, free-standing bathtubs and large private balconies overlooking the nearby river and lush rainforest before exploring more of the area. FOUR SEASONS RESORT KOH SAMUI Thailand's island of Koh Samui is an incredibly popular tourist destination. People flock here all year long, exploring the gorgeous beaches backed by tropical vegetation and some of the nearby islands where you can either party or totally escape from the rest of the world. The Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui offers up access to all of this, with ridiculous levels of comfort — expect bespoke travel experiences, a glamorous spa, pools aplenty and a long list of places to eat and drink within the property's grounds. FOUR SEASONS RESORT CHIANG MAI This Four Seasons is currently unavailable to book, so we're wildly speculating that Mike White has something to do with it. White hinted about the next series of The White Lotus focusing on traditional Eastern culture and religion, making this remote location absolutely perfect. At Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, several villas and residences are spread out amongst rice fields and wild countryside. Guests can play tennis, join yoga classes, walk to hidden waterfalls, learn local crafts or simply swim about their private pools overlooking the property. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world. Top images: Four Seasons Tented Camp — Golden Triangle
Aussie brick enthusiasts, get excited. Sydney will join the likes of New York, London, Hong Kong and Copenhagen on the list of cities boasting a flagship Lego store later this year. The Harbour City is set to welcome the world's largest official Lego store to Sydney Arcade, overlooking Pitt Street Mall. The massive 900-square-meter site will be your one-stop shop for all things colourful plastic bricks. Lego fans can expect an interactive storytelling table that will give them behind-the-scenes looks at their favourite sets and designs, Australia's first Minifigure Factory where visitors can create Lego versions of themselves or their loved ones, and a pick-and-build wall boasting an enormous catalogue of different pieces. Official Brick Specialists will be on hand to help guide you through everything the superstore has to offer — and if you're after a challenge to get your creativity flowing, there will be in-store builds and monthly events. Basically, you'll have everything you could need to bring your wildest imagination to life via the wonders of Lego. There will also be Australia-specific elements of the store with large-format Lego sculptures of Australian and Sydney cultural touchstones decorating the space. "Supporting the Lego Group's mission to inspire and develop builders of tomorrow, the immersive new store will feature creative play experiences, with playful nods to Australian culture, that are sure to create lasting memories for every Aussie or visitor from around the world," Vice President and General Manager of LEGO Australia and New Zealand Troy Taylor says. Lego fans of all ages will be able to visit the expansive shop before the end of this year. The exact open date is set to be announced within the next few weeks, so watch this space. The flagship Sydney Lego store will open at Sydney Arcade, Pitt Street, Sydney later in 2023.
The National Gallery of Victoria has been displaying a plethora of Chinese masterpieces lately, and the opening of its new dual exhibitions — Terracotta Warriors: Guardians of Immortality and Cai Guo-Qiang: The Transient Landscape — are two more unmissable additions. The most monumental part of the exhibition is undoubtedly the Terracotta Army: a collection of sculptures that were created for the first Emperor of China Qin Shi Huang's gigantic tomb back around 221–206 BCE but were only discovered in Shaanxi province in 1974. It's one of the 20th century's most significant archaeological finds. The NGV had displayed some of them before back in the 80s, but has managed to score eight (of the estimated 8000) terracotta warriors for its 2019 Winter Masterpieces exhibition. They're supported by a cast of two breathtaking life-size Imperial Army horses and two smaller replica bronze chariots, and complemented by a remarkable selection of gold, jade and bronze artefacts that date back a thousand years. Finding parallels with the terracotta warriors, Cai Guo-Qiang's exhibition provides a contemporary perspective on China's culture and ancient philosophies. Across installation, exhibition design and paintings forged with gunpowder, Cai's work illuminates his sincere commitment to the idea that history and ritual can inform great contemporary art. Below, we've picked out six artworks that highlight why this exhibition is one you have to catch — whether you live in Melbourne or interstate. It will be showing right up until October 13. CAI GUO-QIANG [caption id="attachment_722861" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sean Fennessy[/caption] TRANSIENCE (PEONY) From good fortune to compassion and romance, peonies have held an important significance within Chinese culture for centuries. This artwork is made up of two works, with Transience I (Peony) being a huge mound of porcelain, which has been singed with gunpowder. The second part, Transience II (Peony), is an immersive 360-degree painting where Cai Guo-Qiang showcases the peony throughout its four stages of life — from its emergence to its bloom, wilting and eventually its decay. Each colourful petal displayed across the work was created using colourful gunpowder (in a Williamstown warehouse) to scorch the silk underneath forming unique characteristics and shapes. Together, the two works explore the fragility of life and hint at the downfall of the Qin empire — it was the first dynasty of Imperial China and lasted only 14 years as advisors fought for control. [caption id="attachment_722859" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tobias Titz[/caption] MURMURATION (LANDSCAPE) Featuring 10,000 porcelain starlings, this mind-bending installation seeks to recreate the bewildering phenomenon of 'murmuration', where large flocks of birds move effortlessly in harmony — something that scientists still haven't landed on a conclusive answer for. Simultaneously, Cai's intricate work also resembles the undulating slopes of Mount Li, a culturally and spiritually significant place that was chosen by Emperor Qin Shihuang to house his giant terracotta army. Meanwhile, each of the birds in the artwork were produced in Cai's hometown of Quanzhou, which has strong traditions of crafting high-quality white porcelain. However, Cai used gunpowder to ignite his flock into a dramatic shade of black. [caption id="attachment_723262" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tobias Titz[/caption] FLOW (CYPRESS) Like peonies, cypress trees have long been an important emblem in ancient Chinese history. Symbolising resilience and integrity in art and literature, this large-scale creation saw Cai draw with gunpowder and mimic what's known in Chinese as dimai, or 'veins of the earth'. According to feng shui, the Chinese study of energy forces, locations that feature distinct valleys and rivers represent the earth's most abundant settings and have been chosen throughout ancient history as the sites for tombs and other places of supreme importance. This work depicts China's Central Plains, which is considered to be the birthplace of the concepts of yin and yang, Taoism, and the starting point for 400 years of the Han Dynasty. TERRACOTTA WARRIORS [caption id="attachment_723265" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sean Fennessy[/caption] ARMOURED MILITARY OFFICER With an estimated 8000 terracotta warriors buried at the Xi'an excavation site, so far only about 2000 have managed to be successfully removed. However, what has astounded experts is that every figure they've managed to unearth has its own unique attributes, whether that be the uniforms they're wearing, the weapons they carry or the hairstyles of the people. This fact has led many to believe that each of the warriors could actually represent a real-life person from Emperor Qin's army of the time. [caption id="attachment_723264" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sean Fennessy[/caption] KNEELING ARCHER Discovered in one of the excavation site's enormous pits, the kneeling archers are some of the Terracotta Army's best-preserved items that have been discovered to date. Highly realistic with their armour and facial expressions crafted in stunning detail, on average, the kneeling archers stand at about 1.2-metres-tall and are considered absolute masterpieces of ancient Chinese sculpture. It's said that the craftspeople responsible for the Terracotta Warriors paid extra careful attention to the kneeling arches, which can be seen in the stitching on their shoes and the immaculately produced armour plating. [caption id="attachment_723263" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sean Fennessy[/caption] MYTHICAL CREATURE The huge cache of ancient marvels didn't just include thousands of soldiers. For his journey into the afterlife, Emperor Qin decided that he'd need a host of other possessions, people and creatures to help him on his way. So far, archaeologists who remain hard at work digging through the earth have found a wealth of civilian figurines, carriages and even animals, including this remarkably preserved pair of mythical creatures. From singers and acrobats to strongmen, other findings include bronze cranes, horses and suits of armour, plus a host of buildings from his own imperial palace such as halls, stables and offices. Terracotta Warriors: Guardians of Immortality and Cai Guo-Qiang: The Transient Landscape will both be on display at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne until Sunday, October 13. Admission is $30 for adults and includes entry to both exhibitions. You can buy tickets at the gallery or in advance here. Images: courtesy NGV International.
The idea is that you dress in camouflage (see above) or as a zebra — not because sharks don't like zebras, but because the black-and-white stripey look signals poison. Rather than go in for the attack, the nearest great white will either fail to see you at all or avoid you like the plague. Australian company Shark Mitigation Systems (SAMS) worked in conjunction with the University of Western Australia's Ocean Institute to develop the technology. The institute, led by Professor Shaun Collin and Professor Nathan Hart, have been studying the workings of shark sight for years. Among their discoveries are that our predatory friends see in black and white, and that their vision is the sense upon which they depend during the decisive moments leading up to attack. 'Many animals are repelled by a striped pattern, which indicates the potential prey is unsafe to eat,' Collin told the BBC. In initial tests, dummies wearing old school black wet suits were attacked by passing tiger sharks, while those in the stripey numbers were ignored. The onset of summer will see further trials. The impact on the behaviour of great whites remains to be seen. Over the past two years, shark attacks have caused five fatalities in Australian waters and New Zealand suffered its first fatality in over 30 years recently. 'Everyone's looking for a solution, everyone's nervous about going in the water now,' SAMS entrepreneur Craig Anderson said. However, Ali Hood, conservation director for the UK's Shark Trust, pointed out that, 'To suggest that "everyone's nervous of entering the water" is rather strong . . . Sadly, a great number of the fatalities attributed to sharks occur in avoidable circumstances'. She suggested that, relative to the growth in the masses of people engaging in water sports, the number of shark attacks has not increased. SAMS technology has also been applied to stickers, which are said to transform surfboards, water skis, kayaks and underwater air tanks into shark deterrent objects. This weekend, SAMS makes an appearance on National Geographic's documentary, Australia's Deadliest: Shark Coast. [via Grind TV]
History is repeating in the latest change to Fortitude Valley's music scene. When disco started to wane in popularity from the late 70s and early 80s, rock slid in to help take its place — and that's exactly what's now happened on McLachlan Street in Alhambra Lounge's former home. In October 2022, the space welcomed in SuperFly Disco, which even sported a light-up dance floor. Half a year later, the retro nightclub has been reborn as SuperFly Studios, and now focuses on live tunes. The new approach kicked in at the beginning of March 2023, complete with a hefty stage and sound system to match. In its rebranded guise, SuperFly can fit in 400 people, and also now welcomes in patrons for free — including until 3am on Friday and Saturday nights. The dress code is also more casual, too. And, in the future, Thursday and Sunday gigs are on the agenda. Given that the venue always hailed from the Drunken Monkey Group team, which also boasts Brooklyn Standard and Suzie Wong's Good Time Bar in its portfolio, the switch from DJs to bands is hardly surprising. A bonus: Superfly Studios can now ensure that the company can host larger shows and names. In its initial form, SuperFly leaned into the tunes, attitude and decor of five decades back, including a fitout boasting walls of records, neon lights, disco balls aplenty — including in the bathrooms — and murals featuring famous music faces from the bar's celebrated era. Some of that remains, including mirrored tiles and all that vinyl, but you'll now spot Amy Winehouse, for instance, gracing the plaster. Drinks-wise, the venue pours beers and classic cocktails, with its bartenders still on hand to mix something up.
The movies have come to Downton Abbey and Violet Crawley, the acid-tongued Dowager Countess of Grantham so delightfully played by Maggie Smith (The Lady in the Van) since 2010, is none too fussed about it. "Hard same," all but the most devoted fans of the upstairs-downstairs TV drama may find themselves thinking as she expresses that sentiment — at least where Downton Abbey: A New Era, an exercise in extending the series/raking in more box-office cash, is concerned. Violet, as only she can, declares she'd "rather eat pebbles" than watch a film crew at work within the extravagant walls of her family's home. The rest of us mightn't be quite so venomous, but that's not the same as being entertained. The storyline involving said film crew is actually one of the most engaging parts of A New Era; however, the fact that much of it is clearly ripped off from cinematic classic Singin' in the Rain speaks volumes, and gratingly. When the first Downton Abbey flick brought its Yorkshire mansion-set shenanigans to cinemas back in 2019, it felt unnecessary, too, but also offered what appeared to be a last hurrah and a final chance to spend time with beloved characters. Now, the repeat effort feels like keeping calm and soldiering on because there's more pounds to be made. Don't believe the title: while A New Era proclaims that change is afoot, and some of its narrative dramas nod to the evolving world when the 1920s were coming to a close, the movie itself is happy doing what Downton Abbey always has — and in a weaker version. There's zero reason other than financial gain for this film to unspool its tale in theatres rather than as three TV episodes, which is what it may as well have tacked together. Well, perhaps there's one: having Lady Mary Talbot (Michelle Dockery, Anatomy of a Scandal) proclaim that "we have to be able to enter the 1930s with our heads held high" and set the expectation that more features will probably follow. A New Era begins with a wedding, picking up where its predecessor left off as former chauffeur Tom Branson (Allen Leech, Bohemian Rhapsody) marries Lucy Smith (Tuppence Middleton, Mank) with everyone expected — the well-to-do Crawleys and their relatives, plus their maids, butlers, cooks, footmen and other servants — in attendance. But the film really starts with two revelations that disrupt the Downton status quo. Firstly, Violet receives word that she's inherited a villa in the south of France from an ex-paramour, who has recently passed away. His surviving wife (Nathalie Baye, Call My Agent!) is displeased with the arrangement, threatening lawsuits, but his son (Jonathan Zaccaï, The White Crow) invites the Crawleys to visit to hash out the details. Secondly, a movie production wants to use Downton for a shoot, which the pragmatic Mary talks the family into because — paralleling the powers-that-be behind A New Era itself — the aristocratic brood would like the money. With Violet's health waning, she stays home while son Robert (Hugh Bonneville, Paddington 2) and his wife Cora (Elizabeth McGovern, The Commuter) journey to the Riviera — as part of a cohort that also includes retired butler Mr Carson (Jim Carter, Swimming with Men), who's determined to teach his French counterparts British standards. And, as the Dowager Countess remains in Yorkshire exclaiming she'd "rather earn a living down a mine" than make movies, potential family secrets are bubbling up abroad. That subplot takes a cue or two from Mamma Mia!; Downton Abbey creator and writer Julian Fellowes must've watched several musicals while scripting. Violet also notes that she "thought the best thing about films is that I couldn't hear them", because the production helmed by Jack Barber (Hugh Dancy, Late Night), and led by stars Guy Dexter (Dominic West, The Pursuit of Love) and Myrna Dalgleish (Laura Haddock, Transformers: The Last Knight), has hit a period-appropriate snag: talkies are the new hot thing, but their flick is silent. 2022 marks two decades since Fellowes won an Oscar for writing what remains his finest achievement yet: the fellow upstairs-downstairs affair Gosford Park. It doesn't do A New Era's viewers much good to dwell on that fact while watching his latest, which is directed by My Week with Marilyn, Woman in Gold and Goodbye Christopher Robin's Simon Curtis as if he simply had a job to get on with. Noticeably, despite the lavish setting and decor that's a fixed part of the franchise, as well as the handsome costuming, Curtis' vision of Downton looks flat and functional rather than gleaming — almost like being stuck with a TV with the always-abhorrent motion-smoothing settings left on. The French-set scenes appear lighter and brighter, purely due to the switch from old-world stateliness to coastal airiness, but hardly dazzle visually either. If a Downton Abbey movie doesn't make the most of its bigger canvas, serves up stories cobbled together from other films, gets soapier otherwise and doesn't have all that much of Maggie Smith in it — even if she makes the utmost of the time she does get on-screen — it's always going to prove a lesser jaunt. That can't be patched over by the winking knowingness of tasking Downton's residents with verbalising how inelegant it is to make a picture there, while also recognising how great the cash is; instead of tongue-in-cheek, that meta choice just lands awkwardly. And, although the returning cast do exactly what their parts call for, with so many players to shoehorn in this can never be a performance-driven piece. Unsurprisingly, some of the feature's best work comes from its newcomers, with Dancy and West both fine additions — and enjoying romantic threads that, while thin, don't just tick boxes as the majority of the screenplay does elsewhere. Also blatant: that the servants are firmly shortchanged, but butler Barrow (Rob James-Collier, Fate: The Winx Saga), kitchen maid Daisy (Sophie McShera, The Queen's Gambit) and Mary's maid Anna (Joanne Froggatt, Angela Black) fare best. Sometimes, A New Era imitates thumbing through a photo album — spotting adored faces fleetingly, recalling old times in the process and, well, that's it. For the most ardent of Downton Abbey devotees, getting another go-around with the show's figures may be enjoyable enough, but this film is all about that easy comfort, nostalgia and familiarity above all else. It's there when John Lunn's score kicks in early, lingers through the all-too-neat ups and downs, and remains when Dockery virtually announces that if this flick does big-enough box-office business, then more's likely to come. Top image: Ben Blackall / © 2021 Focus Features, LLC.
Dumpster diving found itself well and truly Brooklynised over the weekend, when 20 diners feasted on day-old bread, bruised apricots and super ripe bananas in a old Williamsburg dumpster. Brooklyn-based initiative Salvage Supperclub served up course after course of revisualised foods deemed unworthy for selling — wilting vegetables, semi-stale loaves and old cookies. Held once a month to make a big public statement about sustainability and how much food we throw away for aesthetic reasons, Salvage Supperclub was developed by Josh Treuhaft, an MFA in Design for Social Innovation at New York's School of Visual Arts. Linked to his own graduate thesis, 'Eat Everything', and raising funds for a non-profit, Treuhaft teamed up with chef Celia Lam (Manhattan's Natural Gourmet Institute) to create the entirely vegetarian menu. The pair dropped by Migliorelli Farm, Bushwick Food Coop and Natural Gourmet Institute to collect ingredients — the chipped, bruised and totally edible vegie heroes who would have found themselves in a dumpster anyway. With only 20 spots at the table, the Salvage dining experience was one of NYC's one-to-brag-about tickets this weekend. All proceeds from the $50-a-plate dinner were donated to the US non-profit organisation Culinary Corps. With diners happily seated at a long bench snuggled inside the dumpster, chef Lam served up a dazzling six-course tasting menu on old subway tiles — we're talking rescued root vegetable fettuccine, super ripe banana custard with captured cookie crust — alongside a cheeky illegal champagne cocktail hour. Lam took time to explain to guests the rewards from working with 'spoiled' foods — bruised fruits are better for pureeing, for example. While the stunt might cause many an "Oh, Williamsburg," head shake, Salvage has harnessed that pressing sustainability conundrum for well-off, aesthetically obsessed countries. Just because it's ugly, doesn't mean it's inedible. Via Pixable and Grub Street.
Across two seasons in 2016 and 2018, Fleabag was the only dramedy that mattered. If you weren't watching Phoebe Waller-Bridge's smash hit, you were hearing all about it from everyone you knew. If you were watching it, you were then rewatching it — and, of course, telling all of your friends. But before it was a hit TV series, Fleabag was a one-woman theatre show. That history behind Phoebe Waller-Bridge's award-winning series isn't new news, of course. As the television version of Fleabag kept picking up accolades — a BAFTA for Best Female Performance in a Comedy for its writer/creator/star; Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series; Best Actress and Best Television Series Golden Globes; and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series among them — that past was well-known. But if you haven't seen the OG stage production, a recorded version of that stunning performance is coming back to the big screen Down Under. The story remains the same, charting an incredibly relatable tale of trying to balance work, life, love and the like. When it was playing theatres from 2013–2019 after premiering at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Fleabag was just as applauded. And, as plenty of hit UK productions are, it was filmed by NT Live, then beamed into cinemas. It's that recording that's heading to picture palaces across Australia again from July 13, complete with Waller-Bridge stepping through the story of Fleabag's titular character. Captured at London's Wyndham's Theatre, it initially started doing the rounds for filmgoers in 2019. Indeed, that debut silver-screen stint broke box-office records. If you're unfamiliar with the TV show, let alone the theatre production before it, Fleabag's existence is perhaps best described as chaotic. Friends, family, job interviews, keeping a guinea pig-themed cafe afloat — they're just the beginning. The idea behind it came at one of Waller-Bridge's pal's storytelling nights, as a challenge to create a character for a ten-minute slot. Timing-wise, Fleabag returns to the big screen just a couple of weeks after Waller-Bridge gets adventurous with Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Check out the trailer for NT Live's Fleabag encore season below: Fleabag returns to Australian cinemas from July 13, 2023. Images: Matt Humphrey.
Some dishes are as straightforward as they sound, and omurice — aka omelette rice — is one of them. It's an omelette made with fried rice, then typically topped with sauce. Yes, it's an easy concept to get around; however, not all versions of this western-influenced Japanese eggs-plus-rice staple are made equal. Indeed, trying Kichi Kichi Omurice's in Kyoto might be on your travel bucket list. Chef Motokichi Yukimura's viral-famous take on the dish has made him an internet star — the term "Japan's most-famous omurice chef" has been used — and seen his eatery become a tourist destination. As of January 2024, it's no longer doing bookings in advance, in fact. Now, diners are only able to make reservations on the same day they're eating, and need a password that's placed on the restaurant's door each morning to lock in their seating. But if you'd like the Kichi Kichi Omurice experience without the airfares, that's about to become a reality in Australia for four nights only – two apiece in Sydney and Brisbane. Yukimura is heading Down Under in February and March 2024 to hit up Harajuku Gyoza, and show why the dish he's been making for over 45 years is such a hit. The chef is doing 'meet and eat' events in both cities, cooking everyone who attends his specialty — and putting on a show, complete with his Kichi Kichi Omurice song and dance. Folks in Sydney are headed to Harajuku Gyoza Darling Harbour on Tuesday, February 27 and Thursday, February 29. For Brisbanites, your destination is Harajuku Gyoza Albert Lane in Brisbane from Sunday, March 3–Monday, March 4. In Sydney, tickets cost $290 for two people, with sittings at 5pm, 6pm, 7pm and 8pm on both days. Brisbane's tickets are $250 for two, with 11am, 6pm, 7pm and 8pm sittings on the Sunday and 5pm, 6pm, 7pm and 8pm sessions on the Monday. That price covers tucking into Yukimura's omurice, plus Harajuku Gyoza's sushi tacos, mozzarella gyoza and dessert bao — and meeting the chef. Harajuku Gyoza advises that Yukimura's last international event notched up 50,000 booking enquiries, so expect tickets to get snapped up quickly. Motokichi Yukimura will be at Harajuku Gyoza Darling Harbour in Sydney on Tuesday, February 27 and Thursday, February 29, then at Harajuku Gyoza Albert Lane in Brisbane from Sunday, March 3–Monday, March 4. Head to the eatery's website for further details and bookings.
If you wanted to use Studio Ghibli's name as an adjective, it could mean many things, including beautiful, playful, moving, heartwarming, thoughtful and bittersweet. Thanks to the overwhelmingly delightful combination of these traits in the company's work to-date, everyone knows a Ghibli film when they see it, as has proven the case for almost four decades. But, seven years after When Marnie Was There, its last solo production — and five years since its French co-production The Red Turtle — the beloved Japanese animation house has released a movie that doesn't slide instantly and easily into its gorgeous and affecting catalogue. The studio's first film made solely using computer-generated 3D animation, Earwig and the Witch immediately stands out thanks to its plastic-looking visuals. And, despite the fact that it's about a determined young girl, features a witch, and even includes a talking cat and other helpful tiny critters, it never completely feels like a classic Ghibli film either. Earwig and the Witch boasts plenty of other ingredients that link it to the studio's past. It's based on a novel by English author Diana Wynne Jones, who penned the book that Howl's Moving Castle was based on. It's directed by Gorō Miyazaki, who helmed fellow Ghibli films Tales from Earthsea and From Up on Poppy Hill, and happens to be the son of the great Hayao Miyazaki. Also, the elder Miyazaki initially planned the project, even if he didn't ultimately write the script or step behind the camera. On-screen, the eponymous Earwig (Kokoro Hirasawa) follows in the footsteps of Spirited Away's Chihiro and Kiki's Delivery Service's titular figure. The witch referred to in the film's name recalls Spirited Away's Yubaba, too, and the movie's food-fetching little demons bring My Neighbour Totoro and Spirited Away's susuwatari to mind as well. Indeed, despite eschewing hand-drawn animation for CGI, almost everything about Earwig and the Witch is designed to scream Ghibli — calculatingly so — but that isn't enough to give the movie the depth or heart that has become synonymous with the company's cinematic output. Viewers first meet Earwig as a baby. After trying to shake off the dozen other witches chasing them along a highway, her mother (Sherina Munaf) leaves her on an orphanage's doorstep, promising to return after her never-explained troubles subside. Ten years later, Earwig still roams the facility's halls. She brags to her offsider Custard (Yusei Saito) that she knows how to get its staff and its residents to bend to her will — and whip up shepherd's pie on demand — and she actively doesn't want to be adopted by the couples who stop by looking to expand their families. But when Earwig is chosen by witch Bella Yaga (Shinobu Terajima) and sorcerer The Mandrake (Etsushi Toyokawa), she has no option but to relocate to their enchanted cottage. Bella Yaga doesn't want a daughter, however. Instead, she's after an assistant to cook, clean and crush rat bones for her spells. And so, seeing a chance to learn magic herself, Earwig isn't willing to acquiesce easily. A by-the-numbers Ghibli movie is still better than many other films, especially of the family-friendly variety. Earwig and the Witch is average rather than awful, too, but there's no escaping that the picture is trying to do two competing things at once. Ticking off as many of the studio's recognisable traits as possible is one of the movie's clear aims. Trying to squeeze Ghibli's sensibilities into the broader anime mould is the other. Accordingly, even with so much of Earwig and the Witch drawing upon the company's own earlier work, the picture's pace, energy and heavy use of theme song 'Don't Disturb Me' seem inspired by recent non-Ghibli hits such as Your Name, Weathering With You and Ride Your Wave. It's an odd mix, as is the feeling that the studio is both treading water and chasing its competitors, rather than blazing forward and carving its own path. Also doing Earwig and the Witch few favours is its thin narrative, which is as straightforward as it sounds, including in the simplistic message of acceptance that's geared towards its younger audience members. Indeed, this might be Ghibli's most child-oriented film yet — skewing firmly to one end of the all-ages spectrum, rather than layering in the texture and detail that has regaled the studio's works to adults as much as kids. Interesting plot points arise but go nowhere, for instance. A backstory involving a witchy rock group begs for more attention, as does Bella Yaga's business selling spells to townsfolk to stop rain and win hearts, and The Mandrake's secret but never sinister activities in his hidden den. There's no faulting Earwig and the Witch's fondness for talking cat Thomas (Gaku Hamada), who becomes Earwig's ally, but the movie frequently teases far more than it's willing to deliver in its 82-minute running time. It also comes to an end abruptly, making its storyline feel half-finished. That said, when Earwig and the Witch does shine, Ghibli's usual magic starts to peek through. Viewers just have to look harder than normal to uncover the film's modest charms, rather than be gifted with a non-stop, free-flowing array of the studio's wonders. More vivid and hyperreal than the company's regular nature-inspired palette, the movie's colour choices prove a highlight. So do the short flirtations with darkness and weirdness, which all centre around The Mandrake, a character who could've used more screen time. Its central tune is a welcome earworm, and when the picture leans into its sense of humour, it's all the better for it. Perhaps those joys are harder to notice, though, because so much of watching Earwig and the Witch involves spotting how different it looks. The smooth, glossy animation couldn't sum up movie better, however, appearing as generic as almost everything in this slight, bright, likeable but rarely memorable addition to Studio Ghibli's filmography. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZg2iEf-fTA&feature=youtu.be
Love quirky facts? Spent your life amassing the kind of details that will probably never come in handy? Consider yourself a whiz at every trivia night around town? If so, you're probably a QI fan — and an avid listener of No Such Thing As a Fish. The former is, of course, the long-running British comedy panel quiz. The latter is the popular, award-winning podcast hosted by four of the show's researchers, aka the folks putting in the hard yards to come up with amusing pieces of information you didn't know you needed to know. Series staffers Dan Schreiber, James Harkin, Anna Ptaszynski and Andrew Hunter Murray aren't just finding tidbits for a raft of English comedians, or spending their spare time sharing the most bizarre facts they've come across over the last seven days, however. Come May 2018, they're also heading to Australia to shower our shores with trivia morsels. The live version of the podcast will include a live recording, so your laughter might be immortalised forever, plus a round up of the most astonishing things the team have discovered from the year's news. It has been a busy couple of years for the group, with their last UK and European tour proving a sell-out, and their 187 episodes to date scoring more than 55 million downloads. As Schreiber explains, "we started as four dorks sitting around a single microphone trying to make each other laugh. Things have changed a bit since we started — we now have four microphones — but it's a thrill to know there are hundreds of thousands of other people who love the same wild and hilarious facts that we do." No Such Thing As a Fish heads to The Comedy Theatre, Melbourne on May 12, the Sydney Opera House on May 15 and Brisbane's Queensland Performing Arts Centre on May 17. Tickets go on sale at 10am on November 1, with a pre-sale from midday on October 30. Check out the podcast's website for further details.
Gumboots at the ready: after a pandemic-enforced break, then a smaller tour in 2022, Groovin the Moo is returning in 2023 with a full nationwide run. The large-scale touring music festival will head to six different states and territories across April and May, finally marking a comeback in Western Australia, South Australia or Queensland — and returning to New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria as well. In the Sunshine State, it's also stopping at a new location — one closer to Brisbane, which is ace news for southeast Queenslanders. That destination: the Sunshine Coast. When it hits the state, and WA and SA as well, GTM will host fests in each of those parts of the country for the first time since 2019. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Groovin the Moo (@groovinthemoo) For folks in Queensland's north, GTM is sad not to be coming to Townsville in 2023, but had to adjust to pandemic-era logistical challenges and increased financial pressures. "We are so happy to be able to do a full tour across the country in 2023. We have missed you terribly and can't wait to bring back the good times around the country, said GTM's Steve Halpin. "Whilst we are very sad not be returning to Townsville, we look forward to bringing GTM to the Sunshine Coast." [caption id="attachment_885444" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ash Caygill[/caption] It's a tad too early for a lineup announcement as yet, but cross your fingers for another impressive roster of talent when the festival bill does drop. For reference, 2022's included everyone from Peking Duk, Montaigne, Masked Wolf and Middle Kids through to Hilltop Hoods and Spiderbait, plus New Zealanders Broods and Chai, Germany's Milky Chance, and Wolf Alice, Thomas Headon, Riton and Snakehips from the UK. [caption id="attachment_885447" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] GROOVIN THE MOO 2023 DATES AND VENUES: Friday, April 21 — Adelaide Showground, Kaurna Country, Wayville, SA Saturday, April 22 — Maitland Showground, Wonnarua Country, Maitland, NSW Sunday, April 23 — Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC), Ngambri and Ngunnawal Country, Mitchell, ACT Saturday, April 29 — Bendigo's Prince of Wales Showgrounds, Dja Dja Wurrung Country, Bendigo, VIC Sunday, April 30 — Kawana Sports Western Precinct, Kabi Kabi and Jinibara Country, Warana, QLD Saturday, May 6 — Hay Park, Wardandi Noongar Country, Bunbury, WA Groovin the Moo will tour Australia in April and May 2023. We'll update you with lineup details when they're announced. For more information in the interim, head to the festival's website. Top images: Ruby Boyland, Ash Caygill and Chloe Hall.
Hollywood is giving video games to the film and TV treatment like it's collecting loot, with Borderlands the latest button-mashing favourite heading to cinemas. Cate Blanchett (The New Boy) as Lilith, Kevin Hart (Lift) as Roland, Jack Black (The Super Mario Bros Movie) voicing Claptrap, Eli Roth (Thanksgiving) writing and directing, treasure-hunting antics, seemingly trying to make the next Guardians of the Galaxy: that's all in store, as the just-dropped first trailer for the movie shows. Set for an August 2024 release, the Borderlands film isn't done with its familiar names and faces yet. Everything Everywhere All At Once Oscar-winner Jamie Lee Curtis also features, alongside everyone from Edgar Ramírez (Dr Death) and Ariana Greenblatt (Barbie) to Florian Munteanu (Creed III) and Gina Gershon (reteaming with Roth after Thanksgiving). And the tale they're telling? It focuses on bounty hunter Lilith's return to the chaotic Pandora, her home planet — and a "dumpster fire of a world", she notes — to find Atlas' (Ramírez) missing daughter. To do so, she needs assistance from mercenary Roland, demolitionist Tiny Tina (Greenblatt), the beefy Krieg (Munteanu) and scientist Tannis (Curtis) — and, from robot Claptrap, with Black lending his voice to another flick based on a hugely popular game after his stint as Bowser in 2023. In the colourful debut sneak peek, mayhem ensues as the movie's main crew navigate bandits and aliens, and have saving the universe as one of their aims. So, if you're new to all things Borderlands and this first glimpse at the film has you thinking of Guardians of the Galaxy, that's understandable. The vibe invites the comparison, right down to the use of a 70s hit: Electric Light Orchestra's 'Do Ya'. A film version of Borderlands has been in the works for almost a decade, with the game itself first arriving in 2009 and spawning three more so far in its main series — 2012's Borderlands 2, 2014's Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and 2019's Borderlands 3 — plus a number of spinoffs. Shot in 2021 but finally hitting screens in 2024, the Borderlands flick comes after 2023 proved big for game adaptations thanks to The Super Mario Bros Movie, the TV take on The Last of Us and cinema's Five Nights at Freddy's. 2024 will also deliver a Fallout streaming series, plus the third Sonic the Hedgehog movie. The list of upcoming titles doesn't end there, either, including turning The Legend of Zelda into a live-action film. Check out the trailer for Borderlands below: Borderlands will release in cinemas releases in US cinemas on August 9 — we'll update you with a Down Under release date when one is confirmed. Images: courtesy of Lionsgate.
Direct flights from Australia's east coast to New York — and London, too — are on their way, with Qantas committing to make the massive trips from 2025. But first, the Aussie airline is heading non-stop from Auckland to the Big Apple. The carrier has announced two pieces of exciting news for travellers Down Under, both of which might change your holiday plans from 2023 onwards. Firstly, it's starting those direct Auckland–New York routes, kicking off on June 14. Secondly, it's recommencing flying to NY in general, including a new Sydney–Auckland–New York flight. Initially, the new service will run three days a week, starting in Sydney before soaring non-stop from NZ to NY. The latter part will take a whopping 16 hours, which is slightly shorter than the 17-hour direct Perth–London route that first hit the air back in 2018, but will still be a mammoth undertaking. Yes, time feels like it means nothing when you're on one plane for that long. Yes, if you're keen on as few stopovers as possible whenever you're jetting around the world, that hefty non-stop leg is worth it. When Qantas returns to NY for the first time in three years due to the pandemic, travellers will be flying on Boeing 787 Dreamliners, with the airline taking delivery of three new aircraft in 2023. If you now know what you're doing next winter — enjoying a hot NY summer, obviously — the Sydney–Auckland–New York flights have just gone on sale today, Thursday, August 25. The airline will also increase its daily services from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne to Auckland from six to 11 when the new route commences, to help Aussies can take advantage of it. In flying direct from NZ to NYC, Qantas follows in the footsteps of Air New Zealand, which announced its plans back in 2019 and will start the route in September 2022. Qantas will restart flying to New York via its new Sydney–Auckland–New York route from June 14, 2023. For more information or to make a booking, head to the airline's website.
Wellington's inner heart beats with an amazing cultural offering all of its own. As New Zealand's capital, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the city is all political banter and suits. However, this microcosm of creatives is actually a place where artistry, quirkiness and creative risk taking are celebrated within one of the richest arts environs in the southern hemisphere. Best of all, you can walk anywhere in the inner city in around twenty minutes, tops. On any given night, you'll find something happening, whether it's a poetry reading, a new art showing, book launch, gig or interpretive theatre piece. If you're looking for entertaining sights during the day, you'll find Wellington's cultural identity woven along its beautiful waterfront, and tucked into its streets and laneways. Depending on the time of year, one of Wellington's many epic, internationally acclaimed arts festivals and shows might be lighting up its spaces — among them the Lit Crawl, Jazz Festival, Cubadupa, World of Wearable Arts or the New Zealand Festival (held in even years). The creatives of Wellington are wild, rigorous, obscure and genius all at once. They know how to make their own fun, and then take it to the world. Step into their home. CATCH A FLICK AT THE ICONIC EMBASSY THEATRE Wellington's Embassy Theatre is a jewel in the city's film history. The old bird has perched at the end of Courtenay Place, at the base of Mt Vic since 1924. And there's no better place to view a film in the city, whether it's a blockbuster or an arthouse piece. Maintained to the grandeur of old film theatres of yesteryear, the Embassy has hosted each world premier of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films. Each year, the picture palace also hosts the New Zealand International Film Festival. Before or after your film, pay a visit to the old orchestra pit, which is now home to the Shelley Indyk-designed cocktail bar, The Black Sparrow. With its cocktail menu full of litterati and film references, the bar is the perfect spot for a tipple while you wait for your film upstairs to start, or a post-picture nightcap. [caption id="attachment_636658" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Te Papa.[/caption] BROWSE THE LATEST EXHIBITION AT TE PAPA Should you run into inclement weather during your Wellington stay, look to Te Papa Tongarewa, the national museum of New Zealand. An excellent spot to sink a few hours, its floors of world-standard exhibitions and history are truly fascinating. Learn a bit about New Zealand itself in the permanent exhibitions, and venture to Nga Toi on level five for a revolving glimpse into Te Papa's extensive art collections — you could see anything from an early Picasso sketch to a Venice Biennale entrant. When it comes to exhibitions, the large spaces in the museum have hosted everything from gargantuan bugs to Monets and Warhols, making it a true lucky dip experience. [caption id="attachment_636607" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Stars Are Underground via Flickr[/caption] SEE A GIG AT ONE OF THE CITY'S MANY MUSIC VENUES If ever there was a place where you can find consistently good acts from Wellington and beyond, it's in the underground gig venues of the city — well not really underground, they're pretty well signposted. They're the home turf of a whole heap of great local bands — Fazerdaze, Mermaidens and Flight of the Conchords, for example — and they've all started out with Friday and Saturday gigs at either Meow, San Fran or MOON. This is where set lists are refined, live performances honed and fans made, all in intimate settings, and all with beers in hand and forgiving audiences who come out looking for a musical treat. Join them in the search for sonic gold, and you'll be rewarded. [caption id="attachment_636441" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Enjoy Public Art Gallery[/caption] VISIT THE CUBA ART QUARTER Wellington's Cuba Street is known far and wide for its offbeat inhabitants and kooky spirit. A street that was once considered shady in the '80s has come into its own with an eclectic blend of art, vintage and antiques. The best street style can be found here, while the block around Cuba and Ghuznee has some of the best art and dealers in the country. The iconic Peter McLeavey Gallery has been selling art from Cuba Street since 1968, and its neighbour, the kookier Enjoy Gallery, is famed for its non-commercial artist-run initiative MO (as well as its annual art sale). Hamish McKay, Bartley & Company and Suite Gallery up the street round out a robust, artful offering in the heart of the city. [caption id="attachment_636598" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Tony via Flickr[/caption] TAKE A STROLL ALONG WELLINGTON WRITERS WALK Opened in 2002 during the NZ International Festival of the Arts (New Zealand Festival's previous moniker), the Wellington Writers Walk is a project of the New Zealand Society of Authors. It's a beautiful route, mapped along the waters of the Wellington Harbour, that consists of 19 text sculptures. Each work features a quotation about the city from a piece of prose or poetry, penned not only by some of the world's best writers, but by scribes who made Wellington their home at some point in their lives. Writers featured on the walk include luminaries such as Katherine Mansfield, James K. Baxter, Lauris Edmond, Fiona Kidman, Patricia Grace and Maurice Gee. Art, literature and bracing beautiful sea air — it doesn't get much more Wellington than that. You can pick up a map of the walk from the Wellington i-SITE. Maybe you've been to Auckland, maybe you've gone to the snow in Queensland, but now it's time to set your sights on Wellington. The harbourside city may be compact, but that only makes for excellent walkability from its excellent restaurants, cafes and bars to its cultural hot spots and around the great outdoors. Use our planning guide to book your trip, then sort out your Wellington hit list with our food and drink, culture and outdoor guides.
UPDATE: May 1, 2020: Ad Astra is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. When humanity soars into space, what do we hope to find? Every mission beyond the earth has considered this question, as has almost every movie on the subject. Now, it bubbles inside James Gray's Ad Astra. Initially in this thoughtful and thrilling near-future set film, the answer seems simple. A dedicated astronaut whose calm nature earns him ample praise, Major Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) has been tasked with literally following in his long-lost father's (Tommy Lee Jones) footsteps. But this quest couldn't be more complicated, with Roy trying to stop a threatening series of interstellar power surges, working through his issues with the assumed-dead dad he's always tried to emulate, and grappling with his place in a mysterious, expansive universe. In his earthbound but also stellar 2016 film The Lost City of Z, Gray contemplated a comparable conundrum, telling the true tale of British explorer Percy Fawcett's trek through the South American jungle. Focusing on another adventurer on both an external and internal journey, it couldn't have been a better precursor to Ad Astra, with the two movies sharing aching parallels. Wherever humankind is stranded, we're just trying to make sense of it all, the filmmaker posits — and whether we're stuck in lush tropics or desolate space, we're holding a mirror up to our souls. Seemingly sparse yet filled with endless intricacies, space suits Ad Astra's protagonist. While Pitt's measured narration gifts viewers a window into his character's head, Roy isn't forthcoming about his feelings otherwise. Again and again, he takes mandatory psychological evaluations, utters what he knows he's supposed to and passes with flying colours. In flashbacks, he's distant with his wife (Liv Tyler), and when he's joined on his new mission by one of his father's old friends (Donald Sutherland), he's unfazed. That said, Roy is unsurprisingly unsettled to learn that his dad might still be out there, and still trying to find extraterrestrial life instead of reclaiming the life he left behind. The fate of the world may be at stake, but a sea of internal turmoil accompanies his venture via the moon to Mars, all to beam his father a government-approved message. Co-writing Ad Astra's script with Ethan Gross (TV's Fringe), Gray paints Roy as someone equally fixated and haunted. Conflict rages both around and within him, as a man so accustomed to control faces existence's many uncertainties. Sometimes, the film launches physical obstacles into his path, as seen in expertly staged scenes involving rampaging moon pirates and savage space travellers. Often, of course, the hurdles are intellectual, psychological, ideological and emotional. Forty years ago, Apocalypse Now depicted a similar struggle, which won't be lost on Ad Astra's audience — but as exceptional as Francis Ford Coppola's war epic is, the comparison doesn't quite do Gray's feature justice. Ad Astra also shows signs of 2001: A Space Odyssey's influence, as all sci-fi flicks have for the past half-century; however its vision of space — complete with rampant capitalism and ol' fashioned human ruthlessness — is definitely its own. The movie also possesses its own weight and texture, as firmly entwined with its leading man. Turning in sublime performances in consecutive films, the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood actor (and also one of Ad Astra's producers) proves a commanding choice to navigate Roy's journey. Pitt's ability to simultaneously eat and emote has long been noted but, here, it's his talent for conveying so much through a silent, searching stare that ripples across the galaxy. Enlisting the ever-excellent talents of Oscar-nominated cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema (Dunkirk), Gray gives viewers plenty of time to gaze at Pitt's increasingly weary face and its quiet depths. Always a detail-oriented director, he peers just as intently at distant planets, gleaming spaceships and empty nothingness, these entrancing visions speaking volumes as well. Indeed, Ad Astra is a patient and exacting movie. It never lets a moment — or a frame or a plot development — go to waste. When it sends Roy hurtling from a towering space antenna early in the piece, for example, the sequence serves multiple purposes. As well as showing the astronaut's immense grace under pressure, it astutely illuminates the tenuous nature of his and all existence. Breathtaking, tense and gripping, the huge plummet couldn't better encapsulate this mesmerising and moving film, too — a movie that reaches for the stars, grasps them, but knows that every leap comes with a fall. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsCNKuB93BA
When Hollywood isn't bringing back beloved television shows such as Daria and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or spinning off huge hits like Game of Thrones, it's taking successful films to the small screen. The Lord of the Rings is the next beloved property in the spotlight, making the leap from the page to the cinema to your TV, with a five-season series first announced in 2017, then receiving the official go-ahead in mid-2018. Amazon Studios is the driving force behind his return to Middle-earth, adapting a television version of J.R.R. Tolkien's novels with the Tolkien Estate and Trust, publisher HarperCollins and Warner Bros. Entertainment's New Line Cinema. And before you go thinking that this'll be a simple rehash, the show's twitter account has started unveiling details about your next favourite TV program. The big news: it doesn't look like it'll be remaking events already covered by the movies. For a few weeks, the social media account has been posting maps accompanied by Lord of the Rings quotes, such as "Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky" and "One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne. In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie". This week, it welcomed fans to the Second Age — as accompanied, once again, by a Middle-earth map. While that mightn't seem like the most significant piece of information, it's worth noting. With Tolkien's best-sellers and Peter Jackson's films taking place in Third Age, it reveals that the show will be focusing on stories set before both The Fellowship of the Ring and The Hobbit. https://twitter.com/LOTRonPrime/status/1103656946509344768 Since the series was first announced, it has been widely expected that it would chart new ground rather than serve up the same details on a smaller screen. If you're a little rusty on your Lord of the Rings lore, the Second Age lasted for 3441 years, and saw the initial rise and fall of Sauron, as well as a spate of wars over the coveted rings. Elves feature prominently, and there's plenty to cover, even if Tolkien's works didn't spend that much time on the period — largely outlining the main events in an appendix to the popular trilogy. Exactly which tale Amazon's series will tell hasn't yet been revealed, and it's still way too early for even rumours about who'll be eating second breakfasts. But the show is moving ahead with JD Payne and Patrick McKay (writers with credits on the upcoming Star Trek 4 and Jungle Cruise) developing the series. "We feel like Frodo, setting out from the Shire, with a great responsibility in our care — it is the beginning of the adventure of a lifetime," said the lifelong friends when their involvement was announced. According to The Hollywood Reporter last year, Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke revealed that the series will be in production by 2020 — so expect to make a date with the first season in 2021. If you're so excited about the show that you'll settle for pouring over maps in the interim, you can do just that at Amazon's website for the series.
Only watching a single scene, merely a few minutes or just a sole episode of Such Brave Girls is impossible. With its blisteringly frank and hilarious first season in 2023, and now with its equally raw, authentic and side-splitting second run in 2025 — both streaming in Australia via Stan — letting instalment after instalment roll while binge-viewing is the natural response to pressing play on this British sitcom about three adult women in a dysfunctional family. That said, there's a line in the show's second season that couldn't sum it up better, even if you were to only ever hear one piece of dialogue from the Kat Sadler-created series. "Your mouth's doing the right thing, but your eyes are trying to call the Samaritans," Josie, her on-screen alter ego, is told when she cracks a smile. Sadler also writes Such Brave Girls, with its first season winning Best Scripted Comedy and earning her the Best Emerging Talent: Fiction award at the 2024 BAFTAs. She's drawn much within its frames from her own experiences, as well as those of her sister Lizzie Davidson, who plays Josie's sibling Billie. Across its 12 episodes to date, there isn't a second of the end result that isn't deeply perceptive, including about depression, trauma, love, financial stress and the unshakeably intertwined relationship between the latter two, to name just some of its focuses. But that Samaritans line is such an astute statement about trying and pretending — however wholeheartedly or convincingly, or willingly or not — to put on a content and settled face to the world, an idea that's at the core of Such Brave Girls again and again. As she keeps exploring the lives of not just chalk-and-cheese sisters Josie and Billie, but also of their mother Deb (Louise Brealey, Lockwood & Co) — and of Dev, (Paul Bazely, Miss Scarlet and the Duke), a quiet widower with a big house, who the family matriarch is keen on marrying; Seb (Freddie Meredith, Andor), the keen-to-wed boyfriend that the queer Josie wishes that she didn't have; and Nicky (Sam Buchanan, Just Act Normal), the womaniser that Billie refuses to see anything but good in — how does Sadler find new ways to dig into the ever-relatable concept of constantly putting on brave faces? "It is capturing the MO of the show, and that's a really interesting way to look at it," Sadler tells Concrete Playground, "because I think every character is an emblem of this fine line of dancing through this desperation going on in the family home, and capturing that through keeping up appearances." "You've got Deb, who deals with it more superficially. Similarly with Billie, who's looking for someone to love her. And then it's Josie sort of constantly weaponising her mental health as a way of trying to experience love. Every character is on the quest for it. So I think when I go about writing, I often just have my characters on the wall, and I have this theme of love that I'm always trying to dig into, and then it's about finding different ways to have that come out." When season one introduced its main figures, it plunged into Josie's mental-health struggles, the mountain of debt that Deb can't escape, and the impact of her ex-husband going out for teabags ten years earlier and never returning home — as well as Josie's sexual identity, and the need for the series' three women to discover ways to try to keep fiscally afloat. Sadler's own attempts on her life and the £20,000 that Davidson owed at the same time were firm inspirations. Another motivation for the show: making the type of no-holds-barred sitcom about these situations and themes that didn't already exist but Sadler wanted to see. "That's exactly what I wanted to do," she explains. "I wanted to capture the uniqueness in the way that we talk, and the way that I talk to my friends, and show that, because I hadn't seen that before. And I wanted to lift up a rock into our world and try to capture as much of that in as much detail with as much authenticity as possible, to open people's eyes to the way that we see the world. And show that perspective, because there wasn't a lot of that that I was seeing on-screen — and it made me sad that we didn't have a lot of that. It made me lonely." "So I was trying to capture that — and help other people feel more normal by saying that the way that they talk is the maybe the way that they talk in their family." Life brightening up isn't Such Brave Girls' journey, though. That wouldn't fit its tone, or its aim to both subvert and satirise. Most sitcoms don't have the origin story that this one does, clearly — and also don't sport the commitment not to shy away from complicated characters, from daily woes, from mental illness, and from a range of topics that many dramas don't even dig into, let alone comedies. The again-exceptional season two begins with Josie chasing a crush, then swiftly being trapped in her worst nightmare: marrying Seb. Deb is endeavouring to use the nuptials to show to Dev that the family's women are worth getting hitched to, while Billie is intent on locking in a sugar-daddy relationship with the much-older — and already-wed — Graham (Daniel Ryan, The Bay). Most sitcoms also don't ensure, no matter what else Josie, Billie and Deb are navigating — be it weddings, infatuations, affairs, boat trips, potential pregnancies, rivals and so much more — that worrying about money isn't something that dissipates. That's another of Such Brave Girls' profoundly relatable touches. Interrogating the connection between love and finances is not the status quo for the bulk of television comedies, either. The feeling of catharsis for its creator, whether in processing her own experiences into something where Josie can make different choices, turning pain into laughs or seeing a show built with such a commitment to authenticity in such a range of ways resonating with audiences, stands out for Such Brave Girls, too. Alongside those themes of romance and money, as well as her own emotional journey with the show, we also spoke with Sadler about discovering the tone and feel for the series, and how season one's BAFTA success empowered her for season two. Among our topics as well: finding new scenarios to put Josie, Bille and Deb in the second time around, plus standing in Josie's shoes for 12 episodes now. On Financial Stress as a Daily Reality Always Sitting at the Heart of the Series — and How Love and Money Intersect "I love having a theme. And I think when you keep it on theme, the whole series will feel unified and keep the characters together — and that's the rubber dinghy that these characters are all stranded in and the ocean: financial stress. And if anything grows or moves or changes the way they're dealing with it, then the whole boat goes over. So it's all about keeping the characters on track and having that be the theme that we're constantly exploring. Like, when I start writing, I have love and money, that's my really strong theme of this year — and last year, too. I think that's what makes the characters feel relatable, and what is exciting to me as a writer is that it is fundamentally about love at its core. Even though the characters are horrible to each other and narcissists and all these things, their quest is fundamentally to be loved — but it's just these toxic ways they go about it. That was what was interesting to me as a writer in series two, was the kind of way that money relates to that. And Deb's quest for that, quest for money, is really about showing her love to the girls by keeping the house there, and keeping everyone safe and surviving. But we deal with it in these kind of toxic ways. So I do want to show that love and money really intersect in lots of ways that you might not be expecting." On Finding the Tone and Feel of the Show From Its Personal Origins for Both Sadler and Her Sister, and with Its Range of Topics That Not Even Dramas Always Cover "I think it went through lots of different versions. There was a while in which I suddenly thought 'oh gosh, am I writing a comedy-drama? Am I writing a drama?' in some of the stuff I dealt with. And then I think I had to stop and reassess and decide what I wanted to make — and fundamentally all I ever wanted to make is a sitcom that shows that you can deal with these issues, and not shy away from it and be hamstrung by the format of a sitcom. You can put anything in there, as long as you understand why characters are the way they are and act the way they do. So I think that was what I really decided on, and then I think once I decided that, it was all systems ago. I remember it went through lots of different drafts. That whole series went through loads of different drafts of versions, and then when I stripped all that back and showed it to my sister, it was then like 'this is what it is'. I think when it became like it was just jokes, that was then, I think, this is what makes me feel excited. Like, this is what gets me feeling a bit nervous, which is the best feeling — when you get a bit of fear." On If the Success of Season One, Including Its BAFTA Wins, Set Sadler a Challenge to Push Even Further in Season Two "Exactly. And it was an incredible vote of confidence in the show, and just gave us the feeling of 'people are behind us on this' — like they get it. Because it is a big ask, because it is challenging in different ways. So the fact that we had that mark of kudos of 'we back you' was huge, and so rewarding. And has been amazing, and totally made me feel like I can be more brave and confident, and like people give me the benefit of the doubt now. But it also comes with 'oh my god, how do you follow that up?'. We won the most-incredible prize — the list of shows on that list of BAFTA-winners for Best Scripted Comedy is unparalleled. It's incredible. So to try to compete with that or to be like 'okay, what's series two?' was terrifying. So we're working out 'how do you follow it up and not just try to be outrageous for outrageous' sake'. But it was a huge mark of confidence that has made me feel much more confident as a writer, which I struggle with." On Finding New Scenarios to Push the Characters Into in a Series About a World Where Nobody Is Right "My favourite thing is the twisted logic of the characters. That's what I love to write. I love twisted logic, like something that makes complete sense to the character, but as the viewer, you're like 'why on earth have you done that?'. So that's always my challenge. So I love to get a situation up on the board and be like 'what is the funny way that my characters would be front-footed and decide how to' — because we're all spin doctors, that comes from my family experience, like how we always just turn everything into something positive. You rewrite it. You work out how you win. And so it was about being like 'okay, how do I spin these situations so that the characters leave it feeling powerful, or leave it feeling like this is actually what they wanted?'. So that is the fun bit of the job, is working out 'what would be the most cathartic way to deal with this?' and 'how do these characters manipulate the situation?'. That's the bit which comes from just sitting and writing it, rather than reality, because a lot of reality didn't happen like that." On Whether There's a Feeling of Catharsis That Comes with Processing Sadler's Own Experiences Via the Series and Seeing Audiences Relate "Yeah, that has been an incredible experience. Having people relate or connect or say 'oh my god, I did that' or 'oh my god, that happened to me', that is actually, it's the best feeling. It's such a mark of confidence in the writing that it is truly the most rewarding bit. It truly is. Getting messages on Instagram being like 'oh my god, I can't believe you talked about that' or 'I thought only we did that' or something — those are the best messages." On How Sadler Feels About Josie After 12 Episodes of Standing in Her Shoes "I find her the hardest one to write for, because she's me. So I do find her difficult, because I haven't got that level of separation like I do with the other characters. So it's sort of about working out how to keep her — because Josie is also quite a passive character. She lets things happen to her. She's obsessed with her own trauma. She's lives in her head. And so it's hard to — thinking of plots for her to do where she is active is hard. Because I'm someone that usually just like — I think there's a line series one that's 'you're a deer in headlights, you just wait for the car to hit you' and that's me. So how on earth do you explore that in writing a series? She is the most fun, though, when she is front-footed about something. So it's just working out how to make her go for that. So that has been my challenge, just to make sure there's a degree of separation there between the two." Such Brave Girls streams via Stan. Read our review of season one.
Home to raindrop cakes, Nutella gyoza and salted caramel gyoza, Harajuku Gyoza clearly likes getting creative with its sweet treats. The chain is fond of trying out new things with its savouring dumpling range, too, as its experiment with mac 'n' cheese and pepperoni pizza versions showed — but it obviously has a soft spot for the kind of desserts you won't find on any old menu. From Thursday, April 1, the Australian gyoza brand is serving up a new menu item that turns marshmallows into gyoza. You'll find them stuffed inside each dumpling, and also sprinkled on top. And, if your stomach isn't already rumbling, they'll come dusted with icing sugar and paired with Nutella sauce as well. The fried and crispy marshmallow gyoza are joining the chain's dessert lineup in plates of five, which'll cost you $10. And if you fancy tucking into the new gyoza after devouring two old favourites — cheeseburger gyoza, which is stuffed with burger pieces, aged cheddar, onion, pickles, mustard and tomato sauce; and mozzarella gyoza, which is filled with the obvious, then deep-fried and sprinkled with Twisties salt — that's up to you. Harajuku Gyoza's marshmallow gyoza will be available at all Australian stores — at Darling Harbour in Sydney; at South Bank and the CBD in Brisbane; and in Broadbeach on the Gold Coast — from Thursday, April 1.
Every evening between now and October 2, Alice Springs will be the brightest place in Australia. Lights will illuminate a 2.5-kilometre stretch of the nearby MacDonnell Ranges, and luminous artwork will be projected onto the city's desert sands — and yes, that's just the beginning of the region's glowing wonders. Both form part of Parrtjima – A Festival in Light, which holds the honour of being the nation's first Indigenous festival of its kind. Showcasing contemporary and traditional Indigenous art, culture and stories using light and sound, it's also Australia's biggest-ever light installation. It is created by the Northern Territory Government and local artists in collaboration with AGB Events (aka the folks that light up Sydney each year for Vivid), after all. Visitors won't just celebrate Aboriginal culture by basking in the glory of a glimmering 300-million-year-old land mass — they'll also play a part in choosing just how the Ranges come to glowing life. An interactive component, called Range of Expression, allows festival-goers to pick their favourite colours and then see them projected onto the vast landscape. Looking down rather than up, Grounded immerses attendees in a sequence of artworks symbolising the return of Indigenous art to the country. The festival also features three light-filled caterpillar installations that tell the Yeperenye Dreamtime story, as well as five illuminated '50s-style skirts covered in watercolour landscape paintings by Alice Springs artists, including Albert Namatjira's granddaughter Lenie Namatjira. And while Parrtjima only brightens up the outback for ten nights, it's hoped that it'll become an annual drawcard. Parrtjima – A Festival in Light runs until October 2 in the Alice Springs Desert Park, Norther Territory. For more information, visit the festival website. Images: James Horan.
Exceptions exist, but Adelaide sadly remains something of a flyover city when it comes to touring artists. Yet things are looking up for a summer of Australian live music, as brand-new festival — A Day in the Gully — has revealed a stellar debut lineup. Taking over Civic Park in Modbury on Saturday, February 28, 2026, expect the good vibes to flow freely, whether you're getting up to groove or hanging with mates in the grass. Open to all ages, this one-day festival features chart-topping Aussie touring artists and emerging indie bands. Drawing thousands to the sprawling green space, much-loved headliners like Chet Faker, Ball Park Music, The Living End, Pete Murray and Mallrat bring serious credentials to the stage, having sold millions of records and toured the globe. "This new music festival is all about bringing people together. It will be a great chance to celebrate Australian live music and have some fun — right in our own backyard. I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone at Civic Park having an amazing time", says City of Tea Tree Gully Mayor Marijka Ryan. For those who love to get the inside word on the next big thing before they blow up, A Day in the Gully is inviting these acts too, with fast-rising bands like Teenage Joans and The Tullamarines delivering boundless live energy. Meanwhile, the festival is heightening the community spirit beneath the gum trees by making sure some of the region's food and wine purveyors get a spot to showcase their wares. Best of all, locals get a special treat, with City of Tea Tree Gully residents welcome to access an exclusive pre-sale, offering tickets at a $50 discount. For everyone else, first release tickets go on sale at 7am on Monday, November 17. "Our vision is to create an unforgettable experience that showcases amazing Australian artists, local food and wine, and the relaxed, welcoming vibe that makes this region so special", says Danielle Jones, Managing Director and Co-Owner of SRO Events. A Day in the Gully is happening on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at Civic Park, Modbury. Head to the website for tickets and more information.
It brought Stephenie Meyer's vampire romance saga to the big screen. It helped make Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson superstars. Indeed, for its two biggest names, it saw KStew go soaring to everything from Clouds of Sils Maria and Personal Shopper to Charlie's Angels, Crimes of the Future and Spencer — earning an Oscar nomination for the latter — and RPatz going from The Rover and Good Time to High Life, Tenet and The Batman. And, now, The Twilight Saga is making a comeback. The undead don't die, after all, and neither does much in the pop-culture realm. No big movie franchise ever says goodbye these days, with making the leap to the small screen one sticky trend at the moment. The Marvel Cinematic Universe did it, as has the rival DC Extended Universe. The Star Wars realm took the jump, too. So did The Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter, IT and The Conjuring series are also on their way. There's also a John Wick show in the works — and yes, the list goes on. With Twilight, Lionsgate Television is in early development on a small-screen version, as per The Hollywood Reporter. That said, it apparently hasn't yet been decided whether this'll be a spinoff from the OG books and the movies that initially brought them to the screen, or if it'll take the remake route like HBO's new Harry Potter show is set to. Either way, given their careers right now — see: all those films mentioned above — it's probably safe to say that Stewart and Pattinson won't be involved. Of course, there's zero word on casting for Twilight's television iteration so far, with only writer and producer Sinead Daly (The Get Down, Dirty John, Raised by Wolves, The Walking Dead: World Beyond and Tell Me Lies) named as being involved and Meyer also expected to have some input. Exactly when the Twilight TV series will arrive, and where it'll air or stream, similarly hasn't been revealed. Forgotten what the five vamp films cover? They start with teenager Bella Swan (Stewart) moving to the small town of Forks, Washington, where she meets and falls in love with vampire Edward Cullen (Pattinson). This romance between a human and a vampire isn't particularly straightforward, otherwise there wouldn't be four books and five movies devoted to it. In cinemas, Twilight also starred everyone from Taylor Lautner (Cuckoo), Anna Kendrick (Alice, Darling) and Dakota Fanning (The First Lady) to Michael Sheen (Good Omens), Rami Malek (Amsterdam) and Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World Dominion). There's no sneak peek at the Twilight TV show yet, understandably, but as well as the original Twilight trailer above, plus the New Moon trailer, you can watch Eclipse and two Breaking Dawn trailers below: The TV version of Twilight doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when one is announced. Via The Hollywood Reporter.
When Victoria's March long weekend arrives each year, festivalgoers have two reasons to head out of town — or head to the state from interstate — for a few days of tunes. Both are beloved parts of the cultural calendar. Both are such a hit that you need to enter a ballot to get tickets. And just as Golden Plains has already done, Pitch Music & Arts is announcing it 2025 details. Everyone should make the trip to the Grampians at least once, and here's as ace an excuse to do so as any: the return of the much-loved camping festival, which will host its eighth edition, taking over Moyston again. There's no lineup just yet — it drops on Tuesday, November 19, 2024 — but the 2025 dates have been locked in. The long-running celebration unleashes its fun across the Grampian Plains, with next years' festivities happening from Friday, March 7–Tuesday, March 11. Not only will its three stages play host to a sparkling lineup of local and international musical talent, as always, but the tunes will be backed by a hefty program of interactive art and installations. Basically, no matter who makes it onto the bill, attendees are in for a very big, very busy four days. Joy Orbison's 'flight fm' and 'better' have been used in teaser videos for 2025's fest so far, so that could be a lineup hint. 2024's roster featured Gerd Janson, I Hate Models, Job Jobse, Spray, XCLUB, Bambonou, Chippy Nonstop, Narciss, Mac Declos, Sedef Adasï and Hasvat Informant, among others, if you're wondering which type of electronic acts that Pitch usually welcomes. The ticket ballot is currently open — and is a necessity after the last three festivals all sold out — ahead of the program reveal; however, you can get excited now about a bigger Pitch One stage, Pitch Black getting a revamp and the Resident Advisor stage's red orb being part of the fun again. In between all the dance-floor sessions and arty things, festivalgoers will again be able to make themselves at home in the Pitch Pavilion, which is where yoga classes, meditation and sound baths usually help patrons unwind. The local-focused Club Serra will be new in 2025, championing homegrown talent. Pitch Music & Arts will return to Moyston from Friday, March 7–Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Head to the festival's website for further details, or to enter the ballot. The lineup will drop on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, with tickets sale details announced then as well. Top Images: Duncographic, William Hamilton Coates, Max Roux and Ashlea Caygill.
Were Daniel and Amelia Miletic always destined to set up shop in South Brisbane's Fish Lane? As the owners of fish 'n' chippery One Fish Two Fish in Kangaroo Point, they're certainly keeping the ocean theme going. Midtown, their newest venture, isn't just about dishes from the sea, though. What the Miletics have dubbed "seacuterie" is on the menu, plus mini versions One Fish Two Fish's lobster croissants; however, this is venue is a martini bar. Opening on Friday, September 8, Midtown takes over an already-luxe space: the site previously home to Butler Wine Bar, Lune Croissanterie's boozy sibling, which launched in July 2022 but closed in March 2023. There must be something about the location playing host drink-focused offshoots to beloved eateries, given that that's what the Miletics are serving up as well. Loving martinis is the number-one thing on offer at Midtown, with nine set alcoholic types available, such as olive leaf, elderflower, apple and rhubarb, espresso and pornstar varieties. There's actually a tenth option, too, that lets you tell the bar how to make it your way — so anything is possible. If you're having trouble choosing, that's where the three-drink flights come in. They're designed to share, and include half serves of elderflower, espresso and the signature Midtown martini (made with Patient Wolf Pink Lakes gin, Cinzano dry vermouth and red onion). And, if you're not partaking in the hard stuff, go with a no-booze espresso, lychee or French martini. The sips do extend past James Bond's favourite drink (that said, we assume that the vesper martini comes shaken, not stirred). Two types of margaritas, plus a negroni, old fashioned, daiquiri, spritz and Charlie Chaplin sit on the rest of the cocktail list, but the bar will whip up anything it's able to if you ask. Beer-wise, the range is highly curated with Australian brews from Balter, Moondog and Little Creatures. Wine devotees will find a page of choices, from sparkling, amber and rosé to whites, reds and even a fortified drop to go with cheese. And for snacking while you drink, the seacuterie (oysters, prawn croquettes, salmon sashimi and more) and lobster croissants are joined by charcuterie, cheese plates, caviar, and a raw bar that also does steak tartare cigars. Gildas, octopus and subs made with cevapi pork sausage are on the menu as well, while Fraser Isle spanner crab tortellini and ten-hour barbecue bourbon brisket are among the mains. For dessert: yuzu brûlée with walnut biscotti and a pina colada tartlet. The whole place is called Midtown, and its digs are firmly on the intimate side, but the Miletics have split it into three areas. The main space that shares the watering hole's name is a 20-seater bar, Uptown is a 6–8-seat dining room and Downtown takes patrons outside for a tipple. Another drawcard: a late-night supper club from 10pm–12am every Friday and Saturday night, doing live music and its own food lineup. Find Midtown at 15 Manning Street, South Brisbane from Friday, September 8 — open 4pm–late Tuesday–Thursday, 12pm–12am Friday and 4pm–12am Saturday.
Head On Photo Festival is back for its 11th year — but, this time, it's digital. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the (normally) citywide photography festival will be a predominately online event for 2020. The internationally acclaimed festival is running from May 1–17 as planned but with the entire program launching as a digital platform on the Heads On website, including all photography and other interactive events. Overall, there are 110 exhibitions, plus over 80 artists talks, panel discussions and webinars which you can check out for free. As usual, the exhibition features contemporary photography, portraiture and photojournalism. This year, artists from more than 12 countries are exhibiting, including France, Guatemala, Japan, Greece, Germany, South Korea, The Netherlands, the USA, the UK, China, Canada and (of course) Australia. On Friday, May 1, The Head On Photo Awards were announced, with Australian photographer Marcia Macmillan's 'Whimsical Warrior' taking home the landscape award and 'The Gift' by Fiona Wolf-Symeonides awarded the 2020 Portrait Prize. Australian photographers Jon Frank and Nick Moir and international artists Jouk Oosterhof and Paul Carruthers also took home prizes. [caption id="attachment_769244" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marcia Macmillan, 'Whimsical warrior'[/caption] Other highlights include Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Renée C Byer, who travelled across four continents and captured the faces of people living on $1USD per day; mythological imaginings by Guatemalan economist and artist Astrid Blazsek-Ayala; a documentation of Melbourne's violent race rallies between 2014–2018 by photojournalist Jake Nowakowski; images of the Athens's drag queen scene by Greek photographer Nikolaos Menoudarakos; and snaps of Bondi's underwater marine life by Australian photographer Matt Smith. Work by heaps of other award-winning artists will be on display, too, including British photographer Professor Richard Sawdon Smith, German documentarian Robert Harding Pittman and two-time Walkley Award-winner Dave Tacon. As far as catching the festival in person, Head On also plans to launch a scaled-back version across venues in November, so keep an eye on this space. Images: Dave Tacon, 'Cirque le Soir'; Nick Moir, 'Run'; Nikolaos Menoudarakos; Matt Smith, 'The Martian'; ; Janie Barrett; Renée C Byer; and Fiona Wolf-Symeonides, 'The Gift'. All images courtesy of Head On Photo Festival. Updated May 4, 2020.
As we're sure you've heard, Japan has quite a reputation as a travel destination. But even beyond the most hyped experiences — like eating endless bowls of ramen in Tokyo, walking among cherry blossoms with views of Mount Fuji, feeding deer in Nara — the country has an incredible array of lesser known regions that, if you cover, will take your holiday from great to practically life changing. For instance, the region of Tohoku in Japan's northeast is one of the country's less travelled but no less impressive destinations. It presents visitors with outstanding dining, unique stays and natural landmarks that'll blow your mind. So, if you truly want to make your next trip to Japan one to remember, consider riding the shinkansen (bullet train) just a couple of hours north of Tokyo, where you'll discover a wealth of experiences that you likely weren't aware existed (until now). VISIT AN ANCIENT EARTHQUAKE-PROOF PAGODA Found throughout Yamagata Prefecture, the Three Mountains of Dewa are considered some of the holiest anywhere in the country. And while Mount Haguro, Mount Gassan and Mount Yudono each provide a spectacular setting to explore during sun or snow, only the foremost has a 600-year-old pagoda buried deep within its cedar forest. Make your way down Mount Haguro's famous 2446 stone steps and you'll soon be surrounded by towering cedar trees. After a short walk, you'll come across the so-called Five-Storey Pagoda, which features an interior wooden pendulum that counteracts the shock of an earthquake. The pagoda dates back to the Heian Period (794–1185) and was rebuilt in the late 14th century — and it's been standing strong ever since. DO A FOUR-DAY PILGRIMAGE WITH A MOUNTAIN MYSTIC You'll also have the chance to reconnect with nature in the most fascinating way possible within the holy Three Mountains of Dewa. Link up with a mountain mystic such as Master Hoshino — a white-robed priest who teaches the ancient Japanese mountain religion known as Shugendo — and you'll learn about a range of traditional techniques to refresh your body and soul. This practice is called yamabushido. During your four-day 'journey', you'll hike a series of sacred trails, stay in a pilgrim lodge and try waterfall meditation. Shugendo dates back to the eighth century and combines elements of Shinto, Buddhism, Animism and mountain faith to explore ways to reduce excesses in day to day life. Here, you can try it for four days and see how you go. PRETEND YOU'RE WALKING ON THE MOON AT THIS EPIC CRATER Set along the border of Miyagi and Yamagata Prefectures, Mount Zao features some of Tohoku's most spectacular scenery. Besides the steaming hot springs and sprawling ski resorts that dot the landscape, the area's biggest draw is the renowned Okama Crater. Surrounded by three soaring mountaintops, the active volcano's distinctive shape has earned it the nickname of the 'cauldron'. Great to visit all year long, Mount Zao's steep landscape comes alive with alpine flowers during summer, while autumn reveals a charming smattering of red and yellow vegetation that contrasts with the turquoise crater below. SEE CONTEMPORARY ARTWORKS FROM YOKO ONO AND YAYOI KUSAMA Japan's well known for its forward-thinking tech innovations, but it's also the birthplace of some of the world's greatest contemporary artists. Featuring a permanent collection of 38 commissioned projects, the Towada Art Center, in Aomori Prefecture, is dedicated to showcasing many of the nation's top artists, alongside some international superstars, too. Inside, you'll come across an eclectic mix of installations by the likes of Yoko Ono, Ron Mueck, Yayoi Kusama and Ana Laura Aláez, among many others. With the gallery's airy, purpose-built design linked intrinsically with the outside world, there's a range of striking exhibition rooms, a café and a collaborative art space to explore. DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF SAKE AT A 400-YEAR-OLD BREWERY The precise origins of sake might still be something of a mystery, but who better to guide you through its ancient history than a producer who's been making it for more than 400 years? Situated in Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture, the Toko Sake Museum highlights the work of Kojima Sohonten, a renowned sake brewery that, 24 generations on, is still owned by the original family. Inside the museum, you'll be guided through the traditional brewing techniques and tools that provide the foundation for the brand. Meanwhile, in the adjoining shop, you'll get to sample a variety of sakes and umeshu, a plum liqueur that'll please your tastebuds. STAY IN A HOTEL INSPIRED BY YAMAGATA'S NATURAL BEAUTY Shigeru Ban is perhaps one of Japan's more famous architects and was the brains behind some of the world's most beautiful buildings. Having moved to Yamagata in 2014, Ban was struck by the natural beauty of the area and soon set about translating this into the design of the Shonai Hotel Suiden Terrasse. With everything but the foundation and the building's core made out of wood, the entire two-storey structure is designed to sink into the surrounding rice fields, making for one very peaceful stay. Featuring stunning views of the mountains and fields in the distance, the hotel also has a luxe onsen and a restaurant serving local produce. SAMPLE JAPANESE VINO AT A RENOWNED WINERY Japan might be most famous for its rice wine, but those who love the grape-based variety are in for a treat — if they know where to look. During your visit to Tohoku, drop into Takahata Winery, in Yamagata Prefecture, and take your pick from some stellar vintages, which are produced from grapes surrounding the property or on a nearby farm. Inside the shopfront, you'll come across award-winning wines ranging from chardonnay and pinot noir to cabernet sauvignon. Plus, there's a host of locally produced cheeses and snacks to pair with your wine. Need more reasons to visit Japan's stunning Tohoku region? For more travel inspiration and to start planning your adventure, head this way. Top image: Okama Crater by Σ64 via Wikimedia Commons.
Martin Scorsese has made not one but two documentaries about him. I'm Not There had six actors, including Cate Blanchett (The New Boy), play him. The Coen brothers' Inside Llewyn Davis couldn't take a fictional tour of the 60s folk scene without getting its protagonist watching him onstage. Ever since 1967 docos Don't Look Back and Festival, Bob Dylan has been no stranger to the screen — and now he's getting the music biopic treatment again, this time with Timothée Chalamet (Dune: Part Two) picking up a guitar. With the curls and the gaze — and the early 60s-era wardrobe, too — Chalamet looks the part in the just-released first trailer A Complete Unknown. He also sings the part, busting out 'A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall'. The Wonka and Bones and All star transforms into the music icon at the start of his career, hence the movie's title. The feature's focus: how Dylan became a sensation. In a film directed by Walk the Line helmer James Mangold — swapping Johnny Cash for another legend, clearly — A Complete Unknown charts Dylan's rise to stardom. The folk singer's early gigs, filling concert halls, going electric at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival: they're all set to be covered, with his famous performance at the latter, due to be the narrative's culmination. Take note of the date that this trailer dropped, both in the US and Down Under: the 1965 Newport Folk Festival took place in July, with Dylan performing acoustic songs on July 24 and playing electric on July 25 — so, on the same dates 59 years ago. As well as Chalamet, Mangold (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) has enlisted Edward Norton (Asteroid City), Elle Fanning (The Great), Monica Barbaro (Fubar), Boyd Holbrook (The Bikeriders), Dan Fogler (Eric), Norbert Leo Butz (The Exorcist: Believer) and Scoot McNairy (Invincible) among the cast. A Complete Unknown releases in US picture palaces in December 2024, with cinema dates Down Under yet to be confirmed as yet. Check out the trailer for A Complete Unknown below: A Complete Unknown releases in US cinemas in December, but doesn't yet have a release date Down Under — we'll update you with more details when they're announced. Images: courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2024 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.
Snow place like home, right? Here at CP, we're excited for winter playtime. Whether you can't wait to hit the slopes again or you're a curious first-timer, we know just the snow-covered playground that will hit the spot: Thredbo. Just a 5 and a 1/2 hour drive from Sydney, winter holiday goers congregate to the alpine village in their masses for the longest ski runs in Australia (when the mountain is fully covered in snow). And we've got the lowdown: where to stay, where to re-fuel, and where to party in your snow boots. Athol Got a lot of friends? This cosy, rustic self-contained chalet sleeps up to 12 people with a perfect communal layout for a big group. Gather round the open fire, sprawl out on the balcony and dig in to some hearty food at the canteen-style dining table. Diggings Terrance, Thredbo Village; Athol website Banjo Townhouses Each townhouse is a modern apartment with one or two bedrooms and beautiful views of the mountains. Loft units have their own slow-burning wood fire: lush! Banjo Drive, Thredbo Village; stayz.com.au/93085 Bernti’s Mountain Inn Bernti's is restaurant, hotel and nightlife all rolled into one. This European-style boutique inn has 30 rooms (and a rather entertaining host in Donna), gourmet food and a popular al fresco deck. Why would you ever leave? 4 Mowamba Place, Thredbo Village; (02) 6457 6332; berntis.com.au Black Bear Inn In the heart of Thredbo, and at the centre of all the action, this traditional lodge and restaurant has rooms to rent from single to family-sized. It’s a stone’s throw from the shuttle stop, plus never-ending German beer at the Inn. 30 Diggins Terrace, Thredbo Village; (02) 6457 6216; blackbearinn.com.au Thredbo Alpine Hotel Thredbo Alpine Hotel is boutique accommodation with the pick of rooms or chalets for an easy, comfortable stay at the base of the Kosciuszko chairlift. Thredbo Resort Centre, Thredbo Village; 1300 020 589; Thredbo Alpine Hotel Moonbah Hut A short 30 minute drive from Thredbo, and 15 minutes from Jindabyne town, Moonbah Hut is in a whole world of its own. This completely isolated, unique stone hut is fully equipped with underfloor heating, a rocking chair and fluffy robes for a romantic getaway. Jindabyne; (02) 6457 8311; moonbahhut.com Paringa Self contained, all the mod-cons and a shuttle bus on your doorstep, Paringa apartments are two bed units plus loft space, the obligatory balcony BBQ and a Swedish sauna. (02) 6457 7030; skiinskiout.com.au River Inn Priding itself on being a ski-in, ski-out hotel, River Inn has modern rooms and suites with plenty of extras, like wireless, a heated indoor pool and laundry service. 4 Friday Drive, Thredbo Alpine Village; (02) 9369 3010; riverinn.com.au Rockpool Lodge Like a little luxe? When only 5 star will do, Rockpool Lodge is a good pick. It’s got the spa, faux fur throws, sauna and champagne on chill (okay, we can’t guarantee the last one, but you get the picture). (02) 6457 7132; rockpoollodge.com.au Kareela Hutte Breakfast, coffee, champagne or cellar door, Kareela Hutte is a well-loved haunt for skiers and boarders on their up or down the mountain. On the Supertrail at 1810m altitude; (02) 6457 6099; kareelahutte.com.au Merritts Mountain House On-slope marketplace dining, from fresh juices and salads to stews, soups and strudel. Merritts uses artisan produce to create lovingly homemade food, conveniently located between slopes. Top of Merritts chairlift at 1660m altitude; (02) 6457 6084; merritts.com.au Black Sallee's Nestled amongst the gum trees off Crackenback Supertrail, Black Sallee's is famous for its hot chocolate, European beer selection (try the Maisel's Weisse) and schnapps. The service is quick, so you’ll be shoop shooping again in no time. At the top of Snowgums chairlift; (02) 6457 6439; Black Sallee's Bullwheel Bar & Bistro Laying claim to being Australia’s highest bar and bistro, Bullwheel has quick snacks and warming drinks, as well as German wheat beers, gluhwein and schnapps. At the top of Kosciuszko chairlift at 1937m altitude; (02) 6457 6019; Bullwheel Bar & Bistro Bernti’s Tapas Bar Serving a gourmet selection of international tapas, from smoked trout bruschetta to veal schnitzel, Bernti’s has al fresco dining and plenty of wine and beer to wash it down with. 4 Mowamba Place, Thredbo Village; (02) 6457 6332; berntis.com.au/tapas-bar The Knickerbocker Pan fried market fish, duck confit, spinach and ricotta dumplings... Yum! Riverside Cabins, Diggings Terrace, Thredbo; (02) 6457 6844; theknickerbocker.com.au The Terrace Relaxed fine dining: head chef Karen Forsstrom, formerly of Sydney’s Kingsleys restaurant, cooks up the finest ingredients to serve up her handcrafted menu. The Denman Hotel, 21 Diggings Terrace, Thredbo; (02) 6457 6222; thedenman.com.au The Wildbrumby Open daily for breakfast and lunch, the kitchen at Wildbrumby schnapps distillery door has a hearty selection of soups, pates, sandwiches and burgers - all created using local produce. Cnr of Wollondibby Rd and Alpine Way, Jindabyne; (02) 6457 1447; wildbrumby.com Apres Bar For a sophisticated start to the night, head to Apres Bar at The Denman. Cocktails, retro decor and tapas. The Denman, 21 Diggins Terrace, Thredbo Village; (02) 6457 6222; thedenman.com.au/bar Schuss Bar A little more laid-back, the Schuss Bar has live music and entertainment every night throughout winter. Threadbo Village Resort, Alpine Way; (02) 6459 4200. Thredbo Alpine Lounge Bar From 12 noon to midnight, the Alpine Lounge Bar is the place to kick-back and enjoy a coffee (or something stronger) beside the fire. Relaxed vibe, live music and great views. Thredbo Village Resort, Alpine Way; (02) 6459 4200. The Keller Looking to party late into the night? Revellers migrate to Thredbo’s famous nightclub. Thredbo Village Resort, Alpine Way; (02) 6459 4200.
An energy crisis is looming. We’ve been told that fossil fuels will be gone within the next 50 years. The hunt for alternative sources of energy to run our cars, fuel our industries and feed our countries has begun. Whilst green energy is going from strength to strength, traditional oil companies are looking to more tried and true resources. In light of this, Royal Dutch Shell are constructing the world’s largest man-made floating object. The vessel is being built in South Korean shipyards and is expected to be complete by 2017. When finished, it will anchor off Western Australia, where the vessel will extract the equivalent of over 110,000 barrels of natural gas a day. It will then cool the gas at -162 degrees celsius which condenses it to a sixth of its mass. Whilst the vessel itself will be stationary for a predicted 25 years, the gas will be transported via smaller ships to markets in Asia and Europe. The ship is more of a mini island. It will be over 4 football fields long, will weight six times more than the next largest vessel and can withstand a Category 4 cyclone, the most severe of storms. [via POPSCI]
It's often said that modern technology is ruining our lives; turning us more and more in on ourselves in a dangerous spiral of introversion, narcissism and disconnection from the physical world. And can you blame us? An iPhone can look significantly more appealing than the other sweating, mouth-breathing humans we sit next to on public transport or pass on the morning commute. But, occasionally there comes along a real reminder that the human race isn't totally doomed to becoming robotic unfeeling drones. A new project by Sydney photographer Pete Hawk is one such reminder. In Stranded Corridors, Hawk takes to frequented 'corridors' about town – the tunnel at Central, Newtown's King Street, and the wind tunnel opposite Redfern station. Using one light, he photographs people passing by and asks them to write something about themselves. Think Humans of New York, but in black and white, and coming to you from your own backyard. It's a simple idea, but Hawk's photographs are really quite beautiful. And the captions people have written offer snippets of their lives, aspirations and worries, which range from life advice ("Wear colour and enjoy your night.") to confession ("I fell in love. Twice."), and where they're going to (Zumba) or coming from (Japanese class). If the popularity of projects like HONY has taught us anything, it's that we love to peek into other people's lives. It speaks to some of those good old-fashioned human pastimes — like voyeurism and eavesdropping — but packaged in an artful, socially acceptable format. It's the perfect way to people watch without the awkward eye contact. All images via Pete Hawk.
Dance is a primal urge that has played a role in our existence for thousands of years. From dancing around a fire to late night, air-guitar sessions with very little clothing, our bodies have a natural, deep-lodged desire to boogie. Now the Judith Wright centre is paying homage this ridiculously important part of the human psyche with a week just for dance! Even Whitney Houston would be content at the Judith Wright Centre in this coming week of dance - there’s going to be an awful lot of grooving, moving, working, twerking and everything in between. Tap, hip-hop, Bollywood, that one with the cardboard, are all going to be making an appearance. Real deal 'booteh' shakers, Claire Marshal, Gareth Belling and Lucy Ingham will be starting of the week with DANCE. INDIE DANCE. Next on the agenda - more dancing! The BIG DANCE NIGHT OUT, a collection of Brisbane’s best dance groups showing what’s what on the stage, will follow. The week will be wrapped up with STAY UP LATER, where Queensland dance schools will put together a performance featuring blockbuster tunes and fabulous classics. Kick off your Sunday shoes, cut-loose and join in this brilliant celebration!
If you're in a part of Australia that's sweating through a heatwave right now — Sydney is set to break its record for the most days above 35 degrees in a season — you've probably been visualising trickling streams and cannonballing into a body of water for a few days now. But how about gliding down a waterslide straight into the ocean? A photo posted by Jongkol Palarit (@pookjongkol) on Jan 20, 2017 at 12:23am PST Unfortunately the cooling relief is purely a psychological one, as this slide of slides is located at luxury resort Soneva Jani in Medhufaru (Noonu Atoll) in the Maldives. The moderately-sized waterslide takes guests from the top deck straight into the ridiculously clear blue private waters the resort resides on top of. You can do all this between courses at dinner or drinks on the catamaran nets that are suspended just above the water. The resort, which opened at the end of last year, boasts 25 over-water villas — all of which include their own private outdoor decks, pools, access to the ocean and retractable roofs. If you're already picturing yourself there, note that villas start at a huge $2000 AUD per night, with some even exceeding $10,000 a night. So while going to the Maldives would be a great right about now, we might just have to live in hope that Australia's main swimming spots gets a slide — we can definitely picture one down at Clovelly in Sydney or jutting off the pier at St Kilda.
