Next to Windsor train station is a delightful cafe bursting with character and filled to the brim with delicious treats. The Low Road Cafe is easy to find as its front garden is adorned with hot pink flamingoes and palm trees that give a taste of what's in store. This cute kitsch paradise has become a breakfast hot spot and is packed with happy diners weeklong. The friendly staff and cleverly designed space, which allows the inside and outside dining areas to flow seamlessly, ooze a relaxed vibe. Once we stepped into the cafe the staff flashed warm smiles and gave us genuine greetings. Consequently the team have many regular customers who are drawn to the comfortable atmosphere and quality service. What's more, the décor of the cafe is just as cheerful as the staff. A turquoise feature wall, 70s print couch, hanging pot plants and miss-matched crockery all add to The Low Road's appeal. Their all-day menu is short, but sweet. Try the fried eggs, cornbread, avocado, rocket and hot sauce ($13) for a protein-packed breakfast and when coupled with the mango and orange frappe special ($7.50) it was a champion choice. For a hunger that needs serious attention, choose the breakfast salad of lemony haloumi, leaves, dukkah egg, shaved zucchini, roast mushrooms, red onion, fresh herbs with a yoghurt dressing and toasted sourdough ($15.50). Another menu highlight is the strawberry coconut milkshake ($6.50). The cafe offers daily specials each as tantalising as the regular meals. If you're somehow still hungry after your hearty meal, raid the cabinet for a sweet treat such as the raspberry, white chocolate and rosewater muffin washed down with a coffee. Next time you're in search of a brunch fix, take the high road and head to The Low Road Cafe. Great food, great service and a funky setting make mornings a whole lot easier.
We've all been talking about curds and whey since we heard our first nursery rhyme; however actually doing something with them is a completely different thing. Sure, you've eaten cheese and yoghurt plenty of times before — but have you actually made them? Wouldn't you like to? Enter Work-Shop's Cheese and Yoghurt Making Workshop, aka the path to a full fridge and a happy stomach. After learning all the ins and outs of your favourite dairy products and how they come to fruition, you'll taste test more than a few, watch a pot-set yoghurt demo, make some labneh and even take some concoctions home with you. Plus, with Sydney-based artisan cheese maker Kristen Allan as your guide, you're certain to pick up the kind of knowledge that you can't just read on the internet. With her help, you'll be sitting on a tuffet eating your own dairy delights in no time. Yes, this class is guaranteed to be cheesy in the best kind of way. Image: Anita Peeples.
When it comes to LGBTQIA+ history, San Francisco has a lot of firsts to its name — from California's first openly gay mayor Harvey Milk, to America's first gay bar to have clear windows at the Twin Peaks Tavern in the iconic Castro District. So it was no surprise that San Francisco celebrated another history-making first with United Airlines' first ever Pride Flight from San Francisco to Sydney in partnership with Virgin Australia. I was lucky enough to experience this journey flight travelling on United's Polaris Business Class service right in time for the official launch of Sydney WorldPride. Here's how the 14-hour journey went (up and) down... Beginning with some R&R in the Polaris lounge, I experienced the holy grail of business class travel: a luxurious shower ahead of the 15-hour Pride flight thanks to United's no expense spared partnership with Saks Fifth Avenue and Sunday Riley skincare. With skin glowing, I sauntered past the stacked buffet to try the complimentary al a carte restaurant where I chowed down on miso soup, prawn spring rolls, green tea crumble ice cream and washed it down with French champagne. And based on my direct neighbour's reaction, the cheeseburger was a must try too. Full of food and feeling my best, I headed to the airport gate to the Pride flight party. Before I even had a chance to spot the DJ or the catering by San Francisco's Hot Cookie (with flavours like 'Harvey Milk Toffee'), I spotted a majestic golden retriever decked out in a glitter boa, rainbow sunglasses and biker hat giving everyone some fluffy self care. Then, came a jaw-dropping drag performance by United's crew, a glitter confetti cannon and a message from Lori Augustine, United's Vice President of Operations. In the spirit of firsts, Lori shared that United was the first US airline to recognise domestic partnerships and the first to let customers select non-binary gender options. They also spoke about their 4,500 member LGBTQIA+ support group EQUAL, and their new guidelines which allow crew to express themselves authentically on board. If that's not putting your money where your mouth is then I don't know what is. [caption id="attachment_892768" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pride pooch[/caption] Boarding the flight was a magical experience in itself. The plane's exterior was adorned with towering koalas holding pride flags. The flight was entirely staffed by crew, pilots and flight attendants that were all part of, or allies of, the LGBTQIA+ community, and the excitement was palpable. I was ushered in by a crew member with a fabulous ruffled gown and thigh high boots, and from the crew to the customers everyone felt genuinely thrilled to be there. When I arrived at my seat I was greeted with a koala plushie with a rainbow flag, Quay heart-shaped sunglasses, commemorative Pride pyjamas and Saks Fifth Avenue bedding on the fully reclinable Polaris chairs. Throughout the flight we were served sparkling rosé from rainbow-coloured cans, an array of dining options and the famous Polaris ice cream sundae cart (though admittedly I'd had my fair share of dessert in the lounge already). [caption id="attachment_892797" align="alignnone" width="1920"] A handful of welcoming queens including Samantha Jayde.[/caption] Landing in Australia was on a whole other level. We were met with a live performance by former ARIA winner Samantha Jade who belted out bangers in a hot pink suit. Passengers were also given an acclimatisation to Australia by drag icons Etcetera Etcetera, Danni Issues and Minnie Cooper, while dancing Aussie surf lifesavers gave it their all in Aussiebum budgie smugglers. All extremely WorldPride appropriate and a quintessential introduction to Australian culture for the queer international visitors touching down for the first time. [caption id="attachment_892800" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pride flight travellers touch down for the first time in Sydney[/caption] Overall, the trip was one for the personal history books. The feeling of ease of customers and crew on the plane, and the camaraderie and joy was something to behold. And who wouldn't want to travel with a company who walks the walk, not just talks the talk when it comes to championing diversity and representation? And after the travel experience on United's Polaris service, I agreed with my colleagues who warned me: once you go business, you'll never want to go back. Concrete Playground traveled from San Francisco to Sydney on the inaugural Pride Flight as a guest of United Airlines.
It's not often Brisbane can boast about the cold. Our beautiful tropical climate prevents us from receiving the chilly temperatures we need to really enjoy winter and its truest icy traditions. But hey, it's the 21st century. We defy every other restriction that's thrown at us, so it's only fair to defy the climate too. In the fashion of everything frosty, Brisbane bring us The Winter Festival. The annual celebration is hosted in admiration of all things winter. Centred around the largest outdoor ice rink in the Southern Hemisphere, last year's Winter Festival attracted around 30,000 visitors to Brisbane's King George Square. The festival is really a sight to be seen. Beyond the huge ice rink you will find many other highlights including an array of food stalls (hello German Sausage Hut), music, live entertainment and a licenced bar. Be warned - Though you may feel invincible gliding across the ice rink, that's only the alcohol trying to confuse you. Don't get caught in the heat of the moment, or lack there of. Drink and skate responsibly. Enjoy our artificial winter pleasures safely at Brisbane Winter Festival and let the our local icy tundra make you move like an arctic lizard.
For six days each April, the music-loving world's eyes turn to the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, where Coachella takes place each year. Maybe you're there on the ground. Perhaps you spend two weekends watching along via the festival's livestream. Either way, it's a helluva time — and 2025's festival will feature Lady Gaga, Green Day and Post Malone on headlining duties. The Coachella lineup normally drops in January as a start-of-year highlight, but the details have arrived early for the next festival. Post Malone had jumped the gun, revealing a stadium tour with Indio dates on Coachella's two weekends — and so now organisers have unveiled the full details. [caption id="attachment_972776" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raph_PH via Flickr.[/caption] Mark Friday, April 11–Sunday, April 13 and Friday, April April 18–Sunday, April 20 in your diaries — including if you you're just keen to check out the livestream. (Remember, Coachella was livestreaming its sets long before the pandemic.) The full bill is impressive, as usual, with Lady Gaga headlining the Friday nights, Green Day doing the Saturday nights and Post Malone on Sunday nights. Also, Travis Scott is on the lineup as well, but without a set day so far. From there, get ready for jam-packed roster of acts that also spans everyone from Missy Elliott, Charli XCX, Megan Thee Stallion, Travis Scott, The Prodigy and Kraftwerk through to Benson Boone, FKA twigs, Basement Jaxx and The Go-Go's — and plenty more. Anyway, let's be honest, you haven't truly read any of those words — you'll be wanting this: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coachella (@coachella) For music lovers planning to watch along from home, Coachella keeps teaming up with YouTube to livestream the festival. That's no longer such a novelty in these pandemic times but, given the calibre of Coachella's lineup, it's still a mighty fine way to spend a weekend. For those eager to attend in-person, you can signup for access to tickets over at the festival's website — with pre-sales starting at 11am PT on Friday, November 22 (aka 5am AEST/6am AEDT on Saturday, November 23). [caption id="attachment_907691" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chrisallmeid via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Coachella 2025 runs from Friday, April 11–Sunday, April 13 and Friday, April April 18–Sunday, April 20 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Find out more information and register for tickets at coachella.com — with pre-sales starting at 11am PT on Friday, November 22 (aka 5am AEST/6am AEDT on Saturday, November 23). Top image: Raph_PH via Flickr.
The '90s really are the decade that just keeps on giving. You lived through the outfits and the music, then looked back with astonishment after they passed. Now, enough time has elapsed that you can embrace them again with the affection you've always been secretly harbouring. You know it's true. That's where the '90s Music Video Party comes in, as it has so many times over the past few years, celebrating the decade everyone once pretended to forget but now loves to remember. Nostalgia is unavoidable as three hours of your favourite tunes set a retro mood, accompanied by the corresponding music videos on the big screen. It often sells out — that's how much everyone wants to pretend to travel back in time. And, this'll be the last time the shindig is held at the New Globe before the venue closes. Here, the bubblegum pop of Aqua and the grunge of Soundgarden will combine, and the MMMbop of Hanson and the room shaking of DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince too. Hop on to the event's Facebook page in advance to request your must-hear track, then make like The Spice Girls and say you'll be there.
Traditionally, autumn is a season filled with orange, red, brown and yellowing leaves, as spring and summer's greenery makes way for winter. Come mid-March, just over an hour outside of Brisbane, it'll also be a time for golden stems — all as part of the Scenic Rim's returning, much-loved and obviously stunning-to-look-at Kalbar Sunflower Festival. Expect to spot sunflowers as far as the eye can see at the Jenner family farm in Kalbar. In past years, there have been more than 200,000 of the vibrant blooms reaching up to the sky, which is a hefty number. For 2023, however, over a million sunflowers have been planted across 24 acres. And, all those golden petals will help the fest play host to a highlight to get lost in, literally: a four-acre sunflower maze. The 2023 festival will take place across Friday, March 10–Sunday, March 12, and will also feature a painting class — yes, you'll be channelling your inner Vincent van Gogh and painting sunflowers — plus helicopter rides over the field, sunflower crafting, cooking demonstrations and classes, photography classes and photo sessions. The fest's popular sunset gala dinner with a golden backdrop won't be taking place this year, but there will be a sunset soirée instead, with Laura Frank performing. And, chef Richard Ousby will be serving up a lunch over champagne. Food trucks will help line your stomach, too, and provide bites for picnics among the blooms, serving up pizza, ice cream, coffee and more. Also, for sunflower goodies to take home, there'll be a sunflower shop onsite. Tickets to this event always get snapped up fast, even in just the two short years since it launched back in 2021, so note the on-sale date of Sunday, February 19 — at 12pm — in your diary now.
Made up of mathematicians, programmers, architects, animators and engineers, Tokyo-based art collective Teamlab has made quite a splash on the world stage. Their famed Borderless Digital Art Museum — which launched in Odaiba, Japan, in June 2018 — pulls perpetual queues and became the most visited single-artist museum in the world just 12 months in. But even if you haven't managed to wrangle a trip to Tokyo, you'll still have the chance to get swept up in some Teamlab magic, as the artist assembly brings its new exhibition Reversible Rotation to town for the Melbourne International Arts Festival. Taking over Melbourne CBD's Tolarno Galleries from October 5 to November 2, the boundary-pushing installation features four imaginative digital screen works, designed to make you reconsider the concept of space and the relationship between humans and nature. Here's what you'll see if you head along: [caption id="attachment_744769" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Teamlab, Waves of Light (2018) by Kate Shanasy[/caption] WAVES OF LIGHT (2018) One for all the water babies out there, Waves Of Light is a continuous loop work, created in 3D then turned into an artwork that exists in what Teamlab calls "ultrasubjective space". It captures the movement of waves through continuously shifting water, the vision carefully constructed after calculating the behaviour and interactions of hundreds of thousands of water particles. The result is an immersive viewing experience, designed, as most of Teamlab's work is, to break down the boundaries between humans and nature. The shimmering artwork reflects on premodern Japanese paintings and their common use of line series to depict a sense of life in oceans and rivers. [caption id="attachment_744772" align="alignnone" width="1920"] From left to right: Teamlab, Reversible Rotation — Cold Light (2019) and Reversible Rotation — Black in White (2019) by Kate Shanasy[/caption] REVERSIBLE ROTATION — COLD LIGHT (2019) AND REVERSIBLE ROTATION — BLACK IN WHITE (2019) Both of these captivating 2019 works are again made using 3D reconstructions that are then worked into 'flat' artworks. At the heart of each is a piece of Japanese 'sho' or calligraphy, drawn in space rather than on a flat surface to create what's known as "spacial calligraphy". The 3D imaging captures each brush stroke's power, depth and speed, then the final artwork appears in constant rotation. But be prepared for some trippy viewing — the sho can look as if it's rotating in different directions. Experience it through the moody scrawl of Reversible Rotation — Black in White, and again slightly differently for the more recent piece, Reversible Rotation — Cold Light. The latter is showing for the first time ever at this exhibition. [caption id="attachment_744773" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Teamlab, Enso — Cold Light (2018) by Kate Shanasy[/caption] ENSO — COLD LIGHT (2019) Enso – Cold Light sees Teamlab getting crafty with spacial calligraphy once again, this time paying homage to 'enso', the Zen practice of drawing a circle using just a single brush stroke. This particular stroke is suspended in space, though audiences will get to see it captured from various viewpoints, as they're displayed in rotation on-screen. Thought to represent enlightenment, truth, the entirety of the universe, and equality, the enso is also left open to interpretation, capturing the heart and mind of each viewer in a slightly different way. Catch Reversible Rotation at Tolarno Galleries, Level 4, 104 Exhibition Street, Melbourne until Saturday, November 2. It's showing as part of the Melbourne International Arts Festival. Images: Kate Shanasy
When Montrachet makes the move to King Street in Bowen Hills, they'll be marking their arrival in sparkling style. If you're one of Brisbane's favourite French restaurants, and you're shifting across town to brand new digs, that's how you celebrate — with a Champagne laneway party. Expect three bars pouring 12 different tipples for four hours on December 9, with the fun taking over Machinery Street from 10am until 2pm. For $49, attendees receive a glass of NV Louis Roederer Brut Premier upon arrival, plus brunch canapes ranging from almond croissants and coffee éclairs to double smoked ham cruffins and baguettes filled with charcuterie, grilled vegetables and fresh mozzarella. Then, it's all about making your way through the other bubbly vintage, non-vintage, and rosé beverages on offer, at a per glass price. If the menu sounds like a delicious treat, that's because it is being whipped up by Lyonnaise baker, Patrick Delbar, who is making his first baking departure from his homeland in over 35 years in the business. Anyone eager to test out his wares before he's unleashed on Montrachet's new all-day takeaway patisserie, here's your chance — but get in quick, because only 200 tickets are available.
Stormwater drains do not immediately spring to mind as the most likely of subjects for a photography exhibition. Dank, dark and deliberately hidden from view, the humble drain is generally seen as a necessity of modern life but one that should be left in the deep underground recesses beneath our feet. Sydney artist Oliver Hopes begs to differ. After a boyhood adventure gone awry left Hopes stranded in the blackness of one of Sydney's innumerable stormwater drains, surrounded on all sides by an army of swarming cockroaches, his "most hated of animals", Hopes developed a permanent fascination with this unseen world of underground mazes. "I had a bunch of mates that would go and explore stormwater drains, and I don't know how they got the idea," Hopes told us. "We built a flaming torch out of a stick and torn T-shirt and kerosene ... and that was the first time I went down the drain." It certainly wasn't his last. These days, the artist finds himself lost in Sydney's drain system as often he can. Unlike this first encounter, which was inspired more by a sense of boyhood adventure than artistic expression, Hopes now always makes sure he has his digital camera with him and his latest exhibition is on display as part of the Head On photo festival at the Robin Gibson Gallery. Yet Hopes' art is no accident; it's the work of a man who knows how to find incredible beauty in the most unexpected of locations. The images are a cinematic delight, bathed in an evocative contrast of light and dark. If it weren't for the subtle details of the drains — the water stains and faded graffiti — the photographs could easily be mistaken for location shots from a Godfather film. Despite the grandiosity of the images, Hopes' process is amazingly DIY. Having experimented with elaborate camera set-ups, studio lights and plenty of work in the editing studio, Hopes found that often the most effective approach was also the most simple. Just a digital camera and then "it's basically me and what I see down there." "Most of them have a pretty natural cinematic quality, that special something that needs very little manipulation," Hopes said. "They are pretty powerful spaces naturally, which is what inspires me more to keep going. They are just so amazing and different and powerful." Thankfully for us, these atmospheric chiaroscuros hide some of the less appetising aspects of drains — though Hopes describes seeing everything from bats to rats to eels to cats. "You name it, it's down there," he says. Check out some of our favourite drains from Hopes' amazing collection of photographs below. Images courtesy of Robin Gibson Gallery and © Oliver Hopes.
If hitting the waves without hopping in the ocean sounds like your idea of a great time, you'll soon have more than a few places to hang ten around southeast Queensland. The Sunshine Coast is due to welcome Kelly Slater's second surf ranch. The Urbnsurf team has its sights set on Brisbane, announcing plans to open a new man-made surf lagoon in the city. And, now the Gold Coast is joining in — with the coastal city getting an Endless Surf wave pool at The Club at Parkwood Village. Parkwood Village has revealed plans for a $200-million new development, which includes a new 200-plus bed hotel, residential apartments, and hospitality, medical and commercial facilities. But giving Gold Coast residents and visitors a place to surf without diving into to the sea is the hefty drawcard. It's hoped that locals and tourists alike will be able to do just that by 2023. Obviously, the Gold Coast is well-known for its beaches. So is Australia in general — but the country has been jumping on the man-made surf pool bandwagon in a big way. Urbnsurf opened Australia's first inland surf park near the Melbourne Airport in 2020, and revealed plans for Sydney and Perth sites, too. And New South Wales' Hawkesbury region is also getting a giant wave pool and luxury resort come 2022. Whether you're a cautious swimmer, you're afraid of sharks or you're just not a beach person, Parkwood's Endless Surf-branded pool will hail from aquatic entertainment provider Whitewater, which has been in the surf pool business since 1989. As the name suggests, the waves are designed to just keep coming. The pool's rolling sets are created by pneumatic technology, and are accessible for surfers of all ages and skill levels, including first-timers. Renders of the proposed surf pool include a sandy man-made beach leading into the waves, plenty of umbrellas providing shady places to sit, big screens showing the surfing action, and places to grab food and drink. Announcing the plan, Parkwood Village Managing Director Luke Altschwager said that "there is nothing more quintessentially Australian than surfing, and this new technology creating customised repeatable man-made waves is going to revolutionise the sport. I want to make sure Parkwood becomes the heart of the sport here on the Gold Coast. Not only is a world class surf pool a perfect fit for our active community, it anchors a whole new level of economic investment in the area". The Endless Surf pool is set to open at The Club at Parkwood Village, 76–122 Napper Road, Parkwood, by 2023. Images: renders of The Club at Parkwood Village's Endless Surf pool.
Adoration opens with the seaside funeral of Theo, an event which doesn't seem to have particularly bothered anyone. His wife, Lil (Naomi Watts), and her best friend, Roz (Robin Wright), are altogether content with their lot; they live in a Garden of Eden-like seaside town and enjoy a friendship so enduring and close that people in the small community whisper that they are "lezzoes". When Roz's husband, Harold (Ben Mendelsohn), leaves for a job teaching drama in Sydney, the path is clear for them to give into temptation as each takes the other's gym-toned surf-loving son, Ian (Xavier Samuel) and Tom (James Frecheville), as lovers. At a preview screening, there were scattered laughs throughout, a worry for a film aiming for thoughtful adult drama rather than comedy. Adoration takes itself very seriously, though there are some potentially interesting ideas bubbling away underneath the slick surface, not least a sense that Lil and Roz are taking up these younger lovers for deeper reasons than a simple desire for their attractive sons — they are grasping at the memory of their own faded youth and seeking to be even closer with each other, the young men acting as substitutes for their own sublimated love. But too often the film wastes the dramatic potential of its material and settles for clunky symbolism rather than nuance; a scene where the characters sit down to eat an apple for no particular reason apart from the obvious biblical symbolism is particularly galling. Perhaps a director as versed with melodrama as Pedro Almodóvar could have made a great film out of Adoration, but this version stubbornly refuses to embrace the essential soapy silliness at its core, instead stretching for serious drama. Cue Lil looking off into the middle distance and intoning "We've crossed a line here" as she and Roz ponder their latest transgressions. A baffling development sees Tom, previously a monosyllabic lunk, declare his ambitions of working in theatre and temporarily move to Sydney, where he meets an aspiring actress, Mary (a scene-stealing Jessica Tovey), who also gets dragged into their web of adultery and deceit. Meanwhile, Lil's hapless suitor Saul (Gary Sweet) trails after her like a despondent puppy, dimly unaware of the fraught emotions of the group he longs to be part of. Blessed with a paradisiacal backdrop and shot with a stylish malevolence, Adoration is a kind of interesting failure. It isn't as bad as unintended guffaws would suggest, but it's hard to escape the feeling of missed opportunity here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=4xYrRsZpoxI
If the end times were coming, and the antichrist as well, how would an angel and a demon on earth cope? That's the question that fantasy authors Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman explored in 1990 novel Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, winning awards and plenty of fans as a result. Now, what'd happen if Michael Sheen (Quiz) was that heavenly figure and David Tennant (Doctor Who) his demonic counterpart? That's exactly what the Good Omens streaming series dived into when it initially arrived back in 2019. Four years later, the Prime Video show is finally returning for season two. With Sheen back as Aziraphale and Tennant as Crowley, that key casting remains intact. Jon Hamm (Confess, Fletch) also returns as Gabriel, this time showing up at Aziraphale's bookshop with zero memory of who he is — sparking the show's new mystery. Cue hiding the archangel from all interested parties — below and above — and, as is Good Omens' custom, getting Aziraphale and Crowley leaning on each other. Cue jumping from before The Beginning through to modern times as well, including stops in the biblical and Victorian eras, and the Blitz in 1940s England. As the trailer for season two shows, divine chaos ensues, even though Aziraphale and Crowley thwarted the apocalypse in season one. How it all turns out, other than amusingly, will be revealed when the series hits streaming again on Friday, July 28. Also back for a second go-around are Doon Mackichan (Toast of Tinseltown) as archangel Michael, plus Gloria Obianyo (Dune) as archangel Uriel, while Miranda Richardson (Rams), Maggie Service (Life) and Nina Sosanya (His Dark Materials) return as well — but in different parts. They're all joined by series newcomers Liz Carr (This Is Going to Hurt), Quelin Sepulveda (The Man Who Fell to Earth) and Shelley Conn (Bridgerton), the latter as Beelzebub. And Neil Gaiman is back as executive producer and co-showrunner, helping guide a season that now expands past its source material. Check out the trailer for Good Omens season two below: Good Omens returns for season two from Friday, July 28 via Prime Video.
If you like roast pork topped with plenty of crackling, then you're probably a fan of the Brisbane German Club's pork knuckles. Slow-cooked, weighing in at one kilogram, and served with fried potatoes, sauerkraut and smoked beer gravy, these authentic-style pork hocks are one of the city's iconic dishes — and, no matter when you head by the Woolloongabba spot, they're always popular. Expect them to be flying out the kitchen on Sunday, January 26, though. Between 12–2.30pm, the German Club is dubbing the occasion $20 Pork Knuckle Day. The details are self-explanatory, and you'll be nabbing this tasty, crispy meal for a considerable discount. [caption id="attachment_622731" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Anwyn Howarth[/caption] Bookings are essential — again, these pork knuckles have many, many aficionados — by contacting the venue in advance. You'll likely want to make your reservation for an early time, because this is a first in, best dressed offer. Sipping your way through the bar's hefty range of German beers and schnapps will cost you extra, of course, but it'll be well worth it. Top image: Brisbane German Club.
The Australian Centre for the Moving Image has announced its latest filmmaker retrospective — and in good news for cinephiles living in other cities, it won't just be screening at ACMI in Melbourne. Setting their sights on the movie classics crafted by Roman Polanski, they've teamed up with Palace Cinemas to take the eleven-film lineup around the country, with it stopping in Brisbane from December 1-7. ROMAN: 10 X Polanski will feature ten of the Franco-Polish director's features, ranging from his Polish New Wave debut, Knife in the Water, to his 2010 political thriller, The Ghost Writer. In between, the showcase will also give audiences a chance to see masterpieces such as the film noir-infused Chinatown and supernatural horror Rosemary's Baby on the big screen, which is no mean feat. Plus, it'll step through the British-made likes of Repulsion and Cul-de-sac, as well as the European-set The Tenant, Frantic and Bitter Moon — and present his co-starring role, alongside his late second wife Sharon Tate, in undead spoof The Fearless Vampire Killers. As for that eleventh title we mentioned, it comes in the form of Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, which is clearly the retrospective's way of addressing the director's infamy beyond his helming career. Any celebration of Polanski's work can't ignore his well-publicised flight from the United States in 1978 after being charged with sexually assaulting a minor, aka the main topic of Marina Zenovich's 2008 documentary. Polanski has still worked steadily and even won an Oscar for 2002's The Pianist in the nearly four decades since; however championing his filmmaking prowess is bound to cause some discomfort, even if the touring season does try to put the movies, rather than the man behind them, front and centre.
Another one down: in a year that keeps bringing bad news for music lovers and festivalgoers, Spilt Milk has joined the long list of events that aren't going ahead in 2024. In 2023, the touring event announced its lineup in July. As the month draws to a close this year, it has revealed that there'll be no Spilt Milk again until 2025 rolls around. The festival advised of its 2024 cancellation via social media, in a brief and informal post on Friday, July 26. "Sorry pookies, we couldn't get you the Spilt Milk you deserve this year," the announcement begins. "Sooo imma dip for a bit and come back when I can make all ur dreams come true. i miss u xx," it continues. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Spilt Milk (@spiltmilk_au) Last year, Post Malone, Dom Dolla, Latto, Tkay Maidza and Aitch led the Spilt Milk lineup, hitting up a fest that plays Canberra, Gold Coast, Ballarat and Perth. Talent details hadn't yet been advised for this year, unlike two other big festivals that also haven't taken place as normal. Both Groovin the Moo and Splendour in the Grass dropped lineups, then scrapped this year's fests mere weeks later. Australia's music festival scene has been suffering of late, with Summergrounds Music Festival, which was meant to debut at Sydney Festival 2024, also ditching its plans. As announced in 2023, Dark Mofo took a breather this year — and Mona Foma, the summer fest also held by Tasmania's Museum of Old and New Art, advised that its 2024 event was its last ever. Yours and Owls has postponed its next fest until 2025, too, but is hosting a pre-party in October this year. [caption id="attachment_851187" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] Originally only popping up in Canberra, then expanding to Ballarat, then the Gold Coast and finally also to Perth, multi-city one-dayer Spilt Milk had cemented its spot as a must-attend event on the annual Aussie calendar, including for its lineups — and for its food offering as well, which spanned bites to eat from Chebbo's Burgers, 400 Gradi, Chicken Treat, and the BBQ and Beer Roadshow in 2023. Flume, Stormzy and The Wombats were named as headliners in 2022 — the first Spilt Milk since the pandemic began — although Stormzy subsequently dropped out and cancelled his Australian tour. Khalid and Chvrches topped the bill in 2019, and Childish Gambino did the honours in 2018. [caption id="attachment_851188" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] [caption id="attachment_674160" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cole Bennetts[/caption] [caption id="attachment_674158" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pat Stevenson[/caption] Spilt Milk isn't taking place in 2024, and instead plans to return to Canberra, Ballarat, the Gold Coast and Perth in 2025. Head to the festival website for more information. Top image: Billy Zammit.
Over the course of the past year that wasn't, things like scheduling have more or less gone out the window. After all, how far ahead can you plan if things could change, quite literally, at any minute? If nothing else, the past year has probably taught us all how to be spontaneous — but spontaneously having people over at your place (restrictions permitting, of course) doesn't mean that you should neglect your duties as host. That's where we come in. We've teamed up with Yumi's to put together a list of six easy things to whip up for last-minute — or even unexpected — guests. [caption id="attachment_817506" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Benjamin Brunner (Unsplash)[/caption] TOMATO, BOCCONCINI AND BASIL BITES The low effort to high payoff ratio of these treats makes them an easy crowd-pleaser. It's not hard to imagine why the tried-and-true combo of plump, sweet tomato, creamy cheese and fresh, zingy basil has become a grazing platter staple — not only are the flavours a perfect match, but these morsels are a cinch to put together, and also incredibly versatile. Whether you stack them as fresh bite-sized stacks, turn them into a salad, or put them on a pizza, these tricolour treats will be sure to put a smile on your guests' faces. FALAFELS These veggie favourites will please even the pickiest eaters. And thankfully, it couldn't be more easy to impress your guests with them, thanks to Yumi's range of excellent pre-cooked falafels. They come in a classic and sesame variety, and also in resealable bags — meaning you can even keep some for yourself after your guests leave. Give them a quick zap in the microwave for half a minute, and serve them with liberal amounts of Yumi's classic silky hommus or addictive garlic dip to take your platter to the next level. [caption id="attachment_817512" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brett Jordan (Unsplash)[/caption] MINI QUICHES Mixing up your platter with hot and cold options automatically takes your hosting levels up a notch (at least in the eyes of your guests). And less than ten minutes of prep using pantry staples is all it takes to impress when you plate up these mini quiches. They're filling, tasty and versatile — try mixing it up with different types of cheese or veggies. [caption id="attachment_817513" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Martin Alargent (Pexels)[/caption] FIGS AND CHEESE We may not be able to travel right now, but the dreamy combination of figs and goat cheese will at least transport your tastebuds to the Mediterranean. The sweet, plump and honeyed notes of the fruit are the perfect foil to cut through cheese with stronger flavours — goat's cheese is a great pairing (especially drizzled with a bit of honey), but other cheeses, like a sharp stilton or a creamy brie, work just as well. It's an easy combo to assemble, too — cut the figs in half and serve them up with your choice of cheese. If you want to take it to another level, popping the fruit under the grill can bring out more of the flavour. DIPS, CRUDITES AND CRACKERS Whether you're serving them before dinner or they're accompanying casual wine time, dips are perhaps the ultimate no-brainer for entertaining at home (or solo snacking, we hasten to add). Yumi's has long been a favourite for its creative range of dips that are packed with real ingredients — from a creamy avo and sea salt dip to the mildly sweet roasted beetroot, there are combinations to suit any palate. Chop up some veggies or spread out some crackers for dipping and you've got yourself a winning platter. Feeling fancy? You can even make your own crackers — these rosemary ones go with just about anything. [caption id="attachment_817519" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matt Seymour (Unsplash)[/caption] MINI SAUSAGE ROLLS The humble sausage roll is another platter pick that seems like you've gone to more trouble than you actually have. Sure, you can get fancy with it and make your own filling, but if you're pressed for time, you can bring pre-made sausages to the party, wrap them up in puff pastry, portion them out and bang them in the oven. Add a couple of sides for dipping — we love the contrast of a sweet chutney — and you're set. For more entertaining inspiration, check out the full range of Yumi's falafels, veggie bites and dips.
When you first visit a major city, it's natural to come armed with a list of must-see venues and landmarks. You've done your research, taken recommendations from family and friends, now you're ready to make your way through all the famous sites along with hundreds of other tourists. But what happens when you've ticked everything off your list? Sure, you could revisit the same spots — an arvo spent at Bondi Beach or the MCA will never get old — but why not discover another side of the city? To give you some inspiration and put a few more must-sees on your list, we've partnered with City of Sydney and crafted an itinerary that'll get you far away from the tourist traps and into the real Sydney. Yep, you'll be living like a legit Sydneysider in no time. [caption id="attachment_694707" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Don't Tell Aunty.[/caption] EAT AND DRINK Sydney is a big ol' melting pot of different cultures and one of the best ways to experience the city's inherent diversity is via food and booze. Make tracks to the colourful inner-city burrow of Surry Hills to sample some top-notch multicultural nosh from all corners of the globe. There's trail-blazing Indian that breaks all the rules at Don't Tell Aunty, molto buono Italian at Caffe Bartolo, authentic family-style fare at Korean joint Sang by Mabasa and traditional Lebanese eats at Nour restaurant — and, really, that's barely scratching the surface. At the other end of the spectrum, there's a throng of venues focused on making native Australian ingredients sing. For a chance to savour indigenous flavours, head along to Paperbark in Waterloo's Casa Building. The experimental plant-based menu changes weekly depending on what's in season, but you can expect the likes of finger limes, saltbush, wattleseed and pepper berry. Similarly, Barangaroo's expansive 230-seat restaurant 12-Micron is "a culinary salute to Australia's surrounds". Here, the menu is simply a list of the main ingredients in each dish, like rock oysters, blue swimmer crab and spring lamb, so you're given a chance to really appreciate each element. [caption id="attachment_654873" align="alignnone" width="1920"] PS40 by Alana Dimou.[/caption] Next, to get a dose of bush tucker in an upscale cocktail, head to celebrated 'soda door' PS40. At this cuisine-bending bar, you can expect tipples that borrow from a variety of different cultures. The cocktails are kind of pastiche, blending together native and unusual ingredients — so, yes, you'll get wattleseed but you'll also get smoked miso caramel, Ayurvedic spiced yoghurt, beer pretzel reductions and pandan barley soda. It's weird but wonderful stuff. The best part? The non-alcoholic sodas and mocktails are equally as tasty. For a slightly different take on native Australian ingredients — we're talking true-blue, dinky-di kinda stuff — head to The Unicorn in Paddington. Here, you'll find Jatz and dip, potato scallops, fruit-plenty pavs and basically a whole bunch of Aussie classics that'll bring a patriotic tear to your eye. Speaking of patriotic, the bar has a 100-percent homegrown beer and wine list because, well, Aussie alcohol rules. Duh. [caption id="attachment_653207" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Young Henrys by Destination NSW.[/caption] And, if you need further proof of this, check out a few of the breweries and bars slinging beers made right here in Sydney. There's a ton within the city limits, like Yulli's Brewing (Alexandria), Frenchies (Rosebery), Staves (Glebe), Sydney Brewery (Surry Hills), Bitter Phew (Darlinghurst) and Young Henrys (Newtown). Be sure to pick up a couple of growlers of your favourite beer, they make great gifts for family and friends back at home — if they make it home, that is. [caption id="attachment_622378" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cafe Lounge.[/caption] PLAY AND SEE Given you're on Eora land, kick off your Sydney adventures by checking out some local Aboriginal art. In the heart of The Rocks, you'll find Spirit Gallery — one of Sydney's pre-eminent galleries for Aboriginal arts and craft. Since 2002, the gallery has been showcasing the work of many traditional and contemporary Aboriginal artists. In addition to canvas paintings, the gallery also exhibits carvings, boomerangs, ceramics, glassware, baskets and bark paintings. Oh, and a large portion is available for purchase at quite affordable prices. If that wasn't enough of an arty fix, take a short stroll to Gannon House Gallery. Operating for nearly 30 years, the gallery exhibits a hefty selection of Aboriginal art from the Central and Western Desert, as well as Arnhem Land. Be sure to check out the striking work by Minnie Pwerle; her bright colour palette and rhythmic linear patterns are utterly striking. Next, nab a seat in the stalls with some local Sydneysiders for a spot of theatre. Looking past the Opera House and Sydney Theatre Company, you'll get a glimpse at some emerging local actors, dancers, singers and comedians. So opt for a Sydney-based theatre house (or pub with a makeshift stage). This no-frills style of theatre allows you to really focus on the actors without any fancy bells and whistles (read: big-budget sets and costumes) to distract you. There are a handful of places in suburbs Kings Cross, Surry Hills and Redfern, including the Griffin, Old Fitz, Belvoir, Cafe Lounge, Giant Dwarf and The Tudor. [caption id="attachment_705398" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Social Outfit by Luisa Brimble.[/caption] Then, when you're ready for some retail therapy, spend some time traversing the boutique shops and local stores across the city. Newtown, somewhat of a design mecca, has a host of spots to pick from. We suggest Milk & Thistle, run by designer Danielle Atkinson and renowned for its stylish, easy-fit garments that are designed, printed and made entirely in Australia. And The Social Outfit, an ethical trading social enterprise where you can get some cracking threads while helping out the refugee and migrant communities. Since 2014, The Social Outfit has been recycling clothing and providing employment and training in the fashion industry to refugees and new migrants. If you're closer to the city, pop by The Standard Store (Surry Hills) for Australian and international fashions and Squidinki (The Rocks) for Sydney-infused souvenirs you'll actually want. [caption id="attachment_706202" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Old Clare.[/caption] STAY When you're ready to rest your head (and your belly), you'll want to sleep somewhere equally boutique and Sydney-centric. Thankfully, over the past few years, a number of luxe-yet-local joints have popped up over the city, meaning you don't need to stay at the usual big names. Situated in the quiet, cute neighbourhood of Chippendale, you'll find The Old Clare, an immaculately finished hotel which exudes luxury. Hell, it even has a 14-metre rooftop pool complete with sweeping panoramic views of Sydney's skyline. [caption id="attachment_660514" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paramount House Hotel by Tom Ross.[/caption] A short stroll away, in neighbouring suburb Surry Hills, lies Paramount House Hotel. Opened is 2018, the upscale accommodation blends old with new in a similar fashion to The Old Clare. The red-brick heritage building — the former headquarters of Paramount Pictures Studios — features swanky amenities, like a rooftop gym, outdoor cafe, private terraces and even a mini-bar stocked with snacks from local favourite LP's Quality Meats and Tom Shobbrook wines. It's this juxtaposition between the refined and the raw, the polished and the crude, that makes this style of accommodation so endearing. But, if you want less exposed brick and more of a modern stay, book a night at The Urban in Newtown. The chic industrial-style boutique accommodation is a stone's throw from buzzing King Street where you'll find a host of pumping bars and eateries. Plus, you get a free mini-bar. Really, what else do you need? Other standout stays include Hotel Palisade (The Rocks), complete with a rooftop bar boasting one of Sydney's best views, and dog-friendly Medusa (Darlinghurst), Sydney's alleged first 'true' boutique hotel. Forgo the tourist traps and instead traverse the great City of Sydney like a local. Discover more around the city here. Top image: PS40 by Alana Dimou.
Heads up, Mother's Day is just around the corner. (It's happening on Sunday, May 10, in case you temporarily forgot.) You can frantically message your siblings later, there's pressie planning afoot, and we've found quite the showstopper for your dear ol' mumsie this year thanks to Gelato Messina. Never one to miss an opportunity to experiment with new ways to inhale sweets, Messina has been cooking up quite the delicate novelty dessert for Mum: a Italian-inspired box of chocolates. These brownie point-winners launched in 2015 — and have been selling out every year since — are sure to bring it home again this year, just a little differently to usual. While these chocolate bon bons have been filled with gelato for the past four Mother's Days, this year, they're all chocolate (single origin Ecuadorian chocolate, no less) — so they can be shipped to mums across Australia. And, this time round, they come with a stunning bouquet of flowers from Floraly, too. Each box comes with nine handmade chocolate bon bons in five flavours — gianduja, milk choc chew, coffee and dulce, pistachio praline and honey caramel — and a bunch of farm-fresh flowers in an illustrated gift box and a personalised card. The bouquet does require a little bit of constructing, but the flowers come with an easy step-by-step guide as well as care instructions. The Mother's Day boxes are going for $79 a pop and can be shipped across Australia, with the gifts set to arrive between Thursday, May 7 and Saturday, May 9. Gelato Messina's Mother's Day Bon Bons and Bouquets are available to order online now for delivery across Australia.
Gaming has been an integral part of SXSW history, making its first appearance at the festival all the way back in 2006. SXSW Sydney promises to be no different, with an enormous amount of gaming-focused events joining the lineup of musical performances, film screenings and fascinating panels. While it may not be dangerous to go alone, we'd still recommend you take this — our recommendations on the best gaming things to see and do during the festival. GAMES FESTIVAL OPENING NIGHT PARTY This one is a no-brainer. There's going to be musical performances, a plethora of games to go hands-on with, and the best and brightest of the local industry rubbing shoulders and enjoying a drink or two. Come down and help set the tone for the rest of the festival. Catch the Games Festival Opening Night Party from 7–11pm on Tuesday, October 17, at The Tavern, Fortress Sydney. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7u6dnpEIvk[/embed] STRAY GODS IN CONCERT If you're not familiar with Stray Gods, you've still got time to play this musical RPG from Melbourne's Summerfall Studio. Then you'll be primed to hit this live performance of songs from the game, featuring voice-acting icons Troy Baker and Anjali Bhimani and singer-songwriter Montaigne. Prepare for goosebumps. Catch Stray Gods In Concert from 8–9pm on Tuesday, October 17 at the Alienware Arena, Fortress Sydney. MOCK AUDITIONS: VOICE ACTING FOR VIDEO GAMES A great voice performance can elevate a video game to incredible heights. At this event you'll get tips and tricks from voice actor Aimee Smith, then have the chance to put them into practice with audience members being called up to the mic for a mock script read. There's even prizes for the best performers, so warm up your pipes. Catch Mock Auditions: Voice Acting For Video Games from 1.30–2.30pm on Wednesday, October 18 at the Alienware Arena, Fortress Sydney. CRAB GAME SHOWCASE What more can we say? Crabs are having a moment in gaming in 2023, and this event gathers together some of the best digital crustaceans for you to interact with. Honestly, this may be the most important event of the entire SXSW festival, so make sure that you hastily scuttle on over. Catch the Crab Game Showcase from 5–11pm on Wednesday, October 18 at The Tavern, Fortress Sydney. GAMES FESTIVAL AWARDS NIGHT PRESENTED BY SUNTORY -196 The glitz, the glamour, the games – there's nothing like an awards night. Hosted by musical comedy genius Tom Cardy, this event is a chance to celebrate the crème de la crème of the games showcased during the festival. And, the fun doesn't stop once all the gongs have been got, with late-night karaoke following directly after. Catch the Games Festival Awards Night Presented By Suntory -196 from 7–11pm on Friday, October 20 at the Alienware Arena, Fortress Sydney. DAILY GAME SHOWCASES Each day of the festival there'll be a plethora of games from local and international developers to check out. Not only does it give you the chance to add a ton of variety to your gaming diet, but you can also chat with the people behind each title and gain an insight into what it takes to bring a game to life. With 150 titles to see you're sure to find something to love, but if you're after a steer, be sure to check out our list of most-anticipated demos. Catch the Daily Game Showcases running throughout the festival at the Eddy Multi Space and Grand Concourse, Mercury Central. Check out the full list of games here. SXSW Sydney runs from Sunday, October 15–Sunday, October 22, and SXSW Sydney Screen Festival from Sunday, October 15–Saturday, October 21. Head to the SXSW Sydney website for further details.
Master sommelier Madeline Triffon describes Pinot Noir as 'sex in a glass', while winemaker Randy Ullom calls it 'the ultimate nirvana'. One of the most challenging grapes in the world of vinification, it's also one of the most surprising and rewarding. No wonder Bottle Shop Concepts — the good folk who brought Game of Rhones our way in June — are coming back to town with Pinot Palooza, an epic travelling wine festival celebrating all things Pinot Noir. For just one day, wine connoisseurs in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane will have the chance to sample more than 150 drops, direct from the Southern Hemisphere’s best producers. Think Ata Rangi, Yabby Lake, Bay of Fires, Rippon, Kooyong, Mount Difficulty — and that’s just the first few leaves on the vine. Whether you’re a newbie who wants to start with something light and inviting, or a Pinot pro ready for the biggest, most complex mouthful on the menu, there’ll be an abundance of selections at either end — and plenty along the spectrum, too. You’ll even be able to vote for your favourite and go in the draw to win some wine-driven prizes. If, at any point, you need to take a pause in your tasting adventures, you’ll be able to pop into the Alfa Romeo Lounge. There’ll be cosy places to sit and mull over your chosen Pinot, loads of food and the epic Burgundy Bar – a kind of Pinot Noir mecca where you’ll be able to sample bottles worth $150+ at affordable, by-the-glass prices. Expert sommeliers will also be on hand to help you make selections. What's more, those keen to fuel their brains (and not only their tastebuds), can indulge in a 'Back Stage Pass'. It's a chance to partake in a master class with some of Australia's smartest wine educators and learn all about what's happening in Burgundy, France — Pinot Noir’s spiritual home. Pinot Palooza will hit Melbourne on Saturday, October 4 at St Kilda Town Hall, Sydney on Monday, October 6 at Carriageworks and Brisbane on Sunday, October 12 at Light Space. Tickets are $60, which includes tastings, a take-home Riedel 'Heart to Heart' Pinot Noir glass and the latest issue of Wine Companion magazine. You can buy tickets right here.
UPDATE, February 22, 2024: The Queen's Wharf precinct is now due to start opening from August 2024. Sky-high drinks are on offer at plenty of spots around Brisbane, ever since the River City started embracing rooftop bars over the past decade or so. Among Brissie's towering watering holes, Cicada Blu will have you sipping 100 metres above the CBD at the new $3.6-billion Queen's Wharf precinct, however, when it Brisbane's new Sky Deck opens its doors in 2024. The riverside precinct's lofty tourist attraction will fall under The Star's remit, just as the reimagined Fat Noodle, cocktail bar Cherry and Italian eatery Cucina Regina also will. In the latest unveiling of what's to come, The Star has outlined the three venues that'll feature as part of the Sky Deck. As well as Cicada Blu, get ready to spend time at Aloria and Babblers. Your new place for a cocktail with a killer view will sit centrestage on the Sky Deck, welcome in patrons by day and by night, put a particular focus on drinks with botanical infusions and offer tunes by sunset. A lighting installation will give the openair bar even more of a glow than its sunny perch is already bound to, and will take its cues from cloud formations and summer storms. Stopping by for a pre- or post-dinner drink, or just because, is recommended. Located at the western end, Aloria is the Sky Deck's signature restaurant, with beverages also a big attraction. One drawcard: a dedicated martini menu that'll span classics and inventive variations. Another reason to grab a glass: a hefty range of wine, which The Star is dubbing a 'cellar in the sky'. Food-wise, the menu will skew both European and Australian, as cooked in an open kitchen that heroes woodfired and grill dishes, all while using Australian produce. As well as dry-aged steak, seafood will get ample love. If you're after a more relaxed dining experience, that's where Babblers on Sky Deck's eastern side will come in. Here, share bites will be paired with Australian craft beer and wines. Handcrafted flatbreads are the only dish revealed so far, but that gives you an idea of the laidback vibe. And as for the name, it comes from the babbler bird family. All three venues will form part of Sky Deck's 250-metre rooftop runway with a glass-floor viewing platform, and sit atop a precinct that's been in the works for at least eight years now. And the views? Expect a 360-degree vantage out over the Brisbane CBD, Brisbane River, Mt Coot-tha and Moreton Bay. "We have gone above and beyond to consider every detail of each venue and how the trio seamlessly integrate to serve up unforgettable moments in the sky," explains The Star Brisbane General Manager Food & Beverage Dustin Osuch about Aloria, Babblers and Cicada Blu. "Aloria is destination dining redefined, Babblers brings a sense of familiarity through its warmth and charm, and Cicada Blu is the magnetic centre that brings the three together." "From a breezy brunch or long relaxed lunch swapping stories with friends, to sunset soirees, intimate dinner dates or celebrations that continue late into the evening, Sky Deck will deliver endless opportunities for locals and visitors to choose their own adventure." Exactly when the three venues, plus Sky Deck in general and Queen's Wharf overall, will start welcoming in both Brisbanites and tourists hasn't yet been revealed, but April 2024 was the last date floated. When it does launch between Alice, George, Queen and William streets, Queen's Wharf's crowning glory will be located above other dining options, hotels, shops, apartments and a heap of public space. While part of one of Queen's Wharf's resident resorts — it's set to feature four hotels — Sky Deck will be open to the public. Also, it isn't small, with a capacity of 1500 visitors at a time. Expect Brisbane's Sky Deck to be popular. The Queensland Government certainly does, anticipating that an estimated 1.4 million international, interstate and local visitors to the city each year might stop by. As for the rest of the Queen's Wharf Brisbane redevelopment area, it spans across 12 hectares in the CBD, and will include around 50 new bars, cafes and restaurant; a casino; those four aforementioned hotels; approximately 1500 apartments; and a swathe of retailers in a huge new shopping precinct. The full precinct also covers repurposed heritage buildings, plus the Neville Bonner Bridge and Brissie's first riverside bikeway cafe. For Brisbane inhabitants, Queen's Wharf has been in the making for so long — and the construction around it just seems to be taking forever, too — that it feels like it has always been coming. But "let's meet at Queen's Wharf" is something that'll soon be able to be said, including by visitors. Ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, the River City is transformation central, including tearing down and rebuilding the Gabba; renewing and reinvigorating South Bank, complete with a treetop walk, a permanent handmade goods market and new riverside lawns; making over Victoria Park; and revamping and expanding Northshore Hamilton. Also, a new seven-hectare riverside parkland is set to join South Brisbane, QPAC's fifth theatre is under construction and Kangaroo Point is set to score a new green bridge with an overwater bar and restaurant. Queen's Wharf is slated to start opening in the Brisbane CBD from April 2024. We'll update you when a specific date is announced — and you can find out further details in the interim via the development's website.
After unveiling first-look images for Fallout season two, Prime Video hasn't left fans of the game-to-streaming series waiting long for a deeper dive into what's on the way in the post-apocalyptic hit. A day later, the platform has revealed the show's first trailer for its second season. Also included: an exact release date, after previously advising that Fallout will return in December 2025. You'll start watching the eight-episode sophomore run on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, with instalments dropping weekly. "I'm looking for someone," Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell, Yellowjackets) notes to kick off the season two teaser. The reply: "common story around here". The Ghoul (Walton Goggins, The White Lotus) pipes in when she's also asked if she's seeking "someone you care about ... or someone you hate?". "Oooh, what a great question" is his observation — and everyone who has watched season one will surely agree. When it dropped its initial eight episodes in 2024, Fallout took its cues from the games that debuted on computers back in 1997, with three released sequels, a fourth on the way and seven spinoffs all following. The live-action television iteration follows Lucy, a lifelong vault-dweller, who leaves her cosy underground digs to navigate the irradiated wasteland that earth has remained for two centuries after the nuclear apocalypse. Crossing her path: bounty hunter The Ghoul, who has ties to life before the devastation; and Maximus (Aaron Moten (Emancipation), an aspiring soldier with the Brotherhood of Steel, who don giant robotic suits. In this nightmarish future, a hellscape filled with mutants, wild west vibes and plenty of violence lingers beyond the bunker that the optimistic Lucy, daughter of Hank (Kyle MacLachlan, Overcompensating), who oversees Vault 33, has always called home. New Vegas is now her destination with The Ghoul — because if "you wanna know why the world ended," he advises, that's where this story will take you. The first season two trailer also features a glimpse at Justin Theroux (Poker Face) at Robert House in the show's jumps backwards, as well as a peek at a Deathclaw, one of the franchise's post-apocalyptic predators. Bringing the chaos to life is a behind-the-scenes team featuring Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, plus Geneva Robertson-Dworet (Captain Marvel) and Graham Wagner (Silicon Valley) as writers and co-showrunners. And yes, Bethesda Game Studios has a hand in it as well. After premiering in 2024 and becoming one of the platform's top-three most-watched shows ever, notching up more than 100-million viewers globally, this game adaptation isn't just making a comeback for its second season — earlier in 2025, Prime Video advised that Fallout has already been renewed for a third season, too. Check out the teaser trailer for Fallout season two below: Fallout streams via Prime Video, with season two premiering on Wednesday, December 17, 2025. Read our review of season one, and our interview with Walton Goggins, Ella Purnell and Aaron Moten. Images: courtesy of Prime Video.
Uniting Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio on the same feature-length film for the first time ever, Killers of the Flower Moon felt like a culmination before a frame had been shot, let alone seen. Scorsese and De Niro have worked together for five decades, with a wealth of highlights such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The King of Comedy, Goodfellas, Cape Fear and Casino to their names. Scorsese and DiCaprio have done the same for two, starting with Gangs of New York. Marty and Bob have known each other since they were 16, too, and it was the latter who told the former about Leo 20-plus years back after De Niro and DiCaprio made This Boy's Life together. Finally, then, one of cinema's golden triangles has connected all of its sides, apart from De Niro and DiCaprio playing themselves in Scorsese's 2015 comedy short The Audition. Doing the linking: a tale of murder, greed and betrayal that tells of the atrocities committed against the Osage Nation a century ago, relaying a chapter of US history that's conveyed on-screen with all the gutwrenching horror and heartbreak that it demands. And, as this story unfurls, watching Killers of the Flower Moon feels like joining the dots in another way as well. Even if Scorsese hadn't enlisted his two favourite actors, plus phenomenal Certain Women star Lily Gladstone as the film's heart, soul and spirit — and also continued his frequent collaborations with editor Thelma Schoonmaker, now-late composer Robbie Robertson and cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto — the 26th feature on his resume ties together much that's recurred throughout his filmography for more than half a century. Killers of the Flower Moon is a kind of gangster movie, as Goodfellas, Casino and The Irishman also are. It's unshakeably a crime flick, boxes that Mean Streets and The Departed also tick. Viewers can see the threads to the iconic filmmaker's past works about faith and spirituality, including The Last Temptation of Christ, Kundun and Silence. Greed and corruption have long featured across Scorsese's work, as seen in everything from Gangs of New York to The Wolf of Wall Street. This is a relationship drama as well, which brings The Age of Innocence to mind. As the movie makes plain almost immediately, and then repeatedly across its 206-minute running time, it's also more unsettling than Shutter Island. Ask Scorsese if Killers of the Flower Moon feels the same way to him, as Concrete Playground did, and he explains that piecing together threads that've been weaved throughout his career wasn't what overtly appealed to him. "I never thought of it that way," he notes. Instead, he advises that it was both the real-life stories and journalist David Grann's 2017 non-fiction novel Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI that steps through them that caught the filmmaker's interest. [caption id="attachment_923847" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marion Curtis / StarPix for Apple[/caption] In Scorsese's instantly engrossing and deeply haunting film, those accounts of Indigenous Americans slain by white men chasing oil-fuelled wealth — and power and control, too — filter through the romance of World War I veteran Ernest Burkhart (DiCaprio, Don't Look Up) and Osage Nation member Mollie Kyle (Gladstone, Reservation Dogs). The pair meet when he seeks a job from his cattle rancher uncle William King Hale (De Niro, Amsterdam) upon returning from combat. Sparks fly immediately and their love is real, but Hale's pushing of Ernest in Mollie's direction isn't driven by wanting his nephew to be happy and follow his feelings. And, as too much surrounding the self-proclaimed 'king of the Osage' Hale does, it has consequences with a body count. Scorsese shared his thoughts on making his latest masterpiece with Concrete Playground during an international press conference for Killers of the Flower Moon, where he also answered questions about the biggest challenge in bringing the film to the screen, casting Gladstone, teaming up De Niro and DiCaprio, and how he approaches faith in his work. Not covered: the Oscar-winning director's new Letterboxd account, but you can check that out for yourself, then watch your way through his movie picks — such as what he recommends pairs well with his features. ON HOW KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON CONNECTS WITH SCORSESE'S PAST WORK "I just was attracted to the material, but then really became attracted to it because when we were doing research and meeting all the Osage people out in Oklahoma, the Osage Nation, in Gray Horse. They gave us a big dinner, and people got up and spoke about their ancestors, their great-grandfathers and grandmothers, and uncles and aunts, and that sort of thing, who were affected by this, who were killed during that period — and the fact that they never said anything about it, the generation of today and their parents, they kept it quiet. And now this book came out by David Grann, and now a film's being made. So naturally they had some caution as to me directing the film because of the nature of the films I've made in the past, like the violence in Goodfellas, etcetera. But it took a few meetings, and it took some conversation, and just basically being open-hearted with each other and trusting each other, with Chief Standing Bear and myself, and some of the other members of the Osage community. When I discovered that most of it really hinged on this love story between Mollie and Ernest, that's when I locked in on the project for real, in a sense. I was going another way at first. But in going the other way, meaning from the outside in, from Bureau Investigation in, I found that it was too reminiscent of films that I'd made in the past. It would've been good, I think, but I'd already been there — but what really got me was that what if this trust is betrayed through love? That has to do in the marriage, has to do with these two people who really love each other, and the husband is very weak. I thought that was interesting. And I have a feeling that relates more to The Age of Innocence than to some of my other films." ON THE CHALLENGES OF MAKING KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON "I think the biggest challenge was balancing the narrative parts of the story with the emotional aspects. I think what I mean by 'the narrative parts', there are some plot points that had to be connected — and that is with the Bureau of Investigation coming in and trying to figure out who was doing what, and what Bill Hale eventually did, and what he eventually accomplished, and what he tried to accomplish, and how he tried to clean up his steps, clean up everyone around him by getting them killed or whatever. But the real core of the picture was between Mollie and Ernest. And so, the emotional core of the film really had to revolve around them because all the plot points could be easily, easily absorbed as long as they connected. If it was just done on a narrative plot, it would be good, I think. But in my mind it would've been more like films that I've seen like police procedurals, which I enjoy watching, but I don't know if I could make. So, the biggest challenge was balancing the emotional complexity of the relationship between Mollie and Ernest, knowing that the two of them were in love, basing this on information we got from the Osage people themselves, who were descendants of them. They pointed out to us: "don't forget — this isn't a matter of straight villains and victims; these people were all either best friends or in love, and yet all this happened." And so that was the biggest challenge: to keep balancing that." ON CASTING LILY GLADSTONE "Ellen Lewis, who does my casting, had worked with Rene Haynes. They had worked on a television series that had a lot of Native American actors in it [2017's Godless]. And so she put out the feelers there, Ellen, and ultimately saw Kelly Reichardt's film Certain Women. In that film, Lily has quite, quite a sequence in it. Before the COVID pandemic hit, we were really concerned about could we get somebody who could play Mollie effectively. And Ellen, whom I've worked with since Goodfellas, since 1989, she said to me, 'I think we might be okay'. And she showed me Certain Women, the film. I thought that Lily was marvellous in it. Then we got to meet, but we could only meet on Zoom because the pandemic was beginning. And from that one Zoom call, we had to wait another almost year before we could come back together again on another Zoom, get Leo on the Zoom, discuss Mollie, discuss all of that. But during that year we worked on Mollie's character. And the whole point being, of course, that their story, Mollie and Ernest, is sort of a metaphor for the entire picture, the entire world that we're depicting and this horrendous situation that occurred at that time. So what I found from Lily was perfect cinema face. I mean, she could be saying nothing, but you feel everything going on behind her eyes, and in the positioning of her face, the way she moves. But there's so much going on inside of her, and it's reflected in a very still way. She doesn't have to provoke it. She also is very strong on Native American views and activism, and helped us steer the project as best we could in the proper direction in terms of Native Americans and European Americans." ON FINALLY GETTING ROBERT DE NIRO AND LEONARDO DICAPRIO TO SHARE THE SCREEN IN A SCORSESE FEATURE "With them, the thing is that I've known Robert De Niro since we were 16 years old. So he knows where I come from, and he knows my old friends, and I know his. And we found that when we started working together on Mean Streets and particularly Taxi Driver, we found that we shared the same sensibilities, or similar interests — and also that he was a fearless kind of actor. And the key element, aside from being a genius actor, was that we trusted each other. I trusted him for many different reasons, beyond the creative issues because there were a lot of political issues, too, at that time: making films for studios, studios would take the film away from you, actors would come in and re-cut them. He would never do that. He would never insist on something if I didn't feel it was right. We had an understanding that all he needed from me was to really listen to him and sometimes show me what he wanted to try. And we got to trust each other very strongly on that. Years go by, we wound up making Raging Bull and The King of Comedy. And then it took a while again before we got to make another picture: Goodfellas. But then, we hadn't worked for 19 years before we worked on this film — before we worked on The Irishman, I should say. And he had introduced me to Leo DiCaprio 20 years ago. He said 'he's a very young actor, and he's very, very good'. And I got to know Leo, and we did Gangs of New York together. But on The Aviator, a film we did after, I found similarities, in a way. I don't say same style — a very different style — but he had the openness, and he had the trust. And he had a crazy fearlessness in the same way as De Niro. Despite the fact that we're 30 years difference, there is that trust and enjoyment working together. Really, there's a love there between the three of us. So, it also happened that suddenly they came together on this movie." ON SCORSESE'S APPROACH TO FAITH IN HIS FILMS "I think, first of all, it's not an immediate dismissal of other faiths. As much as my roots are in Roman Catholicism of the mid-20th century here in New York, I have my differences with that. But I also, in supporting my own faith, or trying to support my faith, I found it interesting to learn about other religions, other faiths, philosophy as much as possible, taking it seriously. I don't mean superstition. And yet, even in superstition, the very act of the ritual itself reflects faith. For example, if you take Roberto Rossellini's film Stromboli, there's a great sequence in it where they fish for the tuna — and before they fish for the tuna, they all say a prayer, and then there's the slaughter of the tuna. It reflects something that is a need for spirituality in having to survive as a human being. The lack of spirituality. They need spirituality going deep down into the roots, primeval roots, before you can even find the sustenance to continue to live, you see? And so, somehow that is a gift: to find the food. That's a gift from god. And so for me, that's always something that is to be respected. People feel that way about the world around them, and to be respectful of the world around them. It's more like a blessing of being alive despite all the problems. I find that with many different groups of people, and many different ways of thinking. For me, it comes down to respect and dignity for what other people believe. You may not believe that, but it comes down to that. I think a world that's like in this film, it's a world of corruption that has no roots in morality or spirituality. They [Hale and company] think they do. You can say 'well, they have religion', but that's not spirituality, you see, and so anything goes. The most important thing is winning. The most important this is getting as much money as you can, especially if some civilisation is on its way out anyway. 'As much as I love them,' Bill Hale says. 'I love them. They're great people, but they're gonna die off.' So, this is something that fascinates me and makes me think 'is that part of me, too?'. In other words, am I capable of that kind of behaviour? I'm not saying killing. I'm talking about complicity in it, by being quiet about it. So that's where all of it comes together. I think maybe that's why I was attracted to it." Killers of the Flower Moon opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, October 19. Read our review.
In 2018, it was the book that everyone was talking about. In 2020, it was the TV adaptation that we all watched in one sitting. That'd be Normal People, with Irish author Sally Rooney enjoying a big couple of years thanks to her dramatic romance — even co-writing the screenplay for the television series. If you've been enjoying all this time spent singing Normal People's praises, but also wondering what's next for Rooney, it's time to rejoice — because 2021 has the answer. In great news for fans of not only of her most popular work, but of her 2017 debut Conversations with Friends as well, the writer will be releasing her third book later this year. Beautiful World, Where Are You is set to hit shelves on September 7, Rooney's UK publisher Faber has announced. Readers can expect another tale about complicated relationships, this time focusing on novelist Alice. She meets warehouse worker Felix, and asks him to travel to Rome with her — while her Dublin-based best friend Eileen is flirting with Simon, who she has known since she was a kid, to help get over a breakup. "Alice, Felix, Eileen and Simon are still young – but life is catching up with them. They desire each other, they delude each other, they get together, they break apart," says the official synopsis for the book. "They have sex, they worry about sex, they worry about their friendships and the world they live in. Are they standing in the last lighted room before the darkness, bearing witness to something? Will they find a way to believe in a beautiful world?" it continues. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Faber Books (@faberbooks) That's just one of two new Rooney-related projects to put on your radar, too, with Conversations with Friends following in Normal People's footsteps and getting the TV treatment. It's being adapted as a 12-episode mini-series, with Normal People co-director Lenny Abrahamson and co-writer Alice Birch leading the charge behind the scenes. Just when it'll hit screens hasn't yet been revealed — but you can obviously rebinge Normal People while you're waiting for it to land. Beautiful World, Where Are You will be published on September 7, 2021. For further details, head to the book's website. Top image: Normal People.
Calling all wannabe Greasers, Pink Ladies and everyone who's hopelessly devoted to a certain 1978 classic film. It mightn't be summer, but that's not stopping Black Bear Lodge from getting friendly, splashing around and paying tribute to Grease. It's the party you want, obviously. On Thursday, August 1, the venue will be playing the movie's soundtrack non-stop, welcoming in fans of Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta, and just getting into the retro mood. If you're ready to bust out your leather jacket, bobby socks and 50s attire — or pretend that you're heading to Rydell High — we're sure that won't be frowned upon. Grease is the word here all night long, especially if you're born to hand jive. Entry is free, and the bar will be serving up its regular array of drinks — which'll help wash down the nostalgia of spending a 2019 evening celebrating a late 70s movie that's set in the 50s.
American barbecue is only as good as its pitmaster. Fortunately, Twelve Boar founder Rick Palesh has plenty of experience in that regard, spending years producing smoky meats for friends in both Australia and Canada. Twelve Boar launched in 2015 and has seen Palesh's range of slow-cooked proven to be a massive hit. Everything is prepared in-house overnight, with the brisket undergoing an intense 12-hour smoking session that ensures it's basically falling apart by lunchtime. A midday session at Twelve Boar will leave you stuffed until it's clocking off time with a selection of pork ribs, buffalo wings and beef brisket burgers on offer. Twelve Boar Cleveland allows BYO wine. Image: Hennessytrill
Your mother would approve of the Spaniards, who choose not to drink on an empty stomach, and instead accompany their tipple with some of the finest Mediterranean flavours your mouth can try. Mum’s the word, so with that in mind say, ‘hola, Ole!’ and order a jug of their finest sangria - red of course, we’re fond traditionalists. The South Bank institution is a hot favourite any night of the week; rain, hail or shine; winter or summer. The proof is in the pudding (or the crema catalana, which was delicious for the record) and our visit found the place unexpectedly packed with punters washing away Monday’s blues. With a swish of the wooden sangria spoon, stuff some deep-fried, cream cheese-filled olives ($6) down your gob and chase it with more sangria. Ahhh, the temporary mindset of summer is settling in and the best way to keep is there is order more tapas. With a menu all in Spanish, pull out your tourist Espanol and give ordering your best shot. Me gustaría ordenar Almendras. Give yourself a pat on the back - you just ordered the spiced almonds ($5). They say practice makes perfect, and after another swig of sangria your linguistic skills will have improved immensely (or so you think). The Pulpo Con Chorizo ($10), a tasty mix of grilled octopus, chorizo, lime, parsley and tomato, was a highlight with the fresh, simple and wholesome flavours balancing each other out. While the Queso Frito ($9), manchego cheese, should be on everyone’s order - crispy fried cheese with a mojo picon sauce - this guy is the god of cheese heaven and rules with a gooey fist. For those on the hungrier side, order one of the four paellas ($45) or treat yo’self to the raciones (bigger share plates) with offerings of lamb shoulder, pork belly and beef cheeks on offer (all $19). Dessert mightn’t see you step past the churros ($10, great choice) but the Crema Catalana ($10) - Spain’s answer to creme brulee - is worth a try. Cracking the toffee shell to meet the cold set custard and warm figs inside is satisfying. And lastly, a lesson in the language we all speak - mathematics. Tapas is about sharing, therefore amigos are essential. The more buddies you take, the number of dishes you try grows exponentially. In laymen’s terms, more friends equals more food. We’ll drink (sangria) to that!
No one should spend their lunch break eating at their desk, but breaking that habit isn't always easy. Throughout February, the Howard Smith Wharves precinct is giving you plenty of motivation to step away from the computer. Head to the riverside precinct from Monday–Friday for a middle-of-the-day meal, and you'll only pay $25 — and that includes a drink as well. Seven HSW venues are getting in on the deal, so you can pick between Stanley, Yoko, Greca, Mr Percival's, Felons Brewing Co, Felons Barrel Hall and Ciao Papi. Or, you can work your way through them all (and stare at their slightly different views of the water) across the month. You'll just need to keep an eye on each eatery's opening hours — and, while you can just rock up, bookings are recommended. As for what you'll be eating during the month-long Let's Lunch festivities, each place has its own special. Stir-fried Shanghai duck noodles and a glass of pinot noir are on the menu at Stanley, Mr Percival's is doing grilled whiting, Yoko is serving up tonkotsu ramen with yuzu highballs, and Ciao Papi will let you pair any pasta on the menu with a range of drinks. You can also opt for either whiting or steak — both with wine — at Mr Percival's, saganaki and a spritz at Greca, a schooner and either a rice or vermicelli bowl at Felons Barrel Hall, and whichever pizza and brew you'd like at Felons Brewing Co.
Mention bubbles these days, and you're no longer just talking about baths, sparkling wine, gum or tea. For the past 15 months or so, the term has been on every hopeful holidaymaker's lips, referring to arrangements between countries that allow COVID-safe overseas travel in these pandemic-afflicted times. Discussed since mid-2020 and in effect since April 2021, Australia currently has a quarantine-free travel bubble in place with New Zealand — allowing Aussies and New Zealanders to fly back and forth between the two countries for holidays, even while Australia's international border remains shut to the rest of the world. As first floated back in March, that arrangement might soon be joined by another, this time between Australia and Singapore. Initially, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack advised that Aussies might be able to fly to the island city-state for a holiday by July. That's only a month away, and it doesn't look like it'll happen then. However, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has just met with his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong, with the pair releasing a joint statement affirming that they're working towards the travel arrangement. "We discussed how two-way travel between Singapore and Australia can eventually resume, in a safe and calibrated manner, when both sides are ready," said Lee following the two leaders' joint press conference. "Before COVID-19, many Singaporeans travelled to Australia for business, for holidays and to pursue their education, and vice versa. We need to resume these people-to-people flows to maintain our close and excellent bilateral relationship," he continued. Although no timeframe was given, Lee also said that the two countries "need to prepare the infrastructure and processes to get ready to do this" — and named "mutual recognition of health and vaccination certificates, possibly in the digital form" as one of the first steps. "When all the preparations are ready, we can start small with an air travel bubble to build confidence on both sides," he advised. At the press conference, Morrison also addressed the proposed travel bubble, noting that it's a target "sooner rather than later". He continued: "I welcome the fact that we will now work together to put the infrastructure in place and the systems in place to enable us to open up in a similar way that we've been able to open up to New Zealand from Australia when we are both in a position to do so." If you're after more details, that's all that was discussed; however, when the Australia–Singapore bubble was first suggested a few months back, it was reported that Aussies would be permitted to go to Singapore for work or leisure. Getting permission from the Department of Home Affairs — which is the only way you can go overseas at present while the nation's international border restrictions are in place — wouldn't be necessary under the arrangement. That said, according to those initial reports, the bubble might only apply to folks who've been vaccinated against COVID-19. Singaporeans who've been vaccinated would also be able to travel to Australia without undergoing the currently mandatory 14-day quarantine period. While the details are clearly yet to be finalised, if the Australia–Singapore travel bubble does come into effect, it'll be great news for everyone that's been dreaming of overseas holidays since the pandemic began — or, at present, for those dreaming of heading further than New Zealand. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
The shock of unkempt hair, the Irish brogue, the misanthropic attitude: there's no mistaking Dylan Moran for anyone else. It was true in beloved British sitcom Black Books, when his on-screen alter ego abhorred mornings, ate coasters and claimed that his oven could cook anything (even belts). And it's definitely true of the comedian's acerbically hilarious live shows. Moran is no stranger to Australia and New Zealand, but if you haven't guffawed at his bleak wit live, he's coming back in 2023 to give you another chance. As always, expect the kind of deadpan gags, wine-soaked insights and blisteringly sharp one-liners that've kept him in the spotlight since 1996, when he became the youngest-ever winner of the Edinburgh Fringe's Perrier Award. [caption id="attachment_729089" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andy Hollingworth[/caption] From mid-April to late May, Moran will tour Down Under with his latest show We Got This, bringing his grumpily lyrical musings on love, politics, misery and the everyday absurdities of life to 11 Aussie cities and four spots in NZ. Kicking off in Hobart and ending up in Auckland, this marks his first full standup show since 2019's Dr Cosmos, which also came our way — and was available to stream earlier in the pandemic, too. Given this tour's title, it's hardly surprising that Moran will be reflecting upon these chaotic times. That might sound like a standard comedy gig these days, but nothing about Moran's comedy is ever standard. "We are bruised. We are fucked up. We are all sore," he said, announcing the tour. "It's not just the pandemic. It's the times and how we've got through it." As well as his stint as the world's worst bookshop owner in Black Books, Moran has popped up in films such as Notting Hill and Shaun of the Dead, should you been keen to get watching (or rewatching) before his new gigs. Nabbing tickets early is recommended — his shows usually sell out quickly. DYLAN MORAN 'WE GOT THIS' 2023 DATES Wednesday, April 19 — Wrest Point Entertainment Centre, Hobart Thursday, April 20 — Princess Theatre, Launceston Friday, April 21 — Hamer Hall, Melbourne Tuesday, April 25 — Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide Thursday, April 27–Friday, April 28 — Canberra Theatre, Canberra Saturday, April 29 — Civic Theatre, Newcastle Tuesday, May 2 — HOTA, Home of the Arts, Gold Coast Thursday, May 4–Friday, May 5 — QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane Monday, May 8 — Perth Concert Hall, Perth Thursday, May 11 + Monday, May 15 — State Theatre, Sydney Saturday, May 13 — Town Hall, Wollongong Saturday, May 20 — Isaac Theatre Royal, Christchurch Monday, May 22 — Regent Theatre, Dunedin Tuesday, May 23 — St James Theatre, Wellington Thursday, May 25 — Auckland Town Hall, Auckland Dylan Moran's 'We Got This' tour will head around Australia and New Zealand in April and May 2023. Ticket pre-sales start at 11am on Thursday, October 13, with general sales from 9am on Tuesday, October 18. For more information, head to the tour website. Updated November 25.
The Polish Club has supported generations of new migrants in Australia by keeping Polish culture alive in Brisbane from the heart of Milton. The weekly Saturday morning market is a longstanding tradition, open to all visitors and beloved by the locals. It's more than just a social event for club members. It's also a chance to share Polish food, crafts and traditions with the wider Brisbane community. Stop by and enjoy homestyle Polish cooking, with flavours that will keep you coming back time and time again. Here, you'll find the most perfectly pinched pierogi dumplings stuffed with meat, potato and cheese, or cabbage and mushroom. You can pick them up piping hot from the vendors tossed in butter and fried bacon bits, and then grab a pack of your favourites to take home for seconds. Deli items and handmade smallgoods, sausages and smoked meats are available alongside complementary Polish specialties, such as marinated mushrooms, pickles, sauerkraut and dark rye bread. Got a sweet tooth? You're in luck. Polish people take dessert very seriously, with an abundance of Mazurek cake, Polish cheesecake, the beloved makowce poppyseed roll, and filled paczki donuts up for grabs, too. Let musicians soundtrack your stroll from stall to stall then take a break in the restaurant for Polish beers and world-famous vodkas.
Hit the Paddo Tavern for a side-splitting sit-down standup event. The Sit Down Comedy Club is a world-class venue for laughs, attracting the very best and brightest — and we're not just talking about the audience. This is a space for industry pros and newcomers alike to try out new jokes and showcase their sharpest material. It's had top-notch comics and big names from Australia and abroad take to the stage, including Judith Lucy, Trevor Noah and Stephen K. Amos. Friday and Saturday nights are usually a double feature, and you can even expect the occasional improv or musical comedy act. You can purchase a dinner-and-show package, with a bar menu from 7-9pm featuring share-friendly eats such as cheesy garlic bread, 'secret spiced' chicken wings, nachos and pizza, and solo pub feed classics like a steak, parmy and burgers, too. If you're taking a group of ten or more, you can opt for the function menu, either the multi-course dinner or the Chef's Platter, featuring gourmet versions of party pies and sausage rolls. Head along with your mates and see if you can refrain laughing with your mouth full.
If the waning temperatures have got you feeling frosty about the cooler months to come, here's something that'll warm up your outlook: Naarm's (Melbourne's) major citywide arts festival RISING is back. As always, it promises to be the bright spark in Victoria's winter. From Wednesday, June 7 till Sunday, June 18, a blockbuster 185-event program is transforming the city streets — and it's set to be a monumental affair. More than 400 artists are assembling for almost two jam-packed weeks of art, culture, music, performance and culinary goodness. There are 35 works commissioned exclusively for the festival and an impressive 12 world premieres set to happen. Alongside the already-announced Euphoria, which will take over Melbourne Town Hall with an immersive multi-screen film installation starring Cate Blanchett (as a tiger on the hunt, no less), the program is filled with a hefty and diverse array of happenings. Large-scale events abound, not least of which is Shadow Spirit — a showcase of First Peoples-led projects across the realms of art, performance, music, food and more — which takes over abandoned rooms in Flinders Street Station. Another large-scale offering is The Rink, which fantastically will be sticking around for longer than RISING's residency. From Thursday, June 1 till Saturday, July 8, it's the place for carving icy laps in Birrarung Marr on the banks of the Yarra. There's warming snacks (like pizza courtesy of Fugazi) and even more bevs (like boozy Mörk hot choccies and mulled wine). The Rink's precinct is free to enter and is kept toasty by fireplaces, so even if you're not lacing your skates, it's a magical spot to hang. Then on Saturday, June 10, a mass participatory work by composer Ciaran Frame will hit Federation Square. The free experience will see 10,000 biodegradable kazoos played simultaneously by eager locals (like you). While Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde's SPARK takes the form of a wondrous floating light show, animating thousands of 'fireflies' crafted from biodegradable materials from Wednesday, June 7 till Saturday, June 10. On the music front, there's a bunch of shows with tickets still available (you're too late for Ethel Cain or Thundercat, sadly). Catch Flying Lotus on Saturday, June 17; Paul Kelly on Tuesday, June 6 and Wednesday, June 7; and many more. Gigs are hitting the Forum, Max Watt's and the Melbourne Recital Centre for the duration of the festival. RISING's free festival hub Night Trade is taking over the grounds of St Paul's Cathedral for the duration of the spectacular fest. It comes to life with super-sized surrealist art from Poncili Creción, live performances, hawker-style dining by Free to Feed, patio bars with bevs and sans-booze sips aplenty, and even a smattering of drag karaoke. Gather here with your group, get fed and plan the rest of your festival explorations. RISING will take over Melbourne from Wednesday, June 7 till Sunday, June 18. To plan your visit, head to the website.
Not content with launching its own rooftop bar already this year, Woolloongabba favourite C'est Bon has added another venue to its lineup: Le Bon Bakery, a baked goods pop-up that's slinging tasty French pastries right up until Christmas. Because being jolly at this time of year isn't just about your attitude, the temporary newcomer is serving up everything from cinnamon brioche to baguettes. 'Tis the season to treat your tastebuds, including when Le Bon Bakery adds festive items to its menu as Christmas approaches. The regular lineup features more than 30 items anyway, such as bechamel-laden croque monsieurs, the buttery cake that is gâteau basque, cheese and herb gougères (aka bite-sized bread puffs), Toulouse sausage rolls and rum baba — everyone loves a run-flavoured cake, after all. Takeaway coffee using Roast by Yili beans is also on the menu, as well as prepackaged granola. And, if you're now hungry, you'll need to head by from 7am–2pm Wednesday–Saturday up until Christmas eve. Images: Mitch Lowe.
This November, there's only one piece of advice worth listening to — and you can get it right from the source. Back in 1995, TLC memorably told us all not to go chasing waterfalls, and to just stick to the rivers and the lakes that we're used to. Thanks to their slot on the 2022 Fridayz Live tour, they'll be singing those words of wisdom all over again. This year's throwback R&B bill has been renamed from RNB Fridays, but it don't want no scrubs, either — and, as well as one of the biggest girl groups of the 90s, it's bringing a heap of other nostalgic names to Australian stages. Shaggy will get boombastic, Craig David will croon about his weekly routine and Ashanti will rock wit u. Also on the lineup: Akon, Macklemore, Jay Sean and Dru Hill. Kicking off at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on Friday, November 4, then heading to Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane before finishing up at Giants Stadium in Sydney on Saturday, November 12, the Fridayz Live gigs will feature Lumidee and Havana Brown as well, with Yo! Mafia on DJ duties. Playing host: Abbie Chatfield and Fatman Scoop. [caption id="attachment_863975" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Arturo Lorde[/caption] From remaining TLC members T-Boz and Chilli, who also played this year's Glastonbury back in June, expect to hear everything everything from 'Creep' through to 'Unpretty'. From the rest of the bill, 'Thrift Shop, 'Same Love', 'I Wanna Love You', 'Don't Matter', 'Walking Away', 'What's Your Flava', 'Baby', 'Foolish', 'It Wasn't Me', 'In the Summertime', 'Ride It' and more will get a whirl. By now, with Splendour in the Grass going ahead this year, Falls Festival locked in for a summer return and a heap of huge tours heading Down Under before 2022 is out, it's clear that live music is back. But when the big retro gigs start happening again, you know that the touring music circuit is returning to pre-pandemic normality. FRIDAYZ LIVE 2022 LINEUP Macklemore TLC Akon Craig David Ashanti Shaggy Jay Sean Dru Hill Lumidee Havana Brown Yo! Mafia Hosted by Abbie Chatfield and Fatman Scoop FRIDAYZ LIVE 2022 DATES Friday, November 4 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Saturday, November 5 — HBF Park, Perth Sunday, November 6 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre Friday, November 11 — Brisbane Showgrounds Saturday, November 12 — Giants Stadium, Sydney Fridayz Live's 2022 tour will head around the country in November in New South Wales in October. Telstra Plus ticket pre-sales start at 10am local time on Monday, August 8, then Frontier Members pre-sales at 1pm on Wednesday, August 11 — with general sales from 11am on Friday, August 12. For more information, head to the tour website.
In 2023, Melbourne welcomed a brand new reason to explore the city in the thick of winter, and to make the most of the Victorian capital's arts and culture scene whether you're a local or looking for an excuse to visit. Announced in November 2022, then taking place in August 2023, Now or Never was that event — a sprawling fest filled with music, performances, installations, talks and more. Mark your calendars for 2024, because it's coming back again this year. The dates for your diary: Thursday, August 22–Saturday, August 31. The fest returns after proving a success on its first run, which featured work from 300 artists and creatives. This year's theme: 'look through the image', which is set to hone in on imagination, emotions and contemplation. While the program won't start being released until the end of May — with the full lineup dropping at the end of June — Now or Never will have big shoes to fill based on 2023's debut. Its highlights included Melbourne's historic Royal Exhibition Building hosting its first large-scale live music performances in over 20 years; Never Permanent, a one-day Semi Permanent headlined by Roman Coppola; and a 1.2-kilometre art trail through Docklands. Also helping usher in the first-ever Now or Never in a big way: a 360-degree cinema dome in the Melbourne Museum forecourt; 70-plus music performances in two days in a heap of other notable Melbourne spots; sculptural illuminations and projections over the Shrine of Remembrance. And that's only a small section of 2023's program. "After making an incredible debut last year, the City of Melbourne's newest festival Now or Never is back in 2024. The inaugural festival attracted more than 150,000 people into the city — generating almost $14 million in economic impact and supporting hundreds of local jobs and businesses," said Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp, announcing the fest's return. "Now or Never will feature leading local and international artists and creatives across a program of groundbreaking music and audio-visual performances, immersive art installations, provocative talks, spectacular technology and much more." "We are focussed on bringing Melbourne to life in quieter periods like over the winter months. Major events are an enormous drawcard for tourists and visitors to Melbourne, providing a significant boost to the economy," added City Activation portfolio lead Councillor Roshena Campbell. Now or Never will pop up to cap off the coldest season of the year after RISING also fills the city with a feast of art, music and performances — a 2024 lineup that spans 105 events featuring 480-plus artists, in fact — to start off winter, running from Saturday, June 1–Sunday, June 16. Now or Never 2024 runs from Thursday, August 22–Saturday, August 31 around Melbourne — head to the festival website for further details.
Does your version of celebrating whichever occasion takes your fancy involve eating more of the things you love? Do pork belly, chicken schnitzels, chicken wings and German sausages fall into that category? If so, The Bavarian has an all-you-can-eat special that'll tempt your tastebuds — because a bottomless feast is on the menu. On Wednesdays, the German-themed chain is serving up all-you-can-eat meat platters. They come stacked with all of the aforementioned meats — and yes, the pork belly includes crackling — plus sauerkraut and gravy as sides. And, once you've finished your board, you'll get a whole new serving. On All-You-Can-Meat Wednesdays, there's no time limit to your eating, so you can pace yourself — and it'll cost you $35 per person. There is a two-person minimum, however, so you'll need to take at least one meat-loving pal along with you. Feel like you can fit in fries, mash and salad as well? That'll cost you an extra $5 for each one, or you can get all three for $10. You'll find The Bavarian at Chermside, The Barracks, Toowoomba, Sunshine Coast, Robina, Broadbeach, Coomera, Mackay and Rockhampton in Queensland. And if you want to all that meat with German brews — which is understandable — you'll pay extra for the drinks.
Two Spanish couples on holiday, the tale of a real-life Barcelona bus driver and a crime thriller set in the Basque Country: if you're looking to swap Australia's winter for Euro vibes from your cinema seat, they're some of the highlights in store. When the middle of the year hits Down Under each year, the Spanish Film Festival brightens up Aussie picture palaces with a lineup of movies from its namesake country. Exploring the breadth of Spanish-language cinema, it also showcases flicks from Latin America. Thirty films are on the fest's just-announced program for 2025, which is touring across Australia in June and July. Across various dates between Wednesday, June 11–Wednesday, July 9, audiences in Canberra, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne, Ballarat, Sydney, Byron Bay and Ballina can enjoy a roster of picks that includes a Sliding Doors-style opener, this year's two Goya Best Film winners and a celebration of the 25th anniversary of Nine Queens. Among the films mentioned above, Samana Sunrise is kicking of the festival with 20-year pals on a beachside getaway to the Dominican Republic when what might've been becomes the focus. Then, both El 47 and Undercover have prime slots fresh from their shared victory at Spain's version of the Oscars. The first heads back to the 70s to tell of bus driver Eduard Fernández's peaceful act of dissidence, while the second also unfurls a true tale, this time about the only police officer in Spain's history that has worked their way into terrorist organisation ETA. If you've been watching Ricardo Darín in recent Netflix hit The Eternaut, then you'll want to head back a quarter-century to see the Argentinian star's stellar work in heist flick Nine Queens — or revisit it if you're already a fan. It's closing out this year's Spanish Film Festival, screening in 4K. Other highlights across the program include The Quiet Maid, which was completely funded by NFTs, boasts Steven Soderbergh (Presence, Black Bag) as an executive producer, and follows a Colombian maid who discovers how to enjoy her summer while working on the Costa Brava; Ocho, charting a relationship over 90 years; the page-to-screen The Goldsmith's Secret; and Spanish box-office hit Wolfgang, a comedy a nine-year-old boy being set to live with his father. Or, there's Argentinian crime-thriller A Silent Death, which heads Patagonia in the 80s; El Jockey, with Money Heist and The Day of the Jackal's Úrsula Corberó among the Buenos Aires-set film's cast; and Peru's Through Rocks and Clouds, where an eight-year-old alpaca herder gets excited about the World Cup. With Marco, The Invented Truth, another slice of reality graces the lineup, this time honing in on the man who acted as the speaker of the Spanish association of Holocaust victims. The same is the case with I Am Nevenka, Nevenka Fernández's report of harassment by her employer in the 90s. Two documentaries also demonstrate how fact is frequently more fascinating than fiction, with Mugaritz. No Bread, No Dessert all about its eponymous Michelin-starred restaurant and The Flamenco Guitar of Yerai Cortés celebrating a rising star of its titular genre. From there, audiences can also catch the Canary Islands-set Babies Don't Come with Instructions, dive into mother-daughter relationships with Little Loves, follow three three Mexican American sisters retracing their grandmother's footsteps in Las Tres Sisters, Miguel Gila tribute May I Speak with the Enemy and queer drama Baby — and plenty more. Spanish Film Festival 2025 Dates Wednesday, June 11–Wednesday, July 2 — Palace Electric Cinema, Canberra Wednesday, June 11–Wednesday, July 2 — Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas and Palace Prospect Cinemas, Adelaide Wednesday, June 11–Wednesday, July 2 — Palace James Street and Palace Barracks, Brisbane Thursday, June 12–Wednesday, July 2 — Palace Raine Square Cinemas, Luna Leederville and Luna on SX, Perth Friday, June 13–Wednesday, July 2 — The Astor Theatre, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Penny Lane, Palace Westgarth, The Kino, Palace Balwyn and Pentridge Cinema, Melbourne Friday, June 13–Wednesday, July 2 — Palace Regent Theatre, Ballarat Thursday, June 19–Wednesday, July 9 — Palace Norton Street, Palace Moore Park, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinema, Sydney Thursday, June 19–Wednesday, July 9 — Palace Byron Bay, Byron Bay Thursday, June 19–Wednesday, July 9 — Ballina Fair Cinemas, Ballina The 2025 Spanish Film Festival tours Australia in June and July. For more information or to buy tickets, visit the festival's website.
Just because you haven't got an actual kid, doesn't mean you have to miss out on that time-honoured tradition of taking some festive shopping centre snaps with the jolly man himself. Westfield centres across Australia and New Zealand have teamed up with a crew of expert pup-arazzi to once again offer Christmas-themed pet photography shoots. Yes – your fur-baby can get a family paw-trait with Santa Claus. Westfield's shopping centres — with the exception of some, such as Sydney CBD — are offering an extended festive photography series, with sensitive and pet-friendly options available. Unfortunately, not quite all creatures great and small are allowed — dogs, cats, rabbits and guinea pigs can book in at most centres, but you'll need to double check before bringing in something like an alpaca, snake, frog or goat. Of course, with the pandemic, it's not quite business as usual at the Santa sessions. Instead of cuddling the big man in red, you'll be holding your pup or guinea pig in the seat next to him. A similar setup is on the cards for regular family photos, too, with kids and kidults located a safe distance away. Westfield has three spots in SA, four in WA, six in Queensland, seven spots in Victoria and a whopping 15 in NSW. Over in NZ, there are four in Auckland and one in Christchurch. Bookings are a must and can be made via your local Westfield's website, where you'll also find some guidelines for you and your four-legged mate. Most centres will have a dedicated Pooch Parking zone where you'll be met and escorted to the set, and your pet needs to be brought in on a lead or in a cage. There's a range of photo packages to choose from, including The Vixen ($29.95) for one 6x8 photo, one 4x6 photo and four wallet snaps, while at the higher end you can splash out on Santa's Gift Pack ($49.95), which includes a hefty array of photos, gift tags, digital files, bookmarks and even a calendar. Various sessions are available at Westfield centres across Australia and NZ from Saturday, November 7. Check your local's website for details.
In a year that has already seen Australians spend plenty of time on their couches, Netflix is serving up a new reason to stay seated, get cosy and start your next binge. From Thursday, September 17, beloved US sitcom Friends will land on the streaming service — so if your sofa happens to be a Central Perk-style shade of orange, you'll have an extra reason to celebrate. All ten seasons of the show will hit at once, which means you'll have 236 episodes to work your way through. Obviously, that's a whole heap of time in the company of New York's most famous posse of pals. Whether you once had your hair cut like Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), spout catchphrases like Joey (Matt LeBlanc) or are known to sing about cats like Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) — or have spent way too much time thinking about Monica (Courteney Cox) and Chandler's (Matthew Perry) relationship, or about Ross' (David Schwimmer) pet monkey, too — you'll be in your element. In fact, you could even say your favourite TV mates will be there for you. https://twitter.com/NetflixANZ/status/1295843163123245057 Of course, Friends fans will already know that the show's entire run is currently available in Australia via fellow streaming service Stan, and has been for some time. If that continues to be the case, you'll now have two places to get your 90s and early 00s sitcom fix. The past few years have been eventful for Friends aficionados. An orange couch toured around Australia, anniversary marathons have screened in cinemas, boozy brunch parties have showered the show with love and trivia nights are still held regularly. A musical parody of the series is about to liven up Aussie theatres as well. And, at some point in the near future, the whole gang will even reunite for a TV reunion special — which was originally due to surface earlier this year, but has been delayed due to the pandemic. All ten seasons of Friends will hit Netflix on Thursday, September 17.
There's no putting a happy face on this news: Joker: Folie à Deux has been named one of the worst movies of 2024 by the 45th Golden Raspberry Awards. While the first Joker film earned Joaquin Phoenix (Napoleon) an Oscar, now he's up for Worst Actor instead. Lady Gaga (House of Gucci) is included in the Worst Actress field for her performance as Harleen Quinzel, and the picture's two leads share a nod in the Worst Screen Combo category. The flick also popped up in the Worst Screenplay, Worst Director (for Todd Phillips, War Dogs) and Worst Remake, Ripoff or Sequel camps. 2025's Razzies, which will announce its winners on Sunday, March 2, 2025 Australian and New Zealand time, weren't fond of comic-book characters making the leap to the screen. Madame Web also collected a heap of nominations — six in total, including for Worst Picture and in three of the acting fields. Cinema's least-coveted gongs didn't have any love for video game-to-film adaptation Borderlands, either, another flick with a big showing, including in the top field. Also up for Worst Picture: Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis and political biopic Reagan. The five-film group covers all of the most-nominated titles for 2025's awards, with Joker: Folie à Deux up for seven, then Madame Web, Borderlands, Megalopolis and Reagan each up for six. From there, although they weren't featured in the Worst Picture field, the Jerry Seinfeld-directed Unfrosted picked up four nods, Kraven the Hunter scored three and the remake of The Crow starring Bill Skarsgård (Nosferatu) nabbed two. Everything from Argylle (for two of its performances) to Mufasa: The Lion King (for Worst Remake, Ripoff or Sequel) are now Razzie nominees. Among the big-name stars recognised this year, Seinfeld earned two (for Worst Actor and Worst Director), while Jack Black received three (for Worst Actor for Dear Santa, Worst Supporting Actor for Borderlands and for the latter again for Worst Screen Combo — for any two obnoxious characters, but especially Jack Black). Whichever films emerge victorious in March, they'll follow on from 2024's winners, with Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey nominated in five categories and winning all five — and Expend4bles collecting two awards. The year before, Morbius, Blonde and Elvis tied for the most accolades with two apiece. Check out the full list of Razzie nominees below: Golden Raspberry Nominees 2025 Worst Picture: Borderlands Joker: Folie à Deux Madame Web Megalopolis Reagan Worst Actor: Jack Black, Dear Santa Zachary Levi, Harold and the Purple Crayon Joaquin Phoenix, Joker: Folie à Deux Dennis Quaid, Reagan Jerry Seinfeld, Unfrosted Worst Actress: Cate Blanchett, Borderlands Lady Gaga, Joker: Folie à Deux Bryce Dallas Howard, Argylle Dakota Johnson, Madame Web Jennifer Lopez, Atlas Worst Supporting Actor: Jack Black, Borderlands Kevin Hart, Borderlands Shia LaBeouf, Megalopolis Tahar Rahim, Madame Web Jon Voight, Megalopolis, Reagan, Shadow Land and Strangers Worst Supporting Actress: Ariana DeBose, Argylle and Kraven the Hunter Leslie Anne Down, Reagan Emma Roberts, Madame Web Amy Schumer, Unfrosted FKA Twigs, The Crow Worst Screen Combo: Any two obnoxious characters (but especially Jack Black), Borderlands Any two unfunny "comedic actors", Unfrosted The entire cast of Megalopolis Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, Joker: Folie à Deux Dennis Quaid and Penelope Ann Miller, Reagan Worst Director: SJ Clarkson, Madame Web Francis Ford Coppola, Megalopolis Todd Phillips, Joker: Folie à Deux Eli Roth, Borderlands Jerry Seinfeld, Unfrosted Worst Remake, Ripoff or Sequel: The Crow Joker: Folie à Deux Kraven the Hunter Mufasa: The Lion King Rebel Moon 2: The Scargiver Worst Screenplay: Joker: Folie à Deux Kraven the Hunter Madame Web Megalopolis Reagan The Golden Raspberry Awards will be announced on Sunday, March 2, 2025 Australian and New Zealand time. For further details, head to the awards' website.
It has dragons, shape-shifting, power struggles and Kit Harington — and someone is told that they know nothing, though not the man best known as Jon Snow. We’re not talking about Game of Thrones. If only. Instead, the latest effort to wave the fantasy flag is Seventh Son. The film is based on the novel The Spook's Apprentice and was actually shot three years ago, but it clearly really wants to be everyone’s favourite TV show. It also wants to be every other story about epic quests, long-held feuds, strange creatures and supernatural powers that has reached a screen — large, small or kindle — over the past ten years or so. The bad news: shared dashes of drama, magic and medieval theming aside, and there's plenty, trying to be just like everything fantasy fans know and love doesn’t do this movie any favours. The worse news: it also leaves it looking like a pale imitation of better work. From the computer-animated monsters to the lukewarm love story, Seventh Son comes second in every category. The title and the tale tell of a young man, Tom Ward (Ben Barnes), whose birth order sees him selected to learn the witch-hunting, realm-protecting trade. He’s not just a seventh son — he’s the seventh son of a seventh son — so legend has it that he’s something extra special. Master Gregory (Jeff Bridges) tries to teach Tom new tricks, but time isn’t on their side. A once-in-a-century blood moon is a mere week away, with evil enchantress Mother Malkin (Julianne Moore) planning to use the occasion to take over the world. If it all sounds like your average good-versus-evil scenario, that’s because it is. More than that, it’s dull, familiarity not quite breeding contempt but certainly not inspiring much interest. That every plot point just feels like an exercise in ticking the requisite boxes doesn’t help, including the complications added when half-witch Alice (Alicia Vikander), the nicer niece of Malkin, falls for our hero. The 3D action sequences do the same; even when they’re trying to ramp up the spectacle with giants, tumbles down waterfalls and shape-shifting henchmen, everything is firmly in by-the-numbers territory. What Seventh Son does boast is ample talent, though two-time Oscar nominee Sergei Bodrov (Prisoner of the Mountains, Mongol) doesn’t fare so well with his slapdash efforts in the director’s chair. Thankfully, 2011 best actor Oscar winner Bridges and newly minted best actress Oscar recipient Moore do better — or as well as they can given what’s being asked of them. Indeed, the veteran performers are the most watchable part of the movie, one grumbling, mumbling and stumbling, the other relishing an over-the-top role, and both as cartoonish as you can get. That Barnes and Vikander — and everything else — seems bland in comparison is hardly surprising. As an adaptation of the first book in a now fourteen-strong series, Seventh Son was obviously once seen as the start of a new film franchise. If there’s any real magic in this movie, it is in ensuring that that doesn’t happen.
Sure, the animal heads adorning the walls of Shady Pines are pretty cool. And I like the faux Andy Warhol studio decor of the Oxford Art Factory as much as the next person. But when it comes to mind-boggling designs, wacky themes and unique going-out experiences then these ten bars are a cut above the rest. For many bar-owners, the humble "pub" is not simply a local watering hole or after work hideaway but a sanctuary for unreal creative expression and a place where your most bizarre and bewildering fantasies can become a reality. Here we present ten of the weirdest and most wonderful bars from across the globe with themes ranging from a mental asylum to under the sea and unbelievable locations such as inside a 6,000 year-old tree to a giant coffin. Check out the photos below to see what a little bit of imagination, an incredible locality and a whole lot of money can do to transform your average bar into something straight out of a Stanley-Kubrick-on-LSD dream. HR Giger Bar Where: Chur, Switzerland Designed by the manic genius that is Swiss artist H.R. Giger, Switzerland's two Giger bars are modeled on the artist's most famous creation: the nightmarish, intergalactic creatures in Ridley Scott's sci-fi masterpiece Alien. With its giant skeletal arches and torture device chairs, a trip to the Giger bars is an eerie and unnerving experience and provides customers with the distinct feeling that they have been transported into the belly of one of Giger's grotesque alien creatures. Alux Lounge Where: Playa del Carmen, Mexico If descending into the belly of the beast is not your idea of a good time then perhaps descending into a bar carved into an underground cave is more tempting. The bar is not one but a whole system of interlocking caves, with each cave playing host to a different form of nocturnal entertainment, and every room filled with an arresting array of stalactites and stalagmites that surround you on all sides. The Clinic Bar Where: Singapore As the name suggests, the Clinic Bar is a hospital-themed pub that pushes the boundaries of the imagination almost as much as it pushes the boundaries of taste. Some of the medical-themed highlights of this strange establishment include gilded wheelchair seats, hospital bed booths, operating room light fixtures and most peculiarly, drinks served in IV bags and test tubes. Red Sea Star Bar Where: Eliat, Israel While oceanic themed bars and restaurants can be found in just about every seaside town, the Red Sea Star Bar not only resembles an underwater palace but it is in fact located six metres under the Red Sea. Although it may sound camp and kitsch, the combined effect of the sand and sea urchin decor along with the panoramic views of the Red Sea's beautiful coral and sealife provides for an enchanting and fantastical experience unlike any other bar in the world. The Sunland Pub Where: Limpopo Province, South Africa The pub itself is really not much to look at. Consisting of a dusty old dart board, a collection of rusted knick-knacks and the tiniest of bar tables, the Sunland Pub resembles nothing more than a derelict family bar. Yet travelers and locals alike have been known to line up for hours at a time to get a peak of The Sunland Pub thanks to the fact that this remarkable pub is located in a giant Baobab tree. The tree is estimated at being more than 6,000 years old making it one of the world's oldest living trees. Sky Bar Where: Bangkok, Thailand Bangkok has become globally renowned for its beautiful collection of rooftop bars scattered across its sprawling metropolis. None of these bars however bare any comparison to the most famous of them all: the super-ritzy and unbelievably spectacular Sky Bar. Suspended above the city at a staggering 63 floors, the Sky Bar provides visitors with 360 degree views of the city and the majestic Chao Phraya River. Alcatraz ER Where: Tokyo, Japan The weird and wacky tastes of Japanese party-goers has meant that Tokyo has become a hotbed for some truly bizarre themed bars. One of the city's oldest and undoubtedly one of its most deranged is Alcatraz ER, which provides visitors with an experience somewhere between a One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest style mental asylum and a medieval dungeon (no, actually). Customers are locked and chained up in prison cells, while waitresses dressed as nurses serve cocktails with names like "Acute Mental Stabilizer" and men with giant syringes terrorise the unsuspecting visitors. A class act through and through. Eternity, The Coffin Bar Where: Truskavets, Ukraine On the theme of politically incorrect bars is the Ukraine's disturbing and aptly named "Eternity", which was designed to resemble a giant coffin. If the thought of drinking away your sorrows in the world's largest coffin doesn't scare you off then perhaps its equally chilling interior might, with the bar decked out with a highly tasteful collection of small coffin tables, novelty sized wreaths and cathedral-like lighting. Ice Bar Where: Stockholm, Sweden The thought of an ice cold drink in an ice cold bar has taken the world by storm with ice bars popping up in major cities all over the world (including Sydney's very own Ice Bar and Minus5). The original, however, was Stockholm's Ice Bar, in which everything from the bar stools to the glasses you drink from are made from ice harvested from Sweden's Torne River. With the bar set at a frosty -5 degrees celsius and surrounded in Stockholm's stunning winter wonderland, this bar is the perfect place to chill out and grab a couple of cold ones. NASA Pub Where: Bangalore, India With waiters and bartenders that wear spacesuits, spectacular laser shows and all exits and entries shaped like space shuttle doors it is hard not to love Bangalore's most famous novelty pub. While most of us will unfortunately never get to experience what it is like to live aboard a NASA spaceship, this remarkable bar will take you on a celestial and otherworldly experience faster than you can say "open the pod bay doors, HAL".
Death and resurrection. They're both a part of Easter, and they're also pivotal to Stephen King-based horror flick Pet Sematary too. If you're keen on combining the two, adding a couple of other new scary flicks and getting cosy in your car, then consider your long weekend plans sorted at Yatala Drive-In's Easter Horror Weekend. On Friday, April 19, Saturday, April 20 and Sunday, April 21, the southeast Queensland spot is putting on a nightly triple feature of frightening films — all fresh releases. At 7pm, get spooked by The Curse of the Weeping Woman, which fits into The Conjuring universe. At 8.45pm, it's dead animals time with Pet Sematary. And at 10.30pm, Jordan Peel's Us will creep across the outdoor cinema's big screen (and creep you out, naturally). It's the gather the gang kind of movie night, with carload tickets setting you back $75 for up to five people. Yes, that price includes entry to all three films on the same evening.
Who needs facts when you can have a ball with irreverently riffing on history? It worked for Blackadder decades back, then with The Great and Our Flag Means Death more recently, and now does the same for The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin. It was evident from the concept when it was announced, and the trailer afterwards as well: this Apple TV+ series is firmly in the same mode as the pirate comedy that gave streaming two wonderfully funny and heartfelt seasons, then was cancelled. The similarities don't stop being apparent now that Noel Fielding's latest stint of silliness is unfurling its six-episode first season. Accordingly, viewers looking for something to help with their Our Flag Means Death heartbreak have somewhere to turn. Everyone who loves The Mighty Boosh's Fielding when he's getting surreal — something that his The Great British Bake Off hosting stint can't quite offer, even with his outfits — is also catered for. Awaiting in The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin is an entertaining jaunt that's exactly what anyone should expect given its premise, star, his fondness for whimsy and flamboyant outfits, plus Britain's love of parodying its own past. Fielding co-writes and executive produces, alongside leading — and his brother Michael is among the fellow The Mighty Boosh alum on-screen. Dick jokes abound, because who could pass up the opportunity given its protagonist? A who's who of English comedy also features. The year is 1735. The place is the UK, obviously. The subject is a real-life highwayman. Streaming from Friday, March 1, an instantly amusing revisionist history about Britain's equivalent of Ned Kelly is the result. Stand and deliver: as Dick, Fielding does. While he isn't attempting to be anything more than Vince Noir but an outlaw centuries back, no one creating, funding or watching the show wants otherwise. With Rhys Darby (Next Goal Wins) and Flight of the Conchords' Murray instead, Our Flag Means Death had its main star do much the same. Although chances to spot commonalities between the two shows just keep coming, it's in an enjoyable way, like hearing a cover of a beloved tune by someone that you also adore. That someone being Fielding, who has such a rich resume of hilarious and absurdist TV comedy thanks to Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, Nathan Barley, The IT Crowd and Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy as well, is clearly pivotal. If Dick Turpin isn't familiar, he's another figure from the 18th century, as Darby's Stede Bonnet was. Swap the sea for the land, though; the whole robbery angle remains the same. The son of a butcher, he was his father's apprentice, but then took on a different career as part of the Essex gang. In reality, he was executed by hanging at the age of 33. In The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin, standing on the gallows provides the opening. From there, the series steps through his time as a thief after being a vegan pacifist didn't gel with the family business. The key things that Dick takes with him when he leaves home, when his father John (Mark Heap, Significant Other) quickly replaces him with his cousin Benny (Michael Fielding, Merry Little Batman): eye-catching purple boots and a sewing machine. The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin creators Claire Downes, Ian Jarvis and Stuart Lane — who've collaborated on Around the World in 80 Days, Timewasters and We Can Be Heroes before this — then puts the mascara-laden, silky-locked, jollily talkative Dick in charge of his criminal colleagues, and at odds with the usual highwayman antics. He falls into his new gig accidentally, becoming the crew's leader in the same way. Dick wants sticking up stagecoaches and dog walkers to be charming, and done with panache. Working with his version of pleather, aka parsnip leather, he's just as certain that his crew needs to be better dressed. Also, toxic masculinity definitely isn't his vibe. As frequently chronicled in pamphlets by local scribe Eliza Bean (Dolly Wells, Pandemonium), so springs an array of episodic adventures for Dick, the wary Nell (Ellie White, Wonka), eager Honesty (Duayne Boachie, You Don't Know Me) and tender Moose (Marc Wootton, High & Dry). Cue magic mittens, a wild twist on a nun's habit as a disguise, capes, a haunted coach, warlock exams, knitting, trying to avoid letting in a witch by not saying her name a set amount of times Candyman-style, pretending to be a time traveller from 15 minutes into the future, suave rivals and other law breakers who are actually villainous, for instance. Usually on Dick's trail is corrupt thief-taker Jonathan Wilde (Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey: A New Era). Also interested in his actions is crime bigwig Lady Helen Gwinear (Tamsin Greig, Sexy Beast). Plus, this is an on-screen realm where the pub is run by an eight-year-old called Little Karen (Kiri Flaherty, Darklands). Popping up here and there are Asim Chaudhry (Barbie) as the aforementioned sorcerer, alongside Joe Wilkinson (Sex Education) as a gaoler. The cast list goes on, turning watching The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin into a game of Spot That Recognisable Face. When Fielding's Never Mind the Buzzcocks host Greg Davies (The Cleaner) makes an appearance, their banter could've been taken straight from the Spicks and Specks-inspiring music game show. The Mighty Boosh's Simon Farnaby (Ghosts) and Rich Fulcher (Still Up), Cunk on Earth's Diane Morgan, Spaced favourite Jessica Hynes, Matilda the Musical's Sindhu Vee, another Barbie and Sex Education link via Connor Swindells: one of them is never far away, all having as much of a blast as Fielding. Breezy, goofy, impish and oddball fun bounds through the series no matter who else is on-screen with The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin's lead — and while fleshing out its frames with such top talents is among its achievements, Fielding is always the star attraction. He's also the reason that its thematic dive into finding your chosen family and being accepted for who you are still feels potent, as slight as it is. As the show builds its romp around its him, it also ensures that an inescapable sentiment lingers at every moment: 17 years since The Mighty Boosh's last episode, it's a pleasure to have Fielding taking a sitcom's centre stage and loving it once more. Here's hoping that a second season of The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin promptly follows. Check out the trailer for The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin below: The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin streams via Apple TV+ from Friday, March 1, 2024.
Have you ever wondered about the interconnected underworld of fungus or what it takes to build the world's largest acoustic guitar? Sure, such topics may not always be front of mind, but sometimes curiosity gets the better of us. So, if you're keen to dive into weird, wacky and wild topics, be sure to check out Curiocity Brisbane's free talk series this month. Dubbed Curious Conversations, the series is hosted by Aussie author and journalist Benjamin Law who'll be talking to some of the best doers and thinkers in the arts, engineering and science worlds. So, you can expect boundary-pushing chats that'll ignite your imagination. The series has already kicked off, with past sessions available to watch here. If you'd rather catch an IRL conversation, the upcoming program promises everything from the aforementioned wondrous mycelium to innovate science-led theatre collaborations. Happening at various locations across Brisbane, the remaining events are taking place on Thursday, March 25 and Saturday, March 27. Keen to let curiosity get the better of you? Find more details and register over here.
If you're going to open an arcade bar that nods to all things circus and sideshows in Brisbane — and gives away prizes — then Bowen Hills is the obvious place for it. That's where Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq now calls home, although that wasn't always the case. Opening on King Street on Wednesday, September 6, the venue makes the move from Toombul, where it launched back in 2019, then had to close due to the 2022 floods (the precinct is now officially being torn down). Fun and games in a suburb known for the Ekka, but all throughout the year? That's what's on offer at Archie Brothers' new 340-person space in Bowen Hills — aka arcade antics, drinks, bowling and more. The games span everything from Mario Kart to Dance Dance Revolution, the sips are of the OTT variety, and a six-lane ten-pin alley and karaoke rooms are also onsite. Archie Brothers Bowen Hills also features Hungry Hungry Hippos, Connect 4 Hoops, The QUBE virtual reality experiences and party rooms. Need more? Air hockey, basketball hoops and VR are all included, too, in a place that definitely doesn't want you to get bored. On the drinks list: alcoholic concoctions like the Pop Till you Drop (made with fireball, butterscotch, apple juice, maple popcorn, bitters and whipped cream) and the Candy Stand (a strawberry shake featuring white rum, Frangelico, a vanilla candy frosted rim and a giant lollipop, plus whipped cream and sprinkles). Archie Bros' food menu focuses on over-the-top novelty American diner grub, fitting right in with the circus decor. So, expect to tuck into dishes such as three-meat burgers, giant pretzels, and potato gems with garlic aioli that's served in a syringe. The kidulting venture is just one of many for Funlab, which also boasts boozy mini-golf chain Holey Moley, Strike Bowling, the also games-related B. Lucky & Sons and challenge-room venue Hijinx Hotel in its stable — and opened a new Holey Moley and Hijnx Hotel in Chermside in 2022. Archie Bros is officially launching its arrival in Bowen Hills with a shindig, taking place on Saturday, September 16 as part of Brisbane Festival. At the 80s-themed street party, expect games — obviously — plus dance competitions, DJs spinning old-school tracks and rollerskating all across King Street. Find Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq at 3/30 King Street in Bowen Hills from Wednesday, September 6, operating from 12–10pm Monday–Thursday, 12pm–12am Friday–Saturday and 10am–10pm Sunday. Images: Funlab.
School's not only out for summer, it's actually out forever, with the latest Year 12 cohort receiving their final ATAR results over the next week or two. While that's pretty daunting, Nandos is here to put you in a celebratory mood, serving free chicken and chips meals to help students ring in their results. The idea comes courtesy of a Melbourne-based student named Kyla, who saw Nandos in the UK giving Year 12 students a free feed as an end-of-year favour. Asking whether the much-loved Portuguese chicken brand could do the same for her and her friends, the restaurant stepped up to shout students across Australia. Whether you're seeking a 99.95 or just happy that you'll never have to sit another exam, free chicken and chips is the great academic equaliser. Available to the first 100 students at each participating restaurant, just show your student card to score a free meal, featuring a quarter chicken, regular chips and a 600ml Coke Zero. Held on the ATAR release date in most states — Victoria is up first on Thursday, December 11 — there will be 30 locations around the country keen to take your order. So, grab your pals and celebrate (or commiserate) your score — just know that pretty much no one will speak of them again in a couple of years' time.
