It's safe to say local artist Matt Adnate is pretty comfortable working in large scale. His public works can be seen gracing huge structures across Singapore, New York and Australia. Closer to home, you'll find a portrait of four local Indigenous Australians painted on the side of a soaring Sheeps Hill grain silo as part of the Silo Art Trail. But, clocking in at around twice the height of the regional Victoria piece, Adnate's latest artistic endeavour is the tallest mural in the southern hemisphere. If you've been kicking around Collingwood in recent weeks, you might have seen the genesis of this giant, vibrant work, on the side of the 20-storey Collingwood Commission Housing tower. Now complete, it stretches all 62 metres of the building, featuring huge lifelike portraits of four of the development's residents. Here's how it looks in full: The project saw Adnate teaming up, once again, with Fitzroy-born street art collective and creative agency Juddy Roller, who were also behind the Silo Art Trail. The idea for the work started when they took Minister for Planning Richard Wynne on an impromptu street art tour of the area a few years back. Since them, the crew of art-loving locals have been working towards bringing this huge public-housing mural to life. Of course, community engagement was key when the artwork's canvas was also home to hundreds of residents. So, organisers held a series of workshops, children from the precinct got together to create murals of their own and all residents keen to have their face immortalised in spray paint had their photo snapped down at the community centre. The four faces chosen for the work capture the area's spirit of diversity: Ethiopian woman Badria Abdo, who came to Australia 12 years ago as a refugee from Kenya; Indonesian man Yulius Antares Taime who has called the Collingwood flats home for just four months; Melbourne-born six-year-old Arden Watson-Cropley; and five-year-old Australian-Vietnamese girl Ni Na Nguyen. Find Adnate's Collingwood mural at 240 Wellington Street, Collingwood. Images: Nicole Reed Photography
ANZAC Day is upon us for 2020; however with the usual parades and dawn services cancelled and downscaled due to COVID-19 restrictions, this year's commemorations are looking considerably different than usual. Given that pubs, bars and RSLs are closed across the country thanks to social-distancing requirements, the great Aussie tradition that is two-up has also been affected — but, like most aspects of normal life at the moment, the game has moved online. At 2up 2.0, you can yell "come in spinner" while you're playing along virtually (and while drinking brews and eating ANZAC biscuits, too, if that's part of your April 25 routine). As you're watching digital coins flip, you'll also be helping a very worthy cause, with 100-percent of the site's proceeds being donated to Wounded Warriors to help support Australian servicemen and women and their families. To play, all you need to do is head to the site — and, while purchasing virtual coins in order to make a donation to diggers is obviously encouraged, you'll receive 100 free virtual dollars just for signing up. Prizes are on offer from Rocks Brewing Co, while a leaderboard keeps track of how everyone is faring. And remember that you'll only be able to play along today, Saturday, April 25, as that's the only day each year that two-up is legal to play in most places in Australia. To play 2up 2.0 and donate to Wounded Warriors, visit the game's website.
If you've got a long-held dream of seeing the South Pole and have a bit of spare cash to burn, then you'd best get in quick to score a seat on the upcoming Antarctica flights out of Australia. Sightseeing group Antarctica Flights is taking bookings for a series of rare, sky-high charter tours, departing Sydney (November 18), Perth (January 26), Melbourne (December 31 and February 10), Brisbane (November 10, 2019) and Adelaide (November 24, 2019), to cruise above the dazzling Antarctica Treaty area for around four hours. This year, for the first time ever, it's also flying out of Hobart (which means less travelling and more sightseeing) on November 25. Each flight path is carefully chosen to maximise viewing from both sides of the plane and to ensure the best views should the weather turn nasty, while some passengers will rotate seats to allow everyone an equal shot at the spectacular scenery below. Travelling on a QANTAS 747, the whole trip clocks in at around 12.5 hours — depending on your departure city — during which you'll hear from expert Antarctic explorers, talking about the polar environment and its fascinating history. All that, while enjoying some better-than-average QANTAS plane food, full bar service and, in the lead-up to the views, a spot of in-flight entertainment — classic flick Happy Feet, or some Antarctic docos, of course. As expected, this kind of plane trip doesn't come cheap — you're looking at forking out $1199 to be seated in the very middle of the plane, a whole four seats away from any window. Other options, including the Economy Class Standard ($1999), the Economy Class Superior ($2999) and the Premium Economy Class ($3299) involve seat rotations throughout the flight, so passengers can spend time both close to the window and further away. Of course, you and your favourite travel buddy could drop $7999 each on Ice Class tickets to have a window seat and the one next to it all to yourselves for the entire flight. Also worth noting is the super indulgent New Year's Eve flight out of Melbourne, which could have you ringing in 2019 with onboard Champagne, a live jazz band and a bird's eye view of Antarctica.
Bars where you can do more than just sit around and drink are really having a moment in Brisbane, and specifically in Fortitude Valley. In no small part, it's thanks to the ever-expanding empire of Funlab. The company is in charge of the ever-popular Holey Moley, plus Strike Bowling in the CBD and Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq down in Sydney. Of course, Holey Moley leads the charge in the Valley's boozy kidulting scene, alongside the independently owned Netherworld. Now, Funlab has just launched its latest brainchild: B. Lucky & Sons. It's a kidult-friendly bar-meets-arcade with some actually good pawn-shop prizes, instead of the usual plastic crap you get. Think vintage Chanel bags, classic cameras and rare vinyls, plus Playstation 4s. Yup, they've gone real old school-meets-new school with this one. The bar is now open in the Valley's TCB Building — and it's hidden behind the facade of an old pawn shop, so expect something a little bit different. Like its Melbourne counterpart, the venue is also decked out with eclectic furnishings, from old-world casino chandeliers to neon-lit red octagonal booths. This East-meets-West fit-out extends to the food, where pizzas are topped with the likes of crispy wonton wrappers and bonito flakes or sausage, gravy and potato crisps. For drinks, the bar slings canned cocktails, alcoholic bubble teas and other creative concoctions — like Taro Bang (Frangelico, rum and taro with blueberry pearls and jellies) and the Passion Crackle (vodka, passion fruit and peach teas with apple flavoured pearls and jellies). Not to mention punch bowls served with floral tea cups, a gold-rimmed espresso martini and one with a side of toast and raspberry jam. The bar's games are clear throwbacks for the millennial generation — featuring everything from Mario Kart and Daytona to NBA Hoops. And although the venue is open to littluns during the day, it's strictly adults-only at night, so you don't have to worry about being laughed at by a ten-year-old when you fall off Rainbow Road for the fourteenth time. Find B.Lucky & Sons at the TCB Building, 315 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley. The venue is open Sunday–Wednesday from 12–10pm and Thursday–Saturday from 12pm–2am. Images: Zennieshia Photography
If you prefer an art experience that extends beyond looking at works on a wall, prepare to be impressed by Melbourne's new 3000-square-metre, 11-metre-high immersive digital art gallery. Originally set to open in late 2020, then postponed till autumn 2021, The Lume will make its home permanently at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) with projections of some of the world's most celebrated artworks splashed across various surfaces, backed by powerful musical soundtracks and complemented by aromas. The inaugural exhibition at The Lume will celebrate the works and life of Vincent van Gogh. So, you'll be able to walk through artworks like The Starry Night and Sunflowers while listening to a classical music score. If you were lucky enough to make it up to Sydney this year for Van Gogh Alive, expect something very similar. The project is the brainchild of Melbourne-based Grande Experiences, which, for the past 14 years, has hosted immersive exhibitions and gallery experiences in over 130 cities across the world. The company also owns and operates Rome's Museo Leonardo da Vinci. The Lume will open at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in autumn 2021. We'll let you know when more details are announced. You can check out some of Grande Experiences' other gallery experiences over here.
Brunswick Aces is a new Melbourne-distilled gin with a notable difference: it's 100 percent free from alcohol. Forget tonic water-tasting hangovers, this take on gin is an alternative to sore heads and dehydration that still tastes like a summer garden party. It might be just what you need if you're doing Dry July this year. The gin is made in Brunswick, distilled like alcoholic gin is and made from local ingredients. Alcoholic gins require a careful blending of botanical ingredients, and Brunswick Aces is no different. The company releases small batches of two "gins" — the Spades Blend, which contains lime, pink grapefruit, cardamom, parsley and lemon myrtle, and the Hearts Blend, which is a mix juniper, wattleseed, clove, star anise and ginger. Brunswick Aces' launch follows that of Seedlip, the world's first alcohol-free distilled spirit, which first hit shelves in London in 2015. With its own two variations – Garden and Spice – Seedlip began to bridge the gap between "carefully distilled spirits made with natural ingredients" and "not having a headache on a Sunday for once". Brunswick Aces followed suit, but with local, native Australian ingredients. It can be sipped straight, mixed with tonic, or used as the base for a host of "gin cocktails". Make sure you stock up on limes and cucumbers before Dry July kicks off next week. Brunswick Aces can be purchased through its online store.
Whichever caped crusader is your favourite, and whichever comics-to-screen film franchise you like best, you've seen plenty of superheroes on screens large and small over the past decade or so. They're everywhere — including at Brisbane City Hall at present. The heroes gracing the walls here aren't your usual icons, though. Instead, Dylan Mooney's Blak Superheroes gives First Nations characters a comic book-style makeover. The aims: representation and empowerment, all while championing survival, pride and power. The Yuwi, Torres Strait Islander and Australian-born South Sea Island artist explains that, in the past "Blak characters' representation in history has always been in the background, never the focal point, and characterised by racist stereotypes" — so his works seek to uplift, to showcase First Nations figures, and to show that surviving and thriving in Australia has required resilience and innovation. Mooney uses drawing, printmaking and street art techniques to illustrate his creations, which are on display for free until Monday, April 18, 2022. [caption id="attachment_818265" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Dylan Mooney, Resist from the ongoing series 'Blak Superheroes', digital drawing. Courtesy the artist and N Smith Gallery, Gadigal Country.[/caption]
There'll be no need to grab snacks before the latest screen-to-stage musical production. As fans of the '90s cult classic well and truly know, Empire Records is certain to give you a sugar high anyway. The beloved flick is heading to Broadway, which means someone is going to be following in Renée Zellweger's footsteps and belting out the Coyote Shivers track 'Sugar High' while standing on a record store rooftop. Expect someone else to sing "oh Rexy, you're so sexy" too, as the tale of a struggling music shop, its motley crew of employees and the washed-up former star making an in-store appearance makes the leap to another format. Rolling Stone is reporting that the movie's original screenwriter, Carol Heikkinen, is adapting her own script, with the show working towards a 2020 premiere date. No word yet who'll be taking on the characters first played by Zellweger, Liv Tyler, Robin Tunney, Rory Cochrane, Ethan Embry and Aussie actor Anthony LaPaglia, rocking out to what's certain to be an ace '90s soundtrack and wearing some top retro fashions. Empire Records joins a long list of films making the jump to the theatre of late, including La La Land, The Devil Wears Prada, Amelie and Moulin Rouge! And, of course, the newest production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which is heading to Australia in 2019. Via Rolling Stone.
As Australia continues to respond to the COVID-19 situation, getting cosy on your couch is becoming the norm. And, while you could take a break from the news of mass-gathering bans, self-isolation requirements, and event cancellations and postponements by indulging in pure escapism, it's completely natural and thoroughly understandable to swing your viewing choices in the other direction. No one alive has experienced a pandemic quite like this one before, but, thanks to decades of movies, we've watched similar events on-screen for years. And, based on how much everyone has been talking Steven Soderbergh's Contagion of late, movies about outbreaks and, yes, contagions are in high demand at the moment. We know you're seeking them out anyway, so we're here to help. Here are ten movies about pandemics, contagions and outbreaks that you can watch via Australian streaming platforms right now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UkXOj8u1Fo CONTAGION Steven Soderbergh is one of America's most prolific filmmakers, with everything from Cannes Palme d'Or winner Sex, Lies and Videotape to amusing heist flick Logan Lucky on his resume — and drug drama Traffic, which nabbed him the Best Director Oscar, too. But thanks to current events, Contagion will be the movie he'll be remembered for, with the 2011 thriller feeling eerily prophetic when revisited today. It all starts with a lawyer (Gwyneth Paltrow) returning from Hong Kong, then falling ill. In methodical style, Soderbergh then tracks the progression and the response. He enlists an enormous all-star cast to help, spanning Matt Damon, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard, Kate Winslet, Laurence Fishburne and Bryan Cranston — and his aim to make as realistic a movie as possible about a pandemic certainly strikes a chord in current circumstances. Available to stream on Google Play, iTunes and YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgZ5goJibn0 OUTBREAK Over the next few years, once the cinema industry — and existence in general, of course — gets back to normal, a new big-screen genre is certain to emerge. Drawing upon real-life events is such a staple of filmmaking that a plethora of COVID-19 movies is inevitable. Using Ebola as its model, Outbreak did the same thing in the mid-90s. When a virus called Motaba starts wreaking havoc, staff from the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are forced to react. Starring Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, Donald Sutherland, Morgan Freeman, Cuba Gooding Jr and Patrick Dempsey, this disaster drama spends plenty of time within the two aforementioned organisations, if watching procedural action is what you're craving at present Available to stream on iTunes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFNPNT_4Qww I AM LEGEND When it came to updating Richard Matheson's 1954 book I Am Legend for the 21st century, enlisting Will Smith to play humanity's sole survivor was a logical choice. He wasn't the first to roam around the big screen in such desolate circumstances, with 1964's The Last Man on Earth putting horror icon Vincent Price in the same situation and 1971's The Omega Man tasking Charlton Heston with navigating isolation; however Smith was the thoroughly 2007 choice. And, playing a US Army virologist who sees the whole world turned into vampiric creatures after a genetically engineered measles virus turned lethal, he's one of the best things about I Am Legend. For folks interested in Heston's stint in the same situation, The Omega Man is also available to stream via Google Play, iTunes and YouTube as well. Available to stream on Stan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7suz9ndPBHg 28 DAYS LATER These days, Danny Boyle is making 'what if?' rom-coms that ponder what life would be like without the Beatles, and Alex Garland is writing and directing moody sci-fi TV thrillers — but back in 2002, they joined forces to tackle a pandemic. And, marking their first proper collaboration after Boyle adapted Garland's best-selling novel The Beach for the big screen two years earlier, 28 Days Later still ranks among the best work on either's resume. Set in the aftermath of the accidental release of a highly contagious virus, the film's images of a desolated London instantly became iconic; however, this is a top-notch movie on every level. That includes its performances, with then-unknowns Cillian Murphy (A Quiet Place Part II) and Naomie Harris (the Bond franchise's current Moneypenny) finding the balance between demonstrating their characters' fierce survival instincts and their inherent vulnerability. Available to stream on Foxtel Now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gpxnI1tQM4 CARGO Australian cinema isn't immune to virus-driven movies — and 2017 post-apocalyptic horror flick Cargo is among the best of them. In this full-length adaptation of Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke's Tropfest finalist short of the same name, the infection turns people into zombies within 48 hours, a situation that the Andy (Martin Freeman) and Kay (Susie Porter) want to avoid. Complicating matters: the fact that they have an infant daughter they'll do anything to protect. Already experienced at trekking across the landscape Down Under after starring in the New Zealand-shot Hobbit films, Freeman wanders across Australia determined to save his family, in a movie that also ponders both environmental factors and Indigenous culture as well. Available to stream on Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMbSpnlOOtE THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN Michael Crichton's influence on popular culture is vast. The Jurassic Park franchise is still going almost three decades later, and Westworld (which is based on his 1972 movie) is enjoying quite the small-screen adaptation. Back in 1969, the author also contemplated what might happen if a deadly alien organism started infecting people on earth — and in 1971, The Andromeda Strain hit cinemas. The premise: after a satellite crashes near a small New Mexico town, almost all of its inhabitants die, with a team of scientists tasked with getting to the bottom of it. It's an unmistakably 70s affair, and a slick and solid film too. You might've come across the 2008 TV mini-series remake starring Benjamin Bratt, Viola Davis and Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Andre Braugher; however we recommend sticking with the original. Available to stream on Google Play, iTunes and YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5ZtovQtG3s&feature=emb_logo WARM BODIES Pandemic movies and zombie movies often go hand-in-hand, as a number of entries on this list have already demonstrated. And, more often than not, they're grim, bleak and tense affairs — as is to be expected when the whole fate of the human race is at stake. Enter Warm Bodies, which isn't the first zombie comedy by any means, but both earns and owns the term 'zom-rom-com'. Here, R (Nicholas Hoult) is a member of the shuffling undead. Julie (Australian actress Teresa Palmer) is still alive. When they cross paths, he doesn't just bite into her flesh and she doesn't just kill him. This sweet and funny flick is based on the Isaac Marion-penned novel of the same name, and its characters' monikers should give an important detail away, with the influence of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet keenly felt. Available to stream on Foxtel Now and Stan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8RScNfgPh4 TWELVE MONKEYS Before Brad Pitt won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for sauntering through Quentin Tarantino's vision of 1969-era Tinseltown in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, he was nominated in the same category back in 1996 for Twelve Monkeys. Deservedly so, too, with the star playing a mental patient in a post-apocalyptic version of 2035 — where a virus wiped out most of humanity four decades earlier. As offbeat as it is entertaining and eye-catching, this sci-fi thriller serves up exactly what anyone could hope for with Monty Python member and The Man Who Killed Don Quixote's Terry Gilliam behind the lens. For fans of cinema history, it's also an engaging update of Chris Marker's legendary 1962 short film La Jetée. And while Pitt steals the show, he has fine company, with 90s Bruce Willis in his element as well. Available to stream on Google Play, iTunes and YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfeEhb4xnps THE NIGHT EATS THE WORLD When The Night Eats the World first hit screens in 2018, it was just a horror film about a man who goes to a party in Paris, then wakes up the next day to find zombies everywhere. It was a nice addition of the genre, too, proving both atmospheric, evocative, and firmly settling on its own tone. Now, this French movie hits close to home — not due to the undead, of course, but because the bulk of the feature focuses on Sam's (Anders Danielsen Lie) experiences stuck inside a flat, including his efforts to stock up on supplies in such circumstances. Cue thrills, twists, company in the form of a zombified neighbour (Denis Lavant) and a desperate need for resourcefulness. Oh, and ample existential dread as well. Available to stream on Google Play, iTunes and YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE5dJDgZ644 BIRDEMIC: SHOCK AND TERROR What if humanity wasn't under threat from a virus, but from birds? Not just in one town, either, as seen in Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller The Birds — but everywhere. That's the idea behind Birdemic: Shock and Terror. A word of warning: this is the silliest entry on this list, and the schlockiest as well. We honestly can't stress that enough. Indeed, Birdemic: Shock and Terror definitely isn't the world's best movie. In fact, it's the disaster and pandemic equivalent of The Room and a film that makes the Sharknado franchise's production values look positively gleaming. But, sometimes, that's just what you need. It also spawned a sequel, Birdemic 2: The Resurrection, because of course it did. Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. 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. Top images: Contagion, 28 Days Later, Cargo, Twelve Monkeys and The Night Eats the World.
Located in the old Ithaca Ice Works building where they — you guessed it — made and sold ice in the good ol’ days, Iceworks just might be one of Brisbane’s best multifaceted venues. Boasting restaurant, bar, lounge and function facilities, this is a Paddington gem that should be enjoyed by the rest of Brisbane. But a stone's throw from Suncorp Stadium, Iceworks bar offers 20 varieties of craft beer alongside an extensive wine and cocktail list, so it's worth your while to drop by before the next sporting or entertainment event. The sleek interior decor exudes cool and offers a welcoming atmosphere. Be sure to tear your eyes away from the dominating marble and polished concrete bar long enough to peruse the menu and grab a snack to balance out the booze. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the competence of the kitchen as they turn out bar food that’s a little bit fancy. Someone definitely deserves a high-five for the house-made pizzas ($16), especially those topped with prosciutto, caramelised fig, gorgonzola, rocket and lemon myrtle extra virgin olive oil. You’d also be smart to take a chance on the confit duck corn dog with burnt orange preserve ($12) and chow down on the salt 'n' vinegar pork puffs ($5). If you’re looking for something a little more substantial on your plate, the Iceworks Restaurant offers a full-service a la carte menu. The comfortable and contemporary space sees modern European-inspired cuisine served for lunch and dinner, Tuesday through Saturday. A strong attention to detail is evident across the physical furnishings of the spaces and the thoughtfully procured menus, creating a wholesome drinking and dining experience. Depending on the day or night you find yourself on Given Terrace, you're bound to experience anything from a vibrant bar scene to a relaxed spot for a really great feed.
If Alanis Morissette was to describe this piece of news, she might say that it's like rain on your wedding day. She could note that it resembles finding a black fly in your chardonnay. Or, she might explain that it resembles hitting a traffic jam when you're already late, too. We all know where those lines come from, because we're all acquainted with her famed track 'Ironic'; however, if you were hoping to hear that song as part of 15-time Tony Award-nominated musical Jagged Little Pill in Sydney in September, there's been an unwelcome but unsurprising development. The acclaimed production was due to make its first trip beyond Broadway and head to our shores, locking in a run at the Theatre Royal Sydney — and reopening the venue five years after it closed its doors in 2016, in fact. But, due to Sydney's current COVID-19 outbreak and corresponding lockdown, that's no longer happening. Accordingly, instead of raising its curtains on Thursday, September 23, Jagged Little Pill has postponed its premiere Aussie season. New dates haven't yet been announced, though. "The decision to delay the Australian premiere of Jagged Little Pill was not taken lightly. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have caused havoc in the live entertainment industry in Australia. Jagged Little Pill will directly engage over 100 performers, musicians and crew; consequently, we are tirelessly working to minimise the impact of the delay on the production to get those talented people back to work and audiences back to enjoying live theatre as soon as possible," said the show's producers in a statement. Jagged Little Pill the Musical Broadway opening night curtain call, Bruce Glikas When it does reschedule its Sydney dates, Jagged Little Pill the Musical will weave a story around songs from Morissette's 1995 album of the same name. So yes, it's a jukebox musical like Mamma Mia!, We Will Rock You and Rock of Ages. Beloved tunes 'Ironic', 'You Oughta Know', 'Hand in My Pocket', 'Head Over Feet' and 'You Learn' all feature, in a production that boasts music by Morissette and her album co-writer and producer Glen Ballard, lyrics by Morissette, and a book by Juno Oscar-winner Diablo Cody. Songs such as 'Thank U', 'So Pure', 'That I Would Be Good', 'So Unsexy' and 'Hands Clean' all pop up as well, even though they hail from the musician's subsequent albums. And, narrative-wise, Jagged Little Pill the Musical tells the tale of the Healy family. They struggle their seemingly idyllic suburban lives after a troubling event in their community. Expect to hear Morissette's tunes — including two new songs written just for the show — used in a tale about social issues relevant to today, but with an overall message of hope, healing and togetherness. Jagged Little Pill the Musical's Australian premiere season will no longer play the Theatre Royal Sydney at 108 King Street, Sydney, from Thursday, September 23 — we'll update you when new dates are announced. For further details, head to the musical's website. Top image: Jagged Little Pill the Musical original Broadway cast, Matthew Murphy.
UPDATE, July 29, 2020: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. Sharing his name with six live-action films in 16 years, Spider-Man is no stranger to the big screen. Since 2002, he's saved New York from disaster again and again, kissed his sweetheart while hanging upside down, and turned evil and danced down the sidewalk. The friendly neighbourhood web-slinger has ripped off his mask to reveal the faces of Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland, gotten cosy with Kirsten Dunst, Emma Stone and Zendaya, and eventually joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And yet, the best Spider-Man movie doesn't involve most of the above. It's not just about Spider-Man, but spider-men. It also features a spider-woman, spider-robot and spider-pig, as well as Nicolas Cage as a 30s-era spider-vigilante. In other words, it's the animated delight that is Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Returning Spidey to his cartoon roots — his first screen appearance came via the animated 60s TV series with that catchy theme tune — this addition to the fold isn't your regular take on Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's iconic character. Rather, it recognises that a wealth of different spider-figures have swung through the comic book realm, because Spider-Man really could be anyone. Radioactive arachnids don't discriminate. They just sink their fangs into whoever's in their path. In Into the Spider-Verse, it's Brooklyn high-schooler Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore) who's on the receiving end of a tiny but monumental bite. When he's not feeling like he's disappointing his cop dad (Brian Tyree Henry) and wishing he could spend more time with his outcast uncle (Mahershala Ali), Miles is also a rather big fan of the established Spider-Man, Peter Parker (Chris Pine). Two people donning the famous red and blue costume? With nefarious crime kingpin Wilson Fisk (Liev Schreiber) tearing a hole through multiple universes using a supercollider, two are just the beginning. The uncertain Miles is soon buddying up with Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), who's more than a little over being Spider-Man — consider him an on-screen avatar for spider-fatigued audiences. Like filtering all things Spidey through an episode of Rick and Morty, they're joined by other web-slingers, including Peter Porker (John Mulaney), Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld), Spider-Man Noir (Cage), and Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn) and her mechanical offsider SP//dr. The fate of several worlds is at stake, and the futures of several spider-people (and spider-animals) too. Arriving at a time when superhero movies (let alone Spider-Man flicks) are no longer a special event, Into the Spider-Verse offers what so few caped crusaders can muster these days: an endless array of surprises. It also serves up jokes about whether Spidey could or should wear a cape, although it's the film's ability to astonish that sticks firmer than Spider-Man's web. Who knew that a character who's been seen on screen over and over again for decades — and one who sports a 56-year history on the page as well — could seem so vibrant, thrilling and fresh? That's not a knock on the various live-action iterations, which have each boasted their own appeal, even if some fare better than others. But in embracing the entire big, bustling and diverse spider-world, Into the Spider-Verse genuinely feels new. In recent years, only Black Panther has bounced through cinemas with the same kind of vibe, feeding viewers' eagerness to finally watch something different. Into the Spider-Verse ramps that idea up a few notches, not only showcasing the first Afro-Lantino Spider-Man alongside a number of other interpretations, but playing with superhero and storytelling conventions. While good-versus-evil plots and coming-of-age themes are engrained in Spidey lore, neither notion bows to formula in the hands of filmmakers Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey (Rise of the Guardians) and Rodney Rothman. Instead, this adventure spins tales upon tales at a mile-a-minute pace — with a healthy dash of irreverence and amusement, ample nods to past comics and flicks, plus a warm-hearted willingness to make fun of the whole spider-shebang. That Rothman co-wrote the script with The Lego Movie's Phil Lord, and that Lord produced the picture with his usual directing partner Christopher Miller, partly explains Into the Spider-Verse's immense charms. Led by the soulful Moore as Morales, and peppered with hilarious work by Cage and Mulaney, the excellent voice cast also plays a part in making this the new high point for Spider-Man films. That said, Into the Spider-Verse could've dispensed with dialogue altogether and it'd still mesmerise. We mean that literally, because the standard and style of animation on display, and the action scenes and sight gags that go with it, resembles nothing else that's been beamed into cinemas before. Fast, bright, imaginative and often even abstract, it blends a hand-drawn feel with the most inventive visuals that computer-generated imagery can deliver. In this vivid, kaleidoscopic world, Spider-Ham's Looney Tunes aesthetic, Peni Parker and SP//dr's anime look, and Spider-Man Noir's dark approach all fit in perfectly. So too does a new plucky school kid who embodies the most important spider-fact of all: that everyone can do whatever a spider can. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbfIIGRfRJg
"Didn't seem fair on the young lad. That suit at the funeral. With the braces on his teeth, the supreme discomfort of the adolescent." That's how what just might be your favourite new novel of 2024 starts. The book in question? Intermezzo by Sally Rooney. The acclaimed Irish author, who previously penned Conversations with Friends, Normal People and Beautiful World, Where Are You, will release her fourth tome on Tuesday, September 24, 2024. It arrives three years after her last, which also hit three years after Normal People. And if you're already wondering if it will get the TV treatment, as Normal People did first — and made everyone obsessed with Paul Mescal in the process — then Conversations with Friends, it's obviously too early to answer that. Cross your fingers, though. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Faber Books (@faberbooks) Intermezzo will follow two brothers, Peter and Ivan Koubek, as they're grieving the loss of their father's death. The former is in his 30s and a successful Dublin lawyer, but turns to medication to sleep to cope with his loss. The latter is 22 and plays chess competitively. Peter also has complicated bonds with two women, his first love Sylvia and college student Naomi — which will sound familiar to Rooney fans — while Ivan meets the older Margaret not long after his dad's passing. "For two grieving brothers and the people they love, this is a new interlude — a period of desire, despair and possibility — a chance to find out how much one life might hold inside itself without breaking," says the official blurb for the book. "Intermezzo is a story of brothers and lovers, of familial and romantic intimacies, of relationships that don't quite fit the conventional structures," explains Alex Bowler, the book's publisher at Faber & Faber in the UK. "After three miraculous books, Sally Rooney's millions of readers will recognise the beauty and insight, the pain and hope that radiates from this new novel. But it marks an exquisite advance, too, in the work of a writer who seems so attuned to our lives, our hearts and our times." [caption id="attachment_842444" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Enda Bowe/Hulu[/caption] Intermezzo will be published on Tuesday, September 24, 2024. For further details, head to publisher Faber & Faber's website. Images: Normal People / Conversations with Friends.
Telstra announced some pretty exciting news yesterday. As part of their $100 million, five-year Wi-Fi Nation plan, the telecommunication giants are transforming 1000 of Australia's shitty old phone boxes from disgusting petri dishes of technological obsoleteness into actually useful free Wi-Fi hotspots. From November 1, you can log onto this glorious free internet while cruising through any of our nation's major cities. If you're a tourist or a cheapskate who's maxed out your iPhone data, it's time to rejoice. For everyone else, you might like to take a better look at the issue first. First off, this isn't a permanent thing. Telstra's gift of free lolcats and Facebooking will only last until the end of the year; after that, those who aren't Telstra fixed-line customers will have to buy passes to access the service. Though a similar phone box system has been implemented in New York and London, Australia's will be the only one that isn't free for all. It's hard to imagine who's going to be paying for Wi-Fi while sitting on the street, when it's cheaper to just go get a coffee and awkwardly ask the barista for the cafe's Wi-Fi password. As long-time supporters of public wi-fi, this is hard for us to write. Seeking to install two million hotspots around the country, the full Wi-Fi Nation plan is exciting; it's everything we've wanted! But with restrictions and mandatory costs in place, it looks a lot more like a giant PR push than something actually useful in the real world. Where broader municipal Wi-Fi networks try to build the economy by giving everyone equal access online, Telstra hotspots attempt to convert you to Telstra. Anything else is just a bonus, really. Of course, city-wide free Wi-Fi is the dream. State governments in both New South Wales and Victoria have been flirting with the idea for years now, but the only city to get it together has been Perth. Launching last year, Perth's blanket free Wi-Fi covers the entire CBD and cost $300,000 to implement. Not too shabby. After dumping plans in 2008, it was reported that Melbourne was to trial a similar program this year, but the news has been disappointingly sparse. Sydney's hopes were also dashed in 2008, though the City of Sydney are currently investigating the introduction of Wi-Fi into the city's parks and public squares. Alternatively, Brisbane are doing pretty well. Brisbane City Council currently offer free internet access in many parks, malls and areas of the CBD. It's safe to assume not many people will be paying Telstra to jump on a hotspot in Brisbane if they can surf for free while they shop. Importantly, all of these free networks are government initiatives. Internet access is, after all, a human right. So, will our governments now be less inclined to fight for a larger system if it seems as though payphones have the problem sorted? They definitely have one less commercial telco to partner with. When Sydney were considering free Wi-Fi in 2008, Telstra were the first to cast doubt anyway. "There's no such thing as a free lunch anymore so it will be interesting to see how it is proposed to be paid for," a decidedly catty spokesperson told SMH. Now, the City of New York hope to make $17.5 million in digital advertising from their phonebooth project. Times have changed. For all its other problems, even Tel Aviv has a better system than us. So, let's just live it up while we can. This two months of free internet will be great. After that, make sure to be nice to your baristas. Photo credit: Indigo Skies Photography via photopin cc.
Start making holiday plans: that dream trip to Osaka, pandemic-delayed return visit to Tokyo or bucket-list getaway in Seoul just got cheaper. From October 2023, Jetstar will start rolling out three new international routes direct from Brisbane, heading to those three cities. Across the trio of legs, the airline will cater for almost 500,000 new seats each year out of the Queensland capital. Jetstar already flies to Japan from the Sunshine State, just from Cairns and the Gold Coast rather than Brisbane; however, that's finally changing. Come Tuesday, October 31, the Brisbane–Narita service will take to the skies, running five return flights a week. From Sunday, December 3, that'll increase to daily services. Two notes: everyone needs to do Halloween in Tokyo at least once; and, as part of the change, Jetstar will stop flying from the Gold Coast to Narita from Sunday, October 29, focusing on the Brisbane route instead. For folks keen on cherry blossoms in Osaka, Jetstar will boast four return legs a week from Brisbane from Friday, February 2, 2024. The new Seoul flights will take off the day prior, on Thursday, February 1, 2024, with three return services weekly. To celebrate the Japan and South Korean additions to its Brisbane destinations, the airline is also hosting a 48-hour sale until 11am on Wednesday, June 21. At sale prices, Brisbanites can expect to head to Osaka from $279, Tokyo from $299 and to Seoul from $289 — all one-way and excluding checked baggage. The budget carrier's existing routes from Brisbane to Bali and Auckland are also picking up, doing ten return services to Denpasar weekly (up from seven) from Thursday, February 1, 2024, plus daily return trips to NZ (up from four a week) from Sunday, October 29, 2023. Jetstar's extra services out of Brissie stem from a partnership with Brisbane Airport, with support from Queensland's Attracting Aviation Investment Fund (AAIF), which is joint Government and airport initiative to help kick the state's visitor economy back into gear. Jetstar's new international routes from Brisbane will start rolling out from October 2023. Jetstar's 48-hour sale to announce the new flights runs until 11am on Wednesday, June 21 — head to the airline's website for more details. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Let's, for a moment, step around the "is file sharing piracy?" debate. The internet is awash with free, legal movie options — if you know where to look. We've curated a quandry-free ethical zone of movies that will be up online for the next few months at least. For other online cinematic freebies, the SBS and ABC sites are worth checking regularly; feature films, not just television programs, are uploaded for a couple of weeks at a time. Recent gems have included the classic Errol Morris doco The Thin Blue Line and French romantic comedy Hunting and Gathering with Audrey Tautou (let’s face it, French rom coms are just classier than Hollywood ones). 1. The Tunnel (2011) A super low budget, mockumentary-style Australian horror movie set in an abandoned web of tunnels beneath Sydney’s railway system. It's steers away from the slasher genre, towards that of a psychological thriller with a slow-building and genuinely eerie climax. 2. Shopgirl (2005) "Shopgirl" is what happens when Hollywood tries to do a smart, offbeat rom com. It’s a Steve Martin vanity trip - he wrote it, produced it and stars as a slightly creepy, rich, older guy who courts the lovely but quietly unhappy Claire Danes, who is torn between him and a cooler but less dependable Jason Schwartzman. Why would Claire Danes interested in Steve Martin? It’s a bit weird and unclear. But if you want something a bit silly and a bit entertaining to tune out to for a couple of hours, this is the one for you. The trick is not to think too much. 3. Night of the Living Dead (1968) This old school zombie classic by George Romero is available online thanks to it’s recent inclusion in the US Library of Congress’ National Film Registry. It spawned five Living Dead sequels and two remakes. An essential one for horror maniacs. 4. Ozamu Tezukis’ Metropolis (1949) You probably know Ozamu Tezukis not by his name, but as “the guy who made Astro Boy”. This is his 1940s take on a dystopian, robotic future. It’s a quiet classic, as impressive as any olden day Disney cartoon, and a must for anyone who’s in love with out-of-this-world Japanese animation (think Spirited Away). 5. Enduring Love (2004) A psychological thriller and twisted love story starring Daniel Craig, Rhys Ifans (in unhinged stalker mode) and Samantha Morton and directed by Roger Michell, the guy who made Notting Hill (who really is not as bad as he sounds). It doesn’t reach the mad heights of Ian McEwan’s original novel, but the performances and the opening sequence of a tragic giant red balloon crash in the picturesque countryside are great. 6. The Wild One (1954) The 1biker drama that helped cement Marlon Brando’s icon status. It’s a golden era Hollywood flick big on tragedy and postwar aimlessness. 7. Midnight Express (1978) A “Serious Movie for Adults” with an Oscar-winning script by Oliver Stone. This one’s a heavyweight drama set in Turkey - it depicts the brutality of prison life for an American sentenced for drug-smuggling. 8. Gattaca (1997) New Zealand director Andrew Niccol’s slick film is equal parts sci-fi thriller, film noir and melodrama. It’s lovely to look at, if not a little predictable, and depicts a future where humans are genetically optimised against disease and ill-health. 9. El Mariachi (1992) This is a Spanish-language, Pulp Fiction-era, indie crime movie that’s heavy on the blood, leather and guns. It’s little wonder director Robert Rodgriguez ended up collaborating with Quentin Tarantino - they’re a cinematic match made in heaven/hell. 10. The Rage in Placid Lake (2003) Another quirky indie romance with an unlikely pairing (Rose Byrne and Ben Lee?!?! Really?) and boundless whimsy. Ok, it’s a bit twee, but perfect for anyone feeling a nostalgic for early 2000s Australiana. Follow it up with a Triple J Hottest 100 album for full effect. Leading image by NCM3.
Everyone loves a trip to the flicks — but if you're only heading to the pictures to check out the latest releases, you're missing out on half the fun. Seeing a classic film in a cinema isn't just an indulgence of avid movie buffs looking to climb off their couches, but a way to relive your love of your favourite big screen fare, discover something old to most but new to you, or both. Indeed, Brisbane is booming with retro programs that celebrate the hits from times gone by, and showcase the otherwise under-seen and under-appreciated. Check out these nine places for your trip down cinema memory lane — or to finally see a beloved classic the way it is meant to be seen: on as large a screen as possible, in the dark, with no distractions. GOMA's AUSTRALIAN CINÉMATHÈQUE If there's one place anyone with even a passing interest in film should flock to, it's the Australian Cinémathèque at the Gallery of Modern Art. When it comes to interesting and diverse cinema programs curated to expand audience horizons, no one does it better. In the nearly nine years since GOMA first opened, their two screens have examined American horror films, monsters in the movies, the wild days of pre-code Hollywood cinema and the wonders of cult Japanese filmmaking — and that's just a taste of their past and present lineups. Their slates tend to alternate between thematic collections of more mainstream fare and avant-garde, experimental and auteurist spotlights, so there really is something for everyone. PALACE CENTRO If you like the hustle and bustle of film festivals, you're probably quite accustomed to going to Palace Centro to devour movies from around the world. If you also like retro cinema wonders, you best get used to calling the James Street mainstay your second home. Their long-running Vintage Centro program keeps going from strength to strength, highlighting the kind of classics that you've either seen plenty of times (Blade Runner and Monty Python's the Life of Brian for example), or really should've (such as Nashville and Picnic at Hanging Rock). There's also usually more than one lineup of older fare gracing their screens, whether fashion on film or cult classics are your thing. Yes, that's their two latest — and maybe greatest — programs. Image: Kgbo. KRISTIAN FLETCHER Sometimes, you'll find all the retro film fun you're after under one roof. Sometimes, you'll find it all in one great movie mind, and then unfurled across a raft of venues. The latter is the case with Kristian Fletcher's focus on all things cult, which often pop up at the Schonell and the New Globe theatres. From The Toxic Avenger to Attack of the Killer Tomatoes and Labyrinth to Ferris Bueller's Day Off, the weird and wonderful are his forte, as well as the all-round awesome. If you've thrown spoons at The Room or sung along to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, chances are you've been at one of his screenings. CINE-RETRO FILM SOCIETY Want to not only celebrate classic films, but enjoy them the way they're meant to be screened? Then the Cine-Retro Film Society is the place for you — aka Brisbane's only organisation dedicated to fostering an appreciation of pre-1960 British and American cinema. Their film nights, usually held monthly at the Old Museum, include an introduction, a reel of shorts before the feature, and project vintage prints from the National Film and Sound Archive Collection on 35mm and 16mm. Whether you're a member or you're heading along to one of Cine-Retro's showcase general admission sessions, you'll feel like you've stepped back in time. NEW FARM CINEMAS Since bursting on to Brisbane's cinema scene just one year ago — or returning an old venue to its former glory and then some, more accurately — New Farm Cinemas has proven full of surprises. Screening new releases is their bread and butter, but they've also hosted a brand-new film festival, opened up their foyer to artisan markets, and broadened their movie horizons to include a celebration of Italian cinema during Italian week as well as the Queensland premiere of The Human Centipede 3. Nestled amongst this eclectic mix are one-off sessions of older fare as part of their Flashback Films program, and partnerships with other film-loving entities, such as the Friday Fright Night series with Monster Films. Basically, expect the unexpected — unless you're talking about their movie-themed pizza menu, which is always clever and delicious. EVENT MYER CENTRE Because every mainstream movie house dallies with the retro side of cinema these days, Event Myer Centre in the Brisbane CBD has also gotten in on the action. The top-level theatre is calling their In the House program a cult film festival; however here's hoping popularity will make it a permanent fixture. Flicks to see before you die is their angle, spanning the best of James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, Jim Henson, John Landis, Quentin Tarantino and more. If you've never seen Jaws, An American Werewolf in London or Pulp Fiction on a big screen, here's your opportunity. BRISBANE LIBRARIES The days of libraries serving up literature, learning and little else are long gone. The days of books and computers sharing the spotlight with events and film screenings: they're the days we're currently enjoying. Across the city, many a Council-run establishment also boasts a movie contingent, although the programming can be intermittent. Family fare such as James and the Giant Peach often features during school holidays, while beloved golden oldies like The Wizard of Oz also pop up frequently. For those looking for challenging and often-unseen film content as well as classics, the stellar queer film nights are must-attend events, alternating fortnightly between New Farm and West End. MOONLIGHT CINEMA When it comes to cinema under the stars during summer, you can't go past Moonlight Cinema. For many a year, they've hung their giant screen from Brisbane Powerhouse's stores building on the edge of New Farm Park, and welcomed many a patron onto their bean bags. Two things make their program stand out: sneak peeks of new movies yet to reach the multiplexes, and an array of celluloid treasures everyone has some affection for. Sure, you've probably seen Dirty Dancing, Top Gun and Breakfast at Tiffany's there before; however one of the things that makes each a favourite is that they're endlessly rewatchable. OPENAIR CINEMAS Who doesn't want to watch movies by the riverside, particularly when the weather starts to warm up? Come October and November, OpenAir Cinemas allows Brisbanites to do just that when their national roadshow sets up shop at South Bank. What each year's lineup offers is a mystery until a month or so out, though we all know that new and old flicks will happily mingle. A number of the classics that grace other venue's bills always feature — but there's just something special about seeing a movie while relaxing on a deck chair and eating your own picnic dinner.
In 2023, Matt Adnate was an Archibald Prize finalist with his portrait of Daniel Johns, his first-ever entry for the acclaimed award. In 2024, the Northern Rivers–based artist has both repeated the feat and gone one better with his second entry, a new work featuring Baker Boy. Rhythms of heritage is among this year's shortlisted entries for the prestigious award, and also the recipient of 2024's Packing Room Prize. Which artist will tale home the Archie in the gong's 103rd year will be unveiled on Friday, June 7, but Rhythms of heritage status as the Packing Room Prize-winner for 2024 has just been announced. The latter is selected by three members of the Art Gallery of New South Wales' packing room team — Timothy Dale, Monica Rudhar and Alexis Wildman in 2024 — hence the name. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Art Gallery NSW (@artgalleryofnsw) "I have always been inspired by music as it can help me channel and evoke strong emotion into my work. It gives me the energy to keep painting, from canvases in my studio to large-scale murals. I'm in awe of artists like Baker Boy who have the power to use music to transform people's mood, mind and energy," said Adnate about Rhythms of heritage and his Packing Room Prize win. "It was an honour to paint him again and capture the intensity of his music. It has been incredible to watch Baker Boy evolving into a multi-talented and award-winning artist over the last decade, cementing his legacy as an Australian music icon," Adnate continued. "I learned to paint through doing graffiti letters as a teenager; I switched to portraiture in 2010. This painting was produced mostly with spray paint, a medium that has always allowed me the most control. It's been a challenge to maintain my own technique and resist the pressure to use oils or more traditional mediums. I've always considered the Archibald to be the pinnacle of art prizes, especially for portraiture. To win the Packing Room Prize with a portrait that is so significant to me, and to be the first street artist to do so, it really pushes me further." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Adnate (@adnate) If you're wondering how Baker Boy, aka Danzal Baker, feels about being a Packing Room Prize-winning subject, he's also thrilled. "Big congratulations to Matt for taking home the Packing Room Prize with his portrait of me. It's unreal to see how he captures me as I am today, reflecting my love for music and a deep connection to my home of Arnhem Land, seen through the soulful reflection in the eyes," he said. Dale, Rudhar and Wildman had no shortage of praise for Adnate's work. "Matt Adnate is an incredible Australian street artist renowned for his large mural paintings. His portrait of singer-songwriter Baker Boy in his signature style is characterised by grand scale, vivid colours and a gaze that draws you in," advised Rudhar. "Matt and Baker Boy are both highly accomplished in their respective fields and share a mutual recognition of each other's talents. Matt's powerful portrait encapsulates Baker Boy as the inspirational Indigenous storyteller that he is, mirroring the joy and hope that his music brings to the world." [caption id="attachment_959475" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Archibald Prize 2024 finalist, Caroline Zilinsky 'A lucid heart – the golden age of Jacob Elordi', oil on linen, 152.5 x 122.4 cm © the artist. Sitter: Jacob Elordi[/caption] Rhythms of heritage is one of 57 finalists in the Archibald, as whittled down from 1005 entries. Other works vying for the accolade include Caroline Zilinsky's portrait of Saltburn and Priscilla's Jacob Elordi, Mia Boe's of Tony Armstrong, Jessie Bourke's of Heartbreak High star Chloé Hayden, Paul de Zubicaray's of Jaguar Jonze and Angus McDonald's likeness of Professor Marcia Langton. Also on the list: Drew Bickford's portrait of Hello Dankness filmmakers Dan and Dominique Angeloro, aka Soda Jerk; Camellia Morris' of Anthony Field from The Wiggles; Tim Owers' of Matildas player Cortnee Vine; and Nick Stathopoulos' of film critic David Stratton. If you'd like to see all of the above, plus the rest of 2024's finalists, they'll all be on display at the Art Gallery of NSW in Sydney from Saturday, June 8–Sunday, September 8, 2024. And, they'll have company from works shortlisted for the venue's similarly coveted Wynne and Sulman prizes. The Wynne received 738 entries, with 41 named as finalists, while the Sulman received 628 entries, naming 40 as final contenders. The Wynne also made history by selecting 21 pieces by Aboriginal artists — the first time that there's been more works by Aboriginal artists than non-Aboriginal artists among the finalists. [caption id="attachment_959474" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Archibald Prize 2024 finalist, Jessie Bourke 'Different, not less', oil on canvas, 130 x 90.2 cm © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter. Sitter: Chloé Hayden[/caption] Speculation about who will be awarded the coveted Archibald Prize — and, more often than not, the Archibald winner itself — usually causes much-heated debate. From 2018's five-time Archibald finalist Yvette Coppersmith's first win to Tony Costa's 2019 victory with his painting of fellow artist Lindy Lee — the first portrait of an Asian Australian to pick up the prize — it's hard a prize to pick. All that's really assured is that it'll be a portrait of a person by an Australian-based artist. In 2020, Vincent Namatjira's portrait of Adam Goodes did the honours, and also marked the first time the award has gone to an Indigenous artist. In 2021, Peter Wegner's portrait of fellow artist Guy Warren nabbed the gong. In 2022, it was Blak Douglas' portrait of artist Karla Dickens in the Lismore floods that came out on top, while 2023's accolade went to Julia Gutman for a portrait of Montaigne. Whoever earns the nod for 2024's Archibald, there's still another award up for grabs afterwards. If you don't agree with the judges, you can cast your own vote for People's Choice, which will be announced on Thursday, August 8. [caption id="attachment_959477" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Archibald Prize 2024 finalist, Angus McDonald 'Professor Marcia Langton AO', oil on canvas, 154.5 x 271.5 cm © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter. Sitter: Marcia Langton[/caption] Archibald Prize 2024 Dates: Saturday, June 8–Sunday, September 8, 2024 — Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney, NSW Friday, September 20–Sunday, November 17, 2024 — Orange Regional Gallery Saturday, November 30, 2024–Sunday, January 26, 2025 — Ngununggula, Southern Highlands Regional Gallery Friday, February 7–Sunday, April 6, 2025 — Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre Thursday, April 24–Sunday, June 15, 2025 — Araluen Arts Centre, Northern Territory Friday, July 4–Sunday, August 31, 2025 — Lismore Regional Gallery [caption id="attachment_959478" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Archibald Prize 2024 finalist, Drew Bickford 'Direct-to-video', oil on canvas, 152 x 101.7 cm © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter. Sitter: Soda Jerk[/caption] The winner of 2024's Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes will be announced on Friday, June 7 at 12pm — check back here then. If you can't make it to any of the above exhibition dates, you can check out the award winners and finalists of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes on the Art Gallery of NSW website. Top image: Winner Packing Room Prize 2024, Matt Adnate 'Rhythms of heritage', spray paint and synthetic polymer paint on linen, 220 x 188.5 cm © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter . Sitter: Baker Boy.
Whether Banksy is building the world's most depressing theme park, crafting a dark tourism ad for Gaza, opening a Bethlehem guesthouse with a view of the Israeli-Palestinian border or spray painting his pieces all over the globe, the artist's work tends to make a statement. That said, nothing sends a message quite like ripping your own painting to shreds. In a turn of events that the crowd at London's Sotheby's auction house definitely weren't expecting, Banksy's Girl with Balloon artwork self-destructed as the hammer fell on the winning bid. The moment that the painting had been sold on Friday, October 5 — for the hefty sum of £860,000 (AU$1.6 million) — the piece emitted a beeping noise. Then the artwork began to slide through a shredder embedded in the bottom of the frame, coming out the other side in torn pieces. In a video posted on the artist's Instagram feed and YouTube channel, Banksy is shown secretly building a shredder into a painting, with an explanation that this was done a few years ago "in case it was ever put up for auction". The clip then jumps to the scene at Sotheby's during and after the auction. Unsurprisingly, things get chaotic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiO_1XRnMt4 Sotheby's has advised that it had no knowledge of the prank before it happened. "It appears we just got Banksy-ed," Alex Branczik, head of contemporary art for Europe, told The Art Newspaper. Just what will happen to the piece now is still being determined, with suggestions that the work has gone up in value after being partly shredded. It certainly does continue Banksy's fascination with both creation and destruction, which has long been a theme at the centre of the street artist's work. Images: Olga Rozenbajgier, The Art of Banksy / Banksy.
UPDATE, APRIL 4: Paramount Pictures has announced a new release date for A Quiet Place Part II, with the film now hitting cinemas on September 3, 2020. UPDATE, MARCH 13: Due to concerns around the coronavirus, Paramount Pictures has announced that A Quiet Place Part II will no longer release on its initially scheduled date of Thursday, March 19, 2020. At present, a new release date has not been announced — we'll update you when one has been revealed. 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. In 2018, the biggest horror movie of the year leaned heavily on silence. A Quiet Place tasked a young family with staying soundless, lest they be heard and then killed by giant spider-like monsters — and their efforts to survive became a huge box office hit. Indeed, A Quiet Place was so successful that it had a flow-on effect. When you watched it in a cinema, you probably glared whenever someone near you crunched popcorn, crinkled a packet of chips or started talking. Your ears keenly listened out for any noise that could put Lee (John Krasinski), Evelyn (Emily Blunt), Regan (Millicent Simmonds) and Marcus (Noah Jupe) Abbott in jeopardy, and you didn't want some loud person in the next row ruining that viewing experience. The frightful aliens, the hushed tones and Emily Blunt in kick-ass mode — it's all back thanks to sequel A Quiet Place Part II. So, too, is hoping that your fellow cinema-goers don't make a sound while you soak in every second of expertly calibrated stillness. Like the first film, this follow-up is directed and written by Krasinski, with Blunt, Simmons and Jupe all returning on-screen. The sequel's cast also welcomes franchise newcomers Cillian Murphy (Peaky Blinders) and Djimon Hounsou (Guardians of the Galaxy). And if you're wondering why Krasinski isn't mentioned among the actors, then you need to go back and watch the original movie again. As the just-dropped first trailer shows, A Quiet Place Part II picks up where its predecessor left off. The suitably unsettling sneak peek starts with a flashback to the day the monsters initially made their presence known, before jumping to Evelyn, Regan and Marcus' latest attempts to avoid the fearsome creatures. Expect plenty of bumps, jumps and — naturally — silence. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7qxYOpy9Ms After being delayed from its original release date of March 19, 2020, A Quiet Place Part II will now open in Australian cinemas on September 3, 2020. Image: © 2019 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved
UPDATE, May 2, 2021: Little Women is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Foxtel Now, Google Play, Youtube Movies and iTunes. Greta Gerwig doesn't appear in Little Women, but she's as much an on-screen presence as her stellar cast. Two features into her career as a solo filmmaker, the actor-turned-writer/director has established a clear authorial voice, with both Lady Bird's titular teen and Little Women's Jo March feeling like extensions of Gerwig herself. They're characters she could've and would've played had either movie transpired a few years earlier. Dynamic young women eager to leave their imprint upon the world — and refusing to simply accept the niche that others have earmarked for them, too — they're clear kindred spirits to Frances Ha's eponymous New Yorker. Brought to life by Saoirse Ronan, they're also fiercely determined to do what many of Gerwig's own on-screen characters have: battle for the lives that they want, no matter how difficult that proves. If Lady Bird filtered the above idea through Gerwig's own adolescence in a loosely autobiographical manner, then Little Women locates it in what must be one of her favourite books. Notions of forging one's identity, finding independence and fighting societal conventions already exist in Louisa May Alcott's 1868 novel; however Gerwig's adaptation thrusts them to the fore — not just because a modern remake should, but because they're the Civil War-era story's beating heart. Accordingly, this version of Little Women opens with the indefatigable Jo (Ronan) selling one of her tales to a New York publisher (Tracy Letts), and shows her confidently holding her own in negotiations over what's expected of her female characters. She needs to make the sale to send money home to Massachusetts, but she's never willing to compromise just because she's told to. Tinkering with the flow of Alcott's classic, Gerwig's decision to start Little Women here is inspired. It conveys the crux of Jo's journey in a concise, witty, lively back-and-forth — because, both before and after this point in the overall narrative, she keeps experiencing this tussle in various forms. Via flashbacks, viewers piece together the whole story. Her mother Marmee (Laura Dern) doesn't push Jo along any specific path, and her sisters Meg (Emma Watson), Amy (Florence Pugh) and Beth (Eliza Scanlen) are accustomed to her headstrong ways, but Aunt March (Meryl Streep) has decisive views. With their father (Bob Odenkirk) away at war, the stern matriarch decrees that Jo must marry into money to secure the family's economic standing. Even given her close friendship with the wealthy, besotted Laurie (Timothée Chalamet) — literally the boy next door — Jo steadfastly rejects the prospect that her future is for sale. Gerwig's structural approach has another pivotal impact: it turns this into a tale of women, not girls. The audience first meets the March sisters as adults with precise personalities, and so the film prioritises who they are, not who they once were. This remains a coming-of-age story, but it's savvily reframed to focus on the women that emerge from games, squabbles, crushes, rivalries and stage shows in the attic, rather than on young ladies working out what they want. That might seem a tiny shift, but it makes a vast difference. From the outset, it accepts and foregrounds Jo's unwavering resolve, Meg's desire for a traditional family life of her own, and Amy's pragmatism about the financial realities of being female, instead of making these traits the punctuation that concludes their arcs. All of the above mightn't work so well if Little Women wasn't so superbly cast — especially Ronan as Gerwig's returning on-screen surrogate and Pugh as the thorniest of the siblings. If Gerwig can't play Jo, then no one else but Ronan could've, tapping into the character's intensity and the fact that she's well aware of the cost of her choices. As Amy, Pugh turns in her third excellent performance of the past year (after Fighting with My Family and Midsommar), giving depth and texture to a character who has often been treated as petulant elsewhere. They're surrounded by a wealth of other talent, of course, with Dern and Chalamet each keeping their internet darling status intact with aplomb. Gerwig works wonders with her script and her actors — tasks that might seem easy, but still bear her fingerprints — however she also directs a visually sumptuous film. Little Women sparkles with warmth and charm, not only when dresses catch alight and catastrophic haircuts inspire laughs, but across tender and heartbreaking moments. Cosiness and melancholy aren't mutually exclusive here, and nor are honeyed hues, imagery that resembles vivid period portraits, and a lived-in look and feel. Her trick to adapting Alcott's text for a new era — adding another version to a pile that already includes seven prior big-screen interpretations, including 1994's well-received take with Winona Ryder — is to eschew the idea that something can't be simultaneously dutiful and radical. Gerwig doesn't just make that plain via Jo's story, but bakes it into every frame of this sharp and soulful film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MCOpNti_pQ
One of 2023's most-anticipated films may not play in many Australian cinemas, but it will enjoy its Aussie premiere at Sydney's biggest moviegoing occasion of the year. That flick: Strange Way of Life, the latest work by inimitable Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar (Parallel Mothers). It's a 30-minute short, hence the fact that it may not show on too many big screens Down Under — and it's also a queer western starring Ethan Hawke (Moon Knight) and Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us). Almodóvar? Hawke? Pascal? Queer western? Yes, that's Strange Way of Life, which is why it's such a must-see. It'll make its Australian debut at this year's Sydney Film Festival, heading to our shores straight from premiering at Cannes, and joining the fest's already stacked lineup and hefty array of titles that first bowed at the prestigious French event. In this bite-sized film, Sheriff Jake (Hawke) and rancher Silva (Pascal) share a history, working together as hired gunmen a quarter-century ago. Then, circumstances bring them back together; however, a reunion isn't the only reason they've crossed paths again. "The strange way of life referred in the title alludes to the famous fado by Amalia Rodrigues, whose lyrics suggest that there is no stranger existence than the one that is lived by turning your back on your own desires," explains Almodóvar. [caption id="attachment_904684" align="alignnone" width="1920"] HyperFocal: 0[/caption] Strange Way of Life will play for one session only, on the festival's closing day of Sunday, June 18 — the same date that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which also initially premiered at Cannes, will take the official closing-night slot. "Sydney Film Festival is delighted to offer our audiences this exclusive Australian-premiere screening of Strange Way of Life. We wanted to offer something truly special to help close out our 70th anniversary Festival, and what could beat the closing lineup of the 2023 Palm d'Or winner Anatomy of a Fall, master auteur Pedro Almodóvar's much hyped western short and then finally the Australian Premiere of Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny?" said Sydney Film Festival Director Nashen Moodley. Tickets to Strange Way of Life cost just $10, and are bound to sellout fast. Check out the trailer for Strange Way of Life below: Sydney Film Festival 2023 runs from Wednesday, June 7–Sunday, June 18 at various Sydney cinemas — head to the festival website for further information and tickets.
Sydney newcomer Wildflower Brewing and Blending is bringing things back to basics, creating barrel-aged, blended wild beers that focus on balance, approachability and natural ingredients. Owner Topher Boehm has an innate fascination with crafting and learning — his previous preoccupations include book binding and bespoke shoe-making, as well as, most recently, brewing at Batch Brewing Company. "When I got into brewing I loved working with the raw materials, but when I found out yeast was available everywhere I had a desire to take it one step further, to source more materials from Australia and what is naturally found around me," says Boehm. "This same beer could have been made 150 years ago." In this naturalist vein, Boehm cultivates wild yeast found in New South Wales and uses Australian malts and hops where possible. Though barrel aging, especially with wild yeast, can add a tart characteristic to the brews, Wildflower is not a sour beer facility. On the contrary, Boehm is focused on producing balanced, easy-drinking beers that are closer to farmhouse or saison-style ales than sours. Blending newly brewed beer with existing barrel-aged beer is what gives this balance between fresh and funky. In a Marrickville warehouse that's rumoured to have a once acted as a rivet factory for the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Wildflower's space is very bare bones and is clearly all about the French oak barrels, fifty of which currently line one wall. Boehm sourced these ex-wine barrels from Orange, working with such heavyweight wineries as De Salis, Ross Hill and Canobolas~Smith. The beer is initially contract brewed at Batch and then transported to the Wildflower barrels for blending. Wildflower's core range includes a Table Beer, the Gold Blend #1 and the Amber Blend #1. The Table Beer was inspired by the brewing culture Boehm experienced in France. "We would always have beer with lunch, and I love the idea of stopping during the day and having a table beer that is light and refreshing," he says. He is specifically fond of beers you can pair with food, and describes his gold and amber ales as white wine versus red wine for this purpose. "The most important thing for me is that people just enjoy the beer and don't over-analyse it," says Boehm. "I want the beer to be approachable and simple so it's just a nice brew to enjoy with friends and have a chat over without any pretension." The first Wildflower deliveries went out in mid-April, with venues including Automata, Bitter Phew and The Dolphin Hotel wine room, plus bottle shops including Oak Barrel, Bucket Boys and Paddington's Five Way Cellars, all snagging this batch. A few venues have already sold out, but if you missed out on this round, there will be more where that came from soon enough. Wildflower Brewing and Blending is located at 11-13 Brompton St, Marrickville. The tasting room will open to the public for Saturday tastings and takeaway in the near future, so keep an eye on their website for updates.
If you've seen the last season of Arrested Development — or actually been to Mexico — you'll know that Cinco de Mayo is celebration like no other. Think spicy food, energetic dancing, street stalls and more mariachi bands than you can tip your sombrero to. All that comes to the Cinco de Mayo Mexican Festival, which takes over Riverlife this Sunday. Yep, it's just going to be one of those fast-paced, high-octane events that will have your eyes darting between bands, dancers, chillis and tacos till you collapse. A bit of history on the day: originally Cinco de Mayo commemorated the Mexican battle of Puebla where Mexico defeated the French. Now, the fifth of May marks a celebration of Mexican culture, cuisine, cocktails and music. That means you've finally got a chance to bust out that dusty sombrero and show off your attempt at salsa. The Cinco de Mayo Mexican Festival will take place Sunday, May 6 from 1pm till late. Tickets are available for $17.50 including food, or $35 including food and two drinks.
Sydney's CBD has landed a major dose of the Tokyo-esque practical and compact, with the former Bar Century space reopening in May as The Capsule Hotel, a three-storey, luxury boutique stay. The George Street cheap drinks den, which closed in 2016, was taken over by developer Walter Guo, who invested a massive $5 million on a full interior refurb, carried out by interior design consultants Giant Design. The heritage building has somewhat retained its vintage fit-out but with more of a nod to the futuristic space-like capsules of The Fifth Element. The bar and hotel are running as separate entities, with the first two levels acting as The Century Bar, while the top three floors of the building are dedicated to the capsules. Each of the 70 capsules contains a large flatscreen TV and entertainment system, Wi-Fi, and a climate control panel. Guests can choose from single or deluxe beds with entry from either the side or the end of the capsule. The communal facilities include a kitchen space, breakfast bar, lounge area, rooftop terrace and individual bathrooms. If you're worried about security, don't be — each capsule is fitted with a secure lock and the security desk runs 24-hours. But let's set the record straight — The Century is not a hostel, and it's not aimed at overindulgent locals that can't seem to make it back home. "The accommodation, which is not quite hotel nor hostel, is aimed at solo travellers looking for something more private than a typical backpackers and those who want the designer hotel experience on a budget," says Christopher Wilks, an associate at Giant Design. It's set to sit well within your budget, with prices ranging from $50-90 a night. Which, depending on how far from the CBD you live, could be a lot cheaper than a cab home at 1am. Find The Capsule Hotel at Level 3, 640 George Street, Sydney. For bookings, head to the website or call (02) 8957 7763.
Most pet owners could look at their gorgeous ball of fluff all day, every day. Most animal lovers could do the same thing with any type of creature. If you're especially fond of gazing at cute puppies and delightful dogs, you'll soon have a new place to go — no, not your local dog park or pooch-friendly drinking session, but New York's Museum of the Dog. While a museum dedicated to dachshunds opened in Passau in Germany last year, NYC's newcomer will showcase all types of canines. Run by the American Kennel Club, it'll be specifically filled with doggo-centric art. Basically, if you think that paintings of pups are the ultimate creative ideal, then prepare to feast your eyes on more than just dogs playing poker. Statues of dogs, odes to famous movie pooches, a 'find your match' feature that uses facial recognition to pair you with the best breed for you, a 'meet the breeds' touchscreen exhibit that'll tell you everything you need to know about every kind of pupper — they're all part of the museum as well. It'll also include a community wall, where locals can show off their favourite four-legged friends. And, as it'll be located at the same site as the AKC's headquarters, the Museum of the Dog will also have access to the organisation's library, archives and collection. [caption id="attachment_704503" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Museum of the Dog[/caption] When the Museum of the Dog opens on February 8, it'll actually mark a homecoming, with the facility starting in New York in the 80s before moving to St Louis for the past three decades. The celebration of man's best friend will also offer rotating exhibitions exploring the art of making art about canines across the ages, plus 'guest dog of the week' sessions where visitors can meet, greet and learn about different varieties of pooch. If you're headed to New York next month, the American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog will open its doors on February 8. Visit the museum website and Facebook page for further details.
Whichever miniatures are stuffed inside a snow globe, a simple shake surrenders them all to the same fate: flakes falling in their tiny dome. Pop culture's enduring murder-mystery obsession can feel much the same way. When the pieces start raining down in Disney+'s seven-part miniseries A Murder at the End of the World, there's much that instantly feels familiar from a heavily populated field of recent and classics whodunnits. That checklist includes a confined single setting, potential victims cooped up with an unknown killer, rampant secrets and lies, fingers pointed everywhere, Nordic noir's frosty climes, an eerie butler, a wealthy host who might just have the most to lose and, of course, a gifted gumshoe sleuthing through the group. A Murder at the End of the World radiates its own Gen Z Sherlock Holmes vibe, though. That's even how its sharp protagonist is described, and early. In the role of 24-year-old hacker-turned-author Darby Hart, Emma Corrin (Lady Chatterley's Lover) also turns Agatha Christie. The OA creators Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij have put their own intriguing, involving, can't-stop-watching spin on their addition to the genre, as they make clear early. As the duo share writing duties and split time in the director's chair — with Marling also co-starring — they take cues from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Stieg Larsson's sequels as well, all while also sliding their series in alongside Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery; however, the mood, ambition, pursuit of weighty themes, shadowy conspiracies, earnestness and love of telling puzzle-box tales match perfectly with their last show, plus their film collaborations Sound of My Voice and The East. A Murder at the End of the World is a murder-mystery that's as much as twisty, chilly game as it is a musing. Its name nods to its remote Iceland setting, where untimely death does indeed stalk, and also to humanity's possible demise if the warming earth becomes uninhabitable. Among the assembled guests beckoned to a yet-to-open Scandi minimalist-style hotel, topics of conversation include the climate apocalypse, technological possibilities, space's potential, robotics, ever-present surveillance and AI — which the handpicked group's billionaire recluse host Andy Ronson (Clive Owen, American Crime Story) prefers to call "alternative intelligence". Whether the money and power that's splashed around by rich innovators is a lifeline or catastrophic also lingers, even when it isn't specifically addressed. (Yes, A Murder at the End of the World slips into the affluence-savaging terrain that everything from Succession to The Fall of the House of Usher has trodden upon of late.) Introduced walking to a bookstore listening to 'The End' by The Doors and therefore bringing Apocalypse Now to mind, then reading aloud from her true-crime tome The Silver Doe, Darby's existence has been entwined with death since her childhood. The daughter of a coroner, she grew up around crime scenes and in the morgue, and can recite crime statistics about unidentified murder victims. When she was a teenager, she also started investigating a Jane Doe who was found in her town, putting her own detective skills to the test after apathetic law enforcement decided there wasn't enough information to go on. Darby's debut novel steps into that case, particularly the road trip she took with fellow Reddit-aided citizen detective Bill Farrah (Harris Dickinson, Scrapper) to solve it. Flashbacks to the journey flicker through A Murder at the End of the World, twinning the show's two quests to find killers. In the present-day storyline, an unexpected invite follows Darby's reading, with Ronson selecting her to attend an exclusive ideas salon where the future fuels the discourse. From the moment that she steps onto a private jet that looks like a library, she stands out — and long before freshening up the pink in her cropped hair, too. Also en route to the Iceland chatfest: smart-city designer Lu Mei (Joan Chen, The Heart), astronaut Sian (Alice Braga, Hypnotic), filmmaker Martin (Jermaine Fowler, The Drop) and businessman David (Raúl Esparzam, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit). Upon arrival, not only Ronson, his famed coder wife (and Darby's idol) Lee (Marling) and their five-year-old son Zoomer (Kellan Tetlow, This Is Us) await, but also climatologist Rohan (Javed Khan, Blind), activist Ziba (Pegah Ferydoni, Almania) and robotics whiz Oliver (Ryan J Haddad, The Politician) — plus security head Todd (Louis Cancelmi, Killers of the Flower Moon) and his doctor partner Eva (Britian Seibert, The Knick), all-knowing AI butler Ray (Edoardo Ballerini, Quarry) and Bill, who is now a Banksy-esque artist known as Fangs, and that she hasn't seen for six years. For the innately cautious Darby and for A Murder at the End of the World's viewers alike, there's zero doubting that everything at this symposium isn't what it seems — and everyone for that matter. Then there's a body in the hotel's frozen midst, with more questions showering down, Darby the chief person doing the asking and the reception mostly biting. Interpretative dance doesn't play a part, but The OA's commitment to fleshing out its own engrossing realm and reverberating on its own frequency remains alive and well in Marling and Batmanglij's latest project. They're masters of atmosphere. They adore dwelling in complexity. They know how to make compulsive viewing, too, and to think and feel big while doing so. (Another function of the parallel timelines: swelling, sweltering emotions, as a new couple on the road chasing a serial killer are bound to feel, then carry with them for life.) Marling and Batmanglii also push Corrin to the fore, as well as far away from stepping into Princess Diana's shoes in The Crown's fourth season. The resulting performance is magnificent. Casting is as crucial to any whodunnit as a case to solve — or two here — with A Murder at the End of the World's lead proving an impeccable choice. Their task is considerable, both as their Nancy Drew surrogate embarks upon a chase with American Honey's warm aesthetic and as the character gets so immersed in iciness that they could use The Killing's jumpers. While flitting between those sultry and glacial surroundings, and from the eagerness of a shy but razor-smart teen pursuing a passion and discovering more of the world to a warier twentysomething grappling with loss and survival, their face conveys a blizzard of thoughts and feelings. Cinematographer Charlotte Bruus Christensen (Sharper) patiently and probingly stays close, usually. A Murder at the End of the World's penetrating frames also revel in Corrin's chemistry with Dickinson, a pair to run away to the end of the world with. This is a stylishly shot and seductive series, but it's all the more alluring when Corrin and Dickinson are together at its centre; empathy beats at the core of Darby and Bill's approach to righting the world's wrongs and finding justice for victims that time has forgotten, as it does in the portrayals behind them, plus the series around that. Owen and Marling make another entrancing pair, embodying the trait that Marling and Batmanglii love as much as sincerity: slipperiness. Craftiness abounds in the plot, in its hack-or-be-killed tech-driven sleuthing and in weaving together the show's many potent fixations — misogyny, capitalism and economic inequality among them. Shake this snow globe for more and you won't want to stop. Check out the trailer for A Murder at the End of the World below: A Murder at the End of the World streams via Disney+ from Tuesday, November 14.
When The Haunting of Hill House hit Netflix back in 2018, it left a strong impression. The horror show clearly had that effect not just on audiences, but on the streaming platform, even though it stepped through a once-off storyline. So, anthology series-style, the service is bringing viewers a follow-up — in the form of The Haunting of Bly Manor. As the name makes plain, an eerie abode definitely plays a very prominent part once again. Created and co-directed by filmmaker Mike Flanagan (Doctor Sleep), just like its predecessor, The Haunting of Bly Manor adapts Henry James' 1898 horror novella The Turn of the Screw. That means that it heads into gothic chiller and even romance territory; however, given that it's set in 1980s England, you can expect a few tweaks to that story. As both the initial teaser and the just-dropped full trailer demonstrate, the show's narrative kicks off when Henry Wingrave (Henry Thomas, Stargirl) hires an American nanny (Victoria Pedretti, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) to look after his orphaned niece Flora (Amelie Bea Smith) and nephew Miles (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth). Her employment follows the death of an au pair, and her arrival at Bly Manor exposes the estate's centuries of secrets. If you're a fan of The Haunting of Hill House, you will have spotted that both Thomas and Pedretti return from that series, as do The Invisible Man's Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Gerald's Game's Kate Siegel — all playing different characters this time around. And, if you'd been wondering what you'll be watching to celebrate the spookiest month of the year — October, obviously — The Haunting of Bly Manor has you covered, as it'll drop on Friday, October 9. A word of warning: if you're not too fond of creepy dolls (are there any other kind in horror movies and TV shows?), expect to feel extra unsettled. Check out the full trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tykS7QfTWMQ The Haunting of Bly Manor will hit Netflix on Friday, October 9.
Vampires might live forever, but one of the best TV shows that's ever been made about them won't be enjoying the same fate. A spinoff from Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement's big-screen sharehouse mockumentary of the same name, What We Do in the Shadows has been a small-screen treat since first sinking its fangs into streaming queues in 2019. After it airs its sixth season, however, it'll be doomed to eternal rest. As first reported by Vulture, the television take on What We Do in the Shadows will finish after its next slate of episodes. For now, that'll bring an end to the What We Do in the Shadows universe, which doesn't just include the movie and TV show, but NZ television's Wellington Paranormal — although the latter does have a newly released companion podcast. When Waititi and Clement decided to don fangs, embrace the undead and make a film spoof about vampire housemates, the end result was sidesplittingly funny, as has proven the case for the TV version for five seasons so far. That US television offshoot also boasts a killer cast, all playing an ace roundup of vamps. For the uninitiated, this iteration of What We Do in the Shadows is set in Staten Island — but no, Pete Davidson doesn't show up. Instead, the series focuses on a household where Nandor (Kayvan Novak, Cruella), Laszlo (Matt Berry, Toast of London and Toast of Tinseltown) and Nadja (Natasia Demetriou, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem) all live. Energy vampire Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch, The Office) and Nandor's familiar Guillermo (Harvey Guillen, Blue Beetle), the latter of which comes from a family of slayers, have also staked a claim in the story. Consistently one of the best returning shows of every year, including in 2022 and 2023, plenty of supernatural mayhem has followed Nandor and company over their run — and Matt Berry yelling "bat!" has never stopped gushing with gloriousness. Exactly when What We Do in the Shadows' last season will arrive hasn't yet been advised, but new seasons have dropped annually since the show debuted, so saying farewell in 2024 seems likely. There's no trailer for the sixth season as yet, but check out the sneak peek for What We Do in the Shadows season five below: What We Do in the Shadows streams via Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand, with the show's sixth and final season yet to announce its return date. Read our reviews of season four and season five. Via Vulture.
Clearing out your wardrobe, sifting through your old clothing and making a pile to give to a new home rank among life's necessary but often overlooked tasks. It's also an easy process to get just partway through — pulling unloved shirts off their hangers and bagging up a heap of your old outfits to donate to charity, but then letting said bag sit in your hallway for months and months. Sound familiar? If you have the enthusiasm to gift your pre-loved clothing to a new home, but never quite get around to dropping off your old pieces for whatever reason, then you might be interested in The Iconic's new donation scheme. Called Giving Made Easy, it's an extension of the online retailer's free returns mechanism. Just print out a pre-paid shipping label from the company's website, pop it on a box or satchel filled with clothes that you're never going to wear again, then take it to an Australia Post box or office. Obviously, it still involves you actually moving your pile of unwanted clothes out of your house — but even if you never manage to make it to a Salvation Army or St Vincent's store or bin, you're never too far away from a post box. Once posted, your old threads will be sent to the Salvos to sell in their 330 shops across the country, which raise money to assist folks dealing with homelessness, addiction, domestic violence and emergency situations. To nab a label, you will need to have an active account with The Iconic. Once you've done that and printed out the label, you can stick it on any box or satchel you choose. And if you're a customer with one of the company's delivery satchels in your possession after your last order, you can also use that to send in your pre-loved pieces. The initiative is part of The Iconic's efforts to help reduce textile waste, with around 6000 kilograms of fabric and clothing ending up in Aussie landfill every ten minutes. As always when you're donating pre-worn clothes, pieces will need to be in good condition. If you'd happily give it to a friend as it is, then it's okay to give it to the Salvos. The charity is accepting dresses, tops, t-shirts, singlets, skirts, pants, shorts, jeans, coats, jackets, jumpsuits, playsuits, sweats, hoodies, jumpers, cardigans, suits, blazers, shirts, polos and activewear, as well as footwear and shoes. Used underwear, socks and hosiery won't be taken, nor anything that's damaged. To find out more about The Iconic's Giving Made Easy scheme — or to download a pre-paid shipping label — visit the online retailer's website. Top image: The Iconic.
When Wine Machine and Snow Machine first popped up, pairing vineyards and alpine settings with live tunes, one of each event's big drawcards was right there in their names. Dream Machine's moniker isn't quite as descriptive; however, it still sets the scene. Fancy hitting up a music festival in a tropical setting? That's on the bill at this dream event — including in 2023. Dream Machine first took place early in 2022, at a secluded beachside resort in The Whitsundays, after initially planning to go ahead in 2021 but getting waylaid by the pandemic. For its next event from Thursday, June 8–Monday, June 12, it's still going tropical, this time in Nusa Dua in Bali. If you've been longing to hear your favourite tunes while surrounded by your friends and while taking a trip to a beachside resort in Indonesia, this fest has you covered. 2023's dest will take place over a five-day, four-night run again, too, and bring together a hefty lineup of must-see talent. On up the party-forward bill: 1300, Boy & Bear, Client Liaison, Girl Talk, San Cisco, Spacey Jane, Sycco and Vera Blue, as well as Harvey Sutherland and Peking Duk hitting the decks for DJ sets. Yes, the list goes on. If the simple activity of grooving to tunes in tropical surroundings, including by the pool and ocean, isn't enough motivation for you, festival-goers will have a range of resorts to choose from in the fest's ticket package options. Keen to treat yo'self to a beachfront stay? You can add that to your itinerary. At the 2022 event, you could also enjoy other activities, such as kayaking, paddle boarding, jet skiing and waterside cocktails — fingers crossed they're on the roster as well. [caption id="attachment_873059" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sam Hendel[/caption] Unsurprisingly, this isn't a cheap festival to attend, but accommodation, transfers and festival tickets are all included in the fest packages. Folks feeling particularly flush can also upgrade their tickets to gain VIP access to the festival's compound to watch the main stage shows, where there'll be a cocktail bar, chill zone, table service, fancy toilets and sit-down dinner options. And, you'll score luxury airport transfer upgrades and access to an exclusive pool party at Manarai Beach Club, complete with special guest DJs. DREAM MACHINE 2023 LINEUP: 1300 Boy & Bear Client Liaison Girl Talk (USA) Groove City Harvey Sutherland (DJ Set) Holy Holy Hot Dub Time Machine Illy Jimi The Kween Ldru Mell Hall Northeast Party House Peking Duk (DJ Set) San Cisco Sideboob Spacey Jane Stace Cadet Sycco Tori Levett Tyson O'brien Vera Blue Winston Surfshirt Dream Machine takes place from Thursday, June 8–Monday, June 12 at Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, with pre-sales from 6pm AEDT on Tuesday, October 18 and general sales from 12pm AEST on Wednesday, October 19 via the festival's website. Dream Machine images: Brittany Long / Pat Stevenson. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world. That includes a Bali escape surrounded by nature, if you're keen to extend your stay around Dream Machine,
Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself? At Sydney Film Festival's 2024 closing night, that'll be the question of the evening. The query sits at the heart of The Substance, which premiered at this year's Cannes Film Festival, got the movie world talking instantly and now has a date with the Harbour City on Sunday, June 16 to wrap up SFF with a dose of body horror. If you've being seeing Demi Moore's name pop up a heap lately and were wondering why, this film is the reason. After recently adding Feud, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Please Baby Please and Brave New World to her resume, the actor leads The Substance as celebrity Elizabeth Sparkle. When the character uses a black-market drug in an effort to cling on to her image and fame, it creates a younger version. "More beautiful" and "more perfect" is also how the first official clip from the film describes the temporary clone. If everything went swimmingly, however, there wouldn't be much of a movie. The Substance is also the long-awaited second feature from writer/director Coralie Fargeat, who made a spectacular debut with 2017's Revenge, and just picked up the Best Screenplay award on the Croisette for her sophomore effort. And, alongside Moore, Margaret Qualley (Drive-Away Dolls) and Dennis Quaid (Lawman: Bass Reeves) also star. "We are thrilled to close this year's Sydney Film Festival with the Australian Premiere of The Substance. Coralie Fargeat's film, featuring an outstanding performance by Demi Moore, promises to leave a lasting impression," said Sydney Film Festival Director Nashen Moodley. While the festival announced its full lineup in early May, the event always keeps adding to the program afterwards. Elvis' Austin Butler also joined the bill, coming to Sydney for a screening of his new film The Bikeriders. Plus, normally before the fest kicks off, it reveals a few more straight-from-Cannes titles. Accordingly, keep watching this space. Check out the teaser trailer for The Substance below: Sydney Film Festival 2024 takes place from Wednesday, June 5–Sunday, June 16 at various cinemas and venues around Sydney. For more information and tickets, head to the festival's website.
A high-profile cast. An acclaimed local director. A thorough traipse through the country's colonial past. While that description applies to a growing number of Aussie films (Sweet Country and The Nightingale, just to name two recent examples), it'll never get old — as new frontier western High Ground demonstrates. Indeed, while Stephen Maxwell Johnson's film feels like a natural addition to this growing genre, it also makes its own imprint. The setup: on what's supposed to be a routine expedition in Arnhem Land, almost the entirety of an Indigenous tribe is wiped out by northern Australian police. Their leader Travis (Simon Baker) isn't responsible for the carnage, but it weighs heavily on him in the aftermath. In this gorgeously shot, deeply contemplative drama, Travis is still haunted by the incident 12 years later, in the 1930s, which is when the bulk of the feature takes place. The ex-World War I sniper is enlisted by his superior (Jack Thompson) and his former partner (Callan Mulvey) to track down one of the massacre's revenge-seeking survivors — all while accompanied by boy-turned-tracker Gutjuk (Jacob Junior Nayinggul), who also lived through the slaughter. When High Ground premiered at this year's Berlinale, it deservedly wowed crowds. Since then, it opened the Brisbane International Film Festival and screened at the Adelaide Film Festival — and it has stints planned at Sydney Film Festival's My Cinema My Film Festival touring event in November and December, and during its summer weekend program in January. It'll hit Aussie cinemas in general release come January 28, and it has just revealed its tension-dripping full trailer. As well as Baker, Thompson and Mulvey — and phenomenal first-timer Jacob Junior Nayinggul — High Ground also stars Aaron Pedersen, Ryan Corr and Caren Pistorius (Unhinged), plus debutants Esmerelda Marimowa and Witiyana Marika. It's the second film from Johnson, who previously directed 2001's Yolngu Boy. The filmmaker grew up living in the Northern Territory, and also directed music videos for Yothu Yindi — including for 1991 track 'Treaty'. Check out the High Ground trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL-G4oCoDF0&feature=youtu.be High Ground opens in Australian cinemas on January 28, 2021.
So. You've watched all the documentaries on VICE's YouTube channel. You're up to your second viewing up just about everything on SBS's Food Network. You definitely don't want to watch A Current Affair. What's a news-hungry millennial to do? In answer to your free-to-air TV dreams, SBS and VICE are teaming up to create not only a new show, but a whole goddamn TV channel for your viewing pleasure. The new channel was announced earlier this year, but they've just let slip that it will launch at 4pm on Tuesday, November 15, replacing SBS 2. It will be an extension of VICE's online TV channel VICELAND, and will be called by the same name. So far details about programming are skint, but the new channel will feature SBS 2's news, sport and entertainment programs, as well as the best stuff from VICELAND. VICELAND launched online earlier this year with a collection of Spike Jonze-produced docos. Apparently more details will be released in the next few weeks. Until then, SBS is directing would-be viewers to make a free call to 1800 321 511. We don't know exactly why — but it can't hurt to give it a go. SBS VICELAND will launch at 4pm on Tuesday, November 15.
The wickedly weird and wild Dark Mofo lineup has been announced for 2023, and culture lovers all over Australia are poised to fight over tickets on Wednesday, April 5. But the most popular events and accommodations in Hobart are expected to book out ASAP — most local hotels tend to be fully booked even before tickets are released. That's why we've gone ahead and reserved a stack of rooms for those who book our totally unique Dark Mofo travel package, only available through Concrete Playground Trips. We'll put guests up in Hobart for two nights — with brekkie included — while throwing in a bunch of tickets to events. [caption id="attachment_895365" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dark Mofo/Rosie Hastie, 2021. Image Courtesy Dark Mofo, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.[/caption] First off, you'll get access to the Winter Feast — a food-, art- and music-filled winter solstice celebration. Gather around the fire pits and long communal tables, grabbing drinks and food from local vendors while checking out live music, art installations and roaming theatrical performances. We've also organised your tickets to one of Dark Mofo's late-night parties, better known as Night Mass. While just about anything can happen here, you can expect debaucherous art experiences and an epic lineup of musical performances and DJ sets that'll keep you dancing into the wee hours. These infamous parties sell out really quickly, so thank us later for your entry being sorted already. [caption id="attachment_854707" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dark Mofo's In the Hanging Garden[/caption] And to keep you busy during one of the afternoons, we have organised your entry to Mona itself. Arrive in style, via the ferry's Posh Pit and explore the gallery's eccentric exhibitions. This package hits most of the best bits of Dark Mofo, giving you the ultimate Hobart getaway without the need to do heaps of planning and separate bookings. It's also a bargain, coming in at just under $600 per person. [caption id="attachment_895370" align="alignnone" width="1921"] Winter Feast, Dark Mofo 2022. Photo credit: Rémi Chauvin, 2022[/caption] Head to Concrete Playground Trips to book one of the exclusive (and strictly limited) Dark Mofo travel packages. Top image: Jesse Hunniford (Winter Feast, Dark Mofo 2021)
For everyone who's yearned for a sunny, sandy, surf-filled holiday over the past few years, screens big and small have come with a warning: be careful what you wish for. In M Night Shyamalan's Old, hitting a gorgeous beach meant ageing quickly. In The White Lotus, it sparked eat-the-rich dramas. While the horror movie remake of Fantasy Island arrived just before lockdowns and travel restrictions, it unleashed terrors in scenic surroundings (and a terrible movie upon audiences). And in the Tim Roth-starring Sundown, escaping to Acapulco permanently isn't as blissful as it sounds. Come the end of July, The Resort will keep this chaotic vacation streak going, all via an eight-part streaming series that'll hit Australia via Stan from Friday, July 29. Here, Nick Offerman (Pam & Tommy), Cristin Milioti (Made for Love) and William Jackson Harper (The Good Place) star in a comedy-thriller that's also a mystery and a coming-of-age love story. Plenty can happen on a getaway, after all. Milioti and Harper play Emma and Noah, two high-school teachers who've been married for ten years and head off on a trip to the Yucatan to celebrate. But while seeking a stint of vacation bliss, as well as attempting to reinvigorate a routine relationship and life that Noah at least is content with, they stumble upon a 15-year-old mystery involving Sam (Skyler Gisondo, Licorice Pizza) and Violet (Nina Bloomgarden, Good Girl Jane) — when they were each making the trip to Oceana Vista Resort with their respective parents back in 2007, but weren't seen again. As The Resort's trailer shows, Offerman plays Violet's father, who is still looking into the mystery, too. Also making an appearance: Luis Gerardo Méndez (Narcos: Mexico) as Oceana Vista Resort's head of security a decade and a half back, Gabriela Cartol (Hernán) as the concierge where Emma and Noah are staying, and Parvesh Cheena (Mythic Quest) and Michael Hitchcock (Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar) as two Teds who are married to each other. The cast also includes Ben Sinclair (Thor: Love and Thunder) as resort owner, Debby Ryan (Insatiable) as Sam's girlfriend, and IRL couple Dylan Baker (Hunters) and Becky Ann Baker (Big Little Lies) as Sam's parents. Behind the scenes, The Resort hails from showrunner, writer and executive producer Andy Siara (Palm Springs, Lodge 49), as well as producers Sam Esmail (Mr Robot) and Chad Hamilton, and was shot throughout Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Mexico. Check out the trailer for The Resort below: The Resort will start streaming in Australia via Stan from Friday, July 29. Images: Marisol Pesquera / Peacock.
They're both buttery and flaky, they're made via a technique called laminating, and they're shaped like a crescent. They're a bakery and cafe staple, too, and also something that everyone has eaten their fair share of. We're talking about croissants, obviously — but there's a difference between an average example and "the finest you will find anywhere in the world". According to The New York Times, Lune Croissanterie serves up the latter. And, in great news for Brisbane's pastry fans, it's now doing so in South Brisbane. After first announcing plans to head to Queensland back in late 2020, the famed Melbourne croissanterie has opened a new flagship shop on Manning Street. It's the first Brisbane outpost for the brand, as well as its first outside of its hometown. The Lune team also has plans in the works to open a Sydney store, but they've been pushed back due to COVID-19 restrictions. On the menu: croissants, obviously. The new Brisbane venue serves up a menu of Lune favourites seven days a week, as well as a range of specials that'll rotate monthly. Highlights include twice-baked croissant aux amandes (stuffed with almond frangipane and generously topped with flaked almonds), lemon curd cruffins (a muffin-croissant hybrid made with lemon curd, citrus sugar and candied lemon zest), coconut kouign amanns (a traditional pastry from the Bretagne part of France, as filled with coconut caramel and desiccated coconut) and morning buns (a croissant pastry with a cinnamon and orange zest filling) — and traditional French croissants, which take three days to prepare, too. Getting in early is recommended, because Lune slings pastries each day until sold out — and coffee is on offer as well. Wondering what makes Lune's croissants so special? Founder Kate Reid is an ex-Formula 1 aerodynamicist, and brings scientific precision to her craft. That includes the climate-controlled glass cube that Lune croissants are made and baked in, and the time-consuming process used to perfect each flaky pastry. It has been a big nine years for the brand, which Reid co-owns Lune with her brother Cameron and restaurateur Nathan Toleman (Dessous, Hazel, Common Ground Project). The company's journey started back in 2012 with a tiny store in the Melbourne suburb of Elwood. Since then, Lune has grown into a converted warehouse space in Fitzroy (with perpetual lines out the front), opened a second store in the Melbourne CBD, earned praise aplenty — including that aforementioned rave from The New York Times — and now branched out to Brissie. Find Lune Croissanterie's flagship South Brisbane at Shop 1, 13–17 Manning Street, South Brisbane — open from 7.30am–3pm (or sold out) Monday–Friday and 8am–3pm (or sold out) on weekends. Images: Marcie Raw.
What is personal style? For many of us, it's about the clothes we wear or the accessories we pick — the impression we give of ourselves when heading out the front door each day. But for many creatives, it's about all that alongside the personal artistic expression they reveal to the world through their work. This concept has been captured by Danish jewellery design house Georg Jensen in its new campaign Art of Style, giving insight into how some of our favourite creative personalities let their style trickle into their artistic process — and vice versa. One such featured personality is Australian artist Amanda Shadforth, who revealed in a video for the campaign that she unleashes her creativity both in her art studio and through her chosen jewellery. She even created a bespoke art piece inspired by the retailer's collection. The two go hand-in-hand — similar to Georg Jensen's core design values, Shadorth's style is classic and understated, and her artistic inspiration comes from nature. In collaboration with Georg Jensen, we've delved deeper into some of the key characteristics of Shadorth's style and handpicked some of our favourite pieces from the Offspring, Mercy, Reflect and Curve collections that work together to reflect it. EMBRACE THE IMPERFECT Any fan of Shadforth's work knows she has an eye for organic shapes drawn from nature — her bespoke art piece for Georg Jensen does away with traditional fine art techniques and digital influences. Shadforth says that's one of the main things that draws her to the design house: the perfectly imperfect, organic shapes that feel like they're a natural expression of the human body. "Some of the pieces actually feel like they could have been part of nature once," says Shadforth. If you're also a fan of wearing pieces that reflect the calm dynamism of nature, opt for Georg Jensen's Mercy collection. This range, by acclaimed American designer Jacqueline Rabun, uses sterling silver and 18k gold to create unique pieces reflecting the shifting sculptural forms of nature and the human experience. Our pick: The Mercy Double Ring in sterling silver. This piece at first gives the appearance of two rings, but on closer inspection reveals itself to be one continuous, flowing shape. The curve of this double ring almost appears like ocean waves or the essence of time, captured on the wearer's fingers. RRP: $475 Pair it with: The Mercy Earrings in 18k yellow gold Another Rabun design, these striking earrings are made from one organic flowing shape, twisting through the ear hole and hugging the lobe — almost acting as an extension of the ear. According to the designer, the strands are inspired by the twists and turns of time. RRP: $1175 DON'T BE AFRAID TO MIX AND MATCH Shadforth reveales she uses everything from giant stainless steel trowels to tiny delicate brushes to create depth and texture in her artworks — she even makes her own equipment when she needs a particular way of applying paint. Her affinity for mixing and matching is echoed in her favourite pieces from Georg Jensen's collections, where style 'rules' are made to be broken. If you've previously considered yourself a solely silver or gold girlie, change things up and create a fresh, contemporary look by mixing metals, stacking and layering pieces from different collections — perhaps a mix of delicate understated pieces and striking standouts. The classic chain designs seen in Rabun's new Reflect collection for Georg Jensen can be paired with her larger statement forms of the egg-shaped Offspring collection, or Regitze Overgaard's bold and sculptural Curve bangles, earrings, pendants and rings. Our pick: The Large Offspring Ring in sterling silver: an eye-catching conversation starter in the Offpsiring collection's signature oval shape, this chunky piece lends itself perfectly to stacking with more delicate shapes and offsetting with different metals. RRP: $345 Pair it with: The Medium Curve Bangle in 18k yellow gold and sterling silver. The line dividing the gold and silver in this statement bangle contrasts with its soft, organic shape — and proves that any outdated rules you might have about mixing gold and silver can be nixed. Instead, combining different metals creates a look as individual (and striking, of course) as the wearer. RRP: $7700 PAIR FEMININE AND MASCULINE STYLES Again showing that mixing and matching is key, Shadforth describes her style as a paradox between masculine and feminine. She has a "tomboyish" tendency to gravitate towards trousers and blazers, which she pairs with classic, understated pieces. Jewellery is an effective way to achieve such a mix — since the dawn of civilisation, it's been used as a tool by both sexes to embellish and stand out. Achieve it yourself by taking classically unisex shapes like the chains and striking rings from Georg Jensen's Reflect collection and pair them with the feminine shapes celebrated in the Curve collection or the egg-shaped Offspring collection. Our pick: The Reflect Ring in sterling silver. Designed by Rabun and formed by two ends of a piece of sterling silver wrapped around each other, this striking unisex ring can be a bold statement piece or used to stack with other forms. RRP:$375 Pair it with: The Offspring Bangle in sterling silver. Delicate silver bangles are, of course, always in vogue, but this one adds a modern, feminine twist on a classic shape thanks to its wave-like curve. Combine it with the Reflect Ring for a contemporary mix of thick and thin metals. RRP:$475 SHE'S SO GOLDEN There's no doubt that chunky gold jewellery is having a moment — but loyal fans of this glittering shade know that it never really goes out of style. Shadforth opts for gold in both her artistic and fashion expressions — her art piece in collaboration with Georg Jensen uses a thick application of dark ochre, amber and gold tones that give the piece real warmth. And you only have to take a look at some of Shadorth's other stunning works to know it's a theme that carries through much of her oeuvre. If you're keen to give gold a go, opt for timeless pieces in yellow gold that can be easily stacked with other metals and shapes. Our pick: The Mercy Earrings in 18k yellow gold with diamonds — because when is that combination ever not fabulous? Inspired by the passage of time, these delicate twisted hoops manage to be both classic and contemporary — and can be passed down through generations. RRP: $3350 We'd pair them with: The Large Reflect Bracelet in 18k gold. The classic link bracelet has been given a modern and luxurious makeover with this Rabun-designed gold chain piece. With a bit more 'tude than other chain bracelets tanks to its interlocking links, it definitely doesn't come cheap, but again is timeless enough to be passed down from mother to daughter over many years. RRP: $14,000 Feeling inspired? You too can express your own art of style through Georg Jensen's Mercy, Reflect, Curve and Offspring collections — the pieces are designed to be layered and stacked together, across collections and combined with different metals. For more information, head to the website.
What's better than one of the Attenborough siblings marvelling over our planet's ancient creatures? None other than David Attenborough following in his brother Richard Attenborough's footsteps, of course. While the latter showed dinos some love back in Jurassic Park — with the now-late actor and filmmaker even uttering the iconic words "welcome to Jurassic Park" — his broadcaster, biologist and natural historian sibling has largely surveyed the rest of the earth's living creatures in his iconic documentaries. In David's next series, however, he's solely focusing on prehistoric critters. That show is Prehistoric Planet, a five-part natural history doco that's coming to Apple TV+ — and yes, fittingly, it's arriving on the small screen just before new Jurassic Park franchise instalment Jurassic World Dominion reaches cinemas in June. Even better: after revealing a few sneak peeks earlier in the month, the streaming platform has just dropped the full Prehistoric Planet trailer. Here, you'll hear David Attenborough talk through everything you need to know about dinosaurs. And, while peering back at what the earth was like 66 million years ago, he'll give the fascinating creatures the same treatment he's rolled out in past shows The Living Planet, State of the Planet, The Blue Planet, Frozen Planet, Blue Planet II, Our Planet, Seven Worlds, One Planet, A Perfect Planet and Green Planet (as well as Planet Earth and Planet Earth II, plus documentary David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet). Basically, if you're always wanted to see a David Attenborough series about dinosaurs, life just found a way. And, it's clearly a must-see if you'd listen to him narrate anything and you're always awed by dinos (both of those apply to pretty much everyone). Get ready to discover little-known and surprising facts of dinosaur life, step through the environments of Cretaceous times, see how the Tyrannosaurus rex parented, and explore the ancient creatures of both the sea and sky. That's what Prehistoric Planet will cover across five episodes, which'll drop daily on Apple TV+ across Monday, May 23–Friday, May 27. Unsurprisingly, CGI will feature heavily in Prehistoric Planet — David Attenborough can do many things, but time travelling isn't one of them — but the show's special effects-created dinos will be combined with wildlife filmmaking and paleontology learnings. While the broadcaster's voice is always music to anyone's ears, Hans Zimmer will be adding rousing score to the show — fresh from winning his latest Oscar for Dune. And, if you're wondering about the photorealistic imagery that's bringing dinosaurs to life, filmmaker Jon Favreau is one of the Prehistoric Planet's executive producers. Also, the effects company behind his versions of The Jungle Book and The Lion King is doing the CGI honours. Check out Prehistoric Planet's full trailer below: Prehistoric Planet will hit Apple TV+ across Monday, May 23–Friday, May 27, with a new episode available to stream each day.
If there is ever a time to heed the advice of a seasoned crocodile handler, dive instructor and underwater photographer, it is on your trip to tropical north Queensland. Having literally grown up on the Great Barrier Reef (her family owns and runs a crocodile park there), Jemma Craig, now 25 and Instagramming as @islandjems, knows the ins and outs of the region, famous for its rainforests, relaxed style and that sweeping, threatened stretch of coral reef. In partnership with Pullman Hotels and Resorts, we're helping you explore more on your next holiday and make sure you get those experiences that the area's most switched-on residents wouldn't want their visitors to miss. In north Queensland, we've called in Jemma, whose favourite things to do in her extended backyard range from cruising in Australia's most awarded dive liveaboard catamaran to self-guided exploration of underground caves. A stay in one of Pullman's four five-star properties in north Queensland — whether Port Douglas, Palm Cove or Cairns — will not only let you bliss out in their pools, spas and sunloungers, it will put you in the thick of all this action. Read on for Jemma's favourite things to do on land and sea in north Queensland in her own words, and check out the rest of our Explore More content series to hone your itinerary for some of Australia's best holiday destinations. CORAL SEA SAFARI — MIKE BALL EXPEDITIONS One trip on Mike Ball Dive Expeditions' luxury liveaboard Catamaran, the MV Spoilsport, and you'll see why they're on the top of my list. Spoilsport is Australia's most awarded dive liveaboard, custom built for diving and with a twin-hull design that maximises space, stability and comfort. Their trips take you far from home into the rarely visited Coral Sea and all the incredible deep reefs it has to offer, to the remote Lizard Island and back down the spectacular Ribbon Reefs to Cairns. If you don't dive, these trips alone are a reason to start. MARINELAND CROCODILE PARK Where else in the world can you come face to face with a living dinosaur while relaxing on a tropical island on the Great Barrier Reef? Green Island's Marineland Crocodile Park is the home of Cassius, the Guinness World Record-holding Australian crocodile, and this is your opportunity to get close to a 5.5m croc, along with many other reptiles and sea life. My family founded this park in 1972 and I was lucky enough to grow up here — I love that it is hidden away from the tourists and that the island also boasts diving, water sports and arguably the best snorkelling in the area. [caption id="attachment_643370" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] by Zang Fan[/caption] TURTLE SPECTACULAR — MIKE BALL DIVE EXPEDITIONS Mike Ball's Turtle Spectacular Expedition is perfect for the summer months — green turtle nesting season on Raine Island, a remote national park at the very tip of Australia that is home to 70 percent of the world's nesting green turtles and can only be visited by a lucky few guests each year. The trip takes you to the Coral Sea, the remote Lizard Island, and then into the wild northern Great Barrier Reef and Raine Island. Dive on the most pristine coral reef flat I've ever laid my eyes on, and be surrounded by the largest turtles you've ever seen in your life. PORT DOUGLAS, CAPE TRIBULATION AND THE DAINTREE RAINFOREST Port Douglas is a town on the Coral Sea in tropical far north of Queensland. It's known for its beach resorts and as a base for visits to both the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree rainforest. In town, Macrossan Street is lined with boutique shops and quaint restaurants. The white sands of Four Mile Beach stretch off into the horizon, and you can visit the incredible Opal Reef for a snorkel. Further north you can visit Cape Tribulation, which offers walking routes and boardwalks through the jungle and mangroves, and a historical ridge trail on Mount Sorrow. UNDARA LAVA TUBES Set in the Gulf Savannah country in tropical north Queensland, Undara National Park is a bit of a drive from Cairns inland into the outback but is worth it for the unique opportunity it offers. Its main attraction are the lava tubes, which were formed by volcanic activity approximately 189,000 years ago. They are among the largest and longest of this type of lava cave on the planet, and the guided tours really make you appreciate this fascinating geological formation. There's also the option to stay here overnight — in an antique railway carriage, no less. FITZROY ISLAND Fitzroy Island is a gem, close to the coast and only a short ferry ride from Cairns. It's an unspoiled tropical paradise of rainforest and beaches within the calm sheltered waters of the Great Barrier Reef. Discover spectacular walking trails in the national park with abundant marine life and local wildlife. Visit the pristine Nudey beach or take a romantic walk to the hidden waterfall. Fitzroy has campgrounds and a boutique resort so stay a night or two and explore everything it has to offer. TJAPUKAI ABORIGINAL CULTURAL PARK If you've only ever had limited interaction with Indigenous Australian culture, Tjapukai is a must. You can visit day or night to taste native foods and be led in activities such as boomerang throwing. Performances are a key part of the experience, as the park was built around theatre and dance shows devised with the local Djabugay people. The park lies claim to being the largest Indigenous employer of any tourism enterprise in Australia, with more than two-thirds of the team coming from Aboriginal backgrounds. THE CRYSTAL CAVES Located a short drive out of Cairns up into the Atherton tablelands, the Crystal Caves offer guests an interactive tour of a truly unique underground cave system. Visitors are able to explore at their leisure — seeing and touching the ancient treasures of the earth. You are given a miner's helmet, a light and a comprehensive map with printed guide before you set off on your self-guided tour. This is a truly special experience that only a few places in the world offer. KURANDA VILLAGE A short distance from Cairns is the mountain village of Kuranda. It's known for the Kuranda Scenic Railway, which winds along forested hillside tracks carved out by early settlers. Kuranda offers a vibrant arts and crafts culture, with quaint little stalls and a colourful market running through the rainforest. Enjoy some homemade ice cream or candy and visit one of the many Wildlife Habitats Kuranda has to offer. Travel via shuttle bus, car, Skyrail or Kuranda's Scenic Train. SKYRAIL RAINFOREST CABLEWAY You're in the tropics now, so how fitting to go hang out in the jungle for a little while. The Kuranda Skyrail offers you the opportunity to glide above the treetops in a secured windowed gondola running along an 8km cableway through the Barron Gorge and the Kuranda Range Rainforest. Glass-floored and open-air gondolas are also on offer. The Skyrail has won a number of tourism and sustainability awards, and provides a unique link between the bustle of Cairns City and the beautiful jungle village of Kuranda. Explore more with Pullman. Book your next hotel stay with Pullman and enjoy a great breakfast for just $1.
Ever wonder where beautiful art is created? These little behind-the-scenes peeks into the places in which classic artworks are born fascinate us, home to some of the most stunning and influential artworks of our time. Gustav Klimt's studio - Vienna, Austria Salvador Dali in Port Lligat, Spain. Francis Bacon's studio - London, England. Paul Cézanne in Aix-en-Provence, France Frida Kahlo's Studio - Mexico City, Mexico Norman Rockwell in Stockbridge, Massachusetts Andy Warhol in New York Pablo Picasso in the French Riviera. Joan Miró's studio in Palma de Mallorca, Spain Jackson Pollock's studio in East Hampton, New York.
If the Oppenheimer side of 2023's Barbenheimer phenomenon has you wanting to find out more about the atomic age, this year's Jewish International Film Festival has your next viewing option: documentary A Compassionate Spy about physicist Theodore Hall. His tale didn't make the cut in Christopher Nolan's blockbuster, but he was part of the Manhattan Project team at Los Alamos, and also passed intelligence to the Soviet Union, as Hoop Dreams' filmmaker Steve James explores in one of JIFF's must-see efforts at its latest fest. When the Jewish International Film Festival returns for 2023, it'll hit up seven cities between Monday, October 23–Wednesday, December 6, making movie-filled dates with Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Canberra, Hobart and Perth. On the just-announced full lineup is a hefty 55 Australian-premiere titles spanning both flicks and TV shows, including everything from box-office hits to new episodic efforts starring a big-name US talent. Israel's Matchmaking hits JIFF's opening night after success at home, following a Jewish Orthodox man's romantic ups and downs in a film that's been likened to Romeo and Juliet — but Haredi and a comedy. And that standout television series? Chanshi follows its namesake (Aleeza Chanowitz, Dismissed) in Brooklyn, with Barry's Australia-bound Henry Winkler as her father. Also on the 2023 program: Jack L Warner: The Last Mogul, a documentary focusing on one of Warner Bros' titular founders; The Engineer, about the manhunt for bombmaker Yahya Ayyash, as starring Emile Hirsch (Devil's Workshop); delightfully named black comedy Ducks, An Urban Legend; Tel Aviv-set rom-com Elik & Jimmy; and documentary Erica Jong – Breaking the Wall, about the Fear of Flying author. Exactly which films screen in which cities varies; however, the full bill nationwide also includes gangster comedy Hummus Full Trailer, musicals Less Than Kosher and Victory, vino-fuelled doco Holy Wine and docudrama Munich '72 on its sizeable list. On offer in Melbourne only: a retrospective of movies based on Nobel Prize-winning writer Isaac Bashevis Singer's work, such as Barbra Streisand's Yentl. And, as is JIFF's custom, the program features a large contingent of movies that examine World War II, the Holocaust and their lingering impact. Expect to find Stella Goldschlag biopic Stella. A Life; the vengeance-laden The Jew; the Ukraine-shot, Yiddish-language SHTTL; Filip, which tells a tale of romantic pleasures amid the war; Delegation, about students visiting Poland's Holocaust sites and confronting their Jewish identity; and closing night's The Jewish Nazi?, a doco with Australian ties. JEWISH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2023 DATES: Monday, October 23–Wednesday, November 29 — Lido Cinemas and Classic Cinemas, Melbourne Tuesday, October 24–Tuesday, November 28 — Ritz Cinemas and Roseville Cinemas, Sydney Thursday, November 2–Sunday, November 12 — State Cinema, Hobart Wednesday, November 15–Wednesday, November 22 — Dendy Cinemas, Canberra Thursday, November 16–Wednesday, November 22 — Dendy Cinemas Southport, Gold Coast Thursday, November 16–Sunday, November 26 — New Farm Cinemas, Brisbane Thursday, November 16–Wednesday, December 6 — Luna Palace Cinemas, Perth The Jewish International Film Festival's 2023 runs from October–December. For more information, or to buy tickets, head to the festival's website.
Few dining experiences compare to a traditional omakase, where highly trained Japanese chefs decide what to serve diners and make their food right in front of them. It's a gastronomical performance like no other. And Chef Kimura, one of the best omakase chefs in the world, has left his Tokyo restaurant (which has received two Michelin-stars five years in a row) to bring his particular take on the experience — specifically, jukusei-sushi (aged sushi) — to Australia. This November, the hospo heavyweight — and third-generation sushi chef — will be taking over the kitchens at Sydney's 20-seat Sushi E (on Saturday, November 5) and Byron Bay hot spot Raes on Wategos (on Tuesday, November 8 and Wednesday, November 9). Getting a table at his restaurant in Japan is renowned for being almost impossible, so you'll want to nab a seat at one of these dining experiences, stat. At the table, diners will taste dishes that don't often hit plates Down Under. Much of this is thanks to the chef's deft knife abilities — which took him nearly a decade to perfect — his pursuit of premium ingredients and the pure love and dedication he has for his craft. Experimenting with great abandon, Chef Kimura (successfully) sought to cook a path in which he could honour his pedigree and create an unexpected and pioneering culinary experience. What's needed to attain the skill of jukusei-sushi? Enough patience, determination and intuition to put most to shame. More complex than simply knowing how long to age each fish for — 12 days for mehikari, for example — it's learning what to do with each species' unique traits. Few can do what Chef Kimura does, as well as he does it. It's these details that makes this an unmissable dining opportunity for any foodies out there. Not only will you devour these extra-special morsels, you'll see each plated up as your esteemed chef talks to you directly about his produce and techniques. So, secure a ticket and get ready to marvel at a master at work. Chef Kimura will take up residence at Sushi E on Saturday, November 5, across five sittings. Further north, he will be hitting the kitchen at Raes on Wategos for four sittings across Tuesday, November 8 and Wednesday, November 9.
Whether you first heard about it on Wondery's Dr Death podcast, from the recent streaming drama of the same name or by reading the news, the tale of Christopher Duntsch conjures up all the terrors of a horror movie. As it should, given that the neurosurgeon is currently imprisoned for life after maiming and harming some patients, and killing others. In total, 33 people who went under his knife for spinal surgeries in the Dallas, Texas area during the early 2010s found their lives forever changed — or, in some cases, lost. Thanks to the aforementioned dramatisation, which stars Joshua Jackson (Little Fires Everywhere) as Duntsch, these chilling events have been getting plenty of attention recently. You've probably spent some time this month binge-watching it, and been creeped out — again, rightly so — the whole way. And if you're now eager to find out more about this horrific case (not that 'eager' is really the right word when it comes to this kind of nightmare fuel), you can check out new docuseries Dr Death: The Undoctored Story. Stan, which is also streaming Dr Death, will drop the four-part true-crime documentary on Friday, July 30. Obviously, if you've already watched the former, you'll already know some of the details covered by the latter; however, you'll also get to see some of the real-life figures involved chat about the story. On the interviewee list: the real-life Dr Robert Henderson, Dr Randall Kirby and Michelle Shughart. In the scripted series, the trio were played by Alec Baldwin (Pixie), Christian Slater (Dirty John) and AnnaSophia Robb (Words on Bathroom Walls), respectively. Dr Death: The Undoctored Story also features chats with Jerry Summers, the best friend that Duntsch's paralysed in surgery, and Wendy Young, his ex-girlfriend and mother of his two sons — as well as with other former colleagues, patients and lawyers from the trial. Obviously given the details, this won't make for feel-good viewing, but it will let you dive deeper into this shocking tale. Check out the trailer below: Dr Death: The Undoctored Story will be available to stream via Stan from Friday, July 30.
When Japan reopened its borders to international tourists late in 2022, it was the news that plenty of travellers had been waiting for, helping us all live out our Tokyo-touring dreams once more. The list of sights to see in both the country and its capital is hefty, especially with a Super Nintendo theme park launching during the pandemic, plus Studio Ghibli's long-awaited park also debuting last November. But the latest must-visit Tokyo spot won't even have you leaving the airport. That airport: Haneda, one of two servicing Tokyo, and the more central of the pair. On Tuesday, January 31, it's officially opening the new Haneda Airport Garden complex, which features with a few sizeable drawcards — 24-hour hot springs with views of Mount Fuji (on a clear day) chief among them. Located 12 floors up and spanning over 2000 square metres, rooftop facility Spa Izumi at Haneda is your new go-to for soaking before or after a flight. The onsen overlooks the Tamagawa River, as the entire Haneda Airport Garden does, and operates 24 hours a day. Using privately sourced water, it comes complete with four areas that span openair and indoor baths — a carbonated water bath, ice plunge pool and jet bath included — plus dry, steam and hot-stone saunas, as well as shower, powder and dressing-room facilities. Even better: while Haneda Airport Garden's official opening date arrives at the end of January, Spa Izumi and the hub's two hotels started welcoming in guests back in December 2022. Looking for a place to stay before or after your travels, too? Hotel Villa Fontaine Grand features a whopping 1557 rooms, while the smaller Hotel Villa Fontaine Premier boasts 160. The former offers guests 12 different types of spaces, while the latter has six varieties. Crucially, visitors looking to take advantage of the hot springs won't need to be hotel guests. So, if you're only at the airport to head home or on a layover between flights, you can still make time for a dip before hopping on the plane — no overnight stay at one of the Villa Fontaine hotels needed. You will need to pay an admission fee, however. The full new complex also includes around 60 shops and 30 restaurants — those usual airport staples — and a bus terminal for easy access to Osaka, Yamagata and more. And, there's an event hall and conference rooms. Plus, handily, Haneda Airport Garden connects through to terminal 3, which is where Qantas flies into and out of. Unsurprisingly, this is now Japan's largest airport hotel — so expect to have ample company while you're there. Haneda Airport Garden will officially open at Tokyo's Haneda Airport from Tuesday, January 31, with Hotel Villa Fontaine Grand, Hotel Villa Fontaine Premier and Spa Izumi already operating. For more information, head to the Haneda Airport Garden website. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
If you fancy getting into the swing of this year's Oktoberfest celebrations, The Bavarian certainly has you sorted. The group is expanding its stable of German-inspired bier halls, opening the doors to its latest venue at Westfield Coomera on the Gold Coast on Thursday, October 11. And to celebrate, they're handing out a whopping 500 free hotdogs from 11am. The hot dogs are made using the Bavarian's signature frankfurter — wood-smoked pork and beef — topped with sauerkraut, tomato sauce and crisp shallots. Given the eatery is just as famous for its sausage offering as it is for its schnitzels and crispy pork knuckles, that's quite the deal. The giveaway is a little taster of the new venue's full weekend program, which runs until Sunday, October 14. From 6pm on Friday, there'll be live oompah music, a sausage-eating competition, plus stein holding, chicken dancing, pork knuckle eating, non-alcoholic beer-chugging and sausage-tossing contests. Then the fun continues across Saturday, including the official keg tap at midday — while anyone who wants to bring littlies along can nab a free kids' menu meal for children under 12 on Sunday. Of course, the German-style fun continues long after the final weekend keg is tapped, too — Bavarian Coomera will be dishing up authentic eats and icy cold steins, all year round.
It might've taken three years, but Netflix has finally produced its first original Aussie series. Shot entirely in Queensland, and providing fuel for late 2018 binge-watch sessions, Tidelands is a supernatural crime drama series about a fictional fishing village, dubbed Orphelin Bay, with strange inhabitants: a group of dangerous half-Sirens, half-humans called 'Tidelanders'. Cal McTeer (Charlotte Best), a young women who returns to the small village after a stint in jail, discovers the body of a local fisherman and must navigate the town's drug smuggling history while also investigating the Tidelanders, who are led by Adrielle Cuthburt (Elsa Pataky). After revealing its first sneak peek teaser back in October, the series now has a full official trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhsjoQLKaiY&feature=youtu.be Eight episodes, each running for 50 minutes, have been made by Brisbane's Emmy Award-Winning production company Hoodlum Entertainment. And Tidelands won't just gift Australian users with a new favourite series, with the show set to land in all 190 countries that Netflix is available in. Thinking you've seen plenty of Aussie stuff on Netflix already? You're not wrong, however, there's a difference between throwing old sitcoms and standup specials into a range inexplicably overflowing with new Adam Sandler movies, and actually funding brand new Australian material. Last year, it was announced that they'd join forces with the ABC to co-produce a second season of Glitch, which showed them dipping a toe in the water — but now they're completely diving in. Tidelands will join the platform's hefty stable of original series, which started back in 2013 with House of Cards, and just keeps growing (Orange Is the New Black, The Get Down, The OA, Wet Hot American Summer, Master of None, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Dear White People, BoJack Horseman, four Marvel series with one more to come — the list goes on). Given the premise, here's hoping it'll be the next Stranger Things, and not the new Hemlock Grove. Tidelands will be available globally on Netflix from December 14, 2018.
Editors fictional and real may disagree — The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun's Arthur Howitzer Jr (Bill Murray, On the Rocks) among them — but it's easy to use Wes Anderson's name as both an adjective and a verb. In a sentence that'd never get printed in his latest film's titular tome (and mightn't in The New Yorker, its inspiration, either), The French Dispatch is the most Wes Anderson movie Wes Anderson has ever Wes Andersoned. The immaculate symmetry that makes each frame a piece of art is present, naturally, as are gloriously offbeat performances. The equally dreamy and precise pastel- and jewel-hued colour palette, the who's who of a familiar cast list, the miniatures and animated interludes and split screens, the knack for physical comedy, and the mix of high artifice, heartfelt nostalgia and dripping whimsy, too. The writer/director knows what he loves, and also what he loves to splash across his films, and it's all accounted for in his tenth release. In The French Dispatch, he also adores stories that say as much about their authors as the world, the places that gift them to the masses, and the space needed to let creativity and insight breathe. He loves celebrating all of this, and heartily, using his usual bag of tricks. It's disingenuous to say that Anderson just wheels out the same flourishes in any movie he helms, though, despite each one — from The Royal Tenenbaums onwards, especially — looking like part of a set. As he's spent his career showing but conveys with extra gusto here, Anderson adores the craftsmanship of filmmaking. He likes pictures that look as if someone has doted on them and fashioned them with their hands, and is just as infatuated with the emotional possibilities that spring from such loving and meticulous work. Indeed, each of his features expresses that pivotal personality detail so clearly that it may as well be cross-stitched into the centre of the frame using Anderson's hair. It's still accurate to call The French Dispatch an ode to magazines, their heyday and their rockstar writers; the film draws four of its five chapters from its eponymous publication, even badging them with page numbers. But this is also a tribute to everything Anderson holds The New Yorker to stand for, and holds dear — to everything he's obsessed over, internalised and absorbed into the signature filmmaking style that's given such an exuberant workout once again. One scene, in the first of its three longer segments, crystallises this so magnificently that it's among the best things Anderson has ever put on-screen. It involves two versions of murderer-turned-artist Moses Rosenthaler, both sharing the boxed-in frame. The young (Tony Revolori, The Grand Budapest Hotel) greets the old (Benicio Del Toro, No Sudden Move), the pair swapping places and handing over lanyards, and it feels as if Anderson is doing the same with his long-held passions. Before Moses' instalment, entitled The Concrete Masterpiece, the picture's bookending story steps into Howitzer's offices in the fictional French town of Ennui-sur-Blasé. Since 1925, he's called it home, as well as the base for a sophisticated literary periodical that started as a travel insert in his father's paper back in Kansas. Because Anderson loves melancholy, too, news of Howitzer's death begins the film courtesy of an obituary. What follows via travelogue The Cycling Reporter, the aforementioned incarcerated art lark, student revolution report Revisions to a Manifesto and police cuisine-turned-kidnapping story The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner is The French Dispatch's final issue turned into a movie — and an outlet for both Howitzer's and the director's abundant Francophilia. Watching travel correspondent Herbsaint Sazerac (Owen Wilson, Loki) wheel around Ennui — a place that isn't quite Paris, just as The French Dispatch isn't quite The New Yorker — comes complete with choirboy gangs rumbling seniors, rat-filled tunnels and bodies fished out of rivers. Anderson's love of quaint and quirky details initially shimmers before that, in Howitzer's workspace beneath his comical "no crying" sign, but doesn't stop gleaming for a second. It's there in Moses' success, as aided by his muse/prison guard Simone (Léa Seydoux, No Time to Die), fellow inmate/art dealer Cadazio (Adrien Brody, Succession), and journalist JKL Berensen (Tilda Swinton, Memoria), who relays the specifics. And, it's clear in the chronicle by political writer Lucinda Krementz (Frances McDormand, Nomadland) about a student uprising led by the suitably moody Zeffirelli (Timothée Chalamet, Dune) over accessing girls' dormitory rooms. Regardless of their amusingly monikered setting, there's nary a trace of boredom or indifference in any of these chapters, all of which ape real New Yorker stories and scribes. So too does Howitzer, as well as Roebuck Wright (Jeffrey Wright, No Time to Die), author of the film's third major segment. The French Dispatch layers in themes and ideas as potently and deeply as its visual gems, tortured genius myths and "the touching narcissism of the young" (as the movie itself describes it) all included; however, its Roebuck-focused thread is exquisitely intelligent and affecting. On a TV set, the journalist relays his attempt to write about Nescaffier (Steve Park, Warrior), chef to the local police commissaire (Mathieu Amalric, Sound of Metal), which was derailed by a hostage situation involving the latter's son — and his piece also becomes an outsider's lament. Whether going monochrome in homage to the French New Wave, pulling off a bravura late-film long shot, or finding roles for Elisabeth Moss (The Invisible Man), Saoirse Ronan (Ammonite), Edward Norton (Motherless Brooklyn) and Willem Dafoe (The Card Counter) — plus Jason Schwartzman (Fargo), who also nabs a story credit with the director, Roman Coppola (Isle of Dogs) and Hugo Guinness (The Grand Budapest Hotel) — Anderson does his utmost at every turn. While aided by sublime work by his eight-time cinematographer Robert D Yeoman, regular production designer Adam Stockhausen and frequent composer Alexandre Desplat, the result feels like slipping not only into Anderson's head but his heart, and more so than any other feature he's made. The French Dispatch is a treasure chest for Anderson, his devotees, and lovers of words, France and inventive cinema alike, although it holds zero chance of converting his naysayers. "Just try to make it sound like you wrote it that way on purpose," is Howitzer's wise advice to his writers, but there's no doubting that every minuscule choice made in this remarkable delight is utterly and marvellously intentional.
Firework envy? Australia? Never! Not until now, that is. For the first time ever, the Brits have something we don't for New Year's Eve — the world's first smellable, taste-able firework display. When Big Ben hits midnight on December 31, the sky over South Bank on the River Thames will explode with not only the usual sounds and colours but a cascading fruit salad made up of strawberry flavours, banana confetti, peach snow and enormous 'zesty Spanish orange' bubbles. The brains behind the operation are culinary spectacular experts Bompas & Parr. This month, their epic gingerbread reconstruction of London's "lost and unbuilt architecture" has had crowds dropping jaws around Selfridges’ Oxford Street windows. Bompas & Parr have described their NYE plans as a “massive responsibility”. “The closer we get to it, the more we realise the scale of what we’re doing,” they said. “Hopefully, what we’ll be doing, is giving people the best night of their life.” Given that revellers are bound to be fighting for a spot at South Bank, event partner Vodafone has organised a synchronised augmented reality experience that will be streamed internationally. Plus, in another first, London’s original New Year’s Eve fireworks app will go live at midnight, with the download available 24 hours before. Via PSFK
