Just an hour or two from Brisbane, you can find a myriad of natural delights spread throughout world-class national parks. From granite boulders and mountain ranges to tranquil rainforests and gushing waterfalls, there's guaranteed to be something for everyone — including when you're trying to make the most of Queensland's hardly frosty winter weather. One-day walks are a great way to maximise how often you get outdoors, especially when busy schedules get in the way of full weekend getaways. They're also perfect for getting a little nature therapy into your week, without having to carry all that pesky camping gear. It's amazing where a few hours of hiking can get you — volcano-forged mountain summits and prehistoric rainforests are just the start. So pick one of the below hikes, pack a backpack and head on an daytripper's adventure. [caption id="attachment_726975" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Glass House Mountains National Park by Ming Nom Chong for Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] MOUNT BEERWAH SUMMIT, GLASS HOUSE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK Mount Beerwah is the Goldilocks mountain of the Glass House range, a famed series of mountains located one hour north of Brisbane. It's a step up from Mount Ngungun, but less intense than Mount Tibrogargan. The hike to the summit takes three-to-four hours return and requires decent rock scrambling skills. After the initial climb, you'll be ogling Beerwah's distinctive 'organ pipes' — a series of massive granite columns, right before the summit. Enjoy the panoramic vistas from the top, and see if you can pick out Mount Coonowrin's distinctive peak. Check the forecast and turn back at the first sign of bad weather — it's dangerous when wet. [caption id="attachment_726974" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Purling Brook Falls by Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] PURLING BROOK FALLS CIRCUIT AND WARRINGA POOL, SPRINGBROOK NATIONAL PARK Purling Brook Falls is Springbrook's most popular walk, located around 100 kilometres south of Brisbane. Shortly after starting the grade three circuit (four kilometres, two hours), you'll glimpse Gold Coast and Purling Brook Valley from the top of the cliffs. The vegetation gradually changes to cool rainforest before you branch off at the base of the falls for Warringa Pool — which will add another (optional) two kilometres to your trek. Walk through the piccabeen palms to this emerald oasis in the heart of the rainforest. After you've had a dip, head back to the base of the falls and continue the circuit as you gently wind back up to drier eucalypt forests. Unless you need the extra steps, be sure to take the circuit clockwise to save yourself from walking up 265 stairs. [caption id="attachment_726971" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Twin Falls Circuit by Matthew Taylor Thomas for Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] TWIN FALLS CIRCUIT, SPRINGBROOK NATIONAL PARK Waterfalls galore await you on the Twin Falls Circuit, which you'll find 100 kilometres south of Brisbane. The Twin Falls are so close to the Purling Brook Falls (above) that you should consider doubling up for the ultimate one-day adventure. The grade three track (four kilometres return, two hours) passes Tamarramai Falls before snaking behind Twin Falls, which feeds into a delightful watering hole. It then continues past Tallanbana and Blackfellow falls. One of the highlights of this walk — aside from the endless waterfalls — is the sheer variety of vegetation you hike through, including several types of rainforest as well as montane heaths and open brush box forest. KONDALILLA FALLS CIRCUIT, KONDALILLA NATIONAL PARK Head north from Brisbane for just over 100 kilometres, deep into the Blackall Range, for a day hike that combines top-notch swimming holes with a picturesque waterfall. From the Kondalilli Falls car park, continue down to the bridge and turn right. This class three track (four kilometres, two hours) passes a rock pool at the top of the falls early on. This is a great walk for summer, when you can whittle away the hours swimming and enjoying the valley views. Continue to the base of Kondalilla Falls — which fittingly means 'rushing water' in the local Aboriginal language — before making your way back. [caption id="attachment_726969" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lamington National Park by Jason Charles Hill for Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] DAVES CREEK CIRCUIT, LAMINGTON NATIONAL PARK Daves Creek Circuit (12 kilometres, four hours) is one of the most botanically diverse tracks in Lamington, located 100 kilometres south of Brisbane. This class four track gets you the most plant bang for your buck per kilometre. As you hike, notice how the vegetation around you rapidly changes — you'll walk through every kind of rainforest, as well as eucalypt and heathland. The track is scattered with lilies, orchids, banksia, wattles, ferns and casuarina, plus a bloom of wildflowers in late winter and spring. There are also two grand lookouts: the first over Woggunba Valley, and the second over Numinbah Valley. See if you can hear the distinctive sounds of the Albert's lyrebird as you hike. Note: Lamington National Park has some closures and alerts to watch out for. For all of the latest updates, head to the Queensland Government Parks and Forests website. [caption id="attachment_726970" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Morans Falls Lookout by Jason Charles Hill for Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] MORANS FALLS TRACK, LAMINGTON NATIONAL PARK Morans Falls is a popular day hike through sweeping valley vistas from the top of Morans Falls and beyond. The site is also located in Lamington, 110 kilometres south of Brisbane, in the Green Mountains section. This is a family-friendly grade four track (4.4 kilometres, 1.5 hours) through the largest undisturbed area of subtropical rainforest in southeast Queensland. The valley views from the top of Morans Falls are a delight, but the views of the falls themselves from further down are a close second. Lamington also has an epic multi-day hike, if you'd like to stretch it out across a couple of days. Note: Lamington National Park has some closures and alerts to watch out for. For all of the latest updates, head to the Queensland Government Parks and Forests website. [caption id="attachment_709179" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Scenic Rim[/caption] MOUNT CORDEAUX AND BARE ROCK, MAIN RANGE NATIONAL PARK Mount Cordeaux juts out of the perimeter of the Scenic Rim, a 116 kilometre drive southwest of Brisbane. The one-day walk up to the peak of Mount Cordeaux and out to Bare Rock (around 12 kilometres combined) is the best way to admire the Scenic Rim's crescent of impressive ranges and valleys. First, you'll step back in time to walk through the same ancient rainforests that covered the Gondwanan supercontinent more than 180 million years ago. After that, you'll soak up the expansive views of the mountainous ranges from the Mount Cordeaux Summit and then from Bare Rock, which is truly one of the best views in southeast Queensland. In spring, giant spear lilies bloom, with their five-metre long flowering stalks adorned with red flowers. [caption id="attachment_547440" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Lower Portals[/caption] LOWER PORTALS TRACK, MOUNT BARNEY NATIONAL PARK Mount Barney is the pinnacle of bushwalking in southeast Queensland, located 130 kilometres southwest of Brisbane. The arduous summit hike is for hardcore hikers, but the range of different walks on offer means that Barney should be on everyone's list. The Lower Portals hike (7.4 kilometres, three hours) is a great way to experience this incredible mountain without all that pesky elevation. The track ends at a swimming hole within a rocky gorge, so be sure to bring your swimmers along if the weather's right. See if you can spot the delightful orange starbursts of the extremely rare Mount Barney bush pea on your walk. This class four track has a tendency to heat up, so head out between April and September. [caption id="attachment_726968" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Girraween National Park by Ben Nott for Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] THE SPHINX AND TURTLE ROCK, GIRRAWEEN NATIONAL PARK Girraween is a spectacular and remote national park, with unusual granite boulders speckled across its landscape. Its name is just as beautiful — it means "place of flowers" in the local Aboriginal language. While it's located just over three hours' drive (260 kilometres) southwest of Brisbane, the walk to Sphinx and Turtle Rock (7.4 kilometres, four hours) is well worth it. The Sphinx is so named because of its massive boulder, which seems to balance impossibly on another. Then there's the gargantuan granite 'turtle shell' rock to see. Come in spring for seas of yellow wattle. Top image: Mount Barney National Park, Tourism and Events Queensland.
It's official: silly season is here once again. And while it's always fun to give (and receive) gifts, the amount of people you're buying for can quickly stack up. Particularly if you're partaking in more than a few Kris Kringles and Secret Santas this year. Whether you scored your work bestie in your office pressie pool or got the formidable task of drawing your mum's name in the fam Kris Kringle even though she insists she doesn't want anything, you want to give great gifts. You also have to adhere to strict budgets, which can be both a blessing and a curse. In partnership with Cashrewards, we've tracked down some A-class items that will suit just about everyone on your gift list — and any budget. Better yet, if you're an ANZ cardholder, you could be eligible for even bigger cash back deals and extra benefits* as part of its Cashrewards Max program. All you have to do is sign in to your Cashrewards account (or sign up for one for free) and link your eligible ANZ debit or credit card. Once you've got your Cashrewards Max all set up, you can score a heap of cash back deals, including at all the retailers on this epic list. $20 AND UNDER Desktop Ping Pong Table ($15.75) A great shout for the office KK, this easy-to-assemble table tennis kit is available via Booktopia. It can be set up anywhere and easily tidied away when the boss walks past, too. Or, if you've got the balls (yes, pun intended), set up an office tournament and leave the memory of awkward Friday afternoon Zoom drinks far behind. This is an affordable, fun and easy option for your work bestie (or the office newbie) that offers just the right level of silliness for your end-of-year workplace festivities. Gingerbread Man Dig Toy ($19.99) There's bound to be at least one proud dog parent in your life — or maybe you want to bypass them and celebrate their adorable pooch directly. Either way, this festive chew toy is the perfect option for fur babies and their parents. Grab one from Petbarn for less than a lobster and voila! You're a thoughtful gift giver and bound to score some appreciative snoot-boopin' time with the pup. $50 AND UNDER Night Rescue Skincare Kit ($30) Got a skincare-obsessed friend? Or someone who just appreciates a good beauty regime? Surely after months spent in lockdown, we can all appreciate the relaxing indulgence of some self-care in the form of a face mask and a glass of wine. If you've got someone deserving of some TLC for Secret Santa, then nab this Laneige Night Rescue Skincare kit from Sephora. It includes three different types of nighttime face masks all designed to leave skin looking clean, refreshed and hydrated. Linen Napkins ($50) Chances are if you're in your late 20s or early 30s, you're already obsessed with Bed Threads. So, surely someone on your Christmas list is into it, too. If you're buying for a foodie then look no further than these lovely flax linen napkins. They're delicate, reusable and sustainable, plus they add a lovely touch of rustic elegance to any table setting. They also come in 11 different colours, so you can pick a hue that you think best suits your giftee's style. $80 AND UNDER Thumbs Up Retro Dance Mat ($60) We've all got that one mate who crushes DDR (that's Dance Dance Revolution for the uninitiated). So, you already know they'll be absolutely stoked with this gift. Essentially a light-up floor mat that lights up for you to follow a dance routine, the Thumbs Up Retro Dance Mat is always a hoot — and retro to boot. To make your life as simple as can be, the game is available from ASOS, too, so you can skip the Christmas shopping crowds all while knowing perfect gift is on the way. C&M James Nylon Cap ($80) There are some major normcore vibes going on with this C&M cap from Stylerunner, so if you know someone who loves Aussie-made minimalist designs, look no further. Lightweight, comfortable and stylish, this not-so-basic basic is perfect for beach days, bushwalks and brunches with the crew, making it a brilliant gift idea for pretty well anyone (including you). $100 AND UNDER [caption id="attachment_814550" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Smash Splash[/caption] Red Balloon Experiences ($99–100) If you're going all out and dropping a bit of cash for that special someone, then why not give them a gift they're sure to remember — an epic experience. Red Balloon has all sorts of great gift experience ideas lined up for thrill-seekers, or that person in your life who already has everything. Check out this Splash Room experience in Sydney or Melbourne, where they'll be covered in goggles and overalls, put in a room and given free rein to hurl paint balloons at the walls and create some amazing artistic explosions. If you're in Perth or Brisbane, why not check out one of Red Balloon's scenic helicopter tours so they can see some of the most beautiful parts of their city from way up in the clouds. Or, if you've picked out a wine lover, you can get them a Taste Your Birth Year winery tour in the Barossa (plane ticket's on them, naturally). For more information on Cashrewards Max and its current deals, head to the website. *Cashrewards Max is offered by Cashrewards, not ANZ. A Cashrewards account is not an ANZ account. T&Cs apply.
Been feeling like you're seeing a ramen place on every corner? No, you're not mistaken. It seems that Brisbane is in the middle of a slurping frenzy. Of course, if the city's latest food trend sees more spots serving up more of this simple yet delicious meal, you won't hear us complaining. Hai-Hai Ramen on Latrobe Terrace in Paddington is the newest spot serving up noodles in broth, as topped with your your choice of charsiu pork belly, shio koji marinated chicken or vegetables, and available in salt and soy varieties. And, like all good ramen joints, what they lack in a lengthy list of options they make up for in taste. You won't just find the titular dish on their menu though, with sides also a feature inside their cute wooden cottage. Sure, a bowl of ramen is a feast all on its own — but it also goes down well with steamed buns, sweetcorn with miso butter and furikake, coleslaw or karaage. In fact, as far as an inexpensive but oh-so-appetising Tuesday to Sunday dinner goes, you really can't beat it.
A new hotel in a historic building. A name well-known Down Under opening its first-ever location beyond Australia and New Zealand. A fresh excuse to spend your next holiday in southeast Asia. These all apply to the latest venue to join the QT Hotels & Resorts chain: the just-opened QT Singapore. Maybe you've experienced the gothic charm of QT Sydney. Perhaps you've enjoyed slumbering at the site of a former cinema at QT Melbourne. At QT Gold Coast, you could've slept in rooftop cabins. Or, at QT Newcastle, you might've bunked down in a clock tower. QT Queenstown comes with alpine views, while QT Auckland heroes the harbour. Now, add staying in Singapore's Eastern Extension Telegraph building, which dates back to 1927 and is located right next to the Lau Pa Sat hawker centre, to the list. It was back in May that QT revealed that it was launching in the city-state come spring — and the brand's Singapore hotel has opened its doors on Monday, September 16, 2024. Guests can check into one of 134 rooms behind the iconic building's striking facade, which has remained the same while the interiors have undergone a complete revamp to deck it out in QT's aesthetic. The chain's look varies from hotel to hotel, but always stands out from other places to stay. Interior designer Nic Graham has done the honours, with reflecting Singapore's climate and evolution — and the building's location and heritage — the main aim of his approach to the site's decor. Think: bold colours yet delicate lighting, woven rattan and black framing featuring heavily, print works by local artist Jill Tran in public spaces and a classic-yet-contemporary vibe. The array of rooms includes junior, corner, balcony and premier suites with double ceilings. Whichever type you choose, each one features a walk-in rain shower in the ensuite bathroom, a QT Dream Bed, an iPad to control everything around the room (including the Chromecast and wireless Bose speakers) and Dyson hair products. Holidaymakers can also take advantage of the dining and drinks options onsite, such as signature bar and grill Cygnet, plus rooftop bar Rooftop by QT. The first is a Manhattan-style steakhouse with chef and restaurateur Sean Connolly leading the charge — and a place that serves up its signature dishes tableside. The second sits alongside a sky-high pool for sips and splashes with a view, goes big on cocktails made from local ingredients and peers out over the skyline. And, if you're keen on having a shindig on your getaway, private dining is also on offer. Find QT Singapore at 35 Robinson Road, Singapore — and head to the hotel's website for bookings and further details. Images: QT Hotels & Resorts.
Summer is fast approaching, and you know what that means: warmer weather, fewer layers. Although it seems like thongs and shorts become the uniform of the season for many, the style-conscious woman saves those for the beach. This may be the most exciting time of year for fashion, with all the bright colours, light fabrics and fun shapes. And it looks like it's going to be a good season for all of those things. Here at Concrete Playground, we've rounded up some of the best current looks for every taste. We've also got a style guide for men. Here it is over here. Top image by Oroton. CLASSIC Offering a mix of both ladylike and masculine looks, this season offers the traditional dresser something different. Minimalism has been a huge theme this season, but not necessarily when it comes to length. Think classic styles, clean shapes and funky prints. Matchy-matchy Suits Popping up in fun prints and wearable colours such as navy, pink and white, summer suits are finding their ways to more places than the office. If you're not feeling the pants, these colourful combos can be found in skirt and short options for a warmer weather alternative. Mix them up with a fun printed blouse, roll up the sleeves and throw on a fedora for an instant cool-girl touch. Images: Street Style from PFW ’13 by Victoria Adamson Suit from Dianne Von Furstenberg’s AW 13/14 collection. Catwalking Street Style Stripes at Paris Fashion Week by Lee Oliveira Full Skirts If the weather has you feeling extra cheery, try out fuller, mid-length skirts and dresses in flirty florals, girly ginghams and preppy pinstripes. Throw on some stilettos and cat-eye sunnies if you feel like channelling a little Hollywood glamour. Images: Stylist and fashion editor Viviana Volpicella in an Equipment blouse and Stella Jean skirt at Men’s Fashion Week in Milan by Lee Oliveira Marine Deleeuw modelling mary Katrantzou’s Spring 2014 RTW by Marcus Tondo Street Style at MBFWA ’13 by Diego Zuko Sleek Chic While last season was all about colour blocking, this is the time to clear your slate. Simple, well-tailored pieces in white, black or pastel are anything but boring. Go for the monochromatic edge by pairing similar coloured accessories and shoes with your clothes. Images: Street Style at Milan Fashion Week 2013 by Lee Oliveira Look from Camilla and Marc’s SS 13/14 collection by Breakfast With Audrey Sienna Miller in Carven at the BFI Gala Dinner by RCFA TRENDY For those who like to keep things current, there are some playful new looks that have gracefully transitioned from the catwalk to the sidewalk. Crop Tops The ultimate staple this season, these fun little numbers have matured beyond denim shorts. Try a crop top with a draped suit jacket and a high waisted, mid-length skirt for a vampy look. Or, keep it casual with slouchy trousers and flat sandals. The possibilities really are endless. Images: Street Style from MBFWA ’13 in Sydney by Petra Rudd A new suit from Ginger & Smart’s SS 13/14 collection. Getty Images and Mark Metcalfe Blogger Margaret Zhang of Shine by Three at MBFWA ’13 in Sydney Petra Rudd Slouchy Trousers The popular harem-style pants have gotten a more flattering update this season. Designers have done away with the drop-crotch yet maintained the delightful flow. In tailored shapes and sleek fabrics, these comfy pants have made their way from the beach to the streets. By the end of this season you’ll have forgotten what skinny jeans are. Images: Organic by John Patrick Spring 2014 RTW collection by Imaxtree and Alessandro Luciani BCBG Max Azria SS 13/14 RTW by Vogue UK Blogger Zanita Morgan of Zanita in Cue Clothing pants. Photo by Rebecca See-through Sheers Transparency was a huge theme on runways all over this season, especially in Australia. See-through tops and cut-out frocks from the likes of Karla Spetic to Dior are drawing attention to what is (or isn't) underneath. If you're bold enough to test this trend, you better be wearing your best knickers. Images: Street style during New York Fashion Week Spring 2013 by Mr Newton Sheer panelling from Karla Spetic’s SS 13/14 RTW collection by Lucas Dawson for Vogue Australia Actress/Dancer Julianne Hough in Jenny Packham at the 2013 Emmy Awards by Getty Images MAVERICK This season has seen some pretty out-there stuff. Whether with boudoir-to-boulevard ensembles or striking sunnies, those who are aching to stand out on the streets won't have a problem catching stares. Silky Separates We’ve all been guilty of making a Sunday morning coffee run or two in some sort of pyjama article. With designer approval, fashionistas are now strutting the streets in full-on getups. Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton have sent pyjama-inspired separates and chemises down the catwalk in sultry silks and satins. If you’d feel ridiculous in a matching polka dot blouse and pant combo, try just the blouse over a more structured skirt or pant. Images: Blogger Nicole Warne of Gary Pepper Girl in ASOS by Carin Olsson Edie Campbell modelling for Marc Jacobs’ Fall/Winter 2013 RTW collection Joanna Hillman, Market Editor at Harper's Bazaar by Beauty Frizz Voluminous Sleeves Futuristic with a tinge of '80s, the big shoulder look is not for the faint of heart. Last season we saw sharp shapes, but this season's silhouette is much more giving, with a softer, airy look. Pair a blouse with a mini skirt or try a dress for some serious statement making. Images: Alice McCall SS 13/14 by Lucas Dawson for Vogue Australia Connie Cao of K is for Kani. Photo by Rowena Ellery SS 13/14 at MBFWA 2013 by Getty Images Obnoxious Sunnies We’ve seen sunnies in all sorts of sizes and shapes, from round to rectangular. Now, circular and cat-eye frames are getting some serious makeovers in bold patterns, coloured lenses and dimensional flowers. Images: Elle Fanning in Karen Walker’s ‘Siouxsie’ shades. By FameFlynet Look by Shakuchi ‘s SS 13/14 collection at MBFWA ’13. Getty Images Streetstyle. By Style Creeper
It feels like I woke up one day — sometime in the last six months — with a mysterious pull towards the occult. Witchcraft, tarot, crystals: things that once felt "woo woo" and faintly contrived suddenly began to feel ritualistic. The lines between meditation and manifestation blurred into something I'd more readily describe as secular spirituality. My friends and I sincerely gift each other carefully chosen crystals imbued with particular properties. Everyone seems to have an oracle deck of choice. I know of more than one bride who has quietly tasked an Etsy witch with guaranteeing sunshine on her wedding day. Like most trends I seem to absorb by digital osmosis, it probably began with TikTok (or, more specifically, "WitchTok"). Yes, there are the cursed tarot readings that appear on your FYP when you're at your most emotionally fragile, but it runs deeper than that — it's women speaking about matriarchy; women talking about intuition, cycles, and reclaiming control; women gathering online in ways that could, theoretically, be described as covens. In 2022, the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade; in Australia in 2023–24, an average of one woman every eight days was killed by an intimate partner; and by 2026, the word "manosphere" has entered global common parlance. Surveying what it feels like to be a woman right now, I do have to wonder if a modern witchcraft revival is less about Ouija Boards and gothic aesthetics, and much more about female autonomy, intuition, and collective power. "Witchcraft" as a covert disguise for fourth-wave feminism. [caption id="attachment_1079397" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Fiona Horne[/caption] Witchcraft has always resurfaced at moments of rupture. It crests when institutions feel brittle and women sense that something is shifting beneath them. In the 1970s, it threaded through second-wave feminism. In the 1990s, it returned via underground punk grrrl movement, The Craft and a generation of teenage girls learning to name their anger. In 2026, it is back again — algorithmic, aesthetic and quietly radical. And few people understand that arc better than Fiona Horne. Long before Etsy witches and TikTok tarot, Horne publicly identified as a practising witch in the late 1990s, publishing Witch – A Personal Journey at a time when the word still carried real stigma. She had already been in the public eye as the frontwoman of Def FX, but stepping "out of the broom closet," as she has described it, positioned her as a lightning rod for modern witchcraft. "I never get asked if I worship Satan anymore," she tells me, reflecting on the cultural shift. "I never get asked if I'm a white witch or a black witch or a good witch or a bad witch. There's just more understanding now. People know that a witch is someone who honours nature as sacred, who recognises a Goddess as well as a God, who does spells and rituals to help and heal themselves and others." Nearly three decades later, Horne is releasing her 17th book, Coven – Where Witches Gather, alongside a companion oracle deck, and embarking on a national tour designed to bring witches — and the witch-curious — together in person. "The alchemy that occurs when we come together is really potent," she says. "There's something that happens in a circle that doesn't happen alone. We celebrate seasonal rites together. We create intentional circles. We support each other. It's about ethical gathering. It's about boundaries. It's about leadership. It's about healing. It's about remembering that we're not meant to do this alone." If fourth-wave feminism is about collective voice, witchcraft offers up collective ritual — but these days, it doesn't always look like a candlelit circle. Michelle Cook is a psychic, medium and practising witch who also hosts the podcast How to Witch, Bitch!, described as "an overview of witchcraft for the new and experienced alike."In a fitting crossover, Fiona appeared on the show while travelling in Egypt, and the two Australian witches' conversation drifted less toward spectacle and more toward what modern practice actually looks like. "[It used to be] the kid on her own in the corner of the classroom getting down into the bush and doing some spells. And now all of a sudden — it's so massive," says Horne. View this post on Instagram A post shared by How To Witch, Bitch! (@howtowitchbitch) In 2026, the next generation of teenage witches is discovering the craft not through dusty metaphysical bookstores or even '90s cult-classic movies, but through TikTok and Spotify. The music streaming platform has reported dramatic surges in manifestation-themed playlists and spell-inflected audio — some up nearly 300 percent in recent years — suggesting that ritual language hasn't disappeared. It has simply migrated. "If words are spells [that's why it's called spelling], then songs could be your ritual. Your playlist could be your altar," says Cook. "The energy you listen to is the energy you're inviting in." The coven, in other words, might now look like a shared Spotify link. The altar is portable, the circle digital, the incantation algorithmically delivered. But the resurgence runs deeper than algorithms, Cook insists. "Women are looking for something that they feel they have control over. They're looking for something that's theirs. Something that says, 'I can influence my world. I can choose what I bring in.'" That search for agency sits squarely within the concerns of fourth-wave feminism. When bodily autonomy is contested and social contracts feel unstable, reclaiming power at a symbolic level becomes both personal and political. Lighting a candle will not rewrite legislation; gathering in a circle will not dismantle patriarchy, but it does create a space where women's voices are centred rather than mediated. Horne articulates witchcraft less as spectacle and more as ethics. "The core laws are simple," she explains. "Do what you will, but do not harm. Do not interfere with another's free will. And understand that what you send out returns. There's accountability in that. There's responsibility." #witchtok That distinction matters in a marketplace increasingly eager to monetise magic. In February 2026, VICE reported that Etsy had begun removing sellers offering spellcasting services, despite the platform's longstanding prohibition on selling supernatural outcomes. Sellers described the move as abrupt, even likening it to a "modern witch hunt." The policy itself was blunt: you can sell a candle, but not the promise that it will fix someone's life. "[It was] preying on fear," Cook says plainly of some online spell-selling spaces. "That's not what this is meant to be. It's not about dependency. It's not about giving your power away to someone else and saying, 'Fix it for me.' It's about coming back to yourself." And the archetype itself has shifted. "When we think of a witch, we think of a woman who is in power, who's in control of her life," says Horne. "If we were describing a man, it would be great. But when we're describing a woman, suddenly it's a bad thing. So reclaiming that word matters. It matters that we say, 'Yes, I'm powerful. Yes, I trust myself.'" Strip away the iconography of pentagrams, cauldrons, and altars, and this message feels like the quiet core of the revival: not supernatural intervention so much as authority redirected inward. In that sense, witchcraft begins to look less like rebellion and more like recalibration — akin to meditation, mindfulness, or even some forms of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Maybe it's more about hope, or control, or a combination of both. Is modern witchcraft just accessible, secular spirituality dressed up in a velvet cape? If history is any guide, this wave will crest and quieten again. The aesthetic may change, the algorithms will pivot, but the underlying impulse remains evergreen and essential — women gathering, naming their experience and refusing to relinquish authority over it. FYI I wrote this piece while listening to my own Spotify spell playlist. When in Rome. Images: Larnce Gold
Every year, once gifts have been given, turkey and prawns devoured, drinks sipped and backyard games of cricket played, the festive season delivers another treat. Whatever you spend your Christmas Day doing, Boxing Day is just as exciting if you're a movie buff — or even simply eager to escape the weather, and your house, to relax in air-conditioning and watch the latest big-screen releases. Just like in 2020, 2021 has seen many cinemas Down Under spend months empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading; however, the country's picture palaces are well and truly back in business. And, they're screening a wide array of Boxing Day fare as always — so at least one thing about this chaotic year is proceeding as normal. If you're wondering not only what's showing, but what's worth your time, we've watched and reviewed the day's slate of new titles. It includes a trip back into an adored sci-fi franchise, getting swept up in a musical romance, catching a scorching new Shakespeare adaptation and taking in a glorious 70s-set coming-of-age slice of life. Even when you're done unwrapping your presents, these silver-screen gifts await. THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS Hordes of imitators have spilled ones and zeros claiming otherwise, but the greatest move The Matrix franchise ever made wasn't actually bullet time. Even 22 years after Lana and Lilly Wachowski brought the saga's instant-classic first film to cinemas, its slow-motion action still wows, and yet they made another choice that's vastly more powerful. It wasn't the great pill divide — blue versus red, as dubiously co-opted by right-wing conspiracies since — or the other binaries at its core (good versus evil, freedom versus enslavement, analogue versus digital, humanity versus machines). It wasn't end-of-the-millennia philosophising about living lives online, the green-tinged cyberpunk aesthetic, or one of the era's best soundtracks, either. They're all glorious, as is knowing kung fu and exclaiming "whoa!", but The Matrix's unwavering belief in Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss is far more spectacular. It was a bold decision those two-and-a-bit decades ago, with Reeves a few years past sublime early-90s action hits Point Break and Speed, and Moss then known for TV bit parts (including, in a coincidence that feels like the product of computer simulation, a 1993 series called Matrix). But, as well as giving cinema their much-emulated gunfire-avoidance technique and all those other aforementioned highlights, the Wachowskis bet big on viewers caring about their central pair — and hooking into their chemistry — as leather-clad heroes saving humanity. Amid the life-is-a-lie horrors, the subjugation of flesh to mechanical overlords and the battle for autonomy, the first three Matrix films always weaved Neo and Trinity's love story through their sci-fi action. Indeed, the duo's connection remained the saga's beating heart. Like any robust computer program executed over and over, The Matrix Resurrections repeats the feat — with plenty of love for what's come before, but even more for its enduring love story. Lana goes solo on The Matrix Resurrections — helming her first-ever project without her sister in their entire career — but she still goes all in on Reeves and Moss. The fourth live-action film in the saga, and fifth overall counting The Animatrix, this new instalment doesn't initially give its key figures their familiar character names, however. Rather, it casts them as famous video game designer Thomas Anderson and motorcycle-loving mother-of-two Tiffany. One of those monikers is familiar, thanks to a surname drawled by Agent Smith back in 1999, and again in 2003 sequels The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. But this version of Thomas Anderson only knows the agent from his own hit gaming trilogy (called The Matrix, naturally). And he doesn't really know Tiffany at all, instead admiring her from afar at Simulatte, their local coffee shop. Before Reeves and Moss share a frame, and before Anderson and Tiffany's awkward meet-cute, The Matrix Resurrections begins with blue-haired hacker Bugs (Jessica Henwick, On the Rocks). She sports a white rabbit tattoo, observes a scene straight out of the first flick and helps set the movie's self-referential tone. As a result, The Matrix Resurrections starts with winking, nodding and déjà vu — and, yes, with a glitch, with Lana and co-screenwriters David Mitchell (author of Cloud Atlas) and Aleksandar Hemon (Sense8) penning a playful script that adores the established Matrix lore, enjoys toying with it and openly unpacks everything that's sprung up around it. Long exposition dumps, some of the feature's worst habits, explain the details, but waking up Anderson from his machine-induced dream — again — is Bugs' number-one aim. Read our full review. WEST SIDE STORY Tonight, tonight, there's only Steven Spielberg's lavish and dynamic version of West Side Story tonight — not to detract from or forget the 1961 movie of the same name. Six decades ago, an all-singing, all-dancing, New York City-set, gang war-focused spin on Romeo and Juliet leapt from stage to screen, becoming one of cinema's all-time classic musicals; however, remaking that hit is a task that Spielberg dazzlingly proves up to. It's his first sashay into the genre, despite making his initial amateur feature just three years after the original West Side Story debuted. It's also his first film since 2018's obnoxiously awful Ready Player One, which doubled as a how-to guide to crafting one of the worst, flimsiest and most bloated pieces of soulless pop-culture worship possible. But with this swooning, socially aware story of star-crossed lovers, Spielberg pirouettes back from his atrocious last flick by embracing something he clearly adores, and being unafraid to give it rhythmic swirls and thematic twirls. Shakespeare's own tale of tempestuous romance still looms large over West Side Story, as it always has — in fair NYC and its rubble-strewn titular neighbourhood where it lays its 1950s-era scene. The Jets and the Sharks aren't quite two households both alike in dignity, though. Led by the swaggering and dogged Riff (Mike Faist, a Tony-nominee for the Broadway production of Dear Evan Hansen), the Jets are young, scrappy, angry and full of resentment for anyone they fear is encroaching on their terrain (anyone who isn't white especially). Meanwhile, with boxer Bernardo (David Alvarez, a Tony-winner for Billy Elliot) at the helm, the Sharks have tried to establish new lives outside of their native Puerto Rico through study, jobs and their own businesses. Both gangs refuse to coexist peacefully in the only part of New York where either feels at home — even with the threat of gentrification looming large in every torn-down building, signs for shiny new amenities such as Lincoln Centre popping up around the place and, when either local cops Officer Krupke (Brian d'Arcy James, Hawkeye) or Lieutenant Schrank (Corey Stoll, The Many Saints of Newark) interrupt their feuding, after they're overtly warned as well. But it's a night at a dance, and the love-at-first-sight connection that blooms between Riff's best friend Tony (Ansel Elgort, The Goldfinch) and Bernardo's younger sister María (feature debutant Rachel Zegler), that sparks a showdown. This rumble will decide westside supremacy once and for all, the two sides agree. The OG West Side Story was many things: gifted with a glorious cast, including Rita Moreno in her Academy Award-winning role as Bernardo's girlfriend Anita, plus future Twin Peaks co-stars Russ Tamblyn and Richard Beymer as Riff and Tony; unashamedly showy, like it had just snapped its fingers and flung itself off the stage; and punchy with its editing, embracing the move from the boards to the frame. It still often resembled a filmed musical rather than a film more than it should've, however. Spielberg's reimagining, which boasts a script by his Munich and Lincoln scribe Tony Kushner, tweaks plenty while also always remaining West Side Story — and, via his regular cinematographer Janusz Kaminski (The Post) and a whirl of leaping and plunging camerawork, it looks as exuberant as the vibrant choreography that the New York City Ballet's Justin Peck splashes across the screen, nodding to Jerome Robbins' work for the original movie lovingly but never slavishly. Read our full review. LICORICE PIZZA A Star Is Born has already graced the titles of four different films, and Licorice Pizza isn't one of them. Paul Thomas Anderson's ninth feature, and his loosest since Boogie Nights — his lightest since ever, too — does boast a memorable Bradley Cooper performance, though. That said, this 70s- and San Fernando Valley-set delight isn't quite about seeking fame, then navigating its joys and pitfalls, although child actors and Hollywood's ebbs and flows all figure into the narrative. Licorice Pizza definitely births two new on-screen talents, however, both putting in two of 2021's best performances and two of the finest-ever movie debuts. That's evident from the film's very first sublimely grainy 35-millimetre-shot moments, as Alana Haim of Haim (who PTA has directed several music videos for) and Cooper Hoffman (son of the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman, a PTA regular) do little more than chat, stroll and charm. The radiant Haim plays Alana Kane, a Valley dweller of 25 or 28 (her story changes) working as a photographer's assistant, which brings her to a Tarzana high school on yearbook picture day. Enter the smoothly assured Hoffman as 15-year-old Gary Valentine, who is instantly smitten and tries to wrangle a date. Alana is dismissive with a spikiness that speaks volumes about how she handles herself (a later scene, where she yells "fuck off, teenagers!" to kids in her way, is similarly revealing). But Gary keeps persisting, inviting her to the real-life Tail o' the Cock, a fine diner he claims to visit regularly. In a gliding ride of a walk-and-talk sequence that's shot like a dream, Alana says no, yet she's also still intrigued. As a smile at the end of their first encounter betrays, Alana was always going to show up, even against her better judgement (and even as she firmly establishes that they aren't a couple). Her demeanour doesn't soften as Gary interrogates her like he's a dad greeting a daughter's beau — a gag Anderson mirrors later when Alana takes another ex-child actor, Lance (Skyler Gisondo, Santa Clarita Diet), home to meet her mother, father and two sisters (all played by the rest of the Haims, parents included) and he's questioned in the same manner. That family dinner arises after Gary enlists the new object of his affection to chaperone him on a trip to New York, where he's featuring with Lance in a live reunion for one of their flicks. Upon returning to Los Angeles, Gary is heartbroken to see Alana with Lance, but all roads keep leading her back to him anyway. Charting Alana and Gary's friendship as it circles and swirls, and they often sprint towards each other — and chronicling everything else going on in the San Fernando Valley, where PTA himself grew up — Licorice Pizza is a shaggy slice-of-life film in multiple ways. Spinning a narrative that Anderson penned partly based on stories shared by Gary Goetzman, an ex-child talent turned frequent producer of Tom Hanks movies, it saunters along leisurely like it's just stepped out of the 70s itself, and also sports that anything-can-happen vibe that comes with youth. It's a portrait of a time, before mobile phones and the internet, when you had to either talk on a landline or meet up in person to make plans, and when just following where the day took you was the status quo. It captures a canny mix of adolescence and arrested development, too; teen exuberance springs from the always-hustling Gary, while treading water is both an apt description of Alana's connection with her would-be paramour and a state she's acutely aware of. Read our full review. THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD When Frances Ha splashed a gorgeous portrait of quarter-life malaise across the screen nearly a decade back — proving neither the first nor last film to do so, of course — its titular New Yorker was frequently running. As played by Greta Gerwig, she sprinted and stumbled to David Bowie's intoxicating 'Modern Love' and just in general, while navigating the constantly-in-motion reality of being in her 20s. It takes place in a different city, another country and on the other side of the globe, but The Worst Person in the World's eponymous figure (Renate Reinsve, Phoenix) is often racing, too. (Sometimes, in the movie's most stylised touch, she's even flitting around while the whole world stops around her.) Norwegian writer/director Joachim Trier (Thelma) firmly understands the easy shorthand of watching someone rush — around Oslo here, but also through life overall — especially while they're grappling with a blatant case arrested development. Capturing the relentlessly on-the-go sensation that comes with adulthood, as well as the inertia of feeling like you're never quite getting anywhere that you're meant to be, these running scenes paint a wonderfully evocative and relatable image. Those are apt terms for The Worst Person in the World overall, actually, which meets Julie as she's pinballing through the shambles of her millennial life. She doesn't ever truly earn the film's title, or come close, but she still coins the description and spits it her own way — making the type of self-deprecating, comically self-aware comment we all do when we're trying to own our own chaos because anything else would be a lie. The Worst Person in the World's moniker feels so telling because it's uttered by Julie herself, conveying how we're all our own harshest critics. In her existence, even within the mere four years that the film focuses on, mess is a constant. Indeed, across the movie's 12 chapters, plus its prologue and epilogue, almost everything about Julie's life changes and evolves. That includes not just dreams, goals, fields of study and careers, but also loved ones, boyfriends, apartments, friends and ideas of what the future should look like — and, crucially, also Julie's perception of herself. As the ever-observant Trier and his regular co-screenwriter Eskil Vogt track their protagonist through these ups and downs, using whatever means they can to put his audience in her mindset — freezing time around her among them — The Worst Person in the World also proves a raw ode to self-acceptance, and to forgiving yourself for not having it all together. They're the broad strokes of this wonderfully perceptive film; the specifics are just as insightful and recognisable. Julie jumps from medicine to psychology to photography, and between relationships — with 44-year-old comic book artist Aksel (Anders Danielsen Lie, Bergman Island), who's soon thinking about all the serious things in life; and then with the far more carefree Eivind (Herbert Nordrum, ZombieLars), who she meets after crashing a wedding. Expressing not only how Julie changes with each shift in focus, job and partner, but how she copes with that change within herself, is another of The Worst Person in the World's sharp touches. At one point, on a getaway with friends more than a decade older than her, Julie is laden with broad and trite generalisations about being her age — which Trier humorously and knowingly counters frame by frame with lived-in minutiae. Read our full review. THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH Bringing Shakespeare to the big screen is no longer just about doing the material justice, or even about letting a new batch of the medium's standout talents bring their best to the Bard's immortal words. For anyone and everyone attempting the feat (a list that just keeps growing), it's also about gifting the playwright's material with the finest touches that cinema allows. It's never enough to simply film Macbeth like a theatre production, for instance, even if all that dialogue first penned four centuries ago still ripples with power — while riffing about power — without any extra adornments. No Shakespeare adaptation really needs to explain or legitimise its existence more than any other feature, but the great ones bubble not only with toil and trouble, but with all the reasons why this tale needed to be captured on camera and projected large anew. Joel Coen knows all of the above. Indeed, his take on the Scottish play — which he's called The Tragedy of Macbeth, taking Shakespeare's full original title — justifies its existence as a movie in every single frame. His is a film of exacting intimacy, with every shot peering far closer at its main figures than anyone could ever see on a stage, and conveying more insight into their emotions, machinations and motivations in the process. The Bard might've posited that all the world's a stage in As You Like It, but The Tragedy of Macbeth's lone Coen brother doesn't quite agree. Men and women are still merely players in this revived quest for supremacy through bloodshed, but their entrances, exits and many parts would mean nothing if we couldn't see as far into their hearts and minds as cinema — and as cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel's (The Woman in the Window) stripped-down, black-and-white, square-framed imagery — can possibly allow. In a year for filmmakers going it alone beyond the creative sibling relationships that've defined their careers — see also: The Matrix Resurrections — Joel Coen makes a phenomenal solo debut with this up-close approach. His choice of cast, with Denzel Washington (The Little Things) as powerful as he's ever been on-screen and Frances McDormand (The French Dispatch) showing why she has three Best Actress Oscars, also helps considerably. The former plays Macbeth, the latter Lady Macbeth, and both find new reserves and depths in the pair's fateful lust for glory. That's another key element to any new silver-screen iteration of Shakespeare's most famous works: making its characters feel anew. Washington and McDormand — and Coen as well — all tread in the footsteps of of Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard and Australian filmmaker Justin Kurzel (Nitram) thanks to 2015's exquisite Macbeth, but they stand in absolutely no one's shadows. The narrative details remain the same, obviously, from the witches prophesying that Macbeth will soon be king to his murderous actions at Lady Macbeth's urging to make that prediction become a reality. All that scheming has consequences, both before and after Duncan (Brendan Gleeson, Mr Mercedes) is stripped of his throne — and one of the smartest parts of the movie's central casting is the change it brings to the Macbeths' seething desperation. Due to Washington and McDormand's ages, their versions of the characters are grasping onto what might be their last chance, rather than being ruthless with far more youthful abandon. That's the intensely meticulous level that Coen operates on in The Tragedy of Macbeth. His visual use of light and darkness is just as sharp, too; here, stepping back into the acclaimed play is a lean, ravishing, eerie and potent experience again and again. Read our full review. SWAN SONG Sit down on your couch to watch Swan Song, and a Mahershala Ali (Green Book)-starring sci-fi drama about mortality, farewells and leaving a mark on the world beckons. Head to the cinema instead, and you'll see the great German actor Udo Kier grappling with the same concepts — in a movie that shares the same name, too, and is also anchored by a weighty central performance. They're vastly different features in almost every other way, however, and only one boasts the inimitable Kier. His seven-decade resume spans everything from the original Suspiria and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective to a wealth of Lars von Trier movies, but he turns in career-best work in this SXSW-premiering film-festival favourite about a small-town hairdressing superstar enjoying one last hurrah by styling a former favourite client who has just passed away. Kier plays Pat Pitsenbarger — and, when the movie begins in an Ohio nursing home, he looks as washed-out as a months-old dye job. With a stare that stings like bleach, he fills his days refolding napkins in an extremely precise way and spending his Social Security benefits on cigarettes he's not supposed to smoke. After his lawyer arrives with the $25,000 funeral gig offer, Pat isn't initially willing to shatter his dull routine, but getting a rare taste of a life less institutionalised is too alluring to pass up. His initial reaction — "bury her with bad hair!" — isn't so quickly cast aside, though. From his acerbic attitude to the rings he packs onto every finger, Pat has spent his life fighting to do things his own way, and he isn't about to change that for anyone. The care that Kier puts into Pat can't be underestimated. His is an attention-grabbing performance, but also always a deeply nuanced one, all while playing a character that's gleefully outrageous and always has been, and is also unshakeably tinged with melancholy. Every second that Kier is on-screen is a marvel, because every second conveys new character details or plunges further into the many complexities of a man who proudly strides down his own path. Writer/director Todd Stephens (Another Gay Movie) has clearly conceived Pat with just as much thought and precision, and extended the same meticulousness to the town around him. Swan Song could've played like a one-note gag — a flamboyant senior citizen making a splash in a conservative midwestern spot — but interrogating what it means to be an openly gay man in such surroundings, both in the past and now, sits firmly at the core of this poignant drama. Like its lead, Swan Song is both eclectic and electric, especially in balancing different tones in every way it can muster. The narrative is episodic and encounter-driven, but each chapter heaves with slice-of-life glimpses that contrast who Pat once was with the situation that he's in now. Stephens' film can look both candidly naturalistic and glitteringly dreamy — and, in the same vein, Kier stands out in his nursing home garb and rocking a women's safari suit alike. Swan Song also smartly acknowledges the struggles that today's queer elders have navigated and survived, embodied here by enduring grief over past losses and the impending closure of Pat's old favourite gay nightclub, as well as the world they find themselves in now. Brief appearances by Jennifer Coolidge (The White Lotus) as Pat's former assistant and Michael Urie (Younger) as someone touched by his trailblazing add the same layers, in a film that couldn't be more delicately styled if it was sculpted one snip at a time with hairdressing scissors. DELICIOUS No one eats the rich in Delicious, but French nobility is still savaged in this gently pointed gastronomical comedy. The year is 1789, the revolution hasn't yet broken out, and the chasm between the wealthy and everyone else is so glaring that it even extends to cuisine — with eating well solely reserved for the kinds of aristocrats who smugly think that no one else could appreciate a fine meal. At one such dinner in the Duke of Chamfort's (Benjamin Lavernhe, The French Dispatch) household, his personal chef Pierre Manceron (Grégory Gadebois, Night Shift) earns the table's ire by daring to cook a new dish featuring potatoes and truffles, which he dubs 'the delicious'. The humble tuber is considered beneath the Duke's dining companions, but Manceron refuses to apologise for his new creation, choosing to leave his prestigious post and man his own roadside inn instead. Delicious is framed around the restaurant trade and its beginnings; it isn't just superheroes that earn origin stories these days, it seems. With his son Benjamin (Lorenzo Lefèbvre, Sibyl) following him home, Manceron busies himself cooking for travellers — but he's both fiercely proud of his past work and visibly bitter about how the whole situation has turned out. He's so aggrieved with his current lot in life that when a woman, Louise (Isabelle Carré, De Gaulle), arrives at his door asking to become his apprentice, he's sharply and rudely dismissive. He questions her story, and perpetuates the stereotype that women can't be great chefs, too. But she's a key ingredient in his quest towards a different future, which first involves trying to re-win the Duke's favour, and then boils up a bowl of revenge. Everything from Parasite to The White Lotus have set their sights on class disparities with far more brutality, but Delicious adds an affable course to this ongoing pop-culture reckoning. It's the dessert of the genre, even as its frames are filled with sumptuous close-ups of savoury dishes in various stages of creation — pastry kneaded, potatoes and truffles placed exactingly, and egg wash glistening to begin with. (Yes, if you haven't eaten before watching, it'll make your stomach rumble.) An opening title card sets the scene, advising that dining away from home, and for pleasure in general if you weren't rich, was utterly unheard of at the time. Writer/director Éric Besnard (L'esprit de famille) then spends nearly two hours slowly smashing that status quo, albeit by firmly sticking to the obvious. Recipes are a culinary staple for a reason, though; amass the right parts in the right way and magic frequently happens. Delicious isn't the filmic equivalent, but it's charming nonetheless — as engaging as sitting down to a well-cooked meal where you know what everything will taste like in advance, but you're happy to get swept up in the flavour. It mightn't have proven so appetising without Gadebois, Carré and Lefèbvre, however, even if their parts are clearly thinner in Besnard and Nicolas Boukhrief's (The Confession) script than they play on-screen. The handsome period staging also assists immensely, including all those shots of tastebud-tempting cuisine. Eating is as much about the setting and the company as the food, of course, a concept Delicious bakes into its frames. SING 2 Star voices, a jukebox worth of songs, anthropomorphic animated critters, cheesy sentiments: that's the formula fuelling far too many all-ages-friendly films of late. Back in 2016, Sing used it to box office-smashing success by doing little more than spinning a colourful version of American Idol but with zoo animals doing the singing. It wasn't the worst example of this kind of flick, but perhaps the most interesting thing about it was the skew of its soundtrack, which favoured songs that the adults in its audience would like more than the pint-sized viewers entranced by its bright hues, talking lions and koalas, and frenetic pacing. It should come as no surprise, then, that Sing 2 doubles down on that idea by not only mining the discography of U2, but by also casting Bono as a reclusive ex-rockstar. For the Irish frontman, the double payday must've been nice. For everyone watching Sing 2, what follows is the latest example of a style of filmmaking that resembles turning on Nickelodeon or your other kid-centric TV network of choice, cueing up a Spotify playlist full of past hits and letting the two run at the same time. Returning writer/director Garth Jennings explored how young minds process, respond to, and both internalise and externalise pop culture in the delightful 2007 comedy Son of Rambo, but his Sing franchise only wishes it could echo to such depths. The fact that its characters are merely belting out souped-up karaoke is telling, because giving familiar 'believe in yourself' and 'trust your pals' rhetoric some new packaging is the gambit here. Yes, the animated creatures are cute, plenty of the songs are classics, and it's clearly meant to be disposable fun, but it's all so dispiritingly lazy and generic. It might begin with a saccharine rendition of Prince's 'Let's Go Crazy', but that song choice isn't instructional or descriptive; nothing here departs from the expected. This time around, after already gathering a gang of music-loving animals via a singing contest in the first flick, koala Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey, The Gentlemen) has a hit show filling his theatre — but he still wants to make it big in the bigger smoke. Alas, Suki (Chelsea Peretti, Brooklyn Nine-Nine), a dog and a talent scout, advises that Buster's ragtag crew don't have what it takes. He's determined to prove otherwise, taking pigs Rosita (Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show) and Gunter (Nick Kroll, Big Mouth), gorilla Johnny (Taron Egerton, Rocketman), porcupine Ash (Scarlett Johansson, Black Widow), and elephant Meena (singer Tori Kelly) to Redshore City to pitch directly to wolf and media mogul Jimmy Crystal (Bobby Canavale, Nine Perfect Strangers). If Sing was an animal karaoke caper that turned reality television into a star-studded cartoon while trying to evoke warm and fuzzy sentiments — and it was — then Sing 2 proves a case of just flogging the same exact thing. The narrative has changed slightly and been overstuffed, but that's all just new words set to the same beat. While a few parts of the initial flick gleamed beyond the template, mainly because it still remained just fun enough, it's all about as fresh as a U2 greatest hits CD here. Children will still be distracted, but family-friendly entertainment should always strive for more. Dropping two already over-used Billie Eilish tracks within five minutes to sprinkle in some more recent cuts says plenty about Jennings' second-time approach, as does the heavier reliance upon songs in general to convey all the movie's emotions and fill almost all of its minutes, too. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on August 5, August 12, August 19 and August 26; September 2, September 9, September 16, September 23 and September 30; October 7, October 14, October 21 and October 28; November 4, November 11, November 18 and November 25; and December 2, December 9 and December 16. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Suicide Squad, Free Guy, Respect, The Night House, Candyman, Annette, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Streamline, Coming Home in the Dark, Pig, Big Deal, The Killing of Two Lovers, Nitram, Riders of Justice, The Alpinist, A Fire Inside, Lamb, The Last Duel, Malignant, The Harder They Fall, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Halloween Kills, Passing, Eternals, The Many Saints of Newark, Julia, No Time to Die, The Power of the Dog, Tick, Tick... Boom!, Zola, Last Night in Soho, Blue Bayou, The Rescue, Titane, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, Dune, Encanto, The Card Counter, The Lost Leonardo, The French Dispatch, Don't Look Up, Dear Evan Hansen, Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Lost Daughter and The Scary of Sixty-First.
After a couple of years spent staring at screens our brains are pretty thirsty for some lush green scenery. We are in the mood for tumbling waterfalls, secluded swimming spots and remote rainforest hikes that make us feel like we're living in an endless summer. Luckily for us, Tropical North Queensland fits the bill nicely — and you won't have to renew your passport to get there. In this part of the world, summer lives on a little longer with refreshing tropical rains and warm autumn days. The national parks are a little quieter and the waterways run a little deeper during this time of year, making it the ultimate time to explore the rainforest from top to bottom. From canopy walks, to castles and kayaking — there are plenty of ways to experience the rainforest this autumn.
Batter up at Portside. While most sports bars are happy with patrons simply watching their games of choice over a few drinks and a bite to eat, The Ballpark wants Brisbanites to get swinging. There's bats. There's plates to step up to, too. And when you have a slug, you'll be doing so in a batting cage. As well as screening plenty of sports, The Ballpark Portside lets you play baseball via its three interactive simulators. The venue advises that they're an Australian first, expanding the usual lineup of bar pastimes — because playing pool and darts is also on the agenda here. Think of it as a cross between a sports bar and the growing range of watering holes with things to do other than drink (a trend that Brisbane is mighty fond of, with the axe-throwing joints, boozy mini-golf havens, challenge-room spots and more across the River City to prove it). Open since Saturday, September 7, 2024, The Ballpark Portside has taken over a 450-square-metre space, which can welcome in 200 folks at once. Both local and international sports grace it screens, while its food and drink menu pairs tap beers, cocktails, wine and Seven Miles coffee with bagels from its Short Stop Cafe by day, and also with burgers from fellow American-themed Portside newcomer Dumbo when it opens. If hitting the batting cages sounds like a group activity, that's firmly on offer, including for events — and you can even book out the entire place for parties.
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to watching anything, we're here to help. We've spent plenty of couch time watching our way through this month's latest batch — and, from the latest and greatest to old favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue from June's haul of newbies. BRAND NEW STUFF YOU CAN WATCH IN FULL RIGHT NOW CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH With Freshman Year, Cooper Raiff cemented himself as a talent to watch, both on- and off-screen. The writer, director, actor, editor and producer wore many hats on the likeable romance-meets-coming-of-age film, and he wore them all impressively and effortlessly. With Cha Cha Real Smooth, he hands over splicing duties, but he's just as ace in every other guise yet again. Winner of the Audience Award at this year's Sundance Film Festival, in the prestigious event's US Dramatic competition, this comedy also focuses on the fact that no one really knows how to handle life — this time centring its tale around the just-out-of-college Andrew (Raiff, Madeline & Cooper). The character returns home after graduating with the sole aim of making enough cash to follow his girlfriend to Spain, but falls into a gig hosting Bar Mitzvahs for his younger brother David's (Evan Assante, Dinosaur World) friends. Andrew falls in another way, too: in love with Domino (an exceptional Dakota Johnson, playing a mum again after The Lost Daughter), mother to Evan's classmate Lola (debutant Vanessa Burghardt). Lola has autism, is bullied by the other kids and usually finds herself ignored at parties, somewhat happily so; however, Andrew makes her feel comfortable and accepted, which doesn't go unnoticed. His growing fondness for Domino is complicated, though. So is the object of his affection herself — and, while more than half a century ago The Graduate splashed in a similar pool, Johnson brings her own shades and depths to a woman who is yearning for stability yet rallying against it. Everything also remains complex about Cha Cha Real Smooth's portrait of being a fresh college graduate with everything ahead of you and zero ideas of how what to truly do — and proves always-earnest as well, a description that applies to Raiff's work as Andrew and this low-key, insightful and charming movie alike. Cha Cha Real Smooth is available to stream via Apple TV+. FIRE ISLAND Pride and Prejudice, but set on New York's Fire Island. That's it, that's the queer rom-com that shares its setting's name. Fire Island, the movie, even comes with its own Mr Darcy — here called Will and played by How to Get Away with Murder's Conrad Ricamora, who should enjoy the same career bump that Colin Firth did in the 90s when he stepped into the part in a far-more-faithful TV adaptation. Updating Jane Austen isn't new, of course. Bridget Jones' Diary, also famously starring Firth, did the same with Pride and Prejudice. Stone-cold classic Clueless, which gets a shoutout here in a perfectly co-opted line of dialogue, did it with Emma, too. One of Fire Island's best traits is how new yet comfortable it feels, though, like thumbing through a favourite but seeing it afresh — with hot tubs full of praise deserved by director Andrew Ahn (Spa Night, Driveways) and screenwriter/star Joel Kim Booster (Search Party, Sunnyside). Booster also boasts a writing credit on The Other Two, one of the best new TV comedies of the past few years — and that bitingly smart, laugh-a-minute tone shines through in Fire Island, too. He takes Austen's tale about love and class and steeps it within the queer community, its subdivisions and subcultures, and issues of race and socio-economic status that ripple through, as they do in America and the world more broadly. That's what Booster's self-confident Noah finds himself navigating on a week-long annual getaway with his best friends, and after he decides to put his pal Howie's (Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live) romantic prospects above his own. If you know the OG story, you know what happens next, including Noah's path towards the initially stern, quiet and standoffish Will. The end product here is witty, funny, heartwarming and sincere, as well as supremely well cast, energetic from start to finish, and bursting with queer pride. Fire Island is available to stream via Disney+. RUTHERFORD FALLS Mike Schur sure does have a type. If you're a fan of Parks and Recreation, The Good Place, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Office, though, that won't be new news. And if you watched the television producer and writer's great first season of Rutherford Falls as well, you will have spotted all his usual touches at work — which doesn't change in season two. By no means is this a criticism. His various different series feel like siblings, not clones; they share similar traits, but there's so much about their individual personalities that remains distinctive. Here, the fact that Rutherford Falls is a show deeply steeped in a Native American community gives it a wealth of avenues to go down, as well as plenty that's purely the sitcom's alone. Also crucial: the influence of co-creator and showrunner Sierra Teller Ornelas (Superstore), and the strong commitment to exploring the treatment of First Nations peoples in America today. Rutherford Falls' latest batch of episodes follows one of its characters running for local office, for instance, which is a scenario that Parks devotees will instantly recognise. And yet, what that means in a small town that's struggling to address the colonial impact upon its original inhabitants, the Minishonka Nation, is always its real focus. What everything means here is filtered through that lens — including teenage aspiring mayor Bobbie Yang (Jesse Leigh, Heathers), enterprising CEO of the Minishonka Nation casino Terry Thomas (Michael Greyeyes, Firestarter), cultural centre head Reagan Wells (Jana Schmieding, Reservation Dogs) and her best friend Nathan Rutherford (Ed Helms, Ron's Gone Wrong). It's noticeable that Helms is no longer the show's anchor, too. Indeed, the already smart, funny and warm series spends its excellent second season showing how Nathan wants to de-centre himself from hogging the town's limelight, and puts that idea in motion itself. Rutherford Falls is available to stream via Stan. COW As its name so clearly explains, Cow devotes its frames to one farmyard animal — and it's one of the most haunting films of the past few years. It's the third feature to take its title from a four-legged critter in the past 12 months, after the vastly dissimilar Pig and Lamb. It's also the second observational documentary of late to peer at the daily existence of creatures that form part of humanity's food chain, following the also-exceptional Gunda. And, it also joins 2013's The Moo Man in honing its focus specifically upon dairy farming, and in Britain at that. But the key to Cow is Andrea Arnold, the phenomenal filmmaker behind Fish Tank, Wuthering Heights, American Honey and the second season of Big Little Lies. She sees Luma, her bovine protagonist, with as much affection and understanding as she's ever seen any of the women who've led her projects. While watching, viewers do as well. Starting with the birth of Luma's latest calf — and, in the beginning, taking detours to see how it's faring as well — Cow unfurls with the rhythm of its agricultural setting. It's the rhythm of Luma's life, too, as she's milked and fed, moos for the offspring that's taken away too quickly, and is soon impregnated again. There's no doubt where the documentary is headed, either. There's simply no shying away from the fact that Luma and cattle like her only exist for milk or meat. Without ever offering any narration or on-screen explanation, Arnold stares at these facts directly, while also peering deeply into its bovine subject's eyes as often as possible. The result is hypnotic, inescapably affecting, and also features the best use of Garbage's 'Milk' ever in a movie. Cow is available to stream via DocPlay. HUSTLE When well-deserved Oscar predictions came Adam Sandler's way for the exceptional Uncut Gems, the actor and comedian said that he'd make the worst movie ever if he didn't win one of the Academy's shiny trophies. He didn't, and then Hubie Halloween arrived — and now Hustle. No, neither is the most terrible film on Sandler's resume. In Hustle's case, it happens to be home to one of his best performances. He has plenty to his name, including in Punch-Drunk Love, The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) and, of course, the astounding Uncut Gems, so it's in good company. There's also an element of art reflecting life in this new sports drama, even though basketball isn't what Sandler is famous for IRL. He knows more than a thing or two about only being seen one way, however, when his talents span much further. Whenever he branches away from the style of comedies that made his name, starting with Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore, he knows plenty about being the underdog, too. On-screen, Stanley Sugerman is Hustle's underdog. A scout for the Philadelphia 76ers, he jets around the world scoping out new talent in the hope of finding a future match-winner, but it's not the job he wants. He loves basketball, he used to play and he's long dreamed about being a coach — but when good news arrives, then tragedy strikes, then the calculating Vince Merrick (Ben Foster, Galveston) takes over as the team's owner, it seems he'll be on the road forever. Bo Cruz (real-life NBA player Juancho Hernangómez) might be his ticket to better things, though, if he can get the Spanish construction worker signed or drafted. There's nothing that's surprising about director Jeremiah Zagar's (We the Animals) choices, or screenwriters Taylor Materne (video game NBA 2K20) and Will Fetters' (A Star Is Born) either, but Hustle remains a strong and lived-in character-driven drama as much as a tense against-the-odds sports film — and it's as entertaining and engaging to watch as the playoffs. Hustle is available to stream via Netflix. SPIDERHEAD When does a jail look like anything but a jail? When it's Spiderhead. Located on a remote island, the high-tech penitentiary would probably make a lavish holiday home if it wasn't for all the locks, observation rooms, and inmates walking round with creepy drug-dispensing packs attached to their backs — all to help test drugs under the watch of warden/pharmaceutical whiz Steve Abnesti (Chris Hemsworth, Extraction) and his assistant Verlaine (Mark Paguio, Bump). Incarcerated for drink-driving his way to a tragedy, Jeff (Miles Teller, Top Gun: Maverick) is one of the facility's prisoners. He's also a key test subject of interest, and put through the wringer when it comes to his meds. That fascination goes two ways when he starts rebelling against his doses, as well as the exploitative scenarios in which they're given, and asking questions about both. Directed by Teller's Top Gun: Maverick helmer Joseph Kosinski, Spiderhead takes its tale from George Saunders-penned short story Escape From Spiderhead. It isn't a particularly easy adaptation. But as played out against a weaponised soundtrack of glorious yacht rock — and with Hemsworth as gleefully unpredictable as he's ever been on-screen — it's always an intriguing and involving movie. Not every aspect works, but when something does, the film proves as gleaming as the Queensland-shot sunshine that blazes outside the titular prison. Kosinski also isn't afraid to take wild swings, just like his star lead does away from his Marvel cape, and sports an unwavering determination to explore moral rot, ethical boundaries and the real meaning of free will. None of the insights that the movie excavates are new, but the result is still a slick and absorbing sci-fi thriller. Spiderhead is available to stream via Netflix. NEW AND RETURNING SHOWS TO CHECK OUT WEEK BY WEEK THE BOYS In savage and savvy caped-crusader satire The Boys, it has been evident since episode one that Homelander (Antony Starr, Banshee) is a fraud. He's America's favourite superhero, as well as the leader of top-tier supe crew The Seven — and he uses his public persona as a shield for his twisted ego, soul-devouring insecurities, arrogance and selfishness. As instalment after instalment of the show passes, his sinister true nature keeps burning. In The Boys' third season, Homelander may as well be America's most recent ex-President, complete with unhinged rants and an at-any-cost desperation to retain control. The comics that this series is based on were actually published from 2006–12, but the show they've spawned is firmly steeped in the polarised US of the past six or so years. Subtlety hardly comes with the territory here, and yet it doesn't make The Boys any less potent. The in-show alternative to Homelander's psychopathic, egotistical, world-threatening existence: the ragtag gang of vigilantes that shares the series' name. Led by cynical-as-fuck Brit Billy Butcher (Karl Urban, Thor: Ragnarok), they remain intent on bringing down The Seven and Vought, the all-encompassing company behind it, as always. About year has passed since season two, however, and Hughie (Jack Quaid, Scream) now works with congresswoman Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit, Where'd You Go, Bernadette) at the Federal Bureau of Superhuman Affairs, countering misbehaving superheroes the legal way. That involves overseeing Butcher and fellow pals Frenchie (Tomer Capone, One on One) and Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara, Suicide Squad), but this wouldn't be The Boys if their battle was that straightforward. It also wouldn't be The Boys if everything that followed wasn't wild and OTT to a jaw-dropping degree, oh-so-astute about popular culture and consumerism today, brimming in blood and Billy Joel songs, and always biting deeper — and sharper. The Boys is available to stream via Prime Video. Read our full review. IRMA VEP It's one of 2022's most magnificent new shows, and a cinephile's dream of a series, but Irma Vep requires some unpacking. The term 'layered' has rarely ever applied to a TV program quite as it does here. French filmmaker Olivier Assayas (Clouds of Sils Maria, Personal Shopper) retraces his own footsteps, turning his cult-favourite 1996 movie of the same name into an Alicia Vikander-starring HBO miniseries. And, in this series itself, a director is also remaking one of his own past flicks as a television project. In all versions of Irma Vep, the movies and shows being made are also remakes of 1915–16 French crime effort Les Vampires. It was a ten-episode, seven-hour cinema serial, and it's supremely real. Indeed, by first helming a feature about remaking Les Vampires, and now a series about remaking a movie that remakes Les Vampires (which, IRL, is also a remake of a movie that remakes Les Vampires), Assayas keeps remaking Les Vampires in his own way. It all sounds exactly as complicated as it is — and Assayas loves it. Viewers should, too. The nested dolls that are Irma Vep's meta setup just keep stacking, actually. The 1996 Irma Vep starred Maggie Cheung, who'd later become Assayas' wife, then ex-wife — and the 2022 Irma Vep haunts its on-screen filmmaker René Vidal (Vincent Macaigne, Non-Fiction) with visions of his ex-wife Jade Lee (Vivian Wu, Dead Pigs), who, yes, led his movie. If you're a fan of word puzzles, you might've also noticed that Irma Vep is an anagram of vampire; that said, Les Vampires isn't actually about bloodsuckers, and nor is any iteration of Irma Vep. To add to the list, while Cheung played a version of herself, Vikander (Blue Bayou, The Green Knight) plays fictional American star Mira — a name that's an anagram of Irma. You can also take that moniker literally, because mirroring is patently a pivotal aspect of the brilliant Irma Vep in every guise. Irma Vep is available to stream via Binge. Read our full review. LOOT Aptly given its title, new Apple TV+ sitcom Loot doesn't look cheap — or sound it. It's partly filmed in one of America's biggest private homes, an enormous mansion with 21 bedrooms, five pools, a bowling alley and a cinema. It's filled with well-known needle drops that come quickly and often, with one episode featuring three Daft Punk tracks alone. It couldn't scream louder or drip harder with excess; the series is about a mega-rich tech whiz's wife who gets $87 billion in their public and messy breakup, after all. And, it is inescapably made by a company that's a big technology behemoth itself, and has been splashing stacks of cash to build its streaming roster (see: The Morning Show, Ted Lasso, Severance, Physical, Prehistoric Planet, Foundation, The Shrink Next Door, Shining Girls, Slow Horses, Lisey's Story and more). Loot is also clearly a satire, however, and a canny, warm and funny one at that. The setup: amid being gifted a mega yacht for her birthday, then jumping to a party in that aforementioned sprawling home, Molly Novak (Maya Rudolph, Big Mouth) discovers that her husband John (Adam Scott, Severance) is cheating on her. Post-divorce, after that huge settlement and a stint of partying around the globe with her assistant Nicholas (Joel Kim Booster, Fire Island), she gets a call from Sofia Salinas (Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Pose), the head of the foundation she's forgotten bears her name (and even exists). With Molly's drunken decadence all over the news, the charity is finding it difficult to do its work. So, the organisation's namesake decides to ditch the revelry — and her married moniker, becoming Molly Wells — and put all that dough to better use. She also commits to playing an active role in how her funds can truly help people. Loot is available to stream via Apple TV+. Read our full review. ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING Born out of the world's recent true-crime and podcasting obsessions — and the intersection of the two in the likes of Serial — Only Murders in the Building boasts its own version of Sarah Koenig. In this marvellous murder-mystery comedy, she's called Cinda Canning (Tina Fey, Girls5eva). As viewers of the show's impressive and entertaining first season know, though, she's not the main focus. Instead, Only Murders in the Building hones in on three New Yorkers residing in the Arconia apartment complex — where, as the program's name makes plain, there's a murder. There's several, but it only takes one to initially bring actor Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin, It's Complicated), theatre producer Oliver Putnam (Martin Short, Schmigadoon!) and the much-younger Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez, The Dead Don't Die) together. The trio then turn amateur detectives, and turn that sleuthing into their own podcast, which also shares the show's title. In season two, the show returns to the same scene. Yes, there's another killing. No time has passed for Only Murders in the Building's characters — and, while plenty has changed since the series' debut episode last year, plenty remains the same. Viewers now know Charles, Oliver and Mabel better, and they all know each other better, but that only makes things more complicated. Indeed, there's a lived-in vibe to the program and its main figures this time around, rather than every episode feeling like a new discovery. Among the many things that Only Murders in the Building does exceptionally well, finding multiple ways to parallel on- and off-screen experiences ranks right up there. That applies to true-crime and podcast fixations, naturally, and also to getting to know someone, learning their ins and outs, and finding your comfort zone even when life's curveballs keep coming. Only Murders in the Building is available to stream via Disney+. Read our full review. PHYSICAL Lycra-clad ladies of the 80s and 90s making their mark in a ruthless, consumer-driven and male-dominated world, all by getting active: as far as on-screen niches go, that's particularly niche. It's also growing. Back in 80s itself, Flashdance did it. Starring a fantastic Kirsten Dunst, the sadly cancelled-too-soon 2019 series On Becoming a God in Central Florida did as well. For three seasons from 2017–19, GLOW similarly stepped into the ring. And since 2021, Apple TV+'s Physical has, too. What a feeling indeed. Now back for season two, the latter sports a staggering lead performance, a superb supporting cast and a complex premise unpacked with precision, as well as a pitch-perfect vibe and a killer 80s soundtrack. Season one of Physical didn't quite see Sheila Rubin (Rose Byrne, Irresistible) get everything she'd ever fantasised about. Rather, it followed the San Diego housewife as she pursued something she didn't even know she wanted until her endorphins kicked in at an aerobics class. Now, she's the star of her own fitness tape — and spruiking it, be it in supermarkets or by hosting public aerobics classes, has become her life. But while she's in control of every exercise move she makes, earning the same power in her relationships, and in business, isn't as straightforward. She's still stuck in a rut with her husband Danny (Rory Scovel, I Feel Pretty), to put it mildly. She's still caught in a torrid affair with grim Mormon business developer John Breem (Paul Sparks, Castle Rock), too. And while she starts leaning on her wealthy and supportive best friend Greta (Dierdre Friel, Second Act) more, she's also unable to shake the engrained notion that needing anyone's help is a sign of weakness. And then there's the help she hopes to get from fellow aerobics instructor Vinnie Green (The White Lotus scene-stealer Murray Bartlett). Physical is available to stream via Apple TV+. Read our full review. MS MARVEL First, the inescapable Marvel-ness of it all: Ms Marvel focuses on a Marvel superfan, heads to a Marvel fan convention, and revels in worshipping at the Marvel Cinematic Universe's altar enthusiastically. Yes, we've reached the point in the biggest current franchise there is where the MCU is overtly and openly celebrating itself within its own on-screen stories — and celebrating the people who celebrate the MCU. Here, Marvel also shows its characters frothing over the very saga they're appearing in, homemade costumes whipped up for cosplay contests and all. That sounds like something out of the supremely non-Marvel superhero satire The Boys, but it's now an IRL status quo. And yet, with Ms Marvel, all this Marvel self-fandom thankfully doesn't just feel like a massive corporation patting itself on the back in an expensive splash of self-congratulations. One of the reasons that Ms Marvel works: it's a series about a Marvel devotee because it's a coming-of-age series. Today's teens have grown up with the MCU, so a show about a 16-year-old finding her place in the world — with and without powers — can easily acknowledge that fact. The comic-book company isn't being meta or reflective. Rather, as non-Marvel fellow Disney+ release Turning Red was, Ms Marvel is about a teenage girl working out who she is and what she wants to be, and also how that process is shaped by what she loves. Pakistani American Kamala Khan (wonderful debutant Iman Vellani) happens to be obsessed with Marvel, and with Captain Marvel (Brie Larson, Just Mercy), all while she's navigating high school, coming to terms with her new super skills, weathering her parents' (Bullets' Mohan Kapur and The Affair's Zenobia Shroff) strict expectations, diving into her family's past and remaining true to her culture. Ms Marvel is available to stream via Disney+. Read our full review. Need a few more streaming recommendations? Check out our picks from January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December 2021, and January, February, March, April and May 2022 — and our top new TV shows of 2021, best new television series from last year that you might've missed, top 2021 straight-to-streaming films and specials and must-stream 2022 shows so far as well.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7eZEZHRrVg PENGUIN BLOOM Nature is healing in Penguin Bloom, but not in the way that 2020's most famous meme has taught us all to expect. This Australian drama tells the story of Sam Bloom (Naomi Watts, The Loudest Voice), a nurse who becomes paralysed from the waist down due to a tragic accident during a Thailand vacation. Then, while adjusting to being in a wheelchair upon her return home, she finds solace in the company of an also-injured magpie chick. Her three young sons Noah (Griffin Murray-Johnston), Rueben (Felix Cameron) and Oli (Abe Clifford-Bar) name the bird Penguin. They're keen to look after it until it recovers, something they're unable to do with their mother. But the strongest bond between human and magpie forms between Sam and Penguin, albeit reluctantly at first. Traumatised by her experience, pushing her husband Cameron (Andrew Lincoln, The Walking Dead) away, subjected to her mother Jan's (Jacki Weaver, Never Too Late) fussing, and struggling with the changes from her old life — so much so that she's barely able to look at photos from the past — Sam is angry, upset and unhappy. She's hurt, and not just physically. As enjoying the presence of and caring for a pet is known to do, however, she finds hope, purpose and perspective via her new feathered friend. Describing Penguin Bloom's plot is bound to make anyone think that it's a piece of fiction conjured up by a screenwriter, but the Glendyn Ivin (Last Ride)-directed movie is based on real-life events — with scribes Harry Cripps (The Dry) and Shaun Grant (True History of the Kelly Gang) adapting the book by Cameron Bloom and Bradley Trevor Greive. Still, overcoming that manufactured, formulaic, sentimental feeling is the movie's chief obstacle, and one that it can't completely manage. In her first homegrown role since 2013's Adore, Watts puts in a film-lifting effort. The several exceptionally trained birds by her side all do too, vying with their high-profile co-star for the feature's best performance. And the rapport between human and magpie is as touching as it should be, ensuring that you don't need to have sat in Sam's exact seat or seen the world through the picture's wheelchair-height cinematography to understand the impact that Penguin has on her emotional and mental wellbeing. But, as most Australian films that that focus on a human-animal connection have been (with 2014's Healing a rare exception), Penguin Bloom is firmly a family-friendly affair. Movies that are suitable for all ages should genuinely earn that term, engaging adults as much as children; here, though, chasing that feat involves sticking to a noticeably easy, straightforward and simplistic template even when the film does strike a chord. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5Fr1M2fjY0&t=26s ONLY THE ANIMALS Murder-mystery Only the Animals starts with a killer opening image, featuring a live goat being worn like a backpack. The animal is slung over the shoulders of a cyclist as he rides through the streets of the Côte d'Ivoire city of Abidjan, and the unique picture that results instantly grabs attention — for viewers, even if it doesn't appear to interest anyone in the vicinity on-screen. This involving French-language thriller doesn't explain its attention-grabbing sight straight up, though. Instead, it jumps over to the Causse Mejean limestone plateau in southern France, where snow blankets the UNESCO World Heritage-listed site and — unrelated to the weather — a number of locals are icily unhappy. Indeed, farmer Michel (Denis Ménochet, Custody), his insurance agent wife Alice (Laure Calamy, Call My Agent!) and Joseph (Damien Bonnard, Dunkirk), one of her clients, are all far from content before word arrives of a shock death in the area. Doing house calls is part of Alice's job in the small, close-knit community, and it sees her embarking upon an affair with the awkward Joseph, who has shut himself off from everything beyond his property after his mother's passing a year prior. The surly Michel barely seems bothered about his marriage, spending all his time in the office attached to his cattle-feeding shed ostensibly working on the farm's accounts. When the grim news spreads, it has implications for all three. Adapting the novel Seules Les Bêtes by Colin Niel, writer/director Dominik Moll (News from Planet Mars) and his frequent co-screenwriter Gilles Marchand switch between Only the Animals' characters and relay the details from their perspectives. First, Alice's take on the situation graces the screen. Next, it's Joseph's turn. Waitress Marion (Nadia Tereszkiewicz, The Dancer) earns the third chapter, which charts her hot-and-heavy rendezvous with Evelyne (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Let the Sunshine In), the woman who'll turn up dead — while the final and longest segment belongs to Armand (debutant Guy Roger 'Bibisse' N'Drin), without the goat, as he tries to catfish his way to riches, success and the girl of his dreams. A whodunnit, Only the Animals tasks its audience members with sleuthing their way through its fractured tale, all to discover who is responsible for Evelyne's demise and why. Thanks to its multiple parts, it also gets viewers guessing about events that initially appear unrelated, and how they'll end up linking into the broader story. But the suitably cool-hued film is filled with other questions, too, ruminating on the primal nature of love and pondering the ways in which pursuing it — or chasing a mere moment, however fleeting, with someone else — can lead down immensely complicated paths. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5xoxzO9bRQ&feature=youtu.be DAWN RAID When Danny 'Brotha D' Leaosavai'i and Andy Murnane set up their own record label in the late 90s, they took its title from a bleak chapter in New Zealand's history. During the 70s and 80s, early-morning round ups were deployed by the government to locate and detain Pacific Islanders who had overstayed their visas — a racially motivated tactic that left a strong imprint in South Auckland, where Leaosavai'i and Murnane grew up. Accordingly, by using Dawn Raid as moniker for a venture that supported Polynesian artists, the duo were reclaiming and repurposing a problematic term. Their clothing line, also under the same name, was filled with slogan-heavy apparel that did the same thing with other words. And, as their business empire grew quickly to also encompass stores, bars and even a barber shop, the pair employed the same irreverent, enthusiastic, passionate but carefree approach at every turn. The local impact was considerable, launching careers, giving aspiring musicians a pathway and inspiring hope throughout the local community as well. But, as the new documentary that's also called Dawn Raid makes clear, Leaosavai'i and Murnane's entrepreneurial spirit and can-do attitude sent them on a complicated rollercoaster ride. Their rise was meteoric; their struggles, when they came, were just as significant. Filmmaker Oscar Kightley details Dawn Raid's tale, paying tribute to the label's influence and the artists that it brought to the public's attention as well — including hip hop group Deceptikonz; its members Savage, Mareko and Devolo, who have each pursued solo careers; singer Aaradhna; and R&B duo Adeaze. The filmmaker may have already been well-acquainted with Leaosavai'i and Murnane after the pair oversaw the soundtrack to Kightley's big 2006 hit Sione's Wedding, but he still takes a warts-and-all approach to their ups and downs. It'd be impossible to do justice to their story otherwise and, as the movie's main interviewees, Leaosavai'i and Murnane are just as frank and willing to discuss both the good and the bad. They need to be, of course; it's their experiences after meeting in business school, overcoming troubled childhoods, lucking into some of their success and making as many fortunate choices as mistakes that makes the documentary particularly compelling. Indeed, Kightley doesn't need to amass much more than talking heads, archival footage and music videos to unfurl Dawn Raid's history, or to keep viewers interested. Still, he not only skilfully weaves together this engaging and comprehensive chronicle, but also knows when to give particular incidents from the company's past — like Savage's surprise viral hit when his single 'Swing' was used in the movie Knocked Up — the spotlight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_T0F36YEi0&list=PLB5pxwdW-CtP4EVTJe_bHhQ-iBR8mBeBS THE MARKSMAN If film stars are ever able to digitise their likenesses, then let CGI versions of themselves do the acting for them, Liam Neeson could end up with an even longer list of forgettable action flicks on his resume. That idea for that kind of technology stems from the 2013 movie The Congress, which didn't feature Neeson — but, perusing much of his recent output, you can be forgiven for wondering if letting a computer insert him into however many Taken ripoffs that Hollywood seems to need would be any different. For now, Neeson keeps performing the usual way. And, he keeps making movies that call upon his particular set of fist-throwing, villain-dispensing skills more than the talents that saw him receive an Oscar nomination for Schindler's List. The good news with The Marksman is that it's an improvement on 2020's Honest Thief; however, it's also yet another thoroughly by-the-numbers movie that only seems to exist so that it can star Neeson. This time around, he plays a retired marine-turned-Arizona rancher who lives near the Mexico border, has spent his time since his wife died reporting illegal crossings, and earns a drug cartel's bloodthirsty interest after he helps the fleeing Rosa (Teresa Ruiz, Narcos: Mexico) and her 11-year-old son Miguel (feature debutant Jacob Perez). Neeson's character, Jim, isn't the type to let murderous thugs hunt down a boy — or to trust that they won't still get to Miguel in police custody, even with his own stepdaughter Sarah (Katheryn Winnick, Vikings) on the force. So, in an inversion of the role that cemented Neeson as a 21st-century action star, Jim takes the kid on the run in an effort to deliver him safely to relatives in Chicago, all while both assassins and the cops try to hunt them down. Unsurprisingly, The Marksman trades in routine action scenes, but it thankfully does so in an unflashy way. It's far less subtle about its patriotic imagery; when Jim is told that the bank is selling off his house, the cringeworthy scene sees him deliver a speech about serving his country and working hard all of his life while grimacing sternly and wearing an American flag slung over his shoulder. It's the type of dialogue you might expect Clint Eastwood deliver and, in case you weren't thinking about him during the film, writer/director Robert Lorenz even has Jim and Miguel watch a clip from the actor's 1968 western Hang 'Em High. The filmmaker has a history with Eastwood, actually, directing him in 2012's Trouble with the Curve and working on a long list of Eastwood-helmed movies. Lorenz doesn't have ties to John Wick, but that doesn't stop him borrowing a little from that franchise as well — and stranding Neeson in a passable-enough but always derivative movie several times over in the process. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30; August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27; September 3, September 10, September 17 and September 24; October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22 and October 29; and November 5, November 12, November 19 and November 26; and December 3, December 10, December 17, December 26; and January 1, January 7 and January 14. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Craft: Legacy, Radioactive, Brazen Hussies, Freaky, Mank, Monsoon, Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt), American Utopia, Possessor, Misbehaviour, Happiest Season, The Prom, Sound of Metal, The Witches, The Midnight Sky, The Furnace, Wonder Woman 1984, Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles, Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman, The Dry, Promising Young Woman, Summerland, Ammonite, The Dig and The White Tiger.
Since 2017, Revel Brewing Co has been brewing and pouring yeasty beverages at the river end of Oxford Street in Bulimba, and drawing a crowd away from the suburban hustle and bustle of hotspot's main strip. But these beer fiends clearly have a theory: two eastside breweries are much better than just one. Accordingly, since late 2021, Revel has also been operating at its second venue in Morningside — a sprawling spot in a century-old riverside factory in the fast-growing Rivermakers precinct. The company's new site was once the Commonwealth Acetate of Lime Factory, which dates back to the 1920s and was involved in making wartime ammunition. It even has a history linked to Revel's beverage of choice, with August de Bavay, who was commissioned by the Queensland Government to design and build the factory more than a century ago, a chemist, distiller and brewer. Now, the patch off Colmslie Road is home to a striking brewpub. Brisbane beer lovers will find heritage-listed features aplenty — brick, cement and timber aplenty as well — as part of a precinct-within-a-precinct that Rivermakers has dubbed its Heritage Quarter. The old factory is also set to house Bavay Distillery, giving drinkers options when it comes to tipples. But if it's a few brews that you're after, including under umbrellas and fairy lights, then Revel is the place for it. In addition to a beer range that spans an XPA, IPA, hazy IPA, pale ale and lager among its core range, the brewery's Rivermakers digs serve up a food menu filled with share options, burgers and hearty mains. Start with karaage chicken tenderloins, frickles or cauliflower wings — or tuck into antipasto platters for up to four — and then opt for a cheeseburger, a fish burg made with crumbed barramundi fillets or a plant-based burger. There's also grass-fed sirloin, pan-fried barra, nachos, and both traditional chicken schnitzels and parmigianas. With its laidback outdoor space — grass beneath your feet included — Revel's second home also hosts regular events, including trivia on Thursday nights. Or, head along on a Sunday afternoon for live acoustic tunes from local musos, games and platter deals. And yes, if you want to do an eastside brewery crawl in this neck of the woods, that's easily an option. As well as its close proximity to the OG Revel, Revel Rivermakers is also just up the road from BrewDog at Murarrie. Find Revel Rivermakers at 82 Colmslie Road, Morningside – open 4–9pm Thursdays and 12–9pm Fridays–Sundays.
Jed Kurzel boasts one of the most-enviable recent resumes in Australia's film industry. It was back in 2011 that the founding member of The Mess Hall added a haunting layer to Snowtown, the first feature directed by his elder brother Justin, via its score. The pair have worked together on every one of Justin's films since. But Jed doesn't just have the sounds of stunning Shakespeare adaptation Macbeth, game-to-screen flick Assassin's Creed, the dark-but-playful True History of the Kelly Gang, the complicated Nitram and the upcoming The Order to his name. Jennifer Kent's The Babadook and The Nightingale, Ridley Scott's Alien: Covenant, Dev Patel's feature directorial debut Monkey Man: he has scored them all as well. With a filmography that also hops from The Turning, All This Mayhem and Slow West to Overlord, Seberg and Encounter — plus Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities on the small screen — it might seem an impossible task to pick favourites. Even whittling down what to talk about at Kurzel's Screen Commentary session at SXSW Sydney 2024, where he's chatting through his work, might sound difficult. But ask him which of his projects stand out, as Concrete Playground did, and he has answers, even if he notes that his responses differ over time. "There's a few. But then they start to change as I go on, because I guess you learn more things, and some films follow a particular style that you might have gotten onto, or a particular thing that I've discovered and I will push that through a few films," he explains. "Snowtown for me is the one that that really stands out, I think because it's the first one and I still get offered films today that have put Snowtown in their temp music, which is the music they put in while they're editing — it's kind of crazy that's it's still being used. So that one particularly, it still pops up. Macbeth as well, I think just because it was the first real string score I've done, orchestral score, and I did it all over in the UK, so I met a lot of people that I'm still collaborating with then and I felt like we were all jumping into this thing together," Kurzel advises. "I think those two stand out for me, and The Babadook." His fruitful career composing for the screen might've come about as one could expect when your brother is a filmmaker — Justin asked him to have a go at scoring Snowtown — but working together and taking this path wasn't a long-held childhood plan. "Never. No, I don't think that we have ever spoken about it. It was just how it worked out," Kurzel notes. "We'd been working together before that, in that he'd been doing the video clips for us and all that kind of stuff. We were always doing things together. So it wasn't like it felt like an 'oh, here we go' kind of thing. It was really just one of those things where we're always a part of what the other was doing." Viewers can be thankful for sibling bonds and the route it has taken Jed down. As brilliant as everything they each splash across the screen is, Snowtown, Macbeth, Nitram, The Babadook, The Nightingale and more wouldn't be the films they are without Kurzel's scores. Ahead of his session at SXSW Sydney, we also chatted to the composer about what sparked his contributions to some of the above films, how collaborating with Justin is different to working with other filmmakers, ensuring that his music isn't commenting on the content of the movies, the influence of genre, challenges he'd like to take on and plenty more. On How Kurzel Began Composing for the Screen "I was touring around with The Mess Hall and I had some time at home. Then Justin, my brother, was doing his first film Snowtown, and he asked me if I'd like to have a go at scoring it because, outside of the things I was doing with the band, I was always messing around with stuff at home. I guess it was more in the film soundtrack kind of land, but I was just doing it for my own enjoyment. And he said 'oh, you know, some of that stuff could work well, all that kind of thing could work well'. And I said 'I've never done that before, so'. And he said 'look, it's fine if it doesn't work, I'll get someone else. But you have a go with it'. So I did and then that was kind of it, it just it snowballed from there. It wasn't something that I had set out to do really. At that point, I was really happy playing music — and playing, actually. But I was missing just being in the room and making music. We were out playing a lot, and it's very hard to make music when you're doing that. So I was missing that at that time — so it came at a perfect time, I think." On Collaborating with Justin on All of His Features So Far — and How It's Different to Working with Other Filmmakers "It is different now, because I think we've developed — I mean, we always had a shorthand, but it feels like it's become even shorter now. We almost hardly ever discuss it while we're doing it. It just happens, in a way, now. We used to take a long time. I'd start really early on his films and it would be this drawn-out process, and sometimes the process could get quite difficult as the edit changed and things like that. I think just through experience, we've started to work out an efficient way to work that is still as creatively rewarding. And the last couple of things I've done with him, like The Order, it was all very free-flowing and it came quite quickly, and it wasn't something that we laboured over. I think we've discovered that the more we labour over things, it doesn't help anything." On What Sparked the Score for a Film as Complicated as Snowtown "With that one, we always talked about that hitting the bullseye was a very slim chance in some ways, because we found that with most music that we put on it, it felt like it was commenting on it. So immediately it was like 'well, we don't want to do that' because that just wasn't what the film was doing — and it didn't want it anyway. So it became a really instinctive thing about what it wanted, and there was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing of changing the edits to suit where we were taking it. So a lot of back and forth between us. And then, I always feel like if you just listen to the film, it'll eventually tell you what it wants. You throw things on it and just sort of shrug it off, and then there'll be something that starts to stick. And as soon as it starts sticking, you're on your way." On Whether Working on Films Like Snowtown, Nitram and The Nightingale Brings a Sense of Responsibility Given the Historical Details They're Diving Into — and How to Avoid a Score That Comments "I think so. But, I mean, I think with those projects, you're well-aware of that before you've even started them. There is a certain responsibility, I think, not to — I guess what it is musically, I'm always aware of not commenting, and that you're adding. I feel like you're just adding another layer and energy to the film, rather than going 'this character comes on and they've got a theme' or anything like that. It's just different, it's adding a feeling. It's what the film wants — and if you start commenting with some of these films, it just doesn't work. It just feels wrong. But on other films, you can go into those areas and the film absolutely wants to have that. I think it just depends on what you're working on. I always love to look at the film itself, and how it feels and what it looks like, and where it's set and those kind of things, because I think with music, you can actually add to that even more so. Even cinematography, I think, is really a big one for music, too, that maybe gets overlooked a little bit, because we are responding to images, so that's the first thing you're looking at." On Adding Playfulness to a Score That's Also Quite Dark, Such as True History of the Kelly Gang "That one, I'm glad you said that, because actually that's what I wanted to achieve with that score — that there was a playful quality to it. I always really loved the Sidney Nolan paintings, and I was sort of taking a cue from that. And also I love the old Hanna-Barbera cartoons and things like that. So for me, they were the influences that I was grabbing. I guess if you've got a concept or an idea that you want to launch things off of, that's always helpful." On How to Find the Score for a Shakespearean Adaptation Like Macbeth When There's So Many Past Big-Screen Versions —Including Initially Skewing Electronic "I remember doing that and both of us [Jed and Justin] feeling a lot of pressure because it's been done. There's not many times when you do a film that's like 'well, this has been actually been done before word for word'. When films are made, I think there's some directors who've got it all in their head and then they go out and make it, and what happens in the edit is the film just wants to be something else — and if you fight against that, usually you'll end up with something that's probably nowhere near your vision, and that frustrates you. Whereas if you follow what the film wants and then listen to it, and just go with where it wants rather than trying to hold onto your initial idea, then I think you can end up in really interesting places. In that case, yeah, it started out as an electronic score, that's what we wanted to do, but the film just, again, didn't want it. So we had to change tact a little bit, and we got something completely different, but I think it's the same sort of idea that we started out with. We had an initial idea, and then we just followed our gut while we were doing the edit." On How Working on Something Smaller, or More Character- or Mood-Driven, Differs From a Big-Budget Sci-Fi Sequel Like Alien: Covenant "I think there's similar pressures with both. On a smaller film, even though it's a smaller budget, there's almost more at stake because a lot of the times that might be someone's first film that they've directed. So they're kind of like someone's baby. Whereas the big-budget films, there's so many people involved, and they keep changing and they tend to have a lot more time to sit with things. The smaller budgets, the smaller films, they don't, they have to finish by a particular time because they don't have the money to keep editing or keep doing things. So I think there's different pressures with both. But in terms of scoring them, I just I think they just different hills to climb." On the Way That Genre Has an Impact on How Kurzel Approaches Scoring a Movie "We all grow up watching films, so we've all got that language. So whether you like it or not, you're aware of genres, and what those genres are and what's come before you, which I think is great because it can set benchmarks for you. If you're looking at something and going 'I want to do a horror film' and 'what are the films that I really like in this sort of genre?', you can go back and have a look, and just see the way they've been approached — which may make you go 'well, I don't want to approach it like that, I want to approach it like this'." On What Drives an Unnerving Score Such as The Babadook "That's a good question because that score, the inspiration for that — I think I wrote this in the sleeve of the vinyl — when I was scoring that, I was living in Erskineville and there was a possum on my roof or in the tree above me. And it was knocking things down through the night, and it would jump off the tree onto the roof. So I was always listening to what sounded like people throwing bodies on my roof. On top of that, it would make these strange noises, or there'd be strange noises outside. So a lot of the time, I was keeping the door open and making music, and just letting those sounds come in as well — and going 'okay, that's interesting. I could kind of do something'. So I think what I'm listening for is what's unnerving me — and particularly late at night, if I'm doing something, you can hear things. The world really is making music all the time. So the environment's always really great, if you've got your ear out, you can always hear really interesting stuff. But in terms of horror, I like to be unnerved. I'm not that much into the jump scares and things like that. I like an eerie, unnerving kind of feeling." On the Response to The Babadook — Then and Now "Even internationally, you mention it and everyone knows it, and the characters. It's pretty amazing. I'm really proud of the work we all did on that and how much Jen stuck to her guns with the film. I think it's just been re-released on screens in the US, it's doing a tour of America at the moment, which is amazing. And that was a film that if you told us that's what was happening, and most of the things that happened with that film, we would have laughed at the time because it just was not on anyone's radar. Even when it was released here, it had such a tiny release, I don't think anyone even knew it'd come out." On Being in Action Mode with Monkey Man, But Using the Score to Build an Emotional World "That was really different, because Dev already had, for a lot of the action scenes, there was already a lot of source music placed in there as music that already existed. And he had a definite thing for me, which was 'I want the film to be the emotional underground of the character'. So a lot of it, we talked a lot about memory, and the music was representing his memory of his mother. And so it was really strange, I was doing an action film but I wasn't really doing the action side. There's a few chase scenes and things like that. But in terms of that being the focus, it really wasn't, it was this whole other world that Dev was after which I found really appealing and exciting when we first spoke about the film." On the Most-Important Task for a Film Score to Achieve "I always feel like I'm there to add a layer that's almost not even music — it's another layer to the film that wasn't previously there, that if you took out, you would really notice it. A lot of people talk about watching films and not noticing the music. But I feel the other way. I want to notice it. And I want it to give me another layer on there that I know wouldn't exist otherwise — the performances wouldn't get it, the editing, it's adding something that's unique and almost impossible to describe, which is what to me that music is. It feels like some sort of magical language." On the Ultimate Challenge in Composing for the Screen That Kurzel Hasn't Taken on Yet — But Would Like To "I really don't know, because I find everything that I do, there's a new challenge and it usually rears its head pretty quickly. You get into something and you think 'oh yeah, I know how to do this' — and suddenly the film, like I said, the film starts to move into a direction and that tilts everything. Being aware of those things, I think that's the exciting part about it. If you're living in the moment and scoring things for the moment, listening out for really happy mistakes — which I call those things that you kind of go 'ohh, I'm going to try this' but something else happens that was a mistake, and you think 'that's actually better than what I was going to do. I'm going to go down that path for a while'. They're the things that I love about composing. In terms of feeling like there's something I haven't done yet, I haven't really done any romantic comedies. But I just, for some reason, I don't think I'm the go-to guy for those." [caption id="attachment_875685" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Courtesy of Netflix © 2022[/caption] Concrete Playground: "I chatted with Justin about Snowtown and he told me at the time that the next film he had in mind was a tennis rom-com." Jed: "Yeah, yeah, yeah." Concrete Playground: "So maybe if he does end up doing one, you'll get one." Jed: "I keep saying to him, because he's very funny, so I keep saying 'you need to do a comedy. That has to be your next one'." Screen Commentary: Jed Kurzel takes place at SXSW Sydney from 11am–12pm AEDT on Friday, October 18, 2024 at Fortress Sydney. Head to the SXSW Sydney website for more details.
When Indigenous Australian artist Archie Moore made history at the 2024 La Biennale de Venezia, aka the Venice Biennale, in April 2024 by winning the event's coveted Golden Lion for Best National Participation, he also did Brisbane's major art galleries proud. When the First Nations talent earned Australia the top gong at the Olympics of the art world for the first time ever, he did so with an exhibition curated by Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art's Ellie Buttrose, and with a date with Brisbane GOMA on its 2025–26 program. kith and kin is displaying in South Brisbane between Saturday, September 27, 2025–Sunday, October 18, 2026 — and it has also been gifted to QAGOMA permanently. The piece didn't just make history with its Venice Biennale accolade. A hand-drawn genealogical chart that spans back 65,000 years, this creation also chronicles it. Both a personal and a political work, kith and kin steps through Moore's Kamilaroi, Bigambul, British and Scottish heritage across the installation's five-metre-high, 60-metre-long black walls. More than 2400 generations are covered. The exhibition uses chalk on blackboard, with a reflective pool sitting in the middle of the room and 500-plus document stacks suspended above it. Every aspect of kith and kin makes a statement. With its size and scale, it speaks to Australia's Indigenous peoples being among the world's longest-continuous living cultures. The use of black is also designed to look like a celestial map, and therefore nod to the resting place of First Nations ancestors. Highlighting the decrease in Indigenous Australian languages and dialects since colonisation, the fragility that stems from not being able to pass down knowledge and injustices such as deaths in custody are all also part of the work — with the aforementioned piles of paper primarily from coronial inquests. Images: Archie Moore / kith and kin 2024 / Australia Pavilion at Venice Biennale 2024 / Photographer Andrea Rossetti / © the artist / Images courtesy of the artist and The Commercial.
Since 2016, the British royal family's ups and downs haven't just played out across newspaper headlines. They've also fuelled Netflix's hit drama The Crown. If you're fond of the streaming platform, regal intrigue and combining the two, then you're obviously a fan of the series — and you can now lock Wednesday, November 9 in your diary for your next date with the show. If this sounds familiar, that's because it was announced a year back that viewer would need to wait until November 2022 to watch season five of the series; however, Netflix has now revealed the exact premiere date. In focus in this batch of episodes: the royal family in the early to mid-1990s, including the breakdown of Prince Charles and Princess Diana's marriage. As the series is known to, it's shaking up its cast with this leap forward. After starting out with Claire Foy (The Electrical Life of Louis Wain) as Queen Elizabeth II, Matt Smith (House of the Dragon) as Prince Philip and Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret (Pieces of a Woman) in its first two seasons, which aired in 2016 and 2017, the series returned in 2019 with Olivia Colman (Heartstopper), Tobias Menzies (This Way Up) and Helena Bonham Carter (Enola Holmes) in those roles. Plus, it added Josh O'Connor (Mothering Sunday) as Prince Charles — and, in season four in 2020, Emma Corrin (Misbehaviour) and The X-Files icon Gillian Anderson joined the cast as Lady Diana Spencer and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, respectively. When season five premieres in a few months, Downton Abbey, Maleficent and Paddington star Imelda Staunton will don the titular headwear, while Game of Thrones and Tales from the Loop's Jonathan Pryce will step into Prince Philip's shoes — and Princess Margaret will be played by Staunton's Maleficent co-star and Phantom Thread Oscar-nominee Lesley Manville. Also, Australian Tenet, The Burnt Orange Heresy and Widows star Elizabeth Debicki plays Princess Diana, with The Wire and The Pursuit of Love's Dominic West as Prince Charles. Netflix also dropped its first sneak peek at The Crown's fifth season as part of Tudum: A Netflix Global Fan Event — the streaming platform's big unveiling of everything set to hit your queue in coming months. The first teaser does indeed focus on Charles and Diana, and the tension between them as their separation is announced. Season five will arrive two months after Queen Elizabeth II's death in early September, and following a pause in the show's production afterwards. News around the show's fifth and sixth seasons, which'll follow the monarch into the 2000s, has changed a few times over the past few years. At the beginning of 2020, Netflix announced that it would end the royal drama after its fifth season. Then, the streaming platform had a change of heart, revealing it would continue the series for a sixth season after all. The first teaser for The Crown's fifth season is only available as part of Tudum: A Netflix Global Fan Event, at around 20 minutes in — you can check it out below: The Crown's fifth season will hit Netflix on Wednesday, November 9. Images: Keith Bernstein / Alex Bailey / Netflix
Making a cup of tea is easy, right? Everyone knows the method: pop a bag into a cup, add hot water, throw in your chosen amount of milk and sugar, and then stir. That's one way of brewing up a cuppa; however there's more to this 5000-year-old beverage than that. Giving tea the kind of celebration that's usually reserved for coffee, Wandering Cooks' Tea Essentials Workshops will step you through the history of pure leaf tea, the knowledge needed to spot a good cup from an average one, and the skills to prepare and brew your own. Discover different types, styles, flavours and techniques, all over some tasty bites from Indie Treats. Consider it the most informative morning tea you'll ever have. Given that the session kicks off at 11.30am on October 1, we can technically still call it morning tea. For your $47.50 ticket price, you'll get all of the above served up with the wisdom of The Steepery's Kym Cooper — plus the main event: tea tasting.
A drug kingpin disappearing into a new life, clashing cousins, voting popes, a veteran actor trying to reclaim her career with the help of a mysterious liquid, Adrien Brody surviving history's horrors again, fierce tennis competitors: films about all of the above have earned Golden Globes in 2025. Stressed-out chefs, stand-up comedy greats, Japanese warriors, Gotham villains, determined detectives: TV shows about them are all also in the same category. And, they each have a heap of company. Held on Monday, January 6 Australian and New Zealand time, this year's Golden Globes ceremony started with host Nikki Glaser cracking gags about everything from Dune: Part Two's running time to Nicole Kidman making awards-nominated work to get away from Keith Urban's strumming and Adam Sandler pronouncing Timothée Chalamet's name. It then threw in excited shouts and enthusiastic speeches aplenty among the winners. Picking up the first award of the night — but not the only award for Emilia Pérez — Zoe Saldaña (Special Ops: Lioness) delivered both alone. Other highlights from the hijinks: Catherine O'Hara (The Wild Robot) and Seth Rogen (Mufasa: The Lion King), co-stars in upcoming streaming series The Studio, making up a whole lot of accolades for fake Canadian projects; The White Lotus favourite Jennifer Coolidge being Jennifer Coolidge; Emilia Pérez songwriter Camille calling the whole shebang "such an American experience"; and Vin Diesel (Fast X) starting his presenting stint with "hey Dwayne". And more standouts among the awards: gorgeous Latvian independent animation Flow taking out its category, in the first time that a movie from the nation has been at the Golden Globes; Kieran Culkin winning the supporting actor Succession battle for A Real Pain over Jeremy Strong for The Apprentice; Shogun's well-deserved swag of gongs; Demi Moore's touching sentiments about believing in your own value; A Different Man winner Sebastian Stan demanding that tough films still get made; and also Feranda Torres emerging victorious for I'm Still Here over Nicole Kidman (Babygirl), Pamela Anderson (The Last Showgirl), Angelina Jolie (Maria), Tilda Swinton (The Room Next Door) and Kate Winslet (Lee). Not every ace nominee could snag a statuette, of course. Not every worthy movie and TV series even made the roster of contenders. They're truths that everyone should remember at every awards ceremony. Still, the rundown of newly minted 2025 Golden Globe winners spans an array of deserving folks and projects — and comes in less than a fortnight before the Oscars joins in, announcing its nominees on Saturday, January 17 Down Under time. Will the Academy Awards follow in these footsteps? And the Emmys later in the year, too? What else received some love? Here's the full list of 2025's Golden Globe winners and nominees (and you can also check out our rundown of victorious films and TV shows to watch right now): 2025 Golden Globe Winners and Nominees Best Motion Picture — Drama The Brutalist — WINNER A Complete Unknown Conclave Dune: Part Two Nickel Boys September 5 Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy Anora Challengers Emilia Pérez — WINNER A Real Pain The Substance Wicked Best Motion Picture — Animated Flow — WINNER Inside Out 2 Memoir of a Snail Moana 2 Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl The Wild Robot Cinematic and Box Office Achievement Alien: Romulus Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Deadpool & Wolverine Gladiator II Inside Out 2 Twisters Wicked — WINNER The Wild Robot Best Motion Picture — Non-English Language All We Imagine as Light Emilia Pérez — WINNER The Girl with the Needle I'm Still Here The Seed of the Sacred Fig Vermiglio Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama Pamela Anderson, The Last Showgirl Angelina Jolie, Maria Nicole Kidman, Babygirl Tilda Swinton, The Room Next Door Fernanda Torres, I'm Still Here — WINNER Kate Winslet, Lee Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama Adrien Brody, The Brutalist — WINNER Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown Daniel Craig, Queer Colman Domingo, Sing Sing Ralph Fiennes, Conclave Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy Amy Adams, Nightbitch Cynthia Erivo, Wicked Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez Mikey Madison, Anora Demi Moore, The Substance — WINNER Zendaya, Challengers Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain Hugh Grant, Heretic Gabriel Labelle, Saturday Night Jesse Plemons, Kinds of Kindness Glen Powell, Hit Man Sebastian Stan, A Different Man — WINNER Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture Selena Gomez, Emilia Pérez Ariana Grande, Wicked Felicity Jones, The Brutalist Margaret Qualley, The Substance Isabella Rossellini, Conclave Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez — WINNER Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture Yura Borisov, Anora Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain — WINNER Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown Guy Pearce, The Brutalist Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice Denzel Washington, Gladiator II Best Director — Motion Picture Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez Sean Baker, Anora Edward Berger, Conclave Brady Corbet, The Brutalist — WINNER Coralie Fargeat, The Substance Payal Kapadia, All We Imagine as Light Best Screenplay — Motion Picture Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez Sean Baker, Anora Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold, The Brutalist Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain Coralie Fargeat, The Substance Peter Straughan, Conclave — WINNER Best Original Score — Motion Picture Volker Bertelmann, Conclave Daniel Blumberg, The Brutalist Kris Bowers, The Wild Robot Clément Ducol, Camille, Emilia Pérez Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Challengers — WINNER Hans Zimmer, Dune: Part Two Best Original Song — Motion Picture 'Beautiful That Way', Andrew Wyatt, Miley Cyrus, Lykke Zachrisson, The Last Showgirl 'Compress / Repress', Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Luca Guadagnino, Challengers 'El Mal', Clément Ducol, Camille, Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez — WINNER 'Forbidden Road', Robbie Williams, Freddy Wexler, Sacha Skarbek, Better Man 'Kiss The Sky', Delacey, Jordan K. Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Maren Morris, Michael Pollack, Ali Tamposi, The Wild Robot 'Mi Camino', Clément Ducol, Camille, Emilia Pérez Best Television Series — Drama The Day of the Jackal The Diplomat Mr & Mrs Smith Shogun — WINNER Slow Horses Squid Game Best Television Series — Musical or Comedy Abbott Elementary The Bear The Gentlemen Hacks — WINNER Nobody Wants This Only Murders in the Building Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Baby Reindeer — WINNER Disclaimer Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story The Penguin Ripley True Detective: Night Country Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series — Drama Kathy Bates, Matlock Emma D'arcy, House of the Dragon Maya Erskine, Mr & Mrs Smith Keira Knightley, Black Doves Keri Russell, The Diplomat Anna Sawai, Shogun — WINNER Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series — Drama Donald Glover, Mr & Mrs Smith Jake Gyllenhaal, Presumed Innocent Gary Oldman, Slow Horses Eddie Redmayne, The Day of the Jackal Hiroyuki Sanada, Shogun — WINNER Billy Bob Thornton, Landman Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy Kristen Bell, Nobody Wants This Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary Ayo Edebiri, The Bear Selena Gomez, Only Murders in the Building Kathryn Hahn, Agatha All Along Jean Smart, Hacks — WINNER Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy Adam Brody, Nobody Wants This Ted Danson, A Man on the Inside Steve Martin, Only Murders in the Building Jason Segel, Shrinking Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building Jeremy Allen White, The Bear — WINNER Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television Cate Blanchett, Disclaimer Jodie Foster, True Detective: Night Country — WINNER Cristin Milioti, The Penguin Sofía Vergara, Griselda Naomi Watts, Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans Kate Winslet, The Regime Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television Colin Farrell, The Penguin — WINNER Richard Gadd, Baby Reindeer Kevin Kline, Disclaimer Cooper Koch, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story Ewan McGregor, A Gentleman in Moscow Andrew Scott, Ripley Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role on Television Liza Colón-Zayas, The Bear Hannah Einbinder, Hacks Dakota Fanning, Ripley Jessica Gunning, Baby Reindeer — WINNER Allison Janney, The Diplomat Kali Reis, True Detective: Night Country Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role on Television Tadanobu Asano, Shogun — WINNER Javier Bardem, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story Harrison Ford, Shrinking Jack Lowden, Slow Horses Diego Luna, La Máquina Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television Jamie Foxx, Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was Nikki Glaser, Nikki Glaser: Someday You'll Die Seth Meyers, Seth Meyers: Dad Man Walking Adam Sandler, Adam Sandler: Love You Ali Wong, Ali Wong: Single Lady — WINNER Ramy Youssef, Ramy Youssef: More Feelings The 2025 Golden Globes were announced on Monday, January 6, Australian and New Zealand time. For further details, head to the awards' website.
Drawing attention away from any one of Timothée Chalamet (Wonka), Zendaya (Euphoria), Javier Bardem (The Little Mermaid), Rebecca Ferguson (Silo) or Josh Brolin (Outer Range) isn't easy, let alone from all five in the same films. And yet, the desert expanse that's roamed across by the stars of Denis Villeneuve's Dune franchise demands notice above everyone and everything. The person guaranteeing that viewers not only spy the sand stretching as far as the eye can see, but feel its impact: Australian cinematographer Greig Fraser. On both Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two, his work for the Blade Runner 2049 director ensures that audiences spend ample time with Chalamet and company as well. The two movies are as intimate as they are epic. But these pictures couldn't exist without their namesake receiving such prominence. Sand isn't just sand in Dune, or to Fraser. With Dune: Part Two, Frank Herbert's books now reach cinemas for the third time — David Lynch's 80s adaptation came first — but they couldn't value golden grains more highly even when they were only playing out in readers' imaginations. In the Dune realm, all that siliceous substance is spice, also known as melange. It powers interstellar travel, extends lives and expands consciousness. It's only found on Arrakis, the planet that Chalamet's Paul Atreides is sent to live on in Dune: Part One when his father (Oscar Isaac, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) is installed as its new ruler. It's hardly astonishing, then, that past overseer Baron Vladimir Harkonnens (Stellan Skarsgård, Andor) isn't thrilled about losing control of such a treasure trove. It's similarly unsurprising that the Fremen, Arrakis' Indigenous population, is determined to fight for their home and destiny. Spinning this story for cinema was always going to be a sandy endeavour, with Fraser's skills pivotal. For Dune: Part One, which stunned with its spectacular desert-swept visuals and set the bar stratospherically high for its sequel, he won the Best Cinematography Oscar. "You become an expert in the dunes," he tells Concrete Playground about not just making the first film, but also returning for Dune: Part Two. He didn't shoot the initial flick with its follow-up in mind, however — or even dream back when he lensed his first-ever feature, 2005's Jewboy, that this is where his career would take him, or to an Academy Award-nomination for Lion before his Dune win. Bright Star, Let Me In, Zero Dark Thirty, Foxcatcher, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, The Mandalorian, The Batman, The Creator: they're all also on Fraser's resume. "It's funny because, it's going to sound a little bit weird, but I just didn't think full stop," Fraser shares about his mindset when he was initially starting out. "Whenever I was doing a movie when I was younger, or even now, frankly, it's one foot in front of the other as opposed to a master plan. I wish I was smart enough to be in that Dune world of plans within plans, and manipulating events to my end. But really what I was just trying to do was just trying to do the best job of the thing that was sitting right in front of me." "So no, I can tell you that right now, when we were filming in Bondi for that movie, on a bus in Bondi" — for Jewboy, that is — "that I categorically was not ever thinking about the possibility of doing something like Dune. That was never on my radar. Obviously I knew what I liked, and I knew the films that I loved. And it just became a a race — or a game, I should say — of doing what I love doing. And then if I was doing what I love doing, and then doing the best job that I could, then hopefully that then leads to the next thing that I love doing. And that's kind of how the career's gone. It's a little bit of a simplistic way of describing it, but that's a genuine, honest take on it," Fraser continues. To say that his career is going well is an understatement. Now that Fraser has returned to Dune — including showing moviegoers what Arrakis and all of its sand looks like under an eclipse, and also bringing the planet of Giedi Prime, which dwells beneath a black sun, to the screen — he'll next shoot the Dark Knight again on The Batman Part II. We chatted with the cinematographer about his work on both Dune films to-date, his Oscars recognition, how daunting it is to try to back up his Dune: Part One accolades on Dune: Part Two, his new expertise on sand dunes, taking Arrakis and Giedi Prime from the page to the screen, and more. [caption id="attachment_774009" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dune: Part One. Image: Chiabella James. Copyright: © 2020 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.[/caption] On Lensing Dune: Part One Without Presuming That Fraser would Be Returning on Dune: Part Two "You never take anything for granted, and doing a movie is a miracle. People talk about us as a species having evolved, that's kind of a miracle — because there's a million things that could have gone wrong with a film getting up and going, but then there's another million things that could have gone wrong with me being able to do it. I could have been committed on another project. Denis may have chosen to to use another cinematographer, as is his right and he should and could, to create something different. Because that's what he he does — he casts his crew like he cast his actors. And so there's a whole myriad of reasons why I may not have been able to do Part Two. So I wasn't necessarily doing Part One on the proviso that I do Part Two. I was trying to make — as Denis was — Part One as good as possible, and do the best job for my director as possible. Then, with Part Two — obviously, we knew there was more of the story, but it's not dissimilar to to something like Rogue One. You know there's more to the story because the Star Wars universe is bigger than just Rogue One, but you don't make Rogue One thinking there's going to be another one or a series. You make the best thing you can." On Winning an Oscar for Dune: Part One — and Receiving a Nomination for Lion Before That "I love Lion, as I know a lot of people do. There's a lot of love out in the world for Lion. So, to have done that — the recognition is interesting, because the recognition from my peers is really important, and particularly peers that I respect and know. There's been a few events in my life where I've been given a pat on the back by people that I respect, and that's what effectively the Oscars are. A nomination for that is that exact thing. It's a pat on the back by your peers. And the win itself is, of course, icing on the cake, but that's not the most important thing. The most important thing is the nomination, because it basically says that of the movies of that year, that your peers feel like you are in the top five — and that's a big deal. For a kid from Melbourne who used to shoot short films and music videos with his buddies, to have made the top five film of the year for two years, I guess, now — two nominations — that's a big deal to have kudos from your peers, that I think's quite, quite fantastic. And also as a pat on the back to not just me, but also my director. Because if you recall in that year, Garth Davis directed Lion and that's a pat on the back to him. And Denis in the year that Dune was nominated, it's a massive pat on the back to him." On Being Daunted on Dune: Part Two After the Accolades and Acclaim Earned by Dune: Part One "Suddenly there's hype behind it. If it'd just been people going 'yeah, good one, that's great', well Part Two, you've got nothing to lose. But going into Part Two for us meant that we had everything to lose. Suddenly the stakes where a thousand times higher because everybody was going 'well, that won all these awards, this has got to be better'. Now, I will say just on the record, there have been many, many movies that have not won Academy Awards that are incredibly deserving — and there are many, many that have that aren't. So winning an Academy Award, in my opinion, is not always for the best film, out of respect for other films that don't win. But there is an inbuilt kind of consensus that that becomes the best film of the year. So therefore we were like 'alright, well all of us basically won that year'. Myself, and Patrice [Vermette, Foe] the production designer, and Paul [Lambert, First Man] the effects supervisor, and Joe [Walker, The Creator] the editor — we all kind of went 'gulp, we've got to make this better'. We want to make it better for ourselves anyway, and for the director anyway. But we're now like 'okay, now we've got to make it better better better better better'. Again, regardless of what it does in the awards season, I feel like we've made it better. I think every department stepped up. I didn't think that was even possible, frankly — that the design could be any better than last time or the VFX could be better than last time. But it is. And it was. And we did. And it felt better." On Becoming an Expert in Sand Dunes "What happens that I've learned — so here is the the masterclass of the sand dunes, if anybody wants to go out and shoot sand dunes — is that the time of day is critical. So you might be scouting a place in the morning where the sun's coming from east and you might not love it. You might dismiss it as a location. But you're driving past there in the afternoon, and the way the sun works its way across the the tops of the sand dunes and backlights the wind, it can change the location massively. Often at the beginning of our journey, back in 2019–2020, we would scout at the wrong time of day — or we would scout at a time of day that we weren't shooting. And we soon came to realise that 'okay, when this is scheduled, let's scout when it's scheduled, and that's the afternoon'. Which, in hindsight, is logical, and I'm surprised it even took us the couple of days it took us to figure that out. But yeah, I've become a bit of an expert when it comes to what the sand dunes are going to look like with the right light." On Giving Arrakis a Different Colour Palette for Dune: Part Two "We didn't want to start the movie the same way that that Part One ended. And it was a very deliberate, very deliberate process. Denis obviously had a really long time to think about this film — because even though I had done The Batman between the two Dune films, he had not. He was finishing Dune: Part One and he was preparing Dune: Part Two. So he had a lot of time to think about it, and he came to me and said 'I don't feel like we should start this the same way we ended'. And he said 'should we consider doing this as a night scene?'. And you know, I read the script, and a night scene for that scene would have been technically really tough, in the desert with lights. It would have been not only tough — nothing was impossible, of course — but I don't think the end result would have been as good. So we looked at day for night options. We looked at other ways to film it, to make it look different. And I found a filter that that cuts out a lot of blue and green light — not all of it, just a part of it, so it changes the spectrum, and it felt a little bit reddy-orange, but it still had colour. And we went 'perfect, that's what this world looks like when there's an eclipse'. So we said 'okay, we have the ability to to make an eclipse whenever we want'. And so we went 'let's start the film with an eclipse'. The funny thing was, we didn't plan for this, but during our time filming that sequence there was actually an eclipse in Jordan. Not to that degree — but we did a shot, we had our splinter unit DP Christoph with the long lens filming the sun, and so he did film the eclipse. I think there might be shot of the actual eclipse that we filmed in the film." On the Striking Look of House Harkonnen's Giedi Prime "Again, it's conversation with Denis. So Denis said 'listen, there's a fight scene. Feyd-Rautha [played by Elvis' Austin Butler] is gladiator, and there's a fight scene, and it's outside in a gladiatorial environment — but it can't look like Arrakis'. You think about all the gladiator films you've seen, and they're all on sand, aren't they? And they're all under the sun. So you would be confused if it looked like Gladiator or something, because it would be too similar to Arrakis. I'm not sure if this is in the book or not, but Denis wanted to create a a black sun for that world. And I was like 'wow, okay, what does the black sun do? Does it suck light out? Well, if it does, then it's black. It's a black hole.' But we were like 'no, it sucks the colour out. It emits an infrared light, but it sucks all the colour'. All work that's outside — the sun, effectively anything that's hit by sun or the effects of sun — is an infrared type of light with no visible colour. There are some scenes where it's inside in Giedi Prime and it's muted colours, but it's not black and white. When anybody comes from the Baron's box, for example, when they're inside in artificial light, let's call it, it's colour. It has colour. But then when they get hit by the sun, they become just this white, almost-ghoulish kind of effect. The benefit of that was that it really helped us tell that story of why the Harkonnen look the way they do — why they look so pale, and why they have alopecia, and why they have such gaunt, pale, pasty skin. It's because they don't get any of the ultraviolet from from the real sun. That's a backstory that never gets discussed in the movie, but hopefully with an audience it starts to become logical that you go 'okay, I get why they're so white and they need protection in the desert, because they can't handle the UV'. On Balancing the Epic and the Intimate On-Screen "I love extremes. I love dramatic extremes. I'm visually quite dramatic, I would like to think. So there's nothing more fantastic to me than seeing a closeup, then cutting to an extreme wide [shot] and seeing scale and grandeur that we possibly can't even imagine. It's something that I love about the Star Wars series. These guys get on the Millennium Falcon, which is massive, and then the Millennium Falcon flies up close to the Death Star, which then the Millennium Falcon becomes tiny. It's all about scale. It's people that we know get into something big, and then that big thing flies into something even bigger, which is beyond belief. It's hard to imagine that scale. As humans, we rarely come across scale that that absolutely floors us. I know people start talking about things like the Grand Canyon, they start talking about massive structures — massive earth-mining machinery, about the scale of those things that just literally blow their mind. So with filmmaking, we have that ability to create this scale that's beyond beyond this world, but mindblowing. Like those worms, I mean, those worms are beyond massive." On Making a Third Dune Film If It Comes to Fruition "Absolutely. I love working with Denis, so anytime Denis asks me to do a movie, I'll be there if the stars align — I'd be absolutely there. How it would look is a different story. I can't tell you what that would be, and that's what's fun about the process of discovering what a film is. Because Part Three would not look like Part One and Part Two. It would look different, and I don't know how that would be different at this point, which is fun because it means you got to work it out — and we could be talking again in whenever it comes out, five, ten years, whatever. If I get the chance to shoot it, then I'd love to talk about how different we made it. But at the moment, I don't know. It's a funny thing. I would love to do it. And if it comes off for me and the timing's right, fantastic." Dune: Part Two opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, February 29, 2024. Read our reviews of Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two.
The COVID-19 situation in Australia is changing every day, with the federal government first implementing a ban on non-essential events with more than 500 people and then mandating that everyone arriving from overseas self-isolate for 14 days. In response to the first restriction, events and venues around the country are cancelling and postponing their 2020 plans. This is having devastating impacts on the local hospitality, arts and music industries, with I Lost My Gig Australia reporting that, as of midday on Monday, March 16, 20,000 events have been cancelled, which has impacted 190,000 Australians and equated to $47 million in lost income. And those numbers are continuing to climb. While going out might not be at the top of your to-do list right now, you can continue to support these industries and businesses by buying from artists who've had their shows cancelled, ordering gift cards and merch from venues that are struggling or just booking in a dinner for that birthday a few months away. To keep you abreast of what's been cancelled, postponed and suspended, here's our live list, updated as it happens. [caption id="attachment_710789" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sydney Royal Easter Show.[/caption] SYDNEY All ANZAC Day commemoration services across NSW (April 25): cancelled All City of Sydney aquatic and fitness centres: closed until at least April 3 All non-essential indoor venues, including casinos, gyms, cinemas, places of worship, clubs, pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes (can offer takeaway and delivery only): temporarily closed Alliance Francaise Film Festival (March 10–April 8): postponed from March 19 Art Gallery of NSW: temporarily closed Biennale of Sydney: cancelled Bluesfest (April 9–14): cancelled Carriageworks: temporarily closed (Saturday farmers markets will proceed) Comedy Steps Up for Bushfire Relief (March 16): cancelled Download Festival (March 21): cancelled Festival of Dangerous Ideas (April 3–5): cancelled Handa Opera (March 27–April 26): cancelled Happy Place (until May 3): postponed Momo Fest (April 18): postponed No Coal Zone (March 14): postponed Opera Australia's Carmen, Atilla and Great Opera Hits: cancelled until March 28 Palace Cinemas: all locations closed from March 19 Royal Easter Show (April 3–14): cancelled So Pop 2020 (April 25): cancelled Spanish Film Festival (April–May): postponed until August, with new dates TBC Splendour in the Grass (July 24–26): postponed until October 23–25 Sydney Film Festival (June 3–14): cancelled Sydney Writers' Festival (April 27–May 3): cancelled Sydney Opera House: all performances cancelled until June 17 Taronga Zoo: temporarily closed The Other Air Fair (March 20–23): postponed Vivid Sydney (May 22–June 13): cancelled [caption id="attachment_710610" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ability Fest by Alex Drewniak[/caption] MELBOURNE Ability Fest (April 4): cancelled All ANZAC Day Commemorative services across Victoria (April 25): public cannot attend All City of Melbourne libraries, recreation centres and cultural and arts centres: temporarily closed All non-essential indoor venues, including casinos, gyms, cinemas, places of worship, clubs, pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes (can offer takeaway and delivery only): temporarily closed Alliance Francaise Film Festival (March 11–April 8): postponed from March 19 Arts Centre Melbourne: closed until April 13 Cirque du Soleil Kurios: suspended until further notice Download Festival (March 21): cancelled Fromage a Trois (March 22): cancelled Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: suspended until April 12 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival (March 19–29): postponed until spring Melbourne International Comedy Festival (March 25–April 19): cancelled Melbourne Queer Film Festival (March 12–23): postponed Melbourne Museum: closed until further notice Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: postponed until April 13 (but it is live-streaming select shows) Momo Fest (April 4–5): postponed National Gallery of Victoria: closed until April 13 Open Weekend (March 21–22): cancelled Palace Cinemas: all locations closed from March 19 So Pop 2020 (May 1): cancelled Spanish Film Festival (April–May): postponed until August, with new dates TBC State Library Victoria: closed until further notice Sweetstock (March 28–29): cancelled The Other Art Fair (May 21–24): postponed Wine Machine (March 28): postponed until October 31 World Tour Bushfire Relief (March 13): cancelled Wall to Wall Festival (April 3–5): postponed [caption id="attachment_764598" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Westpac OpenAir[/caption] BRISBANE All non-essential indoor venues, including casinos, gyms, cinemas, places of worship, clubs, pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes (can offer takeaway and delivery only): closed All ANZAC Day commemoration services across Qld (April 25): cancelled Alliance Francaise Film Festival (March 18–April 14): postponed The Big Pineapple Music Festival (May 30): postponed until early October — new date TBC Boho Luxe Market (April 17–19): postponed until September 25–27 Brisbane Comedy Festival: cancelled from March 16 onwards Brisbane Gin Festival (April 4): postponed until September 19 Brisbane Night Market (weekly on Fridays): closed until further notice, with all events cancelled Buddha Birthday Festival (May 1–3): cancelled Burgers and Beers (March 21+27): cancelled Cat Cuddle Twilight Market (March 27): postponed — new date TBC Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (March 18–April 19): cancelled Curiocity Brisbane (March 20–April 5): cancelled The Drop Festival Coolangatta (March 28): cancelled Eat Street Northshore: closed until further notice Fish Lane Festival (May 9): postponed until September 5 The Foundry: closed until further notice, with all events cancelled Gigs & Picnics (March 28, April 25, May 30): monthly events postponed until June 27 Gold Coast Film Festival (April 15–26): cancelled Greener Pastures (May 3): cancelled Green Jam Sessions (weekly on Fridays): all sessions cancelled until at least April 30 HOTA, Home of the Arts: closed until March 31 James St Up Late (March 26): cancelled Momo Fest (April 12): postponed — new date TBC Mould: A Cheese Festival (March 20–21): postponed — new date TBC Mov'In Bed Cinema (March 27–May 17): postponed until the last quarter of 2020 — new dates TBC Netherworld: closed from Wednesday, March 18 until at least the end of March, with all events cancelled Noosa Eat & Drink Festival (May 14–17): cancelled Not On Your Rider (March 26 and April 30): cancelled, with events likely to restart in October Palace Cinemas: all locations closed from March 19 The Planting Festival (May 1–3): cancelled The Plant Market (March 29): postponed — new date TBC Puppies and Pints (April 5): cancelled Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art: both galleries remain open, including GOMA's Australian Cinemathque, but all public programs, events and tours have been cancelled Queensland Performing Arts Centre: all theatres closed until at least April 30 Queensland Symphony Orchestra: all performances cancelled until April 30 Stones Corner Festival (May 3): cancelled Water Up Late (March 20–21): cancelled So Pop 2020 (April 24): cancelled Spanish Film Festival (April–May): postponed until August, with new dates TBC Westpac OpenAir (April 5–26): postponed — new date TBC World Science Festival Brisbane (March 25–29): cancelled The Village Markets Stones Corner (March 27): cancelled for March, with a decision about future markets due by March 27 Young Henrys Rock N Roll Circus (March 19): postponed — new date TBC 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 image: Vivid
Australia's best interiors for 2025 have been revealed — and a theatrical Brisbane restaurant has nabbed top honours. Central, the subterranean restaurant by J.AR Office, claimed the prestigious Premier Award for Australian Interior Design at this year's Australian Interior Design Awards. Celebrated for its moody, immersive atmosphere and inventive use of constraints, the venue also won the Hospitality Design Award and Best of State Commercial for Queensland. The annual awards, now in their 22nd year, recognise excellence across residential, hospitality, retail, installation, public and workplace design, as well as achievements in sustainability and emerging practice. The program is a collaboration between the Design Institute of Australia and Architecture Media's InteriorsAu, with this year's entries honouring aesthetic impact and user-centred thinking. [caption id="attachment_1010109" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Central by J.AR Office[/caption] The jury praised Central as a "highly inventive project" that's "executed with a level of cleverness that uses constraints to its advantage". In a year defined by refined aesthetics and clear design narratives, the 80-seat, Hong Kong-inspired Central stood out for its emotive interiors, with low lighting and cleverly juxtaposed accents of granite, timber and exposed rock, which all set the stage for a singular experience. Elsewhere, southern states swept the residential awards — Montage Apartments by Studio Prineas in Sydney's Double Bay received both the Residential Design and Best of State Residential for New South Wales accolades, commended for its "strong and nuanced colour palette and detailing", while the "joyful, sophisticated and colourful" Panorama House by Sally Caroline won the Residential Decoration Award and Best of State Residential for Victoria. Design Office claimed Retail Design honours for Vic's Meats in Chatswood Chase, Sydney — the project was also awarded Best of State Commercial in NSW for its "bold and highly distinctive design" that "honour[s] the tradition of the butcher's craft through a contemporary expression". [caption id="attachment_1010110" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Coopers Brand Home by studio gram[/caption] In the Public Design category, Studio SC was recognised for its moving and detailed interior at the new Australian War Memorial entrance in Canberra, which also took home Best of State Commercial in the ACT. The jury was split down the middle for the Workplace Design award, with top honours shared by both Cox Architecture's Adelaide Studio (which also won Best of State Commercial for South Australia) and the Arup Workplace Perth/Boorloo by Hames Sharley with Arup and Peter Farmer Designs — the latter also received the Sustainability Advancement Award for its conscious use of resources and sensitivity to human interaction. The jury noted that this year's awards represented "an opportunity for our industry to stand back, take it all in and genuinely celebrate the quality of interior design being produced in Australia today". And they're confident that the future is in good hands, too: "We can give ourselves a collective pat on the back as we continue to produce work that is inventive and sophisticated." [caption id="attachment_1010111" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Good Luck Restaurant Bar by Akin Atelier[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1010112" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Good Luck Restaurant Bar by Akin Atelier[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1010113" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Melbourne Place by Kennedy Nolan[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1010114" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Melbourne Place by Kennedy Nolan[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1010115" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Melbourne Place by Kennedy Nolan[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1010116" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Palace Coffee by Kerry Kounnapis Architecture Practice[/caption] For more information on the Australian Interior Design Awards 2025 and the full list of winners, head to the awards' website.
"Oh no, I like hip hop, I just hate Aussie hip hop." It's an all too common refrain heard at parties all over the country — well, inner city Sydney at least — as bearded Das Racist fans explain just why the world will never see another J-Dilla again. And I get it, Aussie hip hop, in its most common (read: popular (read: commercial)) incarnation, as personified by the likes of Hilltop Hoods and Bliss n Eso, is an acquired taste to say the least. But fear not intrepid reader, for if you're sick of the overblown ocker-isms, zealous xenophobia — so prevalent that The Hoods felt compelled to write a whole song about it — and sunburnt Southern Cross tattoos that have become emblematic of Aussie hip hop, then we've got five emerging local hip-hop artists to restore your faith. 1. Remi Holy shit, this guy is b-b-b-b-b-blowing UP! Probably the most well known of our hip hop offerings, this Melbourne MC was last year's triple j Unearthed Artist of the Year. The 23-year-old rapper has embarked on a national tour of his second album Raw x Infinity, which dropped just a few weeks ago. Taking cues from the faded finesse of early West Coast hip hop and the raw 'realness' of The Roots combined with a healthy dose of braggadocio, Remi likes to rap about hitting the blunt but isn't afraid to get political either; calling out passé Aussie hip hop tropes and conservative close-mindedness. Unlike generic 'skip hop' whose biggest message seems to be: 'How good are barbeques with your mates?' Remi is an artist with something to say — and he's not afraid to say it. Catch Remi at Oxford Art Factory this Saturday, June 28. Tickets available here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=oHmuZ7wDl4E 2. Coin Banks With tracks from Ta-ku and lyrics sent from the heavens, Coin Banks is already a force to be reckoned with. Having popped into our collective musical consciousness thanks to triple j's fairly regular rotation of his groundbreaking single 'Think of You', the Perth rapper hasn't looked back. The eloquent lyricism of his debut EP Heads made waves Australia-wide in the lead up to his debut national tour, pulling shapes at Sydney's Beresford, Melbourne's Espy and Laundry and Brisbane's Alhambra Lounge over the last few weeks. https://youtube.com/watch?v=WaAWTXNaqJU 3. Citizen Kay You may not have heard of this Canberra-based MC yet but he's already supported the likes of Public Enemy, Earl Sweatshirt, Danny Brown, Run the Jewels and Wiz Khalifa, all in the last year alone. And he's earned those support slots — Citizen Kay's cheeky wordplay flows effortlessly over some of the catchiest hooks outside of the fish market. He's by far the most interesting thing to have come out of our nation's capital since… Well, look, Canberra's pretty boring. Catch Citizen Kay on his national Vision tour: Saturday 13 July at Sydney's FBi Social, Friday 19 July at Melbourne's Revolver, and Friday 2 August at Brisbane's Alhambra Lounge. https://youtube.com/watch?v=qfMLYVi0uv0 4. Tkay Maidza As if hanging out with DJ Lance Rock while supporting super-weird-but-amazing US kids show Yo Gabba Gabba! wasn't cool enough, this young Radelaidean femcee is set to explode into the Australian music consciousness when she brings her self-described 'Dinojams' — code for epic dancefloor rap — to this year's Splendour in the Grass. One of the most promising female rappers to have emerged from the sausage fest that is Aussie hip hop, Tkay Maidza may only have one official single under her belt but if it's anything to go by she's going to be massive. If you're not already stomping your feet like a Brontosaurus, get ready to make some serious noise. Catch Tkay Maidza at many an Aussie festival coming up — Splendour in the Grass on June 25, BIGSOUND on September 10 or Listen Out nationwide from September 27 - Oct 5. https://youtube.com/watch?v=vV9lX9fQubY 5. N'fa Whilst technically not a newcomer, the artist formerly known as N'fa Jones has rebranded himself as just N'fa so we're counting it. You may know him better as the frontman for 1200 Techniques, the guys behind the early 2000s surprise hit 'Karma'. (WARNING: viewing this clip and its Punch & Judy-style rendering of the band may induce severe nostalgia for waking up early on a Saturday to watch Rage before your parents got up.) N'fa has kept the soulful, genre-melding sound that typified 1200 Techniques but has added a more introspective, personal feel to his latest solo offering Black & White Noise. It's not what you expect from Aussie hip hop and in this instance, that's a very good thing. If you want to hear him on the solo tip, check out the banger below — with none other than British hip-hop legend Roots Manuva. Catch N'fa at Melbourne's Howler for Hip Hip Sundays on June 29, along with M-Phazes, Flagrant and Peril (and it's free).
UPDATE, Friday, May 30, 2025: Due to forecast wet weather, Nundah by Night has been postponed from Saturday, May 31 to Saturday, July 19. This article has been updated to reflect that change. When Christmas hits each year, the Nundah Markets stay up late, swapping one of its usual daytime events for a twilight shindig. That kind of fun isn't just for getting festive, though. For the past few years, it's also been for celebrating winter. Meet Nundah by Night, which will take place from 4–10pm on Saturday, July 19 in 2025. On the agenda: shopping, eating, drinking and being merry midyear. There'll be quite the lineup of places to grab handmade items from — 120-plus stalls, in fact — with clothes, jewellery, art, homewares, soap, candles and all things edible available. You'll find gourmet foods on offer as well (including bites to eat while you're there). For your $3 entry fee, you can enjoy a stint of browsing and buying under the site's fairy lights at Nundah Markets' usual spot on Station Street. And, you can stop in at the pop-up bar for a local craft brew, too — or warm up with some mulled wine. Live music is also on the lineup, as is a travelling and roving performers. And if you're wondering what you'll be snacking on, brisket, pulled pork, taco rice bowls and churros are just some of the dishes on the menu.
Walking through a cathedral made of 100,000-plus lights, moseying beneath a canopy of glowing multi-coloured trees, wandering between ribbons of flashing beams — you'll be able to do all of this when Lightscape heads to Australia for the first time in 2022. Originally meant to debut Down Under in 2020 but postponed due to the pandemic, the after-dark light festival will be taking over the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria — Melbourne from Friday, June 24–Sunday, August 7, beaming away from 5.15pm Wednesday–Sunday. While the leafy Birdwood Avenue spot is already extremely scenic, to say that Lightscape will be brightening up the place is quite the understatement. Prepare to see the garden illuminated by immersive and large-scale installations scattered along a 1.8-kilometre route, including sparkling trees, luminous walkways and bursts of colour that look like fireworks. A big highlight: large-scale works like Winter Cathedral, the aforementioned installation that'll feature more than 100,000 globes and make you feel like you're being bathed in radiance. Lightscape comes to Australia after taking over gardens across the United Kingdom and the United States. Developed by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in the UK, it's understandably proven a huge success — and more than two-million people wandered along its glowing trails last season. In Melbourne, Lightscape will also commission local artists to create works that'll celebrate the city's culture and nature — giving the after-dark light festival a local touch. Fingers crossed for pop-up food and drink stalls scattered throughout — selling, we hope, mulled wine to keep hands warm during the chilly winter nights.
Byron Bay isn't short on beachside hangouts, but a new arrival is raising the bar for long lunches, sun-drenched cocktails and a poolside view. Located just behind Main Beach, Roca first opened in December 2024, serving Latin-inspired cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner among colour-drenched interiors. Now, one year after the restaurant's Byron debut, the team has expanded with a new luxe pool club next door: Roca Cabana. Designed as an all-day destination, Roca Cabana blends Byron's relaxed coastal energy with a polished resort feel. Guests can expect expertly crafted drinks alongside fresh seafood, sandwiches, burgers and light daytime favourites from the club's Raw Bar and ceviche menu. Entry includes access to the venue's pool, which will be heated to a balmy 28 degrees in winter and comes complete with complimentary towels. With views of Byron Bay's famous lighthouse as the backdrop, the adults-only pool club invites guests to lounge poolside with full glasses and chilled house beats. Swim, sip and soak at Roca Cabana before towelling off and heading next door for a long lunch or dinner, Latin style. Designer Chris Schneider helped conceptualise the new space. "My partner is Chilean, and during our visits there, I was inspired by the colours, textures, and warmth of South American culture. Roca Cabana blends that inspiration with Byron's own laid-back elegance," says Chris. Terracotta hues, vibrant Spanish-blue mosaics by the pool, shimmering copper accents and rendered curves bring the concept to life. For Chris, the design was intended as a nod to the adobe architecture of South America. "The space feels both transportive and uniquely local. It's a fusion of cultures that reflects our food and our story." Roca's Food Roca Byron Bay has already made a name for itself as the town's only dedicated Latin American restaurant. Guests can enjoy dishes from Peru, Argentina, Chile and Brazil as Roca's Latin American flavours are fused with the best local produce on the Northern Rivers. The restaurant offers an extensive tapas menu as well as mouth-watering local meats grilled on Roca's authentic Argentinian Parilla BBQ. The grilled dishes are crafted to pair perfectly with Roca's extensive wine list, including Malbec and Carménère, directly imported from Argentina and Chile. Roca Byron Bay also offers a curated signature cocktail menu featuring fusion drinks such as the Chimitini (imagine a dirty martini with chimichurri), or the Ginebra Maté, a refreshing cocktail made with infused Argentinian Yerba Mate, gin and elderflower. With a menu designed to share "familia" style and an authentic Argentinian Parilla BBQ, Roca Byron Bay is an East Coast destination worth making a trip for. Why Byron Bay? With its famous beaches and buzzing bar scene, Byron Bay might already seem well catered for, but Chris says the idea was to offer a different kind of escape. "Whether you're visiting Byron or are lucky enough to call it home, I believe everyone deserves a touch of luxury, and we wanted to create an elevated poolside experience." Just a minute's walk from Main Beach, Roca Cabana also offers a stylish fallback for those days when the surf (or the weather) doesn't quite cooperate. Between its Latin-inspired design, poolside cocktails and seafood-driven menu, Roca Cabana adds a new kind of daytime escape to Byron Bay's social scene. Whether you're settling in for oysters and prosecco, dipping between sun loungers and the pool, or stretching a long lunch well into the afternoon, the new pool club is designed for exactly the kind of slow, sun-soaked afternoons the Northern Rivers does best. Book your luxe pool club day out now. Roca Cabana is running events across the Easter long weekend, including back-to-back DJs all day on Thursday, April 2, Saturday, April 4, and Sunday, April 5, plus cocktail specials including $15 aperol spritz and frozen coconut margs. On Easter Monday, April 6, Roca Cabana is hosting a Long Weekend Recovery with Caesar's Cocktails by the pool. Guests can either walk in on the day or book a daybed in advance by emailing lifeguard@rocacabana.com. Image Credit: Supplied
It's easy to pass by Revel Brewing Co and not realise that it's there. Nestled into a small precinct near the river end of Oxford Street — aka the quieter end — it's one of Bulimba's hidden gems. But once you've been to its century-old heritage digs, sipped its brews, eaten its pizza and sat outside in its leafy beer garden, you won't forget Revel in a hurry. Beer-wise, the eastside brewery serves up both core and limited ranges, with trusty pale ales, IPAs, summer ales and lagers sitting alongside more experimental tipples. It's that combo that has helped Revel win a slew of awards since its 2017 formation, including gongs from the Independent Brewers Association, Queensland Food and Wine Show Beer Awards, and Australian International Beer Awards. For those eager to dine in, expect a range of Italian bites — including 11 types of pizza, pasta dishes such as spaghetti carbonara and gnocchi puttanesca, and tiramisu for dessert.
Opinions may be divided on what is truly the best medium of entertainment, but there's no denying the simple pleasure of going to a musical. The feeling of being swept off your feet by a particularly memorable tune, doubled over laughing or drenched in your own tears, its a stagecraft that's captured the love of millions around the world. This year is is no exception for killer musicals, so we partnered with Destination NSW to curate a guide to the biggest musicals coming to stages in Sydney in 2023. Whether you want to laugh, sing or cry, there's a stage show below for you.
If you're a fan of films both new and old, then you've probably experienced an increasingly common problem: scrolling through your streaming platform of choice and being underwhelmed by its rather small retro selection. Or, maybe you've just worn out your Fame or Cry Baby DVDs. Or perhaps you've always wanted to see Life Is Beautiful or discover why Crocodile Dundee was such a hit, but have been waiting until you could catch them in a cinema. Whichever category you fall into, Dendy Coorparoo's returning Cult Classics programs is here to help every Monday, with the spring season running until November 26. Each week, the eastside cinema will serve up a new blast from the past — at 10.30am, in case you have the day off, and at 7pm too, for those who've been working. Tickets cost $8 for members and $10 for everyone else, and the lineup is stacked full of old faves. Let's face it — any film program that busts out the original Point Break has plenty going for it, including Keanu Reeves on a surfboard, obviously.
Dark Mofo is back for another devilish year where truly anything can happen. The annual winter festival is one week in for 2023, and it has already served up a slate of highlights delighting the senses of festivalgoers and local Hobart residents. Whether you were on the hunt for packed dance floors into the early hours of the morning, unbeatably fresh feeds around a firepit or hedonistic masquerade balls, there's been no shortage of sinister activations so far to prove why the festival is such a must-attend event — and, if you haven't made it along yet, to show why it should be at top of your hit list. As the fest's second week kicks off with even more debauchery — including A Divine Comedy, an Australian premiere and an Aussie exclusive that reimagines Dante's classic examination of hell, purgatory and paradise; Soda Jerk's Hello Dankness, which compiles samples into a 70-minute survey of American politics circa 2016–21; and performances from Molchat Doma, HEALTH, RVG and Moktar — here's a look at seven standouts from the first week of Dark Mofo 2023. [caption id="attachment_905439" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rosie Hastie[/caption] THE BLUE ROSE BALL BROUGHT TOGETHER CHILDLIKE JOY AND LYNCHIAN CHAOS Hidden among the haunting grounds of Dark Park at the base of Ryoji Ikeda's awe-inspiring light beam Spectra, The Blue Rose Ball unofficially opened Dark Mofo 2023's festivities the night before things well and truly got underway. A mysterious masquerade ball with nods to David Lynch and his television classic Twin Peaks, the event seamlessly paired debauchery with unbridled glee. Dressed to the nines and faces covered, guests were met with a hedonistic ballroom encouraging them to indulge in their every desire. While wandering around the ball, attendees discovered eerie dancing teddy bears; tables piled high with lollies, cheese and charcuterie; a fairy floss machine; hidden rooms with NSFW performances; a brief interlude from a fully functional soft serve van; and a central stage with surprise sets from artists like The Huxleys — plus an open bar, of course. [caption id="attachment_905440" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Remi Chauvin[/caption] THE GATHERING KICKED THINGS OFF — AND BARKAA WAS IMMENSE After The Blue Rose Ball acted as a curtain-raiser, the ribbon was officially cut with The Gathering, a celebration of First Nations artists featuring Tasman Keith, dameeeela, Denni, Uncle Dougie Mansell and Madelena. While the night was a hit from start to finish, BARKAA brought the house down with a headlining performance that cements her as one of the nation's best and most important live performers. The dynamic set was a certified rollercoaster of emotions, seamlessly switching from heartwrenching explorations of pain to moments of love, joy and laughter — sometimes within the same song. The power of BARKAA's performances comes from her willingness not to shy away from making non-Indigenous audience members uncomfortable while celebrating the strength of the First Nations community, before bringing everyone back together to dance, sing and have an all-around great time. When she brought out her friend and collaborator Dobby to perform their 2020 track 'I Can't Breathe' together, the audience was already in the palm of BARKAA's hand. It was a momentous performance that set the tone for the next 14 days. [caption id="attachment_905437" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jesse Hunniford[/caption] THE FESTIVAL'S INTERNATIONAL ACTS DELIVERED THE GOODS While many people head down to Dark Mofo to immerse themselves in the wonders of Hobart as the chaos descends, the event also pulls some impressive big-name acts to headline the festivities. Week one of the 2023 fest saw Thundercat take to the stage to perform winding ten-plus-minute versions of his tracks, inserting long jam sessions into fan favourites like 'Them Changes' and 'Dragonball Durag'. Earlier that same night, Sleaford Mods provided a you-had-to-be-there kind of moment. The group's producer Andrew Fearn pressed play on his laptop and bobbed about, while vocalist Jason Williamson shouted tales of working-class England accompanied by erratically dance moves — all of which whipped the crowd into a euphoric frenzy. Punk legends Black Flag were in town for an Australian exclusive set and rolled out the classics, running through the band's influential catalogue of 80s and 00s heavy hitters. Max Ritcher popped up for two sombre orchestral performances of his piece VOICES, which was broadcast live across the entire city during Saturday night's performance, soundtracking people's journeys between that night's festivities. And despite bringing in a much-younger audience than the other global acts, "next big thing" singer-songwriter Ethel Cain felt squarely at home on the Dark Mofo lineup, blending dark religious imagery with her tales of small-town America — the anthemic choruses gliding over the screams of her rabid cult-like fanbase. All of this proved a Dark Mofo wonder without a mention of the likes of Squarepusher, Witch, Eartheater and Drab Majesty, who also peformed over the first week. [caption id="attachment_905450" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rosie Hastie[/caption] TRANCE PROVIDED A WILD, UNIQUE AND FULLY IMMERSIVE UNIVERSE FOR 36 HOURS Berlin-based Chinese artist Tianzhuo Chen's TRANCE offered Dark Mofo attendees the opportunity to drop in and out of an all-encompassing performance space for 36 hours across three days. Depending on when you arrived and how much time you spent in MAC2, you might've had a vastly different experience to someone else. Some audience members may have discovered a full-on rave with bass-heavy techno and screamed vocals, while others would have stumbled upon a delicate moment of dance and ambient music. A grand heavy-metal set, an intimate communal dinner, a hip hop dance circle, noisy experimental R&B, a downpouring of rain: they all featured throughout each of the three 12-hour performances, which were set in an otherworldy space filled with colourful larger-than-life characters and dream-like set designs. After wowing audiences in Asia and Europe, TRANCE found itself in the sleepy town of Hobart but couldn't have felt more right at Dark Mofo, asking attendees with an open mind and an affinity for the strange to let themselves be transported into Chen's one-of-a-kind world. [caption id="attachment_905441" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jesse Hunniford[/caption] NIGHT MASS TOOK OVER AN ENTIRE HOBART BLOCK, CREATING A DEBAUCHEROUS ARTS PRECINCT Spread across four nights over the two weeks of Dark Mofo, this year's Night Mass has taken over an entire block of downtown Hobart, filling every stage, street, alleyway, bar and theatre with music and art between 10pm–4am. The festival's centrepieces, these debaucherous six-hour parties encourage you to wander through the different spaces and stumble upon something that you've never experienced before. On entry, there's a set of burning cars manned by performance artists that look straight out of Mad Max. Wander around the corner to discover a three-storey-tall teddy bear standing over a stage serving up deep electronic tunes and uplifting ballads of friendship (you can even livestream footage from a camera in the bear's face throughout the festival). Journey across the dozens of performance spaces at Night Mass and you'll find dimly lit dens, seated shows, multi-storey house parties, DJs perched on fire escapes and heaving dance floors. There's really not much else like it. [caption id="attachment_905434" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jesse Hunniford[/caption] THE WINTER FEAST PUT ALL OF AUSTRALIA'S OTHER FOOD FESTIVALS ON NOTICE Always a highlight of Dark Mofo, the Winter Feast once again served up a showcase of the best Tasmanian food and drink. From Bruny Island oysters, top-notch local wines, truffle-topped pizza and winter warmers like mulled negronis to the headlining collaborative kitchen between Chef's Table alum Ana Roš and The Agrarian Kitchen, this culinary night market shows up its interstate rivals with the most diverse and produce-focused array of stalls of any Australian food festival. Adding to the ambience is the hall's famous cross-filled ceiling, firepits to congregate around and a constant lineup of musicians to soundtrack your meals. There were even some surprise sets from musicians on the festival lineup, with Ugandan Afrofuturist-punk collective Fulu Miziki popping up to close out the festivities with a late-night Sunday-night set that had everyone hitting the dance floor with squid on a stick and a local Moo Brew in hand. [caption id="attachment_905438" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rosie Hastie[/caption] HOBART SHOWED WHY IT IS AUSTRALIA'S MOST UNDERRATED CITY While Dark Mofo served up plenty of standouts and surprises, the backdrop for the entire festival is the beauty of Hobart. MONA remains one of the country's best galleries, serving up weird, wonderful and thought-provoking art in its stunning subterranean space; the city's pubs, bars and restaurants remain top-tier for anyone looking for quality seafood, beers, wines, whisky and produce-driven meals; and the surrounding harbour and mountains make for a spectacular backdrop for your adventures around town. In winter, just be sure to pack plenty of warm clothes. Dark Mofo 2023 runs from Thursday, June 8–Thursday, June 22 in Hobart, Tasmania. Still looking for Dark Mofo inspiration? Check out our wholesome-to-hedonistic guide, which'll help you stack your festival itinerary based on the level of chaos you're after — and our last-minute picks, too. Top image: Jesse Hunniford. 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.
When we say that Vivid is dishing up a taste of London in 2025, we mean it literally: chefs from two of the English capital city's top restaurants are on this year's Vivid Food lineup. From Lyle's, James Lowe is heading Down Under. From Josephine, so is Claude Bosi. One is spending three nights joining Mat Lindsay at Ester, the other has a two-evening date with Brent Savage at Eleven Barrack — and both are serving up must-try menus. Lowe and Bosi are part of the festival's 2025 Vivid Chef Series, which brings famed culinary names to the Harbour City for bucket list-style dining experiences. If you're keen on the Lowe and Lindsay combination, they're reteaming after the latter went to London for the former's game series, this time joining forces in Sydney to showcase Australian produce — fish and shellfish included — over eight courses. From Bosi and Savage, expect a mix of French gastronomy and Aussie creativity across six courses, complete with Bosi's camembert soufflé with winter black truffle, plus duck liver choux au craquelin from Savage. "I'm really excited to bring the food from my hometown in France to a new country. This is the first time Bistro Josephine has been outside the UK, and it means a lot to share something so personal with a new audience," said Bosi about his component of the Vivid Food lineup. "The dishes we serve are inspired by the flavours I grew up with, and I'm looking forward to seeing them reach beyond where it all started. I hope people here connect with the heart and simplicity of what we do." Neither Vivid Chef Series experience comes cheap. Taking place across Tuesday, May 27–Thursday, May 29, the Ester x James Lowe menu starts at $250 per person, with wine pairings $150 on top. You'll pay $185 for lunch and $285 for dinner — plus either $90 or $180 for vino — for the Eleven Barrack x Claude Bosi collaboration on Tuesday, June 10–Wednesday, June 11. Vivid Food has also locked in the return of Vivid Fire Kitchen, which will be easier on bank balances given that it's free to attend (but, of course, you will pay for what you eat). Running across 23 nights from Friday, May 23–Saturday, June 14 — so for the full festival dates — this celebration of fire-based cooking will again take over The Goods Line in Ultimo. Expect pop-ups from a range of eateries and food trucks, including Ogni, Brazilian Flame, Plate It Forward, Flyover Fritterie, Hoy Pinoy, Burn City Smokers, Pocket Rocketz, Mapo Gelato, Mr Spanish Churro and Miss Sina Korean Donuts, alongside live fire cooking demonstrations. Jess Pryles and Nyesha Arrington are among the chefs on Vivid Fire Kitchen's program, as are The Apollo Group's Oscar Solomon, Firedoor's Lennox Hastie, Viand's Annita Potter, Aalia's Paul Farag, Sunday Kitchen's Karima Hazim and more. Barbecued seafood will score its own stand, a dedicated wine bar will hero New South Wales vino — and host Mike Bennie-led masterclasses — and First Nations nights will see Indigenous chefs take centre stage. Elsewhere, Vivid's edible spread for 2025 also spans Neon Dreams, with Shannon Martinez paying tribute to American diners of the 1950s with a plant-based menu and a roller rink; Hollywood Dreaming, a 23-night roster of events in the Hollywood Quarter in Surry Hills; and Nigella Lawson curating dinners in the Muru Giligu pedestrian tunnel. Vivid Sydney 2025 runs from Friday, May 23–Saturday, June 14 across Sydney. Head to the festival website for further information.
At the age of 22, Billie Eilish has nine Grammys, two Oscars, a couple of huge albums with a third set to hit in May 2024 and, ever since her first record When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? proved such a huge success, all-round music sensation status. She also has a brand-new just-announced world tour about to do the rounds, including to Australia in 2025 — with the 'Bad Guy' and 'Happier Than Ever' singer heading Down Under for three huge weeks. Eilish will spend close to a week in each of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, playing four shows apiece in all three cities. She's spreading out her gigs on each leg, doing two nights back to back, then taking an evening off, then doing two more consecutively. [caption id="attachment_952889" align="alignnone" width="1920"] William Drumm[/caption] The dates: from Tuesday, February 18–Wednesday, February 19 and then Friday, February 21–Saturday, February 22 in Brisbane; Monday, February 24–Tuesday, February 25 and then Thursday, February 27–Friday, February 28 in Sydney; and Tuesday, March 4—Wednesday, March 5 and then Friday, March 7–Saturday, March 8 in Melbourne. This is an arena tour, with Eilish heading to Brisbane Entertainment Centre when she's in the Sunshine State capital, Qudos Bank Arena in the Harbour City and Rod Laver Arena for her Victorian stint. [caption id="attachment_827919" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Crommelincklars via Flickr[/caption] Eilish toured Australia in 2019 and 2022, and her fame has only gotten bigger since the latter — hence the 12 Aussie shows announced off the bat. These are the only gigs that she'll be playing on her Aussie visit, with no others set to be added, so getting in ASAP when tickets go on sale is recommended. Pre-sales start from Wednesday, May 1, with general sales from Friday, May 3 at 1pm AEST for Sydney shows, 2pm AEST for Brisbane and 3pm AEST for Melbourne. Since her last tour for her second album Happier Than Ever, Eilish has acted in TV series Swarm and seen her track 'What Was I Made For?' from the Barbie soundtrack become one of the songs of 2023. Her third record Hit Me Hard and Soft, which her new tour is in support of, releases on Friday, May 17. Billie Eilish Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour Australian Dates 2025: Tuesday, February 18–Wednesday, February 19 + Friday, February 21–Saturday, February 22 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Monday, February 24–Tuesday, February 25 + Thursday, February 27–Friday, February 28 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Tuesday, March 4—Wednesday, March 5 + Friday, March 7–Saturday, March 8 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Billie Eilish's Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour will come to Australia in February and March 2025, with ticket pre-sales from Wednesday, May 1 and general sales from Friday, May 3 (at 1pm AEST for Sydney shows, 2pm AEST for Brisbane and 3pm AEST for Melbourne). Head to the tour website for further details. Top image: Raph_PH via Flickr.
If you've been in the vicinity of James Street lately, you might've noticed something out of the ordinary. Not only has a tower of shipping containers made itself at home, but three cafes have set up shop inside them. Welcome to Box on James, aka the place with the name that says everything it needs to. Well, other than describing the kinds of food and drink on offer — but hey, even container-based stores need to retain an air of intrigue. Sure, there's little that's mysterious about the trio of operators working out of Box on James' steel confines; however there is plenty that's delicious. The Shed on James is your go-to spot for Where's Marcel? coffee, bringing the Melbourne-based outfit's caffeinated goodness to Brisbane for the first time. At Flourish Superfood Cafe, you'll find all the acai bowls, smoothies and juices you could ever need. And if a hot cuppa or something fresh and fruity doesn't perk you up, The Brezel Co's wares will. After all, everyone likes chocolate and treat-covered pretzels, don't they?
As COVID-19 continues to affect daily life in Australia, a whole host of regular activities have come to a pause. For Melburnians, heading to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image's home away from home at The Capitol for Melbourne Cinémathèque's weekly sessions is one such shuttered event, with screenings suspended for the time being — so ACMI and Melbourne Cinémathèque are going virtual. Available to movie buffs everywhere — not just in Melbourne — Virtual Cinémathèque will host weekly sessions from Wednesday, March 25. Cinephiles, folks looking for something to watch in self-isolation and everyone who has exhausted their Netflix queue can expect double bills showcasing both new and old movies, as linked by a common director, performer or theme. The folks at ACMI and Melbourne Cinémathèque will be on curation duty and, where possible, they'll be accompanying each week's lineup with introductions and further information about the films showing — just as Melbourne Cinémathèque usually does at its in-person events. They'll also do their best to pick flicks available on free and easily accessible platforms, so getting your movie fix won't cost you a cent. For details of what's on each week, keep an eye on ACMI and Melbourne Cinémathèque's social media channels. 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.
What do Beyoncé, Nirvana and Taylor Swift have in common? They've all chowed down on pizza from Kookaburra Café. The Paddington establishment is best known for their truly massive 50-slice party pizzas, but you can treat yourself to regular-sized slices too. Flavours range from the classic — margarita, pepperoni and ham and pineapple — through to the plain weird (bacon, banana and chilli). When it relocated just up the road from its former site, Kookaburra Café hopped into bed with board game wizards Club Sosay — a damn fine match of novelty pizza and Uno, Scrabble or Monopoly if you ask us. Hop down to Paddington with some mates, then grab a table, a board game and a few pizzas and settle in for a night of carbo-loaded boardgame bliss.
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations — giving you a little inspiration for your next trip. In this instalment, we go to KU Villas in Lombok, Indonesia, where you can live that glamorous island life without breaking the bank. We've teamed up with the KU Villas team to bring our readers one massive island holiday deal. Book here to get a three-night stay, hour-long massage, personal chauffeur, $200 food and beverage voucher for the nearby SIWA Clubhouse and daily breakfast for only $455 — an absolute bargain by anyone's standards. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? Get that luxe Indonesian island experience on the cheap. It's incredible just how little you will spend to stay in these stylish Lombok villas — with private pool included. THE ROOMS This small resort has a few different accommodation types, ranging from individual rooms and suites (either with or without a plunge pool) to larger villas with private gardens and larger pools. Modern simplicity is key when it comes to design and amenities — expect large open rooms with classic wooden furniture and crisp white linens. You'll get the essential aircon and wifi, too. Plus, almost every room has double doors that open onto the gardens and pools — indoor and outdoor living spaces are seamlessly woven together. FOOD AND DRINK KU Villas has its own little restaurant onsite, offering a range of Western and traditional Indonesian dishes. Locally sourced, healthy cuisine is the aim of the game here. The chefs get produce from the property to create super fresh and light dishes from breakfast through to dinner. But, these guys are aware that you're on holiday — so you can get pizzas, chips and gelato too. Beers, wine and cocktails flow freely, and are brought out to the pool for those long days spent dipping in and out of the water while getting some well-needed vitamin D. [caption id="attachment_883655" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tom Bixler (Unsplash)[/caption] THE LOCAL AREA KU Villas is located on the island of Lombok, east of the ever-popular Bali. Stay on Lombok to get the full Bali experience, but with fewer crowds. There are quaint villages full of character, countless beachside restaurants and bars, nearby islands for day trips (the trio of Gilis) and rainforests ripe for exploring on hikes or 4WD adventures. KU Villas even has its own mountaintop bar and pool, SIWA, with stunning views across the island — the intel: our Concrete Playground Trips package includes a $200 voucher to spend at this picturesque spot. THE EXTRAS When visiting these parts, a rejuvenating spa day should be firmly on the cards. Thankfully, you'll find one on the property. KU Day Spa offers up a series of massages alongside other treatments — there's coffee and chocolate scrubs and a special magnesium pool experience. Once you're done relaxing, roll over to the pool to hold onto that new-found peace and glow for as long as you can. We're all chasing that feeling — and this ain't a bad place to find it. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world.
While he may not have donned one of these to wander down the street in Arles, Vincent Van Gogh is the creative trigger behind designers Viktor & Rolf's newest collection. Throwing back to their Dutch roots, the Amsterdam-based designers' 'Van Gogh Girls' collection makes haute couture of the post-impressionist master's work — and it's just so pretty. Making its debut in Paris this week at Viktor & Rolf's Spring 2015 haute couture show, the collection is a flurry of straw headresses, open lace structures and structured babydoll dresses, embellished with both 3D flowers and printed batik-dyed patterns inspired by the flowers of Van Gogh. Van Gogh's little straw hat — or the hats of his country-dwelling sitters — has never looked so Bjork. Viktor & Rolf's designs have been considered artworks in themselves, as Fast Company points out, three of the 'works' have been bought by art collector Han Nefkens for Rotterdam's Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen — which makes it one of the most epic realisations of Van Gogh's work as high fashion; a level above Rodarte's Sunflowers-inspired ready-to-wear range for Target in 2011. Via Fast Company.
No matter which day of the week it falls on, ANZAC Day is a day of significance. It's also a day of thinking about the past, tossing coins into the air and throwing back cold ones — remembering Australia and New Zealand's military war efforts both then and now, and savouring the things worth fighting for. Whether getting up early to attend official events is your thing, or enjoying a few brews with friends is more your style, there's a way to mark the occasion to suit everyone. To help you decide, here's our round-up of the best things to do in Brisbane. Eating ANZAC biscuits isn't one of them, but we suggest you do that anyway. Attend an ANZAC Day Dawn Service More than a century ago, ANZAC forces landed at Gallipoli on April 25. Sacrificing sleep to honour their sacrifice is the least we can do to mark the occasion. In the CBD, the Brisbane ANZAC Day Dawn Service kicks off at 4.28am at the Shrine of Remembrance in ANZAC Square, timed to come to a close just as the sun rises — and there'll be no tickets or restrictions on access. As always, it includes the laying of wreaths, the sounding of the Last Post and the observance of one minute's silence — and if you can't make it into the thick of the action, both dawn and morning services are also happening at plenty of places around town. Head Along to the ANZAC Day Parade Since the first ANZAC Day parade in 1916, Brisbane has come out in force to pay their respects to past and present servicemen and women — and this year won't be any different. At 9.45am, the procession starts on the corner of George and Elizabeth streets, making its way through the city's roadways. As always, finding a spot along Adelaide Street will give you the best vantage point; however, the parade will also be broadcast on ABC if you can't make it along. Play a National Sport: Two-Up It's the only day of the year that two-up is legal, so plenty of pubs will be throwing coins into the air to see which way they fall. That includes The Boundary in West End, where the doors open at 10am and there'll also be live entertainment — and The Regatta, where you can check out its pop-up food stalls and bars, start flinging currency from 1pm and listen to live music. It's also doing a dawn breakfast from 5am Similarly getting in on the action: The Osbourne, with doors open from 11am. There'll be a bugle performance of 'The Last Post' just before 2pm, and the rest of the tunes start at 6pm. And, you can sip from karma kegs, with proceeds going to Brothers 'n' Books. And, fellow Fortitude Valley venue The Prince Consort is starting its commemorations at 1pm, which is when the two-up kicks off. Plus, menu-wise, a sausage sizzle, steak and cheese pies, and ANZAC biscuits are on offer. [caption id="attachment_897942" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jared Vethaak[/caption] Spend the Day Hanging Out by the River Fancy pairing all those flung-about coins with a cruisy day by the river? Then you have a couple of options. The first: head to Howard Smith Wharves from 12pm for the Felons' ANZAC Day event, which will let beer-loving patrons mark the day with two-up and beers. Attendees can also expect to see historical cars on display throughout the precinct, especially if you spend the day hanging out on the brewery lawn — and donate to the folks from the City-New Farm RSL, who'll be on hand all day. Or, Eagle Street's Riverbar & Kitchen is getting in on the action. There'll also be brews, views and two-up here, plus live music. And, a portion of funds from every Balter purchased will go to Legacy Australia. Watch a National Sport It's the day that stops the nation; however, there's still a sporting component to ANZAC Day. Whichever code of football you prefer — AFL or NRL — you'll be able to combine sinking a few brews with watching some of the year's big matches on the screens at Brisbane's pubs. In Aussie Rules, it's normally all about black, red and white on April 25 each year as Essendon take on Collingwood as usual in their annual berth, which kicks off at 3.20pm. But, for some Friday-night footy, 2025 is also delivering a game between Fremantle and Adelaide at 8.10pm. Rugby fans can catch the traditional clash between St George Illawarra Dragons and the Sydney Roosters at 4pm, with the Newcastle Knights and New Zealand Warriors also hitting the field the same day, at 6.05pm, then the Melbourne Storm and South Sydney Rabbitohs at 8.10pm. Tuck Into a Limited-Edition ANZAC Day Pastry If you like flaky pastries, the folks at Lune Croissanterie have probably already won over your tastebuds. There's a great reason for that — their regular wares are next-tier, and its special one-offs are even better. For the month of April, Lune has whipped up something particularly enticing in the second category: ANZAKAs, aka sweet and salty caramelised kouign-amann made with a classic ANZAC biscuit dough inside, then tossed in brown sugar. It's available at the brand's South Brisbane and Brisbane CBD outposts. [caption id="attachment_817186" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] Enjoy a Much-Deserved Nature Fix Public holidays don't come around every weekend — and if you'd like to spend this one making the most of the great outdoors, Brisbane certainly isn't short on options. Soak up some nature while stretching your legs on one of these scenic hikes within 50 kilometres of the city. Or, for something a little more challenging, tackle one of these mountain hikes near Brissie. And, because Brisbane is both cool enough for caves and warm enough for river swims in April, you can pop them on your agenda as well.
Come on Australians, why don't we paint the town? With all that jazz, Broadway favourite Chicago is shimmying back onto stages around Australia from late 2023. Last touring the country in 2019, the record-breaking Broadway hit is bringing a healthy dose of 1920s razzle dazzle our way again on a three-city tour — so far — debuting in Perth in November, then hitting Brisbane in January 2024 and finally heading to Melbourne next March. For musical fans in Sydney, cross your fingers that a Harbour City stop is also in the show's future. Chicago isn't any old musical — it's the longest-running American musical in Broadway and West End history, as well as the longest-running production now currently playing the former. [caption id="attachment_714916" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jeremy Daniel[/caption] So far, the original Kander & Ebb musical has reached the eyeballs of over 34-million people worldwide in 38 countries, playing more than 33,500 performances in 525-plus cities. It's also won six Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards and a Grammy. Inspiring 2002's Renée Zellweger (Judy)- and Catherine Zeta Jones (Wednesday)-starring Academy Award-winning film of the same name, it tells the tale of Chicago housewife and nightclub dancer Roxie Hart. In the decadent 1920s, she twirls through a whirlwind of murdered lovers, jail time, fierce rivalries and tabloid sensationalism — all set to a toe-tapping soundtrack. [caption id="attachment_714915" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paul Kolnik[/caption] "Chicago has everything that people love about a Broadway musical — a story of fame, fortune and all that jazz; one show-stopping number after another; and the most amazing dancing you've ever seen. We are thrilled to bring the razzle dazzle of this New York institution back to Australia," said producers John Frost and Suzanne Jones, announcing the new Aussie run. Who'll be taking to the stage for Chicago's next local seasons — following on from acclaimed all-rounder Natalie Bassingthwaighte and musical-theatre veteran Alinta Chidzey in 2019 — is yet to be revealed. Based on a 1926 play by Maurine Dallas Watkins, the production showcases music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb and choreography by Tony Award-winner Ann Reinking. CHICAGO 2023/24 AUSTRALIAN TOUR: From November 2023 — Crown Theatre, Perth From January 2024 — Lyric Theatre QPAC, Brisbane From March 2024 — Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne Chicago returns to Australia from November 2023. For pre sales from Monday, August 14, general sales from Friday, August 18, to join the waitlist or for more information, head to the production's website. Top image: Jeff Busby.
As much of the TV-watching world is, Ashley Zukerman is a Succession fan. Unlike almost everyone else, however, his affection was partly built from inside of the award-winning series. In a recurring role across the HBO masterpiece's four seasons, he played political strategist Nate Sofrelli, whose past romantic relationship with Shiv Roy — portrayed by fellow Australian Sarah Snook (Memoir of a Snail) — kept spilling over into their present professional and personal spheres. But "there was periods where I didn't know if I was coming back", Zukerman tells Concrete Playground, "and there were periods where I just became more fan than part of it". A role in one of the best TV shows of the 21st century, plus a range of others in fellow international fare — big-screen horror-western The Wind and drama Language Arts; television's A Teacher, The Lost Symbol and City on Fire; and the three straight-to-streaming Fear Street movies among them — kept Zukerman away from home for years. Then In Vitro, an Aussie sci-fi thriller that premiered at the 2024 Sydney Film Festival and hit local cinemas in general release on Thursday, March 27, 2025, came his way. Before this, he hadn't worked on a homegrown project since 2017's The Easybeats miniseries Friday on My Mind. Prior to that, he'd hopped between the Australian and Aussie-made likes of The Pacific, Rush, Terra Nova, Underbelly and The Code, and Manhattan, Fear the Walking Dead, Masters of Sex and Designated Survivor overseas. Starring in In Vitro eventuated because he initially met two of the film's co-writers and fellow actors, Will Howarth (who also co-directs with Tom McKeith) and Talia Zucker, in Los Angeles when they were all stateside endeavouring to establish their careers. Due to release timing, audiences who didn't catch In Vitro on its 2024 festival run will have seen Zukerman pop up in homegrown efforts in Aussie limited series Apple Cider Vinegar first, earlier in 2025. Later this year, he also has Australian-made, New Year's Eve-set time-travel film One More Shot heading to Stan. Only In Vitro has him playing a cattle breeder in an eerie vision of the potential near future, though — a livestock farmer experimenting with biotechnology in a world, and an industry, decimated by the climate crisis and struggling to adapt to the new reality. As Jack, husband to Zucker's (Motel Acacia) Layla, Howarth (Toolies) and McKeith's (Beast) movie also tasks Zukerman with exploring the distance that clearly lingers in the the feature's central marriage, digging into the source of Jack and Layla's domestic disharmony, and unpacking the impact of controlling relationships. More than two decades have now passed since Zukerman's initial screen role, also in an Australian film, with playing Thug #2 in Tom White his debut performance. Looking back on it, "so that was my first-ever thing, and I hadn't gone to the Victorian College of the Arts yet. I had no idea what I was doing", he advises. "My family, no one in my family, was in creative industries at all. I was just trying to brute-force my way through, trying to get headshots and making cold calls and just trying", Zukerman continues. "And then when that called and I got a role, I thought it was the craziest thing in the world. Then I get there and I do it, and I'm in a scene with Colin Friels [Interceptor] and Dan Spielman [Black Snow], who I ended up playing brothers with in The Code years later. And I thought that was just very, very special at the time. Dan was on, I think, The Secret Life of Us, and Colin Friels on Water Rats, and they were heroes of mine at the time. And then to be able to revisit that with Dan years later as, I guess, equals, was very special." [caption id="attachment_997134" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Succession, David Russell/HBO[/caption] From the outside, the success that Zukerman has enjoyed over the last few years with Succession, Fear Street, City on Fire, A Teacher, The Lost Symbol and more seems huge. It is huge. He's also added Apple TV+'s Silo to his resume. For him, however, "it hasn't felt huge, but I don't think I necessarily ever have that feeling of looking at things from the outside", he reflects. "From the inside, I'd say that it's felt really fun. I know that the thing I love most is when I love the project and I feel like I'm close to the coalface of something. I thought that they were all great projects, and so that has been fun." "You're right, it's been a really nice few years, and it felt comfortable," Zukerman goes on. "I guess I'll say I've just never really stressed work. I've always known things will come, and I've always been aware that if I'm not chosen for something that it's because the person, the artist in charge of it, just doesn't need my specific colour, my specific paintbrush, and so I've never really sweated it if things haven't come to me. But the last couple of years, it's just been really enjoyable to just work on special things — and to be able to have a continuous run of that, I do feel very full now. I'm not someone who enjoys acting all the time, I don't necessarily love the experience, but I do love it when I feel that there are certain elements there, and I've been on a run projects now where those elements were largely there. It has been a really fun few years for that." From what excited Zukerman about In Vitro, his read on his complicated character and the research that went into his performance, to farewelling Succession, returning home and his initial acting dream, our chat with Zukerman covers them all — and more — as well. On What Excited Zukerman About In Vitro, and About Making His First Australian Project Since Friday on My Mind "So I knew Tahlia and Will. I'd known them before. We all met in LA when we were all younger and hustling out there. It was just this coffee shop that we all ended up frequenting, and that's where we got to know each other. It was during the pandemic that they sent the script and said 'we've been working on this, we've been thinking about you for it'. And I read it and I thought 'wow'. And I was honoured that they thought of me for it. But I thought that they had done something just really special. I think that the horror genre or the thriller genre is interesting when it's used to explore other themes. And so the thriller part of it didn't necessarily pop for me, but I thought that they were able to thread together some nuanced questions about a few issues that we're dealing with in the world, and finding a connection between them — with the climate crisis; domestic violence; how we use tech to brute-force our way through solutions; and how some people in our world don't really care about our world or the natural world or each other as the actual life that exists in it, but just what they can take from it. And I think that they were able to thread all those ideas in a very nuanced way, offering something new to the questions of 'what do we do in this world?' and 'how are we going to deal with all of these issues we have?'. The climate crisis, like so many of us, that keeps me up at night. One of the things I worry most about it is this idea that it's happening just, just slow enough that we get used to it, and it's so hard to talk about. It's so difficult to engage with it, because it's so scary for so many of us. As soon as, I know for me personally, it's hard for me when I see an article written about it for me to click on it, for me to actually open that page and delve into it. It's hard for me to watch something about it. And I thought that what they did here was they did it in a very nuanced way, where they offered something very new to that conversation, and in a way that I thought was going to be very useful and interesting — and human. It was just that the film seemed to have a very new idea to approach this issue, and that's I think what moved me about it. And then, as we went on, there were questions about the character that became far more important for me to ask. But when I first read it, that's what touched me." On Zukerman's Read on Jack and His Motivations "I think it depends how far back we go with him. If we go from what we know backwards, I think he's gotten to a stage where he has lost his sense of humanity and he's just so far down the rabbit hole on this that he can't actually turn back. I was working on this show, The Lost Symbol, the Dan Brown thing, at the time that I read this, and I was researching these secret societies and how people who were doing bad things justified them. And I came across this quote, which was from the Bible: 'to the pure, all things are pure'. I think that that is key to Jack, that because he felt he was doing something worthy and important, everything else he was doing was fine and justified … It's this idea that he's probably just a bucket with a hole in it. It doesn't matter what you pour in, he's always going to be empty. I think he's one of these just incredibly ordinary people who thinks that he's a vulnerable genius, and no one is giving him the adulation he deserves, and he will never get enough love from his partner, and that then leads to control and violence. So I think those are the things that are at play in him." On Playing a Part That's a Puzzle for the Audience as They Try to Piece Together the Full Story "Typically, the more complex a character, the less challenging I find it, because then there are just so many things underneath the surface. So those things were great, and once I knew the approach, what we were trying to do, we talked, Will, Tom and Tahlia and I talked early about this idea that we'd be doing a disservice to this story if he was arch — especially the domestic control, domestic violence story. And that he had to be so ordinary in that way, that if we were trying to portray a villain, it would do a disservice to Tahlia's story and it would be doing a disservice to the wider story. So the fact that we could let all of that complexity live in him, that gave me a lot of freedom. But you're right that the challenging thing in any of these stories is how we bury the lead when we choose to drop breadcrumbs, how we lean on awkward moments as clues for the idea — like leaving just enough the information for the audience to question what is going on to lead them down the rabbit hole with us ,but gently. That is the more challenging thing, because that's not necessarily about just living in the scene naturally. That's trying to plan the larger story. I was buoyed when I saw it — I thought we did that quite well. I really loved especially how they put it together in the edit, leaning on those awkward interactions, I thought was quite nice." On the Research That Goes Into Playing a Part Like This, Digging Into Coercive Control, Biotech and More "Typically I do love a lot of research, and I started down the path of him being an engineer. I wanted to make sure those thoughts were in there. I wanted to know where we were at with that stuff. But I think ultimately where I got to was, all that stuff — like you like feel at the end of the film — I think is window dressing in a way. I needed to know enough about that so that I could know what he was doing, but ultimately the key to him is what we're talking about — how to actually think about these men who do these things, like 'what is the wiring going on in in them?'. That's the work of understanding this character. It's the domestic work. It's the human work. And to try to explain, empathise, not absolve, but just to understand what makes these people do those things. I think that was the work with him." [caption id="attachment_997132" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Succession, Macall Polay/HBO[/caption] On Saying Goodbye to Succession, and What It Meant to Zukerman to Be a Part of It "I think it's so nice that that show will exist forever. I think it's now part of television canon, and to be a part of it, I'm just so proud. So I think it will just always have a life. I grew up loving The Sopranos and Six Feet Under and The Wire and Oz, and those seminal TV shows — and The West Wing. I knew characters that were there for an episode, that were there for three episodes. I was so aware of every little storyline on all of those shows, and I was just like 'if only I could be in something like that, that would be it'. Like, 'I would be fine'. [caption id="attachment_997133" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Succession, Peter Kramer/HBO[/caption] And I'm lucky that I got to do one of those, and I got to be there for a little bit, and I got to witness how they made it, and I got to be around those people. I just feel so lucky. I was there and I was a part of it, but I got to also be an audience just as much as, I think, in it. It's an interesting question. It was something just so special about that production that I think I'll continue to try to, I guess, understand and learn from and think about. [caption id="attachment_997137" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Succession, David Russell/HBO[/caption] All I love about any work is how close to the creative muscle I can be, and I think what was special about that show was that. I was on the periphery. There were moments when I was a little more forward in the story, but largely I was orbiting the story. And I think what was special about that is that it doesn't matter how big your role must have been — that's both the cast and crew — everyone on that set felt like they were a part of it, that they had agency to make decisions, that they were genuinely like what was being asked of them was what was special about them to only bring that. That was what was special, and that's what I'll remember. And I think it left something with me that I've taken to other things. I think it's that energy that I've brought with me after that show. " [caption id="attachment_997145" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Apple Cider Vinegar, courtesy of Netflix © 2025[/caption] On Heading Back to Australia After a Significant Run of Roles Overseas "It was never by design that I would be away. It was just that the right things didn't come up, or scheduling got in the way, or something happened for me over there that meant that I couldn't come back for various things. And it was just always I missed it. I really missed being back. I really love it here. I love the way we work. I love how fast we are, how efficient we are. We work with few resources sometimes, but it's an advantage, it creates the style of TV and film that we make. It all goes into it. It ends up on camera, that energy. And it kind of has become our visual language sometimes. [caption id="attachment_997144" align="alignnone" width="1920"] One More Shot, Ben King/Stan[/caption] And I also guess there is something about being overseas and an expat which means I'm always playing someone else in a way. There's something about home, is what I'm saying, that's important. That I know the rules of Australia. I know how people interact, that there's the micro gestures between us all, how we all interact. I guess that is home for me, that when I get back to Australia my shoulders drop and I just know how to live here. Even though the US isn't that different, it's different enough that it changes me. It requires something else of me to live there. And that's a joy sometimes. I mean, to leave is wonderful — but to come back is really, it's home. It's just a very special thing. And also, I feel very fortunate because of what I've been able to do overseas, I can now come back and work on these great things, and help these great things get up." On the Initial Dream for Zukerman's Acting Career When He Was First Starting Out "It's such a great question, because it's so rare to look back and go 'what was it that that younger person had actually wanted, and are you there now?'. That's a very special question that I don't really often give myself time to do. But I think I probably had a lot of chutzpah and a lot of ambition back then. I probably had ideas, but I didn't know what the job was, even. I didn't know what the work of being an actor was. I had a feeling that acting gave me the ability to do something I couldn't do in life, that I loved the analysis of human beings, and I loved being able to express things that I didn't express in my normal life. I loved that. But that hadn't really congealed yet, and probably at the time I just had ideas about wanting to play these big roles and do these big things, but I didn't know what it was. [caption id="attachment_997146" align="alignnone" width="1920"] City on Fire, Apple TV+[/caption] Once I started studying and I started understanding what it was, I think very quickly the only goal of mine was to have choice — just to be able to do the things I love. Like I said, it's just not always the case that I love acting, and I knew that early on that sometimes the experience can be difficult for myriad reasons. But to be able to get to a point where I can just, from project to project — based on, whether it's the quality of the work or it's the quality of the people, or both — that I could just choose to do that. I think that's nice to think about that. I think I have it, I am doing that now. I get to be pretty picky with what I do, and I get to do things for the right reasons." In Vitro opened in Australian cinemas on Thursday, March 27, 2025.
Netflix, HBO and Disney+ have already done it — tease their upcoming slates for 2025, that is. If you're wondering what else is heading to the small screen this year, now it's Stan's turn to reveal what's on its lineup. The service's program drop for 2025 doubles as a celebration, marking ten years since the Australian platform's debut. Get excited about everything from a new Aussie series starring Will Forte (Bodkin) and D'Arcy Carden (A Man on the Inside) to the second seasons of both Poker Face and Scrublands, plus Keanu Reeves' (Sonic the Hedgehog 3) latest movie, a homegrown flick about a time-travelling bottle of tequila, a horror-comedy series about murderous garden gnomes and more. Crime dramedy Sunny Nights, featuring Forte and Carden, should be high on everyone's must-watch list. Directed by Trent O'Donnell (No Activity, Colin From Accounts), co-starring Rachel House (Moana 2) and Jessica De Gouw (Ladies in Black), and even featuring an appearance by Patrick Brammall (also Colin From Accounts), it follows odd-couple American siblings trying to start their own spray-tan business in Sydney, then getting immersed in the city's criminal underworld. The second season of the delightful Natasha Lyonne (His Three Daughters)-led and Rian Johnson (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery)-created Poker Face, one of the best new shows of 2023, is another firm standout — especially if you love whoddunnits, plus Lyonne playing detective. Also returning: Scrublands, which is called Scrublands: Silver for its second go-around and picks up its narrative a year after the events of the first season. This time, investigative journalist Martin Scarsden (Luke Arnold, Last King of the Cross) is back in Port Silver in Western Australia, his hometown, when he's tasked with digging into another murder. Keanu will be gracing Stan courtesy of The Entertainment System Is Down, the latest film from two-time Palme d'Or-winning director Ruben Östlund — and the latter's first since Triangle of Sadness. The setup: chronicling the results when the movie's title proves true on a long-haul flight between England and Australia. Kirsten Dunst (Civil War) and Daniel Brühl (The Franchise) also star, and the filmmaker described it as "once again a behaviouristic study, comical and tragic, about being a human being — and about contemporary times when we have become so addicted to these screens, and taking that away from us" while chatting with Concrete Playground about his previous feature. Set on New Year's Eve 1999, One More Shot is where tequila gets a new spin, with Emily Browning (Class of '07), Apple Cider Vinegar co-stars Aisha Dee and Ashley Zukerman, Sean Keenan (Exposure) and Pallavi Sharda (The Office) along for the ride. And those killer garden ornaments are the focus of Gnomes, which unleashes their rampage on a country town just as a Gnome-a-Palooza festival is about to kick off. Other upcoming Stan highlights include murder-mystery dramedy He Had It Coming, featuring Lydia West (Big Mood), Natasha Liu Bordizzo (Ahsoka) and Liv Hewson (Yellowjackets); Saccharine, the new Midori Francis (The Sex Lives of College Girls)-, Danielle Macdonald (The Tourist)- and Madeleine Madden (The Wheel of Time)-starring psychological horror from Aussie filmmaker Natalie Erika James (Apartment 7A); Brooke Satchwell (Triple Oh!) in Love Divided by Eleven, about a woman who goes looking for the people who received her fiancé's organs when he passed away; and Dee again in thriller Watching You, which adapts JP Pomare's novel The Last Guests and charts the quest to uncover the voyeur who filmed a one-night stand. There's also the return of Bump — this time as a movie, aka Bump: A Christmas Film, which takes the characters on a South American cruise. Or, you can look forward to Beast in Me, with Daniel MacPherson (Land of Bad) portraying a former mixed martial artist, and joined on-screen by Russell Crowe (Kraven the Hunter), Luke Hemsworth (Gunner) and Amy Shark making her feature film debut. If you liked The Tourist, The Assassin with Keeley Hawes (Miss Austen) and Freddie Highmore (The Good Doctor) hails from the same team. Season four of Hacks, Nicolas Cage (Longlegs) playing an expat Aussie returning home in The Surfer, Richard Gadd's first post-Baby Reindeer series Half Man, Amanda Seyfried (The Crowded Room) in crime drama Long Bright River, a series adaptation of Lord of the Flies, The Rainmaker making the same leap, Stephen King's The Institute following suit as well: they're all on the way, too. And, so is The Hack, which dramatises the UK phone-hacking scandal, with David Tennant (Rivals), Robert Carlyle (Cobra) and Toby Jones (The Instigators) leading the cast. New TV shows and movies will hit Stan throughout 2025 — head to the streaming platform for its current catalogue.
In 2022, Airbnb had travellers worldwide vying for nights at the Bluey house, the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine and The Godfather mansion, plus the South Korean estate where BTS filmed In the Soop, the Sanderson sisters' Hocus Pocus cottage, Hobbiton and the Moulin Rouge! windmill, too. That's last year's batch of must-stay destinations. New year, new range of spots that you wouldn't normally get to slumber at, but can if you're lucky enough to score a reservation. And if you're keen on spending the night hearing the music of the night, you'll be excited about the accommodation platform's latest addition. If you don't know the Palais Garnier by name, that's okay — but if you've ever seen or even heard of The Phantom of the Opera, be it on the stage or screen, then you're familiar with the Parisian opera house without realising it. The theatre inspired French author Gaston Leroux's novel back in the early 20th century, after he reportedly heard rumours about the 19th century-built, 1979-seat venue. The rest is literary history, and musical history as well thanks to Andrew Lloyd Webber and company from the 1980s onwards. As an opera house, Palais Garnier doesn't usually let folks slumber overnight — whether they're wearing masks like The Phantom of the Opera's namesake or not. But for two guests, that'll change on Sunday, July 16. This'll be the first time ever that the venue has opened for a sleepover, and whoever nabs the booking will even sleep in an opera box. The theatre's largest box, aka its box of honour, is normally reserved for visiting dignitaries — but that'll mean whoever gets to stay overnight this winter, too. For the Airbnb reservation, the chamber is being turned into a bedroom, complete with heavy splashes of luxurious red and gold. Of course, actually sleeping in such rare and decadent surroundings, and soaking in Palais Garnier's splendid architecture from the best spot in the house, is just one part of the visit. Also included is a tour of the theatre's hidden areas in the Palais Garnier, which usually aren't seen by the public — such as the Opera de Paris' private archives and its famed underground lake. You'll also get a private ballet initiation with one of the company's dancers, and watch a recital by the Paris Opera Academy over champagne and hors d'oeuvres. Dinner will take place in the private Foyer de la Danse, the backstage dancing rehearsal room. Also, a tour of the private dance studios that sit beneath the building's eaves will let you scope out stunning views of the Paris skyline. Your host: Véronique Leroux, the great-granddaughter of French novelist Leroux, who is keen to "welcome 'phans' to the famous setting of his much-loved novel for a once-in-a-lifetime stay". Folks already dreaming of a night — and a Paris trip — to remember will need to get booking on Thursday, March 2 at 4am AEDT / 3am AEST / 6am NZDT. Your stay will cost you 37 euros, which is AU$57, and honours the box of honour's number. You will need to be over 18, have a verified Airbnb profile and boast a good record on the service — and getting to and from Paris is not included in the reservation, so that's at your extra expense (and you'll need to organise it). For more information about the Palais Garnier listing on Airbnb, or to apply to book at 4am AEDT / 3am AEST / 6am NZDT on Thursday, March 2, head to the Airbnb website. Images: Blue Max Media / Thibaut Chapotot.
In the space that an average-sized Australian home sprawls across, how many smaller houses could fit instead? This question won't just be a topic of conversation outside the National Gallery of Victoria from November 2024. Each year at the venue's Melbourne grounds on St Kilda Road, the institution unveils its annual Architecture Commission, a site-specific pop-up construction that experiments with design concepts while pondering subjects of public importance. This year's pick is a tiny house — which might sound standard, except that it's a pint-sized abode within the frame of the standard Aussie home, and the contrast between the two is obvious. Created by Melbourne-based architecture and design studio Breathe, Home Truth continues the firm's focus on sustainable architecture that'll endure and has a purpose — and, from Wednesday, November 13, it'll get NGV visitors wandering through a house-within-a-house labyrinth. First, you'll step inside the larger abode, which represents the average 236-square-metre Australian residence. Then, drawing attention to alternative modes of housing, you'll enter the smaller-scale nestled within it. [caption id="attachment_706568" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NGV International[/caption] To get from one to the other, you'll enter via the larger house's garage door, then mosey through rooms and hallways. When you reach the tinier home, you'll feel like you've hit the centre of a maze. Attendees will notice two different materials distinguishing each abode, too, with the bigger spot constructed from framing pine and the smaller house from the waste-made saveboard — offering up a comment on how homes are currently built in Australia as well. "Through its clever play on scale and materials, this thought-provoking work of architecture sparks a fascinating conversation about housing and sustainability in this country," explained NGV Director Tony Ellwood, announcing the 2024 Architecture Commission. "Home Truth speculates that overconsumption of space and materials translates into ecological and social consequences — for both us and the planet. But importantly, it offers a provocative vision of a new way of thinking about building — seeing the value of living in spaces that are of smaller scale — a vision that prioritises people and planet," added Ewan McEoin, NGV's Senior Curator, Contemporary Art, Design and Architecture. [caption id="attachment_927585" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Installation view of the 2023 NGV Architecture Commission: (This Is) Air designed by architect Nic Brunsdon in collaboration with ENESS. (This Is) Air is on display from 23 November 2023 until June 2024 at NGV International, Melbourne. Photo: Ben Hosking.[/caption] Home Truth follows 2023's stunning pick (This is) Air, a giant inflatable sphere that breathed, as created by Australian architect Nic Brunsdon with Sky Castle, Airship Orchestra, Cupid's Koi Garden and Lost Dogs' Disco' ENESS. The 14-metre-high piece did indeed expand with air, then release it — so, yes, it inhaled and exhaled all day — to get everyone thinking about humanity's need for and relationship to air, how essential it is, how dependent we all are upon the element, how finite it is and how its quality is being impacted. In the past, NGV's Architecture Commission has also seen a colourful mini Parthenon, a bright pink pool to wade through, a bamboo garden with its own deck and an unforgettable pink carwash pop up, all as part of an initiative that started in 2015. [caption id="attachment_890113" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Temple of Boom, NGV, Michael Pham[/caption] [caption id="attachment_840624" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pond[er], NGV, Derek Swalwell[/caption] [caption id="attachment_602904" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Haven't You Always Wanted..?, Sean Fennessey[/caption] 'Home Truth' by Breathe will be on display at NGV International, St Kilda Road, Melbourne from Wednesday, November 13–April 2024 — head to the NGV website for further details. Image: Render of NGV Architecture Commission 2024 'Home Truth' by Breathe. Image courtesy of Breathe.
Fancy seeing one of Brisbane's most popular spaces in a completely new light? Or, to be more accurate, with different lights flickering over the top of its lush greenery? As every home renovation-focused TV show has told us time and time again, a splash of colour can make a world of difference — and, at Roma Street Parklands' Enchanted Garden, it can turn an already picturesque space into a bright, festive wonderland. While this is a family-friendly affair running from Friday, November 29 to Friday, December 13 as part of the city's Christmas fun, don't go expecting the kind of setup that you've been ignoring on every street corner in Brissie's suburbs. Lights will twinkle and decorations will sparkle; however, this isn't a tacky DIY display. Nope, not at all. That said, a word of warning: people love glittering lights, so prepare for crowds. The brightness will dazzle from 6–9.30pm (with last entry at 9.15pm) and, if you're organised enough, you can always pack a picnic, arrive early and enjoy dinner beforehand. Plus, you can BYO drinks to one of the few public places that allows them in our fair town — although Roma Street Parklands' licensed areas are only licensed until 8pm. Food trucks will also be onsite if you don't get around to taking care of your own nosh.
There's no way that Dream Scenario could've been a horror movie, even if it does hail from A24 and boast Hereditary, Midsommar and Beau Is Afraid filmmaker Ari Aster as a producer. Constantly having one particular person pop up in your head as you slumber is indeed eerie; however, when that person is the one and only Nicolas Cage, who'd be scared? Cage doesn't play himself in Dream Scenario — so, it isn't going down The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent's path — but the characters played by actors other than the Renfield, Pig, Willy's Wonderland, Face/Off, Con Air, Wild at Heart, Vampire's Kiss and Raising Arizona star do indeed keep dreaming of his likeness. And, when it won't stop happening, it earns plenty of attention in this new sci-fi comedy from Sick of Myself writer/director Kristoffer Borgli. Paul Matthews is just an average family man and college professor when Dream Scenario kicks off, as the movie's trailer shows. And, if the Cage-inhabited figure didn't start haunting everyone's sleep, that would've remained the case. When we say everyone, we mean it, with millions of folks getting acquainted with Paul when their eyes are closed — his daughter, his students, old loves and then basically the entire globe. "It was one of the best scripts I've read, quite frankly, and I think it's my best performance and probably the best movie I've ever made," said Cage about the end result. The film premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, will release in the US in November, but doesn't yet have a big-screen date Down Under. Borgli's English-language debut, Dream Scenario also stars Julianne Nicholson (Weird: The Al Yankovic Story), Michael Cera (Barbie), Tim Meadows (I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson), Dylan Gelula (Loot) and Dylan Baker (Hunters). And, it's another glorious chapter in the best Hollywood guessing game there is as long as Cage keeps hopping in front of the camera, aka where will the inimitable actor show up next? Check out the trailer for Dream Scenario below: Dream Scenario releases in US cinemas on November 10, but doesn't yet have a release date Down Under — we'll update you when one is announced. Images: courtesy of A24.
Good weather and good vibes are on the way, which means the adventure lovers are gearing up for sunshine escapades. If your gear is in dire need of a revamp, iconic sustainable lifestyle brand frank green is here with the solution of three prize packs now up for grabs. frank green aims to end single-use plastic waste by crafting stylish and functional solutions that are built to last. Each of the lucky winners will score two Ceramic Reusable Bottles (grip finish) with Grip Lids, two 3-in-1 Insulated Drink Holders and two Stainless Steel Bowls with Glass Lids. The one-litre Ceramic Reusable Bottle is made for adventures — in the wild and in the city — and for this prize pack, it comes with the newly launched easy-to-grab Grip Lid, which is compatible with all frank green cups and bottles. The bottles also have a durable powder coat for added grip — so no bottles slipping from sweaty hands here. If you want your cold drinks to stay cool or hot drinks to stay hot, the bottles are triple wall vacuum insulated to retain temperature. Plus, because the bottles have a ceramic lining inside, they don't take on any of the flavours of your beverages, whether it's tea, coffee, infused water or anything else. The 3-in-1 Insulated Drink Holder keeps your bevvy ice-cold for longer. You can use it as a stubby holder or a tumbler, or add the included splash-proof lid and stainless steel straw to use it as a next-level cold-brew cup while you are road-tripping to your next adventure. Keep yourself nourished on your adventures, and pack snacks or meals in plastic-free, reusable Stainless Steel Bowls with Glass Lid. They are airtight with a soft-touch silicone seal and lightweight enough to pack in your day pack or to use as your daily lunchbox — to the envy of the office. So, if you and a mate or your partner are keen on adventuring this summer, fill out the form below to be in with a shot of upgrading your gear. [competition]917837[/competition]
Dust off your sombreros, amigos. The latest international excuse for a good time to reach our shores is Cinco de Mayo — a celebration of all things Mexican (which, if we’re being nit-picky, is really more of an Americanisation than anything but shh, let us party). In celebration, the folks at Corona and Beach Burrito Company Bondi are putting together a fiesta, complete with face painting by local street artists and the first ever Taco Time Trials Eating Contest. For the less competitively inclined but equally taco-happy, Cinco de Mayo falls conveniently on a Tuesday, and Beach Burrito Co’s regular $3 taco deal applies, so your pesos’ll stretch further. With what you’ve got left, you can sip salt-rimmed margaritas, down trays of tequila shots (not recommended) or share a bucket of ice-cold Coronas. And, of course, come prepared to smash and whack your way to glory, because they wouldn’t be doing Mexico right without pinatas.
Brisbane has long been partial to a party boat. The Island did the honours from the 80s through until early this decade, and Seadeck has cruised the river over the last couple of years. Now Yot Club is sailing into the city's waters, and it's set to make quite a big splash — as you'd expect from a huge yacht with two bars, a stage, a dance floor and a 400-person capacity. Throwing a few pre-launch shindigs on Saturday, May 11 and Sunday, May 12, as well as across the following weekend of Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19, the glamorous, custom-built vessel is calling itself "the world's first super yacht entertainment venue". It's certainly something that southeast Queensland hasn't seen before, at the very least. Sprawling over two levels, it measures nearly 40-metres long and over 22-metres wide, and blends a licensed floating club and a luxe function space, including room for 200 people to enjoy a sit-down meal. With lounges across an open deck and undercover, a VIP room in the hull, both general and ticketed events set to welcome guests, and the promise of bands and DJs on its lineup, Yot Club wants to be the region's one-stop watery hangout. It serves up more than water, of course, thanks to a menu of classic and creative cocktails, plus brews chilled in the 45-keg-capacity cool room. Yot Club's first Brisbane shindigs set off from South Bank's Ferry Terminal One — and there's two ticketing options for zooming down the river. $49 gets you access to the main deck, while the $69 VIP option lets you party upstairs (and board early). Images: Yot Club.
When you're not watching movies and TV shows on the big screen at SXSW Sydney 2024, why not step inside a few? That's the Primeville setup, immersing attendees in pop culture-inspired spaces as folks who went to 2023's first-ever SXSW Sydney discovered. Here, Prime Video brings some of its series to life for a few days— and this year, it's doing the same with a number of flicks as well. Fancy sitting at Hannah Howard's desk or hanging out in the Flinley Craddick kitchen, complete with tiramisu to snack on? With the Australian version of The Office hitting streaming the same week that 2024's SXSW Sydney takes place, of course it's a big part of this year's Primeville — which is called Primeville Sweet Spot this time around. The full pop-up runs from Tuesday, October 15–Sunday, October 20, but making a visit on Wednesday, October 16 will mean seeing a heap of well-known faces from the shows featured, including Felicity Ward (Time Bandits), Steen Raskopoulos (The Duchess), Josh Thomson (Young Rock), Jonny Brugh (What We Do in the Shadows) and Zoe Terakes (Talk to Me) from the new The Office. When you're not clocking on and wondering if there's a stapler in jelly hidden somewhere, you can also visit Middle-earth, where The Forge, some costumes from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and something sweet to eat all await. Or, thanks to the guest list, you can celebrate all things Deadloch with Alicia Gardiner (The Clearing) and Nina Oyama (Utopia), and The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart with Leah Purcell (High Country), too. From Paramount+, there'll be a nightclub inspired by Last King of the Cross, plus non-boozy jelly shots to sip and series star Lincoln Younes (Strife) in attendance. And, nodding to the big screen, Despicable Me 4 gets some love thanks to Minions to follow, plus banana macarons to enjoy. It Ends with Us is also scoring some affection via Lily Bloom's (Blake Lively, Deadpool & Wolverine) flower shop and hot cocoa cookies. If you've noticed that there's a dessert on offer with each space, that's because Primeville Sweet Spot is living up to its name. Entry is free no matter whether you're hitting up the rest of SXSW Sydney or not, but badge holders will get express entry. Also part of the pop-up: a reality TV-focused Hayu zone and a chillout space with a spin-to-win wheel — plus The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City's Heather Gay and Whitney Rose, Captain Jason Chambers from Below Deck Down Under and cricketer Meg Lanning making appearances. Primeville Sweet Spot is popping up during SXSW Sydney at Fratelli Fresh Darling Harbour, 2/14 Darling Drive, Sydney from Tuesday, October 15–Sunday, October 20, 2024. Keep an eye on the Prime Video Facebook and Instagram pages for more details.
