While some interstate travel could be back on the cards for Australians by next month and trans-Tasman travel by July (according to the Federal Government's three-step plan for a COVIDSafe Australia), it looks like other international travel could still be a while off. Australia and New Zealand's borders are currently closed and all international travel is banned, and Australia's Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy has said he can't see this changing any time in the foreseeable future. Murphy told a Senate inquiry into COVID-19 as much yesterday,Wednesday, May 13: "I cannot see border measures materially changing for some time." Murphy also said that two-thirds of Australia's COVID-19 cases had been overseas-acquired and he had "no vision" of when strong borders could be relaxed. An analysis released earlier this week by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the trade association for the world's airlines, and Tourism Economics has an equally dire outlook — for international travel, not so much for domestic. According to the report, the best case scenario is that air travel will be back to normal (2019 levels) by 2023. While it's expected international air travel will take four years to recover, the report predicts domestic travel will bounce back faster. "The impacts of the crisis on long-haul travel will be much more severe and of a longer duration than what is expected in domestic markets," said IATA CEO Alexandre de Juniac in the report. The average length of flights will drop — as shown by the below graph — as people preference exploring their own backyard, over international jaunts. So, while European adventures and could still be a while off, exploring Australia could be a possibility in the not-so-distant future. Many states and territories have closed borders at the moment, though — including Queensland, Tasmania, WA, SA and NT — and regional travel is still off-limits, but we'll let you know when that changes. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and what travel is and isn't allowed, head to the Department of Health's website. Domestic travel is now allowed in New Zealand — read more about COVID-19 Alert Level 2 here.
UPDATE, March 31, 2021: Bill & Ted Face the Music is available to stream via Stan, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. When it comes to goofy and sweet movie concepts handled with sincerity, the Bill & Ted franchise has always proven most triumphant. In 1989's Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, the big-screen comedy series introduced the world to Californian high schoolers Bill S Preston, Esq (Alex Winter) and Ted 'Theodore' Logan (Keanu Reeves), who are apparently destined to write the rock song that unites the universe — if they can first pass their history exam by travelling back in time in a phone booth to recruit famed past figures like Beethoven and Socrates to help, that is. The idea that Bill & Ted's affable, air guitar-playing slackers would become the world's salvation was a joke that the film itself was in on, and the movie struck the right balance of silliness, earnestness and affection as a result. So, the end product was joyous. How could a flick that makes the absolute most of Reeves exclaiming "whoa!" multiple times, tasks its titular characters with spreading a message of kindness and sends Napoleon to a water park called Waterloo be anything but giddy fun? Actually, Excellent Adventure was something else: the reason that 1991's even loopier but still entertaining Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey exists, complete with evil robot versions of the eponymous duo and Twister games with Death (William Sadler) in hell. Now, almost three decades after that first sequel, the franchise has spawned a third entry — and Bill & Ted Face the Music delivers yet another dose of warm-hearted lunacy. Bill (Winter) and Ted (Reeves) are back, obviously. They're older, definitely not wiser, and yet again take a few leaps through time. The fate of life as everyone knows it is still at stake, of course. And, as always, the loveable pair's clear motto — "be excellent to each other" — is pivotal. Bogus Journey told viewers that Wyld Stallyns, Bill and Ted's band, would achieve the success that futuristic emissary Rufus (George Carlin) had promised since the beginning of Excellent Adventure. When Face the Music returns to the duo, they've enjoyed the spoils of fame and subsequently crashed back into obscurity, gigs on cheap taco night, and combining a theremin with throat singing in the world's least romantic wedding song. Settled into suburban San Dimas life with their wives and children — medieval princesses Joanna (Glee's Jayma Mays) and Elizabeth (Medical Police's Erinn Hayes), and chip-off-the-old-block daughters Theadora (Ready or Not's Samara Weaving) and Wilhelmina (Atypical's Brigette Lundy-Paine) — they're still certain they'll write the tune the changes the future. Well, they're still trying to. But when they're given a 77-minute deadline by Rufus' daughter Kelly (The Last Man on Earth's Kristen Schaal), Bill and Ted decide to jump forward and steal the fabled track from themselves after they've already penned it. There's a purposeful sense of familiarity to Face the Music's main plot; watching Bill and Ted hurtle through time is what this franchise is all about, after all. Teaming up with director Dean Parisot (Galaxy Quest), returning original writers Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon triple down on the setup, however, with Thea and Billie also leaping through history — and their unhappy mothers, who can't quite convince Bill and Ted not to be so codependent, similarly riding the circuits of time on their own trip. Layering all of the above gives Face the Music an overt excuse to rehash many of the franchise's beloved aspects, including bringing Bill and Ted face to face with themselves again and again, and sending the younger B and T on a mission to collect music icons like Mozart, Jimi Hendrix and King Cudi. And yet, while anyone who has seen Excellent Adventure and Bogus Journey will spot the easy nods — even extending to a new robot (Barry's Anthony Carrigan) sent to foil the current plans — Face the Music isn't merely trying to relive past glories. In fact, the very idea that some dreams don't come true — or, to the benefit of everyone, they evolve and get passed along — sits at the core of this tender and loving movie. That's its best feature, and it's far from bogus. Naturally, it's a delight to see Winter and Reeves reprise their roles. They step back into Bill and Ted's shoes with ease, expertly conveying the characters' lingering immaturity, middle-aged malaise and ever-present kindness. They're also clearly having a blast as different versions of the duo, and their enthusiasm is infectious. As the next generation, both Weaving and Lundy-Paine are spot-on as well (the latter couldn't channel late 80s/early 90s-era Keanu more convincingly), while Carrigan steals every scene he's in. But without thoughtfully pondering what it truly means to be excellent to each other, showing that in action and demonstrating the impact that pulling together communally can have, Face the Music could've felt like it was just strumming the same hit notes again. They're also known for spouting "party on!" with frequency, but Bill and Ted's most famous catchphrase has never simply served up empty words. No one can escape the straightforward piece of advice, because "be excellent to each other" is uttered often, but it also means something. Indeed, Bill and Ted approached their lives with goodwill and consideration back in Excellent Adventure as a method of coping with their troubles — with the former's sleazy dad marrying one of their classmates, and the latter's stern father constantly threatening him with military school — and, here, they continue to illustrate the merits of their optimistic and warm mindset. It's no wonder, then, that Face the Music feels like such a nice hug of a movie. It's silly, because that's a given. It relies upon a template, but knows how to twist it in new directions. It occasionally feels repetitive, and a tad unintentionally chaotic. The heartfelt happiness it brings, though, is 100-percent excellent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hAL7emClFM
The Night Noodle Markets are nearly upon us and Gelato Messina is preparing to wow Brisbanites once again with its newest creations. Perhaps it was its recent Sydney collaboration with Hoy Pinoy that did it, because this year's menu is full on Filipino. Messina's Filipino Jeepney food truck dishes will be available exclusively at the Brisbane markets from July 24–August 4. Expect the Southeast Asian country's most popular desserts to get the good ol' Messina treatment, starting with the 'Allo 'Allo! — a take on the shaved-iced hallo hallo, which combines leche flan with caramel-flavoured shaved ice, syrup and sauce, all topped with toasted milk crumb and dulce de leche gelato. [caption id="attachment_702004" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Allo! 'Allo![/caption] The truck is is also bringing back a 2016 favourite under the guise of a different name — Thrilla from Manila is a take on turron, which in this case is filo-pastry wrapped and deep-fried brown sugar and banana gelato, mixed with bits of banana bread and topped with custard and chocolate peanut butter crumb. If you're more into fruity desserts, Filopieno is a mango and peach jelly-filled concoction with chantilly cream and graham cracker crumb toppings. Handheld dessert lovers are covered, too, with the Brazo de Messina, an ice cream sandwich of pandan gelato, baked meringue and condensed milk custard, all layered with a shortbread crust. To check out what else you'll be able to eat at the markets over the 12 tasty nights, head to the Good Food Month website. The Night Noodle Markets run from July 24–August 4 at South Bank, Brisbane.
When Toy Story hit cinema screens back in 1995, the Oscar-winning movie made history as the first entirely computer-generated feature-length film. The huge Pixar hit also made audiences everywhere fall hard for a bunch of loveable playthings, because you're never too old to find a friend wherever you need it. It's completely okay if you're feeling a little wistful and teary just thinking about it. Nine years after the last Toy Story movie, the animation studio is counting on that very sentiment — and that viewers everywhere just aren't ready to farewell these animated pals. While 2010's Toy Story 3 was pitched as the final flick in the series, this film franchise could reach to infinity and beyond. For now, it's just unveiling its next chapter. Releasing on the big screen in June, Toy Story 4 sees the return of Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the gang (and the return of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and company as voice talent). Given that Andy, the protagonist from the original three flicks, has given away all of this toys, the group are now the proud property of Bonnie — and a new adventure awaits, as does a new homemade buddy called Forky (Tony Hale). Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Christina Hendricks and none other than Keanu Reeves also join the voice cast — the latter playing a daredevil character called Duke Kaboom, and likely saying "whoa!" more than once. Check out the full trailer below, and prepare to get mighty nostalgic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmiIUN-7qhE Toy Story 4 releases in Australian cinemas on June 20, 2019.
As far as boozy beverages go, nothing beats the espresso martini. It gives you a buzz, it's a crowd-pleaser and most venues have one on their menu. In fact, they're so beloved, Brisbane is getting a whole new festival dedicated to them. A separate event from Melbourne and Sydney's own fests, the Espresso Martini Festival will take over Fish Lane between 6pm and 10pm on Tuesday, August 15. In a stroke of savvy planning, that's the night before the Ekka public holiday, meaning that you can get your caffeinated cocktail fix without worrying about the alarm going off the next morning. Of course, there's no prizes for guessing what's on offer — but don't just expect the usual 'tinis combos of coffee and alcohol. With the team from Brooklyn Standard on drinks duty, they'll be whipping up at least five different varieties. Tequila, whisky and vodka will feature, plus some other spirited surprises. If that sounds like enough to make you bounce off of South Brisbane's walls, then that's the point; however crispy chicken ribs, pork belly bao, grilled pork meatballs and chicken coconut salad slaw from Fish Lane Vietnamese eatery Hello Please will help bring you back to street level. Tickets cost $35, and include a free espresso martini and a selection of food on entry — and a lack of sleep that night, obviously. Image: Steven Woodburn.
If you're not fond of cooking every night of the week, chances are you've relied upon food delivery services a little more than usual in 2020. With heading out to eat off the cards during Australia's nationwide lockdown earlier in the year — and throughout Melbourne's current strict stay-at-home restrictions as well — being able to get meals brought to your door has been a key coping tool. You might not be able to physically go to your favourite eatery, but you can still tuck into its dishes. For three days next week — from 12.01am Tuesday, September 29–11.59pm Thursday, October 1 — you'll also be able to get those bites to eat without paying for delivery. Across that 72-hour period, Menulog is hosting its first Menulog Free Delivery Fest. And yes, it's all there in the name. You'll still have to pay for your food, obviously, but you won't have to fork out a single cent to get it delivered. And, the deal applies to every Menulog-delivered order except KFC, so you'll have plenty of dishes to choose from. To nab free delivery, you'll need to order between the above dates and times via the Menulog app and the Menulog website. Restaurants taking part will have a free delivery icon on their Menulog listing, too — with the Menulog Free Delivery Fest running in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory. The Menulog Free Delivery Fest runs from 12.01am Tuesday, September 29–11.59pm Thursday, October 1 via the Menulog app and the Menulog website.
No longer just an empty old Blockbuster store or a vacant lot where said video shop used to be, the patch of land at 458 Brunswick Street is giving Brisbanites plenty of reasons to drop by. First, Hotel X opened its doors and treated the city to a new staycation spot. Then, the building welcomed lavish restaurant Bisou Bisou, complete with an oyster and caviar bar. Next, come Friday, April 30, rooftop bar and restaurant Iris will join the party. The latest venture from the Ghanem Group — which already has Bisou Bisou, Boom Boom Room Izakaya, Donna Chang, Byblos Bar and Restaurant, Blackbird Bar and Grill, and Lord of the Wings to its name — Iris sits alongside Hotel X's pool in its sky-high location. Yes, that means that you'll have quite the view while you're sipping and eating, including of the adjacent water, Fortitude Valley, New Farm, the Story Bridge and the city skyline. While its downstairs sibling has opted for a French theme, Iris is taking its cues from the Mediterranean coast, including everywhere from Beirut to Barcelona. Design-wise, that translates through the exposed stonework entranceway, the rooftop wisteria and olive trees, and the fairy lights twinkling above. You'll also be surrounded by plum, rose and indigo hues accented with gold finishings, plus marble touches. While the full food and drink menu is yet to be revealed, diners can expect Greek and Spanish-style share plate dishes that bring European summers to mind, and have also been made to suit Brisbane's warm climate. Think: barbecue pork rib pinchos, red claw crayfish tails with smoked chorizo butter and spiced toothfish tacos, as well as sangria to wash it all down. Doing the honours in the kitchen is Head Chef Lloyd Evans, who makes the move from Blackbird's private event space. Expect to have company if you're keen to head up — literally — from 11am daily, with Iris seating 200 people in its restaurant space and also featuring a private dining area for 14 people. Poolside bungalows are a feature, too, as is an evening dance floor that'll get patrons cutting shapes to DJs as the sun sets. Find Iris atop Hotel X at 458 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley — open from 11am–late daily from Friday, April 30.
"For us, it's about trying to take risks," says director Amiel Courtin-Wilson. "Further the process, and see how far you can push things before they break." Certainly, the Melbourne-born filmmaker is not afraid of pushing the envelope. After beginning his career in documentary with films like Chasing Buddha and Bastardy, Courtin-Wilson's first fiction feature was 2012's Hail, a dark, critically divisive love story that blended naturalistic cinematography and dialogue with striking moments of visual experimentation. A similar methodology is at work in his follow-up, Ruin, which he co-directed with Hail producer Michael Cody. Inspired by Cody's time living and working in South-East Asia, the film is a romantic drama about the relationship between a runaway prostitute and a factory worker in Phnom Penh and the desperate lengths they must go to in order to survive. "On average I don't think we did a day shorter than 15 or 16 hours," says Courtin-Wilson of the gruelling, unconventional shoot, which was broken into two separate three-week blocks with a yearlong gap in between. "The last week we were shooting 20, 21 hour days." Now it seems that the hard work has paid off. Since its completion, Ruin has won numerous festival awards, including the Special Jury Prize at Venice, and had its Australian debut in competition at the Sydney Film Festival. In the lead-up to their local premiere, Courtin-Wilson and Cody took the time to talk with Concrete Playground about the experience of putting the film together. https://youtube.com/watch?v=5VEQ2Hvq_Cs No Script, no problem When asked about the project's origins, both directors grin. "We landed in Cambodia without a script, without any finance and without any sense of a story," remembers Courtin-Wilson. "Within about a month we had some finance, we had a cast, we had a crew from Australia, and we had a 15-page outline. So in many ways it was just an experiment in sheer momentum." The Australian crew came together under the banner of Courtin-Wilson's film collective, Flood Projects. Many of them worked for free, even paying for their own plane tickets to Cambodia. "If someone's prepared to do that, they're obviously there for the right reason," says Cody, "and that's very humbling. It means that the process is genuinely very collaborative; everyone's invested in it, and we're super grateful to them for being there." Courtin-Wilson agrees. "I think what happens when you give over to that process without the usual hierarchies, when someone can literally have four or five roles, is that everyone is so invested and so excited," he says. "Someone can be down the street for lunch and find some amazing potential cast member, or find an amazing cafe for a scene … it was the most exhilarating filmmaking experience I've ever had." A road movie with no road map Part of Ruin's naturalistic feel comes from the filmmakers being willing to draw from their environment. "Structurally, working with a road movie paradigm meant that you could expand or contract the film according to who you met along the way," says Courtin-Wilson. "It's episodic in nature … we'd meet an amazing fisherman in a province halfway through shooting and then we'd sit down and write a scene for him, and integrate that into the story. "The idea that filmmaking has to be a one-way street in which you can't fundamentally reinvent the film in the edit..." Courtin-Wilson trails off, shaking his head. "If anything, we were trying to inject more chaos into the process, because that's where the discoveries lie." "I'm pretty sure [the cast] thought we were just mental cases for a lot of the time shooting the film," says Cody, laughing. The guidance of trauma "We had a really fundamental idea of what the theme of the film was, which came from Cody's initial idea of trauma, and how trauma sits in the body," says Courtin-Wilson. "This is a whole country that's been traumatised," adds Cody. "One thing I'm really pleased with is the way the history of the place comes through, but in an oblique way. It's subtle, as it is in everyday life there. You can feel it everywhere, all around you, but it's not discussed. These people have to deal with the reality of that history, in their lives and their relationships. You know, like living down the road from the guy that executed your father, that sort of stuff." "In early screenings of the film we had in Cambodia," says Courtin-Wilson, "the greatest compliment [came from] showing it to a group of Cambodian artists, musicians and filmmakers, and for them to say 'this feels like Cambodia today'. If we even came close to capturing that, that's all I would ever want." Ruin is on at the Melbourne International Film Festival on Wednesday, August 13, and Saturday, August 17. For tickets, see the MIFF website.
If you prefer an art experience that extends beyond looking at works on a wall, prepare to be impressed by Melbourne's new immersive digital art gallery. Set to open in late 2020, The Lume will take the form of a $15-million 2000-square-metre gallery, decked out with 150 state-of-the-art projectors. Projections of some of the world's most celebrated works will be splashed across various surfaces, backed by powerful musical soundtracks and complemented by aromas. The project is the brainchild of Melbourne-based Grande Exhibitions, which, for the past 14 years, has hosted immersive exhibitions and gallery experiences in over 130 cities across the world. The company also owns and operates Rome's Museo Leonardo da Vinci. Known for celebrating art world greats like Vincent van Gogh and da Vinci through modern, multi-sensory technology, Grande Exhibitions will use a similar formula at The Lume. Instead of showcasing original works, the gallery will rely on a curation of music and moving image to create a tapestry of instantly recognisable artworks. At night, The Lume will transform into an events space, thanks to a collaboration with catering company Food & Desire. So, next Christmas party you could be sipping bubbles while looking at (and smelling) a Van Gogh. To get more of an idea of what to expect from The Lume when it opens later this year, check out this teaser: https://youtu.be/-nFtXTTXpWk The Lume will open in an unconfirmed Melbourne location in late 2020. We'll let you know when more details are announced. You can check out some of Grande Exhibitions' other gallery experiences over here. Updated March 2020
If you're a fan of the Apple iPad be sure to pencil March 7, 2012 into your diaries. According to tech site iMore.com, this is the day that Apple will unveil the iPad 3 — or iPad HD. These predictions are in sync with AllThingsD's earlier report that the iPad 3 will be announced in the first week of March. In addition, Apple insider, Jim Dalrymple of The Loop, has indirectly accepted this rumoured announcement date with a solid "Yep." Citing "sources who have been reliable in the past", iMore suggests that features of the next-gen iPad are to include 4G LTE networking, a 2048 x 1536 Retina Display and a quad-core A6 processor. These are considerable upgrades when considering the current iPad 2's specs. Other circulating rumours anticipate an improved camera (either 5 or 8-megapixels), a HD front camera and the possibility of a mini 7" iPad. Considering Apple's world domination in the business of technology, one thing that's for certain is that you'll have to fight off a hoard of iPad-loving vultures before you can get your hands on Apple's newest edition to the iPad family.
Brisbane's latest nightlife spot wants to wow patrons before they even step foot through the door. It's keen to make its customers feel like they've been whisked somewhere far from the Queensland capital, too. First up, to get inside, you need to step along an LED walkway that has the entrance glowing, its stairs as well, then clubgoers once you're in. And those vibes from places far beyond the River City? Ibiza, Miami and Las Vegas are all influences. Enigma opened in Brisbane to start off August 2024, giving Fortitude Valley a new nightclub. The Brunswick Street spot boasts a $9.3-million fitout, which attendees can enjoy on Friday and Saturday evenings. As the luminous sights and overseas inspirations make plain, the aim is to whisk clubgoers away from their routine even if they're not leaving Brissie. "It targets those seeking an escape," explains Hallmark Hospitality Group's Cade Hopman, with the hospitality adding Enigma to its array of venues. Visuals also accompany the beats inside, in a space that joins Maggie May, Lefty's Music Hall, The Lord Alfred and Hey Chica! are among the company's fellow venues in Brisbane. Retro's and Finn McCool's have locations both here and on the Gold Coast. And the latter is also home to The Cavill Hotel, Sandbar, Lost Kingdom and Asylum — while Hallmark is also behind The Spotted Cow in Toowoomba. Enigma's resident tune-spinners include Tasha Lee, Curdin, SF Fudge, Sophie Bridges, Nestor Vargas and Apolloco, setting the mood whether you're hitting the dance floor or hanging out in the seven booths surrounding the DJ in the VIP area. As for the drinks options, classics such as margaritas, Long Island iced teas, Aperol spritzes and espresso martinis sit alongside the club's signature sip. Opt for The Enigma and you'll be drinking vodka, white rum, gin, blue curacao and raspberry, plus Red Bull. Find Engima at 299 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley — open from 9pm–4am Friday–Saturday. Head to the venue's website for more details.
Just ten short months ago, seeing a new high-profile movie was a rather straightforward affair. When a big-screen release date was announced for a film, that's generally when it would hit theatres, perhaps with a few minor shifts here and there. But then, as we all know, the pandemic hit. Film release dates started being postponed and have kept up that trend, with big-name flicks pushing their openings back by around a year in some cases. And, recognising that the cinema industry mightn't return to normal worldwide while COVID-19 is still spreading, a few of those eagerly anticipated movies have been making the jump to streaming instead. Add Soul, Pixar's latest film, to the latter category. Instead of releasing in cinemas, it'll now head straight to Disney+ in December. If your Christmas plans usually involve lots of food and then some couch time, you'll be able to feast your eyeballs on the animation studio's new all-ages effort, as it'll hit the Mouse House's streaming platform on Friday, December 25. This isn't the first time that Disney, or even the Disney-owned Pixar, have taken this leap. Earlier in 2020, Pixar's Onward was moved to Disney+ once cinemas started closing down worldwide. Disney also sent terrible fantasy flick Artemis Fowl straight to streaming mid-year, as well as the phenomenal live recording of hit musical Hamilton. The same happened with its big-budget live-action version of Mulan, too, albeit with an added cost involved on top of the normal Disney+ subscription price. With Soul, viewers won't have to fork out anything extra, with the film available as a regular part of the streaming platform's catalogue. And if you're a big fan of Pixar's fondness for layering eye-catching imagery over a shared existential question — what it means to be alive and to feel, regardless of whether you're a toy, bug, monster, fish, superhero, car, rat, robot, dinosaur or emotion — this is clearly great news. As viewers can't help noticing, the animation powerhouse has been leaning into its favourite idea with plenty of force of late. Inside Out focused its attention on the emotions warring inside the heart and mind of a young girl, guiding her every thought, feeling and decision, while Coco drew upon the Mexican Day of the Dead, following a young boy as he wandered through the world beyond the mortal coil. Now, with Soul, Pixar looks to be borrowing from and combining parts of those two movies. It hones in on a school teacher who dreams of becoming a jazz musician, then falls down an open manhole and into a dark realm that looks rather like the afterlife. His titular essence is detached from his body, comes across a far more cynical counterpart and, in the process, starts wondering what it really means to have a soul. Jamie Foxx voices jazz-lover Joe Gardner, who is already musing on life's important questions — why is he here, what is he meant to be doing and what existence is all about — before his accident. Once he has tumbled down the manhole, he spends his time bantering with 22, voiced by Tina Fey. As well as whipping out a nifty cowboy dance, 22 doesn't think that life on earth is all that great. Audiences can expect to tag along on Joe's metaphysical journey, and to enjoy Foxx and Fey's comedic double act. The film also features the vocal talents of Questlove, Phylicia Rashad and Hamilton's Daveed Diggs, and boasts a score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. And if you're wondering where the movie's central idea comes from (other than Pixar's back catalogue), writer/director Pete Docter started thinking about the origin of our personalities when his son was born more than two decades ago. Docter also helmed two of Pixar's big hits — and big emotional heavy hitters — in Up and Inside Out, nabbing Oscars for Best Animated Feature for both. Check out the trailer for Soul below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOsLIiBStEs Soul will start streaming on Disney+ on Friday, December 25, as part of the streaming service's regular subscription offering.
"You know you're like the tenth guy to try this, right? It never works out for the dipshit in the mask." So scolds TV reporter Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox, Shining Vale) in the latest trailer for Scream VI, saying what everyone that's ever watched this slasher franchise has long known. But, if bad past outcomes for fellow Ghostfaces were going to stop the next killer in the horror-film saga from getting stabby, there wouldn't even be a new flick to begin with. If you like scary movies, then you've likely watched a Scream film or five over the last quarter of a century. And, across that period — ever since the OG feature became a box-office smash in 1996, then delivered 1997's Scream 2, 2000's Scream 3, 2011's Scream 4 and 2022's Scream, plus TV spinoff Scream: The TV Series — you've seen the saga's mask-wearing killer Ghostface slash his way through the fictional Californian town of Woodsboro multiple times, as well as a college in Ohio and then Hollywood. This time, however, he's following in The Muppets' footsteps and making a date with Manhattan. In both the initial Scream VI teaser trailer from back in 2022 and the just-dropped full sneak peek, New York City has an unwanted guest — and the current person donning a Ghostface mask is more than a little obsessed with their task. Early in the clip, there's even a shrine to the franchise so far, taking a trip down memory lane through the saga's history. There's also another familiar face: Hayden Panettiere (Nashville), returning to the fold as Kirby Reed following Scream 4. She joins Cox as Weathers, the last Scream's Melissa Barrera (In the Heights) and Jenna Ortega (Wednesday) as sisters Sam and Tara Carpenter, and Jasmin Savoy Brown (Yellowjackets) as the siblings' film-obsessed pal Mindy among the existing franchise players making a comeback to get stalked by Ghostface once again. Or, make that Ghostfaces. In the two trailers so far, it's clearly Halloween, and costumes abound on a NYC subway. Among all that spooky attire: more than one black-clad person in a Ghostface mask, making Sam, Tara and Mindy more than a little distressed. Ghostface also whips out a gun in a convenience store, slinks around New York's streets and gets Gale on the phone. Does the latter signal an end to one of the series' original characters? Amid references to other horror movies, and to the franchise's own past, that's how those kinds of scenes usually play out. Whatever's in store for Gale, Kirby and company — and whether Kirby might be the killer this time around, because this series does love links when it comes to Ghostface's identity — will be revealed in early March, when Scream VI hits cinemas. Ready or Not's Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett return to direct, as they did with 2021's Scream. Also involved, featuring on-screen: She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and The Other Two's Josh Segarra, Servant and The Grand Budapest Hotel's Tony Revolori, and Australian Nine Perfect Strangers and Ready or Not star Samara Weaving, plus Dermot Mulroney (Umma) and Henry Czerny (another Ready or Not alum). Check out the full Scream VI trailer below: Scream VI releases in cinemas Down Under on March 9. Images: Philippe Bossé.
Parisian label Kitsune is coming back to hang. As cool and sharp as a post-toothpaste drink of lemonade, the record and fashion label know what's up well before it's up. Specialising in eclectic electronic and minimalist dance music as clean and tailored as a French cuff, the label have been taking their Kitsune Club Nights worldwide to dance lovers in Tokyo, Berlin and London. The crew cranked some serious parties in Australia last year, with the likes of Jerry Bouthier, Clubfeet, RUFUS and Softwar. Returning for the second edition this May, Kitsune are heading back to Australia to throw down a whole lot of excellent beats, fronted by one of their favourite dudes, Pyramid. One heck of a laptop wizard, the French producer won his way into Kitsune hearts and compilations after winning a remix contest. The 22-year-old DJ will be promoting his new EP, The Phoenix, out now through the label itself. He'll be joined by Aussie electronic alt-popster Chela, who linked arms with Melbourne outfit Clubfeet for the Kitsune club series last year. There'll be five stops on the Kitsune Australian tour, creating a ruckus in Fitzroy's Laundry Bar, Fortitude Valley's Chinese Whispers, The Bakery in Northbridge and Sydney's Civic Underground before heading on to Warehouse 82 in Seminyak, Bali. So if you're fan of disjointed nu-disco (which, everybody clearly is), get amongst it in May. Tour dates: Fri 9 May - Laundry Bar, Fitzroy Sat 10 May - Chinese Whispers, Fortitude Valley Fri 16 May - The Bakery, Northbridge Sat 17 May - Civic Underground, Sydney Image by BAM.
iPhone photography apps like Instagram and Hipstamatic recreate a Polaroid-feel in our piccies. We can Lomo-fi and Poprocket our way to nostalgia-town, but still, there's something not quite right. According to the creators of Instaprint, a location-based photography booth launched last Monday, "deep down we all still miss the uniqueness of those square little photos you'd hold comfortably in your hand." Created by Breakfast, a New York interactive agency, Instaprint is the modern day equivalent of a photo booth, but with all the digital mobile perks modern technology has to offer. The device automatically detects and prints photos marked with a particular location or hashtag using old-school inkless printing techniques developed by Zink. Two Instaprint machines will be showcased at the SxSW conference in Austin this week, where tech enthusiasts can road-test the device. It's still in beta-stage, but will be officially available by March 18. That's not the only way to get your Instagrams in ink. StickyGram turns your miniature masterpieces into delightful magnets, perfect for jazzing up shopping lists, menus and notes living on the door of your fridge. The service is currently limited to select UK and US users, but as the website assures us, StickyGram will be open to the public soon.
Seeing fruit mince pies in your local shopping centre in October feels downright disturbing, but there's one Christmas treat that no one ever minds arriving early: Four Pillars' annual Christmas Gin. The latest iteration of the Healesville distillery's seasonal sip is coming in strong, set to hit shelves on Tuesday, October 25. It's the delicious result of a yearly tradition that sees a bunch of Christmas puddings handmade with distiller Cameron Mackenzie's mother's recipe — the 1968 Australian Women's Weekly recipe, in fact — and distilled with various festive botanicals to create a sought-after tipple that pretty much screams December 25. The flavours of an Aussie Christmas are captured in notes of cinnamon, star anise, juniper, coriander and angelica. The Christmas gin is then blended with some earlier gin that's been carefully ageing in 80-year-old muscat barrels. It's all finished with a hit of Rutherglen muscat for a bit of added richness and complexity. Each year, a new unique label is chosen to wrap up this Christmas creation, setting out to evoke that same festive spirit. The 2022's bottle design is the work of artist Jane Reynolds, who has provided an abstract version of a Christmas tree scene. She has also whipped up artwork for the rest of Four Pillars' seasonal range — because the gin has company. If it's the tipple itself that has you excited, the distillers always recommend you sip the limited-edition gin neat; mix it with ginger ale, lime and bitters; or whip up a pavlova punch with the festive gin, passionfruit, muscat, berries and your choice of sparkling. Or you can just splash a bit of it on your own Christmas pudding — or pair it with Four Pillars' own Christmas gin puddings, as made with with gin-steamed oranges and a dash of Christmas Gin (naturally), which'll also be available to buy from Tuesday, October 25. There's also a sour cherry and fresh yuzu and apple pickle, aka pickles made from yuzu-steeped apples and botanical-infused oranges that are then mixed with sour cherries and spices, and are recommended to serve with cheese, charcuterie or a leftover ham sandwich. Finally, Four Pillars is releasing a linen yuletide tea towel, too, as decked out with with Reynold's work. If you want to nab a bottle — or any of the above — have your fingers poised over the 'buy' button when they go on sale online towards the end of October. Alternatively, you can stop by the Four Pillars HQ in Healesville, Victoria or the brand's Surry Hills shop in Sydney. Bottles are $105 a pop and would make stellar Chrissy pressies, if you're already thinking about that. The pudding will cost you $30, the tea towel the same price and the pickles $10. Four Pillars Christmas Gin is available to buy online, from the Healesville distillery and Surry Hills shop from Tuesday, October 25. But you'd best be quick — there's only a limited amount of bottles. Images: Benito Martin.
Here's a reality check: your career will likely span upwards of 40 years of your life. That's a long time spent at work. Given that empirical fact, ideally, you want to be in a position where you can actually get the most out of your job in terms of satisfaction, pay and its alignment with your personal goals. We have one word for you: upskill. Your working life is rarely one continuous upwards trajectory. Yes, there are successes — but, equally, there are slumps. One way to avoid these and pivot your way out of job stagnation is through targeted education. Taking a course related to your career goals helps you expand your realm of knowledge beyond your original training, keep up to date with the latest research and methodologies in your field, and show your present (and prospective) employers your ambition and drive for self-improvement. To help you do this, we've picked five university subjects with no prerequisites that you can take as one-off courses to help you get ahead in your job. PROGRAMMING: LEARN HOW TO CODE Digital skills! These are in increasing demand across a broad range of industries, from media and advertising to design and technology. Retraining is essential in today's world — technological changes are constantly challenging the basic skillsets required in the workforce, and there is always something new to learn. Keep up and adapt with RMIT's introductory programming course. You'll learn the basics of coding and sequencing as well as ethical considerations in programming. So when someone in the office needs someone to go in and tweak the website's code, you'll be able to smugly run to their aid. What's the subject? Introduction to Programming at RMIT. Enrol here. UX DESIGN: KNOW HOW TO CREATE A USER-FRIENDLY PRODUCT Demand for good UX (that is, user experience) designers is most definitely on the rise — it's something we use every single day. That's because UX designers create frontend designs for users that are attractive and functional — it's what makes apps like Instagram or Airbnb intuitive and useable. In this course, you'll learn the basics of UX design. Then, from there, you can experiment on your own or even opt to take on further study. Because this is a relatively new occupation, doing this course will give you the ability to differentiate yourself in an emerging area of expertise. Salaries depend on experience, but on the whole they're way above the national average, with senior UX designers earning up to $120,000 per annum. Not bad. But even if you don't become a UX designer per se, knowing the basics helps facilitate communication with any UX designers you hire or work with. Knowing what you're talking about cuts out unnecessary back and forth communication thanks to a shared language and will allow you to get the project done much quicker, saving you time and patience and your company money. What's the subject? User Interface and Experience Design at Curtin University. Enrol here. BUSINESS INNOVATION: GET THE KNOW-HOW TO TAKE YOUR BUSINESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL This course is a perfect booster if you work in an existing business, or if you're thinking of starting one on your own. You'll learn how to tackle business issues in a creative, innovative and — most importantly — practical way. Across the course you'll scrutinise real-world examples of innovation in the workplace that you can then apply to your own practice. You'll also learn how to pitch a concept (which we're going to say might be more useful than listening to episodes of StartUp). What's the subject? Innovative Business Practice with Swinburne University. Enrol here. PEOPLE MANAGEMENT: LEARN HOW TO FOSTER A THRIVING (AND DIVERSE) WORKPLACE If you work in HR or you lead a team or company, this one's for you. Equity and diversity are important principles getting a lot of airtime right now — and for good reason. The workplace only stands to benefit from diverse perspectives and bigger companies are constantly looking at how to create a more consciously egalitarian environment. If you know this is true but don't quite know how to put it into practice in an ethical and balanced way, this course should put you in a position to do so. It looks at the founding principles of HR management that will allow you to recruit, foster and maintain a happy, healthy, diverse and productive crew of colleagues. Anyone involved in recruiting and people management — and the companies they work for — only stand to gain from this training. What's the subject? Human Resource Management Principles with Griffith University. Enrol here. LEADERSHIP: BECOME A BOSS PEOPLE ACTUALLY LIKE If you want to increase your existing skills as a manager or are looking to be promoted through the ranks of corporate leadership, this course is a strong option. You'll learn about different team management styles and assess the varying ways that project teams can be structured. Relationship management and team development is absolutely vital in proving yourself as an effective team leader, and this course can help complement your at-work practical leadership experience. Essential stuff. Plus, if a promotion comes up, you'll be a prime candidate for the role. What's the subject? Project Leadership & Teams with University of South Australia. Enrol here. Start looking at all the subjects on offer online from leading Australian unis through Open Universities Australia and you could have a new skill by the end of the year. Hop to it.
The Claws are coming out this summer, and by that I mean White Claw — the most culturally pervasive entrant in the ever-increasing selection of hard seltzers — will be widely available for your low-calorie, sparkling water-meets-alcohol yearnings. And, now, those among you who both enjoy a hard seltzer but also suffer crippling flavour-indecisiveness can breathe a sigh of relief because Australia's bestselling hard seltzer brand has just dropped a new Variety Pack so you have one less thing you need to ruminate on. A treat. The new 10-Pack case features the usual suspects of Mango, Natural Lime and Ruby Grapefruit, and a couple of tins of the brand new Watermelon flavour — which only launched in Australia last week. Good for picnics, parties and (probably) gallivanting on yachts, when you're looking for something a little lighter than beers and less boozy than natural wine. The hard seltzer craze has evolved from its beginnings as a hallmark of chaotic-bro culture in the American summer of 2019, to permeating multiple levels of fridge space in local bottle shops, from tasty locally-brewed or conceived options like Sunny Eddy, Good Tides, Fellr and Rain Bird to the big international favourites Truly and, of course, White Claw. The White Claw Variety Pack is available from October 11 with 4 x Mango, 2 x Natural Lime, 2 x Ruby Grapefruit and 2 x Watermelon and will retail for $50. Image credit: Provided
Australia no longer has to wait out the storm; it’s time to dance in the Purple Rain. After months of rumours, Prince’s Australian tour dates have finally been confirmed. This is the first time in eight years that Prince has toured Australia, and he’s bound to return in all of his sparkly, guitar-soloing glory. So far, only three performances have been confirmed; shows will be held in Sydney on May 11, Melbourne on May 14, and Brisbane on May 18. There may be more in the works, however. The last time Prince visited Australia, he performed a series of ‘secret’ shows and held after-parties at local clubs, so stay tuned. Tickets start at $99 and are available from 9am on Monday, April 16 through Ticketek, but you can get more expensive VIP tickets via pre-sale here.
If you've been to a few music festivals around southeast Queensland over the years, then you've been to plenty of go-to patches of grass and pavement, spanning the likes of Brisbane Showgrounds and the Riverstage, Gold Coast Parklands and Doug Jennings Park, and the Big Pineapple and Woodfordia as well. Here's another to add to your list: Coochin Fields, a whopping 150-hectare site that's about to start hosting major music and camping fests. Located on the Sunshine Coast — 35 minutes south of Maroochydore and 80 minutes north of Brisbane — Coochin Fields hails from a few folks who know a thing or two about festivals, and gigs in general. The company behind it: Comiskey Group, which also runs the Eatons Hill and Sandstone Point hotels, and have now added this massive spot to its portfolio. Of course, 150 hectares sounds huge — and it is — but if you need another reference point, that's the same size as 22 football fields. Sat five minutes off the Bruce Highway in the Coochin Creek area, the site is home to turf and strawberry farms year-round, which'll also remain operational. Exactly when you'll be able to head there for a music festival — to see big-name acts over a multi-day setup and camp overnight, of course — hasn't yet been revealed. Announcing the new site, Comiskey Group advised that it is currently in discussions to host iconic Australian festivals, including events that'll be expanding into Queensland for the first time. You can start guessing which fests that might include but, whatever they are, Coochin Fields now marks one of the biggest privately owned festival and camping sights in Queensland. "I am excited to bring something special to the Sunshine Coast," said Director Rob Comiskey in a statement. "The natural festival site is a similar size to North Byron Parklands, so there is plenty of opportunity to host both small and large-scale events with international artists and multiple stages." Coochin Fields is located 35 minutes south of Maroochydore and 80 minutes north of Brisbane. For more information about Coochin Fields and Comiskey Group, head to the latter's website.
If you've ever enjoyed a few drinks and wondered just what impact they've had on your blood alcohol limit, prepare to wonder no longer. Meet Proof, the wearable alcohol sensor that not only tells you how drunk you are — it (somewhat frighteningly) predicts how drunk you'll be later, and when you'll be sober if you stop drinking. Plus, it can also remind you when you're back in the safe realm. This is how it works: the slim band, which looks just like a fitness tracker, reads alcohol molecules through your skin. It then sends those readings to an app on your phone, where you can check whether you're okay to drive, and when you will be. You can also set it up to send vibrations through your wrist and flash an LED light when you reach pre-set blood alcohol levels. The band itself relies upon on disposable cartridges that last for 12 hours, and is powered by a rechargeable battery with a four-day continuous-use lifespan. Proof, which was among the technological advancements featured at CES 2017, has been in development by Milo Sensors for two years, with a crowdfunding campaign planned for 2017 to help it come to fruition. Once it reaches the market, it is expected to sell for US$100 to $150. Milo Sensors CEO and founder Evan Strenk told Mashable that the product aims to "empower people to make educated decision about alcohol," and is on par with consumer breathalysers. The last part is key, and not just in terms of effectiveness. Sure, plenty of blood alcohol testing products already exist; however who wants to blow into a tube when knowing just how those after-work drinks are hitting the spot is as easy as wearing a wristband and checking your phone? Via Mashable.
Shady Palms boasts decor that screams vintage tropicana meets Queensland backyard. This place has a laid-back vibe with a relaxing colour scheme smattered with mismatched chairs, tasseled lamp shades, grandma-floral recliners and greenery. Lots of greenery. Larger than first meets the eye, the front open room winds its way back to an equally large rear space before stepping out into the large back courtyard – complete with palms of course. Shady Palms is serving up Pan American and Mexican influenced cuisine with the likes of fried pickles, sliders, tacos and pulled pork everything making an appearance. A fun quirk of shady Palms is its table numbers – or should we say table people. Upon serving you'll be handed a celebrity – from Kanye to Marilyn to lesser-known philosophers. Having been before for a Thursday night tipple we can assure you beats, vibes and beers are all good. They also do a mean set of milkshakes, and if you're lucky the salted caramel and peanut butter number will be on the menu. If it's not, request it and tell them we sent you. With such good foundations we were left with mixed feelings after a morning meal there. First cab off the rank was the Bagel Boys bagel ($10) with smashed avocado and spiced labna. This guy was the perfect size and the fancy cheese worked beautifully with the avo smash. It is hard to screw up an eggs Benny, but a single egg was a bit of a letdown with the Americana eggs benedict ($16). It is served with 'I would murder my mother for this' delicious maple bacon and a side of, what seemed to be, deep fried/oiled kale. My dining partners noted that deep frying kale was equivalent to eating ice cream while jogging or smoking during a lung operation. This #superfood has lost its powers. Overall, the dish had a bit much going on for the hollandaise to shine past the cheesy pork arepas. It took a bit of convincing to pay $3.50 for a side of avocado, but we were assured it was generous. Being the perfect accompaniment to a simple poached eggs on sourdough ($10) with a tomato relish, sadly the avocado was overpowered by a distinct lemon flavour. Otherwise the relish was spot-on good and the eggs perfectly poached. We hear the sliders are fairly off-the-hook and with an atmosphere like that of Shady Palms, there's no good reason not to go back for cheeky beer or two and a taco or five.
Oh Christmas, what a time. A time for love, a time for giving, and of course, a time to lose your shit amongst the writhing throngs of desperate last-minute shoppers. Joy. Luckily for us, this year WineMarket have put together some pretty nifty packages, including a whole host of multi-bottle specials. Throw in easy-as-mince-pie one- or 1-2 day delivery on selected sets, and you really can get Christmas sorted this year, minus the stress plus a whole lot of delicious booze. Take the methode traditionelle Grandin Grande Reserve Brut NV, for example. These six tasty sparklings, made the same way as Champagne but with fruit from outside the region, come in at practically half the price of their French cousin. And, individually packaged in festive red metal presentation tubes, they’re right fancy too ($119.40 for six). Another great option to give is the six-pack of Wynns Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz Merlot, again individually packaged so no need to wrap. Just in case you haven’t heard of Wynns, this yummy mellow-textured fruity number is crafted by award-winning winemaker Sue Hodder, from her 5-star James Halliday-rated winery ($191.40 for 12). But, if you really want to treat the vino connoisseur in the family, you can also secure a bottle of Penfolds Grange 2010, sporting accolade after accolade, for $639 (usually $785). But, if variety is the festive spice of your silly season, you’re covered with all manner of combos, including ten reds and a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label ($99), 13-bottle stock-up essentials ($99) and a fabulously titled Impress the In-Laws package of award-winning, 90+ rated reds ($120). Cheers to that. WineMarket is offering a discount exclusively for Concrete Playground subscribers. Get $50 off orders over $120 (excluding freight) using the voucher code CONCRETEXMAS at the checkout. Hurry: offer ends 11.59PM 21/12/2014 (AEDT). Voucher can only be used once per customer. Excludes orders solely consisting of beer, champagne, cider or RTDs, and purchases from WineMarket must not be re–sold commercially. Not valid with any other promotion. Not redeemable for cash. WineMarket reserves the right to cancel orders made outside of these terms and conditions. Standard WineMarket T&Cs apply.
Earlier this week, on Monday, July 12, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced that life would soon be changing in Queensland — with the restrictions that've been in place for the past fortnight across the state set to lift from 6am on Friday, June 16. In the past 24 hours, however, three new locally acquired COVID-19 cases have been reported. As a result, the Premier has announced today, Thursday, July 15, that the limits and caps will no longer ease in 11 Local Government Areas in and around Brisbane. Instead, those areas will continue under the present restrictions until at least Friday, July 23. That'll apply in the Brisbane City Council, Logan, Moreton Bay, Ipswich, Redlands, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Noosa, Somerset, Lockyer Valley and Scenic Rim LGAs. That means that the existing rules will keep limiting what you can do, where and with how many people, as we've all become used to during the pandemic. And yes, dancing is still banned, so Footloose might make for good weekend viewing — yep, again. The 30-person limit on at-home gatherings will remain, and that cap includes folks who live with you. And, as well as banning dancing, standing up at cafes, restaurants, bars and nightclubs is still not permitted. So, to eat, drink and hang out, you'll need to be seated. Hospitality businesses will also have to stick to the one person per four-square-metres indoors and one person per two-square-metres outdoors rules. That said, venues smaller than 200 square metres will be permitted to welcome in one person per two-square-metres with a cap of 50 people. https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1415470586759766016 Outdoor events can go ahead, but only if they have a COVID-19-safe plan in place. Indoor events can too — and both can have 100-percent capacity if they're seated, or one person per four-square-metres indoors and one person per two-square-metres outdoors rules otherwise. Wearing masks will still be required whenever you're not at home — and you'll always have to have one with you as a result. So, they must be worn in all indoor spaces other than your own house, all indoor workplaces unless it is unsafe to do so, on public transport, in taxis and ride share vehicles, and outdoors, unless you're doing vigorous exercise. "We won't be able to ease our restrictions in the Greater Brisbane area and I know people will be disappointed by that," said the Premier. Queenslanders are asked to keep social distancing, maintaining the hygiene practices that have been in place since March 2020, and checking the state's list of exposure sites — and to get tested if you're feeling even the slightest possible COVID-19 symptoms. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Queensland, head to the QLD COVID-19 hub and the Queensland Health website.
Here is a story to both perturb and titillate the sensitive art-lovers among us. Unbeknownst to the general populace, Fujifilm has been stealthily developing something major for seven years: a 3D printing technology that can reproduce artworks, such that they are virtually undetectable as being anything other than the real thing. Coined 'Reliefography', the process has so far flawlessly cloned five works by Vincent Van Gogh, mimicking everything from the distinctive brushstrokes of the troubled ear-severing genius, right down to the faded and torn handwritten labels on the back of the frame. While a true expert would most likely be able to spot the fake, it's still kind of chilling, right? What will be the final refuge of authenticity in this madly self-replicating 3D-printed world? The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, which worked with Fujifilm to create the process, appears to have absolutely no issues with it. Intending to use the profits to fund renovations and collection upkeep, it has already released limited-edition runs of 260 (up to three replicas can be produced per day), and many more are in the works. The current 'Relievos' that can be purchased are Van Gogh’s Almond Blossom (1890), Sunflowers (1889), The Harvest (1888), Wheatfield Under Thunderclouds (1890) and Boulevard de Clichy (1887). So how much will it set you back to own your own dazzling forgery? A mere $34K, a trifling amount compared to the price of a real Van Gogh. The technology could surely mean the world to galleries that can't afford to purchase an original masterpiece, and in particular to the blind — unlike an original, a forgery can be experienced through touch. The innovation could perhaps mean even more to anyone hoping to make a quick buck from selling illegal forgeries to suckers. Cue art heist shenanigans and Catherine Zeta-Jones undulating beneath security laser beams. Via Gizmodo.
In the last couple of years, the humble bicycle has come to symbolise a few things. On one hand, it's been used as a symbol of sartorial hipness and, on the other, it's been held as the hero alternative to cars that consume too much space and omit carbon pollutants. But in the battle of 'car vs. bike', there's been a vital part of 'travel' that the bike lacks. Aside from its eco-friendly and aesthetically pleasing points, traveling via bike leaves no room for stuck-in-traffic music, which can help with lightening your mood a great deal. Taiwan-based Bone Collection has designed a bike horn that doubles as an amplifier. The silicone case holds the iPhone and can be attached to your bicycle, allowing you to use it to play sweet music and use the inbuilt iPhone GPS app to help you leisurely navigate your way through sticky traffic situations. An added brown (or should I say green?) point is that the silicone cases are washable. It can also be used as a speaker (without an external power source) and has an additional spot for your charger. [via PSFK]
If you only managed to watch a handful of 2021's best new TV shows, odds are that you still saw one knockout newbie starring Jean Smart. The veteran actor turned in two stellar performances in two exceptional television series last year, starting with murder-mystery drama Mare of Easttown, then following it up with comedian-centric comedy Hacks. Clever, hilarious and insightful, the latter earned her both an Emmy and a Golden Globe, too, and deservedly so. And, if the about-to-drop season season of Hacks proves anywhere near as great, she might just repeat both feats in the next 12 months. It's obviously impossible — and also flat-out ridiculous — to pick whether someone will nab a shiny trophy for their work based on a trailer alone. Smart was that phenomenal in Hacks' first season, though, so it's a fair prediction even without seeing any upcoming footage. In the just-released full sneak peek for season two, she's once again playing seasoned Las Vegas comic Deborah Vance, of course, who viewers saw notch up 2500 shows in last year's episodes. Now, after taking stock of her career, the character is headed out on the road. Still by the acerbic Deborah's side: Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder, North Hollywood), who started as her assistant last time around. As the first season charted, the chalk-and-cheese pair hardly got along. Deborah is a comedy legend, while Ava is a 25-year-old who made the move to Hollywood, has been living out her dream as a comedy writer, but found her career plummeting after a tweet crashed and burned. That said, the series is far, far more than just an odd-couple comedy. Season two's eight episodes will follow the duo as they workshop Deborah's new standup set around the US — and will start dropping Down Under on Friday, May 13 via Stan. They'll arrive the same day as they air in America, in fact, which means that you'll be watching two episodes per week rather than binging on all of Hacks' next season in one go. Also returning: Broad City's Paul W Downs as Deborah and Ava's mutual manager Jimmy, Megan Stalter (The Megan Stalter Show) as his clueless assistant Kayla, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Kaitlin Olson as Deborah's daughter DJ, Carl Clemons-Hopkins (The Chi) as Deborah's Chief Operating Officer Marcus and Christopher McDonald (Ballers) as casino owner Marty. They'll be joined by Hacks newcomers Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird), Martha Kelly (Euphoria), Ming-Na Wen (The Book of Boba Fett) and Susie Essman (Curb Your Enthusiasm), as well as guest stars Margaret Cho (The Flight Attendant) and Devon Sawa (Chucky). And if you're wondering why Hacks has proved so ace so far — other than Smart and her co-stars — it was created by three of the talents behind Broad City: writer Jen Statsky; writer/director Lucia Aniello; and Downs, who does double duty in front of and behind the lens. Check out the trailer for Hacks season two below: Season two of Hacks will start streaming via Stan from Friday, May 13. Season one is available to stream now. Read our full review of season one.
We'll be the first to admit that we'd love to get our hands on our favourite chefs' little black books of go-to restaurants. What does Matt Moran have saved in his Notes app under RESTAURANTS TO TRY? Where does Ben Shewry go on the nights he's not harvesting cabbages at Attica? Who does George Calombaris send food emojis to to set up a post-MasterChef feed? We bet it's some dingy, CBD dumpling bar where they let you bring in bottles of vintage from your resto for $1 corkage per person. Or maybe a tiny Italian restaurant in the suburbs run by a nonno-nonna dream team with bad tablecloths and amazing tagliatelle. Right? Evidently, that's what The Australian Financial Review thought too when they set up Australia's Top 100 Restaurants as voted by chefs and restaurateurs last year. But 2016's Top 100 was announced last night at The Star in Sydney, and you know where our top chefs eat? Exactly the same places as us. Taking out top place was the very same establishment that's been named Australia's best in The World's 50 Best Restaurants, Attica. Fellow Victorian Brae came in second for Dan Hunter's regional cuisine, and in third were last year's winners Sepia, which is run by Sydneysiders Martin Benn and Vicki Wild. How surprising. Rounding out the top ten were Sydney restaurants Quay, Sixpenny and the Opera House's Bennelong. Rockpool also got a look in, as did Hobart's Franklin and newcomers Ester and Automata. So either chef's only go to their mates' fancy restaurants, or, if they do go to dingy dumpling joints, they're keeping those ones to themselves.
Fascinated by the cassowary? You're not alone in your love of the dinosaur-like bird. The Community for Coastal and Cassowary Conservation (C4) in Mission Beach is dedicated to protecting the southern cassowary and the local coastal habitat through community activities and awareness. Stop by the C4 Environmental Display Centre to learn more about these birds and get the hot tips on local sightings and which walks you can spot them on. You don't have to be a resident to take part in the C4 planting days, film nights or information sessions, either. If you're interested in getting involved on your next holiday, just keep an eye on the organisation's website to see what's happening. Image: Tourism Tropical North Queensland.
For four decades, The Shining has been responsible for many a nightmare — not only due to Stephen King's 1977 bestseller, which helped cement him as a horror maestro, but courtesy of Stanley Kubrick's unnerving and acclaimed 1980 film. If you've ever been spooked by twins, garish hexagonal hotel carpet designs, sprawling hedge mazes, elevators filled with blood, someone shouting "here's Johnny!" or just Jack Nicholson in general, you have this macabre masterpiece to thank. From parodies to homages to overt recreations, The Shining is also the unsettling gift that keeps giving. Everything from The Simpsons to Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Ready Player One has nodded the movie's way — as has documentary Room 237, which attempted to delve into its many secrets, meanings, theories and interpretations, too. But they've got nothing on the actual sequel to the eerie story. It picks up decades later, following the now-adult Danny Torrance as he tries to cope with the fallout from his supernatural gift. (Oh, and the memory of being terrorised by his axe-wielding dad as well.) In the first trailer for Doctor Sleep — which is based on Stephen King's 2013 novel of the same name — all work and no play made Danny (Ewan McGregor) something something. Perturbed, mainly, as he grappled with the trauma he experienced in The Shining. Then he met a mysterious teenager (Kyliegh Curran) who also has the gift, and things got creepier than a ghastly woman peering out of a bath or the word 'redrum' written on a mirror. The teaser was filled with references to the film's predecessor, naturally; however the just-dropped new sneak peak ramps up the nods even further. This time, Danny heads back to the Overlook Hotel to confront his past, and things get even more ominous. Rebecca Ferguson, Bruce Greenwood and Room's Jacob Tremblay also star, with The Haunting of Hill House's Mike Flanagan in the director's chair. While King was famously unhappy with Kubrick's take on The Shining — even writing the script for a three-part TV mini-series version in the 90s — here's hoping that he approves of Flanagan's vision. This is actually the filmmaker's second King adaptation, after Netflix flick Gerald's Game. Check out the latest Doctor Sleep trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oCTK2U5lpc Doctor Sleep releases in Australian cinemas on November 7, 2019.
Game of Thrones fans might be waiting at least another year before the hit HBO show returns for its eighth and final season, but here's something that should help fill the void: an actual GoT-themed hotel, made almost entirely from ice and snow. Lapland Hotels SnowVillage is an annual pop-up hotel that opens in Kittilä, Finland each December, crafted by professional ice sculptors using around 20 million kilos of snow and 350,000 kilos of natural ice. Covering about 20,000 square metres, it's impressive at the best of times, though as Condé Nast Traveler reports, the owners have this year teamed up with HBO Nordic to give the hotel an extra memorable twist. A wintery homage to Game of Thrones, SnowVillage's latest iteration features its own 'Hall of Faces', a dragon-shaped ice slide, an Ice Mountain-guarded Ice Throne and ten impressive hotel suites with their own unique sculptures carved into the walls. In stark contrast to our current Aussie summer temperatures, the hotel's interiors only reach about minus-five degrees celsius, though you'll get a cosy sleeping bag to help see you comfortably through the night. Of course, if you're not quite sold on the idea of such a chilly sleepover, SnowVillage also has plenty to tempt day-trippers. You can chow down on a feed of local delicacies (reindeer included) in the ice restaurant, warm up with some themed drinks at onsite drinking spot Ice Bar, take in some scenery on a husky safari, or unleash some creativity of your own at one of the ice sculpture workshops. If you're heading to Finland in the next few months, entry to the SnowVillage costs €15 ($23 AUD), with rooms starting at €165 ($253 AUD). It's open daily until April 8, 2018. Via Condé Nast Traveler.
No one wants to get married, then feel like they need to add more spice to their relationship. But if you've always wanted to tie the knot with help from some secret herbs and spices, there's a solution. Don't just pick up some KFC for your nuptials — get the fried-chicken chain to throw the ceremony for you, all thanks to the return of KFC Weddings. So, you've found that special forever someone — someone who deals with your drama, puts up with your quirks and shares your passion for all the important stuff, like, say, finger-lickin'-good chook. Clearly there's just one thing left to do, and that's to seal the deal at your very own official KFC nuptials. After cooking up an idea we never knew we needed and launching its own wedding service in 2019, the chain is back at the romance game again. Fried chook obsessives across Australia now have another opportunity to get hitched via KFC's unique service; however, there is a caveat: you must propose using the Colonel's wares. The brand has brought back its weddings to promote its new BBQ onion ring burgers, and it wants you to pop the question using its onion rings as rings. The burgs feature two onion rings, so that's one for you and one for your other half. All couples are invited to apply, as long as you're both over 18. There's just one wedding up for grabs this time, which you can try to score by going to KFC, getting a BBQ onion ring burgers, proposing using its onion rings and taking a snap to prove it. You'll also need to provide a 15-second-long video that introduces you and your partner, and sum up your need for a KFC wedding in 100 words. There's no time to waste — if you want to be the lucky duo that gets a call-up, you need to enter before Monday, November 27. So what's involved in the ultimate KFC nuptials, you ask? Well, you can bank on KFC theming via a KFC stylist, KFC chicken for catering thanks to a KFC food truck, and also a budget to take care of a venue, entertainment and photos. All up, the prize is worth $80,000, and you'll need to get hitched within 12 months of winning. We can only hope the bride will be throwing buckets instead of bouquets, and that there'll be plenty of wet wipes to go around. If you're keen to kick off married life with some secret herbs and spices, you can apply for your own KFC wedding online until Monday, November 27, 2023.
Byron Bay Bluesfest returns for the first time since 2019 over the Easter long weekend with more than 170 performances. With international borders reopening, festival organisers have secured a stellar lineup of musicians from home and abroad. There are local draws like Midnight Oil, Crowded House, Paul Kelly, Jimmy Barnes, The Teskey Brothers, Amy Shark, Briggs and Hiatus Kaiyote, as well as the final performance of The Cat Empire with the original lineup. Plus, get excited for international stars such as George Benson, Morcheeba, The Wailers and Amadou & Mariam. The numbers tell their own story — five days, 170-plus performances, and over 70 food and market stalls mean that Bluesfest has more than enough to keep you entertained and make sure your trip north was well worth the drive. Marking its return in a big way, this year's Bluesfest runs from Thursday, April 14–Monday, April 18 at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm. And if you're wondering who else is on the huge bill, other acts include John Butler, Xavier Rudd, Pete Murray, Ian Moss, Mark Seymour & The Undertow, Kate Ceberano, Kasey Chambers, The Waifs, The Church and Kate Miller-Heidke — as well as Fat Freddy's Drop, Josh Teskey and Ash Grunwald, John Williamson, CW Stoneking, The Tea Party's Jeff Martin playing the songs of Led Zeppelin and Rockwiz Live. [caption id="attachment_661844" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joseph Mayers[/caption] Top image: Andy Fraser
It's that time of year when your phone buzzes incessantly with calls from your parents asking when you'll be back for the holidays. If you're anything like everyone, you've put off booking these flights because, while you theoretically like the idea of seeing your family, the thought of sleeping on the floor, drunk and full to bursting with Christmas ham, sandwiched between two distant cousins is enough to put you off dropping money on Christmas-time flights just yet. Google know this and they sympathise…sort of. Along with a whole swag of products (including their new Google Pixel phone and their own VR headset, the Daydream) and the recently launched Google Trips, they've also announced that their flight search engine is getting a cool new feature. Google Flights is the tech company's online airfare search tool (not unlike Skyscanner et al.). Up until now it's been effective at finding the most convenient and cheapest flights for the dates you want to travel, but its latest update will also tell you when the price of said flights is predicted to go up or down. Using their magical algorithm, Google will be able to predict when flight prices will increase — so they'll let you know if you need to book that baby before it doubles in price, or if you can afford to sit on it for a few days. It'll also make recommendations on the cheapest dates and times to book and even give you tips on which airports and routes will be cheaper for you. And if you're still not ready to fully commit to the idea of heading home, you can track flights and the progression of prices and get email updates when prices fluctuate or expire. They're also integrating a decent hotel search feature into the whole shebang if you're going somewhere more exciting than your family home for Christmas. The new Google Flights feature will roll out over the next few weeks. You can use the tool at google.com/flights. Image: Ross Parmly.
Next time that someone hands you a $50 note, you can be forgiven for thinking that it looks a little different — a new range of pineapples have just been released into circulation. Australia's banknotes have been getting a makeover since September 2016, when a different $5 note started doing the rounds. It was followed by a revamped $10 in 2017 and now a sparkling fresh $50, which hit the streets on Thursday, October 18. The upgraded design celebrates inventor David Unaipon, who was also the country's first published Aboriginal author, as well as Edith Cowan, Australia's first female member of parliament. They're both recognised in several ways on the new notes, with not only their portraits displayed prominently, but with microprint featuring excerpts of Unaipon's book Legendary Tales of the Australian Aborigines, plus Cowan's maiden speech to the Western Australian Parliament. [caption id="attachment_694389" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Reserve Bank of Australia via Flickr[/caption] As well as changed artwork (albeit keeping the same colour scheme as old notes), the new $50 boast the same improved security features as the new $5 and $10 notes, which are largely aimed to stop counterfeiting. A clear window running from top to bottom is the most obvious, and contains a number of features such as a reversing number and flying bird. The note also includes microprint, as well as a patch with rolling colour. And, in great news for the vision-impaired, the new series of legal tender has a tactile feature to help distinguish between different denominations. According to the Reserve Bank of Australia, the $50 is the most widely circulated Aussie note, so expect to see quite a bit of this shiny pineapple. As happened with the other denominations, the rollout will happen gradually, as will the withdrawal of old $50s — which you can obviously still keep using. While some issues occurred when the new $5 and $10 note hit, particularly with cash-handling machines like ATMs, the RBA has consulted with banknote equipment manufacturers, retail organisations and financial institutions to minimise problems. And as for the other two values of Aussie banknotes, the revamped $20 is due in 2019 and then the new $100 in 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci9SMlO3Sow
Every hotel tries to offer visitors a home away from home. At Melbourne's new luxe spot, however, that's the entire concept. Opening in June, United Places endeavours to blend the best of both — a hotel and a home — across its 12 roomy suites. And, like everyone's dream house, it also features plenty of greenery. The rampant plant life comes courtesy of United Places' location, situated opposite the Royal Botanic Gardens in South Yarra. As well as views over the parklands, the hotel's three two-bedroom suites boast city vantages from their sunken bathtubs. Nine one-bedroom suites will also be available. Further ramping up the comfort, United Places will provide personalised butler service 24 hours a day, plus curated in-room breakfasts by chef Scott Pickett (Estrelle, Saint Crispin). Daily hampers will stem from onsite restaurant Matilda, Pickett's latest venture, which'll focus on open fire and hot coals. While it'll be open to the public for lunch and dinner seven days a week, and for weekend brunch as well, the eatery will also give hotel guests priority seating. Design-wise, architects and interior designers Carr Design Group have opted for velvet drapes, hardwood floors and charcoal bathroom pods, with each suite also featuring a kitchen and terrace. And as a striking focal point upon entry, artist Laura Woodward has created a specially commissioned piece for United Places' foyer, playing with water, light and movement and interacts against the hotel's monochromatic hallways. If all of the above sounds particularly luxurious, that's the entire point. Unsurprisingly, it also comes with a hefty price tag, with rooms starting at $650 per night. Find United Places Botanic Gardens at 157-159 Domain Road, South Yarra from June. Keep an eye on the hotel's website and Instagram feed for further details. Image: Moritz Marquardt via Flickr.
When November and December hit, one sale tends to follow another. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, Boxing Day: bargains usually await for all four. So, after Jetstar discounted a heap of fares for Black Friday, of course the Australian airline is backing it up with Cyber Monday specials, this time with fares from $35 for domestic trips and beginning at $149 if you're holidaying internationally. You only have two days, until 11.59pm AEDT Tuesday, December 3, to get booking — or not even that long if tickets are snapped up earlier. The cheapest route within Australia is Sydney to Byron Bay and Ballina, which is where the $35 price comes in. Overseas, that $149 fare will get you from Perth to Singapore. As always, prices obviously vary depending on where you're flying from and to, but other domestic options include Melbourne to Launceston from $40, Sydney to Gold Coast from $50, Brisbane to Melbourne from $75 and Cairns to Brisbane from $84 — plus Adelaide to Gold Coast from $94, Adelaide to the Whitsunday Coast from $114, Darwin to Sydney from $144 and Perth to Adelaide for the same price. With fares to Fiji, New Zealand, Vanuatu, Bali, Japan, Hawaii, Thailand and South Korea also covered, overseas bargains include Melbourne to Nadi from $179, Gold Coast to Auckland from $182, Sydney to Port Vila from $199, Perth to Phuket from $205, Adelaide to Bali from $222, Cairns to Osaka from $249, Brisbane to Seoul from $269, Sydney to Honolulu from $282 and Brisbane to Tokyo from $339. You'll be travelling within Australia from mid-January to mid-June 2025, and from late-January to mid-October 2025 if you're going global. The caveats: all prices apply to one-way fares; checked baggage is not included, so you'll want to travel super light or pay extra to take a suitcase; and dates vary according to the route. If you're a Club Jetstar member, you can score even more discounts, starting with Sydney to Byron Bay and Ballina from $29. Helped by its Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, Jetstar expects to sell 12-million-plus fares for under $100 and 21-million-plus for less than $200 in 2024. Jetstar's 2024 Cyber Monday 'fare frenzy' sale runs until 11.59pm AEDT Tuesday, December 3 — or until sold out prior. 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.
Sydney's annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has sparked many a trip to the Harbour City. In recent years, it has also inspired themed flights to the New South Wales capital from New Zealand, Brisbane and Melbourne to enjoy the festivities. Partying in the sky on a pride flight on the way to Sydney's biggest pride party? That's a must for the diary. In 2023, however, all those mid-air shenanigans are levelling up. Next year, Sydney will host WorldPride, marking the huge LGBTQIA+ celebration's first-ever stint in the Southern Hemisphere. The plans for the event are massive — Kylie Minogue headlining the opening concert-level massive. And both Virgin and Qantas want to fly you there to enjoy everything from rainbows aplenty all around the city to a closing gig led by MUNA and G Flip. For Virgin, the pride flights will run for the third year, after first kicking off from Brisbane in 2021, then expanding to Melbourne in 2022. And, they'll add new departure points, letting folks from Adelaide and Perth also hop onboard — and running the airline's first-ever pride flight from the US to Australia, as flown by United Airlines, leaving from San Francisco. Tickets for Virgin's one-way pride trips are on sale now, and will include more than 1000 seats across five flights. From Australia, the flights depart on Friday, February 24, while the US service will leave on Wednesday, February 22 but touch down Down Under on Friday, February 24. The Aussie services will be hosted by RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under stars Coco Jumbo, Karen From Finance, Kween Kong and Maxi Shield, as well as top Australian drag talent like Barbie Q, Penny Tration, Philmah Bocks, Sexy Galexy and Tora Hymen. And, they'll include a pre-flight departure party featuring entertainment by local LGBTQIA+ venues (such as Fluffy, Sircuit, Mary's Poppin' and Connections Nightclub), alongside those mid-air drag performances, DJs and dancing — and bottomless beverages — while you're cruising at 30,000-plus feet There's also a pride flight landing party, too, taking place from 4.30–8.30pm on the Friday at The Beresford. It includes complimentary drinks and entertainment, and is covered by the pride flight tickets. And, $30 from the sale of each ticket will be donated to Australian charity Minus18, which works to improve the lives of LGBTQIA+ youth. For Qantas, you'll be soaring in from Los Angeles, because that's where the airline's first-ever pride flight is departing from. The Qantas WorldPride Flight will also take off on Wednesday, February 22, and will feature Joel Creasey as host. On this US–Australia trip, there'll be live inflight entertainment, food by chef Neil Perry (who is also Qantas' Director of Food, Beverage and Service), and free limited-edition 'rainbow roo' Qantas pyjamas that've been designed specifically for the flight. And, your Qantas ticket will also include general admission to the Live and Proud: Sydney WorldPride Opening Concert, where none other than Ms Minogue will take to the stage — a gig that's virtually sold-out otherwise. The one caveat on all of the above: passengers will have to organise their own far less glitter-filled flight home following the weekend's celebrations. Tickets for Virgin's past flights have always been snapped up quickly, so it's likely this batch from both airlines will do the same. And if you're a Sydneysider wanting to experience the one-way flights, you can always head to Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, San Francisco or LA prior if that suits your plans, then use the pride services to return home. Virgin Australia's pride flights will fly from Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide to Sydney on Friday, February 24, while its San Francisco–Sydney flight will depart on Wednesday, February 22. Tickets are on sale now from the Virgin Australia website. Qantas' pride flight will take off on Wednesday, February 22, flying from Los Angeles to Sydney. Tickets are also on sale now via the Qantas website. Sydney WorldPride will run from February 17–March 5, 2023. For more information, head to the event's website. Thinking about attending Sydney WorldPride? Check out Concrete Playground Trips' Sydney WorldPride package. It includes tickets to the Domain Dance Party and Live and Proud: Opening Concert, plus three nights at the PARKROYAL Darling Harbour Sydney.
Throughout 2021, Marvel and Disney+ have been showering viewers with new TV series, all featuring characters we all know and love from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So, you've probably watched Loki get up to his trickster antics in Loki, and seen The Falcon and The Winter Soldier team up in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. And, you likely now have Hawkeye's next adventures in the upcoming Hawkeye on your radar as well. Yes, these MCU streaming series couldn't have more straightforward names. Yes, Marvel has now turned watching TV into big-screen homework, given that its movie franchise keeps hitting cinemas (thanks to Black Widow and Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings already this year, and with Eternals and Spider-Man: No Way Home still to come before 2021 is out). And yes, the first of these new MCU Disney+ shows finally made everyone take notice of the always-great Kathryn Hahn, who stole every scene she was in each and every time she popped up in WandaVision. Obviously, WandaVision was about Marvel characters Wanda and Vision, with Avengers: Endgame's Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany reprising their roles. But Hahn also played a significant part as neighbour-slash-witch Agatha Harkness, even nabbing an Emmy nomination for her efforts. So, because she was such a fan favourite, she's now getting her own show. Variety reports that the series will be a dark comedy about Agatha, starring Hahn; however, details beyond that are currently under wraps. But the character has a considerable history, only some of which WandaVision dived into. In comic books, she's been around since the 70s — and, story-wise, her tale dates back to the Salem witch trials. The news — and the world's reaction to the glorious Hahn — won't come as a surprise if you've been watching the exceptional actor throughout her pre-Marvel career. She stole scenes in Parks and Recreation, Transparent and I Know This Much Is True as well, and made an impact in movies as varied as Revolutionary Road, Our Idiot Brother and the Bad Moms flicks. And, she's also exceptional in Netflix film Private Life as well. Exactly when Marvel and Disney+'s Hahn-led Agatha Harkness spinoff will arrive hasn't been revealed. But, you can get the Emmy-winning 'Agatha All Along' tune stuck in your head again now until more news drops: WandaVision is currently available to stream via Disney+. When Marvel and Disney+'s Agatha Harkness spinoff will drop hasn't yet been revealed — we'll update you when more information is announced. Via Variety. Image: Suzanne Tenner, Marvel Studios.
Next time you do your grocery shopping, you could cut do your bit for the environment, treat your four-legged friend and pick up some mochi ice cream — all at Coles. The supermarket chain has just launched a revamped store on Racecourse Road in Ascot, and it comes with quite a few upgrades. Also included: self-serve barista coffee, an orange juice-squeezing station and cakes from Jocelyn's Provisions. It certainly hasn't been a normal year or so months for supermarkets, with toilet paper battles and limits on everyday items hitting the front page more than once. But now the pandemic palaver has settled down somewhat, Coles hopes to make your everyday grocery shop (dare we say) exciting with the launch of its fancy new Brisbane store — which is part of the company's mission to both level-up the supermarket experience and reduce waste. The supermarket — which is part of the Coles Local brand — joins Chatswood in Sydney and Moonee Ponds in Melbourne in boasting a range of forward-thinking elements. An eco-friendly product section takes pride of place, you can pack your groceries into free cardboard boxes at the checkout, and the trolley baskets made from recycled materials — all as part of the first Coles Local store in Queensland. In addition to ticking a heap of environmentally conscious boxes, Coles Ascot features quite the range. As well as the aforementioned pastries from Jocelyn's Provisions, you can pick up sausages, patties and pre-marinated meats from Meat at Billy's, and baked goods like brioche burger buns from King Street Bakery. The store also stocks St Food Co's ready-made meals, so you can tuck into Brooklyn-style barbecue brisket, a Malaysian satay chicken or a Penang chicken curry even if you don't feel like cooking. Having friends over? A dedicated entertaining section will stock you up with everything you need. Have a sweet tooth? Stop by the pick-and-mix candy bar. Love macarons? Then you'll want to hit up the mini-macaron bar, too. Plus, Coles hasn't forgotten about the most important member of your family: your pets. You can pick them up a few goodies thanks to the new in-store pet treat pick-and-mix bar — so your pooch can have an after-dinner snack while you enjoy your Tim Tams. Frozen pet food ice cream is also in stock, because your four-legged friends deserve multiple types of treats. Coles' fancier Ascot store follows two other big additions to Brisbane's supermarket options over the past six months. Late in 2020, Sydney's Harris Farm Markets launched its first Queensland venue in Clayfield, and then opened its flagship shop in West End earlier this month. Coles Ascot is located on the corner of Racecourse Road and Dobson Street, Ascot — operating from 7am–9pm Monday–Saturday and 9am–6pm Sunday. Images: Renae Droop/RDW Photography.
If you live Down Under, winter is still coming for 2022 — but your next excuse to indulge your Game of Thrones love is already here. You will need to pack your suitcases and head to Northern Ireland, however, and also be mighty pleased that visiting the new GoT studio tour doesn't involve sailing by ship, walking for months or using other forms of transport from the fictional Seven Kingdoms. First announced in 2018, the Game of Thrones Studio Tour at Linen Mill Studios started welcoming in eager GoT fans at the beginning of February 2022 — and it boasts plenty to get excited about. And yes, while you're waiting for prequel series House of the Dragon to arrive later this year, and still biding your time wondering when author George RR Martin's The Winds of Winter will finally hit shelves, this'll help tide you over. Get ready to add Winterfell, The Wall, King's Landing and Dragonstone to your next holiday itinerary, and to peer at the Iron Throne as well, because that's all part of the new tour. Visitors are able to step inside the Great Hall, which is where Jon Snow was proclaimed the King in the North; see Daenerys Targaryen's Dragonstone throne; and also check out an array of props, weaponry, armoury, costumes, make-up and prosthetics from the show. Much of the series was filmed in Northern Ireland, hence the tour — which marks the first time that HBO has opened up the sets and sites to the public. Now rebadged as a tourist site, the GoT sets span across a hefty 110,000-square-feet location in in Banbridge. Basically, if you've ever dreamed about walking around Westeros, this is your chance. The tour has been dubbed an 'interactive experience', which covers wandering through fully dressed sets, reliving moments from the series and standing exactly where many of the show's standout scenes took place. Also part of the immersive attraction: learning more about the skills and craft behind the program that helped make it such a hit. And, there are also art files, models and other production materials in display, plus accompanying digital content and interactive materials highlighting GoT's digital effects. If it sounds huge, that's because it is. The whole setup comprises the largest authentic public display of Game of Thrones artifacts in the world — and is bound to make fans happier than Arya Stark crossing a name off of her infamous list. The Game of Thrones Studio Tour is now open at Linen Mill Studios, The Boulevard, Banbridge, Northern Ireland. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the tour's website.
UPDATE: JULY 21, 2020 — At the moment, the Winston Quinn gin tasting room is available for pre-booked, ticketed sessions only. The 90-minute sitting includes a four-gin tasting paddle, accompanied by tonic, soda, garnishes and tasting notes, all for $30. For more information on future ticket releases, head to the distillery's website. Step inside Winston Quinn's Fortitude Valley warehouse, and you'll find one type of beverage on the menu: gin. That's all the Brisbane distillery makes and, in its freshly launched tasting room, that's all it sells as well. "We joke if people would like a gin, a gin or a gin," explains founder Megan Donsky. Of course, there are plenty of varieties of the beloved juniper-based spirit, as every gin lover knows — and plenty of ways to serve it, too. Winston Quinn whips up four types: Dry Cut, a citrus-flavoured tipple made with fresh lemon, orange rind and lemon myrtle; Skinny Jeans, a blue-hued gin with floral flavours; Pink Fit, which is infused with elderflower, grapefruit, wild apple and strawberry; and Slim Crop, which heroes cucumber. And, it offers tasting paddles ($30) featuring all four, cocktails made with each ($18–35), and gin and tonics ($12.50) boasting whichever one you choose. If you're eager for a cocktail, highlights include the Skinny Martini ($18), the Dry Cut Negroni ($20) and the Winston Jug ($35), with the latter featuring both Skinny Jeans and Pink Fit gins. Mocktails are also on offer for those eager to enjoy the taste but not the booze, and all drinks can be paired with a cheese board ($25) or a meat and olive tasting plate ($25). Customers can also purchase both 200-millilitre ($30) and 700-millilitre ($85–89) takeaway bottles — and you'll receive $10 off the latter if you book in for a tasting. Also included in those 90-minute sessions: either the aforementioned tasting paddle and a G&T (for $30), or a cocktail (for $20). Now open in a 60s-era brick building on Prospect Street, Winston Quinn Gin's tasting room was originally slated to launch earlier in the year. In fact, it was just one week away from opening when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The site has a cosy yet light and airy feel, decor-wise, and it's only open to 20 people at a time at present, in line with Queensland's current restrictions. And if you're wondering about the distillery's moniker — and its dog logo, which is prominent both on its bottles and in the tasting room — Donsky named the place after her two golden retrievers.
Before the pandemic, when a new-release movie started playing in cinemas, audiences couldn't watch it on streaming, video on demand, DVD or blu-ray for a few months. But with the past few years forcing film industry to make quite a few changes — widespread movie theatre closures will do that, and so will plenty of people staying home because they aren't well — that's no longer always the case. Maybe you haven't had time to make it to your local cinema lately. Perhaps you've been under the weather. Given the hefty amount of titles now releasing each week, maybe you simply missed something. Film distributors have been fast-tracking some of their new releases from cinemas to streaming recently — movies that might still be playing in theatres in some parts of the country, too. In preparation for your next couch session, here are nine that you can watch right now at home. THE KILLER A methodical opening credits sequence that's all about the finer points, as seen in slivers and snippets, set to industrial strains that can only stem from Trent Reznor, with David Fincher and Andrew Kevin Walker's names adorning the frame, for a film about a murderer being chased. In 1995, Se7en began with that carefully and commandingly spliced-together mix — and magnificently. Fincher and Walker now reteam for the first time since for The Killer, another instantly gripping thriller that starts in the same fashion. It also unfurls as a cat-and-mouse game with a body count, while sporting an exceptional cast and splashing around (exactingly, of course) the full scope of Fincher's filmmaking mastery. This movie's protagonist is detail-obsessive to a calculating degree, and the director bringing him to cinematic life from Matz's graphic novels of the same name also keeps earning that description. The Fight Club, The Social Network and Mank helmer couldn't be more of a perfectionist about assembling The Killer just so, and the feature couldn't be more of a testament to his meticulousness. Fincher's love of crime and mysteries between Se7en and The Killer has gifted audiences The Game, Panic Room, Zodiac, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Gone Girl and Mindhunter, which have always felt like different books from a series rather than a director flipping through the same tome over and over. So it is with Michael Fassbender's long-awaited return to the screen after a four-year absence — X-Men: Dark Phoenix was has his last credit before this — which sees Fincher and his star aping each other in an array of ways. As well as being oh-so-drawn to minutiae, as the eponymous character reinforces in his wry narration, this duo of filmmaker and fictional assassin-for-hire are precise and compulsive about refashioning something new with favourite tools. For The Killer, it's fresh avenues to fulfill his deadly occupation until everything goes awry. For the man who kicked off his feature career with Alien³ and now collaborates with a Prometheus and Alien: Covenant alum, it's plying his own trade, too. The Killer is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review. PAST LIVES Call it fate, call it destiny, call it deeply feeling like you were always meant to cross paths with someone: in Korean, that sensation is in-yeon. Partway through Past Lives, aspiring writer Nora (Greta Lee, Russian Doll) explains the concept to fellow scribe Arthur (John Magaro, The Many Saints of Newark) like she knows it deep in her bones, because both she and the audience are well-aware that she does. That's what writer/director Celine Song's sublime feature debut is about from its first frames to its last. With Arthur, Nora jokes that in-yeon is something that Koreans talk about when they're trying to seduce someone. There's truth to her words, because she'll end up married to him. But with her childhood crush Hae Sung (Teo Yoo, Decision to Leave), who she last saw at the age of 12 because her family then moved from Seoul to Toronto, in-yeon explains everything. It sums up their firm connection as kids, the instant spark that ignites when they reunite in their 20s via emails and Skype calls, and the complicated emotions that swell when they're finally in the same place together again after decades — even with Arthur in the picture as well. Song also emigrated to Canada with her parents as a pre-teen, but achieves that always-sought-after feat: making a movie that feels so intimately specific to its characters, and yet resonates so heartily and universally. Each time that Nora and Hae Sung slide back into each other's lives, it feels like no time has passed, but that doesn't smooth their way forward. Crafted to resemble slipping into a memory, complete with lingering looks and a transportingly evocative score, this feature knows every emotion that springs when you need someone and vice versa, but life has other plans. It feels the weight of the roads not taken, even when you're happy with the route you're on. It's a film about details — spying them everywhere, in Nora and Hae Sung's lives and their faces, while recognising how the best people in anyone's orbits spot them as well. Lee, Yoo and Magaro are each magnetic and magnificent, as is everything about this sensitive, blisteringly honest and intimately complex masterpiece. Past Lives is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. THE CREATOR Science fiction has never been afraid of unfurling its futuristic visions on the third rock from the sun, but the resulting films have rarely been as earthy as The Creator. Set from 2065 onwards, after the fiery destruction of Los Angeles that could've come straight out of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, this tale of humanity battling artificial intelligence is visibly awash with technology that doesn't currently exist — and yet the latest movie from Monsters, Godzilla and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story director Gareth Edwards couldn't look or feel more authentic and grounded. That isn't a minor feat. And, it doesn't simply stem from making a sci-fi flick with heart, which isn't a new move. Don't underestimate the epic yet intimate impact of seeing bold imaginings of what may come that have been lovingly and stunningly integrated with the planet's inherent splendour, engrained in everyday lives, and meticulously ensure that the line between what the camera can capture and special effects can create can't be spotted; The Creator hasn't. So, as undercover military operative Joshua (John David Washington, Amsterdam) is tasked with saving the world — that go-to science-fiction setup — robots walk and talk, spaceships hover, and everything from cars to guns are patently dissimilar to the planet's present state. Flesh-and-blood people aren't the only characters with emotional journeys and stakes, either, with AI everywhere. Even if The Creator didn't tell its viewers so, there's zero doubting that its events aren't taking place in the here and now. Edwards and cinematographers Greig Fraser (The Batman) and Oren Soffer (Fixation) know how to make this flight of fancy both appear and seem tangible, though. Indeed, The Creator earns a term that doesn't often come sci-fi's way when it comes to aesthetics: naturalistic. Also don't underestimate how gloriously and immersively that the film's striking and sprawling southeast Asian shooting locations not only gleam, but anchor the story. The Creator is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. FINGERNAILS In the world of Fingernails, 'Only You' isn't just a 1982 pop song that was made famous by Yazoo, is easy to get stuck in your head, and is now heard in this film in both French and English. It's also the philosophy that the first English-language feature by Apples filmmaker Christos Nikou has subscribed its characters to as it cooks up a sci-fi take on romance. In a setup somewhat reminiscent of Elizabeth Holmes' claims to have revolutionised blood testing (see: The Dropout), Fingernails proposes an alternative present where love can be scientifically diagnosed. All that's needed: an extracted plate of keratin, aka the titular digit-protecting covering. At organisations such as The Love Institute, couples willingly have their nails pulled out — one apiece — then popped into what resembles a toaster oven to receive their all-important score. Only three results are possible, with 100 percent the ultimate in swooning, 50 percent meaning that only one of the pair is head over heels and the unwanted zero a harbinger of heartbreak. When Fingernails begins, it's been three years since teacher Anna (Jessie Buckley, Women Talking) and her partner Ryan (Jeremy Allen White, The Bear) underwent the exam, with the long-term duo earning the best possible outcome — a score that's coveted but rare. Around them, negative results have led to breakups and divorces as society's faith is placed not in hearts and souls, but in a number, a gimmick and some tech gadgetry (one of the sales pitches, though, is that finding out before getting hitched will stop failed marriages). As their friends go the retesting route — satirising the need for certainty in affairs of the heart pumps firmly through this movie's veins — Anna hasn't been able to convince Ryan to attend The Love Institute as a client. She's soon spending her days there, however, feeding her intrigue with the whole scenario as an employee. When she takes a job counselling other pairs towards hopeful ever-after happiness, she keeps the career shift from her own significant other. Quickly, she has something else she can't tell Ryan: a blossoming bond with her colleague Amir (Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal). Fingernails is available to stream via Apple TV+. Read our full review. FAIR PLAY Getting engaged isn't meant to be bloody, but that's how Fair Play starts: with joy, love, passion and bodily fluids. What is and isn't supposed to happen is a frequent theme in writer/director Chloe Domont's feature debut, an erotic thriller set both within the heady relationship between Emily (Phoebe Dynevor, Bridgerton) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich, Oppenheimer), and also in the slick, fast-paced, high-stakes world of New York finance — familiar territory for its Billions alum filmmaker, who also has Suits and Ballers on her resume. The blood arrives via a bathroom tryst at Luke's brother's (Buck Braithwaite, Flowers in the Attic: The Origin) wedding. He pops under her dress, she has her period, he drops the ring that he was going to propose with, she says yes, and next they're betrothed and fleeing out the window to go home. Staged to feel woozily, authentically romantic, the occasion seems perfect to this head-over-heels pair anyway, even if it leaves their clothes stained. Yes, Domont is playing with symbolism from the outset. Lust isn't a problem for Emily and Luke, clearly, but they've become experts at keeping everything about being together away from work out of necessity. The duo each chases big dreams at the same hedge fund, which has a firm no-dating policy for its employees. So, when they wake up, dress and step out the door the next day, they go their separate ways to end up at the one place — and Emily's finger is glaringly bare. Then something that they've both been hoping would happen does: a portfolio manager sitting above their analyst positions is fired. Next comes a development that they've each felt was meant to occur, too, with the word spreading around the office that's led by the icy Campbell (Eddie Marsan, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre) and his yes-man flunkey Paul (Rich Sommer, Minx) that Luke is in line for a promotion to fill the new vacancy. But when it turns out that it's Emily that's getting promoted instead, everything changes. Fair Play is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review. PAIN HUSTLERS Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer) is Pain Hustlers best star. Chris Evans (Ghosted), Catherine O'Hara (Elemental), Andy Garcia (Expend4bles), Brian d'Arcy James (Love & Death) and Chloe Coleman (Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves) all leave an imprint as well in this pharma drama, but Blunt is the movie's knockout. She steps into the shoes of Liza Drake. Relentlessly adapting is the Floridian's normality; she's a single mother to teenager Phoebe (Coleman), who has epilepsy that requires surgical treatment that Liza can't afford, and also lives in her sister's garage while stringing together cash from whichever jobs she can find. It's at one such gig as an exotic dancer, where her talent for sizing up a scenario and making the most of it is rather handy, that Pete Brenner (Evans) crosses her path. He wants more than her barside banter, proposing that she comes to work for him. If he didn't want her to genuinely take it up, catapult his employer to success and have them in murky territory, he shouldn't have made the offer. Also apparent in Pain Hustlers: the latest on-screen takedown of the pharmaceutical industry and corresponding interrogation of the opioid crisis, aka one of pop culture's current topics du jour. Indeed, in only his second non-Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts film since 2007 (the other: The Legend of Tarzan), director David Yates happily relies upon the fact that this realm is common ire-inducing knowledge no matter whether you've read journalist Evan Hughes' coverage of Insys Therapeutics — including 'The Pain Hustlers', a New York Times Magazine article, then The Hard Sell: Crime and Punishment at an Opioid Startup, the non-fiction book that followed. First-time screenwriter Wells Tower draws upon both, but similarly knows that his fictionalisation rattles around a heavily populated domain. Stunning documentary All the Beauty and the Bloodshed earned an Oscar nomination, miniseries Dopesick picked up an Emmy, and both Painkiller and The Fall of the House of Usher have hit Netflix in 2023 — as will Pain Hustlers — while diving into the same subject. Pain Hustlers is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review. IT LIVES INSIDE What's more terrifying than standing out at high school? It Lives Inside scares up an answer. Here, fitting in with the popular kids has haunting costs — literally — as Indian American teen Samidha (Megan Suri, Never Have I Ever) discovers. Her story starts as all memorable movies should: with a sight that's rarely seen on-screen. While beauty routines are familiar-enough film fodder, watching Sam shave her arms, then use skin tone-lightening filters on her photos, instantly demonstrates the lengths that she's going to for schoolyard approval. Among the white girls that she now calls friends, she also prefers to go by Sam. At home, she's increasingly hesitant to speak Hindi with her parents Inesh (Vik Sahay, Lodge 49) and Poorna (Neeru Bajwa, Criminal). And when it comes to preparing for and celebrating the Hindu ritual of puja, Sam would rather be elsewhere with Russ (Gage Marsh, Big Sky), the boy that she's keen on. It Lives Inside's frights don't spring from razors and social media, or from shortened names and superficial classmates; however, each one underscores how far that Sam is moving away from her heritage. Worse: they indicate how eagerly she's willing to leave her culture behind, too, a decision that's affected her childhood bond with Tamira (Mohana Krishnan, The Summer I Turned Pretty). As their school's only students with Indian backgrounds, they were once happily inseparable. Now Sam considers Tamira a walking reminder of everything that she's trying to scrub from her American identity. Keeping to herself — skulking around clutching a jar filled with a strange black substance, and virtually hiding behind her unbrushed hair — the latter has become the class outcast. So, when she asks Sam for help, of course no is the answer, a response that sparks consequences in this unease-dripping feature debut from writer/director Bishal Dutta. It Lives Inside is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Read our full review. TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM Before Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Seth Rogen and his regular behind-the-camera collaborator Evan Goldberg had more than a few hands in Sausage Party. Lewd and crude isn't their approach with pop culture's pizza-eating, sewer-dwelling, bandana-wearing heroes in a half shell, however. Instead, the pair is in adoring throwback mode. They co-write and co-produce. Platonic's Rogen also lends his vocals — but to warthog Bebop, not to any of TMNT: MM's fab four. That casting move is telling; this isn't a raunched-up, star voice-driven take on family-friendly fare like Strays and Ted, even when it's gleefully irreverent. Rather, it's a loving reboot spearheaded by a couple of patent fans who were the exact right age when turtle power was the schoolyard's biggest late-80s and early-90s force, and want to do Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo justice. Affection seeps through Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem as pivotally as ooze, the reason that there's even any adolescent marine reptiles that aren't at all like most of their species, and are also skilled in Japanese martial arts, within the franchise's narrative. Slime might visibly glow in this new animated TMNT movie, but the love with which the film has been made is equally as luminous. Indeed, the Spider-Verse-esque artwork makes that plain, openly following in the big-screen cartoon Spidey saga's footsteps. As it visually resembles lively high school notebook sketches under director Jeff Rowe (The Mitchells vs the Machines) and Kyler Spears' (Amphibia) guidance, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem feels exactly like the result of Rogen and Goldberg seeing Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, wondering how Leo and company would fare in a picture that aimed for the same visual flair, then making it happen. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. A HAUNTING IN VENICE Poirot goes horror in A Haunting in Venice. As unsettling as it was in its pointlessness and indulgence, Death on the Nile's moustache origin story doesn't quite count as doing the same. With Kenneth Branagh (Belfast) back directing, producing and starring as the hirsute Belgian sleuth for the third time — 2017's Murder on the Orient Express came first — Agatha Christie's famous detective now gets steeped in gothic touches and also scores the best outing yet under his guidance. The source material: the acclaimed mystery writer's 1969 novel Hallowe'en Party. Returning screenwriter Michael Green (Jungle Cruise) has given the book more than a few twists, the canal-lined Italian setting being one. Venice makes an atmospheric locale, especially on October 31, in the post-World War II era and amid a dark storm. But perhaps the most important move that A Haunting in Venice makes is Branagh reining in the showboating that became so grating in his first two Poirot movies. In relocating to the sinking island city and withdrawing from the whodunnit game, his new status quo when the film begins, A Haunting in Venice's Poirot has already done his own toning down. It's 1947, a decade after the events seen in A Death on the Nile, and bodyguard Vitale Portfoglio (Riccardo Scamarcio, The Translators) helps keep life quiet by sending away everyone who seeks the sleuth's help. The exception: Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey, Only Murders in the Building), a Christie surrogate who is not only also a celebrated author, but writes crime fiction based on Poirot (with Fey slipping into her shoes, she's a playful source of humour, too). When the scribe comes a-knocking, it's with an invite to a séance, where she's hoping that her pal will help her to discredit the medium, Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All At Once), who has the town talking. Then there's a death, pointed fingers and a need for Poirot's skills. A Haunting in Venice is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Looking for more at-home viewing options? Take a look at our monthly streaming recommendations across new straight-to-digital films and TV shows — and fast-tracked highlights from January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September and October, too. You can also peruse our best new films, new TV shows, returning TV shows and straight-to-streaming movies of 2023 so far
Image: "The Kiss" by Pablo Picasso in the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney. REUTERS/David Gray The Art Gallery of New South Wales is among six Australian galleries to share their collections with the online community via Google Art Project. The project, launched last year, allows art enthusiasts to view the great artistic works of the world, all from the convenience of their computer screen. The Art Gallery of NSW has now launched 415 of its most notable works, including a wide sampling drawn from every aspect of its collection. Included are works from the gallery's Australian, Indigenous, Asian and European collections. All of the pieces are featured in incredible high-resolution detail, revealing brushwork and other elements that are undetectable by the naked eye. 250 of these works are accessible through the website's 3D gallery walkthrough. "To think," says Anne Flanagan, acting direction of the Art Gallery of NSW, "that while a person here at the Gallery is viewing a work, someone else, anywhere in the world, can also be viewing the same work with such crystal-clear definition." Other participating Australian galleries include the National Gallery of Australia, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the National Gallery of Victoria, the Melbourne Museum, and Griffith University's Rock Art Research Centre. They have joined the efforts of 151 cultural institutions in 40 countries, under Google, to transform the art-viewing process, and to make fine art universally accessible.
They're both buttery and flaky, they're made via a technique called laminating, and they're shaped like a crescent. They're a bakery and cafe staple, too, and also something that everyone has eaten their fair share of. We're talking about croissants, obviously — but there's a difference between an average example and "the finest you will find anywhere in the world". According to The New York Times, Lune Croissanterie serves up the latter. And, in great news for Brisbane's pastry fans, it's does so in South Brisbane. After first announcing plans to head to Queensland back in late 2020, the famed Melbourne croissanterie opened its new flagship shop on Manning Street in 2021, giving the brand its first Brisbane outpost and its first outside of its hometown. Another River City venue launched in the CBD, in Burnett Lane, in 2022. On the menu: croissants, obviously. The South Brisbane venue serves up a menu of Lune favourites seven days a week, as well as a range of specials that rotate monthly. Regular highlights include traditional French croissant, cooked over three days; lemon curd cruffins, a muffin-croissant hybrid made with lemon curd, citrus sugar and candied lemon zest; coconut kouign amanns, a traditional pastry from the Bretagne part of France, as filled with coconut caramel and desiccated coconut; and morning buns, a croissant pastry with a cinnamon and orange zest filling. Getting in early is recommended, because Lune slings pastries each day until sold out. If you need a spring in your step that can't be sparked by baked goods, coffee is on offer as well. Wondering what makes Lune's croissants so special? Founder Kate Reid is an ex-Formula 1 aerodynamicist, and brings scientific precision to her craft. That includes the climate-controlled glass cube that Lune croissants are made and baked in, and the time-consuming process used to perfect each flaky pastry. It has been a big journey for Lune, which Reid co-owns with her brother Cameron and restaurateur Nathan Toleman (Dessous, Hazel, Common Ground Project). The company's story started back in 2012 with a tiny store in the Melbourne suburb of Elwood. Since then, Lune has grown into a converted warehouse space in Fitzroy (with perpetual lines out the front), opened a second store in the Melbourne CBD, earned praise aplenty — including that aforementioned rave from The New York Times — and branched out to Brissie. Next stop: Sydney, with not one but two venues in the works. Images: Marcie Raw.
You may think you have a good handle on David Attenborough docos by now. He waltzes into an amazing natural landscape, dispels an extraordinary amount of knowledge on Everything in the Entire World, and promptly films something incredibly disgusting or depressingly ruthless. I think we're all still trying to forget that time he narrated hermaphroditic slug sex. Nevertheless, his latest venture is set to blow your mind all over again. Returning to Australia in November, this legendary, knighted filmmaker is filming his latest work in 3D at the Great Barrier Reef. Intended as a three-part series, Attenborough is excited about the possibilities of filming underwater in 3D. "People will think ‘for God’s sake not another program on the Barrier Reef. Haven’t we done enough?’ But underwater is a marvellous subject for 3D, I mean it really is absolutely breathtaking," he told The Herald Sun, sporting his trademark British charm. But honestly, we have no idea why Attenborough feels the need to convince us. While we've felt a little tired with the gimmick of 3D in recent years, this is the type of work the technology was made for. Attenborough won't be diving himself — give him a break, he's 88 years old — but he will be exploring the reef with the help of new underwater equipment that renders an incredibly high resolution. Though nothing has been released about the content of the series, Attenborough will more than likely be covering the political and environmental problems the reef has faced in recent times as well as its friendly fauna. It's a topic that has been in the news once again with #fightforthereef emerging on everyone's Twitter feeds earlier this year. Between global warming, the threat of coal ports in surrounding areas, and questionable preservation practices from the state and federal governments, the World Heritage listed site has faced a lot of problems in recent years. Documentary filming begins in November, but we won't know how far off the actual film is for months yet. Regardless, get ready to be transported directly to the heart of all your underwater Disney dreamlands. This is going to be well worth the IMAX money. Via The Herald Sun. Photo credits: ciamabue, stuandgravy, robdownunder, richard ling, richard ling via photopin cc.
First birthdays are not all pleasant. Banal observations like "I can't believe it's only been a year!" fly out of people's mouths as unwelcomely as the projectile vomit now covering your brand new button-up (thanks, birthday boy). But upon hearing that Spotify Australia turned one today, we couldn't help but join the chorus of disbelief. It's only been a year? Really? It's hard to remember life before Spotify. The days of trying to 'unmax out' your maxed-out credit card before clicking 'purchase'. Of artists watching through tears as their life's work is torrented to the masses. A year later, it's hard to imagine anything other than clicking that little green button to soak our ears in unlimited, legal music juice. We might not yet have struck the perfect balance between access for audiences versus payment for artists, but it feels like we're getting closer. So for that we'd like to say 'Happy Birthday, Spotify'. Now today, just like the last occasion on which you celebrated a first birthday, is all about gushing and goggling over pretty pictures. And, proud mother that she is, Spotify Australia has shared this super-amazing infographic which you just have to see. The stats are pretty friggen incredible — Australian Spotify users have streamed a mammoth 42.5 million hours of music and have created over 14 million playlists over the past 12 months. (That's over 4000 years of music — which, if played in order, would take about 50 generations to finish. We're talking 6013, guys.) Of those 14 million playlists, over 240,000 playlists have been created about love, romance and/or sex; 150,000 for exercise; and 65,000 for getting through the work day. Also, a whopping 230,000 were created for travel. So if you've ever wanted to scream, "I get it, arts student, your European experience makes you singularly unique", you at least have proof that their playlist probably wasn't. American duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Icelandic indie-pop-folksters Of Monsters and Men dominated our listening habits, taking out Most Streamed Artist and Most Streamed Track/Album respectively. We can now also confirm that Australians like Flume. A lot. Not only was he the most streamed local artist, but he took out three of the top five local tracks of 2012/13. This had little to do with the Spotify habits of Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who eschewed the young producer for the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Midnight Oil. We can't confirm if Julia actually enjoys Midnight Oil or is just playlisting them for the unity of the federal front bench.
Yeah, so this happened. Wellington pub The Green Man decided to go ahead and serve locally-brewed stout beer featuring a cheeky little amount of stag semen. While we're half-heartedly reeling and equally intrigued, we have a lot of questions. Responsible for this drinkable abomination are local Wellington brewers Choice Bros, probably looking for a little free publicity pre-Beervana. Well, they certainly got that. We're assured that the deer semen is "export quality", however that was judged. The stag was apparently "milked" and had a restful sleep afterwards. Warning, you might grab a sick bag for this next bit. According to the brewers, the stout beer apparently has a "creamy" mouthfeel. Ugh. "Everyone so far has swallowed and not spat… The beer itself is excellent. It’s a creamy chocolate stout with coffee notes. The semen… well that’s something you’ve got to experience to describe," pub director Steve Drummond, a man who clearly knows his sexual innuendo, told BuzzFeed. If you can believe it, this is not The Green Man's first time serving semen-infused bevs. Stuff reported that "In 2011 its apple-infused horse semen shots proved popular with women, while 2013 saw syringes of stag semen on offer." God help us all. After doing the calculations of the novelty factor to lifelong trauma ratio, we'd love to hear of any brave, disgusting souls who head down to The Green Man on Victoria Street in Wellington to try this horrific cocktail out. Please, show yourselves. Via BuzzFeed.
