White knuckle thrillers, sun-dappled love stories and fish out of water comedies — you'll find them all in the lineup at this year's Spanish Film Festival. Taking over the screens at select Palace Cinemas around the country, the latest edition of this much-loved festival features 39 titles in total, including a loose remake of a recent Australian effort that will double as the opening night film. A kinky, sex-positive comedy inspired by Josh Lawson's The Little Death, Paco Leon's Kiki, Love to Love should get things off to a smoldering start. Other standouts on the program include crime thrillers such as The Bar and Smoke and Mirrors, and a retrospective stream dedicated to the works of iconic actor and singer Ana Belen. The festival will conclude with an early screening of The Trip to Spain, the much anticipated third chapter in the big screen travels of comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. Below, check out our list of the five must-see films of this year's Spanish Film Festival. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ywx8kAviZA MAY GOD SAVE US The title of Rodrigo Sorogoyen's new film is a little on the ominous side, but then from all reports that's rather fitting. Set in Madrid during a fiercely hot summer against the backdrop of anti-austerity protests and a visit by the pope, May God Save Us tracks a pair of veteran cops on the trail of a violent serial killer. A classic cat-and-mouse thriller, the picture won Best Screenplay at last year's San Sebastian International Film Festival, and has been compared by critics to the blood-spattered films of David Fincher. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm9QiTqOUdI SUMMER 1993 This year's centerpiece film arrives at the Spanish Film Festival on the back of considerable critical acclaim. Directed by Carla Simon Pipó, who won Best First Feature at the 2017 Berlinale, Summer 1993 follows six-year-old Frida, who after the death of her parents is swept from Barcelona to the Catalan provinces to begin a new life with her aunt and uncle. A simple, sensitive coming-of-age story, the film is a must-see for cinephiles, and might well be our number one pick of the entire festival. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f5La9q2_k8 THE DISTINGUISHED CITIZEN The latest effort from directorial double act Gastón Duprat and Mariano Cohn, The Distinguished Citizen earned major plaudits at last year's Venice Film Festival, including a Best Actor gong for its leading man Oscar Martínez. A familiar face to Argentinean audiences, here Martínez plays Daniel Mantovani, a taciturn novelist who returns to his tiny hometown in order to accept an award and maybe find some inspiration. What follows has been billed as a biting big screen farce about jealousy, creativity and the perils of success. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0B2x5XLbQhk THE QUEEN OF SPAIN In terms of star power, this sumptuous period piece from Oscar winner Fernando Trueba is likely the biggest title on this year's Spanish Film Festival program. Reprising her role from Trueba's 1998 film The Girl of Your Dreams, Penelope Cruz plays Macarena Granada, a Hollywood movie star who returns to her native Spain for a film shoot, only for the production to run afoul of Franco's regime. Both a send-up of fascism and a loving tribute to 1950s Spanish cinema, with supporting turns by The Princess Bride co-stars Cary Elwes and Mandy Patinkin, The Queen of Spain shapes up as a surefire crowdpleaser. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSDZ7IiYb_A THE TRIP TO SPAIN After touring the finest restaurants that England and then Italy had to offer, comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon are back for their latest gastronomic adventure. Directed once again by Michael Winterbottom, The Trip to Spain promises more of the same for fans of the previous two Trip films, with charming vistas, mouthwatering food and free-flowing banter. Although it's due to receive a theatrical release later in the year, closing night is your chance to see one of the year's funniest films before any of your friends. The Spanish Film Festival tours Australia from April 18, screening at Sydney's Palace Norton Street and Palace Verona from April 18 to May 7; Melbourne's Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth and Kino Cinemas from April 20 to May 7, and Brisbane's Palace Barracks and Palace Centro from April 27 to May 14. For more information, visit the festival website. Image: Summer 1993.
The Brisbane Asia Pacific Film Festival celebrates the best movies from the region from November 19 to 29; however it seems the folks behind the city-funded showcase just can't wait to share their 2015 brood of cinema treasures. In the lead up to their second year, they're breaking out a few highlights early via a series of screenings prior to the main event. From August 28 to November 6, Brisbane cinephiles can spend four Friday evenings immersing themselves in everything from an insightful statement on modern-day Iran to a glimpse inside short-stay Japanese hotels. Yes, like any good festival program or sneak peek, the films on offer are an eclectic bunch. Tales, directed by Iran's premier female director Rakhshan Banietemad, kicks off the pre-fest season, plunging audiences into the stark reality of the filmmaker's homeland through a series of interconnected vignettes. Next up — and fresh from the Melbourne International Film Festival's opening night — Force of Destiny stays personal in offering a moving take on terminal illness and transplants, with David Wenham in the lead role. They're joined by the affectionate portrait of an eccentric community that is The Postman's White Nights, plus a look at intimacy in the confines of a Tokyo establishment frequented for physical fun in the aptly named Kabukicho Love Hotel. And remember, these are just the precursors to the whole festival. If these four films offer any indication, lovers of diverse, interesting Asia Pacific cinema just might be overwhelmed with excitement when the full BAPFF lineup is revealed in October. The Brisbane Asia Pacific Film Festival pre-festival screenings run from August 28 to November 6. For more information, visit the event's website.
West End's massive West Village precinct continues to get bigger and bigger. The project — which is still in development — has held everything from ice cream festivals to weekend providore markets since it was approved in 2016, but this October, the $800 million project will unveil some new additions. From October, the former Peters Ice Cream Factory site will be home to The Garden Pantry and The Common. The former is a casual dining precinct that'll feature multiple eateries, plus indoor and outdoor seating. As for the latter, it's a 24-hour public space brimming with grass, trees, plants, a water installation and a field of lights. In short, the inner-city development is gaining a heap of new dining options and a lush place to hang out. The Garden Pantry's restaurant lineup will include Cheeky Poke Bar, Mr. Bunz and Salt Meats Cheese as its first tenants. That means that West Enders can expect Hawaiian-inspired bowls, pan-Asian baos and Italian, well, everything. And, it's all coming from tried-and-tested sources, with each of the three headline eateries setting up its second Brisbane locations. Because making food is as fun as eating it, West Village will also be the site of SMC's first Brisbane cooking school, which'll open its doors in the site's Factory Lane. Joining the restaurant's usual array of cheese wheel pasta dishes, all-you-can-eat pizza nights and plentiful cocktails, the cooking school will host hands-on classes on how to make gnocchi, other pastas and desserts, including gluten-free options. Unsurprisingly, in terms of decor, the new spaces will play up the garden theme — both in The Garden Pantry space, which will be decked out tropical-style, and in The Commons' greenery-filled garden area. Later this year, West Village will open Factory Lane, and add a new arts and events studio called The Bromley Room #2. The Common and The Garden Pantry and its restaurants are set to open in October at West Village, which is located at 97 Boundary Street, West End. We'll keep you updated on any new developments.
UPDATE, January 22, 2021: Get Out is available to stream via Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. When a movie starts with a character walking nervously along a dark street, we all know what's going to happen next. Decades of horror films have taught us that nothing good can occur here. And, in Get Out, the situation plays out exactly as we've been conditioned to expect. The scared person is abducted by a masked attacker and dragged into a car. Crucially though, the victim isn't an attractive young woman, but rather a black man (Lakeith Stanfield) getting snatched up in the kind of picket-fenced suburbia most white folks could stroll through without fear. If you've ever seen his work with Keegan-Michael Key across the five seasons of their sketch comedy show Key and Peele, writer-director Jordan Peele's fondness for dissecting matters of race won't come as much of a surprise. While his first stint as a filmmaker doesn't feature white zombies refusing to eat people of colour, the underlying idea that African Americans are treated differently still sticks. Here, as in his comedy, he presents a scenario that quickly goes from amusing to uncomfortable to downright unnerving. Following Get Out's sinister opening scene, the film's focus switches to Brooklyn photographer Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), who's about to head to his girlfriend Rose's (Allison Williams) family home in the country. He's meeting her parents for the first time, and he's understandably anxious. When he asks "do they know I'm black?", she assures him that it doesn't matter because her dad would've voted for Obama a third time if he could've. Chris has clearly heard similar sentiments before, and knows it's going to be awkward anyway. "I don't wanna get chased off the lawn with a shotgun," he jokes. After they arrive, Rose's father (Bradley Whitford) keeps dropping "my man" into daggy attempts at conversation. Her mother (Catherine Keener) is polite to Chris, but noticeably stern with their black servants (Betty Gabriel and Marcus Henderson). Then there's Rose's younger brother Jeremy (Caleb Landry Jones) who makes uncomfortable comments about Chris' physique. To say that things don't feel quite right is a horror movie understatement right up there with Rosemary finding her new neighbours a bit odd in Rosemary's Baby. But again, Chris has seen this type of behaviour before. He's not thrilled, but he's not astonished either. Like all sinister storylines, the events that unfold are best discovered with as little prior knowledge as possible. It's not hard to pick up on the cleverly deployed horror tropes as they appear: the isolated location, hitting a deer on the way there, and the vocal warnings from Chris' pal Rod (LilRel Howery) back home. Likewise, you won't be able to miss the way that race keeps seeping into every conversation, shaping the way the movie unfolds. Peele's mastery of his spook-inducing genre is evident from the outset, but it's how he uses his classic setup to subvert the expected cliches and unleash a barrage of scathing social commentary that proves downright genius. What's so great about Get Out is how it defies easy categorisation. It's smart and oh-so-timely in the way that it highlights what it's like to be black in "post-racial" America. It's also genuinely unsettling and tense in an edge-of-your-seat manner, and never stops making viewers question what it is they're seeing. Last but not least, it's frequently hilarious, which given the director's background shouldn't come as a surprise. Add all of that together, and you're gifted one of the most assured, astute, entertaining and intelligent horror movies to creep out cinemas in years.
What would you do if you were a little less freaked out by consequences? Would you talk to more new people, fear a bit less, dance a little more like FKA Twigs, quit your desk job and start that independent photography career? Some sparkling young Australians are already flinging their inhibitions into a ziplock bag and seizing this little ol' life with both hands. Concrete Playground has teamed up with the Jameson crew to give you a sneak peek into the lives of some bold characters who took a big chance on themselves. They've gone out on a limb and rewritten their path, encapsulating 'Sine Metu', the Jameson family motto which translates to 'without fear' — getting outside your comfort zone and trying something new. After all, we only get one shot at this. Take notes. From a very young age, we're all asked the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?" We're told to pick one path, one profession, to neatly label the rest of your life. Our responses change as we grow up, from astronaut to engineer, princess to PR, and for Sydney-based Cole Bennetts, from Penguin Boy to renowned photographer taking the Prime Minister's portrait. Now he's shot the likes of Sticky Fingers, Hermitude, Horrorshow, One Day and more, and you can find his work published in TIME, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, The Irish Times and Rolling Stone to name a few. Not bad for a Penguin Boy. WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU PENGUINS, BECOME THEIR KING Cole's origin story reads like a Mark Twain book, a tale from a time before life happened on the screen and people went out to seek their fortunes. Initially for Cole, the end goal was never photography. His start in the industry came from a pretty unlikely place — as a way to weasel out of participating in the swimming carnival. "I'd never been the most athletic of people but I discovered that if I had a camera in my hand I didn't have to swim in the swimming carnival. I was like 'there's something to this'." A self-proclaimed science nerd, Cole's formative years were spent studying biology at university and eventually found him monitoring the behavioural patterns of seagulls and penguins in Bass Strait. The documentation process again stirred his interest in photography and, strangely, penguin care. "When that wound up [at Bass Strait] I found myself in Canberra with the zoo there. I spent about 18 months within the zoo as a penguin keeper. I managed to get the nickname 'Penguin Boy'. I can't believe I'm saying this." SOMETIMES YOU'VE GOT TO SPEND SIX MONTHS IN THE WILD The antics of Penguin Boy became an attraction at the zoo, from lining up the penguins for feeding time to putting them to bed. Eventually, the prestigious title wore thin and Cole stumbled across an opportunity that would make most of us hurtle in the opposite direction. "I got offered a job on a really remote island… There was no water, there was nothing. We'd have to have supplies brought in by shark fishermen. It was a six-month stint living like a wild man." Just after quitting his role as Penguin Boy, Cole found out funding for the project had been cut and he was without a job. After a series of fortunate events, he founded a music business in Canberra and set about promoting. But Cole didn't have the budget for a photographer, someone you're kind of going to need for promo. So, having 'made do' in those six-months on the island, he improvised. "I bought a cheap camera set up and quit my job and told people I was a photographer. And I was awful. I was so bad. Within four weeks of doing it, I had $2.20 and half a loaf of bread to my name. "If you're going to do something, you throw yourself into it. I'm a big believer in sink or swim. And fake it till you make it. There's no better situation to learn than when you have no option; it's do or die." FAKE IT TILL YOU TAKE THE PRIME MINISTER'S PORTRAIT There's not a lot to do in Canberra outside of politics and partying, so Cole had a lot of fodder to snap. A crash course in how to work a camera when there's no natural light and your subjects are swaying was just what he needed to get a start in the world of photography. Fast forward a few years, he's made a name for himself as a portrait photographer and has jacked a gig taking the PM's portrait. "It's a fine line when you're shooting... Your subjects may be celebrities, they may be artists but you've got to stand in front of them with a camera […] and do them right," he says. "So I was down on my knees in front of Julia Gillard's desk and I was having trouble getting the right feel and I was starting to panic and I was like 'OK, Prime Minister, what I need you to do is close your eyes and I want you to go to your happy place'. That was crazy." He got the shot in the end though and, true to form, bossing the PM around becomes just one of his weird work stories to tell. CHANGE THE GAME — NOT EVERY HIP HOP ARTIST NEEDS TO RAP SQUAT Cole soon moved from Canberra to Sydney, the land of creative opportunity, to try and break into music photography. One day while working in his Camperdown studio, he left to pick up some lunch and walked smack bang into Omar Musa, his friend and collaborator, and Morgan Jones of the Thundamentals. "A couple of weeks later I bumped into Morgs in the cafe and he had this new group called Jones Jnr. I said I'll do your pictures, I'll do them for free but if you go anywhere and you become successful, then I'm your guy," he says. It was a smart gamble, as Morgan was in the process of writing Step On Sleep, Jones Jnr's successful debut album. From this handshake agreement, Cole has built a career photographing Australian musicians including Sticky Fingers, Hermitude, Horrorshow, Hilltop Hoods, One Day, Spit Syndicate, Tuka, Jackie Onassis, The Rubens, Angus Stone, Left and more, alongside international stars like The 1975. His proclivity for shooting hip hop royalty has changed the game and shifted music portraiture away from the cheesy and the cliché. "These guys are super intelligent, they've got good stories to tell," he says. "It's not doing rap squats in front of graffiti walls." And who better to tell someone else's tale than a guy with a killer story to tell? When you wake up a Penguin Boy one day, unemployed the next, Kirribilli House soon after, you stop fearing change and start to embrace a Sine Metu mindset because it might lead to the best shot of your life. "It doesn't matter if I'm shooting the biggest name in Australian music or I'm shooting someone having a dance, if I get the frame that captures that moment… I get just as excited. It's about storytelling." Want to experience a little bit of 'Sine Metu' yourself? Thanks to Jameson and The Rewriters, one extremely fortunate Concrete Playground reader (and their even more fortunate mate) will get the chance to 'fear less' and go on a big ol' adventure to Ireland. In addition to two return flights departing from your choice of Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, this epic giveaway comes with five night's accommodation and $500 spending money you can use to paint the Emerald Isle red. ENTER HERE. For more about how 'Sine Metu' influenced John Jameson's journey visit Jameson's website.
For all of us down here in the southern hemisphere, Christmas has never really aligned with the classic ‘snowy tree, Christmas jumpers, roast dinner and egg nog’ style of celebration enjoyed by the north. Frankly, the thought of eating a hot, greasy wad of ham on a 35-degree day is kind of gross — give us a tinnie and a prawn skewer anytime. But that doesn’t mean we don’t like to pretend, and the Hotham Street Ladies have just the thing. These cheeky Melbourne artists have created a sweet, sweet installation for the iconic Hotel Windsor that features a massive, traditional Christmas spread. There's a fat roast chicken, glazed ham, juicy lobster, baked whole fish (man, we sure eat a lot of meat at Christmas, Gaviscon must rake it in) and not to mention the succulent desserts and sides. This piece of art looks better than any Christmas meal you’ve ever made (hell it looks better than most things) and the kicker? It’s made entirely from icing sugar. The Christmas at The Windsor exhibit (which is on display from December 1 to January 5) took over a month to create and the gals used an incredible range of modelling and piping techniques to work in so much detail. Aren't across these bold, culinary artists? The Hotham Street Ladies are an artist collective of five women — Cassandra Chilton, Molly O’Shaughnessy, Sarah Parkes, Caroline Price and Lyndal Walker — who derive their name from the days when they lived together in a share house in Collingwood. Their mutal passion for cakes, baking, feminism and craft has since informed their work and it’s pretty damned cute (with a big streak of feminist badassery). Check out some of their other work, including a puppy cake covered in iced flowers, candy beards, a table setting designed around leftovers and this gloriously graphic iced period stain installation in the men’s toilets at the Victorian College of the Arts. Christmas at The Windsor is on display at the Hotel Windsor, 111 Spring Street from December 1 to the January 5.
An upcoming exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria will bring together the realms of high fashion and high art. Celebrating the extraordinary work of Dutch designers Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren, Viktor&Rolf: Fashion Artists will showcase some of the luxury fashion house's most iconic haute couture pieces, as it celebrates one of the most remarkable partnerships in the world of modern fashion. Running from October 21 through to February 26, 2017, the world-first exhibition has been developed by the NGV in partnership with Viktor&Rolf, under the curatorship of international guest curator Thierry-Maxime Loriot. In addition to the more than 35 original items, the exhibition will also feature the duo's upcoming work Dolls, a collection of antique dolls dressed in some of the pair's most memorable designs. "We are extremely excited to be working in collaboration with the National Gallery of Victoria on this exhibition and highlighting the craftsmanship involved in creating our wearable art," said Horsting and Snoeren in a joint statement. "It is an honour for us to bring our designs to the Southern Hemisphere." Collaborating for the first time in 1992, Horsting and Snoeren have long been renowned for their boundary pushing designs and experimental runway shows. Perhaps their most memorable showing was in 2003, when they teamed up with actress Tilda Swinton (of course) along with an army of Tilda lookalikes for their One Woman Show autumn/winter collection. Viktor&Rolf: Fashion Artists opens at NGV International on October 21 this year. Tickets are on sale now at ngv.vic.gov.au/viktorrolf.
Are you the kind of person who loves surprise parties? Or, are you the first to run when someone even mentions the words? There are few events that divide public opinion more than the surprise party. Maybe you think they're a little passé, or maybe you've developed negative associations from memories of being crouched in a dark lounge room for half an hour longer than you wanted to be. But when they're done right, everyone will agree that a surprise party is always something worth doing. There's a reason this type of party has stood the test of time – it's exciting, exhilarating, and it makes the surprisee oh-so happy that all their friends have come together just for them. In partnership with Rekorderlig, here's our guide to getting all your friends together and throwing the ultimate surprise party. THE SURPRISE The key to a great surprise party is making sure the big surprise moment is one to remember. You can do this by doing a double down on your surprise by having a room full of the nearest and dearest surprise first, but then bring out a secret interstate guest or family member as a secondary surprise. Otherwise, you could throw them a party when it's not their birthday. Pick a date a month or week prior and get the jump on them. General rules for a good surprise are handing out glitter or streamers, having people hiding in all sorts of random places and leaping out, and having loads of balloons drop from on high as they arrive. [caption id="attachment_589828" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Wendy's Secret Garden.[/caption] THE LOCATION Make the location as special as the surprise itself by hiring a really incredible waterfront venue in the city, a rooftop bar, or throwing the party on a beach. You could hire the penthouse of an awesome Airbnb (providing parties are permitted, of course) or have a party in Wendy's Secret Garden, one of Sydney's finest hidden parks. The venue could make your party one to remember, so be sure to give it plenty of thought. THE DECORATIONS Having a theme will make things easier for you. Give a gentle nod in the direction of a cuisine or idea, and choosing food, drinks and décor will become a whole lot easier. If you have a backyard, a failsafe option is to turn it into a garden-party wonderland by winding fairy lights around trees, popping tea light candles into mason jars and having lots of outdoor seating. Lighting is integral to a good party, and can't be forgotten. Too bright and people will feel like they're getting drunk in a 7-11. Too dim and they won't be able to find the chips and dip. Get it right. THE FOOD Make sure that there's plenty to eat and plenty to drink. Head to the deli and lay out a few cheese boards or antipasti platters, and don't forget fairy bread (it's a classic for a reason) and and party pies and sausage rolls. For party drinks, make sure you're catering to all tastes – so cider for those who aren't partial to beer, wine, and soft drink for those who don't drink. Getting creative and making punch is a nice little twist, or you could grab a few Rekorderlig Cocktail Cans to keep it interesting. Make sure you have ice, plenty of eskies and plenty of fridge space. [caption id="attachment_592224" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: Parlour Gigs.[/caption] THE UNEXPECTED EXTRAS Why not go all out and throw a live gig in your backyard? You can, thanks to Parlour Gigs. This live music initiative from Melbourne musician Matt Walters came about after playing a house concert where he had such a great time that he started up Parlour Gigs to share the love. With over 800 musicians signed up and available to perform you can pretty much be guaranteed of finding the perfect musical act for your party. Other notable mentions for fun things to do are: hire a karaoke machine and sing a bunch of 80s hair metal, have your friend with good music taste DJ for the night, have a bouncy castle (they're surprisingly affordable), or just play a massive game of pass the parcel.
Enjoy a breakfast of champions at whatever hour you please, courtesy of Australia's first ever cereal cafe. Opening its doors in Melbourne in just over a week, this pop-up snack hub will be serving all your childhood and/or late-night share house favourites, including Froot Loops, Coco Pops and Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut. Launching February 12, Cereal Anytime is the latest temporary tenant of Richmond’s year-long food and retail precinct, Swan Street Chamber of Commerce. Supposedly, the aim of the cafe is “educating people on foods in moderation”, which might get tricky given the sugar content of what they serve. Perhaps a limit of one bowl of Frosted Flakes per customer? The cafe will operate via a “pay-it-forward” payment system. Upon entry, diners simply peel a Post-it note off the wall, which they can then use to pay for their bowl of cereal. The Post-its can be replenished for $4 a pop, ensuring that those who are a little less fortunate don’t miss out. A recent cereal cafe that opened in London served over 120 different kinds of cereal, 13 milks and more than 20 additional toppings, so our iteration has something of a reputation to live up to. It sparked huge demand, followed by something of a culture war when some very practical types balked at paying £3.50 for flakes out of a box. Melbourne's version, with its element of feelgoodery, should sidestep that issue. Hungry members of the public can help decide the cafe’s final menu and gain entry on day one (February 12) via a ballot on their Cereal Anytime Facebook page.
In concurrence with the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Referendum, The National Gallery of Australia, in partnership with Wesfarmers Arts, is hosting its 3rd National Indigenous Art Triennial. This major exhibition, titled Defying Empire, will run from May 26 through September 10 and brings together both established and emerging Indigenous artists from across Australia in a showcase that focuses on themes of identity, racism, displacement and country. Among the 30 participating artists are Brenda L. Croft, whose art looks at themes of home, Fiona Foley, who focuses on race relations, Tony Albert, who examines war and its aftermath and Brook Andrew, who explores themes of ancestry. Other artists delve into heavy issues of nuclear testing, sovereignty and the stolen generations, using a mix of media from canvas painting, video and photography to weaving, sculpture, metalwork and glasswork. The exhibition reinforces the significance of Indigenous art in Australia's cultural identity and the ongoing struggle for equality. Image: Daniel Boyd by Nikki To, Megan Cope by Pat Scala/Fairfax Media.
At long last SPECTRE — the 24th film in the iconic James Bond franchise — has made its way to screens around the country, and to mark the occasion, Heineken is giving fans a bunch of prizes to make them sharper than Bond himself. To help celebrate its long-standing partnership with Bond, Heineken has teamed up with the boutique experience cultivators over at Mr Aristotle for a brand new project, The Catch. Throughout November and December, Heineken will be hosting exclusive SPECTRE 007 events that are so mysterious participants won’t know what’s in store until they’re suddenly whisked away and thrown right into the middle of the action right as it happens — like this one, where you and your mates head off on an exclusive personal tailoring adventure through some of Brisbane's premier male fashion outlets and stores. Winners secure the expert advice of a top-tier fashion consultant to accompany you around town for a full three hours. You'll have what every indecisive shopper dreams of: your very own personal stylist advising on your needs, style and personality. They won't tell you how to dress — they'll tell you how to dress perfectly for you. No time-wasting, no queues and, most importantly, no buyer's remorse. It doesn't matter if you're keen for a complete overhaul or the simple addition of a few key pieces, your consultant will be there to offer their years of experience and VIP access to some of Brisbane's fashion meccas. You'll finish up at celebrated men's clothing establishment Calibre — fitting name. To be in the running for prizes like this, sign up via the Heineken's The Catch website and have your mates locked, loaded and ready to move at a moment’s notice. Then dive into your wardrobe and get cracking on that long overdue stocktake review — because if you win, you'll need to make some space.
It seems you can never have too many burger joints or American-style eateries, so another is joining Brisbane’s ranks. Meet 5 Boroughs, the newest addition to the busy Greenslopes and Stones Corner area. Just don’t expect its blend of casual dining and New York-influenced food to be like all the rest. Already trading ahead of its official opening on March 31, 5 Boroughs endeavours to fill in the gaps in what is becoming a sizeable US food scene. That means looking beyond the usual, to dishes influenced by the Big Apple’s multiculturalism across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, The Bronx and Queens. It also means an opening day special of two-for-one meals, and every tenth burger free, too. Yes, the good ol' meat-and-bun combo is a mainstay, complete with artisan bread baked daily and fresh, handcrafted beef patties (particularly taking cues from Le Parker Meridien's Burger Joint in NYC) . Yes, the drinks list includes staples such as craft beers, whiskey and classic cocktails. However, the 5B menu also features quite a few other Noo Yawk classics. As well as picking from a hefty list of sliders and fries, customers can also choose street bites and what 5 Boroughs is calling 'drinking food'. Think steamed bao buns, Cubano and Reuben sandwiches, soft snapper tacos, duck and plum gyoza and more. To wash it all down, think spiced rum and bottomless iced tea. "New York food is about so much more than burgers," says Todd Clayton, co-owner with his wife Marisa. "We love New York for its melting pot of the cultures and cuisines. In true New York City spirit, our menu will take the best of these cuisines, ensuring it is continually evolving.” 5 Boroughs was inspired by the pair's extensive travels and love for New York, with the eatery their attempt to put their affection into practice. Marisa explains, "We're passionate about translating our travels and experiences into venue concepts that don't just follow trends, but expand on them and bring longevity to the table." Visit 5 Boroughs at 9/401-405 Logan Rd, Stones Corner Village, Greenslopes or visit their Facebook page for more information. Image: Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridien, New York City.
The adverse effects of climate change have already been well-documented. Rising sea levels. An increase in extreme weather events. Hundreds of millions of people potentially displaced. Yet the most disturbing cost of environmental degradation is only now being driven home. We don't mean to alarm you, but the verdict is in: global warming is going to change the taste of your beer. Commissioned by Earth Hour and produced by the good sports at Willie the Boatman craft brewery, Drought Draught is a brand new beer brewed under drought-affected conditions. Made using poor quality barley and hops, along with artificial supplements standing in for cost prohibitive natural alternatives, the result has been described as "average tasting beer," one that lets beer lovers "actually taste the effects of climate change." Lucky for Sydneysiders, the intentionally sub-par brew will debut at Feather and Bone in Marrickville this Saturday, as part of Earth Hour's Save the Ales campaign. The event is part of a broader Earth Hour initiative that draws attention to the impact of global warming on Australian farmers. People are also being encouraged to upload their #NoBeerSelfie to social media, with the best entries winning a beer tasting event in Sydney, Adelaide or Perth, along with a bunch of other prizes courtesy of craft brewers Young Henrys. More than 500 community events are expected to take place around the country this Saturday March 28 as part of Earth Hour 2015, in the lead-up to the annual 'lights out' at 8.30pm. For an event near you, visit the Earth Hour website.
It’s film festival time in Brisbane, and yes, a busy calendar of cultural-orientated movie offerings means that could be true on any given weekend; however the period spanning November 19 to 29 stands out. It belongs to the city’s major cinema celebration — and while the Brisbane International Film Festival is no more, the replacement that is the Brisbane Asia Pacific Film Festival has been trying to pick up some of the slack since 2014, at least when it comes to movies from its area of interest. In its second year, the 11-day event presents an 83-feature program from a lineup of 102 films in total, complete with 33 Australian premieres and 23 Queensland premieres. Highlighting the movie-making prowess of the Asia Pacific region is its focus, covering 42 countries and showcasing 34 movies that have earned nominations at the forthcoming Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Indeed, from festival circuit hits to retrospective screenings of restored classics feature — and including a program of virtual reality shorts, too — BAPFF's 2015 selection serves up a bustling bunch of screen fare for cinema fans. As always, the most difficult part isn't rushing between the event's five venues (Palace Barracks, GOMA, New Farm Cinemas, Griffith Film School and The Courier-Mail Piazza), or fighting film festival fatigue when you're in the thick of BAPFF craziness, but trying to pick which flicks to see. To assist, here's our rundown of the ten that make our must-see list. THE IDOL When it comes to reality TV, almost every corner of the globe has become addicted to live singing contests and other televised talent quests. In the Middle East, Arab Idol has captured the hearts and minds of the viewing audience, and turned ordinary folks into stars and winners in the process. When the 2013 season of the show aired its final stages, Palestinian filmmaker Hany Abu-Assad (Omar) watched as Gazan wedding singer Mohammad Assaf emerged victorious. His rags-to-riches true tale fascinated the director so much that he turned it into his next film — and BAPFF have taken his lead, selecting The Idol as its feel-good opening night movie. SHERPA Forget Everest — Sherpa is the mountainous movie that will get everyone talking. In 2014, Australian director and mountaineer Jennifer Peedom embarked on a quest to film Phurba Tashi Sherpa’s potentially world record-breaking trek to the summit of the world's highest peak, but Mother Nature had other plans. Tragedy struck on April 18, which remains the blackest day in Everest’s history. The documentary Peedom crafted —— not so much benefiting from being in the right place at the right time, but reacting thoughtfully to such a catastrophic situation — is stunning in its high-altitude visuals, moving in its emotions, and eye-opening in exposing the reality of its titular subjects. It's also the kind of gripping effort that must be seen on the largest screen possible. RIGHT NOW, WRONG THEN In just two festivals, BAPFF has started a pleasing precedent. Each year, the latest film by South Korean auteur Hong Sang-soo clearly features at the top of their wish list — and the festival has delivered yet again, this time bringing Locarno Golden Leopard winner Right Now, Wrong Then to Brisbane for its Australian premiere. As is often the case in the filmmaker's efforts, matters of the heart inspire a narrative of chance meetings, what-if type questioning, clever character studies and circular comedy. Given that Hill of Freedom was a highlight of BAPFF 2014, hopes are high for the feature Indiewire has likened to Groundhog Day. Our tip, and a good rule for watching all Hong Sang-soo offerings: make soju part of your movie-going plans for this session. MUSTANG When France selected Mustang as its entry into the foreign-language film category at the 2015 Oscars, the film world took note. The first feature by Deniz Gamze Erguven pipped Cannes Palme d'Or winner Dheepan for the spot; however there's no doubt that the contemplative coming-of-age effort deserves being thrust into prominence. Five sisters monopolise the movie's attention, each aged from pre-teen upwards, and all required to adhere to the strict regime forced upon them by their male relatives. As Mustang unravels their efforts to subvert such control, it recalls the haunting look and feel of The Virgin Suicides and the distress of Miss Violence, yet makes its look at sisterhood, self-preservation and its specific cultural situation very much its own. SPEAR An Australian dance movie that uses its fancy footwork to step through the plight of the indigenous populace, Spear is a striking cinematic achievement. First-time feature helmer, Bran Nue Dae and The Sapphires choreographer, and Bangarra Dance Theatre artistic director Stephen Page turns the company's performance work of the same name into a big-screen spectacle unlike anything crafted locally, or anywhere else for that matter. Mood, music and movement are pivotal, as a teenage boy wanders from the outback to the city to try to reconcile his ancient culture in a modern world. His journey is just as transporting for those watching as it is for those within the movie, as well as anchoring one of the most powerful pieces of Australian film perhaps ever made. THE ASSASSIN After wowing audiences at the Sydney Film Festival and the Melbourne International Film Festival, it is Brisbane's turn to become immersed in the wonder of Hou Hsiao-hsien's The Assassin. The wuxia — or martial arts — effort ushers its genre into glacially paced, stylistically controlled territory as it tells the tale of a girl taken from her family at the age of ten, trained to kill, and then tasked with slaying the cousin she was once marked to marry. Every frame of the feature looks like a painting, which could be one of the reasons the filmmaker took out the best director award at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Swordplay has rarely looked as graceful and hypnotic, nor been littered throughout such a serene movie. A typical action flick, this isn't. TAKLUB BAPFF ventures from one Cannes Film Festival best director winner to another, courtesy of Brilliante Mendoza's latest feature. The Filipino filmmaker won the coveted prize for 2009's Kinatay, and then returned to the Croisette with this year's Taklub, which follows three survivors of 2013's devastating Typhoon Haiyan. Though his movie provides a fictional account, shooting against the real-life backdrop of the destroyed city of Tacloban promises a mesmerising documentary-like sheen to his tragic drama. If you haven't yet discovered why Mendoza is one of the region's most exciting film talents, then this is the movie to help you fix that gap in your cinematic appreciation. ATOMIC HEART Iranian road movies seem to be having their moment, as Tehran Taxi (another 2015 BAPFF feature) and Tales have already demonstrated. Atomic Heart takes the concept, drives away into the night with it and refuses to stick to a standard streetscape. Here, two 20-something girls interact with a mysterious stranger on the way home from a party — and get more than they bargained for, of course. In the hands of director Ali Ahmadzadeh, their voyage promises to take a turn into the surreal, absurd and satirical; however given its country of origin, the film isn't without its lashings of cultural commentary as well. AMONG THE BELIEVERS In Among the Believers, the cry "won't somebody think of the children" threatens to become a haunting plea. The lauded documentary steps behind the veil of Islamic fundamentalism to expose perhaps its most concerning attack: on the hearts and minds of the youths poised to become its next generation of followers. Filmmakers Hemal Trivedi and Mohammed Ali Naqvi are given unprecedented access to the Red Mosque, aka the most prominent educational institution in Islamabad, or ground zero for indoctrinating kids into extremist beliefs. While it seems like every movie these days is likened to a horror film, this might just live up to the frightening comparison. A TOUCH OF ZEN Before Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon brought all things wuxia to the world, A Touch of Zen defined the genre. That director King Hu's three-hour epic received the Technical Grand Prize at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival is significant, and warranted by the artistically imaginative sights it serves up. Charting the intersection of a scholar, a fugitive and a corrupt eunuch, the feature flirts with Buddhism, as its title makes clear, while taking a meditative approach to its choreographed fights. It's the martial arts film all cinephiles must see — and if you're going to pick one film from BAPFF's modest retrospective lineup, this should be it. The 2015 Brisbane Asia Pacific Film Festival runs from November 19 – 29. For more information, visit the festival website.
Have you found yourself standing in the Australian breeze lately and thought, "Do I feel in this breeze a touch of whimsy; whimsy and the slight lilt of literary references spoken in Glaswegian accents?" You have? Sure sign that Belle and Sebastian are on their way. After four years the ever-enduring Glaswegian collective, who have long held the title of indie-pop royalty, have released their ninth studio album just in time for an Australian tour. Belle and Sebastian are never a band to ignore their roots, so longtime fans can look forward to performances that celebrate everything from indie-pop classics from early albums Tigermilk and If You're Feeling Sinister to their newest dance-y ventures 'The Party Line' and 'Enter Sylvia Plath' off the new album Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance. Supported by Twerps. We caught up with Stuart Murdoch for a chat about B&S's stylistic changes, having cocktails created in one’s honour and putting politics in pop. Check out the interview right here.
Well, this is rather excellent branding. Britpop kings and experts in cheesemaking Blur are selling its own ice cream for their latest album tour. Coinciding with Blur's newest album The Magic Whip, the new edible merch is an attempt to recreate the neon sign on the cover; taking something like Gelato Messina's Jack White flavour next level. Damon Albarn and the lads teamed up with UK based ice cream company The Licktators, whose previous music-themed flavours include 'John Lemon' and 'Jiggy Pop'. But the company really made its headline-worthy reputation after releasing 'Baby Gaga' for the royal baby — an ice cream flavour made with human breast milk. Yep. Really. Blur's own escapade into iced confection will, of course, be called 'Magic Whip' after the new album. Attempting to mimic the cover art, the ice cream will be vanilla custard flavour with raspberry sauce. Unfortunately, 'Magic Whip' will be available exclusive at the legendary foursome's concerts and at a few London co-ops this year. We're not sure whether the ice cream will make it to Australia for their highly anticipated Splendour appearance and stadium tour, but until we're sure we'll be cooking up our own Blur dessert using the recipe hidden within the video for lead album single 'Go Out'. Via AV Club.
For more than a decade, French cuisine-loving Brisbanites made a beeline to Paddington for soufflés, steak frites and Friday night five-course degustations. Now, feasting on Gallic gastronomy at Montrachet means heading to the other side of town — and enjoying their new boulangerie. Montrachet said au revoir to Given Terrace and bonjour Bowen Hills' King Street at the beginning of December; however moving to the city's new foodie precinct wasn't enough for the award-winning restaurant. In a case of marching onwards and upwards, their bigger digs on the corner of King and Machinery streets now includes an all-day takeaway patisserie pumping out baked goods that'll make you think you're in provincial France. Opening its doors on December 16, the boulangerie boasts an array of freshly baked baguettes and artisan pastries through its village-style entryway, as initially overseen by Lyonnaise baker Patrick Delbar. The third-generation pastry whiz left France for the first time to share his skills and secrets with the Montrachet team, and while he isn't staying for good, you'll be able to taste the end results in their croissants, sourdough loaves, eclairs and more. Open from 6.30am to 2.30pm from Tuesday to Friday, and from 6.30am to midday on Saturdays, the bread and dessert haven joins a huge dining room and an in-house wine cellar among the highlights of Montrachet's new 240-square-metre site. And, it means that you can devour one of their tasty treats even when you're not feeling cashed up enough for the full restaurant experience. Très bon. Find Montrachet's at King Street, Bowen Hills. Head to their website and Facebook page for further information.
Just when you thought New York-style nosh had the American food trend covered in Brisbane, along comes a different interstate taste sensation. The latest Brisbane eatery about to open its doors at Portside Wharf is taking inspiration from the flavours of New Orleans. Indeed, NOLA's name says it all — it's an abbreviation of New Orleans, Louisiana, after all. The city's famed blend of Cajun specialities and French influences are certain to feature on a smoky bourbon sauce and chipotle-heavy menu. There'll be ’N’awlins bites’ like naked oysters ($3 each), popcorn shrimp with New Orleans remoulade ($14), Southern wings with bourbon and maple sauce ($12 for eight pieces), Corn cobs with chipotle butter ($6) and shoestring fries with smoky aioli ($8). Our stomachs are already rumbling. In addition to the delicious-sounding tapas, live music and innovatively-themed cocktails will keep things spicy down by the water. With NOLA following in the footsteps of Papa Jack's and Bourbon Street Louisiana Creole, perhaps we'll soon see crab cakes, jambalaya, po boys and gumbo replace burgers and fries as everyone's favourite go-to meal. The new venture from the folks behind The Crosstown Eating House at Woollongabba doesn't open until mid-year, with an exact date yet to be announced and a full menu announce set for June; however there's good news for those who just can't wait that long. Portside's Restaurant Manx is giving diners a sneak peek of the menu to come, courtesy of some aforementioned tapas teasers (available from 3pm Tuesday to Sunday). Who's hungry? NOLA will open in June at 39 Hercules Street, Hamilton. For more details, check out the restaurant's Facebook page.
One wrote novels that explored the loves and lives of well-to-do Britons during the 18th century. The other makes films that provide sharp, humorous looks at specific, highly interconnected sections of society. And yet, while Whit Stillman took inspiration from Jane Austen's Mansfield Park for his 1990 debut feature Metropolitan — which the filmmaker himself notes is considered "a stealth adaptation" by some Austen fans — it has taken him 26 years and five features to craft an official screen version of one of the author's works. Based on Austen's unfinished epistolary novella Lady Susan, the end result is Love & Friendship, a comedy of manners, match-making and possible marriages. Kate Beckinsale plays the recently widowed Lady Susan Vernon, who won't let rumours about her romantic entanglements get in the way of securing her next husband — or finding a suitable paramour for her teenage daughter, Frederica (Morfydd Clark). When she's not trying to win the affections of the young and handsome Reginald DeCourcy (Xavier Samuel) and setting up Frederica with the buffoonish Sir James Martin (Tom Bennett), she's confiding her schemes to her close friend Alicia (Chloë Sevigny). A sparkling satire of societal expectations ensues — and from the witty banter between characters to the light yet insightful way the story unravels, Love & Friendship feels like the film Stillman was destined to make. In the lead up to the movie's Australian release, we spoke with the writer/director about taking the time to see the project come to fruition, balancing his own sensibilities with the source material, and reuniting with after Beckinsale and Sevigny after his 1998 effort The Last Days of Disco. ON ADAPTING JANE AUSTEN "I happened upon the material, the story of Lady Susan Vernon — which her nephew, when he published it a century after her death, gave it the title Lady Susan, which is not Jane Austen's title. I thought it was really funny and different. And I had sort of not entirely admired all the Jane Austen adaptations because a lot of them lost the humour and her true perspective, and so I thought this is a way of having something very funny and very entertaining — a sort of pre-Oscar Wilde sort of comedy by Jane Austen and in her world. It intrigued me. "I wanted to take my time on it, and work on it when I didn't have paying jobs and could just do it at my own pace, just exactly as slow as it needed to be done. This kind of thing is like cooking — when you have a thing that is going to take a lot of time, it is going to take 12 hours of simmering something down. And so I knew that this was the 12 years of simmering something down. Well, maybe not that many years. But I knew it would take an amount of time." ON TACKLING A LESSER-KNOWN AUSTEN STORY "It was hugely liberating. Hugely liberating. A real benefit. But I also noticed that the film adaptations I liked best were often of non-masterpieces. So flawed novels sometimes make really, really good adaptations. And I was hopeful that this would fall into that category where there's enough things to be done to give the people working on the film a canvas to work on. What's really challenging and frustrating is to take a masterpiece and reduce it to a film, because it is an issue of reduction." ON CHANGING THE TITLE FROM LADY SUSAN TO LOVE & FRIENDSHIP "For me, it was a big thing. It was the first decision I made. I wouldn't have done the film as Lady Susan — it was the first thing I thought of. I hated the title Lady Susan, it wasn't Jane Austen's title. And I know that these character name titles don't work in most translation territories. "I really think that Love & Friendship is a wonderful Jane Austen title that she thought of herself, and she wasted it on a story I don't take seriously at all. There was a good title on an unimportant story, so let's put the good title on the good novella." ON BALANCING AUSTEN'S TRADEMARKS WITH STILLMAN'S OWN STYLE "Everything is tricky. Everything is a balancing act to the very end. When we were putting in the sound, at the very end, the laughter in the dancing scene, it's like, 'Do we have too much of James Martin laughing? Are we making this too broad, too ridiculous?' And we actually dialled that back. And so, yeah there's always this balance. I had been so immersed in this novel for so long, so immersed in the period — it's a lifelong interest — that it sort of felt that we could handle that and do that balancing." ON CASTING AUSTRALIAN ACTOR XAVIER SAMUEL "Woody Allen and other directors have talked about this — it is almost impossible to find good romantic leading men and this sort of classic mould, and Xavier was a godsend when we found him. "We almost lost him to a competing Australian film — his agent wanted him to take this higher-paying job in Australia. And, my gosh, I was so upset at the possibility of losing him that I told him that I didn't want to make the film if he wouldn't be in it. He is really important for the film." ON REUNITING KATE BECKINSALE AND CHLOË SEVIGNY AFTER THE LAST DAYS OF DISCO "That was really inadvertent. Chloë was actually in the film before Kate Beckinsale. I started so far back that I was actually in touch with Elizabeth Hurley, I think, about this when I first started thinking of it. Kate was far too young then, she was still in her twenties. But I always thought it was a lovely idea for Kate Beckinsale, but at the very start she was too young. And then, I think Sienna Miller was attached to the film as Lady Susan for a while. And then the clouds parted, the sun came out, and we were able to get Kate to play the part — and it is the part for which she was destined, and she was actually wonderful in it, and she was great to work with." Love & Friendship opens in Australian cinemas on July 21.
Some of Australia's best bar teams will go head-to-head to nab mad bragging rights, an epic photo shoot and a huge trip to Glasgow this winter, with the announcement of the 12 finalists for Auchentoshan's national Distilled Different competition. Each bar team was invited to conjure up a unique new cocktail incorporating Auchentoshan American Oak for the competition, with entries open since April 2016. Why'd they all do it? Oh, just a cheeky chance at winning a casual a trip to Glasgow, home of Auchentoshan — the only triple distilled Scottish single malt whisky in the world. Triple distilled, people. Before the winner is crowned, all 12 bar teams will find their talented faces featured in a national exhibition, Dare to be Distilled Different, with their submitted cocktail entry. So who's in the top 12? AUCHENTOSHAN DISTILLED DIFFERENT 2016 AUSTRALIAN FINALISTS: Della Hyde (NSW) Donny's Bar (NSW) Stitch Bar (NSW) Doris and Beryl's Bridge Club and Tea House (NSW) Ramblin' Rascal Tavern (NSW) Eau de Vie Sydney (NSW) Kittyhawk (NSW) Highlander Bar (VIC) 1806 (VIC) The Gresham (QLD) Mr Goodbar (SA) Dominion League (WA) Here's a little sneak peek at the concotions that made the cut: Flight of Fancy // Auchentoshan American Oak, Fortified Sour Grapefruit, Honeyed Walnut Syrup, Salted Apricot and Goats Cheese Bitters, Orange Blossom Egg White // #DistilledDifferentAU A photo posted by Kittyhawk (@kittyhawksyd) on Jul 19, 2016 at 11:25pm PDT • The Shake & Bake • 🍰 Auchentoshan American Oak, Cacao, spiced berry patisserie syrup & lemon. This bad boy goes live tomorrow at Della Hyde. See you at the bar 👌🏼 #distilleddifferentau #auchentoshan #americanoak #dellahyde #cocktails #darlinghurst #theexchange #liquiddessert #stopit A photo posted by Lachlan Sturrock (@lachysturrock) on Jul 20, 2016 at 12:22am PDT Late night creations! Our #hot #whisky #cocktail the #OakenToastan is perfect for this freezing #winter night in #melbourne! Made with #auchentoshan #americanoak! #distilleddifferentau A photo posted by Highlander (@highlanderbar) on Jul 12, 2016 at 7:35am PDT The team's been hard at work preparing our new cocktail list, and we're almost ready to let the cat out of the bag. Here's a little teaser for you to get your tastebuds ready: #Auchentoshan American Oak, Pineau Charente, honeycomb & rose vermouth with tannic acid and walnut. #DistilledDifferentAU #whisky #cocktails #darlinghurst #drinkporn A photo posted by Eau De Vie Sydney (@eaudeviebar) on Jul 19, 2016 at 11:34pm PDT Our Gordon Hunter created for the national Auchentoshan competition..! #DistilledDifferentAU #cocktails #cocktailporn #drinks #bar #auchentoshan @theauchentoshan #whiskey #picoftheday #instagood #honey #good #manly #AU @the_blend #mixology #donnysbar #manly A photo posted by Donny's Bar & Restaurant (@donnysbar) on Jul 11, 2016 at 8:16pm PDT Introducing the swing low(land) 🍸Auchentoshan American oak, fig and allspice syrup with pear. Our entry into the Auchentoshan distill different cocktail competition. #distilleddifferentau #auchentoshan #mrgoodbar #agoodplacetosin A photo posted by Kate O'Donnell (@kateivyo) on Jun 30, 2016 at 7:31am PDT
Prepare to say goodbye to that problematic daily necessity — aka agonising over what to do for dinner. In good news for indecisive people everywhere, and for those just too busy to whip something up, not in the mood to dine out or simply sick of the usual takeaway options, Brisbane is getting a new dinner delivery service. Meet Din Din Club, or your new local personal saviour. The Teneriffe-based business is partnering with a range of local providers to serve up freshly prepared meals of the organic, vegan, vegetarian and paleo variety. Sun and Earth Organics is Din Din's first food partner, which means salads and wholegrain sushi rolls are on the menu. Sounds like Din Din really is trying to make your life easier — right down to their mode of delivery. After ordering online, you'll find their cute Dutch cargo bikes at selected spots such as the Teneriffe Ferry Terminal, waiting for you to collect your tasty wares. To the joy of tastebuds everywhere, this means that snacking on whatever you can grab on your way home — or whatever lurks in the back of your fridge — is no longer the fate awaiting the time-poor. Neither is shopping, cooking and even washing up, too, with Din Din's dishes ready to eat from their containers. Now that's convenient. For more information, check out Din Din's Facebook page, or sign up to their mailing list via their website.
Simple Pleasures Camping Co. is taking over the grounds of Oberon's Mayfield Garden for its next luxurious eco-friendly camping retreat. Glamping in the Garden will pop up from March 23 through April 30 in one of the world's largest privately owned cool climate gardens. Located three hours west of Sydney's CBD, the gardens are seriously impressive and include an 80-metre waterfall, a walled kitchen garden, an Islamic-style pond and a six-acre water garden — plus a bluestone chapel, aviary and rose garden. Bookings include three-day passes to all 160-acres, with exclusive nighttime access for glamping guests. There's plenty to do apart from moseying around, including romantic canoe rides, interactive garden games, tours and workshops, with the garden's Autumn Festival also on during April. The intimate campsite will include only 15 two-person tents, situated next to the picturesque obelisk pond. The bell-shaped tents are fitted with Hugo Sleep queen mattresses, IN BED linens, goosefeather pillows, bedside tables, solar lighting and vintage rugs from around the world. The experience also comes complete with towels, an outdoor table and chairs to sit at, lanterns and torches, along with on-site bathrooms and showers, which are exclusive to the glamping area. Bookings also include a 'paddock and garden-to-plate' barbecue menu for two, with 80 percent of the produce sourced on-site and 20 percent handpicked from local suppliers. The cook-it-yourself menu includes steaks, marinated chicken, a fresh vegetable platter and vegan salad, with all cookware provided and communal barbecues and alfresco dining area available on the campground. If you really want to be greeted to your personal oasis in style, you can add on a drink and food package, which includes bubbles, cheese and charcuterie on arrival. Bookings for Glamping in the Garden are now open. Each tent costs $290 per night and includes dinner for two, with the option of drinks ($45) and charcuterie ($26) on arrival and family packages are also available. If you're looking for more glamping options, check out our ten favourite glamping spots near Sydney. Glamping in the Garden will run from March 23 until April 30 at Mayfield Garden, 530 Mayfield Road, Oberon. Check out the website to book or for more information.
Uber's switched on marketing team are at it again. Less than a week after teaming with Optus on an Australia Day stunt that saw cricket umpires dispatched to backyards around the country, the ridesharing service have announced their latest promotion. From 11am on Sunday January 31, Uber users will be able to summon a driver to collect unwanted gifts and second-hand clothes for donation to the Red Cross. The promotion is being run in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Geelong, Adelaide, Perth, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast, in partnership with local Red Cross Shops. Users wishing to donate can simply log in to the app between 11am and 4pm and select the 'Clothing Drive' option. The Red Cross asks that people bag up their donations, and only include items that can be resold. "The more donations we receive the more we are able to support the work of Red Cross around Australia," said Red Cross Shops Marketing Manager Kate Dear. Proceeds from sales at Red Cross Shops go directly to support the daily work of the organisation. Here's hoping people respond to this Uber promotion with the same enthusiasm that they did to ones involving kittens and ice-cream. Sure, helping people in need might not be as exciting as cats on demand, but you'd be hard pressed to argue it isn't a little bit more worthwhile. For more information visit the Uber newsroom.
Plenty of film festivals might call Brisbane home, but only one is dedicated to showcasing the best in queer cinema. That'd be the long-running Brisbane Queer Film Festival, which not only celebrates its 17th year this February, but also offers up a whole heap of must-watch movies to mark the occasion. Take BQFF's glittering opener, for example: the '90s-made, '70s-set disco cult classic, 54: The Director's Cut. And while everyone loves a bit of Ryan Phillippe and Neve Campbell drama, that's not the only gem in the program. Here's our pick of the five best films to see at this year's BQFF — the acerbic, the emotional and the offbeat among them. GRANDMA Who hasn't wished that Lily Tomlin was their grandmother? The actress and comedian has proven a force to be reckoned with since the '60s, and does so again in the movie that makes our dreams the fictional Sage's (Julia Garner) reality. When the teenager needs help finding cash and dealing with a problem, she turns to Tomlin's feisty family matriarch. The likes of Marcia Gay Harden, Judy Greer, John Cho and Sam Elliott also join in the episodic antics, though Grandma's title gives away the true star of the show, offering the veteran performer a potent role and a poignant character study suited to her talents. REMEMBERING THE MAN Maybe you first discovered the real-life story of Tim Conigrave and John Caleo in 2015 Aussie feature Holding the Man. Maybe you had already read Conigrave's best-selling book of the same name. Either way, you'll want to see Remembering the Man, the latest effort to recount their tragic romance from their first meeting as Melbourne schoolboys in the late '70s to the cruel blow that the '80s AIDS epidemic served them. This time, documentarians Nickolas Bird and Eleanor Sharpe not only chart a familiar tale in factual form, but offer up previously unseen footage of and unheard details about Conigrave and Caleo's relationship. Our advice: bring tissues. EISENSTEIN IN GUANAJUATO No one makes movies like Peter Greenaway. If you've seen The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover or The Pillow Book, then you no doubt agree — and if you haven't, Eisenstein in Guanajuato will bring you around to our way of thinking. With his usual flair and fondness for the explicit and the unsubtle, the British director hones in on another filmmaker, Soviet Battleship Potemkin helmer Sergei Eisenstein. After the titular figure made the movie all film students still study to this day, he apparently went on a Mexican odyssey, one which Greenaway recreates and fictionalises with ample experimentation of both the cinematic and sexual kind. THE NEW MAN Richard Linklater isn't the only filmmaker capable of taking his time to tell stories. Uruguayan director Aldo Garay has followed the plight of Stephania for more than two decades — from her former existence in Nicaragua as a boy called Roberto, to her current struggles for acceptance as a transwoman. Interviews and observational footage of Stephania's life intertwine to provide an intimate look at her journey, while also dissecting the political upheaval that has characterised Latin America since the 1970s. The powerful end result won the 2015 Berlin Film Festival Teddy Award winner for Best Documentary. GIRLS LOST Body swap comedies and supernatural teen exploits combine in Girls Lost — however, the Swedish feature does something a bit more interesting with the two genres than most. As based on a young adult novel, it examines sexual identity, awakenings and confusion as three outcast friends drink a strange juice and transform from girls into boys. Expect a range of genres to colour this inventive take on gender fluidity, which comes to Brisbane after making its world premiere at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. Expect more than the usual high school-set fare too, as well as a delicate balance of humour and honesty. The Brisbane Queer Film Festival runs from February 18 to 28 at New Farm Cinemas. Visit the festival website for the full program.
We know you guys are probably tiring of the food truck trend, but hear us out on this one. Now, we're not entirely sure how to feel, so we're just gonna lay out the facts. There's a new food truck doing the rounds that specialises in… gourmet dog food. The Canine Wellness Kitchen (heh) is Australia's first food truck for dogs — which, honestly, is a sentence we never thought we'd write. Founders and 'canine chefs' Katie Crandon and Laura Yeomans aren't new to this game — they founded 'dog superfood' (apparently a thing) label Because I Luv My Dog, specialising in healthy pooch snacks for on-the-go doggos. It'll be the first food truck of its kind in Australia, offering a range of dog-friendly goods including dehydrated snacks, raw food, chicken necks and organic bone broth. And… again, not sure how to take this… a beer for dogs. It's named Freddie's Froth and it's not actual beer guys, it's bone broth, geez. The whole venture is a little tongue in cheek and pokes fun at the food truck revolution. This is a little snippet from the menu: "Forget the super smoothies, our bone broth is the ultimate detoxifier. Get your active wear on, this is all the warm up you need for a workout." Look, in your heart of hearts, you know this is one business that'll go incredibly well. We're on board. Canine Wellness Kitchen will be making their first appearance on September 24 at the Hank Marvin Markets in St Kilda.
Come the end of next year, you won't need to hit the beach to catch a few waves. A site near Tullamarine, around 23 kilometres outside the Melbourne CBD, is set to become the location of Australia's first ever urban surf park. Owned and operated by Perth company Wave Park Group, Urbnsurf Melbourne will boast a 320 metre long pool and employ Wavegarden technology to generate man-made waves between 0.6 and 1.9 metres high. The facility will cater to both experienced surfers and beginners, while LED lagoon lighting will ensure visitors can keep surfing after dark. Wavegarden technology is currently utilised at the Surf Snowdonia wave park in Wales, while another park is set to open in Austin, Texas later this year. In addition to the wave pool, Urbnsurf will include a licensed cafe, a surf shop, board and wetsuit rental services, surf classes, playgrounds, a rock climbing wall, skate ramps and a mountain bike course. Wave Park Group founder Andrew Ross told The Age that the park would eliminate typical marine hazards that come with surfing on the ocean, and described the facility as a kind of "driving range for surfers." Entry prices are yet to be confirmed, although Ross estimated a one-hour session would cost between $20 and $50 depending on the season. Urbnsurf Melbourne is currently slated to open in late 2017. To stay up to date, visit their website or check them out on Facebook. Via The Age. Header image via Dollar Photo Club.
If one man's trash is another man's treasure, then a trunk full of junk may as well be a treasure chest. Suitcase Rummage gets that when it comes to shopping, second-hand reaps the best bang for your buck. For years they've been hosting regular events at Brisbane Square, but now they're upgrading and upsizing to the Powerhouse and adding a craft workshop to the mix. The Suitcase Rummage and Crafternoon takes place from 11am to 4pm, and will feature a crowd of open suitcases filled with the type of clothes, knick-knacks and craft you probably don't need but definitely deserve. Plus, join Emily Lush for a workshop on Woven Wallhangings, where you'll learn the basics of tapestry weaving (even how to make your own lap loom from upcycled materials). You can have your own shot at weaving something beautiful, and if you really know how to take advantage of a situation, pop it in an open suitcase and smack a $20 pricetag on it. Entry for Suitcase Rummage and Crafternoon is free, and if you're interested in running a stall, register here.
You've gotta hand it to Doughnut Time. Brisbane's number one source of iced, filled orbs of deliciousness is as addicted to opening up new stores as the city's residents are to eating their sweet treats — so much so that they're about to unleash yet another shop upon the hungry masses whether we want it or not. From September 12, the space at 142 Albert Street will become Doughnut Time's latest inner-city outlet. Yes, you've grabbed a Ferrero No Share (with dark chocolate glaze, roasted hazelnuts and a Ferrero Rocher) or a Sia Later (a red velvet doughnut with vegan butter cream frosting and freeze-dried raspberries) from the same vicinity before. In fact, the fresh addition to the doughy pastry empire is right next door to Topshop — the site of their first-ever Brisbane CBD store. Right. Next. Door. This is getting out of hand. Okay, okay, so the Topshop store is no longer listed on their website, which could explain why they're opening up so close by. However given that Doughnut Time sets up new shops as fast as they bake their titular treats, nothing would surprise us anymore. A new Everton Park setup started serving just last week, after all. If Brisbane hasn't reached peak doughnut yet, we're just about to. Manly, Perth and Tokyo — you're next. Of course, you don't open 24 stores around the country in 18 months by holding back. Given that Doughnut Time is blissfully ignoring the fact that there might be a limit to how many doughnuts we can eat, and how often, it's little wonder that they're leaning in to the pastry frenzy and handing out freebies from 4-6pm on September 12. They've even created a new doughnut limited edition Albert Street doughnut named 'In The Air Tonight', complete with purple signature glaze, Oreo pieces and squares of Dairy Milk Chocolate, to mark the occasion. Fine, we'll admit it: we're growing increasingly wary of doughnut overload, but we're still tempted. Find Doughnut Time's new CBD store at 142 Albert Street, Brisbane from September 12 — and stop by for a free doughnut between 4-6pm that afternoon. For more information, keep an eye on Doughnut Time's website and Facebook page.
Lovers of mountains and adrenaline junkies, meet your new bucket-lister. An old-school ski resort in Switzerland's Kandersteg Mountains is giving you a way to get your thrills and your incredible panoramas at the same time. It's an epic bobsled (better known in Europe as rodelbahn) that twists and turns down nearby mountains for 750 metres. Introducing Mountain Coaster. Frequenters of attractions Jamberoo Action Park or Merimbula's Magic Mountain might already know the drill — both parks are home to bobsleds that have featured in many a South Coaster's childhood. But the Mountain Coaster experience is looking far more spectacular. Rather than cruising around open hillsides, it plunges you down steep slopes and deep into some of Switzerland's most famous wilderness. In fact, its territory is smack bang in the centre of the Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is renowned for its extraordinary High Alps and numerous glaciers. Actually, you'll find the biggest glacier in Eurasia right here. Watch some of the runs on YouTube, they're nuts. Once you've conquered the Mountain Coaster, you might want to consider taking matters to scarier heights with the Alpine Coaster. Also found in Switzerland, it's the highest rodelbahn in the world and takes you through a kilometre of curves, waves, jumps and bridges, including a giddying 520-degree spin. Via Infinite Legroom. Image: Aleš Novotný.
When your nine-to-five plays out like a well-oiled machine, it can sometimes feel like each week is a little same-same. But Brisbane is brimming with a fine bounty of things to experience and explore each and every day. So aside from casual laziness and a little lack of inspiration, there's really nothing stopping you from squeezing a little adventure and spontaneity into your schedule. We've teamed up with Mazda3 to celebrate the landmark 40th anniversary of their iconic small cars, and in turn, help you celebrate the Brisbane landmarks and institutions we all love. This week, discover and rediscover the things that make Brisbane so great, with seven different detours through our city's classic spots. From Monday to Sunday, channel that Brissie spirit, and enrich your everyday with one completely achievable, time-honoured activity that helps bypass any mundane roadblocks in your routine. This week, rediscover the classics of Brisbane we know and love, from the tasting menu at e'cco bistro, to stargazing at the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium, to cruisy bowls along the river. Plus, we've got your future detours sorted for the new few weeks here. All require no more effort than a tiny break from the norm — what's your excuse for not trying them all?
After taking a big chunk out of the hotel business, Airbnb are finally getting into… the hotel business. The online marketplace has just launched Samara, an urban planning and design studio that recently put the finishing touches on its inaugural design project — a cedar wood guest house soon to open in the small town of Yoshino, Japan. Designed in conjunction with local architect Go Hasegawa, the dwelling features multiple bedrooms, a communal living area and a 16-foot-long dining table. It's currently on display in Tokyo as part of the House Vision exhibition, but will be transported to Yoshino in October, where it will function as a community centre that doubles as visitor accommodation. "Imagine it's lunch time and you're eating and at the end of the table there's a community meeting taking place," Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia told Fast Company Design. "I picture Western guests walking up, stepping inside, and you're interacting with the community from the minute you arrive. If you want to tour the sake factory, or the chopstick factory, or take a hike, the locals are right there." Apparently the whole idea was inspired by an elderly woman in Tsuyama Okayama, who created a mini tourism boom in town after listing her home on Airbnb. The hope is that the Yoshino house generates similar interest. Of course, that's assuming that locals actually want an influx of Western visitors — although the town did donate the land for the project, so presumably they're on board. "If this works, there are a lot of villages in Japan that could benefit," said Gebbia. Indeed, the plan seems to be to expand the project globally, with Gebbia mentioning that the company had received calls from people in places such as the UK, China, Korea, Spain, France, and Italy. Via Fast Company Design.
When Howard Smith Wharves opened up its patch of the riverside to Brisbane, it also welcomed its own hotel built into the cliffs beneath the Story Bridge — complete with a bar perched right on top. That place to stay has changed owners in 2021, but rooftop watering hole Fiume remains a highlight. Here, you'll drink cocktails and tuck into share-style Italian snacks with a view of the Brisbane River, and while sat next to Crystalbrook Vincent's sky-high infinity pool as well. On the food menu, bites span natural oysters with red wine vinaigrette, oven baked brioche with black salt, balsamic an olive oil, a Mooloolaba prawn roll with dill and pickled cucumber. Or, there's three different grazing boards that serve up to six on offer — including one vegetarian option — that combine a number of dishes. The drinks lineup covers a significant range of fruity spritzes, both classic and creative cocktails, and liqueurs from Tamborine Mountain Distillery — plus Italian brews such as Peroni and Birra Moretti, and local sips from the neighbouring Felons Brewing Co. And if you're wondering about the setup, daybeds sit by the pool, or you can choose between stools under umbrellas by the balcony's edge, getting comfier in lounge-style seats or sitting at the bar.
When the Mountain Goat Valley Crawl kicked off in 2016, it did so in simple but great style. Recognising that the key to many a good night out is a multi-venue itinerary, it made hopping between Fortitude Valley's finest hangouts a streamlined, well-organised yet still laidback experience — with brews aplenty and an ace live music soundtrack. That was then. Now, the same idea and aim remain; however everyone's favourite multi-venue mini music and beer festival is even bigger and better in its fourth year. After expanding from four venues in its initial outing to five the second time around, and then to seven after that, 2019's event will see attendees jump between ten spots to see 51 interstate and local artists. The simultaneous sonic fun takes place on Saturday, February 16, at returning spaces The Zoo, The Brightside, The Foundry, Black Bear Lodge, Barbara, The Flying Cock and Crowbar, plus new additions Blutes, Greaser and Sabotage Social. As always, the agenda includes running between each to sip frosty beverages and catch crackin' sets, with the entertainment once again sponsored by a brewery. The whole shindig kicks off at 5pm, so the only thing left for you to do is clear your calendar for an ace day of tunes, brews and hopping around the Valley. Well, that and check out the full lineup — although just who will play where will be revealed closer to the event. MOUNTAIN GOAT VALLEY CRAWL 2019: IV League RAAVE TAPES San Mei Mosquito Coast Sunscreen The Jensens Keeskea Sports Bra sleepclub Between You And Me Cry Club Bloom Parade Pool Shop L. Flora Oh Boy Minor Premiers Inigo LÂLKA Sometime Sonny Felivand STUMPS Flowermouth Gooby Jim & The Goobs Being Jane Lane Ascot Stabber Peach Fur Royal & The Southern Echo Bad Sext Vladik Tiny Castle Rap Kitchen The Bonnie Doons CNT EVN Friend & Me Double Bummer Jumbo Dragon Wildheart Electric Zebra Selfish Sons The Ancient Bloods Georgie Neilson & The Growing Pains Jack Spider Warcries Perve Endings Requin Mantashade Jbox Venice on Fire Bayview Terrace Nightwoods Blood Bank Updated December 3.
Deck the halls and unpack the plastic tree — the festive season is well and truly upon us. And while that whole Christmas tradition stuff is nice, we're not going to deny what we're most excited about: a whole stocking-load of new films. Along with the cricket and stampeding through shopping centres, going to the movies is one of our favourite Boxing Day traditions. After all, what better place to recover from your post-Christmas food coma than in a nice, dark, air-conditioned cinema? Of course, not all of the end-of-year titles measure up. That’s why we’re reporting in with our annual Boxing Day Battle Royale, to ensure that you get maximum bang for your Kris Kringle gift voucher buck. Or you could just go see Star Wars for the sixth time. That's also a totally valid option. JOY See it if: you can't get enough J-Law in your life. We give it: 3.5 stars Jennifer Lawrence stars in the latest film by David O. Russell (American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook), a fictionalised account of the rise of a real-life home shopping network star. Joy is a rags-to-riches tale of a battler trying to improve herself and her situation. Wrestling Russell's current patterns and preferences into a canny character study, the film watches on as a woman fights for agency and control, despite constantly being told that she should take care of others and rein in her go-getting ways. Weaving in surreal soap opera segments, it's an astute and engaging dissection of the power of selling a fantasy. Read our full review here. SUFFRAGETTE See it if: you want to be inspired. We give it: 3.5 stars Sarah Gavron's Suffragette may play out somewhat conventionally, but that doesn't make its impact any less resounding. Carey Mulligan is fantastic as Maud Watts, a downtrodden washerwoman in early 20th century London who becomes involved in the fight for women's suffrage. It's a timely tale that will no doubt strike a chord with many modern viewers, reminding us of how far we have come and how much further we still have to go. Just don't expect much Meryl Streep. Despite being a major part of the marketing campaign, she's in the film for less than five minutes. Read our full review here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9p0qnj4OC4 THE BELIER FAMILY See it if: you love a good coming of age tale. We give it: 3.5 stars A box office smash in its native France, The Belier Family is an immensely charming holiday crowd-pleaser. The film tells the story of 16-year-old Paula, who acts as an interpreter for her deaf parents and brother in the running of the family dairy farm. But her future becomes uncertain when her music teacher encourages her to apply to a prestigious singing school in Paris. The film is overlong, a tad melodramatic and gets bogged down at various points in underdeveloped side-plots. But the family drama remains compelling — and surprisingly poignant — throughout, as does the remarkable performance from singer-turned-actress Louane Emera. THE GOOD DINOSAUR See it if: you're hoping to get in touch with your inner child. We give it: 2.5 stars In their stories and themes, Pixar often play in the same territory over and over. And yet, when it comes to visuals, they rarely do the same thing twice; each new Pixar movie might feel somewhat similar, but they always look different. The Good Dinosaur, the animation studio's latest effort, demonstrates both extremes. The tale of a dinosaur and his primitive human friend trying to make their way back home, the film takes a routine narrative that pales in comparison to the animated splendour that surrounds it. It's not often that the background proves more engaging than the figures at the centre of the frame, yet that's frequently the case here. The photorealistic details evident in images of fields, mountains, waterfalls, trees and other natural features are the real stars of the show. Read our full review here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhVDSzj2Lrw YOUTH See it if: you want something pretty to look at. We give it: 2.5 stars Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel wonder about days gone by, while Rachel Weisz and Jane Fonda deliver verbal tirades designed to awaken the ageing men from their apathy. All four spend their time in an expensive Swiss spa, and in a film as visually luxurious as their lush surroundings, Paolo Sorrentino's Youth unravels — its seasoned cast and opulent images its obvious selling points. Musings about life, love and legacy have rarely looked as exquisite, even if the movie's charms remain somewhat surface level. It's a decadent picture about watching the world go by, rather than really experiencing it. Read our full review here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kqe1kFb0xTk PEGGY GUGGENHEIM: ART ADDICT See it if: you're an art addict yourself. We give it: 2 stars Audio snippets from the eponymous art addict are all that keep this unremarkable doco afloat. Director Lisa Immordino Vreeland struggles with tone, never quite knowing whether to interrogate the gossip that surrounded Guggenheim's personal affairs or to simply recount the rumours. It still makes for pleasant-enough viewing, particularly for art addicts themselves — but it just never manages to fully do Guggenheim justice. In fact, it's only her vocal presence that stops the movie from amounting to little more than an interesting video of a Wikipedia listing. Read our full review here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arhMMJx7tCU DADDY'S HOME See it if: you're a sucker for punishment. We give it: 1 star Apologies to fans of Will Ferrell, but watching Daddy's Home is one of the more agonising experiences we've had in a cinema all year. Ferrell stars as a dweebish music exec married to an improbably tolerant wife (Linda Cardellini), who is forced to compete for the love of his step-children when their cool but irresponsible biological father (Mark Wahlberg) rolls back into town. Cue a mind-numbing comedy that mixes kindergarten-level humour with weirdly adult sex gags and feels about three times as long as its 96-minute runtime. Stand-up comic Hannibal Buress manages to scrape a few laughs here and there, but otherwise it's slim pickings. Do yourself a favour and steer well clear. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNkSYE6HiOE ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE ROADCHIP See it if: ...yeah, we've got nothing. We give it: N/A Look, we're going to level with you here: we didn't actually see this. Life's too short. But if you want to go out and spend your hard earned money on a ticket for a film about a group of wise-cracking rodents, feel free to let us know what you thought. If you're looking to steer well clear of cinemas on Boxing Day, take a look at our list of the year's ten best films that hardly anyone saw here. Words by Tom Clift and Sarah Ward.
Australian musicians, wish you could play for more people, more often? People with houses — or rooms or sheds or backyards — wish you could see more music, more often, and closer to home? Bingo. A new online start-up platform by the name of Parlour Gigs is making your wishes come true. That’s the both of you. And indie acts like Thelma Plum, Grand Salvo and Caitlin Harnett are already taking advantage of it. Here’s how it works. (Hint, if you use Airbnb already, you’ll have some idea). Musicians, jump on the site, hit the 'I want to play' button and fill out the form. People with houses, jump on the site, hit the 'I want to host' button and fill out a form. If the Parlour folks are happy with your superior form-filling skills (i.e. you sound pretty talented or your place looks music-friendly), they’ll hook the two of you up. Tickets are then sold to the general public via the Parlour website. The man behind the initiative is Matt Walters, a singer-songwriter from Melbourne. "[Parlour's] not dissimilar to the Airbnb model; cutting out the middlemen and allowing people to negotiate and stage gigs where they like,” he told Tone Deaf. "From being signed to a major label, to touring with some incredible international artists, I've certainly experienced all the ups and downs the music business has to offer. "But for some time now, I’ve felt a change coming on. Of course, with the traditional music model well and truly behind us, there is more emphasis than ever on playing live... For most musicians — especially those up and coming — it's hardly worth it. The experience of playing a great show can be a reward unto itself, but at the end of the day artists, like all working people, need to get paid for their work." Get started on Parlour over here. Via Tone Deaf. Images: Parlour.
They've made fireworks you can eat, cooked T-bone steaks with lava and served bespoke cocktails tailor made to match your DNA. But this past week in London, culinary wizards Sam Bompas and Harry Parr may have outdone themselves yet again. Hosted in a converted warehouse in partnership with deals website bespokeoffers.co.uk, The 200 Club can claim the title of the world's longest tasting menu, featuring 200 different dishes over 24 non-stop hours of service. Eight chefs toiled away in the kitchen creating the tasting plates, which ranged from truffle bubbles to coffee-compressed watermelon. A two hour sitting cost between £49 and £99 depending on the time of day, or you could attempt the entire gastronomic marathon for £2,000 per couple. Only four people have the stomach for the latter option, but we have to imagine they were happy with their decision. Of course it wouldn't be a Bompas & Parr affair without a little additional visual theatre. As such, each sitting was differentiated by the colour of the food, a move inspired by the monochromatic feasts of Emperor Nero. Check out the menu, as well as some photographic highlights, below. 200 CLUB MENU Yellow Breakfast: A morning repast that zings with citrus, caffeine and craft. This culinary explosion will hybridise flavours of the East and West in a high-energy, high-end display of homely food love. White Elevenses: A British tradition bejewelled in surreal sparkle. Expect custards, shortbread, quiches, clouds of confection sugar and a dreamy sweet vision of the classic treats. Green Lunch: This meal will be a rustic yet refined version of the garden snacking of yore. Look forward to leafy eating including the freshest greens, meats and cheeses, plus a procession of fluorescent jellies. Blue Afternoon Snack: A powerhouse of flavour for the lazy hours of the day. Taste an otherworldly array of vibrant and dusty turquoises in the form of naturally tinted roots and skilfully prepared fish. Purple Five O’Clock Tiffin: Rooted in the wild and rich darkness of summer, enjoy ingredients such as wild game and dark summer fruits. Dishes will speak to simple food traditions reinterpreted with modern culinary craft. Pink Dinner: Forget “trendy” food items like burgers or hot dogs. Your table will be buzzing with eye-popping fuchsia, cured meats, and smouldering wood smoke. Red Party Time: A sultry explosion of party vibes and hot weather flavours. You’ll see Australian and Asian influences, balancing classic spice and tropical tangs with modern style. Orange Drunchies: The extension of a great night out. Expect contradicting textures, bleeding edge techniques, and lashings of moreishness to tantalise the palate. Brown Blackout: Indulge in a meal of carnal urges – sweet, hot and savoury dishes. The chef will keep you on your toes with coffee, chocolate, black garlic, squid ink, soy sauce, and liquorice. Multicolour Final Countdown: A communal carousal of globally-inspired festival food. Mark the culmination of The 200 Club with a multinational flavour and colour explosion, using vibrant colours with grand presentations. Images by Adam Laycock via Bespoke Offers.
"Joey, there's no living with...with a killing" explains Alan Ladd's character in the 1953 cowboy epic Shane. "There's no going back from it. Right or wrong, it's a brand, a brand that sticks. There's no going back. Now you run on home to your mother and tell her...tell her everything's alright, and there aren't any more guns in the valley". Twice in Logan we hear this same passage, and it sets the theme for the entire film. Hugh Jackman's Logan, aka Wolverine, is one of modern cinema's greatest tortured souls: a near-invincible soldier of fortune forever seeking memories of better days lost to amnesia, whilst drinking to forget the ones even amnesia refuses to ensnare. Time has been no friend to the man unburdened by it, with lovers long since dead and buried, friends gone the same way, and no new mutants, we learn, born for the past twenty five years. Even his own body is at last breaking down, like an old turbine with grinding parts and blunt, malfunctioning blades. The immortal man is somehow dying, and he can't welcome it quickly enough. If it's not already obvious, Logan represents something of a seismic shift for the X-Men franchise – a billion dollar film series that has, until now, consisted largely of family-friendly crowd-pleasers. Ultra-violent and with Scorsese level foul language, Logan at long last unleashes the true, brutal fury of the eponymous beast whose gruesome deeds have, for the past seventeen years, only ever been teased out or implied. Limbs are severed and skulls are skewered with bloody repetition, yet neither the frequency nor the intensity of the violence ever feels gratuitous. This is a dark, gritty and yet soulful production that finally honours the character behind so much of the X-Men saga's enduring popularity. In the lead roll, Jackman imbues Logan with all the rage, self-loathing and pain befitting a man who's literally seen it all. With greying hair and a weathered face hidden beneath a wild, bushy beard, the actor limps and heaves his way through every scene with palpable discomfort. Alongside him, Patrick Stewart returns as the wheelchair-bound Professor Charles Xavier, now a prisoner to his own failing (yet terrifyingly powerful) mind, the implications of which are brilliantly woven into the script. Stephen Merchant, too, joins the franchise in a wonderfully soulful turn, whilst the film's villains are this time embodied by Narcos' Boyd Holbrook and the ever-reliable Richard E Grant. Then, finally, there's newcomer Dafne Keen as a young mutant named Laura, and if you've seen the film's trailer you'll likely have already guessed her connection to both this story and its key characters. In the interest of preserving what surprises we can, the less said about Keen the better, except to note that her performance is outstanding and her scenes with Jackman ground the film in a deeply personal way. This is a bold offering from director James Mangold and an extraordinary conclusion to an otherwise ho-hum trilogy of Wolverine-centric spinoffs (see also: X-Men Origins: Wolverine and The Wolverine). In an age of unending sequels and computer-generated chaos, Logan is a timely reminder that for all of their spectacle, the best superhero films can begin and end with human-driven stories. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH3OxVFvTeg
Famed graffiti artist Banksy has unveiled a number of new artworks in response to the Syrian migrant crisis, including one piece featuring late Apple founder Steve Jobs. Sprayed onto the wall of 'The Jungle,' a refugee camp in Calais, France, which is currently home to thousands of people facing an uncertain future, the most significant of the new pieces depicts Jobs in his trademark black turtleneck, with an early generation Mac in one hand and a bag thrown over his shoulder. A photograph of the artwork on Banksy's website is accompanied by a caption that reads "the son of a migrant from Syria," in reference to Jobs' biological father who emigrated from Syria to the United States in the years following the Second World War. "We’re often led to believe migration is a drain on the country’s resources but Steve Jobs was the son of a Syrian migrant," said the anonymous artist in a statement to the British press. "Apple is the world’s most profitable company, it pays over $7bn a year in taxes – and it only exists because they allowed in a young man from Homs." Authorities in Calais have pledged to preserve the mural behind glass or transparent plastic to ensure that it is not defaced or stolen. "It is very good and it has a message," said Mayor Natacha Bouchart to local newspaper Nord Littoral. Other pieces left by Banksy during his recent trip to the port city include a silhouette of a child with a telescope looking out over the ocean towards the UK, and an image of shipwreck survivors clinging to a raft and signalling desperately to a passing yacht on the horizon. The latter work is an homage to The Raft of the Medusa by 19th century artist Theodore Gericault, and is tagged on Banksy's website with the caption "we're not all in the same boat." Banksy has been focused on the Syrian refugee crisis for some time now. In September, he pledged to send the timber and fixtures from his pop-up amusement park, Dismaland, to Calais, where they could be used to build shelters for migrants. Via ABC News.
Seasonal change is finally settling into Melbourne and with it comes one of the NGV's best annual exhibitions: the Winter Masterpieces series. This year, it's no secret they've snagged a true master, Vincent Van Gogh, the poster boy for post-impressionism and dramatic self-mutilation. Set to open on April 28 and running until July 19, blockbuster exhibition Van Gogh and the Seasons has been years in the making, and is expected by NGV to draw one of the gallery's biggest audiences yet. Curator Sjraar Van Heugten has fine tuned a thematic exhibition after Van Gogh's own heart, an exploration of the seasons in over 60 works. "In the seasons, he [Van Gogh] has perceived infinity, something larger than humanity. The seasons represent ongoing life," he says. Inside the exhibition, you'll find a fascinating investigation into Van Gogh's life, alongside some of his best naturalist pieces. The artist's character, and his fluctuating mental health, often receive as much attention as his best works. The story of his life, and his death, are expounded wonderfully (and sensitively, snaps for not stigmatising mental health) through quotes, correspondence and essays. Although the collection itself doesn't feature his most famous works, you'll leave with a window into the artist's true persona and an understanding of the sheer breadth of his talent. Structurally, Van Gogh and the Seasons is broken into (you guessed it) the four seasons, that masterfully weave a narrative through the artist's life. The NGV has produced a short accompanying film, narrated by David Stratton and David Wenham, that's worth a watch before you proceed through the exhibition, as it explains the structure of the exhibition and sets the mood. We'll let you experience the exhibition for yourself, but in case you'd like a little guidance in your visit, here are five works you shouldn't miss. A WHEATFIELD WITH CYPRESSES, 1889 This painting is perhaps one of the exhibition's best known pieces. You'll see it emblazoned on all the NGV's marketing collateral and once you're standing in front of it, you can feel why. The vibrant colours and rolling cloud banks are euphoric. There's nothing more to say except this painting is worth the ticket price alone. TREE TRUNKS IN THE GRASS, 1890 The composition of this painting is a departure from the Van Gogh tradition. It's an awkward close-up of a tree trunk and surrounding vegetation but it stands out for the detail, the peaceful atmosphere, and the perfectly balanced colours. Van Gogh painted this in the spring (April) of 1890, just after a period of severe mental illness and only months before taking his own life. VIEW OF SAINTES-MARIES-DE-LA-MER, 1888 Love a good Cezanne town landscape? Don't miss this work. Painstakingly composed and one Van Gogh's more structured pieces, View of Saintes-Maries-de-la-mer will catch you off-guard. While his style was overwhelmingly more fluid and impressionist, this scene is clearly defined and an interesting counterpoint to the rest of the spring and summer pieces. ORCHARD IN BLOSSOM, 1889 This is part of a series in the 'spring' section that is collectively stunning. The delicate pastels used in this season represent Van Gogh's time in Paris, living with his doting brother Theo in Montmartre, where his style lightened and evolved into what we know today as his best works. As a lover of nature, the fertile spring inspired some of his most beautiful pieces. SELF PORTRAIT, 1887 And at the very end of the exhibition, we get a final glimpse of the man who had previously remained faceless. A small but articulate self portrait of a weary looking artist, rendered three years before he died. Van Gogh's final words, spoken to his brother Theo, were famously, "The sadness will last forever". There's a lot of sadness in this exhibition. If you can, we recommend you walk through alone and take it all in. Van Gogh and the Seasons runs April 28 to July 19 at NGV. Installation images: Tom Ross.
Fans of stunning audio design and generally beautiful things, listen up. There's a father/son duo in Seattle who want to take your money and turn it into a stunning, stunning wood turntable. You've never played 'Norwegian Wood' like this. Silvan Audio Workshop is one of Kickstarter's latest gems, unearthed by Stoney Roads and seemingly worth every last cent in your piggy bank. Created from individual slices of wood, and audio components from English turntable specialists Rega — including a glass platter for your record, one beautiful tonearm and a low vibration, low noise belt drive — these Silvan turntables are all constructed by hand by the Walters. The Silvan comes in three different models: the Archer, the Champion and the Sampo (increasing in quality of parts as you spend more, obviously) and they'll even align the cartridge and set the counterweight so you can plug in and play. The turntables range from $750 up to $2250, so they're pretty exxy. But hey, handcrafted walnut decks were never going to come cheap. "Our vision is to make one-of-a-kind objects of art that will be the centrepiece of any home entertainment system," says the Kickstarter schpiel. "We believe that if your music is unique, if it has soul and life and beauty, the things you use to play it should have all the same character. Mass-produced just isn’t good enough." Silvan are looking for $14,000 to fund their workshop, so they can crank out more turntables in an more efficient space with less sawdust in every crevice — and get a little publicity while they're at it. Plus, they don't live in the same town, so schleppin' back and forth to your dad's house gets pricey. At the time of writing, they've raised $6,152 so far, from just 44 backers. Perks range from stickers and posters for teeny donations, and whole turntables in the $2250 realms. UPDATE 25/2: It's been brought to our attention that a company called Audiowood has been doing an undeniably similar design since 2009. Maker Joel Scilley told us, "The copy's concept is the same down to the same parts used, glass platter, spike feet, etc. My original design is the 'Audiowood Barky Turntable'. Silvan Audio knew the design already existed and are presenting it as their design... I've asked them to stop stealing my intellectual property, and to remove their Kickstarter, and so far they have refused. " Silvan Audio issued this statement yesterday on Facebook: "It's been a very big day, with coverage from a bunch of places (Hello, Boing Boing, Alternative Press, and Engadget! Thanks for the coverage!) and a good conversation with a great guy named Joel Scilley. Joel has a company called Audiowood, and he makes incredible things. One of them is a turntable very much like what we're making, so he's a bit put out that we'd be making what we're making. "It might cost us some support (this whole thing could rub some of you the wrong way, and we completely respect that), but regardless of the impact, we owe you the respect of being completely open and transparent. We added an FAQ to the page today with this info, but we want to be even more proactively honest with you: we're doing something very similar to what Audiowood has been doing for a while. We were pointed to Joel's work during the build of our first turntable, and we still think it's absolutely awesome. Our initial idea was "original" in that we weren't copying anything we knew of when we set out, but of course it's no more of an Original Idea to us than it was to Audiowood or anyone else who's brainstormed or made something similar at some point. (Google the back cover of Jethro Tull's "Songs from the Wood" at some point.) "Ultimately, what we're jumping into is the market of using factory parts in custom plinths. (Rega parts, specifically, because they're radically easy to work with, the quality is great, and the construction is very straightforward.) Audiowood is in that market, and others — hobbyists as well as resellers — are as well, making cool things from all kinds of materials. Our hope is that the world is big enough that all of us can continue to do a thing that we've really enjoyed so far without getting in each other's way. "We don't have a corner on or a legal claim to Rega's parts, and we certainly don't have a claim to trees either, so our intent is honest and completely friendly competition in an area we arrived at sincerely and really believe we're completely free to work in. "Some of you might be disappointed, or you'd rather support the guy who actually got into the shop and mass produced this idea first, and that's completely fine. The last thing we want is to damage Joel Scilley's business — he seems like a really good guy doing good, honest work. For those who want to enable us to go after an idea we also came by honestly, we appreciate the support." Check out the Silvan Audio Workshop Kickstarter page here. Check out Audiowood over here. Via Stoney Roads.
Cinephiles of Brisbane, prepare to starting spend a whole heap of time at Palace Centro. If you've dropped by recently, you would've noticed that the New Farm venue is in the midst of a massive makeover — and given that they're adding three more screens, and increasing their movie lineup as a result, we really do mean massive. Come December when the renovations open to eager film-goers — and when the cinema celebrates its 16th birthday — the James Street mainstay will boast seven theatres. Two existing screens have been torn down to make way for five new darkened rooms, which will seat between 40 to 80 patrons, and allow Centro to boost their selection of content. That includes their range of Centro exclusives, which have included Swiss Army Man and High-Rise in recent months. The venue will still house a 35mm projector, too, for retrospectives and festivals. Across town in Petrie Terrace, Centro's sibling cinema at Barracks hasn't escaped the revamping bug either. Courtesy of new couches and carpet, the cinema's lobby has undergone a soft refurbishment, making having a pre-film drink even comfier. At Centro in particular, the renovations come at a time when the area around the venue is changing rapidly, with the under-construction space immediately across the road about to become The Calile, a new resort-like haunt. Palace is expanding rapidly interstate — announcing new cinemas in Sydney's Double Bay and Chippendale just this year — so future Brisbane Palace expansions aren't out of the question. Palace Centro's renovations will be completed by December 2016. It's partially open now at 39 James Street, Fortitude Valley.
Think enjoying a pint and making a difference are mutually exclusive activities? Think again. Thanks to The Good Beer Co., the next drink you knock back could help save the world — or at least the Great Barrier Reef. The Good Beer Co. is Australia’s first social enterprise beer company, with a mission to match nice drinks with nice deeds. The company aims to pair the nation's top craft brewers with worthy causes — as their maiden beverage demonstrates. That'd be the aptly named Great Barrier Beer, as brewed in Bundaberg by the local legends at the Bargara Brewing Company. Once it hits the shelves, they'll donate 50% of the profits to the Australian Marine Conservation Society. To get to that point, though, The Good Beer Co. needs your help, which is why they're launching a crowdfunding campaign. You can assist them with brewing, distributing and promoting the Great Barrier Beer, and with startup costs to get established and roll out the idea to other great causes. Backers will enjoy the warm and fuzzy feeling of supporting something good, as well as the chance to taste the tipple before anybody else. You'll also get the opportunity to have a say in future recipes, labels and causes. So if you like beer and are keen to help the planet, it really is a win-win situation. After all, who doesn't want to put their beverage consumption to good use? For more information about The Good Beer Co, visit their website. Image via Dollar Photo Club.
Deck the halls and unpack the plastic tree. The festive season is well and truly upon us, and with it come some of the biggest films of the year. Along with the cricket and stampeding through shopping centres, going to the movies is one of our favourite Boxing Day traditions. After all, what better place to recover from your post-Christmas food coma than in a nice, dark, air-conditioned cinema? Of course, not all of the end of year titles measure up. That's why we're reporting in with our annual Boxing Day Battle Royale, to ensure that you get maximum bang for your Kris Kringle gift voucher buck. ST VINCENT See it if: you've always dreamed of having Bill Murray for a neighbour We give it: 4 stars A crotchety old man gets a new lease of life when he becomes the reluctant babysitter to the 12-year-old kid next door. Sounds pretty unbearable, until you factor in that the old man is played by Bill Murray. First time writer-director Theodore Melfi doesn't reinvent the wheel, but the film's formulaic plotting is offset by sharp dialogue and the natural comedic chemistry of its cast. Melissa McCarthy and Chris O'Dowd are standouts in supporting roles, while newcomer Jaeden Lieberher is a revelation. Unsurprisingly though it's Murray who steals the show, delivering the perfect mix of irritable wit and genuine emotion. Read our full review. MR TURNER See it if: you're an art lover We give it: 4 stars Grunting and wheezing, Timothy Spall gives one of the best performances of the year as famed British painter J.M.W. Turner, in this two-and-a-half hour biopic from writer-director Mike Leigh. Strictly for arthouse crowds, the film doesn't have much of a narrative through-line, but as a portrait of a lonely artist it's surprisingly compelling. The film also contains some absolutely gorgeous cinematography, the painterly quality achieved by director of photography Dick Pope seemingly inspired by the work of Turner himself. Read our full review. BIG HERO 6 See it if: you're babysitting, or just want to indulge your inner child We give it: 3.5 stars Disney's follow-up to the phenomenon that was Frozen is an adaptation of a Marvel comic book about a plucky teenaged inventor who joins forces with an inflatable robot named Baymax in order to bring down a supervillain who is terrorising the city. As animated superhero films go, it's not a patch on The Incredibles, but kids will gets a kick out of it, and there's some great physical comedy courtesy of the film's plus-size robotic co-star. Frankly, if Baymax toys aren't flying off the shelf come January, someone in the Disney merchandising department should be out of a job. Read our full review. THE WATER DIVINER See it if: you're a really big Russell Crowe fan We give it: 2.5 stars Russell Crowe's directorial debut follows a father searching for the bodies of his sons after they're killed in combat at Gallipoli. Given Australia's tendency to mythologise that particular battle, it's refreshing to see how measured Crowe is in his approach, presenting the Turkish perspective as well as our own. Unfortunately, on a more technical level, Rusty still has quite a lot to learn. Flat photography and harsh lighting makes the film look as though it was shot for community television, while the overly earnest dialogue likewise leaves a lot to be desired. Read our full review. THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES See it if: you really, truly can't be bothered reading the book We give it: 1.5 stars We've had mostly nice things to say about this series up until this point, but that all ends now. After beginning with a dragon-sized anti-climax, the final part of Peter Jackson's painful protracted Tolkien adaptation turns out to be exactly what we all feared it would be: 2 hours and 20 minutes of padding. Comprised of one long, generic battle sequence, it's difficult to think of a recent film in which you feel less invested in the outcome. It's a sad, flabby end to what will likely be remembered as one of the most pointless movie trilogies of all time. Read our full review. Also out on Boxing Day: family flick Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb.
Usually a retrospective signifies the tail-end of an artist's career. Generally, it's commissioned by a prominent gallery, and carefully curated to highlight their successes and triumphs and most iconic works. But not if you're DI$COUNT UNIVER$E. If you're DI$COUNT UNIVER$E, you know you don't have to play by the rules and conventions of art and fashion — and if you want to hold your own retrospective, you bloody well do it. That's the idea behind their new show, anyway. The Melbourne-based cult pop punk fashion brand (whos pieces have been worn by everyone from Beyoncé to Kylie Jenner to Madonna) have just announced their It's-too-soon-for-a-retrospective Retrospective Exhibition, which, like their self-described 'anti-fashion', basically subverts the very idea of the retrospective. For one, designers Nadia Napreychikov and Cami James only established the brand six years ago. They're also organising the exhibition themselves, rather than being invited to do so. "In general, as a brand, we purposely go against the grain of what is done in the arena we work in," says Napreychikov. We do this to challenge the system. To prove there are other ways of working. To show our supporters and other young people in our field that it is possible to pave your own path without having all of the resources. To create your own resources." They also won't be presenting a heavily curated selection of their works — they'll be displaying everything. And when we say everything, we mean everything. The exhibition — which will take place in their Collingwood studio gallery space — will include an excess of over 65 mannequins and 500 garments from the pair's personal archives and private collections, their showrooms, as well as garments borrowed back from the famous people who've worn them. This includes the epic Birthday Suit as worn by Katy Perry, the Pray t-shirt Miley Cyrus wore in her Terry Richardson photoshoot (before she ripped them off), and their signature studded biker jackets as worn by both Madonna and Beyoncé. [caption id="attachment_566976" align="alignnone" width="1200"] YouTube[/caption] The retrospective is reflective of how DI$COUNT UNIVER$E have used the Internet to gain rapid international success, despite having leapfrogged certain channels traditionally traversed by up-and-coming Aussie designers, such as presenting at Australian Fashion Week and being picked up by one of the big two department stores. The exhibition will run from November 29 until December 9 at their studio space in Collingwood. Open Monday to Saturday from noon until 6pm, entry will be ten bucks, and DI$COUNT will have some limited edition pieces on sale, including badges, patches, t-shirts, wallets, magnets, socks, sequin dresses and caps ranging from a couple of dollars to $400. The DI$COUNT UNIVER$E It's-too-soon-for-a-retrospective Retrospective Exhibition will run from November 29 - December 9 at 32-34 Wellington Street, Collingwood. Image: Daniel Good John.
Stop everything and find a Frenchie to flip. Instagram has finally created its own collage-creating software — yep, finally. The social media giant launched their brand new standalone app today, dubbed (rather uncatchily) Layout from Instagram. The new app lets you easily combine multiple photos into one masterpiece of a 'gram. Though it seems Instagram were a little slow off the mark with this, the Instateam have taken their time to create one genuinely great editing app. According to Instagram, one in five monthly active users are sharing images that combine multiple photos — using external apps like Framatic, Photo Collage Maker and InstaCollage and importing the photos into Instagram later. So the team decided to make their own little editor and keep things in-house. So how does it work? Super easy to use, Layout accesses your photo gallery and does most of the work for you. The Faces option shows you all the photos in your camera roll that feature people — so you can cut the crap and go straight to making hella sick selfies. Speaking of selifes, you can take countdown photobooth shots in the app, but only using the frontal camera — because YOU. Apparently 90 percent of photos in collage images shared to Instagram are of people, and 50 percent of non-collage photos on Instagram are of people. It's all about your big beautiful self-promoting faces. Once you've picked your image, you can drag and drop photos to arrange them all nice and pretty like, pinch to zoom or pull the sides of each image to tweak its size, even flip and rotate to mirror your face on your face. Like George here: Layout masterpieces can be shared directly to your Instagram or Facebook, or saved to your camera roll to access and glorious sharing later. Things are going to get freaky in your feed. Layout from Instagram is available from today for iOS devices in Apple’s App Store. It’s currently only available for iOS. Layout from Instagram will be available for Android in the coming months.
Australian farmers put out some seriously delicious cheese, but, if you live in the city, the best stuff isn't necessarily easy to find. Most are made on country farms, several hours' drive away, and don't often make it to major supermarkets. The good news is that a cheese lover by the name of Anna Perejma wants to change all that. She's the founder of The Cheese Riot, a brand new service that will soon bring boutique Aussie cheeses to your doorstep. "I love Australian cheeses," says Perejma. "Our products are just as good as anything you'll find internationally, but don't get enough recognition." Before you start wondering about Perejma's credentials, her resume includes events officer at the Australian Specialist Cheesemakers' Association — yes, the ASCA really exists — where she recently organised the & Cheese event series that included a Young Henrys beer and cheese pairing and a Four Pillars gin cocktails and cheese pairing at Moya's Juniper Lounge. We're pretty confident you can trust her palate. If that isn't enough, right now Perejma is travelling the length and breadth of the country, sampling all the cheese she can get her hands on. Once she has made her picks, she'll be popping them into boxes and sending them to subscribers all over Australia. Each delivery will also include a bunch of Aussie-made accompaniments, such as chutney, pastes, honey and matching teas. "It's like the Dollar Shave Club, but for cheese," says Perejma. "Every month, you'll get a selection of cheeses delivered to your house, most made by small producers who live in the middle of nowhere. The idea is to unlock products people want but can't get." On top of that, Perejma wants to "take the wank out of cheese" and encourage a sense of community around sharing it. "You can enjoy cheese any way you like, be that on your own with Netflix and a glass of wine or with a bunch of friends at a picnic in the park." The Cheese Riot hasn't launched quite yet, but, to keep an eye on developments and go into a draw to win a free cheese box, head over here.
What’s that in the sky? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, you dunces, this is actually a 26-metre-high aerial playground that’s opening in Adelaide next month. The aptly named Mega Adventure Park (for, you know, mega adventures) is currently being finished on the West Beach foreshore, and while it looks like an alien spacecraft come earthward to take all our women for breeding, it’s actually an extreme jungle gym for adults. So what's on the maxtreme menu for kidults? Scramble nets, rope bridges, beams, swings, log steps, mega bungee trampoline, aerial surfboards and Adelaide wine barrel steps. Boom. There’ll be 54 activity stations for those who want to push themselves to the extremes, viewing platforms for the resters, and a Mega Adventure Kiosk for those who want to kick back with a vino and watch the madness unfold. It’s basically American Ninja Warrior but for people who lack upper arm strength and need to be securely fastened at all times. And if you're way too chill to be jumpin' off of crazy stuff, you can instead head straight to the top and take in some pretty breathtaking views of Adelaide. Find Mega Adventure Park at 4 Hamra Avenue, Adelaide Shores, West Beach. For more info, give 1300 634 269 a buzz. Images: Mega Adventure Park/Facebook.
The show must go on for the folks at the Moulin Rouge. 15 years after the release of Baz Luhrmann's smash-hit movie musical, the story of doomed lovers Christian and Satine is coming to the stage. The lavish adaptation is currently in its early stages, and will be directed by two-time Tony nominee Alex Timbers. "I first encountered Alex Timbers through the remarkable and inventive production of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and the brilliance of Here Lies Love," said Luhrmann in a statement. "I immediately recognised the young director's creative spirit and felt we shared similar sensibilities and instincts." Writing duties will be handled by acclaimed playwright and screenwriter John Logan, whose resume includes the recent James Bond outing Skyfall as well as the Tony Award-winning play Red. "It's immensely gratifying to know that a new wave of artists will be leading Moulin Rouge! into its rightful theatrical realm," said Luhrmann. The show is being developed by entertainment group Global Creatures, who previously worked on the theatrical adaptation of King Kong and helped bring Luhrmann's Strictly Ballroom to the stage. A premiere date and location for Moulin Rouge! has yet to be announced.
Brisbane's contemporary art scene is brimming with talent, risk-taking and innovation, the result of decades of dedicated practitioners, curators and gallerists supporting the newest, most controversial and strangest art in the local game. From West End to Woolloongabba, art spaces have popped up all over the city over the years, with big guns like QAGOMA sitting alongside smaller unconventional spaces and pop-ups. And they're usually free — realms where you can view groundbreaking modern work for nothing. Clear your schedules and start pounding the pavement to visit some of the best free art available in Brisbane. Your itinerary starts here. [caption id="attachment_626236" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Meagan Streader, W-inter (exhibition installation image), 2016. Image: Louis Lim.[/caption] METRO ARTS Metro Arts is a solid institution in the Brisbane art scene. The space opened in 1981, and over the years has evolved to reflect the needs of the artists and the community. It's a space for expression and risk, exhibiting bold local contemporary art and facilitating a range of other creative outlets including workshops, seminars and performance. Metro Arts has a reputation for being at the forefront of creative scene in Brisbane, a role they take seriously. They also place a major focus on social inclusion and accessibility. When visiting Metro Arts don't forget to make time to drop into Verve Restaurant and Cider-House, the New York-style basement bar underneath Metro Arts, where, since last century, a whole spectrum of Brisbane artists have gathered to eat, drink and generate debate and discussion. CLUTCH COLLECTIVE CLUTCH Collective is a Brisbane-based artist-run initiative hosting one-night exhibitions in the back of a three tonne truck. Local artists are encouraged to find innovative ways to respond directly to the limitations of the space. The project aims to invigorate the Brisbane ARI scene with an alternative, unconventional and experimental approach to exhibiting. CLUTCH has a full calendar of artists lined up until September. If you want to witness art that's all about thinking outside the box, well, inside a box, follow CLUTCH Collective on Facebook to check where this pop-up gallery will be heading next. WOOLLOONGABBA ART GALLERY WAG is a stunning two-storey space situated in the heart of Woolloongabba. Since its establishment in 2004, WAG has quickly become one of Queensland's best art galleries, with a reputation for regularly exhibiting stylistically varied, high quality contemporary work — including many works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. If you're heading to Woolloongabba for drinks and nibbles at one of the area's many bars and restaurants, take some time to visit WAG. You might just miss your dinner reservation getting lost in some remarkable shows. POP GALLERY While you're in Woolloongabba, why not pop into POP Gallery? Griffith University has a number of galleries associated with it but the 'Postgraduate and Other Projects Gallery' is one of the best (yeah, POP's a much catchier name). POP started as a research space primarily for postgraduate and research student from QCA. Now in its newly refurbished venue, POP has been transformed into a premium art space, presenting a diverse program of research-based art to a broad public audience. This venue is open five days a week and anyone is welcome. Keep an eye on POP's calendar for upcoming events — opening nights often include art's characteristically indulgent siblings: wine and cheese. QUT ART MUSEUM While we're poking around university art galleries, QUT Art Museum is another vibrant Brisbane gallery that is always well worth a visit. From June to August, they'll be exhibiting the work of 2016 Archibald Prize winner Louise Hearman. This will be Hearman's first major museum survey featuring paintings and drawings from across her 25-year practice. QUT Art Museum also hosts a reoccurring event called Texta Book Club, a book club specifically for people who love art. The next event will use the occasion of Louise Hearman's exhibition to discuss popular novel Burial Rites by one of QUT's very own Hannah Kent. The event is free and includes a glass of wine. Art, literature and wine, for free — what more could we ask for? MAUD CREATIVE Maud Creative is one of the only dedicated photography galleries in Brisbane. Since opening in 2014, the gallery has has significant impact on the Brisbane art scene. According to director Irena Prikryl, this gallery is a true passion project. "We don't make any money off it, we just keep propping it up," she says. The gallery showcases the works of award-winning photographers as well as supporting new and emerging talent in a stunning contemporary space. They also encourage creativity by providing a darkroom for members and hosting regular workshops. Maud Creative is currently exhibiting a series of spectacular aerial images of Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park in South Australia by Light Collective. Clear your schedule, because these photographs demand long periods of attention. MILANI GALLERY Focused exclusively on contemporary works of art, Milani is another Woolloongabba art space. The gallery is clean, light and minimalistic — the classic no-interruption aesthetic. Recent exhibitions include Tim Johnson's Metamodernism, a collection of new works alongside work from key periods influencing the artists' practice. The gallery also recently hosted the works of Richard Bell for his exhibition Dredging up the past. SPIRO GRACE ART ROOMS SGAR is a contemporary art space tucked away in Spring Hill. Established in 2010, SGAR's founder Paul Spiro and gallery manager Miranda Hine are both established members of the art scene in Queensland and are passionate about cultivating the career development of local Queensland artists. Currently showing is an exhibition entitled Here, where everything lands by Franz Ehmann. For over 20 years, Ehmann's work has explored the processes of food production and waste, themes that are strongly reiterated in this latest exhibition. The works have been created in collaboration with Ehmann's bees (that's right, bees) and explores the uses and processes of beeswax. HONOURABLE MENTION: HOUSE CONSPIRACY While it's not a conventional gallery per se, House Conspiracy is an exciting new project that launched in Brisbane earlier this year and should be right on your radar. The project is located in a beautiful historic Queenslander situated in the lively creative hub of West End. The House was purchased in 2015 by an anonymous owner who bought it with the goal of keeping it in the community. This is a vision House Conspiracy founders Jonathan O'Brien, Lewis Holmes, Cinnamon Smith and Elizabeth Cowie are working hard to fulfil. In 2017, more than 100 artists will receive support from House Conspiracy. At least 68 of these artists will participate in the Emerging Artist Residencies program. The house will also be available for hire, welcoming Brisbane artists to make the most of the space for collaboration, meetings, rehearsals and performances. According to one of the project's founders, Jonathan O'Brien, the idea of the project is to provide low cost and often free space for artists who need it. "By giving artists space to work, and documenting that work we hope that we create a sort of touchstone for artists to say I was here. I did this." Top image: Benjamin Crowley, Walking to the edge of a small cliff, 2016. Installation view, shown at CLUTCH Collective.
