Tropical North Queensland is so rich in natural beauty that it's easy to forget that the region also boasts an impressive art scene. Local and international artists flock to the tropics, finding inspiration in the stunning scenery throughout the area. From local theatres and art galleries, to beachside markets and concert venues, there are plenty of ways to get your culture fix while in the tropics.
'ZomRomComs'. That's what you get when you add zombies to romantic comedies. First came Shaun of the Dead, then Zombieland and now Warm Bodies, a delightful Romeo and Juliet meets Frankenstein tale, in that two star-crossed lovers must overcome deep-seeded family prejudices, and that Romeo is a monstrous zombie. That zombie is 'R' (Nicholas Hoult), and his Juliet is 'Julie' (played by Australian actress Teresa Palmer). R is just your everyday teenage boy, grappling with your everyday teenage problems: a changing body, crippling social isolation and a tendency to grunt instead of speak. He's also a zombie, but instead of being scary that's mostly just a source of embarrassment. R's charming and self-deprecating narration throughout the film provides a constant source of laughter, particularly with self-aware lines like: "……God we walk slowly!" It's a sublime mix of dark comedy and tender romance, centred on a familiar yet infinitely more appealing relationship than Twilight's Bella and Edward. For an adaptation that openly acknowledges its Shakespearean underpinnings, this has somehow still emerged as one of the most original stories of the year. Thanks to Icon Film, we have 10 double passes to give away to see Warm Bodies. To be in the running, subscribe to Concrete Playground (if you haven't already) then email us with your name and postal address at hello@concreteplayground.com.au. Warm Bodies opens nationally on April 11. Read our full review here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=07s-cNFffDM
If walking and looking rather than sitting and watching is more your thing, don’t worry, there’s still something at MELT festival for you. As part of the accompanying visual art exhibition, three artists will transform the interior walls of the venue in the MELT group show. Hillary Green’s Black by Popular Demand examines where the performance ends and the 'real' person starts via a selection of hyperreal portrait photographs; Dan Webb’s Boys of Summer draws upon beach iconography and the beauty of boys in (and out of) Speedos; and Jennifer Leonforte’s Middle Sex explores the grey area of the gender spectrum. In more good news, it’s free, and keeps running for a week after the rest of the festival comes to a close. This exhibition is one of our top six picks of MELT Festival. See the other five here.
Australians, your suitcases are about to come in handy again. Your passports, too. Since March 2020, the country has been under an indefinite ban on international travel to control the spread of COVID-19; however, today, Friday, October 1, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced how and when that restriction will end. Just like COVID-19 rules around the country in general — lockdowns, the restrictions that apply when stay-at-home conditions aren't in effect and the like — the situation will vary in each state and territory. Allowing fully vaxxed Aussies to enjoy overseas travel again falls under the National Plan to transition Australia's National COVID Response that was announced back in July, and has been slated to kick in when 80 percent of Australians over the age of 16 have been double-jabbed since then. That's still the case, but it'll now come into effect in each state and territory as they reach that vax mark. "Within weeks, large parts of the country will be moving to Phase B and then to Phase C of the National Plan to safely reopen Australia and to stay safely open," said the Prime Minister in a statement. "Under Phase C, international travel is on track to reopen safely to fully vaccinated Australian travellers. Many countries around the world have now safely reopened to international travel and it will shortly be time for Australia to take the next step." Accordingly, each state and territory will be able to begin international travel again when they hit that 80-percent fully jabbed threshold, with the Federal Government expecting that to first happen in November. And, when that occurs, there'll be no limits on where you can head — from an Australian perspective, at least. "The current overseas travel restrictions related to COVID-19 will be removed and Australians will be able to travel subject to any other travel advice and limits, as long as they are fully vaccinated and those countries' border settings allow," said the PM. "These changes mean there will be no travel restrictions if you are a vaccinated Australian entering or leaving our shores." There will be a quarantine requirement, though, but the system that's currently in place isn't expected to apply to double-vaxxed Aussie travellers. After undertaking home quarantine pilots in New South Wales and South Australia, that's likely to be the option in each state and territory for fully jabbed Australian citizens and permanent residents — and for seven days. If that doesn't apply to you because you aren't double-dose vaxxed or you've had a vaccine that isn't approved for use in Australia or recognised by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, you'll still need to go into the fortnight-long managed quarantine that's been operating throughout the pandemic. The announcement comes just over a week since Australia's Federal Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan revealed that the country's international border will open back up "at this rate, by Christmas at the latest." Today's news beats that timeframe by more than a month. The PM also revealed that Australia will work towards quarantine-free arrangements once overseas travel restarts, such as the trans-Tasman travel bubble with New Zealand that's presently on hold until at least mid-November. Previously, the Federal Government also floated the possibility of opening a similar arrangement with Singapore — and extending travel bubbles to some countries, such as Singapore and places in the Pacific, is specifically mentioned in the nation's roadmap. As a nation, Australia hit the 50-percent double-vaxxed mark a week ago, on Friday, September 24. At the time of writing, that figure now sits at 54.2 percent of people aged over 16. You can keep an eye on the jab rates at a number of different websites and, if you still need to get vaccinated, these helpful maps show you where in NSW, Victoria and Queensland. Also, if you're wondering which state or territory is likely to hit 80-percent double-jabbed first, it's currently New South Wales. Unsurprising, just when Australia will reopen its international borders has been the subject of much discussion over the 18 months since ban came into effect, only allowing Aussies to leave the country in very limited circumstances. But with Australia's vax campaign gathering speed recently, Qantas and Jetstar have already begun selling tickets for overseas flights for trips scheduled from December, because that's when the two airlines hoped the country's international travel rules could ease. For further information about Australia's plan to restart international travel, head to the Prime Minister's website. More details about the National Plan to transition Australia's National COVID Response can be found on the same site. And, to find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
Last summer, Australians sat down in front of their televisions to watch a famous train cross the country. And, it proved a hit. In fact, a three-hour documentary about Adelaide-to-Darwin locomotive The Ghan was such a success that SBS aired a 17-hour version that followed the entirety of the train's daytime trip. Yes, 17 whole hours. It cut out the evening parts, where the screen would just be black, for obvious reasons. Come January 2019, The Ghan will have company in the very niche genre that is TV docos about super-lengthy Aussie train journeys — and, once again, there's two versions. Following the Indian Pacific, the transcontinental railway line that crosses Australia from Perth to Sydney, the documentary will air on SBS in a three-hour format at 7.30pm on Sunday, January 6. It'll then be followed by the entire 17-hour marathon, which'll run on SBS Viceland from a yet-to-be-confirmed time on Saturday, January 12. Now, The Indian Pacific: Australia's Longest Train Journey could've been longer. Much, much longer. In fact, the whole 4352-kilometre trip takes 65 hours from coast to coast, with stopovers in places such as Broken Hill, Adelaide, the Barossa Valley, Kalgoorlie, Rawlinna and Cook depending on the direction of the journey. A train with a hefty history, the Indian Pacific first ran along the rails on February 23, 1970, and is now considered an Aussie icon. The lengthy doco forms part of the slow TV movement, and it's not the only instance that's coming to SBS this summer. Like boats? Multiple types of transport? The broadcaster is also airing The Kimberley Cruise: Australia's Last Great Wilderness, which follows a Broome-to-Darwin route through the Top End; plus North to South, which ventures from Auckland on New Zealand's north island down to the Southern Alps and Milford Sound on the country's south island, including railways, sailing and driving the route. Both will screen three-hour cuts as well as lengthier versions up to 18 hours, with the Kimberley getting its time to shine on Sunday, January 13 and Saturday, January 19, and NZ in the spotlight on Sunday, January 27 and Saturday, February 2. If that's not enough, SBS Viceland will replay the whole The Ghan experience on Saturday, January 26 too. If staring at transport trekking across landscape is your kind of thing, there's your Saturdays in January well and truly sorted. For further details, visit the SBS website. Image: Great Southern Rail.
Community sport, outdoor boot camps, and leisure activities such as bushwalking, fishing, golf and swimming might soon be back on the agenda nationwide, with the Australian Government releasing its National Principles for Sport and Recreational Activities. As referenced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday, May 1 in his press conference after the latest national cabinet meeting, the 15-point set of principles outline the pathway for resuming physical pastimes — focusing on a staged approach. Using the Australian Institute of Sport's Framework for Rebooting Sport in a COVID-19 Environment as a guide, the principles recommend that small-group, non-contact activities involving less than ten people be allowed to recommence first, with social distancing required for participants. Then, at the next stage, large group and full-contact pastimes could recommence, covering sports and activities with more than ten people involved. That means that anyone eager to go for a stroll, hit a few balls or do some laps in the pool will be able to do so in the first stage, with large team sports returning in the second stage. The government hasn't provided an exhaustive list of activities that fall into each category, or of the steps required at each stage — but for those eager to get outside and get active as soon as possible, it's still a positive sign. Guided by health concerns first and foremost, and noting that outdoor activities likely possess a lower risk for COVID-19 transmission than indoor activities, the principles also touch upon professional sport — aka football codes such as AFL and NRL. "For the foreseeable future, elite sports, if recommenced, should do so in a spectator-free environment with the minimum support staff available to support the competition," the principles state. And at the community level, "sport and recreation activities should limit those present to the minimum required to support the participants". Crucially, the principles don't include a timeline or timeframe for implementation. But with the Prime Minister announcing that the national cabinet will meet on Friday, May 8 to decide on how to relax some of Australia's social distancing and public gatherings restrictions — bringing the date forward from Monday, May 11, because "Australians have earned an early mark" — it's safe to assume that progressing with the National Principles for Sport and Recreational Activities will be on the agenda. Once actioned at a national level, it'll be up to the individual states and territories to implement in their own jurisdictions. As the nation's new daily cases of COVID-19 continue to drop — remaining below 20 per day nationwide since Wednesday, April 22 — governments at both the federal and state levels have been looking to relax limitations on daily life. Queensland and New South Wales eased some restrictions this week, while the Northern Territory outlined its roadmap to "the new normal". Learn more about the National Principles for Sport and Recreational Activities and the Australian Institute of Sport's Framework for Rebooting Sport in a COVID-19 Environment. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
Winter is a great time to be in Brisbane. Yes, we said it. Sure it may be a bit nippy out, but it's also Good Food Month, which means we're up to our ears in opportunities to indulge in one of our favourite past times: eating and drinking. We're pretty excited to dig into the Night Noodle Markets presented by Beer The Beautiful Truth, plus there are heaps of other gustatory festivities to indulge in. Like at the XXXX Brewery — to celebrate the month of good food, XXXX is hosting an event that will pair delicious eats with a range of their beers made right on site. Beer fans are invited along to the XXXX Brewery to indulge in some fresh brews, expertly paired with six different culinary treats designed to complement, contrast and emphasise certain aspects of each beer. The Ultimate Beer Food event will take place at the XXXX Alehouse Bar & Restaurant on Sunday, August 6. Tickets cost $48 per person and include XXXX beers matched up with six delicious food stations. Plus, on your way out you can even pick up a tray of Milton mangoes (that's Queenslander for XXXX GOLD in case you're out of the loop).
Brisbane's busy market scene loves an occasion. Mother's Day markets, winter markets, Christmas in July markets, spring markets, festive markets — this city has seen them all, including in 2024, and will continue to do so. Accordingly, it should come as zero surprise that Halloween markets are also on the list. Redcliffe Markets Festival of Frights is one of them. Only this spooky event will take you trick-or-treating by the Redcliffe jetty. Fancy an eerie theme and a killer waterside location? That's on offer from 4–9pm on Saturday, October 26. Also on the bill: fireworks, a scavenger hunts, Halloween-appropriate decorations all over the place, and music and live entertainment to fit the mood — including roving pirate entertainers. And, a heap of food stalls serving up bites to eat, and drinks, also likely with a theme. Entry is free, but you'll want your wallet for all that browsing and buying — there'll be more than 200 stalls to peruse. And yes, dressing up is welcome for this wander along Redcliffe Parade till 9pm.
Nightclub toilets aren't just a place where people head when nature calls between drinks and dancefloor stints. Amid the women's bathroom cubicles, sinks and queues — there's always a queue — conversations erupt, heart-to-hearts spring and friendships are forged. So knows everyone who has ever needed to use a club's facilities, and also UK-born theatre show Overflow, which is one of the highlights of the just-announced 2023 MELT Festival program. Hitting Brisbane thanks to Darlinghurst Theatre Company, but hailing from British playwright and prominent trans voice Travis Alabanza, Overflow doesn't only dive into the camaraderie that can arise in its distinctive setting — it's also about someone trapped in a flooding stall. As it spends time with protagonist Rosie, it confronts the debate circling about who is and isn't allowed in these public spaces, in a powerful piece about trans and gender diverse experiences. Overflow sits on MELT Festival's lineup alongside an array of music, theatre and visual art, as Brisbane Powerhouse's annual celebration of queer culture always puts on. Since 2015, the event has celebrated all things LGBTQIA+, with 2023's fest from Saturday, November 11–Sunday, November 26 marking its eighth edition. Also leading the bill: Kah-Lo, Djanaba, Aluna and KUČKA. Kah-Lo hits MELT ready to bust out 'Rinse & Repeat', 'Fast', 'Fake' and 'Drag Me Out', with First Nations artist Djanaba with her. Aluna, formerly half of AlunaGeorge, has songs from her solo record MYCELiUM to play, with Flume, SOPHIE and Kendrick Lamar collaborator KUČKA sharing her stage. MELT's 2023 lineup also includes TOPS and Matt Hsu's Obscure Orchestra on the music roster — the former getting Jane Penny's vocals echoing through Brisbane Powerhouse, and the latter featuring more than 20 BIPOC, First Nations, disabled, non-binary and trans artists. Plus, Alter Boy, June Jones, Keiynan Lonsdale and Keelan Mak are also help round out the bill. Theatre fans can check out Bunny, too, the rope-focused work by Luke George and Daniel that explores trust, consent and desire. And, Rhys Nicholson is on the roster on a book tour for Dish. Also, MELT will feature three free visual art exhibitions: Paul Yore's BECOME WHAT YOU ARE, The Huxleys' Places of Worship and Multitudes by Tin Nguyen & Edward. Contemplating consumerism, sexuality, pop culture, neo-liberalism and more, the first is textiles-heavy, including pieces from a collaboration with Romance Was Born. For the second, performance artists Will and Garrett Huxley play outsiders in their latest photographic series. And, with the third, Tin & Ed are setting up a series of outdoor installations about borderless spaces. MELT Festival 2023 runs from Saturday, November 11–Sunday, November 26 at Brisbane Powerhouse. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the fest's website now.
With another winter firmly behind us, we've got plenty to look forward to over the next few warmer months. And while we're definitely excited about the longer days, balmy evenings and lingering sunsets that lie ahead, summer also means the return of the al fresco aperitivo. And there's only one thing you should be sipping at those sundowner drinks: the vibrant and delightfully bittersweet Aperol Spritz. For nine consecutive Sundays from September 11, Burleigh Heads fave Justin Lane joins forces with Aperol to present Casa Aperol x Justin Lane. This Mediterranean oasis on the oceanside spot's rooftop serves up a weekly rotating lineup of live music, bespoke summery cocktails (including ice-cold Aperol Spritzes, of course), Italian-inspired sharing dishes (think Aperol-cured salmon gravlax, natural oysters with Aperol pearls, mushroom arancini with truffle aioli and Aperol sorbet) and Euro vibes aplenty, perfect for soaking up the sea breeze and sunset. You don't need to book and it's free to enter, so all that's left to you is rounding up your crew and enjoying a Sunday session that'll take you from afternoon to evening. Fancy really making a day out of it? Between September 11 and October 23, there'll be a lucky draw that gives groups of up to four the chance to experience a luxe, all-inclusive three-hour ride on YOT75, a 75-foot private charter that's part of the Yot Club stable and boasts two full-service bars and four entertaining areas over its two floors. On board, you'll be treated to a spread of Justin Lane's Italian fare and have a front-row seat to the sunset while sipping Aperol Spritzes. There'll also be a DJ spinning tunes to keep the vibes high. Casa Aperol takes over the Justin Lane rooftop in Burleigh Heads from 2–8pm every Sunday from September 11 to November 6. For more information, head to the website. Can't make it to Casa Aperol? You can still welcome the warmer months with an Aperol Spritz — right now, Aperol is giving away 100,000 of its signature drinks at venues Australia-wide.
The acclaimed musical, Jersey Boys, has finally hit Brisbane after months of anticipation. Thankfully the wait is well worth it, as the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons is reportedly a wickedly entertaining show. The Four Seasons sold over 175 million records throughout their storied career, not bad for four former blue-collar workers from the wrong side of the tracks, right? Notable hits featured in the show include ‘Sherry’, ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’, ‘Rag Doll’, ‘Oh What a Night’ and ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’, timeless classics that will be sure to get your feet tapping. The Brisbane season of this must-see production runs until the 16th of September, but don’t get complacent, tickets are selling like hotcakes. Purchase your tickets from the QPAC website before they dance their way out of stock!
When Sydney Theatre Company's version of The Picture of Dorian Gray premiered in 2020, it didn't just give Oscar Wilde's gothic-literature masterpiece a fresh spin; it turned it into a brand-new stage sensation. The show features just one performer playing all 26 characters. To make that happen, the production uses video to help. It's the work of writer/director Kip Williams, it's groundbreaking, and it's been understandably earning audiences raves and winning awards. Next stop: the big screen, possibly. Deadline reports that the film rights to the theatre smash have been picked up by none other than Cate Blanchett, via the Tár and Nightmare Alley star's production company Dirty Films. Now, playwright, screenwriter — and Dirty Films partner, plus Blanchett's partner — Andrew Upton is working with Williams on a treatment. When a movie version of The Picture of Dorian Gray might eventuate, who'll star, who'll direct the film: none of that has been announced so far. But behind the scenes, producers Rachel Gardner and Jo Porter from Curio Pictures are also involved. Dirty Films has the Blanchett-led The New Boy, plus fellow flicks such as Fingernails and Shayda, on its recent slate. Curio Pictures has TV productions High Country, The Artful Dodger and the upcoming The Narrow Road to the Deep North to its name of late. After it debuted in Sydney starring Eryn Jean Norvill, The Picture of Dorian Gray also hit theatres in Melbourne and Adelaide. From there, since earlier in 2024, it made the jump to London with Succession's Sarah Snook taking on every single onstage part, winning a 2024 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress for her efforts. On the page, The Picture of Dorian Gray is exceptional, as well as astute and unnerving, as it follows the selling of its namesake's soul in order to keep indulging every corporeal whim, urge and desire. There's a reason that it just keeps getting adapted for the screen and in theatres, after all. But there's never been a version like Sydney Theatre Company's, which filmgoers might now get to experience. Check out a trailer for the West End season of The Picture of Dorian Gray below: There's no word yet on when The Picture of Dorian Gray could reach screens — we'll update you when more details are announced. The Picture of Dorian Gray is playing The Theatre Royal Haymarket, 18 Suffolk Street, London until Saturday, May 11, 2024 — for more information and tickets, head to the play's website. Via Deadline. Images: Marc Brenner / Dan Boud.
From boozy mini-golf spots to beer-fuelled pinball and gaming dens to circus-style arcade joints, Brisbane's themed bar scene has been booming over the past few years. And, it shows no signs of stopping — by the time summer hits, the city will also be home to an inner-city escape room that doubles as an underground watering hole, too. Set to open in Spring Hill this spring, Arcadium Adventures will transform the basement of Wickham Terrace's heritage-listed Espie Dods House into a place for cracking puzzles and knocking back cocktails. You'll be able to work your way through two spaces within the site to begin with, with a third set to launch in 2020. Beverage-wise, there'll be locally brewed beers, spirits and drinks inspired by the immersive escape room experiences. While just what the escape rooms will entail hasn't yet been revealed, each experience will run for 50 minutes and will use augmented reality to add an extra dimension to the fun. You'll also have two options: play your way through an individual escape room as a stand-alone endeavour, or work your way through the whole place with all of Arcadium Adventures' experiences taking place in the same universe. As for the bar, it'll seat 40 and will be available to hire for events. If finding clues and having a few drinks is your idea of a celebration, then you'll be in the right spot. Arcadium Adventures is the work of Gabrielle Lim, who also has a hand in Melbourne's Trapt Bar and Escape Rooms. The Victorian spot boasts 'Alchemy'-themed rooms, which nod to a certain beloved boy wizard in more than a few ways, so here's hoping that something similar makes the jump to Brisbane. https://www.facebook.com/traptmelbourne/videos/1464549976988055/ Arcadium Adventures is slated to open at 97 Wickham Terrace, Spring Hill this spring — we'll update you with an opening date when it is announced.
There's never a bad time to party while you're perched above the rest of the world, especially when there's a new year to celebrate. December 31 isn't the only time to do just that, of course, with Brisbanites able to climb up high from 5–8.30pm on Saturday, February 8 to mark the start of the new lunar calendar on a shopping centre's rooftop. As it has in the past, the 2025 BrisAsia Festival is throwing a huge Lunar New Year Rooftop Party. To join in the fun for the Year of the Snake, you'll want to head to Sunnybank Plaza and head up to the top of the Hoyts Cinema carpark. Expect dragon and lion dancers, live tunes and plenty to eat. Expect to feel like you're at a traditional lantern festival, too, but without leaving Brisbane. Past years have featured tea ceremonies, calligraphy classes and more — and fireworks at 8pm are always a big highlight. Entry is free, but bring your wallet to feast on dinner from the nearby restaurants.
There are plenty of places to get merry around Brisbane, including at a month-long CBD festival that's all about Christmas. But this festive season, you can also spend a day feeling jolly in one of the city's newest waterside spots — including at a margarita bar and an oyster bar. Gone are the days when South Bank was Brisbane's only food-, drink- and entertainment-filled riverside precinct, with Portside, Northshore Hamilton and Howard Smith Wharves all popping up over the past decade or so. Here's another: Rivermakers Heritage Quarter, which has turned a patch of Colmslie Road in Morningside into a new must-visit destination, and is now marking December in the appropriate way. If you haven't had the chance to stop by the heritage-listed spot yet, here's your excuse: Christmas at HQ from 2pm on Saturday, December 3. That's when the eastside precinct wants you to head along to check out its sights — and everything you can eat, drink and do, from sipping brews at Revel's second site through to taking a Mas & Miek pottery workshop and playing lawn games on the grass. Also on the agenda at the riverfront spot in Morningside across the day: drinking gin at Bavay Distillery, tucking into barbecued meats thanks to Low n Slow Meat Co, Christmas markets ('tis the season), carols, food trucks and music. There'll also be live mural drawing, and just festive cheer all-round at this pet-friendly event. Entry is free, except for the pottery workshop, which costs $110 per person — and if you're keen on the latter from 10am–12pm, you'll need to book.
It was true in the 90s, and it remains that way now: when Jim Carrey lets loose, thrusting the entire might of his OTT comedic powers onto the silver screen, it's an unparalleled sight to behold. It doesn't always work, and he's a spectacular actor when putting in a toned-down or even serious performance — see: The Truman Show, The Majestic, I Love You Phillip Morris and his best work ever, the sublime Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind — but there's a reason that the Ace Venture flicks, The Mask and Dumb and Dumber were some of the biggest movies made three decades back. Carrey is now a rarity in cinemas, but one franchise has been reminding viewers what his full-throttle comic efforts look like. Sadly, he's also the best thing about the resulting films, even if they're hardly his finest work. That was accurate in 2020's Sonic the Hedgehog, and it's the same of sequel Sonic the Hedgehog 2 — which once again focuses on the speedy video game character but couldn't feel like more of a drag. The first Sonic movie established its namesake's life on earth, as well as his reason for being here. Accordingly, the blue-hued planet-hopping hedgehog (voiced by The Afterparty's Ben Schwartz) already made friends with small-town sheriff Tom Wachowski (James Marsden, The Stand). He already upended the Montana resident's life, too, including Tom's plans to move to San Francisco with his wife Maddie (Tika Sumpter, Mixed-ish). And, as well as eventually becoming a loveable member of the Wachowski family, Sonic also wreaked havoc with his rapid pace, and earned the wrath of the evil Dr Robotnik (Carrey, Kidding) in the process. More of the same occurs this time around, with Sonic the Hedgehog 2 taking a more-is-more approach. There's a wedding to ruin, magic gems to find and revenge on the part of Robotnik. He's teamed up with super-strong echidna Knuckles (voiced by The Harder They Fall's Idris Elba), in fact, while Sonic gets help from smart-but-shy fox Tails (voice-acting veteran Colleen O'Shaughnessey). Gone are the days when an animated critter's teeth caused internet mania. If that sentence makes sense to you, then you not only watched the first Sonic the Hedgehog — you also saw the chatter that erupted when its initial trailer dropped and the fast-running creature's humanised gnashers looked oh-so-disturbing. Cue a clean-up job that couldn't fix the abysmal movie itself, and an all-ages-friendly flick that still made such a ridiculous amount of money (almost $320 million worldwide) that this follow-up was inevitable. The fact that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 arrives a mere two years later does indeed smack of a rush job, and the end product feels that way from start to finish. That isn't the only task this swift second outing is keen to set up, with bringing in fellow Sega characters Knuckles and Tails the first step to making a Sonic Cinematic Universe. Yes, with Morbius reaching theatres on the exact same day as Sonic the Hedgehog 2, it's an ace time for sprawling start-up franchises sparked by a quest for cash rather than making great cinema — an ace time for the folks collecting the money, that is, but not for audiences. Both otherwise unrelated movies are flimsy, bland and woefully by-the-numbers, and seem to care little that they visibly look terrible thanks to unconvincing CGI. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 also falls victim to one of the worst traits seen in family-appropriate pictures: being happy to exist purely as a distraction. That means pointless needle drops that shoehorn in pop hits for no reason other than to give kids a recognisable soundtrack to grab their attention, and an exhausting need to whizz from scene to scene (and plot point to plot point) as if the film itself is suffering a sugar rush. Also covered: unnecessary pop-culture references, including inexplicably name-dropping Vin Diesel and The Rock, and also nodding to all things Indiana Jones. Sonic the Hedgehog 2's fondness for dashing through its sequences and setpieces like it's racing against a clock could be seen as a simple case of the film endeavouring to emulate its protagonist — but it also runs for over two hours, so truly delivering a turbo whirlwind isn't on returning director Jeff Fowler's mind. Rather, the feature seems to flit by at a breakneck pace so that nothing could possibly linger, which is one of its few attempted gifts to viewers. The other is still Carrey, although he can't carry the movie this time around. To be specific, he doesn't appear to want to. He also seems to be leaning heavier on easy gimmickry rather than genuine goofiness, but he's happily still in anarchic mode. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 definitely can't match him, though, despite zipping as much chaos across the screen as it can (and as hurriedly as can). Try as it might, the film doesn't make anyone forget its inane Hawaiian wedding scenes, which earn far too much focus because they shouldn't receive any. In the year 2022, second-time Sonic writers Pat Casey and Josh Miller — plus newcomer John Whittington (The Lego Ninjago Movie) — somehow thought it was okay to rely upon bridezilla tropes in the name of supposed humour, and the result is unfunny and lazy. This narrative choice also gives The White Lotus' Natasha Rothwell a thankless part, but then no flesh-and-blood actor who's playing it straight fares well here. That leaves Carrey, and also the voice work behind the movie's primary colour-toned animated creatures. Schwartz still sounds as if he's doing Parks and Recreation's Jean-Ralphio right down to a "the woooorst" joke, but Elba's line readings at least raise a smile by being so self-serious. Throw in an over-emphasised message about the importance of family like this is a stealth Fast and Furious flick — yes, clearly the title would fit, and there's also that Vin Diesel and The Rock mention — and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 just keeps getting more and more derivative. It knows it, actually. It even makes a gag about it. But as with almost everything it serves up, throwing things at the screen like blazes and being well-aware you're doing it doesn't make for an entertaining, average or even passable-enough time at the movies. Image: courtesy Paramount Pictures and Sega of America.
After three years without sugar, Damon Gameau has come off the wagon in a big, bad way. Intent on uncovering amount of processed sugar in an average Australian diet, the actor-turned-documentary filmmaker puts his own health on the line, consuming the equivalent of roughly 40 teaspoons of sugar a day. The result is a lively and eye-opening documentary on a subject that needs as much attention as it can get. Gameau’s most obvious compatriot is Morgan Spurlock, who likewise put his own health on the line back in 2004 with the Oscar nominated Supersize Me. The comparison is an obvious one, and you’d be right in thinking that That Sugar Film seems suspiciously similar. But where Gameau has an edge is that his focus is on so-called health food. When a man dines on McDonalds for a month, of course he packs on the pounds. But when you get the same results with vitamin water and low-fat yogurt, the story is suddenly very different. Behind the camera, Gameau does everything he can to keep his viewers entertained. Music and colourful graphics are in plentiful supply, giving the film an at times hyperactive quality that fits the subject matter to a tee. Information often comes delivered with the aid of unexpected celebrity cameos, including appearances by Hugh Jackman, Isabel Lucas and Stephen Fry. There’s an initial temptation to dismiss the movie out of hand; after all, Gameau’s diet doesn’t exactly constitute sound scientific method. Yet despite the film’s gloss and gimmickry, Gameau could never be accused of sugar coating the facts. That Sugar Film attacks its subject from every conceivable angle, including sugar’s effect on children’s learning habits, the correlation between high sugar diets and poverty, and perhaps most unsettling of all, the lobbying efforts of billion-dollar food corporations, whose strategies seem frighteningly similar to those of big tobacco. Still, the scariest thing about this doco is the way in which it confronts us with just how much sugar we all consume. In one of the movie's most memorable sequences, rather than eating a day’s worth of sugary food, Gameau simply eats the equivalent amount in white sugar crystals, providing viewers with a visual reference point that’s both funny and revolting. While its message can seem obvious at times, That Sugar Film has the potential to change the way people think and behave. What higher compliment can a documentary film be given?
It's time to get festive beneath one of Newstead's most striking features: the Gasometer. For one night in December, The Market Folk is taking over the eye-catching Gasworks space, bring a heap of stalls with it and helping you finish your Christmas shopping — because, let's face it, no one ever gets 100-percent of their gift buying done too far in advance. From 5–9pm on Friday, December 10, the Gasworks Plaza precinct will be home to plenty of market stalls as the sun goes down, all brimming with items that'd make perfect presents (for your loved ones, and for yourself). If you're wondering just what kinds of things you can expect to pick up, think fashion, art, homewares, ceramics and vintage goods — and plants as well. There'll be a particular focus on Brisbane creatives, too. So, you'll also be gifting them some Christmas cheer by supporting their hard work. [caption id="attachment_758933" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] The Market Folk[/caption] Top image: Andrew S via Flickr.
Roll up, roll up, it's show time — and not just in the obvious spot. The Ekka is finally back in 2022 for its first go-around since 2019, but it isn't the only place for games and fun in August. Indeed, it's not even the only place in and around Fortitude Valley, with Netherworld arcade game bar upping the ante for nearly two weeks of the month. From Saturday, August 6–Sunday, August 14, the St Paul's Terrace hangout is hosting its very own Netherworld Sideshow, combining the usual offerings with a few extra special inclusions. Expect their existing array of tables, machines and consoles, plus added carnival games, guest machines, fairy floss — and even creepy clowns. We'll let you decide if that last one is a good or a bad thing. [caption id="attachment_605033" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Sarah Ward[/caption] The onsite cafe, aka the Hellmouth Diner, will also be cranking out carnival-style fare, so your stomach can get in on the action as well. And, you'll also be able to buy Netherworld showbags filled with merchandise and goodies. Obviously, the bar will be pouring its usual brews, too — with a few Ekka-themed specials. [caption id="attachment_622335" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sarah Ward[/caption] Top image: Cole Bennetts.
Hollywood's night of nights is fresh in your memory, your to-watch list has grown considerably, but your wallet doesn't want to play ball. Call Dendy Cinemas' latest special a case of great timing, then, with the chain offering up discount tickets that'll solve your problem. Until March 15, as long as you purchase online, you'll only pay $8 for your movie of choice at Portside and Coorparoo. Or movies. With everything from Black Panther to Phantom Thread to Lady Bird currently screening, there's plenty to watch if you're keen to spend as much time in a darkened room as possible. The special isn't available for special events, Dendy Arts sessions, pre-book tickets or preview screenings, but you're certain to find something to watch regardless. Plus, if you haven't had a chance to drop by the chain's new digs in Coorparoo, here's your excuse.
It has been a couple of years since Brisbane's Metre Market transformed into The Market Folk, and since the latter started holding regular markets at Coorparoo Square, too. It still knows how to celebrate Christmas, though — or to help you get ready for the most festive day of the year, to be specific. Head along from 9am–1pm on Sunday, December 12 to get your last-minute shopping done, and even find yourself a few nifty gifts. More than 45 stalls will be showcasing everything from fashion and food to arts, homewares and design items. There'll also be skincare, accessories and eco products as well. Yes, even if you're looking for a present for a particularly hard-to-buy-for friend, you're likely to find something. This is a Christmas market, so expect a few seasonal activities as well. That usually includes carolling, naturally — because if you're shopping at this time of year, you know you want the appropriate soundtrack.
Walking around Brisbane is a great way to enjoy your own backyard, see the local sights and get in some exercise. And for a 17-day period between Friday, June 24 and Sunday, July 10, doing just that will also allow you to engage with a series of interactive installations. They're called 'curiocities', and they're part of the returning Curiocity Brisbane festival, which focuses on the interaction of science, technology, innovation and the arts. This year, the festival's been curated by local artist, curator and academic Jay Younger. If this all sounds familiar — and not just from past years — that's because Curiocity Brisbane was planned to go live during World Science Festival Brisbane in March. But, no fear — it's here now! And enlivening a month of winter with its buzzing lineup of art-meets-science creativity, panel discussions and tours. First things first, lace up your walking shoes. This year, the festival will guide you past 20 outdoor, interactive installations, displayed along a 5km walking trail — snaking through South Bank, South Brisbane's Cultural Precinct, the City Botanic Gardens and the CBD. Standout installations include Acknowledging Place, which asks participants to sit and consider an Indigenous perspective of caring for Country; public sculpture OHCE/ECHO, which captures your portrait and embeds it in the work; and The Wandering Birds Have Returned to the River (Even Bernice), featuring imaginary giant bird nests made out of repurposed and reusable consumer goods. Other Curiocity must-sees include Luminous Threads, which combines embroidery with modern fibre optic technology; Mirage Project [Iceberg], which uses stereoscopic photography to inlay an iceberg from Antarctica into South Bank; and light and soundscape In the Air, a time-lapse piece that uses data from Antarctic ice-core samples to map changes over the past 400,000 years in a half-hour music and light show. Looking for some boundary-pushing chit chat? The Curious Conversations offering is for you. On Sunday, June 26, Art, AI & Empathy will see Younger and artist Georgie Pinn dive headfirst into the question of whether immersive technology can teach us to be better humans. Hidden in the Trees will highlight the intricacies present at the intersection of our devices and understanding of our natural world on Sunday, July 3. And First Nations artists will discuss their creative pieces and the communicative role art plays in awareness and protection of Country at Art, Science & Indigenous Knowledge on Sunday, July 10. If you want someone with the intel to explain the art to you, nab a spot in one of two free walking tours guided by the festival curator herself. The Curiocity Brisbane Tour will start at the Wheel of Brisbane on Wednesday, June 29, and the State Library of Queensland on Wednesday, July 6. Ready to explore, create and play? Head to the website to plan your visit and register for a free Curious Conversations session.
Just as hearts will go on, so will everyone's fascination with the Titanic: the ill-fated vessel and the film of the same name. Where the latter is concerned, it has been two decades since Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet stepped onboard James Cameron's Oscar-winning behemoth, danced, flirted, fell in love and fell afoul of an iceberg, but cinemas aren't done with the box-office hit yet. To be fair, however, the movie's latest outing isn't exactly in your usual picture palace. In November, Beyond Cinema will screen Titanic in the way you never thought you'd see it: on a ship in Sydney Harbour as part of a live event that not only lets you pretend you're on the real thing, but re-enacts the feature. They're calling it a unique cinema experience designed to take you into the movie, aka Titanic cosplay. If you're a fan, you'd best hold onto your necklaces and maybe bring your own door to use as a raft. The Titanic Experience is the maiden voyage in a planned series of similar events, with screening The Shawshank Redemption in a jail one of the next on the agenda according to The Sydney Morning Herald. Of course, they're not the first to jump into the immersive, interactive cinema space — Underground Cinema and World Movies Secret Cinema are just some of the organisations that have done the same thing, and Brisbane has had its own pop-up prison cinema as well. Still, Titanic on a boat sounds like a watery treat. Information regarding specific dates and prices is also yet to be announced; however anyone interested in pretending they're the king of the world can sign up for pre-release details on the Beyond Cinema website. Beyond Cinema's Titanic screening will take place in November. For more details, keep an eye on their website and Facebook page. Via The Sydney Morning Herald.
They're back. Killer Sprocket and Kaiju just keep teaming up — first to make the malty science experiment that was KaKS Cotmari, then to hold a monster movie night at Brewsvegas 2016, and now to step back into film territory. Killer Sprocket & Kaiju Go to the Movies 2: A Buddy Comedy is the sequel Brewsvegas had to have, aka a movie night where you don't just watch. Knocking back a beverage by both companies is a must here as you settle in for their film of choice. So too is listening in as The End pops on a classic flick and lets Killer Sprocket's brewer-slash-comedian Sean and Kaiju's resident funny guy Nate provide their own commentary. The ticket price includes the film and two schooners, with food also available.
Disney has its own. Apple has one too. And so does Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn. If you're fond of documentaries, you have not one but two local choices. The same applies if you're eager to get viewing for free, especially if you can handle retro flicks and titles that you've never heard of before. And if you're eager to support Australian content, there's one for that as well. We're talking about streaming platforms, of course. Throw in Netflix, Stan, Amazon Prime Video, SBS On Demand and ABC iView, and Aussies can't say there isn't anything to watch. That's not an exhaustive list either, because this space just keeps growing — with a new service dedicated to British television shows about to join the fold this year. Already operational in the USA, Canada and, of course, the United Kingdom, Britbox is a joint collaboration between two English TV networks: the BBC and ITV. They both have a hefty stable of programs up their sleeves — and while exactly what'll be available on the Aussie version of the service hasn't been announced, you can expect retro and recent series such as Absolutely Fabulous, The Office, Blackadder, Harlots and A Confession, based on the titles showcased on the current local website. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2DCExerOsA Britbox will focus on box sets of UK shows, which means full seasons all there at once ready for audiences to stream. You'll be able to do so via mobile devices, tablets, connected TVs and Chromecast — and via the online site. Just when Britbox will start streaming in Australia is yet to be revealed, other than than sometime in 2020. Nor has a price as yet, if you're eager to add another platform to your subscriptions. Britbox is set to launch in Australia sometime in 2020. Visit the streaming service's website to sign up for further updates.
Responsible for over seven studio albums, five Billboard Chart top-10 singles and countless record sales worldwide, Pitbull is currently on top of the popular music world. After selling out arenas in the United States, the Miami, Florida native is on his way to Brisbane for perform at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. Hits such as ‘I know You Want Me’, ‘Give Me Everything’ and ‘Hotel Room Service’ have energized fans worldwide, along with numerous collaborations with the likes of Usher, Enrique Iglesias and Jennifer Lopez. Performing with Pitbull on this tour are award winning songwriter Taio Cruz, sensational Aussie export Havana Brown and Australia’s Got Talent star, Timomatic.
There are two ways that you can add some extra flavour to your next boozy beverage. Mix your drink of choice with a heap of other ingredients and you've got yourself a cocktail, of course — or, you can opt for one of the many varieties of spirits that don't just stick to the usual recipe. Australia's newest vodka falls into the second category. And if you like lamingtons, which everyone should, then you're going to want to add a bottle to your liquor cabinet. Made by Gold Coast-based distillery Wildflower Gin, the limited-edition lamington-flavoured tipple appears as crystal clear as every other vodka. But it's made using local strawberries, cocoa and coconut, so you'll taste all of the above while you're sipping. Obviously, if you'd like to pair it with an actual lamington as well, that's encouraged. And if you're just keen on knocking back drinks that taste like dessert, that's fine as well. The strawberries, cocoa and coconut are all distilled with water from Tamborine Mountain, to help create a smooth beverage — which you can then drink neat by itself, pair with some soda water or add to a cocktail. If you're keen, you'll need to get in fast, because only 200 bottles are available online and at the distillery's Varsity Lakes home. Wildflower Gin's lamington vodka is available to order online for $75 — or, if you're near the Gold Coast, you can pick up a bottle at the distillery at 2/486 Scottsdale Drive, Varsity Lakes.
Who doesn't love First Dog on the Moon? As the Guardian's much-loved cartoonist, he's canny with political comedy and clever with a pencil. In the flesh, he's just as smart and satirical, as two of his Brisbane Writers Festival 2015 events will prove. We'd tell you to see his live show and his panel discussion on sarcasm, but they've already sold out, so it appears you're way ahead of us. Thankfully, the astronaut pooch is also fond of the soothing elixir that is whisky, and he wants to share his experiences. In what's likely to be BWF's most liquor-fuelled event, Malt Lovers sees everyone's favourite creative canine and fellow cartoonist Jon Kudelka hop through the highlights of their 600km tour of every whisky distillery and whisky bottler on the Tasmanian Whisky Trail.
Think jewellery is purely decorative? Think again. Sure, it brightens up your neck, wrists, fingers and more, but there's much, much more to bling than looking shiny. In fact, jewellery is a form of sculpture, as the latest exhibition by the Jewellers and Metalsmiths Group of Queensland makes plain. Presenting a curated selection of their members' work, Worn & Weathered demonstrates the artistry, intricacy, textures and concepts at the heart of everything from a ring to a brooch — and their interaction with issues and ideas of landscape. Yes, their pieces don't just please the eye, or add colour and shape to an outfit — they also connect with bigger themes and topics. In fact, next time you look at a piece of jewellery, it could be responding to Queensland's unique climate, or questioning the ethics of a society burning through the earth's resources. Image: Jandy Pannell , Dark Blooms (Neck Piece), 2016, recycled grocery checkout bags, reused and dyed fishing line and flax thread. Image by Jandy Pannell.
Whether you like them filled with jam and cream, or prefer plain cake all the way, the lamington is a perfect dessert. It's a piece of sponge cake covered in chocolate sauce and desiccated coconut — what's not to love? And, as excellent as it is on its own, it also fares exceptionally well when it's combined with other foods. Everything from lamington gelato to lamington milkshakes have already proven this fact, as has lamington-flavoured vodka, too. The latest creative take on this Australian favourite? A lamington-cruffin hybrid — which turns one food mashup into a bigger food mashup like the baked goods version of Inception. Sorry, lamington purists, it definitely isn't cube-shaped. But it now exists thanks to Lune Croissanterie. The bakery fills its Frankenstein's monster of a lamington-croissant-muffin with raspberry jam and whipped cream, then dips it in chocolate ganache and desiccated coconut. Without the latter, it just wouldn't be a lamington. And if that description has got your tastebuds in a tizzy, you can nab one — or several — in South Brisbane until Monday, January 31. The lamington cruffins lead Lune's January specials menu, which also includes coffee hazelnut twice-baked croissants, cinnamon buns, white nectarine and honey danishes, tomato tarts and the 'cherry ripe twice-baked' — which gives a pain au chocolat a cherry ripe-inspired twist. You'll find all those limited-edition treats at South Brisbane, too, and they can be pre-ordered online. That said, if you head to either the QAG Cafe and GOMA Bistro, Lune's Japanese cheesecake and lychee jelly croissants — inspired by the Gallery of Modern Art and Queensland Art Gallery's 10th Asia Pacific Triennial — is also available until the end of January. Lune's lamington cruffins are available from 15 Manning Street, South Brisbane, until Monday, January 31 — with pre-orders taken online.
If ever an event summarised just how we feel on pretty much any given day, it's John Mills Himself's So Much Gin, So Little Time... In fact, during July's Good Food Month, the Charlotte Street bar is almost daring you to prove otherwise. For the affordable price of $40, you'll taste six of the country's best craft gins, and learn the stories behind each — as well as some facts about the fast-growing Aussie industry in general. You'll also receive a gin cocktail too, should you need any more convincing.
A high tea at the Sofitel is the height of luxury, but a high tea inspired by the French, the queens of cake and cheese? Step aside. For a reasonable $55 you can indulge in a kir royale on arrival and then chomp (elegantly) through a spread of sweet and savoury treats in the Sofitel’s 30th floor Club Lounge. This year's tea was inspired by the 2015 Pantone Colour of the Year, marsala, and will feature scones, French pastries, ribbon sandwiches, raspberry choux a la creme, cherry cone mousse and pistachio sacher torte. Zut alors. Do make sure you sing 'Non, je ne regrette rien' loudly as you waddle home, full of French treats.
Each filmmaker sits in the shadows of all who came before them — and as cinema's history lengthens, so will those penumbras. With Bergman Island, French writer/director Mia Hansen-Løve doesn't merely ponder that idea; she makes it the foundation of her narrative, as well a launching pad for a playful and resonant look at love, work and the creative wonders our minds conjure up. Her central duo, two filmmakers who share a daughter, literally tread where the great Ingmar Bergman did. Visiting Fårö, the island off Sweden's southeastern coast that he called home and made his base, Chris (Vicky Krieps, Old) and Tony Sanders (Tim Roth, The Misfits) couldn't escape his imprint if they wanted to. They don't dream of trying, as they're each searching for as much inspiration as they can find; however, the idea of being haunted by people and their creations soon spills over to Chris' work. Bergman's Scenes From a Marriage has already been remade, albeit in a miniseries that arrived on the small screen a couple of months after Bergman Island premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival — but across one half of Hansen-Løve's feature, that title would fit here as well. Her resume has long been filled with intimate looks at complicated relationships, including in 2009's Father of My Children and 2011's Goodbye First Love, with her movies both peering deeply and cutting deep as they unfurl the thorny intricacies of romance. Accordingly, when Chris and Tony find themselves sleeping in the bedroom where Bergman shot the original Scenes From a Marriage, it's a loaded and layered moment several times over. That said, the thing about willingly walking in someone else's footsteps is that you're not bound to taking the exact same path — as Bergman Island's characters learn, and as the filmmaker that's brought them to the screen clearly already knows. Turning in finessed and thoughtful performances, Krieps and Roth bring a lived-in dynamic to the film's first key couple, with the chaos that swirls from being in the same line of work but chasing disparate aims not just flowing but bubbling in their paired scenes. He's the kind of Bergman fan that's adamant about going on the Bergman safari, a real-life thing that all visitors can do, for instance, while she prefers being shown around informally by young film student Hampus (acting debutant Hampus Nordenson). But their Fårö escapades only fill half of Bergman Island, because the movie also brings Chris' budding script to life. She tells Tony the tale, seeking his assistance in working out an ending, but he's too immersed in Bergman worship to truly pay attention. The feature itself, Hansen-Løve and the audience all savour the details, though — eagerly so. There, in this film-within-a-film, 28-year-old director Amy (Mia Wasikowska, Blackbird) visits an island, too — "a place like this," Chris advises, and one that visibly resembles Fårö. She dances to ABBA to cement the Swedish ties, and also spends her time on the locale's shores wading through matters of art and the heart. The catalyst for the latter: her ex Joseph (Anders Danielsen Lie, The Worst Person in the World). They're both attending a wedding of mutual friends, and their lengthy, passionate and volatile history quickly pushes to the fore. While they've each moved on, they're also forever connected, especially when placed in such close quarters. Accordingly, that tumultuous relationship is as bedevilled by other creative endeavours, and also by the thrall of history, as Chris' quest to put pen to paper. And, via the movie-inside-a-movie concept, there's an evocative sense of mirroring that couldn't spring any firmer from Bergman himself. Again, Hansen-Løve hasn't merely made her version of a Bergman film. As her screenplay-in-progress comes to life in the Wasikowska-led segments, Chris hasn't either. Rather, both muse on how fine the lines are between life, love and the myriad of influences that come everyone's ways — and if you know anything about Hansen-Løve herself, who was previously in a long-term relationship with fellow filmmaker Olivier Assayas (Clouds of Sils Maria, Personal Shopper), it's easy to see yet another level of links between her situation and those played out in the movie. Perhaps that's why Bergman Island proves as savvy and soulful as anything in the director's career so far, including the stellar Eden and Things to Come, and as personal and profound as well. Not all helmers use their work to sift through parallels in their own existence, whether in fictionalised or semi-autobiographical form, but few do so as well as this. Naturally, it helps when an actor as talented as The Phantom Thread standout Krieps is on hand to play Hansen-Løve's potential on-screen surrogate, and when the equally exceptional Wasikowska then arrives as the latter's own equivalent. The similarities between the two are counterbalanced by their contrasts, but they're constantly in sync either way — sharing mannerisms and reactions at times, juxtaposing different responses and actions at others, but consistently feeling like two halves of a whole. Individually and combined, their performances do what the very best manage, letting audiences into their characters' headspace and hearts alike. Of course, that's a skill that Hansen-Løve's quiet, patient, perceptive and expressive directorial style has always heightened, including her way with music; in mood and impact, that aforementioned ABBA scene sits up there with Eden's revelatory EDM-soundtracked moments. Also essential: the mischievous vibe that floats through Bergman Island like a soft sea breeze, as aided by cinematographer Denis Lenoir (Eden, Things to Come) and editor Marion Monnier (a veteran of the same two films, and of Assayas' Clouds of Sils Maria and Personal Shopper, too). They shoot and edit with an enthralling sheen and rhythm that's part-dream, part-memory, part-emotional whirlwind — and, assisted by repeated props and costumes that pop up across its two sections, they each help the movie toy with where lines are blurred, what's pinned together and when various aspects nest like matryoshka dolls. Reality and fantasy weave in and out here, and in multiple ways. In a feature that unpacks the stories that surround relationships, careers, cinema and creativity, especially where celluloid reveries and the people behind them are involved, that's as natural as idolising auteurs like Bergman. Exactly who authors our lives, hope and ambitions, how and why, and what thrall we let them hold: that's another question this entrancing and ingenious filmic getaway also astutely contemplates.
20,000 Days on Earth is a documentary that's fiction. Though it's by no means the only documentary to question the form and take things meta, it is one of the most boldly experimental ones out there. It's a work that's highly constructed from start to finish — and since it's constructed with and about Nick Cave, there's plenty of fun to be had. The film imagines the 20,000th day on earth of the Australian-born, UK-based singer and raconteur. It's a day that includes him talking to his shrink, recording an album, helping archivists make sense of his historical record, lunching with his pals, driving Kylie Minogue around Brighton, and playing at the Sydney Opera House. A pretty great day, really, particularly for its impossibilities. Running throughout is, naturally, Cave's own music, rumbling out of the studio and guiding his path through the world. Instead of clarity and chronology, what you get in 20,000 Days on Earth is a fragmented sense of biography that is sometimes deeply insightful, sometimes electrifying and sometimes frustrating. Major characters in the life of Nick Cave, such as collaborator Warren Ellis and The Proposition star Ray Winstone, appear without context or label, meaning that to really follow this winding ride, you have to be au fait with the life of Cave. If you're not, just let it go; there are plenty of moments here that are plain entertaining regardless, while a live performance montage set to a frenzied, ever building version of 'Jubilee Street' is near rapturous to witness. The conversation between Cave and Minogue feels painfully intimate and revealing, despite all the scripting that frames it. Artists-turned-directors Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard have basically conjured a new format here, one that's wondrously poetic and imaginative. There's a sense that it could be applied to tell nearly anybody's fragmented, personal tale, though having the flair and flamboyance of Cave certainly helps. Eavesdropping on a conversation with Cave is right up there with the high points of cultural consumption. 20,000 Days on Earth gets points for pure brio. It's not like anyone would want every documentary to be made this way, but it sure is an interesting divergence. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ap0_y5EGttk
Sit in a chair. Embrace the otherworldly. Whether you're ready for it or not — physically and emotionally alike — bear witness to the dead being summoned. Speak to those who are no longer in the land of the living. Perhaps, while you're chatting, get caught in a dialogue with something nefarious as well. Talk to Me used this setup to audience-wowing and award-winning effect. Now comes Baghead, which stems from a short film that pre-dates 2023's big Australian-made horror hit, and was shot before Michael and Danny Philippou's A24-distributed flick played cinemas, but still brings it to mind instantly. Audiences can be haunted by what they've seen before, especially in a busy, ever-growing genre where almost everything is haunted anyway and few pictures feel genuinely new. Here, there's no shaking how Talk to Me gnaws at Baghead. First-time feature filmmaker Alberto Corredor adapts his own applauded short, which picked up gongs at film festivals around the globe. Both of his movies — abridged and full-length — possess the same moniker as a mumblecore effort starring Greta Gerwig before she was directing Lady Bird, Little Women and Barbie. That's where the similarities between 2008's Baghead and 2024's end, but the new Baghead doesn't stop conjuring up thoughts of other flicks. The director and screenwriters Christina Pamies (another debutant) and Bryce McGuire (Night Swim) make grief their theme, and with commitment; the pain of loss colours the movie as much as its shadowy imagery. But, despite boasting two dedicated performances, Corredor's Baghead is routine again and again. At The Queen's Head in Berlin, Owen Lark (Peter Mullan, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) oversees a ramshackle four-centuries-old pub where customers aren't there for the drinks. The basement is the big drawcard for those in the know, with the being that resides in it, in a hole in a brick wall, luring punters in the door. Everyone who arrives with cash and a plea for help is in mourning. When Neil (Jeremy Irvine, Benediction) makes an entrance, he knows exactly what he wants. Baghead begins not with Owen letting his latest patron meet the entity that shares the movie's title, though, but with him endeavouring to vanquish it. If he was successful, there'd be no film from there. Because he isn't, his estranged daughter Iris (Freya Allan, The Witcher) is summoned to the German city by a solicitor (Ned Dennehy, The Peripheral), becoming the watering hole's next owner. It's thanks to Neil that Iris discovers Baghead's namesake. In addition to being determined to talk to his deceased wife, he's persistent. And yes, the witchy being does sport a sack, which is removed when it is spends 120 seconds transforming into another soul. Also, the $2000 that Neil is offering is more than a little helpful for the twentysomething who grew up in the foster system after her mother's (Saffron Burrows, White Widow) death, just had her landlord change the locks on her and only can only lean on her best friend Katie (Ruby Barker, Bridgerton). Potential financial benefits, plus a roof over her head, are why she agrees to sign up for taking over the bar to start with. No amount of money could compensate for becoming saddled with a necromancer that doesn't want to be holed up underground and has a bag of tricks to mess with anyone willing to use its eerie skills, however. A VHS tape from Iris' dad detailing instructions can't stop Baghead, either. As Scream satirised three decades back in the slasher realm but horror loves in general, there are rules. There's also consequences for not abiding by them. Exceed the time limit with Baghead and the malevolent creature could spirit up anyone. Going into the cavern beneath the tavern is also forbidden — and so is Iris trying to snatch time with her own lost loved ones now that she's the entity's guardian. With the basics laid out, and viewers knowing that all of the above will happen, the predictable plot's expected beats become a matter of if rather than when. There's no subtlety to the storytelling, nor to the tension-courting score or gloomy visuals. Luckily, Baghead does have both Allan and Mullan, even if the latter isn't around for long (but longer than getting bumped off in the introduction would mean if this wasn't a flick about conversing with the fallen). In her first lead film role, as well as just her ninth screen credit — The Third Day and Gunpowder Milkshake are among the others; Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the fourth flick in the current Planet of the Apes franchise, will become the tenth within months — Allan takes convincingly to being a horror heroine. Iris is also a horror-movie character who has clearly never seen a horror movie in her life given her choices, but emotion anchors Allan's performance. The star best-known as Crown Princess Cirilla of Cintra to-date tries to help the film overcome its many cliches; that it can't is never on her shoulders. Mullan, one of Scotland's great acting talents since the 90s, is also crucial, particularly for getting audiences paying attention at the outset. Baghead doesn't match his intensity, but it's better for having him brooding within its Cale Finot (Leopard Skin)-lensed frames. If viewers only had two minutes to choose a recent back-from-the-dead feature to watch, Baghead isn't the pick. That said, although it hardly dives deep or does much with it, it understands grief. That the picture's protagonist is another of Baghead's characters with unresolved emotions tied to losing someone might sound too neat, yet thankfully it isn't. Setting up a sequel proves clunky. Attempting to add a feminist spin plays too conveniently. Facing loss: that resonates. Corredor, Pamies and McGuire know how pervasive that mourning is, and how universal that grappling with mortality is, too. In fact, if Iris didn't have her own brush with loss, as everyone has, that'd stand out. If only Baghead's creative forces knew how to build a film that wasn't so by the numbers around its premise — and for 94 minutes.
Welcome to Rekall, where dreams become memories. Eager to escape his fine but not quite good enough life with wife Lori (Kate Beckinsale) factory worker Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell) decides to take a bit of a limbic vacation, swapping real memories for the adventure-filled world of a super spy. But, when fates collide, and the procedure goes horribly wrong, he finds himself a wanted man - on the run from a particularly trigger happy police force under the control of Chancellor Cohaagen, and must join up with rebel fighter Melina (Jessica Biel) in a last ditch shot at survival. Worth watching? Len Wiseman’s remake of the Arnie led original has a lot to live up to, but with up-dated special effects and some tasty looking cinematography it might just come out on top, and will surely look incredible on the big screen.
If there's one constant in Brisbane's live music and party scene, it's this: the good folks at the Brightside have never met an occasion they didn't like. Whatever the date, there's a Brighty celebration to mark it. Take their Easter Blowout, for example. Yes, the Valley venue is getting biblical, and giving everyone's Easter Sunday another purpose — other than consuming copious amounts of chocolate, of course. That just means they're throwing an epic shindig. Expect themed cocktails, free chocolate eggs and live sets by She Cries Wolf, Stepson, Vitals and Ratking.
You there, yes you. Put down that ale, it’s stale. Wait what? Join Brewcult’s Steve ‘Hendo’ Henderson on a fun, experiential session of hops evaluation. Covering hot hop topics such as hops usage techniques in the brewery, hops varieties and hops faults, he’ll change the way you drink beer, making you ask, are you getting the freshest, hoppiest beer you can? Arrive unsure. Leave enlightened.
David Attenborough may have turned 94 in 2020; however the acclaimed broadcaster and natural historian isn't slowing down anytime soon. Fresh from narrating and presenting two new TV series last year — Our Planet and Seven Worlds, One Planet — and even appearing at Glastonbury to promote the latter, he's now bringing his latest movie-length documentary to cinemas. Called David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet, the film sees Attenborough look back on his more than nine decades on earth, the sights he has seen and the changes he has witnessed. Specifically, he reflects upon humanity's enormous and damaging impact on the natural world. Produced by wildlife filmmakers Silverback Films and global environmental organisation WWF, the resulting doco us described as "a powerful message of hope for future generations". In the film's trailer, Attenborough doesn't hold back. "The living world is a unique and spectacular marvel, yet the way we humans live on earth is sending it into a decline," he comments — before further noting that "human beings have overrun the world". He calls the film his "witness statement" and his "vision for the future", exploring humankind's actions over its existence and how moves can be made to address the planet's current environmental state. Naturally, Attenborough's wise words are combined with striking footage — as you'd expect of anything that the broadcaster is involved in. Originally due to hit the silver screen for one night only, A Life On Our Planet was slated to show in cinemas Down Under in April — but, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, its release was postponed. It'll now premiere on Monday, September 28 and stick around for a longer cinema season, with the film paired with an exclusive cinema-only conversation between Attenborough and Sir Michael Palin. There's nothing quite like seeing stunning nature footage on a big screen; however if you miss out or can't make it along, the documentary will also head to Netflix before spring is out. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLVkqjHrAzw&feature=youtu.be David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet will screen in Australian and New Zealand cinemas from Monday, September 28, before hitting Netflix before spring is out. Top image: WWF; Joe Fereday, Silverback Films.
Between Saturday, November 24, 2018 and Sunday, April 28, 2019, the Gallery of Modern Art and Queensland Art Gallery are bringing the Asia Pacific to Brisbane for the ninth time. Every three years since 1993, the city's major art institutions celebrate the vast creativity brightening up the region as part of the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art. At the 2018 event — the fifth since GOMA opened, and one that's free as usual — more than 80 individuals, collectives and group projects will grace the walls of the two galleries, representing over 30 countries. Understandably, the highlights are many. View a major site-specific work by leading Chinese artist Qiu Zhijie, see Singapore-based artists Donna Ong andRobert Zhao Renhui turn QAG's Watermall into a new landscape filled with artificial plants, or dive into the water with separate video works by Martha Atienza and Monira Al Qadiri — with the latter not only making the gallery feel like an aquarium, but also being projected onto the William Jolly Bridge for five days. When you enter the exhibition, you'll walk beneath towering sculptures created from nassa shells from Papua New Guinea, while APT9 also features the largest contingent of First Nation artists in its history, including Australian Indigenous art. The massive showcase kicks off with a weekend filled with events across Friday, November 23 and Sunday, November 25, complete with an opening party, talks and performances, with plenty more events scheduled for the exhibition's entire run. Accompanying cinema programs will look at film from the region, and there's also a secret jacaranda garden-like piece called Purple Reign. Sure, the burst of brightness is designed for children, but bigger kids are welcome. Image: Martha Atienza. The Philippines b.1981. Our Islands 11°16'58.4"N 123°45'07.0"E (still). 2017. Single channel HD video (01:12:00 min. loop), no audio. Image courtesy: The artist and Silverlens Galleries, The Philippines.
Not quite certain what to get your loved ones for Christmas this year? Then you clearly haven't spent enough time at a festive market. It's virtually impossible to browse your way through hundreds of stalls and come up empty-handed — in fact, that'd take more effort than picking gifts for your nearest and dearest. Your next place to put the above theory to the test: the Nundah Christmas Twilight Markets, which take place from 4–10pm on Saturday, December 3. Yes, there really will be quite the lineup of places to grab handmade presents, including clothes, jewellery, art, homewares, soap, candles and all things edible. You'll find both gourmet foods and festive treats on offer as well (including bites to eat while you're there). For your $2 entry fee, you can enjoy a stint of shopping under the site's fairy lights at Nundah Markets' usual spot on Station Street. And, you can stop in at the North Pole-themed bar, too. Decorations will be decking the walls with more than boughs of holly, and live music is also on the agenda.
For the second year in a row, Bluefest won't unleash a lineup of blues and roots tunes upon Byron Bay. After its 2021 event was originally cancelled just days out from its usual Easter slot, and then later postponed to October, the long-running fest has announced that it's now abandoning plans to go ahead this year. Instead, it'll return in 2022 — three years after its last festival, given that its 2020 event was also scrapped due to the pandemic — and will once again settle into its traditional Easter long weekend period. "It is obvious that we cannot present Bluesfest in a safe manner in October — the safety and protection of our loyal Bluesfesters, our festival staff, our performers, our volunteers, stallholders and suppliers is paramount," said festival organisers in a statement. "So, we have re-scheduled to our usual timing with dates over the Easter long weekend next year in April 2022 — by this time, we expect things to have returned much more back to normal.... There is confidence that, by the end of this year, Australia will have achieved at least a 70–80 percent vaccination rate and will have achieved at least 'stage three' in the plan to open up the whole country. Lockdowns will be consigned to history. Perhaps we may even see international artists returning — if they can come, we will be presenting them." Music lovers and festival-goers, mark Friday, April 15–Monday, April 18 in your diaries, with Bluesfest 2022 set to be a four-day event. Once again, it'll take over Byron Events Farm (formerly Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm) just outside Byron Bay. And, on-stage, it won't be lacking in company. Bluesfest Byron Bay returns Easter Long Weekend 2022 with headliners @MidnightOilBand, @PaulKelly, @JimmyBarnes... and the newly added @FatFreddysDrop1! Plus more headliners to be announced! 👉 https://t.co/r1HzgvcPM7 pic.twitter.com/jonipE8ArR — Bluesfest Byron Bay (@BluesfestByron) August 17, 2021 Bluesfest has confirmed a number of artists on its 2022 lineup, including a range of names that were meant to grace the stage this year. Midnight Oil, Paul Kelly and Jimmy Barnes will still lead the bill, with John Butler, Xavier Rudd, Pete Murray, Ian Moss, Mark Seymour & The Undertow, Kate Ceberano, Kasey Chambers, The Waifs, The Church, Briggs and Kate Miller-Heidke among the other names still locked in for the next fest. And, a selection of new acts have jumped onto the roster so far, including Fat Freddy's Drop, Josh Teskey and Ash Grunwald, John Williamson, CW Stoneking and Rockwiz Live. More are set to be announced in the months leading up to the fest. Bluesfest joins a long list of major events affected by the pandemic two years running, including Vivid Sydney, the Sydney Film Festival, the Melbourne International Film Festival, the Ekka in Brisbane and the Royal Melbourne Show. Folks with tickets for the now-cancelled October festival will still be able to use them at the 2022 event. BLUESFEST 2022 LINEUP: Midnight Oil Paul Kelly Jimmy Barnes Fat Freddy's Drop John Butler Xavier Rudd Pete Murray Ian Moss Kate Ceberano Kasey Chambers The Waifs The Church Jon Stevens The Living End Mark Seymour & The Undertow The Angels Russell Morris Kate Miller-Heidke Vika & Linda All Our Exes Live in Texas Ross Wilson and The Peaceniks John Williamson Troy Cassar-Daley Briggs Tex Perkins The Man In Black Josh Teskey and Ash Grunwald CW Stoneking Rockwiz Live Bluesfest 2021 has been cancelled, and Bluesfest 2022 will take place from Friday, April 15–Monday, April 18. Tickets are on sale now — for further information, head to the Bluesfest website. Top image: Joseph Mayers.
The 16 pieces of the BMW Art Car Collection have been individually displayed in museums across the world, most notably in famous art venues such as New York's Guggenheim Museum and Paris' Louvre. At least one piece of the collection, however, has always remained within the familiar walls of the BMW Museum in Munich, Germany, where the collection began in 1975. The classic cars are painted by artists such as Calder, Warhol, Hockney and Lichtenstein. Each car is a canvas for uniquely vibrant interpretations of BMW's value of automotive performance and the pure joy that the company believes comes with driving. In 1979 Warhol even painted his entire BMW for the collection in only 23 minutes in order to convey a sense of speed, using quick brushstrokes and colors that appeared to blur together. Two of the cars have an Australian connection, with car seven painted by aboriginal artist Michael Jagamara Nelson, and car eight emblazoned in Ken Done's trademark bright colours. This year the Art Car Collection is celebrating 35 years of creating exquisite "rolling masterpieces" by welcoming home the entire set of painted cars to Munich. For the first time, all of the pieces are together under one roof in the BMW Museum for the special anniversary exhibition and are on display until September 30.
Across November, New South Wales is hosting 1000 gigs at more than 300 venues, all thanks to the State Government-run Great Southern Nights. The event is helping to restart the state's live music scene after this year's lockdowns and restrictions, and it has just gained a huge new addition — especially in terms of crowd size. While you might've already filled your calendar with smaller shows both in Sydney and across the rest of NSW, make room for The Great Southern Nights series, which'll take place on Saturday, November 28 and Saturday, December 5. Not only will the two gigs hit up Qudos Bank Arena — marking the first big indoor arena shows in Australia since the beginning of the pandemic — but they'll host just over 5000 punters at each gig. That's just a fraction of the venue's 21,000 total capacity, but it still covers a hefty number of music lovers in a year that's been mostly devoid of listening to live tunes en masse. It'll all be held in a COVID-19-safe manner, of course — and, across the two shows, it's expected that crowd numbers will near 12,000 in total. As for the lineup, the first evening will see Ocean Alley, Jack River, Ruby Fields and Jack Botts doing their thing on stage — while the second gig will feature Bernard Fanning, Matt Corby and Merci Mercy. The Great Southern Nights series will take place as NSW's events calendar is slowly filling up, and as venues are being given the go-ahead to welcome in bigger crowds. The state's outdoor stadiums can have up to 10,000 fans in the stands; theatres, concert halls and cinemas can host events of up to 1000 people, and country shows of up to 5000 people will be allowed to happen this summer. The Great Southern Nights takes place on Saturday, November 28 and Saturday, December 5 at Qudos Bank Arena. For more information, or to buy tickets — from 10am ADST on Monday, November 9 for the first gig and at the same time on Tuesday, November 10 for the second — head to the Ticketek website. Top image: Ocean Alley, Neegzistuoja via Wikimedia Commons.
Brisbane will receiving a very trendy Christmas present this year, straight from the catwalks of London. Iconic British fashion brand TOPSHOP & TOPMAN will be opening its largest Australian store to date this December, taking over the old Borders site on the corner of Elizabeth and Albert Streets. The latest lines of their clothing, footwear, denim and accessory collections will be spread across three levels, including one level dedicated just for the boys. The Brisbane store will also be offering a free personal shopping service across both brands. Managing director for TOPSHOP Mary Homer says the decision for a new Brisbane store was due to the positive response to the opening of stores in Sydney and Melbourne and believes the new store will become a go-to shopping haunt for the Brisbane fashionistas. "I feel confident that the TOPSHOP aesthetic will strike a chord with the effortlessly chic Brisbane customer, and its trend-setting and fashion conscious crowds," says Homer. TOPSHOP TOPMAN Brisbane will be located at 140 Albert Street, Brisbane and is set to open in December 2013.
When you've already got 2023's Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or-winner and Venice International Film Festival Golden Lion recipient on your lineup, what comes next? If you're the Brisbane International Film Festival, you fill out your just-announced full program with impressive flicks from fests around the world, and featuring beloved talents. Two big standouts: All of Us Strangers, as led by Fleabag's Andrew Scott and Aftersun's Paul Mescal — plus Taika Waititi's new movie Next Goal Wins. Both join a bill that'll show River City cinephiles 42 features and 18 shorts across 11 movie-filled days in October and November. When it arrives for 2023 from Thursday, October 26–Sunday, November 5 — taking over various Reading, Dendy and Five Star cinemas around Brisbane — BIFF will see the two of the internet's boyfriends grace its screens in the newest effort directed by Weekend and Lean on Pete's Andrew Haigh. Heading to the fest fresh from premiering at Telluride, All of Us Strangers adapts Taichi Yamada's 1987 novel Strangers. As for Next Goal Wins, it will close out BIFF 2023 with a comedy based on the 2014 documentary of the same name. The details might ring a bell if you're a fan of soccer and you remember the American Samoan team's big 2001 defeat. Competing against Australia in a qualifying match two decades back, the squad lost 31–0. Cue the hiring of Dutch American coach Thomas Rongen, who Michael Fassbender (X-Men: Dark Phoenix) plays in Waititi's movie. Also a massive highlight: BIFF becoming the latest Australian festival to show Strange Way of Life, aka the most-anticipated short of the year. As well as featuring The Last of Us favourite Pedro Pascal, the 30-minute flick is the newest work by inimitable Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar (Parallel Mothers) and co-stars Ethan Hawke (Moon Knight). Other newly unveiled standouts span May December, which hails from Carol filmmaker Todd Haynes, is led by Natalie Portman (Thor: Love and Thunder) and Julianne Moore (Sharper), and dives into a scandal — and also The Royal Hotel from Casting JonBenet and The Assistant helmer Kitty Green, which turns doco Hotel Coolgardie into an Aussie thriller featuring Julia Garner (Ozark) and Jessica Henwick (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery). Hugo Weaving (Love Me) also pops up in that, as well as in The Rooster, which follows a hermit and a cop who form a bond during a crisis. Or, Brisbane movie lovers can check out Housekeeping for Beginners from You Won't Be Alone and Of an Age's Goran Stolevski; German filmmaker Wim Wenders (Submergence) heading to Japan with Perfect Days; Earth Mama, an A24 release by Grammy-nominated music video veteran Savanah Leaf; birth/rebirth, which riffs on Frankenstein just as the already-unveiled Poor Things does; and Smoke Sauna Sisterhood, a documentary about an Estonian log-cabin sauna. Riceboy Sleeps spends time with a Korean single mother and her son as they start a new life in Canada in the 90s, while Sunflower spins a coming-of-age tale in the Melbourne suburbs — and Australia's You'll Never Find Me centres on a caravan resident, a surprise visitor and a thunderstorm. The list goes on, complete with You Should Have Been Here Yesterday's look at the early days of Aussie surf culture, the Randall Park (Strays)-directed comedy Shortcomings and homegrown festive comedy A Savage Christmas, plus retrospective sessions of 1950'sThe Munekata Sisters, 1963's Contempt and 2002's Rabbit-Proof Fence. And, there's the previously announced Uproar, the New Zealand feature opening the fest; Palme d'Or-anointed Anatomy of a Fall, French director Justine Triet's (Sibyl) drama about an author (Sandra Hüller, Toni Erdmann) accused of her husband's murder; and Hirokazu Kore-eda's Monster, the prolific helmer's latest on a lengthy resume that also includes Shoplifters and Broker. Also already added to the lineup: the aforementioned Poor Things from The Favourite's Yorgos Lanthimos; body-horror film Tiger Stripes, which is set in the Malaysian jungle and won the 2023 Cannes Critics' Week Grand Prize; the talk show-set horror Late Night with the Devil; and The Ending Goes Forever: The Screamfeeder Story, focusing on of Brisbane's 90s indie-music favourites. "Our film festival brings a diverse perspective from filmmakers all around the world, and we are proud to be able to showcase these voices and their stories. This program is ambitious and has a strong vision of stories that will make you think and perhaps look at the world in a different way," said BIFF CEO Luke Wheatley, announcing the full program. "These are films from emerging and established filmmakers at their best and I cannot wait to sit in the cinema and share these." The 2023 Brisbane International Film Festival runs between Thursday, October 26–Sunday, November 5 at selected Dendy, Reading and Five Star cinemas around Brisbane. For further information, or to buy tickets, head to the festival website.
Since 2018, South Bank's Stanley Street has been home to a two-level German joint that serves up steins, schnitzels and pretzels. Come November this year, however, the space previously occupied by Munich Brauhaus is getting a huge makeover, transforming into El Camino Cantina's newest southeast Queensland location. Brisbane isn't lacking in Mexican eateries. El Camino already operates two — in Bowen Hills and Chermside — and also opened an outpost in Robina earlier in 2020. But the chain's Tex-Mex cuisine is definitely on the way to the inner city, along with its colourful decor and unapologetically over-the-top vibe. Both Munich Brauhaus and El Camino are part of Rockpool Dining Group, which also owns Sake, Beerhaus, The Bavarian and WingHaus, so this is really a case of a hospitality company rebranding one of its locations. Of course, if you've been to an El Camino casual dining joint before, you'll know that the revamp will be quite noticeable. Think loud, bright and filled with giant cocktails, rock 'n' roll jukeboxes, free sombreros and other lively Tex-Mex fare. The new El Camino will hold 510 patrons, including in a 140-seat outdoor dining area filled with colourful umbrellas, a ground-floor diner area that can sit 120 people, and an upstairs bar that can host 250 patrons — and will host DJs, too, each weekend. [caption id="attachment_785947" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Render of El Camino Cantina South Bank's upstairs area[/caption] Slushie machines, a big feature at the chain's other venues, will be part of the fitout as well, signalling big nights and brain freezes. El Camino's margaritas come in multiple sizes and renditions — such as a tropical Red Bull flavour, which really says it all. Other options include a host of beers from near and far, and a sizeable collection of mezcals and tequilas. The food lineup is as fun and casual as the drinks, spanning fiery buffalo wings, sizzling fajitas, plump burritos, soft shell tacos loaded with punchy flavour combinations, and unlimited complimentary corn chips and salsas. It'll also have El Camino's signature specials, including $2 tacos on Tuesdays and ten-cent wings on Wednesdays. And, when it opens its doors at a yet-to-be-revealed late-November date, El Camino's South Bank spot will do so with a six-week-long margarita festival. Called Ritapalooza, it'll serve up those frosty, boozy beverages in 15 different flavours. El Camino Cantina will open at 153 Stanley Street, South Brisbane in November — we'll update you with an exact launch date when one is announced. Top image: El Camino Cantina Chermside.
Sixty years ago, biscuit history was made. Back in 1964, the winning combination of malted bikkies filled with chocolate cream and covered in textured chocolate first hit Australian shelves — and, much to the delight of tastebuds across the country, Tim Tams were born. Since then, what might just be the nation's favourite biscuit has come in all manner of flavours (including both Gelato Messina- and Jatz-riffing versions), inspired a hotel suite and earned fame around the world. But Lune working Tim Tams into one of its pastries? That's new. To celebrate the bikkie's 60th anniversary, Lune Croissanterie has joined forces with Tim Tam's maker Arnott's to create a twice-baked Tim Tam pain au chocolat. The must-try bakery item features Tim Tam biscuit frangipane and chocolate ganache inside, and also chunks of Tim Tams on top. If you're keen to sink your teeth into one, you've got a month to head to one of Lune's Melbourne and Brisbane venues. "We are so honoured to be part of this special 60-year celebration. I am *this* close to fulfilling my dream of becoming the Tim Tam Genie!" said Lune Owner and Founder Kate Reid, announcing the collaboration. "We all have such fond memories with Tim Tam, and so we really wanted to create something that befits such an Aussie icon." The Tim Tam pain au chocolate is on the Lune menu across October 2024, from Tuesday, October 1–Thursday, October 31, at all stores in the Victorian (Fitzroy, the CBD and Armadale) and Queensland (South Brisbane and Burnett Lane) capitals. Taking cues from the beloved biscuit shouldn't come as a surprise for the bakery's customers. Lune loves an edible mashup, turning fellow food items into pastries — as one of its other October specials, birthday cake croissants, also demonstrates. This year marks 12 years of Lune, too, which is why the chain is doing some celebrating of its own. Available from its Fitzroy, Armadale, South Brisbane and Brisbane CBD locations, its birthday cake croissants are inspired by the birthday cake from Milk Bar Store in New York, and feature birthday cake frangipane and birthday crumb in a twice-baked tradition croissant. On top: vanilla buttercream and — because it wouldn't be a birthday without them — sprinkles. Among the sweet dishes, the October specials range also features cinnamon buns (made with sugar, cinnamon and crushed walnuts, and finished with cream cheese glaze and roasted walnuts) and passionfruit coconut cruffins (featuring passionfruit sugar, passionfruit coconut whip, passionfruit jam, coconut flakes and meringue shards). Lune is also going savoury with its everything croissant, complete with herb paste, chive cream cheese and everything bagel seasoning among the ingredients. As always, different options are available at different stores — and only some shops take pre-orders. Lune's October 2024 specials are available from Tuesday, October 1–Thursday, October 31. Different items are available from different stores, with Lune operating at Fitzroy, the CBD and Armadale in Melbourne, and South Brisbane and Burnett Lane in Brisbane — and from everywhere except the Melbourne CBD, you can also order them online. Images: Pete Dillon.
When staring at a new page, a blank screen or an empty plate, what inspires us to take that first step into the unknown? Is it the wish to emulate the greats or is it a wish to add to the canon or is it simply a matter of sustenance? The Greeks gave a name to the thing that pushes you into the dark. It was the muse, an elusive source of creation that was part divination, part nature but was the driving power behind mankind's greatest creations. Modern day muses take many forms and the Sydney Film Festival is looking to explore six of them. Creative Drive is a collection of six movies designed to engage and produced to inspire - with some of the movie industry's biggest names going back to their roots to discover what inspired those who have inspired them. In A Letter to Elia, Martin Scorsese looks at the director behind On The Waterfront and A Streetcar Named Desire, controversial Hollywood filmmaker Elia Kazan. The documentary, El Bulli: Cooking In Progress goes behind the scenes of El Bulli, the Spanish restaurant which is the most exclusive and the best in the world. The Mill and the Cross exmaines Pieter Bruegel's 1564 masterpiece, The Procession to Calvary, and some of the stories behind it - the SFF points out that it may be the closest a feature film has ever come to being a painting. How to enter If you wish to uncover genius approaches, dissect the masters' processes or simply enjoy an engaging film, Concrete Playground has a double pass to each of the 6 films. To go in the running, simply subscribe to our newsletter and tell us which one of the six films you'd like to see by email at hello@concreteplayground.com.au. Entries close on Wednesday, June 25 at 5pm. https://youtube.com/watch?v=qzbbYinuTWc
Brewing and breakfast? This place knows our weak spot. Get up and out bright and early to the region’s newest brewery – The Pumpyard. Only opening the doors last week, Four Hearts Brewing Company is inviting you to come and watch them get their hands dirty making a specialty beer at Pumpyard, all while explaining the brewing process. Then tuck into a breakfast fit for a head brewer. Perfect.
