In what was probably the biggest celestial (and perhaps social media) event of 2016, last night the supermoon rose majestically in the sky, like a beacon reminding that, yes, the world will keep turning even if certain world events have us feeling like it will stop dead in its tracks. Token stargazers turned out to coastal and elevated vantage points around the country to catch a glimpse of the bigger-than-normal moon, which would come over the horizon Melancholia-style to take or save us all. Well, perhaps it wasn't quite as dramatic. The moon — while 13 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than usual — looked sort of normal. And that was just to those who could see it. Many parts of Australia had their view of the big piece of cheese obstructed by some very unconsiderate clouds. So if you didn't see it, here's the best photos from Australia and around the world. They should be enough to tide you over until 2034. SYDNEY A photo posted by T Vaclavek (@wayfarerphoto) on Nov 14, 2016 at 1:29am PST A photo posted by Jon Bader (@jon_bader) on Nov 14, 2016 at 12:52pm PST MELBOURNE A photo posted by D. (@ogonbatosan) on Nov 14, 2016 at 12:41pm PST BRISBANE A photo posted by Thiago Pacheco (@thiagopacheco) on Nov 14, 2016 at 3:51am PST A photo posted by Christopher Dakers (@chrisdakers) on Nov 14, 2016 at 12:22pm PST A photo posted by Daily Mail (@dailymail) on Nov 14, 2016 at 10:26am PST UTAH A photo posted by Jonathan Irish (@jonathan_irish) on Nov 14, 2016 at 10:24am PST epa editor's choice 14 November 2016 - https://t.co/XCGNo4r46z pic.twitter.com/MGvfpoS5Sx — epaphotos (@epaphotos) November 14, 2016 LONDON Outstanding photo of the #supermoon & a plane over London (📷 by @photogator96) pic.twitter.com/JgNbcZHKdV — Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) November 14, 2016 SOMERSET, UK A photo posted by Pearl Lowe (@pearllowe) on Nov 13, 2016 at 9:42am PST A photo posted by GreekGateway.com ® (@greekgateway) on Nov 14, 2016 at 9:26am PST Top image: thiagopachec via Instagram.
Pubs, restaurants and cafes around the country have been forced to close, meaning the loss of many hospitality jobs — and it's all happened very, very quickly. According to website I Lost My Hospo Shift, at last count, 2585 Aussie hospo workers had lost their jobs and 13,195 shifts had been cut, which equates to over $2 million in lost wages this week alone. To help those impacted by the sudden changes — and those without access to Job Keeper, such as those on temporary worker visas — a bunch of top Aussie chefs, including Matt Moran (Aria, Chiswick, Barangaroo House), Luke Mangan (Luke's Kitchen, Glass Brasserie) and Neil Perry (Rockpool Bar & Grill, Rosetta, Spice Temple), are getting behind a new financial relief initiative: Help Out Hospo. Started by Sydney group Momento Hospitality, the 'by hospo, for hospo' program works on a donation basis, providing you with access to a bunch of how-to videos featuring culinary legends, so, you can take your cooking and cocktail game to the next level while you're stuck at home. In turn, your donation will go directly towards supporting bartenders, chefs and waitstaff in need. It's a win-win. Donations start from $10 per video course — a pretty small price to pay when you're learning how to master a roast porchetta, barbecue pulled pork, stir a mean negroni or dry martini, and whip up a big, comforting bowl of pasta that even nonna would approve. Taught by some A-class chef and bartenders, no less. So far, the initiative has raised over $35,000. While it was started by Momento, any venue can sign up, post a video and receive financial support, too. So if you're in the industry and would like to get involved, you can make an enquiry via support@helpouthospo.com.au. To check out the courses on Help Out Hospo and donate, head helpouthospo.com.au.
If you’ve been feeling like a helpless bystander in the global food crisis, you can now take action — simply by, well, doing a wee. Problem is, it’ll only count if you do it in Amsterdam — and in public. A Netherlands’ utilities company by the name of Waternet has set up a bunch of pee-collecting urinals in the Dutch capital. Their plan is to send the fluid to a recovery plant, where the all-important phosphorus will be filtered out and transformed into struvite fertiliser. From there, it’ll be transported to farms and flower gardens. Fertiliser without phosphorous is kind of like coffee without caffeine — lacking the crucial kick. Even though phosphorus is, in and of itself, a renewable resource, modern agricultural access to it depends largely on phosphate rock reserves. Given that they’ve taken millions of years to form, they’re very much finite. But the good news is that, according to several studies, one individual’s urine delivers sufficient nutrients to grow food for themselves, as well as meet 50-100 percent of the dietary needs of another person. In that sense, Waternet is merely tapping into the biological processes that have kept us alive for thousands of years. And we thought our pop-up pissoirs were the hottest tourist attraction since the Opera House. Via Springwise.
During the pandemic, we all sorely missed the experience of catching live tunes in heaving venues. To get musicians back onstage, the New South Wales government and ARIA launched Great Southern Nights. Following two blockbuster years that saw thousands of gigs pop up across the state, the series is returning in 2024 with a massive 300-plus shows over 17 nights. Live music will ring out throughout NSW between Friday, March 8–Sunday, March 24, with some of the country's biggest musicians and the hottest emerging talent performing in Sydney live music institutions as well as regional hubs including Newcastle, Wagga Wagga, Wollongong, Tamworth and the Northern Rivers. With such a huge lineup, it's hard to know where to start — but let's break it down. ROCK LUMINARIES If you love the classics and have a penchant for the singular sound that is Australian rock, you'll be able to catch sets from Peter Garrett & The Alter Egos, The Church, You Am I, Yothu Yindi, The Whitlams, Black Stump Band, Hoodoo Gurus and Kate Ceberano. BEATS AND BOPS Local hip hop heads can hit up gigs from Barkaa, 360, JK-47, Bliss n Eso, L-Fresh the Lion, Illy, Drapht, YNG Martyr and Jesswar. And if your prerogative is to dance, The Presets, Havana Brown, Tigerlily, Sneaky Sound System, Hermitude and Anna Lunoe are all performing. INDIE FAVES If you're an indie-rock aficionado, Ball Park Music, Sarah Blasko, King Stingray, The Buoys, Ruby Fields, Budjerah, Alex Lahey, Gordi, Gretta Ray, The Vanns, and Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers will be coming to a stage near you. AND A WHOLE LOT MORE Plus, there will be shows from Becca Hatch, Cub Sport, Dune Rats, Vika and Linda, A.Girl, Xavier Rudd, David Campbell, Fanny Lumsden, Kasey Chambers, Kate Miller-Heidke, Redhook and Northlane — and also a special tribute to Rowland S Howard. Check where your faves are playing and what shows are happening near you via the full gig guide, then start planning an epic 17 nights of music stat. Great Southern Nights 2024 will run from Friday, March 8, to Sunday, March 24, throughout New South Wales. Tickets are on sale now via the festival's website. Images: Enmore Theatre, Destination NSW
In its former life as a bus depot and toilet block, the building next to the New Farm ferry terminal was smelly, perpetually damp, and sometimes downright scary. Thankfully, after a lengthy renovation, its new incarnation as End of the Road coffee shop is a much more pleasant beast. It's only post-renovation that it has become clear just how fantastic the location of End of the Road really is. Sitting on the intersection of New Farm Park, Brunswick Street and the Brisbane River, it's an idyllic place to while away a sunny afternoon. On the weekends it is perfectly placed to keep park-goers caffeinated, and on weekdays ferry commuters have the chance to grab a coffee and breakfast before their journey to work. Inside, End of the Road is cute as a button. Blue walls, tiles and accents tie in with the riverfront location, comfortable indoor seating is great for small groups, and artwork from local artisans adorns the walls. The small deck, furnished with shaded tables and chairs, overlooks both the river and the park. Your coffee comes from Central and South America via West End's The Coffee Roaster. A medium roast with notes of chocolate, raspberry and citrus, the award-winning blend will please connoisseurs. The beverage menu features all the usual suspects, with the juices, milkshakes and iced coffee providing respite through Brisbane's summer months. This iced coffee is the real deal, folks - ice and coffee - so you won't be sacrificing strength or flavour for your cold fix. An ever-evolving all-day menu of snacks and treats is available, including light meals such as wraps, sandwiches, quiches, pies, bagels, pastries, cakes and muffins. The well-stocked ice cream fridge is also difficult to walk past. The best news is that most of the food will get you change from a ten dollar note. Free WiFi is the cherry on top at End of the Road, so whether you're waiting for a ferry or researching your next novel, you can do so without endangering your data. There are also plenty of power points available.
Ah, the Brisbane Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival. It's a chance for every fashionista to come out from their secret hiding spots and mingle; a chance for them to show off their latest clothing to an adoring crowd; a chance for them to know what will be in next season before every other plebeian. Once a year, the fashionable forces that rule over Brisbane gather together to host a memorable few days of shows, parties and events. From August 20 to 26, South Bank will be transformed into our very own Bryant Park, and though Wintour's not making an appearance, there'll be other characters worthy of people watching over the week. Showcasing 60 designers of a very high calibre with Akira, Easton Pearson, Leona Edmiston, Paul Hunt and more, you really don’t want to miss this event. With the week specifically created to cater for everyone, there’s no excuse for not enjoying yourself. Who doesn’t love a mix of models and high teas?
Get your fill of the best vegan food in town at the Vegan Day Out. Come September 8 and 9, The Cruelty Free Shop is putting together a walking tour of vegan cafes, restaurants and retailers, many of which will be offering discounts, deals and free samples to anyone who stops by. For Saturday and Sunday, socially conscious eaters can stop by The Cruelty Free Shop on Melbourne Street, and grab a map outlining their route. From there, it's all about making your way to to plant-based delights aplenty — and making a day (or two) of it. Whether you're a dyed-in-the-wool vegan or just curious to give it a go, you'll find a whole world of retailers catering to animal-free eating, offering meal deals, two-for-ones, coffee, wine tastings and savings on vegan groceries. The Cruelty Free Shop will also be running its own tastings throughout the day, as well as offering discounts on some of its 3000+ products.
Do you love to eat, drink and/or do fun things in Brisbane? Do you care about how this city evolves? Do you like to put those thoughts and experiences into words (and sometimes pictures)? Then you've got a lot in common with Concrete Playground. We're looking for new writers in the areas of food & drink, arts & culture and shopping & lifestyle. Contributors have the opportunity to write reviews, news, features and/or event previews, and will be paid per contribution. You will need to bring in those talented hands of yours the following: Excellent writing skills A love of and engagement with Brisbane's cultural life Preferably some photography skills (iPhoneography counts) To apply, just get in touch with a short bio and 2-3 relevant writing samples. If you're mainly interested in writing about bars and restaurants, contact Brisbane Food + Drink Editor Daniela Sunde-Brown at daniela@concreteplayground.com.au If you're mainly interested in other things (arts, culture, shops or lifestyle), contact Editor-in-Chief Rima Sabina Aouf at rima@concreteplayground.com.au
No matter what your poison, our drinking culture is heavily influenced by big brands, their labels and their signature bottles. Take Absolut Vodka for example, which for many years has run an internationally recognised campaign based on the image of the clean and simple lines of their vodka bottle, in the process making it a modern icon of design. German designer Jorn Berger is getting us to rethink how packaging affects our drinking preferences in a series called Ecohol. He has repackaged some of the world's best known alcoholic drinks, putting them into Tetra Pak cartons. Not only do Berger's designs challenge us to rethink what really influences our consumer choices, they also offer us a sustainable packaging alternative to glass or plastic bottles. Cheers to that. [Via PSFK]
You've heard the term 'small batch' many, many times. But have you ever paused to ponder what it means? At Brisbane's Finesse Spirits, its vodka and gin are made in batches of just 99 bottles at a time. Obviously, it then moves on to whipping up the next batch — but no two batches are ever 100-percent the same. If you're a fan of vodka, expect to taste vanilla and honey in each mouthful. For lovers of gin, you'll be noting juniper berries, coriander seeds and citrus. And, as for the company itself, it's overseen by James Mylne, who has more than a decade of experience in the distilling game. While Finesse Spirits is a Brissie outfit, its tipples can be purchased online via its web store.
UPDATE, SEPTEMBER 6, 2020: Event Cinemas is now taking bookings for private screening packages for September at the same rate of $500 for up to 20 people. Bookings must be made before September 25, and a number of movies are on offer — including Bill & Ted Face the Music, The New Mutants, Tenet, Peninsula, The Broken Hearts Gallery and La Belle Epoque. If you're a film fan, there's nothing worse than being stuck in a cinema with anyone who doesn't observe social etiquette, including greedy armrest hogs and patrons who decide to bring along an entire three-course meal. Until the end of August, however, you won't need to worry about dealing with these frustrating behaviours and the pesky strangers behind them — because Event Cinemas is now offering private screening packages in its theatres. The promotion is available at Event Cinemas locations nationally, which means that you can book out your very own big screen until Monday, August 31, with reservations required by Friday, August 14 — and you'll pay just $500. You can bring along 19 of your mates, too, so that works out to just $25 per person. That's more than a regular movie ticket, of course. But, again, you won't have any annoying company. Each private booking package includes exclusive cinema use in the Event multiplex of your choice, in one of the chain's original cinemas (sorry, you won't be lapping it up in VMax, Gold Class, 4DX or Event's Boutique cinemas). You'll also be able to watch the movie of your choice, at the time and date of your choice (subject to availability). Plus, each booking includes unlimited medium-sized salted popcorn and medium-sized soft drinks. Films on offer include new releases such as Judd Apatow's latest comedy The King of Staten Island, the Dev Patel-starring The Personal History of David Copperfield, and top-notch dramas Waves and Babyteeth — as well as soon-to-open titles like zombie thriller Peninsula and superhero horror flick The New Mutants. Or, you can go retro with classics like like 10 Things I Hate About You, Fight Club, Grease and the original Mad Max, plus Moulin Rouge, Joker, Bohemian Rhapsody and The Matrix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVucSRLLeIM Event Cinemas' private booking packages are available until Monday, August 31, with reservations required by Friday, August 14. To make a booking, visit the Event Cinemas website.
'I Miss You' isn't just the name of a beloved blink-182 song. It isn't just a track they'll likely bust out on their 2024 tour Down Under, either. It's also the vibe being felt around Australia right now, clearly, because the band's tour keeps proving a huge hit — and adding new dates. Last week, blink-182 revealed that they were reforming their classic lineup of Tom DeLonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker, then hitting the road — and that Aussie fans would get their chance to see the end result live in February 2024. Then, they added more dates before tickets to the first gigs even went on sale, because the demand was already that huge. Now, another batch of shows is being added again. The first run of dates is already sold out, with tickets to those shows going on sale on Thursday, October 20. Now, one extra show per city has been added in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide — and tickets for those are up for grabs at 12pm local time today, Friday, October 21. Perth residents can now try to score tickets for Thursday, February 8 at RAC Arena, Melburnians can do the same for Monday, February 26 at Rod Laver Arena, and Sydneysiders can have an extra shot in Friday, February 23 at Qudos Bank Arena. As for Brisbanites, they have a new date on Wednesday, February 21 at Brisbane Entertainment Centre to pick from. DeLonge, Hoppus and Barker will play with Rise Against in support, starting their Australian run in Perth, then head to Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane — then back to Sydney and Melbourne. For three decades, blink-182 have been the voice inside punk and rock fans' heads, especially in the late 90s and early 00s thanks to albums Enema of the State and Take Off Your Pants and Jacket. Now that they're back together after DeLonge left the band in 2015, blink-182 are also recording new music together, with single 'Edging' out now. Expect to hear everything from 'Dammit' and 'Josie' to 'What's My Age Again?' and 'All the Small Things' live, though. BLINK-182 2024 AUSTRALIAN TOUR: Thursday, February 8–Friday, February 9 — RAC Arena, Perth Sunday, February 11 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide Tuesday, February 13–Wednesday, February 14 + Monday, February 26 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Friday, February 16–Saturday, February 17 + Friday, February 23 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Monday, February 19, Tuesday, February 20 + Wednesday, February 21 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Blink-182 will tour Australia and New Zealand in February 2024. Tickets to new shows in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne go on sale at 12pm on Friday, October 21 local time. For more information, head to the Live Nation website. Top image: Jack Bridgland.
Our global plastic binge is creating some terrifying statistics. We're still going through 500 billion single-use plastic bags per year and using 17 million barrels of oil to manufacture enough plastic water bottles to meet annual demand. A team of Melbourne-based entrepreneurs have decided to combat our not-so-fantastic plastic obsession. They've come up with Australia's first ever 'Positive and Pure' paper water bottle, Do Water. It's made from paper that comes from Forestry Stewardship Council certified forests, which are managed sustainably and responsibly. The Do Water team discovered that, unfortunately, bottling water in 500ml paper packs is impossible in Australia. So they travelled far and wide, looking for an ideal location, which turned out to be an artesian well known as Acqua Smeraldina, located high in the mountainous region of Sardinia, Italy. There, purified by granite, the water has been gathering minerals and nutrients for hundreds of years. To maintain their stringent standards, the Do Water team lab-tests the site every two hours. The water, rather than being transferred to a factory for treatment, is bottled at the source, reaching the consumer's mouth just as it leaves its home. Of course, delivering the bottles from Italy to Australia poses a potentially not-so-green dilemma. So the Do Water crew transports them via container ships, the carbon impact of which is much lower than that caused by air miles. The hope is that, one day soon, they'll be able to conduct the whole enterprise on Australian shores. "We want to help reduce the overall lifecycle and footprint of plastic bottles in Australia by providing an alternative made from a natural and renewable resource," the Do Water site explains. "We couldn't find anyone offering such an alternative, so we decided to do something about it."
Bavarian Bier Cafe is lightening up. The legendary beer house has long been associated with the biggest and tastiest of traditional dishes — from Klaus’s Gulaschsuppe (spicy beef goulash soup) to the mighty German sausage tasting platter, crowded with bratwurst, kransky and frankfurter. But now, those who don’t have the heart for the hearty are being catered to, too. The Cafe has added a page to its menu, introducing a range of what’s been dubbed ‘new modern favourites’. So rather than having to commit to a serious, meaty feast, you can eat as light and as fresh as you like. All nine of Bavarian Bier’s Australian venues are making the addition, with exact options varying from place to place. What all dishes have in common, though, is that they’re inspired by Bavarian flavours and dashed with creative, modern twists. Depending on which BBC is your local, keep a look out for light and fluffy steamed prawn dumplings ($16) and popcorn shrimp ‘dampfnudel’ steamed buns ($19) on the sharing menu. Meanwhile, for salads, expect the likes of spicy sesame chicken ($16), crispy calamari ($18) and grilled pork and Asian vegetables ($15). As far as mains go, dishes include pan-roasted salmon with lentils, root vegetables, beet pickled red onions and dill ($23); crisp roasted wild New Zealand hapuka with sweet and sour red capsicums, lemon puree and roasted garlic ($25); and lemon and herb marinated chicken breast with pesto scented orzo and shaved vegetable salad ($25). Whatever you choose, there’s no doubt that one of the Bavarian Bier Cafe’s pure biers, made with just four natural ingredients (malt, hops, yeast and water), will chase it down without any argument.
The best Australian horror film of 2023 is getting some more skin: Talk to Me, the smash-hit feature debut by Adelaide-born twins Danny and Michael Philippou — aka YouTubers RackaRacka — is scoring a sequel. A24, which released the flick after picking it up in a Sundance Film Festival bidding war, has announced that audiences will be spending more time in this possession thriller's world. Does that news call for shaking hands with an embalmed palm? Feeling the rush while being haunted? Having your mates watch and film it? Dealing with the spooky consequences? If you're game after seeing the initial movie, yes. Variety reports that the Philippou brothers will be back behind the lens, and that Danny is writing the screenplay with Bill Hinzman after the pair penned the first flick together. And the follow-up's name? Talk 2 Me. So far, a release date for the now-franchise's second effort hasn't been announced, nor stars; however, the Philippous have long had more than just one Talk to Me film in their sights. "It's so funny — we've written such an in-depth mythology bible about the backstory of the hand, the spirits that are possessing the kids, and there's just so many seeds that we planted," Danny told Concrete Playground in a chat before the first movie's release. "Even when we're writing the first film, I was writing scenes for a second film — and me and the other writer were always discussing it and talking about it. The idea of franchising or doing a sequel is so exciting to us." Danny and Michael made their leap to the big screen after racking up a huge following with RackaRacka's viral videos, and via behind-the-scenes work on Australian films such as The Babadook. Their debut feature has proven a big box-office success, taking in US$10 million on its opening weekend in America alone, which placed it second among A24's films after Hereditary. In Australia, it has notched up over AU$1.2 million at the time of writing since its July 27 release. Starring Sophie Wilde (The Portable Door), Miranda Otto (The Clearing), Zoe Terakes (Nine Perfect Strangers), Otis Dhanji (June Again), Chris Alosio (Millie Lies Low) and Alexandra Jensen (Joe vs Carole), Talk to Me sits alongside a mighty impressive lineup of other eerie flicks in A24's catalogue — The Witch, Midsommar, In Fabric, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Beau Is Afraid, X and Pearl, to name a few. Soon, Talk 2 Me will join that list as well. Check out the trailer for Talk to Me below: Talk to Me is now screening in Australian and New Zealand cinemas. Read our review, and our interview with Danny Philippou. Via Variety.
If you're a music aficionado, you know there's no substitute for vinyl — and the real experts know that Dutch Vinyl record pressings are some of the best. This Brisbane offshoot of the beloved Melbourne institution is bringing new, second-hand and collectable quality vinyl to local music lovers. Dutch Vinyl's ever-changing library covers all genres, from pop, hip hop and Latin to film soundtracks and vintage soul and funk, and is assessed and graded from 'good' to 'mint' condition. Flip through the trove of Australian, US, UK and European pressed vinyl, some never seen before in this country. It also sells turntables, replacement parts and maintenance accessories, as well as protective record sleeves to keep your collection in tip top condition. Watch the news on its website for updates on new arrivals at both stores, and keep an eye on socials for highlights. Looking to sell? It buys records, too, and it's always on the hunt for something special to add to its collection. Images: Kiel Wode
Ever since news broke that The Cure, The Strokes and The Avalanches were coming to Australia for Splendour this year, every punter and his dog have been trying to predict when and if The Cure would be announcing solo sideshows to coincide with the festival (unlike the other two bands, they didn't have a big fat 'only Aus show' next to their name). And today they've gone and done it, with Live Nation announcing this morning that the iconic British band will be touring to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth later this year. Just like in 80s rock heaven, The Cure will be playing full-set arena spectaculars. Their retrospective shows have been known to go for two hours plus, so if you can't make it to Splendour, this really is the next best thing. It's the first time the band have toured Aus since 2007. The dates for Sydney and Melbourne have been locked in: Monday, July 25 at Qudos Bank/Allphones Arena and Thursday, July 28 at Rod Laver Arena, respectively. However, the Adelaide and Perth shows are still being finalised and will be announced at a later date. You're going to have to get your best ticket-nabbing game on though, because these babies are going to wildly sought after. The Melbourne and Sydney shows will go on sale next week. There will be a Telstra customer pre-sale at 10am on Tuesday, May 3, followed by a Live Nation pre-sale at 10am on Thursday, May 5, and general tickets will finally go on sale at 10am on Friday, May 6. Phew. THE CURE 2016 TOUR DATES Monday, July 25 — Qudos Bank Arena (formerly Allphones Arena), Sydney. Thursday, July 28 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne. Adelaide and Perth dates to follow. To keep up to date and to buy tickets, head to livenation.com.au.
Keeping your coffee at a drinkable temperature — in between keeping your boss off your back, doing chores and checking Facebook — can be a challenge. One minute, the stuff's suitably hot, straight out of the office coffee machine or your barista's hands; the next, it's a lukewarm milky soup. You're not the the only person in the world who experiences this problem. That's why Ember, which describes itself as a "design-led temperature control brand", has come up with a mug that keeps your beverage at the optimum temperature (70 degrees celsius) from first sip to last. Simply called the Ember Ceramic Mug, the vessel achieves this morning miracle via a convection current. Within the mug are elements with the power to both heat and cool. When hot liquid rises to the top, it is cooled until it starts to fall, causing warmer liquid to then rise and be cooled in turn. Once the tech was worked out, Ember joined forces with Ammunition, a design company based in San Francisco, to make sure the result looked good. Together, they came up with a classic-looking white mug — the only visibly techy thing about it is a small LED light. A charging coaster and an app are included. The latter allows you set the temperature remotely, preset temperatures for various drinks and swap between celsius and fahrenheit. At the moment Ember isn't shipping to Australia, although we have seen a few floating around on eBay.
First, the sad news: after almost two decades pumping out tunes, Brisbane's own Violent Soho have announced that they're taking some time out, and also don't have any return dates set. Now, the better news: the Mansfield favourites are saying farewell for now with a huge hometown show, which'll hit up Fortitude Music Hall this September. "After nearly 20 years in Violent Soho, we've experienced so much as a band — it's been incredible and life-defining. We feel so grateful to have experienced the journey and to all the people that believed in our music and showed us so much support," said Luke Boerdam, James Tidswell, Luke Henery and Michael Richards in a statement. "However, as individuals we've found ourselves in different places over the last few years and so we've decided it's time to take a break and lay low for a bit. This isn't the end of the band, but we are looking forward to giving ourselves some space, focusing on our families, and giving back to the community which fostered and carried us." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Violent Soho (@violentsoho4122) For Brisbanites keen to see the 4122 group one more time for now, the band's big 'Until Next Time' concert will say "hell fuck yeah" on Saturday, September 10, with DZ Deathrays and Loser in support. Violent Soho will also play Splendour in the Grass on Saturday, July 23, with what's bound to be quite the set given the news. Naturally, the Brisbane group is also going on its indefinite hiatus in the only way it knows how: with a new single. Called 'Kamikaze', the tune just dropped today, Wednesday, July 13. Give it a listen below: Violent Soho's Until Next Time gig hits Fortitude Music Hall on Saturday, September 10, with tickets on-sale from 10am on Friday, July 15. Top image: Kane Hibberd.
Ever wanted to tap into Melbourne's rich indigenous history as you walk around the city? Well, now there's an app for that. The brainchild of AIATSIS — the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies — the Melbourne Dreaming app launched late last year as a new platform for sharing stories and information about the area's vibrant cultural heritage. With it, users can customise self-guided tours exploring significant sites around the city, from the former hunting grounds of Chapel Street, to the Burnley Ngargee (or 'corroboree') tree in Richmond. The app is loaded with travel information to help streamline your historical explorations, and even comes with handy audio commentary. "Aboriginal culture is a living breathing part of Australian life that is easily accessible if you know where to look," explained AIATSIS CEO Craig Ritchie. He said the app is designed to help users "see past the concrete jungle and be exposed to real and local Aboriginal culture right in the middle of one of the world's top cities." Download the Melbourne Dreaming app now from iTunes and Google Play.
Choosing a venue to celebrate your birthday can present a conundrum. For social butterflies with extensive friendship circles, the thought of cramming everyone into a 'cosy' restaurant is nothing short of terrifying. On the other hand, if an intimate birthday celebration is more your vibe, then a packed pub with a heaving beer garden is probably out of the question. And then there's the cost factor — no one wants to ask their pals to spend all their cash on one night out. That's where we come in. In partnership with American Express, we've carefully vetted some of the best venues that Brisbane has to offer for a b-day, where you can also tap that Amex card. The result? We've come up with affordable and appropriate spots for groups of all sizes and budgets. Nobody wants to spend their big day in the wrong place, or panic about the bill afterwards, so these bars, restaurants and hangouts are the cream of the wallet-friendly birthday crop. Got yourself in another dining situation and need some guidance? Whatever it is, we know a place. Visit The Shortlist and we'll sort you out.
When it comes to food, using fire is a gamechanger — it transforms humble ingredients into incredible flavours. And few are as skilled at harnessing flame for this purpose as Duncan Welgemoed. Welgemoed is the head chef of Africola, a North African-inspired grill and smokehouse that's so renowned, it alone is almost worth booking a trip to Adelaide to visit. A little extreme? Well, luckily, you'll soon have a chance to taste Welgemoed's lauded food right here in Sydney. He has teamed up with Red Rock Deli to host one of its upcoming Secret Suppers on Thursday, June 20. [caption id="attachment_724626" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Geelen[/caption] So, what can diners expect from the chef behind menu items such as grilled smoked tongue, a 'tea sandwich' of crispy chicken skin and hot chicken dripping and wood oven cauliflower with tahini cream? Well, we don't quite know — yet. The menu will stay true to the event's name and remain under-wraps until the night. But we do know that it'll be inspired by Red Rock Deli's limited-edition flavour, flame grilled steak and chimichurri, and that fire will play a big role. "At Africola, we channel the smoke element of fire to be essentially used as a seasoning. And that's what I've done with my dishes for the event," Welgemoed said. That's some truly next-level, elemental seasoning. The raw force of nature flavouring your food? It's practically magic. As a man with a burning passion for cooking by fire (thanks to his South African roots), Welgemoed has a keen admiration for other like-minded chefs. So, in an effort to get more information on his upcoming menu, we asked him about some of his favourites. [caption id="attachment_522922" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Firedoor[/caption] Sydney's vibrant restaurant scene is home to some notable inclusions in this 'hall of flame'. One venue that stands out is the aptly named Firedoor, where smoke and flames are the conceptual theme throughout the menu. Welgemoed sings high praise of the 203-day dry-aged rib of beef. "Lennox Hastie at Firedoor is one of the best fire cooks in the world. His technique is second to none," Welgemoed said. And, while it's hard to pin down a favourite dish at the Argentinian barbeque and grill restaurant Porteño, he assures us you can't go wrong with anything cooked on the asado (fire pit). Of course, sometimes you want the comfort of a classic dish done just right, and that's when you should head for The Unicorn. Welgemoed loves the half Bannockburn barbeque chook with brown mushrooms and tarragon sauce — just the right balance of fancy and familiar. Then again, if you need your dining experience to be both firey and very fine, the wood-fired potato bread from Ester comes highly recommended. Welgemoed prefers it with dashi jelly, but Ester's latest menu refresh sees it intriguingly paired with kefir cream and trout roe for a zingy, salty lift. [caption id="attachment_658136" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Fred's[/caption] Fred's in Paddington strikes the balance between home comfort (you feel like you're in someone's luxurious open plan kitchen) and upscale city dining. Welgemoed's chosen dish reflects this perfect marriage of impressive elegance and honest, wholesome flavour — grilled rack of lamb with wine grapes, cime di rapa, fennel seed and rosemary. Like the other venues, Fred's exemplifies an approach to cooking similar to Welgemoed's own by letting the ingredients speak for themselves. So, what might we deduce about Welgemoed's secret supper menu from his Sydney sparks of inspiration? Expect delightful, yet unpretentious, play with fire and flavour, the comfort of familiar touches with innovative twists and a decidedly global approach to three flaming good courses. We'll leave that idea smouldering with you for now. Duncan Welgemoed's Secret Supper will take place across two sessions on Thursday, June 20. Top Image: Josh Geelen.
A jewel in Brisbane's treasure trove of musicians, Emma Louise, has hit the ground running following her sold out tri-state Album Preview Tour. To celebrate her anticipated debut album, Vs Head Vs Heart, the delightful songbird will be partaking in her biggest tour yet. Joining the chanteuse on her grande tour will be Thelma Plum who has caused a stir amongst the Brisbane music scene for her impressive song-writing skills and unique style. Sydney lad Patrick James will also be coming along for the ride as he will share his beautifully crafted indie tunes and warm the stage for Emma. Emma Louise has gone from strength to strength since releasing her popular tune, Jungle in 2011 and followed up this infectious track with singles, Boy and Freedom. The gorgeous singer songwriter shows no signs of slowing down, so catch her while you can this Friday at The Hi-Fi.
As the weather gets colder it makes more sense to stay indoors and watch movies than to brave the icy winds. So, for your viewing pleasure, we've put together out top five trailers for this week to help you into hibernation mode. From directors such as Paul Thomas Anderson and Sam Mendes, we are sure you will find a film of your choice in our five favourite trailers this week. Hyde Park on Hudson Hyde Park on Hudson stars the great Bill Murray as Franklin Delano Roosevelt, also known as FDR. The film is based on FDR's love affair with his distant cousin Margaret Stuckley and a weekend when the King and Queen of England visited his upstate New York property in 1939. Tapping into an era which is all the rage at the moment, this film is definitely worth a look. Dark Blood An unfinished film featuring the late River Phoenix which was thought to never be shown, Dark Blood is a film by George Sulzier which was only days from being completed when Phoenix died of a drug overdose. Sulzier has now decided to share Phoenix's final performance, alongside co-stars Jonathan Pryce and Judy Davis who have aged almost twenty years since the film was first made. Anchorman: The Legend Continues This trailer is more of a teaser for the film as it doesn't give much away, except for the fact that you can't help but laugh. Anchorman fans have been waiting a long time for this sequel and it's almost here. It will be interesting to see what the Channel 4 News team have to say this time around. Skyfall Directed by Sam Mendes, this is Daniel Craig's third performance as James Bond. Co-starring Ralph Fiennes and Javier Bardem, the film is action packed and tests James Bond's loyalty to M, keeping 007 fans on the edge of their seat. The Master The Master boasts an incredible cast - Joaquin Phoenix, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Laura Dern. A drama directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the film discusses the idea of a a young drifter who becomes the right hand man for a post World War II religious organisation known as 'The Cause'.
Early in 2015, Brisbane music lovers and other creative types were pretty pumped about The Foundry. The new venue promised to become the city's new hub and hotspot, until post-opening issues put the place on hold temporarily. Thankfully, you can't keep a good venture down, as their relaunch has proven. Now, they're adding to the fold by throwing open the doors of their next phase: a record store. Yes, next time you're on Wickham Street looking for a music fix, The Foundry well and truly has you covered. By night, you can enjoy whoever is wowing the crowds in the 300-person bandroom, or chill out to some tunes at the adjacent rock ’n’ roll bar and beer garden. By day, you can browse for albums and tracks to take home with you. While rifling through the selection of vinyl, CDs and DVDS, you'll find a theme on the shelves to match the one on the venue's stage — i.e. a focus on local music. Brisbane bands litter the record racks, as overflowing with old, new, familiar and obscure options, and sorted by genre. Those fond of something other than the usual — such as zines and other merchandise — will be in their element, too. Foundry Records calls itself "a record store, bar, cafe, performance space and community hang", which means you can also enjoy in-store gigs, signings and listening parties, plus something to eat and drink. Blackstar Coffee and West End Tea Co provide the non-alcoholic beverages, so you know they're delicious, and Le Sebastian Bakery provides the pastry snacks. Find Foundry Records at 228 Wickham Street, Fortitude Valley, or check out their website and Facebook Page for more information.
The Eatons Hill and Sandstone Point hotels are getting a sibling — and southeast Queensland residents are getting a new place to see live tunes. Come 2024, The Comiskey Group is set to expand its portfolio of music venues and hotels with a location on the Sunshine Coast, as part of the Stockland Aura development ten minutes out of Caloundra. If you've been to either of the company's other two big aforementioned sites, you'll know that they play host to everything from well-known acts to festivals, and also operate as a watering hole and place to grab a bite — and include accommodation as well. The Comiskey Group haven't unveiled all of the details for its new venture just yet, or even a name, but it'll host gigs, feature both internal and al fresco dining areas, and boast six bars, plus function spaces. The company is calling the $35-million development "the Sunshine Coast's largest music venue and hotel", too — so yes, it's going big. For concerts, it'll host 2500 patrons. And, as part of Aura, it'll back onto an 11-hectare South Bank-style parkland. The new venue and hotel marks The Comiskey Group's second huge announcement in the past few months, and the second for the Sunshine Coast. Back in May, it revealed that it had added a 150-hectare site, called Coochin Fields, to its portfolio. Sat 35 minutes south of Maroochydore and 80 minutes north of Brisbane, the hefty patch of grass will host major music and camping fests, and is just ten minutes from where the Aura venue will reside. Announcing the new Aura performance space and hotel, Comiskey Group Director Rob Comiskey said that "southeast Queensland is where we were born and raised, [and] we are passionate about bringing premium experiences to locations rich with opportunity in this thriving state". "We have the largest entertainment offering in the Moreton Bay region and felt it only natural to expand into the neighbouring Sunshine Coast," Comiskey continued. "Aura sits just ten minutes from our Coochin Fields site, so we're excited to create a thriving epicentre of entertainment for the Sunshine Coast and bring something really special to this already innovative and unique community." The Comiskey Group's new music venue and hotel will form part of Stockland Aura on the Sunshine Coast, ten minutes out of Caloundra. For more information, head to The Comiskey Group's website.
When you're in a crappy situation, you call a plumber. After the news broke that alleged sexual harasser Kevin Spacey would no longer star in All the Money in the World, with his scenes to be reshot with Christopher Plummer, it was one of the internet's better observations. Controversy aside, the end result is astonishing. You'd never guess that 88-year-old Plummer only stepped into his role as real-life oil tycoon J. Paul Getty in November. Nor will you be able to imagine anyone else playing the part, including the excised, prosthetic-clad Spacey with his penchant for over-acting. Trust Ridley Scott, the now-80-year-old director of Alien and Blade Runner, to mastermind such an impressive technical feat. All the Money in the World is his second movie in less than a year, after 2017's Alien: Covenant — and while it mightn't seem like it at first, there's more than a little in common between the two titles, and with Scott's filmography in general. After spending decades contemplating humanity's complicated relationship with mortality — seen not just in his iconic science-fiction work, but also in the likes of Thelma & Louise, Gladiator and The Martian — Scott has jumped from a film that ponders the notion of creation as the only lasting legacy, to one about the downfall of a man who puts his faith in wealth instead. Plummer's Getty is more comfortable collecting objects than nurturing relationships, including with his own son (Andrew Buchan) — "there's a purity in beautiful things that I've never been able to find in people," the world's richest billionaire dismissively croaks. Getty Jr only contacts his father when he's broke and struggling to provide for his wife Gail (Michelle Williams) and four children, though it's his eldest boy, Paul (played by Charlie Shotwell as a 7-year-old), that the old man takes a shine to. Fast-forward nine years to 1973, and the now-16-year-old (Charlie Plummer) is abducted by kidnappers looking to get their hands on a slice of the Getty fortune, but the cantankerous patriarch insists that he doesn't have a cent to spare. That leaves the distraught Gail to work with Getty's security advisor, former CIA operative Fletcher Chase (Mark Wahlberg), to secure her son's release. A word of warning: you'll hear the phrase "all the money in the world" more than once throughout the film. It's as if Scott and his screenwriters, adapting the 1995 book Painfully Rich, just couldn't help themselves. It's an unneeded wink in a movie that slides with thrilling ease into the icy waters of wealth, laying bare the darkness and ruthlessness born of excessive greed in the process. Balancing multiple negotiations, including Gail wrestling with both Getty and Chase, the family liaising with the captors, and young Paul trying to stay alive with the help of one of his abductors (Romain Duris), the movie also serves up the type of brawny, absorbing thriller we don't often see on screens these days. Working with his regular cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, Scott uses grey tones to contrast the haves and the have nots, immersing audiences in the detail and emotion of the scenario at every turn. Moreover, even when the film stretches its story a little too far amidst multiple twists and changes of allegiance, audiences will find themselves gripped by the work of Plummer and Williams. The pair play polar opposites in an equally effective manner — one a heartless man motivated by self-interest, the real villain of the piece; the other a desperate mother who'd give up anything, including money, for the people she loves. If only Scott had found someone other than Wahlberg to play the third person in their tussle. The actor might as well be fighting giant robots, given how by-the-numbers his performance is. All the money in the world clearly couldn't help with that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viQBNu9z6RQ
Everyone needs to start somewhere, whether it's running an event, performing at or attending one. Organised by Backbone Youth Arts, that's the aim of the 2high Festival. It offers an unofficial training ground for festival workers, artists, administrators and leaders in the industry — and you get to share in the entertaining and informative results. See what this year's team has put together under the theme 'Forgotten Treasures' — though its roster of talent promises to prove anything but. Spanning circus, film, music, theatre, writing, visual arts, poetry and more, 2high has assembled a diverse array of up-and-comers to revel in all things creative, and including the usual endeavours and the not so. Everything takes place at the Old Museum, and there's plenty of activities and shows to choose from, ensuring everyone can join in the fun. Play an interactive art game, dance along at an all-ages midday rave, or jump inside the human mind. Overstep the mark in comedy cabaret, celebrate street art, and learn the craft of love letters. Or better yet — get a festival pass and try them all.
Beer festivals usually follow a familiar template. Attendees wander between different brewery stalls, taste beer, buy beer, drink beer and talk about beer with brewing experts. Then, they drink more beer. And, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that — when something works, it works. Running from 12pm on Sunday, July 26, Flow Festival is adding a few differences to the above formula. Firstly, it's happening online. Also, joining in the virtual fun is free. Most importantly, however, this fest is all about alcohol-free craft brews. Whether you're doing Dry July, you're not actually that fond of boozy beverages all the time, you just can't do another hangover or you have health reasons for avoiding the sauce, you'll find plenty of inspiration at this debut event — with breweries such as Sobah, Upflow Brewing Collective, Holsten and Coopers celebrating and showcasing their alcohol-free IPAs, stouts and pilsners. Folks from Sobah, Upflow and Coopers will also join a panel discussion about beer sans booze, if you're eager to find out more about the topic. And, yes, you can still drink along. It is still a beer fest, after all. Flow Festival is also doing $160 festival packs (which contain 48 cans of alcohol-free beer) that you can order in advance and sip your way through on the day — including in guided tastings run by the brewers themselves. Flow Festival runs from 12pm on Sunday, July 26 — and while streaming along is free, registration is required.
If you're a sugar-lovin' Brisbanite, we've got good news for you. Next time you’re in the vicinity of New Farm — specifically, New Farm Cinemas — you might want to treat yo'self. After working markets here, there and everywhere around Brisbane, New Farm Confectionery now has a permanent home. Tucked around the side of the cinemas on Barker Street just off Brunswick Street, the new confectionery shop is a cute little haven dedicated to the kinds of handmade, high quality goodies that you can't find just anywhere. These aren't mass-produced, supermarket-variety lollies filled with additives — everything's free of artificial colours and flavours, and made in store in small batches. Think couverture chocolate honeycomb, marshmallows flavoured with real fruit and oil, and individually-wrapped salted caramels. We'd keep listing things, but there’s too much goodness to choose from — including six different milkshake flavours. Is your mouth watering yet? New Farm Confectionery was originally inspired by a trip to Paris by owner Jodie Neilson, who saw sweet bites to eat everywhere throughout the French city and wanted to offer the same luxury to Australian adults. That's excellent news for those in Brisbane with a sweet tooth, but for those outside the city, the store will ship their products anywhere in Australia. You can still find them at Eat Street on weekends; this just means there's more deliciousness on offer more often.
"Darling it's better down where it's wetter," Disney's animated hit The Little Mermaid told us; however, the Mouse House also thinks that life is pretty great on top of the water. For nearly a quarter-century, the huge entertainment company has been taking fans of its ever-growing array of pop culture wares on themed vacations, all thanks to its Disney Cruise Line. Alas, setting sail from Australia and Aotearoa hasn't been a possibility — until now. Come October 2023, Disney Cruise Line will head Down Under for the first time ever, running Disney-themed holiday cruises from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland. And yes, given that Disney own plenty of huge franchises, that means these stints at sea are Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars-themed as well. The Mouse House's first 'Magic at Sea' Australian and NZ cruises will depart from October 28, 2023, with the season running through till February 2024. On offer: sailings for two, three, four, five and six nights — your pick — where you'll watch live musical shows, see Disney characters everywhere you look and eat in spaces decked out like Disney movies. Those musicals include a Frozen show; another production dedicated to the company's old-school favourites like Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Cinderella and Aladdin; and a Golden Mickeys performance, which is obviously all about Mickey Mouse. Or, there's a Mickey party set to DJ beats, nightly fireworks and a pirate shindig on the vessel's deck. While not every show and party is available on all cruises — especially the two-night option — the entertainment also includes Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Moana, Tiana, Cinderella, Woody, Jessie and more wandering around the ship. And, Chewbacca, Rey, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel and Thor as well, if you like hanging out around folks in costumes. The dining setup rotates, so each day of the cruise takes you to a different location with a different theme. One day, you'll hit up the Animator's Palate, which focuses on bringing Disney characters to life — including getting patrons to draw their own characters — and on the next, you'll get munching in a restaurant inspired by The Princess and the Frog, and serving up New Orleans-inspired dishes. Or, there's also Triton's, which offers an under the sea theme given it's named after Ariel's father, and serves four-course French and American suppers. For folks travelling with young Disney devotees, there's also a whole range of activities just for kids — but adults without littlies in tow are definitely catered for, complete with a dedicated pool for travellers aged 18 and over, an adults-only cafe, the Crown & Fin pub, cocktail bar Signals, Italian eatery Palo, and a day spa and salon. Dates for Disney Cruise Line's first trips from Australia and New Zealand vary per city of departure, as do prices, but you can expect to enter this whole new ocean-faring world from $720 per person for two nights in a double-occupancy room from Sydney, $546 from Melbourne and $755 from Brisbane, and $760 per person for three nights in a double-occupancy room from Auckland. And, room-wise, there's ten different types to choose from — some with private verandahs, and some with ocean views through portholes. Disney Cruise Line's 'Magic at Sea' cruises will sail from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland between October 2023–February 2024, with bookings open from 8am AEST / 11am NZDT on Thursday, September 29, 2022. For more information, head to the cruise line's website. Images: Matt Stroshane / Kent Phillips.
Given the current state of the world, it's impossible to dismiss historical accounts of power, conflict, bureaucracy serving the wealthy and the masses fighting to be heard as mere chapters from the past. The same applies to medieval-style television fantasies about squabbling over a throne, too, but true tales bite harder than Game of Thrones ever has. Peterloo is the perfect example. Chronicling an infamous clash between ordinary workers and the government-backed militia near Manchester in 1819, the period piece harks back to 200 years ago yet remains scarily, unsettlingly relevant today. Of course, that's part of filmmaker Mike Leigh's point — there's a reason that the 76-year-old veteran British director has just now turned his attention to this bloody battle for voting rights. After spending a dozen years tussling with Napoleon's armies, the British people were tired, poor and hungry as the 19th century neared its third decade. Work was hardly reliable, food was scarce, industrialisation was taking its toll, distressed ex-soldiers were a common sight and even the pettiest of crimes could see someone shipped off to Australia. To make matters worse, few had a say in the country's path, with less than three percent of the population eligible to cast a ballot. It's this agitated climate that Peterloo explores, all to show how its brutal namesake event came about. The rich, the religious and the ruling classes wanted to retain the status quo. Charismatic reformers riled up everyday folks to fight for their rights. In the resulting physical skirmish — during a peaceful demonstration led by orator Henry Hunt (Rory Kinnear) — 18 people were killed and up to 700 injured among the 60,000-strong crowd. Writing as well as directing, Leigh emphasises the scale and impact of the Peterloo massacre in an effective fashion, stepping through the wants, needs, emotions and motivations of the various players before unravelling the climactic confrontation. But there's a fire in his belly from the outset, as is made clear when he opens the film with the Battle of Waterloo, and those flames don't subside. Spending time with characters of all stations and piecing together vignettes of their experiences, he crafts a patchwork of a picture, each scene stitching on another crucial square with palpable urgency. Some of the people within his view scoff and laugh, while others struggle to get by. However it's the atmosphere of chaos, inequity, opportunism, exploitation and duplicity that was part and parcel of life at the time that earns the filmmaker's sharpest rebukes. That, and the eventual human fallout on the path to changing British democracy. For a film based around such a violent event, more talk than action results; of course, as Leigh knows, words can cut just as deeply as weapons. Indeed, it's because Peterloo takes the time to survey the state of the nation at the time — including clear-eyed, unsentimental dissections of both camps in the government-versus-workers divide — that the massacre, when it comes, feels so punishing and relentless. There's a difference between a slog and an onslaught and, while the movie clocks in at 154 minutes, its speech-heavy and fight-fuelled portions still fall into the latter camp. Likewise, there's a difference between wallowing in misfortune (or, worse, romanticising it) and showing it like it was, and again Peterloo finds the right side. What the film also finds is a fitting way to tell such a detailed and complicated story — not only in its narrative approach, but in its visuals. While Leigh's last release, the applauded Mr Turner, explored the life of a great 19th-century British artist, the term 'painterly' equally applies here. With cinematographer Dick Pope lensing his 11th title for the director, Peterloo's frames are alive with minutiae yet remain carefully composed. Pitch-perfect but never glossy costuming and production design helps. So too do solid performances across the board, including from the ever-reliable Kinnear, as well as Maxine Peake as a weary mother doing what's needed for her family. But it's Peterloo's look and feel that truly hammers home Leigh's intentions. To understand why the movie's real-life basis is so important, and to see the parallels between then and now, requires peering as closely as possible — staring steadfastly at the whole picture, warts and all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlvLWaueD_o
When Caper Byron Bay Food and Culture Festival debuted in 2022, Louis Tikaram from Stanley in Brisbane was on the lineup. In 2024, the chef from the standout Sunshine State restaurant has curated the program. He has ties to the area, growing up on a 110-acre farm in Mullumbimby before hopping from Sydney's Tetsuya's and Longrain to E.P & L.P. in Los Angeles and then the Queensland capital's go-to Cantonese fine-diner — and he's now doing his part for this culinary fest's second event. Caper returns with a few changes. The festival has expanded its lineup from a four-day weekend to a ten-day run, and also moved from spring to autumn, taking place from Friday, May 17–Sunday, May 26. But its focus remains on celebrating food and culture in its seaside New South Wales home and the surrounding region, whether you're keen to eat, drink, listen to live tunes, or enjoy a drag night and trivia show. Tikaram's program is filled with fellow culinary names, including when the opening party takes over Three Blue Ducks. On the bill just for that night alone: Dave Moyle from Salty Mangrove (who organised the first Caper), Jason Saxby from Raes on Wategos, Ben Devlin from Pipet, Matt Stone from You Beauty, Mindy Woods from Karkalla, Karl and Katrina Kanetani from Beach Byron Bay, Pepsi Nakbunchuay from Bang Bang, Robbie Oijvall from Lightyears, Bruno Conti from The Hut, Marcello Polifrone from Harvest and, of course, Darren Robertson from the host venue. At the other end of the fest, the closing-night event will see Tikaram, Hawaiian chef Kanetani, Ross Magnaye from Serai Kitchen in Melbourne and Jedd Rifai from North Byron Hotel hone in on Hawaiian buffet-style snacks. In-between, long lunches, a yakitori party and a five-course smoke-fuelled feast are all among the fellow Caper highlights. Some meals will get you eating seaside. Other events are serving up an Italian-inspired aperitivo hour or a gin garden party. With Tikaram doing the honours again, you can also tuck into east-meets-west canapés at Byron Chinese restaurant Hutong Harry's. Whatever you're heading to, the North Byron Hotel is the fest's official watering hole, hosting tunes, cooking demonstrations, and cheese and wine tastings. If you've got a ticket to the fest, you'll score a drink coupon for a complimentary beverage, too.
Running off to a tropical island is one of the ultimate getaway dreams. When the beach surrounds you — and plenty of greenery, too — how can everyday life's troubles cause any bother? On Hook Island in The Whitsundays in the near future, cabin stays will do their part to help you escape your normal existence. So will dining atop a cliff, hanging out at a beach club and swimming in forest pools. A yoga pavilion will assist as well, as will a lounge telling the island's history. If everything goes to plan, come 2027 you'll be able to head to the Great Barrier Reef to relax at the just-announced Hook Island Eco Lodge. More than a decade has passed since the landmass in the Coral Sea boasted its own place to stay, with the former Hook Island Wilderness Resort closing in 2013 after weathering damage from 2011's Cyclone Anthony. A group led by Epochal Hotels' CEO Glenn Piper is setting out to change that. Both sustainability and luxury will sit at the heart of the new eco lodge; indeed, setting a new standard for luxe sustainable travel for Australia is one of the venue's goals. After nabbing the leasehold in 2022, Piper and his team — working with design firm Luxury Frontiers — are also keen to revive the locale following several cyclones, and get visitors enjoying its 9.3-hectare expanse again, including by using Hook Island's natural features as the resort's inspiration. To slumber in, there'll be 39 cabins spanning six different types of accommodation (some at the beach, some in the forest). Multiple eateries will also be part of the site, including a fine-diner atop a cliff that'll pair dishes made with local produce with views out over Stingray Bay. For ocean swims, that's where the beach club will come in — complete with all-day dining, a bar, a pool, a lounge deck peering across Hook Passage and, for evenings, an outdoor firepit. Or, opt to take a splash in leafy surrounds thanks to the eco pools, which'll be among a forest spa. When travellers hit the island, they'll be welcomed at the arrival pavilion. For finding out more about the destination, the Explorer's Lounge will be your go-to. It's obvious what's on offer at the yoga pavilion — and there'll also be a family-friendly lounge, plus an adventure club for kids. Drawing from experience working on the Four Seasons' Naviva in Mexico, Nayara Tented Camp in Costa Rica and Madwaleni River Lodge in South Africa, Luxury Frontiers is set to deck out the eco lodge's interiors with brown, blue, green and coral hues, alongside other tones, that match the island — and design cyclone-resistant buildings made with sustainable materials. Ensuring that the resort settles in harmoniously with the landscape, including its plants and habitats, is also a key component of the plan. "Hook Island is a truly spectacular part of the world — its raw beauty deserves a sanctuary that both preserves and celebrates every facet of its charm. Our vision is bold: to create an experience that redefines luxury travel through a deep, authentic and wild-spirited connection to nature," said Piper. "This project has been a labour of love; we've poured our hearts into blending thoughtful design with a profound respect for the island's heritage and delicate ecosystem. After being closed for more than a decade, we can't wait to soon welcome overnight guests and day visitors alike to experience its magic firsthand." [caption id="attachment_807810" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] [caption id="attachment_604486" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Pierre Pouliquin.[/caption] Hook Island Eco Lodge is expected to open on Hook Island in The Whitsundays sometime in 2027 — we'll update you with more details when they're announced.
It's not every day that one of the world's best bars starts pouring tipples in Brisbane. It isn't every day that you can sip a cocktail out of a treasure chest, either. But both of those things are now a reality at Brisbane's Living Room Bar, which has just kicked off a boozy collaboration with Spain's Paradiso, one of the top watering holes on the planet. That world's-best label isn't just hype; on the World's 50 Best Bars list for 2021, the Barcelona spot came in third. The venue is acclaimed for its striking design (which obviously hasn't made the leap to Brissie) and its elaborate Universo menu (which absolutely has). Wondering what makes a cocktail menu so beloved that it's named one of the globe's standouts? Paradiso's Universo lineup goes big on theatrics; think: glowing green concoctions, tipples in smoky domes, dry ice, light, innovative glassware and one particular drink served in a treasure chest. Created by owner and mixologist Giacomo Giannotti — who was dubbed the Best Barman of Spain 2017, and Best Italian Bartender Abroad in 2019 — these aren't the kind of beverages that you sip without paying any attention. Inspired by the cosmos — hence the menu's name — the Universo range of tipples is led by the Mediterranean Treasure, which goes both savoury and sour with its blend of elderflower, honey, citrus fruits, coriander oyster-leaf sherry. And yes, it's the drink that comes in its own box, with smoke wafting out when you open the chest. Also on the lineup: the Great Gatsby, Paradiso's take on the old-fashioned, which is served in a glass dome with a chocolate and vanilla tobacco cloud (and features Glendronach Port Wood, amaro, white truffle honey and lavender bitters). Or, there's The Big Bang , which blends spiced cane rum, guava liqueur, earl grey tea, pandan, beetroot, clarified lemon juice and almond milk, and is served on a platter of sweets that are meant to mimic the creation of the universe. Plus, The Cloud uses a bit of levitation, with its mix of Amor de Maguey mezcal, Herradura Añejo tequila, Amaro Montenegro, Mandenii La Tonique vermouth, hibiscus and birch syrup topped with an edible coffee cloud. As well as ten tipples from Paradiso, W Brisbane is also plating up Spanish-style tapas such as jamones ibericos with guindilla peppers and picos (Spanish breadsticks); duck pate with davidsons plum compote on rye; and flatbread with hummus, fried chorizo and shrimp. And, it's pairing the sips and bites to eat with live beats every Friday and Saturday night. This is the venue's second huge international collab in as many years, after getting the folks behind London's Oriole Bar and its sibling venues Nightjar and Swift — the latter ranking at number 33 at the 2020 World's 50 Best Bar Awards — to do the honours first. W Brisbane's Paradiso Universo cocktail menu is now available at its Living Room Bar, 81 North Quay, Brisbane. It's open from 4–11pm Monday–Thursday, 11am–11pm Friday–Saturday and 11am–10pm Sunday.
It's true when you're on holidays, kicking back in far-flung locations with a drink in your hand. It's true if you're a Brisbanite heading down the coast for a day, weekend or short getaway, or if you're a Gold Coast local as well. That unfaltering reality? That everything tastes better when it's paired with beach views — which a heap of well-known hospitality names are testing out in Surfers Paradise. First, axe-throwing bar Maniax announced that it was branching out to level one of the Paradise Centre in Surfers Paradise, setting up shop there at the beginning of August. Then TGI Fridays revealed the same, although exactly when in the coming months that chain will open its new venue — its Australasian flagship and first-ever beachside venue, in fact — is yet to be revealed. The next one to join the fun: lively Tex-Mex brand El Camino Cantina, for OTT margaritas while staring at the waves. Launching on Friday, September 9, El Camino's Surfers Paradise outpost will mark its 13th nationwide and sixth in Queensland, including at Bowen Hills, Chermside and South Bank in Brisbane, and also Robina on the GC since 2020. If you've been to one of its venues, you know what to expect menu- and vibe-wise, but this is the only Sunshine State spot with that beachy backdrop. For newcomers to the chain, think loud, bright and filled with giant cocktails, rock 'n' roll jukeboxes, free sombreros and other Tex-Mex fare. Skulls, crosses, cacti and lightning bolts also feature heavily, alongside a corrugated iron bar decorated with flame graffiti — and the new joint will also boast a custom-designed mural by Ben Brown featuring a surfing skeleton. El Camino's Surfers Paradise digs will seat 250 patrons, including the 30-seat al fresco dining space, with booths, high-top tables for large groups and swing-style seats all available — the latter playing up the beachfront angle. Slushie machines, a big feature at the chain's other venues, are part of the fitout as well. Cue 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, and soft shell tacos loaded with punchy flavour combinations. The Surfers Paradise joint also boasts El Camino's signature specials, including $2 tacos on Tuesdays and ten-cent wings on Wednesdays. And, it'll be the brand's first to also serve up breakfast, with brekkie tacos coming packed with grilled sirloin and scrambled egg, refried black beans and queso fresco, and streaky bacon with jalapeno and cheddar. Also, from opening for six weeks until mid-October, the new spot is also hosting a margarita festival. Called Ritapalooza, it's serving up those frosty, boozy beverages in 24 different flavours. On the limited-edition menu: Wizz Fizz, Jelly Belly, Skittle, fairy floss and grape Nerd varieties, as well as Hubba Bubba, marshmallow and fairy bread. Find El Camino Cantina on level one in the Paradise Centre, 2 Cavill Avenue, Surfers Paradise, from Friday, September 9. Ritapalooza kicks off the same day and runs for six weeks, until mid-October.
It might be icy cool within the Gallery of Modern Art's massive South Brisbane digs, but it's still shaping up to be a hot, hot summer. With two blockbuster exhibitions currently gracing the walls — Yayoi Kusama: Life is the Heart of a Rainbow and Gerhard Richter: The Life of Images — GOMA is positively scorching with the world's best art. Naturally, they're throwing a party to celebrate. A one-night-only version of its regular after-hours shindigs, Summer Up Late combines Kusama's dotty delights, Richter's poetic paintings, live music, bars and more into the type of revelry art galleries aren't always known for. The catch? You'll have to head along from 5.30pm on January 19, or forever regret missing out. Partying surrounded by pumpkins and stepping into a room filled with glowing orbs between drinks is just the beginning. You'll also stare at transfixing lines and walk through a snapshot of cultural history, all while enjoying tunes from Berlin-based electronic producer and performer Laurel Halo, Aussie singer-songwriter Lupa J and DJ Black Amex on the decks. And, if you're there by 6.30pm, mosey along the one-off sensory tour, which will make you experience the entire evening in a completely different way.
The Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA), curated by the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory in Darwin, are annual awards for First Nations artists from across the country. Due to the ongoing effects of COVID-19, the 2021 Telstra NATSIAA award winners will be announced via the Telstra NATSIAA website — and all Australians can get to know the finalists and winners via a virtual gallery, which will go live from 6pm AEST on Friday, August 6. Each year, the awards celebrates contemporary artworks across a broad range of disciplines. Think paintings, craftsmanship, photography and textile works. There are 65 finalists from across the country, and what makes the awards so special is the diversity in storytelling; there are perspectives from coastal regions, desert towns, cities and everywhere between. For 38 years, Telstra NATSIAA has represented the art of the nation — culturally, geographically and historically, as well as looking to our future — with 2021 marking 30 years with the awards' long-standing partner, Telstra. For those who plan to visit the Northern Territory, you can also experience the artworks in person at the Telstra NATSIAA Exhibition at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory from Saturday, August 7 right through till Sunday, February 6, 2022. And it's good news for those of us who'd usually miss out on the awards ceremony, as this year's presentation (usually held on the grounds of the Museum) will be broadcast online. You can join host Rachel Hocking on Friday, August 6 to find out which artists have won by visiting the website from 6pm AEST. While you're there, check out the fully interactive, virtual gallery and chuck a vote in for your favourites in the Telstra People's Choice Award, too. Head to the NATSIAA website on August 6 at 6pm AEST to catch the announcement of this year's winners. Images: Charlie Bliss and MAGNT
2024 is Zendaya, Josh O'Connor and Mike Faist's year. By the time that July hits, each will have had two movies hit the silver screen in Australia within mere months. But, of course, only one brings the Dune: Part Two, La Chimera and The Bikeriders stars together, and also tennis and a spicy love triangle as well. That'd be Challengers, which is currently in cinemas Down Under, and has also made the fast-tracked leap to streaming while it's still unleashing its steamy games, sets and matches in picture palaces. Gone are the days when films quickly jumping between the big and small screens is new, with Dune: Part Two, Wonka and Force of Nature: The Dry 2 among the fellow flicks that've done the same this year. Challengers following suit is still great news, however, if you haven't had the chance to make it to your local theatre yet to see one of the year's highlights. Accordingly, you now have more viewing options — such as YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Directed by Call Me By Your Name, Suspiria and Bones and All filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, Challengers follows Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), Art Donaldson (Faist, West Side Story) and Patrick Zweig (O'Connor). As teenagers, they're all rising tennis talents, with Tashi the best of the lot. When she first crosses paths with both Art and Patrick, who are doubles partners and school roommates, it's at a party celebrating her bright future — and sparks fly, but it's Patrick that she's seeing when she's at college with Art. Enter a career-thwarting injury, then a jump forward to when Art is a multiple grand slam-winner, Patrick has never tasted major professional success and the two former best friends have fallen out of touch. Further complicating the trio's relationship, Art is also now married to Tashi. And, as he prepares for the US Open to finally notch up his career slam by having a hit at a tournament in New Rochelle, he's also on a collision course with Patrick on the court. It's no spoiler to say that Art and Patrick meet again as opponents, with Tashi — who is also now Art's manager — watching on. As set to a thumping score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (Oscar-winners for Soul), Guadagnino filters the entire movie through that pivotal match, with flashbacks to various earlier points (including the days leading up to the contest) to tell the threesome's full tale. "I think the competitiveness is also out of an obsession with each other. At the beginning of this film, in terms of the competitiveness, when they're younger that's there but — I don't want speak to their characters, but Art is is on the way of falling out of love with tennis. And I think Patrick is just desperate for connection," said O'Connor about the dynamic between the trio when he was in Australia to promote the flick alongside Zendaya and Faist. "I think all three of them are desperate for connection, whether it's Art seeking to restore the the love in his marriage or Tashi to restore this three-way love affair. I think Patrick, likewise, the tennis to him is the the utmost connection. He's always searching for that with Art, and with Tashi, too. And so I think the competitiveness comes secondary to that," he continued. Check out the trailer for Challengers below: Challengers is still screening in Australian cinemas, and is also available to stream via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our review, as well as what Zendaya, Josh O'Connor and Mike Faist had to say about the film when they were in Australia. Images: Niko Tavernise © 2024 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Given Terrace has seen more than its fair share of restaurants and bars come and go over the years, and now NOTA is set to be one of them. A mainstay of the busy Paddington stretch since 2018, Kevin Docherty and Sebastiaan de Kort's eatery will shut in August after a six-year run as one of inner-west Brisbane's favourites. Thankfully, this is truly a case of one door closing and another opening, with plans already afoot by another hospitality figure to move into the space and start afresh. NOTA's last day of trade will be Saturday, August 3, 2024, giving Brisbanites just under two months to stop by for a farewell meal and drink — or several. When they say goodbye to Paddington, co-owners and chefs Docherty and de Kort (ex-Moda) will be devoting their full attention to Newstead's Allonda, which they opened in 2022. While the pair are departing the space that was previously fine-diner Montrachet's old Paddington digs after the beloved French eatery moved to King Street in Bowen Hills, they're not leaving 224 Given Terrace empty. Details of who'll be taking over the address haven't yet been revealed, but the person at the helm is being teased as a hospitality heavyweight. "It's important for us to honour the community we've built by passing over the space to another hospitality wunderkind who we're confident will bring a much-needed dining experience to Brisbane — we're incredibly excited to see our much-loved space reinvented," said de Kort. "Starting NOTA so early in our careers was of course challenging, and we couldn't have done it without the amazing Paddington community," de Kort and Docherty continued. "But we are excited for what the future holds, both for us and for the space we're leaving behind." Since launching, NOTA has been a go-to for European spreads. In 2022, it added a wine bar to the mix, expanding into the abode next door — knocking down the adjoining wall, too — and becoming a 90-seater complete with its own a vino-swilling spot. In both NOTA setups, exposed brick walls and mirrors aplenty set the mood, alongside warm lighting; however, the 2.0 guise gave the restaurant a five-metre wall of wines, wines and more wines. As it counts down the days till handing over the keys, the restaurant will add quail with sweet corn polenta, broccolini with anchovy butter and beef bourguignon — aka its signature dishes — back to the menu. The warm house crumble falls into the same category. And, Head Sommelier Yanika Sittisuntorn will be back for a last round of wine recommendations. Find NOTA Restaurant & Wine Bar at 224 Given Terrace, Paddington until Saturday, August 3, 2024— open 6pm–late on Tuesday–Thursday (last booking at 7.30pm), then 12–2pm and 6pm–late (last booking at 8pm) Friday–Saturday. Images: Markus Ravik.
Getting away from it all can mean many things, from venturing as far as way from home as possible to finding a quiet patch to ignore your daily routine. At Wander at The Overflow 1895, Brisbanites will find the latter — because you'll be kicking back in an eco-cabin on a Scenic Rim winery, surrounded by vines and 4000 acres of bushland, and perched right on the shores of Lake Wyaralong. The new place to stay is the product of eco-pod company Wander, which is setting up one- and two-bedroom Wander Pods on the Wyaralong winery. Its cabins come equipped with king beds to keep you comfy, private kitchenettes to keep you fed, and floor-to-ceiling glass windows to keep you peering at the eye-catching scenery. And, if you'd like to sip drinks outside, each pod also has its own private deck. The vibe: luxe meets sustainable, all within a 90-minute drive from Brisbane. And, when the cabins start welcoming in people from December 2021, they'll also include access to a range of local experiences curated especially for Wander's guests. So, as well as seeing waterfalls, scoping out birds and wildlife, moseying through the eucalypts and making the most of the lake, you'll be able to choose between private hot air balloon rides, onsite yoga sessions, and meditation and massage as well. Or, there'll be walking tours of the region, led by a local guide — and seasonal fresh produce to eat direct from the farm. If that sounds like your idea of a top-notch getaway, bookings are now open for the five cabins. You'll be staying in Joyce, Moy and Juberra if you opt for a one-bedroom pod, with the first sat next to a giant granite rock formation, the second on a shelf of sandstone and the third perched up on a hill. Flintoff and Crumpet are the two-bedroom spaces, the former in a gully and the latter on open countryside next to a fig tree. And, while getting away from it all is clearly on the agenda here, each cabin comes with wifi — so you can choose to be as connected to the rest of the world as you like. Price-wise, a one-bedroom space is currently going for $1226 for three nights, and a two-bedroom cabin for $2116 for the same period. If your booking is affected by a lockdown, it's transferrable and fully refundable, too. Find Wander at the The Overflow 1895 at 1660 Beaudesert Boonah Road, Wyaralong from December 2021. Head to Wander's website for bookings and further information.
The 2020s are an age of many things, but an underrated symbol of this decade is the age of convenience. Not only can our phones keep us entertained but they can also keep our pantries stocked and bellies full. Apps like DoorDash put even more convenience in our hands — and not just by being able to order from the local Dominos without having to interact with another human being. Depending on your nearby providers, you can order almost any essential item straight to your door, so below we've highlighted some of the lesser-known items you might one day need delivered. With bonuses for new users, plus a daily specials series (running until Saturday, March 23) for beloved vendors — think $5 burritos and buy-one-get-one subs. There's no reason not to give DoorDash a whirl. [caption id="attachment_943284" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Sarinya Pinngam via iStock[/caption] Fresh fruit and veggies We all dread forgetting the groceries, leaving it to the last minute when it's easier to hang on the couch binging a sitcom. Gone are the days of being forced to wear outside clothes and head to the shops. Nowadays, if you live within range of a participating grocer, you can simply press a few buttons, and a dasher will drop everything you need for a fruit bowl or salad right outside. Best for: fixing a healthy feed at the last minute. DoorDash it now [caption id="attachment_943285" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Dennis Van Hoef via iStock[/caption] Meat and poultry Picture this: Friday night, you've had a long day at work rushing to hit a few end-of-week deadlines, friends are coming over for dinner, and you've got a barbecue for the ages planned. The grill's preheated and it's time to grab a steak and some chicken drumsticks out of the fridge — but they're two days past their best and smell like a bin. Fret not. The supermarket rule applies here too. Pick a replacement cut from a grocer; if it's available, a dasher can drop it at your door. Best for: replacing off meat when you've got a horde of carnivores coming over. DoorDash it now [caption id="attachment_943280" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Jacob Lund via iStock[/caption] Beer, wine and spirits If there's a house party, dinner party or grownup birthday party coming up and your bar cart's looking a little empty, sure enough, DoorDash can come to the rescue if you have participating merchants nearby. With deliveries available from BWS, Liquorland, Vintage Cellars, Porter's Liquor and a range of independent bottle shops, you needn't worry about running out for drinks. From a ritzy champagne to a cold four-pack of premixed cocktails, the dashers will get your drinks to your door. Note: you will need to show ID upon receipt of the liquid goods. Best for: a last-minute addition for a party when you realise you've inadvertently emptied the home bar. DoorDash it now [caption id="attachment_943286" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Vladans via iStock[/caption] Over-the-counter medicine If you're sick as a dog, feeling wiped out and legitimately cannot (and should not) leave the house, you can wait for your roommate or S/O to get a minute to get something for you and suffer a while longer, or open DoorDash. You'll find actual pharmacies here, and while they can't fill a prescription, they can send your choice of over-the-counter meds on their way to help beat any bug. Best for: when you're fighting a bug with no strength to leave home. DoorDash it now [caption id="attachment_943281" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Dmytro Skrypnykov via iStock[/caption] Batteries and chargers You may take your phone with you everywhere you go, but do you bring a charger? You don't want to be caught amiss if your battery runs flat. Similarly, finding out you're out of actual batteries tends to happen when you need one most. Don't panic because if you've still got even 1% left on your charge, open up DoorDash and summon a fresh pack of power on its way to you ASAP, whether it's a wall plug or a AAA, you'll find one here. Best for: replacing the charger you forgot to pack. DoorDash it now [caption id="attachment_943287" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Hung Chung Chih via iStock[/caption] Toiletries and hygiene products Running out of essential bathroom or hygiene items can be a disaster, especially in critical moments. Say you're in need of a fresh can of deodorant for a date; you're glued to the loo but didn't realise you were down to the scraps of your TP supply. Nightmare. With the participating grocers on DoorDash, everything from Lynx Africa bodywash to menstruation products are just a press of a button away. Best for: an emergency refill of the bathroom cabinet. DoorDash it now [caption id="attachment_943283" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Frantic00 via iStock[/caption] Fresh flowers Nothing can heal the wounds of a bad day like a bit of romance at home. Say you want to surprise a special someone or simply pep up your home decor if it feels a bit short on colour and life, flowers can help you out. If there's a participating florist within range, a dasher can collect a fine bouquet and ferry it to your door in a flash. Particularly useful if you've forgotten a key birthday or anniversary and need an emergency surprise. Best for: a romantic surprise that won't require a drive. DoorDash it now [caption id="attachment_943294" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Drazenzigic via iStock[/caption] Desserts and confectionary Anyone can tell you that a little sweet treat to break up the working day is essential. Feeling overwhelmed from a big day of studying? Little treat. Back-to-back deadlines at work? A little treat will help. If you're within range of a bakery, convenience store, or anywhere with a dessert menu, the power of a little treat is within your grasp on DoorDash. Best for: curing a mid-afternoon slump. DoorDash it now [caption id="attachment_943282" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Liudmila Chernetska via iStock[/caption] Hot (or iced) coffee and tea A tea or coffee can really work wonders to fix a bad day or poor mood. It's science! If you fancy a cuppa tea order some of your favourite blends from a nearby grocer, or get a fresh round of espresso coffee delivered from a nearby cafe with DoorDash. Best for: an emergency pick me up at work or home when you're too busy to self-brew. DoorDash it now Delivery gifting It's easy to order anything for yourself, follow your wants and needs, and order from local businesses accordingly. However, you might not have considered the possibility of ordering something for someone else. DoorDash offers a gifting service on the app. You just put in the recipient's address and tick the gifting option at the bottom, fill in an order, and then add a personalised message. Add the recipient's phone number to the order and send them the gift link to tell them it's coming. Easy. Best for: an easy gift for a special someone. DoorDash it now Download the DoorDash app for free on the Apple Store or Google Play to find out what's nearby. For more information, visit the website.
For proximity to Brisbane and stunning scenery, make North Stradbroke Island your next camping spot. There are a stack of beachside campsites and among the best is Cylinder. Pack your board — there are waves. When you're done with ruling the surf, go koala spotting, stroll along North Gorge walk or play pool with watery panoramas at the Beach Hotel. Facilities are pretty posh — you can count on showers, toilets, barbecues, picnic tables and nearby cafes and restaurants. Book before you go.
It only ran for three short years, but when international dance festival Creamfields took a hiatus in 2013, it left a big, fat hole in the Aussie festival calendar (large-scale festivals, at least). Now, folks who count the days for big drops have something to plan for, with today's announcement that Creamfields will make its return to Australian shores at the end of this year. Transplanting the clubbing experience into a huge outdoor event, Creamfields has given the global electronic music scene a solid shake-up since it first landed in 1998, starting life as a one-day UK show with a crowd of 25,000. In the years following, it's been staged in 22 countries, with that original UK festival morphing into a 70,000 capacity, four-day camping situation. It's raked in the accolades too, including the 2010 Music Week Award for Festival of The Year, and the 2016 gong for Best Major Festival at the UK Festival Awards. And this November, as it celebrates the big 2-0, Creamfields is heading back to Melbourne, set to bring with it a suitably huge lineup of DJs and electronic artists. Exactly which names will take the stage is yet to be revealed, but with past Aussie headliners including the likes of Skrillex and David Guetta, it's looking pretty darn promising. Both the lineup and venue for Creamfields Australia 2017 are yet to be announced, but you can register here for first dibs on tickets and the chance to win some sweet prizes. Images: Supplied.
They've changed the home entertainment landscape and monopolise our couch time, but streaming platforms still like to keep everyone guessing. Surprise drops have become the latest trend, especially when it comes to blending movies and music — such as Beyonce's Homecoming documentary and The Lonely Island's Unauthorised Bash Brothers Experience on Netflix, and Donald Glover's Guava Island on Amazon Prime. And that's just this year. Announced this week and hitting your queue in mere days — on Thursday, June 27 — add Anima to the list. It too has a significant pedigree. Sharing the same name as Thom Yorke's third solo album, which'll drop on the same day, it's scored by the Radiohead frontman and directed by Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood and Phantom Thread filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson. Netflix is calling Anima "a short musical film" and a "mind-bending visual piece" which is "best played loud" — and considering it also stars Yorke, it's safe to consider it a 12-minute music video. In the just-released teaser, the film is dubbed a "one-reeler", which the clip then goes on to define as "a motion picture, especially a cartoon or comedy, of 10–12 minutes duration and contained on one reel of film; popular especially in the era of silent film". Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNYJ_BJJbzI This isn't Anderson's first Radiohead-linked collaboration, with his films There Will Be Blood, The Master, Inherent Vice and Phantom Thread all featuring scores composed by the band's lead guitarist Jonny Greenwood. He also helmed 2015 documentary Junjun, about the making of Greenwood's album of the same name, and directed Radiohead's 'Daydreaming', 'Present Tense' and 'The Numbers' videos. Yorke has also been working in film lately — on the score for last year's Luca Guadagnino's 2018 remake of Suspiria. Anima drops on Netflix on Thursday, June 27. Images: Netflix / Darius Khondji.
Watching a film can transport you to another place — and, at Palace Centro from January 26 to 29, it can transport you to another period, too. To be specific, you'll feel like you're jumping back to a time when movie tickets were only $5. The last time a trip to the flicks was that cheap was when Palace did the same thing last year. The four-day offer is the perfect way to celebrate the public holiday and the days that follow, particularly if you're avoiding the heat and sitting in a darkened room is among your favourite pastimes. Sure, you might already have other plans — but who isn't tempted by the thought of going to the cinema for a fiver? The lineup of films is certain to prove just as enticing, with everything from La La Land, Arrival, Lion and Jackie to Paterson, Elle, The Edge of Seventeen and A United Kingdom currently screening. Catch rightful awards darling Moonlight on its opening day, or go gangster with new release Live By Night. At $5 per ticket, if you time it right, you can probably watch all of the above.
This time last year, the world had gone more than 12 months without seeing a new Marvel movie. Just a few months back, no one had used the words 'squid' and 'game' right next to each other unless they were talking about cooking up a particularly impressive seafood dish. But 2021 has proven the year of both caped crusaders and a certain South Korean Netflix phenomenon — and we all have the Google search history to prove it. With the year coming to a close, the technology behemoth has revealed exactly what we've all been scouring the web for in 2021, and its film and TV lists provide quite the snapshot of everyone's viewing. When we were all eager to watch a flick, we went big, with franchises, familiar names and super-famous faces defining the top ten most-searched movies. When we were staying in — it was another year filled with lockdowns, after all — we threw plenty of love towards streaming platforms. Topping the film list: Eternals, Chloé Zhao's addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and her first film after winning this year's Best Director Oscar for the immensely dissimilar Nomadland. It was closely followed by the long-delayed Black Widow, Timothée Chalamet-starring sci-fi remake Dune, more Marvel again via Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and Netflix's heist-fuelled action flick Red Notice. Next came the new Australian-shot version of Mortal Kombat, the Emma Stone-led Cruella and the return of Michael Myers in horror sequel Halloween Kills, as well as monster melee Godzilla vs Kong and straight-to-streaming zombie film Army of the Dead. When it came to the globe's binge-viewing for the year, Squid Game came in at number one — likely not only because it's all anyone seemed to be watching in September and October, but because we all became so obsessed with it that, yes, we were all searching for every piece of information about it that we could find. It was followed by Bridgerton's period soapiness, WandaVision's trippy superhero dramas, Karate Kid spinoff series Cobra Kai and more Marvel (yes, again) thanks to Loki. Also placing in the top ten: Netflix's Sweet Tooth and Lupin, the latter of which probably benefited from dropping its episodes in two batches; the streamer's Ginny and Georgia; South Korean series True Beauty; and Big Brother Brazil 2021. If you haven't watched any of the above yet, consider this a catch-up list, too. For further details about Google's 2021 trend lists, head to the Google Trends website. Top image: Noh Juan, Netflix.
Eye roll-inducingly terrible bumper stickers be damned; no one honks if they're horny in Titane. Revving when aroused is more this petrol-doused body-horror film's style, spanning characters both flesh and chrome. When she's seen writhing in fishnets atop a flame-adorned vintage Cadillac, the stony-gazed Alexia (debutant Agathe Rousselle) is working. She's titillating a Fast and Furious-style car crowd with her sexed-up display, but the car model still seems to hum with every gyration. After wrapping up, murdering a grab-happy fan with the metal chopstick keeping her hair up and then showering off the gooey, gory evidence, she's soon purring rhythmically inside that gleaming vehicle. Yes, in a plot detail that spilled the instant Titane premiered at this year's Cannes Film Festival, where it won the prestigious Palme d'Or, this is the French car sex flick. How does someone fornicate with an automobile? Not inside or on the waxed hood, but copulating with the vehicle itself? That's one of this pumping piston of a movie's least interesting questions, although Titane does go there. In her sophomore effort after the also-phenomenal teen cannibal film Raw, writer/director Julia Ducournau isn't too interested in those specifics. She splashes the bouncy sex scene across the screen with lights flashing, human and motor pulsating as one, and pleasure seeping like exhaust fumes, but it's hardly the picture's only point of interest. Titane isn't the first feature to flirt with carnality and cars — Ridley Scott's The Counsellor had a gas-fuelled rendezvous less than a decade ago; Crash, from body-horror godfather David Cronenberg, is also steeped in automotive eroticism. But Ducournau's addition to the parking lot shrewdly links mechanophilia with agency and control, particularly over one's feelings and body. First, before cylinders start lustily thrusting, Titane finds the initial growls of Alexia's four-wheeled fascination via a quick race through her childhood. As a seven-year-old (fellow first-timer Adèle Guigue), she enjoys audibly rumbling along with the engine. She also likes kicking the chair in front of her, exasperating her dad (French filmmaker Bertrand Bonello, director of Nocturama and Zombi Child) into an accident. For her troubles, she gets a plate of the titular element inserted in her cracked skull. That steely stare matches the alloy in her head even then. From the outset, Ducournau pairs blood and metal, reshaping her central figure while laying bare her vulnerabilities. She kicks her film into a gear it'll keep shifting into again and again, too, because this is a movie about modifications: physically, emotionally and while trying to claim one's own sense of self. Titane isn't just the French car sex film, clearly. It isn't merely a car sex movie about a woman partly forged from titanium, and with a penchant for piercing her way through those who block her road. Nor is it simply the French car pregnancy flick, with Alexia and the Caddy's tryst bearing fruit — a condition she tries to conceal, especially after more deaths lead her to Vincent (Vincent Lindon, At War), a fire chief who takes her in as his long-missing son. If Ducournau had made her script out of metal, she'd be moulding it in its molten form. She'd be letting it bubble; key to Titane's blistering appeal is its eagerness to let things boil, then brim over, because the feelings and ideas it works with are that scorching. If her feature was a car instead, it'd be that libidinous, fire-emblazoned Cadillac, which arrives with a bang, lures Alexia in and then lets loose. Actually, perhaps Titane would be the oily belly of the hulking vehicle that gets its biggest fan in the family way. Watching here resembles peeking under the bonnet with the engine running, seeing pulleys and belts in action, and feeling heat and energy radiate. That doesn't solely stem from the mechanical imagery, or the savage first half — where fluidly executed killing sprees, broken bodies and a watch-behind-your-hands incident of self-mutilation take on a mechanised air, too. And, it doesn't just emanate from Alexia's swelling stomach, the motor oil oozing from her breasts or, after binding down all signs of femininity in her new life, her scars. As set to both an eerie score and pitch-perfect needle drops, Titane evokes a sensation of witnessing moving parts grind, whirr, interlock and spark. The movie thrums, and it's intoxicating. It isn't always pretty, even with a neon-drenched look that'd do Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn proud, but popping the hood rarely is. As all filmmakers aim to, that's what Ducournau does with her car porn/serial killer/secret identity/gender-bending blend. She opens up her characters, exposes what makes them run and spies what lubricates their gears. Thanks to Rousselle's stunningly physical, near-silent performance, Titane lays bare the workings of a woman who has confronted the hyper-sexualised expectations of her gender by leaning in, and by stabbing. Alexia then grasps comfort by eschewing boundaries, and gaining a surrogate dad who's similarly trapped in his own way. As lensed with an exacting yet empathetic eye by Raw's Ruben Impens — even with its lurid blue and purple hues — Titane sees Vincent's battle to meet the macho standard, too. Shots of him injecting steroids to keep up with the younger firefighters are just as brutal as glimpses of Alexia's distended, strapped-down midsection, if not her bursts of violence. Titane is a ferocious and unflinching thriller, and also beautiful, tender and compassionate. Amid its visceral shocks, it gleans possibilities — in embracing connections, accepting change, breaking free of everything that the world throws at you and, crucially, in seeking power in transformation. Lindon's impact, and that of his soulful, sorrowful eyes, can't be underestimated; if Rousselle is the movie's fuel, he's its oxygen. Ducournau is always in the driver's seat, though. The second woman to ever win Cannes' highly coveted top prize, she packs the film's absurdities into the boot, straps her Raw-established fascination with bodies and identity into the passenger side, puts her pedal to the metal and speeds towards her own cinematic horizon. She veers, swerves and spins along the way, but never crashes — and takes her audience on one helluva ride.
The first half of Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby is every bit its director, and is to be endured rather than enjoyed. Set during America's economic boom of the 1920s, the action is cartoonish, the dialogue is almost devoid of nuance and the lavish parties appear dull despite all the sparkles in the world — a regrettable triumph of impeccable style over substance. Apologists may argue this merely reflects Gatsby's time and theme: a shallow, superficial facade to reflect its characters and their unapologetic opulance, but that is too convenient. Simple regard to Luhrmann's history reminds us that exaggerated spectacle is every bit his custom, not a carefully chosen device, and his fondness for juxtaposing period drama with modern music (the soundtrack was produced by Jay-Z) proves more distracting than entertaining. Matters improve immeasurably, however, in the second half when Luhrmann begins to explore his favourite theme of forbidden love twixt star-crossed lovers. Moulin Rouge, Strictly Ballroom and Romeo & Juliet all hit their highest notes when the pagentry gave way to the intimate, and Gatsby is no exception. The stolen moments between its protagonist Jay (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Daisy (Carey Mulligan) are appropriately tender but ominous, presided over with a mix of fascination and regret by the film's narrator Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire). To borrow from Fitzgerald, these few quiet moments are — compared to the 'rotten crowd' of the first hour — worth more than the lot of them put together. From a performance standpoint, the women definitely come out on top. Mulligan is utterly charming as Daisy, consistently allowing her character's fragility to worm its way to the surface before masking it with a disarming smile, and Isla Fisher is unrecognisable as the mistress of Daisy's husband Tom (played by Joel Edgerton in yet another impressive turn). Most captivating of all, however, is the statuesque Elizabeth Debicki, who commands the eye in every frame of film she occupies. In terms of the men, Maguire's doe-eyed exuberance is endearing enough, though at times it strays almost to the point of clowning, and Jason Clarke provides a nice cameo as Fisher's dim-witted husband. In the role of Gatsby, DiCaprio looks every bit the man whose smile "was one of those rare [ones] with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you come across four or five times in life", yet his performance feels largely wooden and unnatural. It's as if the words and accent are not his own, particularly in the first half where they seem so apart from his body as to invoke uncomfortable memories of Tom Hardy's Bane. Ultimately, it's far from the disaster indicated by some of its early reviews, particularly those that labelled it a 'two-hour music video', and there's no denying Luhrmann has a flair for engaging the senses with his extraordinary vision. That said, The Great Gatsby largely departs from the memory almost as quickly as it arrives, an impermanent and largely uncritical adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's beloved take on the infirmity of the American Dream. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ozkOhXmijtk
