It may sound like a sci-fi gimmick every time you read about it, but virtual reality is truly almost in your hands. From high-end military training software to 360° porn, VR technology has come a long way since the Nintendo Virtual Boy in the ‘90s. Tech giants including Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Sony have all bought into the craze and are working frantically on commercially viable hardware. Now lightweight camera manufacturer and BFF to extreme sports GoPro is getting in on the action well. Snowboarding videos will never be the same. The American company has confirmed it's set to purchase Kolar, a small French software startup that specialises in panoramic video. GoPro already makes a multi-directional camera mount capable of shooting 360° video, footage that the Kolar software can then stitch together. As part of their announcement, GoPro released a video of what that looks like — although unless you want to give yourself a serious headache, you’ll need to watch it in Google Chrome. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMBDA-Our4w According to a statement by GoPro CEO Nicholas Woodman, "GoPro's capture devices and Kolor's software will combine to deliver exciting and highly accessible solutions for capturing, creating and sharing spherical content." Spherical content. The immersive video will initially be compatible with Google Cardboard — Google's ultra low budget cardboard mount that turns your smartphone into a kind of DIY virtual reality headset — before being expanded to work with other, higher end systems such as Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR. Via Quartz. Top images: GoPro.
However many pieces of Lego exist in the world, they're generally associated with younger fans, although everything from adults-only Lego nights to bars built out of connecting bricks have been testing that idea recently. Now, the Danish brand itself is not only embracing its adult Lego aficionados, but has created a set specifically designed to reduce stress. Think of the company's new Lego Forma line as its version of adult colouring books. Crowdfunded via Indiegogo but definitely a legitimate Lego endeavour, Forma is all about encouraging adults to get creative. The fish-themed set consists of a base koi model, which customers build from 294 pieces, including a gear system that lets the finished model move in a life-like way. While each set comes with a basic snap-on koi skin, Lego fans can also add one of three others: a shark skin, a colourful 'splash' koi skin and a black-and-white 'ink' koi skin. The foil skins are also customisable (so you can break out your colouring pencils and markers if you like), and the whole thing takes a couple hours to put together. At the moment, Lego Forma is in the pilot stage, which is one of the reasons that Lego has opted to release its first model via Indiegogo — and in the US and UK only. The limited short-run batch "is primarily designed to learn whether there is an appetite and market for the product, more so than driving revenue", explains the company. After feedback on the first run, a more global approach to releasing sets like Lego Forma is planned. Lego Forma follows in the footsteps of Lego's new sustainable, plant-based pieces, with the brand clearly keeping an eye on environmental concerns — and on the fact that everyone plays with Lego as a kid, and still retains a soft spot for its hard brick pieces as an adult. Fingers crossed that Lego Forma expands its range and makes its way Down Under in the future. For more information, visit the Lego Forma Indiegogo site. Images: Lego.
As if the shorter days and cooler evenings weren't already reasons enough to turn to comfort foods, these strange times are causing us to do so now more than ever. And up there with the ultimate belly-warming bites are those from Taco Bell. The Tex-Mex giant now boasts seven stores in Brisbane, so if you're a big fan of Mexican-inspired food, chances are you've already started to make your way through its extensive menu. And, in some very good news, you can keep the flavour fiesta going while stuck at home in isolation. Yep, Taco Bell has teamed up with Menulog to offer free delivery for a limited time from some of its outposts across the city. That means you and your housemates can get stuck into its signature tacos, cheesy quesadillas and the fan favourite Crunchwrap Supreme, which is stuffed with your choice of meat, nacho cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomato and crunchy tostada shell, without being stung with delivery fees. And don't worry if you live alone or nobody else is hungry as there's no minimum spend — not that we'd judge you for ordering all of those tasty items mentioned above solo anyway. So, if you're all tucked up in your blanket burrito and suddenly get a craving for an actual burrito, you can stay cosy and warm inside your home while the food comes to you. All you need to do is head to Menulog and find out the closest Taco Bell store to you to place your order. Not within the delivery radius? The stores are still open and offering contactless takeaway and drive-through, too. Taco Bell is offering free delivery across Brisbane via Menulog with no minimum spend for a limited time only. To place your order, head here. https://youtu.be/kaqlWl0DKxM
It's a truth universally acknowledged that dads are absolutely, 100 percent, without a doubt the hardest people in our lives to buy gifts for. They don't really want or need much — and they tend to buy whatever they do need for themselves anyway. If you're like us, you probably have a default roster of generic items that you keep on rotation for special occasions. But let's be real: Dad doesn't really need another pair of socks. And he still hasn't cracked the cover of the last book you bought for him. So, we're here to help you out. Together with Maker's Mark, we're giving away an excellent whisky-themed gift pack that'll take Dad's after-dinner tipple to the next level. Valued at $450, this prize pack has a bunch of liquor cabinet essentials, including a bottle of Maker's Mark, an ice stamp, two glasses and a barrel head. And if you really want to cement that coveted favourite kid status, fix him a drink after he's unwrapped the gift — keep an eye out for our recipe guide, which is coming soon. To be in the running, enter your details below. [competition]779157[/competition]
It's clear that more Londoners want to ride their bikes more often than ever before. In fact, between 2001 and 2011, the number of them cycle commuting to work doubled. The problem is, though, that the city's rabbit warren-like infrastructure doesn't always mean there’s enough room for two-wheelers, taxis and regular vehicles to share the road harmoniously. A $1.4 billion, 24-kilometre cycle super highway, initiated by Lord Mayor Boris Johnson, has made many a journey much smoother. But, to many bicycle-inclined minds, it’s just the beginning. Earlier this year, architect Lord Norman Foster put forward SkyCycle: an elevated, car-free bike path that would see cyclists cruising around above London, E.T.-style (kind of). And now, there’s a new proposal in the works: the Thames Deckway. It’s a 12-kilometre long cycle path that would float on the River Thames. Created by a group of engineers, architects and artists who’ve named themselves the River Cycleway Consortium Ltd, it would start at Battersea in the West and stretch all the way to Canary Wharf in the east, sitting quite close to the river’s south bank. So it would be well out of the way of the barges, ferries, rowers and paddlers who travel along the primary navigation channel. Cyclists would be able to hop on and off the route at various points via embankment ramps, where kiosks would offer refreshments in the way of snacks and beverages. The path would cater, not only to commuters, but also to those out for a leisurely recreational ride, and would be designed to rise and fall according to tidal changes. To minimise potential dangers, an elaborate system of sensors and satellites would alert the land-bound world to threats and hazards. "London needs to think outside the box of conventional solutions to solve its deep-seated traffic and pollution problems," a spokesperson said in a media statement. "The Thames offers vast, untapped potential to ease and improve London's infrastructure problems. What is needed is imagination to unleash it." The Consortium, which was established by London-based artist Anna Hill and architect David Nixon, and includes engineering company Arup and Hugh Broughton Architects, would need to raise 600 million GBP from private investors to put the plan into action. Cyclists would be charged 1.50 GBP per ride, to go towards maintenance. Via Dezeen.
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to watching anything, we're here to help. We've spent plenty of couch time watching our way through this month's latest batch — and, from the latest and greatest to old favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue from April's haul of newbies. BRAND NEW STUFF YOU CAN WATCH IN FULL RIGHT NOW APOLLO 10 1/2: A SPACE AGE CHILDHOOD In 1969, the year that Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood is set, writer/director Richard Linklater was nine years old and living in Houston, Texas. This lovely animated film happens to follow a boy around the same age in the same city — and trust the filmmaker behind Boyhood, Dazed and Confused, and the glorious trio that is Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight to make viewers who weren't there then (who weren't even alive and have never been to America, too) to feel as nostalgic about the place and era as he clearly does. As narrated by his Bernie and The School of Rock star Jack Black, the film's entire middle section dances through memories of the time and city with infectious enthusiasm, but its biggest dose of affection radiates towards the technological promise of the 60s. The Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions were rocketing into space and it patently felt like anything was possible, a sensation so marvellously captured in each second of Apollo 10 1/2. Jumping back into the rotoscoped animation that served Linklater so well in Waking Life and A Scanner Darkly, this loving ode to years and moods gone by also sports a delightful premise. As his older guise (Black) explains, young Stan (debutant Milo Coy) was an ordinary Houston kid with a NASA-employed dad (Bill Wise, Waves), doting mum (Lee Eddy, Cruel Summer) and five older siblings when he was approached by two men (Shazam!'s Zachary Levi and Everybody Wants Some!!'s Glen Powell) to help them with a problem. In the lead up to Apollo 11, it seems that NASA accidentally built the lunar module a couple of sizes too small, so they need a kid — Stan — to help them by going to the moon to test things out before Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins make their famous trip in a bigger version. That fantastical idea feels ripped from Linklater's childhood dreams, and it well might be; it also makes for a warm and charming entry point into a movie that's as much about life's ups and downs, the bonds of family and the wide-eyed optimism of youth as it is about heading to space. Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood is available to stream via Netflix. SLOW HORSES One of several espionage-themed efforts worth a watch this month — see also: The Flight Attendant and All the Old Knives below — Slow Horses gives the genre a pivotal switch and entertaining shake up. It's still a tense thriller, kicking off with an airport incident (another theme for the month) and then following a kidnapping, but it's also about the kind of spies that don't usually populate the on-screen world of covert operatives. Stationed away from the main MI5 base at a rundown, clandestine office called Slough House, Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman, The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard) and his team are the agency's rejects. They haven't been fired for a multitude of reasons, however, including boasting ties to influential past employees, being great at their jobs but also a drunk and having impressive hacking skills yet proving impossible to get along with. Given the nickname that gives the show its moniker, usually they do little more than push paper, too, until they get caught up in a high-profile case. Oldman goes big and broad as Lamb, and he's also ceaselessly absorbing to watch, but Slow Horses isn't short on stars. In a six-episode first season adapted from Mick Herron's 2010 novel of the same name, Kristin Scott Thomas (Rebecca) plays MI5 Deputy Director-General Diana Taverner, Lamb's supremely competent head-office counterpart — although it's Jack Lowden (Fighting with My Family) and Olivia Cooke (Pixie) as young operatives River Cartwright and Sid Baker, and their efforts to chase down a lead they're not meant to, that anchors the series. Behind the scenes, executive producer and writer Will Smith (not that one) brings a sly and witty way with dialogue from his past work on The Thick of It and Veep, making Slow Horses both crackingly suspenseful and tartly amusing. The slinky theme tune by Mick Jagger also helps set the mood — and season two is already in development. The first season of Slow Horses is available to stream via Apple TV+. HEARTSTOPPER It only takes minutes for British newcomer Heartstopper to explain its title — showing rather than telling, as all great shows should. A year ten student at Truham Grammar School for Boys, Charlie Spring (first-timer Joe Locke) finds himself seated in his form class next to year 11 rugby player Nick Nelson (Kit Connor, Little Joe). Sparks fly on the former's part, swiftly and overwhelmingly, with the eight-part series' graphic-novel origins inspiring a flurry of fluttering animated hearts on-screen. But Charlie has a secret boyfriend, Ben (Sebastian Croft, Doom Patrol), who won't even acknowledge him in public. He also hardly thinks of himself as sporty, even after Nick asks him to join the school team. And, while a friendship quickly solidifies between the two, Charlie is initially unsure whether anything more can happen — and anxiety-riddled in general. As well as writing Heartstopper's source material — which initially started as a webcomic — Alice Oseman pens every episode of this perceptive teenage-focused gem. From the outset, it bubbles with heartwarming charm, while its coming-of-age story and central love story alike prove wholly relatable, aptly awkward but also wonderfully sweet and sensitive. In short, it's a series that plunges so convincingly and inclusively into its characters' experiences that it feels like its heart is constantly beating with affection for Charlie, Nick, and their fellow high-schoolers Tao (fellow debutant William Gao), Elle (Yasmin Finney), Isaac (Tobie Donovan), Tara (Corinna Brown, Daphne) and Darcy (Kizzy Edgell). First crushes, young love, the swirling swell of emotions that comes with both and also figuring out who you are: all of this dances through Heartstopper's frames. Also, when Oscar-winner Olivia Colman (The Lost Daughter) pops up, she's glorious as always. The first season of Heartstopper is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review. KILLING IT Killing It starts with a pitch. It's the first of many because that's just life these days, the show posits. Adding another sitcom to his resume after The Office, Ghosted and his beloved Brooklyn Nine-Nine guest spots, Craig Robinson keeps his first name as a Miami bank security guard with big aspirations — if he can rustle up some startup funds. His vision: owning a saw palmetto farm and living the American dream, because he believed his dad back when he was told as a kid that hard work and perseverance always pay off in the USA. For $20,000, he plans to buy land in the Everglades, then sell the fruit to pharmaceutical companies, who'll use it in prostate medicines for the lucrative health market. But when his branch manager won't give him a loan, and his life spirals soon afterwards, he begins to realise how America really works for everyone who isn't ruthless, wealthy or both. Striving for a better life, styling yourself to meet society's expectations, getting brutally trampled down: that's Killing It, which hails from B99 co-creator Dan Goor and executive producer Luke Del Tredici. It's a perceptive and savvily funny series about aiming for a shiny future to escape the swampy present, but getting stuck slithering in a circle no matter what you try. And, it's also about literally killing snakes, a money-making scheme that Craig comes across via Uber driver Jillian (Claudia O'Doherty, Our Flag Means Death). She's a chatty Australian who swings hammers at pythons because it's a profitable business — and because there's a contest awarding $20,000 to whoever kills the most. If The Good Place was wholly set in Florida and followed down-on-their luck folks chasing glory by slaying pythons, and also made exceptional use of the well-paired Robinson and O'Doherty, this'd be the end result. The first season of Killing It is available to stream via Stan. Read our full review. MASTER Taking cues from Jordan Peele's Get Out and Donald Glover's Atlanta (see below), as well as from old-school horror classics such as Rosemary's Baby and The Shining, college-set horror-thriller Master isn't lacking in well-known influences. It also isn't afraid to let the imprint left by its obvious predecessors visibly ripple through its frames. But being overly ambitious in stitching together a story that so clearly owes a debt backwards is one of this film's few missteps — that and being so brimming with ideas that not everything gets its due. Excavating the institutionalised racism that festers in the American university system is a big task, though, and first-time feature writer/director Mariama Diallo doesn't hold back. There's a slow-burn eeriness to this intense Ivy League-steeped affair, but also a go-for-broke mentality behind its dissection of deeply engrained prejudice and weaponised identity politics. Regina Hall (Nine Perfect Strangers), Zoe Renee (Black Lightning) and Amber Gray (The Underground Railroad) play Gail Bishop, Jasmine Moore and Liv Beckman, respectively — three women of colour at a New England uni, Ancaster, with a long history. The school's past is almost exclusively tied to white administrators and students, of course, so much so that Gail is the first Black head of the college, or master. Her appointment comes as Jasmine arrives and gets allocated to a dorm once inhabited by the college's first-ever Black pupil, whose tale ended in tragedy, and as popular professor Liv tries to earn tenure. Diallo balances racial politics and the supernatural with skill; yes, the former, and the way that 'diversity' is paid lip-service to boost the university's prestige, is far more chilling than the otherworldly bumps and jumps, but both play a key part in making this a smart and haunting feature. Master is available to stream via Prime Video. ALL THE OLD KNIVES Starring Chris Pine (Wonder Woman 1984) and Thandiwe Newton (Westworld) as two spies wading through the fallout of a terrorist attack that changed their lives years earlier, All the Old Knives brings its espionage intrigue to the screen with a sense of timelessness. It's easy to imagine how stars from any other decade — perhaps pairings involving Kurt Russell and Jamie Lee Curtis in the 80s, Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock in the 90s, or Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in the 00s — could've stepped into the same film with little tinkering needed, and how it still would've turned out as slickly and engagingly. Pine and Newton play Henry Pelham and Celia Harrison, colleagues and lovers in 2012 when Turkish Alliance flight 127 is hijacked. In 2020, the case is reopened after new information comes to light, with Henry tasked with investigating — which means reuniting with Celia after she suddenly left her old existence behind. As directed by Borg vs McEnroe's Janus Metz Pedersen, much of All the Old Knives unfurls through conversation, with the filmmaker once again diving into a highly charged adversarial and emotional relationship. With Henry trying to extract information and Celia endeavouring to protect everything she's earned since the incident, it also unravels like a game between two well-matched players, even if the twists and turns penned by Olen Steinhauer — the creator of TV's Berlin Station, and also the author of the novel that All the Old Knives is based on — are rarely astonishing. Pine and Newton make the most of the material, however, in dialogue-driven parts that rely heavily upon their smouldering chemistry. Also influential in the handsomely shot thriller: the supporting cast that spans Laurence Fishburne (MacGruber) and Jonathan Pryce (Tales From the Loop) as fellow CIA operatives. All the Old Knives is available to stream via Prime Video. NEW SHOWS TO CHECK OUT WEEK BY WEEK THE GIRL FROM PLAINVILLE Whatever she's in, and whether she's the star of the show or a supporting player, Chloë Sevigny's face always tells a tale of its own. That's been true in everything from Kids and Boys Don't Cry through to Big Love and We Are Who We Are, and it remains that way in The Girl From Plainville — the new eight-part true-crime miniseries led by The Great's Elle Fanning that's based on the death of Massachusetts teenager Conrad Roy III in 2014. Here, Fanning plays Conrad's long-distance girlfriend Michelle Carter. It's due to the her actions that the situation has been known as "the texting suicide case" for almost a decade — garnering not just local but international attention, and earning a HBO documentary, I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth Vs Michelle Carter, back in 2019. Fanning is fantastic in what proves an eerie character study, but the looks that Sevigny, as Conrad's mother Lynn, shoots her way scream rather than simply speak volumes. Inspired by Jesse Barron's Esquire article of the same name, The Girl From Plainville tells a tough tale, starting with Conrad's (Colton Ryan, Dear Evan Hansen) suicide in his truck in a Kmart parking lot. It was his second attempt to take his own life, although he'd promised Lynn that he wouldn't do it again — and when his death was investigated, police discovered text messages sent to him by Michelle, including a plethora of words encouraging him to follow through. In 2015, she was indicted on charges of involuntary manslaughter for "wantonly and recklessly" assisting the suicide. In 2017, her trial took place. The outcome is now a matter a history, which the complicated, captivating and gripping The Girl From Plainville builds up to while also unpacking Michelle and Conrad's relationship. The Girl From Plainville is available to stream via Stan, with new episodes dropping weekly. Read our full review. OUTER RANGE Some shows commence with a dead girl wrapped in plastic. Others begin with a plane crash on a spooky island. With Outer Range, it all kicks off with a void. On the Abbott family ranch in Wyoming, in the western reach that gives the show its name, a chasm suddenly appears. A perfect circle swirling with otherworldly mist and resembling an oversized golf hole, it's just one of several troubles plaguing patriarch Royal (Josh Brolin, Dune), however. There is indeed a touch of Twin Peaks and Lost to Outer Range. A dash of Yellowstone, The Twilight Zone, The X-Files and whichever family-focused prime-time soap opera takes your fancy, too. As a result, while Royal is visibly disconcerted by the unexpected opening staring at him in an otherwise ordinary field in this intriguing, quickly entrancing and supremely well-acted eight-part series — a show that makes ideal use of Brolin especially — he has other worries. His rich, ostentatious and increasingly madcap neighbour Wayne Tillerson (Will Patton, Halloween Kills) suddenly wants a parcel of the Abbotts' turf, claiming mapping inaccuracies. One of Tillerson's mouthy and entitled sons, Trevor (Matt Lauria, CSI: Vegas), ends up in a bar spat with Royal's sons Rhett (Lewis Pullman, Them That Follow) and Perry (Tom Pelphrey, Mank). And there's also the matter of Perry's missing wife, who disappeared nine months back, leaving both her husband and their young daughter Amy (Olive Abercrombie, The Haunting of Hill House) searching since. Plus, into this sea of faith-testing chaos amid such serene and dreamlike scenery, a stranger arrives as well: "hippie chick" backpacker Autumn Rivers (Imogen Poots, The Father). She just wants to camp for a few days on the Abbotts' stunning and sprawling land, she says, but she's a key part in a show that's a ranch-dwelling western, an offbeat enigma, an eerie sci-fi, a detective quest and a thriller all at once. Outer Range is available to stream via Prime video, with new episodes dropping weekly. Read our full review. RETURNING FAVOURITES NOW DROPPING EAGERLY AWAITED NEW SEASONS ATLANTA Atlanta's third season arrives with two pieces of fantastic news, and one inevitable but not-so-welcome reality. Hitting screens four years after season two, it's one of two seasons that'll air this year — and it's as extraordinary as the Donald Glover-created and -starring (and often -written and -directed) show has ever been — but when season four drops later in 2022, that'll be the end of this deserved award-winner. The latter makes revelling in what Atlanta has for viewers now all the more special, although this series always earns that description anyway. Just as Jordan Peele has done on the big screen with Get Out and Us after building upon his excellent sketch comedy series Key & Peele, Glover lays bare what it's like to be Black in America today with brutally smart and honest precision, and also makes it blisteringly apparent that both horror and so-wild-and-terrifying-that-you-can-only-laugh comedy remains the default. Actually, in the season-three episodes that focus on Glover's Earnest 'Earn' Marks, his cousin and rapper Alfred 'Paper Boi' Miles (Brian Tyree Henry, Godzilla vs Kong), their Nigerian American pal Darius (Lakeith Stanfield, Judas and the Black Messiah) and Earn's ex Vanessa (Zazie Beetz, The Harder They Fall), the lived experience of being a Black American anywhere is thrust into the spotlight. Paper Boi is on tour in Europe, which results in an on-the-road onslaught of antics that repeatedly put the quartet at the mercy of white bullshit — racist traditions, money-hungry rich folks looking to cash in on someone else's culture, scheming hangers-on, brands using Black artists for politically correct PR stunts and culinary gentrification all included. And then there's the standalone stories, all of which'd make excellent movies. Proving astute, incisive, sometimes-absurd, always-stellar and relentlessly surprising, here Atlanta examines the welfare system and in its inequalities, reparations for slavery, and the emotional and physical labour outsourced to Black workers. The third season of Atlanta is available to stream via SBS On Demand, with new episodes dropping weekly. BETTER CALL SAUL Saul Goodman's name has always been ironic. As played so devastatingly well by the one and only Bob Odenkirk, the slick lawyer sells the "s'all good, man" vibe with well-oiled charm, but little is ever truly good — for his clients, as his Breaking Bad experiences with Walter White and Jesse Pinkman demonstrated, or for the ever-enterprising law-skirting attorney himself. That truth has always sat at the heart of Better Call Saul's magnificent tragedy, too, and has made the prequel series one of the best shows of this century. Viewers know the fate that awaits, and yet we desperately yearn for the opposite to magically happen. But when the first part of the series' final season begins — with seven episodes arriving weekly since mid-April, then the final six dropping from mid-July — we're pushed well past the point of hoping. Professionally, the earnest, striving, well-meaning Jimmy McGill is gone, ditching his real name and his quest for a legitimate career, and instead embracing his slide into shadiness. Only three episodes in, Better Call Saul's new season has explored the fallout from this concerted life change — and from all that's brought Jimmy to this point. It hammers home what's to come as well, given it opens on Saul Goodman's Breaking Bad-era home being seized by the feds; however, the show still has much to cover in the lawyer's past. With his significant other Kim Wexler (the simply phenomenal Rhea Seehorn, Veep), he's seeking revenge on their former boss Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabian, Black Monday). Meanwhile, his ties to the Salamanca family and their drug empire — to the psychotic Lalo (Tony Dalton, Hawkeye) and ambitious-but-trapped Nacho (Michael Mando, Spider-Man: Homecoming), and to ex-cop Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks, The Comey Rule) and Los Pollos Hermanos owner Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito, The Boys) — are drawing attention. Tense, intelligent, heartbreaking and just exceptional: that's the result so far, as it always has been with this astounding series. The sixth season of Better Call Saul is available to stream via Stan, with new episodes dropping weekly. RUSSIAN DOLL Getting philosophical about existence can mean bobbing between two extremes. At one end, life means everything, so we need to make the absolute most of it. At the other, nothing at all matters. When genre-bending and mind-melting time-loop comedy-drama Russian Doll first hit Netflix in 2019, it served up a party full of mysteries — a repeating shindig overflowing with chaos and questions, to be precise — but it also delivered a few absolute truths, too. Fact one: it's possible to posit that life means everything and nothing at once, all by watching Natasha Lyonne relive the same day (and same 36th-birthday celebrations) over and over. Fact two: a show led by the Orange Is the New Black, Irresistible and The United States vs Billie Holiday star, and co-created by the actor with Parks and Recreation's Amy Poehler, plus Bachelorette and Sleeping with Other People filmmaker Leslye Headland, was always going be a must-see. Here's a third fact as well: after cementing itself as one of the best TV shows of 2019, and one of the smartest, savviest and funniest in the process, Russian Doll's long-awaited second season is equally wonderful. In glorious news for sweet birthday babies, it's also smarter and weirder across its seven episodes, this time following Lyonne's self-destructive video-game designer Nadia and mild-mannered fellow NYC-dweller Alan Zaveri (Charlie Barnett, You) as they tackle another trippy problem. After being caught in a Groundhog Day-style situation last season, now death isn't their problem. Instead, time is. It was an issue before, given the duo couldn't move with it, only back through the same events — but here, via the New York subway's No 6 train, Nadia and Alan speed into the past to explore cause and effect, inherited struggles and intergenerational trauma. Season two of Russian Doll is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT When The Flight Attendant hit shelves in 2018, it must've been sold in the most of obvious of places: airport bookstores. Based on the TV show adapted from its Chris Bohjalian-penned pages, it's easy to see why that would've been the easiest move any publisher has ever made; with its country-hopping murder-mystery thrills, spills and kills, it's a quintessential airport novel. The focus: Cassie Bowden, the titular airline worker and New York City-based party fiend, who is rarely far from a bar no matter which part of the world she happens to find herself in on any given day. But then she wakes up in a Bangkok hotel room next to a dead body, upending her already chaotic life — as Kaley Cuoco conveyed to perfection in the first season, and thankfully flew far, far away from The Big Bang Theory in the process. In The Flight Attendant's second season, Cassie's life has calmed down in some ways and gotten more tumultuous in others. Now based on Los Angeles, she's a year sober, all nested in a homely bungalow, and also in her longest relationship ever with the handsome Marco (Santiago Cabrera, Ema). She's working for the CIA as well, spying on people of interest during her jaunts abroad. And, when one moonlighting gig in Berlin ends in an explosion — and a mysterious woman seemingly passing herself off as Cassie's doppelgänger — the high-stakes bedlam sets in fast. Although it has been dropping its first four episodes in pairs, The Flight Attendant has always been compulsively bingeable, bringing page-turning cliffhangers to the screen with twisty and polished aplomb. Season two isn't as taut as its predecessor so far, but it still soars to entertaining heights thanks to its blend of humour, darkness and espionage intrigue, as well as Cuoco's career-best work and Girls' Zosia Mamet standing out in support. The second season of The Flight Attendant is available to stream via Binge, with new episodes dropping weekly. Need a few more streaming recommendations? Check out our picks from January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December 2021, and January, February and March 2022 — and our top new TV shows of 2021, best new television series from last year that you might've missed, top 2021 straight-to-streaming films and specials and must-stream 2022 shows so far as well. Top image: Coco Olakunle/FX.
I don't know about you, but I usually don't associate Russia with summer homes. In fact, 'Russian summer home' seems a bit of an oxymoron. However, Moscow-based architect Peter Kostelov has created this all-white 'origami house' for Russia's reality show, Dachniy Otvet. His only guidelines were to create a summer home where the family could enjoy athletic activities outdoors and host gatherings for friends. The house has no doors or windows, allowing guests to get some of that Russian sunshine (catch it while you can) whilst still being protected from Russia's often unpredictable weather. Built with sustainably-sourced timber, the origami house also uses a solar battery to heat water. The design folds and wraps, representing an origami-like structure. Check out some photos of this unique contemporary design.
Sometimes, a mid-week day off needs a little magic. As part of their Cult Japan program — and the Miyazaki retrospective nestled within it — the Gallery of Modern Art is serving up cinema at its most enchanting. Two of the beloved animator's classics combine for an afternoon filled with witches, cats and a half-human half-fish princess. Whether you've seen the Studio Ghibli delights that are Kiki's Delivery Service and Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea before, or if you're discovering them for the first time, prepare for a simply wondrous Wednesday at the movies.
Think Apple gives the most visionary tech demos? The man whose 1968 'Mother of All Demos' showed us computer technology we'd still be using today passed away this week at the age of 88. Douglas Carl Engelbart was an inventor and engineer best known for creating the mouse. But he and his team at the Stanford Research Institute (now known as SRI International) actually showcased an eerie amount of still-familiar technology at their oN-Line System presentation in 1968. Video still exists of the entire 1 hour, 40-minute of it, but perhaps the coolest moment is this, in which he demonstrates the basics of word processing, copy-and-pasting, hypertext and something of a graphical user interface. In the next video, you can see the mouse in action. ("I don't know why we call it a mouse, I apologise. I started that way and we never did change it.") Theirs is a boxy thing with two wheels. In patent terms, an "X-Y position indicator control for movement of the hand to move a cursor over the display on a cathode-ray tube." Later, he demonstrates video conferencing. Seriously. It's like he made up the future, and then it all went ahead and happened. Engelbart's inventions never made him particularly rich — SRI didn't really realise the value of the mouse when they patented it — but he's regarded as a visionary in the industry.
In the coming years, works by Pablo Picasso, Francisco Goya, Brett Whiteley and Arthur Boyd will find a new home on the New South Wales south coast. The pieces will form part of an art gallery that's set to spring up on the Bundanon property at Riversdale in the Shoalhaven region, with the New South Wales government committing more than $8.5 million to revamp the site. A quarter of a century since the 1100-hectare property was gifted to the Australian public by artist Arthur Boyd and his wife Yvonne Boyd — becoming a haven for creativity, arts and education, as well as remaining a working farm — it'll welcome a new space to house the Boyds' other gift: over 3800 items, including with more than 1300 works by Arthur Boyd himself. At present, hundreds of pieces can be viewed in the existing Bundanon Homestead, as well as in Arthur Boyd's studio; however the forthcoming expansion will see the construction of a gallery and storage facility for the huge art collection, which is valued at $43 million. While the new plans centre around the gallery itself, which will built into the site's hillside and boast windows that frame the artwork with glimpses of the natural splendour outside, that's not the only addition as part of the project. A 140-metre-long by nine-metre-wide structure will branch out of the gallery, into a bridge spanning across the Bundanon bushland and parkland, and across to 34 bedrooms, a teaching and dining space, and a public cafe. Stepped terraces, an openair arrival hall and an outdoor learning space are also mooted. The NSW government's contribution has been allocated through the state's Regional Cultural Fund, with $28 million required in total to complete the project — and an opening date yet to be announced. "Arthur Boyd's extraordinary works live on as enduring inspiration for the many passionate and talented artists across regional NSW," commented NSW Minister for the Arts Don Harwin. "This new facility housed on this famous landscape will pave the way for the Bundanon Trust's revered $43 million collection to be housed and presented for all visitors to enjoy." Images: Kerstin Thompson Architects.
The nine to five can be tough. Sometimes there's just too much to do, and not enough time to do it — and sometimes you just struggle to put a sentence together without any typos. But before heading to the cafe next door for another short black, you might want to consider Silicon Valley's pick-me-up alternative: psychedelics. Yep, acid is the new caffeine. It's called 'microdosing' and apparently it's the new thing for overachieving, overworked Silicon Valley yo pros to partake in when they're having a bit of an off one. It involves taking about a tenth of the 'normal' dose of a psychedelic drug (usually LSD or mushrooms) which has an energising and insightful 'subperceptual' — rather than a tripping — effect on the body. And, according to this Rolling Stone article, it's helping them concentrate, and be more productive and creative at work. The concept itself isn't entirely new. Author of The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide James Fadiman introduced microdosing into the mainstream when speaking at a psychedelic research conference back in 2011. Since then, however, the practice has become more widespread, particularly with twenty-something professionals in the San Francisco area, according to Fadiman. Although the dose of the (illegal) drugs is minute, their effects are still hard to predict. So for now, perhaps stick to your single origin coffee beans and a selection of cat GIFs to get the creative juices flowing. Via Rolling Stone.
Like leggings? Like coffee? Why not combine the two! It's the stuff caffeine-loving fashionista's dreams are made of — a certain Brisbane fashion label has unveiled their own cafe. It makes perfect sense, their brand name has been telling everyone how they like their hot cups of joe for years now. Whether your wardrobe is full of too many — or not enough — Black Milk popular culture-inspired tights, skater dresses, catsuits, shorties and gymwear, or even if their style isn't quite for you, Black Milk HQ is something everyone can agree on. Initially due to start trading late last year, the new eatery has finally opened its doors to bring more than form-fitting fashion to Newstead’s Commercial Road. The usual range of coffee, smoothies and snacks are on their menu, and of course everything looks delicious. Open from 6.30am til 3pm, Black Milk HQ is certain to become the new place to be for breakfast, lunch and bites to eat in between — and to cause many a label fan to flock to the area. In the future, you will be able to browse their latest lines before and after devouring a tasty brew, when their concept store joins the mix. For now, its all about the food and drinks — and hanging out in air-conditioned comfort while watching live art displays. Either way, you’ll be looking and feeling great, inside and out. Find Black Milk HQ at 62 Commercial Road, Newstead.
If the waning temperatures have got you feeling frosty about the cooler months to come, here's something that'll warm up your outlook: Naarm's (Melbourne's) major citywide arts festival RISING is back. As always, it promises to be the bright spark in Victoria's winter. From Wednesday, June 7 till Sunday, June 18, a blockbuster 185-event program is transforming the city streets — and it's set to be a monumental affair. More than 400 artists are assembling for almost two jam-packed weeks of art, culture, music, performance and culinary goodness. There are 35 works commissioned exclusively for the festival and an impressive 12 world premieres set to happen. Alongside the already-announced Euphoria, which will take over Melbourne Town Hall with an immersive multi-screen film installation starring Cate Blanchett (as a tiger on the hunt, no less), the program is filled with a hefty and diverse array of happenings. Large-scale events abound, not least of which is Shadow Spirit — a showcase of First Peoples-led projects across the realms of art, performance, music, food and more — which takes over abandoned rooms in Flinders Street Station. Another large-scale offering is The Rink, which fantastically will be sticking around for longer than RISING's residency. From Thursday, June 1 till Saturday, July 8, it's the place for carving icy laps in Birrarung Marr on the banks of the Yarra. There's warming snacks (like pizza courtesy of Fugazi) and even more bevs (like boozy Mörk hot choccies and mulled wine). The Rink's precinct is free to enter and is kept toasty by fireplaces, so even if you're not lacing your skates, it's a magical spot to hang. Then on Saturday, June 10, a mass participatory work by composer Ciaran Frame will hit Federation Square. The free experience will see 10,000 biodegradable kazoos played simultaneously by eager locals (like you). While Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde's SPARK takes the form of a wondrous floating light show, animating thousands of 'fireflies' crafted from biodegradable materials from Wednesday, June 7 till Saturday, June 10. On the music front, there's a bunch of shows with tickets still available (you're too late for Ethel Cain or Thundercat, sadly). Catch Flying Lotus on Saturday, June 17; Paul Kelly on Tuesday, June 6 and Wednesday, June 7; and many more. Gigs are hitting the Forum, Max Watt's and the Melbourne Recital Centre for the duration of the festival. RISING's free festival hub Night Trade is taking over the grounds of St Paul's Cathedral for the duration of the spectacular fest. It comes to life with super-sized surrealist art from Poncili Creción, live performances, hawker-style dining by Free to Feed, patio bars with bevs and sans-booze sips aplenty, and even a smattering of drag karaoke. Gather here with your group, get fed and plan the rest of your festival explorations. RISING will take over Melbourne from Wednesday, June 7 till Sunday, June 18. To plan your visit, head to the website.
The year was 2005. The album: Hold Your Colour. That's when Pendulum hit the big time, and also why. The Perth-born drum-and-bass group not only became a homegrown sensation with their debut record and its tracks 'Slam', 'Tarantula' and 'Fasten Your Seatbelts', but made it into the UK Top 40 Singles Chart as well. Now, the year is 2023. Almost two decades after that breakout album, the Perth-born electronic favourites have just announced their latest Down Under tour. Five stops, two countries, plenty of echoing arenas: that's what's in store when Pendulum play Australia and New Zealand in October. This'll be the first time that the band has performed across either country since 2021, with dates booked in Auckland, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Sydney. At each show, Pendulum won't just be giving Hold Your Colour's tunes a whirl, but also songs from 2008's In Silico and 2010's Immersion. Expect to hear new single 'Halo' featuring Bullet for My Valentine singer Matt Tuck get a spin, too. Currently comprised of Rob Swire, Gareth McGrillien, Peredur ap Gwynedd and KJ Sawka, Pendulum heads home with experience playing huge overseas festivals such as Glastonbury, Creamfields, Coachella, Rock Am Ring, Reading and Leeds, and also recently headlining Ultra Miami. The band went on hiatus from early 2012, with Swire and McGrillien focusing on side project Knife Party, before starting to reunite in 2015. Joining Pendulum on their latest Aussie and Aotearoa tour: fellow Perth-bred drum and bass talent ShockOne, aka Karl Thomas. PENDULUM 2023 AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND TOUR: Friday, October 6 — Spark Arena, Auckland Saturday, October 7 — John Cain Arena, Melbourne Sunday, October 8 — RAC Arena, Perth Thursday, October 12 — Riverstage, Brisbane Friday, October 13 — Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Pendulum is touring Australia and New Zealand in October 2023 — head to the tour website for pre-sale tickets from Friday, August 4 (at 11am local time for Australian shows and 1pm NZST for Auckland), or from 11am local time on Monday, August 7 for general sales. Images: Luke Dyson.
After headlining the post-parade party at the 2020 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and then bringing her Future Nostalgia tour Down Under in 2022, Dua Lipa has announced her latest trip to Australia and New Zealand. The Grammy-winner's massive Radical Optimism tour just got bigger, adding more than 40 new dates worldwide. On the 2025 list: stops in Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland. 2024 has been a huge year for the singer, with her third studio album Radical Optimism releasing in May and then the artist headlining Glastonbury. She also popped up in Argylle in cinemas. 2023 was no slouch, either, given that 'Dance the Night' graced the Barbie soundtrack and Dua Lipa featured in the film as a Barbie. But with her new tour, 2025 looks set to be even bigger. [caption id="attachment_972947" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tyrone Lebon[/caption] The Radical Optimism gigs kick off in November 2024 across Asia, with concerts in Singapore, Jakarta, Manila, Tokyo, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Seoul. Fans in Australia and Aotearoa get their turn to find the star under lights and turning the rhythm up in March and April 2025, thanks to shows at Rod Laver Arena, Qudos Bank Arena and Spark Arena. If you're located outside of Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland and you've noticed a lack of Down Under dates elsewhere, you'll need to travel to see the 'Don't Start Now', 'Physical', 'Break My Heart', 'Cold Heart' and 'Houdini' talent. The Aussie and NZ leg will restart the Radical Optimism tour in 2025, with dates also announced across Europe in May and June next year, and in North America in September and October afterwards. As well as Radical Optimism and Future Nostalgia, Dua Lipa has tracks from her self-titled 2017 debut record to bust out, including 'Be the One', 'Hotter Than Hell', 'Lost in Your Light', 'New Rules', 'IDGAF' and 'Blow Your Mind'. Dua Lipa Radical Optimism Tour 2025 Australia and New Zealand Dates Thursday, March 20 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Wednesday, March 26 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Wednesday, April 2 — Spark Arena, Auckland Dua Lipa's Radical Optimism tour heads Down Under in March and April 2025, with Amex presale tickets from 11am local time on Wednesday, September 18, artist presales from 12pm local time on Thursday, September 19 and general sales from 1pm local time on Friday, September 20. Head to Dua Lipa's website for more details. Live images: Raph_PH via Flickr.
Forget flame-grilled, British company Bompas & Parr are taking the backyard barbecue to new, hardcore heights — using molten lava. Experts in curating spectacular culinary experiences that go beyond the wildest dreams of Willy Wonka himself, Bompas & Parr one-upped Sydney's last New Year's display with the world's first edible fireworks in London. This year, they're forecast to trump our favourite summer pastime, the age old Australian barbecue. We can't help but be impressed. The duo teamed up with lava expert Professor Robert Wysocki from New York's Syracuse University to learn how to transform billion-year-old basalt into magma that would cook a nice T-bone at 1350 degrees. Experiments like this one have ensured the pair have honed their charring technique to perfection. Now, Bompas & Parr are offering British diners the chance to host the ultimate summer barbecue. Apart from the five-tonne furnace for those lava-seared steaks, the company will provide designers to makeover the venue, invitations hand carved from volcanic rock and lava-heated hot tubs in which to enjoy cocktails. Plus, they promise a weird and wonderful soundscape fusing real-time volcanic frequencies from around the world with more conventional tunes. The catch to getting Bompas & Parr barbecuing in your own backyard? You'll need a minimum of 500 friends to join you. But come on, though that may seem a little high and possibly saddening, who wouldn’t want to go to this barbecue-to-end-all-barbecues?
Has it ever crossed your mind that this is a ridiculously impossible idea and that you might not actually be able to do it? Artist Willoh S Weiland is on the other end of Skype and laughs at the question. "What I love about this project is that it's about the audience — people love doing stuff that's impossible. I think it's our job as a project team to make it a reality." The project in question is Forever Now, an epic artistic and curatorial collaboration between MONAFOMA director Brian Ritchie (of Violent Femmes fame), Jeff Khan (director, Performance Space), Thea Baumann (artistic associate, Aphids) and jokingly self-titled 'Evil Overlord' Weiland (artistic director, Aphids). With the launch on June 15, the fantastic four will open the call out to anyone and everyone in the world to submit one-minute audiovisual artworks that represent humanity in the 21st-century. The team will select 44 applications to go on a digital golden record, which will then be launched into outer space at MONAFOMA 2014. "Forever Now is the third in a trilogy of art science works that I've been doing over the last four years, all of which have explored space and astrophysics," says Weiland. "I thought that the ultimate challenge to complete this trilogy would be for us to try and get contemporary art actually into the galaxy." Thirty-six years ago, NASA launched a Golden Record of its own into outer space on The Voyager spacecraft. Like the sci-fi version of the classic message in a bottle, there is hope that intelligent extraterrestrial life might discover the record, have the brains to correctly decipher the instructions, the fingers with which to operate them on a turntable and the sensory capacities to consume the record's contents and learn about our lonely planet. The Voyager is the furthest human thing from planet Earth, currently floating on the edge of our galaxy, about to enter interstellar space. Moreover, the Golden Record is made from gold-plated copper and uranium-238 that is designed to last over 4 billion years. Weiland describes the differences between NASA's 1977 Golden Record and what she hopes to achieve with Forever Now: "Firstly, [the Voyager Record] was created in six weeks in a totally closed curatorial process by a group of scientists and cultural experts." The Forever Now launch and open call for submissions is a direct reaction to that. "There was no digital democracy in 1977," says Weiland, "so the idea is that the curatorial process is completely transparent and able to be influenced by the public and that the record we compile will be an evolving process over six months." A second point of difference, as she sees it, is to the curatorial limitations that NASA worked within. "They deliberately didn't send anything that was about conflict or war or argument or famine or anything — it was a very shiny, upbeat representation of humanity. So we want to look more at the queer and the horrible.” On whether or not she believes in aliens, Weiland replies, "I think that one of the most exciting developments of the last thirty years compared to when the Voyager went out is the discovery of exoplanets (planets outside our Solar System) and also the absolute certainty that we will within my lifetime find biological life somewhere else." And how might an alien respond if it got its hands (or other limbs) on the Forever Now record? "If they weren't a gas, I can only say what I'd hope, which is that they'd be curious about us and be compelled to find us," she says. "I think we've been trying to understand our own aloneness for a long time and I think finding that out, that we weren't, would be such an intense, massive shift. It would be like when they worked out that the world wasn't flat." Plans for sending the physical record into outer space are yet to be confirmed, though Weiland declares, "We will do our valiant best to get it into space. We have a lot of possible plans ranging from gifting it to NASA, or to lesser known space programs like South Korea. The main issue in that is dealing with how much you have to compromise the content in order to participate in what is essentially a really militarised industry." There is also the possibility of launching Forever Now privately, "though this will carry implications for how far the work will be able to travel". More information about the project will come to light at the official unveiling ceremony on June 15 at the State Library of New South Wales. "The launch in June is also the launch of the research and implementation for both Susan Cohn, who's making the record, for Erin Milne, who's working out how to get it into space, and for the curators, who are going to be talking to the public and dealing with the submissions process." Forever Now is an Aphids project in association with Performance Space, MONAFOMA and Vitalstatistix. It launches as part of the Performance Space Switched On season, and the launch webcast can be watched on the their website.
It was true of season one of Outer Range and it doesn't stop proving the case in season two: thinking about Twin Peaks, Yellowstone, Lost, The X-Files, The Twilight Zone and primetime melodramas while you're watching this sci-fi western series is unavoidable. In its second go-around, throw in Dark, too, and also True Detective. Here, as streaming its latest seven episodes via Prime Video from Thursday, May 16, an eerie void on a Wyoming cattle ranch sends people hurtling through time, rather than a cave beneath a nuclear power plant — and that concept, time, is dubbed a river instead of a flat circle. The idea behind Outer Range, as conjured up creator Brian Watkins for its debut season in 2022, has always been intriguing: what if a tunnel of blackness topped by a mist of floating energy suddenly opened up in the earth? Also, where would this otherworldly chasm lead? What would be the consequences of taking a tumble into its inky expanse? What does it mean? It isn't literally a mystery box Dark Matter-style, but it also still is in everything but shape. Watkins, plus season two showrunner Charles Murray (Luke Cage, Sons of Anarchy, Criminal Minds), equally ponders what effect such a phenomena has on a rancher family that's worked the land that the ethereal cavern appears on for generations, as well as upon the broader small-town community of Wabang. Getting trippy came with the territory in season one, in an instantly entrancing blend of the out-there and the earthy. Season two doubles down, dives in deeper and gallops across its chosen soil — a mix of the surreal and the soapy as well — with even more gusto. Just like with a vacuum that materialises on an otherwise ordinary-seeming paddock, no one should be leaping into Outer Range's second season unprepared. This isn't a series to jump into with no prior knowledge, or to just pick up along the way. It isn't simply the premise that Outer Range takes its time to reveal in all of its intricacy, a process that remains ongoing in season two; the characters, including Abbott patriarch Royal (Josh Brolin, Dune: Part Two) and stranger-in-their-midst Autumn (Imogen Poots, The Teacher), receive the same treatment. Whenever it swirls up in Outer Range's modern-day scenes, the inexplicable hole makes its presence known in the Abbotts' west pasture. The patch of ground unsurprisingly has Royal's attention — and, as they each become aware of its existence and what it means, that of his sons Perry (Tom Pelphrey, Love & Death) and Rhett (Lewis Pullman, Lessons in Chemistry), and his wife Cecilia (Lili Taylor, Manhunt). Across both seasons, Autumn and Deputy Sheriff Joy Hawk (Tamara Podemski, Reservation Dogs) are individually drawn there, each to investigate in their own way. So is the neighbouring money-hungry Tillerson clan, from eccentric family head Wayne (Will Patton, Silo) to his Cain- and Abel-esque sons Luke (Shaun Sipos, Reacher) and Billy (Noah Reid, Schitt's Creek). Then there's scientist Dr Nia Bintu (Yrsa Daley-Ward, World on Fire), who persists in attempting to convince the Abbotts to let her unfurl her research. Stare into this gap in the dirt and no one's reflection glares back, but it still acts as a mirror for the show's key figures. They see in it what they want, be it past mistakes, future possibilities, a way to escape bad choices or the means to secure a better tomorrow (or power or cash). This is a series of hops back to the 19th and 20th centuries, and not as flashbacks; of adult kids palling around with their parents when they were child-free and decades younger; of a psychedelic mineral that unleashes visions (and gets Reid singing); of haunting tragedies and lingering omens; and of mind-bending flashes juxtaposed with a classic setting roved and lensed in a classical manner. It's also about the void that calls at the heart of everyone, be it Outer Range's versions of the Hatfields and the McCoys or those enmeshed in their lives, as we each inch second by second towards the oblivion that awaits us all. Dark and moody in tone even when it canters across the range at its sunniest, this is a series about battles over the pivotal piece of land, reckoning with the past's echoes, existential anxiety and crises of faith, too; no one can accuse either Watkins or Murray of not being ambitious. The fact that Royal and Cecilia's granddaughter Amy (Olive Abercrombie, The Other Zoey) disappeared at the end of season one gives season two its throughline — but scouring far and wide for a missing girl is just one of its searches, and the questions about her whereabouts add to its lengthy list of mysteries. Outer Range confronts the notion that life is sifting through the unknown and unknowable, then navigating wherever it flings you. Whether that's a matter of "cosmic destiny bullshit" or how the pieces fall into place by chance is a query that each character would answer differently, as might each viewer. While lurching from cowboys to cults, and also from rustic to dreamlike, there's a central performance in Outer Range that's paired perfectly to each of the show's array of shades. Brolin, who also makes his TV directorial debut with one of season two's episodes, is exceptional as the strong and stoic western archetype — and at unpacking it as episodes trot by. Poots embraces Autumn's status as an enigma unravelling, while Taylor rides every emotional beat of a matriarch left wondering if she can still believe in anything that she's ever known. Giving Podemski her own dedicated instalment, following Joy back to when the Shoshone were clinging to their Wabang land as homesteaders settled, is both a showcase and a reward for the grounded portrayal that she keeps serving up. It was also accurate of season one as it is now: whether skewing towards Taylor Sheridan or David Lynch, one of the delights of Outer Range is its willingness to swerve and veer like it too is a fog hovering over an obsidian abyss. Sometimes, the series hurtles itself into interpersonal minutiae. Sometimes, it's an all-out western, not just the neo- kind. It can be a kidnapping thriller, and then a drama about feuding families and yearned-for legacies. Sometimes, it's a gleeful and eager spring into absurdity. Swish them all together and Outer Range remains worth the plunge, compellingly so, as it flows towards a hopeful third season. Check out the trailer for Outer Range season two below: Outer Range season two streams via Prime Video from from Thursday, May 16. Read our review of season one.
Dark Mofo, the Museum of Old and New Art's Hobart winter arts festival, has done what everyone thought impossible — it's managed to lure people to one of the coldest places in Australia in the most freezing months of the year. (Which is no easy feat — that place is cold.) And as a big pat on the back for both bringing in a heap of extra cash to the Tassie economy (and just being downright incredible), the Tasmanian Government yesterday announced a new five-year funding agreement to support Mona and the festival. Dark Mofo will receive a whopping $10.5 million over five years to continue to grow and throw the festival until 2021. This cash splash doesn't come without some caveats though. As part of the funding, Dark Mofo will have to deliver a regional program each year and invest at least $250,000 of that money to support Tasmanian arts-based organisations. Plus, they obviously want them to increase the number of visitors to Tasmania over winter, grow festival attendance and up the media exposure too. Seems like a no-brainer for the Tassie Government. Because while it seems arts funding is sadly getting cut left, right and centre around the country, we can see why they want to invest in this program. Last year's Dark Mofo returned an estimated $46 million to the economy and created about 400 new permanent and short-term jobs. On top of the funding news, Dark Mofo also announced their 2017 dates: June 8-21. The festival, which started in 2013, is centred around celebrating the winter solstice — or the longest night of the year. Image: Rosie Hastie, courtesy Mona Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
With the recent celebrations of our Queen's Jubilee, we thought it would be relevant to showcase another country's celebration of their royal heritage. London correspondent Dan Maas (who gave us London, What Are You Listening To?) offers his insights into his recent bender at Queen's Day in Holland and why orange is the new black? Growing up with Dutch parents, but born in New Zealand, I guess you could say I am a Kiwi in clogs. Although I am an absolutely stoked New Zealander, it is nice to have a home away from home especially within an hour of London. Visiting Oma (Grandma) was a little more difficult growing up I have to say. Of course on these visits back, I have always had the fortune of being able to visit the Dam which is undoubtedly a great place. Of course it is known for the obvious stuff which has its place, but get past all of that and you will find a truly unique city that oozes urban culture. If you are into cool people, sweet kicks, unreal clubs, history, arts, screamers and croquets, then this is your town. At the center of Holland, Amsterdam is always going to be the place that positions itself in the front row for any big national event. If you have not heard of Queen's Day, their national celebration, then brace yourself to dial Flight Centre. The Dutch are one of the most passionate people for their country around, and this is the weekend they really let people know about it. I was so keen to show it off to you guys, that I made a little video to prove it. Enjoy.....
In an ironic makeover, a former Chicago meatpacking plant and slaughterhouse has found a new purpose as the city's first self-sustaining, vertical farm. Located in Chi-Town's Union Stock Yards, the 93,500 square foot brick building once specialised in mass-producing red meat - one of the least environmentally-friendly industries out there. Now, it is a sci-fi-like space dedicated to non-waste-producing urban farming. Projects inside 'The Plant' include a tilapia fish farm, beer and Kombucha tea breweries, aquaponic farms which harvest vegetables, and a mushroom garden. The Plant will also host to a group of bakers and caterers that will work together in a communal kitchen area. Upcoming projects include 'living' walls, and rooftop gardens. All of these endeavors have taken up a zero net waste policy, made possible by an interconnecting indoor ecosystem of sorts. The used grains from the beer brewery will be used as fish-food for the tilapia; the waste produced by the fish will nourish the mushroom garden and hydroponic plants; those plants will clean the water, which may be cycled back up to the fish tanks. Initially aided by a combined heat and power system, as well as an anaerobic digester, the Plant will be entirely self-sustaining. The project hopes to be taken off the power grid in just a few years. By the end of this year, the Plant hopes to have five rentable tenant spaces, and its renewable energy system up and running by next June. By 2016, the building is set to be fully functional, creating 125 neighbourhood jobs, and keeping over 10,000 tons of food waste out of landfills each year. Human waste is an obvious problem, says Melanie Hoeskstra, the Plant's director of operations. The renovations made to the Plant are workable in any old building: “It’s not a perfect system, but it’s really close," she says of the Plant. Sounds like city planners should take a note or two.
This article is part of our series on the diverse highlights of NZ's Canterbury region, from city to snow. To book your snow trip, visit the 100% Pure New Zealand website. As someone with little-to-no coordination and balance, the prospect of skiing for the first time in my life was pretty terrifying. I honestly couldn't think of a sport that’s scarier for beginners — and I tried, multiple times — or a situation where I wouldn't be hurtling down a vertical run into a tree and/or small child. That's why I’ve always thought it lucky that, for me and every other Adult Who Can't Ski, snow sports are generally pretty easy to avoid. But with the ski season ramping up — and snow weekends already being floated by my seasoned snow bunny friends — I thought it was time to see if I would sink or swim on snow. With myself as sacrifice, and some words of wisdom from Mt Hutt's media coordinator and resident snowboarder Georgie Boyd, we headed across to one of New Zealand's most renowned ski areas (and, as it turns out, biggest mountains) to find out how to slide down a slope without losing a limb — or your dignity. Don't forget your gloves Preparation is key when it comes to skiing, mostly because it involves a lot of stuff. This is no spontaneous sport. If you don't own any snow clothes and can't borrow any from a similarly sized friend (your boyfriend's oversized pants probably won’t make things any easier, just saying), you should look at hiring proper, waterproof clothing. Mt Hutt hire out snow pants and jackets as well as boots and helmets — all of which you'll probably need as a beginner. What they don't have, though, are gloves and goggles, so make sure you you've got that covered before you get up on the mountain. Freezing fingertips don’t make for fun times. Image thanks to arquera via photopin The things you think are the easiest are actually the hardest Here's the thing: no one tells you that walking in ski boots will feel like your shin is snapping in half (which it isn't, but I still have the bruises to say that it came pretty close). Those things are painful, but they say it gets better. Apparently getting on and off the lift gets less terrifying too, but maybe that comes later. And think you can sling your skis over your shoulder like they do in the movies? Think again, noob. There's a particular trick to carrying your skis out to the snow that involves sliding them together and holding onto one of the brakes, but I'll let the ski staff show you that one. Image thanks to Paxson Woelber via photopin Don't think you don't need a lesson Sure, head up to the top of the slope with your friends and be left side-stepping up the mountain while they pass you as they go up and down the run. It's enough to ruin friendships, so heed this: experienced skiers and beginners don't match. Don't underestimate the power of getting a lesson. "The action of skiing and snowboarding isn't always common sense," says Georgie. "Taking a lesson gets you on the right track straight away and will speed up the zero-to-hero process." Contrary to popular misconception, there are plenty of functioning adults who also don't know how to ski — you'll be in a class with them, not four-year-olds (who can probably ski better than you, anyway). Image thanks to Nick J Webb via photopin It's actually not that scary Only after you've strapped on your skis and are successfully standing on a flat lay of snow will you start to feel like maybe this skiing thing isn't so terrifying. Like Georgie says, the most intimidating part for learners is the fear of going too fast and the chairlifts. Once you've mastered slowing down in a lesson (it doesn't matter how long your lesson is, even an hour or two makes a difference), then you can tackle the chairlift. "There are always lifties at the top of the lift to ensure that everyone is getting off the lift safely,” Georgie says. And to make things even easier, Mt Hutt's beginner’s area even has a conveyor belt 'magic carpet', which is the pre-chairlift training to the real deal. Image thanks to Mt Hutt, NZSki Ltd. and Patrick Fallon. It's all about pizza Not the pizza pie kind (well, maybe it can be afterwards — hell, you will have deserved two pizzas by then), but the pizza slice made by the shape of your skis. That's how you stop. For snowboarders, Georgie recommends digging in your heel-side edge will slow you down and safely control an exit off a ski lift. Best you get that one down before you take off down the slopes. Image thanks to FredrikF via photopin What not to do Whatever you do, don't look down. Even though you'll want to look down and make sure your skis are doing what you want them to, it's important that you look at what’s in front of you. There are a lot of obstacles — they're called people. On the subject of people, don't use them as props. Seriously, you grab someone on the way down and no one will look at you the same again. Image thanks to radloff via photopin Any time's a good time The best thing about being a beginner is that you don’t need a lot of snow to have a good time. While all the pros are complaining about lack of snowfall, you'll have all the snow you need. So basically, any time's a good time to start skiing, so just do it already. Image thanks to laszlo-photo via photopin Remember, there is hot chocolate and/or a good story waiting at the end of it Like this one. Image thanks to PunkJr via photopin. Feature image courtesy of Mt Hutt, NZSki Ltd. and Miles Holden.
Watching The Vow, you can be forgiven for wondering how the details and events that fill its frames all managed to actually happen. It tells a tale that seems like it should be a work of fiction, as many of the best true-crime docuseries do. But as the old adage goes, truth is stranger than fiction — and that definitely proves to be the case when there's a creepy self-improvement group involved. NXIVM dates back to the 90s, but it wasn't until the past few years that it started attracting newspaper headlines, with its leader Keith Raniere first arrested and indicted, and then convicted of a spate of crimes including sex trafficking. Across its first nine-episode season, The Vow chats with former members of the group about their unsurprisingly disturbing experiences, and also spends time with journalists who've dedicated a hefty chunk of their lives to exposing NXIVM. Yes, it's one helluva story.
If you're a wannabe wizard or witch looking for more Harry Potter magic in your life, there's no shortage of ways to accio up some enchanting fun. Harry Potter-themed potions bars have been popping up across Australia and New Zealand for a few years. Pokemon Go-style game Wizards Unite is available to play whenever you like. In London, the Fantastic Beasts films have even inspired a natural history exhibition. And Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is still casting its spell on Melbourne, a city that's also home to Australia's biggest Harry Potter store — and screenings, parties, escape rooms, scavenger hunts and other HP-centric events are extremely common everywhere, really. Soon, all of above might pale in comparison to the kind of space HP fans can really lose themselves in — and one that, hopefully, visitors would need a Marauder's Map to get around. That'd be a dedicated Harry Potter theme park, which could be coming to Tokyo soon, The Japan Times reports. It seems that the owners of the Toshimaen amusement park in Tokyo's Nerima ward are thinking about closing down, ending its 94-year run. And, at the same time, it seems that Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc is contemplating taking over the venue — waving a few magic wands about and turning it into a Harry Potter-theme park. [caption id="attachment_761496" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Toshimaen. Image: Rsa via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Few other details have been revealed as yet but, if it does happen, it's unlikely to open until at least 2023. Variety notes that it'll probably feature sets that patrons can tour, rather than rides — so if you were hoping to play quidditch, travel by portkey or ride the floo network, that doesn't seem to be on the agenda. Generally, it appears that the Tokyo park will be modelled after the existing Harry Potter attraction in London, which also spans costumes, props, exhibitions and special events. For Valentine's Day, it's hosting romantic feasts in the Great Hall, for example, while 'A Celebration of Slytherin' will also deck the place in shades of green and silver later this year. Japan is already home to a Harry Potter theme park zone at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka — so diehard devotees just might have to visit two of the country's cities. If it does come to fruition, add the dedicated Harry Potter theme park to Japan's hefty range of pop culture-themed attractions. A Super Nintendo amusement park zone is due to open at the aforementioned Universal Studios Japan in Osaka by mid-2020, a forthcoming Godzilla attraction will let you zipline into the monster's mouth, and a Studio Ghibli theme park is in the works — and Tokyo already boasts huge Godzilla and Gundam statues, as well as the Studio Ghibli Museum just outside the city. Via The Japan Times / Variety. Top images: Warner Bros Studio Tour London.
Cinephiles, picnic-lovers and everyone in between, rejoice — the annual combination of movies, outdoor eating and park hangouts that is Moonlight Cinema is back for another round. After locking in their dates back in September, Australia's biggest outdoor cinema this morning announced their full 2026-17 summer program — and it's a goodie. Kicking off on the first day of summer (how fitting) in Sydney and Adelaide before launching in Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth just a few days later, this year's setup boasts all the regular features that make this one of the country's most popular summer events. Big screen shimmering beneath the stars? Check. Food trucks serving the ultimate movie munchies? Check. Letting super-organised patrons BYO their own snacks? Check. A huge lineup of new releases and cult classics? You betcha. Expect all the big summer releases, like sci-fi thriller Passengers, the much-anticipated La La Land with Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, and Lion, based on the true story of Saroo Brierley who found his birth mother in India via Google Earth after 25 years of separation. Naturally, they'll also be playing Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (which was released today) as well as the yet-to-be-released Star Wars: Rogue One and game-turned-film Assassins Creed. As always, they'll also throw in a few cult favourites — this year it's Grease and Back to the Future — and some Doggie Nights, which will kick off with The Secret Life of Pets. Of course, heading to Moonlight isn't just about the movies shown, as fun as getting a sneak peek of upcoming flicks or sharing the joyous glow of watching iconic favourites on a big screen is. It's also about the experience, which is why you're allowed to start getting excited without knowing which films you'll be watching — and why you should be blocking out December through to April in your calendar. Tickets are on sale now. MOONLIGHT CINEMA 2016-17 DATES: Sydney: December 1 – April 2 (Belvedere Amphitheatre in Centennial Park) Melbourne: December 8 – April 2 (Central Lawn at Royal Botanic Gardens) Brisbane: December 8 – March 5 (New Farm Park at Brisbane Powerhouse) Adelaide: December 1 – February 19 (Botanic Park) Perth: December 3 – April 2 (Kings Park and Botanic Garden) Moonlight Cinema's 2016-17 season starts screening around the country from December 1. For more information and to buy tickets, visit moonlight.com.au.
Famed South Australian wine region the Barossa is about to move even higher up on your post-COVID-19 travel list, with Seppeltsfield winery announcing a new six-star hotel to open in early 2022. Named after innovative winemaker Oscar Benno Seppelt, the proposed Oscar Seppeltsfield will bring super-luxe accomodation to the area, which will make it more than just an epicurean's dream destination — so start planning your lavish out-of-iso trip now (just don't pack your bags yet). The $50-million development will be surrounded by century-old vines and feature 70 rooms — including penthouses and suites, each with a private balcony — as well as a fine dining restaurant, private dining room, boardroom, fitness studio, day spa and infinity pool. To top it off, there'll be a sky bar with sweeping 360-degree views over the Barossa. In short, this opulent hotel will take your next trip to new heights (literally). Just think, after hitting up a bunch of cellar doors, sipping local vinos and eating lots of cheese, you can come back and have a dip in the pool, sip more wine at the rooftop bar then sit down to a white-tablecloth dinner. If you're looking for indulgence, this is it. Designed by Adelaide-based firm Intro Architecture, the towering 12-storey design was inspired by wine barrels and is set to bring a modern edge to Seppeltstfield, which is one of Australia's oldest wineries and was lauded as one of the top 50 vineyards in the world in 2019. The new hotel also looks a lot like La Cité du Vin in Bordeaux, also one of the world's most prestigious wine destinations. Oscar Seppeltsfield is slated to open at Seppeltsfield Winery's Great Terraced Vineyard, Barossa Valley, SA, in early 2020.
Now that each and every university kid is back studying for semester two, their priorities clearly lie with excess alcohol, dancing and canoodling others. Considering that this breed of people are also notorious for being lazy, it’s both convenient and lucky that the people behind Happy Endings, Bats, and Woodland have done some brainstorming. Starting August 13, once a month there will be a party of epic proportions held at Woodland that encourages casual relationships, liver problems and awesome Australian bands. Playing the inaugural event will be Love Connection, Tiger Beams and the Tiny Migrants, so it's obvious that the event is off to a great start. Oh yeah, it’s also a Jungle-themed party, so act/dress accordingly and don’t miss out.
Ever wondered what it'd be like to listen in on a chat between known besties Lena Dunham and Amy Schumer? Well, wonder no longer. The latest edition of Dunham's Lenny Letter features an interview between the two, touching upon everything from tramp stamps to body image to boundaries in comedy. Their discussion is timed to coincide with the release of Schumer's new memoir, The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo, which is currently rocketing to the top of best-seller lists. Because they're the power pals we all know and love, both prove frank and funny as they also compare experiences at this year's Met Gala ("I attempted to grind my ass on Michael B. Jordan," Dunham notes), and talk about Schumer's gun control campaign following the tragic shooting during a screening of her film Trainwreck last year ("You know, that is actually when I felt the closest to Jennifer Lawrence, because that day she texted me, 'It's your fault.' And in times like that only jokes make you feel a little better", Schumer shares). Plenty of other tidbits also come up during the piece, including something Girls fans might be particularly interested in. In the lengthy introduction, Dunham reveals that the two first met when Schumer auditioned for the role of Shoshanna. We'll give you a minute to imagine how that version of the show could've turned out. Yep, it's the kind of reading your weekend needs — and the next best thing to managing to become the third musketeer in their best friendship. And sure, it's the type of affectionate, amusing chat you'd expect from the two; but hey, if these two talented ladies want to share their banter with the world, you won't hear us complaining. Via Lenny Letter.
With Bannisters' duo of hotels at Mollymook now a firm fixture on New South Wales' south coast, the accommodation brand is turning its gaze to the north. Later this year, Port Stephens will be in for a good dose of swank, with the company taking over the Soldiers Point site previously occupied by Salamander Shores. As at Mollymook, you can expect luxury. Of the 80 four-and-a-half-star rooms, 50 will afford views straight across Karuah River, while the other 30 will look over bushland. If you've cash to splash about, book the penthouse or one of four extra-fancy suites. Wherever you sleep, you'll be welcome to make the most of the infinity pool, hang out in the high-ceilinged lobby and kick back at the onsite pub over a pizza — or indulge in a course or three at the Rick Stein signature restaurant. "The abundance of top-quality seafood is a massive attraction, as is the proximity to the Hunter Valley's wineries," said Stein. "I will be working closely with head chef Mitchell Turner, designing a menu featuring local king prawns, Yellowfin bream, flathead, calamari and school whiting, not to mention the fabulous oysters." Looking the part, all these spaces — and the rest — will be sorted out by Bannisters' stellar design team, made up of architect Tony Freeman, interior designer Romy Alwill and landscape designer Will Dangar. And as for bringing the Bannisters brand to the area, general manager Peter Bacon said "there is so much potential in Port Stephens, and it is a natural progression for us to take a formula that works and replicate it." Find Bannisters Port Stephens at 147 Soldiers Point Roadd, Soldiers Point from later in 2018.
The ongoing saga that is Daft Punk's new album Random Access Memories continues. Last week, the French duo had us shakin'-in-our boots with excitement over the release of a 1 minute teaser from their newest single "Get Lucky" featuring Pharrell Williams, and now, they've given us the whole thing. While we've become increasingly disenfranchised by the slow drip reveal of pop culture (I mean, do we really need a teaser and three separate trailers for The Great Gatsby?), somehow the Daft Punk fellas are getting it just right. With the leak of each new detail, Daft Punk have managed to get the internet drooling; drawing us in with each juicy new shred of information and leaving us hungering for more. Whether its their unexpectedness (I mean, Wee Waa, who saw that coming?), their enigmatic anonymity (those once annoyingly kitsch helmets have become something of a cultural phenomenon) or just how damn infectious their music and videos are, we're addicted. And what about the song itself? We absolutely love it! "Get Lucky" manages to sound both brand new and yet naggingly familiar all at the same time, immediately hooking the listener in with its funky-as-hell groove. It's kinda like the aural equivalent of meeting an old girlfriend who has got herself a sexy new haircut. It's comfortingly familiar, but somehow intoxicating in a whole new way. On top of this, the whole Earth, Wind and Fire vibe they've got going on means "Get Lucky" looks set to dominate every radio station and dancefloor for the rest of 2013. Keep doing exactly what you're doing you ridiculously talented Frenchmen! Update: On Saturday night, a limited number of tickets to Daft Punk's album launch party in Wee Waa were made available via The Crossing Theatre's website. To book, click here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=vxp0PFoIdmU
Covering no more than 6 square metres of space, Jay Shafer's Tumbleweed XS House encompasses all the domestic necessities of a home in adorable miniature. The world's smallest house, valued at AU$37,325, has recently gone up for eBay auction; all proceeds will go to help fund early art education at the Toledo Museum of Art. The current bid on the house is AU$24,300 with 20 days left to bid. Contained within this tiny home is a sleeping loft fit with a queen-size bed, a bathroom complete with a shower, a kitchenette and a living area. The house is fully furnished, right down to the space-saving mini-fridge. RV-style water and electricity hookups are featured too, so the only amenity the buyer would have to provide is an external sewage tank. As the art museum says, "The small house movement is about quality of space and design, not quantity." The Tumbleweed XS House was originally commissioned to be a part of Toronto's Museum of Art exhibition 'Small Worlds'. Building materials and a workspace were donated by a local mercantile, The Andersons. 'Pared down' may be an understatement for this little home and the lifestyle which accompanies it, but for those seeking a simplistic way of life these 6 square metres may be the perfect fit.
Hollywood's glitziest and most self-congratulatory night is just a few short sleeps away. While the rest of us are at work on Monday, the who's who of moviemaking will take their seats at the Dolby Theatre for the 89th Academy Awards. Leading the pack this year with a record-equaling 14 nominations is Damien Chazelle's musical throwback La La Land, which is either the greatest film ever made or completely overrated, depending on which person on the internet you ask. Still, despite the hype, the backlash and the backlash to the backlash, La La is no lock to take home the gold. Barry Jenkins' poignant Moonlight is hot on its heels, while the patriot in us can't help but root for the homegrown Lion. Speaking of which, it's nice to see some people of colour on the roster this year! Let's be honest, three straight years of #OscarsSoWhite would have been downright embarrassing. Below, you'll find our tips in the eight major categories, plus our personal faves and a few nods to the unlucky ones who missed out. Accept it: Zoolander 2 was robbed. BEST PICTURE THE NOMINEES Arrival, Fences, Hacksaw Ridge, Hell or High Water, Hidden Figures, La La Land, Lion, Manchester by the Sea, Moonlight. WHAT WILL WIN Look, we said La La Land wasn't a lock, and we stand by that. Still, there's no denying the LA-set musical is the favourite — movie people love movies about movies, and good grief Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling are attractive. The fact that it went seven for seven, including Best Musical or Comedy, at last month's Golden Globe, doesn't exactly bode well for the competition. WHAT SHOULD WIN If you're after a good time at the movies then La La Land delivers. Still, for its raw emotional power and timely social message Moonlight seems like an even worthier winner. This devastating tale about a young gay black man coming to terms with who he is stands out as one of the best motion pictures of the past several years, and win or lose you should do everything you can to see it. THE SNUBS Nocturnal Animals divided critics, but the star power attached suggested it was in with a shot. Ditto Pablo Larrain's handsome biopic Jackie. Historical drama Birth of a Nation garnered plenty of buzz early in the year, but the controversy surrounding director Nate Parker has seen it all but disappear from the conversation. And hey, what about a nod for Rogue One, or maybe even Captain America: Civil War? BEST DIRECTOR THE NOMINEES Damien Chazelle (La La Land), Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge), Barry Jenkins (Moonlight), Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea), Denis Villeneuve (Arrival). WHO WILL WIN In much the same way that La La Land leads the race for Best Picture, Damien Chazelle should be considered a favourite in this category for his flair behind the camera. And again, it'd be hard to call him undeserving should the chips fall that way on the night. Fun fact: if he does take home the gold, Chazelle will be the youngest Best Director winner in Oscar history. WHO SHOULD WIN Chazelle would be a worthy winner, but we've got to go with Moonlight's Barry Jenkins. Seriously, do yourself a favour and read our interview with him then go see the film. THE SNUBS Garth Davis for Lion (who we also interviewed here), David Mackenzie (Hell or High Water), Theodore Melfi (Hidden Figures) and Denzel Washington (Fences) could all be forgiven for feeling a little peeved about missing out given their films were nominated for Best Picture. Still, in our minds, the biggest omission is Martin Scorsese. Sure, Silence is a punishing watch, but seeing Mel Gibson nominated ahead of Marty just feels wrong. Also, would if kill them to nominate a woman? BEST ACTRESS THE NOMINEES Isabelle Huppert (Elle), Ruth Negga (Loving), Natalie Portman (Jackie), Emma Stone (La La Land), Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins). WHO WILL WIN While Natalie Portman led the pack early for her remarkable turn as former First Lady Jackie Kennedy, the conventional wisdom at this point is that this is Emma Stone's trophy to lose. Either woman would be a worthy winner, although neither is our number one choice. WHO SHOULD WIN A violent psychosexual thriller, Paul Verhoeven's French-language Elle isn't the easiest film to watch. But thanks to the fiery work of Isabelle Huppert, it's also impossible to look away. Given the content of the film, the fact that she's even nominated is fairly surprising. A win would be astounding, in the best possible way. THE SNUBS Amy Adams gave two of the year's best performances, in Arrival and Nocturnal Animals. It's possible she was punished by voters splitting their ballot, but whatever the reason it's safe to say she's unlucky to have missed out. BEST ACTOR THE NOMINEES Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea), Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge), Ryan Gosling (La La Land), Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic) Denzel Washington (Fences). WHO WILL WIN This one is going to be close. Casey Affleck was the favourite for much of the race, but then Denzel went and snared himself a win at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. It's possible that the controversy around the younger Affleck is finally catching up with him. Our pick? Denzel by a nose...although maybe that's just wishful thinking. WHO SHOULD WIN Not Casey Affleck. It's a great performance, but that's just not the point. THE SNUBS Neither Sully nor The Founder left much of an impression, but Tom Hanks and Michael Keaton could easily have scored noms for their work as the real world figures at the centre of their respective films. And on a personal level, we'd have loved a nomination for Josh Brolin, for his delightfully deadpan work in the very underrated Hail, Caesar! BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS THE NOMINEES Viola Davis (Fences), Naomie Harris (Moonlight), Nicole Kidman (Lion), Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures), Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea). WHO WIN WILL If there's a lock this year, it's Viola Davis, who appears to have this one in the bag. WHO SHOULD WIN Hey, sometimes they get it right. Davis' turn in Fences as a dutiful wife and mother is the best performance in a film packed to the brim with great performances. You'll be able to knock us over with a feather if she goes home empty handed. THE SNUBS Bit of a long shot, but Rachel Weisz absolutely crushed it in The Lobster, as did unknown actress Lily Gladstone in Kelly Reichardt's Certain Women. Make sure to check out both if and when you can. BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR THE NOMINEES Mahershala Ali (Moonlight), Jeff Bridges (Hell or High Water), Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea), Dev Patel (Lion), Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals). WHO WILL WIN Dev Patel might make a late push following his win at the BAFTAs, but right now the smart money is on Mahershala Ali. WHO SHOULD WIN Ali deserves to win on the strength of his performance alone, but we'd be lying if we said we weren't rooting for him at least in part because we're hoping he gives another speech similar to the one he gave at the SAG Awards. Good luck trying not to cry. THE SNUBS It's a bit of a surprise not to see Aaron Taylor-Johnson on this list, given that his dark and disturbing work in Nocturnal Animals won him a Golden Globe. We're also disappointed not to see Patrick Stewart get a nod; Green Room was presumably a bit too violent for Oscar voters, but Stewart's turn as a ruthless white supremacist was absolutely chilling. BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY THE NOMINEES Hell or High Water, La La Land, The Lobster, Manchester by the Sea, 20th Century Women. WHAT WILL WIN If La La Land wins this one early, you can just about guarantee the film is in for a clean sweep. That said, the Vegas odds are on Kenneth's Lonergan's masterful screenplay for Manchester by the Sea. WHAT SHOULD WIN There's no chance in hell that it wins, but The Lobster had one of the darkest, funniest, most original and esoteric screenplays in a long, long time. This is one of those "it's an honour just to be nominated" situations. THE SNUBS Hail, Caesar! was largely ignored by both the Academy and general audiences, but, in our opinion, it's one of the cleverest films in the entire Coen Brothers' canon. German comedy Toni Erdmann also deserved a nod, as did Jim Jarmusch's gentle Paterson. BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY THE NOMINEES Arrival, Fences, Hidden Figures, Lion, Moonlight. WHAT WILL WIN While it's possible that the Academy will show a little love to either Lion or Arrival, it's hard to imagine that this one doesn't end up going to Moonlight. WHAT SHOULD WIN Moonlight, although we'd be stoked if they gave it to Lion. 'Straya! THE SNUBS Maybe the biggest snub of the entire ceremony: where in the sweet hell is Deadpool? It was popular with critics and made a bucket-load of cash, but we guess Academy voters don't like naughty words. Way to remind everyone how out of touch you are, guys. Great job. The winners of the 89th Academy Awards will be revealed on February 27. Tom Clift is one of Concrete Playground's senior film writers. You can read his reviews here, here and here.
All hail the Keanaissance — for bringing him back to our screens, and often; and for giving everyone an excuse to shower his past hits with love as well. Before he was Neo and John Wick, he wasn't just one half of Bill and Ted or Point Break's surfing FBI agent Johnny Utah, but also a guy trying to stop the bus that couldn't slow down. We know you're a fan, because who isn't? Alongside the aforementioned Point Break, Speed is one of action gems of the 90s — and Keanu is at the heart of both of them. And, we know you've always wanted to relive the latter film's high-stakes action movie magic, so here's your chance. Brisbanites, get ready to step onboard a vintage bus and prepare for the ride of your life. After thrilling fans and making plenty of new ones during several past Brisbane runs, Speed: The Movie, The Play is bringing its high-octane thrills back to the the Queensland capital in 2023 at Wynnum Fringe. It's taking on passengers between Friday, November 17–Saturday, December 2 from George Clayton Park, with shows held Friday–Sunday — and this is one stint of public transport chaos (and 90s nostalgia) that you should willingly sign up for. Need to whet your appetite? Check out the trailer for the original film:
Monster movies have their place. Slasher films, and every horror flick about fiendish foes, too. But features about real-life atrocities — events such as the Port Arthur massacre, where 35 people were murdered and 23 others wounded — should never share the same notions of evil. Director Justin Kurzel and screenwriter Shaun Grant understand this, and demonstrate a canniness so astute that it's unnerving. They make movies that take this notion as a given, unpacking dark chapters of Australia's history guided with it as their guiding principle. That's clear in Nitram, their new film about the events preceding that tragic incident in Tasmania in 1996, just as it was in their 2011 debut Snowtown. Both movies dive into loathsome true crimes. Both films are difficult, distressing, disquieting and disturbing, understandably. Both features are also brilliant for many reasons, the fact that they're about people rather than monsters high among them. It's terrifying to contemplate something so gut-wrenchingly abominable as the bodies-in-barrels murders, which Snowtown depicts, and to face the fact that people rather than evil were behind them. Nitram courts and provokes the same response as it focuses on something equally as ghastly, and similarly refuses to see the perpetrator in shades of black and white. In their third collaboration — with 2019's bold and blazing True History of the Kelly Gang in the middle — Kurzel and Grant don't excuse their protagonist. They don't try to justify the unjustifiable, explain it, exploit it, or provide neat answers to a near-unfathomable crime. Rather, they're exactingly careful in depicting the lone gunman responsible for Australia's worst single-shooter mass killing, right down to refusing to name him. (The movie's title comes from his moniker backwards, and it's all he's ever called on-screen.) Nitram does depict its eponymous figure's mental health issues and medication, and his status as an outcast, but not as reasons for what's to come. It shows his complicated relationships, mentions his struggles as a boy and sees how he's teased as an adult, yet never deems these motives. All such things can be part of someone's life, or not, and that person can commit heinous deeds, or not — and Nitram doesn't ever even dream of seeing that as a straightforward cause-and-effect equation. In his fifth stint behind the lens — 2015's blistering Macbeth and 2016's abysmal Assassin's Creed are also on his resume — Kurzel does adopt a hazy aesthetic, though. The film isn't dreamy, instead resembling anxious memories worn and frayed from too much time looping in someone's mind. Its imagery is boxed in within a constricted frame, heightening that sensation; however, cinematographer Germain McMicking (Acute Misfortune) shoots Nitram (Caleb Landry Jones, The Outpost) as if he's roving around the space to test the boundaries. The character does just that narrative-wise. He earns his wearied mother's (Judy Davis, Mystery Road) constant exasperation, and almost everyone else's dismay. His father (Anthony LaPaglia, Below) expresses more warmth, but is just as affected. After knocking on her door attempting to start a lawn-mowing business, eccentric lottery heiress Helen (Essie Davis, Babyteeth) shows Nitram kindness and showers him with gifts, but even with her he's still pushing limits. When she sees him shooting at an old car with an air rifle in her sprawling backyard, she forbids it. It's her sternest moment. She also asks him not to lunge at the steering wheel as she's driving and, as turbulent as ever, Nitram keeps doing it. Crucially, Nitram anchors its namesake's notions of right and wrong in a childhood interview with the real-life gunman, with the archival footage opening the film. In hospital after frolicking with fireworks, the boy who'll grow up to blight Australian history forever is asked if he has learned from the experience. "Yes" is his answer, "but I'm still playing with 'em," he continues. Nitram isn't ever so overt as to echo those words throughout the movie, and it also doesn't need to. The idea ripples through every scene anyway, whether its central figure is later trifling with firecrackers at a school as an adult, lapping up Helen's affection amid her beloved brood of dogs and the constant sound of Gilbert and Sullivan show tunes, or slapping his dad out of an emotional low. Another scene — a powerhouse due to the inimitable Judy Davis, and a searing monologue delivered with festering pain — cements the idea that Nitram is cognisant of how his actions affect others, but that truth also resounds in Jones' Cannes Film Festival Best Actor-winning performance. He plays the part like Nitram knows he's testing boundaries, and knows the effect he frequently has on others. While even later still, the character tells his mother that when he watches himself on camcorder footage, he's not certain who he sees, there's never any doubt he's cognisant of how the world perceives him. Jones' work here is fragile but weighty, volatile but lived-in, boisterous but anguished, and petulant but intimidating. It's all these things at once and, even with other menacing roles in his on-screen past, it's phenomenal. Davis, LaPaglia and Davis make as much of an impression, one stiffened by time, one stripped bare through denial, one lonely and generous, and Kurzel shows that his winning way with actors is just as masterful here as in almost everything (Assassin's Creed aside) on his filmography. His love of sound and fury remains intact here as well, and it certainly signifies plenty. Every second of Nitram is designed to keep unpacking not only the lead-up to the Port Arthur tragedy — an event that's purposefully never shown itself, but inherently tints the film with foreboding, tension, horror and unease — but also the views of masculinity that've become as baked into Australia as the ochre-hued soil. Every moment is meticulously crafted to unsettle, to challenge, and to confront the reality that something this abhorrent happened at the hands of this man. Nitram doesn't trade in answers, but it does come with a message. Its gun scenes haunt, including when amassing weapons proves effortless if you have the cash and inclination. These sequences also help explain why Kurzel and Grant have taken on a clearly nerve-wracking endeavour, as the movie's post-script underscores. Australia's response to April 1996, in enacting tough gun legislation and buybacks, helped console a grieving country, but those laws have since been watered down. Now, more firearms exist across the nation than did then. That too is blood-curdling and traumatic, and making sure it resonates is another of this tremendous film's achievements.
Eight years since Netflix arrived Down Under, the streaming era has brought so many different platforms our way that switching between Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+ and the like is the new changing channels. But, however many different services you subscribe to, and why, only one platform hails from Australia's National Film and Sound Archive: the just-launched NFSA Player. As a bricks-and-mortar celebration of sound and vision, the Canberra-based NFSA fills its walls and halls with the country's screen history, a task that it has embraced since 1935. In fact, when it was first established, it became one of the first audiovisual archives in the world. Almost nine decades later, the institution features more than four million items, including scripts, props, costumes and promotional materials — a range that keeps growing in order to continue maintaining this pivotal record of Aussie creativity. In the online space, NFSA is now sharing its expertise digitally, which is where the on-demand NFSA Player comes in. As part of an aim to make the national audiovisual treasure trove more accessible — and all over Australia, too — viewers will now find everything from feature films and documentaries to TV shows and animation in the streaming platform's catalogue. Getting things started: its very first collection Buwindja. Spanning 17 titles, this debut selection of screen content is timed to celebrate NAIDOC Week, and showcases Indigenous trailblazers in the process. Both as part of the collection and in the future, NFSA Player features free and pay-per-view content — so you can rent Warwick Thornton's Samson & Delilah for $4.99, or opt for a half-hour biographical documentary about Bundjalung author and historian Ruby Langford Ginibi without paying a cent. Other highlights from Buwindja include Mabo, stunning Bangarra dance film Spear, drama series The Gods of Wheat Street and rock n' roll doco Wrong Side of the Road. Also included: more documentaries such as Black Divaz, The Song Keepers, Buried Country and My Survival as an Aboriginal. "Buwindja represents an opportunity for Australians to reflect on the part they play in ensuring that the voice that our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders have fought for in the past and present continues to be heard," said Gillian Moody, a Wodi Wodi woman, filmmaker and the NFSA's Senior Manager, Indigenous Connections. "I curated it with the hope of inspiring audiences to reflect, imagine and act when they listen to and watch these stories." To check out NFSA Player, head to the streaming platform's website.
Brisbane Festival is back for 2024 throughout September — kicking off on Friday, August 30 this year, in fact — and it's returning with a big bang. After moving the sky celebration to the beginning of its annual run in 2022, the citywide arts event is again brightening up the heavens to start things off. Get ready to look up on Saturday, August 31. The fireworks display has now settled into its new slot after a chaotic few years, which saw it scaled back in 2019, then replaced with a light and laser show in 2020 due to the pandemic, and finally returning in 2021. Initially, Riverfire moved dates to shift out of school holidays. No matter when it's held, more than 500,000 people usually attend. If you've been to South Brisbane when it's on — even hours earlier — you will have seen the masses of people to prove how popular it is. Head anywhere with a decent vantage over the river and crowds await. This Brisbane tradition will start its entertainment at 4pm this year, with the fireworks blasting from 7pm. Need a few recommendations? River Terrace at Kangaroo Point is the number-one spot to hit up for the best panoramic view. There's also South Bank, of course, as well as the Kangaroo Point Cliffs, Captain Burke Park and Wilson's Lookout — plus the Riverside Centre and the City Botanic Gardens, too. Even if fireworks aren't usually your thing, you might still be interested in the Riverfire shindigs that always pop up on the night, with bars around town usually throwing plenty of parties with quite the lit-up backdrop.
Seriously, how bad is it when you go to Alfred and Constance and the bartenders don’t know which drinks are and aren’t paleo? Or when you leave your Jimmy Choos in your Uber ride? And how much do parents suck when they withhold your trust fund all because you got a little scratch on the Audi. Like, how will you pay for Bali now? Being an upper class white girl isn’t all its cracked up to be, and #FirstWorldWhiteGirls is the hilarious, cultural expose that might as well be called Stuartholme the Musical. Delving into the trauma of being a white girl, this cabaret performance provides an insightful and frighteningly accurate portrayal of the shallow nastiness that comes with too much money and not enough sense. Drawing on their only privileged upbringings and private school educations, these spoiled songstresses invite you laugh, vent and share in this crippling pain of the privileged. You can catch #FirstWorldWhiteGirls at the Judith Wright Centre, but you better grab tickets quick – there are a lot of rich girls with mummy’s credit card ready to get in before you.
Mitch Jones, aka Captain Ruin of Caravan of Doom, brings to Brisbane his playful new show, One Night Stand. Having recently escaped incarceration in a Turkish jail, Ruin's stories of tragedy and misfortune provide a stepping stone for the audience into his world of thrill seeking and living life on the edge. Seductively combining song, strip tease, circus, and comedy, the show leads the audience on a journey through Ruins' experiences and adventures from around the world. Amongst this playful performer's textured web of humorous stories, eccentricity and satire, there is a deep and clear message of prevailing against the impossible. Filled with dry social commentary, satirical wit and a healthy dose of physical humour, this exuberant evening will be a mixture of both excitement and reflection. Described as raunchy, raw and a little bit dirty Ruin's performance sounds like the perfect One Night Stand.
If you like beer, buns and biological conservation, then get your mates together and lend a hand. Stone & Wood Brewing have set up a pretty incredible initiative that not only sorts out a gross environmental problem at Gardens Point, but lets you party in return. First things first: the clean up. Slip, slop, slap and head to Gardens Point mangroves under the fig tree on the Riverstage side of the Goodwill Bridge at 3pm this Saturday. For two hours you can lend a hand cleaning up the mangroves in the area along with Clean Coast Collective. Then, as a little treat, you get to party. Pesto & Meddles, Eden Mulholland and TH'FIKA will be performing at the Maritime Museum, and the Bun Mobile will be providing all the bites. That will kick off at 5pm, aka immediately after the clean up finishes, and it should wind up around 9pm. Have a bit of heart and sign yourself up for this worthwhile cause — or just do it for the beer.
Australian cult hero Ned Kelly is no stranger to the screen and stage. Having been portrayed by both Heath Ledger and Mick Jagger, Kelly has been long depicted as one of Australia’s most infamous and heroic icons. Viewed by many as a cold-blooded killer, and to others as a folk hero, the story of Ned Kelly is one which has captured the hearts and imaginations of people and performers alike. Now, in a new performance by Brisbane based playwrite Matthew Ryan, the Ned Kelly story is portrayed in a new light, distinctly different to that of the violent, exciting tale taught to us in school. The show masterfully balances light and shade, as well as including quick-witted banter and iconic Australian bush humour. The action-packed, fast paced story is coherent to that expected of a bushranger tale, and focuses on the family bond and strains between Kelly and his brother. The show premieres on the 16th of September and is running until the end of October, with some performances having already sold out.
Lather up! All the way from Germany, directors Markus Pabst and Maximilian Rambaek bring their world renowned performance SOAP to Brisbane. As a performance described by our very own Daily Telegraph as being “Sizzlingly Sexy”, this show is sure to wow crowds with its acrobatic, design and artistic feats. As the name suggests, SOAP combines on-stage acrobatics and bath time. The perfomance contains seven bath tubs as a platform for splash-filled, water-soaked acts, ranging from a mop-ballet to a rain-filled finale. The show contains breathtaking acts ranging from dance trapeze to contortion and SOAP even has its own live opera singer, Diva. Having captivated the hearts of over one and a half a million spectators, SOAP promises a vibrant performance that will have you bubbling over with awe.
Budding Australian Artists Britta Gudd, Alexandra Chica, Lisa Hundt and Yvie Klysv come together in Jugglers' latest exhibition, In Retrospect. Instead of showing off the creme da la creme of each artists' collection, In Retrospect provides a full spectrum of their work from the 'is this just a hobby?' phase, through to their first exhibitions, to now. In this timeline of artistic progress and awareness, In Retrospect showcases work dating back to 2000, as well as pieces that have been created especially for the exhibition. Opening night for In Retrospect is Friday, 19 February at 6pm. Alongside the exhibition, Brisbane singer-songwriter Meece will be performing a collection of her retro songs. Meece went from coming second in the Caboolture State High School 1987 Talent Quest to having a string of gigs and an EP to her name, so she knows a bit about the theme of the evening. Make sure to hop along and check out the humble, artistic beginnings of some homegrown artists with very bright futures.
Brisbane's Judith Wright Centre will be alive with spirit and colour to celebrate the 2013 Chinese New Year. The Centre will host the HSBC Chinese New Year Historical and Cultural Display as part of the Fortitude Valley's two week long celebration. This exhibition features the “Sojourners and Settlers” display, curated by the Chinese-Australian Historical Association, which celebrates 150 years of Chinese in Queensland. From the 11th to the 15th of February, at 11am and 1pm everyday, the gallery will be hosting traditional knot-tying lessons, tea-ceremonies and calligraphy workshops – all of which are free. The Chinese New Year festivities will be flooding the Fortitude Valley for almost two weeks, so check out some of the nearby activities here and make it a fortnight of celebration. Be sure to visit and divulge yourself in Chinese culture at the Judith Wright Centre's Chinese New Year Historical Display - bring in the Year of the Snake with a bang.
If one man's trash is another man's treasure, then a trunk full of junk may as well be a treasure chest. Suitcase Rummage gets that when it comes to shopping, second-hand reaps the best bang for your buck. For years they've been hosting regular events at Brisbane Square and Brisbane Powerhouse, and now they're back for 2018,. Kicking off at midday on January 21 at Brisbane Square, the event will feature a crowd of open suitcases filled with the type of clothes, knick-knacks and craft you probably don't need but definitely deserve. If you can't make it this time around, try again on February 4 and 18 — and, if you've got a pile of unwanted bits and pieces that someone else could love, you could always sign up to be a stallholder and take your own suitcase along. Image: Yan Chen via Suitcase Rummage.
Brisbane based Yaron Lifschitz is a man of adversity. Coming from a Jewish background, with parents who hoped he would become a doctor or a lawyer, Lifshitz is credited for resurrecting the circus company ‘Circa’. Having had his very own Australian Story, Lifschitz and his troupe are being defined as ‘world beaters' in the field of acrobats and tricks. Now, QPAC's Playhouse Theatre hosts Circa’s latest venture, S, described as being sinuous, sophisticated, sensual and savage. Having received rave reviews from the New York Times, S draws inspiration from the letter S; it’s structure, its grammatical functions and purpose. Accompanied by the music of The Kronos Quartet, Kimmo Pohjonen and Samuli Kosminen, S is a home grown act that combines intoxicating music with a melange of bodies. Watch out Cirque du Soleil, there’s a new act in town and they’re serving up something surprisingly spectacular. Circus & Cabaret at Brisbane Festival 2012
If you've ever seen the popular television show, Thank God You're Here or watched the inter-school theatre sports competition, you would know that the combination of talented actors and funny scenes often leads to side splitting results. Theatre Sports requires actors to think on their feet as they are plunged into a foreign and often ridiculous situation. Stage Fight features eight witty actors skilled in the art of improvisation split into two performance teams, battling it out over two rounds. At the end of the night, judges will declare on team as the Improvisation Champions. The night also features music from the soulful Captain Dreamboat and the charming Matt Whitney. These talented musicians won't only provide toe-tapping music, but will also take part in the improvisation. The night will include a 'song-off' between the two based on a silly unknown concept. Don't miss out on a night of belly laughs this Thursday at West End. Make sure you catch both rounds of Stage Fight, the first starting at 7.30pm. It takes a special sort of person to improvise on stage and with this amount of ad-lib talent, Stage Fight is sure to provide quality entertainment.
Once, getting festive in Brisbane didn't involve taking to the greens to putt your way through Christmas trees, decorations and all things seasonal under twinkling lights. Thankfully, that hasn't been the case in the River City for years. When the end of the year hits, Victoria Park's mini-golf course marks the occasion in the best possible way: by giving itself a jolly makeover. Victoria Park's Halloween course is going strong now, but festive cheer, bells, bows and more will be taking its place from Friday, November 7, 2025–Friday, January 2, 2026. This is the excuse that you need to swap the backyard cricket for 18 holes this summer — and to battle your loved ones for supremacy in a different kind of sport when the holidays hit. The seasonal makeover will deck the course with merriment all round. In past years, the course has sported holly, giant candy canes, gingerbread houses, elves, toy soldiers, polar bears, snowmen and everything else festive that it can think of. Reindeers and Santa are usually involved, too, and different sections of the 18-hole site tend to be designed around ideas like Chrissy Down Under, Santa's mailroom and Christmas morning — plus there's even been a festive feast fairway, The North Pole and a 'deck the halls' hole. If you drop by post-6pm, you'll take to the green beneath Christmas lights, naturally. If you're not feeling the Christmas spirit, book out a Sip and Swing bay in the driving range for up to groups of six — where the drinks are flowing and no one will call you the Grinch.
This November, there's only one piece of advice worth listening to — and you can get it right from the source. Back in 1995, TLC memorably told us all not to go chasing waterfalls, and to just stick to the rivers and the lakes that we're used to. Thanks to their slot on the 2022 Fridayz Live tour, they'll be singing those words of wisdom all over again. This year's throwback R&B bill has been renamed from RNB Fridays, but it don't want no scrubs, either — and, as well as one of the biggest girl groups of the 90s, it's bringing a heap of other nostalgic names to Australian stages. Shaggy will get boombastic, Craig David will croon about his weekly routine and Ashanti will rock wit u. Also on the lineup: Akon, Macklemore, Jay Sean and Dru Hill. Kicking off at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on Friday, November 4, then heading to Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane before finishing up at Giants Stadium in Sydney on Saturday, November 12, the Fridayz Live gigs will feature Lumidee and Havana Brown as well, with Yo! Mafia on DJ duties. Playing host: Abbie Chatfield and Fatman Scoop. [caption id="attachment_863975" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Arturo Lorde[/caption] From remaining TLC members T-Boz and Chilli, who also played this year's Glastonbury back in June, expect to hear everything everything from 'Creep' through to 'Unpretty'. From the rest of the bill, 'Thrift Shop, 'Same Love', 'I Wanna Love You', 'Don't Matter', 'Walking Away', 'What's Your Flava', 'Baby', 'Foolish', 'It Wasn't Me', 'In the Summertime', 'Ride It' and more will get a whirl. By now, with Splendour in the Grass going ahead this year, Falls Festival locked in for a summer return and a heap of huge tours heading Down Under before 2022 is out, it's clear that live music is back. But when the big retro gigs start happening again, you know that the touring music circuit is returning to pre-pandemic normality. FRIDAYZ LIVE 2022 LINEUP Macklemore TLC Akon Craig David Ashanti Shaggy Jay Sean Dru Hill Lumidee Havana Brown Yo! Mafia Hosted by Abbie Chatfield and Fatman Scoop FRIDAYZ LIVE 2022 DATES Friday, November 4 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Saturday, November 5 — HBF Park, Perth Sunday, November 6 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre Friday, November 11 — Brisbane Showgrounds Saturday, November 12 — Giants Stadium, Sydney Fridayz Live's 2022 tour will head around the country in November in New South Wales in October. Telstra Plus ticket pre-sales start at 10am local time on Monday, August 8, then Frontier Members pre-sales at 1pm on Wednesday, August 11 — with general sales from 11am on Friday, August 12. For more information, head to the tour website.
The year has only just started, but you wouldn't be blamed for planning a city escape already. Your destination could be Little Valley Summerhouse – a charming 50-acre working alpaca farm rich in eco-conscious inspiration, off-grid adventures and contemporary design. Set amid the remote Wollombi Valley – aka the Hunter Valley's wild side – this spot offers boundless rest and an authentic encounter with nature. Guided by the design of architect Matt Elkan, owner-builder Euan Wilcox spent two years shaping Little Valley Summerhouse's spectacular space. Rich in modern details while celebrating the surrounding landscape, this enchanting home drew inspiration from the hand-milled timber huts you can stumble upon in the local hills. Centred around an open breezeway, it's easy to imagine lazing away the day on the deck overlooking the pond. Meanwhile, seamless design helps blend indoor and outdoor spaces to foster atmospheric settings where inhabitants can dine with friends or soak up the peaceful setting in veritable solitude. Here, floor-to-ceiling windows invite plentiful natural light, while an entirely off-grid design enhances the mindfulness of your visit. For example, solar power and passive solar principles keep the need for artificial heating and cooling to a minimum. "I have always wanted the challenge to make a beautiful building, and living out here has given me that chance. Over the last two years, I think we have crafted something quite special," says Wilcox. While leaving behind these cosy walls could be a challenge, Little Valley Summerhouse is immersed in rich native bushland primed for laid-back adventures. Bursting to life with golden hues for the upcoming autumn, guests can also expect to encounter myriad wildlife on the property, from wallaroos to alpacas and miniature donkeys. Of course, there's also an abundance of tuneful birdlife soaring the skies to provide a daybreak soundtrack. For days when the weather takes a chilly turn, a French cast-iron fireplace and 100% alpaca wool duvets are bound to keep guests warm. Just know that Little Valley Summerhouse is proud of its connection to the land, with an approach that deliberately sets itself apart from curated country estates and resorts. By inviting guests to take pleasure in the little things, this agrarian stay offers a chance to embrace nature and refresh your spirit. Little Valley Summerhouse is located in Wollombi Valley, NSW. Head to the website for more information.
Some travellers can't help but plan every aspect of their trip down to the minute. But if you're keen to skip the calendar reminders and document organisers on your next holiday, Intrepid Travel has the ideal itinerary to help you step into the unknown. Just released, the 14-day 'Uncharted Expedition' departs from Harare, Zimbabwe and ends at the Island of Mozambique, but the 2400 kilometres in between remain a complete mystery to travellers. Hosted by one of Intrepid's most experienced leaders, the Uncharted Expedition is designed to help travellers embrace the unknown and feel more immersed in unexpected experiences instead of an overly curated minute-to-minute journey. On this adventure, guests can expect to travel mostly by overland truck, staying overnight in tents and locally owned hotels. By day, you'll swim in waterfalls, hike to mountaintops and forge connections with locals through varied cultural encounters. "We run trips in over 120 countries and know our travellers always look to us to uncover new and exciting places to travel. This itinerary is intrepid in every sense of the word and I am confident that this will be our best mystery trip yet," says Erica Kritikides, General Manager of Experiences at Intrepid Travel. While the itinerary might be mostly a secret to travellers, the crew behind the trip has got you covered. This being the second Uncharted Expedition, the original adventure saw 34 travellers from around the globe navigate from Kazakhstan to Mongolia through Russia's Altai region, home to soaring mountain ranges and scenic river valleys. The concept harkens back to Intrepid's origins, when the company's co-founders placed ads in newspapers searching for adventurous people to join them on trips to less-visited destinations. Ready to let curiosity guide you? The Uncharted Expedition has just opened for bookings, with 2026 departure dates scheduled for Wednesday, July 29, and Wednesday, August 12. Just note that due to the popularity of this adventure, intrigued travellers must first register their interest, with 21 people randomly selected for each trip. The expedition costs $7250, with travellers requiring a solid fitness level. "This mystery trip taps into the nostalgia of our earliest Intrepid trips, where every journey held an element of surprise and the unknown. It appeals to the most intrepid travellers — those with a sense of adventure who are prepared to take a leap of faith and go well beyond the beaten path," says Kritikides. Intrepid's Uncharted Expedition is now open for expressions of interest, with 21 travellers selected at random for each 2026 departure date. Head to the website for more information.
