It's easy to pass by Revel Brewing Co and not realise that it's there. Nestled into a small precinct near the river end of Oxford Street — aka the quieter end — it's one of Bulimba's hidden gems. But once you've been to its century-old heritage digs, sipped its brews, eaten its pizza and sat outside in its leafy beer garden, you won't forget Revel in a hurry. Beer-wise, the eastside brewery serves up both core and limited ranges, with trusty pale ales, IPAs, summer ales and lagers sitting alongside more experimental tipples. It's that combo that has helped Revel win a slew of awards since its 2017 formation, including gongs from the Independent Brewers Association, Queensland Food and Wine Show Beer Awards, and Australian International Beer Awards. For those eager to dine in, expect a range of Italian bites — including 11 types of pizza, pasta dishes such as spaghetti carbonara and gnocchi puttanesca, and tiramisu for dessert.
Sunday session: they're two of the finest words in the English language, particularly if you like ending your weekend in style (and forgetting that you have to go back to reality the next day, even just for a few hours). Thanks to Salt Meats Cheese, they're about to be joined by a few more excellent terms: Aperol Spritz jugs and pizza. Until Sunday, December 29, that's what's on the menu from 12–6pm every Sunday at SMC's Gasworks store. Farewell your few days off with a sip, a bite and some tunes — and don't pay more than $29. As part of the weekly event, SMC is serving up spritz jugs for $19, and pizzas and antipasto platters for $10 — but you'll have to buy a jug to get the cheap eats. Either makes a good choice, but a few slices and plenty of sips go hand in hand. Just pick your favourite from a selected menu and settle in for the arvo.
Winter is a great time to be in Brisbane. Yes, we said it. Sure it may be a bit nippy out, but it's also Good Food Month, which means we're up to our ears in opportunities to indulge in one of our favourite past times: eating and drinking. We're pretty excited to dig into the Night Noodle Markets presented by Beer The Beautiful Truth, plus there are heaps of other gustatory festivities to indulge in. Like at the XXXX Brewery — to celebrate the month of good food, XXXX is hosting an event that will pair delicious eats with a range of their beers made right on site. Beer fans are invited along to the XXXX Brewery to indulge in some fresh brews, expertly paired with six different culinary treats designed to complement, contrast and emphasise certain aspects of each beer. The Ultimate Beer Food event will take place at the XXXX Alehouse Bar & Restaurant on Sunday, August 6. Tickets cost $48 per person and include XXXX beers matched up with six delicious food stations. Plus, on your way out you can even pick up a tray of Milton mangoes (that's Queenslander for XXXX GOLD in case you're out of the loop).
Something delightful is happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are starting to reopen — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney and Brisbane (and, until the newly reinstated stay-at-home orders, Melbourne as well). During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made over the past three months, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_vJhUAOFpI THE NEW MUTANTS For the 13th film in the X-Men franchise, The New Mutants has come up with the perfect way to explain where this series currently sits. The movie traps five teenagers in an eerie, inescapable facility, tries to placate them by promising that they'll soon be able to venture to greener pastures if they just dutifully stomach what they're being subjected to for now, but taunts them with pain and terror while they wait. Logan aside, that sums up this saga's past five years rather astutely. Fans have sat through average and awful chapters in the hope that something better will come in the future, only to be met by more of the same (or worse). Yes, Deadpool and its sequel were hits, but squarely of the one-note, overdone, easily tiring variety. And the less remembered about the overblown and underwhelming X-Men: Apocalypse, the instantly forgettable Dark Phoenix and now the teen horror-meets-X-Men mashup that is The New Mutants, the better. Shot in 2017 but delayed several times since, The New Mutants takes a concept that's equal parts The Breakfast Club and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, adds in angsty adolescents just coming to terms with their hormones and superpowers, and serves up a thoroughly flat affair. When Native American 16-year-old Dani Moonstar (Another Life's Blu Hunt) survives a traumatic incident on her reservation that she can't remember afterwards, she awakens in a hospital run by Dr Cecilia Reyes (Kill Me Three Times' Alice Braga), which she's told is for kids just like her. Her fellow patients (Emma's Anya Taylor-Joy, Game of Thrones' Maisie Williams, Stranger Things' Charlie Heaton and Trinkets' Henry Zaga) are all aware of their extra abilities, though. Dani doesn't even know what she's capable of; however the fact that her arrival coincides with a series of unsettling incidents needling through the minds of her new pals gives everyone a few clues. Alas, all it gives the film is a flimsy excuse to trot out a heap of teen, horror and superhero tropes, with writer/director Josh Boone (The Fault in our Stars) and his co-scribe Knate Lee delivering a suitably moody but also oppressively generic film. Indeed, when Buffy the Vampire Slayer clips play in the background in a couple of scenes, they're instantly more entertaining than anything The New Mutants has to offer. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI03TFsUZ68&feature=emb_logo WILD GRASS Gazing out of her window, banishing away the sounds of home via her walkman, teenager Yun Qiao (Ma Sichun, Somewhere Winter) dreams of a different life. A talented dancer with big plans to leave for a lucrative career in Japan, Li Mai (Zhong Chuxi, Adoring) shares the same hopes — as does trumpet player Wu Feng (Huang Jingyu, Operation Red Sea), who tries to get by doing odd jobs for local heavies. It's the 90s, and these three strangers are all eager to change their futures. Fate, however, has something else in store. Jumping between its three protagonists, Wild Grass weaves these tales together, never leaving any doubt that the trio's plights are all related. Accordingly, this Chinese drama asks audiences to spend their time joining the dots as climactic events — car accidents, brutal attacks and gangster showdowns, for instance — upend its characters' intersecting lives. The overall message, and hardly an unexpected one: that they'll each weather their significant woes, twists and turns, and ideally come out stronger on the other side. Thankfully, what Wild Grass lacks in narrative or thematic surprises, it makes up for in its sumptuous imagery. The debut feature from Chinese director Xu Zhanxiong (writer of 2017's Ash), this is an instantly visually mesmerising film — especially when it lurks in alleyways, clubs and other neon-lit spaces; watches Li Mai showcase her fancy footwork across a plethora of different venues in both joyous and troubling circumstances; and stares deeply at its characters' often-pensive expressions. While The Wild Goose Lake will take some time to unseat as the best-shot, most alluringly lit Chinese film to reach cinemas of late, Wild Grass and its sometimes inky, sometimes glowingly amber-tinted frames take a firm stab at the title. The movie's three lead performances also hit their marks, especially when the plot proves a little too content to cycle through a parade of obvious developments. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tSd7JtLhh8&feature=emb_logo FATIMA When a ten-year-old Portuguese girl and her young cousins claim to see a vision of the Virgin Mary as the First World War rages, the faithful come running in Fatima. Based on the true tale of Lúcia dos Santos — also known as Sister Lúcia after becoming a nun later in life and, 15 years after her death in 2005, currently in the process of being canonised by the Catholic Church — the film's powers-that-be clearly hope their movie will incite the same reaction. Primarily dramatising events from over a century ago, Fatima may also step forward to 1989 and cast Harvey Keitel as a sceptical writer determined to query Lúcia's story, but there's no question where the feature's allegiances reside. Indeed, from the moment that the film begins with the girl's (Terminator: Dark Fate's Stephanie Gil) first encounter with the mother of Jesus (The Man Who Killed Don Quixote's Joana Ribeiro), it splashes its devotion across every frame. As a result, while it plays up the clash between believers and cynics across two time periods, Fatima always remains a tension-free affair. When Keitel's Professor Nichols chats with the great Sônia Braga (Aquarius) as Lúcia, it's immediately clear that he'll warm to her candid and open demeanour. And, in the details she's recounting, it's also always evident that her steadfast commitment to her faith as a girl will win out. In its 1917-set scenes, Lúcia's own devout mother (Hero on the Front's Lúcia Moniz) proves doubtful, and the town mayor (Santa Clarita Diet's Goran Visnjic) is downright contemptuous — but, in constantly counteracting their distrust with lyrical imagery of scenic fields, other rural landscapes and even glowing skies, writer/director Marco Pontecorvo (Partly Cloudy with Sunny Spells) couldn't paint a clearer picture in support of their protagonist. Visually, he's following in Terrence Malick's footsteps, but without the same texture, thoughtfulness or impact. Thank goodness, then, for strong performances by Gil, Moniz and Braga, which are the only elements of Fatima that stand out. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas, check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23, July 30, August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27 — and our full reviews of The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves, The King of Staten Island, Babyteeth, Deerskin, Peninsula, Tenet and Les Misérables.
Each year, the team behind Vivid Sydney clearly asks itself a question: where else can we dazzle with lights next? Ranging from gardens and tunnels to buildings and bridges, the answers brighten up not only the festival's annual program, but the Harbour City. Letting a train lit up with an immersive glow and pumping techno tunes loose on the New South Wales capital's rails is a new answer for 2024, however. Meet Tekno Train. This isn't your ordinary, everyday, average commute — this is a 60-minute trip filled with lighting and music that changes to match the train's speed and the landscape outside. And the tunes? Like the event itself, they hail from Paul Mac. The result is a 23-night-only railway experience that's an Australian first, with its music newly composed specifically for what promises to be a helluva ride. Here's how it works: between Friday, May 24–Saturday, June 15, you'll hop onboard a K-set train at Central Station, either opting for a scenic route to North Sydney and then Lavender Bay via a secret spur line (the slower, more family-friendly trip), or hitting up City Circle and South Sydney (which'll be the livelier and faster-paced journey). Whether you pick The Scenic Route or Tech Express, as the two choices have been named, you'll see Tekno Train's custom lighting beam and hear its electronic dance music soundtrack pulse through all of the locomotive's carriages. If you're wondering how it links in with this year's Vivid theme of 'humanity', Tekno Train puts the power of music to unite — even when people are doing something that they don't normally think twice about — in the spotlight. It also celebrates public transport, mass transit and community. And, of course, it'll get you seeing riding the rails in a whole new light, literally.
Emporium's Piano Bar glitters every day of the year, all thanks to its cascading gold and crystal chandelier, as well as its sizeable array of shiny black mirrored surfaces. Come Christmas, it doesn't need to do much decorating to sparkle — but the luxe South Bank spot is serving up festive cocktails to get you in a merry, jolly mood. Until the big day hits, two seasonal tipples are on offer for those who like their Christmas spirit with some actual spirits. The 'Rum and Raisin' combines Ron Zacapa, Havana 7, port, chocolate bitters and a burnt cinnamon stick, while the 'Christmas Pear-ty' features Beefeater pink gin, elderflower, pomegranate and pear. They'll both set you back $20. Whether you're doing your seasonal celebrating over lunch or after work, the cocktails are available from 10am until close every day of the week. Timing your visit to coincide with the venue's regular live music lineup is recommended — hear a pianist tickle the ivories from 5pm on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and from 2pm on Sundays. On Thursdays from 6pm, and Friday and Saturday nights from 8pm, live jazz also echoes through the space.
Inviting everyone over to enjoy your sun-drenched courtyard on a Friday evening seemed like a brilliant idea at the time — it's certainly more relaxed than cramming into a busy city rooftop bar and more summery than sipping cocktails in a dark, underground basement bar. But now that your friends are due round any moment, do you have your drinks repertoire ready? Here to help you, we've got five easy-to-make cocktail recipes that'll upgrade your home bar and hosting skills — and you won't have to spend all your time in the kitchen making them, either. Spruce up your evening get-together with the world's finest French vodka, Grey Goose, which we've partnered with to showcase three vodka cocktails and two non-alcoholic options that your friends and workmates will love. GREY GOOSE ESPRESSO MARTINI In 1983 a model sauntered into a London bar and uttered the phrase "I want something to wake me up and fuck me up", and the espresso martini was born. Thirty-six years later and the caffeinated cocktail has risen to cult status. To make things easier on you, this recipe uses cold drip coffee so you don't have to worry about making a fresh espresso for each round. — 30ml Grey Goose Original — 30ml De Kuyper Crème de Café coffee liqueur — 30ml cold drip coffee — 1 pinch of salt (serves one) Shake all the ingredients, hard, in Boston tins with lots of ice till the outside is frosty. Double strain into a martini glass. Garnish with coffee beans or chocolate dust. Everyone'll be pepped for the night ahead in no time. [caption id="attachment_750115" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Camille Vidal, La Maison Wellness[/caption] HEALTH YEAH Not everyone drinks alcohol — and having a non-boozy option makes you a considerate host. This refreshingly light iced tea needs a little pre-planning, so you'll have to batch-make the tea and syrup the night before. Then, come Friday afternoon, you can to knock one of these together in no time. — 120ml roobois tea — 80ml kombucha — 20ml turmeric honey syrup — 2 dashes of lemon essential oil (serves one) Use cold water to infuse the tea as it'll avoid bitterness and tannins; add ten grams of roobois tea for every one litre of mineral water and leave to infuse overnight. Strain and keep it in the fridge. To make the syrup, use three tablespoons of turmeric honey and one tablespoon of golden unrefined sugar with 350ml of water. Add all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to boiling point and stir for one-to-two minutes until dissolved. Remove from heat and allow syrup to cool. Build the cocktail over ice in a highball, give a gentle stir to mix ingredients and garnish with a lemon wedge. SPIKED ICE TEA Thought that last one sounded good? How about having an iced tea with an extra kick? Forget woeful Long Islands and upgrade to this delicious and balanced Grey Goose version which includes a fruity twist of apricot brandy. — 30ml Grey Goose Original — 20ml apricot brandy — 20ml lemon juice — 90ml cold earl grey tea — 10ml sugar syrup Just like the boozeless option above, prep the tea overnight and brew with cold water to avoid any bitter tannin taste. Build the cocktail over ice in a highball, give a gentle stir to mix ingredients and garnish with a lemon wedge. Easy peasy! BOOZELESS GINGER MOJITO Who said drinkers had to have all the fun and flavour? When you want to take time off the sauce, or cater for guests who do, opt for this gently spiced but super-fresh non-alcoholic mojito. As a bonus you can show off your muddling skills to impress your mates. — 22ml fresh lime juice — 15ml sugar syrup — 3 wedges of fresh lime — 2cm of fresh peeled ginger — 12 fresh mint leaves — top with soda water (serves one) Muddle lime wedges, mint leaves and ginger with the sugar syrup and lime juice. Add crushed ice and churn before topping with soda water. Look at you go! ROSE SPRITZ Make like you're in the south of France with this gently fizzy, and oh-so pink cocktail that practically begs to be sipped outdoors on a terrace surrounded by your besties. — 30ml Grey Goose Original — 20ml Martini Bianco — 10ml Monin watermelon syrup — 15ml lemon juice — 45ml soda (serves one) Build all the ingredients over ice in a collins glass and top with soda water. Garnish with a lemon wedge. Then upload a pic to Instagram to make sure everyone knows you can make such a fine looking drink. Upgrade your Friday night at home by choosing premium vodka Grey Goose. Each bottle is distilled in France, and the high quality vodka has a 100 percent traceable production process, from crop to cork.
As a kid, did you ever dream about getting to roam around your favourite store after hours? As a fashion-loving adult, would you adore nothing more than being surrounded by your go-to label on an overnight stay? Thanks to House of Sunny, the latter is now becoming a reality — but for just two people for one night only, at its Hackney showroom and to celebrate London Fashion Week. The good news: this collaboration with Airbnb looks like the ultimate fashion fantasy, and it's also free. The trickier news: getting to slumber in a space that's basically House of Sunny's latest collection turned into a pop-up hotel means needing to be in London this week, because the stay is for Friday, September 22. If you've seen news of Airbnb's past one-off listings — think: Barbie's Malibu DreamHouse, the Ted Lasso pub, the Moulin Rouge! windmill, Gwyneth Paltrow's Montecito abode, Hobbiton, the Bluey house, the Paris theatre that inspired The Phantom of the Opera, the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine, The Godfather mansion, the South Korean estate where BTS filmed In the Soop and the Sanderson sisters' Hocus Pocus cottage and Japan's World Heritage-listed Suganuma Village — then nothing about this situation should come as a surprise. Just like previous extremely short-term themed stays, this one is only up for reservations at a set time, too, with bookings opening at 3am AEST on Wednesday, September 20. With what's been dubbed Sunny's House, you'll kick back at a spot that's been given a stunning makeover — and you'll also get to improve your own style. The digs include an entrance that's all about greenery, taking its cues from the Hockney dress; a red and orange bedroom designed to look like the sundown cardigan; a crimson bathroom that splashes the colour all over the room, this time paying tribute to the La Belle dress; and hanging out in the cloud-adorned "wardrobe of dreams". Sunny Williams will be on hand to give you design tips one on one, and your time in the wardrobe of dreams will involve trying on House of Sunny threads. Also, due to the showroom's location, you'll be able to head beyond Sunny's House for brunch on Broadway Market, visiting the Columbia Road Flower Market and grabbing dinner. "House of Sunny's design and ethos has always been inspired by the intersection of culture, architecture, interior, and our community's love for travel, home and aesthetics. I am excited to welcome you to my house; this immersive Airbnb is unique, crafted and eye-catching, the perfect partnership of fashion and special stays," said Williams. As always, whoever scores the booking is responsible for their own travel, including if they have to get to and from London. Money literally can't buy the overnight stay, however — so best of luck to your busily clicking fingers. For more information about the Sunny's House sleepover on Airbnb, or to book at 3am AEST on Wednesday, September 20 for a stay on Friday, September 22, head to the Airbnb website. Images: Alix McIntosh. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
In 1977, Robyn Davidson decided she would walk west from Alice Springs until she hit the Indian Ocean, taking with her only her beloved dog and four camels. She was determined to do this alone, but, finding herself in need of money, was forced to allow National Geographic photographer Rick Smolan to document her journey. Davidson was told the trek would be suicide, but, undeterred, she set out anyway on her perilous, eventful journey. Filmmakers have been trying to adapt Tracks since the early 1980s, with even Julia Roberts attached in 1993. This is the sixth (and, clearly, the only successful) attempt to bring Davidson's story to the screen, and one has to wonder: what's with all the fuss? Davidson's story is certainly remarkable in terms of human achievement, but given our cinema is notoriously awash with characters undertaking dangerous walks across the unforgiving Australian landscape, do we really need one more? 'Need' is probably too strong a word. It's made. It's here. And all told, it's pretty good. Mia Wasikowska is especially impressive as Davidson, imbuing her with a determination required to sell the character. She delivers lines with a certain brand of confidence so rare in Australian acting. Lines of dialogue that would clearly clang noisily to the ground when delivered by others float effortlessly from Wasikowska's mouth. It's pretty clear why she's enjoyed such international success. Adam Driver, best known from Lena Dunham's Girls, is equally superb as Smolan. Driver is a compelling presence, and though his character is an irritant to Davidson, he is a welcome presence to us whenever he appears. The film's biggest problem is the lack of motivation. Davidson may have felt a compulsion apropos of nothing, but the rules of film are different. If we're to invest in this journey, feel sympathy for our heroine, we need to feel some portion of what she feels. We need to care. And "I felt like it" doesn't quite get us there. This, naturally, almost undermines the entire movie. It's difficult to relate to someone doing something seemingly pointless the hard way, for the sake of doing it the hard way. I suspect Davidson's memoir does a better job selling us on this, but the audience should not be expected to read the book first. That said, it's a testament to the film that it can survive this misstep so well. John Curran's direction is effective and tangible, and Marion Nelson's screenplay depicts Davidson's isolation particularly well. Mandy Walker's superb cinematography makes the landscape seem terrifying and seductive all at once. Title cards at the end inform us what happened next, and give the proceedings an annoying retroactive feeling of unearned worthiness, souring this reviewer at the worst possible moment. Despite this, Tracks is an engaging, beautiful film that overcomes its flaws impressively. https://youtube.com/watch?v=RyDCfuYTX_U
When the Goodwill Bridge, then the Neville Bonner Bridge, then the Kangaroo Point Bridge each opened in Brisbane, helping pedestrians get around the River City on foot was high among each structure's aims. Brisbane Festival 2025 clearly applauds that idea. The Queensland capital's major annual arts fest is not only embracing the concept, but is also building upon it. How does an event in a city that adores constructing more and more bridges work that reality into its program? By turning those three aforementioned river crossings into art installations — and featuring them in an art trail. Walk This Way is one of Brisbane Festival's big 2025 highlights. Brisbane art and design duo Craig Redman and Karl Maier, who are globally known as Craig & Karl, have been given the task of transforming the Goodwill, Neville Bonner and Kangaroo Point bridges with large-scale art. With this free part of the fest's program, you'll not only see these structures as you've never seen them before and, of course, mosey along them; you'll also follow the path around the city to other iconic sites. Craig & Karl have an exhibition at Griffith University's Art Museum, celebrating where they first met, on the Brisbane Festival 2025 as well. Across Friday, September 5–Saturday, September 27, there's plenty more in store for the city — 106 productions and 1069 performances, in fact, featuring contributions from 2260 artists. A huge 21 events in the program are world premieres, while more than 39 percent of the lineup is free. After-dark experience Afterglow is among those global debuts, filling the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens with fire sculptures and candlelit installations. Or, catch The Great Gatsby-themed show and pop-up club GATSBY at The Green Light, which is heading to Twelfth Night Theatre to celebrate 100 years since F Scott Fitzgerald's book first hit shelves. Thanks to Gems, which was commissioned by French luxury house Van Cleef & Arpels, Brisbane will witness three specific pieces by acclaimed choreographer Benjamin Millepied and LA Dance Project staged together for the first time ever. Courtesy of Baleen Moondjan, First Nations artist and Bangarra Dance Theatre founder Stephen Page is back home in Brisbane with a production that explores the link between baleen whales and Country — and, fittingly, will be performed in a barge featuring whale bone sculptural elements on the Brisbane River. [caption id="attachment_1008626" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Craig & Karl, Dirty Puppet and Jared Hinz.[/caption] Another must-attend Brisbane Festival show pays tribute to one of the city's beloved Indian restaurants, with A Place in the Sultan's Kitchen not only featuring Joshua Hinton chatting about his family's eatery, but cooking his grandmother's chicken curry live. Fellow standouts include yet another dance must-see in Bad Nature, with Australasian Dance Collective and the Netherlands' Club Guy & Roni teaming up; TINA — A Tropical Love Story's tribute to Tina Turner; the solo debut of Josh Taliani, who is behind House of Alexander; Shake & Stir giving A Midsummer Night's Dream a pop makeover as The Lovers; and Back to Bilo bringing Priya and Nades Nadesalingam and their family's tale to the stage for the first time. Plus, AMPLIFIED: The Exquisite Rock and Rage of Chrissy Amphlett is an ode to its namesake, Milestone is William Yang's latest presentation, 100 Guitars gives 2025's festival its mass-participation performance and Community Choir: The Musical does indeed show the love for everyday voices. Roma Street concert series Night at The Parkland has a heap of Aussie talent on its bill, such as ICEHOUSE, Lime Cordiale, Jack River, Xavier Rudd, Amy Shark, Grinspoon and Cut Copy. To catch Odd Mob, CW Stoneking, Wolters, Phantastic Ferniture and more, head to Tivoli in the Round, which is shaking up its stage setup. And, Wunderhorse, Winston Surfshirt and Sarah Blasko are also on Brisbane Festival's program, as are Brisbane Serenades' outdoor concerts at Brisbane Powerhouse, Manly, Moorooka at St Lucia. It wouldn't be a Brisbane Festival without Riverfire, which will light up Brisbane's night sky with fireworks on the event's opening weekend. Also getting everyone looking up, Skylore will be back with another First Nations traditional story taking to the air via 400 drones. [caption id="attachment_1008620" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Laurent Philippe[/caption] Top images: JD Lin, Craig & Karl, Lachlan Douglas, Joseph Mayers, George Gittoes, UAVS, Stephanie Coombes, Laura Du Ve and Children of the Revolution.
If you’ve ever accidentally won the Gatton Hotdog Eating Competition, you’ll know that food can found a great yarn. Between those fables of McDonald's burgers with bite marks to that uncle who once confused a Schmacko for a twiggy stick, culinary feats and follies make up a pretty interesting slice of our lives. And to celebrate the storytelling of all things yum, Yarn are pushing onto the Black Bear Stage a collection of esteemed writers to tell us about their best binges. The menu includes Grace Finlayson, Morag Kobez, Dan Etiel, Kaitlyn Plyley, Ryan Sim and Joanna Lezanski, with Jack Vening your server for the evening. Whether you’re a stress eater, Paleo pilgrim or live on a diet of cigarettes and Diet Coke, Yarn: Eat Your Feelings promises to cater to all dietary needs.
After the country clocked up its third-warmest year on record in 2018, the heat has continued well into 2019, with the mercury hitting high-40s across the country and some towns reaching record-breaking temperatures. The spicy weather is thanks to a mass of hot air hanging around Australia's Red Centre, which is looking particularly scarlet at the moment: https://twitter.com/BOM_au/status/1084218154782478337 As the mass of hot air has moved east, northern SA has copped the brunt of the heat, with Port Augusta hitting a top temperature of 48.9C — the highest ever recorded in the South Australian mid-north, according to the Guardian — and Adelaide is experiencing a solid few days in the 40s. In Sydney, which is currently experiencing its worst period of heat since 2011, NSW Health officials have issued a warning for high levels of ozone gas across the city's west, due to a combination of heat and sunlight, which can cause chest pain, coughing and airway inflammation. Authorities are suggesting western Sydneysiders stay indoors during the hottest times of day and in the evening, avoid physical activity and stay well hydrated. Sydney is expected to remain in the mid-to-high 30s until Sunday, which will hit an estimated max of 25 with 50 percent chance of showers. Melbourne's north has also copped a substantial chunk of heat, with most of the region sitting in the high-40s. The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting some cities will hit, and get close to, record-breaking temperatures today. In the city, it's a bit cooler, with the metropolitan area sitting in the high-20s and low-30s until Saturday, when it will drop to an estimated 22 with 80 percent chance of showers. https://twitter.com/BOM_Vic/status/1085302493981085696 Brisbane's city has avoided the majority of the heatwave, sitting fairly consistently in the low-to-mid 30s. Some parts of Queensland's southwest will cop a scorching, however, as the mass of hot air moves further east, with many towns in the region expected to sit in the mid-40s for the next few days. Wherever you're spending this week, air-conditioning is your friend. If you don't have air-con, check out our ten sustainable hacks for staying cool over here. Image: Bondi Beach by Paros Huckstepp.
IMAX theatres are the cutting edge of the film industry, and no IMAX screen in the southern hemisphere can really hold a candle to IMAX Melbourne. It's kitted out with IMAX Laser 4K resolution, the only IMAX 1570 film projector in the country and the largest 1.43:1 cinema screen in the southern hemisphere. All that makes it the perfect home for Big Best IMAX Festival, which has set a Saturday, January 31 opening date for its 2026 return. The festival puts the biggest and best of Hollywood, both new and old, front and centre on the IMAX screen, with reruns of recent releases and remastered classics alike for eager theatre attendees — presented in Australia's only IMAX 70mm film prints and IMAX 4k Laser. This year, the program is led by Christopher Nolan classics like The Dark Knight trilogy, Interstellar and Oppenheimer. They're joined by award season frontrunners from 2025, including Ryan Coogler's Sinners and Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another — and blockbusters like F1: The Movie and Denis Villeneuve's award-winning Dune and Dune: Part Two ahead of the release of Dune: Messiah later this year. Other entries to the program include a Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049 double feature, George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road in 3D and Francis Ford Coppola's divisive Megalopolis. Several classic films will get the remastered IMAX treatment, including The Matrix, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Apocalypse Now, Se7en, Back to the Future, The Shining, Princess Mononoke and more. [caption id="attachment_1061503" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Director/Producer/Co-Writer Christopher Nolan on the set of INTERSTELLAR, from Paramount Pictures and Warner Brothers Pictures, in association with Legendary Pictures.[/caption] The Christopher Nolan entries are a special standout, as Nolan is known to create films with IMAX theatres in mind. His last release, Oppenheimer, has a film reel that's 18km long and weighs over 270kg, seeing it in IMAX 1570 is an extremely rare treat. His upcoming release, The Odyssey, will be the first film in history to be entirely filmed on IMAX cameras, the film reel is supposedly even longer than Oppenheimer, and IMAX Melbourne will be the only theatre in the southern hemisphere to screen the film on IMAX 70mm when it releases in July. Tickets to BBIFF 2026 go on sale from Wednesday, January 14 at 1pm for IMAX Big League members and 3pm for the general public. Visit the IMAX Melbourne website for more information. Images courtesy of Warner Brothers via Museums Victoria
When the 2019 Archibald Prize was announced last year, it made history, with a portrait of an Asian Australian taking out the award for the first time in the event's then 98-year run. Now in 2020, the delayed gong has also secured a first — with Vincent Namatjira winning for a portrait of champion AFL footballer Adam Goodes, and his prize marking the first time that the award has gone to an Indigenous artist. Namatjira's piece, entitled Stand strong for who you are, was chosen from 55 finalists, which were whittled down from a record 1068 entries. Among the other contenders was Wongutha-Yamatji artist Meyne Wyatt's Packing Room Prize-winning self-portrait, which actually became the first work by an Indigenous person to win any of the Archibald's prizes. In Stand strong for who you are, Namatjira depicts multiple versions of Goodes, including two in his Sydney Swans colours. The artist himself also appears, clasping hands with Goodes. During the latter's AFL career, he played 372 matches for the Swans, kicked 464 goals, won two premierships, earned the code's highest individual honour (the Brownlow Medal) twice and was even anointed Australian of the Year. As his highly decorated time on the field came to an end, however, he was also the subject of merciless booing and verbal attacks by both spectators and high-profile media figures alike — and placed under immense scrutiny for celebrating his Indigenous heritage both on and off the field. That's a topic explored in not one but two documentaries that were released last year: The Final Quarter, which received a standing ovation at last year's Sydney Film Festival, and The Australian Dream, which opened the 2019 Melbourne International Film Festival. The Mparntwe-born Namatjira actually took inspiration from The Final Quarter. "When I saw the documentary about Adam's final season of AFL, my guts were churning as I re-lived Adam's experiences of relentless racism on and off the field," he explained. "Memories of my own experiences were stirred up and I wanted to reach out and reconnect with Adam." He continued: "When I was younger and growing up in the foster system in Perth, Indigenous footballers were like heroes to me. Goodesy is much more than a great footballer though, he took a strong stand against racism and said, 'enough is enough'. I stand strong with you too, brother". Accepting the award in a virtual ceremony, Namatjira also advised that "this is a really special moment for me" — while noting that "it only took 99 years" for the Archibald to award its first Indigenous winner. "I feel like this is a very important moment in Australian art. It's an honour to be the first, but I also want to acknowledge all of the Indigenous finalists and Indigenous sitters for the Archibald this year and in past years," he said. In a statement, Goodes similarly said that he was "thrilled that an Indigenous artist has won the Archibald prize for the first time", and that he was "so pleased that it shines a light on all Indigenous art". He continued: "we have a 60,000 year history of art and culture in our people, and we share this knowledge and gift of culture with all Australia". [caption id="attachment_784400" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Archibald Prize 2020 winner. Vincent Namatjira. Stand strong for who you are. Acrylic on linen, 152 x 198 cm. © the artist. Photo: AGNSW, Mim Stirling. Sitter: Adam Goodes - former professional Australian rules footballer.[/caption] In the main field, Tsering Hannaford also received a prize in her sixth time as a finalist, with her self-portrait Allegory of Painting highly commended. The colourful work was inspired by Artemisia Gentileschi's 17th-century portrait, where the artist used two mirrors to observe herself in the act of painting. The winners of the Wynne and Sir John Sulman prizes were also revealed today, spanning a number of other pieces. Western Aranda artist Hubert Pareroultja took out the former — which awards the best landscape painting of Australian scenery or figure sculpture — for Tjoritja (West MacDonnell Ranges, NT). The striking work "represents the story of the giant caterpillars called the Yeperenye that became mountain range". [caption id="attachment_784408" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Wynne Prize 2020 winner. Hubert Pareroultja. Tjoritja (West MacDonnell Ranges, NT). Acrylic on canvas, 183 x 244 cm. © the artist. Photo: AGNSW, Mim Stirling[/caption] This is the fifth year in a row that an Indigenous Australian artist has been awarded the Wynne prize, with the category also handing out three other gongs. Nyunmiti Burton was highly commended and received the Roberts Family Prize for Seven Sisters, while Julianne Ross Allcorn won the Trustees' Watercolour Prize for triptych Mollitium 2, which celebrates the resilience of the Australian bush. The Sir John Sulman Prize goes to the best mural, subject or genre painting, and was this year awarded to Marikit Santiago's work entitled The divine. Describing the piece, the artist explained that it "considers what is inherited by our children". [caption id="attachment_784409" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Sulman Prize 2020 winner. Marikit Santiago. The divine. Acrylic, oil, pen, pyrography and 18ct gold leaf on ply, 179.5 x 120.5 cm. © the artist. Photo: AGNSW, Jenni Carter[/caption] The winning portraits and finalists will be on display at Sydney's Art Gallery of NSW from tomorrow — Saturday, September 26 — up until Sunday, January 10. If you do't agree with the judges, you can cast your own vote for People's Choice before Sunday, December 13. ARCHIBALD PRIZE 2020 DATES Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney — September 26–January 10 Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre, NSW — January 22–March 7 Cairns Art Gallery, Qld — March 19–May 2 Griffith Regional Art Galley, NSW — May 14–June 27 Broken Hill Regional Art Galley, NSW — July 9–August 22 Shoalhaven Regional Gallery, NSW — September 3–October 17 Penrith Regional Gallery, NSW — October 29–December 5 If you can't make it to any of the above dates, you can check out the award winners and finalists of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes on the Art Gallery of NSW website. Top image: courtesy of the artist and Iwantja Arts.
On any given weekend, you'll find a Brisbane bar, pub or other boozy establishment hosting a festival somewhere around town. We all know what those kinds of events are about — and while celebrating beer, wine, gin, whiskey or whichever alcoholic tipples take your fancy is all well and great, healthier alternatives also deserve their time to shine. Like having a few drinks, but prefer to do so with low- or no-alcohol beverages? Whether you're giving your liver a rest for a month, you're often the designated driver or you're staying away from booze for health, cultural or other reasons, the Healthy Hedonism Festival has your back. As the name suggests, this day-long fest is all about treating yo'self while still taking care of yourself. Taking over X Cargo from 8am on Sunday, February 2, the event will feature a heap of brands and companies in the wellness, mindful drinking and sober space — such as Lyre's Spirit Co, with its non-boozy spirits; Gold Coast-based Sobah, who sling alcohol-free craft beers; and mixer outfit Fever-Tree. Aperol will also be there, so expect spritzes, while Heineken's no-alcohol beer is also on the menu. Plus, the day will include fitness and wellness classes — think swimming, boxing and yoga. Also on the bill: DJs, food and guest speakers chatting about a range of topics. Tickets start at $59, which includes a gift bag, a cocktail on arrival, access to more than six classes, and sessions on healthy snacks and making cocktails.
The eyes of the sporting world are turning towards the Gold Coast, with the Queensland city hosting the 2018 Commonwealth Games. That's great news if you're a fan of athletes and nations vying for glory, obviously — and, while it might not initially seem like it, it's great news for arts and culture lovers too. As well as the expected competitive endeavours, the Games also include a huge multi-arts festival across not only the Goldie but Brisbane too. So if sports isn't your thing, you can still join in the fun thanks to everything from beachside singing to art in strangers' houses — and these eight must-attend events. Top image: Yes, We Dance! by Artwork Agency.
Gin has come a long way in the past few years. Once relegated to the back of your nana's pantry, reserved for particularly rough nights on the bingo circuit, this infamous clear spirit is now front and centre in Australia's bars. With tonic and citrus, it's your ideal summer refreshment, and in its various other forms it's the perfect winter warmer. Though Australia doesn't have a huge part to play in today's World Gin Day celebrations — c'mon it's still the most British thing around since bangers and mash — we do sure love to drink it all the same. So, in honour of this spirit that's known less as a drink and more of a mascara thinner, we've compiled our favourite creations. Swing by the bottle-o on your way home, roll up your sleeves and get a little classy — here are five perfect ways to toast World Gin Day (or any other day for that matter). Negroni This Italian classic is not for the faint-hearted. A more alcoholic version of the Americano, this hard-core aperetif is perfect for a luxurious nightcap or after-dinner punch in the mouth. While the other spirits definitely dwarf the flavour of the gin, it's also a stereotypically gin-drinker's beverage — no nonsense, no fuss, and no prisoners. 30 ml gin 30 ml Campari 30 ml sweet vermouth orange rind Method: Stir and pour over ice in short glass. Drink: In the comfort of a leather armchair in the smoking room of a swanky Italian restaurant. Gin Fizz This is a fun, summery drink with a bunch of variations. Though each cocktail bar likes to put their own spin on this versatile hit, anything with St Germain or elderflower liqueur is guaranteed to be a winner. With the rich flavour of rosemary thrust among the citrus tang of the lemon, this is a drink any cocktail pro will rave about (and happily sit on all night). 30ml gin 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 30ml elderflower liqueur 1 lemon slice 1 rosemary sprig soda Method: Shake alcohol and lemon juice, then strain over ice into highball and add garnishes. Drink: Under the sun with a smug, satisfied look on your face. Southside Though its history is widely contested, it's widely established that this mint and lemon concoction dates back to the 1920s. Yet another gin cocktail with no mixers, the Southside is definitely for those with class. With a single sip it's guaranteed to transport you back to the late-night cafes of Hemingway's Paris or the dingy clubs of 1920s Chicago (depending on your historical biases). 60 ml gin the juice of 1 lemon 15 ml sugar syrup a decent handful of mint leaves Method: Shake all ingredients until the mint is pulped, and finely strain into a coupe glass. Drink: With an outstretched pinky and a 1920s cigarette holder. Tom Collins Are you sick of gin and tonics? Does the thought of one more Gordon's London Dry and home brand tonic make you cringe? It's probably time to spice it up a bit (or alternatively, stop drinking). The Tom Collins is a classic cocktail that doesn't vary too much from the well-trodden G&T terrain. Swap that tonic for soda, sweeten the deal with some cherries and sugar, and away you go — a convenient twist on a summer classic. 30 ml gin 30 ml sugar syrup 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 2 lemon slices 1 glazes cherry soda Method: Stir and pour over ice in a highball glass. Drink: At your next picnic or beach getaway. Martini While a vodka martini may be the standard (for James Bond fans at least), gin martinis are undoubtedly for the more refined palette. And either way, the martini is a drink for the purist. This is a cocktail with no junk in it — it lives and dies on the quality of its spirits. Of course, there are a million types of variations out there (Espresso, Apple, Marshmallow etc) but really those are all amateur hour. To raise a drink to World Gin Day, it has to be the real thing. 60 ml gin 30 ml dry vermouth olives or a twist of lemon for garnish Method: Shake gin and vermouth with ice, stir for 30 seconds, then strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish. Drink: In a morose fashion while at a bar you feel slightly intimated by. Photo credits: Oriol Lladó, sushiesque, and Isabelle @ Crumb, Clint Gardner, and RenaudPhoto via photopin cc.
Much to the delight of rollerskate-loving Brisbanites, RollerFit finally made it to our fair city last year. This class isn't just about learning to skate, although that's definitely on offer. It's also about exercising on four wheels. On Friday, June 21, RollerFit will add another component to the mix: 90s disco fun. Hit the rink, skate under mirrored lights, listen to killer tunes from two decades ago and bust out your best retro roller dance moves. Plus, if you dress for the occasion — 90s-style, with plenty of lycra, neon and fluoro, obviously — you could also win a prize. An all-ages affair, the RollerFit 90s Roller Disco runs from 6–9pm, with tickets only available on the door. Getting your skate on will set you back $20 if you're a RollerFit member and $25 for everyone else, while hiring some wheels will cost an extra $5. EFTPOS facilities will be limited, so cash is preferred. While you have your wallet out, there'll also be a RollerFit shop set up should you want to buy your own protective gear, accessories or merch.
Ngon means delicious in Vietnamese. And trust us, the neon sign in the window of this Paddo cafe isn't using hyperbole. Traditional Vietnamese flavours with a fresh twist have made this family-owned eatery a favourite with locals. The Nguyen brothers serve up core classics like pho with eight-hour bone broth and bun cha noodle platters alongside innovative dishes such as Vietnamese iced coffee panna cotta and young rice coated prawn with turmeric mayo. It has weekly show-stopping special dishes, too — sometimes cooked by the owners' mum — including xiu mai meatballs, spicy green papaya salad with pork belly or pipis with holy basil, chilli and lemongrass. It's all about celebrating the flavours of Vietnam — fresh herbs, vibrant chilli, sweet nuoc cham — paired with local produce, and a sizeable drinks menu of house cocktails, Australian wines, cold beers and homemade sodas at this family-run venue.
Think Lunar New Year, and you likely think Chinatown. That's understandable — but it's not the only Fortitude Valley spot celebrating the occasion. Over at Bakery and California lanes, the two patches of pavement are putting on a Lunar New Year party. There'll be food. There'll be booze. There'll be lion dances, live music and roving performances as well. On Saturday, February 1, 2025, the festivities for the Year of the Snake will get into full swing with a lively laneway shindig. Fat Dumpling will be serving up its titular dish (naturally), Gung Ho! Dumpling Ramen Bar will also help fill your stomach, and Chicken of Rock will similarly be doing its respective thing. Also on offer: cocktails and other boozy beverages at the two laneways' bars. All that celebrating is thirsty work, after all. Plus, there'll be lion dances and live music — and you're just a short stroll from the rest of the Valley's celebrations. Top image: Fat Dumpling.
Cake enthusiasts of Brisbane will know Alphabet Cafe well, and its cakes, doughnuts, cookies, muffins, slices, brownies and cherry cheesecake brioche, too. Alphabet Cafe's treats have been popping up in Brissie's best cafes for years and now you have the chance to get even more familiar with these delicious desserts and pastries. Making good on the latter part of the business' name, sisters Zoe and Meghan Tulleners branched out and opened their first bricks-and-mortar establishment in 2018. Situated on West End's Boundary Street, Alphabet Cafe boasts top-notch joe with Coffee Supreme beans, as well as a small dine-in menu which features produce from Food Connect and Loop Growers in Samford. The menu has a good sweet-to-savoury ratio, so you can enjoy a fried egg sandwich or some toasties, before picking out a treat from the killer cake cabinet. Happy gorging, sweet tooths. Images: Savannah van der Niet.
I’m going to be honest. I don’t have any tattoos, I probably will never have any tattoos, and my knowledge of tattoos doesn’t extend too far beyond Kat Von D’s L.A. Ink, which I have watched about three episodes of, including the one where her slightly creepy-looking hairless cat is tragically killed and Von D finds herself finally able to really empathise with her customers, many of whom get inked to remember and celebrate a loved one. Truth be told, I wish I was hardcore enough to get a tat but I am a) too fickle and b) too chicken. Despite this, I can totally understand the appeal of this weekend’s premier tattoo convention. Australia’s tattooed (preachers and practisers) will be flocking by air, rail and road to the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in time for the Gold Coast Tattoo SURF n’ Ink Convention, held over three glorious days. If you are still hesitating, never fear because the convention has provided you with 10 Reasons why you need to go to SURF n’ Ink. I personally can’t go past number 6, but perhaps the true pull factor is that this is the only opportunity you will have to be tattooed by your favourite international artist (without going overseas). Plus, if you purchase your ticket online, you get express priority entry.
Summer smells like sunscreen in your eyes, feels like sand between your cheeks and looks like old men in speedos. And while it mightn't be the most glamorous season, we wouldn't have it any other way. Put down the hair straightener and forego makeup, summertime weekends are made to be spent outside the city's confines – it's time to hit the beach once more. [caption id="attachment_591645" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Michelle Robinson.[/caption] BURLEIGH, GOLD COAST Downtown Burleigh has gone from the small-town fish and chips, thai takeaway and cold rock ice-cream I knew well to a hive of small bars, boutique shops, #cleaneating green juices, craft beers and hipsters on fixies. What happened and why, I don't know, but it's made apré beaching a whole lot more fun for 20 to 30-somethings. The fruit shop on James St sells those juices topped with fruit everyone has, The Pocket serves up delicious filled pitas for lunch and Ze Pickle, Bin 12 or Justin Lane are great places to go after dark. COOLANGATTA, GOLD COAST As far as my knowledge alludes me, Coolangatta is the only beach across the road from a cinema. So when the middle of the day hits and UV rating is simply too hot to handle, check the times and catch a blockbuster. We're always told to keep out of the sun in the middle of the day, so combine beach and movies and you've got yourself a relaxing day. If you're feeling extra adventurous and the conditions are right, swim your way around the headland to Rainbow Bay. [caption id="attachment_591646" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Andy Hay.[/caption] COOLUM, SUNSHINE COAST Not only does Coolum offer great surf on its patrolled beach, the surrounding restaurants and shops will keep you entertained long after the summer season ends. For a post-swim bite to eat try Harvest and Raw Energy, and if your sweet tooth is calling stop in at Gelato Mio which serves up delicious ice cream – try the mascarpone with pear and walnuts. If DIY dining is more your style, take a picnic to devour as you look over the beach from the adjacent park. Or, you could throw a few snags on one of the free BBQs and watch the waves roll in. [caption id="attachment_591647" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Flickr.[/caption] CURRUMBIN, GOLD COAST Currumbin is a favourite for it's small-town vibe that other beaches lack. Off the main drag, the small road is home to houses, small shops and cafes on one side and grass, dunes and beach on the other. Enjoy breakfast from the top floor of The Beach Shack, or grab a beer at Vikings Surf Club for panoramic beach views. Climbing Elephant Rock for your own Titanic moment is also a must. [caption id="attachment_591649" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Flickr.[/caption] KINGS BEACH, SUNSHINE COAST A jewel in the crown of the Sunshine Coast's beaches, Kings Beach is bit of a busy family spot, but nonetheless a great place to bake. Before laying your towel out, and if you make it up early enough, on Sunday mornings the Caloundra Street Fair markets are at Bulcock St until 1pm are worth a visit. A highlight is warm croissants from the bake-on-site French patisserie – heaven. For the young, or the young at heart, Kings Beach also has it's very own water park. You'd be crazy to not want to run through what is essentially a giant sprinkler. [caption id="attachment_591650" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Flickr.[/caption] MOOLOOLABA, SUNSHINE COAST The beauty of Mooloolaba not only lies in the pristine sands themselves. See and be seen strolling the well-landscaped Esplanade where you can pop into boutiques, grab a coffee with friends or enjoy a long lunch. Mooloolaba offers more than a beach day, but a day to be out and about socialising and shopping. But if your goal is to get away from the hustle bustle of city life, be sure to stroll south from Mooloolaba the point of The Spit. [caption id="attachment_591652" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Michael Dawes.[/caption] NOBBY BEACH, GOLD COAST One for those who like a beach less travelled. On my last visit there were four lifeguards just for us - drowning is not possible. Down the beach, next to the surf club is BSKT cafe. They serve up all sorts and cater to those only eating coyo, bee pollen and kale. Along the GC Highway is the main Nobby's strip and here you'll find tapas bars, boutique stores and The Smoothie Shack (yeah, that one the bikies love - live a little). So like Burleigh, this place has hip aprè beaching but with more space to lay your towel. From Nobby take the 15 minute walk south and climb North Burleigh headland. From here you get spectacular views of the GC skyline. [caption id="attachment_591755" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Petra Bensted.[/caption] TALLEBUDGERA CREEK INLET, GOLD COAST What many probably don't know is that just around the corner from the ever-getting-busier Burleigh is Tallebudgera Creek inlet. If you're a chump with navigation walk around Burleigh Headland until you find where Tallebudgera Creek meets the ocean – here are two generally quite empty surf-less beaches. Surf-less needn't mean boring – take the chance to relax without dumping waves (here's looking at you Kurrawa), re-teach yourself to float or challenge yourself to swim from one beach bank to the other. With the green forest of the headland, golden sand and bright blue ocean this truly is picturesque. TALLOW BEACH, BYRON BAY We've all been to main beach at Byron, but if you were local, wouldn't you want somewhere more, er, private? Popular with Byron's residents (and by popular we mean quiet, peaceful, serene), Tallow Beach is south of the lighthouse and backs onto total bushland. Bringing your own snacks is a must, and if you look closely, in the surrounding dunes the locals have created hidden tables and chairs to while the hours aways. Pure escape, pure cool. WOORIM, BRIBIE ISLAND Unsuspecting, Bribie Island's Woorim Beach is both beautiful and mostly flat. With Moreton Island situated 15km east, it creates a sort of wave break meaning swell never makes it above 1m high – hello baby waves. While there isn't too much happening on Bribie (except maybe a tea party with your nan, or someone else's nan), the surf club serves up a mean fisherman's basket and you can always cross to the inland side of the Island, hire a boat and cruise up and down Pumicestone Passage for the afternoon.
When your nine-to-five plays out like a well-oiled machine, it can sometimes feel like each week is a little same-same. But Brisbane is brimming with a fine bounty of things to experience and explore each and every day. So aside from casual laziness and a little lack of inspiration, there's really nothing stopping you from squeezing some adventure and spontaneity into your schedule. We've teamed up with Mazda3 to help you celebrate the little things that bring a sense of adventure to life. Shake things up, as we give you seven different detours to take each week in Brisbane. From Monday to Sunday, enrich your everyday with one completely achievable activity that inspires you to take the scenic route as you go about your daily routine. This week, watch a film under the stars, learn to make gelato and embark on a bargain treasure hunt. Plus, we've got your future detours sorted for the new few weeks here. All require no more effort than a tiny break from the norm — what's your excuse for not trying them all?
Photographs have the ability to allow us to view situations from new angles and provide us with new perspectives, altering our preconceptions. Simply changing the angle of a camera, for example, can create immense and unique beauty that changes the way we see spaces, as well as the colours and patterns within them. In Room Portraits, German photographer Menno Aden does just that, transforming drab, everyday rooms into fascinating works of art that make you want to sprout wings. The Bedroom The Renovator's Dream The Shoe Store The Grocery Store The Double Room The Convenience Store The Bar The Living Room The Dentist's Room The Kitchen The Rehearsal Room The Picnic The Hotel Room The Kitchen II The Classroom
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. DUNE A spice-war space opera about feuding houses on far-flung planets, Dune has long been a pop-culture building block. Before Frank Herbert's 1965 novel was adapted into a wrongly reviled David Lynch-directed film — a gloriously 80s epic led by Kyle MacLachlan and laced with surreal touches — it unmistakably inspired Star Wars, and also cast a shadow over Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Game of Thrones has since taken cues from it. The Riddick franchise owes it a debt, too. The list goes on and, thanks to the new version bringing its sandy deserts to cinemas, will only keep growing. As he did with Blade Runner 2049, writer/director Denis Villeneuve has once again grasped something already enormously influential, peered at it with astute eyes and built it anew — and created an instant sci-fi classic. This time, Villeneuve isn't asking viewers to ponder whether androids dream of electric sheep, but if humanity can ever overcome one of our worst urges and all that it brings. Dune tells of birthrights, prophesied messiahs, secret sisterhood sects that underpin the galaxy and phallic-looking giant sandworms, and of the primal lust for power that's as old as time — and, in Herbert's story, echoes well into the future's future. Blade Runner 2049 ruminated upon a similar idea in its own way, as many movies do. Indeed, Ridley Scott was hired to helm Dune before Lynch, then made the original Blade Runner instead, so Villeneuve is following him again here. Dune's unpacking of dominance and command piles on colonial oppression, authoritarianism, greed, ecological calamity and religious fervour, though, like it's building a sandcastle out of power's nastiest ramifications. And, amid that weightiness, it's also a tale of a moody teen with mind-control abilities struggling with what's expected versus what's right. That young man is Paul Atreides, as played by Timothée Chalamet in a stroke of genius casting that seems almost fated — as if returning Dune to the big screen had to wait for the Call Me By Your Name star. (The book also earned the TV miniseries treatment in 2000, and we should be thankful that a 90s iteration soundtracked by the Spice Girls' 'Spice Up Your Life' didn't ever eventuate.) When the narrative begins in Villeneuve and co-screenwriters Jon Spaihts (Prometheus) and Eric Roth's (A Star Is Born) retelling, Paul's life has been upended. House Atreides, led by his father Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac, Scenes From a Marriage), must leave its watery home planet of Caladan to take over the desert world of Arrakis. Previously run by their enemies in House Harkonnen, it's the source of the universe's melange stores, with the spice making interstellar travel possible. Spice also expands consciousness and extends lives — and, while forced by imperial decree, the monstrous Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård, Chernobyl) isn't happy about handing Arrakis over. To say House Atreides' move doesn't go smoothly is like saying that its new home is a tad toasty, but the tricky transition is just one of Dune's concerns. Another: the plans for Paul. House Atreides' heir, he's being trained as such by the Duke, security expert Thufir Hawat (Stephen McKinley Henderson, Devs), swordmaster Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa, Aquaman) and weaponry whiz Gurney Halleck (Josh Brolin, Avengers: Endgame). But Paul's mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson, Reminiscence) hails from the Bene Gesserit, an all-female group who pull the galaxy's strings, and she sees him as its fabled chosen one. Read our full review. THE CARD COUNTER Another Paul Schrader film, another lonely man thrust under a magnifying glass as he wrestles with the world, his place in it and his sense of morality. The acclaimed filmmaker has filled the screen with such characters and stories for more than half a century — intense tales of men who would not take it anymore — as evidenced in his screenplays for Martin Scorsese's brilliant Taxi Driver and Bringing Out the Dead, and also in his own directorial efforts such as Light Sleeper and First Reformed. You can't accuse Schrader of always making the same movie, however, as much as his work repeatedly bets on the same ideas. Instead, his films feel like cards from the same deck. Each time he deals one out, it becomes part of its own hand, as gambling drama The Card Counter demonstrates with potency, smarts and a gripping search for salvation. The film's title refers to William 'Tell' Tillich (Oscar Isaac, Dune), who didn't ever plan to spend his days in casinos and his nights in motels. But during an eight-year stint in military prison, he taught himself a new skill that he's been capitalising upon after his release. His gambit: winning modest scores from small-scale casinos. If he doesn't take the house, the house won't discipline his card-counting prowess. The money keeps him moving, but each gambling den could be the same for all that Tell cares. His motel-room routine, which involves removing all artwork from the walls, making the bed with his own linen, and covering every other surface and item with carefully tied cloth — making each space as identical as it can be, and resemble incarceration — lingers between fierce self-discipline and a stifled cry for help. Assistance arrives in two forms, not that Tell is looking or particularly receptive to having other people in his life. The regimented status quo he's carved out so meticulously is first punctured by fellow gambler-turned-agent La Linda (Tiffany Haddish, Like a Boss), who backs other punters and believes they should team up to profit big on the poker circuit. That'd bring Tell more visibility than he'd like, but it'd also increase his pay days, which would come in handy for his second new acquaintance. In Atlantic City, he meets the college-aged Cirk (Tye Sheridan, Voyagers), who has proposes a quest for revenge. Tell shares a grim past with Cirk's dad, and the twentysomething wants to punish the retired major-turned-security expert (William Dafoe, The Lighthouse) that he holds responsible — which Tell is eager to discourage. Isaac doesn't ask his reflection if it's looking in his direction. And, given that The Card Counter joins a filmography overflowing with exceptional performances — including Scenes From a Marriage already this year — it won't define his career as Taxi Driver did for a young Robert De Niro. Still, it's the highest compliment to mention the two in the same breath. At every moment, this blistering film is anchored by Isaac's phenomenal portrayal, which is quiet, slippery and weighty all at once. As conveyed with a calculating glare that's as slick as his brushed-back hair, here is a man who dons a calm facade to mask the storm brewing inside, revels in routine to avoid facing change, and anaesthetises his pain and past deeds with the repetition he's made his daily existence. Here is a man desperate to paper over his inner rot with time spent amid meaningless gloss, preferring to feel empty than to feel anything else, until he has an innocent to try to save and a clear-cut way to rally against the soulless world. Read our full review. ENCANTO Five years after Lin-Manuel Miranda and Disney first teamed up on an animated musical with the catchiest of tunes, aka Moana, they're back at it again with Encanto. To viewers eager for another colourful, thoughtful and engaging film — and another that embraces a particular culture with the heartiest of hugs, and is all the better for it — what can the past decade's most influential composer and biggest entertainment behemoth say except you're welcome? Both the Hamilton mastermind and the Mouse House do what they do best here. The songs are infectious, as well as diverse in style; the storyline follows a spirited heroine challenging the status quo; and the imagery sparkles. Miranda and Disney are both in comfortable territory, in fact — formulaic, sometimes — but Encanto never feels like they're monotonously beating the same old drum. Instruments are struck, shaken and otherwise played in the film's soundtrack, of course, which resounds with energetic earworms; the salsa beats of 'We Don't Talk About Bruno' are especially irresistible, and the Miranda-penned hip hop wordplay that peppers the movie's tunes is impossible to mentally let go. Spanning pop, ballads and more, all those songs help tell the tale of the Madrigals, a close-knit Colombian family who've turned generational trauma into magic. This is still an all-ages-friendly Disney flick, so there are limits to how dark it's willing to get; however, that Encanto fills its frames with a joyous celebration of Latin America and simultaneously recognises its setting's history of conflict is hugely significant. It also marks Walt Disney Animation Studios' 60th feature — dating back to 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs — but its cultural specificity (depictions of Indigenous, Afro Latino and Colombian characters of other ethnicities included) is its bigger achievement. The focal point of their jungle-surrounded village, the Madrigals are the local version of superheroes. They live in an enchanted home, complete with a magical candle that's burned for three generations, and they each receive special powers when they come of age. The latter wasn't the case for Encanto's heroine Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz, Brooklyn Nine-Nine), though, and that absence of exceptional abilities has left the bespectacled teen feeling like an outcast. Plus, with her young cousin Antonio (Ravi Cabot-Conyers, #BlackAF) now going through the ceremony, Mirabel's perceived failings linger afresh in everyone's minds. But then la casita, as their supernatural home is known, starts cracking — the flame begins to flicker as well, as everyone's powers waver with it — and it looks like only its most ordinary inhabitant can save the day. Encanto doesn't refer to the Madrigals by any term you'd hear in a Marvel movie, but the imprint of Disney's hit franchise remains evident. Thankfully, director Byron Howard (Tangled), and co-writers/co-helmers Charise Castro Smith (Sweetbitter) and Jared Bush (Zootopia) have sprinkled in a few fun abilities — because mixing up a template sits high among the feature's powers, even when those generic underlying pieces can still be gleaned. Accordingly, one of Mirabel's sisters, Luisa (Jessica Darrow, Feast of the Seven Fishes), is super strong, but the other, Isabela (Diane Guerrero, Doom Patrol), makes flowers blossom with her loveliness. Similarly, while their aunt Pepa (Carolina Gaitán, The Greatest Showman) controls the weather, their mother Julieta (Angie Cepeda, Jane the Virgin) heals through cooking. Read our full review. THE LOST LEONARDO Art of either great or dubious origins. Airport facilities where items can be stored — art masterpieces included — without their owners abiding by taxation rules. Both played parts in Christopher Nolan's Tenet; however, it's no longer the only recent thriller to include the two. The Lost Leonardo doesn't feature a phenomenal heist of a disputed piece from a freeport, but it is as tense and suspenseful as its 2020 predecessor. It also tells a 100-percent true tale about the artwork dubbed the 'male Mona Lisa'. Exploring the story of the Salvator Mundi, a painting of Jesus that may hail from Leonardo da Vinci, this documentary is filled with developments far wilder and stranger than fiction (sorry not sorry Dan Brown). And while there's little that's astonishing about the film's talking heads-meets-recreations approach, it still couldn't be more riveting. Although the Salvator Mundi itself is thought to date to the 15th century, The Lost Leonardo only jumps back as far as 2005. That's when the High Renaissance-era piece was sold for US$1175, and when Alexander Parrish and Robert Simon, art dealers eager to dig up sleepers — works from renowned masters that've been mislabelled or misattributed — suspected there might be more to it. The pair tasked restorer Dianne Modestini with tending to the heavily overpainted and damaged work, which revealed otherwise unseen details in the process. Cue a now-prevailing theory: that the Salvator Mundi sprung from da Vinci's hands. That's a shattering revelation given that, despite the prominence that the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper enjoy, the list of surviving works attributed to da Vinci barely hits 20 — and that's with questions lingering over his involvement in quite a few. Uncovering one of his previously unknown paintings was always going to be huge as a result; locating it in such a way, and for so cheap, only bolsters the extraordinary tale. Debates over the painting's provenance have continued for the past 16 years, although that's not the only reason that The Lost Leonardo exists. The piece has increased in fame over the last decade thanks to two factors, including the Salvator Mundi's inclusion in a 2011–12 da Vinci exhibition at the National Gallery, London, placing it alongside the author's accepted works — and its sale for US$75 million in 2013, then for US$127.5 million, and finally again in 2017 for a whopping US$450.3 million. Its unglamorous discovery, the ongoing argument over authenticity, the legitimacy gained by exhibiting in one of the world's most influential galleries, that it's now the most expensive painting ever sold: these details are unpacked and analysed by writer/director Andreas Koefoed (At Home in the World) via his array of interviewees — and so is the fact that, when that mind-blowing sale occurred, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was the secretive buyer. It's little wonder that the filmmaker has chosen to unfurl the ins and outs of these remarkable events as if he's joining the dots and puzzling together the pieces right in front of viewers' eyes, making The Lost Leonardo a detective story of a doco. It isn't a new approach, let alone a unique or unusual one, but it savvily relies upon the combined force of a ripping yarn and rollicking storytelling. Read our full review. THE HAND OF GOD For anyone that's ever watched a Paolo Sorrentino film and noticed his fascination with breasts, The Hand of God has the answers. It explains why the director behind The Great Beauty, Youth and Loro — and TV's The Young Pope and The New Pope, too — took to his chosen career as well, and why his features frequently feel pinpoint-accurate when they're either at their most sorrowful or their funniest. And, if he was ever to make a Diego Maradona biopic, the reasons why are also laid out. Sorrentino's latest drama takes its name from the Argentinian soccer superstar's infamous move during a 1986 World Cup match, where he used his hand to score a goal, wasn't penalised and helped win the game. Based on the filmmaker's own adolescence, it also tells of a time when the player was a deity to the not-yet-film-obsessed future Italian cinema great. First, those boobs: they belong to Patrizia (Luisa Ranieri, La vita promessa), aunt of teenager Fabietto Schiesi (Filippo Scotti, Luna Nera), Sorrentino's on-screen surrogate. She isn't shy — sunbathing nude on family boat trips and calling him over to hand her a towel — and the boy is obsessed to the point of chatting about it with his wannabe-actor elder brother Marchino (Marlon Joubert, Romulus). He's also fixated on Maradona's possible move to SSC Napoli, his local team, although that's a family-wide passion. At home with his mother Maria (Teresa Saponangelo, Porcelain) and father Saveria (Sorrentino regular Toni Servillo), and at get-togethers with all of his relatives, it's a frequent topic of conversation. But then a summer takes a turn for the tragic and, thanks to his devotion to Maradona, he's spared — but also caught adrift. For a filmmaker who often lets his excesses guide his frames, The Hand of God sees Sorrentino in a softer mode. The naked female skin remains, the dips into lavish visual extravagance and the eye-catching use of dolly shots as well — plus his penchant for following in Federico Fellini's footsteps, which also manifests when Fabietto tags along with Marchino to audition for the iconic figure — but this is Sorrentino at his most reflective and poignant. Bringing your most painful memory to the screen and sifting through all the complicated feelings it evokes will do that, understandably. Indeed, when Fabietto meets another real-life filmmaker, Antonio Capuano (played by Veleno's Ciro Capano), and says he wants "an imaginary life, like the one I had before" rather than his curent sea of hurt, Sorrentino reveals exactly why The Hand of God and his whole cinema career exists. It may start with a striking flight of fantasy involving a limousine and a small monk, but this is an affectionate and intimate family portrait, as populated with a wonderfully detailed central quartet. It's also a tender and touching coming-of-age story that's equally about sexual awakenings, farewelling childhood and confronting the worst that a teen can face, too. And, it's a movie layered with details about the tidbits that shape us in moments big and small, be it sport or friends or family practical jokes, and it always feels personal. As always, Sorrentino guides wonderful performances out of his cast — along with his striking cinematic eye, its long been one of his best filmic traits — and The Hand of God is never better than when Scotti, Joubert, Saponangelo and Servillo light up the screen together. BACK TO THE OUTBACK Joining the lengthy list of all-ages-friendly animated flicks that preach the importance of being yourself and not judging others on appearance (see also: Encanto and Ron's Gone Wrong), Back to the Outback hits screens with two differences. This overly glossy film is set in Australia, and sports the Aussie voice cast to prove it — Eric Bana, Isla Fisher, Jacki Weaver, Miranda Tapsell, Tim Minchin, Guy Pearce and even Kylie Minogue — while focusing on our native critters. Here, no one should assume a koala is nice, for instance. Fearing spiky, snapping and slithering creatures is similarly frowned upon. That's an immensely well-worn life lesson for kids, and also echoes with cognitive dissonance. When the animals in question are crocodiles, snakes and spiders, wanting them to be your next Finding Nemo or Finding Dory-style pet is hardly the best choice. Misreading how children will likely respond to the movie — begging for their own creatures, rather than taking a message they've already heard countless times to heart yet again — is one of Back to the Outback's many missteps. It smacks of trying to give a by-the-numbers formula a local spin but not thinking it through, a feeling that's also evoked elsewhere in the movie. Take its Steve Irwin-esque zookeeper Chaz Hunt (Bana, The Dry), who plays like a mean-spirited parody, and is the villain of the piece. Again, it must've been a quick decision to caricature Irwin and, while that choice is eventually grounded in the script, it really just seems like the easiest shorthand to make the movie more stereotypically Aussie. In the same vein, Chaz also mentions Vegemite and budgy smugglers when he's not uttering "crikey", unsurprisingly. He dons khaki and hosts wildlife shows at his Sydney zoo, too, which is where taipan Maddie (Fisher, Godmothered), funnel web spider Frank (Pearce, Mare of Easttown), scorpion Nigel (Angus Imrie, Emma) and thorny devil Zoe (Tapsell, Top End Wedding) all live — but koala Pretty Boy (Minchin, Upright) is the star of the show. That truth hits home for the sensitive Maddie when she makes her public debut and is called a monster because of her venom, while the cute and cuddly PB is a viral sensation the world over. Maternal croc Jackie (Weaver, Penguin Bloom) counsels not to take it all personally, although that's obviously easier said than done. So is the escape plan to flee the zoo and head back to the outback in search of her family — and yes, the film does utter its title in dialogue. Directed by Clare Knight (The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part's editor) and Harry Cripps (screenwriter of The Dry and Penguin Bloom, and also this), Back to the Outback hails from the distraction-filled school of family-centric filmmaking. Think: expensive and overt needle drops that add nothing to the story, but will keep kids bopping ('Bad Guy' is one such choice here); and a need to pack in as many flimsy jokes as possible in the hope that some will stick and, even if they don't, that they'll all keep viewers moving onto the next thing split-seconds later. Also high among its grating traits is an evident lack of understanding that great stories rather than half-baked sight gags and onslaughts of colour and movement make all-ages filmmaking special. Oh, and Back to the Outback's overemphasis on celebrity voicework is just as testing, as is that aforementioned heavy-handed messaging. SIT. STAY. LOVE. As Netflix keeps reminding its subscribers each and every festive season, Christmas rom-coms aren't usually known for their style, substance or depth. Instead, the most stereotypical flicks in the genre tend to favour cheese and cliches decked out in seasonal trimmings, and are designed to be consumed as easily and undemandingly as possible. They're the brandy custard of the cinema world, or the candy canes used to stuff stockings. Filler is a great way to describe the Hallmark-style fare that keeps getting churned out, too. Releasing in cinemas but surely destined to settle into a streaming platform's end-of-year roster in the future, Sit. Stay. Love is one such movie. And, while it gleefully owns all of its tropes — and all that Christmas packaging — that isn't the same as giving viewers a present. Festive-themed romantic-comedy meets animal-centric heartstring-tugger: even with an Eat Pray Love-knockoff of a title, that's the recipe here. Christmas brings people together, cute critters do as well, and Sit. Stay. Love doesn't hide either the formula at work or how blatantly it's splicing together two well-worn templates. The Australian-made film is better at getting a Gold Coast studio to stand in for Vermont in the thick of winter — because that's how firmly the movie embraces cookie-cutter Christmas flick inclusions, requisite snowy backdrop and all. Director Tori Garrett (Don't Tell) has nowhere near the same success in presenting the Australian cast as American, though, adding unconvincing accents to the feature's sack of struggles. As paint-by-numbers as it is, there's still wholesome potential in Sit. Stay. Love's premise, as penned by veteran sitcom writer Holly Hester (Ellen, Grace Under Fire, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Drew Carey Show). Overachiever Annie (Georgia Flood, American Princess) has returned to New England after a stint building a school in Nepal, but the aid worker still needs to keep herself busy — lest she actually spend meaningful time with her dad (Anthony Phelan, The Nightingale) and come to terms with her mother's death in the process. When the local animal rescue charity looks set to go under, her solution is to help save it, and to try to find homes for three of its dogs. But that isn't enough of a feel-good setup, so Sit. Stay. Love also has Annie flirtatiously banter with her old debating nemesis, Dylan (Ezekiel Simat, Back to the Rafters), who's now the town vet. The schmaltz falls as thick as snow, the dialogue is trite and no one's putting in their best performance. They're all hallmarks of exactly this kind of Christmas movie, as is the complete absence of surprises served up by the plot. Still, simply adhering to a terrible pattern shouldn't be any feature's biggest strength, even in a genre as padded out and merrily content to always stick to the obvious as seasonal rom-coms. Festive flicks have a built-in recourse to criticism — if you don't like them, you must be a grinch, or so the accusation goes — but saying bah humbug to cloying movies shouldn't stop at any time of the year. The dogs are adorable, at least, but that was always going to be a given. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on August 5, August 12, August 19 and August 26; September 2, September 9, September 16, September 23 and September 30; October 7, October 14, October 21 and October 28; and November 4, November 11, November 18 and November 25. For Sydney specifically, you can take a look at out our rundown of new films that released in Sydney cinemas when they reopened on October 11, and what opened on October 14, October 21 and October 28 as well. And for Melbourne, you can check out our top picks from when outdoor cinemas reopened on October 22 — and from when indoor cinemas did the same on October 29. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Suicide Squad, Free Guy, Respect, The Night House, Candyman, Annette, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Streamline, Coming Home in the Dark, Pig, Big Deal, The Killing of Two Lovers, Nitram, Riders of Justice, The Alpinist, A Fire Inside, Lamb, The Last Duel, Malignant, The Harder They Fall, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Halloween Kills, Passing, Eternals, The Many Saints of Newark, Julia, No Time to Die, The Power of the Dog, Tick, Tick... Boom!, Zola, Last Night in Soho, Blue Bayou, The Rescue, Titane, Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn.
We can't all see in spring in Italy, sorry, but Brisbanites can do the next best thing. And even if you managed to hop over to Europe when their flowers were blooming earlier in the year, you can pretend you're still there when the season hits the southern hemisphere. There'll be colourful Italian cocktails and plenty of Italian cuisine when the two-day Spring Spritz Party comes to Welcome to Bowen Hills across the weekend of Saturday, September 1 and Sunday, September 2. Clearly you know what you'll be drinking, with different varieties available — at $12 each, or four for $40. Food-wise, the lineup includes Parma Street Food, Salt Meats Cheese, Nonna's Masseria, La Cucina Mobile, Abbiocco Food Truck, La Macelleria, Gerbino's, Don't Gnocc It, Porky's Porchetta and Mr Burger, so you'll be able to feast your way through pizza, burgs, gelato and more. Capping things off, the joyful refrain of an accordion player will echo throughout the precinct, providing the soundtrack to the cries of "saluti!".
In June 2024, The Boys will return for its fourth season. For a sneak peek, the chaotic caped-crusader series has already dropped not one but two trailers. But fans don't just have those eight new episodes to look forward to — you can also start getting excited about season five, too, because Prime Video has already renewed the show. "The Boys could be the best job I'll ever have. What other show allows me to write about politics, capitalism, family and exploding genitalia, though not in that order," said Eric Kripke, the series' showrunner. "My only problem is that since this year promises to be free of any conflict or misinformation, we're not sure what to write about." Since first making the jump from the page to the screen in 2019, The Boys has never been afraid to splash OTT violence — gory carnage, too — across its frames, or to parody reality within its superhero tale. The same proved true in 2020's second season and 2022's third, and also in college-set spinoff Gen V, which arrived in 2023 and has been renewed for a second season as well. Season four will start streaming Down Under from Thursday, June 13, while season five doesn't yet have a release date. But both will keep telling a tale of a version of earth where caped crusaders are real, as are superpowers, and a group called The Seven are placed above all superheroes — but, digging into the dark side of the scenario, not everyone thinks that should be the status quo. The Boys has always stood out as an antidote to narratives about powerful folks who are supposedly better than most, by both satirising and questioning that very idea. Here, superheroes work for Vought. They're still the main form of entertainment, but they're real, the most famous celebrities there are and inescapable in daily life. While The Seven are the absolute top talent, most are hardly role models when the public isn't looking. That has made quite the change from the usual cinematic universes as the Prime Video show has kept notching up the seasons, all coming to the small screen from Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's comics series of the same name. In the cast: Karl Urban (Thor: Ragnarok), Jack Quaid (Oppenheimer), Antony Starr (Guy Ritchie's The Covenant), Erin Moriarty (Captain Fantastic), Claudia Doumit (Where'd You Go, Bernadette), Chace Crawford (Gossip Girl), Jessie T Usher (Smile), Laz Alonso (Wrath of Man), Tomer Capone (One on One), Karen Fukuhara (Bullet Train), Colby Minifie (I'm Thinking of Ending Things) and Cameron Crovetti (Boy Kills World) — with Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead), Susan Heyward (Hello Tomorrow!) and Valorie Curry (The Lost Symbol) joining for season four. There's obviously no trailer for season five yet, but check out the full trailer for The Boys season four below: The fourth season of The Boys will start streaming via Prime Video from Thursday, June 13, 2024. Read our reviews of The Boys season three and Gen V. Season five doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when one is announced.
If you like OTT, acrobatic and extravagant theatre, cabaret and circus shows — playful, too — and you live in Brisbane, then you've likely sat down to one of Strut & Fret's productions over the years. Get ready for more from the folks behind Blanc de Blanc, FUN HOUSE, THE PARTY, LIFE — The Show and Fear & Delight at the outfit's own Sunshine State venue. Your destination: The West End Electric. First announced in mid-2024, the Boundary Street spot opened at the end of August, with its debut show part of 2024's Brisbane Festival lineup. LIMBO — THE RETURN plays until early November, but it's just the first of many productions that'll fill the 400-plus-person spot, which has been decked out by designer James Browne with a nod to West End's London counterpart. The West End Electric is a theatre, entertainment space and a bar, and marks the second Strut & Fret location around the country, adding a sibling to The Grand Electric in Sydney. Launching with LIMBO — THE RETURN is a case of starting how the venue means to go on. The fact that Strut & Fret wants its venues to get sparks flying is right there in its name. The company has always had ties to the River City. In fact, that Strut & Fret will bring its new shows to town has been almost as reliable as clockwork for more than a quarter century. Co-founders Scott Maidment and Sarah Stewart are both from Brisbane — and it was in the Queensland capital in 1997 that they gave rise to the production house. Accordingly, The West End Electric is a homecoming in a way, not that the outfit's performances are ever absent from Brissie for long. "We have already had such an overwhelming response from West End residents and restaurants, who are all very excited," said Maidment in advance of the site's opening. "It's fantastic to be so welcomed, with some of our early visitors describing the space as 'absolutely transporting'." "We have been blown away by The Grand Electric's success since it opened in Sydney last year. It's quickly established itself as both a smashing venue for our own shows, and a venue for other players like Michael Cassel (Titanique) and Sydney Comedy Festival," advised Maidment back when The West End Electric was first announced. "We staged our first Brisbane Festival production over 25 years ago in 1998, so it feels very fitting to launch The West End Electric with this year's festival." Catch LIMBO — THE RETURN and you'll be seeing a revamped version of a show that's been touring the world for over a decade, taking audiences to a netherworld scored by live tunes composed by Sxip Shirey, as filled with cabaret and circus alongside eye-popping acrobatic feats. For sips while you watch, the bar menu features a range of wine, champagne, sparkling, beer, cider and boozy ginger beer, plus cocktails such as Tall LIMBO (made with Hennessy, honeycomb, lemon and spiced ginger), Pleasure at the Fairground (featuring vodka, passionfruit, prosecco, lime and aquafaba), and Naked and Famous (Aperol, mezcal, yellow chartreuse and lime). A couple of mocktails are also on offer — one boasting Four Pillars' Bandwagon Bloody Shiraz — as are oysters, three types of toasted sandwiches, and a tasting plate of cured meats and pickled vegetables to snack on. Find The West End Electric at 125 Boundary Street, West End, with LIMBO — THE RETURN playing until Sunday, November 3, 2024. Head to the venue's website for further details. Images: Camilo Hernandez, Billie Wilson Coffey and Brit Mobbs.
Dramatising the events at Chernobyl in 1986, where a power plant accident caused the worst nuclear disaster in human history, was never going to make for cheery viewing. But the Chernobyl miniseries drips with so much dread and dismay that it oozes from the screen, infecting everyone watching and burrowing deep into viewers' souls. That's by design, and also 100-percent necessary. There's no way to revisit this chapter of history without being horrified. And that reaction applies not just to the intricacies of Saturday, April 26 in that fateful year, but to everything that lead up to the disaster, as well as the bureaucratic and government response that followed. Writer/creator Craig Mazin and director Johan Renck bring all of the above to the screen in devastating, meticulously researched detail, with exceptional help from stars Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Emily Watson and Paul Ritter. The end result may only span five episodes, but it represents some of the best TV made in the 21st century.
Wine lovers visiting New Zealand's biggest city are truly spoilt for choice. A cluster of award-winning and family-owned vineyards sit less than an hour's drive from the CBD, making it the perfect destination for your next short break. Dotted among the hillsides and bays of northern Auckland, Matakana has a warm climate that produces elegant reds — there are 28 varieties planted in the region, which makes it one of the most diverse wine growing areas in New Zealand. Here you'll find the only vineyard in the country to specialise solely in Italian grapes, French-inspired drops and an elaborate 'if you build it, they will come' sculpture park. Flights to Auckland from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are super short — around three-and-a-half hours on average — and Air New Zealand flies direct from all three cities and offers great everyday fares. SCULPTUREUM A Nike-wearing alligator, inspirational quotes from Steve Jobs, an exotic bird aviary and an 80-seat restaurant — Sculptureum isn't your average vineyard. After 12 years of design and development, Auckland-based lawyers Anthony and Sandra Grant opened the doors to their elaborate 'if you build it, they will come' space. The 25-acre site is located less than five minutes' drive from the Matakana village en route to Omaha (north of Auckland). After strolling through art-filled gardens, seeing a massive chandelier created by American glass artist Dale Chihuly and spotting large rabbits in a grassy arena named Rabbiton, it'll finally be time to sit down for a wine. On a sun-soaked hill beyond the gardens is the vineyard that produces Sculptureum's award-winning wines. Current varietals available include chardonnay, Bordeaux blend, syrah and rosé. They're best enjoyed by the glass with a meal at on-site restaurant Rothko — though you can always grab a bottle for later, too. BRICK BAY WINERY Brick Bay is another spot that incorporates boutique wines, a sculpture trail and a top-notch restaurant. Nestled amidst a patchwork of native bush and farmland, the winery is a magical setting for a short break out of the city. For a little over 32 years, the brand has made a name for itself crafting sustainable wines, notably the classic pinot gris and berry-driven rosé. If you want to see what all the fuss is about, tastings are held any time at on-site restaurant The Glasshouse for $8. Designed by respected architect Noel Lane, the building is exactly as the name suggests — a light-filled glass box, which sits over a lily-filled pond. For an additional fee, you'll also be given the opportunity to stroll around the sculpture trail and see work by some of New Zealand's top contemporary sculptors, including Paul Dibble, Terry Stringer and Judy Darraugh. The full trail takes around an hour to complete. HERON'S FLIGHT Heron's Flight is the only vineyard in New Zealand to specialise solely in Italian grapes. The winery was established 31 years ago by David Hoskins, whose work as a chemist, philosopher and winemaker makes him quite the renaissance man. Heron's Flight has been consistently committed to sustainable winemaking and can be found in the wine lists of top restaurants up and down New Zealand. Heron's Flight works with two grape varieties: sangiovese, which translates to 'the blood of Jupiter', and dolcetto, a variety which is often both dry and full-bodied. Tastings are available seven days a week, excluding public holidays. MATAKANA ESTATE Matakana Estate has been around since the boutique wine region first sprung to light more than 30 years ago. Under the care of Australian winemaker Richard Robson, the estate produces stylish, full-bodied chardonnay, syrah and pinot gris. With expansive views over the vineyard — the largest in the region — the tasting room is one of the most popular to visit for an afternoon of sniffing and swirling. That said, it's recommended to call ahead if you're looking to try a specific varietal. If you haven't sorted transportation for your return journey, the estate boasts a luxury lodge, which stands proudly on a ridge overlooking the Matakana valley and hills. It has room for up to eight merry guests. RUNNER DUCK ESTATE Runner Duck Estate is a boutique vineyard nestled in the Matakana valley, specialising in small quantities of French-inspired syrah, Bordeaux blends, pinot gris, sangiovese and rosé. After leaving behind a successful business in Mumbai and purchasing the estate, it was the objective of owners Clyde and Farida to produce a small amount of iconic red wine that would impress the world's most discerning wine drinkers. Staying true to their word, the pair will not produce wine under the label unless the year been outstanding. The estate's cellar door can be found at celebrated vineyard restaurant, Plume, which offers tastings of any five wines for $7 per person. Alternatively, tastings are free with any bottled purchased. Book your flights to Auckland with Air New Zealand and start planning your next long weekend away. Plus, Vinomofo has released a case of wine featuring six delicious wines representing the diverse and unique sub-regions of Waiheke, Kumeu and Matakana. Every case has a one in 50 chance of winning return flights to Auckland (from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane). T&Cs apply.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. SPENCER With two-plus decades as an actor to her name, Kristen Stewart hasn't spent her career as a candle in the wind. Her flame has both blazed and flickered since her first uncredited big-screen role in The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas but, by Elton John's definition, she's always known where to cling to. After jumping from child star to Twilight heroine and then one of the savviest talents of her generation, she's gleaned where to let her haunting gaze stare so piercingly that it lights up celluloid again and again, too. Spencer joins Stewart's resume after weighty parts in Clouds of Sils Maria, Personal Shopper, Certain Women and Seberg, and has her do something she's long done magnificently: let a world of pain and uncertainty seep quietly from her entire being. The new regal drama should do just that, of course, given its subject — but saying that director Pablo Larraín has cast his Diana well, pitch-perfect head tilt and all, is a royal understatement. Larraín also trusts himself well, making the kind of movie he's made three times now — not that Jackie, Ema and Spencer are carbon copies — and knowing that he does it phenomenally. Both essaying real-life figures and imagining fictional characters, the Chilean filmmaker keeps being drawn to tales about formidable women. His eponymous ladies could all be called strong female leads, but Larraín's features unpack what strength really means in various lights. Like her predecessors in the director's filmography, Diana faces searing traumas, plus ordinary and extraordinary struggles. She scorches away tradition, and values letting her own bulb shine bright over being stuck in others' shadows. Viewers know how this story will end, though, not that Spencer covers it, and Larraín is just as exceptional at showing how Diana's candle started to burn out. The year is 1991, the time is Christmas and the place is the Queen's (Stella Gonet, Breeders) Sandringham Estate, where the Windsors converge for the holidays (yes, Spencer is now prime seasonal viewing). As scripted by Peaky Blinders and Locked Down's Steven Knight, the choice of period puts Diana in one of the most precarious situations of her then decade-long married life, with her nuptials to Prince Charles (Jack Farthing, The Lost Daughter) turning into an "amicable separation" within 12 months. Spencer's focus is on three days, not all that defined the People's Princess' existence before or after, but she can't stop contemplating her past and future. The Sandringham grounds include the house where Diana was born, and those happier recollections — and time spent now with her children (debutants Jack Nielen and Freddie Spry) — give her a glow. Alas, all the monarchical scrutiny simmers her joy to ashes, unsurprisingly. Larraín is one of today's great detail-oriented filmmakers, a fact that glimmers in his approach to Spencer — and did in Jackie, too. Both character studies let snapshots speak volumes about broader lives and the bigger narratives around them, including when poised as "a fable from a true tragedy" as the title card notes here. 'Poised' is one word for this fictionalised imagining of real events, which builds its dramas in an immaculate chamber, lets heated emotions bounce around as it tears into privilege and power, and allows audiences to extrapolate from the meticulous minutiae. Specific tidbits are oh-so-telling, such as the demand that Sandringham's guests hit the scales upon arrival and leaving, their weight gains deemed a sign of how much they enjoyed themselves. Bolder flourishes are just as exacting, like the way the place is lensed to make the Princess of Wales resemble a doll being toyed with in a playhouse, as well as a Jack Torrance substitute trapped in her own Overlook Hotel The Shining-style. Read our full review. NIGHTMARE ALLEY Don't mistake the blaze that starts Nightmare Alley for warmth; in his 11th film, Guillermo del Toro gets chillier than he ever has. A lover of gothic tales told with empathy and curiosity, the Mexican filmmaker has always understood that escapism and agony go hand in hand — in life, and in his fantastical movies — and here, in a carnival noir that springs from William Lindsay Gresham's 1946 novel and previously reached cinemas in 1947, he runs headfirst into cold, unrelenting darkness. As The Shape of Water movingly demonstrated to Best Picture and Best Director Oscar wins, no one seeks emotional and mental refuge purely for the sake it. They flee from something, and del Toro's life's work has spotted that distress clearly from his first dalliance with the undead in his 1993 debut Cronos. The Divinyls were right: there is indeed a fine line between pleasure and pain, which del Toro keeps surveying; however, Nightmare Alley tells of trying to snatch glimpses of empty happiness amid rampant desolation. That burning house, once home to the skulking Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper, Licorice Pizza), is surrounded by America's stark midwestern landscape circa 1939. Still, the terrain of its now-former occupant's insides is even grimmer, as Nightmare Alley's opening image of Stan dropping a body into a hole in the abode's floor, then striking a match, shows. From there, he descends into the carny world after hopping on a bus with only a bag and a radio, alighting at the end of the line and finding a travelling fair at this feet. Given a job by barker Clem Hoatley (Willem Dafoe, Spider-Man: No Way Home), he gets by doing whatever's asked, including helping clean up after the geek act — although, even with his ambiguities evident from the outset, stomaching a cage-dwelling man biting the heads off live chickens to entertain braying crowds isn't initially easy. While set in an already-despondent US where the Depression is only just waning, the shadows of the First World War linger and more are soon to fall via World War II, Nightmare Alley still gives Stan flickers of hope. Adapted from the novel by del Toro with feature debutant Kim Morgan, the movie doesn't ever promise light or virtue, but kindness repeatedly comes its protagonist's way in its first half. In fortune-teller Zeena the Seer (Toni Collette, Dream Horse) and her oft-sauced husband and assistant Pete (David Strathairn, Nomadland), Stan gains friends and mentors. He takes to mentalism like he was born to it, and his gift for manipulating audiences — and his eagerness to keep pushing the spiritualism further — is firmly a sign. Soon, it's 1941 and he's rebadged himself as 'The Great Stanton' in city clubs, claiming to speak to the dead in the pursuit of bigger paydays, with fellow ex-carny Molly Cahill (Rooney Mara, Mary Magdalene) as his romantic and professional partner beyond the dustbowl. The tone may be blacker than del Toro's usual mode — positively pitch-black in the feature's unforgettable ending, in fact — but Stan is just doing what the director's main characters tend to: trying to find his own place as he runs from all that haunts him. "My whole life, I been lookin', lookin' for somethin' I'm good at — an' I think I found it," he says, his elation palpable. Although his first altercation with Dr Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett, Don't Look Up) starts with a public scene at one of his swanky gigs, he's equally as thrilled that his crowd-pleasing act attracts her attention, and by the psychologist's suggestion that they team up on wealthy mark Ezra Grindle (Richard Jenkins, Kajillionaire). But here's the thing about being a grifter, even one who was so recently a drifter: if you're fleecing someone, you're likely being fleeced back in turn. Read our full review. BELLE When Beauty and the Beast typically graces the screen, it doesn't involve a rose-haired singer decked out in a matching flowing dress while singing heart-melting tunes atop a floating skywhale mounted with speakers. It doesn't dance into the metaverse, either. Anime-meets-Patricia Piccinini-meets-cyberspace in Belle, and previous filmed versions of the famed French fairytale must now wish that they could've been so inventive. Disney's animated and live-action duo, aka the 1991 musical hit that's been a guest of childhood viewing ever since and its 2017 Emma Watson-starring remake, didn't even fantasise about dreaming about being so imaginative — but Japanese writer/director Mamoru Hosoda also eagerly takes their lead. His movie about a long-locked social-media princess with a heart of gold and a hulking creature decried by the masses based on appearances is firmly a film for now, but it's also a tale as old as time and one unafraid to build upon the Mouse House's iterations. At first, there is no Belle. Instead, Hosoda's feature has rural high-schooler Suzu (debutant Kaho Nakamura) call her avatar Bell because that's what her name means in Japanese. That online character lives in a virtual-reality world that uses body-sharing technology to base its figures on the real-life people behind them, but Suzu is shy and accustomed to being ignored by her classmates — other than her only pal Hiroka (Lilas Ikuta of music duo Yoasobi) — so she also uploads a photo of the far-more-popular Ruka (Tina Tamashiro, Hell Girl). The social-media platform's biometrics still seize upon Suzu's own melodic singing voice, however. And so, in a space that opines in its slogan that "you can't start over in reality, but you can start over in U", she croons. Quickly, she amasses an audience among the service's five-billion users, but then one of her performances is interrupted by the brooding Dragon (Takeru Satoh, the Rurouni Kenshin films), and her fans then point digital pitchforks in his direction. Those legions of interested online parties don't simplistically offer unwavering support, though. Among Belle's many observations on digital life, the fact that living lives on the internet is a double-edged sword — wielding both opportunities to connect and excuses to unleash vitriol, the latter in particular when compared to the physical experience — more than earns its attention. That said, all those devotees of Suzu's singing do rechristen her avatar as Belle, and she starts living up to that fairytale moniker by becoming fascinated with the movie's Beast equivalent. He's mysterious to the point that no one in U or IRL has been able to discern who he really is, but the platform's self-appointed pseudo-police force is desperately trying. Suzu is also mortified about the possibility of anyone discovering that she's Belle, although she's drawn to Dragon because she can sense his pain. Hosoda has repeatedly proven an inspired filmmaker visually — one just as creative with his stories and storytelling alike, too — and Belle is no exception on his resume. After the likes of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars, Wolf Children and Mirai, he's in especially dazzling form in a movie that wields its images in two distinctive modes. In U, Belle is an epic onslaught for the eyes, its animation lively, busy and hyper-real in a way that cannily mirrors the feeling of wading through always-on online realms. This is where that whale swims through the air, concerts are held in what appears to be a hollow planet and Disney-style castles turn gothic. When it's in Suzu's reality, the film opts for naturalistic tones in a look that notices the everyday beauty in the flesh-and-blood world, even amid daily routines in fading small towns filled with average teens and their families. Hosoda revels in the contrast between the two, in fact, because that clash constantly sits at the film's core. Read our full review. ONE SECOND Any new film by Zhang Yimou deserves eyeballs the world over, but One Second, the Raise the Red Lantern, Hero and House of Flying Daggers director's latest, hasn't charted the smoothest route to screens. Pre-dating the filmmaker's Cliff Walkers, which reached Australian cinemas in 2021, it was originally scheduled to show at the 2019 Berlinale. But after the festival began, it was removed from the lineup — and while a "technical problem" was cited as the official reason, Chinese censorship was floated as the real cause. One Second eventually surfaced on home soil late in 2020, and elsewhere around the globe in the last few months of 2021. It's now an immensely timely movie, although purely by coincidence. Every great feature by a great director inherently pays tribute to the medium of film, so that's hardly new for Zhang — but celebrating the silver screen, and the pandemic-relevant yearning to bask in its glory when life conspires to get in the way, isn't just a side effect here. It's 1975 when One Second begins, and crowds are flocking to makeshift small-town picture palaces to see propaganda films. The specific movie drawing in the masses: 1964's Heroic Sons and Daughters, which prison-camp escapee Zhang Jiusheng (Zhang Yi, Cliff Walkers) is desperate to catch. Alas, after finding his way into one village through mountains of sand that wouldn't look out of place in Dune, the fugitive discovers that he's already missed the showing that the night. Worse still, the film's canisters are being packed onto a motorbike to be driven to their next destination. And, he isn't the only one keen to make the movie's acquaintance, with the orphaned Liu (Liu Haocun, another Cliff Walkers alum) swiftly stealing its sixth reel before it departs town. An unlikely pair seeking the same thing for different reasons — he's heard that his estranged daughter appears in newsreel footage in the feature, while she wants the celluloid to make a lamp for her younger brother — Zhang and Liu are soon following the rest of the film through the desert to its next stop. That's where Mr Movie (Fan Wei, Railway Heroes) awaits, courting profit and glory compared to Zhang's desperation to glimpse his family and Liu's resourcefulness (that said, sporting a mug calling himself the 'World's Greatest Projectionist', the man behind the travelling cinema that's screening Mao-approved fare to entertainment-starved locales does still love his a clear fondness for his job). But the reels don't return intact, sparking a homemade restoration campaign that needs the entire town's help. Yes, loving film is also a tactile experience here. Zhang has always been able to make any kind of movie he's put his mind to, and has the four-decade-long resume to prove it. With 2009's A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop, he even remade the Coen brothers' Blood Simple. One Second sees him masterfully blend film-adoring melodrama with a Cultural Revolution-era portrait that's laced with just the amount of commentary that managed to escape the censors. He revels in sight gags and chases that could've been lifted out of silent comedy greats from a century back as well, giving cinema yet another ode. The end result mightn't be Zhang's absolute best — his resume isn't short on highlights — but it easily ranks among his most endearing. One Second makes exceptional use of its dust-swept setting, too, and its trio of chalk-and-cheese main players; plus, in celebrating an artform that's both tangible and an illusion, Zhang still makes a clear statement. One Second is currently screening in Sydney and Brisbane, after opening in Melbourne in December 2021. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on September 2, September 9, September 16, September 23 and September 30; October 7, October 14, October 21 and October 28; November 4, November 11, November 18 and November 25; December 2, December 9, December 16 and December 26; and January 1, January 6 and January 13. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Streamline, Coming Home in the Dark, Pig, Big Deal, The Killing of Two Lovers, Nitram, Riders of Justice, The Alpinist, A Fire Inside, Lamb, The Last Duel, Malignant, The Harder They Fall, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Halloween Kills, Passing, Eternals, The Many Saints of Newark, Julia, No Time to Die, The Power of the Dog, Tick, Tick... Boom!, Zola, Last Night in Soho, Blue Bayou, The Rescue, Titane, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, Dune, Encanto, The Card Counter, The Lost Leonardo, The French Dispatch, Don't Look Up, Dear Evan Hansen, Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Lost Daughter, The Scary of Sixty-First, West Side Story, Licorice Pizza, The Matrix Resurrections, The Tragedy of Macbeth, The Worst Person in the World, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, House of Gucci, The King's Man, Red Rocket, Scream, The 355, Gold, King Richard and Limbo.
Spring is only one month in, but we already know where and when St Jerome's Laneway Festival will help wrap up summer come February 2025. If you like ending the warmest part of the year with a day of tunes at one of the most-beloved music fests in Australia and New Zealand, grab your diary now: the event started by Danny Rogers and Jerome Borazio in the mid-00s has announced its dates and venues. Laneway has also revealed another pivotal detail — no, not the lineup yet, but when its roster of talent will drop. If you're all about who'll be playing, you'll find out on Wednesday, October 9, 2024. For now, just know that Laneway has locked in returns in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth and Auckland, all at familiar venues. Western Springs in Auckland is the first stop on Thursday, February 6, before the Australian dates kick off on Saturday, February 8 at Brisbane Showgrounds. Next comes stints at Sydney Showground on Sunday, February 9, then Melbourne's Flemington Park on Friday, February 14 — which is one way to spend Valentine's Day. After that, the festival hits up Bonython Park in Adelaide on Saturday, February 15, before finishing its 2025 leg on Sunday, February 16 at Wellington Square in Perth. Stormzy, Steve Lacy, Dominic Fike and Raye were among this year's Laneway headliners, while HAIM, Joji and Phoebe Bridgers did the honours in 2023 — if that helps you start speculating who might follow in their footsteps in 2025. Laneway joins the list of events locking in their comebacks after a tough year of cancellations across the music festival scene. Also returning: Golden Plains, Bluesfest (for the last time), Wildlands, Good Things, Lost Paradise, Beyond The Valley and Meredith. Laneway Festival 2025 Dates and Venues Thursday, February 6 – Western Springs, Auckland / Tāmaki Makaurau Saturday, February 8 — Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane / Turrbal Targun Sunday, February 9 — Sydney Showground, Sydney / Burramattagal Land & Wangal Land Friday, February 14 — Flemington Park, Melbourne / Wurundjeri Biik Saturday, February 15 — Bonython Park, Adelaide / Kaurna Yerta Sunday, February 16 — Wellington Square, Perth / Whadjuk Boodjar St Jerome's Laneway Festival is touring Australia and New Zealand in February 2025. Head to the festival's website for further details, and to register for ticket pre sales (which kick off at 10am local time on Tuesday, October 15, 2024) — and check back here for next year's lineup when it drops on Wednesday, October 9, 2024 Images: Charlie Hardy / Daniel Boud / Maclay Heriot / Cedric Tang.
Here's something to be thankful for: Thanksgiving isn't an Australian occasion, but Black Friday has made the jump Down Under, bringing sales upon sales with it. Maybe you're getting your Christmas shopping done early, and cheap. Perhaps you're treating yo'self to a major purchase at a discounted price. Or, you could be excited about making travel plans for the year ahead, which is where Virgin Australia's 2024 Black Friday sale comes in. A huge one-million-plus fares are currently up for grabs from the airline, covering both Aussie and international destinations. If somewhere beyond these shores beckons, Bali, Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu and Queenstown are among your options. Within Australia, so does The Whitsundays, Byron Bay, the Gold Coast, Cairns, Darwin, Uluru, Hobart and more. Internationally, return deals are on offer. From Sydney, you can get to and from Queenstown from $435, Nadi from $569 and Denpasar from $609. Melburnians can holiday in the same spots from $405, $599 and $589, respectively, while the prices from Brisbane are $515, $589 and $599. Cheap fares from the Sunshine State capital also include hitting up Port Vila from $499 and Apia from $689. One-way domestic fares start at $49, which'll get you from Sydney to Byron Bay. As always, that's cheapest route. Other discounted flights include Melbourne to the Sunshine Coast from $109, Brisbane to The Whitsundays from $79, Sydney to Hamilton Island from $115, Melbourne to Darwin from $205, Brisbane to Uluru from $129 and Sydney to Perth from $209. Are you yearning to kick off 2025 with a holiday? Perhaps you're planning an autumn, winter or spring vacation instead? Travel dates span Monday, January 6–Thursday, September 18, 2025, all varying depending on the flights and prices. As normal when it comes to flight sales, you'll need to get in quick. Virgin's discounted fares are available until 11.59pm AEST on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 or sold out, whichever arrives first. Virgin's 2024 Black Friday sale runs until 11.59pm AEST on Wednesday, December 4 — or until sold out. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
In The Guest Edit, we hand the reins over to some of the most interesting, tasteful and (or) entertaining people in Australia and New Zealand. For this instalment, we've enlisted the effortlessly chic Emma Lewisham — founder of the self-named skincare empire — to share her favourite planet-friendly brands available across Australasia. CP: If there's one woman who knows environmentally conscious brands, it's Emma Lewisham. She's the face and name behind the Aotearoa-made skincare line which became the world's first verified carbon-positive beauty brand under Toitū Envirocare's Climate Positive Product Certification in September 2021, before becoming officially B Corp Certified in February 2022. The brand launched a refill system in February 2021 under the Emma Lewisham Beauty Circle, which has since sold over 13,000 refills and saved over 10, 295 kilograms of CO2e in total. All Lewisham's products are certified Climate Positive, meaning they sequester more carbon than they emit, and her pioneering efforts garnered a personal endorsement from renowned environmentalist Dr Jane Goodall. So, yes, you could say she knows her stuff. If you're looking to take your eco-friendly efforts beyond the bathroom cabinet, Lewisham has handpicked a selection of brands available across Aotearoa and Australia whose founders share a similar ethos. EL: I see business as a tool to tackle problems, find solutions and leave behind something better. To me, this means giving more than we take and using business as a force for good. Profits should never come at an expense to people or the planet and I'm proud to be building a business which proves that sustainability and success can go hand-in-hand. MAGGIE MARILYN When investing in new clothing, it's important to me to support local brands that are ethically and environmentally produced. Maggie Marilyn's clothing is as beautiful as it is sustainable, with the mission being to use fashion to create a better world. I love that the brand offers a repair programme for clothes that develop 'love marks' and their range of everyday essentials is designed to be circular — either able to be composted or recycled at the end of life. As a brand, they aren't afraid to step outside of the status quo and challenge the industry norm, which are values that really align with us at Emma Lewisham. KOWTOW Another New Zealand brand I live in is Kowtow. Their simple and classic designs are ones I reach for time and time again. The incredible quality of the fabrics really elevates a casual outfit, and I always feel effortlessly polished and understatedly elegant when wearing my Kowtow pieces. Built from uncompromising sustainability values, their fabrics are organic, fairtrade, renewable, biodegradable and regenerated. The brand also has a repair programme using the Japanese patching technique Sashiko to mend garments. The technique is a special embroidering method which mends your clothes while also making them beautiful, which I think is really special. ECOSTORE I'm incredibly conscious of the products I use around my home, ensuring that we don't use any harmful or unnecessary chemicals — especially as I have a young daughter. It's also essential to me that we are using products that don't contain chemicals that pollute our waterways. Ecostore has been my go-to brand for safe and natural cleaning products for years. I love that their products are refillable and I've also been loving their cleaning concentrates where you just add water to make the formulation at home. FRANK GREEN When it comes to reusable cups, I've tried many brands over the years and Frank Green is easily my favourite. The cups are beautifully designed, great to drink out of, consciously produced and best of all - don't leak in your bag when you've finished your drink. BONDI BORN The sustainable swimwear space has grown rapidly over the past couple of years, with lots of new and existing brands switching to using recycled nylons to reduce their reliance on virgin materials. Bondi Born, however, is really a step above the rest. The fabric they use for their swimwear has a carbon footprint 10 times lower than fabrics made from recycled plastics and they also have certifications to support all their sustainability claims - such as Oeko-Tex which confirms no harmful chemicals have been used during production. Bondi Born is also a member of 1% for the Planet, a commitment to donate at least 1% of annual sales to environmental nonprofits — and to reinforce their incredible work, the brand is B-Corp certified. FLUIDFORM PILATES Since the pandemic, I've really changed my habits around where and how I exercise. I've started doing a lot more online exercise classes, which although something small, has really helped to decrease the amount of time I spend in the car. It also gives me so much more flexibility to fit classes in around my schedule and means I get to spend more time with my family outside of work. Fluidform Pilates has an extensive library of online classes that I can access from anywhere in the world and I find the classes really help to keep both my mind and body healthy. Fluidform also works closely with the Pretty Foundation, an organisation dedicated to creating a world where girls are comfortable in their own bodies and have the confidence needed to conquer their goals.
If you're drinking a cocktail named after The Flash, will you feel like sipping it quicker than usual? If you opt for an alcoholic Doctor Strange concoction, will it taste particularly magical? Alongside wondering if you'll start craving pizza while knocking back Ninja Turtle Negronis, these are the questions that California Lane's newest addition inspires. A comic book-inspired bar and eatery will do that. Meet 1st Edition, the intimate new Fortitude Valley spot that's embracing superheroes and other comic book characters in a big — and boozy — manner. If you thought your caped crusader worship was limited to the page and the screen, think again. Exactly the type of bar that was always bound to open in a world that sees new superhero flicks and series hit cinemas and streaming every month, or thereabouts, it even covers its central benchtop with comic art. Yes, sipping and reading is a thing here, as is sitting under a big Batman mural that peers down over the bar. A 22-seater that only takes online bookings — so you can't just drop in like Iron Man after saving the world — the venue hails from comic book devotee Marc Grey and chef Steve Maiden (Baja Cantina, Bam Bam Hayman Island). They've created the kind of bar and eatery that you need to actively seek out, thanks to its laneway perch, but that location obviously suits the theming. Batman's base is hidden from the world, after all. Here, as well as those aforementioned tipples — the Ninja Turtle Negroni includes salami Campari, fittingly — you can sip your way through the Harley Quinn (a dry gin number topped with Persian fairy floss and gold flakes), Spidey's Margs (complete with an agave spin) and the Mysterio (which features butter vodka, peach syrup and a passion smoke bubble). Or, there's the Black Adam Espresso Martini, the Storm's Old Fashioned and The Canary, with the full lineup nodding to names from both Marvel and DC Comics. Food-wise, as served up in three 90-minute seatings from 5.30pm between Wednesday–Saturday, the menu takes its cues from Asian, Mexican, American and French cuisine. Think: cheeseburger gyoza, spanner crab with burnt butter emulsion, red duck curry and wagyu with bacon bordelaise, with a big emphasis on shareable dishes. And, from 10pm on Friday and Saturday nights, DJs will hit the decks live in 1st Edition's upper level DJ loft. Presumably, superhero themes will get a spin at some point — so you can dance however a Spider-Man can.
Fallout day is here. No, this isn't the end of the world as we know it. Rather, the TV adaptation of the hit gaming series starts streaming on Prime Video today, Thursday, April 11, 2024. On-screen across eight episodes, it whisks viewers off to an irradiated wasteland — and also into luxe vaults, which have been part of life for two centuries, including for Lucy (Ella Purnell, Yellowjackets). That's your next streaming binge sorted. But if you're in Sydney today, Thursday, April 11, and you'd like to see what dwelling in a vault is like IRL, you can — only for this one day, and only between 12–5pm. Lucy's vault, aka Vault 33, has been recreated at 1 Martin Place in the Harbour City's CBD. To check it out, you also need to make a free booking online in advance. Prime Video's real-life version of Fallout's underground abode is decked out with the requisite door and decor, all to make you feel like you're stepping into the show. The streaming platform has jokingly pitched it as the future of living in Australia — especially within the current real-estate market — but actually staying there is not on the cards. If you're new to all things Fallout, which follows 2023's The Last of Us from mashed buttons to TV, the series debuts almost three decades since Fallout first arrived computers back in 1997. Since then, it has spawned three released sequels, with a fourth on the way, alongside seven spinoffs. The live-action television take doesn't just star Purnell, but also a swaggering Walton Goggins (I'm a Virgo) as bounty hunter The Ghoul, Aaron Moten (Emancipation) as Brotherhood of Steel soldier Maximus and Kyle MacLachlan (Lucky Hank) as Vault 33's Overseer Hank. Here, it's a post-apocalyptic future, where everything went pear-shaped 200 years back. Hence living in vaults, because a hellscape filled with mutants, wild west vibes and plenty of violence awaits outside those cosy confines — as the optimistic Lucy, daughter of Hank, is about to find out. On the surface, Goggins' The Ghoul has a past that the series also dives into. The retrofuturistic dystopian show features Moisés Arias (Samaritan), Sarita Choudhury (And Just Like That...), Michael Emerson (Evil), Leslie Uggams (Extrapolations), Frances Turner (The Boys), Dave Register (Heightened), Zach Cherry (Severance) and Johnny Pemberton (Weird: The Al Yankovic Story) as well — plus Rodrigo Luzzi (Dead Ringers), Annabel O'Hagan (Dear Edward) and Xelia Mendes-Jones (The Wheel of Time). For The Last of Us, HBO enlisted a creative force from one of the US premium cable network's past hits in Chernobyl's Craig Mazin. Prime Video has done the same with Fallout, but with Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy — who also executive produced Prime Video's own The Peripheral. As well as executive producing with Joy, Nolan directs the first three episodes. Geneva Robertson-Dworet (Captain Marvel) and Graham Wagner (Silicon Valley) are similarly among Fallout's executive producers, as well as the series' writers, creators and co-showrunners. And yes, Bethesda Game Studios has a hand in finally bringing the games to the screen. Fallout streams via Prime Video from Thursday, April 11, 2024. To visit Vault 33 at 1 Martin Place, Sydney, from 12–5pm AEST on Thursday, April 11, 2024, make a free booking online. Read our Fallout review. Images: courtesy of Prime Video.
No one should spend their lunch break eating at their desk, but breaking that habit isn't always easy. From Monday, March 7–Friday, April 8, the Howard Smith Wharves precinct is giving you plenty of motivation to step away from the computer. Head to the riverside precinct from Monday–Friday for a middle-of-the-day meal, and your lunch will start at $20 — and that includes a drink as well. Eight HSW venues are getting in on the deal, so you can pick between Stanley, Yoko, Greca, Mr Percival's, Felons Brewing Co, Felons Barrel Hall, Fiume and Ciao Papi. Or, you can work your way through them all (and stare at their slightly different views of the water) across the five-week period. You'll just need to keep an eye on each eatery's opening hours — and, while you can just rock up, bookings are recommended. As for what you'll be eating during the month-long Let's Lunch festivities, each place has its own special. Soy-poached Brisbane Valley quail and a glass of red, wine or Felons beer are on the menu at Stanley; Yoko is serving up chicken ramen with a choice of drinks; and Greca is doing lamb souvlaki with house spritzes, beers of bubbles for instance. There are three different dishes on offer at each of Mr Percival's, Felons and Felons Barrel Hall, too, giving you even more options. Most meals will cost you just $20, while some kick in at $25 and Stanley's deal will set you back $45.
Cherry blossom season in Japan is the stuff of dreams. From late March to early April, the air begins to warm, the cities transform into dreamy pink landscapes, and wherever you look, you'll feel like you've stepped right into a Studio Ghibli film. If you've ever dreamed of strolling under a canopy of cherry blossoms, Japan in cherry blossom season is a must. But with them only lasting a fleeting couple of weeks, making the most of your trip is all about good timing, great spots, and knowing what to do beyond just taking a few pretty photos. We've done the legwork and have found some ideas of how to do it right, from the best viewing locations to the ultimate cherry blossom-themed experiences, plus the perfect stays and special deals to top it all off. [caption id="attachment_997052" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Mauro Repossini via Getty Images[/caption] Hanami Viewing at Ueno Park One of Tokyo's most famous hanami (flower viewing) spots, Ueno Park is the heavyweight champion of cherry blossom season. With over 1,000 trees lining its wide paths, it's where locals and travellers alike gather to lay down their picnic blankets, crack open some sake and soak in the beauty of the season. If you're travelling with the family, it's got plenty of space for the kids to run around, with food stalls and even Ueno Zoo to keep everyone fed and entertained. For an overnight stay close to the action, MIMARU Tokyo Ueno East is just around the corner, offering modern apartment-style accommodation that's ideal for groups and families to unwind after a day of cherry blossom sightseeing. [caption id="attachment_997548" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] MIMARU SUITES Tokyo Asakusa[/caption] Cherry Blossom Scenery on Sumida River Prefer your blossoms with a view in the backdrop? The Sumida River is where you'll want to start exploring. Running right through the heart of Tokyo, it's lined with pink cherry blossom trees that contrast beautifully against the Tokyo skyline. Spend your day taking a leisurely riverside walk, hop on an hourly departing water bus, or take the scenic route back to your hotel to see the trees at night. Just minutes away, MIMARU SUITES Tokyo Asakusa puts you right in the thick of the riverside action, with spacious rooms and a prime location to explore the best of Tokyo's cherry blossoms. [caption id="attachment_997053" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Robert Holmes via Getty Images[/caption] Cherry Blossom Keepsakes From Tokyo Disney If you're travelling with kids (or just love a touch of nostalgia) then Tokyo Disney's cherry blossom experience is an ideal way to experience the serenity, but not compromise on excitement. Each year, Disney also releases a special cherry blossom-themed collection that makes the perfect keepsake for your trip. Think pastel pink plush toys of all your favourite Disney characters, merch, accessories and collectible figurines. [caption id="attachment_997055" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Flavia Morchetti via Getty Images[/caption] Cherry Blossom-Themed Treats at Various Visiting Japan in spring means one thing: cherry blossom everything. Our advice? Lean into it fully. Start your morning with a blossom-infused latte at MOSCA by Ginger Garden, grab some cherry blossom mochi from Muji, and if you're feeling indulgent, treat yourself to the stunning floral dessert collection at Haute Couture Cafe. Sweet, pink, and Instagram gold. Immersive Cherry Blossom Art at TeamLab Planets For something that feels straight out of a dream, check out TeamLab Planets and their popular 'Floating in the Falling Universe of Flowers' exhibit. You'll find yourself completely immersed in a surreal world of cherry blossoms, creating the ultimate immersive hanami experience, one that you can't find anywhere else in the country. [caption id="attachment_997058" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Showkaku Sano via Getty Images[/caption] Explore Cherry Blossom-Coated Landscapes Around Tokyo If you're up for a little adventure beyond Tokyo, Mount Yoshino is the perfect change of pace. Home to over 30,000 cherry trees covering the slopes in every shade of pink, it's one of Japan's most breathtaking destinations year-round, but especially during the blossom season. Pair it with a day trip to Nara Park via a 90-minute express train ride from Mount Yoshino, where you can stroll among freely roaming deer under the trees. After a day of exploring, head back to MIMARU SUITES Kyoto Shijo. Smack bang in central Kyoto, it's a comfy base with easy rail access to both Nara Park (about an hour) and Mount Yoshino (around 90 minutes). Plus, you're within walking distance of Gion's many shopping and dining options. Where to Stay to Support Your Trip Cherry Blossom season is busy, and finding the right place to stay makes all the difference. Designed with families and groups in mind, MIMARU offers apartment-style stays with the space you need to relax after a long day of exploring. Tokyo's cherry trees typically bloom from late March to early April, but if you miss the peak, don't stress. MIMARU staff all speak English and are on hand to recommend alternative sightseeing spots so you can still get your fill of springtime magic no matter the month. Visit the APARTMENT HOTEL MIMARU website for more information and book your stay using the code mimaru_cp for an extra 5% off your stay. *Reservation period: Until May 31, 2025 *For stay period: until December 31, 2025 *Applicable to reservations for 2-6 nights *Pokémon rooms are excluded *Discounts other than the MIMARU Member Program discount will not be applied. By Jacque Kennedy
Two Succession brothers facing off in the same category. A musical crime melodrama making history, earning more nominations than any film not in the English language ever has. Brazil's second contender for Best Actress ever — the daughter of its first, in fact. A female filmmaker in the running for Best Director for only the tenth time in 97 years. They're some of the big stories among the 2025 Oscar nominations, involving A Real Pain, The Apprentice, Emilia Pérez, I'm Still Here and The Substance. There's more where they came from — but which of those movies, and the talents involved, will earn shiny statuettes on Monday, March 3, Down Under time? And will Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, Nickel Boys and Wicked have any luck, too? Just like in 2022, 2023 and 2024, we've watched everything — many of which you can as well in Australia right now — and singled out who and what will likely be credited as an "Oscar-winner" moving forward. Surveying 11 categories, we've also named which nominees deserve to, and what else might be in with a chance. Best Motion Picture The nominees: Anora The Brutalist A Complete Unknown Conclave Dune: Part Two Emilia Pérez I'm Still Here Nickel Boys The Substance Wicked Should win: The Brutalist Could win: Conclave Will win: Anora What a field. Worthy films will always miss the cut among the ten Best Picture nominees each and every year (Love Lies Bleeding, A Different Man, The Apprentice, I Saw the TV Glow, A Real Pain, Challengers, Babygirl, Hard Truths, All We Imagine as Light, Kneecap, La Chimera and Kinds of Kindness are just some absences in 2025), but the current batch nominees still showcase a staggering variety of movies. Sandy sci-fi blockbusters, hit musical adaptations, body-horror, papal thrillers, multiple features that show how stunning that filmmaking ambition and an unflinching vision can prove: they're all there. Brady Corbet's The Brutalist is a towering achievement. It could repeat its Golden Globes glory at the Oscars. It should. But Anora won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, then top gongs from America's Directors Guild and Writers Guild, and is also a tremendous winner. Conclave emerging victorious wouldn't be a miracle, though, after its BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild wins. Best Director The nominees: Anora, Sean Baker The Brutalist, Brady Corbet A Complete Unknown, James Mangold Emilia Pérez, Jacques Audiard The Substance, Coralie Fargeat Should win: Coralie Fargeat, The Substance Could win: Sean Baker, Anora Will win: Brady Corbet, The Brutalist Some films feel like a force of nature — and like a vision ripped from a filmmaker's mind wholesale to dance and strut across the screen, too — and Coralie Fargeat's The Substance is one such movie. Jane Campion is the only woman to have been nominated for Best Director twice so far (for The Piano and The Power of the Dog), but this shouldn't prove the only nod in Fargeat's career. Likely down to Brady Corbet and Sean Baker, where the field actually goes might depend on which of the pair's features win Best Picture — and if the Academy is in the mood to share the love or consolidate it. Awarding Corbet's achievement for a three-and-a-half-hour film that's had audiences glued to the screen, was made using a format in VistaVision that was favoured by Alfred Hitchcock on masterpieces such as North by Northwest and Vertigo, and brings back intermissions seems the most probable — and well-deserved — bet. Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role The nominees: Cynthia Erivo, Wicked Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez Mikey Madison, Anora Demi Moore, The Substance Fernanda Torres, I'm Still Here Should win: Demi Moore, The Substance Could win: Mikey Madison, Anora Will win: Demi Moore, The Substance She's been giving stunning speeches around Hollywood, and Golden Globe- and Screen Actors Guild-winner Demi Moore best have another prepared. Rewarding her for a deeply committed performance more than four decades into her acting career, and after a significant time lacking substantial roles, also rewards The Substance's hefty and blatant fight against women being deemed past their prime when they hit a certain age. If Mikey Madison repeats her BAFTA feat, the Anora star will join the top-ten youngest-ever Best Actress-winner's ranking, knocking Gone with the Wind's Vivien Leigh off the list. The film's final scene alone, in all of its emotional glory after Ani's rollercoaster ride, could nab her the accolade alone. Had Marianne Jean-Baptiste been nominated for Hard Truths, however, it'd be hard to see how anyone else could grasp the accolade. Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role The nominees: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown Colman Domingo, Sing Sing Ralph Fiennes, Conclave Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice Should win: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist Could win: Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown Will win: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist Will the youngest-ever winner of the Best Actor Oscar make history again 22 years later, joining the incredibly small list of two-time victors (only ten other performers have one this accolade twice or more)? Or will someone else not only grasp this year's prize, but also that spot as the gong's freshest-faced recipient? The Brutalist's Adrien Brody is the former. A Complete Unknown's Timothée Chalamet is the latter. Neither of their movies would be the films that they are without either actor leading the charge. Intensity simmers in their respective performances alike. Either could take it — but Brody's portrayal wouldn't just be a once-in-a-lifetime piece of work for another actor; it'd be impossible. As for the rest of the field, in other years Colman Domingo for Sing Sing, Ralph Fiennes for Conclave and Sebastian Stan for The Apprentice (or for A Different Man, which he won the Golden Globe for) would be certain winners. Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role The nominees: Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown Ariana Grande, Wicked Felicity Jones, The Brutalist Isabella Rossellini, Conclave Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez Should win: Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez Could win: Isabella Rossellini, Conclave Will win: Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez Emilia Pérez will always be the first non-English-language film to receive 13 Oscar nominations, but its chances of scoring a big bag of trophies have dwindled courtesy of lead actress Karla Sofía Gascón's awful past tweets. As a result, the excellent Zoe Saldaña, portraying the eponymous character's conflicted lawyer, might end up being the movie's only winner — and hers is a powerhouse performance. Or, Emilia Pérez mightn't even be a lock here, despite Saldaña winning the Golden Globe, BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild Award in the lead up. Isabella Rossellini is exceptional in Conclave as Sister Agnes, the nun that's also the Head Caterer for the bickering cardinals — and it'd recognise her for her entire career, and redress the fact that she wasn't nominated for David Lynch's Blue Velvet. Ingrid Bergman, her mother, won three, including in this category in 1974 for Murder on the Orient Express. Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role The nominees: Yura Borisov, Anora Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown Guy Pearce, The Brutalist Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice Should win: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain Could win: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain Will win: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain There's no bad picks in the Best Supporting Actor field. There's the vulnerable yet irreverent portrayal that's clearly going to win — the recipient of accolades at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, Screen Actors Guild Awards and Film Independent Spirit Awards as well — and there's also the spur-of-the-moment speech that everyone will get to enjoy when Kieran Culkin does, but each one of the five nominated performances is outstanding, including from first-time Australian nominee Guy Pearce for The Brutalist. Jeremy Strong is on another level even for him in The Apprentice. The lifelong Oscar fan will win one of the coveted awards before his career out. He knows what it's like to lose out to Culkin, though, and not just on-screen in Succession — the only time that they were both nominated for the Best Actor in a Drama Emmy in the same year, Culkin won (beating Roy family patriarch Brian Cox, too). Best Original Screenplay The nominees: Anora, Sean Baker The Brutalist, Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold A Real Pain, Jesse Eisenberg September 5, Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum and Alex David The Substance, Coralie Fargeat Should win: A Real Pain, Jesse Eisenberg Could win: The Brutalist, Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold Will win: A Real Pain, Jesse Eisenberg Sean Baker took out this category for Anora at the Writers Guild Awards, where Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold weren't nominated for The Brutalist. But at the Oscars, A Real Pain should go home a winner in every field — two in total — that it's up for. The Academy does have a history of pairing the winner of Best Original Screenplay with Best Supporting Actor, including with Django Unchained and Green Book. As a performer, Jesse Eisenberg has only been in the running for an Oscar once, in 2011 for Best Actor for The Social Network — and in a different year, he could've been nominated for starring in A Real Pain as well. His script for the film makes the personal universal, and understands existential angst and anxiety, and how it manifests in different manners, with both intensity and humour. That said, this could also be where Coralie Fargeat gets some love for The Substance. Best Adapted Screenplay The nominees: A Complete Unknown, James Mangold and Jay Cocks Conclave, Peter Straughan Emilia Pérez, Jacques Audiard in collaboration with Thomas Bidegain, Léa Mysius and Nicolas Livecchi Nickel Boys, RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes Sing Sing, Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin and John 'Divine G' Whitfield Should win: Sing Sing, Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin and John 'Divine G' Whitfield Could win: Nickel Boys, RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes Will win: Conclave, Peter Straughan The possibility that either or both of Nickel Boys or Sing Sing could go home empty-handed from this year's Oscars is a travesty. Each 2025 releases in Australia, where the former sadly didn't get the big-screen date that it deserves, they're already among the year's best for viewers Down Under. Both possess screenplays of deep feeling — one adapting a Pulitzer Prize-winner, the other drawing from a helluva slice of real life. Nickel Boys emerged victorious at the Writers Guild Awards, but over A Complete Unknown, plus three films not in the running here: Dune: Part Two, Hit Man and Wicked. Here, this looks like Conclave's guaranteed time to shine, and the Vatican City-set script based on Robert Harris' novel about electing a new pope after the sudden death of the last one — and what the manoeuvring around it says about faith — is indeed a gem. Best International Feature The nominees: I'm Still Here The Girl with the Needle Emilia Pérez The Seed of the Sacred Fig Flow Should win: The Seed of the Sacred Fig Could win: The Seed of the Sacred Fig Will win: I'm Still Here Once a near lock for Emilia Pérez, Best International Feature now has fellow multiple-nominee — and fellow Best Picture and Best Actress contender — I'm Still Here in its sights. Brazilian filmmaker Walter Salles has notched up two nods in this category over his career, and winning for his Fernanda Torres-led account of love, loss and holding onto life under the shadow of a dictatorship would be an extra-nice feat given he was last in contention for Central Station starring Torres' mother Fernanda Montenegro. Dialogue-free animated marvel Flow deserves to win every award that it's nominated for, so this and Best Animated Feature, but The Seed of the Sacred Fig is as powerful as filmmaking gets — with Mohammad Rasoulof (There Is No Evil) fighting on- and off-screen against the regime that's long tried to silence his voice. Best Animated Feature The nominees: Flow Inside Out 2 Memoir of a Snail Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl The Wild Robot Should win: Flow Could win: The Wild Robot Will win: Flow Flow's title couldn't be more perfect. To watch Latvia's first-ever film to be nominated for an Oscar is to swirl, surge and sweep along with the gorgeous dialogue-free feature, and with the animals — a cat, some dogs, birds, a capybara, a lemur and more — that are trying to survive, and learn how to heal together, when a flood gushes in. It's astonishing. The Wild Robot doesn't scrap chatter, but it too is heartfelt and wondrous as it watches animals carve out an existence — here, with the sudden arrival of a robot (voiced wonderfully by Lupita Nyong'o) disrupting the usual status quo, and also redefining what makes a family. Australian claymation Memoir of a Snail would easily win in many previous years, deservedly so. For big-name animation studios Pixar and Aardman, it doesn't look likely that Inside Out 2 and Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl will back up Inside Out and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit's past Oscars. Best Documentary Feature The nominees: Black Box Diaries No Other Land Porcelain War Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat Sugarcane Should win: Black Box Diaries Could win: Porcelain War Will win: No Other Land Fury or hope? What takes home 2025's Best Documentary Feature prize might come down to how voters want to feel. There's no escaping anger while watching No Other Land or Black Box Diaries, both deeply personal docos featuring their filmmakers and telling their stories — one about the Israeli campaign of displacement in the West Bank region of Masafer Yatta, the other about a Japanese sexual-assault survivor taking on the system that won't punish her attacker. In Sugarcane, too, digging into the abuse experienced at a Catholic Church-run mission school isn't just a job for Julian Brave NoiseCat, nor an outrage-free watch for audiences. Porcelain War heads to Ukraine, as 2024's victor 20 Days in Mariupol did — but there's more optimism in its heroing the power of art, even in small acts, amid the fight. It's also among Australia's Oscar hopes for 2025, as an Aussie co-production. The winners of the 2025 Oscars will be announced on Monday, March 3, Australian time. For further details, head to the awards' website. Wondering where to watch this year's Oscar contenders? We've put together a rundown for Australia.
Gyms in Brisbane have been seriously levelling up in recent times and TotalFusion Platinum in Newstead — with its six studios, a refuel bar and, yep, a Himalayan salt wall — has surely got to be in the top tier. Located just beside Gasworks Plaza, the bougie, sleek fitness centre has over 200 classes for yoga, reformer pilates, HIIT, boxing, cycling and running for members to get involved in every week. For a pre or post-workout snack, the in-house Refuel Bar has a range of juices, tonics and protein balls so it's easy for you to charge up on good things for your body. If you thought this place couldn't get any better, think again. The Newstead studio is set to become the largest health and wellness precinct in Australia with an upgrade to four levels of studios, float tanks, a 25-metre pool and doggy daycare. Keep an eye on its Facebook for updates.
For the past two years, we've all been streaming flicks on our laptops and phones while we've been spending more time at home. But there's nothing quite like putting your bum on a seat in an actual picture palace — especially when you're jumping into a whole film fest, pop-up cinema or movie-filled season filled with big-screen delights. Excitingly, you can do that IRL at more than a few events around Brisbane over the next few months. We've rounded up some of our faves right here, so you can add them to your diary — and, when the time comes, order an extra large popcorn, then get stuck into some serious viewing.
Even if it's just for a night, and no matter if you're only travelling as far as the CBD in your own city, spending an evening in a hotel instantly changes your mindset. There's something about walking through the lobby, then getting cosy in fuzzy robes and with a minibar right there, that switches your brain to relaxation mode. That effect is why we all love staycations when we can't head away for a vacation. Of course, the feeling is temporary — but if you took the bed, sheets, TV, towels, bar fridge and more home with you, maybe it wouldn't be? That's the bet that QT Hotels & Resorts is making in February by giving away almost the entire contents of two of its rooms. Sure, you might've taken a hotel notepad and pencil with you after your stay before, or the tiny toiletries and shower cap, but this giveaway goes much, much further. From cushions, the kettle, the Nespresso machine, glasses, crockery and the bathmat through to a Dyson hair dryer, the minibar contents, the in-room safe, the iron and ironing board, and the alarm clock, you'll nab them all — so you'll get a room, then you'll basically be able to recreate that room at your own abode. You'll also receive the tissues, an umbrella, pillows, Kevin Murphy toiletries, a cocktail shaker, coat hangers, a shoe horn, coasters, playing cards, a bin and slippers — and the list from there still goes on. Everything you get will be new, too. The promotion has been dubbed 'Get a Room!', in fact, and does indeed require you to book in at a QT hotel or buy a gift card for at least $100 for a stay via the chain's website. It's also timed around Valentine's Day, so you'll have to slumber at QT between Thursday, February 1–Thursday, February 29, 2024, or purchase that gift card in the same window. Wondering where to check in? The campaign is running across the entire QT Hotels & Resorts chain in Australia and New Zealand for the month of February, which includes in Sydney, Bondi, Canberra, Melbourne, the Gold Coast, Newcastle, Perth, Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown. Regardless of where you pick, you'll be in the draw once you go to the promo's website and submit your booking confirmation or the order number from buying your gift card. Winners will be announced once early March rolls around, and there's two prizes up for grabs: the contents of a whole room in both Australia and Aotearoa. Now, to start planning where you'll put everything — or, if you'll be staying at QT with a date or mate, who gets what. QT Hotels & Resorts' 'Get a Room!' campaign covers stays between and gift cards purchased during Thursday, February 1–Thursday, February 29, 2024 — head to the company's website for further information.
We adore our sport here in Oz, perhaps more than any other nation. Some of the biggest events of the year and we're all in the mood for some good old fashioned sporting excitement, there's really nothing that beats the primal, up close and personal thrill of live competition. Happily, there are a bunch of world-class events making their way to NSW over the next few months that you'll definitely want to attend. From statewide NRL rivalries to monumental city marathons to the all-out automobile action, there's truly something for everyone. Get ready to laugh, cry, lose your voice, and, hopefully, revel in the unparalleled joy of victory.
Colin Farrell's recent hot streak continues. After a busy few years that've seen him earn Oscar and BAFTA nominations for The Banshees of Inisherin, notch up a Gotham Awards nod for After Yang, steal scenes so heartily in The Batman that TV spinoff The Penguin is on the way and pick up the Satellite Awards' attention for The North Water, Apple TV+'s Sugar now joins his resume. The Irish actor's television credits are still few — and, until his True Detective stint in 2015, far between — but it's easy to see what appealed to him about leading this mystery series. There's much to entice viewers, too, including an alluring slipperiness that spans past the sleuth-focused premise from creator Mark Protosevich (whose last screen credit is scripting and co-producing the American Oldboy remake). From the moment that Los Angeles-set noir Sugar begins — in Tokyo in black and white, in fact, covering a situation that involves a yakuza gangster's kidnapped grandson — it drips with intrigue. Farrell's John Sugar, the show's namesake, is a suave private detective whichever city that he's in. Upon his return to the US, he takes a big Hollywood case against his handler Ruby's (Kirby, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off) recommendation. She thinks that he needs rest instead. She's adamant that the gig isn't for him. But once he signs on, he's swiftly plunged into sinister City of Angels chaos, bringing The Big Sleep, Chinatown, LA Confidential and Under the Silver Lake to mind, and loving movie history beyond the show sharing the same genre as said flicks. Softly spoken, always crispy dressed in Savile Row suits, understandably cynical, frequently behind the wheel of a blue vintage convertible as it drives down neon-lit streets and also narrating his experiences via voiceover, Sugar, the PI, is a film fan. The series bakes that love and its own links to cinema history into its very being through spliced-in footage and references elsewhere. To watch Sugar, the series, is to take a voyage through the gumshoe stories, LA visions, accounts of duplicity and other thematically connected flicks that've blazed across the silver screen before (The Big Heat, Kiss Me Deadly, Sunset Boulevard, Double Indemnity, Touch of Evil, The Night of the Hunter, The Third Man and The Thing are just a few that pop up). At the same time, with its wholehearted embrace of movies, the show also foregrounds the idea that illusions — aka what Tinseltown so eagerly sells via its celluloid dreams — are inescapable in its narrative. Twists come, some relating to Sugar's current assignment and some bigger — and suspense stacks up like crystalline cubes along the way — but his new task is at the show's centre for its eight-episode first season. The gig: endeavouring to track down Olivia Siegel (Sydney Chandler, Don't Worry Darling), a member of Hollywood royalty who has vanished to the immense concern of her grandfather and legendary film producer Jonathan (James Cromwell, Succession). She's also the daughter of less-worried (and less-renowned) fellow producer Bernie (Dennis Boutsikaris, Better Call Saul); half-sister of former child star David (Nate Corddry, Barry), who is on the comeback trail; and ex-stepdaughter of pioneering rocker Melanie (Amy Ryan, Beau Is Afraid). Each one is a person of interest in Sugar's quest to ascertain Olivia's whereabouts — and each has their secrets. If locating a missing person was simple, it wouldn't fuel film and TV narratives. Trying to find Olivia inspires heated and dangerous opposition from every angle, which directors Fernando Meirelles (The Two Popes) and Adam Arkin (The Night Agent) — collaborating with cinematographers César Charlone (also The Two Popes) and Richard Rutkowski (Masters of the Air) — reflect visually. In its own imagery, when the four-strong editing team aren't cutting in snippets of classic pictures, askew placements, shots peering through doorways and frequently obscured positioning are rarely far from sight. Sugar isn't just about a film buff, and doesn't merely weave in movie clips and take its cues from beloved cinema genres; it also values a big-screen look within its meticulously poised small-screen frames. Even with a cinephile for a protagonist, Sugar clearly isn't here to ignore the entertainment industry's unseemly side. Also sparked as it slinks through the clash of Tinseltown's glow and shadows: an excellently cast series that splashes around its affection for film noir and LA movies gone by wherever it can, but a show that's never afraid to be its own thing as well. Accordingly, Protosevich and his co-scribes Donald Joh (Invasion), Sam Catlin (Preacher) and David Rosen (Hunters) simultaneously probe, revere and swerve. Then arrives a bold and brilliant move that reframes everything that precedes it — one with its own winks at specific movies, of course — and ensures that Los Angeles' status as a new home for anyone chasing its gleaming sense of opportunity sprinkles on another layer. Farrell as a private eye in a hardboiled neo-noir crime drama is the stuff that detective-genre fantasies are made of. Getting Farrell leading Sugar into the rest of its concept is also a savvy decision. Investigations, as the series shows, are as much about the right pieces falling into the right places at the right time as they are about determination, instinct and gumption — and Sugar itself equally embodies that truth. Sincere yet world-weary, earnest but clear-eyed, tender but pragmatic, suave but haunted, sorrowful and vulnerable but hopeful, and decent in a place and a world that rarely recognises let alone rewards such a trait, the show's titular role isn't a straightforward one. Indeed, that's so much the case that it feels as if Farrell was born to play the part, and that the series might've crumbled without him proving magnetic yet restrained at its core. Any sleuth story is built from one-on-one exchanges; that's how interrogations work. Farrell's perfect-for-the-role skills don't only apply in fleshing out Sugar as a character, maintaining an enigmatic air even as viewers peer into his soul, but in the dynamics with Kirby, Ryan, Cromwell and his fellow co-stars — Anna Gunn (Physical) as David's protective mother and another of Olivia's stepmothers among them. Whatever the plot throws his way, and whoever else, Farrell has audiences investing in the journey, the clue-chasing, the cross-examinations, the connections and the searching, Olivia-driven and existential alike. If a second season follows, he'll also be a key reason to tune in for what'll likely be a very different program. Check out the trailer for Sugar below: Sugar streams via Apple TV+.
Before the pandemic, when a new-release movie started playing in cinemas, audiences couldn't watch it on streaming, video on demand, DVD or blu-ray for a few months. But with the past few years forcing film industry to make quite a few changes — widespread movie theatre closures and plenty of people staying home in iso will do that — that's no longer always the case. Maybe you've had a close-contact run-in. Perhaps you haven't had time to make it to your local cinema lately. Given the hefty amount of films now releasing each week, maybe you simply missed something. Film distributors have been fast-tracking some of their new releases from cinemas to streaming recently — movies that might still be playing in theatres in some parts of the country, too. In preparation for your next couch session, here's 15 you can watch right now at home. TITANE Eye roll-inducingly terrible bumper stickers be damned; no one honks if they're horny in Titane. Revving when aroused is more this petrol-doused body-horror film's style, spanning characters both flesh and chrome. When she's seen writhing in fishnets atop a flame-adorned vintage Cadillac, the stony-gazed Alexia (debutant Agathe Rousselle) is working. She's titillating a Fast and Furious-style car crowd with her sexed-up display, but the car model still seems to hum with every gyration. After wrapping up, murdering a grab-happy fan with the metal chopstick keeping her hair up and then showering off the gooey, gory evidence, she's soon purring rhythmically inside that gleaming vehicle. Yes, in a plot detail that spilled the instant Titane premiered at this year's Cannes Film Festival, where it won the prestigious Palme d'Or, this is the French car sex flick. How does someone fornicate with an automobile? In her sophomore effort after the also-phenomenal teen cannibal film Raw, writer/director Julia Ducournau isn't too interested in those specifics. Instead, she's more concerned with shrewdly linking mechanophilia with agency and control, particularly over one's feelings and body. Her narrative starts its drive in Alexia's childhood, then speeds forward to her time as a fugitive posing as a fire chief's (Vincent Lindon, At War) long-missing son — and proves not just the French car sex film, nor merely a car sex movie about a woman partly forged from titanium (and with a penchant for piercing her way through those who block her road), but a ferocious and unflinching thriller that's also beautiful, tender and compassionate. If Ducournau had made her script out of metal, she'd be moulding it in its molten form. If her feature was a car instead, it'd be that libidinous, fire-emblazoned Cadillac, which arrives with a bang, lures Alexia in and then lets loose. Titane is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. ZOLA It wasn't just a Twitter thread — it was the Twitter thread. Whether you read Aziah 'Zola' King's viral 148-post stripper saga live as it happened back in October 2015, stumbled across the details afterwards as the internet lost its mind or only heard about it via Zola's buzzy trailer, calling this stranger-than-fiction tale a wild ride will always be an understatement. Its instantly gripping opening words, as also used in Janicza Bravo's (Lemon) savvy, sharp, candy-hued tweet-to-screen adaptation, happen to capture the whole OMG, WTF and OTT vibe perfectly: "you wanna hear a story about how me and this bitch fell out? It's kind of long, but it's full of suspense." In the film, that phrase is uttered aloud by Zola's eponymous Detroit waitress (Taylour Paige, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom). The other person that Zola refers to in her initial statement is the cornrow-wearing, blaccent-sporting Stefani (Riley Keough, The Lodge), who she serves at work, then joins on a jaunt to Florida. They immediately hit it off, which is what inspires the invite to head south — a "hoe trip" is how Zola describes it — however, what's meant to be a girls' getaway for a stint of lucrative exotic dancing in Tampa soon gets messy. The drive is long, and Stefani's boyfriend Derreck (Nicholas Braun, Succession) quickly dampens the mood with his awkward, try-hard schtick. Then there's X (Colman Domingo, Candyman), who, while introduced as Stefani's roommate, is actually her pimp. Trafficking Zola into sex work is the real plan of this working holiday, she discovers, but she's ferociously adamant that she won't be "poppin' pussy for pennies". Zola is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. THE CARD COUNTER Another Paul Schrader film, another lonely man thrust under a magnifying glass as he wrestles with the world, his place in it and his sense of morality. The acclaimed filmmaker has filled the screen with such characters and stories for more than half a century — intense tales of men who would not take it anymore — as evidenced in his screenplays for Martin Scorsese's brilliant Taxi Driver and Bringing Out the Dead, and also in his own directorial efforts such as Light Sleeper and First Reformed. You can't accuse Schrader of always making the same movie, however, as much as his work repeatedly bets on the same ideas. Instead, his films feel like cards from the same deck. Each time he deals one out, it becomes part of its own hand, as gambling drama The Card Counter demonstrates with potency, smarts and a gripping search for salvation. The film's title refers to William Tell (Oscar Isaac, Scenes From a Marriage), who didn't ever plan to spend his days in casinos and his nights in motels. But during an eight-year military prison stint, he taught himself a new skill that he's been capitalising upon modestly now that he's back out in the world. Anchored not only by Schrader's reliably blistering probing, but also by Isaac's phenomenal performance — a portrayal that's quiet, slippery and weighty all at once — The Card Counter unpacks the storm brewing behind Tell's calm facade. His status quo is punctured by fellow gambler La Linda (Like a Boss' Tiffany Haddish, in a career-best performance), and also by the college-aged Cirk (Tye Sheridan, Voyagers) and his quest for revenge; however, as the movie delves into Tell's murky history, it also lays bare America's rot and emptiness. The Card Counter is available to stream via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. THE FRENCH DISPATCH Editors fictional and real may disagree — The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun's Arthur Howitzer Jr (Bill Murray, On the Rocks) among them — but it's easy to use Wes Anderson's name as both an adjective and a verb. In a sentence that'd never get printed in his latest film's titular tome (and mightn't in The New Yorker, its inspiration, either), The French Dispatch is the most Wes Anderson movie Wes Anderson has ever Wes Andersoned. The immaculate symmetry that makes each frame a piece of art is present, naturally, as are gloriously offbeat performances. The equally dreamy and precise pastel- and jewel-hued colour palette, the who's who of a familiar cast list, the miniatures and animated interludes and split screens, the knack for physical comedy, and the mix of high artifice, heartfelt nostalgia and dripping whimsy, too. The writer/director knows what he loves, and also what he loves to splash across his films, and it's all accounted for in his tenth release. An ode to magazines, their heyday and their rockstar writers, The French Dispatch draws four of its five chapters from its eponymous publication, even badging them with page numbers. But this is also a tribute to everything Anderson holds The New Yorker to stand for, and holds dear — to everything he's obsessed over, internalised and absorbed into the signature filmmaking style that's given such an exuberant workout once again. One scene, involving two versions of murderer-turned-artist Moses Rosenthaler (Tony Revolori, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Benicio Del Toro, No Sudden Move), crystallises this so magnificently that it's among the best things Anderson has ever put on-screen. Also delightful: the picture's bookending story steps into Howitzer's offices in the fictional French town of Ennui-sur-Blasé, a dive into a student revolution and a police cuisine-turned-kidnapping story, all with a cast that also spans Tilda Swinton (Memoria), Owen Wilson (Loki), Timothée Chalamet (Dune), Adrien Brody (Succession), Frances McDormand (Nomadland), Léa Seydoux (No Time to Die), Jeffrey Wright (also No Time to Die), Elisabeth Moss (The Invisible Man), Saoirse Ronan (Ammonite), Edward Norton (Motherless Brooklyn), Willem Dafoe (Nightmare Alley) and Jason Schwartzman (Fargo). The French Dispatch is available to stream via Disney+. Read our full review. THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS Hordes of imitators have spilled ones and zeros claiming otherwise, but the greatest move The Matrix franchise ever made wasn't actually bullet time. Even 22 years after Lana and Lilly Wachowski brought the saga's instant-classic first film to cinemas, its slow-motion action still wows, and yet they made another choice that's vastly more powerful. It wasn't the great pill divide — blue versus red, as dubiously co-opted by right-wing conspiracies since — or the other binaries at its core (good versus evil, freedom versus enslavement, analogue versus digital, humanity versus machines). It wasn't end-of-the-millennia philosophising about living lives online, the green-tinged cyberpunk aesthetic, or one of the era's best soundtracks, either. They're all glorious, as is knowing kung fu and exclaiming "whoa!", but The Matrix's unwavering belief in Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss is far more spectacular. Lana goes solo on The Matrix Resurrections — helming her first-ever project without her sister in their entire career — but she still goes all in on Reeves and Moss. The fourth live-action film in the saga, and fifth overall counting The Animatrix, this new instalment doesn't initially give its key figures their familiar character names, however. Rather, it casts them as famous video game designer Thomas Anderson and motorcycle-loving mother-of-two Tiffany. One of those monikers is familiar, thanks to a surname drawled by Agent Smith back in 1999, and again in 2003 sequels The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. But this version of Thomas Anderson only knows the agent from his own hit gaming trilogy (called The Matrix, naturally). And he doesn't really know Tiffany at all, instead admiring her from afar at Simulatte, their local coffee shop. The Matrix Resurrections is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. GOLD Gold's title doubles as an exclamation that Australian filmmakers might've made when Zac Efron decamped to our shores at the beginning of the pandemic. Only this outback-set thriller has put the High School Musical, Bad Neighbours and Baywatch star to work Down Under, however, and he definitely isn't in Hollywood anymore. Instead, he's stuck in "some time, some place, not far from now…", as all-caps text advises in the movie's opening moments. He's caught in a post-Mad Max-style dystopia, where sweltering heat, a visible lack of shelter, a cut-throat attitude, water rationing, and nothing but dirt and dust as far as the eye can see greets survivors navigating a rusty wasteland. But then his character, Man One, spots a glint, and all that glisters is indeed gold — and he must guard it while Man Two (Anthony Hayes, also the film's director) seeks out an excavator. Exactly who stays and who goes is the subject of heated discussion, but Gold is an economical movie, mirroring how its on-screen figures need to be careful about every move they make in such unforgiving surroundings. As a filmmaker, helming his first feature since 2008's Ten Empty, Hayes knows his star attraction — and he's also well-aware of the survivalist genre, and its history, that he's plonking Efron into. Almost every male actor has been in one such flick or so it can seem, whether Tom Hanks is talking to a volleyball in Castaway, Liam Neeson is communing with wolves in The Grey or Mads Mikkelsen is facing frosty climes in Arctic. Although Gold purposefully never names its setting, Australia's vast expanse is no stranger to testing its visitors, too, but Hayes' version slips in nicely alongside the likes of Wake in Fright, The Rover and Cargo, rather than rips them off. Gold is available to stream via Stan. Read our full review. THE 355 They're globe-hopping, ass-kicking, world-saving spies, but women: that's it, that's The 355. When those formidable ladies are played by a dream international cast of Jessica Chastain (Scenes From a Marriage), Lupita Nyong'o (Us), Penélope Cruz (Pain and Glory), Diane Kruger (In the Fade) and Fan Bingbing (I Am Not Madame Bovary), the tickets should sell themselves — and Chastain, who suggested the concept and produces, wasn't wrong for hoping that. Giving espionage moves the female-fronted spin that Bond and Mission: Impossible never have isn't just this action-thriller's quest alone, of course, and nothing has done so better than Atomic Blonde recently, but there's always room for more. What The 355 offers is an average affair, though, rather than a game-changer, even if director/co-writer Simon Kinberg so evidently wants to do for its genre what Widows did for heist flicks. The film still starts with men, too, causing all the globe's problems — aka threatening to end life as we know it via a gadget that can let anyone hack anything online. One nefarious and bland mercenary (Jason Flemyng, Boiling Point) wants it, but the CIA's gung-ho Mason 'Mace' Browne (Chastain) and her partner Nick Fowler (Sebastian Stan, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) head to Paris to get it from Colombian intelligence officer Luis Rojas (Édgar Ramírez, Jungle Cruise), who's gone rogue and is happy to sell; however, German operative Marie Schmidt (Kruger) is also on its trail. The French connection goes wrong, the two women get in each other's ways, but it's apparent — begrudgingly to both — that they're better off together. They need ex-MI6 cyber whiz Khadijah Adiyeme (Nyong'o) to help, while Colombian psychologist Graciela Rivera (Cruz) gets drawn in after making the trip to stop Luis going off the books. The 355 is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. STRAY In gorgeous and glorious 2016 documentary Kedi, Istanbul's stray cats received their moment in the cinematic spotlight, and also expressed much about the Turkish city and its human inhabitants in the process. The result was perfect — purrfect, even — regardless of whether you're normally a feline fan. Indeed, it's the defining movie about mousers, and also about their relationship with both places and people (even trying to put the likes of Garfield, Cats, A Street Cat Named Bob and its sequel A Christmas Gift from Bob, some of cinema's other go-to kitties, in the same company is thoroughly pointless). With Stray, it's now their canine counterparts' time to shine, so animal-adoring film lovers can spread their love between cats and dogs equally. Where Kedi elicited purrs of elation, this dog-centric delight is a piece of tail-waggingly tender and thoughtful cinema, too. Istanbul isn't just an arbitrary choice of setting for this compassionate film; it has a 'no kill, no capture' law when it comes to the dogs roaming its streets, which is why there's more than 100,000 of them scampering around. That leaves documentarian Elizabeth Lo spoiled for choice, but she only spends time with a few of those woofers. They span street veterans Zeytin and Nazar, both of whom prowl the pavement as comfortably as they would someone's home, as well as puppy Kartal. As they sniff and scurry their way through their days, Lo stitches together a perceptive and textured portrait of their lives, of the city around them, and of the people who help and are helped by them — and, just like in Kedi (which she wasn't affiliated with at all), there's plenty of two-legged Istanbulites who prove forever changed by these canines' presence. Here, there's a group of young street-dwelling Syrian refugees that are especially touched by Zeytin, Nazar and Kartal as well. Stray is available to stream via Docplay. Read our full review. BLUE BAYOU Blue Bayou isn't Justin Chon's first film as an actor, writer, director or producer, but it's a fantastic showcase for his many talents nonetheless. It's also a deeply moving feature about a topical subject: America's immigration laws, which are complicated at best and draconian at worst. Worlds away from his time in all five Twilight flicks — because Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Anna Kendrick aren't the franchise's only breakout stars — Chon plays Antonio LeBlanc. While the Korean American tattoo artist has lived in Louisiana since being adopted as child, the name he was given upon his arrival in the US still sparks cognitive dissonance, as the job interview that opens the movie illustrates. It also doesn't stop both the casual and overt racism frequently directed his way, or the deportation proceedings that spring after he's accosted in a supermarket by New Orleans police officers. Helming and scripting as well as starring, Chon layers Antonio's situation with complexity from the outset. He's getting by, just, but his criminal record makes it difficult to secure more work — which he needs given his wife Kathy (Alicia Vikander, The Green Knight) is pregnant. He's a doting stepdad to her daughter Jessie (Sydney Kowalske, Doom Patrol), but her birth father Ace (Mark O'Brien, Marriage Story) is one of those aforementioned cops. Also, Ace has a bigoted partner, Denny (Emory Cohen, Flashback), who makes antagonising Antonio his daily mission. And, after that grocery store run-in, the latter discovers that his adoptive parents didn't ever complete the paperwork required to naturalise him as a US citizen. His life, his wife, his kids, that he has no ties to Korea: sadly, it all means nothing to the immigration system. Blue Bayou is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. LAST NIGHT IN SOHO Edgar Wright must own a killer record collection. Weaving the perfect playlists into his films has ranked high among the British writer/director's trademarks ever since he made such a horror-comedy splash with Shaun of the Dead, and his own love of music is frequently mirrored by his protagonists, too. This is the filmmaker who set a zombie-killing scene to Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now', and had characters wield vinyl as weapons. He made zoning out the world via iPod — and teeing up exactly the right track for the right moment — a key trait of Baby Driver's eponymous getaway driver. Earlier in 2021, Wright also turned his avid fandom for Sparks into his delightful first documentary The Sparks Brothers, because wearing his love for his favourite songs on his sleeves infiltrates everything he makes. So, the fact that his second film of this year is about a giddy devotee of 60s tunes really doesn't come as the slightest surprise. Cilla Black, Petula Clark, Dusty Springfield: these are the kind of talents that Last Night in Soho's Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie, The Power of the Dog) can't get enough of, even though she's a Gen Z aspiring fashion designer; they're also the type of stars that aforementioned blonde bombshell Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy, The Queen's Gambit) wants to follow onto London's stages. Last Night in Soho starts with its wannabe fashionista, who's first seen donning her own 60s-inspired designs in her Cornwall bedroom that's plastered with posters and pictures from the period, and also dancing to 'Peter & Gordon's 1964 track 'A World Without Love'. Soon, Eloise is off to college in the big and, hopefully, working towards the fashion world. Then she meets Sandie, but only in her dreams. Actually, as she slumbers, she becomes Sandie — and navigates her chiffon-adorned quest for stardom, her breathy 'Downtown' covers and her thorny relationship with slippery bar manager Jack (Matt Smith, Official Secrets). Last Night in Soho is available to stream via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. NEW ORDER If only one word could be used to describe New Order, that word would be relentless. If just two words could be deployed to sum up the purposefully provocative film by writer/director Michel Franco (April's Daughter), savage would get thrown in as well. Sharing zero in common with the band of the same name, this 2020 Venice Film Festival Grand Jury Prize-winner dreams up a dystopian future that's barely even one step removed from current reality. And, in dissecting class clashes, and also examining the growing discontent unsurprisingly swelling worldwide at the lavish lives indulged by the wealthy while so much of the world struggles, the mood and narrative are nothing less than brutal. Screens big and small have been filled with eat-the-rich stories of late — Parasite, Us, Candyman, Ready or Not, The White Lotus, Nine Perfect Strangers and Squid Game among them — but New Order is its own ravenous meal. The place: Mexico City. The setup: a wedding that goes undeniably wrong. As the ceremony gets underway at a compound-style residence that's jam-packed with the ultra-wealthy and ultra-corrupt, the chasm between the guests and the staff is glaring. Case in point: bride-to-be Marianne (Naian González Norvind, South Mountain) couldn't be more stressed when she's asked for money to help ex-employee Rolando's (Eligio Meléndez, La Civil) ailing wife, who also worked at the house, and plenty of her family members are dismissive, arrogant and flat-out rude about their former servant's plight. Then activists start making their presence known outside, as well as further afield in the city's streets — and interrupting the nuptials by storming the mansion, too. The military respond swiftly and brutally, sparing no one in their efforts to implement the movie's telling moniker. New Order is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Read our full review. BEST SELLERS Best Sellers is the latest case of casting-by-internet, or so it seems, at least: pairing up Aubrey Plaza and Michael Caine smacks of a feverish film Twitter dream. They both turn in fine performances, too, with the former coming off career-best work in Black Bear to play independent publishing house editorial director Lucy Stanbridge, and the latter getting a meatier role than his last Christopher Nolan-directed bit-part (that'd be Tenet) as cantankerous writer Harris Shaw. Lucy needs a big bestseller to save the business, which she took over from her father. Harris has been typing out manuscripts for the five decades since his sole success, which made the elder Stanbridge, but hasn't submitted the one he's under contract for to the company. Enter Lucy's solution to her pressing problem, and one that the reclusive Harris only goes along with because he's short on cash. Knowing how Best Sellers will turn out is as easy as knowing which marks the always-likeable Plaza and Caine usually hit. Indeed, it's knowing why their team-up instantly sounds like a winner on paper, and obviously did to actor-turned-directing first-timer Lina Roessler and screenwriter Anthony Grieco — Plaza is acerbic, albeit in a slightly lighter mode than seen in her breakthrough Parks and Recreation role, while Caine relishes being a curmudgeonly, outdated drunk who yells "bullshite!" so much that it's soon a viral catchphrase. There's plenty to like about their scenes together, especially when sweetness seeps into the surrogate grandfather-granddaughter bond that develops while Lucy and Harris are on tour spruiking his new book anywhere and everywhere they can. In their solo moments, they both find rich notes of yearning and melancholy in their unlikely duo, too, cementing the film's tender but comic look at odd-couple kindred spirits. Best Sellers is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. DEAR EVAN HANSEN Dear Dear Evan Hansen: don't. If a movie could write itself a letter like the eponymous figure in this stage-to-screen musical does, that's all any missive would need to communicate. It could elaborate, of course. It could caution against emoting to the back row, given that cinema is a subtler medium than theatre. It could advise against its firmly not-a-teenager lead Ben Platt, who won one of the Broadway hit's six Tony Awards, but may as well be uttering "how do you do, fellow kids?" on the big screen. It could warn against director Stephen Chbosky, who has a history with disaffected youth thanks to The Perks of Being a Wallflower, shooting the bulk of the feature like it's still on a stage but with more close-ups. Mostly, though, any dispatch from any version of Dear Evan Hansen — treading the boards or flickering through a projector — should counsel against the coming-of-age tale's horrendously misguided milk-the-dead-guy narrative. A anxious, isolated and bullied teen who returns from summer break with a fractured arm, the titular Evan (Platt, The Politician) might be the last person to talk to Connor Murphy (Colton Ryan, one of the Broadway production's understudies). It isn't a pleasant chat, even if Connor signs Evan's cast — which no one else has or wants to. In the school library, Evan prints out a letter to himself as a therapy exercise, but Connor grabs it first, reads it, then gets furious because it mentions his sister Zoe (Kaitlyn Dever, Dopesick). Cue days spent fretting on Evan's part, wondering if he'll see the text splashed across social media. Instead, he's soon sitting with Cynthia Murphy (Amy Adams, The Woman in the Window) and her husband Larry (Danny Pino, Fatale), who inform him of Connor's suicide — and that they found Evan's 'Dear Evan Hansen' note on him, and they're sure it's their son's last words. Dear Evan Hansen is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. THE HATING GAME Misery loves company in the world of publishing industry-set toxic romance novels, which just keep coming — as do film adaptations of such books. After the Fifty Shades franchise fittingly came After movies, doubling down on idealising unhealthy relationships cast against a literary background. Now, as based on Sally Thorne's tome of the same name, The Hating Game follows the same broad concept as well as the same path from page to screen. For anyone who loves words, there's a sense of romance about the business of immortalising them in print, so perhaps that's why these tales keep plunging into the publishing realm. Or, if you're turning destructive ideas about love into fiction, maybe using the industry responsible as a backdrop just feels apt? As more keep arriving, including this dull affair from director Peter Hutchings (Then Came You) and screenwriter Christina Mengert (the filmmaker's co-scribe on The Last Keepers), it could simply be the easiest and laziest choice. Narrating The Hating Game, Lucy Hutton (Lucy Hale, Son of the South) is upfront about her disdain for Joshua Templeman (Austin Stowell, Swallow) from the outset. She hails from Gamin Publishing, home to weighty works that exemplify literature as an art form, while he comes from Bexley Books, purveyor of ghost-written sports autobiographies. Creativity meets commerce in this business marriage of convenience; however, since the two organisations joined forces, The Hating Game's chalk-and-cheese central pair have dedicated as much time to annoying each other as they have to their jobs. The dangling carrot that is a big promotion not only ups the stakes but sees Lucy and Josh ramp up their animosity, but then their bickering begets an unexpected kiss. Afterwards, she struggles with lusting after the enemy while still trying to beat him out for her dream position. The Hating Game is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. RESIDENT EVIL: WELCOME TO RACCOON CITY It's the franchise about zombies that just won't die. The series with a disdain for big corporations and the chaos they wreak that keeps pumping out more instalments, too. After six movies between 2002–16 that consistently proved a case of diminishing returns — and the original horror flick was hardly a masterpiece to begin with — welcoming viewers back to the Resident Evil realm smacks of simply trying to keep the whole saga going at any cost. Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City does indeed extract a price from its audience, stretching their fondness for the video game-to-film franchise, their appetite for John Carpenter-inspired riffs and their penchant for overemphasised 90s nostalgia. Primarily set in 1998, and endeavouring to reboot the series without its previous star Milla Jovovich, it strenuously tests patience as well. After an orphanage stint filled with familiar Resident Evil figures — siblings Claire and Chris Redfield as kids, plus nefarious Umbrella Corporation scientist Dr William Birkin (Neal McDonough, Sonic the Hedgehog) — writer/director Johannes Roberts (47 Metres Down and 47 Metres Down: Uncaged) has Welcome to Raccoon City first get gory en route back to its titular town. The now-adult Claire (Kaya Scodelario, Crawl) hitches a ride with a trucker, who then hits a woman standing in the road. The victim still gets up afterwards, because unnaturally shuffling along after you've been killed comes with the territory. The walking dead are a new phenomenon in the desolate locale, however, following Umbrella's decision to shut up shop and leave the place a crumbling shell. Of course, the night that Claire arrives back to reunite with Chris (Robbie Amell, Upload), who's now a local cop, is the night that a virus zombifies Raccoon City's residents. Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. Looking for more at-home viewing options? Take a look at our monthly streaming recommendations across new straight-to-digital films and TV shows.
Marc Maron of WTF with Marc Maron, one of the most downloaded podcasts, is coming to Australia in October, and if you're not there then you are a fool, a foolish fool. For you see, while he is best known for his podcast, averaging 4 million downloads each month and interviewing guests including the POTUS himself, he's just as brilliant alone on a stage, mic in hand, practicing his original craft. If you're not much of a podcast listener (why not? Get on that, they're the best), then you may have caught Maron’s critically acclaimed half-hour scripted series Maron, created, written and produced by Maron himself, on ABC2. Or perhaps his latest special, Thinky Pain, on Netflix. The man is a machine of brilliant cultural output. Get stuck in.
