Ever wondered what it'd be like to kick up your heels almost a century ago? And perhaps pretend you're in a British crime drama at the same time? Go vintage and boozy at Cobbler's NYE Peaky Blinders party. It's the perfect fit, really. Whether you've seen the TV show starring Cillian Murphy or just like to dress up British gangster-style, this is your chance. As for inclusions on this night of nights, expect to fork out 150 clams and get four hours of beer, wine and sparkling, food from Bird's Nest, and a whiskey or cocktail on the hour, every hour.
While the NSW Government attempts to improve music festival safety by introducing a tough new licensing regime and jacking up costs for event organisers, its ACT counterpart is throwing its support behind pill testing. As reported by the ABC, the ACT Government has given the green light for a pill-testing trial to go ahead at the Canberra leg of this year's Groovin' The Moo festival, held at Exhibition Park in April. It'll be only the second time Australia has seen a trial like this, allowing festivalgoers to have their illicit substances tested for dangerous ingredients. The first took place at the same festival last year, when 85 substances were tested and some potentially deadly components were found, as well as plenty of hidden extras like toothpaste, paint and lactose. Now, the government's on board for round two, with ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr Tweeting after the decision, "Governments have a responsibility to not only try and prevent drug use but also to support initiatives that reduce the harms associated with drug use." https://twitter.com/ABarrMLA/status/1097411427709509634 The upcoming trial will be headed up by harm reduction advocates Pill Testing Australia. In its ACT Drug Strategy Action Plan released last year, the ACT Government stated it would continue to support pill testing and be "examining further opportunities to expand pill testing at events in the ACT". In the wake of a spate of festival deaths from suspected drug overdoses, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and her government have remained staunchly opposed to the idea of pill-testing, despite international research and the success of last year's local pill-testing venture. Let's see if Canberra's controversial move to host a second trial makes them any more likely to change their minds. Via: abc.net.au Image: Jack Toohey.
You will rue the day that you balded your Barbie's golden locks and 'dyed' the remaining tufts rainbow with highlighters. You will regret dismembering her in the imagined fire that plagued her doll house in the summer of '96. One day she'll be crawling her way up and out of the rubbish bin that you tossed her in a la The Ring’s Samara and seek the vengeance that is rightfully hers. Ew. But seriously, how creepy are dolls? The answer is very, and if you're like me, many a horror film has seen you stare with terror through fingers as a doll turns its head 360 degrees. Yep, Sydney's famous 100-year-old Doll Hospital is a horror writer's dream, and in Sean Izzard's case, a photographer’s inspiration. Izzard, who has been working as a professional photographer for 25 years, initially expected his series, entitled 'Doll House', to consist of portraits of the owner and staff. But once he’d stepped foot into the Bexley hospital, which recently celebrated its 100th year, he-was-never-the-same-again. Not really, but his approach to the photographic series certainly wasn’t. The dolls had the artist question whether they're alive or dead (dead, plz dead), because they aren't just inanimate: they are personified, clothed, the embodiment of their owner. But it’s all kinds of enchanting, really. Most of the images are portraits and seem to give each and every one of those (predominantly maimed) dolls a personality and a backstory. View the full Doll House series in the fourth issue of The Pool Collective app, out now. The Pool Collective app is a free quarterly publication created exclusively for the iPad featuring photography, short film, interviews, music and more. See more photos in the The Pool Collective app.
If you think you'd be up for a hands-on challenge that's part Sherlock Holmes and part The Boy Who Lived, round up your best sleuthing mates and get ready to put your puzzle-cracking skills to the test. The game maestros at CluedUpp are coming to Brisbane to host their next adventure experience: a self-guided, app-based magical mystery adventure called Witchcraft & Wizardry. Hitting town on Saturday, October 31, this one sees teams of two–six players escaping into a fantasy world, unleashing their wizarding skills, defeating dark magic and helping to "save the realm" by deciphering clues as the puzzle trail leads them all over the city. To play, you'll need access to a smartphone and, of course, a witty team name — and some banging costumes won't go astray, either. You'll arrive at the game's secret start location between 10am–1pm on the day of play, then get stuck into following the clues. Your team will take championship glory if you're the fastest to crack the puzzle, though there are more sweet prizes to be won for categories like 'best fancy dress' and 'best K-9' (yes, it's also dog friendly). Tickets are just $66 per team.
When I was fourteen I went to Broadway in New York City, and saw a show. It was Hello Dolly, starring Carol Channing in the title role. Carol had a Broadway voice, it was distinct, rich and gravelly, and at times she basically spoke the tunes but inflected in the right places so it was musically accurate. There are many kinds of Broadway voices - operatic, jazz, showgirl, pop - but they are distinct in that they are right for Broadway. There is an element of acting in the voice that is essential for this style of performance. Lucky for all those out there seeking to find their Broadway sound, the King of the Broadway voice Tim Smith is coming to town! Tim was musical director for the recent MAMMA MIA! Australian tour, assistant musical director on Billy Elliot, vocal coach on The Lion King Australia, founding head of Music Theatre at VCA, and well...so much more. During this two day workshop at the Judith Wright Centre, Tim will work with participants on the many layers of the voice; the framework, the mechanics, and the detail. Many of Australia’s revered musical theatre talent have worked with Tim, and raved about it. Places are strictly limited to twenty per workshop, so get in quick!
If you like your cinema experiences shaken, not stirred, then the 2022 British Film Festival has just the thing for you. Taking its array of Brit flicks around the country between Tuesday, October 18–Wednesday, November 16, this year's fest is turning itself into a big 60th birthday party — not for the Australia-wide cinema showcase itself, which only dates back around a decade, but for all things Bond, James Bond. 2022 marks six decades since Dr No, the first movie in the 007 franchise, first graced cinemas — and yes, it'll be the British Film Festival's screens to commemorate the occasion. Also hitting picture palaces in Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth and Byron Bay: You Only Live Twice, because two Sean Connery-starring Bond films are better than one; On Your Majesty's Secret Service with Australia's Bond George Lazenby; and Daniel Craig doing his brooding Bond in Skyfall. They're just some of the titles among the fest's first lineup announcement, with the full British Film Festival program set to drop on Thursday, September 29. Can't wait till then? A handful of other flicks have already been announced — and, as always at this cinema showcase, they're filled with familiar faces. Arriving Down Under after wowing the global festival circuit, The Banshees of Inisherin marks the reunion of In Bruges writer/director Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) and his stars Colin Farrell (After Yang) and Brendan Gleeson (The Tragedy of Macbeth). This time around, the latter pair star in a story about two lifelong friends who go for a pint everyday until a dispute gets in the way, with their feud also impacting the entire village. Also on the bill: an Emily Brontë biopic, aptly named Emily, directed by Australia actor-turned-filmmaker Frances O'Connor (The End); more sea shanties in song-filled sequel Fisherman's Friends 2: One and All; the Bill Nighy (The Man Who Fell to Earth)-starring Living, about a terminally ill man in the 1950s; and The Lost King, which takes inspiration from the IRL discovery of King Richard III's remains beneath a Leicester car park. And, opening the fest is Mrs Harris Goes to Paris, set in the world of French fashion, with Oscar-nominated Phantom Thread actor Lesley Manville in the titular role. BRITISH FILM FESTIVAL 2022 DATES: Tuesday, October 18–Wednesday, November 16 — Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas and Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas, Adelaide Wednesday, October 19–Wednesday, November 16 — Palace Norton, Palace Verona, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinema, Sydney Wednesday, October 19–Wednesday, November 16 — Palace Electric, Canberra Wednesday, October 19–Wednesday, November 16 — Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, The Kino, Pentridge Cinema and The Astor, Melbourne Wednesday, October 19–Wednesday, November 16 — Palace James Street and Palace Centro, Brisbane Wednesday, October 19–Wednesday, November 16— Palace Raine Square, Luna Leederville, Luna on SX and Windsor Cinema, Perth Wednesday, October 19–Wednesday, November 16 — Palace Byron Bay, Byron Bay The 2022 British Film Festival tours Australia between Tuesday, October 18–Wednesday, November 16. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the festival website. We'll update you with the full program on Thursday, September 29.
Some of gothic horror's greatest masterpieces foresaw their longevity. Bram Stoker's Dracula will never die, and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein will never stop being brought to life, either. Shake & Stir Theatre Co took on the former back in 2015 and 2017, in a brand-new world-premiere stage production that sunk its fangs into the most famous vampire tale there is. Now, the South Brisbane-based theatre company is turning its attention to Victor Frankenstein and his creation. The new version of Frankenstein is also a debut, and will enjoy its first season at QPAC's Playhouse from Saturday, October 14–Saturday, October 28. The story remains the same as it has since 1818, of course, following a young scientist tormented by grief, a bold push to thwart mortality, plus the consequences sparked by his act of playing god. And, as always, it will cover the impact upon the being that's spliced together, jolted into existence, yearns to belong, but is swiftly and cruelly shunned. "Gothic fiction is a passion of the company, and Shelley's ground-breaking novel, credited for both its gothic roots and for pioneering the science fiction genre, presents an excitingly monstrous challenge in mounting it for the stage," said Shake & Stir Co-Artistic Director Nick Skubij, who is also directing Frankenstein. Audiences can expect an immersive performance that steps through Shelley's classic with Darcy Brown, Tony Cogin, Nick James, Jodie le Vesconte, Nelle Lee and Jeremiah Wray in the cast — and with a big emphasis on production design. Think: video and digital elements playing a hefty part, and meticulous sound design setting the mood. [caption id="attachment_632939" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shake & Stir's 'Dracula'.[/caption] Shake & Stir's Frankenstein follows not only Dracula, but also Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, A Christmas Carol, Macbeth, Othello, Animal Farm, The Twits, Fantastic Mr Fox and Romeo & Juliet among the company's looks backwards. In the past two years, the theatre group has brought Fourteen and Tae Tae in the Land of Yaaas! — both personal stories, with the first based on the memoir of the same name — to Brisbane's stages as well. The oft-adapted Frankenstein is no stranger to audiences, including earning a stunning Royal National Theatre iteration by Danny Boyle (Yesterday) starring Benedict Cumberbatch (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar) and Jonny Lee Miller (Guy Ritchie's The Covenant) in 2011 — with the two actors rotating roles between Victor and the creature each night — that's been playing cinemas worldwide ever since thanks to NT Live. With Shake & Stir's take, Skubij sees the timelessness of the work, plus the current parallels. "It's been fascinating to consider this incredible work dealing with themes of advancement, progress and pushing the limits of possibility alongside contemporary advances in AI technology today. The story could not be more relevant," he noted. "Like Victor Frankenstein's creation, AI is arguably neither good nor bad; it's how it's built and used that dictates its legacy." "Frankenstein's monster is just that: a living, breathing 'being' far superior in capabilities than any natural human could ever be. But what are the consequences of using science to play God?" Check out the trailer for Shake & Stir's Frankenstein below: Shake & Stir Theatre Co's Frankenstein will play QPAC's Playhouse, South Bank, Brisbane from Saturday, October 14–Saturday, October 28. Head to the venue's website for tickets and further information.
If you're a Queenslander with a trip to Melbourne in your future — or vice versa — the pandemic has just interrupted your plans. With the Victorian capital about to start a seven-day lockdown in an attempt to contain the northern suburbs COVID-19 cluster, the Sunshine State is declaring the state a coronavirus hotspot. And, as a result, Queensland will close its borders to all of Victoria. The change was announced today, Thursday, May 27, and will come into effect at 1am tomorrow, Friday May 28. It applies to the entire state — unlike the last declaration back in February, which only covered Greater Melbourne. Accordingly, folks who've been in Victoria will no longer be permitted to enter Queensland, unless they receive an exemption and then go into government quarantine for 14 days. This affects anyone coming into Queensland who has been to Victoria in the past 14 days. And, if you arrive in the Sunshine State from Victoria during the remainder of today, you'll be required to go into a seven-day lockdown at home, just as if you were still down south. Queensland's Border Declaration Passes are also currently in effect for folks who've been in Victoria in the past fortnight, too. https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1397768245503877124 Earlier in the week, Queensland made a similar move, but limited to the City of Whittlesea local government area. Under that hotspot declaration, which came into effect at 1am on Wednesday, May 26, anyone who has been in the local government area since Tuesday, May 11 and enters Queensland is required to go into hotel quarantine For more information about southeast Queensland's COVID-19 border restrictions, or about the status of COVID-19 in the state, visit the Qld COVID-19 hub and the Queensland Health website. For more information about COVID-19 in Victoria and the state's current restrictions, head over to the Department of Health website.
All you really need on January 26 is a comfy spot to sit, a constant stream of food and drink, and a radio hookup. Mosey down Brunswick Street to the local pub that shares its name, and you'll find all of the above. You'll also find a pretty cruisy way to spend the day. Think of the Brunswick Hotel's triple j party as a chance to hang out with your mates, do exactly what you'd be doing if you were sitting in your backyard, but have someone else take care of the food and drinks. Plus, when the countdown is over, the karaoke begins. That's when you'll find out just how well you can belt out 2016's number one.
After weeks of protest and a snowballing boycott by artists, the Biennale of Sydney has cut ties with its longtime sponsor Transfield. Philanthropist and Transfield Holdings director Luca Belgiorno-Nettis stepped down from his position as chair of the Biennale board, which went on to end the partnership agreement, effective immediately. Until it happened just now, this was a moment that seemed pretty unlikely. However, a point was reached where the negative publicity was doing neither brand Biennale nor Transfield any favours, with nine artists having withdrawn from the event and many art fans considering staying away. These artists have 'imagined what they desired', in keeping with the theme of the festival. "I hope that blue sky may now open up over this 19th Biennale of Sydney," said the departing Belgiorno-Nettis. This does nothing to fix Australia's repulsive treatment of refugees in detention, of course, but it means the focus of protest can shift, and Sydneysiders can enjoy and engage with the Biennale in full. Here's the statement from the Biennale: Today the Board of the Biennale of Sydney received the resignation of its Chairman, Luca Belgiorno-Nettis. With deep regret, the Board reluctantly accepted the decision of the Chair to resign. We gratefully acknowledge the personal contribution of Luca as Chair over the past 14 years. We also acknowledge the enormous contribution of the Belgiorno-Nettis family over 41 years. The Board also discussed its relationship with its founding partner Transfield. We have listened to the artists who are the heart of the Biennale and have decided to end our partnership with Transfield effective immediately. The Board and the extended Biennale community owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Luca and his family. Luca Belgiorno-Nettis said: ‘I wear two hats: one as Chair of the Biennale of Sydney and the other as a Director of Transfield Holdings; both organisations conceived by my father and nurtured by my family over many decades. I am deeply thankful to the many friends of the Biennale, and my personal friends who have supported me and the teams throughout my tenure, especially in recent weeks. I also express my gratitude to my Directors and Marah Braye and her beautiful team, and Juliana Engberg for their unequivocal allegiance to the Biennale. ‘I hope that blue sky may now open up over this 19th Biennale of Sydney: You Imagine What You Desire and its future incarnations.’ Deputy Chair Andrew Cameron will be interim Chair until the Biennale appoints a new Chair following the close of the 19th Biennale of Sydney. The Board look forward to working with Juliana Engberg and the Biennale team to realise an enormously successful 19th Biennale of Sydney.
Wandering around a market while the sun shines is all well and good, but there's something extra appealing about the nighttime variety. Happening every Friday and Saturday night in Brisbane's north BITE Markets fits the bill. And, it serves up plenty of food, because that's what every night market attendee really wants. A trip to Nolan Drive in Morayfield comes with a little something extra on Saturday, October 30, however — because that's when the BITE Markets Halloween Spooktacular is adding some scares to the place. This is a family-friendly affair with scavenger hunts and a monster mash disco, but if you were thinking about hitting up a market anyway and you love Halloween, consider it a two-for-one kind of event. Expect the usual array of food, and likely some Halloween-themed treats. Opting for the sweets lineup — cakes, doughnuts, churros and poffertjes and the like — will get your tastebuds in the right mood anyway. A shipping container setup like Hamilton's Eat Street — complete with landscaping and a dining precinct — BITE Markets showcases local talents, so prepare to feast on meals whipped up by the best producers, food creators and artisans in the area, too. Entry costs $3 for adults — and for those driving north, there's more than 600 car parks onsite.
For many folks, renting is one of life's unpleasant necessities, and it comes with plenty of grief. If you've ever been forced to beg your landlord to fix faulty lighting — you know, so you can see at night-time and just generally live in a safe environment — or desperately wanted to do something as simple as getting a pet or hanging a picture on your wall, then you'll understand. But in good news, the Queensland Government is looking at shaking up the state's tenancy laws. As reported by The Courier-Mail, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced a tenancy legislation review, called Open Doors to Renting Reform. It will consult with renters, landlords and real estate agents about common issues, and marks the first major review to existing laws since the 70s. Items under consideration include making it easier for tenants to add homely touches, such as putting nails in the wall to hang pictures and posters — and trying to increase the number of properties that allow furry four-legged friends. Crucially, ensuring that urgent repairs are made when requested by renters is also on the agenda. The reviews will look at concerns raised by property owners as well, including the level of rental bonds and the frequency of inspections. While a timeline for enacting any legislative amendments hasn't been revealed, the move comes just weeks after the Victorian Government passed its own rental changes. Many of the same matters are set to be enshrined into law down south, including no less than 100 reforms aiming to increase Victorian renters' rights and protect tenants in vulnerable positions. Via The Courier-Mail. Image kgbo via Wikicommons.
Just about every video clip Mumford & Sons have ever made follows a fairly predictable pattern, and their latest for 'Hopeless Wanderer' isn't much different. Mottled light shining through golden leaves? Check. Impossibly whimsical vests? Check. Banjo-led hoedowns in Ye Olde Barns? Check. Jason Bateman and SNL's Will Forte wearing fake beards and thrusting their crotches at each other? Check. Hang on. What? That's right — Mumford & Sons have procured the services of some of the world's funniest comic actors for a pitch-perfect parody of their own pastoral proclivities in a move that suggests M&S might not take themselves too seriously after all. Jason Sudeikis, Will Forte, Jason Bateman and Ed Helms go all out here, and their utterly straight-faced commitment to the bit is amazing. I couldn't keep a straight face watching it, so goodness knows how they were able to while filming. Truly, you haven't lived until you've seen Sudeikis fall to his knees on a dusty road because of all the feelz, and Bateman's furious banjo shredding is the most metal thing you'll ever see. https://youtube.com/watch?v=rId6PKlDXeU
It was only a matter of time before Australia's penchant for themed brunches spawned an all-out, fairytale-inspired breakfast feast. And you'll have the chance to partake — and channel your inner Ariel, Mulan or, even, Simba — when a huge (unofficial) Disney-themed bottomless brunch and sing-along party rocks into town for the first time ever. The Magical Brunch will go down on Saturday, April 13 at Victoria Park. Prince, princesses and singing candelabras will sit down to an afternoon high tea feast served "fairytale-style", along with two hours of unlimited mimosas for an extra $25. We're hoping for something similar to Belle's 'Be Our Guest' feast in Beauty and the Beast. Word is there'll be themed entertainment and a Cinderella-worthy dance floor for post-brunch twirling, too. Best dust off the DVD collection and start practising — costumes are definitely encouraged, so you'd best start hunting for your best Elsa gown or Cruella de Vil two-tone wig.
Chvrches are back again with all music guns a blazing, Crystal Fighters will make you feel so special and Will Smith reminds the world that he is once was the coolest human being on the planet. 1. 'GUNS' - CHVRCHES The band who spell churches wrong this week unveiled their newest track 'Guns' and it is a veritable feast of sensational synth, fierce beats and glorious hooks that combine for a tune best described as huge. This is pop in its purest, most enjoyable form and gives Australian fans yet another reason to get excited for their upcoming August tour. 2. 'CAPE TOWN' - CLUBFEET Melbourne five-piece Clubfeet dropped this track earlier this month and released the accompanying video this week, providing a perfect opportunity to showcase this brilliant track. The clip itself was filmed in Cape Town, a favourite haunt of the quintet, and the method actors look like they are having a pretty great time. Not suprising really, as when you strip back the visual aesthetics 'Cape Town' is a classic jam for all party times. 3. 'NATURAL LOVE' - CRYSTAL FIGHTERS This track comes from Cave Rave, the album released this week by the half Spanish, half English, all fantastic band named Crystal Fighters. The entire album provides an endless selection of tracks that put a smile on your face and a hop, a skip and a jump in your step, triple jump style. This is the most jovial of the songs and if you put it on you may just have the most delightful weekend of your life. 4. 'TWISTED' - FRACTURES Fractures is incredibly just a one man band comprising the multi-talented Mark Zito. He is all about experimentation and as such is almost impossible to classify into a genre. The track title 'Twisted' could be appropriate though as he twists his fragile voice amongst a haunting melody to create an atmospheric auditory stimulant. 5. The Fresh Prince Reunion It's the little things in life we need to appreciate, but this week we were treated to a great, big, whopping thing. Having watched this on repeat I have concluded that the primary purpose of creating the Internet was for the spreading of this video to the masses. What the world thought was an ordinary interview between Graham Norton, Will and Jaden Smith turned into the Fresh Prince stealing the show just like last time, as himself and Jaden surprised us all by bringing out DJ Jazzy Jeff, and if that wasn't enough we then got treated to Carlton in all his dancing glory. If you have not seen this yet, you are welcome. If you have, watch it again and again and again.
If December to you means luminous festive decorations, then simply driving through your neighbourhood can be a jolly good time. Wherever you look, there just might be a glowing set of Christmas lights sharing its seasonal merriment and brightening up the suburban streets. Of course, these lit-up displays really shouldn't cause such a fuss. They pop up everywhere every year, after all, and we're all well and truly aware of how electricity works. But twinkling bulbs are just so hard to resist when it's the happiest portion of the calendar. Perhaps you're a casual Christmas lights fan, and you're completely fine just checking out whichever blazing displays you happen to pass in your travels. Maybe you have a few tried-and-tested favourite spots, and you return to them every year. Or, you could want to scope out the best and brightest seasonal-themed houses and yards. Whichever category you fall into, an Australian website called Christmas Lights Search is likely to pique your interest. [caption id="attachment_882324" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Donaldytong via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Christmas Lights Search is as nifty and handy as its name suggests, covering festive displays all around the country. To locate all the spots that you should head to, it's as easy as entering your postcode or suburb — or those of places nearby — and letting the site deliver the relevant options. Plus, it also rates the lights displays, if you want to either go big or stay home. It's also constantly being updated, so, like the best combos of glowing trees, sparkling bulbs and oversized Santas, you might want to check it out more than once. [caption id="attachment_882325" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kgbo via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] When you pick an individual address listed on the site, you'll be greeted with some key information, too. The level of detail varies per listing, but expect to potentially peruse photos, the ideal hours to swing by, a date range and a description of what's on offer. All that's left is to get searching, plot out where you'll be heading every night between now and Christmas Eve, and get ready to see oh-so-many reindeer, candy canes and snowmen. To find festive displays near you, head to the Christmas Lights Search website.
After nearly a decade of Westerosi power struggles, obsessed fans and soaring ratings, HBO found itself with a Game of Thrones-sized gap to fill last year. The network isn't completely saying goodbye to the world created by George RR Martin, with at least one spinoff in the works — but it's also eager for something else to help pick up where GoT left off, fantasy-wise. First debuting late in 2019, and due to return for a second season in November, His Dark Materials is one of the US network's prime candidates. It's based on Philip Pullman's award-winning young adult trilogy of books of the same name: The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. And if it sounds familiar — and not just because you watched the initial batch of episodes — that's because one of the tomes, The Golden Compass, was already turned into a movie back in 2007. HBO is keeping things simple with its adaptation by sticking with the franchise name, other than individual book monikers — hence the His Dark Materials title. It has also bet big on star power, with the series boasting a hefty cast. James McAvoy, Ruth Wilson, Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda, Da 5 Bloods' Clarke Peters and Logan's Dafne Keen all feature, while Fleabag's Andrew Scott and Phoebe Waller-Bridge will also pop up in the second season. Yes, it'll be a reunion for the two series newcomers, although you'll be seeing Scott on-screen as Colonel John Parry and hearing Waller-Bridge's voice as Parry's daemon. What's a daemon? It's one of the key parts of His Dark Materials. Here, Keen plays an orphan by the name of Lyra Belacqua — who seems just like everyone else, but hails from an alternate universe where a person's soul manifests as a shape-shifting animal called a daemon. In the show's first season, as Lyra looks for a kidnapped friend in the Arctic, she discovers a church-run stolen children ring, learns about mysterious particles known as Dust and ventures through different worlds, including the one we all know. McAvoy pops up as a powerful aristocrat, Wilson is his ex, and Miranda plays a balloonist and adventurer. If you're eager for the next season, HBO dropped its first sneak peek a few months back, releasing a trailer as part of this year's Comic-Con at Home — and it has just revealed a new trailer as well. As for when you'll be watching it, it returns to screens on Tuesday, November 17, Australian and New Zealand time. In Australia, it airs on Foxtel. Check out the latest trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CdQm6gLHUM His Dark Materials' second season will start airing from Tuesday, November 17 on Foxtel in Australia, and will also be available to view on-demand. Images: HBO.
Hip-hop doesn’t have to be straight outta’ Compton. Brisbane is representing its hood, bringing together the best of the local hip-hop scene with the freshest festival out, Sprung. Clockwork Entertainment, in association with Triple J and Scene Magazine have brewed up the largest, all Aussie hip-hop lineup to ever hit Brisbane. One ticket gets you entry into the all day festival featuring the cream of the Aussie hip hop crop. Headlining the bill are Drapht, The Funkoars, Illy, Pez & 360, Phrase and M-Phases, as well as Resin Dogs, Joelistics, Lowrider, Mantra, Diafrix, Lazy Grey and Pure Product. As well as the big names, Sprung Fest features heaps of local acts selected from the national Real Talk Battle League hosted by Brisbane’s home of hip-hop, the Step Inn. Straight outta’ the burbs of Brisbane, Sprung is running as an all ages event. Tickets are set at a low sixty-six bucks, boldly bringing the price back to what people would have been paying for a ticket to a music festival in the 90s. None of this expensive shiznit. Strung Fest is in da house. R.E.S.T.E.C.P! Do ya even know wha it spellz?
If you've ever thought about professionally recording those tracks you've been working on in your bedroom, you probably haven't. That's because getting studio time can be difficult when you don't have the contacts, the cash or any real knowledge about what you're doing (but just wanna lay down some sick tracks). But studiotime.io is aiming to change all that with their Airbnb-like listing platform for musicians, producers and recording studios. The site works in the same way as any in the sharing economy. Recording studios will advertise their availabilities, details and daily rates, and then musicians and producers can contact the studios for more information and to book in a time. Just like Airbnb, you book and pay through the website, and you can leave feedback on the listing's page. Booking in studio time in this way is beneficial to both parties, as musicians now have an easy way to lock in a day in the studio, and the studios can advertise last-minute availabilities to ensure they're always booked. It might even mean you can snag a bit of a discount if you're lucky. The website initially launched last year in LA, New York and London, but it's quickly spread to other cities across the world. You can search for studios in Australia too, with listings spanning everywhere from Bondi to St Kilda to Wollongong. Image: Dollar Photo Club
When Australia's international border reopens and holidaying overseas resumes, a long list of experiences we've all been missing will be back on the agenda. Some of those are great, such as being somewhere other than our own backyard. Some just come with the territory, like spending all that time in the air. And others will probably seem more exciting than they really are after such a long period without them, such as hanging out in airports, sipping drinks at the bar before your flight and browsing through gift shops. We all have our own balance when it comes to all of the above elements, how we handle tham and what we prefer. But if you're the kind of traveller who likes fewer stopovers and can cope with spending almost a whole day on a plane non-stop, you're probably a fan of — or dreamed of hopping on — Qantas' direct Perth-to-London route. It launched back in 2018, and it takes around 17 hours each way. It's certainly an experience, from the layover time you'll spend in the Perth airport if you're starting out from another city, through to what it feels like to sit on a plane (or get up and walk the aisles every now and then, for exercise) for that very lengthy spell. That flight won't be on the itinerary when Qantas restarts its international trips, however, with the airline opting not to resume the leg straight away due to Western Australia's strict border rules. Instead, the carrier is aiming to recommence the Perth-to-London route from April 2022 — and, if you think that means more stopovers in the interim, it's also looking into doing non-stop flights from Darwin to London over that gap period. "At this stage, WA doesn't intend to open to international travel until sometime next year, so we'll unfortunately have to temporarily move our Perth-London service until at least April 2022," said Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce in a statement. "Instead of operating from Melbourne to Perth and then on to London as it usually does, this flight will operate from Melbourne to London via either Darwin or Singapore, depending on conversations we're having with the NT in the coming weeks. We look forward to operating this flight via Perth again when circumstances allow." So, only needing to hop on one plane to get to the UK from Australia will ideally remain a reality. But, for that super-long flight, there'll be a different starting point. If you're currently thinking about your travel plans — when that's possible, of course — the Northern Territory is doing discounts of up to $1000 on trips if you're fully vaccinated and coming from an area of Australia that isn't considered a hotspot. Yes, that means that starting with a NT holiday and then heading overseas could be an option if your budget allows it. You might remember that, pre-pandemic, Qantas was contemplating starting non-stop routes from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to both London and New York, too. In fact, it had even run two trial journeys, and was poised to announce whether it was feasible in March 2020. We all know what happened to international travel then, though, so clearly the topic hasn't been a priority since. For more information about Qantas's plans for non-stop flights from Australia to London when Australia's international borders reopen, head to the Qantas website. Images: Qantas
Fleet Foxes, what a beautiful name for a band; it conjures images of gorgeous red foxes with white bellies leaping and roaming the English countryside. It is also an apt moniker for the indie folk band from Seattle – whose sound could be the backing track for said foxes roaming in stunning landscapes. Fleet Foxes are a lovely six piece of indie musos who include among their influences Neil Young, Hank Williams, and Bob Dylan, and whose sound has been compared to Crosby, Stills and Nash, the Beach Boys, and Animal Collective. That is a quality category of comparison! Forming in 2006, the band was one of those for whom Myspace was a godsend. In 2007, as they began to upload songs to the site, they made a name for themselves with over a quarter of a million song plays by the end of the year. This helped give the Foxes the impetus to push on. And no doubt a Grammy nomination in the 'Best Folk Album' has put some pep in their step of late. Before they have to start playing stadiums to accommodate their fans, Brisbane audiences should get along to the Tivoli next week to hear this beautiful sound on show in a more intimate setting.
Filmed in Melbourne, sci-fi thriller Predestination circles around the life of a Temporal Agent who travels through time in pursuit of the one criminal who has taunted him his whole career. The film is written and directed by Australian brothers Michael and Peter Spierig, known for their previous futuristic outing, Daybreakers. Based on the 1958 sci-fi classic short story All You Zombies by Robert A. Heinlein, Predestination stars Ethan Hawke as the agent a mission to stop the elusive terrorist The Fizzle Bomber from massacring over 10,000 New Yorkers. During this process he comes across a new recruit called John Doe (played by Australian actress Sarah Snook). The film shifts in and out of different time-periods, executed in a way that is described as "futuristic and nostalgic" by the Sydney Morning Herald. Predestination is in cinemas on August 28, and thanks to Pinnacle Films, we have 15 double passes to give away, as well as three DVD prize packs of Drive, Jobs, Welcome to The Punch, Dark Skies and The Expatriate. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=UVOpfpYijHA
With COVID-19 cases remaining low in Queensland over the past couple of weeks, the state has been relaxing a number of coronavirus-related restrictions. Already, Queenslanders are allowed to leave the house for some non-essential purposes and welcome five people from another household into their homes. And, from 11.59pm on Friday, May 15, a selection of other normal, everyday activities that have been off the cards since March will be permissible once again. Among the biggest changes: an increased number of outdoor activities, allowing Queenslanders to venture three times as far away from their homes, and the news that cafes, restaurants and hotels will be able to open for dine-in customers. You can also now have five visitors in your home — including from separate households — and attend outdoor gatherings of up to ten people. But there are, of course, some rules. These new restrictions are set to remain in place until at least June 12, with the government assessing whether to loosen them further before that date. So, what exactly can you do when the new limits come into effect? We've broken it down. The below information is correct as of Thursday, May 14. We'll update as any new announcements are made. Can I see my friends and family? Yes, visiting your friends and family is allowed. You can also have five visitors into your home, in addition to those you live with, and gatherings of up to ten people outdoors — which includes picnics, personal training, hiking, swimming and non-contact sport. Social distancing measures should be followed at all times and 1.5 metres should be kept between you and other people. Can I have a dinner party? Yes, you can — as long as no more than five guests from outside your home are in attendance. A picnic in a park? Yes, you can have a picnic in a group of up to ten people. You will need to stay within 150 kilometres of your house, though. If you're looking for a few local spots, here's a rundown. [caption id="attachment_668009" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Brisbane City Council via Flickr[/caption] How about exercising in a park? Yep, as long as you're with a maximum of ten people. Brisbane City Council-run outdoor communal gym equipment and playgrounds will be open, too, as well as skate parks, BMX tracks, and basketball and tennis courts. And non-contact sport — such as kicking the footy, yoga, tai chi and bootcamps — are all allowed. What other exercise can I do? Fishing, jet skiing and boating are already allowed, as are walking and bike rides. Other permissible social outdoor sport activities include swimming, throwing a frisbee in the park, and playing golf or tennis. Can I take my pet out for a walk in the park? You sure can. Taking your pet for a walk is considered exercise. Are gyms open? No, gyms are still closed. But outdoor bootcamps and personal training sessions — with a maximum of ten people — are okay. Can I visit restaurants, bars and cafes? For dine-in service, yes — at cafes, restaurants and pubs. They're allowed to open for a maximum of ten dine-in customers, with one for every four square metres. For takeaway, yes — and at bars, too. Many are even offering delivery. Food courts are still closed to seated patrons, but you can buy food from an eatery in a food court. Can I go out for a takeaway coffee? Yes. But, if you'd like to stay indoors as much as possible, here are some of our favourite roasters offering delivery. Can I go shopping? You are allowed to go shopping for non-essential items — "like clothes and shoes," Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has advised. Shopping is considered a recreational activity. That said, you're required to visit purely to purchase what you want, not to shop and hang out. "We don't want you spending hours in those shopping areas," the Premier noted. And, you can only go shopping within 150 kilometres of your house. Indoors, social distancing is required, with the four-square-metre rule in effect. Outdoors, gatherings must be kept at ten people or less — with social distancing also still required. Can I get my hair cut? Hairdressers and barbers have been allowed to remain open during lockdown — but you might want to contact your favourite in advance to see if it is trading. Both services must adhere to the four-square-metre rule, and take a record of names and contact details of each customer for contact-tracing purposes. Beauticians and nail salons are also now allowed to open, with a maximum of ten people inside. Spray tans, saunas, steam rooms and non-therapeutic massages are not yet allowed. Can I road trip to an out-of-town beach for a day? If that beach is within 150 kilometres or less from your principal place of residence, yes — while adhering to social-distancing rules. That means that you can visit the Gold Coast's beaches, and many of the Sunshine Coast's as well. What about driving to go for a hike or bike ride? If you're staying relatively local, yes. Here are five scenic walks within 50 clicks of the CBD. If you're keeping within 150 kilometres of your house, that'll be allowed as well from 11.59pm on Friday, May 15. If you live near a national park, you'll need to check if it's open; however Queensland's Department of Environment and Sciences reopened a number of sites earlier this month — with a full list available on the department's website. Can I go on a day trip to a coastal/regional town? Yes, if that coastal/regional town is 150 kilometres or less from your house, you can drive there for a day trip for recreational purposes. Here are ten places within 150 clicks of the CBD that you can day-trip to. Can I go on a holiday to a coastal/regional town? Or go camping? Or hire a holiday house? In short, no. Overnight stays are off-limits, even within 150 kilometres of your home. Camping isn't allowed either. Short-term rentals, bed and breakfasts and hostels are only open to house people who have been directed to self-isolate or self-quarantine and those whose primary place of residence is not currently available. I'm on my Ls, how about a driving lesson? Yes, driving lessons are permitted — but again, you are required to remain within 150 kilometres of your principal place of residence. You can also only be supervised by a member of your household — so you can't book a professional lesson or get a mate to come over to help. Can I go to church? Yes, all places of worship will be allowed to open for small religious ceremonies of up to ten people. Weddings can also have up to ten people, in addition to the couple and the celebrant. Funerals can have up to 20 mourners at an indoor ceremony and 30 outdoors. If you have more questions, Queensland Health has an extensive rundown of the state's current public health directions on its website — or read Queensland's Roadmap to easing restrictions FAQ. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
There comes a time when some of the biggest hip hop acts in the world tour and hardly hear a murmur about it. In case you don't know who I'm speaking about, Public Enemy are one of the most seminal hip hop acts of our time, and their return to our country should be posted on every telegraph pole in the city. Last time Public Enemy were here was for the Sunset Sounds/Falls tour, and they played an absolutely hectic set while our beautiful town filled to the brim with water (it was January 2011). This huge group features none other than Flavor Flav, Chuck D and Professor Griff. Flavor Flav is pushing 50, yet he still manages to bust out the massive clock chain around his neck like it's no one's business. Chuck D is also known to whip out his boom box that has made an appearance every show since the 1980s. Their 1990 album, Fear of a Black Planet, cemented them as the one of the leading black activism groups in the United States and the world, and is an ode to their will to never give up for their rights. You might know their powerful song, 'Fight the Power', which speaks for itself. Public Enemy have been making incredibly profound rap for 25 years, and to celebrate this milestone, they are here on a sideshow to their run of dates with the Groovin' The Moo tour. They are releasing two albums this year, so you should expect to see a mix of old and new at these once-in-a-lifetime shows. You have to see them and listen to their influential sound, and yes, fight the powers that be.
M.I.A just added another notch to her rebellious belt, calling in Julian Assange to open her gig at NYC's Terminal 5 via a live Skype feed. In what some might say is a canny publicity move (her fourth album, Matangi, has just been released today), the performer took her fans by surprise when Assange appeared on an enormous screen over the stage. After briefly lamenting he couldn't be at the show due to his ongoing confinement in London's Ecuadorian embassy, the WikiLeaks founder told the American audience "your government sucks", stressing the seriousness of the sinister relationship between government and media in the west. Assange spoke for just over ten typically glitchy Skype minutes, declaring that "we are in a battle" and stressing to his listeners that truly caring means getting personally involved, which in turn could lead to an enormous collective power. He also expressed his admiration for the politically passionate English/Sri-Lankan artist, saying “I think she is the most courageous woman working in western music.” Assange actually helped write one of the tracks on M.I.A's new album, 'aTENTion', for which he seemingly hacked the word 'tent'. They have previously collaborated in his promotion of M.I.A's free 2011 mix tape Vicki Leekx, and she later contributed music to Assange's TV program The World Tomorrow. You can watch an audience member's recording of the unexpected address below. The sound isn't great, but if you fiddle around with the volume levels you can catch most of it. Via New York Times and Spin.
If the recent temperamental weather wasn't enough to give you the hint, winter is fast approaching. And with winter comes early nights, chilly weather and warm clothes. If you're an urban bike rider you'll be well acquainted with the importance of visibility in adverse conditions. Thanks to Irene Posch, there is now a product on the market which is sure to pass the tests of functionality and aesthetic when it comes to bike gear. Early Winter Night Biking Gloves look and feel like normal knitted wool gloves but have added conductive areas on each fingertip as well as on the palm of the hand which light up a LED turn signal when the hand is stretched out and a fist is formed. A 3V coin cell battery needed to power the LEDs is hidden in the cuff of the gloves. In addition, the conductive glove fingertips are compatible with gloved use of touchscreen devices. Sold out on Etsy, there are two options for those keen to get their hands on these gloves.
If you regularly wish you were on the other side of the world staring at the Eiffel Tower, sipping champagne and living the Emily in Paris life, you can take a break from dreaming about plane fares and European summers for three days this winter. Before the pandemic, Brisbane's French festival Le Festival offered an annual excuse to celebrate all things Gallic, and it's finally making a big comeback in July. Mark your diaries: this excuse to enjoy French food and booze aplenty returns from Friday, July 21–Sunday, July 23. Just like with Paniyiri and Oktoberfest, Le Festival hosting its first COVID-19-era event is huge news. This revival comes with a massive change, however, with the fest on the move. In 2023, Francophiles will be eating, drinking, hitting up French markets and listening to French tunes at Victoria Park / Barrambin for the first time, with the cultural affair crossing to the other side of the river from South Brisbane. As always, Le Festival will feature plenty of French staples, although the wine selection is always popular. If you're able to tear yourself away from sipping on deliciousness, then make a date with the cheese display. While 2023's full details haven't yet been revealed, snacking on crepes, mussels, baguettes and pastries is usually on the menu, too, and drinking French red and white wines, champagne, sparkling rosé, beer and non-alcoholic beverages. Thanks to the market, attendees can also browse for homewares, gifts, fashion, books and magazines, with showcasing French and French-inspired products the key aim. There'll also be an artists and artisans tent, and a boutique for souvenirs. Entertainment-wise, as well as live music, the fest will feature cabaret performances and can-can dancing. Le Festival 2023 will runs from 4–9pm on the Friday, 8am–9pm on the Saturday and 8am–5pm on the Sunday, with tickets on sale now and the complete program still to come. Images: Ange Costes.
Getting philosophical about existence can mean bobbing between two extremes. At one end, life means everything, so we need to make the absolute most of it. At the other, nothing at all matters. When genre-bending and mind-melting time-loop comedy-drama Russian Doll first hit Netflix in 2019, it served up a party full of mysteries — a repeating party overflowing with chaos and questions, to be precise — but it also delivered a few absolute truths, too. Fact one: it's possible to posit that life means everything and nothing at once, all by watching Natasha Lyonne relive the same day (and same 36th birthday party) over and over. Fact two: a show led by the Orange Is the New Black, Irresistible and The United States vs Billie Holiday star, and co-created by the actor with Parks and Recreation's Amy Poehler, plus Bachelorette and Sleeping with Other People filmmaker Leslye Headland, was always going be a must-see. Russian Doll's first season wasn't just one of the best TV shows of 2019, but one of the smartest, savviest and funniest, all while making the utmost of its Groundhog Day-meets-The Good Place setup. It tasked Lyonne's chain-smoking, acerbic and misanthropic New Yorker Nadia Vulvokov with cycling through the same date again and again, experiencing both gruesome and mundane deaths, and attempting to work out what this whole life business is all about. It was dark, heartfelt, amusing and innovative, as well as clever and compelling, especially in examining fate, logic, life's loops, wading through limbo, what counts in the time we have and if anyone can ever truly make a difference. (Also, it made the world appreciate how Lyonne pronounces "cockroach", something that never, ever gets old.) It took three years, but Russian Doll has finally returned for its seven-episode second season. The glorious news for sweet birthday babies who've gotta get up, gotta get out, gotta get home before the mornin' comes: it's smarter and weirder than its predecessor, and just as delightful. In the process, it achieves a tricky feat, because making more of a show that's already about duplicating the same events could've proven a lazy and easy rehash. Indeed, Russian Doll season two stresses another key fact: that taking a leap, twisting even further, and seeing life's ups and downs as a trip is always better than treading water. At the end of Russian Doll's first season, self-destructive video-game designer Nadia closed the live-die-repeat dilemma plaguing both her and mild-mannered fellow NYC-dweller Alan Zaveri (Charlie Barnett, You). The pair found a way to wind up "the one about the broken man and the lady with a death wish that got stuck in a loop," as Nadia describes, and the series came to such a glorious conclusion that no follow-up was really necessary. But in season two, death isn't the problem. Instead, time is. It was an issue before, given the duo couldn't move with it, only back through the same events — but now, via the New York subway's No 6 train, Nadia and Alan are speeding into the past to explore cause and effect, inherited struggles and intergenerational trauma. "Inexplicable things happening is my entire modus operandi," Nadia notes — with Lyonne as dynamite as ever in the wisecracking, angry-yet-tender, career-reshaping part — but it's also Alan's as well. They're now time prisoners, and their efforts to improve the present through the past leave sizeable ripples upon the pair themselves. There's no party as a catalyst, but there's still a birthday, with the narrative unfolding as Nadia's about to turn 40. Reaching that age has long been shorthand for reflection, crisis, taking stock of regrets and rethinking the future; however, it doesn't usually mean hopping to Berlin and Budapest from years gone by to learn not only how to stay alive, as the first season covered, but how to truly revel in every heartbeat regardless of whether it counts for something, nothing or everything. It's impossible to imagine how Russian Doll would work without Lyonne at its centre. Its mood, humour and look are so tied to the actor, who spits out sharp lines as naturally as breathing, wears the hell out of Nadia's overcoat and cascading crimson curls, and ensures that the flimsy chasm between being carefree and reckless is layered and relatable. Season two sees Lyonne also take over showrunning duties from Headland — and writing and directing three of its episodes, including its first and last instalments — so the fact that it dances so firmly as one with its leading lady is unsurprising as well as thrilling. Barnett's Alan doesn't get as much screentime as viewers would like as a result, but he's just as adept at making a splash in the time he has as he was in season one. (Add that to the show's list of truths across its entire run, clearly.) Sprawling and surreal, inventive and heartfelt, and somehow both skeptical and sentimental, Russian Doll is many things in season two, as it was in its debut airing. Now, it's also home to more of the always-welcome Chloë Sevigny (The Girl From Plainview) as Nadia's late mother Nora, the similarly returning Greta Lee (Sisters) as party-throwing pal Maxine, plus Schitt's Creek and Kevin Can F**k Himself star Annie Murphy and District 9's Sharlto Copley as series newcomers. Naturally, the twists that lead the latter two into the story are best discovered by watching, but they arise within a show that jumps backwards and keeps questioning that move simultaneously. That comes through stylistically — see: the visual cues taken from 70s cinema — and in snappy dialogue, profound themes and wily plot developments that muse on constant change versus hard-earned acceptance. Yes, Russian Doll is definitely back, entertainingly so, and serving up another wonderful on-screen matryoshka doll of life-pondering insights and time-twisting trickery for audiences to entrancingly unstack. And, it inspires its own IRL loop for beguiled viewers, too — because once you're done watching it, you'll want to cycle back and start all over again. Check out the full trailer for Russian Doll's second season below: The second season of Russian Doll is available to stream via Netflix. Read our review of the first season. Images: Netflix.
"My whole life I got tangled up in complications. Today, I simplify matters," announces Pierre-Auguste Renoir (Michel Bouquet), and it seems director Gilles Bourdos tends to agree. Detailing the final years of the French Impressionist and those around him, Renoir falls short as a shallow and over-simplified biopic. In his Cagnes-sur-Mer retreat in the southeast of France, the 74-year-old Renoir is crippled by arthritis and tended to by a troupe of dedicated female servants who each began as a model for the late artist. After the death of his beloved wife (though apparently not beloved enough to keep him from infidelity), Renoir finds new inspiration when a 15-year-old model that "Titian would have worshipped" hits the screen. Sassy and ambitious, Andrée (Christa Theret), aka Dedee, refuses to meet the same fate as the models before her and for the most part sees through Renoir — basically just a self-absorbed tit — and his lack of genuine care for others. Though bratty at times, Dedee is otherwise the most likeable character and developed more than any other. But alas, her hyper-sensual representation lets the character down, occasionally reducing her to a frustratingly typical product of the male gaze. Nonetheless bewitching and enchanting, Dedee captivates both Renoir and his son Jean (Vincent Rottiers), who's returned home wounded from WWI. But the predictable love affair that ensues should have had a deeper focus. Jean promises that the pair will embark on a career in the burgeoning film industry. Though a far more interesting topic, we never learn how their relationship fell apart 16 years later and are left wondering how he died a prominent filmmaker — with titles Grand Illusion and The Rules of the Game under his belt — and her alone in poverty. Unfortunately, a bare script that's self-consciously romantic and wannabe poignant leaves the actors with little to work with and viewers little to follow. In its 111 minutes almost no drama or tension unfolds and every word spoken is either meaningless or starry-eyed. Thankfully, Taiwanese cinematographer Mark Ping Bing Lee (In the Mood for Love) redeems Renoir with lighting and picture that's splendid and majestic. Despite a numbing script, Renoir is worth the watch just for its beauty. No, seriously, it's gorgeous; an impressionist artwork brought to life. https://youtube.com/watch?v=3Cv9KxLIHAE
If you’re a vegetarian, stop reading. You'll have more fun over here. If, however, you're a caring carnivore with a penchant for environmental protection, stay with us. A pop-up shop in New York City is helping to make your meaty inclinations more sustainable, by turning byproducts into fashion items. You'll find the Marlow Goods temporary store next door to the Reynard Restaurant, within the Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It's the creation of husband and wife team Andrew Tarlow and Kate Huling — Tarlow takes care of Reynard’s culinary offerings, while Huling turns the restaurant’s waste into clothing, bags and accessories. 'Waste' refers to the parts of an animal left at the abattoir once the meat’s been extracted – leather and wool, mainly. Even though this is the duo's first pop-up, they've been doing the farm-to-table-to-fashion thing under the Marlow Goods label since 2008. Tarlow heads up several other popular Brooklyn eateries, including Diner, Roman's, cocktail bar Achilles and She Wolf Bakery. "When we thought of it, I don’t think we saw anyone else who was connecting restaurants and grass-fed meat and fashion," Huling told Vogue. "That was kind of a eureka moment." Huling also explained that her unique designs and Tarlow's restaurant aesthetics are mutually complementary. "I'm always driven to find styles that are as simple and as useful as possible," she says. "In many ways, my aesthetic is the same as that of Andrew's restaurants. We're very nostalgic for the way things used to be — the classic look of old fashion houses like Louis Vuitton and Hermès, or the feeling of living in a village and selling your goods and wares." The Marlow Goods shop is popping up until December 31, 2014. Via Springwise.
Set in 1980, Everbody Wants Some!! follows a university baseball team as they prepare to commence the next semester, and feels in a lot of ways like the movie Richard Linklater was destined to make. As the film ambles through the antics of teens and twenty-somethings embarking upon the next chapter of their lives (read: drinking and chasing girls), it shouldn't come as a surprise that it's a spiritual sequel to the writer-director's 1993 effort Dazed and Confused. In painting a portrait of young men becoming adults in the most routine of ways, it also acts as a very apt follow-up to the filmmaker's last effort, Boyhood. Rather than charting the final day of high school, or capturing the process of growing up over the course of 12 years, Linklater's latest chronicles the weekend before the start of college classes. When Jake (Blake Jenner) parks his car outside of the team lodgings he's about to call home, he's clearly excited, and just as obviously trying to make sure he appears cool, calm and collected. That careful attitude colours his interactions with his new housemates, whether they're welcoming him with open arms or pronouncing their strong dislike of pitchers. By day, they mostly sit or drive around. By night, they try their luck with the opposite sex at bars and parties. Cue a film with plenty of talk and testosterone, not as much action as any of the characters would like, but plenty of the kind of carefree moments that everyone has experienced at some point in their lives. As Jake's fellow baseballers flit through the narrative, some make a bigger impression than others – including ladies man McReynolds (Tyler Hoechlin), bearded stoner Willoughby (Wyatt Russell), and confident veteran Finnegan (Glen Powell). However, as they sling insults at each other, trade in exaggerated stories and natter on about whatever comes into their heads, they all play their part in this freewheeling slice of life. Accordingly, Everybody Wants Some!! is the ultimate hangout flick, about a bunch of guys just shooting the shit when they're not expected to do anything else. There's no missing the nostalgia driving Linklater's warmly amusing movie, with his images tinted with the glow of happy memories, his camera placed to make the viewer think they're part of the gang, and his soundtrack overflowing with '80s hits like 'My Sharona' and 'Rapper's Delight'. That said, there's also no mistaking the way that the filmmaker simply presents rather than probes, such as when it comes to Jake's romance with fellow freshman Beverly (Zoey Deutch). He's not making a statement — he's just happy to linger in the group's company. Don't confuse the film's laidback vibe with a lack of smarts or precision though. As Linklater proved with his charming romantic trio Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight, it takes careful planning and pitch-perfect performances to make something look and feel so easy and effortless. Like their director, the ensemble cast rarely hit a bad note, with Jenner and Russell certain stars in the making. The film's title might stem from a Van Halen song, but as this group whiles away several days, Everybody Wants Some!! earns its exclamation marks.
Brisbane is hosting its fifth annual Festival of Tibet, which is a yearly cultural highlight thanks in part to the thriving and dynamic culture it exhibits. Spread over five days, the festival program includes painting workshops, forums and art exhibitions exploring the Tibetan way of life, as well as showcasing fantastic documentaries and talks from venerable members of the Tibetan community. This is a jam-packed cultural experience, one that is highly recommended. If you are a fan of foreign culture, a keen activist or just looking for an excuse to get out of the house, check out the Festival of Tibet at the Brisbane Powerhouse. Program includes ticketed and free events; click here for the full festival program.
This article is sponsored by our partners, Flickerfest. This year's much-anticipated Flickerfest trailer has landed. Playing on 1980s cult classic, The Blues Brothers, it's a cleverly crafted parody of the adventure of filmmaking. Directed for Hixon Films by Flickerfest award winner, director Alex Weinress, and starring locals Emma Lung, Guy Edmonds, Matt Zeremes and Charlie Garber, the film focuses on ambitious filmmaker Stuart Martin, who believes that great short films come from "passionate, original voices ... from the dreams of madmen glanced in the morning dew". His "vision" is to tell the story of what happens when the Blues Brothers escape from prison and find themselves on Bondi Beach. And the result? The Blues Brothers as you've never seen them before: running slow-motion in the surf, ordering flat whites, taking tai chi lessons and contemplating their existence, all the while being watched by amazed locals. Martin is, of course, convinced that his "concept" is going to conquer Flickerfest.
The Hump Day Project is the kind of name you decide on when you want to sustain a air of mystery but also stay 'relevant' to the cool kids. Could it be something to do with a big party on Wednesdays? Maybe a day dedicated to worshiping camels? Or perhaps it’s referring to some cheeky fun? If however you’re referring to the Sydney DJ outfit that’s playing Oh Hello on Friday, you’ll get all of the above - just not how you expect it. Although there won’t specifically be any camels to ride or Wednesday celebrations, the music these boys are renowned for mixing will make you think anything’s possible. Even after many years in the music and nightclub scene, The Hump Day Project have only experienced constant high periods. Kinda huge highlights include being played by Pete Tong on BBC’s Essential Selections and The Potbellez using a THDP remix in numerous sets, however their praise has been career long and constant. As they are only in Brisbane for one night this show is sure to sell out as THDP’s renowned mix of mainstream and underground music draws in big crowds for a very good reason. So hurry up and buy a ticket! BYO imaginary exotic animals though.
From the shaken to the stirred and everything in-between — this May, the country's world-class mixology scene will be celebrated in a very big way at a month-long drinks festival. The inaugural Australian Cocktail Month is set to kick off Sunday, May 1, descending on venues across a heap of Aussie cities with a diverse lineup of crafty collaborations and exclusive concoctions. In total, 145 bars are taking part in Adelaide, Canberra, Darwin, Geelong, Gold Coast, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth, Sydney and Wollongong — and in Brisbane, of course. Here in the Queensland capital, 24 spots will help Australian Cocktail Month celebrate its second year. And, both boozy and alcohol-free cocktails will be on the menu. Wondering where you'll be heading? Hit up local favourites such as Byblos, Cobbler, Death and Taxes, Dr Gimlette, The Gresham, Iris, Savile Row and Sasso Italiano, for starters. Along with the other venues taking part, they'll spend the month whipping up creative-charged festival cocktails (and mocktails) using drops from both local brands — think: Brix Distillers, Four Pillars and Archie Rose — and international labels. To get among the best of it, grab a $20 Australian Cocktail Month ticket and enjoy full access to all of the participating venues' cocktail creations. Alcoholic drinks will be priced at $14 a pop, with low-alcohol and booze-free options clocking in at $10. Top image: Savile Row, Millie Tang.
Multiple media collide in SCREAM, the latest high-octane offering from European hyper-creative collective Chicks on Speed. Fresh from their residency at ZKM Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe, Germany, for this exhibition the Chicks have hatched an interactive app that lets spectators participate in the artwork. A combo of live performance and technological mayhem, SCREAM centres on a huge sculpture that plays canvas to the iPad-controlled whims of the viewer, who can pick and mix the audiovisual elements that are projected into the space. The work is a logical progression from the Chicks' Objekt Instruments, which landed here during Mardi Gras. SCREAM will be at Brisbane's Institute of Modern Art until late-September.
Biopics remain very much the projects of choice for studios in 2015, subject to one clear, discernible shift. Rather than centring on the individual’s most notable achievement or moment of infamy, this current crop of films shines the light on the protagonist’s lesser known, more intimate details: the formative years or the family unit. Their subject’s fame is taken as read, serving largely as a mere precursor to, or consequence of, the film’s actual content. In this vein, Selma is a Martin Luther King story that eschews the ‘I have a dream’ speech and begins instead with his acceptance of the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize that resulted, at least in part, because of it. The film’s name, Selma, refers to a town in Alabama from which Dr King organised a series of marches to protest the denial of constitutionally protected voting rights for African-Americans. Segregation was, by 1965, illegal, yet in practice still found ample avenues of application in the southern states, as well as many willing supporters to maintain it — most notably the politicians, police and government officials. With a compassionate yet unenthusiastic White House refusing to back new voting rights legislation, King and his supporters drew a line in the sand and selected Selma as the staging ground for protest. What followed were beatings, shootings and even murders perpetrated by whites — both civilian and official — who seldom faced arrest and never once saw conviction. It all makes for very uncomfortable yet necessary viewing. Selma fills you with an anger borne not only of the injustices depicted but of the knowledge that more than half a century later they remain far from resolved. It’s impossible not to draw comparisons with Ferguson, and in that sense Selma is as timely as it is challenging. The standout is, of course, David Oyelowo in the lead role. His recent run of films — including The Butler, Lincoln and Red Tails — have all explored racial discrimination, yet it’s in Selma where the intolerance feels most raw, the inequity most glaring. With a near-flawless accent and remarkable physical similarity, Oyelowo magnificently captures King's extraordinary patience, discipline and eloquence. The civil rights leader's command of the language that in turn facilitated command over the thousands who flocked to hear him speak flows beautifully from this accomplished actor’s lips — each line a glowing tribute to the rhetoric that galvanised supporters and tormented presidents. Supporting Oyelowo is an impressive cast that boasts Oprah Winfrey (who also executive produced the picture), Tom Wilkinson, Tim Roth and Carmen Ejogo as King’s stoic wife Coretta. It's an accomplished and confronting film with division at its heart, though not just between races. Internal squabbling among competing civil rights groups, political differences between state and federal leaders, the struggles within King’s family and even his own personal doubts all receive attention — a myriad of complexities and obstacles reminding us that sometimes ‘black and white issues’ are in fact the most ambiguous and impenetrable of all.
We can all agree that the annual racing carnival should just be renamed the Season of Bubbles. It's a great occasion to splash out, pop Champagne and eat cheese like it's going out of fashion. And the good people at Mumm — purveyors of fine Champagne, fun times and free holidays — want to take you there. They're giving away a luxe Melbourne Cup Emirates Stakes Day experience and, trust us, you don't want to miss this. The winner — and their luckiest friend — will win a killer race-day adventure. Fly to Melbourne (from Brisbane or Sydney) and prepare to be chauffeured around by a private car (to and from your five-star hotel, mind you). You'll have access to the Mumm Marquee, too, where you'll enjoy flutes of Mumm Champagne, delicious canapes and a big screen to take it all in. And because Mumm knows how to take care of you, they've set up a luxurious (and greasy) breakfast at your hotel the next day, before your private car whisks you back to the airport. Now that's race day glamour. To enter, see details below. If you're a Sydneysider and don't win the comp, fret not. You can head down to the Cup Day Festival at Barangaroo — there'll be pop-up eateries, live music and, of course, plenty of Mumm to go around. Entry into the event is free and Barangaroo's restaurants and bars will be serving up race-day specials (many of which include complimentary Champagne). Splash out on seafood at Cirrus, a Shanghai feast at Lotus or a nine-course Turkish banquet at Anason. We'll tip our hats to that. [competition]642528[/competition]
What's better than watching a heap of top Australian talent sit around and talk about music? Watching them do all of the above while answering questions, competing for points and just generally being funny, too. That's the concept behind ABC TV show Spicks and Specks, which took a few cues from the UK's Never Mind the Buzzcocks, pit Aussie musos and comedians against each other, and has proven a hit several times over. It was a weekly favourite when it first aired between 2005–2011 — and it will be again from today. As fans will already know, Spicks and Specks just keeps coming back; however, that has meant different things over the years. When the program was first revived back in 2014, it did so with a new host and team captains, for instance. And when it started to make a return with its original lineup of Adam Hills, Myf Warhurst and Alan Brough, it first did so via a one-off reunion special. That 2018 comeback proved more than a little popular. It became the ABC's most-watched show of that year, in fact. So, the broadcaster then decided to drop four new Spicks and Specks specials across 2019–20 and, for 2021, to bring back Spicks and Specks in its regular format. As first announced last year, the show is returning for a full ten-episode season — and, as the broadcaster revealed last month, it'll kick off on Sunday, April 18 at 7.40pm. You'll be able to watch it on TV when it airs, or stream it via iView afterwards. Hills, Myf Warhurst and Alan Brough are all settling back into their old chairs, obviously — and, guest-wise, they'll be joined by music stars such as The Teskey Brothers, Alice Skye, G-Flip, Vika and Linda, and Missy Higgins, as well as comedians including Anne Edmonds, Nazeem Hussain, Luke McGregor, Dave O'Neil and Denise Scott. So, add playing along with the show from your couch to your end-of-weekend plans from tonight onwards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT5t-G4iGDc Spicks and Specks returns to ABC TV for a regular full season from 7.40pm on Sunday, April 18, with episodes airing weekly afterwards. You'll also be able to stream the series via ABC iView.
In one of the finer examples of literally living and breathing your work, meet The Exbury Egg; a temporary, energy efficient, self-sustaining work space for artist Stephen Turner that will float in the estuary of the River Beaulieu. Talk about every impassioned greenies’ dream, right? The Egg is a place to stay while doubling as a laboratory for studying the life of a tidal creek. The Egg will rise and fall with the tide and be tethered a bit like a boat. Turner is interested in exploring an intense relationship with nature and so it only makes sense for him to completely immerse himself in it. Turner upholds that this isn’t a big anti-technology-back-to-nature experiment. He still plans on using items like his cellphone, his laptop and digital camera, but in the planning of this project he has created these to be charged via solar power. There’s also a huge educational component to this project, with schools being able to engage with the Egg project in topics from construction, science, art, ecology and engineering. To quote Turner “Climate change is already creating new shorelines and habitats. Established salt marsh is being eroded by a combination of rising sea levels and falling landmass and the entire littoral environment is in a state of flux. The implications for wildlife and for the flora as well as for people are challenging. Raising awareness of the past and the unfolding present of a very special location will be the task, whist living in an ethical relationship with nature and treading as lightly as possible upon the land.’ The Egg was placed in the River in May and an Egg Cam is set to launch early July for those wanting to check up on how things are floating along.
UPDATE: September 16, 2019 — PUFFS or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at Certain School of Magic & Magic has extended its run, from Sunday, September 15 to Sunday, September 29. This post has been updated to reflect this. More than two decades since Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone first reached bookshelves, and almost as long since the first film adaptation released in cinemas, it's safe to say that you've probably read your way through the franchise — and binge-watched all of the movies — more than once or twice. With Harry Potter and the Cursed Child currently on in Melbourne, you've likely made the trip to see the series' stage continuation, too. But, we're betting that you haven't delved into the story of the other kids at Hogwarts. An off-Broadway hit that's finally making its way to Brisbane, PUFFS or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at Certain School of Magic & Magic journeys to everyone's favourite enchanted school to spend time with characters other than the usual wizarding trio, their well-known friends or their infamous adversaries. While all the folks we all know and love were going about their epic business, a group of kids in Hufflepuff were there too. This is their tale. Potter parodies aren't new, but this comic take on the Boy Who Lived has proven a smash both in the US and Australia — and now it's playing Brisbane Powerhouse from Friday, August 23 to Sunday, September 29. Whether you just need more spellbinding entertainment in your life, or fancy a good giggle, this popular production promises to deliver faster than you can say "accio fun!".
Christmas day and backyard cricket might go hand in hand, but Victoria Park's mini-golf course keeps adding its own sporty suggestion to festive season. Fancy tap, tap, tapping around a putt-putt course to compete against your date, mates and/or family for supremacy — on Christmas-themed greens at that? That's where the Herston site's annual bit of merriment comes in. Victoria Park's Halloween course is gone for the year, with festive cheer, decorations and sculptures set to take its place from Friday, November 10, 2023–Wednesday, January 3, 2024. The seasonal makeover will deck the greens with jolliness all round. Usually, that means baubles, lights, mistletoe, trees both green and white, and more. Also gracing the kidulting favourite: bells, bows and twinkling lights. In past years, the course has also sported holly, giant candy canes, gingerbread houses, elves, toy soldiers, polar bears and everything else festive that it can think of. Reindeers and Santa are usually involved, too, and different sections of the 18-hole site tend to be designed around ideas like Chrissy Down Under, Santa's mailroom and Christmas morning — plus there's even been a festive feast fairway, The North Pole and a 'deck the halls' hole. Find out whether you're naughty or nice while swinging a club from 6am–10pm Sunday–Thursday and 6am–11pm Friday–Saturday — which means that you can stop by on your way to work, during your lunch break or after quittin' time as well. If you drop by post-6pm, you'll take to the green beneath Christmas lights, naturally. If vying for mini-golf glory while getting merry also feels like an occasion for a beverage, boozy tequila slushies will be on offer. Also, the course lets you order drinks and snacks as you play. Christmas Putt Putt takes over the Victoria Park Putt Putt Course at 309 Herston Road, Herston from Friday, November 10, 2023–Wednesday, January 3, 2024, operating 6am–10pm Sunday–Thursday and 6am–11pm Friday–Saturday — with tickets costing $23 for adults. For more information, head to the venue's website.
Along with Glastonbury, Coachella is one of the biggest, most famous and highly coveted music festivals in the world — the type of fest that everyone wishes they could nab a ticket to at least once. But 2020's eager revellers will need to wait a little longer to dance in a Californian field, with the festival joining the growing list of events changing plans due to the coronavirus. Originally slated to take place across two weekends next month — April 10–12 and 17–19 — Coachella 2020 has been postponed until October. If you've been preparing to head along, or you've just blocked out those dates to watch the always-popular livestream, you'll now be catching sets by headliners Travis Scott, Frank Ocean and Rage Against the Machine on October 9–11 and 16–18. Fest organisers haven't specifically commented on the lineup, but the event did post the full existing list of talent with its rescheduling announcement. So, for now, it's safe to assume that the same folks will hit the stage during the later timeslot — including Lana Del Rey, Flume, Calvin Harris, FKA Twigs, Run the Jewels, Charli XCX and Fatboy Slim. Announcing the shift of dates in a statement, Coachella's powers-that-be said "while this decision comes at a time of universal uncertainty, we take the safety and health of our guests, staff and community very seriously. We urge everyone to follow the guidelines and protocols put forth by public health officials". https://twitter.com/coachella/status/1237514789762416640 All ticket purchases for the original dates remaining valid for October — and for those no longer able to attend thanks to the postponement, refunds will be available. As COVID-19 keeps spreading around the globe, this kind of news is quickly becoming the new normal. Already today, Australian winter arts festival Dark Mofo has pulled the plug on its 2020 iteration. Coachella's delay comes hot on the heels of South by Southwest's cancellation this past weekend, less than a week before it was due to kick off for 2020. Last week, new Bond flick No Time to Die pushed back its release from April to November, too — and for upcoming events such as the Tribeca and Cannes film festivals, the Tokyo Olympics, Eurovision and the aforementioned Glastonbury, cancellations and/or postponements seem increasingly likely. Coachella will now run from October 9–11 and 16–18 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. To find out more information or register for the fest's waitlists, visit coachella.com. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
This exhibition is an unbridled celebration of summer. You might be sitting at your computer, slightly or heavily sweating, thinking that summer isn’t so great but think for a moment what summer entails; beaches, cold drinks, pool party’s, and in the words of Grease, summer lovin’. The cool peeps at the ARTDESIGNPRECINCT have gathered some great artistic talent to display a series of works celebrating the summer months and the hot lifestyle we enjoy here in Australia. Exhibting artists include Leisa O'Brien, Monique O'Callaghan, Helen Rowlands, Keith Virtue, Michelle Bowden, Marieke Van der Leest, Cecilia Hine, Annette Archer, Helen Shaw, Vivienne Searle, Dan Webb, Jeremy Keane, Elaine Weller. There aren’t many better ways to beat the heat than checking out some cool art. The exhibition is on until January 15, so be quick or this exhibition will be gone quicker than a 50 cent cone in the sun.
And just like that, there was a teaser trailer — for HBO's new Sex and the City spinoff And Just Like That..., that is. First announced back at the beginning of 2021, and already locked in for a December release, the ten-part series reunites Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon more than a decade since they last shared a screen in the terrible 2008 and 2010 Sex and the City movies. And, if you're wondering what's in store, the first teaser trailer has just been released. Obviously, Parker's Carrie Bradshaw narrates the sneak peek. It really wouldn't be a Sex and the City-related series otherwise, and you'd probably want to a pair of Manolo Blahniks at your screen in protest if that was the case. This time, the famed fictional New Yorker is waxing lyrical about life's changes — and obviously the words "and just like that" get uttered. The teaser doesn't provide much in the way of narrative detail, but it is filled with images of Carrie, Miranda (Nixon) and Charlotte (Davis) going about their lives — and of plenty of other familiar Sex and the City faces as well. The series' main trio won't have Kim Cattrall's Samantha for company, but Chris Noth, Mario Cantone, David Eigenberg, Evan Handler and the late Willie Garson all return. Yes, that's Big, Anthony, Steve, Harry and Stanford all accounted for. Grey's Anatomy's Sara Ramírez features, too — and, in news that's worth raising a few cosmopolitans, the ten-episode spinoff now has an exact release date. So, you'll be able to stream the first two episodes on Thursday, December 9 via Binge in Australia, with new episodes dropping weekly on Thursdays afterwards. In New Zealand, it'll air on Neon and Sky Go from Friday, December 10, with new episodes dropping at 1pm each week. It'll also head to SoHo from 9.30pm on Mondays from December 20. Due to Cattrall's absence, And Just Like That... is being badged as a "new chapter' in the Sex and the City story, rather than an additional season of the existing 1998–2004 program. Parker, Davis and Nixon are also named as producers on And Just Like That..., alongside Michael Patrick King, who worked as a writer, director and executive producer on the original (and on the two movies). Check out the first teaser trailer below: And Just Like That... will start streaming in Australia via Binge from Thursday, December 9. In New Zealand, it'll air via Neon and Sky Go in New Zealand from Friday, December 10, and also on SoHo from 9.30pm on Mondays from December 20.
For the next six months, a patch of rare Australian greenery is blooming on the other side of the world. As part of the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale, more than 10,000 native grassland plants are currently sitting in and around the event's Australian Pavilion — not only highlighting the endangered nature of the species on display, but also showcasing the importance of architecture that integrates the natural with the man-made. In what the artists have dubbed a "living installation", visitors wander past an array of plants before entering a room filled with them, with the field of vegetation appropriately titled Grasslands. It's comprised of 65 species of Victorian Western Plains grasslands, of which only one percent remains in Australia since European settlement. As the exhibition's guiding forces — Melbourne architects Baracco+Wright (Louise Wright and Mauro Baracco) with collaborating artist Linda Tegg — explain, the plants on display are "smaller area than that of an average Australian family house. Such an area takes around an hour to bulldoze." Their statement about the impact of urbanisation, agriculture, grazing and industrial land use on native Australian plant life forms one part of the overall exhibition, which also has a very fitting moniker: Repair. As presented by the Australian Institute of Architects, the showcase also includes a piece called Skylight, and it's practical as well as informative. The custom-designed lighting installation mimics the sun's 24-hour cycle in order to keep the plants alive — and its daily rotation is drawn from Australian time and sun patterns. For energy, Skylight takes its power from the Italian electricity grid, using 64 percent fossil, 21 percent hydro, nine percent wind and solar, five percent nuclear, and one percent geothermal sources. The final aspect involves a video series titled Ground, as projected on five-metre by eight-metre screens throughout the pavilion — highlighting 15 architectural projects that embody different notions of the overall theme of repair. The Venice Architecture Biennale runs from May 26 to November 25. For more information, visit the Australian Pavilion's website. Images: Rory Gardiner
There’s an interesting trend in today's disaster movies. Yes, they all feature disaster, but less obvious (though almost always present) is the Estranged Family Subplot. If you don’t think you’ve seen it, you have, because just in recent years it’s been in Twister, 2012, The Day After Tomorrow, Deep Impact, Volcano, War of the Worlds, Independence Day and, now, San Andreas. What is it? A separated couple — usually with divorce papers freshly drafted — sees one of the pair now involved with a wealthier, more glamorous partner, while the other tries to reconnect with their angsty teenage child/children. Disaster then strikes, the new partner proves to be a vacuous douche who satisfyingly bites it and a series of deadly trials and tribulations ultimately brings the original family unit back into line. Point is: if you’re currently estranged from your ex but desire reconciliation, get yourself over to a tectonic hot-zone ASAP, because as they say: ‘nothing rekindles the flame better than literally everyone else around you dying in a horrible painful disaster’. As far as disaster movies go, San Andreas doesn’t break the mould; it just settles for breaking everything else per the catastrophe movie social contract. Our hero, a rescue helicopter pilot named Ray Gaines (Dwayne Johnson, aka ’The Rock’), is called into work after a giant earthquake lays waste to both San Francisco and his plans for a bonding weekend with his daughter Blake (True Detective's Alexandra Daddario). For the record, yes, Ray’s estranged wife (Carla Gugino) is also moving in with her wealthy new boyfriend (Ioan Gruffudd), and divorce papers have been dispatched. Estranged Family Subplot checklist: complete. Despite being a rescue pilot for the State, Ray opts to rescue only those people who feature in his family photo, meaning the bulk of the film involves him driving, boating or flying past hundreds of thousands of dying people in the hope of finding his own daughter. Disaster movies, of course, are all about the special effects, and in San Andreas they are genuinely spectacular, with giant quakes rippling through entire cities like waves beneath sawdust. Skyscrapers topple, boulevards buckle and a tsunami stares down the Golden Gate Bridge like it’s some sort of Godzilla. In what marks a major departure for the genre, scientists are again the ones who predict it all (chief amongst them, Paul Giamatti), but this time there’s no 'this is mankind’s own fault’ lecture. It’s pure and simple Mother Nature vs People, and Mama’s well pissed. San Andreas is a film where big muscles and big chests (both male and female) dominate the screen, which in the 3D format is almost comical at times. Performances are rarely noteworthy in disaster movies, but in this case Game of Thrones’s Art Parkinson deserves a mention as the romantic interest’s younger brother Ollie. Beyond that, though, San Andreas’s star is the disaster itself, and, thankfully, an earthquake can’t mutter incomprehensibly corny lines like its victims so often do. ‘Big, Dumb and Fun’ should almost be its own genre by now, and San Andreas is nothing but.
If you're just a hunk, a hunk of burning love for the one and only Elvis Presley, and you live in Australia, you've been having quite the year or so. For four months in 2022, a massive exhibition dedicated to the king of rock 'n' roll hit Bendigo. Since June, Baz Luhrmann's AACTA-winning and Oscar-nominated biopic Elvis has been wowing fans at festivals, then in cinemas, then also at home. And now, when the middle of 2023 hits, a new Presley-focused stage musical will start doing the rounds across the country. Called Elvis: A Musical Revolution, this brand-new production will feature more than 40 of the singer's hits, because there's just that many songs to include. Expect all of the favourites to be worked into the biographical musical, which means everything from 'Jailhouse Rock', 'Hound Dog', 'That's All Right' and 'All Shook Up' through to 'Suspicious Minds', 'Heartbreak Hotel', 'Burning Love' and 'Blue Suede Shoes'. 'Good Rockin' Tonight', 'Earth Angel', 'Don't Be Cruel' and 'Are You Lonesome' are also set to get a whirl as well, as are 'Blue Moon of Kentucky', 'See See Rider', 'Can't Help Falling in Love' and 'A Little Less Conversation'. That's what you'll be hearing. As for what you'll be seeing — what'll make the musical one for the money, naturally — the show's action will tell Elvis' tale from his childhood in Tupelo, Mississippi through to his triumphant '68 Comeback Special. If you've seen the aforementioned Elvis, none of it will be new news, but expect Elvis: A Musical Revolution to work its hip-swinging magic anyway. Exact dates haven't yet been revealed, or a full list of cities that'll get this musical in their buildings. But the show will get started at Sydney's State Theatre in July, and also head to Melbourne's Athenaeum Theatre from September. Cross your fingers for more stops afterwards. The cast hasn't been unveiled yet either, with a national talent search set to be held to find the right actor to slip into the blue suede shoes. Yes, following up Austin Butler's Oscar-nominated efforts will be a huge task. Elvis: A Musical Revolution hails from David Venn Enterprises, which has also been behind Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical, The Wedding Singer and Bring It On: The Musical — and arrives via a partnership with Authentic Brands Group, the owner of Elvis Presley Enterprises. Also behind the scenes, the musical's book comes courtesy of David Abbinanti and Sean Cercone — who have Saturday Night Fever: The Musical and Ghost: The Musical on their resumes — with Abbinanti also composing the orchestrations, arrangements, and additional musical and lyrics. "We are honoured to be tackling one of the world's greatest icons through a Broadway musical. Elvis' life is such fervent ground for this medium from his epic concerts to his unprecedented meteoric rise to fame. There was no roadmap, no guide, and no limit on what could be created. His journey, from dirt-poor shotgun shack Tupelo, Mississippi to a singular name, Elvis has fascinated generations and we're excited to have him tell it in his own way," said Abbinanti and Cercone. ELVIS: A MUSICAL REVOLUTION 2023 AUSTRALIAN DATES: From July 2023 — State Theatre, Sydney From September 2023 — Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne Elvis: A Musical Revolution will start touring Australia from July 2023. Head to the show's website for further details, and to join the ticket waitlist — with seats on sale from Wednesday, March 1.
Directed by David Mackenzie (Young Adam, Hallam Foe), You Instead is a romantic comedy that is set and filmed live at T In The Park, one of Scotland's biggest music festivals. The rock'n'roll love story begins when two musicians are handcuffed together after a feud. Adam (Luke Treadaway) is the lead singer from an electro-pop band and Morello (Natalia Tena) plays in a post punk riot band struggling to make it to the top. Morello's band is going to play their biggest gig at T in the Park and being handcuffed to Adam makes things a little more interesting. After spending so much time together they realise that there may be a connection between them, proving difficult as Adam has a supermodel girlfriend and Morello is dating a banker. Concrete Playground has five double passes to giveaway. To go in the running to win tickets to You Instead, make sure you're subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name and postal address to us at hello@concreteplayground.com.au
If your idea of bliss is a lengthy soak in warm water in a stunning location, you have a date with the outback Queensland town of Cunnamulla in your future. Before summer is out, it'll be home to a new hot springs that boasts seven geothermic pools, is perched right by Warrego River for the ultimate in scenic surroundings, and will also get you relaxing by sunrise and sunset. And, it hails from the Peninsula Hot Springs crew. Not content with getting folks steeping on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula and at Metung Hot Springs in East Gippsland — both in a state vying to become home to a 900-kilometre hot springs trail — plus at Maruia Hot Springs in New Zealand, the team is spreading its footprint. Cunnamulla Hot Springs was announced in 2023, and originally set to launch last winter; however, the fact that the Peninsula Hot Springs Group is now running it is new, and so is the Thursday, February 1, 2024 opening date. The local Paroo Shire owns the five-star venue, which cost $11.7-million to establish, with contributions from both the federal and Queensland state governments. But, now that Cunnamulla Hot Springs will soon welcome in patrons after becoming the largest-funded project that the Paroo Shire Council has ever undertaken, it has handed over day-to-day operations to one of the big Australian names in the business. The site's pools are surrounded by native trees, and feature mineral- and vitamin-rich water taken from and heated naturally by the artesian basin underneath. Learning about the latter around your soak is also part of the experience — relaxing your body and feeding your mind at the same time. Each of Cunnamulla Hot Springs's bathing spots sport different temperatures, so you can get steamy, opt for a stint in the chilled plunge pool or both. One has been specifically built to be shallow, so that folks sitting in it can gaze at the stars in the most immersive way possible. In the state-of-the-art complex, a sauna and a steam room is also part of the setup, as is an area for salt scrubs and clay masks. The aforementioned early-morning and late-afternoon dips are all about taking advantage of day's cooler temperatures. Dawn bathing starts at 6am, while a twilight soak is on offer from 5–9pm on weekdays. Patrons aren't merely surrounded by Cunnamulla's landscape as they sit; everything about Cunnamulla Hot Springs has taken its cues from its environment, with Cox Architects on design duties. Think: earthy colours, and using stone and ironbark timber among other natural materials — plus the thermal waters, of course. "Cunnamulla Hot Springs in one of the remotest destinations in one of the least populated countries in the world. We want guests to connect with the outback, the local indigenous communities and most importantly, the water — the mineral-rich artesian water that is found at Cunnamulla," said Peninsula Hot Springs' Charles Davidson. "Our hope is that Cunnamulla Hot Springs will create a sense of community by embracing the land, culture and wellbeing — as the Mornington Peninsula did when it opened, over 18 years ago." When it was announced last year, Cunnamulla Hot Springs was named as a highlight on the Outback Queensland Traveller's Guide, which is filled with things to do inland in the Sunshine State. Queensland isn't just about beaches, rainforests and the tropics, even if that's what it's best known for. So, the bathing venue joins everything from starlight river cruises in Longreach and Winton's Australia Age of Dinosaurs Museum through to the Southwest Queensland Indigenous Cultural Trail and a heap of national parks (and other outback spas and baths, including in Julia Creek, Bedourie, Quilpie, Mitchell and Yowah). If you're now planning a trip to Cunnamulla, it's around a nine-hour drive west from Brisbane, with flights via Rex, and also boasts an outback river lights festival; the Artesian Time Tunnel, which explores the Artesian Basin's history; and safari-style glamping — among other attractions. Cunnamulla Hot Springs will open at Lot 5 Ivan Street, Cunnamulla, Queensland on Thursday, February 1 — head to the venue's website for bookings and further information. 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.
