UPDATE, April 24, 2021: The Witches is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. What's the one thing that every movie remake has in common? No matter how it turns out, the original film still exists. So, if the latest version doesn't cast a spell, you can return to the old one — revisiting it, appreciating it anew and steeping yourself in nostalgia in the process. Of course, film remakes aren't supposed to inspire viewers to flock back to their predecessors. While that possibility is a silver lining for movie buffs, it isn't the outcome intended by filmmakers. But, it's exactly what The Witches circa 2020 delivers. Writer/director Robert Zemeckis has everything from Back to the Future and Who Framed Roger Rabbit to Castaway and The Polar Express to his name, and he co-wrote the screenplay here with Black-ish and Girls Trip's Kenya Barris and Pan's Labyrinth and The Shape of Water's Guillermo del Toro; however, their main achievement with The Witches is reminding everyone just how great the 1990 adaptation of Roald Dahl's book still is. No one should need a new movie to jog their memories; since hitting screens three decades ago, the Anjelica Huston-starring version of The Witches has been a creepy, dark and weird children's (and kidults') favourite. And it's definitely all of those things, as it should be — and not just because it's about witches who hate children to the point of attempted genocide. The Witches tells a tale about kids realising that all isn't what it seems in the world, and that danger, trouble and pain can lurk around any corner. It tears open the idea that life is always safe, happy and fun like it's ripping off a bandaid. This happens in a child-friendly away, of course, but it's meant to be unsettling, unnerving, upsetting and strange. On the page and in every screen adaptation, The Witches does start with a boy losing his parents in a car accident and being uprooted to a new place and a new life as a result, after all. This fresh iteration kicks off that way, too, as narrated by Chris Rock as the older version of the film's unnamed young protagonist (Jahzir Bruno, The Christmas Chronicles 2). It's 1968, and the boy in question moves to Alabama to live with his grandmother (Octavia Spencer, Onward), who struggles to coax him out of his grief-fuelled fog. But they bond over her shocking revelation: that witches exist, they're everywhere, they despise children and she has experience with them. Also, once a witch sets their sights on a kid, it never lets up. That's why, after one crosses the boy's path, grandma whisks him off to "the swankiest resort in Alabama", where she's certain they'll be safe among rich white folks. Of course, she couldn't have predicted that the group of women that have taken over the Grand Orleans Imperial Island Hotel's ballroom — the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, apparently — are all witches. Or, that the Grand High Witch (Anne Hathaway, Dark Waters) is in attendance, unveiling a plan to turn every kid in the world into a rodent via a potion called 'Formula 86 Delayed Action Mouse-Maker'. Much that has endeared The Witches to readers and viewers over the years remains in the latest film — but tinkering with the details and tone makes an unfortunate impact. Brimming as it is with bright colours and overdone CGI, the new iteration of The Witches favours gloss and shine over chills and potential nightmares. It's the cosy and smooth version of the story, and the lack of sharp edges is noticeable. Zemeckis and company try to add scares in various ways, yet struggle with every attempt. The film's villains, especially the Grand High Witch, are given over-sized Joker-esque smiles teeming with jagged teeth, for example, but they just look cartoonish. At every turn, if there's a way to make something more blatant while also less disconcerting, The Witches always takes that choice. Its reliance upon special effects — to levitate the Grand High Witch, and for its talking children-turned-mice — also speaks volumes. Everything here is overt to an in-your-face extreme, and also far less intricate and much more bland. See also: the two significant narrative shifts, as designed to bring weight to the tale. This remake is set in the US, in the south and in the 60s, and its two lead characters are Black Americans. Via these changes, Zemeckis, Barris and del Toro endeavour to tap into historical horrors, as part of Hollywood's current reckoning with America's past. Alas, this slick film doesn't have anything much to say about either decision. Racism is a part of the on-screen world, and it's noticeable that the hotel's staff are all people of colour while its guests are almost exclusively white; however, rather than making an important point, these elements just seem like a calculated effort to make the movie more topical. Indeed, The Witches pokes fun of the portly Bruno Jenkins (Codie-Lei Eastick, Holmes & Watson), the other boy staying at the hotel, far more than it attempts to serve up even a cursory exploration of its grandmother-grandson central duo's experiences due to their race. It might be unfair to think that some remakes only eventuate because a studio executive thought it was time to wring some more cash out of a beloved story, but that's how The Witches feels. It's simultaneously broader and tamer — including Hathaway's over-the-top performance, although she does appear to be enjoying herself immensely — and it radiates big pantomime energy. Spencer and Bruno give the movie a hefty dose of heart, even when the latter is lending his voice to a critter with a tail. Stanley Tucci, Hathaway's The Devil Wears Prada co-star, is suitably amusing at the hotel's put-upon manager. But there's a lack of overall magic in The Witches, either of the twisted or charming type — unless sending viewers clamouring to find wherever the original is currently streaming counts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ekw85OqJck
Sitting in a middle seat is few people's favourite way to fly, so Virgin Australia ran a lottery that gave away prizes to make the dreaded perch more enticing. Not knowing where your bag is when you disembark the plane is a downright travel nightmare — and now the airline is tackling that, too, this time by rolling out a baggage-tracking tool. Virgin Australia has been testing the new feature since May, but Monday, August 28 marks its launch on almost 70-percent of domestic flights. Accordingly, the next time you fly there's a high chance that you'll be able to track the status of your luggage via the carrier's app. The function marks a first for an Australian airline, and is included free on the routes that it's available on. Obviously, this feature covers checked luggage only. If you're carrying your bags into the cabin with you, you'll know where they are. For those stowing their suitcases in cargo, you'll be able to see where they are across your entire journey. Here's how it works: you'll need that aforementioned app, and to check your bag. You'll also want to enable push notifications. From there, you'll be informed via your phone when your luggage is checked in, when it's available for collection on the ground once you land and also when it is transferred to an international partner airline if you're travelling overseas. The app will tell you which baggage carousel to head to as well, solving another airport annoyance. The routes covered so far include select flights out of Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, the Gold Coast, Canberra and Newcastle, and also from Ballina/Byron, the Sunshine Coast and Hamilton Island. Joining them on the list right now: Launceston and Hobart, plus Townsville, Rockhampton and Mackay. In Western Australia, the service will become available on select flights out of Perth soon. "We know the potential of lost baggage is a concern for travellers globally and anticipate this announcement will give many guests that extra level of comfort knowing where their bag is at every step of the journey," said Virgin Australia Group Chief Customer and Digital Officer Paul Jones, announcing the rollout. Virgin Australia's baggage-tracking tool starts rolling out from Monday, August 28. Find out more via the airline's website, and download the app online as well.
Radiance in the face of conflict, determination amid oppression, striving for basic human rights at your most vulnerable: these aren't easy experiences to live through, or to bring to the screen. Iranian Australian filmmaker Noora Niasari knows both firsthand, with her debut feature Shayda based on her childhood. Aged five, she resided in a women's shelter with her mother. The latter fought for freedom by moving to the other side of the world, away from everything that she knew, and carving out an existence anew. As Niasari's mum battled for agency and independence, and for the ability to divorce and also retain custody of her daughter, she still taught the young Noora Farsi, and Persian dance. She passed on Nowruz, or Persian New Year, traditions as well. "I think that was the element of the process that I underestimated — how challenging it would be, just on a very psychological, emotional level," Niasari tells Concrete Playground about the sifting through her own experiences to make the Melbourne-set and -shot Shayda. "It's one thing to direct your first feature film with a much bigger crew than you've ever had, much bigger cast, a lot of different personalities. And then to be triggered by your childhood trauma every day in the process — it's not something I would recommend to anyone." "It's something that I'm still struggling with, to be honest," Niasari continues, noting that she continually comes back to why she made the movie. "The fact that this story is much bigger than me and my mum, that it's already touching women and families all over the world, that really means something to me. I feel like it's a catalyst for healing, not just for me and my mum, but for so many people. That's what drives me to keep going and keep putting the putting the story out there." [caption id="attachment_910860" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Taylor Jewell/Associated Press[/caption] Niasari started Shayda from her mother's unpublished memoir, adapting it and fictionalising elements — and while it doesn't tell an easy tale, it's an easy film to fall for. Named for her mum's on-screen surrogate, who is played by 2022 Cannes Best Actress-winner Zar Amir Ebrahimi (Holy Spider), Shayda is clearly deeply personal. With engaging first-timer Selina Zahednia as Mona, Niasari's own in-film double, naturally it feels not only lived-in but like it has materialised as a movie from memories. As it charts its eponymous character's quest to start afresh, it tells of resilience and perseverance, strength and self-determination, and courage and community. It doesn't ever shy away from its protagonist's struggle to be permitted to be her own person, or from the pain and distress that she's forced to feel as she maintains that mission; however, in heroing its eponymous figure's fortitude, bravery and spirit, Shayda is also a hopeful film. Audiences at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival agreed; in January, Shayda won the US fest's World Cinema — Dramatic Audience Award. That world-premiere berth in Park City was just the start of the feature's festival run. Next stops: opening this year's Melbourne International Film Festival, then closing Switzerland's Locarno Film Festival. Internationally, Amir Ebrahimi's name is a drawcard. Cate Blanchett's, too, given that the Australian Tár and The New Boy actor executive produced the feature. The Tehran-born, Australian-raised Niasari is equally as talented behind the lens, after studying architecture then film; being mentored by iconic Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami; making documentaries in Wales, Lebanon and Chile; and beginning to focus on the Iranian diaspora community with her shorts and now this. Ahead of Shayda launching MIFF in early August, then hitting Australian cinemas in late September, Niasari chatted Concrete Playground through turning her own childhood into this powerful and important feature — plus balancing darkness and hopefulness, casting, engaging Melbourne's Iranian community, the Sundance experience, MIFF's coveted opening-night slot and her journey to becoming a filmmaker. ON NIASARI REALISING THAT SHE NEEDED TO TURN HER CHILDHOOD INTO A FILM "I lived in that women's shelter with my mum when I was five years old, and the woman who was running the shelter, who the character Joyce [played by Leah Purcell, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson] is based on, she's kind of my godmother now. She's been a family friend, my mother's close friend, for over 25 years. We often talk about those times, and it's an experience that's stayed with me through my whole life. Whenever I told people about living in a women's shelter, they were so surprised. I feel like there's not enough awareness of what services are available, and what those experiences are. But I was compelled to tell this story of female empowerment, and to show the world of a women's shelter that we haven't really seen on screens before." ON DECIDING WHERE TO STAY TRUE TO REALITY, WHERE TO FICTIONALISE AND WHY "I was lucky to have an amazing script editor throughout the scriptwriting process. The first draft was very much adapted from my mum's unpublished memoir, which I encouraged her to write before I did the adaptation. But the drafts after that were a departure from the autobiographical details of our life, of that memoir. There's certain things that in real life seem far too dark for a cinema audience — and it's important to prioritise the cinematic experience over what really happened. It very about finding the cinematic potential of the story beyond what happened to us. Thankfully I had my script editor, and a lot of amazing notes from producers — and also just a lot of kind of soul searching, and finding the moral compass of each character, and what they would do in this given scenario and that given scenario. It very much became a fictional exercise at a certain point, and it also incorporated not just my mother and I's story, but stories from my godmother — a lot of her personal experience of working in the shelter is in the film as well. So it's really an amalgamation of fact and fiction, and blurring those lines in order to tell a cinematic story." ON MAKING A FILM THAT SEES BOTH DARKNESS AND HOPE "From the start, I wanted there to be a lot of grounding in the mother-daughter connection, which is a beautiful one that they have. And in the celebration of Persian New Year — the film takes place over the course of that time. Celebrating the cultures and traditions, the poetry, the dance, those are things that kept my mother and I buoyant through those difficult times, and that's something I wanted to capture in the film. Whenever there's darkness, there's light as well. Finding that balance was really a priority for us — my cinematographer, production designer, all of us, we were always thinking about that, whether it came to the lighting or the set dressing or the costumes. Despite the fact that there's difficult themes, we wanted the audience to feel the hope and the joy, and the strength of Shayda and the other women in this in this shelter and in this situation, because there's more to life than the darkness." ON CASTING ZAR AMIR EBRAHIMI AS SHAYDA "We cast her before she won Cannes. It was very, very fortunate timing. Zar is an incredible woman, incredible human being, what she's been through. Just her story is amazing, but I'll leave that to for readers to Google. From the very first self-tape I received from Zar, within a few seconds I knew she was Shayda. It was that powerful. She has this dual strength and vulnerability happening all at once, just in her gaze, in her presence, the way she carries herself. This is a quality that I was always looking for in the character. And Zar also brings so much of her life experience to this film, and has so many parallels to my mother. They also became good friends in the making of the film, which was a beautiful thing as well because you could feel the sisterhood and bonding, and the deeply felt connections — which I feel came across in the performances, too." ON FINDING SOMEONE TO BASICALLY PLAY NIASARI HERSELF AS A CHILD "We auditioned Iranian girls all over Australia, through Persian schools, mostly grassroots casting. And Selina was one of the shortlisted applicants in Melbourne, which was lucky because we were shooting in Melbourne. She came to the callback and to the audition room, and my assistant and I were just blown away by her ability to lock into a situation emotionally and respond to it. For a six-year-old, her emotional intelligence was just phenomenal. She cried in the audition, not prompted by anything but the actual situation we gave her. Then she was able to snap back to the joy and dancing that she loves. She's actually very different to who I was as a child. She has a really happy family. She's got a beautiful childhood, no trauma — she's a really happy kid. As soon as the audition finished, when knew it was her, we were like 'that was remarkable, she's the one'. But then we were like 'but we have to protect her; we have to protect that joy and that light and spark'. So that's what we went about doing — protecting Selina from the material, and making sure that she stayed who she is. She has, and I'm glad that we went above and beyond to do that." ON ENGAGING WITH FELLOW MEMBERS OF MELBOURNE'S IRANIAN COMMUNITY "Their collaboration was really important when it came to preproduction and the making of the film. There's a place called House of Persia in in Melbourne — one of the founding members is my cinematographer's mum. We ran a lot of our rehearsals and auditions there. And we had huge amounts of volunteer extras and people helping us set up the fire-jumping festival, like multiple stall owners. It was a remarkable show of support from the community. They were very excited, very collaborative and just happy to be a part of something like this. It doesn't happen every day for there to be an Iranian Australian feature film financed by Screen Australia. I'm pretty sure that ours is the first. People were really, really excited, and generous and kind and supportive. And we're super grateful to everyone who supported us in the community." [caption id="attachment_910852" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Michael Loccisano/Getty Images[/caption] ON PLAYING SUNDANCE AND WINNING AN AWARD WITH NIASARI'S DEBUT FEATURE "It was definitely a dream come true to screen at Sundance, and to win an award was such a huge honour. It meant a lot to me, and to the whole team, because it just showed that the film is not just a film about my mother and I's personal experience — that it's a universal story that crosses borders, that audiences from all over the world and all different backgrounds are connecting with the film. That's what the audience award meant to me. For me, the most important thing is making a connection with the audience, so it was a wonderful thing to happen." ON OPENING MIFF "It feels surreal at the moment. I've had three shorts at MIFF. I was in the Accelerator Lab [a workshop for emerging short-film directors]. I became a filmmaker in Melbourne, and I really love Melbourne. In so many ways, it feels like a graduation to even just be at the festival with my feature. The opening-night spot, it's important in so many ways, but at the same time I just want to have fun with it and celebrate our hometown screening. But it does signify something new, in a sense, because I don't know how many Australian films have opened MIFF that are the majority in the different language, from a different cultural perspective to what we're used to, from a filmmaker who's lived that and who is from that world. I'm proud, and I'm grateful that my community is being seen and represented in this way." [caption id="attachment_910851" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images[/caption] ON THE JOURNEY FROM ARCHITECTURE TO DOCUMENTARIES TO SHAYDA "My mum used to take me to the Brisbane Film Festival, and I think one of the first films I saw in the cinema was a Jafar Panahi film. He was Kiarostami's assistant, and then I continued watching his films and Kiarostami's films. Just Iranian cinema in general was pivotal in my adolescence through to university. It always stayed with me, and the poetry and everything. I feel like I always had that undercurrent or simmering desire to tell stories, but I just didn't see it as a possible career path. It was never made mention to me until I was in architecture school. Even when I was in high school, I wanted to go to art school and I had a great art teacher, but filmmaking — nobody ever handed me a camera and said 'you could be a director one day'. It just never came to be. And especially with my mum, it was a single-parent family, and she was working, she was studying, she was hustling my whole childhood and adolescence. It was kind of amazing to discover it at that age of 19. I'm not one of those filmmakers who's like 'oh yeah, I watched E.T. when I was growing up and decided I want to be a director'. I think it was just something that was inside me, and was discovered slightly later based on the circumstances of what I was doing. I loved architecture school, too. I did work for a year and was definitely at a crossroads. But I just fell in love with storytelling, with making movies and being able to make a connection with people through that medium, so I haven't looked back since then." Shayda opens the 2023 Melbourne International Film Festival on Thursday, August 3, then releases in Australian cinemas on Thursday, October 5. Read our review.
Before Barbenheimer became the biggest thing in cinema in 2023, moviegoers flocked to a film that featured a blonde wearing plenty of pink, and also clouds and mushrooms, all in the one flick. That feature: The Super Mario Bros Movie. It was a hit. It was a smash, in fact. At the global box office, the first-ever animated movie based on the Nintendo favourite came in right in the middle of both Barbie and Oppenheimer for the year — notching up more than $1.3 billion in takings. That an animated Mario movie would get audiences saying "let's go" to cinemas is hardly a surprise. Neither is the next piece of news: that a sequel to The Super Mario Bros Movie is on the way. The folks at Nintendo and animation studio Illumination are back doing the filmmaking equivalent of hitting blocks to unveil power-ups — aka crafting a second picture that's due to hit cinemas in 2026. The exact date in the US: April 3, 2026. Expect audiences in Australia and New Zealand to see the film at around the same time. Nintendo and Illumination announced the sequel as part of the annual MAR10 celebrations on March 10 — which would also make a great movie release date, but features don't usually hit the big screen on Tuesdays, which is when the occasion will fall in 2026. "By getting deeply involved in the movie production with the aim to put smiles on everyone's faces through entertainment, Nintendo will continue its efforts to produce unique entertainment and deliver it to as many people as possible," said the company in a statement. In a video, Shigeru Miyamoto from Nintendo and Chris Meledandri from Illumination also chatted about the news — but without going into much detail regarding what'll be in store in the film, other than the return trip to the Mushroom Kingdom. "This time, we're thinking about broadening Mario's world further, and it'll have a bright and fun story," said Miyamoto. The 2023 The Super Mario Bros Movie enlisted Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) to voice the Italian plumber, plus Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) as Luigi, Jack Black (Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood) as Bowser, Anya Taylor-Joy (The Menu) as Princess Peach, Seth Rogen (Dumb Money) as Donkey Kong, Keegan- Michael Key (Wonka) as Toad and Fred Armisen (Wednesday) as Cranky Kong. Directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic (Teen Titans Go!, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies) will return from the first film, as will screenwriter Matthew Fogel (Minions: The Rise of Gru). Check out the trailer forThe Super Mario Bros Movie below: The sequel to The Super Mario Bros Movie is set to release in cinemas in the US on April 3, 2026 — we'll update you with Down Under release dates when they're announced. Read our review of the first film.
To write notable things, does someone need to live a notable life? No, but sometimes they do anyway. To truly capture the bone-chilling, soul-crushing, gut-wrenching atrocities of war, does someone need to experience it for themselves? In the case of Siegfried Sassoon, his anti-combat verse could've only sprung from someone who had been there, deep in the trenches of the Western Front during World War I, and witnessed its harrowing horrors. If you only know one thing about the Military Cross-winner and poet going into Benediction, you're likely already aware that he's famed for his biting work about his time in uniform. There's obviously more to his story and his life, though, as there is to the film that tells his tale. But British writer/director Terence Davies (Sunset Song) never forgets the traumatic ordeal, and the response to it, that frequently follows his subject's name as effortlessly as breathing. Indeed, being unable to ever banish it from one's memory, including Sassoon's own, is a crucial part of this precisely crafted, immensely affecting and deeply resonant movie. If you only know two things about Sassoon before seeing Benediction, you may have also heard of the war hero-turned-conscientious objector's connection to fellow poet Wilfred Owen. Author of Anthem for Damned Youth, he fought in the same fray but didn't make it back. That too earns Davies' attention, with Jack Lowden (Slow Horses) as Sassoon and Matthew Tennyson (Making Noise Quietly) as his fellow wordsmith, soldier and patient at Craiglockhart War Hospital — both for shell shock. Benediction doesn't solely devote its frames to this chapter in its central figure's existence, either, but the film also knows that it couldn't be more pivotal in explaining who Sassoon was, and why, and how war forever changed him. The two writers were friends, and also shared a mutual infatuation. They were particularly inspired during their times at Craiglockhart as well. In fact, Sassoon mentored the younger Owen, and championed his work after he was killed in 1918, exactly one week before before Armistice Day. Perhaps you know three things about Sassoon prior to Benediction. If so, you might be aware of Sassoon's passionate relationships with men, too. Plenty of the film bounces between his affairs with actor and singer Ivor Novello (Jeremy Irvine, Treadstone), socialite Stephen Tennant (Calam Lynch, Bridgerton) and theatre star Glen Byam Shaw (Tom Blyth, Billy the Kid), all at a time in Britain when homosexuality was outlawed. There's a fated air to each romantic coupling in Davies' retelling, whether or not you know to begin with that Sassoon eventually (and unhappily) married the younger Hester Gatty (Kate Phillips, Downton Abbey). His desperate yearning to hold onto someone, and something, echoes with post-war melancholy as well. That said, that sorrow isn't just a product of grappling with a life-changing ordeal, but also of a world where everything Sassoon wants and needs is a battle — even if there's a giddy air to illegal dalliances among London's well-to-do. Benediction caters for viewers who resemble Jon Snow going in, naturally, although Davies doesn't helm any ordinary biopic. No stranger to creating on-screen poetry with his lyrical films — or to biopics about poets, after tackling Emily Dickinson in his last feature A Quiet Passion — the filmmaker steps through Sassoon's tale like he's composing evocative lines himself. Davies has always been a deeply stirring talent; see: his 1988 debut Distant Voices, Still Lives, 2011's romance The Deep Blue Sea and 2016's Sunset Song, for instance. Here, he shows how it's possible to sift through the ins and outs of someone's story, compiling all the essential pieces in the process, yet never merely reducing it down to the utmost basics. Some biopics can resemble Wikipedia entries re-enacted for the screen, even if done so with flair, but Benediction is the polar opposite. It must be unthinkable to Davies that his audience could simply pick up standard details about Sassoon by watching a depiction of his existence, rather than become immersed in everything about him — especially how he felt. Benediction plays like the work of someone who wouldn't even dream of such an approach in their worst nightmares. That's true in Lowden's scenes, with the bulk of the movie focused on the younger Sassoon. It remains accurate when Peter Capaldi (The Suicide Squad) features as the older Sassoon, including opposite Gemma Jones (Ammonite) as the older Hester. When the latter graces the picture's immaculately shot frames (by Harlots, Gentleman Jack and upcoming The Handmaid's Tale season five cinematographer Nicola Daley), he's a portrait of man embittered, and he's utterly heartbreaking. Lowden and Capaldi's performances are as critical to Benediction as Sassoon himself, and Davies as well. They're that fine-tuned, that tapped into the whirlwind of emotions swirling through the man they're playing, and that awash with anger, determination, longing, loneliness, defiance, despair, resentment and tragedy. (Yes, that's a complicated and chaotic mix, and 100-percent steeped in everything that's thrown Sassoon's way). As overseen by Davies, Lowden and Capaldi are also two halves of a whole, not that either actor gives anything less than their all, let alone a fraction of a portrayal. It's devastating to see how and why Lowden's charisma eventually gives way to Capaldi's loathing, but that's the plight that both men are charged with surveying, relaying and helping echo from the screen — exceptionally so. For all of the feeling coursing through Benediction — including when using archival war footage to hark back to the combat that so altered his central figure, rather than taking the 1917 re-creation route — Davies remains a rigorous, fastidious and controlled filmmaker. The feature's 137-minute running time feels as lengthy as it is. While there's a rhythm to Alex Mackie's (Mary Shelley) editing, the movie is methodically paced. Every single image seen is meticulous in its composition, too. Watching Benediction is an active act, rather than a case of being swept away. That matches everything that the film conveys about Sassoon's experiences and the turmoil they caused him, of course. Still, the art of using restraint and precision to stir up big emotions, and to whip and whisk them around so that they're inescapable, is also on display here — and it's one that this exquisite picture's driving force dispenses with as much talent as his subject did with his poetry.
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations — giving you a little inspiration for your next escape. In this instalment, we go to The Henry Jones Art Hotel in Hobart, Tasmania, where you'll encounter hundreds of artworks adorning the walls, views of the harbour and boutique interiors with exposed timber beams and walls of hand-cut stone that nod to the building's former life as a waterfront jam factory. Stay here as part of one of our curated itineraries on Concrete Playground Trips that includes a four-nights stay with daily breakfast included, scenic flights for two over Wineglass Bay, and Posh Pit tickets to MONA. Book it now. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? Located in the Hunter Street precinct, this building is one of the oldest waterfront warehouses in Hobart named for the one-time building owner who started working in the former jam factory as a 12-year-old kid, working his way up the ranks until he eventually took over the business and ultimately made the jam trade his bitch. While art hotels are no longer new-news, the Henry Jones does has the claim to fame as Australia's first dedicated art hotel and the extensive collection of works and ongoing artist in residence program upholds its place as a leader within the onslaught of art-devoted stays that has followed. There are some 400 artworks throughout the property with a strong representation of emerging Tasmanian artists. Stroll the hallways, guest rooms, drinking and dinings options and public spaces, including The Packing Room Gallery, which hosts a roster of themed exhibitions. THE ROOMS At the Henry Jones Art Hotel no two rooms are the same. Organic materials, tones and polished timber meets rich accents of primary colours and thoughtfully curated decor in each of the hotel's lodgings. In many rooms, large harbour-facing windows let in natural light to show off sleek contemporary design elements amid the building's original features. Like much of Hobart, it's a collision of old and new influences. As for the details: luxurious bedding, original artworks and beautifully-appointed modern bathrooms complete with ample fluffy white towels. There's also the requisite free wifi and in-room coffee machine, and in some rooms you'll find an ultra-deep Kohler bath tub for soaking between strolls and sampling the sensational local dining scene. FOOD AND DRINK Speaking of dining, the in-house offering is a step above your usual hotel lobby bar. There's the IXL Long Bar, for innovative cocktails and snacks. At the front of the hotel is the Landscape Restaurant and Grill with a menu by Head Chef Nathaniel Embrey designed around the Asado grill and inspired by the region's exceptional local produce and artworks of legendary landscape artist John Glover that surrounds diners. Then there's the hero of the lineup: Peacock & Jones. Culinary Curator Ben Milbourne (chef and former Masterchef Australia contestant) and Head Chef Julian Volkmer (MONA) have crafted a menu that celebrates the very best of seasonal Tasmanian produce from sea urchin to truffles. And, of course, the drinks program showcases a carefully considered selection of Tasmanian wines, whiskies and spirits. [caption id="attachment_869996" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Maria Island[/caption] THE LOCAL AREA It's no secret that we are serious devotees to all that Tasmania's got on offer. Here's a quick guide to some of our Hobart favourites, and a more comprehensive exploration of all the flavours of Tassie can be found here. Head to The Henry Jones Art Hotel website to book a stay or, if you'd rather we sort your itinerary for you, book our curated Bucket-List Hobart Getaway here.
In 2020, the inaugural Great Southern Nights saw more than 1000 gigs take place across 300 NSW venues. This year it's coming back throughout March and April with a heap of live shows from artists both emerging and bonafide iconic. The diverse and far-reaching program features everyone from icons like Jimmy Barnes popping up in western Sydney through to smaller acts like hyped young R&B singer Liyah Knight headlining a night of local music and DJs at Zetland's 107 Projects. We've picked out eight of our favourite gigs on the lineup including free block parties, Triple J favourites in oft-forgotten regional hubs, and inner-city Sydney dance parties. Top help you make the most of the Great Southern Nights 2022 program, we've also paired each gig with a set of nearby venues so you can book in a memorable pre-gig meal or post-show drink.
National Young Writers' Festival (NYWF) is the four-day writerly celebration that takes over the imaginations of young writers around the country. Directors Alexandra Neill, Jessica Alice and Lex Hirst have just announced their colourful program featuring familiar names like Benjamin Law, Yassmin Abdel-Magied, Clementine Ford, Lawrence Leung, Genevieve Fricker, Steph Harmon, James Colley, Patrick Lenton and more (including some other names you might not recognise now but definitely will in the next five years). As well as more serious talks on slacktivism, mandatory detention and identity, NYWF won't be holding back on the life's practical truths, informing young writers about how to get paid as a writer, how to become an astronaut, how to make a sumptuously good sandwich and how to keep a diary and still be cool. Like any good writers' festival, Breakfast Book Club will start each day with impassioned discussion on life changing books, ones that make you plain angry and ones that are so good you turn into a nocturnal creature. Over 60 panels, discussions, workshops, performances and launches will carry you through deep into the evening when you'll get to sit back and relax to late night romance, crime and dystopian readings. Did we mention the whole festival is free? Yep, all of it. Blowing out 17 candles this year, NYWF is growing bigger and wiser by the year. But a festival is never too old for an intergalactic-themed ball and a spelling bee-cross-Hunger Games-style battle of the brains, right? NYWF runs from 2-5 October. Check out the full program here. Image: Alan Weedon.
Philip Johnson, one of Brisbane’s most beloved chefs is opening his newest creation, One Eleven. One Eleven will be multi-faceted with an espresso bar for casual dining (open from today) and a bistro for more formal dining opening in September. Espresso One Eleven will serve coffee, drinks and light meals and will be perfect for those looking for an affordable and quick bite to eat. Bistro One Eleven will have more formal dining, aimed towards the corporate crowd. The bistro will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner during the week, and open for dinner on Saturday nights. If One Eleven is set to follow in the footsteps of its older sibling, E’cco Bistro, then we all have a great deal to look forward to. E’cco has been an award-winning Brisbane institution since 1995 and continues to uphold impeccable standards in service and quality of food. The E’cco formula includes a welcoming and comfortable environment with high-quality produce prepared in simple but utterly delicious forms. If Johnson sticks to this, then we know One Eleven will be brilliant. You can find One Eleven on the ground floor of Brisbane’s newest office building, One One One Eagle Street, overlooking the Story Bridge.
As Bruce Wayne's private jet streaks through the skies high above Gotham, Jeremy Irons' steadfast butler Alfred quips: "One misses the days when one's biggest concerns were exploding wind-up penguins." "The good old days" replies a burly, sentient frown in the shape of Ben Affleck. "THEN PLEASE GOD BRING THEM BACK!" screams the audience's frustrated internal monologue from within its collective skull. Welcome to Justice League, the least bad entry in the DC movie universe after this year's smash hit Wonder Woman – not that that's saying a whole lot. Given how low the bar has been set by the likes of Suicide Squad and Batman vs Superman, this superhero team-up flick would have to be truly abysmal not to offer some kind of improvement. Just like its special-effects-laden trailer, Justice League feels like a CGI showreel shot almost entirely in front of a green screen. Its strongest scenes are also its quietest ones: a battered Bruce Wayne being assisted by a sympathetic Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot); Martha Kent and Lois Lane (Diane Lane and Amy Adams) brave-facing their way through hardships in a staff-room cafeteria; The Flash (played by a scene-stealing Ezra Miller) speaking with his incarcerated father. It's in these rare, intimate moments that the film's characters actually begin to feel like characters, each possessed of complicated personal histories, private anxieties and meaningful relationships. Sadly, it's soon back to aliens with lasers, fear-eating bugs, and buildings crashing down in clouds of debris. With a story that feels like it's been lifted from Ghostbusters II, Justice League depicts an earth where hatred and cynicism have reached such heights that it compels the return of a great evil determined to enslave mankind. So arrives Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds), a CGI-monster of such poor quality he wouldn't cut the mustard in a cut scene from Gears of War. Steppenwolf is bent on reuniting three powerful Mother Boxes, magic cubes which, when combined, permit him to reshape any planet to resemble his barren home-world. The origins and power of these otherworldly McGuffins actually offers an enticing mystery to be solved in the film's early stages – which is why it's so disappointing when it's all explained away in a single expository scene. The same applies to each of the film's new heroes. Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) arrive with such little fanfare or backstory that even comic book fans already in the know may end up feeling robbed. The exception is The Flash, who imbues the franchise with a long-overdue dose of comedy. The character, as played by Miller, is endearingly awkward, enthusiastic yet timid, and note-perfect in his fanboying around the other superheroes. Likewise, his action sequences are thrilling, amusing and innovative in what is otherwise a highly derivative film. Perhaps the most egregious failing of Justice League, however, is its treatment of Batman. Weary, joyless and stammering, Affleck's Dark Knight acts more like a corporate recruiter than a caped crusader. A joke about his powers stemming from his wealth might get a laugh, but it also wholly undermines what makes the Batman character so compelling: a mortal, unexceptional being who still proves himself capable of holding his own in a world of gods and monsters thanks to his intelligence, discipline and unassailable belief in justice. In Justice League he spends most of the fights on the periphery, and quite often on his back; the superhero version of Lethal Weapon's Danny Glover complaining of being too old for this shit. It's a sad relegation for such a DC icon and speaks volumes as to how mishandled this franchise has been from the moment Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight trilogy) handed over the reigns. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiAmnKUaNmc
In 2014, the ultimate celebration of French cinema in Australia will mark its silver anniversary with one of its most impressive programs yet. Lighting up Palace Cinema locations around the country, the 25th annual Alliance Française French Film Festival has film-faring Francophiles covered, with light hearted comedies to searing dramas, as well as hat-tips to two of France's most legendary filmmakers. The festivities kick off on opening night with a screening of Nils Tavernier's inspiring sports drama The Finishers followed by a post-film cocktail party. Other big tickets include the bloody Palm d'Or nominated epic Michael Kohlhaal, Bruno Dumont's lauded biopic Camille Claudel 1915 and the Monaco-set espionage thriller Möbius starring The Artist's Jean Dujardin. Lighter options can be found in the festival's romance and comedy streams. Stylish indie ensemble 2 Autumns, 3 Winters has garnered plenty of positive buzz internationally, while Bright Days Ahead offers something for the older crowd, recounting the tale of a newly retired senior who strikes up an affair with a much younger man. Patrons can also preview the works of France's future filmmaking elite, with a program of short films from renowned Parisian film academy La Fémis. At the other end of the spectrum, fans of the classics might enjoy a retrospective of the works of new-wave pioneer François Truffaut, including his medium-shifting masterworks Jules and Jim and The 400 Blows. Closing night serves up another iconic slice of French cinema, in the form of Jacques Tati's wonderful 1958 comedy Mon Oncle. For the full Alliance Française French Film Festival program, visit www.affrenchfilmfestival.org. We have six double passes to give away to the Alliance Française French Film Festival in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. 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
Street artist Rone has a well-documented knack for taking on unexpected spaces as canvases for his distinctive large-scale works. In 2017, he staged an immersive installation in an abandoned weatherboard house for The Omega Project, while last year saw him reimagine the deserted Art Deco Burnham Beeches mansion for sell-out installation Empire. Now, the celebrated artist returns to his hometown of Geelong to transform Geelong Gallery into an immersive, experiential exhibition. Featuring the first comprehensive solo survey of Rone's long-running career, Rone in Geelong captures the artist's fascination with the concepts of beauty and decay. Visitors will be treated to a sprawling collection of street art, early stencil works and photographs from the many abandoned spaces he's reimagined as temporary art installations over the years. One of these past exhibitions will be reborn with a specially commissioned 3D recreation, while an exclusive new installation will see Rone overhaul the precinct's historic Douglass Gallery into a derelict space decked out with plenty of his signature painted murals. Exploring the inevitability of decay, he'll play on the room's grand architectural features with help from interior stylist and longtime collaborator Carly Spooner. A haunting soundtrack by Nick Batterham will bring the installation to life. Throughout the exhibition, you'll also catch plenty of references to Rone's youth and his own connection to the Geelong Gallery, from glimpses of portraits to pieces capturing the region's distinctive landscape. Initially set to take place in winter 2020, the exhibition has — thanks to the pandemic — been rescheduled for summer 2021. It's now set to run from Saturday, February 27 to Sunday, May 16 — and tickets are on sale now. [caption id="attachment_762250" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rone, Powerhouse Geelong (2014). Photo by and copyright of Rone.[/caption] Geelong Gallery is open from 10am–7pm daily. Top image: Rone, 'I've seen fire and I've seen rain' (2016) from the Empty series, Geelong Gallery. Purchased with funds generously donated by Geelong Contemporary, 2019. Copyright Rone.
No one likes it when their phone rings from an unknown number, whether "no caller ID" or digits that you don't recognise flash up on your mobile's screen. Telemarketers isn't going to change that response. It won't dampen the collective ire that the world holds towards the pushy people on the other end of the line, either. HBO's thrilling three-part docuseries doesn't just reinforce what viewers already feel about the nuisance industry that thinks it can interrupt your day and life with a spiel that no one wants, and impact your bank balance in the process. In addition, it spins a true tale that demonstrates why a deep-seated dislike of telemarketing is so well-founded, and also why cold-calling operations can be so insidious. This true-crime story about the New Jersey-based Civic Development Group surpasses even the most call centre-despising audience member's low expectations of the field — and it's gripping, can't-look-away, has-to-be-seen-to-be-believed stuff. "Every other telemarketer who drives you crazy in the whole world is because of CDG," advises one of the series' interviewees. That might seem like a big claim, but co-directors Sam Lipman-Stern (Live From the Streets) and Adam Bhala Lough (The New Radical) step through its truth. The former knows the outfit's approach from experience, working there for seven years from the age of 14 after dropping out of high school, while the latter is the filmmaker cousin he wasn't aware of. Lipman-Stern is Telemarketers' on-screen guiding hand, too, but his ex-colleague Patrick J Pespas is its heart and soul. As seen early — with the show streaming its trio of chapters weekly via Binge since Monday, August 14 — Pespas is called a "telemarketing legend". Although he's happy snorting heroin on-camera in 2000s-era footage, he's switched on to CDG's shonkiness; more than that, he's determined to expose it even if it takes two decades. When Lipman-Stern began earning $10 an hour convincing ordinary Americans to donate to charities represented by CDG, he found himself at a place where anyone could get hired with few questions asked. The only requirement: bringing in funds while hitting the phone. As long as the company's employees kept making money, anything went. Those workers are a motley crew of vulnerable misfits in Lipman-Stern's low-res fly-on-the-wall footage, spanning not just dropouts and addicts but also ex-cons recruited directly from halfway houses and folks who didn't fit the usual nine-to-five grind. And their work environment? It "was like you was just going to a big-ass cookout every fucking day," one past staff member notes. Drinking, drugs, sex, nodding off on the phone, getting tattoos in the office, baby turtles crawling over keyboards, general seediness and raucousness that even telemarketing sitcom Workaholics didn't dream up: that was all a part of cashing a CDG cheque, as Lipman-Stern captured at the time, then uploaded to YouTube. Telemarketers' main pair and their boiler-room colleagues were paid to ring their way through the organisation's sales lists, rustling up financial support for police officers, their widows, veterans, firemen, dying children and cancer survivors. When it's the cops they're touting — typically under the Fraternal Order of Police, which is akin to a law-enforcement union — they also send out stickers emblazoned with the particularl lodge's logo. It usually goes unspoken, but those decals come with shifty promise: if you display them on your car, house or shop because you've slung some funds towards the police, you might get favourable treatment if an officer ever has cause to cross your path. Yes, that's dodgy. If only it was the most dubious aspect of CDG's gambit. Everywhere that Lipman-Stern and Pespas look, this tale gets worse. It's no wonder that Uncut Gems and Good Time filmmakers Benny and Josh Safdie are among Telemarketers' executive producers, plus Eastbound & Down's Danny McBride, Jody Hill and David Gordon Green. Barely giving any of the money raised to any of the charities represented? Tick. Using underhanded and forceful tactics, flat-out lying and adopting voices resembling a "cartoon caricature of police officer", all to con people into donating? Check there, too. Unsurprisingly attracting legal attention across several states, and multiple levels of government, yet managing to keep operating? Tick again. Slippery founders — two sets of brothers, one of which includes the member of a Christian rock band — who aren't fussed about CDG's ongoing legal troubles? Check once more. Turning nonprofit fundraising into a complete sham? Keep on ticking. Constantly devolving, whether by letting fear-inducing convicted murderers loose on the phones, using artificial intelligence to keep calls going without needing staff or capitalising upon America's increasingly polarised political landscape? That's all part of this story as well. Making for jaw-on-the-floor viewing, Telemarketers is a wild portrait of greed, exploitation and corruption — and while screens aren't short of those of late, this isn't a Succession or Squid Game-style eat-the-rich effort. There's nothing luxurious or stylish here. All that's on display is pure predatory behaviour from CDG's owners and their cronies towards everyone below them, employees and folks picking up the phone alike alike. Lipman-Stern and Pespas are as much scam victims as the people they called. But, when a disguised player in the industry notes that "it's not the telemarketers you should be worried about", Telemarketers gets even more sinister. When the strikes end, expect Hollywood to pounce on a dramatised remake. The Bear's Ebon Moss-Bachrach could easily slip into Lipman-Stern's shoes, and Saturday Night Live and Mr Mayor's Bobby Moynihan into Pespas'. Fantasy casting aside, any future retelling of CDG's exploits needs Lipman-Stern and Pespas at its centre — because Telemarketers wouldn't be what it is without them, or even exist. As much as HBO's series is a takedown of a horrific swindle, it's also an ode to guerrilla journalism by a couple of average guys fighting back, and a character study of the pair as well. As the show jumps across 20 years, it surveys who Lipman-Stern and Pespas are, what changes in their lives, their evolving friendship, their commitment to exposing their old workplace and why they took up this battle. It also doesn't shy away from the fact that they're plucky amateurs doing what they feel compelled to. The Safdies were approached to direct Telemarketers, only to glean what audiences can now see: that authenticity couldn't be more crucial. When 2022 became a banner year for true-crime deceptions on-screen, unravelling real-life stories through Inventing Anna, The Dropout and more, polish reigned supreme. Getting an inside view from everyday sleuths taking on the crooks who gave them a gig, as chronicled through rough-around-the-edges footage and scrappy chats — that's a raw, like-you're-there experience, and it's both powerful and electrifying. So too is Lipman-Stern and Pespas' transformation as they get immersed in their investigation over the years. Initially, Lipman-Stern just wants to film office pranks, while the ever-earnest Pespas has his own personal tussles. Before our eyes, they become the tenacious duo revealing a billion-dollar fraud and bringing this stunning whistleblower documentary to the world. Check out the trailer for Telemarketers below: Telemarketers streams via Binge from Monday, August 14.
If you hoped that 2021 might see an end to border restrictions and lockdowns, the first few days of January — and the end of December 2020, too — have sadly scuppered that kind of thinking. Today, Friday, January 8, it was announced that the Greater Brisbane area in Queensland will be going into a three-day lockdown in response to the latest local case of COVID-19 in Brisbane, in a hotel quarantine worker. And that now has implications for folks in New South Wales who've been in Greater Brisbane recently. NSW isn't closing its border to Queensland, or to the Greater Brisbane area. But at the daily NSW press conference on Friday, January 8, Acting Premier John Barilaro announced new requirements for anyone in NSW who has been to Greater Brisbane — which includes the Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, Moreton and Redlands local government areas — since 12.01am on Saturday, January 2. If you fall into that category, you're required to isolate under the same conditions that'd be in place if you were still in Greater Brisbane. Accordingly, from 6pm AEST/7pm AEDT on Friday, January 8 until 6pm AEST/7pm AEDT on Monday, January 11, anyone who has been in Greater Brisbane since 12.01am on Saturday, January 2 are required to stay at home. The rules in place are the same as during March's lockdown — which means that you're only allowed to leave the house for four reasons. So, you can only head out for work or education if you can't do that at home, for essential shopping, for exercise in your local area, and for health care or to provide support for a vulnerable person. While Queensland has had community cases of the coronavirus before — including back in July and August, when restrictions were tightened only weeks after they had been relaxed from the first lockdown — the state is being particularly cautious in the current instance because it involves the new, more contagious UK strain of COVID-19. That's why NSW has also taken action, and is applying stay-at-home conditions to anyone who has departed, left, worked or been in those Greater Brisbane areas. Unsurprisingly, Minister for Health Brad Hazzard also advised that "if you don't have to come [to NSW] from Brisbane, don't come in the next few days". He continued: "if you really need to, comply with the moments your government has placed on new in Brisbane but comply with them here in New South Wales". https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1347334261926359040 The news comes as NSW reported 11 new cases over the past 24 hours, including four new local cases and seven acquired from overseas. Sydneysiders are also asked to continue to frequently check NSW Health's long list of locations and venues that positive coronavirus cases have visited over the past week — and, if you've been to anywhere listed on the specific dates and times, get tested immediately and self-isolate. You can also have a look at the venue alerts over at this new interactive map. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
Gone are the days when film buffs got their fix in one of three ways: at the cinema, via the video shop and thanks to whatever happened to pop up on TV. Lately, streaming platforms have become a cinephile's best friend — especially with COVID-19 restrictions keeping everyone at home. We say 'platforms', plural, because there's just so many to choose from. Netflix may be the industry's big gun, but Aussie audiences can also subscribe to Stan, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, DocPlay, iWonder, Quibi and OzFlix, too. And, as even the most casual movie fan probably knows, that isn't even the end of the list. Feeling spoiled for choice? Can't pick which platform to splash your cash on? There is an easier way. Australian viewers can also access a number of free streaming services such as SBS On Demand, Tubi and Kanopy — which don't skimp on film options, but won't cost you a cent. And in the interests of budget-friendly movie marathons, we've rounded up ten excellent flicks you can stream for free right now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLdhN4oMxCQ BAD GENIUS Mark our words: in the next couple of years, an English-language version of this Thai thriller will reach our screens. A high-stakes high-school exam flick, it's smart and slick, funny and fast-paced, as well as tautly made and tension-filled — and it turns a situation we can all relate to into a nail-biting heist caper. Straight-A student Lynn (Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying) is the misbehaving high-achiever of the title, who first hatches a plan to make money by feeding her classmates test answers, and then bands together with her customers to cheat at the biggest test there is. The premise was taken from reality, and part of the movie was shot in Sydney, but the real highlight is Bad Genius' lively style and thoroughly entertaining narrative. Bad Genius is available to stream via SBS On Demand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8oYYg75Qvg YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE In Lynne Ramsay's long-waited fourth feature, an ex-soldier and former FBI agent grapples with his own trauma while trying to save others from theirs. Joe (Joaquin Phoenix) rescues children abducted and abused by pedophile rings — and if that sounds like an astonishing story, just wait, because You Were Never Really Here isn't done yet. Indeed, it's hard to pick what's more stunning here: Ramsay's empathetic and expressive direction, which keeps making unexpected choices to immerse viewers in Joe's headspace, or Phoenix's internalised performance, which won him the best actor prize at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. Call it a tie, and call this film an exceptional achievement that isn't easily forgotten after watching. Phoenix might've won an Oscar this year for Joker, but this is his best performance. You Were Never Really Here is available to stream via Kanopy. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg9nzOFVwtQ THE FIFTH ELEMENT The 90s didn't shy away from big-screen sci-fi, but there's nothing quite as entertaining as The Fifth Element. Forget Independence Day, Armageddon and Men in Black — if you're eager for a film about humanity battling aliens and trying to save the planet, Luc Besson's action-packed flick is the best pick. Come for Bruce Willis and a pre-Resident Evil Milla Jovovich at their kick-ass best. Stay for the eye-popping set and costume design, with the latter by Jean-Paul Gaultier. And, story-wise, get immersed in an ambitious and entertaining futuristic tale about a taxi driver saddled with finding four mystical stones to fend off an intergalactic attack. The Fifth Element is available to stream via SBS On Demand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36iHKZmeH60 BRIMSTONE & GLORY It's human nature to stare at the sky whenever fireworks ascend to the heavens. We hear the popping sound, spy the bright flashes of light and simply can't help ourselves. Set in Tultepec, the tiny town at the heart of Mexico's fireworks industry, Brimstone & Glory captures that feeling more effectively than anyone could've expected. Indeed, the gorgeous documentary commits the vibrance of watching colourful explosions twinkling above to film as it charts the locale's National Pyrotechnic Festival, explores the lives of those both working and watching, and proves as spellbinding as the substance at its centre. Brimstone & Glory is available to stream via Kanopy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKD0sMntjWE THE TRIBE Writer/director Miroslav Slaboshpitsky's first feature was always going to be a hard sell. The film runs for more than two hours without a word of dialogue, a hint of music or even any subtitles, with its characters — a group of classmates at a Ukrainian boarding school for the hearing impaired — communicating only through sign language. And it's not just a difficult concept; in an effort that becomes both violent and haunting — all the more so because it demands audiences pay the utmost attention to what they can see — it's also difficult to watch. Reports of fainting are widespread, but those who can stomach its brutal sights will find a movie completely unlike anything else they've ever seen before. The Tribe is available to stream via Tubi. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-70r7GkiBGM HEATHERS These days, Heathers is a stage musical, a TV series and (in Brisbane at least) a regular dance party theme. If you've ever wondered why this dark high school-set tale just keeps spawning new adaptations and celebrations, then you owe it to yourself to watch or rewatch the original 1988 movie. For Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder), every day at Westerburg High School is hell. Even though she's part of the popular clique — with her three closest friends all called Heather — that still proves the case. Then brooding loner JD (Christian Slater) arrives at school, instantly shaking up the status quo. The result: murder, mayhem, teen angst and one incredibly acerbic, sharp and amusing satire. Heathers is available to stream via Kanopy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVsAixfCL4Q HOLY MOTORS Cinematic mind-benders don't get much better — or more strange, eccentric and surreal — than Leos Carax's Holy Motors. Following a man called Oscar (Denis Lavant) who rides around in a limousine, attends unusual appointments in various costumes and plays an array of different parts, it's the type of film that can't be neatly summarised. Indeed, as Oscar goes about his day, anything could happen. Sometimes, he's dressed up as a beggar in the Parisian streets. Later, he's an old man listening to Eva (Kylie Minogue) sing. As it hops between kaleidoscopic vignettes, Carax's vibrant film ponders and probes identity and individuality, all while serving up dazzling visuals, exuberant performances and constant surprises. Holy Motors is available to stream via SBS On Demand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9QrvLd2pbY RIVER OF GRASS Kelly Reichardt boasts quite the filmography. She explored the companionship only a pet can bring in Wendy and Lucy, delved into the western genre in Meek's Cutoff and contemplated eco-activism in Night Moves. Then, she brought Michelle Williams, Laura Dern and Kristen Stewart together for contemplative triptych Certain Women, and stepped back to 19th-century America for her stellar latest film First Cow. Before all that, though, Reichardt spun a story of social isolation and disconnection in the Florida suburbs, all thanks to her debut feature River of Grass. And as with every entry on the director's resume, this not-quite road movie couldn't feel more authentic or keenly observed. River of Grass is available to stream via Kanopy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzp2HP4gaJ0 PURPLE RAIN 'Purple Rain', the song, is one of Prince's all-time greats. Purple Rain, the album, ranks just as highly. And Purple Rain, the 1984 film, is exactly the kind of movie that a Prince-starring rock musical should be. Focusing on an aspiring musician trying to balance his troubled home life with his band and his girlfriend, the storyline is straightforward — but when you plonk a charismatic star like Prince in the middle of it, bathe the flick's frames in plenty of purple, and crank up the killer soundtrack, sparks fly. Given the narrative, the array of live concert scenes also work a treat. And while the sequel, 1990's Graffiti Bridge, doesn't reach the same heights, this is a mighty entertaining, toe-tapping way to spend 111 minutes. Purple Rain is available to stream via Tubi. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-_LxiRETWA THE CONVERSATION In 1974, Francis Ford Coppola directed a little film called The Godfather Part II. Yes, everyone has heard of it. But that was just one of his movies that year — and with zero scorn aimed towards the Oscar-winning crime flick, which is rightfully considered one of the best sequels ever made, The Conversation is actually even better. Winning the Cannes Film Festival's top gong, this Gene Hackman-starring thriller delves into a topic that's still very relevant today: the moral dilemma around surveillance. Hackman is fantastic as the film's conflicted protagonist, while Coppola crafts a tense, moody and brooding masterpiece. Keep an eye out for a young pre-Star Wars Harrison Ford, too. The Conversation is available to stream via SBS On Demand.
Did you wake up this morning with a pounding headache, a few Instagram selfies of you and a beardy blur that looks like Zach Galifianakis, and a strange number in your phone? Good news! Your horrible life decisions are actually not your fault at all — it's science! Or at least that's what we'll tactfully choose to deduct from the latest research out of Spain. Researchers at the University of Granada have recently published a study that scientifically proves the existence of beer goggles. Proving that the eye actually suffers a significant deterioration in optical quality after alcohol consumption, these boozing brainiacs figured out that ethanol from the alcohol you consume makes its way into your tear ducts and clouds the outermost layer of your tear film. This affects the quality of the image you see and, when drinking at night, it increases the perception of luminous circles — halos — around the objects you view. Giving an entirely new meaning to a certain Beyonce song, this new phenomenon manifests itself best at night and ends up looking a little something like this: Pouring various quantities of prize-winning Spanish wine into their 67 subjects — who knew science was so glamourous? — the researchers deducted that these halos were most prevalent in the volunteers whose breath alcohol limit exceeded the legal driving range of 0.25mg/litre. As if we needed more evidence that you shouldn't drive under the influence, this gives some physical proof to why drunk drivers are dangerous behind the wheel. But it also has important implications for your romantic life. Picture this: you're in a dim-lit underground bar with romantic candles perched around some snug booths and a dance floor. You've partaken in a certain 2-for-1 cocktail special and followed it up with a selection of shots named after 1950s movie stars (because, what can you say, you're classy like that). A man approaches, all bearded and stylish with an effortless Joaquin Phoenix-style strut. The music's too loud and you can't really hear what he says, but you feel somewhat compelled to mush your lips on his face, slip him your number, or some smooth combination of the two. With scientific fact in hand, maybe now you can think twice before trusting your Grey Goose-laden eyes. Via Science Daily. Photo credits: katie coleslaw via photopin cc and Juan Castro/University of Granada.
When Taika Waititi received an Oscar in 2020 for Jojo Rabbit, he became the first person of Maori descent to achieve that feat, as well as the first Indigenous person to be both nominated in and win the Best Adapted Screenplay category. When Meyne Wyatt won the 2020 Archibald Packing Room Prize for his self-portrait, he became the first Indigenous Australian to win any Archibald award across the competition's 99 years. Both Waititi and Wyatt deserve the acclaim and awards that have come their respective ways. But the fact their recent wins made history — more than nine decades after both the Oscars and the Archibalds were first created, too — demonstrates the ongoing lack of diversity in the arts. So, when NITV and Sydney Theatre Company decided to team up to make a three-part series exploring the topic, as well as other Indigenous issues in creative fields, the two must've been at the top of the guest list. The resulting show is called The Whole Table, and its first episode is available to stream now via SBS On Demand. The following two episodes will air at 8.30pm on Wednesday, January 27 and Wednesday, February 3 on NITV, and then stream online afterwards — and Waititi and Wyatt are in great company. The Sapphires, Top End Wedding and Redfern Now's Shari Sebbens is on hosting duties, while Sydney Festival artistic director Wesley Enoch, Black Comedy's Nakkiah Lui and Sydney Opera House's head of First Nations programming Rhoda Roberts sit on the show's panel. Joining them at the table each week is a lineup of guests, not only including Waititi and Wyatt, but also The Dry's Miranda Tapsell and musician Adam Briggs — all chatting about their experiences. Expect to hear spirited discussions that not only touch upon the arts in Australia and New Zealand, but also explore Indigenous involvement and representation worldwide — in the past, now and the possible future. The series forms part of SBS and NITV's 'Always Ways, Always Will Be' programming leading up to January 26 — such as its Australian Made TV collection, curated by Enoch, that's streaming on SBS On Demand as well. Check out the very brief trailer for The Whole Table below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FabOIRhNC0 The first episode of The Whole Table is available to stream now via SBS On Demand, with future episodes airing on Wednesdays at 8.30pm — and streaming online afterwards.
For two days each year, most of Brisbane heads to Musgrave Park to pretend that they're in the Mediterranean. And while the past few years have been interrupted by the pandemic and wet weather, Paniyiri will be back again in 2023 from Saturday, May 20–Sunday, May 21. Once again, the city's massive Greek festival will take over West End with quite the array of food, drink, partying and more. Yes, there's a reason that more than two million people have gone along over the years. Brisbanites can expect the usual array of Greek revelry — aka grapes to stomp, coffee to sip, olives to consume and plates to smash, plus TV stars to rub shoulders with and cooking demonstrations to watch. Food-wise, an array of stalls will serve up bites from different Greek regions, including an abundance of loukoumades, souvlaki, haloumi and barbecued calamari. If devouring as much as you can is your idea of fun, the festival's regular food contests usually keep stomachs satisfied. Then, to wash all of that down, there'll be Greek wine, Greek beer and Greek-inspired cocktails as well. Of course, it wouldn't be Paniyiri without entertainment. The full event program makes dancing a big feature, thanks to Greek Dancing with the Stars and the Hellenic dancers. In addition to celebrating all things Greek in Musgrave Park, Paniyiri also takes over The Greek Club — so, expect both venues to host one massive shindig.
Streaming service turned production house Netflix has announced its next big TV show project — and this time, it's animated. Voiced by Will Arnett of Arrested Development fame, BoJack Horseman is the lead in a new 12-part series of the same name. A former star of Horsin' Around — a '90s sitcom within the program — BoJack is galloping toward failure, dealing with alcoholism and is, er, a horse. Alongside Arnett is Strangers with Candy’s Amy Sedaris, playing Princess Caroline, BoJack’s ex-lover and agent who's also a cat, while none other than Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul plays his human buddy, Todd. And there's every chance Aaron will get to say 'bitch' just as much this time around, because BoJack Horseman is an adult animated series that's said to be darkly humorous. Netflix is surely hoping Bojack will continue their hit parade, following on from 2013's Arrested Development Season 4, House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black. LA-based studio Shadow Machine (Robot Chicken, Moral Orel) is behind the animation for the program that's set premiere in mid-2014. The design will come from acclaimed graphic artist Lisa Hanawalt. Discussion is already underway for a second season, which leaves us thinking this stallion of a program is pretty sure to be a runaway hit. Via Rolling Stone.
Your mates grabbed the snags, sauce, bread and all the extra trimmings for a successful Aussie barbecue. There's just one thing missing and it's up to you to supply it: the beer. There's quite a lot of pressure when you're tasked with bringing the booze. Do you go for the safe mainstream beer at the risk of looking painfully boring? Or do you grab the most expensive European craft beer you can find in the hopes you'll seem interesting (and clear out your bank account in the process)? The answer: find something that sits perfectly in the middle. We've teamed up with BWS to showcase a bunch of Aussie craft beers that will have both your VB-loving mates and your spent-two-years-abroad-in-Berlin buddies nodding along in approval. Cheers to being the favourite person at the party. PACIFIC ALE — STONE & WOOD Ah, Stone & Wood. It's the Hemsworth brother of the beer world — attractive, down-to-earth, Byron Bay-based, but (just quietly) incredibly successful. Australia can't seem to get enough of this brewery, with taps and bars popping up all over the country. And the go-to brew? That would be its Pacific Ale, which has been a mainstay on the GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beer List and recently nabbed top billing for the fourth time. Made with Australian barley, wheat and hops, it's a golden ale with a fruit-driven aroma. It's the ideal brew for a beer traditionalist (we're looking at you, dad) who is ready to dip their toe in the craft beer world. This beer isn't filtered so advise your novice drinking buddy to give the bottle a gentle roll before they open it to mix the settled yeast back in — and remind them that, yes, it is supposed to be a little cloudy. BIG HEAD NO CARB LAGER — BURLEIGH BREWING CO Craft beer often brings with it high levels of carbs and calories, so it's not a terrible idea to have a lighter option in the esky to help minimise the post-barbecue bloat. Well never fear, 'cause Big Head No Carb is here. This lager may have zero carbs — the first in Australia to do so — but it certainly doesn't lack flavour. This light, clean and dry brew is ideal on a hot day and will go well with any feed — and even your Tooheys-loving dad will like it. SINGLE FIN SUMMER ALE — GAGE ROADS BREWING CO Single Fin Summer Ale celebrates Australian summer in a bottle (or can). The beer is brewed near Gage Roads in Western Australia, the strip of ocean between Rottnest Island and Fremantle. So it makes sense that Gage Roads Brewing Co team makes beers with this beautiful and relaxing location in mind. Blow the froth off with this slightly bitter, clean and light-bodied brew at your next barbecue. PALE ALE — BLACK HOPS BREWERY Gold Coast-based Black Hops won Champion Small Brewery at the 2018 Australian International Beer Awards, and there'll be no wondering why when you try its sought-after hoppy Pale Ale. While it has a mix of five grains and five hops, the beer is uncomplicated and clean. It's light in colour but full in its hoppiness and tropical notes. The first beer Black Hops made available in cans, it's become a crowd favourite thanks to its straightforward but flavourful nature. TWISTED PALM TROPICAL PALE ALE — BURLEIGH TWISTED PALM Burleigh Brewing's Twisted Palm is as laid-back as an impromptu Sunday afternoon barbecue with your crew — so that's exactly the occasion to bring it to. Described as 'Burleigh in a bottle', this tropical pale ale will have you soaking up the salty sea breeze under a Burleigh Hill palm tree, metaphorically speaking of course. With hints of orange, mango and papaya, it's subtle and light and is a great accompaniment to a seafood feast. Did someone say barbecue on the beach? Update: Due to the current situation, we understand that throwing or attending parties may not be a possibility right now. But there's a silver lining — you can still order all of these drinks online to enjoy at home. Head to the BWS website to browse the full range.
While Queensland is miles away from the UK, this riverside Brissie pub encapsulates true Thames-side drinking. Established in 2002, the award-winning Pig 'N' Whistle Riverside is Brisbane's Home of Football, the go-to British pub for expats and sport-enthusiasts alike, particularly those looking to watch the UK/EU games live with a passionate crowd. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the Pig 'N' Whistle serves up substantial gastropub meals, including British specialities like steak and Guinness pie and yorkshire pudding with gravy, alongside modern Australian standards like parmigiana and schnitzel with chips. Located near the financial district, it's the perfect place for an after-work wind-down, with a wine list, cocktails and a well-stocked selection of international and craft brews. Images: Grace Smith.
Australia's hospitality scene continues to kick big goals when it comes to wining and dining; but of course, it's about much more than the food and the drink. Those venues have to look the part, too — and thanks to some talented local designers, stunning bars, eateries and hotels keep popping up on the regular. In fact, the cream of that crop has just been highlighted once again at the 2022 Eat Drink Design Awards. This year's pick of Australia's most stylish haunts were announced at a ceremony in North Melbourne, identifying a cast of beautiful spaces located right across the country. That said, Victoria reigned supreme among the list of finalists, with the state home to five out of the eight main award-winners. [caption id="attachment_877798" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Music Room by Earl Carter[/caption] Melbourne's latest certified stunners include Di Stasio's new Carlton outpost — a slick laneway venue by Hassell, which took out the title of Best Restaurant Design for its "flawless" fusion of the old and the new. Meanwhile, Dion Hall's vision for Music Room, located within HER, won the intimate space the award for Best Bar Design, applauded for its interactivity and considered detailing. Also in Melbourne, the work of Congrats Agency nabbed Rocco's Bologna Discoteca the title of Best Identity Design, while Baker Bleu Hawksburn (IF Architecture) and Pronto by Via Porta (Studio Esteta) shared the award for Best Retail Design. And, with 68 years under its belt, the legendary Pellegrini's — designed by Smith, Tracey, Lyon and Brock — was inducted into the Eat Drink Design Awards Hall of Fame. [caption id="attachment_854324" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ace Hotel[/caption] Best Cafe Design went to Brisbane Airport newcomer The Common, for its genre-bending Sullivan Skinner fitout; while Sydney's impressive new Ace Hotel — the first southern hemisphere outpost for the brand — was named Best Hotel Design courtesy of Flack Studio's minimalist yet warm interiors. Further afield, CO-AP's Adelaide Festival Pavilion commission The Summerhouse scored the title of Best Installation Design. The judging panel determining this year's awards was made up of some very familiar names in the hospitality and design space, including chef-restaurateur Shannon Bennett, March Studio Director Rodney Eggleston, Masterchef Australia's Melissa Leong, Fiona Lynch (founder of design studio Fiona Lynch Office) and Artichoke editor Cassie Hansen. [caption id="attachment_877794" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Common by David Chatfield[/caption] 2022 EAT DRINK DESIGN AWARD WINNERS: Best Bar Design: Music Room by Dion Hall (Melbourne, VIC) Best Restaurant Design: Di Stasio Carlton by Hassell (Carlton, VIC) Best Cafe Design: The Common by Sullivan Skinner (Brisbane Airport, QLD) Best Hotel Design: Ace Hotel Sydney by Flack Studio (Sydney, NSW) Best Installation Design: Adelaide Festival Pavilion — The Summerhouse by CO-AP (Adelaide, SA) Best Retail Design: Baker Bleu Hawksburn by IF Architecture (Prahran, VIC) and Pronto by Via Porta by Studio Esteta (Kew, VIC) Best Identity Design: Rocco's Bologna Discoteca by Congrats Agency (Fitzroy, VIC) Hall of Fame: Pellegrini's Espresso Bar (1954) by Smith, Tracey, Lyon and Brock (Melbourne VIC) [caption id="attachment_877801" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Baker Bleu by Sharyn Cairns[/caption] For the full list of winners and commendations at the 2022 Eat Drink Design Awards, head to the Eat Drink Design website. Top image: Di Stasio Carlton by Peter Bennetts.
Some cocktails sport names that just scream 80s, even if you weren't around then — or of drinking age at the time. What other decade could've loved a tipple called sex on the beach? Or, there's the Miami Vice, which does indeed share the moniker of a TV show of the era. And while it wasn't invented then, the mix of lemonade and beer that is the good ol' shandy sure did enjoy a mighty fine heyday back when shoulder pads were everywhere. With nostalgia for four decades back having quite the moment right now, of course some of the top drinks of the 80s are in the spotlight again as well. In fact, they're the beverages of honour at Brisbane's new disco-inspired cocktail pop-up The 86 Club, which'll make its debut in May to celebrate the period in question. This boozy addition to the River City's social scene actually takes its title from the hospitality term "86", which refers to something that's no longer available; however, it does a nice double duty with its nod to 80s as well. Bartenders and The 86 Club creators Andie Bulley, Blade Deegan, Liam Murphy and Martin McConnell definitely want you to revel in the decade — although, given that their new pop-up also takes its cues from disco, it's clearly gleaning inspiration from the 70s as well. [caption id="attachment_897131" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Max MacInnes (@__highlandermax)[/caption] The quartet have branched out from their jobs mixing drinks at Savile Row, The Gresham and Frog's Hollow Saloon, and are teaming up with brands such as Bacardi, Bombay Sapphire, Grey Goose, Patron, Marionette and Range Brewing on this side venture. The 86 Club will launch from 7pm till late on Sunday, May 7 at Black Bear Lodge, with entry free but wallets required to sip your way through five reimagined 80s cocktails — sex on the beach, Miami Vice and the shandy obviously among them. For a soundtrack, DJ collective QUIVR will be on the decks spinning house and disco tunes. And yes, dancing beneath the disco ball with a cocktail in your hand is firmly on the menu. [caption id="attachment_707293" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Black Bear Lodge[/caption]
Sandstone Point sits just adjacent to Bribie Island so, naturally, it has its own waterside hangout — and one that's well worth making the drive north of the CBD for. As should be expected in such a tourist-friendly locale — and at a spot with 300 metres of unobstructed water-frontage — the Sandstone Point Hotel is the kind of place that caters for everyone, whether you're after a meal or want to catch a gig. Since opening in 2015, it's also proven the kind of place where you can pretend you're on holidays — and who doesn't want to do that, too?
Black Friday sparks flight sales. Cyber Monday does, too. And when Boxing Day hits, everyone knows that cheap airfares are also a part of the occasion. Fancy a travel bargain in-between? Qantas is doing a pre-Christmas sale, so you can give the gift of getaways — including to yourself. There's 800,000-plus cheap seats on offer, spanning over 170 domestic routes, with flights to 17 destinations available for under $150 one way. The starting price: $109, which will get you either from Sydney to Byron Bay/Ballina or Melbourne to Launceston (and vice versa on each route). Flights from Brisbane to Proserpine on the Whitsunday Coast start at $115, while fares between the Gold Coast and Sydney kick off at $119. If you're keen to journey between Melbourne and Newcastle or Brisbane and Hervey Bay, flights start at $129. Specials on the Sydney–Brisbane route begin at $139, as do Cairns–Townsville and Coffs Harbour–Sydney legs. Other sale options include Melbourne–Hobart for $159, Brisbane–Hamilton Island from $179, Perth–Sydney from $309 and Darwin from both Sydney and Melbourne from $329. The list of destinations and departure points also spans Kangaroo Island, Mackay, Tamworth, Toowoomba, Albury, Port Macquarie, Wagga Wagga, Dubbo, Mildura, Broken Hill, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Whyalla, Longreach, Broome and more. [caption id="attachment_688401" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Vivonne Bar/SA Tourism Commission[/caption] You'll be able to travel between Monday, February, 3–Thursday, April 3 and Tuesday, April 29–Wednesday, June 25, ranging across summer, autumn and winter trips, although the specifics vary per destination — as always. If you're keen, you'll need to get in before 11.59pm AEDT on Thursday, December 12, 2024. And yes, the usual caveat applies: if fares sell out earlier, you'll miss out. Inclusions-wise, the sale covers fares with checked baggage, complimentary food and beverages, and wifi. [caption id="attachment_928567" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tasmania, Luke Tscharke[/caption] Qantas' 'The sale before Christmas' runs until 11.59pm AEDT on Thursday, December 12, 2024, or until sold out. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
If soaring down a snowy mountain is your idea of fun, then Switzerland's icy peaks have long been on your bucket list. And if you've always wanted to zip down the country's famous frosty alps but don't all have the coordination and dexterity to ski or snowboard — which is perfectly acceptable — then you can now enjoy the trip via train on one of the world's steepest railways. Opening in mid-December after a 14-year construction period — and 52 million Swiss francs (AU$68 million) in funds — the Stoos Bahn journeys from the town of Schwyz to the nearby village of Stoos, carrying 34 people at a time in less than five minutes. Replacing an older funicular railway, aka a cable-attached railway used near cliffs and on inclined surfaces, it not only spans a distance of 1738 metres, but a height difference of 744 metres. Overall, it boasts a maximum gradient of 110 percent. That makes the Stoos Bahn the steepest funicular railway in Europe, the steepest in the world that regularly ferries passengers and second on the planet overall. If you're wondering which other dizzy-inducing train track pips it for the top spot, that honour goes to an Australian tourist attraction. First created for mining purposes in 1878 and now operating as part of Katoomba Scenic World, the Katoomba Scenic Railway in the Blue Mountains holds the Guinness World Record for the steepest railway gradient, clocking in at 128 percent over its 310-metre expanse. Via Lonely Planet. Image: Stoos-Muotatal
Sydney has no shortage of history, both owned and borrowed, to learn about this summer. From the long cultural history of the First Nations custodians of the land to the colonial bones of Sydney's architecture to the modern-day melting pot of cultures and stories, every era leaves its mark. We've combed through the Harbour City and found some historical gems that deserve your attention, whether you're a local or a visitor, starting with a new and exciting opportunity that will only be in the city for a few months. RAMSES & THE GOLD OF THE PHARAOHS — THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM The Australian Museum is always a top choice for history in Sydney, and this exhibit running until May 2024 is unlike anything the museum has ever hosted before. Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs is a multi-sensory, immersive experience for all ages and is exclusive to the Australian Museum. The exhibition explores the life and reign of the late Ramses the Great, Egypt's second longest-reigning Pharaoh, and is comprised of over 180 objects, each dating back approximately 3000 years. Ramses II lived well into his 90s, old even for a monarch, and each object captures important details of the era and his life. Items on display include jewellery, ceramics, small mummified animals, royal masks, and even the actual sarcophagus that Ramses was entombed in in 1213 BC. You'll also find an optional multisensory VR experience that will transport you virtually to two of the era's most significant monuments, the tomb of Queen Nefertari and the temples of Abu Simbel. [caption id="attachment_923966" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] QUEENSCLIFF TUNNEL AND HOTEL STEYNE — MANLY Sydney's own history spreads well beyond the centre of the city, from bush to coast. On the coastal side of town is a suburb that is one of the most well-known to the culturally, coastally and historically inclined — Manly. On the north side of Manly Beach, on the border of Queenscliff, is the Queenscliff Tunnel. It could easily be dismissed as a detail in the rocky headland, but it is actually a manmade tunnel, supposedly carved in 1908 by local fishermen to act as a shortcut between Freshwater and Manly Beaches. It's open to visitors but on an elevated cliff face, so remain cautious. Back on flat ground is another historical highlight, Hotel Steyne. Originally built in 1859, the pub has been destroyed by two mysterious fires, but the current building dates back to 1923 and is one of the best pub feeds in Manly. ILLOURA RESERVE AND THE FENWICK — BALMAIN EAST Among some of the lesser-known harbourfront historical areas, specifically in Balmain East, is Illoura Reserve. Before the arrival of European settlers, the area was a swamp, only established in land purchases in the early 19th century as a part of a 222-hectare grant to colonial Surgeon Dr William Balmain. Seeing the connection? Since then, the area has been used as a harbourside industrial precinct and a tip. One building that has stood since the 1880s is The Fenwick. Originally a store for harbour tugboats, it evolved alongside Illoura Reserve and is now a stunning waterfront cafe and art gallery. The menu stars local and seasonal produce, and the second-floor gallery showcases a range of local and international artists, with everything available for purchase. [caption id="attachment_923971" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Tim Downey via Flickr[/caption] PADDINGTON RESERVE GARDENS — PADDINGTON Away from the harbour, in the inner east hub of Paddington, we find a historical site that holds great significance to the city. More than just a public park, these are the Paddington Reservoir Gardens. This was where most of Sydney's water was pumped from its construction in 1866 to its closure in 1899. In its prime, it had a hefty capacity of just over 9000 megalitres. Still, it was closed and repurposed into a storage yard until 1934, when it was partially converted into a service station. When the roof collapsed twice in the 1990s, the station was again closed. Following a major restoration, the site was reopened as a park in 2009, combining elements of its history with overland reserves that had been constructed prior. Now, it's known for its beautiful but eerie appearance, almost like post-industrial Roman undercity ruins, but on Oxford Street. [caption id="attachment_826667" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] CREMORNE RESERVE AND MACCALLUM POOL — CREMORNE POINT Across the city and harbour is the suburb of Cremorne, one of the most disputed shorelines of Sydney Harbour's history. Once a site of great significance to the Cammeraygal people, the land was acquired by Europeans in 1833. Over the following years, it would be a public amusement park, residential development, and even almost a coal mine in the early 1890s. Thankfully, the point and reserve are now protected as a heritage conservation area. One of the gems of the location is MacCallum Pool, a harbour swimming pool originally constructed by local residents. It was maintained by locals until hygiene concerns of harbour swimming prompted North Sydney Council to take over maintenance in 1930. Renamed to MacCallum in tribute to one of its most loyal civilian carers, Hugh J MacCallum, the council has since restored the pool and added decking, landscaping and fencing to secure the pool and its visitors. [caption id="attachment_827016" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Anna Kucera[/caption] FOUNDATION PARK, FORTUNE OF WAR AND THE DOSS HOUSE — THE ROCKS The Rocks precinct is synonymous with Sydney's history, being one of it's oldest and most iconic heritage precincts. One hidden detail, an unmarked alleyway off Argyle Terrace, is Foundation Park. At first glance, it looks like a collection of discarded furniture, but it's actually a living museum designed to recreate the space and feel of Sydney's oldest homes. The history of The Rocks extends to some of its extremely popular venues, such as Fortune of War and The Doss House. Fortune of War is regarded as Sydney's oldest pub, originally built by a former convict settler in 1828. The name comes from its regulars, sailors and soldiers who were leaving and arriving in Sydney for (or from) war. The Doss House is equally historic, a heritage-listed underground whiskey bar with rooms that pay tribute to the building's many past identities, from a bootmaker workshop to a cheap accommodation for the desperate and even an illegal opium den. [caption id="attachment_923973" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Ryan Frank via iStock[/caption] BADU MANGROVES AND HOMEBUSH BAY — HOMEBUSH When you think of Homebush, history and nature might not be the first thoughts that come to mind. But one of the best-kept secrets of Sydney can be found in Homebush. Badu Mangroves is a 56-hectare slice of wetland between Homebush Bay and Bicentennial Park. Overlooked for most of Sydney's history, this haven of local wildlife was choked by pollution for decades but is now thriving again thanks to a restoration program and can be explored via an elevated boardwalk. The mangroves, as mentioned, are adjacent to Homebush Bay, and from the boardwalk, you can spot the famous 'floating forest', the wreck of the SS Ayrfield. Originally built in 1911 and part of a fleet of cargo ships that ferried coal, oil and wartime supplies, it survived WWII but is now being slowly broken down by a mangrove forest. A small slice of history, forever locked in the waters of the Parramatta River. For more information on Ramses & The Gold of the Pharaohs, or to book tickets, visit the website. For more experiences in Sydney, keep exploring Concrete Playground.
A television tie-in certain to leave a bad taste in people's mouths both popped up and vanished this week — an incredibly ill-advised range of Handmaid's Tale-themed wines. Unsurprisingly, the idea of drinking vino named after a dystopian series about oppression wasn't really what fans of the show, or anyone, was after. Similarly unsurprisingly, turning a program about women being forced into servitude and made to bear children for society's leaders isn't the kind of thing that makes you think 'yes, this persecuted character that's fighting for survival against institutionalised exploitation needs to have a wine named after her'. Unveiled and then cancelled in the same week, Lot 18's 'Handmaid's Tale Trio' was comprised of a pack of two reds wines and one white wine named after three of the show's main figures. "The bold characters of The Handmaid's Tale are celebrated in these three collectible wines, specially crafted to highlight the personalities of Offred, Ofglen and Serena Joy," states the wine's now-defunct online listing. Offred was badged as a "smooth, earthy, and similarly seductive" French Pinot Noir, Ofglen a Cabernet Sauvignon that supposedly offered "a daring testament to the heights that Oregon Cabs can reach" and Serena Joy a sophisticated, traditional and austere" Bordeaux Blanc. First reported by People Magazine, the wines were swiftly scrapped after being made public. Adapting Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel into a television series might make for compelling viewing — and might even make viewers keen for a few soothing drinks while watching the grimly gripping show — but using its female characters for merchandising purposes is a badly thought-out move to say the very least. And, unlike Sydney's forthcoming Gilead development, it was a marketing tactic undertaken with full knowledge of the show, its content and its themes. In the case of the masterplanned New South Wales community that shares its name with The Handmaid's Tale's dystopian society, the term Gilead springs from the bible and has been used in Sydney for two centuries — even if now trying to promote a site with that moniker is incredibly unfortunate.
Frustrated, complacent or intrigued with the current state of Sydney's nighttime culture, following the NSW Government's controversial lockouts? For the last few years, Sydney has become somewhat of a cornerstone of debate around nighttime economies, how they work, how they and what could be done differently. But it's not the only city in the world with a story to tell, regarding nighttime culture. So, this November, Sydney will play host to a brand new international event focused entirely on what happens in cities after dark. Global Cities After Dark is a one-day forum where delegates from around the world will come together to discuss the future of nighttime culture and economy. It's an ambitious, timely collaboration between the Electronic Music Conference and experienced night culture expert Mirik Milan, Night Mayor of Amsterdam, who was EMC's keynote speaker in Sydney in November 2016. Because it's a significantly broad and polarising topic, the event will see a broad range of stakeholders, including city planners, local and state governments, cultural organisations, and the creative community. Night culture presents its own unique constraints, with questions such as public safety, access, service provision, infrastructure and urban planning all ready for the unpacking at Global Cities After Dark. "Being a part of Global Cities After Dark is like a dream come true, because by sharing ideas for a safe and vibrant nightlife, it empowers bottom up initiatives after dark that contribute and strengthen creative cities around the world," said Milan. "It will be one of the most innovative forums from a city planning perspective because global thought leaders will gather in Sydney to discuss what strategies can be put in place for creating liveable inclusive cities with high quality of life and culture for everyone." There'll be surprise guests from Berlin, Long, Amsterdam, Seattle and Ibiza, announced in September. They'll be specialists from various fields that are essential to positive nighttime culture — creative industries, gastronomy, health and safety, mobility and public transport, legislation, urban planning, art and music. Furthermore, the forum will return every year in November for the next three years and tickets will be by invite only. Register your interest for Global Cities After Dark, November 28, here. Further information to be released in September. Until then, learn how to build a nightlife-friendly city with night mayor Mirik Milan.
This lively local haunt, known affectionately as the Paddo, has survived Paddington's rapid gentrification, maintaining its distinctive down-to-earth character. It's also home to the Sit Down Comedy Club (est. 1992), Brisbane's best known comedy venue, with a changing weekly line-up. If you crave big screens and surround sound for your full-on sports viewing experience, the Main Bar has you covered. For those not content with spectator sports, there are four pool tables to feed your competitive spirit. Whether you fancy a cold one, a cocktail or a casual bite to eat, the Sync Bar is a bright 'n' breezy spot for hanging out. The Paddo has a few different menus for your perusal: a full one from 12pm, a 'quick lunch' menu, a late-night menu and the nightly comedy club menu. Settle in for some chips and a chuckle or ball games and beer because The Paddo's here to stay.
The Sunshine Coast may well be an area synonymous with stunning beaches, but you'll be pleasantly surprised to know it also boasts some beautiful inland waters as well. Enter Baroon Pocket Dam, a picturesque lake located between Montville and the nearby town of Maleny that offers beautiful picnic grounds, swimming and fishing, as well as plenty of local wildlife. We'd recommend renting a kayak for a few hours to explore the lake and its many surrounding tributaries. For more info, check out the website.
Eye. Aperture. Descender. Spine. A weird collection of words, but for a typographer (or a publication nerd like me) they make perfect sense together. Every letter of the alphabet can be split into components which can be moulded and shaped, cut and stretched to create unique typefaces. Having been exposed to so many for so long, we don't actually realise how much of an impact fonts have on our perception of the world around us. For those of us too busy to enrol in a graphic design course but still passionate about learning more there is Typography Insight. The iPad application allows you to get up close and personal, and thereby understand the amazing cratsmanship that goes into making ordinary letters into extraordinary fonts. The resource is encyclopedic in depth, You can be guided through font terminology, compare fonts, or just admire the intricacies that only a super close-up can offer. The designer Dong Yoon Park ask: "How can the cold and rigid design approach of many top-notch technologies be turned into warmer and friendlier interfaces?" https://youtube.com/watch?v=wkoX0pEwSCw [via Gizmodo]
UPDATE: APRIL 7, 2020 — Florence has teamed up with sister venue Felix to launch online store Felix for Goodness. It's selling products from the grocery section of Florence, including pantry and fridge staples like sourdough, eggs, curry pastes, oils, pasta, broths and wine, which can be delivered to your door each week. This neighbourhood cafe in Camp Hill does a mean congee. Take a seat inside the historic corner store and ask for a bowl of the comfort dish — slow-cooked brown rice with ginger, snow peas, sprouts and spiced cashews. The cooks sprinkle on some house kimchi and crispy shallots, too. If you're especially keen on all the extra goodness that an egg brings as well, you'll also find a soft-boiled turmeric version in your bowl. The cafe offers a seasonal menu with coffee locally roasted by Parallel Roasters.
Career-wise, the past decade has been kind to Australian filmmaker Warwick Thornton. It all started back in 2009, when he won the Cannes Film Festival's Camera d'Or — the award for best first feature — for the fantastic Samson and Delilah. Since then, he has explored ghost stories in The Dark Side, and opened the Sydney Film Festival with We Don't Need a Map, a documentary exploring the prominence of the Southern Cross in Australian culture. In 2017, he also directed one of the best, most blistering Australian westerns ever made, Sweet Country. And, more recently, he co-helmed the second six-part season of TV series Mystery Road — which premiered at this year's Berlin Film Festival before hitting screens Down Under. All that hustle and bustle has had an impact, however, as his next project explores. In The Beach, Thornton documents his own quest to step back from his busy life by living alone on an isolated stretch of sand by the shoreline — at Jilirr, on the Dampier Peninsula on the northwest coast of Western Australia. Thornton directs the exquisite-looking documentary, with his son — Robbie Hood and Finke: There and Back filmmaker Dylan River — shooting the entire series. As well as helming, Thornton obviously stars in the six-part series, too. And it's understandably a highly personal affair; "The Beach is one of the most important projects of my life. It's about my life. It is my life," the acclaimed director explains. Accordingly, when the documentary hits NITV, SBS and SBS On Demand on Friday, May 29 — airing on NITV and SBS simultaneously in one big block, and dropping on the broadcaster's streaming platform at the same time — it'll chronicle Thornton's efforts as he lives alone, endeavouring to follow in the footsteps of his ancestors, the Kaytetye people. Solely relying upon the land, he spends his days in scenic surroundings while hunting and gathering for food, with the docuseries observing unobtrusively as he attempts to transform his existence, connect to Country, and nourish both his body and spirit. As the just-released trailer shows, it makes for quite the striking viewing. And, given the current state of the world, immensely timely viewing too. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaMIcuVH83M All six episodes of The Beach will air on NITV and SBS on Friday, May 29, with the docuseries available to stream via SBS On Demand from the same time.
It has been more than a month since Australia's cinema screens stopped flickering, with the nation's picture palaces closing due to social-distancing requirements to help stop the spread of COVID-19. And while movie buffs can still get their film fix online — via the usual streaming options, as well as the big bunch of recent big-screen releases fast-tracked to digital — your tastebuds are probably hankering for some cinema-level snacks to go with your at-home-viewing. Thanks to Hoyts and UberEats, you can now get the cinema chain's popcorn and choc tops delivered to your door. On offer: four sizes of regular salted popcorn, five flavours of gourmet popcorn (including nacho and sea salt caramel) and five types of choc tops (vanilla, boysenberry, mint, cookies and cream, and salted caramel). You can also order a selection of chips, confectionary and drinks. And, if you really want to come as close as you can to recreating the out-of-the-house movie-going experience, you can get your snacks in combos. Three kinds are available, so you'd best decide whether you'd like Malteasers with your popcorn and choc top — and if you're planning to share. For a limited time, Hoyts is also giving away free choc tops — albeit with other purchases, so you will have to splash out some cash. Buy any salted or gourmet popcorn, and you'll score a choc top as well. Or, spend more than $30 in total, and you'll also nab a choc top for free. Delivery is available between 2–9.30pm each day, and you will need to live within the delivery zone of one of Hoyts' 34 physical sites in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. Hoyts' snack range is available via UberEats, with free choc tops on offer for a limited time with any salted or gourmet popcorn purchase, or any order over $30. To order, head to UberEats.
The Beta version of Google's long rumoured music service, Google Music, was released on Wednesday. The service lets you to upload your music collection directly to the service from CDs, iTunes or Windows Media Player, allowing you to access your music using any browser anywhere. Utilising Cloud technology, the service allows much simpler devices to run at much more complicated levels of output by an outsourcing of technology requirements, in this case memory storage. Although very similar to the recently released Amazon Cloud service, the Google variant is a lot easier to use, with the user interface simplified drastically and the typeface very similar to the older Google applications. Although free and accessible, the program is still within the testing phase, with early reports suggesting annoying long load times when starting the program and uploading music. Although not the first of its kind, simply being equipped with the Google brand will ensure this program gets a lot more attention, deserved or not. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZrNhKcxBbZo [Via Mashable]
On his first-ever trip Down Under, on a tour that'll see him become the first Latin act to headline stadiums globally, one gig was never going to be enough for Bad Bunny in Australia. Accordingly, before general tickets for that already-announced show go on sale, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio has locked in a second Aussie concert due to presale demand — also in Sydney. Bad Bunny has won three Grammys and 11 Latin Grammys, starred in Bullet Train and hosted Saturday Night Live, among plenty of other achievements; however, he hasn't hit the stage in Australia — yet. By the time that summer 2025–26 is out, he'll tick a trip Down Under off of his list, with his DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS world tour now including two shows in the Harbour City. ENGIE Stadium in the New South Wales capital is set to play host to Bad Bunny on both Saturday, February 28 and Sunday, March 1. He's playing the New South Wales capital in-between dates in Brazil and Japan, two other countries where the 'Mia', 'Callaíta', 'Qué Pretendes' and 'Vete' singer will perform live for the first time ever. Also on his itinerary: Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Japan, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom, France, Sweden, Poland, Italy and Belgium, all between November 2025–July 2026 so far. His DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS-themed jaunt around the world is named for his latest album, which released in January this year and spent three weeks in a row atop the Billboard 200 chart. The Puerto Rican superstar's global tour will follow his upcoming No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí gigs, a 30-date residency at José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in his homeland, which has sold over 400,000 tickets. Before that, he toured North America in 2024, and both North and Latin America in 2022. His DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS shows will take him to Europe for the first time since his 2019 X 100pre tour. On the charts, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, his sixth album, has kept garnering love — also sitting in the Billboard 200 top ten for 13 weeks, taking the number-one slot on Billboard's Latin Albums chart for 16 consecutive weeks and helping him become the first-ever Latin artist with 100 Billboard Hot 100 entries. Prior to both his No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí residency and DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS world tour, Bad Bunny also has another date with SNL, this time as the musical guest on the season 50 finale that's being hosted by Scarlett Johansson (Fly Me to the Moon). Bad Bunny DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS World Tour 2026 Australian Tour Saturday, February 28–Sunday, March 1 — ENGIE Stadium, Sydney Bad Bunny is playing ENGIE Stadium in Sydney in February and March, 2026. General ticket sales start at from 11am on Friday, May 9, 2025 —head to the tour website for more details.
Our team of editors have curated a Hobart getaway package for Concrete Playground Trips, taking guests on an exclusive tour of Tassie's art, wine and culture scene. This trip covers your Hobart essentials, but then we've stepped things up a notch for you. Take a scenic flight over the iconic Wineglass Bay, get the 'posh-as' MONA experience (with a long, boozy lunch included), and squeeze in a series of wine tastings across the region. Plus, all the organising has been done in advance. No need to scour the internet for the best accom (the trip includes a four-night stay at the fantastic Henry Jones Art Hotel), book cabs or create an itinerary of your own. We've done it all for you. But we also know how important it is to keep holiday plans flexible — that's why there's no formalised itinerary for this trip. Instead, you can lock in the below included experiences at a time that suits you. MONA ON A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL If you haven't heard of MONA, you've been living under a rock. This art institution is a can't-miss Hobart experience. And this package doesn't just give you a ticket to the galleries and grounds. Booking through Concrete Playground Trips gives you a ferry ride to MONA and a private guided tour and wine tasting at their Moorilla winery. Then you'll enjoy an excellent two-course lunch that comes with even more locally produced wine, plus a bottle of Moorilla's Muse to take back to your hotel. If you're going to visit MONA, do it this way. WINEGLASS AND WILDLIFE TOUR On another day, guests take to the skies over Wineglass Bay. During a 45-minute flight, you'll soar further above Freycinet National Park, home to dramatic pink granite mountains, secluded bays, crystal clear waters and pristine white beaches. Leaving the peninsula, you'll fly over the seal colony of Ile Des Phoques and continue towards Maria Island, where you'll touch down to explore the island on foot. Known for its abundance of wildlife, Hobart's Maria Island is home to rare and endangered species like the swift parrot and Cape Barren goose, wombats, kangaroos and of course, the Tassie Devil. We even manage to squeeze a decadent seafood and vino lunch into the day – bring on all the local oysters! ACCOMMODATION We have the hotel picked out for you too. The Henry Jones Art Hotel will be your home for four nights, giving you somewhere historic and calming to rest your head. The jam warehouse turned dedicated arts hotel comes with in-house restaurants and cocktail bars serving up innovative feasts and cocktails from Tasmania's best seasonal produce. [caption id="attachment_865273" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Tourism Tasmania[/caption] Luxe amenities and foodie delights aside, what's most intriguing about a stay at The Henry Jones Art Hotel is the unique opportunity it poses to stay inside a – very comfortable, very cosy – art gallery, essentially. Some 400 artworks (most by emerging Tassie artists) adorn hallways, guest rooms and public spaces here, and you might just spot an artist in residency toiling away on their masterpiece in the lobby. Need further inspiration? Read our Long Weekender's Guide to Hobart and travel further afield to get a taste of all things Tassie with our extensive guide to the best of Tassie's fantastic food, produce and culinary culture. Book tickets to this exclusive getaway through the Concrete Playground Trips website. Main image credit: Tourism Tasmania & Rob Burnett
When a film bears the name American Sniper – and the memoir it adapts includes The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in US Military History in its title – certain things are unsurprising. To judge a movie by its moniker and a book by its cover, patriotism is expected, as are ample scenes seen through the crosshairs of a riflescope. Clint Eastwood’s latest feature delivers both. The true tale inspiring jingoistic fervour is that of Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper), a Texan rodeo cowboy turned Navy SEAL. In four tours of Iraq post-9/11, he was credited with 160 confirmed kills. His fellow soldiers anointed him with the nickname 'Legend', continually proffering their thanks and idolatry. With each deployment, the worries of his wife, Taya (Sienna Miller), grew, as did the distance in their marriage. As the man who played Dirty Harry, Eastwood is no stranger to portrayals of men steeped in violence, or to positioning their deeds as those of necessity. Symbolism torn from many a western and war movie included, he takes to the story with passion and without subtlety. With his protagonist pledging allegiance to “God, country and family”, in that order, he paints Kyle as a hero, and shapes the feature as a tribute. Treading the fine line between condoning certain actions and representing reality is a tricky task, and one Eastwood’s feature does show signs of struggling with. Only slivers are glimpsed of a more complex and conflicted train of thought than the feature’s primary narrative. Shadows of martial discontent flicker over supporting characters, but the enemy is not within, in American Sniper's case, as an insurgent enemy sniper threatens the unit. It's a dramatic tension that's technically well-executed but thematically questionable. Similarly, Kyle’s difficulties on the home front are tinged with the weight his work bears on his conscience, explained as regret over the lives he couldn’t save, rather than any troubles with what he did and saw. And then there's the Iraqi problem. Whenever the viewpoint of the other side threatens to interject, such as with the plight of a local family forced to inform against a villain, empathy is absent. American Sniper presents one perspective only, so the occupied people of Iraq remain strangers. While Eastwood’s Flags of Our Fathers did the same, here there’s no Letters from Iwo Jima to offer balance. Performance-wise, the duty-bound feature isn’t helped by Cooper’s lead turn, even if an Academy Award nomination seems to indicate otherwise. He looks the part, complete with a hulking swagger and an aversion to his usual charm, but his rendering of Kyle is as one-note as the bulk of the storyline. Similarly, Miller plays the stereotypical neglected wife in a paint-by-numbers performance. Of course, countless films – war and otherwise – spin one-sided yarns of good-versus-evil and even do so well; however, American Sniper is never anything less than uneasy. The sand-swept action that clouds the frame, the unwavering conviction and the sentiment of the ending are predictably blatant and sometimes brutal – and so is the accompanying discomfort.
Coachella's first 2023 weekend brought a heap of highs, including for folks livestreaming at home from around the world. Bad Bunny, BLACKPINK, the late addition of blink-182, a typically stunning set from electronic music legends The Chemical Brothers, none other than Blondie taking to the stage: they're just some of the week-one standouts. Now, it's time to do it all over again as week later, as the Indio, California music festival always does. This year, the event is streaming six stages across both weekends, and it has just dropped its set times after a tumultuous few days. First, the bad news: Frank Ocean is off the bill, dropping out after Coachella's first weekend. That said, everyone beaming in from their couches didn't see his week-one set either because it wasn't livestreamed. Neither was fellow high-profile star Björk's time in the desert. Now, the good news: blink-182 have moved to the Coachella stage to replace Ocean on Sunday, April 23's bill (which is Monday, April 24 Down Under), and there's a TBA slot after them. Variety is reporting that that time will be filled by Skrillex, Fred again.. and Four Tet, and the festival has also named the trio on Instagram — and noted they'll pop on the evening of Sunday, April 23 (again, Monday, 24 Down Under). View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coachella (@coachella) Whoever else ends up on the lineup as a late addition, you'll be able to make shapes at home while pretending you're at the real thing at the Empire Polo Club across Saturday, April 22–Monday, April 24 Australian and New Zealand time. Like last week, Bad Bunny is headlining the first night and BLACKPINK is doing the second, with The Chemical Brothers, Gorillaz, Blondie, Kaytranada, Pusha T and Idris Elba still on day one as well — and Calvin Harris, The Kid LAROI, ROSALÍA, Charlie XCX, boygenius, The Breeders and Underworld on day two. And on day three, there's Björk, Fisher, Porter Robinson, Gordo and Weyes Blood. Obviously, across the whole weekend there's more where they came from. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coachella (@coachella) Coachella has been teaming up with YouTube for 11 years now. Earlier in 2023, the fest announced that it has locked in that arrangement till 2026. In-between this year's sets, YouTube will fill its feeds with more on-the-ground coverage, so you'll be able to scope out the art and installations around the fest, head behind the scenes, see how the acts get partying before the hit the stage and more. Bookmark Coachella's YouTube channel ASAP — or hit it up below: Coachella's second weekend runs across April 21–23 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. To watch the livestream, head to YouTube from 9am AEST on Saturday, April 22 Down Under.
Does Tom Cruise (Top Gun: Maverick) only have one more mission left in him? The title for the eighth Mission: Impossible film might just point in that direction. Viewers won't know until the movie hits cinemas in 2025, but the flick that was initially called Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two is now named Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning. Your mission, should you choose to accept it: spending until May wondering if audiences are about to see the last of Ethan Hunt. It was back in 2023 when Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One hit cinemas and left viewers wanting more, by design: when it wrapped up its 163 minutes of espionage antics, everyone already knew that a second part was on its way. Originally, the latter was meant to arrive in June 2024, less than a year after the first film. But amid Hollywood's strikes last year, the film was pushed back almost 12 months. Its release date Down Under: Thursday, May 22, 2025. It was also rumoured at the time that the movie would get a new moniker, so The Final Reckoning isn't a surprise in that regard. But the 'final' part of the title — and a just-dropped trailer that focuses on how every step leads you down a specific path, complete with the tagline "every choice has led to this" — wasn't as expected. "I need you to trust me one last time," Cruise also utters. The film's first teaser trailer traverses everywhere from snow and sky-high heights to under the sea and frozen in ice — and, as always, features plenty of Cruise running. Story details are sparse, however, but of course the film's star is seen hanging off of a plane. Viewers can expect world-hopping intrigue, explosions, chases and fights, though, as regularly occurs when Ethan Hunt and his Impossible Missions Force team return. Also back: a cast including Simon Pegg (The Boys), Ving Rhames (The Wild Robot) and Hayley Atwell (Heartstopper), Vanessa Kirby (Napoleon), Esai Morales (Crescent City), Pom Klementieff (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), Henry Czerny (Zombie Town), Angela Bassett (9-1-1) and Shea Whigham (Lawmen: Bass Reeves) — and, behind the camera, director Christopher McQuarrie helms again after doing the same on Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation, Mission: Impossible — Fallout and Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One. On-screen, Holt McCallany (The Lincoln Lawyer), Janet McTeer (The Old Man), Nick Offerman (Civil War) and Hannah Waddingham (The Fall Guy) feature as well. Check out the first teaser trailer for Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning below: Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning will release in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Read our review of Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One. Images: Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
"So, how long have you been dead?" If you're a vampire being interviewed, that's the kind of opening question that's bound to come your way. More queries obviously have to follow, but it's a helluva ice-breaker — and, in the new Interview with a Vampire TV series, it's slung Louis de Pointe du Lac's way. Set to arrive in October — in Australia via AMC+ from Sunday, October 2, with New Zealand details still to be announced — this new small-screen adaptation of Anne Rice's 1976 gothic horror novel of the same name sparks plenty of questions itself, too. No, Brad Pitt doesn't play Louis, as he did almost 30 years ago in the 1994 movie. No, Tom Cruise doesn't play fellow vamp Lestat de Lioncourt again either. And you can guess the answers to your next two queries: no, Kirsten Dunst isn't back as Claudia, and neither is Christian Slater as the interviewer. All those characters feature here, though, with the Interview with a Vampire series retelling Louis, Lestat and Claudia's tale. If you remember the flick — the film that helped push Dunst to fame as a child, well before she was an Oscar-nominee for The Power of the Dog — you'll know that it steps through the undead trio's not-quite-lives (being eternally undead might be the better way to describe it). This time, Jacob Anderson — aka Game of Thrones' Grey Worm — is the New Orleans resident who can't resist the offer to live forever. Playing Lestat to his Louis is Australian actor Sam Reid (The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson). As for child vampire Claudia, Bailey Bass (Psycho Sweet 16) does the honours, with the always-welcome Eric Bogosian (Succession) as probing interviewer Daniel Molloy. Like plenty of other upcoming movies and TV shows did — such as The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power, House of the Dragon, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, John Wick: Chapter 4 and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — Interview with the Vampire dropped its first sneak peek at this year's San Diego Comic-Con. With Louis' story starting in the 1900s, it's big on period details and costuming, plus a sweeping mood. And yes, reviving 90s movies as a series is a trend that shows no signs of dying — like interviewed vampires — given that Interview with the Vampire will hit streaming queues less than two months after the new TV version of A League of Their Own does the same. Also, Interview with the Vampire joins the film-to-TV vampire ranks, too, alongside Buffy the Vampire Slayer and What We Do in the Shadows. Check out the Interview with the Vampire trailer below: Interview with the Vampire will start streaming in Australia viaAMC+ from Sunday, October 2. We'll update you with New Zealand details when they become available. Images: Alfonso Bresciani/AMC.
Oh bother indeed: Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, the slasher take on AA Milne's honey-loving, walking-and-talking teddy bear, has gotten its sticky mitts on the award that no film wants to win. Each year for the past 44 years, the Golden Raspberry Awards has named the worst movie of the past 12 months. 2023's pick is this horror twist on a childhood favourite, which attracted gongs like flies to, yes, honey. Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey was nominated in five Razzie categories. It won all five. So, according to the accolades that recognise that not all movies are great, good or even particularly watchable, it's the Worst Picture of 2023, as well as the Worst Remake, Ripoff or Sequel. And, it's home to the Worst Director, Worst Screenplay and Worst Screen Couple — the latter for Pooh and Piglet "as blood-thirsty slasher/killers". The film won big at the Razzies in the same month that sequel Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 will release in Australian cinemas, arriving on Thursday, March 28 — just over a year after the first film. The Razzies only gave gongs to four 2023 movies thanks to Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey sweeping every field that it was in. Expend4bles, which picked up the most nominations with seven, won both Worst Supporting Actor and Worst Supporting Actress. Sylvester Stallone received the former and Megan Fox the latter. Fox was a two-time winner herself, also collecting Worst Actress for Johnny & Clyde, which is about serial killers being chased by a demon after they try to rob a casino. Best Actor went to Jon Voight for Mercy, which has just as likely a premise: a battle against the Irish mafia when they take control of a hospital. Always timed to arrive in the leadup to the Oscars, which take place on Monday, March 11 in Australia and New Zealand, the Razzies chose this year's worst of the worst from a heap of other movies, with plenty of big-name flicks in contention but going home empty-handed — happily, presumably. They include The Exorcist: Believer, Meg 2: The Trench, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Fast X, Magic Mike's Last Dance, Ant Man & the Wasp: Quantumania and Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny. The Razzies also give out the Razzie Redeemer Award, recognising someone who was nominated for one of its trophies in the past but is in a far better situation now. This year's winner is Fran Drescher, who was a nominee in 1998, and now the current SAG/AFTRA President. The accolades awarded her "for her brilliant shepherding of the actors' guild through a prolonged 2023 strike with a successful conclusion". Check out the full list of Razzie winners and nominees below: Golden Raspberry Winners and Nominees 2023: Worst Picture: The Exorcist: Believer Expend4bles Meg 2: The Trench Shazam! Fury of the Gods Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey — WINNER Worst Actor: Russell Crowe, The Pope's Exorcist Vin Diesel, Fast X Chris Evans, Ghosted Jason Statham, Meg 2: The Trench Jon Voight, Mercy — WINNER Worst Actress: Ana de Armas, Ghosted Megan Fox, Johnny & Clyde — WINNER Salma Hayek, Magic Mike's Last Dance Jennifer Lopez, The Mother Helen Mirren, Shazam! Fury of the Gods Worst Supporting Actor: Michael Douglas, Ant Man & the Wasp: Quantumania Mel Gibson, Confidential Informant Bill Murray, Ant Man & the Wasp: Quantumania Franco Nero (as The Pope), The Pope's Exorcist Sylvester Stallone, Expend4ables — WINNER Worst Supporting Actress: Kim Cattrall, About My Father Megan Fox, Expend4bles — WINNER Bai Ling, Johnny & Clyde Lucy Liu, Shazam! Fury of the Gods Mary Stuart Masterson, Five Nights at Freddy's Worst Screen Couple: Any two "merciless mercenaries", Expend4bles Any two money-grubbing investors who donated to the $400 million for remake rights to The Exorcist Ana de Armas and Chris Evans (who flunked screen chemistry), Ghosted Salma Hayek and Channing Tatum, Magic Mike's Last Dance Pooh and Piglet as blood-thirsty slasher/killers in Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey — WINNER Worst Director: Rhys Frake-Waterfield, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey — WINNER David Gordon Green, The Exorcist: Believer Peyton Reed, Ant Man & the Wasp: Quantumania Scott Waugh, Expend4bles Ben Wheatley, Meg 2: The Trench Worst Remake, Ripoff or Sequel: Ant Man & The Wasp: Quantumania The Exorcist: Believer Expend4bles Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey — WINNER Worst Screenplay: The Exorcist: Believer Expend4bles Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Shazam! Fury of the Gods Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood & Honey — WINNER Razzie Redeemer Award: 1998 nominee and current SAG/AFTRA President Fran Drescher, for her brilliant shepherding of the actors' guild through a prolonged 2023 strike with a successful conclusion. The 2024 Golden Raspberry Awards were announced on Saturday, March 9, Australian and New Zealand time. For further details, head to the awards' website.
Hong Kong is almost close enough (an eight-hour plane trip) to justify a long weekend away. Doing it cheap isn't easy, and what would particularly be the point? As one of the world's most expensive cities, especially for hotels, it's all about bling. Eating out can be more affordable than the top end of Australian restaurants, with obviously superior Cantonese dining options, but drinking in the hipper bars will set you back $10 a beer. If you want cheap, go to Thailand. If you want style, go to Hong Kong. The main socialising districts are Hong Kong Island, traditionally where it's all happening, and Kowloon across the harbour, its less glamorous cousin, although that's changing. Italian and French dining is in vogue at the moment, with Caprice and Pierre the top-dollar and high-rise favourites. Further down the cheap food chain are the Canto picks. The Chairman and Fook Lam Moon offer traditional Chinese cooking with a modern flair, rejecting the MSG of the local diners. The owner of The Chairman, Danny Yip, owns three Chairman restaurants in Canberra and prides himself on an organic approach to crab and dumpling feasts. Spring Moon is an upmarket 1920s-style teahouse bang in the middle of a five-star hotel, with ornate surroundings. If you want more exclusive surroundings, Yard Bird does take bookings and is the hot new place to be seen by local celebrities. Drinking is synonymous with views of the harbour, with most bars perched on top of swish hotels. Among the most popular are Hutong, which is a faux traditional restaurant with an indoor mezzanine bar above the private dining rooms and red lanterns overlooking the skyscapers of Hong Kong Island. For outdoor boozing, head to Eyebar (level 30, 63 Nathan Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon) for a vertigo-inducing vista, Ozone, apparently the highest bar in the world, or Sugar in the East hotel. More down-to-earth reveling can be found at the Kee Club, a members-only den with private rooms decorated like libraries and it hosts open club nights on the weekend. It's near Lan Kwai Fong, the main drinking area for visiting drunkards, which is open to the early hours and home to all-night clubs. It's not particularly cheap, but Hong Kong does offer expensive memories.
With free trams, great coffee, even better bearded men and now a potential smoking ban, Melbourne's really upping the stakes in its claim to become Australia's most progressive city. Melbourne City Council have today announced plans to make the CBD completely smoke-free by 2016. This would make Melbourne the first city in the world to implement such comprehensive measures. Of course, it would also make us home to the most disgruntled business types — sitting forlornly on a milk crate on Degraves just won't look the same if you don't have a durry in hand. This news comes after a successful bid to make The Causeway — one of the cheeky laneways between Bourke and Little Collins — smoke-free, alongside six similar bans."I think there's overwhelming support to progress smoke-free areas given the great success we had with The Causeway," city councillor Richard Foster told Fairfax Radio this morning. "I think we're going to actually attract people to Melbourne by being one of the first in the world to go smoke-free." Though Cr Foster maintains he has majority support on the idea, not all politicians are on board. Premier Denis Napthine strongly opposes the proposition, deeming it "totally unworkable" and "totally unreasonable". Similar disdain can also be heard from the city's street traders. After all, smokers still flock to outdoor seating in our city's cafes for the iconic coffee and cigarette combo. In its current imagining the plan would ban smoking for both pedestrians and footpath diners in the areas between Flinders Street, Spencer Street, Spring Street and Queen Victoria Market; though there would be designated smoking areas most likely in the form of shelters. Smokers seen breaking the ban would be met with on-the-spot fines, though the prohibition would be understandably difficult to police. The plan is similar to that which has recently been implemented in our inner-city universities. Both RMIT and the University of Melbourne are currently smoke-free and offer rather meagre designated areas for insistent smokers. The issue was debated widely by students as both a move towards a safer and healthier environment and an infringement on smokers' civil liberties. Of course, should the issue be taken city-wide the debate would only intensify. So far, public reaction on social media has been fairly positive. Even Lord Mayor Robert Doyle is on board so long as the changes are "incremental". If there's ever been a time to quit, this is probably it. Life as a smoker is getting more and more outlawed by the day. Via The Australian. Photo credit: Orin Zebest.
Living through bushfires, drought, a pandemic and economic depression — sounds familiar, right? Australian impressionist painter Arthur Streeton might have lived a hundred years ago, but his worldview was impacted by all-too-familiar cycles of environmental, economic and political upheaval. If you don't know much about Streeton, you'll have the opportunity to get to know one of Australia's most loved landscape painters through 150 of his works — including some that haven't been shown since the 1920s — in a new retrospective exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Head curator of Australian art Wayne Tunnicliffe took a deep dive into the Gallery's collection to uncover not only the beloved paintings hanging on the Gallery's walls, but also works within the collection that have been stored away for over 100 years. Born in 1867, Streeton's art practice evolved over six decades. Within the exhibition, you'll see that evolution and an enduring passion for Australia's natural beauty; there are his sun-drenched landscapes from the 1880s, bright, joyful depictions of Sydney Harbour from the 1890s and his bucolic paintings of the 1920s and 30s. [caption id="attachment_784956" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Arthur Streeton, 'From McMahon's Point — fare one penny' (1890), National Gallery of Australia, Canberra[/caption] He painted familiar, and often beautiful, locations in New South Wales, from Coogee and Manly beaches to the Blue Mountains and upper Hawkesbury River. His skill at capturing light, land and sea contributed to Australia's take on impressionism. His peers — artists Tom Roberts and Charles Conder — were part of a new art movement, the Heidelberg School, that was a distinctly Australian take on the global art movement. The exhibition, which runs from November 7–February 14, will feature 150 works from both public and private collections — including paintings, drawings and watercolours. It's the most significant retrospective of Streeton's art ever presented, and includes works from the artist's time in Egypt, England, Italy and in France during the second world war. As well as his final works, which show Streeton's increasing focus on environmental concerns — on his return to Australia, Streeton became more vocal about conservation and exhibiting works showing our destruction to the natural world. Tickets to 'Streeton' cost $22 and you can buy timed-entry tickets online now. If you have already purchased untimed and undated tickets for 'Streeton', your tickets will be honoured for any date and time until February 14, 2021, excluding opening weekend. For $35, you can upgrade to a Gallery Pass, which gives you access to 'Streeton' and the 'Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes 2020'. Top images: 1. Arthur Streeton, 'Early summer – gorse in bloom' (1888), Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Gift of Mrs Andrew Tennant through the Art Gallery of South Australia Foundation 1982. 2. Arthur Streeton, 'The Land of the Golden Fleece' (1926). Private collection, Sydney. Photo: Jenni Carter, AGNSW.
After hosting a sellout weekender in 2024 to celebrate its 15th birthday, Strawberry Fields is turning sweet 16 in 2025 with another three-day festival filled with impressive acts hitting the decks and the stage, all on the banks of the Murray River. When you're not catching Detroit Love featuring Carl Craig and Moodymann, Gilles Peterson, Chaos in the CBD and Interplanetary Criminal at Tocumwal in regional New South Wales this November, you'll be seeing Tommy Holohan, Malugi, Lady Shaka and ISAbella. They're a mere few of the 80-plus DJs and live acts on the lineup. Other names on the bill across Friday, November 21–Sunday, November 23 include KOKOROKO, WITCH, and Circle of Live featuring Albrecht La'Brooy, Move D and Sebastian Mullaert — plus Dita, Wax'o Paradiso and Horse Meat Disco. Or, for more than three hours, Mama Snake, DJ Scorpion and Andy Garvey will play B3B. Aurora Halal, DJ Sweet6teen, Fafi Abdel Nour, DJ PGZ B2B Yikes and Karen Nyame KG are on the roster, too. Strawberry Fields is among the Australian music festivals that aren't just about who's providing the soundtrack, even though it clearly doesn't skimp on talent. This fest boasts a setup and setting worth spending a weekend enjoying no matter which acts are on the bill, with its location is a hefty drawcard all by itself. Having multiple stages pumping out tunes in leafy surroundings, and also a bush spa for a soak between sets, will do that. Folks lucky enough to nab a ticket can look forward to epsom salt baths, plunge pool sessions and sauna trips, then, plus hanging out in the festival's Mirage Motel space again, and hitting up an expanded range of workshops and talks — alongside onsite glamping and camping. Strawberry Fields 2025 Lineup DJ Afrodisiac Anu Aurora Halal Ayebatonye Baby J Bella Claxton Chaos In The Cbd Dameeeela Detroit Love (featuring Carl Craig and Moodymann) Dita DJ Friday B2B Sweetie Zamora DJ Pgz B2B Yikes DJ Sure DJ Sweet6teen Fafi Abdel Nour Gene On Earth Gilles Peterson Horse Meat Disco Interplanetary Criminal ISAbella Jenny Cara Josh Caffé Karen Nyame Kg Kirollus Kuzco B2B Quicksticks Kyle Hall Lady Shaka Malugi Mama Snake B3B DJ Scorpion B3B Andy Garvey Mazzacles Messie Mismeg Move D Myles Mac B2B DJ Possum Naycab Neptunes Trident Poli Pearl Regularfantasy Roka Sampology B2B Frank Booker Slothboogie Super Flu THC Tommy Holohan Toni Yotzi Vanna Wax'o Paradiso Wolters B2B Ned Bennett Zalina Live Asanti Beats Becca Hatch Bumpy Circle of Live (featuring Albrecht La Brooy, Move D, Sebastian Mullaert) Close Counters Corto.Alto D.D. Mirage Devaura Drifting Clouds Drmngnow / Bricky B Ella Haber Ella Thompson Empress Ferrari Party Flewnt Inkabee Jerome Thomas Juman Kokoroko Mathew Jonson Minyerra Moontide No News Rodriguez Jr. Serebii The Pro-Teens (MF Doom Tribute) Waari Wilson Tanner Witch Wrong Way Up Xpress Point Images: Duncographic / Will Hamilton-Coates / Max Roux.
What's getting its projectors rolling with Saturday Night's journey behind the scenes of a TV premiere that changed comedy history? What is wrapping up with a portrait of tennis star Jelena Dokic, too? And, in-between, what's playing everything from Selena Gomez's latest big-screen role to a music biopic made with Lego — plus pioneering Australian animation, First Nations' horror, Cate Blanchett navigating a global crisis and more. That'd be the Brisbane International Film Festival for 2024. Also on the lineup: Anora, the latest feature from Tangerine, The Florida Project and Red Rocket filmmaker Sean Baker, which won the Palme d'Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival; the Amy Adams (Dear Evan Hansen)-starring Nightbitch, featuring a canine twist; Riley Keough (Daisy Jones & the Six) and Jesse Eisenberg (Fleishman Is in Trouble) playing a sasquatch family in Sasquatch Sunset; Aussie horror The Red, which is quite the kangaroo story; and the female Iranian judo athlete-focused Tatami. And, straight from Venice, BIFF is playing Golden Lion-winner The Room Next Door, aka the newest movie from Spanish auteur Pedro Almodóvar (Parallel Mothers, Pain and Glory) and his English-language feature debut, with Tilda Swinton (Fantasmas), Julianne Moore (May December) and John Turturro (Mr & Mrs Smith) starring — plus Silver Lion-winner The Brutalist, which picked up the Italian fest's Best Director prize and hails from actor-turned-filmmaker Brady Corbet (The Childhood of a Leader, Vox Lux), as well. They're just some of the flicks to check out between Thursday, October 24–Sunday, November 3. The places to head to: Palace Barracks, Dendy Coorparoo, Reading Newmarket, Five Star Cinemas New Farm, Angelika Film Centre, Dendy Powerhouse and Dendy Portside, as well as taking the festival to the city's western suburbs at Reading Jindalee. Gomez (Only Murders in the Building) joins the BIFF lineup via Emilia Pérez, the musical crime comedy from Jacques Audiard (A Prophet, Rust and Bone) that also stars Karla Sofia Gascón (Harina) and Zoe Saldaña (Special Ops: Lioness), and won all its ensemble cast Cannes' Best Actress prize this year. Plastic bricks are on the bill courtesy of Piece by Piece, which gives Pharrell Williams the on-screen bio treatment, but not in the usual way. Blanchett (Borderlands) features in Rumours, which boasts the The Green Fog's inimitable trio Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson behind the lens. And as also mentioned above, BIFF has the world premiere of homegrown animation The Lost Tiger, the first such Aussie flick written and directed by an Indigenous woman, on the bill as well — and also Sundance-debuting horror The Moogai. Other highlights include Malcolm Washington's feature directorial debut The Piano Lesson, which has his brother John David Washington (The Creator), as well as Samuel L Jackson (Fight Night) and Danielle Deadwyler (Till), among the cast; dreamy Buffy-inspired sensation I Saw the TV Glow from We're All Going to the World's Fair's Jane Schoenbrun; and Hunter Schafer (Euphoria)- and Dan Stevens (Abigail)-starring thriller Cuckoo. There's also Sundance Audience Award-winner Sujo, about the son of a cartel gunman; Audrey, as led by Jackie van Beek (Nude Tuesday) as a mother who steals the identity of her teenage daughter, who is in a coma; and restaurant-set dramedy La Cocina featuring Rooney Mara (Women Talking). BIFF attendees can look forward to Inside, too, with the prison drama starring Guy Pearce (The Clearing), Cosmo Jarvis (Shōgun) and Toby Wallace (The Bikeriders) — and directed by Charles Williams, who won the 2018 short film Palme d'Or for All These Creatures. The Seed of the Sacred Fig is the latest film from Mohammad Rasoulf (There Is No Evil), with the movie's place on this year's Cannes lineup seeing him forced to flee Iran after being sentenced to flogging and imprisonment. And All We Imagine as Light was the first Indian film to play in Cannes' competition in three decades. Elsewhere, In Vitro is an Ashley Zukerman (Succession)-led Australian sci-fi thriller about a couple doing biotech experiments, the Ilana Glazer (The Afterparty)-led mom-com Babes is helmed by Pamela Adlon from Better Things, and Carnage for Christmas brings Yuletide mayhem courtesy of a tale about a true-crime podcaster in the sights of a psychotic killer. And for a piece of inspiration, the Osher Günsberg-narrated 150 follows Erchana Murray-Bartlett's attempt to run 150 marathons over 150 days. In total, 52 features grace BIFF's 2024 roster, meaning there's plenty more joining all of the aforementioned flicks — and plenty of excuses for Brisbane movie lovers to spend 11 days doing nothing but watching festival films in cinemas.
Situated on the banks of the Murray River, Tocumwal is the ideal destination for an outdoorsy getaway. With virtually endless opportunities for fishing, camping and hiking in the surrounding areas, you can spend your days bouncing between the riverside beaches or seeing the fascinating landscape from high above. With the help of Wild Turkey, we've selected a series of activities that'll take your visit to this lush Riverina district to the next level, whether you're seeking relaxation, adventure or a bit of both. [caption id="attachment_843939" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Elliot Kramer[/caption] GO BEACH HOPPING The Murray River flows right through the heart of Tocumwal, and 24 riverside beaches within close proximity to town ensure you can make the most of every sunny day. With this stretch of Australia's longest river lined with shady red gums and native bushland, there's a quiet patch of shoreline with your name on it. For instance, Tocumwal Beach, Apex Beach and Finley Beach are all within a quick drive of one another. If you don't mind a quick drive, Bouchiers Beach and Smithers Beach are also top-notch options. No matter which beach you like the look of, the water is perfect for swimming and kayaking. [caption id="attachment_843057" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rob Blackburn - Visit Victoria[/caption] SEE THE SIGHTS FROM ABOVE Take flight above the countryside with Sport Aviation, one of the top attractions in Tocumwal. Courageous passengers can experience heart-pumping flights in both gliders and light sports aircraft, whether you're just looking for a thrill or keen to learn the basics of piloting. Leaving from the runway located just outside town, you'll soar high above the rolling hills and sprawling river system with an expert guide. Traversing across the landscape, these nimble aircraft provide a striking bird's-eye view, ensuring you have the best possible vantage point to soak up the scenery. [caption id="attachment_843062" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Flicker (bkstreets49)[/caption] EXPLORE LOCAL TRANSPORTATION HISTORY It doesn't take long to wander from one end of Tocumwal to the other, but this historic part of the world is overflowing with fascinating history everywhere you look. Once you've touched down after your glider flight, you can head next door to the Tocumwal Historic Aerodrome Museum — once home to Australia's largest RAAF base — to learn about the town's wartime legacy. If you prefer trains to planes, the Tocumwal Railway Heritage Museum presents fascinating photos and railway memorabilia dating back to 1908. Meanwhile, Chrysties Classics and Collectibles Museum (pictured above) offers an eclectic mix of classic cars, tractors and vintage machinery that showcases the region's extensive farming legacy. [caption id="attachment_843066" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Visit Victoria[/caption] HIT THE GREENS Handy with a set of clubs? Tocumwal Golf and Bowls Club is the ideal place to practise your swing, with not one but two 18-hole courses — and regular tournaments — revealing how you measure up. With the club also boasting a driving range, a chipping green and two putting greens, budding Shooter McGavins will find themselves in heaven. If you're new to golf, head to Finley Golf Club, around 20 kilometres outside of Tocumwal. With no bunkers or hills to worry about on this course, beginners can let loose on the fairways as much as they like. And with daily tee times available for non-members, getting involved couldn't be easier. Nearby Cobram, meanwhile, is home to one of the Murray's premier golf destinations. The Cobram Barooga Golf Club (pictured above) boasts 36 championship-level holes on which to test your skills, as well as lush lawn bowls greens, a full-service clubhouse and even a mini-golf course (that recently hosted the Australian Mini Golf Open) on its expansive grounds dotted with beautiful native flora and fauna. [caption id="attachment_843056" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Emily Godfrey - Visit Victoria[/caption] GET OUTDOORS Tocumwal is the perfect place from which to set off on an outdoor adventure, with Barmah National Park recognised as particularly special for bushwalking and horse riding. Home to the world's largest river red gum forest, the expansive park also boasts stunning wetlands that provide critical habitat for over 200 bird species. Closer to town, you're welcome to admire the alluring Murray River from the shoreline, but it's even better when you hire a boat and drift along the waterway instead. With the area renowned among anglers in search of cod, perch and trout, it's the ideal way to find a quiet place to drop a line and spend a lazy day enjoying the calm waters of the mighty Murray. Find out more about Wild Turkey's Discovery Series at the website. Top image: Emily Godfrey, Visit Victoria
Italian Riviera-loving restaurant Bar Gusto is the latest addition to Rydges Fortitude Valley. The 190-seater gives pizza and pasta pride of place on the menu, and puts one of the King Street precinct's fig trees at the heart of its outdoor space. Dine outdoors on the terrace here — or drop in for an al fresco drink — and being surrounded by greenery is part of the package. Bar Gusto's deck has been built around the century-old tree, in fact. Indoors, the fitout heroes walnut panelling with antique brass. The vibe that the joint is aiming for: laidback but timeless. In a place that seats 150 in its main areas, plus 40 in its private dining room, executive Chef Francesco Trucco leads the kitchen — whipping up a menu that goes big on tradition, with family recipes steering his dishes. Cooked in a Valoriani Vesuvio Igloo pizza oven, the restaurant's slices come in eight varieties, including sausage and taleggio; pancetta atop carbonara paste; a mushroom and ham number made with truffle paste; and a combination of Mooloolaba tiger prawns, caviar and crab meat. If you prefer pasta, black squid linguine is the signature dish, the ravioli comes filled with carbonara sauce and tucking into nonna's meatballs in napoli sauce is an option. Among the smaller bites, pumpkin and basil arancini, potatoes crocchette with crab and bruschetta sit alongside rosemary olives, fries and those Mooloolaba tiger prawns again, this time in chilli garlic butter. Gusto does grazing boards, too, while panna cotta and tiramisu are the dessert choices. Whether you're just after a sip or you're pairing your beverage with a meal, the wine list favours Italian and local vino. Prefer a cocktail? They're a big feature. Think: the Gusto Aperitivo (made with Campari, Regal Rogue wild rose, lime juice, grapefruit soda and orange slices), Dolce Colada (Sailor Jerry, banana liqueur, coconut, lemon, pineapple and coconut foam), Bond, Rosemary Bond (Tanqueray, Cinzano Bianco, rosemary syrup, lemon and peach bitters) and Razzmatazz (vodka and Chambord with citrus, vanilla syrup, seat salt and egg whites). In total, seven types are available for just one person, two more for sharing (including the summery watermelon punch), plus two mocktails as well. And, if you prefer a classic other than Bar Gusto's specials, just ask.
