Sometimes it can be hard finding fun things to do to keep the kids entertained during the school holidays. Often, the task is made more tedious because there aren’t many things kids and adults can enjoy simultaneously. Well, not anymore. The State Library of Queensland is putting on a Family Film Festival in their custom cinema! The film festival goes until January 25, so that means there are plenty of opportunities to see some great family friendly film. Films like Shrek, Mirror Mirror, The Princess and the Frog, Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz will be screening weekly, so make sure you check out the session times in advance! Each film is rated either G or PG, so it is open to kids of all ages!
Ever had a hankering for a burger, but couldn't decide which joint to visit? Thanks to Brisbane's hefty array of burg-slinging places, we've all been there — and often. Thankfully, The Triffid came up with a solution a few years back: Brisbane Burger Fest, which is returning again in 2023 from 11am on Saturday, June 24. Wondering about the festival's burger credentials? Ze Pickle, Fritzenberger, Brooklyn Depot, Hashtag Burgers & Waffles and Remy's will all whip up their usual favourites. Embracing the occasion in the tastiest way possible, they'll be making a few special and exclusive Burger Fest creations as well. There'll also be an official burger-eating competition as part of the festivities (of course there will be), which pits regular burger-lovers up against the pros. If you don't think you can handle taking part in the contest, that's okay — everyone at Burger Fest will be seeing how many burgs they can eat in their own way, after all. And, attendees can look forward to plenty more to keep you entertained beyond eating burgers, including a beer pong tournament. [caption id="attachment_780426" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hennessy Trill[/caption] Making a burger party even better, the event will be showcasing live music from Melaleuca, Radium Dolls, The Dandys, Lucid Safari, Pipin and Bean Magazine, as well as Echo Wave, Fleur Fatale, Demi Casha and Huxley & Friel. Drinks-wise, Stone & Wood and Heaps Normal will be taking care of the beers — boozy and not-so — and Burger Festival cocktails are also on the menu, including a Bundy dark and stormy. Tickets cost $15 — and if past years are any guide, they're expected to get snapped up quickly. Top image: Brooklyn Depot.
Summer is officially over. We know that not just because it's March, but because, as has become custom at this time of year, Vivid Sydney has this morning announced its program for 2019. Get ready to be ensconced in projections once again — the festival of light, music and ideas is returning for 23 days and nights from May 24 to June 15. The first couple of tidbits from this year's program were handed to us a few weeks ago, with the announcement that The Cure will do four shows at the Sydney Opera House from May 24–28 — their only Australian shows this time round. Tickets have already been allocated via ballot, so we hope you jumped on that already. Carriageworks announced its first headline music act, too, with Rüfüs Du Soul taking over the arts precinct for three nights of electro bangers on June 13, 14 and 15. The most overt (and unavoidable) aspect of the program is the lights, and for the second year running their glow will head across the bridge to light up Luna Park. It will extend the reach of the CBD's Light Walk from Circular Quay, Darling Harbour and Barangaroo with a collection of 50 large-scale projections stretching along the walk's three kilometres. Should make good viewing from the ferry. Some of the immersive light installations you'll encounter throughout the precincts include a pop-up 'winter camp' in Barangaroo, a 'robot spaceland' in Darling Harbour, 300 large-scale animal sculptures in Taronga Zoo, a playable cascading harp in Chatswood and an immersive field of 500 fireflies in the Royal Botanic Garden. Pixar is also jumping on board this year, and will be projecting characters from its classic animated flicks onto the façade of the Argyle Cut in the Rocks. The Sydney Opera House's sails will this year be lit up with hypnotic images of Australian flora from LA artist and video maker Andrew Thomas Huang (who has previously created music videos for Björk), and Customs House will be transformed into an underwater wonderland — covered in neon projections of creatures found under the Harbour it overlooks. Vivid Music is once again in fine form. Joining The Cure for the Vivid Live component of the program at the Opera House will be folk rock singer Sharon Van Etten, performing hits of her poignant new album Remind Me Tomorrow, American singer Maggie Rogers and Perth up-and-comer Stella Donnelly, who's heading to the harbour city fresh off the back of the release of her new album Beware of the Dogs. Jónsi, from Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós, and Alex Summers (known as Jónsi & Alex) will be performing an ethereal show complete with a 21-piece orchestra and 12-member choir in the Concert Hall. The Opera House's super popular Studio Parties will also make their return. Last year's music lineup throwback came in the form of 90s hits Ice Cube and Cat Power. This year, British electronic group Underworld, best known for the house and techno hits they released in the 90s, will be flying the nostalgia flag. If the name is a little unfamiliar to you, you'll definitely recognise their single 'Born Slippy (Nuxx)'. Famed jazz musician Herbie Hancock, who started his career in the Miles Davis Quintet back in the 60s, will also be taking to the stage, performing hits from across his five-decade career. Another big one is a performance from FKA Twigs who's bringing her experimental dream pop to Carriageworks, and the City Recital Hall has a solid program this year, including a performance by Paul Kelly and James Ledger. Live music gigs will also be held across the city as part of the program, including at the Lansdowne, Ziggy's hairdresser and 107 Redfern. Vivid Ideas is, of course, back for those keen to delve into creativity, science and technology — and this year it's scored Spike Lee as its big-ticket speaker. Lee will be in town to chat about his personal political views as well as his award-winning 2018 flick BlackKklansman. There's plenty more where that came from, check the Vivid Sydney website for more details. Vivid Sydney returns from May 24–June 15, 2019. Images: DNSW and Hamilton Lund.
It's only taken a few short years for the British Film Festival to become a highlight of Australia's busy festival calendar, and their first titles for their fourth year demonstrate why. Fancy seeing this year's Cannes Palme d'Or winner? Or a host of high-profile titles direct from their premieres at the Venice and Toronto film festivals? Or a restored version of the David Bowie-starring sci-fi classic The Man Who Fell to Earth? Well, they're all on the bill when the festival returns to Brisbane's Palace Barracks from October 27 to November 16 Ken Loach's I, Daniel Blake — which took top honours in Cannes back in May — takes a look at the British welfare system through the filmmaker's usual social realist lens, and ranks among the most highly anticipated of the bunch. It's joined by the high-profile likes of opening night's A United Kingdom and closing night's A Monster Calls. The former tells the true tale of a Botswana prince (Selma's David Oyelowo) who caused a scandal when he married a white Englishwoman (Gone Girl's Rosamund Pike), and is also slated to open the London Film Festival. Directed by The Impossible's Juan Antonio Bayona, A Monster Calls adapts a fantasy novel about a young boy coping with his mother's terminal illness, and features Liam Neeson as the voice of the titular creature. Audiences will also get the chance to see crime-drama Trespass Against Us, which not only stars Michael Fassbender and Brendan Gleeson, but marks the film debut of the Chemical Brothers' long-term visual collaborator Adam Smith. For cinephiles looking for something completely different, rom-com fans can get their fix watching Gemma Arterton and Sam Claflin in Their Finest, from An Education helmer Lone Scherfig. And because all good film fests don't just look forward to future hits but also peer back to the greats of years gone by, this year's British Film Festival has curated a ten-movie tribute to some of the country's enduring cinematic heroes. As well as Bowie proving his out-of-this-world acting abilities, catch Gary Oldman getting his punk on in Sid and Nancy and feast on the epic action adventure that is Highlander.
For everyone who has ever been to a festival, soaked in everything it has to offer but wished it went for longer, the Scenic Rim's annual celebration of the region's food and drink firmly understands. When it has rolled around in past years, Eat Local Week has served up a massive incentive to wander around the southeast Queensland area. Indeed, the jam-packed event has always been so overflowing with things to fit in that it has made a big move, expanding to become Eat Local Month in 2023. That hefty change was announced earlier this year, with the first-ever month-long program spanning across a huge 32 days from Thursday, June 1–Sunday, July 2. That's quite the way to celebrate the fest's 12th birthday, and it'll be overflowing with ways to do so, too, thanks to the 139 different events on the just-announced Scenic Rim Eat Local Month 2023 program. "When Eat Local Week started in 2011, ten events were staged, attended by a few hundred people. In 2014, the program featured 80 events with 15,000 attendees and last year, in 2022, there were 125 events and almost 40,000 attendees. This year, there's 139 events," said Scenic Rim Regional Council Mayor Greg Christensen, announcing the lineup. Eat Local Month also has the support of some impressive food names thanks to its ambassador chefs. Alison Alexander, Ash Martin, Brenda Fawdon (Picnic Real Food Bar), Cameron Matthews (Mapleton Public House), Caroline Jones (Three Girls Skipping), Glen Barratt (Wild Canary), Javier Codina (Moda), Josh Lopez (Monstera Group), Kate Raymont (Scenic Rim Farm Shop Café) and Richard Ousby (Ousby Food) were already on the list before the 2023 program dropped. Now, chefs Jack Stuart (Blume and The Bowl at Boonah) and Simon Furley (The Paddock at Beechmont Estate) have joined them. All that culinary talent is getting behind a heap of excuses to eat and drink — and explore — while showcasing Scenic Rim produce, the people behind it and a region that was named one of the best places to visit in 2022. On offer: 37 long lunches, degustations and dinners; 43 workshops and classes; and 37 tours and experiences. And more, spanning both new additions to the lineup and returning favourites, including an array of 'meet the producer' events. Making a comeback this year is the beloved winter harvest festival, which will feature 70-plus stalls, complete with camel milk products and carrot ice cream. Still on those orange-coloured vegetables, the usual day dedicated to them is back as well, and you'll even be able to pull them up out of the soil. [caption id="attachment_883177" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] Elsewhere, attendees can look forward to a degustation dinner at Witches Falls Winery on Tamborine Mountain; Copperhead Restaurant's first sunset soiree; and Floravesence — An Evening in the Flowers, which will take place on Elderflower Farm's flower field, and feature floral-leaning Cauldron Distillery cocktails. Or, there's a Mediterranean long-table feast in the olive grove at Olive View Estate, and the broader fest's inaugural fermented food festival — which is all about pickling and the like. Gin-blending classes, edible-flower picking sessions (and then using said blooms to decorate cupcakes), rainforest picnics, burgers and beer on the grass, a three-course feast heroing native ingredients, truffles aplenty, sunset cocktails: they're all on the agenda, too. "In its 12th year and in a new month-long format, Australia's most authentic paddock-to-plate, food and farming experience now has more time to shine the light on the farmers, growers, producers, artisans, chefs and creators in our region, and on our spectacular seasonal produce.This expansion reflects the hard work of our community, and the support of visitors from across the country," continued Mayor Christensen. Scenic Rim Eat Local Month 2023 runs from Thursday, June 1–Sunday, July 2 at various locations in the Scenic Rim. Head to the festival's website for more information and tickets.
It doesn't matter whether you’re a high school student and learning the ropes of Shakespeare, a connoisseur who reads him religiously in your past time, or simply someone with an affinity for charming prose - everyone can recognise Will’s signature words. If the quotes “O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?”, “Out damn spot!” and “All the world’s a stage” pique your interest, how does a production of As You Like It sound? La Boite Theatre Company are putting on their third Shakespearean installment in as many years, and it's going to be a big one. For those who need a brush up on the storyline, As You Like It sees characters Rosalind, Cecelia and Touchstone the Jester flee into the Forest of Arden where love and lust, cross-dressing and mischievous activities occur. The cast chosen to bring this particular production to life are a mixture of professional actors such as leads Helen Howard and Thomas Larkin, plus the best QUT and SIT have to offer. Artistic Director David Berthold has said this is La Boite’s biggest production to date and many also regard As You Like It as Shakespeare’s most humorous work, so disregard Shakespeare’s cry about 'too much of a good thing' and pick up your tickets quick sticks.
If you haven't dreamt of quitting your job, turning off your phone, packing your bag with nothing more than a pair of thongs and some swimmers and jetting off to make a life on a tropical island, you are truly living a blessed life. But for everyone else who holds on to a skerrick of the island life dream, this next bit of news is either going to make you smile or turn you insanely jealous. A guy from NSW has just scored his own entire resort on a private island in the Pacific for the grand sum of 65 bucks. The man, identified just as Joshua, was one of the tens of thousands of people who decided to put a few dollars down to go into the draw to win the 16-room luxury Kosrae Nautilus Resort that sits on the Micronesian island of Kosrae. It was put up for grabs by Australian couple Doug and Sally Beitz, who built the resort back in 1994. After 20 years on the island, they've decided to come back home — but instead of selling the island to an investor, they wanted it to go to someone who maybe couldn't afford to buy it outright, but would give it as much love as they have. Joshua was announced as the winner last night via a post on the resort's Facebook page. So, yeah, now he owns a resort. Not bad for the cost of approx. three espresso martinis. Via ABC News. Image: Kosrae Nautilus Resort.
'Handjobs on Hudson' would be a better title for this film, and it turns out I'm not the first reviewer to say it. After the initial handjob scene between Franklin D. Roosevelt (Bill Murray) and his sheltered fifth cousin, the local naif Daisy (Laura Linney), I began seeing handjobs everywhere. Daisy seems to exist solely to simulate jerk offs, whether she's on her knees, vigorously rubbing her aged aunt's legs; shaking FDR's martini after he spills it on himself; or smearing mustard all over King George's hot dog. That's King George VI, the stuttering guy we all know and love thanks to The King's Speech. But where's Colin Firth? It would have been so winning to have he and Helena Bonham-Carter reprise their roles as King George and Queen Elizabeth, almost like a He-Man/She-Ra crossover episode. Instead we have the hilarious Samuel West and Olivia Colman, to whom I warmed, as caricaturish as their portrayals are. The plot centers on their 1939 visit to the Roosevelt household in upstate New York, a visit with diplomatic repurcussions at a critical moment when England sought America's help against Hitler. Framing this historical weekend is the story of Daisy's evolving relationship with the President, which comes across rather more degrading than comedic. Screenwriter Richard Nelson nonetheless tries to reimagine the gathering on the Hudson as a comedy of manners, as the King and Queen, FDR, his wife Eleanor (Olivia Williams), secretary Missy (Elizabeth Marvel), and mistress Daisy all navigate their own dramas. Cue the trope of uptight Britain being shown how to kick back and have a good time by its affluent colonial son, plied with late-night martinis, hot dogs, and not-so-subtle parallels made between the King's stutter and the President's polio. Visually, there's tons to enjoy, with all the trappings of the era captured impeccably by cinematographer Lol Crawley, who, mind you, seems to be having a private LOL at us some of the time (see: handjob scene). I didn't laugh at the jokes so much as listen out for Bill Murray's adorable mid-Atlantic accent. The film's failing, as many reviewers lament, is that its story is told through the inconsequential eyes of Daisy. Though the screenwriter met the real Daisy Suckley in the 1980s, he fails to connect to her; the climactic moment of betrayal comes across as unearned melodrama, offering very little emotional wisdom. I felt sorry for the character, because there's not enough appeal written into her for us to be truly on her side. At the end, composer Jeremy Sams' main theme repeats itself for the 50th time and we're offered a montage that glosses over too many questions. I genuinely hoped that as far as history and sexual politics went, it was inaccurate. https://youtube.com/watch?v=UQaScjiWDyY
Record Store Day might only come once a year, but each month, Brisbane gets into the spirit of the occasion. A treasure trove of vinyl descends upon a specific spot in this fair city of ours, showering music fiends in the stuff collectors' dreams are made of. Brisbane Record Fair is the type of event that gives aficionados reason to salivate, deliberate, negotiate, and then spend, spend, spend — after rifling through crates and crates of rare material, obviously. And since 2020, it has been popping up in a brand new place, with the monthly event moving from West End to Aspley. Thousands of items are for sale, with Brisbane Record Fair taking over the Aspley Central Shopping Centre at 1368 Gympie Road. Expect a smorgasbord of sounds — offering up music of all types — when you head along to the next event from 8.30am–3pm on Saturday, March 13. Vinyl-wise, whether you're after a decades-old gem or something newer on an LP or a 45, chances are you'll find it here. Sellers come from far and wide to share their wares, including private collectors parting with their sonic pearls. And no matter the time of year, a selection from their stash would make a perfect present, whether for someone else, or for yourself. Updated March 12.
Vegans, here's a question for you. Obviously, wearing animals is out of the question. But what's your take on a 100% plant-based material that mimics leather? As in, it looks and feels so much like leather that, were you not to know it's an imitation, you'd be organising a rally against it. One school of thought says Yes! That's exactly what we're after. We don't have a problem with the qualities of leather - appearance, durability, flexibility and so forth - so long as their acquisition doesn't involve the slaughter of any living creatures. The other school of thought says, No. That would be sending the wrong message. Carrying a 'pretend leather' bag around is a bit like wearing faux fur. It might not cause harm directly, but the implication is that animal hide is useful. A truly ethical product should appear as though it came from a plant. The Netherlands-based Studio Tjeerd Veenhoven has recently developed a new vegan textile from the Areca palm. The plant's leaves are soaked in a specially concocted biological solution, increasing their flexibility, and enabling the creation of a biodegradable material that is striking similar to leather. Studio Tjeerd Veenhoven has used it to manufacture a range of stylish products, including journal covers, sandals, and tote bags. The innovation comes with the potential for social benefit. The Areca palm is native to South India, where local artisans possess sophisticated knowledge and understanding of manipulating the leaves. Interest in palm leather products may well translate to increased employment opportunities. Images: Tjeerd Veenhoven [Via Ecouterre]
Buying and supporting local projects is a proud badge worn by many a Sydneysider. You like buying Marrickville-made jam from Eveleigh markets, you support emerging Sydney psych bands at FBi Social every other week, so why wouldn't you also support Sydney's best local innovators online? Pozible have launched a Sydney-specific page, dubbed The Sydney Edit. Previewed at Vivid Ideas' hugely popular Stand Up, Stand Out event, The Sydney Edit puts local innovations under their own spotlight — making it easier for community-loving backers to find the crowdfunding projects in their own backyards. During Pozible's event at Vivid Ideas last week, the crowdfunding heavyweights asked current project instigators to live pitch to a physical audience. Sydney creators behind AKIO, The Right Foot, The Human Sound Project and the Flute Handbag Collection had five minutes to pitch their crowdfunding ideas, then a further ten to present their work. The audience then pledged $30 of their ticket price to their favourite project in a kind of real life Pozible backing. Sydney's DirtyFeet and their project The Right Foot took out the top spot and will soon see $4050 put into their Pozible campaign (just over a grand more than their own $3000 target). The Right Foot offers creative contemporary dance workshops for young people aged 14-26 with and without disability. Nice one guys. Sydney has already proved supportive of local Pozible ventures in the past, with the successful funding of Newtown motorbike workshop-meets-ramen cafe Rising Sun Workshop. The rev-enthusiasts raised $38,500 on the site and opened in April 2014 to much backer applause. In Pozible's Sydney Edit Collections section, Pozible works with a number of local organisations across the arts sector and creative industries, as well as government, community and non-profits. This is where you'll find 'collections' of Pozible campaigns under the likes of Vivid Sydney, Sydney Fringe Festival, Underbelly Arts, Alaska Projects and many more locally-based legends you can get behind. So throw in some spare cashola and crowdfund your own city's Pozible projects at The Sydney Edit. Top image credit: Rising Sun Workshop.
Soon your canine companion could be the envy of his naked four legged friends, thanks to an unusual and highly adorable collaboration between a pair of local fashion labels and Guide Dogs Australia. On sale from today, Elk and Gorman have created an exclusive dog range of coats and accessories, to help keep your pooch looking on point. For their part, Elk have designed a range of durable high end leather collars and leads. Gorman's contribution, meanwhile, comes in the form of four distinct winter coats in four different sizes and print styles. And yes, before you ask, they've also designed matching coats for dog owners. 100 percent of proceeds from the sale of these new items will go directly to Guide Dogs Australia. "We're proud to be working with such progressive and innovative designers whose great sense of social responsibility will enable us to raise funds for breeding, raising and training more Guide Dogs," said Guide Dogs Victoria CEO Karen Hayes in a statement. "There have been many requests over the years for Gorman to do dog coats in our prints," said Gorman founder and creative director Lisa Gorman. "But this cause gave us very good reason to put it into action." You can pick up some new threads for your pupper at Elk and Gorman shopfronts, or from their respective online stores. Find their websites here and here.
Perhaps it isn't the most groundbreaking piece of literature, but the D.O.Double G's fans will certainly find inspiration in Snoop Dogg's new book: Rolling Words: A Smokable Songbook. The aptly titled literary work features pages of Snoop's lyrics which double as (what else?) rolling papers. The pages are conveniently perforated and bound by hemp material. Even the book's spine comes in handy, functioning as a match-striking surface. "This thing can also be smoked with some of your finest, where you at or however you at," Snoop says in his promo video. Looks like Snoop still has his mind on his money, and his money on his mind. https://youtube.com/watch?v=HkfC2dfNHGM [via Gawker]
Inspired by real-life events, David Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method delves into the corrupt relationship triangle between aspiring psychiatrist Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender), his renowned mentor Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen) and their unbalanced patient, Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley). Studying psychiatry under Freud in pre-WWI Zurich and Vienna, Jung becomes seduced by both Spielrein's unique case and her beauty. He takes her into his care, initially utilising the methods of his master, who also proves to be intrigued by Spielrein's erotically disturbed case. Increasingly, however, the mindsets of the two men become divided, with Spielrein cast in between. Jung struggles with the sexually focused methods of his master, while Freud urges Jung towards a more defined line of psychological analysis. Tension escalates as the three come together along a dark path of erotic and intellectual exploration. Their discoveries result in the birth of modern psychoanalysis, polarising the two men and forever altering the world of today's psychology. Dark and seductively unsettling, A Dangerous Method will take you into recesses of the psyche that you may not have been ready to face. This twisted story line and impressive cast make for a can't-miss mind-boggle of a film. To win one of twenty double passes to see A Dangerous Method, just make sure you are subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name and postal address through to hello@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=P_y_oW2S65w
It's been more than three years since Brisbanites first heard about South City Square, the huge new $700 million precinct that's set to change Woolloongabba in a significant way. Still largely under construction, the space has been opening in stages — which is what you'd expect from a locale that'll eventually feature multiple buildings, plenty of restaurants and cafes, an eight-screen cinema and a whopping 5000 square metres of greenery. In addition to this, come 2023, it'll also boast the city's first Hyatt hotel. A luxury place to stay was always part of South City Square's plans, but now locals and tourists alike know exactly where they'll be kipping. Called Hyatt Place, it'll include 170 rooms, a food market that never closes, a cafe and a fitness centre. Oh, and a rooftop pool and bar as well. That means splashing around, sipping cocktails and enjoying a hefty vantage over the neighbouring inner city suburbs. And, doing so just one bridge away from the CBD. If you've been in the area lately, you've probably noticed that towering buildings are popping up with frequency in Woolloongabba, so expect a few in Hyatt Place's sky-high view. Over next to the Brisbane Cricket Ground, aka the Gabba, one 20-storey apartment development will even feature a 'skystand' that'll let residents peer down on Brisbane Lions games, cricket matches and concerts. While Woolloongabba is levelling up at a swift pace, there are currently no luxury hotels in the suburb — although Brissie has welcomed plenty in the last couple of years. From Howard Smith Wharves' Art Series newcomer The Fantauzzo to The Westin in the city, indulgent staycation spots have been opening quickly of late. Also joining Brisbane's accommodation scene since 2017: The Calile, W Hotel Brisbane, the Ovolo Inchcolm Hotel in Spring Hill, the Novotel, and new Emporium in South Bank, and the revamped Ovolo in Fortitude Valley. At South City Square specifically, Hyatt Place will add to a growing precinct — with Tuckshop Time and Kivahan already open, and Brissie's fourth Salt Meats Cheese set to join them soon. A Woolworths supermarket, 850 architecturally designed apartments, and health and wellness facilities are also in the works, as are offices, more eateries, shops and boutique retailers. Hyatt Place is set to open at South City Square, 148 Logan Road, Woolloongabba from early 2023. We'll keep you updated regarding an opening date.
After stealing every scene that he was in in Sex Education, playing a Ken in Barbie and dancing at the 2024 Oscars, Ncuti Gatwa has a date with the TARDIS from May. The first full season of the long-running British franchise starring the Rwandan Scottish actor will hit screens on Saturday, May 11, including Down Under — with Disney+ and the BBC releasing the first two episodes of the Fifteenth Doctor's run simultaneously worldwide. That timing means that it will have been two years between Gatwa being announced as the new Doctor Who and series 14 arriving; however, this isn't the first time that viewers are seeing the Fifteenth Doctor. Gatwa made his debut as the time lord in 2023, in both 60th-anniversary special episode The Giggle and Christmas special The Church on Ruby Road. Now that he police box-loving, time-travelling, Dalek-fighting character has regenerated into a new incarnation — which is how the series writes in its casting swaps — Gatwa has become Doctor Who's first Black lead. In a way, he takes over from two actors: Jodie Whittaker (Time), whose run came to an end in 2022 with series 13, after becoming the first-ever female lead back in 2017; and also David Tennant (Good Omens), who was the Tenth Doctor in three seasons from 2005–10, then also the Fourteenth Doctor in 2023's specials. In a season that also features Millie Gibson (Coronation St) as the Fifteenth Doctor's companion Ruby Sunday, Gatwa joins a long list of other British actors who've stepped into the part — 11 other than Whittaker and Tennant, including OG Doctor William Hartnell back in 1963; 70s favourite Tom Baker; and Christopher Eccelston (True Detective: Night Country), Matt Smith (House of the Dragon) and Peter Capaldi (Criminal Record) since the show made a big comeback in 2005. And yes, the fact that it took 54 years for the character to become a woman and six decades for a Black actor to play the part is clearly far too long. "At last, it's my great delight to unleash a whole new season of the Doctor and Ruby's adventures together. Monsters! Chases! Villains! Mysteries! And a terrifying secret that's been spanning time and space for decades. Don't miss a second!" said Doctor Who showrunner, executive producer and writer Russell T Davies (Nolly, It's a Sin, Queer as Folk) about the new season. Fans can look forward to jumps to England's Regency era and into the future, as well as a guest cast that includes Aneurin Barnard (1899), Anita Dobson (Murder, They Hope), Yasmin Finney (Heartstopper), Michelle Greenidge (Mandy) and Jonathan Groff (Knock at the Cabin), plus Bonnie Langford (EastEnders), Genesis Lynea (Death in Paradise), Jemma Redgrave (The Beekeeper), Lenny Rush (Haunting of the Queen Mary), Indira Varma (Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One) and Angela Wynter (EastEnders). Check out the teaser trailer for Doctor Who series 14 below: Series 14 of Doctor Who will start streaming via Disney+ Down Under on Saturday, May 11, 2024. Top image:
On a recent research trip Down Under, The Daily Show reporter and comedian John Oliver interviewed ex-Prime Minister John Howard regarding the gun reform laws he successfully instated during his leadership term in the wake of the Port Arthur massacre in 1996. In a discussion that followed with right-wing American gun lobbyist Philip van Cleave, Oliver pointed to the success of Howard’s policy as a rebuttal to Cleave’s infuriating, repeated insistence that "gun control laws just don't work". With that old American worldliness, Cleave answers by likening Australia to a mythical "Planet X", with an operating system that cannot be seen as indicative of America's "real world" with "human beings". Much like the ninny at a dinner party who chastises vegetarians for wearing leather shoes, Cleave goes on to argue that where Australia might not have mass shootings, it still suffers from murders, rapes and robberies. Touché. In short, he makes Howard look like the second coming, which is no easy feat. Although life isn't always peachy on Planet X, we're grateful for the small things, like not living in America. Whoop-de-doo!
The year that was 2012 will be remembered in popular music circles as the year in which The Stones Roses reformed their trippy, stadium-shaking odyssey, Pussy Riot turned political songwriting into actual political action and a quirky little Korean man conquered the world with his taste for tuxedos and obscene dance moves. Yet beyond the headline-grabbing stories, 2012 also saw the release of some truly awesome and at times groundbreaking new music. 20-year-old Flume became an icon for every pill-popping teenager with his slick beats and razor sharp production, Tame Impala broke the second-album curse in emphatic fashion with their fresh set of psychedelic riffs and Frank Ocean proved that kick-ass hip-hop does not necessarily have to come with a Kanye-West-sized ego. Independent music website, Pitchfork have their own take on 2012, with a "Best Of" list that includes some chart-topping juggernauts along with a bunch of unsung success stories. Here is Concrete Playground's take on Pitchfork's top five albums of 2012. 1. Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city Californian local, Kendrick Lamar is a far-cry from the sort of arrogant, chest-beating and studio-polished rappers that we have come accustomed to hearing come out of the US of A. On his second solo album, "good kid, m.A.A.d city", Lamar rejects the misogynist rhymes of his West Coast peers in favour of a deeply personal and at times painfully raw exploration of his childhood growing up on the fringes of gang life in Compton, California. The album however is never overwhelmed by its emotional intensity, as Lamar's lyrical virtuosity is equalled by the album's sumptuous, beat-laden soundtrack, making "good kid, m.A.A.d city" not only one of the most personal but also most accessible records of 2012. 2. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange Having lent his considerable songwriting and vocal talents to the likes of Jay-Z, Kanye West, John Legend and even Justin Bieber, Frank Ocean was not exactly an unfamiliar voice even if he may have been an unfamiliar name prior to the release of his highly acclaimed debut album "Channel Orange". The mass of industry and social media hype that preceded its release turned out to be entirely justified with Ocean delivering an album full of silky vocals, Prince-flavoured melodies and touching word paintings that has had critics everywhere drooling and all other R&B artist clutching at his heels. 3. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! Fusing anarchist politics with metal-like riffing an unreal string section and spine-tingling vocals, "Godspeed You! Black Emperor" have carved themselves a cult-like following a million miles away from the mainstream. "Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!" as such is part political manifesto and part soundtrack to the apocalypse, with beautiful guitar riffs building and crescendoing into euphoric explosions of raw power and noise. "Godspeed You! Black Emperor" is the sort of once-in-a-generation band that is able to effortlessly straddle the seemingly irreconcilable boundaries of brooding yet joyous, bombastic yet simple, epic and yet distinctly personal all at the same time sounding like they are having themselves a pretty unreal fucking party. 4. Grizzly Bear - Shields Shields is the fourth and most critically acclaimed album from the Brooklyn's indie darlings, Grizzly Bear. In this intricately layered album, the quartet have moved away from the dreaminess of their previous work in favour of a fuller sounding collection of songs which take the listener on a melancholic journey of loneliness tampered by moments of profound human connections. Grizzly Bear's melodies are self-consciously ''in your face'' demanding the listener to stop, listen closely and notice the beauty that exists in our otherwise fast-paced world. A woody concoction of lulling vocals, nimble guitar riffs and consistently evocative lyrics, Shields will resonate with you long after the final notes are heard. 5. Beach House - Bloom The Baltimore-duo's fourth offering is an enticing cocktail of dreamy vocals, tender guitar lines and breathy male-female harmonies that hits the listener in waves of sonic and ethereal bliss. For Beach House's devoted collection of fans this is everything they have come to expect of these dream-pop pin-ups, yet "Bloom" has the band taking their distinctive and deceptively complex sound to new levels of summery warmth, carving a near-perfect album of lush, bittersweet soundscapes. "Bloom" is perhaps the most beautiful album of 2012 and should be the soundtrack to anyone whose idea of the perfect Summer involves curling up with a bottle of white wine and a view of the sunset.
There are many reasons first-time restauranteurs often fail. It might be that their management lets them down. Sometimes they're just not so great with the money side of it all. But occasionally their failure can be due to something much more simple. Take for instance, Brooklyn's forthcoming all-Nutella restaurant Nutelleria. They've timed their exciting culinary venture perfectly with a worldwide shortage of their primary ingredient. Good job, guys. Of course, we may be speaking prematurely. The restaurant hasn't even opened yet, and it's being met with considerable hype from local media — who wouldn't want a dedicated Nutella creperie around the corner from their house? And, a couple of weeks ago, we would have been totally on board too. On their upcoming menu, there's supposedly a sandwich made out of waffles crammed full of Nutella and bacon. You'd have to be either a dietician or a diabetic to be against such a heavenly creation. But all this was before the tragic news that hazelnuts will be in short supply for the foreseeable future. Due to devastating weather in Turkey — the product's main producers — most of the season's hazelnut crops were completely decimated. Now, hazelnuts are the most expensive they've been in the past 10 years and people all over the world are hoarding Nutella like the gooey, liquid gold it really is. Jamming an extraordinary 50 hazelnuts into every jar, Nutella in fact uses 25 per cent of the world's hazelnuts and would no doubt be hit hardest by the alleged shortage. And, although Ferrero has invested considerable money to ensure there are no halts in their hazelnut supply, Nutella fans are understandably sceptical. Even with a full global stock of the product, prices are expected to rise. While this is bad news for everyone, it's sure bank-breaking for the planned Nutelleria. Especially when that's combined with the fact its owners don't have any legal permission to launch a store around the copyrighted product. "[We're] simply Nutella® enthusiasts that decided to share our love for Nutella® with the rest of the world," their website states. All in all, we hope it works out for them. A world where everyone has access to Nutella and bacon waffle sandwiches is a world we want to live in. But if their new store and copycats like it end up being responsible for a worldwide Nutella shortage, we predict a riot. Via Grub Street. Photo credit: PG.NETO via photopin cc.
As the world stops to watch the World Cup, which kicked off a long haul of criminally early mornings today, it seems even those hundreds of miles beyond the Earth will be tuning in. NASA has released a video of astronauts based at the International Space Station bidding all World Cup competitors good luck, promising they will be watching the matches from space and throwing down some mad football skills. American astronauts Reid Wiseman, Steve Swanson and German astronaut Alexander Gerst filmed a short message for "all the teams and fans on the ground in Brazil." On tape, Gerst implores everyone participating in or attending the World Cup to have "peaceful games". All this, while laptops and their microphone float in zero gravity. After Wiseman wraps up the speech with, "Have fun, play hard, and we'll be watching on the International Space Station," Swanson executes a slow-motion flip and kicks a hovering ball midair. No biggie. What follows is perhaps the most spectacular video sequence ever taped in celebration of a World Cup: the three astronauts are shown playing soccer in their gravity-defying lodgings. They kick, dive and float in mid-air. The footage inspires the starry-eyed possibility of a what a World Cup in space could look like. Though the three astronauts — posted to work on Expedition 40 together — won't have the opportunity to watch the games live, NASA has promised to upload the matches for their viewing as soon as they are broadcast. Let's just hope there are no spoilers in space. Check out the video below: https://youtube.com/watch?v=sLwW3pdXkFo Via Fast Company and BBC.
A 30-year retrospective of one of the most dazzling pioneers of multimedia installations and experimental video art has opened at Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art with Pipilotti Rist: Sip my Ocean. In what's being heralded as the most comprehensive exhibition of the Swiss artist's work ever held in an Australian gallery, you'll get to see pieces right from the start of her practice (including her early single-channel videos created during the 1980s) up to her most recent immersive environments and large-scale audio-visual installations. A truly unique artist whose practice explores the connection between the human body, nature and technology, Rist creates colourful, enchantingly sensual worlds for viewers to lose themselves in – such as 4th Floor to Mildness, where you'll get comfy on one of 18 beds and gaze upwards at a hypnotic underwater world projected onto massive abstract panels. It's not often you lie down on a gallery floor amongst strangers to soak up some art — and its this particular atmosphere of community and togetherness within the way you experience Rist's work that cements its charm. Taking place as part of the Sydney International Art Series, Sip My Ocean runs until February 18. Images: Courtesy of Pipilotti Rist / Ken Leanfore for the MCA.
Feeling a little frosty? Can't find the motivation to leave your couch? Huddled under every blanket in your house? No, you're not just particularly susceptible to the wintry season — the mercury is plummeting, and Australia's east coast capitals look set to endure their coldest weekend of 2018. In fact, according to Weatherzone, Sydney hit just 6.2 degrees early today — which is the frostiest morning it has had so far this year. Suburbs such as Richmond and Penrith dropped even further, down to -2.2 degrees and 0.4 degrees. In other parts of New South Wales, records that have stood for decades are falling, with Dubbo's low of -5.8 marking the regional town's coldest night for a whopping 78 years. In Queensland, it's a similar situation. Brisbane Times reports that Brisbane has indeed just shivered through its coldest morning of 2018, with temperatures dipping to 6.7 degrees. That's just chillier than the previous coldest morning of the year, with the city hitting 6.9 degrees back on June 16. Elsewhere across the state, areas such as Applethorpe, Amberley and Toowoomba experienced their iciest climes in several years. For Victoria, widespread frost was predicted across the state by the Bureau of Meteorology, with temperatures dropping to 4.4 degrees in Melbourne and 2.4 degrees at the airport. The city didn't reach the low of three degrees that was forecast, however, which would've made it the coldest morning of the year. Alas, the colder temperatures aren't going anywhere for a few days — News.com.au reports that the east coast will be rather chilly until Monday. BOM's forecasts have Sydney hitting lows of five degrees on Sunday morning and then four degrees on Monday (with maximums of 17 and 18 respectively); Melbourne wavering between five and 13 on Sunday; and Brisbane will get down to six degrees again on Sunday as well. Via news.com.au / Brisbane Times / Weatherzone.
Your 2023 getaways just got cheaper — and you'll have a new way to fly off on holidays, too. First announced in 2021, Australian airline Bonza will finally take to the skies in 2023, after securing regulatory approval. The soon-to-launch carrier's aim: opening up routes to more of the country's regional destinations, flying 27 routes to 17 locations, and offering low-cost fares in the process. Today, Thursday, January 12, Bonza CEO Tim Jordan announced that the airline received its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). "This is an historic moment for Australian aviation as we get ready to launch the first high-capacity airline in more than 15 years, and the country's only independent low-cost carrier," said Jordan. "With the approval from CASA, 2023 is set to be the year of seeing more of your own backyard for less." With the required tick of approval now in place, Bonza can put flights on sale, starting with fares from its Sunshine Coast base — with flights from Melbourne, where it'll also have a base, set to follow. Passengers will hit the air in planes given names as Aussie as the airline's itself: Bazza, Shazza and Sheila. The airline hasn't yet announced when you'll be able to book, other than soon, but to do so you'll need to download the airline's app. One of Bonza's points of difference will be app-only reservations, unless you're booking via a registered local travel agent. Another: a previously announced all-Australian in-flight menu, spanning both food and craft beer. When it hits the air, the airline will service locations such as Bundaberg, Cairns, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, the Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Townsville and the Whitsundays in Queensland; Albury, Tamworth, Coffs Harbour, Newcastle and Port Macquarie in New South Wales; and Melbourne, Avalon and Mildura in Victoria — with a big focus on regional destinations. The carrier's network will see it take passengers to places they mightn't otherwise been able to fly to, with Bonza advising that 93 percent of its routes aren't currently served by any other airline — and 96 percent of them don't presently have a low-cost carrier. Bonza is launching with the backing of US private investment firm 777 Partners, which also has a hand in Canada's Flair Airlines and the Southeast Asian-based Value Alliance. Its fares won't include baggage and seat selection, which'll you need to pay extra for — and it'll be cheapest to do so when you make your booking, rather than afterwards Bonza is set to start flying sometime in 2023 — we'll update you flights go on sale. For more information, head to the airline's website, or download its app for Android and iOS.
'Poison Tree' inspired by William Blake While many a great writer have been inspired by the clothes on our back, few have attested to the efficacy and functionality of our second skin with such style and grace as that most eminently quotable of authors, Mark Twain, who famously (and accurately) stated that: "Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society." It seems however, that the shoe (if you'll excuse just one more clothing-related pun) is on the other foot as pioneering fashionistas The Affair have transformed their love and passion for literature into a unique and compelling range of men's T-shirts. From cult favourites to undisputed classics, from Macbeth to cyberpunk, and from Wilde to Animal Farm, these UK-based Australians have combined the language and imagery from the litany of literary greats with their own captivating designs to create an awesome range of clothing that is "fashioned by literature". The boys have just arrived back in Sydney for the Australian launch of The Affair, and in celebration Concrete Playground is offering you the chance to get your hands on one of three free T-shirts that not only is sure to turn heads but also evokes all the passion and beauty of the written word. To be in the running, subscribe to our newsletter (if you're not already) and then email hello@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address. 'Mountains of Madness' inspired by H.P. Lovecraft and 'Crime and Punishment' inspired by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
In Australia, January means warmth, more warmth and heading to the movies to watch Oscar contenders to escape it. In Park City, Utah, it means snow, a celebration of cinema started by none other than Robert Redford, and the first big international film festival of the year. Yes, the Sundance Film Festival has just played its slate of 2017 flicks — or, as we like to look at it, the titles that will hopefully be heating up Aussie big screens in the near future. Last year, number one on our Sundance wish list was Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Thankfully, that turned out to be pretty majestical. Plenty of our other 2016 picks have shown up at local festivals around the place too, such as Werner Herzog talking about the internet in Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World; singing Polish mermaids in The Lure; and Kristen Stewart, Laura Dern and Michelle Williams at their best in Certain Women. And, speaking of Williams, her Oscar-nominated performance in Manchester by the Sea from last year's choices is about to open in Australian cinemas. Enough looking backwards, though — 2017's lineup delivers a massive new list of movies to get in front of your eyeballs. First, the good news: from Sundance's latest batch, plenty are already coming our way. To name a few, they include US Dramatic competition winner I Don't Feel At Home in This World Anymore, which will drop on Netflix worldwide in February; Berlin Syndrome, the third feature from Australian Somersault and Lore director Cate Shortland, which is already slated for an April cinema release; and all-female horror anthology XX, which Monster Fest is championing. Plus, Netflix strikes again with documentary Casting JonBenet from Aussie filmmaker Kitty Green, environmental doco and audience award favourite Chasing Coral, and anorexia drama To the Bone by former Buffy writer turned UnREAL showrunner Marti Noxon. As for the rest? Here's the ten we're crossing our fingers and toes to see in our local cinemas (and a few others as well). CALL ME BY YOUR NAME Most actors wouldn't want to walk in the footsteps of the inimitable Tilda Swinton and Ralph Fiennes, but that's just what Armie Hammer does in the film that became the talk of the fest, Call Me By Your Name. Set in 1983, the queer coming-of-age drama is the latest effort from Italian I Am Love and A Bigger Splash director Luca Guadagnino, which virtually guarantees how good its summery images will look. Bound to be more powerful than that, though, is the underlying tale of desire, as well as the accompanying performances. Also watch out for: Mudbound, which delves into the stories of two families in America's south post-World War II with an all-star cast of Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Mary J. Blige, Garrett Hedlund, Jonathan Banks and Jason Mitchell. THE BIG SICK If you've watched Silicon Valley or Portlandia (or caught 2016 flicks Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates or Central Intelligence), you'll recognise Kumail Nanjiani — though his list of credits runs much longer than that. In fact, with his wife Emily V. Gordon, he has added feature film screenwriter to his resume with The Big Sick, and turned their own culture-clash dating story into an amusing and insightful film in the process. Michael Showalter of Wet Hot American Summer fame directs, with the pair re-teaming after Nanjiani featured in his last ace movie, My Name is Doris. Also watch out for: Aubrey Plaza in everything, always — or, specifically, in Ingrid Goes West. Here, her titular character befriends an Instagram lifestyle guru played by Elizabeth Olsen, because that's a thing. Next-generation actors O'Shea Jackson Jr. (who played his dad, Ice Cube, in Straight Outta Compton) and Wyatt Russell (son of Kurt) also star. LANDLINE There have been plenty of comedies about pregnancy, but when Obvious Child took on the topic back in 2014, it showed the world what a frank, funny, empathetic and earnest look at unexpectedly discovering you're expecting could turn out — and helped show just how great a talent Jenny Slate is in the process. Three years later, the actress reunites with writer/director Gillian Robespierre for a trip to the '90s. Yes, it's set at a time when people chatted on the phones that you couldn't take with you, and it makes for a darkly amusing effort that's certain to bring the same honesty and hilarity to exploring family troubles. Also watch out for: Jenny Slate again, this time in The Polka King opposite Jack Black. They play husband and wife, with the former scamming his way to a polka music empire. Jason Schwartzman and Australia's own Jacki Weaver are among the cast. BEACH RATS Pay attention to the name Eliza Hittman. She received the US Dramatic comp's best director prize, and if her sophomore feature is anything like her moody, evocative debut It Felt Like Love, she's a certain talent to watch. In Beach Rats, the filmmaker charts the efforts of Brooklyn teen Frankie to brighten up a thoroughly unhappy summer — and explore his own wants and needs — when he simultaneously starts hooking up with guys at a beachside cruising spot and dating a young woman. Also watch out for: After featuring in 2015 flick People Places Things, The Daily Show's Jessica Williams once again joins forces with writer/director Jim Strouse in The Incredible Jessica James, this time taking the lead as an aspiring playwright who forges a new bond to cope with a breakup. I DREAM IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE Talk may be the focus of the Mexican-set I Dream in Another Language — getting the two last native speakers of a dying language to speak after a 50-year feud, to be exact — however this thoughtful love story says just as much with images as it does with words. Think deeply-felt cinematic poetry that leans towards the lyrical, patient style of filmmaker favoured by Apichatpong Weerasethakul (the director behind Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives and Cemetery of Splendour). Also watch out for: Carpinteros (Woodpeckers), an engrossing romance that introduces viewers to a world they've probably never thought of and a form of communication they likely haven't heard of — neighbouring prisons in the Dominican Republic and the form of sign language their inmates use to communicate. A GHOST STORY Don't you just love secret films? We're talking about the type that just spring up out of nowhere, made without anyone knowing. A Ghost Story fell into that camp when it first made headlines in November, and the talent involved with the movie makes it all the more exciting. After working together on 2013's Ain't Them Bodies Saints, director Dave Lowery (Pete's Dragon) re-teams with Rooney Mara and likely future best actor Oscar winner Casey Affleck (for Manchester by the Sea) to examine death and grief — and, yes, the spiritual presence you're expecting based on the title. Also watch out for: With Jon Hamm and Tim Robbins among the cast, Marjorie Prime similarly broods over mortality, focusing on the last days of an 86-year-old — spent with a computerised version of her dearly departed hubby. STEP They don't just give any old film a Special Jury Award for inspirational filmmaking, the gong Step took out in Sundance's US Documentary field. Treading the same turf that 2016 festival hit The Fits made its own with such style and skill, the doco follows three high-schoolers trying to chase their step dance team dreams. Expect more than just the usual formula as first-time director Amanda Lipitz peers inside the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women, the ladies striving for a better future and the crowd-pleasing journey that results. Also watch out for: Tokyo Idols, which joins the growing ranks of factual efforts trying to understand just what makes Japanese girl bands, pop music, its stars and their fans tick. PATTI CAKE$ Does the road to rhyme-slinging rap success start in New Jersey? And is the rags-to-riches path paved with assistance from a goth-metal muso named Basterd? For the wannabe hip hop artist who calls herself both Killer P and Patti Cake$, it just might be. For Aussie actress Danielle McDonald, the energetic underdog effort that shares Patti's name could also be her stepping stone to broader acclaim — and, for music video director turned first-time feature helmer Geremy Jasper, his as well. Also watch out for: Roxanne Roxanne, a biopic about a big hip hop beef known as the Roxanne wars — aka a series of songs answering the last, with 14-year-old emcee Roxanne Shanté in the middle. Playing Shanté, newcomer Chanté Adams won a Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Performance. AXOLOTL OVERKILL And the prize for best title goes to…actually, German drama Axolotl Overkill won a jury award for cinematography in the World Dramatic comp, but it'd have a fair shot if the other contest was a real thing. The feature debut of writer/director Helene Hegemann is based on her own semi-autobiographical novel, which she wrote when she was 17. Not only does it take the coming-of-age genre into partying and nightlife territory — which, yes, you've seen before — but the stylistic exploration of teen excess promises to traverse contemplative and surreal terrain as well. Also watch out for: A fellow contender in the great name stakes, Don't Swallow My Heart, Alligator Girl! brings professional and non-professional actors together to tell a fairytale-like story of teenage love, colonial oppression and gang struggles in three languages. 78/52 Every film festival has one: a movie that cinephiles just won't be able to contain their excitement about. 78/52 takes the honours at this year's Sundance, with its moniker referring to the number of setups and edits it took to film the most iconic shower scene in cinema history. Alfred Hitchcock and Psycho fans will be in their element as the doco breaks down this famous sequence, and explores just how it changed filmmaking as we know it. And, the likes of Guillermo del Toro, Bret Easton Ellis, Karyn Kusama Eli Roth and Peter Bogdanovich are all on hand to help. Also watch out for: The Nile Hilton Incident, a Cairo-set corrupt cop flick charting an investigation into a murdered singer — and the film that took out the Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema Dramatic competition.
A new online ‘dating’ app bears the slogan “Threesomes made easy”. Titled 3ndr (threender), it’s made for anyone who’s always longed to meet a stranger (or two) via the internet and get naked. 3ndr is the latest offshoot of popular hook-up apps Tinder and Grindr. Although Tinder is proving itself as a conduit for all kinds of dating (it's even clocked up a few marriages now), 3ndr is very much about sex. “A service that works for singles and couples,” the site reads. “It’s the easiest way to satisfy your human needs and spend some fun time with other people.” Users can request pretty much any configuration of bodies — double couples, MMF, FFM, MMM, FFF and so on. The imagination is the limit. Plus anyone’s welcome: “swingers, newbies, curious and experienced”. Anonymous searching means that “you can easily hide yourself from friends and family, so you can browse freely”. 3nder’s creators assert that not only are they about facilitating fantasies buy they’re also on a crusade to “make society more open about sexual desires”. In their view, individuals with non-traditional sexual urges face discrimination in much the same way that “gay people did 15 years ago”. Via the Independent.
High-rises aren't the most ideal set-up for making new buds. It's not every apartment-dwelling crew that's lucky enough to undertake wacky antics in the hall, eat from each other's fridges and bond over Ugly Naked Guys across the way. You're more likely to encounter your neighbours through the wall — outlandishly vocal bedroom activity, raging Avicii-fuelled parties, World Cups. It's all pretty negative, fist-shaking stuff, usually moderated by your tired, tired landlord. But what if some friendseeking architecture firm just wanted us to all get along, even design friendships between neighbours? It all has do to with space. Dense, high-rise housing can be an isolating place to live, even though you're surrounded by hundreds of people and their better-than-yours cooking aromas. Vertically-stacked apartment living often lacks those common areas where you can bump into your (often hundreds) of neighbours and hang out — courtyards, gardens, front porches; Actual House areas — resulting in the whole nod-and-smile, awkward silent elevator ride and subsequent, perpetual avoidance of eye contact. But you might have more in common than you think with mean old Mr Macgillycuddy downstairs. Tired of these missed, loneliness-curing opportunities and taking cues from corporate setups, a presumably friendly Belgian design firm has come up with an inspired solution. C.F. Møller Architects and Brut Architecture and Urban Design have made social interaction the main goal of their new mixed-use high-rise design in Antwerp. That's right, an apartment tower designed to help you make friends. C.F. Møller's 24-story plan is all about mini-communities. Grouping together similar apartment types (family homes with other family homes, raucous students with other raucous students), the plan throws together residents with typically matching day schedules and increases the chance of bumping into each other for mad chats, recipe swaps and sugar borrowing. Cooking and eating alone's definitely another opportunity for buddying up in apartment living — nothing like a sad, tear-dressed Caesar for one. So the team have included a communal dining area in the design, perfect for post-work vents and cheap pot luck dinners, as well as a roof terrace for those beer-fuelled new friend-making chats. Nothing sparks a new friendship faster than similar interests. Cyclists can event meet other veloheads in the bike repair repair facility. Pet owners can let their four-legged friends roam free all year long in the triple-height indoor garden and students can compare notes from outdoor study sessions in the massive balcony space. While C.F. Møller haven't released a completion date yet, estimates look toward 2017 for the building's red ribbon ceremony. Until then, why not give your neighbours a chance instead of a passive aggressive note? Could be an everyday Ryan Gosling on every floor. Via Fast Company.
The moment we heard that marine scientists had 'undiscovered' the Pacific isle known as Sandy Island late last year, our trust in cartography was violently undone. Now, any inch of soil we had not personally traversed was suspect. "But if we can't trust Google Maps," we cried, "who can we trust?" It was at this point that we realised something powerful. Something profound. Something relevant to the headline of this article. The art of map-making, for all its shortcomings, shapes our worldviews and communities. Which is why we're excited to hear about the eco-cartographical vision of Grow It Local. The sustainability gurus (famous for the success of Garage Sale Trail) are teaming up with the folks at City of Sydney to, quite literally, put homegrown produce on the map. Throughout the month of April, they are inviting growers across Sydney to jump onto the Grow It Local website and register a garden space on Australia's first crowdsourced e-atlas of urban farms. The campaign is all about harvesting the Sydney community that has grown around the explosion of local food production across the world. "With a lot of people getting involved in growing food, there's a little bit of a barrier in 'I couldn't do that, I don't know what I'm doing'" says Grow It Local co-founder Andrew Valder. "One of the things that creating the Grow It Local community does is welcome someone who doesn't feel confident about what they're doing to give it a crack." Fresh food lovers can update their patch with pictures and share growing tips with green gardeners. Plus, Grow It Local members will be invited to attend exclusive foodie events where local produce will be shared through intimate meals like this one. Seven hundred and fifteen gardens have already been registered on the website (with over 50 of those in the City of Sydney area), covering a total cultivation area of 6890 square metres, and the Grow It Local gang anticipate that Sydney's CBD will increase its involvement tenfold. But what does this mean for your average urban gardener? Beyond giving people easy access to their closest urban farms, Redfern resident Kevin Bathman says that this mapping project could give Sydney growers the sense of community that they've been craving for years. "Most times, you need to know that you're not alone in this," stresses Kevin, "[because] that's what I thought for the longest time, "Am I the only gardening nerd? ... When you see more and more of your neighbours getting involved, it is the fastest way to start a 'real food' movement." Sydney's Lord Mayor Clover Moore is an ongoing advocate for the transformation of balconies, courtyards and windowsills into flourishing green spaces. "Most food travels huge distances to reach our dinner plates. Growing your own simply makes sense and means you can enjoy healthy food and save money," she said in a press release. For Andrew, the whole enterprise can be enjoyed for simpler reasons. "Growing your own food, no matter how big or small, is a big step toward sustainable living," he remarks, "[but] the serious stuff aside, it's fun and makes you feel good." Hero image: Rooftop garden at Signature Apartments, Redfern. Image courtesy of Signature Pallets. Second image: Courtesy of Richard Payne Photography and City of Sydney
In 2022, McDonald's coveted Szechuan sauce finally became a reality in Australia, and Rick and Morty fans across the country were grateful. Here's something even better: new episodes of the hit animated series, which'll arrive worldwide in September. Everywhere across earth where television is screened and streamed — interdimensional cable, too — Rick and Morty will return in spring. US network Adult Swim has announced that the show's sixth season will hit on Sunday, September 4 in America, which is Monday, September 5 Down Under, where it beams into your queue via Netflix. Yes, that's the way the supremely great news goes today. Yes, you can get schwifty if you want to. And if you're wondering what kinds of chaos are in store this time around, Adult Swim advised that the new season will pick up with its titular pair "where we left them, worse for wear and down on their luck". "Will they manage to bounce back for more adventures? Or will they get swept up in an ocean of piss! Who knows?! Piss! Family! Intrigue! A bunch of dinosaurs! More piss!" the network also teased. Anything can happen in Rick and Morty — but you probably expect that Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith (both voiced by show co-creator Justin Roiland, Solar Opposites) will keep wreaking havoc, and that the series will keep zipping between as many universes as it can. And, it's likely that Rick and Morty's hijinks will still draw in Morty's mother Beth (Sarah Chalke, Firefly Lane), father Jerry (Chris Parnell, Archer) and sister Summer (Spencer Grammer, Tell Me a Story). Ripped and ready - Season 6 coming September 4th pic.twitter.com/RfvA1x5ELj — Rick and Morty (@RickandMorty) July 27, 2022 Also still certain to be present: the fact that the show clearly gleaned inspiration from Back to the Future, but has taken that whole setup — a genius scientist going on wild adventures with a high schooler — in a zillion out-there directions. If you're keen to rejoin the smartest Rick and Morty-est Morty in the universe, start getting excited for September — unless you're a total Jerry, that is. There's no trailer for Rick and Morty's sixth season yet, but you can watch an old clip below: Rick and Morty's sixth season will premiere globally on Monday, September 5 Down Under. It streams via Netflix in Australia and New Zealand.
It's goodbye (and really, good riddance) to the Mustang Bar; a new venue is soon to take its place in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley. After months of refurbishment, The Woolly Mammoth Alehouse will be opening at the end of September. The long wait has been worth it. Owner Lachlan Bird (also of West End's Lock 'n' Load) designed the bar in the hopes of creating the first contemporary beer hall in the Valley precinct. “We wanted to change the pace of the Valley, taking locals and varied visitors on a journey of quality craft beer, rustic food off-the-bone and some of the best entertainment in Brisbane,” Bird says. The Woolly Mammoth is divided into three separate areas: The Alehouse, Garden Bar and Mane Stage. The Alehouse is a legit beer hall — we're talking "grazing tables" for the hearty food that we both know you are going to chow down like a crazy person, and 31 (!) craft beer taps. Food will be served well into the night, saving you from having to go hunting for late-night munchies. The Garden Bar is quirky to say at the least. By quirky we mean there's a giant Jenga game and Astro-turf for indoor bocce. Because why the hell not? The Mane Stage is designed for live music and entertainment and will be decked out with state-of-the-art PA and production equipment. The Mane Stage will host comedy and burlesque as well as live music. The architect behind this creation is Alexander Lotersztain of Derlot Design, who was also behind Alfred & Constance. “In an effort to respect the original integrity of the building we have highlighted the existing exposed brick and cobblestone pillars coupled with a sleek design combining hard lumber and striking artwork,” he says. Just in time for Oktoberfest, The Woolly Mammoth will officially open its doors at the end of September at 633 Ann Street, Brisbane. The Mane Stage will get an earlier outing at this year's BIGSOUND festival (September 9-11), showcasing the festival's headlining acts, including Alison Wonderland, Safia, Indian Summer, Oisima, Sampology.
After 12 days, around 300 films and more hours spent sitting in cinemas than anyone might like to admit, the Sydney Film Festival wrapped up their 64th fest by naming On Body and Soul as the winner of this year's Sydney Film Prize. The Hungarian feature took home SFF's $60,000 cash award for 'audacious, cutting-edge and courageous' filmmaking, topping a 12-movie competition filled with an eclectic and interesting array of features — ranging from We Don't Need a Map's exploration of what the Southern Cross means to Australians, to The Untamed's blend of social realism and erotic sci-fi, to Sofia Coppola's Cannes best director winner The Beguiled. "It's a film that shows us that even in this divided world we are capable of sharing the same dreams, that amongst the ugliness of a slaughterhouse, kindness, gentleness can be found," said 2017 jury president Margaret Pomeranz. The unconventional romance follows two lonely workers in a Budapest abattoir who not only share the same employer and same sense of malaise, but drift into same animal-filled world when they slumber. It's the movie's second prestigious award this year, after picking up the Golden Bear at the Berlinale in February. That's not a bad haul for writer/director Ildikó Enyedi, particularly given that On Body and Soul is her first film in 18 years. She's also the first female filmmaker to win the competition in its ten-years — she joins Sofia Coppola in making history, who was this year the first female to win Best Director at Cannes in the festival's 56 years. The feature joins the hefty list of previous official competition winners, with Aquarius (2016), Arabian Nights (2015), Two Days, One Night (2014), Only God Forgives (2013), Alps (2012), A Separation (2011), Heartbeats (2010), Bronson (2009) and Hunger (2008) emerging victorious in the past. But it's not the only effort that picked up a gong at this year's closing night — SFF also awards the Documentary Australia Foundation Award for Australian Documentary, with $10,000 going to The Pink House's portrait of Kalgoorlie's last original gold rush brothel. Then there's the fest's short film prizes — the Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films — which have been running for a whopping 48 years. To date, the shorts awards have helped launch the careers of Warwick Thornton (2017 opening night flick We Don't Need a Map), Cate Shortland (Berlin Syndrome), Jane Campion (Top of the Lake) and Ivan Sen (2016 opener Goldstone), among others. In 2017, Dendy Live Action Short Award recipient Mirene Igwabi (Adele), and dual winner Daniel Agdag (Rouben Mamoulian Award for Best Director and Yoram Gross Animation Award, both for Lost Property Office) will be hoping to follow in their footsteps — plus Michael Cusack, who won the Event Cinemas Australian Short Screenplay Award for his stop motion animation After All. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B4hCzq7H70
It's the question that Sydney Film Festival asks every year: how can you make this massive cinema celebration even bigger once the full lineup has dropped and closing night's pick has been unveiled? Add a heap of flicks that'll be making their Australian debuts straight from world-premiering at Cannes. In 2024, eight such titles have just been added to the SFF bill — and if you can't wait any longer to see Megalopolis, which iconic filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola first conceived back in 1977, you won't have to. Starring Adam Driver (Ferrari), it's one of the big newcomers to this year's SFF selection. Also set to play from Wednesday, June 5–Sunday, June 16: Black Dog, a tale of a stunt motorcyclist from Guan Hu (The Sacrifice) that won Cannes' Un Certain Regard award for 2024; Rumours, which gives the fest a dose of Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson behind the lens (reteaming after Accidence, The Rabbit Hunters and Stump the Guesser), plus Cate Blanchett (The New Boy) on-screen; and The Seed of the Sacred Fig, the latest film from 2021 SFF winner Mohammad Rasoulf (There Is No Evil). The latter is particularly significant, given that its place on the Cannes lineup saw Rasoulof forced to flee Iran after being sentenced to flogging and imprisonment. SFF has also added Best Documentary-winner Ernest Cole: Lost and Found from I Am Not Your Negro's Raoul Peck, Caught by the Tides from Jia Zhangke (Ash Is the Purest White), the post-World War One-set adoption drama The Girl with the Needle and revenge-thriller Ghost Trail. And, after body-horror The Substance sold out its closing night slot, the also straight-from-Cannes flick has scored extra screenings. "We're thrilled to unveil an extraordinary selection of eight new films, direct from Cannes, to complete the final lineup of the 71st Sydney Film Festival," said Festival Director Nashen Moodley about the expansion to the 2024 program. If you weren't already thinking "normal life can wait, there's movies to watch", then you should be now. Also on the bill already: hundreds of movies, spanning everything from a Midnight Oil documentary to open this year's fest, a Bondi Icebergs doco, Hellraiser with a new live score and a retrospective that pays tribute to Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembène through to Yorgos Lanthimos' Poor Things follow-up Kinds of Kindness, Hunter Schafer (Euphoria)-starring thriller Cuckoo, Sundance hit I Saw the TV Glow from We're All Going to the World's Fair's Jane Schoenbrun and Indigenous Aussie horror via The Moogai. Sydney Film Festival 2024 takes place from Wednesday, June 5–Sunday, June 16 at various cinemas and venues around Sydney. For more information — and for tickets — head to the festival's website.
Weird food museums have plenty in common with everyone's favourite doughy Italian dish — there's a type for everyone, and no one can resist their charms. Quite a number exist around the world, celebrating everything from ramen to currywurst to jell-o, but the latest will revel in the deliciousness that is pizza. Who doesn't want to while away a few hours in a pizza cave, pizza fun house or at the pizza beach, then play some pizza games? No one, that's who. They're just some of the attractions on offer at the pizza-themed space, which is is popping up in New York at a yet-to-be-disclosed location. Like the city's other over-the-top ode to a food that everyone loves, aka the Museum of Ice Cream, it's a short-term affair, running from October 13 to 28. Other highlights include an artist's gallery, presumably showcasing plenty of ace pizza-making; an interactive exhibit exploring the history of pizza, as well as promising to tell the dish's untold story (if it reveals that pizza also tastes great cold, well, that's something that everyone knows); and something called 'pizza zen', which, if it's meditation involving pizza, we're sure everyone will be onboard with. There'll also be a pizza screening room — if you'd like to watch clips of pizza, perhaps? So far, few concrete details about what any of these attractions actually entail have been revealed, but they sure will involve pizza somehow. The Museum is being called an "artistic tribute to pizza", according to its website, while the event's ticketing listing describes it as "a place to take amazing photos" and "a space to bask in multi-sensory, psychedelic pizza joy." Expect Instagram to be overrun with pizza photos, basically. If you're wondering about actually eating pizza, yes, attendees will also get a slice with their $35 ticket, from a vendor outside the venue. But, as every pizza fiend knows, one piece is never enough, so "the Museum will do its best to make additional pizza available." Via Eater.
Two diverse and exciting artists are releasing some of their acclaimed material the launch of Brisbane New Voices at Riverbend Books this week. Vuong Pham and Trudie Murrell are both writers and poets, and have accumulated numerous accolades between them. Their books are collections of work that have been written over the course of their careers. Both works are deeply personal and draw upon aspects of each writers life. Vuong Pham’s Refugee Prayer draws upon experiences as a member of refugee’s from Vietnam, and their struggles to find a place within Australia. Women and Cars by Trudie Murrell explores her early life in North Queensland and her attempts to reconnect with her past. The night begins with feature readings from poets such as Peter Bakowski, Stuart Cooke and Paul Summers. Bookings are essential, so make sure you get in quick to secure your spot for this celebration of word-craft. For Bookings, call Riverbend Books on 3899 8555 Image of previous Riverbend Books event.
This time last year, everyone was watching one thing — and talking about it too. Now, twelve months since Netflix's '80s-set sci-fi/horror series Stranger Things became everyone's favourite new show, the streaming platform has released the full-length trailer for its second season. In the words of Hawkins police chief Jim Hopper (David Harbour), "nothing is going to go back to the way it was." Managing to dose up on even more nostalgia and find a clever way to work the ultimate '80s horror-themed track into the mix — yes, we're talking about Michael Jackson's 'Thriller', complete with Vincent Price's iconic voiceover — the trailer shows that the Upside Down isn't done with this band of bike-riding kids yet. Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) can't stop seeing all things creepy, everyone is definitely on edge, and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) is reaching out to find her way home. Throw in some '80s arcade games, the expected unsettling vibe, that instant-classic theme tune and Winona Ryder, of course, and the scene is set for quite the second run. The trailer premiered as part of San Diego Comic Con's current explosion of pop culture, with the full series due to drop on Netflix on October 27 — just in time for Halloween, naturally. Watch it and try not to get goosebumps.
Diaries out: Good Things, the Australian music festival that's boasted the reunited TISM, Bring Me the Horizon, The Amity Affliction, NOFX, Millencolin, Devo, Fall Out Boy, Limp Bizkit, Corey Taylor and Pennywise on its lineup across its past two years, will return to the east coast in December 2024 to kick off another summer. There's no word yet on who'll be taking to the stage, but you can save the date, with the fest again playing Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Good Things runs over a single weekend even though it hits up three cities, and that's remaining the same in 2024. First up is a Melbourne stop on Friday, December 6, before heading to Saturday, December 7 and Brisbane on Sunday, December 8. Venues haven't been revealed yet either, so whether Good Things is again taking over Centennial Park, Flemington Racecourse and Brisbane Showgrounds is yet to be confirmed. Wherever it sets up shop in 2024, both its past rosters and the parts of town that it has popped up in demonstrate that this isn't a small affair by any measure. 2023's fest also featured Bullet for My Valentine, Taking Back Sunday and I Prevail, plus Enter Shikari, Pvris, Behemoth and Sepultura — and, on the local front, Spiderbait, Frenzal Rhomb, Jebediah and Eskimo Joe. Accordingly, whoever does the honours in 2024 is following in some mighty hefty footsteps. There's no word yet as to when more details will be unveiled, so watch this space. 2022's lineup dropped in June, while 2023's arrived in August. Good Things follows fellow touring fest Listen Out and Brisbane-only event Sweet Relief! in locking in a 2024 return in what's been an immensely difficult year for music festivals, with Groovin the Moo announcing its dates then cancelling, and Splendour in the Grass sadly doing the same. Good Things 2024 Dates: Friday, December 6 — Melbourne Saturday, December 7 — Sydney Sunday, December 8 — Brisbane Good Things will hit the Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane in December 2024. We'll update you when the lineup is announced and tickets go on sale — head to the festival website for more information and to sign up for the event's mailing list in the interim. Images: Kane Hibberd.
2015 was a good year for movies. We shifted our love of all things fast and furious to the latest entry in the iconic Mad Max series (although Fast & Furious 7 also hit the high-octane spot), and cried buckets when Inside Out told us that emotions have emotions. We followed Joaquin Phoenix's Inherent Vice stoner detective around in a daze, delved into N.W.A's history thanks to Straight Outta Compton, accompanied Emily Blunt through the drug war in Sicario, and reignited our love of boxing movies with Creed. And the list goes on. That was then, though, and this is now. Well, almost. 2016 is swiftly approaching, bringing with it a fresh batch of potential cinema treasures. Superheroes and sequels feature as always — which is good news if X-Men: Apocalypse or Zoolander 2 sound like your kind of thing. Awards contenders such as '50s-set romance Carol, journalism drama Spotlight and harrowing holocaust effort Son of Saul arrive on Australian screens, alongside a few others that release overseas in 2015, such as Tina Fey and Amy Poehler's comedy Sisters, Quentin Tarantino's western The Hateful Eight and star-studded GFC effort The Big Short. Basically, it's all shaping up to be another great twelve months for film buffs — and anyone who heads to the cinema every now and then. To help stoke your excitement, we've found ten movies you should add to your 2016 must-see list. They'll be on a big screen near you before you know it. ANOMALISA If you've seen Being John Malkovich, Adaptation and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, you'll agree that a new Charlie Kaufman film is cause for celebration. Eight years after making his directorial debut with Synecdoche, New York, the writer turned helmer delivers his second stint behind the camera in the form of the animated Anomalisa. The tale of a man struggling with his mundane life might sound routine, but if there's one thing Kaufman doesn't do, it's ordinary. Don't expect the usual CGI fare either, with the movie using puppets made with 3D printers. In Australian cinemas February 4. HAIL, CAESAR! The latest Coen brothers flick sounds like the stuff that dreams are made of, with Josh Brolin, Tilda Swinton, Channing Tatum, Scarlett Johansson, George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Ralph Fiennes, Jonah Hill, '80s action heroes Dolph Lundgren and Christopher Lambert all starring in the '50s-set throwback to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. Here's hoping that it lives up to everything we're all already hoping for and fantasising about. Given that the Coens' resume includes Fargo, The Big Lebowski, O Brother Where Art Thou?, No Country For Old Men and Inside Llewyn Davis, we're pretty optimistic. In Australian cinemas March 3. KEANU No, Keanu isn't a film about a certain Mr Reeves — although we would watch out the hell out of that. Instead, it’s a movie about two friends who decide to pose as drug dealers to retrieve a stolen cat. Stay with us though, because it stars Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele. Yep, their brilliant sketch comedy series might've come to an end, but that just means they have more time for other things. Will Forte also features, should you need any more convincing. In Australian cinemas April 21. THE NICE GUYS Even if you don't recognize the name Shane Black, we're guessing you're a fan of at least one of his movies. He wrote Lethal Weapon, directed the Robert Downey Jr comeback that was Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and now pairs Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe together in The Nice Guys. The former plays a private detective, and the latter an enforcer turned his unlikely partner on a murder investigation. Expect them to spout plenty of smart, wisecracking dialogue, in keeping with Black's style — and expect to have fun watching them. In Australian cinemas May 26. GHOSTBUSTERS Admit it: a certain Ray Parker Jr song just popped into your head. The catchy tune isn't the only thing that's memorable about the 1984 film — or its 1989 sequel — but the 2016 instalment looks set to add its own impressive elements to the mix. Case in point: the all-female cast of Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones are taking over from Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson. They'll play the next batch of New Yorkers dallying with the paranormal, and one thing's certain — they ain't afraid of no ghost. In Australian cinemas July 21. DOCTOR STRANGE If you've been suffering from superhero fatigue, one of Marvel's two 2016 films might provide the antidote. After the third Captain America movie reaches cinemas in April, the company that kickstarted the current wave of caped cinematic crusaders gets magical and mystical with Doctor Strange. Everyone's favourite otter lookalike, Benedict Cumberbatch, stars as a former neurosurgeon who learns the supernatural arts and becomes the Earth's primary protector against otherworldly threats. Mads Mikkelsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams and Tilda Swinton join him, in an effort that looks a little more offbeat than usual, like Thor and Guardians of the Galaxy. In Australian cinemas October 27. ASSASSIN'S CREED Film adaptations of video games haven’t had a stellar run. But with Warcraft also releasing in 2016, Assassin's Creed isn't the only movie trying to change that — however, it is the only one that re-teams the main on- and off-screen talent behind one of 2015's best efforts, Macbeth. Yep, after adapting the bard into something moody and brooding, director Justin Kurzel, actors Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard, and cinematographer Adam Arkapaw, reunite for something completely different. Even if you've never played the game — which focuses on the rivalry between two ancient secret societies — the team behind this is reason enough to be excited. In Australia cinemas December 26. ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS: THE MOVIE It's been more than two decades since we first met the self-indulgent duo of Edina Monsoon and Patsy Stone, but those champagne-swilling London ladies are still kicking on. After five series, a few specials and a handful of 20th anniversary episodes, they're making the leap to the big screen in an effort that's certain to earn its moniker. Yes, the alter egos of Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley are back, accompanied by the other characters — Eddy's long-suffering daughter Saffy, her dotty mother, and eccentric assistant Bubble, for example — you know and love. In keeping with the TV series, they'll be bringing a host of famous names along with them, and inspiring ample laughs in the process. Australian release date to be confirmed. JULIETA After taking to the skies but not quite flying high with 2013's I'm So Excited!, Spain's premier auteur gets back on track with Julieta. Chronicling the life of a woman across two time periods — now, and thirty years prior — might seem like familiar territory for Pedro Almodóvar, but he never really does the same thing twice. The movie is set to release in the filmmaker's homeland in March, so fingers crossed that it heads to Australian shores without much delay. And if you'd been looking forward to the director's latest but don't recognise the title, that's understandable — until less than a month ago, it was called Silencio. However Almodóvar changed the name to avoid confusion with Martin Scorsese's forthcoming effort, Silence. Australian release date to be confirmed. A STORM IN THE STARS Forget Victor Frankenstein, and make note of the James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe-starring reimagining of Mary Shelley's classic text that looks set to head straight to DVD in Australia. A Storm in the Stars tells the tale behind the iconic tale, and is a film gothic horror fans should be looking forward to. Elle Fanning stars as the author, The Diary of a Teenage Girl's Bel Powley plays her sister Claire Clairmont, and Romeo & Juliet's Douglas Booth features as poet Percy Shelley. That the movie also marks the English-language debut of Wadjda's Haifaa Al-Mansour is the icing on the cake. Australian release date to be confirmed.
It has not been a good month for controversial bike sharing service oBike. First, it was announced that the ill-fated bikes were vanishing off the streets of Melbourne. Now, the Singapore-based company has announced via Facebook and its app it will no longer be Singapore-based, stopping operations in the city on Monday, June 25, 2018. oBike was launched in Singapore a little over a year ago — in January 2017 — but faced difficulties meeting the requirements of the city's Land Transport Council. The council passed new laws in March 2018 requiring bike-sharing operators to register for new licences that regulated fleet size. Regulations were the reason the service pulled out of Melbourne, too, as the company was unable to comply with new guidelines imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency, in which abandoned bikes blocking streets for more than two hours would prompt $3000 fines. There are also reports flooding social media that oBike is refusing to return deposits ($49 in Singapore and $69 in Australia), with some users saying the refund button has disappeared altogether and others saying that the deposits have been converted into subscriptions. If this affects you, a Consumer Affairs Victoria spokesperson recommends "consumers should first contact the business to seek a resolution. If the business does not resolve the issue, and a credit card was used for payment, the consumer can contact their bank or credit card provider for a chargeback." There's no word yet on whether the infamous yellow bikes will be leaving Sydney, with the oBike's recent announcement stating, "this decision will not affect oBike's operations in anyway in countries outside of Singapore". The company is still promoting its new rewards for parking responsibly and in designated parking spots in Sydney via Facebook. We'll continue to update the story as further announcements are made.
Even though many of us love the idea of home-grown veggies, our work and social schedules often take precedence over sowing, seeding and weeding. However, a new fully automated hydroponics system promises to change all that. Titled 'Bitponics', it runs a 'Personal Grow Plan' (i.e. an entire season of gardening) via its Cloud. The soil is embedded with Wi-fi responsive sensors, which respond to humidity, air and water temperatures, light and pH levels. The Cloud automatically turns accessories on and off, and monitors the sensors' data. This information is sent to a web-based dashboard, accessible from any electronic device. In the case of sudden problems, the system sends immediate alerts, to which the user can respond remotely. 'Bitponics is a path into the future of urban home gardening,' explains Michael Zick Doherty, co-founder and lead hardware engineer. 'Through the development of open source technologies, we are making it possible for urban gardeners to care for their plants while they're away. Growing hydroponically is more than just about providing free food to your home - it is also about the educational experience that allows us to reconnect with what we eat, empowering us to eat healthy and protect our environment. It is also a great way for students in the classroom to use hydroponics as an applied method of understanding sciences such as biology and chemistry. They can see in real time the changes in the plants' environment and how this correlates to plant growth.' Still in development, a Bitponics Base Station will retail at $US499. Three different web services will be available: 'Trial' (free), 'Serious Grower' ($9 per month) and 'Commercial Grower' ($49 per month). [via PSFK]
Calvin Klein Swim has found its way to Australian shelves, landing a little late in the season, but just in time to see the end of summer. Launching across Australia today, the men's and women's swim collections deliver waterproof versions of those iconic logo waistbands made popular by Kate Moss and Marky Mark Wahlberg in 1992. Throughout both menswear and womenswear swim collections, it's all about the bold, high-impact and cutting-edge with the use of bright primary colours, blocks of black and white, and ultra modern cuts. Ladies, strength and femininity combine with provocative zip-front one-pieces, sleek black, white and gold one-shoulder numbers, and classic thin strap cozzies with 'Calvin' emblazoned down the side. It's your choice if you want to play Bond Girl, Olympian or both, but slipping into that logo-banded red bralette and matching split waistband bottoms, you'll undeniably feel as if you've entered some '90s mashup of Baywatch meets TLC video — move over Bondi Rescue. For the guys, there's a fair share of logo waistbands for your boardies, plus styles with a choice of one big 'Calvin' down the side or several little 'Calvin Kleins' dotted among surfboards. Along with swimwear, the brand brings with it a collection of sporty, beach-ready accessories including a branded towel and branded slides: right foot 'Calvin', left foot 'Klein'. As we ride out the rest of summer, everyone will certainly know who you're repping at the beach as you layout your towel, slip off your slides and show off your new mid-summer swimmers. Beach body by Calvin Klein. The Calvin Klein Swim menswear and womenswear collections are available from today at select David Jones stores, and online and in Calvin Klein stores nationwide from next week. Prices range from $59-199.
Ever since the day that humans discovered how great smashed, fermented grapes taste, people have been struggling with wine stains. Abstaining from drinking red when you're wearing white might be a sensible-enough workaround, but it's not ideal, really. Don't worry, an Amsterdam-based company has invented a solution. Behold what Labfresh is calling "the next generation in shirts" — and if it does what it is supposed to, then it'll certainly live up to the hype. The crisp white items of clothing are stain, odour and wrinkle resistant thanks to sustainable cotton fibres made with water, oil and bacteria-repellent technology, as well as breathable and fast-drying. That means that as well as staying free from red splotches and other marks, it'll smell fresh if you need to wear it more than once. If that sounds like just the kind of thing you need when you're having an after-work tipple, then you're not alone. Since starting a Kickstarter campaign at the beginning of January, they've met and surpassed their funding target several times over. In fact, at the time of writing, they're just €382 away from quadrupling their original ask. Given that plenty of others have been dabbling in the area and making similar claims for a few years now, that's quite the response. The shirts are available in slim and regular fit, are expected to ship to customers around the world by April, and have been tested with ketchup, Sriracha sauce, red wine and olive oil too. A matching tie is also available in five colours to complete the stain-free look. Via MUNCHIES.
Whether it's the glitz and glamour of the world's most beautiful people telling each other just how beautiful they are or the inevitable glut of wink-wink, nudge-nudge jokes from this year's host, Seth MacFarlane, the Academy Awards ceremony is testament to the vanity and vacancy of Hollywood. But given the level of offence he seems to have caused in some quarters, it seems like MacFarlane will be giving even Oscar-naysayers a reason to watch the carnage. Most notably, he said this: "I read [Best Picture nominee] Amour was co-produced in Austria and Germany, right? The last time Austria got together and co-produced something it was Hitler, but this is much better." He also told the Best Supporting Actress nominees, "Congratulations, you five ladies no longer have to pretend to be attracted to Harvey Weinstein", and finalists for the Best Adapted Screenplay that they'd "basically copied stuff from Microsoft Word and pasted it into Final Draft". A few casual insults were, too, thrown at co-host Emma Stone, who surely matches MacFarlane in humour but outdoes him in subtlety. Almost entirely despite itself, the Oscars remains an entrancing and addictive viewing experience. And, as such, I'm willing to excuse the hordes of actors-cum-models parading their Gucci undergarments and thanking their parakeets to find out who history will remember as the greatest performers, filmmakers, artists and writers of 2012. The net is already abuzz with the extended diatribes of bloggers and punters who can't believe the Academy have snubbed Ben Affleck for his crowd-pleasing direction in Argo or how a movie as consistently wry and touching as Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom could miss out on just about everything. Yet what the nominations, and for that matter the long list of snubs and surprises, show is that 2012 was a rip snorter of a year for motion pictures. Whether it was the shocking wartime reality depicted in Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty, the overwrought yet utterly breathtaking beauty of Les Miserables or this year's best picture dark horse, Beasts of the Southern Wild, 2012 has been a monumental year in cinema. While it is far from a two-horse race, the frontrunners to take home a chest full of Oscar gold appear to be Stephen Spielberg's epic biopic Lincoln and the 3D magic of Ang Lee's Life of Pi, which snagged 12 and 11 nominations respectively. For the complete list of nominees for the 85th Academy Awards in feature films, click here.
Throw those GoPros, bubble bottles and novelty gumboots in your rucksack, Splendour in the Grass is returning to North Byron Parklands for another year of festival merriment. Triggering road trippin' pilgrimages country-wide since 2001, Splendour is a locked-in date on many a festival reveller calendar — and now you can make it permanent. The Splendour in the Grass 2015 dates have been confirmed. Splendour will return to North Byron Parklands on Friday 24, Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July. Onsite camping will once again be available from Wednesday 22 July. The coveted lineup will be released soon. Until then, let the furious pub debates and Facebook ponderings commence.
In the wake of last weekend's Defqon 1 dance festival tragedy, where two punters died and more were injured as a result of suspected drug overdoses, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has tabled a 'solution'. She's pulled together an expert panel to advise on how to make our festivals safer, which includes Chief Medical Officer Dr Kerry Chant, Police Commissioner Mick Fuller and Chair of the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority Philip Crawford. Ms Berejiklian announced the decision via social media, saying that the panel would provide advice on how music festivals and promoters can improve safety at their events, the efficacy of increased drug education, and whether new offences or harsher penalties are required. While many are calling for the introduction of pill testing, Ms Berejiklian has rejected the suggestion, saying the NSW Government does not support pill testing. "Pill testing doesn't guarantee the safety of a drug and what might be safe for one person may not be safe for another person," she told the SMH. "The last thing we would want to see is people getting a false sense of security." However, her comments have received much backlash online from the public and other politicians. https://twitter.com/RichardDiNatale/status/1041883391837126656 https://twitter.com/johannhari101/status/1041469528578908161 Australia's first and only pill testing trial took place at Canberra's Groovin The Moo festival earlier this year, allowing punters to have their drugs analysed for unknown and potentially lethal additives. Eighty-five substances were tested and a bunch of lethal ingredients were found. While no further pill testing trials have yet been announced, the advocacy group behind the Groovin The Moo trial, Harm Reduction Australia, is currently attempting to raise $100K to introduce pill testing throughout Australia. If they do succeed in raising the amount, however, they'll still need to gain the approval of the state governments. Ms Berejiklian has asked her expert panel to provide their advice within four weeks, following close consultation with the likes of the local government and those in the music industry. Image: Big Sound, Bec Taylor
Black Bear Lodge is about to get funky. Two of the best up and coming producers in Australia are teaming up to release their respective new singles and perform some assuredly great sets this Thursday night. Sydney’s Oliver Tank and Adelaide’s Oisima are both ascending the ranks of the Australian electronic scene at a rapid rate, with rave reviews heralding each new release. Both artists are on the cusp of releasing new material to the world and to celebrate, they are playing a few shows around Queensland. Oliver Tank has supported notable artists like Lana Del Rey, Active Child, Youth Lagoon and Megan Washington, as well as selling out his own headline tours across Australia. His debut EP, Dreams, was a success, and his next release, Slow Motion Music, will probably follow suit. Oisima’s jazz, soul and hip-hop influenced form of ambient electronica has made waves in the Australian electronic scene. Artists like Chet Faker and Flume count themselves as fans, and his EP, Goddess was released by Berlin’s Herbebe records. With a debut full length in the works, his new single 'Everything About Her' is already getting rave reviews, so his album is already off to a good start. Oliver Tank and Oisima will be supported by Yukon Snakes and Silo DJ’s.
2024 is Zendaya, Josh O'Connor and Mike Faist's year. By the time that July hits, each will have had two movies hit the silver screen in Australia within mere months. But, of course, only one brings the Dune: Part Two, La Chimera and The Bikeriders stars together, and also tennis and a spicy love triangle as well. That'd be Challengers, which is currently in cinemas Down Under, and has also made the fast-tracked leap to streaming while it's still unleashing its steamy games, sets and matches in picture palaces. Gone are the days when films quickly jumping between the big and small screens is new, with Dune: Part Two, Wonka and Force of Nature: The Dry 2 among the fellow flicks that've done the same this year. Challengers following suit is still great news, however, if you haven't had the chance to make it to your local theatre yet to see one of the year's highlights. Accordingly, you now have more viewing options — such as YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Directed by Call Me By Your Name, Suspiria and Bones and All filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, Challengers follows Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), Art Donaldson (Faist, West Side Story) and Patrick Zweig (O'Connor). As teenagers, they're all rising tennis talents, with Tashi the best of the lot. When she first crosses paths with both Art and Patrick, who are doubles partners and school roommates, it's at a party celebrating her bright future — and sparks fly, but it's Patrick that she's seeing when she's at college with Art. Enter a career-thwarting injury, then a jump forward to when Art is a multiple grand slam-winner, Patrick has never tasted major professional success and the two former best friends have fallen out of touch. Further complicating the trio's relationship, Art is also now married to Tashi. And, as he prepares for the US Open to finally notch up his career slam by having a hit at a tournament in New Rochelle, he's also on a collision course with Patrick on the court. It's no spoiler to say that Art and Patrick meet again as opponents, with Tashi — who is also now Art's manager — watching on. As set to a thumping score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (Oscar-winners for Soul), Guadagnino filters the entire movie through that pivotal match, with flashbacks to various earlier points (including the days leading up to the contest) to tell the threesome's full tale. "I think the competitiveness is also out of an obsession with each other. At the beginning of this film, in terms of the competitiveness, when they're younger that's there but — I don't want speak to their characters, but Art is is on the way of falling out of love with tennis. And I think Patrick is just desperate for connection," said O'Connor about the dynamic between the trio when he was in Australia to promote the flick alongside Zendaya and Faist. "I think all three of them are desperate for connection, whether it's Art seeking to restore the the love in his marriage or Tashi to restore this three-way love affair. I think Patrick, likewise, the tennis to him is the the utmost connection. He's always searching for that with Art, and with Tashi, too. And so I think the competitiveness comes secondary to that," he continued. Check out the trailer for Challengers below: Challengers is still screening in Australian cinemas, and is also available to stream via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our review, as well as what Zendaya, Josh O'Connor and Mike Faist had to say about the film when they were in Australia. Images: Niko Tavernise © 2024 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.
A new Australian ridesharing service that caters exclusively to female customers and hires only female drivers has officially started operations in Melbourne and Brisbane, with Sydney soon to follow. Created by comedian and single mother Georgina McEnroe, Shebah is designed to provide an alternative to women and parents who feel uncomfortable or unsafe using other ridesharing apps such as Uber. "My daughter and her friends had had some bad experiences with Uber," McEnroe told The Sydney Morning Herald. "The thought of getting in a small space with a guy seemed inherently unsafe." As of this week, Shebah will be operating in Queensland from North Lakes to Brisbane, down to Thornlands and then heading west to Bray Park, Albany Creek, Ferny Hills, Mount Ommaney and Inala, as well as on the Gold Coast from Coomera, Coolangatta, Currumbin Valley and Chinderra. In Victoria, the service will stretch from Bundoora to Essendon, Tarneit and through the western suburbs, as well as out to Doncaster and Ringwood, to Dandenong, Dromana and Blairgowrie. It will also operate within a 20 kilometre radius of the Geelong CBD. As for NSW, the service has assured its followers on Facebook it will be up and running as soon as they have enough drivers to support passenger demand. All Shebah drivers will be required to complete relevant legal checks, and in return will receive 85 percent of each fare. Shebah takes 14 percent, while the remainder goes to women-centric charities including Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia and the Northern Centre Against Sexual Assault's Respectful Relationships Program. The Shebah app is available on the App Store and via Google Play. For more information visit www.shebah.com.au.
It's now a whole lot easier to get your mitts on one of those recognisable (and authentic) Fjällräven rucksacks, as the Swedish outdoors label behind the bags has launched its first-ever southern hemisphere store. Opening on level two of Melbourne Central, the new space will give locals a chance to shop the internationally renowned brand in person, browsing an extensive range of its sustainably made clothing, accessories and outdoors equipment. Here, those brightly coloured box-shaped Kanken rucksacks (and the mini versions) will be on show in 55 different colours alongside menswear, womenswear, tents, sleeping bags, and plenty of other travel accompaniments. The 'concept store' also offers complimentary coffee, free wi-fi and loads of expert advice for those plotting their next outdoors adventure or even just an overseas jaunt. Fjällräven, now famous worldwide for its clever fusion of functionality and style, has been kicking on since 1960, when founder Ake Nordin made and sold his first aluminium-framed backpack. The label has since expanded to a huge line of fashion and equipment for nature-lovers and style-savvy city dwellers alike. Find Fjällräven at Shop 241, Level 2 Melbourne Central, Corner Latrobe and Swanston Streets, Melbourne. Updated: December 8, 2018.
The campaign to change the date of Australia Day to, well, any day other than January 26 — on account of the undeniable pain it causes Indigenous Australians — has been long fought. In recent years it's even been joined by local councils and the Greens and, now, local broadcaster Triple J has made a symbolic move away from the day of 'celebration'. The radio station will move the date of its annual Hottest 100 countdown to January 27 in 2018. About time. Around this time last year Triple J copped a cavalcade of requests to change the date of the countdown, which culminated in the station throwing open a survey of how listeners would feel about the change. The results were enough to make Triple J change its mind — 60 percent of listeners said they supported moving the date. In Triple J's official statement, it recognised that the Hottest 100 has become a symbol in the debate about Australia Day. "The Hottest 100 wasn't created as an Australia Day celebration. It was created to celebrate your favourite songs of the past year," it said. "It should be an event that everyone can enjoy together — for both the musicians whose songs make it in and for everyone listening in Australia and around the world. This is really important to us." It's a symbolic change, but an undoubtedly important one. The countdown on Saturday, January 27 will be followed by the Hottest 200 on Sunday, January 28. Voting will open on Tuesday, December 12. You can read all the details here.
Everyone's favourite keyboard playing, Irish comedian is in Brisbane to perform his show, David O'Doherty Will Try to Fix Everything. O'Doherty has had a pretty successful run as a comedian. After working in telemarketing, he made his first bold steps into the world of all things funny at the Dublin's Comedy Cellar in 1998. He has performed across the globe, yet has a special place in the hearts of Aussie's. He has performed sell-out gigs in Melbourne, Montreal, New York City and Wellington. He has also joined top comedians on tour such as The Flight of the Conchords, Rich Hall and Demetri Martin to deliver serves of piping hot funny. If you're new to O'Doherty's musical performances, check this clip out of one of his classics, 'Text Song'. Expect the unexpected and prepare for a night of belly laughs at the Powerhouse this Thursday night.
