Brisbane's beer-drinking calendar just received a new entry, with The Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular announcing its first-ever Brisbane festival. Better known as GABS, and considered by most as the best craft beer and cider festival in the Asia-Pacific region, the fest began in Melbourne eight years ago. It has now expanded to cover four cities and two countries to date — including Brissie when it joins the fold in 2019. GABS Brisbane will hit the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday, April 27, with fest creators Steve Jeffares and Guy Greenstone (The Local Taphouse, Stomping Ground Brewing Co.) wrangling up the best breweries from the region. Previous events have offered up over 500 brews in total, including up to 170 festival beers and ciders, with 100 of these often wacky specialty brews — created just for the event and are generally the festival's main draw — set to come to Brisbane. GABS' exclusive beers give attendees the rare chance to try brand-spanking new beers, while also meeting the brewers behind them. 2018's tipples included ingredients like Great Ocean Road snails, crickets and durian. There was also a laksa ale, a whisky sour beer and an umami beer with miso, soy and seaweed, in case you're wondering what might be in store. Apart from beer, the fest's interstate legs have played host to everything from Holey Moley pop-up courses, gin and whiskey cocktail bars and an 18-metre-high beer Ferris wheel, as well as wandering performances and local food stalls. Just which activities will make the jump to Queensland has yet to be revealed. The single day event is categorised in two sessions, with session one taking place in the afternoon and session two an evening affair. If you're a super keen craft drinker, you'll be able to purchase tickets to both sessions when they go on sale at a yet-to-be-advised date — we wish those ticket holders the best of luck. The Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular comes to Brisbane on Saturday, April 27, 2019. We'll keep you updated when tickets go on sale.
International Taco Day is coming in hot this Friday, with spicy sauces and jalapeños aplenty. So, you'll want to be feasting on as many tacos as possible. And where could be better to do so than at one of the world's most renowned taco slingers, Taco Bell. Better yet, this year, Taco Bell is marking the occasion with a brand-new, limited-edition menu. Head on down to any Taco Bell in Brisbane on October 4 and you'll score the first taste of Taco Bell's Lava Burst range, featuring its hottest menu yet. Planning on being on the Gold Coast this long weekend? The limited-edition range will be available there, too. Spice up your life with the Lava Burst Taco, which comes with seasoned beef, crisp lettuce, cheese and the all-new fiery lava sauce, loaded into a bright red crunchy taco shell. Taco Bell's stacked nachos and chips also get a hit of Lava Burst flavour, loaded with beef, jalapeños, sour cream and lashings of both nacho cheese sauce and that fiery new lava concoction. Plus, when you buy any taco in-restaurant this International Taco Day, you'll also get a free pair of limited-edition Taco-patterned socks. A Taco Bell pop-up will also be hitting Brisbane's King George Square from noon until 2pm on the day, handing out a stack of freebies, from Lava Burst tacos to limited-edition merch. And while the Lava Burst menu won't be available outside of Queensland, at least Victoria and NSW can look forward to getting their own taste of Taco Bell, with new restaurants opening in both states later this year. Taco Bell's limited-edition Lava Burst range is launching on Friday, October 4 for International Taco Day. It will be available at all Brisbane and Gold Coast restaurants for a limited time only.
For nearly three decades, horror movie lovers have fallen into two categories: those who've dared to say the word 'candyman' five times while staring into a mirror, and those who haven't. That's the kind of impact this spooky supernatural franchise has had over the years, with the film about a fictional urban legend almost becoming an urban legend itself. To the joy of slumber party-throwing teens everywhere, the 1992 original sparked follow-ups in 1995 and 1999 — and, thanks to a new 22-years-later third sequel, that's no longer the end of the story. Given that everything old just keeps coming back again, and that 90s nostalgia is the gift that keeps on giving, another Candyman flick was always going to happen eventually. This one was supposed to release last year, in fact, but then the pandemic scared us all instead. If you're still a little wary — despite its cult status, the initial movie is hardly a masterpiece, and Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh and Candyman: Day of the Dead won the series absolutely zero new fans — Candyman circa 2021 has a few tricks up its sleeves. Firstly, it's directed by Nia DaCosta, whose Tessa Thompson-starring 2018 film Little Woods deserved more attention. Secondly, it's produced and co-written by Jordan Peele, who adds another frightfest to his resume alongside Get Out and Us. And last but by no means least, it features the OG Candyman, Tony Todd, among its cast. As the first trailer back in 2020 initially explained — and now the just-dropped latest trailer expands upon — the new flick focuses on an artist called Anthony McCoy (Aquaman and Watchmen's Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). He decides to start exploring the Candyman legend through his art, a decision that obviously isn't going to turn out well. His girlfriend Brianna (If Beale Street Could Talk's Teyonah Parris), who also runs a gallery, thinks the story is just that. But as Anthony starts investigating the tale, the bee-covered figure starts wreaking havoc again. We all already know why, because that's what happens when folks say his name while looking at their own reflection, but the new sneak peek does offer some more background to the on-screen legend. For Candyman aficionados, Anthony's own name should ring a bell — he's the son of one of the first film's main characters, which might explain just why he's so obsessed with the eponymous ghoul. That said, while he might think he knows what he's getting himself into, Candyman still knows how to unsettle and unnerve. Check out the latest trailer below: Candyman will now open in Australian cinemas on August 26, 2021.
Ahh, September in Brisbane. The days are getting warmer, the sun has made its glorious return, and it marks one of the most exciting months on the local calendar. The Brisbane Festival is back for 2014, boasting a bigger lineup of events than ever before. There is bound to be something for all tastes and temperaments — from the loud and raucous to immersive artistic experiences that tingle the senses. The hardest part is simply choosing which sight, sound or sensation to indulge in next. Never fear, the overwhelming task is made easy, courtesy of your friends at Concrete Playground. Here are our picks for the Brisbane Festival season. Juana Molina Heralding from Argentina, the enigmatic Juana Molina makes her Brisbane Festival debut in 2014 for a one-night-only performance guaranteed to dazzle. Described as “Spanish-sung folktronica”, Juana’s performances are as unique as they are playful, full to the brim with experimentation and honest passion in song. Continuing soundscapes full of surprises, never dull or anticipated. Some have attempted to pigeonhole Juana, tried to fit her into a niche genre or have compared her to other songstresses such as Beth Orton or Bjork while trying to describe her sound; one of the most admirable characteristics of Juana is her very selfness, her unique sensibilities and authentic original sound. September 25, Spiegeltent Prehistoric Cast your mind back to Brisbane in the 1970s. We had the first round of flooding, a tumultuous political climate, the fashions were fantastic and the music still as good today as it was some 40 years ago. Prehistoric looks at Brisbane’s flowering music industry during the ‘70s, following the lives of four young adults as they learn what it means to express themselves under an intolerant government. This is a tribute to the sparks of creativity, those who had their time in the spotlight who gave it their all but perhaps were not to be heard from again. September 23-27, The Loft (QUT Creative Industries Precinct) Com Truise Seth Haley, known to fans as Com Truise, will make the air in the Spiegeltent a little harder to breathe. Heavy, silky synths meet funk in its minute, trudging detail; Com Truise slows down the beat, bringing to mind gems from the ‘80s, but with a twist on a darker, seductive side. New Order meets Knight Rider as heard through a pounding crowd, a Sega standalone arcade game that has had a grape-flavoured Slush Puppy poured over its controls. Punchy, confident, eerily familiar but not as you remember it… Com Truise is your hero of parachute pants with a suit jacket. September 11, Spiegeltent Squidboy What happens when you combine the imagination of a squid and a sailor’s stories of a long, lost love? Well… nothing immediately comes to mind. Thankfully, the creative genius of Gaulier-trained clown Trygve Wakenshaw can, and will, connect the dots. This award-winning, critically acclaimed one-man-show is leaving audiences in stitches from Melbourne all the way to the Edinburgh Fringe. It’s as innovative as it is outrageous and, considering the singular mind it comes from, has to be seen to be believed. Trygve is also (thankfully) responsible for the parallel production of mime and mouthsound masterpiece, Kraken – a side-splitting tale that takes place on the ocean floor, of course. Join in the fun that will take you to the deepest depths of your imagination. September 16-20, La Boite Studio Bombay Royale The most exotic and exciting corners of the globe converge for Bombay Royale, a pop-culture fan’s dream. Taking the best from modern day cinema, classic theatre, traditional performance and all taken a little tongue-in-cheek, Bombay Royale have been celebrated the world over, finding homes and fans wherever they go. Think the drama of Quentin Tarantino, the thrills of Indiana Jones, the spectacle of Bollywood and the fun of Goldfinger, and you’re halfway there. This is a must-see for the entire family, or perhaps a group of friends looking to let their hair down. September 24, Spiegeltent Scotch and Soda The whimsy of daring acrobatics clashes in the most spectacular way with the rambunctious sounds of inspired music-makers to bring us Scotch and Soda. The stars of circus acts ‘Cantina’ and ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ are the misfits who bring the trouble to the hazy music hall of madness. They’re joined by The Crusty Suitcase Band, aptly named for their nomadic nature, taking big, brassy and boisterous sounds wherever they wander. This production has received rave reviews from the Sydney Festival, and it’s no mystery as to why. With character a-plenty, this is not your typical circus ring, but a dirty, raw show that will leave you sweating in your seat and wanting more. September 23-27, Judith Wright Centre Tawdry Heartburn's Manic Cures Have you got something to get off your chest? Visit Tawdry, the six-foot-five “manic-curist” who is here to prep your pinkies and settle your nerves, ready to share those secrets that keep weighing you down. Tawdry will professionally paint and polish your nails and read your palm before placing in front of you a typewriter, or “gossip machine”. Here you are invited to share your secret, something that has worried you, held you back, something you no longer need to hold on to. The anonymous secrets are locked away, and posted later on on Tawdry’s web wall in the hopes to lift the burden off the millions and heal the consternation of millions, one set of hands at a time. This is a free, interactive art exhibition, one which will be a one-of-a-kind experience as well as a wonderful work in progress to view throughout the festival. September 9-27, Theatre Republic The Shadow King Shakespeare’s classic tragedy, King Lear, is given a hard-hitting facelift by way of The Shadow King. Provocative, and enduring, the tale of two Indigenous families in Australia’s north is one of nation and of family, questioning what we know about the notions of country and loyalty, interlinking itself with the history of our nation. The Shadow King boasts a live rock score, a star-studded cast and a story that is told through modern English and Kriol languages. Premiering in late 2013, The Shadow King has since been nominated for Best Play at the Helpmann Awards, and won Best Director. A play that asks more questions than it answers and cuts to the core of the founding priorities of community, this is a rare chance to see a play worth talking about. September 9-13, Brisbane Powerhouse Spiegeltent Garden Bar In amongst the festivities of this gem of an event, you’ll possibly want to take a load off, maybe catch up with friends, grab a nibble or a bubbly beverage of some sort and soak up the atmosphere of the heart of the Brisbane Festival - the Spiegeltent Garden Bar is just the place that ticks all of these boxes. Not only is this an open-air bar, it’s an eatery, a venue for live entertainment throughout the month with river views and overflowing attraction. Each year there is a different art installation to walk or wade through, lights lacing every possible direction and you’ll be spoiled for choice when it comes to ordering from the menus. Even if you are keeping your festival itinerary light and casual, this is a must-see stop on every festival experience. September 5-27, South Bank Cultural Forecourt Santos GLNG Twilight Music Series As the Brisbane Festival continues to evolve, so too does the scope of possibilities presented by lounging on the river front, sipping on a glass of wine at dusk. This year, there are a host of performances designed to accommodate just that, and they are as varied and exciting as the rest of the festival’s offerings. Pack the picnic blanket and basket, your snacks and drinks of choice and head to the green grassy area just over from the Spiegeltent area, and you will find a live act to perfectly complement your evening. The likes of Steve Smyth, Sophie Hutchings and rising star Japanese Wallpaper are just some of the selections of artists who will take to the alfresco stage throughout the month. Be sure to check the schedule, as well as what you can and cannot take into the picnic area. September 6-26, River Quay Green And also… There are a number of familiar faces gracing stages throughout the Brisbane Festival. The likes of Andy Bull, Phil Jamieson (Grinspoon), Miami Horror and Brisbane’s own The Kite String Tangle are making a special pit-stop at the Spiegeltent on their way around the country. Sessions designed to inform as well as entertain will take place throughout the month, with the folks from the ABC sharing their stories, along with creatives opening up their minds and sources of inspiration - Festival Conversations and the Creative Forum might be worth a look whether you are business- or creatively-minded. And don’t forget, September 27 is the night the Brisbane River ignites for the Sunsuper Riverfire!
After a sold-out season in Sydney and a current run in Melbourne, Muriel's Wedding the Musical is coming to Brisbane in 2019. A co-production between Sydney Theatre Company and Global Creatures, the musical adaptation of Muriel's Wedding is like a perfect high school reunion — maximum 80s nostalgia without having to tell any of your old friends you're in HR now. When Muriel Heslop realises that the small town of Porpoise Spit has nothing in store but grim futures, she decides to take off, with only her parents' chequebook, a couple of ABBA albums memorised note for note and a vague sense that the wider world has something that she is hungry for. PJ Hogan, who wrote and directed Muriel's cinematic adventure, has adapted and updated the script for the stage, while Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall have built the music around ABBA's towering back catalogue. There's a real buzz around Muriel. Sure, it's a chance to re-immerse yourself in the unadulterated joy of Muriel's hijinks, but it's also because Muriel hasn't stopped holding the mirror up to our desperate, fame-hungry society since she first hit the screen. As director Simon Phillips points out: "Muriel's governing delusion is becoming a celebrity and becoming famously married. The world has caught up with Muriel." Running at QPAC's Lyric Theatre from September 19 to October 26, the Brisbane season comes after the show won a slew of awards at last year's Helpmann Awards, Australia's annual awards for live entertainment and performing arts. Muriel's Wedding the Musical picked up five gongs across the two nights of awards, including Best Original Score, Best Music Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Sound Design and Best Choreography in a Musical. Image: Christine Messinesi.
Christmas markets are always excellent for those of us who tend to leave gift purchasing until the last minute — and, thankfully, Etsy is setting up their markets all over Australia in the final weekend of November. Etsy Made Local is a grassroots initiative that celebrates crafters, collectors and artisans in local communities, and provides them with the opportunity to sell their creations both online and in a physical space. So whether you're on the hunt for handmade wares or vintage goods, these guys have got you covered. The markets will be held in Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra. Because each market focuses on the best local talent, each market will be filled with different stallholders and unique creations. Supporting creative small businesses and scoring a killer Christmas gift is a win for everyone involved, so head to City Hall on Saturday, November 28 and get your festive shopping done early, for once.
We all know that solid dose of 'the good feels' you get after you've done something nice for yourself/your body (like exercise). And from Monday, October 4–Saturday, December 4, you can expect those feelings to increase two-fold. Thanks to the return of Brisbane's Feel Good Program for spring and the beginning of summer, the city will welcome a series of outdoor fitness classes — and, unlike that fancy new yoga studio in your neighbourhood that smells like acai berries and only serves charcoal tea, these classes are all entirely free. Ranging from sessions to get your blood pumping (Zumba) to classes to get your zen flowing freely (yoga, tai chi), plus aqua classes held at the Boat Pool, the Feel Good Program is an initiative designed to suit any and all fitness levels. Classes are held at both South Bank Parklands and in the city at Queens Gardens. BYO water bottle, towel and, where required, a yoga mat — the ones provided are subject to availability. Adapting to the times, you'll also need to check in when you attend. Classes happen every day except Fridays and Sundays, and they all run for between 30–45 minutes. Get started early and face the day with a 7am bootcamp session, or finish it with pilates from 5.30pm — or ballroom or Bollywood dancing from 6.30pm. Whichever you choose, it'll have you embracing the warm outdoors and feeling good — check out the timetable online.
Maybe exploring graves on the outskirts of the Brisbane CBD, singing songs adjacent to a cemetery and pretending to be a corpse that's being washed and prepared for burial is your idea fun. Maybe it isn't. Either way, indulging in morbid-leaning pastimes or challenging yourself to face the end that awaits us all is on the agenda at Brisbane's newest festival, Deathfest. Running from November 12 to 20, Metro Arts' latest program of live art, music, film, visual art, discussions and social events wants attendees to confront death, literally. No, the grim reaper won't be there, but you will have to contemplate the weighty subject. We know, we know, it's a topic most of us choose not to think about, other than in a vague, YOLO-like way by reading trashy vampire fiction, or crying when the killer year that is 2016 keeps offing our artistic heroes. The Brissie arts venue knows this too, in fact, increasing death literacy in the community and finding a new way to embrace grief are among its chief aims. No wonder it's the first arts and culture festival of its kind in Queensland. And, no wonder it has compiled an array of out-of-the-box (or coffin) events and activities designed to push attendees out of their comfort zones. Taking place at a number of locations around the city, they include a concert of songs about leaving people and life behind, a theatrical dance piece about love and loss, a Yarn storytelling session focused on the experience of mourning, and a musical performance that uses sounds of endangered and extinct animals. And, plenty of talking: about dying in general over wine and cheese, and in an artist-filled panel session on what it means to die well. Elsewhere, you'll spy divination cards in Fish Lane that draw attention to bigger existential questions, and images of wildflowers in Eagle Lane stressing the importance of thinking about what came before. Plus, tying in with Metro Arts' newly revamped Lumen Room, a feast of appropriately themed films also feature. Griefwalker provides a poetic portrait of dying people talking about their predicament, while Oscar-winning Japanese effort Departures follows a man working at a funeral home. Or, relive what still ranks as Hayley Joel Osment and M. Night Shyamalan's career highlight, aka The Sixth Sense. You know exactly why it's appropriate.
Is there anything better than a simple cup of tea? If leaves rather than beans comprise your preferred kind of hot beverage, you'll know its pleasures: smelling the wafting aroma, feeling the heat radiating from your cup and tasting the hearty flavour. Most tea-lovers experience all of that several times a day; however, expect to do so a few times more on Saturday, November 26 — it's Brisbane Tea Festival time. This first-ever fest boasts two main components: a workshop program that'll teach you about everything from the basics behind a perfect cuppa to tea-based mocktails, and a tea market. At the latter, you'll wander around The Old Museum in Bowen Hills with your porcelain tasting cup in hand — it's included with every ticket — and sip your way through nearly 30 stalls. Experience the flavours of artisan teas from all around Australia; pick up some homemade tea pots, cups and other teawares; watch tea demonstrations; and grab a bite while learning about which foods pair best with tea — or eating tea-infused snacks. Whatever you spend the day doing, one thing is certain: you'll always have your favourite warm bev on hand. There are two sessions to the festival, but only the 2–6pm session has tickets remaining, which'll set you back $20. The workshops cost extra, as does the bubble tea-drinking contest. And yes, talking tea while drinking tea with people who love tea is firmly a big part of these tea festivities.
Screenlife films such as Missing should be the last thing that moviegoers want. When we're hitting a cinema or escaping into our streaming queues, we're seeking a reprieve from the texts, chats, pics, reels, searches, and work- and study-related tasks that we all stare at on our phones and computers seemingly 24/7. (Well, we should be, unless we're monsters who can't turn off our devices while we watch.) There's a nifty dose of empathy behind thrillers like this, its excellent predecessor Searching, and the similar likes of Unfriended and Profile, however, that relies upon the very fact that everyone spends far too much time living through technology. When an on-screen character such as Missing's June (Storm Reid, The Last of Us) is glued to the gadget on their desk or lap, or in their hand — when they're using the devices that've virtually become our new limbs non-stop to try to solve their problems and fix their messy existence, too — it couldn't be more relatable. As Missing fills its frames with window upon window of June's digital activities, cycling and cascading through FaceTime calls, Gmail messages, WhatsApp downloads, Google Maps tracking, TikTok videos, TaskRabbit bookings, plain-old websites and more, it witnesses its protagonist do plenty that we've all done. And, everything she's undertaking feels exactly that familiar — like the film could be staring back at each member of its audience rather than at an 18-year-old who starts the movie unhappy that her mother Grace (Nia Long, You People) is jetting off to Colombia with her new boyfriend Kevin (Ken Leung, Old). That sensation remains true even though Missing's viewers have likely never had their mum disappear in another country, and their life forever turned upside down as a result. We've all experienced the mechanics behind what writer/directors Will Merrick and Nick Johnson (who make their feature debut in both roles after editing Searching) are depicting in our own ways, with only the vast power of the internet able to help. As an opening video set 12 years earlier explains, plus folders of medical info and farewells over a move from Texas to California, June is far from thrilled about Grace and Kevin's getaway due to its timing. She isn't fussed about her mum's rules for while they're away and repetitive reminders to empty her voice messages, either, but they'll be gone over the weekend of Father's Day, a difficult occasion given that June's father James (Tim Griffin, True Detective) passed away when she was a kid. To fill her time home alone, she makes sure that she's not really home alone, throwing parties she's not supposed to, avoiding tipping off her mum's lawyer pal Heather (Amy Landecker, Your Honor) — who's on check-up duties — and hanging out with her bestie Veena (Megan Suri, Never Have I Ever). But when June heads to Los Angeles airport to collect Grace and Kevin upon their return, her situation gets worse. She waits. She holds up a playful sign. She films the whole thing as well. But no one shows. Five years have passed since Searching became one of the best screenlife movies yet while making stellar use of John Cho (Cowboy Bebop) as a dad desperate to find his absent daughter. With that flick's writer/director Aneesh Chaganty and co-scribe Sev Ohanian getting a story credit, Missing flips the setup, having a kid looking as far and wide as technology currently allows for a parent instead. With some assistance from FBI Agent Park (Daniel Henney, Criminal Minds), but not enough — plus on-the-ground sleuthing by Cartagena local Javi (Joaquim de Almeida, Warrior Nun), thanks to an outsourcing service — June gets investigating, and also increasingly frantic about what's happened, why, where Grace might be and how to get her home. The film also gets pacier than Searching, reflecting not just half a decade's worth of tech advancements, but a teenager's innate, always-on comfort with the online landscape as a digital native. June doesn't just hop from app to app, program to program, chat to chat and call to call quickly — and, conveniently for the film, keep her webcam running in-between so viewers see the stress expand across her face as she does so. As she scours and worries, worries and sours, she's as creative as she is determined with her detective skills. Indeed, Missing doubles as both stalker 101 and a cybersecurity warning. If you're already concerned about the surveillance-heavy times that we live in, expect your Black Mirror-style anxieties to only expand while watching. Missing is so relatable in what it's showing, rather than the tale it's using all those computer windows to show, that it's also a double-edged sword: we've all been June, inseparable from our MacBooks and the like; can our online lives be so easily picked through, as Grace does to Kevin as her suspicions heighten, as well? As Searching did, Missing has its audience playing gumshoe along with its characters. As Unfriended and Profile did — all four movies share Russian Kazakh filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov as a producer, and he also directed Profile — it keeps everyone on high alert via a tense, propulsive and immersive affair. Viewing screenlife flicks, which also includes the unconnected Host and We're All Going to the World's Fair (and the less-convincing Spree, and downright grating Dash Cam), means constantly seeking clues as to where the next twist, revelation or crucial detail will spring from. They're an involving experience, especially when there are people to find and crimes to solve, and Missing is as on-edge, nail-biting and as attention-demanding as they come. Amid the sea of clips, conversations and text on-screen — and some wild leaps in logic — the nerves and vigilance here aren't June's alone. Missing knows how folks watching will engage, even if it obviously isn't interactive in the way that film-meets-game Isklander — screenlife IRL, basically — is. It knows that it exists in a world obsessed with true-crime, smartly commenting on the pervasive and persistent fascination with other's misdeeds — and overtly linking back to Searching in the process — while asking how much anyone can ever truly know their nearest and dearest. That's another relatable source of the thriller's distress. It's where Reid proves devastatingly effective, compellingly shifting from a teen annoyed at her mum's overprotectiveness to the point of virtually ignoring her, to a concerned daughter willing to do whatever it takes, to questioning everything that she's ever been told. Long also plays her panicky matriarch part with potency, but the riveting Missing is right on target at grounding its nerves and thrills alike in all that can be uncovered, endured and experienced with your fingers on a keyboard and your eyes staring at your chosen rectangle.
Brisbanites, it's time to crack open your piggy bank, fumble for coins in your wallet and look for loose change under your couch. That's all you'll need to nab yourself a chicken schnitzel on Wednesday, October 30, with Rashays serving them up for $1. Available all day for one day only, the special includes hand-crumbed schnittys, a serving of chips and plenty of mushroom sauce — a dish that's been on the Australian chain's menu since it opened 21 years ago. A few caveats apply, as tends to be the case with these kinds of deals. You can only order one schnitzel meal per person, they're only available for folks dining in, and you'll have to walk in and try your luck because the eatery won't be taking bookings. You can't order through a third-party app, either, and the schnittys are only available while stocks last. To get your fix, you'll need to head out to the suburbs and get cosy at Rashays at Toombul Shopping Centre — but if $1 schnittys aren't worth the trek, then nothing is. Rashays also has stores at Redbank and Ipswich, if you're closer to that side of town. All proceeds from your schnitz fix will go to a good cause, too, with Rashays donating funds from the day to Miracle Babies — a foundation that helps premature and sick newborns, their families and the hospitals that look after them.
The Queensland winter is about to hit, and, while it's usually very mild, it's easy to spend your weekends curled up indoors with a mug of cocoa and a few binge-worthy series on Netflix. But this is an event you should definitely be leaving your house for. For four glorious days, the Best of Brisbane Style and Design Market will be taking over Indooroopilly Shopping Centre with a lineup of dynamic retail brands and online businesses. This means you'll get to spend the wintry weekend in the company of the city's cleverest, most imaginative, hardest-working designers and makers. Stacks of independent creatives will be peddling their newest offerings, across fashion, accessories, art, craft, homewares and food. Look out for Marvel-inspired leggings by Black Milk, linen dresses by LJC Designs, leather jackets by Winston Wolfe and t-shirts dotted with dancing brolgas by Jericho Road Clothing. If you're looking to add a splash of colour to your wardrobe, then nab a pair of Yippy Whippy's fun earrings, which range from blobfish to broccoli florets, or Concrete Jellyfish's resin jewellery, which takes its inspiration from Australian plants, animals and landscapes. The inner west market will also present shoppers with exclusive discounts and offers, including free leather jacket fitting sessions with Winston Wolfe, 20-percent off select items from sustainable fashion label Why Mary, new styles from Jericho Road Clothing (that will only be available at the market) and the unveiling of Gail Sorronda's exclusive Brisbane Style and Design Market line. In between browsing, modelling and making purchases, there'll be free canapés: platters loaded with antipasto, accompanied by lemonade and kombucha. There'll also be luxe brownies from Dello Mano and a steady stream of live performances across the weekend. You'll find the Best of Brisbane Style and Design Market on Level Two, under the chandelier. Opening hours are Thursday 7 June, 9am–9pm; Friday 8 June, 9am–5:30pm; Saturday 9 June, 9am–5pm; and Sunday 10 June, 10am-4pm.
We can think of the world in terms as simple as black and white, but often this perspective is shallow. It's the grey areas of life that are the most interesting and require an emotive response. Art is one of those areas and Anna Varendorff's latest exhibition, Sort of Free Objects, perfectly blurs multiples mediums to create something extraordinary. Anna's practice collapses all barriers between jewellery and sculpture. She has described her pieces as “jewels for a room” because of their similarity to the function of jewellery. Delicate, linear, beautiful and precious – these stunning sculptures would add charm to any room in the same way that a great piece of jewellery sets off an outfit. Just like a jewel should be worn and enjoyed, Anna encourages the viewers of her art to interact with her sculptures and enjoy them. Head to A-CH Gallery and get lost in Anna's gorgeous world.
Let’s take a moment to talk about destruction. Scales of destruction, to be precise. For earthquakes, we use the ‘Moment Magnitude Scale’, for tornados it’s the ‘Fujita Scale’ and hurricanes are classified according to ‘Saffir-Simpson’. There’s no official system for classifying destruction in movies per se (the ratings system is too broad), but if we were to put a name to it, the ‘Marvel Scale’ might be a good place to start. -A ‘5' would be the most severe: your full-blown, blown-up world situation, where entire planets are either destroyed or critically imperilled (see: Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor: The Dark World, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer). -A ‘4’ would cover city-wide destruction, where entire skyscrapers tumble like box office records, generally with little or no regard for their hapless occupants (see: The Avengers, The Avengers 2: Age of Ultron). -A ‘3’ is a shocking amount of destruction localised to a single area, such as a small town or neighbourhood, otherwise known as ‘a standard fight’ in just about every Marvel movie (see: Thor, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Iron Man 2, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and anything with a Hulk). -A ‘2’ would cover destruction on the human scale, where countless pawns (ideally ‘baddies’, then soldiers/cops and, when permissible, innocent bystanders) are mowed down by alien weapons, unwieldly superpowers or falling debris (see: Blade: Trinity, X-Men: The Last Stand). What, then, is a ‘1’? The answer is Ant-Man, where the violence is kept to such a minimum that the most meaningful casualty is an actual ant. An ant named ‘Antony’. What we get instead is a family-friendly Marvel movie where humour and dialogue offer a refreshing respite from all the usual, unimaginable carnage. Marvel actually frames Ant-Man as a heist movie, and that’s a good way to look at it. When an unscrupulous scientist (played by House of Cards’ Corey Stoll) perfects the science of atomic manipulation – allowing humans to be shrunk to the size of an ant whilst capable of enormous feats of strength – his former mentor and the original inventor of the technology (Michael Douglas) recruits a cat burglar named Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) to steal the prototype military suit and destroy all related records, believing it to be a threat to global security. Lang is given his own special suit, one that allows him to shrink back and forth as he pleases, then trained both in martial arts and the ability to communicate with insects. Think 'Honey I Shrunk The Doctor Dolittle', combined with a little Matrix and a lot of Oceans 11. The implications of a ‘Marvel-1’ movie cut both ways. The downside is that the stakes feel significantly lower, with ‘end of the world’ being replaced by ‘might get caught’ as the biggest threat for most of the film. Generally, though, it’s all upside, with the smaller-scale storyline (and unavoidably concomitant puns) allowing for a funnier and more intimate superhero tale. The size-related jokes are predictably frequent, but thankfully also creative enough to surprise, and apportioned evenly to allow for more general comedy as well. As the title character Rudd is perfectly cast, allowing his boy-next-door charm to deliver Tony Stark level wise-cracks without the ego or arrogance to sour them. It’s the Peter Parker model, where self-deprecation reigns supreme and heroism is steeped in humility. Coupled with the comedic offerings of his ex-con buddies (led by a scene-stealing Michael Peña), and bouncing off the dry wit of his instructor/love interest Hope (Evangeline Lilly), Rudd simultaneously leads Ant-Man as confidently as any of his comic book compadres whilst downplaying it to a point that almost parodies the Marvel world in which it exists. Funny, charming and very family friendly, Ant-Man is unquestionably light fare, but also a solid debut for what will almost certainly develop into a meatier and more assured trilogy.
Seafood by the sea? Brews next to the beach? There's nothing stopping you from enjoying both at 2025's Moreton Bay Food and Wine Festival. Coming to Apex Park in Woody Point between Friday, August 22–Sunday, August 24, this returning food fest serves up plenty to tempt your tastebuds, from oysters and prawns to farm-fresh fare — and beers and cocktails, too. Indeed, if you like the indulgent things in life, you'll find more than a few things that'll suit your cravings on the menu. [caption id="attachment_883183" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] While the program isn't out yet, the event always features a focus on local produce — and other past highlights have included the Moreton Bay BrewsFest (complete with beer pong and giant Jenga); a cocktail haven with a particular interest in gin distilleries; a vino-serving cellar door; and a stage dedicated to health, wellness, and things for your house and garden. Live tunes and DJ-spun tracks are also on the agenda, and so are cooking demonstrations by chefs. And, if you want to counteract all of the eating and drinking, you'll be in the right place for it — just go for a walk along the shoreline. Event images: Tourism and Events Queensland.
It's a scientific fact that you can't have too much laughter — or if it isn't, it really should be. Giggling is good for you. A hearty laugh is a heck of a good workout. And checking out the hilarious stylings of up-and-coming comedians doesn't just offer amusement for eager audiences, but supports aspiring talent. That's what's on offer at Bris Funny Fest, which returns for a third year of rib-tickling, side-splitting fun. From August 1 to 26, the fringe comedy festival will showcase the comic stylings of a few recognisable names and whole host of others that aren't quite household fodder yet — but one day, they just might be. Check out Matt Okine on his return home, or other locals such as Mel Buttle, Luke Heggie and Damien Power. Let improv masters get you guffawing, or catch one of the breakout favourites of this year's Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Laugh along with amusing ladies, see which show has the best name ever (our vote: Rage Against the Washing Machine) and enjoy more sketches than Saturday Night Live has ever aired. Okay, so the last one is a bit of an exaggeration, but hey, whatever kind of comedy you're looking for, you'll probably find it here.
Watching television and subscribing to a streaming platform are both cheaper than going to the cinema. Should watching Netflix on your phone be even cheaper still? That's something that the international streaming behemoth is testing out, offering cut-price mobile-only plans — in Malaysia at present, although it has also flagged lower-price subscription options throughout Asia. Malaysia's The Star reports that the mobile-only option is currently available for 17 Malaysian ringgit (approximately AU$5.58) per month, offering unlimited viewing on one handheld device only — be it a phone or a tablet. The content is only available in standard definition, which is good news for anyone with a low data plan but bad news for anyone who loves high-definition viewing. Malaysian residents can only access the new plan by signing up via the Netflix mobile app, or by accessing the Netflix website on a smartphone. Still, it's cheaper than Australia's three tiers, with the basic $9.99 per month package allowing viewing on one screen at a time, including a laptop, tablet or mobile; the standard $13.99 tier upping the simultaneous screens to two and including HD; and the premium $17.99 option including ultra-HD and four screens. Variety notes that the tests are designed to appeal to smartphone-centric users in Asia — so if you do all of your film and television viewing on the smallest of screens (that is, your mobile), then you'll be hoping that Netflix expands its trial Down Under. The company hasn't given any indication that that's the case, but it does love to toy with new options — including, at the other end of the scale, possibly getting into the bricks-and-mortar cinema game. Via The Star / Variety.
Arguably one of the most common and long-running artistic traditions, landscape painting serves a purpose beyond simply recreating a scenic vista. The artist’s memories of a place and time are captured in light and colour, with their brushstrokes allowing others to truly experience that place through someone else’s eyes. Land Scope explores this sense of nostalgia and memory through the works of two Brisbane artists. Clare Cowley’s oil paintings bring her connection to the land to life with rich colour and energetic brushwork, while Grace Herrmann uses watercolour to capture scenes with a quiet, dreamlike softness. The exhibition creates a feeling of intimacy and interconnectedness between the artists and viewers alike. Land Scope exhibits at the Woolloongabba Art Gallery from 1 to 12 September, with an opening night event on Friday 4 September.
Sure, we know of Samoa, but how much do we really know about the peoples' stories? It's easy to forget that many other countries have grown up with similar worries, cares, hopes and dreams as us Australians. One production that will change and open your mind is the beautifully honest and hysterical coming-of-age story of 1970s Samoa, Where We Once Belonged. Life is hard for Alofa, who is privy to violence, religious and colonisation disputes at home. Amidst her personal turmoil, Alofa and her friends Lili and Moa still manage to be typical teenagers, teasing the local boys, acting up at school, and dreaming of their fairytale weddings. Our generation has come to expect not so flattering book adaptations, but this one is a winner on the stage. Watch Sia Figiel's award-winning book come to life when 14 talented young Pasifika performers take to the stage in an unforgettable way. Come and celebrate another world and time you may have never explored before – rest assured there'll be a lot of singing, dancing, laughing and crying out loud at the celebration of the Pacific life.
There's never a bad time the Gold Coast's shores; however, from March 31 to April 16, driving down south comes not just with surf, sun and sand, but with an added dose of arts and culture. Don't worry, beachgoers — at Bleach Festival, both often combine into one glorious package. The annual event returns with a 2017 program that's equal parts outdoor and indoor fun, and spanning theatre, music, art, sport and more. If performance is your kind of thing, then Frank Enstein and Blanc de Blanc are definite drawcards. One reimagines one of the greatest tales ever written, the other combines cabaret, circus, champagne and salacious sights. Or, enjoy a beachside concert, spy giant illuminated figures on the street, catch a footy-focused play at a football club and watch a man run 42.2 kilometres on a treadmill. Plus, skateboarding displays, '60s-style parties by the waves, an Indigenous art tour and blues on the sand are all also part of the lineup. Image: Lamp Photography
What’s better than grabbing a meal from a food truck? Trying to choose from a whole street filled with food trucks, of course. The Truck In & Tuck In Street Food Festival rounds up Brisbane’s favourite mobile eateries at Bridge Street, Fortitude Valley for an evening of culinary fun. The Bun Mobile, Char Baby, Fork in Food, Fiery Deli, Vira Lata, Sushi Neko Food Van, Pizzantica, Gourmet H-Dogz and the Local Mobile Deli will be on the scene serving their culinary treats — joined by Chocolate Kromberry Co. and their famous cronuts. There’s more than just food on offer, too, with local DJs spinning tunes from 5pm, followed by live sets from Inigo, Laneous Lane and MKO. An all-ages street party, the Truck In & Tuck In Street Food Festival is the latest — and quite possibly tastiest — event in Brisbane City Council’s Friday Night Laneway series.
You won't want to be late to this very important date, even if it suits the occasion. It's not every day that all things Alice in Wonderland take over the Brightside, after all. Think mad hatters, giant rabbits, teacup cocktails and much, much more. Feeling curious? A lantern-lit forest awaits upon entry, and the beer garden will become a whole lot rosier. Feeling curiouser and curiouser? There'll also be bunny ears for early arrivals, plus a soundtrack by A Night in Texas, Tomb of Doom, Enfield, Wildheart and Thriller DJs. Yes, it really be a land of wonder. The theming is only the beginning of the fun, with the rest coming from you. Whichever interpretation of Lewis Carroll's story you love, here's your chance to celebrate. The best dressed will win prizes, but everyone who tumbles down the rabbit hole really should break out their best Cheshire cat grin, too.
UPDATE, FEBRUARY 25, 2022: Due to Brisbane's wet weather, Beer Fest On the Grass has been postponed from Saturday, February 26 to Saturday, April 9. This article has been updated to reflect that change. Thirsty? If you're not now, you will be once you've read this. That's the only appropriate reaction to a festival of beer, after all. Just think of all the amber liquids and foamy goodness. Okay, enough drooling; here are the important details that every ale-lover needs. When Beer Fest On the Grass returns from 11am on Saturday, April 9, 2022, more than 130 beers and ciders will be on offer. To line your stomach, there'll also be a range of international food trucks. Basically, if there's a beer heaven, this is it. It's the ninth year that Eatons Hill Hotel has hosted the tipple-fuelled shindig, once again celebrating drinking, eating and enjoying a day in Brisbane's glorious outdoors. If you're serious about your beverages, you'll want to taste, sip, sample and chat to folks from a huge selection of breweries. And if you're serious about fun, you'll want to gather some mates and take part in the event's other fun activities — in previous years, there's been an inflatable beer obstacle course, a keg-stacking comp and a life-sized game of foosball. Tickets are on sale now, with entry starting at $18.70. Top image: Brisbane Beer Fest.
As part of the flurry of new streaming services competing for our eyeballs, FanForce TV joined the online viewing fold during the COVID-19 pandemic. That's great news all year round, but the service is also going the extra mile for NAIDOC Week, which is when it's bringing back the Virtual Indigenous Film Festival. VIFF has already popped up once in 2022, for National Reconciliation Week in May — but this is obviously a fest that's welcome to hit screens to celebrate Indigenous stories and voices as often as it likes. For its second run this year, the event is hosting films between Monday, July 4–Friday, July 8, with four titles on the bill. Screening solely online, this returning festival boasts Araatika: Rise Up, Off Country, Where the Water Starts and Wash My Soul in the River's Flow on its lineup, showcasing First Nations talent both in front of and behind the lens. That means you can watch your way through an array of Aussie content focused on Indigenous stories, with each title showing twice on its allocated day — at 1pm and 7pm AEST. And, viewers can tune in on a film-by-film basis, or buy an all-access pass to tune into everything. Top image: Sandy Scheltema.
Thanks to the soothing tones of waves lapping against the shore, a trip to Burleigh Heads always comes a soundtrack. But if you're a fan of Japanese cuisine, it now also features slurping noises aplenty. The reason: RaRa Ramen, which has opened its doors on James Street. It's the Sydney-based chain's first outpost in the Sunshine State, adding the Gold Coast site as a sibling venue to its four New South Wales stores. On the menu: creamy, brothy, stomach-warming tonkotsu ramen, which has proven quite the hit at RaRa Redfern, RaRa Randwick and RaRa Chan in Eveleigh. Taking its cues from the chain's vegan offshoot Lonely Mouth, RaRa Burleigh Heads does three-types of meat-free bowls, too — so you can choose between a soy shio with grilled tomato and housemade chilli grind, a miso version that features grilled tofu, and the vegan tantanmen with its plant-based mince. For snacks, both chicken karaage and cauliflower karaage are on offer, the latter with vegan mayonnaise. Or, there's also corn tempura, pork gyoza, Japanese pickles and vegan kimchi. While a great bowl of broth and noodles is always a drawcard, RaRa Burleigh Heads boasts another reason to drop by, all thanks to its neon-lit cocktail bar. Glowing hues are a feature of the company's other sites, too; however, in this case, the vivid lights nod to the area's history. When on the Gold Coast and all that. Drinks-wise, sours are a highlight, alongside a lineup of beers that includes Japanese brews. And, the venue's decor reflects its beachy setting in other ways, including in the curved lines featured in the fitout. View this post on Instagram A post shared by RaRa Ramen (@rara__ramen) Burleigh Heads locals and visitors can find RaRa's new store at the back of an arcade on James Street. If you're wondering why owners Scott Gault and Katie Shortland have decided to make the leap, Gault is originally from Brisbane — and, on a trip this way to see family after navigating border closures and restrictions during the peak of the pandemic, the pair spotted the property. "We let it percolate in our heads, and thought it could be a good opportunity to bring RaRa to the Gold Coast," Gault tells Concrete Playground. "Initially, we didn't have any plans to expand interstate, or to open a new store at the time." Like most Brisbanites, Gault has fond childhood memories of spending ample time on the coast, and identified Burleigh as an exciting food hub. Also a factor in the decision: the Gold Coast's existing culinary range. Gault notes that the city has boasted "great options for Japanese food over the years, which have informed everyone's palate." RaRa Ramen is now open at 21A/50 James Street, Burleigh Heads — open 1130am–10pm Friday–Saturday and 1130am–9pm Sunday. Images: Kitti Gould.
Gin and sunshine go together like cheese and crackers, a pairing so perfect that nobody is really sure where it came from. We just know it works. It makes sense to celebrate all things gin as we approach the warmer season, hence why Four Pillars Gin is celebrating a brand new ready-to-drink flavour across a huge series of live music events. For Brisbane, the riverside eatery Byblós has been chosen to bring the vibe to the River City. Taking place across October, Gin Tins & Tunes is putting tins in hands and smiles on faces across the country. The events will serve up weekly offerings of the Navy Strength Gin & Ginger RTD alongside performances from local music talent and venue-specific ways to get your very own Four Pillars bucket hat (it's as stylish as it is sun-safe). The Queensland outpost of Gin Tins & Tunes is taking place at none other than Byblós Bar + Restaurant in riverside Hamilton. It's a standout choice for fine, waterfront dining in Brisbane's east with or without a special occasion, and it will now host these vibey Sunday sessions every Sunday from October 8 to October 29, 3pm to 7pm. Gins Tins & Tunes runs weekly from Sunday, October 1 to October 22. For more information or to make a booking, visit the website.
Succession with BDSM. A reminder that love can sear. A slinky two-hander that's sometimes about only having one free hand. Sanctuary is all of the above, plus a psychosexual battle and a romp of a twisty erotic thriller-meets-romantic comedy — and also a reminder that there's something about Christopher Abbott in chic hotel rooms being teased out of his comfort zone by blonde sex workers (see also: Piercing). There's something about the actor in confined settings in general (see there: Possessor, The Forgiven and Black Bear), but only this supremely confident affair about a significantly complicated affair pairs him with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood breakout Margaret Qualley. As they verbally tussle and sometimes physically tumble, unpacking class, control, chemistry, intimacy and authority along the way, they're a chamber-piece dream. Sanctuary's chamber: a sleekly appointed suite decked out in saturated colours and ornate patterns at one of the 112 hotels that share Hal Porterfield's (Abbott, The Crowded Room) surname. And the piece's point? The thorny, horny relationship between the born-to-privilege heir and Rebecca (Qualley, Stars at Noon), who enters his room with a sharp knock, a no-nonsense stare, business attire and a briefcase filled with paperwork. Hal's father has just passed away, and he's now Kendall Roy awaiting the anointing that he's been promised since birth. His companion runs through background-check questions, veering into the highly personal. Soon, after drinks, dismay and a snappy debate, he's on his hands and knees scrubbing the bathroom while she watches on. Now he's Roman Roy, complete with dirty-talk banter, but in a film directed by sophomore helmer Zachary Wigon (The Heart Machine) and penned by Micah Bloomberg (Homecoming). The early reveal that isn't really, because it's evident to everyone who can spot that Rebecca's pale bob is a wig? That she's being paid to be there not as a paralegal, but to satisfy her client's sexual whims. She's a no-contact dominatrix, in fact, and she's stellar at her job. Their entire opening exchange comes with a script — not just Bloomberg's, but one by the future hotelier CEO himself — although she doesn't stick to it slavishly. While this rendezvous isn't Hal and Rebecca's first, she isn't aware that it's meant to be their last until he gives her a $32,000 Audemars Piguet watch as a retirement present over post-submission, post-humiliation steaks and martinis. Now that he's taking on the big gig, he needs his insides to match his outsides, he tells her. Farewelling their arrangement isn't something that Rebecca planned on, however, and she wants — nay demands — more compensation for ending their ongoing transaction, and for her part in moulding Hal into soon-to-be-crowned corporate head honcho material. There's a puzzle-box feel to Bloomberg's clever and arching screenplay, with the narrative's layers matching the film's own, getting Sanctuary's characters and its audience playing the same game. Both groups slide into a scenario that swiftly flips, delivers danger in a meticulously orchestrated scenario, and where knowing what's real and what's purely an act is a riddle to be solved. For Rebecca and Hal, the stakes keep raising — both negotiate and threaten, cycle between flirtatiousness and bitterness, and dictate increasingly more drastic outcomes — in a cat-and-mouse fashion as desires, ultimatums, dance moves and furniture all fly. For viewers, picking how much truth sits in the pair's back-and-forth, where fantasy ends and reality begins, who really wants what, which is winning (and, if anyone can, or even genuinely hopes to) and when the next reversal will spring is just as lively. With plain-as-day resemblance to her mother, her Maid co-star and Sex, Lies and Videotape lead Andie MacDowell, to prove it, Qualley might be a nepo baby like Hal — and excellent at acting like Rebecca — but via Palo Alto, The Nice Guys, The Leftovers and Fosse/Verdon, too, she's been demonstrating her bright on-screen future for a decade now. She makes savvy role choices, including Sanctuary, which paves a way for a gleaming path in screwball comedies if that's all that she wanted to focus on (it won't be but, even just on paper, her upcoming parts in The Favourite director Yorgos Lanthimos' Frankenstein take Poor Things, plus Drive-Away Dolls, Ethan Coen's first solo stint away from his brother Joel, are glorious choices). As Rebecca, she's pulled in a thousand different directions, all heightened. She can be cool, calm and commanding in one moment; raw and wild the next; then deeply vulnerable after that. She's oh-so-gifted at saying everything with her eyes, but makes every barbed and spiky line land. Qualley's is an electric performance that's always a million things at once, and also astutely incisive at helping to interrogate a loaded haves-versus-have nots, employee-employer, battle-of-the-sexes dynamic. Crucially, she bounds through the feature with such alluring force that the movie's two blatant oversimplifications, equating sex work with scheming and sex workers with yearning for a romantic end, aren't story killers. She's well-matched by Abbott, who is as skilled as conveying introverted and repressive but posturing as Qualley is at getting fiery, exacting and expressive. Indeed, as Wigon clearly recognised, this duo makes slinging words a spectacle — among recent feuding film and TV couples, they're up there with Scenes From a Marriage's Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac for sheer potency. Sanctuary is infinitely more playful than that TV miniseries but, as it also gets heated in a claustrophobic setting where emotions run high, it still blazes. Wigon doesn't solely rely upon a war of words and feelings, as flung around by two actors giving their all and relishing it, though. Visually, cinematographer Ludovica Isidori (The Harbinger) actively pans, shifts, moves and spins, all while never giving even a moment's reprieve from the two quarrelling folks having showdown after showdown across one chaotic night. If a film's frames are a box, then Sanctuary keeps rattling every aspect that it can within that crate, then witnessing everything bounce. Just like Rebecca with Hal and vice versa, the end result is impossible shake off. And the title? That's Hal's safeword — but neither him or Rebecca, nor the shrewdly, saucily entertaining examination of sex, pleasure, ambition, entitlement and inhabiting a part that they're in, prefers playing it safe.
A coffee and a pastry mightn't be the healthiest way to start the day, but it is one of the tastiest. If you're in the mood for forgetting the former and embracing the latter, and you live on Brisbane's south side, then The Whisk Fine Patisserie should be your next port of call. Like all good bakeries should be, the Mount Gravatt establishment is the kind of place that you'll want to spend more than just your allocated brekkie time in. There's just something about grabbing a bite to eat in a quaint little suburban cafe, settling into a tiny table and whiling the morning away — and that's before we even get to the menu. If the aromas of baking croissants and Cleanskin's brand of caffeinated brews don't entice your taste buds, well, you just mustn't be a fan of either. Those keen for a treat on the run can satisfy their hunger with a brightly coloured macaron or handcrafted chocolate — or, why not one of both?
UPDATE, December 21, 2021: Black Christmas is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. A fun, feisty remake with a female perspective and a refreshing sense of sisterhood, Black Christmas is a college-set slasher flick for the #MeToo era. The latter gets thrown around a helluva lot of late — with Unsane, Ocean's 8, Booksmart and last year's latest Halloween instalment among those recently earning the label — but with this updated version of a 1974 cult movie, writer/director Sophia Takal (Always Shine) firmly leans into the term. Indeed, Black Christmas circa 2019 lives and breathes its #MeToo mindset, particularly in its story and characters. Here, a masked predator stalks women as the festive season swings into gear, specifically targeting sorority sisters at a stately university. There's a mounting body count, but these gals aren't merely a parade of powerless, disposable victims. It all starts with a setup that's familiar by design: a silent night, an empty street and a woman walking home alone. Hawthorne College student Linday's (Lucy Currey) pace quickens when her phone starts jingling with creepy messages from someone using the 200-year-old school's founder as an avatar — and, when a man pops up right behind her shortly afterwards, she even threads her keys through her fingers. This all happens in Black Christmas' opening reel, so it's no spoiler to say that she's soon making snow angels in a rather gruesome way. But the winter break carnage is just beginning, ramping up after MKE sorority members Kris (Aleyse Shannon), Marty (Lily Donoghue), Jesse (Brittany O'Grady) and the very reluctant Riley (Imogen Poots) attend a Christmas party held by fraternity DKO — and sing a traditional ditty that's been rephrased to call out campus sexual assault. In too many by-the-numbers horror films gone by, the way in which women are killed and the perpetrators behind their deaths are given more attention than most of the ladies themselves, but not in this new take on Black Christmas. From the moment that Takal introduces MKE's sisters, they're lively, interesting and sport distinctive, sometimes clashing personalities — especially when debating the best way to address the college's historic male leanings, such as petitioning for the inclusion of women authors on literature Professor Gelsen's (Cary Elwes) reading list. Kris is fearless about fighting for equality and empowerment, and about making as much noise as possible while doing so; however Riley has seen firsthand what speaking up can bring. Earlier in her studies, she was attacked by a DKO frat boy, but her assertion that she was raped fell on deaf ears. Accordingly, before these MKE ladies even twig to the psychopathic ho-ho-horror in their midst, Takal and co-writer April Wolfe fill Black Christmas with different renderings and facets of modern womanhood that are all highly relevant to the broader conversation today. The constant battle against societally entrenched misogyny, the quest to be seen as more than an object for male gratification, the fact that victims are routinely disbelieved — these notions all find a place among the film's multi-faceted key characters. Also pondered strongly and thoughtfully is the pain and terror of falling prey to shattering violence, then attempting to pick up the pieces afterwards, a struggle that Poots conveys with weight and substance in a textured and engaging performance. This is a movie that's keenly empathetic towards those usually treated like fodder by the savage and entitled, and Poots' Riley is far more than just a final girl. In a film that throws a hatchet through the idea that women constantly compete and squabble amongst themselves, too, she has plenty of company. Still, this is unashamedly a slasher movie. And while it's based on an ahead-of-its-time example of the genre — just forget the dire first 2006 remake with Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Katie Cassidy and Lacey Chabert — Black Christmas has tropes to play with and conventions to toy with. The mood is knowing and winking, with the film not quite venturing into Scream territory, yet clearly deploying well-worn elements on purpose and with a smile. So, when cliched lines of dialogue are shouted by various women in states of duress (including old favourites like "there's someone inside the house!"), this slick flick knows what it's doing. It knows that audiences might roll their eyes briefly as well, but reshaping the slasher formula to make a statement requires a hearty bout of nodding to all the genre's usual components. Admittedly, taking a few cues from forgettable 2000 horror film The Skulls doesn't prove the best move, but it's one of the picture's few mis-steps. Well-executed bumps and jumps, including inventive slasher scenes and creative use of Christmas decorations; a smart reworking of a classic with an incredibly timely message; fleshed-out female characters with flaws, complexities and agency played by a great cast — thanks to all of these, Black Christmas overflows with entertaining festive horrors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gF4yRYbo1WE
Whenever a festival hits town, it's the shows that are meant to be the big drawcard, especially when that fest spans everything from music, comedy and theatre through to cabaret, burlesque and spoken word performances. That's still true at Fringe Brisbane when it returns this spring, but attendees can be forgiven for being just as intrigued by the event's range of venues. For its 2022 run, which takes place from Friday, October 14–Sunday, November 6, Fringe Brisbane is popping up at more than 25 spots — and hosting over 300 performances of 102 different productions in them, in fact. That hefty lineup includes gigs in bars, boats, parks, homes and the planetarium, as well as a festival hub in Stefan's old South Brisbane base. Yes, between shows, you can spend your time in former old hair salon, and even enjoy an immersive experience in its tanning room. Or, to see a performance, you can soak in the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium's domed surroundings, hit up West End's Orleigh and Bunyapa parks, mosey around Birrunga Gallery in Adelaide Street, float on the river, visit greenery go-to Plant Empire and sink brews at Felon's Barrel Hall, among other locations. That's where you're heading, sprawling across South Brisbane, Stafford, Moorooka, Woolloongabba, Yeerongpilly, Seven Hills, Fortitude Valley and more. Traditional venues such as Big Fork Theatre, Brisbane Arts Theatre and Backbone are also on the list. Now, this is what you're seeing. On the bill: a one-night-only rehearsed reading of All My Friends Are Returning to Brisbane, a sequel to the play and film; a live performance of the original version of Gustav Holst's The Planets, on two pianos, at the planetarium; bite-sized takes on Macbeth, Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet; a comedic mystic for Halloween; and, for the same occasion, David Massingham's one-man Little Sketch Book of Horrors. There's also open mic nights, French cabaret, queer cabaret, a comedy devoted to female pleasure, a sketch comedy set up like a date night, ImproMafia completely improvising a whole show, and the wonderfully named dance and physical theatre piece A Love Letter From Frozen Peas. Similarly on offer: glittery circus productions, a primer on Bollywood, J-pop, and a play described as Shakespeare meets Quentin Tarantino. It's a sizeable lineup by design, to embrace every Fringe fest's key trait: variety. "People love the diversity, the eclecticness and the accessibility of fringe, but we wanted to make a fringe festival that was uniquely Brisbane," said Festival Director Zed Hopkins, announcing the program. "Even if you only get one day, we want you to be able to explore and experience as much as possible." Fringe Brisbane 2022 runs from Friday, October 14–Sunday, November 6 at various venues around Brisbane. For more information, and for tickets, head to the festival website.
In February, Brisbanites who normally pay for metered parking received a welcome gift: free parking across the Brisbane local council area. Brisbane City Council switched off its parking meters for the majority of the month, in an effort to encourage folks to head back into the CBD following the Omicron wave — and it's now continuing the move all throughout March as well. The reason that parking meters won't be turned back on yet: the devastating wet weather that the city just endured. Obviously, it's been a rough year for Brissie so far. So, extending the free inner-city parking is designed to offer some help to residents doing it tough, and to businesses in the city that've struggled through COVID-19 and now the floods. "They were turned off to aid Brisbane's economic recovery and now they're staying off as we emerge from one of the worst natural disasters our city has ever faced," said Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner. Parking meters will stay off until the end of March. They were turned off to aid Brisbane's economic recovery and now they're staying off as we emerge from one of the worst natural disasters our city has ever faced.#brisbanefloods pic.twitter.com/E0fAT4guBI — Adrian Schrinner (@bne_lordmayor) March 7, 2022 If you're now keen to drive into the city and park for free, you will still need to abide by parking time limits; however, you can ignore the meter — and save your change — otherwise. This time around, while metered on-street parking won't cost a thing until Friday, April 1, King George Square and Wickham Terrace, the council's two major car parks, are back to their full prices. Brisbane City Council operates 7869 metered parking spaces around the city, mostly in inner-city areas. Brisbane City Council's parking meters will remain switched off for the entire month of March, switching back on on Friday, April 1. For more information about parking in Brisbane, head to the council's website. Top image: Kgbo.
Two quintessential Aussie summertime treats are coming together in delicious harmony — and if you're quick, you can taste-test the clever fusion for free. The gelato maestros at Messina have once again teamed up with celebrated wine label Brown Brothers, this time creating both a limited-edition strawberries and cream moscato, and a gelato flavour inspired by the new wine. The new scoop captures all the same fruity dessert notes of the vino, featuring vanilla clotted cream gelato that's mingled with chunks of strawberry pound cake and layers of strawberry purée. The end result is a cooling, creamy gelato blend that's primed for a balmy summer's day. And, since the gelato itself has no alcohol content, it's a treat everyone can enjoy. But like most Messina creations, this beauty is here for a good time, not a long time. If you're keen to get your mitts on the moscato gelato, you'll find complimentary scoops being handed out at Westfield Carindale only from 12pm on Saturday, February 25. Free tastings of the new wine are also on offer for visitors over the age of 18. Missed out on your freebie? The strawberries and cream moscato gelato will be available to buy from all Messina stores nationwide from Saturday, March 4–Friday, March 10 (or until sold out). Images: Phoebe Powell.
360 is not just a moniker, it’s actually what the Melbourne rapper has done in the past couple of years. Hailing from the eastern suburbs, this Aussie hip hop pioneer probably had no idea in 2012 he’d be one of the biggest names in Australian music, or that he’d sound a whole lot better than his peers – ahem, Hilltop Hoods and Bliss n Eso. Much like the beginnings of a relatively unpopular guy called Marshall Mathers III, 360 gained leverage in the hip hop community because of his skills at rap battling. Imagine an underground club with a chanting group and you probably get the picture. He is best known for his collaborations with Pez, for example The Festival Song. The track did surprisingly well on the Australian charts and Triple J’s Hottest 100 of 2008, despite almost completely consisting of bogan-esque lyrics and rhyming eBay with BPay. Since emancipating himself from Pez (the artist, not the lolly), 360 has gone on to enjoy success all on his lonesome. His second album, Falling & Flying, topped the iTunes charts in 2011, as well as putting him in good stead to nab the Channel [V] Oz artist of the year award. In an arguably better honour, 360 also had two singles feature in last week’s Triple J Hottest 100 countdown; #84 Throw It Away, featuring the amazing Josh Pyke and #9, with Boys Like You, which features the vocal stylings of Gossling (not Ryan). Now that you’ve been schooled in all to do with 360, it's probably best that you catch the man in action at The Zoo this Friday and see what all the fuss is about.
Games of Thrones is the world’s most pirated TV show, The Avengers made more than $1.5 billion at the box office and even the President of the United States once collected Spider Man comics. In other words, it’s pretty cool to be a nerd these days. Just ask avid Dungeons and Dragons player Vin Diesel. The ultimate celebration of everything geeky, the Supanova Pop Culture Expo hits the Brisbane Convention Centre on November 27-29. From cosplay comps to comic book signings and photo opportunities with sci-fi and fantasy icons, it’s a three-day mecca of uninhibited, unironic nerdiness that attracts thousands of eager pilgrims every year. Of course such an event can seem overwhelming, especially to the uninitiated. So, whether you’ll be attending in your fully functioning Iron Man costume, or experiencing the convention for the very first time, check out our recommendations before you go.
Who better than frank, lively and charismatic First Nations artist Richard Bell to sum up what You Can Go Now is truly about: "I am an activist masquerading as an artist," he offers. The Kamilaroi, Kooma, Jiman and Gurang Gurang man says this early in Larissa Behrendt's documentary about him, because he and the Eualayai/Gamillaroi After the Apology and Araatika: Rise Up! filmmaker both know how essential and inescapable that truth is. They're not here to reveal that Bell's art is layered with statements. Neither is the feature itself. Rather, in a powerful instant must-see of an Australian doco, they explore and contextualise what it means for Bell to be an activist spreading his advocacy for the country's First Peoples around the world by being an artist, especially when the Aboriginal art realm is so often dominated by white interests. They address and examine not just what Bell's work says but why, what it responds to and how it's significant on a variety of levels, including diving deep into the personal, national and global history — and modern-day reality — informing it. Seeing what Bell's art literally expresses — simply taking it in, as splashed across the screen instead of hanging in a gallery — is still crucial to Behrendt's film, of course. In an array of pieces that frequently use heated words on intricately and colourfully painted canvases, his work utters plenty. "I am not sorry". "Give it all back." "We were here first." "Ask us what we want". "Aboriginal art — it's a white thing." Among these and other declarations, You Can Go Now's title gets a mention, too. Every piece sighted — works that riff on and continue a dialogue with styles synonymous with American artists Roy Lichtenstein and Jackson Pollock among them — conveys Bell's activist-artist raison d'être overtly, unflinchingly and unmistakably. Excellent art doesn't end conversations, however, but continues them, pushes them further and prompts more questions. Not that this is You Can Go Now's main takeaway, but Bell makes excellent art, with Behrendt helping to fuel and unpack the discussion. It's impossible to peer at Bell's work without feeling its anger and frustration, sharing that ire and exasperation as well, and wanting a great many things — more details about his creations, the fair and just treatment of Indigenous Australians that should already be a given anyway, and to live in a world where the nation's traumatic past isn't what it is, for starters. It's also impossible to watch Behrendt's unfurling of the circumstances behind the artist's art, which intertwines Bell's own story, Australia since British colonisation and the fight against racial oppression globally, without appreciating the immense importance of his work. He boasts accolades and international acclaim, but nothing cements the potency of Bell's efforts like Bell. Hearing him talk about his childhood, then witnessing what those formative experiences have inspired: it's what this doco thrives on. So it is that You Can Go Now listens to Bell describe growing up in a tin shack in central Queensland, where he lived until he was a teen, only for it to be bulldozed by the government eight months after the 1967 referendum recognising Indigenous Australians as citizens. In tandem, the movie watches him recreate such a shanty, run it down, film it and play that video piece in another tin shed installed at the Castello di Rivoli Museo d'Arte Contemporanea in Turin in Italy. With a broader view, You Can Go Now enjoys Bell's paintings of key images from the fights for rights at home and in the US, then shows the photographs that Bell draws upon. And, it steps through the history of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy as a protest, plus Bell's replica Embassy — which has been displaying and hosting chats in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Cairns, Moscow, Jakarta, New York, Venice, Kassel in Germany and more, and adds London's famed Tate Modern to its stops in 2023. Also filling this deftly penned, directed, shot (by The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone's Vincent Lamberti) and edited (by 2040's Jane Usher) film: addresses by the infectiously engaging Bell to camera, letting his playful but determined personality shine; text on-screen to emphasise the most pressing takeaways in his monologues; a cast of talking-head interviewees, spanning everyone from his Brisbane gallerist Josh Milani to friend and activist Gary Foley, plus current Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney; and a wealth of archival footage. Behrendt's approach is straightforward, but made dynamic and gripping through her subject, his story, the history behind both and the snippets focused on. And while Bell is an executive producer, ensuring this is his vision of himself, that doesn't make the end result any less thoughtful, passionate or compelling. In the feature's big picture, a portrait emerges of First Nations activism spread across half a century, both heartbreakingly and vitally so. In its Bell-centric guise, so too does a chronicle of activism channelled into his art to keep agitating for change, recognition and a better future. You Can Go Now's snapshot of both is thorough, so much so that it adds another want to its audience's list: wanting more time to sift through it all, something that no lone 82-minute documentary can deliver. Thankfully, this movie has company elsewhere in fellow docos such as Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra and Wash My Soul in the River's Flow. The former hones in on the pioneering and applauded Indigenous dance theatre, the latter on iconic musicians Ruby Hunter and Archie Roach, and both also survey Australia's attitudes towards its Traditional Owners, the creativity such a history has sparked, and how those resulting works are pieces of activism through and through. Indeed, You Can Go Now slides into stellar company, and into an expanding group of Aussie documentaries that will never lose their urgency as similar flicks keep emerging. Not that they can't stand alone, or don't, but You Can Go Now and its cohort actually gain strength from the fact that they're relaying a common tale. The impact of Australia's colonisation, and the prejudice and persecution that has followed, is vast. It always requires constant interrogation and confrontation. Across a life that's traversed gaining a political voice on Redfern's streets, working for the Aboriginal Legal Service, winning the 20th Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, and gatecrashing the 2019 Venice Biennale, too, Bell knows this — and so does this filmic tribute.
When it comes to Australia's best food and drink regions, the Sunshine Coast punches well above its weight. It boasts rainforests, farms and the ocean all within extremely close proximity to one another, making for a unique ecosystem — and an interesting culinary landscape. And you can celebrate all of the goodness that this coastal pocket has to offer when The Curated Plate kicks off its inaugural season in August. Across four days, the region's best chefs and producers will be joined by Australian and international heavy-hitters for a series of long lunches, degustations, food markets, tours and much more. Events will take place in venues across the region's hinterlands, rainforests and beaches with a beachside pop-up restaurant acting as the festival hub. The Sunshine Coast's organic and sustainable produce, grown in the hinterland's rich volcanic soil, will be on display. The program includes long lunches and degustations that'll highlight the latest trends in fine dining. Top chefs from around the country, including Peter Gilmore (Quay, Bennelong), Clayton Wells (Automata, A1 Canteen) and Alejandro Cancino (ex-Urbane), will be taking over some of the region's best eateries alongside international heavy-hitters like Japanese chef Zaiyu Hasegawa. Hasegawa runs Den, a two-Michelin starred restaurant in Tokyo that was awarded the number two spot on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2018, and is celebrated for his creative spin on kaiseki (Japanese multi-course haute cuisine). He will be teaming up with head chef of Spicers Tamarind Retreat for Spicers Den — a special five-course degustation dinner on Saturday, August 10. Meanwhile, Black Swan Park in Maroochydore will host a three-day food fair, featuring a bunch of local eateries, stalls and live entertainment, and Caloundra's Moffat Beach will be running a beach cinema, with burgers, beers and limited-edition treats supplied by Gelato Messina. So, if you're looking for an excuse for a weekend jaunt or just a day trip up north, this may just be it. The Curated Place will take place across the Sunshine Coast from Thursday, August 8 to Sunday, August 11. You can check out the full program, including festival accommodation packages, here.
Most would trek to Istanbul to check out the Topkapi Palace, the Grand Bazaar and or to grab a snazzy carpet, but that was far off artist Cailtin Franzmann’s agenda abroad. For three months, she worked at torna as a guest artist, and worked from this studio. But really, she cleaned cat poo from arcade corridors, ignored the smell, walked past strange patches of colour on the floor, and lost interest in looking at men walking in and out of the toilet at the end of her corridor She made friends with a coffee-house’s owner, they made a film, he read the newspaper, drank tea, offered some to Caitlin, and they both tolerated flickering lights. She listened to a water pipe in her studio, put dots on paper, turned the lights on and off, and in between all of this pieced together Invisible Movements, an exhibition of new work that explores the experience of the body in motion – its internal rhythms in relation to stimuli, spaces and speed. Invisible Movements will be hosted by Metro Arts, from July 16 to August 2. You can catch Caitlin talk about the exhibition and her experiences on July 23 – don’t bring up the cat smell.
The actual Olympics might have been postponed, but we've found a much cuter display of sportsmanship to fill the void this July. Namely, footage of four adorable guide-dogs-to-be participating in their very own paw-lympics. Yep, that's a thing and we're here for it. The folks at Seeing Eye Dogs have teamed up The Petbarn Foundation to host the inaugural Puppy Games, streaming on a device near you this Thursday, July 23. The event will see young trainee guide dogs Yaris, Meadows, Unique and Norris tackle a series of skill-testing challenges, with their every move captured on camera. Watch the pups hurtle through a time trial, take on a 'food bowl challenge' and battle it out for glory in the 'dogstacle distraction course'. The project aims to support fundraising efforts for the annual Seeing Eye Dogs Appeal, but also promises a much-needed boost of dopamine and general happy feels all round. Viewers can donate to the cause by hitting the link when they register to view The Puppy Games here. The appeal is shooting for a goal of $500,000 to help cover the costs of breeding, training and caring for at least ten Seeing Eye Dogs. Can't make Thursday's viewing? Fear not, the full event will be up on YouTube to rewatch any time you need a mood boost.
11 days. 25 sessions. One heck of an inclusive party. That's what's on the agenda at the 2018 Brisbane Queer Film Festival, which returns for yet another year of celebrating queer cinema in the best way it knows how: by screening a heap of ace LGBTIQ flicks for your viewing pleasure. Primarily running from March 8 to 18 at New Farm Cinemas, the 2018 lineup boasts everything from acclaimed international features and documentaries to an array of shorts to even a Brissie-made web series. We say primarily, because the fest will get things started early with a February 20 screening of the excellent Oscar-nominated transgender drama A Fantastic Woman. And, it'll also head to the Institute of Modern Art on March 8, for a free session of experimental classics in conjunction with the Queensland Film Festival. The main program officially kicks off with American high school comedy Freak Show, with a moving performance by Alan Cumming in After Louie and the beguiling Mexican-set effort I Dream in Another Language among the other highlights. More standout titles include South African drama The Wound, US comedy The Feels, the Ellen Page and Kate Mara-starring My Days of Mercy, Finnish film A Moment in the Reeds and 1985's landmark romance Desert Hearts.
After a hugely successful season in 2010, Ursula Martinez invites you to meet the ordinary and extraordinary characters of her life and her inbox. After her infamous magic striptease act Hanky Panky found its way to the illicit realms of cyberspace, Martinez started receiving some unbelievable emails from perfect strangers. A combination of stand-up, live art and character comedy, this tale of confessions, obsessions, miscommunications, relationships, loneliness, sex and identity provide the framework for what happens when your privates go public. “Martinez’s stage performances look deceptively simple; but this is a contrivance that allows Martinez to undertake highly complex investigations into reality and fiction, autobiography and lies, and the nature of identity itself, her own most of all” – The Guardian. Please note: recommended for those over 18 years. May contain really boring nudity.
Among the many things that happened at this year's Oscars, looking back on movies gone by ranked high on the agenda. The ceremony didn't just pay tribute to the films that won awards, but to a heap of flicks celebrating big anniversaries. It's a natural urge, and it's also a nostalgic one that Gold Coast Film Festival understands. See: the southeast Queensland event's 2022 lineup, which peppered with the same kind of tributes — including a big nod to features that are as old as this cinema-loving fest. This year marks GCFF's 20th, so it's hosting screenings of Scooby Doo, Blue Crush and Van Wilder Party Liaison, all of which are celebrating the same anniversary. None of these movies are your usual film fest fare, but here they're each being turned into events — so you'll venture back to Spooky Island as part of a gala session, commemorating the fact that the flick was shot on the Goldie; soak in the surf-movie vibes at a free outdoor beachside session in Coolangatta; and sip beers at Burleigh Brewing Company while watching a young Ryan Reynolds. GCFF isn't just peering backwards between from Wednesday, April 20–Sunday, May 1, however — although it does also include sessions of Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland as well. Still, the rest of the fest's lineup is filled with new titles, starting with opening night's How to Please a Woman starring Sally Phillips (Blinded by the Light), then wrapping up with the Luke Hemsworth (Westworld)-starring Bosch & Rockit. Between those bookends, highlights include a gala session of blistering Aussie revenge flick The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson, which is directed by and stars Leah Purcell; fellow Australian effort Friends and Strangers; plus eerie homegrown indie Mother Mountain. Or, there's also surfing documentary The Waterman, about five-time Olympic medallist Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, as narrated by Jason Momoa — and the Javier Bardem-starring Spanish dramedy The Good Boss. Other standouts span Miss, which ponders gender identity within the confines of the Miss France beauty pageant; Cannes 2021 gem Compartment No 6, which has been compared to the Before Sunrise/Sunset/Midnight films; and Benediction, a biopic about British soldier and poet Siegfried Sassoon. Throw in Cambodian sci-fi/drama Karmalink, Cannes award-winner Murina, the world premiere of all-ages mystery/drama The Curious Case of Dolphin Bay, a documentary about photographer Helmut Newton, a movie and music trivia night at the QT, and short films by the beach, and there's plenty on GCFF's 2022 lineup to tempt movie-loving Brisbanites down the highway. The Gold Coast Film Festival runs from Wednesday, April 20–Sunday, May 1 at HOTA, Home of the Arts and other venues on the Gold Coast. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the festival website.
It sounds poetic (and it is), but an evening with Anberlin isn't just any old evening in curled up with a blanket on the couch. Oh no, it's a never-seen-before performance by the band, with nothing but good times promised for new and old fans. They have graced the Brisbane stage a few times before, but never like this. The fivesome from Florida have to live up to high expectations after their Soundwave set was met with a stellar reception earlier in the year, but they are ready to do something different. The genre-bending musicians are planning to do covers, variations of old songs, tell the stories behind their hits and even perhaps a Q&A with the audience, as well as revealing b-sides, acoustic renditions and maybe some guest vocalists. For some background on them, Anberlin are considered a Christian band by many, yet don't always cement themselves within those beliefs, something that makes them accessible and just that bit more untouchable - damn those chaste rockstars! Nevertheless, an evening with Anberlin will be unlike any show they've ever done before, they swear to God! Don't you wish all your favourite bands cared about you this much? Go forth, spend an evening getting to know Anberlin – nothing suss.
If you're a fan of rockabilly and hot rods, there's a good chance you'll already be aquainted with Rocklea's annual Greazefest. For the unacquainted, Greazefest Kustom Kulture Festival is a celebration of all things 50s-era; hot rod cars, pin-ups, vintage bikes, rockabilly musicians, and tattoos. In its 12th year, the left-of-centre festival has become a key date on grease-lovers calendars. This year there'll be California's James Intveld (Johnny Depp's singing voice in Cry Baby) and Tennessee's Jason Lee Wilson, who are very well-known in rockabilly circles here and abroad. To add pack to the punch, the highlight of the Greazefest weekend is the Hot Rod Show on Sunday, as well as the retro and vintage Fashion Show at noon, plus the Kustom Art Show. It'll be like a combination of Grease (the movie) and The Outsiders! Oh yeah! Even if pin-up chicks and muscle cars aren't your type of thing, you can at least guarantee you will be entertained by the sweet greaser hairstyles and the sure to be large amount of tattooed ladies and gents. Image Credit: Matt Black
From themed Friday drinks to dedicated rooftop parties to a host of top eateries, Brisbane's love affair with all things Japanese is still going strong — and, thanks to the latest event to join the fun, shows no signs of slowing down. For one night only, King Street's Sushi & Nori will make you think you're on the streets of Tokyo. Or, make your tastebuds think that, at least. Food, food and more food is the main attraction from 6pm on March 22, so get excited if Japanese street cuisine gets your stomach rumbling. Grilled salmon nigiri, piles of gyoza, modern kaiseki, and oh-so-much sushi and Japanese salad will be on offer for three hours, with the fun not only taking over the eatery itself, but spilling outside as well. Sushi & Nori's Matsuri Markets will also feature traditional Japanese attire, decorations and more, treating all of your senses to the next best thing to a holiday. A word of warning: if you have trouble resisting the urge to book cheap flights as it is, this isn't going to help.
Behold the theatre production everyone in Brisbane has been talking about since it first premiered in 2017 — and one that ticks plenty of boxes. A comedy from a talented local writer: check. A timely skewering of race and gender: check again. Written by Michelle Law, Single Asian Female steps into the world of three women from one Chinese family living on the Sunshine Coast. Pearl has runs a restaurant, eldest daughter Zoe is forced to think about the battle between her personal and professional desires, and her younger sister Mei is navigating school. Each contemplates the intersection between their heritage and their western lives, as well as its impact on their identity. Indeed, their troubles and journey are made all the more powerful due to their status as Chinese women in Australia, and the struggles that it brings — as brought to life with humour and insight by Law, director Claire Christian and the talented cast. The play debuted is the first from Law, who co-wrote and starred in TVs Homecoming Queens, and also penned as the book Sh*t Asian Mothers Say with her brother Benjamin. Yes, she's proving one of Australia's rising stars. Image: Dylan Evans.
With COVID-19 restrictions easing, Brisbane is starting to awaken from its pandemic-induced slumber. At Ivory Tusk, that's cause for celebration. And, with International Tequila Day popping up in July, too, the Fortitude Valley is hosting a very appropriate festival to mark both occasions. That'd be Margarita Fest. Yes, you know what you'll be drinking here. Taking place from 8pm on Friday, July 24, it'll feature plenty of tequila, lime and salt — with five different varieties of margs on offer. There'll also be canapes to help line your stomach, plus DJs and live entertainment. Two types of tickets are available, to suit both your budget and your thirst. Nab a 'lime and salt' ticket for $19, and you'll get a margarita on arrival and access to the food. Level up to the 'tuskarita' package for $85, and you'll sip your way through three hours of bottomless margs, plus tuck into more than a few bites to eat. Tickets are on sale now, but it's worth noting that capacity is limited — life isn't quite back to normal just yet. So, if you're keep to spend a night downing margaritas, you'll want to get in quick smart. Margarita Fest takes place from 8pm on Friday, July 24 at Ivory Tusk.
If George Clooney can float around in space in Gravity and Matt Damon can get stranded on Mars in The Martian, then Brad Pitt can race buggies on the moon in Ad Astra. Another Ocean's 11 star, another intergalactic movie — and another big-screen sci-fi spectacle, obviously. Pitt plays Roy McBride, an Army Corps engineer who is determined to soar into the stars and beyond, all to follow in his father's (Tommy Lee Jones) footsteps. His dear old dad went missing on his own space mission in mysterious circumstances, and if Christopher Nolan's Interstellar taught us anything a few years ago, it's that searching for family and blasting out of this world seem to go hand-in-hand. Donald Sutherland, Liv Tyler and Loving's Ruth Negga also feature, with Ad Astra marking the latest release from The Immigrant and The Lost City of Z filmmaker. The latter is definitely cause for celebration, with the director's previous movies proving thoughtful, detailed, exquisitely performed dramas. Take all that to space — in a film that's been delayed a few times due to the extensive visual effects work required — and hopefully it'll soar. For a while, it's been a good time to watch great movies about big-name stars in space; just this month, Robert Pattinson blasts off in High Life, too. But if you're a Pitt fan, the next few months are shaping up to be particularly exciting — before he rockets to the outer edges of the solar system in Ad Astra, he'll be stepping back to the 60s in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Watch the first trailer for Ad Astra below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tm3h6iWmIEw Ad Astra releases in Australian cinemas on September 19.
Current world events don't make the prospect of international travel seem particularly appealing at the moment. The truth is though, cinema has been taunting travellers for decades. Whatever holiday you might have planned, there's a horror movie just waiting to convince you otherwise. Heading to a cabin for a quiet weekend? The Evil Dead and The Cabin in the Woods have news for you. Venturing across the Australian outback? That's where Wolf Creek comes in. Seeking out a gorgeous beach? Whatever you do, don't watch The Shallows. Stopping at a roadside hotel? Didn't turn out so well in Psycho. Bound for Europe? Hostel made a whole trilogy about what you can expect. With a name that combines Germany's largest city with the connection that can arise between hostages and their captors, Berlin Syndrome initially appears to traverse similar terrain as the movies mentioned above. Indeed, the film starts with Brisbanite Clare (Teresa Palmer) arriving abroad, chatting to fellow backpackers and wandering the streets. An aspiring photographer, she snaps everything from famous buildings to everyday folks along the way. Then she meets Andi (Max Riemelt), a German schoolteacher who opens with a line about strawberries, takes her for a scenic walk, and intrigues Claire enough that she changes her plans to jump to her next destination. They have a fun night out together, go back to his apartment, and...things go south from there. It should all sound familiar, of course. That's Berlin Syndrome's aim, for two reasons. Based on the book of the same name, directed by Australian filmmaker Cate Shortland (Somersault), and adapted by screenwriter Shaun Grant (Jasper Jones, Snowtown), the film's entire premise relies on several elements that many movies have already covered — a dream vacation gone bad, and a romantic spark that turns sinister. But the movie also takes scenarios that have been done to death and thrusts them into unexpected territory. It's not a spoiler to say that Clare awakes the next morning to find that she's locked in Andi's flat, and that he's removed the SIM card from her phone. Nor does it give the game away to reveal that he has trapped her on purpose. After spending its setup revelling in the excitement and openness of travel, Berlin Syndrome dedicates most of its running time to the opposite extreme with an expert command of tension. At the same time, the film unpacks Clare's complicated response, as she seesaws between fighting back and slowly settling into a twisted version of domesticity. Behind the camera, Shortland crafts a film of juxtapositions, both in terms of tone, and in the sites of Andi's apartment versus the city outside. But there's no one better at getting to the heart of the film's internal conflict than Palmer. The Aussie actress has had a huge year or so, popping up in everything from the bad Point Break remake to the locally made war flick Hacksaw Ridge. But she's in career-best form here as she conveys Clare's inner turmoil. Likewise, it takes considerable skill for Riemelt to make Andi more than a straightforward villain. Welcome to Berlin Syndrome, a murky, confronting trip. Deep dive into Berlin Syndrome's core themes and read our feature examining how modern filmmakers like Cate Shortland are tackling complex issues of psychological manipulation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceVBDJNHL0k
“Australia’s clown prince of polyester”, Bob Downe, is coming back to Brisbane to melody his way through his latest solo show, 20 Golden Greats. This show has proved a hit through Edinburgh, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide thanks to its plethora of pop, disco and rock hits. Downe promises that there “won’t be a single song you haven’t heard”. The nightly performances offer a cabaret-style menu to add an extra dimension to your experience, information on which can be found here. The familiar face of Bob Downe is the creation of journalist, comedian and actor Mark Trevorrow. He’s demonstrated his talents on ABC local radio, our own Kath & Kim, as well as adding a host of critically-acclaimed stage shows to his name. For fans of the stage, screen and those who love to sing, put your night in the theatrical hands of Bob Downe.
Sometimes, finding bliss is as easy as sinking a cold one. At other times, an energetic bout of bending and stretching hits the spot. Beer yoga combines the two, obviously — and to raise money for the bushfire appeal, it's returning to Brisbane's XXXX Brewery. To answer the question that has probably popped into your head: yes, it's very likely that your exercise session will be scented by the yeasty smell that hangs over the Milton venue. The whole suburb has adopted the aroma, after all. Of course, once you're done testing your flexibility for an hour, you'll smell that beer smell while you're downing a schooner of XXXX Gold. Run by Yoga Flex Studio, the class takes place at 4pm on Saturday, February 15 — and arriving slightly beforehand to get set up is recommended. Bringing your own mat if you have one is, too. Tickets cost $20, with all the proceeds being donated to the Australian Red Cross's bushfire appeal.
