A joint exhibition by two emerging young artists concerned with placeholders of society. Lucks is an artist by name and by influence—this Brisbane street artists looks at the opposing forces of karma, philosophy and religion, playing upon words and imagery to question rather than make statements. Mixed media and found objects are his paint brush and the forgotten urban plains are his canvas. Daniel Brock is the hand behind large scale intricate and refined watercolour images of cycling manoeuvres. He dances on the line that separates abstract and representation; hinting at his meaning, never fully demonstrating the reasoning behind his subject matter, rarely seen on the walls of an art gallery. Together they present a series of works that are precise, requiring a steady hand and an eye for detail, yet represent a corner of society known for relishing its separation from high culture. Rough and grime, dirty and haphazard, so distant from the works of this exhibition. The ironic, complementary juxtaposition is where the beauty lies.
If you're a fan of that famous blend of chocolate and hazelnut, and you're prone to looking at food snaps on Instagram, then you've probably come across Tella Ball Dessert Bar over the last two years. The Nutella-slinging cafe has made quite the name for itself since it started making spherical cinnamon doughnuts filled with the good stuff, then placing them on top of milkshakes — then whipping up ridiculous creations like Nutella kebabs and Nutella lasagne. Now, they're finally bringing their Nutella-drenched wares to Queensland. Setting up shop in Surfers Paradise, TBDB's first jaunt this far north serves up the full array of Nutella sweet treats. The state's Nutella lovers can now indulge in their favourite dessert spread in a 54-seat space at The 4217 on Beach Road, a block away from the tourist area's main Cavill Avenue strip. As well as the aforementioned Nutella-laden extravaganzas, the menu includes doughnut fries, Nutella sliders, doughnut ice cream cones, Nutella-drizzled pancakes, red velvet Nutella waffles, hot chocolates filled with Nutella and Nutella cheesecake. Even TBDB's standard Tella balls come in an array of different flavours, from Gaytime to Oreo to Ferrero Rocher to lamington. If you're not that much of a Nutella fiend — or have an allergy — you'll find chocolate pasta (made from crepes), a variety of milkshakes, house-made gelato, Tim Tam pancakes, and ricotta and blueberry waffles among the non-nutty offerings. It's the kind of place where the word Nutella might lose its meaning from overuse, but your tastebuds really won't care. And for Queenslanders that don't live on the Gold Coast, TBDB are calling the Surfers spot their first Queensland store — so here's hoping that means more, including in Brisbane, will follow. Find Tella Balls Dessert Bar at The 4217, 10 Beach Road, Surfers Paradise. Head to their Facebook page for further information.
As all those towering buildings dotted against the skyline demonstrate, the Gold Coast isn't short on places to stay — including when you're a Brisbanite heading slightly south for the kind of getaway that's not a staycation, but doesn't involve venturing too far from home. That said, from mid-December, your choice of where to slumber might revolve around a key question: do you want to pair your holiday with swims, cocktails and cabana hangs at a pool club? The Star Gold Coast is launching two new additions: Isoletto Pool Club, which is where all those dips and drinks come in; and Isoletto Privé, an events space with a deck tailor-made for parties. They'll be located within the resort, on the sixth level of its new $400 million, 53-storey hotel and apartment tower — and will be open to both residents and hotel guests. A coast holiday it is, then — depending on your budget, that is. The sky-high Isoletto Pool Club will feature a 12-metre-long pool that boasts views over to Broadbeach, daybeds scattered around the deck and wet lounges in the pool itself. There'll also be a restaurant and lounge, with spritzes, other cocktails and light dishes heroing seasonal produce on the menu. You'll be able to sit indoors or outside and, if you've snagged a cabana or daybed, your drinks will be brought to you. Sporting a fitout by local architecture and interior design practice Plus Architecture — think: lemon and tangerine colours that nod to the Gold Coast surroundings — the pool club will be joined by Isoletto Privé, which'll be used to host parties, events and weddings. It features a lawn, deck and terrace, and also comes with views both out over the shoreline and over to the hinterland. The new spaces are launching in time with Queensland's border reopening to double-vaccinated interstate visitors without requiring a quarantine or self-isolation stint. As for the bookings for the new tower, it's now accepting reservations for stays in its 422 apartments — which'll host short-term stays, long-term rentals and permanent residents — from June 2022. Isoletto Pool Club and Isoletto Privé events space will open at The Star Gold Coast, 1 Casino Drive, Broadbeach, from mid-December. For further information, head to The Star's website. Images: concept images.
When a festival as bold and colourful as the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras turns the big 4-0, as it will next year, you can rest assured there will be no skimping on the birthday celebrations. And indeed, the iconic sails of the Sydney Opera House will light up hot pink this Friday, November 3, to help launch the festival's milestone 2018 program. "Mardi Gras is 40 years young and we can't think of a more fabulous way to announce our full program than by painting the most iconic building in Australia pink," said Terese Casu, Mardi Gras Arts CEO. While this unmistakable (and well-timed) message lights up the skyline at sunset, there'll be equally dazzling scenes down on the Opera House Forecourt, as the full 2018 Mardi Gras lineup is unveiled at an invite-only launch party. Since its first historic outing in 1978, Mardi Gras has grown into a 17-day celebration of equality, self-expression and pride, recognised the world over. See the Sydney Opera House sails light up hot pink at about 7.40pm this Friday, November 3. Tickets to Sydney Mardi Gras 2018 go on sale the same day — grab yours here.
In cinemas everywhere in 2023, to more than a billion dollars at the global box office, Ryan Gosling is "just Ken" in Barbie. He's also fantastic. Jump back almost two decades, however, and he was getting attention for locking lips with Rachel McAdams (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) during a downpour in The Notebook — and that Nicholas Sparks-penned effort isn't done spreading its sappy brand of romance just yet. 2024 will mark exactly 20 years since The Notebook hit the big screen, as based on Sparks' 1996 debut novel. It'll also see the musical version of The Notebook make its Broadway debut. The production was first announced back in 2019, then premiered in Chicago in 2022 and now heads to the Big Apple. While Gosling can sing — see: Barbie, La La Land, his band Dead Man's Bones — he likely isn't part of the stage show's cast. Exactly who'll be crooning through the book-turned-movie-turned-musical's lovestruck drama in New York's prestigious theatre district hasn't been announced yet, though, so you can hold onto your Gosling fantasy for a bit longer. Either way, expect singing in the rain, obviously, as well as belted-out declarations of love in a rowboat. Expect a song-filled account of heiress Allie Hamilton falling in love with lumber mill worker Noah Calhoun in the 1940s, too. Should tissues be handed out with every ticket? As The Notebook jumps from tear-soaked pages to weep-inducing celluloid to a stage version, that wouldn't be the worst move. This treading-the-boards take on the A Walk to Remember, Dear John, The Last Song and The Lucky One author's best-known tome will start Broadway previews on Tuesday, February 6, if you have an NYC trip in your future. Public tickets go on sale on Tuesday, September 26. The Notebook musical's script and songs stem handled by Bekah Brunstetter and Ingrid Michaelson respectively. The former was a writer and producer on TV show This Is Us, and the latter is best known for singles 'The Way I Am' and 'Girls Chase Boys'. And on directing duties: Michael Greif (Dear Evan Hansen) and Schele Williams (Motown the Musical). Check out a glimpse of The Notebook musical's Chicago season below: The Notebook musical opens on Broadway, at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, with previews from Tuesday, February 6. Head to the show's website for more information, plus public tickets from Tuesday, September 26.
This five-day, four-night outback expedition leaves from Cairns each Monday with guests returning on Friday afternoons with a palpable sense of peace. You can get there via a 4.5-hour drive from Cairns, with the option to splash on a helicopter ride if you feel like taking the express option. Aside from the optional flights, the Kinrara Expedition is all-inclusive with an impressive selection of tours and activities on the itinerary. Guests stay in safari-style tents with comfortable queen-sized beds and private timber balconies. The homestead sits on the edge of a sparkling volcanic lake which is home to more than 200 bird species. The O'Brien family have lived on this property for five generations and operate in partnership with the Traditional Custodians of the land — the Gugu Badhun people. Images: Tourism Tropical North Queensland
Goodbye traffic, hello impressive views while zooming around Brisbane: within the next decade, that might become a reality. Yes, it sounds like something out of a futuristic movie. Yes, it'd help you ditch the dreaded peak-hour crawl. And yes, there is indeed a plan to bring self-flying taxis to the Queensland city's skies — and within the next decade. As every Brisbanite knows and won't be able to forget in their lifetimes, Brissie is hosting the 2032 Olympic Games — news that was announced exactly a year ago, in fact. As a result, the city is set to get a whole lot busier, and there'll be plenty of people trying to get from point A to point B during the huge event itself. One potential solution: those automated aerial taxis. Back in June, southeast Queensland's Council of Mayors signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Wisk Aero, which has been developing all-electric self-flying air taxis in the US. It's now setting up an Australian base, and working with SEQ's Council of Mayors with a hope to introducing "safe, sustainable and scalable autonomous air taxi services" to the region. Exactly where those taxis could fly from and to, how often and what it'd cost haven't been finalised or revealed yet, obviously, with the arrangement still in the planning phase. Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said that the world expects "to see the emergence of advanced air technology in places like Singapore, Paris and Los Angeles, and by 2032, I'd love to see it supporting new and innovative experiences for tourism and travel right here in southeast Queensland." "While there's still plenty of work to do around regulation and safety, the prospect of having autonomous air taxis operating throughout our region and between venues during the Brisbane 2032 Games is really exciting," Schrinner continued. Wisk Aero was created in 2019 as a joint venture between aviation companies Boeing and Kitty Hawk — and the latter has been exploring the self-flying air taxi space since 2010. In 2017, it tested and successfully flew an autonomous aircraft designed for passenger use in America. Kitty Hawk, which is supported by Google co-founder Larry Page, also did some testing in New Zealand in 2017 and 2018. Uber was also flirting with the same space via Uber Elevate, with plans to test flying taxis in Melbourne in 2020; however, the company was sold to Joby Aviation that year. In southeast Queensland, KFC has been trialling delivering chicken by drones — so people taking to the air to get around town was always the likely next step. For more information about Wisk Aero and the plans to bring self-flying taxis to southeast Queensland, head to the Wisk Aero and Council of Mayors websites.
This article was written on Yuggera Country — and, since late in 2020, Australians have been able to send physical letters that acknowledge that fact. Now Australia Post has gone one better to coincide with NAIDOC Week 2021. The organisation will continue to recognise First Nations place names when you're addressing letters and parcels, of course, but it is also launching new packaging that includes a dedicated space for traditional monikers. Parcel Post and Express Post satchels will now feature a traditional place name field underneath the company name and contact name sections — and above the fields for street address and postcode. The packaging also includes a printed Acknowledgment of Country as part of the just-launched change. The move has been motivated by a campaign led by Gomeroi woman Rachael McPhail, who began pushing for Australia Post to recognise First Nations place names in August 2020 from her @place_names_in_addresses Instagram account. During last year's NAIDOC Week, the government enterprise responded, releasing guidelines on how folks can include traditional names when addressing letters and parcels. Now, it has been motivated to go the extra step. "We not only listened to Rachael, but to the overwhelming feedback from thousands of Australians who supported this fantastic concept to recognise traditional Country on their mail," said Australia Post's National Indigenous Manager and Noongar man Chris Heelan in a statement announcing the change. "Including the traditional place name as part of the mailing address is a simple but meaningful way to promote and celebrate our Indigenous communities." Commenting on the move, McPhail said, "this is about paying respect to First Nations people, and their continuing connection to Country. If everyone adopts this small change, it will make a big difference." As McPhail outlined in the first post from her Instagram account back on August 31 last year, "every area in this country had an original place name, prior to being given its colonial town/city name, and I believe that it's important to acknowledge this". She explained that she had started including traditional place names when filling in her address in online orders, and noted at the time that it's a small gesture with a meaningful impact — and that she'd love to see Australia Post make this a standard part of address information in Australia. For folks following McPhail's lead on ordinary envelopes and packaging — on anything that isn't one of Australia Post's new Parcel Post and Express Post satchels — you'll still need to follow the guidelines to ensure that your mail is sorted properly by the company's electronic letter sorting technology. Whether you're including a traditional place name in the address field or the sender field, or both, you should write it directly underneath the recipient or sender's name. Then, below that, you should then include the street address, town or suburb. If you're now wondering where to find the appropriate First Nations place name — either for your own address, or for whoever you'd like to send a letter or package to — Australia Post recommends visiting the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies' map of Indigenous Australia on its website, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land Councils, or Cultural Centres in your local area. For NAIDOC Week, Australia Post is also decking out a number of street posting boxes in Indigenous artwork, too, using a design created by Darwin's Marcus Lee of the Karajarri People. For further information about Australia Post's new Parcel Post and Express Post satchels, head to its website. More details about the addressing guidelines regarding identifying First Nations localities can also be found on its website. Images: Australia Post.
Take a boat from Cairns to this secluded eco-friendly escape on the cusp of the reef that has held and advanced ecotourism certification for over 20 years. Green Island Resort sits in the tropical habitat of a coral cay and rainforest and implements a number of innovative sustainability initiatives to limit waste and protect the pristine natural environment where it's located. A quarter of the island's energy supply comes from solar power and the resort is working towards closing the loop in its waste management. This includes things like turning food waste into nutrient rich fertiliser and using a glass crusher that turns bottles into sand. Plus, raised timber boardwalks allow you to explore the national park with minimal impact on wildlife and tree root systems. Image: Tourism Tropical North Queensland.
Walkabout Cultural Adventures is a 100 percent First Nations-owned and operated cultural tour company based on Kuku Yalanji Country, also known as Port Douglas and the Daintree. Owner Juan Walker has been working in the region for nearly two decades and prides himself on offering informative and personalised tours to all guests. Under Juan's expert guidance, you'll discover the wonders of Kuku Yalanji Country, including where two World Heritage-listed sites — the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef — meet. The half or full-day tours will give you the opportunity to learn about food and medicines grown in the region and how Kuku Yalanji people have managed the land and its natural resources for millennia. You'll also get to sample bush foods, collect shellfish and try your luck at catching delicious mud crab.
While you may have been spoilt these holidays, with a scented candle or an adult colouring book, you may not have gotten what you really wanted for Christmas. As the festive season comes to a close and we head into the new year, you can treat yourself to some new cruelty-free makeup, exceptionally soft linen and bottles of wine for just $8.50 a pop, thanks to a heap of online Boxing Day sales. We've rounded up some of the biggest right here.
Way out west is where you'll find Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park. This lush green outback oasis is nestled near the Queensland and Northern Territory border. It's recommended you hire a 4WD to properly explore the park. There are several walking trails along the Lawn Hill Gorge, and intrepid travellers are rewarded with deep blue billabongs hidden among the bright red sandstone. Further into the park lies the Riversleigh World Heritage Site, containing fossils dating back 15 to 25 million years, including the long-extinct 'marsupial lion'. The site is so impressive that it even sparked the attention of Sir David Attenborough in recent years. Pretty remarkable stuff! Image: Tourism Tropical North Queensland.
Decades of sci-fi speculation seems set to come true: in 2022, the world will welcome its first luxury space hotel. Claims like this aren't new, but the Aurora Station is determined to make holidaying in space a reality — for a sky-high price, unsurprisingly. In development by US-based company Orion Span, the fully modular space station will be capable of hosting six people at a time, including four guests and two crew members. Operating as a luxe place to stay, it'll feature everything a short-term astronaut could want, such as zero gravity, views of the northern and southern aurora, the ability to participate in space research experiments and a virtual reality holodeck. As souvenirs, visitors can even help grow their own food and take it home with them. Plus, because no hotel can get by without it, guests will be able to access high-speed wifi while they soar more than 300 kilometres above the earth and orbit the planet every 90 minutes. Enjoying all of the above — which means spying an average of 16 sunrises and sunsets every 24 hours — will set eager space cadets back a cool US$9.5 million for a 12-day trip. That price tag hasn't stopped plenty of flush folks putting down a US$80,000 deposit to sign up, with the first four months of reservations selling out within 72 hours of being announced. That's hefty cost for a company with a stated mission — "to build and sustain human communities in space accessible to all" — but soaring into space isn't cheap, so perhaps the accessible part is more of a long-term quest. The company's founder and CEO, Frank Bunger, says that Aurora Station will bring "travellers into space quicker and at a lower price point than ever seen before." Wannabe astronauts will also undergo a three-month training program, which has been condensed from the usual 24-month timeframe, although surely preparing to go into space isn't something anyone would want to rush. Future plans for Aurora Station include zero gravity research, space manufacturing — and, if an interstellar vacation doesn't sound futuristic enough, space condos. "Our architecture is such that we can easily add capacity, enabling us to grow with market demand like a city growing skyward on earth," explains Bunger. "We will later sell dedicated modules as the world's first condominiums in space. Future Aurora owners can live in, visit, or sublease their space condo." For more information, visit the Orion Span website.
It’s cold out there. It’s cold out there every day. Though Australia is lucky enough to avoid a Groundhog Day style winter, there is no doubt that the cooler temperatures drive us toward comforting beverages. Before you reach for that bottle of red or heart-warming bourbon, don’t forget that your favourite summer cooler also comes with a serious dark side. When the cold lagers of summer lose their appeal, your favourite brewers turn their craft to an entirely different beast. From nutty to chocolatey and often with a creamy finish, dark beers are the perfect tonic on a wintery night. And while dark brews have been historically underappreciated in Australia’s generally mild climate, you could find yourself becoming the best of friends. Here are some tips to enjoying dark beer this winter, with help from our local brewers. QUALITY OVER QUANTITY Generally heavier and more filling, dark beers must be considered with this golden rule across the spectrum. According to the Shenanigans Brewing Company duo, “When we think winter beers, we think higher-alcohol, malt-driven beers, with a bit more residual sweetness.” The malty porters are undeniably sweet and, like rich desserts, are delicious but best in moderation. Porters and milk stouts are typically nitro beers (made with nitrogen rather than CO2), which adds to the creamy effect and further increases its similarity to a dessert. At the other side of the dark beer profile, the strong imperial stouts are high in alcohol content (many upward of 9 or 10 percent) and will knock you off your rocker if you attempt too many in one sitting. Often brewed in whisky or wine barrels, these stouts contain a more alcoholic flavour, and the barrel ageing process adds depth and complexity to the beer. With bold flavours and lingering sweetness, it's best to stick to a few to get the most enjoyment out of these brews. WINTER WINNERS: DARK BEER VS RED WINE That glass of red isn’t the only thing that will keep you warm on a winter’s night. Rich and smooth with deep fruity notes, dark beers have more in common with red wine than with lager. This is especially true of the barrel-aged stouts, which are often brewed in used sherry casks and take on a wine-like flavour. Many brewers also add spices like cinnamon, vanilla and even chilli, warming you from the inside out. The best advice we’ve received from a bartender on dark beers is to “give your beer a little cuddle” before you drink it. Dark beers should typically be served at room temperature, like a good red, to fully enjoy the taste and flavour. Also like a red, you should never drink dark beer (or any beer, for that matter) from the bottle. But before you go crazy dropping your pay cheque on glassware, many dark beers, including porters and stouts, are best served in a standard pint or oversized wine glass. Similar to its red wine rival, darks beers are something you want to savour. The 750ml bottles are perfect to share with friends. THE IMPORTANCE OF COMFORT FOOD In winter, we crave carbs, carbs, and more carbs. In turn, we need a big beer that can stand up to those heartier foods. The rich, smooth taste makes dark beer the liquid version of a Sunday roast or steamy meat pie. With any great food and drink pairing, it is important to have balance. 3 Ravens Dark Ale made with smoked malts is one of those well-paired with the savoury comfort foods of winter. Instead of going for a port with your dessert, try a porter. The James Squire Jack of Spades Porter, with heavily roasted malts, coffee notes and a sweet finish goes perfectly with dark chocolate, caramel and other rich desserts. BALANCING SUNNY DAYS AND WINTERY NIGHTS While the temperatures may drop, the Aussie east coast is no winter wonderland, so it is worth finding the right beers for day versus night. Think a beer you would want to drink next to an outdoor heater at your favourite beer garden, then one you’d want to drink while curled up on your couch under several blankets. The Batch Brewing Big Kahuna coconut brown ale is a session beer that will remind you of summer while helping you brave the chilly days. For night, try an imperial stout to get your blood flowing. This season, Modus Operandi is releasing Total Eclipse, a Russian imperial stout of 10% ABV aged in Lark Whisky barrels for six months. Once you’ve warmed up with a big brew and have your beer coat on, you won’t need that extra layer when venturing out into the cold. HANG OUT AT YOUR LOCAL BREWERIES The best way to learn more about the beers of winter is to stop by your local brewery, where they are more than happy to guide you through the many profiles of dark beer. There is no better company to keep; your local brewers are like your fairy godmothers of beer, planning months ahead of time on how to keep you warm this winter. Many breweries will also hold winter events, including food pairing dinners. This is the best time to try the full spectrum of dark beers and figure out which best suits your winter drinking needs. Top image: Dollar Photo Club.
Over the course of seven episodes, during one of the most-watched Netflix series of 2020, Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) did many things. As a child (as played by Isla Johnston), she discovered an affinity for chess. As a teenager, she savvily turned that talent into a career, hopped around America and the world showing off her skills in fierce tournaments, exceeded everyone's expectations in a male-dominated arena, and battled with her personal struggles along the way. As Beth moved pawns, studied strategies and enjoyed more than a few drinks, she didn't sing about her feelings, though. Soon, in theatres, that'll change. Yes, following in the footsteps of everything from Heathers and Moulin Rouge! to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Shrek, The Queen's Gambit is set to make the leap from the screen to the stage. Just announced by US production company Level Forward, The Queen's Gambit musical is slated to become a reality, with the organisation obtaining the rights to turn the novel behind the show — as penned by Walter Tevis and first printed in 1983 — into a theatre performance. It'll join the Alanis Morissette-inspired Jagged Little Pill and the 2019 Broadway revival of Oklahoma! on Level Forward's resume; however, specific details about what the chess-fuelled song-and-dance show will entail remain scarce at this early stage. https://twitter.com/queensgambitbwy/status/1369014644560588806 So, just who'll star in the musical, which creatives will be behind it, how closely it'll resemble the Golden Globe-winning streaming series, which songs will feature, and when and where it'll premiere are all yet to be revealed. So is any news on whether it'll make the trip Down Under — although folks in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide can look forward to the 2021 season of completely unrelated Chess the Musical in the interim. In a statement, Level Forward CEO Adrienne Becker and producer Julia Dunetz said "it is a privilege for Level Forward to lead the charge of bringing The Queen's Gambit to the stage through the beloved and enduring craft of musical theatre," reports Variety. "Told through a brave and fresh point of view, audiences are already sharing in the friendship and fortitude of the story's inspiring women who energise and sustain Beth Harmon's journey and ultimate triumph. The story is a siren call amidst our contemporary struggles for gender and racial equity, and we're looking forward to moving the project forward." Obviously, a musical version of The Queen's Gambit will need to include singing and dancing chess pieces moving around on the ceiling. That just goes with the territory. If you need a reminder why — or, if you haven't seen the series, a few clues about why the program has become such a hit — check out the Netflix miniseries trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDrieqwSdgI The Queen's Gambit musical doesn't yet have a premiere date — we'll update you with further details when they're announced. Via Variety. Top image: Netflix.
After playing their first show Down Under since 2013 in Sydney, Tenacious D have scrapped the remainder of their Australian and New Zealand dates on the two-man comedy rock group's The Spicy Meatball tour. The duo, aka Jack Black and Kyle Gass, kicked off their visit in Sydney, where a joke about the attempted assassination of former US president Donald Trump by Gass sparked controversy. In the aftermath, their next gig in Newcastle was initially postponed, then the entire tour cancelled. Black has also put the band on hold, advising in a statement on social media that he was "blindsided by what was said at the show on Sunday". "I would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form. After much reflection, I no longer feel it is appropriate to continue the Tenacious D tour, and all future creative plans are on hold. I am grateful to the fans for their support and understanding," the Instagram post continued. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jack Black (@jackblack) Tenacious D last performed Down Under in 2013, and were set to play July dates in seven cities. The Grammy-winning pair, which first came together in the 90s as theatre students in Los Angeles, were due to hit up arenas in Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Wellington and Auckland fresh from sellout gigs in the US, UK and Europe in 2023. Their Sydney show at the ICC Sydney Theatre on Sunday, July 14 fell on Gass' birthday, with the musician presented with a cake onstage by The Super Mario Bros Movie star Black, then asked to make a wish. He replied with "don't miss Trump next time". [caption id="attachment_939742" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sven Mandel via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Gass has also made a statement on social media. "The line I improvised onstage Sunday night in Sydney was highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake. I don't condone violence of any kind, in any form, against anyone," he said on Instagram. "What happened was a tragedy, and I'm incredibly sorry for my severe lack of judgement. I profoundly apologise to those I've let down and truly regret any pain I've caused." Ticketholders for Tenacious D's cancelled Australian and New Zealand shows will automatically receive refunds. [caption id="attachment_939746" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Tenacious D The Spicy Meatball Australia and New Zealand Tour 2024 Dates: Sunday, July 14 — ICC Sydney Theatre, Sydney Tuesday, July 16 — Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Newcastle — CANCELLED Thursday, July 18 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane — CANCELLED Saturday, July 20 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne — CANCELLED Monday, July 22 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide — CANCELLED Wednesday, July 24 — TSB Arena, Wellington — CANCELLED Friday, July 26 — Spark Arena, Auckland — CANCELLED [caption id="attachment_939740" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Travis Shinn[/caption] Tenacious D are no longer touring Australia and New Zealand across July 2024, with all tickets set to be automatically refunded. Head to the tour website for further details. Top image: Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons.
The cure to decades of SXSW FOMO arrived in Australia in 2023. Sydney played host to the first-ever iteration of the festival Down Under — the first outside of the US, in fact — and put on a massive party. It was a hit. Cue SXSW Sydney 2024, then, to ideally repeat the feat. There's still almost three months to go, but the second Aussie SXSW just keeps getting bigger. So far, organisers of the tech, innovation, screen, music, games and culture festival — which will run from Monday, October 14–Sunday, October 20 this year — have dropped three past rounds of lineup details, starting in May, adding to it in June, then expanding it some more at the beginning of July. Now comes the next batch, growing the music bill, throwing in parties and naming a few extra speakers. More than 40 talents have joined the onstage roster, starting with the UK's Jorja Smith on the 'Be Honest' musician's Australian tour. Also from overseas, Canada's Aysanabee, Thailand's PYRA, New Zealand's Brandn Shiraz and XUZZ, and the UK's Submerse feature. Among the homegrown names, Aussies Brazen Barbie, Jamahl Yami, Kitschen Boy and Special Feelings have scored a spot, plus a heap of other locals. When SXSW Sydney's 25 stages turn on their microphones, then, it's going to be mighty busy. For those keen on networking and shindigs, the lineup there now features parties and mixers hosted by ADA, APRA-AMCOS, Blak Label, Canada House, Concord Music Group, Future Classic, Inertia & [PIAS], Meta, Rolling Stone, The Orchard, UNIFIED Music Group, Virgin Music and Warner Music. Among the events, there's an Indies Please session, one dedicated to Women in Music and a meetup that's all about agents versus promoters. Plus, get ready to dive into international music tours and the streaming landscape, the first talk with WME UK's Global Head of Touring Lucy Dickins and Frontier Touring's Susan Heymann, and the second with Will Page. The latest additions extend a 2024 program that already boasts human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson, author Johann Hari, Australian race car driver Molly Taylor, pianist Chad Lawson, Westworld's Luke Hemsworth hosting a session about the Tasmanian tiger, Aussie astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg, TikTok marketing head Sofia Hernandez, Heartbreak High star Ayesha Madon, cricketer David Warner, Mortal Kombat director Simon McQuoid and documentary Slice of Life: The American Dream. In Former Pizza Huts, about the new uses of former Pizza Hut buildings across America — and that's barely scratching the surface of the lineup specifics announced so far. If you missed it, 2023's inaugural SXSW Sydney welcomed everyone from Black Mirror's Charlie Brooker and Chance The Rapper to Future Today Institute founder and CEO Amy Webb and Nicole Kidman to its stages. In the process, and via not just its talks but also its concerts, films, TV shows and games as, it notched up 287,014 attendances from 97,462 unique attendees. Those figures came from 34,975 total tickets, with folks from 41 countries heading along to 1178 sessions. SXSW Sydney 2024 will run from Monday, October 14–Sunday, October 20 at various Sydney venues. Head to the SXSW Sydney website for further details. Images: Jess Gleeson, Ian Laidlaw, Jami Joy, Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for SXSW Sydney.
Come October 2025 around Australia, Tomato Day will be back on the big screen, all thanks to Looking for Alibrandi's inclusion in this year's Italian Film Festival lineup. A quarter of a century has passed since the Pia Miranda (Invisible Boys)-starring Australian page-to-screen classic reached cinemas, so the nation's annual celebration of Italian movies has programmed the beloved picture based on Melina Marchetta's 1992 book in its closing-night slot. Audiences will get a particular filmic treat, too, given that the 4K restoration of the film will be gracing the screen. So, as well as surveying the latest in Italian cinema — as IFF does every year, 2025 being no exception — there's an Aussie flavour to the festival this time around. Another example: the Greta Scacchi (Darby and Joan)-narrated Signorinella: Little Miss, with the team responsible for Lygon St — Si Parla Italiano turning their attention to Italian women who helped make the Italian Australian community what it is. 2025's Italian Film Festival kicks off in mid-September, starting in Canberra and Adelaide, then heading to Sydney, Melbourne, Ballarat, Brisbane, Byron Bay and Ballina, and Perth across a countrywide tour between Wednesday, September 17–Wednesday, October 22 (with dates varying depending on the location). While Looking for Alibrandi is on closing duties, romantic comedy Somebody to Love will get IFF 2024 started, as hailing from Perfect Strangers filmmaker Paolo Genovese. In the festival's centrepiece slot is La Grazia, the latest from Paolo Sorrentino (Parthenope) — and, like The Hand of God, Loro and The Great Beauty, starring Toni Servillo. Its inclusion is quite the get for IFF, given that the movie will head to Australia direct from having its world premiere opening the 2025 Venice International Film Festival. Servillo is a significant feature of IFF's lineup this year, too, thanks to also appearing in Sicilian Letters and The Illusion, with the first focusing on Cosa Nostra boss Matteo Messina Denaro's time as a fugitive and the second heading back to Giuseppe Garibaldi's efforts in 1860 to unify Italy. In another highlight, Napoli — New York sees Gabriele Salvatores (Cassanova's Return) chart the path of two Neapolitan children to New York in 1949 — and continue, as also evident courtesy of Looking for Alibrandi and Signorinella: Little Miss, the festival's celebration of migrant stories. The must-sees keep coming from there, with IFF also screening 2024 Venice Film Festival Grand Jury Prize-winner The Mountain Bride — Vermiglio; Diamonds by Ferzan Özpetek; The Great Ambition, which won Elio Germano (Trust) the Best Actor Award at the David di Donatello Awards for portraying former Italian Communist Party leader Enrico Berlinguer; Italian box-office hit The Boy with the Pink Trousers; and the Valeria Golino (Maria)-led Fuori, a biopic about Italian feminist writer Goliarda Sapienza. Or, attendees can catch post-WWII-set drama My Place Is Here, as based on the novel by Daniela Porto; The Life Apart, which sports Vicenza as a backdrop; and Gianni Versace — Emperor of Dreams, as focused on the fashion icon. And, for its blast from the pasts for 2025, the fest is embracing giallo, to the delight of horror and thriller fans. Think: a new 4K restoration of Dario Argento's Deep Red, alongside Lucio Fulci's A Lizard in a Woman's Skin, Mario Bava's Blood and Black Lace, Pupi Avati's The House with Laughing Windows and Sergio Martino's All the Colours of the Dark. Italian Film Festival 2025 Dates and Venues Wednesday, September 17–Wednesday, October 15 — Palace Electric Cinema, Canberra Wednesday, September 17–Tuesday, October 15 — Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas and Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas, Adelaide Thursday, September 18–Wednesday, October 15 — Palace Moore Park, Palace Norton St, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinema, Sydney Friday, September 19–Thursday, October 16 — The Astor Theatre, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Church St, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Penny Lane, Palace Westgarth, The Kino, Pentridge Cinema and Cinema Nova, Melbourne Saturday, September 20–Thursday, October 16 — Palace Regent Cinemas, Ballarat Saturday, September 24–Wednesday, October 22 — Palace Barracks and Palace James Street, Brisbane Thursday, September 25–Wednesday, October 15 — Palace Byron Bay and Ballina Fair Cinemas, Byron Bay and Ballina Thursday, September 25–Wednesday, October 22 — Palace Raine Square, Luna Leederville, Luna on SX and Windsor Cinema, Perth The 2025 Italian Film Festival tours Australia in September and October. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the festival website.
Brisbane isn't quite the centre of the universe — but come March, it'll feel that way, especially when it comes to all things science and technology. Since 2016, the city has played host to the only Asia-Pacific offshoot of New York's World Science Festival, which showers the place in knowledge via talks, panels, workshops, films, and both science and art installations. 2022's fest will once again run for five days, from Wednesday, March 9–Sunday, March 13; however, the event will also dovetail into Curiocity Brisbane, too. The latter focuses specifically on the intersection between art, science and technology, and is held for an extra week through till Sunday, March 20, which means you'll have two festivals to attend, not just one. On the World Science Festival Brisbane lineup, a lengthy list of local venues will welcome in the science extravaganza, offering up a hefty list of activities to go along with it — all revolving around the theme 'Science, People, Heart'. The full program includes more than 130 events, almost of 50 of which are free, with highlights such as scuba diving with a marine archaeologist, watching a Night of the Nerds variety game show filled with both comedians and scientists, hearing from queer scientists, taking sessions on fungi, and enjoying themed guided walks through leafy Brisbane spots. Or, you can enjoy a stint of stargazing; touch live marine life such as sea stars, sea urchins, tropical and black sea cucumbers at South Bank; combine a walking tour with a silent disco; and shop your way through a sustainability-focused market. And, when you're not listening to Dr Karl Kruszelnicki chat about the science of comedy, you'll be seeing science and music paired via Something for Kate's Paul Dempsey and sexologist Chantelle Otten, learning why Mars keeps fascinating earthlings and discovering more about the race to commercialise space, and hanging out in the science hub at the South Bank Piazza. Brisbanites can catch a program of films about animals and the natural world at the Gallery of Modern Art's Australian Cinematheque, too — including the exceptional pig-focused Gunda and the inspiration The Biggest Little Farm — then head to the annual turtle hatching session (yes, with real, tiny turtles). [caption id="attachment_804118" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Curiocity 2021, Markus Ravik[/caption] Plus, over at Curiocity, there'll be physical spaces that also toy with all things digital, as spread across a five-kilometre walking trail at South Bank. Standouts span Acknowledging Place, which asks participants to sit and consider an Indigenous perspective of caring for Country; public sculpture OHCE/ECHO, which captures your portrait and embeds it in the work; and The Wandering Birds Have Returned to the River (Even Bernice), featuring imaginary giant bird nests made out of repurposed and reusable consumer goods. Other Curiocity must-sees include Luminous Threads, which combines embroidery with modern fibre optic technology; Mirage Project [Iceberg], which uses stereoscopic photography to inlay an iceberg from Antarctica into South Bank; and light and soundscape In the Air, a time-lapse piece that uses data from Antarctic ice-core samples to map changes over the past 400,000 years in a half-hour music and light show. World Science Festival Brisbane 2022 runs from Wednesday, March 9–Sunday, March 13, which Curiocity Brisbane takes place from Wednesday, March 9–Sunday, March 2o. For more information and to buy tickets, head to the World Science Festival Brisbane website. Top image: Evanescent, Curiocity 2021, Markus Ravik.
The stunning Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve is as scenic as its name suggests and is home to 55 hectares of subtropical rainforest overlooking the beautiful landscape of the Glass House Mountains. Th reserve boasts a number of leisurely walking trails and guided tours that'll get you up close with the enchanting surrounds, while the Rainforest Discovery Centre is where you can learn about the diverse life that makes up the ecosystem of this beautiful forest via a bunch of cool multisensory educational exhibits. While you're out and about, keep your eyes peeled for local birdlife — the park plays host to nearly 150 different species. Head to the website for directions, opening hours and further info.
The new decade has only just landed, but already we're getting a taste of some futuristic things headed our way — like the much-hyped air taxis from Uber, for example. This week, the company unveiled the latest designs for its new flying vehicles. We already know Aussies will be among the first in the world to experience this Uber Elevate aerial rideshare network, after Melbourne was named as one of three global cities where the service will commence testing. Along with Dallas and Los Angeles in the US, the Victorian city is set to host Uber Elevate trials from some time this year. Now, the world has scored a glimpse of just what these aerial taxis will look like, as Uber Elevate and Hyundai (the company's just-announced first automotive partner) unveiled their new full-scale aircraft concept model at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Dubbed S-A1, the Personal Air Vehicle (PAV) has been designed to cruise at speeds of up to 290 kilometres per hour (similar to a helicopter), flying around 300–600 metres above the ground on trips of up to 100 kilometres in distance. Initially, the taxis would be flown by pilots, though there are plans to make them completely driverless over time. Sitting in an autonomous helicopter-like vehicle flying through the sky at 290 kilometres per hour sounds like a potential nightmare, but we're sure (or we hope) they'll do a lot of testing with drivers before it gets to that. The vehicles are also set to run entirely on electricity and will have several smaller helicopter-style rotors, instead of just one, helping to keep things a lot quieter. It's expected that during peak times, the electric vehicle will only take five to seven minutes to recharge, which is bound to seem pretty speedy to anyone who's ever been stuck in peak-hour traffic in a regular taxi. The Uber Elevate vehicles can carry up to four passengers and they'll take off and land vertically using helipad-style 'Skyports' located on high rooftops at key points around the city that might look a little like this: As this is just as concept at the moment, the PAVs (and helipads) that eventually take to Melbourne's skies could look wildly different. Last year, Uber Elevate revealed the aerial taxi system would be available to riders from as early as 2023 and that eventually, flights would cost the same as an UberX trip of the same distance. So, we guess we can get set for some Jetsons-style travel action in the not too distant future. Uber Elevate is slated to start tests in Melbourne by the end of 2020 with regular services kicking off in 2023. To read more about the program, head to the Uber website, and to check out the vehicle designs, see Hyundai's website.
EdwardsAndCo is famous in Australia for effortless, lived-in hair colouring and bouncy blowouts — its Instagram feed is like a Pinterest board for your next hair transformation. The square tiles feature countless creamy blonde shades, lacquered brunette tones and everything in between, including a blonde-brunette hybrid called 'bronde' for the indecisive. [caption id="attachment_1024676" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied[/caption] Founded by Jaye Edwards in Sydney, the cult hair studio has since profilerated into eight outposts around Melbourne, Sydney, Gold Coast, Byron Bay, Brisbane and Noosa — and Edwards has launched Jaye Haircare, a haircare brand stocked at Mecca and EdwardsAndCo salons. Each location has a distinct fit-out, though they are tied together with large-scale murals by Byron Bay-based artist Brian Collonny. In Brisbane, EdwardsAndCo's flagship salon occupies a massive Fortitude Valley loft, directly opposite the prestigious Calile Hotel. On September 2, the Sunshine State acquired a second location — this time, a more intimate concept salon in the chic riverside of Teneriffe. The new space comes decked out in minimalist white and light wood tones with plush leather chairs to match; it's deliberately scaled down and designed for a more personal luxury experience. With just 10 chairs and four basins, the salon promises a slow-paced and serene hair appointment. [caption id="attachment_1024675" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied[/caption] Find EdwardsAndCo Concept at 2/110 Macquarie St, Teneriffe. For more information or to make a booking, visit the website.
The ancient landscape of Cobbold Gorge almost seems otherworldly, with clear water cutting through the glowing orange sandstone formations. The gorge measures 30 metres wide, with sheer walls that appear to stretch endlessly above. Cobbold Gorge Village accommodation includes huts, suites and motel rooms, alongside camping and caravan sites. Guests can enjoy kayaking, aqua golf, mountain biking and stand-up paddleboarding. Or, if you feel like splurging, book a scenic helicopter flight with wine and cheese to see the sights from above. The grounds also include an infinity pool, swim-up bar and fully licensed bistro. Image: Tourism Tropical North Queensland.
This may be the only place to go for those looking for a gift that doesn’t cost the earth, literally. Stocking its shelves according to a stated set of eco-friendly criteria, Biome boasts all natural, hand-made and environmentally conscious items for stuffing your stockings for a green Christmas. That includes all the trappings and trimmings associated with the occasion, as well as everything you might want to put under the tree as well. From beer-made soap to fair trade chocolate, hemp linen to pretty picnic sets, battery-free toys to sustainable fashion, there’s no excuse for not putting the state of the planet first in your gift purchasing.
Time to level up your board game nights? Presents of Mind is Paddington's go-to purveyor of games, puzzles, gifts and entertaining diversions. Whether you're looking for a new hobby, bolstering your game collection, indulging your inner-geek or looking for a clever birthday gift, Presents of Mind has got the goods. For the social gamer, you'll find every new release in the board game scene, plus classics like Jenga and chess, cooperative and role-playing games and grown-up party games, like Cards Against Humanity. For the outdoor entertainer, there's croquet and boules and for folks who love a project, puzzles, 3D models and mechanical curiosities are also on offer. For sci fi and fantasy buffs, find everything from Star Wars trading cards to the whole D&D shebang, including handbooks, figurine painting kits and spell cards. They also have science, coding and robotics kits, telescopes, children's books and early learning toys. Plus tarot decks and magic kits, for something a little more mysterious. Don't see what you're looking for? Just ask: if anyone can help you get it in, it's these puzzling pros.
How many dumplings can you eat in one sitting? Would you like to find out? On the last Saturday of every month, Dumpling Republic puts your stomach to the test by offering up a bottomless feast of the dish that gives them their name. Here's how it works at their All You Can Eat Dumpling Night: you arrive and you eat, with a three-course meal on offer. Well, given you can gorge on as many dumplings as you like — in 11 different varieties, served in a particular order, and ranging from pork and kimchi to beef and onion to deep-fried wontons — you could say that there's as many courses as you like too, but non-dumpling entrees and desserts will also be served. Your dumpling-filled evening will set you back $35, and booking in advance is recommended. Two sessions are offered each month, so keep an eye on their Facebook page for details — sometimes they run at 5pm and 7pm, sometimes at 12pm and 6pm.
Over the past few years, the Victoria Park Putt Putt Course has given itself a themed makeover on several occasions. The best way to celebrate Christmas, Halloween and Valentine's Day here? Tap, tap, tapping through a temporary revamp to suit the date. Easter is no different, much to the delight of mini golf-loving Brisbanites — and in autumn 2023, the venue's Candyland setup is making its return. Fancy getting into the Easter spirit by hitting a few balls around a candy-themed course? That'll be on offer from Friday, March 24–Monday, May 1. The Herston site will sport greens with names like 'Candy Corner', 'Ice Cream Court', 'Bakery Bunker, 'Fairy Floss Fairway', 'Gumball Green' and 'Bunny Hop'. In past years, rabbits have featured heavily — plus giant ice creams, Easter eggs, lollipops and other sweet treats. This year's fun will also feature gummy bears, candy necklaces, lifesavers, cupcakes, doughnuts, gum balls and Easter eggs — and that Ice Cream Court is all about sundaes and their toppings. Basically, if it's sweet and can somehow be worked into a themed mini golf course, you'll find it here. Bookings are essential, with the course open from 6am–10pm Sunday–Thursday and public holidays — because there's more than a few of those during its run — and 6am–11pm Friday–Saturday. Fancy a few holes before work? Want to add some fun to your lunch break? Need something to look forward to come quitting time? They're all options. It's a family-friendly affair, so you'll likely have plenty of company. Tickets cost $23 per adult. Images: Stephanie Adams Photography.
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.
It's not often that you look at a Christmas present and you're more interested in the wrapping than what's inside. But with MECCA's Holiday 2023 artwork, this might just be the case. The Australian brand has become one of the biggest beauty retailers across Australia and New Zealand throughout its 17 year tenure, establishing itself as the place for Aussies and Kiwis to shop for high quality skin, make up, hair and fragrance products. For the past eight years, MECCA has worked with the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne to find an artist to create their holiday packaging, which adorns MECCA's carry bags and gift boxes throughout the silly season. The design also acts as a backdrop for MECCA's very own holiday gift sets, which include everything from Christmas crackers filled with sunscreen to tree ornaments made out of lip oil. Not only will MECCA's packaging get a makeover, the chosen artist will also have their designs shown in the National Gallery of Victoria, a huge platform for budding artists. The artist who was bestowed this honour for 2023 is Kaylene Whiskey from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in the northwest of South Australia. To create her design, Whiskey combined pop culture references – such as the Wonder Woman-inspired figure that appears throughout her work – with her knowledge of Anangu traditions,reflecting elements of Whiskey's life in her community. With her vibrant, colourful design, Whiskey wanted to show the culture of the Anangu community and what she learnt growing up, layered with how the current generation of children from her community are growing up. Created using former tourism flyers, Whiskey shows how these two generations can exist alongside each other, illustrating Anangu traditions like hunting amidst the Australian landscape while women sing and play instruments and a superhero figure flies above. Whiskey's artwork can be summed up by a phrase she plugged herself whilst creating the design, which hits the nail on the head when it comes to the holiday season and MECCA: "Everyone together, looking so good". MECCA Holiday 2023 is now available online and in stores throughout New Zealand and Australia. Head to the MECCA website to see the full range of Whiskey's artwork.
Some Saturday nights, all you want to do is put on your dancing shoes, head to a darkened room and show off your fanciest footwork to a selection of songs from times gone by. Black Bear Lodge understands this, which is why they've devoted this Saturday night to doing just that. At Watch Your Step, hitting the dance floor and strutting your stuff to '50s and '60s tracks is the only thing on the agenda. Actually, there's one more thing of importance at this rock and soul night. The music isn't the only thing jumping back decades, with the format kickin' it old school as well. Yep, these toe-tapping tunes will all be played off of vinyl, with the UK's DJ Phil Istine giving the turntables a rather thorough workout. His record collection is your ultimate party soundtrack, and it'll be paired with a light show of psychedelic projections. Now that's how you step back in time.
Since coming into existence five years ago, the dudes at Stature::Statue have played over fifty shows, shredding and melting faces with the likes of The Mint Chicks (NZ), Die! Die! Die! (NZ), The Mess Hall, Yeasayer (NY) and more. Unfortunately, in the same vein as Yves Klein Blue and The Rocketsmiths, they’ve decided to call it quits and put Stature::Statue to bed once and for all. Stature::Statue may be calling it a day, but they’re not going without one last party. It’s also the launch of their debut album (oh the irony) – a series of recordings of tracks past and present. Come and join them at The Zoo for their final hurrah, they’ll be joined by Velociraptor, Dune Rats, Horsefight and Tape/Off. It’s gonna be the biggest ruckus you’ll find this side of Australia. Oh, and did I mention it’s only ten dollars to get in? Five bands for just ten bones? Cheaper than a pack of cigarettes, and a hell of a lot more hardcore. Remember, this ain’t no farewell tour! Come Friday morning, Stature::Statue will be gone for good.
What a year it's been for Violent Soho. The Brisbane lads' sold-out national tours in July and December went gangbusters, and they've stolen the show at many of Australia’s leading festivals including Splendour in the Grass, Groovin' the Moo and triple j's One Night Stand. They've dominated the Carlton Dry Independent Music Awards, with four nominations — more than any other artist nominated — and two awards for their critically-acclaimed album, Hungry Ghost: Best Independent Album and Best Independent Hard Rock, Heavy or Punk Album. Just this weekend, they've slayed their final festival before Christmas; the foursome headlined Festival of the Sun on Saturday. When we called guitarist James Tidswell to catch up on this year thus far, he's sitting in his backyard eating strewed apple and quinoa, and hanging out with his baby girl who was born in May this year. Bless. But back to the rock and roll stuff — here are five reasons why Violent Soho are a top bunch of blokes for the Australian market. THEY'RE GREAT MATES WITH OTHER BANDS During their Hungry Ghost national tour this past July, Violent Soho played to massive crowds all over the country. While there was plenty of fun to be had on stage, Tidswell was at his happiest watching the support bands do their thing. "I watched every band every night," says Tidswell. "Highlights were Sounds Like Sunset — they opened the Friday Sydney show. Every night Luca Brasi and Smith Street Band ruled. White Walls were awesome. Ceres were awesome. A whole bunch of bands really, they were the highlights." On a side note, the band also loved how rowdy their fans got, even on a school night. "The show in Sydney on the Tuesday night was surprisingly good, I guess that's only because it was a Tuesday and I didn't expect it to go off quite like that, but that was awesome." THEY'RE A DEMOCRACY Violent Soho had the great honour of programming RAGE in August, and the show was inevitably what can only described as rad. The lads included the likes of Frenzal Rhomb, Sandpit, The Drones and Dune Rats on their video playlist. Anyone who has ever tried to compile a party playlist with your mates knows that you can't always get what you want. But it doesn't have to be that way, at least not for the Violent Soho guys. "We got 16 songs each, we just went up and did our own thing," explains Tidswell. "We all chose things for different reasons. I know that Mikey went for videos that you'd want to see late at night, so he chose The Ramones' Pet Cemetery, which has a rad video, and stuff like that. Everyone went for different things." Tidswell chose songs he loves, and thinks you should love too. "I went for songs that I really like and wanted other people to like, or at least hear. I think it was heaps of friend's bands." THEY WOULD RIP A GUMBOOT BONG GIVEN THE CHANCE A couple of truly awesome things happened during Violent Soho's set at Splendour this year. Firstly, bassist Luke Henery's three-year-old son Oscar came out on stage with the band and won the hearts of thousands. Secondly, a dude ripped a gumboot bong. When asked if he would do the same thing if the opportunity ever arose, Tidswell didn’t hesitate with a response. "Ha! Yeah I would! When I saw it I thought it was so cool. I didn't see it happening, I saw the photo later on. What a legend. I'd definitely do that, I think it’s the smartest move." If it's good enough for their fans, it's good enough for Violent Soho. FACT. THEY TAKE IT ALL IN THEIR STRIDE Hungry Ghost was released in the States at the end of September and while the record itself wasn't be harmed, their single 'Covered In Chrome' had to undergo a radio edit for the famous catch cry "Hell Fuck Yeah". Instead of this being a major bummer, Tidswell shrugs it off with ease. "It's just for the radio release. We knew we had to do that anyway. We released a song there in 2010 called 'Muscle Junkie' and the lyrics go 'fuck you fuck you I hate your face' over and over again. We knew you couldn't just put fuck on a song on the radio over there." In other band news, Violent Soho have also completed their second vinyl pressing for Hungry Ghost, which sold out in less than 24 hours. When asked if the widespread appreciation for their third record felt overwhelming, his response is simple. "Yeah. That's the only way to describe it, for sure." THEY JUST NAILED FESTIVAL OF THE SUN The final stop for this year’s festival circuit for Violent Soho was Festival Of The Sun’s 10th anniversary in Port Macquarie. Joined by the Jezabels, Shihad, Dune Rats and Jackie Onassis for the two-day festival, the guys were, true to form, keen to see some music as well as playing it. "There's tons of good bands playing, so that will be good." There's plenty to be happy about playing at Festival Of The Sun according to Tidswell, as he explains, "It’s just in a good area, a real good spot... Good bands, good people in that area, I like it." What's next then? For the rest of the year, Tidswell will continue to enjoy his downtime of hangouts in Brissy, skating, having breakfast in the backyard at 1pm, and hanging out with his little lady. Delightful. Image credits: AP Photography, Stephen Booth.
As far as culinary memories go, for many Australians street food evokes holiday recollections of steaming pad Thai precariously balanced on a paper plate at a bustling Bangkok market, ketchup-laden three-for-$1 hot dogs in Times Square or condensed milk and peanut butter waffles relished on a hurried Hong Kong stopover. As part of Ketel One's Modern Craft Project, Brisbane-based architect, designer and social entrepreneur Helen Bird drew inspiration from the success of a recent wave of street food vendors setting up mobile shop in other highly regulated countries to inform the mobile food project she launched earlier this year, which aims to satiate a growing hunger for not only international cuisine but socially and environmentally sound practice. In a bid to bring a little bit of holiday spirit to her urban surrounds in the form of quick, cost-effective and tasty fare, Bird personally designed an artfully constructed and environmentally sustainable spin on the humble bicycle-cart to peddle around the laneways of Brisbane. Not one to be motivated by the pursuit of business success alone, Bird has harnessed the project as a literal vehicle through which to provide assistance for migrants and refugees wishing to enter the local food industry. Working with Street Food Australia (SFA), a social enterprise small business incubator established by Bird last year, participating protegees will take on the running of a bicycle-cart, while receiving the ongoing support and mentorship necessary to successfully establish a functioning business that serves food from their native culture. After raising start-up funds through the crowd sourcing website Pozible late last year, in February SFA launched their first street food vendor bike, a steamed dumpling cart, as part of a pilot designed to test the fundamentals of the project. “Growing up my father was a bank manager who would lend money to migrants to start their first businesses. These families had no money, no business plan and the difficulty of a language barrier, but somehow when Dad would take me to their houses years later, they would be living in big, fancy places, thanks in part to the opportunity he gave them'”, says Bird, reflecting on what initially propelled her to fuse an acute understanding of business principles with her expert knowledge of craftsmanship to benefit the lives of those less fortunate. To describe Bird's career path as unusual is conservative — she’s had a stint making circus equipment, spent time installing massive bamboo art sculptures in Europe and established a successful design studio, Pearler, with her "right-hand man and business partner" Billerwell Daye. Formal architecture training, a lifelong penchant for carpentry, welding, "repairing, rebuilding and picking apart everyday objects" and a commitment to doing things the long, hard way has allowed Bird to develop the formidable skillset necessary to craft the bicycle-carts used in the project, which are modeled on an economic, social, ecological and cultural sustainability quadruple bottom line. "This project draws on diverse and complex processes, collaboration, old and new skills and the understanding that craft, design and society can meld together in exciting possibility to create something that helps other to achieve their full potential," explains Bird. Much as Bird works to provide deserving migrants and refugees the kind of opportunities that hold the potential to completely re-route their futures, the Ketel One legacy, awarded to her this week, has opened up previously impossible avenues for the development and expansion of the project. Bird plans to direct the $100,000 prize money towards establishing an office and workshop away from home to draw, model and test the bicycle-carts and oversee the project, obtain core resources she currently lacks and even donate a bicycle-cart to a new vendor, dramatically reducing their start-up costs. Like a true modern craftswoman, Bird seeks to achieve big changes through small acts carried out slowly and simply. If this starts with a bite of a mini banh-mi, tequila ribs or Mexican elote bought off the back of a travelling trike, that's an initiative we don't need to be asked twice to support. The training wheels are about to come off, thanks to the Ketel One legacy.
What's better than watching a heap of top Australian talent sit around and talk about music? Watching them do all of the above while answering questions, competing for points and just generally being funny, too. That's the concept behind ABC TV show Spicks and Specks, which took a few cues from the UK's Never Mind the Buzzcocks, pit Aussie musos and comedians against each other, and has proven a hit several times over. It was a weekly favourite when it first aired between 2005–2011 — and it will be again in 2021. As fans will know, Spicks and Specks just keeps coming back; however, that has meant different things over the years. When the program was first revived back in 2014, it did so with a new host and team captains, for instance. And when it started to make a return with its original lineup of Adam Hills, Myf Warhurst and Alan Brough, it first did so via a one-off reunion special. That 2018 comeback proved more than a little popular. It became the ABC's most-watched show of that year, in fact. So, the broadcaster then decided to drop four new Spicks and Specks specials across 2019–20, which you've probably been watching your way through over thee past year. When 2021 hits, the Spicks and Specks story will take another turn by bringing back the program in its regular format — and for a full season, too. Just when it'll kick off hasn't been announced, and neither has any of the show's new guests, but you can add playing along from your couch to your plans for next year. https://twitter.com/MyfWarhurst/status/1331444351625433088 In the interim, the program will drop the last of its recent batch of specials on at 7.40pm AEST on Sunday, December 20 — focusing on all the tracks, bangers, one hit wonders and more that released between 2010–2019. Spicks and Specks will return to ABC TV at a yet-to-be-revealed 2021 date, and for a regular full season. The show's 10s Special will air on ABC TV on Sunday, December 20 at 7.40pm — and its Ausmusic Special, 90s Special and 00s Special are all currently available to stream via ABC iView.
Watching a Sir David Attenborough documentary means being left with two strong feelings: wanting to see the world exactly the way that the iconic broadcaster does, and wishing to always hear his narration as you walk across the planet. Consider the BBC Earth Experience the closest thing to making both happen. It takes footage from Attenborough's Seven Worlds, One Planet series, turns it into a 360-degree walk-through audiovisual event, and has the natural historian and living treasure echo while you wander. The BBC Earth Experience debuted in London in March 2023, which is excellent news if a UK holiday has been on your agenda. Here's a better development: this spring, it's heading Down Under. Melbourne will become only the second city in the world to host this spectacular sight, kicking off on Friday, October 27 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in what'll be an Australian-exclusive season. The experience uses cutting-edge digital-projection technology to surround attendees in visuals from the earth's seven continents, with everything from fireflies in North America to cassowary fathers and their chicks in Australia on display. In London, the attraction sprawls across more than 1600 square metres, featuring spaces dedicated to the planet seen at microscopic scale, via drone footage and on the ocean floor, too, as part of a self-guided tour that also heroes starfish, elephant seals, snub-nosed monkeys, hamsters and more. If you've already watched Seven Worlds, One Planet, you won't just be greeted by material you've already seen, but larger. The scale of the event's imagery is hefty — epic, even — but BBC Earth Experience also includes extended scenes from the show, plus bespoke narration by Attenborough. The mission is truly to make the audience feel like they've stepped right into the footage, all thanks to multi-angle screens. And, it's designed to cater to existing Seven Worlds, One Planet fans and newcomers alike. [caption id="attachment_916095" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alex Board, BBC Natural History Unit.[/caption] In Melbourne, offering up an educational experience for young patrons is also a big aim. There'll be a classroom space onsite, plus resources curated for teachers. Given how long that Attenborough has been making nature documentaries, including with the BBC Studios Natural History Unit, here's hoping that more of his work gets this kind of experience-focused treatment. Bringing Prehistoric Planet and its sequel series to life? Add that to the wish list. "Melbourne is the only city in Australia that will host the incredible BBC Earth Experience, which will attract thousands of visitors to enjoy everything on offer in our city while supporting jobs across the tourism and events sector," said Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos, announcing the event's stint Down Under. "This collaboration with Visit Victoria, BBC Studios and Moon Eye Productions will deliver a spectacular and educational experience unlike any other," added Live Nation Australia Vice President of Touring Luke Hede. "Sir David Attenborough is a global treasure, and the BBC Earth Experience marries his message about the challenges nature faces in today's world alongside the world's most incredible footage. Victorians and visitors to the state are in for a real treat." The BBC Earth Experience will open in Australia at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Wharf, Melbourne on Friday, October 27, 2023 — head to the event website for further details and tickets. BBC Earth Experience images: Philip Volkers / BBC.
Nevada's epic desert-based arts festival, Burning Man, is currently postponed due to nasty, nasty desert rain. The festival organisers, who have been keeping festivalgoers updated on Twitter, have officially shut down the main entrance after severe rain. With 70,000 'burners' expected to attend this year, holding up traffic much longer could prove a problem for the BM team. Rain continuing. Please do not come to Burning Man until you hear otherwise from official channels. — Burning Man Traffic (@bmantraffic) August 25, 2014 If you're not across it, Black Rock Desert's awaited annual festival hinges around the establishment of a temporary, trade-based community in the desert, sees the building of countless, epic art installations and outdoor live sets over the course of a week — not the ideal itinerary for bucketing rain. A long way from its humble San Francisco beginnings in 1986, founder Larry Harvey's desert bacchanal now has over 50 permanent staff, an army of volunteers and a seriously million-dollar budget, so the team won't be taking any willy nilly chances on this unexpected storm. The standing water has created a muddy mess, Bureau of Land Management dispatcher Mike Wilke told the Reno Gazette-Journal, so countless vehicles are being turned around on State Highway 447. Burning Man's tweets suggest the doors won't open until Tuesday midday at this point: BRC is closed until midday Tuesday due to rain and standing water. At the request of organizers, law enforcement is turning cars back. — Burning Man Traffic (@bmantraffic) August 25, 2014 With a fair bit of backlash this year surrounding the attendance of too many cashed-up techies (read: Sillicon valley billionaires), Burning Man punters are hoping the posers get disheartened by wet feet and Actually Camping. Via San Francisco Chronicle. Image: Reuters/Jim Urquhart.
If you're the kind of Dark Mofo attendee who slips into a different mindset the very moment that you hit Tasmania each winter, the festival has plenty on its 2023 lineup to get you into that mood and groove. It announced Florentina Holzinger's dance theatre performance A Divine Comedy back in January, and then dropped its full dark, sinister, confronting and boundary-pushing lineup in March. The arts event isn't done with boosting its program yet, however — newly adding TRANCE to its bill, and openly inviting sliding into a reverie in the process. Hailing from Berlin-based Chinese artist Tianzhuo Chen, this three-day performance isn't just something that you watch. You purchase a 'trance pass' to head along, which gives you access to the whole show across its run. Then, you can wander in and out as you like, seeing each day's 12-hour ritual — which is batched up in six two-hour chapters — in what's basically a physical theatre-meets-rave show. [caption id="attachment_897773" align="alignnone" width="1920"] TRANCE by Tianzhuo Chen | Dark Mofo 2023. Photo credit: Camille Blake. Image courtesy of the artist and Dark Mofo.[/caption] Along the way, you'll notice nods to religious iconography and pop culture alike — and Butoh choreography as well — as things get psychedelic and transcendental. You'll also spot Tinazhuo's cast of characters go all-in on testing the body's corporeal limits. (For that moseying along whenever you're keen, booking Concrete Playground Trips' Dark Mofo accommodation package might come in handy.) [caption id="attachment_897771" align="alignnone" width="1920"] COMMUNITY OF GRIEVING | Dark Mofo 2023. Image courtesy of the artist and Dark Mofo.[/caption] TRANCE isn't the only new addition to the lineup, with Community of Grieving from Zosia Hołubowska and Julia Giertz similarly freshly on the bill. The European sound artists and music activists combine music and storytelling in a piece that's a a bit of sonic meditation and an audio essay, and also features theatrical costumes. As the name makes plain, it's a mourning ritual, specifically focusing on folks lost during the pandemic and since. "The exploration of darkness is key to our identity as a festival, but at the heart of Dark Mofo is powerful ritual, collectivity and transformation," said Art Program Curator and Senior Producer Dexter Rosengrave, announcing this year's latest shows. "We're really excited by these new additions to the program because they elicit an individual response that communally exalts us all." [caption id="attachment_895366" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trentemøller | Dark Mofo 2023. Courtesy of the artist and Dark Mofo.[/caption] Run by Tasmania's Museum of Old and New Art, and taking place in Hobart between Thursday, June 8–Thursday, June 22, Dark Mofo already named Trentemøller on its program back in March; however, that gig is one of three shows that were previously sold out but have now been moved to convert venue MAC2, upping their capacity to 2500 people. Accordingly, there's now extra tickets on sale for the electronic music composer, as well as to NYX's electronic drone choir soundscape event DO.OMYOGA: Nada Sound Ceremony (where you'll get yoga mats to sit on) and also Laterne by Berlin Atonal. As for the rest of the already-unveiled bill, it includes The Blue Rose Ball, which does indeed take its cues from the one and only David Lynch; Giant Teddy, EJ Son's towering Korean pop culture-inspired teddy bear that has lasers for eyes; Max Richter's SLEEP, which returns to Australia for an eight-and-a-half-hour overnight stint; and Soda Jerk's latest film Hello Dankness. The list goes on from there, whether you're keen on live tunes, the kind of performance shows you won't see elsewhere or nude solstice swims. [caption id="attachment_897775" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NYX | Dark Mofo 2023. Photo credit: Garry Jones Photography. Image courtesy of the artist and Dark Mofo.[/caption] Dark Mofo 2023 runs from Thursday, June 8–Thursday, June 22 in Hobart, Tasmania, with tickets on sale now. Top images: TRANCE by Tianzhuo Chen | Dark Mofo 2023. Photo credit: Camille Blake. Image courtesy of the artist and Dark Mofo. // Laterne by Berlin Atonal | Dark Mofo 2023. Pictured: Lee Gamble presents Flush Real Pharynx at Laterne by Berlin Atonal 2019. Photo Credit: Dark Mofo/Rémi Chauvin, 2019. Image Courtesy Dark Mofo, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world — including our Dark Mofo tickets and accommodation package.
Don't even dream of calling Queensland Theatre's latest production inauthentic. In tackling Scenes from a Marriage, the company have jumped into bed with real-life married couple Marta Dusseldorp and Ben Winspear. You've seen the Aussie actors separately in Jack Irish, Janet King, Underbelly and The Babadook, and together in A Place to Call Home — and that's just on screen — and now you can see them on stage in an iconic dissection of domestic disharmony. The duo step into the roles of Marianne and Johan, who have two daughters, great careers and a seemingly happy life, but prove far from content after a revelation highlights the kind of problems they'd usually rather not talk about. From November 11 until December 3, just what happens next will play out at QPAC's Playhouse, as given extra energy and resonance given the relationship between the performers. The play itself is based on a 1973 Swedish television miniseries of the same name by the great Ingmar Bergman, with the filmmaker winning best foreign-language film at the Golden Globes for his efforts. Stage adaptations started following from 1981, and plenty of movies and TV shows have done the same since. Basically, if it was made in the past four decades, and features arguing spouses, then it probably took inspiration from Scenes from a Marriage.
When the end of the year hits, do you get 'Christmas is All Around', as sung by Bill Nighy, stuck in your head? Have you ever held up a piece of cardboard to tell the object of your affection that, to you, they're perfect? Does your idea of getting festive involve watching Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, Rowan Atkinson and Martin Freeman, all in the same movie? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then you clearly adore everyone's favourite Christmas-themed British rom-com, its high-profile cast and its seasonal humour. And, you've probably watched the beloved flick every December since it was first released in cinemas back in 2003. That's a perfectly acceptable routine, and one that's shared by many. But this year, you can do one better. A huge success during its past tours of the UK and Australia (to the surprise of absolutely no one), 'Love Actually' in Concert is returning to make this festive season extra merry. And, to the jolly delight of Brisbantes, to the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre at 3.30pm and 7.30pm on Saturday, December 18. Here, you'll revisit the Richard Curtis-written and -directed film you already know and treasure, step through its interweaved Yuletide stories of romance, and hear a live orchestra play the movie's soundtrack. And, yes, Christmas (and love) will be all around you. Tickets go on sale at 4pm local time on Thursday, November 11, with presales from 10am local time on Tuesday, November 9.
If you're a Brisbanite who was looking forward to the local debut of music festival Heaps Good, you won't find your dreams coming true this summer, sadly. After announcing that the event was heading to the River City and unveiling the lineup, the fest no longer mentions its Sandstone Point plans on its website, in its ticketing or via its social media. Still keen to see Foals and The Avalanches, plus Declan McKenna, SBTRKT and more, in Brissie? Secret Sounds, which is behind Heaps Good, has revealed that they'll all be playing Fortitude Music Hall in January instead as part of two big days of tunes at the Brunswick Street venue. [caption id="attachment_918623" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rashidi Noah[/caption] These just-dropped music lineups don't have a special moniker, but will see a heap of musicians take to the stage on Tuesday, January 2 and Wednesday, January 3. If you'd like to get dancing on the second day of 2024, you'll have Foals, McKenna, Griff, Sycco and Felony providing the soundtrack. Prefer to liven up the first hump day of the new year? The Avalanches, SBTRKT, Holly Humberstone, MAY-A and Logan have you covered. The big name missing from the bill from Heaps Good's lineup is Flume, who isn't part of these two new events. The Australian favourite was always only playing the fest with no sideshows — but so are Foals and The Avalanches down south. One of several Secret Sounds festivals alongside Splendour in the Grass, Falls Festival, Spilt Milk and Harvest Rock, Heaps Good debuted in January 2023 in Adelaide, with Melbourne and Brisbane then locked in for its second year. While Queensland has dropped off the list, the fest is still promoting dates in the South Australian and Victorian capitals to see out 2023 and welcome in 2024. SECRET SOUNDS JANUARY 2024 FORTITUDE MUSIC HALL LINEUPS: TUESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2024: Foals Declan McKenna Griff Sycco Felony WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2024: The Avalanches SBTRKT Holly Humberstone MAY-A Logan Secret Sounds will bring two different lineups of tunes to Fortitude Music Hall on Tuesday, January 2, 2024 and Wednesday, January 3, 2024.Pre-sale tickets are available from 9am local time on Thursday, November 23, with general sales from 9am on Friday, November 24. Head to the Secret Sounds website for further details. Top image: Grant Spanier.
When Netflix added DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story to its catalogue in 2022, complete with WandaVision, Mare of Easttown and American Horror Story actor Evan Peters playing the titular IRL murderer, it popped another true-crime effort on its ever-growing pile. Whether Zac Efron is playing Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, the sadly finished Mindhunter is tussling with real-life killers, or The Serpent, The Stranger and The Good Nurse are also dramatising reality, the streaming platform isn't short on movies and shows that bring grisly slices of history to its queue. Next up: the Menéndez brothers. When DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story proved a hit, as it was predictably going to, Netflix made the next least-surprising move it could: it renewed Monster as an anthology series. At the time, the service revealed there'd be at least two more seasons— "two more instalments that will focus on other monstrous figures who have impacted society", in fact — but exactly who would be in the spotlight wasn't announced. Now, the platform has named Lyle and Erik Menendez as Monster's next subjects, and advised that Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story will arrive in 2024. There's still a shortage of details otherwise, including exactly when next year viewers will be streaming the show and who'll be starring in it — but this too is a well-known true-crime story that's earned plenty of media attention before now. In a teaser to announce the series, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story plays the infamous 911 call featuring Lyle sobbing on the night that his parents died. For those new to the story, Lyle and his younger brother Erik were investigated, tried and convicted for the 1989 shootings of their parents José and Mary Louise 'Kitty' Menéndez, who were killed in their Beverly Hills home. Monster creator and prolific TV producer Ryan Murphy remains behind the series, adding another anthology effort to his resume after American Horror Story and American Crime Story. And whoever he gets to play the brothers, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story isn't the only new dive into their tale that's heading to Netflix. The platform also announced that it's making a documentary feature about the case as well, aided by exclusive access to Lyle and Erik. Check out the teaser announcement video for Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story below: Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story will stream via Netflix in 2024. We'll update you with an exact release date when one is announced. DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is available to stream now via Netflix. Images: Netflix.
When December 2023 hits, it will have been four decades since David Byrne walked out onto a Hollywood stage with a tape deck, pressed play and, while standing there solo, began to sing 'Psycho Killer'. It'll also be 40 years since then-future The Silence of the Lambs Oscar-winner Jonathan Demme directed cameras towards the legendary Talking Heads' frontman, recording the results for concert film Stop Making Sense. What's the best way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the event behind the greatest concert film ever made? By watching it, as A24 is here to help with. As well as releasing Close, Beau Is Afraid, You Hurt My Feelings, Past Lives, Beef and smash-hit Australian horror movie Talk to Me in 2023, the cult-favourite independent film and TV company is bringing a completely restored version of Stop Making Sense back to the big screen where it belongs. Madman is distributing the concert flick Down Under, where it'll get everyone wanting to wear big suits from Thursday, November 9. When it starts burning down select picture palaces around Australia, all 88 glorious minutes of Stop Making Sense will screen in 4K, as premiered at this year's Toronto International Film Festival — and also has a date with SXSW Sydney's Screen Festival in October. So, no it isn't the same as it ever was: Stop Making Sense is now even better. Stop Making Sense isn't just iconic for how it starts, which definitely isn't how concerts usually kick off. From there, as captured at Hollywood's Pantages Theatre in December 1983, David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz and Jerry Harrison put on one helluva show in support of their previous year's album Speaking in Tongues. Expect a lineup of hits, a playful approach, Byrne's famous oversized attire and even heftier stage presence, and the feeling that you're virtually in the room. Indeed, everything about this energetic and precisely executed documentary, which records the set from start to finish, couldn't be further from the standard concert flick. As 'Once in a Lifetime', 'Heaven', 'Burning Down the House', Life During Wartime', 'This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)', 'Genius of Love' and more get a whirl, each element of the film is that fine-tuned, and every aspect of the band's performance, too. And if it feels like Byrne was on-screen not that long ago, that's because his Spike Lee (Da 5 Bloods)-directed solo concert movie American Utopia did the rounds of Aussie cinemas back in 2020 — and proved one of that year's absolute best films. Check out the trailer for Stop Making Sense's 4K restoration below: Stop Making Sense will screen in Australian cinemas from Thursday, November 9. Images: Jordan Cronenweth, Courtesy of A24.
When Craig Wedren and Anna Waronker's 'No Return' starts playing over Yellowjackets' opening credits, it couldn't be more perfect for a variety of reasons. With its 90s-style sound, the tune fits the show's mood exactly. Its title sums up one of its biggest themes, too. And, those two words also ring true for viewers — because when you watch this immediately intriguing, excellent and addictive series, which follows the fallout from plane crash, there's no turning back to a time when you weren't obsessed with it. Hungry for more? After proving one of 2021's best new series and quickly getting picked up for a second season, Yellowjackets has locked in a return date. Bust out your best 90s-appropriate threads and start learning survival skills again, because the series will start unfurling its next batch of episodes from Friday, March 24, 2023 via Paramount+ in Australia and Neon in New Zealand. In just-as-exciting news, that season-two date was accompanied by very brief sneak that's filled with snow, the show's creepy symbol, knives and blood. It doesn't drop any narrative details or provide any glimpses at the show's stacked – and growing — cast, but it's filled with classic Yellowjackets eeriness, as a series about a New Jersey high school's girls soccer team after they crash in the forest and possibly turn to cannibalism should be. If you're new to the series, it jumps between that 90s tragedy and the survivors 25 years later. In their high-school prime, Shauna (Don't Look Up's Melanie Lynskey as an adult, and also The Kid Detective's Sophie Nélisse as a teenager), Natalie (Welcome to Chippendales' Juliette Lewis, plus The Book of Boba Fett's Sophie Thatcher) and Taissa (Billions' Tawny Cypress, and also Scream's Jasmin Savoy Brown) were key players on the titular high-achieving squad, while Misty (Wednesday's Christina Ricci, as well as Shameless' Samantha Hanratty) was the squad's frequently bullied student manager. Then, en route to a big match in Seattle on a private plane in 1996, they entered Lost territory. That accident saw everyone who walked away from the accident stranded in the wilderness — and those who then made it through that ordeal stuck out there for 19 months, living their worst Alive-meets-Lord of the Flies lives. Season two will pick up after plenty of chaos in both timeframes, and with new faces among the cast. Introducing more of the team in their adult guise is very much on the agenda, including Simone Kessell (Muru) playing the older Lottie and Lauren Ambrose (Servant) as the older Van. In their younger years, both characters are played by Australian actors, with Courtney Eaton (Mad Max: Fury Road) as Lottie and and Liv Hewson (Santa Clarita Diet) as Van. Also joining the show: Elijah Wood, who is no stranger to leafy surroundings thanks to his time in the Lord of the Rings franchise. He'll play Walter, a citizen detective who is set to challenge Misty — the adult version, presumably. Check out Yellowjackets' first teaser for season two below: Season two of Yellowjackets will start streaming from Friday, March 24, 2023 via Paramount+ in Australia and Neon in New Zealand. Read our review of season one.
Cooking is an act of precision. It's also one of feeling. On the movie that nabbed him the Best Director award at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, Trần Anh Hùng (Éternité, Norwegian Wood) helms with the same care, spirit and emotion that his characters display in the kitchen. The Taste of Things' audience has a front-row seat to both, as this 1885-set French picture begins with dishes upon dishes being whipped up and the feature's gaze, via cinematographer Jonathan Ricquebourg (Final Cut), lenses their creation intimately and sumptuously. The film's extraordinary opening 30 minutes-plus, as the camera is trained on the stove and counter with slight detours around the room to collect or wash ingredients, is meticulously crafted and at the same time instinctual. Think: the sensations of observing the finest of fine-dining chefs and being a child watching your grandmother make culinary magic, as nearly every kid has, all rolled into one appetising introductory sequence. In the home of gourmand Dodin Bouffant (Benoît Magimel, The King of Algiers), and in its heart, his personal chef Eugénie (Juliette Binoche, The New Look) is so skilled and fastidious that she'd do small-screen hit The Bear proud; she's clearly a conjurer of the culinary arts, too. Hùng and Ricquebourg — the latter a well-deserving Lumiere Award-winner for his efforts here — are methodical with the choreography of setting the scene, while equally deeply immersed in the flow of the kitchen's tasks. As soundtracked by chirping birds, if this was The Taste of Things for 135 minutes and not just half an hour-ish, it'd remain a mesmerising movie. (A word of warning: eat before viewing, lest hunger pangs not just simmer but boil over.) Adapting 1924 novel The Passionate Epicure: La Vie et la Passion de Dodin-Bouffant, Gourmet by epicure Marcel Rouff as he scripts and directs, Hùng does more than fashion among the most-handsomely staged and shot imagery of a meal coming to life, but his approach to this entrée establishes the flavour. For its main course, still never roaming far from the most-important room in the house, The Taste of Things sinks its teeth into a relationship that is first laid bare as the film warms up. Anyone who has ever been employed in a kitchen, or caught a movie or series — fiction and documentary alike — set within one, knows that there's no hiding anything in this always-on-the-go space. How people interact and react can't be seasoned over, either, amid the pots, pans, trays, whisks and spatulas. Accordingly, it's plain to see from the get-go that Dodin and Eugénie are as connected to each other as they are to food, even if Hùng doesn't layer in much in the way of backstory. As well as working together for 20 years, they're occasional lovers, and they'd be married if Dodin had his wish; that they're not isn't due to his lack of asking. Featuring a seafood vol-au-vent, poached chicken, crayfish, a rack of veal, braised lettuce and more — and also a baked alaska that looks as divine as desserts get — that initial meal is a feast for Dodin and his friends at his rural estate. As it is served course by course, praise is showered Eugénie's way, as are pleas for her to join them at the table. She'd rather be behind the scenes; for her, the glory of creation, toiling at something that you're passionate about and dedicating your time to the only work you've ever wanted to do trumps everything. As Eugénie does, much of The Taste of Things shows rather than utters, commencing with the scant amount of dialogue said as lunch is being prepared with assistance from kitchenhand Violette (Galatéa Bellugi, Junkyard Dog), plus Violette's visiting niece Pauline (debutant Bonnie Chagneau-Ravoire), who shows a flair for cooking beyond her years. That The Taste of Things is a sensual picture is evident from its debut bite. That it is patient — slow-burning in fact — is just as apparent. Its guiding force has form in 1993's The Scent of Green Papaya, the Vietnamese French director's Oscar-nominated debut; however, when you're making a movie about savouring what's truly valuable in life, from food and fervour to the pleasure of the person that you love's company, matching that notion is essential. Nothing about The Taste of Things is in a rush, or afraid to revel and linger. Drama is sprinkled through the storyline, as is grief, but the pacing and mood is contemplative to the point of being almost meditative. And that air of appreciation, of luxuriating, of enjoying exactly what's in the title when you can, is the vibe and ethos of its central couple. Irrespective of the turned-down proposals, Dodin and Eugénie have made relishing their shared affair with cuisine and their years side by side the core of their romance. Binoche and Magimel, both luminous beneath painterly lighting whether they're standing over a chopping board, in the bedroom —including after an attention-grabbing cut from a pear to the naked form — or strolling through the sunny garden, aren't strangers in either a professional or personal capacity. In 1999, they co-starred as lovers in The Children of the Century. That same year, their daughter was born. Their off-screen relationship ended in 2003, but there's a comfort in their parts as Dodin and Eugénie that feels both raw and rich, not to mention rare. Watching characters who are allowed to delight in each other with decades of respect and affection behind them is indeed infrequent on-screen, and helps make The Taste of Things play like a delicacy. This gorgeously filmed, performed and penned picture has become famous for something other than its contents, though: it's one of the reasons that Anatomy of a Fall doesn't have 2024's Best International Feature Oscar to its name. Each nation can only put one title forward each year, with France's submission committee opting for Hùng's film over Justine Triet's Palme d'Or-winner (at the same Cannes where Hùng took home the Best Director accolade). The choice didn't escape notice, even if it'll never now be known if Anatomy of a Fall would've pipped The Zone of Interest for the Academy's global cinema prize to add to its win for Best Original Screenplay, and also scoring four other nominations. The scrutiny over the pick, especially after The Taste of Things was shortlisted but not nominated — for anything — does this nourishing treat an injustice. As remains true in the culinary and cinematic spheres alike, a sublime meal is a sublime meal regardless of other exquisite dishes existing.
Second to being one of our finest local talents, I Heart Hiroshima have for years been the face of Brisbane's ever-growing underground music scene. Unbeknown to some, the mid-2000s in Brisbane saw a Footloose-like crackdown on the enforcement of noise restrictions at festivals and gigs. Venues were forced to close their doors and the Brisbane music scene readapted to one fuelled on house party gigs, underground events and musical innovation. While a designated entrainment precinct for performance was set aside, the underground music culture quickly flourished producing some of that decade's most praised bands. Three-piece indie rock band I Heart Hiroshima is noted as one band that personified this scene. Having formed at a house party in 2005, members Susie Patten, Matthew Somers and Cameron Hawes quickly produced a stand out, punk infused force and have performed at many festivals since. After years of pursuing their individual musical endeavours following their 2011 tour, I Heart Hiroshima are reforming to play at the Gold Coast Big Day Out, then for an extra treat at Alhambra Lounge this Tuesday. Catch these revolutionary rockers while they're still in town. https://youtube.com/watch?v=5QIJbUhABT4
Lime Cordiale are showing some love to some of Australia's biggest regional hubs on a new tour that will see them performing in RSL clubs and intimate venues along the east coast. Spanning eight shows stretching between the Sunshine Coast and Frankston, the Fantastical Country Club Experience will deliver the band's catalogue of beloved hits, plus tracks from their upcoming third studio album, to cities and towns that are often missed on major national tours. The tour will kick off just north of Sydney with a pair of shows at the Dee Why RSL on Friday, March 17 and Sunday, March 19. From there, Lime Cordiale will head to Wollongong's Waves, Beer Deluxe in Albury, The Pier in Frankston, Venue 114 on the Sunshine Coast, Panthers Port Macquarie and, finally, The Coliseum in Rooty Hill on Sunday, April 15. Two of the stops — Dee Why RSL on March 19 and Venue 114 on Saturday, April 8 — are all-ages affairs, meaning Lime Cordiale fans young and old on the Central Coast and the Sunshine Coast can head along. The infectious five-piece will be joined by upcoming singer-songwriter Aleksiah on all eight dates, as well as Gold Coast musician Bella Amor in Dee Why, Wollongong and Albury, and sunny four-piece Coterie across the final four shows of the tour. Lime Cordiale recently landed four songs in Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2022 including 'Holy Moley', their latest in a series of collaborations with the multi-talented British actor, DJ and musician Idris Elba. Their upcoming album hasn't been given a name or release date yet, but it's set to feature recent singles 'Colin', 'Country Club' and 'Facts of Life'. LIME CORDIALE'S FANTASTICAL COUNTRY CLUB TOUR 2023: Friday, March 17 and Sunday, March 19 — Dee Why RSL Friday, March 24 — Waves, Wollongong Friday, March 31 — Beer Deluxe, Albury Sunday, April 2 — The Pier, Frankston Saturday, April 8 — Venue 114, Sunshine Coast Sunday, April 9 — Panthers, Port Macquarie Saturday, April 15 — The Coliseum, Rooty Hill Lime Cordiale will tour the east coast of Australia in March and April. Tickets to the 'Fantastical Country Club Tour' are on sale now.
Residents of Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, if you were looking forward to watching a Channing Tatum-starring movie about male strippers jump into real life right in front of your eyes, we have bad news. After the pandemic delayed Magic Mike Live's Sydney season, then interrupted its Melbourne run, the stage show has completely scrapped the rest of its Australian tour — so, if you haven't already, you won't be seeing it IRL anytime soon. In 2012, when the world discovered all things Magic Mike — and that it was based on Tatum's own experiences working in the field — everyone was a little sceptical. But the film boasts a great director in Steven Soderbergh, and a cast that also includes Matthew Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Olivia Munn, Riley Keough and peak McConnaissance-era Matthew McConaughey. Also, it's great. Alongside 2015 sequel Magic Mike XXL, the franchise takes a smart and sensitive look at men chasing the American Dream by taking off their clothes, with Tatum successfully turning what could've been a forgettable chapter of his pre-fame life into a hit big-screen series, and — unsurprisingly — then bringing it back to the stage. Yes, Magic Mike was always going to return to where it all began. As seen in Las Vegas, London and Berlin, Magic Mike Live sees real-life male dancers strip up a storm for eager audiences. And, in Australia, it has been doing so in a 600-seat spiegeltent called The Arcadia — but the struggles of dealing with the pandemic has seen the show's organisers call it quits on the Aussie tour. "Everyone at Magic Mike Live is heartbroken to have to make this decision but we have been left with no choice," said Executive Producer Vincent Marini in a statement. "After enduring four lockdowns and millions of dollars in refunds and cancellations, we simply can't sustain a tour that has no opportunity to perform. Our performers, crew, management team and local industry partners in Australia have constantly amazed us with their talent, dedication, and resiliency. Their hard work combined with the truly heart-warming reception we received from audiences in Sydney and Melbourne, make us hopeful that we can someday return to Australia and finish what we started." Accordingly, the remainder of the show's Melbourne season will no longer go ahead when the city gets out of its sixth lockdown — and stints in Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide have been totally scrapped. Magic Mike Live was due to head to Brisbane in November, then move on to Perth and Adelaide throughout 2022. Fingers crossed that the show will eventually plan another Aussie run, with the cancellation seeing it join a lengthy list of live productions affected by the pandemic so far. Hamilton's long-awaited Australian premiere season is currently on hiatus in Sydney due to the NSW capital's ongoing lockdown, and Jagged Little Pill the Musical has postponed its planned 2021 Australian debut until yet-to-be-announced new dates, for instance. Also, Tony-winning musical The Phantom of the Opera has pushed back its Aussie seasons until 2022 and Moulin Rouge! The Musical didn't make its local bow in mid-August as slated — although the latter will hopefully hit the stage in Melbourne after lockdown lifts. Magic Mike Live will no longer be resuming its Melbourne season, or heading to Brisbane, Perth or Adelaide. For more information, visit the show's website. Images: Peter Brew-Bevan.
Getting Nigella Lawson's tick of approval is no small deal. For Sushi Room, that dream came true earlier in 2024 when the British celebrity chef brought her latest live speaking tour to Brisbane. No one needed that endorsement to know that the James Street spot is one of the River City's best restaurants — Japanese or otherwise — however. In fact, patrons have been showing the fine-diner inside The Calile Hotel so much love in the two years since it opened that the eatery is now expanding. One of STK Group's four restaurants on James Street — Hellenika, SK Steak & Oyster and Sunshine are the others — Sushi Room launched in June 2022 with a levelled-up sushi experience, befitting its location inside one of Brisbane's (and Australia's) most-acclaimed hotels. The focus: simple ingredients, sophisticated dishes and traditional preparation, all while turning the act of making its meals into an experience. Another aim: immersing diners in a luxe vibe complete with retro-inspired decor and theatrical presentation around its central 9.3-metre solid Japanese hinoki timber counter. With its atmosphere and look, it wasn't hard to predict that Sushi Room would be a hit even before tasting anything from Head Chef Shimpei Raikuni's menu. Now, due to that unsurprising demand, it's taking over the neighbouring tenancy, with the extension works starting back in June 2024 for a planned completion by this spring. Patrons can still enjoy a meal at the restaurant in the interim, as Sushi Room is remaining open. Soon, however, more folks will be able to soak in the top-notch Japanese experience. "This expansion will create a much more desirable space and entry. It is the perfect time for us to expand and is how I imagined Sushi Room to be from the outset — however, we had to wait for the space to became available," said restaurateur and owner Simon Gloftis. "The expansion will also allow for a wider variety of dining options. Once open, our full menu will now be available at the bar, allowing more flexibility for our guests and choice as to where they prefer to sit." It'll only be in the final weeks of construction that you might notice the renovations under way, as that's when internal walls will be removed to join Sushi Room's current digs with its expanded site. When the extension is complete, you'll be able to head inside via the new formal entrance on Doggett Street, which is where the new bar will sit. In the existing space, the old bar will be converted into more dining. Yes, there'll be more booths: two of them. Original architects Richards and Spence are again leading the charge, continuing the restaurant's nods to mid-century Japanese pop culture and 60s neo-futurism, with natural stone, timber and paper featuring heavily. Sushi Room's inviting aesthetics and mood have always been matched by the real star: the menu. Go a la carte and you have oysters with ponzu, caviar toro toro, wagyu skewers, and a range of sushi rolls, sashimi and nigiri to choose from — as well as grilled duck and toothfish among the yakimono dishes, plus lobster tempura and other battered bites. Alongside four different sets, omakase and enkai options are on offer if you'd prefer the chef to choose, with an omakase experience getting you dining at the counter across two hours. Drinks-wise, sake pairings span from light to rich flavours, the international wine list is hefty — as is the range of spirits — and choosing a cocktail means selecting from tipples made with caviar, miso, yuzu, sencha and wasabi. [caption id="attachment_877412" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joshua Maguire[/caption] Find Sushi Room inside The Calile Hotel, 48 James Street, Fortitude Valley — open from 5.30pm Tuesday–Thursday for dinner, and from 12pm Friday–Saturday for lunch and dinner. Head to the restaurant's website for bookings and further details.
When The Social Network arrived in cinemas in 2010 with its can't-look-away performance from Jesse Eisenberg (A Real Pain) as Mark Zuckerberg, David Fincher's (The Killer) steely direction and Aaron Sorkin's (Being the Ricardos) incisive script, it was firmly an origin story. As the world knew even then just six years after Facebook's founding, however, the platform was only just getting started. As a result, a sequel to the three-time Oscar-winning movie — including for Sorkin's screenplay — has always felt like a matter of when not if. Cue The Social Network Part II, which is now reportedly in the works. Deadline has revealed that the follow-up looks set to move forward, with Sorkin back to lead the charge. This time, he's not just writing but also directing. While Fincher is also in sequel mode at the moment, he's stepping into Once Upon a Time in Hollywood's realm, helming the Brad Pitt (F1)-starring follow-up to Quentin Tarantino's also Oscar-winning picture. It's expected that The Social Network Part II will use the Wall Street Journal's 'The Facebook Files' article series from October 2021 as its basis — which means that the platform's impacts, and those of fellow Meta-owned social-media service Instagram, could be in the spotlight. There's no word yet on a release date, so when you'll be seeing the film on the big screen is yet to be revealed. In the same category: The Social Network Part II's cast. Whether Eisenberg will step back into Zuckerberg's shoes — and into a role that's among the most pivotal in the early days of his career, as also proved true for co-star Andrew Garfield (We Live in Time) — is not yet known, then. Alongside creating the small screen's Sports Night, The West Wing, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and The Newsroom, Sorkin has directed three films so far: Molly's Game, The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Being the Ricardos. The first two on that list also saw him nominated for screenwriting Oscars. Among the initial The Social Network's accolades: the Oscar for Best Original Score for Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. There's no word yet whether The Social Network Part II will boast their efforts again to help cement an unsettling tone. There's obviously no trailer so far for the The Social Network Part II — but check out the trailers to The Social Network above, plus its first ten minutes below: The Social Network Part II doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you with more details when they're announced. Via Variety/Deadline.
Change is coming to Brisbane's inner east, including a big demolition, temporarily relocated sports teams and a brand-new stadium at the end of it. When the the Brisbane Cricket Ground is torn down and rebuilt for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, it'll also become part of a new Woolloongabba precinct that the Queensland Government hopes that folks will enjoy regardless of whether there's a game on. Brisbane Lions fans, 2020 AFL grand final attendees, cricket aficionados, anyone who has ever seen a gig at the the Gabba: the spot that you know and love is being flattened, with a new venue taking its place. Brisbanites in general, this part of town will also look a whole lot different. There'll be more dining and retail options, plus open spaces to hang out in. And, the name East Bank has been floated. Knocking down the Gabba was first floated back in 2021, but with a huge caveat given that it was contingent upon the River City scoring the Olympic Games hosting gig. That was locked in that same year, and then earlier in 2023 Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the Gabba plans would go ahead. Now, today, Friday, November 24, Deputy Premier Steven Miles has unveiled more details — including what'll be in the stadium, and what the urban renewal project around it will comprise. The venue will become the main stadium for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2032, and will be rebuilt with that in mind. But it's obviously also a year-round site for other sports events — Aussie rules and cricket use it for an average of 40 weeks a year — so supporting the stadium's long-term professional sports requirements remains a priority. The rebuild will also ensure it still functions as a top-notch entertainment venue, too. Gabba attendees can look forward to better viewing angles, bigger entries to get in, larger concourses as well, and three new pedestrian bridges outside — two across Main Street, avoiding the traffic lights and linking to the Cross River Rail station, and one over Stanley Street. Capacity will be increased from the current 42,000 to 50,000 seated and over 70,000 for concerts, while the internal merchandise stores will get a boost, as will dining venues, casual food and beverage outlets, and spaces for members. And, if you've ever tried to find the lifts in the stadium rather than take the stairs, they'll be installed with accessibility in mind. Escalators will also feature. For athletes and teams, all of the facilities will obviously be shiny and new, including for administration, operations and event-day functions. The Gabba 2.0 will also boast "cutting-edge technology and lighting", the government has announced, so ideally there'll be no more blackouts that disrupt games. Aiming for a six-star green-star rating is another key focus, including via connecting to the broader precinct and its green space. Surrounding the stadium, Woolloongabba will gain more shops on the streets around the Gabba, plus more places to eat and hang out. With the Gabba as its anchor, the existing Woolloongabba Priority Development Area now spans 106 hectares of the inner-city suburb — and, as it is revamped, the development will also provide more social and affordable housing. Building a new Gabba was chosen after assessing four options, including a refurbishment of the existing stadium, plus just tearing down and rebuilding part of the Gabba. To make space for the larger stadium, East Brisbane State School next door will be relocated within two kilometres from December 2025. That said, the heritage buildings within the school won't be torn down — rather, they'll be refurbished and repurposed into the new Gabba. "The Gabba's 128-year history makes it iconic for Queensland, this redevelopment will ensure a lasting legacy to be enjoyed for another 128 years and beyond. This isn't just about a stadium upgrade. This is about anchoring an urban renewal project that will see Woolloongabba transformed like South Bank was transformed for Expo 88," said the Deputy Premier. "The Woolloongabba redevelopment, along with Cross River Rail and the Brisbane Metro, will anchor a major redevelopment of Woolloongabba to maximise the benefit of public investment, and deliver more housing including social and affordable housing, more jobs, and better connectivity." "We could see another 880 or more apartments delivered in the precinct alone, as well as retail and dining. Plus, with at least 50 percent of the precinct set to be open space and a walkable spine from the Gabba to Roma Street via South Bank, there will be more for locals and visitors to enjoy." If you're an AFL or cricket fiend wondering how long it'll take, the whole Gabba revamp is expected to run over four years, starting in 2026 and welcoming in sports fans again in 2030. Brisbane Lions games and cricket matches will need to move elsewhere, obviously, while the site is out of action. No announcements have been made yet about the other grounds that two sports will use during that time. The Gabba has been a permanent cricket ground since 1895, and has undergone several revamps over its lifespan to-date, including the refurbishment of its entrances and amenities in 2020. For more information about the plans for the Gabba, head to the Queensland Government website.
