It seems as though it were just yesterday that Lambda first debuted as a fresh, exciting weekly addition to enliven our Thursday nights. It wasn’t just yesterday, though - a year has passed since that very first frat party. That’s right, this coming Thursday Lambda is celebrating a year of booze in red Etch-a-Sketch cups as it turns the big One. Lambda’s not going to let you down. To supersede the usual excellent, festive carousing they have fashioned an incredible line-up for the night; Bragging Party have bragging rights to the headline spot. After releasing their Those Girls EP last month, local foursome Millions are also taking to the stage. Gold Coast’s Oceanics round off the live line-up, with Hungry Kids of Hungary and Wolfgang DJs playing guest DJ for the rest of the night. I can say one thing about Lambda: they know how to throw a good party week in, week out. Just imagine what it’s going to be like when their weekly frat party debauchery is fuelled further by the additional element of it being their birthday! The party plans were taken one step further and they even sent Bill Murray an invite. I know where I’ll be Thursday night; maybe I’ll even get to throw back a jagerbomb with Steve Zissou! Image credit: Bear + Mouse
It’s the age-old story—twenty-something university student questioning the direction and meaning of life, wondering how he will survive in the real world while trying to stay afloat in a system that will supposedly prepare him for it. In Brisbane (A Doing Word), Matt is your typical school-leaver, millennium-dweller and wonderer. He is trying to make sense of the world around him, investigating ways to express himself in a cynical world, faith in a life of the non-believers. He seeks guidance in those around him; his engineer roommate says he should stick with his studies, better himself and join the forces of the working man to pay for his independence. His religous-and-fabulous bestie says Jesus will guide his way. However, his boyfriend, a soon-to-be psychologist, thinks he just needs help. This is a story close to everyone’s heart. He is the insecurities, the questions and concerns, the failures and missteps in all of us. Brisbane (a doing word), presented by Vena Cava Productions, showing for a limited time only.
If you've ever coveted a fashion brand's whole aesthetic and wished you could step inside its ads, New Zealand clothing label Rodd & Gunn comes bearing good news: thanks to its chain of bars and restaurants, called The Lodge Bar & Dining, you can now do just that. Originally opening in Queenstown in 2016, then expanding to Auckland in 2020, and also making the leap to Melbourne in 2021, The Lodge turns Rodd & Gunn's rustic-meets-sophisticated vibe into a venue — and comes highly recommended from NZ. Its next stop: Brisbane, thanks to a new site on James Street that'll open in mid-May. In its homeland, The Lodge goes for a big alpine mood, naturally; however, don't just assume that it's skewing tropical in Brissie. Here, the new 150-seater eatery will feature wood flooring, wool rugs, and plenty of leather and brass decor. There will also be a wraparound balcony that lets patrons peer out over Fortitude Valley and New Farm, though, so it will be leaning into its Queensland location in at least one way. While an exact launch date hasn't been revealed, Brisbanites can look forward to roving around a 749-square-metre space in a heritage Queenslander, which has been revamped to play up the local design and also nod to NZ. Downstairs, you'll find a retail space for shopping, a dining room, plus a corner bar with banquette seating. Then, upstairs there'll be another bar, a private dining area and that aforementioned balcony. Also set to be part of The Lodge: a chilled wine wall, a bespoke bar made out of stone and a feature flagstone wall. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Lodge Bar (@thelodgebaranz) Menu-wise, the food will focus on Australian produce, while the wine list will go heavy on multi-award-winning NZ tipples. The Lodge Bar Group's chef Matt Lambert is responsible for the culinary lineup, with The Lodge Brisbane's Head Chef James Evangelinos putting it on plates — and master sommelier and The Lodge Bar's Head of Beverages Cameron Douglas doing the honours with the drinks selection. New Zealand has just reopened to Australian tourists effective Tuesday, April 12, so trips over the ditch are back on the agenda, of course. But consider The Lodge the slice of NZ you can eat, drink, hang out in and shop your way through without hopping on a plane — all on James Street. Find Rodd & Gunn x The Lodge Bar & Dining at 49 James Street, Fortitude Valley, from mid-May — we'll update you with an exact opening date when it is announced.
As anyone who's seen the doco Amy knows, during Amy Winehouse's troubled final years, the media was excruciatingly obsessed with her drug and alcohol issues. But, a new exhibition, arriving in Melbourne later this year, is bringing us another perspective. Titled Amy Winehouse: A Family Portrait, the show covers four concepts: faith, fashion, music and London life. Expect to see loads of never-before-seen-in-public objects, such as family photos, dresses (including the dazzling Luella Bartley number that Winehouse wore at Glastonbury 2008), cookbooks, stories, records and musical instruments. Acting as soundtrack will be a mixtape Winehouse put together at the age of 13. The exhibition was conceived and curated by Amy's brother, Alex, and sister-in-law, Riva, in collaboration with the Jewish Museum of London. Since premiering in London in 2013, it's travelled to San Francisco, Vienna, Tel Aviv and Amsterdam, and, right now, it's at the London museum, Camden. Amy Winehouse: A Family Portrait arrives at the Jewish Museum of Australia, St Kilda, on October 22 and will show until March 22, 2018. Via The Age. Image: Amy.
Any plans for food-filled Japanese getaways have been put on ice for 2020, but that doesn't mean you can't indulge in a bit of escapism. And, no, we're not just talking about daydreaming and spending hours scrolling through Pinterest. Australian Venue Co is helping to ease the wanderlust a touch by transforming more than 20 of its pubs and restaurants across the country into some of the world's most popular holiday destinations for summer. At Friday's, that means eating dumplings under cherry blossom trees in its courtyard. Also on the menu: sitting beneath pink and red-hued lanterns, drinking matcha sours and whiskey highballs, and tucking into plenty of gyoza. The riverside spot has been turned into a cherry blossom garden until the end of summer — so, until the end of February — and it's pairing its love of all things Japanese with its usual watery views. Head by on Wednesdays for bottomless karaage chicken for $30 (with bottomless beer and wine for an extra $25). Or, opt for a cherry blossom sunset session from 4–7pm Tuesday–Thursday — which'll cost you $49 and includes 90 minutes of unlimited cherry blossom slushies, house wine and selct tap beers, plus bites from the Japanese-inspired food menu.
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.
When Lunar New Year rolls around, there's one obvious place to go in Brisbane: the Chinatown Mall. Lion and dragon dances will saunter through the Fortitude Valley spot, fire shows will light up the night and traditional music will provide the soundtrack — as will an array of cultural performances and street performers. Beneath plenty of lanterns, these Year of the Rat celebrations will also include workshops — so learn a new skill while you're commemorating the occasion. It all happens from 4–9pm on Saturday, February 1 and 12–5pm on Sunday, February 2, and entry won't cost you a thing. [caption id="attachment_758021" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Tanya Dedyukhina via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] And if you're wondering about the tastiest part of Lunar New Year celebrations — the food, obviously — you'll be in the absolute best place thanks to Chinatown's many eateries. We recommend booking in advance, though, as you won't be the only one with that idea. Top image: J Low via Flickr.
One of the oldest, and most intricate questions man has ever posed to his peers is if Frankenstein, Dracula, and King-Kong worked together, could they save Tokyo from Godzilla? The Gallery of Modern Art's latest exhibit, Monsters, probably won’t touch on this topic, but will definitely be providing a rare insight into these legendary cinematic creatures. Monsters, is an exploration of monsters in cinema, covering all six groups of these much feared villains - bloodthirsty fiends; zombies, mutants and shapeshifters; misunderstood monsters; mad doctors; foreign entities; and monstrous absurdities. This unique exhibit offers an opportunity to rediscover some of the most popular films featuring these creatures on the big screen, including recent digital restorations and archival film prints from around the world. Monsters is your chance to not just see vampires, zombies, and mutants, but to ask why vampires? Why zombies? Why mutants? Titles like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and Dracula are considered the a part of the stable diet of nearly all cinema goers and this GOMA exhibit is a chance to indulge in these great meals gluttonously, but also introspectively.
From hotels t0 karaoke bars to surfing carnivals, Australia's dogs can spend their time at a considerable array of welcoming places. And, they can head to their own bakeries and food trucks, eat their own gelato and don their own raincoats, too. Add concerts to the list — and while dog-friendly music festivals are hardly unique, Concert for Dogs doesn't just let humans bring their four-legged friends along. Rather, the show's melodies, frequencies and riffs have been composed specifically for pooches. Eight years after premiering her Music for Dogs piece at the Sydney Opera House, artist and musician Laurie Anderson is heading back to Australia to stage another Concert for Dogs. Taking place on Sunday, June 24 at the Gold Coast's Home of the Arts, the 20-minute show combines low-decibel violin, vocals, keyboards and electronic sounds into a symphony certain to get puppers' tails wagging. Only held a handful of times before — including in Sydney, in New York's Times Square and in Brighton, England — the free event is open to all doggos, although they must play nicely with others and be kept on a leash. For both hounds and humans alike, the concert will be followed by Anderson's Heart of a Dog, her astonishing documentary tribute to her own furry BFF — and to all of dog kind. Anderson is in the country for a number of shows, including a virtual reality experience and a sonic installation at Dark Mofo. On the Gold Coast, she'll become HOTA's artist-in-residence from June 20–24, premiering new music pieces (including Songs from the Bardo, which uses texts from the Tibetan Book of the Dead), presenting multimedia work The Language of the Future, and chatting about stories and language in All the Things I Lost in the Flood. Concert for Dogs takes place at 9am on Sunday, June 24 at the Home of the Arts, 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise, while Laurie Anderson's week-long residency spans June 20–24. For more information, visit the Home of the Arts website.
Attend classes, join in storytelling events and get the low-down from some of the best writers around, all without leaving the comfort of your couch. Streaming live from February 11, this year’s Digital Writers' Festival will feature more than 30 online events hosted by a bevy of talented writers from all across Australia and the world. Now in its second year, the 2015 festival will cover a huge array of topics, from coding to video game writing and data journalism to freedom of speech and good sex writing. The Twenty Minute Cities program will let you interact with emerging writers from places like Dublin, Iowa City and Reykjavik, while a special event on White Night will see a group of desperate publishers scrambling to complete a magazine before dawn. Speakers include Lisa Dempster (Melbourne Writers’ Festival), Adam Brereton (Guardian Australia), Paul Verhoeven (ABC3’s Steam Punks) and Michelle Law (Shit Asian Mothers Say). So, whether you’re an aspiring journo, a wannabe novelist or just looking for tips on how to spice up your erotic fan-fiction, visit the DWF website and check out what’s on offer. We Twitter-interviewed festival director Connor Tomas O'Brien about the first DWF in 2014. Read it here.
Next time you do something physical and monotonous, think of Doyoung Lee. For him, repetitive actions such as baking, polishing, cutting, drilling and knitting — and knotting, layering, sanding, grinding, scraping, tightening and scoring — are all art. Indeed, they've inspired his current exhibition, which turns the above antics into abstract pieces that ponder the concept of making something. In Six Monochromes, Lee doesn't just contemplate, however. He uses the kind of materials you wouldn't usually expect, as a way of re-enacting the processes that have influenced his work. Accordingly, magazine pages, wooden benchtops and an oil-based putty combine with rice and hair — from the artist's spouse and children. Displaying at Webb Gallery at the Queensland College of Art at South Bank, the exhibition runs from January 9 to 20, with opening night festivities taking place from 6pm on January 12.
Take your date for a nice beverage, or opt for something a little bit different? It's an age-old problem, and one hardly helped by the fact that one's a classic for a reason, and the other can lead to all kinds of great surprises. Doing one and then the other is certainly a solution — but doing both at the same time is better. Behold: beer yoga, the Valentine's Day edition. Yes, The Flying Cock isn't just getting in on the blissful boozing trend once again (or, finding a way to make drinking even more delightful, you could argue), but turning it into a romantic activity. Whether you're a pair of yoga fanatics who also like a tipple or you just don't want to sit around for another dinner in another restaurant like everyone else, it's an ace way to mark the occasion, and something you probably hadn't been considering. Tickets cost $60 per couple — and yes, that includes a brew for you both, of course, as well as a mat if you need one. It also covers the class, obviously, plus two dinners afterwards. Booking ahead is recommended, because it's bound to be popular. Image: The Flying Cock.
Sydney yacht rock dudes The Holidays have announced a string of huge shows around Australia, following on from their wildly successful album release tour in March. Filling out venues from Sydney's Metro Theatre, Melbourne's Hi-Fi to Brisbane's Alhambra Lounge with hyped up Sydney electronic producer Thief, the threesome will also stop by Newcastle's Bar on the Hill on campus with indie pop maestro Pluto Jonze, Wollongong's Uni Bar with Sydney garage ratbags Step-Panther. The new Groupie Magazine-presented dates coincide with the release of third single 'Tongue Talk', taken from the outfit's super pop-fuelled second album Real Feel. Tickets go on sale this Wednesday 14 May, with more details on The Holidays' Facebook page. THE HOLIDAYS 'TONGUE TALK' TOUR DATES Wed 28 May — Bar on the Hill, Newcastle (with Pluto Jonze). Tickets available from Big Apachee and campus outlets. Thur 5 June — Uni Bar, Wollongong (with Step-Panther). Tickets available from Big Apachee and campus outlets. Fri 13 June — Metro Theatre, Sydney ALL AGES (with Thief). Tickets available from Metro Theatre and Ticketek. Fri 20 June — Alhambra Lounge, Brisbane (with Thief). Tickets available from Alhambra Lounge and Moshtix. Fri 4 July — The Hi-Fi, Melbourne (with Thief). Tickets available from The Hi-Fi and Oztix. https://youtube.com/watch?v=aiHQLvAu2lg
They've changed the home entertainment landscape and monopolise our couch time, but streaming platforms still like to keep everyone guessing. Surprise drops have become the latest trend, especially when it comes to blending movies and music — such as Beyonce's Homecoming documentary and The Lonely Island's Unauthorised Bash Brothers Experience on Netflix, and Donald Glover's Guava Island on Amazon Prime. And that's just this year. Announced this week and hitting your queue in mere days — on Thursday, June 27 — add Anima to the list. It too has a significant pedigree. Sharing the same name as Thom Yorke's third solo album, which'll drop on the same day, it's scored by the Radiohead frontman and directed by Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood and Phantom Thread filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson. Netflix is calling Anima "a short musical film" and a "mind-bending visual piece" which is "best played loud" — and considering it also stars Yorke, it's safe to consider it a 12-minute music video. In the just-released teaser, the film is dubbed a "one-reeler", which the clip then goes on to define as "a motion picture, especially a cartoon or comedy, of 10–12 minutes duration and contained on one reel of film; popular especially in the era of silent film". Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNYJ_BJJbzI This isn't Anderson's first Radiohead-linked collaboration, with his films There Will Be Blood, The Master, Inherent Vice and Phantom Thread all featuring scores composed by the band's lead guitarist Jonny Greenwood. He also helmed 2015 documentary Junjun, about the making of Greenwood's album of the same name, and directed Radiohead's 'Daydreaming', 'Present Tense' and 'The Numbers' videos. Yorke has also been working in film lately — on the score for last year's Luca Guadagnino's 2018 remake of Suspiria. Anima drops on Netflix on Thursday, June 27. Images: Netflix / Darius Khondji.
There's no one quite like Frank, the person, and there's nothing quite like Frank, the film. The former, as played by Michael Fassbender while wearing a papier mache mask, is a soul seemingly eccentric but really just looking for the essence of creation and contentment. The latter is quirky by design but beautifully bittersweet by execution, revelling in all life's failures and flaws. Frank leads an experimental rock band with the fittingly unpronounceable name of The Soronprfbs, and that's exactly where Jon (Domhnall Gleeson) finds him. Downtrodden in his dismal everyday routine, Jon wants desperately to be a musician but lacks the opportunity and the ability to extend himself. His unlikely encounter with his new friend with the obscured face brings both, one fruitful, the other less so. As the reconfigured group ventures from the Irish wilderness to the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas in search of musical fulfilment, the solace they find comes from internal, not external, forces. Written by journalist turned screenwriter Jon Ronson (of The Men Who Stare at Goats fame), Frank is inspired by Frank Sidebottom, the comic persona of musician Chris Sievey. Read our full review here. Frank is in cinemas on June 19, and thanks to Madman Entertainment, we have ten double in-season passes to give away in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=IblHV2x64f8
To those who thought The Chalk Hotel wasn’t capable of hosting anything besides trivia nights, college exchanges and snow parties, have we got news for you. April 26 marks the launch of their new urban musical experience, Sound Check, a collection of ten monthly mini festivals to be held right throughout 2014. And to kickstart the ride, they’ve hauled in a mighty collection of artists that may or may not be entirely overshadowed by the Chalk’s biggest catch, Xzibit. I kid you not. Meme-fiend, king of the screen, and rapper Alvin 'Xzibit' Joiner will be at The Chalk Hotel this Saturday, performing, existing and showing up Will and Kate as rapper royalty. The Funkoars, Remi, Briggs, IAMD, DJ Invisable and Demrick will also be showing off some urban, musical talent. But until they start pimpin' some rides, they won’t be getting descriptions, just hyperlinks. Whether you’re a Stereosonic junkie or just appreciate a finely curated selection of contemporary rap, R&B and rhyme, check out this new Brisbane festival. It's only $55 to see Xzibit and co — and for a chance to fist punch alongside Xzibit, that’s nothing.
Heading to the beach is all about sun, sand and taking a dip in the sea — and for Queenslanders this summer, it's now about two types of surfing. Selected spots across the state will be trialling a new system called Life-Fi, which enables sunbathers to connect to the internet for free while they're lazing about between the flags. The real aim of Life-Fi is actually to save lives. It gives beachgoers an incentive to keep close to lifeguards, with nearly 80 percent of the more than 5000 rescues that have taken place since January 2017 occurring outside of the red and yellow flags. The system also allows surf lifesaving clubs to communicate directly with folks sunning themselves by the shore — sending alerts from lifeguards on duty about ocean conditions, currents and marine creatures; conveying weather updates and live UV ratings; and offering general surf safety tips. Spearheaded by Surf Life Saving Queensland, Life-Fi has already been trialled at the Mooloolaba Surf Life Saving Club, and will now roll out to ten other clubs along the coastline. Four mobile units will also be dispatched throughout the state as they're needed. Exact locations have yet to be announced, although you can expect popular beaches on the Gold and Sunshine coasts to feature. The portable self-contained wireless network is available in six languages (English, Chinese, Hindi, Arabic, Japanese and Thai), ensuring that overseas tourists making the most of Queensland beaches can still receive safety warnings. Announcing the expanded trial, Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones noted that tourism was a key motivator. "If we can make people feel safe, we know we'll lure more people to the beach." For more information, visit the Life-Fi website. You can also use NetShare Pro.
If your job sees you doing the Monday–Friday grind, then we're betting that you love Friday afternoons and evenings. That's when you're filled with relief that the working week is done once again — not to mention overflowing with enthusiasm for the two-day reprieve you're about to bounce into. So, it isn't hard to make a Friday night feel special. They just have that inherent feel from the moment that you clock off. But if you'd like to do something extra exciting on Friday, January 29, you can make a beeline to Ivory Tusk's Cocktail Hour with the Queens from 6pm. Thin Lizzi, Kim Shotte and Karmin Dioxide will be your entertainment for the evening and, while you're watching their drag performances, you'll sip your way through a couple of cocktails. Two are included in your ticket price, and you can keep paying for more from there — and checking out the venue's food menu as well.
Stealing from the rich isn't just the domain of Robin Hood. In Hustlers, it's exactly what a group of strip club employees decide to do, too. Fed up with putting up with wealthy, lecherous Wall Street types who happily rip off everyone they can, including ordinary hard-working folk, the gang of gals hatch a plan to even the score. And, they know that if they ring up extra charges on their clientele's credit cards, the fleeced men are highly unlikely to report it. It's the type of tale that can only be true, with Hustlers based on an article on The Cut about the real-life ladies who started swindling white-collar crooks between dances. It's also the kind of story that needs a killer cast to bring it to life, so the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Julia Stiles, Constance Wu, Cardi B and Lizzo are doing the honours. As written and directed by Lorene Scafaria (Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, The Meddler), the film's stacked roster of stars also includes Riverdale's Lili Reinhart, Scream: The TV Series' Keke Palmer, The Handmaid's Tale's Madeline Brewer, Parks and Recreation's Jon Glaser, and Luke Cage's Frank Whaley. Oh, and Usher. Check out the trailer below — which, fittingly, is set to Cardi B's 'Money': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_dfc0iqmig Hustlers releases in Australian cinemas on October 10.
Maybe exploring graves on the outskirts of the Brisbane CBD, singing songs adjacent to a cemetery and pretending to be a corpse that's being washed and prepared for burial is your idea fun. Maybe it isn't. Either way, indulging in morbid-leaning pastimes or challenging yourself to face the end that awaits us all is on the agenda at Brisbane's newest festival, Deathfest. Running from November 12 to 20, Metro Arts' latest program of live art, music, film, visual art, discussions and social events wants attendees to confront death, literally. No, the grim reaper won't be there, but you will have to contemplate the weighty subject. We know, we know, it's a topic most of us choose not to think about, other than in a vague, YOLO-like way by reading trashy vampire fiction, or crying when the killer year that is 2016 keeps offing our artistic heroes. The Brissie arts venue knows this too, in fact, increasing death literacy in the community and finding a new way to embrace grief are among its chief aims. No wonder it's the first arts and culture festival of its kind in Queensland. And, no wonder it has compiled an array of out-of-the-box (or coffin) events and activities designed to push attendees out of their comfort zones. Taking place at a number of locations around the city, they include a concert of songs about leaving people and life behind, a theatrical dance piece about love and loss, a Yarn storytelling session focused on the experience of mourning, and a musical performance that uses sounds of endangered and extinct animals. And, plenty of talking: about dying in general over wine and cheese, and in an artist-filled panel session on what it means to die well. Elsewhere, you'll spy divination cards in Fish Lane that draw attention to bigger existential questions, and images of wildflowers in Eagle Lane stressing the importance of thinking about what came before. Plus, tying in with Metro Arts' newly revamped Lumen Room, a feast of appropriately themed films also feature. Griefwalker provides a poetic portrait of dying people talking about their predicament, while Oscar-winning Japanese effort Departures follows a man working at a funeral home. Or, relive what still ranks as Hayley Joel Osment and M. Night Shyamalan's career highlight, aka The Sixth Sense. You know exactly why it's appropriate. Deathfest takes places from November 12 to 20 at Metro Arts and other venues around Brisbane. Visit the festival website for more information.
Everyone needs to start somewhere, whether it's running an event, performing at or attending one. Organised by Backbone Youth Arts, that's the aim of the 2high Festival. It offers an unofficial training ground for festival workers, artists, administrators and leaders in the industry — and you get to share in the entertaining and informative results. See what this year's team has put together under the theme 'Forgotten Treasures' — though its roster of talent promises to prove anything but. Spanning circus, film, music, theatre, writing, visual arts, poetry and more, 2high has assembled a diverse array of up-and-comers to revel in all things creative, and including the usual endeavours and the not so. Everything takes place at the Old Museum, and there's plenty of activities and shows to choose from, ensuring everyone can join in the fun. Play an interactive art game, dance along at an all-ages midday rave, or jump inside the human mind. Overstep the mark in comedy cabaret, celebrate street art, and learn the craft of love letters. Or better yet — get a festival pass and try them all.
When The Fast and the Furious took Point Break's premise and swapped surfing for street racing, it seemed like one of those easy Hollywood knockoffs that would speed into cinemas and then race right out of viewers' memories. Eighteen years, seven sequels, plenty of Coronas and a whole lot of talk about family later, we all now know that wasn't the case. It's the high-octane franchise that just keeps tearing up tyres and tearing across silver screen, and it has yet another new addition. The first Fast and Furious spinoff, Hobbs & Shaw reunites two of the series' newer players: Dwayne Johnson's Luke Hobbs, the government agent who has been a F&F staple since 2011's Fast Five, and Jason Statham's Deckard Shaw, the villain from Furious 7 who starts buddying around the gang in 2017's The Fate of the Furious. Directed by John Wick and Atomic Blonde's David Leitch, it's basically an excuse to put the two action heroes in the same movie again, watch as they bicker and banter like a muscular odd couple, and throw in the usual world-saving, car-racing antics. It also sounds like box office catnip —complete with the ridiculous stunts that the franchise has become known for, this time featuring a helicopter, a long chain and a truck in one of them. After releasing a first sneak peek earlier this year, the film has now revealed an extended three-and-a-half minute trailer. Check out the new clip below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ7PAyCDwEg Because two of today's biggest stars isn't enough for this initial foray outside of the main F&F stable, Hobbs & Shaw also features Idris Elba as the flick's villain — plus Helen Mirren reprising her role as Shaw's mother, and The Crown's Vanessa Kirby joining the fold as his sister. Johnson reportedly wanted Hobbs to not only have some family as well, but to have an incredibly high-profile family member; however bringing Aquaman's Jason Momoa on board didn't work out due to scheduling conflicts. Fans of Vin Diesel and the original gang, don't worry. Ninth and tenth F&F films are due in 2020 and 2021 respectively, so Dominic Toretto and company will be back to live their lives a quarter mile at a time once more. Also on the agenda is a female-focused spinoff focused on the ladies of the franchise, because this series remains furious about stretching out its run for as long as possible. Hobbs & Shaw opens in Australian cinemas on August 1. Image: Universal Pictures
Exploring the world in person isn't on anyone's agenda at present, but that doesn't mean you can't improvise from your couch. After hitting up online tours of the planet's best museums and landmarks, then checking out a heap of travel live-streams, you can now journey around the globe via a heap of Netflix documentaries screening for free on YouTube. Viewers can watch all eight episodes of 2019 nature series Our Planet, which is narrated by Sir David Attenborough — and ventures to 50 countries to explore the huge array of different habitats present across the earth. Or, you can feast your eyes on documentary feature Chasing Coral as it follows a team's efforts to invent the first time-lapse camera that's capable of recording coral bleaching events as they happen. In total, ten different Netflix titles have made the leap to YouTube — meaning that, even if you don't have an account with the streaming platform, you can still watch. The move is part of the company's efforts to help teachers and parents find informative and educational options for children; however viewers of all ages can take advantage of the free material. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wGZc8ZjFY4 Other freebies include Ava DuVernay's Oscar-nominated documentary 13th, which explores race relations in America; Knock Down the House, about the campaigns of four women — all progressive Democrats — running for US congress; and the first season of Abstract: The Art of Design, featuring profiles of illustrators, architects, shoe designers, photographers, stage designers and more. Or, you can check out select episodes of Explained, spanning topics such as music, the world's water crisis and cricket, and Babies, which covers the obvious subject — or view three short films, including Academy Award-winner Period. End of Sentence., about access to sanitary products in India; The White Helmets, following volunteer rescue workers in Aleppo, Syria and Turkey; and Zion, about Zion Clark, a wrestler born without legs. To view Netflix's free selection of documentaries on YouTube, visit the streaming platform's YouTube channel. Top images: Our Planet, Netflix.
Are you an early bird who likes to get flexible to start the day? A night owl who loves spending the twilight hours bending and stretching? Whichever category you fall into, do you like getting active for free — all within West End's latest greenery-filled precinct? With West Village now well and truly open, the new space is hosting twice-weekly exercise sessions in its central area, aka The Common. Run by the folks at Goodlife Health Clubs, the classes are open to everyone, whether you live in the neighbourhood or you're dropping by on your way to or from work. And yes, if you want to go to both each week, that's perfectly understandable. Get up with the sunlight on Mondays to catch a pilates session, which kick off at 6am — or head by at 6pm on Wednesdays to bliss out over yoga. The current batch of classes run from Monday, February 4 until Wednesday, March 27. Image: West Village. Updated January 31.
Brisbane's only celebration of queer cinema has announced its first films for 2017, with a fresh selection of lesbian, gay, bi, trans, gender diverse and multigenerational movies heading to New Farm Cinemas from March 10 to 19. Eager to take an in-depth look at the art form that is voguing, and the world that surrounds it? Explore the ups and downs of an intimate relationship? Catch an Aussie coming-of-age flick? Watch new Brazilian television? Dive into a romantic drama starring Mistress America's Lola Kirke? You'll find all of that and more in the Brisbane Queer Film Festival program this year. After impressing audiences at last year's Sydney and Melbourne film festivals, Kiki kicks off the BQFF 2017 lineup, while Berlinale 2016 Teddy award winner Tomcat bookends the fest with an intimate tale about two men and their beloved pet feline. In between, multicultural queer effort Teenage Kicks, four episodes of Portuguese-language runaway drama The Nest and small-town drama AWOL also prove highlights, alongside 12 other features and two shorts sessions that reflect modern queer life and contemporary forms of storytelling. If that sounds like must-see viewing, then keep your eyes peeled for a second announcement, with seven of the festival's titles due to be revealed on January 30. And, as exciting as it is to discover that you'll be feasting your eyes on everything US black comedy Women Who Kill to the launch of Brisbane web series Two Weeks to documentary Out Run, which tells the story of Bemz Benedito's attempts to become the first transgender woman in the Philippine Congress, that isn't the only news on offer. With BQFF turning 18, it's also branching out on its own and becoming an independent event. After forming part of Brisbane Powerhouse's slate of festivals, the fest moves out of home for its 2017 run. While BQFF has screened at external cinemas for the last two years, this year it will become its own individual entity. For eager movie buffs, that means a whole separate party in addition to and at a later date from Powerhouse's MELT — or, two ace reasons to celebrate queer arts and culture at two different times, rather than one.
In The Virgin Suicides, in a role for Sofia Coppola that he'll always be known for, Josh Hartnett played the dreamy high schooler who had Kirsten Dunst swooning. A quarter-century later, as his then-director is fresh from a Priscilla Presley biopic and his former co-star just snapped America's divisiveness at its potential worst as a photojournalist in Civil War, he's now jumped from Trip Fontaine to Trap, still with his appearance and its impact upon others a key factor. Cooper Adams, Hartnett's latest character, likely was a teen heartthrob, too. Now he's a kindly firefighter who dotes on his daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue, Wolf Like Me) to the extent that he's her chaperone at the Taylor Swift-esque Lady Raven's (first-timer Saleka Night Shyamalan) Philadelphia concert. His politeness wins over people quickly, such as the merchandise-slinging Jamie (Jonathan Langdon, Run the Burbs), who's soon doing him a favour. But Trip wasn't completely the charmer that he seemed, and Cooper isn't just a nice dad doing parenting well — he's Trap's killer. It was true in The Sixth Sense of Bruce Willis (Assassin), in Unbreakable with Samuel L Jackson (Argylle), of James McAvoy (His Dark Materials) in Split and with Dave Bautista (Dune: Part Two) in Knock at the Cabin: M Night Shyamalan knows how to draw a gripping turn out of his leads. With well-known names in front of his lens, including Hartnett (The Bear), he's just as aware of how to riff on existing audience understanding and expectations. Not everyone who acts for the Glass, The Visit and Old filmmaker receives the same treatment — but when the approach works, it's worth building an entire movie around. Trap is one such flick, clueing viewers in early that Hartnett has taken a Dexter-esque step into a murderer's shoes. Then, it observes the disconnect between the perceptions of everyone around Cooper and his homicidal urges, all as the cops stage a sting at the gig to catch someone they know solely as The Butcher. When he arrives at the stadium with Riley, Cooper has no idea that attempting to capture him will be the real production of the day. He promised his giddily excited kid that she'd see her favourite singer if she earned good grades and he's delivered; that she's fallen out with her friends and needs something a distraction also factors in. Then Shyamalan, who writes and directs, draws attention to the hordes of police filtering in, plus the profiler (Hayley Mills, Death in Paradise) calling the shots. Cooper equally notices. It's all a ploy, Jamie shares without realising who he's talking to, and there's only one route out. Already juggling checking on his current detainee (Mark Bacolcol, Night Is Limpid) via webcam and being drawn into the schoolyard feud by a fellow parent (Marnie McPhail, Dream Scenario) with ensuring that Riley is having the time of her life, he's now desperately trying to stop his normal-guy facade from crumbling. The famously twist-loving Shyamalan isn't bashful about Cooper's lethal tendencies. Accordingly, that isn't among the movie's surprises. As Trap's protagonist endeavours to stay ahead of his pursuers in a cat-and-mouse game — they've no idea what he looks like, which assists immensely — and reassure Riley when she starts thinking that he's acting weird, plot shocks remain in store, but so does convenience. Frequently staring intimately at Harnett's face especially when it's wearing a loaded smile, the film aligns its perspective with Cooper's whatever-it-takes efforts to stay avoid handcuffs, yet luck has as much as sway on his path as smarts. As he does with dad jokes and awkwardness, Harnett sells every clever choice and stroke of fortune alike, and compellingly gets audiences into the killer's head, though, in a standout role for the Penny Dreadful, Wrath of Man, Black Mirror and Oppenheimer actor; Trap would struggle without his transfixing commitment. Even with opportune turns constantly coming Cooper's way, Shyamalan doesn't have a tension problem, in no small part because watching one of his films means inherently being on edge for the next twist, then the next, then the next again — and he gleefully toys with that fact. But he does have a third-act issue, especially when he branches beyond his solid setup. While that choice brings in a welcome supporting performance from Alison Pill (Scott Pilgrim Takes Off) as Cooper's wife and Riley's mother Rachel, it plunges the feature into Lord of the Rings-style too-many-endings territory. Also too often, Trap's decisions feel like Shyamalan simply thinking that something would be nifty. Enlisting Mills given her The Parent Trap background, Kid Cudi's (Silent Night) winking cameo, giving Saleka such prominence: some hit the target, others wish they did. What lengths will a dad go to for his daughter? That's one of this picture's threads on- and off-screen. In a year that's seen Trap's filmmaker produce the directorial debut of one of his children, with Ishana Night Shyamalan's The Watchers reaching cinemas mere months before his own latest release, he's now penned and helmed a flick that features another of his kids as a pop sensation and has the real-life singer's own music weaved in prominently. As he has long enjoyed doing in his own movies, the Shyamalan patriarch also pops up on camera, this time to praise Saleka's Lady Raven. He's pitched Trap as a Swift gig meets The Silence of the Lambs, but it's as much about wanting to give your children everything, build them up and, when you've got other demands on your focus, still doing your best to be there for them. Aided by cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (who shot Call Me By Your Name, Suspiria and Challengers for Luca Guadagnino, plus Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives and Memoria for Apichatpong Weerasethakul) alongside editor Noemi Katharina Preiswerk (Knock at the Cabin, Servant), Shyamalan doesn't take his gift to Saleka lightly. The concert-film elements aren't window dressing. He revels in them, sometimes savvily juxtaposing the show's massive scale with Cooper's life-or-death predicament, sometimes with the indulgence of a dad giving his kid a vehicle for her dreams. The Eras tour boasts many things, a date with screens among them, but it isn't also a psychological thriller; mix that with Grand Piano and Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation's opera scene, and that's Trap's template as well. When Hartnett sings, albeit not literally, so does the film. Donoghue also does her utmost and leaves an impression. But, while engrossing, the picture they're in often plays like a warmup for a big gig that hasn't pulled off everything that it wants to.
Jay-Z and Kanye West, Powderfinger and Silverchair, Papa Vs. Pretty and The Vasco Era. See the trend here? This list might be in order of greatness (and current monetary success), but there's also a recurring theme: double headliners. We all love a 2 for 1 deal, and this week's double whammy at The Zoo is no exception. Both Papa Vs. Pretty and The Vasco Era will play equal-length sets and will both showcase songs from their new albums. Papa Vs. Pretty is a name we've all heard rattling around on the radio waves this past year, not only because Triple J has flogged the shit out of their debut album United in Isolation, but also because they've toured with heavy weights The Vines and The Kaiser Chiefs. In a similar position are The Vasco Era who, for the past year, have been riding on the success of their second album, have also enjoyed Triple J love, as well as sweet spots at nearly every Australian festival. What's more, the two bands are being crushed into one tour bus, so fingers crossed for a duet/mashup at some stage during the night! I can’t promise anything on that one though. Another thing, both bands are pretty attractive, so staring at some eye candy is also a bonus, and if you're a dude, just watch them work their magic on their guitars, mmmk?
Getting out of the city for a weekend is one of our favourite pastimes. Whether it's a beach break, a hinterland escape or a vineyard traipse, we'll take it — so long as there are excellent things to eat and drink, of course. This winter, parts of regional New South Wales will be hosting incredible food and drink events as part of the North Coast Festival of Flavour from Friday, June 3 till Sunday, June 5 — an ideal excuse for a weekend away if you ask us. To help you select where exactly to head to savour flavours at the festival, we've scoured the program to bring you our top picks. From lavish long lunches to decadent dinners and more, here are our festival favourites worthy of a weekend away this winter. BITES AND BREWS — Suz Tucker Mullumbimby is the underrated and somewhat undiscovered gem in the Northern Rivers (which makes me wonder if I should even mention it). But a growing popularity is inevitable because it's got so much going for it — including a genuine originality in its food and booze scene. Case in point: the Wandana Brewing Co, which, according to its website, is the "the only brewery in the world who plays non-stop music to every beer they make the entire time it's in the tank". Apparently it's because of the way yeast cells respond to sound vibrations. I have no idea if the Wandana brewers are trolling me with this, but I do know their beers are bloody great. At the Bites and Brews event happening on Saturday, June 4, Wandana is pouring a lineup of small batch beers, matched with food from a variety of the area's local producers curated by Table Under A Tree — from cheeses to aged charcuterie — and you'll be guided through each mouthful by the winning hosts. NOSE TO TAIL BEEF CELEBRATION AT FRIDA'S FIELD —Nik Addams Growing up, the best family get-togethers were the ones that involved an entire animal slow-roasting over a charcoal spit. I was lucky enough to experience this ritual in my hometown of Melbourne on special occasions, as well as when visiting relatives in Greece and Cyprus. No part of the animal went to waste — the whole thing was there to be enjoyed, and enjoy it we did. And while I don't know that there even is a Greek equivalent of the term 'nose-to-tail', this is an experience I find hard to turn down in any form. That's why I'm so excited about the Nose to Tail Beef Celebration at Frida's Field, a five-course, nose-to-tail long lunch featuring angus-wagyu beef carefully curated by award-winning chef Ally Waddell happening on Friday, June 3 and Saturday, June 4. The dishes will be paired with sides and accompaniments showcasing fresh seasonal produce from the farm and other local growers, and complemented by local bevs. And with a backdrop of the farm's verdant expanses and the Byron Bay hinterland, al fresco lunches don't get much dreamier than this. SANCTUS BREWING CO LONG LUNCH — Melanie Colwell If the hustle and bustle of city life is getting all-consuming, the oft-overlooked yet completely idyllic Clarence Valley region could be just the antidote. The area is home to charming hamlets, picturesque beaches and plenty of walking trails so you can truly feel like you've escaped the rat race. And that feeling will only be amplified when you attend the Sanctus Brewing Co Long Lunch. Over three hours on Saturday, June 4, the Townsend brewery is hosting a decadent five-course feast — and every dish will be prepared over fire in the venue's outdoor kitchen using fresh local produce. Not only will you get to appreciate what this little pocket of northern NSW has to offer, but you'll also get to do it while sipping on Sanctus' range of handcrafted brews and artisanal spirits. Ready to plan a weekend away filled with incredible food and drink? For more information on the North Coast Festival of Flavour and to plan your trip, visit the website.
Time flies when you're slurping up mussels and listening to the sounds of jazz, as the folks at South Melbourne Market well and truly know. The Coventry and Cecil corner mainstay has been celebrating both for seven years now at its annual festival. The latest will take place on March 7 and 8, with the Port Phillip Mussel & Jazz Festival returning to serve up a mollusc-focused street party. Oh, and more than six tonnes of mussels. It's free, it'll fill your stomach with locally sourced seafood, and it'll offer up a feast of other treats, including sweets, tipples and dance-worthy tunes. When it comes to enjoying the tasty sea creatures, Claypots, Köy, Paco y Lola, Simply Spanish and Bambu are just some of the eateries popping up — and whipping up an array of different mussel dishes. Seafood lovers will be able to dive into everything from mussel paella to wok-cooked drunken mussels. And you'll be eating for a good cause. The shells will be collected by Shuck Don't Chuck and used to help restore Port Phillip Bay's shellfish reefs. Taking care of the entertainment are local singer Loretta Miller, Alma Zygier, La Nuit Blanche, Margie Lou Dyer and a New Orleans-inspired seven-piece called the Horns of Leroy. Port Phillip Mussel & Jazz Festival runs from 12–10pm on Saturday and 12–8pm on Sunday. Image: Simon Shiff.
Is it classical music? Is it something you'd hear in a club? No, it's something somewhere in between. Dots + Loops have been blurring the lines between conservatory and underground music for a few years now, and now they're bringing their blend to Cupa for a two-day festival. Post-genre is the term they use; however, whatever you want to call it, it's not going to be what you expect. Taking place over September 8 and 9, the fest features two shows jam-packed with talent. Head along on Friday to catch Bach Unwound by the Sleeping Giant composer collective and Bang on a Can cellist Ashley Bathgate, as well as an Airport DJ set. Saturday brings Kupka's Piano performing "Hout" by Louis Andriessen, and Rosa Guitar Trio unleashing two new works by Chris Perren and Brechtje. Plus, if you're after some career advice fun in the middle Make it Happen is the festival's seminar on following your creative dream. Held in conjunction with Rehearsal Magazine, it'll also be live-streamed if you can't catch the real thing.
If you're one to track down wholesome treats on Instagram — particularly sweet bites of the vegan, dairy-free or gluten-free variety — then you've probably come across Ines Scholtes's feed. But sharing an image of an aesthetically advanced dish is one thing — whipping them up everyday and selling them in a cafe is quite another. But with Mylk + Ko, Scholtes is setting out to do just that. The New Farm cafe opens its doors on Sunday, February 5, and aims to bring the aspiring pastry chef-turned-lawyer-turned cafe owner's nourishing, dietary requirement-friendly fare to the hungry Merthyr Road masses. That includes caramel slices, cookies, cakes and more in a significant range of raw, vegan and gluten-free varieties. Snickers mousse, anyone? How about Nutella cake, or raw peanut butter and jelly cheesecake? Red velvet waffles? "You should be able to nourish your body and make your tastebuds dance at the same time," says Scholtes of Mylk + Ko's menu, which also features its namesake mylkshakes, using almond and soy milk, plus other non-dairy alternatives. Allpress coffees, smoothies and fresh cold-pressed juices help round out the selection, making the cafe a daytime pit-stop dream for anyone after something indulgent but healthy. Plus, consider Mylk + Ko's initial offerings just the beginning of a broader range of all-round goodness. In the future, Scholtes plans to add cooking classes and talks to the eatery's array of delights, plus something to satisfy sweet cravings when evening hits: a nighttime dessert bar. Mylk + Ko opens on Sunday, February 5 at 1/148 Merthyr Road, New Farm. Keep an eye on their website and Instagram feed for further details.
A short walk from the Walkabout Creek Information Centre, you'll find the ever-popular, heritage-listed swimming area, Enoggera Reservoir. Here, swimmers and nature-lovers converge where green, gently sloping banks meet the cool waters. If you fancy a bit of exploration beyond the barriers, hire a canoe or paddleboat from Walkabout Creek Adventures. There are no tables, barbecues or covered areas at this spot, but the lawn is just begging for your finest picnic spread. What the native canopies lack in shade, they more than make up for in wildlife, especially rare birds. The carpark fills up fast on weekends, so arrive early. Or, you can reach it by bus if you don't mind a bit of a walk. Image: JulieMay54, Wikimedia Commons
The Box has flaunted it’s ability to draw a crowd and groom them into the friendly Box family from its inception. From art exhibitions, to joy-filled gigs, The Box has hosted some of Brisbane and Australia’s most brilliant minds, and that more than enough reason to jump on the 199, pop off at Stop 9 and celebrate. Art and music is what The Box does best, so they’ll be pulling together some of the best, to put on a celebration that might just be Brisbane’s best. Mossy Antlers, Rachel Bartram, Peter Berg and Sonja Carmichael are just a handful of the artists who’ll be displaying arty things, probably art. Autumn, Ella Fence and Mamachair will be providing some sweet, sweet tunes to match, making for a fusion that’s going to blow the Box lid off. It’s BYO so bring along your favourite brewski or pick up a cheap bottle of red, and enter a drunken daze of art, music and West End enchantment.
If you're all about thinking green, living in a more eco-conscious way and doing your utmost for the planet — as we all should be — then you likely already know about Brisbane's Green Heart Fair. Twice a year, the event takes over a leafy public space to celebrate sustainability in every way that it can. On Friday, February 24–Saturday, February 25, however, the Green Heart event program is doing something different. It isn't hosting one of its 2023 fairs yet, but it is coming to Toowong Village. From 9am–5pm each day, this two-day pop-up will set up sustainability displays, offer advice and hand out free plants. Located on the ground floor near Flight Centre, the pop-up makes its Toowong Village debut with information about living a more eco-friendly life, lowering household bills, building flood resilience at home and reducing emissions, Looking for free plants? They're a popular part of the fairs, and they're available at this pop-up as well. There'll be 1000 native plants on offer on a first-come, first-served basis — so get in quick.
With a host of restaurants and eateries making a beeline for Bowen Hills, King Street has fast become Brisbane's biggest new foodie precincts. Until summer hits, it'll boast another reason to stop by: an outdoor garden dedicated to end-of-week banquets. Celebrating the warmer weather with al fresco dining in greenery-filled surroundings, King Street's Spring Garden will start blossoming on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from October 5, right through until November 25. Amidst the flora, visitors will find private booths that can seat two to 12 people, plus a menu that'll take your outdoor eating experience to the next level. Three King Street residents — Il Verde, Fat Dumpling, and The George Bar & Bistro — have whipped up three different banquet packages, each spanning multiple courses and including a cocktail on arrival. Go Italian with an antipasto platter, pizza and Nutella-filled cannoli for $69, or opt for a dumpling taster pack, crispy chicken curry or sweet soy pork belly, and peach spring rolls for $45. A charcuterie board, followed by a pick of lemon and rosemary slow-roasted lamb shoulder or fennel and citrus-roasted salmon fillet is also on offer for $55. Two sessions will be run each evening in two-hour blocks starting at 5.30pm and 8pm. Bookings are required in advance, as is payment for your chosen banquet, but additional drinks can be purchased to suit your thirst on the night. King Street's Spring Garden pops up at King Street, Bowen Hills from October 5 to November 25. For more information, visit the King Street website. Image: Fat Dumping / Linglin Zhu Photography.
The deep, the drink, the high seas, the brine, the blue: whatever you call it, the ocean is endlessly fascinating. And if you've ever sat on the beach, the smell of sunscreen wafting up from your torso and the sea breeze rustling through your hair, and just stared intently at all that H20 glistening right there in front of you — as we all have, and more than once, because it's just that hypnotic — then you'll understand why UQ Art Museum has devoted its new four-month-long exhibition to the earth's watery spaces. Oceanic Thinking is all about creative ways of thinking about the deep blue sea, and marks the inaugural part of a multi-year project called Blue Assembly. The overall aim: to explore humanity's relationship to the ocean, and examine how talk about and focus upon blue spaces — the ocean, obviously, but also coastal ecosystems that include mangroves, tidal marshlands and estuaries and seagrass meadows — has played into thinking about climate change. Getting us all to ponder how all of this vast amount of liquid plays into our future is another key part of the free exhibition. Running from Saturday, February 19–Saturday, June 25, Oceanic Thinking features work across multiple artforms, and from an impressive list of artists — spanning Sancintya Mohini Simpson, Isha Ram Das, Elise Rasmussen, Izabela Pluta, Monira Al Qadiri, Tabita Rezaire, Stephanie Comilang and Alicia Mersy, as well as Birrmuyingathi Maali Netta Loogatha, Kuruwarriyingathi Bijarrb Paula Paul, Salote Tawale, Benjamin Armstrong, Charles Callins, Andreas Angelidakis and SUPERFLEX. And, as well as getting you musing on the oceans, water and research about both, Oceanic Thinking also aims to span a wealth of other topics — so while you're peering at the deep and the drink, expect to also contemplate race, decolonisation, kinship, diasporas and even science fiction. [caption id="attachment_843395" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Monira Al Qadiri, Divine Memory, 2019, still from video, 5:00 min, Courtesy of the artist.[/caption] Top image: Superflex, Dive-In, 2019. Dive–In was originally commissioned by Desert X in collaboration TBA21–Academy with music composed by Dark Morph (Jónsi and Carl Michael von Hausswolff). Courtesy of Desert X. Photo: Lance Gerber.
It's not every festival feels like a country weekend fete that just happens to be headlined by say, The Shins. Fairgrounds, Australia's country boutique camping festival descends on the small NSW town of Berry each December. Taking over the local Berry Showgrounds, Fairgrounds boasts all the trimmings of a major music festival with the essence of a local fair. And this December, it's back for another two-day round. Running over December 8 and 9, the two-day festival is making a triumphant return. In a huge coup for the small festival in its third year, they've secured big time festival favourites The Shins and Future Islands to headline, alongside local legends Client Liaison, D.D Dumbo, Holly Throsby, Jen Cloher, Royal Headache's Shogun and more. Oh, and casual founding Pavement member Spiral Stairs. With a strong focus on the local NSW South Coast area, Fairgrounds isn't just about the tunes. Last year local nosh, market stalls and the local swimming pool played equally starring roles at this multifaceted festival — something we're sure made Berry residents pretty happy. Between dips in Berry's local pool (within the festival grounds), punters feasted on local delights, including fresh rock oysters harvested less than half an hour from the festival site. But we know what you're here for. Here's the full lineup. FAIRGROUNDS 2017 LINEUP: Aldous Harding Client Liaison D.D Dumbo Future Islands Hockey Dad Holly Throsby Japanese Breakfast Jen Cloher Marlon Williams Noname The Shins The Teskey Brothers You Am I Jess Locke Leah Senior Press Club Shogun (Royal Headache) Spiral Stairs (Pavement) Fairgrounds runs December 8–9 at Berry Showgrounds, NSW. Tickets on sale from Moshtix at 9am, Tuesday, August 22 (presale Thursday, August 18 — sign up to the newsletter for this). Festival entry is $160, with camping $220, with shuttle $198. Kids under 12 attend free with an adult. Image: Andy Fraser.
Whichever pop culture phenomenon, figure, show, movie or bad takes your fancy, odds are there's a cookbook devoted to it. Breaking Bad, Brad Pitt's eating habits, Morrissey and Nick Cave-inspired vegan recipes, Twin Peaks pies (and doughnuts and coffee, obviously) — the list goes on. If you're keen to pair a heap of your faves with some joke-tastic dishes, however, then Pun Pantry's kitchen tome is for you. Among their recipes: 'Chicken Kebob Dylan', 'Fleetwood Mac & Cheese', 'Gin Diesel' cocktails (yes, Coronas are among the ingredients) and 'Wu-Tang Clam Chowder', plus 'The Fresh Prince of Eclaires', 'Pumpking Kong Pie', 'Cream Puff Daddy', 'Frying Nemo' and 'Obi-Wan Cannolis'. If some of them sound familiar, that's because Pun Pantry have been selling themed merchandise and showcasing their wares online for a couple of years. Now, they're running a Kickstarter campaign to put their comedic cooking creations into print. Featuring more than 20 recipes, Pun Pantry contend that the book won't just include steps for serving up hilarious and tasty dishes, but will be "an homage to pop culture, filled with stories, interactive material and original comedic flavour". The fundraising drive will also help them attend the America's Mart Novelty Gift Show in January — and with eight days left to go at the time of writing, they're nearly a third of the way to their US$10,000 goal. Via Food & Wine. Image: Pun Pantry / Nude Dude Food.
Fantastic shows and performances are one part of MELT, Brisbane Powerhouse's annual queer arts and culture festival. Vibrant and diverse art is another. Simply take a look at the the venue's walls until Sunday, June 13 and you'll understand — with the venue decked out with a showcase of MELT creativity for the duration of the fest, and also for a few weeks after the main event ends. As it does every year, the annual MELT Portrait Prize celebrates LGBTIQ+ heroes. Paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures and digital images are all in the running, with submitted works competing for the judge's choice and people's choice prizes (and for a highly commended slot as well). This exhibition displays the shortlisted works, so you'll be seeing the best of the best as you wander through Powerhouse's Turbine Foyer. Just make sure you don't drop by too early in the week to check out the free showcase — because the MELT Portrait Prize is on display from 11.30am–5.30pm Wednesday–Sunday. Top image: MELT Portrait Prize 2019 People's Choice Winner — Tim Wang 'Becalmed'.
The new year always begins with excitement about a fresh start, new challenges and intended achievements. This is generally closely followed by a hangover and the sad reality that nothing has really changed, and life is to carry on as usual. It's hard not to feel a bit sad once the week of Christmas and New Year have come to an end, and especially when friends have decided to give up drinking as a new year resolution. Here at Concrete Playground we are keen to keep the festive buzz going for as long as possible, so we have sought out the five perfect places to do so in Brisbane. = Riverbar & Kitchen If you're already thinking about where you're going to have a drink after work on Friday, look no further than the Brisbane city boardwalk's latest hot spot, Riverbar & Kitchen. The cocktails can be bought in jug size and are perfect to share with colleagues on a hot summer's evening. Enjoy classics like Pimms and Rum Punch or try something new such as the Pomegranate and Basil Margarita or the White Peach Sangria. After a couple of jugs of these you'll be feeling festive and footloose. Promenade level, 71 Eagle Street, Brisbane City; 07 3211 9020; riverbarandkitchen.com.au Lock 'n' Load There is nothing better than an ice cold beer on a hot summer day. Actually, there's one thing that is better, and that is an ice cold 3 litre beer tower to share with your mates on a hot summer day. Settle in for a chilled afternoon at Lock 'n' Load with beer towers being the shout of choice. Beers you can get in the tower( which has an ice core) are Coopers Pale Ale, Rogers by Little Creatures, Stone & Wood Pacific Ale and Tiger (which is going at $20 a tower on Sundays). You can also get Monteith's Apple Cider. Not a bad way to spend the day. 142 Boundary St, West End; 07 3844 0142; www.locknloadbistro.com.au White Lightning Tiki Bar (Alfred & Constance) Still buzzing since they opened in November, Alfred and Constance's White Lightning Tiki Bar is continuing to be a big hit with Brisbane's party crowd. With great music, stoked staff, leis and novelty cocktails it's hard not to feel festive every time you step foot into the Tiki Bar. It's the perfect place to party and bond with new friends over your delicious pina coladas. Cnr Alfred and Constance Streets, Fortitude Valley; 07 3251 6500; www.alfredandconstance.com.au Lady Lamington Opening again this Thursday after a holiday break, Lady Lamington on Brunswick Street is an ideal spot for soaking in the sun and enjoying Queensland weather. The rooftop terrace looks over Fortitude Valley and offers a comfortable spot in the shade under their large yellow umbrellas. Specialising in all things lovely, Lady Lamington has a wonderful list of French champagnes as well as champagne-based cocktails of which you can choose either Veuve Clicquot or Teusner Sparkling. They have all classic cocktails as well as jugs to be shared, so leave your car at home, you will not want to be driving. 483 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley; 3358 6568; www.ladylamington.com.au The Lark For those who are after top quality alcohol, The Lark has got it. The cocktails are second-to-none made by devoted and highly skilled bar staff. The Strummer, their most well-known cocktail, is a delicious blend of Absolut Vodka, falernum syrup, passionfruit, lime and ginger beer topped with aromatic bitters. The Peroni is real Peroni imported from Italy, and the wines are handpicked from some of Australia's and the world's best vineyards. For a top shelf night with top shelf service with a totally relaxed vibe, The Lark is the place to go. 1/267 Given Terrace, Paddington; 07 3369 1299; www.thelark.com.au
While many of you will be taking the long weekend as an opportunity to head to the coast, others will be taking the opportunity to ruin their lawns with blow-up pools, sweating Esky's and a lot of dancing. For the folks who want to head out for Australia Day and come home to a clean house, we've got options. Whether you're after the whole shebang with the Triple J Hottest 100 Countdown, or if you simply want some barbecued meat or a bucket of prawns, Concrete Playground has sourced the best five places to celebrate Australia Day this weekend in Brisbane. Jubilee Hotel For Brisbane's official Triple J Hottest 100 party then you must head one of Brisbane's greatest pubs, the Jubilee Hotel, affectionately known as, The Jube. Triple J hosts Maggie Collins and Sarah Howells will be hitting the decks after the countdown from 100 to 1 of the best songs of 2012 voted by the public. Entry is free and the Jube will have a $1 BBQ on offer, which means that it's practically free. Once the countdown is over Maggie and Sarah will continue spinning tunes or for the house music lovers head upstairs for DJ Kuhl Shrank and Let's Get Minimal. 470 St Pauls Tce, Fortitude Valley; (07) 3252 4508; http://www.jubileehotel.com.au The Point Bistro and Bar For those wanting to celebrate Australia Day all weekend, The Point has some wonderfully patriotic special dishes on offer. To start why not try the flash fried salt and pepper crocodile and a schooner of Mooloolaba prawns, closely followed by a Riverland rib eye. For dessert, enjoy the mango and pineapple pavlova salad or the golden syrup dumplings with Bushell's tea ice cream. Shop 15, Little Stanley Street, South Brisbane; 07 3846 5555; http://www.thepointbistro.com.au Next Door For a good ol' fashioned Aussie barbecue (that you don't have to cook), then you must head to Next Door in South Bank for their Sidewalk BBQ running from 11am-3.30pm. They will be serving up gourmet lamb sausages with tomato chutney, lamb 'n' rosemary rissoles and warm damper. They will indeed be chucking shrimp prawns on the barbie and for for dessert, which can be accompanied by icy cold ginger beer. For dessert enjoy beautiful, soft lamingtons. Shop B11, Little Stanley Street, South Bank; 07 3846 6678; http://www.nextdoorkitchenbar.com.au/ Bavarian Bier Cafe For Australia day with a German twist, head to the Great Bier Sausage Sizzle at the Bavarian Bier Cafe. Enjoy the panoramic river views while enjoying some ice cold pure bier and a variety of hot dogs including a sausage made with the oldest sausage recipe in the world and a sausage made using Franziskaner Weisse bier. Sausage and beers mate, it doesn't get much better than that. Available from noon until sold out, you better make sure you get in quick! Eagle Street Pier, 45 Eagle Street; 07 3015 0555; http://www.bavarianbiercafe.com Cove Bar and Dining For those looking for a civilised way to spend the afternoon, Cove has one of Australia's favourite double acts - the bucket of beer and bucket of prawns special going for $55 - a pretty great deal. Celebrating down on the river and amongst the South Bank action you will be able to enjoy this day of patriotism in style. River Quay, Sidon Street, South Bank; 07 3844 3993; www.covebardining.com.au
The newest initiative from Metro Arts proves once and for all that it was the egg that came before the chicken, at least when it comes to performance anyway. FreeRange allows the perfect incubation space for artists whose voices demand to be heard, from laying down the ideas and nurturing them into fruition in the spirit of creative exchange. The resulting work to be hatched out of this four-week process is fresh, fast and fearless – and Metro Arts FreeRange wants to share the finished product with you over CROSS-STITCH, a two-night event curated by emerging Artistic Director Steven Mitchell Wright. One of the FreeRange(rs) showing is David M. Thomas, showcasing his work ‘Artists Gamble with Time/Portrait of Clint Doyle, An expanded portrait of Everyone’, a performance piece based on over 10 years of correspondence between Thomas and his friend Clint, who lives in a remote location. Artists Gamble with Time is a culmination of performance, music, photography, interviews, installation, video and paintings that Thomas has used to explore the construction and maintenance of one’s self. Put all your eggs into one basket this Monday and Tuesday, but without the guilt of cage-laid ideas – remember: it’s all FreeRange. Image credit: Interviewer (2010) by David M. Thomas
The 1962 novel, by Ken Kesey, is considered one of literature’s greatest, as well as one of its most frequently banned. The 1975 film, directed by Milos Forman, won five Academy Awards, including best picture and best actor for Jack Nicholson. Now One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest treads the boards, with a new stage production bringing the classic to Brisbane Arts Theatre. Adapted by Dale Wasserman, and featuring a cast of up-and-coming performers, the play once more delves into the hierarchy of a mental institution. Randle P. McMurphy is a charming rogue who has chosen a stint in the asylum over a prison sentence, but his brand of rebellion clashes with the icy efficiency of Nurse Ratched. The penultimate work in Brisbane Arts Theatre’s 2014 season, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest caps a great year for screen-to-stage offerings after successful productions of The Breakfast Club and The Addams Family.
Fee-fi-fo-fum, Hollywood's sure giving our childhood a run. In the last two years alone we've had Mirror Mirror, Snow White & the Huntsman, Oz the Great and Powerful, Alice in Wonderland and Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. Now it's Jack and the Beanstalk's turn, with Valkyrie director Bryan Singer giving the beloved English folktale the full-blown 3D treatment in Jack the Giant Slayer (not to be confused with 'Jack the giant SLAYER', telling the story of an aspiring thrash guitarist from the '80s). The plot here is much as you'd remember it: Jack (Nicholas Hoult) is a kind but naive farm boy who sells his horse in exchange for some magic beans. Those beans rapidly pullulate and explode towards the heavens with tremendous force, launching both Jack's house and its precious royal inhabitant high into the sky where the fabled giants reside. A rescue mission ensues under the leadership of the fearless Elmont (Ewan McGregor), during which Jack must conquer his fear of heights and overcome the giants in order to save his earthly kingdom and its beautiful princess (Eleanor Tomlinson). Hoult makes a likeable Jack, and Tomlinson is sufficiently Brave-esque in her portrayal of the rebellious and reluctant royal prone to assertions like "a princess is such a useless thing". Ian McShane makes for an endearing king, whereas Stanley Tucci rather phones in his performance as the machiavellian Lord Roderick and Bill Nighy is entirely unrecognisable as Fallon, the leader of the giants. The clear standout performance belongs to McGregor, whose valorous royal guardsman is as engaging as he is disappointingly underused. One scene in particular, during which he's trapped inside a giant pastry fold, captures all the magic, drama and tension we've come to expect from an entire Pixar movie but that here merely represents the best of a precious few moments. Overall it's far more 'kids movie' than either adult or hybrid, although several of the giants' scenes will doubtless leave more than a few children diving for cover behind their hands. It's fun enough throughout to maintain at least some level of interest, and the third act certainly provides some excellent action pieces; however, an excessive reliance upon CGI and not enough time spent on the script leaves Jack the Giant Slayer something of a charmless picture. Suffice to say, the book was most certainly better.
Get your shopping done under twinkling lights while surrounded by real (not plastic) Christmas trees. No, this isn't a festive dream — it's the reality of South Bank's annual Christmas markets. Whether you've been every year since you can remember, or you've never gone a-browsing at the inner-city spot, visiting The Collective Markets Christmas Edition is worth the trip. While the entirety of South Bank will be in the festive mood (think lights, carols and even fireworks on selected days), they can't steal the show from the most important part of the proceedings: the wares on offer at the rows of stalls. From 10am daily between Friday, December 13 and Monday, December 23, you'll find handmade toys, jewellery and other trinkets just begging to be given as gifts, as well as tasty treats to add to your Christmas feast. Yep, everyone's a winner here — with the Little Stanley Street markets open until 9pm until Thursday, December 19, then trading till 10pm between Friday, December 20–Monday, December 23.
You're invited to take a rare glimpse into the life of Frida Kahlo, when photographs from the famed Mexican artist's personal collection land at the Bendigo Art Gallery this December. Travelling exhibition Frida Kahlo, Her Photos will be on show in Victoria from December 8, 2018, until February 10, 2019, featuring a sprawling selection of 257 images curated by Mexican photographer and photography historian Pablo Ortiz Monasterio. The collection travels through Kahlo's fascinating life, speaking to the artist's lifelong passion for photography — an art form that regularly influenced her own work. The photos have been pulled from the archives of the Casa Azul (Blue House) — Kahlo's former home, which has been made into a museum celebrating her life and art. You'll spy gems that have only been on public show since 2007, capturing Kahlo's family moments, her love for Mexico and its traditions, her passions, friends and enemies, the era's political struggles, and even the artist's lengthy hospital stay following an accident in 1925. The exhibition also features shots from Frida contemporaries including Fritz Henle, Man Ray, Tina Modotti, Edward Weston, and Lola and Manuel Alvarez. Images: Frida painting a portrait of her father, by Gisele Freund, 1951, courtesy Frida Kahlo Museum; Diego Rivera (in his study at San Angel_, Anonymous, 1940, courtesy Frida Kahlo Museum.
A quarter of a century ago, M Night Shyamalan started coaching audiences to associate his surname with on-screen twists. Now that The Sixth Sense writer/director's daughter Ishana Night Shyamalan is following in his footsteps by making her first feature, decades of that viewer training across Unbreakable, Signs, The Visit, Split, Glass and more laps at The Watchers' feet. The question going in for those watching is obvious: will the second-generation filmmaker, who first worked as a second-unit director on her dad's Old and Knock at the Cabin — and also penned and helmed episodes of exceptionally eerie horror TV series Servant, on which her father was the showrunner — turn M Night's well-known and -established penchant for surprise reveals that completely recontextualise his narratives into a family trademark? Viewing a Shyamalan movie from The Sixth Sense onwards has always been an exercise in piecing together a puzzle, sleuthing along as clues are dropped about how the story might swiftly shift. It's no different with The Watchers, which Ishana adapts from AM Shine's novel and M Night produces. The younger filmmaking Shyamalan leans into the expectations that come with being her dad's offspring and picking up a camera, making a supernatural mystery-thriller horror flick and living with his brand of screen stories for her entire life. That said, while it's easy to initially think of The Village when The Watchers sets its narrative in isolated surroundings where the woods are filled with threats, and also of Knock at the Cabin given that its four main characters are basically holed up in one, Ishana demonstrates her own prowess, including by heartily embracing her source material's gothic air. This is a tale with a Mina at its centre, after all, because Shyamalan isn't the only name attached to The Watchers that means something in horror. As gothic stories in the genre long have told, it's also a tale of being haunted — here, by the monsters that lurk among the trees in a mysterious patch of western Ireland, and also by the kind of loss and sorrow that reshapes entire lives. As Ishana dials up the foreboding while dancing with fantasy, too, The Watchers proves a reckoning with identity as well. Yearning for the ability to define your own sense of self is another familiar gothic notion (Mary Shelley's Frankenstein puts it among the ideas at its centre), and also a fitting theme and statement for a person who's leaping into a field where they're immediately standing in someone else's shadow. Hours from Galway, shade also looms as The Watchers kicks off. As captured with a moody gaze by cinematographer Eli Arenson — and an eye for the claustrophobia that can simmer in expansive natural spaces, as he also splashed around in 2021's Lamb — warm rays barely filter through the forest even when the sun is high in the sky. In a state of near-perpetual twilight, the woodland possesses an otherworldly and ominous feel. A man (Alistair Brammer, Ancient Empires) is spied trying to flee its sprawling cover; however, the signs about not being able to turn back keep proving accurate. Birds flutter in a swooping and circling flock, the thicket buzzes with its own noise — both with unease as dense as the canopy above — and the picture advises that this location is absent from maps and a beacon for lost souls. A command of atmosphere bubbles through the movie from the outset, then, even before Mina (Dakota Fanning, Ripley) wanders through the same grove. She's entering rather than trying to leave — at first. An American artist working in a pet shop in a biding-her-time fashion, the 28-year-old is tasked with a normal albeit time-consuming delivery, but then her car breaks down and her phone dies shortly after driving into the greenery. Prior to Mina hitting the road, The Watchers dapples her everyday existence with a disquieting vibe. In her life in the Irish city, she's plastering literal wigs and metaphorical masks over her unhappiness while avoiding calls from her sister Lucy and grappling with the death of their mother 15 years earlier. En route to being stranded in a bunker called The Coop, which is sat in a tract where no one should go down to the woods by dark, she's also already feeling as caged as the parrot that she's about to try to ferry to a Belfast zoo. The Coop is no ordinary cabin in the woods, not that many on-screen are, with kudos deserved by The Watchers' production designers. Mirrored glass lines one of its walls, letting interested eyes peer in unseen (their audible reactions provide a soundtrack as well) as the motley crew that is Madeline (Olwen Fouéré, The Tourist), Ciara (Georgina Campbell, Barbarian), Daniel (Oliver Finnegan, We Are Lady Parts) and now Mina navigate their new routine. Each strangers going in and each trapped, they're all endeavouring to survive the creatures that demand to observe them eating, watching an old dating-style reality TV series and sleeping every evening — and, without their captors realising, to ascertain how to escape a place that appears impossible to exit. There are rules to enduring. There are grim consequences for not abiding by them. No one has made it out to seek help and returned, the stern Madeline cautions. When a reflective surface plays such a pivotal part, it's hardly astonishing when a film trades in parallels, including with an IRL world that's frequently becoming one giant online performance (to stress the point, one of The Watchers' most-striking shots shows how Mina and company inhabit a stage for their keepers). As well as absorbing her father's fondness for spinning unsettling tales, Ishana has inherited his ambition, clearly, as she also works in Celtic lore and the impact of colonialism. While it's one thing to aim big and another to thoroughly wrestle everything that you're eager to explore and touch upon into one movie, her directorial debut sports an instantly intriguing premise that draws viewers in effectively, a flair for imagery and tension, and an excellent lead. When Fanning is playing the feature's protagonist as someone who can't see anything but her own pain — who can't see the forest for the trees, aptly — she wears Mina's fragility and vulnerability like a second skin. When her character is forced to confront being put on display, she's just as mesmerisingly relatable.
Talented pooches have been barking their way to big-screen stardom since the birth of the medium, and Cannes Film Festival even gives out awards for ace pupper performances. In Australia for a few years now, we also celebrate the intersection of canines and cinema — via our very own dog-themed movie showcase. At the Top Dog Film Festival, doggos and puppers cement their status as humanity's favourite film stars in a touring program of pooch-centric shorts. For a couple of hours, dogs will leap across screens in a curated selection of heartwarming flicks about humanity's best friend. Over the last few years, the lineup has included films about dog-powered sports, dogs in space, dogs hiking through the desert, senior dogs and more — and also dolphin-spotting dogs, animal actors and mountain pups. In 2025, the festival hits Brisbane Powerhouse at 2pm on Saturday, August 23 — and rushing after tickets the way your best four-legged friend rushes after a frisbee is recommended. Given how much we all love watching dog videos online, not to mention attending pupper-centric shindigs in general, this event is certain to be popular. You'd be barking mad to miss it, obviously.
As played as an unrelenting force by Mia Goth (Infinity Pool), even when slasher killers have other plans, Maxine Minx was always going to go big and never go home. To wrap up the horror trilogy with the ambitious actor at its centre (when Goth hasn't also been playing Pearl, its other protagonist, as both an elderly and a younger woman), MaXXXine shoots for the stars as well, including in shifting to new surroundings. Gone is the New Zealand-standing-in-for-Texas production base of X and its prequel Pearl. Absent is the claustrophobic feel of mainly making one spot the franchise's location, whether it was taking place in the 70s in its first entry or in the 1910s in its second. This Los Angeles-set leap to 1985 sparkles with the same scorching drive and determination as its titular figure — and Minx, Goth, writer/director Ti West (Them) and MaXXXine alike won't accept a life, or a swansong instalment in one of the best sagas in the genre in the 2020s, that they do not deserve. From its debut with 2022's X, which turned a porn shoot in a remote farmhouse into a bloody stalking ground, West's big-screen series has always understood that sex and violence so often intersect in the arena that it's paying tribute to: moving pictures. X, Pearl and now MaXXXine also see how censors and the pearl-clutching equate one with the other. Equally, these pictures glean how a woman with a libidinous appetite — or simply the craving to succeed and the unwillingness to settle — can be deemed a larger threat to morality than a murderer. They also spy what a battle it too frequently is for women to chart their own path free of society's expectations, no matter their aspirations. West not only continues splattering these ideas through MaXXXine, but layering them, plus stacking his latest unpackings of them with X and Pearl. The true target in his current sights, however: what it just might cost to make it in a realm as ruthless and ravenous as stardom. The wannabe adult-film performer of X circa 1979 is now the hottest name in skin flicks six years later, a status that matches the sleazy gleam that West and cinematographer Eliot Rockett — who also returns from X and Pearl, and lensed the filmmaker's The House of the Devil, Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever and The Innkeepers before that — afford everything in sight in her new Hollywood life. Minx's existence and career is glowing, but she wants it to shine far and wide beyond porn's shadows, not to mention brighter. Only mainstream stardom will do, albeit with her attempts to break into legit on-camera work squeezed between her usual shoots and doing nights at a peep show. She's certain that she'll get there, though. After striding out of an audition early in the movie, Minx tells the long parade of other actors lining to be seen not to bother trying to walk in her footsteps. That quest to secure the lead in The Puritan 2, which British filmmaker Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown) is directing, is a helluva early character-defining moment — and moment in general. It's also cannily juxtaposed with a glimpse of Maxine's pre-X background, when she was a kid (Charley Rowan McCain, SWAT) in the 50s that Pearl cribbed its style and cinematic influences from, as seen on a TV set as black-and-white home-movie footage. Not giving up has been her mantra for decades, West makes plain. As Bender looks on with a steely stare, 80s-era Maxine performs her monologue with not just precision but conviction that's clearly been forged since her youngest days. She snaps into it instantly, summons tears just as commandingly, then switches back to her regular self as quickly. Digging into trauma is that easy for her. So is agreeing to the next audition request: baring her breasts. Booking the gig makes Minx a kindred spirit to Bender, in a way: both see MaXXXine's film within a film as a springboard to broader credibility, which is no straightforward task given the period or industry. But The Puritan 2's lead is also a woman haunted, though not in the soul-shaking sense, as X established isn't in this character's wheelhouse. Rather, her past keeps making its presence felt, especially via shady private detective John Labat (Kevin Bacon, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F) and his mysterious employer, who know what Maxine did a few years prior to last summer. Additional torment comes via mounting deaths around her, which are chalked up by some to the Night Stalker — aka Richard Ramirez, the IRL serial killer who terrorised mid-80s LA — yet not by persistent detectives Williams (Michelle Monaghan, The Family Plan) and Torres (Bobby Cannavale, Bupkis). Also backdropped by the real-life campaign against purportedly inappropriate pop culture, such as the Parents Music Resource Center's "Filthy Fifteen" songs (tracks by Prince, Madonna, AC/DC, Cyndi Lauper, Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard all featured), MaXXXine might involve a realm that's all about money shots, but it's a neon-lit movie to scour while savouring the moment, not to watch waiting for the climax. That's no knock on the picture's finale, which knows how to deliver. Instead, it's recognition that West is having fun overall, and in slipping in nods to the film's predecessors, getting meta with his casting and riffing with screen history — all smartly and entertainingly. Putting Bacon, who is visibly having a ball, in an 80s-set horror flick while also winking to Footloose is the franchise's second-best use of talent since choosing Goth as its centre. Literally wandering around Tinseltown's past on the Universal lot, including the slasher ground zero that is the Bates Motel set, brings mood, meaning and more musings. The latter also gets a-layering itself, operating as an acknowledgement of how the work of Brian De Palma, whose four-decades-back releases Dressed to Kill and Body Double are clearly influences here, itself owed a debt to Alfred Hitchcock. For even more company for Goth, West finds space for Giancarlo Esposito (The Boys) as Maxine's agent and lawyer, Lily Collins (Emily in Paris) as a fellow actor, Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets) as an FX artist, and Halsey (Americana) and Moses Sumney (The Idol) as friends, too. With its roster of talent, MaXXXine also goes big. Still, it knows its star. Goth is the sun in this franchise, to be accurate, whether she's busting balls — which isn't a metaphor on every occasion — or stopping at nothing to be in the world that she so deeply and feverishly covets. There's wit, insight, gore, and both horror and cinema affection galore across X, Pearl and MaXXXine, and West gives it his all, but Goth's efforts over and over have sent this saga soaring. No viewer can doubt that as Maxine here and in X, as Pearl in X and the character's own eponymous flick, and as Mia after prior parts in Nymphomaniac: Vol II, A Cure for Wellness, Suspiria, High Life and Emma, that she would ever tolerate a single thing that she doesn't feel that she's earned and is entitled to.
Brisbane, prepare to say ciao to Italian cinema throughout September and October, because the annual showcase of films from or about the European nation is back for another round. The Lavazza Italian Film Festival is back for its 17th year — and if the program is anything to go by, it's going to be another good one. Not only will the 2016 fest kick off with Italian box office hit Perfect Strangers and close with the digital restoration of the Audrey Hepburn-starring classic Roman Holiday, but it also boasts a world premiere. Local audiences will be the first on the planet to see the first-ever Australian-Italian feature co-production, The Space Between. Charting the intersection of an Italian ex-chef and a spirited Aussie in the scenic Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, it has been described as "a celebration of the Italian spirit of la dolce vita". All up, the program boasts 30 films. Because you probably won't have time to see them all, check out our list of the five must-see films of this year's Italian Film Festival. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sYLibWZrRs THE SPACE BETWEEN The feature filmmaking debut of Melbourne director Ruth Borgobello, The Space Between marks the first ever co-production between Italy and Australia — and will fittingly make its world premiere at this year's Lavazza Italian Film Festival. A romantic drama, the film follows an ex-chef, Marco (Flavio Parenti) who falls for an Australian woman named Olivia (Maeve Dermody) after a chance encounter in the picturesque town of Udine in Northern Italy. Dermody and Borgobello are guests of the festival, and will take part in Q&A sessions following selection screenings in Sydney and Melbourne. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBpVt7SiLVM FIORE Straight from the Directors' Fortnight section at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival back in May, the third feature effort from Claudio Giovannesi shapes up as one of the most intriguing titles in this year's IFF program. Fiore concerns a young woman, played by newcomer Daphne Scoccia, who must adjust to life in juvenile prison after being convicted of robbery. Giovannesi cast a number of non-professional actors, including several who had previously served time behind bars. The decision clear paid off, with the film — and Scoccia's performance in particular — scoring strong reviews from critics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg9avYV3FPs ONE KISS Best known for penning the Tilda Swinton vehicle I Am Love, writer-director Ivan Cotroneo here adapts his own novel, about a trio of unlikely friends living in a small Italian town. High school students Blu, Lorenzo and Antonio might not have much in common, but their shared outsider status soon brings them together. A coming of age drama, One Kiss scored a gong for Best Screenwriting at Italy's annual film awards, and is described in the festival program as a story about "friendship, the limits of imagination, and the consequence of honesty". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3al1PBx09A WHERE AM I GOING? The new comedy from Gennaro Nunziante broke box office records in Italy, to the point that it even gave Star Wars: The Force Awakens a serious run for its money. Where Am I Going? stars Luca Medici as Checco Zalone, a lazy, middle-aged bureaucrat willing to go to enormous lengths to keep his cushy government job and benefits package. A scathing critique of the Italian public service, the film also reportedly thumbs its nose of the concept of political correctness. Whether its sense of humour will be embraced by Australian audiences, we'll have to wait and see. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twi3lQIDkiU ROMAN HOLIDAY Of course, we had to include at least one retro title on this list — and, honestly, who could look past this Audrey Hepburn classic? William Wyler's 1953 romantic comedy, one of the greatest and most iconic of all time, has recently undergone a brand new digital restoration, and will no doubt look amazing when it lights up the big screen on closing night. Join Hepburn and Gregory Peck on a Vespa ride around the Italian capital and fall in love with the city all over again. The Italian Film Festival will run from September 28 until October 19 at Brisbane's Palace Barracks. See the full program at italianfilmfestival.com.au.
