Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS Somewhere in the multiverse, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is terrific. In a different realm, it's terrible. Here in our dimension, the 28th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe teeters and twirls in the middle. The second movie to focus on surgeon-turned-sorcerer Dr Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog), it's at its best when it embraces everything its director is known for. That said, it's also at its worst when it seems that harnessing Sam Raimi's trademarks — his visual style, bombast, comic tone and Evil Dead background, for instance — is merely another Marvel ploy. Multiverse of Madness is trippy, dark, sports a bleak sense of humour and is as close as the MCU has gotten to horror, all immensely appreciated traits in this sprawling, box office-courting, never-ending franchise. But it stands out for the wrong reasons, too, especially how brazenly it tries to appear as if it's twisting and fracturing the typical MCU template when it definitely isn't. Welcomely weirder than the average superhero flick (although not by too much), but also bluntly calculating: that's Multiverse of Madness, and that's a messy combination. It's apt given its eponymous caped crusader has always hailed from Marvel's looser, goofier and, yes, stranger side since his MCU debut in 2016's plainly titled Doctor Strange; however, it's hard to believe that such formulaic chaos was truly the plan for this follow-up. Similarly, making viewers who've long loved Raimi's work feel like their strings are so obviously being pulled, all for something that hardly takes creative risks, can't have been intentional. It's wonderful that Multiverse of Madness is clearly directed by the filmmaker who gave the world Army of Darkness and its predecessors, the Tobey Maguire-starring Spider-Man movies and Drag Me to Hell. It's fantastic that Raimi is helming his first feature since 2013's Oz the Great and Powerful, of course. But it's also deeply dispiriting to see the filmmaker's flourishes used like attention-grabbing packaging over the same familiar franchise skeleton. Multiverse mayhem also underscored Multiverse of Madness' immediate predecessor, for instance — aka 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home. That's the last time that audiences saw Stephen Strange, when he reluctantly tinkered with things he shouldn't to help Peter Parker, those actions had consequences and recalling Raimi's time with Spidey came with the territory. Strange's reality-bending trickery has repercussions here as well, because Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen, Sorry for Your Loss) isn't thrilled about her fellow super-powered pal's exploits. Yes, Multiverse of Madness assumes viewers have not only watched all 27 past MCU movies, but also its small-screen offshoots — or WandaVision at least, where the enchantress that's also Scarlet Witch broke rules herself and wasn't still deemed a hero. Multiverse of Madness begins before its namesake and Wanda cross paths after their not-so-smooth moves, actually. Strange's latest escapade kicks off with monsters, moving platforms, a shimmering book, and a girl he doesn't know and yet wants to save. It's a dream, but said teen — America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez, The Babysitters Club) — is soon part of his waking life. Hailing from another dimension and possessing the ability to hop through the multiverse, she's still being chased. Interrupting Strange's brooding at his ex-girlfriend Christine's (Rachel McAdams, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga) wedding, rampaging critters reappear as well, while a sinister tome called The Dark Hold also factors in. The mission: save the girl and all possible worlds, aided by Strange's old friend and now-Sorcerer Supreme Wong (Benedict Wong, Nine Days), and via a run-in with nemesis Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor, Locked Down). Read our full review. PETITE MAMAN Forget the "find someone who looks at you like…" meme. That's great advice in general, and absolutely mandatory if you've ever seen a Céline Sciamma film. No one peers at on-screen characters with as much affection, attention, emotion and empathy as the French director. Few filmmakers even come close, and most don't ever even try. That's been bewitchingly on display in her past features Water Lillies, Tomboy, Girlhood and Portrait of a Lady on Fire, any of which another helmer would kill to have on their resume. It's just as apparent in Petite Maman, her entrancing latest release, as well. Now 15 years into her directorial career, Sciamma's talent for truly seeing into hearts and minds is unshakeable, unparalleled and such a lovely wonder to watch — especially when it shines as sublimely and touchingly as it does here. In Sciamma's new delicate and exquisite masterpiece, the filmmaker follows eight-year-old Nelly (debutant Joséphine Sanz) on a trip to her mother's (Nina Meurisse, Camille) childhood home. The girl's maternal grandmother (Margot Abascal, The Sower) has died, the house needs packing up, and the trip is loaded with feelings on all sides. Her mum wades between sorrow and attending to the task. With melancholy, she pushes back against her daughter's attempts to help, too. Nelly's laidback father (Stéphane Varupenne, Monsieur Chocolat) assists as well, but with a sense of distance; going through the lifelong belongings of someone else's mother, even your spouse's, isn't the same as sifting through your own mum's items for the last time. While her parents work, the curious Nelly roves around the surrounding woods — picture-perfect and oh-so-enticing as they are — and discovers Marion (fellow newcomer Gabrielle Sanz), a girl who could be her twin. The Sanz sisters are identical twins IRL, and why they've been cast is right there in Petite Maman's name. Spelling out anything further would be saying more than is needed going in; flitting through the story's intricacies alongside Nelly is one of its many marvels. Like all kids, she's naturally inquisitive about her parents' upbringings. "You never tell me about when you were children," she complains to her dad, who counters that, actually, he and her mother do. Like all kids, she's also keenly aware of the special alchemy that comes with following in your mother and father's youthful footsteps, all just by being in the house and roaming around the woods where her mum grew up. There's nothing as immersive in helping to understand why one of the people that brought you into the world became who they are. Indeed, it's no surprise that Sciamma and her cinematographer Claire Mathon (Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Spencer) shoot the film in golden and glowing autumnal hues. Nelly has questions for Marion, too, and vice versa; however, spending time in each other's company, watching the connection that springs and embracing every emotion it evokes is Sciamma's plan for the quickly thick-as-thieves pair. Explanations about what's happening are unnecessary; only the experience itself, the mood and the resonance it all holds are what matters. So, the girls do what kids do, whether amid all that ethereal greenery or inside Marion's home, decked out in vintage decor as it is, where Nelly meets her new pal's mother. The two girls play, including in a teepee-like hut made out of branches. They write and perform their own play, costumes and all. They share secrets, talk about their dreams for the future, make pancakes, bust out boardgames, and also float through their new friendship as if they're the only people who matter — in that intimate, serious and earnest way that children do with their friends. Read our full review. THE DROVER'S WIFE THE LEGEND OF MOLLY JOHNSON Leah Purcell's resume isn't short on highlights — think: Black Comedy, Wentworth and Redfern Now, plus Lantana, Somersault and Last Cab to Darwin (to name just a few projects) — but the Goa-Gunggari-Wakka Wakka Murri actor, director and writer clearly has a passion project. In 2016, she adapted Henry Lawson's short story The Drover's Wife for the stage. In 2019, she moved it back to the page. Now, she brings it to the big screen via The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson. Only minutes into her searing feature filmmaking debut, why Purcell keeps needing to tell this 19th century-set tale is patently apparent. In her hands, it's a story of anger, power, prejudice and revenge, and also a portrait of a history that's treated both women and Indigenous Australians abhorrently. Aussie cinema hasn't shied away from the nation's problematic past in recent times (see also: Sweet Country, The Nightingale, The Furnace and High Ground); however, this is an unforgettably potent and piercing movie. In a fiery performance that bristles with steeliness, Purcell plays the eponymous, gun-toting and heavily pregnant Molly. In the process, she gives flesh, blood and a name to a character who wasn't allowed the latter in Lawson's version. In this reimagining, Molly is a 19th-century Indigenous Australian woman left alone with her four children (and one on the way) on a remote Snowy Mountains property for lengthy stretches while her husband works — and that situation, including the reasons behind it and the ramifications from it, causes ripples that shape the course of the film. Two of the key questions that The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson asks couldn't be more obvious, but something doesn't have to be subtle to be potent and perceptive. Those queries: what impact does being marginalised twice over, as both a woman and a First Nations Australian, leave on the feature's protagonist? How has it forged her personality, shaped what she cares about and cemented what she's capable of? It's during her spouse's latest absence that the film unfurls its story, not with a snake but rather strangers trotting Molly and her children's way. New sergeant Nate Clintoff (Sam Reid, The Newsreader) and his wife Louisa (Jessica De Gouw, Operation Buffalo) decamp from England — both well-meaning, and the latter a journalist who even protests against domestic violence, but neither truly understands Molly's experience. Also darkening her door: her husband's pals (Dead Lucky's Anthony Cogin and Wakefield's Harry Greenwood), who make the male entitlement and privilege of the time brutally apparent. And, there's no shortage of other locals determined and downright eager to throw their might, morals and opinions around, be it the resident judge (Nicholas Hope, Moon Rock for Monday), the minister (Bruce Spence, The Dry) or his unwed sister (Maggie Dence, Frayed). As Purcell impresses in her stare and stance first and foremost, Molly doesn't let her guard down around anyone. The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson has the parade of supporting characters to show why, and to illustrate the attitudes its namesake has been forced to stomach silently her entire life. She sports physical markers, too; from the outset of this moody and brooding film, there's no doubting that violence is a familiar and frequent part of Molly's existence. But Aboriginal fugitive Yadaka (Rob Collins, Firebite) is one of the few figures to venture in her direction and earn more than her ferocious gaze. He's on the run from murder charges, although he states his real crime bluntly: "existing while Black". Around the Johnson property, he strikes up a warm camaraderie with Molly's eldest boy, 12-year-old Danny (newcomer Malachi Dower-Roberts) — and, in another of the script's point-blank strokes, he's soon the closest thing to an ally his wary host has ever had beyond her children. Read our full review. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on February 3, February 10, February 17 and February 24; and March 3, March 10, March 17, March 24 and March 31; and April 7, April 14, April 21 and April 28. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Belfast, Here Out West, Jackass Forever, Benedetta, Drive My Car, Death on the Nile, C'mon C'mon, Flee, Uncharted, Quo Vadis, Aida?, Cyrano, Hive, Studio 666, The Batman, Blind Ambition, Bergman Island, Wash My Soul in the River's Flow, The Souvenir: Part II, Dog, Anonymous Club, X, River, Nowhere Special, RRR, Morbius, The Duke and Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Fantastic Beasts and the Secrets of Dumbledore, Ambulance, Memoria, The Lost City, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Happening, The Good Boss, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, The Northman, Ithaka, After Yang, Downton Abbey: A New Era and Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy.
Since arriving in town a few years back, Salt Meats Cheese has been giving Brisbanites a pizza-filled treat. And, as part of its lineup of Italian eats, it's been known to give the city's residents plenty of specials in its time — including the return of its $25 all-you-can-eat pizza nights every Monday at its Newstead store. "Does this look like someone who's had all they can eat?" isn't something you'll be saying when you devour as many slices as your stomach can handle in 90 minutes, so calm your inner Homer Simpson. The main catch is that you'll have to buy a drink as well, but you can choose from both boozy and non-alcoholic options. Available from 5pm, this hefty feast serves up multiple options, too. You can stick with the $25 pizza-focused option, or add any pasta from the menu to your all-you-can-eat dinner for an extra $5. And if you're vegan or eat a gluten free diet, those can also be catered for for another $5. You do need to finish each serving of pizza or pasta before ordering your next, but that's hardly a tough rule.
Space travel made headlines in 2021 when several billionaires battled to be the first to exit the Earth's atmosphere. But thankfully, you don't have to be mega rich to get your intergalactic fix in Brisbane. Instead, you just need to head to huge space exploration exhibition Neighbourhood Earth. Arriving three years after Queensland Museum paid tribute to all things NASA, this award-winning showcase brings together science and cutting-edge technology to create an unforgettable outer space experience. Inside the exhibition, which is setting up at Queens Plaza in the CBD, you and your crew can immerse yourselves in the solar system and humanity's place in it — and check out a full-size replica of a section of the International Space Station, plus a prototype Z-2 Spacesuit that's designed to be worn on future missions to Mars. Expect illuminated screens, spectacular surround sound and a giant projection-mapped show combining to deliver a multi-sensory, panoramic cinematic adventure, too. Fancy seeing a double sunrise on Mercury, lightning on equatorial Venus, a blue Martian sunset or descending into Jupiter's Great Red Spot? That's also part of Neighbourhood Earth. There'll be museum-quality models, spacecrafts and tools as well, showcasing facts and stories about space exploration. Plus, the touch-respondent projections and holographics are bound to leave you mesmerised. Neighbourhood Earth comes to Brisbane from Saturday, November 5, 2022–Sunday, February 5, 2023, for a hefty summer run bookending the Christmas holidays — and expect space devotees of all ages to attend the family-friendly event. Split across three zones, the exhibition is presented by entertainment platform Fever, and comes to Brisbane after stints in Sydney and Melbourne. There's some big brains behind the project — it was dreamed up by the teams at the US Space & Rocket Centre and NASA's George C. Marshall Space Flight Centre in conjunction with integrated production company Toto Creative — so be ready to have your own mind expanded.
If you live in Brisbane, you likely love a burger, given that there seems to be a new joint slinging the savoury meat-and-bun combination on every corner. And if you live in Brisbane and love burgers, you're probably more than a little fond of Ben's. It didn't become the city's favourite laneway hangout in just over a year of operation without good reason. Prepare to be excited then, Winn Lane-venturing American-style burger fans, about West End's newest eatery. Though every addition to the vibrant area (and fresh excuse to eat, drink and be merry) provides ample cause for celebration, only The Bleachers comes with Ben's menu — plus a few extra additions. On the burger front, expect to find their small in number but big in taste offerings on Boundary Street, including the three regular choices that comprise their lunch and dinner lineup. Whether the classic, the special or the mushroom-focused vegetarian burger gets your tastebuds tingling, or perhaps the chilli fries as a sizeable accompaniment, you'll now be able to devour them on the other side of the inner city. When it comes to finding the cherry on top of what already sounds like a certain West End hotspot, look no further than the broader seasonal menu. Well, actually, look to The Bleachers' option for dessert, because it's certain to satisfy your sweet tooth. Who doesn't want to pair their burger or other scrumptious meal with the cold, swirled, sugary goodness that is soft serve ice cream fresh out of the machine? The Bleachers is coming soon to Boundary Street, West End. Keep an eye on their website for more information, or check out Ben's Burgers on Facebook.
As all those towering buildings dotted against the skyline demonstrate, the Gold Coast isn't short on places to stay — including when you're a Brisbanite heading slightly south for the kind of getaway that's not a staycation, but doesn't involve venturing too far from home. That said, from mid-December, your choice of where to slumber might revolve around a key question: do you want to pair your holiday with swims, cocktails and cabana hangs at a pool club? The Star Gold Coast is launching two new additions: Isoletto Pool Club, which is where all those dips and drinks come in; and Isoletto Privé, an events space with a deck tailor-made for parties. They'll be located within the resort, on the sixth level of its new $400 million, 53-storey hotel and apartment tower — and will be open to both residents and hotel guests. A coast holiday it is, then — depending on your budget, that is. The sky-high Isoletto Pool Club will feature a 12-metre-long pool that boasts views over to Broadbeach, daybeds scattered around the deck and wet lounges in the pool itself. There'll also be a restaurant and lounge, with spritzes, other cocktails and light dishes heroing seasonal produce on the menu. You'll be able to sit indoors or outside and, if you've snagged a cabana or daybed, your drinks will be brought to you. Sporting a fitout by local architecture and interior design practice Plus Architecture — think: lemon and tangerine colours that nod to the Gold Coast surroundings — the pool club will be joined by Isoletto Privé, which'll be used to host parties, events and weddings. It features a lawn, deck and terrace, and also comes with views both out over the shoreline and over to the hinterland. The new spaces are launching in time with Queensland's border reopening to double-vaccinated interstate visitors without requiring a quarantine or self-isolation stint. As for the bookings for the new tower, it's now accepting reservations for stays in its 422 apartments — which'll host short-term stays, long-term rentals and permanent residents — from June 2022. Isoletto Pool Club and Isoletto Privé events space will open at The Star Gold Coast, 1 Casino Drive, Broadbeach, from mid-December. For further information, head to The Star's website. Images: concept images.
Forget about decking the halls with boughs of holly. That's all well and good and festive, but when it comes to filling your house with greenery, why stop there? Adding to the seasonal shopping bonanza that's taking over every corner of the city, or so it seems, VEND Marketplace's Greenhouse is hosting a one-day Christmas Plant Sale. Earlier this year, the northside spot added the Greenhouse as a new space dedicated to plants. Since then, it has been trying to help you fill your home with all types of green goodies. 'Tis the time for giving, so now it's helping you fill your loved ones' houses with leafy beauties as well. The all-day sale is upping the ante from 8am–4pm on Saturday, December 14. That's when the 250-square-metre indoor garden will be slinging hundreds of its green babies while feeling festive — and yes, there'll be succulents, cacti, indoor plants, hanging plants, outdoor plants, pots and more. Plenty of plants will be on sale for less than $12, and there'll also be juice, smoothies, tea, coffee, beer and wine to drink. Plus, if you can find a hidden jungle animal, you'll nab yourself a free piece of greenery. Image: VEND Marketplace.
Here's an excuse to roll out of bed early, then start your day with a cinema date: on Sunday mornings, Hoyts is slashing its standard ticket prices to $10 before midday at its cinemas across Australia, including in Brisbane. Head to one of chain's picture palaces and pick whichever film that's playing, as long as it's an early session that begins prior 12.01pm, to score a bargain movie date to kick off winter. Sure, Sunday mornings are prime sleep-in time, but this is a hard deal to pass off if you're a cinephile, on a budget, like spending the colder months indoors, are looking for a cheap date idea or all of the above. Initially, the special was only running for June, but now it has been extended for the foreseeable future, with no end date locked in. Movie-wise, there are plenty of titles to choose from, whether you're keen on the Austin Butler-starring motorcycle drama The Bikeriders, the horror thrills of A Quiet Place: Day One, or getting animated with Inside Out 2 and Despicable Me 4. You can also catch Twisters and Deadpool & Wolverine, which release in July. You don't need to be a Hoyts member to score the discount; however, there are some caveats. The $10 tickets are only available on Sundays; can be booked online, via the Hoyts app or in-person at the cinema; and will attract a booking fee for everything but physical purchases. And again, the deal applies just to standard sessions, not HOYTS LUX and special events — but you can pay extra to sit in a D-BOX motion recliner or get the Xtremescreen experience. Updated Wednesday, July 3, 2024.
Unroll your posters, dust-off that secret diary and get ready to rock your body right: the Backstreet Boys are bringing their latest world tour Down Under. Get ready for another hefty dose of 90s nostalgia, too, given that you can now see the huge boy band at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Wednesday, March 8. Backstreet's back — alright. Get ready to belt out the lyrics to 'Everybody (Backstreet's Back)', 'As Long As You Love Me', 'I Want It That Way', 'Larger Than Life' and 'Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely' when the famous five — aka AJ McLean, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter, Howie Dorough and Kevin Richardson — head our way for a very nostalgic arena tour. The Backstreet Boys will also be performing songs off their 2019 album DNA, which debuted at number one on the charts when it was released and features Grammy-nominated single 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart'. Fingers crossed that they also break out tracks from their new festive record A Very Backstreet Christmas, even though it won't quite be the season. Either way, we know you'll most likely be there for the 90s and early 00s goodness — and to break out your 'Everybody' moves.
Among the array of difficult decisions that shape each and every movie, structure — that is, how directors and screenwriters choose to order and relay their on-screen stories — ranks among the most pivotal. Many filmmakers prefer the scaffolding of their films to remain invisible, so their features flow seamlessly from beginning to middle to end without anyone noticing the wheels turning, and that's perfectly fine. Indeed, it suits plenty of cinematic tales. But when someone like acclaimed French auteur François Ozon calls attention to exactly how he's organising and doling out his narrative, he does so with a definite purpose. Actually, in his latest drama By the Grace of God, he does so to make a statement. This Berlinale Silver Bear-winner explores sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, diving into its tough subject matter by not only charting the paths of three men who were all molested by the same priest as children, but by dedicating roughly a third of its running time to each of them. This move, made by Ozon as both a writer and director, is also equally sensible and natural. By the Grace of God meets its trio of protagonists as adults, as lawyer Alexandre Guérin (Melvil Poupaud), then atheist François Debord (Denis Ménochet), and then the younger and more visibly troubled Emmanuel Thomassin (Swann Arlaud) all face their ordeals decades earlier at the hands of Father Preynat (Bernard Verley). When Alexandre, who remains a church-goer and now has his own young children, discovers that the Lyon priest is still allowed to work with kids, he makes a complaint to Cardinal Philippe Barbarin (François Marthouret). Later, Police Chief Courteau (Frédéric Pierrot) begins investigating as well. Slowly, both François and Emmanuel are drawn into these enquires, with the narrative shifting its focus accordingly. Although there's no literal baton-passing, that's the overall effect. By arranging the movie in this fashion, Ozon gives himself the space to tell three very distinctive (yet still related) stories. As is to be expected, Alexandre, François and Emmanuel's shared traumatic childhood experiences have affected them in completely different ways, and conveying this is crucial. Beyond that, however — and perhaps more importantly than that — Ozon's tripartite structure shows how something this insidious and atrocious causes ripples that don't ever end. Reflecting the reality of such cases, By the Grace of God could've included five, ten or vastly more main characters, relaying the torch from one to the other. As the news keep reminding us, tales like these aren't fictional or isolated. Ultimately, the film hones in on just three men and their encounters with one priest, but it wholeheartedly highlights the devastating scope of sexual abuse in religious institutions, both in terms of the number of victims and the unshakeable pain that follows them throughout their lives. The details at the centre of By the Grace of God are, as with excellent Best Picture Oscar winner Spotlight, actually based on truth. Here, the film's ripped-from-the-headlines storyline caused two of the figures portrayed within its frames take legal action to — unsuccessfully — attempt to block its release. While he's known for working in fiction across everything from the comedy (In the House) to psychosexual thriller (Double Lover) genres, Ozon reportedly originally considered turning this story into a documentary. Sticking with an appropriately beige-hued drama instead, he more than does it justice. This is a sensitive and sobering picture, with Ozon in a far more restrained mode than evidenced in previous efforts such as Swimming Pool and Young & Beautiful. The use of letters read via voice-over to provide viewers with swathes of information doesn't always work as well as intended, but that By the Grace of God sparks a wealth of anger, dismay and empathy while watching should surprise no one — nor that it does so in a measured and careful manner. It seems a sad fact of life that, in most corners of the world, movies like this are always going to be topical and timely. In Australia, in a year that's seen a landmark case taken through Victoria's courts, the film lands at a particularly significant moment. As a result, it's fitting that Ozon's thoughtful feature apes a fundamental tenet of legal action in such heartbreaking circumstances. By telling this tale, it gives victims a voice. Poupaud, Ménochet and Arlaud are each superb as men forever changed by their tainted youth — Poupaud in a grounded way, Ménochet playing lively and impassioned (and proving worlds away from his menacing turn in last year's Custody), and Arlaud serving up a simply haunting performance. By virtue of its savvy structure, By the Grace of God pushes this top trio and their real-life characters to the fore, ensuring that the consequences of letting abuse get swept under the pulpit are not just on display for all to see, but are thoroughly inescapable. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-kwXK-SS3U
The seventh season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine is currently dropping new episodes weekly via SBS Viceland and SBS On Demand — which means you're either eagerly catching each fresh instalment every Friday, or you've got some catch-up binging to do. Either way, if you've been watching and rewatching the hit cop sitcom since it first premiered back in 2013, then you also have something else to pop in your calendar: Isolation Trivia's upcoming B99-themed online quiz evening. How long did Charles Boyle spend dreaming of Jake Peralta and Amy Santiago's wedding? What did Rosa Diaz do before she was a cop? Who keeps swooping in and taking the Nine-Nine crew's cases? Which one is Scully and which is Hitchcock? And which one of the latter duo has a twin? If you can answer all of the above — and name Captain Holt's dog, Terry's kids, Gina's dance troupe and Jake's favourite movie — then you're set for this trivia night. And, because these fictional TV cops wouldn't want you breaking Australia's current social-distancing guidelines, it's all taking place virtually. Live-streaming from 6.30pm AEST (7.30pm AEDT) on Thursday, April 2, this online trivia contest is completely devoted to the show that was cancelled and then resurrected in the space of 36 hours, then was renewed for an eighth season before its seventh one even aired, and features more Die Hard references than you'd think possible in one sitcom. We'd keep asking Brooklyn Nine-Nine questions and dropping tidbits, but we'll save some for the big night. If you're as keen to take part as Terry is about a tub of yoghurt, you just need to head to the Isolation Trivia Facebook page, click 'get reminder' and clear out your Thursday night. That'll be your time to shine (and that can also be the title of your sex tape if you'd like). Images: SBS
The single greatest cult film this side of The Rocky Horror Picture Show is coming back to Brisbane for a timely Friday night engagement. With The Disaster Artist heading to Australian cinemas at the end of November — telling the tale behind the big screen tale — it's time for The Room once again. Described by critics as "the Citizen Kane of Bad Movies", with one critic comparing the film to "being stabbed in the head", Tommy Wiseau's The Room is an indescribable mess of plot holes, non-sequiturs, blurry camerawork and soft-core sex scenes, topped off by some of worst performances ever put to film. So naturally, we're recommending you go and see it. Of course, the truth is that no one really sees this movie. Rather, they experience it. Screenings of The Room are fully interactive, with audience members screaming lines of dialogue, dressing up like their favourite characters and hurling plastic spoons at the screen. This behaviour is actively encouraged by screening organiser Kristian Fletcher — in fact, he'll even be providing cutlery at the door. The cinema bar will be open ahead of the screening, something you should probably take full advantage of.
In an age when most of us carry our entire digital worlds on a device as small as a pack of playing cards, there is no question that technology has become so thoroughly ingrained in our everyday lives that we barely notice it’s there. While technological progress is generally considered beneficial to the majority, our increasing reliance on it is worth examining critically. Through Subvert Systems, multimedia artist Warren Handley raises questions about consumers’ passive acceptance of everyday technologies by altering the intended function of those technologies. He interrupts flatbed scanners, twisting the resulting imagery into visual representations of the theoretical distortions and ‘information holograms’ left when matter passes through black holes. The exhibition will feature the artist’s digital collages and experimental videos. Subvert Systems is the debut exhibition for new gallery This Must be the Place, recently opened in the Bakery Lane development. An opening night event will be held on Friday 25 September, with the exhibition continuing to 23 October. Image: Warren Handley, Magnetic Field Collapse, 2015, Digital collage/manipulation
Melbourne is back in lockdown, so Melbourne's Sea Life Aquarium is back live-streaming playtime and feeding time with some of its cutest and scariest sea critters. At 5pm AEST on Friday, June 4, you can get up close and personal with the gentoo and king penguins as they slide around their icy home and gobble many fish. From there, the streams will return daily at the same time, running until Friday, June 11. Also on the bill: sneaking a peek at the aquarium's swarms of jellyfish, so you can learn the ins and outs of their luminous lives. As for which other critters will turn up, being surprised each day is part of the fun. To tune in, head head to Sea Life Melbourne's Facebook page. And, because this isn't the aquarium's only dive into digital content, you can also check out soothing watery sights aplenty via its mindfulness and slow TV hub.
Over the past couple of years, change has been sweeping through Bowen Hills, and it shows no signs of stopping any time soon. King Street continues to flourish as Brisbane's new foodie precinct, adding new eateries with frequency. A new boutique laneway is set to join the fold, complete with its own dining hub. And now a huge food truck hangout is about to pull up at the Ekka site as well. As first announced last November, the new meals-on-wheels mecca is named Welcome to Bowen Hills — and no doubt you'll be making yourself most welcome indeed when it opens at 5pm on February 14. Making its home in the Dairy Hall and Sugar Building at the Brisbane Showgrounds Precinct, and designed to host a rotating array of Brissie's best food vans, it'll change its lineup daily. For those keen to drop by in the first few weeks, initial vendors include Mr Burger, King of the Wings, Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers, The Bratmobile, Mussel Brothers and Mac From Way Back, among a mouthwatering range of others. Employing a concept that not only follows in the footsteps of Melbourne's Welcome to Thornbury, but is run by the exact same team, Welcome to Bowen Hills will also boast a permanent indoor bar slinging craft brews and cocktail jugs, called the Milk Bar, plus a separate boutique gin bar called Swill. And, like its southern counterpart, patrons can expect themed fun aplenty as well. Trivia, BYO dog, $10 tallies and tiki, and life drawing are all currently on the schedule, while the Victorian venture has hosted burger festivals, mulled wine and hot cheese parties, vegan feasts and a mimosa and brunch fest — as well as events dedicated to hot chilli sauce, dim sims and dumplings, bacon and chicken nuggets. Find Welcome to Bowen Hills in the Dairy Hall and Sugar Building at the Brisbane Showgrounds Precinct, Bowen Hills from February 14, or visit the precinct's website and Facebook page for further details. Image: Mr Burger.
Boys and Their Toys shines the spotlight well and truly on those Brisbane boys who are driving the thriving artistic scene. Join Artisan as they celebrate the efforts of some talented fellas and embark on a tour to visit the studios of some of the city's leading male creatives. The pitstops along the way include the work stations of photographer Toby Scott, architect Nick Flutter, the team from eyewear design label Holloway, custom bike partners Steve Barry and Leo Yip from Ellaspede and Alexander Lotersztain and Erik van Genderen from delish West End restaurant, Depo. Step into each of these artists' creative bubbles and pick their brains regarding their inspiration, stories and passions. While this event celebrates local lads, likeminded ladies are more than welcome. Tickets for this exciting event are $80.00, including travel and refreshments. Meet at 1pm at Artisan gallery in Fortitude Valley where the afternoon will begin with Japanese architecture exhibition, Parallel Nippon.
UPDATE, September 19, 2020: RBG is available to stream via DocPlay, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. It's hard to pick just which moment is more endearing: seeing US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg lifting weights in the gym wearing a 'super diva!' jumper, or seeing women six decades her junior plaster her glasses-rimmed face across their t-shirts, bags and even skin. Actually, RBG is filled with scenes that top both. Whenever the octogenarian is spied doing what she does best — fighting for women's rights and progressive ideals, first as a lawyer and then as a judge — this documentary lights up. Still, if there's anything that beats just simply witnessing Ginsburg in action, it's watching as she howls with laughter after seeing Kate McKinnon's Saturday Night Live impersonation of her for the first time. That's the kind of film that RBG is — jam-packed with segments that equally inform and entertain, well aware of what Ginsburg stands for, and unashamedly celebratory about her impact and achievements. Co-directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West had each separately interviewed the justice previously, and felt that the time was right for a documentary paying tribute to her life's work. They couldn't have been more accurate, astute or ahead of the curve. Consider the end result not just an ode to an American icon, but a reminder that change is possible, that battling for it is worthwhile, and that both remain the case in today's fraught and fractured US political climate. If you've missed the Notorious RBG memes, the aforementioned SNL skits, and both the praise and vitriol slung Ginsburg's way (including some of the latter from America's tweeter-in-chief), don't worry. RBG fills in the gaps, and doesn't assume that viewers have an intricate knowledge of the US judicial system or the movie's central figure. Rather, it tackles Ginsburg's tale from two angles. As a birth-to-present day chronicle, the film steps through her childhood and her opposites-attract college romance with husband Marty, as well as her determination to juggle law school with motherhood and everything that has come since. As an exploration of her specific legal influence, it delves into several cases in detail, focusing on those that she argued in front of the Supreme Court prior to joining its ranks. Ginsburg's biography, her legal contribution and each of the individual cases featured could easily furnish their own documentaries, but Cohen and West know how to balance these various components. More than that, they know how to insert Ginsburg's personality into the film, and shape it with her drive and spirit. Given that the justice is known for being reserved and serious (when she's not living her lifelong dream of starring in an opera), that might sound easier said than done. But there's humour, heart and a big helping of grit to this highly accessible movie, even when it's largely assembled through talking heads, archival footage and snippets of Ginsburg's recent speaking appearances. Indeed, RBG mimics its eponymous figure in several ways. Like the justice, it's small, smart and striving; thorough and proficient; and eager to make the world a better place than it currently is. The documentary is also a testament to something that isn't always championed quite so enthusiastically: simply working hard, getting things done and not worrying about any fanfare. With the #MeToo movement and the current recognition that gender equality is in a much worse state than it should be, the film couldn't come at a better moment, but capitalising upon the present mood is purely a stroke of good fortune. While Cohen and West knew Ginsburg was gaining a cult following when they first conceived of their project five years ago, they couldn't foresee they world they'd release their film into. Doing what's necessary and right just because there's a need for it — well, that couldn't be a more Ginsburg-esque move. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TnaEg91qIA
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. FIRE OF LOVE Spewing fire is so hot right now, and literally always — and dragons aren't the only ones doing it. House of the Dragon and Blaze can have their flame-breathing creatures, and Fire of Love can have something that also seems fantastical but is one of the earth's raging wonders. The mix of awe, astonishment, adoration, fear, fascination and unflinching existential terror that volcanoes inspire is this documentary's playground. It was Katia and Maurice Krafft's daily mood, including before they met, became red beanie-wearing volcanologists, built a life chasing eruptions — The Life Volcanic, you could dub it — and devoted themselves to studying lava-spurting ruptures in the planet's crust. Any great doco on a topic such as this, and with subjects like these, should make viewers experience the same thrills, spills, joys and worries, and that's a radiant feat this Sundance award-winner easily achieves. What a delight it would be to trawl through the Kraffts' archives, sift through every video featuring the French duo and their work, and witness them doing their highly risky jobs against spectacular surroundings for hours, days and more. That's the task filmmaker Sara Dosa (The Seer and the Unseen) took up to make this superb film. This isn't the only such doco — legendary German director Werner Herzog has made his own, called The Fire Within: A Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft, after featuring the couple in 2016's Into the Inferno — but Fire of Love is a glorious, sensitive, entrancing and affecting ode to two remarkable people and their love, passion and impact. While history already dictates how the pair's tale ends, together and exactly as it seemed fated to, retracing their steps and celebrating their importance will never stop sparking new pleasures. For newcomers to the Kraffts, their lives comprised quite the adventure — one with two volcano-obsessed souls who instantly felt like they were destined to meet, bonded over a mutual love of Mount Etna, then dedicated their days afterwards to understanding the natural geological formations that filled their dreams. Early in their time together, the couple gravitated to what they called 'red volcanoes', with their enticing scarlet-hued lava flows. What a phenomenon to explore when romance beats in the air, and when geochemist Katia and geologist Maurice are beginning their life together. From there, however, they moved to analysing what they named 'grey volcanoes'. Those don't visually encapsulate the pair's relationship; they're the craggy peaks that produce masses of ash when they erupt — Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull, for instance — and often a body count. As narrated by actor and Kajillionaire filmmaker Miranda July, Fire of Love starts with blazing infatuation and devotion — between the Kraffts for each other, and for their field of interest — then establishes their legacy. Both aspects could fuel their own movies, and both linger and haunt in their own ways. And, as magnificent as this incredibly thoughtful, informative and stirring documentary is, it makes you wonder what a sci-fi flick made from the same footage would look like. The 16-millimetre imagery captured during the Kraffts' research trips around the globe, whittled down here from 200 hours to fill just 98 minutes, puts even the most state-of-the-art special effects in a different realm. Pixels can be used to paint gorgeous sights, and cinema has no shortage of movies that shimmer with that exact truth, but there really is no substitute for reality. Read our full review. BEAST Idris Elba fights a lion. That's it, that's Beast, as far as film pitches go at least. This South Africa-set thriller's one-sentence summary is up there with 'Jason Statham battles a giant shark' and 'Liam Neeson stares down wolves' — straightforward and irresistible, obviously, in enticing audiences into cinemas. That said, the latest addition to the animals-attack genre isn't as ridiculous as The Meg, and isn't a resonant existential musing like The Grey. What this creature feature wants to be, and is, is a lean, edge-of-your-seat, humanity-versus-nature nerve-shredder. Director Baltasar Kormákur (Adrift) knows that a famous face, a relentless critter as a foe, and life-or-death terror aplenty can be the stuff that cinema dreams and hits are made of. His movie isn't completely the former, but it does do exactly what it promises. If it proves a box office success, it'll be because it dangles an easy drawcard and delivers it. There is slightly more to Beast than Idris Elba brawling with the king of the jungle, of course — or running from it, trying to hide from it in a jeep, attempting to outsmart it and praying it'll tire of seeing him as prey. But this tussle with an apex predator is firmly at its best when it really is that simple, that primal and, with no qualms about gore and jump scares, that visceral. Elba (The Harder They Fall) plays recently widowed American doctor Nate Samuels, who is meant to be relaxing, reconnecting with his teenage daughters Mare (Iyana Halley, Licorice Pizza) and Norah (Leah Jeffries, Rel), and finding solace in a pilgrimage to his wife's homeland. But Beast wouldn't be called Beast if the Samuels crew's time with old family friend Martin (Sharlto Copley, Russian Doll), a wildlife biologist who oversees the nature reserve, was all placid safaris and sunsets. Kormákur doesn't even pretend that bliss is an option, or that the stalking, scares and big man/big cat showdown aren't coming. Ramping up the tension from the outset, his feature begins with the reason that its main maned (and unnamed) creature wants to slash his way through Nate and company: poachers hunting, with the culprits sneaking in at night to elude human eyes and snuff the light out of every feline in a targeted pride, which leaves one particularly large animal, the patriarch, angry and vengeful. Arriving unknowingly in the aftermath, the Samuels family have just chosen the wrong time to visit. Their first encounter with another pride, which Martin helped raise, leaves them awestruck instead of frightened; then they spy Beast's killer beast's handiwork at a nearby village, and surviving becomes their only aim. Swap out Elba from the 'Idris Elba fights a lion' equation and Kormákur would've had a far lesser film on his hands. His premise, wonderfully concise as it is, wouldn't work with any old actor. His entire movie wouldn't, and Beast works on the level it's prowling on — mostly. Screenwriter Ryan Engle (Rampage), using a story by Jaime Primak Sullivan (Breaking In), gives Nate grief and guilt over his past mistakes to grapple with as well as that persistent lion. Yes, the script is that cliched, because action heroes almost always seem to be wooing, worrying about or mourning a woman while they're endeavouring to save something, be it the world, their families or themselves. Elba dances the bereaved absent father dance well, though, with the Beast's depths springing from him rather than the material and its deceased spouse/regretful dad/seize-the-day tropes. Read our full review. BLAZE In the name of its protagonist, and the pain and fury that threatens to parch her 12-year-old existence, Del Kathryn Barton's first feature scorches and sears. It burns in its own moniker, too, and in the blistering alarm it sounds against an appalling status quo: that experiencing, witnessing and living with the aftermath of violence against women is all too common, heartbreakingly so, including in Australia where one woman a week on average is killed by her current or former partner. Blaze has a perfect title, with the two-time Archibald Prize-winning artist behind it crafting a movie that's alight with anger, that flares with sorrow, and that's so astutely and empathetically observed, styled and acted that it chars. Indeed, it's frequently hard to pick which aspect of the film singes more: the story about surviving what should be unknown horrors for a girl who isn't even yet a teen, the wondrously tactile and immersive way in which Blaze brings its namesake's inner world to the screen, or the stunning performance by young actor Julia Savage (Mr Inbetween) in its central part. Savage also has a fitting moniker, impeccably capturing how ferociously she takes on her starring role. Blaze, the Sydney schoolgirl that she plays, isn't always fierce. She's curious and imaginative, happy dwelling in her own dreamy universe long before she flees there after witnessing a rape and murder, and then frightened and fraying while also fuming. In how she's portrayed by Savage, and penned by Barton with co-screenwriter Huna Amweero (also a feature first-timer), she's intricately fleshed out, too, with every reaction she has to the assault proving instantly relatable — especially to anyone whose life has been touched by trauma. We don't all see dragons made out of fabric, felt, feathers, papier-mâché and glitter, helping us through times good and bad, but everyone can understand the feelings behind that dragon, which swelter like the creature's fiery breath. Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon, Blaze isn't — although Jake (Josh Lawson, Mortal Kombat), who Blaze spots in an alleyway with Hannah (Yael Stone, Blacklight), has his lawyer (Heather Mitchell, Bosch & Rockit) claim that his accuser knows nothing. With the attack occurring mere minutes into the movie, Barton dedicates the feature's bulk to how her lead character copes, or doesn't. Being questioned about what she saw in court is just one way that the world tries to reduce her to ashes, but the embers of her hurt and determination don't and won't die. Blaze's father Luke (Simon Baker, High Ground), a single parent, understandably worries about the impact of everything blasting his daughter's way. As she retreats then acts out, cycling between both and bobbing in-between, those fears are well-founded. Blaze is a coming-age-film — a robbing-of-innocence movie as well — but it's also a firm message that there's no easy or ideal response to something as awful as its titular figure observes. The pivotal sequence, lensed by cinematographer Jeremy Rouse (The Turning) and spliced together by editor Dany Cooper (The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson) to be as jarring and unflinching for Blaze's audience as it is for Blaze, is nightmarish. Avoiding agony and anguish isn't Barton's way — and it can't be with this subject matter. While never as harrowing in the same manner again, Blaze is styled by its artist-turned-writer/director in the same expressive, impressionistic way from start to finish, so that watching its frames flicker feels like diving inside its lead character's heart and mind. That internal realm is a place where a pre-trial proceeding erupts into flames spat from Blaze herself, via a tiny white dragon figurine she places between her teeth. Unsurprisingly, that's a spectacular and gloriously cathartic sight. Barton isn't afraid of symbolism, but she's also allergic to emptiness; not a single image in her kaleidoscopic trip through her protagonist's imaginings is ever wasted. Read our full review. HIT THE ROAD How fitting it is that a film about family — about the ties that bind, and when those links are threatened not by choice but via unwanted circumstances — hails from an impressive lineage itself. How apt it is that Hit the Road explores the extent that ordinary Iranians find themselves going to escape the nation's oppressive authorities, too, and doesn't shy away from its political subtext. The reason that both feel ideal stems from the feature's filmmaker Panah Panahi. This isn't a wonderful movie solely due to its many echoes, resonating through the bonds of blood, and also via what's conveyed on-screen and reality around it, though. It's a gorgeously shot, superbly acted, astutely written and deeply felt feature all in its own right, and it cements its director — who debuts as both a helmer and a screenwriter — as an emerging talent to watch. But it's also a film that's inseparable from its context, because it simply wouldn't exist without the man behind it and his well-known background. Panah's surname will be familiar because he's the son of acclaimed auteur Jafar Panahi, one of Iranian cinema's best-known figures for more than two decades now. And Jafar's run-ins with the country's regime will be familiar as well, because the heat he's felt at home for his social commentary-laden work has been well-documented for just as long. The elder Panahi, director of This Is Not a Film, Closed Curtain and more, has been both imprisoned and banned from making movies over the years. In July 2022, he was detained again merely for enquiring about the legal situation surrounding There Is No Evil helmer Mohammad Rasoulof and Poosteh director Mostafa Aleahmad. None of the above directly comes through in Hit the Road's story, not for a moment, but the younger Panahi's characteristically defiant movie is firmly made with a clear shadow lingering over it. When filmmaking becomes a family business, the spectre of the parent can loom over the child, of course — by choice sometimes, and also purely thanks to their shared name. In the first category, Jason Reitman picked up his father Ivan's franchise with Ghostbusters: Afterlife, for instance; Gorō Miyazaki has helmed animated movies for his dad Hayao's Studio Ghibli, such as Tales From Earthsea, From Up on Poppy Hill and Earwig and the Witch; and Brandon Cronenberg's Antiviral and Possessor are chips off The Fly and Videodrome great David Cronenberg's body-horror block. Panahi's Hit the Road also feels like it has been handed down, including in the way it spends the bulk of its time in a car as Jafar's Tehran Taxi and 3 Faces did. That said, it feels as much like the intuitive Panah is taking up the same mission as Jafar as someone purely taking after his dad. Hit the Road's narrative is simple and also devastatingly layered; in its frames, two starkly different views of life in Iran are apparent. A mother (Pantea Panahiha, Rhino), a father (Mohammad Hassan Madjooni, Pig), their adult son (first-timer Amin Simiar) and their six-year-old boy (scene-stealer Rayan Sarlak, Gol be khodi), all unnamed, have indeed done as the movie's moniker suggests — and in a borrowed car. When the film opens, there's no doubting that the kid among them sees the world, and everything in general, as only a kid can. The mood with the child's mum, dad and sibling is far more grim, however, even though they say they're en route to take the brood's eldest to get married. Their time on the road is tense and uncertain, and also tinged with the tenor of not-so-fond farewells — and with nary a glimmer of a celebratory vibe about impending nuptials. Read our full review. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on May 5, May 12, May 19 and May 26; June 2, June 9, June 16, June 23 and June 30; and July 7, July 14, July 21 and July 28; and August 4, August 11 and August 18. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Petite Maman, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Firestarter, Operation Mincemeat, To Chiara, This Much I Know to Be True, The Innocents, Top Gun: Maverick, The Bob's Burgers Movie, Ablaze, Hatching, Mothering Sunday, Jurassic World Dominion, A Hero, Benediction, Lightyear, Men, Elvis, Lost Illusions, Nude Tuesday, Ali & Ava, Thor: Love and Thunder, Compartment No. 6, Sundown, The Gray Man, The Phantom of the Open, The Black Phone, Where the Crawdads Sing, Official Competition, The Forgiven, Full Time, Murder Party, Bullet Train, Nope, The Princess, 6 Festivals, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, Crimes of the Future and Bosch & Rockit.
Before 27 Florence Street became the creative haven that is Love Love, the hundred-year-old Teneriffe house had a death metal room, a resident squatter, junk and crayon everywhere. In 2008 Andy Harwood and Matt Johnson cleared it out and transformed it into the artist run initiative it is today: two large gallery spaces, a dance room, a bar area, several studios for artists to do as they so desire, a skateboard shop and a ramp is currently in construction in the back yard. A far cry from its somewhat morose beginnings, Love Love has dance and pilates classes several times a week, stocks anything skateboarders need in it’s Small Room skateboard shop, and hosts exhibitions every month. This month’s featured Love Love artists are Timothy Lovett, Tommy Cole and Juliet in Six Of One Half A Dozen Of The Other. In Six Of One Half A Dozen Of The Other the three emerging artists approach the topic of déjà vu through a variety of mediums: video, wall drawing, painting and audio. Following Six Of One’s opening night, Love Love is open from Thursday to Friday, 6pm-9pm, Saturday to Sunday 10am-4pm or by appointment. Image credit: Courtesy of Love Love Studios
Are you a budding artist? Keen to hone your skills and meet other artists and cultural practitioners? Then come along to the Backbone 2High Festival at the Powerhouse. The 2High festival is all about celebrating the incredible efforts of young Australians as artists and produces. Each year a team is selected to organise and coordinate the event, so it really is a festival for artists, by artists. Whether you come for the whole day, or just a portion, you'll be pleased by the raw talent onstage as 2High shines the spotlight on the stars of tomorrow. The program is filled to the brim with exciting bands, inspiring actors, visual artists, circus performers and many more talented youngsters. For more information, check out the promo video.
When you're sitting underneath a ceiling garden, you're probably going to want to tuck into a salad. Looking up at greenery is sure to inspire thoughts of filling your stomach with something similar, after all — such as a maple sweet potato and haloumi option, perhaps? Okay, so that's two highlights of West End's new Duo Bar & Restaurant covered: the decor and the menu. There's more to both, of course. Fancy reclining on patio furniture with a cup of tea in your hand? Or tucking into a burger with sweet potato fries? Yep, you'll find all that here. Food-wise, the Browning Street spot does boast options without sweet potato, lest you think they're obsessed with the tasty vegetable. Maybe a stacked cob platter takes your fancy? Or a cup of Bear Bones coffee? Or a heap of all-day breakfast choices? At the moment, Duo's trading hours don't quite let hungry dinners eat brekkie any time they want to; however that's due to change, with dinner and drinks coming in the future.
When Danish director Lars von Trier turned a disposition of great sorrow into a film with 2011’s Melancholia, he followed in the footsteps of a long line of artists channelling despondency into their work. It is the manifestation of a mood of gloom that the UQ Art Museum celebrates, in an exhibition charting the depiction of wistful unhappiness since the Renaissance. Marking the 500th anniversary of Albrecht Dürer’s engraving Melencolia I, the aptly titled Five Centuries of Melancholia features 46 works by 33 artists, all invoking melancholia as a condition, perspective or tone through figures, objects and landscapes. Australians feature prominently, including the Queensland-born Tracey Moffat and William Yang. More than just a carefully curated collection of creative sadness, the exhibition is accompanied by monthly lectures that provide an intellectual insight into the works and term. Fittingly, the program also features a screening of Melancholia on October 7.
Some bands are so influential, so pioneering and so ahead of their time that they change the course of music history. Electro trailblazers Kraftwerk are one such group. Forming in Düsseldorf in 1970, they quickly segued from krautrock to diving into the electronic scene — and imagining the future, including experimenting with robotics, in the process. The song 'Computer Love'? Back in the 80s, it foresaw internet dating. Unsurprisingly, Kraftwerk have left their mark on everything from their chosen genre and techno to synth pop and hip hop since. Also, more than five decades later, the German outfit is still touring. Kraftwerk's live shows are an experience, combining the band's electronic music computer animations and performance art. Take note, Brisbanites, because the group is heading your way in December as part of an Australian and New Zealand tour. The multi-media project founded by Ralf Huetter and Florian Schneider, and that aims to create "gesamtkunstwerk — a total work of art" — in each gig, will play Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Monday, December 4. Expect synthetic voices and computerised rhythms aplenty — it is what Kraftwerk's music is known for, and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame for — plus a visual show that ponders man and machine to match. Kraftwerk's latest visit Down Under comes after the band played Vivid in 2015, as part of 3D Kraftwerk — The Catalogue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8, which saw them perform eight albums from 1974's Autobahn through to 2003's Tour de France over four nights at the Sydney Opera House. Since starting their retrospective gigs at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2012, they've hit up everywhere from London's Tate Modern and Bilbao's Guggenheim Museum to Tokyo's Akasaka Blitz and Los Angeles' Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Been meaning to plan a Sydney jaunt? Time your visit to coincide with Vivid Sydney and thank us later. Not only will you get to see those classic Sydney structures, the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, you'll get to see them up in lights. And they're not the only icons getting a bedazzle during the festival. Also set for a makeover is the legendary Luna Park face, as Samsung joins in the fun with an epic light and sound experience dubbed The Night. Reimagined. Running throughout Vivid Sydney, from Friday, May 25, until June 16, the immersive installation will pop-up on the Sydney Opera House Forecourt. The impressive two-storey, 90-metre labyrinth, with two kilometres of LED lighting, will be split into two pathways — and two very different journeys. Take the first path and you'll become the new face of Luna Park. You'll be able to create an augmented reality selfie using the AR Emoji function on Samsung's new Galaxy S9 and S9+ phone, which will then be projected via live feed onto the Luna Park entrance. There'll also be a viewing platform, where you can watch your animated face from across the Harbour. You'll need to get in early, though, as there are limited spots for the AR projection and, naturally, high demand is expected. On the first path, you'll also experience slow motion at its best in the Super Slow-Mo booth. Here, you can capture mesmerising shots of yourself frolicking among a bunch of chrome-plated balls. Or, you can take the second path, and you'll be taken on an immersive audio light and soundscape experience, transporting you through the night and beyond. Samsung's The Night. Reimagined. will pop-up on the Sydney Opera House Forecourt from May 25–June 16. To learn more, head to the website.
Gear up for a feast beneath the trees as Providore Park returns for another stellar edition. Launched in 2023, this two-day culinary event brings abundant gourmet experiences to Roma Street Parklands, with curated bites and sips making it one of the tastiest weekend encounters throughout the year. Held across Saturday, August 30–Sunday, August 31, entry to this lush 16-acre oasis is free, while there are numerous paid experiences to explore. At the heart of it all is The Village — a picturesque hub featuring over 40 stallholders and producers. Brimming with artisan flavours, catch the likes of Lune Croissanterie, Blackbird Bar & Grill and Easy Times Brewing Co slinging their delicious wares. And while you're roaming from stall to stall looking for the perfect thing to munch on, don't be afraid to spark a conversation with the folks behind these tantalising creations. Alongside this inviting marketplace, Providore Park features a stacked program of ticketed experiences. 'Let's Lunch' showcases a three-course menu created by the Ghanem Group, with twice-daily sessions serving a European-influenced menu or Asian-inspired fare. There's also the 'Bubbles & Bites Tasting', where Kenmore's Good Grace offers macaroons, finger sandwiches and cakes paired with refreshing Drop of Sunshine prosecco. With any luck, the weather will be sunny, ensuring Peach Pit's cocktails and premium wines attract a crowd. Seabourne Distillery is behind the bar's creative concoctions, while DJs on the decks will keep the atmosphere bright and bubbly. Yet if dancing is high on your agenda, the Main Stage is the place to be. Here, local acts like SCAT and the Jason McGregor Trio will make sunning it up on your picnic blanket especially serene. Tickets for Providore Park's paid experiences are on sale from Thursday, July 31.
When Harvest Rock announced that it was making a comeback for 2025, it locked in a big return for a music festival that's boasted killer lineups on its two past spins: for its debut in 2022 and its second spin in 2023. This year's roster of acts for the two-day Adelaide music festival is again a list to get excited about. There's no "someday" about when The Strokes will next be in Australia: headlining Harvest Rock and doing an Aussie-exclusive show, they're the main event on Saturday, October 25. Also taking to the stage on the fest's first 2025 day are The War on Drugs, also doing an Australian-exclusive gig. Vance Joy, M.I.A., Lime Cordiale and Genesis Owusu will be wowing Saturday crowds as well, as will The Presets, The Jungle Giants, Cloud Control, Bag Raiders and more. If you're a fan of Wolfmother's self-titled debut album, you're also in luck: the Australian band will play it in full. Harvest Rock's Sunday, October 26 lineup boasts Jelly Roll as its headliner, followed by Royel Otis, Groove Armada doing a DJ set, Shaboozey, PNAU, Lauren Spencer Smith, Ruel and Sneaky Sound System — and others. The fest's second day is also scoring the Ministry of Sound Classical treatment, aka dance music hits played live by an orchestra. The venue: Rymill Park / Murlawirrapurka and King Rodney Park / Ityamai-itpina. When the event was first born, hailing from the Secret Sounds crew — who were also behind Splendour in the Grass — it not only aimed to get everyone dancing in a park in Adelaide each spring, but also delivered a weekend-long blend of music, food and wine. That's once more the setup. Accordingly, the festival also spans Adelaide's top restaurants and eateries serving up dishes, a culinary-focused stage and wine tastings. In 2025, the Amuse-Bouche Stage is part of the lineup, for instance, bringing together culinary figures, podcasters and comedians — with Ben Harvey and Belle Jackson, Nat's What I Reckon, the Marmalade trio and folks from the music bill also featuring. For a bite and a sip, Wildwoods & Cellar Door by Duncan Welgemoed & Nick Stock, Denny Bradden's Dirty Doris Diner, Regent Thai, Africola Canteen, Anchovy Bandit and Gang Gang are among your options. And, label-wise from the vino selection, so are Ochota Barrels, Yangarra, Basket Range Wines, Murdoch Hill, Grant Nash, Sherrah, S.C.Pannell / Protero, Shaw + Smith / Other Wine Co, Henschke, Les Fruits / Parley, Bloomfield, Stoke Wines, Worlds Apart, Koerner, First Drop, Torbreck, Adelina and Champagne Taittinger. Harvest Rock 2025 Lineup Saturday, October 25: The Strokes The War on Drugs Vance Joy M.I.A. Lime Cordiale Wolfmother The Presets Skream & Benga Genesis Owusu The Jungle Giants Cloud Control Vacations Bag Raiders (live) Teenage Joans Divebar Youth Sunsick Daisy Oscar The Wild Any Young Mechanic
Fans of Tom Cruise, actors doing their own stunts and impressive action setpieces, prepare to take a trip to the cinema. If you've seen a Mission: Impossible film over the past two decades (or the television series before that), you know what to expect. In fact, if you've watched any of the previous installments, you've essentially already seen this one as well. A different writer/director takes the helm this time around, and a fresh foe threatens the Impossible Mission Force. Yet it still feels like a case of new movie, same ol' stuff. Cruise's super spy Ethan Hunt is hot on the trail of a shadowy, multinational organisation called the Syndicate, chasing a cluster of seemingly unrelated disasters, and hopping from London to Vienna to Casablanca and back again trying to track them down. There's more to Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation, of course — including an unhappy CIA boss (Alec Baldwin) intent on closing the IMF; the Syndicate's ever-crafty, always-one-step-ahead head honcho (Sean Harris); and the intriguing Ilsa (Rebecca Ferguson), who could be either friend or foe. Hunt's trusty colleagues Benji (Simon Pegg), Brandt (Jeremy Renner) and Luther (Ving Rhames) help out, particularly after he goes rogue. But the details don't really matter. They're simply the filler that joins the film's standoffs, heists and fist fights together. That's not to say that filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie, reteaming with Cruise after directing Jack Reacher and writing the scripts for both Valkyrie and Edge of Tomorrow, doesn't craft an engaging-enough and unexpectedly lighthearted feature. It's just all too obvious that he's adhering to a tried-and-tested formula, leaving everything else — the characters, especially, as well as the dialogue — feeling a little too thin. That Baldwin both seems like he's reprising 30 Rock's Jack Donaghy and is forced to claim that "Hunt is the living manifestation of destiny" with a straight face provides the perfect example. Thankfully, what the Mission: Impossible franchise does often (and over and over again), it does well. Zipping through the slick mechanics of a never-really-impossible mission proves as well-handled as ever, notably in opera-set and underwater sequences that are sure to become the film's calling cards. Exuding an energy and urgency that the rest of the movie is lacking, the choreography of the action and the camerawork that captures it is in top form. The same can also be said for the returning cast, including the almost instantly shirtless Cruise, all playing to their strengths even if they are saddled with one-note roles. When Ghost Protocol arrived in cinemas in 2011 after a five-year gap in the series, its pace, smarts and thrills both surprised and impressed — and while none of those stand out in Rogue Nation, the feature does have one trick up its sleeve other than its spectacle. That would be Swedish actress Ferguson, last seen in Hercules, and the welcome addition that the film sorely needs. In an effort that's largely going through the motions, she is certainly not. Enjoying her time on screen is easy; finding anything more than been-there, done-that antics otherwise — now, that's your mission, should you choose to accept it.
When Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi invited the world to experience the vampire sharehouse mockumentary genre, one of the best comedies of the decade wasn't the only result. Every film seems to spawn sequels, remakes, spinoffs and the like these days, but no one's complaining about spending more time in the What We Do in the Shadows universe. A follow-up, We're Wolves, is in the works, focusing on the undead bloodsuckers' Rhys Darby-led lycanthrope enemies. And six-episode television spinoff Wellington Paranormal, following the movie's cops (Mike Minogue and Karen O'Leary) as they keep investigating the supernatural, is now streaming on SBS On Demand. Add a US TV remake of the original flick to the pile as well, but withhold any "do we really need a remake?" judgement. First revealed by Waititi last year, given a pilot order earlier in 2018 and now officially moving ahead with a ten-episode first season, the American version will be written by Clement and directed by Waititi, The Hollywood Reporter notes — and will see a documentary crew follow three vampire flatmates living in New York City, according to Variety. The series will star Toast of London's Matt Berry, Four Lions' Kayvan Novak, British stand-up comedian Natasia Demetriou and The Magicians' Harvey Guillen. It's unknown whether Clement and Waititi will reprise their on-screen roles in a guest capacity, but you can watch the first two (very brief) teasers here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLdeHQ_0nts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0idSAp9HRk With What We Do in the Shadows actually starting its life as a short back in 2005, the concept of flatting members of the undead arguing about bloody dishes has taken quite the journey since those early beginnings. If any idea was going to come back in multiple guises, it's this one. Of course, so have Clement and Waititi. Clement has a new Flight of the Conchords TV special airing on HBO this month, while Waititi two post-Thor: Ragnarok flicks in the works — a stop-motion animated effort called Bubbles, about Michael Jackson's chimp, and another by the name of Jojo Rabbit, set during World War II and starring Scarlett Johansson and Sam Rockwell. The US remake isn't set to air in America until early-to-mid 2019. Via The Hollywood Reporter / Variety. Image: Kane Skennar.
Move over, all of those famous teenage sweethearts that have graced the stage, page and screen. Yep, Romeo and Juliet, you've got competition. Blue Bones shares the darker tone of Shakespeare's famous tragedy, and its focus on teenage lovers; however, from there, Merlynn Tong heads off in her own direction. Her one-woman play is based on a true story, telling the tale of a woman who can't escape the imprint her ex-boyfriend has left upon her. It's a narrative of turbulence, both in conveying the lead character's current state, and exploring how she got there. Showing at Brisbane Powerhouse from May 4 to 13, it's an effort that will transport Brisbane audiences to Singapore in its setting, but aims to stir up something up close and personal within their souls. Tong has earned plenty of praise in her career to date, and here, both writing and performing, that looks set to continue.
While some bars are slowly opening in Sydney and Brisbane, many of us are still stirring and shaking our cocktails at home. To help brighten up our time inside — and our DIY cocktails — Adelaide Hills gin distillery Applewood has just released a new pink gin. Dubbed Coral, its name pulls inspiration from two sources. Firstly, the colour — the gin itself is pink, but the bottles have also been hand-sealed with one-of-a-kind pearlescent pink wax. Secondly, the gin has been inspired by the Great Barrier Reef and a portion of sales from the pretty-in-pink drink will go to a charity dedicated to the reef's restoration. The world's largest coral reef system has suffered regular mass coral bleaching, a phenomenon caused by climate change, which kills the reef's algae and starves the coral — but, thankfully, there are charities out there working to regrow and regenerate the damaged coral. Coral gin is made, in true Applewood fashion, using native Australian botanicals: salty karkalla (a succulent found on many Aussie beaches), spicy riberries and sweet strawberry gum. You can serve it as a G&T — garnished with pink peppercorns, if that's something you can get your hands on — or, you can whip up a Coral gin fizz. You'll find that recipe down the bottom. For now, only 800 bottles are available, but the gin is expected to stick around as part of the company's core range in the long term. Coral gin is on sale now for $70 via the Applewood Distillery website, with Australia-wide shipping available. [caption id="attachment_771056" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Coral gin fizz[/caption] CORAL GIN FIZZ 60 millilitres Coral gin 30 millilitres pineapple juice 30 millilitres cream Barspoon of molasses (about 1/2 a teaspoon) Three drops vanilla extract Three drops of Wonderfoam Soda Add all ingredients except soda with ice in a cocktail shaker and shake, then remove ice and shake again (called a dry shake). Double strain into a tall glass and let settle. Top with soda and ice.
Long considered Australia's go-to whale-watching spot, Queensland's Hervey Bay is now the world's first whale heritage site, too. Located a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Brisbane, the Fraser Coast city was bestowed the prestigious honours at this year's World Whale Conference, which was held in coastal locale over the past week — receiving the accreditation not only due to its considerable whale population across the second half of each year, but thanks to its respectful and responsible embrace of the animals throughout the community. Established by the World Cetacean Alliance, the Whale Heritage Site scheme aims to recognise places that "preserve cetacean species and their habitats". More broadly, the initiative is designed to promote the globe's most responsible whale and dolphin-watching destinations; help protect marine habitats by supporting local communities, especially when it comes to sustainable practices; and assist the development of spots that depend on the sea, particularly by encouraging folks to appreciate the significance of whales in the area. If you've ever headed north to spy the majestic creatures — or even just for a holiday — it's impossible to spend time in Hervey Bay without being reminded of its whale-focused eco-tourism industry. From July to November each year, humpback whales head up from Antarctica, using the site to rest and socialise on the way to their breeding grounds in the Whitsundays. Then, towards the end of the season, they pass by again on the 5000-kilometre journey back down south — which is when whale-watchers can see mother whales spending time teaching their young calves in the local waters. Naturally, there's no shortage of whale-watching tours in the area. Visitors can also head to the Fraser Coast Discovery Sphere, which, as well as featuring a 12-metre-high whale sculpture and a full-sized reproduction of a whale skeleton, explores and celebrates humpback whales and their place in the region. And, each July and August, the city also hosts the annual Hervey Bay Whale Festival. Already quite the tourist drawcard, the new WHS accreditation is expected to attract more visitors, unsurprisingly. Nearly 60,000 people went whale-watching in the region last year, Fraser Coast Tourism general manager Martin Simons told the ABC. While Hervey Bay earned the first whale heritage site slot, it's not the only spot to receive the nod, with The Bluff in Durban in South Africa named the second WHS site. Other locations under consideration include Vancouver Island North in Canada, Marlborough Sounds in New Zealand, Mosaic Jurubatiba in Brazil and Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica. Images: Mark Seabury via Visit Fraser Coast.
Right at the heart of Fortitude Valley is The Prince Consort, the classic pub that's had a decadent revamp. Hardwood timber floors, emerald green accents and brass finishings form a chic backdrop to your celebratory weekend antics. A sun-drenched afternoon in the expansive Garden Bar or a long lunch in the English-style bistro is the perfect way to lean in to the good vibes. This March, The Prince Consort is joining forces with White Claw to deliver an epic live music event — think killer tunes in an easy-breezy location on a bright Brisbane Sunday. On Sunday, March 27, you can get yourself to the corner of Wickham and Brunswick Streets for a burger or classic parmy — and a few cans of your favourite White Claw hard seltzer — before the beat drops at 2pm and you can boogie on down into the night. There's an all-star lineup of homegrown artists just waiting to sweeten your weekend. And with Bag Raiders headlining at 5pm, bringing their iconic electronic dance beats with them, there will be no regrets — despite sore feet or heads — on Monday. Here's the full lineup: 2–3pm: Zedena 3.30–5pm: Kessin 5–7pm: Bag Raiders (headline set) 7–9pm: DJ Toushay Yep, Sunday sessions and live music are well and truly back and we're here for it. To top it off, you'll be sipping refreshing White Claws while you listen. And best of all? This gig is completely free to attend. For more information on White Claw Weekend at The Prince Consort, head to the White Claw website.
Ignore the heat, swerve the swooping magpies and pop some telfast, and you’ll find spring is undoubtedly the most joyous of seasons. The sweet smells of flowers, long days and warm nights make it the perfect season for Winn Lane’s turn at hosting the Spring Twilight Bazaar. With a wondrous selection of music, food and stalls, it’s your average Bazaar with a bit Winn Lane pizazz. Local musos Major Leagues will be pop-fighting against Twin Haus in a totally hypothetical battle rink for the title of which band is cooler than cool – expect some ice cold sounds. Pre or post boogie, work your way to Flamingo Café, then convince yourself there’s room for a Wicked Cupcake, iced tea and a steamed dumpling or two. You’d be happy but foolish to leave straight after your music and munchies fill, so splurge on some late night shopping, with one-night-only offers and discounts and a Spring/Summer pop-up parade featuring new season looks from Sunday Social, Haute Boheme, Popup Kult and more! It’s all happening at Winn Lane October 4th from 5pm – you miss it, you mess up.
It has been 22 years since the Valley Fiesta first turned Fortitude Valley's live music scene into a weekend-long street party — and when it returns for its annual spin in 2018, it'll be bigger (and possibly better) than ever. Taking over every space it can around Brunswick, Wickham and Ann streets, as well as the Chinatown mall, this year's Fiesta will feature live music, theatre and arts from August 29 to September 2. If that sounds longer than normal, that's because the event will enjoy an extended run across five days. While the actual lineup is set to be announced in the coming weeks, Brisbanites can look forward to plenty of local and Australian bands playing plenty of tunes, as part of a program of both free and ticketed events in the Valley's various venues, laneways and shops. That includes outdoor gigs — there's nothing like seeing half of Brisbane descend upon one of the area's streets, after all — plus a huge art showcase that'll involve lighting, projections, installations and themed decor. There'll also be a special focus on active activities designed to get punters moving beyond making shapes and tapping their toes. Announcing the expanded event, Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk noted that Valley Fiesta will "provide a fantastic platform for our city's emerging musical and creative talent, with a packed program of performers." As far as the packed part of that statement goes, the Valley is certain to be busy regardless of the lineup — up to 65,000 attendees are expected over the five days. The 2018 Valley Fiesta will run from August 29 to September 2 — keep an eye on the festival website for more details.
Openair Cinemas is back for another yearly stint of outdoor movie-going, and they're doing so with balloons and scares. While the annual event's season kicks off with Logan Lucky on October 6, their Halloween session is certain to attract interest. Think creepy clowns, frights and the kind of scream-inducing fun that'll come from a screening of IT at South Bank's Rainforest Green (likely with folks wearing costumes, let's face it). Those keen on more thrills, this time of the mind-melting kind, can follow it up with Darren Aronofsky's must-be-seen-to-be-believed mother! the following evening; however there's plenty of other movie magic on offer for the six weeks up until November 19. Atomic Blonde's action antics, Kingsman: The Golden Circle's irreverent look at espionage, and Blade Runner 2049's sci-fi sequel spectacle join the classic likes of Grease in sing-along mode and perennial fave Dirty Dancing. The 27-movie lineup goes on, and so does the rest of the fun, with alternative entertainment, live music and DJ performances also on the bill. As always, there'll be food and drinks available on-site — and not just popcorn and choc tops — and you can also bring your own booze-free picnic.
The annual BrisAsia Festival celebrates the strong connection between Brisbane and Asia. No matter where you call home, or what your heritage, the BrisAsia Festival can be enjoyed by all. Some standouts of the fest include the Cai Guo-Qiang exhibition at GOMA. Inspired by Stradbroke Island's landscape, the dramatic exhibition is the first solo showcase by the artist. It is a unique, peaceful and compelling exhibition. Another unmissable event is the Chinese Lunar New Year Festival on 31 January in Chinatown. The party will consist of lion dancers, firecrackers, markets, traditional music and dance performances. Following the New Year celebrations, Sunnybank will play host to a wide range of free activities to appropriately ring in 2014. Dragon dancing, Kung Fu, Tai Chi, noodle making, Chinese calligraphy demonstrations and much more will keep the whole family entertained. For more information regarding the festival session times visit the website.
If 2020 has taught us anything, it's that a lot can happen in six months. Around this time half a year ago, we were getting mighty excited about all the new movies set to reach Australian cinemas in 2020. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Now, after months spent at home, indoors, giving our streaming queues one helluva workout, it's reset time. Aussie picture palaces are slowly reopening — albeit at different rates across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane — and this year's big-screen releases are kicking off again. In great news for cinephiles, that means there are plenty of new flicks vying for your eyeballs. Some are big-budget blockbusters that've had everyone talking since last year. Others are long-awaited sequels and eagerly anticipated remakes. From the return of familiar faces to exceptional intimate dramas, we've rounded up ten new movies to look forward to seeing in a cinema throughout the rest of 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLNXHJB5Mto BABYTEETH Usually, cancer movies aren't just terrible, generic and cliched — they're insulting. Often focusing on pretty young things succumbing slowly to the insidious disease, they generally tug at the heartstrings with shameless abandon, treating their protagonists and their plights as a mechanism to wring weepy tears out of the audience. But while Babyteeth also hones in on a cancer-afflicted teenager, it could never be mistaken for the usual illness drama. As directed by feature first-timer Shannon Murphy, this lively, vibrant, insightful and genuinely moving film truly sees its main character, Milla (Little Women's Eliza Scanlen), as a person first and foremost. Story-wise, the movie charts Milla's unexpected romance with enigmatic Sydney drug dealer Moses (Acute Misfortune's Toby Wallace), as well as the reaction of her struggling parents. Also starring Essie Davis and Ben Mendelsohn as Milla's mum and dad, this is a raw, sensitive, astute and arresting addition to a genre that rarely (if ever) earns any of those terms. It's also visually striking and, unsurprisingly given the cast, boasts fantastic performances — and it's one of the best Australian movies that'll hit cinemas in 2020. Babyteeth releases in Australian cinemas on July 23. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKOT56zkRQ8 NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS The third film from talented American writer/director Eliza Hittman (It Felt Like Love, Beach Rats), Never Rarely Sometimes Always took home Berlinale's Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize this year — the festival's second most prestigious award — but it would've been a more than worthy overall winner. First premiering at Sundance, where it also nabbed a jury prize, this a heart-wrenching gut-punch of a movie that's about an ordinary teenager in an everyday situation, while simultaneously focused on a crucial topic. When small-town Pennsylvanian 17-year-old Autumn (Sidney Flanigan) discovers that she's pregnant, she only really has one option. She's certain her family (including Sharon Van Etten as her mother) won't help, and the local women's clinic advocates having the baby, so with her cousin Skylar (Talia Ryder) she hops on a bus to New York. Their experiences in the Big Apple are tense and devastating, as is this potent, compassionate and naturalistic entire film. Never Rarely Sometimes Always releases in Australian cinemas on August 6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loGLiMU5fuI TENET Is it a follow-up to Inception? Does Christopher Nolan just like getting twisty every ten years? Or does the acclaimed director simply enjoy messing with everyone's heads? When the first trailer for Tenet dropped in 2019, it inspired all of the above questions — and keen moviegoers have been waiting for answers. For now, we do know that Nolan's latest will involve time travel, the afterlife and stopping World War III. Also: spies, boats, sensing things before they happen and objects running in reverse. Throw in an active attempt to bend viewers' minds, plus many a superbly shot and staged spectacle, and Nolan is back in the territory that has served him so well since Memento. BlacKkKlansman's John David Washington leads the cast, alongside Robert Pattinson, Nolan regular Michael Caine, Aussie actor Elizabeth Debicki and Kenneth Branagh. Tenet releases in Australian cinemas on August 13. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hAL7emClFM BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC It was first uttered more than three decades ago, but the world could always use Bill & Ted's main nugget of wisdom. "Be excellent to each other," Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure first told us in 1989, before continuing the message in 1991's Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey — and the series will do so again in the long-awaited Bill & Ted Face the Music. Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves are back as everyone's favourite high school slackers and wannabe rockers, who initially started travelling through time in a phone booth to pass a history report and secure the world's future. They're middle-aged now and they even have daughters (played by Ready or Not's Samara Weaving and Bombshell's Brigette Lundy-Paine), but when you're told as a teen that your music is going to change the entire universe, that responsibility doesn't just fade because you get older. Bill & Ted Face the Music releases in Australian cinemas on August 27. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7qxYOpy9Ms A QUIET PLACE PART II In 2018, A Quiet Place tasked a young family with staying soundless, lest they be heard and then killed by giant spider-like monsters. As a result, audiences keenly listened out for any noise that could put Lee (John Krasinski), Evelyn (Emily Blunt), Regan (Millicent Simmonds) and Marcus (Noah Jupe) Abbott in jeopardy, with the film serving up a mighty tense — and noise-free — time at the cinemas. Now, two years later, the frightful aliens and the hushed tones are back. So is Blunt in kick-ass mode, too. Like the first film, A Quiet Place Part II is directed and written by Krasinski, with this follow-up picking up where its predecessor left off. Certain to serve up plenty of bumps, jumps and — naturally — silence, the sequel also welcomes franchise newcomers Cillian Murphy (Peaky Blinders) and Djimon Hounsou (Guardians of the Galaxy). A Quiet Place Part II opens in Australian cinemas on September 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlwzuZ9kOQU CANDYMAN For nearly three decades, horror movie lovers have fallen into two categories: those who've dared to say the word 'candyman' five times while staring into a mirror, and those who haven't. If you fall into the first group, then you'll be making a date with this unnerving sequel, which revives the Candyman franchise and boasts a few tricks up its sleeves. Firstly, Candyman circa 2020 is produced and co-written by Jordan Peele, who adds another frightfest to his resume alongside Get Out and Us. Secondly, it's directed by Nia DaCosta, whose Tessa Thompson-starring 2018 film Little Woods deserved more attention. And last but by no means least, it features the OG Candyman, Tony Todd, among its cast. Plot-wise, the new flick focuses on artist Anthony McCoy (Aquaman and Watchmen's Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), who decides to start exploring the Candyman legend through his art. His girlfriend Brianna (If Beale Street Could Talk's Teyonah Parris) thinks the story is just that, but then the bee-covered figure starts wreaking havoc again. That's what happens when folks say his name while looking at their own reflection, after all. Candyman opens in Australian cinemas on September 24. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfM7_JLk-84&feature=emb_logo WONDER WOMAN 1984 New Order's 'Blue Monday'. A giant mall. Women exercising in bright leotards and leg warmers. All of the above inspire instant visions of the 80s, which is where Wonder Woman is heading in her next big-screen outing. Yes, the fierce female superhero with the bullet-deflecting bracelets and Lasso of Truth is finally back, thanks to Wonder Woman 1984. This time around, she's navigating the Cold War era and facing off against Kristen Wiig. The sequel's story pits Gal Gadot's Amazon demigoddess against Wiig's Cheetah — also known as archaeologist Barbara Ann Minerva. While the franchise newcomer is looking rather meek and mild at the beginning of the just-dropped Wonder Woman 1984 trailer, she's not likely to stay that way for long in this eagerly awaited sequel. Game of Thrones, Narcos and The Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal also joins the cast as Maxwell Lord, a powerful businessman, and Chris Pine returns as American pilot Steve Trevor — despite the tragic events of the first film. And, behind the camera, writer/director Patty Jenkins is also back — as she should be given that Wonder Woman is currently the highest-grossing film ever directed solo by a woman. Wonder Woman 1984 releases in Australian cinemas on October 1. HALLOWEEN KILLS For 42 years, the Halloween franchise has been delivering stone-cold horror masterpieces, weird and wonderful detours, and entries that deserve to be locked away for all eternity with Michael Myers. The difference between the series' John Carpenter-directed best and its trashy worst is enormous, but when David Gordon Green (Prince Avalanche, Pineapple Express) took the reins for 2018's Halloween — a direct sequel to the 1978 original that ignores the seven other follow-ups and two remakes in-between — he served up one of the saga's best chapters. It helped that Jamie Lee Curtis was back, of course. Also beneficial: a meaty story that grapples with trauma, a skill for slasher thrills, a new score by Carpenter himself, and producer Jason Blum's support. So it was great news when two more movies were announced, including 2020's Halloween Kills, which brings the whole gang back to Haddonfield for another encounter with the town's masked menace. Halloween Kills releases in Australian cinemas on October 15. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcPk2p0Zaw4 THE FRENCH DISPATCH An offbeat storyline. Mesmerisingly symmetrical frames. A cast that includes Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Owen Wilson, Saoirse Ronan, Willem Dafoe, Jason Schwartzman, Edward Norton, Bob Balaban and Anjelica Houston. Yep, it must be a new Wes Anderson film — and The French Dispatch looks like Wes Anderson at his most Wes Anderson-esque yet. The premise: in the fictional French town of Ennui-sur-Blasé sometime in the mid-20th century, Arthur Howitzer Jr. (Murray) has turned a series of travelogue columns into a weekly American magazine. A supplement to the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun, The French Dispatch resembles The New Yorker, is staffed by top expatriate journalists, and covers life in France, world politics, high and low art, and diverse stories of human interest. As for the film that shares its name, it focuses on three tales printed in the publication's pages. The French Dispatch releases in Australian cinemas on November 26. [caption id="attachment_774009" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Photo credit: Chiabella James. Copyright: © 2020 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.[/caption] DUNE David Lynch's Dune is one of the most unfairly maligned sci-fi films ever made. It's not the version that Alejandro Jodorowsky would've whipped up — as explored in excellent documentary Jodorowsky's Dune — but the 1984 movie still has its surreal delights. Just how Denis Villeneuve's new adaptation of Frank Herbert's 1965 novel will fare is still yet to be seen, but the French Canadian director has already revived another 80s sci-fi property to stunning effect with Blade Runner 2049. Once again, he has amassed a stellar cast, including Timothée Chalamet, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem and Doctor Sleep's Rebecca Ferguson. They'll all fight over 'the spice', the most valuable substance in the universe. Dune releases in Australian cinemas on December 26. Top images: Dune: Copyright: © 2020 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures. Babyteeth: Lisa Tomasetti. Wonder Woman 1984: Clay Enos/ ™ & © DC Comics. © 2018 WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC.
We all know that exercise is good for us. We all know it keeps us fit and healthy, and is an essential part of living a long and happy life. Still, we all also need help in the motivation department sometimes — when the couch is just too comfy, or when you'd rather be relaxing rather than sweating, for example. How about cats? If anything can get you active, bending and stretching with adorable kitties should be able to do the trick. You'll bust out your best downward dog, and they'll show off their best cat pose (sleeping on your yoga mat, most likely). The latest feline fitness frenzy takes place at 9am on December 3 at Annerley's Lucky Cat Cafe, with Yoga with Cats part of their regular class series. Whether you're an experienced yoga buff or a cat lover looking for some four-legged workout friends, everyone is welcome — but bookings are essential, as this purrfect exercise session is sure to be popular.
Patience is rewarded in this latest Hollywood take on the Godzilla tale, with the eponymous giant taking almost an hour before his first appearance. It is, if you'll permit, a case of 'Waiting for Godzilla', and the eventual reveal is a genuine delight. The film begins in 1999, where a series of sudden and inexplicable catastrophes — most notably the collapse of a Japanese nuclear facility — are categorised as 'natural disasters' and dismissed, leaving in their wake unanswered questions and shattered lives. Among those affected is nuclear engineer Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston), along with his wife, Sandra (Juliette Binoche), and his son Ford (Kick-Ass's Aaron Taylor-Johnson). Joe refuses to accept the official line, and — as his obsession grows — he soon becomes both an outcast and absentee father as he embarks upon a one-man crusade to discover the truth. Fast-forward, then, to the present day where, to Joe's horror, the same seismic anomalies that preceded the last disaster suddenly recommence. It's a slow burn kept alive almost entirely courtesy of Cranston and Binoche, but one whose dramatic ignition comes with the full force of a 3D IMAX experience. It's also a pleasant surprise, because the creature awakened is not Godzilla. It is, rather, a MUTO — or Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism — perhaps best likened to a 300ft cockroach possessed of electromagnetic pulses and an appetite for radioactive materials. He'd be the solution to so many of earth's environmental concerns, were it not for his complete disregard for buildings or the earthlings inside them. What, then, of Godzilla? Instead of acting as the film's traditional villain, he is something more transcendent — an ancient, imposing yet graceful leviathan whose place on this earth is, seemingly, to ensure its equilibrium. With a design aesthetic far more aligned with the original Godzilla of 1954, he is truly awesome in scale and defined most crucially by his iconic scream (a two-part, roar-and-rumble experience created first by leaving dry ice to sublimate on a metal vent, then dragging a giant wooden crate across a polished floor). Sound is, in fact, the star of this film, with utterly rib-rattling resonance an almost constant companion throughout. It is, in short, a silly but fun film whose human characters are wholly tangential to its CGI stars. With a cast that also boasts the largely underused Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen and David Strathairn, the decision to entrust its least recognisable and accomplished actor with the lion's share of screen time is a curious misstep, and despite all the MUTO's menace, the most ominous element in Godzilla remains its opening titles and their use of archival nuclear test footage. In a film centred around the destructive power of giant monsters, nothing manages to quite live up to the terror and devastation reminded to us in those few, opening seconds. It is a nuclear device, too, that provides the film with its greatest source of tension in the climax. Still, it's nice to have Godzilla back in our lives after 1998's disappointing attempt, and, as far as blockbusters go, this has almost everything you're looking for. https://youtube.com/watch?v=vIu85WQTPRc
It has only been a few months since the seventh season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine hit screens — which means you've either eagerly caught every second, or you've got some catch-up binging to do. Either way, if you've been watching and rewatching the hit sitcom since it first premiered back in 2013, then you also have something else to pop in your calendar: Isolation Trivia's upcoming B99-themed online quiz evening. How long did Charles Boyle spend dreaming of Jake Peralta and Amy Santiago's wedding? What did Rosa Diaz do before she was a cop? Who keeps swooping in and taking the Nine-Nine crew's cases? Which one is Scully and which is Hitchcock? And which one of the latter duo has a twin? If you can answer all of the above — and name Captain Holt's dog, Terry's kids, Gina's dance troupe and Jake's favourite movie — then you're set for this virtual trivia night. Live-streaming from 6.30pm on Sunday, September 6 this online trivia contest is completely devoted to the show that was cancelled and then resurrected in the space of 36 hours, then was renewed for an eighth season before its seventh one even aired, and features more Die Hard references than you'd think possible in one sitcom. We'd keep asking Brooklyn Nine-Nine questions and dropping tidbits, but we'll save some for the big night. If you're as keen to take part as Terry is about a tub of yoghurt, you just need to head to the Isolation Trivia Facebook page and clear out your Sunday night. That'll be your time to shine (and that can also be the title of your sex tape if you'd like). Isolation Trivia's 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' edition takes place from 6.30pm on Sunday, September 6. Images: SBS
For pet owners, spoiling your chosen animal companion is easy at the best of times. When it's winter — and when the country has spent months indoors due to the COVID-19 pandemic — stocking up on cute, cosy pet accessories is even less difficult than usual. Who doesn't want their schnauzer to look both snappy and snuggly, and their shih tzu to look rather nifty, too? Plenty of pet-loving shops have been willing to help, including The Iconic and Big W, with both releasing dapper pet lines this year. Now, Petstock has released a new range aimed at cooler conditions, keeping your four-legged friend looking and feeling luxe as the frostier weather settles in. Sure, most dogs are happy cuddling up in a regular old blanket, and many a cat loves jumping in an average, ordinary box. That's all well and good — or you can opt for plush beds that match your indoor decor. And, you can dress up your pooch in chunky jumpers, shiny parkas, sporty jackets and wool-lined coats, with petwear starting at $19.99. Spanning coordinated leads and collars as well, Petstock's new lineup is designed for pets of the barking kind. Of course, if you want to try to get your meowing pal into one, then best of luck to you. Petstock's winter range is currently available to purchase in-store and online, with contactless click and collect purchasing available.
Partway into Unfinished Business, three Americans go to Berlin. It’s a busy week in the German capital, with hotel rooms hard to come by. The youngest of the trio, Mike Pancake (Dave Franco), books into the only place he and his 67-year-old colleague, Timothy Winters (Tom Wilkinson), can afford: a youth hostel. Their boss, Dan Trunkman (Vince Vaughn), unknowingly opts for a “habitable work of art”, where he’s on display in a museum. The level of comedy shown here, of the “old folks doing young things”, “look how mismatched everyone is” and “isn’t this a ridiculous idea” variety, are actually some of the film’s best work. That’s not a compliment. But when much of the movie makes fun of unusual names, of a man wearing women’s clothing, and of the difficulties someone identified as challenged has in understanding certain words, well, the bar hasn’t been set very high. Also on the hit-list of Unfinished Business’ allegedly humorous subjects: gawking at naked women, the stereotype of women acting like men to make it in business, women compared to vending machines, gay nightclub culture and steam rooms. Contrast that with the film’s supposedly softer side, attempting to address bullying, fitting in, standing up for yourself and chasing what you believe in. That the combination of crassness and schmaltz is as muddled and messy as it is ill fitting is hardly surprising. The plot stems from a Jerry Maguire moment, as family man Dan quits his job selling metal shavings to go out on his own, and Mike and Timothy follow. A year later, they’re up for a lucrative contract – but despite being told the gig is theirs by their contact (Nick Frost), they’re pitted against Chuck (Sienna Miller), their previous employer. Though both teams travel to Berlin, it seems that smarmy exec Jim (James Marsden) has already made up his mind. Dan is forced to take drastic action to succeed, and to take care of everyone counting on him. Why Hollywood is convinced that audiences want to see Vaughn making the same kind of movies – especially these kind of movies – remains a mystery. He’s a likeable enough presence, but continually playing a big-hearted underachiever trying to get his life back on track via fratboy-like antics doesn’t do anyone any favours. Vaughn and his director Ken Scott obviously disagree, re-teaming after the thematically similar Delivery Man. If you’ve seen that, or The Internship, then you know what you’re in for here. The scattershot approach shown in the script doesn’t help matters, rushing from one scene to the next as fast as it can, even though the film always feels like it is dragging. Nor does the insistence that more is more: more crude gags, more cliches, more over-the-top exploits and more drama. And then there’s poor Franco and Wilkinson, saddled with one-note characters, but trying hard. At least someone is. Otherwise, Unfinished Business is an overstuffed, underdone mess that lives up to its name – and a film easily bested by its stock image marketing campaign.
Forget finding a golden ticket — while scoring a free pass to a chocolate factory was everyone's fantasy as a kid (and, let's face it, is still a fantasy now), there are other ways to indulge your Willy Wonka dreams. Cakes as far as the eye can see, classes on how to make them and a dedicated sweet zone aren't just things that floated through your head while you were asleep. They're real, and they're part of the returning International Cake Show at the Royal International Convention Centre. From Friday, April 14–Sunday, April 16, Brisbane's Ekka precinct becomes the sweetest place in the city, so prepare your tastebuds and stomach accordingly. The three-day show will feature a mixing bowl worth of live cake-making and decorating sessions, how-to demonstrations, hands-on classes and a two-day cake sculpture challenge — as well as hosting the Australasian Cake Oscars, the tastiest awards you're ever likely to come across. [caption id="attachment_893571" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trina Thomson, Sweet Ruby Artisan Cakes[/caption] Other highlights include 60-plus stalls and shops, which'll help you bake up a storm at home, and plenty of tasty fare to devour. Basically, when you're not learning how to make sweet treats, you'll be eating them. Oh, and you'll be looking at them, too — and not just your regular old desserts. Get ready to scope out a life-sized Bumblebee Transformer made out of sugar cake, and The Lion King as well. Rosie Dummer will whip up a life-sized edible Paddington Bear, and there'll be an attempt to build the world's largest cookie tower. Yes, these are sweets that sugar dreams are made of.
If you're going to watch a romantic film with your other half this Valentine's Day, you may as well do so while you're splashing around in a pool — especially if that's the kind of watery movie date that you've never had before. That's what's on the bill at Brisbane's returning outdoor cinema pop-up, aka the fittingly called Float-In Cinema. Once again setting up at W Brisbane, it's taking over the riverside hotel's WET Deck for three nights in February to pair swim-in flicks with food and cocktails. Screening from Monday, February 12–Wednesday, February 14 — with a 6.30pm seating time for a 7.15pm start — Float-In Cinema costs $115 per person. For that price, you'll float on the water in an inflatable lounger, watch the movie (obviously), tuck into your choice of three grazing boxes, sip a glass of bubbles or a One in a Melon cocktail upon arrival, and enjoy unlimited sweet or salty popcorn. Those food options include a cheese box packed with aged cheddar, double brie and blue cheese; a savoury box with prosciutto, bresaola and truffled salumi; and a sweet box with macaroons, mini tarts and mini cakes. Whichever you select, you'll need to email the venue in advance to make your pick. If you're keen, you might want to get in quick, as seats are limited per session. And as for what you'll be watching, romance is the natural theme. So, that means La La Land, The Notebook (because as Barbie demonstrated, there's no such thing as too much Ryan Gosling) and — yes, on the day itself — Valentine's Day.
Tenth birthdays are a big deal, especially when you're an Australian music festival that's been navigating a pandemic and the resulting difficult time for the industry for half of your run, and also grappling with the impact of La Niña. Yours and Owls has been on quite the rollercoaster ride across the past decade, clearly, so of course it's celebrating its milestone birthday with a massive lineup. Fontaines DC, Denzel Curry, The Kooks and Goo Goo Dolls lead the roster of talent taking to the stage in Wollongong across Saturday, March 1–Sunday, March 2, 2025. Orville Peck, Hockey Dad, The Jungle Giants, Peach PRC and The Veronicas are also on the bill, as are Elderbrook, Honey Dijon, JPEGMafia and Salute — and plenty more. When Yours and Owls revealed that it wasn't going ahead in 2024, joining the long list of music festivals scrapping plans for this year, it thankfully only put its fun on hold for 2025. Returning in 2025 was always the intention — and this is a lineup worth waiting for. Yours and Owls didn't completely sit 2024 out, however. Earlier in October, it held a pre-party, aka the event you put on when you can't put on the full festival experience at your usual time of the year because it doesn't work for your headliners' calendars. So, a tunes-filled shindig still took over the University of Wollongong campus — complete with Golden Features, Peking Duk, Alice Ivy, Anna Lunoe and more — to keep things warm for next year. Affectionately labelled "Gong Christmas", Yours and Owls 2025 will feature four stages across its two-day run, plus a feast of local arts — and food and drinks — beyond the tunes. [caption id="attachment_976058" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Theo Cottle[/caption] Yours and Owls Lineup 2025 Fontaines DC Denzel Curry The Kooks Goo Goo Dolls Elderbrook Hockey Dad Honey Dijon JPEGMafia The Jungle Giants Orville Peck Peach PRC Salute The Veronicas Allday Babe Rainbow Coterie Cyril Dice The Dreggs Frankie Stew & Harvey Gunn Grentperez Isabel Larosa Magdalena Bay May A Mark Blair Pond Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners Sam Tompkins San Cisco Slowly Slowly Sycco Wunderhorse Battlesnake Bean Magazine Bodyjar The Belair Lip Bombs C.O.F.F.I.N Crocodylus Keli Holiday Kitschen Boy Le Shiv Miss Kaninna Nick Ward Ra Ra Viper Satin Cali Total Tommy Y.O.G.A Top Yours and Owls image: Ruby Bowland.
Rave culture meets the roller rink at Roller Dance Australia's first-ever Roller Rave, where getting your skates on and dancing to DJ-spun tunes is on the agenda. You'll glide, you'll make shapes and you'll feel like you've been transported back to the 90s. And no, this isn't just a roller disco under another name — because recreating the rave vibe is one of the event's number-one aims. Behind the decks: DJ Phil Smart, who was indeed helping get raves pumping three decades back. To provide the soundtrack, he'll be joined by DJ Void and Truffles Bootcamp. And while they spin live sets, the visuals will also throw it back like you're in a warehouse in the era of classic flicks Go and Human Traffic. It's all going down from 6–11pm on Saturday, January 20 at Northshore Brisbane's Superordinary, with entry costing $30 and pre-booked skate hire on top setting you back another $5. No matter your skating level, or if you just want to dance without strapping on wheels, everyone is welcome. And as well as a roller rink and a dance floor, there'll be a skate ramp, a graffiti wall and an art exhibition, plus food options. Images: Marta Andrzejewska from @youartmore.
There's only one problem with cheese — there's never enough of it. So no matter when, where or what type you're eating, your dairy-devouring experience always comes to an end much too soon. Thankfully, that's not usually an issue at Fromage the Cow, Milton's dedicated cheese haven; however it's even less of a worry at their regular Raclette Nights. Pay $59, sit down for dinner and the gooey goodness just keeps coming. Yes, it really is unlimited. Here's how the three-course feast works: you'll get a starter to kick things off, and dessert and a glass of house sparkling to wrap it all up, but this meal really is all about the main. Shared raclette stations are set up, managed by the eatery's team, where you can get your plate slathered in raclette — oozing all over the top of accompaniments like potatoes, charcuterie meats, roasted onion, baguette and pickles underneath. The next cheesy delights occur on Wednesday, March 20 and Wednesday, April 24, but keep an eye out for others. Bookings are essential, and it all starts at 6pm for 6.30pm. Wearing something stretchy is probably essential as well. Image: Fromage the Cow. Updated March 6.
If you and your mates were to open up a small bar in the suburbs, you'd probably want it to turn out like this. Think cosy and brimming with character. Think chairs you can sink into, and a beer garden likely to steal away many an afternoon and evening. You'll find all that at Mr Henderson in Sandgate — and you'll also find a large drawing of a shoe on their wall, too. That's a nod to the site's former history, with a boot repair place previously calling the building home. Of course, décor and atmosphere is one thing; a bevy of beverages and a flurry of food is another. Don't worry, you'll find all that here too, including eight beers on tap, plenty more in the fridge, and an expertly curated list of wines and spirits. Mr Henderson's dining menu might only boast six options — vegetarian mushroom pate, octopus marinated in chilli and lime, and a cheese selection among them — but that's because they're always calling in a little help from their friends. Don't be surprised to see a food truck outside, with the rotating array of street eats all part of the bar's charms.
While you might feel decades too old to be partying along with the current cast of The Wiggles — even though they're now Hottest 100 winners — anyone who grew up in the 90s will be well familiar with the kids' band's OG gang: Anthony Field, Murray Cook, Greg Page and the ever-sleepy Jeff Fatt. And now, you can get ready for a serious dose of nostalgia, when the four entertainers return to the Brisbane stage for a time-tripping reunion show. After doing the same for bushfire relief in Sydney back in 2020, The OG Wiggles hit the Brisbane Entertainment Centre from 8pm on Saturday, April 30, inviting you to relive some big childhood memories as you dance up a storm to some favourite old-school tunes. Get grooving to classics like 'Wake Up Jeff!', 'Fruit Salad' and 'Hot Potato', all without a single toddler in sight. Even better: DZ Deathrays are the support act, because this Wiggles concert really is for adults — well, audiences over the age of 15, to be specific. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRqLtxqxmKI Image: WikiCommons
It's been 12 years since the Red Hot Chili Peppers last made a headline tour of Australia. And they're finally on their way back down under. In February and March 2019, the LA-based rockers will play all over the country, including a one-off A Day on the Green and their first-ever show in Tassie. To catch them on the Green, get yourself to Mt Duneed Estate, Geelong, on Saturday, March 2. You can expect to hear tunes from the Peppers' new (and eleventh) studio album, The Getaway, as well as old hits, like 'Californication', 'By The Way' and 'Under The Bridge'. Since making their first release — a self-titled EP — in 1984, the band has sold more than 60 million albums, won five Grammys and entered the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. Outside of its one-off A Day on the Green appearance — an Aussie-wide festival that is also playing host to our own Kyle Minogue — the Peppers will also be playing headline shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth and a smaller show out on Hope Estate in the Hunter Valley. If you fancy a trip down south, or are maybe hanging around after Mona Foma, the Peppers are heading to Tasmania for the first time ever, to perform at a rare intimate show — with a capacity of just 1290. Supports acts for all shows will be announced soon. RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS 2019 DATES Tasmania — Derwent Entertainment Centre, February 17 Sydney — Qudos Bank Arena, February 19 Hunter Valley — Hope Estate, February 23 Brisbane — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, February 25 Melbourne — Rod Laver Arena, February 28 Geelong — A Day on the Green, Mt Duneed Estate, March 2 Perth — NIB Stadium, March 5 Pre-sale tickets for A Day on the Green will be released at 10am on Wednesday, November 22, with all other Live Nation pre-sales going live at midday on Thursday, November 23. All shows go on sale to the public at midday on Monday, November 26. Image: Steve Keros.
