If you’re the forgetful type and your keys often go rogue then this new technology may be the solution for you. KeyMe is a cloud-based key management platform where you can now store your keys digitally so you no longer need a physical key in order to make a copy. KeyMe’s newly launched free mobile app which scans a copy of your key and generates a set of instructions that you can give to any locksmith to create a new key from scratch instead of bringing in a physical key to make the copy, very handy when you’ve misplaced the original. KeyMe can even mail you a key within two to three weeks if you’re not in a rush. The app also allows you to share your digital keys and create digital key chains to share with flatmates or overnight guests, but be wary of you who trust with your digital keys, once shared you can’t revoke them. Currently only available in the USA, this technology will be a saving grace for the almost 90 million forgetful folks who get locked out of their homes each year. Now just makes sure you don’t lose your mobile phone with your keys. [via mashable]
Throw those GoPros, bubble bottles and novelty gumboots in your rucksack, Splendour in the Grass is returning to North Byron Parklands for another year of festival merriment. As usual, speculation has run wild in anticipation of the lineup announce — will Kendrick and the Arctic Monkeys make an appearance? Will there by more than three females on the lineup? — but the details for Splendour 2018 are finally here. And we're happy to report that some of the rumours were true. There will be no Arctic Monkeys, but King Kunta himself, Kendrick Lamar, will be Splendouring. The lineup also doesn't state that Splendour is his only show, so stay tuned for news of a national tour (hopefully). The other huge name is Lorde, who will be doing her only Oz show at the Parklands — better get practising that 'Green Light' hair flip now. She leads a female contingent — that is kick-ass but still nowhere near as big as the pool of male performers — which includes Amy Shark, the Lauren Mayberry-led Chvrches, Sampa The Great, Alex Lahey, Jack River, Anna Lunoe, Stella Donnelly, female four-piece All Our Exes Live in Texas and Wafia. Also doing their only Australian shows at Splendour will be Vampire Weekend, Khalid and Girl Talk. The lineup seems to go on forever, including The Wombats, Gang of Youths, Franz Ferdinand, Superorganism and MGMT. Anyway, we know what you're here for. We'll cut to the chase. SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS 2018 LINEUP Kendrick Lamar Lorde (only AUS show) Vampire Weekend (only AUS show) Khalid (only AUS show) The Wombats Hilltop Hoods Chvrches Miguel Girl Talk (only AUS show) Angus & Julia Stone Gang of Youths Franz Ferdinand MGMT Ben Howard Dune Rats & Friends James Bay PNAU Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite The Avalanches DJ set Chromeo DMA'S Ball Park Music Henry Rollins (only AUS show) SAFIA The Jungle Giants Lil Xan Methyl Ethel Amy Shark The Bronx Ocean Alley Carmada (L D R U & Yahtzel) DZ Deathrays Lord Huron Middle Kids Hockey Dad Towkio Cub Sport Touch Sensitive Sampa The Great Dean Lewis Skegss Albert Hammond Jr Mallrat Marmozets Alex Lahey Riton & Kah-Lo Jack River Superorganism Anna Lunoe Lewis Capaldi All Our Exes Live In Texas Alex The Astronaut Yungblud Crooked Colours Nina Las Vegas Soccer Mommy (only AUS show) Elderbrook Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever Tim Sweeney Stella Donnelly Bully Baker Boy Wafia No Mono Waax Angie McMahon West Thebarton Eves Karydas G Flip The Babe Rainbow Haiku Hands Didirri Alice Ivy Amyl & The Sniffers Ziggy Ramo Fantastic Man Lo'99 Human Movement Manu Crook$ Kasbo Madam X Andras Alta Ara Koufax Two People B Wise Made In Paris Jensen Interceptor Woodes Teischa Antony & Cleopatra Muto Elk Road triple j Unearthed winners (TBA) Mike Gurrieri Love Deluxe Lauren Hansom Poolclvb Godlands Nyxen Emma Stevenson Ebony Boadu Splendour will return to North Byron Parklands on Friday 20, Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 July. Onsite camping will once again be available from Wednesday, July 18. Tickets go on sale Thursday, April 19 at 9am sharp AEST. More info will soon be available at the official Splendour In The Grass site. Image: Bianca Holderness.
In what has proven a particularly sad month for Brisbane cinephiles, another mainstay of the city's film scene is ending its run. Earlier in April, the Brisbane Asia Pacific Film Festival — which took over from the cancelled Brisbane International Film Festival, and staged three events between 2014 and 2016 — announced that it wouldn't be hosting any more fests. Now St Lucia's Schonell Theatre has revealed that it's ceasing its regular film sessions. From June 5, the University of Queensland Union-operated Schonell will stop operating as a cinema, and will instead become a venue for hire. In a statement sent out via email and placed on the Schonell's website, UQ Union President Gabii Starr advised that, "whilst the weekly film sessions will cease, the cinema will be available for private hire and the Schonell Theatre will continue to operate as normal with live shows and special events running throughout the year." That means that Brisbane loses yet another cinema, with Tribal Theatre still gathering dust and the former Regent still a hole in the ground. While the city isn't short on new venues — New Farm Cinema is going strong and will be joined by the inner-city Elizabeth Picture Theatre later this year, and Dendy is opening a new Coorparoo site — it also loses a place that genuinely shows films that wouldn't otherwise make their way to Brisbane, and gives others a longer run when they've disappeared from other cinemas. The Werner Herzog-directed, internet-focused documentary Lo and Behold: Reveries Of The Connected World, which sees the iconic German filmmaker explore the technology we all use but he clearly isn't that impressed with, is currently gracing the Schonell's screens, for example, as is Aussie effort Jasper Jones. Those with long memories might be aware that this isn't the first time that the venue has stopped its cinema program. Constructed in 1970, it last shut up shop in 2006, before starting again in 2008. Whether this closure sticks is yet to be seen, of course, but here's hoping that Brisbane's bleak current spate of losing cinema icons comes to an end.
Peering at art isn't just an indoor activity confined to galleries and museums. It's something that you can do across the Brisbane streets, too, if you know where to look. That's what Brisbane City Council's Outdoor Gallery offers the city's art lovers, first popping up in 2016 and filling 12 locations around the CBD with eye-catching work ever since — in spots as varied as Howard Smith Wharves and Fish Lane. Exactly what graces the Outdoor Gallery changes regularly — and from Saturday, May 7–Sunday, August 7, First Nations art is in the spotlight. OUTstanding brings together pieces by emerging and early career creatives, and also turns this showcase of their work into a celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heroes. That includes in communities, families and history, and heroing the land itself. Twelve artists have works on display, such as Jody Rallah, Kyra Mancktelow, Elisa Jane Carmichael, Chris Bassi, Keemon Williams and Mia Boe. If you've seen Dylan Mooney's superhero-focused efforts at Brisbane City Hall over the past year, you can spot another of his pieces as part of OUTstanding as well. As for where to visit, Edward Street plays host to some of the exhibition's works, and hitting up a laneway — including Eagle Lane, Irish Lane, Edison Lane, Giffin Lane and Hutton Lane — is recommended. Or, you can head to 80 Ann Street or the King George Square car park. [caption id="attachment_856387" align="alignnone" width="1920"] LaVonne Bobongie, Blood Ties[/caption] Top image: Dylan Mooney, Empowered.
If you're going to watch a horror movie this Halloween, you may as well do so while you're splashing around in a pool. That's what's on the bill at Brisbane's returning outdoor cinema pop-up, with Float-In Cinema back with a Halloween 2024 edition. Returning to W Brisbane, it's taking over the riverside hotel's WET Deck for three nights in October, pairing swim-in movies with food and cocktails. Screening across Monday, October 28–Wednesday, October 30, this excuse to see a horror-themed flick in a pool while downing drinks costs $130 per person, which includes a floating bed, a snack box, unlimited popcorn, and your choice of either a glass of bubbles or a cocktail upon arrival. You'll have to buy the rest of your beverages on top, but they will be delivered to you on floating trays. If you're keen, you might want to get in quick, as there are limited seats available per session — and this unique cinema always sells out. As for what you'll be watching this time, get ready to get spooked out by Hocus Pocus, the 2020 version of The Witches and the 90s big-screen take on The Addams Family. Arrivals are at 6pm each night, with the films starting at 7pm. Yes, you'll want to wear your togs, as you can hop into the water, not just float on top of it. The snack boxes include Moreton Bay bug rolls, truffle salami, house-marinated olives, grilled vegetables with pesto focaccia, chocolate truffles, passionfruit meringue tartlets and more. And the cinema's special cocktail is called Spooky Feels, costs $24, and features vodka, strawberry liqueur, grape spirit, lychee, cherry and soda.
Need to get from A to B, and keen to do so on a neon green scooter? Well, you're in luck. After setting up shop in New Zealand, running a test in Melbourne and trialling electric bikes in Sydney, US-born company Lime has now unleashed its motorised two-wheeled transport in Brisbane. Specifically, Lime is giving its dockless electric scooter service a whirl, initially leaving several hundred — yep hundred — in South Bank and Fortitude Valley. When the outfit launched in NZ, it clocked up more than 300,000 rides within a month, so it's clearly hoping for a similar influx of scooting here. The company has been gaining popularity across the globe, with even Uber signing up as a strategic partner. With biking Lime's domain, its Lime-S electric scooters are of the stand-up variety — like the ones you probably had as a kid, not mopeds. But, with a 250-watt motor, they can reach speeds of just over 23 kilometres per hour and have a range of around 32 kilometres. They'll cost you $1 to unlock and 30 cents per minute. In terms of hiring them, it works much the same as dockless bikes services that we've seen. You locate a nearby scooter using the Lime app, unlock it by scanning a QR code or entering an ID, and cruise to your destination. You then park and lock the scooter safely out of the way. Each of the vehicles is also equipped with a sensor, which can tell the operators its location. And for keeping an eye on battery life, that's something that you can monitor via the app. In Brisbane, Lime will add more to spots around the city according to demand, and will also collect the vehicles every night from wherever they end up. As far as the latter is concerned, the aim is twofold: to juice up the scooters for the next day, and to reduce both vandalism and street clutter. In other cities like Melbourne and Sydney, the bicycle sharing service boom, which Brisbane City Council has refrained from entering so far, has folks leaving their bikes wherever they feel like it, throwing them into rivers and more has been a problem around the country, which Lime clearly hopes to avoid in Brissie. In Sydney, the company is currently trialling bikes rather then scooters due to legal restrictions; however the Queensland Government has given Lime an exemption to laws that otherwise deemed its vehicles illegal. Without the arrangement with the authorities, users could've been fined up to $10,444 due to the speed and power of the scooters. The state's road rules mandate that motorised scooters can't travel faster than ten kilometres per hour, or have an electric motor with more than a 200-watt output. The Lime scooters are now circulating Brisbane. To find one, download the Lime App and follow the instructions.
Back in 1862, when Don Facundo Bacardi created the rum that would bear his name, little could he know its importance to one particular drink. At the time, the mojito already existed in another guise; however, with the addition of Bacardi, the clear, fragrant jumble of fresh mint, sugar, lime juice and ice become something extra special. That's one of the reasons why the brand is known as a pioneer of rum cocktail culture, and why they're throwing Bacardi Rum Month to celebrate. Although every day is a good day to knock one back, International Mojito Day on July 11 is when you'll find Brisbane ablaze with sweet but tart taste sensations — including at the city's five best mojito spots. COVE BAR & DINING South Bank isn't quite the same as Cuba, but enjoying sweeping water views and laidback dining in elegant surrounds still feels fun and tropical in the river city. A shareplate-heavy menu, coupled with a considerable cocktail list, certainly doesn't dampen that relaxed atmosphere. Indeed, in such a scenic spot and with such a chilled mood, a mojito is the ideal beverage. Cove Bar & Dining make theirs with Bacardi Carta Blanca, fresh lime juice, soda water, castor sugar and mint leaves. They call it the original mojito for a reason. LARUCHE Many a big night out has started and ended at Laruche, just a hop, skip and jump from the Fortitude Valley mall on Ann Street. When it comes to their mojito, think winter, in a variation taken from a twist on another classic drink: the Mulata daiquiri. Called the Mulata mojito — what else? — it includes white crème de cacao, house-made falernum (aka a syrup typically made of almonds, ginger, cloves, lime and vanilla) and ginger beer. A summertime drink this is not, but who said mojitos couldn't warm you up when it's cold outside? Not us. LYCHEE LOUNGE If there was a time before Lychee Lounge became one of Brisbane's premier cocktail bars, no one remembers it. Everyone does remember their Barbie doll chandeliers and fish-scaled walls, though, as well as the eclectic but tasty drinks list. In the same quirky spirit, their take on the mojito is rather unique and unusual. Showcasing the freshness of the cocktail while highlighting the richer characters of aged Bacardi rums is the aim, with dashes of raspberry, pomegranate and burnt honey for good measure. That word you're looking for? It's yum. PAPA JACKS There's nothing standard about the Creole-themed Papa Jacks, and that includes its drinks. Sorry, we mean dranks. That's the Deep South term they prefer, and one that rolls off the tongue while eating finger lickin' good food. Trust such a bar to serve up mojitos in the only fashion they could, which is in any fashion you'd like. At their make your own mojito stand, you can swap out the fresh herbs and citrus, try an original syrup, stick with the basics, or do something completely different. That's the Papa Jacks style, all right. PRESS CLUB From burlesque to R'n'B nights, Press Club is the kind of place that has something for everybody. There's a reason it has stood the test of time as many other bars and clubs have opened and closed around it — and its love of variety is never a bad thing. Take the Press Club mojito, for example, which will hopefully leave you feeling like you've been transported to a spot under Havana's burning sun. It's the spice that does it, with house chilli and smoked agave syrup, as well as a garnish of peri peri. Now that's hot stuff.
If you're the kind of bar patron who picks their next boozy go-to based on accolades, then this week is the gift that keeps on giving. Not only have four Australia bars earned places among the World's 50 Best Bars for 2021, but the Wineslinger Awards has announced its top picks for this year's Aussie wine-sipping spots — calling out another four spots. Wineslinger isn't about vino itself, or bars in general. As the name makes plain, it's about watering holes that focus on wine. Only four awards are handed out each year, covering the best Wineslinger, Best New Haunt, the Maverick prize for venues that push the limits and the People's Choice gong. While the first three awards are voted on by more than 150 industry experts, the latter stems from vino aficionados at home. Nabbing the big prize this year: Melbourne's Embla, which marks the second year in a row that the Victorian capital took out the Wineslinger award — and the second year it did so despite a hefty stint in lockdown. Announcing Embla's win, the Young Gun of Wine team — which runs Wineslinger — said that "Embla has become a Melbourne icon in quick time, a dogma-free temple to wine that is made from the ground up, by hand and with minimal tinkering, and all paired with Dave Verheul's breathtakingly simple fire-fuelled cooking." [caption id="attachment_836612" align="alignnone" width="1920"] P&V Merchants Paddington[/caption] In the other fields, Sydney's P&V Merchants in Paddington nabbed the Best New Haunt prize. Yes, that gong is rather self-explanatory. In the Maverick category, Perth's Si Paradiso emerged victorious for being "a venue that takes its wine as seriously as it does its quest for good times". And, the People's Choice went to Good Gilbert in Adelaide, meaning that all four winners hailed from different cities. The Wineslinger Awards were created in 2018 by Rory Kent, who also founded the Young Gun of Wine Awards. Where the latter prize aims to recognise stellar up-and-comers, the former is all about excellent and innovative places where vino lovers can enjoy an ace drop. Wineslinger also releases a list of top places to drink wine across the country each year — and the 2021 list expanded from 50 to 100. It was revealed back in November, if you still need a few more places (or 96 more, because all of this year's prize-winners are on it) to add to your vino-drinking itinerary. For further details about this year's Wineslinger Award winners, visit the awards' website. Top image: Embla.
One of the best known and most important figures in Australian history is Woollarawarre Bennelong, a senior Eora man who was captured by Governor Phillip in 1789, but then escaped, later becoming an interlocutor between Indigenous Australians and European settlers. His curiosity, diplomacy and humour were legendary, and played a major role in ensuring his community survived the trauma of invasion. Now Stephen Page, Bangarra's artistic director, has put Bennelong's story into an epic new dance piece that's about to tour the nation. Expect to be immersed in powerful soundscapes, stunning design and extraordinary movement. Bennelong will premiere at the Sydney Opera House in June before heading to Brisbane from August 25 till September 2. Check out the trailer below. Image: Vishal Pandey.
He's one of the world's most renowned chefs, his three Michelin-starred restaurant Osteria Francescana claiming top spot on this year's prestigious World's 50 Best Restaurants list. And now, culinary powerhouse Massimo Bottura is swapping kitchen for stage, heading Down Under and travelling the country for a speaking tour next August. Bottura, who you'll have spied getting wildly creative with his native Italian cuisine — and doing so to save thousands of wheels of parmigiano-reggiano — in episode one of Netflix series Chef's Table, is well-known for his storytelling, as well as for a deep love of art, music and history. Audiences are sure to gain colourful insight into the chef's childhood, his life spent in the Northern Italian city of Modena, and the rich local history and culinary traditions that helped ignite his love of food. Bottura will also share another of his passions, speaking about his own work in the fight against food waste and hunger. As founder of non-profit Food for Soul, which empowers communities to fight food waste and social isolation, the Italian chef's helmed a series of community kitchens and drop-in dining halls across Milan, Paris, Rio de Janeiro and London. He's long championed the idea that a chef's responsibility extends far beyond the kitchen and into their community, to help inspire global change. MASSIMO BOTTURA 2019 DATES Perth — Riverside Theatre, August 6 Sydney — The State Theatre, August 8 Melbourne — MCEC, August 10 Brisbane — BCEC, August 13 Tickets are on sale April 3, 2019. Register now for pre-sale.
Robert De Niro tries to inspire laughs, Zac Efron takes off his shirt and Aubrey Plaza fires off ample snark. They're the obvious parts of Dirty Grandpa — or, more accurately, the most obvious parts. There's little within the film's frames that could be called subtle or surprising, or appropriate or amusing for that matter. Given that the movie follows a randy, rowdy, rude and crude senior citizen and his straight-laced lawyer grandson, its lowest common denominator approach is hardly unexpected. What's more tiresome is the been-there, seen-that nature of it all. Audiences who have seen Bad Grandpa, Spring Breakers, The Hangover or any party flick will already be more than familiar with the tired material the movie trots out. When Dick Kelly (De Niro) is widowed and seemingly bereaved, he claims to needs his grandson Jason (Efron) to drive him down to Florida. Though Jason's wedding to the demanding Meredith (Julianne Hough) is mere days away, he reluctantly agrees. But once they're on the road, Dick reveals his true boozing and womanising plans. Along the way, the duo cross paths with Jason's former high school classmate Shadia (Zoey Deutch) and her pal Lenore (Plaza), aka new romantic prospects for both men. Yes, it's all as formulaic as it sounds — and yes, the gags are as well. Showcasing terrible male behaviour is the clear aim of the game, all in the name of apparent hilarity that never comes to fruition. Alas, there's little that's humorous about De Niro pleasuring himself, pairing up with Plaza or physically assaulting Efron's genitals, or about scenes of drinking and drug-taking that could've come from any similar offering. Director Dan Mazer may have co-scripted Ali G Indahouse, Borat and Brüno, and writer John Phillips might be helping pen the upcoming Bad Santa sequel, but neither man demonstrates the cleverness of those films in their work here. Instead, they craft the kind of visually shiny, emotionally soulless movie that trades in standard scenarios and stereotypes, attempts to shock just by being as outlandish as possible, and appears the result of very little effort. And yet, as lazy as the bulk of Dirty Grandpa proves, the same charge can't be levelled at De Niro. Swearing like he's in a Martin Scorsese film, he's as committed to his role as he has been in years, though he's firmly in over-the-top mode. The same can be said of Plaza, who furthers the movie's problematic portrayal of women, but still rattles off filthy chatter with relish. Efron, sadly, mostly just looks bored, clearly having had more fun impersonating De Niro in Bad Neighbours than he does acting opposite the real thing here. Viewers will likely share his pain, particularly when the feature tries to mix its taboo jokes with sentimental heart-to-hearts. There's a supposedly soft centre underneath Dirty Grandpa's vulgarity and music video aesthetics, but it's as ill conceived as everything else.
If there's a force as frightful as facing certain death, humanity is yet to find it. Knowing that everyone who lives will die is the most terrifying thing that anyone will ever have to deal with, as well as the most obvious and commonplace — and it's also the fear-inducing bogeyman that continues to spook the horror genre. In the form of killer ghosts, malingering spirits and demonic forces from the great beyond, the inescapable end also haunts the Conjuring universe, to the surprise of absolutely no one. The growing franchise's other source of scares, however, is perhaps much less expected. In The Conjuring, the flick that started the series, a family grapples with the spectre of an accused witch. In its sequel, as well as in spin-off The Nun, evil takes the form of a bride of Christ. In the Annabelle films, a doll is possessed by a dead girl, turning murderous. And now in The Curse of the Weeping Woman, the saga finds its shocks in a mother who turns into a child-drowning apparition. This unsettling franchise might be based on the work of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, and on Mexican folklore in the current movie's case, but as each new instalment shows, it's not only scared by supernatural stories of death. Womanhood and its symbols are also something to fear here. Women and children are usually the casualties, too. As genuine spooks increasingly give way to haunting by the numbers, the series' need to vilify and victimise its way to box office success is blatant, lazy and more concerning than anything on-screen. The Curse of the Weeping Woman begins with its own origin story, introducing viewers to the tale of La Llorona. In Mexico in 1673, a beautiful young woman (Marisol Ramirez) lives a happy life with her husband and two sons, until she's driven to kill her boys in the river — and destined to keep trying the same trick with other children for all of eternity. Three centuries later, Los Angeles social worker Anna Tate-Garcia (Linda Cardellini) crosses paths with the deadly spirit as part of a case, when she finds that something is amiss with one of her clients (Patricia Velásquez). Soon, La Llorona has her sights set on Anna's kids (Roman Christou and Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen), and only a renegade former priest (Raymond Cruz) can help the fearful family. Directed by first-timer Michael Chaves, The Curse of the Weeping Woman polishes up its formulaic parts more effectively than it might initially seem, especially six films into a flagging franchise. There's nothing new in its bumps and jumps, but many of those creepy moments elicit the right visceral response — while no one will be leaping out of their chairs, viewers might find themselves inching forward automatically. Alas, horror movies aren't just about shocks, scares and keeping a series going in a dutifully unnerving manner. They're not just about swooping camerawork and stalking through a spooky house either, although those are two techniques that the picture also uses well. Conjuring up a momentary reaction lasts for just that, a moment. Retaining audience interest between bouts of ghostly mayhem is much more difficult, particularly given that screenwriters Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis are as eager to stick to cliches as they were in their last script: teen illness weepie Five Feet Apart, which is also currently in cinemas. Many a routine scarefest has found success by taking the same route, which is why such boilerplate films keep appearing. Many an average movie has squandered a great actor — here, the committed Cardellini — within generic horror material. But plonk all of the above in a fast-expanding series that keeps pulling the same stunt, and it wears thin. Specifically package it with another supposedly terrifying tale about an unhinged symbol of womanhood wreaking havoc, and it grates louder than the creakiest of doors and floorboards. What's scariest in The Curse of the Weeping Woman isn't the fact that it lays bare the Conjuring Universe's reliance upon frightening symbols of femininity, but that it makes it plain in such an unashamed way. It might make sense to turn the bringers of life into harbingers of death, preying upon existential worries in the process, but at this point in the franchise it's also wearyingly, disappointingly easy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCOp9jCG07I
USB sticks are stripped back to basics with Flashkus, an innovative design by Russian company Art Lebedev Studio. Reflecting on the disposable nature of electronic storage, the design team foresaw a near future in which "all electronics will be contained on the tip of a detachable cardboard module." Each Flashkus is created from thin strips of recyclable cardboard, allowing for easy disk-labeling and the potential to recycle the body of the disk once you're done. The Flashkus is eco-friendly, no-nonsense and minimalistic. The team behind its creation predict it "is going to be an even more convenient storage device than the floppy disk was back then."
Melbourne's skyline is looking up, with the city set to gain another huge tower that'll become both the Victorian capital's and Australia's tallest building. Proposed by the Royal Society of Victoria and designed by Decibel Architecture, the structure is planned for the corner of La Trobe and Victoria streets in the CBD where the RSV is currently based — and as well as reaching high into the sky, it'll also catch the eye with its super skinny appearance. Named Magic, the building will feature 60 storeys soaring more than 330 metres high, with one document listing the skyscraper as 362 metres tall. While it'll primarily feature apartments, the site will also enable the RSV to upgrade its heritage-listed home, add a science engagement centre and cafe, and create a science precinct. The organisation has described its plans as "dedicated to science and the spirit of the Royal Exhibition Buildings World Heritage Precinct". Indeed, celebrating Melbourne's science prowess is at the heart of the project, which architect Dylan Brady states "will demonstrate ingenuity, cutting edge sustainable technologies and be an iconic marker to Melbourne". Magic's lofty status will join eclipse the city's current tallest building, the 297.3-metre tall Eureka Tower, as well as the in-progress 319-metre Australia 108 residential tower at Southbank and the 323-metre-tall One Queensbridge tower slated for the Crown precinct. Around the rest of the country, the Gold Coast's Q1 presently reaches 332.5 metres, with the new 328m Orion Towers in Surfers Paradise in development.
Few dining experiences compare to a traditional omakase, where highly trained Japanese chefs decide what to serve diners and make their food right in front of them. It's a gastronomical performance like no other. And Chef Kimura, one of the best omakase chefs in the world, has left his Tokyo restaurant (which has received two Michelin stars five years in a row) to bring his particular take on the experience — specifically, jukusei-sushi (aged sushi) — to Australia. This November, the hospo heavyweight — and third-generation sushi chef — will be taking over the kitchens at Sydney's 20-seat Sushi E (on Saturday, November 5) and Byron Bay hot spot Raes on Wategos (on Tuesday, November 8 and Wednesday, November 9). What's needed to attain the skill of jukusei-sushi? Enough patience, determination and intuition to put most to shame. More complex than simply knowing how long to age each fish for — 12 days for mehikari, for example — it's learning what to do with each species' unique traits. Few can do what Chef Kimura does, as well as he does it. Getting a table at his restaurant in Japan is renowned for being almost impossible, so you'll want to nab a seat at one of these dining experiences, stat. Tickets are going for $300 at Sushi E and $325 in Byron Bay. Chef Kimura will take up residence at Sushi E on Saturday, November 5, across five sittings. Further north, he will be hitting the kitchen at Raes on Wategos for four sittings across Tuesday, November 8 and Wednesday, November 9.
Chronicling encroaching maturity: it's the ambit of so many coming-of-age features that the idea has become its own cliche. With Boyhood, writer/director Richard Linklater takes the concept a step further — and though his method isn't unique, even to his own work courtesy of his Before trilogy, the film that results is. His portrait of growing up charts twelve years, shooting over the same period. Mason (Ellar Coltrane) is introduced staring at the sky, a six-year-old bundle of daydream-fuelled introversion and mischievous curiosity. He spars with his older sister Samantha (Lorelei Linklater), traverses the life dictated by the choices of his mother (Patricia Arquette) and wishes for more time with his father (Ethan Hawke). The years pass, and over the movie's 165 minutes, Mason evolves from a child into a man. Most movies mark the process of becoming an adult through major milestones, but Boyhood reflects upon quieter moments. Linklater doesn't follow an overarching narrative, apart from Mason's ageing and his mother's romantic and career changes. The big developments are largely inconsequential, excised in favour of everyday ephemera. It is in the spaces between — as Mason tests boundaries and forms his own identity, whether playing in the park, camping with his dad, passing notes with a pretty girl, having his first drink or finding an affinity for photography — that the film lingers. That's the key to Boyhood — the minutiae of getting older, by virtue of avoiding the usual contrivances of impending adulthood, always feels authentic and relatable. Mason's tale isn't just his own but belongs to everyone who was once a child navigating difficulties mundane in their ordinariness but influential in their individual impact, whether recently or remembered in a wave of nostalgia. In keeping with his layered storytelling, Linklater's filmmaking is unobtrusive, stitching together the familiar with finesse — pop culture references and all. His camera is enamoured with Mason, and though divorcing the time-conscious technique from the story is impossible, every image does more than capture a character ambling towards the age of 18. The intimate and unembellished slices of a young life each visual offers appear aesthetically and narratively drawn from reality, even as the constructed nature of the film remains apparent. Coltrane, of course, is the centerpiece of Boyhood, the figure upon which everything hangs. Calling his performance naturalistic states the obvious, but his ability to convey Mason's blossoming into a smart, sensitive young adult cements the film as truly special. Linklater took a risk on an ambitious way to relate an oft-told tale, and in his newcomer lead and career-best turns from Arquette and Hawke, he succeeds. And then there's another feat that can't be overlooked — starting a film with Coldplay's 'Yellow' and still making a masterpiece. https://youtube.com/watch?v=b70esOwsOf4
Last year, just as the pandemic started shutting down our regular routines, a handy browser plug-in popped up to make life a little more bearable. That'd be Netflix Party, which helps you watch movies with your mates while still social distancing — synchronising everyone's playback so you're truly watching each and every frame at the same time. That's all well and good if you're watching via a browser, and you're watching Netflix. If you and your pals are keen on an iOS alternative that'll slide right into your chats and span other platforms, you'll soon have one. As part of its big iOS 15 announcement, Apple has revealed that it is launching a new Facetime feature called Shareplay. It'll allow you to view films and TV shows together and in sync — and listen to music as well — complete with shared playback controls. So, once you and your friends are on a Shareplay session, anyone can pause whatever you're watching or hearing. Also, you won't all need to be using an iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple TV to access the service. Apple also announced that it's going to extend Facetime calls beyond its own devices, so folks who use Android or Windows devices will be able to access the application via their web browser. A heap of other platforms will be integrated into Shareplay, if you're wondering what you and your crew will be able to binge together. They include Disney+, TikTok and Twitch, as well as Paramount+ — which will launch in Australia this August. You'll obviously all need to subscribe to whichever platforms you're planning to view or listen to — so this won't be a way to watch The Mandalorian on your mates' account. Shareplay will work with Apple Music and Apple's own range of movies and TV shows, naturally, and you'll also be able to share your screen via the feature to view other apps together. Other updates slated for iOS 15, which is expected to start rolling out from spring 2021, include redesigned notifications, a big Safari revamp, a Live Text function that'll be able to read handwritten writing in photos, enhanced features in Apple Maps and ramped up privacy controls. The weather and notes apps are getting a makeover, too, and there'll also be a new Live Translate feature as well. Apple's iOS 15 is expected to start rolling out from spring 2021. For further details, head to the Apple website.
After spending the summer focusing on play, Museum of Brisbane has turned its attention to clay, heroing pottery and ceramics in all their forms. Moving from getting active to appreciating earthy objects, the seasonally appropriate switch has arrived courtesy of the site's new Clay: Collected Ceramics exhibition — its latest free excuse to wander around level three of City Hall in King George Square. Premiering as part of Brisbane Art Design 2023, but gracing the museum's walls and halls until Sunday, October 22, Clay: Collected Ceramics isn't just showing an age-old art form some love (or endeavouring to appeal to fans of Patrick Swayze film Ghost). It's also celebrating Brisbane's clay, pottery and ceramics community, specifically 60 years of clay-based practise in the River City, all via more than 300 pieces. If that sounds like a lot of clay, it is — and there's a vase by Bonnie Hislop decked out not only in colour, but with the words "a bit much" that irreverently sums up the massive showcase. The Yeerongpilly-based ceramicist's works sit among the exhibition's range of newly commissioned, never-before-seen contemporary pieces from local artists, which also includes contributions by Nicolette Johnson, Jane du Rand, Kenji Uranishi and Steph Woods. A big focus: mould-breaking uses of the medium. Other highlights include leaning into the colour often associated with clay — brown — by grouping together works by Carl McConnell, Gwyn Hanssen Pigott, Milton Moon, Lyndal Moor, Kevin Grealy and more that showcase the tone in a variety of shades. And, the private collection of author, poet and Paper Boat Press founder Kylie Johnson features heavily, capitalising upon her lifetime love of collecting pottery. There's also exhibition-within-the-exhibition Commune, with hundreds of memory vessels lent by Brisbane's ceramics community — marking the biggest-ever artist-sourced display in MoB's history, in fact — and an evolving installation by artist-in-residence Jody Rallah. Clay: Collected Ceramics also spans functional pieces dating back to the 70s, plus items that were only ever going to sit on someone's shelves from a range of talents, encouraging a conversation about the plethora of ways that the tactile material in the spotlight can be used. Images: Claudia Baxter.
Any chance to see Yayoi Kusama's work in Australia is huge news, and reason to make a date — including travel plans, if needed — to get immersed in the Japanese icon's infinity rooms, and also be surrounded by pumpkins and dots. So when the National Gallery of Victoria announced that its big summer 2024–25 showcase would be dedicated to the artist, that was enough to make the resulting exhibition a firm must-see. Adding Friday-night parties to the mix, which the NGV has just locked in, is the cherry on top, then. How many ways can Melbourne go dotty for Kusama? Everyone is about to find out, although that question keeps being answered in the lead up to the exhibition's opening on Sunday, December 15, 2024. Already, Kusama's five-metre-tall dot-covered Dancing Pumpkin sculpture has made NGV International's Federation Court its home. Then came the revelation that the showcase will feature a world record-breaking number of infinity rooms and other immersive installations. And, outside the gallery on St Kilda Road right now, Kusama's Ascension of Polka Dots on the Trees has wrapped the trunks of more than 60 trees in pink-and-white polka-dotted material. NGV Friday Nights often forms part of the venue's high-profile exhibitions, so it should come as no surprise that the event series will be back for Yayoi Kusama. The after-hours parties will kick off on Friday, December 20, 2024 for some pre-Christmas fun, then run for 18 weeks until Friday, April 18, 2025. Come quittin' time for the week, Melburnians can add spots to their late-night shenanigans. If you're making a visit from interstate, you'll want to ensure you time it to hit one of the soirees on your trip. Seeing art is obviously on the NGV Friday Nights itinerary, but so is music and culinary experiences. The NGV's Great Hall will welcome live DJ sets, including from Dijok, Small FRY, Elle Shimada, Tanzer and more. In the NGV Garden Restaurant, acclaimed chefs Martin Benn is doing a residency for the exhibition's duration, serving up Asian-inspired dishes using Australian produce, Attendees can also look forward to other dining and drinking options, such as the Moët & Chandon champagne bar, Four Pillars gin bar, Yering Station wine bar and Häagen-Dazs ice cream cart — so there's sparkling, G&Ts, wine flights and frozen treats covered — plus a Japanese-inspired menu from the Great Hall and Gallery Kitchen. Gracing NGV International's walls until Monday, April 21, 2025, Yayoi Kusama will feature over 180 works, in what'll be the largest Kusama retrospective that Australia has ever seen — as well as one of the most-comprehensive retrospectives devoted to the artist to be staged globally, not to mention the closest that you'll get to experiencing her Tokyo museum without leaving the country. Other highlights include NGV International's glass waterwall going pink, but with black rather than white dots; Kusama's new version of Narcissus Garden, which dates back to 1966 and will feature 1400 30-centimetre-diameter silver balls this time around, sitting in front of the waterwall and in parts of Federation Court; and the yellow-and-black spheres of Dots Obsession hanging over the Great Hall. Then there's the artist's sticker-fuelled, all-ages-friendly The Obliteration Room, where audiences young and old pop coloured dots everywhere — 'obliterating', as Kusama calls it — to cover an apartment interior that's completely white otherwise. Overall, Yayoi Kusama will step through the 95-year-old artist's eight decades of making art via a thematic chronology. Some pieces hail from her childhood. Some are recent. Her output in her hometown of Matsumoto from the late 30s–50s; the results of relocating to America in 1957; archival materials covering her performances and activities in her studios, especially with a political charge, in the 60s and 70s; plenty from the past four decades: they'll all appear. [caption id="attachment_981011" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yayoi Kusama, The Hope of the Polka Dots Buried in Infinity Will Eternally Cover the Universe 2019 at Kusama's solo exhibition Yayoi Kusama: All About Love Speaks Forever at Fosun Foundation, Shanghai. Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts © YAYOI KUSAMA.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_950473" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yayoi Kusama, The obliteration room 2002–present. Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, © YAYOI KUSAMA.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_950474" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Installation view of Yayoi Kusama's Flower Obsession 2017 on display in NGV Triennial from 15 December 2017 – 15 April 2018 at NGV International Melbourne. Image courtesy of NGV.[/caption] Yayoi Kusama displays at NGV International, St Kilda Road, Melbourne from Sunday, December 15, 2024–Monday, April 21, 2025 — and NGV Friday Nights: Yayoi Kusama runs each Friday night from 6–10pm between Friday, December 20, 2024–Friday, April 18, 2025. Head to the NGV website for more details and tickets. Top image: Installation view of Yayoi Kusama's Dots Obsession 1996/2015 at Kusama's solo exhibition YAYOI KUSAMA: IN INFINITY, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebaek, Denmark. YAYOI KUSAMA Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts © YAYOI KUSAMA. NGV Friday Nights images: Michael Pham / Tobias Titz.
Last year, an unlikely duo gave Sydneysiders a sarnie worthy of their finest hangover. Now, it's coming back — and it'll be available Australia-wide. Two indulgent favourites, PappaRich and Belles Hot Chicken, are pooling their resources to create a Malaysian-style fried chicken sandwich of your dreams. On offer for both lunch and dinner, this spiced-up sandwich features Belles' signature fried chicken, plus Malaysian slaw with coconut vinegar and secret sauce, all between PappaRich's toasted Hainan-style sweet bread. Belles Hot Chicken chef Morgan McGlone is the man behind this creation, so you know it'll be damn tasty. It will be available from Monday, March 25 at all 30 PappaRich restaurants around the country. If you're in Sydney, that means you can grab one in Bankstown or on your lunch break at the express outlet inside Westfield in the city; in Melbourne, pop by Chadstone, Southern Cross or QV; and PappaRich in Wintergarden and Coorparoo Square will be selling them in Brisbane. There are a heap more locations though, so check the website if you're looking for one closer to you. The sandwich will be available for lunch and dinner from March 25 until May 15 at PappaRich locations across the country. Find more details on the Facebook event.
Have you been known to look at a doughnut and think "you belong with me"? Do you consider sweet treats your karma? Does happiness to you come in round orbs of pastry? Do you have your eyes open for all things Taylor Swift — or just for free doughnuts? The pop superstar has hit Australia, finally bringing her Eras tour Down Under thanks to three shows in Melbourne and four in Sydney. Her Aussie stint starts today, Friday, February 16. And to celebrate, Krispy Kreme is getting in on the action to give out free doughnuts to Swifties, and also to anyone — as long as you're wearing a friendship bracelet when you head into its Australian or Auckland stores. The chain is known for giving away its round treats, including handing out 100,000 of them each National Doughnut Day. In 2023 for Halloween, it also doled out freebies if you went in in costume. So, it's thoroughly unsurprising that it's linking in with Swiftmania. To snag yourself a signature glazed freebie, make a beeline to your closest Krispy Kreme store in Australia or Auckland on Friday, February 16 while wearing a friendship bracelet. The last part isn't optional. You'll then receive one original glazed doughnut per person, and you don't have to buy anything else to nab the treat without paying a cent. This is a while-stocks-last giveaway, so getting in as quick as someone trying to nab Taylor Swift tickets is obviously recommended. That gives everyone a heap of places to flock to: 38 in Australia and six in New Zealand. Sydneysiders are able to hit up stores stretching from Penrith to the CBD, Victorians can visit locations from Chadstone to Collins Street, and Queenslanders have Albert Street in the Brisbane CBD and Surfers Paradise among the choices. For residents of Perth, Hay Street, Cannington and more await. In Aotearoa, all options are in Auckland — including at Newmarket, Chancery Square and the domestic airport terminal. Krispy Kreme's Taylor Swift giveaway is taking place in-store on Friday, February 16 in Australia and Auckland. To find your closest shop and check its opening hours, head to Krispy Kreme's Australian and New Zealand websites.
Calling all architecture fans, folks keen to explore another side of Brisbane and just anyone who likes to peek behind closed doors. Open House Brisbane is back for 2019 and is once again showcasing the city's buildings and structures, letting you peer beyond their facades, and even welcoming you into nooks and crannies that aren't usually open to the public. Celebrating its tenth year in Brisbane, the event will feature 119 buildings across the weekend of October 12–13, which marks its biggest program yet. Get ready to wander through places that you probably walk past every day, spots you've always wondered about and everything in between. They include The Montague pub in West End, the Spring Hill Baths and The Shingle Inn in City Hall, plus the Fort Lytton Military Precinct (and Lytton Quarantine Station), the Old Windmill Tower and the always-popular homes inside Indooroopilly's Walter Taylor Bridge. A selection of architecturally distinctive residential buildings also feature, if you'd like a tour of other people's houses. Many require bookings, so planning ahead is recommended. Other highlights include seemingly every important space along the river at South Bank — Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Queensland Museum, State Library of Queensland, Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art and ABC Brisbane — plus other city-wide favourites such as The Tivoli, Breakfast Creek Hotel, Brisbane Powerhouse, Parliament House, the Treasury Hotel, 4ZZZ's studios and the Queensland Herbarium. Fancy stepping inside the 90-storey Brisbane Skytower in Margaret Street, or the historic Howard Smith Wharves? They're also on the bill. While plenty of this year's locations were on the program in 2018, newcomers include All Hallow's Convent, Brisbane Racing Club, 25 King Street, the William Terrace carpark and one of West End's best-kept secrets: the Ryan Street Library. It's a footpath spot where locals can stop by, borrow a book, exchange their own or donate reading material — and it's inspired, architecturally, by a similar setup in Stockholm. Open House Brisbane isn't just about walking through spaces, whether you mosey at your own leisure or take a guided tour. It also boasts a program of talks and events running from September 26, including a new signature lecture on Singaporean architecture. Last year's special after-dark section also returns, taking place between September 30–October 11 — complete with everything from art exhibitions to laneway tours. Brisbane Open House runs over Saturday, October 12 and Sunday, October 13 at a variety of places around Brisbane. For the full program, head to brisbaneopenhouse.com.au. Top images: Walter Taylor Bridget by Jake Churches, Port of Brisbane by Kim Williams, Government House Fernberg, Spring Hall Baths by Cieran Murphy and Old Windmill Tower by Paul Knie.
By August, winter can begin to feel as though it's been dragging on forever. Some of us, like migratory birds, make an annual pilgrimage to our favourite Northern Hemisphere destination, avoiding the darker months altogether. Others dig in like grizzly bears, travelling no further than is necessary to obtain food and money. Fortunately, one of Australia's geographical benefits is its proximity to an abundance of eternally sun-kissed destinations. Whether you prefer the seemingly boundless expanse of the Pacific Ocean, or the monsoonal mystery of the Indian Ocean - the warmest ocean in the world - you're only ever a a few hours' flight time away from winterless climes. So, if you're feeling as though you'd like a quick preview of summer before December ushers in the main act, here are ten destinations that could well have you digging out your long lost swimmers. Eratap, Vanuatu If you happen to be sitting at an airport on the eastern seaboard of Australia right now, this view is just three hours and twenty minutes' travelling time away. That's a three hour flight to Vanuatu's capital, Port Vila, and a twenty minute drive to the pier pictured above. Even though the exclusive resort of Eratap is comprised of just twelve villas, all located on the waterfront, it occupies an entire peninsula, incorporating eight acres of lush gardens and three lonely beaches. Plus, the resort's gardeners will drop you to one of several surf breaks just off the beach should you feel the inclination. Semara Luxury Villa Resort, Bali If you like your rooms over-sized, your ocean views panoramic and your gardens perfectly manicured, Semara is likely to tick all your boxes. Located on Bali's southernmost point, this resort features seven commodious, architect-designed villas, which overlook the Indian ocean from the spectacular heights of Uluwatu's stunning white limestone cliffs. Zeavola, Phi Phi, Thailand Encompassing an unspoiled stretch of too-white-to-be-true sand on Phi Phi Don Island's northern tip, Zeavola promises an indulgent experience based on sensual pleasure. The accommodation, modelled on island-style housing, is built of hand-hewn teak, and the landscaping features quiet gardens, romantic outdoor showers and hand-painted murals. Wayalailai Ecohaven Resort, Fiji One of the few 100% locally owned resorts in the Pacific Islands, Wayalailai offers a beach-side break in the heavenly Yasawa Islands that isn't quite as devastating on the wallet as other, more luxurious options. Run by nearby villages, Wayalailai features traditional-style bures (both doubles and dorms) and enables the visitor to experience Fijian society and culture as it occurs on a daily basis, rather than as a construction for the purpose of tourist entertainment. Prices start at $70, inclusive of three meals, and you can even pitch a tent for $55. All profits go to improving living standards and increasing access to education in local communities. Aitutaki Lagoon Resort and Spa, Cook Islands Many a well-seasoned traveller has concluded that Aitutaki Lagoon is the most beautiful in the world. 'No artist's palette could ever conceive of a more perfect, more luminous turquoise,' Steve Daley wrote in Unforgettable Places to See Before You Die. The only resort in the Cook Islands to occupy its own private island, the Aitutaki Lagoon Resort and Spa, perched on the lagoon's edge, is renowned for its intimate, Polynesian-style over water bungalows. Te Tiare Beach Resort, French Polynesia Te Tiare Beach Resort - one of the smallest and most intimate in French Polynesia - is located on Huahine, one of the less visited and most tranquil of the country's islands. There's a local farmer's market, a strong traditional fishing culture and an abundance of fertile plantations and orchards - vanilla, noni fruit, taro, watermelon, mango, papaya, banana and breadfruit are all made for the South Seas. You can choose your bungalow according to your tastes - garden, premium garden, beach, lagoon overwater or deep overwater. L'Escapade Island Resort, New Caledonia Like French Polynesia, New Caledonia offers a little European je-ne-sais-quoi without the pain of a gruelling long-haul flight. In fact, it's less than three hours' time in the air from Sydney. Similarly to the Aitutaki Lagoon Resort and Spa, L'Escapade inhabits its very own private island, twenty minutes' boat ride from Noumea. Access to both inner and outer lagoon areas enables an array of sun-blessed activities, from swimming and snorkelling to windsurfing and kayaking. 69 bungalows - both over water and terrestrial - comprise the accommodation. Fregate Island, Seychelles With 2000 free-roaming Giant Aldabra Tortoises, hundreds of Hawksbill Turtles' nest and an indigenous forest rehabilitation plantation, Fregate Island is not just one of the world's most prestigious holiday destinations, it's also an important conservation project. Visitors can rent one of 16 spacious private pool residencies, a five-building estate or an entire island. Niyama, Maldives The world's first underwater live music club and a 24-hour spa mean that Niyama offers more than your regular beachside vacation. Located forty minutes by seaplane from Male, it features over water pavilions and stand alone studios with unimpeded views of the horizon. The onsite restaurant serves meals just five hundred metres from the water's edge. Sila Evason Hideaway and Spa, Thailand Found on the northern tip of Koh Samui, Sila Evason is famous for is its 41 pool villas, each of which comes with its own private infinity edge pool. They're set in twenty acres of native forest, on a sloping headland, and offer panoramic views of the ocean and surrounding scenery. There's also a Six Senses Spa on the premises.
When Greta Gerwig's Margot Robbie-starring Barbie takes audiences on an opening tour of Barbie Land, it makes one thing supremely clear: Barbie can be anything. The famous doll can be President, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, a diplomat and a Supreme Court justice. It can be a mermaid, doctor, lawyer and Pulitzer-winner, too. Off-screen, Barbie the movie can be one helluva pink-hued pioneer in smashing records as well — including by reaching $1 billion at the box office globally. It took just 17 days from release for Barbie to notch up that figure, Variety reports. In the process, it earned that massive stack of cash faster than any other movie from Warner Bros, beating Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2's 19-day feat. Raking in all those takings from all those cinemagoers basking in Barbie's joys is all well and ace, but making Lady Bird and Little Women filmmaker Gerwig the first solo female director to hit the billion-dollar mark is a stunning achievement — the kind that really deserves a giant blowout party with all the Barbies, planned choreography and a bespoke song. [caption id="attachment_907779" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Caroline McCredie[/caption] Barbie is only the second film this year to crack a billion at the worldwide box office, after The Super Mario Bros Movie. Since the pandemic hit, only Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way of Water, Jurassic World Dominion and Spider-Man: No Way Home have also brought in that much money. Wondering where Barbie's Barbenheimer buddy sits? Christopher Nolan's vastly dissimilar atomic-bomb thriller Oppenheimer has hit half a billion at the time of writing. The Robbie- and Ryan Gosling (The Gray Man)-led film has beaten Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Fast X, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, The Little Mermaid, Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' respective 2023 takings too — all of which sit alongside it, Mario and Oppenheimer in the global top ten right now. On the list of highest-grossing films of all time, only Frozen, Frozen II and Captain Marvel place higher with a female director at the helm — but all three were co-helmed with male filmmakers. Back when Barbie reach the half-billion mark on July 28, Warner Bros Pictures President of Domestic Distribution Jeff Goldstein and President of International Distribution Andrew Cripps said that "the extraordinary Greta Gerwig and her marvellous cast and crew have delivered an event for every kind of moviegoer everywhere in the world and, as critical praise continues to mount, what is quickly proving to be one of the best-reviewed movies of the year." "We couldn't be more thrilled or proud of these phenomenal results, and congratulate the filmmakers, cast and our colleagues at Mattel on this spectacular run, which — like Barbie herself — continues to defy all expectations." In Australia, Barbie made history almost instantly. The film notched up the biggest opening at the Australian box office for 2023 so far, raking in $21.5 million including preview screenings, over its first weekend — and earned the biggest opening weekend ever for a film directed by a female filmmaker. Alongside Oppenheimer, it also saw the Aussie box office score its biggest-ever Saturday and Sunday takings. And, it's likely to soon surpass The Super Mario Bros Movie as the highest-grossing film of 2023 in Australia so far. Yes, Barbie definitely can do anything. Check out the trailer below: Barbie is showing in Australian and New Zealand cinemas now. Read our review. Via Variety.
When the eighth season of Game of Thrones finished its run in 2019, bringing the highly popular series to a conclusion, everyone knew that it wasn't really the end. The world created by George RR Martin will live on in his books, whenever the author finally publishes the long-awaited next instalment of his A Song of Ice and Fire series. And, because HBO likes both ratings and advertising dollars, the US cable network will keep the GoT-related TV shows going as well. Like residents of Westeros hoping that summer (or at least autumn) will last for ever, HBO isn't ready to let go of its highly successful commodity. Before GoT even finished, there had been plenty of chatter about what it'll do next, in fact. First, HBO announced that it was considering five different prequel ideas. It then green-lit one to pilot stage, scrapped it and later decided to adapt Martin's House Targaryen-focused Fire & Blood for the small screen instead. Now, the channel is reportedly in the early development phase for another GoT-related series also stemming from Martin's books. This time around, novella series Tales of Dunk and Egg looks set to get the TV treatment, Variety reports — with HBO still eager to keep building upon GoT's massive success, as the network is likely to be for the near future. The project is in the very early stages, however, so there's no word yet on who'll be involved either on- or off-screen. If it does come to fruition, Tales of Dunk and Egg will draw upon three novellas published so far: 1998's The Hedge Knight, 2003's The Sworn Sword and 2010's The Mystery Knight. Set around 90 years before the events of GoT, all three focus on the titular characters. Dunk will eventually become the future Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Duncan the Tall, while Egg is the future king Aegon V Targaryen — and both earn a mention in the A Song of Ice and Fire novels. As happened with the first proposed GoT prequel — as mentioned above — the fact that HBO is pondering making a new Westeros-set show doesn't mean that it'll end up making it to screens. Still, if you've been missing the chaos of the franchise's fictional world (and could use a return visit as a distraction from the real world), it's welcome news. Until any of the prequels actually drop, you can always rewatch the original — which is streaming in Australia via Binge — or revisit a trailer from its eighth and final season below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuLUyJdRvSU Via Variety.
Directed by Joe Carnahan (The A Team) and produced by Ridley and Tony Scott, The Grey tells the story of a group of oil-rig workers who find themselves stranded on the freezing Alaskan tundra after their plane home crashes. John Ottoway (Liam Neeson) is forced to lead a group of roughneck men in their fight for survival when the men come under attack by a pack of vicious, aggressive wolves. The wolves are on the hunt for these stranded humans as they see them as intruders in their territory who must be killed. The Grey is a thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat in the fight between man versus nature. The film is based on the short story Ghost Walker by Ian MacKenzie Jeffers. To win one of five double passes to see The Grey, just make sure you are subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name and postal address through to hello@concreteplayground.com.au
Calling all dumpling fiends — and wonton, gyoza, jiaozi, shishbarak and momo fans too. That most wonderful of encased foods and its many, many varieties are getting a whole day to call their own, showcasing the types and flavours of Asia while celebrating the lunar new year. From 10am to 4pm on February 17, Wandering Cooks will dedicate its South Brisbane space to the tasty heated parcels that everyone loves. In a day certain to end in food comas, everywhere from Tibet to Palestine will be represented. Not only can you buy and devour your favourite kind — or kinds, lets be honest — but you can also learn how to make them. Entry into the event is free, but registration is required. And if you're wondering why Brisbane is being treated to such a glorious occasion, it's all part of the BrisAsia festivities. You can't revel in the wonders of Asian culture on an empty stomach, after all.
It hasn't served up meals for more than a decade, but El Bulli will always be a famous culinary name. Until 2011, when the spot in the town of Roses in Catalonia, Spain was operating as a restaurant, it was the pinnacle of fine-dining. It boasted three Michelin stars to prove it. Documentary El Bulli: Cooking in Progress also told its story. Head Chef Ferran Adrià didn't just oversee one of the world's best eateries, either — he's one of the world's best chefs, too. Didn't get the chance to enjoy a dish there, for all manner of reasons? How about sleeping at El Bulli for a night instead. That's the latest money-can't-buy experience on offer via Airbnb, and for one evening only. Slumbering at elBulli1846, the museum that's now onsite, is also free — for two people, but you are responsible of getting yourself to Roses, including paying your own way from Down Under if you score the booking. Airbnb loves opening up places that you wouldn't normally be able to kip in, as seen in the past with Shrek's swamp, Barbie's Malibu DreamHouse, the Ted Lasso pub, the Moulin Rouge! windmill and Hobbiton, for starters. It has also listed the Bluey house, the Paris theatre that inspired The Phantom of the Opera, the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine, The Godfather mansion, the South Korean estate where BTS filmed In the Soop, the Sanderson sisters' Hocus Pocus cottage and Santa's festive cabin in Finland. Earlier in 2024, Christina Aguilera hosted a two-night Las Vegas stay. Adrià does the honours at elBulli1846 — which, as you'd expect, goes all in on El Bulli's history. As you spend the night in the venue at Cala Montjoi, within the Cap de Creus Natural Park, he's hoping that you'll get inspired by its gastronomic innovation while soaking in the Mediterranean sea views. The museum is named after the 1846 dishes that El Bulli created in its restaurant days, after all. "The mission of elBullirestaurante was about pushing limits. We had reached what we felt was the limits of what can be done in a gastronomic experience at the maximum level," said Adrià. "Now I'm excited to push new creative boundaries, to share this way of seeing the world with the guests who stay here and to introduce them to our latest chapter as elBulli1846." This is the first time that El Bulli has allowed anything like this within its famed culinary halls. Whoever nabs the reservation will meet Adrià, and hear all about the restaurant from him; eat at one of his favourite restaurants in Roses; and get overnight access to El Bulli, including its private rooms. You'll also have dinner the next day at Enigma in Barcelona, where Adrià's brother Albert is the chef. And, in-between all of that, you'll be sleeping in a bed designed to look like a plate, which takes its cues from El Bulli's spherical olive. To enjoy all of the above, you'll need to be free to stay across Wednesday, October 16–Thursday, October 17 — and you'll be getting booking at 2am AEST / 4am NZST on Thursday, April 18. Again, while you won't pay a cent for accommodation or the two dinners while you're at elBulli1846, you will need to fork out to get there and back. For more information about the elBulli1846 Airbnb stay, or to book at 2am AEST / 4am NZST on Thursday, April 18 for a stay across Wednesday, October 16–Thursday, October 17, 2024, head to the Airbnb website. Images: Marc Ensenyat. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Things are looking up, Brisbane. Summer is just around the corner, and you know what that means: long, lazy afternoons spent drinking cocktails with your mates. Luckily, our pretty city has capitalised on places to drink outdoors in the form of copious beer gardens and courtyards, where you don't have to wait till the evening to kick things off. To give you some inspiration, we've teamed up with Maker's Mark to pin down the al fresco drinking spots where you can enjoy an old-fashioned, a whisky sour, or whatever refreshment takes your fancy while the sun still shines.
Turning trash into treasure is the aim of the game here, and there’s certainly ample bounty to reward the curious. The gift shop located within Woolloongabba’s Reverse Garbage Queensland headquarters stocks items made from salvaged odds and ends, everything transformed from their original state into beautifully crafted objects of all shapes and sizes. Lego rings, watch part earrings, and other types of trinkets line the store, celebrating timber, scrap metal, textiles and more taking on new forms and meanings, and illustrating the possibilities for the reuse of otherwise wasted and discarded materials. Embrace the unwanted this festive season – someone else’s garbage could be your perfect gift. Image: Yan Chen
Sound art may be on the fringes of the exhibition world, but Liquid Architecture is one Australian organisation dedicated to creating spaces and sonic encounters that bring the ideas and innovation of the medium to a contemporary art environment. Over two evenings, LA2015 Brisbane sees the organisation take over the Institute of Modern Art with a program of sonic exploration that critically examines the meaning and place of sound itself. The participating artists use home-made synthesisers, opera, folk music and psychic tests — to name but a few of the diverse methodologies encountered — in response to the organisation’s broader 2015 themes of capitalist surrealism, feminist methodologies and sonic warfare. Their work asks questions about contemporary life and technology, the social implications of capitalist ideology and the pervasiveness of state-corporate eavesdropping. LA2015 Brisbane runs from 5pm to 9pm on 3 and 4 October at the IMA. Image: Richard Dawson, Google Dreaming
Everyone likes shopping and hanging out by the water, which Portside's regular markets know and understand — especially when festive season is approaching. If you really like browsing and buying, taking in the riverside air, and having a reason to stop for a bite and a drink, you'll want to head to Hamilton on Saturday, December 7. From 3–7pm, you can shop, stroll, sip and purchase gifts, which sounds like a mighty fine weekend itinerary. A heap of stalls will be offering up everything from art and plants to ceramics and accessories — and more. If you've been to markets at the Gasworks or in Fish Lane, you'll have a firm idea of what you're in for, because The Market Folk is behind all of the above and is running this Portside event as well. To give your shopping a soundtrack, there's usually piano tunes echoing through the Hamilton precinct. And, if those hunger pangs strike — or you're just keen on having a drink — the precinct has plenty of eateries onsite. Images: Claudia Baxter.
New year, new set of holiday plans? If that's how you celebrate December flipping over to January every 12 months, then you're probably already scoping out where to head when 2023 becomes 2024. Here's some inspiration: Hamilton Island, Bali, Fiji and Tokyo, aka places that Virgin is slinging cheap fares to in its latest sale. This new batch of discounted flights spans more than 500,000 fares for both domestic and international legs. Prices start low, at $45, which once again gets you from Sydney to Byron Bay — the normal cheapest fare in any flight sale — and vice versa. From there, the domestic side of the sale covers everywhere from the Sunshine Coast and Hobart to Canberra and Broome. Fancy a trip to the Gold Coast, Cairns, Launceston, Alice Springs or Darwin instead? They're also on the list. This excuse to book a getaway runs until midnight AEST on Monday, October 23 — unless sold out earlier, with fares to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide also covered. That means paying $59 one-way from Melbourne to Launceston, $69 from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast and $109 from Brisbane to Hamilton Island. Also among the local fares: Sydney to Hobart from $85, Melbourne to the Gold Coast from $109, Sydney to Adelaide from $125, Brisbane to Melbourne from $129 and Perth to Broome from $189. Internationally, you'll need to go via Cairns if you're keen to head to Tokyo, starting at $699 return. Among the other global return options: Bali (from $449 from Adelaide or the Gold Coast, $559 from Brisbane, and $629 from Melbourne or Sydney), Fiji ($509 from Brisbane, $529 from Sydney and $579 from Melbourne), Vanuatu ($569 from Brisbane) and Samoa ($579 from Brisbane). And, Queenstown is also on the agenda, with both one-way and return legs. One-way from Sydney starts at $259 and return from $445, Melbourne at $265 and $425, and Brisbane $295 and $515. If you're wondering when you'll need to travel, the fares cover select periods between Tuesday, January 16–Thursday, August 29, 2024, with all dates varying per route. Inclusions also differ depending on your ticket and, as usual when it comes to flight sales, you'll need to get in quick if you're keen to spend some, part or all of next year anywhere but home. Virgin's latest sale runs until midnight AEST on Monday, October 23 — unless sold out earlier. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
When Queensland's Go Cards were introduced, they were billed as a quicker, easier way to pay for public transport — but if you've ever had trouble topping up, been wrongly slugged for not touching off or been forced to pay paper ticketing prices after leaving your card at home, then you might disagree. In fact, you've probably been dreaming of a day when you won't need that little piece of plastic. Well, we have good news: ditching your Go Card is about to become a reality. As part of this year's state budget, the Queensland Government will commit $371 million over the next four years to trial and implement electronic payment methods for public transport, The Courier-Mail reports. Originally floated earlier this year, the move would enable Brisbanites to use digital ticketing via mobile phones, smart watches and credit cards. With $90 million committed to the project in the 2018/19 financial year, if the budget is passed through parliament, the first tests are expected to be rolled out over the next 12 months. The new payment options will complement rather than replace the existing system — so if you do happen to be attached to your Go Card for some reason, you can keep using it. Queensland is the latest state to make the shift towards new ticketing methods, with New South Wales residents able to purchase ferry and light rail tickets via contactless payments since March. In Victoria, a similar trial of mobile payments — giving users a digital Myki card via an app — is set to commence in the coming months. Via The Courier-Mail. Image: Andrew Thomas via Flickr.
After making his fortune at the card tables as a professional gambler, David Walsh launched MONA as something to give back to the community. Three years later it's become a national icon, boosted Tasmania's economy and given rise to one of Australia's best festivals. Now, despite labelling gambling as "mostly immoral", Walsh has plans in the works to build a mini-casino at his much-loved Tasmanian gallery. Yes, this is confusing. In its defence, Walsh's vision for the space goes far beyond the sad state of affairs you see on an average night at Star City or Crown. Designed for the more refined gambler, the space would be "a little high-roller, tourist-only, no-pokie casino". The entire operation would consist of nothing more than 12 cards tables. Basically, it'd be the perfect place for Bond villains to hang out should they ever find themselves in Australia. To add to this eye-patch wearing, cigar-puffing, international art smuggling cartel theme, Walsh has stated he would call the casino Monaco. While a cute play on the gallery name, the choice could also be a knowing wink at the ritzy Monte Carlo casino the nation is known for — a site coincidentally used in many Bond movies. Regardless, these plans have a long hard road to becoming a reality. At present, the Federal Group (owners of Wrest Point Casino) have an exclusive license on casino operations in Tasmania and Walsh's plans would require an overturning of the license by the state government. Walsh has reportedly made initial contact but is sceptical about his chances. At one point, the MONA owner was banned from Wrest Point for card counting. If the plans were to go through, the gallery would undoubtedly enjoy a large boost in funds. At the very least it would be an un unconventional solution to the impending cuts to Australia's arts industries and a welcome salvation for Walsh himself who has bankrolled the gallery since its inception. But honestly, the outlook doesn't look great. You can't blame an eccentric, art-loving millionaire for chasing the dream. Via The Guardian and The Mercury.
Brisbanites, if your flight routine involves checking in, going through security, stocking up on snacks and then having a cheeky pre-flight drink, you now have a new place to do the latter. Newstead Brewing Co has just set up shop inside Brisbane Airport's domestic terminal, launching its new taphouse on the facility's second level — and giving you a new excuse to say cheers to your next trip. The airport venue marks Newstead Brewing's third site — after its original location in Newstead, obviously, and its second home in Milton. Originally due to open in 2020, but delayed due to the pandemic, the domestic terminal bar sprawls across 300 square metres near gate 38, and has room to welcome in 120 pre-departure beer-lovers. While you're sipping a brew from the 12 taps, you'll look out over the runway. That's what airport bars are all about, after all. Here, you'll be able to choose from Newstead Brewing's core range, or knock back pints of its exclusive airport beer — the fittingly named Tailwood Ale. The site will also pour the brewery's limited-release brews as they pop up. If you're feeling hungry before hopping onboard, the taphouse's pub-style food menu spans Moreton Bay Bug rolls, chicken parmigianas, burgers and pizzas, plus a range of vegetarian, gluten-free and vegan dishes. And, decor-wise, Newstead Brewing has stuck with the same industrial look as its other sites, bringing a touch of the brewery aesthetic to the new venue. Opened in partnership with Airport Retail Enterprises — who are also behind the onsite Coffee Royal, Graze Grill & Bar, Merlo Caffee, Mezze Za Za, Seeds by Bruno Loubet and New Farm Confectionery stores — the Newstead Brewing taphouse forms part of Brisbane Airport's $40 million revamp of the domestic terminal.
There's nothing quite like the thrum of a crowd at a live gig, but we often forget to acknowledge all the incredible work that goes into putting on a show. Australia's live music scene is growing, and we owe so much of that to not only the musicians but also their managers, agents, crew and others working tirelessly behind the scenes. Support Act props up the music industry with mental health and wellbeing initiatives, like the Wellbeing Helpline, short-term financial aid and dedicated First Nations support. On Thursday, November 30, it's asking you to help continue to raise funds for music workers by showing your support on Ausmusic T-Shirt Day. Don your favourite Ausmusic tee on Thursday, November 30 and donate to Support Act to boost Australia's music industry. If you don't have a shirt, you can buy one on the website for $50. Take your pick of designs created by local artists, featuring musos such as Kylie Minogue, Nick Cave, Paul Kelly, Gang of Youths and John Farnham – but get in quick, as stocks are limited. All proceeds go directly to Support Act. You can get additional merch from celebrated stars such as Jess Mauboy, Tame Impala, Tash Sultana, INXS, RÜFÜS DU SOL and Ocean Alley, who are donating a percentage of sale proceeds to the campaign. Find the full list of merch partners at the website. In showing your support, you'll become a part of something bigger. Upholding the cause are some notable names in Aussie music — lead ambassadors Amy Shark, Budjerah and Jimmy Barnes are joined by Alex Lahey, Baker Boy, Client Liason, Gretta Ray, Jet, Josh Pyke, MAY-A, Voyager and more. ARIA, Triple J, Heaps Normal, Gildan Brands and AAMI are also backing the cause. "November 30 is a day where we can all rally together, show our support of Aussie music and raise much-needed funds for Support Act who do amazing work for artists, crew and music workers across the industry," shares Amy Shark. Donate and get involved at the Ausmusic website.
When a spider spins a web, the strands are designed to trap prey for the eight-legged arachnid to consume. Madame Web tries to do something similar. The fourth live-action film in Sony's Spider-Man Universe, it attempts to create a movie meal by capturing bits and pieces from anywhere and everywhere. There's Spidey nods, of course, variations on the "with great power comes great responsibility" line and more than one Spidey-like figure included. Introducing a new superhero to the screen, it's an origin story, complete with a tragic past to unfurl. Set in 2003 but with ample 90s tunes in the soundtrack, it endeavours to get retro as well. In its best touch, Madame Web winks at star Dakota Johnson's (Cha Cha Real Smooth) Hollywood family history, with a pigeon bringing The Birds, as led by her grandmother Tippi Hedren (The Ghost and the Whale), to mind. And, catching inspiration just like flies, the film also strives to be a serial-killer thriller. Look out, though. Here's hoping that spiders have more luck snaring a feast than Sony has in swinging Madame Web into its not-MCU franchise. They're not officially counted as part of the saga, and they're both exceptional unlike this, but the studio's animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse also help explain Madame Web's existence and approach. In trying to carve out a Spidey space around the Peter Parker version of the webslinger, who is now part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sony has been throwing everything it can at the screen. In the Spider-Verse flicks, that means a kaleidoscope of spider-folk, plus dazzling visuals and creative storytelling to match, demonstrating that people in suits isn't the best way to tell caped-crusader tales in cinema. In the SSU, focusing on a heap of peripheral Spidey figures is instead the tactic — and it's as piecemeal as it sounds. Hence Venom, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Morbius, the upcoming Kraven the Hunter and the on-the-way third Venom title. Hence also the feeling that giving whichever bit players Sony can their own features, in the name of making a sprawling superhero saga with well-known stars because everyone else is (see also: DC), is the money-chasing move. In Madame Web's case, its namesake from the comics has scored a makeover to fit the franchise's mould — so, instead of being an elderly mutant with clairvoyant powers, who is both blind and attached to a web-like life-support system, she's 30 and sports Johnson's famous off-screen devil-may-care attitude. It's easy to wonder while watching if the film's lead took the gig just to wreak havoc on the press tour. Johnson's presence also gives viewers plenty to be thankful for. She hasn't gone for serious and solemn. She isn't playing for laughs, either. Instead, she lends the flick her charisma and knack for playing charmingly awkward, all without ever seeming bogged down by how lacklustre the movie around her is; now that's a superpower. Madame Web arrives on the big screen with one of its pieces of dialogue already sporting meme-level notoriety, except that it doesn't actually include that line. The clunky "he was in the Amazon with my mom when she was researching spiders right before she died" became the best-known aspect of the feature's trailer when the sneak peek hit in 2023, but it isn't in the finished film. Words to the same effect are, describing the fact that Johnson's Cassie Webb is the daughter of scientist Constance (Kerry Bishé, Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber), who has spun off this mortal coil — and that explorer Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim, Napoleon), the flick's big bad, was there with her. That was back in 1973. In the movie's present, Cassie has grown up in foster care, now spends her days saving lives with her work partner Ben (Adam Scott, Party Down), then starts seeing the future after a near-death experience. The full backstory, which also provides the feature's prologue, involves Constance getting bitten in Peruvian jungle under the guidance of Amazonian spider-people Las Arañas as a way of saving the unborn Cassie's life. That's the reason for the adult Cassie's visions — and, thanks to his own interaction with the magic arachnids from the area, for Ezekiel's spider-like physical abilities and dreams of his impending death. In the latter, he sees three spider-esque women ending his existence. His plan: locate them now (with the help of The Flight Attendant's Zosia Mamet and some technology that doesn't really fit 2003), murder them, live evilly for longer. Only Cassie can stop that from happening, with Julia Cornwall (Sydney Sweeney, Anyone But You), Anya Corazon (Isabela Merced, Migration — and also Dora in Dora and the Lost City of Gold) and Mattie Franklin (Celeste O'Connor, Ghostbusters: After Life) soon in her care despite not knowing her, or each other, beforehand. It doesn't bode well for veteran TV director SJ Clarkson (Succession, Vinyl, Jessica Jones) that her first cinematically released feature, which she co-wrote with producer Claire Parker (Life on Mars), also includes Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless as scribes. The pair with Dracula Untold, The Last Witch Hunter, Gods of Egypt and Power Rangers on their resume scripted Morbius, too, which is still the worst SSU movie — but generic, bland, caring zero about characters and basically sketching out scaffolding for monotonous action scenes remains their niche. Madame Web's serial-killer angle does stand out, more for feeling like it could've been the plot of a 90s effort about a psychic protecting three teen girls that had zero Spider-Man ties. That flick wouldn't have needed such routine fights and chases, either, or proven what too much caped-crusader fare constantly does: like join-the-dots filler. Enlisting ace talent such as Johnson, Sweeney and Scott, each of whom do what they can with stock-standard roles — as do Merced and O'Connor (alas, the usually stellar Rahim's part is woefully thankless) — can't paper over Madame Web's desperation to send strands Spider-Man's way. The 2003 setting could've been a Tobey Maguire (Babylon)-era nod, but with Ben's surname Parker and his pregnant sister Mary (Emma Roberts, American Horror Story) having a boy, the timing is geared to connect with the Tom Holland (The Crowded Room) iteration. A mid-movie scene blatantly yearning to make that leap also helps sum up Madame Web. At a baby shower for Mary, Cassie doesn't want to get roped into the antics, turns the room silent by talking about her mum's death and interrupts the big name reveal. Johnson kills it, but the need to link into a franchise that isn't even the SSU crashes. Unsurprisingly, pitching the whole picture to setup a future Spider-Woman trio flick feels like just as much as a stretch. Unless Madame Web becomes a box-office smash, no one, not even Cassie, would foresee a follow-up coming to fruition after this tangled mess.
It might just be Australia's brightest festival, and it's returning to light up Alice Springs once again. That'd be Parrtjima - A Festival In Light, which delivers its fourth and most expansive annual program so far between Friday, April 5 to Sunday, April 14 — a shift from the event's previous timeslot, moving from spring to autumn. The nation's first indigenous festival of its kind, Parrtjima announced its shift of dates earlier this year, as well as its continued focus on dazzling light installations. Now, the free ten-day public celebration of Indigenous arts, culture and storytelling has started to reveal its lineup. In 2019, as well as a closing night performance by Baker Boy, the festival will feature seven luminous displays gracing both Alice Springs Desert Park Precinct and Alice Springs Todd Mall. While Alice Spring's CBD will light up with new installations and events, just out of town, tourism and conservation facility Alice Springs Desert Park will also come alive with the festival's main attraction. Once again, a huge artwork will transform a 2.5-kilometre stretch of the majestic MacDonnell Ranges, showering it with light from 6.30–10.30pm each night of the festival — and featuring an audio track voiced by Aussie acting legend Aaron Pedersen. Visitors will also be able to immerse themselves in art and storytelling as part of the returning Ahelhe Itethe – Living Sands (Grounded), where installations are projected onto the earth accompanied by a striking soundscape. While Parrtjima's returning slate is strong, new additions to this year's lineup include an illuminated tunnel that'll greet attendees as they enter the festival space, called Angkentye Anpernirrentye-kerte – The Language of Kin; an array of over-sized sculptures that'll relay the social history of First Nations station workers and their language of the land, dubbed Angkentye Stockmen Mape-kenhe – The Language of Stockmen; and a series of sculptured large-scale moths, badged The Language of Moths, which'll brighten up Todd Mall. There'll also be a huge maze for kids and a set-up of three bush taxis displaying works by First Nations artists. As 2019 is the UN's Year of Indigenous Languages, the festival will also have a linguistic edge — as many of the light installations' names make plain. With a theme of 'Language Expressions', the full program will feature many talks and workshops focused on Central Australia's many Indigenous languages, with details to be announced in the coming weeks. Also on the bill is jam-packed program of dance, music, workshops and talks, sharing stories and celebrating First Nations' culture. It's a nice supplement to the area's Field of Light installation, which has been extended until 2020. Parrtjima – A Festival in Light runs from April 5–14, 2019 around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. For more information, visit the festival website. Images: James Horan.
For decades, if you wanted to eat a burger patty topped with cheese, there was only one way to do it. Then a number of hybrid culinary creations started popping up — like cheeseburger spring rolls, that now-popular pub menu inclusion, as well as cheeseburger dumplings and even cheeseburger soup. Or, at Banjo's Bakery Cafe, you can opt for a double cheeseburger pie. Part of the Aussie chain's signature range, it's back on offer to help simultaneously satisfy your cheeseburger and your pie cravings. Yes, the double cheeseburger pie is exactly what it sounds like. Encased in pastry, you'll find layers of burger patty, cheese, onion, tomato sauce and mustard. And, if you're wondering about that most controversial of cheeseburger fillings — yep, that'd be pickles — they're sandwiched inside as well. This isn't the first time that Banjo's, which has stores in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania, has served up this foodie mashup. But when it does offer up items from its signature range — such Tasmanian scallop, bangers and mash, and chicken parmigiana pies — they're only available for a limited time. That's the case here, too, so you'll want to get in quick if you're suddenly, unsurprisingly feeling hungry. In NSW, you'll need to head north to Glendale to get your fix. In Victoria, stores are located in Mornington, Traralgon and Mildura. Queenslanders can pick from ten spots, including Darra, Cleveland, Park Ridge and Redcliffe, while pie-loving SA residents can hit up Glenelg — and there's 29 stores in Tasmania. Banjo's Bakery Cafe's double cheeseburger pie is currently on the menu for a limited time at the chain's store's nationally. To find your nearest location, visit the company's website.
SBS has launched their newest cooking program, The Chef's Line, employing a competition format that gives an inside look at how commercial kitchens really operate. The nightly program follows four amateur cooks and four professional chefs over the course of a week as they battle it out to prove who does it best. Every week, the show features four chefs from a particular restaurant, ranging from the apprentices and the chef de parties, to the sous chef and the head honcho. Each night, the contestants go head to head with one member of the chef's line, and the contestant with the least impressive dish is graciously shown the door. On Thursday nights, the last amateur standing unleashes their skills against the head chef. The dishes are judged blindly by Australian food icons Dan Hong, Mark Olive, and Melissa Leong, who take turns each night to either taste and decide the winner, or get about the kitchen, having a chat with the competitors. The week culminates with program host Maeve O'Meara heading to the restaurant in the spotlight for a behind-the-scenes peak at their chef's line in action. It's a pretty interesting twist on something viewers have seen plenty of lately — aka the contemporary cooking competition — as there's less emphasis placed on drama and things going wrong. Instead, The Chef's Line has the kind of vibe you'd expect when a few mates cook up some wicked food in the kitchen. With the relatively small number of contestants getting a complete refresh each week, there's no time to develop a narrative arc of intrigue and cutthroat competition, so the show relies on simply showing some home cooks making rad dishes while hanging out with chefs who make the same dishes for a living. Which, really, is what a cooking show is all about: good food and good people make for good watching. With a multicultural focus, the program brings a new cuisine to the fore every week, ensuring a swathe of various challenges as contestants aim for authentic, global dishes. Week one ran from April 3, championed Vietnamese cuisine, and took its chef's line from the guys behind Dandelion in Melbourne, as led by Geoff Lindsay. "It's a really wonderful way to celebrate diversity," said the program's creator, Chris Culvenor, calling the unique format a "celebration of the diversity of Australian food culture." The Chef's Line airs on weeknights on SBS at 6pm. If you're keen on the great dishes whipped up on the show, recipes will be made available from sbs.com.au/thechefsline.
Catharsis is crucial in filmmaking, as Jon Favreau (Iron Man) clearly knows. The writer, director and star emerges from big-budget cinema to return to the smaller side of Hollywood, seemingly purging his demons and addressing his disappointments in the process. In Chef, Carl Casper (Favreau) has toiled from humble beginnings to become Los Angeles' premier culinary artist, but a decade working for a profit-focused restaurateur (Dustin Hoffman) sees his menus branded safe, not daring. A scathing review by a prominent food blogger (Oliver Platt) calls out his creative malaise, swirling into a storm of negative press and social media that ushers him out of a job. At first, Carl resists the encouragement of his ex-wife (Sofia Vergara) to start his own food van. Soon, he's rediscovering his passion for cooking and reconnecting with his ten-year-old son, Percy (Emjay Anthony), in a road trip across the continent. https://youtube.com/watch?v=PZ6e51-ie7w Favreau's offering proves appetising in the undemanding manner of the food trucks it covets — and repeatedly invites the comparison. Fine ingredients abound, including finessed visuals of enticing meals on par with the best food-centric efforts; however, poise and polish are swapped for a handmade feel and celebratory outcome. Chef (Film © Sous Chef, LLC. All Rights Reserved) is out on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital with Ultraviolet on September 4, and thanks to Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and the release of Chef, you could win one of two Bodum EILEEN coffee press pack to deck out your kitchen. Included are: 1x Bodum 8 Cup Coffee Press 2x Bodum Pavina Glasses 1x Bodum Travel Press 1x Bodum Battery Operated Milk Frother 1x Bodum Vacum Travel Press 1x copy of Chef on DVD In addition, ten runners up will get copies of the Chef DVD. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Read our full review of the movie here. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au
Victoria's Grampians National Park has long been home to world-class hiking trails, but it's just scored a giant new one that's a whole trip in itself. Start stretching, hikers, because this is a big one — a 160-kilometre trail that takes 13 days to traverse, in fact. Originally set to be completed in 2020, but finally officially opening to the public on Saturday, November 12 — just in time for summer, handily — the Grampians Peaks Trail connects some of the Grampians' best mountain peaks. If you start at Mount Zero in the north and start heading southwards, you'll pass over the summit of Gar (Mount Difficult), and then hit Halls Gap. You'll also mosey through and past Redman Bluff, Mount William, Major Mitchell Plateau, Signal Peak, Mount Abrupt and Mount Sturgeon en route to Dunkeld, spying panoramic views of the southern volcanic plains along the way, and winding through the park's low-lying greenery and waterfalls, too. Eleven hike-in campgrounds are situated along the trail, complete with raised tent pads and communal shelters, plus small huts at two sites. That said, the entire track has been designed so that everyone can get some use out of it — whether you're looking for a leisurely day trip or an overnight hike, or you're ready to commit to an epic two-week adventure. Gariwerd — as it's known by the land's Traditional Owners, the Jardwadjali and Djab Wurrung peoples — is more than just its rugged, sandstone mountains. The park is heritage-listed for its Indigenous significance, including its ancient rock art paintings and shelters, as well as for its abundance of animal and plant life, plus its damn spectacular views. For the new trail, Barengi Gadjin Land Council, Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation and Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation all worked with Parks Victoria to guide the path's route — and to also have input into visitor information and stories, in order to help promote awareness of and respect for the cultural landscape. If you're now raring to get started, there are one-day treks at Mount Stapylton, the lower waterfalls of Gar (Mount Difficult), the Lake Wartook lookout, Signal Peak and from Lake Wartook lookout to Halls Gap. Overnight treks come with stopovers at either the Barigar and Bugiga campgrounds, while suggested three-day itineraries span Gar and Werdug, Bugiga and Barri Yalug, Duwul and Durd Durd, Yarram and Wannon, and Djardji-djawara and Mud-dadjug. Grampians Peaks Trail was funded via a $33.2 million project, including $23.2 million from the Victorian Government and $10 million from the Commonwealth Government via Horsham Rural City Council. The Victorian Government has also committed cash to other parts of Grampians National Park, with $7.76 million earmarked for upgrading the MacKenzie Falls visitor area, $5.8 million for Brambuk — the National Park and Cultural Centre and $5.5 million to add more access points to the trail. The Grampians Peaks Trail is now open. For further information, head to the Parks Victoria website. Images: Parks Victoria.
Most of us have spent more time indoors this year than any other year. Which means, you might have been dreaming about upgrading your home — with a slightly comfier couch, perhaps, or a sleek dining table. Luckily, with Black Friday just around the corner, fancy furniture retailer Castlery is taking up to 35 percent off its range of furnishings for the rest of the month. At Castlery's online Black Friday sale, you can find beds, couches, rugs, tables and a whole range of goodies to help spruce up your home and achieve the aesthetic you've been envisaging in your head. Some of Castlery's best-selling items are included in the sale, such as the comfy Adams chaise sectional sofa, Theo round dining table and the Luna sideboard designed by award-winning Polish designer Krystian Kowalski. The sale runs from Monday, November 16 until Monday, November 30 and you can jump on now and start crafting a wish list of your favourite items as you plan your perfect pad. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
Since opening in 2014, The Woolly Mammoth has been a mainstay of the Fortitude Valley nightlife scene. Originally opening as a hip craft beer hall and live music venue, the dark, man cave bar downstairs has received quite the transformation in the past couple of years. Enter Ivory Tusk, a vibrant and eye-popping reimagining of what the much-loved locale could be and ultimately still is. Described best as a brother-sister dynamic, the brother has remained upstairs from its sister as the Woolly Mammoth Mane Stage. Local and Aussie acts from all genres regularly play to intimate crowds here with bands like Violent Soho, Gang of Youths and Boo Seeka all finding their way onto the stage. A full bar is available but food has been left up to the Woolly Mammoth's lil sis to deal with. Make sure to fuel up on Mexican-inspired eats and margaritas downstairs before heading up and taking your place on the D-floor.
If you're heading to the Gold Coast to watch movies, you might not expect snow to be the first thing you see. That's part of the fun of a film festival, of course. Anything can happen — such as a feel-good flick about a British ski jumper, Eddie the Eagle, opening an event in one of Australia's best-known beach spots. In its 14th year, the Gold Coast Film Festival starts big and just keeps getting bigger over the course of its 11-day run from 31 March to 10 April. The numbers paint a pretty impressive picture, with the fest showing 38 films from 15 countries — including six Australian and seven Queensland premieres — and hosting 80 screenings and other sessions. Indeed, the busy movie lineup features quirky Aussie coming-of-age effort Girl Asleep, Academy Award-nominated animation The Boy and The World, one-shot wonder Victoria, and the Sam Rockwell and Anna Kendrick-starring Mr Right, in a program that promises something for everyone. Outdoor screenings of '80s classics Ghostbusters and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial give the festival a throwback feel, too, because everyone loves a bit of big-screen nostalgia. Plus, those after more than a trip to the flicks can check out the trivia night, expert workshop panels, and two of Australia's screen icons combining when David Stratton chats with 2016 Chauvel Award winner Claudia Karvan.
IMA has been the setting for some incredible displays of enigmatic pop. As taste-makers for the more avant side of noise and art, they have established themselves as a crucial cultural hub within Brisbane. In partnership with fellow cool-cats Room40, IMA presents MONO16, featuring Oval, playing in our fair city. Markus Popp is Oval, labelled as a pioneer in Glitch pop which is as difficult to describe as it probably is to create. Oval has been making a living since the '90s by churning out release after release of entrancing electronica. Also performing is An Infinity Room, aka Julian Day; a Sydney artist whose music is described as a woozy mix of synthesizers and clouds of sound, varying in density and then topped off with a mix of harmonies and driving beats. If you have a healthy appreciation for electronic music of all kinds, consider being in attendance at MONO16.
Were Picasso's Cubist portraits of women true to life? It would suggest there were a lot of chicks with displaced eye sockets hanging round Paris in the 1900s. Now a Spanish fashion photographer, Eugenio Recuenco, has reimagined Picasso's Cubist muses as live beings, styling his models in the same surrealist manner that Picasso painted them. Recuenco's portraits are weird, emotional and lovely in their own right. His women subjects mirror the poses of the originals, with elegant silhouettes, painted skin and outlandish costumery all projecting a moody atmosphere. Post-production by Recuenco gave the photographs the same feel as the paintings via color manipulation, while the mysterious spaces he used amp up the dreamlike quality. Recuenco has a large dossier of equally stylised art and fashion projects. Beside this project, which was published in the Spanish weekly SMODA, his website shows fairytale scenes and tableaux vivants that suggest their own narrative worlds channelling the work of artists Goya, El Greco and Zurbaran. Check out a selection of the Picasso-inspired portraits below. Via Flavorwire.
For a city known for its warm temperatures and near-constant sunshine, Brisbane can be found surprisingly lacking in the outdoor cinema department. When summer rolls around, our options for open-air movie-viewing aren't as plentiful as other parts of the country — but a new addition will help expand our slate of star-lit cinemas. South Bank Parklands has Openair each October and November, New Farm Park has Moonlight Cinema every year from December, and now Mt Coot-tha Botantic Gardens will play host to Sunset Cinema this coming March and April. In its first Queensland venture, the lineup includes 14 nights of outdoor movie-going from March 15 to April 7, kicking off with the Jessica Chastain-starring Molly's Game and ending with Jennifer Lawrence in Red Sparrow. The program's focus on formidable ladies doesn't end there, with Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Lady Bird, I, Tonya and The Post all on the bill as well. So is Fifty Shades Freed, which we can't say fits into that category. Other highlights range from an early screening of Early Man from Wallace & Gromit creators Aardman Animations, to superhero thrills with Black Panther, to every cinema's retro go-to, aka Dirty Dancing. In addition to big-screen flicks at the base of Brissie's beloved mountain, Sunset Cinema will also feature a snack bar serving up popcorn and other movie treats, booze from 4 Pines and MadFish Wines, and a food selection that's still to be confirmed. Or, pack your own picnic — it's part of the fun of seeing a film outside, after all — but leave any alcohol at home. No BYO is allowed. Sunset Cinema runs from March 15 to April 7 at the Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens. To view the program — and to buy tickets from 10am on January 24 — visit sunsetcinema.com.au.
Brisbane's thriving music scene is taking over an unexpected venue, and it's turning the volume up loud. For almost eight months between Friday, August 30 and Sunday, April 19, the Museum of Brisbane will play host to High Rotation. The in-depth exhibition showcases the city's songs, singers, stars and all-round sonic wonders from the past 30 years; celebrates the wide range of folks helping make Brissie's music magic happen; and explores the local industry's national and international impact. Across a range of film clips and photos, instruments and souvenirs, plus other bits and pieces, more than 80 artists will be in the spotlight. Whether you like pop, rock or indie, adore today's up-and-comers or obsess over big names that have shaped the last three decades, you'll find someone to tap your toes to. That includes Regurgitator, Custard, Powderfinger, Savage Garden, Kev Carmody, The Veronicas, Sheppard, George, Kate Miller-Heidke and Keith Urban, as well as The Grates, Violent Soho, WAAX and Thelma Plum. The lineup goes on, and it'd make quite a playlist — or festival bill. Fancy creating your own all-Brisbane playlist while you're perusing the CBD site's walls? Playing along with some of the city's standout hits? Hearing the tales behind the tunes from folks who've spent their lives reporting on them? Listening to those who've been living the rock 'n' roll life, such as music labels, managers, artists, producers and venue managers, all recount their experiences? They're all on the program too, as are other talks, panels and workshops. Tickets cost $12, with MoB open daily from 10am — closing at 5pm every day except on Fridays, when you can revel in Brissie music history until 7pm. Image: Stephen Booth / Lachlan Douglas.
