Twin gynaecologists at the top of their game. Blood-red costuming and bodily fluids. The kind of perturbing mood that seeing flesh as a source of horror does and must bring. A stunning eye for stylish yet unsettling imagery. Utterly impeccable lead casting. When 1988's Dead Ringers hit cinemas, it was with this exact combination, all in the hands of David Cronenberg following Shivers, The Brood, Scanners, Videodrome and The Fly. Attempting to stitch together those parts again, this time without the Crimes of the Future filmmaker at the helm — and as a Prime Video miniseries, which streams from Friday, April 21, too — on paper seems as wild a feat as some of modern medicine's biggest advancements. This time starring a phenomenal Rachel Weisz as both Beverly and Elliot Mantle, and birthed by Lady Macbeth and The Wonder screenwriter Alice Birch, Dead Ringers 2.0 is indeed an achievement. It's also another masterpiece. Playing the gender-swapped roles that Jeremy Irons (House of Gucci) inhabited so commandingly 35 years back, Weisz (Black Widow) is quiet, calm, dutiful, sensible and yearning as Beverly, then volatile, outspoken, blunt, reckless and rebellious as Elliot. Her performance as each is that distinct — that fleshed-out as well — that it leaves viewers thinking they're seeing double. Of course, technical trickery is also behind the duplicate portrayals, with directors Sean Durkin (The Nest), Karena Evans (Snowfall), Lauren Wolkstein (The Strange Ones) and Karyn Kusama's (Destroyer) behind the show's lens; however, Weisz is devastatingly convincing. Beverly is also the patient-facing doctor of the two, helping usher women into motherhood, while Elliot prefers tinkering in a state-of-the-art lab trying to push the boundaries of fertility. Still, the pair are forever together or, with unwitting patients and dates alike, swapping places and pretending to be each other. "It's impossible to explain this relationship to anyone outside of it. We don't need anyone else. We never have." That's Beverly's summary of their codependent lives — or is it Elliot's? When they're side by side, the Mantle twins are patently two halves of the same self-sufficient whole, as a brilliant, biting and blistering opening scene where they reprimand a guy who interrupts their post-work drinks makes plain. The fellow bar patron barely knows what hits him as they sling their displeasure fast and furiously, and nor do most folks in their company afterwards. As the six-episode series progresses, that includes actor Genevieve (Britne Oldford, The Umbrella Academy), who segues from a patient to Beverly's girlfriend; Elliot's researcher offsider Tom (Michael Chernus, Severance); and big-pharma billionaire Rebecca (Jennifer Ehle, She Said), who Dead Ringers' weird sisters court to fund their dream birthing centre. As Beverly is fond of saying, pregnancy isn't a disease — and with Elliot, she wants to move everything about it out of the hospital. There are millions of New Yorkers to help, and a vast amount more Americans, such is the British siblings' ambition with backing worthy of a sequel to Oscar-nominated documentary All the Beauty and the Bloodshed. Dead Ringers is focused on its main two women, however, aka a pair that's hardly doting about their individual wellbeing. They function instinctively as a duo, and Elliot as is committed as she is to playing god because she wants to help the frequently miscarrying Beverly fulfil her own wish to become a mother. But disrupting that status quo, as Genevieve's arrival and Rebecca's money does, sees mayhem flow. In its sleek and cold look, as well as its equally chilly and severe tone, Dead Ringers isn't concerned with being naturalistic. That doesn't apply to the show's approach to bodies and babies, though, or to what the former go through to lead to the latter. In Cronenberg's picture, which was somewhat subtle about its body horror compared to most of the director's work, one of its twins experienced drug-addled delusions about mutated female forms. Birch's version instead plunges its hands deep into the blood and gore of bringing about life. Here, the body horror feels all the more visceral because it's steeped in reality, unflinchingly depicting the crimson rivers, primal screams, distended abdomens, sliced-open wombs, stirrup-strapped legs and invasive procedures that are an everyday fact of maternity and womanhood. Often in horror, the power of suggestion is queen. It can be far more potent to let viewers fill in the gaps in their mind and imagine up their own worst nightmares when something malevolent is haunting a scary movie's characters, for instance. In Dead Ringers, staring wide-eyed at "the best that we have come up with" in medicine surrounding pregnancy, as Beverly decries — also noting that "this is how every single one of us enters the world" while lambasting the state of the field, plus the pain and humiliation expected to be endured by women — is as intense and distressing as it's meant to be. As the Mantles advocate for something better, the show they're in lays bare the truth. This is a series about autonomy within a sororal connection that couldn't be closer, but it's also always about the bodily autonomy that's constantly stripped away from people with female reproductive systems. Birch delivers a piece of television that flawlessly does two things: charts intertwined lives and their combined chaos, including musing on bonds thicker than mere blood, the inherent loneliness of being alive and the solace we all seek in a kindred spirit; and takes a scalpel to everything surrounding women's healthcare. Thanks to the Mantles' patients, it touches upon the way that class and race still dictates treatment and outcomes, the trauma of stillbirths and miscarriages, the control dynamics around surrogacy, how female pain is so easily dismissed and life-changing medical conditions in the process. That's a hefty, have-it-all juggling act, but Dead Ringers' guiding force makes it look effortless. In addition to her big-screen scripts, which also spans Mothering Sunday, Birch co-penned the TV adaptations of Sally Rooney's Normal People and Conversations with Friends — and she just keeps propagating her stacked resume. Now twinned itself, Dead Ringers didn't take its first breaths with the movie that Birch uses as source material, complete with mirroring some of its most striking visual flourishes. Truth has to be especially odd to be stranger than a Cronenberg film, and in 1975 it was when gynaecologists Stewart and Cyril Marcus were found dead in the Big Apple. Their existence and passing sparked a New York magazine article, followed by the fictionalised 1977 novel Twins by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland. Here, that history provides a reminder that the past always leaves an imprint on new lives. That said, with the ever-excellent Weisz lapping up her delicious dual roles, the writing as clever and astute as it is twisted and funny, and the entire show gleaming eerily from its first meticulous frame to its last, the latest Dead Ringers has no trouble making its own mark. Check out the trailer for Dead Ringers below: Dead Ringers streams via Prime Video from Friday, April 21.
Green Island is the quintessential destination for the rainforest and ocean combo that Tropical North Queensland is famous for. As the name suggests, it's the only cay in the Great Barrier Reef that boasts a rainforest as well as pristine sands. Plus, Ocean Free is the only tour operator in Cairns that offers a personal sailing reef and island tour. Ocean Free provide a tour with an exclusive reef mooring at the island. Taking a highly personalised approach, Ocean Free lets you decide how to spend your day. Snorkel straight off the boat, try your hand at an introductory dive or spend the day exploring the island's rainforest. Then, return aboard Ocean Free to relax and marvel at Green Island over a smorgasbord lunch.
Have you ever watched Groundhog Day and found yourself thinking, "this is all ace and amusing, but I wish a masked murderer was running amok?" Have you ever settled down for Edge of Tomorrow and decided that the whole thing really could use some spooky college hijinks? If your answer to either of those questions is yes, then horror-comedy Happy Death Day just might be the film you're looking for. Here, reliving the same day comes with laughs, scares and a very determined killer. Sorority sister Tree (Jessica Rothe) is the character caught in a loop, but becoming a better person or stopping alien invaders isn't her aim. Instead, she just wants to work out why she keeps ending up dead — and, obviously, to figure out how to avoid it. Each day plays out the same way: she wakes up in the dorm room of a classmate, Carter (Israel Broussard), who she assumes she drunkenly hooked up with, before shuddering when her roommate Lori (Ruby Modine) tries to give her a birthday cupcake. Going to class, house meetings, ignoring her dad, getting ready for her own surprise party — nothing is particularly out of the ordinary. Or rather, it seems that way until she's brutally attacked, then finds herself doing it all over again. Given Hollywood's fondness for repetition, it's surprising that a film like Happy Death Day didn't happen earlier. There are plenty of elements here that movie fans will recognise — and that's not news to director Christopher Landon (Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse). This is a flick that's well aware that Groundhog Day exists, and that the slasher scenario has been done to death (note the sly references to "Monday the 18th"). It's also knows that the Scream franchise has already found the thrilling and funny side of calling out and exaggerating genre tropes. Still, don't underestimate how far a playful tone and knowing approach can go in this situation. Producer Jason Blum is something of a horror maestro these days, backing the Paranormal Activity and Insidious franchises as well as this year's hits Split and Get Out. Keeping that successful run going, his latest takes to its satirical task with glee — think slick, montage-heavy visuals, an upbeat vibe and soundtrack, and absolutely no misapprehensions about the sort of entertaining, tongue-in-cheek movie that it wants to be. Thanks to the great work of Rothe, Happy Death Day also boasts an impressive central performance. Focusing on an attractive young woman fending off a bad guy is hardly new territory given the picture's chosen genre, but the actress last seen in La La Land portrays her protagonist as more than just a victim in waiting. After starting in Mean Girls territory, her zest and take-charge attitude matches that of the movie. As such, audiences should have no qualms about watching her experience the same day again and again — even if the film itself doesn't necessarily warrant repeat viewings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ENyivsLb_g
Head to the Gallery of Modern Art until October and the works of two artists await: eX de Medici and Michael Zavros. The first exhibition is the most extensive retrospective to date on the Canberra-based creative and tattooist, spanning more than 100 works. The second covers 90-plus paintings, sculptures, videos, photos and performances by the Queensland artist. And, for two nights only this winter, they'll backdrop two big parties. Brisbane art lovers know that GOMA's exhibitions aren't simply dazzling to look at, whether pieces by David Lynch, Yayoi Kusama, Patricia Piccinini, Marvel or Chiharu Shiota are filling the venue's walls. For just a couple of evenings each, they usually provide a setting for ace after-dark parties surrounded by all of those creative works. Yes, the gallery's eX de Medici and Michael Zavros showcases are getting the Up Late treatment. Get ready to spend two August nights seeing everything from an original classic 90s Mercedes-Benz SL convertible with water to blood swabs — a large-scale mural depicting the Parthenon in Athens, too, plus musings on fragility, death, greed, power and conflict — while drinking, tapping your toes to DJs and listening to live music. A $42-per-night ticket gets attendees access to both exhibitions, as well as the fun. On the GOMA Up Late lineup: Lisa Mitchell and Banoffee doing the honours on the Friday, August 18, alongside DJ Zed Mero; and Nai Palm and The Riot taking to the stage on Saturday, August 19, plus DJ Neesha. The event's music component will take place on the Maiwar Green and outside GOMA's entrance. As well as art and tunes, there'll be multiple spots to grab a bite and drink around the place, including at the GOMA Bistro, Bodhi Tree Bar, River Room Bar and Bacchus Wine Room. Expect live immersive art experiences and workshops, too — including eX de Medici's temporary tattoo booth, drop-in still-life drawing, and pop-up art and opera with Panayiota Kalatzis — and, as is always the case whenever it's GOMA Up Late time, the kind of gallery visit you can't have via daylight. Images: installation views of Michael Zavros: The Favourite and eX de Medici: Beautiful Wickedness, Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, 2023. © Michael Zavros and eX de Medici / Photographs: Joe Ruckli © QAGOMA.
Write a Brisbane-set book. Score a hit on the page. Then, see your words take to the stage, then the screen. That's how life went for Trent Dalton with Boy Swallows Universe. Next, going as far as treading the boards for now, that's also his path with Love Stories. Queensland Performing Arts Centre and Brisbane Festival are giving another of Dalton's books a stage adaptation. As the play version of Boy Swallows Universe did, Love Stories is premiering at Brisbane Festival, with Tim McGarry penning the script and Dalton contributing additional writing. Fiona Franzmann will also contribute, while Sam Strong is directing. If much of this combination sounds familiar, Strong and McGarry also brought Eli Bell's antics to the theatre when it hit QPAC first. Their stage adaptation of Boy Swallows Universe wasn't just a smash — it's still the venue's bestselling drama ever. Fans won't have to wait long to see the end result for Love Stories, with the production set to have its world premiere in spring 2024, playing QPAC's Playhouse from Sunday, September 8–Sunday, September 29. As for who'll be bringing it to life onstage, Jason Klarwein plays a writer and husband, while Michala Banas is his wife. They're both based on married couple Dalton and Franzmann. Also in the cast: Rashidi Edwards as Jean-Benoit, a Belgian busker who is also the show's narrator. Kimie Tsukakoshi, Jeanette Cronin, Mathew Cooper, Bryan Probets and Harry Tseng round out the acting talent from there, as joined by dancers Jacob Watton and Hsin-Ju Ely. The production sets its scene from the corner of Brisbane's Adelaide and Albert streets — and if you've read the book, you'll know why. Dalton wrote the 2022 Indie Book Awards Book of the Year-winner by heading to a corner in Brisbane's CBD, Olivetti typewriter in hand, and asking folks walking by for their tales. His question: "can you please tell me a love story?". Accordingly, this is another love letter to Brisbane, as Boy Swallows Universe is. This time, however, it tells true tales about romance and life. The aim is for it to be joyous but poignant, humorous but dramatic, and to be sentimental about Brisbane while telling a range of diverse love stories. Images: David Kelly.
Splendour in the Grass might be over for another year and festival season still a blip on the horizon, but in the meantime here's a great opportunity to invest in some home-grown talent and have a killer evening out while you're at it. After launching in 2018, Against the Grain returns for another year. Organised by local indie publication Grain, it's bringing its showcase of ace live music to The Foundry, The Brightside and The Valley Drive-In on Saturday, November 3 Rather than spreading out the action across three days as in previous years, this year's lineup ramps up the music mayhem across one huge night. Twenty interstate and local artists will take to three stages, so prepare for a hefty stint of hopping between venues. Here's the full lineup: City Calm Down Tiny Little Houses Good Boy Maddy Jane Totally Mild Moaning Lisa Sweater Curse Vacations Eliza and The Delusionals Fritz First Beige Candy Pool Shop Grace Turner Concrete Surfers Sleepclub Blonde Tongues Skivvy Season Bloom Parade Start Together
UPDATE, February 22, 2024: The Queen's Wharf precinct is now due to start opening from August 2024. Brisbane's Queen's Wharf precinct has been in the works for years — at least seven now — but it's slowly inching closer to becoming a new inner-city riverside destination that you can actually visit. Now targeting a mid-2023 opening date, it'll sprawl between Alice, George, Queen and William streets in the CBD, and feature everything from restaurants and bars, a sky deck and a riverfront moonlight cinema through to hotels, shops and a heap of public space. And, as just announced, it'll also be home to the city's first riverside bikeway cafe. That spot: Velo Cafe, which'll be a two-in-one, two-storey venue. Perched near the Bicentennial Bikeway that runs along the Brisbane River — and also near the North Quay City Cat terminal, plus the Queen's Wharf foreshore — it'll operate as a cafe and a bar, and sport purpose-built bike facilities and a workshop. Given its location, river views are also set to be a big drawcard. So, in addition to stopping by pre-, mid- or post-ride for a drink and a bite to eat, you'll be able to use the cafe's lockers, change facilities, toilets and showers. And, with its two-level setup, you'll also be able to get up to Queens Wharf Road via a lift and stairs, and back into the CBD. Velo Cafe won't open until sometime in 2023, like the rest of the Queen's Wharf, but cyclists will notice some changes in the area in the interim. Due to upgrades to the space beneath the Riverside Expressway, and to connect over-river landing areas to the foreshore, the Bicentennial Bikeway route has been diverted since Tuesday, May 24 — and will remain that way for around the next 12 months. "Bikeway users will be the first people to use the new landing areas, which have created around 6000 square metres of new public space and push out over the river by up to 40 metres beyond the Riverside Expressway," said Destination Brisbane Consortium Project Director Simon Crooks. "The bikeway diversion, which will take bikeway users out along the edge of the landing, is quite straightforward compared to the diversion we implemented in 2018 behind QUT when the Consortium built the mangrove walk and upgraded the first 500-metres of Bicentennial Bikeway," he continued. "Plenty of signage is in place to ensure the safety of all bikeway users and make sure there are no surprises for those that travel along this popular riverside route." Queen's Wharf and Velo Cafe are slated to start opening in mid-2023. We'll update you when a specific date is announced — and you can find out further details in the interim via the development's website.
Labels. What are they good for? Well, we all know the answer to that: absolutely nothing. That's Jessica McKerlie's attitude, and she feels strongly about it. In fact, she feels so strongly about it that she has written several songs, poems and burlesque performances about the topic. And she's bring it all together in her MELT Festival show, Gender Spanner. Her ditties and musings endeavour to dissect gender stereotypes, as based on McKerlie's own explorations. Sure, you've probably been on this kind of journey before, but we're sure you haven't experienced it through McKerlie's words and music — or with spinning plates, dance moves and a tiny ukulele.
"Think of a powerful memory. Make it the happiest you can remember." They're Daniel Radcliffe's words, uttered in the opening moments of the trailer for Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts — and, just like the title for this HBO reunion special, they say it all. First announced in November, and headed to Binge in Australia on Saturday, January 1 and TVNZ On Demand in New Zealand on Sunday, January 2 — to start 2022 off with some magic, obviously — this nostalgic special will celebrate 20 years since the Harry Potter franchise first hit cinemas screens. Yes, HBO is doing with all things wizarding what it did with the cast of Friends earlier this year, in great news for everyone that's been chanting "accio more Harry Potter" for the past decade since the eight-film series wrapped up. Like the Friends special, this one will reteam all of Harry Potter's famous on-screen faces — Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson among them, because it wouldn't be worth going ahead if they weren't involved. Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts won't feature anyone in-character; however, they do indeed head back to everyone's favourite wizarding school, as the just-dropped full trailer for the special also shows. Also taking part is filmmaker Chris Columbus, who directed the franchise's first two movies. Plus, you can expect to spot a huge list of other actors from across the series, including Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Isaacs, Gary Oldman and Tom Felton, plus James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Mark Williams, Bonnie Wright, Alfred Enoch, Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch and Ian Hart. You'll notice some missing names — Maggie Smith and Robert Pattinson, for instance, to name just two — but clearly there'll be a whole lot of HP cast members reminiscing about their time in the wizarding world. Whether you're a muggle, a wannabe witch, or someone who spent far too much of their childhood reading the books and watching the flicks, you'll want to mark 7.01pm AEDT / 6.01pm AEST on Saturday, January 1 in your diary in Australia — and 7pm NZST on Sunday, January 2 in your calendar in New Zealand — as that's when the special will hit locally. In the interim, you can check out the full trailer for the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts special below: HBO's Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts special will be available to stream in Australia via Binge from 7.01pm AEDT / 6.01pm AEST on Saturday, January 1, 2022 — and in New Zealand via TVNZ from 7pm NZST on Sunday, January 2. Top image: Binge / Warner Bros Entertainment Inc.
For a fortnight each May, one French city becomes the centre of the film world. If you're not lucky enough to be there, then you're likely to have a huge case of cinephile envy. Stars, scandals, movies that are applauded, flicks that half the theatre walks out on — that's the Cannes Film Festival each and every year. And, of course, 2018 didn't prove any different — even for those watching from afar. Indeed, taking place from May 8 to 19, this year's fest was filled with off-screen highlights. Firstly, the stacked main jury was led by Australia's own Cate Blanchett — alongside Kristen Stewart, Blue Is the Warmest Colour star Léa Seydoux, A Wrinkle in Time director Ava DuVernay and Blade Runner 2049 filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, among others. Then there was the 82-woman march, protesting the paltry number of female filmmakers who've had titles selected in the festival's competition (if you're wondering, 1866 movies directed by men have made the cut over Cannes' 71 years). Finally, Melancholia and Nymphomanic auteur Lars von Trier was allowed back after famously being banned in 2011, only to make a flick that caused throngs of people to leave. Oh, and Netflix was shut out and people weren't allowed to take selfies on the red carpet. That's all well and good, but it's what's on the festival's screens that really matters — and this year's program boasted plenty of movies to add to your must-see list. Some are definitely headed our way, with release dates already set, like Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman. And some will show up at Sydney Film Festival this month (three on this list, in fact), with others bound to be announced in the Melbourne International Film Festival full lineup. Others we might have to cross our fingers for, including Jean-Luc Godard's Image Book. With all of that in mind, here's our top five to look out for. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rwcb5ki1f-4 SHOPLIFTERS One of Japan's most prolific and consistent filmmakers of late, Hirokazu Kore-eda is also one of the country's best — and he has the resume to prove it. His last movie, The Third Murder, only premiered at the Venice Film Festival last year and then went on to win six awards at Japan's version of the Oscars. His newest, Shoplifters, premiered at Cannes and is now this year's Palme d'Or winner. Well known for his thoughtful, emotionally resonant explorations of family life in films such as I Wish, Like Father, Like Son, Our Little Sister and After the Storm, he's up to his usual, wonderful tricks in Shoplifters, which tells of a family of small-time crooks who take in a young girl they find on the streets. Kore-eda's works always challenge their scenarios in unexpected ways, and by all reports, this applauded effort delivers. This film will screen at Sydney Film Festival 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwgUesU1pz4 UNDER THE SILVER LAKE It has been four years since David Robert Mitchell creeped everyone out with his smart, unsettling take on the horror genre. If you followed It Follows into Aussie cinemas, you'll want to follow his latest flick, Under the Silver Lake, there as well. This time around, the writer/director spins a Los Angeles-set mystery about a directionless 33-year-old (Andrew Garfield) suddenly caught up in the disappearance of his attractive neighbour (Riley Keough). If that doesn't intrigue you enough, then the fact that It Follows composer Disasterpiece will make another appearance should. As demonstrated in his last film, Mitchell knows how to nod to his influences but still deliver his distinctive sense of mood and tone, so seeing how he does just that with LA noir is certainly enticing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ij9C3Ej5CaE HAPPY AS LAZZARO Italian actress Alba Rohrwacher has already starred in one of the best movies doing the rounds of the international festival circuit this year, thanks to the Berlinale-bowing Daughter of Mine. Now, with Happy as Lazzaro, it seems like she might've featured in another. This year's winner of Cannes' best screenplay award — tying with 3 Faces — it was written and directed by her sister Alice Rohrwacher. And while the story might seem straightforward, the film has a few twists up its sleeves. The feature steps into the life of its titular character (Adriano Tardiolo), a peasant, who forms a bond with Tancredi (Tomasso Ragno), a nobleman. If you're keen on movies that start out one way and end up as something different, this sounds like it'll be right up your alley. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=85&v=wi6Kw7V8gXk BURNING Plenty of films won plenty of awards at this year's Cannes, as always, but Burning seems to have won the most hearts. It also took home the festival's FIPRESCI prize, which is awarded by a panel of film critics — so that should tell you how widely it was loved. Directed by South Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong (2010's Poetry, a best screenplay winner at Cannes) and featuring The Walking Dead's Steven Yeun, the slow-building effort focuses on three characters connected in different ways, with a romance between former neighbours only part of the ambiguous, enigmatic narrative. Plus, Burning is based on a Haruki Murakami short story — and while it also clocks in at 148 minutes, it'll be worth it. This film will screen at Sydney Film Festival 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNp0jlfbgqM CLIMAX Everyone has an opinion on Gaspar Noé. Indeed, his movies are nothing if not divisive. Irreversible, Enter the Void and Love all have their passionate fans and their avid haters, and Climax is bound to fall into the same camp. The French-based Argentinian filmmaker was reportedly annoyed that not enough people walked out of his latest picture, which featured in one of the Cannes Film Festival's sidebars, Directors' Fortnight. Its clearly provocative title aside, the movie has been called Noé's best, so perhaps that's why most of the audience stuck around. The Sofia Boutella (Atomic Blonde)-starring effort also been praised for the director's typically vivid visuals, in a film that's an ultra-violent dance movie as well as a lurid horror flick. It features acid-spiked sangria, which says plenty, really. This film will screen at Sydney Film Festival 2018.
When Green Beacon Brewing Co opened its doors back in 2013, few could've known the yeasty, tasty joy that would follow. Actually, that's not true. Predicting that a brewery in Newstead was going to be a hit — well, that can't have been all that difficult. Now, five years later, they're doing what every brewery is obliged to do on such an occasion, aka throwing a massive birthday bash. Come January 26, they'll be marking half a decade in style, aka with food, drinks and a damn fine time. There'll be Salts Food Truck serving up fish 'n' chips, plus GB's own delicious range including Moreton Bay bug rolls and Mooloolaba King prawn rolls. Beverage-wise, as well as their usual tipples, there'll also something very special to drink. Feel like some mango and vanilla in your creamy beer? Curious about how it might taste? Let their new Mango Milkshake IPA answer all of your questions.
If you love to gamble, Gordita’s omakase offerings may be the adventure you’re looking for. Omakase, meaning “I’ll leave it to you”, is the ethos behind Gordita’s market menu. For $45 you'll get Spanish wines matched with two courses from the daily menu that includes croquettes of manchego with pesto rojo, and slow-roasted Sovereign Hills lamb shoulder.
In the misfire that's always been 1996's Space Jam, basketball superstar-turned-unconvincing actor Michael Jordan is asked to hurry up. "C'mon Michael, it's game time! Get your Hanes on, lace up your Nikes, grab your Wheaties and your Gatorade, and we'll pick up a Big Mac on the way to the ballpark," he's told. Spoken by go-to 90s schemester Wayne Knight (aka Seinfeld's Newman), this line couldn't better sum up the film or the franchise it has now spawned. The Space Jam movies aren't really about the comedic chaos that springs when a famous sportsperson pals around with cartoons. That's the plot, complicated in the original flick and now 25-years-later sequel Space Jam: A New Legacy by evil forces that turn a basketball game into a battle ground; however, it's also just a means to an end. These features are truly about bringing brands together in a case of mutual leveraging, as product placement always is. Connect Looney Tunes with the NBA, and audiences will think of both when they think of either, the strategy aims. It has worked, of course — and with A New Legacy, the approach is put to even broader and more shameless use. Everyone who has ever even just heard of Space Jam in passing knows its central equation: Looney Tunes + hoop dreams. The first Space Jam's viewers mightn't also remember the aforementioned product name-drops, but Warner Bros, the studio behind this saga, hopes A New Legacy's audience will forever recall its new references. All the brands shoehorned in here are WB's own, with its other pop culture franchises and properties mentioned repeatedly. The company also has Harry Potter, The Matrix, the DC Extended Universe flicks such as Wonder Woman, and Mad Max: Fury Road in its stable. Its catalogue includes Game of Thrones, Rick and Morty, The Lord of the Rings, and Hanna-Barbera cartoons like The Flintstones and Scooby-Doo, too. And, it holds the rights to everything from The Wizard of Oz, Metropolis and Casablanca to A Clockwork Orange and IT. A New Legacy wants to forcefully and brazenly impress these titles into viewers' minds so that they'll always equate them with the studio. In other words, this is just a Warner Bros ad with LeBron James and Looney Tunes as its spokespeople. You don't need to be a cynic or have zero nostalgia for the OG Space Jam to see A New Legacy as purely a marketing exercise. Bringing brands together is what the movie literally focuses on. James takes over from Jordan as the flesh-and-blood figure who hops onto the court with the Tune Squad, including Bugs Bunny (Jeff Bergman, Our Cartoon President), Lola Bunny (Zendaya, Malcolm & Marie), Daffy Duck and Porky Pig (both voiced by Teen Titans Go!'s Eric Bauza) — and he's plunged into the game by Warner Bros itself. On-screen, the studio is run by an algorithm unimaginatively named Al G Rhythm (Don Cheadle, Avengers: Endgame), which wants to capitalise upon the Los Angeles Lakers star's popularity. The plan: digitising James' likeness and inserting it into some of WB's best-known fare, all via a computer realm called the Warner 3000 Serververse. While there's also a subplot involving the sportsman's fictional son Dom (Cedric Joe, Loving Him), who'd rather be coding than dribbling, is pushed towards the latter by his dad, but creates the basketball video game the elder James and his animated teammates eventually find themselves playing, that always comes second to Warner Bros doing exactly what LeBron condemns in the flick itself. Perhaps we're all supposed to be too distracted by constantly spotting the likes of the Iron Giant, Austin Powers, King Kong and the Gremlins to notice that A New Legacy makes corporate synergy the bad guy while also epitomising the concept. Perhaps we're meant to be so overwhelmed not just by the pointless intellectual property onslaught, but by the frenetic visuals and domineering soundtrack favoured by director Malcolm D Lee (Girls Trip, Night School), that we just succumb. Maybe, given that Wreck-It Ralph and Ready Player One have charted similar reference-heavy territory before — the first engagingly, the second to puff up a terrible movie — we should all be accustomed to blatant advertising passing itself off as films by now. Maybe Warner Bros just thinks that saying "hey, all these other well-known movies and shows exist" constitutes a narrative, even if it takes six credited screenwriters to come up with an abysmal script. A New Legacy operates as if all the above is true, and also tries to convince itself that it has genuine emotions at its core, but it's impossible to see this as anything other than a commercial. WB's parent company also owns US streaming service HBO Max and, wouldn't you know it, many of the pop culture titles referenced in A New Legacy are available on the platform. Now kids will link them all together, and to Warner Bros; advertising mission accomplished. Again, the original Space Jam is beloved only through the lens of nostalgia — it's a mess of a Nike ad, and little more — but A New Legacy didn't have to be like this. James was a genuinely funny scene-stealer in Trainwreck. Looney Tunes fare is too rarely seen these days, and the tiny snippets of the cartoon's old-school antics that do feature here, including with a cartoon James, are among A New Legacy's best moments. (That the toons' 1996 big-screen outing inspired 2003's Looney Tunes: Back in Action isn't as widely remembered, but everyone needs some animated slapstick in their lives every now and then.) A New Legacy really should've trusted its basic elements; however, that would've been bucking the trend established by the saga's initial flick. At least the new film does deploy one obvious but nonetheless excellent joke regarding Space Jam's original hoop shooter, although in a better movie, that wouldn't be as much of a highlight as it proves. It doesn't involve basketball, but a far better option than this designed-by-algorithm shambles is to just rewatch Who Framed Roger Rabbit, which remains the pinnacle of live-action/animated hybrids.
Disney is back in the fairy princess business, and by god it wants you to know it. Except, it doesn’t want young boys to know it, which is why this film is called Frozen instead of The Snow Queen. When Disney finally bought Pixar in 2006, the deal essentially saw Pixar's creative team taking control of Disney’s animated output. Given the strong quality control Pixar has over its products, this was no bad thing. But not all of the experiments worked. Determined to resurrect Disney's tradition of hand-drawn animation, they made The Princess and the Frog in 2009, a tremendously underrated film which moved the classic tale to 1920s New Orleans. The film’s undeserved financial failing made Disney gunshy, and their takeaway was this: stick to computer animation, and no more princesses in the titles. In fairness, this shift didn’t kneecap the quality of the films. 2009’s Rapunzel film Tangled is an outstanding work, with rich characters, beautiful animation and incredibly catchy songs. Tangled really worked, which is why it appears to be the template Disney has used for its newest animated feature, Frozen. Based loosely on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen — a story Disney has been trying to adapt since the 1940s — the film follows Anna and her sister Elsa, two princesses who are left alone when their parents die at sea. The relationship between the two is difficult: Elsa has magical powers, which due to an unsatisfactorily explained plot contrivance, have been wiped from Anna’s memory. To keep Anna safe, Else keeps her at arm’s length as they grow up. But on the evening of Elsa’s coronation, she accidentally creates a permanent winter in the kingdom and retreats to a remote ice palace of her own making. It’s up to Anna to save her sister and her kingdom. The parallels with Tangled are striking. Both changed the name of their original story to a more marketable, generic title. Both feature a similar working-class man developing a love-hate relationship with a princess. Both have a crazy, anthropomorphised horse/moose for company. Both even feature a princess whose power is represented by a streak of colour through the hair. The comparisons, though superficial, reveal an attempt at a modern formula. And although Frozen is enjoyable enough, the characters aren’t quite as engaging as they ought to be, the songs not quite memorable enough. The animation, however, is superb. On a technical level, it’s a marvel. Frozen represent the middle of the bell curve in terms of animated features. It’s a far cry from the insufferable toy-selling, pop-culture spewing, catchphrase-ridden films churned out during at the beginning every school holiday period, but nor does it hit the heights of Disney’s best output. It is admirable, enjoyable, but ultimately unmemorable.
Time flies when you're watching films and pretending you're on the other side of the world, which is exactly the kind of fun that Palace Cinemas' annual Volvo Scandinavian Film Festival serves up. It has been six years since the arthouse chain started giving winter-loving movie buffs a smorgasbord of films from frosty Nordic climes — timed for the Australian winter, naturally — and the cinema showcase is still going strong. Touring the country from July 9 to August 7, this year's event doesn't hold back when it comes to its strengths. If you're a fan of twisty mysteries and thrillers, brooding dramas set against a stunning snowy backdrop, and smart leaps in genres, you're in luck. Spanning the latest and greatest titles from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland, plus old favourites that you'll want to revisit on a big screen, this year's Scandinavian Film Festival is lineup is stellar. Here are our five must-see picks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MIlE9R00ik ANIARA The savviest sci-fi films don't simply ponder a future that may not come, they follow today's big troubles to their possible end. If environmental issues are big on your radar, add Aniara to the watch list. In this Swedish imagining of the apocalypse, earth is uninhabitable, humanity is in the process of fleeing for Mars and there's no way to repair the damage of the past. When a spaceship headed to our nearest celestial neighbour is pushed off course, there's no way to return either. It should come as little surprise that this ambitious movie contemplates our ability to ignore what we're doing to the planet, as well as our need to soothe our existential ills with nostalgia and materialism. Directors Pella Kågerman and Hugo Lilja found inspiration for the film in a poem by Swedish Nobel Prize winner Harry Martinson, and the end result is quite the trip. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8bzar3Nrjk THE PURITY OF VENGEANCE Across the Department Q movie series to date, crime buffs have watched eccentric homicide detective Morck (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) reluctantly team up with fellow cop Assad (Fares Fares). From there, fans have followed the duo's efforts to solve difficult and dead-end cases, including a political death that was initially ruled a suicide, a scandal at an elite boarding school, and a series of child disappearances, too. To wrap up the page-to-screen series, The Purity of Vengeance tasks the intrepid investigators with a particularly murky case and a ticking clock, after they discover three mummified bodies — plus space for a fourth. When this franchise is at its best, it offers up a compelling odd couple, gripping mysteries and plenty of twists and turns, which this huge last chapter promises to continue. At home, it absolutely smashed the local box office, achieving the biggest opening ever for a Danish movie. A WHITE, WHITE DAY One of the big hits of this year's jam-packed Cannes Film Festival — where it took out the best actor prize in the event's Critics' Week sidebar — A White, White Day marks the second Scandinavian Film Festival title in two years for Icelandic filmmaker Hlynur Pálmason. After the writer/director's stellar Winter Brothers last year, his sophomore feature is immediately worth a look. Given the remote location, striking icy scenery and exquisite cinematography on offer, there's clearly plenty to literally peer at, with Pálmason proving an accomplished visual storyteller. And, narrative-wise, this acclaimed drama charts a suitably thorny tale, following a grief-stricken ex-top cop (Ingvar E. Sigurdsson) who is trying to get over the loss of his wife, only to discover that their marriage might not have been as blissful as he thought it was. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue91wuHsLIY AURORA In one of Finland's standout contributions to the program, the hard-partying Aurora (Mimosa Willamo) meets Iranian refugee Darian (Amir Escandari). Equally outcast in their Lapland surroundings, they're both at their lowest points; however, Aurora is a romantic comedy, so (naturally) their chance encounter changes both of their lives. That said, writer/director Miia Tervo doesn't stick to the usual script from there, making a movie that's passionate, lively, topical and subversive — and not only examining the plight of immigrants across Europe but unpacking the expectations placed upon Finnish women. This charming debut also proved a hit at this year's SXSW Film Festival. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlF-hk3IJQE THE MILLENNIUM TRILOGY Before Rooney Mara and Claire Foy stepped into Lisbeth Salander's shoes, Noomi Rapace got there first. She'll always be the original and best incarnation of everyone's favourite tattooed computer hacker. A decade after the Swedish adaptations of Stieg Larsson's best-selling novels first hit screens, it's easy to forget just how fantastic Rapace is in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest. While the trio of Millennium movies follows the same trajectory as the books they're based on (starting off with quite a bang, then losing their impact a little as they go along), it's also easy to forget just how involving the entire series is as a whole. As directed by Daniel Alfredson and Niels Arden Oplev, and also starring the late Michael Nyqvist (John Wick) as a journalist who makes Lisbeth's acquaintance, this franchise kicked off the world's obsession with Nordic noir for a reason. Plus, if you can't get enough of Larsson's twisted fictional world, the festival will also be screening a documentary on the late author's life. The Volvo Scandinavian Film Festival tours Australia from July 9, screening at Sydney's Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona and Palace Central from July 9 to July 31; Melbourne's Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Palace Brighton Bay and Palace Balwyn from July 11 to July 31; Brisbane's Palace Barracks and Palace James Street from July 18 to August 7; and Perth's Palace Cinema Paradiso from July 17 to August 7. For more information, visit the festival website.
For almost four decades, Hans Zimmer has given cinema a distinctive sound. The German composer helped put the bounce in The Lion King's score and the droning in Inception's memorable tunes, and has loaned his talents to everything from Thelma & Louise to Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy to Blade Runner 2049. It's an impressive list that just keeps going — and it'll sound even more impressive played live and accompanied by an orchestra. As well as working his music magic on a wealth of movies — Hidden Figures, The Boss Baby, Dunkirk, Widows, X-Men: Dark Phoenix and the upcoming Lion King remake are just some of his recent credits — Zimmer has been taking his show on the road over the past few years. After touring his Hans Zimmer Revealed concert series in 2017, including to Australia, he's returning to our shores with Hans Zimmer Live, which'll echo through arenas in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne this October. While the Oscar, Golden Globe, Grammy and Tony-winner obviously isn't going to play every single one of his iconic film scores, expect to hear plenty of your favourites from a lineup that also includes Wonder Woman, Gladiator, Pirates of the Caribbean, 12 Years a Slave, Sherlock Holmes, Mission Impossible II and Pearl Harbour — plus the small screen's The Crown and Blue Planet II as well. Zimmer will be joined not only by a massive orchestra, but a full band and a huge stage production, complete with a luminous light show and other eye-catching visuals. [caption id="attachment_724806" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hans Zimmer, Los Angeles, LA, Tour, Concert, Performance, April 14 2017, EVI[/caption] Hans Zimmer Live will hit the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Thursday, October 3, Sydney's Qudos Arena on Saturday, October 5 and Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena on Monday, October 7. Tickets go on sale at 10am on Monday, June 17 — for further details, visit the promoter's website. Top image: The World of Hans Zimmer Berlin by Frank Embacher Photography.
The streets of Sydney are about to transform into a kaleidoscope of colour, charisma and character for the 46th annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, and we've got two exclusive packages to make sure you're in the thick of it. Whether you're a Mardi Gras veteran or a first-timer, these deals will set you up to have the ultimate Mardi Gras experience. First up, for those looking to add a touch of luxe to their Mardi Gras, we present the Diamond Club Viewing & Boutique City Stay. Priced at AU$1,599 for two people, this deal not only puts you in a premium viewing area for the Parade on Saturday, March 2, but also gives you access to exclusive bars, gourmet food and amenities at Diamond Club — one of the hottest tickets on the festival calendar. And when the day is done, you'll retreat to your luxury room at the Ovolo Woolloomooloo for two nights (March 1–3). This isn't just a place to crash — it's a five-star retreat complete with daily breakfast, unlimited Wi-Fi, self-laundry (because glitter gets everywhere), daily afternoon cocktails, free minibar, gym, pool and in-room Alexa and Apple TV. Alternatively, the Sideshow Viewing & Boutique City Stay starts from AU$1,299 for two people and offers front-row seats to the parade from the Sideshow area. Your accommodation? Take your pick between The Woolstore 1888 by Ovolo or the Kimpton Margot Sydney. Both options are an easy stroll to the parade route and come with all the perks you'd expect from top-tier hotels. So go on, treat yourself. You're not just booking a room; you're securing a front-row seat to one of the most vibrant events on the Sydney calendar. See you there.
Whether you're spending a night far from home or you're staycationing in your own neck of the woods, enjoying a drink at the hotel bar is one of life's small joys. There's just something about being able to duck downstairs for a cocktail — or dropping in on your way back up to your room, too — that simply screams vacation. If you're looking for a reason to spend a night away from your own bed — or if you're simply fond of sipping drinks in hotel bars and pretending you're on holidays — Four Pillars' newest limited-edition gin wants to tempt you out of the house. The spirits brand has teamed up with QT Hotels and Resorts on a new tipple it's calling Ordered Chaos Gin, and it includes an inventive array of flavours. Although this gin is clear — unlike Four Pillars' pink-hued last collaboration earlier this year — you'll taste more than just juniper, spice and citrus. Also featured, flavour-wise, are fresh coconut milk, raw almonds and bamboo leaves. So yes, this isn't the type of tipple even the most dedicated gin fans are used to knocking back. You'll only find Ordered Chaos Gin served at QT Hotels' bars, where it's being poured in three kinds of cocktails: the 'Room Service Rickey', which features bitter and bubbly tastes; the 'QT Colada Fizz', which is designed to be creamy; and the 'Bamboo', a stirred-down variation on the martini that heroes coconut. If your gin shrine needs a new edition, Ordered Chaos Gin is also being sold by QT for $89 a bottle, but only while stocks last. Four Pillars x QT Hotels Ordered Chaos Gin is available at the hotel chain's bars, and to buy by the bottle via the brand's website.
The discovery of Slinky Espresso was one of those 'yes!' moments. It's not often you uncover a gem left hidden. Tucked away in unsuspecting Fairfield between a Liquor Land and sushi train (stay with me here…) this popular and trendy cafe is the last thing you expect to find in such location, but well worth a visit to those from out of the area. The first thing that'll catch your eye is Slinky's striking mural. Next is the crowd of locals perched on bar stools and around tables outside, many with their pooches here for a morning coffee. Inside, the cafe has a welcoming and trendy interior that says cool without being pretentious, with the coffee machine buzzing and smiling staff making the atmosphere shine. The beauty of venturing outside the inner-city to more humble establishments is finding a gourmet breakfast for under $15. With the exemption of its big breakfast, Slinky is well-priced in every way, including extras. Nothing irks myself more than forking out $5 for a side of avocado on top of a breakfast meal already tipping $20. Speaking of avocado, Slinky are generous (and artistic) with its classic avo toast ($8.5) offering – served on toasted sourdough with all the trimmings. With well-priced extras in mind, the vege stack ($13) with roasted pumpkin, haloumi, rocket, poached eggs and pesto on toasted sourdough, was screaming out for a serve of hollandaise ($1.5). As a sucker for an eggs benny, this DIY vegetarian version more than hit the spot – it may have bumped benny down a spot. With the sharing nature of the internet it is hard to keep much a secret these days, and we're so glad we stumbled upon Slinky. The secret is now out, and there is no longer an excuse not to know.
For the second time in as many years, the BIFF is back — the Brisbane International Film Festival, that is. Now hosted by the Gallery of Modern Art, until 2020, the fest has taken quite the rollercoaster ride in recent times. If you haven't kept up to date, BIFF has been cancelled, replaced, revived and then moved to a different organising body, all in the past decade. Thankfully, this Brissie event keeps coming back — the city needs its major annual cinema showcase, clearly. Marking 26 years since it first launched, 2018's BIFF is bringing Brisbanites more than 100 films over 11 days — and bringing them to a number of spots around town between Thursday, October 11 and Sunday, October 21. Cinephiles can expect to get cosy at GOMA's Australian Cinematheque, Event Cinemas Myer Centre, New Farm Cinemas, the Elizabeth Picture Theatre, Reading Cinemas Newmarket, the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Brisbane Powerhouse and the State Library of Queensland, and soak in everything that the big screen has to offer. And if that sounds like quite the feast of cinema, here are our ten top picks for the next week-and-a-half. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vcaA1CZvS4 BLUE VELVET REVISITED David Lynch's films often feel like dreams, but it was Peter Braatz who was living one in the mid-1980s. The aspiring German filmmaker simply wrote the acclaimed director a letter and then found himself hanging out in North Carolina while Blue Velvet was being made — and recording the experience on his Super-8 camera. Compiling his footage three decades later, the end result isn't a traditional making-of documentary in any shape of form. Instead, it's a poetic wander behind the scenes, filled with impressionistic sights and interview insights (including with Blue Velvet stars Dennis Hopper and Isabella Rossellini) to form a meditative collage. Blue Velvet Revisited also boasts discussions with Lynch himself, with the usually famously cryptic auteur as open and chatty about his work as you're ever likely to see in public. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz8n7O8UZ58 RYUICHI SAKAMOTO: CODA Films about filmmaking always find a home at film festivals; however Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda is a stellar film, period. And, like many movies about aspects of the movie business — in this case, the Japanese composer that gives the documentary its title — it's far from a straight-forward effort. Framed around Sakamoto's cancer diagnosis, this intimate effort spends time with the legendary musician as he contemplates both his place in the world and his contribution to his chosen art forms. In a revealing, lyrical and resonant manner, he doesn't just step through a career that has spanned scores for The Revenant, The Last Emperor, Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence and more (and acting opposite David Bowie in the latter), but also ponders his own inspirations, his emotional response to the world's environmental crises and the very nature of creativity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=AYsGx0x9iTw ASH IS THE PUREST WHITE Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke makes films both for and about today's fractured world, piecing together disparate parts of sweeping narratives into astute ruminations on his homeland. That said, he's also fond of a pop song — and on both fronts, Ash is the Purest White delivers. Charting the fated romance between Qiao (Zhao Tao) and her local mobster boyfriend Bin (Liao Fan) after she's jailed for saving his life, Jia's latest is thrilling and moving; however it's Zhao's commanding performance that is the feature's true masterstroke. Intriguingly, since enjoying its Australian premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival back in August, Ash is the Purest White has been re-edited, with BIFF screening the new director's cut. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTjnb8LyjjA UNDER THE COVER OF CLOUD Cricket may monopolise Australian televisions every summer, but local films about the sport are still few and far between. And while, on paper, Under the Cover of Cloud sounds like it's redressing that state of affairs, this Aussie flick about a writer researching a book about cricket isn't a sports movie. Rather, as written, directed and produced by filmmaker Ted Wilson — and starring him, too — it's a quietly revelatory and lingering tale of assessing and reassessing one's life and priorities. Acting opposite members of his immediate family, Wilson plays a journalist also called Ted Wilson, who moves back to Hobart from Melbourne with his wife and kids and contemplates penning a non-fiction tome about David Boon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2ExXMi06co UNITED SKATES If there's one cinema sub-genre that deserves to thrive, it's this one: documentaries about America's roller-skating scene from the 1970s onwards. It's a field that might seem quite niche, but delivers a wealth of riches — not just for fans of strapping on skates themselves, but in examining the importance of skating to African-Americans and other minorities in the USA. United Skates is the second doco in the past two years to explore the subject, and the second directed by an Australian as well. Here, Brisbane-born filmmaker Tina Brown teams up with co-director Dyana Winkler to engagingly chart the rise and fall as roller-skating as a dance form, its importance to marginalised communities, and the societal reactions and implications. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5dFKKhFmv8 MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A. Matangi / Maya / M.I.A. may draw upon home videos and footage that M.I.A. captured herself, and it might be directed by the musician's art school friend Steve Loveridge; however it's never the film that description seems to signify. This personal warts-and-all effort doesn't aim to celebrate the rapper born as Mathangi Arulpragasam, but to understand her — and as it does a considerable job of explaining, that's hardly a simple process. Known as Maya when she's not belting out hit singles and attracting controversy for her 2012 Super Bowl performance, she's a figure that defies easy categorisation, which is the kind of compliment that everyone should strive for. Taking its stylistic cues from the artist's energy both when she's singing and when she's trying to be herself, Matangi / Maya / M.I.A. explores the how and why, the successes and roadblocks, and the ambitions and intentions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF32MBvdy70 WANDA With this retrospective screening, BIFF gives Brisbanites a rare chance to see a rare film. The first and only feature by Barbara Loden, Wanda follows its eponymous Pennsylvanian protagonist as she farewells her husband and kids, tries to carve out a new life, and increasingly finds herself at the mercy of troubling developments and the men behind them. Produced on the smallest of budgets, shot on 16mm film and made with purposeful naturalism and intimacy, it's an honest and unglamorous character study that didn't get its due when it was released in the 1970s, but has been gloriously restored now. And while it might be the sole movie that Loden made, Wanda was not only written and directed by the American filmmaker, but stars her as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t6lX5t8ncQ HOTEL BY THE RIVER The ever-prolific Hong Sang-soo returns with his second film for 2018, after the Berlinale-debuting Grass — and with the Korean director's fifth since February 2017. It's also Hong's fifth film in a row with actress Kim Min-hee, but if there's one thing that the filmmaker always perfects, it's using the same elements to vastly different effect. Once again, he gives a simple situation his own inimitable treatment, with the black-and-white feature focusing on a poet in a hotel, the adult sons he's asked to visit him and the young woman also staying at the same establishment. As well as watching soju flow freely, the joy of Hong's movies comes from his quiet understanding of ordinary interactions, which Hotel by the River promises to continue. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvJIaNsf_bY CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? Earlier this year, Melissa McCarthy shared the screen with foul-mouthed puppets. Now, thanks to Can You Ever Forgive Me?, she's being talked about as an Oscar hopeful. Already nominated once for Bridesmaids, the actress might be known for her comedic roles, but her versatility has always remained one of her strongest traits — as this drama-comedy aims to illustrate. Astonishingly based on a true story, McCarthy plays Lee Israel, who jumps from writing celebrity biographies and profiles to forging and selling letters from dead literary stars. Unsurprisingly, trouble ensues; however the fact that this feature has been garnering significant buzz is far less unexpected, given that it's the latest directorial effort from The Diary of a Teenage Girl's Marielle Heller. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYF2tfdD1fA THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT The most controversial film at Cannes this year finally arrives in Australia. Whether that's cause for excitement or concern is completely up to you, although it prompted mass walkouts in France, and earned both fierce pans and committed raves from critics. Of course, Lars von Trier's work is often polarising, as everything from Dancer in the Dark to Melancholia to Nymphomaniac has demonstrated. With The House that Jack Built, the director might just be at his most provocative — but making a violent thriller about a serial killer tends to do that. Set in the US in the late 1970s, the Danish director's latest follows Matt Dillon's murderous figure as crosses paths with a number of women, including Uma Thurman and Riley Keough. This year's BIFF includes other films that are worth your attention — and that we've either seen and loved or just been excited about before. We loved Leave No Trace when it hit cinemas down south, and warmed to Ladies in Black as well. We were also fond of The Green Fog and Transit at Berlinale, Shoplifters and Terror Nullius at the Sydney Film Festival, and Acute Misfortune and Knife + Heart at the Melbourne International Film Festival. And, in the lead up to SFF, we were excited about [CENSORED], Jirga and Rafiki too.
Karaoke has the power to change even the most lacklustre of personalities into momentary legends. All you need is a strong microphone grip, a few measly bucks and the confidence to stand in front of a crowd of drunks and sing your little heart out. Karaoke can turn boys into Men at Work, girls into Scissor Sisters and the rest of us into Laupers, Twains or Springsteens. So sit down, read up, and find out where, when and for how much your X Factor dreams can come true. CASABLANCA Casablanca holds the throne as Karaoke King of Brisbane. If you’re clever you won’t have to pay a cent to jump on stage and belt out a tune — just manoeuvre the crowds, head to the karaoke curators at the side of the bar and pick the perfect song to win over your audience. With Suncorp-quality lighting and a modest platform that instils both nerves and notoriety, karaoke at Casablanca is a public affair where your talents (or lack thereof ) can't possibly go unnoticed. Beware by-products of the Caxton Hotel and indulging your nastier taste buds with a succession of vodka Cruisers. But most importantly, don’t go accidentally falling into the crowd of perspiring women laced in 'Bride to Be', 'Birthday Girl' and generic 'Princess' sashes, heading down the steps to Aussie Thunder. 52 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane; (07) 3369 6969; Mon-Sun from 9.30pm; www.casablanca.com.au BRUNSWICK HOTEL One for the picky song-choosers. The Brunswick has the best karaoke song list in Brisbane, with all your Farnhams and Newton-Johns as well as newer chart toppers for the serious karaokers. Luckily the Brunswick crowd happily accepts everything from Led Zeppelin's entire back catalogue to Avicii hoedowns, Beatlemania to One Direction squeal-inducers. And if all that crowd work makes you peckish, there’s a solid selection of nibbles on offer; with a range of cocktails that will have you confusing this humble abode for The Viper Room. 569 Brunswick St, New Farm; (07) 3850 0000; Thursday and Saturday from 9pm; www.thebrunswickhotel.com.au CYBER CITY 2002 The myths surrounding Cyber City 2002 have been passed down from generation to generation, growing thicker with time. Do the Yakuza really own it? Does it really have some of the best karaoke in Brisbane? And is it the largest hub of MSG in all of Australia? We can tell you one of these myths is indeed fact. The karaoke at Cyber City 2002 is real bang for your buck — Fortitude Valley location, rooms that could fit The Brady Bunch and a dinner menu that's the kind of greasy, questionable Chinese that pairs well with drunk ballads. It's worth getting a group together to pay for a room — prices aren't steep, but they aren't cheap either — and the karaoke corridors can be confusing in any state of mind, so make a point of remembering your room number if you have to duck out. If you need a moment to rest your voice box, don't bother trying your luck on one of the claw toy vending machines. Thirty dollars later and no stuffed elephant, I shouldn't have to explain. 206 Wickham Street, Fortitude Valley; (07) 3229 7031; Mon-Sun till late. FAT LOUIE'S The beauty of Fat Louie's is its central location, perfect for spontaneous post-drinks karaoke decisions. But with pool tables in abundance, a seemingly strict dress code of black on black and drinks cheaper than you deserve, Fat Louie’s has everything you want — on a rather doable budget. Louie's Tokyo-style karaoke rooms are decked out with laser lights, modular lounges and hip hop-inspired electronics that will have performing like you've got a main-stage slot at Stereosonic. Karaoke rooms book out fairly quickly on a Friday and Saturday, so calling ahead always helps. And if you karaoke before 5pm, rooms are half price — that's something worth singing about! 1/124 Albert St, Brisbane; (07) 3229 7031; Mon-Sun till late; www.fatlouies.com.au
When it comes to throwing an Ekka party, Alfred and Constance are taking it a bit easy this year. They know that the simplest things are often the best. They also know that throwing open the doors to their three bars and two dance floors is all that's really needed. Yep, their annual pre-public holiday shindig couldn't be more chill as far as preparations are concerned — but that's what house parties are all about, aren't they? They'll supply one of Fortitude Valley's favourite venues — and DJs and drinks, of course — so that you find your own kind of fun.
When it comes to food, using fire is a gamechanger — it transforms humble ingredients into incredible flavours. And few are as skilled at harnessing flame for this purpose as Duncan Welgemoed. Welgemoed is the head chef of Africola, a North African-inspired grill and smokehouse that's so renowned, it alone is almost worth booking a trip to Adelaide to visit. A little extreme? Well, luckily, you'll soon have a chance to taste Welgemoed's lauded food right here in Sydney. He has teamed up with Red Rock Deli to host one of its upcoming Secret Suppers on Thursday, June 20. [caption id="attachment_724626" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Geelen[/caption] So, what can diners expect from the chef behind menu items such as grilled smoked tongue, a 'tea sandwich' of crispy chicken skin and hot chicken dripping and wood oven cauliflower with tahini cream? Well, we don't quite know — yet. The menu will stay true to the event's name and remain under-wraps until the night. But we do know that it'll be inspired by Red Rock Deli's limited-edition flavour, flame grilled steak and chimichurri, and that fire will play a big role. "At Africola, we channel the smoke element of fire to be essentially used as a seasoning. And that's what I've done with my dishes for the event," Welgemoed said. That's some truly next-level, elemental seasoning. The raw force of nature flavouring your food? It's practically magic. As a man with a burning passion for cooking by fire (thanks to his South African roots), Welgemoed has a keen admiration for other like-minded chefs. So, in an effort to get more information on his upcoming menu, we asked him about some of his favourites. [caption id="attachment_522922" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Firedoor[/caption] Sydney's vibrant restaurant scene is home to some notable inclusions in this 'hall of flame'. One venue that stands out is the aptly named Firedoor, where smoke and flames are the conceptual theme throughout the menu. Welgemoed sings high praise of the 203-day dry-aged rib of beef. "Lennox Hastie at Firedoor is one of the best fire cooks in the world. His technique is second to none," Welgemoed said. And, while it's hard to pin down a favourite dish at the Argentinian barbeque and grill restaurant Porteño, he assures us you can't go wrong with anything cooked on the asado (fire pit). Of course, sometimes you want the comfort of a classic dish done just right, and that's when you should head for The Unicorn. Welgemoed loves the half Bannockburn barbeque chook with brown mushrooms and tarragon sauce — just the right balance of fancy and familiar. Then again, if you need your dining experience to be both firey and very fine, the wood-fired potato bread from Ester comes highly recommended. Welgemoed prefers it with dashi jelly, but Ester's latest menu refresh sees it intriguingly paired with kefir cream and trout roe for a zingy, salty lift. [caption id="attachment_658136" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Fred's[/caption] Fred's in Paddington strikes the balance between home comfort (you feel like you're in someone's luxurious open plan kitchen) and upscale city dining. Welgemoed's chosen dish reflects this perfect marriage of impressive elegance and honest, wholesome flavour — grilled rack of lamb with wine grapes, cime di rapa, fennel seed and rosemary. Like the other venues, Fred's exemplifies an approach to cooking similar to Welgemoed's own by letting the ingredients speak for themselves. So, what might we deduce about Welgemoed's secret supper menu from his Sydney sparks of inspiration? Expect delightful, yet unpretentious, play with fire and flavour, the comfort of familiar touches with innovative twists and a decidedly global approach to three flaming good courses. We'll leave that idea smouldering with you for now. Duncan Welgemoed's Secret Supper will take place across two sessions on Thursday, June 20. Top Image: Josh Geelen.
Wellness travel is on the rise, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out where Australians choose to rest and recharge most. According to Traveloka's 2025 Wellness Travel Trends, the much-loved destinations of Bali, Bangkok and Hanoi top the list, offering the ideal combination of stunning scenery, relaxing experiences and affordability. If a self-care holiday sounds pretty good right now, you'll be happy to know Traveloka has just revealed its Spring Travel Sale. Featuring stellar deals on flights to these mindful destinations and more, the sale also includes discounts on serenity-inducing resorts and renowned sightseeing experiences that elevate your adventure. Until Friday, October 10, Perth-based travellers can score one-way flights to Denpasar starting from $179, while flights from Melbourne to Hanoi start from $274 one-way. Special airline brand days also offer massive savings, with up to 30 percent off flights with Indonesia's Garuda Airlines and Malaysia Airlines. Plus, there are low-cost flights to Bangkok, Seoul, Da Nang and beyond. At the same time, Traveloka has budget-friendly discounts on luxe hotels and resorts, making it easy to secure accommodation that matches your relaxation vibe. Think up to 52 percent off Bali's Legian Beach Hotel and 77 percent off Bangkok's The Quarter Ratchayothin. That means no noisy, crowded party hostel for you. Discounts on activities will also help you get out and about more during your overseas adventure. For instance, 40 percent off tickets for Singapore Zoo or 20 percent off Hong Kong Disneyland will help keep your travel costs down and ensure your vacation is filled with incredible one-off experiences. "Travel is no longer just about sightseeing — it is increasingly a way to nurture well-being, build meaningful connections, and support local communities," says Baidi Li, VP Commercial at Traveloka. "Through our Spring Travel Sale, we want to make these restorative travel experiences more accessible and affordable, while also contributing to the growth of the tourism ecosystem across Asia Pacific." Traveloka's Spring Travel Sale is happening until Friday, October 10. Head to the website for more information.
Films about war are films about wide-ranging terror and horror: battles that changed lives, deaths that reshaped nations, political fights that altered the course of history and the like. But they're also movies about people first, foremost and forever: folks whose everyday existence was perpetually shattered, including those lost and others left to endure when hostilities cease. Quo Vadis, Aida? is firmly a feature about both aspects of war. It homes in on one town, Srebrenica, in July 1995 during the 1992–95 Bosnian War, but it sees devastation and a human toll so intimate and vast in tandem that heartbreak is the only natural response. A survivor of the war herself, writer/director Jasmila Žbanić (Love Island, For Those Who Can Tell No Tales) knows that combat and conflict happens to ordinary men and women, that each casualty is a life cut short and that every grief-stricken relative who remains will never forget their magic ordeal — and she ensures that no one who watches Quo Vadis, Aida? can forget the Srebrenica massacre, or the fact that 8372 civilians were killed, either. A teacher-turned-interpreter, the eponymous Aida Selmanagic (Jasna Đuričić, My Morning Laughter) is Žbanić's eyes and ears within the demilitarised safe zone established by Dutch UN peacekeepers. The film doesn't adopt her exact point of view aesthetically — we see Aida, and plenty; Quo Vadis, Aida? wouldn't be the same without the tenacity and insistence that radiates from her posture and gaze — but it lives, breathes, feels, roves and yearns as she does. What she translates and for who around the UN base varies but, as she roves, she's primarily a channel between innocents scared for their lives and the bureaucracy endeavouring to keep the Bosnian Serb Army away. She visibly feels the weight of that task, whether speaking for the injured, scared and hungry all crammed into the facility or passing on instructions from her superiors. Aida has a mother's and wife's motivations, however: above all else, she wants her husband Nihad (Izudin Barjović, Father), a school principal, to be with her and to be safe — and the same for their sons Hamdija (Boris Ler, Full Moon) and Sejo (Dino Barjović, Sin), obviously. It's a mission to even get them in the base, with Colonel Karremans (Johan Heldenbergh, The Hummingbird Project) and his offsider Major Franken (Raymond Thiry, The Conductor) determined to not show any appearances of favouritism, especially with so many other refugees pleading to be allowed in outside. But Aida hustles, including getting Nihad sent to negotiations with Serbian General Ratko Mladić (Boris Isaković, Last Christmas) as a town representative. And as the General's brash, cocky, swaggering troops start escorting out the base's inhabitants and putting them onto buses depending upon their gender following those talks, Aida makes every desperate move she can to save her family. Quo Vadis, Aida? equally chronicles and shares Aida's reaction to the chaos and trauma around her. With Nihad, Hamdija and Sejo's lives at stake, the peacekeepers that Aida is helping refusing to assist by expanding the protections she enjoys to her loved ones, and the UN making moves that bow to Mladić — refusing to act otherwise, more accurately — Žbanić's film was always going to bustle forward in lockstep with its protagonist's emotional rollercoaster ride. That said Quo Vadis, Aida? is also an exacting movie in laying bare the complexities bubbling within the base, and the broader scenario. Unflinchingly, it sees how ineffective the UN's actions are, as ordered from far away with no sense of the reality on the ground. It recognises how outnumbered the peace effort is in Srebrenica, too. It spies the ruthlessness of the General and his forces, as was destined to happen when given even the slightest leeway. And it also spots how determined Aida is to safeguard her family, all while hurrying around thousands of others in the same precarious circumstances but without the possibility of anyone even trying to pull strings in their favour. Unlucky not to win the Best International Feature Oscar in 2021, and also nominated for the Best Director BAFTA the same year — losing to Another Year at the former and to Nomadland's Chloé Zhao at the latter — Quo Vadis, Aida? is a taut, rigorous, resonant, unshakeably potent balancing act. Žbanić's narrative works with such a wealth of moving parts, and such a mass of complications within everything that the storyline juggles, that the result is an intricately packed powderkeg of a movie. And, it's a relentless onslaught, always hurtling along like its lead. Quo Vadis, Aida? doesn't flit by too quickly or fail to give attention to everything that needs it, though. Rather, it's an urgent picture poised around something that happened more than a quarter-century back, but will forever demand to be given weight and gravity — as the murder of so many people always should. Žbanić's regular cinematographer Christine A Maier perfects her own balancing act as well, her imagery rushing with Aida but eschewing lensing with anything but a grim, plain, naturalistic air. To look at, the combination is intense and also grounded, evoking the sensation of stepping into the scene as closely as possible. As edited by Cold War and Never Gonna Snow Again's Jarosław Kamiński, similarly with a pace and rhythm to match Aida's, the film is also tense to a heart-pounding, sweat-inducing, nerve-shredding degree. Quo Vadis, Aida? takes its title from the traditional Christian story that states that the apostle Peter, fleeing crucifixion in Rome, passed the risen Jesus and asked him "whither goest thou?"; in Latin, quo vadis? The answer he received: to Rome to be crucified again. Viewers don't need to know that tale going in to feel the depth of the movie's probing, but Žbanić couldn't have given her feature a more meticulous moniker. Amid the empathy and clear-eyed candour that marks the unforgettable Quo Vadis, Aida? again and again — as Aida peers through the barbed-wire fencing keeping not-so-fortunate townsfolk out, speaks words on behalf of Karremans and Franken she knows will prove false, and begs for anyone's assistance — Đuričić is remarkable. She's fierce, brave, resolute and resilient while wading through practicalities, horrors and stolen moments of hope alike, and every fibre of her being conveys Aida's torturous emotional journey. Traversing every move with her, and every feeling, is simply a foregone conclusion. That's as true in Quo Vadis, Aida?'s epilogue, too, which layers the film's despair and outrage with a survey of the reality for the genocide's survivors. Žbanić once again walks an unnerving tightrope with mastery: whither goest thou indeed.
It's that time of year, Brisbanites: time for every patch of this city to play host to festive-themed markets. No matter where you're moseying, you won't be far from a collection of stalls selling plenty of gifts — including Woolloongabba's South City Square from 10am on Sunday, December 4. That's when The Market Folk is taking over the place, putting on a Christmas Pop-Up Market that'll be filled with stocking-stuffers. We hope that your loved ones like clothes, jewellery, ceramics, plants, pots, homewares and art, because you'll find it all here. These markets will have a big focus on design, too, so you won't be browsing and buying just any old wares. As well as shopping your way around 45 local boutiques, there'll be live music and food trucks — because every gift-purchasing expedition needs a soundtrack, and also makes you work up an appetite. Plus, it all tales place in a brick-lined, industrial-style space, which'll make you feel like you're wandering around a European-style market.
We’re going on a beer hunt. We’re going to find the best one. What a beer-iful night We’re not scared. Oh yes! A river, A cold, golden river. We can’t go over it We can’t go under it, We’ll have to drink through it! Gulp gulp, gulp gulp... Gather a crew of four to six and meet at Super Whatnot for your first brew from 6.30pm. Here you will receive your first mystery clue as to where you’ll end up next. Grab a Holgate beer at each venue to receive a playing card and clue. Continue your card hunt around the city. The group with the best poker hand at the end wins.
Since 2011, DJ Tom Loud's travelling dance party Hot Dub Time Machine has ripped up stages the world over, offering a rolling crossfade of the last six decades of pop-music. And last year he launched Hot Dub Wine Machine, a series of al fresco get-togethers on some of the country's most-loved wine regions. The Hot Dub Wine Machine events were a success and this year the tour will head to O'Reilly's Vineyard in the Canungra Valley on Saturday, March 3. The boutique event will run from early afternoon through to after dark, and feature a hand-picked smorgasbord of Australian talent, including The Kite String Tangle, Touch Sensitive and Sneaky Sound System. This will all lead into one of Hot Dub's signature sets, which will see audiences dancing their way from 1954 to today, as the DJ mixes an iconic song from each year. Backing up the tunes, expect a careful curation of eats, craft beer and, of course, some sensational vino from these iconic Australian wine regions. Safe to say, it's probably the rowdiest event these wineries will host all year.
From Latin to Reggae, to Indian to Pacific, Planet transports your senses to another place. With world music and world class acts, Planet brings the exotic right to you. This September Planet transports you, with your feet planted firmly on the ground, to the beautiful isles of the Torres Strait, to share in the melodic vibrancy of its culture through song. The Powerhouse invites you to listen to the drum, the heartbeat and soul of the island cultures, capturing you with wonder and rhyme. Dip your feet in the crystal clear waters of the Pacific and engross your senses with the sights, sounds and smells of the Torres Strait as the musical vibrancies of Planet wrap themselves around you.
When you've already mined the funny side of Irish law enforcement and contemplated the impact of religion, what comes next? If you're John Michael McDonagh, director of The Guard, Calvary and now War on Everyone, you take aim at crooked cops in the United States. Specifically, you focus your third feature on a duo who enjoy their rule-breaking ways, venture into bigger, badder territory than they're used to, and subsequently — surprisingly — start to feel a little conflicted about it. Terry Monroe (Alexander Skarsgard) and Bob Bolano (Michael Pena) are the pair in question: one quick to violence and happily single, the other somewhat contemplative and married with kids. They both like each other, cracking wise, the corrupt niche they've carved out for themselves, and little else ("you can shoot people for no reason," Terry explains when asked why he joined the force). First introduced running down a cocaine-dealing mime, they're soon trying to shake off scrutiny from their boss (Paul Reiser) while attempting to steal cash from a new group of criminals. Alas, as they beat and blackmail their way around Albuquerque — and to Iceland and back as well — their plan unwittingly places them in the path of a far-from-forgiving British aristocrat turned kingpin (Theo James). Spouting dialogue that eagerly, indiscriminately insults any group you can think of, Terry and Bob's war really is on everyone — including, in an extension of their self-destructive ways, themselves. Cue a film that combines irreverent misanthropy, a raft of cop clichés, and a partial journey of self-discovery. Thanks to McDonagh's dripping satire and cynicism, plenty of laughs spring from their antics, but the end result remains hit-and-miss. Think Starsky and Hutch remade for the post-True Detective age, complete with the back-and-forth banter and philosophising the blend suggests, and a dash of awkwardness too. When War on Everyone is good, though, it's very good. It's strikingly shot, energetically paced and extraordinarily well cast as far as its leads are concerned. Indeed, while co-stars such as Caleb Landry Jones and Tessa Thompson are asked to either rely upon caricature or given too little to work with, Skarsgard and Pena enliven every scene they're in, and even make their unsympathetic-on-paper characters somehow likeable. Viewed simply as a collection of buddy cop scenes written and directed by someone who has obviously watched a sizeable serving of '70s American cinema, and starring two actors with a clear feel for the material and a rapport with each other, War on Everyone entertains more often than it doesn't. Where the film struggles, however, is in piecing together anything substantial or cohesive beyond its stylish sights, spiky lines and impressive leads. At times, it plays like the kind of wannabe Quentin Tarantino flick that might have dropped in the mid-'90s. Fun, funny, but nothing to write home about.
They say that good things come in pairs, and that proves true in the burger realm. The food item no one can get enough of is all about putting something tasty — meat, a veggie alternative, lashings of salad — between a couple of pieces of something roll or bread-like, after all. That's not enough double trouble for Betty's Burgers though, particularly when it comes to finally setting up shop in Brisbane. Just months after opening their first local store in Chermside, the Shake Shack-style joint has finally launched its second Brissie digs in Newstead. The inner-north location was actually the first Brisbane spot announced just over a year ago, ensuring that CBD-adjacent folks have been working up quite the appetite for the Gold and Sunshine coasts' hit burgs. Thankfully, good things really do come to those that wait. That includes five types of burgers, including classic, crispy chicken, pork belly and shroom selections, as well as a massive stacked concoction that combines a good old' beef burg with its mushroom sibling. Plus, it's not just the titular fare that's the attraction here, thanks to their over-the-top frozen custard desserts known as 'concretes', which are available in everything from peanut butter brittle to hot fudge doughnut flavours, with the likes of pecan pudding, doughnuts and lemon cheesecake mixed through them. Newstead proves the latest new addition to the Betty's fold, which has been expanding quite heartily since the chain was first opened in Noosa by David Hales in 2014. He now boasts three stores the Gold Coast, one in Toowoomba, one in Melbourne and one in Sydney, as well as the two Brisbane burger shacks. Betty's Burgers is now open from 11am till late seven days a week at Shop 4A, 63 Skyring Terrace, Newstead . For more info, visit bettysburgers.com.au.
From well-dressed movie characters to fancy Oscars frocks, there's no doubt that film and fashion go hand in hand. Indeed, thanks to couture documentaries such as Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel and biopics about industry icons like Coco Avant Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent, sartorially inspired cinema has almost become its own genre. Reel Fashion brings them all together, plus flicks starring chic actors and other dapper big-screen fare as well. The new weekly Palace Centro event isn't just a film program that boasts the stylish likes of Clueless, Pretty in Pink and Strictly Ballroom in its schedule — it's a celluloid look book. Trust such a season to start with Australian documentary Women He's Undressed, which tells of the costume designer responsible for the threads behind everything from Casablanca to Some Like It Hot. The rest of the lineup follows in its well-heeled footsteps, featuring A Single Man by designer Tom Ford, the musical delights of 42nd Street and An American in Paris, and even the elegant original version of The Great Gatsby. Yes, these are movies you'd best don your finest outfits for.
It's television's greatest tragedy, and one that's been more than a decade in the making. Watching Better Call Saul, it's impossible not to think about the route its protagonist takes through Breaking Bad. We already know how Saul Goodman's (Bob Odenkirk) story ends, so as we explore his pre-Walter White life — when he was known by his birth name of Jimmy McGill and genuinely wanted to be a legitimate lawyer — the feeling is bittersweet, to say the least. The same sensation applies to former cop Mike Ehrmantrout (Jonathan Banks), whose Breaking Bad fate is also already known. Before getting caught up with Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito), he first crossed Jimmy's path as a car park attendant at the Albuquerque court house — and Better Call Saul tells his tale as much as its namesake's For four seasons since 2015, the Breaking Bad prequel has stepped through the earlier existence of these two characters, as well as others in their orbit — such as Jimmy's successful older brother Chuck (Michael McKean), his girlfriend and fellow lawyer Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn), and Mike's widowed daughter-in-law Stacey (Kerry Condon) and granddaughter Kaylee (Abigail Zoe Lewis). As the episodes pass, the two central figures slowly start inching towards their Breaking Bad lives. Familiar faces, such as Gus and Hector Salamanca (Mark Margolis) also pop up. The result: a series that's as excellent as its predecessor, and one that provides another excuse to spend more time in Breaking Bad's world. After last airing episodes in 2018 — and leaving 2019 to El Camino — A Breaking Bad Movie — it's returning for a fifth season this year. And if you can't wait until February 24 to see what comes next, or you weren't quite satisfied by the season's first couple of sneak peeks, a new trailer has just dropped. This new trailer is still brief, like its predecessors, but it does offer a glimpse at all the familiar players. Jimmy, Mike, Kim, Gus and Hector are all accounted for, as is gangland figure Nacho Varda (Michael Mando). That said, the biggest revelation is the return of a Breaking Bad character who hasn't been seen in Better Call Saul just yet, but was always going to pop up eventually. No, it's not Walt (Bryan Cranston) or Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), but DEA agent and Walt's brother-in-law Hank Schrader (Dean Norris). The trailer follows a big Better Call Saul announcement a few weeks back, with US network AMC announcing that the show will wrap up after its sixth season. Work on the last batch of 13 episodes will begin this month, and will presumably air in 2021 — ending your chances to hear Jimmy tell everyone "s'all good, man". Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLOgEMxt-yM&feature=youtu.be Better Call Saul's fifth season starts streaming on Stan from Monday, February 24.
If you're looking for something a little fancy — and can afford to blow your monthly budget for French cuisine and orchestral music in one go — then saunter down to Prive 249 for a one-night-only four-course degustation menu at their beautiful Southbank location. If that wasn’t swish enough, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra will be serenading you all night long (ask them to play the Game of Thrones theme song, please and thank you). The $125 ticket also comes with matched wines. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
In the almost two decades that Gelato Messina has been in business, over 4000 special flavours have made their way through its gelato cabinets around the country. Yes, that's a lot of frosty and creamy scoops. To celebrate some of these oldies but goodies, the chain brings a selection of these flavours back every now and then — and, sometimes, it busts out its entire top 40 greatest hits. That's happening again between Monday, July 26–Sunday, August 1, which is when lucky Sydneysiders, Melburnians and Brisbanites will be able to treat themselves to an entire freezer-full of limited-edition gelato flavours. While, in the past, the greatest hits specials have been a buy-in-shop-only deal, the chain went with preordered tubs in 2020 — so no one had to worry about long queues and empty cabinets — and it's doing the same thing again this year. Gelato fiends can preorder 500-millilitre tubs of the 40 flavours from Monday, July 26. You'll then need to pick them up from Sydney's Rosebery, Tramsheds, Bondi, Darlinghurst, Parramatta and Brighton Le Sands stores; Melbourne's Fitzroy an East Brunswick stores; and Brisbane's South Brisbane store between Friday, July 30–Sunday, August 1. Individual tubs can be filled with just one flavour and will set you back $16, or you can get three for $45, six for $85, nine for $125 or — if you have the freezer space — 20 for $260. Wondering which flavours will be available? This time around, Messina hasn't announced which faves are making a comeback just yet. But, you can likely expect the beloved Jon Snow (white chocolate gelato with dark chocolate mud cake and almond praline), Fairy Bread (toast and butter gelato with 100s & 1000s), Mango Pancake (mango gelato with vanilla cream and pancake crunch), Old Gregg (Baileys and butterscotch sauce) and Robert Brownie Jnr (milk chocolate gelato, chocolate brownie and chocolate fudge sauce) to return in tub form — and hopefully everything from super duper dulce de leche and pavlova to finger bun and Oreogasm, too, if the flavours available in previous years are any guide. Gelato Messina's Greatest Hits will be available to preorder on Monday, July 26 with pick up between Friday, July 30–Sunday, August 1 from Sydney's Rosebery, Tramsheds, Bondi, Darlinghurst, Parramatta and Brighton Le Sands stores; Melbourne's Fitzroy an East Brunswick stores; and Brisbane's South Brisbane store.
There's never a bad time to watch a Studio Ghibli film, or a bad place. Thankfully, the cinema world agrees, delivering regular opportunities to catch the animation studio's flicks on a big screen. Still, we're betting you haven't settled in to view one on a shopping centre's rooftop. In news almost as exciting as venturing onto the greenery-filled upper reaches of the Studio Ghibli Museum — which you can absolutely do in Tokyo — this year's BrisAsia Festival is throwing a Lunar New Year Rooftop Party with a screening of The Tale of The Princess Kaguya. On February 24, you'll want to head to Sunnybank Plaza and head up to the top of the carpark. The fun kicks off at 4pm, with dragon and lion dancers, lantern workshops, markets, Kpop and plenty to eat, before the film screens when the sun goes down. Entry is free, as is the movie, but bring your wallet to feast on dinner from the nearby restaurants.
Just a couple of hours drive west of Cobbold Gorge, in the heart of Ewamian Country, you will find the First Nations-owned Talaroo Hot Springs. The hot springs formed over millions of years and the Ewamian people believed in the healing powers of these emerald waters which form the focus of many Dreamtime stories. The underground water is 68 degrees celsius when it enters the pools, cooling as it flows across the rippled travertine terraces. And although you can't enter these natural hot springs, the site features four private soaking pools with water from the springs which can be accessed via a timber boardwalk on a First Nations-led tour. Purpose-built just last year, Talaroo's outback caravan park and campground features powered and unpowered sites, a camp kitchen and a glowing fire pit. Future plans include the addition of five eco-friendly glamping tents for the ultimate in outback luxury. Image: Tourism Tropical North Queensland.
If you're thinking about taking a journey this long weekend, you're not alone. Not all voyages involve hopping on a form of transport and heading out of the city, though. Just ask Australian artists Juz Kitson, Fiona Lowry, William Mackinnon and Guy Maestri, who ponder the concept of road trips in their latest group exhibition. Their pieces will not only take you along for a ride — they'll leave you thinking about the process of viewing the world through a car window, and just why we all get so excited about the experience. Image: William Mackinnon When I drive I get these ideas 2015, oil on linen, 150.0 x 122.0 cm.
Red Bull Flying Bach is a serious clash of cultures, a performance where Bach meets breakdancing, two things most would never dare to put together. But hey, as well as wings, Red Bull gives you crazy ideas for collaboration and, from all of the reviews this show has received to date, it also gives you an incredible artistic spectacle. When you look past the preconceptions that say this show shouldn't work, it is really no surprise it has been so successful; it features music from arguably the greatest composer of all time (who happens to be German) expressed physically by four-times breakdancing world champions Flying Steps (who are also German). No coincidence, just a collaboration that shatters the suggestion that breakdancing and Bach don't blend and thrusts the cohesion of the classic and the contemporary into the present. Set against Johann Sebastian Bach's 'Well-Tempered Clavier' — led beautifully by opera director Christoph Hagel — the breakdancing troupe create something truly memorable that challenges conventional constrictions placed on cross-era and cross-cultural collaboration.
There's a wonderfully authentic innocence about the circus. The combination of childish comedy mixed with the professionalism of performers is a sure way to keep you enthused and entertained, even more so when you become involved in the performance concept. That's the case at Knee Deep, the long-running show from Casus. After impressing crowds around the world over the last four years, the Brisbane-based contemporary circus company is treating local audiences to the return of their acclaimed effort. Knee Deep invites the audience to re-imagine notions of limitation. Throughout this journey, the artists demonstrate that delicacy does not necessarily equate to fragility, although it is often a fine line to tread. The circus' four performers explore the boundaries of strength and tenderness. Bodies are pushed and pulled, weighed and tested, probing the limits of both physicality and feeling to question your stance of limitation and boundary. When was the last time you took a break from life's boring debacles? Jump on the fun bandwagon and brighten your grin with Casus's brilliant circus.
First, Queensland Health ran a walk-in weekend for Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations. Then, it opened up four of the state's vax hubs to walk-in appointments every day. Now, it has extended that move to all Queensland Health vaccination clinics — so, no matter which one is most convenient for you, you can head in and roll up your sleeve whenever you have time. Jurassic Park told us that life finds a way, but sometimes life gets in the way, which is what this walk-in option aims to work around. So if you've been busy, or booking in has slipped your mind, or it's just kept falling further down your to-do list, you no longer need an appointment. "Getting vaccinated is absolutely crucial when it comes to ending the pandemic, rebuilding our economy and preserving our way of life here in Queensland," said Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, announcing the move. "Walk-ins have been successful so far and with more supply, we want to make it as easy as possible for all Queenslanders to get vaccinated." Walk-ins are now welcome at all Queensland Health vaccination clinics. We can't predict where and when the Delta strain is going to pop up - the best protection for you and your family is to get vaccinated. pic.twitter.com/qdvAAIX3IK — Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) September 30, 2021 If you already have an appointment at any Queensland Health vax hubs, you can still keep it — that won't be affected by the walk-ins. And, if you would prefer to make a booking to lock yourself in to a set time, that's still possible. You can also still opt for an appointment at a GP instead, or get the Moderna jab through a pharmacy. At the Queensland Health clinics, walk-in availability is dependent upon demand on the day, so it's worth noting that you may need to wait — and each clinic has different operating times. Either way, getting vaxxed will help the country increase its vaccination rate, with more restrictions likely to ease for fully vaxxed Aussies once the nation hits both the 70-percent and 80-percent vaccination thresholds. Obviously, if you have any questions or concerns about the COVID-19 jab, you should seek advice from your GP or a healthcare professional. For further information about Australia's COVID-19 vaccine rollout, head to the Australian Government Department of Health website. For more details specific to Queensland, visit the Queensland Health website.
Author, comedian and frequent contributor to the New Yorker, David Sedaris, has released dates for his fourth Australian tour. In line with the launch of his newest title, Theft by Finding: Diaries (1977–2002), Sedaris is putting on a number of memorable shows for his cult followers in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Canberra. Often hailed as one of the world's foremost humourists, Sedaris is known for his snappy wit and has established himself as a unique observer of life's moments, both trivial and extraordinary. Ranging from observational comedy to social critique and readings from his outrageous personal diary, his live shows regularly traverse new and unpublished material. In addition, he'll be throwing it over to the crowd for a Q&A and signing copies of his book.
"From little things, big things grow". If ever there were a film saga to take up Paul Kelly's mantra, the Fast and Furious juggernaut would surely be it. Beginning all the way back in 2001 with a Point Break knockoff about street racers moonlighting as crims, the franchise now boasts eight movies and a combined box office of close to $4 billion. The latest installment, The Fate of the Furious, could not be further from the film that began it all. The cast is bigger, the locations more exotic, the cars more expensive, and the explosions much, much more frequent. Far from a story about living life a quarter mile of a time, the plot is now about saving the entire planet from nuclear devastation. The rules of franchise cinema are well established. Each subsequent film must honour those that preceded it by including any signature shots, iconic lines or beloved characters that haven't yet been killed off. To that end, The Fate of the Furious knows its history well. The opening shot, in fact, tracks a barely-clothed female derriere as it snakes its way through a collection of vintage Cuban cars. Moments later, series stalwarts Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and wife Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) come to the aid of family and challenge a local to an illegal street race for pink slips, all to the tunes of a thumping trap, electro and hip hop soundtrack. This, more than anything else, is the lifeblood of these films. But long gone are the days where such scenes receive anything more than lip service, replaced by action set-pieces so ridiculous that you can't help but go along for the ride. The Fate of the Furious kicks into gear via the sudden emergence of a computer hacker named Cipher (played by series newcomer Charlize Theron). From there, all it takes is a little bit of blackmail to convince Dom to turn on his extended family, betraying everyone in his life as he helps Cipher carry out a series of increasingly brazen attacks around the world. The rest of the movie tracks the efforts of Dom's crew to hunt him down and stop him. Naturally, a few hundred cars get obliterated along the way. The returning cast members – including Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Tyrese Gibson, Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel and Kurt Russell – give the intensely silly material everything they've got, though this time there's only a brief reference to the late Paul Walker. Director F. Gary Gray also lands the mother of all cameos, which we won't reveal here, other than to say damn. The vehicular cast is similarly impressive, and includes a 1971 Plymouth GTX, a 2017 Subaru BRZ, a Lamborghini Murcielago LP 640, and a Russian Akula Class Attack Submarine. Ultimately, and despite the major departure from its origins, The Fate of the Furious still delivers in spades when it comes to entertainment. If anything, the film actually rises above other brainless blockbusters by being, almost paradoxically, extremely clever in its stupidity. For example: any movie can crash dozens of cars into one another, but it takes a special kind of inventiveness to have a hacker assume control of their onboard computers, essentially turning them into zombies on wheels. The action sequence that follows proves utterly exhilarating, and makes clear that the folks behind this franchise still have a few tricks up their sleeve. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwMKRevYa_M
When Sydney Film Festival arrives each June to fill the Harbour City's cinemas with the latest and greatest movies, it does so mere weeks after its prestigious counterpart in Cannes. That's always excellent news for local film lovers, with plenty of the French fest's flicks making their way swiftly Down Under. And, it can make an impact with the Sydney Film Prize — Bong Joon-ho's Parasite scored both the Palme d'Or and SFF's gong in 2019, Lukas Dhont's Close earned the Grand Prix at Cannes and then Sydney's top accolade in 2022, and now Asmae El Moudir's The Mother of All Lies has collected the Un Certain Regard Best Director award and SFF's shiny Sydney Film Festival Prize trophy. Sydney Film Festival's 2023 jury, which featured director Anurag Kashyap (Gangs of Wasseypur), actor Mia Wasikowska (Blueback), writer/director Larissa Behrendt (You Can Go Now), filmmaker Visakesa Chandrasekaram (Earth), and film curator and journalist Dorothee Wenner, picked El Moudir's documentary as the best movie in this year's Official Competition. The Sydney Film Festival Prize winner was announced at SFF's closing-night festivities, before the Australian premiere of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, with The Mother of All Lies emerging victorious for its inventive exploration of Morocco's 1981 Bread Riots using doll-like figures. "Commending the courage of choosing a theme perhaps wilfully obliterated from public memory, appreciating the storytelling methods of playful yet calculated visual narration, the jury hails the winning film of SFF which fictionalises the interplay between facts and memories," announced Kashyap and company in a joint statement. "Juxtaposing evidence from barely existent public materials with private family memory, this film reconstructs the history of the state, the family and the individual in three distinct levels." In winning the Sydney Film Prize, The Mother of All Lies joins not only Close and Parasite, but fellow past winners There Is No Evil (2021), The Heiresses (2018), On Body and Soul (2017), Aquarius (2016), Arabian Nights (2015), Two Days, One Night (2014), Only God Forgives (2013), Alps (2012), A Separation (2011), Heartbeats (2010), Bronson (2009) and Hunger (2008). It's also just one of this year's Sydney Film Festival award recipients, with the fest also handing out annual prizes for Australian documentaries, films focused on sustainability and shorts. Marungka Tjalatjunu (Dipped in Black) won the $20,000 Documentary Australia Foundation Award for Australian Documentary, with the 24-minute-long film following Yankunytjatjara artist Derik Lynch on a road trip back to Country, and adding the accolade to its Silver Bear Jury Prize (Short Film) and Teddy Award for best queer short film at this year's Berlinale. Documentary jury members Christoffer Guldbrandsen (A Storm Foretold), Sascha Ettinger Epstein (The Pink House) and Laurrie Brannigan-Onato praised the film for being "an incredibly evocative, precise and raw film" that's "exploratory and playful in its form" and "tests the line of fact and fiction, and in turn unearths something that sits at the root of the human experience". "The film has a highly accomplished and distinct aesthetic that allows for a powerful contemplation of culture, Country, identity and belonging. Derik Lynch is utterly mesmerising in the way he shares his life experiences, on his country, and in his Yankunytjara language. This is a film that is both deeply affecting and matter of fact in its approach, and although it is short in its duration, the film is so concisely exacted, it only leaves you wanting more," they continued. The documentary jury also gave Kindred, a feature doco about two Indigenous Australian friends who were both adopted into white families, an honourable mention. With SFF's third-ever $10,000 Sustainable Future Award, Against the Tide from Indian filmmaker Sarvnik Kaur did the honours, while the jury also called out Rachel's Farm and Power to Country. "Savnik Kaur's beautiful film Against the Tide is an audacious documentary that spans six years. A thoughtful, nuanced documentary in which the director has clearly earned the deep trust of the subjects as they navigate a rapidly changing world," said the jury featuring Amanda Maple-Brown (June Again), Steven McGregor (Looky Looky Here Comes Cooky) and War on Waste presenter Craig Reucassel. "We appreciated the dedicated undertaking of showing the difficulties of traditional fishing practices in these communities as they are overrun by more modern, unsustainable, and illegal fishing practices, all in an effort to feed their own families and look forward to future films by this director." And, in the Dendy Short Film Awards, The Dancing Girl and the Balloon Man won Best Australian Live Action, and nabbed star Robyn Liu the Rising Talent Award. Teacups earned the Yoram Gross Animation Award for Best Australian Animation, while Linda 4 Eva's Sophie Somerville received the Rouben Mamoulian Award for Best Director. Also, the AFTRS Craft Award for Best Practitioner went to Kalu Oji, Faro Musodza and Makwaya Masudi, the screenwriters of What's in a Name?. The 2023 Sydney Film Festival ran from Wednesday, June 7–Sunday, June 18, with the festival screening four days of encores until Thursday, June 22.
Woodford Folk Festival is a six-day cultural festival, held in Woodfordia, Queensland. Sure, this isn’t a festival for the faint-hearted: six days and nights of camping and partying is an epic venture. But, oh boy, is the trip and pricey ticketing worth it. This truly is the summer festival to end all summer festivals, with over 2000 performers, 35 venues and 438 national and international acts to feature this year — including the likes of the beautiful Clare Bowditch, uber-talented Sydney boy Brendan Maclean, the timeless Tim Finn and dreamboat Matt Corby. This is the festival for the free spirit.
Sometimes, the smallest steps are the most important. Creating an environment for different voices to be heard may sound simple — but don't underestimate its impact. Whether you have a story to tell, or you're keen to hear prose and tales from others, you'll find both at Voices of Colour. Young folks who identify as people of colour or First Nations people can share their stories and poetry at an open mic spoken word session, with every performer given five minutes in the spotlight. Everyone else: listen up.
It's wise to approach modern French comedies with a sense of caution. Given legendary director Francis Veber (The Dinner Game, The Valet) sadly doesn't appear to be working on anything new, the majority of recent French comedic releases in Australia have been the likes of last year's interminable Le Chef, misfire Paris-Manhattan and the recent laugh-free Fly Me to the Moon. It's with utmost trepidation that I approach anything with the words 'comedy' and 'French' in the description. The Gilded Cage may not 'break' the curse as such, but it sure bends it. It follows a Portuguese family that has been living in France for the past 30 years, dreaming of one day returning to their home. The patriarch, José (Joaquim de Almeida) is a respected foreman for a construction company, and the matriarch Maria (Rita Blanco) is the concierge for a building of upper-class toffs. Both José and Maria have a reputation for being the most accommodating people, so willing to help others out that their friends and children suggest they are being taken advantage of. When José’s estranged brother dies, the family is given a will promising them a large property in Portugal, along with a healthy income from the deceased brother’s business. It’s too good to be true, but before they can make plans, the word gets out. Everyone discovers the nicest family in Paris is about to leave and embarks on a ridiculous series of lies and manipulations to keep them in their lives. Most of the gags aren’t necessarily laugh-out-loud, but it's at least amusing even when it’s not being hilarious. It’s not the most inspiring of distinctions, but given the recent state of French comedies, “amusing” is more than welcome. It’s interesting watching it with an Australian audience, because many of the jokes hinge on the difference between the French and Portuguese languages, and although some of the jokes hit, others only really make sense if you actually speak at least one of the languages. And ending the film on a gag that requires an in-depth knowledge of celebrity Portuguese soccer players probably isn’t the best way to ensure international crossover appeal. On the other hand, Dodgeball was filled with Lance Armstrong jokes (now largely outdated), and no prizes for guessing which is the more popular sport across the globe. Still, for all the odd cultural references, the film is charming and feelgood and pretty funny. If you’ve been burned by bad French comedies in recent times, this should certainly help mend those wounds.
Round the Twist isn't the only favourite from 90s childhoods and beyond that's following the path from page to screen to the stage of late. Back in 2022, Looking for Alibrandi took the same route, adapting the Melina Marchetta book that's been devoured by teenagers for three decades, and then received the movie treatment in 2000. Melbourne and Sydney audiences saw the results at the time — and come 2025, it's southeast Queensland's turn. Playing HOTA, Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast from Thursday, June 19–Saturday, June 21, 2025, Looking for Alibrandi will still chart the same multi-generational story that it has always told no matter the format, with 17-year-old Sydney student Josie at its centre. She's in her last year of school, dreaming of a bright future and trying to navigate the clash of cultures that comes with being Italian Australian. She also gets to know her dad, and falls in love for the first time. In cinemas, Pia Miranda (Windcatcher) played Josephine Alibrandi. When the tale first hit the stage, Chanella Macri (Australian Realness) followed in her footsteps, with Looking for Alibrandi also starring Lucia Mastrantone and Jennifer Vuletic (Because The Night) as the show's fellow Alibrandi women. Director Stephen Nicolazzo (Loaded, Merciless Gods) has been guiding this stage version of the best-selling book to theatres, as adapted by Vidya Rajan — based on Marchetta's novel, of course. Expect passata made live, both Italian classics and Aussie pop on the soundtrack, and a show full of heart. Images: Daniel Boud.
If crafting a successful sequel wasn't already a difficult assignment, doing so for a movie remembered for its quirkiness and surprise factor must border on the impossible. Still, when Kingsman: The Secret Service took in over $400 million worldwide, a follow-up was inevitable. And so two years later director Matthew Vaughn has returned to the world of suave secret agents with Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Let's be clear: this is a ridiculous movie in almost every respect, from the mad-cap story through to the action scenes, cameos and costuming. Everything in Kingsman: The Golden Circle is hyped-up, spun-around, slowed-down, blown-up or cut in half. Gravity is largely ignored, except when it's used as a weapon, and henchmen die with the same violent regularity as extras in Commando. There are robotic killer dogs, cannibalistic villains and Elton John ninja-kicking a bad guy in the face. As we said, it's ridiculous – but also surprisingly entertaining. Our villain this time round is none other than Academy Award winner Julianne Moore as Poppy, the world's leading and most ruthless drug tzar. Her Cambodian lair has been fashioned as an homage to 1950s Americana, complete with bowling alley, golden age cinema and a shake and burger diner in which she both conducts her business and minces her victims. She's an apron wearing Stepford Escobar who owns every second of screen time given to her. Tasked with stopping Poppy are the bespoke-suited Kingsmen in chav-turned-gent Eggsy (Taron Egerton) and his tech man Merlin (Mark Strong). Back too is Colin Firth's Galahad, suffering from a nasty bout of retrograde amnesia. They're also joined by their American counterparts The Statesmen, whose ranks include Halle Berry, Pedro Pascal, Jeff Bridges and a criminally-underused Channing Tatum. Silly and fun as it might be, there are some glaring problems with this film, most notably that it's unfathomably sexist. With the one exception of Julianne Moore's Poppy, every single woman in Kingsman: The Golden Circle exists only as a victim, a love interest or an assistant to her male counterparts. Given the movie was co-written by Jane Goldman, it's beyond comprehension why such rampant and unnecessary gender bias could exist in a movie where masculinity plays no meaningful purpose. Yes, it's about spies in sumptuous suits, but as one of the early scenes demonstrates, Eggsy's best friend and colleague Roxy looks as good if not better in the ole pin stripes and paisley, to say nothing of her abilities. Still, the film is entertaining in spite of its flaws and it thankfully retains enough shock factor to honour the original. The final scene also makes clear that the producers are prepping for part three. Love it or leave it, there's more Kingsman to come. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Nxc-3WpMbg
