For all of you who've been obsessing over the case of Steven Avery, you might now have the chance to get the answers you crave. Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos, the filmmakers behind the addictive and highly frustrating Netflix true crime series Making a Murderer, have just been announced as a last minute addition to the Spectrum Now Festival talks program. The pair, whose ten-part series has become a cultural phenomenon since premiering on Netflix in December, will travel to Sydney for an hour-long interview and audience Q&A session with festival ambassador and The Weekly host Charlie Pickering. Set to take place at 7pm on Thursday, March 10, tickets for the event will cost $49.90 and go on sale on Wednesday, February 24 (or you can sign up to their newsletter to access the pre-sale one day earlier). If you've been living a nomadic lifestyle out in the bush for the past few months and thus haven't heard, Making a Murderer follows the infuriating case of Wisconsin native Steven Avery, who served 18 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, only to be arrested and tried for murder shortly after he was released. If you've got a spare ten hours, you can binge watch it on Netflix right now. Just don't expect to finish with your faith in humanity intact. "We always wanted Making a Murderer to start a dialogue around important issues in our criminal justice system," say directors Ricciardi and Demos. "We are thrilled that so many people all over the world are responding to the concept of fairness and equality, and we can’t wait to come to Australia to continue this discussion." Making a Murderer: In Conversation with Charlie Pickering will take place at 7pm on Thursday, March 10 at The Star Event Centre as part of Spectrum Now Festival 2016. For more information and to buy tickets, visit their website.
On the night of the 12th, the incident that makes that date worthy of a movie's moniker happens quickly, heartbreakingly and horrifyingly so. It's October 2016, in the French Alps-region city of Grenoble, and Clara Royer (Lula Cotton-Frapier, Mixte) is walking home alone after an evening at her best friend Nanie's (Pauline Serieys, Grown Ups). It's 3am, the streets are quiet, and she's giddy with affection, sending a video message telling her pal how much she loves her. All it takes is a hooded figure emerging from the dark, whispering her name, dousing her with liquid and sparking a lighter, and Clara will never arrive home. Before this occurs in The Night of the 12th's opening scenes, director and co-writer Dominik Moll (Only the Animals) shares details just has distressing and dismaying: the French police are tasked with solving 800 murders a year, 20 percent of them never can be and, sadly, the case in this feature is among the latter. It might seem a strange decision, giving away the film's ending before it even begins; however, while The Night of the 12th is about the search for Clara's killer, it's never about the murderer. Instead, as it adapts 30 pages from Pauline Guéna's non-fiction book 18.3 — A Year With the Crime Squad, takes a Zodiac-style procedural approach and opts for a Mindhunter-esque survey of interrogations as well, it makes clear how easy and common it is for situations like this come about, especially in a world where women are slain at men's whims with frequency (then typically blamed if any of their own actions can be wrongly perceived to have put themselves in danger). Alongside David Fincher's serial killer fare, Bong Joon-ho's Memories of Murder casts a shadow, too, as detective Yohan Vivès (Bastien Bouillon, Jumbo) and his partner Marceau (Bouli Lanners, Nobody Has to Know) scour the area for suspects and answers. "The problem is that any one of them could have done it," Yohan observes after potential culprit after potential culprit fields their queries and flouts their engrained misogyny. Was it the bartender boyfriend (Baptiste Perais, The Companions), who saw Clara as nothing more than a fling on the side? The gym buddy (Jules Porier, Simone Veil, a Woman of the Century) that's guffawing seconds after the cops bring up the killing, all while bragging about a friends-wth-benefits setup? A rapper (Nathanaël Beausivoir, Runaway) knew the police would come calling because he wrote a song about setting Clara alight, while an awkward local squatter (Benjamin Blanchy, Spiral) welcomes the attention. By the time that her dalliance with an older man (Pierre Lottin, Les Harkis) with a violent past and convictions for domestic abuse comes up, one of Yohan and Marceau's colleagues is joking about Clara's taste in men. Judgemental views about women don't just fester among the interviewees; how many cases have been hindered by such prejudiced perspectives, The Night of the 12th silently gives viewers cause to wonder. Played as meticulous and passionate by Bouillon, the newly promoted Yohan isn't one of those chauvinist officers. More prone to splashing his feelings around in Lanners' hands, neither is Marceau. The film's central duo is dutiful and dedicated, and their efforts turn The Night of the 12th into a chronicle of devoted and hard-working people doing what they're supposed to — and well, and with care — even if viewers instantly know they won't achieve their desired outcome. In the script by Moll and his regular co-scribe Gilles Marchand (Eastern Boys), both men find the case impacting them in different ways, though, including the fact that their obsessive endeavours don't and won't wrap up the case. Amid chasing leads, making enquiries and sitting down with the men in Clara's life, Yohan lives a spartan existence in his spick-and-span apartment and in his relationships. Marceau is navigating a marriage breakdown, and his emotions run high personally and professionally. It might seem strange, too, crafting a movie about a murdered young woman that's actually about men. (If that one word hadn't already been used as a film title this year, also for a Cannes-premiering flick about the terrors that haunt a patriarchal society, it would've fit here). But as Moll puts it, and as won't come as a surprise to anyone watching for a second, The Night of the 12th's focus on male cops and assailants is simply and mournfully realistic. Still, his feature is as committed to ensuring that Clara is never a mere statistic as its main duo are to trying to find the person responsible for her death. The reality this story is based on has made her one of many unsolved cases, but that Clara lived, loved and was loved is never in doubt within the movie's frames. (Among the picture's many supporting performances, Cotton-Frapier's leaves an imprint.) Also indisputable: Nanie's contention that her friend only died, and in such an appalling manner, because she was female; plus Yohan's reflection to a magistrate (Anouk Grinberg, Deception) overseeing the proceedings years later that "there is something seriously amiss in the relationship between men and women." The Night of the 12th's details express these sentiments anyway, and Moll prefers to let the story and its minutiae do the talking, but overtly stating such notions never feels forceful. That's the film from start to finish, in fact, because this is a richly elaborate piece of cinema that lets its presence be known in a lived-in way, including via Patrick Ghiringhelli's (Only the Animals) crisp cinematography and Olivier Marguerit's (Méduse) brooding score. The Night of the 12th is a feature to sleuth along with, as Moll's second whodunnit in a row, but it's also a picture to sink into as its stark truths inhabit everything seen and heard. Three choices, all contributing to much of the striking imagery, perhaps encapsulate this patiently powerful affair best — and all that it aims to convey. Yohan and Marceau's interrogations span a varied lineup of spaces, from dank bedrooms and crumbling shacks to bars and airy apartments, inherently stressing how pervasively threats to Clara's existence have lurked. A moodily lit velodrome gives Yohan his sole outlet from the case, offering a much-needed physical coping mechanism, and all that pedalling around and around is innately symbolic. Then there's the mountainous Grenoble and the Maurienne valley setting overall, moved from Versailles where Guéna spent a year in the Criminal Investigation Department, and not just naturally gorgeous but picture perfect and easy fodder for scenic French holiday dreams. Something atrocious, complex and unsolvable happens there, just as it can and does anywhere — and shaking that, and the tightly wound, deeply piercing movie overall, isn't easy.
Both Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement will be present when Flight of the Conchords make a long-awaited, eagerly anticipated return to television — as part of a one-off live special filmed during the duo's recent sold-out tour. Announced earlier in 2018, Flight of the Conchords: Live at the London Apollo now not only has a US airdate but also an Australian one. The special will screen on HBO in America on Saturday, October 6, and on The Comedy Channel in Australia on Tuesday, October 9 at 8.30pm. As the name really does makes plain, it was recorded in the UK, where Flight of Conchords took their show on the road in March and then returned in late June and early July, following a forced break after McKenzie broke his hand. Yes, it'll be business time, Bowie will be in space and no one will have hurt feelings. Fans can expect to hear the classic tracks that everyone has had stuck in their heads since the folk parody pair's TV series aired between 2007 and 2009, of course, as well as a few new songs. It's also a case of Conchords almost coming full circle, with nabbing a spot on HBO's One Night Stand in the mid-00s one of their big breaks. Foxtel Now subscribers can stream the special live when it airs, but whether it'll be available on demand afterwards has yet to be revealed. In the interim, check out the trailer, as well as the initial HBO date announcement video featuring McKenzie and Clement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLZQfnFyelTBOQ15kmHSgEbdjzLMWzZpL7&v=xz_-9PlcouE
If your idea of a stellar Sunday includes a Cantonese banquet and cracking river views, then Howard Smith Wharves go-to Stanley has long had you covered. One of the precinct's top spots, it's been in the yum cha game every weekend for a few years. But what if you're keen to feast your way through small plates every other day of the week? Your daily yum cha cravings can now be satisfied at the waterside spot, with Stanley serving up its yum cha lunches daily. So, if the hankering for XO seafood dumplings, Moreton Bay bug spring rolls, salt and pepper chicken wings and steamed barbecue pork buns with chilli jam strikes Monday–Saturday, your tastebuds won't be disappointed. The yum cha menu is on offer from 12–4pm Monday–Saturday and 11.30am–4pm Sunday, with the a la carte range also including oysters with rice wine vinaigrette, cumin-spiced lamb ribs, Chongqing quail eggs, duck and vermicelli spring rolls, prawn and coriander toast, scallop siu mai and more. You can pair your dishes with peking duck pancakes as well, or other substantial options such as lobster, stir-fried black angus, steamed coral trout and kung pao cauliflower. Dessert spans custard steamed buns; a mango tart with yuzu cream; fried choux pastry with star anise sugar and passionfruit; and a baby pineapple with vanilla gelato, plus lime sago and tropical ice. And if you're celebrating in the middle of the day, two-hour champagne packages are also available. Stanley opened at Howard Smith Wharves in 2019, with the Hong Kong-inspired Cantonese venue one of the four initial tenants first revealed for the precinct back in 2017, alongside Greek restaurant Greca, octagonal overwater bar Mr Percival's and Japanese joint Yoko Dining. Head Chef Louis Tikaram's authentic, often seafood-heavy dishes are served up in the two-storey, heritage-listed, 1930s-era former water police building in the riverside spot, which features three bars, can cater for 220 guests and includes seating on a deck by the river. Decor-wise, Stanley pays tribute to traditional Chinese design with a handcrafted rattan ceiling and bamboo fretwork lining its walls. It also features antique pieces sourced from Europe and Hong Kong, parquetry inlay floors and a centrepiece circular bar on the upper level. Find Stanley at Howard Smith Wharves, 5 Boundary Street, Brisbane — with yum cha lunches on offer from 12–4pm Monday–Saturday and 11.30am–4pm Sunday. Head to the restaurant's website for bookings and other details. Top image: Sun Box Studios.
There are after-work watering holes, and then there are after-work watering holes. The first could be anywhere that's not the nine-to-five grind; the second are the type of place you look forward to all day (and sometimes plan your afternoons around). As Petrie Terrace favourite, Lefty's Old Time Music Hall falls into the latter category. If it's a quick snack that you're after, perusing their small bites menu is recommended, particularly with bacon-wrapped pardon peppers and fried pickles with smoked habanero sauce on offer. They're served up from 5pm Tuesday to Sunday, as is the venue's heftier selection of burgers and po' boys. Plus, if you're not particularly worried about getting home at a reasonable time, the bar's greasy, delicious fare goes down extra nicely with a whisky.
Some events are worth locking into your diary regardless of who's playing and what's brightening up the place, and Parrtjima — A Festival In Light is one of them. An annual favourite in Alice Springs, the Indigenous arts, culture and storytelling festival just might be Australia's most luminous event, as attendees will learn when it returns from Friday, April 7–Sunday, April 16. Parrtjima announced its 2023 dates last year, and also outlined its theme — 'Listening with Heart' — plus some of the light-heavy artworks that folks can look forward to. Now, it has dropped two further details: the list of musicians taking to its stages, as well as a sneak peek at what this year's installations will look like. The music bill overflows with First Nations talent, including Docker River Band, Eastern Reggae Band, Emily Wurramara, JK-47, KAIIT, Karnage and Paul Ah Chee. They'll be joined by Radical Son, Richard J Frankland, Discovering Leerpeen Mara, Rowdy Birds, The Andrew Gurruwiwi Band and The Merindas across the ten days — and with a range of dazzling backdrops. "Parrtjima is a unique experience of large-scale light installations combined with a fascinating program of not just music but also talks, workshops and film," said Northern Territory Major Events Company CEO Suzana Bishop, with the organisation delivering the event on behalf of the Northern Territory Government. "As well as being visually stunning, Parrtjima offers so many other experiences, and the chance to see some of Australia's leading Indigenous artists perform. Combined with the unique tourism offerings available in the Red Centre, Parrtjima is not to be missed." Parrtjima's 2023 theme is inspired by the artwork surrounding the Statement from the Heart. That piece depicts Uluru-Ku Tjukurrpa, the Uluru story of connection, and was created by a group of artists from Multijulu as led by Maruku artist Rene Kulitja. So, Kulitja will work with other of artists for Parrtjima to turn the Statement from the Heart artwork into a large-scale immersive light and sound installation. That means that Parrtjima attendees will find themselves plunged in the world of the Aṉangu people of the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands surrounding Uluru. The idea is to feature ancient songlines, plus Indigenous viewpoints on Country, as well as connecting to First Peoples' strong links with the land, water and sky. Two things that'll also be on the bill: two of the festival's regular annual attraction, aka a huge artwork that transforms a 2.5-kilometre stretch of the majestic, 300-million-year-old MacDonnell Ranges, showering it with light each night of the festival; and Grounded, the installation projected over the red dirt at tourism and conservation facility Alice Springs Desert Park. Free to attend, Parrtjima is just one of Northern Territory's two glowing attractions in 2023, with Australia's Red Centre lighting up in multiple ways. The festival is a nice supplement to Bruce Munro's Field of Light installation, which — after multiple extensions — is now on display indefinitely. PARRTJIMA — A FESTIVAL IN LIGHT 2023 MUSIC LINEUP: Docker River Band Eastern Reggae Band, Emily Wurramara JK-47 KAIIT Karnage (DJ) Karnage n Darknis Paul Ah Chee Radical Son Richard J Frankland Discovering Leerpeen Mara Rowdy Birds (DJ) The Andrew Gurruwiwi Band The Merindas Parrtjima – A Festival in Light will run from Friday, April 7–Sunday, April 16, 2023 around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. For more information, visit the festival website. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Don't you hate when there's an imminent party in your city, that you may not have been informed about? Yo Gabba Gabba are bringing their There's A Party In My City! tour to Brisbane for two matinee shows tomorrow! The troupe, led by human DJ Lance Rock and flanked by his 5 furry monster pals, are all over kids' television at the moment. The show you see on TV is a mixture of live-action and cartoon sequences, with some hilarious, borderline insane, collaborations with celebrities and musicians, including Jack Black, The Shins, Elijah Wood, Hot Hot Heat and MGMT, just to name a few. Even our x&y bar in the Valley has a little nod to the zany show, with a stuffed Brobee doll sitting proudly on the main bar. But what is it about this children's show that draws viewers of all ages? Yo Gabba Gabba's creators, Scott Shultz and Christian Jacobs (of Aquabats fame) have made this quirky schmozzle into an indie favourite because they felt a mutual disappointment in today's kids' programs, and knew they wanted a show that was both educational and entertaining. They draw inspiration from current indie acts, their own kids and the old-school shows we all grew up watching. On this tour, DJ Lance Rock and his crew are supported by Little Red and Art Vs. Science. And here you were thinking it was just for the little people you know. You can take them along, AND enjoy yourself too, unlike those boring On Ice shows! I dare you to try not to smile when you hear 'There's a Party in My Tummy'. You will be seriously impressed and immediately in love, I can almost guarantee it.
Finding a designated driver on New Year's Eve is not an easy feat. No one's putting their hand up to find a park near the fireworks, South Bank or anywhere near the city. TransLink understands, easing the pain of commuting on the big night (slightly) by offering public transport for free each year. Yes, that includes 2023 ending and 2024 beginning. On Sunday, December 31, all trains, buses, ferries and CityCats will be free from 8pm through until 5.30am on Monday, January 1. This doesn't apply to the Airtrain or long-distance services, but if you're otherwise travelling within Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast, you're in luck. And, on the Goldie, it includes trams, too. [caption id="attachment_630654" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andrew Thomas via Flickr[/caption] In Brisbane, as there will be hordes of people flocking to and from the fireworks as usual, there'll also be additional services. The extra buses will hit the road between 8.40–9.50pm and again from 12–1.30am, covering South Brisbane, King George Square, Roma Street, Woolloongabba and Mater Hill stations. Two NightLink routes will also up the number of buses: the N250 to Capalaba will get four services, while the N555 to Loganholme will score three inbound and 11 outbound services. Trains will increase to four trains per line (except Doomben) from 8.45–9.45pm, with one Ipswich service also extending to Rosewood and one Caboolture service doing the same to Nambour. From 12.15–1.30am, the arrangement will be similar — except there'll be two extra trains for the Doomben line, and the Caboolture service will extend to Gympie North. Then, from 1.30am until Monday, January 1's normal first service, there'll be a train per hour on all lines other than Doomben, Rosewood and Sunshine Coast. [caption id="attachment_749921" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] John via Flickr[/caption] Until 1am, CityCats will run around every 15 minutes, while KittyCats and Kangaroo Point Cross River services will run until around 2am. You can check out a comprehensive rundown of New Year's Eve services at the TransLink website. [caption id="attachment_754201" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kgbo via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Find more information on free travel periods on New Year's Eve in Brisbane, and on service updates, head to the TransLink website.
What's better than one major Australian structure proudly displaying the Aboriginal flag, hoisting it high for everyone to see on a permanent basis? Two, of course. And what would top that? Three, obviously. Actually, watching that list keep on growing would be even better still — but for now, a new petition is calling for Brisbane's Story Bridge to join the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Melbourne's West Gate Bridge in making the Aboriginal flag an enduring fixture. The e-petition was launched on Wednesday, September 7 by Brisbane City Councillor Kara Cook, who represents the Morningside Ward — and at the time of writing on Thursday, September 8, it has passed 800 signatures. It doesn't only request that the Aboriginal flag take a berth atop the CBD structure spanning from Kangaroo Point over the Fortitude Valley, but also the Torres Strait Islander flag as well. In the online document, Cook notes that "only the Australian flag and Queensland flag currently fly on the Story Bridge", with her petition calling "for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags to be proudly displayed on the bridge" permanently. Cook raised a motion with Council this week, asking Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner to make the move; however, he declined, saying that the idea was simply stolen from New South Wales — and that the millions it would cost should be used elsewhere. [caption id="attachment_840573" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Oliver Lupton via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] The request to add both flags to the top of the Story Bridge comes mere months after the NSW Government installed the Aboriginal flag on the Sydney Harbour Bridge — following a five-year-long campaign by Kamilaroi woman Cheree Toka to get that outcome — and after the Victorian Government quickly did the same with the West Gate Bridge. Also in Aboriginal flag news this year, the Australian Government unveiled a copyright deal at the end of January with Luritja artist Harold Thomas, who designed the symbol, to make it freely available for public use. For more information about the Brisbane petition to fly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags atop the Story Bridge, head to the Brisbane City Council website. Top image: Colin Campbell via Flickr.
What microwaves did for heating, UK company Enviro-Cool is promising to do for cooling. They've created a drink cooler that takes bottles and cans from room temperature to 5 degrees celsius in just 45 seconds. There's every possibility that the invention, which uses 80 percent less energy than commercial refrigeration, could soon become commonplace in homes, shops and eateries all over the world. Envriro-Cool created the technology, which they've patented 'V-Tex', back in 2007. It's based on a sophisticated application of the 'Rankine Vortex'. A European Commission grant of 930,000 Euros enabled its development into a commercial product. According to the promo video, the EC "recognised that the energy used to constantly chill pre-packed beverages was enormous and an unsustainable strain on our depleting energy resources." Three types of coolers have been developed. There's one suitable to commercial use, powerful enough to replace high-energy use equipment, such as multi-deck open refrigerator, and two domestic-friendly units — one stand-alone and one that can be added to existing refrigerators. It's estimated that, for every fridge replaced, over $1000 in electricity will be saved annually. Trials begin in Holland next month. Via PSFK.
Everyone's jumping on the clean eating bandwagon, and that includes Teneriffe's newest eatery. The space that once housed paleo cafe Primal Pantry might've undergone a change of name and a brand new fit-out, but the same commitment to healthy food haunts the place on the corner of Florence and Macquarie streets. Breakfast and lunch are what most will flock to the rustic confines of Wilde Kitchen for, and few will be disappointed. A sextet of options on each menu sees the likes of savoury waffles with sticky pork spiced pumpkin and fried duck egg and prosciutto pizza with wild mushrooms and manchego tempt hungry diners with dishes that don't just taste great — they're also good for you. Wilde Kitchen boasts another feather in its cap, too, and we're not just talking about the Wolff Coffee Roasters coffee or their smoothie bowls. For those who want to savour their whole, fresh ingredients at home, they also have a takeaway menu of prepared meals. Like the eat-in options, everything is made fresh on-site daily, though orders must be placed 24 hours in advance. Whether you're hanging around at their wooden outdoor tables or heading off with your food, we recommend downing one of their four types of health tonic shots as well to cap off your healthy cafe experience.
There is no denying Brisbane is going through somewhat of a beer renaissance period. Breweries are popping up left right and centre, and the punters are embracing them with a schooner in each hand. The birth and growth of small bars has changed the way we think, and the craft beer revolution is making us view beer as an artform with the same respect that coffee gains. Brewsvegas is here to celebrate the joys of better beer and to deeper carve Brisbane’s unique identity on the brew scene. Embrace Brewsvegas, let beer serve its purpose — bringing people together — and let the good times roll. We’ve rounded up a rough guide to the six-day fiesta. Better hops to it. Pick your fight As the founding fathers of beer discovered, the best brews are made on hops, sweat and testosterone. In somewhat of Brewsvegas trend, The Scratch are pitting themselves against Tipplers Tap in a battle of bars, beer and barbecue pork ribs (not once, but twice). Also entering the boxing ring will be 10 of Brisbane’s best brewers for Untapped. The brews are coming together to put the city of map, but there can only be one winner. Learn something new So you think you know your beer? Think again. Newstead Brewing Co are letting punters dive into the science behind brewing at Get Flawed. Using professional craft brewer sensory kits, Newstead Brewing will be spiking beer with the major flavour compounds and flaws found in brewing. Learn about why beer tastes that way and sharpen your craft tasting skills. Or, if coffee and craft beer are your two true loves, join this degustation event and explore the similarities in practice of tasting and appreciating these two artisan beverages. Mix four beers, two coffees and five courses for an excellent Saturday afternoon. Beer is a food group Beercaroons: You guessed it – limited edition Beard and Brau beer-flavoured macaroons. Beerkary are selling them in four-packs with a Golden Paw (Malt and Hop Biscuit with a Lemon, Malt Cream and Lychee Jelly), Red Tail Ale (Hops Biscuit with a Bitter Caramel filling and a Chocolate and Passionfruit core), Bon Chiens (Honey, Beer biscuit with Honey, Hops, Orange cream, Crystal malt and Champagne Jelly) and Black Snout (Stout and Dark Malt biscuit with Milk Chocolate, Vanilla, Coffee Cream and Caramelised milk core). Look out Adriano Zumbo. Eau de Beer When a man decides it’s time he upgraded from a trusty spray of Lynx for the ladies to a more unique scent, it opens a dangerous world of possibility and who better to turn to than his trusty friend, beer. You heard. Brewski have teamed with Damask Perfumery to create Eau de Brewski. A four-part collection of single-hop infused colognes, choose to smell like Riwaka, Nelson Sauvin, Galaxy or Saaz. When in Brewski, match your fragrance to one of four single-hop pale ales by Bacchus Brewing Co and come home smelling like your favourite brew. Beer cocktails Whoever said cocktails were girly drinks was wrong. Super Whatnot is making cocktail drinking more socially acceptable for men by using Green Beacon beer. Some of Brisbane’s best bartenders at Super Whatnot are stepping up to challenge and are inviting you to come test them out. There will be a judging panel, but will you agree with their top pick? And will your taste buds be able to accept a beer cocktail? Broga, beer, bacon The Mill on Constance knows what boys want, they know what boys like. And so, they’ve taken the best things that start with ‘B’ and invite you start your Sunday with a stretch, brew and feed. Broga is yoga for bros, by bros, and beginners and newbies are welcome. Finish off your session with a craft beer and bacon sandwich – if only exercise always concluded with a nice brew. Craft night And here you were thinking Broga, beer and beards were all the man things Brewvegas cared about. This one’s for the ladies (and men who aren’t scared to macrame). Drink Craft Make Craft is a hands-on craft night at The Mill that will teach you how to make beer crate coffee tables, bottle top art, and other crafts. Your $15 ticket includes all craft material, a tap beer, cider, ginger beer or wine on arrival and nibbles throughout the evening. No previous hot glue gun experience required. Floristry smackdown If you prefer to sit back and let the magic happen around you, head to The Scratch for the inaugual Scratch Hop Floristry Smackdown. Some of Brisbane’s finest florists will go head-to-head for a live, in-house arrange-off. Beer and flowers? Their challenge is to use harvested hops as the floral centrepiece. The Scratch will also be offering “Hoptical Infusions” – four different beers each infused through four different varieties of fresh hop flowers. The great outdoors Sports and beer go hand-in-hand. What is backyard cricket without a coldie in one hand and a bat in the other? Brewsvegas are realising the dream a mighty Table Tennis Battle at Archive. It’s brewers and reps Vs punters, your move. Alternatively, for a day on the green join brisbane’s Chicks With Ales and Tipplers Tap for an afternoon of croquet and bocce. Brewsvegas is on March 23-29.
Riparide is a new online venture which aims to provide surfers from around the globe with an easier means of coordinating holidays and trips. The brainchild of Australians Marion Law and Dane O’Shanassy, Riparide allows surfers to seek accomodation and equipment from locals at their destination. Conversely, surfers who would rather catch waves than go to work can offer their own services in return for cash. O’Shanassy stated that “we’ve gone to places where we know the people with boards and places to stay, but not everyone’s lucky enough to know people in, say, Hawaii.” This is a great service which will only tighten the global surfing community. Staying with other locals will also give you a greater insight into the area and a more authentic experience. Who knows, you might find yourself staying on the couch of the next Kelly Slater. [via PSFK]
How do you make the news of a new Brisbane bar even more exciting? Keep the address under wraps until moments before throwing open the doors. That's Tomcat's strategy, anyway — they'll only reveal the bar's exact Fortitude Valley location right before the launch. Here's what we do know so far. In its main space, Tomcat will attempt to fuse a house party and dive bar into one hangout space, and give it an '80s-like atmosphere. Decor-wise, think street graffiti on the walls and dim red lighting setting a mysterious mood. The kitchen will crank out New York-style pizzas for patrons keen on both eating in and taking away, and the drinks range will include two cocktails on tap, as well as bottle service that extends to gin, rum, scotch and more. And that's just the first part — Tomcat has another secret up its sleeves. Within the main bar they'll have another bar called The Boiler Room. Setting up a high-end spirit and cocktail establishment with an industrial, substation-esque vibe is the name of the game, with low lighting, jazz trip-hop tunes, leather lounges and daily changing charcuterie boards providing the finishing touches. And if you opt for bottle service here, your preferred Remy Martin beverage will be kept in a locked cabinet with your name literally on it. The dual-concept venue hails from a bunch of folks with plenty of experience, with owners Chris Denman and Stevie Waite veterans of Fourth Wall and The Manhattan Line, venue manager Kal Moore hailing from The Gresham and assistant venue manager Scott Griffin boasting X&Y on his resume. And while Tomcat's specific site won't be officially revealed until opening night, if you're savvy with your online searching you might be able to piece a few clues together. We could tell you right here, right now — but where's the fun in that? Tomcat will open in Fortitude Valley from late September until early October. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for more information as they release it. Image: star5112 via Flickr.
Australians, if you like your burgers cruelty-free, then you've probably been keen to introduce your tastebuds to Impossible Foods. One of the big names in plant-based meat, the brand has built up quite the following in the US — and, from today, Thursday, November 4, it's finally available Down Under. Known for making not just meat alternatives but also dairy substitutes out of plants, Impossible has launched in Australia with two big collaborations: with burger chain Grill'd and Sydney fried chicken joint-meets-sneaker shop Butter. Nationwide, you can now tuck into four Impossible burgs made with the brand's beef alternative. If you're a Sydneysider, you have a couple more options at Butter's Chatswood and Parramatta outposts, and you'll also be able to try a broader menu at Butter's upcoming Impossible pop-up in The Rocks. For burger fiends, those four new additions at Grill'd Australia-wide include a cheeseburger (complete with vegan cheese and vegan mayonnaise), the 'Simply Grill'd' which recreates the chain's standard burg, a vegetable-heavy option that comes with beetroot and avocado, and an Aussie spin on the concept that also adds beetroot and barbecue burger sauce. In Sydney, Butter is doing an Impossible cheeseburger and an Impossible classic burger, marking the first time it's ever had plant-based meat alternatives on its menu. Butter will also be adding a new Impossible burger to its lineup every fortnight, and slinging Impossible lasagnes and meatball subs via its home-delivery brand Mumma Julian's. And, at a yet-to-be-revealed date sometime later in November, Butter's Impossible pop-up in The Rocks will only serve items made with Impossible beef. Think: meat-free katsu, cheeseburgers and chilli cheese fries, plus whatever else Butter co-owner and executive chef Julian Cincotta comes up with. In total, Impossible's meat-less 'beef' is now available in more than 150 restaurants around the country — and you can expect more places to join the list. And if you're wondering what makes the brand's plant-based options stand out, it was named the best plant-based burger by The New York Times. Grill'd's Impossible menu is available in stores from Thursday, November 4. Butter is serving two Impossible burgers at its Chatswood and Parramatta outposts, and will set up an Impossible pop-up in The Rocks later in November. For further details about Impossible, head to the brand's website.
Back when streaming platforms and digital television were just a futuristic dream, and when every Australian TV network only had one channel, SBS was an Aussie cinephile's go-to source for free international cinema. The public broadcaster has continued to uphold that role over the past decade or so, especially via its online service SBS On Demand. But now it's giving movie buffs what we've always wanted: a new, free-to-air, 24-hour world movies channel. SBS World Movies will launch on Monday, July 1 on channel 32, playing flicks from around the globe all day, every day. Prepare for quite the movie marathon, as more than 700 films will be broadcast each year. The channel will also become the network's third in HD — a far cry from the days when folks at home would record the station's international movies on grainy VHS tapes to watch again later. While the full launch slate hasn't been revealed, a selection of recent high-profile titles will be heading SBS World Movies' way, including Yorgos Lanthimos' dark and twisty The Killing of a Sacred Deer with Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman; moving French drama Amanda, which just screened at this year's Alliance Française French Film Festival; and applauded 2018 festival hit Ash is the Purest White, the latest film by acclaimed auteur Jia Zhangke. Norwegian historical drama The 12th Man, French thriller Just A Breath Away and Belgian Cannes winner Girl round out the just-announced first movies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=QT3KlMWHfzw The channel will also showcase women in film via a weekly double focusing on female filmmakers and lead actors, highlight favourites from the international film festival circuit, delve into up-and-coming cinema from far-flung corners of the world, and curate seasons around events like Diwali, Lunar New Year, International Women's Day and Mardi Gras. Along with programming world movies on its existing channels, as well as on SBS On Demand, SBS is no stranger to the dedicated film channel game. For nearly a quarter of a century up until January 2018, World Movies was available via subscription TV services such as Foxtel. When SBS World Movies joins the network's lineup, it'll sit alongside existing channels SBS, SBS VICELAND, SBS Food and NITV. SBS World Movies launches on Monday, July 1 on channel 32.
Almost one year after their break-up, a film documenting the final chapters of alternative powerhouse LCD Soundsystem will premiere on January 22 at the Sundance Film Festival. Shut Up and Play the Hits, directed by Dylan Southern and William Lovelace, shows frontman James Murphy in the hours prior to the band's farewell show at Madison Square Garden. This will be combined with unbeatable footage from their epic ultimate performance, as well as Murphy's reactions and reflections on what has been an illustrious career. With a devotion to both the personal and performance aspects of Murphy's character, Shut Up and Play the Hits gives fans an intimate insight into the brains behind one of this generation's most innovative and critically acclaimed bands. The anticipation before the LCD's grand farewell is balanced with the sense of loss the morning after, giving viewers a complete experience on this emotional and artistic rollercoaster. On top of three studio albums and numerous Grammy nominations, LCD Soundsystem were able to forge a cult following which reflected their diverse sound combining disco and punk rock with a distinct indie tinge. Murphy was also the co-founder of DFA Records, home of fellow alternative favourites Holy Ghost! and The Rapture.
In the two decades that Gelato Messina has been in dessert business, more than 4000 special flavours have made their way through the chain's gelato cabinets around the country. Each year, it releases 260 specials, in fact. 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 this winter, based on the past year's top flavours, so you'd best make room in your freezer. Lucky Sydneysiders, Melburnians and Brisbanites will be able to treat themselves to a treasure trove of limited-edition gelato varieties. 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 in 2023. Gelato fiends can preorder 500-millilitre tubs of the 40 flavours from Monday, July 10. You'll then need to pick them up from Sydney's Marrickville, Tramsheds, Bondi, Darlinghurst, Norwest, Brighton Le Sands stores; Fitzroy and East Brunswick in Melbourne; South Brisbane in Brisbane; and Braddon in Canberra — all between Friday, July 21–Sunday, July 23. Individual tubs are filled with just one flavour and will set you back $19, or you can get three for $54, five for $75, ten for $140 or — if you have the freezer space — 20 for $250. Wondering which flavours are available? Messina has dropped the full list of faves making a comeback — and it's stacked with deliciousness (just like your freezer will be). Fairy Bread (toast and butter gelato with 100s & 1000s) and Robert Blondie Jnr (white chocolate gelato, blondie and white chocolate fudge sauce) will all return in tub form. So will Balls Deep (chocolate gelato with chocolate mud cake and salted caramel fudge) and You Cannoli Live Twice (chocolate crème patisserie gelato with chocolate hazelnut fudge, candied hazelnuts, and crushed cannoli shells), too. Love Messina's takes on other beloved desserts? The Malteaser, Eton Mess, Baked Mango Cheesecake, Have a Gay Old Time, Pavlova, Red Velvet — those Messina flavours are all on the list as well. Good luck trying to choose just one, or even a mere few. Gelato Messina's Greatest Hits will be available to preorder on Monday, July 10 with pick up between Friday, July 21–Sunday, July 23 from Sydney's Marrickville, Tramsheds, Bondi, Darlinghurst, Norwest, Brighton Le Sands stores (orders from 12.15pm); Fitzroy and East Brunswick in Melbourne; South Brisbane in Brisbane; and Braddon in Canberra (orders from 12pm).
When you drink a spritz, it might get you dreaming of Italy, the country that gave the world the summery tipple. Sip one of the cocktails at South Brisbane's Como and you'll definitely be thinking about the other side of world. A ten-option spritz menu that themes its sips around different Italian regions — Venice, Rome, Milan, Sicily and Bologna included — will do that. As its name makes plain, this spot takes inspiration from a specific part of the European country in general: Lake Como. Cue Euro summer vibes all year long and no matter the weather in Brisbane or in Italy, all on Melbourne Street. Seasonal produce is in the spotlight, with the small bites beginning with oysters, sago chips, crispy polenta with mushroom, pan brioche with raw kangaroo loin, fried calamari and caviar. There's also a selection of cured meats and focaccia, which are recommended to be paired. Or, from the antipasto range, tuck into beetroot tartare and yuzu-marinated swordfish. Among the pastas, spaghetti champagne lobster stands out, albeit with a hefty price tag to match; pappardelle with wild boar ragu and rigatoni with mussels will also tempt your tastebuds. For mains, porchetta, duck breast and market fish sit alongside two types of wagyu and dry-aged black angus sirloin. And as for dessert, watermelon yoghurt, raspberry sorbet and cheese all feature. If you can't choose what to eat, two degustation menus are on offer, including one for groups that spans six courses for $110 a head and an eight-dish feast that'll set you back $149 per person. Pizzas are available for takeaway via the restaurant's Fish Lane entrance all day from Tuesday–Sunday, while Como's bar also operates from open till close six days a week. But for dining in, you'll need to make a date for lunch from 12–2.30pm and dinner from 5.30–9.30pm. As well as spritzes, Como's drinks selection boasts multiple takes on the negroni, classics on request, non-boozy cocktails and eight pages of wine choices — with Italian, Australian, New Zealand, French, American and Spanish drops all getting their own menu sections. The mood is refined but laidback, encouraging patrons to while away their visit with their nearest and dearest. You can start at the bar, then settle in at a table. Also, if you let the staff know when you book, Como will cater to your timing if you're heading in before seeing a show somewhere around South Bank.
Calling all sleuths of Australia — again. If you haven't fulfilled your murder-mystery fix on the big and small screens over the past few years, and if you missed a whodunnit play hailing from the one and only Agatha Christie in both 2022 and 2023, then you'd best make a new date with The Mousetrap. Here are two questions for you to solve first: why is this play coming your way once more a big deal, and when is it doing the rounds again? The answers: as well as being penned by Christie, it's the world's longest-running play; and, because its past Aussie seasons have proven such a hit, it's returning to a heap of cities from May–September 2024. As well as heading to Hobart and Darwin, this tour is favouring regional and smaller spots. That means seeing The Mousetrap in Newcastle, Wollongong, the Gold Coast, Toowoomba, Geelong and Frankston — among other stops — for audiences in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. Initially premiering in London's West End in 1952, The Mousetrap has been treading the boards in the UK ever since, only pausing during to pandemic venue closures. When theatres reopened in Britain, so did the show. Indeed, when it arrived in Australia in 2022, The Mousetrap did so 70 years to the month that it first debuted. Unsurprisingly, that hefty run means that the show has enjoyed the longest stint for any West End production, and for any play anywhere in the world. So far, there's been more than 28,500 London performances. To answer the other obvious question, yes, it's all about an unexpected body. The murder-mystery starts with news of a killing in London — and with seven people snowed in at a guest house in the country. They're strangers, which is classic Christie. When a police sergeant arrives on skis, they're told that the murderer is among them (which, again, is vintage Christie). They all have wild pasts, too, and all those details are spilled as they're interrogated, and also try to work out who among them is the killer. Those guests at Monkswell Manor include a pair of newlyweds who run the house, a spinster, an architect who is handy in the kitchen, a retired Army major, a man who says his car has overturned in a drift, and a jurist. Naturally, there's another death as they're all puzzling it over — and a twist conclusion, which audiences have been requested not to reveal after leaving the theatre for seven decades now. Again, it's all Christie all over, which'll be evident if you've seen the recent film versions of Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile — or the original cinema adaptations, or read the books, or devoured anything else that Christie ever wrote. And, if you caught 2022's See How They Run, you'll be more than a little familiar with The Mousetrap as well. This theatre work started as a short radio play, which was written as a birthday present for Queen Mary. It aired in 1947 under the name Three Blind Mice, after which Christie rewrote it as a short story, then adapted it again for the stage as The Mousetrap. And no, there isn't a movie of it — because Christie stipulated that it can't leap to the screen until at least six months after the West End production closes. Clearly, that hasn't happened yet. In Australia, the play boasts Robyn Nevin directing and John Frost for Crossroads Live Australia producing. AGATHA CHRISTIE'S THE MOUSETRAP 2024 AUSTRALIAN TOUR: Saturday, May 11–Saturday, May 25: Newcastle Civic Theatre, Newcastle Thursday, May 29–Sunday, June 2 — HOTA, Home of the Arts, Gold Coast Tuesday, June 11–Monday, June 24 — Theatre Royal, Hobart Thursday, June 27–Sunday, June 30 — Civic Theatre, Orange Thursday, July 4–Sunday, July 7 — Geelong Arts Centre, Geelong Thursday, July 11–Saturday, July 13 — Darwin Entertainment Centre, Darwin Wednesday, July 17–Friday, July 19 — Glasshouse, Port Macquarie Tuesday, July 23–Wednesday, July 24 — Empire Theatre, Toowoomba Wednesday, July 31–Saturday, August 3 — Frankston Arts Centre, Frankston Thursday, August 8–Sunday, August 11 — Albury Entertainment Centre, Albury Thursday, August 15–Sunday, August 25 — Glen St Theatre, Frenchs Forest Thursday, August 29–Sunday, September 1 — Entertainment Convention Centre, Mackay Thursday, September 5–Monday, September 16 — Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, Wollongong Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap will tour Australia in 2024. For further details and tickets, head to the play's website. Images: Brian Gleach.
Yoga lovers of Brisbane, it's time to unleash your flexibility in a former prison. It's time to take a spooky tour of the place, too. It's October, which means that it's Halloween time — and while combining bending and stretching with ghost stories mightn't have been on your to-do list before, it should be now. This city is rather fond of creative yoga sessions, of course, spanning everything from mountaintop yoga and yoga on a pier to beer yoga and yoga with llamas. Still, this Boggo Road Gaol class on Saturday, October 31 is something particularly adventurous. Doing downward dog as you're in the middle of quite the historic spot is just the beginning, as afterwards you'll be hearing about and wandering through the site's haunted history. Places are limited, so if you're keen to step inside the jail for this unique session, you'll need to snap up a ticket before Monday, October 19. All of the fun kicks off at 4.30pm, and you're asked to bring your own mat, water, comfortable clothes, enclosed shoes and torch. Also, this is one Halloween event where you can't dress up in horror-themed costumes.
When a business celebrates a birthday in a big way, its customers might be lucky enough to receive a present themselves. That's the case with cinema chain Hoyts, which is hitting 115 years old with two days — an entire weekend, in fact — of cheap movie tickets. Book in a big-screen date across Saturday, October 12–Sunday, October 13 to score $8 general-admission tickets. The special is open to everyone and you don't need to sign up for a membership; however, as there always is with these kinds of deals, there are a few caveats. If you reserve your $8 ticket are online, there'll also be a booking fee. And again, the deal applies just to standard sessions, not Hoyts LUX and special events — but you can pay extra to sit in a D-BOX motion recliner, for a lounge or daybed, or to get the Xtremescreen experience. If you want to head to Hoyts LUX, that'll cost you $25. Movie-wise, your viewing options include supervillain sequel Joker: Folie à Deux, more comic book-inspired antics with Hellboy: The Crooked Man, Sebastian Stan (Dumb Money)-starring Donald Trump biopic The Apprentice, gore aplenty thanks to Terrifier 3, and all-ages-friendly animation with The Wild Robot and Transformers One.
For most folks, Easter is about two things: chocolate and plenty of it, and enjoying at least a four-day break from the daily grind. However many sweet treats you have in your near future, and however you're planning to spend your time off, Virgin wants you to keep the holiday vibes going — dropping a pre-Easter sale with 350,000 discounted fares up for grabs. As the airline tends to, it's starting prices as cheap as $55, which will get you from Sydney to Byron Bay and vice versa. From there, the sale spans everywhere from the Hamilton Island, Tasmania and Darwin through to Tokyo, Bali, Fiji and Vanuatu. The low fare, more air sale runs until midnight AEST on Monday, April 3 — unless sold out earlier, with The Whitsundays, the Sunshine Coast, all the regular Australian capital cities, Queenstown and Samoa also covered. That means paying $75 one-way from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast, $89 from Adelaide to Launceston, $99 for a trip from Melbourne to the Gold Coast and $115 to get from Brisbane to Hamilton Island. Or, still on local deals, $89 from Melbourne to Adelaide, $115 from Sydney to Cairns, $219 from Melbourne to Darwin and $229 from Sydney to Perth. All legs are available in both directions. Internationally, return fares include the Gold Coast to Bali from $419, Sydney to Fiji from $459, Melbourne to Vanuatu from $539 and Cairns to Tokyo from $699. For folks in Sydney and Melbourne keen to head to Japan, the Tokyo trip costs $819 from each via Cairns. If you're wondering when you'll need to travel, the fares cover between Tuesday, March 9–Thursday, December 14, all varying per route. Inclusions also vary depending on your ticket and, as usual when it comes to flight sales, you'll need to get in quick if you're keen to stack your year with post-Easter getaways. Virgin's low fare, more air sale runs until midnight AEST on Monday, April 3 — unless sold out earlier. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Brisbane has caught a serious case of burger fever, and the pandemic shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Ben's Burgers has taken up residency in Winn Lane (at Flamingo Cafe’s old digs) to help medicate the good people of Brisbane and treat their burger lovin’ symptoms. Ben's Burgers are all about simplicity. From the food to the fit-out, everything is fuss free and fairly fantastic. They’ve got the business of burger building down to a fine art and have only one rule — no alterations. But that’s ok, because why mess with perfection? You can choose BB Classic, BB Special or BB Veg ($11 each), and rest assured that what comes out between two halves of brioche will be fresh, juicy and damn tasty. The BB Classic is exactly that: a classic. The tender, juicy beef pattie is in perfect proportion to the soft and sweet brioche bun, gooey melted cheese, and precisely placed pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup, mustard and mayo. This masterpiece is the perfect size to get your mouth around as you enjoy all the fixings all together, bite after bite. Don’t be afraid to make a mess as the succulent juices trickle down your wrists — this is a real burger after all. If you’re one to push the boundaries, why not try the BB special — its foundation is the same tender, juicy beef pattie as the classic, but it comes dressed up in jalapenos and a special sauce — or the BB veg where a whole roasted mushroom replaces the meat. In true American style, you can wash down whichever burg you choose with a cup of housemade cherry cola or ginger ale, or if you’re feeling game, a Hershey’s chocolate milkshake. But it seems Brisbane’s burger urges aren’t restricted to lunch and dinner. From 7am until 11am, Ben's Burgers can satisfy your morning cravings with three breakfast burgers ($7 each) on offer. You’ve got your usuals — bacon, egg, cheese and special sauce, and sausage, egg, cheese and bourbon barbecue sauce — and your unusual: the BB Elvis. Give your arteries a King-sized workout with bacon, peanut butter, banana and maple syrup hugged by a brioche bun.
If you're looking to dip into a few fresh literary delights, why not opt for a deep-dive into some of the world's oldest storytelling traditions? That's what you can expect to enjoy when this week's Blak & Bright First Nations Literary Festival serves up a celebration of First Nations stories and writers, fusing tradition and innovation. Running from Thursday, March 17 until Sunday, March 20, the festival will spotlight over 67 talented storytellers — both emerging and familiar — across a program of conversations, workshops, readings and performances. Most events will be held at Melbourne's Wheeler Centre, with many also streamed online. The festival's launch night kicks off with a Welcome to Country and multi-disciplinary performance piece Solace, as traditional owners and artists Philly, Bryan Andy, James Henry and Steven Rhall explore ideas around men's mental health. During Borrow a Living Book, you'll have the chance to sit down with an elder at Indigenous-owned eatery Big Esso and immerse yourself in the stories of their lived experiences. With Kimmy Lovegrove as MC, Gammon (Aboriginal slang for 'joking' or 'kidding') delivers a serve of Blak comedy, while The Monologues showcases words from celebrated First Nations playwrights including Kodie Bedford, Anita Heiss and Jane Harrison. Elsewhere, you'll catch a series of ten-minute talks by social justice activists, an in-depth exploration of Aboriginal aesthetic within the Australian design landscape, and a group poetry read featuring writers like Jazz Money and Charmaine Papertalk Green. Can't make it in person? A stack of the events will also be available to enjoy streamed online, with various ticketing options on offer. [caption id="attachment_846280" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Maurial Spearim, by Tiffany Garvie[/caption] Top Image: Richard Frankland and Stan Yarramunua, by Tiffany Garvie
2022 marks four years since The Westin opened in Mary Street in the CBD, finally filling the giant hole in the ground that sat in the middle of the city for years in the process. The first location in Queensland for the Marriott-owned international brand, the decadent resort-style hotel arrived with all the usual features — 298 rooms and suites with views, onsite eateries and bars, and a spa — but it's Nautilus Pool Bar that's one of its biggest drawcards. The swim-up spot is the first in Brisbane, and still the only bar in the city like it. Obviously, that's wonderful news for guests keen to splash around in the 300-square-metre swimming pool, grab a beverage and gaze out over views over the city skyline. Thanks to the hotel's new summer-long beach club, it's also ace news for Brisbanites in general. This isn't the first time that Nautilus Pool Bar has held public sessions, but this seasonal stint comes with an Amalfi theme, seafood towers, spritzes galore and DJs spinning tunes on the deck. Dubbed Nautilus Beach Club, it kicks off on Friday, December 16, and will run 11am–7pm Friday–Sunday until Sunday, March 5. Attendees have a couple of options for Mediterranean-influenced lounging by the pool, with a $29 ticket including access, a towel to use while you're there and your first spritz. If you and a date or mate are feeling like treating yo'selves, there's also a cabana experience for $239 for two, which gives you your own cabana to hang out in, a seafood platter and a bottle of rosé. On the menu in general: oysters, prawn cocktails, Moreton Bay bug rolls, kingfish ceviche, and both antipasto and seafood platters. The drinks lineup features spritzes made with limoncello, Campari, Aperol and Malfy gin, and there's also two Riot Wine Co vinos on tap. Those live DJ sets run from 3.30–6.30pm, with DJ Vicki Lee doing the honours on Fridays, and DJ Gloria Ansell taking to the decks on Saturdays and Sundays. And the pool itself? It's heated to 28 degrees, perfect for comfortable swims during Brisbane's sultry summer. Nautilus Beach Club runs 11am–7pm Friday–Sunday from Friday, December 16– Sunday, March 5 at The Westin Brisbane at 111 Mary Street, Brisbane. Head to the Nautilus Pool Bar website for further details and tickets.
This year, the World's 50 Best Restaurants awards will be held in Melbourne, and will see the globe's biggest culinary names descend on Australia to shed some light on what goes into creating the world's best dishes. But what about the food that gets left behind? Well, none other than the world's best chef Massimo Bottura will tackle the issue of food waste head-on when he teams up with a slew of local chefs and food waste charity OzHarvest for an exclusive degustation in Sydney on Sunday, April 2. Bottura — the super affable renowned chef behind Italy's Osteria Francescana, which was again named the number one restaurant in the world last year — will host the eye-opening event at OzHarvest's Alexandria headquarters. While he won't be cooking, he'll be joined by a hand-picked team of local chefs who will, including Rob Cockerill (Bennelong), Josh Niland (Saint Peter), Monty Koludrovic (Icebergs, The Dolphin), Clayton Wells (Automata) and James Viles (Biota). They'll plate up a fine dining feast made with food that's usually destined for the bin, matched to some top Aussie wines. The 130 lucky diners will enjoy sharp service led by Rockpool Dining Group's food and beverage director Jeremy Courmidas, the sommelier skills of Icebergs' James Hird, and a stunning setting designed by George Livissianis and decorated with works from some leading Australian artists. Plus, with everyone's time and all produce and products donated, all proceeds from the night will head straight to OzHarvest, as well as Bottura's Italian food waste non-profit Food for Soul. It's set to be a once-in-a-lifetime dining event, so, naturally, it comes with a once-in-a-lifetime price tag. Tickets will set you back a cool $1000. Tickets to Massimo Bottura's OzHarvest degustation dinner go on sale at 9am this Tuesday, March 14, and are available here.
The Apple iPod has been nipped and tucked since its original version to become the compact, nearly paper-thin music-playing masterpiece that it is today. We now have room for thousands of songs and videos on a piece of metal that's smaller than a playing card and lighter than a feather. Just when we thought there was no more improving the little guys, technology went ahead and proved us wrong. Scientists from Georgia University of Technology, lead by Dr. Zhong Lin Wang, are in the experimental stages of developing nanotechnology that will create self-generated energy that could power portable devices like iPods. In presenting their findings to the American Chemical Society, Dr. Wang explained that the devices would have a microchip made of zinc oxide nanowires (500 of them could fit on a human hair) that generate energy at any body movement, even just the beat of a heart. So far the human-powered technology has been used to power LCD screens and store radio signals. These advances may seem small, but Dr. Wang believes that the team's development of the microchip is a significant milestone in the creation of power that isn't battery-operated or plugged into an electrical outlet. "Their potential is only limited by one's imagination," he said. We're certainly looking forward to listening to beats powered by heartbeats. [via The Telegraph]
Fancy an art experience that extends beyond looking at works on a wall? Then prepare to be impressed by Melbourne's new 3000-square-metre, 11-metre-high immersive digital art gallery. Originally set to open in late 2020, then postponed till autumn 2021, and now finally set to launch when the first day of spring hits — so, Wednesday, September 1 — The Lume will make its home permanently at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC). The big drawcard: projections of some of the world's most celebrated artworks, which will be splashed across various surfaces. Those luminous displays will be backed by powerful musical soundtracks, too, and even complemented by aromas. The inaugural exhibition at The Lume will celebrate the works and life of Vincent van Gogh. So, you'll be able to walk through artworks like The Starry Night and Sunflowers while listening to a classical music score. If you were lucky enough to make it up to Sydney last year for Van Gogh Alive, expect something very similar. The project is the brainchild of Melbourne-based Grande Experiences, which, for the past 15 years, has hosted immersive exhibitions and gallery experiences in over 130 cities across the world — and is taking Van Gogh Alive around Australia this year, too. The company also owns and operates Rome's Museo Leonardo da Vinci. The Lume will open at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday, September 1. General public tickets go on sale at 12pm on Thursday, June 3 — with wait list pre-sales from Monday, May 31.
Prepare yourself, folks — this year, Australia's launching into summer with the help of a huge new music festival. The brainchild of industry big guns Onelove (Stereosonic), Live Nation (Splendour in the Grass, Falls Festival) and Hardware (Piknic Electronik, Babylon), Festival X will hit Brisbane on Friday, November 29. The large-scale music party is pulling no punches when it comes to its debut lineup, headlined by international heavyweights including Scottish DJ Calvin Harris, the Grammy-nominated Armin van Buuren, Steve Aoki and our own Alison Wonderland. Spanning multiple stages, it's set to deliver a world-class serve of hip hop, pop and electronica.US rapper Lil Pump will make his own Aussie debut, joined on the all-star bill by the likes of British DJ duo CamelPhat, Ohio-based rapper Trippie Redd, Denmark's Kölsch and German techno king Paul Kalkbrenner. Meanwhile, there'll be plenty flying the flag for the local scene, with sets from favourites including bass and dubstep star Godlands, Australian-raised trance DJ MaRLo, Sydney act Sunset Bros and singer-songwriter Thandi Phoenix.
The Holidays' sound reminds me of Sunday afternoon drives with the sunset on the horizon, only the majority of the time I've listened to them it's been 4am and on my way to work. It's the kind of music that instantly makes you feel warm and alive, holding you in its jangly tones and releasing you only when you really have to get back to the real world. Back in Brisbane after their apt afternoon slot at Laneway, The Holidays are here on their Seven Million Mornings Tour to showcase their fantastic debut LP, Post Paradise. Filled with resplendent melodies coupled with some pretty damn good lyrics, the music created by these Sydney boys will definitely leave you mesmerised. You've probably heard their three released singles (Moonlight Hours, Golden Sky and Broken Bones) on the airwaves, and unlike some other bands, every song is actually worth a listen. They've even be nominated for several prestigious awards, like the Australian Music Prize. So, do not even think about missing out when they roll into The Zoo for what is sure to be a sweet ride.
Situated smack-bang in the middle of the city, Post Office Square boasts many things, including lunchtime eateries, a patch of grass amidst towering office buildings and a busy thoroughfare to Central Station. And, it now also features Brisbane's newest micro pub: Isles Lane. Slotting into the parkside space at 300 Queen Street, the 400-person venue comes courtesy of Trent Meade and Matt Blyth, the current team behind Fortitude Valley's The Met and GPO Hotel. For their foray into the CBD, they've whipped up a casual watering hole that segues from daytime eating to afternoon drinks every day of the week. Or, as Meade explains it, the venue takes its cues from "classic big city eating houses, from New York to Barcelona", while adding its own modern Australian twist. While the beverage selection is filled with familiar brews and special rotational beers — think Balter, Stone & Wood, Kaiju and more — plus a curated array of cocktails, riesling, rosé, prosecco and Champagne, Isles Lane places a heavy emphasis on the food side of the gastropub equation. With head chef Lucie Woods overseeing the kitchen, diners can tuck into the likes of karaage-topped waffles, lobster rolls, spicy barbecue beer-can chicken, crab omelettes and roasted lamb shoulder, along with sides of haloumi chips and spicy fried school prawns with burnt lemon aioli. Decor-wise, the space takes inspiration from its surroundings, bringing the outside in where it can. There's natural light and greenery aplenty, with a colour palette to match. And, Isles Lane will spread the fun outdoors as well as part of its lineup of yet-to-be-revealed events. Find Isles Lane at shop 10A, 300 Queen Street, Brisbane. Head to the venue's website and Facebook page for further information.
Forget socks and jocks this holiday season. This year it's all about experiences. So why not give the gift of local travel and send your friends and family on an enviable journey that sets them up for a stellar 2022? Plus, you'll be helping Australia's tourism industry get back on its feet. It's a win-win. If you know someone who's itching to reunite with big adventure travel experiences, you can stock up on multi-day hike vouchers or surprise them with a whale shark swimming adventure. In partnership with Tourism Australia, we've pulled together a list of thrilling experiences to help you pick the perfect present for the adrenaline seeker in your life.
UPDATE, Tuesday, March 11, 2025: Alliance Française French Film Festival's Brisbane 2025 season was delayed due to Tropical Cyclone Alfred; however, Palace Barracks and Palace James St are open as at Tuesday, March 11, and opening night will take place on Friday, March 14. Each autumn, Brisbane movie lovers score a super-sized French treat: a feast of flicks hitting the big screen, all thanks to the Alliance Française French Film Festival. In 2025, the fest marks its 36th year. On the lineup: 42 pictures that span the breadth and depth of Gallic filmmaking. So, when you're not enjoying the latest version of the The Count of Monte Cristo, you'll be diving into France's newest black comedies, then plunging into French drama and seeing a restored masterpiece. In the River City, the fun runs through the first month or so of autumn with the full 42-title program playing until Tuesday, April 8 at Palace Cinema James Street and Palace Cinema Barracks. Kicking off the fest: opening night's Tahar Rahim (Madame Web)-starring Monsieur Aznavour, about singer-songwriter Charles Aznavour — which has been doing big business in France, selling 1.8-million-plus tickets. From there, the highlights keep coming, right through to closing night's rom-com In the Sub for Love. The aforementioned The Count of Monte Cristo features Pierre Niney (The Book of Solutions) in the lead and takes AFFFF's centrepiece slot, while Jean-Pierre Melville's 1969 great Army of Shadows arrives in 4K Down Under after premiering its restored version at Cannes 2024. Or, catch a 50-years-later remake of Emmanuelle, this time starring Noémie Merlant (Lee) and Naomi Watts (Feud), with Audrey Diwan (Happening) directing — or see Mélanie Laurent (Freedom) and Guillaume Canet (All-Time High) portraying Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI in their final days in The Deluge. Plus, Meet the Leroys is a road-trip dramedy that marks Charlotte Gainsbourg's (Alphonse) latest film, while Prodigies delivers a tale of sibling rivalry with Emily in Paris' Camille Razat. Viewers can also look forward to The Divine Sarah Bernhardt, with Sandrine Kiberlain (Meet the Barbarians) as the eponymous actor; All Stirred Up, a comedy focusing on a customs officer on the border between Quebec and the United States, plus her daughter's attempts to win a cooking contest; and Riviera Revenge, where an affair almost four decade prior sparks a quest for vengeance in the French Riviera. Elsewhere, How to Make a Killing features regular AFFFF face and Call My Agent favourite Laure Calamy (The Origin of Evil), as does My Everything; Louis Garrel and Vincent Cassel (co-stars in the 2024 festival's The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan and The Three Musketeers: Milady) team up in Saint-Ex, about Argentinian pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupéry; When Fall Is Coming is the latest from acclaimed director François Ozon (The Crime Is Mine); and nonagenarian filmmaker Costa-Gavras (Adults in the Room) delivers the personal Before What Comes After. Or, get excited Beating Hearts, which is helmed by Gilles Lellouche (Sink or Swim), stars Adèle Exarchopoulos (Inside Out 2) and François Civil (The Three Musketeers), and played at Cannes International Film Festival 2024 — as did the music-loving My Brother's Band from The Big Hit writer/director Emmanuel Courcol. Also in the Cannes contingent are a range of movies exploring the stories of a courier facing a interview to obtain residency, plus artist Niki de Saint-Phalle, a midlife crisis, pastoral France and being a teenager amid Corsican gang politics, aka The Story of Souleymane, Niki, This Life of Mine, Holy Cow and The Kingdom.
When you woke up this morning, Thursday, February 18, your Facebook news feed probably looked a little different. Instead of news about the pandemic, restaurant openings, events and all the usual things you're used to seeing as you scroll, it was filled with memes, photos from distant family members and groups you don't even remember joining. So, what on earth is going on? Well, there's been a bit of standoff between the Australian Government and Facebook and Google, because of the Federal Government's controversial media-bargaining code, which passed through the House of Representatives on Wednesday night. In response, Facebook has banned Australian users and publishers from viewing or sharing any "news articles" on its platform. And it hasn't just banned news. Everyone from embattled Sydney art institution Carriageworks to state government-run Queensland Health, which posts daily COVID-19 updates and streams press conferences, and Melbourne Food and Wine Festival have been kicked off the social media platform. And we have, too. That means, to keep up to date with all the exciting things going on in your city, you need to track us down in other spots. Like, right here on our website, over on our Instagram pages (@concreteplayground, @concreteplaygroundmelbourne and @concreteplaygroundbrisbane), or on Twitter (@concreteplay) and by signing up to one of our newsletters. If you're in Sydney, you can sign up here: Melburnians, get your fix here: And Brisbanites, discover all the best things to do right here. You can also bookmark some of your favourite content of ours. Like the best waterfalls to swim under around Sydney, the best things to do on the weekend in Brisbane and Melbourne's best boozy bottomless brunches. Just because Facebook is boring RN, doesn't mean you have to be. Top image: Kitti Gould
A Noel Coward play, a series of Haydn string quartets, a concert by Clannad — wait, is this Melbourne Festival? It is, but it's the new-look Melbourne Festival, now in its first year under new artistic director Josephine Ridge. Ridge's goal with her first program has been to broaden the festival's appeal. While there will as always be a range of offerings on the weirder side of wonderful, from an epic dramatisation of a verbatim phone conversation (Nature Theater of Oklahoma's Life and Times), to an artist who makes playable musical instruments out of disarmed assault weapons (Pedro Reyes), the 2013 program is also aiming to draw in audiences who may normally have seen Melbourne Festival as not their thing. An expanded music program is a big part of that, bringing an eclectic range of acts from pop bands such as British India and Polyphonic Spree to a celebration of ska, a classical program put together with the help of the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s Richard Tognetti and a concert in the dark by blind artists Amadou and Mariam. This year also sees a greater focus on commissioned works, both from local artists such as Eddie Perfect and Daniel Schlusser and from big international names such as British choreographer Hofesh Shechter. Other guests of note include much-loved Indigenous singer Archie Roach, who will be playing in a grand welcome to country to kick the festival off, Hollywood legend John Landis and celebrated French ballerina Sylvie Guillem. There’s plenty for free and even if you can’t get yourself to a single film screening, gallery exhibit, concert or performance, the art will be coming to you anyway, via a series of decorative 'art trams'. Ridge has just come from nine years working on the Sydney Festival, an event which she says seems to draw more emotional engagement from its audience, compared to the intellectualised response typical of Melbourne. She’s hoping this year to bring a bit of that passion south, with a program that truly gets into Melbourne's heart. Tickets for the Melbourne Festival are on sale on Friday, 16 August. For tickets and the full program, see the festival website.
El Camino Cantina is known for its colourful interiors, cheap Tuesday tacos and giant margaritas, including across its existing southeast Queensland stores. From early September through until mid-October, its newest local outpost in Surfers Paradise is celebrating those oversized drinks with a six-week-long festival dedicated to the frozen cocktail. Head by from Friday, September 9, which is when inaugural Ritapalooza will feature 24 limited-edition margaritas, as well as food and drink specials. Skittle, Hubba Bubba and marshmallow margaritas will be on offer alongside classics like mango, strawberry and passionfruit — and Wizz Fizz, Jelly Belly, fairy floss, grape Nerd and fairy bread as well — and you can nab them as part of four-flavour and metre-long 13-flavour tasting paddles. The ten-cent Wing Wednesday tradition will be on offer, too, as well as $2 tacos on Tuesdays. El Camino is also doing 15 limited-edition wing flavours for Ritapalooza, such as satay, chimichurri, and soy and sesame. And yes, there'll be special varities of both of tacos and fajitas for you to much on as well.
Can you feel a tingling in your toes as your feet start to defrost? That's the feeling of winter slipping away, or maybe you've been sitting cross-legged for too long. Either way, with the cold weather fading into the past for another year comes the return of a warm-weather favourite: Australia's beloved Moonlight Cinema. Ahhh balmy nights on the grass, we have missed you. Heralding the arrival of the sunnier months, Moonlight Cinema is a summertime tradition that will make its usual annual comeback at the end of 2022, then roll into 2023. As it always does, it'll hit up screens in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth for a few months of movies in the open air, under the stars and soaking in another Aussie summer. Nosh-wise, Moonlight Cinema will again let you BYO movie snacks and drinks (no alcohol in Brisbane, though), but the unorganised can also enjoy a plethora of bites to eat from food trucks — perfect, messy treats made for reclining on bean beds. The overall season runs from November through to March, although it varies city by city. As for what'll be screening, expect to hear what's on the bill closer to the outdoor cinema's return for the year — before the season kicks off in Brisbane and Sydney on Thursday, November 24, obviously. And, while the 2022–23 locations haven't yet been confirmed, Brisbane's season tends to pop up in Roma Street Parkland, Sydney's in Centennial Park, Perth's in Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Adelaide's in Rymill Park and Melbourne's in the Royal Botanic Gardens. MOONLIGHT CINEMA 2022–23 DATES Brisbane: Thursday, November 24–Sunday, February 19 in Roma Street Parkland Sydney: Thursday, November 24–Sunday, March 26 in Centennial Park Perth: Friday, November 25–Sunday, March 26 in Kings Park and Botanic Garden Adelaide: Thursday, December 1–Sunday, February 19 in Rymill Park Melbourne: Thursday, December 1–Sunday, March 26 in Royal Botanic Gardens Moonlight Cinema kicks off in November 2022, running through until March 2023. For more information, visit the cinema's website — and we'll update you with program details when they're announced.
When Kirra Beach Hotel reopened in November 2023, a Gold Coast favourite made a comeback in a brand-new guise. And when the similarly named Kirra Beach House also launched in Coolangatta's Kirra Point Precinct in December the same year, the site welcomed a fresh spot to enjoy a bite and sip. Both are about dining and drinking beachside with ocean views and cruisy vibes; however, only one will let you and 19 mates hang out in a cabana on its northward terrace. Kirra Beach House is perched on the precinct's second level. Here, patrons can find a 1200-square-metre venue by SITE Hospitality's Dave Galvin (Kōst, Mozza Mozza) — and a spot that boasts a number of spaces within its one big space. There's a wine bar, two cocktail bars (one, Preston's, is for intimate soirées), indoor spots to drink, outdoor places to settle in, a seafood barbecue area, and room for events such as weddings and shindigs. The views at Kirra Beach House naturally feature the sea and sky — so, plenty of blue — from almost everywhere within its walls. Obviously, when you're out on the terrace cocktail bar, seeing the beach is a given (also expect to spy Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise's skylines). While you're soaking in the vistas, you can listen to DJs and acoustic tunes, and get comfortable in those three 20-person cabanas. Head around to the western terrace and a kitchen, bar and asado barbecue await, as well as foliage as a backdrop. The Mediterranean-skewing food menu by Kōst Executive Chef Sebbie Kenyon includes seafood platters both raw and cooked, plus steaks, burgers, flatbreads and pizzas. Patrons can enjoy kingfish ceviche in a citrus dressing, smoked ham hock croquettes, fried fish burgs with pickled zucchini, and burrata featuring yellow peach, aged balsamic and smoked salt. The tempura bug roll comes on a milk bun and is paired with smoked cocktail sauce — and those platters feature everything from the kingfish ceviche, bug tails and rock oysters to spanner crab remoulade and king prawns. As for the cocktails, they fittingly take their cues from holidays, with a Bahamas champagne piña colada and a Cancun spicy watermelon margarita among the options. Also on offer: house-made spritzes and Aussie wines.
If you're already making travel plans for next year, you might want to consider a destination close to home: New South Wales' Lord Howe Island. Located 600 kilometres off the state's northern coast, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed spot has just been named one of the best places to visit in 2020 by travel publication Lonely Planet. The only Australasian location to make the list, Lord Howe Island ranked fifth in Lonely Planet's rundown of top regions, which forms part of its Best in Travel 2020 guide. The publication heaped plenty of praise on the NSW spot, noting that the "visually stunning island makes an instant impact on the senses". It also called out Lord Howe's "soaring green mountains", "perfect lagoon", "perfect crescents of beach" and "splendid hiking trails" — as well as calling it "a shining example of sustainably managed tourism". If you haven't yet experienced Lord Howe's wonders for yourself, only 400 people are allowed to visit the island at a time — which is why its approach to tourism earned a specific mention. That means you won't have too much company when you're trekking up Mt Gower's 875-metre one-day climb, swimming among 60 species of coral and more than 500 species of fish, surfing at Blinky Beach, visiting the world's largest sea stack or sleeping in a rainforest. [caption id="attachment_747140" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Zach Sanders[/caption] On the top regions list, the Aussie spot was in great company. The Central Asia's Silk Road took first place, Le Marche in Italy nabbed second, Tohuku in Japan ranked third and Maine in the USA came in fourth. Further down the rankings, China's Guizhou Province took sixth spot, followed by Spain's Cádiz Province, Northeast Argentina, the Kvarner Gulf in Croatia and the Brazilian Amazon. Lonely Planet also compiles lists of top cities, countries and best-value places to visit; however, no Aussie or NZ spots ranked among the selections. Salzburg in Austria was named the best city, Bhutan topped the best countries and East Nusa Tenggara in Indonesia emerged victorious among the publication's best-value picks. You can check out Lonely Planet's full Best in Travel 2020 lists over here. Images: Zach Sanders.
Across the last few months of 2021, and spilling into 2022, there'll be something strange happening in Australian cinemas. This'll be the case in places where big screens have still been showing new movies over the past few months, and also in Sydney and Melbourne when they're permitted to reopen following the two cities' respective (and long, and ongoing) lockdowns. The flicks that'll be playing? Many will be films we've been hearing about for a few years now because they were meant to release in 2020, and were then pushed back a few times due to the pandemic. But, there'll be something different going on Down Under, because a heap of these already-delayed movies have just been postponed again — only for Aussie viewers. Been waiting for No Time to Die, Dune, The French Dispatch, Halloween Kills and Ghostbusters: Afterlife? You'll now be waiting a bit longer. They're just some of the movies that've delayed their Aussie releases because cinemas in our two biggest cities have been closed due to lockdowns. Instead of hitting the silver screen in places around the country that are open, then perhaps being fast-tracked to digital — as In the Heights, The Suicide Squad and a range of other titles have lately — these movies have been pushed back nationwide to wait for projectors in Sydney and Melbourne to start whirring. So, if you like your spy movies shaken, not stirred, you'll now be holding out until November 11 to see the latest Bond flick. Fancy sand worms and seeing Timothée Chalamet follow in Kyle MacLachlan's footsteps? Mark December 2 in your diary for your date with Dune. Wes Anderson's suitably star-studded latest movie, The French Dispatch, will now arrive on December 11, while Michael Myers will get slashing again in Halloween Kills on October 28 (because this horror sequel was always going to stay in October, at least). And, wondering when there really will be something strange in your neighbourhood again? That'll come with Ghostbusters: Afterlife on January 1, 2022. Venom: Let There Be Carnage will also releasing later than expected, hitting on November 25 this year — and, like all of the above movies, it'll arrive locally after it releases in the US. So, you might see your social media feeds filled with chatter about flicks that you've been looking forward to, are out overseas, but haven't yet opened in Australia. Aussies will also be waiting longer to see a few films that haven't been pushed around for a year or so — movies that've only dropped their first trailers in past months — such as Malignant (October 21), The Many Saints of Newark (November 4), Last Night in Soho (November 18), The Last Duel (November 18), Dear Evan Hansen (December 9), House of Gucci (December 26), The Matrix Resurrections (January 1) and King Richard (January 18). There's also Zola, which'll now hit on November 18 after being delayed everywhere until 2021, releasing in the US midyear, then having its Australian debut pushed back. And, some long-delayed flicks have kept postponing their releases worldwide, too, such as the Spider-Man-related Morbius, featuring Jared Leto (January 20); The King's Man, the next instalment in the Kingsman franchise; and Top Gun: Maverick (May 26), because it doesn't feel the need for speed just yet. If you're living somewhere where picture palaces have been shut for months, you're probably just keen to see whatever you can whenever you're allowed — understandably. In Sydney, that's due to happen when New South Wales reaches the 70-percent fully vaxxed mark, which is expected in mid-October. In Melbourne, no timeframe has been given for reopening cinemas just yet, or easing out of lockdown in general; however the travel radius will expand to ten kilometres and outdoor exercise will be allowed for three hours once 70 percent of Victorians have had their first jabs. Of course, moving release dates around was a regular part of movie-going life before the pandemic, too. More often than not, big blockbuster titles had been hitting Aussie cinemas at the same time as overseas, though. New films are still releasing in cinemas Down Under each week at the moment, where they're open, and will continue to do so; however, you'll just be waiting longer for some movies, including a number of big-name flicks, in some instances. To check out the new releases screening in Australian cinemas each week, check out our weekly rundown, complete with reviews. Image: Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2021 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved
As the drummer for Nirvana and the frontman for Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl doesn't have many mixed bags on his resume. The music superstar has been in the spotlight for three-plus decades now, and boasts success after success to his name, complete with a list of awards and hits bound to make almost everyone else in the industry envious. But all their lives, Grohl and his fellow Foos must've dreamt of being horror movie stars — and the result, the pandemic-shot Studio 666, shouldn't entice any of them to quit their day jobs. A haunted-house horror-comedy, this rockstar lark is gonzo, gory and extremely goofy. It's a clear bit of fun for everyone involved, and it's made with overflowing love for the genre it slips into and parodies. But it's an indulgent and stretched exercise in famous folks following their whims at times like these, too. Achievement unlocked: there's Grohl's mixed bag. Studio 666's setup revolves around Grohl, drummer Taylor Hawkins, guitarists Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear, bassist Nate Mendel and keyboardist Rami Jaffee packing their bags for a live-in recording session at an Encino mansion. As the movie's 1993-set prologue shows, their temporary new home has a dark past, after the last group that inhabited the spot met bloody ends; however, ignorance is bliss for the Foo Fighters. Actually, an obligation to deliver their tenth album to their overbearing manager (Jeff Garlin, Curb Your Enthusiasm) inspires the move, as does the band's creative lull in conjuring up the record otherwise. Grohl instantly falls for the sound of the space as well, to an unhinged degree, and his bandmates begrudgingly agree to the month-long stay to make musical magic happen. Recording an album doesn't usually spark The Evil Dead-style murderous mayhem, cursed book and all, but that's Studio 666's gambit. Its Californian abode isn't just stalked by a grisly ghoul with a love of gut-rumbling tracks — it possesses Grohl with the need to craft a killer song, length be damned, and with satanic bloodlust, cannibal cravings and prima-donna rocker behaviour. Is he monstrous about doing whatever it takes to get the tune because he's bedevilled by the house's resident evil, he's on a power trip or both? That's one of the film's big gags, and also a hefty splatter of the kind of sense of humour it's working with. Winking, nudging, satirising, and sending up fame, egos and the all-devouring nature of entertainment stardom: they're all on the movie's menu, alongside as much gleefully cheap-looking viscera as any feature can manage to splash around. Amid the deaths by cymbal, barbecued faces and projectile-vomited guts — no, what's left of the Foos at the film's end won't be getting their bond back — there's zero doubt that Grohl and company are enjoying themselves. Actors, they aren't, but playfulness has always been part of Foo Fighters' mood. When the band began in 1994, initially as a one-man project by Grohl after Kurt Cobain's suicide the same year, it was instantly perkier and sillier than Nirvana. For the 'Big Me' music video from the group's self-titled first album, they shot an unforgettable Mentos ad parody in Sydney. With the 'Learn to Fly' clip in 1999, they satirised airline flicks — Airplane!, which was already a send-up, plus disaster fare Airport 1975 and Airport '77 — aided by Tenacious D's Jack Black and Kyle Gass. Getting so delightedly bloody might be new, but refusing to take themselves seriously definitely isn't. Surrounded by Lionel Ritchie cameos and Will Forte's (MacGruber) bit-part as a delivery driver-slash-wannabe muso, all in the house where they did actually record 2021's Medicine at Midnight, the Foos are in on all of the jokes — Grohl goes overboard with his eye acting, Jaffee couldn't be more buzzed to revel in New Age-y stereotypes and Smear is gloriously flippant about sleeping on the kitchen bench — but they also overestimate how entertaining their mucking around is for audiences. The ever-longer it sticks around, the more Studio 666 resembles viewing your mates' holiday videos and hearing them relive their in-gags from that trip you didn't take with them. The Grohl-originated story, as scripted by the Pet Sematary remake and latest American The Grudge flick scribe Jeff Buhler with Rebecca Hughes, a veteran of mid-00s sitcom Cracking Up, has more to it than a mere clip for a Foo Fighters song could sustain. There isn't enough for Hatchet III and Slayer music video director BJ McDonnell's 107-minute movie, though. Splitting the difference, a tight half-hour short like the Beastie Boys' 2011 Fight for Your Right Revisited might've hit the mark perfectly, but then no one could've sold cinema tickets. Studio 666 is a tad haunted by those other alliterative American music icons given that the Beastie Boys made ridiculously parodying movie genres an art in their clips for 'Sabotage' — aka the best music video ever made — and 'Body Movin'. This Foos' effort strives for the same vibe, but more is less here. There's a bit of A Hard Days Night to Studio 666, too. Obviously, The Beatles-starring 1964 film doesn't care too much for horror, or at all, but the two movies share a days-in-a-life angle that peers beyond the facade of fame. That's a nice piece of music synergy, in fact, given that Grohl was part of a makeshift band tasked with playing the British group's songs for the Backbeat soundtrack back in 1994, the same year Foo Fighters was born. Not just due to Grohl's flannelette-heavy wardrobe, the Nirvana of it all proves a monkey wrench for Studio 666. In coming up with a story that includes a hit early-90s band's demise after the suicide of their lead singer, it's impossible not to see Grohl's bad-taste cribbing from his own history — a piece of satire that doesn't land for a second, was never going to and is mind-bogglingly ill thought-out. When the film does work, however, it's a screwy, entrails-strewn jape. When it toys with horror fans' knowledge of the genre by using Halloween-style text with an opening theme to match, then reveals the track to be the product of the iconic John Carpenter (who also cameos on-screen), it's knowing in an ideal way. But, when Jason Trost of the cult-fave The FP franchise shows up briefly, Studio 666 lays bare its own demons. This Foo-driven film wants to be the best of that exact kind of midnight movie, but is really just a cover version.
Some film festivals whisk you away to far-off countries without leaving your cinema seat, or your home. Others expand your knowledge about the state of the world and what might be to come. Screening both in-person in Melbourne and online nationally from Friday, February 18–Sunday, March 13, Australia's annual Transitions Film Festival does both. And, after more than a decade of pondering the future of the planet, changing technologies and our evolving world, this film fest is showing no signs of stopping — with more than 20 titles on its 2022 lineup. Mostly, you'll be diving into docos, but German drama Ecocide takes a different route, putting world leaders on trial in 2034 for their inaction to combat climate change in our present. Other highlights include A.rtificial I.mmortality, about a life that might extend beyond our bodies; 70/30, following a quest in Denmark to reduce greenhouse gases by 70 percent by 2030; First We Eat, where filmmaker Suzanne Crocker bans grocery shopping for a year; Mountains of Plastic, where plastic pollution still finds its way to some of the earth's most isolated regions. Or, because the list goes on, there's also a movie-length economics lesson via Hot Money; Dear Future Children, about the new generation of global protesters; Forest for the Trees, which focuses on community of 100 tree planters; and Dream On, Yearning For Change, where five people endeavour to make the world better in their own ways. Top image: Dream On, Yearning For Change.
Sometimes, getting out of your car to purchase food is just too much effort. For those occasions, humanity invented the drive-thru. It's a fast food staple, and the concept has been getting quite the workout during the pandemic — so obviously a drive-thru dedicated to lasagne and wine was bound to happen. The Lasagne Drive-Thru is the latest venture from Jerome Dalton, owner of Dalton Catering and — since last July – of CJ's Pasta as well. The latter no longer operates as a bricks-and-mortar business, instead focusing on selling pasta to restaurants and wholesalers. But for folks at home who love a bit of layered pasta with bechamel sauce, CJ's Pasta is now letting you roll up to Fortitude Valley's Prospect Street in your car each Friday, remain seated, and take home one of four different lasagnes and multiple varieties of wine. The idea first came about in response to Brisbane's most recent lockdown at the end of March, with the Lasagne Drive-Thru kicking into action while everyone was staying at home for three days. Unsurprisingly, it proved popular, so Dalton is bringing it back every Friday from now on. Brisbanites can choose from beef lasagne in 1.2-kilogram and three-kilogram servings, a three-kilogram sand crab lasagne and a three-kilogram vegetarian lasagne, all of which come with a cheesy garlic focaccia. The small-sized beef costs $50 and serves two or three people, while the larger size costs $100 for beef and vegetarian and $120 for crab, and will keep six stomachs satisfied. Salumi boxes filled with mortadella, salami, bread and pickles are also available ($50, to serve two or three people). On the wine front, prices range from $39–80, with prosecco, champagne, pinot grigio and chianti among the varieties on offer. If you're keen come Friday, you'll need to order in advance via phone, then motor on over to pick up your ready-to-eat meal and vino. You can still try your luck on the day without preordering, but you'll be getting a chilled lasagne that you'll need to heat up at home. Find the CJ's Pasta Lasagne Drive-Thru at 22 Prospect Street, Fortitude Valley every Friday from 1–6pm — or until sold out.
When you head to a bar, you aren't just there for drinks and company. The vibe couldn't be more important, and nor could getting the sense that you'd love to enjoy a similar feeling at home. We all window-shop when we're getting a few beverages — wondering if our own cocktails would taste better out of the same glasses, if our lounge room would be more relaxing with the same couches and if our dining room would be moodier with the same lighting, for instance. At Pawn & Co, you can turn that pondering into a reality. As Melburnians are no stranger to, but Brisbanites will discover on home turf in Fortitude Valley from late-August 2024, this bar makes good on being a pawn shop as well as a watering hole. Everything here is for sale. The furniture? For sale. The trinkets around the place? For sale. Obviously the drinks are for sale, too, but you won't be able to take them with you. The old Laruche digs on Ann Street will welcome Pawn & Co for its first foray outside of Victoria, with the 500-square-metre Bakery Lane space undergoing a $4-million refurbishment. As well as a bar selling everything in sight, the venue will be a perfumery, too. Yes, the scents are for sale also — and you can even create your own signature scent at masterclasses with perfumers. How do you deck out a place that slings drinks, aromas and all that falls within its walls? Co-founders Josh Lefers and Stephen Wools, plus their collaborators Steve Thomas and Alex Docherty — who also boast Ballers Clubhouse in Melbourne and Adelaide, and Melbourne's StoryVille and 29th Apartment, on their combined resumes — are going luxe. Pawn & Co Brisbane will feature an art deco-inspired piano bar among its many other inclusions, apparently with a twist. And the atmosphere? Elegant, lavish and piquing patrons' curiosity, befitting somewhere where martinis and Rolexes sit side by side on the menu. "It's about creating a space where every visit is an adventure, and every drink, curiosity and perfume tells a story," said Lefers. "By integrating a perfumery into our cocktail experience, we're bringing the worlds of retail and hospitality together in a way that's never been done before." "We had been looking in Fortitude Valley because we all felt like it was the new best late-night precinct. You can feel the energy post-pandemic growing to new strengths — and with the Olympics driving further growth, it looks to be the preeminent spot in Australia," added Docherty. "Those who are familiar with the venues predecessors, Laruche and Beehive, will be pleased to know that we have kept key elements of the prior iconic venues, such as the recognisable vaulted beehive ceiling and the iconic back bar design to pay homage to good nights passed," said Thomas. Find Pawn & Co at 680 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley from the end of August — we'll update you with an exact opening date when one is announced. Head to the venue's website for more details in the interim.
Back in March, when Australia shut down to help stop the spread of COVID-19, Eat Street Northshore was one of the many venues affected. It completely closed down, but thankfully its shuttering was only temporary — with the popular spot first hosting a drive-thru dessert festival in September and October, and now finally reopening. Come Friday, December 4, you'll be able to head to Hamilton for a bite to eat and a few beverages by the river. It'll all be socially distanced, of course, but the timing is perfect — because you now have a great way to spend the first weekend of summer (and plenty of weekends after that, naturally). When it did close down, the riverside spot announced that it'd do so indefinitely, until it had the all-clear to reopen. With Queensland slowly returning to normal — including allowing some sites such as outdoor stadiums and indoor cinemas to operate at full ticketed (and seated) capacity, and increasing both at-home gathering and venue patron limits — the powers-that-be at Eat Street are obviously now comfortable with welcoming patrons back. As it did pre-lockdown, Eat Street Northshore will run between Friday–Sunday weekly, and host an array of food and drink vendors. You'll be able to stop by between 4–10pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and from 4–9pm on Sundays. View this post on Instagram A post shared by EAT STREET NORTHSHORE (@eatstreet) Image: Eat Street Northshore.
Today marks the last day of Dark Mofo and, for those of us on the mainland, this means today is the last day our social media news feeds are bombarded with Tasmanian whimsy. Over the past few days you may have asked yourself what this congregation of lights and bearded men actually is. You may have wondered what kind of wizardry has conjured all this neon and Hogwarts-esque feasting, and how you can become a part of it. Well, we've scoured our Instagram feeds and compiled a handy outsiders' guide for you. Organisers may declare the festival a celebration of "large-scale art, food, music, light and noise," but we feel it's best summed up by the following. Here's what went down at Dark Mofo 2014: People spent their time washing ice This was probably the most confusing thing that's popped up in your feed over the past few days. In an act of — let's face it — supreme futility, Mofo-goers have been caught this year scrubbing a large tower of ice (although we guarantee they didn't keep it up for long once the photo had been uploaded). Watching this ice slowly, slowly erode into separate smaller blocks has been like a deeply unsatisfying game of Tetris played in reverse. Explanation: It's actually an artwork by Chinese artist Yin Xiuzhen. After freezing water from the Derwent River, Xiuzhen asked festival patrons to scrub the dirty water clean. It's a symbolic act that she terms an artist's solution to pollution. This radioactive bunny made its way down from Sydney Tasmania has stolen Sydney's giant neon bunny rabbit! How rude. You probably recognise this critter from your jaunts down to Vivid Sydney earlier this month. It's the kind of thing that definitely sticks in your mind (and your Instagram feed, for that matter). Because of this, Sydney-siders really can't be too jealous of its presence at Dark Mofo. But, for everyone else across the country, this is the holy grail of public art and the number one cause of jealousy. I maintain that if I got one hug from this amazing bringer of joy, at least half the problems in my life would be solved. Explanation: The bunny is the work of Tassie artist (and Sydney expat) Amanda Parer. We can neither confirm nor deny that it's radioactive, but we can say that it's maybe the greatest thing we've seen for awhile. There was a cat shooting laser beams from its eyes We can't even. This needs all of the explanations. Explanation: Disappointingly, we can't find out much about this little treasure. From the almighty power of hashtags we can deduct it has something to do with Dj Kiti playing at the festival club Faux Mo on Saturday night. We don't know how big the cat was. We don't know how strong its powers are. We don't know what it wants from us. We do however know that it's maybe the most mesmerising thing we've seen since Hypnotoad and we feel strangely compelled to obey it. If you know more, please get in touch! It's a good place to be if you like to feast From all the photos of mood-lit dining halls and opulent dinners, we can only reasonably deduct that Dumbledore and/or representatives from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry have made their way to Tasmania. Sure, there are no ghosts flying around, but the twigs cascading from the ceiling do look suspiciously like broomsticks and the feast speaks for itself. Explanation: This is more or less right. The Winter Feast is one of the hallmarks of the festival and consists of a "three-night Bacchanalian banquet of feasting and fire, drinking and celebration, music and performance". Apparently there were some problems with capacity this year, but with the amazing spread on offer it's easy to understand why. Everyone got naked for some reason It's a strange thing to wake up to as you check your phone, but this morning we were treated to the sight of hundreds of bums along a beautiful beach at sunrise. Accompanying them (on what looked like a freezing morning) were a couple of old men in beanies shooting orange smoke into the air because, hell, why not? Explanation: This nude run into the water was in fact to commemorate the winter solstice. It's an annual event at Dark Mofo that's now in its second year. And, despite the unpleasant temperature, this year saw 700 people get on board! We're going next year Confusing art, giant animals, laser beams, opulent feasts, and reckless nudity — why is it that we don't live in Hobart, again? Photo credits in order of appearance: jackjesta, melfiddles, angela__g, katesaunders002, chdaku, rosiehastie.
Perhaps, unsurprisingly for the Sunshine State, the Brisbane food scene tends to be geared towards early birds rather than night owls. Spots open after the witching hour with sit-down service and good quality nosh seem few and far between. So, we've rounded up a comprehensive list of Brisbane's flavoursome feeds to fight the post-midnight munchies, from mega burgers to Korean barbecue and even all-night breakfast faves. Whether you need comfort food or a quick caffeine refuel, the city has some gems offering both. If you find yourself scrambling for scrumptious repast after midnight, these are the places you need to round off your evening with a full belly.
It's true of every great arts festival lineup: pick three highlights from the program at random and a clear snapshot of the event's diverse array of experiences emerges. For a trio of picks from Sydney Festival's just-announced 2025 bill that does exactly that, turning the Harbour City's Town Hall into the wild west, exploring a true-crime case in an IRL courthouse, then getting Avatar, Titanic, The Terminator and Aliens filmmaker James Cameron chatting about shipwrecks all paint a clear picture. As it has done for 49 years now, this fest adores having something for everyone on offer. Just two years after Sydney Town Hall became an indoor beach complete with 26 tonnes of sand for the festival, the venue will transform into a pioneer settlement for Dark Noon, which builds its setting in real time as the audience watches on. A hit at Edinburgh Fringe, playing Australia exclusive to Sydney Festival and heading Down Under after a run in New York, the production from Danish director Tue Biering explores the power dynamics, race relations and colonial impacts inherent in its chosen chapter of history, all by subverting the wild west tropes established by cinema over the years — and with a South African cast. [caption id="attachment_977489" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Teddy Wolff[/caption] Also a standout on the full program, which'll pack Sydney with more than 130 shows and events from Saturday, January 4–Sunday, January 26, 2025: A Model Murder at the Darlinghurst Courthouse. Playwright Melanie Tait (The Appleton Ladies' Potato Race) and director Sheridan Harbridge (44 Sex Acts in One Week) aren't just recreating model Shirley Beiger's trial for shooting her cheating boyfriend — they're staging it at the same spot where it took place seven decades ago. For something completely different, one of the biggest names in blockbuster cinema is also on the Sydney Festival lineup, with James Cameron's experience in the water — including diving to earth's deepest point — the topic of conversation on the talks section of the bill. Or, still thinking about the sea, a giant whale is popping up in Bondi, courtesy of Spare Parts Puppet Theatre. The fest's 23-day run has a date with 43 different locations around town, ensuring that every corner of Sydney gets in on the action. One such location: Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, where The Thirsty Mile is returning as a hub featuring much to see by day and night. Think: free live music across 12 evenings, yoga classes, a heap of productions, public art and, for a beverage, the Moonshine Bar, where artist Telly Tuita is decking out the joint — as he's also doing with the SS John Oxley and via ten-room 'Tongpop' installation Colour Maze. Blak Out joins the favourites making a comeback, this time with Sydney Festival's Creative Artist in Residence Jake Nash curating the program. With Barangaroo Reserve as its base, this pivotal part of the fest includes Belvoir Theatre's Jacky, album launches for DOBBY and Radical Son, a woven canopy that'll host conversations, a celebration of Redfern's 70s-era National Black Theatre and more. [caption id="attachment_977492" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tashi Hall[/caption] From there, the world premiere of Siegfried & Roy: The Unauthorised Opera, Sophocles' Antigone reimagined on the edge of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil and a twist on Shakespeare via Cliff Cardinal's As You Like It or The Land Acknowledgement should get your eyes glued to the stage. Also in the same category: Back to Back Theatre's Multiple Bad Things at Sydney Opera House, Opera Australia taking on Cendrillon (Cinderella), Christie Whelan Browne exploring her childhood. First Nations drag performer Miss Ellaneous honouring a simply-the-best icon with Tina — A Tropical Love Story and Greek mythology-inspired dance piece AFTERWORLD. Elsewhere on the bill, Rufus Wainwright is heading to town, William Yang's Milestone marks his 80th birthday, Katie Noonan is paying tribute to Jeff Buckley's Grace for its 30th anniversary, Wendy Whiteley's Secret Garden is hosting five gigs, the Future Frequencies bill is all about music up and comers such as Yaya Bey and Cash Savage and The Last Drinks, Sydney Symphony Under the Stars is back and audiences can take part in interactive dance piece Cowboy. [caption id="attachment_977485" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dahlia Katz[/caption] "Sydney Festival has long held summer's cultural pulse and this year is quite the heartbeat. Stories of Oceania, destiny and what we leave behind through to bold explorations of utopia and dystopia, Sydney Festival 2025 promises an exhilarating and thought-provoking journey through the arts with exceptional talent at the reins," said Festival Director Olivia Ansell, announcing her fourth — and final — program. "This January, immerse yourself in a summer of unforgettable performances, groundbreaking new works, and exclusive experiences that reimagine the world around us." There's clearly a wealth of reasons to head along, whether you're a Sydneysider making the most of your own town or you're planning an interstate trip to kick off 2025 — and the fact that the fest is also doing $49 early-bird tickets across the entire program until early December is yet another. [caption id="attachment_977488" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ben Lindberg[/caption] [caption id="attachment_977486" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jeff Busby[/caption] [caption id="attachment_977487" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bill Cooper / Royal Opera House / ArenaPAL[/caption] Sydney Festival 2025 runs from Saturday, January 4–Sunday, January 26 at venues across the city. For further details and to buy tickets from 9am AEDT on Wednesday, October 30, visit the Sydney Festival website.
