If the Oppenheimer side of 2023's Barbenheimer phenomenon has you wanting to find out more about the atomic age, this year's Jewish International Film Festival has your next viewing option: documentary A Compassionate Spy about physicist Theodore Hall. His tale didn't make the cut in Christopher Nolan's blockbuster, but he was part of the Manhattan Project team at Los Alamos, and also passed intelligence to the Soviet Union, as Hoop Dreams' filmmaker Steve James explores in one of JIFF's must-see efforts at its latest fest. When the Jewish International Film Festival returns for 2023, it'll hit up seven cities between Monday, October 23–Wednesday, December 6, making movie-filled dates with Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Canberra, Hobart and Perth. On the just-announced full lineup is a hefty 55 Australian-premiere titles spanning both flicks and TV shows, including everything from box-office hits to new episodic efforts starring a big-name US talent. Israel's Matchmaking hits JIFF's opening night after success at home, following a Jewish Orthodox man's romantic ups and downs in a film that's been likened to Romeo and Juliet — but Haredi and a comedy. And that standout television series? Chanshi follows its namesake (Aleeza Chanowitz, Dismissed) in Brooklyn, with Barry's Australia-bound Henry Winkler as her father. Also on the 2023 program: Jack L Warner: The Last Mogul, a documentary focusing on one of Warner Bros' titular founders; The Engineer, about the manhunt for bombmaker Yahya Ayyash, as starring Emile Hirsch (Devil's Workshop); delightfully named black comedy Ducks, An Urban Legend; Tel Aviv-set rom-com Elik & Jimmy; and documentary Erica Jong – Breaking the Wall, about the Fear of Flying author. Exactly which films screen in which cities varies; however, the full bill nationwide also includes gangster comedy Hummus Full Trailer, musicals Less Than Kosher and Victory, vino-fuelled doco Holy Wine and docudrama Munich '72 on its sizeable list. On offer in Melbourne only: a retrospective of movies based on Nobel Prize-winning writer Isaac Bashevis Singer's work, such as Barbra Streisand's Yentl. And, as is JIFF's custom, the program features a large contingent of movies that examine World War II, the Holocaust and their lingering impact. Expect to find Stella Goldschlag biopic Stella. A Life; the vengeance-laden The Jew; the Ukraine-shot, Yiddish-language SHTTL; Filip, which tells a tale of romantic pleasures amid the war; Delegation, about students visiting Poland's Holocaust sites and confronting their Jewish identity; and closing night's The Jewish Nazi?, a doco with Australian ties. JEWISH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2023 DATES: Monday, October 23–Wednesday, November 29 — Lido Cinemas and Classic Cinemas, Melbourne Tuesday, October 24–Tuesday, November 28 — Ritz Cinemas and Roseville Cinemas, Sydney Thursday, November 2–Sunday, November 12 — State Cinema, Hobart Wednesday, November 15–Wednesday, November 22 — Dendy Cinemas, Canberra Thursday, November 16–Wednesday, November 22 — Dendy Cinemas Southport, Gold Coast Thursday, November 16–Sunday, November 26 — New Farm Cinemas, Brisbane Thursday, November 16–Wednesday, December 6 — Luna Palace Cinemas, Perth The Jewish International Film Festival's 2023 runs from October–December. For more information, or to buy tickets, head to the festival's website.
If you haven't heard of Das Racist, you need to stop what you're doing right now and go on YouTube. For a band that rose to fame with 'Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell', a song that I can't tell is genius or just really really annoying. One thing it is is hilarious, so we're lucky Das Racist are in the country so we can laugh along with them as they laugh at us with their witty cultural references and weed edge/hare krishna hard core/art rap/freak folk music. It is easy to dismiss Das Racist as joke rap, but this trio from Brooklyn are actually legit. Their name comes from a popular internet meme (“That's racist!” - a little boy in the corner of a questionable photograph), just as I suspected. Their rap style has gained momentum since the group's inception in 2008, with Rolling Stone naming their album Relax one of the best of 2011. As well as being talented music artists, they are all creative in other areas, hosting radio shows, comedy gigs, competing in cartoon-offs and writing retorts to nay-sayers. It's easy to just scratch the surface and look at Das Racist's songs as being hip hop fodder, but they are actually incredibly insightful and perceptive, making Das Racist the band not to miss when they hit our shores, both for the Big Day Out and their sideshows.
When the temperature gets extra sticky and you're sweating up a storm, just remember that your dog, cat, rabbit, bird, guinea pig or other pet critter is feeling it too. Only it's not quite as easy for your furry little friend to simply swing past the local pool or embrace the icy blast of the shopping centre. Thankfully, the experts at the RSPCA have shared a bunch of things you can do to help your pet beat the heat and stay happy on a scorching day. Most importantly, you should make sure animals have access to shaded areas where they can escape the worst of the sun's bite, as well as to plenty of fresh water. It's a good idea to fill up a couple of extra water bowls — and you can even add some ice as long as your pet seems happy with the change of water temperature. A cheeky pet-friendly ice block made from pet food frozen into a container of water also works as a thirst-quenching treat. Do you share your life with a pet of the smaller variety? You can pop a towel-wrapped ice brick inside your guinea pig or rabbit hutch. And, if you have a feathered pet, it'll appreciate a bird bath to splash around in. With four-legged mates, bring them indoors to enjoy some shelter or air-conditioning where possible. Whether you're in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, what better excuse for a doggy date at your local dog-friendly cafe, pub, beer garden or favourite laidback front bar? For Melburnians, your bud might also enjoy a tour of Chapel Street's many dog-friendly shops and eateries. As far as walkies are concerned, it's crucially important to avoid exercise during extreme weather or in the middle part of the day, so that pets can steer clear of heat stress and burnt paws. Instead, head out for your stroll or to a dog park either early in the morning or later in the day when temperatures are cooler. Taking your pupper to a dog-friendly beach or other swimming spot means that they can get two forms of exercise: walking and swimming. Sydney has plenty of parks and beaches to visit, while in Melbourne you can opt for parks, beaches or other watering holes around Victoria. Also — although we're sure that responsible pet owners already know this — never, ever leave your pet unattended in a locked car. That warning still applies even if you leave the windows down or you're parked in the shade. For further information about caring for your pets in the heat and avoiding heat stress, visit the RSPCA website.
First performed back in 1945, Benjamin Britten's Peter Grimes tells a tale of a fisherman, an English coastal village and a missing appearance. That storyline mightn't sound like something to sing about; however the acclaimed opera has been proving that notion wrong for more than 70 years. Considered one of the defining British operas of the 20th century, it's coming to Brisbane Festival on September 20 and 22, with Grammy-nominated Australian heldentenor Stuart Skelton making the trip back for what's shaping as a rousing, resounding staging. Coming to QPAC's Concert Hall, the production will also 18 soloists, the Opera Queensland Chorus and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.
Melbourne pizza institutions and sister bars Lucky Coq and Bimbo Deluxe are headed up the coast to bring Brisbane a very special treat — in the form of their $4 pizzas. Starting Wednesday, August 9, The Fox Hotel will be slinging these cheap eats every single day. The Fox's current menu has undergone a shake down, with seventeen new pizzas from the south now featured. Signatures from the Melbourne shops include the Agnello (spicy lamb mince, pine nuts, sultanas and rocket) and the Poncho (tomatoes, beans, jalapeños, sour cream and corn chips). The price hasn't changed the quality, either. These four buck chucks are made fresh daily using locally milled Mauri flour and house-made Napoli sauce, then topped with Casalingo smallgoods and produce sourced from nearby market gardens. The entire pizza menu will be available for the $4 deal during the following times — Monday through Saturday from 12pm–2pm; Monday through Thursday from 6pm–8pm; and Sunday from 11am–9pm.
When it starred Lindsay Lohan (Falling for Christmas) making her film debut in dual roles in the late 90s, and when Hayley Mills (The Wheel of Time) was doing double duty back in the 60s as well, The Parent Trap told of identical twins who were separated at birth when their mother and father divorced. Each parent gained custody of a baby, then raised the child separately. Never did the sisters cross paths until a summer camp years later, where they realised their connection, then hatched a plan to reunite their family by posing as each other back home. The tale springs from the page, with German novel Lisa and Lottie also inspiring adaptations in its homeland, Japan, the UK, India and Iran. The Olsen twins' It Takes Two owes it a debt, too. But there's never been a version of this story like Josh Sharp (Search Party) and Aaron Jackson's (Broad City) iteration, as first seen onstage in Fucking Identical Twins and now in cinemas as Dicks: The Musical. So absurdly its own ridiculous, raucous, irreverent and raunchy thing, calling Dicks: The Musical exuberantly unhinged — or anything, really — doesn't do it justice. Before this A24 release brought its sibling antics to the big screen with singing, dancing, Megan Mullally (Party Down) and Nathan Lane (Beau Is Afraid) as its long-split parents, Borat and Brüno director Larry Charles behind the camera, Brisbane-born Saturday Night Live star Bowen Yang as drama-loving gay God and Megan Thee Stallion busting out a mid-movie tune, Fucking Identical Twins was a two-man production that premiered in 2014 to must-see success. Created at Upright Citizens Brigade, which was co-founded by Amy Poehler (Moxie), the then half-an-hour affair first filled a basement and now rises to share its delirium with the film-watching world. Leading the way in every guise: Sharp and Jackson, who definitely aren't twins let alone brothers, don't look a thing alike, yet know how to take audiences on a helluva wild ride. Sharp's Craig and Jackson's Trevor do have plenty in common in Dicks: The Musical's narrative, however, with both slick salesman slinging Vroomba vacuum parts who could slide into American Psycho, dripping with toxic alpha-male pride, bragging about their heterosexual prowess and, despite their professional successes and ample posturing, plagued by loneliness. As the feature kicks into gear, they're also new colleagues after their respective offices merge, which they're not initially happy about. Then the instant jostling to be seen as the company's top seller gives way to recognition when they glean that they're actually identical twins. Both yearning for the childhood with two parents and a brother that they missed, they plot to bring their mother Evelyn (Mullally) and father Harris (Lane) back together. But when Craig poses as Trevor, he doesn't know that their dad is obsessed with two creatures that he calls Sewer Boys, and has also recently come out. And when Trevor pretends to be Craig, he no idea that their mum doesn't leave the house or has a lusty penchant for inanimate objects. From the moment that Dicks: The Musical begins with a title card explaining that its two gay writers and stars are playing straight men in the movie, and also espousing their bravery for doing to, there's no room for mistaking Sharp and Jackson's film for anything but a gleefully OTT satire. Subtlety has no room when the first image that the feature shows is the faces of its orgasming protagonists. Nuance has no place when the picture's initial musical number is about having massive penises, as well as separate mansions for sex and masturbation, either. While writing both Fucking Identical Twins and Dicks: The Musical, if Sharp and Jackson — plus composers Karl Saint Lucy (returning from the stage) and Marius de Vries (Navalny) — were trying to one-up each scene, tune and joke with the next, it wouldn't come as a shock. Before the flick is out, there'll be genitals kept in a handbag, other than when they're flying, for instance. And those diaper-wearing mutants from below that even the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would run from? Resembling demonic gremlins, with one voiced by SpongeBob SquarePants' Tom Kenny (so, yes, SpongeBob himself), they're fed regurgitated food from Harris like baby birds. Performative masculinity might be the obvious target, and a worthy one, but barbs are clearly and eagerly fired in other directions. Dicks: The Musical's own distributor isn't safe. Neither is queer culture, the film's second main subject for parody; "Lube is the word," one of the feature's gag posters for faux Broadway shows states (My Queer Lady and The Gay Odd Couple are others) in what might be the movie's tamest joke. There's a throw-it-all-in vibe to Dicks: The Musical, then, where that one-upping quest frequently seems as if it's driving the flick above all else. Dicks: The Musical only spans 86 minutes, but even viewers unfamiliar with Fucking Identical Twins will be able to spot how well the material would've worked at a third of that length — and, as a result, how forceful much of the movie can be, and not just because that's exactly what Sharp, Jackson and their cast are giving in every single moment. That said, when a comedy turns its outrageousness up to 111, it needs one thing first and foremost: committed players. Dicks: The Musical's actors don't even dream of holding back and couldn't have if they wanted to — that version wouldn't have made it to fruition. There was no chance of Sharp and Jackson not investing their all in their film debut, of course, or in bringing their creation to cinemas, just as they've done with the script's constant array of off-kilter and iconoclastic gags. Megan Thee Stallion not only steals her office-bound scenes, but also ensures that her tune 'Out Alpha the Alpha' is the highlight of the musical numbers. Yang is perfection. Lane and Mullally expectedly prove genius casting moves, because who else would anyone want to sing about critters from the deep drinking blood for fun and winking nipples — and with feeling? Surreal, silly, aiming for scandalous, always throwing another provocative surprise the audience's way, emphasising loving people (and Sewer Boys) for who they are above all else: that's the Dicks: The Musical approach. Still, it's apt that Charles energetically splashes an artificial look across the screen. Making the bit seem genuine might be the tactic with most of his Sacha Baron Cohen-led fare (not The Dictator), and while helming episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm, but it would've seen this film plummet down a grate. Accordingly, with its blatant sets and puppetry, at no point does Dicks: The Musical try to hide that this is a spoof world. There's a fabricated air overall, though; even when you're laughing, it's impossible not to spy the effort being expended like twins endeavouring to make a ploy a reality, this time on courting cult status.
It's been almost five years since Parks and Recreation wrapped up its seven-season run and, if you're a fan, you've probably rewatched it countless times since. Given how simultaneously hilarious and heartwarming the sitcom is — and given the stacked cast that includes Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Aziz Ansari, Rashida Jones, Retta, Rob Lowe and Adam Scott — that's perfectly healthy and acceptable behaviour. But now, you might want to press pause on your constant Parks and Rec marathon to check out Poehler and Offerman's latest project. Called Making It, premiering in the US in 2018 but only arriving on Australian screens via Foxtel, the pair's new show sees them step into the competitive reality TV show realm. That domain isn't for everyone; however even if you usually completely abhor the genre, its manufactured dramas and its saturation across the small screen, you'll be smiling heartily at Poehler and Offerman's kind-hearted, extremely likeable and all-round nice show. Focusing on DIY crafting, and celebrating both great craftsmanship and genuine camaraderie, it's basically Project Runway — but hosted by Leslie Knope and Ron Swanson. With Poehler and Offerman leading the charge, it's good-natured, filled with crafting puns and other gags, and showcases folks trying to do their best, helping each other and enjoying themselves. When there's a stereotypical moment of heightened tension, it's because Making It is overtly making fun of reality TV's usual theatrics. When you're not watching Poehler and Offerman hang out in a tiny house — yes, really — you'll be soaking in the talents of contestants who happen to be handy with a glue gun, great at woodworking, skilled at working with felt and other such crafty endeavours. The competitors complete two tasks per episode, with one person sent home at the end of each episode. The last person standing at the end of the season is crowned the show's 'Master Maker' and wins $100,000. Making It has aired both a six-episode first season and an eight-episode second season in the US — and, while it took some time for the show's first season to make it to Aussie viewers, this is a case of better late than never. Expect the show's contestants whip up everything from handmade forts and Halloween costumes to light fixtures and cake toppers (and that's just in the first six shows). While Poehler and Offerman do the hosting — and do it well, naturally — the judging falls to Etsy trend expert Dayna Isom Johnson and window-dresser and fashion commentator Simon Doonan. Check out a clip of the show, featuring one of its regular features — a pun-off between Poehler and Offerman — below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-5ljLQN3o8&t=28s Making It screens on Foxtel's Lifestyle channel, and is available to stream via Foxtel Now and Binge. Updated June 21, 2020.
If ever there was a dance party you could take your folks to, it's Hot Dub Time Machine. While they'll get their dose of Bill Haley and the Comets, you'll get your Swifty. Over the course of one long set, Sydney DJ Tom Loud spins, mixes and mashes his way through the story of dance music — since 1954. The catch is that the entire operation is 'powered' by energy generated by the crowd. Whether you're dancing, singing, talking or yelling, you'll be helping to keep the action rolling. But if, at any point, the people's contribution drops to a level lower than that of a "fully sick party", the Hot Dub Time Machine will come to a grinding halt, meaning you'll be stuck in time — repeatedly listening to "when-ever" you've landed. First performed at the Sydney Fringe Festival 2011, Hot Dub Time Machine has since been a hit at festivals and clubs in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. He's made several appearances at Sydney Festival, Splendour in the Grass, Falls Festival and St Kilda Festival, then smashed the final set at Secret Garden Festival this year. You'd better come ready to throw shapes, because this ain't no stand-still gig.
It has been a tumultuous fortnight for Queensland cinephiles, with reports suggesting the Brisbane International Film Festival would go on hiatus in 2014 and possibly for longer. The news was swiftly followed by denials from Screen Queensland, BIFF’s organising body, and then supported by an official announcement about the festival’s future. New Screen Queensland CEO Tracey Vieira advised that the organisation and ownership of the festival will move to the Brisbane City Council-funded entity Brisbane Marketing, and confirmed that festivals will occur in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Speculation regarding BIFF’s demise had mounted for various reasons, including the lack of communication from the event since the 2013 festival. In January, former BIFF director and acting Screen Queensland CEO Jennie Hughes departed the organisation after just one festival. Dates for BIFF 2014 have not yet been announced, nor has the festival called for film submissions. BIFF faces the prospect of appointing its fourth director since 2010, while also returning to its roots. Anne Demy-Geroe presided over the festival for its first 18 iterations, building an event known for its focus on Asian cinema — an area Brisbane Marketing has stated that they would like to see return to prominence, linking in with the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Former MIFF director Richard Moore took over for the 2010, 2011 and 2012 festivals, reshaping BIFF as an event that catered for all tastes, complete with a strong genre focus and screenings at dive-in and drive-in venues. Moore was replaced by Hughes at the beginning of 2013.
This is a rare opportunity to see masters of their arts in a dual exhibition of beautiful creations. The exhibition by Anne Ooms and Catriona Stanton entitled Echo is a collaboration of Ooms’ drawing and Stanton’s sculpture. The two work together much like in conversation, each feeding and enabling the other. The result is a multi-dimensional installation, portraying their dual influence as well as external stimuli such as their greater cultural surroundings. Julie-Anne Milinski joins the pair with her exhibition, Geniculum; the Latin word meaning “a knot in a plant”. It is the exploration and admiration of botany and the opposing forces that are found in their natural forms. From masculine and feminine energies, to the organic and man-made beauties that surround us, to the individual and factory productions that are both so vital to our way of life, as irreplaceable as the trees and flowers. Join the artists and admirers on November 8th from 6pm, for the dual opening of these exhibitions. You can see the works until the November 16th.
Much has happened in the world of Marvel over the past year or so. Black Panther started 2018 on a high, Spider-Man returned to its animated roots, Captain Marvel is currently rampaging across the big screen (and the box office), and the man who started it all, Stan Lee, sadly passed away. Oh, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe completely changed the game with the snap of a few fingers. We know that you know what we're talking about — Avengers: Infinity War sat atop the box office Down Under for 2018. Of course, ever since the third Avengers movie hit screens, excitement for its follow-up has been feverish to say the least. Now, after a brief teaser for Avengers: Endgame was revealed last year, Marvel has finally dropped a full sneak peek at what's shaping up to be the biggest movie in MCU history (and probably of 2019 as well). Once again, it all starts with a despondent Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). He says it feels like a thousand years since he first strapped on the Iron Man suit, but it's only been 11 for viewers. From there, expect a glimpse of the remaining gang, complete with new matching outfits, and with Hawkeye, Ant-Man and Captain Marvel joining the team for one mighty big showdown with Thanos. Expect a few flashbacks to better MCU times as well, plus a reminder of just why Infinity War was so heartbreaking — and what's at stake this time around. Check out the trailer below — and if you're counting down the days counting down the days until the film hits, there are just 40 sleeps left. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcMBFSGVi1c And if you can't get enough Endgame action, here's the original trailer as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA6hldpSTF8 Avengers: Endgame releases in Australian cinemas on April 24.
The man behind some of Britain's best sitcoms is coming to Australia to share his expertise with the country's aspiring comedy writers. Best known for writing and co-creating Black Books, The IT Crowd, Father Ted and Big Train, Graham Linehan is heading to our shores to debut his one-day workshop Insights Into The Art Of TV Comedy Writing. In a world first, the six-hour sessions will give eager funny folk the chance to learn from the five-time BAFTA winner, with two classes taking place on June 17 and 18 at Melbourne's Wheeler Centre, and a further two being held on June 23 and 24 at Sydney's Darlinghurst Theatre. Tickets range from $99 to $219, including both morning and afternoon tea, with limited spots available. Attendees will learn more than simply turning computers off and on again — or the fact that some ovens can cook anything. According to Lineham, figuring out comedy "is something I've been trying to do for the last twenty five years and I'm hoping that I've gained enough insights into my own process that I won't actually mess yours up too much." Graham Linehan's Insights Into The Art Of TV Comedy Writing takes place on June 17 and 18 at Melbourne's Wheeler Centre, and June 23 and 24 at Sydney's Darlinghurst Theatre. Early bird ticket sales commence at midday on April 16, with general public sales kicking off at 1pm on April 17. Visit the Frontier Comedy website for further information.
Plenty changes over the course of ten years. If you're living in a post-apocalyptic world populated by zombies, however, that mightn't necessarily be the case. Arriving a decade after the first film, Zombieland: Double Tap returns to the decimated America inhabited by Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), with the quartet still trying to survive among the ravenous undead — and getting comfortable in a desolated White House in the process. It's a case of same main cast, same director (Ruben Fleischer, who also helmed last year's Venom) and same basic premise for the long-awaited sequel. In the just-released first trailer for the film, the gang have also picked up a few new skills, and then cross paths with a few new survivors. But, story-wise, the follow-up is saving the bulk of its surprises for the full flick, which hits cinemas this October. Among the newcomers, Rosario Dawson plays Nevada, Zoey Deutch (Set It Up) pops up as Madison and Avan Jogia (Now Apocalypse) joins as Berkeley, while Luke Wilson and Thomas Middleditch (Silicon Valley) show up as virtual doppelgangers for Tallahassee and Columbus. If you're after more excitement, both monster trucks and combine harvesters feature as weapons, Harrelson dons an Elvis costume and a Santa suit, and fireworks prove a great way to distract zombies. Watch the first trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlW9yhUKlkQ Zombieland: Double Tap releases in Australian cinemas on October 17.
The last time that Joaquin Phoenix appeared in cinemas, he played an overlooked and unheard man. "You don't listen, do you?" Arthur Fleck asked his social worker, and the entirety of Joker — and of Phoenix's magnetic Oscar-winning performance as the Batman foe in the 2019 film, too — provided the obvious answer. Returning to the big screen in a feature that couldn't be more different to his last, Phoenix now plays a professional listener. A radio journalist and podcaster who'd slide in seamlessly alongside Ira Glass on America's NPR, Johnny's niche is chatting with children. Travelling around the country from his New York base, C'mon C'mon's protagonist seeks thoughts about life, hopes, dreams, the future and the world in general, but never in a Kids Say the Darndest Things-type fashion. As Phoenix's sensitive, pensive gaze conveys under the tender guidance of Beginners and 20th Century Women filmmaker Mike Mills, Johnny truly and gratefully hears what his young interviewees utter. Phoenix is all gentle care, quiet understanding and rippling melancholy as Johnny. All naturalism and attentiveness as well, he's also firmly at his best, no matter what's inscribed on his Academy Award. Here, Phoenix is as phenomenal as he was in his career highlight to-date, aka the exceptional You Were Never Really Here, in a part that again has his character pushed out of his comfort zone by a child. C'mon C'mon's Johnny spends his days talking with kids, but that doesn't mean he's equipped to look after his nine-year-old nephew Jesse (Woody Norman, The War of the Worlds) in Los Angeles when his sister Viv (Gaby Hoffmann, Transparent) needs to assist her husband Paul (Scoot McNairy, A Quiet Place Part II) with his mental health. Johnny and Viv haven't spoken since their mother died a year earlier, and Johnny has previously overstepped when it comes to Paul — with the siblings' relationship so precarious that he barely knows Jesse — but volunteering to help is his immediate reflex. As captured in soft, luxe, nostalgic shades of greyscale by always-remarkable cinematographer Robbie Ryan (see also: I, Daniel Blake, American Honey, The Favourite and Marriage Story), Johnny takes to his time with Jesse as any uncle suddenly thrust into a 24/7 caregiving role that doesn't exactly come naturally would. Jesse also reacts as expected, handling the situation as any bright and curious kid whose world swiftly changes, and who finds himself with a new and different role model, is going to. But C'mon C'mon is extraordinary not because its instantly familiar narrative sees Johnny and Jesse learn life lessons from each other, and their bond grow stronger the longer they spend in each other's company — but because this tremendously moving movie repeatedly surprises with its depth, insights, and lively sparks of both adult and childhood life. It's styled to look like a memory, and appreciates how desperately parents and guardians want to create such happy recollections for kids, but C'mon C'mon feels unshakeably lived-in rather than wistful. It doesn't pine for times gone by; instead, the film recognises the moments that linger in the now. It spies how the collection of ordinary, everyday experiences that Johnny and Jesse cycle through all add up to something that's equally commonplace, universally relatable and special, too. Conveying that sentiment, but never by being sentimental, has long been one of Mills' great powers as a filmmaker. He makes pictures so alive with real emotion that they clearly belong to someone, and yet also resonate with everyone all at once. With C'mon C'mon, the writer/director draws upon his own time as a parent, after taking inspiration from his relationship with his father in Beginners, and from his connection to his mother and his own upbringing in 20th Century Women. The conversations that the rumpled Johnny and precocious Jesse exchange might be exactly the kind that adults and children always have — the earnest talks that Johnny has with his interview subjects as well, which help place the movie's musings in a broader context — but that doesn't make them any less perceptive and memorable. The key to the film is the key to its central duo's blossoming bond, to Johnny's rapport with the kids on his podcast, and to everything that Phoenix as Arthur Fleck wanted and demanded: genuinely listening. C'mon C'mon builds wonderfully detailed and intricate character studies by doing just that with Johnny and Jesse — and, albeit in less screentime, with Viv. Trips around the US play like big adventures, including when Jesse keeps wanting to explore NY and laps up a New Orleans street parade, but the contents of late-night phone calls, the newly single Johnny's diary-like recorded dispatches about his days, Viv's maternal routine and Jesse's favourite play-acting game — where he pretends he's an orphan — frequently feel just as immense. As C'mon C'mon observes and unfurls these textured slices of life, it also takes the act of listening as seriously as Johnny does. Mills has directed a gorgeous-looking film, any frame of which would make a postcard-perfect memory — its closeups are revelatory, its wide shots that place its characters in their surroundings while surveying the minutiae around them are transcendent — but his soundscape does just as much essential work. Viewers hear the hustle and bustle, the noise of the street, the silence that lingers indoors and the clattering chaos one small boy can incite. Jesse hears it, too, and soon becomes enamoured with listening through his uncle's headphones as Johnny records on-the-ground material for his podcast. The National's Bryce and Aaron Dessner also layer in a melodic and dreamy score that both sets and suits the reflective and warm-hearted mood, while the soundtrack's jumps between genres — opera, Lou Reed and Lee Scratch Perry included — are dynamic. For all of Mills' outstanding choices with C'mon C'mon, a feature filled with them, the care and love he gives his characters and ushers out of his actors is his biggest feat. Phoenix's endlessly impressive work as a man both exhausted and rewarded by pseudo-parenthood is matched by Norman, who turns in a spontaneous and instinctive performance, and by the ever-reliable Hoffman as a woman constantly striving for her own space beyond her roles as a mother, partner and sister. Indeed, watching them together, and seeing their reactions and responses while talking to each other via phone, is as crucial as hearing every word spoken. Yes, C'mon C'mon listens devotedly, but it's just as committed to simply being in these characters' presence, soaking in all that comes with it, and finding the aching and affecting truth in every second.
Bingo. Rave. Two ends of the spectrum of fine holiday fun finally came together in Australia a couple of years back. If haven't made it along yet, Bongo's Bingo is a games night like you've never seen before. Part club, part rave, and, of course, part bingo night, this unlikely fusion event has been wildly popular in the UK since 2015. It's hardly surprising that taking the show on the road — that is, launching Bongo's Bingo Australia — went well. And now, it's hardly surprising that is's coming back for yet another round either. Patrons can expect all of the debauchery of the original British version of Bongo's Bingo, including rave intervals, dancing on tables and a loose kind of bingo that you definitely never played with your nan (well, maybe you have). The victorious players can win everything from big cash prizes to a Hills Hoist, with a range of some absolutely ridiculous surprises on offer. Bongo's Bingo heads back to The Tivoli on Saturday, September 28.
You may have heard that, this week, two Australian restaurants won some fierce kudos on the international stage, being named in the World's 50 Best Restaurants of 2017 list. Ben Shewry's Attica was placed at number 32 (as was predicted), but Dan Hunter's regional Victorian restaurant Brae pleasantly surprised everyone, moving up 19 spots to crack the top 50 at position 44. Following his win, Hunter has announced that he'll embark on an Australia-wide tour this May to promote his upcoming cookbook, Brae: Recipes and Stories from the Restaurant. The 256-page book, which was announced before his placing in the World's 50 Best and will no doubt be all the more in demand now, will illuminate some of the Birregurra restaurant's most famed recipes — think the burnt pretzel with treacle and pork. He'll be hitting up Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide to host events with some of Australia's best chefs to chat about his journey from small-time chef to world-famous restaurateur. At Melbourne's Cutler & Co, Brisbane's Urbane and the Penfolds Magill Estate Restaurant in Adelaide they'll be serving high-end snacks with matched drinks. But in Sydney, Hunter and Quay's Peter Gilmore are pushing the boat out with a five-course meal event and matched drinks for $450. Brae: Recipes and Stories from the Restaurant ($75) is published by Phaidon and out on May 1. The A Taste of Brae events will coincide with the release date — you can book here. Image: Colin Page.
No one could ever accuse the Queen Street Mall of being quiet. Whether it's filled with hoards of people on any day of the week, live performances or fashion events, our little slice of retail heaven has come into its own. With a revamp in the past year, there's no surprise that people have come flocking to see all that it has to offer, and choosing it as an entertainment destination. Throughout January, there have been a number of performances, both in broad daylight and under the veil of night. One such performance that shouldn't be hidden are the Human Body Parts street performers that have been gallivanting around the mall. If you thought you saw an enormous mouth or foot in your peripheral vision on your way to lunch, you weren't seeing things – it's all part of the act. Who says that novelty-sized anatomy lessons were just for kids? The giant hand, mouth, foot, ear and eye are in the mall for a reason, even if it's so you can upload the photo to Facebook. Why not have some fun and take advantage of this fun-loving activity while you can? Your lunch breaks won't be the same after they leave!
Heading to one of the many markets around Brisbane is a weekend tradition, especially for those keen to stock up on fresh, tasty treats for the week ahead. For residents of the inner west, it's now something they can do closer to home, courtesy of the brand new Red Hill Farmers Markets. Every Sunday morning from May 31, Ithaca Tafe will turn into market central, foodie heaven and all things in between. Featuring produce supplied by farmers and sourced locally, with a strong focus on all things spray-free, this is where everyone serious about their meals is going to want to be. For culinary wizards, gourmet goodies including deli lines, fresh seafood and premium meats are the drawcard, though those fonder of eating than cooking will find plenty to devour on the spot. Those more interested in the non-edible things in life can survey the arts and crafts stalls, or browse for fashion, jewellery and gifts. Shopping is only part of the fun, of course, with live music and other activities also on offer. It's a dog-friendly event, too, so you can take your pet pooch along. This is the fourth venue run by Mark Power, a veteran of the farmers markets game. Regulars at Carseldine, Nundah and Kuraby know just the kind of goodness they're in for. Everyone else: prepare for an artisanal explosion. From May 31, find the Red Hill Farmers Markets at Ithaca Tafe, Fulcher Road, Red Hill, every Sunday from 6am until 12noon. Visit their website for more information. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
2011 has been an epic year by all counts, and now is the time to relive the best times with the best company. If you're already busy on New Years, or you just can't wait the extra 8 days til 2012, then why not Knock Off 2011 with the Funkoars and special hip hop guests? The Funkoars have been purveyors of Aussie hip hop for quite a while now, and unlike some of their counterparts, they aren't constantly touring, but rather crafting their releases and focussing on producing quality music. Their most recent album, The Quickening, was an ARIA chart topper, and they have been keen to tour it since its release earlier this year. They are also part of the Adelaide Certified Wise crew, and share a bond with heavyweights Hilltop Hoods, performing on each other's tracks and collaborating at a number of events. The Knock Off 2011 show will of course be headlined by the explosive stylings of the aforementioned Funkoars, but they'll also share the stage with Lazy Grey, DJ Flagrant, Crate Creeps and Pure Product, who are all sure to make this party one not to miss. Even if you're not a hip hop head, there'll be no denying the palpable energy there'll be in the Hi-Fi this Friday.
It's been 12 years since Inception melted our brains with dreams within dreams within dreams — and El Camino Cantina might've just come up with the margarita equivalent. Already known for its wild marg flavours, and for turning other beloved foodstuffs into frosty 'ritas, it's now swirling its latest batch of varieties together. So you might be sipping an ice block within a margarita within a swirled cocktail, for instance. First, the flavours. Calippos and pine lime splices aren't just for eating now, with El Camino's calypso crush and pine lime Splice varieties interpreting the beloved icy treats. Or, there's also mango strawberry, watermelon mint, and both lychee colada and lychee lagoon. Yes, lychees feature in a big way. Available from Tuesday, February 1–Monday, February 28, this whole margarita special is called Summer of Swirls, and costs $20 for a 15-oz glass, $24 for the 20-oz size and $35 for a tasting paddle of four 220-millilitre glasses. In Brisbane, you'll find them quenching your summer thirst at El Camino in Bowen Hills, South Bank and Chermside in Brisbane; Robina on the Gold Coast; and Sunshine Plaza on the Sunshine Coast.
It has been a busy couple of years for Salt Meats Cheese, and for pizza- and pasta-loving Brisbanites as well. Since early 2017, the Sydney chain has launched a Brisbane food truck, opened its first Brissie store and then added a second bricks-and-mortar location in West End. Now, it's getting ready to sling its signature Italian food at its third local eatery. By the end of March, South Bank will join Newstead and West End among SMC's Brissie digs — and if the chain opening up another restaurant sounds familiar, that's because new Woolloongabba spot is also in the works. But, the new store at Mantra Hotel on Grey Street will launch first. Taking over the ground floor space formerly inhabited by Stone, the 100-seat restaurant will serve up SMC's usual menu. That means slices aplenty, SMC's decadent pasta dishes, and a booze selection that'll also include local and imported wines and liquors that you won't be able to get anywhere else. The bar will also offer antipasti platters and a new range of bespoke cocktails made just for the venue. Open to the general public, as well as Mantra guests, the eatery will also boast a greenery-filled al fresco dining area — which'll fit in nicely with South Bank's general outdoor vibe. And if you were looking for an extra incentive for your next staycation, SMC will also be doing 24-hour service for those bunking down in the hotel. Everyone else can drop by for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Salt Meats Cheese South Bank is slated to open at 161 Grey Street, South Brisbane by the end of March. We'll keep you updated regarding an exact opening date.
You've met Fritzenberger's loaded frites, which come decked out with candied bacon, Fritzensauce and Twisties salt. Now, see what happens when the Brisbane burger bar and brewpub works its Twisties obsession in between two buns, for the limited edition Twisties Salt Fritzen Burger. Gracing the dine-in menu from today, this cheesy creation sees one of Fritzenberger's classic grass-fed beef patties doused in Twisties salt, then sandwiched with lettuce, tomato, onion, American mustard and the house sauce, into a soft milk bun. And, to help wash it down, Fritzenberger has relaunched its most summery beer to date, with the summery passionfruit kölsch making its return to the drinks list. This easy-drinking drop has a massive 30 litres of passionfruit pulp in each brew, which equates to a whole passionfruit in each schooner of beer. We're guessing that'll do a pretty good job of cutting through the Twisties salt. Both the Twisties Salt Fritzen Burger and the Passionfruit Kölsch will be available for dine-in customers only, from today, November 4. Find it at 52 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane.
If you like your pasta round and made from potatoes, then you're going to like Brisbane's latest cuisine-specific eatery. No, it's not an Italian joint. Not, it isn't dedicated to doughy noodles in all shapes and sizes. Instead, Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers is Australia's first dedicated gnoccheria. If that name sounds familiar, that's because you've likely come across Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers' busy stall everywhere from the Jan Powers Farmers Market in the CBD and Eat Street at Hamilton to the brand new Mount Gravatt Marketta or Night Quarter on the Gold Coast. They've now made the leap so many market-based Brissie businesses have in recent years by opening their own bricks-and-mortar establishment, and are serving their fresh, house-made potato parcels from Paddington's Given Terrace. What none of their predecessors offer, of course, is an impressive array of gnocchi in varieties such as pumpkin and ricotta, and with sauces including slow-cooked bolognese, wild mushroom and truffle, cherry tomato and black olive, and duck ragu. Everything is made from organic ingredients, and they all come with ciabatta and parmesan. Of course, if you want something other than the the Brothers' dish of choice, there's starters and desserts too. Grab deep-fried mince-stuffed olives, fresh mozzarella with tomato and basil, or thick cut potato chips with truffle salt — or an Italian fresh ricotta cannoli, house-made tiramisu and vanilla bean panna cotta. Opening on November 28 and making your gnocchi dreams come true Monday to Saturday from 4pm to 10pm, Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers is both a dine-in and takeaway affair, offering BYO in-house, with a liquor license to come. And, in the future, you'll be able to pick up a small range of Italian groceries on site as well. We recommend stopping by on an empty stomach. Find Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers at 210 Given Terrace, Paddington. Check out their website and Facebook page for more information. Image via cyclonebill.
Bowen Hills' Bavarian beer hall Beerhaüs is getting a major dose of Americana this week as it launches a new barbecue menu. To celebrate, the venue is giving away 500 brisket sliders on Wednesday, July 17 from 11am. The sliders are made with wood-smoked, slow-cooked beef, fresh off the barbecue. It's then loaded onto a potato bun and topped with cabbage slaw and onion jus. Be sure to get in bang on 11am, because these tasty morsels won't last long. If you miss out on the freebie, the new menu of American-style barbecue is now available, too. Expect pulled pork, kielbasa, brisket and chicken — all served with pretzel rolls and house pickles — as well as buffalo chicken and habanero shrimp po' boys, a five-strong schnitty menu and a heap more sides. Lucky for you, this new menu is expected to stick around for a good long while. Free brisket sliders are available from 11am until sold out.
It's a scientific fact that you can't have too much laughter — or if it isn't, it really should be. Giggling is good for you. A hearty laugh is a heck of a good workout. And checking out the hilarious stylings of up-and-coming comedians doesn't just offer amusement for eager audiences, but supports aspiring talent. That's what's on offer at Bris Funny Fest, which returns for a fourth year of rib-tickling, side-splitting fun. From Wednesday, August 7 to Sunday, September 1, the fringe comedy festival will showcase a huge array of comic stylings — including recognisable names such as Mel Buttle and Nick Cody, and a whole host of others that just might become household fodder in the future. Across more than 100 shows, there'll be something to tickle your funny bone — and more sketches than Saturday Night Live has ever aired. Okay, so the last one is a bit of an exaggeration, but whatever kind of comedy you're looking for, you'll probably find it across a range of Brissie venues during the festival. Image: Heya Bar.
Like bacon? Ham? Or any other meat that comes from the animal Homer Simpson once dubbed magical? You're in luck. From May 18 to 29, all things pork are taking over Hive Cafe in James Street, courtesy of a new pop-up mini-festival. A genius idea from Danielle Dixon, chef of Secret Laneway Business, PigOut PopUp is possibly the most mouthwatering pop-up for pork lovers we've heard of yet. Prepare to overindulge for twelve days of pork goodness, including the dishes you already love, like pulled pork croquettes, those infamous Fat Elvis doughnuts everyone is always making, plus jalapeno cornbread with Byron Bay bacon, poached eggs and chipotle hollandaise. The festival will also include some tasty new surprises of the top secret and yet to be revealed variety. Sound tasty? Of course it does — and the daily-changing menu is certain to keep you on your pork-loving toes. This isn't just your usual array of pork dishes, either, with guest chef concoctions by celebrated Australian culinary maestros also part of the fun. If you're looking for entertainment in addition to something tasty to eat, there'll be cook-offs and masterclasses on offer as well. Add a special brunch event on May 23, and a closing party extravaganza on the 29th, and that's your pork-filled fortnight covered. You won’t want to eat anything else. Find PigOut PopUp at Hive Cafe James Street, 15 James Street, Fortitude Valley. For more info, visit their Facebook page. Image: Joshua Resnick CC.
If your Tuesday could be improved by a piece of fried dough confectionery or two — and whose couldn't, really? — then prepare to have your day made. All you'll need is your wallet, a healthy appetite and to be in the vicinity of the Queen Street Mall between 10am and 11am. For one hour only, eight different types of doughnut goodness will be on offer at the pop-up stall Brisbane had to have. And when it comes to giving thanks, the legends at Gramercy Coffee in the Wintergarden are the ones to acknowledge for this gift of a mid-morning taste sensation. Expect Boston crème, vanilla milk glaze, creme patissiere and espresso custard offerings, plus carrot cake, chocolate cake, lemon curd and blueberry jelly. If ever there was a snack to accompany your usual coffee break — which Gramercy can also help you with, of course — it's these glazed, filled morsels. Regulars will know that the cafe is no stranger to the joys of doughnuts, with its display cabinet often lined with an assortment of the sweet treats in a range of flavours. Here's hoping this pop-up is a sign of tastier things to come, and of more capitalising upon the city's current obsession with everything round, doughy and pastry-like. Find Gramercy's Doughnut Pop-Up in the Queen Street Mall from 10am til 11am on September 1, and visit the event Facebook page for more information.
When Patina set up shop on the river-facing side of Customs House back in 2018, the waterside CBD spot gave diners stellar views to accompany their meals and drinks. Launching its sibling site in the city's inner west, it's doing the same — but this time, it's gone green with its vistas. Patina at Alumni Court is the newest addition to the University of Queensland's St Lucia campus, which accounts for the tree-lined surroundings and grassy stretch sprawling out in front of the eatery's outdoor area. The vibe: bringing the outside in, while also nodding to the chain's OG venue. Hefty windows peer out over the lawn, while brass and copper-coloured finishes take their cues from Customs House's iconic copper dome, all in a space that also incorporates Alumni Court's heritage-listed former Radon Laboratory. Open since Monday, February 21, the 90-seater — indoors and out — boasts chef Nick Murtas (ex-Palazzo Versace and Emporium Hotels) in the kitchen, as overseen by Patina's Executive Chef John Offenhauser (ex-Chef de Cuisine and Marco Polo at the Treasury Hotel). On their menu, which doesn't just mimic its sister eatery's offerings: a seafood-heavy range that also heroes seasonal produce. Highlights from the a la carte selection include ora king salmon tartare with Tasmanian wasabi, smoked soy, avocado, nashi, finger lime and coriander, plus South Burnett pork belly with smoked parsnip, Mooloolaba king prawn, witlof and pickled white grape. Yuzu oysters, octopus with smoked potatoes, steamed duck buns, mushroom tarte tatin and chicken with a shawarma marinade also feature — and the dessert range spans espresso martini souffles with vanilla vodka cream, panna cotta with chamomile jelly, creme brulee with almond biscotti and caramelised banana tarte tatin. Operating Monday–Friday, Patina at Alumni Court also does breakfast — think: brioche with smoked salmon, maple-glazed bacon or scrambled eggs, plus pork sausage rolls, cheesy vegetable frittatas and Neighbourhood Roasters coffee — and hosts sparkling-fuelled high teas from Tuesday–Friday. On the general drinks menu, craft spirits are a feature among the cocktail selection, which covers eight boozy choices — and four non-boozy options. Sip a negroni with or sans alcohol, for instance. The wine list goes heavy on riesling, rosé and champagne; a small spirits lineup covers all the usual bases; and the 12-option beer range also features a non-boozy brew. Patina at Alumni Court is also home to a private dining room and catering service, and is hosting seasonal pop-ups in its openair space. First up at the latter: a Bombay Sapphire setup that pairs G&Ts with crispy barramundi tacos, among other snacks, while patrons kick back on deck chairs. Find Patina at Alumni Court at University Drive, St Lucia — open Monday–Friday from 7am for breakfast, 12pm for lunch and 5.30pm for dinner, with a pop-up bar running Wednesday–Friday from 3pm.
You shouldn’t really need an excuse to drink beer, but there’s no harm done in having one. This year’s Queensland Beerfest is the obvious go-to reason to down a tallie, chug a jug and join the blinded brigade – and you’ve got nine days to take advantage of it. Beerfest kicked off for the first time last year, and proved such a success they had to come back for round two – adding an extra day for good measure. This year’s festival incorporates some of Australia’s brightest brewers - Moo Brew, Holgate Brewhouse and Matilda Bay to name a few, with Brisbane’s finest drinking establishments, including a showcase of new generation craft beer venues. Queensland Beerfest promises a combination of master classes, tastings and even an Elvis tribute show with beachfront wines and beers to match. At its core though, it’s really all about appreciation - appreciation of what it means to sit down with friends and enjoy the golden liquid that’s safer than water and cheaper than wine..
If you're a fan of chicken wings, then you might already have July 29 marked in your calendar. It's your annual excuse to tuck into plenty of chook, because that's what National Chicken Wing Day is all about. At Pacific Concept's German-themed The Bavarian chain — at all stores around Queensland, in fact — you won't just find a whole heap of chicken, however. Wings will also be on special from 4–6pm for ten cents each. Yes, you read that price correctly. All wings come with buffalo sauce, and you can nab up to 20 at a time for just $2 — although you will also need to buy a full-priced drink. If you fancy more than 20, that's fine — you'll just need to get more beverages, which we're sure no one will be complaining about. And yes, given that July 29 falls on a Friday this year, this is a special worth knocking off early for.
Throwing axes: yay or nay? Unsurprisingly, hurling hatches is the type of activity that probably has you leaning one way or another. Curious about giving it a go, but haven't gotten around to hitting up Brisbane's Maniax in Newstead? Let Winterfest tempt you in. This one-afternoon-only event is all about coming along and trying — and it'll let you get chucking weapons for cheap. From 12–5pm on Sunday, August 6, Maniax is doing 15-minute sessions for just $15 per person. Already sent a few Maniax blades flying in the past? You can still head on over to score some cheap entertainment for the afternoon. For the uninitiated, Maniax gives you the chance to very safely throw a hunk of sharpened steel attached to a handle, and compete with your partner and/or friends to see who has the most Viking blood coursing through them. Sling those axes, sink a bullseye, then calm down after all the hatchet-lobbing excitement with a drink. To assist with the latter, Winterfest is doing pizza-and-beer deals for two for $30, too.
The English writer, director, radio presenter, comedian and actor, Stephen Merchant is in Brisbane for one stand-up performance this Friday night. Although he is probably best known for his collaborations with Ricky Gervais, he also has years of experience and his roots lie in stand-up comedy. Gervais and Merchant have worked together and appeared on hit television shows such as Life's Too Short and Extras. Merchant has also worked behind the scene's as a director on successful television shows such as The Office and An Idiot Abroad which features the lovable simpleton, Karl Pilkington. Merchant is excited to meet his Australian fans, so much so that he stated, “life can be lonely as a TV writer so this tour is a great opportunity for me to get out there and meet my fans. And make at least one of them my wife." Merchant has been the brains behind some of the UK's most successful and hilarious productions, catch him live this Friday and prepare yourself for a night of laughs!
Emily Brontë’s much-loved classic Wuthering Heights is the latest story to be celebrated and reimaged through the creative eyes of the Shake & Stir Theatre Co. The love story soured by lust and obsession, Wuthering Heights follows the story of street rat Heathcliff, who is brought into the care of the Earnshaws, forming an unbreakable bond with daughter Catherine as well as a loathing for her brother, Hindley. As Heathcliff grows more and more passionately obsessed with Cathy, he finds that Cathy is married to another man. Filled with rage and vengeance, Heathcliff desires nothing more than to enact justice upon anyone found to stand in the way of his happiness. Shake & Stir’s artistic director Nick Skubij says, "We love the challenge of adapting and presenting much loved classics on the stage, especially one as huge as Wuthering Heights. There is a lot of risk but we are used to that now and don’t shy away from it." Previous well-received adaptations of Shake & Stir’s include George Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm, as well as Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes and Dirty Beasts.
There's little argument when it comes to film classics – no one can dispute that The Wizard Of Oz is timeless cinematic gold. The red shoes, Toto, the Wicked Witch of the West, flying monkeys, munchkins; it really is pure genius. But how does it fair on the stage? Pretty well, as a matter of fact. The story's the same, but the whole feel of the script is awakened in full colour and with amazing energy thanks to the Harvest Rain Theatre Company. They've transformed the movie epic into a musical performance with all the major elements we love, but with the extra magical touch of a live stage show. These guys know what they're doing, so you can trust that Dorothy, Scarecrow, Lion and the Tin Man's legacy is in good hands – the team has worked on Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Jesus Christ Superstar to critical acclaim. It's almost eerie to think a movie of that calibre was made in 1939 and still manages to pass the test of time, really, who could forget 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow', 'We're Off to See the Wizard' and 'If I Only had a Heart'? You won't, especially if you refresh your memory with QPAC's latest show. Sadly, clicking your heels three times won't get you free tickets, but hey, you can't put a price on happiness.
Ze Pickle has long been the king of Queensland's monster burger trade, as anyone who has been to their stores in Burleigh Heads or Fortitude Valley will know. But, that wasn't enough for these meat-and-bread slingers. First, they expanded to Sydney. Now, as they promised a few months back, they're launching their own food truck, hitting the road and handing out free burgers to mark the occasion. Meet Ze Qickle, the 1984 Chevy that was once used a fake FedEx van, was then seized in a drug bust and bought from a police auction in Los Angeles, and is now about to become the new culinary ruler of the highway. If Ze Pickle's mammoth creations were going mobile, they were always going to do so in a less-than-ordinary way. Ze Qickle makes its debut at the Social Markets at Mermaid Beach on November 5, and then heads to Burleigh Hill from 3pm on November 6 to hand out the oh-so-good stuff for zilch. Free food lovers (aka everyone) and burger aficionados will know that their stacked creations are worth the trip to the coast. And for your troubles, you'll get one of hundreds of their signature Chee-ze burgers (made with a hand-pressed wagyu beef patty, maple smoked bacon, iceberg, tomato, fried onion straws, zp sauce & jack cheeze) as well as some of their house-made bubblegum lemonade. Yum. Next stop, Brisbane, with the truck stopping off at Green Beacon Brewing on November 11. Plus, the Ze Qickle brand is here to stay, and not just in roaming culinary form, with the burger brand planning a series of hole-in-the-wall joints that'll bring their gut-busting burger towers to more nooks and crannies around the place. Ze Qickle will be handing out free burgers from 3pm on November 6 at Burleigh Hill on the Gold Coast. For more information, keep an eye on the Ze Pickle Facebook page.
Whether you're looking for something on a budget, or you're after the best vintage fare, there's nothing like trawling through other people's wares. Forget your regular old household clear-outs, trash and treasure markets, outlet sales and car boot offerings though — Brisbane's biggest clothing garage sale is back again. We're not sure whether its size has been officially confirmed; however if it delivers a massive array of sartorial bits and pieces — and it always does — then we won't ask questions. Taking over Bizzell's Garage on Latrobe Terrace from 10am–3pm on Saturday, February 23 and Saturday, March 23, prepare to arrive with shopping on your mind and leave with a full basket. Prices vary, as will condition, but expect to pay anywhere from $5 to over $100 for clothes, swimwear, shoes, accessories, denim, leather items and jewellery. Brands spanning the sporty likes of Adidas and Puma, the upmarket style of of Burberry, and the street cred of FILA and Calvin Klein will all be on offer. And, if you want to add a few plants to your home garden — including succulents — you'll find greenery on sale too, as well as DVDs, records and books as well.
On the lookout for a dope new denim jacket? Or do you want to be rid of that weird-looking lamp taking up space in the living room? Then, by golly, you're in luck. The Garage Sale Trail works with local council partners Australia-wide to get as many trash-and-treasure troves happening on the same day as possible. Last year, more than 400,000 Aussies took part, and held more than 18,000 sales. While life is a little different in 2020, 16,000 events are still expected to open their doors to bargain hunters, selling more two million items. When the event returns across the weekend of Saturday, November 21 and Sunday, November 22, online garage sales will also be part of the trail. According, whether you're buying or selling, you have two options: do so in person, or take the virtual route. It's the first time ever that the Garage Sale Trail is going digital, too. Aside from the retro goodies up for grabs, the Trail is all about sustainability. Instead of ending up in landfill, unwanted clutter becomes a fantastic find. So get that tight pair of sunnies for peanuts and help the environment at the same time. The Garage Sale Trail began humbly in Bondi in 2010 and is growing bigger every year. There'll be a right slew of sales happening all around Brisbane, so keep your eyes on the event website — or register online to make a quick buck from your old junk and hang out with the friendly folks in your hood. [caption id="attachment_783811" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Jo Lowrey[/caption] The 2020 Garage Sale Trail takes place on Saturday, November 21 and Sunday, November 22, both in garages all around Brisbane and via virtual garage sales. Images: Garage Sale Trail.
It might've taken three years, but Netflix has finally produced its first original Aussie series. Shot entirely in Queensland, and providing fuel for late 2018 binge-watch sessions, Tidelands is a supernatural crime drama series about a fictional fishing village, dubbed Orphelin Bay, with strange inhabitants: a group of dangerous half-Sirens, half-humans called 'Tidelanders'. Cal McTeer (Charlotte Best), a young women who returns to the small village after a stint in jail, discovers the body of a local fisherman and must navigate the town's drug smuggling history while also investigating the Tidelanders, who are led by Adrielle Cuthburt (Elsa Pataky). After revealing its first sneak peek teaser back in October, the series now has a full official trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhsjoQLKaiY&feature=youtu.be Eight episodes, each running for 50 minutes, have been made by Brisbane's Emmy Award-Winning production company Hoodlum Entertainment. And Tidelands won't just gift Australian users with a new favourite series, with the show set to land in all 190 countries that Netflix is available in. Thinking you've seen plenty of Aussie stuff on Netflix already? You're not wrong, however, there's a difference between throwing old sitcoms and standup specials into a range inexplicably overflowing with new Adam Sandler movies, and actually funding brand new Australian material. Last year, it was announced that they'd join forces with the ABC to co-produce a second season of Glitch, which showed them dipping a toe in the water — but now they're completely diving in. Tidelands will join the platform's hefty stable of original series, which started back in 2013 with House of Cards, and just keeps growing (Orange Is the New Black, The Get Down, The OA, Wet Hot American Summer, Master of None, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Dear White People, BoJack Horseman, four Marvel series with one more to come — the list goes on). Given the premise, here's hoping it'll be the next Stranger Things, and not the new Hemlock Grove. Tidelands will be available globally on Netflix from December 14, 2018.
For one night only you’ll have the opportunity to immerse yourself in a sensory bombardment like no other. Hosted by WITCHMEAT, Food Show is a celebration and expression of food. It is in keeping with their informal, unconstrained art showcases, and in this case, will give artists and chefs alike the opportunity to provide a visual feast. WITCHMEAT is a non-profit gallery space, which encourages and accommodates local artists of an eclectic background. The space has been moulded inside a residential house, adding to the homely feel that they strive for. Food Show has it all. Performance, sculpture, painting, installations, and best of all, food. After receiving an overwhelming number of applicants, the resulting showcase truly will be the cream of the crop.
Surfing and gig-going have always been two of Australia's best-loved pastimes, and last year we scored a festival celebrating the best of both worlds. And, now, it's back for its second round of autumnal beachside festivals. Returning this April, The Drop festival will cruise around the country as it follows the Aussie leg of the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour and it's bringing a banging little lineup of musical gold along for the ride. Surfing the festival wave for 2019 are brother-sister folk band Angus and Julia Stone, the perennially pastel indie pop duo Client Liaison and NSW surf rock band Hockey Dad, along with other local legends The Jungle Giants and Alex the Astronaut. Held on the first weekend of each area's surfing event, The Drop is set to grace some of the Australia's most iconic surf spots, each outing featuring a locally focused offering of food, drink and culture, to match the tunes. As well as heading to the official WSL events in Torquay, Margaret River and Coolangatta, this year, the festival will also kick off Surfest Newcastle and Vissla Sydney Surf Pro in Manly — both WSL Qualifying Series events. THE DROP FESTIVAL 2019 LINEUP Angus and Julia Stone Client Liaison Hockey Dad The Jungle Giants Alex the Astronaut Images: Miranda Stokkel.
Like beer? Like monsters? Like your brews named after creepy critters, with bottle, can and label artwork to match? Horror-loving drinkers, there's never been a better time to pair your beverages with your fondness for all things scary — but from 12pm on Saturday, October 19 will be even better than usual thanks to Netherworld's Monster Menagerie Beer Festival. The returning event, this year named Monster Menagerie VII: Mystery Menagerie, will bring together nine yeasty tipples, strange creatures and stellar collaborations, all for a day of boozing fun. And if you're wondering why it takes place in October, just think about it for a second. 'Tis the month of Halloween, after all. The big focus in 2024: brews with a mystery ingredient. Taking part: Aether Brewing, Archer Brewing, Hip Hops Brewers, Wayward Brewing Co, Common People Brewing Co, Seeker Brewing, Slipstream Brewing Co and Buddy Brewing — and the delightfully named Hohly Water is back as well. Tickets cost $35, which include a tasting paddle featuring 150 millilitres of each and every one of these nine beers, as well as a limited edition enamel pin and five game tokens. Top image: Cole Bennetts.
Fortitude Valley’s Institute of Modern Art is currently home to an all-star exhibition featuring works that explore the concept of ‘therapy’. Prompted by the work of Melbourne artist Stuart Ringholt and his autobiographical book Hashish Psychosis: What It’s Like to be Mentally Ill and Recover, the IMA presents Let the Healing Begin. In this exhibition, the idea of therapy is tackled from all possible perspectives, with some pieces endorsing therapeutic imperatives and others providing a critical discussion of them. Featuring artists as wide-ranging as Otto Muehl, Marina Abramovic and Turner Prize winner Grayson Perry, the exhibition traverses a number of mediums including mixed-media, video and installation, as well as the more traditional kinds. Particularly enticing are Matt Mullican’s hypnosis-induced alter-ego’s art, Mike Kelley’s political poster about the major health issue resulting from celebrity-induced low self-esteem, and Abramovic’s video piece in which she and fellow performance artist Ulay take turns to slap one another across the face - therapeutically, of course. The IMA never fails to produce original and thought-provoking exhibitions, and this one is a must-see. The show also features work by Julia Dashper, Robin Hungerford, Pierre Molinier, Rose Nolan, Tony Oursler, Grant Stevens, Peter Tyndall and Gillian Wearing.
The sky finally looks lighter in Brisbane, and that's something worth celebrating. Of course, the aftermath of the city's wet and wild weekend hasn't simply faded with the sunshine. Plenty of parts of town are still flooded, and the huge cleanup campaign has just kicked in where waters have receded and it's possible to do so — and if you're getting muddy to help out, Paddington's Sassafras has something else to brighten your day. On Wednesday, March 2, the Latrobe Terrace spot is giving out free eight-ounce takeaway coffees to everyone tackling the cleanup. It's a small gesture, but the little things really do count at times like these. So, if you're spending your day assisting folks with flood-affected homes or businesses — or cleaning up your own — you now have a date with the Paddington cafe. To grab your free cuppa, just make sure to mention that you're doing your part for the Mud Army when you order. And, if you're just dropping by for your regular caffeine fix anyway, there'll also be a bucket on the counter collecting donations for flood relief.
If you fancy getting into the swing of this year's Oktoberfest celebrations, The Bavarian certainly has you sorted. The group is expanding its stable of German-inspired bier halls, opening the doors to its latest venue at Westfield Coomera on the Gold Coast on Thursday, October 11. And to celebrate, they're handing out a whopping 500 free hotdogs from 11am. The hot dogs are made using the Bavarian's signature frankfurter — wood-smoked pork and beef — topped with sauerkraut, tomato sauce and crisp shallots. Given the eatery is just as famous for its sausage offering as it is for its schnitzels and crispy pork knuckles, that's quite the deal. The giveaway is a little taster of the new venue's full weekend program, which runs until Sunday, October 14. From 6pm on Friday, there'll be live oompah music, a sausage-eating competition, plus stein holding, chicken dancing, pork knuckle eating, non-alcoholic beer-chugging and sausage-tossing contests. Then the fun continues across Saturday, including the official keg tap at midday — while anyone who wants to bring littlies along can nab a free kids' menu meal for children under 12 on Sunday. Of course, the German-style fun continues long after the final weekend keg is tapped, too — Bavarian Coomera will be dishing up authentic eats and icy cold steins, all year round.
Street food has fast become the current gastronomic obsession. When The Bun Mobile started driving around Brisbane in 2012, food trucks were a novel concept. Now, the city’s first purveyor of quality meals on wheels has become a local institution, and it has company. The new breed of mobile culinary delights spans all types of cuisines, dishing up delicious delights at affordable prices. At Food Truck PheNomNomNom, nine roaming restaurants will converge upon the Coorparoo Bowls Club for the first event of its kind in Brisbane. Fancy the Mexican tastes of Juan More Taco? Or the hearty Italian of The Pasta Cruiser? Is devouring a woodfired slice of Roam'In Pizza more your style? Do you have a hankering for Thumbs Up Hotdogs? Alongside the cutely named Sushi Neko Food Van and the savoury treats of King of the Wings, these trucks have lunch and dinner covered — but don’t forget dessert. I Love Frozen Yoghurt serves up everyone’s favourite cold concoction, Chocolate Komberry Co. keeps the cronut craze kicking on, and V's Vanilla Van has a solution for poffertjes cravings. With local blues-infused rockers Don & the Mobsters providing jaunty tunes for a enjoyable afternoon, Food Truck PheNomNomNom is the initial instance of what aims to be a regular event. Sample the fun of curbside dining on June 1, from midday to 6pm at Coorparoo Bowls Club (32 Riddings Street, Coorparoo).
When you live in a city that's usually streaming with sunshine all year round, the onset of colder weather can be a shock. Fear not, brrrrrrrr-yelling Brisbanites — the frosty season comes bearing gifts. Indeed, at Riverbar and Kitchen's Winter Festival, there's plenty of things to heat you up. In June, there's negronis in six varieties, including hot mulled negronis. Throughout July, hot mulled cider, red wine sangria and porter punch are on the menu, as are pizza cob loaf every day and the decadent dessert that is s'mores dip. And in August, there'll be Sunday lamb roasts, baked camembert, rum punch and hot buttered rum. Because the last month of winter also marks Ekka time, Winter Festival is also adding a chillier component — a strawberry overdose thanks to strawberry margaritas and strawberry ice cream sandwiches. No matter the weather, it wouldn't be show time without them. Winter Festival kicks on every day until the end of August, complete with open flames, fire pits and faux fur loungers. Entry is free, as is the warm, fuzzy feeling you'll get when you've been heated head-to-toe by hot cocktails, hot food and hanging out by the fire. Updated July 31.
As the famous saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. For many contemporary artists, however, words themselves are an integral part of visual art practice: a powerful tool with which to explore concepts in partnership with — or opposition to — more traditional images. TEXT brings together prints, paintings and sculptures from the QUT Art Museum’s permanent collection that use text in varied, often surprising ways. In some, words serve to emphasise meaning. In others, meaning is skewed, or obscured, by their inclusion. In others still, the text acts as tactile poetry, where the words themselves are art and the method of display becomes secondary — such as in Shaun O’Conner’s ‘Untitled (INA LA)’, a stark, cryptic message in simple, bold print. TEXT opens at QUT Art Museum on 11 September, and continues to 8 November. Image: Madonna Staunton, Numbers game (detail) 2002, metal palette markers, ink bottles and timber box, QUT Art Collection. Purchased 2006 through the Betty Quelhurst Fund.
When the end of October rolls around, Woolloongabba will become the centre of Australian sport — for one big night, when the Brisbane Cricket Ground, aka the Gabba, hosts the first-ever AFL grand final to be held outside of Melbourne. But that won't be the only thing motivating Brisbanites to head to the area in the coming weeks, with the inner-city suburb also welcoming two new eateries in the Trafalgar Lane precinct. Running off Stanley Street directly across from the Gabba, the laneway will soon be home to La Stazione Pizzeria and Bar and Sichuan Tiger, which'll serve up Italian and south-west Chinese cuisine, respectively. Opening at yet-to-be-revealed dates in early October, the former marks a second location for the existing Milton pizza joint, while the latter is the second venue from the folks behind Everton Park's Sichuan Papa. At La Stazione, pizza lovers will be able to grab a slice in a 140-square-metre space, including in an outdoor area. If the chain's Milton menu is any guide, diners can expect authentic favourites (such as margherita, parma and capricciosa pizzas) alongside Aussie staples (meat lovers, barbecue chicken and marinara, for example). La Stazione also dishes up multiple types of pasta, as well as other Italian faves like bruschetta, arancini and veal scalopppini — and hosts different nights for $15 pizzas and $15 pastas. Over at Sichuan Tiger, it'll showcase dishes by head chef Tiger Zhang, with a focus on small plates and share plates. Start off with bao, dumplings, buns or roasted duck pancakes, then tuck into poached fish, crispy chilli chicken, double-cooked pork belly, either Sichuan or Shanghai-style mud crab or spicy crayfish, plus honey king prawns, sweet and sour pork, and duck fried rice. Size-wise, Sichuan Tiger will nestle into a 161-square-metre space. La Stazione Pizzeria and Bar and Sichuan Tiger are set to open in early October in Trafalgar Lane, 855 Stanley Street, Woolloongabba.
When the colonising British left Nigeria in 1960, the nation welcomed a new era of transformation, but with independence came instability. This festering civil unrest forms the backdrop of Half of a Yellow Sun, with personal troubles coloured by political uncertainty. As the country attempts to cope with the fighting of power-seeking factions, two sisters become immersed in the conflict. In her 2006 bestseller and Orange Prize for Fiction winner, author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie balanced the broader context of the war with the circumstances of twins Olanna (Thandie Newton) and Kainene (Anika Noni Rose), their efforts to forge lives beyond their well-to-do Lagos upbringing forever shaped by Nigeria's volatility. The film adaptation, written and directed by novelist and playwright Biyi Bandele in his directorial debut, sparkles with potential but plays out with predictability. The setting and the characters may be unique to this tale, but audiences have seen the story — or one just like it — many times before. Providing the punctuation between handsomely shot scenes, archival newsreel footage furnishes chapter stops to the episodic slices of the siblings' lives, with Olanna the film's centre. A sociology professor freshly returned from London, she struggles with her romance with revolutionary-leaning fellow academic Odenigbo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), blissful domesticity never a potential outcome. Odenigbo's overbearing mother (Onyeka Onwenu) is forceful with her disapproval, and instrumental in his affairs. Running the family business, Kainene flits in and out of Olanna's orbit with her British lover, writer Richard (Joseph Mawle), offering her own headstrong opinions and status-climbing ambitions. As a melodrama of strained interpersonal relationships that threatens to betray its based-on-a-true-story origins, Half of a Yellow Sun makes its emotional arcs apparent. As a portrait of the Biafran war, it goes to great efforts to show the wide-ranging impact upon the Nigerian populace, never shying away from the many horrors. What proves less successful is the use of the former to enhance the latter. An emotionally embellished narrative isn't needed to emphasise the devastation and turbulence of the civil war, nor is the absence of subtlety to the feature's benefit. Within such confines, the cast switch between concentrated emoting and smouldering restraint, Newton and Ejiofor faring best as the obvious points of focus. Their innate talents anchor the sentiments beyond their sweeping treatment in the story, even if the feature's female leads swiftly stand in their male co-stars' shadows. Sumptuous but strained, Half of a Yellow Sun thus waxes and wanes between its aspirations and authenticity, reaching for more but restricted by its adherence to convention and cliche. Resonance lingers, but more so in the reality than the depiction. The true scenario speaks for itself, with the incursion of overt theatrics lessening the film's power. https://youtube.com/watch?v=WlINmnyLO9E
For a few days the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre is hosting a sales event of most peculiar stock. Strange things they are, full of pages, rampant with words and with covers of the most beautiful colours. You can’t charge them, they don’t run out of battery, their brightness is unalterable, and they won’t smash when you drop them and have them lost forever. Lifeline Bookfest is back for another round of vintage bargains and startling ranges of everything from Australian Women’s Weekly Cookbooks to a bit of cheeky erotica. If you’re been before, you’ll know there are warehouse quantities of books for sale – your grade five diary is probably hidden under a copy of Shantaram, and you’ll come across at least three copies of Cooking with Days of Our Lives. Prices range from cents to the big bucks – bring a trolley and your glasses and absorb yourself in books.
