Everyone's always talking about cheese and wine, but what about cheese and beer? It's not as crazy as it might sound. In fact, it's delicious. But don't just trust our tastebuds on this important matter. Instead, let Holgate Brewhouse and Black Pearl Epicure walk you through the wonderful combination of craft brews and creamy dairy products during this year's Brewsvegas. Individual food stations featuring raclette, charcuterie, paella, caviar and chocolate will also feature, all matched with an appropriate ale. Whatever you eat and drink throughout the afternoon, you're certain to come to one realisation: beer really is more versatile than you think. Image: Dollar Photo Club
Sequels to romantic comedies are rare. When a movie trades in the dream of finding love and living happily ever after, exploring what comes next tends to ruin the fantasy. That's the problem My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 faces as it endeavours to revisit the characters from its popular predecessor — and like Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and Sex and the City 2, it struggles. Everyday relationship issues, coping with kids and the minutiae of marriage are more the domain of sitcoms than rom-coms, after all. It's little surprise, then, that this return to the big fat Greek world wouldn't feel out of place on the small screen, rather than in cinemas. In fact, 2002's My Big Fat Greek Wedding already inspired one season's worth of television, My Big Fat Greek Life, back in 2003. The latest extension of the story ignores the TV series' existence, although it firmly follows in its footsteps. In fact, from the angsty teenaged daughter who wants nothing to do with her parents, to the demanding relatives who can't keep out of each other's business, it's the kind of fare you'd expect to watch in 30-minute weekly episodes in the comfort of your own living room. After close to two decades together, Toula (Nia Vardalos) and Ian (John Corbett) have well and truly settled into wedded bliss — and made themselves a little too cosy and complacent, they begin to realise. They try to reignite the spark in their romance; however Toula's obsession with where their only child, Paris (Elena Kampouris), will go to college doesn't help matters. Nor does the sudden need of her elderly mother (Lainie Kazan) and father (Michael Constantine) to throw their own wedding ceremony, after discovering that their marriage certificate wasn't formalised 50 years earlier. Cue a second big fat Greek wedding, and an excuse to get the whole gang from the first film (including Australian actress Gia Carides) back together. The broader group is still a collection of walking clichés, with neither subtlety nor skirting stereotypes high on the film's list of priorities. Given that their antics are constantly commented on by a couple of snarky neighbours, observations about the difference between Greek and American culture provide the bulk of the movie's content. And while such obvious insights are clearly designed to be jokes by Vardalos, who writes as well as stars, they rarely inspire more than the occasional laboured chuckle. And yet, Vardalos' honey-coloured view of her ancestry, the immigrant experience and the eccentricities of living with such a big, close Greek family as she wades further into middle age remain sweet, even if they're hardly amusing the second time around. There are traces of ragged charm to this Kirk Jones-directed effort, like slipping on an old item of clothing and finding it still technically functional – even if it is rather scruffy and well-worn. If the film's core couple are too comfortable, so is the sitcom-style sequel itself. It knows that recapturing its initial magic is a difficult task, but it also knows that it may as well try anyway — and doesn't even contemplate attempting something more.
As anyone who can recite the words to a certain Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta duet — i.e. everybody, admit it — knows, summer days drift away to summer nights. And while the season hasn't quite hit Brisbane yet, the warm temperatures means it already feels like it, which is why the Brightside is throwing a Summer Fling Party. Grease isn't actually the theme, although we bet you won't be able to stop thinking about the classic flick while you're having some heated fun. Or, like Danny and Sandy, perhaps you'll be thinking about finding your own summer romance. After all, the event does merge Brighty's famous Summer Soire with a traffic light system. Attendees will get a lei at the door, with green for those who are keen, red for revelers with a significant other, and yellow for anyone who falls into the maybe category. Whatever colour you opt for, dancing the evening away to All The Shots, Stateside, Set The Record and Glory Days is a given — as is having a summer night to remember.
Get the balloons, streamers, cake and canles ready, because one of Brisbane's favourite haunts is celebrating a birthday. The Fortitude Valley venue that threw open its doors in late 2013 — and has hosted everything from bands of the local, national and international variety to theatre, comedy, poetry and wrestling since — is turning two years old. To mark the occasion, the New Globe Theatre has invited beloved Brisbanites Mosman Alder to headline their shindig. Not only will they be the star of the show, but they'll be debuting their brand new video for album track 'Golden Archers' as an extra-special gift. Little Aztec, Mudshadows, The Dominiques, Mecha Mecha, Cheezel Dust and All Strings Attached are also on the bill for an event that isn't sparing any opportunity to get into the partying mood. Yes, this is how you turn two in style — and how a Brisbane hotspot should enter into toddlerhood.
For hundreds of years, El Dia de los Muertos has been one of the biggest parties in Mexico honouring the dead. The 4000 year-old tradition's history can be traced back to Mexico's indigenous beliefs of the afterlife — that death is only the beginning. Now it's Australia's turn to delve into the underworld, as The Day of the Dead finds its way to secret warehouse locations across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane this spring.urated by a group of Mexican visionaries and artists, Day of the Dead 3.1. takes cues from some of the world's most celebrated immersive spectacles, everything from Burning Man to Sleep No More. Find yourself immersed in a temporary world of interactive art installations, light projections, extravagant costumes, murals created by renowned street artists and an exclusive lineup of local and international DJs and musicians. Is this a Mexican-inspired fiesta or what? Where's the nosh? Pop-ups by a handpicked bunch of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane's go-to local Mexican eateries, like Playa Takeria, have been selected to create special Dia de los Muertos menus. Plus, there'll be Mexican cervezas and tequila/mezcal cocktails from Tequila Herradura and Tequila Jimador to provide you with enough sustenance to dance the night away. With instructions being sent to ticketholders just one week before the event, this is secret warehouse party business at its best. Each city's locations are more closely guarded than an abuela's special mole sauce ingredient and will only be released one day before the party. Day of the Dead will visit Sydney on October 24, then Melbourne on October 31 before ending in Brisbane on November 7. Honour the dead, celebrate the living. Get tickets early. Due to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane events selling out within hours and hundreds of emails requesting tickets, the Day of the Dead team twisted some arms and increased the event capacity. There'll be a new and final ticket release happening on Saturday, September 26 at 12.30pm, with tickets at $95. Tickets will sell out within hours, so be ready. Get tickets here.
We're all used to seeing movies from the male perspective, even if we don't know it. The enormous gender imbalance in the film industry means that that's the status quo, and it shows few signs of changing. Thankfully, nestled within the mass of man-centric content are a few gems with a difference. Sometimes they're made by female filmmakers. Sometimes they're about atypical female characters. In a program called The Female Gaze, Brisbane Festival shines the spotlight on cinema that challenges the status quo when it comes to gender. Opening with the Queensland premiere of The Diary of a Teenage Girl starring Bel Powley, Kristen Wiig and Alexander Skarsgård, and cycling through six other old and new titles — such as Cannes Film Festival 2014 camera d'Or winner Party Girl, the exploration of Albanian customs that is Sworn Virgin, and Gena Rowlands in John Cassavetes’ legendary Opening Night — it's a much-needed blast of femme-fuelled sunshine in an otherwise blokey filmscape.
Who doesn't love First Dog on the Moon? As the Guardian's much-loved cartoonist, he's canny with political comedy and clever with a pencil. In the flesh, he's just as smart and satirical, as two of his Brisbane Writers Festival 2015 events will prove. We'd tell you to see his live show and his panel discussion on sarcasm, but they've already sold out, so it appears you're way ahead of us. Thankfully, the astronaut pooch is also fond of the soothing elixir that is whisky, and he wants to share his experiences. In what's likely to be BWF's most liquor-fuelled event, Malt Lovers sees everyone's favourite creative canine and fellow cartoonist Jon Kudelka hop through the highlights of their 600km tour of every whisky distillery and whisky bottler on the Tasmanian Whisky Trail.
Because every big event needs an alternative, Riverlife has come up with the thing you're to go to when you're not going to the Ekka. Their Winterfest is a riverside chillout session at Kangaroo Point, where relaxing in the sun is the main affair. Every ticket includes a winter warmer meal complete with freshly made waffles and a hot chocolate rum, i.e. the perfect food and drink for the season. If you're feeling a little cool — well, Brisbane-level cold — while you're browsing the markets and watching Gee'd Up provide live entertainment, you won't be shivering for long, as blankets and heaters will even be provided.
Sometimes, a mid-week day off needs a little magic. As part of their Cult Japan program — and the Miyazaki retrospective nestled within it — the Gallery of Modern Art is serving up cinema at its most enchanting. Two of the beloved animator's classics combine for an afternoon filled with witches, cats and a half-human half-fish princess. Whether you've seen the Studio Ghibli delights that are Kiki's Delivery Service and Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea before, or if you're discovering them for the first time, prepare for a simply wondrous Wednesday at the movies.
When it comes to the works of the man known as the Bard of Avon, there's really only one way to get the real Shakespeare experience. Sure, you probably studied his plays at school, and likely watched one or two that have been turned into films — but have you witnessed his lines read live in a theatre production? That's how good ol' William intended his efforts to be consumed, after all, so one event is offering that chance to the masses. In its ninth iteration, the Brisbane Shakespeare Festival is back with another bustling program filled with flowery prose read aloud. See The Comedy of Errors — the Bard's shortest and perhaps most slapstick comic offering — performed for free across the city's outdoor spaces, and arrive early to enjoy the clash and clatter that comes with a demonstration of swordplay beforehand. Sonnet reading features too, and for those who can't tear themselves away from the movie realm, watching big screen productions of classics such as Othello and A Midsummer Night's Dream is also on the line-up.
Professional boxers aren’t typically renowned for their eloquence. Pre-fight press conferences tend to centre around the two combatants standing silently and mashing their foreheads together, while the post-fight ones rarely escalate beyond monosyllabic grunts and the flaunting of novelty-sized belts. Maybe it’s the boxers' traditionally low socio-economic backgrounds at play, maybe it’s the almost guaranteed head trauma, or perhaps they’re simply still trying to figure out why a square arena is called a ‘ring’ and why anybody thought ‘light heavyweight’ wouldn’t sound ridiculous as a fighting category. In Southpaw, Jake Gyllenhaal plays one such professional ‘boxymoron', and he takes the inarticulacy to the extreme — presenting his character Billy Hope as a man who drools in the place of dialogue. It’s a bold choice for the accomplished actor, whose commitment to both it and the role’s physicality can't be overstated. One glance at the posters for Southpaw is enough to see that Gyllenhaal got jacked for this film, with muscles so enormous they should almost receive separate billing. He looks like a boxer, moves like a boxer and absolutely sounds like a boxer, meaning — in Southpaw — we totally believe him as a boxer. It’s a phenomenal performance, and without it the movie would be a complete write-off. Director Antoine Fuqua is fast establishing himself as the go-to action director in Hollywood, much like John Woo was in the '90s. With recent offerings including Olympus Has Fallen and The Equalizer, he’s continued to deliver slick, high-octane pictures without ever quite managing to repeat the success of his breakthrough film Training Day. The problem isn’t with the direction so much as the scripts, whose stories and dialogue languish in a mire of cliches. Southpaw is another example of this, failing to offer anything new despite coming tantalisingly close at its preface. The film’s early scenes touch upon compelling themes of administrative oversight, bureaucratic corruption, capricious management and the threat of ‘punch drunkenness’ courtesy of Hope’s particular fighting style in which he shirks defence and absorbs countless blows from his opponent until it makes him angry enough to retaliate. All of this largely falls by the wayside, however, as soon as family tragedy strikes and Hope finds himself bankrupt and alone. Redemption, then, becomes the order of the day, but the problem is we neither feel particular involved in it nor satisfied when it inevitably comes. This isn’t so much a tale of personal growth as it is one of reinstitution, where the only thing Hope really learns by the end is how not to get punched. Eminem was originally slated to play Gyllenhaal's role, but in his absence the roles of ‘singers trying to act’ were taken up by 50 Cent and Rita Ora, both delivering adequate performances as line delivery systems. Rachel McAdams pops in as a caricature of a boxer’s WAG and Oona Laurence does a decent job as Hope’s young daughter despite often unspeakably bad lines to work with. The only real other performance of note is from Forest Whitaker as Hope’s eventual trainer, whose brief screen time nonetheless reminds us why he’s one of the most gifted actors of his generation. He seems to find things in scripts that not even the writer could see, and injects some much needed humanity into Southpaw’s later stages, when neither the boxing nor the family troubles prove capable of sustaining the drama.
If the end of times means endless kegs of beer, then count us in. We're certainly willing to pretend the former is the case if the latter is the reward — and so are the folks at Archive Beer Boutique. That's why they call their signature annual event Armakeggon after all, though you, the tasty brews and the bar will all be around long after the 2015 shindig is over. Well, that and it's a catchy name to describe a day that features 40 extra special, often one-off beverages poured through the West End establishment's taps until their beer-loving hearts are content. For those after more than an out-of-the-ordinary drop of the yeasty good stuff, the affordable price of admission — $10 in advance, $15 at the door and $30 with a bonus t-shirt — includes brewery stalls, live music and maybe even some surprise guests. Oh, and there'll also be a barber on site, too, because the only thing better than spending the day drinking is getting a new look while you're doing it.
How do stories from the past change when you're telling those stories with new technology? The artists featured in Experimenta Recharge explore this question, as well as how knowledge might be communicated to new generations through cutting edge media. Media art is naturally multidisciplinary and experimental, and the variety of art forms featured in this exhibition — photography, sound art, animation, film, robotics and electronic sculpture, to name a few — make for an intensely stimulating sensory blend. Several works have been commissioned specifically for the exhibition, including a 3D-printed take on 19th century portraiture by Australia’s Cake Industries (Simulacrum 2014), a sound and mixed-media installation piece by German artists Korinsky (RL2000, 2014), and Australian artist Svenja Kratz’s sculptural mix of synthetic materials and cancer cell DNA (The Contamination of Alice, 2014). Experimenta Recharge’s opening night on 25 August features live performances by Michelle Xen and The Neon Wild, with the exhibition continuing until 4 September and then reopening as part of Brisbane Festival from 8 to 26 September. Image: Khaled Sabsabi. ‘70,000 Veils’ (installation view, RMIT Gallery, Melbourne) 2014. 100-channel digital video, 100 LCD monitors, 3D glasses, sound dimensions variable. Image courtesy RMIT Gallery and Experimenta Media Arts. © the artist.
There's saying how you feel, and then there's living it. For those working in creative fields, there's also another way to go a step further. That'd be act of making art that truly reflects your thinking and outlook. You could call it Attitude As Form — as Brisbane gallery Artisan is. In their latest exhibition, as co-curated by Beau Allen and Miriam Carter, they expose a diversity of ideas and approaches, all harnessed within the creation of contemporary jewellery. The show is designed take current approaches to fashion, art, craft and design, and then reflect and respond to them within the field of adornment. An eclectic array of all sorts of wonderful, wearable creations is the end result, as tinkered with and toiled over by 22 practitioners from across Australia and New Zealand. Here, you won't just be seeing the product of their hard work, but of their deep contemplation, too.
The story of Cloudland, an iconic ballroom that loomed over Brisbane from its perch in Bowen Hills for more than forty years, is a perfect example of a city’s transient state. Demolished in darkness in 1982 despite public demand for preservation, the building literally disappeared from Brisbane’s landscape overnight. Robyn Stacey’s exhibition reminds us that cities are not permanent — buildings come and go. She uses the ancient photographic technique of camera obscura — blacking out rooms and allowing light to enter through a small hole, turning the entire room into a skewed photographic version of the world outside — to capture Brisbane landmarks that are as much a part of the city’s identity as Cloudland was ... and as impermanent. The results are dreamlike and disorienting, forcing the viewer to see the city as something not quite real. Robyn Stacey: Cloud Land exhibits at the Museum of Brisbane from 18 September to 3 April 2016. Robyn Stacey will also discuss her work with Shaune Lakin as part of the Brisbane’s Open House’s Speaker Series on 20 September.
The weather might be heating up in sunny Queensland, but that doesn't mean you can't all spend a day pretending you're somewhere much, much cooler. How does an imaginary visit to Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia and Iceland sound? All you need to do is head along to the Scandinavian Festival Brisbane. Now in its fourth year, the annual showcase of countries with colder climates offers a smorgasbord of authentic food, entertainment and shopping that'll make you think you're on the other side of the world. Yes, the festival does include two of the things Scandinavian nations are best known for: Ikea and Lego. It also includes more than 50 stalls serving up Swedish pastries, Finnish recycled products, Nordic homewares and other goodies, plus traditional folk dancing and music. There's even a Viking painting studio, which might be designed for younger patrons, but we think the young at heart count too.
Break out your best flannelette shirt, lace up your Doc Martens and steel yourself for getting up close and personal with the writhing masses. They're the only ways to prepare for the Brightside's latest celebratory evening. Yes, the theme is music you can mosh to. That means the likes of Nirvana and At the Drive In will be sending everyone rushing for the dance floor, plus Blink 182 and Sum 41 as well. When it comes to covering such classic bands, Bayharbour, Sentiments and Headwound The Pony will be doing the honours. It all makes for a night of heavy tracks and hefty party vibes — aka the kind of night everyone wants to experience. Staying once the live music portion of the revelry is over is recommended, because that's when the Brighty DJs will spin all the other grunge, mosh and punk tunes you know, love and want to headbang along with.
Art is much more than beautiful images: it is a form of communication. Through their work, artists tell stories and express the ideas and concepts that shape their individual worlds. In many ways, having this ability is a luxury that a more disadvantaged individual may not be afforded. Art From the Margins (AFTM), a creative initiative of Wesley Mission Brisbane, provides an opportunity for those artists living with adversity to have a voice. A repeating part of the Brisbane Festival program since 2008, the 2015 AFTM exhibition attracted more than 400 entries — a record number for the event. With a theme and public forum on ‘creating wellness’, the diverse collection of artworks provides a view into the lives of those on the fringes of the community. Held in Brisbane City Hall from 25 to 27 September, the exhibition features several artist floor talks, a pop-up café and live music event, and an artist celebration and award day.
Since the 1950s, viewers have watched kaiju wage war in popular culture. Since 2013, drinkers have let an Aussie-made beer battle it out with their tastebuds. Monster Taps and Art: Kaiju Tap Takeover and Art Show blends the best of both worlds. Here, you'll find creative renditions of the giant monsters, and the tasty brew that took inspiration from them. In fact, Kaiju beer is already doing both — and we're not just talking about its status as the tipple of choice for anyone viewing Godzilla or Pacific Rim. Indeed, this Saccharomyces Beer Cafe event not only focuses on their yeasty beverage, but on the artwork of designer/illustrator Mikey Burton, who also whips up their labels. His pieces will line the walls, while Kaiju's liquid goodness will flow through the taps. Long-time fans and newcomers alike can sip on their Metamorphosis, Robohop, Aftermath and Hopped out Red brews, and taste something different, too, courtesy of their GABS beer Compendium which comes with fruity, bubblegum and banana aromas.
Are you serious about your rum? Or just know you love the stuff? Either way, there's a rummy adventure happening in Melbourne throughout August and you can get involved. Fine purveyors and makers of rum for over 265 years, Appleton Estate will bring back The Appleton Trail, a month-long celebration of Jamaica's long-loved spirit. Throughout August Brisbanites can pull up a pew at rum-lovin' pub London Fields in West End and taste the gems of the Appleton range and get into the summery Jamaican spirit. The venue will be serving up special Appleton cocktails every night in August as well as some super tasty Jamaican street food — think jerk chicken burgers, cassava chips and rum-glazed hot wings. Yep, it's time to switch to rum for winter — it's one of the best ways to keep warm, after all.
Australia's favourite fuddy duddy film critic is back in town. Coming to New Farm Cinemas for the first time, the Great Britain Retro Film Festival will feature a selection of classic British films, each of which has been specifically chosen by the great David Stratton. So yeah, don't expect to see any handheld camerawork in these. Running from May 14 to 29, this year's festival features 10 iconic films with not a single dud in sight. Highlights include Carol Reed's The Third Man and the young Maggie Smith-starring The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, as well A Matter of Life and Death by acclaimed directing duo Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. Tick a few unseen titles of your watch list, or catch them for the umpteenth time. Even if you were normally on Team Margaret, you'll find plenty on the program to enjoy.
It's a great time to pay tribute to ladies in science. On cinema screens everywhere, a fab foursome of females has been veering into the spooky and sci-fi side of things in a little film called Ghostbusters; however if you're a Brisbanite and you're into art, that's not the only celebration of women in the field you should flock to. The exhibition offshoot of QUT Creative Industries' one-day CONFLUENCE symposium — where political and social themes of creative practice at the intersection of art, science and technology are the main topics of discussion — Femel_Fissions shines a spotlight on the historical influence of women on scientific discovery and research. If you're not aware of the groundbreaking work ladies in lab coats have contributed to neurology, biology, cytogenetics, psychology, primatology and anatomy over the past three centuries, you will be after viewing this collection of creative pieces. Newly commissioned works by contemporary art/science practitioners Trish Adams, Tarsh Bates, Gina Czarnecki, Svenja Kratz, Rachel Mayeri, Helen Pynor and Jillian Scott all feature, and all strive to highlight the unrestricted inquiry and experimentation that sits at the heart of both of their chosen areas. The showcase kicks off with an opening night event at 5pm on July 19, and then runs from Monday to Friday until August 19. Image: Svenja Kratz, 'Life and Death Vessels: A Collection of Curiosities' 2011.
As much as we all might want to, not everyone can make it down south for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. No, we're not happy about it — but it's time to turn that frown upside down, because you can go to the next best thing. Yes, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow is back for another year of touring hilarity. Bringing the best of the fest to the Brisbane Powerhouse, its showcase of highlights and hijinks is almost like being there. This year's line-up of local and international acts is certain to tickle your funny bone, including Barry Award-winning sketch stars the Pajama Men. They're joined by prolific performer Rachel Berger, Perth export Xavier Michelides, comedian and hip-hop didgeridoo player Sean Choolburra, and TV's own Bob Franklin. Catch all five funny acts live on stage during one chuckle-heavy set, trading their best jokes for your loudest laughs.
When a laneway boasts a pub, bar, bistro, pizzeria and beer cafe — and will soon play host to Brisbane's only Gelato Messina store — it's the kind of place you want to spend plenty of time in. And whether you've been hanging around South Brisbane's Fish Lane already, or you're planning to in the future, here's another reason to stop by: they're throwing their own free festival. That'd be the aptly titled Fish Lane Festival on May 7, which promises to showcase all of the food and drink options the stretch of road between Merivale and Grey streets is known for, plus a few other nearby favourites as well. Satisfying your hunger and thirst isn't the only thing on the agenda, though. Two stages of live music will also feature among the gourmet eats, signature dishes, and craft cocktail beer and wine bar pop-ups,complete with tunes by Reece Freeman, Franky Smart, Groove or Die, Soulergy Music and Parasol. Trust the folks from The Fox Hotel to be behind the fun; they are the laneway's most prominent hangout, and one of its longest-standing hotspots, after all. They'll be joined by Billy Kart Kitchen, Birds Nest Restaurant, Fish Lane Bistro, Gauge, Habitat Restaurant & Bar, Julius Pizzeria, Madame Wu, Maker, Saccharomyces Beer Cafe and The Gunshop Cafe. And, gelato fans, Gelato Messina will be making a pop-up appearance ahead of their much-anticipated October opening. Not only does it sound like a great day out, but it's also the kind of party that wasn't possible even a decade ago. Remember when Brisbane didn't have thriving nooks and crannies like this? Yes, we're choosing not to, too; however Fish Lane Festival proves a very fitting celebration of the city's blossoming laneway culture. Fish Lane Festival takes place from 12pm on May 7. For more information, visit the festival's Facebook page. Image: Dana Newman for Gelato Messina, coming soon to Fish Lane.
There's a time and a place for everything, and that includes talking, jeering and heckling in a cinema. Well, in a bar that's screening a film, to be precise. Of course, the overall effect is the same. Yep, if you've ever wanted to share your snarky remarks while watching a trash classic, or shout at characters on screen doing stupid things, Comedy Commentary Cinema is the safe space where that really can happen. At their first-ever screening, you'll watch the 1989 kung fu comedy Samurai Cop, and you'll enjoy a participatory experience in the process. No one will shush you here. Comedians Jasmine Fairbairn and Chris Martin will be on hand to oversee the shenanigans, get the chatter started and offer their own comic thoughts. Arriving early to grab snacks and drinks from the bar is recommended. And you thought this was the kind of thing you could only do in your lounge room.
A film festival dedicated to American films? Bear with us here. Sure, Hollywood pumps out most of the movies that reach our screens, but don't expect to see superheroes battling for supremacy, transforming robotic cars saving the world or an endless parade of sequels at Essential Independents: American Cinema, Now. Instead, the brand new event is dedicated to the types of US flicks that don't usually make it to our shores. Here, smaller titles and character-driven fare share the spotlight with experimental efforts, intriguing docos and the kind of classics that you won't find on every retro lineup. Think revisionist westerns featuring gun-slinging gals and explorations of important American artists, plus the chance to see early work by the Coen brothers, Kathryn Bigelow, Richard Linklater and Sofia Coppola in a cinema. The festival will run from May 17 until June 8 at Palace Centro. You can find Brisbane session times here. Need help deciding what to see? Take a look at our top five films to see at the festival.
Miss Phryne Fisher might be known for solving mysteries; however from July 15 to September 4, her sleuthing skills aren't required. Trying to unravel the hidden truth behind the character's gorgeous attire is futile. As Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Costume Exhibition at Old Government House makes plain, their artistry speaks for itself. Everything that made season three of the ABC TV series sparkle with 1920s glamour will be on display, including both outfits and props. As a result, so will the award-winning work of costume designer Marion Boyce. Of course, Miss Fisher came to the page courtesy of Australian author Kerry Greenwood — and then to the screen in the guise of actress Essie Davis — but the important efforts of the woman responsible for her stylish look can't be underestimated. As well as showcasing sartorial delights, the Miss Fisher-focused season will also offer up a selection of special events, talks, tours and workshops. Whether you head along to the free lawn party, kick up your heels at the pop-up speakeasy bar, contemplate Brisbane's art deco history or learn about making flapper headbands, just make sure that you dress for the occasion — if there's an exhibition that you'll want to look your best at, it's this one.
Anyone can drink a lager, pilsner or pale ale. Not everyone can knock back a stout or porter. And while the former are available everywhere, you won't find a celebration of the latter just anywhere. That's why Milton's favourite dive bar started the Weekend of Darkness. Since 2013, the Scratch has dedicated two days each year to showing their love for brews on the blacker end of the beer spectrum — and offering a home for those who feel the same way, of course. If it's yeasty, liquid and overflowing with smoky, coffee, chocolate, spiced and even bourbon flavours, you'll find it here. You'll also find snacks, offbeat vibes and strange happenings galore. Expect this year's dalliance with the dark side to kick off on Friday to extend the drinking fun, include a 30-beer lineup, and also offer a feast of burgers from local BBQ legends the Shank Bros. Expect everything, be it food, booze or atmosphere, to warm up your insides too. There's a reason this takes place in winter, after all.
In Frances Ha, Greta Gerwig became the on-screen embodiment of a predicament most twenty-somethings can relate to: knowing what you don't want out of life, rather than what you do. In Mistress America, she offered a different side of failing to achieve your dreams, this time from a slightly older perspective. Now, in Maggie's Plan, she grapples with the fact that you can't control everything, no matter how hard you try. Consider it the next phase in her ongoing examination of the idiosyncrasies of quarter-life malaise. Written and directed by Rebecca Miller (The Private Lives of Pippa Lee) based on an unpublished novel by Karen Rinaldi, the film explores two schemes hatched by the eponymous Maggie (Gerwig), a college careers advisor whose life is...well...a bit of a mess. When the film opens, she's telling her married best pal Tony (Bill Hader) about her intention to become a mother using sperm donated by their high school classmate turned pickle entrepreneur Guy (Travis Fimmel). Cut forward three years and she instead has a daughter with John (Ethan Hawke), an anthropology professor and aspiring novelist who's struggling to cut ties with his imposing ex-wife Georgette (Julianne Moore). Although it may certainly sound like one, to simply call Maggie's Plan a romantic comedy doesn't quite do the film justice. While the situations the characters find themselves in are by no means unique, there's a level of intricacy to all the major players that ensures Miller's screenplay feels as authentic as it does amusing. When Maggie tries to muster a polite response to Guy's offer to help her get pregnant "the old-fashioned way", for example, her awkwardness feels ripped from reality. That's the gift that both Gerwig and Miller bring — an understanding of how to convey life's ups and downs in a way that's equally playful and relatable. The two prove as an apt a pair as Gerwig and Frances Ha filmmaker Noah Baumbach, yet they're not the feature's only standouts. Adopting a severe Danish accent that she takes time to settle into, Moore proves both hilarious and surprisingly sympathetic. Of course, with its jaunty jazz score and New York setting, Maggie's Plan can't escape the shadow of other, similar films gone by. It's not only Baumbach that springs to mind, but Woody Allen — though any resemblance is likely by design. Miller has crafted a movie knowingly comprised of familiar parts, but cleverly filled with astute reflections that tell the tale from a fresh perspective.
Once you've seen David O'Doherty live, you'll likely come to a conclusion. The Irish comedian has such a winning way with his '86-vintage keyboard that you'll think all performers should tickle the ivories — or at least combine their amusing musings with music. This realisation will most probably be followed by another: just like Highlander, there can be only one comic this playful and perceptive while armed with an electronic approximation of a piano. There's a reason he's graced every comedy panel television show you can think of, after all — and his 2016 Brisbane Comedy Festival show We Are All in the Gutter But Some of Us Are Looking At David O’Doherty will reaffirm his genius. David O'Doherty is one of our top ten picks to see at the Brisbane Comedy Festival.
Last year, we got all revved up about Speed the Movie the Play, but when it comes to comical stage interpretations of famous '90s films, it seems that was just the beginning. And while there'll sadly be no blank-faced Keanu driving a bus, this year's Brisbane Comedy Festival will take on the tragic romance of Kate and Leo (as well as the just-as-tragic collision of a boat and some frozen water). Yes, your heart will go on as two lovestruck ship-dwellers attempt to overcome their different backgrounds, ignore any rules about getting hot and steamy in someone else's car, and try to avoid a pesky iceberg. And chances are you'll still laugh along — even though you know how it all turns out. Actually, maybe you don't; if anyone was going to work in Winslet's recent revelation that there was actually room for DiCaprio on the door that proved so pivotal to the movie's final scenes, it's this spirited bunch. Titanic the Movie the Play is one of our top ten picks to see at the Brisbane Comedy Festival.
Turning a novel into a play is no easy feat — the laws of written fiction can be very different to those of onstage drama. But Andrew Bovell's adaptation of Kate Grenville's hit novel, The Secret River, was so popular when it debuted in 2013 that it returned for a Sydney encore, and now heads to Brisbane. Not only did the production sell out, it won a slew of awards, including six Helpmanns — Best Play, Best Direction and Best New Australian Work among them. With Neil Armfield in the director's chair, the play tells the story of two families and one landscape. The first is that of William Thornhill. A convict from the dark, crowded, desperately poor slums of London, he thinks he has found a home for himself and his family on the Hawkesbury River. And he can't believe his luck. The other family is one of the Dharug people, who have lived in the area for thousands of years and whose survival — physical and spiritual — depends on their surroundings. Unable or unwilling to relinquish his hold on the land, Thornhill makes a horrific decision, which he carries with him for the rest of his life.
The best artwork makes audiences see things in a different way. Perhaps a piece plays with different formats. Or, it could simply shine a new light on existing elements. Maybe it makes a statement that fuses seemingly unconnected ideas, items and places. Meagan Streader's W-inter aims to do all three in an immersive, large-scale installation. In Metro Arts' first exhibition for 2016, she fashions a mesmerising field of illuminated linear structures. Her creations not only craft a futuristic vision of cyberspace, but also respond to the gallery's heritage-listed building in a way that has never been seen before. Basically, Streader's latest show aims to embody a term that gets bandied about all-too-often in the art world: sensory experience. Given that W-inter combines light, geometric lines and architecture, the Brisbane creative is certainly doing her best to earn that description — and, you can hear chat about all that and more at an artist talk on March 2.
With Supanova in town this weekend, pop culture enthusiasts can be forgiven for being all a-flutter. That's your daylight hours taken care of, but what's an avid fan to do after a day spent strolling around a convention? The Motor Room has the answer. Yes, the West End hangout is throwing a video game music party — aka the perfect way to keep the geek-fuelled vibes going. Of course the evening is called Press Start to Continue. And of course it features game music maestros Boss Fight, plus Sydney's jazzy gamer outfit The Consouls in their first-ever Queensland show. Both bands will pump out a soundtrack of all the tunes that have kept your favourite game titles jumping, whether you're a dedicated arcade aficionado or prefer to keep your frenetic button-pressing to the confines of your lounge room. Expect classics and anthems from across all platforms, as well as a few dips into the more obscure. And, expect the most amount of fun you can have when you're not playing your favourite console.
Ever daydreamed about breaking out of the 9-to-5 grind by taking to the streets and throwing a lunchtime party? We all have, but such flights of fancy have stayed confined to our imaginations — until now. Between 11.30am and 2.30pm on December 4, the stretch of Albert Street running from Charlotte and Mary streets will become the kind of midday fun fair usually relegated to the realm of fantasy. Instead of road, you'll find astroturf. Instead of cars, you'll find deck chairs. Instead of inner-city hustle and bustle, you'll find live music, board games and craft workshops. Yep, it's the perfect way to celebrate a whole host of things: an hour out of the office, the end of the week and the arrival of the holiday season, for starters. It's also a great excuse to head away from the mall, put Christmas shopping out of your mind and really enjoy all things festive. Image via Kgbo.
When it comes to annual traditions, the release of a new ensemble Christmas movie is among the most reliable. That doesn’t mean that it’s good — it just means that another festive feature seems to reach screens every year, overflowing with star power as well as predictability. This year's entry is Love the Coopers, and if you've seen a holiday flick before, you can probably already guess the storyline. On Christmas Eve, a dysfunctional family has to overcome their differences and learn to appreciate each other — and yes, the film really is that routine. That's not the only dash of formula director Jessie Nelson (I Am Sam) and writer Steven Rogers (P.S. I Love You) sprinkle throughout their big screen attempt to deck cinemas with some yuletide cheer. There's nothing like a last chance at happiness, aka a potentially final Christmas together as a group, to up the stakes. And, when following a big group getting into the spirit of the season, why not flit between individual stories before weaving them all together in the manner of Valentine's Day and New Year's Eve? Indeed, on the checklist of standard elements in occasion-oriented offerings, Love the Coopers ticks all the boxes. The characters continue the trend, including bickering, long-married parents Sam and Charlotte (John Goodman and Diane Keaton), and troubled adult children Hank and Eleanor (Ed Helms and Olivia Wilde). Sam and Charlotte are about to separate, but haven't told anyone yet. Hank has just divorced from Angie (Alex Borstein), struggles with sharing custody of his three kids and can't find a job, while Eleanor is sick of being judged for being single, so she convinces Joe (Jake Lacy), a soldier she meets in an airport bar, to pretend to be her boyfriend. Throw in a few other stragglers — Charlotte's jealous sister Emma (Marisa Tomei), who spends her day dispensing amateur counselling to a closeted cop (Anthony Mackie); Aunt Fishy (June Squibb), the requisite eccentric elderly person with a failing memory; and family patriarch Bucky (Alan Arkin), who's closer to the waitress (Amanda Seyfried) at his local diner than his family — and the scene is set for the usual festive hijinks. Arguing and hugging ensue, and then more of the same. Presents and food are often in the frame. It's all as predictable as eating too much at Christmas dinner, only not at all filling. Narration links what are essentially intertwined short films; however the feature falls victim not just to cheesy clichés, but to blandness. Wilde and Lacy's segment invests a little energy into proceedings, and Arkin and Seyfried share the sweetest story, but they're the highlights of an average-at-best lot. The performances meet the same fate, with the rest of the high-profile cast largely squandered. Wasted, too, is any sincerity and good cheer, as an overdose of sentiment and contrivance leaves the bulk of the movie veering in tone and feeling forced. Sweeping camerawork can't improve matters, nor can a schmaltzy soundtrack. The end result: Love the Coopers isn't a seasonal gift, but a holiday chore.
Trust Black Bear Lodge to come up with a Christmas event that recognises what the majority of Australians would rather be doing on December 25. Most of us can't head to the beach for a spot of surfing and splashing about — no matter how much we'd like to — but we can do our best to pretend otherwise at Surfmas. Yes, the Brunswick Street venue is throwing everyone's favourite end-of-year party again, much to the delight of anyone of anyone who wants to get tropical. Los Huevos, Teen Sensations, The Plastic Fangs and The Wet Fish will help set the mood, and cocktails with pineapple in them will as well. We're sure they'll all do the job.
This year, the Brightside welcomed fried chicken joint Lucky Egg to the fold; however that's not the Fortitude Valley venue's only source of edible fun. For one afternoon only, they're inviting some of the city's favourite sources of meals on wheels to stop by for a laneway party. What better way to celebrate Brisbane's obsession with street food, after all? Yep, The Bun Mobile, The Bone Lorry, Micasa, Juan More Taco and Gourmet H-Dogz will be making Warner Street their temporary home for what's certain to be a scrumptious way to end a Friday. With delicious burgers and ribs, both Tex-Mex and Mexican morsels, plus hotdogs on the menu, one thing is certain: you'd best arrive hungry. If you've been to one of Brighty's regular shindigs, no doubt you're already keen — and no doubt you already know that it's not just your stomach that'll be satisfied. At the Truck-It Street Feeds Laneway Party, a local music lineup and other funky forms of entertainment are all part of the package. An after dinner game of bag toss, horseshoe or life-sized Jenga, anyone? Image via The Bone Lorry.
Good things come in small packages, and good gigs happen in small venues. That's part of the philosophy behind the music event that's tiny in size but big in impact. The name probably gives that away though, given that it's called the Festival of Small Halls. Produced by the Woodford Folk Festival in partnership with other Australian events, the series of tours takes the best folk and contemporary acoustic artists away from the large stages and cities and out to regional locations and intimate places. At least one Australian artist and one international artist is always on the bill, whether the fest is venturing to farmland or outer coastal suburbs. In good news for Brisbanites willing to journey north of the CBD, the latter provides the latest stop as part of the summer 2015 tour, with the Sandgate Town Hall the spot to head to on December 17. There, you'll find Canada's Irish Mythen and Tim Chaisson, plus Australia's own Starboard Cannons. You'll also find a charming evening of entertainment, aka reason enough to hit the road.
Last-minute shopping, over-indulging at celebratory shindigs, and pretending not to be annoyed about receiving another pair of socks: they’re each part of every Christmas. For kids and adults alike, so is many a seasonal-themed movie. If it has Santa or Christmas in the title, it is optimal viewing at this time of year. The folks at South Bank certainly think so, and have thrown together their yearly Christmas Cinema Series brimming with festive spirit. These free films aren’t just for families. Any Yuletide movie held under Brisbane’s starry skies and on the shores of Streets Beach at this summery time of the season is perfect for, well, everyone. Pack a picnic, bring your beach towel, and enjoy everything from Jingle All the Way’s ‘90s stylings to the classic treat that is Miracle on 34th Street. That’s not all, with The Muppets Christmas Carol, Elf, It's a Wonderful Life, Home Alone and more among a positively jovial and jolly selection of childhood classics gracing the waterside big screen.
It's a problem that everyone can relate to, and on more than one occasion. You reach for two socks, but despite your searching, you can only find a solo foot covering, sans partner in crime. It's all alone and destined to be deemed odd due to its lonely status. As the name suggests, Odd Sock! ponders this common predicament, attempting to offer an adventurous, amusing answer to the age-old question of lost socks' whereabouts. With The Mime Guy in the performer's seat, you also know what kind of show you're getting as slapstick, silent physical comedy ventures into the unknown sock universe.
If Wonderland's 2014 run had a breakout hit, it was I Want to Know What Love Is. If you saw it then, you were ahead of the trend. If you missed out, one of your friends has probably raved about to you in the year since. The reason everyone was talking about it — and still is — is simple: the show takes 800 anonymous love stories submitted by you, your friends and your exes, and then turns them into a theatre performance. Long-buried memories and bedroom fantasies become on-stage declarations, as do crushes, conquests and secret confessions. Here, you really will find out what love is.
If you're lucky enough to enjoy the gift of sight, you probably take it for granted without even realising it. So many of the things you do rely upon being able to see, whether it's something mundane like getting dressed or something fun such as viewing an art exhibition. It's the latter experience Nothing to See Here is concerned with — and we're certain that you haven't seen anything like it before. In fact, locked cabinets are the only things you'll see. Inside each sits artworks by members of the blind communities of Seoul and Brisbane, but they won't be stared at by curious eyes. Instead of gazing upon the art show as you wander around Brisbane Powerhouse's Mosquito Foyer, you'll interact with descriptions of every piece, rather than the actual displayed works. Audio recordings from each artist provide further details and share insights, allowing you to form your own impressions without ever casting your peepers over their creative efforts.
Remember when you spent your time dreaming up magical places and fantastic creatures? Well, Sarah-Jayne McCreath still does that. Her art feels like childhood imaginings entering an adult world. It bursts with playfulness and recalls all things weird. It's a fascinating combination. Indeed, hers are the type of pieces likely to spawn their own mythology, and the type to get grouped together in an exhibition called Drongos, too. They're both cute and a little creepy, and they're the perfect thing to look at while you're having a coffee. Yes, really. If you head to Haven Espresso at Stafford Heights until the end of December, you can do just that, enjoying something creative with a caffeine fix or a tasty snack. McCreath — aka Beara, the name of her imagination playground — is the cafe's featured artist of the month, with her works not just adorning the walls, but available for sale as well.
Fifty years ago, the events of one night changed Dadang Christanto's life. Now, he's an Indonesian-born, internationally acclaimed artist who has exhibited around the world; then, he was an eight-year-old suddenly forced to cope when his father was taken away and his home was burned to the ground. He's still coping, as his work makes clear. Indeed, his latest collection reflects that ongoing personal process and recognises the cathartic role creativity can play in coming to terms with trauma. More than that, it renders the horrific realities that characterised his homeland from 1965 until 1998 onto canvas. If it sounds like confronting viewing, spanning a time when death and imprisonment without trial were all too commonplace, that's because it is. In the aptly named 1965, pieces old and new combine to speak not only of Christanto and others who suffered five decades ago, but of "everyone who has suffered the misfortune of systematic violence," as the artist so devastatingly puts it.
Everybody loves a good procedural. Meticulously charting the steps of an investigation can be as immersive as it is thrilling; there's a reason that serial killer flicks and cop shows prefer the approach, after all. Truth applies the style to a tale of media troubles, tracking a group of US journalists trying to cover a story of national significance. Unfortunately, while the film sticks to the formula of chasing leads and piecing together a puzzle, it does so in a standard and heavy-handed fashion. It's a disappointing outcome, and surprising for two reasons. The first is that the real-life circumstances that inform the feature — the incident that ended the careers of seasoned news producer Mary Mapes (Cate Blanchett) and veteran news anchor Dan Rather (Robert Redford) — are both complicated and compelling. The second is that although filmmaker James Vanderbilt is sitting in the director's chair for the first time, he previously wrote the script for David Fincher's Zodiac, one of the best procedural efforts ever made. With Truth, he offers an account of a controversial report about then-President George W. Bush's military record, which aired on American TV's 60 Minutes in 2004. Mapes, Rather and their team (played by the likes of Topher Grace, Dennis Quaid and Elisabeth Moss) burrowed into rumours and leaked memos surrounding the President's service with the Texas Air National Guard in the 1970s and the preferential treatment he might have received, only to be subjected to accusations of factual inaccuracy and political bias in the aftermath of the broadcast. Much of the enjoyment of procedurals stems from the journey on which they take the audience, letting us watch as details are discovered and dots are joined together. Alas, in adapting Mapes' memoir Truth and Duty: The Press, the President and the Privilege of Power, Vanderbilt renders Truth an exercise in telling rather than showing. Everything of importance is spelled out multiple times, and speeches about the downfall of the media are given more weight and emphasis than the minutiae of the investigation. The underlying situation remains fascinating, as does the statement the film makes, but the former too often feels like a tool for the latter. Thank goodness for Blanchett, who channels both the vulnerability of her Oscar-winning portrayal in Blue Jasmine and the steeliness of her performance in Elizabeth. The crusading film she's in might largely go through the motions, but the same could never be said for her. Redford, too, is expectedly strong, playing Rather with weariness and wisdom. Sadly, the rest of the cast is relegated to sidekick roles and bit parts, a symptom of Vanderbilt's blunt focus. That said, Noni Hazlehurst stands out among a bunch of local talent that also includes Rachael Blake, Andrew McFarlane, Steve Bastoni, Martin Sacks and Nicholas Hope. Turns out the movie was actually shot in Sydney: the biggest surprise in a movie that lacks them otherwise.
When writer Herman Melville (Ben Whishaw) knocks on the door of retired sailor Thomas Nickerson (Brendan Gleeson), he's chasing a white whale. The year is 1850, and the author is writing a novel that he'd like to base on his own time at sea as well as another true tale. When Nickerson eventually agrees to share the story of the ship he worked on three decades earlier, he's fleeing the same beast. The Essex, a Nantucket whaler, had dallied with the giant sea creature — and Nickerson had refused to talk about it since. So starts In the Heart of the Sea, Ron Howard's account of the real-life events that inspired Moby-Dick. Based on the non-fiction book that gives the film its name, the movie both searches for and tries to escape the monstrous animal in its midst. In the narrative, it tells of men charging forward and then retreating — though as anyone familiar with Melville's epic would be aware, the whale isn't the only thing they're seeking or running from. In the feature's approach, it rises and falls in its energy and bobs and sways in its style, ensuring that the to-ing and fro-ing of story comes through in the mood and visuals. The Essex had set off in 1819 to gather barrels of oil, with melted-down whale blubber the preferred source at the time. Two men led the crew: the untested Captain George Pollard (Benjamin Walker), who received his position due to his family name, and first officer Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth), who boasted plenty of experience but lacked a wealthy pedigree. Their clashes rocked the boat figuratively and literally, leaving the likes of young Nickerson (Tom Holland) and second mate Matthew Joy (Cillian Murphy) caught in the middle. Keen to complete the job and get away from each other as soon as possible, Pollard and Chase ventured 10,000 leagues along the equator to find a pod of sperm whales, ignoring warnings about an unfriendly mammal that had terrorised other vessels. While In the Heart of the Sea is framed as a showdown between Pollard and Chase, their combined foe becomes that cinema cliché — the third character in their battle. Thankfully, Howard and screenwriter Charles Leavitt (Seventh Son) know that less is more, teasing the impact of the animal more than they show it. Though the film doesn't miss a chance to flaunt its use of 3D or the aesthetic jerkiness that stems from its watery setting, this isn't a creature feature. Instead, it’s seafaring fare that's littered with more than a few arresting moments, while remaining more concerned with the trouble the whale both causes and amplifies than it does with the whale itself. With Hemsworth playing up the drama that results, it makes for a brooding clash of egos and a blustering tale of humanity versus nature. His accent may waver, but he's a solid lead, even if he's often shouting, scowling and staring out to sea. With Gleeson, he's also an anchoring presence in a film that swims between a drunken retelling, unleashing the chaos and the fury of the ocean; and showing the kind of drifting seen in other recent seafaring films like Unbroken, All is Lost and Life of Pi. A rough but most rousing journey.
In their stories and themes, Pixar often play in the same territory over and over. Generally, they take an object, animal or concept – say a toy, a fish or a car – and instill it with consciousness and emotion. And yet when it comes to visuals, they rarely do the same thing twice. Each new Pixar movie might feel somewhat similar, but they always look different. The Good Dinosaur, the animation studio's latest effort, demonstrates both extremes. "What if lumbering prehistoric creatures had feelings?" is the question the feature asks, then attempts to answer in heart-warming, lesson-learning fashion. A green, long-necked apatosaurus by the name of Arlo certainly has plenty, mostly of the melancholy variety. As a child (voiced by Jack McGraw), he's worried about his lack of size, strength and skill around the family farm, particularly in comparison to his bigger siblings. A few years later (now voiced by Raymond Ochoa), those self-doubts are put to the test when he wanders far from home and has to find his way back again. Director Peter Sohn (short film Partly Cloudy) and writer Meg LeFauve (Inside Out) take Arlo through well-worn territory — and not just for Pixar, but for many other animated movies about talking animals. Arlo is forced to face his fears, come of age and survive in the wild, with only a scampering, growling, primitive human boy, who he names Spot (Jack Bright), for company. They forge a connection despite having some initial troubles, and help each other through episodic encounters with other dinosaurs and creatures. Yes, it's a routine narrative, and it's mostly told as such, hitting all the expected beats. In fact, The Good Dinosaur is the kind of film that will cause your eyes to wander away from the main action — although given the artistry on display around the primary characters, that's a good thing. It's not often that the background proves more engaging than the figures at the centre of the frame, or that the direction makes sure you're noticing that peripheral beauty. Yet that's frequently the case here. The photorealistic details evident in images of fields, mountains, waterfalls, trees and other natural features are the real stars of the show, and provide the picture with a distinctive, eye-catching appearance. Of course, the film isn't without its other modest pleasures. For starters, there's its alternate timeline, one that sees dinosaurs not only roaming the planet long after an asteroid should've hit, but living an agrarian lifestyle. There are nods to the western genre, a brief but inventive hallucinatory sequence, and enjoyable voice-acting by Frances McDormand, Sam Elliott and Steve Zahn in smaller parts. Like the familiar story though, they simply pale in comparison to the splendour that surrounds them. Sure, the movie might be about a good dinosaur, but what it best serves up is great, gorgeous visuals.
Who doesn't love a tap takeover? If you're keen on beer, bars and breweries, you're getting the best of everything: the atmosphere of your favourite haunt, the usual beverages and a limited-time-only selection of other tasty tipples. Most Tuesdays, all of the above occurs at Newstead Brewing Co, because those fine folks know how to take a good thing — aka one of the city's favourite purveyors of yeasty goodness — and make it even better. The guest brewery might change each week, but a commitment to damn fine drinks remains. To kick off 2016, the Tamborine-based farmhouse brewery that is Beard and Brau are in the spotlight. They'll be pouring their famous Miley's Mulberry Tart (aka kettle soured wheat ale), Mrs B's Spring Ale, Fox 'n' Hounds Pale Lager and Bon Chiens French Farmhouse Ale, so you'd better arrive thirsty. If you miss out, don't stress — another tap takeover is just a week away.
What's better than getting dressed up for an end-of-year party? Getting dressed up for an end-of-year masquerade ball. Yep, these kinds of shindigs don't just happen in the movies. You won't just need a new outfit — you'll need a disguise, because wearing a mask isn't optional. Not sure which one to choose? Well, why not take a few cues from the venue. Woolly Mammoth is embracing its animal side, complete with themed rooms, of course. Perhaps you'd like to take to the tropics (aka the Garden Bar), or get all cozy in a log cabin (aka the Alehouse)?
