Tasmania's delightfully sinister Dark Mofo is back for a sixth year, and the lineup is bigger and bolder than ever. Taking place in the run up to winter solstice, the festival is all about embracing the shadows and flaunting the freaky. Hosted by the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), it explores ancient rituals and mythology through music, performance and art installations — all while showcasing artists, performers and ideas that are otherwise overlooked in mainstream culture. While the main event is scheduled to run between June 13 and 24, this year's festival will also feature a 'prelude weekend' from June 7 to 10. A sneak peek before the full fest, it'll include exhibition openings at Mona and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, and an orchestral quartet at the Port Arthur Historic Site. A symposium titled Dark and Dangerous Thoughts will also run across June 8 to 10, using film, literature and talks to explore moral and ethical issues within contemporary society. Capping it all off — and setting the tone for the entire festival — is Société Anonyme, a masked costume ball where opulence and mystery are to be expected in equal measure. When the festival proper rolls around on June 13, patrons should expect Dark Mofo's "usual mix of extreme, experimental and eclectic programming", according to creative director Leigh Carmichael. Crowd favourites such as the nude solstice swim and the Dark Park playground are all due to return, with the latter hosting ogoh-ogoh purging and burning, plus Ryoji Ikeda's light installation spectra. Germany's experimental industrial band Einstürzende Neubauten are also back, performing their piece (and studio album) Lament, which focuses on the outbreak of WWI. Elsewhere, the schedule is full of phenomenal female names. Laurie Anderson will bring her series of essays titled All the Things I Lost in the Flood to life on stage through music, video and spoken word. She has also partnered with new media artist Hsin-Chien Huang to create virtual-reality experience Chalkroom, as well as creating a 'sound bath' using her late husband Lou Reed's instruments alongside guitar tech Stewart Hurwood. Inuk throat-singer Tanya Tagaq will perform her fierce album Retribution, backed by a choir, while Grammy Award-winning crooner St. Vincent is slated to perform on June 15. Other highlights include a further exploration into the occult, with the Salamanca Arts Centre hosting a grotesque photography exhibition from William Mortensen and holding a ritualistic tattooing session for members of the public. And, for those keen to catch Soda Jerk's latest, their new film work Terror Nullius will screen as part of the fest. Plus, in a huge tribute to David Lynch and Twin Peaks, Dark Mofo will create their version of the Bang Bang Bar. It'll host intimate gigs like you'd see at the series' roadhouse — including sets by Rebecca Del Rio, who featured in the show as well as Lynch's Mulholland Drive. Dark Mofo takes place in Hobart between June 13 and 24. Tickets on sale from 11am on April 10 (with a subscriber pre-sale from 6pm on April 9). For more information, visit the festival website. By Melanie Colwell and Sarah Ward.
If there's one thing we know about the future, it's this: battery life shouldn't be an problem. No, we don't have a crystal ball, time-travelling telephone booth or DeLorean. We're just making a guess thanks to the large number of smart minds currently dedicating themselves to the issue. Just last month, the concept of wireless charging rooms arrived to keep our devices juiced (in theory, that is). Now, adjust your visions of years to come to encompass the latest idea. It's the subject of a US patent application by Sony, and it focuses on the notion of wirelessly sucking up power while you're out and about. All you'll need is a phone, a friend and their call-making, text-sending, Facebook-updating device. If you've ever hopped onto your pal's mobile data connection, you know how the concept will hopefully work. Just swap wifi for power, and you're off and running. And, it's not just limited to smartphones — other electronic devices as computers, TVs, fridges, washing machines and microwaves will ideally able to jump in on the action and jump-start each other's batteries. The devices will have to be placed within a short range from each other for phone-to-phone charging to function, with the technology relying upon Near Field Communication, aka the same method behind other wireless syncing. And, as always, don't go throwing out your cables just yet. It might soon be a reality, but it isn't at the moment. Via Gizmodo / What a Future!!
Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie are getting the band back together — Flight of the Conchords have announced plans for their first tour in two years. Sure, the plans are only American for now, but we'll take it. Confirming plans in a recent interview with Billboard, Clement said the pair "are planning on touring later on in the year in the States. It isn't very solid yet, but we've been talking about it." It'll be the first time the Hiphopopotamus and Rhymenocerous have toured as FOTC since 2013. The best bit (and the bit we can get excited about over here) is that they'll apparently be unveiling new Conchords tunes on stage. "I really don't like the studio part of music," he says. "I more enjoy playing live and letting others take care of the recording." Clement has been hangin' out at Sundance, promoting his brand new film People, Places, Things, after a year of promoting co-written, co-directed vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows. McKenzie's been knee-deep in film for the past year as well, returning to his Oscar-winning role as music supervisor for 2014's Muppet follow-up Muppets Most Wanted — which Clement popped up in. Fingers crossed for a venture back home to New Zealand and across to Australia so all the ladies can check out their sugalumps For now, one of the finest Conchords moments: 'Jenny'. Via Billboard.
Australians love of big, ridiculous eyesores is well documented. We don't know whether it's something to do with our sense of humour or our love of the absurd, but somehow an oversized fibreglass banana made its way into our national iconography. People genuinely go there to stand in awe. (Disclaimer: I've been three times, but couldn't tell you why). Now, this trend is in danger of reaching tipping point. Is the humble, oily dim sim really worthy of a pedestal? Will it even be from South Melbourne Market? The suggestion to build a giant dim sim statue has been brought to Lord Mayor Robert Doyle this week by a group of RMIT students calling themselves The Dim Sim Salute. In their campaign material, they claim the dim sim is the "ultimate symbol of acceptance [because it's] developed by the Chinese, embraced by Australian's [sic] and manufactured by the Greeks." Here's the full confusing spiel (watch out for about halfway through when they infer people are unknowingly eating cats): Mr Doyle's response to the campaign has been underwhelming to say the least. "I respect the passion of these people but I really can't see this one going anywhere," he said before posting this kind of, weirdly, nearly discriminatory pro-meat pie sentiment on Twitter. I am a traditionalist: the meat pie trumps the dim sim in this town. And rightly has a monument. @RossAndJohn pic.twitter.com/qdFtfv2Q0l — Robert Doyle (@LordMayorMelb) September 2, 2014 The group are circulating a Change.org petition that currently has 99 of the necessary 2,000 supporters, but the outlook doesn't look great. Organisers are not even sure whether the commemorative dim sim should be steamed or fried. These are the tough questions, people. Do your civic duty and get involved. Via The Age. Photo credit: avlxyz via photopin cc.
There has been a small resurgence in the live music scene in the Brisbane CBD. While still comparatively small compared to the live music juggernaut venues in the Valley, it is good to see some people are putting in effort to diversify the musical locales around town. Off The Rails is a brand new night happening every Thursday at the Grand Central Hotel in the CBD. Much like its sister event, Trainspotters, Off The Rails will bring out some of the best local talent and put on a great show every week. The inaugural event is looking to be pretty special. Gravel Samwidge will be bringing their hard hitting punk to the headline slot while The Good Sports, Caroline and Thigh Master (pictured) will be playing in support. This will be a great show and is a great event to get behind. Swing by Grand Central Hotel on Thursday night and witness some great bands doing what they do best.
After playing two balloted shows that sold out faster than you could say "Best New Music", The xx have made good on their promise that they would come back in 2013 to sate the appetites of everyone who missed out. Now that they've released their second album, Coexist, the buzz around the trio is only louder. But Jamie Smith, Romy Madley Croft, and Oliver Sim are capable of being heard above the din by turning up the volume on one of the most valuable (and most underrated) instruments of all — silence. Their strength is seen through the gaps between bone-chilling reverbs and papery vocals, and they're sexy because they don't specifically mention sex. That's not to say The xx don't get noise. They get much of their inspiration from London's dark techno dance scene, and Jamie and Romy both have thriving satellite careers as DJs. The trio's bankability is bigger than ever, so be sure your credit card is handy and your clicking finger poised when tickets go on sale at noon on January 15. More information on the Handsome Tours website. UPDATE: Thursday, April 4, at Festival Hall in Melbourne, and Sunday, April 7, at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney have sold out. New shows have been added at Festival Hall on Friday 5th and the Hordern on Saturday 6th. There are still tickets available to the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Tuesday, April 9. https://youtube.com/watch?v=_nW5AF0m9Zw
Every time one of your friends has posted something incredibly sad on Facebook and you've 'liked' it? Things are about to get a little more appropriate (and inevitably negative) on the social media IV drip. Facebook is officially working on a form of 'dislike' button. Facebook co-founder and known hoodie wearer Mark Zuckerberg announced the 'dislike' button venture during a casual Q&A session on Tuesday, explaining that the team has been working on this for some time. "People have asked about the 'dislike' button for many years, and probably hundreds of people have asked about this, and today is a special day because today is the day that I actually get to say we are working on it, and are very close to shipping a test of it," he said. But before you immediately imagine Facebook as a carbon copy of Reddit's upvote/downvote system, Zuckerberg maintains there's more to the developments. "That doesn't seem like the kind of community that we want to create. You don't want to go through the process of sharing some moment that was important to you in your day and have someone 'downvote' it." It's more about "expressing empathy". There's going to be more than liking and disliking on Facebook, as Zuckerberg mentioned there'll be multiple emotional reactions you'll be able to apply to posts. Facebook will begin tests soon, before rolling out the buttons worldwide. Via CNBC.
M. Night Shyamalan is back. Of course, he never really went anywhere — he just took a detour from familiar territory. After coming to fame with his third feature — the dead people-filled, six-time Oscar nominee The Sixth Sense — the filmmaker made a name for himself with supernatural-heavy, twist-oriented efforts such as Unbreakable, Signs and The Village. When he switched to bigger budget sci-fi with The Last Airbender and Smith (as in Will and Jaden) family vehicle After Earth, it was a definite change of pace. Then came The Visit, the low-budget 2015 flick that once again toyed with Shyamalan's recognisable elements, and became a huge financial hit in the process. Consider that dipping a toe back into the water, but don't go thinking his latest film, Split, is the writer/director simply offering up more of the same. Yes, the James McAvoy-starring movie is moody and unnerving, embraces a distinctive concept, and balances psychology and philosophy — all Shyamalan trademarks. A claustrophobic kidnapping tale with a lead character boasting 23 different personalities (plus a 24th trying to burst out), as well as an engrossing story that doesn't merely hinge upon late-stage revelations, it's also among his best work. Split commences with Kevin (McAvoy) abducting three teenagers (Anya Taylor-Joy, Haley Lu Richardson and Jessica Sula) and taking them to an underground bunker, all while trying to fend off the strict Patricia and the creepy Dennis, as well as a few others. The fact that all of Kevin's foes exist inside his head, alongside nine-year-old Hedwig and plenty more, sets the scene for a tense, largely one-setting horror thriller — and the chance for McAvoy to demonstrate the full extent of his acting chops. With Split now in cinemas, we chatted with Shyamalan about working on the story for 15 years, finding the right actor to play such a complicated part, and other film twists that proved influential. ON THE ORIGINS OF SPLIT "It's an unusual story because I wrote part of the story a long time ago — fifteen, sixteen years ago. It was part of another screenplay, and I pulled it out. I decided to make it its own movie — I hoped to make it as its own movie. And I guess, you know, I got caught up making other movies and it just always kind of sat there. And now recently felt like the perfect time to make it for me, so I started to return to it and think about it as, well, who is this character, and what would happen? So I started outlining it, and I think it really lent itself to the types of movies that I'm doing both practically and creatively. One, practically, that it is very contained, which I'm leaning towards those kind of movies right now. And then, it's kind of dark, comedic, suspense — I'm in that headspace." ON TRYING TO BALANCE BOTH HUMOUR AND THRILLS "It is a tricky balance. It is fascinating because you can have the wrong humour moment at the wrong time and you detach — and you may get the laugh but it's a bad one because the stakes aren't high. And the reverse is also true. So if the stakes are at a certain level, no one would say something or react in a way that would cause a laugh in that situation, so it would be artificial. It seems almost counter that those two could exist, but I really enjoyed in these last two movies, finding these moments that can do both." ON WRITING A LEAD ROLE WITH 24 DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES "I mean, it's funny — you kind of just think of them as different characters. And in this movie, the premise of the disorder is that this isn't someone changing moods, these are different human beings, occupying the same body. So if you really honour that disorder, it's just writing different characters. There are three abductors that keep these girls: Patricia, Kevin and Hedwig. So, it would be as if I had written that a group of three people had abducted these girls — a man, a woman and a child — and they try to manipulate the child to get out....It just so happens that one guy is going to play all of them." [caption id="attachment_607463" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] (Photo: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages)[/caption] ON CASTING JAMES MCAVOY "I met James at Comic-Con, appropriately enough. We met for the first time, and...I just felt such a connection with him. And my headspace was so much about Kevin, and I was writing Kevin, and I was like, 'this guy can play him, I can feel it'. There were two different moments. One was when I saw him at Comic-Con and I felt a real kind of good guy feeling — like, he's a good guy, coming right off him. That's always what I wanted for the person that played the part — that they could play it with sincerity and they could bring empathy to each of the characters. And then once I sent him the script — he was in London and I Skyped with him — and I remember getting off Skype and I was like, "I am 100 percent certain that this is the guy". Just the way he talked about the part, and his knowledge of the disorder. He was actually very aware of the disorder and had done some research into it prior to reading the script, and I could see that his approach to it was going to be right-on. And he was fearless, he was just very fearless about the whole thing." ON SELF-FINANCING SPLIT "When you put yourself out there, financially, you're a different version of yourself. You're all in. It's a fascinating thing, you know? If you were a professional basketball player, right, and you went and played in a street ball tournament, you went outside and you went there's no referees or anything like that — you'd probably be the best version of yourself there, when you have something to be concerned about. They could hurt you, there is nobody there to say foul or anything like that. So you're hyper-concentrated. In that same way, when you take away the safety net, you're different. And then others come to the table with that same mindset, because they can just feel it off of you literally and physically and emotionally. So you get very like-minded people on the movie, so it's this kind of hyper-commitment that comes from everyone. And then when the actors come on, they feel that too. I feel like — even if just in my own head — the feeling that I'm allowed to do anything and it is up to me, that is a very empowering feeling. It allows me to break genre, and to do something daring, and to do tonal things that maybe I would be hesitant to do otherwise, [like] make the main character ambiguously good or bad, or have a very provocative scene, or juxtapose comedy and suspense in a way that's unorthodox. There's more choices when you make it at an appropriate budget level, which makes me feel like it's okay to be different. Not only is it okay — that's your secret weapon, that you try to make it special and you try to make it as different as you can." ON TWIST-FILLED FILMS THAT INSPIRED SPLIT "I'm more inspired by the weirdest movies that you would see. For me, Robert Altman was a big inspiration for Split. And the film Cache. And Dogtooth, which was a film from Greece. Just really unusual movies were the inspiration for Split. It isn't like one-to-one like that, but of course it was those movies that have those amazing paradigm shifts." Split is in cinemas now. Read our review here.
If you've got a long-held dream of seeing the South Pole and have a bit of spare cash to burn, then you'd best get in quick to score a seat on the upcoming Antarctica flights out of Australia. Sightseeing group Antarctica Flights is taking bookings for a series of rare, sky-high charter tours, departing Sydney (November 18), Perth (January 26), Melbourne (December 31 and February 10), Brisbane (November 10, 2019) and Adelaide (November 24, 2019), to cruise above the dazzling Antarctica Treaty area for around four hours. This year, for the first time ever, it's also flying out of Hobart (which means less travelling and more sightseeing) on November 25. Each flight path is carefully chosen to maximise viewing from both sides of the plane and to ensure the best views should the weather turn nasty, while some passengers will rotate seats to allow everyone an equal shot at the spectacular scenery below. Travelling on a QANTAS 747, the whole trip clocks in at around 12.5 hours — depending on your departure city — during which you'll hear from expert Antarctic explorers, talking about the polar environment and its fascinating history. All that, while enjoying some better-than-average QANTAS plane food, full bar service and, in the lead-up to the views, a spot of in-flight entertainment — classic flick Happy Feet, or some Antarctic docos, of course. As expected, this kind of plane trip doesn't come cheap — you're looking at forking out $1199 to be seated in the very middle of the plane, a whole four seats away from any window. Other options, including the Economy Class Standard ($1999), the Economy Class Superior ($2999) and the Premium Economy Class ($3299) involve seat rotations throughout the flight, so passengers can spend time both close to the window and further away. Of course, you and your favourite travel buddy could drop $7999 each on Ice Class tickets to have a window seat and the one next to it all to yourselves for the entire flight. Also worth noting is the super indulgent New Year's Eve flight out of Melbourne, which could have you ringing in 2019 with onboard Champagne, a live jazz band and a bird's eye view of Antarctica.
Futurama is coming out of stasis, and a pandemic, vaccines, bitcoin, streaming and cancel culture all await. How will the Planet Express crew deal with all of the above, plus a massive disruption in the flow of time, when the Matt Groening-created show about life in the 31st century returns in July? As seen in the comeback season's initial teaser and now its just-dropped full trailer, they'll cope the same way they always have in this beloved animated sitcom: by knowing that anything and everything can and will happen. If a pizza delivery guy was to accidentally wander into a cryogenic chamber back in July 2013, get stuck frozen inside for ten years, then wake up in July 2023, plenty that he knows about the world will have changed — but Futurama would remain a constant. Back then, the series was still on-screen. Now, it's finally being defrosted after a decade off the air. Good news, everyone! — it's back, baby, after US streaming platform Hulu first announced plans to go back to the future in 2022. Futurama was renewed for a 20-episode run, with the first ten new instalments arriving from Monday, July 24 Down Under via Disney+. Say hello again to the 20th-century's Philip J Fry (voiced by Billy West), distant uncle to Planet Express cargo company Professor Hubert J Farnsworth (also voiced by West), plus the rest of the outfit's crew. Yes, that means more antics with one-eyed ship captain Turanga Leela (Katey Sagal); fellow employees Hermes Conrad (Phil LaMarr), Amy Wong (Lauren Tom) and Zoidberg (also West); and everyone from self-obsessed starship captain Zapp Brannigan (West again) and his amphibious 4th Lieutenant Kif Kroker (Maurice LaMarche) through to scheming corporation owner Mom (Tress MacNeille). And, yes, it Bender Bending Rodríguez will be causing chaos, with John DiMaggio also back with the cast. When the revival was first announced, that wasn't the case — but it wouldn't be Futurama without its constantly sauced robot exclaiming "bite my shiny metal ass!". You can put a beloved show into suspended animation, but someone is going to thaw it out one day — and more than once. Initially airing from 1999–2003, the futuristic series then returned from 2008–2013, before now being given another run. Hulu is calling this comeback season 11, even though Futurama spans a past seven seasons and four direct-to-DVD movies so far. As for what this return is about, other than satirising life in the year 3000 and beyond — and parts of life today — the streaming service is promising more about Fry and Leela's love story, what's in Nibbler's litter box, evil Robot Santa's secret history, and Kif and Amy's tadpoles. Check out the full new Futurama trailer below: Futurama season 11 will stream via Disney+ Down Under from Monday, July 24.
There are a million mobile apps out there to help you take better care of your body. But what about one that helps you take better care of your planet? That's the idea behind TODAY, an app that'll let users "track and share the positive impact they have on the world". The homegrown app, which is currently being funded via a crowdfunding campaign, will provide users with information about their environmental footprint, and offer tips on how they can reduce it. It'll tell you how much clean air you create every time you walk to work. It'll tell you how much natural land you conserve every time you eat sustainable food. It'll even tell you how much pollution you save by cutting back on disposable coffee cups. "TODAY exists to inspire you and every single one of us to make the small changes, both individually and collectively, to create a better future for all," reads a description on the app's Start Some Good page. The plan is for the TODAY team to work with ethical businesses, "and engage with awesome environmental initiatives". For more information about TODAY, check out their website. If you like what you see, you can donate to their crowdfunding campaign here.
Even though malaria mortality rates have dropped 25% since 2000, the disease continues to kill one child per minute in Africa. In 2010, the World Health Organisation estimated there were 219 million malaria cases worldwide, 660,000 of which resulted in death. About half the global population inhabits malaria-prone areas. According to WHO, 'personal protection against mosquito bites represents the first line of defence for malaria prevention'. At present, the two most common methods of 'vector control' are insecticide-treated mosquito nets and indoor spraying with residual insecticides. The latter is fully effective when 80% of houses in a particular area are sprayed at three to six month intervals. That's the equivalent to a frightening volume of toxins. Until now, though, nothing else has seemed to work. However, a team of 'passionate professionals devoted to combatting mosquito-borne diseases worldwide' has come up with a new solution: the Kite Patch. It provides 48 hours of protection by secreting non-toxic compounds that prevent mosquitoes from detecting carbon monoxide, the main method they use to discover and target their human prey. It's taken three years of work at Olfactor Laboratories, Inc., and three years of research at the University of California Riverside to come up with the Kite. Having received initial assistance from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the US National Institutes of Health, the team is currently running an Indiegogo campaign. Within five days, it became the crowd funding site's most popular project, reaching an initial goal of $US75,000, which will fund the provision of 20,000 Kite Patches to Pilgrim Africa, Uganda. Now, a stretch goal of $385,000 is just $60,000 short of fulfillment. [via Gizmag]
Trekking across a continent is the type of bucket-list activity plenty of people think about, but few ever manage. If you're in Canada, however, walking across the country just got a whole lot easier. Spanning 24,000 kilometres across 13 provinces and territories, the world's longest hiking track has just been completed. It has taken 25 years to come to fruition, so it's no wonder that they're calling it The Great Trail. Opening in its 100% connected form at the end of August, the path connects Canada's east and west coasts via an outdoor journey through all of the terrain the nation has to offer. Urban, rural and wilderness landscape is featured, plus greenways, waterways and roadways, with track perfect for not only hikers, cyclists and horse riders, but anyone keen for a paddle, cross-country ski or snowmobile trip as well. The trail was first conceived as part of Canada's 125th anniversary celebrations in 1992, with Pierre Camu, Bill Pratt, and Paul LaBarge coming up with the idea to connect all of the country's various tracks. As well as the types of treks you'd expect — over rocky ground and through leafy forests, for example — highlights include wanders through major cities such as Toronto and Ottawa, a sea-to-sky marine trail around islands and waterfalls, and dog-sledding during snow season. Via Travel + Leisure / Image: The Great Trail.
Know your stuff. Know your material. Know Your Product. Despite Brisbane’s creative scene heading only upwards towards world domination, there are a lot of people who still have no idea what’s what and who’s who. There are an infinite number of people in our lovely capital all producing brilliant art in whatever format they so desire, but with nowhere they can place said work in order for it to be viewed and appreciated, they stay anonymous. Enter the wonderful Nine Lives Gallery. Famous around Brisbane for all the work they do promoting both up-and-coming artists and the well-established, their gallery offers artists a chance for their hard work to see the light of day and the eyes of many. With a canny ability to predict big things and the knack to get things happening, those who show there are very lucky. Starting October 6, the following three weeks will be a celebration of local talent with the weeks dedicated to paintings, illustrations and photography. With the full list of gifted artists to long to include here, I would highly recommend hitting up the Nine Lives website as these are names you’ll want to take note of for future reference.
Bacon is many things. It is a bona fide food of the gods, a saviour of all hungover mornings, and an eternal clogger of arteries, but now it can add one more title to its already stellar (if not a little oily) resume — bacon can now power vehicles. Or, more specifically, bacon grease can. To prove this fascinating tidbit of potentially environment-saving trivia, one man in the US endeavoured to ride his motorcycle from Minnesota to San Diego fuelled only by bacon-y goodness. The results are in, and they're pretty spectacular. Collaborating with Bio-Blend Fuels and the meat-l0ving legends at Hormel Foods, Eric Pierson took to the road last month on his tricked-out diesel motorcycle. The end-point of the trip was of course the San Diego Bacon Festival — yep, that exists — and the whole journey was captured for a documentary that is currently in post-production. Now, though we consider ourselves experts on the cooking and eating of bacon, we can't attest to much of the science behind the project. Supposedly bacon grease is a viable fuel source that also has the added benefit of being carbon-neutral. Pouring the oil from fast food fryers into your car is allegedly also a thing that could work somehow. If you don't believe us, feast your eyes on this incredibly technical flowchart: This could be a revolution in environmental science! In a few years, petrol stations could be replaced by bacon-frying stations. No longer would you have to spend half your paycheck on filling up your tank. Just buy a few kilos of extra-streaky bacon, fry it up, mop up the grease and eat the spoils. You'd already be craving it; everyone's exhaust fumes would smell like a Sunday morning fry-up. For the full story — and more scientifically accurate information — on the impending bacon revolution, keep an eye out for the documentary's release date. This is bound to be good news for everyone... except pigs. It's very bad news for pigs. Via PSFK.
As Good Food Month kicks off in Brisbane, one of the top events we're looking forward to is the Night Noodle Market in South Bank. But after consuming your weight in noodles, dumplings and other Asian-inspired fare, we're guessing you'll be looking for something to quench that soy sauce-induced thirst. Cue the pop-up Tanqueray Gin Garden, where Night Noodlers can sit back amid the interactive light installation and sample some of the brand's world-class gin. Not much of a gin connoisseur? With the spirit having experienced a dramatic resurgence over the past five years (and so finally broken out of its stereotype as a mature-aged lady's drink of choice), now is the time to make its acquaintance. And how better to do so than with a selection of Tanqueray Gin? Each gift pack we're giving away will include two Tanqueray drinking glasses, one bottle of Tanqueray No. 10 (700ml) and a bottle of the original Tanqueray London Gin (700ml) — the one with the 180-year-old recipe that's still kept a closely guarded secret. To be in the running for one of three Tanqueray gift packs, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address at win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au.
As Brisbane's annual LGBTQIA+ celebration, Melt Festival has seen Sophie Ellis-Bextor grace its stage, and Chappell Roan as well. It has also hosted Spencer Tunick's nude photography works, including shutting down the Story Bridge for one installation. They're just some of the event's highlights from recent years, but it's about to add another in 2025: a Brisbane-only show by Broadway icon Bernadette Peters. In New York's famous theatre district, she originated the role of The Witch in Into the Woods, and of Dot in Sunday in the Park with George. She has two Tonys, for Song and Dance and Annie Get Your Gun. She won a Golden Globe for Pennies From Heaven on the big screen, and featured in The Jerk and Annie as well. On TV, she boasts Smash, Mozart in the Jungle, The Good Fight, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist and High Desert on her resume. Now, Peters is doing an Australian-exclusive performance in the Queensland capital — and it's her first Aussie gig in more than a decade. An Evening with Bernadette Peters has a date with the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Friday, October 24 — and is also the first event announced for Melt Festival, which runs from Wednesday, October 22–Sunday, November 9. The star kickstarts the lineup not just as a Broadway legend, but as an icon of the LGBTQIA+ community, including thanks to her work with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS to raise funds for AIDS patients and research. How will a talent with six decades of performing to draw upon — including the current Broadway season of Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends — whittle that down into one Brisbane show? You'll need to head along to find out. [caption id="attachment_998044" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Drama League via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Melt takes place in spring, and returns in 2025 after being reborn in 2024 as a fringe-style celebration of queer arts and culture that not only fills Brisbane Powerhouse, but spreads across the city. Last year, more than 120 events popped up in 70-plus venues across southeast Queensland, complete with a Wicked-themed Halloween ball, a pool party and plenty more. In her Brisbane performance, Peters boasts support by Camerata — Queensland's Chamber Orchestra. [caption id="attachment_716453" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dylan Evans[/caption] An Evening with Bernadette Peters will take place on Friday, October 24, 2025 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre as part of Melt Festival 2025. Head to the festival website for more information, and to join the waitlist for tickets. Melt Festival 2025 runs from Wednesday, October 22–Sunday, November 9. Hit up the festival website for more details. Top image: Drama League via Wikimedia Commons.
On July 4, 2010, Michiel Roodenburg and Joost Notenboom from the Netherlands embarked on a 20-month journey, and after cycling across over 15 countries the two recently finished their journey in Antarctica. Their ‘Cycle for Water’ campaign is the first attempt in history to travel from the Arctic Circle to Antartica aboard bicycles, and bamboo ones at that. Roodenburg and Nootenboom aimed to raise awareness about the global water crisis, which affects one seventh of the world’s population. Cycling across some of the most amazing places in the world, their 30,000 kilometre adventure took them through such areas as the Canadian wilderness and the rainforests of Central and South America. The pair decided to create the campaign after they saw the water shortages in Africa and the Middle East. "We believe that everyone on this planet has the right to a basic and sustainable source of drinking water. It is the first step out of poverty. Water is life, literally and figuratively," says Roodenburg and Notenboom. The National Geographic says "over 97 percent of the world's water is too salty to drink, another 2 percent is locked up in the world's ice caps and glaciers." This leaves us with less than one percent that we are able to use, so it's probably a good idea to keep it clean.
The perpetual re-creation of urbanscapes amounts to copious waste. It's true that an abundance of recycling processes aims at diminishing resource use. However, they're often heavy on the energy consumption front. Consequently, designer Omer Haciomeroglu, in conjunction with Atlas Copco, has come up with 'ERO: Concrete De-Construction Robot'. It's programmed to pull apart reinforced concrete structures, so that they can be re-used in the construction of pre-fabricated concrete buildings. 'Today, operators manually control different sized demolition machines to smash and crash the concrete structure into dusty bits within the demolition location,' Haciomeroglu explains. 'All of these machines consume a lot of energy to operate. Water has to be sprayed constantly over the pulverised surfaces with fire hoses to prevent harmful dust from spreading around. After the work is done, big machines come and scoop the rebar and concrete mixture and transfer them to the recycle stations outside the city. There, the waste needs to be separated manually.' So, Haciomeroglu designed ERO to separate materials during the de-construction process, achieved through Hydro-demolition and Centrifugal Decanter technologies. This means that new concrete blocks can be created onsite. In the 2013 International Design Excellence Award (IDEA), ERO won First Prize in the Student Designs category. Haciomeroglu has studied design at California State University, Istanbul Technical University and the Umea Institute of Design, Sweden. 'As a developing designer I always look forward to being part of design teams that develop projects, concepts and products that will grant us, the humankind, valuable and entertaining vision of a better and sustainable future,' he explains. [via PSFK]
Your tweets might be entertaining sometimes, but are they a narrative? A virtual page-turner? A form-bending flight of fancy? They could be, if you flex your fingers and join in the 2014 Twitter Fiction Festival. Friends, strangers and your favourite authors are using Twitter for their latest literary endeavours, right now until March 16. The best part is that, as with the recent Digital Writers' Festival, no travelling is required to get to it; it is entirely virtual and takes place on the platform it embraces, Twitter. While there are a select group of official participants — famous authors plus 25 contest winners — all Twitter users are encouraged to participate. Festival organisers (a grouping of American publishers) encourage everyone to use the hashtag #twitterfiction and make their stories easy to find for other users. The short stories call on many of the distinct features of Twitter. Users can collaborate, create multiple different character accounts, and incorporate pictures and videos into their fiction. Teju Cole recently wrote a story entirely through retweets. Ranging from romance stories to crime stories to the inner erotic thoughts of Mr. Bates from Downton Abbey, the 2014 Twitter Fiction Festival has something to offer everyone, particularly because these stories are so easily digestible. One fictional account is tweeting a new book of the Bible entitled #TheBookOfBieb. It recounts the rise and fall of the younger brother of Jesus, Justin Bieber. Alternatively, author Alma Katsu will be exploring what happens when a dead man's Twitter account seemingly comes back to life. Whether you're in the mood for a story about a tense hostage stand-off or need someone to relate to while you're stuck at the airport, finding fiction can be done by perusing the #twitterfiction hashtag or by checking the official Twitter Fiction Festival account to see what they're retweeting. Inspired to write your own Twitter fiction story? Get started on your own story with the Twitter Fiction tweet generator. If you just want to read, check out the program for more information. Via The Millions.
Get ready for red carpet specials, awkward presenter gaffes and all the bitter celebrity reaction shots your heart could possibly desire — it's time for the Oscars. This means one thing for all of us playing at home and not taking away $150,000 gift baskets: Concrete Playground's 2015 Academy Awards Drinking Game. As always, both Concrete Playground and the Academy support responsible drinking and the brevity of acceptance speeches. Now, thank the Academy and get into it. ONE SIP Jack Nicholson wears sunglasses. Harrison Ford wears an earring. Diane Keaton wears gloves. Harvey Weinstein is mentioned. Neil Patrick Harris (NPH) sings during his opening monologue. Jennifer Lawrence does something adorably 'real' (three drinks if it's a fashion mishap). Winner thanks God or Jesus. Winner 'pays tribute' to his/her extraordinary fellow nominees. Winner's speech is played off by the orchestra. Channing Tatum misreads his teleprompter (three drinks if he reads 'Channing' or 'Pause for laughter' aloud). TWO SIPS NPH makes a Birdman / Batman joke (three drinks if Michael Keaton does). NPH references the leaked Sony emails. Rosamund Pike makes a joke about her co-presenter being scared of her (five drinks if it’s actually funny). Steve Carrell prosthetic nose is joke-nominated for 'Best Supporting Actor'. NPH jokes that the bathroom queue is the only thing bigger than Chris Hemsworth's arms. Eddie Redmayne and Benedict Cumberbatch do a bit together about playing mathematical geniuses. You’ve actually heard of any of the nominees for 'Documentary Short Subject' or 'Foreign Language Film'. Matthew McConaughey says any (or all) of: 'Alriiiight', 'Okaaay' and 'Wooooow'. JK Simmons jokes that the orchestra is not quite in time. NPH does a bit involving a Birdman voiceover in his head that mocks various nominees. Robin Williams gets the biggest applause during the 'In Memorium' section. Someone jokes that American Sniper is the only thing more divisive than the war it's set in. Winner describes his/her film as 'important'. Winner describes his/her film’s director as 'a genius'. Brad Pitt pokes fun at actors who become directors (CUT TO Angelina Jolie smiling). Chris Hemsworth has a ponytail. THREE SIPS Liam Hemsworth has a ponytail. NPH reads the leaked Sony emails. TARS from Interstellar presents an award and tells the best joke of the evening. John Travolta welcomes to the stage "Academy Award Winner — Royce Witherspork" You’ve actually seen of any of the nominees for 'Documentary Short Subject' or 'Foreign Language Film'. Winner thanks Allah or Mohammed. Meryl Streep acknowledges her now 19 nominations and says "One more and I get a free meatball sub." NPH jokes that Boyhood is nothing special because he did Doogie Howser back in '89 and we've been watching him not grow up ever since. Any joke about Alan Turing being the only one who could make sense of something (five drinks if it's Oscars voting). Someone from The Theory of Everything thanks Stephen Hawking instead of God. NPH attempts to break Ellen's record for most-retweeted selfie. Mickey Rooney gets the biggest applause during the 'In Memorium' section. Joaquin Phoenix comes dressed as a turn-of-the-century blacksmith. NPH jokes that there have been 'back to back' gay hosts for the Oscars (five drinks if he then says he's looking forward to Clooney hosting in 2016). Selma wins Best Picture but the director isn't allowed to walk all the way to the stage. Congratulatory kiss or embrace from presenter 'gets awkward'. CHUG YOUR DRINK Bruce Willis has a ponytail… or a combover. NPH sings his opening song in black face to redress the 'white nominees only' situation (we genuinely hope he doesn't do this). Peter Jackson announces plans to turn his valet parking receipt into an epic nine-hour trilogy. Meryl Streep comes in a dress made from all her melted-down Oscars. JK Simmons hurls his award at the orchestra’s drummer and levels the most horrific slur in broadcast history. ISIS wins 'Best Foreign Short Film'. Grand Budapest Hotel wins Best Picture, Kanye crashes the stage and says Hotel Rwanda was easily the better hotel. Michael Keaton wins Best Actor but, having gone too deep into character, produces a gun and goes 'Full Birdman'.
There is no denying that every single person in the world loves going to secret events (this is a proven fact), which may sound a tad like it defeats the purpose of underground events but is instead actually quite convenient. Why? Because, generally speaking, if you look hard enough there is most likely one happening somewhere near you - granted of course that you know where to look and know the right people. However, if all that research sounds like too much hassle for you, then you owe the Brisbane Powerhouse a big pat on the back. Announcing their second Brisbane Underground Film Festival to the public only proves that they know how lazy the youth of today are, instead of discrediting the festival’s cult status. The festival runs for the weekend of the 13th to the 15th, playing movies that appear to have no relation to each other apart from their ‘underground’ status and their fantastic film titles. After perusing the list and judging wholly superficially, highlights go to ‘Who Took the Bomp? Le Tigre on Tour’ and ‘Hobo With a Shotgun’.
It's 2am and time to leave your watering hole of choice for the evening and catch a cab home. You reach your destination, pay and crash on the bed. In the morning you wake and reach for your phone to remember the night before only to realise you left it in the vehicle. Oh poop. That could soon be a thing of the past thanks to innovative new technology co-created by Japanese companies Kokusai Motorcars and Ideacross. Four cameras installed within the taxi — one beneath the driver's seat, one beneath the front passenger seat, one on the ceiling and one in the boot — photograph the interior and detect any changes in the environment, such as a phone or handbag that was previously absent, via comparison against previous images. If a change is detected then an alarm sounds, providing passengers the opportunity to collect their forgotten belongings before it is too late. Obvious privacy concerns have been raised but the company has assured the Japanese public that any faces captured by the cameras will be unidentifiable. Signage will also be posted within all vehicles operating the system, which will soon be all 3100 Kokusai taxis, so that passengers are aware cameras are there. Whilst only in Kokusai vehicles at the moment, the customer service benefits offered by the system will soon see other Japanese companies competing to install it in their vehicles. Hopefully I won't lose too many iPhones before something similar arrives on our shores. Via PSFK.
When you've just given Australia the culinary experience we didn't know we needed — that'd be a luxe 11-course KFC degustation that definitely doesn't just involve slowly eating a big bucket of the Colonel's finest — what comes next? At Sydney fine-diner Nel, it's time for a bit of truth, beauty, freedom and love. Renowned for its creatively themed multi-course spreads before going fancy with chicky chicky fry fry (see also: its Christmas and Disney offerings), the restaurant is next taking its cues from Moulin Rouge! The Musical. The film-to-theatre production is about to dance its way into Sydney, kicking off at the end of May. So, if you're wondering what's inspired Nel's decadent feast, now you know. Designed as a pre-show option, it'll be available for lunch on Saturdays and Sundays in June and July. And yes, it's your spectacular spectacular reason to both see the musical and treat yo'self to a lavish meal. If you don't live in Sydney, it's also so exciting that you might want to stomp, cheer and head to the NSW capital. The world-first collaboration sees chef Nelly Robinson whip up a selection of dishes dripping with French nostalgia (no, not literally), including one dubbed 'Beauty', which is a savoury crème brulee. Or, there's also the 'Truth' steak tartare for a quintessential Parisian culinary option. Other dishes span Nel's take on pain au chocolat, beef bourguignon tarts, duck, French onion soup, beetroot with popcorn and opera cakes. "When creating this menu, I straight away saw the bohemian ideals aligned with our values, which is truth, beauty, freedom and love," said Robinson, explaining the new two-month-long menu. "I can't wait to showcase what we do. Come in, sit back and relax in my home. Then, go and enjoy yourself at the theatre." If you're ready to for your tastebuds to say "come what may", bookings are available now, with multiple sessions each Saturday and Sunday starting (at 11.30am, 11.45am, 12pm and 12.15pm). That'll set you back $145 per person, with four matching wines also available for an extra $75 each. Tickets to Moulin Rouge! The Musical aren't included in that price — and yes, this is definitely a treat yo'self kind of weekend lunch. Nel's 'Moulin Rouge! The Musical' degustation lunch is on offer on Saturdays and Sundays throughout June and July, at 75 Wentworth Avenue, Sydney. For more information or to book, head to the Nel website.
If you're flying out of Sydney Airport with Air New Zealand this week, the experience might be a little different to what you're used to. The airline is trialling a new kind of employee. On loan from the Commonwealth Bank, a humanoid robot called Chip will be getting around the airport as part of a five-day experiment, interacting with customers, giving directions and even assisting with check-ins. A video released by the airline shows Chip communicating through a screen in his chest, and even scanning boarding passes with his eyes. Way cooler than those boring self-service check-in kiosks. Up until now, Chip's been spending most of his days hanging out with students and academics at CBA's Sydney Innovation Lab, so his time at the airport will both give him valuable 'real world' practice and help Air New Zealand explore ways of enhancing the customer travel experience. "The airport is a busy and often overcrowded environment with signs, instructions and messages every which way you look," Air New Zealand chief digital officer Avi Golan explained in the video. "Our customers can feel overwhelmed. The experiment is about bringing information to life, through innovative technologies." Chip will be at Sydney Airport until today, Friday, August 25. Let's see if any Aussie airlines follow suit. https://youtu.be/6DHXa8V6N4U Via The NZ Herald. Image: Air New Zealand/YouTube.
Only two months ago I saw Tame Impala at a packed out Enmore, a sweaty and heavily marijuana scented verification of their legendary status here in the band's homeland. But already they’ve announced another Australian tour, confirming an exponential increase in popularity that would seem a bit nuts if you hadn’t been reading all the end-of-year roundups on all the biggest music sites in the world. The tour is comprised of five shows to coincide with the band’s headline appearance at Groovin’ The Moo 2013, kicking off late April, and each comes with a big-time venue upgrade. Instead of The Enmore it’ll be the Hordern Pavilion, with the Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth shows taking place in the Festival Hall, Convention Centre, Thebarton Theatre and Belvoir Ampitheatre respectively. By then Tame Impala’s critically eulogised second album, Lonerism, will have been getting airtime for around six months, so don’t put off buying tickets until the last minute. Lyrical introversion and mind-warping psychedelia can be just as enjoyable in big group situations.
After nine decades in operation, a disused mental institution in Massachusetts became a public art space as artist Anna Schuleit filled the empty rooms and corridors with thousands of brightly-coloured flowers. The temporary artwork, which was commissioned as a tribute to the building's emotive history, gave local residents a chance to remember and memorialise the work of the medical centre before it will be demolished to make way for new facilities. The artwork, called 'Bloom', filled a former children's psychiatric unit with white tulips, covered the basement floor with vivid green grass, blue African violets in the annex and orange tulips in one of the patients' treatment rooms. [Via This Is Colossal]
This year will be the return of international travel for many of us. After such a long time between global jaunts, you wouldn't be blamed for running away to Europe or the US. But there's plenty of fun to be had a little closer to home. Within a few hours, you could be sipping cocktails on a beach in Bali or eating your way around Tokyo. And that's only the beginning. Asia is bursting with diverse cultures, dramatic landscapes and delicious things to eat and drink — which you can experience for yourselves by booking one of these seven getaways via Concrete Playground Trips. [caption id="attachment_893314" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Bernard (Unsplash)[/caption] SOUTH KOREA FOOD AND DRINK TOUR Love your Korean fried chicken? Or your lunchtime bibimbap? Then you best check out this eight-day culinary tour that takes you from city restaurants to rural farms, trying some of the country's best dishes. Most of the tough travel decisions will also be taken care of during your vacay — hotels, local transport and a bunch of unique food and culture activities. It makes discovering the flavourful diversity and heritage of this rich culinary scene all too easy. BOOK IT NOW. THE ULTIMATE SEMINYAK ESCAPE If you're looking for a stylish stay in one of Bali's most sought-after locations, then Double-Six Luxury Hotel will likely be your jam. Raising the bar for beachfront luxury, this hotel is set along the iconic Double-Six Beach, within walking distance of some of Seminyak's best bars, restaurants and shopping streets. Serving up exceptional service alongside delicious eats and hand-crafted cocktails from four bars and restaurants, this five-star hotel has everything you need for a relaxing Bali getaway. But we aren't just getting you a room here. You'll also get daily breakfasts, one hour of free alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks each day, a dinner for two at Suzie Q and vouchers for its spa. This is how you Bali. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_893317" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Colin Meg (Unsplash)[/caption] EXPLORE THE BEST OF BORNEO'S NATURAL WONDERS Experience natural wonders and abundant wildlife only found in Borneo during this ten-day adventure. You'll hang out with orangutans in Sepilok, cruise along the Kinabatangan River, chill out on the stunning Manukan Island and get a taste of city life in Kota Kinabalu. It ticks off all the top spots in Borneo, while taking you to some hidden gems only known by locals. You'll also travel with a small group of fellow nature-loving travellers, making some new mates for life. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_893088" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jezael Melgoza (Unsplash)[/caption] TOUR FROM TOKYO TO OSAKA Home to sake, geishas, karaoke, kawaii culture and onsens, Japan's got a lot going for it. And on this nine-day trip, you'll get to see the country at its very best. Take in the neon nightlife of Tokyo, relax in the manicured gardens of Nikko and discover thousands of years of culture and history in Kyoto. Of course, no trip to Japan would be complete without trying a heap of local dishes, so world-class sushi, ravishing ramen and delectable donburi are all on the menu. Experience the culture and charm of the Land of the Rising Sun during this ultimate Japan holiday. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_883655" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tom Bixler (Unsplash)[/caption] AFFORDABLE LUXURY STAY IN LOMBOK We are obsessed with Lombok — Bali's less crowded neighbour. It has a high calibre of beaches, food and hospitality but at a significantly lower price point and with fewer tourists. To best take advantage of this stunning island, we teamed up with KU Villas Lombok to create three different travel deals. The first deal is the simplest and includes a two-night stay with daily breakfasts (for two people) in this lavish accommodation for just $105 a night. The second deal includes a three-night stay, private chauffeur, $200 credit for the clifftop SIWA Clubhouse, a one-hour massage for each guest and all your breakfasts — and is just $455 total for two people. And the third deal is $655 for all the same inclusions plus extra spa treatments. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_893322" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Silver Ringvee (Unsplash)[/caption] IN-DEPTH CULTURAL TOUR OF VIETNAM Trace Vietnam's eastern coastline on this epic 15-day adventure, tackling the country from south to north and discovering the many wonders that lie along the way. From the modern chaos of Ho Chi Minh City all the way up to old-world Hanoi, you'll experience tumultuous history, colonial charm, vibrant colours, delicious food and inspiring scenery on your adventure. You'll join a boat cruise along the Mekong Delta, tour the backstreets of Hoi An with a local, enjoy a rural homestay in Da Bac and explore the beautiful karsts of Lan Ha Bay. If you've ever wanted to visit Vietnam, this is how you do it properly. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_893321" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marvin Meyer (Unsplash)[/caption] LAIDBACK BALI SURFING TRIP Calling all surfers. Or anyone who is keen to try surfing and isn't worried about looking like a fool while learning. This tropical getaway takes guests to Keramas, a somewhat sleepy surfer town in the south of Bali for three to seven nights. Dig into delicious dishes and poolside bites from Komune Resort and Beach Club, head out to tackle the four surf breaks right out the front of your hotel or take a stand-up paddleboard out for a ride (skipping the waves altogether). Whether you want to surf every day or just watch the surfers from your pool, this trip will have you sorted. BOOK IT NOW. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips to destinations all over the world. Top image: Nomadic Julien (Unsplash)
Melbourne still knows how to draw a crowd. Whether you're a sucker for the city's killer food scene, a mad AFL head or simply enjoying the pleasure of travelling by tram, there's no bad time for a weekend stint in the Victorian capital city. To make the journey even easier, we've teamed up with plush CBD hotel Dorsett Melbourne to offer you an all-inclusive one-night stay for you and a guest. For all your vacay (or staycay) needs, you'll receive one night in a balcony suite, access to the hotel's heated indoor pool, sauna, steam room and jacuzzi, pre-dinner drinks at Jin Bar AND dinner and breakfast in Port Bistro. Plus, the hotel has an extensive collection of art that you can take in during your stay. To enter this giveaway, all you need to do is complete the form below by Monday, July 31. [competition]907586[/competition]
All those years you spent waiting for Hedwig to drop a Hogwarts acceptance letter in your letterbox or your fireplace were not in vain. No, my muggle friend, they were all leading up to this: the day when Hollywood's Universal Studios announced that they'll be opening the (wonderful) Wizarding World of Harry Potter, complete with a replica of the magical school itself. The date? April 7, 2016. Yep, you'll be able to enter into Hogwarts and presumably stand on the sacred ground where Harry got placed into Gryffindor by the Sorting Hat, Hermione punched Malfoy in the face and everywhere Snape threw shade. They'll also be replicating Hogsmeade, recreating shops like Ollivanders, Zonko’s Joke Shop and Honeydukes, as well as The Three Broomsticks and the Hog's Head. We assume you'll be able to order by way of accio butterbeer. This isn't the first Harry Potter theme park — there's already one in both Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Japan — but this definitely looks like the coolest. Plus, it's Harry Potter. Losing your shit is totally acceptable. So keep an eye out for that acceptance letter. Or, alternatively, a return flight to LA doesn't seem too out of the question either. It's Hogwarts.
As one of the world's biggest cities, London sort of has it all. Now they've got scored something most cities most certainly do not have: an urban zip line. Zip World London has this week launched what they say is the world's biggest and fastest urban zip liner, right in the heart of the city. According to the Evening Standard, the adrenaline-fuelled experience will see punters hoisted 35 meters into the air before being pushed down the 225-metre zip line. It's been billed as the "fastest city zip wire in the world" and people will reach speeds of up to 80 kilometres per hour, which is, well, pretty terrifyingly fast. The whole thing takes place right next to the Thames at Archbishop's Park in Lambeth, so — aside from gliding through the sky like Batman for 30 intense seconds — riders will also get to take in some of the best views of London's iconic skyline, Big Ben included. If you're escaping winter for a London summer, you're in luck, because the zip line is open until Sunday, October 1. Adult tickets are £22.50 and can be booked here. Via the Evening Standard.
It's happening months earlier than anticipated, but New Zealand is set to reopen its doors to tourists from next month, kicking things off by welcoming back its closest neighbours. In news sure to trigger a sigh of relief for tourism operators and those keen on a winter break, from 11.59pm NZST / 8.59pm AEST on Tuesday, April 12, Aotearoa will scrap its current international border ban for Australian tourists — meaning double-vaccinated Aussie holidaymakers will be able to travel across the ditch without requiring isolation. Then from 11.59pm NZST / 8.59pm AEST on Sunday, May 1, double-vaccinated holidaymakers from visa-waiver countries like the US and UK will be able to follow suit. New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the move in a press conference on Wednesday, March 16, revealing that she's excited and ready "to welcome the world back". "In particular, I'm ready to welcome back our trans-Tasman travellers… they'll be able to arrive in time for the Australian school holidays and provide a boost for our winter ski season," she said. "I'm asking our Australian family and friends to book their tickets." Tourists will be required to test negative for COVID-19 with a PCR or RAT before leaving Australia for their trip, before providing negative tests on day one and day five of their stay in New Zealand. The new plan is an expedited version of the New Zealand Government's original border-reopening arrangement announced back in February, when it was proposed tourists from Australia and around the world would probably be able to visit New Zealand by July. However in March, NZ COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said he believed that would be "at the latest". The change of plans has come amid New Zealand's current Omicron outbreak, which sees the country currently ranking among the highest rates of COVID-19 transmission in the world. Australian tourists will be able to enter New Zealand without isolating from 11.59pm NZST / 8.59pm AEST on Tuesday, April 12. For more information, head to the New Zealand Government's official COVID-19 website.
If you can hold on tight for one teeny, tiny minute longer, the long weekend will be with us. We know you have all sorts of awesomeness planned, so to get you in the mood (and help you through this final, painful hour or two), we'd like to treat to you a little visual relaxation. These gorgeous, dreamy cinemagraphs (the technical word for GIFs that are partly animated but don’t qualify as video) are the creation of a Strasbourg-based photographer by the name of Julien Douvier. He’s a 24-year-old freelancer who studied design and is now making inroads into the visual world via various creative projects. On his Tumblr, Douvier says, "As you can see, I attach a great importance to quality and details in my work. I will never release something I'm not satisfied of [sic.], even if I have to spend a lot of extra time on it. The meaning is very important too; I could create a lot of personal projects, but I don’t want them to be meaningless." Douvier isn't in too much danger of that with this collection. Every carefully composed image is just begging you to take a moment out of your day and pause to meditate. And that would be Friday. Just. About. Over. Via PetaPixel. Image credit: Cinemagraphs by Julien Douvier
We know how it goes, the sun starts shining and your desire for a cocktail grows. You fish around in the fridge for some ingredients and end up with some flat tonic, a skerrick of sad-looking cucumber and you make do with a subpar G&T. Well, we're here to tell you, summer cocktails don't have to be last-resort failures. It's time to take some pride in your gin-based tipple and treat your tastebuds to something special. To set you off in the right direction, we've partnered with Greenall's and crafted five foolproof recipes for some top-notch summer cocktails — and with a particularly summery drop we might add. Inspired by the blackberries growing in English hedgerows, England's oldest gin distiller's Wild Berry Gin offers a delicate sweetness with subtle red fruit notes that develop into rich camphor and citrus tastes. While the spirit can be enjoyed simply with soda and lime, take things up a notch and try out these cocktails below. Whether you're shaking them up for a group of friends or giving your significant other a nice cool treat on a hot summer's day, these pink-hued cocktails are sure to impress. [caption id="attachment_683817" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shansay.[/caption] DOLCE VITA 'Dolce Vita' is Italian for 'sweet life' and the surest way to keep things saccharine is to pair your Wild Berry Gin with palate-smacking zingy passionfruit and sweet vermouth. — 45ml Greenall's Wild Berry Gin — 15ml Aperol — 15ml sweet vermouth — 5ml passionfruit syrup — slice of orange Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, pour in all your molto bella ingredients — minus the orange, that comes later — and stir vigorously. Hey, you've gotta work for your sweet treat. Strain over an ice-filled tumbler — or a whisky glass and a chunk of ice, if you're feeling fancy — and garnish with a slice of orange. Salute, sweet tooths. PRETTY IN PINK Just like the 1986 Molly Ringwald masterpiece, this feel-good tipple is super sweet in all the right ways and bound to be a cult favourite. — 40ml Greenall's Wild Berry Gin — 20ml raspberry puree — 30ml cream — 10ml crème de fraise de bois Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker along with a good handful of ice, then holler at Ducky and get him to give it a good shake. Next, strain the pink concoction into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a fresh raspberry, or two. Get the 80s hits pumping and enjoy this pretty little drink. FLORA DORA This is Greenall's take on a West End comedy which went on to become one of Broadway's biggest musicals, a round of applause for the Flora Dora. Get ready, this cocktail is a real showstopper. — 40ml Greenall's Wild Berry Gin — 20ml fresh lime juice — 10ml raspberry syrup — ginger beer You're the choreographer to these sweet, tart and spicy ginger elements. Your job: build all ingredients in a highball glass over ice and give 'em a good stir to make sure they hit their mark. Then, take a bow and a well-deserved sip. FOREST FRUIT CUP Give the shaker a rest and make a cocktail jug to share instead. This fruity delight will draw all your long-lost friends out of the woods (or forest) and into your home. — 50ml Greenall's Wild Berry Gin — 25ml fresh lemon juice — 10ml Cointreau — 15ml sugar syrup — 1 thin slice of ginger — 150ml ginger beer Gently press your ginger slice into the bottom of a large highball glass (a hurricane or sling will work equally well). Pour over the rest of the ingredients and stir. For added pizzazz, chuck in all the fruits of the forest along with some lemon, mint and cucumber. To make a jug, simply multiply by four. WILD BERRY FROSE Finally, you don't have to choose between your G&T, slushie or wine. It's a real problem, we swear. Greenall's have married together all three in this refreshing cocktail cool enough to tackle any heatwave. — 50ml Greenall's Wild Berry Gin — 20ml lemon juice — 10ml strawberry puree — 10ml raspberry puree — 30ml sugar syrup — 65ml rosé wine Grab your trusty blender and pulverise all ingredients with ice until a smooth granita texture is achieved. Pour the mixture into a large highball, hurricane or sling glass. Garnish with a strawberry fan if you're feeling fruity or a paper umbrella if you're feeling sassy. Make 'em all to find your go-to sweet Greenall's drink for summer. Top image: Leícia Almeida.
Melbourne's Cat Cafe is opening this Wednesday, and already they've had more than a few drop-ins looking to get a sneak peak at the feline residents. Since pasting the Cat Cafe logo on the windows — with the words 'COMING SOON' printed clearly beneath — the reception staff have been inundated with locals, visitors from interstate and international travellers asking to see the furry creatures. They've all been turned away, so we feel pretty chuffed to waltz on in. We've already become acquainted with a few of the furry companions via Facebook, but it's more than time to meet them in person and have a chat with the owner Anita Loughran about getting this highly anticipated project off the ground. We make our way upstairs to where the kitties live and when I enter the room, they're all either fast asleep or are in absolutely no rush to greet me. Typical. Three are comfortably reclining on a fluffy white mat, one hiding in a massive climbing frame, another snuggled in a soft tunnel and another settled in its own cushiony bed. I count six, but I'm told there is at least three to five other sneaky felines hiding in here somewhere. I nervously sit on a couch in fear of accidentally squashing one and being forever banned from the establishment. Five of the cats are from the Geelong Animal Welfare Society, seven are from the Lost Dogs Home. Getting a cat from a rescue shelter is ideal for this sort of project. "You actually get to know what their personality is before you take them home," says Anita. "When you get a cat from a pet shop at a very young age, they haven’t yet developed that personality." The venue will be able to hold up to 15 people per hour. Anita recommends booking online for the first little while to guarantee a visit, but walk-ins are possible. "We really want to provide a relaxing environment that people can de-stress, it helps with high anxiety and depression," says Anita. "I think that’s really important to have a space like that, especially in the CBD. It’s also a great social atmosphere, it just gives you a different environment to socialise with your friends." The cats don't flinch when I walk over to pat them, but as tempting as it may be to give one a cuddle, the cats cannot be picked up without permission. If one happens to wander over and plonks itself on your lap that's a bonus, but there’s no hope of that happening today. I do feel unexpectedly calmer than when I first walked in, and I can certainly see this place being packed out with people looking for a little break outside of work deadlines and overdue university assignments. In short, the Cat Cafe is pretty well adorable and we'll most likely be dropping around more often than a nosy neighbour. It is certainly worth a look even if you're a self-professed dog lover, as it really is a concept that stands alone in the notoriously competitive Melbourne cafe scene. If it works for New York City, why not give Aussie cats a chance? Opening Wednesday, July 30, Cat Cafe can be found at 375 Queen Street, Melbourne.
It brought Stephenie Meyer's vampire romance saga to the big screen. It helped make Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson superstars. Indeed, for its two biggest names, it saw KStew go soaring to everything from Clouds of Sils Maria and Personal Shopper to Charlie's Angels, Crimes of the Future and Spencer — earning an Oscar nomination for the latter — and RPatz going from The Rover and Good Time to High Life, Tenet and The Batman. And, now, The Twilight Saga is making a comeback. The undead don't die, after all, and neither does much in the pop-culture realm. No big movie franchise ever says goodbye these days, with making the leap to the small screen one sticky trend at the moment. The Marvel Cinematic Universe did it, as has the rival DC Extended Universe. The Star Wars realm took the jump, too. So did The Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter, IT and The Conjuring series are also on their way. There's also a John Wick show in the works — and yes, the list goes on. With Twilight, Lionsgate Television is in early development on a small-screen version, as per The Hollywood Reporter. That said, it apparently hasn't yet been decided whether this'll be a spinoff from the OG books and the movies that initially brought them to the screen, or if it'll take the remake route like HBO's new Harry Potter show is set to. Either way, given their careers right now — see: all those films mentioned above — it's probably safe to say that Stewart and Pattinson won't be involved. Of course, there's zero word on casting for Twilight's television iteration so far, with only writer and producer Sinead Daly (The Get Down, Dirty John, Raised by Wolves, The Walking Dead: World Beyond and Tell Me Lies) named as being involved and Meyer also expected to have some input. Exactly when the Twilight TV series will arrive, and where it'll air or stream, similarly hasn't been revealed. Forgotten what the five vamp films cover? They start with teenager Bella Swan (Stewart) moving to the small town of Forks, Washington, where she meets and falls in love with vampire Edward Cullen (Pattinson). This romance between a human and a vampire isn't particularly straightforward, otherwise there wouldn't be four books and five movies devoted to it. In cinemas, Twilight also starred everyone from Taylor Lautner (Cuckoo), Anna Kendrick (Alice, Darling) and Dakota Fanning (The First Lady) to Michael Sheen (Good Omens), Rami Malek (Amsterdam) and Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World Dominion). There's no sneak peek at the Twilight TV show yet, understandably, but as well as the original Twilight trailer above, plus the New Moon trailer, you can watch Eclipse and two Breaking Dawn trailers below: The TV version of Twilight doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when one is announced. Via The Hollywood Reporter.
Counter-culture figure and controversial thinker, R.D. Laing, was notorious for challenging the pre-conceived notions of the causes of schizophrenia claiming the condition was a result of resistance socially prescribed identities. Also eventually discredited, Laing was unique in his commitment to his ideas and willingness to embrace cultural notoriety to further the spread of his anarchic, anti-establishment thoughts. Since his infamous book The Divided Self was published in 1960, Laing adapted to numerous mediums, increasing his exposure to the world. Television, theatre and music all helped Laing preach about reform and his anti-establishment ethos. British artist Luke Fowler has compiled hours of footage into a documentary on Laing and his transition from psychiatrist to celebrity. All Divided Selves will be screening at IMA until May, the exhibit will be launched alongside Gregory Crewdson's In a Lonely Place exhibition on Saturday, March 16.
That whole car ownership caper can now be a little less stressful, thanks to the arrival of Melbourne's new car subscription service. Operating a bit like Netflix, only with cars, Carbar+ can hook users up with a vehicle based on their needs, for a minimum one-month period. Prices currently run between $169 to $400 a week and cover all insurance, services and expenses, such as rego. If you want to opt out, a simple two weeks' notice is required before returning a car. To hire a car, you'll also need to hand over either $2000 as a bond or $495 for a lifetime membership. It works out to be cheaper than renting a car and way more flexible than leasing one, with customers able to swap between car models depending on the sort of driving they're doing. So one week you could drive around the city in an Audi A4, the next go off-road with a Jeep Grand Cherokee. The group's new program Carbar Connect, which will launch later this month, also offers users extra fuel savings and benefits for servicing. Car subscription services have already proved popular overseas, though Carbar is the first to operate on Aussie shores. After tackling Melbourne, the group has got plans to roll out its program across Sydney and Brisbane. That said, it could face competition further down the track, as international car companies claim a piece of the local action — Audi On Demand is already set to launch here by 2020. Pitched as a "vehicle owning experience", Carbar's four founders — Desmond Hang, Davie Saw, Richie Chen and Kenneth Teo — launched the company three years ago as a car sales website that allowed users a three-day road test period when buying a new or used car online. For more information and to sign-up for a car, head to the Carbar website.
Finding a drink to match the place you're in hasn't been too hard in recent years. For folks in Sydney, two different types of gin have paid tribute to the Sydney Opera House. For people in Melbourne, there's a juniper spirit that nods to St Kilda live music institution The Espy. And Brisbane scored its own themed gin, too. They're just some examples — and now Jetstar, of all companies, is serving up four more. Having a tipple to celebrate turning 18 is the done thing, after all. Yes, the discounted Australian airline has come of age, and it's hosting a two-day birthday flight sale to mark the occasion. But, once you've bought cheap fares, you can also say cheers to your trip — or just in general — by knocking back a few sips from Jetstar's new hard seltzer range. The boozy beverage line is a collaboration with 'Ray, the Hop Nation crew's hard seltzer side hustle. Obviously, a Melbourne-themed seltzer is on the menu — and it somehow tastes like a deconstructed cafe latte. If you're not so fond of the idea of coffee-flavoured seltzer, the other options include a coconut, fairy floss and sea salt number for the Gold Coast; mulled wine, cloves and cinnamon for Queenstown; and rambutan, soursop and hibiscus for Bali. The four tipples are also meant to exude a particular vibe that reflects their cities of inspiration — so urban vibes for Melbourne, good times for the GC, adventure for NZ and balmy nights for Bali. Or, maybe take that as advice on where and when to knock back said drinks, since who knows what "urban vibes" taste like. If you're keen to give the seltzers a sip, you'll have to nab some online via the 'Ray website. They'll be available from Tuesday, May 17 — and because they're a limited-edition affair, getting in quickly is recommended. Jetstar's Bali, Gold Coast, Melbourne and Queenstown seltzers will be available to purchase online from Tuesday, May 17.
How do you know when you are an adult? For me personally, I didn’t think I would ever actually feel like one, but how can one be sure? Is it the responsibilities that define adulthood? The privileges? Envelope seeks to explore that notion with a little help from the world at large. Using the stories of hundreds of people from around the world, Envelope dissects all of the subtle changes one experiences through their life to find out when the milestones signify your destination, wherever that may be. Written by Finn O’Branagáin and performed by The Vertebras, Envelope is a unique look at the timeless tale of coming-of-age and how much is can change from person to person. Taking place at the Sue Benner Theatre from 21 August, this production is sure to get your mind pondering on the big questions and life, and how it was shaped by your actions so far.
You have to hand it to the folks at the Elephant; they’re fond of a good block party, and they know how to throw them. And while they've only hosted two so far, their Ekka public holiday celebrations have already become highly anticipated thanks to their ample shindig-staging know-how. For their third event, Asta, MKO and Ayla will take care of the live music, and James Wright and DJ Black Amex will spin tunes too. That leaves you to just enjoy the atmosphere while you're dancing, drinking and feeling the 'I don't have to work tomorrow' kind of happy.
UPDATE, August 27, 2021: From Friday, August 27, Cruella will be available to stream via Disney+ — and as part of your regular subscription. A killer dress, a statement jacket, a devastating head-to-toe ensemble: if they truly match their descriptions, they stand the test of time. Set in 70s London as punk takes over the aesthetic, live-action 101 Dalmatians prequel Cruella is full of such outfits — plus a white-and-black fur coat that's suspected of being made from slaughtered dogs. If the film itself was a fashion item, though, it'd be a knockoff. It'd be a piece that appears fabulous from afar, but can't hide its seams. That's hardly surprising given this origin tale stitches together pieces from The Devil Wears Prada, The Favourite, Superman, Star Wars and Dickens, and doesn't give two yaps if anyone notices. The Emmas — Stone, playing the dalmatian-hating future villain; Thompson, doing her best Miranda Priestly impression as a ruthless designer — have a ball. Oscar-winning Mad Max: Fury Road costume designer Jenny Beavan is chief among the movie's MVPs. But for a film placed amid the punk-rock revolution, it's happy to merely look the part, not live and breathe it. And, in aiming to explain away its anti-heroine's wicked ways, it's really not sure what it wants to say about her. Here, the needle drops have it. If compiling Cruella's soundtrack involved more than typing "60s, 70s and 80s hits" into Spotify, it doesn't show. A snarling rendition of The Stooges' 'I Wanna Be Your Dog' proves as blatant as it sounds. When a plan comes together to The Beatles' 'Come Together', you'll wonder if the laziest algorithm in the world made that choice. And would it really be a film about someone called de Vil — a naming choice that's spelled out with such force, you could spot it from the moon — if The Rolling Stones' 'Sympathy for the Devil' wasn't given a spin? As the Mouse House keeps exploring its antagonists' nefarious urges (see also: the two Maleficent movies), it routinely just covers the bare necessities, story-wise. Here, it takes that approach in as many places as it can. Indeed, in telling viewers that Cruella is saddled with childhood traumas, too, it seems to think that two-plus over-stretched hours of 70s cosplay will suffice. Before she becomes the puppy-skinning fashionista that remains among Glenn Close's best-known roles, and before she's both a wannabe designer and the revenge-seeking talk of the town played by Stone (Zombieland: Double Tap), Cruella is actually 12-year-old girl Estella (Tipper Seifert-Cleveland, Game of Thrones). Sporting two-toned hair and a cruel that streak her mother (Emily Beecham, Little Joe) tries to tame with kindness, she's a target for bullies, but has the gumption to handle them. Then tragedy strikes, an orphan is born, loss haunts her every move and, after falling in with a couple of likeable London thieves, those black-and-white locks get a scarlet dye job. By the time that Estella is in her twenties, she's well-versed in pulling quick heists with Jasper (Joel Fry, Yesterday) and Horace (Paul Walter Hauser, Songbird). She loves sewing the costumes required more than anything else, however. After years spent dreaming of knockout gowns, upmarket department stores and threads made by the Baroness (Thompson, Last Christmas), she eventually gets her chance — for fashion domination, as well as vengeance. It worked for director Craig Gillespie in I, Tonya, but the wry narration that guides Cruella's story quickly overstays its welcome. The knowing tone, obvious observations and taunts of a death that can't stick in a prequel all purely hit the expected beats, as almost everything here does. Co-screenwriter Dana Fox also penned Isn't It Romantic, but trades satirising one genre's tropes for leaning into another's (yes, villain origin stories are their own genre now). Fellow scribe Tony McNamara was nominated for an Oscar for The Favourite and an Emmy for The Great, so the fact that Stone often feels like she has stepped out of the former and into this — right down to her subterfuge and scheming beneath the Baroness' feet — is no surprise. The Devil Wears Prada's Aline Brosh McKenna gets a story credit, too, because Disney isn't attempting to conceal its inspirations. Cruella may stem from Dodie Smith's book, then the cartoon, then the live-action remake, but it has been cut from a clear pattern. There's zero vampishness in the end result, but plenty of botched ideas and muddled themes. When Estella is driven to succeed, rebel against being treated poorly at work and punish the person responsible for her pain, they're far more fascinating aspects of her character than the movie meaningfully examines — perhaps because they don't quite fit her journey to the monochrome side. Empathising with her plight is easy several times over. After an early incident, understanding why she doesn't love dalmatians is as well. Gillespie and company don't come close to selling the leap from ambitious and avenging to future animal cruelty, though. The latter isn't actually a part of Cruella, but in giving its central figure the Joker treatment, the film's character arc is always a stretch. It also undercuts the much more potent notion that some people are just evil, and don't need a sob story as an excuse. If, in all of their eagerness to stick to a template, Cruella's powers-that-be just wanted to pair Stone up with another English acting titan — swapping The Favourite's Olivia Colman for the on-screen treasure that is Thompson — and then let them have at it, that's understandable. It's also as a good enough reason as any for this or any movie to exist. Alongside Beavan's Vivienne Westwood- and Alexander McQueen-influenced costumes, plus Nicolas Karakatsanis' (another I, Tonya alum) constantly moving camerawork, the acerbic Oscar-winning Emmas are the reason that the film has any bite to go along with its empty barks. But the duo's gleeful cartoonishness, flamboyance and winning ability to wear the hell out of their outfits only takes Cruella so far. Even with their obvious commitment, this intellectual property-extending exercise is more filler than killer. After you give it a whirl, you'll put it back on the rack and rarely spare it another thought. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgZgFHDGHrY&feature=youtu.be Top image: Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2021 Disney Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Maybe your suitcase is still looking a tad dusty, following a few years that saw travel plans put on hold. Perhaps you've given it the best workout you possibly could ever since local, interstate and international trips became a thing we could all do again. Whichever fits, scoring flights as cheap as $55 should tempt you to give that trusty bag another spin. Your destinations? Everywhere from The Whitsundays to Japan, all as part of Virgin's latest flight sale. If you're after discounted fares to a heap of places — including around Australia and the globe — Virgin is slashing prices again. This batch of special flights has been badged the Bring on 2023 sale, and can be booked now. You've got until midnight on Monday, February 6 to lock in your plans, unless the cheap fares sell out earlier. As usual, there's a sizeable number of discounted flights on offer: more than 500,000 in this run. They cover local spots such Byron Bay, Cairns, the Gold Coast and Hobart, plus overseas destinations including Bali, Vanuatu, Samoa and Fiji. Offering up to 30-percent off, one-way domestic fares start at $55, which'll get you from Sydney to Byron Bay. As proves the case in every sale like this, that's cheapest route. Other discounted flights include Sydney to the Sunshine Coast from $75, Adelaide to Launceston from $85, Brisbane to Proserpine for the same price, Melbourne to the Gold Coast from $99 and Brisbane to Hamilton Island from $119. Internationally, return deals include Sydney to Fiji from $459, the Gold Coast to Bali from $489, Melbourne to Vanuatu from $539 and Cairns to Tokyo from $699. If you're wondering when you'll need to travel, the fares cover between Wednesday, March 1–Thursday, December 7, all varying per route. As usual when it comes to flight sales, you'll need to get in quick. Sure, the chaos of Black Friday and Boxing Day is behind us for another year, but everyone loves a holiday — and, even better, a bargain holiday. Virgin's Bring on 2023 sale runs until midnight on Monday, February 6 — unless sold out earlier. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Big, bustling blockbusters have been absent from cinema screens for much of the past 12 months, as film studios adjust to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to coronavirus restrictions, hygiene requirements and protocols, huge movies filled with hordes of people haven't been the easiest things to shoot of late, either. So, cinephiles can expect more than a few new features to hit both the big screen and streaming services in the coming weeks, months and years that have been made under much more intimate circumstances. Malcolm & Marie is one of them, and it's heading to Netflix from Friday, February 5. The black-and-white film stars recent Euphoria Emmy-winner Zendaya opposite Tenet and BlacKkKlansman's John David Washington, with the pair playing a couple who've just returned home from a movie premiere — and end up spending what started as a celebratory evening working through the ups and downs of their relationship. The streaming service has just dropped its first trailer for the feature — which, as well as proving as intimate as expected, also promises an acting showcase from its two stars. Malcolm & Marie may be a talk-heavy film, focusing on its titular characters chatting about their feelings, but both Zendaya and Washington look set to continue their recent impressive runs. In Zendaya's case, she's also reuniting with writer/director Sam Levinson, who created Euphoria. Cinematographer Marcell Rév also has a history on the show — so if you're fond of vivid and expressive imagery, you'll be able to see what he can do while working in monochrome. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGZmwsK58M8 Malcolm & Marie will be available to stream via Netflix on Friday, February 5. Images: Dominic Miller/Netflix.
Imagine Planet of the Apes, but hurtling 65-million years backwards in time rather than forwards. What would a crashed spaceship's survivors find? Jurassic Park's favourite critters, obviously. Now imagine that other hit franchise, but also with a twist. Instead of making a new playground for genetically engineered dinosaur clones, picture people being plonked in the prehistoric creatures' existing realm. Whichever of the above options that you're now thinking about, you're currently on 65's wavelength. There's a bit of the Predator series to the upcoming sci-fi flick's just-dropped first trailer as well. And, there's a touch of Logan and A Quiet Place, too. The latter actually gets a boost thanks to writer/directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, who penned the first AQP feature. Here, however, they're also giving the world what it's always wanted, even if it didn't know it yet: Adam Driver fighting dinos. The White Noise, House of Gucci, Annette and Star Wars actor has long had a knack for interesting choices, and 65 fits the bill for that whole Driver-versus-prehistoric animals setup alone. If a movie about Idris Elba fighting lions can exist, aka Beast, so can this . There's more to 65's narrative, of course but it really does sound cobbled together from all that aforementioned science-fiction fare. Driver plays pilot Mills, who is charting a long-range exploratory mission through space when his ship is hit by an undocumented asteroid. Out of the 35 passengers, only young Koa (Ariana Greenblatt, In the Heights) is also left once they realise where and when they've landed — which sparks a fight to survive. Chloe Coleman (Gunpowder Milkshake) is also credited among the cast, but this looks set to largely remain a two-hander — well, two people and however many dinosaurs come rampaging their way. Viewers can see the end result in cinemas in March 2023, after a few release-date delays over the past year. And, among the film's impressive pedigree, The Evil Dead filmmaker Sam Raimi is one of its executive producers, while Wednesday and White Noise composer Danny Elfman is on score duties. Check out the trailer for 65 below: 65 releases in cinemas Down Under on March 9, 2023.
Drinks packages are everywhere on New Year's Eve. Unfortunately, you'll find most of the offerings are restricted to house bevvies, with rarely a bottle of the good stuff in sight. Luckily, this year, you'll find Customs House is doing things a little differently with a premium New Year's Eve event in its Moët Rosé Garden. Round up the crew and settle in for a night of garden party elegance, fine champagne by the water and stunning views over the Brisbane River. So, expect to see fireworks at both 8.30pm and midnight. For $200 per person, you'll have four hours of free-flowing Moët & Chandon Rosé and Moët Brut Imperial NV — it's a celebratory occasion, after all. Or, you can opt for French rosé without the bubbles, rosé sangria or beer instead. And, to keep you fuelled (and to line the stomach), there'll be a range of substantial canapes to look forward to — think scampi caviar blinis, Moreton Bay bug croissants, fried cauliflower with a whipped lemon ricotta, popcorn chicken, duck spring rolls and more. The space will be decked out with flowers, white furniture and pink hues, adding to the garden party vibes. You can also kick back to some tunes, with a DJ playing chilled beats throughout the evening. For more info and to secure your spot, click here. Images: Brian Roberts.
Whether Banksy is building the world's most depressing theme park, crafting a dark tourism ad for Gaza, opening a Bethlehem guesthouse with a view of the Israeli-Palestinian border or spray painting his pieces all over the globe, the artist's work tends to make a statement. That said, nothing sends a message quite like ripping your own painting to shreds. In a turn of events that the crowd at London's Sotheby's auction house definitely weren't expecting, Banksy's Girl with Balloon artwork self-destructed as the hammer fell on the winning bid. The moment that the painting had been sold on Friday, October 5 — for the hefty sum of £860,000 (AU$1.6 million) — the piece emitted a beeping noise. Then the artwork began to slide through a shredder embedded in the bottom of the frame, coming out the other side in torn pieces. In a video posted on the artist's Instagram feed and YouTube channel, Banksy is shown secretly building a shredder into a painting, with an explanation that this was done a few years ago "in case it was ever put up for auction". The clip then jumps to the scene at Sotheby's during and after the auction. Unsurprisingly, things get chaotic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiO_1XRnMt4 Sotheby's has advised that it had no knowledge of the prank before it happened. "It appears we just got Banksy-ed," Alex Branczik, head of contemporary art for Europe, told The Art Newspaper. Just what will happen to the piece now is still being determined, with suggestions that the work has gone up in value after being partly shredded. It certainly does continue Banksy's fascination with both creation and destruction, which has long been a theme at the centre of the street artist's work. Images: Olga Rozenbajgier, The Art of Banksy / Banksy.
Well, Monopoly just took its reputation as the game that will destroy your family to the next level. HBO is teaming up with Hasbro for the version we've all been waiting for: Game of Thrones Monopoly. According to Mashable, the game has locked in a 2015 release — we're hoping most likely to coincide with the Season Five premiere in April. Instead of the usual boardwalks of Rich Uncle Pennybags, the board will take bloody, bloody real estate to the key spots of Westeros. Ditching the dog and thimble, GoT Monopoly will let you play as a direwolf, three-eyed raven, White Walker, dragon egg, crown, and of course, and Iron Throne. And you'll be building villages and keeps instead of houses and hotels. “The Iron Bank is the Iron Bank.” Coming in 2015, Monopoly #GameOfThrones edition: http://t.co/UBuXb0iqcc @usaopoly pic.twitter.com/fubi9rdgKz— Game Of Thrones (@GameOfThrones) February 13, 2015 Hasbro haven't revealed the individual board spaces for the GoT edition. We're thinking King's Landing has a good chance of Mayfair, and we'd probably drop Craster's Keep on Old Kent Road. You'll likely be nabbing your Gold Dragons from the Iron Bank, and keeping everything crossed for a Get Out of The Wall Free Card. Game of Thrones Monopoly is set for release in 2015. Via Mashable.
The next seven nights will see parts of Alice Springs and its surrounds shine brighter than ever before, as the region's third annual Parrtjima - A Festival In Light delivers its most expansive program yet. The free public celebration of Indigenous arts, culture and storytelling is perhaps best known for its dazzling light installations, as First Nations' identity is shared across a whole swag of genres. This year, Parrtjima — the nation's first indigenous festival of its kind — will feature seven of these luminous displays, gracing both Alice Springs Desert Park and for the first time, Todd Mall in the Alice Springs CBD. The expanded CBD program includes a series of huge lit-up caterpillar designs, as well as a symbolic 'river of light' LED projection, flowing through the mall precinct in a striking display of textures, colours and patterns. Just out of town, tourism and conservation facility Alice Springs Desert Park will also come alive, awash with light from 6.30–10.30pm each night of the festival. Once again, a huge artwork will transform a 2.5-kilometre stretch of the majestic MacDonnell Ranges, this year working to the theme "from sunset to sunrise" with a more immersive light show experience than ever before. Visitors will be able to weave through a series of large-scale tree-inspired light sculptures for the Forest Space installation, or immerse themselves in art and storytelling as part of Grounded, where installations are projected onto the earth accompanied by a striking soundscape. There's the interactive Colour Space booth, featuring over 500 individually controlled LEDs responding to each person's movements, and even a hands-on kids' playground space, with captivating designs by Keringke Arts. The light installations are backed by a jam-packed program of dance, music, workshops and talks, sharing stories and celebrating First Nations' culture. It's a nice supplement to the area's Field of Light installation, which has been extended until 2020. If you can't get to the red centre this week, the images show just how incredible the landscape looks lit up at night. Parrtjima – A Festival in Light runs from September 28 until October 7 around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. For more information, visit the festival website. Images: James Horan.
You might associate Newcastle with surf, sand and summer, but the coastal location also makes this a perfect winter short break. There's no more invigorating way to start a frosty morning than with a brisk beachside walk. What's more, winter equals whale-watching season, and for spotting humpbacks, Newie's towering headlands are spectacular. When you're ready to head back indoors, you'll find the city packed with excellent chefs, baristas, artists, designers and makers. Many of them have escaped the big smoke to set up digs here, where they get to be beside the sea without paying torturously high rents. With that in mind, set up home base at one of the AccorHotels in the city and follow our guide to a warming, delicious winter weekender, just a two hours' drive north of Sydney. EAT AND DRINK Good cafes aren't hard to find in Newcastle; it's choosing one that's the tough bit. For a cheery beginning, settle among the bright tiles, artworks and plants of Ground Up Espresso in Carrington, a waterfront suburb on Newcastle Harbour's north shore. The most decadent, comforting brekkie on the menu has to be the crepes with smoked salmon and creme fraiche. Afterwards, cross the water to Maryville to warm your mitts on bakery treats at Uprising. Alternatively, if you want to stick to the CBD, then One Penny Black serves a bunch of single origins and blends, as well as winter-inspired dishes including coconut and cinnamon porridge. For tea drinkers, The Tea Collective in inner-city Cooks Hill is something of a mecca. Here, leaf obsessive Becci Fowler serves premium-quality, perfectly brewed cuppas. On a frosty morning, the gingerbread chai is hard to beat. Downstairs are The Autumn Rooms, a sun- and greenery-splashed space, offering buttermilk waffles with chai-infused mascarpone, pistachio crust, mixed berries and dark chocolate ganache, among other delights. At a nearby bowling club is Bistro Lowlands, home to some of Newie's tastiest burgers, including the Firebird 2.0 (buttermilk fried chicken, double cheese, sriracha slaw and jalapeno mustard). If it's Italian you're hankering for, head to the CBD's Napoli Centrale, where Naples-trained chef Alfonso Muras whips up traditional pizzas and a mean black truffle gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce. Mediterranean eatery Rustica offers both stunning views overlooking Newcastle Beach and a hearty share-style menu. Start with tapas and small plates, think Turkish-style carrot labne, before graduating to roast pork belly and Moroccan vegetable tagine. Meanwhile, for indulgent dining, book a table at hatted restaurant Subo. You'll be treating yourself to a set five-course menu, designed especially for winter. Dishes include carpaccio of Hervey Bay scallops with jamon, nori and XO sauce, as well as Cape Grim short rib cooked overnight in Guinness and red wine with bagna cauda (an Italian dipping sauce), turnip and fried herbs. Pre- and/or post-dinner drinks? There's The Grain Store for an epic craft beer collection, Reserve for hundreds (really, hundreds) of wines and The Koutetsu for cocktails among antique lampshades, dark timber and secretive nooks. DO Winter might not be the most appealing time for a swim at Newcastle's pretty, blissfully uncrowded beaches, but it's a whale watcher's dream. Get an eyeful on foot at either Nobbys Headland or Shepherds Hill Lookout, or take to the sea aboard the trusty vessel Coast XP. Another way to embrace the salty air is with a hike. The Bathers Way coastal walk stretches from Nobbys to Merewether Beach, with views of Newcastle from every which angle and a chance to learn about the city's history at Fort Scratchley, where guns were fired in 1942 during shelling by a Japanese submarine. Another key point along the walk is the Anzac Memorial Bridge, an icon of Newcastle that offers a 450-metre clifftop walkway. Not enough outdoorsiness for you? Hit the dunes of Stockton Beach on a quad bike (hire from Sand Dune Adventures, Quad Bike King or Port Stephens 4WD), take to the skies at TreeTops adventure park, or get some wind in your hair on one of Newie's many cycle paths. The 15-kilometre Fernleigh Track takes in peaceful bushland and wetlands. Meanwhile, you can get your art dose at the Olive Tree Art and Design Market, where local creatives gather on the first Saturday of every month, or anytime among the indie shops and galleries of the Darby Street Precinct in Newcastle's urban heart. Also worth checking out is the Newcastle Art Gallery — which hosts talks, tours and concerts throughout winter — and the Newcastle Jazz Festival that comes to town in August. SLEEP If there's one element that's vital to a winter weekender, it's a warm, tranquil hideaway for the evenings. If you're keen to snuggle up with the beach at your doorstep, book at the Novotel Newcastle Beach. Rooms — which range from Standard to Superior Balcony — come with king-sized beds, bucketloads of winter sunshine, loads of space and uplifting splashes of orange and blue. There's also a spa, sauna, gym, on-site restaurant and 24-hour room service. For a real indulgence, head to the on-site restaurant, Bistro Dalby, for high tea. Mini pressed Cuban sandwiches and prawn brioche sliders feature among the savouries, with salted raw caramel slice and chocolate eclairs in the sweet selection. A more affordable, yet still cosy, hotel option is the Ibis Newcastle, located near the city's Honeysuckle Precinct, a harbour-front area where former shipping wharves have been transformed into eateries and apartments. Some rooms offer water views, while all give you a super-comfy bed, flat-screen TV, free wifi and 24-hour room service. Alternatively, if you're on a brief visit, then the Mercure Newcastle Airport could be the way to go. It lets you easily explore nearby areas, such as Port Stephens, and all rooms have a sleek, minimalist design and photos of iconic landmarks taken by local Owen Signs. Go to the AccorHotels website to book your stay in Newcastle, and to discover more of regional NSW, swing by Visit NSW.
