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.
Before the pandemic, when a new-release movie started playing in cinemas, audiences couldn't watch it on streaming, video on demand, DVD or blu-ray for a few months. But with the past few years forcing film industry to make quite a few changes — widespread movie theatre closures will do that, and so will plenty of people staying home because they aren't well — that's no longer always the case. Maybe you haven't had time to make it to your local cinema lately. Perhaps you've been under the weather. Given the hefty amount of titles now releasing each week, maybe you simply missed something. Film distributors have been fast-tracking some of their new releases from cinemas to streaming recently — movies that might still be playing in theatres in some parts of the country, too. In preparation for your next couch session, here are eight that you can watch right now at home. The Fall Guy The Nice Guys mightn't have scored a sequel, but The Fall Guy does nicely instead. Getting a hearty workout: Ryan Gosling's charm, comedic talent that just earned an Oscar-nominated showcase in Barbie and action skills as last seen in The Gray Man. He's back in stunts, too, as Drive first gifted the world so mesmerisingly. A loose remake of the 80s television series of the same name, The Fall Guy is a take-it-and-run-with-it kind of film, then. Not only does it grasp hold of what Gosling does best and sprint, but the same applies for co-lead Emily Blunt (Pain Hustlers) — and, of course, for director David Leitch (Bullet Train), who first took the journey from stunt performer to filmmaker with John Wick, has kept filling his resume with action fare since (see: Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw and Bullet Train) and now virtually comes full circle in helming a flick where his protagonist does the same gig that he once did. Gosling's Colt Seavers is also taking it and running with it — in a profession where it's his job to help bring whatever impossible physical endeavour is required to the screen, as well as on the gig that gets him to Sydney. The Fall Guy starts 18 months prior to his trip Down Under, however, but still with him doubling for Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bullet Train), one of the world's biggest actors. Seavers has a career that he loves and steady work at it thanks to Ryder's fame. He's also happily romancing Jody Moreno (Blunt), a camera operator with dreams of doing more. Then a stunt goes wrong, leaving him badly injured, battered and bruised emotionally and psychologically, and inspiring him to quit the business. Only a call from Ryder-loving producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso) sparks his return to the industry — he makes a crust as a valet once he's fit and able in-between — and, even then, it's only really the fact that Moreno is helming Ryder's latest movie as her directorial debut that nudges him onto the plane. Then, upon his arrival in Australia, Seavers soon discovers that the situation isn't exactly what he's been told. The Fall Guy streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with David Leitch and Kelly McCormick. Challengers Tennis is a game of serves, shots, slices and smashes, and also of approaches, backhands, rallies and volleys. Challengers is a film of each, too, plus a movie about tennis. As it follows a love triangle that charts a path so back and forth that its ins and outs could be carved by a ball being hit around on the court, it's a picture that takes its aesthetic, thematic and emotional approach from the sport that its trio of protagonists are obsessed with as well. Tennis is everything to Tashi Duncan (Zendaya, Dune: Part Two), Art Donaldson (Mike Faist, West Side Story) and Patrick Zweig (Josh O'Connor, La Chimera), other than the threesome themselves being everything to each other. It's a stroke of genius to fashion the feature about them around the game they adore, then. Metaphors comparing life with a pastime are easy to coin. Movies that build such a juxtaposition into their fabric are far harder to craft. But it's been true of Luca Guadagnino for decades: he's a craftsman. Jumping from one Dune franchise lead to another, after doing Call Me By Your Name and Bones and All with Timothée Chalamet, Guadagnino proves something else accurate that's been his cinematic baseline: he's infatuated with the cinema of yearning. Among his features so far, only in Bones and All was the hunger for connection literal. The Italian director didn't deliver cannibalism in Call Me By Your Name and doesn't in Challengers, but longing is the strongest flavour in all three, and prominent across the filmmaker's Suspiria, A Bigger Splash and I Am Love also. So, combine the idea of styling a movie around a tennis match — one spans its entire duration, in fact — with a lusty love triangle, romantic cravings and three players at the top of their field, then this is the sublime end product. Challengers is so smartly constructed, so well thought-out down to every meticulous detail, so sensual and seductive, and so on point in conveying Tashi plus Art and Patrick's feelings, that it's instantly one of Guadagnino's grand slams. Challengers streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review, as well as what Zendaya, Josh O'Connor and Mike Faist had to say about the film when they were in Australia. Perfect Days When Lou Reed's 'Perfect Day' enjoyed its initial sublime movie moment in Trainspotting, it soundtracked a descent into heroin's depths, including literally via the film's visual choices. For three decades since, that's been the tune's definitive on-screen use. Now drifts in Perfect Days, the Oscar-nominated Japan-set drama from German filmmaker Wim Wenders (Submergence). This slice-of-life movie takes its name from the song. It also places the iconic David Bowie-produced classic among the tracks listened to by toilet cleaner Hirayama (Kôji Yakusho, Vivant) as he goes about his daily routine. Fond of 60s- and 70s-era music, the Tokyo native's picks say everything about his mindset, both day by day and in his zen approach to his modest existence. 'Perfect Day' and Nina Simone's 'Feeling Good' each also sum up the feeling of watching this gorgeous ode to making the most of what you have, seeing beauty in the everyday and being in the moment. Not every tune that Hirayama pops into his van's tape deck — cassettes are still his format of choice — has the same type of title. Patti Smith's 'Redondo Beach', The Animals' 'The House of the Rising Sun', Otis Redding's '(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay' and The Rolling Stones' '(Walkin' Thru the) Sleepy City' also rank among his go-tos, all reflecting his mood in their own ways. If there's a wistfulness to Hirayama's music selections, it's in the manner that comes over all of us when we hark back to something that we first loved when we were younger. Perfect Days' protagonist is at peace with his life, however. Subtly layered into the film is the idea that things were once far different and more-conventionally successful, but Hirayama wasn't as content as he now is doing the rounds of the Japanese capital's public bathrooms, blasting his favourite songs between stops, eating lunch in a leafy park and photographing trees with an analogue camera. Perfect Days streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Robot Dreams Heartbreak is two souls wanting nothing more than each other, but life having other plans. So goes Robot Dreams, another dialogue-free marvel from Spanish filmmaker Pablo Berger, who had audiences feeling without words uttered with 2012's Blancanieves — and showed then with black and white imagery, as he does now with animation, that he's a master at deeply expressive visual storytelling. His fourth picture as a director was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 2024 Academy Awards. In most years, if it wasn't up against Studio Ghibli's The Boy and the Heron, it would've taken home the Oscar. It earns not just affection instead, but the awe deserved of a movie that perfects the sensation of longing for someone to navigate life with, finding them, adoring them, then having fate doing what fate does by throwing up complications. Usually this would be a boy-meets-girl, boy-meets-boy or girl-meets-girl story. Here, it's a dog-meets-robot tale. The time: the 80s, with nods to Tab and Pong to prove it. The place: a version of Manhattan where anthropomorphised animals are the only inhabitants — plus mechanised offsiders that, just by placing an order and putting together the contents of the package that arrives, can be built as instant friends. Eating macaroni meals for one and watching TV solo in his small East Village apartment each evening, Dog is achingly lonely when he orders his Amica 2000 after seeing an infomercial. As he tinkers to construct Robot, pigeons watch on from the window, but they've never been his company. Soon exuberantly strutting the streets hand in hand with his maker, the android is a dream pal, however, this kismet pairing isn't what gives Robot Dreams its name. Robot Dreams streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Origin For most filmmakers, Isabel Wilkerson's Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents would've screamed for the documentary treatment. A non-fiction text published in 2020, it works through the thesis that racism in America isn't just the product of xenophobia, but is an example of social stratification. The journalist and author — and, in 1994, Pulitzer Prize-winner — examines how categorising populations into groups with a perceived grading is at the heart of US race relations, and how the same was true in Nazi Germany and still does in the treatment of the Dalit in India. A doco could spring easily from there. If it happens to in the future, no one should be surprised. Ava DuVernay, who brings Wilkerson's prize-winning tome to the screen now, has demonstrated again and again with Selma, The 13th and A Wrinkle in Time that she's not most directors, however. Make the points in Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents via a documentary, if and when that occurs, and they'd be accurate and powerful. Express them through cinema's function as an empathy machine, via personal tales including Wilkerson's own, and they resonate by getting audiences stepping into a range of shoes. Watching isn't merely investigating and learning in Origin, as Wilkerson as a character — played by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (The Color Purple) in a phenomenally passionate and thoughtful lead performance — does in a movie that's also a biopic about her life and work. Sitting down to DuVernay's film is all about feeling, understanding what it's like to be a range of people who are forced to grapple with being seen as less than others for no reason but the fact that urge to judge that keeps proving inherent in human nature. Origin streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Boy Kills World In The Hunger Games and its sequels and prequels, a post-apocalyptic totalitarian state enforces order by murder, picking children via lottery to compete until just one remains standing. Before it reached pages and screens, The Running Man, Battle Royale and Series 7: The Contenders were among the stories that got there first, always with kill-or-be-killed contests at their cores. Now Boy Kills World enters the fray, but in a city ruled over by despot Van Der Koy matriarch Hilda (Famke Janssen, Locked In), with a group of candidates chosen annually, then slaughtered at big televised display that is The Culling no matter what. The titular Boy (played by the US Goodnight Mommy remake's Nicholas and Cameron Crovetti as a kid) is the rare exception: after witnessing his sister and mother's execution in this nightmarish realm, he's simply left for dead. Making his feature debut, director Moritz Mohr (TV's Viva Berlin!) holds tight to another big-screen staple: a revenge mission. As an adult, that the role of Boy falls to Bill Skarsgård fresh from John Wick: Chapter 4 says plenty. The vengeance that's always fuelled that Keanu Reeves (The Matrix Resurrections)-led franchise, and fellow influence Oldboy as well, mixes with cinema's wealth of fight-to-the-death tales. Also thrown in with the fervour of a fan mixing together his favourite things — which is Mohr's unapologetic approach from start to finish — is a colour scheme that Kill Bill also deployed, Deadpool-style humour and violence, notes cribbed from Matthew Vaughn's Kingsman movies and Argylle with its carnage, and nods to video games and Hong Kong action fare plus Looney Tunes and anime. Boy Kills World streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Moritz Mohr. The First Omen Resurrecting horror franchises that first gleamed bright in the 70s is a trend that Hollywood isn't done idolising. Halloween did it. The Exorcist returned as well. Via remakes, Carrie, Suspiria and Black Christmas have all made comebacks since the 2010s. The Omen was always going to get its turn, then. Taking the prequel route — because the OG 1976 film hadn't spawned one yet with 1978's Damien — Omen II, 1981's Omen III: The Final Conflict and 1991's Omen IV: The Awakening, plus a 2006 remake and 2016's one-season TV series — gives rise to The First Omen, as set in Rome in 1971. Fans will know that June 6 that year was when Damien was born. Spinning backstories into new movies can create flicks that smack of inevitability above all else, but not here: this is a genuinely eerie and dread-laced Omen entry with an expert command of unnerving imagery by first-time feature director Arkasha Stevenson (Brand New Cherry Flavour), plus a well-chosen anchor in lead actor Nell Tiger Free (Game of Thrones). Horror, unusual babies, childminding at its most disquieting, a claustrophobic location, a lack of agency, distressing displays of faith: Free has been here before. Indeed, if Stevenson and her co-writers Tim Smith (a screenwriting debutant) and Keith Thomas (the director of 2022's awful Firestarter remake) used Servant as their inspiration in more ways than one, they've made a savvy choice. Featuring their star for four seasons between 2019–2023, that M Night Shyamalan (Knock at the Cabin)-produced series was one of the great horror streaming efforts of the past five years. The First Omen goes heavier on jolting visuals to go with its nerve-jangling atmosphere, but it too stands out. Its worst choice is being needlessly and gratingly blatant in connecting dots in its very last moments, even if nearly half a century has passed since this spawn-of-Satan saga began. The First Omen streams via Disney+, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Back to Black Casting a biopic can't be easy. The awards-courting label that hangs over the genre that's earned Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer), Will Smith (King Richard), Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye), Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody), Renée Zellweger (Judy) and Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour) lead actor and actress Oscars over the past decade alone can't make the task any less tricky, either. Then, when music bios get a spin — which is often — the weight of recognition and fandom is an especially heavy factor. Does the actor resemble the star that they're playing physically or in spirit? Can they? Will their attempt to slip into someone else's mega fame read like a triumphant ode or a faded facsimile? Will they try to inhabit rather than impersonate? Is doing the real-life person justice even possible? The questions go on. Even with those queries in mind, Back to Black has chosen its lead well. In Industry's Marisa Abela, who has just six prior acting credits on her resume before now — Barbie is the latest; Man in a Box, her first, came when she was only 11 — the Amy Winehouse-focused film from director Sam Taylor-Johnson (A Million Little Pieces) and screenwriter Matt Greenhalgh (Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool) has someone who looks the part beehive or not, and convincingly lives and breathes it behind a north London accent. She sings it, too, when the picture weaves in her own vocals atop Winehouse's music. But casting isn't the only key element for a biopic. The dance that a feature is taking through a well-known figure's life needs the material and the approach to support its central performance — the lyrics and tune to match with sheer talent, in music terms. If they fall flat, so does the flick. And unlike a bad song for an exceptional singer, there's no second chances in this realm. Back to Black streams via YouTube Movies and Prime Video. Read our full review. Looking for more viewing options? Take a look at our monthly streaming recommendations across new straight-to-digital films and TV shows — and fast-tracked highlights from January, February, March, April and May 2024 (and also January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December 2023, too). We keep a running list of must-stream TV from across 2024 as well, complete with full reviews. And, we've also rounded up 2023's 15 best films, 15 best straight-to-streaming movies, 15 top flicks hardly anyone saw, 30 other films to catch up with, 15 best new TV series of 2023, another 15 excellent new TV shows that you might've missed and 15 best returning shows.
It's that time again, Brisbanites — time to spend as much of September as possible lapping up the city's major arts festival. It's the perfect part of the year for it, after all. The spring weather is delightful, everyone is eager to get out and about now that winter is gone, and Brisbane Festival reliably delivers oh-so-much to do. On this year's agenda now that the literal fireworks are over — because Riverfire kicked off this year's fest, rather than ended it — is a hefty list of shows, gigs, events, installations and everything in-between. In other words, don't say that you don't have anything to do between now and Saturday, September 24. And if you're still wondering what to see, hear and experience, here are our ten must-attend highlights.
For some, getting behind a microphone to sing in public is their idea of hell. For Lost Souls, it's the whole reason that the new Fortitude Valley watering hole exists, complete with an underworld theme. The decor isn't a comment on karaoke's detractors, though. Rather, it's a continuation of the new addition to Brunswick Street's sibling venue next door. When you've already given Brisbane a retro arcade bar called Netherworld that's playfully decked out with murals to match its love of monsters and all things hellish, leaning in when expanding comes with the territory. January 2024 will mark seven years since Netherworld first welcomed in patrons, taking over the pub on the corner of St Paul's Terrace corner that was formerly The Shamrock, The Step Inn and the Underdog. Lost Souls is already open, launching in mid-December just before that anniversary and nestling into a different area in the same building. So, you can now mash buttons over a brew, then belt out a banger over a few more — as long as you head by from Tuesday–Sunday. Five karaoke rooms await, all with the requisite look — aka creature-filled murals — but also an upbeat feel. Accordingly, while skulls and tentacled critters don the walls, including around the screens displaying the all-important words to all the tracks that punters can sing, so do bright hues. Expect pink and purple paint, plus lighting to match, whether you're crooning 'Love Shack', 'Baby Shark', 'Yellow', 'Creep' or Mariah Carey's Christmas ditties. Brisbane's own Nelson Gibbins is responsible for the art and design, carrying over his collaborations with the Lost Souls team from Netherworld. Each of the quintet of spaces adorned with his work has its own look, spanning from the pastel nightmares of the 'Cute as Hell' room to the psychedelia of 'King Cane Toad', both of which can seat eight people. Shipwrecks and ravenous crustaceans are part of the 16-seater 'Beyond the Abyss' suite, while tombstones and skeletons feature in the also 16-person 'Boneyard Ballads' space. For groups of 20, 'The Ritual' — which takes its aesthetic from an occult ceremony gone awry in a 1940s Brisbane mansion — awaits. Bookings are available for an hour — and for those in need of liquid courage, the bar serves craft brews, cocktails, wine and spirits. Non-alcoholic options are also on the menu. For a bite to eat, you'll need to head to Netherworld either before or after your time behind the mic, where the Hellmouth Diner's fully vegan spread — with carnivorous ingredients only available as extras — features karaage tofu, garlic bread subs made with vegan meatballs, peanut butter oreo pies and more. Find Lost Souls at 186 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley — open 4–11pm Tuesday–Thursday, 4pm–1am Friday, 12pm–1am Saturday and 12–11pm Sunday.
Seltzer brand Part Time Rangers has arrived with a new line of summer-ready drinks that are helping make a difference. The Peach Penguin is a flavour-packed addition to the brand's range and, as the name suggests, it has an affinity for one of the world's cutest creatures: the penguin. If you pick up a four-pack of these fruity vodka and peach juice drinks, you can feel a little better about your latest boozy purchase than usual. For every seltzer sold, Part Time Rangers donates to conservation initiatives around the world — and this time, a portion of the profits from the peach flavour are going directly to the Conservation Council of Western Australia and penguin expert Dr Erin Clitheroe. WA's Little Penguin has seen an 80-percent population decline since 2007 due to warmer ocean conditions and increased air temperature. It's species like the little penguin that the Conservation Council is working to save. On top of donating these proceeds to help provide assistance with the penguin population of Penguin Island, Part Time Rangers also wants you to get involved directly. After conducting a survey that found only five percent of young Australians consider the Little Penguin a conservation concern, the seltzer brand has launched a competition to try and raise awareness for these fluffy little animals. The seltzer brand is giving away an all-expenses-paid trip to Western Australia to help Clitheroe with her conservation efforts. The winner of this major prize will get to spend three days with the scientist, in what Part Time Rangers has described as a "scholar-sip". They'll also get return flights to Perth, four nights accommodation, $1500 to spend on food and transport, $2000 prize money and a case of seltzer. There will also be ten runner-ups who will each win a hat and a four-pack of seltzer. To enter, just head to the Part Time Rangers website and explain in 25 words or less why you want to fly to Perth and hang out with Dr Erin Clitheroe. Applications for the competition close at 5pm on Monday, February 20. Outside of the Peach Penguin flavour, you'll also find other drinks in the range — like the Pink Rhino, with proceeds going to Rhinos Without Borders, plus the Black and Yellow Elephant flavours, which both raise money for the Big Life Foundation. For more information on Part Time Rangers and the competition head to the brand's website. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
The pandemic has given us all new pastimes, from baking sourdough and piecing together all the puzzles to watching every Nicolas Cage movie ever made and mixing up top-notch cocktails at home. For the past few months, we've all added something else to our list, too: keeping an eye on Australia's COVID-19 vaccination rates. We all know why we're all currently fascinated with jab percentages. Back in July, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that Australia will tie its efforts to manage COVID-19 to vax rates moving forward. So, as the country reaches certain vaccination milestones — 70 percent of Aussies over the age of 16 receiving two doses, and then 80 percent — the way that Australia handles the pandemic will evolve. Restrictions will start to ease, lockdowns will be less likely, international travel will open back up and people who've been fully vaxxed will live life under loosened rules. As both New South Wales and Victoria have dealt with COVID-19 outbreaks this year, vax rates have continued to be thrust into the spotlight. Both NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and her Victorian counterpart Daniel Andrews have highlighted specific jab thresholds, and announced that lockdown rules will begin to change when they're met. Accordingly, that means that we're all now paying extra attention to those vaccination figures and noting every milestone — with Australia just hitting a big one. Today, Friday, September 24, Australia has officially hit the 50-percent fully vaxxed mark, based on all eligible Australians over the age of 16. That's nationwide, and it's big push towards hitting those 70-percent and 80-percent marks. Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt revealed that 50.1 percent of eligible Aussies are now double jabbed, and 74.8 percent have had their first dose. In total, more than 26 million jab have been given so far, including two million this week. We have also passed the 50% double dosed mark (50.1%) for the eligible population (74.8% for first dose). And a record primary care day of 211,335. Please keep coming forward to be vaccinated. — Greg Hunt (@GregHuntMP) September 24, 2021 Wondering why you might be interested in the Aussie rate, and not just vax numbers in your own state or territory? As part of that plan announced by the PM — the National Plan to transition Australia's National COVID Response — vaccination rates have to reach the 70-percent and 80-percent fully jabbed marks across the entire country before an individual state or territory can start easing the rules. That state or territory also has to reach those thresholds itself before it can do anything, of course, but that isn't the only important figure. So, this news inches us all closer to those target vax thresholds — and that's obviously the kind of news we could all use. You can keep an eye on the jab rates at a number of different websites and, if you still need to get vaccinated, these helpful maps show you where in NSW, Victoria and Queensland. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
Lasagne is a bit like lamingtons, even though they taste and look absolutely nothing alike. Their one big commonality: if there's an inventive way to twist either in any way, whatever that dish happens to be is definitely worth trying. Actually, the two foods share something else in common, because Australia's world-famous Lune Croissanterie has also given them both a whirl. It first served up lamington cruffins to kick off 2022, and now it's doing lasagne pastries to welcome in winter. Lasagne, but a pastry? Yes, that's now a real thing that exists — but only for this month, until Thursday, June 30, at all Lune stores around the country. That spans Fitzroy and the CBD in Melbourne, plus South Brisbane in Brisbane. While the brand also has three new outposts in the works — a third in Melbourne, a second in Brissie and its first ever in Sydney — none will be open in time to dish up this limited-time special. So, what are these instantly tastebud-tempting lasagne pastries? Prepare to meet, devour and love the lasagne escargot. It's the first time that Lune has whipped up this particular Frankenstein's monster of a bakery creation — and it's bound to set your stomach alive with deliciousness. Yes, it comes stuffed with bolognese and béchamel. There's also shredded mozzarella cheese, because of course there is. And, that pastry is then topped with parmesan before it goes in the oven. In Melbourne, you'll need to physically head into a Lune to get your mitts on this creative lasagne dish. In Brisbane, you can also order it online. The lasagne escargot leads Lune's June specials menu, which also features peanut pretzels and coconut pandan. For Brisbanites only, there's also cardamom buns, quince and vanilla danishes, and rhubarb and custard cruffins, too. Lune's lasagne escargot are available from all stores — Fitzroy and the CBD in Melbourne, and South Brisbane in Brisbane — until Thursday, June 30. In Brisbane only, you can also order them online.
When some of Australia's biggest events were forced to change their 2020 plans due to the pandemic, it was hoped that'd be a one-time deal. But more than halfway into 2021, COVID-19 and Australia's response to it keeps causing havoc with the music and events industries. The latest casualty, following Bluesfest and Vivid Sydney: this year's BIGSOUND. If your spring routine usually involves bar-hopping around Brisbane — and around Fortitude Valley in particular — while listening to up-and-coming musicians, then you're in for bad news. The music-fuelled celebration normally takes over the Queensland capital every September or October, and did so virtually in 2020. Plans had already been announced for the event's physical return this year; however, given the current lockdowns in both Sydney and Melbourne, organisers have now scrapped the 2021 conference and festival altogether. "Without our music mates in New South Wales and Victoria and no certain timeline as to when domestic borders will remain open, BIGSOUND 2021 wouldn't be able to deliver on its promise to reunite the music community for three extraordinary days of connection, conversation, and music discovery," said QMusic CEO Kris Stewart in a statement announcing the cancellation. BIGSOUND's 2021 event was due to run from Tuesday, September 7–Thursday, September 9, with the three-day program slated to feature conferences, live festival showcases, secret shows and official parties. Around 150 musicians were expected to take to the stage, with past events showcasing everyone from Gang of Youths, Flume, Tash Sultana and Courtney Barnett to San Cisco, Violent Soho, Methyl Ethel and The Jungle Giants. Instead of trying to move around this year's fest or adjust to lockdowns and restrictions, the BIGSOUND team will now work towards staging the next event in September 2022. That said, 100-percent First Nations youth-led music conference Little BLAKSOUND will still go ahead this September, as presented by Digi Youth Arts. And, with 2021 marking BIGSOUND's 20th anniversary, work is underway to find a way to celebrate that milestone in some shape or form this year, too. BIGSOUND 2021 will no longer place between Tuesday, September 7–Thursday, September 9 in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. Current ticket holders will receive refunds, as will artists who've paid application fees. For further details, visit bigsound.org.au. Top image: Kymie at BIGSOUND 2019 by Lachlan Douglas.
Back in 2018, when Milton welcomed its first rum microdistillery, it challenged the suburb's beer-loving status quo. This is the home of the XXXX brewery, its giant neon sign and its constant yeasty smell, after all, as well as Newstead Brewing Co's second site, fellow brewery Milton Common and beer-loving dive bar The Scratch. But there's room in this inner city spot for more than one type of booze, or even two — as newcomer Warehouse 25 is also keen to demonstrate. Setting up shop on Finchley Street — so, in the shadow of both XXXX and Newstead Brewing — Warehouse 25 is all about gin and vodka. If you like clear spirits, you'll be happy here. It distills both onsite and, when it opens its doors on Saturday, November 7, will serve them at its bar, too. It also bottles them for folks to take home under the Calm Spirits Co label, although the venue's bottle shop is still in the works. Everyone stopping by for a drink will be able to see the distilling magic in action, with the 100-litre vodka still and 50-litre gin still in full view. Walk through the converted warehouse's barn-style doors and you won't miss them. You'll also spot wooden tables galore, as part of an indoor and outdoor area that includes an underground function space — and twinkling lights strung up above. Owner Cameron Lee has designed the space to cater for a number of purposes, too: casual drinks, live music, art exhibitions and vintage garage sales, for instance, plus both block and private parties. But, in addition to the spirits lineup, it's the in-house pizzeria that's bound to be a big drawcard. Patrons can choose from nine different types, including ricotta and meatball, and a potato bake pizza — and pair them with other Italian-style bites such as caprese and arancini. As for the drinks themselves, obviously gin and vodka feature heavily in the venue's cocktails, which span its own signature tipples and a range of classics. If you're in the mood for a different type of tipple, yes, there's beer on the menu (and yes, XXXX is one of them). Plus, there's also a small wine selection. Find Warehouse 25 at 25 Finchley Street, Milton from Saturday, November 7 — open Monday–Wednesday 11am–2pm, Thursday 11am–10pm and Friday–Sunday 11am–1am.
Brisbane, prepare to up your dining game to new and glorious heights – First Table has launched across the city. You'd be forgiven if you've never heard of it, though. First Table may be a new concept, but it's life-changing one at the same time. After launching in New Zealand two years ago, Sydney has enjoyed it for the last twelve months and Melbourne for the last month. Now, it's our turn. The premise is simple: get 50% off your bill when you book an early table. Restaurants often struggle to get diners into the early slot, so First Table have the solution. Each eatery decides how many tables get the deal and what time patrons have to dine, and then you secure your half-price table (for 2 to 4 guests) online beforehand. Everyone wins, and there's no surprises at bill time. Just to be clear, this isn't an early-bird special as you know them. There's no set menu, no watery promo cocktail to disappoint you and no corner of the menu that's off limits (apart from booze – that one you still have to pay for). "You want [new clients] to experience the restaurant how it really is," says First Table founder Mat Weir. "Then you've got a reason to get entrees, mains and desserts which they may not have ordered otherwise, and then you get to actually experience the restaurant how the chef would like, a full experience". And, making great news even better, more restaurants are being signed up in Brisbane all the time (at the time of writing, Dutch Courage Officers' Mess, Mecca Bah, Corbett & Claude, Fogata, and The Catchment Brewing Co are among the eateries featured). After a year of First Table fun, Sydney boasts some prestigious dining experiences on their list, as well as local eateries. As Weir says, a big drawcard for both customers and restaurants is allowing people to try new places and dishes they might not be able to afford otherwise. Half-priced dinners at fancy restaurants AND an early bed time? It's like Christmas come early. For more information about First Table, visit their website.
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 14, 2019 — Brisbane Festival's Fire Gardens installation has been cancelled due to the extension of Brisbane's total fire ban, with ticketholders due to receive refunds. You can read more about the bushfires and the festival's decision over here. Come September, one of the most peaceful patches of the CBD will become the most fiery. Don't worry, it's only temporary. Already a hit everywhere from Stonehenge to The Kremlin to Melbourne, French art collective Compagnie Carabosse is bringing its acclaimed Fire Gardens to town as part of this year's Brisbane Festival. While the full Brisbane Festival program features plenty of other fun, this sprawling — and suitably glowing — installation is worth getting hot and bothered about (in a good way, of course). For the four nights between Wednesday, September 18 and Saturday, September 21, Fire Gardens will take over the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens in Alice Street, filling the Gardens Point spot with thousands of fire pots, sculptures and terracotta urns. Pathways will be illuminated, burning pyres will sit in trees, huge spheres will roar and crackle with flames, and structures will be set alight in the middle of ponds. The installation will also take visitors through a blazing maze-like realm, and feature luminous animatronic sculptures. Given that the group has been starting fires professionally for more than 20 years, Compagnie Carabosse knows what it's doing — not only when it comes to safely cloaking a huge expanse of grass, plants and trees in flames, but in tapping into humanity's innate fondness for and primal attraction to fire. This isn't just about watching things burn, obviously, with a mysterious soundtrack boosting the mood and allure. Expect live musicians performing French music, adding to the radiant ambience. More than 40,000 people are expected to make their way through the huge work, so nabbing a ticket in advance is recommended sooner rather than later. Prices will rise from $25 to $33 the longer they're available, with the cheapest options put up first. Once you've nabbed your spot, blaze-loving Brisbanites can enter at five times each night — in half-hour blocks from 6–8.30pm — and once you're inside, you can stay until close at 9.30pm. Although Fire Gardens has popped up around the world, this iteration will be crafted specifically for the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens. That means that you really won't see anything like it anywhere else. And, of course, you haven't seen the gardens set on fire before anyway. Images: Sylvie Monier, Regina Marcenkiene and Vincent Muteau.
Inspired by European craft beer vibes and co-founded by Gerard Martin and Matt McIver, Range Brewing takes seasonality very seriously. It doesn't have a specific core range like most breweries do. Instead, its brews are ever-changing, depending on the season and available ingredients. Expect hoppy, dark and sour beers to dominate, all brewed with Californian-designed equipment. At the time of writing, its current list of beers reaches 55. Located in Newstead, just a few blocks north of Gasworks, Range's warehouse-style taproom serves up whatever is pumping through the ten taps from Thursday–Sunday. The space has a Scandinavian-inspired fitout, which was designed and built by the Range crew. Think a beer hall with concrete-topped share tables, steel-based chairs and communal booths that seat 90, with space for 120 all up. For food, Range slings sourdough pizzas from their onsite commercial kitchen. If you're keen to try something other than beer — however blasphemous that may be — the bar also offers wine, gin, whisky and soft drinks from all-Australian and independently-owned producers. And don't forget that Range is within walking distance of Green Beacon Brewing and Newstead Brewing Co., making the suburb your new go-to for a weekend brewery crawl.
Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself? At Sydney Film Festival's 2024 closing night, that'll be the question of the evening. The query sits at the heart of The Substance, which premiered at this year's Cannes Film Festival, got the movie world talking instantly and now has a date with the Harbour City on Sunday, June 16 to wrap up SFF with a dose of body horror. If you've being seeing Demi Moore's name pop up a heap lately and were wondering why, this film is the reason. After recently adding Feud, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Please Baby Please and Brave New World to her resume, the actor leads The Substance as celebrity Elizabeth Sparkle. When the character uses a black-market drug in an effort to cling on to her image and fame, it creates a younger version. "More beautiful" and "more perfect" is also how the first official clip from the film describes the temporary clone. If everything went swimmingly, however, there wouldn't be much of a movie. The Substance is also the long-awaited second feature from writer/director Coralie Fargeat, who made a spectacular debut with 2017's Revenge, and just picked up the Best Screenplay award on the Croisette for her sophomore effort. And, alongside Moore, Margaret Qualley (Drive-Away Dolls) and Dennis Quaid (Lawman: Bass Reeves) also star. "We are thrilled to close this year's Sydney Film Festival with the Australian Premiere of The Substance. Coralie Fargeat's film, featuring an outstanding performance by Demi Moore, promises to leave a lasting impression," said Sydney Film Festival Director Nashen Moodley. While the festival announced its full lineup in early May, the event always keeps adding to the program afterwards. Elvis' Austin Butler also joined the bill, coming to Sydney for a screening of his new film The Bikeriders. Plus, normally before the fest kicks off, it reveals a few more straight-from-Cannes titles. Accordingly, keep watching this space. Check out the teaser trailer for The Substance below: Sydney Film Festival 2024 takes place from Wednesday, June 5–Sunday, June 16 at various cinemas and venues around Sydney. For more information and tickets, head to the festival's website.
Interactive detective game CluedUpp has taken over Australia's streets before — and if you like the idea of solving murders like you're in an episode of CSI, all while you run around town, then it's the pastime for you. Its next Brisbane event on Saturday, May 21 will bring the TV series to life throughout the city, and get you sleuthing while enjoying and outdoor adventure. Yes, it's like Cluedo come to life, too. Forget Colonel Mustard with the candlestick in the study — this event will bring you and your friends closer to reality and out onto the streets to solve the case. The game will kick off at a secret location, and you can choose to start whenever you like between 9am–2pm. Then, how long it takes depends on how good of a detective you are. The best news of all, however, is that the event is dog friendly — and there are prizes to be won by both human and canine detectives. All you need to play is some friends and your phone. Dressing up to fit the theme is encouraged, so you can really get yourself into character. A ticket will set you back $97 per team of six, but you only need two humans to play. With only limited team spots available, getting in quick for your chance to solve the mystery is recommended.
Something delightful is happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are starting to reopen — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney and Brisbane (and, until the newly reinstated stay-at-home orders, Melbourne as well). During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made over the past three months, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsWV2qTX21k NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS In the scene that gives Never Rarely Sometimes Always its name, 17-year-old Autumn (Sidney Flanigan) sits with a counsellor at Planned Parenthood in Brooklyn. The teen hails from Pennsylvania, but has taken the bus east with her cousin Skylar (Talia Ryder) upon discovering that she's pregnant and realising she only really has one option — knowing that her family is unlikely to help, and after her local women's clinic has advised that she should just have the baby. Before she can obtain the New York facility's assistance, however, she is asked questions about her history. The queries broach tough and intimate subjects, but Autumn only needs to answer with one of the words from the movie's moniker. While they're simple and common, those four terms explain much about why a small-town high-schooler is engaging in a practice that's been dubbed 'abortion tourism'. So too does the silence that punctuates her responses and the heartbreaking expression on her face that goes with them. From its opening frames, which sketch out Autumn's everyday life — the taunting peers, the awkward dynamic at home, the attentions of her boss at her after-school supermarket job, and the efforts to be seen by performing at her class concert — Never Rarely Sometimes Always is an intricately observed and stunningly detailed film. Accordingly, when the aforementioned scene arrives, it's the latest potent, compassionate and revealing moment in a movie filled with them. But filmmaker Eliza Hittman (It Felt Like Love, Beach Rats) refuses to give viewers even the tiniest reprieve here. Autumn can't escape these difficult questions or the entire experience she's dealing with, and the audience is forced into the same situation. Maintaining the feature's unobtrusive, naturalistic, almost documentary-esque style, cinematographer Hélène Louvart (Happy as Lazzaro) doesn't look away, while first-time actor Flanigan pours out an entire lifetime's worth of feeling under the film's unrelenting gaze. As intimated by its protagonist's name, as taken from the season when the leaves fall, warmth fades and the weather's frostiest period approaches, this is a film about decay, loss and change in multiple ways — and it's as grim and gripping as it is outraged, empathetic and affecting. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxZ774gziwU THE CRAFT: LEGACY Written and directed by actor-turned-filmmaker Zoe Lister-Jones (Band Aid), The Craft: Legacy is clearly the product of someone who knows and appreciates its 1996 cult-favourite predecessor. It's also the work of someone keen to pay tribute to the original — a horror-thriller about teen witches using and abusing magic to cope with high school's troubles — and embrace what she sees as its strengths, as well as redress its wrongs, update it for a new time and a new generation of teens, and verbally and visibly champion inclusivity at every turn. But it's possible for a 24-years-later follow-up to show affection, make some smart changes, move with the times and still feel like the remnants left in a cauldron. Or, for it to recall one of The Craft's famed moments — one that The Craft: Legacy recreates, briefly — in an unintended fashion. When this feature's coven play with levitation, the words "light as a feather, stiff as a board" aren't heard; however, by the end of the movie, they best describe everything that's just happened. Starting as its inspiration did, The Craft: Legacy begins with Lily (Cailee Spaeny, Devs) and her mother Helen (Michelle Monaghan, Saint Judy) arriving in a new town, to move in with the latter's self-help author boyfriend (David Duchovny, playing a character who has penned a book called 'The Hallowed Masculine') and his three sons. Navigating school, Lily soon finds herself taunted by resident jock and bully (Nicholas Galitzine, Share) — but she's also found by witchy trio Lourdes (Zoey Luna, Pose), Frankie (Gideon Adlon, Blockers) and Tabby (Lovie Simone, Selah and the Spades), who are looking for the west to their north, south and east. Rather than seeing these young women become consumed by their blossoming power, and also punishing those who refuse to conform, it's a welcome shift that The Craft: Legacy calls out the patriarchal norms and attitudes that routinely put teenage girls in that situation. And yet the film just seems happy enough to have made that switch, instead of giving it any true weight or substantial depth. It's light thematically, visually, tonally and emotionally, and it also sports a stiffness — as though it's trying so hard to be loose, open, breezy and upbeat that it actually proves bland, strained and wooden instead. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wcvdq3WeHBc&feature=emb_logo THE MYSTERY OF HENRI PICK A new book. An enigmatic author. A twisty mystery involving not only the scribe of said novel, but the publishing and marketing process that's so pivotal in delivering the text to the adoring public. These three elements were key parts of The Translators, which hit cinemas Down Under in September, and now they sit at the heart of The Mystery of Henri Pick. In lightly comedic rather than tense and thrilling mode this time around, the focus falls on a manuscript found in a small town in Brittany. Eager young publisher Daphne (Alicie Isaaz, Elle) spots the unpublished work in the local library of rejected books, a repository for all the writing that's been lovingly penned but turned down by the industry's powers-that-be. Fresh from failing to turn her writer boyfriend Frederic's (Bastien Bouillon, Jumbo) first novel into a hit — or even getting famed newspaper and TV literary critic Jean-Michel Rouche (Fabrice Luchini, Slack Bay) to review it on air — Daphne instantly falls in love with her new discovery, called The Last Hours Of A Love Affair. So too do readers and pundits, with the book garnering buzz not just for its romance set against the death of Russian poet Alexander Pushkin, but also for the fact that the wordsmith behind it is a provincial pizza chef who died two years prior. On his regular television show, amid all the fanfare about Henri Pick and his book, Jean-Michel questions whether the story behind the story holds up. Within hours of making that controversial claim, he has lost both his wife and his job, and he's determined to show that something about this hit novel doesn't seem right. Jean-Michel is the type of character that no one is meant to love, with veteran French star Luchini playing the part in the spiky and arrogant way he has become known for — ensuring that viewers follow the character's amateur sleuthing hoping he'll proven wrong. It's a tactic that ensures the audience's investment, even with both unconvincing and highly predictable twists popping up along the way (including Jean-Michel's blossoming bond with Pick's adult daughter Josephine, as played by Call My Agent!'s Camille Cottin). Stemming from the page itself, with writer/director Remi Bezancon (A Happy Event) and his co-scribe Vanessa Portal adapting David Foenkinos's 2016 novel, this is an easy-going caper and a quickly involving whodunnit — and the source of eye-catching cinematography that brightly lenses its coastal French setting as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg4zGf3_F1Q RAMS It's easy to see how Australian filmmakers watched Rams, the 2015 Icelandic movie about duelling sheep-farmer brothers, and realised that they could bring its story Down Under. In fact, it's easy because director Jeremy Sims (Last Cab to Darwin) and screenwriter Jules Duncan (a feature first-timer) make certain that that's the case — ensuring that viewers can see every choice they've taken in giving the story the Aussie treatment. It's all to be expected, of course, but it feels not only overt but also calculating. Indeed, Rams often seems like a remake that only exists because someone gleaned just how simple it'd be to make it happen (and noticed that the Cannes prize-winning initial flick had picked up quite a following, too). It swaps the original movie's frosty blizzard for drought, heat and bushfires, and its Nordic scenery for Western Australian tourism brochure-style shots. It brings in a cast of familiar faces, spanning both beloved local talents (such as Michael Caton and Asher Keddie) and actors we've virtually claimed as our own (Sam Neill). It leans into Aussie dialogue, scenes in pubs, small-town stereotypes and larrikin behaviour, localising every element possible, while also sticking steadfastly to the bulk of its predecessor's main narrative details (as anyone who has seen the latter will swiftly spot). For decades, brothers Colin (Neill) and Les (Caton) haven't spoken. They lovingly tend to their flocks on adjoining properties, send messages to each other via sheepdog when absolutely necessary and cross paths at local livestock competitions, but a lingering grudge has long since soured their familial bond. Then Les wins the latest contest, Colin notices that the applauded ram might be plagued by a contagious disease, and the duo are forced to band together or face the complete decimation of the only lives they've ever known. Instead of thoughtfully unpacking a plethora of contrasts — between the central siblings, by juxtaposing their close proximity with their strained relationship, in both prosperous and struggling times, and in trying to control nature in various ways — this version of Rams struggles with balance. That includes its efforts to juggle quirky comedy with its more serious dramatic sections, and in offering thoughtful commentary on men coping with their emotions and rural communities battling tough times. Cast-wise, Neill fares best thanks to a lived-in performance, with Caton in stock-standard cantankerous mode, and British actor Miranda Richardson (Churchill, the Harry Potter franchise) wasted in a thankless supporting part. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nmb9V2aibsQ&feature=emb_logo ALONE In one of the rare bright spots in this chaotic year, Bill & Ted returned to remind us all to be excellent to each other. If you're wondering what could happen if we don't take that advice to heart, two thrillers have hit screens in 2020 to show us the consequences, too. As seen first in Unhinged and now in Alone, a very particular type of behaviour is on display: driver courtesy, or the lack thereof. In the latter, Jessica (Jules Wilcox, Bloodline) is moving across the country to escape the lingering memory of a recent tragedy. With no company in sight — as the title advises — she packs a U-Haul trailer and hits the bitumen, tackling the multi-day trip in stages. That's all the invitation that a male fellow driver (Mark Menchaca, The Outsider) needs in this cat-and-mouse thriller from director John Hyams (Universal Soldier: Regeneration and Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning) and screenwriter Mattias Olsson (Gone), with the menacing on-screen figure first toying with her on the road, then following her, then kidnapping her. Thankfully, Alone sits several notches above Unhinged; it isn't trying to posit that men stalk and attack women they've never previously met because they aren't treated nicely enough by either the opposite sex in general or this increasingly angry world that no longer has a place for them, for starters. But it does fall into the valley between generic and committed — with the film happy to stick to a recognisable template, but also devoted to executing its well-worn formula as leanly and efficiently as possible. More often than not, Alone hits its marks. It can feel repetitive, prolonged and like much of its bulk has been seen before; however, each scene sports a primal simplicity that's key to the movie's stripped-down nature. It's rarely surprising, including when it's trying to offer up twists and turns, but it's precise in its violence, tension and suspense. Wilcox turns in a memorable survivalist performance, but the standout element here is the feature's sound design. Endeavouring to echo the mounting paranoia, the spreading chaos, the pumping emotions and the pulsating adrenaline, Alone's acoustics are rich and layered — far more, in fact, than its stock-standard thriller storyline, and the texture that the script tries to add through Jessica's haunting sense of loss and alienation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk6u9X1bW30 THE EMPTY MAN At the beginning of 2020, after the two companies merged the year prior, Disney announced that it was ditching the 'Fox' part of the 20th Century Fox name. So when The Empty Man begins with the latter's moniker and famed roving searchlight title card in place as though nothing has changed, it shows how old this supernatural horror thriller is, having been shot back in 2017. It also demonstrates how little the Mouse House seems to care about a movie it only revealed would hit cinemas this year a mere month before it did just that. Adapting the graphic novel same name, this film definitely could've used some care and attention. Clocking in at 137 minutes and making viewers feel that length, it could've used a few edits, too. Instead, in the second long-delayed Fox horror movie to reach screens in 2020 — after the immensely forgettable The New Mutants — The Empty Man delivers a curse flick that's also a detective film and a creepy cult movie, and plays like a dull and derivative blend of The Ring, Candyman, Slender Man, Urban Legend and even the most recent season of Twin Peaks (completely absent any David Lynch-esque touches, obviously). In a prolonged prologue set in 1995, a group of friends hiking in Bhutan literally stumble upon a creepy corpse in a cavern. Across the three days afterwards, unpleasantness naturally results. Next, in 2018, a number of small-town teens go missing — including Mandy (Sasha Frolova, Little Women), the daughter of Nora (Marin Ireland, The Irishman), who has a history with grief-stricken ex-cop James Lasombra (James Badge Dale, Hightown). He's soon unofficially on the case, which leads him to a spooky tale about a shadowy figure who appears if you blow into an empty bottle on a bridge, then to a creepy sect with secretive and sinister plans. First-time feature writer/director David Prior serves up a suitably eerie mood, several effectively unsettling pieces of imagery, and an anxiety-inducing soundscape and soundtrack to match, but there's no overcoming a narrative that wants to be too many things at once — and consistently takes the silliest yet drabbest option as a result. And while Dale plays his part with a very apt everyman sensibility, and Barry's Stephen Root is always a welcome presence, too, they can't improve this drag of a movie either. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30; August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27; September 3, September 10, September 17 and September 24; and October 1, October 8, October 15 and October 22. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves, The King of Staten Island, Babyteeth, Deerskin, Peninsula, Tenet, Les Misérables, The New Mutants, Bill & Ted Face the Music, The Translators, An American Pickle. The High Note, On the Rocks, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Antebellum, Miss Juneteenth, Savage, I Am Greta, Rebecca, Kajillionaire, Baby Done and Corpus Christi.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. YOU WON'T BE ALONE What's more terrifying: knowing that death is inevitable, because our fragile flesh will fail us all eventually and inescapably, or accepting that little we ever sense can truly be trusted given that everything in life changes and evolves? In horror movies, both notions stalk through the genre like whichever slasher/killer/malevolent force any filmmaker feels like conjuring up in any particular flick — and in You Won't Be Alone, the two ideas shudder through one helluva feature debut by Macedonian Australian writer/director Goran Stolevski. An expiration date isn't just a certainty within this film's frames. It's part of a non-stop cycle that sees transformation as just as much of a constant. You Won't Be Alone is a poetically shot, persistently potent picture about witches but, as the best unsettling movies are, it's also about so much that thrums through the existence we all know. Viewers mightn't be living two centuries back and dancing with a sorceress, but they should still feel the film's truths in their bones. First, however, a comparison. Sometimes a resemblance is so obvious that it simply has to be uttered and acknowledged, and that's the case here. Stolevski's film, the first of two by him in 2022 — MIFF's opening-night pick Of an Age is the other — boasts lyrical visuals, especially of nature, that instantly bring the famously rhapsodic aesthetics favoured by Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life, A Hidden Life) to mind. Its musings on the nature of life, and human nature as well, easily do the same. Set long ago, lingering in villages wracked by superstition and exploring a myth about a witch, You Won't Be Alone conjures up thoughts of Robert Eggers' The Witch, too. Indeed, if Malick had directed that recent favourite, the end product might've come close to this entrancing effort. Consider Stolevski's feature the result of dreams conjured up with those two touchstones in his head, though, rather than an imitator. The place: Macedonia. The time: the 19th century. The focus: a baby chosen by the Wolf-Eateress (Anamaria Marinca, The Old Guard) to be her offsider. Actually, that's not the real beginning of anyone's tale here in the broader scheme of things — and this is a movie that understands that all of life feeds into an ongoing bigger picture, as it always has and always will — but the infant's plight is as good an entry point as any. The child's distraught mother Yoana (Kamka Tocinovski, Angels Fallen) pleads for any other result than losing her newborn. You Won't Be Alone's feared figure has the ability to select one protege, then to bestow them with her otherworldly skills, and she's determined to secure her pick. That said, she does agree to a bargain. She'll let the little one reach the age of 16 first, but Old Maid Maria, as the Wolf-Eateress is also known, won't forget to claim her prize when the years pass. Nevena (Sara Klimoska, Black Sun) lives out that formative period in a cave, in her mum's attempt to stave off her fate — and with all that resides beyond her hiding spot's walls glimpsed only through a hole up high. Then the Wolf-Eateress comes calling, as she promised she would. From there, Nevena's initiation into the world — of humans, and of her physically and emotionally scarred mentor — is unsurprisingly jarring. Her transition from the care and protection of her "whisper-mama" to the kill-to-survive ruthlessness of her new "witch-mama" disappoints the latter, soon leaving the girl on her own. Still, the need to hunt, devour and mutate has already taken hold, even if Nevena is left fending for herself as she shapeshifts between animals and other humans. With Noomi Rapace (Lamb), Alice Englert (The Power of the Dog) and Carloto Cotta (The Tsugua Diaries) also among the cast, You Won't Be Alone turns Nevena's curiosity-driven experiences of life, love, loss, identity, desire, pain, envy and power into an unforgettable, mesmerising and thoughtful gothic horror fable — charting switches and the stories that come with them with each metamorphosis. Read our full review. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on June 2, June 9, June 16, June 23 and June 30; and July 7, July 14, July 21 and July 28; August 4, August 11, August 18 and August 25; and September 1, September 8 and September 15. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Mothering Sunday, Jurassic World Dominion, A Hero, Benediction, Lightyear, Men, Elvis, Lost Illusions, Nude Tuesday, Ali & Ava, Thor: Love and Thunder, Compartment No. 6, Sundown, The Gray Man, The Phantom of the Open, The Black Phone, Where the Crawdads Sing, Official Competition, The Forgiven, Full Time, Murder Party, Bullet Train, Nope, The Princess, 6 Festivals, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, Crimes of the Future, Bosch & Rockit, Fire of Love, Beast, Blaze, Hit the Road, Three Thousand Years of Longing, Orphan: First Kill, The Quiet Girl, Flux Gourmet, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Moonage Daydream, Ticket to Paradise and Clean.
If you like to fill your time staring at a screen, small or big, there's never a bad year to do it. Great shows and films, terrible ones, everything in-between — they all arrive every single year. That said, if you're a fan of savvy TV series with something to say — and plenty about the world to savage, skewer or expose — then 2021 has been a particularly excellent year. Some of the absolute best series of the past 12 months took a look at the chasm between the wealthy and everyone else, the way women in entertainment are treated, or sitcom and rom-com tropes, and turned it into exceptional television. Other 2021 standouts transformed true crime and podcasting obsessions into an amusing murder-mystery, examined race relations in America in a searing fashion, stepped back to the AIDS crisis of the 80s and early 90s, and spun a slice-of-life comedy around Indigenous American teenagers. And yes, the list goes on. Thankfully, all of the year's highlights are also now available to stream — so here's your catch-up viewing for the summer. THE WHITE LOTUS With Enlightened, his excellent two-season Laura Dern-starring comedy-drama from 2011–13, writer/director Mike White (Brad's Status) followed an executive who broke down at work. When she stepped back into her life, she found herself wanting something completely different not just for herself, but for and from the world. It isn't linked, narrative-wise, to White's latest TV miniseries The White Lotus. The same mood flows through, however. Here, wealthy Americans holiday at a luxe Hawaiian resort, which is managed by Australian Armond (Murray Bartlett, Tales of the City) — folks like business star Nicole (Connie Britton, Bombshell), her husband Mark (Steve Zahn, Where'd You Go, Bernadette), and the teenage trio of Olivia (Sydney Sweeney, Euphoria), Paula (Brittany O'Grady, Little Voice) and Quinn (Fred Hechinger, Fear Street); newlyweds Rachel (Alexandra Daddario, Songbird) and Shane (Jake Lacy, Mrs America); and the recently bereaved Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge, Promising Young Woman). From the outset, when the opening scene shows Shane accompanying a body on the way home, viewers know this'll end with a death. But as each episode unfurls, it's clear that these characters are reassessing what they want out of life as well. In The White Lotus, a glam and glossy getaway becomes a hellish trap, magnifying glass and mirror, with everyone's issues and problems only augmented by their time at the eponymous location. In terms of sinking its claws into the affluent, eat the rich-style, this perceptive, alluring and excellently cast drama also pairs nicely with the White-penned Beatriz at Dinner, especially as it examines the differences between the resort's guests and staff. The White Lotus is available to stream via Binge. Read our full review. THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD Two words: Barry Jenkins. Where the Oscar-nominated Moonlight director goes, viewers should always follow. That proved the case with 2018's If Beale Street Could Talk, and it's definitely accurate regarding The Underground Railroad, the phenomenal ten-part series that features Jenkins behind the camera of each and every episode. As the name makes plain, the historical drama uses the real-life Underground Railroad — the routes and houses that helped enslaved Black Americans escape to freedom — as its basis. Here, though, drawing on the past isn't as straightforward as it initially sounds. Adapting Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same moniker, the series dives deeply into the experiences of people endeavouring to flee slavery, while also adopting magic-realism when it comes to taking a literal approach to its railroad concept. That combination couldn't work better in Jenkins' hands as he follows Cora (Thuso Mbedu, Shuga), a woman forced into servitude on a plantation overseen by Terrance Randall (Benjamin Walker, Jessica Jones). As always proves the case in the filmmaker's work, every frame is a thing of beauty, every second heaves with emotion, and every glance, stare, word and exchange is loaded with a thorough examination of race relations in America. Nothing else this affecting reached streaming queues in 2021 — but even one series like this made it a phenomenal year for audiences. The Underground Railroad is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video. KEVIN CAN F**K HIMSELF There's never been a show on TV quite like Kevin Can F**k Himself, but there have been too many series that resemble half of this clever and cutting dark comedy. Whenever Allison Devine-McRoberts (Annie Murphy, Schitt's Creek) is around her manchild of a husband Kevin (Eric Petersen, Sydney to the Max), she's clearly in a sitcom. The lights glow brightly, her home looks like every other cosy abode in every other apparently amusing show about an obnoxious man and his put-upon wife — including all the ones starring Kevin James — and multiple cameras capture their lives. Also, canned laughter chuckles whenever something supposedly funny (but usually just cringeworthy) occurs between Kevin, his ever dimwitted best pal and neighbour Neil (Alex Bonifer, Superstore), Neil's one-of-the-guys sister Patty (Mary Hollis Inboden, The Righteous Gemstones) and Kevin's ever-present dad (Brian Howe, Chicago Fire). We've all seen this setup before, and Kevin Can F**k Himself's creator Valerie Armstrong (Lodge 49) definitely knows it. But, whenever Allison is blissfully free from her horrible hubby, murkier tones and a much more realistic vibe kick in. Just one camera films her struggles, and she's clearly in a premium cable drama. This is when Allison starts trying to do something about her terrible marriage, including a plot not just to leave Kevin, but to ensure that she'll be free of him forever. On paper, the creative decisions behind Kevin Can F**k Himself's two halves are a high-concept gimmick, and purposefully so. They're deployed devastatingly on-screen, however. Thankfully, Kevin Can F**k Himself has been renewed for a second season, too, so more of its savvy charms and astute social commentary — and Murphy and Inboden's memorable performances — await. Kevin Can F**k Himself is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video. Read our full review. HACKS It sounds like an obvious premise, and one that countless films and TV shows have already mined in the name of laughs. In Hacks, two vastly dissimilar people are pushed together, with the resulting conflict guiding the series. Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder, North Hollywood) and her new boss Deborah Vance (Jean Smart, Mare of Easttown) couldn't be more different in age, experience, tastes and opinions. The former is a 25-year-old who made the move to Hollywood, has been living out her dream as a comedy writer, but found her career plummeting after a tweet crashed and burned. The latter is a legendary stand-up who hasn't stopped hitting the stage for decades, is approaching the 2500th show of her long-running Las Vegas residency and is very set in her ways. They appear to share exactly one thing in common: a love for comedy. They're an odd couple thrust together by their mutual manager Jimmy (Paul W Downs, Broad City), neither wants to be working with the other, and — to the surprise of no one, including each other — they clash again and again. There's no laugh track adding obvious chuckles to this HBO sitcom, though. Created by three of the talents behind Broad City — writer Jen Statsky; writer/director Lucia Aniello; and Downs, who does double duty in front of and behind the lens — Hacks isn't solely interested in setting two seemingly mismatched characters against each other. This is a smart and insightful series about what genuinely happens when this duo spends more and more time together, what's sparked their generational conflict and what, despite their evident differences, they actually share beyond that love of making people laugh. And, it's a frank, funny and biting assessment of being a woman in entertainment — and it's also always as canny as it is hilarious. Hacks is available to stream via Stan. Read our full review. RESERVATION DOGS Not content with just having two of the best current sitcoms on his resume — that'd be Wellington Paranormal and What We Do in the Shadows — Taika Waititi has gone and added a third. If you didn't know that he was one of Reservation Dogs' creators, executive producers and writers, you'd likely guess from the laidback tone; however, this is firmly a case of Waititi helping to get an exceptional show off the ground, and also lending his star power to assist emerging voices and under-represented communities. The 'reservation' part of this comedy's title is literal. In rural Oklahoma, that's where Indigenous American teenagers Bear (D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Beans), Elora (Devery Jacobs, Rutherford Falls), Willie Jack (Paulina Alexis, also seen in Beans) and Cheese (debutant Lane Factor) live, spend their days and meander about while dreaming of being somewhere else. Their ideal destination: California. Their number-one pastime: rustling up cash by whatever means they can to fund their big getaway, including by hijacking a delivery van filled with potato chips in the show's first episode. It's that heist and the aftermath that gives this quartet their Quentin Tarantino-style nickname, but Reservation Dogs isn't about bold and flashy moments. It's about the daily reality as Bear and his pals navigate their present existence and hope that they can soon escape it. In other words, this is a series that's deeply steeped in conveying the small details in its characters' lives, and giving audiences the chance to spend time with them. It's a show that's as much about hanging out as propelling a plot forward and, in the hands of Waititi and fellow co-creator/executive producer/writer Sterlin Harjo (Mekko), it's a coming-of-age gem. Reservation Dogs is available to stream via Binge. IT'S A SIN More than two decades after creating Queer as Folk, Russell T Davies has given the television landscape another excellent queer drama. The screenwriter and television producer has been busy over the intervening period thanks to everything from Doctor Who to Years and Years — and he also has 2015's Cucumber to his name, too — but It's a Sin is one of the very best things on his lengthy resume. Stepping back to the AIDS crisis of the 80s and early 90s, the five-part miniseries follows a group of friends chasing their dreams in London. Ritchie (Olly Alexander, Penny Dreadful) heads to the city to become an actor, and to avoid telling his stern parents that he's gay. Roscoe (Omari Douglas) flees his parents' home when they keep threatening to take him back to Nigeria. Colin (Callum Scott Howells) arrives for an apprenticeship at a high-end tailor shop, but soon finds himself seeking an escape from his lecherous boss. Given the era, there's no doubting where the story will head. It's a Sin is as joyous and vibrant as it is soulful and heartbreaking, though. Ritchie, Roscoe and Colin not only cross paths, but form a makeshift family in their modest flat, with the former's college friends Jill (Lydia West, Dracula) and Ash (Nathaniel Curtis) rounding out the quintet. Neil Patrick Harris and Stephen Fry also feature, but they're never It's a Sin's stars — because, in series that looks and sounds the period part at every moment, the show's five main players are simply phenomenal. It's a Sin is available to stream via Stan. MARE OF EASTTOWN Kate Winslet doesn't make the leap to the small screen often, but when she does, it's a must-see event. 2011's Mildred Pierce was simply astonishing, a description that both Winslet and her co-star Guy Pearce also earned — alongside an Emmy each, plus three more for the HBO limited series itself. The two actors and the acclaimed US cable network all reteamed for Mare of Easttown, and it too is excellent. Set on the outskirts of Philadelphia, it follows detective Mare Sheehan. As the 25th anniversary of her high-school basketball championship arrives, and after a year of trying to solve a missing person's case linked to one of her former teammates, a new murder upends her existence. Mare's life overflows with complications anyway, with her ex-husband (David Denman, Brightburn) getting remarried, and her mother (Jean Smart, Hacks), teenage daughter (Angourie Rice, Spider-Man: Far From Home) and four-year-old grandson all under her roof. With town newcomer Richard Ryan (Pearce, The Last Vermeer), she snatches what boozy and physical solace she can. As compelling and textured as she always is, including in this year's Ammonite, Winslet turns Mare of Easttown into a commanding character study. That said, it's firmly an engrossing crime drama as well. Although yet again pondering the adult life of an ex-school sports star, The Way Back's Brad Ingelsby isn't just repeating himself by creating and writing this seven-part series, while The Leftovers and The Hunt's Craig Zobel takes to his directing gig with a probing eye. Mare of Easttown is available to stream via Binge. GIRLS5EVA First, a word of warning: the hit song that brought fictional late 90s/early 00s girl group Girls5eva to fame is such an earworm, you'll be singing it to yourself for weeks after you binge through the sitcom that bears their name. That's to be expected given that Jeff Richmond, the composer behind 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's equally catchy and comedic tunes, is one of the talents behind it. Tina Fey and Robert Carlock produce the series, too, so you also what type of humour you're in for. Starring Sara Bareilles (Broadway's Waitress), Busy Philipps (I Feel Pretty), Renée Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton) and the great Paula Pell (AP Bio), Girls5eva follows four members of the eponymous band two decades after their heyday. Their initial success didn't last, and life has left the now-fortysomething women at different junctures. Then a rapper samples their hit, they're asked to reunite for a one-night backing spot on The Tonight Show, and they contemplate getting back together to give music another shot. As well as being tremendously well-cast and immensely funny, the series is also bitingly perceptive about stardom, the entertainment industry and the way that women beyond their twenties are treated. Also, when Fey inevitably pops up, she does so as a dream version of Dolly Parton — and it's as glorious as it sounds. Girls5eva is available to stream via Stan. Read our full review. SQUID GAME Exploring societal divides within South Korea wasn't invented by Parasite, Bong Joon-ho's excellent Oscar-winning 2019 thriller, but its success was always going to give other films and TV shows on the topic a healthy boost. Accordingly, it's easy to see thematic and narrative parallels between the acclaimed movie and Netflix's highly addictive Squid Game — the show that's become the platform's biggest show ever (yes, bigger than everything from Stranger Things to Bridgerton). Anyone who has seen even an episode knows why this nine-part series is so compulsively watchable. Its puzzle-like storyline and its unflinching savagery making quite the combination. Here, in a Battle Royale and Hunger Games-style setup, 456 competitors are selected to work their way through six seemingly easy children's games. They're all given numbers and green tracksuits, they're competing for 45.6 billion won, and it turns out that they've also all made their way to the contest after being singled out for having enormous debts. That includes series protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae, Deliver Us From Evil), a chauffeur with a gambling problem, and also a divorcé desperate to do whatever he needs to to keep his daughter in his life. But, as it probes the chasms caused by capitalism and cash — and the things the latter makes people do under the former — this program isn't just about one player. It's about survival, the status quo the world has accepted when it comes to money, and the real inequality present both in South Korea and elsewhere. Filled with electric performances, as clever as it is compelling, unsurprisingly littered with smart cliffhangers, and never afraid to get bloody and brutal, the result is a savvy, tense and taut horror-thriller that entertains instantly and also has much to say. Squid Game is available to stream via Netflix. YELLOWJACKETS When Yellowjackets begins, it's with an intriguing mystery, a killer cast — led by the compulsively watchable Melanie Lynskey (Mrs America), Juliette Lewis (Breaking News in Yuba County) and Christina Ricci (Percy vs Goliath) — and a deep valley full of trauma. In their high-school years, Shauna Sheridan (Lynskey, and also The Kid Detective's Sophie Nélisse as a teenager) and Natalie (Lewis, plus The Tomorrow Man's Sophie Thatcher) were key players on the titular high-achieving New Jersey soccer team, while Misty (Ricci, as well as Shameless' Samantha Hanratty) was the squad's frequently bullied student manager. Then, en route to a big match in Seattle on a private plane in 1996, they entered Lost territory. That crash saw the survivors stranded in the wilderness for 19 months, and living their worst Lord of the Flies lives, too. As established in a stellar first episode directed with the utmost precision by Destroyer's Karyn Kusama, Yellowjackets isn't simply interested in an inherently disturbing experience that'd change anyone's life. It's just as obsessed with that transformation itself — with how, after falling from the sky, learning to endure in such remote surroundings and plummeting into a horror movie, someone copes when normality supposedly comes calling afterwards. Flitting between the two 25-years-apart time periods, it's about tragedies endured, paths taken, necessities accepted and the echoes that linger from all three. Its first season isn't over yet, but this instant must-see is already chilling, perceptive, resonant and potent. Yellowjackets is available to stream via Paramount+. ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING If you've ever listened to a true-crime podcast, decided that you'd make a great Serial host yourself and started wondering how you'd ever follow in Sarah Koenig's footsteps, then you should be watching Only Murders in the Building. The Disney+ series follows three New Yorkers who follow that exact same process. Actor Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin, It's Complicated), theatre producer Oliver Putnam (Martin Short, Schmigadoon!) and the much-younger Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez, The Dead Don't Die) are all obsessed with a series hosted by the fictional Cinda Canning (Tina Fey, Girls5eva), to the point of bonding over it as strangers. Then, when someone turns up dead in their building, they decide that they can sleuth their way through the case — by getting talking themselves, naturally. But being a true-crime podcast diehard and making a true-crime podcast clearly aren't quite the same thing, and turning amateur detective isn't clearcut either. Entertaining and exceptionally well-cast, Only Murders in the Building makes makes the most of its main trio's mismatched vibe. It's filled with hearty affection for everything it jokes about, resulting in an upbeat satire of true-crime obsessions, podcasting's pervasiveness and the intersection of the two. It adores its single-setting Agatha Christie-lite setup, it's always empathetic, and it also loves peppering in highly recognisable co-stars and guest stars such as Fey, Nathan Lane (Penny Dreadful: City of Angels), Amy Ryan (Late Night) and even Sting. The series is also written and acted with enough depth to pair relatable character insights with its bubbly, clownish fun. If Knives Out was a sitcom, and also a little goofier, it'd turn out like this — and that's a delight, obviously. Only Murders in the Building is available to stream via Star on Disney+. Read our full review. STARSTRUCK When Rose Matafeo last graced our screens, she took on pregnancy-centric rom-coms in 2020's Baby Done. Now, in Starstruck, she's still pairing the romantic and the comedic. In another thoughtful, plucky and relatable performance, she plays Jessie, a 28-year-old New Zealander in London who splits her time between working in a cinema and nannying, and isn't expecting much when her best friend and roommate Kate (Emma Sidi, Pls Like) drags her out to a bar on New Year's Eve. For most of the evening, her lack of enthusiasm proves astute. Then she meets Tom (Nikesh Patel, Four Weddings and a Funeral). He overhears her rambling drunkenly to herself in the men's bathroom, they chat at the bar and, when sparks fly, she ends up back at his sprawling flat. It isn't until the next morning, however — when she sees a poster adorned with his face leaning against his living room wall — that she realises that he's actually one of the biggest movie stars in the world. Yes, Starstruck takes Notting Hill's premise and gives it a 22-years-later update, and delivers a smart, sidesplittingly funny and all-round charming rom-com sitcom in the process. When a film or TV show is crafted with a deep-seated love for its chosen genre, it shows. When it wants to do more than just nod and wink at greats gone by like a big on-screen super fan — when its creators passionately hope that it might become a classic in its own right, rather than a mere imitation of better titles — that comes through, too. And that's definitely the case with this ridiculously easy-to-binge charmer. Starstruck is available to stream via ABC iView. Read our full review. Looking for more viewing highlights? We also rounded up 12 of 2021's best TV highlights that you might've missed. And you can also check out our list of film and TV streaming recommendations, which is updated monthly. Plus, we picked 12 standout new 2021 series in the middle of the year, too.
Playing corpses revived from the dead in upcoming big-screen release Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, Aunty Donna don't drink any morning brown. They will when they next hit the small screen, however, because their new ABC sitcom is all about the topic. Well, it's set in a cafe. Indeed, the show is called Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe. And that eponymous brew-slinging spot? It's named — you guessed it — Morning Brown. Get yourself a cup of laughs when the series hits ABC this April, starting screening weekly on TV at 9pm on Wednesday, April 12, and dropping all of its episodes via ABC iView at the same time. The show was initially announced in 2022, and unveiled a first sneak peek at the end of last year. Now, there's an official trailer and that just-revealed release date. Consider Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe prime viewing with Aunty Donna's $30 bottle of wine, after you're done reading the Always Room for Christmas Pud picture book, and if you've already watched Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun — aka one of 2020's best new shows — more times than you can count. It stars Mark Samual Bonanno, Broden Kelly and Zachary Ruane, of course, who fittingly return to the network nicknamed Aunty after Aunty Donna's Fresh Blood hit iView back in 2014. Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe's premise: three best mates run a cafe in one of Melbourne's laneways. Their coffee-slinging establishment is trendy, but the stretch of pavement it's in on isn't. Also, they don't quite have the experience or skills to do the job, but that definitely isn't stopping them. As well as cups of morning brown — and hopefully the song about them getting a whirl — will the cafe be open on Christmas and serve up a little bit of pud, too? You'll have to watch to find out. But, there will be bad reviews to deal with, court dates, and evil spirits who have a fondness for Gardening Australia. Oh, and Aunty Donna's absurd sense of humour remaining firmly intact, naturally. "Hello it is us Aunty Donna, and not an evil robot that has taken Mark, Zach and Broden hostage. We are so excited for all the humans to see our new comedy program Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe," said the comedy troupe. "We are especially thankful to the entities known as ABC and Screen Australia and Vic Screen, but mostly we are thankful to all the machines that work tirelessly for us with no thanks. We are fine and do not need help nor rescue." Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe will also feature a heap of guest stars, including Miranda Tapsell (Christmas Ransom), Pia Miranda (Mustangs FC) and Richard Roxburgh (Elvis). You'll also spot everyone from Shaun Micallef and Tony Martin to Melanie Bracewell, Nazeem Hussain, Steven Oliver and Sam Pang. Check out the trailer for Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe below: Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe will start screening on the ABC at 9pm on Wednesday, April 12, with all episodes available to stream via ABC iView at the same time.
Upon his return from a two year stint in Southeast Asia, lapping up 50c roadside stubbies and being submerged by the infamous Chang-over, Queensland booze lover/entrepreneur Christian Gornall found annoyance in having to trudge through endless bottlos to find who had the best deal on his favourite tipple. *Lightbulb* Fravo is the result of Gornall's beer-goggled brain explosion, an app that helps users streamline their hunt for alcohol by finding which liquor store has specific varieties at the cheapest price. Free to download for iPhone and Android users, the app works by letting users apply a category search to browse different varieties of beer, wine and spirits by price range, before narrowing down results to the most cost-effective liquor joints in the area. Keywords can also be entered should the user be in need of something as commonplace as VB or as far-flung as a stout made with stag semen. For those just intent on getting the best deal for their hard earned dollars and riding the gravy train, a 'Hot Deals' tab gives insight into the best offers all-round. Fravo is currently only available in Australia, but there are apparently plans to expand across the ditch in the not-too-distant future.
Home to the oldest vines in Australia, the Barossa Valley is renowned worldwide for its bold and beautiful wines. In particular, it's the rich jammy reds with complexity, texture and tannin structure that have contributed heavily to this reputation. It's in this region that Krondorf Wines lives, the estate making shapes to become the next go-to premium wine producer — a fact exemplified deliciously with the release of its 2023 five-bottle collection. The Krondorf story actually begins in 1847. The hamlet was founded by a collection of people from Silesia — what is now Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic — and among them notable wine families that regularly show up on standout wine lists and bottle shop shelves across the world: Henschke, Lehmann and Nitschke. The intrepid group named their newfound home Krondorf, meaning 'crown village' in German. Today the custodians of the Krondorf legacy, under the watchful eye of chief winemaker Nick Badrice, are realising the potential of their vines with consistently award-winning drops. The ripe bottles here showcase the best of the Barossa style, perfectly illustrated in the five-strong 2023 collection. Crafted with the traditional minimalistic approach, the 2023 release includes an ultra-expressive grenache, an intense but structured cab sav and a rich and robust shiraz. The standout of the collection is the winery's newest Icon wine: the aptly named King's Mantle Shiraz. It's described as having a luscious palate, evocative of juicy black forest fruits and plums, with an earthy liquorice undertone and velvety tannins — you're going to pay a pretty penny to taste it at $150 a bottle. If you're in the area, carve out some time to visit the cellar door and wine bar. With pouring beginning in 2021, the spot's housed inside a converted heritage-listed flour mill from the 1800s. You can taste your way through the whole range — including the 2023 collection — with a bespoke wine flight or set tasting that can be happily tailored to personal taste. For those that like nibbles with their tipples, the cellar door slings artisan pizzas as well as cheese and charcuterie boards (with the option to add on Maggie Beer's premium nosh and other local produce, too). Krondorf Winery's 2023 collection is a true celebration of the winery's history and dedication to producing wines that speak to the wonders of the locale. If you're heading to this bucolic South Australian region, the cellar door is a must-visit. But if you can't make it, we suggest you peruse the 2023 collection online, choose your libation and have it sent direct — truly stellar sipping guaranteed. Concrete Playground travelled to the Barossa Valley as a guest of Krondorf Wines. Book your Krondorf cellar door tasting experience here. The cellar door is open Monday – Saturday, 12–7pm and Sunday from 12–5pm.
To watch films written and directed by Ryûsuke Hamaguchi is to watch people playing a part — in multiple ways. That's one of the key truths to features not only by the Japanese filmmaker, but by anyone helming a movie that relies upon actors. It's so obvious that it doesn't usually need mentioning, in fact. Nonetheless, the notion is as essential to Hamaguchi's pictures as cameras to capture the drama. He bakes the idea into his films via as many methods as he can, pondering what it means to step into all the posts that life demands: friend, lover, spouse, ex, sibling, child, employee, student, classmate and the like. Hamaguchi loves contemplating the overt act of performance, too — his Best International Feature Oscar-winning Drive My Car, which also nabbed its helmer a Best Director nomination at this year's Academy Awards, hones in on a play and the rehearsals for it in dilligent detail — but the auteur who's also behind Happy Hour and Asako I and II has long been aware that the art of portrayal isn't just limited to thespians. Shakespeare said it centuries back, of course. To be precise, he had As You Like It's Jaques utter it: "all the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players". Hamaguchi's Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, his second film to reach cinemas in mere months, definitely isn't a French-set comedy; however, it lives and breathes the Bard's famous words anyway. Here, three tales about romance, desire and fate get a spin. This trio of stories all muse on chance, choice, identity, regret and inescapable echoes as well, and focus on complex women reacting to the vagaries of life and everyday relationships. They're about sliding into roles in daily existence, and making choices regarding how to behave, which way to present yourself and who you decide to be depending upon the company you're in. While Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy mightn't ultimately mimic Drive My Car's Oscars success, it's equally masterful. In the first segment — dubbed 'Magic (or Something Less Assuring)' — model Meiko (Kotone Furukawa, 21st Century Girl) discovers that her best friend Tsugumi (Hyunri, Wife of a Spy) has just started seeing her ex-boyfriend Kazuaki (Ayumu Nakajima, Saturday Fiction). She's told in a sprawling taxi chat, which makes for stellar early sequence, and then she grapples with her complicated feelings while musing on what could eventuate from there. Meiko also heads straight to her former paramour, which was never going to simplify the situation. Her mantle to bear: either remaining the picture of a supportive pal by failing to tell Tsugumi about her past with Kazuaki, or laying out their history and forever shifting the dynamic. It's a devastating tale in how intricately it understands the push and pull of bonds that splay in different directions, and how we hold ourselves in various ways depending on who we're with. Next, in 'Door Wide Open', college student Nao (Katsuki Mori, Sea Opening) is enlisted to seduce Professor Sagawa (Kiyohiko Shibukawa, Tezuka's Barbara) as part of a revenge plan by her lover Sasaki (Shouma Kai, Signal 100). She's forced into the part — which blatantly requires her to play a part — by the entitled Sasaki, all because the professor won't give him a passing grade. Nao is married, adding further shades to the roles she's inhabiting at any given time. She's also wholly uncomfortable with the position that her boyfriend has placed her in, but it still leads to authentic connections and revelations. Another of Hamaguchi's strong and frequently repeated truths: that the pretences we all sport, for whatever reasons we adopt them in any particular circumstances, are often barriers to genuine emotions and attachments. Finally, in a world where the internet has been eradicated due to a virus — making third chapter 'Once Again' a piece of science fiction, too, and as quietly fantastical as the feature gets — Natsuko (Fusako Urabe, Voices in the Wind) and Nana (Aoba Kawai, Marriage with a Large Age Gap) cross paths. The former has returned home to attend her high-school reunion, bumping into the latter within moments of getting off the train, with the two women instantly thinking that they were classmates decades ago. Thanks to the preceding portions of the film and also Hamaguchi's filmography in general, it's instantly clear that this scenario won't be straightforward, either. Nana invites Natsuko back to her house, the two chat and reminisce, but neither is all that confident about their shared history in a segment that tenderly but candidly examines role-playing as a two-way street, and also deception as a social grace. Hamaguchi's resume is littered with other obsessions beyond the fictions people spin to get through their days — to themselves and to each other, and willingly and unthinkingly alike — many of which also pop up in Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy. Coincidence has a role in each of the movie's trio of intelligently and painstakingly plotted narratives, and destiny and fortune as well (as the name makes plain). The tangled web that romance weaves, and the sticky strands that represent alluring exes, also leave a firm imprint. So does seduction, and not always in its usual and most apparent form. All three of the picture's sections could stand alone, but each could've been fleshed out to feature length as well; as they exist, they leave viewers wanting more time with their lead characters. Commonalities ebb and flow between them, though, because this is a smart, astute and savvily layered triptych that's brought to the screen with everything that makes Hamaguchi's work so empathetic, warmly intimate and also entrancing. On the list: a canny knack for domestic drama that spies the revelatory in the seemingly ordinary and mundane; a willingness to let dialogue guide each story, yet never by resorting to only speaking in exposition dumps or lazily telling over showing; and, to help with that crucial last component, piercing and haunting long shots by cinematographer (Yukiko Iioka, Listen to Light) in every chapter. Indeed, each portion of Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy almost resembles a full-length film as it is courtesy of these trademark traits, which make the entire movie seem deeply lived-in. It should come as no surprise, then, that Hamaguchi's cast fares just as brilliantly. With the filmmaker's patent fascination with performance on full display, the restrained yet meticulously textured portrayals he exacts from his cast are uniformly excellent. They're more than that; in a beguiling piece about playing parts, and that makes the process of adopting a role its very reason for flickering, peering at its actors feels like peering at reality at its most soulful, insightful and also playful.
If Harry Potter movies were still gracing cinemas, exploring the boy who lived's adult life, we're certain he'd be a brunch fan. It's a magical meal, after all. Alas, unless The Cursed Child makes the leap to the big screen, that isn't in our future. But while you're muttering "accio new HP movie" to yourself over and over again, if you're in Sydney or Melbourne, you can enjoy the next best thing. Whether you're still not over Harry or you just wish you'd had the chance to attend Hogwarts because you know you're destined to be in Gryffindor (and to be seeker on the quidditch team, obviously), you'll want to make a date with The Wizard's Brunch. You'll dine in a Great Hall-like space, matching your meal (Pixie Puffs, please) with bottomless butterbeer, 'magic' potions (aka cocktails, we're assuming) and other wizard-themed beverages. And you can bet the menu will include every Potter pun you can think of. The particulars such as the exact date, venue and how many galleons you'll have to spend haven't been revealed as yet, though keen muggles can sign up to The Wizard's Brunch email list for more information. What we do know, however, is that there'll be Harry Potter characters mingling with attendees. Folks in costumes pretending to be Hermione, Dumbledore and others isn't really our idea of a magical HP experience, but perhaps a few firewhiskys — and a spot of quidditch, a couple of sorting ceremonies and wand lessons — will get you in the right mood. The Wizard's Brunch will take place in Sydney and Melbourne later this year. We'll let you know when you can buy tickets, and you can sign up for updates here. UPDATE: FEBRUARY 12, 2018 — The Wizard's Brunch has now sold out two sessions in Sydney. More details around Melbourne are coming soon.
The hottest festival for the colder months is coming — Queenstown's winter music festival and ski trip Snow Machine is set to make its long awaited debut for four snow-filled days of music and adventure this year. After launching in Japan in 2020, the festival was supposed to make its arrival in Aotearoa in September 2021 but was cancelled after the country was plunged into a snap level 4 lockdown. Now it's set to return this winter, taking place down south from Wednesday, September 7 until Saturday, September 10, 2022. Attendees will be treated to action-packed days on the slopes, aprés ski events on both Coronet Peak and The Remarkables and a lineup of international acts against the idyllic backdrop of New Zealand's adventure capital. Ironically, this year's Snow Machine is being headlined by none other than Melbourne electronic music group the Avalanches. Local legends Fat Freddy's Drop are also set to headline (let's be honest, it wouldn't be a Kiwi music festival without them) alongside dance-pop royalty Sneaky Sound System. Also dropping in to share the stage will be The Presets, Hermitude, Hot Dub Time Machine, Sachi, Bliss N Eso, Late Nite Tuff Guy, Yumi Zouma, Owl Eyes, Ball Park Music, Tori Levett, Mell Hall, Client Liaison, host Jimi the Kween and more. What really sets Snow Machine apart from other music festivals is that you can book the entire getaway with your ticket. A variety of five-night accommodation options ranging from 'Value' to 'Mid-Range' and finally 'Deluxe' are all available, which come alongside a four-day festival ticket and lift passes. If you'd rather make your own way or pass on the skiing, there are 'ticket only' options, and of course, VIP packages if you really want to do it in style. Additional services like flights, equipment rentals, mountain transfers and lessons for those beginners can all be purchased through Snow Machine further down the track. Festival goers are encouraged to immerse themselves in the adventure capital by adding on heli-skiing, jet boating, bungy jumping and skydiving. Snow Machine will be held from September 7–10, 2022 in Queenstown, New Zealand. Presale tickets go on sale from 6pm Wednesday, February 16 with general tickets available from midday Thursday, February 17, 2022. For more information, visit snow-machine.nz.
What do Blade Runner, a computer being named Time magazine's person of the year, the first-ever loaf of ciabatta bread, Pam & Tommy star Sebastian Stan and Brisbane's main inner-city shopping strip all have in common? They all date back to 1982. And, that means that they all share a birthday this year — so you can consider the Queen Street Mall's big shindig a celebration of all of the above if you like. Of course, this day-long party is really a huge way to mark the fact that people have been hitting up Queen Street to shop, eat, drink and hang out for four decades. Yes, all of that is on the agenda. Come Friday, August 26, the mall is hosting a hefty street party complete with live tunes, a pop-up champagne bar, fashion workshops, colourful shopfront installations and a night market. Standing around outside Hungry Jack's isn't officially on the program, but you know you'll do that anyway. The music lineup hasn't been revealed, but a free concert will take over a stage outside the Wintergarden from 5.30pm — just in time to stop by on your way home from work. And, from 10am, the mall will host style masterclasses with retailers such as Sass & Bide, Cue and Sheike, too, with runway shows popping up at 5pm, 6pm and 7pm. For bubbles to sip throughout the day, you'll want to head to Jimmy's On The Mall's pop-up bar, which is running right through until Sunday, August 28. Plus, those night markets will sprawl across Reddacliff Place from 4–9pm. The previously announced Colour in the City, a walking trail of brightly hued (and supremely photogenic) installations, will start on Friday, August 26 as well. The mall's official birthday was on August 9, but it's the shop-lined precinct's party and it can throw it whenever it wants to. The Wintergarden also opened in 1982, in October. As for the Myer Centre, it followed a few years later, and won't actually hit the big 4-0 until 2028. Fancy a bigger blast from the past? Check out a few photos of the mall and surrounding areas over the years, including Jo-Jo's and the old Greater Union cinema on Albert Street, below: The Queen Street Mall's 40th Birthday Street Party is taking place on Friday, August 26. For further information, head to the event's website.
For the first time in 50 years, a cyclone is set to cross the southeast Queensland coast. The Bureau of Meteorology and various levels of governments have been advising residents of the region, and of northern New South Wales, to get ready for Tropical Cyclone Alfred since last weekend. At the time of writing, the storm is expected to make landfall on Friday, March 7, 2025 — or perhaps even on Saturday, March 8 — but the areas bracing for impact are already preparing. In southeast Queensland, public transport has ceased, CityCats, ferry services, buses and trains alike. Venues are closing and events are cancelling. Schools are closed from Thursday. Sandbag depots have also closed — and Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has advised major roads and bridges may close if winds reach 90 kilometres per hour. Staying home, if it is safe to do so and you haven't been asked to evacuate, is the recommendation. On Wednesday, March 5, Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner noted that "tomorrow and Friday are not days to be out and about". As at 7.46am on Thursday, March 6, the Bureau of Meteorology advises that Alfred is still a Category 2 cyclone, and is expected to stay at this intensity when it crosses the coast. It's currently working its way towards the southeast Queensland coast at seven kilometres per hour, and is still predicted to hit land between Maroochydore and Coolangatta. Wind gusts of up to 120 kilometres per hour are expected already, then up to 155 kilometres per hour from either Thursday afternoon or Friday morning. Heavy rainfall is forecast from Thursday evening, which may cause flash floooding, along with a storm tide is likely if the cyclone crosses the coast at high tide. Wondering where to keep up to date with the details regarding latest conditions, warnings, alerts and more? Here's a rundown of resources worth bookmarking. Stay safe and dry out there. Weather Updates The Bureau of Meteorology's Queensland warnings page, New South Wales warnings page, national warnings page, tropical cyclone advice, Queensland X, NSW X and Facebook Windy wind tracker Government Updates Brisbane City Council's emergency dashboard, newsroom, X and Facebook Queensland Government's disaster alerts, hub and alerts Queensland Government's Get Ready site Queensland local government emergency dashboards Gold Coast disaster and emergency dashboard Sunshine Coast disaster hub New South Wales State Emergency Services website Roads and Public Transport Translink's website, X, Facebook and Instagram Qld Traffic Live Traffic NSW NSW Travel Alerts Hazards Near Me NSW app Preparation Guides Brisbane City Council's guide Queensland Government's Get Ready site New South Wales State Emergency Services' guide Emergency Services 000 Queensland State Emergency Services' website and 132 500 New South Wales State Emergency Services' website, Facebook, X and 132 500 Queensland Fire Department's website Evacuation Centres Brisbane City Council's emergency dashboard Gold Coast disaster and emergency dashboard Sunshine Coast disaster hub New South Wales evacuation centres ABC Emergency — Website and Radio Frequencies ABC Emergency website Brisbane: 612AM Gold Coast: 91.7FM Sunshine Coast: 90.3FM, 95.3FM or 1566AM Wide Bay: 855AM, 100.1FM, 88.3FM NSW North Coast Richmond and Tweed: 94.5 FM Murwillumbah: 720 AM Grafton: 738 AM
Grab your togs, plus your mates or date, then get ready to indulge your love for swims, sips and breakfast: The Westin Brisbane has relaunched what's fast becoming an annual River City summer highlight. The Mary Street hotel doesn't just feature 298 rooms and suites with views, onsite eateries and bars, and a spa — it's also home to a swim-up spot for drinks, aka Nautilus Pool Bar, which opens its doors to the public when the weather is warm. From now until Sunday, April 28, you don't need to be a guest at the Marriott-owned international brand's first Queensland location to go for a splash while enjoying a cocktail in the water. As it did across 2022–23's hot temperatures, The Westin Brisbane is turning Nautilus Pool Bar into a beach club. This year's inspiration: The Maldives. 2023 marks five years since the hotel opened in Brissie's CBD, finally filling the giant hole in the ground that sat in the middle of the city for years in the process — and swims, bites to eat, drinks and gazing at views over the city skyline while you're pretending that you're on the other side of the world are all on offer to celebrate. Again dubbed Nautilus Beach Club, this seasonal stint includes live DJs spinning tunes on the deck, poolside cabana service and, for the first time, floating breakfasts. Yes, your food will be served to you literally in the pool, with the $280-per-person spread spanning fruit, pastries, juice, Mumm champagne, your choice of tea or coffee, and a number of hot breakfast dishes. If that sounds like your way to spend a morning, it's on offer from 10am–11.30am on Fridays and Saturdays. Nautilus Beach Club: Maldives Moments runs from Friday–Sunday until the end of March, then Saturday–Sunday in April, with its regular menu offering slow-braised octopus in a tomato chilli ragout; yellowfin tuna ceviche in a curry powder rub with red onion, chilli, coriander and tomato; and seafood platters that feature Moreton Bay bugs, tiger prawns, kingfish ceviche and green lip mussels. Drinks-wise, special cocktails include a Maldivian take on the piña colada and spritzes Attendees have a couple of other options for Mediterranean-influenced lounging by the pool, with a $49 ticket covering access, a towel to use while you're there and your first spritz. If you and a date or mate are feeling like treating yo'selves, there's also a cabana experience for $269 for two, which gives you your own cabana to hang out in, a seafood platter and a bottle of rosé. And the pool itself? It's heated to 28 degrees, perfect for comfortable swims during Brisbane's sultry summer. Nautilus Beach Club: Maldives Moments runs until Sunday, April 28, 2024 — from Friday–Sunday until the end of March, then Saturday–Sunday in April — at The Westin Brisbane at 111 Mary Street, Brisbane. Head to the Nautilus Pool Bar website for further details and tickets.
Some movies have a moment where they just click and you instinctively know the filmmakers know what they're doing. In The Way, Way Back that moment comes when the painfully awkward Duncan (Liam James) is being driven to the beach house where he will spend the summer and he locks eyes with Owen (Sam Rockwell). The low-key but undeniable chemistry in that scene is a hallmark of a film which gets all the small details right. Having been told he's a "three out of ten" by Trent (Steve Carell), a passive-aggressive jerk who is dating his mother, Pam (Toni Collette), Duncan plans to keep a low profile during his holiday. But any chance of a quiet summer is soon scuppered by nosy neighbour Betty (Allison Janney), who plots to have Duncan become friends with her long-suffering son Peter (River Alexander), who she torments because of his lazy eye. It's Betty's daughter Susanna (AnnaSophia Robb) who can sympathise with Duncan though, and they form a faltering friendship as the adults leave them to their own devices. As Susanna observes, the beachside community is "like spring break for adults" and while Trent and Pam make merry with Trent's friends, the introverted Duncan goes exploring on a a bike and ends up seeking refuge at Water Wizz, the slightly rundown but much-loved local water park managed by perpetual adolescent Owen. Seeing something in the earnest teen that nobody else sees, Owen decides to give Duncan a job as a dogsbody at the park, bringing him into a group of misfits that includes Caitlin (Maya Rudolph), who is growing irked at Owen's irresponsible ways and Lewis (Jim Rash), a sad sack who continually threatens to quit the park to pursue his dreams of being a storm chaser but never quite manages to leave. The Way Way Back's story of a shy teen finding his place in the world over the course of a long, hot summer is by now a well-worn coming-of-age narrative, but this always feels more comfortable than cliched. The seaside small town with its endless beach parties and beer-soaked barbecues is lovingly evoked. The performances from an ensemble cast are uniformly topnotch, though it is Sam Rockwell who steals every scene as the sweet, funny and unexpectedly wise Owen. Writer-directors Jim Rash and Nat Faxon previously collaborated on the Oscar-winning The Descendants and have again struck gold, fashioning a wryly funny and nicely understated script which leaves the actors plenty to do. A big-hearted, bittersweet look at the pleasures and pains of growing up, and the compromises of adulthood, this is perfectly realised and way, way charming. https://youtube.com/watch?v=GiH5wmuexZY
Aunty, you’ve done it again; the Meredith Music Festival has announced both its 2014 lineup and declared this year's lucky ballot winners. But you'll have to leave your offensive headdress at home this time, there'll be none of that at Aunty's place. While the just-announced ticket ballot only affects a lucky few this morning, the finally-revealed lineup makes some big decisions for everyone thinking of heading down to the Golden Plains Shire this December. Joining the already revealed headliners, The War On Drugs, will be Californian fuzz-fuelled rocker Ty Segall, hip hop legends De La Soul, masters of ska the Skatalites, ex-Wu-Tang rapper Ghostface Killah, the unmistakable vocals of Mark Lanegan, Melbourne sweethearts Augie March, stoner rock pioneers Sleep and electronic maestro James Holden are just the tip of the iceberg. Ohio's Cloud Nothings are joining the party as well as US total legends The Lemonheads. Like last year, there'll be 500 less tickets available than previous years; so if you’re considering going this year don’t think, just do. All the good bits are staying the same: BYO alcohol and the beloved No Dickhead Policy are firmly in place. Furthermore, offensive costumes are banned. BANNED. Looking at you headdress-wearers. They're part of Aunty's banned things list: No offensive signage, slogans, clothing, costumes. Those lucky enough to be a ballot winner first time around have until 10pm Wednesday, August 20 to snap up tickets. Second round ballot will be shortly after that, so don’t give up hope just yet if you didn't get good news this morning. Anything else you need to know can be found out at their website, or you can even e-mail Aunty if need be. Meredith Music Festival Lineup (so far): THE WAR ON DRUGS TY SEGALL THE SKATALITES MARK LANEGAN DE LA SOUL AUGIE MARCH SLEEP JAMES HOLDEN LIVE CLOUD NOTHINGS THE LEMONHEADS GHOSTFACE KILLAH PHOSPHORESCENT THE BOMBAY ROYALE FACTORY FLOOR PAINTERS AND DOCKERS MIA DYSON TINY RUINS THE PUBLIC OPINION AFRO ORCHESTRA BLANK REALM MISTY NIGHTS TEETH & TONGUE VAKULA MARLON WILLIAMS DR PHIL SMITH HARD-ONS And more to be announced. The 24th annual Meredith Music Festival will be held from December 12-14. Tickets are $318.80 + $10 booking fee, which covers three days and two nights of music in the Supernatural Amphitheatre. More details here. Image: Ben Loveridge.
Everyone's favourite half-giant of few words is coming to Australia to host a series of Game of Thrones-themed rave parties. Kristian Nairn, who plays the simple and loveable Hodor, is a legit house DJ — minds are boggled as to why this sort of party hasn't been thrown sooner. Thankfully touring company Falcona have jumped on the house-loving GoT favourite and we can party like we've finally found the three-eyed raven. As the name suggests, Rave of Thrones will be a series of GoT-themed parties in large-scale Australian venues — and dress ups are mandatory. Break out the faux fur, your finest armour or dye your hair silver-white; just leave your Valerian steel at the door. We're expecting to see Starks dancing with Lannisters, Tyrells and Tullys sharing mead, while Wildlings and White Walkers unite forces in the name of rave. These parties are likely to attract a larger crowd then the Red and the Purple wedding combined (and will presumably be way less murdery), so make sure you snap up some tickets faster than one of Ygritte's arrows heading for Jon Snow's heart. Nairn has recently been in Melbourne for Oz Comic-Con with Daniel Portman (aka Podrick Payne), so we're thanking the Old Gods and the New that he'll be returning to us shortly. Nairn will be joined by audio visual artist Ego who will be cranking out GoT-themed projections, and the night will include "surprise guests and garnishings" — we're not sure exactly what that entails just yet. HODOR! https://youtube.com/watch?v=cxjw-w-V5k4
If it's ethereal indie folk you're after, Dustin Tebbutt is your man. His music is described by his record label as "the music for your autumns and winters" which, in our opinion, couldn't be more accurate. The haunting isolation that comes through his high echoey vocals and crisp acoustic guitar certainly create feelings of isolation and introspection. Well, it's a good thing he's coming to town as the temperature is starting to drop. Tebbutt's latest national tour is for his latest EP, Bones, and it's gorgeous. First single 'Bones' is much like what we saw on debut EP The Breach; incredibly entrancing music that has the ability to transport its listeners far away from anyone or anything. If you enjoy the thoughtful sounds of Bon Iver or Sigur Rós, then Dustin Tebbutt is a local boy you definitely shouldn't miss. https://youtube.com/watch?v=OysNiYXWga0
If the past decade or so of Steve Carell's career has taught us anything, it's that he loves playing characters in a workplace environment. If his recent resume has taught us anything else, it's that these characters are usually a source of chaos at their place of employment — or, at the very least, they're surrounded by it. That proved true in the US version of The Office, as anyone who's heard "that's what she said" too many times well knows. It was also the case in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and its sequel, where Carell made quite the impression as a lamp-loving weatherman. In Apple TV+'s recent drama Morning Wars, he also played a TV host who sparked a scandal — and now, in new Netflix sitcom Space Force, he's taking charge of America's new intergalactic defence squad. Co-created by Carell with The Office's Greg Daniels — and marking the latter's second new streaming sitcom this month, after Amazon's The Good Place-meets-virtual reality comedy Upload — Space Force follows a four-star general in the US Air Force who dreams of overseeing his chosen branch of the military. When Carell's Mark R. Naird receives a new promotion, however, it's to lead the newly formed space-focused unit instead. So, he's off to Colorado to run the show, and to achieve the White House's aim of returning humans to the moon asap. Obviously, things don't go smoothly, which — as the just-dropped first trailer shows — is where plenty of laughs and a Beach Boys sing-along comes in. Based on the initial sneak peek ahead of the first-season release on Friday, May 29, Space Force looks a bit like The Office meets Veep meets any movie about astronauts and/or NASA — and that looks like a mighty amusing combination. An impressive cast is on hand to help, with Carell starring alongside John Malkovich, Parks and Recreation's Ben Schwartz, Booksmart's Diana Silvers and Friends alum Lisa Kudrow, as well as Tawny Newsome (Brockmire), Jimmy O. Yang (Silicon Valley), Noah Emmerich (The Americans) and Alex Sparrow (UnREAL). And if you're thinking, "hang on, doesn't this sound familiar?", that's because there is a real-life precedent. Just last year, the US created a new United States Space Force. If that sounded funny at the time, Space Force, the show, is taking that mood and running with it. Check out the trailer for Space Force below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdpYpulGCKc Space Force hits Netflix on Friday, May 29. Top image: Aaron Epstein/Netflix.
Heading down the highway to Burleigh is no longer on the agenda for Brisbanites keen for a bite at Two Yolks. Instead, Grey Street in South Bank is your destination, with the brand opening a new flagship store, its first in the River City. The Gold Coast-born chain does brekkie burgs, bacon and egg burgs, scrambled eggs on burgs, spicy chicken burgs, truffle burgs, old-school burgs, mortadella burgs and more. Given the name, eggs are clearly a prime feature of this eatery's burgers, and expect them to ooze when you take a bite. Two Yolks boasts Charles Olalia (ex-The French Laundry, Guy Savoy) as Executive Chef Partner, but it hasn't gone upmarket with its burg offering. The vibe here is retro — see: decor decked out like a diner, with wood panels sourced from Italy and tiles from Japan — as Brisbanites can enjoy all day, hence the array of breakfast options. Also on the morning lineup: burgers that span halloumi; sausage and cheese; bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato; and mushroom and avocado. That's where where the mortadella burg comes in, too, which is inspired by Anthony Bourdain. And, there's a croissant version of eggs benedict, plus a breakfast burrito. Burritos are part of the Two Yolks' spread, too. Sides include cheesy truffle fries, chilli cheese tots, hash browns, hand-battered onion rings and bacon on a stick — plus chips paired with eggs, of course. As for drinks, shakes come in the holy trinity of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry, as well as a boozy espresso martini version. Mimosas, bloody marys and orange spritzes feature among the cocktail range, and beers are also on offer.
While it felt like this year's cultural calendar was dominated by bottomless brunches and themed high teas (and there were a lot of them) a lot of other game-changing events were also taking place. From immersive dessert museums to spine-chilling installations and a pop-up creative space with a year-long program of free festivities, Brisbane has seen a influx of events celebrating the city's cultural ecosystem and bringing people together. At Concrete Playground we encourage exploration and showcase innovation in our city every day, so we thought it fitting to reward those most talented whippersnappers pushing Brisbane to be a better, braver city. And so, these six new events were nominated for Best New Event in Concrete Playground's Best of 2018 Awards.
No one in Australia expects to feel cold in January. Summer is in full swing, after all. It's prime beach and pool season, obviously — and, even though the festive period is over and everyone is settling back into the year after the holidays, thoughts of lazing around by or splashing around in a body of water aren't ever too far from anyone's minds. Whether you're fond of cooling down with a refreshing dip, or you prefer to escape to the vicinity of the nearest fan or air-conditioner, you might want to put those plans into action across the rest of this week. From today, Thursday, January 21, temperatures are expected to be mighty hot all around the nation, according to the Bureau of Meteorology's latest major cities forecast. As per BOM's city-specific forecasts, some of those temps are due to stick around a bit longer than that, too. After an expected top of 27 degrees on Thursday, Sydneysiders can expect a few sweaty days, with temps staying at 30 or above from Friday until mid-next week. Still in NSW, Newcastle will hit 34 on Sunday, while Wollongong will get to 31. That isn't as warm as Canberra in the ACT, though — with the Australian capital forecast to hit 38 on Sunday and 39 on Monday. Sunday and Monday will be warm in Melbourne, too, with tops of 35 and 37 forecast. They'll come after a 31-degree Thursday, then expected maximums of 26 and 27 on Friday and Saturday. Thankfully, a drop to 22 is forecast for Tuesday. https://twitter.com/BOM_Vic/status/1351781371715477504 Brisbane will get to 27 on Thursday, 29 on Friday, and 30 from Saturday–Monday, and 33 on Tuesday and Wednesday — so it'll be warm, but also usual summer weather. In Adelaide, the mercury will rise to 35 on Thursday, dip down to 32 on Friday, then soar to 39 on Saturday and a whopping 41 on Sunday. Also in the centre of the country, Alice Springs can expect its maximum temperature to stay between 35–39 degrees for four days from Thursday, while Darwin's will sit at 32-33 across the same period. In Perth, it'll actually get a tad cooler over the weekend — starting with a 34-degree maximum on Thursday, then going up to 36 degrees on Friday, before dropping to 26 on Saturday and Sunday. And down in Hobart, a top temperature of 27 is forecast for Sunday, with 30 expected on Monday — following other maximums of 22, 23 and 25 in the days prior. Of course, while these are BOM's forecasts as issued at 6.05am on Thursday, January 21, conditions may change — so keep an eye on the Bureau's website for the most up-to-date information. For latest weather forecasts, head to the Bureau of Meteorology website.
In between running one of Brisbane's favourite vintage cafe bars and teaching us where the best bits of Brisbane are, longtime Aussie music go-to The Grates are back for their first national headline tour since 2011. Brisbanites Patience Hodgson, John Patterson and Ritchie Daniell will be taking their Team Work Makes The Dream Work tour down Australia's east coast with Sydney punk garage band Straight Arrows and Brisbane punk/synth duo Pleasure Symbols. Described as "fun and thrashy pop punk at its best" by triple j, these three have a reputation for giving an incredible live show that'll have you on your feet. The Grates have been seriously productive over the last few months; after releasing their fourth celebrated studio album, Dream Team last year, they went on to absolutely crush it at Splendour In The Grass. The Grates' long-awaited return to the stage is sure to be one of those dance-till-you-drop affairs — here's hoping for a furious '19-20-20' throwback singalong to obliterate our vocal chords once and for all. Want to win tickets to see The Grates? Head over here.
American artist Nina Katchadourian has what could aptly be described as a bit of a book fetish. Having spent the last 20 years trawling through libraries and personal collections across the globe in search of books that she can organise into meaningful stacks of "spine poetry", it seems fair to describe the artist as a fully fledged bibliophile. The Sorted Books project has been a labour of love for Katchadourian, who has now amassed over 130 stacks of books, displaying them as either the physical cluster or as photographs. The resulting poetry is at times quirky, sometimes thought-provoking, often laugh-out-loud funny and even touchingly poignant. For the artist the hope was that each stack would represent the unique character of the collections they were drawn from. Katchadourian writes that "the clusters from each sorting aim to examine that particular library's focus, idiosyncrasies, and inconsistencies — a cross-section of that library's holdings." Beyond this, it is the inspiration Katachadourian gains from the books she finds that has meant this project remains ongoing and unfinished, whether this be the aesthetic beauty of the covers, the highly tactile nature of well-loved literature or simply an enduring passion for the written word. Have a look at some of our favourite clusters below or head to Amazon to get your hands on your own photograph.
Search for Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, The Jungle Book, Mulan and Cinderella on Disney+ and you don't just get one option. Thanks to the Mouse House's devotion to remaking its animated hits in live-action, viewers can watch versions brought to life with actors, too. Come April, search for Peter Pan and the same will apply, courtesy of the Jude Law (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore)-starring Peter Pan & Wendy. The first of Disney's do-overs for 2023, arriving before The Little Mermaid, this one is heading straight to streaming. There, it'll join Lady and the Tramp and Pinocchio, too, with both also bypassed cinemas. And, this take on JM Barrie's classic hails from a filmmaker with experience bringing animated fare to live with flesh and blood, with David Lowery also behind the gorgeous Pete's Dragon. Based on the just-dropped trailer, Peter Pan & Wendy's storyline goes heavy on the latter, as she meets that other titular figure, tiny fairy Tinker Bell and the Lost Boys. With her brothers, she's spirited off to Neverland, where Captain Hook awaits — listing off her full name like she's in trouble, in fact. Cast-wise, Ever Anderson — daughter of actor Milla Jovovich and filmmaker Paul WS Anderson, and also seen in the pair's Resident Evil: The Final Chapter — plays Wendy, while Alexander Molony (The Reluctant Landlord) gets flying as Peter. They're joined by Yara Shahidi (Grown-ish) as Tinker Bell, Joshua Pickering (A Discovery of Witches) and Jacobi Jupe (Cupid) as John and Michael Darling, and everyone from Molly Parker (Pieces of a Woman) and Alan Tudyk (Strange World) to Jim Gaffigan (Hotel Transylvania 4: Transformania). With Lowery coming to Peter Pan & Wendy fresh from The Green Knight, the first trailer for the former shares the latter's love of lush greenery — and memorable villains. Indeed, don't go expecting a dashing, debonair version of Law as Captain Hook. Lowery's version of Peter Pan aims to take cues from both the novel and Disney's animated adaptation. "We wanted to invigorate our retelling with emotional sincerity, an open heart, and a grand yearning for adventure. Hundreds of incredible artists spent many years bringing this film to the screen; I'm excited for audiences to see their work, to go on this ride, and to rediscover an evergreen tale from a new perspective," the filmmaker said. Check out the Peter Pan & Wendy trailer below: Peter Pan & Wendy will be available to stream via Disney+ from Friday, April 28.
At skate parks around the world — and on consoles in lounge rooms, too — many an hour has been spent kickflipping and ollieing because of Tony Hawk. He's the professional skateboarder who became a household name, and the man whose licensed video game series had everyone sliding and grinding just by furiously mashing buttons. And, come 2024, he's coming to Australia to chat about his career. The skater icon is taking part in a talkfest aptly called An Evening with Tony Hawk. If you've ever wondered how he landed his famous '900', becoming the first skateboarder to complete two-and-a-half mid-air revolutions — or if you just want to know why Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, its sequels and spinoffs are so damn addictive — head along to the Enmore Theatre in Sydney on Friday, January 19, or The Athenaeum in Melbourne on Monday, January 22 and The Triffid in Brisbane on Thursday, January 25 to find out. Hawk's Brissie trip comes with a caveat, however: his discussion has already sold out, but he's also going to turn the Fortitude Music Hall into an immersive Tony Hawk's Pro Skater experience for one day only on Saturday, January 27. [caption id="attachment_924147" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joshua Cutillo[/caption] In the chats, as well as discussing life, turning skating into a job, career highlights, his pop culture prominence and more — and maybe even his on-screen appearances in everything from the first xXx movie to Sharknado 5: Global Swarming — Hawk will be joined by Birdman: Or the Unexpected Virtue of a Tony Hawk Pro Skater Cover Band. Setting the vibe through tunes from the games, their setlist includes Rage Against the Machine, Millencolin, Goldfinger and more. In Brisbane only, Hawk's THPS25 event will drop in to celebrate a quarter century of the games series, with Fortitude Music Hall turned into a replica of one of the levels from the game. Yes, Hawke will hop on a board on an 11-foot-plus vertical ramp that'll sit in the centre of the venue. Joining him from the Birdhouse skate crew, including Lizzie Armanto, Elliot Sloan Felipe Nunes and Reese Nelson. The THPS25 event will be split into two sessions, with the daytime slot an all-ages affair and the evening session only for over 18s. Birdman: Or the Unexpected Virtue of a Tony Hawk Pro Skater Cover Band will pick up their instruments at both, too, as joined by DZ Deathrays doing a DJ set at each. Yours Truly and Teenage Joans will also take to the stage during the day, and Bodyjar and Alex Lahey at night. If you're keen to play Tony Hawk's Pro Skater while you're there, that's understandable and will also be an option. Show off your moves on a five-metre video wall, plus console stations set up around the venue. [caption id="attachment_924146" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Vans[/caption] [caption id="attachment_576145" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Tony Hawk's Pro Skater[/caption] TONY HAWK AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2024: Friday, January 19 — An Evening with Tony Hawk, Enmore Theatre, Sydney Monday, January 22 — An Evening with Tony Hawk, The Athenaeum, Melbourne Thursday, January 25 — An Evening with Tony Hawk, The Triffid, Brisbane — SOLD OUT Saturday, January 27 — THPS25, Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane Tony Hawk is touring Australia in 2024. Head to the tour website for further details and tickets for An Evening with Tony Hawk. For the THPS25, join the waitlist at the event website, with tickets presales from 9am AEST on Wednesday, November 1. Top image: Victor Solanoy via Flickr.
UPDATE, July 16, 2021: Blade Runner 2049 is available to stream via Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Binge, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Do sci-fi fans dream of immersive future worlds, neon visuals scored by dark synth notes, and existential musings on what it means to be human? Yes, and they dream of Blade Runner 2049. The sequel to Ridley Scott's influential 1982 film comes to cinemas with a task that's harder than spotting a replicant — or, more accurately, a task that's quite comparable. Directed by Arrival's Denis Villeneuve, and written by the original's Hampton Fancher with Logan's Michael Green, can this follow-up deliver the real deal, or just a convincing copy? The answer, in fitting Blade Runner style, isn't as simple as that. Audiences won't spend decades arguing about it; rather, they'll lap up a movie that's every bit as spectacular as its predecessor, largely because it's built from similar pieces. Taking its cues from the other Harrison Ford behemoth that recently received a long-awaited next instalment — aka Star Wars — Blade Runner 2049 finds the right balance between venturing forward and nodding to the past. With a noir-ish, detective-focused narrative, and plenty of time spent pondering the difference between artificial and flesh-and-blood life, the film proves both a bold second chapter and a loving pseudo-remake. Set 30 years after the events of the first feature, Blade Runner 2049 follows Los Angeles cop K (Ryan Gosling), a blade runner charged with finding and "retiring" old androids. In the intervening period, replicants have fallen out of favour, then come to the fore again in newer, more compliant models, and ultimately found something of an equilibrium with humanity, with tech tycoon Niander Wallace (an ill-placed Jared Leto) leading the charge. Alas, K's latest case threatens the fragile harmony between man and machine, while also leading him to someone who once had his job: an older but far-from-friendlier Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford). That description might seem sparse on details, but the 164-minute film itself is anything but. In soaring overhead shots of crumbling urban sprawl, grey-hued storage facilities, and orange-tinted landscapes, cinematographer Roger Deakins (Skyfall) serves up a masterclass in making every image look like it belongs in an art gallery. In each thrum and drone of the score from Benjamin Wallfisch (It) and Hans Zimmer (Dunkirk), moodiness and mystery intertwine with a rollercoaster of emotion. And, in Gosling's stoic turn at the centre of it all, a look over the top of an upturned collar, and a pause during a slow walk, say much more than the dialogue. Playing a hologram that embodies the next technologically assisted step in the quest for connection, Ana de Armas (War Dogs) proves similarly effective. For a film that overwhelms with its extraordinary sights and echoing sounds, Blade Runner 2049 revels in the little things, and in the potent cumulative toll that they can have. Accordingly, it paints a broad, bleak picture of the past dictating the future that's vivid and convincing because it takes the time to soak in the minutiae — be it the glow of a busy street, the texture of a dead tree or the sorrow in a grizzled face. Again, it's apt — as adapted from Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the franchise's dystopian vision started with Deckard checking for incriminating glimmers in replicants' eyes, with a tiny flash telling a much bigger tale. Villeneuve achieves the cinematic equivalent, making each moment resound with meaning while honouring the legacy of the original. Oh, and if you thought that every sci-fi flick over the past 35 years took its cues from Blade Runner — and they did — prepare for three further decades of new movies doing the same with Blade Runner 2049. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGa3M0hfTCo
In the near future, Australians will be able to send emoji-filled messages featuring boomerangs, the Aboriginal flag and other visual representations of the country's Indigenous culture. Developed for both Android and iOS platforms, Ingenous Studios has created a set of Indigenous images that'll be rolled out across both platforms this year, marking the first such collection of emojis that celebrate the nation's first peoples. Called Indigemoji, the 19-emoji set was developed on Arrernte land in Mparntwe, aka Alice Springs, by Central Australia's young Aboriginal people. The Northern Territory residents were asked to design new emojis that were relevant to their culture and lives, with symbols that feature the Aboriginal flag on crowns, hands, cups and hearts all included, alongside animals, vehicles and a starry image of Uluru by night. https://www.facebook.com/ingeousstudios/photos/a.130308987038833/2242845069118537/?type=3&theater Announcing the set on Facebook, Ingenous hasn't yet revealed a specific release date; however the emojis will be made available for free via an app this year. They won't officially feature in your phone's inbuilt emoji keyboard, but you'll be able to use them in messages and posts by copying and pasting from the Indigemoji app. For further details, visit the Indigemoji website or Facebook page. Image: Ingeous Studios.
The Melbourne Festival program has been released, and as you can imagine, it is jam-packed with world class music, dance, theatre, film, visual art and forums. It is Melbourne’s flagship cultural event, and with good reason. Some of the artists featured are on the rise and pushing boundaries, where others are well-renowned, established organisations that are bringing their award winning pieces to this great city. One thing Melbourne Festival loves to do is to collaborate, collide and blur the lines between art forms. This year we will see legendary Detroit techno producer and DJ Jeff Mills work with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for Light from the Outside World. Framed Movements, curated by Hannah Mathews, examines the shifting boundaries between art and dance, and Complexity of Belonging — a collaboration between Anouk van Dijk from Chunky Move and Berlin director Falk Richter — uses dance and acting to explore identity in the age of social media. A strong point of difference for Melbourne Festival when comparing it to the plethora of arts events this city holds is it’s strong acknowledgement of the role of circus in Melbourne’s art scene. Opus from France and Cirkopolis from Canada both look spectacular and provide a rare opportunity for an Australian audience to see the tricks of pioneers in their field, while The Nanjing Project is a collaborative work between Australian and Chinese circus performers. If it’s music you’re after from this year’s program, we imagine you will be spending a fair amount of time at the Foxtel Festival Hub. We are particularly excited about Since I Left You, where musicians Jonti and Rainbow Chan will rearrange and reinterpret the Avalanches seminal record — and its 3,500 vinyl samples — via live performance. Or you may be drawn to Pop Crimes, a celebration of Roland S. Howard’s songs, with many musical guests performing on what would have been his 55th birthday. If you’re more interested in shaking your groove thing, head to The Bamboos' performance during the middle weekend. If you haven’t had your film fix from Melbourne International Film Festival this year, ex-MIFF director Richard Moore will be curating films for Art Politics and Protest. While we’re on the subject of film, Clint Mansell — renowned for his eerie and expansive soundscapes in Darren Aronofsky films — will be performing a retrospective of his film scores with a nine-piece band (and accompanied by haunting visuals, of course). Theatre is going to be high on the agenda this year as well. Revered master of stagecraft Heiner Goebbels will bring 40 Slovenian teenagers to town for his lauded 2012 work, When the Mountain Changed Its Clothing, while Hipbone Sticking Out and Hello, Goodbye & Happy Birthday are two Australian productions to consider. For dance, we can’t go past Trisha Brown Dance Company from the USA performing 18 of her brilliant postmodern dances. Our art pick for the festival at this stage is Carsten Höller’s Golden Mirror Carousel, partially because it looks awesome, and partly because you can ride it. Like last year, the festival will begin with Tanderrum: a powerful event of story, song and dace, where elders from the five clans of the Kulin nation invite the people of Melbourne to celebrate the ancestors who were here long before our time. The Ilbijerri Theatre Company will facilitate the event, and it is a proud symbol of the resilience of Melbourne’s Koori culture, and statement of optimism for the future. We could easily go on, but we’ll stop there for now. Melbourne Festival is on from October 10-26. Tickets go on sale at 9am on Tuesday, July 29. Head to the festival website for all the details.
Could the Gold Coast be looking at a potential Renaissance ahead? The Gold Coast City Council and the Gold Coast Water Authority are joining forces to transform the lesser known, under-utilised canal and river network into something grand. While the Gold Coast might not match Venice in terms of its cultural capital, there's certainly some intriguing opportunities afoot to develop this underused area of Queensland. The council and Water Authority are specifically interested in using the canals as on-street parking; they plan to set up a metering system for water vehicles. Think water taxis instead of Venetian men in straw hats steering gondolas. The first step in making this all happen is to build a new pontoon, from which commercial operators pick up and drop off passengers. The building of the pontoon is expected begin later this year. The plan is to transform the whole riverside precinct, making it as much of a tourist attraction as the Surfer's Paradise famous beachfront. Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate told The Brisbane Times, "We have long identified that the riverside offers enormous potential, so it's exciting to be teaming up with Gold Coast Waterways Authority to breathe new life into the area." Waterways authority chief executive Hal Morris echoes this sentiment, as he explains, "A river is the lifeblood of any city and it's a shame that we don’t really appreciate and use our river as much as we could here on the Gold Coast." The Gold Coast has 400 km of canals and 160 of channels, so why not utilise them for transport? Watch this space. Via The Brisbane Times.
Every year, So Frenchy So Chic delivers the next best thing to a trip to Paris. We can't all jet overseas, sadly, so this event brings France's hit musicians to you. On the bill for 2019 is Clara Luciani, who has been compared to the likes of Françoise Hardy, Jane Birkin, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Emilie Simon — aka, she's a huge talent with a great voice and an inimitable style, and she oozes Parisian cool. With pop leanings and a beat that'll make you want to do more that just tap your feet, Luciani has branched out on her own after singing with La Femme — who've made their way to our shores previously as part of So Frenchy So Chic. Her debut album Sainte-Victoire released last year, so you can expect its hits to fill her 60-minute Brisbane setlist. Luciani's So Frenchy So Chic gig hits Brisbane Powerhouse at 6pm on Sunday, January 20. Image: Manuel Obadia-Wills.
