Since Disney got its lightsabers out again with Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens, a galaxy far, far away has rarely been far from screens. That includes on streaming, where the force has proven particularly strong across three seasons of The Mandalorian, 2021–22's The Book of Boba Fett, and also 2022's Obi-Wan Kenobi and Andor. The next Star Wars show on its way: Ahsoka, which will give warrior, outcast, rebel and Jedi her own series from August. Rosario Dawson (Clerks III) returns as the limited series' titular figure, after playing the part in both The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. If you're new to the character, she was Anakin Skywalker's padawan before he became Darth Vader — and, here, she's an ex-Jedi Knight who is determined to battle a threat to the post-Empire galaxy. Her latest exploits will hit Disney+ from Wednesday, August 23. Ahsoka follows animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the TV series it spawned, too, plus fellow animated show Star Wars Rebels — because yes, this franchise about a galaxy far, far away will keep spreading far and wide in this one. From the latter series, Star Wars aficionados will spot rebel crew member Hera Syndulla and former bounty hunter Sabine Wren. Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)) plays the former in Ahsoka, while Natasha Liu Bordizzo (Guns Akimbo) steps into the latter's shoes. Also among the familiar characters: fellow Jedi padawan Ezra Bridger from Star Wars Rebels, with Eman Esfandi (King Richard) doing the live-action honours — and Grand Admiral Thrawn, too, as played by Lars Mikkelsen (The Kingdom). Ahoska's cast includes Ray Stevenson (RRR) and Ivanna Sakhno (The Reunion), plus David Tennant (Good Omens). Also, reports have been bubbling for years about Hayden Christensen returning as Anakin, as he did in Obi-Wan Kenobi. This is Disney+'s first series focused on a female Jedi; indeed, as a character, Ahoska has long been one of the few women among the franchise's Jedi ranks, dating back to 2008. Off-screen, The Mandalorian writer/director/executive producer Dave Filoni writes and executive produces Ahoska, with Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Colin Wilson, and Carrie Beck also doing the latter — all seasoned Star Wars veterans. Check out the first teaser trailer for Ahsoka below: Ahsoka will stream via Disney+ from Wednesday, August 23. Images: ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd & TM. All Rights Reserved.
Virtual reality — everybody's doing it, and hoping that everyone else will follow in their footsteps. To be precise, the majority of companies in the technology and entertainment fields are trying it out to see what sticks, and endeavouring to discover which interactive, immersive worlds consumers are keen to play in. Add IMAX to the list of organisations moving into the VR space via a number of new initiatives designed to take your screen viewing to another dimension. Not content with their existing giant, high-resolution efforts, earlier in 2016 they announced that they're setting up virtual reality centres around the world, and partnering with Google to develop cinema-grade VR cameras. Now, they're financing at least 25 new interactive virtual reality content experiences. For viewers, that not only means that you'll soon be able to head to a series of physical spaces dedicated to showing VR short films, but you'll also be able to see, feel, move and venture into more high-quality virtual reality offerings. The first IMAX virtual reality centres are due to launch in Los Angeles and Manchester by the end of the year, complete with pod-like viewing stations, with more planned in China, Japan, the Middle East, and Western Europe. As for the stuff you'll be feasting your eyes and ears upon, it'll focus on event-style productions made in conjunction with film studios, filmmakers and game publishers, will be developed over the next three years, and will be made available at IMAX as well as other VR platforms. Like every other development in the virtual reality realm, such as concerts, venue tours, department stores, video calls and travel fly-overs, it's really a "watch this space" kind of deal as IMAX works out what works best, and audiences figure out what they actually want to do with the technology. If the first ventures are successful, they plan to roll out the concept globally, including at cinemas, shopping centres and tourist destinations. Fingers crossed that their Australian venues — including their rebuilt Sydney site, which is expected to open 2019 — are included. Via IMAX.
Forget subway tunnels and highway billboards. The latest canvas for the modern artist is that big blue expanse above us. Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang has made like God and conjured his very own rainbow out of colourful smoke bombs in a daytime fireworks display. The stunt required 8000 shells and 2 months of planning, only to be detonated within minutes. With an impressive resume including the fireworks show that opened the Beijing Olympics, Cai's "daytime fireworks" marked the opening of his exhibition at the Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha, Qatar. Spattering the sky with clouds of dreamy pastels as well as inky flock-like forms, the unsuspecting passer-by would be forgiven for running for cover with arms flailing beneath an apparent actualization of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. It's easy to see why Cai had lovers of design raving about his ingenuity. And the show's set-up created a spectacle in its own right, providing viewers with a greater appreciation of the intricate timing and elaborate engineering required to paint the sky. Still, the magic of night time fireworks that seemingly materialise out of thin air is lost in the harsh sunlight that exposes the mechanics behind the colourful explosions. So here's hoping this wizard of pyrotechnics doesn't give up his night job.
Travel isn't just about spending some time in a different patch of turf, escaping work and earning a reprieve from your usual routine. It ticks all those boxes, but it's really about seeing the world in all of its glory. In other words, it's an experience. And, after 2020's year of staying home and mostly just experiencing our own four walls, you can be forgiven for hankering for a holiday that'll truly make you realise that you're somewhere instantly and overwhelmingly special. Travel guide Lonely Planet has put together a lineup of places that'll achieve that exact aim, which it has dubbed its Ultimate Travel List. Announcing its second edition, the publication has some great news for Aussies eager for a getaway, too — especially given international travel bans are still in place — with the Northern Territory's Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park coming in third out of a whopping 500 locations. The only Australian spot in the top ten, the 348-metre-tall Uluru received ample praise from the publication, which compared the eye-catching monolith's appearance to "a ship on fire in a desert sea". Crucially, the towering rock formation hasn't been singled out on the list, but rather the entire park around it has been recognised. Seeing Uluru isn't something that anyone forgets, of course, but there's plenty more to do in the region — with taking tours with park rangers to see sacred waterholes, spotting the onsite wildlife and visiting the park's cultural centre to learn about the area's Indigenous Australian history and significance, and learn from the local Aṉangu people, all mentioned as well. What's not mentioned is the below Field of Light, which is located at the base of Uluru and definitely worth a visit while you're there. [caption id="attachment_773730" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Field of Light by Tourism Australia[/caption] In earning third spot, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park moved up 30 places from its 2019 ranking, when it came in at number 33. It sits behind the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Petra in Jordan, which nabbed the top placing, while the Galápagos Islands ranked second. Also in the top five: the Okavango River in Botswana, plus the USA's Yellowstone National Park. As for the rest of the top ten, it includes Lake Bled in Slovenia; Iguazú Falls, which mark the boundary between Argentina and Brazil; Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni, aka the world's biggest salt lake; and Nepal's Annapurna massif. In the entire 500-location list, a huge 200 entries differed from last year. Accordingly, both close to home and overseas, you now have some new travel inspiration and then some. At present, the Northern Territory's borders are open to Australians, without quarantine, unless you're travelling from an 'active coronavirus hotspot' — which currently covers all of Victoria. Until Friday, October 9, it also included the Greater Sydney area; however, that's set to be removed today. You can check out Lonely Planet's full Ultimate Travel List via its website. Top image: Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park by Tourism Australia
Cruising is a classic way to holiday. The stress-free system has you forgo most responsibilities in favour of fun, be it a two-week romp through the Pacific Islands or a midweek run up or down the Australian coastline, there's a leg of voyage suitable to any traveller. In the case of this ocean-bound writer, it was the latter, and I was in for an unfortunate surprise. Waking on day three of a five-day voyage on the Pacific Adventure to the sight of Moreton Island just out of reach, the passengers were informed that the small transfer boats would be unable to ferry us to the island due to rough seas. Would you believe the same thing happened on the last Moreton Island cruise I was on mere months earlier? I think that makes me uniquely qualified to answer this next question. What do you do on a cruise with no destination? Plan Ahead When Packing No matter how fine-tuned and considered your itinerary, the universe is unlikely to obey your wishes for the whole trip. When it comes to the weather, you should naturally be planning ahead. A good book is a must, plus headphones, a portable charger, sunglasses, a lanyard to carry around your cruise card and, probably most importantly, sea sickness medication. If the weather is bad enough for a shore visit to be cancelled, it means there's likely a large swell on the water. Everyone handles motion sickness differently, so a simple travel calm ginger might cut it, but if you need something stronger, the onboard medical centre stocks plenty of the good stuff. Make Use of the Onboard Itinerary The serious advantage of cruising is the fact that it's just as much about the journey as it is about the destination. In the case of a Moreton Island cruise from Sydney, you're scheduled for two full days at sea on either side of the shore stop. On our cruise, that became three full days at sea. Our itinerary adapted in a flash, with a fresh day of activities available to replace our cancelled stop by the time we'd finished breakfast. Exact activities vary on a ship-by-ship basis but almost all vessels share some similarities: pools, gyms, spas, theatres, arcades and lounges. You can choose to spend your time however you'd like, be it a visit to the spa, catching a comedy show or theatre act, or kicking back on the outer decks. Every night while you're at dinner, a new itinerary is left in your room for the following day. On board the Pacific Adventure, we kept our sea days busy with shopping and reading mostly. One evening was spent with In Pour Taste, a comedy show crossed with a wine tasting, helmed by Melbourne comedy duo Sweeney Preston and Ethan Cavanagh. The following day saw us hit the spa and the Byron Beach Club. Then on the final day, we took a cocktail mixing class and watched the wildly raucous Blanc De Blanc Uncorked cabaret show after dinner. Dine Differently Every Day You're massively spoiled for choice with dining while onboard a cruise ship. Buffet dining is typically the easiest choice for breakfast, with no extra cost and a great variety of dishes on offer. Come lunchtime, there are several options. The Pacific Adventure includes Luke's Burger Bar, which serves up the finest surf shack-style feeds you can get at sea. When day rolls into night, cruise ships open up multiple venues for dinner. In the case of Pacific Adventure, Waterfront Restaurant is a reliable go-to and Angelo's offers a fine-dining spin, as does Luke's Bar and Grill (the sibling of the burger bar, both created by restaurateur Luke Mangan). [caption id="attachment_967826" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Alec Jones[/caption] For more specific cuisines, there's a great mix of Italian dishes available at P&O Trattoria, or you can enjoy high-end Asian eats at Dragon Lady. Plus, since this is almost like a floating resort, you can always opt to stay in your room and order room service instead. Pacific Adventure is also home to 13 bars and nightclubs — from easily accessible spots like the Adventure Hotel (think quintessential Aussie pub but floating) to more out-of-the-way attractions like the onboard speakeasy The Bonded Store and Altitude Nightclub, where you can get a drink and have a boogie at the highest point on the whole vessel. Don't let naysayers dissuade you. A cruise with no destination is entirely survivable. Take it from us. Check any cynicism at the door (or gangplank, in this case), and you'll have a great time. In early 2025 P&O's Pacific Adventure, along with Pacific Encounter, will be integrating into the Carnival Fleet, becoming Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter. While sailing under new names both ships will continue to offer the same great holiday experience. Voyages from now until 2026 are available to book via pocruises.com.au. Concrete Playground was invited on the Sydney to Tangalooma cruise by the P&O Group. Images courtesy of the P&O Group.
They first toured Australia in 1982. They've returned plenty of times since, including on the Big Day Out and Vivid lineups. When they were last here in 2020, the pandemic got in the way, causing them to cut short their plans — and now New Order have locked in their latest visit Down Under five years later. "It's an honour to be coming back to perform in one of our favourite places. We sadly had to cancel a Melbourne show in March 2020, as a consequence of COVID and are so happy we can come back to play again," said the Manchester-formed band, announcing their next Aussie dates. "We've always loved playing in Australia and are excited to be returning for a run of very special shows in 2025. Good things come to those who wait!" [caption id="attachment_976837" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Erin Mc via Flickr[/caption] 'Blue Monday', 'Temptation', 'Bizarre Love Triangle' — more than four decades after forming, the group will play them all on a four-city Australian tour that starts at Perth's RAC Arena, then plays the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne and Riverstage in Brisbane, before hitting the Sydney Opera House Forecourt for two nights, all in March 2025. Peter Hook, Stephen Morris and Bernard Sumner started New Order out of Joy Division, following the tragic death of the latter's lead singer Ian Curtis, and helped pioneer the synth-pop sound that not only helped define the 80s but has been influential ever since. If you've seen the films Control and 24 Hour Party People, you've seen part of New Order's story on-screen. And if you've caught them live before, you'll know that they're always a must-see. In Sydney, the group join Sydney Opera House's March run of forecourt concerts, which also includes Fontaines DC and PJ Harvey. "The incomparable New Order on the forecourt will be one of *those* Opera House moments to remember forever (and my 16 year-old self with his hopelessly worn-out tape of Substance can't quite believe it). Fontaines DC's moment is right now, and it's an honour to host one of the world's most fiercest live bands on the Forecourt for their massive Australian return," said Sydney Opera House Head of Contemporary Music Ben Marshall. [caption id="attachment_976838" align="alignnone" width="1920"] RL GNZLZ via Flickr[/caption] New Order Australian Tour 2025 Wednesday, March 5 — RAC Arena, Perth Saturday, March 8 — Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne Tuesday, March 11 — Riverstage, Brisbane Friday, March 14–Saturday, March 15 — Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Sydney New Order are touring Australia in March 2025, with tickets on sale from 10am local time on Thursday, October 31, 2024. Head to the tour website for further details. Top image: RL GNZLZ via Flickr.
The force is strong with this idea — and we've definitely got a good feeling about it. From 2019, Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World in Florida will both boast dedicated Star Wars-themed zones, called Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. Exact dates are yet to be announced, but Disney has just revealed that fans will be travelling to a galaxy far, far away by the middle of next year at Disneyland — and towards the end of the year at Disney World. Galaxy's Edge was first made public back in 2015, will span 14 acres at each site and will prove the biggest single-themed expansion the respective parks have ever seen. And, they'll be designed to "transport guests to a never-before-seen planet, a remote trading port and one of the last stops before wild space where Star Wars characters and their stories come to life." To be specific, fans will be able wander around the outpost of Batuu, which is a hive for smugglers and rogues (naturally); drink blue milk at a cantina; and hop onto a star destroyer. Most importantly, visitors will be able to fly the Millennium Falcon. Yep, prepare to say "punch it" a whole heap — and hopefully become best buddies with a loveable wookiee. The full details are yet to be unveiled, but expect Galaxy's Edge to tie into all ten Star Wars movies to date and feature an array of beloved characters roaming around. Expect to be able to buy plenty of merchandise at the gift shop as well. Eventually, visitors to Disney World will also be able to stay in an immersive Star Wars-themed hotel too, although construction hasn't started yet and an opening date hasn't been announced either. Of course, Galaxy's Edge will be open just in time for Star Wars: Episode IX, which is due in cinemas in December 2019. Given that we now get a new Star Wars flick each year — including spin-offs such as Solo: A Star Wars Story, which is set to be followed by a Boba Fett movie — you'd think it's probably only a matter of time before Disney also opens a Star Wars stadium to match its forthcoming Marvel one. Via Disney Theme Parks Blog.
The weather's still hot, which means we're still smack-bang in the middle of 'Summer Swiping Season'. There are first dates (born from Bumble, Tinder or just the old-fashioned way) happening all around the place. Plus with resulting second and third dates, chances are (if you're in the dating game) you may be in need of a 'thing to do' or two. Drinks? Been there; done that. Movies? Opinions can divide a date, plus it doesn't really permit much 'getting to know you' time. Dinner? A trusty standby but surely you can do better. Think outside your normal square — and outside in general — and give something a crack that uses the great outdoors as inspiration. With our mates at Hahn, we've put together a list that'll put a couple of beaut ideas up your sleeve for your next potential Tinder match — just make sure you give them a heads up to dress weather appropriately or slip, slap, slop. HORSE RIDING NEAR THE CITY Take a trot on the wilder side and give a trail ride a go — sign up for a day of hanging out with a majestic four-legged friend. Though it may not be quite as romantic and sun-drenched as it is in the movies, horseriding is still a) fun and b) a surprisingly great workout — full marks for adventure and action. Just make sure you and your date are both wearing riding appropriate pants (no short shorts here) and shoes, and remember that novice trail rides are generally chaperoned by an experienced rider. If you're trying to have a conversation about feelings, it might be third wheeled. Maybe wait until you're back at the stables to bust out the "I love you" for the first time, just in case. Where? Glenworth Valley, NSW; Gunnamatta Trail Rides, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria; Thunderbird Park, Tamborine Mountain, Queensland. Discover even more spots for horse riding in Sydney and Brisbane. A PICNIC IN A SECRET SPOT So you've painstakingly prepared the most extravagant picnic feast of all time, packed a six pack and headed to your local park, only to lay out your blanket, unpack your fancy eats and find yourself constantly rescuing bits of your picnic from the scores of dogs and/or small children in your vicinity. Picnics are 100% better when they're private, so for the next al fresco dining date situation you get yourself in, why not head to some quieter venues, sans the small people or furry animals. There are plenty of lovely parks and gardens just crying out for people to sit around in them, making love eyes at each other and saying "isn't this just perfect?" as they have a bite of brie. Where? Arthur McElhone Reserve, Elizabeth Bay, Sydney; George Tindale Memorial Gardens, Sherbrooke, Melbourne; Fig Tree Pocket River Reserve, Fig Tree Pocket, Brisbane. GLAMPING IN A UNIQUE SPOT Camping is all well and good until it's been three days since your last shower, you forgot to pack enough undies and socks and you're starting to feel more than a bit uncomfortable (and not very romantic). Change all that by going on a glamping adventure. Think less sweaty conditions and more proper beds to lounge in — plus a tent that you don't have to set up yourself. Take a date along to an unusual spot for added lush points — try Cockatoo Island or Murphy's Creek for something a little different. Hot showers and toiletries are included (and a claw foot bath at Murphy's Creek) so it might even be a step up from your bathroom at home instead of back to basics. BYO holiday reading and variety of meats and bevvies to arrange in the provided barbecues and eskies. Where? Cockatoo Island Glamping, Cockatoo Island, Sydney; Phillip Island Glamping, Phillip Island, Victoria; Murphy's Creek Hideaway, Toowoomba, QLD. Find more spots to go glamping in Melbourne and Sydney. TRAPEZE IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS Running away and joining the circus is definitely the ultimate romantic act, but it's a bit hectic for a first or second date, and there are real-world responsibilities to think about like your job and your pot plants. Your back up option is to head to an outdoors trapeze class — they're run in Melbourne over the summer, and Sydney and Brisbane at most times — and feel like a free bird flying in the wind for an hour. Hopefully, your date won't have a fear of heights, but if it helps, classes are run by professional coaches and have all the bells and whistles to keep you safe, i.e,. nets and harnesses. Plus, living dangerously is pretty sexy. Where? Circus Arts, Sydney and Brisbane locations; Fly Factory, Blackburn, Victoria (outdoor classes in Mornington). [caption id="attachment_656745" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brook James.[/caption] ROWING ON THE WATER There's something to be said about a slow cruise around a body of water on a warm day, following the current, letting it gently tug you along. Pack a picnic lunch, a lifejacket and hire a rowboat or a kayak and hit your nearest river. Melbourne and Sydney have a variety of rowboat options for use in their waters, while Brisbane is more of a flashy kayak type of place. Just remember that rowing a boat around all day takes a fair bit of arm-power and it's probably harder than Hugh Grant makes it look in Bridget Jones Diary. Fairfield Boathouse in Melbourne also does a ripper Devonshire Tea if you want to amp up your date to past centuries in England levels — BYO parasol. Where? Audley Boatshed, Audley, Sydney; Fairfield Boathouse, Fairfield, Melbourne; Kayak Hire Brisbane, Scarborough, QLD. Start planning how you'll take your next date up a notch, with a Hahn in hand.
Brisbane's Eat Street Northshore is following in the footsteps of culinary big-wigs like Brae, Biota and Dunkeld's Royal Mail Hotel, now boasting its very own onsite kitchen garden. Thought that was a little unlikely, given the precinct's lack of free space? Well, it's all thanks to Canada's Modular Farms Co, which has chosen the precinct as the first Australian location to host one of its state-of-the-art vertical hydroponic farms. With inner-city space at a premium these days, this little beauty is a bit of a game-changer, able to grow food cleanly and sustainably no matter where it's placed or what the climate might be. Eat Street's new addition will allow market vendors to tap into a consistent supply of fresh herbs and veggies from right there on site, minimising food miles and wastage in the process. It doesn't get much fresher than that. What's more, the farm's modular design fits right in with the rest of Eat Street's vibe, working perfectly against that backdrop of repurposed shipping containers. The new vertical farm will supply produce to both Eat Street Northshore and OzHarvest. Images: Chris Jack
Now that daylight saving has come to an end, there’s no denying that winter is on its way. And with it an array of unwelcome bugs. In our efforts to stay healthy, we'll usually juggle some combination of sensible vaccine, stare-attracting surgical mask and eating All the Oranges. But how's this for a practical (and fashionable) solution? A team of US-based entrepreneurs has come up with Scough, "the germ and pollution filtering scarf". The Scough looks straight off the boutique rack but features antimicrobial technology, direct from the US Ministry of Defence’s section for chemical warfare. You do have to wear the scarf over your nose and mouth to stave off infection though, so you'd better hope the Wild West look is 'in'. It’s the flu sufferer's ultimate in revenge. Just pull the scarf up around your face and it fights the flu for you. Activated carbon — demonstrating a high level of microporosity (one gram covers a surface area of 500 square metres plus) — traps viruses before killing them unawares. Simultaneously, a silver ion-impregnated filtration system dismantles the complex structure of bacteria, turning them into nothing but harmless, powerless specks. There’s a Scough design to match your daily outfit, from super soft plaid cashmere to chequered flannel, herringbone, paisley and faux fur. There's even a Scough with its own inbuilt moustache. Prices start at US$39 and for every scarf purchased the company donates a life-saving vaccine to a child via shotatlife.org. So you'll feel better in more ways than one. Via Springwise.
There's going to be another murder in the building. That's the only way to interpret the news that Only Murders in the Building, the murder-mystery comedy series that's been a delight not once but twice now, is officially coming back for a third season. Clearly, New York City's deadliest fictional apartment block will strike again — and residents turned true-crime podcasters Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin, It's Complicated), Oliver Putnam (Martin Short, Schmigadoon!) and Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez, The Dead Don't Die) will have something else to chat about. Is there a more chaotic place to live in NYC at the moment, at least on the small screen? It doesn't appear so. As for exactly who'll be killed this time, and what the Arconia complex's resident sleuths have to say about it, that hasn't yet been revealed. (Neither has whether season three of Only Murders in the Building will indeed revolve around another murder in the building — but hey, the expected answer is right there in the show's title.) If you're still yet to experience the series' charms, it follows the odd trio of Charles-Haden, Oliver and the much-younger Mabel after they bond over two things: listening to a Serial-style podcast hosted by the show's own version of Sarah Koenig, aka Cinda Canning (Tina Fey, Girls5eva); and a death in their luxe abode. Of course, they did what everyone that's jumped on the true-crime bandwagon knows they would if they were ever in the same situation, starting their own audio series that's also called Only Murders in the Building. That's how season one kicked off — and continued, proving a warm, funny, smart and savvy series at every step along the way, as well as one of 2021's best small-screen newcomers. Now, in the show's second go-around, which is currently streaming week-to-week Down Under via Star on Disney+, Charles-Haden, Oliver and Mabel have another death to investigate. This time, it's someone they're all known not to be that fond of, so suspicions keep pointing in their direction. Again, no further details about season three have been revealed as yet — sorry, armchair detectives — including when it'll return. Considering that there was less than a year between seasons one and two, though, cross your fingers that the show keeps up the same schedule. Similarly yet to be announced: which high-profile names will join the wonderful Martin, Short and Gomez in the next batch of episodes. Both Sting and Amy Schumer have played themselves so far — and Cara Delevingne (Carnival Row) also pops up. Until more information about season three is unveiled, check out the trailer for Only Murders in the Building season two below: Only Murders in the Building's second season is streaming Down Under via Star on Disney+. Read our full review. You can also read our full review of the show's first season, too. Images: Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu.
When spring hits in the northern hemisphere, so does one of Japan's most famous annual periods: cherry blossom season. Trees start blooming with pastel pink flowers, and tourists start flocking to the Asian country. While there's no shortage of things to do in Japan, or bright and colourful attractions for that matter, there's nothing more disappointing than popping something on your holiday itinerary, looking forward to it for weeks or months, and then not being able to cross it off. And that's often a very real issue for folks hoping to immerse themselves in cherry blossom season. Nature, like the rest of life, doesn't always stick to a schedule. The Japan Meteorological Corporation has been doing its part with regular forecasts, which are updated frequently. Covering more than a thousand locations across the country — spanning from Hokkaido to Kagoshima — it tracks when the blossoms are expected to start to flowering, as well as when they should reach full bloom. But for those eager to take their planning to the next level, JMC has also released the Sakura Navi app, which updates flowering dates, sends notifications to users about their chosen spots, and helps you find the best viewing places in your vicinity. Running since 2016, the app costs 360 yen, or approximately AU$4.60. And while travelling overseas can spark a new app free-for-all, if you're visiting Japan during between March–May and you have your heart set on stepping into a pink floral wonderland, it'll help ensure you don't miss out on a blooming good time. Based on current forecasts — the sixth for this year — cherry blossoms are expected in Tokyo between March 21–29 and Osaka between March 25 and April 1, then move further north until May. And if you're wondering about the service's accuracy, it also highlights a deviation period for each location. At present, it notes that flowers might start blooming up to seven days before their predicated date, or a maximum of two days afterwards. For further cherry blossom forecasts, and more information about Sakura Navi, visit the JMC website.
In Zola, the swooshes and whistles have it: when a character utters a line of dialogue taken directly from the movie's famous 148-tweet source material, filmmaker Janicza Bravo pairs it with the right noise. That's one way that the second-time filmmaker tackles the formidable task that is adapting a lengthy social media thread into a feature. And she wasn't working with any old tweetstorm; when Aziah 'Zola' King let her fingers do the talking back in October 2015, it trended under the hashtag #TheStory. Charting a gal-pal getaway to Florida that swerved from exotic dancing to sex trafficking, crime and violence, King's Twitter thread had social media users hanging on its every word. Six years later, it remains an iconic piece of internet history — King deleted it swiftly, but nothing ever truly disappears in the online world. The challenge for Bravo in turning those posts into Zola: remaining true not only to King's rollercoaster ride of a tale, but also to the entire reason that everyone knows about it. Cue those telltale sounds, which keep Zola's origins firmly in viewers' minds. Cue a big swerve away from text on-screen, too, because a story this wild deserves an in-the-moment approach that plastering a phone screen across the big screen just can't evoke. And, cue a brilliant urination scene that instantly tells the world everything it needs to about the titular Detroit waitress (played by Taylour Paige, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom) and the fellow dancer, named Stefani here (Riley Keough, The Lodge), who invites her on the road trip to end all road trips. When it debuted at Sundance in 2020, Zola became one of the buzziest premieres of the festival. Due to the pandemic, it has taken more than 18 months for the movie to make it to Australian cinemas, but its candy-hued, neon-lit, dreamy-meets-dazzling glow hasn't dimmed. With Zola now showing locally, we chatted to Bravo about those tweets, getting the gig over James Franco and, yes, that glorious pissing scene. "YOU WANNA HEAR A STORY? IT'S KIND OF LONG, BUT IT'S FULL OF SUSPENSE." One tweet, 22 words, one helluva impact: that's how King's Twitter thread started. Its first two sentences couldn't set the scene better: "You wanna hear a story about how me and this bitch fell out? It's kind of long, but it's full of suspense." Bravo didn't read those words as they were tweeted but, when she did, she knew that she had to turn them into a film. "At this point, I hadn't even made a first movie, but I've decided this will be my second movie — and I'm glad I was right," she explains. "I'm not Twitter and I wasn't on Twitter — lucky me. It's just not for me. I think it's super valuable and there's a lot of deliciousness that I've gotten from that space, but overall it's not a vibe for me," Bravo notes. "So I read it on Twitter at the end of that day. It was up for about 24 hours before she deleted it. I didn't get to participate in the live experience, meaning I didn't get to see her writing and responding and the sort of subtweet thing that happens inside of it or the reposts. I didn't get to see all that. But I got to sit with it right after, and it was radical. I knew right away that it was going to be my second movie." THE TWEETSTORM THAT HAD HOLLYWOOD TALKING When a Twitter thread gets this much attention, everyone wants in. Bravo wasn't originally the only filmmaker inspired to bring King's story to the screen — didn't originally get the job. "I go after it right then. I'm nodding when I'm reading it, and I'm sending it to both my agent and my manager and saying that I want this," she says. "I don't know how Twitter IP works, but I really want to make this. They get back to me three days later and say there is a Rolling Stone article, and then there's her life rights, and that's an entry point into being able to have access to the story." "And so I go 'yes, put me in!'. To which they reply that of the five people going after it, three of them are studios and two of them are independently wealthy. And I was like, 'well, I have no cash, so I'm not making the shortlist'. Clearly, that isn't the end of the story. "I find out a year later, though, that Killer Films — that I'd made Lemon [Bravo's first feature] and a short film with — were one of the producers were on it. And, James Franco was directing it," Bravo advises. "So I just wrote them and was like, 'hey' — because I understand how things work, and sometimes a director is no longer on a project. I was like 'if for some reason James is not directing this, remember me, think of me'. Then I found out in the spring of 2017 from an actress who was friendly with him that he was no longer directing it, so I reached out to my reps again and was like 'I want this'. And then I got it." THE BIG QUESTION: HOW TO ADAPT 148 TWEETS INTO A MOVIE? Peppered with emojis and all-caps, King's tweets don't simply describe a wild ride — they take readers on one. Bringing them to the screen put Bravo in uncharted territory but, writing Zola's script with playwright Jeremy O Harris, she didn't see it that way. "A lot of people did. My producers did. It was like, 'how do you adapt this?'," she explains. "But I'm a child of theatre, and I saw it as adapting a long poem. It was adapting a short story. It was adapting a sonnet and making a whole world out of it." "And this, for me, I felt it had so much more in some ways. I printed the tweets, cut them out, put them into a first act, a second act, a third act… and not only was there the outline, but the dialogue was in the outline," Bravo notes. "For me. it felt pretty seamless." "I think the thing that becomes curious, that allowed myself some room to explore, is okay, so there's a road trip to Detroit to Florida, from home to Florida, that is a 19–20-hour drive. That's only one tweet. Now does that become one scene, or three scenes, or five scenes, and how do you tell the story of that drive? Multiple tweets can be in a scene, or some can just be standalone, or one can be five — and figuring out the math on that, that's a part of writing, that's part of drafting." ADDING DETAIL — AND THAT KILLER BATHROOM SCENE As evocative as #TheStory is to read — as gripping and addictive, too — it didn't cover everything that Bravo envisaged for the film. Enter the bathroom scene. "I would happily talk about it forever. It's one of my favourites in the film," Bravo says. "When I was auditioning for the movie, I had come to the table with a handful of things I wanted to try that were not in the film. And then when it came to writing, once I get it and I'm writing with Jeremy, one of our first assignments is what are the five things you definitely want to make sure arrive in this script, and what are these three ideas outside of the world that you want to bring to this?" "And for me, one of those ideas, I just really want this piss scene. I've been thinking about wanting to put something like this in my work for a while. And this is a film about this love story between these two women — this seduction that happens between these two women — how they fall in love and out of love, and I couldn't recall being able to have a window into a character like this without there being a good deal of dialogue to tell me who they were. So I had this idea about a bathroom scene in which you got to see the interior of each of those characters," Bravo explains. "The audience can always go back to that as to who is reliable or not reliable — or who's hydrated or not hydrated, basically. It's meant to be so much about who they are. How they treat themselves in the bathroom is how they move through the world. And I know it seems kind of small, but I thought it did that." Zola is now screening in Australian cinemas. Read our full review. Images: A24 Films.
The country's most stylish hospitality venues have taken out top honours at the annual Eat Drink Design Awards, confirming that our award-winning food and drink scene is about much more than just Insta-worthy eats and cracking cocktails. The awards, which celebrate the best-designed cafés, bars, restaurants, nightclubs, retail spaces and pop-ups from across Australia and New Zealand, saw New South Wales win especially big in 2017. Among the state's haul, Foolscap Studio's work on Noma Australia was awarded Best Installation Design, George Livissianis' The Dolphin Hotel scooped the title of Best Bar Design and Potts Point's long-standing Fratelli Paradiso scored itself a spot in the Eat Drink Design Awards' Hall Of Fame. Suburban and regional gems were the big winners in Victoria, with Hoppers Crossing café Morris & Heath beating out its inner-city counterparts for the title of Best Cafe Design, and the Mornington Peninsula's Jackalope Hotel awarded Best Identity Design. South Australia's Viet Next Door, designed by Genesin Studio, took out the award for Best Restaurant Design. Each year, the awards celebrate the best hospitality design across venues that have opened in the past 18 months, as judged by a team of hospitality and design industry leaders. For the full list of winners, jump over to the Eat Drink Design Awards website.
"Nobody likes you when you're 23," blink-182 once told the world, but that sentiment doesn't apply to long-running music events that take over Brisbane every year. When BIGSOUND reaches that very number in 2024, there'll be plenty to like and downright love. The festival has already dropped a heap of names on its conference lineup, including Kelis and Amyl and The Sniffers frontwoman Amy Taylor, and now it has revealed a batch of 70 acts that'll be getting the River City's venues echoing. Between Tuesday, September 3–Friday, September 6 in Fortitude Valley, attendees are in for not one but two Peking Duk experiences, with Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles — the former as Keli Holiday, the latter as Y.O.G.A. — making their solo BIGSOUND debuts. Alex the Astronaut, Gretta Ray and Sly Withers are also on the bill, as are dust, Dear Seattle, Stand Atlantic, PEPTALK, total tommy and Noah Dillon. The list goes on from there, including Australian First Nations talent Maanyung, Ray Dimakarri Dixon and Kiwat Kennell, plus New Zealand's NO CIGAR, Dick Move, Paige, Park RD, Reiki Ruawai and DARTZ. [caption id="attachment_907796" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dave Kan[/caption] BIGSOUND Music Programmers Casey O'Shaughnessy and Katie Rynne have had the job of whittled down their picks from more than 1200 applicants. "We are blown away by the calibre of artists that applied this year, and we've discovered so many amazing new artists in the process," they advised. If you're keen to see the results of the pair's curatorial efforts but can't stretch your budget, BIGSOUND is offering two cost-of-living crisis-friendly ticketing options this year: $25 one-night Music Festival tickets if you're under 25 years of age, and also $75 three-night Music Festival tickets if you purchase before Wednesday, July 31. [caption id="attachment_851424" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lachlan Douglas[/caption] BIGSOUND's latest 2024 announcement adds to a roster of names that also spans London-based DJ, artist manager and Butterz co-founder Elijah among the speakers — and Korda Marshall, who started his record label career in 1983 making coffee and scouting talent at RCA. Casper Mills from independent record label 4AD will also share wisdom and experiences, as will Naomie Abergel, fka Mark Johns, plus AEG/Goldenvoice Concerts Vice President Elliott Lefko. Performance-wise, the event's commitment to showcasing impressive acts, artists and bands usually sees more than 150 talents hit its stages at 20-plus River City venues. If you're a BIGSOUND regular, you'll know that this entails filling as many Brisbane spaces as possible with musos, industry folks and music-loving punters, all enjoying the latest and greatest tunes and talent the country has to offer. [caption id="attachment_861894" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lachlan Douglas[/caption] [caption id="attachment_907800" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Simone Gorman-Clark[/caption] BIGSOUND 2024 Artist Lineup: AKA Lui Alex the Astronaut Austin Mackay Belle Haven breathe. Cap Carter Charlie Pittman Charlotte Le Lievre Cooper Smith DARTZ Dear Seattle Dick Move DoloRRes dust Erik Sanders Flow Kobra Fool Nelson FRIDAY* Front Row Garage Sale Georgia Mooney Gretta Ray Hellcat Speedracer Homegrown Trio Hudson Rose ISHAN Jerome Blazé Juice Webster Julian Munyard JUNO Keli Holiday Kiwat Kennell Lotte Gallagher LUPO.THEBOY Maanyung Mac The Knife MARVELL Matahara Matt Joe Gow & Kerryn Fields Mau Power Medhanit MUDRAT NO CIGAR Noah Dillon Paige Park RD PEPTALK Playlunch Prink R.em.edy Ray Dimakarri Dixon Reiki Ruawai Rowena Wise SAME PAINS Sesame Girl Sex Mask Sly Withers Sonic Reducer Squid the Kid Stand Atlantic Stocker sunbleached The Belair Lip Bombs The Velvet club This New Light total tommy Vetta Borne Vinnie Brigante Wade Forster Y.O.G.A BIGSOUND 2024 will take place between Tuesday, September 3–Friday, September 6 in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. For more information and tickets, visit the event's website. Top image: Dave Kan.
The National Geographic publishes images of animals all the time, but the ones photographed for their Photo Ark project are a little different. Led by Nat Geo photographer Joel Sartore, Photo Ark aims to document every living species currently living in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries around the world. As well as acting as an archive of biodiversity, Photo Ark is also a travelling exhibition — and it will be coming to Melbourne Zoo for three months from July 1. It's a huge project, and one that Sartore has been working on for a decade now. So far the photographer has visited 250 institutions in 40 countries and captured images of over 6000 species. Many of the animals photographed — including the orange-bellied parrot above — live at Melbourne Zoo or Healesville Sanctuary, which is the reason why this exhibition is coming to our shores. Having travelled around zoos in the US, this will be the first time the works will be seen in the southern hemisphere. Many of the animals featured are critically threatened or endangered, and Photo Ark aims to bring attention to these species and urge humans to help protect these animals for future generations. While Melbourne Zoo is the only confirmed Australian stop for the exhibition, additional venues may be announced at a later date. The National Geographic Photo Ark exhibition will be on display at Melbourne Zoo from July 1 to October 1. Entry to the exhibition is included in the zoo admission price. For more information, visit the website. Image: Orange-bellied parrot shot at Healesville Sanctuary by Joel Sartore.
Since 2015, Brisbane musical fans have enjoyed several ways to express their love for Hamilton, the 21st century's biggest smash-hit stage sensation. Listening to the soundtrack non-stop has been the easiest. Watching and rewatching the recorded version on Disney+ became an option in 2020 as well. Parties dedicated to the show have popped up, too, plus online trivia sessions. And, since January 2023, seeing the Australian production at QPAC has finally been on the cards. Brisbane has enjoyed quite the Hamilton season so far. Lin-Manuel Miranda himself even came to town to see the Aussie show — his first trip Down Under to do so, in fact — and hosted a fan Q&A chat that you can stream online right now. Alas, the musical's local run will come to an end on Sunday, April 23, with the production then hopping over to New Zealand. So, it really is "don't throw away your shot" time. Here's something else you won't want to miss out on: a Hamilton-themed dessert as part of the pre-theatre dining menu over at South Bank fine-diner Bacchus. Chef de Cuisine Isaia Dal Fiume is whipping up a mascarpone, savoiardi and coffee tiramisu that comes topped with a Hamilton-themed star — and, unsurprisingly, it's proving a hit with QPAC attendees. It too will only be on offer until Sunday, April 23, as one of a trio of dessert options. There are also three entree and three mains picks, spanning cuttlefish, tartare, and pumpkin and chilli ravioli, plus risotto, snapper and a petite wagyu tender. The two-course menu costs $69, while you can tuck into three courses for $89. "With theatre and live entertainment well and very truly back and booming, our pre-theatre dining menu is proving the be the room where is happens, before the curtains go up!" said Bacchus' Food and Beverage Manager Kevin Puglisevich. The Hamilton dessert gives Brisbanites another reason to stop by the restaurant, which was among the River City's go-to spots for an indulgent restaurant experience before the pandemic, then reopened its swanky, old world-style digs in May 2022. Find Bacchus on level one at Rydges South Bank, 9 Glenelg Street, South Brisbane. For more information about the Hamilton-themed dessert until Sunday, April 23, or to make a booking, head to the restaurant's website.
Maybe your mum really loves Patrick Swayze. Maybe you just need some more terracotta or ceramics in your life. Maybe the idea of pottering around a clay-based showcase, finding pottery gifts and sinking a few pots at the bar is your idea of a great Saturday afternoon. Whichever category you fall into, coast on over to Clayschool's 2019 Summer Show. Browse, buy, sip beverages — it's the ultimate exhibition-slash-market. Indeed, while we're talking multi-tasking, Clayschool's students are hoping to show off their unique, handcrafted designs, and sell some as ace one-off Christmas presents. What do you get the person who has everything? This — and there'll be around 60 people exhibiting their wares. Given that it's all taking place at Wandering Cooks from 1pm on Saturday, December 14, that means food and drinks will be part of the fun as well. The kitchen will be whipping up its best eats, while the usual tipples will be available, of course.
The immensely successful Brisbane fashion label, Black Milk was born when designer James Lillis scraped his pennies together to buy a piece of material and a sewing machine. After trying to sell his creative pieces online, he eventually decided to turn Black Milk into an exclusively online boutique. In the past few years, the label has gone from being refused at shops and not receiving much attention at markets, to being an internationally recognised brand. It would be a rare night out in Brisbane when a long legged beauty donning a pair of impossibly cool Black Milk leggings is not seen. Black Milk has recently signed a deal of astronomical proportions and received the rights to produce Star Wars images on their clothing. Black Milk marketing manager, Cameron Parker will be sharing his pearls of wisdom at the QUT Creative Industries precinct. If you're a fashion lover, or wish to start your own business, make sure you catch Cameron this Tuesday.
Be swept away by the magic of The Hamburg Ballet's version of Shakespeare’s whimsical classic, A Midsummer Night's Dream. The Bard's tale of mistaken identity and the relationship between two lovers mixed with a sprinkle of magic was believed to be written between 1590 and 1596. Its timelessness has meant that it has never really left the stage and has been performed countless times since. The music in The Hamburg Ballet's performance is as spectacular as the dancing itself. The dancers will be accompanied by music performed by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra conducted by The Hamburg Ballet's conductor, Simon Hewett, who was born in Brisbane. You will be impressed by the skill, grace and devotion of the performers. Book your tickets now for the VIP opening night where you can join Hewett and the members of The Hamburg Ballet and Queensland Symphony Orchestra.
Wool&Prince, the team that brought us 'The Better Button-Down' shirt, which you can wear for 100 days straight without washing, is back. This time, they're tackling the humble T-shirt. They've come up with a 100 percent wool garment that's odour-resistant, offers 'natural climate control' and is super-soft. To get it on the market in a way that maximises quality and minimises prices, though, they need to submit a US$35,000 initial factory order. So they're looking for help via Kickstarter. The Wool&Prince crew spent eight months investigating and experimenting with hundreds of fabrics, trying T-shirt styles and testing out various fits. The rigorous research process involved putting the three final prototypes through stressful situations, including a 20,000km road trip across 45 US states, a 23-day cycling and camping trip in Alaska, a messy week at Oktoberfest, Germany and an extended feel test/vox pop with New Yorkers. In the end, they decided on 16.5 superfine micron Merino wool. Its extreme sweat-absorption capacity prevents the odour created by the breakdown of sweat via bacteria. Plus it's both naturally insulating and naturally breathable, meaning that the wearer is kept warm in cold weather yet cool in hot weather. The Wear-More, Wash-Less T-Shirt is currently available in crew-neck and v-neck styles, and in two different colours: black and heather-grey. If the stretch goals are reached, the repertoire will extend to include a polo and the palette to include bright navy and red. According to Wool&Prince, the fit is neither too baggy nor too tight, being akin to the T-shirts sold at American Apparel. Fifteen days remain in the Wear-More, Wash-Less campaign. Of the US$35,000 goal, just over US$26,000 has been pledged by 225 backers (as of 14 January). US$58 buys you one T-shirt, US$108 buys two, US$158 buys three and US$208 buys four.
Two years after stressing out Joaquin Phoenix in Beau Is Afraid, Ari Aster has more tension and chaos in store for the Oscar-winning actor in Eddington, the writer/director's next film. The pair reunite for a trip back to 2020, to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to the movie's eponymous New Mexico location as it attempts to cope with the abrupt change to life as its citizens know it. Phoenix (Joker: Folie à Deux) portrays the small town's sheriff — and, like almost everyone at the time, he's not adverse to whiling away his hours doomscrolling, as the feature's just-dropped first trailer illustrates. What awaits Sheriff Joe Cross as he flicks through social media? Clips of himself, of the charismatic Vernon Jefferson Peak (Austin Butler, The Bikeriders) preaching, of Joe's wife Louise (Emma Stone, Kinds of Kindness) contradicting one of his announcements, of Mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us) running for re-election and more. "If you value your life, you should think twice because the people at Eddington like guns," says Phoenix utters as Joe early in the debut trailer. "Your pain is not a coincidence. You are not a coincidence. We are not a coincidence," advises Butler as Peak in the clip that the sheriff scrolls to next. The storyline: putting Joe and the mayor on a collision course, which unsurprisingly causes ripples throughout Eddington, in a tale that's set to see townsfolk clash in a period that we all know couldn't have been more heightened and stressful. Aster is back cultivating unease, then, as he did so expertly in Hereditary in 2018, then Midsommar in 2019, then Beau Is Afraid in 2023. Alongside Phoenix, Butler, Stone and Pascal, the acclaimed filmmaker has enlisted Luke Grimes (Yellowstone), Deirdre O'Connell (The Penguin) and Micheal Ward (Empire of Light) to help among his cast. Eddington is premiering at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in May, screening in the prestigious event's official competition, before hitting US cinemas in July — but doesn't yet have a Down Under release date. Check out the trailer for Eddington below: Eddington releases in US cinemas on Friday, July 18, 2025 — we'll update you with an Australian release date when one is announced.
Sorry, everywhere else in Australia — there's really no place quite like Brisbane, what with it being one of the world's top ten foodie destinations to watch and all. It boasts sunshine and warmth almost all-year round. The Queensland capital is overflowing with great things to eat, drink and do. And finally, Brissie has all the charm of the big smoke while still remaining in close proximity to beaches, islands, mountains and bushwalks. Actually, Brisbane has another trick up its sleeves: it's highly affordable. While Sydney and Melbourne keep moving up the various indexes that rank the world's most expensive cities, Brissie remains comfortable further down the list. That's great news for budgeters, meaning that it's possible to spend an ace weekend up north on the cheap. With some help from Brisbane City YHA, we've mapped out exactly how and where you should spend your time on a trip to Brisbane — without crying about the state of your bank balance. STAY If you're staying in Brisbane, you want to feel like you're staying in Brisbane. And the best way to do that is with a gorgeous view of the Brisbane River. Usually, that's a pricey affair, but bunk down at the Brisbane City YHA, and you'll get just that for a reasonable rate. Plus, you'll be within easy walking distance of the snaking waterway, too. In fact, by the time you wander down to the banks yourself, expect to be mighty familiar with the river, particularly if you've spent a few hours on YHA's rooftop. While hanging out in the pool and having a few drinks up there, you'll have one of the best views in the city. There are inbuilt binoculars onsite as well, so you can really make the most of it. In addition to splashing or lazing around outside, you can play X-Box, pinball and air hockey in the games room, or get comfy in front of the communal big screen TVs. Note: Sundays are all about movies. On Friday nights, it's pub crawl and barbecue time, where you'll eat a grilled feast then have four beers at four bars for just $10 in total. Food-wise, you can also make your own meals in the top-floor kitchen, or opt for a bite and a beverage at the ground-floor cafe. When you're not doing all of that, rest up in cosy rooms with private ensuite bathrooms. In other words, it's far removed from your usual hostel experience. [caption id="attachment_671300" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events QLD.[/caption] DO There are two parts to every excellent Brisbane trip: exploring the local sights and venturing a little further afield. Whether you dedicate a day to each or mix and match things up, you certainly won't be bored or lacking something to do. For roaming the city, hopping onto the City Hopper ferry is a smart, scenic and free way to not only get to plenty of places but to also see Brisbane from the water while you're at it. Jump off at South Bank to wander through the parklands, get your culture fix at the Gallery of Modern Art and the Queensland Museum, climb the Kangaroo Point cliffs or take to the river by kayak or stand-up paddleboard. Disembark at Eagle Street Pier to mosey through the CBD, picnic at the Brisbane City Botanical Gardens, and if you're walking back towards North Quay, don't forget to see Australia's only permanent outdoor Yayoi Kusama artwork — one of Brisbane's best-kept secrets. Another option is to head to Stanley Street for a leisurely stroll around New Farm. No visit to Brissie is complete without fish and chips in New Farm Park, a free comedy show at Brisbane Powerhouse on a Friday night and a venture along the riverwalk. For feasting your eyes on more than the inner city sights, book in a day trip. There's no shortage of options, although spending a day on either Stradbroke or Moreton islands is the best way to soak in southeast Queensland's natural splendour. On Straddie, you'll want to snorkel at South Gorge, see the sun set at Adder Rock and complete the 1.5-kilometre Point Lookout trail — three things that even locals never tire of. The island also has a beachfront YHA if you decide you're having too much fun to return to the mainland. On Moreton, kayaking through shipwrecks, swimming in the blue lagoon and tobogganing across the sand dunes should be the first things on your agenda. If the time is right — from June to November — you can also enjoy a spot of whale watching. Back on the mainland, if you're still keen on revelling in the great outdoors, then go climb a mountain. In Brisbane, Mt Coot-tha and Mt Gravatt both boast sky-high lookouts. Bushwalk around the base of both mountains, and even see a small waterfall at the former. You'll also find gorgeous treks and plenty of rushing water if you head down towards the Gold Coast hinterland, although you might need to include car hire in your budget. Still, a trip to the glow worm caves at the Natural Bridge is well and truly worth it. EAT AND DRINK All of the above activities are bound to make you work up an appetite but don't worry, you won't stay hungry for long in this town. No matter what your stomach is craving, we recommend a trip to Brisbane's new foodie precinct at King Street at Bowen Hills. Here, you'll find everything from Street Fighter-themed burgers, to an array of food trucks at the inner-city's first permanent food truck park, to free mini loaded fries, dagwood dogs and chicken wings over German beers each afternoon at The Bavarian Beerhaus. To take advantage of the latter, make sure you head by between 4–6pm. If browsing and snacking is your idea of a great meal, then a trip to Hamilton's Eat Street Markets is also a must — and it's open from 4pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and from noon on Sundays. Entry is $3, and inside you'll find something for every price range, including cheese, oysters, doughnuts, Japanese pizza, crepes and noodles. The Boundary Street Markets in West End also offers another budget-friendly option, or you could just wander around the suburb and see which of its eateries take your fancy. Our tip: start at Fish Lane and keep walking until your stomach makes the choice for you (and prepare to make multiple pitstops). [caption id="attachment_619623" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Newstead Brewing Co.[/caption] Brisbane doesn't just deliver on the culinary front, but on the beverage front, too. Prepare to go brewery hopping. There's more than XXXX on offer — although the Milton brewery tour is a local favourite, and includes beer tasting at the end of it. Still in the inner-west, you can visit Newstead Brewing Co and Aether Brewing, plus Brisbane Brewing Co, Ballistic Brewing Co's new second home and Catchment Brewing Co all in West End. Find your way across the other side of the CBD where Green Beacon Brewing awaits, as does its share plates and pizzas. Next trip to Brisbane, stay in the thick of it all at Brisbane City YHA. Rooms start at a mere $27 per night for a shared room or $70 for private rooms. All rooms are provided with linens, lockers and air conditioning, with the option to upgrade to in-room wifi. Plus, if you book between now and September, YHA is offering an exclusive 20 percent off stays for Concrete Playground readers, valid until September 30 — just use the code SAVE20 at checkout.
Sorry, whatever's been getting a workout on your playlist over the past few weeks. May is here, which means that Eurovision is here — and so is a whole bunch of Europop tunes that'll worm their way into your head. That's one of the joys of this time of year, which is basically Christmas if you love pop songs belted out competitively in a glitzy ceremony filled with eye-catching outfits. It started back in 1956 as a singing contest between a mere seven nations. Now, more than six decades later, Eurovision is a glitter-strewn and spandex-fuelled global musical phenomenon. Forty countries not only in Europe but from elsewhere will compete in 2022 — hello Australia — and viewers tune in en masse to watch, sing along and add new pop tunes to their queues. This year's host city: Turin in Italy. The theme: "the sound of beauty". The Aussie talent you'll be cheering on: Sheldon Riley, the former The X-Factor Australia, The Voice and America's Got Talent contestant who is flying the flag with his dark pop sound, avant-garde style and passionate performances. He'll be singing the song 'Not the Same' in his quest for Eurovision glory — and you have plenty of chances to see the results. View this post on Instagram A post shared by SHELDON RILEY (@sheldonriley) Come 5am AEST on Wednesday, May 11, Eurovision will return to SBS as part of the broadcaster's usual annual celebration of all things Europop. That's when you can get up early to watch the first semi final, although Riley won't take to the stage until the second semi final at 5am AEST on Friday, May 13. He'll be up against performers from 17 other countries, including The Rasmus from Finland, Sweden's Cornelia Jakobs, Brooke from Ireland, the Czech Republic's We Are Domi, Stefan from Estonia, Krystian Ochman from Poland and Azerbaijan's Nadir Rustamli. If Riley makes his way through to the grand final — with only 21 acts making the cut, and France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom automatically guaranteed spots — you'll also want to get up early on Sunday, May 15. Or, even if he doesn't, that's when this year's winner will be anointed. Of course, for those who can't tear themselves out of bed before it's light and can somehow manage to avoid the internet and social media, both semis and the grand final will also screen in primetime on the same dates. SBS' usual local hosts Myf Warhurst and Joel Creasey are once again overseeing the Australian coverage. And if you can't decide whether to beat the sun or wait and host a party at sensible hour, it's worth remembering that Australians can indeed vote for Eurovision, but only during the live broadcasts. For the semi finals, you're limited to voting during the event that features Riley — and you can only vote in the grand final if the singer gets through. Also, there's another caveat: you're not actually allowed to vote for Australia's entry, which you can nonetheless check out below. EUROVISION 2022 BROADCASTS: LIVE BROADCASTS: Semi final one: 5am AEST on Wednesday, May 11 on SBS Semi final two: 5am AEST on Friday, May 13 on SBS Grand final: 5am AEST on Sunday, May 15 on SBS EVENING REPLAYS: Semi final one: 8.30pm AEST on Friday, May 13 on SBS Semi final two: 8.30pm AEST on Saturday, May 14 on SBS Grand final: 7.30pm AEST on Sunday, May 15 on SBS DAYTIME REPLAYS: Semi final one: 11.30am AEST on Saturday, May 14 on SBS Viceland Semi final two: 11.30am AEST on Sunday, May 15 on SBS Viceland Grand final: 12pm AEST on Monday, May 16 on SBS Viceland SBS' Eurovision 2022 coverage runs from Wednesday, May 11–Monday, May 16. For more information, head to the broadcaster's website. Top image: Jess Gleeson.
December is a time for reflection. A time to look back on the year that was, read round-ups to check up on what you've missed and put together best-of lists (indeed, we've just launched our own in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane). Earlier this week Time Magazine announced the 'silence breakers' behind the #metoo campaign as its 'Person' of the Year, which, if you needed reminding, is pretty indicative of how difficult and momentous this year has been. How to deal with it all? With purple, apparently. Ultra Violet (PANTONE 18-3838) has just been named as Pantone's 2018 Colour of the Year. The dramatic shade was chosen by Pantone's colour experts not only because it's "provocative and thoughtful", but because its connection to cosmos suggests that there's more out there to be discovered and limitless possibilities of what's to come. Of course, purple has a cultural significance too — many of us would associated it with the late Prince. According to Pantone, the enigmatic colour has long been a symbol of counterculture and experimentation, as popularised by Prince, David Bowie and Jimi Hendrix. Referencing the year that was, Pantone executive director Leatrice Eisemen says that Ultra Violet inspires creativity and imagination and "takes our awareness and potential to a higher level". Then there's Ultra Violet's association with mindfulness; the colour is often used in meditation and spiritual practices. So paint your room in it, cover your body in it or just buy some purple socks — it might help you get through this crazy messed up world in 2018.
When you've directed two movies about zombies — the first of which you've basically become synonymous with — and also dabbled with on-screen demons, what do you tackle next? If you're Australian Wyrmwood, Nekrotronic and Wyrmwood: Apocalypse filmmaker Kiah Roache-Turner, you do battle with another classic horror concept. Sting takes its moniker from The Hobbit. The fact that its human protagonist is called Charlotte is particularly telling, however. What better name to use in a movie about a giant spider that falls from the sky, is discovered by a curious 12-year-old, then makes its growing presence petrifyingly known? Shot in the ABC studios in Sydney but set in a New York City apartment block in the thick of winter, Sting's nods elsewhere stretch across the film like a web. Lines recall Predator. Shots nod to Alien. "I pretty much copied that exact jump-scare from Alien, when Tom Skerritt goes into the air conditioning ducts, 100 percent," Roache-Turner tells Concrete Playground. He's loving about his influences, on- and off-screen. That affection for flicks gone by shows in the movie from the moment that its titular creature — he's named his spider well, too — first appears. Roache-Turner has also used himself and his own fear as a basis. Yes, he's afraid of spiders, as we almost all are. "I didn't necessarily want to confront it. It's just my job is to think of the worst thing, the scariest thing, the most-disturbing thing that could happen to me, and then put it in a script and then make you guys watch it and hope that it scares people," says Roache-Turner. "That's kind of what I do. I just sit around thinking about things that disturb me and then I write about them — and it's good because if you take your nightmares out of here and you put it down onto paper, and you spend a couple of years making a spider movie, the hope is that you might become a little less arachnophobic. So it could be therapeutic." Asked if making Sting ended up being cathartic, though, Roache-Turner has bad news for anyone thinking that they might cure their unease about eight-legged arthropods through filmmaking. "Not at all. No. I still hate spiders. Maybe it's worse now because I've had to look at so much footage of spiders, so now I'm doubly sure that I hate them," he shares. Ten years back on Wyrmwood, which he calls "one of the best things I've ever done in my life", the writer/director put everything that he had into what swiftly became his calling card. "It was three-and-a-half years of production. I shot a lot of it in my mum's backyard. It was me and my brothers and my mates just putting on zombie makeup and having fun," Roache-Turner notes. "I can't tell you how fun it was, and I still think about it almost every day. It's a huge part of my life, and it's the reason why I'm here talking to you about a giant spider movie." He's happy that it keeps coming up. "No matter what I do, people go 'you made Wyrmwood'. I think that's how Sam Raimi must feel, too. He can make as many A Simple Plan movies as he wants. He can do as many Spider-Man movies as he wants. But he's always the guy that did Evil Dead, and that's me," he advises. Roache-Turner is also still giving his all with Sting, including by drawing upon his own family setup. Charlotte, played by Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart's Alyla Browne, has an IRL analogue. So does her stepfather Ethan, with House of the Dragon and In Limbo's Ryan Corr the film's version of Roache-Turner. As happens in the picture — which features Noni Hazelhurst (One Night), Penelope Mitchell (What You Wish For), Jermaine Fowler (A Murder at the End of the World), Silvia Colloca (Wellmania), Danny Kim (C*A*U*G*H*T) and Robyn Nevin (Relic) as well — Sting's creative force had just welcomed a new baby. Similarities continue, albeit with a critter that Roache-Turner is most frightened of looming large, literally, aided by creature design by Wētā Workshop. How does taking inspiration from so much of your own life guide you when you're writing a horror screenplay? How did Sting get rolling from the idea that everyone hates spiders, not just Roache-Turner? What kind of balancing act was required to make this an unsettling spider flick, also a movie about a kid with an unusual pet Pete's Dragon and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial-style, and a picture about a family in crisis? With Sting opening in Australian cinemas on Thursday, July 18, 2024, Roache-Turner filled us in, and also chatted about his inspirations, casting Browne and Corr, and what type of primal fear that he's grappling with next. On Starting with the Idea That Everyone Hates Spiders, Then Getting the Ball Rolling "The good thing about Sting is it's a primal fear like sharks. Everybody's scared of a thing in the bedroom. Everybody's scared of the idea of a ghost. These are primal fears. And as I'm arachnophobic, I've had the image or the idea — anytime I look at a spider, I'm scared, I want to cry. But a little part of my brain goes 'imagine that was big. Imagine that was big!'. I've been thinking about that for most of my life, and then finally I set myself a task. It was actually after I had a meeting with James Wan's producer, and he was explaining how he and James make films. And he goes 'we do a template system, so we go: single location, one monster, one family — go'. And he goes 'we just make the same movie over and over again'. And I was thinking 'I wonder if I could do that?'. So I thought 'okay, I'm going take a single location: let's say an apartment building. I'm going to take a family: let's say my family'. So I just had a baby. I'm married. I've got a stepdaughter. I'm going to just template that so I can make it personal. 'What's the monster?' And that whole thing in my head just started echoing 'imagine a spider was big'. That's the thing that I would be most scared of to see. So I just wrote the movie that would be the scariest movie that I could possibly make. The idea of a giant spider descending on a crib was one of the first images that I got, because I just was a new father and I had a baby, and I just couldn't imagine anything worse. And so I was like 'yeah, that'll make a good poster'. That's how these things get started. And I wrote the script, and I took it around. And I don't think anybody, I couldn't really find a producer who wanted to do it because they were all scared. They're just like 'no, no, no, no, no, it's probably going to be more than about five mil'. Everybody wants to make the five-mil Blumhouse template thing. And I'm like 'yeah, I could write that, but I didn't write that in this case. I don't think we can make a giant spider movie set in a New York apartment building for five. I don't know how to do that'. So Jamie Hilton and Michael Pontin and Chris Brown [Sting's producers] just were brave enough to just go 'okay, we believe in this, we're going push it'. Once we got the ball rolling, it just seemed like a good idea, because it had been a while since we had a really decent giant spider movie. I can't even really think of one. I mean Arachnophobia, but they're little. I'm talking about one the size of a pit bull terrier. Other than Shelob, there's not really that many out there. So we had something vaguely original and we just ran with it." On How Taking Inspiration From Your Personal Life Guides You When You're Writing a Screenplay "It guides the emotion, so all of this stuff with the father and the daughter and the wife and the baby and the tension, that all came out of COVID. I was going through that. The big difference is I get on with my family really well — I'll start to make up a bunch of really horrible drama to make it interesting, but the feelings and the emotion is there. In terms of writing the thing, there's no secret to it. It's unexplainable. The structure just jumps into your head. You go 'if there's an alien spider in the building, how does it get into the apartment? How do we keep it in the family? How does it then grow big? How does it then escape so it can start eating dogs and cats? Who's the first human it's gonna eat? What happens when it attacks the family?'. One thing leads to another, and it just becomes a question of thinking your way out of situations. And then you find yourself at the end, and then you write 'fade out'. Sometimes they're good. Sometimes they're bad. Writing is the most-unexplainable thing in the world, and it's the hardest part of the whole process. But there are little tricks to making it easier, and certainly templating your own family and your own experiences is an easy way to get into an emotional truth." On Balancing the Film as a Spider Horror Flick, But Also a Movie About a Kid with an Unusual Pet and a Picture About a Family in Crisis "It's the hardest part, balancing that stuff. And because I am the person who made Wyrmwood, my tendency is to just make films that feel like they just never stop. So I really was trying to make something that has more long sections of just straight drama. I wanted to slow it down a little bit. A huge part of the writing process and the rewriting was about making the family warmer at the start so that when cracks start to appear, we care about them more — and how much drama should there be between the father and the daughter? All that kind of stuff. Yeah, it's a real balancing act in a film like this. Sometimes, I'm not sure I succeeded. Sometimes, I'm like 'did I put too much family drama in there?'. And some people are like 'yeah man, you should have had more deaths and kills'. And then somebody else would go 'god, what? No, no. That was the best thing about the film'. So it's hard to know sometimes. I think you just make a thing and you hope it's right. You do some test screenings. You work on instinct. But on this one, I wanted it to be more than just about a spider eating people, and scares and thrills. I had a personal thing that I wanted to work through with the family dynamic, and we did that, we went a little bit more dramatic with it." On Casting Rising Australian Star and Furiosa Co-Star Alyla Browne as Charlotte "We went to Nikki Barrett [the Australian casting director] and just said 'Nikki, we have a really, really difficult task for you. We need you to cast a 12-year-old star in this film that we just wrote'. And she goes 'shhhh, stop talking. Cast Alyla Browne. Just don't talk about it. Don't talk about it. Just cast her'. And she doesn't talk like that. She's usually very considered, but she was just like 'this is the person. This is the girl'. I might've just looked up a clip on YouTube. I was like 'who is this Alyla Browne?'. It was two clips of an audition she did for a film years earlier when she was like nine. She did an amazing audition where she cried. And I was like 'oh, my god, she's so talented'. Then she did the same thing in a flawless American accent and cried. And I was like 'is she available immediately?'. We didn't even audition her. I just met with her and her mother and just tried hard not to stuff it up. I was more me convincing her to be in the film. But luckily she loved the script and wanted to do it. Her mum just wanted to meet me to make sure I'm not a crazy person and so I pretended not to be, and she signed up and did the movie. She's honestly one of the most-talented actors I've ever worked with. You put the camera on her and something happens. It's a star quality — she's a 12-year-old with the star quality of Nicole Kidman or something. The whole crew would go silent and people would be looking at each other going 'just how is this 12-year-old being this amazing?'. And she made my film just 30-percent better just by being on in front of the camera — and that's something that the director prays for." On Enlisting Ryan Corr to Play Roache-Turner's On-Screen Surrogate "I'd wanted to work with Ryan for years and years. We tried and we just had a few availability issues or whatever. I've been trying to work with him for a long time. So I was stoked to get him for this one, and I'm glad it was on this one because, yeah, this was very much like he's playing me. He's not playing a guy running around jumping in slow motion, firing a gun — this is me. I wanted to be a comics artist. I wear glasses. I have a beard. Like, he's playing me. He's just playing like a heaps better-looking version of me. And every actor knows that, he read the script, he knew the deal. He's like 'yeah, this is you. I get it, but I'm going to do my own version'. With Ryan, it's like working with Brando or Tom Hardy or something. You just step back, say 'action' and watch him improve your movie. There's not much directing that goes on. The guy's a genius." On the Film's Commitment to Incorporating Practical Effects "I love CGI and we've got some sick CGI in this film. Cumulus VFX, the company that did all that stuff, it was a flawless job. But I just believe, particularly with horror, sometimes there's just a bit of an uncanny-valley thing that pops in every now and again. You're just like 'oh, there's still just something wrong with the weight of it' or 'it's not quite interacting with the shadows right', and that's even when you've just got the best CGI you can get. So it's always important for me to have a big practical element. I prefer to have a layer of practical and CGI augments what's already there. Denis Villeneuve does that on Dune: Part Two — you look at the behind-the-scenes, most of it's practical, it's augmented digitally and that's why Dune is one of the best-looking science-fiction franchises of all time. I think with this one, it was really important that we had a practical element. And when that practical element is done by Wētā Workshop, who are the best at what they do in the universe, your life is made a lot easier." On Sting's Broad Array of Inspirations Beyond Roache-Turner and His Family "Charlotte's Web, 100 percent. That's just me having a dig at a cultural phenomenon — everybody read Charlotte's Web as a kid. And I figured most people have read The Hobbit, so the sting reference I think would be nice, too, and with all the giant spiders in Mirkwood. Also The Thing, with a single location with a bunch of people stuck with one monster being eaten. And there's a comedy aspect to The Thing that I love. The tone of John Carpenter's films, I love. Very heavily influenced by Jaws, even though narratively, it's very different — but just the tone of it. Poltergeist, also in that they're stuck in a house and it's a sort of flawed family with cracks in it being terrified by an entity in a house. I really was going for a Spielberg thing. There's a tendency, I think, in today's horror to be overly arty or overly bleak, and Spielberg has a light and an adventurous touch that I really like — as well as being a really good filmmaker who understands that Hitchcockian tension. So I wanted to play in that sandbox. Spielberg is a huge influence on this." On Which Classic Horror Setup Is Next for Roache-Turner "I'm in pre-production on a giant shark movie right now, so I'm literally a couple of weeks away from shooting. I'm doing an Australian World War Two shark movie where a ship gets shot down by Japanese torpedoes halfway between Darwin and East Timor, and these guys are trapped on a raft and they're bedevilled by this giant killer shark that's eating them one by one. So I'm just making my way through the monsters." Sting opens in Australian cinemas on Thursday, July 18, 2024.
It's no secret that Melbourne is home to some seriously good pizza. But, it's always nice to score some validation on an international stage. Michele Circhirillo and Fabio Biscaldi of 48h Pizza e Gnocchi Bar have come through with the crusty goods, taking out the title of Best Pizzeria In Oceania in the 2021 edition of the 50 Top Pizza awards last week. The esteemed online guide awards the world's best pizzerias each year, with a team of expert 'inspectors' judging venues based on their pizza quality, service, ambiance, interiors, waiting time and drinks list. Pizzerias across Italy and the rest of the world were anonymously visited and ranked, with our own 48h reigning victorious against all others in the Oceania region. It's not the first time this particular crown has been claimed by a Melbourne pizzeria, with 400 Gradi taking out the regional title three years in a row, in 2018, 2019 and 2020. Of course, 48h is no stranger to scooping awards itself, with its Di Parma pizza famously named Australia's Best Pizza at the Campionato Mondiale Della Pizza (World Pizza Championships) in 2019. [caption id="attachment_827048" align="alignnone" width="1920"] By Hi Sylvia[/caption] The top 10 list for the Oceania region also included fellow Melbourne venues SPQR Pizzeria in the CBD and Seddon's Mozzarella Bar. Sydney had two contenders in the lineup — Verace Pizzeria and Queen Margherita of Savoy — while Brisbane's Tartufo represented Queensland's sole top 10 ranking. With five 48h Pizza e Gnocchi Bar outposts located around Melbourne, local pizza fiends won't face too much of a challenge seeking out some award-winning slices. The South Yarra and Elsternwick pizzerias are currently open for takeaway, with other pop-up locations at Grazeland, Rocco's Deli in Yarraville, and Werribee's Wheelers Food Trucks and Bar. To find your nearest 48h Pizza e Gnocchi Bar location or to learn more about the award, see the website. Images: 48h Pizza e Gnocchi Bar and Hi Sylvia.
Forget watching your way through the Step Up franchise — if you want to see top-notch street dancing, you just need to make your way to the Mad Dance Festival. For three days between Thursday, May 6–Saturday, May 8, it's bringing a feast of fancy footwork to Metro Arts in West End, complete with performances, talks and classes. If you're keen on checking out a heap of talented performers and their smooth moves, you have options. M.I.N.D.E.D. combines break and freestyle dancing in a boundary-pushing fashion — and pairs its hip hop choreography with an original score by Regurgitator's Ben Ely. Also a highlight: Anti Fischer's Love Letters in (e)Motion, which pushes back against the narrow ways in which women in love are depicted in movies. It's playing as part of a double bill with Cool Asian Mum's Guide to Life, with Amy Zhang taking her cues from life lessons and old Chinese wives' tales passed down by her mother. For those eager to learn a few tips and tricks, an artist talk session will let you hear from the folks doing the dancing. Or, you can join dancer Sheru Bharadwaja for a community dance class on the West Village green. [caption id="attachment_810999" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Kate Pardey[/caption] Top image: Chris Cielo
Rejoice, fans of excellent television, fried food and pop culture-themed pop-ups alike — Los Pollos Hermanos is coming to Sydney. Ever since the TV-viewing world was first introduced to Gus Fring's fast food chain, every fried chicken fiend has been hankering for a piece of their juicy poultry. Yes, we all know that it's a fictional chicken empire in a television show, but Breaking Bad was just that damn addictive. With Los Pollos Hermanos' head honcho once again crossing paths with Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) and Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) in the third season of ace Breaking Bad prequel spin-off Better Call Saul, subscription streaming video provider Stan is making everyone's dreams come true with two days of chicken goodness. The pop-up will take over Potts Point's Thirsty Bird for lunch and dinner on April 11 and 12 — and it that's not that's not exciting enough, good ol' poultry-cooking, drug baron Gustavo himself, aka actor Giancarlo Esposito, will be there. Is everything to your satisfaction? It's the event we've all been waiting for since the idea that Los Pollos Hermanos could actually become a real-life restaurant first came up, and it's timed to coincide with Better Call Saul's season three premiere on April 11. Attendees are encouraged to dress up in their very best Better Call Saul-themed outfit, so expect to see plenty of pretend dodgy lawyers around. No word yet if anything blue will be on the menu. Find the Los Pollos Hermanos pop-up at Thirsty Bird, Shop 3, 2-14 Bayswater Road, Potts Point from 11.30am-3.00pm and 5.00pm-8.30pm on April 11 and 12. For more information, check out the event Facebook page. Image: Robert Trachtenberg/AMC/Sony Pictures Television. Copyright: © 2017 Sony Pictures Television Inc. All Rights Reserved.
We can only hope that one day, likely in a far distant future, documentaries will stop doubling as horror films. That time hasn't arrived yet — and as Collective demonstrates, cinema's factual genre can chill viewers to the bone more effectively than most jump- and bump-based fare. Nominated for Best Documentary Feature and Best International Feature at the 2021 Academy Awards (only the second time that's ever happened, after last year's Honeyland), this gripping and gut-wrenching Romanian doco starts with a terrible tragedy. On October 30, 2015, a fire broke out at a metal gig in Bucharest, at a club called Colectiv. Twenty-seven people died in the blaze, and 180 people were injured as they tried to escape via the site's lone exit; however, that's just the beginning of the movie's tale. In the four months afterwards, as burn victims were treated in the country's public hospitals, 37 more passed away. When journalist Cătălin Tolontan and his team at The Sports Gazette started investigating the fire's aftermath and the mounting casualty list, they uncovered not only widespread failures throughout Romania's health system, but also engrained corruption as well. This truly is nightmare fuel; if people can't trust hospitals to act in their patients' best interest after such a sizeable disaster, one of the fundamental tenets of modern society completely collapses. Early in Collective, director, writer, cinematographer and editor Alexander Nanau (Toto and His Sisters) shows the flames, as seen from inside the club. When the blaze sparks from the show's pyrotechnics, hardcore band Goodbye to Gravity has just finished singing about corruption. "Fuck all your wicked corruption! It's been there since our inception but we couldn't see," the group's singer growls — and no, you can't make this up. It's a difficult moment to watch, but this is a film filled with unflinching sights, and with a viscerally unsettling story that demands attention. Nanau occasionally spends time with the bereaved and angry parents of victims of the fire, even bookending the documentary with one man's distress over the "communication error" that contributed to his son's death. The filmmaker charts a photo shoot with Tedy Ursuleanu, a survivor visibly scarred by her ordeal, too. And yet, taking an observational approach free from narration and interviews, and with only the scantest use of text on-screen, Collective's filmmaker lets much of what's said rustle up the majority of the movie's ghastliest inclusions. There's plenty for Nanau to cover, and to galvanise viewers in the way that Romanians have been since the Colective blaze. The club's lack of safety measures and the fact that it was permitted to run without fire exits were met by protests, which saw the nation's Prime Minister resign. Tolontan and his team enquired into a different matter, though. Their focus: the deaths after the tragedy, the hygiene standards in hospitals treating victims and exactly how the Romanian health system operates. First, they hear about diluted disinfectants — sold that way by a shady manufacturer, then watered down again onsite — that led to otherwise avoidable bacterial infections and then fatalities in burns patients while they were supposed to be receiving care. On that subject, the Gazette journalists discover bribes, profiteering, the government's awareness and its willingness to let the whole scheme proceed. Then, after a scandal erupts, Collective is given astonishing access to newly appointed Health Minister Vlad Voiculescu as he tackles the situation. A former patients' rights advocate and activist, he's rightly alarmed again and again as he learns how Romania's hospitals work from the inside, and vows to clean up the broken system. But the more he tries, the more corruption he uncovers, and the more resistance he's met with by folks within the bureaucracy who don't want anything to change. Collective is a dense, painstaking and information-heavy movie, and also a procedural one. Nanau follows the committed Tolontan and his often shocked colleagues as they chase leads, attend press conferences and receive information from whistleblowers. He captures their stakeouts, too, and their thorough conversations about the course and purpose of their investigations. And, when the film broadens its scope in its second half to shadow Voiculescu, it gives him the same treatment. Internal government discussions start to fill the screen, as do the Health Minister's speeches and meetings; when he admits to one group of survivors that "the way a state functions can crush people sometimes," it's an almost perturbingly candid moment. If almost any aspect of this tale was unfurled in a fictional feature, instead of in this tightly framed fly-on-the-wall style documentary, the audience would think that it's too much. A dramatisation is bound to happen, likely as a Spotlight-style Hollywood movie starring a well-known name, but it'll never be able to match the power of seeing and hearing these appalling real-life horrors. One particular shot — not of the fire, but of a patient in the months afterwards — is so potent that it's searing, in fact. Surprisingly given the strength of the Romanian New Wave, which has given rise to a spate of stellar fictional features — including The Death of Mr Lazarescu and 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days on the subject of health care, too — Collective is the country's first to garner any Oscar nods, let alone a couple. Shiny trophies don't make a great movie, of course, but this equally rousing and harrowing documentary is worthy of breaking that ground. A chronicle of cascading scandals, it's also an ode to the type of journalism that truly speaks truth to power and doggedly works to expose the cracks in society's foundations. More than that, it's a testament to the need for public scrutiny over all forms of authority, as well as a portrait of what can happen when the few are left to oversee the many unchecked and with only their own best interests at heart. Every second, and every revelation that comes with it, only adds to Collective's traumatising status. There's hope in this film too, however, because thankfully this confronting documentary and its compelling record of those toiling against entrenched corruption exists. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5kkZAKjkiw
When Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement decided to don fangs, embrace the undead and make a mockumentary about vampire housemates, What We Do in the Shadows was the sidesplittingly funny end result. And when the pair decided to expand the concept on the small screen, utterly delightful things followed, including NZ television show Wellington Paranormal — which stuck with the movie's movie's cops as they kept investigating the supernatural — and the American TV series also called What We Do in the Shadows. That US television offshoot also boasts a killer cast, all playing an ace roundup of vamps. For the uninitiated, this iteration of What We Do in the Shadows is set in Staten Island — but no, Pete Davidson doesn't show up. Instead, the series focuses on a household where Nandor (Kayvan Novak, Cruella), Laszlo (Matt Berry, Toast of London and Toast of Tinseltown) and Nadja (Natasia Demetriou, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga) all live. Energy vampire Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch, The Office) and Nandor's familiar Guillermo (Harvey Guillen, Werewolves Within), the latter of which comes from a family of slayers, have also staked a claim in the story. Given that this What We Do in the Shadows has been running for four seasons now, with a fifth on the way, that basic premise is just the beginning. Plenty of supernatural mayhem has followed Nandor and company, and long may it continue. Indeed, in the just-dropped trailer for season five, everything is as wonderfully chaotic as ever — and yes, "bat!" gets yelled and Matt Berry is as glorious as ever. Visits to shopping malls, getting into politics, hosting news shows, saucy rendezvous, the return of other familiar faces: they're all glimpsed in this sneak peek, which doesn't just herald the return of TV's best vampires, but of the best on-screen universe there is. Fingers crossed that just like bloodsuckers, this small-screen take on What We Do in the Shadows will never die. For now, its fifth season has locked in a mid-July return date in the US, which hopefully means that it will hit Australia via Binge and New Zealand via Neon at the same time. Check out the trailer for What We Do in the Shadows season five below: What We Do in the Shadows' fifth season arrives in the US on July 13, with Australian (via Binge) and New Zealand (via Neon) return dates still to be confirmed — we'll update you when they're locked in.
Across two seasons in 2016 and 2018, Fleabag was the only dramedy that mattered. If you weren't watching Phoebe Waller-Bridge's smash hit, you were hearing all about it from everyone you knew. If you were watching it, you were then rewatching it — and, of course, telling all of your friends. But before it was a hit TV series, Fleabag was a one-woman theatre show. That history behind Phoebe Waller-Bridge's award-winning series isn't new news, of course. As the television version of Fleabag kept picking up accolades — a BAFTA for Best Female Performance in a Comedy for its writer/creator/star; Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series; Best Actress and Best Television Series Golden Globes; and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series among them — that past was well-known. But if you haven't seen the OG stage production, a recorded version of that stunning performance is coming back to the big screen Down Under. The story remains the same, charting an incredibly relatable tale of trying to balance work, life, love and the like. When it was playing theatres from 2013–2019 after premiering at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Fleabag was just as applauded. And, as plenty of hit UK productions are, it was filmed by NT Live, then beamed into cinemas. It's that recording that's heading to picture palaces across Australia again from July 13, complete with Waller-Bridge stepping through the story of Fleabag's titular character. Captured at London's Wyndham's Theatre, it initially started doing the rounds for filmgoers in 2019. Indeed, that debut silver-screen stint broke box-office records. If you're unfamiliar with the TV show, let alone the theatre production before it, Fleabag's existence is perhaps best described as chaotic. Friends, family, job interviews, keeping a guinea pig-themed cafe afloat — they're just the beginning. The idea behind it came at one of Waller-Bridge's pal's storytelling nights, as a challenge to create a character for a ten-minute slot. Timing-wise, Fleabag returns to the big screen just a couple of weeks after Waller-Bridge gets adventurous with Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Check out the trailer for NT Live's Fleabag encore season below: Fleabag returns to Australian cinemas from July 13, 2023. Images: Matt Humphrey.
In our own ways, we all fill our homes with interesting items. That's what galleries and museums obviously do, too. Imagine what must sit in their collections — the things they can't always display, and often don't, but are worth holding onto for an array of reasons. Actually, hit up Sydney's Powerhouse Museum in the second half of 2023 and you'll no longer simply have to wonder. The Ultimo venue has just announced its next huge exhibition: 1001 Remarkable Objects. That title is indeed descriptive, with the site's curators, led by curatorium chair Leo Schofield AM, diving into its vast store of pieces. Showcasing 1001 items might sound hefty, but there's a whopping 500,000 in the full collection, making those selections tricky work. [caption id="attachment_895796" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Supreme' mouse-trap making machine by AW Standfield and Co, Mascot, NSW, 1925-2000. Image: Anthony Potter.[/caption] Opening on Saturday, July 22, free to attend, and worth a look whether you're a Sydney local or making a trip to the Harbour City, this exhibition will span a wide variety of objects — celebrity-worn outfits, mousetrap-making machines, ceramic peacock and more. "Our vision for 1001 Remarkable Objects was a seemingly simple one: to create an exhibition celebrating the sheer scale, breadth and relevance of the Powerhouse collection. But how to choose?" said Schofield. "We rejected the nomenclature of 'treasures' or 'masterpieces' and instead determined all choices must be in some way 'remarkable' — whether by virtue of rarity, visual appeal, social history or an ability to invoke wonder. The result is a cornucopia of eras, styles, form, function, size and colour, to stoke memories that so many have of this iconic institution and signal the beginning of a new phase in its marvellous existence." [caption id="attachment_895790" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Performance costumes, 'Fruity Mambo', designed by Catherine Martin, made by Catherine Martin and Rosie Boylan, for Strictly Ballroom The Musical, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2014. Image: Laura Moore.[/caption] Four certain highlights all were once donned by someone, well-known names and samurais alike. Kylie Minogue's Sydney 2000 Olympics 'showgirl' costume will be on display, as will Nicole Kidman's 'pink diamonds' Moulin Rouge! dress and, still on Baz Luhrmann, the 'fruity mambo' costumes from Strictly Ballroom the Musical. Or, you can peer at an Edo-period samurai warrior's armour. Featuring pieces that've never been shown before, and filling 25 rooms, Schofield's selections also cover the only surviving fragment of the Lockheed Altair aircraft Lady Southern Cross that Sir Charles Kingsford Smith flew in 1935 on his final flight, that 1.5-metre-tall peacock from 1870s, a Detroit Electric car made in 1917 and part of the original transatlantic cable from 1858. And, there's more than 100 pieces of jewellery, including mourning pieces crafted from human hair — and a focus on glass, as gleaming through French and Venetian examples from the 1800 and 1900s, plus Australian and international glass artworks. [caption id="attachment_895791" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Diamond brooch in the form of a bee with sapphires on his head and in stripes across his body and with ruby eyes, gold settings. English c.1870. Image: Marinco Kojdanovski.[/caption] 1001 Remarkable Objects displays at Powerhouse Ultimo, 500 Harris Street, Ultimo, Sydney from Saturday, July 22 through to December 2023. Top image: Detail of suit of armour, possibly of samurai officer Koma Kaemon of Bizen clan, Japan, Edo period, possibly 1775. Image: Ryan Hernandez.
Thanks to the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, everyone in Australia will forever remember where they were at two specific moments: when the Matildas beat France in a stunning penalty shootout, and when Sam Kerr kicked the goal of a lifetime in the semi-final loss to England. The Sunshine State doesn't just want the team's feats at football's ultimate competition to live on in our hearts and minds, however, or via footage of the games. Rather, Brisbane will commemorate the Australian national women's soccer team's achievements physically, with the Queensland Government announcing that it will build a Matildas statue. That epic match against France was played at the River City's Suncorp Stadium, as was the Matildas' 3–2 loss to Nigeria in the group stage and 2–0 third-place playoff defeat by Sweden. Accordingly, that'll be the site of the new monument to Sam Kerr, Ellie Carpenter, Mackenzie Arnold, Hayley Raso, Steph Catley, Katrina Gorry, Mary Fowler, Caitlin Foord and their teammates, as a permanent reminder of their history-making World Cup campaign. No Australian soccer team has made it as far into the coveted contest as the Matildas did in 2023 — not the Matildas themselves in the past, and not the Socceroos, either. Indeed, it's no wonder that their games kept smashing ratings records, with the England match now the country's most-watched TV program since 2001, and also likely ever. Exactly what the statue will look like will be left to Football Australia to decide, with the Queensland Government advising that it'll work with the sporting body "on the design and recognition of the team to ensure the statue depicts the success of the Matildas now and into the future". And as for when it'll be unveiled, that hasn't been revealed. But when it does grace the Milton stadium, it'll add both female and football representation to a site that currently features statues of rugby league stars Wally Lewis, Arthur Beetson, Darren Lockyer, Mal Meninga and Allan Langer, plus rugby union's John Eales. View this post on Instagram A post shared by CommBank Matildas (@matildas) "The Matildas have created history. Not only has their performance set new benchmarks for sport, they have captured our hearts and inspired a nation," said Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, announcing the statue. "As a FIFA Legacy Ambassador I am so proud of our Matildas. They are role models who will inspire thousands of girls to pick up a football and play the game. It's only fitting that we recognise all they have achieved with a permanent tribute." Until the statue becomes a reality, you can spend more time celebrating the Matildas via documentary Matildas: The World at Our Feet. Brisbane's new statue at Suncorp Stadium celebrating the Matildas' 2023 Women's World Cup efforts doesn't yet have an installation and unveiling date — we'll update you when further details are announced. Top image: LittleBlinky via Wikimedia Commons.
Sometimes tour news is so huge and demand for tickets is so feverish that the details change before anyone has even snapped up a ticket. It happened with blink-182's upcoming 2024 tour. It was the same with Lizzo's visit this past winter, and also with The Weeknd's forthcoming trip Down Under from November. Now, it's also proven the case with Zach Bryan's first-ever Australian gig. A Melbourne exclusive, Bryan's Aussie debut was set for St Kilda's Catani Gardens; however, organisers have swiftly realised that that space won't be big enough. So, before tickets even go on sale — with pre sales from 12pm AEDT on Thursday, October 5 and general sales from 12pm AEDT on Friday, October 6 — Bryan's gig has been moved to Flemington Racecourse. The date of the show is still the same: Saturday, December 9. That's when the 'Something in the Orange' singer and Oologah, Oklahoma native will hit the Victorian capital for statewide music celebration Always Live, which runs for 17 days — and also features Christina Aguilera doing a one-off Down Under show, plus exclusive Eric Prydz and Jai Paul gigs as well. Expect the biggest name in country music right now to give his 2022 American Heartbreak album a hefty spin when he takes the stage in Melbourne. Although he released two records prior — 2019's DeAnn and 2020's Elisabeth — his third album marked his major-label debut, and also the reason that Bryan has become such a sensation. Among Bryan's recent feats, American Heartbreak premiered in the top spot on America's Billboard 200. 'Something in the Orange' has now stayed in the charts longer than any single by a male country artist. In Australia, Bryan has earned that same achievement in the ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart for all country artists. And his streaming numbers? In excess of 6.8 billion worldwide. As he's been taking his American Heartbreak tour around the US — including stops at Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits — Bryan has been smashing attendance records, too. So, the Melbourne change of venue isn't that surprising. In his first Australian stint, he'll also have tracks from his latest album to play, with the self-titled Zach Bryan releasing in August. Among the tunes: collaborations with Kacey Musgraves, The Lumineers, The War and Treaty, and Sierra Ferrell. Being brought Down Under by Untitled Group, which is also behind Beyond The Valley, Pitch Music & Arts, Grapevine Gathering, Wildlands and Ability Fest, Bryan's just-announced spot on the Always Live bill is his only currently scheduled gig in Australia. The statewide music celebration's full lineup includes more than 165 artists at 60-plus events — all, of course, in Victoria. Always Live 2023 runs from Friday, November 24–Sunday, December 10, with one pre-festival gig on Saturday, October 14. For more information, and to get tickets, head to the festival website. Zach Bryan will play Flemington Racecourse on Saturday, December 9, with pre sales from 12pm AEDT on Thursday, October 5 and general sales from 12pm AEDT on Friday, October 6.
Maybe you're a Goop devotee. Perhaps you're fond of Gwyneth Paltrow as an Oscar-winning actor. Or, you could just be interested in stepping inside a star's guesthouse. Whether you're a wellness diehard, a movie fan or have always wanted to spend a night in the kind of place that only famous faces usually inhabit, Airbnb has a stay for you: Paltrow's Montecito guesthouse. The accommodation-sharing platform loves drumming up attention by offering unique places to slumber. Will this one come with a candle that smells like Paltrow's vagina or orgasm? Given that they're very real products that Goop sells, perhaps. Whatever scent wafts through the air at this Californian property, whoever scores the one-night-only booking will indeed be bunking down in the Seven, Shakespeare in Love and Iron Man star's home. And, she'll even be there to greet you. Airbnb adds this extremely short-term listing to its roster after also offering up Barbie's Malibu DreamHouse, the Ted Lasso pub and Japan's World Heritage-listed Suganuma Village this year. Before that, the service has featured Hobbiton, the Paris theatre that inspired The Phantom of the Opera, the Bluey house, the Moulin Rouge! windmill, the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine, The Godfather mansion, the South Korean estate where BTS filmed In the Soop and the Sanderson sisters' Hocus Pocus cottage. For its full Goop-style getaway, Airbnb has tasked Paltrow with curating the experience, which is open to up to two guests on Saturday, September 9— and also costs $0 (so, yes, it's free). The booking includes staying in the guesthouse, which comes with a kitchen and living room as well as a bedroom; a spa day using Paltrow-picked Goop beauty products; Goop-inspired meals and snacks; and a guided transcendental meditation session. Reservations open at 3am AEST / 5am NZST on Wednesday, August 16. If you nab the place and you'd like to take the Goop-iness home with you afterwards, you'll also be given Goop products "to continue your journey towards emotional health long after your stay". Those are Paltrow's own words. "My Montecito home is my sanctuary for respite and mental clarity. I go there to recharge, to daydream about what we're building at goop and to reconnect with my family and treasured friends," the surprise Airbnb host also noted. "Whether you're seeking a place for unexpected connection or for well-deserved solitude and reflection, when you come to stay, I hope you'll get as much joy out of the home as I do. Plus, I've loaded up your stay with some of my favourite Goop essentials to nourish your body, mind and soul." The usual caveat applies, of course: if you do get the reservation, the cost of getting to Montecito and back again is all on you. For more information about Airbnb's Goop-Inspired Stay with Gwyneth Paltrow on Saturday, September 9, or to apply to book at 3am AEST / 5am NZST on Wednesday, August 16, head to the Airbnb website. Images: Stephen Paul. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
If you just can't wait to spend more time in the photorealistic version of The Lion King's world, here comes a film about the lion that's king of the Pride Lands before Simba gets the job. Mufasa: The Lion King is again styled to look like reality, not animation — and, set to arrive in cinemas Down Under in December 2024, it gives 2019's The Lion King, a remake of the 90s animated hit, a prequel. It also just dropped its first teaser trailer. Call it the circle of cinema. Call it the movie that was always bound to happen once technology was rolled out to bring this beloved franchise back to the screen with visuals that make its animals appear as if they've walked out of a documentary (well, almost, as the last film demonstrated). Donald Glover (Mr & Mrs Smith), Beyoncé, Seth Rogen (Dumb Money), Billy Eichner (Bros) and John Kani (Murder Mystery 2) are all back from the past flick, reprising their roles as Simba, Nala, Pumbaa, Timon and Rafiki. But as the feature's moniker makes plain, this isn't any of those characters' tales. Mufasa, aka Simba's father, sits at the centre of a picture directed by Moonlight Oscar-winner Barry Jenkins. The movie is presented as a story told by Rafiki, Timon and Pumbaa to Kiara, the daughter of Simba and Nala, who is voiced by Blue Ivy Carter. So goes a narrative about an orphaned cub who is taken in by a lion with royal blood, then set on a path that leads to the events of The Lion King. Among the voice cast, Aaron Pierre (Foe) does the honours as Mufasa. Kelvin Harrison Jr is Taka (Chevalier), the lion prince who takes Mufasa in like a brother. Tiffany Boone (Hunters), Mads Mikkelsen (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny), Thandiwe Newton (Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget), Lennie James (Genius), Anika Noni Rose (Pantheon), Keith David (Rick and Morty), Kagiso Lediga (The Umbrella Men) and Preston Nyman (A Small Light) also lend their vocals to the flick. As well as Jenkins, Mufasa: The Lion King boasts another huge off-screen name, with Hamilton great Lin-Manuel Miranda writing the movie's tunes. "Elton John. Tim Rice. Hans Zimmer. Lebo M. Mark Mancina. Beyoncé, Labrinth, Ilya Salmanzadeh. Beau Black, Ford Riley, the incredible music team on The Lion Guard, and so many musical contributors over the years. The Lion King has an incredible musical legacy with music from some of the greatest songwriters around, and I'm humbled and proud to be a part of it," said Miranda. "It's been a joy working alongside Barry Jenkins to bring Mufasa's story to life, and we can't wait for audiences to experience this film in theatres." Check out the first trailer for Mufasa: The Lion King below: Mufasa: The Lion King releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, December 19, 2024. Images: courtesy of Disney. © 2024 Disney Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Your latest excuse to book a holiday is here, and your next reason to enjoy a getaway in Australia's Red Centre as well. As it does regularly throughout each year, Webjet has launched a new sale on flights to the Northern Territory — and they're going cheap. How cheap? From $18 one-way. Until 11.59pm AEDT on Saturday, June 24, the travel site has fares to Uluru on offer for $18 from Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide, and for $21 from Sydney. It's also doing Adelaide to Alice Springs routes for $80, with each sale fare being discounted by a huge $175. [caption id="attachment_905927" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism NT and The Salty Travellers[/caption] Of course, those $18 and $21 prices are just the starting point, so you mightn't score such a cheap flight depending on which day you're planning to travel, and also where you're jetting off from — but there are still some mighty affordable prices available. The sale covers trips to Uluru and Alice Springs, for travel from now — yes, right now — through to Thursday, November 30 this year. Fancy a winter jaunt to the middle of the country? Making spring plans already? Always had the NT on your bucket list? Whichever fits, you can tick them off now. [caption id="attachment_905930" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism NT and Sean Scott[/caption] One key caveat: the discounted prices are available for inbound flights only, so you won't receive the same discount to come home. Wondering what to do once you get there? Uluru's incredible Field of Light installation by Bruce Munro remains a permanent recommendation, while Munro's just-opened Light-Towers at Kings Canyon and nightly drone show Wintjiri Wiru are must-see newcomers. You can also check out our guide to visiting the Red Centre, and our deep dives into Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa. [caption id="attachment_905929" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism NT and Tourism Australia[/caption] [caption id="attachment_905931" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism NT and Sean Scott[/caption] [caption id="attachment_905932" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Getty Images for Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia[/caption] Webjet's Red Centre sale runs until 11.59pm AEDT on Saturday, June 24. Top image: Tourism NT, Salty Travellers. Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that flights started at $15, Sydney flights from $20 and Adelaide-to-Alice Springs fights from $70; however, Webjet has changed these prices to $18, $21 and $80. This story has been amended to reflect that change. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Maybe you're still planning your winter getaway. Perhaps you're already thinking about spring holidays. Or, you could just be keen to grasp any excuse to take a vacation. Whichever fits, as long as you're eager to spend your next break somewhere in Australia — which still gives you a heap of options — then Jetstar has the sale for you. On offer: domestic fares from $35, which spans trips from Sydney to Byron Bay. The rest of the prices are still cheap, however, and the list of destinations is sizeable. The Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, the Whitsunday Coast, Hamilton Island, Hobart, Launceston and Uluru are all covered, and all the usual capitals as well, with prices and routes varying depending on the departure point. Dubbed Jetstar's mates' rates sale, this batch of discounted fares includes $62 flights from Sydney to Melbourne, and $110 fares from the Harbour City to Cairns. From Victoria, prices kick off at $39 to Tasmania, and also cover $141 legs to Margaret River. Brisbanites can go to Mackay for $65 and Darwin for $106, too. From Adelaide, deals include $49 to Melbourne and $101 to the Sunshine Coast, while Perth's options start at $149 to Brisbane — and that's just the beginning of the sale's fares. You will need to be happy to head away from July 23–September 20 or October 11–December 12, though. Dates for sale flights also vary depending on the departure and arrival points. There are a few rules, as is always the case. All sale fares are one-way, and they don't include checked baggage — so you'll need to travel super light or pay extra to take a suitcase. Jetstar's mate's rates sale runs until 11.59pm AEST on Tuesday, June 20 — or until sold out, if snapped up earlier. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Want to never kill a pot plant again? Figure out which teeth you're not brushing? Print your own pizzas at home? Sure, we're moving swiftly toward the Simpsons-predicted Ultrahouse 3000, but 2015 is looking pretty bright for gadget-lovers wanting to make their lives that little bit better. With CES 2015 having wrapped up this week in Las Vegas, technological developments have been on everyone's lips, feed and minds. With self-driving cars, 4K televisions and virtual reality developments at the forefront of the convention's announcements, more domestic (and somewhat more accessible) inventions got us pretty psyched for the year to come. SMART TOOTHBRUSHES You skipped a brush. You know it. Your significant other probably knows it. Your coworkers bitch about it. But until now, you haven't been held accountable, really. Now, you'll have no excuses with the development of the smart toothbrush. Oral-B's bluetooth-enabled brush was revealed last October, but Vigilant newcomer the Rainbow made more waves at CES this week. Making a game out of the often tedious chore of brushing your teeth, the Vigilant Rainbow allows for interactive games while you brush. According to the makers, the toothbrush knows its location inside your mouth (somewhat terrifying, right?) and tells the brusher, via the app, which teeth still need attention. Your risk of developing cavities just plummeted, go team. SMART FLOWER POTS Never kill another pot plant again; some equally neglectful genius has created a smart flower pot for you. Showcased at CES, the Parrot Pot uses sensors to analyse your plant and track temperature, sunlight, moisture, fertiliser and growth, using an in-built watering system to make sure ol' ferny gets watered and fed when it's in need. Connected through bluetooth and managed by an app, you can keep an eye on your plant at all times — a good one for the perpetually holidaying or casually inept. FLOATING SPEAKERS Because when you're cranking Jamie XX in the office, you deserve the right to a little wizardry while you're at it. Floating speakers made a few appearances at CES this year, both levitating and water-friendly. Levitating speakers, while quite honestly not the best use of levitation, dropped a few jaws this week. The Air2 (pronounced Air Squared) uses strong magnets to create that creepy hovering effect — a feature that also allows the speaker to stick to magnetic surfaces. Water-wise, Monster have created a floating speaker promoted by legendary slam dunker Shaquille O’Neal — dubbed The SuperStar BackFloat (really). The speaker can be submerged underwater and floats on the surface, perfect for pool parties. FOOD PRINTERS While 3D printing and food printing has been around for quite a while now, several major players debuted their wares at CES this week. Most impressively, XYZprinting are geared up to release their at-home Da Vinci 3D printer later in 2015, a machine that was printing everything from dinosaur-shaped lollies to pepperoni-dotted pizzas over the week. According to Mashable, the food designs (technically, recipes) are approved by a 'foodie guru', stored in XYZPrinting’s cloud-based service and sent to the printer — connected via USB to Windows 7 and 8 and Mac OSX systems. Costing around $3000, this exxy little appliance is still in the upper rungs of accessibility but one step closer to widespread domestic use. SMARTER WIFI KETTLE Although it has one of the blandest taglines of a new product ever — 'It's more than just a kettle' — the Smarter kettle is truly simple and 100 percent awesome. Using an app (naturally), you can pre-boil your water from anywhere in the house using wifi. Apparently, the team have worked out this will save you up to two days a year of waiting around for the kettle to boil (five minutes at a time). You can set the kettle to 'Wake' and 'Home' mode, so it automatically starts boiling at times when you're in the need for caffeine, and you can adjust the boiling temperature (hardcore tea drinkers, you know what's up here). The stainless steel kettle sends you a message to tell you when your hot water is ready, and reminds you to refill. Super simple, but super useful. WOODEN TOUCH TABLETS Less a huge, jaw-dropping technological development, more a super, super pretty Thing. Aiming to unpack multifaceted devices and get things back to single purpose party times, Bang & Olufsen have created the BeoSound Moment, a device solely dedicated to playing music — we know, right, how 'old school' of them. As with any music playing device, the Beosound Moment nabs your music from the cloud and tries to tailor your playlists to your preferences; nothing new here. But the prettiest part of B & O's tablet is the fact that one side is completely covered in wood — something the company maintain has never been done before with a sensitive, touchable interface. There's a volume adjusting wheel set into the oak — yep, with a function reminiscent of the ol' iPod. So while this isn't anything groundbreaking in terms of music players, this is some seriously nice design. SMART BELT This has seen quite a bit of news already this year, but Emiota's smart belt is a classic first world development. Basically, the Belty (adorable) senses tension and adjusts accordingly — so if you've stuffed yourself silly at Christmas lunch, your belt will do the unbuckling for you. It's not just for big ol' pig-outs though, the belt will sense if you've put on weight — it's connected to smartphone app, which also monitors your activity during the day. THE MELOMIND HEADSET Stressing out gets the better of all of us, whatever walk of life you're careening down right now. Everyone has their brilliant strategies to de-stress, Zen out and find their centre again — watching Attenborough documentaries, cranking some Debussy, working out to Tay Tay; whatever your vice. But a new headset called Melomind could be the answer to your stressfest. Developed by the team at myBrain, the Melomind is a brand new gadget that uses contact points to measure your brain activity. Sending the results to a smartphone app, the Melomind then plays music to match your state of mind. And nope, we're not talking Enya or rain sounds; it's specially composed music engineered to train your brain to relax. Set for release in Europe by September 2015, the Melomind will set you back around US$300. HONORABLE MENTION: LG'S TWIN WASH Shout out to LG's new Twin Wash system, which allows you to put on both your darks and lights at the same time. For anyone interested in taking care of their clothes, but wanting to maximise time out of the laundry, this is a certifiable booyah. Cahmahn. Via Mashable, The Verge, TechCrunch and Gizmodo.
If there's one recycling exercise that's always fun to do, it's finding a new use for an old bottle. We've seen Jack Daniels flasks transformed into soap dispensers, bottle caps turned into garden sculptures and crates of beer metamorphose into Christmas trees. If summer holiday excesses have left your place overflowing with empty receptacles that once bore much seasonal cheer, here's one simple, ingenious way to take care of them: Bottle Lights. Supplied by quirky gifts company SUCK UK, they transform any bottle into a magical lantern. Priced at just £10 ($18), LED corks are a convenient alternative to candles, which might look enchanting but don't survive the outdoors should any gust of wind come their way. Plus, a host of clever features means particularly slick operation. These include an on/off twist mechanism and rechargeability via USB. One hour's worth of charges provides two-and-half-hours of illumination. So, not only are they pretty, they're also eco-friendly. SUCK recommends brightening up a series of vintage bottles for an unusual lighting effect or selecting a favourite empty and transforming it into a central table-piece. Via Gizmodo.
If technology has taught us anything, it's that there's no realm of everyday life that it won't intrude upon. No, we're not talking about a Matrix-style situation — but the latest product to be infused with artificial intelligence might get you wondering if absolutely everything needs a tech upgrade. When it comes to the humble toothbrush, you could be forgiven for thinking that electric versions were about as advanced as things were going to get (or that anyone needs, to be honest). Enter an AI-infused instrument for keeping your chompers clean. It's the first of its kind, and it sounds incredibly clever and helpful, as well as a bit like technology in overdrive. The Ara, a product made by oral care company Kolibree and launched at the 2017 Consumer Electronic Show, features 3D motion sensors, an accelerometer, a gyroscope and a magnetometer that all collect data about how you're brushing — and how you can do better. Like everything, there's app attached that collates the relevant information, including details of the date and time you attended to your dental hygiene, the duration, and the zones brushed. Expected to be available from March 2017 at a cost of US $129, The toothbrush will also capture data when it isn't connected to the app. With the Ara designed to help improve their oral health, users also receive a weekly update telling you "how well you've brushed over the last seven days," which I'm sure everyone will look forward to. To be honest, we shouldn't be all that surprised. If smart hair brushes can help you keep your locks in tip-top condition, of course a toothbrush was going to come along that did the dental version of the same thing. Via Dezeen.
Tenth birthdays are a big deal, especially when you're an Australian music festival that's been navigating a pandemic and the resulting difficult time for the industry for half of your run, and also grappling with the impact of La Niña. Yours and Owls has been on quite the rollercoaster ride across the past decade, clearly, so of course it's celebrating its milestone birthday with a massive lineup. Fontaines DC, Denzel Curry, The Kooks and Goo Goo Dolls lead the roster of talent taking to the stage in Wollongong across Saturday, March 1–Sunday, March 2, 2025. Orville Peck, Hockey Dad, The Jungle Giants, Peach PRC and The Veronicas are also on the bill, as are Elderbrook, Honey Dijon, JPEGMafia and Salute — and plenty more. [caption id="attachment_976058" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Theo Cottle[/caption] When Yours and Owls revealed that it wasn't going ahead in 2024, joining the long list of music festivals scrapping plans for this year, it thankfully only put its fun on hold for 2025. Returning in 2025 was always the intention — and this is a lineup worth waiting for. Yours and Owls didn't completely sit 2024 out, however. Earlier in October, it held a pre-party, aka the event you put on when you can't put on the full festival experience at your usual time of the year because it doesn't work for your headliners' calendars. So, a tunes-filled shindig still took over the University of Wollongong campus — complete with Golden Features, Peking Duk, Alice Ivy, Anna Lunoe and more — to keep things warm for next year. Affectionately labelled "Gong Christmas", Yours and Owls 2025 will feature four stages across its two-day run, plus a feast of local arts — and food and drinks — beyond the tunes. The lineup arrives just a week after the fest locked in its dates for next year. Confirmation that the event will be back next year follows locked-in details for the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025 for a heap of fellow festivals, such as Laneway, Golden Plains, Bluesfest (for the last time), Wildlands, Good Things, Lost Paradise, Beyond The Valley and Meredith. Yours and Owls Lineup 2025 Fontaines DC Denzel Curry The Kooks Goo Goo Dolls Elderbrook Hockey Dad Honey Dijon JPEGMafia The Jungle Giants Orville Peck Peach PRC Salute The Veronicas Allday Babe Rainbow Coterie Cyril Dice The Dreggs Frankie Stew & Harvey Gunn Grentperez Isabel Larosa Magdalena Bay May A Mark Blair Pond Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners Sam Tompkins San Cisco Slowly Slowly Sycco Wunderhorse Battlesnake Bean Magazine Bodyjar The Belair Lip Bombs C.O.F.F.I.N Crocodylus Keli Holiday Kitschen Boy Le Shiv Miss Kaninna Nick Ward Ra Ra Viper Satin Cali Total Tommy Y.O.G.A [caption id="attachment_906428" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jess Gleeson[/caption] [caption id="attachment_906426" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ruby Bowland[/caption] [caption id="attachment_965220" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Ian Laidlaw[/caption] Yours and Owls returns to Wollongong on Saturday, March 1–Sunday, March 2, 2025. Presale tickets start at 9am AEDT on Tuesday, October 29 with general sales at 9am AEDT on Wednesday, October 30 — head to the festival website for more details. Top image: Ian Laidlaw.
The grassy headland fringing the delightful blue waters of Bronte, with tribes of surfers bobbing on the waves and tanned sunbathers lining the beach, is the perfect setting for Perrier mixologist Tomas Vikario to re-create summer’s best cocktail for sharing: The Perrier Summer Punch. It's the fourth delectable concoction in Perrier’s series of cocktails tailor made for Concrete Playground, and on a perfect Sydney summer day, it couldn't be more welcome. "Did you know that the origins of punch can be traced back to seventeenth century British sailors?" asks Tomas, explaining how citrus fruits were added to the sailors' ration of rum to prevent scurvy. It’s a quirky historical flashback, but Vitamin C deficiencies aside, today's punch comes with a 'Tomas' twist on the classic. By replacing the traditional rum with a smooth vodka and adding Perrier, Tomas has created a beverage that's as light and refreshing as a Sydney summer is sizzling and steamy. "This is the perfect no-fuss drink for casual summer get-togethers or when friends turn up unexpectedly,” says Tomas as he expertly dices fruit for the punch. “You don’t need any special equipment and you can also use whatever fruit you have on hand.” As Perrier’s beverage innovation manager, Tomas has his pulse on international trends and says there's a move towards lighter, cleaner flavours and drinks that have a bit of 'fizz'. With its long-lasting bubbles and low mineral content - which means it doesn’t inhibit other flavours - Perrier certainly injects this refreshingly delicious punch with a zingy edge, making it an invigorating treat on hot summer days. To re-create the Perrier Summer Punch you'll need: 700 ml vodka 500ml iced tea 200ml freshly squeezed lemon juice (roughly three lemons) 200ml freshly squeezed orange juice (roughly two oranges) 2 oranges 2 lemons 10 strawberries 750 ml Perrier Step 1 Prepare the fruit: take the oranges, limes, lemons, and strawberries and halve or quarter into bite-sized pieces. Combine in a glass punch bowl. Step 2 Add the freshly squeezed lemon and orange juices or substitute with bottled juice if you're out of the fresh stuff. Then add 500ml of iced tea — store-bought or a homemade brew, whichever is on hand. Tomas uses a peach iced tea but says you can try other flavours like mango or lemon. Step 3 Measure out 700ml of good-quality vodka — you can go heavier or lighter depending on your taste — and pour over the fruit. Belvedere is Tomas's vodka of choice on the day, but he adds that you can use others like Grey Goose. Want to mix it up a bit? Experiment with liqueurs like Grand Marnier or Cointreau in place of the vodka. A tip from Tomas: if you have the time (and the patience), start steps 1-3 the night before — or a few hours in advance — to allow the fruit to soak up the alcohol, intensifying its flavoursome goodness. Stir together slowly. Step 4 If you can get your hands on it, add a large chunk of ice. According to Tomas, a block of ice takes longer to melt than cubes and helps to prevent diluting the light, fruity flavours of the punch. Don’t have an ice maker nearby? Tomas suggests using a plastic container, like an old ice cream tub (make sure it’s clean first), to make your own ice blocks at home. Step 5 Finally, to add that extra fizz, slowly pour one 750ml bottle of chilled Perrier into the punch. Stir gently and serve in glass cups or demitasses, as Tomas has used in this recipe, with generous helpings of fruit. Variations Fancy some punch alternatives? Replace the strawberries with 20 fresh cherries and the vodka for 300ml of white rum, add in a bottle (750ml) of champagne (or sparkling wine) and some Perrier, and omit the lemon and orange juices for two tins of canned peaches or apricots (along with their juice) to create a chic white sangria Perrier punch.
In his latest project, Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy?: An animated conversation with Noam Chomsky, the highly original French filmmaker Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The We and the I) ventures into a hybrid territory of animation film-meets-documentary-meets-conversation. Based around several intimidatingly intellectual chats Gondry had with the American philosopher, political activist and linguist, the film cuts between documentary-style footage of their conversations and surreal animations drawn by Gondry himself. The self-proclaimed outcast admits he felt "pretty stupid" in Chomsky's toweringly brilliant company, and the hand-drawn doodles serve to render more accessible the complicated concepts they covered, such as human cognition and the nature of communication. The animation springs from an admittedly out-of-his-depth Gondry's own instinctive, colourful and at times childlike responses to Chomsky's thoughts rather than a know-it-all smugness. Gondry recently told BuzzFeed, "I don't assume that the audience is sophisticated or not sophisticated because I'm not sure I'm smarter than them. I'm probably less smart than most people." The feature-length film premiered at the closing night of festival DOC NYC, and has had positive, if sometimes bemused reviews. It seems well worth a viewing for Chomsky fans and, seriously, it's a bit of a novelty seeing a cartoon-version of the ideas zooming around one of the world's leading intellectual minds, isnt it?
Whether abstaining from red meat is part of your beliefs, or munching on the ocean's finest just sounds like your idea of a good time, the Regatta Hotel is the place to be this Good Friday. Seafood, seafood and then even more seafood will be on the menu at their four-course drink-matched luncheon. Start off with a chilled prawn cocktail and a glass of Moët, move on to seared scallops and a Peroni, get your fill of barramundi or salmon with a glass of red or white, and then top it all off with an Easter chocolate trio. This mouthwatering feast will set you back $150 per person, but, c'mon, it sure beats a backyard barbecue.
Since Seoul Bistro opened its doors in Sunnybank back in 2013, it has served up plenty of Japanese and Korean-inspired wings. Thanks to its all-you-can-eat wing buffet, they're the eatery's main attraction. Available in eight flavours, they keep coming until your stomach protests that it simply can't handle any more, with fries, garlic bread and lemon iced tea also part of the buffet spread. To celebrate six years of slinging unlimited wings, the Turton Street spot is giving everyone what they want — a bottomless feast of wings, obviously, but at half price. You'll need to dine in between 5–10pm on Wednesday, December 4, and you'll nab the whole spread for $10.95 per person. You'll probably also need to arrive early, as Seoul Bistro isn't taking bookings for this special occasion. And, the wings are only available on the night until stocks last. Don't worry — last year, the eatery opened an expanded dining area, doubling its original space. Spanning both indoors and outdoors, it now seats more than 100 people. Now, to decide whether you want crispy fried, sweet 'n' spicy, honey soy, honey wasabi, peri peri, buffalo with blue cheese sauce, smokey barbecue or hot 'n' spicy wings — or, of course, all of them.
At any given moment, finding a movie to watch isn't difficult. But there's a difference between pressing play on any old film that your streaming service of choice is throwing your way — new releases and classics alike — and feeling like you're discovering something that's truly special. Online film festivals have been playing in the latter space during the pandemic, and letting cinephiles enjoy that electric feeling that comes with giving yourself over to a gem of a feature. And, for two years in a row now, Melbourne's annual film fest has been as well. The Melbourne International Film Festival didn't intend to run solely online two years in a row. In 2020, it made the jump to digital by necessity. This year, it worked towards a triumphant return to cinemas — yes, to physical screenings — while also continuing to embrace the greater accessibility that virtual sessions provide. But this year's fest always had to have contingency plans in case outbreaks and lockdowns bubbled up again, which is exactly what's happened. So, MIFF is unleashing its magic solely online once more. Making movie buffs feel like they're getting swept up in the latest and greatest in international cinema is still on the agenda, though. You might be sitting on your couch instead of in your favourite seat right at the back of the Forum or Hoyts Central — and you might be elsewhere in the country, too, instead of making the trip to Melbourne for some wintry cinema fun — but MIFF hasn't stopped giving film lovers what they adore. Already, we've watched, reviewed and recommended ten must-sees on the festival's MIFF Play streaming platform; however, this 18-day fest has plenty more where they came from before it wraps up on Sunday, August 22. So, we've done the same with another ten films. Streaming a couple won't just help you feel like you're getting a MIFF experience, either, but it'll also support the fest during an obviously challenging time. RIDERS OF JUSTICE Few things will ever be better than seeing Mads Mikkelsen get day drunk and dance around while swigging champagne in an Oscar-winning movie. Yes, that's one fantastic film experience that 2021 has already delivered. But the always-watchable Danish star is equally magnetic in Riders of Justice, a revenge-driven comedy that's all about tackling your problems in a different and far less boozy way. After a train explosion taints his life with tragedy, dedicated solider Markus (Mikkelsen, Chaos Walking) heads home to be with his traumatised daughter Mathilde (Andrea Heick Gadeberg, Pagten). Talking is her way of coping, but clamming up has always been his PTSD-afflicted modus operandi. Then statistician Otto (Nikolaj Lie Kaas, The Keeper of Lost Causes), his colleague Lennart (Lars Brygmann, The Professor and the Madman) and the computer-savvy Emmenthaler (Nicolas Bro, The Kingdom) arrive at the grieving family's door with a theory: that the accident was anything but because mathematically it's just so unlikely to have occurred otherwise. As written and directed by Anders Thomas Jensen (Men & Chicken) — and co-penned with Nikolaj Arcel (A Royal Affair) — Riders of Justice takes a darkly comedic approach to its storyline, which is where its anarchic plot developments and witty dialogue come in. But this is also a film with a thoughtful and tender core, especially when it comes to men facing their troubles. It's set at the end of the year as well, so it counts as a screwball Christmas movie. ROSE: A LOVE STORY Less is more in survival thriller Rose: A Love Story — which is also a brooding horror movie, and yet doesn't feel the need to overplay its hand. This intimate British gem takes a familiar setup, bides its time building out its chosen world and revels in getting to know its two main characters, because their precarious relationship sits at the heart of the smartly written film. Living off the grid in a tree-lined patch of wilderness, the eponymous Rose (Sophie Rundle, Peaky Blinders) and her husband Sam (Matt Stokoe, Cursed) have clearly settled into their routine some time ago. They largely live off the land and pay one trusted acquaintance to bring them petrol for their generator, all so Rose can stay inside writing while Sam tends to chores outdoors. But she also needs his care, and needs the blood he collects via leeches — and when an injured teenager (Olive Gray, Save Me) literally stumbles upon their quiet abode, that part of their existence starts sparking questions. With its stripped-back way of unfurling its narrative, Rose: A Love Story leans heavily on Rundle and Stokoe's textured and compelling performances, which explore the stakes and sacrifices that come with love in every glance and gesture. Stokoe also wrote the script, but first-time feature filmmaker Jennifer Sheridan brings a canny eye to both warm and brutal moments alike, and to teasing out the complicated and fragile bond between this particular pair, as well as any duo in love. NIGHT OF THE KINGS Every movie aims to make its viewers feel as if they've stepped straight into its glistening frames. Rare is the film that genuinely manages that feat, though. Rarer still is a feature as vivid, immersive and engaging at every moment, and via every piece of sound and vision it thrusts at its audience, as Night of the Kings proves across its 93-minute running time. The second directorial effort from Ivorian filmmaker Philippe Lacôte (Run), this prison-set blend of drama, thrills and fantasy heads inside a Côte d'Ivoire jail surrounded by rainforest outside Abidjan. When a new inmate (debutant Bakary Koné) arrives, he's plunged straight into its chaotic depths; however, he also becomes a key player in its internal politics. Here, the inmates enforce their own order, including requiring their leader (Steve Tientcheu, Les Miserables) to take his own life if he can no longer fulfil his role. This incarcerated society also places great emphasis on one particular storyteller, a job that's soon bestowed upon its newest member. So, the fresh face dubbed the prison's 'Roman' spins a tale that jumps through the past, from 19th-century Africa to more recent bloodshed, with his words leaving his fellow detainees hanging — but if he can't make his yarn last all night, he too will meet his end. Night of the Kings sits right on the precipice of myth and grit, and of history and fantasy, and it's as inventive as it is gripping. And, even if the great Denis Lavant (Holy Motors) didn't pop up, it'd still be an imaginative and beguiling piece of cinema. COME BACK ANYTIME Craving the rich, noodle-laden flavour that only ramen can bring is an instant side effect of watching Come Back Anytime. Yearning to wander into a tiny Tokyo ramen bar, take a stool at the bar and watch a ramen master at work — while you leisurely slurp through his brothy bowls, pair them with pan-fried gyoza, enjoy a sake or several, and chat to his regular customers — is just as natural a consequence. Directed by John Daschbach (Brief Reunion), this year-in-the-life portrait of Chiyoda City's Bizentei and its owner and chef Masamoto Ueda is culinary documentary filmmaking at its finest, examining a beloved type of dish, one talented man who has made it his life's work, and the many other lives — and tastebuds — touched along the way. When the film hangs out in the ramen bar, watching Masamoto cook, his wife Kazuko assist, and Bizentei's devotees savour every sip, it captures a place and a mood with the same affection as Las Vegas bar doco Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets. When it explores Masamoto's technique and impact, it's the Jiro Dreams of Sushi of ramen movies. And when it cycles through the seasons, showing what different times of the year mean at the ramen joint in question, how its central figure's existence adapts and evolves, and also using its structure to prompt jumps back into both Bizentei's and Masamoto's history, it's never anything less than a deep, charming, soul-warming and all-round full cinematic meal. PREPARATIONS TO BE TOGETHER FOR AN UNKNOWN PERIOD OF TIME Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time first introduces Hungarian neurosurgeon Márta (Natasa Stork, Jupiter's Moon) as she's unloading her romantic woes upon her therapist. What could've been a standard rom-com or romantic drama setup soon twists into something far more alluring and intriguing, however, with writer/director Lili Horvát (The Wednesday Child) pondering just how we can ever know how someone else really feels about us, and how long any romantic emotions can last — and if we can ever trust those intense memories of love that implant themselves inside our brains and refuse to leave. After working in the US, Márta has returned home to Budapest suddenly because of fellow doctor János (Viktor Bodó, Overnight). They met at a conference in New Jersey, and pledged to cross paths again a month later on a Budapest bridge, but he doesn't show up. Worse: when she tracks him down at work, he says he doesn't know her. Márta can't bring herself to return stateside, though, and can't get János out of her mind in general. This is a haunting and beautifully acted psychological drama that lays bare just how all-encompassing, obsessive, intoxicating and mind-melting love can feel, all as it toys with memory and its ability to shape our perspectives. The tone is loaded but uncanny — sweet but uncertain, too — and Horvát has fun getting both emotional and cerebral while having her characters cut open brains. In other words, there aren't many movies quite like this one. THE NOWHERE INN "From now on, I need more say in how people are going to act," says Annie Clark. "It's a documentary," replies Carrie Brownstein. Winking and nodding (and gleefully eager to show it again and again), The Nowhere Inn tasks the famous pair with playing versions of themselves — under the guise of the Sleater-Kinney muso and Portlandia actor shooting a doco about St Vincent as she goes on tour for her album Masseduction. This psychological thriller-meets-mockumentary finds plenty to parody within its premise, especially after Brownstein suggests to Clark that she might want to let her onstage persona bleed out into the behind-the-scenes footage, because talking about radishes isn't really setting the right vibe. Cue a satirical interrogation of authenticity and performance, creativity and fame, and the riding the rollercoaster that is putting yourself out there in the world. Clark goes from mildly playing Scrabble and chatting about vegetables to becoming an OTT rock diva 24/7 and staging an affair with Dakota Johnson, with the Suspiria star even aping the musician's hairstyle. Meanwhile, Brownstein segues from trying to convey the different facets and blurred boundaries within her subject to sometimes recoiling from and sometimes embracing the exaggeration and artifice that comes with Clark being St Vincent non-stop. The two central figures wrote the script themselves, mining fame's existential struggles for both insights and laughs, and their commitment to the concept shows. Behind the lens, first-time feature filmmaker Bill Benz also brings a sketch comedy feel from his time on Kroll Show and, like Brownstein, Portlandia. NEW ORDER If only one word could be used to describe New Order, that word would be relentless. If just two words could be deployed to sum up the purposefully provocative latest film by Michel Franco (April's Daughter), savage would get thrown in as well. Sharing zero in common with the band of the same name, this 2020 Venice Film Festival Grand Jury Prize-winner dreams up a dystopian future that's barely even one step removed from current reality — and in dissecting class clashes, and examining the growing discontent at the lavish lives indulged by the wealthy while so much of the world struggles, the mood and narrative are nothing less than brutal. The place: Mexico City. The setup: a wedding that goes wrong. As the ceremony gets underway at a compound-esque mansion jam-packed with the ultra-rich and ultra-corrupt, the chasm between the guests and the staff is glaring. Case in point: bride-to-be Marianne (Naian González Norvind, South Mountain) couldn't be more stressed when she's asked for money to help ex-employee Rolando's (Eligio Meléndez, La Civil) ailing wife, and plenty of her family members are flat-out rude about their former servant's plight. Then activists start making their presence known outside, and further afield in the city's streets. The military respond, sparing no one in their efforts to implement the movie's moniker. Franco doesn't want any second of New Order to be easy to watch, or for the parallels he's critiquing to go unnoticed — and while this definitely isn't a subtle film, it's a stylistically brash and bold, emotionally dynamic whirlwind that festers with palpable anger. STRAY In glorious 2016 documentary Kedi, Istanbul's stray cats received their moment in the cinematic spotlight, and also expressed much about the Turkish city and its human inhabitants in the process. The result was perfect — purrfect, even — regardless of whether you're normally a feline fan. With Stray, it's now their canine counterparts' time to shine. Istanbul has a 'no kill, no capture' law when it comes to the dogs roaming its streets, which is why there's more than 100,000 of them scampering around. And while documentarian Elizabeth Lo only spends time with a few of those tail-wagging woofers, including street veterans Zeytin and Nazar, as well as puppy Kartal, she stitches together a perceptive and textured portrait of their daily lives, of the city around them, and of the people who help and are helped by them. Making her first full-length film after a background in doco shorts, director/cinematographer/editor Lo lets her four-legged subjects be the stars, and lets her audience observe them. More than that, she frequently places the camera at canine height so that viewers feel as if they're seeing the world through a dog's eyes. Forget saccharine Hollywood flicks that use that idea as a gimmick (see: A Dog's Purpose and A Dog's Journey — or, better yet, don't see them because they're terrible). Here, immersion and insight are the key aims, and they're feats that the soulful and thoughtful Stray repeatedly, patiently and ruminatively delivers. THE GIRL AND THE SPIDER When spectacular choreography graces the screen, it's often via balletic feats of action or striking displays of movement and cinematography. The John Wick franchise and The Raid films demonstrate the first category, while movies with a hypnotic sense of physicality such as Climax and Ema sit in the second camp. The Girl and the Spider has little in common with any of these features, and yet it's still a stunningly choreographed film. Directors Ramon and Silvan Zürcher turn their attention to people going about their ordinary lives, as they did in their excellent 2013 debut The Strange Little Cat. Where that last delight almost solely remained inside one apartment, this movie flits between a few, as Lisa (Liliane Amuat, Those Who Are Fine) moves out of the flat she shares with fellow students Mara (Henriette Confurius, Golden Twenties) and Markus (Ivan Georgiev, Leipzig Homicide). As family members, neighbours, handymen and removalists all potter around, Mara only feigns to help. Really, she just hovers around as everyone else works, packs and moves, haunting the space and sometimes wilfully causing messes and scenes. The Zürcher brothers adore gazing at everyday domesticity and letting their characters' actions do plenty of talking. This is a chatty film, but the physical symphony of ordinary comings and goings says just as much. As it contemplates connections and absences, new starts and festering loneliness, and camaraderie and alienation — and isn't afraid to show its characters being awkward, petty and petulant — The Girl and the Spider also uses its enveloping sense of movement to embrace life's ambiguities. THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOY IN THE WORLD In 1970, at the age of 15, Swedish teen Björn Andrésen's life changed forever. He walked into a hotel room to audition for Italian filmmaker Luchino Visconti, and only did so at his grandmother's urging — but, after the director was struck by his look and presence, the boy was quickly cast in the big-screen adaptation of Death in Venice. Soon, Andrésen would receive quite the compliment, too. When Visconti declared him "the most beautiful boy in the world" at the movie's premiere, the entire planet took notice. That statement had an impact and, while the experience would leave an imprint upon any shy adolescent who'd much rather be playing music than making movies but nonetheless finds himself becoming an international idol, it drastically altered Andrésen's entire future. That's the poignant story that The Most Beautiful Boy in the World tells with a perceptive eye; however, crucially, this isn't just a case of documentarians Kristina Lindström (Palme) and Kristian Petri (The Hotel) looking back, compiling archival footage — including Andrésen's initial audition video — and relaying all of the details from an outsiders' viewpoint. Their central figure is as much a part of the film now as he is in snippets from the past, and he's just as willing to interrogate how Death in Venice caused a major shift in everything he knew. His tale spans much further, too, covering several personal tragedies that he reflects upon with candour, next-level adoration in Japan and a pivotal role in Midsommar. The 2021 Melbourne International Film Festival runs until Sunday, August 22, screening online via the festival's streaming platform MIFF Play. For further details, visit the MIFF website. Looking for a few more MIFF movies to watch? Check out our first ten recommendations from this year's digital-only program.
