When millennials reach their twilight years, Zac Efron might be singing his way through Retirement Home Musical, Blue Ivy Carter could win an Oscar for cinema's latest big hit musical biopic — about her mother, naturally — and the Stranger Things kids may've become the go-to grizzled crackpots in every sci-fi film and TV show around. No offence meant to any of them, but that's what popular culture does. Nostalgia never dies, so the entertainment industry keeps recycling the same things for the same audience, just in an era-appropriate fashion. And it'll keep doing so, long past the point when Fast & Furious 89: Now We're Fast, Furious and Fragile zooms into theatres. For a current example — a predecessor to an elderly Vin Diesel and The Rock still doing what they do, perhaps — look no further than the old geezer heist genre. In recent years, it keeps serving up veteran actors reliving their heydays with varying degrees of success. When it's done in a smart, soulful and insightful manner,the Robert Redford-starring The Old Man and the Gun is the end result. When ease, laziness and cashing in are the aim of the game instead, you get Michael Caine's two latest jaunts across Australia's big screens: 2017's Going In Style and now King of Thieves. In the former film, Caine played a desperate Brooklyn resident who robs a bank with his usually law-abiding pals (Morgan Freeman and Alan Arkin). In the latter, he's a seasoned cockney crim doing what all seasoned crims do eventually, or so the movies tell us. Reuniting with his fellow retired crook friends (Tom Courtenay, Jim Broadbent, Ray Winstone and Paul Whitehouse) after the death of his wife, Caine's Brian Reader plans one last London job over the Easter long weekend. Their target is a Hatton Garden safe deposit facility filled with cash, gold and jewels to the tune of £14 million, and they've got help from the much younger 'best alarm specialist in London', aka Basil (Charlie Cox). There's a moment early in King of Thieves that epitomises the film's bland, routine approach. The movie's five main elderly Englishmen stand around in a workshop, plotting their high-stakes scheme and rallying against today's high-tech ways — the internet is overrated, most of them decide. Then Basil walks in. The mood instantly turns frosty, complete with shots of horrified faces from Winstone's hard man, Broadbent's wildcard, Courtenay's doddering gent and Whitehouse's outsider. Caine abstains, but only because it's his character that's brought the newcomer in on the plan. In mere seconds, director James Marsh summarises the entire picture: old dogs, an aversion to new tricks and a story that keeps emphasising both. There's a few narrative twists, a dose of duplicity and treachery, and plenty of greed complicating matters, however there's never any doubt about where the whole thing is going. You'd never guess that Marsh has a duo of excellent documentaries to his name in Man on Wire and Project Nim, before he started turning true tales into standard dramas with The Theory of Everything, The Mercy and now King of Thieves. Similarly, that screenwriter Joe Penhall created stellar serial killer series Mindhunter will thoroughly escape your attention based on the dull material at hand. And King of Thieves is so broad and formulaic that you simply won't realise or care that it's based on reality, with the actual robbery carried out by geriatric criminals in 2015, and marking the largest theft in British history. The fact that the film flits awkwardly and unconvincingly between comedy and thriller doesn't help, and nor does its visually drab images, or some of the least exciting robbery scenes ever committed to celluloid. Caine and his cronies, whose numbers also includes a dishevelled Michael Gambon looking far removed from his Dumbledore days, aren't blowing the bloody doors off anything either. How can they be when they're tasked with groan-inducing one-liners like "I don't care about prison life; it's the afterlife that worries me"? Indeed, when King of Thieves resorts to inserting brief clips of the silver-haired main crew in their younger, sprightlier years — taken from older, much better works on the actors' respective resumes — the result is as creaky as the cast's joints. They deserve better, as do the viewers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeQAY_9vG8M
Here we go again indeed: with the George Clooney- and Julia Roberts-starring Ticket to Paradise, a heavy been-there-done-that air sweeps through, thick with the Queensland-standing-in-for-Bali breeze. The film's big-name stars have bounced off each other in Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve and Money Monster before now. Director Ol Parker has already sent multiple groups of famous faces to far-flung places — far-flung from the UK or the US, that is — as the writer of the Best Exotic Marigold flicks and helmer of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. Enough destination wedding rom-coms exist that one of the undersung better ones, with Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder, is even called Destination Wedding. And, there's plenty of romantic comedies about trying to foil nuptials, too, with My Best Friend's Wedding and Runaway Bride on Roberts' resume since the 90s. Hurriedly throw all of the above into a suitcase — because your twentysomething daughter has suddenly announced she's marrying a seaweed farmer she just met in Indonesia, if you're Clooney and Roberts' long-divorced couple here — and that's firmly Ticket to Paradise. As The Lost City already was earlier in 2022, it too is a star-driven throwback, endeavouring to make the kind of easy, glossy, screwball banter-filled popcorn fare that doesn't reach screens with frequency lately. It isn't as entertaining as that flick, and it certainly isn't winking, nodding and having fun with its formula; sticking dispiritingly to the basics is all that's on Parker's itinerary with his first-timer co-scribe Daniel Pipski. But alongside picturesque vistas, Ticket to Paradise shares something crucial with The Lost City: it gets a whole lot of mileage out of its stars' charisma. A quarter-century back, David (Clooney, The Midnight Sky) and Georgia (Roberts, Gaslit) were the instantly besotted couple impulsively tying the knot (if Ticket to Paradise is successful enough to spawn more movies, a prequel about the pair's younger years will likely be on the list). Alas, when this film begins, they can't stand to be anywhere near each other — room, city or state — after splitting two decades back. With their only child Lily (Kaitlyn Dever, Dopesick) graduating from college, they're forced to play faux nice for a few hours, but squabble over the armrest, then get publicly competitive about who loves their daughter more. This wouldn't be a rom-com led by Clooney and Roberts if schoolyard teasing logic didn't apply, though: they fight because sparks still fly deep down. And they keep verbally sparring when Lily announces a month later that she's met Bali local Gede (Maxime Bouttier, Unknown) on a getaway before she's supposed to put her law degree to its intended use, and that she'll be hitched within days. If another template that Ticket to Paradise happily follows is to be believed, parents don't respond well to their kids plunging into matrimony, especially without notice. David and Georgia are no different, desperately wanting to stop Lily from repeating their own mistakes and willing to zip halfway around the world to do so — hence the feature's airfare moniker. They attempt to unite over sabotaging the wedding, but old habits die hard amid tussling with biting dolphins, stealing rings and putting up with Paul (Lucas Bravo, Emily in Paris), Georgia's younger, deeply infatuated boyfriend. Amid drunken beer pong matches and daggy dances to 90s tracks, plus getting stuck in the Balinese jungle overnight as well, older feelings die harder still, of course — and a ticket to surprises or fresh material, this clearly isn't. While Clooney and Roberts' parts were written for them, Ticket to Paradise's creaky script really could've been trotted out with any well-known duo, character-wise. It's a far better film with this pair in it, though, and the sole reason to visit this sunny-enough but hardly paradisiacal slice of cinema. Everything they're both known for works a charm, from his silvery suaveness, reflective finesse and reassuring twinkle in the eye through to her megawatt smile and ability to ground cookie-cutter romantic-comedy contrivances — and their collective way with flinging barbed words back and forth. Ticket to Paradise is really a ticket to watching its leads and they deliver, by-the-numbers roles and all. The fact that Clooney and Roberts have become big-screen rarities somewhat, regardless of whether they're together, helps (his only film since they last combined in 2016's Money Monster is 2020's aforementioned The Midnight Sky, while she just has 2017's Wonder and 2018's Ben Is Back to her name). It's hardly astonishing, then, that the rest of the cast is largely left among the scenery — although Dever and her sparky Booksmart co-star Billie Lourd (American Horror Story), who plays Lily's hard-partying best friend Wren and steals scenes like her mother, Carrie Fisher, also has in the genre, do the best they can with supremely thinly written characters. If filmmakers want to keep popping them in movies together as well, that's always welcome. They fare better than anyone representing Bali is allowed to, including Bouttier. Infuriatingly, Hollywood hasn't grown out of ignoring or oversimplifying those who aren't white and privileged in many vacation-centric affairs, or going the comic-relief route (see: Agung Pindha as Gede's father Wayan), or ramping up the supposed exoticism of other cultures while making jokes about their languages and traditions — Emmy-winning TV series The White Lotus pointedly excluded lately. There's a self-consciousness to Ticket to Paradise's excited postcard-style mentions of how stunning Bali is, too, at least for everyone watching Down Under. Cinematographer Ole Birkeland (Ali & Ava) gives the movie the requisite wanderlust-courting sheen, including traversing beaches and mountains, but not knowing it was filmed in Australia is virtually impossible thanks to wall-to-wall media coverage during the late 2021–early 2022 shoot. That forced feeling doesn't gel with how hard the feature wants to be laidback and jaunty, as Clooney and Roberts' rapport genuinely is — even with David and Georgia's overt friction. This pair have done many things in their careers, jointly and apart, and making Ticket to Paradise anything more than standard isn't one of them. Seeing them team up in their first rom-com together is still worth watching for that alone, but consider this the cinema equivalent of an average package tour with great company.
Among the wealth of new content that Netflix drops on viewers each and every year, Dead to Me proved one of the streamer's 2019 hits. Taking a few cues from 2018 film A Simple Favour, the show's ten-episode first season told the tale of two women who meet, become friends despite seemingly having very little in common, and help each other with their daily lives — then find themselves immersed in more than a little murky business. Back in May this year, the twisty dark comedy returned for a second season — with stars Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini coming back as well. The former plays a just-widowed woman trying to cope with losing her husband in a hit-and-run incident, while the latter pops up as a positive-thinking free spirit. Initially they crossed paths at a grief counselling session, sparking a definite odd-couple situation — which has evolved to feature secrets, lies, complications, cliffhangers and more than one murder cover-up over the show's two seasons to-date. If you've become a fan of Applegate's Jen Harding, Cardellini's Judy Hale and their antics — and fellow series co-star James Marsden, too — Netflix has revealed some good news: after the show's latest big ending, it's coming back once more. And we do mean once. The streaming platform has renewed the series for a third and final season, The Hollywood Reporter notes, which'll wrap up the program's story. Created by 2 Broke Girls writer Liz Feldman, the series marks Applegate's first lead TV role since 2011-12 sitcom Up All Night. For Cardellini, it's a return to Netflix after starring on the streaming platform's drama Bloodline — and she also featured in A Simple Favour, too. If you haven't watched it yet, check out the full trailer for Dead to Me's second season below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmU7ylnmn_M Dead to Me's third season will hit Netflix at a yet-to-be revealed date — we'll update you with exact details when they come to hand. The show's first and second seasons are available to stream now. Via The Hollywood Reporter. Images: Saeed Adyani / Netflix.
If there's been a big, White Night-shaped hole in your social calendar since the famed Melbourne after-hours fiesta wrapped up its last edition in February 2018, you'll be happy to know it's making a return this August. Just be prepared for a very different experience, as the immersive festival makes some serious changes to its programming and farewells part of the late-night fun. As well as making the move from summer to the deep of winter, White Night Reimagined has swapped its previous one-night format for an expanded three-night affair. Interestingly, it's also scrapped the all-nighter aspect in the process. Instead of the usual 7pm–7am program, which has been in place since the festival's inaugural 2013 edition, White Night is this year running from 7pm until midnight on Thursday, August 22, and again on Friday, August 23, followed by a 7pm until 2am session on Saturday, August 24. The new curfew means punters will no longer get to experience what some might argue is one of White Night's biggest pulls — the adventure of roaming around town soaking up art and installations, right through until the wee hours. Although, frosty August probably isn't the best time of year for pre-sunrise wanderings, anyway. The new-format event has also expanded in scope, held across three key precincts with each boasting its own distinct theme. Treasury Gardens will take the form of the 'Sensory Realm', showcasing dazzling projections, lighting and audio installations, and interactive artworks inspired by the five senses. Here, you'll find British artist Michael Pinsky's immersive Pollution Pods, which represented the different environments of global cities; a musical and calming SongCloud; a colourful light and audiovisual installation called Cluster; as well as a giant floating Cocoon made from 1000 lights tied together by ropes. Carlton Gardens will be transformed into the mystical 'Spiritual Realm', featuring a huge ten-metre lion puppet by Melbourne artist Joe Blanck, along with illuminations sharing the stories of Indigenous Australia. And the 'Physical Realm' descends on Birrarung Marr, showcasing the Aussie debut of internationally acclaimed street theatre performance Globe, from a troupe of 41 acrobats, aerialists, singers and actors. Other famed Melbourne spots coming to the party include the Melbourne Museum, the National Gallery of Victoria and the State Library Victoria, all hosting their own programs of art, food and music. The rest of White Night Reimagined's extended program, including the music component, is set to be revealed in the coming weeks. Starting from 2020, White Night will also form part of a new and bigger winter festival, in conjunction with the Melbourne International Arts Festival (MIAF).
As part of this year's Wynnum Fringe, Railed! is galloping onto the stage. The western-inspired circus spectacular combines physical talent with comedy and chiselled bodies — what more could you want? The cowboy-themed extravaganza sets the scene for what to expect from this year's Wynnum Fringe, which returns for its sixth year this July, offering a vibrant celebration of connection, creativity, and community. Starring the cast of Head First Acrobats, known for Elixir and Circus Oz, the circus spectacular is the perfect girls' night out. Expect jaw-dropping acrobatics, stunts and some old-school Western romance. You'll see handstands on whisky barrels, slow-motion lasso scenes and scary rope tricks. And don't think because you're in the audience, you won't be involved — these boys love to get the crowd joining in, so don't be shy. Piqued your interest? Check the website for the full range of showtimes and dates. Images: Supplied.
Streaming platforms have become one of modern life's certainties, with new instances continuing to pop up all over the place. When Disney launches its own online streaming service, Disney+, fans of the company's Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars saga will have plenty to celebrate — and fans of Disney's animated film catalogue will now as well. Expected to launch later this year in the US — with details on availability elsewhere yet to be confirmed — Disney+ has already announced a heap of new content; however it's the full range of old favourites that'll take viewers back to their childhoods. The company has long maintained the 'Disney Vault', which involves releasing its beloved flicks on home entertainment formats for a limited time only, then taking them out of circulation. When Disney rolls out its own streaming platform, that tactic is set to end. Speaking at the company's annual meeting in St. Louis, CEO Bob Iger noted advised shareholders that "at some point fairly soon after launch, it will house the entire Disney motion picture library," as Vulture reports. To make his point clear, he went further: "so the movies that… traditionally have been kept in a vault and brought out basically every few years will be on the service," Iger explained. On the new front, Disney's recent flicks are also expected to be made available on Disney+, with subsequent cinema releases due to hit the service within a year of their big-screen release. The platform will also be home to not one but two small-screen Star Wars series, plus several Marvel series (and given that Disney owns both Lucasfilm and Marvel Entertainment, Disney+ will likely will boast an entire galaxy of shows related to each huge franchise). Fans of the George Lucas-created space opera can not only look forward to the $100 million Star Wars series The Mandalorian from The Jungle Book, Iron Man and Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau (and with Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi helming an episode), but also a new spin-off from Rogue One. The latter, called Cassian Andor, will be set before the events of the film and will focus on Diego Luna's Rebel spy, with the actor reprising his role from the movie. In the Marvel sphere, while rumours have been floating around for some time, Disney announced that Tom Hiddleston's trickster Loki will definitely be getting his own series. Just what storyline it'll follow, or when it'll be set, is yet to be revealed. That said, it's safe to assume that it might be a prequel series as well. Release dates for the three series haven't been unveiled either — and nor has any word on the other Marvel show that has long been rumoured, about Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch and Paul Bettany's Vision. Disney+ is definitely going big when it comes to bringing the company's well-known properties to the new streaming platform, with a High School Musical TV series, another show based on Monsters, Inc. and a live-action Lady and the Tramp movie also on its lineup. And while a big batch of the aforementioned existing Disney content is currently available on Stan in Australia, spanning movies and TV series, you can reasonably expect that that arrangement will be impacted by Disney+. Via Vulture.
Update, Thursday, July 19: Due to overwhelming demand at pre-sale, the Opera House has just announced that Wu-Tang Clan will be performing two more shows this December. The extra shows will take place on Monday, December 10 and Tuesday, December 11. Tickets for all four shows go on sale to the general public at 9am, Thursday, July 19 — so now you have double the chance of snagging a ticket. If you're a hip hop buff, the phrase "Enter the 36 Chambers" probably gets you excited for a particular East Coast US rap group. After much speculation, caused by mysterious social media posts and posters plastered around the country, it has been confirmed that Wu-Tang Clan is coming Down Under. Time to prepare your dollar dollar bills — the group will be hitting Aussie soil this December, playing two exclusive shows at the Sydney Opera House on Saturday, December 8 and Sunday, December 9. The last time the group came to Australia was back in 2016, and this time they'll only be hitting up Sydney. The shows will coincide with the 25th anniversary of Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chamber), which features hit tracks 'C.R.E.A.M.', 'Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing ta Fuck Wit' and 'Protect Ya Neck'. All nine members — RZA, Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, U-God, Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck, GZA and Cappadonna — will perform the acclaimed album in full for the first time in Australia. Earlier this month it was announced that Kendrick Lamar was bringing his much-hyped 'DAMN.' pop-up to Australia, and we can only hope Wu-Tang Clan follows suit, bringing its 'Wu-Tang: The Saga Continues' Pop-Up Down Under, too. Wu-Tang Clan 'Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chamber)' 25th Anniversary shows will take place in the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall on Saturday, December 8 and Sunday, December 9. Tickets go on sale at 9am, Thursday, July 19. Pre-sale tickets go on sale at 9am, Wednesday, July 19 and to get access you'll need to sign up to the Opera House newsletter. Image: Danny Hastings
Wubba lubba dub dub, Rick and Morty fans. Yes, everyone's favourite interdimensional adventurers are finally back. It's been way too long since a certain eccentric scientist and his anxious grandson caused chaos across the multiverse, with the animated sitcom's third season releasing in 2017 — and if you've been feeling the duo's absence over the past two years, you're not alone. Even the just-released new trailer for the series' next batch of episodes recognises the elephant in the room — or the lack of Mr Meeseeks and Mr Poopybutthole on our screens, to be specific. Those beloved characters are back, too, alongside Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith (both voiced by show co-creator Justin Roiland); Morty's mother Beth (Sarah Chalke), father Jerry (Chris Parnell) and sister Summer (Spencer Grammer); and all the world-hopping craziness that anyone could ever hope for. If you've been counting down the days since the last episode hit back in October 2017, the fourth season will rejoin the smartest Rick and Morty-est Morty in the universe — and absolutely anything could happen from there, really. If you're just getting schwifty with the series for the first time, Rick and Morty doesn't just ape a concept straight out of Back to the Future (aka a lab coat-wearing old man, his teenage sidekick, and their time- and space-jumping antics), but filters that idea through the inventive minds of Roiland and Community's Dan Harmon. After proving such a huge hit across its first three seasons, there's plenty more Rick and Morty to come, with the show renewed for a huge 70 episodes by US network Adult Swim last year (which is more than double the 31 that the comedy has aired to date). Of course, all that animated insanity takes time to put together, hence the delay. The first five new episodes are slated to drop from mid-November in America — watch this space for local release details. And that's the wayyyyyy the news goes — check out the fourth season's trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw6BrzB1drs Rick and Morty's fourth season will start airing weekly from November 10 in the US. We'll keep you updated with a release date Down Under once one comes to hand.
The mercury has dropped, the Uggs are dusted off, and you no longer need to feverishly crank the air con from the moment you wake. Pat yourself on the back, folks, because you've successfully survived another sweltering Brisbane summer. Don't listen to those naysayers who moan about the impending arrival of the cooler months. We promise you, it truly is a time to celebrate. Low humidity? Check. Less chance of sunstroke? Check. Finally getting a chance to crack out that ripper jacket you bought last year? Double check. Because we are lucky enough to live in the sub-tropics, we are keenly aware of the fact that the notion of 'summer' truly can be carried all year round. Here in Queensland, we teeter close enough to the equator to be blessed with damn decent weather all year round. You can almost pretend it's not winter at all. To do so all you need is good friends, good food, good beer and something fun to do. To help you keep the summer dream alive, we've teamed up with Coopers' new latest Session Ale — a refreshing new beer with distinct tropical fruit aromas and a crisp bitterness — to pull together five summer activities you can enjoy all year round. Because these guys know that the good times don't stop for the season. CONQUER A HIKE Remember all those hikes you had on your bucket list this summer? You and your gym buddies were going to wake up at the crack of dawn, strap on a CamelBak, and ascend some freakishly high terrain. We're willing to bet that the following things stopped you from achieving these goals: Christmas parties, engagement parties, New Year's Eve parties.... you catch our drift. But no longer shall you be swayed. With bright eyes, a clear mind, and cool, crisp winter's air, you cannot be stopped. Mount Tibrogargan! Mount Beerwah! Mount Coot-tha! Plus, you can exploit this opportunity to post some humble-brag Insta Stories from the summit. Need more of a challenge? Pack a six-pack (or two) and head further afield to conquer a multi-day hike. [caption id="attachment_621822" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Brisbane City Council[/caption] SWIM IN A HEATED POOL Yep, we love going to the beach. And we all know that swimming is a brilliant, whole-body workout, perfect for those looking for non-weight-bearing exercise. But once the cooler months hit, it can be tempting to sideline those swimming sessions in favour of… sitting on the couch eating pizza. But fear not. Your fitness levels don't have to be benched for the season —22 Brisbane City Council pools are heated for your swimming pleasure. The Spring Hill Baths is always a fan favourite — and one our top five — and we also love the Valley Pool and Langland's Park. And there's an added bonus: the pools tend to be a little less crowded at this time of the year, so you won't be sideswiped by any Olympic wannabes. When you're done, treat yourself to a pint — it's all about balance, after all. CATCH AN AWARD-WINNING FLICK If you were to poll your closest friends, you would probably find that a decent chunk of them have never experienced the sweet serenity of cracking open a beer in the cinema. Truly, it's a travesty. How about having a pizza, burger and even dessert delivered directly to your cushy leather chair? Mind-blowing, huh? Luckily for us here in Brisbane, we have a boutique, licensed cinema in our midst – the Blue Room Cinebar. Plus, since our winter lines up neatly with 'American Summer Blockbuster Season', the cooler months are the ultimate time to experience this little slice of luxury. Keep the brews coming. [caption id="attachment_594247" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Nightfall, Lamington National Park[/caption] GO CAMPING IN STYLE Sweating in a tent and drinking room-temperature beer might be fun for some (anyone? anyone?), but we prefer our camping trips a little more lush. A mini mid-year getaway is the perfect respite from the 9-to-5 drudgery (plus, you probably need some vitamin D). If you fancy yourself a Bear Grylls-type, you might want to fashion a shelter out of animal hide, but if you're anything like us, you'll want to step it up a notch. Hire a decked out tent in the hinterland. Camp out in a national park. Cosy up in a cabin at Moreton Island. The only essentials you really need are a six-pack of beer, warm socks, and a decent Bluetooth speaker. Marshmallows optional. [caption id="attachment_638442" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] The Osbourne[/caption] HANG OUT IN A HEATED BEER GARDEN On days when it's cold, or maybe when there's even a bit of rain, it's tempting for us Queenslanders to cancel our plans and hide under the covers. But simply mention the word 'pub' over the group chat and you'll find your mates are more than happy to meet up for beers. We are big fans of any venues that boast the winning combo of cosy indoor and outdoor seating, for the perfect summer/winter vibe. One such pub is Fortitude Valley's Osbourne Hotel. It has an impressive 400-seat glass-ceiling bistro and beer garden, plates of oysters and all-day pizza. Grab a seat under one of the heaters and a pint of Session Ale and the last thing on your mind will be the weather. Grab a Coopers Session Ale and make the most of summer, all year round. Top image: The Osbourne
It isn't the first movie about the Tham Luang Nang Non cave incident to reach screens, thanks to the underwhelming The Cave. It won't be the last project to focus on the 12 Thai schoolboys and their soccer coach who were trapped in the Chiang Rai Province spot for 18 days back in 2018, either. Ron Howard (Hillbilly Elegy)-directed dramatisation Thirteen Lives hits cinemas next year, a Netflix limited series executive produced by In the Heights filmmaker John M Chu is also set to debut in 2022 and, to the surprise of no one, more are bound to follow. Still, The Rescue earns another worthy honour. The documentary isn't just an inspirational recounting of a miraculous effort that thwarted a potential tragedy, as told by the brave people who pulled off the feat, although it's certainly that. In addition, this gripping film falls into a genre that always needs more entries: celebrations of skilled people doing difficult things with precision, passion, persistence and prowess. If documentarians Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin have a niche, it's this. As co-directors, the married couple has now made three films, all valuing hard work, expertise and when the former leads not only to the latter, but to extraordinary achievements. With 2015 Sundance award-winner Meru, they documented Chin's efforts with two other climbers to scale Meru Peak in the Indian Himalayas. Then came Oscar-winner Free Solo, the exceptional doco about Alex Honnold's quest to free-climb Yosemite National Park's El Capitan. The Rescue swaps clambering up for diving deep, and hones in on an event that captured international headlines as it happened, but still belongs in the same company as the duo's past two releases. Here, viewers start the film with an understanding of what happened thanks to all that non-stop news coverage, but finish it in profound awe of the talent, smarts, dedication and unflinching competence involved. Vasarhelyi and Chin spotlight the divers who extricated Tham Luang's 13 unwilling inhabitants, aka the Wild Boars soccer team — and did so as the world watched, as hours became days and then weeks, and as monsoonal waters flooded the cave despite a desperate pumping initiative. Thai Navy SEALs initially attempted the task, yet struggled in the ten kilometres of sprawling and narrow tunnels. In fact, due to the murky water and the constant deluge from the fast-falling rain, they weren't able to get far. To assist, civilian hobbyists including Brits Rick Stanton and John Volanthen were brought in — experts in their field, and volunteers for the biggest diving quest of their lives. When their crew found the boys and their coach almost four kilometres from the mouth of the cave, they then faced another dilemma: how to get them back out alive. With its ending already well-known, The Rescue starts at the beginning, letting those who were there talk through each step, and also weaving in footage from the rescue mission itself. No re-enactments — not the small amount The Rescue uses, as noted in its credits; not The Cave's awful docodrama approach; and not all the future dramatisations set to flow from Hollywood — can ever be as nerve-wracking as seeing this remarkable feat actually happen. That said, the film's interviews are also significant. While the on-the-ground and in-the-water clips show the immense level of skill at work and the enormous dangers faced, the accompanying discussions offer keen insights into the thought processes involved. And, they draw out Stanton, Volanthen and their team's distinctive personalities, ensuring that these heroes are always flesh and blood. In all that chatter, much of the tension springs from one point: not just the logistics of extracting the kids and their coach from the cave, but the possibility of sedating them during the dive. The Rescue's most chilling moment comes from Australian anaesthetist and cave diver Richard Harris, who likens that option to euthanasia in his frank initial assessment — a goosebump-inducing comment, even though everyone watching knows that the boys were all rescued safely. Vasarhelyi and Chin make films about survival and endurance, too, and those notions thump away in The Rescue like a heartbeat. Still, as much as it pays tribute to the individual and collective efforts behind something astonishing, and its success, the film never forgets the stakes or cost, including the death of ex-Thai Navy SEAL Saman Kunan during an early attempt. Enthralling, suspenseful and vivid — and with more time for the moral and ethical implications of the rescue than is ever likely to be committed to the screen elsewhere — this documentary has been made to emulate its subjects. Indeed, that precision, passion, persistence and prowess shines through again and again both on- and off-screen. The Rescue's meticulous splicing is particularly finessed, for instance, with editor Bob Eisenhardt (another Free Solo alum) maintaining the movie's pulsating sense of intensity while stitching together an array of talking-head interviews, plus that wealth of archival materials. The heartstring-tugging score by Daniel Pemberton (The Trial of the Chicago 7) isn't quite as convincing, however, but it's one of the film's rare weak links. There is a gaping cavern at the heart of The Rescue, though, and one that's far wider than the rock shelf where the Wild Boars sheltered for almost three weeks. Those boys and their coach aren't among the movie's interviewees, and noticeably so. National Geographic, who produced the film, was only able to secure the rights to the divers' stories — with Netflix snapping them up for the soccer team. It leaves The Rescue absent key perspectives, but Vasarhelyi and Chin have filled that chasm savvily. Indeed, the documentary's edge-of-your-seat, ticking-clock, heart-in-your-throat tribute to skill, hard work and the global team of thousands that spanned Thais, Americans and Australians, too, mightn't have sported the same focus otherwise. Once more, the movie mimics the incident at its centre, turning sheer necessity into something stunning.
When Percy Fawcett gazes upon the Amazon in The Lost City of Z, he does so with wonder blazing in his eyes. A real-life geographer, soldier and explorer played here by Charlie Hunnam, Fawcett is dispatched from Britain to South America to survey the border between Bolivia and Brazil, only to become beguiled by his new rainforest surroundings. Many movies would explain his reaction through dialogue alone, but James Gray's latest effort works in more than just words. The filmmaker behind The Immigrant and We Own The Night, Gray is known for crafting precise, painterly visuals. It's little wonder that his excursion through tropical greenery shares Fawcett's fondness in each and every frame. To watch The Lost City of Z is to stare deep into the splendour of untamed nature, and to appreciate the mystery and allure that comes simply from looking. The colour and movement; the locals and the wildlife; the sense of how different it is to early 20th century England — it's all there, in cinematographer Darius Khondji's striking images. It's an essential touch, given that examining the mindset that inspired Fawcett's repeated treks into the jungle is one of the movie's main aims. If there were ever any doubts that Gray would be able to jump from his urban-set back catalogue to the grandness of the Amazonian wilds, they're quickly dispelled. When we first meet Fawcett, he's a young army officer hunting stag for sport. He's considered talented, yet a shadow hangs over his family name thanks to his drunken father. Asked to do the Royal Geographic Society's bidding on the other side of the world, he soon leaves his wife Nina (Sienna Miller) and infant son for trampling through luscious growth, with Corporal Henry Costin (Robert Pattinson) and on-site guides for company. If he hadn't fallen for the Amazon's magnetism, as well as a story about a lost city teeming with gold, his jaunt might've ended with a happy return home. But Fawcett is haunted by his desire to find the fabled locale — and prove that advanced civilisation exists beyond western society — even if it costs him his life. As the film's existential adventures continue, Pattinson gets grimy, Tom Holland pops up, as does Italian acting legend Franco Nero. Ultimately though, The Lost City of Z belongs to Hunnam, who wipes King Arthur from our memory. Poised, passionate and persistent, with ample charm thrown in, he plays his protagonist as an imperfect but still decent man driven by a multitude of motivators. The character is also surprisingly progressive, breaking from the racist, sexist, classist, jingoistic and colonialist attitudes of his peers. In short, he's the sort of person you'd be willing to follow through dense foliage. Just as seeing is believing when it comes to Gray's mesmerising sights, Hunnam ensures viewers feel the calling coursing through Fawcett's veins. Accordingly, The Lost City of Z becomes more than just a dazzling account of a real-life trek through uncharted terrain. That's not to say that it doesn't impress as an intimate adventure flick, an exploration of fevered obsession, or as a textured and thoughtful biopic — in fact, it succeeds as all three. But what lingers most of all is an understanding of why people chase even the most challenging and unlikely of dreams, what they hope to find, and how such mysteries leave their mark on history. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2RYbGgBQeM
There are few bands with enough unfaltering stamina to line up a debaucherous, beer-fuelled pub crawl to kick off every night of their Australian tour. But Brisbane's Dune Rats leave the rules at home, abiding by one big ol' proviso: "no kooks, no gutties." Whatever the blazes that means, these bloody corker dudes surf self-generated waves of laidback party-fuelled philosophy. We checked in with the Dunies in Kuala Lumpur during the South East Asian leg of their world tour, or "Koala Kangaroo" as bassist Brett Jansch calls it. The Brisbane lads have been on a furious bender around the globe, rambling around South Africa, Europe and South East Asia in mobile homes and tour buses — with their sights set back home for June. "It's fuckin' awesome," Jansch says "Last night was like, the first time I've slept in a bed for like, the last however long it's been. Just chilled. We had like, a motorhome, then a little campervan all tour." It's good for the Dunies to kick back after months on the road, with all the modern conveniences that come with the gloriousness of hotel life. "I watched this thing on the TV last night called 100 Most Favourite '90s Songs or something, they had like LL Cool J and Marky Mark and shit, it was sick." https://youtube.com/watch?v=CjJ0ABIwOfo On An American Death Trip of Dreams Dune Rats' BC Michaels, Danny Beusa and Jansch have been away from home for some time now, heading to the US, staying in a New York AirBnB warehouse, driving along the West Coast from San Diego to Vancouver and filming their own (sorta) web series American Death Trip of Dreams. Then they bailed over to Europe and the UK. "Ah fuck, I just had such a sick time in the UK and Europe... In America I just get super fat and then washed up, then you get hungover and then you get fat again. Then it's ok, then you get fat again. It's not good for your health, America." "When we just came back, there was about two weeks at home and we all dissipated to our families' respective, like, sanctuary zones because everyone was just wrecked. Too much of America. Then we came to the UK and everyone's like, BC's gettin' a full six pack hey? Eatin' lots of fruit and veg for the last few weeks!" The Dunies made their way to Liverpool, playing an Aussie BBQ during the city's legendary festival Sound City. "That was fuckin' super fun. There were so many Brisbane bands there and we were all "How the fuck are we all here in one place?" That was actually a corker of a time hey." After months on the road, the Dunies will head back home to Australia for a national tour, showcasing their debut album set for release on June 1. It'll be the first time the trio have played to home audiences for months. The tour kicks off on the west coast and ends up back where they all started. "I'm pretty fucking excited to get home, that's for sure. We haven't played in Brissy for ages," says Jansch. "We've been away for so long and hopefully we can just get back and hang out with our buddies and just talk about anything else, find out what they're doin'. https://youtube.com/watch?v=0APj4u-56Jw On Turning an Australian Tour into a Pub Crawl Pieced together like a rambunctious escapade of regrets, the Dunies will host a pub crawl in every city before the gig for fans who've preordered their debut album (out June 1). "Well I guess you just want to get as fucked up as possible before the gig with all our friends and buddies that have preordered the album in order to come to the pub crawl," Jansch says in a wink-wink, nudge-nudge moment of please-buy-our-albumness. "We'll find the right place where we can all hang out together near the venue or whatever and just go pub to pub. "So honestly, we'll be going on a pub crawl all around Australia I guess. I wonder if anyone will come all the way with us. If someone does, they can definitely have a fuckin' t-shirt! They can have a hangover as well." Supporting Dune Rats will be different buds in each state. "We've kind of put together just all our fucking favourite bands and our friends to play, you know... So it's going to be a fucking party every night, especially now with our pub crawls and shit.," Jasnch realises. "Fuck, I think it's going to be a full wash up by the end of it." https://youtube.com/watch?v=1TKRT5IQtjQ On Writing at Brett's Mum's House The Dunies' debut album came to fruition in the most unlikely of locations. The trio headed to Brett's mum's house and started writing. Well, planted a vege patch, went surfing, wrote a bit, hung out, went surfing, wrote again, played a bit, all with Mum's permission. Has to be said: Coolest. Mum. Ever. "She was frothing! You know, I bet whenever the door was shut she was probably sitting on the fuckin' step outside, like with a megaphone in her ear. She was just lovin' it man," says Jansch. "Like, I fuckin' hate all our neighbours at home. But mum would always be like, play as long as you fuckin' want, as loud as you fuckin' want, fuck everybody," he laughs. The World's Best Mum and a solid support base has proved the best grounder for the Dunies, who wholly appreciate everything on their plate. "I guess we're all just fuckin' blown away that we can even go around the world on fuckin' tour... We don't take it for granted or anything. We're always constantly stoked, we're always frothing about all this shit." https://youtube.com/watch?v=lU3n6vRX8yY On Their Debut Album Like all groundbreaking things (Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Ian McEwan's Atonement, Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock's The Lake House) the whole thing hinges around an important letter. "You know there's like, a letter from Steve Albine that surfaced, when Nirvana recorded 'In Utero'? He just outlined the idea of like, fuck all the bullshit, there's no need to slave over shit and try to get everything perfect. The best thing to ever do is probably just punch it out as it would come naturally. And what happened with that album is it turned out fuckin' awesome. [That's] exactly what we were kinda talking about. "We just didn't wanna fuckin' do all this stupid shit that bands do with an album. We just wanted to record the song that we made up in the shed. And that was just this nice inspiration to think oh fuck, you know what? We actually can do it the way that that we'd like to and it'll turn out right." The album was recorded and mixed at Melbourne's Red Door Studios, in the capable hands of Woody Anderson (tour manager and sound engineer for Children Collide). The whole process — recording, mixing, the lot — took just four weeks. "It was all super chilled, all with Woody — just fuckin' easy peasy," says Jansch. "It was pretty much just a bunch of us in the studio, fuckin' chillin' out, makin' the songs." Dune Rats is a rambunctious ride through moments of pure silliness ('Dalai Lama' has five words in total: "Dalai Lama, Big Banana, marijuana,") and heartfelt bouts ('Home Sick'). Jansch is insistent, however, the trio didn't set out to make a particular type of song any given day. "It wasn't like "Ahhh what's today fellas? Let's try and write a funny song." All of them just fuckin' turned out." DUNE RATS TOUR DATES: June 12 - Mojo's, Fremantle WA June 13 - Amplifier, Perth WA June 14 - Uni Bar, Adelaide SA June 19 - Karova Lounge, Ballarat VIC June 20 - The Corner Hotel, Melbourne VIC June 21 - Oxford Art Factory, Sydney NSW June 28 - The Zoo, Brisbane QLD TO REGISTER FOR THE DUNIES PRE PARTIES: 1. Pre-order the album Dune Rats for ten beans at iTunes or JB HiFi. 2. Forward your iTunes or JB HiFi album preorder receipt and your mobile number to stuff@ratbagrecords.com. 3. Let the Dunies know which pre-show you'd like to go to from the dates above. 4. Wait. Recieve the deets on the morning of the show. Then party on dudes. For more details about the Dune Rats pub crawls and to preorder the album head over here. Dune Rats debut album is out Sunday, June 1.
A long time ago in this very galaxy, a whole year passed by without a new Star Wars movie hitting cinemas. That year was 2014, with Disney delivering a fresh trilogy of flicks and two spinoffs to big screens for five years straight between 2015–19 — introducing the world to new lightsaber-wielding characters, farewelling old favourites and delving into stellar side stories. Alas, in 2020, that run is coming to an end. More Star Wars movies are planned, because of course they are; however, wannabe Jedis won't be watching them just yet. But that doesn't mean that the force won't be with us this year, with The Mandalorian's second season heading to Disney+ from Friday, October 30. For those that missed it or need a refresher — the Star Wars universe certainly does sprawl far and wide, both within its tales and in its many different movies, shows, books and games — the Emmy-nominated show follows the titular bounty hunter (Pedro Pascal). In the series' first season, which was set five years after Star Wars: Episode XI — Return of the Jedi and aired last year, that meant tracking his latest gigs. And, it also involved charting his encounter with a fuzzy little creature officially known as The Child, but affectionately named Baby Yoda by everyone watching. Also on offer the first time around: Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito playing villain Moff Gideon, aka the ex-Galactic Empire security officer determined to capture The Child; everyone from Carl Weathers and Taika Waititi to Werner Herzog playing ex-magistrates, droids and enigmatic strangers; and plenty of planet-hopping. Yes, it was firmly a Star Wars TV series, and yes, it plans to continue in the same manner. As the just-dropped first trailer for The Mandalorian's second season shows, it also plans to once again focus on one of television's best pairings. Not only is Mando back, but so is the oh-so-adorable Baby Yoda. The duo's quest to return to The Child's home planet continues, and they aren't parting ways on the journey — "wherever I go, he goes," Mando advises. In addition to showering viewers in Baby Yoda's cuteness, the eight-episode new season will see Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) pop up — it is a show about a bounty hunter, after all — plus Timothy Olyphant and Rosario Dawson join the cast. Behind the lens, directors include showrunner Jon Favreau, Jurassic World star Bryce Dallas Howard, Dope's Rick Famuyiwa, Ant-Man's Peyton Reed and Alita: Battle Angel's Robert Rodriguez, as well as Weathers doing double duty on-screen and off. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LkkaL-y6Hc&feature=youtu.be The Mandalorian's second season hits Disney+ on Friday, October 30. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy. Top image: Disney+
UPDATE, November 02, 2020: Your Name is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Most mornings, when her younger sister comes to wake her up, Mitsuha (voiced by Mone Kamishiraishi) is fondling her own chest. It becomes an ongoing joke between the siblings, but there's more than awkward teenage self-exploration at play. Most mornings, you see, her body is actually inhabited by someone else. Mitsuha is a high school student from the quiet town of Itomori, and when she asks the universe for a more exciting life, that's actually what she gets. Swapping bodies with the city-dwelling Taki (Ryunosuke Kamiki), she's soon working his shifts in an Italian restaurant, while he's fumbling through her classes and forgetting to make breakfast. It's a premise straight out of a body-swap movie — think Freaky Friday, Dating the Enemy and The Change-Up, to name a few. Mitsuha and Taki change bodies on alternating days, but they can't remember each other's names. To navigate the chaos of suddenly becoming someone else, they communicate via notes left in their phones, gradually settling into a routine. Alas, just as they start to feel comfortable switching into each other's skin, learning from their escapades and forming a growing connection, fate once again intervenes. In his fifth feature Makoto Shinkai (The Garden of Words, Children Who Chase Lost Voices) dives head-first into the offbeat yet insightful adventure that comes with literally putting his protagonists in someone else's place. However, taking inspiration from the traditional Japanese tale Torikaebaya Monogatari, Your Name proves more than just a quirky comedy. Starting with a meteor shower accompanied by narration about "that day when the stars came falling, like a dream…a shared dream," Shinkai flirts with everything from star-crossed romance to impending disaster, as well as notions of identity, gender, the ever-changing reality of life, and the difficulty of reconciling many everyday contrasts. It's telling that Shinkai highlights the dream-like nature of the material from the outset. An ethereal air infiltrates each scene, while the gorgeous, glistening animation makes every moment feel both hyper-realistic and like a fond memory. Indeed, the script's numerous charms are matched by endless visual delights. Full of montages and catchy pop songs, the film plays out in a recognisable world – particularly for anyone who has ever visited Tokyo. Yet it feels just as magical as it would were Mitsuha and Taki being spirited away to another realm. That's one of the reasons that the M word keeps being thrown around: 'Miyazaki', that is. Thanks to the film's phenomenal popularity in Japan, Shinkai has been dubbed the spiritual successor to the Studio Ghibli great — and while that's high praise, it also fails to capture just what makes the film such a treat. Part teen rom-com, part sci-fi contemplation of weighty concepts, the anarchy and confusion of life has rarely felt so vivid, honest or enchanting.
Brisbane has a new temporary home of tricks, magic and illusions: South Bank's Maritime Museum. The riverside spot has welcomed three immersive pop-ups, each making their return to the Queensland capital, and all aiming to give attendees a multi-sensory reprieve from their routines — and one of them is Maho Magic Bar. If you not only like magic, but also cocktails, neon lights and feeling like you're in Tokyo, head to Maho Magic Bar between Thursday, October 3—Sunday, December 22, 2024 (in a season extended by two weeks due to demand). As the River City discovered on its past visits, it's a bar, a performance space and a show all in one — all thanks to Broad Encounters, aka the folks behind eerie Edgar Allen Poe-inspired warehouse experience A Midnight Visit, too. Here, glowing lighting sets the mood, cherry blossoms hover above, and sake cocktails and shōchū lead the drinks menu. Also, magic shows happen at your table. An immersive event from the moment that you approach its luminous exterior, it's designed to replicate a night out in Shinjuku, and to conjure up an 'anything can happen' feeling. The ace thing about the setup: whether you adore magic or don't think it's your thing, you'll still be entertained given the atmosphere (and the drinks and those lights) are a massive part of the allure. Still, magic is nonetheless a big part of it. Busting out illusions: a lineup that includes the gender stereotype-busting Kaori Kitazawa, Japanese TV staple Shirayuri, actor and Maho Magic Bar's hostess Spica, sleight-of-hand mixologist Jun Nakamura, the engineering-driven Wambi and close-up magician Sarito. Images: Peter Wallis, Mike King, Anna Kucera and Nathaniel Mason. Updated: Thursday, November 21, 2024.
There's a certain moment between waking up in a hot tent, losing your boot sole in shin-deep mud and slipping up the side of a muddy, muddy amphitheatre that we remember this unshakable music addiction of ours is fukt. Yet year after year, we load up our borrowed cars with hidden goon sacks, blow-up Kmart mattresses, '90s throwback playlists and enough muesli bars to make our mums happy and we drive our timetable-highlighting butts to the music mecca to rule them all post-BDO: Splendour in the Grass. Why do we do it? Why do we skate through mudpiles resembling a human bowel system? Why do we munch on greasy moshpit ponytails between burling throat-scraping vocals? Why do we shell out ten beans a tinny for watery piss that calls itself beer? Seems we can't shake this pesky music lovefiend. Returning to North Byron Parklands, this year's Splendour in the Grass gained wraps from the 5-0 for 'good behaviour' (the badly behaved are still sitting in sinkholes in the Mix Up tent), slam dunked three big gun headliners in a row (Mark Ronson, Florence and the Machine, Blur), and generally became the mudbath we annually buy novelty gumboots for. While we counted no less than seventeen headdresses and found an entire Splendour stall selling the damn things, there was a limited quota of douchebaggery to be seen — or perhaps they were simply easier to avoid; mud maketh muppets of the munted. Instead, here's what made us cheer for an encore. CLIENT LIAISON With a bigger budget and bigger audiences to boot, Client Liaison have become the nostalgia-fuelled spectacle they've been threatening to be for years; ferns, pastel tuxedos, gold necklaces, and three incredible legs-for-days aerobic dancers to pose Lampoon-style around Client's disco-dancin' Monte Morgan. With co-Liaison Harvey Miller tweaking singles 'Queen' and 'End of the Earth', Client finished up with a cover of INXS's 'Need You Tonight' with longtime live bandmate and triple j Hack presenter Tom Tilley. FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE Florence Welch is the new messiah. Well, you'd be forgiven for thinking so after this large-scale bapitism-by-ballad. Characteristically bare-footed and donning flowing white threads to rival Stevie Nicks, the British powerhouse entranced the amphitheatre with soaring vocals and theatrical spirit fingers, backed by her mighty Machine — stopping to remind the audience of her first Splendour performance in a Surry Hills-bought vintage wedding dress many moons ago. With expectations high following her slam dunk of a 2015 Coachella set, Welch careened through single to fan favourite to 'Dog Days Are Over' finish with the level of high energy usually associated with Bacchanalian wood nymphs. TAME IMPALA The last time Tame Impala played Splendour, they debuted a little ol' single called 'Elephant' three years ago. This year, Kevin Parker and his psychedelic bunch came armed with brand new album Currents and an amphitheatre full of expectant fans (and granted, Blur fans trying to get a good spot). It's not every artist who's confident enough to drop seven-minute single 'Let It Happen', or open a set with it, but Parker's not every artist. BLUR "You're all fucked, aren't you." Blur frontman Damon Albarn knew an end of Splendour audience when he saw one, bubbling with anticipation at seeing the '90s Britpop legends united in the ampitheatre on Sunday night. Saluting the moon, bounding about the stage like a merry pirate and getting up in fan faces over the almost two-hour set, Albarn steered Alex James, Graham Coxon and Dave Rowntree through a furiously fast 'Song 2', beloved singles 'Beetlebum', 'Parklife' and 'There's No Other Way' amongst plenty of material from new album Magic Whip. Finishing up the festival with epic 1995 ballad 'The Universal' made whimpering messes of fans amphitheatre-wide. PURITY RING Though the Mix Up tent was almost literally sinking into the mud, Canada's Purity Ring took Splendour punters to new heights of euphoria. Multi-instrumentalist Corin Roddick commanded booming synths and playable light-up crystals, while elven vocalist Megan James jumped, skipped and serenaded like a futuristic woodland sprite, blitzing everything from 'Push Pull' to 'Fineshrine'. MARK RONSON With Theophilus London, Kevin Parker, Daniel Merriweather, Keyone Starr and co. in tow, Mark Ronson's all-star variety show careened through the superstar producer's hit-dotted career so far; from explosive opener 'Feel Right' to a heartfelt 'Valerie' singalong using Amy Winehouse's original vocals. After cheesily getting bikes onstage for 'The Bike Song', bringing out Miike Snow's Andrew Wyatt for a rendition of the Ronson-co-written single 'Animal', Ronson dropped the firecracker Splendour was waiting for: a ten minute, rain-drenched bacchanal fuelled by 'Uptown Funk'. Worth the subsequent flu. MØ If you've ever wanted to feel as old as humanly possible at a live gig, see a MØ gig. The Danish electro pop singer (real name Karen Marie Ørsted) made a mockery of ageing, blasting out a youth-fuelled escapade into her debut album No Mythologies to Follow in the Mix Up tent — finishing up with a giant singalong of Major Lazer and DJ Snake single 'Lean On'. Ørsted gave a nod to her buddy Elliphant, the pint-sized Swedish pseudo rapper who'd similarly stopped time the day before, with a sultry rendition of their duet 'One More'. JENNY LEWIS While DZ Deathrays melted faces in the amphitheatre and Japanese Wallpaper threw shapes for giggly teenfans, longtime crooner Jenny Lewis was kicking goals over in the GW McLennan tent. Turning what should be a sheriff-badged country hoedown into a candy-coloured pop shop, as Lewis's pastel rainbow-themed set flagged new material from her latest album The Voyager. Lewis has never been better. Sauntering through old heartwrenchers like 'With Arms Outstretched', and new buzz tracks 'Just One of the Guys' and 'She's Not Me', the ever pitch perfect Lewis dropped a bit of 'Bad News' for Rilo Kiley fans late in the set. Kudos go to Lewis's lead guitarist and keyboardist who joined Lewis for a three-part harmony a la Brother Where Art Thou that left no dry eye in the house. UV BOI If you're not across this 18-year-old Brisbane producer, take note. One of the most original and refreshing producers in the game right now, UV boi threw every genre in the book in the bin with his Tiny Dancer stage set. JARRYD JAMES There's a lot to be said for a killer single. Brisbane's Jarryd James has been kicking serious goals over the last 12 months, with a debut album on the way and a multi-platinum single 'Do You Remember' tailor-made for a big ol' Splendour singalong. But James is more than his big breakthrough song, showcasing the his Frank Ocean-meets-Blackstreet catalogue to a packed-out Mix Up tent. "Thanks for coming and hanging out, I know my music's not party music." Beg to differ bro, beg to differ. THE SMITH STREET BAND Melbourne's bighearted rockers hit it out of the ballpark on Splendour's sunny, sunny Saturday afternoon, while toilet paper rolls soared over the crowd. "I dare anyone else playing at Splendour to sweat this much," mused frontman Wil Wagner staring straight into the sun and leading his crew and one heck of an adoring crowd through such hard-hitting jewels as 'I Don't Wanna Die Anymore', 'Don't Fuck With Our Dreams' and the nostalgia-driven 'Young Drunk' in front of a huge banner preaching "Real Australians say welcome". Total legends. THE DANDY WARHOLS Though slightly lacking in vocal volume, the Dandies put on one energetic show for their boob-flashing fans. Bouncing from mega single 'We Used to Be Friends' to Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia throwbacks like 'Mohammed' and 'Bohemian Like You', the Oregonians proved unexpected highlights for both longtime fans and Dandy newcomers alike — all trying to get a solid footing on the perilously muddy amphitheatre slopes. VALLIS ALPS Watch out for these two. Filing the Mix Up tent for Saturday's perilously early midday slot, bright young up-and-comers Vallis Alps served up their dreamy brand of Chrome Sparks-like electronica to new ears. The Canberra and Seattle-based duo blitzed their fourth ever live show (yep, kids today), cranking a beauty of a Bon Iver 'Blood Bank' cover and finishing up with big buzz single 'Young'. MEGAN WASHINGTON Surrounded by metallic balloons and playing the absolute crap out of her beloved keyboard, Washington delivered one of her most energetic, stadium-like sets yet. The real showstopper? A mid-'My Heart Is a Wheel' cover of Real McCoy's 'Another Night', with Washo's keyboardist crushing that immortal 'rap' bit. Plus, punters got to nab those silver balloons, most of which were released into the night during Tame Impala's amphitheatre set. Magic. #1 DADS Last show for Tom Isanek's #1 Dads side project, and what an emotional feelbucket it was — from the heartbreaking 'Return To' featuring Tom Snowdon to that glorious, widely celebrated cover of FKA Twigs’s 'Two Weeks’. JOHNNY MARR Watching a legend play their own iconic guitar lick reminds you of how many bad cover bands you've seen over the years. Legendary guitarist for The Smiths Johnny Marr commanded the GW McLennan tent with tracks from his latest album The Messenger, but indulged in a few Smiths classics for fans, nailing Morrissey's warbling vocals in 'There Is a Light That Never Goes Out' and finishing up with the howling 'How Soon Is Now'. Images: Bianca Holderness, A. Catt, Justin Ma, Savannah Vander Niet, Claudia Ciapocha, Ian Laidlaw, Stephen Booth, Marc Grimwade, UV Boi.
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to watching anything, we're here to help. From the latest and greatest to old favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue for June. NEW STUFF TO WATCH NOW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5RDTPfsLAI DA 5 BLOODS A fiery examination of both the Vietnam War and US race relations, Da 5 Bloods is a Spike Lee film through and through. It nods liberally to its influences, such as Apocalypse Now, but only the acclaimed Do the Right Thing and BlacKkKlansman filmmaker could've made a war movie this affecting, incisive, entertaining and politically astute — especially given its focus on African American men expected to fight and die for the same country that still struggles to treat them equally. Plot-wise, the part combat drama, part heist thriller, part history lesson follows four ex-soldiers (Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis and Isiah Whitlock Jr) who make the trip back to Ho Chi Minh City decades after the conflict. They're searching for buried gold, as well as for the remains of their beloved squad leader (Chadwick Boseman, as seen in flashbacks). In Lee's hands, and with Lindo taking charge as a PTSD-afflicted, MAGA hat-wearing veteran, the results are energetic, passionate, and both intellectually and emotionally stunning. Da 5 Bloods is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEiwpCJqMM0 THE VAST OF NIGHT When strange things start happening in a 50s-era New Mexico small town while most of its residents are attending a school basketball game — unusual lights in the sky, and eerie sounds interrupting both radio broadcasts and phone calls — radio DJ Everett (Jake Horowitz) and phone switchboard operator Fay (Sierra McCormick) decide to investigate. That's the premise behind The Vast of Night, and it couldn't be more simple and straightforward; however this smart and engaging sci-fi film is inventive and compelling from the moment it begins. In terms of its narrative, a few surprises pop up, even for those with a knowledge of history. But it's the movie's strong focus on character and its commanding style that's always riveting. Every shot, every camera movement and, crucially, every single sound contributes to an ambitious and gripping filmmaking debut (and a certain calling card) from first-time feature director Andrew Patterson. The Vast of Night is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWYPlhHbKtM RAMY In Ramy's first season, creator, writer, director and star Ramy Youssef explored the daily life of his on-screen surrogate: Ramy Hassan, a twenty-something New Jersey-based American Muslim of Egyptian heritage. Ramy struggles to reconcile his culture, religion and family's expectations with his own wants, needs and dreams, continually professing his desire to make the right choices while often overtly following questionable paths. In the show's just-released ten-episode second season, the same still rings true — although, this time, Ramy seeks guidance from a new Sheik (Moonlight and Green Book Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali, who's excellent as always) while getting closer to the latter's daughter (MaameYaa Boafo). Youssef won a Golden Globe for his first-season performance earlier this year, and he's just as great in the next batch of episodes; however, it's the show's continual refusal to gloss over, ignore, excuse or accept Ramy's frequent array of self-sabotaging decisions that stands out. The just-released second season of Ramy is available to stream via Stan. The show's first season is also available, too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGcJL6TG5cA SNOWPIERCER First, the bad news: Snowpiercer, the series, isn't directed by Bong Joon-ho. Now, the good news: while it isn't as great as Bong's film — because, honestly, how could it be? — it takes the same dystopian concept, heightens the suspense and drama, and serves up a class warfare-fuelled survivalist thriller that also spends its first five episodes unravelling a murder-mystery. Think constant twists, reveals and reversals, cliffhangers at the end of almost every scene, and a 'Murder on the Snowpiercer Express' kind of vibe. Once again, it all takes place on a 1001-car locomotive carrying the last remnants of humanity while constantly circling the frozen earth. Hamilton's Tony Award-winning Daveed Diggs plays an ex-detective who has spent seven years in the tail end of the train, only to be summoned to the upper carriages when bodies start piling up. Also excellent: Jennifer Connelly as the engine's all-seeing, ever-present head of hospitality. The first five episodes of Snowpiercer, the series, are available to stream via Netflix — with new episodes dropping weekly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaMIcuVH83M&feature=emb_logo THE BEACH Whenever Warwick Thornton makes a new project, it demands attention — and the Indigenous Australian filmmaker has never made anything quite like The Beach. The director of Samson & Delilah and Sweet Country turns the camera on himself, chronicling his quest to escape his busy life for an extended soul-searching getaway. With only chickens and wildlife for company, Thornton bunkers down in an electricity-free tin shed in Jilirr, on the Dampier Peninsula on the northwest coast of Western Australia. He fishes, cooks, chats to the chooks, wanders along the shoreline and reflects upon everything that's led him to this point, with this six-part documentary series capturing the ups, downs, sublime sights and epiphany-inspiring moments. Unfurling quietly and patiently in the slow-TV tradition, Thornton's internal journey of discovery makes for both moving and absorbing viewing. Indeed, combined with stunning cinematography (as shot by Thornton's son and Robbie Hood director Dylan River), it just might be the best piece of Australian television you see this year. The Beach is available to stream via SBS On Demand. ONES TO WATCH OUT FOR LATER IN THE MONTH https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_ozcr43fP4 WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS First hitting cinemas back in 2014, What We Do in the Shadows is a perfect comedy. It's clever and creative, finds new ways to satirise and deploy familiar tropes, genres and formats, and features a spot-on cast — and, of course, the Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement co-directed, co-written and co-starring movie is also sidesplittingly funny. Thankfully, the film's US TV spinoff also fits the above description. Focusing on a group of vampires living in a Staten Island sharehouse (rather than the original movie's Wellington location), it could never be considered a mere small-screen copy. Instead, it's a lively and captivating addition to the broader What We Do in the Shadows universe, which also includes New Zealand series Wellington Paranormal. Back for a second season (and already renewed for a third, too), the What We Do in the Shadows television show has two specific aces up its sleeves, too: the combined on-screen talents of Matt Berry, Kayvan Novak and Natasia Demetriou as three of the central bloodsuckers, plus the time to delve deeper into their undead world. The second season of What We Do in the Shadows is available to stream via Foxtel Now from Thursday, June 25, with new episodes added weekly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q6Co-nd0lM EUROVISION SONG CONTEST: THE STORY OF FIRE SAGA As music, spandex and glitter fans everywhere know, the Eurovision Song Contest didn't go ahead this year. That's left a sizeable Europop-shaped hole in plenty of hearts; however Netflix's new comedy is here to help. Called Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, the film follows two Icelandic singers who've always wanted to represent their country at the famed sing-off. Lars Erickssong (Will Ferrell) and Sigrit Ericksdottir (Rachel McAdams) aren't particularly well-liked in their homeland, but when they're named as the next Eurovision contestants, they're determined to prove that chasing their lifelong dream was worth it. Directed by Wedding Crashers, The Change-Up and The Judge filmmaker David Dobkin, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga looks set to feature plenty of Ferrell's over-the-top antics, as well as icy backdrops and a song called 'Volcano Man'. Also on offer: a fierce rivalry between Fire Saga and fellow competitor Alexander Lemtov (Legion's Dan Evans), and a cast that spans Pierce Brosnan and Demi Lovato. Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga will be available to stream via Netflix from Friday, June 26. CULT CLASSICS TO REVISIT AND REDISCOVER https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA87ltqFEIQ IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA This May, when It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia was renewed for a 15th season, it made history. When those episodes make it to the screen, the cult US sitcom will become the longest-running live-action comedy series that's ever aired on American television. That mightn't sound all that surprising given the general concept — a group of friends (Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, Kaitlin Olson and Danny DeVito) try to run their own Irish pub and usually fail at everything they attempt — but It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's dark, nihilistic and irreverent sense of humour is all its own. This is a show that's dedicated most of its episodes to a whole range of taboo topics, after all, while also watching its characters stage a twisted rock opera and make their own version of Lethal Weapon 6. Indeed, when it comes to satirising despicable behaviour and attitudes, It's Always Sunny is on another level. Amazon Prime Video is now streaming the first 13 seasons, which means you now have 144 episodes to binge. The first 13 seasons of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia are available to stream via Amazon Prime Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Skpu5HaVkOc ALMOST EVERY FAST AND FURIOUS MOVIE It's the big-budget franchise that likes driving speedily and passionately, can't get enough over-the-top car antics and loves filling its frames with a constant onslaught of hectic stunts. It's also the Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster and Michelle Rodriguez-starring saga that adores family — and Corona-swilling friends who become family — just as much as vehicular mayhem. And, it's ridiculously entertaining. Not every Fast and Furious movie is a winner (2 Fast 2 Furious definitely isn't, for example), but this huge series boasts more than a few high points. Of course, 2020 will no longer see the saga's ninth official film hit cinemas, with F9's release postponed until 2021 due to COVID-19; however you can now marathon the first seven movies on Stan. Come for a Point Break ripoff that swaps surfing for street racing, which is where it all began. Then, stay as everyone from Tyrese Gibson, Gal Gadot, Eva Mendes and Ludacris to Dwayne Johnson, Luke Evans, Jason Statham and Kurt Russell shows up, because of course they do. The Fast and Furious collection — featuring the franchise's first seven movies — is available to stream via Stan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw1euaNtuXM SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL'S PAST HITS Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's Sydney Film Festival didn't take place physically. Instead, it moved online, making 33 new films available for cinephiles to stream at home. And, as part of the one-off virtual move, SFF 2020 also features a whole heap of ace movies that have previously screened at the festival — 40 of them in fact, all thanks to a Sydney Film Festival Selects collection on SBS On Demand. It's a best-of lineup, so get ready to revisit Studio Ghibli co-production The Red Turtle, Taika Waititi's Boy, the Greta Gerwig-starring Frances Ha, Aussie comedy That's Not Me and New Zealand's The Breaker Upperers. You can also feast your eyes on Palme d'Or winner The Square, Scandi thriller The Guilty, Turkish drama Mustang and Xavier Dolan's Heartbeats, among other films. And, they're all available to watch for free. The Sydney Film Festival Selects Collection is available to stream via SBS On Demand until Friday, July 10. Top images: Da 5 Bloods via David Lee/Netflix; Ramy via Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu; Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga via Elizabeth Viggiano/Netflix.
Being careful what you wish for sits at the heart of most superhero movies. As advice for Spider-Man, Stan Lee even penned an oft-quoted adage about that very notion. Shazam! Fury of the Gods' caped crusaders all know that using their super skills wisely is a duty — yes, with great power comes great responsibility — and they're aware that doing just that comes with struggles. They aren't great at unleashing their magical talents, however, earning the nickname "the Philadelphia Fiascos". But the folks truly realising they should've been more cautious with their dreams are this Shazam! sequel's viewers. Another riff on Big, The Goonies, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Ghostbusters in DC Extended Universe packaging like its 2019 predecessor sounds a heap better than the forgettable superheroes-versus-gods fare that's eventuated — a movie that isn't that fussed with the powers it has and sports zero responsibility for barely managing to be average. Shazam! Fury of the Gods hasn't completely moved on from nodding to beloved 80s flicks, though, or from referencing other films in general. Early on, it gives 'Holding Out for a Hero', which was originally recorded for the OG Footloose, a perfunctory spin. And, where the first Shazam! instalment was earnest and enthusiastic around all those winks and all that pilfering, this second effort uses E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial's Reese's Pieces product placement as a guide for shoehorning in a Skittles commercial. When it isn't having someone yell "taste the rainbow", it also likes name-dropping titles owned by Warner Bros, which owns DC Studios — or movies connected to its on- and off-screen players. So, in a picture that's about kids and teens transforming into spandex-wearing saviours when they say "shazam!", then fighting the mythical Daughters of Atlas, audiences are subjected to clunky, self-conscious Game of Thrones shoutouts and Fast and Furious gags (a dragon sparks the former, and star Helen Mirren and co-screenwriter Chris Morgan's experience with Vin Diesel's high-octane saga revs up the latter). Speaking of F&F, Shazam! Fury of the Gods also goes all-in on family — but Billy Batson (Asher Angel, High School Musical: The Musical — The Series) and his pals are too young to knock back Coronas. Also, Shazam! Fury of the Gods isn't much concerned with Billy in his normal guise, giving his Shazam self (Zachary Levi, Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood) the bulk of the character's screentime. The time for origin stories has been and gone here, but largely ditching Angel robs this franchise-within-a-franchise of one of its main points of difference in the DCEU. None of the series' other flicks are about awkward adolescents learning to grapple with power, and understanding that their wildest dreams aren't as easy as they'd always hoped. Shazam! Fury of the Gods still manages to hit some of those notes thanks to a bigger focus on Billy's best friend and fellow foster kid Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer, We Are Who We Are), a person with disability, but sidelining the teenager who turns into Shazam is clumsy and noticeable. Similarly plain as day from scene one: that Shazam! Fury of the Gods got as lucky as any superhero movie can with its new cast members. The film opens at the Acropolis Museum in Greece, where two of Atlas' offspring are determined to get back the Wizard's (Djimon Hounsou, Black Adam) broken staff and reclaim their dad's magic — and those two daughters, Hespera and Kalypso, come in the form of Mirren (1923) and Lucy Liu (Strange World). Despite splashing around the film's fondness for dim lighting and dull CGI early, this introductory sequence lets its big-name talents make more of an imprint standing around in their costumes and looking formidable than much that follows. Indeed, whenever Mirren and Liu are on-screen, and West Side Story's Rachel Zegler as well, Shazam! Fury of the Gods makes a case for pushing aside not just Billy, but Shazam and everyone else. This is still a Shazam! movie, of course, and not solely a vehicle for Mirren, Liu and Zegler to play goddesses and have fun. So, returning director David F Sandberg (Lights Out, Annabelle: Creation) and screenwriters Morgan (Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw) and Henry Gayden (Earth to Echo) have motions to go through. Cue Billy aka Shazam, Freddy aka Captain Everypower (Adam Brody, Fleishman Is in Trouble), and their foster siblings Eugene (Fresh Off the Boat's Ian Chen, then 13 Reasons Why's Ross Butler as a superhero), Pedro (Snowfall's Jovan Armand and From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series' DJ Cotrona), Darla (This Is Us' Faithe Herman and Harlem's Meagan Good) and Mary (Fall's Grace Caroline Currey as both versions of the character) trying to save Philly. And, in the process, cue their efforts to work out how to be careful with their fantastical abilities. Amid the bland jokes, The Avengers get a callout. Rather than being cheeky or funny, that quip among many flat quips acts as a glaring reminder that caped-crusader team-ups are oh-so familiar. Marvel's and DC's superhero franchises both include several, with Shazam! Fury of the Gods hardly distinguishing itself from any apart from its magic utterances. The pixel-frenzy battle scenes definitely don't dazzle, whether or not they involve Skittles. That said, some might've if the monster menagerie conjured up by Hespera and Kalypso had boasted a Ray Harryhausen-style approach. Yes, there's a lot of woulda, coulda, shoulda about the Shazam! films' second outing, which might be its last depending on what new DC Studios heads James Gunn (the director of The Suicide Squad) and Peter Safran (a producer on the same flick, and on this, the first Shazam! and Aquaman) summon up. New head honchos, new era: that's where the DCEU currently stands, with Gunn and Safran taking up their jobs in late 2022. Changes have sprung swiftly, including badging what'll come after 2023's The Flash, Blue Beetle and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom as just the DC Universe. Henry Cavill has been scrapped as Superman, but the Man of Steel will get a new flick helmed by Gunn. Also, more Black Adam is off the cards. The Batman will score a sequel, but there'll also be a Batman who isn't played by Robert Pattinson (and not just because The Flash co-stars Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton). It's little wonder then that Shazam! Fury of the Gods doesn't just feel routine — rarely has a big-budget franchise entry felt like it matters less. At least it gave us Mirren, Liu and Zegler, a trio that everyone should wish for, livening up a by-the-numbers affair.
UPDATE, May 28, 2021: Free Solo is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play and YouTube Movies. Soaring 900 metres tall, its craggy edges and sheer surfaces jutting into the sky, El Capitan is one of earth's monsters. A granite cliff in Yosemite National Park, it's a formidable sight, striking fear into the heart of anyone averse to heights, making even the steadiest on their feet feel shaky, and casting a long shadow over the world below. To stand at the bottom of the mammoth monolith is to stand at the base of a giant. To scale its heights is to ascend into the heavens. But you don't need to have experienced El Cap's eye-catching expanse in person to feel its inescapable power. Even on the big screen, the glorious rock formation is staggering — and it gets plenty of screen time in Free Solo. In a film that can't stop looking at El Cap, Alex Honnold does more than stare at the cliff's lofty size and gaze at its vertical terrain. A professional climber with 20 years experience and the centre of this stellar documentary, he's determined to scamper up the intimidating structure. He's not the first to scale the sheet of rock, but he is the first to do so without any ropes or support — and, just to make the deed even more difficult, he does it alone. That's free soloing. While the outcome of his attempt is now common knowledge, Free Solo steps through the process from start to finish, chronicling his setbacks and successes in a methodical manner. From contending that the climb is just too scary, to training through an injury that'd make anyone else quit, to facing his girlfriend Sanni's fretful feelings about his death-defying dream, the movie delves deep into Honnold's quest. The latest high-altitude, high-stakes picture from Meru filmmakers Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin — and a newly minuted Oscar nominee for this year's best doco prize — Free Solo is the tale of a cliff, a climber, and the latter's desire to conquer the former. But it's the story of humanity's yearning to explore, interrogate and brush up against our environment as well. Charting Honnold's unwavering commitment to his task, it's also an account of his preference for hanging precariously above the world instead of planting his feet firmly on the ground. The film shows how the possibility of dying can't deter someone so dedicated from pursuing their passion, and that the thrill of a seemingly impossible challenge is as intoxicating as any drug. This nerve-wracking movie also details the intense preparation and planning required not just to make such a climb, but to capture it on camera. And, it examines the toll of documenting Honnold's feat, pondering whether the picture immortalises history or jeopardises his life. In short, Free Solo has as many angles as El Cap's ledges and crevices, however Honnold is the film's own towering presence. Vasarhelyi and Chin can't claim to lay bare their subject's psyche — he's a man of action more than talk — but they can and do reveal plenty about the wiry thirty-something. The documentary acts as a coming-of-age narrative of sorts, tracking Honnold's transformation from living in a van, eating slapped-together dinners out of a frying pan and dedicating every waking minute to climbing, to buying a house, finding room for someone else in his life, and experiencing the ups and downs of being in a serious relationship. And yet, it's never more revelatory than when it's simply staring at his face while he's gripping a slab of granite, his precariously placed fingertips the only things keeping him from plummeting down a nearly one-kilometre drop. Of course, that's not to say that Free Solo doesn't boast plenty of other spectacular sights. Seeing Honnold suspended against his surroundings will stick with audiences long after watching, as will the stunning Yosemite scenery. Indeed, the exceptional footage compiled by Vasarhelyi, Chin and their dedicated team (all mostly climbers themselves) proves nothing short of a technical and visual marvel, as edited to precision by veteran Bob Eisenhardt. But the calm, focused, assured gleam in Honnold's eye still says more than any other image can — and more than words as well. As counter-intuitive as it may seem, every second that the film spends on his zen-like expression paints a picture of pure intensity and exhilaration. What's more astonishing, dazzling and ultimately life-affirming than witnessing someone so relaxed and confident in the face of such extreme danger? What's more tense and thrilling, too? Butterflies in the stomach, fidgeting fingers and a near-unshakeable case of the jitters all spring from Free Solo as well, with the movie hitting several nerves. It's never easy to accept one's mortality. In fact, it's the hardest thing we're ever tasked with doing during our time alive, even when we're just sitting in a cinema watching someone else put their existence on the line. That's the crux of this equally insightful and scary documentary, which serves up more suspense than most horror flicks. As well as chronicling an awe-inspiring story, every frame of Free Solo offers a palpable, visceral reminder of life's enormous risks and immense rewards — and to the filmmakers' credit, you're all but certain to feel the impact in your constantly sweaty palms. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XhsuT0xctI
What is being touted as an unforgettable experience, the Apex Art & Music Festival boasts an incredibly diverse range of creative talents showcasing their work through a variety of media. If you like music, art and film or any combination of the three then you simply must attend and gorge yourself on some of Brisbane’s finest. For the music lovers, there is a killer line-up of local talent. On the bill are talented groups such as Youth Allowance (pictured), Rabbit, Boss Moxi, LSD Ratkings, Horris, The Worriers and heaps more, plus several DJ’s will be on hand to keep the groove going in between sets. Visual Art fans will be able to view work from several up and coming names in the local scene. Visual artists such Daniel Vincent, Jake Stewart and Seb Rumore will share wall space with photographers such as Henry Harbeck and the Stranger And Fiction collective and projection art from Idam and Marisa Georgiou. Also be sure to check out the new skate film, City Bound – presented by Woodfolk. Tickets are $10 pre-sale or $15 on the door - make sure you get in early or you won't be able to get inside.
Since the mid-90s, Paul Rudd has been a constant presence on both big and small screens. First, he won over Beverly Hills' coolest teen in Clueless, joined horror royalty in Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers and somehow became the unattractive romantic alternative in Romeo + Juliet. Then, he helped deliver San Diego's news in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, ran for office against Leslie Knope in Parks & Recreation and became the world's smallest superhero in Ant-Man. The list goes on, spanning a trip to camp in Wet Hot American Summer, plus appearances on Friends and Veronica Mars. But it's Netflix's new series Living With Yourself that's finally giving the world all the Paul Rudd that anyone could ever ask for. Both asking and answering the question we've all been pondering for decades — aka why have one Paul Rudd when you can have two? — Living With Yourself is yet another existential comedy. That said, as written by Emmy Award-winning The Daily Show producer Timothy Greenberg, and directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Battle of the Sexes, Ruby Sparks, Little Miss Sunshine), the show finds its own charming niche amongst this growing genre. While the likes of The Good Place, Forever, Russian Doll, Miracle Workers, Maniac and Undone have each contemplated existence and our place in it, they haven't pondered whether we're all actually our own worst enemies in this comic but insightful fashion. Twice the Paul Rudd is twice as nice, obviously; however the two versions of his character cause quite the chaos in Living With Yourself, especially given that the double-up is a wholly unintended development. Everyone's favourite ageless star plays Miles, a burnt-out writer turned advertising agency employee struggling through an average life, until he discovers an unusual solution. Heading to a day spa recommended by a colleague, he's looking to come out relaxed and refreshed. That happens, but only because he's replaced by a clone and left for dead. Although the new and improved version of Miles couldn't be happier, the old version is still hanging around. So, the original Miles and the new Miles have to work out how to co-exist — and if they even can. How the pair handle their shared life, wife Kate (Irish actor and comedian Aisling Bea), career and identity fuels the show's eight-episode first season, as do plenty of weighty matters — including the quest to try to be a better version of ourselves. That's a notion that Living With Yourself's fellow existential comedies all deal with in different ways, and it's one that never stops being relevant. Here, in a series that comes layered with a heft dose of melancholy, that tussle not only gets a literal spin, but fuels an engaging, thoughtful and amusing show that does much more than just duplicate one of entertainment's beloved talents. Before binging the whole first series, check out the trailer for Living With Yourself below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w54yW2Ur50 All eight episodes of Living With Yourself's first season are available on Netflix now. Images: Netflix.
What would Brisbane Festival be without a new show from Strut & Fret Productions? It wouldn't be boring, but it certainly wouldn't be quite as bright. After bringing Blanc de Blanc, Limbo Unhinged and Fun House to the fest in previous years, the creative outfit return with LIFE - The Show, which once again takes over The Courier-Mail Spiegeltent. Cocktails, clowns, cabaret, circus and acrobatics are all a part of this world-premiere effort, serving up a celebration of what it means to be human and alive, as the name suggests. A word of warning: Strut & Fret's shows are always popular, which is why it's running every night except Mondays for the entire duration of the festival, aka until Saturday, September 29.
When John Safran was making his comedy/doco program John Safran vs God for SBS in 2004, his segment on Catholicism included a guest spot from South Melbourne Catholic Priest Father Bob Maguire. It was one of the show’s standout moments: the sardonic Father Bob playing off Safran’s nebbish persona like they’d just come off a 30-week Neil Simon run on Broadway. The relationship continued in television and radio, and Father Bob’s increasing media profile led to him to become every non-Catholic’s favourite Catholic: an outspoken priest who seemed unafraid of offending the Church with his opinions. Because of Bob's notoriety, it's not unreasonable to approach this documentary with trepidation. Would the film simply be repeating what we already knew about Bob? Would it be more suitable for a crowd who’d never heard of him? The film does play to an audience unfamiliar with Bob’s extraordinary personality, but even those who are fans of the man will find much to learn here. And it’s actually Safran who goes unexplained throughout the film. He appears sporadically — most satisfactorily as 'Death' in a beachside callback to Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal — without much comment. This is not necessarily a bad thing; enigmatic figures are an underrated tool for fostering audience intrigue. But it's Father Bob who is the star of the show. Filmed over the period during which the Catholic Church was trying to forcibly eject him (deeming him "too old" at age 75), In Bob We Trust documents the opinions and work of a man who seems to understand the fundamental message of Christ better than many of his counterparts. Not only that, but he puts it into practice. His well-fostered grumpy persona is the perfect conduit for what seems to be a genuine frustration at the Catholic Church's attitude towards women, gays, refugees, the poor, etc. He nearly explodes at the idea of having to explain to his superiors why he keeps spending money on the less fortunate. Lynn-Maree Milburn again proves herself a masterful director, following her superb documentary Autoluminescent: Rowland S Howard in 2011. She confidently steps back when the scene demands it but isn’t afraid to ramp up the production values (jump cuts, non-diegetic music and anything that dares to threaten the film’s verisimilitude with artifice) when needed. Father Bob continuously insists that he himself should not be the message, and the film’s central thesis largely bears this out: Bob is presenting to us the reason and the ideal of Catholicism, what it should be and what it could be. He does not particularly wish to be venerated, and the film respects that whilst slyly paying tribute to a man of extraordinary grace, intelligence, wit and compassion.
Australians under the age of 40, it's time to roll up your sleeves — because the country's slow-moving vaccine campaign is finally opening up the Pfizer jab to all Aussies between 16–39. If you're in that age group, you don't fall into the high-risk or high-priority categories outlined by the Australian Government and you'd prefer to get Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, you've been spending all of this year waiting to get vaxxed; however, come Monday, August 30, it'll now be your turn. In a press conference today, Thursday, August 19, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that "the cabinet met today to affirm that we will be moving to opening up 16–39-year-olds for the balance of the program and intend that to commence on 30 August." That doesn't mean you can book just yet, though. "I want to stress, do not make a booking yet. We will advise when bookings can be made. It isn't today. We will advise when the time will come over the course of the next week," the Prime Minister continued. The Pfizer jab is the recommended COVID-19 vaccine for all Australians under the age of 60, but the country's vaccination rollout has been targeting high-priority and high-risk groups first, and then working backwards in terms of age range. In New South Wales only, folks aged 16–39 who live in Greater Sydney's 12 Local Government Areas that are currently under tighter lockdown conditions have been able to get the Pfizer vaccine since today, but that's the only part of the country that's been giving that specific jab to adults under 40 that aren't considered high-risk. So, before the month is out, around 8.6 million Australians will get their chance to receive the Pfizer shot, which will obviously give the nation's vaccination numbers a considerable boost. At the time of writing, 21.9 percent of Aussies are fully vaccinated, which includes 27.29 percent above the age of 16. And, as announced by the Prime Minister, 50 percent of Australians have now had their first dose. The AstraZeneca vaccine has been available to Australians of any age since late June, and will still be available — but, until the end of this month, Pfizer has only been open to under 40s if they're of of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent; work in quarantine, border or healthcare roles; work or live in an aged care or disability facility; work in a critical and high-risk job such as defence, fire, police, emergency services and meat processing; have an underlying medical condition or significant disability; are pregnant; or participate in the NDIS, or care for someone who does. From September, there'll also be a third type of COVID-19 shot available to Aussies, with the Moderna jab just getting local approval this month. If you're eager to look for vaccination clinics — to plan ahead for when you can get vaxxed — you can check out a handy online map that collates vaccination hub, clinic and GP locations. It covers all Australian states and territories, including New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. Australia's Pfizer vaccination rollout will open to all Aussies aged between 16–39 from Monday, August 30. For further information, head to the Australian Government Department of Health website.
Feel like startin' something? Now's the time to finally perfect your moonwalk—a celebration of Michael Jackson's unique artistry has hit Australia in the form of multiple Tony Award®-winning MJ the Musical, with the Australian Premiere now playing at the Sydney Lyric Theatre. The global touring musical's Sydney stint is brought to you by director and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, supported by Destination NSW. [caption id="attachment_991797" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied.[/caption] Centred around the making of The King of Pop's 1992 Dangerous World Tour, MJ the Musical offers a rare look at the creativity and collaborative spirit that landed Jackson legendary status. You'll be out of your seats in no time. The musical features 25 hits, including all your favourites like Beat It, Billie Jean and Bad, plus plenty more. If you want the full VIP experience, why not go in the draw to win a bunch of epic experiences? Lucky winners will score four A-reserve tickets to a performance of MJ the Musical on select nights from Sunday, March 9 onwards, two nights of accommodation at Novotel Darling Harbour for a group of four, and a pre-theatre dinner at the Ternary for four people on one night. Winners will also get their hands on the official MJ Program and Merchandise pack and be treated to a backstage tour and meet and greet with some of the cast. Not in Sydney? No worries. We will hook you up with return flights from the nearest capital city. The competition is only open to those in Victoria, Queensland, ACT and New South Wales, and all prize elements are subject to availability. [competition]991802[/competition] Images: Original Broadway Cast, supplied. For more information on MJ the Musical, visit the website.
Antebellum opens with a sprawling, roving and weaving single-take shot that's designed to garner attention from the get-go. Constantly roaming — and saturated with both sunlight and colour, in case you aren't instantly glued to its vivid sights — it surveys a stereotypical-looking plantation in America's south. This is where resident belle Elizabeth (Jena Malone) lives. A troop of Confederate soldiers under the leadership of Captain Jasper (Jack Huston) also call it home, too. And when the latter aren't in combat, they join Elizabeth in imposing their might on the property's other residents: its enslaved Black workers. Watching this conspicuously eye-catching introduction, it helps to know what Antebellum's title actually means. The term refers to a time before a war, and is typically used in relation to the American Civil War — but, in the movie's first sequence, it certainly seems as if that historical conflict is raging away. Indeed, that'd explain the soldiers' presence, as well as the cruelty and brutality meted out to the plantation's slaves for daring to speak while picking cotton, refusing to acquiesce to every single order or trying to escape. First-time writer-directors Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz haven't chosen Antebellum's moniker by accident, though, and that clash between the word's definition and the sights seen on-screen is crucial to their movie. Yes, Antebellum hinges on a twist, endeavouring to use the horror genre to explore US race relations in the manner that Jordan Peele has recently perfected. Alas, this copy-cat flick consistently proves far less surprising, powerful and clever than it thinks it is. Here's the setup: attempted runaway Eden (Janelle Monáe) is one of the property's enslaved workers, and subject not just to beatings, brandings and forced labour, but also raped regularly by the general (Eric Lange) who has claimed her as his own. She's planning another escape; however, thoroughly unexpectedly given the surroundings, a mobile phone suddenly rings. Now Monáe's character is called Veronica Henley, and she's a well-known activist and author. Also, everything about her life — including the conference in New Orleans she attends, meeting up with her outspoken best friend Dawn (Gabourey Sidibe) while she's there — is firmly set in the 21st century. Obviously, how Monáe's dual roles intertwine is best discovered by watching, as is the reappearance of Too Old to Die Young's Malone as a modern-day caller for Veronica. But even if you'd hardly call yourself a horror or thriller fan, or even just a movie buff, the big shift here isn't hard to guess. Bush and Renz rely so heavily on their one twist that the film resembles M Night Shyamalan's more forgettable works more than Get Out, Us or TV series Lovecraft Country, and suffers noticeably as a result. Their aim is undeniably bold, smart and timely, unpacking systemic racism by not only looking at how Black Americans have been treated both in the present and in the country's history, but by finding a way to firmly, unmistakably connect the two. And yet, Antebellum feels more like an exercise in making a provocative genre film than a feature that actually says something substantial about engrained prejudice in the US — a topic that sadly continues to remain relevant, but is treated here as stock-standard horror fodder. Take the movie's always-lurid, often-violent imagery as an example. Visually, Antebellum isn't easily forgotten, but its parade of grim frames is a double-edge sword. On the one hand, it reinforces how horrific the idea of slavery is, and shows the audience exactly why in graphic detail. Of course, viewers already know this, even without such heavy-handed reminder. Accordingly, Bush and Renz seem to revel in startling sights almost for the sake of it. If its main victim didn't seem so much like a symbol — more than a fleshed-out character, that's for sure — Antebellum might've succeeded in getting viewers to stare unflinchingly at her pain, experiencing it with her like Australian standout The Nightingale did so expertly, but it really just appears to put her through the wringer to evoke shocks rather than emotion. Most of Antebellum's cast are only asked to fit a specific type, too, as Malone, Huston and Lange all demonstrate. In fact, although Kiersey Clemons (Hearts Beat Loud) pops up as a new arrival at the plantation and Tongayi Chirisa (iZombie) also features among the property's fellow captives, the film tasks them with little more than being present and distraught. The exception is Monáe, with the Moonlight and Hidden Figures star turning in a masterly performance. That's a credit to the musician-turned-actor and her all-round excellence more than the material, though. And if everything around her didn't feel so formulaic and calculating, this'd be a far better film — rather than just an ambitious one that mistakes jumping on a bandwagon for actually making a meaningful statement. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nf--afqelY
Last Christmas, Woolloongabba's South City Square did what plenty of other patches of Brisbane tend to when things get festive. Yes, it played host to a sprawling market setup. It isn't that time of year again yet, but the site is still welcoming in a collection of stalls selling plenty of items — this time from 10am–2pm on Saturday, June 27. That's when The Market Folk will once again take over the place, putting on a winter pop-up. We hope you like clothes, jewellery, ceramics, plants, pots, homewares and art, because you'll find it all here. Expect a big focus on design — so you won't be browsing and buying just any old wares. It all tales place in a brick-lined, industrial-style space, which'll make you feel like you're wandering around a European-style market. As well as the shopping, there'll be live music and creative workshops. There'll be bites to eat as well, thanks to a range of food trucks.
If you're in Brisbane and you spend the first day of 2026 catching Dom Dolla, Kid Kudi and Addison Rae — plus Chris Stussy, KETTAMA, Luude, 070 Shake, Balu Brigada, Cassian and more — you'll be starting the year in quite the memorable fashion. If you're in Perth and you dedicate Saturday, January 3 to the same, you will be, too. Your destination: Wildlands, which has dropped its 2026 lineup. Some music festivals spark a fear of missing out, usually thanks to a stacked roster of acts in one set location. Others help solve that feeling. For those in Brisbane and Perth, Wildlands falls into the second category if you've been watching announcements roll in for Beyond The Valley and Lost Paradise. Plenty of the folks on both of those event's bills are now also heading to Queensland and Western Australia. [caption id="attachment_1005090" align="alignnone" width="1920"] shevindphoto[/caption] Wildlands' Sunshine State stop has moved a day from its usual timing — swapping ending one year with starting the next one. Brisbanites can put Thursday, January 1 in their diaries, then, with Brisbane Showgrounds playing host to the fest. The change of date was made to ensure that all headliners could hit the stage in peak slots. In Perth, Wildlands has always made its way into town in the early days of the new year, so 2026 is no different. Arena Joondalup is again the festival's home, this time on Saturday, January 3. Channel Tres, Fcukers, Miss Kaninna, NOTION and sim0ne are just some of the other names on the lineup, with everyone on the bill set to benefit from new stage designs. One example: a new 360-degree in-the-round stage with raised dance floors. Brisbane first welcomed Wildlands to the city at the end of 2019, with the teams behind Victoria's Beyond The Valley and Perth's Origin Fields fests giving the Queensland capital a big new summer party. Then, it was over the summer of 2022–23 that the festival expanded to Perth and Adelaide as well. Adelaide's event isn't happening in 2026, however. [caption id="attachment_1018445" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dillon Matthew[/caption] Wildlands 2026 Lineup Dom Dolla Addison Rae Kid Cudi Chris Stussy KETTAMA Luude 070 Shake NOTION SOTA Cassian Channel Tres Balu Brigada Fcukers Jazzy ZULAN sim0ne TEED RONA. Miss Kaninna WAX OFF Willo Mincy Mowgli May Wildlands 2026 Dates and Venues Thursday, January 1 — Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane Saturday, January 3 — Arena Joondalup, Perth Wildlands will hit Brisbane and Perth in January 2026. Head to the festival website for further details and tickets — including registering for presales, which start at 6pm local time on Tuesday, August 26, 2025. Wildlands images: Matija Smojver, Brendan Cecich and zanetaprell.
Sydney's Wild Life Zoo may be temporarily closed to the public, but its keepers are continuing to feed and care for its many animals, big, small, scaly and slimy. And it's inviting you to get in on the action this week when it live streams the feeding of one of its biggest residents. At 2.30pm AEDT on Wednesday, March 25, you can watch Rocky the mammoth 365-kilogram saltwater crocodile splash around in his large pool, clamp his jaws around snacks and maybe even show off a death roll or two. Before the feeding kicks off, there'll be a Q&A with Rocky's keepers Caroline, Ashley and Sofia, who'll be answering all of your questions about the world's largest reptile. Thankfully, this isn't the only live-stream the zoo is planning. Keep an eye on its Facebook page for future cute and slightly scary content, including possible koala cuddles, snake feeding and after-dark hangs with the nocturnal animals. Live-Stream: Feeding Time with Rocky the Crocodile is happening at 2.30pm AEDT via Wild Life Zoo's Facebook page.
If you keep up-to-date with world news, it's pretty easy to feel like you're living in a horror, science-fiction or bleakly dystopian film these days — or, as has been pointed out more than once on social media, an episode of Black Mirror. Perhaps that's just what being alive during a time of advanced capitalism is like? That's the idea behind Liam O'Brien's latest video work, Possessions. On display at the Institute of Modern Art between April 1 and 29, Possessions appropriates parts of all of the aforementioned movie genres to probe humanity's relationship with technology, how it influences our free will and the impact it has on our identities. O'Brien won IMA's annual Jeremy Hynes Award for best experimental Queensland artist in 2016 — and if you're keen to find out why, head to his website for an excerpt of the piece in question. Since graduating from the Queensland College of Art, O'Brien has exhibited both in Australia and abroad, and won several other prizes as well. If you went along to the Gallery of Modern Art's GOMA Q: Contemporary Queensland Art back in 2015, you'll be familiar with his work. If not, here's your chance to discover something new.
Imagine the movie Groundhog Day, except that instead of augmenting his knowledge and skill base with each nightly reset, Bill Murray's memory simply resets with it and he spends every day like it was the first: scared, confused and trying to figure out what's going on. Not as interesting, right? Well, therein lies the critical flaw in Before I Go To Sleep, a new 'thriller' starring Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth and Mark Strong. Kidman plays Christine, an amnesiac whose memory wipes itself clear every 24 hours, meaning with each new morning she must relearn who she is, what's happened to her and who that man lying next to her is — aka her husband, Ben (Firth). Helping her attempt to break the cycle is neuropsychiatrist Dr Nash (Strong), who compels Christine to leave a video message to herself each night so that she can slowly build upon her own memories the following day. Slowly, the memories begin to linger beyond the nightly reset and with them come growing suspicions that neither man in her life is being completely honest about the source of her condition. The film is based upon S.J. Watson's 2011 bestseller, but its slow-burn plot and predictable twists are far less forgiving on screen, where no amount of Kidman's trademark harrowed stares can engender the kind of tension it purports to have. The closest you come to frights in this film are courtesy of tactless incidental surprises like the sudden horn of a passing truck, and the lack of characters (with a suspects list of two) means the ultimate revelation is far from the scale a true climax deserves. Between the cast and the conceit, Before I Go To Sleep had the potential to explore some genuinely compelling ideas and offer a fresh spin on the Groundhog / Memento / Edge of Tomorrow premise, but instead it flounders in tawdry melodrama and leaves you largely unsatisfied. https://youtube.com/watch?v=L6ckwpaFbBM
Before mini-golf bars started popping up around Brisbane — Fortitude Valley, the Wintergarden, Chermside, Mt Gravatt and South Bank all have them, just to name a few spots — the Victoria Park Putt Putt Course provided a trusty place to get tap, tap, tapping. Don't go thinking that it doesn't like to theme its courses, just like its fellow golfing havens. Head by as Halloween approaches, in fact, and you'll see just how much it loves making over its turf. One of Brisbane's most recent traditions is also one of its most fun: themed mini golf at different times of year at Victoria Park. At Christmas, the site gives itself a festive revamp. At Easter, a candy-themed wonderland has popped up in the past. And the Halloween spirit kicks in leading up to the spookiest date of the year. From Friday, September 19–Sunday, November 2, the venue's greens will be getting a horror-themed makeover again — and, no, missing a hole in one won't be the most terrifying thing about your stint on the course. As it did in 2023 and 2024, the mini-golf spot is busting out something that's haunted one of Stephen King's best-known horror novels, the movies based on them, and just life in general: clowns being creepy, chilling and downright terrifying. [caption id="attachment_1020599" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied [/caption] Fancy seeing how you cope with eerie decorations while tap, tap, tapping? Wondering if that unsettling vibe will put you off your short game? When you're doing the monster mash on the green this year, you'll also be trying to avoid frightening zombies, ghouls and more. Haunted tents, creepy jack-in-the-boxes, evil clowns: they're among the petrifying things that'll be improving or scaring your short game again. So is a spot called Freakshow Freeway. If a haunted house was to meet up with a mini golf course, this is what it'd look like. Bookings are essential, with the course staying open till midnight on Friday and Saturday for maximum spook. Just remember that it's a family-friendly affair, so you'll likely have plenty of company — and tickets cost $24 per adult. [caption id="attachment_1020600" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied[/caption]
Sometimes, they do still make 'em like they used to: action-adventure rom-coms in this case. Drive a DeLorean back to 1984, to the year before Robert Zemeckis made DeLoreans one of the most famous types of movie cars ever, and the director's Romancing the Stone did huge box-office business — and it's that hit that The Lost City keenly tries to emulate. This new Sandra Bullock- and Channing Tatum-starring romp doesn't hide that aim for a second, and even uses the same broad overall setup. Once again, a lonely romance novelist is swept up in a chaotic adventure involving treasure, a jungle-hopping jaunt and a stint of kidnapping, aka exactly what she writes about in her best-selling books. The one big change: the writer is held hostage, rather than her sister. But if you've seen Romancing the Stone, you know what you're in for. Movies that blandly and generically recreate/riff on/rip off others will never be gleaming cinematic jewels; the good news is that The Lost City is neither dull nor dispiritingly derivative. Cinema has literally been there and done this before, but directors Aaron and Adam Nee (Band of Robbers) are gleefully aware of that fact and don't even pretend to pretend otherwise. Rather, they wink, nod, serve up a knowing tribute to the 80s fare they're following, and repeatedly make it as blatant as can be that everything they're doing is by design. Their tone is light, bouncy and breezy. Their cast, which also spans Daniel Radcliffe and a delightfully scene-stealing Brad Pitt, is always on that wavelength. Indeed, swap out the vibe or The Lost City's four biggest on-screen names and the film would fall apart, especially without Bullock and Tatum's charisma and chemistry. With them all, it remains by the numbers but also terrifically likeable. As penned by the Nees, Oren Uziel (Mortal Kombat) and Dana Fox (Cruella) — based on a story by Baywatch director Seth Gordon — The Lost City's plot is ridiculously easy to spot. Also, it's often flat-out ridiculous. Anyone who has ever seen any kind of flick along the same lines, such as Jungle Cruise most recently, will quickly see that Loretta Sage (Bullock, The Unforgivable), this movie's protagonist, could've penned it herself. Once she finds herself living this type of narrative, that truth isn't lost on her, either. First, though, she's five years into a grief-stricken reclusive spell, and is only out in the world promoting her new release because her publisher Beth (Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The United States vs Billie Holiday) forces her to. She's also far from happy at being stuck once again with the man who has been sharing her limelight over the years, Fabio-style model Alan (Tatum, Dog), who has graced her book's covers and had women falling over themselves to lust-read their pages. Loretta is hardly thrilled about the whole spectacle that becomes her latest Q&A as a result, and that makes her a distracted easy mark for billionaire Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe, Guns Akimbo) afterwards. He's noticed her new work, spotted similarities to the ancient riches he's chasing IRL, and gets his underlings to swoop in and snatch her up. His plan: leaning on Loretta's past as a serious historian to help him find his holy grail on a remote Atlantic island. She's given zero choice, but once the puppy dog-like Alan notices she's missing, he calls in expert assistance from devilishly suave and competent mercenary Jack Trainer (Pitt, Ad Astra). Of course, it doesn't take long for Loretta and Alan to be fleeing as an odd-couple duo, attempting to find the treasure, and endeavouring to avoid Abigail and his minions — and stay alive, obviously. 'Obviously' is a word that could be thrown at almost everything that occurs in The Lost City, but there's a gaping difference between being drably dutiful to a well-worn setup and having as much fun as possible with recognisable parts. Case in point: how Radcliffe enthusiastically hams it up in a part that's a simple next step from his TV work on Miracle Workers, but is always a joy to watch. See also: how the movie uses the long-locked Pitt, who clearly enjoys toying and parodying his own image, and is even introduced on the phone, unseen but audibly eating — which immediately deserves its place in the supercuts dedicated to his fondness for acting and noshing. And, another example: the liveliness that accompanies Pitt's big rescue scene, which is equally exciting and amusing. All of this epitomises The Lost City at its best. Well, that and the rapport between Bullock and Tatum. They're game for their tasks, which largely rely upon their familiar on-screen personas — she's sharp, he's a himbo, that contrast sparks screwball banter aplenty — and yet they shine as brightly as any long-lost gems. Also welcome: the fact that the age gap between The Lost City's key couple skews Bullock's way — she's 16 years Tatum's senior — and isn't turned into a big deal. Neither is the idea that a middle-aged writer could be attractive, or that wearing glasses, not always caring about your appearance and being smart don't instantly stop the same outcome. Having a 50-something female lead, treating her like an actual human, letting her intelligence and warmth be her defining traits: these shouldn't all feel as revolutionary as they do, but they're as dazzling as the pink sequinned jumpsuit that Bullock spends much of the movie traipsing around the jungle wearing. The Lost City knows that whole setup is ludicrous, too, in a film that unpacks the cliches that've always come with its chosen genre, updates its tropes for 2022 and still embraces goofy escapism. Bullock is comfortable in her role because she's played brainy rom-com women before; The Proposal and Miss Congeniality quickly come to mind. As for The Lost City itself, it's comfortable all-round because Bullock is its anchor — even with the joyously self-aware Tatum and Pitt, and the eagerly entertaining Radcliffe, always proving just as engaging to watch. Viewers can forgive the Nee brothers, then, for stretching the film out longer than the material genuinely supports. You can excuse the flabby spots because they're rarely flat as well, and because something new and silly tends to pop up seconds later. The movie a little too bluntly advocates for its own modest pleasures, courtesy of a speech by Alan about learning not to be embarrassed about modelling for Loretta's books, but it really didn't need to: Hollywood should still make thoroughly predictable yet still well-executed and gleaming-enough fare like this, and more often.
Sculpture in the Vineyards brings an artistic bend to the Hunter Valley with its annual arts and cultural festival, held throughout four independent vineyards in the Wollombi Valley from October 28 through December 3. This free public exhibition features site-specific, large scale sculptures which transform the boutique vineyards into exhibition parks. The celebration combines art, food and, of course, wine throughout the month, with tastings happening at each of the vineyard cellar doors. Visitors can also take guided tours, attend artist talks and workshops, learn about local Aboriginal history and feast at a wine and food degustation. Events will also take place at the nearby historic Wollombi Village. Entry into the exhibitions along the Wollombi Valley Wine Trail is free and open daily from 10am–6pm, with additional special events happening across the month.
When the Australian Government announced its three-step road map to a COVIDSafe Australia last month, it included a 100-person cap on gatherings in step three, which is set to be introduced in July. Today, Friday, June 12, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has lifted this cap and replaced it by a blanket four-square-metre rule. This means that bigger venues will be able to have bigger gatherings — and more than 100 people at events as long as they don't exceed one person per four square metres. The Prime Minister also announced that outdoor venues, such as stadiums, with a capacity of up to 40,000 will be allowed to open at 25 percent capacity, but events must be ticketed and seated. As the Prime Minister said, this means music festivals and nightclubs are still off the cards: "Large folk festivals where people are roaming around from tent to tent, from gathering to gathering, that is not something we're talking about here." Larger events that would be allowed as part of step three, according to the Prime Minister, include funerals, cultural performances and sports. [caption id="attachment_635708" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Letícia Almeida[/caption] Exactly when this will be allowed, though, is up to individual state and territory leaders. As has been the case throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the roadmap is a guideline and it's up to individual leaders to implement the steps — and amend the state laws — as they see fit. The Prime Minister did say, though, that the country was on track for the three-step process to be completed by July. Queensland has already outlined what step three could look like, and plans to introduce it on July 10. Victoria has plans to ease more restrictions on June 21 and again in mid-July. NSW is easing some restrictions tomorrow — including opening gyms and allowing gatherings of up to 20 people — but Premier Gladys Berejiklian said yesterday that more on the government's plans for July would be announced "imminently". To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
An old man, haunted by history, leans forward and whispers almost imperceptibly to a young, wide-eyed boy: "…let me tell you a story". As a narrative device it's far from new, though few films have used it as effectively as 1987's The Princess Bride. For lazy writers it's an easy way of skipping from one big scene to the next without having to weave in difficult or dreary exposition. For clever ones, it's a chance to play with form and occasionally even wink at the audience. In The Lone Ranger, it's just plain unnecessary and entirely unwise, instantly robbing the movie of much of its tension by revealing in the opening scene that at least one of its two protagonists lives to be an old shirtless man. The Lone Ranger reunites actor Johnny Depp with producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski, whose last collaboration was the hugely successful Pirates of The Caribbean. Creatively, it seems none of them have quite been able to let go of the past, with The Lone Ranger adopting (to its peril) much of the Pirates franchise's aesthetic and form. Even Depp's character, Tonto, just looks like Jack Sparrow without his hat and for whatever reason, the style doesn't hold water when it's not set on it. The Lone Ranger is, quite simply, an overly long (149 minutes) series of exaggerated action sequences without much of a plot to bind them together. Now you may have noticed that, despite him being both the star and title of the film, this review has so far overlooked the actual Lone Ranger. Why? Because that's exactly what the movie does. From the first teaser it was clear this film was being built around its biggest star, Depp, and not Armie Hammer, who last had to share billing with himself as the Winklevoss twins in The Social Network. Hammer makes a fine Ranger: tall, charming and good looking — he's every bit the polite and polished hero that our mothers loved. But this is the age of the gritty reboot, and pitting a deliberately unarmed lawyer against a villain who literally eats parts of his victims was like slamming two entirely different movies together and hoping nobody would mind. The brutality of the film's opening stages is impressively unsettling and William Fichtner makes a fine bad guy; however, the darkness quickly gives way to quirkiness, robbing the Ranger of any chance to be a proper hero. The Lone Ranger has some great moments, and no matter how incongruous it feels compared to modern soundtracks, the eruption of the iconic William Tell Overture during the film's climax will bring a smile to most faces. But it's just too long, and without any truly defining back story or characteristics, the Ranger will struggle to find an audience calling for this one-off to become a franchise.
UPDATE, December 9, 2020: Yesterday is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Dreaming of music stardom but spending a decade gigging around seaside Essex pubs, Jack Malik (Himesh Patel) is nobody's John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison or Ringo Starr. No one's except his lifelong friend and dedicated manager Ellie (Lily James), who thinks he's the fab four all rolled into one, and has remained by his side with a devotion that can only be explained by romantic affection (although Jack, of course, is blissfully unaware). Then, after a disastrous festival appearance, the aspiring singer-songwriter is hit by a bus during a global power outage. It's chaotic, and yet it's also a stroke of good luck. When he next whips out his guitar among friends, strumming and crooning The Beatles' 'Yesterday', he discovers that no one recognises what he's playing. "It's no Coldplay," one pal remarks. A lack of music knowledge doesn't explain his mates' obliviousness. As a quick internet search shows, the world knows nothing of John, Paul, George or Ringo (or Oasis, understandably). So springs Yesterday's terrific concept, as well as Jack's clearcut path to fame and fortune. Passing off The Beatles' work as his own, all his troubles seem so far away — if he's ever had a ticket to ride, this is it. Ed Sheeran (playing himself) hears his tunes, takes Jack under his wing and unleashes him on the public. A gleefully amoral Hollywood record executive, Debra (Kate McKinnon), helps capitalise upon his growing popularity. Releasing tracks like 'Let It Be' and 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand', he's soon bigger than, well, the band that no one has ever heard of. Arriving in the same year that has seen The Twilight Zone make a comeback and Black Mirror keep kicking on (and taking on pop music, too), Yesterday's premise is rife with smart satire, not to mention commentary about how the times are a-changing and cultural history along with it. The key word there is 'premise'. It's worth remembering that this jukebox musical is written by Love Actually's Richard Curtis, who has made feel-good romance a staple of everything from Four Weddings and a Funeral to Notting Hill to About Time. As a result, all his latest film and protagonist really need is love, apparently — and Jack and Ellie's will-they, won't-they dance is the least interesting part of Yesterday. It's easy to forgive the script for thinking that today's listeners could hear 'She Loves You' and 'Hey Jude' at basically the same time and think they're equally excellent, as unlikely as that would be. It's much harder to overlook the fact that the film just uses its promising gimmick (and excellent soundtrack) for nothing more than an average rom-com. Patel, playing the latest in Curtis' long line of flustered everyman characters, radiates genuine charisma. He's a joy to watch — and the fact that Yesterday embraces diversity, unlike the writer's previous work, is a pleasing development. James, nowhere near the star of the show as she was in the similarly music-driven, nostalgia-dripping Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, is less convincing, but her chemistry with Patel is enough. It's telling, though, that both are outshone by McKinnon. Watching the SNL star upstage everyone she's working with has become a regular occurrence, and she's operating on such a zany comic level here that you can be excused for wishing the movie took her lead. Indeed, in a film about a man first squandering his potential, then finding an opportunistic way to make the most of an incredibly strange situation, Yesterday seems all too content to stay in the first category. None of these issues make Yesterday a bad movie — just a blandly pleasant, overly sweet, happily lighthearted and hardly memorable one. It's the cinematic equivalent of tapping your toes to an ace playlist that you know is trying to entice you onto your feet, but just never being inspired to get up and dance, let alone scream, twist and shout. But perhaps the picture's most perplexing element is its choice of director. Or, more accurately, the lack of impact that the usually vibrant and energetic Danny Boyle has. Only in swift scene transitions, large titles splashed across the screen, upbeat montages and a few instances of recreating Beatlemania does the filmmaker behind Trainspotting come close to making his presence felt. Boyle has dallied with love and music before in both A Life Less Ordinary and Slumdog Millionaire, and they're each vastly more vivid and lively. His skill with the soundtracks to his prior movies, including the pulsating drug-fuelled film that brought him to broader attention, is worlds above his work here. If Yesterday slots into his usual oeuvre, however, it's because it's a heist flick of sorts. The director keeps making them, focusing on characters who take what isn't theirs for their own gain, and pull the wool over someone's eyes in the process. And while this alternative-universe piece of Beatles worship blasts the same kind of tune, clearly, it's also guilty of playing just as fast and loose with the audience — selling them a quirky 'what if?' caper, but delivering a corny, business-as-usual romance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6jfp78Ho3k
Eight-hour slow-roasted lamb shoulder. Jam-packed souvlaki filled with lamb, onion, mustard mayo and hand-cut chips. A Sunday lamb roast. In the '80s, they're all dishes Naomi Watts would've given up a date with Tom Cruise to eat. These days, they're staples at The Lamb Shop on the Gold Coast — and now they're heading up north to Brissie. Anyone eager to devour hearty, spit-roasted, mostly lamb-centric meals should make their way to King Street in Fortitude Valley from October, with the Broadbeach eatery becoming the latest restaurant to make the revamped Brisbane Showgrounds their new home. Expect all of the tasty items that have made them such a favourite on the Coast since opening first opening their doors in late 2014. They're known for their modern take on traditional Greek offerings, as inspired by owner Peter Glouftis' memories of his childhood. Those after something other than the form of meat mentioned in the restaurant's moniker can snack on char-grilled corn, prawns, octopus or sheeps' cheese, or tuck into chicken versions of their souvlaki and small plates. Their menu is simple — like their concept — but it's also succulent and delicious. And it comes with the added bonus of allowing diners to watch their meat rotate over hot coals while they're waiting. The Lamb Shop joins other King Street tenants The George Bar and Bistro, GG Espresso, Fat Dumpling and Il Verde, with a new boutique food and creative precinct also in development. As the area continues to grow, one thing is certain: no one is going to be hungry here. Find The Lamb Shop on King Street, Fortitude Valley, from October. Keep an eye on their website and Facebook page for more information.
Back in 2012, when Daniel Radcliffe was initially trying to shake a certain boy wizard from his system — before everything from Swiss Army Man and The Lost City to Miracle Workers and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story firmly helped — he stepped into a different kind of supernatural thrills. His first post-Harry Potter role saw him take on The Woman in Black, a gothic-horror tale that pitted him against a curse and a ghost. And yes, the latter did have quite the fondness for wearing dark clothing. The film adapted the 1983 novella of the same name for the second time. But before The Woman in Black made it to the screen, it spooked out the theatre courtesy of Stephen Mallatratt back in 1987. Because hauntings often keep coming back, this play is doing so again, this time in a new Australian production starring John Waters (Blaze) and Daniel MacPherson (Foundation). If you don't like scary tales about sinister spirits seeking revenge for past ills, then you might want to sit this one out. If you love them, then prepare to put your nerves to the test. We're betting that QPAC Playhouse will be at its unsettling best for the occasion — it's not every day that it hosts a show that ranks among West End's longest-running productions, second only to Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, after all. Brisbane's season will kick off on Tuesday, April 30, spanning till Saturday, May 11. The Woman in Black is set in Eel Marsh House in England's north, which sits at the heart of a story that Arthur Kipps recounts about his stint as a young solicitor overseeing Mrs Alice Drablow's funeral. The place isn't just filled with secrets, thanks to the titular figure. Waters plays the elder Kipps, with MacPherson plays an actor who agrees to perform the role of his younger guise. Images: James Reiser.
This review is based on the performance of The Little Mermaid at this year's Sydney Festival. It's hard to imagine a better show this year than Meow Meow's, in which cabaret's international woman of mystery sings about her quest for love while gabbing away like the third member of Ab Fab. Meow was created by Melissa Gray, one-time law student and graduate of WAAPA. She's appeared in the West End, at Bowie's High Line Festival, and on the ABC in their recent The Divorce. She co-starred in that made-for-TV opera with Katie Miller-Heidke, who has provided songs for The Little Mermaid, as have the likes of Megan Washington and Amanda Palmer. Meow is joined in The Little Mermaid by Australian actor Chris Ryan, who appears in hi-vis midway through, calling a halt to the show because the building is unstable. There's a clog, and in lieu of a plumber he must get up in there – cue all the requisite jokes. As a stand-up comedian, Meow has the audience in the palm of her hand from the beginning. The quality of her chat disarms you, making the power and pathos of her voice all the more arresting. Barry Humphries brought Meow out to Adelaide last year, and it almost felt like an anointment. I'd say she deserves to be better known in her own country if her unknowable-ness wasn't part of the point. Image: Prudence Upton.
Good morning to 2022's newly minted batch of Academy Awards nominees, and to fantastic news for the past year's very best film. The Power of the Dog leads this year's list of contenders with 12 nods, including three for filmmaker Jane Campion — who is now the first woman in history to receive two nominations for Best Director (after also being nominated for The Piano back in 1993), and could become the second female filmmaker in a row to win the coveted field (after Chloé Zhao's 2021 win for Nomadland). The Power of Dog's cinematographer Ari Wegner is also just the second woman to be nominated in her category, while the film's main cast all scored nods — including a Best Actor nomination for Benedict Cumberbatch, a Best Supporting Actress nom for Kirsten Dunst, and Best Supporting Actor nods for both Jesse Plemons and Australian talent Kodi Smit-McPhee. For real-life couple Dunst and Plemons, they nabbed their first-ever Oscar nominations together. For Smit-McPhee, if he wins, he'll become the second-youngest actor to score the shiny statuette in his category. That's the power of The Power of the Dog, clearly. Following Campion's exceptional New Zealand-shot western at the top of the 2022 Oscar nominations list is Dune with ten, including for Best Picture — although the film must've directed itself, with Denis Villeneuve missing out. After the sci-fi epic sits Steven Spielberg's new version of West Side Story and Kenneth Branagh's black-and-white memoir Belfast with seven apiece, also including Best Picture slots in a field that spans The Power of the Dog (obviously), CODA, Don't Look Up, Drive My Car, King Richard, Licorice Pizza and Nightmare Alley as well. Inspired by Haruki Murakami's short story of the same name, Drive My Car is now the most-nominated Japanese film in history, thanks to its Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay nods for filmmaker Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, and its spot in the Best International Feature and Best Picture categories. Also making history: astonishing animated documentary Flee, which became the first movie to nab a spot in the Best International Feature, Best Animated Feature and Best Documentary Feature fields. Other standouts nods: Kristen Stewart's Best Actress nomination for playing Princess Diana in Spencer; Penélope Cruz's place in the same field for Parallel Mothers; Troy Kotsur's nod for CODA, becoming just the second actor who is deaf to be recognised by the Academy; both Olivia Colman (Best Actress) and Jesse Buckley (Best Supporting Actress) getting nods for sharing the same part in The Lost Daughter; Questlove earning some love for Best Documentary Feature for Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised); and The Worst Person in the World picking up places in the Best International Feature and Best Original Screenplay fields. Licorice Pizza's strong showing — including a Best Director spot for Paul Thomas Anderson — is also well-deserved, although the Oscars couldn't find room for Alana Haim's glorious lead performance. Oddities and omissions come with the territory every year, of course. The Academy went big for the average-at-best Being the Ricardos performance-wise, including nominating Nicole Kidman for Best Actress — and Don't Look Up's Best Picture nod probably at least means that filmmaker Adam McKay won't make a followup about how people ignored a movie that riffs on the response to climate change because they were more interested in better features. Also, despite a big public campaign, Spider-Man: No Way Home was only recognised in the Best Visual Effects category. That's a reflection of the film itself, though, and not of any supposed anti-superhero/supervillain flick bias, given that Black Panther scored seven nominations in 2019 and Joker picked up 11 in 2020. From all of this year's nominations, movie lovers will learn who'll emerge victorious on Monday, March 28, Australian and New Zealand time. And if it feels like we just went through all of this, that's because 2021's awards were held a little later than usual due to the pandemic — and because chatter about who's won Oscars and who'll win next, aka the sport of the film world, has become a year-round affair. The 94th Academy Awards will take place on Monday, March 28, Australian and New Zealand time. Here's the full list of nominations: OSCAR NOMINEES 2022 BEST MOTION PICTURE The Power of the Dog West Side Story Belfast Dune Licorice Pizza King Richard CODA Don't Look Up Drive My Car Nightmare Alley BEST DIRECTOR Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza Steven Spielberg, West Side Story Kenneth Branagh, Belfast Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Drive My Car PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter Nicole Kidman, Being the Ricardos Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye Kristen Stewart, Spencer Penélope Cruz, Parallel Mothers PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE Will Smith, King Richard Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog Andrew Garfield, Tick, Tick... Boom! Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth Javier Bardem, Being the Ricardos PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Ariana DeBose, West Side Story Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard Judi Dench, Belfast Jessie Buckley, The Lost Daughter PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog Ciarán Hinds, Belfast Troy Kotsur, CODA Jesse Plemons, The Power of the Dog JK Simmons, Being the Ricardos BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Licorice Pizza, Paul Thomas Anderson Belfast, Kenneth Branagh King Richard, Zach Baylin Don't Look Up, Adam McKay (story by McKay and David Sirota) The Worst Person in the World, Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY The Power of the Dog, Jane Campion The Lost Daughter, Maggie Gyllenhaal CODA, Sian Heder Dune, Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve and Eric Roth Drive My Car, Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM Drive My Car (Japan) The Worst Person in the World (Norway) Flee (Denmark) The Hand of God (Italy) Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom (Bhutan) BEST ANIMATED FEATURE Encanto Luca The Mitchells vs the Machines Flee Raya and the Last Dragon BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Flee Ascension Attica Writing with Fire BEST ORIGINAL SCORE The Power of the Dog, Jonny Greenwood Dune, Hans Zimmer Don't Look Up, Nicholas Britell Encanto, Germaine Franco Parallel Mothers, Alberto Iglesias BEST ORIGINAL SONG 'No Time to Die', No Time to Die (Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell) 'Dos Oruguitas', Encanto (Lin-Manuel Miranda) 'Be Alive', King Richard (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Dixson) 'Down to Joy' Belfast (Van Morrison) 'Somehow You Do', Four Good Days (Diane Warren) BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Dune, Greig Fraser The Power of the Dog, Ari Wegner The Tragedy of Macbeth, Bruno Delbonnel Nightmare Alley, Dan Laustsen West Side Story, Janusz Kaminski BEST FILM EDITING Dune, Joe Walker The Power of the Dog, Peter Sciberras Don't Look Up, Hank Corwin King Richard, Pamela Martin Tick, Tick... Boom!, Myron Kerstein and Andrew Weisblum BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN Dune, Patrice Vermette and Zsuzsanna Sipos Nightmare Alley, Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau West Side Story, Adam Stockhausen and Rena DeAngelo The Tragedy of Macbeth, Stefan Dechant and Nancy Haigh The Power of the Dog, Grant Major and Amber Richards BEST VISUAL EFFECTS Dune, Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor, Gerd Nefzer Free Guy, Swen Gillberg, Bryan Grill, Nikos Kalaitzidis, Dan Sudick Spider-Man: No Way Home, Kelly Port, Chris Waegner, Scott Edelstein and Dan Sudick Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Christopher Townsend, Joe Farrell, Sean Noel Walker and Dan Oliver No Time to Die, Charlie Noble, Joel Green, Jonathan Fawkner, Chris Corbould BEST COSTUME DESIGN Cruella, Jenny Beavan Dune, Jacqueline West and Bob Morgan West Side Story, Paul Tazewell Nightmare Alley, Luis Sequeira Cyrano, Massimo Cantini Parrini and Jacqueline Durran BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram and Justin Raleigh Dune, Donald Mowat, Love Larson and Eva von Bahr Cruella, Nadia Stacey, Naomi Donne and Julia Vernon Coming 2 America, Mike Marino, Stacey Morris and Carla Farmer House of Gucci, Goran Lundstrom, Anna Carin Lock and Frederic Aspiras BEST SOUND Dune, Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Theo Green, Doug Hemphill and Ron Bartlett West Side Story, Tod A Maitland, Gary Rydstrom, Brian Chumney, Andy Nelson and Shawn Murphy No Time to Die, Simon Hayes, Oliver Tarney, James Harrison, Paul Massey and Mark Taylor Belfast, Denise Yarde, Simon Chase, James Mather and Niv Adiri The Power of the Dog, Richard Flynn, Robert Mackenzie and Tara Webb BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT Audible Lead Me Home The Queen of Basketball Three Songs for Benazir When We Were Bullies BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM Affairs of the Art Bestia Boxballet Robin Robin The Windshield Wiper BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM Ala Kachuu — Take and Run The Dress The Long Goodbye On My Mind Please Hold Top image: Netflix.
What do you do when wild weather hits, Brisbanites? Watch the radar to see just when and where it'll strike? Stay glued to your couch? Come up with a new festival of contemporary dance? The latter was Kate Usher and Glyn Roberts's answer in 2017, and after a successful first year, their venture is returning for 2018. Yes, things are about to get stormy on the stage instead of in the sky again (although, given that it's summer, the latter is still likely to happen as well). From February 10 to 18, SUPERCELL: Festival of Contemporary Dance Brisbane will take over the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts and Brisbane Powerhouse for a repeat bout of frenetic footsteps. Celebrating Queensland's place in the dance world, the festival brings together local and international artists, performances, workshops and conversations. Highlights include the blend of dance and comedy that is Prying Eye's The Inquisition of the Big Bad Wolf, choreography for a tired body in Everything Remains, a convergence of local and Singaporean talents, another three-day workshop with Gold Coast outfit The Farm, and an exploration of Indigenous identity in [Mis]Conceive, plus more to be announced. Image: Bernie Ng
The weather is cooling down, a heap of public holidays are just around the corner and getting cosy on your couch seems like the best way to spend a day (or several). Yes, April is here. With autumn well underway and Easter giving everyone a few days off, it couldn't be a better time for one specific activity: feasting your eyes on a whole heap of movies and television shows. Flick on your TV, fire up your chosen streaming platform and prepare to watch everything from sitcoms based on excellent movies to perhaps the best action film triple bill there is — plus dazzling nature documentaries, revived sci-fi anthologies and the most anticipated returning show of the year (you know the one). And, prepare to do so without spending much too long scrolling through a seemingly endless array of viewing options. From the latest and greatest to old favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue for April. NEW STUFF TO WATCH NOW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfBbSwX6kEk WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS A bunch of vampires. One share house. Ample undead hijinks. It worked well in 2005 short film What We Do In the Shadows. It worked hilariously in 2014 mockumentary movie What We Do In the Shadows. And it's working mighty fine in new TV spinoff that's also called What We Do In the Shadows, too. Adapted for television by original creators and stars Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi (with the first episode written by the former and directed by the latter), this Staten Island-set version focuses on a new set of vamps and new supernatural problems, and the laughs keep coming. Unsurprisingly, Matt Berry's English bloodsucker Laszlo is a highlight, but this is a great ensemble effort, complete with ace turns from Kayvan Novak as Ottoman Empire-era soldier Nandor the Relentless, Natasia Demetriou as Romani vamp Nadja, Mark Proksch as 'energy vampire' Colin Robinson and Lady Bird's Beanie Feldstein as a live-action role-play fan who falls in with the undead crowd. What We Do In the Shadows is available to stream weekly on Foxtel Now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQaTa5eTxnk THE CASE AGAINST ADNAN SYED It has been five years since much of the world first heard the name Adnan Syed, delving into his case in the first season of Serial. And just like the hugely popular true crime podcast, Syed's is a tale that just keeps fascinating audiences. Murder and the possible miscarriage of justice will do that, as will the grim circumstances surrounding the death of Baltimore high school student Hae Min Lee in 1999. Enter The Case Against Adnan Syed, the four-part documentary TV series that has been in production since 2015 and promises to answer — and pose — more questions. Yes, it delivers. As well as boasting a compelling subject, the series also has an impressive pedigree, with filmmaker Amy Berg adding another top effort to her resume after Oscar-nominated 2006 doco Deliver Us from Evil, 2012's West of Memphis and 2014's An Open Secret. The first episode of The Case Against Adnan Syed is available to stream now on SBS On Demand, with subsequent episodes available weekly on Sundays. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t39E5xMD5I THIS TIME WITH ALAN PARTRIDGE Last month, it was Get Krack!n. This month, ABC iView is skewering breakfast TV with This Time with Alan Partridge. Credit where credit is due, of course — without Steve Coogan's iconic alter ego, who's been hitting the airwaves since 1991, there'd be no Get Krack!n or many other supremely awkward TV industry spoofs either. This time, the fictional inept broadcaster has been tapped to co-host a morning magazine and chat show — and the world's collective stomach muscles instantly feel the strain of oh-so-much cringing. If you've laughed and grimaced along to Knowing Me, Knowing You, I'm Alan Partridge and movie Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, then you'll do so again. If you're new to the character, who was co-created by Coogan with The Thick of It and Veep's Armando Iannucci back in the 90s, prepare for quite the introduction. This Time with Alan Partridge is available to stream now on ABC iView. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_51UsTDBAE UNICORN STORE Just last month, Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson shared the screen in Captain Marvel, which happens to be this year's biggest grossing film so far. As you might recall, they also co-starred in 2017's Kong: Skull Island. And, in-between the two, they made a third movie: Unicorn Store. Directed by Larson in her filmmaking debut, this indie fantasy couldn't be more different from the duo's big-budget pairings. It follows a young art student who has always loved unicorns, doesn't fit in anywhere, and is offered the chance to own her very own one-horned animal (by a pink suit-wearing Jackson, no less) just when her life is at its lowest point. It's all as twee, quirky and offbeat as it sounds — and as filled with rainbows and glitter — but Larson's take on arrested development from a rare female perspective isn't without its charms. Unicorn Store is available to stream now on Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytB8xNQ18_c MIRACLE WORKERS Existential comedy is having a moment — and add Miracle Workers to the already great pile that includes The Good Place and Russian Doll. Based on the novel What in God's Name and adapted for TV by the book's author Simon Rich, the series asks a very important question: what if God was a slacker played by Steve Buscemi? The amusing questions keep coming. What if heaven was a huge company charged with making Earth run smoothly? What if two employees were responsible for all of the world's miracles? What if said miracle workers made a bet with God, and he's planning to blow up the planet if they lose? It all makes for ace viewing, complete with a stellar cast, including Daniel Radcliffe and Australian actress Geraldine Viswanathan (Emo the Musical, Blockers) as the duo trying to save humanity by performing one heavenly feat: making a shy couple fall in love. The first season of Miracle Workers is available to stream now on Stan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aETNYyrqNYE OUR PLANET Prepare your ears for one of the best sounds in the world: the sound of David Attenborough narrating a nature documentary. He has a whole heap to his name, including The Living Planet, State of the Planet, The Blue Planet, Frozen Planet and Planet Earth, and now he has Our Planet as well. The eight-part Netflix series explores Earth's remaining wilderness areas and their animal inhabitants, and delivers an array of simply astonishing natural sights in the process (given it has been made in conjunction with the World Wildlife Fund, that's hardly surprising). Wildebeests in the Serengeti, penguins in their icy climes, elephants trekking across continents and the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef — they're just some of the wonders in store. Our Planet is available to stream now on Netflix. ONES TO WATCH OUT FOR LATER IN THE MONTH https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=rlR4PJn8b8I GAME OF THRONES Finally. After an almost two-year wait, the time has come for Game of Thrones to unleash its final season. And, naturally, to unleash more battles, bloodshed, bickering, living and icy dragons, undead hordes, revenge-seeking Stark children, scheming Lannisters, Daenerys looking fierce and Jon Snow knowing nothing as well. Just where the enormously successful hit series will end is anyone's guess, especially since its narrative has long overtaken the tale told in George RR Martin's books, although we all know that the fight for the Iron Throne will continue until the show's very last moments. Get ready to start saying your goodbyes — to your favourite characters (not all of whom will survive, we're guessing) and to the show as a whole. Also worth remembering: this farewell is going to be quick, because the season only runs for six episodes. Game of Thrones will available to stream weekly on Foxtel Now from Monday, April 15. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29_gA_GDGvE THE TWILIGHT ZONE The Twilight Zone is back, and it's in the best possible hands. After wowing horror movie lovers with Get Out and Us, Jordan Peele takes on the task of presenting, narrating and redeveloping the legendary sci-fi anthology show for the 21st century. Picking up where Rod Serling's original five-season 50s and 60s show left off (and short-lived revivals in 1985 and 2002, too), the eight-episode first series blends the old with the new — both remaking previous episodes and coming up with fresh, thrilling stories. It's as entertaining as you'd rightfully expect, and it comes with a huge cast, including Adam Scott, Kumail Nanjiani, Tracy Morgan, Steven Yeun, Zazie Beetz, Taissa Farmiga, Greg Kinnear, John Cho, Rhea Seehorn, Jessica Williams, Jacob Tremblay, Allison Tolman, Betty Gabriel, Ginnifer Goodwin, Chris O'Dowd and Seth Rogan. Put simply, it's must-see viewing. The Twilight Zone will be available to stream weekly on 10 All Access, with the first four episodes available on Friday, April 19. CULT CLASSICS TO REVISIT AND REDISCOVER https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HC86WzMhuSw NICOLAS CAGE FILMS Back in 1995, Nicolas Cage won an Oscar for alcoholic drama Leaving Las Vegas. For many actors, that'd be the pinnacle of their career. But Nicolas Cage isn't any old star, so he followed it up with three consecutive action movies — all of which prove supremely entertaining by themselves, but make for one hell of a triple-feature. We're talking about The Rock, Con Air and Face/Off. All three released one after each other in 1996 and 1997, and movie fans everywhere are still thanking Nicolas Cage for them. All three are also now streaming on Stan, and you just know you want to watch them back-to-back-to-back as soon as possible. A number of other Nicolas Cage flicks are also available, including the terrible Aussie-shot Knowing and the twisty recent black comedy Mom and Dad, should you need more Nicolas Cage fun. The Rock, Con Air and Face/Off are available to stream on Stan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfVyDegH1wk JACKIE CHAN COLLECTION Perhaps you're a Jackie Chan fan from way back, and will take any excuse to revel in his martial arts and action-comedy mastery. Perhaps you've always wanted to delve into his filmography — further than Rush Hour, at least — and just didn't know where to start. In both situations, SBS On Demand has you sorted with a ten-movie lineup of the Hong Kong star's finest. Head back to 1980 with The Young Master, which he also directed. Catch the first two films in the stunt-filled Police Story franchise, or see him jump back to the 19th century in Project A. The list goes on, and promises plenty of fast-flying fists, cheesy gags and exceptional work from a movie master. Ten Jackie Chan movies are available to stream now on SBS On Demand.
In 2021, the Golden Globes are taking place more than a month later than usual. The awards are also staging a different kind of ceremony than normal, with hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler steering the show from separate cities, and Zoom certain to feature heavily. Still, the first big event of this year's film and television awards season definitely knows how to get everyone talking — about its achievements and inclusions, as well as its snubs. The nominations for the 2021 Golden Globes were announced in the early hours of Thursday, February 4, Australian and New Zealand time, and they made history. For the first time ever, three women were nominated for Best Director, with Nomadland's Chloe Zhao, One Night in Miami's Regina King and Promising Young Woman's Emerald Fennell all getting a nod. If you're wondering how monumental this is, the Globes has never nominated more than one woman in the category in a single year, and it has only given out seven nominations to female filmmakers — yes, in total — in its 77-year history before now. David Fincher's Mank picked up the most amount of nods in the film categories, with six, but other highlights include Chadwick Boseman's nod for Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Riz Ahmed's nomination in the same category for Sound of Metal, the filmed version of Hamilton picking up two nods in the comedy fields (including Lin-Manuel Miranda's nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Comedy), and Sacha Baron Cohen getting a look for both Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (in the Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Comedy category) and The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Best Supporting Actor). Borat's breakout star Maria Bakalova also earned a nomination (for Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Comedy), too, becoming the first Bulgarian actor to do so. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Rsa4U8mqkw The Globes also recognise TV, which is good news for the likes of Unorthodox, The Great and The Mandalorian, all of which received some love. There's a big omission in 2021's nods, however, with Michaela Coel's exceptional I May Destroy You — the best new show of 2020 hands down — absolutely nowhere to be seen. Instead, The Crown came out on top with six nominations, and everything from Normal People and Small Axe to Lovecraft Country and The Flight Attendant earned some attention. Aussie actors Nicole Kidman and Cate Blanchett also scored nods in the television fields, thanks to The Undoing and Mrs America. Every list of nominees for every awards ceremony has gaps, of course, and I May Destroy You isn't alone in missing out at this year's Globes. In the movie fields, Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods was also completely overlooked — as was Zendaya's performance in Malcolm & Marie and the entire cast of Minari. In the TV categories , the Globes didn't sink its teeth into What We Do in the Shadows at all, and barely paid Better Call Saul any attention either. If you're wondering who else is actually up for an award, though, you'll find the full list of nominees below. And, as for who'll emerge victorious, that'll be announced on Monday, March 1 Australian and New Zealand time. GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINEES 2021: BEST MOTION PICTURE — DRAMA The Father Mank Nomadland Promising Young Woman The Trial of the Chicago 7 BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE — DRAMA Carey Mulligan — Promising Young Woman Frances McDormand — Nomadland Vanessa Kirby — Pieces of a Woman Viola Davis — Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Andra Day — The United States vs Billie Holiday BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE — DRAMA Riz Ahmed — Sound of Metal Chadwick Boseman — Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Anthony Hopkins — The Father Gary Oldman — Mank Tahar Rahim — The Mauritanian BEST MOTION PICTURE — MUSICAL OR COMEDY Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Hamilton Music Palm Springs The Prom BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE — MUSICAL OR COMEDY Maria Bakalova — Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Kate Hudson — Music Michelle Pfeiffer — French Exit Rosamund Pike — I Care a Lot Anya Taylor-Joy — Emma BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE — MUSICAL OR COMEDY Sacha Baron Cohen — Borat Subsequent Moviefilm James Corden — The Prom Lin-Manuel Miranda — Hamilton Dev Patel — The Personal History of David Copperfield Andy Samberg — Palm Springs BEST MOTION PICTURE — ANIMATED The Croods: A New Age Onward Over the Moon Soul Wolfwalkers BEST MOTION PICTURE — FOREIGN LANGUAGE Another Round La Llorona The Life Ahead Minari Two of Us BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE Jodie Foster — The Mauritanian Olivia Colman — The Father Glenn Close — Hillbilly Elegy Amanda Seyfried — Mank Helena Zengel — News of the World BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE Sacha Baron Cohen — The Trial of the Chicago 7 Daniel Kaluuya — Judas and the Black Messiah Jared Leto — The Little Things Bill Murray — On the Rocks Leslie Odom, Jr — One Night in Miami BEST DIRECTOR — MOTION PICTURE David Fincher — Mank Regina King — One Night in Miami Aaron Sorkin — The Trial of the Chicago 7 Chloe Zhao — Nomadland Emerald Fennell — Promising Young Woman BEST SCREENPLAY — MOTION PICTURE The Father Mank Nomadland Promising Young Woman The Trial of the Chicago 7 BEST ORIGINAL SCORE — MOTION PICTURE The Midnight Sky Tenet News of the World Mank Soul BEST ORIGINAL SONG — MOTION PICTURE 'Fight for You' — Judas and the Black Messiah 'Io Si' — The Life Ahead 'Speak Now' — One Night in Miami 'Hear My Voice' — The Trial of the Chicago 7 'Tigress & Tweed' — The US v Billie Holiday BEST TELEVISION SERIES — DRAMA Ratched Ozark The Crown Lovecraft Country The Mandalorian BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES — DRAMA Emma Corrin — The Crown Olivia Colman — The Crown Jodie Comer — Killing Eve Laura Linney — Ozark Sarah Paulson — Ratched BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES — DRAMA Jason Bateman — Ozark Josh O'Connor — The Crown Bob Odenkirk — Better Call Saul Al Pacino — Hunters Matthew Rhys — Perry Mason BEST TELEVISION SERIES — MUSICAL OR COMEDY Emily in Paris The Flight Attendant Schitt's Creek The Great Ted Lasso BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES — MUSICAL OR COMEDY Lily Collins — Emily in Paris Kaley Cuoco — The Flight Attendant Elle Fanning — The Great Catherine O'Hara — Schitt's Creek Jane Levy — Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES — MUSICAL OR COMEDY Don Cheadle — Black Monday Nicholas Hoult — The Great Eugene Levy — Schitt's Creek Jason Sudeikis — Ted Lasso Ramy Youssef — Ramy BEST TELEVISION LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION Normal People The Queen's Gambit Small Axe The Undoing Unorthodox BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION Cate Blanchett — Mrs America Daisy Edgar-Jones — Normal People Shira Haas — Unorthodox Nicole Kidman — The Undoing Anya Taylor-Joy — The Queen's Gambit BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION Bryan Cranston — Your Honor Jeff Daniels — The Comey Rule Hugh Grant — The Undoing Ethan Hawke — The Good Lord Bird Mark Ruffalo — I Know This Much Is True BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION Cynthia Nixon — Ratched Gillian Anderson — The Crown Helena Bonham Carter — The Crown Julia Garner — Ozark Annie Murphy — Schitt's Creek BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TV John Boyega — Small Axe Brendan Gleeson — The Comey Rule Dan Levy — Schitt's Creek Jim Parsons — Hollywood Donald Sutherland — The Undoing The 2021 Golden Globes take place on Monday, March 1 Australian and New Zealand time. For further details, head to the awards' website. Top image: The Crown, Des Willie/Netflix.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Brisbane at present. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. RESPECT When Respect first breaks out its titular track, it's the original Otis Redding version that echoes in the background. The song plays in the Franklin household as Aretha (Jennifer Hudson, Cats) and her family listen, and the scene bubbles with anticipation for the thing everyone watching knows will come. Shortly afterwards, the Queen of Soul tinkers at the piano in the deep of night, her excitement buoyant after hearing her first big hit 'I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)' on the radio. Her sisters Erma (Saycon Sengbloh, Scandal) and Carolyn (Hailey Kilgore, Amazing Stories) join in, and they're all soon rearranging Redding's tune into the single that cements Aretha's status as a music superstar. For the entire film up to this point, viewers have also heard the Franklins, including patriarch and preacher CL (Forest Whitaker, City of Lies), refer to Aretha using a nickname. "Ree" they call her again and again, and soon "ree, ree, ree" is exactly what Erma and Carolyn sing on backing vocals. It's a neat and also exuberant moment. Respect quickly segues to Aretha and her sisters crooning 'Respect' at Madison Square Garden to a rapturous crowd, but watching the track come together has already proven electric. Something can be orderly and expected and potent and rousing all at once, as this movie happily demonstrates regarding its namesake — but for most of its 2.5-hour running time, Respect is content to careen between inescapably formulaic and occasionally powerful. Respect begins with young Aretha (lively debutant Skye Dakota Turner) being roused from sleep by her father to sing at one of his well-attended house parties. It's 1952, and to an audience that includes Dinah Washington, Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald, she breaks out a rendition of the latter's 'My Baby Likes to Be-Bop' — and "she's 10 but her voice is going on 30" is the shared reaction. This obviously isn't the last time that Aretha unleashes her astonishing voice in Respect, and that everyone in earshot reacts accordingly. When she's accosted by an unnamed man in her bedroom afterwards, it isn't the last time the film veers between highs and lows, either. First-time feature director Liesl Tommy and screenwriter Tracey Scott Wilson (Fosse/Verdon) repeat that pattern, embracing it as comfortably as their key figure croons any song she chooses. But where their subject transcends every ditty she trills, Respect can't be said to do the same. Even viewers unaware of the ups and downs of Aretha's life will still know where each second of the movie is headed. The choice to end with 2016 footage of the real-life singer piping '(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman' is a classic biopic touch, of course, but it's preceded by far more predictable choices again and again. Hudson shines, and Aretha's music obviously does the same — and yet, although this film has ample respect for the woman at its centre, it also approaches the act of bringing her life to the screen like it's simply taking care of business. Read our full review. THE NIGHT HOUSE The history of cinema is haunted by oh-so-many movies about oh-so-many ghost-riddled abodes, and the often-troubled and bereaved folks dwelling within them. The first clever move The Night House makes is recognising it's floating into busy spectral waters, then ensuring its tension stems from its living, breathing protagonist as much as the frights and fears she's forced to face. The film's second stellar step: casting Rebecca Hall (Godzilla vs Kong) as that central figure. An always-welcome addition to anything she's in — see also: Professor Marston and the Wonder Women, Christine and Tales From the Loop in just the past few years — she plays her tormented part here with brooding sorrow, reluctant vulnerability and a sharp, smart edge. She knows that grappling with loss involves being jolted in many different directions, and being subjected to bumps and jumps of the emotional kind, and that it's never easy to surrender to. Indeed, many of The Night House's surprises come from Hall as Beth, a schoolteacher whose life has been turned upside down by her husband Owen's (Evan Jonigkeit, The Empty Man) unexpected suicide. Clearly normally a no-nonsense type whether she's guiding pupils, dealing with their parents or navigating her personal life, she probes and questions everything that comes her way. As a result, her reactions — including just to herself — are constantly complex, thorny and compelling. Also among The Night House's savvy moves: understanding that grief really does change everything. Not only has Beth's life lost one of its brightest lights, but everything Owen once illuminated now keeps being cloaked in shadows he's not there to extinguish. Since his passing, she's cycled through the familiar stages of mourning. When she returns to work to her colleagues' astonishment, including her close friend Claire's (Sarah Goldberg, Barry), Beth shocks her co-workers by discussing Owen's suicide note, admitting her home now seems different and obsessing over how much she really knew her husband. That last written missive ties back into one of her past traumas, as well as her own dealings with the end that awaits us all. When she's alone at night, she's not sure that she can trust what she sees and hears, or tell whether she's awake or dreaming. Filling her time by sorting through Owen's things, she's also unsure what to make of the eerie sketches and books about the occult that sit among his possessions. And, Beth's thrown even further askew when she finds photos of brunette women that could be her doppelgängers; plans for a home just like hers, but mirrored; and a cascade of tidbits that cast her memories of her marriage into disarray. The Night House has a strong sense of terror about the the fact that life doesn't extended forever, and it's a movie made with meticulous horror style as well as smarts. When it comes to plot twists, though, director David Bruckner (The Ritual) and screenwriting duo Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski (Super Dark Times) are less careful about becoming prey to indulgence. Read our full review. REMINISCENCE The look is all Blade Runner. The idea owes a few debts in that direction, too. In Reminiscence's vision of the future, androids don't dream of electric sheep; however, humans do escape into memories while they slumber in a tank of water, reliving and interacting with cherished moments from their past as if they're happening again right that instant. The mood takes a bit of the aforementioned sci-fi classic's tone, and Blade Runner 2049's as well, but then doubles down on the noir, and on some of the plot twists. Playing a veteran of a post-flood war that's seen Florida split into the haves and the have-nots, and also a man in possession of the technology and know-how to let paying customers reminisce, Hugh Jackman (Bad Education) isn't ever told "forget it Nick Bannister, it's Miami". Given that Reminiscence often feels like it wants to be a futuristic take on Chinatown, that wouldn't phrase feel out of place in the slightest, though. This is a film that lets its influences flicker to the surface that forcefully. It trades in memories, too, conjuring up a long list of smarter fare. And while it gives Westworld co-creator Lisa Joy a new outlet for many of the themes that've always hovered through the hit HBO show — primarily humanity's increasing disconnection with each other, and the growing yearning to find solace in either artificial or nostalgic settings, or both — she gleefully treads in her own footsteps. Or, the writer/director gives the ideas she's clearly fascinated with a different appearance and atmosphere than she's been working with on TV, but still largely enjoys the same toys. Perhaps Joy just gets comfort from the familiar, just like Bannister's clients. That might ring with more truth if Reminiscence didn't primarily use its intriguing underlying concept — a notion with plenty of promise, even as it nods to sci-fi gems gone by — to wrap up a romance in a mystery in a flimsy fashion. The hard-boiled Bannister has settled into his routine guiding people through their personal histories, with assistance with his ex-military colleague Watts (Westworld's Thandiwe Newton), until the film's femme fatale walks through the door asking for help. Singer Mae (Rebecca Ferguson, Doctor Sleep) has lost her keys, wants to use Bannister's tech to find them and ends up earning his besotted affection in the process. Then bliss turns to heartache when she disappears suddenly. Bannister is as obsessed with tracking her down as he is with her in general when they're together, but secrets about the woman he realises he never really knew keep being pushed to the fore as he searches. Also prominent: dialogue that feels like it's parodying all the movies that Reminiscence is copying, which drags the feature down word by word. Thankfully, Jackman, Newton and Ferguson's performances exceed the trite phrases that they're repeatedly forced to utter. The film's look and feel gleam and haunt by design, even though they also shine with and are haunted by the greats of a genre Joy clearly loves; however, this ends up being a movie about revelling in the past that happily plays it safe instead of striding into the future. THE CAVE When 12 Thai schoolboys and their soccer coach became trapped in Chiang Rai Province's Tham Luang Nang Non cave in June 2018, and were then dramatically rescued 18 days later, their story was always destined to reach cinemas and streaming queues. It was always going to do so multiple times, in fact, but only one project can ever claim to be the first to bring these events to the screen. That movie is The Cave, which initially premiered at the Busan Film Festival in 2019. Now reaching Australian cinemas almost two years after its debut, it's still the first feature about this topic. More retellings are on their way, including a film directed by Ron Howard (Hillbilly Elegy) that's been shooting on the Gold Coast this year and a reported Netflix series, but The Cave will have always beaten them to the punch. Here's hoping that subsequent depictions of the rescue do something much more than stage a straightforward, procedural-focused recreation that only seems to exist so that it could be the first to do so. The fact that writer/director/producer Tom Waller (The Last Executioner) primarily focuses on Ireland-based Belgian diver Jim Warny, who plays himself, helps illustrate the tone of and approach behind this flat affair. Other real-life divers involved in the rescue also appear as themselves, including Canada's Erik Brown, Finland's Mikko Paasi and China's Tan Xiaolong. Reporter Todd Ruiz also plays himself, and is tasked with delivering big slabs of exposition to-camera via restaged news dispatches. The end result barely resembles a movie, and has more in common with true-crime TV show re-enactments — and it makes for a routine 104 minutes. In The 15:17 to Paris back in 2018, Clint Eastwood also recreated actual events with the real people involved, and it struggled as well. Films that deploy actual figures to dramatise their tales try to increase the emotional stakes, and overtly so, but can end up achieving the opposite. Even with the added realism, they'll clearly never be documentaries either, which leaves them languishing in a stilted in-between space. This proves the case with The Cave as it first follows the Wild Boars and their assistant coach from the field to the cave, then charts the determined efforts to free them after heavy rains cause floodwaters to rise, leaving them stranded. In favouring Warny and other real-life divers who joined the rescue mission, Waller makes the curious decision to rarely check in with the 13 people they're trying to save. His feature captures the significant scale of the efforts outside — the many military forces involved, including from both Thailand and the US; the locals lending a hand where they can; and one particular pump manufacturer who is certain his equipment can make a difference — but manages to largely bleach the rescue operation of its urgency. Viewers only know that days have passed because text on-screen tells them. When the film starts leaning heavily upon reporters chatting to the camera to fill in the details, it unintentionally highlights how unfocused its storytelling is otherwise. The Cave still strings together the necessary details, and yet it also makes an immense feat look, feel and seem all too ordinary. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on April 1, April 8, April 15, April 22 and April 29; May 6, May 13, May 20 and May 27; June 3, June 10, June 17 and June 24; July 1, July 8, July 15, July 22 and July 29; and August 5 and August 12. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Nobody, The Father, Willy's Wonderland, Collective, Voyagers, Gunda, Supernova, The Dissident, The United States vs Billie Holiday, First Cow, Wrath of Man, Locked Down, The Perfect Candidate, Those Who Wish Me Dead, Spiral: From the Book of Saw, Ema, A Quiet Place Part II, Cruella, My Name Is Gulpilil, Lapsis, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, Fast and Furious 9, Valerie Taylor: Playing with Sharks, In the Heights, Herself, Little Joe, Black Widow, The Sparks Brothers, Nine Days, Gunpowder Milkshake, Space Jam: A New Legacy, Old, Jungle Cruise, The Suicide Squad and Free Guy.
The pandemic has given us all new pastimes, from baking sourdough and piecing together all the puzzles to watching every Nicolas Cage movie ever made and mixing up top-notch cocktails at home. For the past few months, we've all added something else to our list, too: keeping an eye on Australia's COVID-19 vaccination rates. We all know why we're all currently fascinated with jab percentages. Back in July, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that Australia will tie its efforts to manage COVID-19 to vax rates moving forward. So, as the country reaches certain vaccination milestones — 70 percent of Aussies over the age of 16 receiving two doses, and then 80 percent — the way that Australia handles the pandemic will evolve. Restrictions will start to ease, lockdowns will be less likely, international travel will open back up and people who've been fully vaxxed will live life under loosened rules. As both New South Wales and Victoria have dealt with COVID-19 outbreaks this year, vax rates have continued to be thrust into the spotlight. Both NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and her Victorian counterpart Daniel Andrews have highlighted specific jab thresholds, and announced that lockdown rules will begin to change when they're met. Accordingly, that means that we're all now paying extra attention to those vaccination figures and noting every milestone — with Australia just hitting a big one. Today, Friday, September 24, Australia has officially hit the 50-percent fully vaxxed mark, based on all eligible Australians over the age of 16. That's nationwide, and it's big push towards hitting those 70-percent and 80-percent marks. Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt revealed that 50.1 percent of eligible Aussies are now double jabbed, and 74.8 percent have had their first dose. In total, more than 26 million jab have been given so far, including two million this week. We have also passed the 50% double dosed mark (50.1%) for the eligible population (74.8% for first dose). And a record primary care day of 211,335. Please keep coming forward to be vaccinated. — Greg Hunt (@GregHuntMP) September 24, 2021 Wondering why you might be interested in the Aussie rate, and not just vax numbers in your own state or territory? As part of that plan announced by the PM — the National Plan to transition Australia's National COVID Response — vaccination rates have to reach the 70-percent and 80-percent fully jabbed marks across the entire country before an individual state or territory can start easing the rules. That state or territory also has to reach those thresholds itself before it can do anything, of course, but that isn't the only important figure. So, this news inches us all closer to those target vax thresholds — and that's obviously the kind of news we could all use. You can keep an eye on the jab rates at a number of different websites and, if you still need to get vaccinated, these helpful maps show you where in NSW, Victoria and Queensland. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
Come July 2021, ten years will have passed since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2 reached cinema screens, wrapping up the big-screen story about a certain Boy Who Lived. But, to the delight of wannabe wizards and witches everywhere, the franchise hasn't faded away. The Fantastic Beasts films have kept it alive in cinemas, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has done the same on the page and stage, Harry Potter events have been a common occurrence, dedicated stores sling merchandise related to the saga and a Harry Potter theme park is in the works. Soon, you might be able to add a TV series to the long list of HP spinoffs — because it looks like one might be heading to the small screen. Discussions are in the works about a live-action HP show, according to The Hollywood Reporter, with streaming service HBO Max involved. There are few other details available at this point, however. So, what it'll be about, who it'll star, who'll be guiding it behind the scenes, when it'll release and where it'll screen Down Under if it happens are all obviously yet to be revealed. In fact, THR's report comes as a result of "multiple conversations with potential writers exploring various ideas that would bring the beloved property to television" — so it really is early days at present. The same report also notes that HBO Max and Warner Bros have said in a statement that there's nothing in development as yet, if you're wondering just how early the conversations about a HP show are. Of course, that bringing this wizarding world to the small screen is under consideration is hardly surprising news. The same is happening with the Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, after all, because no huge pop culture phenomenon ever disappears these days. To bide your time until further Harry Potter news comes to hand, Australian fans can stream the eight original films as they've just hit Binge. And, for a refresher on how the movies wrapped up, you can also check out the trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2 below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mObK5XD8udk&utm_keyword=referral_bustle Via The Hollywood Reporter
It's not every day that the icy blue Cardwell Spa Pool thrives which makes seeing this stunning pool come to life during autumn truly magical. The pool is situated on the scenic Cardwell Forest Drive —about 2.5-hour drive south of Cairns, or a 30-minute drive from Mission Beach — which makes it an excellent activity for a day trip. Wondering how it gets its incredible blue colour? It comes from the chemistry of the rocks and water. The pool is filled by underground water which collects minerals and sedimentary rock and ultimately higher levels of dissolved calcium and magnesium in the water. After your swim, head to the township of Cardwell and enjoy fresh fish and chips at one of the picturesque waterfront picnic tables near the jetty. Images: Tourism Tropical North Queensland
Start making Easter plans: Bluesfest is returning for 2023. From Thursday, April 6–Monday, April 10, the iconic annual festival will hit up Byron Events Farm at Tyagarah for its 34th event — with Elvis Costello, Mavis Staples, Bonnie Raitt and Gang of Youths leading the bill. Also heading to northern New South Wales as part of the five-day lineup: Jackson Browne, Tash Sultana, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Jimmy Barnes with The Barnestormers, and Talib Kweli, GZA and Big Freedia as special guests of The Soul Rebels. As usual, Bluesfest's roster of talent spans a hefty array of music genres — blues and roots, obviously, but also soul, rock, hip hop, R&B and more — with Beth Hart, Buddy Guy, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle and The Dukes, The Cat Empire and Xavier Rudd also set to take to the stage. Rockwiz Live will be doing its thing, too, in the perfect setting. And, would it be a Bluesfest without Michael Franti & Spearhead? In 2023, you won't need to find out. While all of the above and more were named in Bluesfest's first announcement, the second added Allison Russell, The Doobie Brothers, Counting Crows, Vintage Trouble, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats and St Paul & the Broken Bones. Organisers are calling the 2023 fest "the first original-style Bluesfest since the world's borders re-opened". While the event went ahead in 2022 after two years of pandemic cancellations (and a thwarted temporary move to October for the same reason), it showcased a primarily Australian and New Zealand lineup. With the return of international travel, Bluesfest can welcome top-notch acts from around the globe again. BLUESFEST 2023 LINEUP — FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT: 19-Twenty Allison Russell The Barnestormers Beth Hart The Black Sorrows Bonnie Raitt Buddy Guy The Cat Empire Chain Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram Counting Crows The Doobie Brothers Elvis Costello & The Imposters Eric Gales Femi Kuti & The Positive Force Gang of Youths Greensky Bluegrass Jackson Brown Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit Joe Bonamassa Joe Camilleri Presents: A Star-Studded Tribute to the Greats of the Blues Jon Stevens Kaleo Keb' Mo' Band King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Lachy Doley and The Horns of Conviction Larkin Poe Lp Lucinda Williams Marcus King Mavis Staples Michael Franti & Spearhead Nathaniel Rateliff & The Nightsweats Nikki Hill Robert Glasper Rockwiz Live The Soul Rebels & Friends with special guests Talib Kweli, GZA and Big Freedia Southern Avenue Spinifex Gum featuring Marliya Steve Earle & The Duke St Paul & The Broken Bones Tash Sultana Vintage Trouble Xavier Rudd
Get ready to feel insecure about your age. That dynamo 17-year-old with the Grammys and the dance moves and the best friend named David Bowie is set to hit our shores in April. Lorde has announced six shows across the country including Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney, Newcastle and Brisbane. After a heartbreaking cancellation earlier in the year, this will be Lorde's first Australian stadium tour after playing smaller clubs and the Laneway circuit. And while we're sure to get the full royal treatment from her 2013 breakthrough album Pure Heroine, this 2014 tour is said to have some surprises in store. It's been announced there will be a huge light show component, but we're keeping our fingers crossed for a cameo from Ziggy Stardust. In good news for wunderkinds nationwide, every show on the tour will also be all ages. Stands to reason, really — if the main act is underage why should you have to flash ID? General tickets go on sale 9am on Friday, March 21, but if you're a Frontier member you should get excited — pre-sale is available for just 24 hours from 2pm Thursday, March 13. See the Frontier Touring website for more details. Lorde April/May Australian Tour Dates (supports yet to be announced) Thursday April 24 — Melbourne, Festival Hall (All Ages) Sunday April 27 — Adelaide, EC Theatre (All Ages) Tuesday April 29 — Perth, Challenge Stadium (All Ages) Friday May 2 — Sydney, Hordern Pavillion (All Ages) Sunday May 4 — Newcastle, Entertainment Centre (All Ages) Tuesday May 6 — Brisbane, Riverstage (All Ages)
