When something shows you its true colours, believe it. The Kingsman franchise certainly did when it debuted in 2014, as viewers have been witnessing ever since. That initial entry, Kingsman: The Secret Service, gave the espionage genre an irreverent and energetic spin, and landed partway between update and parody. But, while making Taron Egerton a star and proving engaging-enough, it didn't know when to call it quits, serving up one of the most ill-judged closing moments that spy flicks have ever seen. Since then, all things Kingsman haven't known when to end either, which is why subpar sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle arrived in 2017, and now unnecessary prequel The King's Man. Another year, another dull origin story. Another year, another stretched Bond knockoff, too. Stepping from 007's latest instalments, including No Time to Die, to this pale imitation, Ralph Fiennes takes over leading man duties in this mostly World War I-centric affair. He looks as if he'd rather be bossing Bond around again, though, sporting the discomfort of someone who finds himself in a movie that doesn't shake out the way it was meant to, or should've, and mirroring the expression likely to sit on viewers' faces while watching. Simply by existing, The King's Man shows that this series just keeps pushing on when that's hardly the best option. It overextends its running time and narrative as well. But as it unfurls the beginnings of the intelligence agency hidden within a Saville Row tailor shop, it ditches everything else that made its predecessors work — when they did work, that is. Most fatally, it jettisons its class clashes and genre satire, and is instead content with being an outlandish period movie about the rich and powerful creating their own secret club. Adapted from Dave Gibbons and Mark Millar's 2012 comics, the Kingsman series hasn't cut too deeply in its past two movies, but it did make the most of its central fish-out-of-water idea. It asked: what if a kid from the supposed wrong side of the tracks entered the espionage realm that's so firmly been established as suave and well-heeled by 007? Finding out why there's even a covert spy organisation staffed by the wealthy and impeccably dressed for that young man to join is a far less intriguing idea, but returning filmmaker Matthew Vaughn — who has now helmed all three Kingsman films — and co-screenwriter Karl Gajdusek (The Last Days of American Crime) don't seem to care. Vaughn has mostly ditched the coarse sex gags this time, too, and for the better, but hasn't found much in the way of personality to replace them. It's in a prologue in 1902 that Fiennes makes his first appearance as Orlando Oxford, a duke travelling to South Africa during the Boer War — and soon made a widower, because The King's Man starts with the tiresome dead wife trope. Twelve years later, Oxford is staunchly a pacifist, so much so that he forbids his now-teenage son Conrad (Harris Dickinson, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil) from enlisting when WWI breaks out. But the duke hasn't completely given away serving his country himself, overseeing an off-the-books intelligence network with the help of his servants Shola (Djimon Hounsou, A Quiet Place Part II) and Polly (Gemma Arterton, Summerland). That comes in handy when a nefarious Scottish figure known only as The Shepherd interferes in world affairs, with King George V of England, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia (all cousins, and all played by Bohemian Rhapsody's Tom Hollander) his targets. Using real-life history as a backdrop, The King's Man weaves in Rasputin (Rhys Ifans, Spider-Man: No Way Home), too. If only it possessed the sense of humour to include Boney M's 70s dance-floor filler of the same name, or even a vodka-filled shot glass of its vibe. Rasputin, the character, is actually the best thing about the film, and solely because he's the most entertaining. Ifans plays the part like he's in on a joke that no one else in the production has gotten, amping up a goth mystic, busting out dance-inspired fighting moves and proving the liveliest thing in a feature that's frequently ridiculous yet rarely fun. Making a screwy but banal First World War spy-fuelled action flick surely wasn't on the franchise's agenda, but The King's Man can barely be considered a comedy. Vaughn does stuff his overladen plot with lip-service sentiments fired in a few directions, however, tearing into war and colonialism — but that, like everything that The King's Man purports to do, comes across as half-hearted. In showing the horrors of combat, it doesn't help that 1917 is so fresh in cinematic memories (and it's definitely unfortunate that Dickinson could easily play the brother of 1917's star George MacKay). It's also hardly handy that Vaughn and Gajdusek's script manages to both rally against imperial rule and eagerly celebrate monarchies and the British Empire. That's the kind of thematic muddle the film wades through, making it clear that no one has thought too deeply about any of these concepts. The same applies to Oxford's pacifism, given that The King's Man heartily splashes around OTT violence. Here, an idea or position is only convenient when it's needed to further the story, and it's thoroughly disposable seconds later. Manners may maketh man, as the series' eponymous society has intoned in three pictures now, but throwing together whatever disparate parts happen to be at hand doesn't make a good movie. If the same approach was taken to tailoring, the resulting suits wouldn't pass the central secret service's sartorial standards. Poking fun at the past, name-dropping historical figures, giving Hounsou and Arterton so little to do: none of that turns out well, either. Plus, while zippily staged, all of the film's action scenes that don't involve Ifans get repetitive fast. But The King's Man still commits to its franchise duty, pointlessly setting up a sequel that no one wants in its dying moments. A follow-up to The Golden Circle, called Kingsman: The Blue Blood, is also in the works, as well as a TV show about its American Statesman offshoot. Keeping on needlessly keeping on: that's still this spy series' main trait, as it always has been.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vdaJcoKk0s PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN Promising Young Woman would've made an excellent episode or season of Veronica Mars. That's meant as the highest compliment to both the bubblegum-hued take on the rape-revenge genre and the cult-status private detective series. Writer/director Emerald Fennell clearly isn't blind to the parallels between the two, even casting Veronica Mars stars Max Greenfield (New Girl) and Chris Lowell (GLOW) in her feature debut. Don't go thinking the Killing Eve season two showrunner and The Crown actor is simply following in other footsteps, though. At every moment, the brilliant and blistering Promising Young Woman vibrates with too much anger, energy and insight to merely be a copycat of something else. It's a film made with the savviest of choices, and provocative and downright fearless ones as well, in everything from its soundtrack to its weaponised pastel, peppy and popping Instagram-friendly imagery. You don't include Italian quartet Archimia's orchestral version of Britney Spears' 'Toxic', Paris Hilton's 'Stars Are Blind' and an abundance of vibrant surface sheen in a movie about a woman waging war on the culture of sexual assault without trying to make a statement — and Fennell succeeds again and again. She has also made the smart decision to cast Carey Mulligan, and to draw upon the acclaimed actor's near-peerless ability to express complex internalised turmoil. Mulligan's fierce lead performance scorches, sears and resounds with such burning truth, and so does the feature she's in as a result. When Mulligan's character, Cassie Thomas, is introduced, she's inebriated and alone at a nightclub, her clothing riding up as she slouches in her seat. Three men discuss women over beverages by the bar, and notice Cassie while talking, with one commenting, "they put themselves in danger, girls like that". No woman brings sexual assault upon themselves, with this whole intelligent and astute revenge-thriller rebuffing the bro-ish bar guy's early observation in every way possible, and meting out punishment to those who think similarly. As viewers see in the film's opening sequence, Cassie is offered help by one of the chatting guys, Jerry (The OC's Adam Brody), who is concerned she could be taken advantage of by men who aren't as nice as him — but then takes her home, makes sexual advances, and learns that the medical school dropout-turned-coffee shop employee he's trying to bed has a lesson for him. Colour-coded names and tallies scrawled in a notebook illustrate this isn't a first for Cassie. The script drip-feeds details about its protagonist's motivations for her ritualistic actions; however, the specifics aren't hard to guess. Cassie's central vigilante quest is forced to adapt after she hears news about someone from her past, and the movie takes her to bold places, boasting a relentlessness that mirrors the persistence of grief and pain after trauma. Promising Young Woman never lets its protagonist's rage subside, proving furious from start to finish — and sharing that feeling even in the film's most overt setups and obvious scenes (which are also some of its most entertaining) is a foregone conclusion. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4gSLP9Smlg SUMMERLAND Opening in the mid-70s, Summerland begins with Alice Lamb (Penelope Wilton, Downton Abbey) tapping away at her typewriter and scaring away the children who come knocking at her door. Rewind to the 40s, and the younger Alice (Gemma Arterton, Their Finest) does much the same. She's been labelled a witch by the kids in her seaside village, and she's hardly happy when the pre-teen Frank (Lucas Bond, The Alienist: Angel of Darkness) arrives on her doorstep as part of a government program to evacuate the next generation from London. In fact, Alice demands that he be rehoused instead of interrupting her work; however, she's told that'll take a week. Moving to the big screen after stage success as a playwright and theatre director (and making short film Leading Lady Parts, also starring Arterton), debut feature filmmaker Jessica Swale penned the original script, so Summerland isn't based on an existing text or property — but everyone watching knows Alice and Frank have ample time to overcome their initial animosity, and that that's exactly what'll happen. Indeed, exploring an unexpected connection between a misanthrope and the young boy placed in her care, tackling multiple types of trauma, and espousing the enduring need for hope, this primarily World War II-set drama proves standard, straightforward and predictable in many ways. And yet, it also demonstrates that a feature can be neat, obvious, heartfelt and rivetingly acted all at once. When it spins a story about a woman given a new lease on life via an unanticipated bond that's thrust upon her, Summerland rarely flirts with surprise, let alone delivers many. Again and again, Swale's screenplay makes easily anticipated choices, and yet it also tells a resonant tale in the process. The film feels as if it has been built around Arterton, and it's definitely better for it. Thanks to her lived-in performance, Alice is able to navigate a formulaic emotional journey and still staunchly feel like her own person at the same time. Other than Arterton's memorable efforts, Summerland also benefits from two specific aspects: the backstory behind Alice's demeanour, and the way it unpacks her outsider status. Inescapably, the movie includes an almost-cringeworthy, far-too-convenient twist — but when it leaps back to the 20s, to Alice's immediate attraction to and subsequent time with Vera (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Misbehaviour) during her university studies, it doesn't just add a love story to the narrative. In its flashbacks and the shadow they leave on Alice's WWII-era life, the film also invests depth and emotion that isn't as strong otherwise, unleashes unexpected elements that aren't evident elsewhere, and offers a quiet yet potent undercurrent of subversion as well. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxGXbsiDhw0 SPREAD YOUR WINGS Whether they're about people helping other creatures find a way back home, spin stories about connections between different species that change everyone involved, or combine the two in one setup, films about humanity's bond with cute critters comprise a hefty genre. French family-friendly drama Spread Your Wings doesn't just belong in this category, but heartily embraces everything that audiences have come to expect from features that fit the above description — and it also shows how charming movies about humans and animals can be when done simply but well. Sharing a storyline similar to 1996 American film Fly Away Home, but actually based on the real-life exploits of meteorologist Christian Moullec, the latest effort from filmmaker Nicolas Vanier (Belle & Sebastian, School of Life) follows a scientist who is certain that he can save an endangered species of wild geese by teaching them a new migration route, even if his superiors scoff at his idea. With the flying waterfowl's usual path filled with hazards, such as airports, powerlines and light pollution, Christian (Jean-Paul Rouve, I Wish Someone Were Waiting for Me Somewhere) plots an alternate course, raises a new gaggle of goslings from birth, then plans to take to the skies in a homemade ultra-light aircraft to show them the way. Working with a screenplay written by Moullec and Matthieu Petit, then adapted by Vanier and Lilou Fogli (Blind Date), Spread Your Wings recognises the strength of its story. Crucially, while it tells Moullec's tale via fiction rather than as a documentary, it doesn't overcomplicate or overdramatise the narrative. Sent to stay with him for three weeks, Christian's teenage son Thomas (Louis Vazquez, In Her Hands) becomes as engaged in the project as his dad, even taking the lead when authorities in Norway try to scupper their flight — and while everything in the plot charts the expected course, including Thomas' involvement and the firm bond he forges not only with all the geese in his care, but with one white waterfowl from a different species, Spread Your Wings always feels as if it's telling a timeless story, rather than a cliched and well-worn one. The lively efforts of Rouve and a tender performance from Vazquez helps immensely, as does the scenic cinematography, which heads above the earth as much as it can. Vanier is obviously well aware that he's soaring into busy territory, and opts for a classic approach — which pleasingly works for viewers of all ages. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6iXpyVQf5Q&feature=youtu.be BUDDY GAMES When Adam Sandler factored into Oscar consideration for his phenomenal performance in Uncut Gems this time last year, he said that if he didn't receive a nomination from the Academy, he'd make a movie that was downright terrible on purpose. He doesn't star in Buddy Games, and this flat-out awful comedy actually premiered six months before Uncut Gems did (yes, even though it is just reaching Australian cinemas now); however, it's the kind of film one would imagine that Sandler was talking about. Directed, co-written by and starring Transformers: The Last Knight actor Josh Duhamel, this oppressively unfunny flick feels like the product of a bet to turn Jackass into fiction, to make it as awful and obnoxious as possible, and to give Duhamel both a cruisy filmmaking credit and the easiest on-screen role of his career. The premise: for years, a group of male friends have gathered together over a boozy summer weekend to compete in challenges, obstacle courses and games, with bragging rights the ultimate prize. Then one of their get-togethers goes wrong, the tournaments are shuttered and everyone loses touch. Jump to five years later, when ringleader Bobfather (played by Duhamel, of course) is convinced to restart the festivities by his struggling pal Shelly (Dan Bakkedahl, Space Force) — and, at the urging of the rest of the gang (Entourage's Kevin Dillon, Psych's James Roday Rodriguez, CHiPS' Dax Shepard and The Wrong Missy's Nick Swardson), to put up $150,000 for the winner. Duhamel and his fellow first-time feature screenwriters Bob Schwartz and Jude Weng must find testicle jokes and cocktails made with semen hilarious, because that's comedic level that Buddy Games operates on. Also covered: men strapping slabs of meat to their head, then trying not to get attacked by a wild reptile; and a chauvinist contest to see who can pick up a woman at a bar, dance with them and land a kiss, all after just taking laxatives and straining to avoid defecating. While meant to garner laughs, the film simply serves up sad middle-aged men trying to assert their masculinity and hold onto their youth in a puerile way — and says plenty about the folks who thought it was a movie worth making. Unsurprisingly given the alpha male traits aggressively on display, women barely feature, and are either stunning but still one of the guys when they do (with The Predator's Olivia Munn the only female cast member with any real screen-time) or painted as the object of no one's real affection. Homophobic references abound, too, and the fact that one of the group is secretly gay (his only character trait) is as cliched and flimsily thought-out as it sounds. Not even the cast appears particularly committed to their parts, other than Duhamel, obviously, and an over-acting Bakkedahl. Adam Sandler didn't end up getting an Oscar nomination for Uncut Gems — but whatever he thinks will be his absolute worst film is bound to be better better than Buddy Games. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been throughout the year — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30; August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27; September 3, September 10, September 17 and September 24; October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22 and October 29; and November 5, November 12, November 19 and November 26; and December 3, December 10, December 17, December 26 and January 1. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves, The King of Staten Island, Babyteeth, Deerskin, Peninsula, Tenet, Les Misérables, The New Mutants, Bill & Ted Face the Music, The Translators, An American Pickle, The High Note, On the Rocks, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Antebellum, Miss Juneteenth, Savage, I Am Greta, Rebecca, Kajillionaire, Baby Done, Corpus Christi, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, The Craft: Legacy, Radioactive, Brazen Hussies, Freaky, Mank, Monsoon, Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt), American Utopia, Possessor, Misbehaviour, Happiest Season, The Prom, Sound of Metal, The Witches, The Midnight Sky, The Furnace, Wonder Woman 1984, Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles, Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman and The Dry.
Nicolas Winding Refn might've only made three films this decade, but they've all left an imprint. With Drive, Only God Forgives and The Neon Demon each boasting glistening neon hues, pulsating electronic soundtracks and grim, gritty underworld stories, how could they not? It has been three years since the Danish filmmaker's last movie, and while he doesn't have another big-screen release on the horizon just yet, he does have something else in store. Come mid-June, viewers will be able to watch new Amazon series Too Old to Die Young. Even better — all ten episodes are reportedly feature-length. As well as co-creating and co-writing the show with comic book writer and cartoonist Ed Brubaker, Refn directed every instalment, so fans can basically expect the equivalent of ten new movies from the Pusher, Bronson and Valhalla Rising helmer. In the series' first sneak peek, a cop (Miles Teller) talks about killing someone, Los Angeles' criminal underworld features prominently, the city gleams by night, John Hawkes and Jena Malone look secretive, and Cliff Martinez's distinctive beats kick in. Story-wise, hit men, Yakuza soldiers, Mexican cartel assassins and Russian mobsters all pop up as well, as does plenty of violence. Yes, it seems like Refn is in very comfortable territory. Chatting with The Hollywood Reporter last year, Brubaker described Too Old to Die Young as "the most Nicolas Winding Refn thing that ever existed, honestly". Billy Baldwin, Callie Hernandez, Cristina Rodlo (Miss Bala), Augusto Aguilera (The Predator), Nell Tiger Free (Game of Thrones), Babs Olusanmokun (Black Mirror), video game creator Hideo Kojima and Aussie actor Callan Mulvey help round out the cast. Check out the initial trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5ebyEQLYCI Too Old To Die Young hits Amazon Prime Video on June 14.
UPDATE, September 17, 2020: Captain Marvel is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. From the vibrance of Black Panther to the desolation of Avengers: Infinity War, 2018 was a milestone year for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The superhero franchise ushered viewers into a thriving new world, then destroyed much of the MCU's existing realm. It also surpassed its 10th year and clocked up its 20th movie, too. Now comes a landmark event that should've arrived far sooner: the sprawling series' first film about a female protagonist. But cause for excitement soon becomes cause for shrugged shoulders with the average and underwhelming Captain Marvel. In terms of representation, the importance of simply seeing the iconic character on screen can't be underestimated. It's about damn time, honestly, especially after DC Comics beat Marvel to the punch with Wonder Woman. And the well-cast Brie Larson makes an engaging, inspiring Captain Marvel — a self-assured, no-nonsense hero who shines brightly and won't let anyone get in her way, but is also caring, tender and supportive when it comes to the people who matter. The movie also makes history behind the lens thanks to Half Nelson and Mississippi Grind's Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, with Boden becoming the MCU's first female director. Still, a generic film about a kick-ass female hero finally getting her due is still just that: generic. Before Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) becomes the universe's latest potential saviour, she's a woman waiting for action on the planet of Hala. Trained by Starforce commander Yon-Rogg (Jude Law), and told by the Kree civilisation that she's bound for bigger things, she's itching to use her powers — glowing hands that shoot beams of light — but can only control them when she's also able to control her emotions. Then a dangerous mission goes awry, sending the intergalactic soldier hurtling to earth. It's 1995, so she crashes through the roof of a Blockbuster, goes incognito in a Nine Inch Nails shirt, and a fresh-faced, eye patch-free Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) doesn't quite know what to make of the situation. The fact that Danvers is being followed by shape-shifting extraterrestrials, called Skrulls, complicates matters considerably, as do the vague flashes of a former life as a US Air Force pilot that she can't otherwise remember. The film throws more characters at its eponymous figure, such as a long-lost best friend (Lashana Lynch), a mentor (Annette Bening) with a link to Danvers' past and a Skrull (Ben Mendelsohn) with an Aussie accent (aliens can sound like they're from anywhere, after all). Mendo can never be described as routine, however seeing him pop up in another unchallenging Hollywood role cuts to the heart of Captain Marvel's struggles. So too does the movie's competent but unmemorable action scenes, standard visuals and overall texture for that matter. Apart from championing a female Marvel protagonist in a big and thoroughly deserved way, little about the film feels unique. That includes its throwback vibe (swapping Guardians of the Galaxy's 70s and 80s schtick for the 90s), fish-out-of-water narrative (classic Thor), and buddy-comedy laughs (as seen recently in Thor: Ragnarok and Spider-Man: Homecoming). Plus, while there's always room for a cute cat, even the scene-stealing Goose isn't that far removed from the mischievous tree known as Groot. Captain Marvel also falls victim to a curse that has plagued DC films more than the MCU. There's a reason that this tale is reaching screens mere weeks before Avengers: Endgame, with Captain Marvel serving up an origin story and slotting a key puzzle piece into place just in time for the next big flick. The same was true for Black Panther's pre-Infinity War release, but where the franchise's visit to Wakanda offered a vivid diversion from the Marvel playbook, this dalliance with Danvers always seems overly calculated. When the film isn't laying the groundwork for its immediate follow-up, it's diving into the series' past to explain things that don't need explaining — as a movie from a galaxy far, far away, aka Solo: A Star Wars Story, did last year with similarly passable but unremarkable results. And when Captain Marvel wants to evoke a warm, happy mood, it leans heavily and noticeably on 90s nostalgia. TLC, Hole, Garbage, No Doubt and Nirvana music cues, while welcome, have rarely felt so forced. Indeed, at times Captain Marvel plunges further than generic, coming off as a wasted opportunity. There's much that hits the mark, including the refreshing focus on friendship instead of romance, as well as the can-do female empowerment message. But there's also much about this MCU instalment that contentedly treads in familiar footsteps, dresses up the recognisable in barely different packaging and avoids embracing a distinctive flavour of its own. As the comics have made plain for more than four decades, when Carol Danvers soars, she flies high and blazes her own path. And yet, perhaps laying the groundwork for Endgame, the film that finally brings her to the big screen seems happy just to let her show up, rather than allowing her to make a real impact. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LHxvxdRnYc
What a fantastic idea for a movie. Captured hitman Darius Kincaid (Samuel L Jackson) agrees to testify against alleged war criminal Vladislav Dukhovich (Gary Oldman), but in order to keep Kincaid alive a compromised Interpol must call upon the assistance of disgraced bodyguard Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds), whose past missions were consistently imperilled thanks to the very killer he's now tasked with protecting. It's a terrific concept, an amazing cast and, unfortunately, a spectacularly disappointing film. The odd-couple buddy action-comedy format has given us some great films over the years, including several featuring Sam Jackson himself. The mid-90s classics Die Hard With A Vengeance and The Long Kiss Goodnight saw the star paired with perfect yings to his yang. First it was Bruce Willis' no nonsense NYPD cop John McClane, and then Geena Davis' homemaker-cum-assassin Charly Baltimore. Both flicks offered that perfect blend of high personal stakes, high-octane action and high quality dialogue that, when mixed together, added rare complexities to the genre's traditionally two-dimensional character archetypes, and delivered sequences that could make you laugh, wince and grip your armrests until your knuckles turned white. In The Hitman's Bodyguard, by contrast, the overwhelming feeling is that while writer Tom O'Connor understood all the ingredients necessary to make an entertaining blockbuster, he failed to appreciate the subtleties of how to best combine them. And the ingredients really are all there. The film's premise is tailor made to deliver conflict between its leads (to say nothing of the non-stop threats from the villain's henchmen). Yet everything about their relationship feels forced. Ryan's by the books persona sits uncomfortably with the actor's natural sarcastic schtick, while Jackson's foul-mouthed tirades lack both the venom and the wit to carry any real force. What follows features an awful lot of shouting, none of which ever feels like it really matters. Pair that with a truly staggering degree of nonchalance during every fight scene, and The Hitman's Bodyguard ends up a movie robbed of any sustained drama or tension. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4Afusxc2SM
2017's Happy Death Day was the knock-off that wasn't; the rehash that name-checked its inspiration, yet did more than recycle used parts. Groundhog Day for the 21st century, it took its repetitive conceit, coupled it with a slasher flick premise and had a damn good time with the combination. When you felt like you'd seen it all before, that was by playful design. When the film threw up its own surprises — and when it toyed with genre conventions in the process — it pleasingly exceeded expectations. Watching a sorority mean girl navigate the same day endlessly not just in the name of self-improvement, but to catch her own killer, proved the lively spark that both college-set horror flicks and time loop movies needed. With follow-up Happy Death Day 2U, the scenario gets a do-over, although not in the way viewers might initially expect. Where Happy Death Day saw Tree (Jessica Rothe) reliving her birthday over and over, this inevitable sequel basically sees her revisit the past film again and again. Initially, however, the movie tasks someone else with experiencing a perpetual replay. From the outset, Ryan (Phi Vu) — the roommate of Tree's new boyfriend Carter (Israel Broussard) — replicates the same day that Tree kept enduring in the initial picture. But there's a reason for Ryan's repetitive blast from the past, thanks to his thesis physics experiment. Quicker than anyone can spit out a jumble of science jargon, his attempts to redress the situation throw Tree back into her old loop, albeit in an alternative dimension. From the retro poster on Carter and Ryan's dorm room wall, to the familiar refrains throughout the film's score, to characters flat-out discussing the similarities, Happy Death Day 2U treats Back to the Future: Part II the same way that its predecessor treated Groundhog Day. The beloved 80s sci-fi comedy is the flux capacitor powering this three-decades-later spin, but switching sources of inspiration, and ostensibly switching genres as well, doesn't make for as satisfying an outcome this time around. Written and directed by Happy Death Day's Christopher Landon, who only served as director the first time around, this sequel isn't lacking in ambition. It deserves props for endeavouring to find an interesting hook, rather than favouring a bland rehash. Still, try as it might, Happy Death Day 2U can't splice its self-referential nature and its leap into science-fiction into a convincing, completely engaging whole. As the film's feisty heroine learns more than once, when you revisit the same scenario, the little changes can't be ignored. Specifically, Tree can't escape her new dilemma — as well as staving off another mask-wearing killer, she's forced to pick between realities. The loop she's now in corrects a past trauma that she's eager to unburden, but robs her of the one thing about her future she was looking forward to. That's weighty material for a sci-fi slasher comedy, yet this isn't a weighty affair. While Happy Death Day 2U feigns at depth, and broadly takes Tree on another emotional journey, it has much more fun when it's focusing on its two gimmicks. When the picture nods and winks its way through literally repeating the initial flick, it remains peppy and perky, particularly as Tree thwarts her would-be murderer by taking matters into her own hands again and again. And although the film enjoys its science fiction silliness perhaps more than the audience, there's no missing the caper vibe. (In fact, as far as the movie's mood goes, bumps, jumps and horror thrills give way to an energetic onslaught of temporal absurdity.) At every point along the way, Rothe firmly demonstrates why Happy Death Day 2U exists beyond its potential to repeat its predecessor's box office bonanza. When the first film more than hit its marks, much of its success sprang from its little-known star's shoulders. Here, as Tree discovers that she's doing-over her endless cycle of do-overs, Rothe gives the kind of committed performance that the filmmakers are right to build a franchise around. That proves true whether she's glowering in a near-cartoonish rage, or navigating a suicide montage (and revelling in her own death more than should be possible). She's never less than an exuberant delight to watch, a description that only keeps proving true the more ridiculous the movie gets. And yet, if you're wondering why the end result remains a little underwhelming, the answer is simple. All that dying eventually pays a toll on the picture's protagonist, and all that effort to twist the same idea in new ways just feels weaker on a second run-through. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkhbzS8PBm8
Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel wonder about days gone by, while Rachel Weisz and Jane Fonda deliver verbal tirades designed to awaken the ageing men from their apathy. All four spend their time in an expensive Swiss spa, and in a film as visually luxurious as their lush surroundings. So unravels Youth, its seasoned cast and opulent images its obvious selling points. Musings about life, love and legacy have rarely looked as exquisite, even if the movie's charms remain somewhat surface level. Youth is an inescapably familiar effort from writer-director Paolo Sorrentino, who covered similar territory — contrasting internal emptiness with external splendour — in his Oscar-winning last feature, The Great Beauty. Alas, the same magic doesn't strike twice, though in some ways that's rather apt. There's obvious symmetry in a filmmaking repeating the past by depicting characters stuck in theirs. Caine's Fred Ballinger is a retired composer, so renowned that he's asked to conduct his most famous creation for the queen, and so haunted by his troubles that he can't agree to participate in the performance. His discussions with Keitel's Mick Boyle, a filmmaker trying to finish a new script, largely focus on former glories, the ailments of being elderly, and their feuding children. Fred's daughter, Lena (Weisz), is married to Mick's son, Julian (Ed Stoppard), until Julian announces that he's leaving her for another woman. Others wander around the retreat, including an actor (Paul Dano) worried about being typecast and a fading screen siren (Fonda) Mick wants to re-team with for his next movie. In slivers and glimpses, Youth casts its net even wider, with a famous footballer, a beauty queen, and a motley crew of fellow guests also featuring. Together, they paint a universal picture of the ebbs and flows of existence, and of the contrast between the sublime and the grotesque. Sadly, most come across as diversions and distractions, directing attention away from the flimsiness of the film's supposedly wise dialogue. That's not to say that Youth doesn't have its pleasures — just that they're saddled with less successful elements, which is an appropriate outcome for a movie that tasks its characters with attempting to find the joy beyond their own sorrows. Watching Caine and Keitel chat and ponder is as enjoyable as it sounds — and while their conversations aren't as profound as they're clearly meant to be, the performances are moving nonetheless. Coupled with a strong score, Sorrentino's aesthetic flair ensures the feature offers a sight to behold and a soundscape to revel in, whether fashioning a music video for a pop star, taking a trip down memory lane or just staring at the folks reclining by the pool. It all makes for a suitable spectacle of mortality and melancholy; however the filmmaker's greatest feat is also his greatest undoing. He makes Youth feel exactly as it should, but always like an imitation. It's a decadent picture about watching the world go by, rather than really experiencing it.
Who doesn't want to spice up their weekdays with a three-course lunch? No one, that's who. For Good Food Month, OTTO Ristorante is turning your average quick bite into a midday feast every Monday through Thursday in July. Let's Do Lunch treats you to a luxuriously long lunch from noon, with a cheeky beverage thrown in for good measure. $60 per person gets you two savoury courses and your choice of drink (from house beer, sparkling, white, rose or red wine), along with dessert of petit fours and tea or coffee. Bookings are required, but, given that the event runs all month long, there's still plenty of time to enjoy a riverside splash of modern Italian cuisine — or, if the temptation strikes, several occasions to do so. You'll just have to come up with an excuse to be out of the office for a few hours, or finally cash in on that time in lieu.
If you're a fan of Gelato Messina and its sweet treats, 2020 and 2021 have been years that just keep on giving. That saying doesn't apply to much at all of late, but it definitely fits in this situation. The dessert chain has released all manner of one-off specials, launched a new range of chocolate-covered ice cream bars in supermarkets, dropped a new merchandise line and brought back its Christmas trifle, for starters — and, after taking care of your summer drinks list, it's now moving on to Easter cocktails. Teaming up with Cocktail Porter, Messina has a new DIY kit that'll let you make your own boozy beverage — this time using its dulce de leche, and pouring it inside an Easter egg. Basically, it's the answer to a familiar dilemma, especially at this time of year. No one likes choosing between tucking into an orb of chocolate or having another boozy beverage, after all. The Messina dulce de leche and coffee cocktail packs come with the brand's popular topping, as well as Baileys, cold-drip coffee and Mr Black Coffee Liqueur. You'll also receive chocolate Easter eggs, which you'll pour your mixed liquids into, as well as pieces of salted caramel popcorn to pop on top. You can pick between two different-sized packs, with the small kit costing $80 and making five drinks, and the large costing $140 and making 12. A second type of seasonal kit is also available, without Messina products, but featuring espresso martinis served out Lindt milk chocolate bunnies. This one also comes with vodka, cold-filter coffee, sugar syrup and Mr Black Coffee Liqueur, and the prices for both small and large batches are the same. Cocktail Porter delivers Australia-wide, if that's your Easter drinking plans now sorted. To order Cocktail Porter's Easter cocktail kits, head to the Cocktail Porter website.
At Boho Luxe Market (the event's term, not ours), Byron Bay comes to Brisbane. Well, the beachy New South Wales spot's general vibe does at least. Forgoing the trappings of the city for bohemian fashion, jewellery, homewares and the like is on the market's agenda, and has been since it made the jump from Melbourne to Brisbane in 2019. Clearly we responded well to three days of dreamcatchers and flower crowns — because it keeps coming back again and again, including in 2023 right in the lead up to festive season. If that sounds like your kind of thing, then block out Friday, November 10–Sunday, November 12 in your diary for the market's Christmas event. The Boho Luxe Market will head to The Old Museum for a weekend of browsing and buying, food trucks, live music and more. A picnic spot decked out boho-style and pop-up bars are also part of the fun. Usually there's also be a dedicated vegan section, plus a kombi display and glamping providers tempting you into booking your next holiday — so fingers crossed they'll return. Entry costs $5 per day or $10 for all three. Drop by and pretend you're somewhere quiet and coastal on Friday from 5pm–9pm, Saturday from 9am–5pm, and Sunday from 9am–3pm. Images: Romana Saeheng Elope / Samee Lapham.
Since 2010, Ashcan Comics has been one of the leading voices in the independent comics scene. That's not an easy feat — and neither is putting together ten issues showcasing local emerging artists and writers. With their tenth edition due to launch during Brisbane Writers Festival, Ashcan has put together a retrospective exhibition of their past hits and highlights from the nine preceding printed tomes. And that launch we mentioned? It takes place in the same space on the same day; hit up the showcase from 9am, and the shindig at 3pm. This event is one of our five picks for Brisbane Writers Festival. Check out the whole list.
You've already celebrated one new year in 2018, and now it's time to mark another — Lunar New Year, when the traditional Chinese calendar ticks over and the Year of the Dog begins. If your idea of honouring the date involves eating, then King Street have some delicious festivities that should get your tastebuds salivating. On February 16 and 17, the Bowen Hills precinct will be decked out with lanterns, play host to lion dancers, and serve up two feasts at Fat Dumpling and Banoi. Both eateries will have their own thing going because variety is the spice of life, particularly when you're getting festive. Head to Fat Dumpling if all-you-can-eat handmade dumplings takes your fancy, alongside a four-course meal that features shared plates of stir fried greens, spring rolls, braised pork belly, salt and pepper squid, fresh mango cake, two drinks of your choice (including booze) and more. That'll cost you $65, while Banoi's $30 option boasts a three-course Vietnamese dinner of spring rolls, whichever main takes your fancy (other than chicken curry), a Vietnamese flan and a glass of wine. Whichever you pick, booking in advance is essential.
It may have taken 15 years and two full blown reboots, but the Spider-Man movies finally have a decent villain. Gone are the Green Goblins and anthropomorphic sandpits, replaced at long last by...a guy. Just a guy; a vulnerable, human, salt-of-the-earth labourer trying to carve out a little something of his own amongst the rubble and ruin of a post-Avengers New York City. Played by Michael Keaton, Adrian Toomes is an ordinary character in an extraordinary world, whose bare bones simplicity helps ground this refreshingly low-key entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And low-key is the key to this movie's appeal. Spidey (Tom Holland) isn't a world saver, but a hero for the little guy; intervening in grocery store holdups and helping grandparents with their luggage. The problem is that he wants more. He's fought alongside Iron Man and taken on Captain America, and the expectation of future avenging is what drives his daily routine. Expectation, however, soon falls short of reality, as he's told by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) that which no teenager ever wishes to hear: "you're not ready". What's worse is that Stark is plainly right. Thing is, gaining super-powers doesn't mean you automatically gain super skills, and Spidey/Peter Parker is a superhero still very much in the training wheels phase. It's a clever device by director Jon Watts, whose hero – like a giraffe attempting its nervous first steps – repeatedly fumbles his landings, misses his web castings and wreaks low-level havoc in suburban backyards while chasing down the bad guys. Paired with raging hormones in a body that's also transforming in a more typically teenage way, and Peter makes for an immensely likeable lead. It helps that Holland makes for a far more plausible teen than either Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield. The teenage superhero setup has always given Spider-Man an added complexity (one perhaps only shared by Superman), in that his public persona is painfully weak and nerdy. Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark get to be billionaire playboys when they're not battling criminal kingpins, but Peter Parker is perceived as a weedy, bookish, scatter-brained dork who rolls over for bullies and can never keep an appointment. His life would be immediately and immeasurably better if he simply revealed his true, courageous self. But to do so would invite sudden and deadly peril upon all those he cares about. That dilemma, in turn, passes on to the audience, as you find yourself grappling with your desire to see Spider-Man take down the villains but also make his date with the dream girl. Even better, it all comes without another version of Uncle Ben's 'great power comes with great responsibilities' speech, or another retelling of Parker's spider-bite origins. Spider-Man: Homecoming is a film that knows what we already know, and just gets on with telling its story. If there's a drawback to all of this, it's that the final product feels a little bit childish. Yes, it's a film about a teenage superhero, but plenty of movies have captured the teenage experience without feeling like they were written by teenagers as well. There's far too much 'whoa, awesome, dude, bro, cool' going on here for our liking, although thankfully the adults (Downey Jr, Jon Favreau, Marisa Tomei and Keaton) provide plenty of counterbalance. Minor flaws aside, Spider-Man: Homecoming is a fun cinema experience, and a refreshingly human story amidst the surfeit of superhero movies that continue to flood our screens. Oh, and yes, there are the additional Marvel scenes – so if you're so inclined, remember to stay through to the very end of the credits. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9DwoQ7HWvI
In sore need of some sand and sun? Make tracks to Fraser Island in Queensland, to visit Lake McKenzie. This natural phenomenon is a perched lake — that is, a special kind of lake that contains rainwater. And rainwater only. Unlike most other lakes, it's sealed off from groundwater and isn't connected with any streams or rivers. On top of that, the sand in and around Lake Mckenzie is made entirely of silica. All this means it's unbelievably clear, whether you're taking a dip or enjoying the views from the shore. [caption id="attachment_754820" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ashley Dobson[/caption] Top image: Tourism and Events Queensland
Those keen to jump in their car — or on a plane — and explore another Australian state or territory may be able to do just that this winter, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison hinting that interstate travel could be back on the cards by early July. After a national cabinet meeting today, Tuesday, May 5, the Prime Minister said he was hopeful interstate travel would be a possibility by the next end-of-term school holiday, which is June 26 in Queensland and Victoria, and July 3 in the ACT and NSW. "It's part of the road back that national cabinet is considering," the Prime Minister said in response to a question about interstate travel. "Hopefully, by the end of term school holiday, if [Australians] are able to go and have a holiday on the Gold Coast or in South Australia or in — wherever it happens to be out of one's home state — let's hope that is possible because that will be great for those places in terms of the tourism impact." This does, of course, depend on some Australian states and territories reopening their borders. Queensland, Tasmania, WA, SA and the NT have all suspended non-essential cross-border travel and require interstate arrivals to quarantine for 14 days. The possibility of interstate travel resuming this winter was a sentiment echoed earlier today by Qantas, too. In a statement released this morning, the Australian airline group said, "the initial easing of government restrictions suggests some domestic travel may start to return before the end of July". When domestic travel does ramp up, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said Melbourne-Sydney flights on Jetstar could drop as low as $19. The airline also announced that it had extended flight cancellations from the end of May through to the end of July, but that "some capacity can be added back in if domestic and Trans-Tasman restrictions ease in coming weeks". New Zealand is another travel possibility that's been flagged for Australians the near future, with Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy previously saying it could be allowed by within the next three-to-four months. The Prime Minister also said that he'd been discussing a Trans-Tasman travel bubble for "several weeks" with NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who joined today's national cabinet meeting, and that, in terms of international travel, it was "the most obvious place to start" but that was "still some time away". It's expected a clearer look at the "road out" and some possible easing of restrictions will be announced on Friday, May 8, after this week's second national cabinet meeting. Top image: Numbananga Lodge by MVandavee for NPWS.
When you spend your life cooking up dishes so delicious that you've become famous for them, and penning books filled with recipes as well, where do you dine when someone else is preparing the meal? When you're a British celebrity chef hitting Brisbane for a live speaking gig, which eateries take your fancy? We're talking about Nigella Lawson, who paired her trip to the River City with giving the tick of approval to several Fortitude Valley eateries: Agnes, Sushi Room and the bakery at The Calile Hotel. The Nigella Bites, Nigella Feasts, Nigella Kitchen, Nigellissima, Simply Nigella, Nigella: At My Table, Top Chef, MasterChef Australia and My Kitchen Rules star first showered praise on Agnes and Adam Wolfers, who is now the Group Chef at Anyday, the outfit behind it, Biànca, sAme sAme, hôntô, LOS (sAme sAme's cocktail bar) and Agnes Bakery (Agnes' woodfired pastry offshoot). Then, Lawson backed it up with more affection for two fellow Valley spots, both on James Street. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nigella (@nigellalawson) "Best-ever croissants at the bakery in The Calile Hotel Brisbane — and what makes them even better, if that's actually possible, is that the baker of them is called Ju Butteri," she noted. "It would be hideously remiss of me not to mention the beautiful sushi at Sushi Room, too," Lawson also posted on social media. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nigella (@nigellalawson) So, if you've watched Lawson on television, whipped up her recipes at home and filled your shelves with her books, you can now eat where she did, and then raved about, without leaving Brisbane. The author of How to Eat: Pleasures and Principles of Good Food, Nigella's Cook, Eat, Repeat and more took to the stage at QPAC Concert Hall on Thursday, March 14, 2024 for An Evening with Nigella Lawson. Around that speaking engagement, she did what everyone does when they're in a different city: feast their way through the place, then tell everyone on Instgram. [caption id="attachment_877412" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joshua Maguire[/caption] Sushi Room opened on James Street in 2022, with the crew behind Hellenika and SK Steak & Oyster, aka STK Group, branching out into Japanese fine-dining. Its focus is on simple ingredients, sophisticated dishes and traditional preparation, all while still turning the act of making its meals into an experience, and also giving the whole process its own spin along the way. And The Calile, which launched in 2018, must be used to international attention by now — and recently. The boutique place to stay was picked as Oceania and Australia's top spot at the World's Best 50 Hotels in 2023, then named as one of the reasons that The New York Times chose Brisbane for its '52 Places to Go' list for 2024. [caption id="attachment_694714" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sean Fennessy[/caption] [caption id="attachment_694717" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sean Fennessy[/caption] Find The Calile Hotel at 48 James Street, Fortitude Valley. Find Sushi Room inside The Calile Hotel, 48 James Street, Fortitude Valley — open from 5.30pm Tuesday–Thursday, and from 12pm Friday–Saturday.
A week after new COVID-19 cases were identified, new exposure sites were named and new restrictions came into effect, Brisbane's COVID-19 rules are changing. Yes, again. Following a run of days with low case numbers, including zero new cases today, Friday, October 8 — and after completely avoiding a lockdown in response to the latest outbreak — Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has just announced that Brisbane's restrictions will ease again effective at 4pm this afternoon. As tends to happen every time that the rules either tighten or relax, the new settings will be familiar. We've been cycling back and forth between different sets of rules for a few months now, in fact. Indeed, the restrictions coming into effect today are the same conditions that were in place before last Thursday. And, these eased restrictions will apply not only in the Brisbane Local Government Area, but also in the Gold Coast, Moreton Bay, Logan, Townsville and Palm Island LGAs. BREAKING: Some restrictions will ease in parts of Queensland following another day with no cases detected in the community. We will continue to monitor the situation carefully to keep Queenslanders safe.#covid19 pic.twitter.com/EfELiDqj5X — Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) October 8, 2021 Accordingly, there'll no longer be any limits on how many people can gather outdoors in public spaces. And, at home, the 100-person cap will be back. For indoor premises — including hospitality businesses such as clubs, pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants, as well as galleries, museums, convention centres and places of worship — the one person per two-square-metres density limit is in effect once more. Where these types of venues are ticketed and have allocated seating, they can fill those areas to 100 percent, too, as can cinemas, theatres and live music venues. Also, eating and drinking standing is allowed — hello, vertical consumption — so there's something else to say cheers to. And, you always know things are getting loose when dancing is allowed (goodbye, Footloose), as it is under the new rules. Stadiums are back to 100-percent capacity for ticketed events with allocated seating. Indoor events can also either fill to 100-percent if seated and ticketed, or stick to the one person per two-square-metres rule if not. Here's the latest roadmap to easing restrictions in Queensland👇 pic.twitter.com/SX7u8KVqOh — Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) October 8, 2021 Masks are still staying for now, but the rules are easing there, too. So, you can now take off your mask while sitting down indoors in public, reverting back to the status quo before the rules tightened last week. At hospitality venues, you'll actually only need to mask up when you're entering and exiting, in another relaxation of the restrictions. You will still need to always carry a mask with you, of course. Queensland's standing mask mandate for flights, airports and stadiums remains in place as well, so you'll always need to mask up there. And, they remain mandatory on public transport, in ride shares and while waiting for both; outdoors if you can't remain 1.5 metres away from people who aren't part of your household; and indoors in public if you're not sitting or you're not inside a hospo venue. As always, Queenslanders are asked to keep social distancing, maintaining the hygiene practices that have been in place since March 2020, and checking the state's list of exposure sites — and to get tested if you're feeling even the slightest possible COVID-19 symptoms. Exactly how long the new relaxed restrictions will remain in place hasn't been announced, but when case numbers are low or at zero, the state reviews the rules every fortnight. Southeast Queensland's COVID-19 restrictions will ease again at 4pm on Friday, October 8. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Queensland, head to the QLD COVID-19 hub and the Queensland Health website.
Nothing warms the heart like the company of those you love, and with these cooler temps, we could all use a little extra warmth. Also, with the sun setting so early these days, you've probably found yourself cold, in the dark but still looking for something to do after work. So, take the social coordinator role this month, hit up your group message and let the gang know you're all heading out. You don't have to do the usual dinner and drinks either. In fact, to help you plan, we've teamed up with RACQ to round up some top after-dark activities to do with your mates. RACQ offers some pretty decent discounts on Brissie activities for their members — and even if you're not a member, you can still join as a Lifestyle member just to gain access to all those sweet, sweet discounts. Time to keep spirits high as we enter the thick of winter this July; here are our five picks of things to do once the sun goes down. NIGHT NOODLE MARKETS July in Brisbane gets a little colder than we Queenslanders are typically comfortable with. Luckily, we have Brisbane Good Food Month to warm our bellies and compensate for this chilly weather. As part of the tasty month, the Night Noodle Markets pop up with twinkling fairy lights, a stunning riverside location and a massive amount of incredible Asian dishes to try. Grab the gang and head down to South Bank to indulge in a night of bao, gyoza, pad thai, something called a 'phorrito' (where pho meets a burrito) and even more dishes from abroad. This year, there'll be 23 food stalls to choose from, so you may even plan a few visits to the markets to eventually make your way through all the eats on offer. Pull up some grass, enjoy the live music and feast on all the treats, washed down with a refreshing brew from the pop-up bar. And maybe after, why not take it all in from above with a cheeky ride on the Wheel of Brisbane? NIGHT KAYAKING Get out and see Brisbane from a whole new perspective on a night kayaking tour. Kayak under a starry night, as the lights of Brisbane's skyline glitter across the water. The evening kayaking tour goes for an hour and half, taking you from Kangaroo Point Cliffs, up to the iconic Story Bridge, to Mowbray Park and past the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Maritime Museum and South Bank Parklands. And once you've finished, reward yourself for all that arm effort and opt in to the big Aussie barbecue complete with prawns, lamingtons and Aussie beer, all to be enjoyed while overlooking the beautiful Brissie River. THURSDAY NIGHT KARAOKE Are you that person who's always singing along to the radio and secretly wishing you were Mariah Carey? Well, maybe it's time to find out what your vocal chords are made of by heading along to the Brunswick Hotel's Thursday night karaoke. Grab a few friends and head to this New Farm local early to grab a prime spot in the sports bar. Flag down the karaoke masters, make your request and wait your turn to flaunt your vibrato for all to hear. If you're truly stuck on which tune to choose, drag some friends up with you to take turns belting out verses from No Scrubs, or play it safe with basically anything by Queen. GLOW WORM TOUR If you and your mates are the type of people who are always up for an adventure, consider journeying into the Gold Coast hinterland for an evening tour of the mesmerising glow worm caves within Springbrook National Park. Like a real life tour through Pandora or Ferngully, you'll wander through lush rainforest, past a beautiful cascading waterfall and into the illuminated caves. As a bonus, you'll also get to learn about the history, culture and lifestyle of the traditional Aboriginal landowners. A wintry adventure into a World Heritage-listed rainforest with magical sights and a rich history, how could you lose? NIGHT ROCK CLIMBING Fire up that competitive streak by challenging your mates to an evening rock climb; book the crew in for a night of scaling up Kangaroo Point Cliffs. Forgo the indoor, colour-coded, plastic 'rocks', for an outdoor climb up the 20-metre rocky facade. Once you've made it to the top, take a long moment to look out over sweeping views of our fine city and river at sunset. Remember to pack a picnic (and maybe a few blankets) so you and your friends can cook up a dinner under the stars with onsite barbecues after. Want more after-dark activities? RACQ offers its members access to a huge selection of deals from night kayaking to glow worm cave tours. Check out their full offering here. Words: Arabella Anderson and Laura Dawson.
When winter blows her icy breath on our pale, dressing-gown-clad bodies, it can be all too tempting to stay indoors on the couch with a cup of tea and some mindless TV. Put down your Earl Grey because getaway experts Mr & Mrs Smith want you to embrace the chill and explore your own extended backyard with these ten deals and one killer competition celebrating Victoria's hidden charms. Whether you're keen to wander the countryside or draw near to the beating heart of the city, Mr & Mrs Smith will get you out of your Ugg boots and knee-deep into Victoria. As the frost sets in, Melbourne comes into its own, enchanting you with an abundance of cosy cafes and busy bars nestled in cool hidden laneways. Get your warm winter wardrobe at the unique boutiques and fashion strips on Chapel Street or get a healthy dose of culture at the many art, music and theatre shows on offer. Venture just an hour or two out of the city and you'll be swept away in the beauty of the Victorian countryside. Sip a batch of the freshest cider from the Yarra Valley and go on a tasting trail on your bike of locally grown wine and produce. Explore the natural beauty as you hike through the Grampians. Get your wetsuit on and forget about your goosebumps as you surf some world-famous beaches along the Great Ocean Road or be treated like royalty in the luxurious hotels of Daylesford. Mr & Mrs Smith have selected only the most standout boutique hotels and smart self-catering stays to tempt you off your couch and get you ensconced in a Victorian winter getaway. Win the Ultimate Victorian Adventure Mr & Mrs Smith are offering a chance to win the ultimate Victorian winter wonderland holiday for two. You'll be spoiled in the city with two nights at the Prince in St Kilda, where you can treat yourself to dinner at the top-rated Circa restaurant. Then head to Daylesford, spending two nights in the luxurious spa at the Lake House. Finish your trip off with two nights at the Mornington Pensinula’s beachside Big Blue Backyard and get the blood pumping with a dip in the ocean. You'll feel like a rockstar with a BMW X Series car ride to get up close and personal with the sights of Victoria. Return Qantas flights for two will get you to Melbourne from your closest Australian capital city. Enter the competition via their website. Exclusive Offers from Mr & Mrs Smith Can't wait? Check out all of Mr & Mrs Smith’s exclusive offers for Concrete Playground readers. 1. Big Blue Backyard, St. Andrews Beach Exclusive to Mr & Mrs Smith and Visit Victoria travellers; Stay three nights but only pay for two on the beautiful Mornington Peninsula. 2. The Cullen, Melbourne Exclusive to Mr & Mrs Smith and Visit Victoria travellers; save 20 per cent on Studio Suites and experience all the sights of trendy Prahran and Chapel Street. 3. Lake House, Daylesford Exclusive to Mr & Mrs Smith and Visit Victoria travellers; stay three nights but only pay for two and soak up Daylesford and the spectacular spa country. 4. Lyall Hotel and Spa, Melbourne Exclusive to Mr & Mrs Smith and Visit Victoria travellers; discover the secrets of South Yarra and the sights and delights of Chapel Street and save 20% off the usual rates. 5. Mansion Hotel & Spa, Melbourne Exclusive to Mr & Mrs Smith and Visit Victoria travellers; savour the historic surrounds, wine delights and zoo experience all within reach of this iconic hotel and save 20% off the usual rate. 6. Mollisons, Kyneton Exclusive to Mr & Mrs Smith and Visit Victoria travellers; stay three nights but only pay for two and experience historic Kyneton and surrounds. 7. Mt Sturgeon, The Grampians Exclusive to Mr & Mrs Smith and Visit Victoria travellers; stay three nights but only pay for two in the beautiful Grampians. 8. Ovolo Hotel Melbourne Exclusive to Mr & Mrs Smith and Visit Victoria travellers; visit Melbourne during winter and save 20% off rates. 9. The Prince, Melbourne Exclusive to Mr & Mrs Smith and Visit Victoria travellers; trendy St Kilda is yours to explore on this special winter offer and save 20% off the usual rates. 10. Royal Mail Hotel, The Grampians Exclusive to Mr & Mrs Smith and Visit Victoria travellers; stay three nights but only pay for two in the beautiful Grampians. To take advantage of these exclusive offers, book through the Mr & Mrs Smith website. Top image courtesty of Mr and Mrs Smith. Other images courtesy of Tourism Victoria.
These days, travel trends shift in the same way as food, music or fashion. Destinations that were popular a few years ago don't always stay that way, and as you scroll through Instagram, you'll often see your friends all hitting up the same travel hotspots. Instead of chasing the same locations, travelling in 2026 is about going somewhere that feels fresh, exciting and a little unexpected. Thanks to Singapore Airlines' Early Bird Fare Deals, you can book ahead to the cities that are sure to fuel your curiosity, from Manchester to Johannesburg to Ho Chi Minh City. Manchester, England London will always be a classic holiday destination and a popular gateway to Europe, but Manchester has a lot more to offer than you might think. Known for its legendary music history (responsible for bands like The Smiths and Oasis), the city has evolved over the years into a hive of live gigs, design festivals and one of the UK's most exciting dining scenes. Football fans already know Old Trafford and the Etihad are must-visit stadiums for a game, but Manchester's neighbourhood bars and galleries are just as worthy of your time. With Singapore Airlines' Early Bird fares, you can fly Perth to Manchester from $1,555 return. Brussels, Belgium Belgium's capital is full of beautiful architecture and public spaces, but it's also fast emerging as Europe's creative hub, where street art and digital design combine with the city's old-world charm. Between modern art galleries, neighbourhood breweries and its reputation as the birthplace of fries, there are so many reasons to go and visit. It's also perfectly positioned for day trips to Bruges, Ghent or Antwerp, if you feel like taking your travel plans even further. Early Bird fares from Adelaide start at $1,473 return, proving that booking ahead pays off. Istanbul, Türkiye Few cities are as interesting as Istanbul right now. Straddling Southeastern Europe and Western Asia, the city is buzzing with a new wave of restaurants, rooftop bars and contemporary art spaces that sit alongside ancient mosques and markets. Stay in Sultanahmet if you want to be right in the historic centre. For something a bit less touristy but still trendy, find a place in the Beyoğlu neighbourhood. You can spend your days wandering through the Grand Bazaar, cruise along the Bosphorus and sample modern Turkish cuisine in Karaköy. Lock in your 2026 flights now and you'll have first pick of this ever-changing city. Frankfurt, Germany When most people plan a European trip, they think of Italy, Greece or Paris. But Frankfurt has quietly become one of Europe's most exciting cities, and it's worth adding to your list. Beyond its skyscrapers and reputation for delicious sausages, it's also home to leafy riverside parks, food halls that champion local producers and some of Germany's most active nightlife districts, offering everything from old school German pubs to trendy wine bars. With Singapore Airlines' and Lufthansa's joint network, you can also connect from Frankfurt to other European cities seamlessly, making it easy to hit multiple destinations in the one trip. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam On the Southeast Asia front, Ho Chi Minh City (still known locally as Saigon) is a place of constant movement. Once you touch down, you won't need any plans other than setting out on foot to explore. Street food stalls sit beside cocktail bars, while French colonial buildings stand near cutting-edge coworking hubs. Block out an afternoon to visit the historical Notre Dame Cathedral and Central Post Office buildings, or check out the city's many stores stocked with locally sourced streetwear, jewellery and antiques. It's energetic and chaotic in the best way, and it's impossible to visit without wanting to return again and again. Johannesburg, South Africa For those wanting to go further afield, South Africa's largest city is an eye-opener. Over the years, the city has reinvented itself with a thriving arts district, an innovative restaurant scene and a proud emphasis on heritage as the home of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. It's also the perfect launchpad for safaris or road trips across South Africa, making it a destination that feels equal parts unique and inspiring. Copenhagen, Denmark Copenhagen is one of those cities that feels old and new all at the same time. There's colourful harbour front houses and cobbled streets alongside sleek architecture, bike-friendly paths and world-leading restaurants. In 2026, plan your visit for summer to make the most of the city's long, warm evenings — perfect for rooftop drinks, open-air festivals and cycling along the canals. Book with Singapore Airlines' Early Bird Fares and you'll have first pick of the best travel dates to soak it all in. For Aussies looking to head overseas, 2026 is shaping up to be a year of fresh horizons. Thanks to Singapore Airlines' Early Bird Fare Deals, you can book now and secure your seat to over 100 destinations worldwide. Singapore Airlines' Early Bird Fare Deals end September 30, 2025, so get in early and make your next adventure one to look forward to. Find out more and book your Early Bird fare for select travel dates in 2026 here.
Most people know the tonal nuances of Ira Glass' voice better than they know they know their own family's birthdays, but, chances are, they don't know him like this. The prolific This American Life host and producer is coming to Sydney and Melbourne this July — but not to do a live broadcast of the seriously popular NPR show or to speak in conversation. He'll be performing as part of a contemporary dance stage show. Three Acts, Two Dancers, One Radio Host combines live radio with dance. You may think that these two disciplines have "no business being on stage together" (Glass' words, not mine), but somehow the public radio king manages to pull it off. Collaborating with veteran dancers Anna Bass and Monica Bill Barnes, the 90-minute, three-act performance pulls in Glass' knack for storytelling, staging radio interviews as dance pieces and weaving in anecdotes from the performers' own lives. "I know this whole thing sounds a little nuts but I swear it's pretty great. Huge laughs. Big emotions," said Glass. "Dance is all visuals, no talking. Radio's all talking, no visuals. But what the stories on This American Life have in common with dance is music." The radio-dance spectacular will visit both Melbourne and Sydney this July, with two shows at both the Sydney Opera House and the Arts Centre's State Theatre. After initially debuting as a ten-minute test run back in 2013, the show has gone on to be performed all over the U.S. It will tour through California, New Hampshire, Alabama and North Carolina, before finishing up in Australia. Three Acts, Two Dancers, One Radio Host will visit the State Theatre at the Arts Centre Melbourne on July 14 and 15, before going to the Sydney Opera House for two performances on July 17 and 18. Tickets for the Melbourne show go on sale on Friday, March 11 at 9am here, while the Sydney show will go on sale at 9am on Friday, March 18 here. Image: David Bazemore.
New year, new reason to plaster ace local art all over The Culprit Club's walls — and they're taking to the task with gusto. Alphabet Soup marks their first exhibition of 2018, and as the name suggests, it's a thorough one. You don't promise to step through the A to Z of emerging local, interstate and international artists without backing it up. With the 26 selected creatives chosen for their "their style, strength and skill in typography and letter formation," expect the letter theme to be taken literally too, should that pique your interest. Talented folks showing off their work include Scott Marsh, Phibs, Sophia Mary Mac, Billie the Kid, Inkboy and more. Remember their names: with both originals and prints available to purchase, their efforts could soon be on your wall. The exhibition runs for four weeks from February 23, and, as always, it kicks off with a huge launch from 6pm on opening night.
It's been an unusual year, and so it would make sense that one of the annual events we look forward to each year is shaking (or stirring) things up in 2020. Negroni Week, sponsored by Campari, is back from September 14–20 — and this year you can support your local bar from a distance, by learning to make your own at home. Campari has collaborated with 50 leading bartenders across Australia — including Black Pearl's Matt Linklater, PS40's Michael Chiem, Nick & Nora's Kayla Reid and Old Mate's Brittany Rowe — to create a free Negroni Cocktail Book that you can download and follow to recreate some of your favourite twists on the classic negroni. The Negroni Cocktail Book is a gift from the bartenders who've invented new ways to serve us during lockdown. There are two parts to the book; the first has ten classic recipes, like an americano, a coffee negroni and a kingston, and the second has 50 cocktail recipes from the masters, think one influenced by the bullet coffee trend, one that tastes like french toast, and heaps of others inspired by the cocktails in the negroni family. And, as those bartenders have done so much for us over the years, it's also good to give something back. This year's Negroni Week is raising a glass to the hospo industry, which has faced months of legislation, uncertainty and waves of financial instability, by partnering with Help Out Hospo. You can pay it forward to those workers hit hard by the pandemic by making a donation to Help Out Hospo, here. The initiative was created during the pandemic with all profits going to out-of-work hospitality staff. So far it's raised nearly $60,000. Download the free Negroni Cocktail Book here. Remember to Drinkwise.
Alcoholic champagne icy poles might've been 2016 and 2017's must-eat frosty treat, but they just might have a challenger for the summer of 2018–19: boozy frosé sorbet. National ice cream chain Gelatissimo has launched the new flavour to mark the first official day of the season, with the chilled dessert made using Chandon Sparkling Brut Rosé and strawberries. Why drink pink while eat fruit when you can combine the two in this icy pink concoction, clearly. The gelato fiends have also launched a second summery variety, this time pairing with Aussie swimwear brand Speedo and taking inspiration from the ocean. Yes, that means Eyre Peninsula sea salt and plenty of it, in a sea salt butterscotch blend that's a creamy blue shade. Gelatissimo's new flavours are available at all of the ice creamery's stores around the country throughout December, unless they sell out before the end of the month. For more information, visit Gelatissimo's website.
It only takes one perfect record to make a musician a legend. For Ms Lauryn Hill, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was that album. The American singer and rapper fronted The Fugees before dropping her only solo release. She starred in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit as well. But come 1998, when the record that bears her name hit, it ensured that she'd always be an icon. 2023 marks 25 years since The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill first arrived — and to celebrate, Hill is touring. Down Under, she has locked in three stops, including a headlining gig at Promiseland Festival on the Gold Coast. The fest runs across Saturday, September 30–Sunday, October 1 at Doug Jennings Park, with Hill topping the Sunday bill. Also on the Promiseland lineup: Six60, L.A.B., Davido, Tems, Fiji, House of Shem, Koffee and Fireboy DML — and Giveon, Tems, ONEFOUR, Ayra Starr, Stefflon Don, Koffee and more. Home to singles 'Doo Wop (That Thing)', 'Ex-Factor', 'Everything Is Everything', 'Lost Ones' and 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You', The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was a smash on the charts, with critics and at the Grammys. It peaked at number two in Australia; has been named in oh-so-many lists of 90s, hip hop and rap records, as well as albums of all time and releases by women; and earned five Grammys from ten nominations. During her tour, Hill will play tracks from her time with The Fugees, too — killing audiences softly with the iconic cover that the band is best known for, plus 'Ready or Not', 'Fu-Gee-La' and more. Top image: Città di Parma via Wikimedia Commons.
In the realm of franchise filmmaking, "to infinity and beyond" isn't just a catchphrase exclaimed by an animated plaything — it's how far and long Hollywood hopes every hit big-screen saga will extend. With that in mind, has a Pixar movie ever felt as inevitable as Lightyear? Given the main Toy Story plot wrapped up in 2019's Toy Story 4, and did so charmingly, keeping this series going by jumping backwards was always bound to happen. So it is that space ranger figurine Buzz Lightyear gets an origin story. That said, the trinket's history is covered immediately and quickly in this film's opening splash of text on-screen. Back in the OG Toy Story, Andy was excited to receive a new Buzz Lightyear action figure because — as this feature tells us — he'd just seen and loved a sci-fi movie featuring fictional character Buzz Lightyear. In this franchise's world, Lightyear is that picture. It's hard not to see Lightyear as a new cash cow — the Toy Story series' cash calf, perhaps. It's also difficult not to notice that the Disney-owned Pixar has made a movie that renders a famed character a piece of film-promoting merchandise, all while also releasing a new range of Lightyear-promoting merch so that IRL kids can have their own Buzz Lightyear toy again, too. In 2049, will audiences be watching a flick about someone who saw this as a child, nagged their parents for a Buzz and developed their own love of animation, space, franchises or all of the above? It wouldn't be surprising. Of course, there's form for making Buzz a movie tie-in toy; the overarching series' other main figure, pull-string cowboy Woody, stemmed from a fictional western TV show called Woody's Roundup. Maybe that's what Pixar will now make next. Or, perhaps it'll release a film or show based on one of Lightyear's new characters, feline robot companion SOX. Yes, you can now buy toy versions of it in reality as well, because of course you can. Buzz Lightyear and a cute cat that talks? The head of Disney merchandising must've seen potential piles of cash stacked to infinity and beyond purely at the thought of it, and director Angus MacLane (Finding Dory) along with him. Thankfully, as calculated as Lightyear's existence clearly is — and it's as blatantly engineered by bean counters as any movie can be — it's still likeable enough. It only slightly feels like a flick that might've actually come out around 1995, though, even if Apollo 13 sat second at the global box office that year (behind Toy Story, fittingly). And, after sending the wonderful Soul and Turning Red straight to streaming during the pandemic, plus Luca, it's also a standard pick for Pixar's return to the big screen. Buzz the live-action film hero — flesh and blood to in-franchise viewers like Andy, that is, but animated to us — also goes on an all-too-familiar journey in Lightyear. Voiced by Chris Evans (Knives Out) to distinguish the movie Buzz from toy Buzz (where he's voiced by Last Man Standing's Tim Allen), the Star Command space ranger is so convinced that he's the biggest hero there is, and him alone, that teamwork isn't anywhere near his strength. Then, as happens to the figurine version in Toy Story, that illusion gets a reality check. To survive being marooned on T'Kani Prime, a planet 4.2 million light-years from earth filled with attacking vines and giant flying insects, the egotistical and stubborn Buzz needs to learn to play nice with others. For someone who hates rookies, as well as using autopilot, realising he can only succeed with help takes time. Time is a slippery concept for Buzz, however, courtesy of his new predicament. To zoom back home, the Star Command mission team must make the right fuel, and test it — and on each attempt, as Buzz zips into hyper-speed in scenes reminiscent of Top Gun: Maverick, time dilates. His flights pass in minutes, but four years go by for his crew while he's in the air. Still, he keeps soaring and trying, and his best friend Commander Alisha Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba, Mrs America) keeps greeting him upon his return. But her life continues, including marrying the girlfriend she falls for among their colleagues, and having a family. She gets older, too. In contrast, Buzz barely ages, or moves on, until he's also trying to fight an alien spaceship piloted by giant robot Zurg (James Brolin, Sisters) with Alisha's granddaughter Izzy (Keke Palmer, Hustlers), plus her fellow junior rangers Mo (Taika Waititi, Our Flag Means Death) and Darby (Dale Soules, Orange Is the New Black). There's a lot that's average about Lightyear, including the pieces it cobbles together from Top Gun and Star Wars, and everything from 2001: A Space Odyssey, Alien, Starship Troopers, Gravity and Interstellar to Pixar's own Wall-E and Up. There are meta twists that make zero sense in the broader Toy Story narrative, too. There's also a jettisoning of early 2000s TV series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command and its take on Buzz's backstory, and a lingering question: what if Andy had just loved a different movie and wanted a different toy for his birthday instead? And, there's a toy chest filled with Pixar's usual go-to themes, including not being afraid to make mistakes. Obviously, in that same vein — and because the animation studio is owned by the same entity behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars, two forever-sprawling sagas — there's room left for a sequel. Great voice casting makes an impact, luckily. While it can't push Lightyear past its limits as an inessential Toy Story spinoff that doesn't add anything crucial to the series, there's liveliness, emotion and plenty of heart in the film's engaging vocal work. Evans doesn't try to shake Buzz's rampant sense of self-importance, but to unpack it, and finds tenderness and vulnerability in the process. And, he gives the character texture even amid such slick and gleaming animation. Aduba and Palmer also shine in their supporting parts, while Waititi perfects his comedic sidekick gig. Peter Sohn — director of The Good Dinosaur, and also a regular-enough Pixar voice actor — goes one better with SOX, however. Friendly, funny, adorable, and able solve scientific problems while meowing and cough up handy tools alike, that robo-cat is a scene-stealer. Still, finding him entertaining and thinking he could fuel an entire future film himself aren't the same thing, although, as Lightyear shows, no one learned that lesson about Buzz.
UPDATE, March 12, 2021: She Dies Tomorrow is also now available to stream via Stan. When She Dies Tomorrow splashes Kate Lyn Sheil's face across the screen, then bathes it in neon flashes of pink, blue, red and purple, it isn't easily forgotten. It's a vivid, visceral, even psychedelic sight, which filmmaker Amy Seimetz lingers on, forcing her audience to do the same as well. Viewers aren't just soaking in trippy lights and colours, though. They're staring at the expression beneath the multi-hued glow, which seethes with harrowing levels of shock, fright, distress and anxiety. That's understandable; this is the look of someone who has just had the most unnerving realisation there is: that she is going to die tomorrow. In her second stint directing a feature after 2012's Sun Don't Shine, Pet Sematary, Lean on Pete and Alien: Covenant actor Seimetz does indeed serve up a straightforward concept that's all there in the title. In She Dies Tomorrow, her protagonist — who is also called Amy (Kate Plays Christine's Sheil) — believes that her life will end the next day, plain and simple. But it's how the on-screen Amy copes with the apocalyptic news, and how it also spreads virally from person to person, that fuels the movie. Initially, she responds by searching for urns, researching how leather jackets are made and roaming aimlessly around the new home she has recently purchased, and by brushing off her worried but sceptical friend Jane (Twin Peaks' Jane Adams). If Amy is merely being paranoid, that persecution-driven delusion soon proves contagious, with the feature's cast also including Katie Aselton (Bombshell), Chris Messina (Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)), Josh Lucas (Ford vs Ferrari), Tunde Adebimpe (Marriage Story) and Jennifer Kim (Mozart in the Jungle). Among of the joys of She Dies Tomorrow is that it's never one for obvious or easy answers, or for explaining any more than it needs to. Indeed, how it morphs from exploring one woman's fears to cataloguing a shared nightmare that spreads like a pandemic is best discovered by watching; however Seimetz crafts a gloriously smart and unsettling thriller that toys with surreal Lynchian moments yet always feels disarmingly astute. The film was made prior to COVID-19 and was originally slated to premiere at this year's cancelled SXSW, so it pre-dates our coronavirus-afflicted world — but it's hard not to think of the real-life parallels. Earning ample buzz when it surfaced in the US in July, currently available to stream in Australia until Sunday, August 23 as a late addition to this year's online Melbourne International Film Festival, and hitting local video-on-demand platforms on Wednesday, September 2, She Dies Tomorrow isn't afraid to think big, tackle a difficult topic or do so in a thoroughly disquieting manner. Interrogating the messy horror that comes with knowing you'll die isn't easy, after all, and the film evocatively conveys that sensation. This is a movie that doesn't just want its audience to passively peer on as characters grapple with the possibility that their life is about to be cut short, but one determined to ensure that viewers feel as uncertain, anguished and chaotic as everyone on-screen. With her tension-dripping images, and a score by Mondo Boys that's equally bold, operatic and needling, Seimetz wholeheartedly achieves that aim. In the process, the writer/director ponders humanity's reaction to life-shattering news both on an individual and collective basis, the way that panic and doubt spreads oh-so-quickly, and how one idea can soon overtake entire communities. They're all very relevant notions at present, as is the idea of living every day as if there is no future, which the feature overtly, cleverly and even humorously toys with. But most perceptive here is how She Dies Tomorrow reflects the recognisable reality of passing each and every second with the knowledge that one day you'll no longer be alive. That's a situation we're all in, and that we all generally do our best to overlook as much as we can — and it's downright impossible to ignore here. She Dies Tomorrow also doubles as a moving exploration of confronting your mortality on a tangible and immediate level, too; forget the weepy schmaltz of stereotypical terminal illnesses dramas, because this haunting film couldn't be steeped any deeper in existential terror. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNZQ2GG833o She Dies Tomorrow is currently available to stream online in Australia as part of MIFF 68 1/2, the Melbourne International Film Festival's 2020 online festival, until Sunday, August 23. It'll also be available to watch digitally via iTunes, Google Play, YouTube Movies, Amazon and other video-on-demand platforms from Wednesday, September 2, and via DVD then as well.
Calling all lovers of vino: the new app FreeWines offers up a free bottle of award-winning wine when you dine at participating restaurants across Australia. Currently, FreeWines is working with 200 restaurants to reward you with quality tipple and the list of participating restaurants grows weekly, with the aim of reaching 500. This is no attempt for restaurateurs to get rid of their less-than-desirable drops, either. All wines featured have either won international wine awards or have scored highly with James Halliday — think Hugh Hamilton 'The Rascal' Shiraz, Elephant Hill Syrah and First Creek Verdelho. The restaurants already involved are a mix of hatted venues, local favourites and popular spots, including The Hill Eatery, Boscage and Red Lantern on Riley in New South Wales; Chow City, Ebenezer and Romulus & Remus in Victoria; and Cove Bar and Dining, Deer Duck Bistro and Mecca Bah in Queensland. So if free, delicious wine sounds like something you can get down with (so, that’s most of us?) the first step is to download their app (also free and available on iOS and Android devices). Once you have found a participating restaurant, mention that you are a FreeWines member on arrival and when you order. Then select your desired bottle via the app, and Bob’s your uncle, free wine for you. The wine is compliments of both the vineyard and the restaurant to say thanks for dining, although to be honest, we feel that we should be thanking them at this point. Like most great clubs, membership is limited for this app, so make sure you get on board sooner rather than later. For more information head to their website and download the app. Here’s to top-quality wine and fantastic food.
Spending more time at home is much easier to stomach with a hefty rage of desserts on hand, or at least that seems to be Gelato Messina's pandemic motto. Over the past few months, the gelato fiends have served up plenty of tasty specials, including cookie pies in choc chip, red velvet, choc-hazelnut, and peanut butter and jelly varieties; 40 of its best flavours; and full tubs of Iced VoVo gelato. Up next: a Messina version of that vanilla and chocolate-layered ice cream cake everyone considered the height of extravagance as a child. Yes, we're talking about Viennetta. If you've been indulging your sweet tooth over the past few months — frozen desserts were subject to strict item limits back in March, so plenty of folks clearly went big on sugary comfort food — then consider your tastebuds primed for this super-fancy take on the nostalgic favouritte. It's another of Messina's limited releases, with tubs of the rippled gelato creation available at all its stores for a very short period. Wondering what exactly Messina's Viennetta — or Messinetta, as it has been dubbed — entails? It combines fior di latte gelato with choc chips and chocolate fudge, then covers it all with piped vanilla chantilly as well as a chocolate velvet spray. And yes, the end result looks like the dessert you know and love. If it didn't, it just wouldn't be as exciting. The latest release in Messina's new 'Hot Tub' series, Messinetta gelato can only be ordered online on Monday, August 10, with a one-litre tub setting you back $30. You can then go into your chosen Messina store to pick up your tub between Friday, August 14–Sunday, August 16. If you're in Melbourne, remember that you can only venture to shops within five kilometres of your house — and only once a day — to get essentials, including food. Gelato Messina's Messinetta gelato tubs will be available to order on Monday, August 10, for pick up between Friday, August 14–Sunday, August 16 — keep an eye on the Messina website for further details.
Sand, sun, surf are always reasons to head to Burleigh Heads. Here's another: the new Burleigh Festival. It'll debut across the weekend of Friday, September 16–Sunday, September 18, taking over Justins Park on the foreshore for three days. On the agenda: food, wine, music and surfing — aka a golden quartet for any festival, especially one setting up shop right by the water. Burleigh Heads' culinary scene sits at the centre of the new fest — and while the event is free overall, obviously you'll be paying for what you eat and sip. Food-wise, venues such as Tropic, Tommy's, Maman, Costa Taco and Tarte will serve up their signature dishes, spanning everything from Mediterranean bites and Italian cuisine through to Middle Eastern-inspired and Mexican dishes. Also on the vendor list: Al Natural Oysters, Freddy's, Lil Mami, Lucia, NAAMI and Rosellas. And, to wash everything down, Burleigh Festival is celebrating local wine via tipples from Naked Bunch, Flor Grocer and Jackson West. Grabbing a plate, some vino and enjoying a beachside picnic is one of the fest's big drawcards — but the event will give you something to watch and listen to as you eat and drink, too. The music lineup includes Angus Kaftan, Bronte Alva, Hollie Joy, Lily Papas and more, with Boo Seeka curating the bill. If it's the surfing part of the program that'll have you rushing to the shore and vicariously living out your Point Break or Blue Crush dreams, you'll be able to catch spectacular wave action via the the inaugural Burleigh Festival King and Queen of the Point surfing competition. Hosted by Burleigh Boardriders and Summer of Surf, it'll run across two days, on Saturday, September 17–Sunday, September 18, and see top surfers — such as Marlon Harrison, Sean Gunning, Freya Prumm, Alyssa Lock and Tru Starling — competing for a $5000 prize pool. Updated September 16.
Lobster has long been the fancy champagne of the seafood world. For most of us, it's the kind of dish that you can only justify having when you really feel like going all out and treating yo'self — but, this month, the indulgent crustacean-based meal is gracing Betty's Burgers' menu. Combining fresh lobster meat, the chain's special mayonnaise, shallots, chives, lemon and spice, Betty's new lobster roll will be on offer at all of its 22 Australian stores from Thursday, February 13. If your stomach is already rumbling, you can tuck into one for a reasonable $23 (which includes a side of fries). You'll need to get in quickly, though, as the lobster roll only available for a couple of weeks — or until sold out. It's worth noting that last time the roll was on the menu, it only lasted less than a week. So if you're particularly keen, it's best to go sooner, rather than later. Known for its Shake Shack-style burgs and frozen custard desserts (called concretes), Betty's is making a foray into lobster to celebrate its beachy roots. While you can now grab a Betty's burger at nine Sydney outlets, four Melbourne spots, five Brisbane outposts, one Toowoomba eatery and one location in Adelaide, the company first began in Noosa, and then expanded to the Gold Coast. Betty's Burgers' lobster roll is available at all 27 Australian stores from Thursday, February 13. For more information and to find your nearest store, visit Betty's Burgers' website.
UPDATE, March 29, 2021: The King of Staten Island is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play and YouTube Movies. Judd Apatow has a length problem. If one of his manchild protagonists said that, they'd be poking fun at his penis size, but we're actually referring to the duration of the filmmaker's movies. His arrested development-fuelled comedies always clock in at around the two-hour mark, minimum. Whether he's laughing at a middle-aged man's lacklustre love life, an unplanned pregnancy, or a comedian and movie star's near-death experience, the director behind The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up and Funny People never does so with brevity. So, returning to his favourite topic after giving it a slight twist in Trainwreck — which swapped his usual floundering male lead for Amy Schumer — it's hardly surprising that Apatow's latest flick feels protracted. Loosely inspired by Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson's life, including what might've happened if he hadn't made it in comedy, The King of Staten Island definitely, noticeably meanders. Thankfully, it's also candid, raw and funny, as well as exceptionally well-cast. Oozing a different kind of BDE — that'd be big daddy's boy energy here, and even big deadbeat energy — Davidson plays 24-year-old Staten Island resident Scott. He still lives at home with his overworked nurse mother Margie (Marisa Tomei) and his college-bound younger sister Claire (Maude Apatow), and he still can't quite cope with the death of his firefighter father on the job 17 years earlier. A high-school dropout who dreams of opening a combined tattoo parlour and restaurant, he spends his time smoking weed with his mates (Moises Arias, Ricky Velez and Lou Wilson), sleeping with but refusing to commit to or publicly acknowledge his lifelong friend Kelsey (Bel Powley), and inking up anyone who'll let him. Then, after making a particularly poor decision involving a tattoo gun and a nine-year-old, he ends up with irate firey Ray (Bill Burr) first yelling on his doorstep, then dating his mum. Born and raised in Staten Island himself, 26-year-old Davidson lost his own firefighter dad in 2001's September 11 attacks — and, unsurprisingly, he co-wrote The King of Staten Island's script with Apatow and ex-SNL writer Dave Sirus. Hanging out with someone who is playing a part, but has also mostly been there and done plenty of what viewers see on-screen, the movie always sports a lived-in vibe as a result. Indeed, rather than just conjuring up relatable comic scenarios for chuckles, it heaves with extra weight and resonance. Scott's aimlessness, his inability to face his feelings about anything and his juvenile response to almost every situation all feel grounded in truth, then unfurled in the film in an unvarnished fashion. And while few folks watching have been in the exact same circumstances, The King of Staten Island leans into the minutiae of its Staten Island experiences and coming-of-age antics with such commitment that they prove universal. That's what personal, specific stories do when they're told frankly, and with warmth and care — including when they pair a tale about a wayward twenty-something grappling with trauma with a hefty stream of bro-comedy jokes. This is an Apatow movie, though, so the usual manchild escapades and humour do apply. That's especially true when the film indulgently watches on as Scott pals around with his buddies, which is where the feature's relaxed length makes itself felt. But, more importantly, The King of Staten Island is a Pete Davidson movie — and that has a considerable impact. Apatow often shapes his films around his stars (see: Knocked Up and Seth Rogen, Funny People and Adam Sandler, and Trainwreck and Amy Schumer); however Davidson might be his best lead yet. He's lanky and loose, as the comedian always is in SNL. He plays the wayward yet vulnerable slacker role with ease and even confidence, too, as he did in the thematically similar Big Time Adolescence. Plus, with a sense that he's willing to not only step into his own shoes, but also laugh and take a look at himself while he's there, he nails Scott's cruising, childish, often dickish demeanour and behaviour. That he does so while the radiant Tomei, determined Powley and, as another firefighter, a laidback Steve Buscemi all leave an imprint is no minor feat. Here, confronting how easy it is for immature, inertia-riddled men not to grow up makes for a canny and amusing semi-autobiographical comedy, as mixed with another of Apatow's hallmarks since his and Paul Feig's Freaks and Geeks days: sweetness. When the film opens with Scott driving down the highway, shutting his eyes for a second and flirting with death, it hints at a much darker, deeper movie that sadly never eventuates — although the feature that does blaze across the screen is steeped in unmistakable sorrow, Apatow has always loved getting sentimental. Still, The King of Staten Island isn't the by-the-numbers addition to the director's resume that it could've been. It undeniably relies upon a formula, but it benefits from Davidson's rougher edges and brutal self-awareness. And, as shot by Paul Thomas Anderson's regular cinematographer Robert Elswit (an Oscar-winner for There Will Be Blood), it benefits from gorgeous, naturalistic 35mm imagery also — fittingly for a film that tasks its lead with peering back at his upbringing, pain, loss, laughs, learnings, quarter-life struggles and all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQqiDZQScVA&feature=youtu.be Top image: © 2020 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS. All Rights Reserved.
If you live in Brisbane, odds are that you've said goodbye to quite a few of your friends. No, we're not judging your social skills — we're simply recognising that Sydney and Melbourne are filled with ex-Queenslanders who have moved interstate to chase their dreams. Alex Ward is one of them. Tim Hewitt is too. They're just two of the city's funny folks who are now plying their trades down south. But they haven't forgotten where they're from. Along with Angus Gordon, Aaron Gocs and Gearard McGeown, they make up Brisbane Born and Bread: Brisbane Comedy Festival 2016's collection of Brisvegas-centric laughs. And yes, because they all once called themselves locals, we're certain they won't refer to their former hometown by that cringeworthy nickname. Brisbane Born and Bread is one of our top ten picks to see at the Brisbane Comedy Festival.
Having recently spent a crazy couple of months living in Berlin, the news of East Berlin club Salon Zur Wilden Renate installing a real life maze in the two-storey abandoned building comes as no surprise. With the intention of creating an other-worldly, ethereal experience, the Peristal Singum labyrinth uses confined spaces to confuse your sensory perceptions, where one visitor at a time is forced to crawl, duck, and slide to their salvation. Prepare for a lucid mind where your whole metaphysical being is questioned while disproportionately-sized objects create the illusion of fantasy characters that roam rooms that seem smaller than they actually are. There is no marked pathway, so drinking too much prior to entering may not be the wisest of ideas. Peristal Singum
Laughter can't solve all of the world's troubles, but it can provide a decent way of momentarily coping with weighty topics — the advance of climate change and the onset of mass death included. That's one of the operating theories behind The Dead Devils of Cockle Creek, anyway. And if it seems like those topics aren't usually the subject of jokes, the play takes its black comedy cues from In Bruges and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri's Martin McDonagh. Written by Kathryn Marquet and staged for the first time ever from February 10 to March 3, with La Boite the production's world-premiere venue, The Dead Devils of Cockle Creek tells the tale of George, an environmental scientist trying to save the Tasmanian Devil. Making a difference is all she has dreamed of since she was a girl, and she's not going to let the chicken-obsessed ranger Harris stop her from trying. "I'd rather laugh than cry," says Marquet of her approach. Her script was developed through Playlab, which helps support new work from Aussie playwrights, while actress Emily Weir takes on the show's starring role.
Sinking beers, mashing buttons: now that's a winning combo. It's the whole reason that pubs have long had pinball machines and arcade games. It's why bars wholly dedicated to boozy pinball and arcade gaming exist, and seem to keep popping up. And it's why BrewDog's riverside Brisbane brewery will play host to more than 70 pinball machines and 40 classic arcade games — and Nintendo 64 competitions as well — for the third year running this July. The occasion: the Brisbane Pinball & Arcade Collective Showcase: Australian Kong Off VI and Brisbane Pinball Masters. That's what on at BrewDog DogTap at Murarrie from Friday, July 14–Sunday, July 23. There are multiple parts to it, but whether you're keen to play or to watch others attempt impressive feats — or you're just a fan of the documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters — you'll want to head on down. Watching is an option every day — and so is entering the competitions, as long as there are tickets available. Across Saturday, July 15–Sunday, July 16, the Australian Kong Off VI will take place. No, there's no prizes for guessing which game is being played. Keen to press buttons yourself, but just casually? From Monday, July 17–Wednesday, July 19, you can score unlimited gaming at over 100 machines for $10. Then, on Friday, July 21, the Australian Women's Pinball Championship will be held — followed by the Australian Arcade Champs IV from Friday, July 21–Sunday, July 23, as well as the Brisbane Pinball Masters from Saturday, July 22–Sunday, July 23. The Brisbane Pinball and Arcade Collective is running the fun, Netherworld and 1UP Arcade are also behind the action, and BrewDog is doing a special beer for the event, naturally: an Italian-style pilsner.
It's the film that had to happen, honestly. Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero couldn't just give the world the so-bad-it's-amazing gift that is The Room and leave it at that — even if their disasterpiece became the basis for Sestero's ace behind-the-scenes book The Disaster Artist, and then the oh-so spot-on movie adaptation of the same name. No, this cinematic odd couple just had to make a second flick. Really, they had to. All those spoons thrown at cinema screens, all those screams of "you're tearing me apaaaaart!", all those "oh hi, doggy" comments: as The Room became a cult phenomenon over the past 15 years, we've all been praying to the deity that is Wiseau's long, greasy locks, and hoping that the world's most unlikely film star and his best friend would make another movie. Well, they have, and it's called Best F(r)iends. It was written by Sestero but directed by someone other than Wiseau, so it might all make some kind of sense this time. Apparently inspired by a road trip the duo took just after they'd made The Room, it's actually the first volume of a two-part flick, starring Sestero as a drifter and Wiseau as a mortician. We know — the latter couldn't sound like better casting. Maybe he's a vampire, too? Either way, the pair hatch a scheme that comes undone due to greed and jealousy, sparking a road trip as well as an exploration of friendship and loyalty. Switch out a few details, and it sounds a little like our favourite best worst film. If you're so filled with excitement that you feel like storming onto a rooftop and throwing a bottle, don't stress — Best F(r)iends is coming to Brisbane, screening at Dendy Coorparoo at 6.30pm and 9pm on Friday, June 29. Even better, Sestero will be in attendance to answer all of your questions after both screenings. Just don't ask him how his sex life is, obviously. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTu9N40E_MI
UPDATE, March 12, 2021: Slender Man is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Forget Slender Man's thin body, faceless head and eerie vibe. Sure, the character's unsettling appearance was designed to frighten people; however the scariest thing about the lingering internet meme is the fact that it still exists. It's been nine years since Something Awful forum user Eric Knudsen came up with the macabre figure as part of a photoshop contest to create paranormal images, and not only is it still doing the digital rounds, it's making the leap onto the big screen as well. Longevity is one thing. Flogging a nearly decade-old creepypasta — the online equivalent of telling ghost stories around a campfire — is something else entirely. In the film that shares its name, Slender Man has a knack for timing, but Slender Man the movie definitely doesn't. In fact, this flimsy horror effort doesn't have a knack for much, other than sticking to the dullest of formulas. A group of teenage girls view an unnerving video, begin to notice weird occurrences and then start disappearing. If you'd like us to wake you up when it stops sounding generic, then you're in for quite a lengthy snooze. When Massachusetts pals Katie (Annalise Basso), Chloe (Jaz Sinclair), Hallie (Julia Goldani Telles) and Wren (Joey King) get bored at a slumber party, they decide to switch from watching porn to discovering what this Slender Man character is all about. A week later, Katie goes missing during a class trip to a cemetery, and her drunken dad blames her newfound obsession with the occult. That sparks the rest of the gang into action, taking advice from a mysterious online source and trying to offer Slender Man an exchange to get their missing friend back. To their surprise (but not to the audience's), that plan doesn't pan out well. Slender Man isn't someone to be bargained with, it seems. Given that Ringu and The Ring already exist (with several sequels to both), you might expect Slender Man to reach beyond an already well-worn premise. Given that The Craft exists as well, you might expect more than just a group of goth-leaning besties trifling with ominous forces, too. Sadly, we can keep playing this game, and the outcome remains the same. The film follows terrorised, victimised girls in the same US state that's infamous for the Salem witch trials, but it draws zero modern-day parallels. And, while it stems from the pen of screenwriter David Birke — the scribe behind the vastly superior Isabelle Huppert-led rape-revenge thriller Elle — Slender Man boasts no signs of complexity either. Along with by-the-numbers performances, bland shots of spooky forests and a paper-thin message about the corruptive power of going viral, among Slender Man's many missteps is the squandering of its eponymous villain. The elongated figure is literally yesterday's news now, but the film does little more than point out that it looks creepy and thrust it at the screen for a few jump-scares. That's the kind of laziness that usually plagues direct-to-video sequels, arrogantly believing that name recognition will do half of the work, and that occasionally pointing the camera at something sinister will do the rest. In that spirit, it should come as no surprise that director Sylvain White also has derivative threequel I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer on his resume. If there's one positive aspect to Slender Man, though, it's this: thankfully, it doesn't try to capitalise upon the real-life stabbing committed in the titular entity's name. Back in 2014, two 12-year-old girls attacked one of their friends in an effort to impress the internet's favourite boogeyman, adding an extra level of discomfort to the Slender Man saga. The case was covered in 2016 documentary Beware the Slenderman, which is straightforward but still vastly more intelligent and engaging than this fictional take on the meme. Still, watching Slender Man, viewers get the feeling that the film might've once cribbed a few cues from reality, then cut them from the final version — the movie is so drab and cobbled-together that it seems like the work of filmmakers trying to salvage a bad situation. Or, that could just be the kindest way to look at this scare-free, intrigue-free mess. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jc0ez0IZ4k
Ah hot chocolate! Once a substitute for those non coffee drinkers (are there any of you left?) is now a fine and respectable drink to order. In fact, new research shows a cup or two of hot cocoa can help keep brains healthy. For those purists who like their chocolate fix plain and simple, as well as those who are willing to mix it up with punchy flavour combinations — we have you all covered. Here are the top ten hot chocolates in Brisbane, in no particular order. And a disclaimer: we take no responsibility for your sugar coma, but will take credit for increased memories. 1. La Dolce Vita Cafe Life is indeed sweet, especially while sipping on a Nutella hot chocolate under the Eiffel Tower. With its signature 'you can stand a spoon in it' consistency, La Dolce Vita's hot chocolate has been around for so long it should be a dedicated stop on Brisbane's City Sights bus route. Remember the days getting caught red handed with your head in the pantry and heaped tablespoon of Nutella stuck to the roof of your mouth? Well, my friend, those days were not in vain, for they were the perfect practice for chugging down this drink. Nutella lovers will be back for more, we can guarantee it. 20 Park Road, Milton 2. The Dark Chocolatier Like stepping into chocolate heaven, the Dark Chocolatier is complete sensory overload. Take your eyes away from the array of take-home goodies available for a second, then head toward the back of the shop and order yourself a Dark Turkish Delight hot chocolate from their 'rustic hot chocolate' menu. They're made from vegan natural rosewater jelly, Noosa Chocolate Factory dark chocolate, raw cane sugar and Ecuadorian single origin cacao. For those who don't fancy Turkish delight, there are plenty of other options available such as Dark Valencia Orange Hot Chocolate or White Hot Chocolate. Three words. Thank you God! 156 Adelaide Street, Brisbane 3.Monty's Chocolates A good hot chocolate should be like any good husband: sexy, rich and smooth. So ladies, you can rejoice as Monty's hot chocolate meets all of the above criteria. Not for the faint hearted, this drink is ideal for a cold winter's day and should be slowly savoured to get the most out of the Belgian chocolate and spicy blend. For a mid-workday pick-me-up this glorious drink is also available at their city store, sure to please all our working folk based in the CBD (not just you, ladies!). 155 La Trobe Tce, Paddington 4.Bunker Although usually renowned for their impeccable coffee, Bunker challenges your thinking when it comes to hot chocolate. Theirs is available in 75% dark, milk or white with flavours such as lavender, Chai and their newest addition, lime and sea salt (a must try!). Bags of this ethical, Fair Trade chocolate mix are also available to take home. 20 Railway Tce, Milton 5. Campos Coffee If 'thickness ain't your weakness' then a Campos' hot chocolate may be more down your alley. They're renowned primarily for their coffee, but hot chocolate fans need not worry. It's not too sweet, not too thick — these guys take pride in getting the balance just right (and the only chocolate powder you'll see is for decorative purposes only). Made with premium melted chocolate but not overpowering, this drink is ideal for those who don't want to 'eat' their hot chocolate with a spoon, but rather enjoy in a takeaway moment. 11 Wandoo Street, Fortitude Valley 6. Max Brenner Who knew that a little bald man could have women lining up out the door. I bet you George Costanza didn't see that happening! On a cold winter's night you can't go past the cult classic hot 'chocolat' served in a hug mug. Mmm, the perfect shape to wrap each hand around and inhale each sip. Heaven. However, if you are feeling a little adventurous, definitely give the Mexican spicy chocolate or the Danish Toffee chocolate a try — both are equally tasty and don't overpower the original recipe. 179 Oxford St, Bulimba 7. Cream Patisserie Ever enjoy a great hot chocolate out and think to yourself 'I should make this at home' only to cry over your homemade cup of ruin? Well gone be the days! After consuming a cup of the finest Belgian hot chocolate from Cream Patisserie (and being completely distracted by all the pastries showing off in the front window) one must purchase a bag of the pre-made hot chocolate mixture ready for you to take home. No more watered down Nesquick in front of the TV; you deserve the best. 380 Cavendish Road, Coorparoo 8. San Churro The day San Churro arrived in Brisbane was the day the Spaniards successfully seduced us with cups of melted hot chocolate and we all went a bit loco. Available in an array of flavours such as peanut butter bomba (which tastes like a liquid form of a Reese's peanut butter cup! Winning!) it'll have you saying 'puedo tener otro?' We recommend pairing your drink with churros, naturally. 2/161 Grey St, South Bank 9. Wrapture Cafe After drinking Wrapture's Shakti hot chocolate you'd be forgiven for spending the rest of the day in a Zen-like state. The chai spice mix and chilli Venezuelan hot chocolate warms you up from the inside out, and gives you a subtle chilli kick at the end. Set in the quieter side of West End, escape the crowds, leave the awkward yoga positions at home and achieve hot chocolate enlightenment. 71 Russell St, West End 10. Chocolate Soldier Amongst their busy CBD shopfront, Chocolate Soldier's hot chocolate made with their homemade ganache is ideal for those people who don't want to commit to dessert but need a sugar hit after every meal. Reminiscent of an old-school traditional Parisian coffee house, it's all too easy to spend a few hours here while enjoying some locally made hand-crafted sweets. 275 George St, Brisbane
Earlier in 2023, Genesis Owusu hit the River City to play a huge gig with the Brisbane Symphony Orchestra. On Thursday, August 24, the ARIA-winning Ghanaian Australian artist is back — and taking to the microphone again. This time, he's putting on a free show to launch his new album, all while swapping Fortitude Music Hall for Bunyapa Park in West End. That record: Struggler, his sophomore release, which again showcases his penchant for hopping between different music genres. Recorded in both Australia and the US, it follows his breakout debut Smiling with No Teeth, with singles such as Leaving the Light and Stay Blessed also out now. Ahead of a world tour, Owusu will give Brisbanites a taste of his latest record in conjunction with West End's beloved Jet Black Cat Music. Catch him onstage between 3.30–5pm, and also hanging around signing copies of Struggler. If you need to get your hands on the album, obviously JBCM will be selling them across the road.
UPDATE, May 7, 2021: Us is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. With his Oscar-winning directorial debut Get Out, Jordan Peele gave the world a powerful metaphor for everyday, engrained oppression. In the sunken place, the film's black characters are sent falling down an endless rabbit hole while their lives are controlled by wealthy white folks. African Americans are forced to watch from a cavernous expanse of darkness, all as someone else pulls their strings. Robbed of agency, they become passengers in their own journey, rather than drivers of their fate. The movie's brilliant blend of scares and social satire gives more flesh to the scenario, but the mechanics are straightforward: one race is sent plummeting; the other climbs higher through their subjugation. Peele's concept isn't a one-time idea, as his sophomore film shows. Us doesn't feel like Get Out redux for even a split second, but it does give another clever and chilling dimension to the notion of flailing versus prospering — and another example of who's doing both. This time, the writer-director puts class under his magnifying glass, while still training his gaze firmly at his country. It's not by accident that the movie's title can be read as U.S., aka the United States. That's not supposed to escape anyone's attention. Perhaps the greatest trick that Peele pulls, however, is slicing into the horror of just peering in the mirror and thoroughly detesting what's looking back. After a quick glimpse at an ad for 80s charity campaign Hands Across America, Us' 1986-set prologue sends a young girl (Madison Curry) into an actual house of mirrors. "Find yourself" the funhouse at the Santa Cruz beachside amusement park promises. She does, although not in the usual way — and as flashbacks remembered by the adult Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong'o) reveal, she's left forever shaken by the process. In the present day, Adelaide returns to the Californian spot with her husband Gabe (Winston Duke) and children Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph) and Jason (Evan Alex). She's wary and worried as her family pals around on the beach with their better-off friends, the Tylers (Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker, Cali Sheldon and Noelle Sheldon). Later, Adelaide tries to explain her visible unease to Gabe, confessing that she has always felt as if her other self was coming for her. With the arrival of the Wilsons' doppelgängers on their driveway that night, her words are proven accurate. Decked out in matching red jumpsuits, wearing lone tan gloves and clutching golden scissors, the sinister doubles call themselves 'the tethered' — and they're here to cut that name to ribbons. What begins as a tense, terrifically staged home invasion soon becomes much more, as Adelaide and her loved ones face off against their murderous counterparts. The terror that follows boasts more angles than the reflective maze that starts this unnerving story. It also contains more twists and turns than the abandoned and unused tunnels buried beneath the U.S., as pointedly referenced in the film's opening title card. Finally, it features more meticulously deployed pop culture references and nods than might be expected in a movie that remains so thoughtfully distinctive. Us is a creeper in multiple senses of the word. It's disquieting from the outset (even more so when it spends its opening credits staring at caged rabbits), but Peele knows how to let that unease fester and grow. While the 'master of suspense' label was bestowed decades ago, the comedian-turned-filmmaker is just as devastating at cultivating distress as Hitchcock or any other iconic horror or thriller director. He's similarly adept at using every tool in his arsenal. After giving It Follows such a disconcerting look, cinematographer Mike Gioulakis does so again here, especially while shooting in domestic spaces. Aided by a few choice song selections that range from NWA to the Beach Boys, Get Out composer Michael Abels conjures up another needling score designed to set viewers on edge. But it's the way that Us' agitated, anxious mood refuses to dissipate that marks the movie as something special. The narrative and its ideas are undeniably creepy and, even when some aspects initially seem a tad too obvious, the film resonates long after viewing. Us' tone, images and sounds reach further, however, truly and deeply creeping under the audience's skin. The simple sight of four shadowy figures looming over a house in the dark of night instantly demonstrates how effective Us is in a visual sense. Choreographed movements of the balletic, stilted and frantic kind do as well. They also highlight Us' other key element, because central to the malaise is Peele's cast. Their characters might battle themselves, but the actors never do the same, always making their dual roles feel like individual creations. If Daniel Kaluuya can earn an Academy Award nomination for Get Out, there's no reason that Nyong'o can't achieve the feat for her twin parts as both a fraught, complex victim and a calm, unrelenting aggressor. Her performance as Red, Adelaide's mirror image, is as delightfully disconcerting and affecting as the doppelgänger's gravelly, haunted voice. From Duke's transformation from goofy dad to non-verbal brute, to Joseph's expressiveness as both a too-cool teen and a psychopathic killer, to a particularly flighty then unhinged turn from Moss, Nyong'o is also in great company. Of course, that's one of the movie's mischievous tricks: as it delves into the divide between 'us' and 'them', it puts everyone in the same unsettling situation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bavqDA_3vIo
It's slime time on the big screen in Brisbane this spring. Expect toxic ooze, plenty of goo and even ectoplasm to feature at New Farm Cinemas, too. Continuing to prove that there's a film festival dedicated to everything, the River City's own BORLFF is back, but with a difference for its second year. In 2022, that acronym referred to the Brisbane Only Rotoscoped Lightning Film Festival. In 2023, it means the Brisbane Only Repulsive Liquids Film Festival. So, movie lovers hitting Brunswick Street from Friday, September 22–Sunday, October 1 won't be seeing flicks with hand-drawn lightning effects this time around. Instead, sludge and its fellow liquids are in the spotlight, as is viscera as well. And yes, there are enough features to flesh out a film fest that solely focuses on repulsive liquids — starting with not only an ooze-filled classic, but a film that comes with its own smells. BORLFF is opening its 2023 season with the world's most fearsome fighting team — or so the catchy theme tune goes — and their live-action 1990 film. At this session of the OG Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, the audience will catch Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael (and Sam Rockwell in a blink-or-you'll-miss-it part) in stink-o-vision. Everyone will receive scratch 'n' sniff cards, which they'll then use to emit appropriate scents as they watch. From there, the 11-film lineup is presenting themed double features on five nights. Most evenings will let you come along to just one session, other than the Troma lineup of The Toxic Avenger and Class of Nuke 'Em High — or you can get comfortable for the full oozy 80s, green gunk, sickly science and putrid pink experience. On the lineup: David Cronenberg's The Fly paired with John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness, complete with a Q&A with veteran special effects artist Chad Atkinson (The X-Files, Alien Resurrection, Starship Troopers) — and also experiments gone awry in Australia's own Body Melt (with director Philip Brophy in attendance) and the Frankenstein spin that is Re-Animator. Or, see plenty Kermit's hue in a new light in Japanese American co-production The Green Slime and fantasy-horror effort Troll 2, then go pink with 1988's The Blob remake and Ghostbusters II. BORLFF stems from Netherworld, Two Bit Movie Club — aka the regular cult and classic movie event that often screens at the arcade bar — and will also feature an art show via Feature Presentation that showcases new interpretations of movie posters for the fest's films. They're on display at the bar throughout September, and you can buy prints of them, too. The Brisbane Only Repulsive Liquids Film Festival runs from Friday, September 22–Sunday, October 1 at New Farm Cinemas. For more information, head to the festival's website.
For 31 years, the Woodford Folk Festival has been a staple of south-east Queensland's event calendar, gifting the region with an annual array of music, arts, culture, creativity, camping and mud. As other festivals have come and gone around the country, it has remained an end-of-year mainstay, as well as a must-attend event for fest lovers; however that might not always be the case. Just days after the 2016/17 event wrapped up, Festival Director Bill Hauritz has announced that Woodford faces an uncertain future as a result of the strain being placed on the fest's infrastructure. This year saw audiences grow by more than five percent to reach 132,000 patrons over six days, with patrons flocking to see more than 2000 acts, performers and speakers across 438 events, including Paul Kelly, Gang Of Youths, Adalita, Amanda Palmer and Methyl Ethel. "It has been a most beautiful festival in almost every way but our future is unclear," said Hauritz in a statement. "This festival is becoming a hub for creativity attracting some great minds. It's been an inspiration for many of us," he continued. However, with growing crowds comes growing problems, as he also explained. "Raw water storage, and dusty and broken roads took the edge off what was a truly wonderful event. Dust was a big problem we have to fix, and the roads – they're just not up to required standards. That's just the beginning of our infrastructure issues." What happens next is yet to be determined, though given the massive amount of love and support Woodford Folk Festival receives — including from interstate attendees, with a third of festival visitors hailing from outside of Queensland — it's certain that everyone involved will be working to ensure the fest continues. The festival certainly has the backing of Moreton Bay Regional Council Mayor Allan Sutherland, who has called for more government funding. "With such a successful year of festival attendance and camping numbers – it has never been more important for all levels of Government to provide funding support and certainty to Woodfordia Inc. to turn Woodfordia into a destination worthy of ongoing national and international acclaim," he said. "Funding will be vital to ensure this site receives much needed infrastructure upgrades including permanent staging, toilets and amenities, dust control, roads, and camping space for this iconic Australian festival and Woodfordia itself to grow and flourish." Image: Woodford Folk Festival.
Since 2016, Bite Sip Stroll has been helping hungry diners with a culinary conundrum: sometimes, your tastebuds are just screaming out for dishes from a few different restaurants. After sending Brisbanites on two tours of the city, they're hopping on over to another part of town. Prepare to wander, drink and eat your way through Fortitude Valley. Feel like sampling chef-designed dishes at Gerard's Bistro, Gerard's Bar, Nickel Kitchen and The Apo all in one trip? You're in luck. Offering up between entree and degustation-sized meals with a glass of matched wine at each venue, the unique eating experience is named after the European style of dining out. There, indulging in a plate at one place and then a drink at another, and just roaming between eateries in general, is a common occurrence. Basically, it's a moving feast of cuisine and wine pairings, as well as a brief walking tour of the Valley's best culinary spots. You'll pay $129 per head for the privilege, but when are you ever going to have a lunch like this again? Tickets are limited, so we suggest getting yours as quick as you can.
For Brisbane's architecture fans — plus folks keen to sneak a behind-the-scenes peek at the city's spaces — Brisbane Open House is one of the event highlights of every year. For a couple of days, it lets folks swap their own four walls for some of Brissie's most famous places. Sure, you've seen a show at Brisbane Powerhouse, taken a dip at the Valley Baths, enjoyed a drink at the Jubilee and Wickham hotels, and tucked into cake at the Shingle Inn, but you probably haven't ventured past the public areas. Think of Brisbane Open House as a key that gets you access into the River City's buildings, structures and precincts — and seeing past Brisbane's well-known facades, even stepping through nooks and crannies that aren't usually open to everyone — across Saturday, July 15–Sunday, July 16 in 2023. After a two-weekend event in 2022, this year's run is focusing the fun on one, with more than 70 different spaces welcoming in visitors. The range of places taking part is impressive, spanning everywhere from arts precincts and museums through to live performance venues and landmarks. In the CBD and Spring Hill area, that includes Anzac Square, Brisbane City Hall, Museum of Brisbane, Parliament House, Old Government House, Roma Street Fire Station, Roma Street Parkland and St John's Cathedral. And, in Bowen Hills, Herston and Windsor, the Old Museum, Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church and the old Windsor Council Chambers are on the list. Or, you can scope out 4ZZZ, a heap of buildings around the University of Queensland, Heritage Lanes, Brisbane Cruise Ship Terminal, ABC Brisbane, Griffith Film School, Queensland Theatre, Princess Theatre, the State Library of Queensland, Fish Lane and Queensland Ballet's Thomas Dixon Centre. Seeing another side of Brisbane spots you've been to before is quite the drawcard; however, this event also lets attendees wander around noteworthy residential spaces. Private homes haven't been on the itinerary for a few years — a pandemic will do that — but they're back again in 2023. [caption id="attachment_688150" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kim Williams[/caption] Top image: Paul Knie.
Our memories aren't always choices. Our brains recollect some things and forget others, and we can be left wondering why. What we can control, however, is how we choose to store our memories beyond our own mind: in objects, mementos, photographs and paintings, for example. Think of Sally Anderson's new exhibition as an exercise in doing just that, sifting through her life and choosing which moments to commit to canvas. And while that's true of all art, the Australian artist has crafted her Self Storage and the Really Real showcase with that intention, endeavouring to both put the idea into action and interrogate it. Comprised of items and landscapes that hold significant memories, the end result displays at Edwina Corlette Gallery from February 1 to 22. It's the latest effort from Anderson, who received a Brett Whiteley Travelling Arts Scholarship in 2017, and spent a three-month residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris. Image: Sally Anderson, SKIES ARE CEILINGS, DISTANCES ARE WALLS.
When it comes to food events, there's nothing quite like the Sunnybank $2 Food Trail. It's all there in the name, with the Brisbane suburb's shopping hub becoming a diner's delight in the most affordable fashion. Think of it as the ultimate self-guided foodie adventure, for nothing more than spare change — and with around 22,000 people taking part. So how does it work? Between 2–8pm on Saturday, June 22, you'll walk between a heap of local cafes and restaurants, all at your own pace. Last year, more than 45 eateries took part. From chicken katsu and wontons to mochi ice cream and bubble tea, every participating eatery will feature a range of authentic Asian cuisines. You'll feast on Chinese, Japanese, Hong Kong-style, Vietnamese, Korean and Taiwanese dishes, and you'll only pay $2 per tasting plate. With such an array of steaming soups and sizzling stir-fries on offer, we don't recommend eating lunch first; in fact, you'd best arrive feeling as hungry as possible. Snacking on signature dishes is the main course — or several — but there's also plenty of non-edible appetisers, too. Enjoy some live music, watch lion dancers and and check out the roaming entertainment as you feast and wander, adding the perfect garnish to every meal by setting the mood. Image: Sunnybank $2 Food Trail.
Along with delivering quintessential Southern hospitality, Memphis is the destination that allows you to walk the brick-lined streets that witnessed the astronomical talent — and unprecedented ascent to fame — of Elvis Presley. The birthplace of rock 'n' roll, and home of blues and soul, is all electrifying energy and originality. This June, Baz Luhrmann is bringing the bright lights, creative flair and distinct directorial prowess he's known for to the euphonious history of Memphis with Elvis. The energetic and emotionally charged film charts the rise (and rise) of Elvis Presley (Austin Butler), celebrating the inimitable musician's music and life against the backdrop of an evolving cultural climate in 1950s and 60s America. Using the lens of Presley's relationship with his enigmatic manager Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks), the bold picture tells a story of musical self-expression and monumental stardom — and the coinciding loss of innocence that was broadcast on a global stage. As hips shook, money was made and a rock 'n' roll icon immortalised. https://youtu.be/xSbQ_ERfmFQ To celebrate the release of Elvis in cinemas Thursday, June 23, Memphis Tourism is giving you the chance to win two tickets to the Australian premiere on the Gold Coast — which is where the feature was shot — on Saturday, June 4. To be in the running to rock and roll your way to the red-carpet experience, enter below. [competition]851551[/competition] Top images: Hugh Stewart (first two); Courtesy of Warner Bros Pictures (third) © 2022 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved.
Sometimes, you just want to jump up, jump up and get down. Or jump jump in general when things are wiggity, wiggity, wiggity wack. Tingalpa's BOUNCE Trampoline Park is the place where you can make that happen. Actually, you'll be able to go ahead and jump ('80s musicians were in the know, too) in more ways than you probably think. Free jump over 50 interconnected trampolines — which includes tumble tracks — and then literally bounce up the wall. Or, put a spring in your basketball step while you jump to slam dunk, test out your air sports moves on the soft big bag, play trampoline dodgeball and take to the X-Park Adventure Challenge Course. Yes, that's a real thing.
For two days, one particular patch of Brisbane has all of your Christmas needs covered, including one that you mightn't have given as much thought to as you'd like. If you're eager to give your loved ones gifts that were created by hand, and ethically, then that's what the Brisbane Fair Trade Christmas Market is all about. It's also a chance to pick up homewares, clothing and more from other cultures, with pieces made by artisan communities in Africa, Asia, South America and other areas around the globe. No, your dad isn't getting boring old socks. And no, you're not just buying your mum flowers. The market runs from 8am–5.30pm on Saturday, November 23 and from 8am–3pm on Sunday, November 24, 2024, at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre. An added bonus: you'll be perusing for presents in air-conditioning. Already know that all that shopping will make you hungry? There's also a cafe onsite.
