With international travel still limited, jetting off to wherever you'd like around the globe isn't currently on anyone's agenda. But if you'd like to while away a few days or weeks at the best beach in the world, you can — because it's right here in Australia. In Tripadvisor's just-announced 2021 lineup of the planet's best beaches, which ranks 25 idyllic locations, two Aussie spots made the cut. In news that will come as no surprise to anyone, the Whitsundays' Whitehaven Beach took first place. It's the latest accolade for the picturesque Queensland favourite, which has placed second twice in Flight Network's list on the same topic, and was also named Tripadvisor's best Australian beach for travellers back in 2017. Turquoise Bay in Exmouth, Western Australia made the list as well, coming in at number six. And if you're wondering which overseas spots you should think about visiting when global travel begins to return to normal, Cuba's Santa Maria Beach placed second, Brazil's Baia do Sancho came in third, Grace Bay Beach in the Turks and Caicos Islands placed fourth, and Florida's Saint Pete Beach in the US was named the fifth best beach. Also in the top ten: Eagle Beach, Aruba; Spiaggia dei Conigli in Lampedusa, Italy; Ka'anapali Beach in Hawaii; and Baía dos Golfinhos in Brazil. Alongside the best beaches in the world, Tripadvisor also released a list of the ten best beaches in the South Pacific — with Whitehaven and Turquoise Bay in first and second spots. Places three, four and five all went to WA locations, with Cape Le Grand National Park in Esperance sitting at third, Greens Pool in the town of Denmark at fourth and Cable Beach in Broome coming fifth. After sweeping up the top half of the list, Australia gave way to Bora Bora's Matira Beach, Piscine Naturelle in New Caledonia, and Ohope Beach, Kaiteriteri Beach and Mt Maunganui Main Beach in New Zealand for spots six through to ten. [caption id="attachment_648438" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Damien Dempsey via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] The winners were chosen as part of Tripadvisor's Traveller's Choice awards, which is based on reviews and ratings left on the online platform — as well as the number of saves (where users bookmark places they like, or they'd like to visit) — across 2020. To check out the full list of top beaches for 2021, head to Tripadvisor. Thinking about taking your own trip to Whitehaven Beach? Check out our Outside Guide to the Whitsundays.
2016: what a year. We saw powerful figures do battle on more than one occasion, witnessed pop culture figures return (and unexpectedly flourish), explored multiculturalism in several western nations, examined the impact of unforgiving and inflexible government bureaucracy, and watched a fascist try to dispense with naysayers — and that's just in the realm of film. Many a superhero flick, plenty of remakes and sequels, and the likes of The Hateful Eight, Goldstone, I, Daniel Blake and Green Room can attest to that. We also experienced everything from alien attacks to bear maulings to ghosts needing busting, and we've still only just scratched the surface of the last year at the cinema. In short, it was a great year to be a movie buff. So what's worth watching? Well, Concrete Playground's film critics have been hard at work staring at screens for the past 12 months watching an insane amount of cinema. So here's our picks for the best films of the year — if you only have time to watch ten films this holiday season, be sure to choose these ones. AMERICAN HONEY As directed by Fish Tank and Wuthering Heights' Andrea Arnold, American Honey takes an almost three-hour road trip through the vast, bewildering, heartbreaking disparity between the have and have nots in American society. A streetwise teen looking for a different life proves our guide after she crosses paths with a smooth-talking travelling magazine salesman with an epic rat tail. The latter is the best work of Shia LaBeouf's career, however it's the revelatory efforts of first-timer Sasha Lane as the former — and Arnold's ability to make her film feel as wide-ranging as its roaming narrative, and as intimate as its boxed-in imagery — that packs the strongest punch. Well, that and the eclectic yet expressive mixtape-like soundtrack. — Sarah Ward https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHOmrolJEiY THE HANDMAIDEN Dripping with sex, Park Chan-wook's adaptation of Sarah Waters' novel Fingersmith is a pulpy, stylish delight. Transplanting the story from Victorian era England to 1930s Korea, the film follows a maid out to steal her mistress's fortune, only for the pair to end up falling in love. Of course there's a lot more to it than that, with the director of Stoker and Oldboy taking viewers on a ride that is both ludicrous and utterly compelling. Aesthetically speaking, every single frame feels perfectly considered, while the twisting narrative will keep you guessing until the end. — Tom Clift MIDNIGHT SPECIAL It's been a great year for showing affection for sci-fi from years gone by — and, before Stranger Things set '80s-loving, TV fans' hearts aflutter, Midnight Special did the same in the cinema. The fourth film from Take Shelter and Mud director Jeff Nichols not only marks his fourth collaboration with the oh-so-great Michael Shannon — and his latest exploration of folks trusting in something bigger than themselves — but also offers an awe-filled, ambitious effort that's also a road movie, a chase thriller, an intimate drama and an otherworldly adventure. — SW THE NEON DEMON Director Nicholas Wending Refn turns his lens on the LA fashion scene with extremely unsettling, occasionally nauseating results. Bringing the same sleek, detached style (punctuated with violence, of course) that he did to his previous films including Drive and Only God Forgives, the Danish provocateur intentionally apes the aesthetic of the world his film inhabits, in order to expose the ugliness underneath. The Neon Demon has its detractors, and understandably so — the last act especially seems designed to test the audience's boundaries. But even those who despise the film would be hard pressed to deny its artistry. — TC CAROL As an actor skilled at bringing complex roles to life, Cate Blanchett just keeps getting better. As a filmmaker fascinated by stories of yearning for a more fulfilling existence, Velvet Goldmine and Far From Heaven director Todd Haynes does too. Combine the two with Patricia Highsmith's ahead-of-its-time 1952 novel The Price of Salt, add a disarmingly delicate performance by Rooney Mara as a shy shopgirl instantly smitten witg Blanchett's glamorous but conflicted older woman, and slow-building romance doesn't get much emotionally resonant and visually radiant than this. — SW DOWN UNDER Although tragically underseen in cinemas, writer-director Abe Forsythe's pitch black comedy set around the Cronulla riots is one of funniest and most insightful Australian films of the decade so far. A satire in the vein of Team America and Four Lions in which the stupidity of the protagonists belies the film's hidden intelligence, Down Under holds a mirror up to the ugly parts of Australian society, while painting bigots and racists as the idiots they so clearly are. Hysterically funny one moment and deeply troubling the next, it's a must see film that feels distressingly relevant today. — TC LA LA LAND It starts with sunshine, colour and song, then often lurks in moody bars and clubs. It spirits aspiring actress Mia (Emma Stone) and avid jazz enthusiast Seb (Ryan Gosling) on a rollercoaster-like romance, and yet doesn't shy away from the pain and heartbreak of both following your passion and falling for someone. It references '50s musicals and '80s pop, but turns its influences into its own tale, proving nostalgic, celebratory and knowing all at once. Yes, Whiplash director Damien Chazelle's La La Land does many things, including bewitch audiences with its block-coloured, big crooning, bittersweet dream about life and love. The film has already been released overseas, but will officially hit cinemas here on Boxing Day. — SW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8Xvsjy57X0 HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE Somehow outdoing his previous effort, the sidesplitting vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows, Kiwi filmmaker Taika Waititi delivered one of the funniest and most charming films of the year with Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Carried on the shoulders of veteran actor Sam Neill and his talented young costar Julian Dennison, this heartwarming indie about a pre-teen delinquent and his foster father on the run from the authorities in the New Zealand wilderness delivers big laughs and an even bigger emotional payoff, and will endear itself to you even further on second, third, fourth and fifth viewings. — TC THE WAILING Films about cops chasing killers are common. Movies about brutal murders and sinister forces with potentially supernatural elements aren't all that uncommon either. And yet, South Korean effort The Wailing well and truly stands alone within a crowded field — and not just because the slow-burn horror effort clocks in at two and a half hours. It takes its time and still proves packed with everything from gorgeously moody landscapes to an increasingly dark atmosphere, plus the undead, exorcisms, ghosts and the kind of nods to genre greats that most scary movies only wish that they could manage. — SW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMqeoW3XRa0 HAIL, CAESAR! While it may strike some as a lesser entry in the Coen Brothers canon — lacking the obvious dramatic heft of something like No Country for Old Men or Inside Llewellyn Davis — this seemingly silly comedy about a blackmail plot in 1950s Hollywood is as ingenious and subversive as anything the siblings have ever made. Ostensibly a love letter to the golden age of movie-making, Hail, Caesar! is in fact a barbed satire about misplaced faith in artificial institutions, from politics to religion to tinsel town itself. Throw in an A-list cast hamming it up and having a ball, and you'd be absolutely screwy not to give it a watch. — TC These are our favourite films of 2016, but we've also put together a list of the best films hardly anyone saw this year — y'know, the ones that sort of went in and out of cinemas without much fanfare but definitely deserve a watch. Co-written by Sarah Ward and Tom Clift.
If you're finding yourself with a decent amount of time on your hands this winter, you've come to the right place. Podcasts will keep you entertained through all of life's most mundane tasks (hello, cleaning) while also giving your brain a treat. So, here are the six best podcasts to listen to right now according to Concrete Playground's writers. SUZ TUCKER: Editorial Director, NBA obsessive (even follows summer league) Recommends: Ear Hustle. I've recently gotten very into this nonfiction series called Ear Hustle. It's not new but it's new to me. It's about the experience of being incarcerated in the US prison system, hosted by a former inmate of California's San Quentin State Prison and an artist from the area. Each episode is about life in or after prison, addressing topics like maintaining relationships while in the joint, solitary confinement, getting a job after jail and prison sex — all completely fascinating. It's a strange time to be listening to stories with confinement at the centre, but the show is always interesting and often surprisingly uplifting. MELANIE COLWELL: Branded Content Editor, performed in the Sydney Olympics opening ceremony Recommends: Sexy Stories. First things first: if you're not already following Melbourne-based sexologist Chantelle Otten on Instagram, go do it now, then come back. Done? Cool. On to her podcast, which she released in August 2020. Furthering her mission to empower people in all things sex (education, health, self-esteem, etc.), Sexy Stories sees Otten read erotic literature submitted by listeners. It's audio porn, quite literally. Less capable hands could've treated these tales as sordid but, with Otten on the mic, they are instead a celebration of every kink, fantasy and exploit. Plus, Otten has just about the sexiest voice I've ever heard. Listen with your partner, listen alone, listen to distract yourself from a really mundane task (trust me, you'll be very distracted). Just maybe don't save it for a long car trip with your parents or kids. [caption id="attachment_821096" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Supplied, photo by Jess Gleeson.[/caption] BEN HANSEN: Staff Writer, once had swine flu Recommends: Tough Love. As was the case with so many around the world, former Triple J host Linda Marigliano's world was completely warped by the pandemic. Plans to move to the US for her career and to live with her boyfriend were shot forcing her to reconsider everything. Marigliano takes us through a profoundly open and honest look at her life from her long-distance relationship and the process of freezing her eggs when faced with the uncertainty of when she will see her partner again, to her career, self-worth and moments spent with her grandma she may not have experienced if she had moved overseas. It's a touching and relatable look at life over the last year. COURTNEY AMMENHAUSER: Branded Content Producer, can crochet a jumper Recommends: Pieces of Britney. If you watched the New York Times documentary Framing Britney Spears earlier this year, the BBC Radio 4 series Pieces of Britney is excellent companion listening. Essentially, it's a fictional audio drama inspired by true events that is stitched together with facts. With Pandora Sykes at the wheel, the eight-part series weaves archival audio and interviews with fiction written by playwright Katie Hims to tell Britney's story. Hims' uses creative license to bring to life parts of Britney's past that have previously been described in interviews or have been alluded to in the past — some more fictitious than others — and somehow, this speculation works. Each part feels qualified and the subtle yet dynamic sound design keeps you hooked. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Culture (@theculture.pod) CORDELIA WILLIAMSON: Branded Content Manager, waited on Billie Eilish once when working in hospo Recommends: The Culture, The Teacher's Pet, The High Low, Dolly Parton's America. I wouldn't call myself a podcast buff, but when I like a series, I fall hard. I've soaked in the bath, with a glass of wine, listening to Pandora Sykes and Dolly Alderton's witty and oh-so-British pop-culture podcast The High Low; sat in the dark and binged The Teacher's Pet; and hit the highway with the nine-part exploration of the Dollyverse, Dolly Parton's America, blaring from the speakers. Now, with much more time on my hands (thanks COVID-19), I've been walking — a lot. And as I plod along, I've been listening to numerous podcasts. My top choice: The Culture. Hosted by Osman Faruqi, the show has only been around for a couple of months, so it's easy to make your way through the back catalogue. In particular, there are two episodes I recommend: 'How Western Sydney is redefining hip-hop' and 'How a four-year-old song became the biggest hit in Europe'. Whether you're deep in the Aussie music scene or just bop along to Top 40 tunes, both these episodes will hit close to home. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Casefile: True Crime Podcast (@casefilepodcast) NIK ADDAMS: Branded Content Manager, was taught the 1, 2 Step by Ciara herself (and has the video to prove it) Recommends: Casefile, My Dad Wrote A Porno, The Allusionist I probably don't make as much time for podcasts as I'd like to, but when I do listen I fall back on old faves. Casefile remains unmatched in its detail describing the most shocking true crimes from around the world, while The Allusionist is an utterly charming listen that never fails to put a smile on my face while exploring the intricacies (and idiosyncrasies) of the English language. I'm also super excited about binging the latest season of My Dad Wrote A Porno — Rocky Flintstone surely is one of the world's most misunderstood geniuses. Top image: Framing Britney Spears.
There's no denying that Bar Pacino has an absolutely cracking view, but the Sicilian-style food menu is also worthy of a second look. These guys do it all — breakfast, lunch, dinner, share plates and pizzas. For the ultimate in fuss-free dining, climb the stairs to this Eagle Street hotspot for generous grazing platters and plenty of prosecco. After all – what self-respecting Brisbanite would turn down the opportunity to gaze at our beloved Story Bridge? Sydney Harbour be damned.
Brisbane's pizza superstars come in the legions. From West End's The Burrow to Bulimba's Sugo Mi, we're not short on Italian-grade crusts and toppings. And now, to the list of Brisbane's best pizzas, add Brewski. It may not have an Italian name, or offer stuffed crusts, but it truly deserves a spot on the noble lineup of Brisbane's most delicious. Situated on Caxton Street, between New York Slice (funnily enough) and Black Hide Steakhouse, Brewski is a bar that delivers in everything from craft beer to truly nostalgic beats to the crispest, most blistered pizzas in the Paddington area. Firstly, let's talk food. The food cannot even mentioned without wild gushes for the pizza. It's the price, it's the range, it's the artisanal execution of each and every one that gets delivered to the table on a wooden serving board. Their topping options range from the basic and delicious, such as classic prosciutto ($10-$15) to a few that are a little fancier, such as the pulled pork, mushrooms, olives, red onion, smokey BBQ sauce and mozzarella combo that is the Will Ferrell ($18). If you perchance see a grown man crying while on your visit to Brewski, the reason inevitably will be the third pizza from the bottom of the menu. You can't help feel a little dared by the Mad Man Chilli Spank XXX, but even Brewski give the warning, "it's bloody hot, no really". It's topped with hot salami, mushroom, olives, chilli, mozzarella and ultra death sauce, a name that leaves little to the imagination. This sauce is hot. Painfully so. It throws a heat that destroys any threshold, and should really be served with a pitcher of milk. Try it. They've also got a killer selection of hearty, Seinfield-themed toasted sandwiches, and a succulent selection of sticky glazed free-range BBQ wings (check out the full menu here). Plus, if you're strapped for cash, they have great bargains for each day of the week: food is two for 1one on Mondays, all pizzas are $10 Tuesday, and grab a $10 wings and rings deal on Wednesday. Don't come for a drink here without eating, and vice versa. The beer range contains of 120 bottles, with beer on tap constantly switching up between fresh, local, national and international brews. That got a keen taste for our local favourites Bacchus, Newstead Brewing and Green Beacon, as well as Little Creatures, Bridge Road, Holgate, Four Pines and a few imports from New Zealand and the States. Ask for a recommendation on what to sip on, and the friendly bar staff will lend a hand, with a little taste of each. Or if you're keen to do a little of your own research, check out their Facebook page to keep updated with the week's tap specials. Brisbane has seen an influx of America-eats-meets-craft-beer bars in the last few years, but few surpass what Brewski has on show. The atmosphere is always vibrant, they brilliantly curate beers and food doesn't skimp on size or quality. Go with a friend or grab a group, because this might be the best reason you've had yet to head to Caxton Street and chow down. Images: Hennessy Trill
What will start Together, then end with Splitsville? The annual midyear cinema celebration that is Sydney Film Festival in 2025. Title-wise, the event's opening and closing picks couldn't be more fitting for a fest that amasses movie lovers for 12 days to feast on as many flicks as they can, then gets everyone saying farewell until the next year. While Together was announced back in April, Splitsville has only just now joined the SFF program. Accordingly, when it comes time to say goodbye for 2025 on Sunday, June 15 — with the festival kicking off on Wednesday, June 4 — audiences will be catching the Australian premiere of a Dakota Johnson (Madame Web)-starring relationship comedy. Splitsville heads to the Harbour City direct from Cannes, where it debuted. Johnson plays Julie, who is in an open marriage with Paul (Michael Angelo Covino, Notice to Quit), news of which comes as a surprise to the film's protagonist Carey (Kyle Marvin, WeCrashed) when his own wife Ashley (Adria Arjona, Andor) asks for a divorce. Covino also directs, and co-wrote Splitsville with Marvin, reteaming after The Climb. Among its cast, Succession's Nicholas Braun and The Handmaid's Tale's O-T Fagbenle feature as well. The film's gala closing-night screening will span SFF's annual award ceremony, as is the case every year, anointing 2025's Sydney Film Prize winner, shorts award winners and other gongs. "We are delighted to close the 72nd Sydney Film Festival with the Australian Premiere of Splitsville. Michael Angelo Covino delivers a witty and well-crafted comedy with outstanding performances from a brilliant ensemble cast. We always want audiences to leave the cinema feeling like they've had a great time, so this is a joyous and fitting way to conclude this year's festival," said SFF Festival Director Nashen Moodley, announcing 2025's closing film. [caption id="attachment_938017" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tim Levy[/caption] SFF's program for this year just keeps growing, after Vivid collaborations, including with music icon Warren Ellis, were revealed in March — and then a bunch of titles were announced at the beginning of April. After that came news of its Jafar Panahi retrospective, a prescient pick given that the Iranian filmmaker has since won the 2025 Palme D'or at Cannes, plus word of Together's opening-night slot. The bulk of the full program arrived to kick off May, followed by adding Free Solo filmmaker Jimmy Chin chatting about his work, DEATH STRANDING and Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima in-conversation with Mad Max and Furiosa director George Miller, and the Australian premiere of Ari Aster's Eddington. Sydney Film Festival 2025 takes place from Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15 at various cinemas and venues around Sydney. For more information and tickets, head to the festival's website.
In A Real Pain, as two cousins make a pilgrimage to walk in their dearly departed grandmother's shoes, the concept of alternative possible lives arises. Jesse Eisenberg's second film as a writer/director after 2022's When You Finish Saving the World doesn't hop between timelines science fiction-style; rather, when different pasts or futures come up, it follows a relatable Sliding Doors-esque train of thought about the events and decisions that've shaped David (played by Eisenberg) and Benji Kaplan's (Kieran Culkin, Succession) existences. They're in Poland, where their Grandma Dory grew up, and where they might've too if the Holocaust hadn't occurred. On their guided tour, Benji muses with David about their parallel-universe selves, where they're Polish with beards and everything that they've ever known is completely different. A Real Pain itself is the product of a comparable journey; it could've been a different movie and, originally, it was meant to be. Eisenberg was endeavouring to bring another project to the screen, adapting a short story that he'd penned for Tablet magazine. It was about two friends, not cousins, and instead of Poland they were travelling to Mongolia together. But the Oscar-nominated The Social Network actor, not to mention star of everything from the Zombieland and Now You See Me movies through to TV's Fleishman Is in Trouble, had himself been to Poland. He'd paid tribute to his own family history, visiting the house that his aunt Doris had lived in. He'd also been inspired by that trip to write 2013's off-Broadway play The Revisionist, about a young American man with an older Polish cousin who had survived the Second World War. An ad for "Auschwitz tours, with lunch", which Eisenberg randomly spotted online, helped him pull together influences from all of the above — the screenwriting task that he'd actually set himself, his prior play, his personal experiences and history — into A Real Pain. Audiences should be grateful that it did. Awards bodies have been so far, including via four Golden Globe nominations (for Best Film — Musical or Comedy, Best Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy for Eisenberg, Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture for Culkin, and Best Screenplay — Motion Picture, again for Eisenberg), plus love from the Gotham Awards and Independent Spirit Awards. At Sundance, where A Real Pain premiered, the dramedy took home a screenwriting accolade. Eisenberg isn't just filtering elements of his family's past into the movie, or recreating a trip that he took with his now-wife two decades back. As he did with the Julianne Moore (May December)- and Finn Wolfhard (Saturday Night)-starring When You Finish Saving the World, he's also tapping into his own IRL anxieties. What he's digging into is right there in A Real Pain's name. As he tells Concrete Playground, "I'm trying to examine and ask the question that I ask myself every day: is my pain valid?". When there's such bigger struggles, troubles and atrocities haunting the world beyond the everyday woes of a person with a largely comfortable life, how can someone feel angst and hurt while also confronted with the bigger picture? In A Real Pain, David and Benji were born mere weeks apart and were almost inseparable as kids, and now make a chalk-and-cheese pair — as is immediately evident while the former leaves a series of messages about meeting up at the airport, where the latter has already been contentedly for hours — but both have their own tussles. In their interactions one on one and with others, one is a ball of tension and apprehension, while the other is laidback and charming. (Based on casting, it's easy to pick which is which before even watching, although Eisenberg initially planned to play Benji.) Where David has also settled into adulthood while grappling with his stresses, however, Benji is in a state of arrested development. Their grandmother's passing hasn't helped. At a pivotal moment, chatting over dinner with the pair's tour group — which includes Will Sharpe (The White Lotus) as their guide, plus Jennifer Grey (Dollface), Kurt Egyiawan (The Agency), Liza Sadovy (A Small Light) and Daniel Oreskes (Only Murders in the Building) as fellow travellers — while Benji is in the bathroom, David unburdens his feelings in a powerful torrent. "I love him and I hate him and I want to kill him and I want to be him," he notes, getting to the heart of the cousins' complicated relationship. Earlier, they'd been at Lublin's Old Jewish Cemetery. The next day, they'll visit the Majdanek concentration camp. A Real Pain sees its titular emotion in micro and macro, then, and knows how awkwardly that the two clash. Just as with questioning the legitimacy of routine trials versus all of the worse things in the world, Eisenberg drew that crucial monologue from his own emotions and experiences. "It's also the most-personal part of the movie — and this is a movie that is very personal," he told us. We also chatted with the Rodger Dodger, The Squid and the Whale, Adventureland, The Double, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Vivarium and Sasquatch Sunset star about how A Real Pain came together, working with Culkin — including Emma Stone's advice as one of the film's producers that he shouldn't play Benji himself — and what he makes of his career 25 years after his screen debut in TV series Get Real. On What Keeps Drawing Eisenberg to the Question of 'What Pain Is Valid?' as a Writer/Director, First in When You Finish Saving the World and Now in A Real Pain "I've been in the arts since I'm a kid, and I married somebody who works in social justice. And so anytime time I feel I'm doing well or something, I'm reminded that my wife is maybe working with people in more immediate need than I am. And my mother-in-law ran a domestic violence shelter for 35 years, and was unimpressed that her daughter had been married to somebody in movies. So in that first movie, Julianne Moore plays a woman who runs a domestic violence shelter, and she's kind of unimpressed with her kid, who's her family, not doing anything of social value according to her. And then in A Real Pain, the characters are experiencing this very personal pain. My character has OCD, but medicates it away. And my cousin's character has very dark, dark demons inside of him, but it's on an individual level. And so I thought it would be interesting to put these guys against the backdrop of real historical global objective trauma, like the Holocaust. Because in both movies I'm trying to examine and ask the question that I ask myself every day: is my pain valid? I live in a comfortable apartment with a nice wife and kid, and work, I have a nice job. But yet I still feel miserable all day. And why do I have those feelings? So both movies are exploring that exact question. Questions of privilege versus pain — questions about how is it possible that we could feel bad for ourselves when there are so many worse things in the world? In the case of the first movie, it's about domestic violence, and in the case of this movie, it's the Holocaust. And that's just my preoccupation, which just comes from a very self-centred question of 'why do I deserve to feel self-pity?'. On A Real Pain Coming Together From First Trying to Write a Different Film, Then Seeing an Online Ad for Auschwitz Tours "with Lunch", and Also a Past Off-Broadway Play, Plus Eisenberg's Own Personal History and Trip to Poland "It's funny, my friend and I, he's a writer too, we write next to each other at the library every day, and he always says 'once you're on the downslope of the script, you know it's going well'. 'The downslope' in our lingo is basically just once you get past the point of setting everything up and the things are in motion and everything feels right, kind of resolving everything or maybe it's not resolving anything, but that downslope to the end is really smooth. So the last ten pages of this movie, I wrote, I think, in like five minutes, because my wife was texting me I'm going to be late to pick up my kid, and I was like 'I know, but I know the ending, I just have to..'. [caption id="attachment_985500" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo by Agata Grzybowska. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures © 2024 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.[/caption] So I just wrote it really quickly and all this great stuff came out about me hitting him in the airport, and then this just sad ending of me going home to my family and him stuck at the airport, and it just happened because everything had been set up. And it was in my mind, as you mentioned, throughout several other plays and short stories and stuff, and a real trip with my wife. So once I was at that point, where the dominoes were all falling, I knew, 'oh, this is a story that feels complete'. And then I sent it to my parents and they had no idea what they were reading, because I sent it to them, I don't write in screenwriting programs, so I sent them an e-mail with no names above the characters. Anyway, they said 'this is terrible, what did you what did you do?'. And then I made it more official." [caption id="attachment_985499" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo by Agata Grzybowska, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures, © 2024 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.[/caption] On What Eisenberg Was Excited About with Working with Kieran Culkin — and Casting Him in a Role That He Was First Planning to Play Himself "I was originally thinking I would play the role of Benji. And our producer is Emma Stone, and she is obviously a very successful producer/actress, and she told me just it would not be a good idea to play a character like that, who's so kind of unhinged and spontaneous, while also trying to direct the movie where I had to be in my other side of my brain of managing a crew. So once I decided I wasn't going to play that role and I was thinking about who could play it, the only person that seemed to me — it's strange, because he's not a Jewish actor — but the only person that seemed to me of my ilk is Kieran. [caption id="attachment_985496" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for The Walt Disney Company Limited[/caption] I don't know what it is, that we're both from New York and speak in this kind of way, and have an energy about us that is similar, but I needed somebody similar and different to me. And Kieran is like me in so many ways and then completely the opposite of me in so many ways. He doesn't feel anxiety about acting. He doesn't think about it. He just wants to get to the set and to just perform. He doesn't want to talk. He does want to analyse it. He doesn't even sleep the night before, and he never wants to rehearse. And he's just comfortable in his own skin. He's now winning, like today, he just won two major awards for the role. I think he doesn't even care. I sent him a congratulations message. He's never going to get back to me. He just takes care of his kids and doesn't care about ambition, fame, success, any money, anything. He lives a really unusual life and it's exactly what I needed for the character. So what we were experiencing on set as colleagues was quite similar to what they're experiencing on set in character." On Capturing the Relatable Dynamic of Loving Someone But Also Hating Them in a Powerful Monologue — and How Pivotal That Moment Was for Eisenberg "Oh, very strangely pivotal in the sense that I was so conscious of the fact that I, as the writer/director, have a monologue in the movie. And I was so panicked about filming it, because I thought I would screw it up, and then I thought 'I don't want the other cast to be sitting there all day while I do this shot of myself'. So the cinematographer and the producer Ali Herting [I Saw the TV Glow, The Curse] basically forced me into doing this long shot that pushes in. We did one take and I was too embarrassed to do it again, because it just seemed indulgent. It's the only take we got. And because I knew I only wanted to one take, I put all the eggs in the basket of it, and so it was very lived in, so to speak. It's also the most-personal part of the movie — and this is a movie that is very personal. We film the movie at my family's house in Poland and it's about my family's history, and yet the most-personal part of the movie is where I say that stuff. Because I guess what I'm talking about is just the way I've felt in my relationships with other guys growing up, just finding people that I'm in awe of — not just guys, also women and family members and all sorts of people — where I have these dual feelings of wanting to be them and kill them at the same time, and loving them and hating them at the same time. I'm living in the shadow of Benji, but in some ways my life has greater stability than his. In most ways, my life has more stability. And so I understand that I've created the life I want, and yet still every time I'm with him he brings up those childhood feelings of envy." On What Eisenberg Makes of His Path From His Screen Debut in TV Series Get Real 25 Years Ago to Everything That's Come His Way Since, Including Writing and Directing "When I was like 16, I got my first professional acting job, which was acting in this TV show. And I'll never forget the audition, all the executives were there, and I remember I was just trying to be funny in front of them. And I was not thinking of myself as a funny person at that point. I was trying to be funny, and people were laughing, like adults were laughing. And I thought 'oh, that's interesting, I wonder if I'm allowed to just be funny the way I want to be funny — it can translate'. I didn't have to be funny like Adam Sandler or something. I could just be funny like myself. So that TV show allowed me to explore, let's say, my own voice as an actor. So that was a really, really lucky experience that no one watched. And since then, I've been very lucky to play roles where I can bring myself to it or bring my own sensibility to certain things, especially in a movie like A Real Pain, which is like my story, and I'm always surprised that anybody likes it. Because when you think of something that's your own, and that's private or artful or creative or something that's funny in your head, you never expect to have any kind of public reaction. But now I've found myself in this very weird position where I get to write stuff and can produce it, and it just feels quite strange because it all still feels very personal." A Real Pain opens in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, December 26, 2024. Images: Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2024 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.
Ever been to a concert inside a WWII-era decommissioned oil storage tank? Head to Tanks Art Centre you can tick that off your bucket list. When the Cairns Regional Council was looking to reimagine the local Cairns Botanic Gardens precinct, it decided to get a little bit creative. The three enormous tanks now make up a multi-use arts centre, with sheer concrete walls and oil-daubed fixtures giving the venue a mysterious charm. Local and international acts perform in the main space, which boasts a 650-person capacity and a fully licensed bar.
At first glance you might have thought, "Oh, this is obviously some kind of computer-generated building blueprint thing," when you saw the picture of Korean artist Do Ho Suh's latest artwork. These days we pretty much assume everything is Photoshopped. But in this case, the joke's totally on you. The walls are real, the windows are real. In fact, they're probably even more real than the people and cases on Judge Judy. So what is this ethereal blue structure? The whole thing's made of silk, and represents a 1:1-scale model of homes previously lived in by the artist, one nestled inside the other. Known for his zany, skewed-perspective manipulations of full-scale houses, walls and other exterior structures brought inside (you can check some of them out here, here and here, including earlier works constructed from nylon), Suh's latest installation is titled Home Within Home Within Home Within Home Within Home. Look closely and you'll see the distinction between the two homes: outside we have a modern Providence, Rhode Island apartment building — the artists' first US dwelling-place — and inside you'll glimpse, artfully suspended like a ghost, an exact copy of the traditional Korean house where Suh was raised. It's mind-blowing to conceive of the logistics of putting this project together, and the result is so big that visitors to the exhibition at Seoul's National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art are able to stroll through and study the work from every angle. Combining the intimately personal with replicated architecture carries a message about identity: according to the artists' bio, his installations explore "the relation between individuality, collectivity, and anonymity". Obviously the nesting of one cultural identity, represented by the physical house, within another — while both remain transparent — is a neat and direct metaphor for the artist's self. Memorialising familiar places through different media is a long-running theme for Suh — read his ideas about the sensuality of pencil-rubbings here. Via Colossal.
With a Game of Thrones prequel series on its way, and a new Lord of the Rings TV show as well, 2022 is shaping up to be a huge year for fantasy. From August onwards, you can expect your streaming queues to be full of the genre, in fact. Getting in before those two other certain hits: Netflix's The Sandman, which brings Neil Gaiman's graphic novels to the screen. The streaming service has just announced that The Sandman will drop on Friday, August 5 — and it has released a new teaser trailer, too, to get viewers excited. If this is your first interaction with Gaiman's's tale and the Dream King at its centre, prepare for a suitably dark and brooding blend of myth and fantasy. So, another characteristic entry in the genre. As first played out in comic books between 1989–1996, The Sandman combines contemporary fiction, historical drama and legend to tell the tale of the Dream King, who is also known as both Dream and Morpheus, and has power over all dreams and stories. Sweetbitter, Mary Shelley and Song to Song's Tom Sturridge takes on the key role, as the show dives into his character's efforts to mend his mistakes — both cosmic and human — after being held prisoner for a century. To do so, he must visit the people, places and timelines he's affected. In print, The Sandman hails from DC Comics — and, yes, beings with superpowers are at its core. Dream is part of the Endless, alongside Destiny, Death, Desire, Despair, Delirium and Destruction, because everything these days (and in the 90s, too) needs a squad of folks with otherworldly abilities. Also set to feature, cast-wise, are Game of Thrones stars Gwendoline Christie and Charles Dance — the former as Lucifer, ruler of hell — plus Vivienne Acheampong (The Witches), Boyd Holbrook (The Predator), Jenna Coleman (The Serpent), David Thewlis (Landscapers), Stephen Fry (The Dropout), Kirby Howell-Baptiste (The Good Place) and Joely Richardson (Color Out of Space). And, both Patton Oswalt (Gaslit) and Mark Hamill (Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker) are involved as well, doing voice work. When The Sandman finally drops into your Netflix queue, it'll arrive after years of trying — both on the big and the small screens. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was once attached; however, that version didn't come to fruition. And the character of Lucifer has already scored its own series, but played by Tom Ellis (Isn't It Romantic). Check out the trailer for The Sandman below: The Sandman will start streaming via Netflix on Friday, August 5. Images: courtesy of Netflix.
70s-era porn, but make it a slasher flick: when Ti West's X marked the big-screen spot in 2022, that's one of the tricks it pulled. The playful, smart and gory horror standout also arrived with an extra spurt of good news, with West debuting it as part of a trilogy. 30s- and 40s-period technicolour, plus 50s musicals and melodramas, but splatter them with kills, genre thrills and ample blood spills: that's what the filmmaker behind cult favourites The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers now serves up with X prequel Pearl. Shot back to back with its predecessor, sharing mesmerising star Mia Goth (Emma), and co-written by her and West — penned during their two-week COVID-19 quarantine period getting into New Zealand to make the initial movie, in fact — it's a gleaming companion piece. It's also a savvy deepening and recontextualising of a must-see scary-movie franchise that's as much about desire, dreams and determination as notching up deaths. In one of her X roles, Goth was magnetic as aspiring adult-film actor Maxine Minx, a part she'll reprise in the trilogy's upcoming third instalment MaXXXine. As she proved first up and does again in Pearl, she plays nascent, yearning, shrewd and resolute with not just potency, but with a pivotal clash between fortitude and vulnerability; when one of Goth's youthful X Universe characters says that they're special or have the X factor, they do so with an astute blend of certainty, good ol' fashioned wishing and hoping, and naked self-convincing. This second effort's namesake, who Goth also brought to the screen in her elder years in X, wants to make it in the pictures, too. Looking to dance on her feet instead of horizontally, stardom is an escape (again), but Pearl's cruel mother Ruth (Tandi Wright, Creamerie), a religiously devout immigrant from Germany turned bitter from looking after her ailing husband (Mathew Sunderland, The Stranger), laughs at the idea. This franchise hones in women who know what they want, aren't afraid to attempt to get it and snap after their fantasies as hungrily as an alligator (handily, the Texan ranch that both films so far are set on sports a lake with a large ravenous reptile). That said, the X-Pearl-MaXXXine realm also focuses on women who aren't just one thing, not for a second — being adamant about what they'd like to with their lives included. That's a key reason why X and Pearl alike offer more than merely well-executed carnage, although they each deliver that in visceral spades. West's screenplays, no matter who he is or isn't scripting with, see innocence and insidiousness lurking in the same pools, and spot them with the same clear eyes. In Pearl, they see them peering out from the same peepers as well. Indeed, this saga unpacks the fine line between competing forces, impulses, emotions and outcomes whenever and however it can. One such conflict: the existence that Pearl is told she should be happy with versus the lure of being a chorus girl that she can't shake. Actually, to say that Ruth wants her to be content with her lot in life is overstating it: Pearl's mum doesn't care if her daughter finds any joy in dutiful drudgery. So, the young woman steals away to the local cinema when she can, where the projectionist (David Corenswet, We Own This City) screens the dancers that she wants to be. When they're alone — when she warms to a rare dose of attention — he also screens an early skin flick. And, at home, Pearl works through her sexual appetite with a scarecrow (The Wizard of Oz, this isn't) and her bloodlust by feeding farm animals to said gator. But it's news of auditions for a travelling dance revue, which she pledges to try out for with her sister-in-law Mitsy (Emma Jenkins-Purro, One of Us Is Lying), that truly gets her desires pumping. Like X before it, Pearl's narrative is deeply steeped in its chosen era. This time around, it's 1918 rather than six decades later — a choice of year that isn't just about the maths needed to link to X. As the COVID-19 pandemic ensured that everyone knows, influenza was wreaking havoc. In a detail that mightn't be as well known, it was first recorded just two states up from Pearl's homestead. Also, the First World War was still being waged until November. Pearl's life is touched by both, with sickness an ever-present worry in her town — face masks are sighted — and its men, her husband Howard (Alistair Sewell, The Power of the Dog) among them, off in combat. Confronted by life's grimness several times over, and by a persistent fantasy of breaking free, how's a repressed and downtrodden gal to cope? This one does so with murder and mayhem. Back in the 50s, Douglas Sirk made an art out of 'women's pictures', as they were derisively called — pictures that surveyed the emotional turmoil simmering within unfulfilled female protagonists, and understood how such complex inner chaos could be tied to the times, class and societal structures, and the expectations and restrictions placed upon the fairer sex. The legacy that films like All That Heaven Allows and Imitation of Life have left is immense, and Pearl slots right in beside everything that's followed in those footsteps. Sirk definitely didn't make slashers, though. Neither did Carol's Todd Haynes when he crafted 2002's wonderful Far From Heaven, a drama firmly in the Sirkian mould. West and Goth pay loving tribute to all that cinema has allowed in these past greats, while also getting savagely subversive; their portrait of Pearl's namesake is a horror movie and a tragedy. Pearl is glorious on both Goth and returning X cinematographer Eliot Rockett's parts, too, with a lead performance and a look that could've wowed audiences in the mid-20th century. Goth isn't just the feature's star — she's its pulse, with every electrifying change of mood, expression and pace, often within the same scene, rippling through the film like a gusty farmyard breeze. Rockett unsurprisingly adores staring her way, making Goth as sumptuous a sight as the saturated colour palette around her (not that the High Life, Suspiria and A Cure for Wellness talent needs any help). Composers Tyler Bates (the John Wick films) and Tim Williams (Brightburn) provide a sweeping orchestral score that's equally as rich, harking back to old Hollywood in its swelling notes. West, doing his own editing as he usually does, winks with his use of retro wipes and dissolves as much as the movie's title font. There's grit to this flick, of course, thanks to its devilish rampages and making-of-a-villain origin story, but this is indeed a gem.
If you weren't listening to Jonathan Boulet in '09 and missed the follow-up boat in 2012, there's a whole new Boulet chapter to wrap your ears around. With riff-heavy tracks that rarely skimp on the gnarl, the Sydneysider's sounds supersede your average post-punk howls — and his latest album Gubba proves he's only getting grimier. Boulet made his way into earholes Australia-wide with his self-titled 2009 LP, before giving hungry fans the highly-praised We Keep The Beat, Found the Sound, See the Need, Start The Heart three years later. Since then, he's shared stages with Mumford and Sons, Tame Impala and Kate Nash, done Splendour, Falls and SXSW, then last year he packed up, jetted off and found a new home in Berlin for a brief hiatus. Now the multi-instrumenalist is back, with a leather-laden Dad on one side and third LP Gubba on the other. The album's already been praised as brutal, sneering and showing new degrees of maturity — not in a "I pay my own rent, dammit," sense, but rather in terms of musical complexity. We had a chat to Boulet ahead of his nationwide tour about Gubba, the evolution of his unique sound and the coolest motorbike gang you might ever see. You've had a super busy 2014 so far with the release of Gubba, what's been a particular high? It's been a pretty good start, I reckon. Pretty energised and elated to have finished another album and have it out so quickly after the fact. I think just having this album released already is the high. It's only downhill from there. No, not really. Touring will be the only thing to trump the joy of having a new release. That and the cocaine. It's been two years since the release of We Keep the Beat, Found The Sound, See The Need, Start the Heart, does that mean Gubba has been a solid two year project? No way. Two years?! My attention span is not that durable. Only after we were completely done touring that last record, I started to consider what may or may not lie in the future. I had already been working on some riff ideas by the time we landed in Berlin, but most of them were thrown out and replaced by younger, tastier and more seductive riffs. Gubba is a hell of a sporadic album — it bounces from grizzly to get-up in a matter of tracks. Why do you think there is such a change of pace in Gubba from your previous works? I think that before I was attempting to write an album entirely consisting of singles. This time I had a lot of fun making small musical things, little ditties and such to help break up the consistently high levels of loudness. Whether they are effective in actually breaking up the album is completely irrelevant. When you started piecing together the tracks, was there any overall style or plan you were working towards? Initially, the plan was simply 'balls to the wall'. Energy. And it began to take shape in a rock context. After a while I learned that for something to sound loud, it needs to be next to something that is quiet. So I sought to introduce more depth, dynamics and points of interest. It all continued to blossom and flourish from there. https://youtube.com/watch?v=FOcziciUnr0 The Hold it Down clip is pretty solid — excellent ratio of leather-to-wrap-arounds. Tell us a bit about filming the clip. Is your dad really the star of the video? My good friend Jack Saltmiras filmed it with a bunch of our mates. And yes, my Dad is the mad dog in charge. He said after shooting the scene where he was doing burnouts and thrashing the bike, it started to run smoother than it ever had before. It's the coolest motorbike crew I've ever seen and I'd give anything to be in a gang like that. How do you think your decision to uproot and head abroad has influenced your music style? Do you think a change of scenery has had a pretty significant effect on this album? I don't think it has much at all to be honest. I think the change of scenery has had an effect on me as a person and therefore possibly that has effected the music. It's hard to say. I think I would have made the same thing whether I was in Australia, Berlin or Antarctica. Although, if I made it in Antarctica the album would be called, Fuck You, Cold. For those who've missed the boat on your other music projects, tell us a little about Top People and Snakeface. Do you have any other projects in the works at the moment? Top People is a project I do with Zacc Abbott-Atchinson (ex-Halal, How Are You? singer). It's basically slow, loud music with hilarious lyrical content. Good fun if you ever get the chance to come to a show, if we ever play another one. And Snakeface is what started as a thrash band that more and more of our friends have become involved in, up until we made the album Oberon. A punk band, with as many varying influences as it does members. If you are of the heavy music persuasion, I implore you to check out both. If you gave Gubba to someone to listen to for the first time, what would you hope they respond to or take away from it? I would hope they would frame the record, dip the framed record in gold, then compress the gold-dipped, framed record into a golden crystal to be worn around the neck and passed down from generation to generation until they forgot what it was actually made of, then pawned it for cash and bought a cheap puppy with the money. Gubba is out now via Popfrenzy. Jonathan Boulet National Tour Dates: Friday 15 August — Northcote Social Club, Melbourne Saturday 16 August — Pirie & Co Social Club, Adelaide Thursday 21 August — Goodgod Small Club, Sydney Thursday 28 August — Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
Change keeps sweeping along Eagle Street, whether some parts of the CBD stretch are being torn down and replaced, new seafood restaurants have joined the area, or cascading bars are launching or relaunching. Next up at the prime Brisbane spot: unveiling Opa Bar + Mezze's renovations, which've given the venue's watering hole a makeover just as outdoor sipping season kicks in. The aim: to get Brisbanites exclaiming Opa's name in the bar side of its setup, while soaking in not only Story Bridge and Kangaroo Point Cliffs vistas, but also the new Santorini-inspired look and vibe. Just like being on holidays in Europe, spending prime spring and summer afternoons drinking with a view is also high on the venue's new agenda. In an open-plan space — and at spot that's been pouring beverages since 2021 — patrons will find both low and high seating, those killer views and, because this is the Sunshine State, an electric awning to provide shade. The tones splashed around the place are neutral and sleek. Think: seats lined with linen and white plaster walls with visible texture. To add colour, Opa's new bar fitout is using greenery. Amid the refreshed surroundings, the same menu remains on offer from 11am daily, including bar snacks such as ocean trout fritters, taramasalata, baby yiros and five different types of oysters — and brews, wine and cocktails to knock back. Head by from 4–6pm, however, and schooners will only cost you $7, select vino $8 and espresso martinis $12 during happy hour. "The bar reno extends Opa's casual al fresco dining offering out to the boardwalk, making it the perfect place to enjoy lowkey mezze and a signature cocktail or two," advises owner Michael Tassis, who is having a busy year. Fosh, his new Hamptons-inspired seafood restaurant with caviar bumps, opened at Portside in Hamilton in August. Over in West End, upscale steakhouse Rich & Rare launches on Thursday, September 28. The Tassis Group also already boasts Yamas Greek + Drink and Massimo in its stable, and has an overwater restaurant and bar Bombora and landing cafe Mulga Bill's on the way in 2024 as part of Kangaroo Point's new green bridge. Find Opa Bar + Mezze at 123 Eagle Street, Brisbane — open 11am–late daily.
Summer is behind us, winter is (almost) in full swing and the Easter chocolates are (mostly) forgotten, but that doesn't mean the part-tee is quite over. To keep the holiday feeling going, our favourite Pixar characters are popping up in Brisbane at a new mini golf course inspired by some of our favourite Disney films. After setting up its (temporary) home in Melbourne and Sydney earlier this year, the kidult-friendly course is now heading to King George Square from Friday, June 7 until Sunday, July 14. Designed to challenge both eight-year olds and adults, Pixar Putt features nine- and 18-hole courses that take you past childhood heroes like Buzz Lightyear, Sheriff Woody and Elastigirl. Hit a few balls with Darla and Marlin from Finding Nemo, and flick one past Princess Atta from A Bug's Life. No need for a trip to Disneyland. So, if you didn't beat your cousin at backyard cricket over the holidays, challenge them to a rematch at the Square in June. All you need is your hat and A-game (and no pressure if you remain defeated, there's always the nineteenth hole nearby). Pixar Putt is also open for after-dark sessions every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night — and they're only for adults. Running from 7–10pm, the post-work putt-putt hours are perfect for those date nights when you want to do more than just have dinner and see a movie. Pixar Putt is open from June 7–July 14, with tee-off times every 15 minutes between 10am–8pm, Monday–Wednesday; 10am–10pm, Thursday–Friday; 9am–10pm, Saturday; and 9am–8pm, Sunday. From 7–10pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, sessions are for adults only.
Throughout autumn, Brisbane's nights start getting longer, with winter hovering close on the horizon. Don't think of it as a farewell to after-work sunshine, though, even if you're all about as much daylight as you can soak in. Instead, for ten days in May, think of it as the best canvas there is for the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens' returning after-dark art and light festival Botanica: Contemporary Art Outside. This luminous fest will unfurl its fifth stint of dazzling sights from Friday, May 12–Sunday, May 21, once again turning the CBD's riverside patch of grass into a stunning outdoor art gallery — and yes, taking full advantage of the night hours. Running from 5–10pm daily, it'll see the gardens will come alive with artworks, installations and projections, with pieces from local, national and international artists set to liven up the already-scenic inner-city spot. [caption id="attachment_892865" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Urban Totems (2022) by Kristina Knox / Maryam Shafiei / Shaden Aldakheel.[/caption] The full artist lineup hasn't yet been unveiled, but Phoebe Paradise, Theatre of Thunder and Keemon Williams will all have works on display. If previous years' pieces are anything to go by, expect everything from the gardens' plant life to its furniture and buildings to get quite the vibrant makeover. Also, when Noa Haim joins the bill, Botanica will feature its first-ever international artist, in its latest step to cement itself as one of Brisbane's and Australia's top cultural events. [caption id="attachment_892870" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Musa (2022) by James Voller / Joel Zika.[/caption] "With a focus on sustainability, artists have responded to the 2023 theme 'tread softly', which considers a millennium of human influence. Through reflecting on our natural environments, artists envisage and shape ideas for our future direction," explains Botanica Curator Lucy Quinn. "Year on year, Botanica has attracted a diverse and exciting pool of creatives and this year has been no exception." [caption id="attachment_812086" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Museum of our lost world (2021) by Simone Eisler.[/caption] All those shimmering sights will be again paired with twilight walks, performances, and a discovery trail for children. You'll be able to interact with the installations, too — and contribute to them — and also hit up food trucks and an outdoor bar nightly. Of course, the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens has always been more than just that patch of grass and trees at the edge of the CBD thanks to its gorgeous greenery, ponds filled with cute turtles, free exercise classes and more — but it's never more alluring than during this fest. And if you missed the first three events in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022 — or if you went along and loved it — 2023's's event promises a whole heap of new garden wonders. Either way, prepare to roam through the centre of Brisbane and see its natural splendour in a whole new way. Botanica: Contemporary Art Outside 2023 will display at the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens from Friday, May 12–Sunday, May 21. For more information, head to the Brisbane City Council website. Images: Brisbane City Council.
When it was announced back in 2016 that Moulin Rouge! was being turned into a stage musical, fans around the world thought the same thing in unison: the show must go on. Since then, the lavish production premiered in the US in 2018, then hit Broadway in 2019, and also announced that it'd head Down Under in 2021 — and if you're an Aussie worried about whether the latter would actually happen after 2020's chaos, it looks like the same mantra applies to its planned Melbourne season. Moulin Rouge! The Musical has put out a casting call for auditions in both Melbourne and Sydney in January and February 2021, with working towards June rehearsals and August previews part of its timeline. So, once the second half of next year hits, you could be watching the spectacular show — which is based on Baz Luhrmann's award-winning musical movie, of course — at Melbourne's revamped Regent Theatre. The musical brings to life the famed Belle Époque tale of young composer Christian and his heady romance with Satine, actress and star of the legendary Moulin Rouge cabaret. Set in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris, the film is known for its soundtrack, celebrating iconic tunes from across the past five decades. The stage show carries on the legacy, backing those favourites with even more hit songs that have been released in the 19 years since the movie premiered. And, when Moulin Rouge! The Musical makes its Aussie debut, it'll be doing so in the movie's 20th anniversary year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p68Q1G1A_k4&feature=emb_logo The musical is heading to Melbourne in the hands of production company Global Creatures, along with the Victorian Government. The Government is also a big player behind the Regent's upgrade works, having dropped a cool $14.5 million towards the $19.4 million project. It co-owns the site, along with the City of Melbourne. While Moulin Rouge! The Musical's exact season dates haven't been revealed, you can register for the ticket waitlist via the production's website. Moulin Rouge! The Musical will hit The Regent Theatre, at 191 Collins Street, Melbourne in 2021 — with the show currently working towards an August 2021 kick-off date. To register for the ticket waitlist, head to the production's website. Moulin Rouge! The Musical image: Matthew Murphy.
It's no surprise the humble banana is a lunchbox staple. After all, they pack in essential vitamins while being ripe to eat on their own or paired with myriad ingredients. What's more, this much-loved fruit can even score you a free workout this Wednesday, October 8, in celebration of National Banana Day. Made possible by Australian Bananas — the national peak body advocating for the potassium-packed powerhouses — the Banana Gym Pass returns for a second year following its 2024 debut. Just show a banana to the team at over 900 participating gyms nationwide to receive a free guest pass for the day. Featuring more than double the gyms included in the first year, the campaign has been embraced with open arms by boutique studios and massive chains like Virgin Active, Fitness First and Anytime Fitness. That means it's likely a nearby gym is ready to peel open its doors so you can get in a session — just check for a participating location. "Bananas have always been one of my go-to snacks," says Australian Bananas ambassador Tim Robards. "They're natural, easy to grab and full of the energy you need for a great workout, to chase after the kids, or just keep on top of a busy day. National Banana Day is a great reminder that looking after your body and keeping it fuelled doesn't have to be complicated."
The end of the year isn't just about having a few days off, feasting on too much food and generally feeling merry. It's also about devouring dystopian visions of humanity's technology-saturated future. Because Black Mirror has become as much a part of Christmas as lazing about and eating too much, the Charlie Brooker-created series has dropped its latest instalment: a choose-your-own-adventure-style movie. Called Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and available on Netflix right now, the film lets viewers decide what happens next. Yes, it's really just like the Choose Your Own Adventure books that you couldn't get enough of as a kid. At various moments during the movie, two options appear on the screen, asking you to select your preferred course of events. Picking what kind of cereal computer programmer Stefan (Fionn Whitehead) should eat, and what type of music he should listen to, is just the beginning. Set in 1984, the film follows 19-year-old Stefan as he tries to turn his favourite book, Bandersnatch, into a game — including the novel's branching pathways. His dad (Craig Parkinson) seems supportive, and so does the gaming developer (Asim Chaudhry) who gives him a job, but his programming idol (Will Poulter) keeps making comments about free will. Where the interactive movie goes from there isn't simply best discovered for yourself — it's decided by you as well. Variety reports that the multiple-choice effort features five main endings, if you're keen to see if you can work your way through them all. Black Mirror: Bandersnatch can be viewed in as little as 40 minutes, although it typically takes 90 minutes to get through. Before you start literally hitting the remote over and over, here's the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XM0xWpBYlNM Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is now streaming on Netflix.
It's the end of an era, and it's going out with some impressive names. When Bluesfest hosts its last-ever festival in April 2025, it'll have Crowded House, Ocean Alley and Vance Joy for company. A week after announcing that the music fest only has one more run in it, the Byron Bay mainstay has started unveiling its goodbye lineup, revealing the initial 20 acts on the bill. 'Don't Dream It's Over' should take on extra resonance when it earns a spot in Crowded House's set, with the band making one last Bluesfest appearance. Ocean Alley are also no strangers to the fest, and equally onboard for the final 2025 hurrah. From there, the roster of talent for Thursday, April 17–Sunday, April 20, 2025 so far also spans Tones and I, Gary Clark Jr, Rag'n'Bone Man, RY X, Allison Russell and Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram — and more already, with future lineup announcements still to come. "As we prepare for the final chapter of Bluesfest in 2025, I am profoundly moved by the outpouring of support from thousands in our community, along with the many artists and their management eager to be part of our farewell edition. Thank you all for your heartfelt messages and expressions of solidarity," said Festival Director Peter Noble, revealing the fest's first acts for next year. "We're thrilled to unveil the first wave of artists for our grand finale. This lineup, meticulously curated to honour Bluesfest's rich legacy, features a dynamic mix of legendary and cutting-edge performers. This announcement marks just the beginning. Our second lineup is well and truly in the works and the reveal is on the horizon, promising to further enhance what is set to be an epic farewell." Bluesfest's four-day 2025 event will celebrate the Easter long-weekend fest's 36th year, as well as its last. As for who'll join Crowded House, Ocean Alley, Vance Joy and company, start guessing — 2024's headliners Tom Jones and Elvis Costello, if that helps. The last few years have been tumultuous for the Byron Bay fest. 2023's event lost a number of acts, including King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Sampa the Great, after Sticky Fingers were added to the bill. Bluesfest ultimately dropped the controversial band. And while the fest went ahead in 2022 after two years of pandemic cancellations (and a thwarted temporary move to October for the same reason), it showcased a primarily Australian and New Zealand lineup. [caption id="attachment_970517" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Celina Martins[/caption] Bluesfest saying goodbye means that two huge Aussie music festivals that call Byron Bay home have shut up shop, although hopefully one is only temporary. After Splendour in the Grass announced its dates for this year, then its lineup, it swiftly cancelled mere weeks later. It continues to prove a tough time for the Australian live music scene. Bluesfest calling time follows Mona Foma doing the same after its 2024 event — plus a lengthy list of festivals beyond Splendour that've ditched their plans this year, sometimes also without announcing their intentions for the future. Just two years after debuting, Adelaide's Harvest Rock has scrapped its 2024 fest as well. Spilt Milk cancelled its 2024 festivals, while Groovin the Moo did the same after announcing its lineup. Summergrounds Music Festival, which was meant to debut at Sydney Festival 2024, also pulled the plug. As announced in 2023, Dark Mofo took a breather in 2024. Yours and Owls has postponed its next fest until 2025, too, but is hosting a pre-party in October this year. Bluesfest 2025 Lineup: Crowded House Vance Joy Ocean Alley Tones and I Gary Clark Jr Rag'n'Bone Man RY X Allison Russell Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram Brad Cox Here Come the Mummies The California Honeydrops Marc Broussard Pierce Brothers Taj Farrant Fanny Lumsden 19-Twenty WILSN Cimafunk Neal Francis [caption id="attachment_969986" align="alignnone" width="1920"] LD Somefx[/caption] [caption id="attachment_969989" align="alignnone" width="1920"] LD Somefx[/caption] [caption id="attachment_969987" align="alignnone" width="1920"] LD Somefx[/caption] [caption id="attachment_867504" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kurt Petersen[/caption] [caption id="attachment_969988" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Roger Cotgreave[/caption] Bluesfest 2025 will run from Thursday, April 17–Sunday, April 20 at Byron Events Farm, Tyagarah. Early-bird tickets are on sale now — for further information, head to the Bluesfest website. Top image: Joseph Mayers.
In 2022, Australian movie lovers felt a need for speed. The nation's cinemagoers flocked to see yellow-hued offsiders spouting gibberish, too, plus oh-so-many superheroes. We also adored rock 'n' roll icons, wizarding backstories and rampaging dinosaurs. Yes, Top Gun: Maverick, Minions: The Rise of Gru, Thor: Love and Thunder, The Batman and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness all sit atop of the Aussie box office for the year at the time of writing, followed by Jurassic World Dominion, Elvis, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Spider-Man: No Way Home and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. Your memory isn't failing you: Spider-Man: No Way Home did first hit screens in 2021, and was the top-grossing movie in Australia in 2021. It proved such a box-office smash, though, that it's one of 2022's best money-earners as well. Expect Avatar: The Way of Water to do something similar this year — it's already storming up the list. Indeed, expect it to crack the top ten easily by the time that New Year's Eve hits. So, they're the massive flicks that everyone saw over the past 12 months, with the literal receipts to prove it. If you only went to the pictures to see huge titles, however, you missed an array of other delights that are well and truly worth your time and attention. As we do every year — and have since 2014 (see also: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021) — we've rounded up a list of top-notch films that released in Aussie cinemas in 2022 but didn't rack up fat stacks of cinema takings. Here are our 15 picks that you need to catch up on ASAP. BLAZE In the name of its protagonist, and the pain and fury that threatens to parch her 12-year-old existence, Del Kathryn Barton's first feature scorches and sears. It burns in its own moniker, too, and in the blistering alarm it sounds against an appalling status quo: that experiencing, witnessing and living with the aftermath of violence against women is all too common, heartbreakingly so, including in Australia where one woman a week on average is killed by her current or former partner. Blaze has a perfect title, with the two-time Archibald Prize-winning artist behind it crafting a movie that's alight with anger, that flares with sorrow, and that's so astutely and empathetically observed, styled and acted that it chars. Indeed, it's frequently hard to pick which aspect of the film singes more: the story about surviving what should be unknown horrors for a girl who isn't even yet a teen, the wondrously tactile and immersive way in which Blaze brings its namesake's inner world to the screen, or the stunning performance by young actor Julia Savage (Mr Inbetween) in its central part. There are imagined dragons in Blaze, but Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon, this isn't — although Jake (Josh Lawson, Mortal Kombat), who Blaze spots in an alleyway with Hannah (Yael Stone, Blacklight), has his lawyer (Heather Mitchell, Bosch & Rockit) claim that his accuser knows nothing. With the attack occurring mere minutes into the movie, Barton dedicates the feature's bulk to how her lead character copes, or doesn't. Being questioned about what she saw in court is just one way that the world tries to reduce her to ashes, but the embers of her hurt and determination don't and won't die. Blaze's father Luke (Simon Baker, High Ground), a single parent, understandably worries about the impact of everything blasting his daughter's way. As she retreats then acts out, cycling between both and bobbing in-between, those fears are well-founded. Blaze is a coming-age-film — a robbing-of-innocence movie as well — but it's also a firm message that there's no easy or ideal response to something as awful as its titular figure observes. Blaze is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. YOU WON'T BE ALONE Sometimes, a comparison is so obvious that it simply has to be uttered and acknowledged. That's the case with You Won't Be Alone, the first feature from Macedonian Australian writer/director Goran Stolevski, who also helmed MIFF's 2022 opening-night pick Of an Age. His debut film's lyrical visuals, especially of nature, instantly bringing the famously poetic aesthetics favoured by Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life, A Hidden Life) to mind. Its musings on the nature of life, and human nature as well, easily do the same. Set centuries back, lingering in villages wracked by superstition and exploring a myth about a witch, You Won't Be Alone conjures up thoughts of Robert Eggers' The Witch as well. Indeed, if Malick had directed that recent favourite, the end product might've come close to this entrancing effort. Consider Stolevski's feature the result of dreams conjured up with those two touchstones in his head, though, rather than an imitator. The place: Macedonia. The time: the 19th century. The focus: a baby chosen by the Wolf-Eateress (Anamaria Marinca, The Old Guard) to be her offsider. The feared figure has the ability to select and transform one protege, but she agrees to let her pick reach the age of 16 first. Nevena (Sara Klimoska, Black Sun) lives those formative years in a cave, in an attempt to stave off her fate. When the Wolf-Eateress comes calling, her initiation into the world — the world of humans, and of her physically and emotionally scarred mentor — is jarring. With Noomi Rapace (Lamb), Alice Englert (The Power of the Dog) and Carloto Cotta (The Tsugua Diaries) also among the cast, You Won't Be Alone turns Nevena's experiences of life, love, loss, desire, pain, envy and power into a haunting and thoughtful gothic horror fable. To say that it's bewitching is obvious, too, but also accurate. You Won't Be Alone is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Read our full review. FULL TIME At the 2021 Venice International Film Festival, French actor Laure Calamy won the Best Actress award in the event's Horizons strand — and mere minutes into Full Time, it's easy to see why. The Antoinette in the Cévennes and Call My Agent! star is phenomenal in this portrait of a single mother's hectic routine, with writer/director Eric Gravel (Crash Test Aglaé) charting the ups and downs of his protagonist's professional and personal situation like he's making a thriller. In fact, he is. Julie Roy, the feature's focus, is stretched to breaking point, and every moment of every day seems to bring a new source of stress. For starters, her job overseeing the cleaning at a five-star Parisian hotel is both chaotic and constantly throwing up challenges, she's put all her hopes on a new gig in market research but getting time off for the interview is easier said than done, and the French capital is in the middle of a transport strike that makes commuting in and out from the outskirts basically impossible. Also adding to Julie's troubles: the childcare arrangement she has in place with a neighbour, having any energy to spend meaningful time with her children at the end of her busy days, trying to get financial support out of her absent ex and planning a birthday party. All of this might sound mundane, and like the kind of thing that plenty of people deal with every day — and that's partly the point. Full Time hones in on the rush, hustle and bustle to show how fraught this vision of normality is. Every shot by cinematographer Victor Seguin (Gagarine) ripples with tension, and the rhythm amplified by editor Mathilde Van de Moortel (Mustang) is nothing short of relentless. Gravel truly sees Julie, her stresses and the fact that she's at her wits' end, and the marvellous Calamy plays the part like she's living it. Full Time is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. WHEEL OF FORTUNE AND FANTASY One of two films by Japanese filmmaker Ryûsuke Hamaguchi that hit Australian cinemas this year — the other, Drive My Car, was an Oscar hit — Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy gives three tales about romance, desire and fate a spin. These three stories all muse on chance, choice, identity and echoes as well, and focus on complex women reacting to the vagaries of life and everyday relationships. Coincidence plays a role in each of the trio, too, and commonalities ebb and flow between each dialogue-heavy narrative. In other words, this is a smart, astute and savvily layered triptych from the director behind Happy Hour and Asako I and II, as brought to the screen with excellent performances, a canny knack for domestic drama and piercing long shots in each and ever chapter. In the first part, model Meiko (Kotone Furukawa, 21st Century Girl) discovers that her best friend Tsugumi (Hyunri, Wife of a Spy) has just started seeing her ex-boyfriend Kazuaki (Ayumu Nakajima, Saturday Fiction), and grapples with her complicated feelings while pondering what could eventuate. Next, college student Nao (Katsuki Mori, Sea Opening) is enlisted to seduce Professor Sagawa (Kiyohiko Shibukawa, Tezuka's Barbara) as part of a revenge plan by her lover Sasaki (Shouma Kai, Signal 100). Finally, in a world where the internet has been eradicated due to a virus, Natsuko (Fusako Urabe, Voices in the Wind) and Nana (Aoba Kawai, Marriage with a Large Age Gap) cross paths — thinking that they went to school together decades ago. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy isn't currently available to stream. Read our full review. COMPARTMENT NO. 6 Handheld camerawork can be a gimmick. It can be distracting, too. When imagery seems restless for no particular reason other than making the audience restless, it drags down entire films. But at its best, roving, jittery and jumpy frames provide one of the clearest windows there is into the souls that inhabit the silver screen in 90-minute blocks or so, and also prove a wonderful way of conveying how they feel in the world. That's how Compartment No. 6's cinematography plays, and it couldn't be a more crucial move; this is a deeply thoughtful movie about two people who are genuinely restless themselves, after all. Finnish director Juho Kuosmanen (The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki) wants what all of the most perceptive filmmakers do — to ensure his viewers feel like they know his characters as well as they know themselves — and in his latest cinematic delight, he knows how to get it. How Kuosmanen evokes that sense of intimacy and understanding visually is just one of Compartment No. 6's highlights, but it's worthy of a train full of praise. With the helmer's returning director of photography Jani-Petteri Passi behind the lens, the film gets close to Finnish student Laura (Seidi Haarla, Force of Habit) and Russian miner Ljoha (Yuriy Borisov, The Red Ghost). It peers intently but unobtrusively their way, like an attentive lifelong friend. It jostles gently with the locomotive that the movie's central pair meets on, and where they spend the bulk of their time together. It ebbs and flows like it's breathing with them. It rarely ventures far from their faces in such cramped, stark, 90s-era Russian surroundings, lingering with them, carefully observing them, and genuinely spying how they react and cope in big and small moments alike. Pivotally — and at every moment as well — this Before Sunrise-esque gem truly pays attention to, appreciates and understands its key duo. Compartment No. 6 isn't currently available to stream. Read our full review. C'MON C'MON The last time that Joaquin Phoenix appeared in cinemas before 2022, he played an overlooked and unheard man. "You don't listen, do you?" Arthur Fleck asked his social worker, and the entirety of Joker — and of Phoenix's magnetic Oscar-winning performance as the Batman foe in the 2019 film, too — provided the obvious answer. Returning to screens in a feature that couldn't be more different to his last, Phoenix now plays a professional listener. A radio journalist and podcaster who'd slide in seamlessly alongside Ira Glass on America's NPR, Johnny's niche is chatting with children. Travelling around the country from his New York base, C'mon C'mon's protagonist seeks thoughts about life, hopes, dreams, the future and the world in general, but never in a Kids Say the Darndest Things-type fashion. As Phoenix's sensitive, pensive gaze conveys under the tender guidance of Beginners and 20th Century Women filmmaker Mike Mills, Johnny truly and gratefully hears what his young interviewees utter. Phoenix is all gentle care, quiet understanding and rippling melancholy as Johnny. All naturalism and attentiveness as well, he's also firmly at his best, no matter what's inscribed on his Academy Award. Here, Phoenix is as phenomenal as he was in his career highlight to-date, aka the exceptional You Were Never Really Here, in a part that again has his character pushed out of his comfort zone by a child. C'mon C'mon's Johnny spends his days talking with kids, but that doesn't mean he's equipped to look after his nine-year-old nephew Jesse (Woody Norman, The War of the Worlds) in Los Angeles when his sister Viv (Gaby Hoffmann, Transparent) needs to assist her husband Paul (Scoot McNairy, A Quiet Place Part II) with his mental health. Johnny and Viv haven't spoken since their mother died a year earlier, and Johnny has previously overstepped when it comes to Paul — with the siblings' relationship so precarious that he barely knows Jesse — but volunteering to help is his immediate reflex. C'mon C'mon is available to stream via Binge, Paramount+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. FLEE When Flee won the World Cinema Documentary Grand Jury Prize at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, it collected its first accolade. The wrenchingly affecting animated documentary hasn't stopped notching up deserving acclaim since. A spate of other gongs have come its way, in fact, including a history-making trifecta of nominations for Best International Feature, Best Documentary and Best Animated Feature at this year's Oscars, becoming the first picture to ever earn nods in all three categories at once. Gleaning why this moving and compassionate movie keeps garnering awards and attention isn't difficult. Pairing animation with factual storytelling is still rare enough that it stands out, but that blend alone isn't what makes Flee special. Writer/director Jonas Poher Rasmussen (What He Did) has created one of the best instances of the combination yet — a feature that could only have the impact it does by spilling its contents in such a way, like Ari Folman's Waltz with Bashir before it — however, it's the tale he shares and the care with which he tells it that makes this something unshakeably exceptional. Rasmussen's subject is Amin Nawabi, an Afghan refugee using a pseudonym. As his story fills Flee's frames, it's also plain to see why it can only be told through animation. Indeed, the film doesn't cover an easy plight — or a unique one, sadly — but Rasmussen renders every detail not just with eye-catching imagery, but with visuals that flow with empathy at every moment. The filmmaker's protagonist is a friend of his and has been for decades, and yet no one, not even the director himself, had ever previously heard him step through the events that the movie chronicles. Amin is now in his 40s, but he was once a kid in war-torn Kabul, then a teenager seeking asylum in Copenhagen. His life to-date has cast him in other roles in other countries, too, on his journey to house-hunting with his boyfriend as he chats through the ups and downs for his pal. Flee is available to stream via DocPlay, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. MEMORIA When Memoria begins, it echoes with a thud that's not only booming and instantly arresting — a clamour that'd make anyone stop and listen — but is also deeply haunting. It arrives with a noise that, if the movie's opening scene was a viral clip rather than part of Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul's spectacular Cannes Jury Prize-winning feature, it'd be tweeted around with a familiar message: sound on. The racket wakes up Jessica Holland (Tilda Swinton, Three Thousand Years of Longing) in the night, and it's soon all that she can think about; like character, like film. It's a din that she later describes as "a big ball of concrete that falls into a metal well which is surrounded by seawater"; however, that doesn't help her work out what it is, where it's coming from or why it's reverberating. The other question that starts to brood: is she the only one who can hear it? So springs a feature that's all about listening, and truly understands that while movies are innately visual — they're moving pictures, hence the term — no one should forget the audio that's gone with it for nearly a century now. Watching Weerasethakul's work has always engaged the ears intently, with the writer/director behind the Palme d'Or-winning Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives and just-as-lyrical Cemetery of Splendour crafting cinema that genuinely values all that the filmic format can offer. Enjoying Memoria intuitively serves up a reminder of how crucial sound can be to that experience, emphasising the cavernous chasm between pictures that live and breathe such a truth and those that could simply be pictures. Of course, feasting on Weerasethakul's films has also always been about appreciating not only cinema in all its wonders, but as an inimitable art form. Like the noise that lingers in his protagonist's brain here, his movies aren't easily forgotten. Memoria is available to stream via SBS On Demand, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. BELLE When Beauty and the Beast typically graces the screen, it doesn't involve a rose-haired singer decked out in a matching flowing dress while singing heart-melting tunes atop a floating skywhale mounted with speakers. It doesn't dance into the metaverse, either. Anime-meets-Patricia Piccinini-meets-cyberspace in Belle, and previous filmed versions of the famed French fairytale must now wish that they could've been so inventive. Disney's animated and live-action duo, aka the 1991 musical hit that's been a guest of childhood viewing ever since and its 2017 Emma Watson-starring remake, didn't even fantasise about dreaming about being so imaginative — but Japanese writer/director Mamoru Hosoda (Mirai) also eagerly takes their lead. His movie about a long-locked social-media princess with a heart of gold and a hulking creature decried by the masses based on appearances is firmly a film for now, but it's also a tale as old as time and one unafraid to build upon the Mouse House's iterations. At first, there is no Belle. Instead, Hosoda's feature has rural high-schooler Suzu (debutant Kaho Nakamura) call her avatar Bell because that's what her name means in Japanese. That online character lives in a virtual-reality world that uses body-sharing technology to base its figures on the real-life people behind them, but Suzu is shy and accustomed to being ignored by her classmates — other than her only pal Hiroka (Lilas Ikuta of music duo Yoasobi) — so she also uploads a photo of the far-more-popular Ruka (Tina Tamashiro, Hell Girl). The social-media platform's biometrics still seize upon Suzu's own melodic singing voice, however. And so, in a space that opines in its slogan that "you can't start over in reality, but you can start over in U", she croons. Quickly, she amasses an audience among the service's five-billion users, but then one of her performances is interrupted by the brooding Dragon (Takeru Satoh, the Rurouni Kenshin films), and her fans then point digital pitchforks in his direction. Belle is available to stream via Binge, Google Play, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT War makes meat, disposable labour and easy sacrifices of us all. In battles for power, as they always are, bodies are used to take territory, threaten enemies and shed blood to legitimise a cause. On the ground, whether in muddy trenches or streaming across mine-strewn fields, war sees the masses rather than the individuals, too — but All Quiet on the Western Front has always been a heartbreaking retort to and clear-eyed reality check for that horrific truth. Penned in 1928 by German World War I veteran Erich Maria Remarque, initially adapted for the screen by Hollywood in 1930 and then turned into a US TV movie in 1979, the staunchly anti-war story now gets its first adaptation in its native tongue. Combat's agonies echo no matter the language giving them voice, but Edward Berger's new film is a stunning, gripping and moving piece of cinema. Helming and scripting — the latter with feature first-timers Lesley Paterson and Ian Stokell — All My Loving director Berger starts All Quiet on the Western Front with a remarkable sequence. The film will come to settle on 17-year-old Paul Bäumer (astonishing debutant Felix Kammerer) and his ordeal after naively enlisting in 1917, thinking with his mates that they'd be marching on Paris within weeks, but it begins with a different young soldier, Heinrich Gerber (Jakob Schmidt, Babylon Berlin), in the eponymous region. He's thrust into the action in no man's land and the inevitable happens. Then, stained with blood and pierced by bullets, his uniform is stripped from his body, sent to a military laundry, mended and passed on. The recipient: the eager Paul, who notices the past wearer's name on the label and buys the excuse that it just didn't fit him. No one dares waste a scrap of clothing — only the flesh that dons it, and the existences its owners don't want to lose. All Quiet on the Western Front is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review. HIT THE ROAD How fitting it is that a film about family — about the ties that bind, and when those links are threatened not by choice but via unwanted circumstances — hails from an impressive lineage itself. How apt it is that Hit the Road explores the extent that ordinary Iranians find themselves going to escape the nation's oppressive authorities, too, given that the filmmaker behind it is Panah Panahi, son of acclaimed auteur Jafar Panahi. The latter's run-ins with the country's regime have been well-documented. The elder Panahi, director of Closed Curtain, Tehran Taxi and more, has been both imprisoned and banned from making movies over the past two decades, and was detained again in July 2022 for enquiring about the legal situation surrounding There Is No Evil helmer Mohammad Rasoulof. None of that directly comes through in Hit the Road's story, not for a moment, but the younger Panahi's directorial debut is firmly made with a clear shadow lingering over it. As penned by the fledgling filmmaker as well, Hit the Road's narrative is simple and also devastatingly layered; in its frames, two starkly different views of life in Iran are apparent. What frames they are, as lensed by Ballad of a White Cow cinematographer Amin Jafari — with every sequence a stunner, but three in particular, late in the piece and involving fraught exchanges, nighttime stories and heartbreaking goodbyes, among the most mesmerising images committed to celluloid in recent years. Those pictures tell of a mother (Pantea Panahiha, Rhino), a father (Mohammad Hassan Madjooni, Pig), their adult son (first-timer Amin Simiar) and their six-year-old boy (scene-stealer Rayan Sarlak, Gol be khodi), all unnamed, who say they're en route to take their eldest to get married. But the journey is a tense one, even as the youngest among them chatters, sings, does ordinary childhood things and finds magic in his cross-country road trip, all with zero knowledge of what eats at the rest of his family. Hit the Road is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. QUO VADIS, AIDA? Films about war are films about wide-ranging terror and horror: battles that changed lives, deaths that reshaped nations, political fights that altered the course of history and the like. But they're also movies about people first, foremost and forever: folks whose everyday existence was perpetually shattered, including those lost and others left to endure when hostilities cease. Quo Vadis, Aida? is firmly a feature about both aspects of war. It homes in on one town, Srebrenica, in July 1995 during the 1992–95 Bosnian War, but it sees devastation and a human toll so intimate and vast in tandem that heartbreak is the only natural response. A survivor of the war herself, writer/director Jasmila Žbanić (Love Island, For Those Who Can Tell No Tales) knows that combat and conflict happens to ordinary men and women, that each casualty is a life cut short and that every grief-stricken relative who remains will never forget their magic ordeal — and she ensures that no one who watches Quo Vadis, Aida? can forget the Srebrenica massacre, or the fact that 8372 civilians were killed, either. A teacher-turned-interpreter, the eponymous Aida Selmanagic (Jasna Đuričić, My Morning Laughter) is Žbanić's eyes and ears within the demilitarised safe zone established by Dutch UN peacekeepers. The film doesn't adopt her exact point of view aesthetically — we see Aida, and plenty; Quo Vadis, Aida? wouldn't be the same without the tenacity and insistence that radiates from her posture and gaze — but it lives, breathes, feels, roves and yearns as she does. Aida has a mother's and wife's motivations above all else, however: she wants her husband Nihad (Izudin Barjović, Father), a school principal, to be with her and to be safe, and the same for their sons Hamdija (Boris Ler, Full Moon) and Sejo (Dino Barjović, Sin), obviously. It's a mission to even get them in the base, especially with so many other refugees pleading to be allowed in outside. But Aida hustles, including getting Nihad sent to negotiations with Serbian General Ratko Mladić (Boris Isaković, Last Christmas) as a town representative. And as the General's brash, cocky, swaggering troops start escorting out the base's inhabitants and putting them onto buses depending upon their gender following those talks, Aida makes every desperate move she can to save her family. Quo Vadis, Aida? is available to stream via Binge, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Read our full review. LOST ILLUSIONS Stop us when Lost Illusions no longer sounds familiar. You won't; it won't, either. Stop us when its 19th century-set and -penned narrative — written by acclaimed novelist Honoré de Balzac almost 200 years ago, and brought to the screen now by filmmaker Xavier Giannoli (Marguerite) — no longer feels so relevant to life today that you can easily spot parts of it all around you. Again, that won't happen. When the handsome and involving French drama begins, its protagonist knows what he wants to do with his days, and also who he loves. Quickly, however, he learns that taking a big leap doesn't always pan out if you don't hail from wealth. He makes another jump anyway, out of necessity. He gives a new line of work a try, finds new friends and gets immersed in a different world. Alas, appearances just keep meaning everything in his job, and in society in general. Indeed, rare is the person who doesn't get swept up, who dares to swim against the flow, or who realises they might be sinking rather than floating. The person weathering all of the above is Lucien Chardon (Benjamin Voisin, Summer of 85), who'd prefer to be known as Lucien de Rubempré — his mother's aristocratic maiden name. It's 1821, and he's a poet and printer's assistant in the province of Angoulême when the film begins. He's also having an affair with married socialite Louise de Bargeton (Cécile de France, The French Dispatch), following her to Paris, but their bliss is soon shattered. That's why he gives journalism a try after meeting the equally ambitious Etienne Lousteau (Vincent Lacoste, Irma Vep), then taking up the offer of a tabloid gig after failing to get his poetry published. Lucien climbs up the ranks quickly, both in the scathing newspaper business — where literary criticism is literally cash for comment — and in the right Parisian circles. But even when he doesn't realise it, his new life weighs him down heavily. Lost Illusions is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. LIMBO What happens when a group of refugees are sent to await the results of their asylum applications on a Scottish island? That's the question that Limbo ponders. There's no doubting why this second feature from writer/director Ben Sharrock (Pikadero) has been given its moniker; for Syrian musician Omar (Amir El-Masry, Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker) and his fellow new arrivals to Scotland, there's not much to do in this void between the past and the future but wait, sit at the bus stop, check out the children's playground and loiter near the pay phone. That, and navigate the wide range of reactions from the locals — veering from offensive to thoughtful — and, in Omar's case, feel the weight of his prized possession. He's brought his grandfather's oud with him, which he rarely let go of, but his own musical dreams are in limbo as well. A film can be heartbreaking, tender, insightful and amusing all at once, and Limbo is indeed all of those things. It's both dreamlike and lived-in, too, a blend that suits its title and story — and also the mental and emotional state shared by Omar and his fellow asylum seekers as they bide their time on an island that feels like another world. A movie can be both heavy and light simultaneously as well, which is another of Limbo's strengths. Sharrock sees both seriousness and levity in his narrative, his characters and their plights, and recognises the nightmarish and the beautiful in tandem. The latter especially applies to the feature's haunting cinematography, which lenses a landscape that keeps Omar pals physically in limbo with a probing eye. Limbo is available to stream via SBS On Demand, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. CYRANO Love can spring quickly, igniting sparks instantly. Or, it can build gradually and gracefully, including over a lifetime. It can be swift and bold like a lightning strike, too, or it can linger, evolve and swell like a gentle breeze. In the sumptuous confines of Cyrano, the newest period piece from Joe Wright (Pride & Prejudice, Atonement and Anna Karenina), all of the above happens. The latest adaptation of Edmond Rostand's 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac, this time as a musical via playwright Erica Schmidt's own song-filled on-stage version, lends its attention to two men who've fallen for the plucky Roxanne (Haley Bennett, Hillbilly Elegy) in opposite ways. Charming soldier Christian de Neuvillette (Kelvin Harrison Jr, The Trial of the Chicago 7) gets the fast-and-infatuated experience, while the movie's namesake (Peter Dinklage, I Care a Lot), a poet also handy in battle, has ached for his childhood pal for as long as he can remember. Roxanne's two suitors make a chalk-and-cheese pair, with their contrasting approaches to matters of the heart — specifically, to winning her heart and helping ensure that she doesn't have to marry the rich and ruthless De Guiche (Ben Mendelsohn, The Outsider) to secure her future — driving much of Cyrano's drama. Also present and accounted for, as all takes on the tale have included (see also: 80s rom-com Roxanne with Steve Martin, the Gérard Depardieu-starring Cyrano de Bergerac, 90s rom-com The Truth About Cats & Dogs with Uma Thurman and Janeane Garofalo, plus recent Netflix teen flicks Sierra Burgess Is a Loser and The Half of It): insecurities about appearance, a way with words and a ghostwriting gambit. Short in stature given Dinklage's casting, Cyrano can't even dream that Roxanne could love him. But he wants her to be happy above all else and knows that she's smitten with Christian, so he secretly lends his romantic rival his letter-penning abilities to help woo her by lyrical prose. Cyrano is available to stream via Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Read our full review.
History is repeating in the latest change to Fortitude Valley's music scene. When disco started to wane in popularity from the late 70s and early 80s, rock slid in to help take its place — and that's exactly what's now happened on McLachlan Street in Alhambra Lounge's former home. In October 2022, the space welcomed in SuperFly Disco, which even sported a light-up dance floor. Half a year later, the retro nightclub has been reborn as SuperFly Studios, and now focuses on live tunes. The new approach kicked in at the beginning of March, complete with a hefty stage and sound system to match. In its rebranded guise, SuperFly can fit in 400 people, and also now welcomes in patrons for free — including until 3am on Friday and Saturday nights. The dress code is also more casual, too. And, in the future, Thursday and Sunday gigs are on the agenda. Given that the venue always hailed from the Drunken Monkey Group team, which also boasts Brooklyn Standard and Suzie Wong's Good Time Bar in its portfolio, the switch from DJs to bands is hardly surprising. Spokesperson Adam Barton said that Superfly Studios can now ensure that the company can host larger shows and names. "We've been approached in the past to take on bigger acts at our other venues but didn't have the capacity. Now, with the new stage and sound system, we're excited to be able to accommodate both national and international touring acts at SuperFly Studios," he explains. "We are stoked to be introducing live music to SuperFly Studios. We want to build on our success with Brooklyn Standard and Suzie Wong's, and create a space where music lovers of all ages can come together and just have a really solid night out with some of Brisbane's best live bands," Burton continues. "I think I speak for all of us [at The Drunken Monkey Group] when I say live music is such a big part of our nights out. Nothing beats a jam-packed dance floor filled with people just singing their lungs out — it just makes your night." In its initial form, SuperFly leaned into the tunes, attitude and decor of five decades back, including a fitout boasting walls of records, neon lights, disco balls aplenty — including in the bathrooms — and murals featuring famous music faces from the bar's celebrated era. Some of that remains, including mirrored tiles and all that vinyl, but you'll now spot Amy Winehouse, for instance, gracing the plaster. Drinks-wise, the venue pours beers and classic cocktails, with its bartenders still on hand to mix something up. And on the upcoming gigs list at the time of writing: The Fonoti Brothers, One Sound, Imessa and La Boum. Find SuperFly Studios at 12 McLachlan Street, Fortitude Valley — open from 7pm–3am Friday–Saturday.
In real life, technology is bound to keep bringing out the worst in people, or vice versa, in 2024. If you want to see Charlie Brooker's take on how humanity's use of gadgets and innovations can go nightmarishly wrong, however, you'll need to wait until 2025. That's when Black Mirror will return for its seventh season, two years after 2023's sixth season. Given that there was a four-year gap after season five, that's positively speedy. Season seven's batch of Black Mirror episodes will also be bigger than the past two seasons, serving up six instalments — which only season three and four have done in the past. There'll be another link to season four, too, with one chapter in the seventh season set to be a sequel to its Star Trek-riffing USS Callister episode. Netflix confirmed Black Mirror's 2025 comeback, number of instalments and return dive into USS Callister's realm as part of the platform's unveiling of what's next set to hit its catalogue from the UK. If you're after more details about Brooker's huge hit, though, that's all there is for now. Cast members, other storylines, if any cast members from USS Callister — which featured Jesse Plemons (Love & Death), Cristin Milioti (The Resort), Jimmi Simpson (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Michaela Coel (Mr & Mrs Smith) and Billy Magnussen (Lift) — will be back: that's all still unknown, as is whether Brooker took any inspiration from his headline speaker gig at the first-ever SXSW Sydney in 2023. Still, you can start preparing yourself for next year's dose of dystopian dread, and speculating about what might get the Black Mirror treatment this time. The show's sixth season pondered streaming algorithms with Salma Hayek Pinault (Magic Mike's Last Dance) and Annie Murphy (Kevin Can F**k Himself), true crime with Samuel Blenkin (The Witcher: Blood Origin) and Myha'la Herrold (Bodies Bodies Bodies), and an alternative 1969 with Aaron Paul (Westworld), Josh Hartnett (Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre) and Kate Mara (Call Jane). Also on its list: a paparazzi tale with Zazie Beetz (Atlanta), Clara Rugaard (I Am Mother) and Danny Ramirez (Stars at Noon) — and the first Red Mirror episode, going full horror, with Anjana Vasan (Killing Eve), Paapa Essiedu (Men), Katherine Rose Morley (The Syndicate) and David Shields (Benediction). Season seven has an announcement video, which you can watch below, alongside the trailer for USS Callister: Black Mirror season seven will stream via Netflix sometime in 2025, but doesn't yet have an exact release date — we'll update you when one is announced. Read our review of season six, and our interview with Charlie Brooker. Images: Netflix.
Hold the phone everybody, there's huge news a-brewin' in the Sydney art world. Three of Sydney's biggest cultural institutions – the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Carriageworks and the Museum of Contemporary Art – have just announced a major, citywide new exhibition showcasing Australian art. Yep, just like the OG Transformers, all banding together for the good of Sydney. Positioned as a counterpoint to the Biennale of Sydney (to occur in the off-years), The National: New Australia Art will run over six years with three editions presented in 2017, 2019 and 2021. The program is planned to run over the three spaces and activate an art corridor running between Redfern, The Domain and Circular Quay. There'll be a focus on the works of emerging, mid-career and established Aussie artists — in fact this will be the only large-scale, multi-venue exhibition series in Sydney focused solely on contemporary Australian art. It's straight-up huge news for Sydney. We've seen the effect citywide installations and cultural programs can have on this fine city of ours, just head along to the Biennale this weekend to see for yourself. And the sole focus on Australian artists, with no hat tip at all to international context, is sure to help us forge a contemporary art identity that genuinely resonates with everyday Aussies. "The National: New Australian Art will chart the rich diversity of contemporary practice featuring artists that work in dialogue with other disciplines including performance, dance, music and screen," says Carriageworks director Lisa Havilah. "The project will make a significant investment in Australian artists through the extensive commissioning of new work that reflects contemporary Australia and our place in the world." Curators for the 2017 edition of The National: New Australian Art are Anneke Jaspers, Curator Contemporary Art and Wayne Tunnicliffe, Head Curator Australian Art, AGNSW; Lisa Havilah, Director and Nina Miall, Curator, Carriageworks; and Blair French, Director, Curatorial & Digital, MCA. Okay team, break. We've only got 12 months to plan appropriately artsy outfits. The first installation of The National: New Australian Art will kick off on March 20, 2017 and run until June 18, 2017.
In Sundown's holiday porn-style opening scenes, a clearly wealthy British family enjoys the most indulgent kind of Acapulco getaway that anyone possibly can. Beneath the blazing blue Mexican sky, at a resort that visibly costs a pretty penny, Alice Bennett (Charlotte Gainsbourg, The Snowman), her brother Neil (Tim Roth, Bergman Island), and her teenage children Alexa (Albertine Kotting McMillan, A Very British Scandal) and Colin (Samuel Bottomley, Everybody's Talking About Jamie) swim and lounge and sip, with margaritas, massages and moneyed bliss flowing freely. For many, it'd be a dream vacation. For Alice and her kids, it's routine, but they're still enjoying themselves. The look on Neil's passive face says everything, however. It's the picture of apathy — even though, as the film soon shows, he flat-out refuses to be anywhere else. The last time that a Michel Franco-written and -directed movie reached screens, it came courtesy of the Mexican filmmaker's savage class warfare drama New Order, which didn't hold back in ripping into the vast chasm between the ridiculously rich and everyone else. Sundown is equally as brutal, but it isn't quite Franco's take on The White Lotus or Nine Perfect Strangers, either. Rather, it's primarily a slippery and sinewy character study about a man with everything as well as nothing. Much happens within the feature's brief 82-minute running time. Slowly, enough is unveiled about the Bennett family's background, and why their extravagant jaunt abroad couldn't be a more ordinary event in their lavish lives. Still, that indifferent expression adorning Neil's dial rarely falters, whether grief, violence, trauma, lust, love, wins or losses cast a shadow over or brighten up his poolside and seaside stints knocking back drinks in the sunshine. For anyone else, the first interruption that comes the Bennetts' way would change this trip forever; indeed, for Alice, Alexa and Colin, it does instantly. Thanks to one sudden phone call, Alice learns that her mother is gravely ill. Via another while the quartet is hightailing it to the airport, she discovers that the worst has occurred. Viewers can be forgiven for initially thinking that Neil is her cruelly uncaring husband in these moments — Franco doesn't spell out their relationship until later, and Neil doesn't act for a second like someone who might and then does lose his mum. Before boarding the plane home, he shows the faintest glimmer of emotion when he announces that he's forgotten his passport, though. That said, he isn't agitated about delaying his journey back, but about the possibility that his relatives mightn't jet off and leave him alone. Sundown is often a restrained film, intentionally so. It doles out the reasons behind Neil's behaviour, and even basic explanatory information, as miserly as its protagonist cracks a smile. The movie itself is eventually a tad more forthcoming than Neil, but it remains firmly steeped in Franco's usual mindset: life happens, contentedly and grimly alike, and we're all just weathering it. Neither the highs nor lows appear to bother Neil, who holes up at the first hotel his cab driver takes him to, then starts making excuses and simply ignoring Alice's worried calls and texts. He navigates an affair with the younger Berenice (Iazua Larios, Ricochet) as well, and carries on like he doesn't have a care in the world. His sister returns, frantic and angry, but even then he's nonplussed. The same proves true, too, when a gangland execution bloodies his leisurely days by the beach, and also when violence cuts far closer to home. Tranquility, bleakness, the ordinary and the extreme in-between: it all keeps coming throughout Sundown. Yes, life keeps happening, even amid the relaxed air that breezes through the movie's aforementioned introductory moments. When there's little on the Bennetts' minds except unwinding, their comfort literally comes at the hands of Acapulco's workers. In the streets, an incendiary mood bubbles well before bodies end up on the sand. The gap between the one percent and the rest of us always stays in plain sight. The fact that a getaway as luxe as this one relies upon not the kindness but the exhaustive labour of others never slinks away. Also, that Neil's family wealth springs from slaughter isn't subtle — animals, in the pork trade — but that's never been Franco's approach. Still, Sundown is a film to soak up, riding its twists and wading through its questions, including the plethora that keep springing about Neil's actions. The last time that Roth worked with Franco, in 2015's Chronic, he turned in a mesmerising performance. Here, he's magnetic and absorbing as a man adrift by choice, through entitlement and also due to the cards he's been dealt. Some shots play up that idea with the director's characteristic lack of understatement — floating in a pool, for instance — but the point would've been plain via the film's central performance alone. Roth isn't coasting, or bobbing, or doing anything aimlessly. Sundown's audience can see Neil's behaviour as comic, heartless, troubled or arrogant, or a combination of all four and more, but Roth makes the sense of detachment and entropy behind the character's every move echo from the screen. His efforts prove all the more stark against the also-wonderful Gainsbourg, in a far smaller part. Unsurprisingly, Alice is anything but dispassionate, with her brother's subterfuge, selfishness and utter lack of care for everyone he's affecting earning her increasing exasperation. For Franco, forgoing nuance means staring head-on at the tales he's telling, the people within them and the statements about humanity that are being made — and Belgian cinematographer Yves Cape, who has a number of the filmmaker's pictures to his name (plus entrancing 2019 French film Zombi Child as well), eagerly obliges. Roving your eyes over Sundown's patient frames is an exercise in careful observation, sometimes peering so closely that you can almost count Roth's pores, but usually with a sense of distance that mirrors the space that Neil cultivates around himself. Watching this ruminative feature also requires confronting existential woes — and pondering existence — both compellingly and unsettlingly so. Franco has never had any fondness for privilege, or much for human nature; with his latest penetrating film, he's as unforgiving as always, but also as committed to unpacking what it means to define your own path.
Storytelling becomes the story in this darkly comic French drama. Smudging fiction and reality together in clever, self-aware meta-narratives has become little more than a cinematic cliche, but director François Ozon makes it ring true. Angelic, teenaged Claude (Ernst Umhauer) is both a black sheep and a lost lamb. Enraptured with the perfect family of his best friend Rapha (Bastien Ughetto) — middle class, cultureless and bored — he starts writing eloquent, yet pretty weird, short stories about them for French class. His soft-boiled, creepy observations mention things like "the singular scent of a middle-class woman" dripping off Rapha's mother. His disenchanted teacher, Germain (Fabrice Luchini), can't decide if Claude wants to belong to or destroy this newfound clan, but he's happy to finally have an engaged and talented student. And he's voyeuristically hooked by the sharply observed tales. Ozon (8 Women and Swimming Pool) is a director who likes his boundaries blurry and is skilled at making normality fascinating. As both Claude and Germain's longings become obsessions, the seam between the short stories and the real world of the film slips apart. My take? It's all real — it's the characters themselves who can't discern their inner desires from their outer lives. In the House has the slow-pulsing vertigo of a psychological thriller and the twists of an elaborate melodrama, but to reduce it to these labels seems glib. It's caustic and funny but never misanthropic, a study of the ways people actually live, rather than how we assume that they do. https://youtube.com/watch?v=eegoZpxQCzc
Among the many things that 2020 has taught us, adapting to sudden changes ranks near the top of the list. And, in Brisbane's music scene, a big shift is currently underway — with The Foundry announcing that it's wrapping up its stint at its current digs immediately, then relocating to new premises by the end of the year. It has been five years since The Foundry opened its doors inside The Elephant Hotel on Wickham Street in Fortitude Valley, with the space playing host to plenty of live tunes and music-themed parties in that period. But earlier this year, The Elephant was sold. Now the new owners have revealed their plans, sparking The Foundry's move. Just where The Foundry will next call home is yet to be announced, but it'll be staying in the Valley — and moving to a "bigger and better space" according to its Facebook announcement. At present, it expects to reopen this November. And in terms of upcoming gigs, it'll be moving them all over to the new location. https://www.facebook.com/TheFoundryBrisbane/posts/3821516067878138?__xts__[0]=68.ARBkpDzDLyHPCvg1ZrenNGN5suGGZBFl9KaIn-ZQVvbB7BDnJjba4W7cEITns0IjFw33WhjW0d5V3sIEyZF2B2KGrSBeziAZBWjJ_RQxxJdW5c2C0OjX5486iVRgyLkMKxps-ta5pf3hQ2EpiT-VY_K_7Y9KLAo-7Tguyr2k8VKRbm_uwmKxTI3EZb66c3roaAOfePQPcU-hwS_xCrWcUxDJyahTwr1KG4lsJO0q_Y-MS9PZCmH91WVEcKOD_jTXAQzJy1fDjzTH_UwKOzn4GRT92IYcQx0QeXTaBUkZaSk2-l5nVkQxUYTrEf6oUr_FGKxogV2wV8KUUaHNlxkh71kjbA&__tn__=-R Brisbanites will actually be saying goodbye not only to The Foundry at The Elephant, but to The Elephant in general, too. The site will continue to operate — after a refurbishment, with its main bar and beer garden now closed but Greaser remaining open — however it's changing its name. In fact, it's reverting back to its original moniker, The Prince Consort, which is what the the 132-year-old heritage-listed pub was initially called way back when. In its own Facebook post, the team behind The Elephant noted that, when it is back in full swing as The Prince Consort, live music will still be part of its offering — plus DJs and pub trivia. As for when that'll happen, that hasn't been advised either. But, as anyone who can remember when The Elephant was called The Elephant and Wheelbarrow will know, change isn't unusual in this part of town. The Foundry has shut its doors at 228 Wickham Street, and will move to a yet-to-be-revealed new Fortitude Valley site by the end of the year. For further details, keep an eye on its Facebook page. The Elephant Hotel has closed its main bar and beer garden for a revamp, and will relaunch as The Prince Consort at a yet-to-be-advised date. For further details, keep an eye on The Prince Consort's Facebook page as well. Top image: Kgbo via Wikimedia Commons.
Hankering for something sweet, fluffy and moist, but of the healthy (or healthier) variety? Finding something that ticks both boxes is usually no easy feat — except when it comes to Nutri Hitt. You could even say it's now a piece of cake (couldn't help it). The Ascot-based cake shop specialises in tasty morsels that are actually good for you, which includes raw, vegan and paleo options, as well as goodies free of gluten, dairy and refined sugar. If you've been to a market or deli around town, you might've tried their wares. Now, like many a stall before them, they've got a permanent store. You'll find all the raw cakes that you could want, including the slice of white chocolate heaven that is the Snow White, childhood nostalgia in the form of the Rainbow Swirl, and everything from lemon, lime and coconut and tiramisu too. If you're after a smaller bite, don't despair — you'll still find slices and cupcakes at Nutri Hitt's stockists around the city, like Pawpaw Cafe and House of Hygge. Nutri Hitt started out when owners Candi Coonan and Tamara Lord just wanted to serve delicious treats without the kilojoules. As their success shows, they've achieved that aim — and now everyone keen to have their cake but avoid the not-so-good ingredients has become a winner.
2020 is already shaping up to be a great year for Studio Ghibli fans, with the Japanese animation house confirming it's working on two new films this year. But, if you need something to tide you over until those undoubtedly gorgeous new movies are released — your Netflix queue will have the answer from February 1. In a huge deal that marks the first time Studio Ghibli's films will be available to stream in most of the world, Netflix has acquired the streaming rights for the bulk of the company's back catalogue — for almost the entire planet, including Australia and New Zealand. The arrangement covers 21 films, which means that every solely Studio Ghibli-produced animated feature except Grave of the Fireflies will hit the platform. Made-for-TV movie Ocean Waves will also be available to stream as well. So, getting spirited away, spending time with Totoro and chasing a moving castle will be as easy as clicking a few buttons whenever you feel like it. Netflix is making Ghibli's films available in three batches, with seven different movies joining the platform on February 1, then seven more on March 1 and the last seven on April 1 — so you can spread out your viewing. In February, prepare to feast your eyes on everything from Castle in the Sky to Kiki's Delivery Service, plus My Neighbour Totoro, Only Yesterday, Porco Rosso, Ocean Waves and Tales from Earthsea, too. Come March, heavy hitters Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away will join the lineup, as well as Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, My Neighbors the Yamadas, The Cat Returns, Arrietty and The Tale of The Princess Kaguya. Then, in April, Howl's Moving Castle and Ponyo lead the charge, alongside Pom Poko, Whisper of the Heart, From Up on Poppy Hill, The Wind Rises and When Marnie Was There. Working your way through all of the above, you'll obviously delight in the talents of the great Hayao Miyazaki — however, films by fellow Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata, Miyazaki's son Gorō Miyazaki, and other directors Yoshifumi Kondō, Hiroyuki Morita and Hiromasa Yonebayashi are also on the bill. Until Ghibli's titles start hitting the streaming platform, feast your eyes on the delightful trailer for Howl's Moving Castle below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwROgK94zcM Netflix will start streaming Studio Ghibli films in Australia and New Zealand from February 1, with further titles available on March 1 and April 1. Top image: My Neighbor Totoro
UPDATE: JULY 1, 2020 — Due to worldwide cinema closures and other concerns around COVID-19, Tenet will no longer release on its initially scheduled date of Thursday, July 17, 2020. Instead, it will now release on Thursday, August 13. This article has been updated to reflect that change. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Every ten years, Christopher Nolan sends audiences on a wild journey. The Batman Begins, The Prestige and Interstellar filmmaker makes movies more often than that, but a decade seems to be how long it takes to indulge his weird and wonderful side. In 2000, that led to Memento, the film that helped bring the writer/director to broader attention. In 2010, Inception and its dreams within dreams were the end result. Now, come 2020, Nolan will be trifling with time and tasking BlacKkKlansman's John David Washington with trying to stop World War III, all in the trippy Tenet. Until now, little has been known about Tenet, other than its name, its release date — July 16, 2020 Down Under — and its cast. And while the just-dropped first trailer doesn't spill many of the film's secrets, it does paint a very intriguing picture. In fact, rumours trying to connect the film to Inception are already circling, just based on the two-minute sneak peek. Washington plays a spy, partnered with Robert Pattinson, who is trying to stave off something worse than a nuclear holocaust. He's also welcomed to the afterlife, told to start changing the way he sees the world and, in one scene, senses that a fight will take place before it happens. Things also move in reverse, stunts defy logic in more than just the usual action movie ways and Michael Caine pops up. And, in case you weren't already thinking of Inception anyway, the trailer is scored with an ominous, droning thrum. Tenet also features Australian actor Elizabeth Debicki (Widows), Harry Potter's Clémence Poésy, Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Avengers: Age of Ultron), Himesh Patel (Yesterday), Martin Donovan (Ant-Man) and Kenneth Branagh — with the latter also starring in Nolan's last film, the World War II epic Dunkirk. As for what else is in store in the filmmaker's 11th feature — other than dazzling visuals, an ambitious story and messing with viewers' heads in general — that's something Nolan isn't likely to give away until the film hits cinemas. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdOM0x0XDMo Tenet is slated to release in Australian cinemas on August 13, 2020. We'll update you if that changes again.
The mark of any good city is surely the number of delicious breakfast spots on offer. The mark of a great city, however, is the number of breakfast spots that can cater to the hungover masses. Think all-day brunch, guilty pleasures, bloody marys and great coffee. There's not much worse than having to make the decision about where to eat when you're running on three hours sleep. Don't fret, we met up with our mates at American Express to do the hard work for you. We've sifted through our directory and handpicked the best spots across the city that can help you when you're not feeling particularly human. When the morning comes, let's make you feel human again, and we promise you'll have minimal contact with others — you'll be able to tap that Amex card at all of these so there's no need to do any money maths. But for now, grab your tenth beer and let your worries about where you'll nurse your hangover tomorrow dissipate. Here's where to head when you need a pick-me-up after a big night out, aka the places that'll help kick you back into gear. Got yourself in another dining situation and need some guidance? Whatever it is, we know a place. Visit The Shortlist and we'll sort you out.
When your nine-to-five plays out like a well-oiled machine, it can sometimes feel like each week is a little same-same. But Brisbane is brimming with a fine bounty of things to experience and explore each and every day. So aside from casual laziness and a little lack of inspiration, there's really nothing stopping you from squeezing some adventure and spontaneity into your schedule. We've teamed up with Mazda3 to help you celebrate the little things that bring a sense of adventure to life. Shake things up, as we give you seven different detours to take each week in Brisbane. From Monday to Sunday, enrich your everyday with one completely achievable activity that inspires you to take the scenic route as you go about your daily routine. This week, try a sushi burrito, camp overlooking the ocean and unwind with jazz. Plus, we've got your future detours sorted for the new few weeks here. All require no more effort than a tiny break from the norm — what's your excuse for not trying them all?
You know that feeling where you're begrudgingly up before dawn only to have your heart warmed by a surprise sighting of a hot air balloon set against the sunrise? Well this one's for you — and if you haven't ever experienced such a dawn, this one is really for you. In April, the Canowindra International Balloon Challenge sees the skies above the historic central-west town come alive with the roar of burners and the kaleidoscope of colourful hot air balloons in the atmosphere. The full event takes place over a whole week in April, with official balloon competitions happening throughout the week. The comp involves a number of difficult tasks, the most entertaining of which is the key grab — the aim is to fly your balloon in to try and pluck a large novelty key from the top of a flagpole, with the winner receiving some major dollar bills. There'll also be a campfire cookout and concert on Anzac Day evening (25th April). The final Saturday night sees the Balloon Glow and Night Market, where balloon operators light up their burners in the dark and in time to music.
Surf's up this summer with the NSW Pro Surf Series. The circuit — which will stop off at four beautiful beaches along NSW's coastline — adds an additional four events to the World Surf League Qualifying Series. Seriously promising professional surfers will be taking to the green room to show off their style and skills in an aqua acrobatic show you won't want to miss. The Tweed Coast Pro — the second stop of the NSW Pro Surf Series — will take place at picturesque Cabarita Beach. The quaint coastal town is known for its excellent surfing conditions, so set up shop underneath a pandanus palm on the beach and get ready to watch surfers carve it up. Grab a post-show beer with a view at the Cabarita Beach Surf Life Saving Club, or treat yourself to a cocktail in the breeze at the gorgeous Halcyon House. If you're keen to follow the series along NSW's stunning coastline, other events will be taking place at Sydney's Maroubra Beach, Boomerang Beach and Avoca Beach across January, February and March. A summer road trip is good, but a summer road trip where you get to watch the next Mick Fannings and Layne Beachleys? Gnarly.
From the fresh warm homemade crusty bread served to us immediately upon entering the modern Roman bistro setting, to the moreish mini calzones with fresh sugo – this classic Italian establishment is a standout in the popular Emporium complex. The generous, hard working, passionate and super friendly Tony Percuoco is the proud owner of this establishment, his passion for food and art are visible in every corner of this sophisticated restaurant. Dishes are simple yet stylish and are more than adequate representations of what a typical Italian family would feast on. The nine-course degustation is highly recommended and a chance to sample Tartufo's delights such as the porchetta contadina, pork stuffed with herbs and served with sweet mustard fruits and carpaccio di manzo, cured beef tenderloin with horseradish mayo. A few glasses of smooth Italian vinos and half a glass of Sicilian dessert wine later, Tartufo's dishes are so well executed that you can still remember how each tastes. The impressive staff are meticulous about using the correct Italian pronunciation, as an Italian this is extremely appreciated and proof that Tartufo prides itself on keeping traditional flavours alive. Image: Alex Favali.
What starts with a race across New Zealand and ends with a contagious virus seeping through Sydney, but doesn't leave the warm and sunny climes of south-east Queensland? That'd be the Gold Coast Film Festival. All of the above forms part of the event's 2017 lineup from April 19 and 30 — plus a boat ride with Zoolander, surf flicks by the beach, Pulp Fiction in a taphouse, all-female horror, unnerving serial killer thrills, animated Swiss delights and the chance to walk in The Rock's footsteps. The rather eclectic program kicks off with Pork Pie, taking Boy's James Rolleston on a ride around NZ in a stolen car and remaking 1980 Kiwi classic Goodbye Pork Pie in the process. It's an amiable, affable, antic-riddled comedic adventure — just the kind of flick you want to see before heading to a party. Then, 12 days later, the world premiere of Aussie-made Event Zero wraps up the fest with something completely different. Here, detectives and politicians try to cope with a potentially deadly attack, with local veterans such as Zoe Carides and Nicholas Hope among the cast. In total, 32 features will screen at this year's GCFF, including four world, nine Australian and eight Queensland premieres. As well as watching Stephen Curry induce chills in festival circuit hit Hounds of Love, see the Oscar-nominated My Life as a Courgette manoeuvre clay and swell hearts, and talented filmmaking ladies unleash an anthology of scares with XX. Other movie standouts include Alliance Francaise French Film Festival highlight Planetarium, Finnish boxing romance and Cannes favourite The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki, Indonesian action bonanza Headshot, playful Chilean poetry biopic Neruda and Australian artist-focused documentary Whitely. Or, viewers can opt to follow the stars courtesy of Jessica Chastain in the World War Two-set The Zookeeper's Wife, Emma Watson and Tom Hanks in tech thriller The Circle, and a voice cast that includes Lena Dunham and Jason Schwartzmann in animated effort My Entire High School Sinking into the Sea. Events-wise, in addition to watching classic movies on the water, in a brewery and on the sand, the program also includes a Gold Coast movie location tour, a trivia night, the chance to feature in your own film-themed gif, discussions about everything from working with animals on-screen to making the most of film fests, and a ceremony honouring Deborah Mailman as this year's Chauvel Award recipient. The Gold Coast Film Festival runs from April 19 to 30 at The Arts Centre Gold Coast and other venues on the Gold Coast. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the festival website.
When your nine-to-five plays out like a well-oiled machine, it can sometimes feel like each week is a little same-same. But Brisbane is brimming with a fine bounty of things to experience and explore each and every day. So aside from casual laziness and a little lack of inspiration, there's really nothing stopping you from squeezing some adventure and spontaneity into your schedule. We've teamed up with Mazda3 to help you celebrate the little things that bring a sense of adventure to life. Shake things up, as we give you seven different detours to take each week in Brisbane. From Monday to Sunday, enrich your everyday with one completely achievable activity that inspires you to take the scenic route as you go about your daily routine. This week, rally your mates for a round of trivia, go swimming on horseback and switch out your usual Sunday brekkie for a bao Benedict. Plus, we've got your future detours sorted for the new few weeks here. All require no more effort than a tiny break from the norm — what's your excuse for not trying them all?
Is this low-budget, low-key production Joss Whedon's post-Avengers campaign for cred as a Legit Indie Filmmaker? Much Ado About Nothing is Shakespeare's 1598 version of a rom-com, hauled mercilessly into 2013 with cocktails, cupcakes and a sensibility that's both verbose and slapstick. Our two lovers, Beatrice (Amy Acker) and Benedick (Alexis Denisof), are cluelessly star-crossed, blinded by their own pride and ego. Whether you find what plays out a tedious, self-financed pet project or an endearing contemporary translation will depend on your familiarity with the almost untouched original text and your appreciation/tolerance of Whedon universe in-jokes (like the Dollhouse set prop). The project was shot in 12 days at the end of Avengers production with a cast of usual Whedon suspects. It's a somewhat grinding change of gears from the Marvel machine, but in an age of relentless threequels, 3D fantasies and franchisable remakes, it's admirable to see a big-shot director get back to basics. Whedon does everything from writing the slightly cheesy score to staging the entire production in his LA mansion. It's shot in black and white, which seems to be an easy shorthand for self-declared serious independent directors lately, but Whedon makes it work. Just. Across all his various projects, this director's trademark is self-assuredness, and every frame of Much Ado About Nothing bounces with energy. It's as slick as you'd expect, if not a little forgettable, and definitely not daring. Then again, it's not meant to be: it's for Whedon's maniacal audience and for himself. The Elizabethan speech rarely totally flows, the modern setting jars and not all the actors convince. But the director's fondness for the typical Shakespearean preoccupations of hidden identity, destined love and thwarted revenge can't help but seep through. A frothy labour of love. https://youtube.com/watch?v=NZB5EBdKaMw
New Year's Eve means different things to different people — but if celebrating it in the biggest way possible is your approach each year, then you've likely either made a date with Beyond The Valley before or wanted to. Need some motivation to head to the festival at Barunah Plains in Victoria to celebrate 2025 turning into 2026? Dom Dolla, Addison Rae, Kid Cudi and Turnstile should be plenty. That's who is headlining across the Sunday, December 28, 2025–Thursday, January 1, 2026 event — and yes, if you fancy spending the New Year's Eve countdown with Dom Dolla, you can. This lineup is also a helluva way for Beyond The Valley to mark a milestone, given that it's the fest's tenth anniversary. [caption id="attachment_1005091" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shevindphoto[/caption] Dom Dolla will cap off a year that's already spanned soldout Madison Square Garden gigs, plus stints at Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, EDC Las Vegas and Ultra Miami — and will see him play his biggest-ever Aussie headline show at Allianz Stadium in Sydney in December. For Addison Rae, this is her Australian festival debut. Kid Cudi heads Down Under for the first time in a decade, too. The lineup also spans Spacey Jane, I Hate Models, KETTAMA, Chris Stussy, Ben Böhmer, The Temper Trap and Luude, plus JoJo doing an Australian-exclusive show, as well as 070 Shake, DJ HEARTSTRING, VTSS, SWIM, Pegassi, Channel Tres, Balu Brigada, Fcukers, Jane Remover, Miss Kaninna and a heap more. New for 2025 is The Lounge Room, with Kat Sasso hosting podcasters and other folks getting chatting — such as Undiagnosed Anthony; AFL footballer Tom Mitchell with the Ball Magnets podcast; more Aussie Rules stars thanks to Sam Draper, Nick Butler and Charlie Comben; Dr Esmé Louise James; Sez; Ash McGregor; and David The Medium. Plus, stage-wise, the Valley Stage is getting a new look and the Dance Dome is scoring a revamp. You'll also be able to enjoy a wellness program featuring meditation, saunas and cold plunges, for relaxing between sets. Beyond the Valley 2025 Lineup Dom Dolla Addison Rae Kid Cudi Turnstile Spacey Jane I Hate Models KETTAMA Chris Stussy Ben Böhmer The Temper Trap Luude JoJo 070 Shake DJ HEARTSTRING VTSS Patrick Mason SWIM Prospa Josh Baker NOTION Pegassi Cassian Channel Tres Mallrat Balu Brigada Fcukers glaive Jazzy ZULAN sim0ne TEED Bad Boombox b2b mischluft Clouds bullet tooth KILIMANJARO Narciss not without friends Juicy Romance Ollie Lishman Chromeo (DJ set) RONA. Bella Claxton DICE Jane Remover Julia Wolf Young Franco Kaiit Miss Kaninna 49th & Main Dombresky BL3SS Torren Foot B2B Airwolf Paradise ATRIP Linska CYRIL HoneyLuv Larissa Lambert Inside Kru Tyson O'Brien SYREETA TV Rock Willo Sex Mask BOY SODA The Tullamarines EGOISM Chloe Parché Brent Honey Emma Moon Morphena MAD.DAY Mell Hall Tina Disco Séarlait House Mum B2B Haus of Ralph Loosie Grind Afrodisiac B2B Baby G Cooper Smith Mon Franco Bertie Shanti The Lounge Room hosted by Kat Sasso 200 Plus Ash McGregor Ball Magnets Club Elevate David The Medium Esmé Louise James Sez Undiagnosed Anthony Teach Us Consent Beyond The Valley runs from Sunday, December 28, 2025–Thursday, January 1, 2026 at Barunah Plains, Wentworths Road, Hesse, Victoria. Ticket presale registrations are open now, with festival presales from 11am on Thursday, August 28, 2025. General sales kick off at 12pm AEST on Friday, August 29, 2o25. For more information, head to the fest's website. Beyond The Valley images: Lady Drewniak, Ashlea Caygill, Kelsey Zafiridies.
Barunah Plains is nowhere near the Gold Coast, but a taste of the Glitter Strip will hit Hesse in Victoria to farewell 2024 and welcome in 2025. Beyond The Valley is back for another massive end-of-year party, with the music festival giving former pro surfer-turned-DJ Fisher — a Grammy-nominee for 'Losing It', too — its top slot. With multiple days to fill, taking place across Saturday, December 28, 2024–Wednesday, January 1, 2025, Beyond The Valley goes big with its lineups. This year's just-dropped full roster pinballs between nations, music genres and eras, resulting in a bill where Ice Spice sits alongside Tinashe, Sugababes and Natasha Bedingfield — and Chase & Status, Marlon Hoffstadt, Royel Otis, Sammy Virji, AJ Tracey and Denis Sulta, too. Just from those names alone — and there's plenty more — that gives festivalgoers 'Munch (Feelin' U)', 'Nasty', 'Push the Button', 'These Words', 'Backbone', 'Call Me', new versions of 'Murder on the Dancefloor' and 'Linger', 'If You Need It', 'Bringing It Back' and 'World of Flies' to look forward to. Also on the lineup: Confidence Man, BARKAA, Teenage Dads, NEIL FRANCES, Lola Young, Ghetts and The Rions, as well as Kita Alexander, The Grogans, Billie Marten, The Terrys and Sycco. And yes, the list still goes on from there. After supporting Fred again..'s whirlwind Australian tour earlier in 2024, JOY (Anonymous) is on the electronic side of the bill, alongside everyone from horsegiirL, KI/KI, DJ BORING, SG Lewis and Tinlicker through to Ben Hemsley, Avalon Emerson, Sam Alfred, Sally C, LB aka Labat, Chloé Caillet, and Flowdan & Neffa-T. Music is the main focus of and drawcard at Beyond The Valley, but this fest knows that tunes aren't all that its punters listen to — and that dancing to them isn't the only way to have a blast. First, enter the dedicated podcast stage, this time with Dan Does Footy, It's Layered, The Hook Up, No Hard Feelings and The Psychology of Your 20s getting chatting. Next, there'll also be drag bingo with Poof Doof, hidden parties popping up and swimming pools for a summer splash. The fest is also aiming to give back via donating $1 from each ticket to Igniting Change and offsetting emissions via Treecreds. Beyond the Valley 2024 Lineup: Fisher Ice Spice Chase & Status Marlon Hoffstadt Tinashe Royel Otis Sammy Virji Sugababes AJ Tracey Denis Sulta Natasha Bedingfield horsegiirL Confidence Man Teenage Dads KI/KI DJ BORING SG Lewis JOY (Anonymous) Tinlicker (DJ set) Ben Hemsley NEIL FRANCES Lola Young Ghetts Flowdan & Neffa-T Avalon Emerson The Rions BARKAA Kita Alexander The Grogans The Terrys Sycco Malugi Sam Alfred Hannah Laing Girls Don't Sync Oden & Fatzo (live) Fish56Octagon Sally C LB aka LABAT Franck Chloé Caillet Odd Mob Anna Lunoe Billie Marten Nick Ward Jersey Sarah Story Luke Alessi Nina Las Vegas Half Queen MESSIE Vv Pete Laura King Little Fritter Jimi The Kween Djanaba tiffi Ollie Lishman WOLTERS Marli Ned Bennett Stev Zar Denim Liz Cambage Jewel Owusu SOVBLKPSSY DIJOK Kimboclat Eva Brown Suga Princess Podcast stage: The Hook Up Dan Does Footy It's Layered Luke & Sassy Scott No Hard Feelings The Psychology of Your 20s Beyond The Valley will run from Saturday, December 28, 2024–Wednesday, January 1, 2025 at Barunah Plains, Wentworths Road, Hesse, Victoria. Ticket presale registrations are open now, closing at 3pm AEST on Tuesday, August 27 — with festival presales from 6pm on Wednesday, August 28. General sales kick off at 12pm AEST on Thursday, August 29. For more information, head to the fest's website. Beyond The Valley images: Alex Drewniak, Mitch Lowe, Duncographic, Ash Caygill, Josh Bainbridge, Chloe Hall.
It's been more than a year since Five Guys, the burger joint with more than 1600 stores to its name across America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, first announced the news that folks Down Under had been waiting to hear. When the popular US-based chain revealed that it was finally launching stores in Australia and New Zealand, it sparked a lot of rumbling stomachs — and, from Monday, September 20, it's following through. That's when Five Guys will open its first Aussie outpost, which'll start serving up burgers, fries, hotdogs, sandwiches and shakes in Penrith. As already announced earlier in 2021, Sydney is the first place Down Under to taste the chain's wares. Due to the city's ongoing lockdown, however, it'll only be open for takeaway for the time being. Live within five kilometres of 123 Mulgoa Road — or within the same Local Government Area, depending on the restrictions in your part of town? Then you'll be able to head in to grab a bite to bring home with you. The temporary pivot to only doing takeaway orders is actually Five Guys' second big pandemic-inspired change. Initially, the brand was set to open its debut store Down Under in Sydney's CBD, but it switched to Penrith due to COVID-19. Overseas, Five Guys has amassed quite the reputation. Even given the number of big-name US burger chains with hefty followings, such as Shake Shack and In-N-Out, it stands out. If you're wondering why, the fact that its made-to-order burgers skew in the classic rather than oversized, jam-packed direction is one good reason. These burgs come with two hand-formed patties on toasted buns, with your choice of free toppings (including pickles, grilled mushrooms and jalapeños). Five Guys also does bacon cheeseburgers that add two strips of bacon and two slices of Kraft American cheese as well. Prefer hotdogs, sandwiches (in veggie, cheese or BLT varieties), hand-cut fries (with or without Cajun spices) and vanilla milkshakes? They're all on the menu as well. Don't go thinking that the latter are boring, though — you can add bacon, bananas, peanut butter, salted caramel and even Oreo pieces to your design-your-own beverage. The cult-favourite chain makes the leap to Australia and New Zealand as part of a master franchise agreement with Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group, aka the folks behind The Meat & Wine Co, Hunter & Barrel, 6 Head, Ribs & Burgers, Italian Street Kitchen and Butcher and the Farmer. Five Guys started back in 1986 in the Washington, DC area and, as anyone with allergies should note, only cooks its fries in peanut oil. Around 20 stores are due to launch in Australia, plus more in NZ — although exactly where else and when Five Guys will be popping up is yet to be revealed. In Sydney, additional sites are currently under consideration, including in the CBD around Circular Quay, Darling Harbour and Broadway. Find Five Guys' first Australian store at 123 Mulgoa Road, Penrith from Monday, September 20 — open from 11am–10pm daily. More eateries in other Australian states — and in New Zealand — are set to follow; we'll update you when more information comes to hand.
It might be a movie about a faux romance, but Anyone But You hasn't faked its setting. In the upcoming rom-com, which has a date with cinemas on Boxing Day, Sydney Sweeney (Reality) and Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick) play a couple pretending that they're in love — but as most of the just-dropped full trailer shows, there's no shams about the Sydney location. When Sweeney was in Sydney at a Sydney Swans game earlier in 2023, it wasn't just because she was playing the Sydney version of Pokémon and catching them all. Rather, the Euphoria and The White Lotus star was filming this movie. And, from both the first teaser and the latest sneak peek, this film clearly falls into a specific category of Aussie-made flicks: pictures shot Down Under that can't stop reminding viewers that they were made Down Under (see also: fellow future release The Fall Guy, which will arrive in 2024). [caption id="attachment_926799" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney star in ANYONE BUT YOU.[/caption] Multiple shots of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House feature heavily amid the banter-heavy glimpses at Anyone But You's stars. In fact, the Opera House even shows up in the background as Bea and Ben are having a Titanic moment on a boat. Anyone But You's setup: Sweeney's Bea had a great first date with Powell's Ben; however, then everything turned sour. Now they're at the same destination wedding and pretence becomes their solution. Anyone But You is directed and co-written by Will Gluck, who has both Easy A and Friends with Benefits on his resume, then the vastly dissimilar Annie and the two Peter Rabbit movies. On-screen, as well as Sweeney, Powell and a whole lot of Sydney — the city — Alexandra Shipp (Barbie), GaTa (Dave), Dermot Mulroney (Secret Invasion), Bryan Brown (C*A*U*G*H*T) and Rachel Griffiths (Total Control) also feature. Check out the full trailer for Anyone But You below: Anyone But You opens in cinemas Down Under on December 26, 2023.
In Talk to Me, grasping perhaps the creepiest hand you'll ever see meant messing with the dead, bringing the souls of those who've passed swooping in. After their feature debut became a huge hit, Australian filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou aren't done with hauntings yet. In the just-dropped full trailer for Bring Her Back, their sophomore movie, "some people believe the spirit stays in the body for months after death", a foster mother played by Sally Hawkins (Wonka) advises. The directors, who started out their careers behind the camera as YouTubers RackaRacka, aren't done with nightmarish vibes yet, either. When these Adelaide-born twins unveiled Talk to Me in 2023, a new Aussie horror sensation took the genre, and the world, by the mitt to share its entertainingly eerie energy. The duo behind it also became one of the hottest new things in scary flicks. Two years later, the Philippous are returning to conjure up more chills — and show again, even just based on Bring Her Back's teaser trailer and full sneak peek, how expertly they can whip up an unnerving mood. After Talk to Me's huge success, including for cult-favourite distributor A24, sequel Talk 2 Me was quickly greenlit; however, Bring Her Back will be in cinemas first. Its Down Under release date: Thursday, May 29, 2025. Horror? Tick. A24 onboard? Tick again. Dancing with the dead once more? That seems to be the case as well. Here, Hawkins has a brother and sister in her care, but they find more than just a new parent in her home. Cue petrifying rituals, plus grief, death, coffins, blood, strange circles, a creepy kid, shaky home-video footage and a whole lot of creaking. Among the cast, cue also Billy Barratt (Kraven the Hunter), Jonah Wren Phillips (How to Make Gravy) and film first-timer Sora Wong in the Australian-made picture. A24 went all-in on the Philippous after picking up Talk to Me in a Sundance Film Festival bidding war, when global attention started being showered upon the Aussie flick about shaking hands with an embalmed palm, feeling the rush while being haunted, having your mates watch and film it, and dealing with the spooky consequences. Danny and Michael made their feature directorial debut after racking up a huge following with RackaRacka's viral videos, and via behind-the-scenes work on Australian films such as The Babadook. Their first flick feature proved a big box-office success, taking in US$10 million on its opening weekend in America alone, which placed it second among A24's films after Hereditary. Across its big-screen run, it clawed its way up to second on the company's all-time worldwide list, after Everything Everywhere All At Once and Civil War. And, at the 2024 AACTA Awards, Talk to Me took home eight accolades, including Best Film of 2023, plus Best Director. Check out the full trailer for Bring Her Back below: Bring Her Back releases in Australian cinemas on Thursday, May 29, 2025. Read our review of Talk to Me, and our interview with Danny Philippou.
Brisbane might be tussling with a chillier-than-usual winter in 2022, but that doesn't mean that you should hide away indoors until spring hits. There's still plenty of ace outdoor events tempting folks outside — and listening to jazz for two days by the river is definitely among them. Make a date with Jazz on the Green at Southbank Parklands between Friday, July 29–Saturday, July 30, and you'll be in for plenty of live music — all for free, too. Running from 2–7.30pm on the Friday and 11am–7.30pm on the Saturday, this fest will pair cruisy tunes with a killer view, all on the Riverside Green. Brisbane Jazz Club is taking care of the music, with Emma Pask, Franky Smart, Victor Martinez, Bowery Hot Five, Shannon Marshall and Darren Percival among the acts taking to the stage. You can BYO snacks — or, thanks to South Bank's eateries, there's more than a few food and drink deals on offer. Olé Restaurant is doing prawn, chicken, calamari and chorizo paella for $12 per dish, as well as patatas bravas for $10, plus red wine sangria, mulled vino and cider for $12 a cup. Over at Vici Italian, you can pick up truffle arancini for $8, pick between beef meatballs and lasagne for $12 each, and grab spiked hot chocolates and negronis $12 per cup. And, Hop & Pickle is doing $12 cocktails as well, including warm buttered rum, mulled cider, mocha stouts and espresso porters.
It isn't every day that Australia busts out a pop-metal tune to compete on the world stage. No, just at Eurovision 2023. Apologies to whatever's been getting a workout on your playlist over the past few weeks, but May is here, which means that Eurovision is here. And, so are a whole bunch of synth-heavy Europop tunes — plus that Aussie riff on a on Europop tune — that'll worm their way into your head. This is Christmas for pop songs belted out competitively in a glitzy ceremony filled with eye-catching outfits, with the the 67th Eurovision Song Contest kicking off at 5am AEST on Wednesday, May 10. Doing the honours for Australia, starting in the second semi final at 5am AEST on Friday, May 12, is Perth synth-metal band Voyager. Their track: earworm 'Promise', which'll have "it's gonna be alright" lodged in plenty of brains from the moment that the band take to the stage. For newcomers, Eurovision started back in 1956 as a competition between a mere seven nations. Now, more than six decades later, it's a glitter-strewn and spandex-fuelled global musical phenomenon. Thirty-seven countries not only in Europe but from elsewhere will compete in 2023 — hello Australia — and viewers tune in en masse to watch, sing along and add new pop tunes to their queues. This year's host city is Liverpool in the United Kingdom, in a break from Eurovision tradition. The song contest usually unleashes each year's contenders in the country responsible for the past year's winner — and in 2022, Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra won for 'Stefania'. But due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, Eurovision will be held in the UK for the first time in a quarter-century. Thanks to duo TVORCHI, a huge hit on their homegrown charts, Ukraine will still defend its title with the song 'Heart of Steel'. Australians keen to tune in will be directing their eyeballs to SBS, with the broadcaster's usual annual celebration of all things Europop returning for another round. 2023 marks 40 years of the network showing Eurovision, in fact. When Voyager play their track, they'll be up against performers from 15 other countries, including Brunette from Armenia, Belgium's Gustaph, Diljá from Iceland, Joker Out from Slovenia, and Austria's Teya & Salena. Also in the same show: Aussie Andrew Lambrou, who is competing for Cyprus, his parents' homeland, with 'Break a Broken Heart'. If Voyager makes their way through to the grand final — with only 21 acts making the cut, and France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Ukraine automatically guaranteed spots — you'll also want to get up early on Sunday, May 14. Or, even if they don't, that's when this year's winner will be anointed. Of course, for those who can't tear themselves out of bed before it's light and can somehow manage to avoid the internet and social media, both semis and the grand final will also screen in primetime on the same dates. Wondering who Voyager are? And why you didn't get a say in their Eurovision selection? Unlike past years, there was no Eurovision — Australia Decides event and public vote to choose who'd score the Aussie berth; however, the five-piece band featuring Danny Estrin on vocals and keytar, Simone Dow and Scott Kay on guitar, Alex Vanion on bass and Ash Doodkorte on drums has been vying to represent the country since 2015. In 2022's Australian vote, they came in second to Sheldon Riley, who took the country to 15th spot in last year's Eurovision grand final. Now that it's time to watch along, SBS' usual local hosts Myf Warhurst and Joel Creasey are once again overseeing the Australian coverage. And if you can't decide whether to beat the sun or wait and host a party at sensible hour, it's worth remembering that Australians can indeed vote for Eurovision, but only until around 15 minutes after the last song is performed in each live semi-final broadcast and about 40 minutes after the last track ends in the grand final. In a big change to past years, voting is open to everyone in all finals — whether you're from a country participating in that final or not — and the artists who get through from the two semi finals to the grand final will be solely chosen by the audience at home. Still remaining the same: the rule that says Australians can't actually vote for Voyager, because no one can vote for the country they represent. EUROVISION 2023 BROADCASTS: LIVE BROADCASTS: Semi final one: 5am AEST on Wednesday, May 10 on SBS and SBS on Demand Semi final two: 5am AEST on Friday, May 12 on SBS and SBS on Demand — featuring Voyager Grand final: 5am AEST on Sunday, May 14 on SBS and SBS on Demand STREAMING REPLAYS: Semi final one: 12pm AEST on Wednesday, May 10 on SBS on Demand Semi final two: 12pm AEST on Friday, May 12 on SBS on Demand — featuring Voyager Grand final: 3pm AEST on Sunday, May 14 on SBS on Demand TV REPLAYS: Semi final one: 7.30pm AEST on Friday, May 12 on SBS Semi final two: 7.30pm AEST on Saturday, May 13 on SBS — featuring Voyager Grand final: 7.30pm AEST on Sunday, May 14 on SBS SBS' Eurovision 2023 coverage runs from Wednesday, May 10–Sunday, May 14. For more information, head to the broadcaster's website. Images: Sarah Louise Bennett / Corinne Cumming.
Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art started 2023 by musing on air, with floating mirrored spheres, volcanic mounds, and dances between light and darkness to help. When the year comes to an end, it'll turn its attention to fairy tales, complete with twisted woodlands taking over the South Bank venue. In-between, GOMA is shining a spotlight on two Australian artists, Michael Zavros and eX de Medici, in a pair of exhibitions that feature everything from cars to blood swabs. eX de Medici: Beautiful Wickedness runs from Saturday, June 24–Monday, October 2, and is responsible for GOMA getting bloody. That's thanks to one of the Canberra-based artist and tattooist's early pieces, The Blood of Others, which features samples from eX de Medici's tattoo clients back in the 90s. In Beautiful Wickedness, the gallery harks back even further — four decades, in fact — to chart eX de Medici's ongoing exploration of life's fragility, death, greed, power, conflict and more. This is the most extensive retrospective to-date on the artist, spanning more than 100 works. Here, visitors can peer at watercolours; intricate botanical studies; ample works featuring flowers and skulls; large pieces that feature moths and weapons, and explore war's pointlessness; and even a bridal gown that takes its cues from Julie Andrews' dress in The Sound of Music. Images: installation views of Michael Zavros: The Favourite and eX de Medici: Beautiful Wickedness, Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, 2023. © Michael Zavros and eX de Medici / Photographs: Joe Ruckli © QAGOMA.
In as much as anyone can be one, Janette Sadik-Khan is an urban development rockstar. Spearheading the re-design of both New York City's transport system and the world-renowned Times Square public space, she is a global leader in her field. And, in speaking at this year's Velo-City conference in Adelaide, Sadik-Khan has offered some advice for Australian cities. Namely, our streets should be more like "living rooms" and — surprise, surprise — we definitely need better bike lanes. With six years under her belt as the Transportation Commissioner of New York City, this lady knows exactly what she's talking about. "Our streets are where we play and meet, kind of like the living rooms of New York," she told the crowd at Velo-City this week. Fighting a war against congestion, Sadik-Khan endeavoured to make New York's public spaces accessible for all — walkers, cyclists, drivers and those relying on public transport. In one of her biggest projects, last year she transformed Times Square into a communal pedestrian space with hundreds of fold-out chairs. It proved to be a huge win for businesses as well as the local community, and in fact shot the area into the top ten retail spaces in the world for the first time ever. In her trip down under, Sadik-Khan has praised cities such as Sydney, Adelaide and Auckland, stating that they seem to have a great deal of leadership at the local level. In fact in just this last week, Sydney has announced a new speed limit for their CBD in order to limit pedestrian accidents, and Melbourne City Council is considering the closure of many main streets in favour of an innovative new walking plan. However, the area all cities are lacking in is undoubtedly their facilities for cyclists. Sadik-Khan claims we must invest in better bike lanes and sustainable bike-share programs. Though many of our major cities have such programs in place, they're understandably not functioning as well as they could. With car doorings a regular occurrence, and animosity towards cyclists at an all-time high, it's clear more can be done. Of course, New York is far from the perfect example. I personally would be terrified to ride my bike through the main city streets and I don't think the local cabbies would be happy to share the road with me either. But it's undoubtedly a beacon of hope. With your feet up on a deck chair in the middle of an NYC icon, you can't help but think something's gone right. Via ABC. Photo credit: hadsie via photopin cc and cuellar via photopin cc.
With its ten-day feast of art, music and performances, heading to Launceston's Mona Foma can feel a little like wandering through a labyrinth. The first of MONA's annual arts festivals, the now 12-year-old event guides punters in one direction, then nudges them in another, thoroughly spoiling attendees for choice — which is what you'd expect of a fest that features more than 400 artists across 25 venues. When it returns in 2020, taking place between Saturday, January 11 and Monday, January 20, Mona Foma is taking that maze-like feeling literally. One of its headliners is the latest project by Nottingham's Architects of Air — who just popped up in Melbourne and will now be unleashing a giant, colourful, light-filled inflatable playground called Daedalum Luminarium on Tasmania. It'll turn the banks of the Tamar River into an interconnected series of caves and caverns with 19 egg-shaped domes, all inspired by the Roman Pantheon and taking their cues from mythology — and an accompanying soundscape created by Midnight Oil's Jim Moginie. [caption id="attachment_746633" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Orville Peck. Image courtesy of the artist and Mona Foma[/caption] There are plenty of other highlights on the program to lose yourself in, too. Chief among them is the music lineup, which is led by Slovenian industrial popsters Laibach, who'll perform their take on The Sound of Music (yes, really). If a masked cowboy crooner is your thing (and isn't it everyone's?), Orville Peck will be singing tunes of heartbreak and revenge from his debut album, Pony. They'll both be joined by Italian pianist Ludovico Einaudi and his ivory-tickling tunes, Flying Lotus 3D's blend of jazz-funk, hip hop and eye-popping visuals, plus Mona Foma mainstay Amanda Palmer, who'll ask Launceston's ladies to share their thoughts and fears, then turn their answers into a new piece of music. Elsewhere, Mona Foma-goers can bounce around to the Japanese girl power stylings of Chai, and hear Paul Kelly perform with composer James Ledger, singer Alice Keath and the Seraphim Trio. And, in the type of show we're betting you haven't seen before, Berlin-based Holly Herndon is performing with her self-designed, artificially intelligent 'baby' called Spawn. [caption id="attachment_746634" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] MONA/Rémi Chauvin. Image courtesy of the artist and MONA Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia[/caption] Keen to keep listening? Sound artist Akio Suzuki wants you to do just that, creating an immersive sound walk that's inspired by — and will take you around — Launceston. And while you're on your feet, follow them to huge puppet show King Ubu, which'll stage a version of Alfred Jarry's 19th-century French satire Ubu Roi in the famed Cataract Gorge with giant puppets. Among the other standouts, MESS and Soma Lumia's Hypnos Cave re-imagines existing Launceston attraction The Dark Ride — with lasers, video art, lights and a synth soundtrack adding an extra layer to the watery, convict era-inspired barge trip. You can also head along to The Centre, a collection of choreographed works inspired by after-school sport (complete with snacks), or ponder how sweat and even dead skin could play a role in futuristic fashion with designers Alice Potts and Tarryn Handcock. Laughing like kookaburras, enjoying Indigenous Australian art out of the city, watching movies about artists and hearing electronic beats inspired by the ancient music of the Japanese royal court — that's all on the bill, too. As is Mona Foma's beloved after-hours party Faux Mo: Working 9 to 5 (which'll run from 9pm–5am, naturally, and include breakfast at 4am). Mona Foma runs from January 11–20, 2020, in Launceston, Tasmania. For more information or to grab tickets from 10am AEDT on Monday, October 21, head to mofo.net.au. Top image: 'Daedalum' by Architects of Air (UK). Image courtesy of the artist/studio and Mona Foma.
Cinema lovers of Brisbane, if you've been hanging out to see some of the past year's most significant international, art and experimental movies, your wait is about to come to an end. While the latest iteration of the city's annual major film festival, the Brisbane International Film Festival, won't return until October and and November, a new Brisbane film society is about to start screening flicks that've wowed overseas fests every fortnight. Meet Container, which'll welcome in cinephiles every second Tuesday from July 12. Generally screening at the CBD's Elizabeth Picture Theatre — with potential jaunts elsewhere to screen 3D, 35-millimetre and other film formats — it's a curated program delivered in single-screening servings. As well as offering an alternative to the usual festival rush, where cramming in as many movies as your eyes and body can handle is always the name of the game, it's giving Brisbane a fortnightly substitute for the standard multiplex and arthouse programming. On the bill: primarily movies that aren't likely to screen in Brisbane cinemas otherwise, spanning everything from acclaimed titles from festivals such Cannes, Venice and Berlin through to experimental showcases and live expanded cinema performances. The program kicks off with Peter Strickland's Flux Gourmet, the latest from the inimitable Berberian Sound Studio, The Duke of Burgundy and In Fabric filmmaker, and will also include Joana Pimenta and Adirley Queirós' Dry Ground Burning, Rhayne Vermette's Ste. Anne, Lucile Hadžihalilović's Earwig, João Pedro Rodrigues' Will o the Wisp and Gasper Noé's Lux Æterna before the end of September. If you're a Brisbane-based movie buff, you'll know the type of flicks that Container will be showcasing — aka the kinds of festival fare that, if BIFF doesn't screen them, don't enjoy a local big-screen showing. If that idea sounds familiar, that's because Container has taken a few cues from Victoria's long-running Melbourne Cinematheque. Also, it's guided by the same idea behind Queensland Film Festival, albeit via an annual film fest rather than a year-round lineup. Brissie film fans with decent memories will recall that when Brisbane's film festival scene found itself lacking a place for such movies back when BIFF was temporarily replaced by the Brisbane Asia Pacific Film Festival in 2014, QFF arrived to fill that gap. Now, the latter has spawned Container, which has been dubbed QFF's cousin. Behind both is curator and programmer John Edmond, Container's director. "We are delighted to reveal our plans for Container and its initial lineup," said Edmond. "Strong support, particularly from The Elizabeth Picture House, New Farm Cinemas, as well as conversations and feedback from our city's cinephiles, art and movie lovers, have helped make this society happen." "What we heard from people was a desire to see amazing and important films that they would otherwise not be able to see, and in a way that would help create a community through regular catchups," Edmond continued. "It also allows people to see new festival-circuit films without the crush and mad rush of watching innumerous films at a festival. Container also has Michelangelo Frammartino's Il Buco, Qiu Jiongjiong's A New Old Play, Albert Serra's Pacifiction and Ben Rivers' Urthworks on its upcoming list, plus Thai Memoria director Apichatpong Weerasethakul as well. "With our programming and curation, we wanted to do three things. We wanted to show the breadth of film happening now. We wanted to present striking and singular films that let you know why they stand out. And we wanted to respect Brisbane and our audience's intelligence; to not be cynical or second guess the public but use our knowledge and research to present important films being talked about," Edmond advised. Entry is via membership, either paying for six- ($60 full/$30 concession) or 12-month ($100/$50) access in advance. Plus, there's also a $250 solidarity membership, which includes three single-use guest passes as well, and helps Container make its screenings more available to the rest of the community. Container: Brisbane Film Society kicks off its monthly screenings at 7pm on Tuesday, July 12 at The Elizabeth Picture Theatre, and will run fortnightly afterwards. For more information or to join, head to the Container website.
