Located in West End, The Hold Artspace ‘aims to foster innovative and critical practice amongst early and mid-career artists’. With that in mind, The Hold presents First Light, a first look, so to speak, of some of the next wave of Australian artists. The works on show are from twenty-six students from the Queensland College of Art, this exhibition represents one of their first forays into the art world in an exhibition dedicated to showcasing their budding talent. The exhibition itself is varied, with no set theme aside from the brief description that the works will ‘explore a range of topics through contemporary photographic art practice’. Although this might not give much away, rest assured that each piece will resonate with youthful vibrancy and the talent will be on par with most professional level exhibitions. The student artists on display are as follows: Sam Adams Alice Alderman Jaala Alex Jacqueline Bawtree Jessica Bell Cherie Blyth Anna Birkett Jess Collins Helen Corr Lesley Denny Melissa Doolan Zara Duffy Katelyn-Jane Dunn Andrew Ellery Anna Gee Adam Michael Green Oliver Hew Gareth Manson Ashleigh May Jeorgia McManus Chelsea Miller Kelly Morgan Chris Taylor Adam Thomas Eva Turek-Jewes Peter Ward The opening night is this Wednesday and the exhibition will wrap up on the 9th of June.
You total high tea fiends. You spoon-wielding dessert hunters. You long-dedicated market stall hunters. Here's what you clicked, perused and ate with your eyes on Concrete Playground this year, the most popular articles of 2014. Needless to say, you're a hungry bunch with good taste, on an unrelenting quest for the perfect cup. 10. The Ten Best Milkshakes in Brisbane 9. The Ten Best Bookstores in Brisbane 8. The Ten Best Beaches Near Brisbane 7. The Ten Best Vintage Homewares Stores in Brisbane 6. The Five Best Dessert Spots in Brisbane 5. National Young Writers' Festival Announce 2014 Program 4. The Five Best Italian Restaurants in Brisbane 3. The Seven Best High Teas in Brisbane 2. The Ten Best Coffee Spots in Brisbane 1. The Ten Best Markets in Brisbane
Everyone's favourite keyboard playing, Irish comedian is in Brisbane to perform his show, David O'Doherty Will Try to Fix Everything. O'Doherty has had a pretty successful run as a comedian. After working in telemarketing, he made his first bold steps into the world of all things funny at the Dublin's Comedy Cellar in 1998. He has performed across the globe, yet has a special place in the hearts of Aussie's. He has performed sell-out gigs in Melbourne, Montreal, New York City and Wellington. He has also joined top comedians on tour such as The Flight of the Conchords, Rich Hall and Demetri Martin to deliver serves of piping hot funny. If you're new to O'Doherty's musical performances, check this clip out of one of his classics, 'Text Song'. Expect the unexpected and prepare for a night of belly laughs at the Powerhouse this Thursday night.
Our team of explorers has created an exclusive Queenstown travel experience for Concrete Playground Trips – and for this one we have well and truly pulled out all the stops. The lineup includes a world-first scenic flight, gin tastings at New Zealand's leading distilleries, a world-renowned Onsen experience with views like no other, and a stay at one of Queenstown's leading boutique hotels by Lake Wakatipu. This Concrete Playground Trips package gives you VIP access to some of Queenstown's very best offerings without the hassle of organising it all yourselves. All you and your mates need to do is book your flights there and back — we've got the rest sorted. Scroll down to get the details before you book here. HELI GIN TOUR Forget touring around wine regions by bus — been there, done that. Instead, fly from gin distillery to gin distillery by helicopter, all while taking in the insanely beautiful sites of New Zealand's Crown Range. This is a world-first experience that you have to try. Once you touch down, the tour guide-meets-gin aficionado will take you to a unique cellar door and distillery serving up some of New Zealand's finest gin. You'll hit three seperate gin spots during this tour, tasting a variety of gins and learning more about how this nectar of the gods is made. You'll also feed on a smorgasbord of seasonal bites throughout your six-hour expedition so there's no need for BYO snacks. ONSEN POOL EXPERIENCE After a big day of gin tasting and flying around Queenstown, you'll need to spend another day dedicated to relaxation. Cue this luxury spa experience. You'll be picked up from your hotel and taken to the world-renowned Onsen retreat. Plunge into your private cedar-lined hot pool overlooking the surrounding mountain ranges and let the rest of the world drift away. It's the pure escapism that you deserve. THE ACCOMMODATION The Concrete Playground Trips package includes three nights at the five-star QT Queenstown hotel in the plush Alpine King Room. QT hotels are known for their high-end finishes as well as their focus on art and design. And this Queenstown version lives up to the hype. Each room is full of artwork (paintings, sculptures and more), alongside simple but bold furnishings. Everything is just that bit extra. You're also located close to town — you can easily explore the rest of Queenstown in between the pre-planned experiences. A daily full breakfast for two is also included at the hotel, so you're all fuelled up for a day of exploring. Book tickets now by visiting Concrete Playground Trips.
There's something special about Thursday evenings. Most of the nine-to-five grind is behind you, only one sleep awaits till the weekend and the buzz has already started to grow. That's exactly why jazz nights keep popping up to help see out the working week, getting you into the swing of things early — and making waiting for clock-off time on Friday that tad more bearable. Brisbane's latest Thursday night jazz night comes courtesy of the Hibiscus Room, aka the retro-inspired rooftop and poolside restaurant and bar that opened in the CBD — overlooking the Queen Street mall, no less — in late 2021. From Thursday, March 10 until the end of the month, it's putting on live tunes from 6.30pm every Thursday. You'll be tapping your toes to the Hibiscus Room Resident Trio and their jazz, bossa nova and funk sounds, with Sherman W Jones III, Andrew Shaw and Brendan St Ledger doing the honours. Entry is free, the music runs till 8pm, and the usual menu applies; think: hazelnut espresso martinis, crispy scotch eggs and black forest trifle. [caption id="attachment_836428" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mitch Lowe[/caption]
After months of discussion and debate, Queensland is reopening its border from Friday, July 10, allowing residents from all Australian states and territories other than Victoria to enter the state for the first time since March. But anyone hoping for a quick trip over the border — whether you're holidaying up north or heading home to the Sunshine State — should expect plenty of company. In fact, more than 200,000 Aussies are planning to make the trek in the next seven days alone. At a press conference today, Thursday, July 9, Queensland's Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young advised that the state has already received 238,000 applications for border declaration passes — the permits that anyone entering Queensland from interstate, including Queenslanders returning home, are required to obtain before they'll be allowed across the border. The passes only permit entry into the state within seven days from approval, which means that a hefty amount of people are planning to make the trek within the next week. As Dr Young notes, "that is a lot of people — so that will mean that we'll see congestion and delays". The huge figure was revealed as Queensland announced significant changes to its border policies, including increasing restrictions on travellers who've been to Victoria in the past 14 days. While, since Friday, July 3, Queensland has required anyone travelling from Victoria, including Queenslanders, to go into forced quarantine for 14 days — in a hotel, at your own expense — it'll now completely ban visitors from Victoria from noon on Friday, July 10, including from both accessing the state and quarantining in the state. Exemptions will be given "for essential specialist workers, as well as for health, legal or compassionate grounds", but Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk advises that "very few exemptions will be granted". Although Queenslanders returning to the state from Victoria will still be able to come home, they'll continue to be required to go into forced quarantine for 14 days, in a hotel, and pay for the costs. https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1281002263457132545 Queensland also revealed that it's implementing new requirements for interstate visitors who develop COVID-19 symptoms while in the state. As announced by Deputy Premier and Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Steven Miles, anyone entering Queensland will be required to get tested if they show any signs of the coronavirus within 14 days of arriving in the state — and, to commit to that requirement, you'll have to make a binding declaration to get tested when you apply online for your border pass. Mobile testing clinics will be set up at popular tourist destinations to help travellers get tested — and anyone who refuses testing will face a $4004 fine. The testing requirement will also apply to Queenslanders returning to Queensland, with folks in both categories receiving text messages from Queensland Health to ask if they have developed symptoms and remind them that they must get tested. At the time of the announcement — and at the time of writing this article — Queensland only has two active cases of COVID-19 in the state. To find out more about Queensland's COVID-19 restrictions, and the status of the coronavirus in the state, visit Queensland's online COVID-19 hub. 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. Top image: Tourism and Events Queensland.
Thanks to the pandemic, it's felt like years and years since Australia scored itself a huge new music festival featuring overseas headliners that took its lineup around the country. Thankfully, that big gap is about to come to an end via Summer Camp, the country's newest pride festival — and only touring pride fest, in fact. And yes, the fact that Years & Years will lead the bill really couldn't be more fitting. Years & Years, aka British singer and actor Olly Alexander (It's a Sin), will headline the new fest's stopovers in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth in late February and early March next year, all as part of Summer Camp's four-city tour of the country. The event will also head to Darwin, where the lineup will be led by New Orleans' Big Freedia — who'll play every stop of the tour, in fact. Also on the bill: The Veronicas, Cub Sport and Confidence Man from the local contingent, plus Ladyhawke and Jess B from New Zealand. More acts are set to be announced; however, Kinder, Sycco, The Merindas, Halfqueen, Jawbreakers, Yo Mafia and Art Simone will also be taking to the stage. Summer Camp will tick a lot of firsts: not only is it Australia's first touring pride festival and the first fest in the southern hemisphere to welcome back international headliners, but it'll be the biggest ticketed LGBTQIA+ music festival in the southern hemisphere as well. In addition to live tunes from all of the above across two stages, the festival will feature dance, performance art and art installations, as well as food and beverage offerings. More than 200 artists will be involved all up, including over 150 DJs, drag queens, dancers and performance artists in each city. Given the name, it's clear what kind of vibe that festival founders Kat Dopper (creator of Heaps Gay) and Grant Gillies and David Gillett (creators of Red Mgmt, and former Sydney Mardi Gras marketing and international talent managers) are going for. So, expect a cruisy summer camp-meets-arts and music playground-type atmosphere that's also all about inclusivity and supporting young diverse artists. SUMMER CAMP FESTIVAL 2022 AUSTRALIAN DATES: Saturday, February 26 — Darwin Showgrounds Sunday, February 27 — Centennial Parklands, Sydney Sunday, March 6 — Reunion Park, Melbourne Monday, March 7 — The Ice Cream Factory, Perth SUMMER CAMP FESTIVAL 2022 LINEUP — FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT: Years & Years (Sydney, Melbourne and Perth only) Big Freedia The Veronicas Cub Sport Ladyhawke Confidence Man Jess B Kinder Sycco The Merindas Halfqueen Jawbreakers Yo Mafia Art Simone Summer Camp will tour Australia in February and March 2022. Pre-sale tickets are on sale from 9.40am on Tuesday, November 9, with general public on-sale starting at 10am on Tuesday, November 16. For further details or to nab tickets, head to the festival's website. Top image: Theatrepeople via Wikimedia Commons.
It was true 20 years ago and it's still true today: if you're going to take a bright, bold and utterly outlandish trip into a futuristic vision of space, you really want to take it with Luc Besson. Two decades after the French filmmaker rode a multi-pass to sci-fi space opera infamy with The Fifth Element, he's back doing what he does best. And while Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets can't quite match its cult classic predecessor, it has a vivid, energetic and involving time trying to do so. This isn't just a case of same director, same tricks, however. While there's much that looks and feels familiar about this account of intergalactic cops on an interstellar adventure, Besson is adapting one of his strongest sources of inspiration rather than simply reliving past glories. That'd be '60s French-Belgian comic Valérian et Laureline, which the writer-director first discovered as a kid, and which clearly left an imprint on his aesthetic. It also reportedly influenced the original Star Wars, though George Lucas' flicks didn't feature Rihanna as an enslaved blue blob who shape-shifts while singing and pole-dancing. More's the pity. As great as a film about the scene-stealing pop star would be, she's not the main point of focus. Instead, the decidedly human Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and his partner-in-crime Laureline (Cara Delevingne) take centre stage. He's laid-back (but still law-abiding), while she's a feistily determined risk-taker. It's the 28th century, and they're enjoying a simulated stint at the beach while they hurtle towards their next mission. But Valerian's virtual sun and sand is interrupted by a vision of a similarly scenic planet in peril. When the duo is charged with recovering a highly coveted converter that can replicate any substance en masse, they discover the link between Valerian's dream, the task at hand, and the fact that colossal space station Alpha — a meeting place for all of the galaxy's inhabitants — is under threat from unknown enemies. With Clive Owen's megalomaniacal military chief, Ethan Hawke's slimy pimp, and a vast array of extra-terrestrial lifeforms all part of the action — to say nothing of inter-dimensional shopping, psychic jellyfish, genocide, government conspiracies and repeated marriage proposals — any description of Valerian's plot is going to sound over-the-top. And for the most part, that's how it plays out on screen. That said, just as this is a story about breaking the rules in the name of peace, love and understanding, Besson shows that he too is willing to break with convention behind the camera. "Style over substance" is the usual cry when a film pairs eye-popping visuals with a scant or silly plot. But Besson wears the label like a badge of honour, gleefully demonstrating that a barely convincing narrative and nearly two hours of sci-fi spectacle can still entertain. Of course, that's often the space opera's lot. Dune, John Carter, Jupiter Ascending — they've all been there and done that in engaging (albeit divisive) fashion. It's also a genre of film that's often more concerned with appearance and atmosphere than performance, though DeHaan does a great early '90s Keanu impression (whether knowingly or not), and Delevingne proves a beguiling presence, constantly rolling her eyes. Ultimately, they're like the people you meet on holiday. You won't mind spending time with them, but you're more interested in just taking in the sights. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wbN9fPU_u0
Drinking a beverage and watching a band ranks among life's simplest pleasures. Enjoying one of hundreds of craft beers and ciders from around 50 independent brewers and cideries, while being entertained by Thundamentals, Briggs, Jesswar, Hockey Dad, Ruby Fields, Dear Seattle, Charlie Collins, BRIS182 and VOIID — now that's how you take something great and make it even better. Ensuring a good time is had by all is part of the aim of the Beer InCider Experience, which is returning for a second time in 2019. After holding a one-day fest in March, it's back for the full two-day deal on Friday, September 20 and Saturday, September 21 — and it's a same place, same ace fun kind of situation. As always, the event will showcase the best in brews and music, and throw in some delicious food and entertainment options. And, like previous fests, the tasting festival is taking over the Brisbane Showgrounds. Felons, Gage Roads, Stone and Wood, Young Henrys, Range Brewing, Burleigh Brewing, Soapbox Beer, Slipstream and Kaiju are among the breweries that'll be quenching your thirst for lagers, ales and more, plus Golden Axe, Sunshine Coast Cider and others on the cider front. Expect collaborative beverages and exclusive brews made just for the day, plus local food-slinging folks helping to line your stomach, and even a ping pong arena, a handball court, art installations and games. Yes, this truly is the ultimate in drinks-focused festivals. Tickets start from $35 and are on sale now. Images: Beer InCider.
There are very few faces as synonymous with Australian cinema as that of actor David Gulpilil. From his 1971 breakout in Nicolas Roeg's Walkabout to his recent collaborations with arthouse filmmaker Rolf de Heer, Gulpilil's career is full of unforgettable performances, many of which represent turning points for the depiction of Indigenous Australians on screen. His third and most recent film with de Heer marks the last part in a loose thematic trilogy — one that began with The Tracker in 2002 and continued with Ten Canoes four years later. But while those films dealt with Aboriginal history, Charlie's Country takes place in the present. It's also one of Gulpilil's first major film projects since his incarceration for assault in 2011; de Heer visited him in prison so they could work together on the script. It's perhaps for these two reasons in particular that the film feels so resoundingly authentic. Gulpilil's Charlie resides on an Indigenous settlement in Arnhem Land, the very same territory that his kinsmen have lived in for generations. But the truth is the land is no longer theirs. Charlie enjoys a genial relationship with the entirely white police force, yet differences in culture seem to make run-ins almost inevitable. When the cops confiscate his shotgun and destroy a lovingly made hunting spear, Charlie decides he's had enough. And so the ageing Charlie goes trekking into the bush, intent on living as his ancestors did before the first white settlers. For a time he's successful. He hunts, and paints, and sleeps in a makeshift hut. But then comes the rain and with it a sad realisation: the way of life he wants to return to is one that no longer exists. De Heer's slow narrative defies traditional arcing, the rewarding if occasionally directionless sense of realism enhanced by his naturalistic camerawork. The film's grim depiction of certain sections of the Indigenous community may put some viewers in mind of Warwick Thornton's Samson and Delilah. At times the film can be similarly difficult to watch, although on the whole it's much less unpleasant. Indeed, a warm sense of humour, particularly in the early scenes, puts harsher moments into relief. Gulpilil looks far older than his 61 years, but as Charlie he may never have been better — he's just taken home a best actor award at Cannes for it. It's a performance loaded with understated feeling, one that's obviously informed by a wealth of personal experience. His very face tells a story, about a country, its people, and its cultural and cinematic history. What a wonderful piece of acting in a likewise remarkable film. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ly8_7Su4m4c
Three-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Oliver Stone has done it again with his 2012 film Savages. Based on Don Winslow's bestselling crime novel, it is a brutal, ferocious and sexy look into the lives of two marijuana growers. Taking place in glamorous Laguna Beach California, this crime thriller film follows two best friends' successful and homegrown marijuana business, where they produce some of the best marijuana ever developed. When the powerful Mexican Baja Cartel finds out about their business, a war breaks out. The two best friends, played by Taylor Kitsch and Aaron Johnson, must take part in a savage battle against the cartel to save the girl (Ophelia, played by Blake Lively) that they both love and, oddly enough, share. Savages has elements of just about every film genre, including crime, drama, mystery, suspense, thriller and romance. The star cast includes Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively, Aaron Johnson, Demian Bichir, Benicio del Toro, Salma Hayek, John Travolta and Emile Hirsch. Thanks to Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, we have five DVD copies of Savages to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to Concrete Playground (if you haven't already) then email us with your name and postal address at hello@concreteplayground.com.au.
Succession isn't the only Emmy-winning HBO show dropping its fourth and final season in 2023. Bill Hader's just-as-excellent hitman comedy Barry is also finishing its run when season four wraps up, and it's just-as-certain to be deeply missed. The reason is all there in the killer concept, and the phenomenal performances, writing and direction that goes with them. When you've got Hader (Lightyear) playing a military sniper-turned-hitman-turned actor, something special was always bound to result. If you've watched season three, which was characteristically spectacular, you'll know why things seem to be coming to an end for Barry in more ways than one. A show about an assassin trying to be an on-screen star in Hollywood can't keep its main figure away from the law forever. So, in the just-dropped full trailer for Barry season four — which follows an earlier sneak peek from HBO — the series' namesake is in reflective mode. "I'm really sorry. I didn't think it would end up like this. I am a good person — that is who I am," Barry tells himself in the new trailer. Everyone he knows seems to be taking stock, too, whether they still have their freedom or not. In this season, Barry is incarcerated, his mentor and veteran thespian Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler, Black Adam) is being hailed as a hero, but this turn of events is clearly going to have consequences. That includes for his former handler Monroe (Stephen Root, Succession), as well as his ex-girlfriend Sally (Sarah Goldberg, The Night House). Is this where the killer-for-hire will be when the eight-episode season concludes? Will Chechen gangster Noho Hank (Anthony Carrigan, Bill & Ted Face the Music) somehow intervene? What's happening with Sally's career after season three? These are all natural questions to have about the show's return. Answers will start coming soon, with Barry season four set to start streaming via Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand from Monday, April 17. If you're new to all things Barry, Hader not only stars but created the show, has directed a heap of episodes, and also co-wrote others. The initial setup: when Hader's Barry Berkman heads from Cleveland to Los Angeles for his job, he discovers a previously unknown passion for acting after he stumbles into a class held by veteran thespian Cousineau. The catch? Barry kills people for money, and that isn't a line of work that you can leave easily, especially when you become caught in the Chechen mafia's violent and deadly dramas. Check out the full trailer for Barry season four below: Barry's fourth season will start streaming via Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand from Monday, April 17. Images: Merrick Morton/HBO.
Whatever you already had planned for the last weekend of July in 2024, we recommend rejigging your schedule to fit in a trip or two to James Street. Once a year, this patch of Fortitude Valley throws a big food and wine party. Venues spanning the roadway not only take part, but get folks eating and drinking along the road. And for one day of it, the street itself shuts down to traffic from Arthur Street down to McLachlan Street, turning into a dining space instead. The event: the James Street Food and Wine Trail, which will return across Saturday, July 27–Sunday, July 28. 2024's run is a shorter affair than in recent years — 2023's trail took place across four days, starting on Thursday — but it'll still be jam-packed with venues and stalls. In fact, this year's Market Day on the Sunday will feature 39 stalls, the most in James Street Food and Wine Trail's 12-year history. If Hellenika is your favourite eatery in Brisbane, Greek or otherwise — or you can't go past sAme sAme's Thai dishes and two-storey venue, ESSA's moody space, the wine and people-watching at Cru Bar, or the frosty sweet treats at Gelato Messina — you'll already be a fan of the area and its impressive culinary options galore. Now, it's time to celebrate everything that makes the precinct one of Brisbane's go-to places for a bite and a drink. Prepare to have company, too, with more than 25,000 people anticipated to attend Market Day alone, filling out a 7500-square-metre space. As always, nothing says classic Brisbane like spending winter days feasting your way up and down this patch of the River City. The festivities start on the Saturday with a four-course set-menu champagne lunch at ESSA, bubbles at the freshly renovated Cru Bar and newcomers ēmmē hosting a Middle Eastern-inspired dinner, plus an aperitivo hour at The Calile's Lobby Bar. On the Sunday, Jocelyn's Provisions will have special sweet treats — and Gelato Messina will serve up limited-edition desserts across the entire weekend. The free-entry Market Day is the main attraction, of course, given that the picnic-style event turns James Street into a 300-metre-long outdoor dining room while also hosting live performances and live music. Get excited about ēmmē, Agnes Bakery, James & Antler and Sushi Room joining the lineup for the first time, the latter with live tuna carving. Arrive hungry, but don't expect to leave that way.
Some films are long, slow and serious. Others are brief, quick and fun. There's a place for the former, of course; however Radical Reels champions the latter category, combining the most action-packed mountain movies it can find into a compilation of high-octane shorts. Radical Reels is the adrenaline-loving little brother of the Banff Mountain Film Festival, the most prestigious international film competition and annual presentation of short films and documentaries about mountain culture, sports, and environment. From the most recent festival’s 350-strong submissions, a subset of daring displays have been singled out for their own showcase. Over a three-hour session, eight shorts approach the very edge of action sports and natural highs: the wild rides, long lines, steep jumps, and skilful stunts, as well as the rugged playgrounds thrill-seekers explore on their mountain bikes, paddles, ropes, skis, snowboards and wingsuits. Expect the world's best extreme athletes getting fast and furious when the Radical Reels Tour 2014 stops in at the Brisbane Powerhouse.
There's no such thing as 'just a cocktail', as everyone who's fond of making and sipping them knows. Sourcing the exact right ingredients, combining them in the ideal way, perfecting your favourite recipe — ace all three stages, and you'll find yourself with a refreshing, drinkable work of art. One particular part of the above equation is especially crucial, of course. If you don't pick the right spirit to start with, your cruisy afternoon cocktail just won't taste the same. And, if you can go one better and find a standout local drop — a creative gin or a flavoursome rum, for example — you'll be able to both enjoy a stellar beverage and support a homegrown distillery at the same time. When it comes to great spirits made right here in Queensland, you might already have your go-to. Or, you could be looking for ideas for your next concoction. Either way, we've teamed up with our pals at BWS to highlight five local outfits pumping out first-rate spirits you should know about.
It must be tough being a local artist. Breaking through to audiences is tough without some spark to ignite the fuel of fanaticism for art. Sometimes you just need a helping hand. Well then, thank the powers that be for the Institute of Modern Art. Their annual exhibition, Fresh Cut, is dedicated to shining a light on emerging artists from Brisbane and Queensland at large. Since 1997 (16 years, for those counting at home) IMA and Fresh Cut have shown works by dozens of artists who have never had the opportunity to be displayed on their hallowed walls. Thanks for BCC’s Creative Sparks grant, each member of the Fresh Cut exhibition receives $5000 to help them create their work – a nice sum of money! This allows each artist to go all out and realise their potential for the betterment of their careers. The lucky artists-du-jour are Joseph Breikers, Caitlin Franzmann, Anita Holtsclaw, and Ruth McConchie. Joseph and Caitlin will be presenting their works in the first instalment in the Fresh Cut series. Go have a look and see what hard work and dedication can achieve.
Each year, we all anticipate the arrival of December 25. Because of the day off, that includes the promise of an afternoon spent dozing in a hammock — and for dessert fiends, it also includes Gelato Messina's annual Christmas cake. We hope you like a certain quintessential Australian dish, because that's what is on the gelato chain's menu again. Yes, Messina is bringing back its version of the trifle. The Christmas Coma will return for its sixth year running — and, although it seems like we say this every festive season, this time it's especially decadent. In fact, it's a sticky date and toffee pudding turned into a trifle, combining multiple beloved desserts into one seasonal — and epic — treat. 2022's Christmas Coma will once again feature layer upon layer of everything that is good about Christmas — but instead of being soggy and slightly regrettable, this one will have you licking the glass bowl. So what's in it? Well, Messina is going with layers of caramel cremeux, that all-important sticky date and toffee pudding, crème fraîche chantilly and chocolate-coated biscuit crumble. On top? 'Tis the season to eat a handmade white chocolate and coffee chocolate wreath. Plus, it'll come with some Messina brandy custard to douse all over the mess. And, it all serves 20–30 (or less if you really commit). All of the above comes in a Christmas Coma mega pack, which costs $250 and can be pre-ordered from Tuesday, November 1 — with times varying depending on your state, as the gelato chain has been doing with its specials lately. Accordingly, folks in Queensland and the ACT are able to purchase at 9am AEDT, Victorians at 9.15am, and New South Wales customers are split across three times depending on the store (with Surry Hills, Bondi, Randwick, Circular Quay and Miranda on sale at 9.30am; Brighton Le Sands, Tramsheds, Parramatta and Darlinghurst at 9.45am; and Darling Square, Newtown, Norwest, Rosebery and Penrith at 10am). You'll then be able to pick up your Christmas Coma between Wednesday, December 21–Saturday, December 24, all within regular store opening hours — and from all Gelato Messina stores across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. It comes in a Messina cooler bag and, if you keep it in there all sealed up, can survive for up to one hour. In each of the last few years, the trifle sold out ridiculously fast, so we suggest you don't wait on this one. The 2022 Christmas Coma will be available to order from Tuesday, November 1 for $250. Head to on the Messina website for further details.
Because two brand new places to see live music are better than one, Fortitude Valley's Brunswick Mall has just welcomed its second new venue in less than seven months. Hot on the heels of Fortitude Music Hall's launch last July, newcomer The Sound Garden has opened right next door — not only serving up live tunes, but drinks and food as well. Operating as a bar, restaurant and music venue, the 770-person newcomer marks the latest venture from Mantle Group Hospitality — the folks behind The Charming Squire, Jimmy's on the Mall and the various Pig 'N' Whistle pubs littered around town. This time, they're inviting Brisbanites into a three-level site that features a seven-metre-tall ficus hillii tree in the centre, two bars spanning 13 metres and nine metres each, moody lighting, an atrium and booth seating. If you're keen for a few beverages, you'll find a hefty cocktail menu overseen by venue manager Davor Djuric and bar manager Shane Lucas, complete with negronis, old fashioneds, mojitos and six music-themed tipples. Wine is served both from bottles and on tap, and beer and spirits are on the menu as well — but opting for a Bohemian Raspberry (with vodka, blueberries, raspberries, lime and ginger beer), Smells Like Martini Spirit (vodka, gin, cranberry, lemon and Persian fairy floss) or Pretty Fly for a Mai Tai (rum, cointreau, orgeat syrup and lime) is perfectly understandable. In the kitchen, Head Chef Craig Watson has whipped up an all-day menu that heroes woodfired dishes and locally sourced ingredients — think lemongrass pork skewers to start; salmon cutlets and chicken mignons for mains; five types of burgers, sliders and pitas; and ten kinds of pizza. If you're eager to share your snacks, grab a plate stacked with haloumi and lamb koftas, arancini and snapper spring rolls, or calamari and woodfired beef in betel leaf. And, on weekends, you can choose from a brunch lineup that includes breakfast gnocchi (with bacon, mushrooms, spinach and poached eggs), grilled prawn tostadas and french toast topped with strawberries and caramelised peaches. Because music is the star of the show, you can listen to live tunes every night of the week here — and for free as well. The music lineup kicks off at around 5.30pm each night, except on Sundays when you'll be tapping your toes from 12pm. Find The Sound Garden at 312–318 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley — open 11am–1am Mondays–Thursdays, 11am–3am Fridays, 9am–3am Saturdays and 9am–2am Sundays.
What happens outside an upstate New York strip club at 10am on an ordinary weekday? Nothing — nothing good, or that anyone pays attention to, at least — deduces the unhappy Val (Jerrod Carmichael, Rothaniel) in On the Count of Three. So, he's hatched a plan: with his lifelong best friend Kevin (Christopher Abbott, The Forgiven), they'll carry out a suicide pact, with that empty car park as their final earthly destination. Under the harsh morning light and against a drably grey sky, Carmichael's feature directorial debut initially meets its central duo standing in that exact spot, guns pointed at each other's heads and pulling the trigger mere moments away. Yes, they start counting. Yes, exhaustion and desperation beam from their eyes. No, this thorny yet soulful film isn't over and done with then and there. There are many ways to experience weariness, frustration, malaise and despair, and to convey them — and On the Count of Three surveys plenty, as an unflinchingly black comedy about two lifelong best friends deciding to end it all should. Those dispiriting feelings can weigh you down, making every second of every day an effort. They can fester, agitate, linger and percolate, simmering behind every word and deed before spewing out as fury. They can spark drastic actions, including the type that Val and Kevin have picked as their only option after the latter breaks the former out of a mental health hospital mere days after his last self-harming incident. Or, they can inspire a wholesale rejection of the milestones, such as the promotion that Val is offered hours earlier, that everyone is told they're supposed to covet, embrace and celebrate. On the Count of Three covers all of the above, not just with purpose but with confidence, as well as a much-needed willingness to get messy. It knows it's traversing tricky terrain, and is also well-aware of the obvious: that nothing about considering taking one's own life is simple or easy, let alone a laughing matter. Working with a script by Ramy co-creators Ari Katcher (also a co-creator of The Carmichael Show) and Ryan Welch, Carmichael doesn't make a movie that salutes, excuses or justifies Val and Kevin's exit plan. His film doesn't abhor the emotions and pain behind their choices either, though. Instead, this is a complicated portrait of coping, and not, with the necessities, vagaries and inevitabilities of life — and a raw and thoughtful piece of recognition that the biggest standoff we all have is with ourselves. Rocking a shock of dishevelled bleached-blonde hair, and looking like he hasn't even dreamed of changing his wardrobe since the early 00s, Abbott could've wandered out of Good Time as Kevin — he and Robert Pattinson could/should play brothers some day — including when he's staring down Val with a gun. First, On the Count of Three jumps from there to the events leading up to it, including an earlier attempt by landscaping supply store worker Val in the work bathrooms, his response to hearing about that aforementioned climb up the corporate ladder. In hospital, Kevin is angry; "if any of you knew how to help me by now, you would have fucking done it!" he shouts. But when the time to shoot comes, it's him who suggests a reprieve to take care of a few last items — revenge being his. Calling On the Count of Three a bucket-list movie isn't quite right, because there's a difference between checking off your wildest dreams and working through the essentials that gnaw at you. Accordingly, and in its nervy, restless, go-go-go energy, too, the film is in day-in-the-life territory — focusing on Kevin's score to settle with a child psychologist, Dr Brenner (Henry Winkler, Barry), from his past, and Val getting his issues with his slippery dad Lyndell (JB Smoove, Curb Your Enthusiasm) and Natasha, the woman he thought he was going to marry (Tiffany Haddish, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent), off his chest. In-between, its main twosome relive minor past glories, whether it's breakfast at a favourite diner or returning to the dirt-bike park job they loved as teens. Those guns have to go off in one way or another, though; Chekov demands it. If On the Count of Three wasn't so deeply felt — so bitterly, unapologetically dark as well — and anchored by such compelling performances, it could've easily gone astray. Tragicomedy isn't straightforward, or simple to pull off. But Carmichael shows his skills as a director (he has TV documentary Sermon on the Mount and a Lil Rel Howery comedy special among his past helming credits otherwise) by skewing both intimate and wide. The film's one-on-one exchanges are candid and revelatory, while pivoting to tensely staged car chases and shootouts still feels natural. The crime-thriller sheen of Marshall Adams' cinematography helps, as does Owen Pallett's evocative score (especially during a climactic pursuit). And, that bickering, bantering, ride-or-die dynamic between the exceptional Abbott and the devastatingly understated Carmichael is captivating to watch. It's a great time for seeing two well-paired actors bouncing off of each other and wanting more — see also: Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan in the vastly dissimilar See How They Run — but On the Count of Three's on-screen chemistry is hardly surprising. Abbott keeps going from strength to strength in complex parts, such as James White, Black Bear and Possessor, while Carmichael knows how to match vulnerability with truth, as his comedy special Rothaniel made plain. Such a key factor here is balance, the elusive concept that Val and Kevin are searching for even if they don't necessarily know it. It bubbles through in the movie's comic moments, too; when On the Count of Three chuckles, it directs is humour at Val cathartically screaming along to Papa Roach's 'Last Resort' in such on-the-nose circumstances, Papa Roach in general, the way that minutiae always gets in everyone's way — whether they're planning to see another day or not — and only starting to live when you want to die.
Australia loves its big things. We're home to oversized pineapples, bananas and watermelons, plus lobsters and prawns as well. If you don't pass some kind of giant sculpture while you're road tripping around the country — and stopped to take your picture next to it, of course — your drive just isn't the same. Ever wondered why we're so obsessed with huge items? It seems that we have quite the massive past, too. In fact, the country's largest ever dinosaur has just been officially identified. Meet Australotitan cooperensis, whose bones where first unearthed in 2007 in Cooper Creek in outback Queensland, but were given an official scientific description and name by palaeontologists from the Eromanga Natural History Museum and Queensland Museum on Monday, June 7. When this huge dino roamed the earth around 95–98 million years ago, it was as long as a basketball court and as tall as a two-storey building. In numbers, that equates to 25–30 metres long, and between five and six-and-a-half metres tall. Nothing that size or bigger has ever been found on our shores. 'Cooper', as the dino has been nicknamed, is also one of the largest ever discovered worldwide — with dinosaurs of comparable or bigger size only found in South America so far. So, if Jurassic Park or Jurassic World ever happened to become a reality in Queensland, recreating local dinos, we'd all come face to face with quite the mammoth creatures. [caption id="attachment_814992" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Steve Young[/caption] "This new titanosaurian is the largest dinosaur from Australia represented by osteological remains," explains Eromanga Natural History Museum and field palaeontologist Robyn Mackenzie. "These are the largest dinosaurs that ever walked on earth and based on the preserved limb size comparisons, this new titnaosaur is estimated to be in the top five largest in the world." To identify Cooper — and, crucially, to ensure that it was a new species — 3D scans were taken of each bone, which were then compared to those of its closest relatives. That involved cross-referencing with both local species and others worldwide. While Cooper is closely related to three other Australian sauropods that lived during the Cretaceous Period (so, around 92–96 million years ago), this exact dino species hadn't been found before. If you'd like to see Cooper's fossilised remains, they're on display in the Eromanga Natural History Museum's fossil collection, which is around a 12-hour drive west from Brisbane. The museum has its own onsite place to stay, called Cooper's Country Lodge, should you need somewhere to bunk down for the night. Further north in Winton, Queensland is already home to a dinosaur-focused museum — because that's where other dinosaur fossils were found back in 1999. So yes, your next road trip can involve trekking across the outback to check out these fascinating remnants of the earth's past. Life finds a way, obviously. Find the Eromanga Natural History Museum at 1 Dinosaur Drive, Eromanga — open from 9am–5pm daily. Top image: Eromanga Natural History Museum.
Spring Sundays were made for sipping whichever tipple takes your fancy — and as much of it as takes your fancy — over a mid-morning meal. Here's an option we recommend: rosé. 'Tis the season to drink pink while soaking in Brisbane's sunny vibes. 'Tis an ace way to start off the last day of the weekend as well. Billykart West End's Bottomless Rosé Brunch definitely has all of the above in mind — and on the menu — on Sunday, October 30. Yes, that means that you can help end the month with non-stop rosé, with two hours of vino and cocktails costing $85. The drinks part of the event is unlimited; however, the food isn't. Your culinary options will likely include corn fritters with tomato, basil, chilli and guacamole; cheese soufflé with bacon or cured ocean trout, poached eggs and herb hollandaise; and house-made crumpets with honeycomb butter . This rosé-fuelled event is part of Fish Lane's Rosé Revolution for 2022 — which means that there's more rosé-sipping fun across the South Brisbane precinct to enjoy throughout October.
UPDATE, April 1, 2021: The Wild Goose Lake is available to stream via Binge, Amazon Prime Video, Stan, Foxtel Now, Google Play and YouTube Movies. If you only watch one sultry, sprawling, neon-lit Chinese film noir this year — one where umbrellas are deployed as lethal weapons, zoo animals bear witness to a shootout and strangers dance in the street in glowing sneakers to Boney M's 'Rasputin' — make it The Wild Goose Lake. To be fair, no other feature will match that exact description anytime soon. No other movie will make a routine police search of a half-demolished building look like a real-world diorama, either, or watch as a character turns the tricky art of self-bandaging into an acrobatic performance. From its yellow-tinted opening frames, where two strangers meet outside a train station in drizzling rain, Diao Yinan's first film since 2014's acclaimed Black Coal, Thin Ice firmly carves its own visual niche. That's one of the evocatively shot gangster flick's charms. Spread across speedy motorcycle chases and frenetic underground brawls, too, these eye-catching images all tell the story of mob heavy Zhou Zenong (Hu Ge) and 'bathing beauty' Liu Aiai (Gwei Lun-mei). Following a mass underworld meetup to discuss stealing techniques, an impromptu contest dubbed "the Olympic Games of thievery" and the accidental shooting of a cop, he's on the run in the titular area. Both the law and fellow criminals are on his trail, and a ¥300,000 bounty is on his head. She's been dispatched as Zhou's escort by her gang-affiliated boss Huahua (Qi Dao) — and although she's just supposed to deliver messages and take the fleeing gangster where he needs to go, Liu is also a sex worker who plies her trade by the water. In flashbacks, the movie fleshes out their intertwined tales, including why Liu is the one meeting Zhou instead of his estranged wife Yang Shujun (Wan Qian). Visually, The Wild Goose Lake leaves a continued imprint; however there's a boilerplate flavour to Diao's script. After Black Coal, Thin Ice — another stylish, crime-filled neo-noir brimming with complex motives and ample duplicity — it almost seems like the filmmaker is painting by numbers in a narrative sense. He's certainly playing in a well-populated field, with no shortage of high-profile Chinese releases delving into the country's seedy underbelly of late (as seen in Jia Zhangke's Ash is Purest White and Bi Gan's Long Day's Journey Into Night). And yet, as recognisable as much of The Wild Goose Lake's story appears, it never feels like it's sending viewers on either a routine journey or a wild goose chase. Rather, that air of familiarity ripples with purpose and meaning. Indeed, the fact that these kinds of Chinese tales keep popping up and using the nation's unseemly side as a way of tackling societal uncertainty, restlessness and change makes a clear statement. Diao isn't yelling his views at anyone, though, or even conveying as strong a message about the state of his country as he did with his last film. Largely, he uses his narrative as the connective tissue that holds his stunning visuals together. If the writer/director and his returning cinematographer Dong Jinsong had planned out each strikingly shot and choreographed set-piece, then built a story around them, it wouldn't come as a surprise. The Wild Goose Lake is far more textured than a movie made in such a way ever could be, but its imagery is still the undoubted star of the show. If Nicolas Winding Refn was to splash his usual creative trademarks across a China-set gangster flick as a companion piece to the Los Angeles-based Drive and the Bangkok-set Only God Forgives, the end result wouldn't look as inky yet inescapably luminous as Diao's darkly gorgeous piece of cinema. With such alluring pictures flickering across the screen — including so many vivid amber and pink lights casting shadows across murky alleyways and rooms that the overall look should get repetitive, but doesn't — it's no wonder that Diao paces the film patiently. He gives audiences plenty of chances to soak in The Wild Goose Lake's sights, naturally. In taking his time to unfurl the feature's tale, he also conveys an apt sense of inertia as Zhou runs, Liu follows, both the cops and other crims try to track their every move, but no one ever really goes anywhere. And, in the process, he fittingly tasks his cast with giving quiet yet still expressive performances. This is the type of movie where, when dialogue is uttered, it usually says less far less than a look, a gesture or an actor's posture. Viewers don't get to know the film's characters as deeply as we could've, but it's still a very canny approach — with a feature this arresting, the audience is luxuriating in every inch of every frame from start to finish. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpmpD3-CBqg
Record Store Day only comes once a year, but every second Saturday of every month, Brisbane gets into the swing of things. That’s when a treasure trove of vinyl descends upon West End in the stuff collectors’ dreams are made of. The Brisbane Record Fair is the type of event that gives aficionados reason to salivate, deliberate, negotiate, and then spend, spend, spend, after rifling through crates and crates of rare material. With more than 50,000 items for sale, the Brisbane Record Fair spans The Boundary Hotel, The Hi-fi Bar and The Rumpus Room in its smorgasbord of sounds, offering up music of all types. Whether you’re after a decades-old gem or something new and funky as an LP or a 45 (or even — gasp — a CD), chances are you’ll find it here. Sellers come from far and wide to share their wares, including private collectors parting with their sonic pearls, and dealers from interstate. A selection from their stash would make a perfect present, whether for someone else, or for yourself.
If you've ever needed proof that some stories never get old, the ongoing obsession with Britain's royal history provides plenty. On screens and stages, a slice of regal intrigue is regularly awaiting our viewing, interpreting and remixing the past in the process. The Crown might take ample artistic license with reality, but it's got nothing on the empowering pop-scored twist on the 16th century that's been wowing audiences in Six the Musical. Taking a few cues from well-known history, adding toe-tapping tunes and making theatre magic: that's this hit's approach. If you think you know the stories of Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr, then you probably do — even those with little interest in Britain's past kings and queens are likely aware that Henry VIII had six wives — but Six the Musical's version isn't about telling the same old tale. That's what Australian audiences discovered in 2021, 2022 and 2023 — and can again in 2024 and 2025. Every year is a royally excellent year for this production, which has just announced returns to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Exact season dates haven't been locked in as yet, but Victoria's next dance with the show arrives from August 2024 at Comedy Theatre. Sydney's will start from October 2024 at Theatre Royal Sydney and Brisbane's from January 2025 at QPAC Playhouse. First premiering back at the 2017 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, then jumping to London's West End — and winning Tony Awards for Best Original Score and Best Costume Design, plus a Grammy nomination for Best Musical Theatre Album, along the way — Six the Musical gleans inspiration from one of the most famous sextets there's ever been. It also finds its own angle despite how popular the Tudor monarch's love life has been in pop culture. So, move over 00s TV series The Tudors and 2008 movie The Other Boleyn Girl — and this one takes the pop part rather seriously. Six the Musical is presented as a pop concert, in fact, with the Catherines, Annes and Jane all taking to the microphone to tell their stories. Each woman's aim: to stake their claim as the wife who suffered the most at the king's hands, and to become the group's lead singer as a result. Cast details for the new season haven't yet been revealed, but expect Six the Musical's comeback tour to be popular. In Sydney, it played a whopping 15-week Sydney Opera House from December 2021, then returned to the Harbour City from August 2021 due to demand. SIX THE MUSICAL AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2024–25: From August 2024 — Comedy Theatre, Melbourne From October 2024 — Theatre Royal Sydney, Sydney From January 2025 — QPAC Playhouse, Brisbane Six the Musical will tour Australia again in 2024 and 2025. For more information and to join the ticket waitlist, head to the musical's website. Images: James D Morgan, Getty Images.
Melbourne is back in lockdown, so Melbourne's Sea Life Aquarium is back live-streaming playtime and feeding time with some of its cutest and scariest sea critters. At 5pm AEST on Friday, June 4, you can get up close and personal with the gentoo and king penguins as they slide around their icy home and gobble many fish. From there, the streams will return daily at the same time, running until Friday, June 11. Also on the bill: sneaking a peek at the aquarium's swarms of jellyfish, so you can learn the ins and outs of their luminous lives. As for which other critters will turn up, being surprised each day is part of the fun. To tune in, head head to Sea Life Melbourne's Facebook page. And, because this isn't the aquarium's only dive into digital content, you can also check out soothing watery sights aplenty via its mindfulness and slow TV hub.
The annual French Film Festival is touring the country next month and is set to be an entertaining delight for film lovers of all tastes and ages. The festival is a wing of the Alliance Française, an independent, not-for-profit organisation devoted to promoting the spread of French language and culture worldwide. With a presence in over 146 nations and over 30 Alliance Françaises in Australia alone, it is safe to say the organisation has done well in achieving these goals. The Alliance Françaises of Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Perth, and Sydney have joined forces to develop the Film Festival, now in its 24th year. And the 43 films set to screen at this year's festival will certainly not disappoint. The festival has a huge array of productions on offer, sure to sate the appetites of the soppy romantics, the arty, youngsters, those simply looking for a bit of a laugh, nostalgia-sufferers, and even thrillseekers. These films are some of most acclaimed productions to have come out of France over the last 12 months and will have you adoring both the language and the artistic creativity of the French by the time the credits roll. Opening the festival is Haute Cuisine, light fare about a successful chef who is appointed to head the President's kitchen in the Elysee Palace. During the festival you can see Renoir (pictured), a sumptuous film about the feuds of great painters; the erotic tableaux of FEU by Christian Louboutin; the Cannes closer and Audrey Tautou vehicle Therese Desqueyroux; and the pre-Freudian Augustine. The French Film Festival will tour to major capital cities during March and April. Visit their website to see the full program. Concrete Playground has six double passes per city to give away to see the French Film Festival in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. The passes entitle you to receive two complimentary tickets to one festival session of choice. To go in the running, subscribe to Concrete Playground (if you haven't already) then email your name and postal address to us at hello@concreteplayground.com.au
This Christmas, all you need is love — and a festive little cabaret that showcases all of the hit tunes from Love Actually. It's the way to celebrate the season when you're not just leaving the seasonal favourite flick on repeat at home. Yep, that's Christmas Actually. Created by the folks behind Rumour Has It and Lady Beatle, and starring Naomi Price (Ladies in Black, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), Christmas Actually features all of the tracks that've become synonymous with this merry time of year — including Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas Is You', naturally. To help belt them out, Price will be joined by Mik Easterman, Scott French, Stefanie Jones, Luke Kennedy, Michael Manikus, OJ Newcomb and Tom Oliver. There'll even be more than one nativity lobster, plus a jolly mood and a whole room full of festive cheer. That room is La Boite's Roundhouse Theatre, where Christmas Actually plays from Tuesday, November 24–Saturday, December 5. Get excited by revisiting Love Actually's trailer below. Tis the season, after all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWvZEaAdiDg
Since Australian cinemas started reopening more than 12 months ago, following the country's first nationwide lockdown, new films have been hitting the big screen each and every week. But, depending on whether another round of stay-at-home conditions happen to be in place, or even just restrictions, heading to the flicks hasn't been as straightforward a pastime as it was before we'd all ever heard of COVID-19. Even if you're the biggest movie buff there is, that means that you probably haven't been to the cinema as much as you normally would've. If you're the kind of film-goer who is happy to just head along every now and then, you might've been more selective with your viewing choices. Or, juggling your schedule to fit in a trip to the pictures mightn't have been your biggest priority. Thankfully, a heap of the past year's cinema gems have now made their way to various streaming platforms, so you can catch up on plenty of great movies at home. Here's 12 that'll keep you busy right this moment — whether you're in lockdown, the weather is average or you just feel like some extended couch time. AMERICAN UTOPIA There may be no catchier lyric in music history than "same as it ever was", the five words repeated in Talking Heads' 1981 single 'Once in a Lifetime'. As uttered again and again by the band's inimitable frontman David Byrne, it's a looping phrase that burrows into your skull and never leaves. So when American Utopia opens with the musician sat at a table holding a brain and talking about what its various parts do, it feels as if Byrne is acknowledging what everyone already knows in the deepest recesses of their consciousness: that Byrne long ago got cosy in our craniums and has been nattering away to us ever since. As he stares at grey matter while wearing a grey suit — a perfectly fitting one, unlike the famed big number he wore in iconic 1984 Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense — he has something else on his mind, however. American Utopia starts with the part of our bodies where we all mentally reside, but slowly and smartly evolves from the cerebral to the communal. It segues from one man alone on a stage lost in his own thoughts to 12 people singing, dancing, playing instruments and connecting, and also pondering the state of the world and how to better it in the process. And it takes its titular concept seriously along the way, confronting America's political and social divisions in Byrne's witty, wise and impassioned between-song chats, but never satirising the idea that the US could be improved to the benefit of everyone. American Utopia is a concert film like its predecessor but, as that masterpiece proved, the whole notion means more to Byrne than merely standing in front of a camera and busting out well-known hits.From the sublimely soothing 'This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)' to the punchier 'Burning Down the House', plenty of Byrne's best-known songs do grace American Utopia. 'Once in a Lifetime' is among them, of course, as are 'Road to Nowhere' and 'Everybody's Coming to My House', with the film's playlist spanning his career with Talking Heads and solo. Across a range of styles and tempos, each track is a wonder, and not just in the way that fans already know. As should be obvious from the way in which Byrne has conceptualised this stage performance — which he toured in 2018, then adapted for Broadway in 2019, and has now turned into this standout movie directed by Spike Lee — this is a meticulously crafted work. Basking in the glory of Byrne and his band is inevitable and would happen regardless, but soaking in everything that American Utopia does is another marvel entirely. Before the film forces you to do so, you probably won't have realised how enlivening, wondrous and cathartic it is to see the act of connecting so firmly thrust to the fore. It takes an incredible amount of work to make something so tightly constructed seem so loose and natural, and that's just one of the reasons that American Utopia is yet another of the star's masterpieces. American Utopia is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video and Binge. Read our full review. BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC When it comes to goofy and sweet movie concepts handled with sincerity, the Bill & Ted franchise has always proven most triumphant. In 1989's Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, the big-screen comedy series introduced the world to Californian high schoolers Bill S Preston, Esq (Alex Winter) and Ted 'Theodore' Logan (Keanu Reeves), who are apparently destined to write the rock song that unites the universe — if they can first pass their history exam by travelling back in time in a phone booth to recruit famed past figures like Beethoven and Socrates to help, that is. The idea that Bill & Ted's affable, air guitar-playing slackers would become the world's salvation was a joke that the film itself was in on, and the movie struck the right balance of silliness, earnestness and affection as a result. So, the end product was joyous. And, it inspired two follow-ups: 1991's even loopier but still entertaining Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, and now Bill & Ted Face the Music's affectionate dose of warm-hearted lunacy almost three decades later. Bill (Winter) and Ted (Reeves) are back, obviously. They're older, definitely not wiser, and yet again take a few leaps through time. The fate of life as everyone knows it is still at stake. And, as always, the loveable pair's motto — "be excellent to each other" — is pivotal. Combine all of the above with marital malaise, chip-off-the-old-block daughters Theadora (Ready or Not's Samara Weaving) and Wilhelmina (Atypical's Brigette Lundy-Paine), multiple Bills and Teds, and a 77-minute deadline to write the tune the changes the future, and Face the Music saunters casually forward with a purposeful sense of familiarity. Thankfully, though, this film isn't merely trying to relive past glories. In fact, the very notion that some dreams don't come true sits at the core of this tender and loving movie. Naturally, it's a delight to see Winter and Reeves reprise their roles. They step back into Bill and Ted's shoes with ease, expertly conveying the characters' lingering immaturity, middle-aged malaise and ever-present kindness. They're also clearly having a blast as different versions of the duo, and their enthusiasm is infectious. But when Face the Music finds a plethora of ways to illustrate the merits of their characters' optimistic and warm mindset, it's at its best. Far from bogus, the heartfelt happiness it brings is 100-percent excellent. Bill & Ted Face the Music is available to stream via Stan. Read our full review. KAJILLIONAIRE When Evan Rachel Wood played a troubled teen in 2003's Thirteen, the then 16-year-old received a Golden Globe nomination. For her work in Westworld since 2016, she has nabbed multiple Emmy nods. So when we say that the actor puts in her best performance yet in Kajillionaire — the type of portrayal that deserves several shiny trophies — that observation isn't made lightly. Playing a 26-year-old con artist called Old Dolio Dyne, Wood is anxious but yearning, closed-off yet vulnerable, and forceful as well as unsure all at once. Her character has spent her entire life being schooled in pulling off quick scams by her eccentric parents Robert (Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water) and Theresa (Debra Winger, The Lovers), who she still lives with, and she's stuck navigating her own street-wise brand of arrested development. Old Dolio knows how to blend in, with her baggy clothes, curtain of long hair and low-toned voice. She also knows how to avoid security cameras in physical feats that wouldn't look out of place in a slapstick comedy, and how to charm kindly folks out of reward money. But she has never been allowed to truly be her own person — and, from the moment that Wood is seen on-screen, that mournful truth is immediately evident. Kajillionaire introduces Old Dolio, Robert and Theresa as they're falling back on one of their most reliable swindles: stealing packages from post office boxes. But two developments drive its narrative, and make Old Dolio realise that she's far more than just the third part of a trio. Firstly, to make a quick $20 to help cover overdue rent, she agrees to attend a parenting class for someone she meets on the street, and is struck by how far removed its teachings are from her own experiences. Secondly, on a return flight back to Los Angeles from New York as part of a travel insurance grift, her parents meet and befriend outgoing optometrist's assistant Melanie (Gina Rodriguez, Annihilation). So accustomed to playing the role dictated to her by Robert and Theresa, and never deviating from it, Old Dolio isn't prepared for the emotions stirred up by both changes to her status quo. But July's poignant and perceptive movie — a film that's a quirky heist flick, a playful but shrewd exploration of family bonds, and a sweet love story — is perfectly, mesmerisingly equipped to navigate her protagonist's efforts to reach beyond the only loved ones and the only type of life she has ever known. In fact, the result is one of the most distinctive, empathetic and engaging movies of the year. Kajillionaire is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video and Binge. Read our full review. THE PAINTER AND THE THIEF Asked why he broke into Oslo's Gallery Nobel in 2015 and stole two large oil paintings in broad daylight, Karl-Bertil Nordland gives perhaps the most honest answer anyone could: "because they were beautiful". He isn't responding to the police or providing an excuse during his court appearance, but speaking to Czech artist Barbora Kysilkova, who wanted answers about the theft of her work. Captured on camera, the pilfering of Kysilkova's Swan Song and Chloe & Emma initially appeared to be a professional job. As the two pieces were removed from their frames in such an exacting manner, it was presumed that experts were behind the crime. But Nordland and his accomplice didn't plan their brazen heist, or have a background in purloining art. Thanks to the effect of illicit substances, Nordland can't even remember much about it, let alone recall what happened to the stolen works that Kysilkova desperately wants back. That said, as the thief tells the painter when she first talks with him, he does know that he walked past Gallery Nobel often. He's aware that he saw her photorealistic pieces — the first of a dead swan lying in reeds, the second of two girls sat side by side on a couch — many times, too. And, he's candid about the fact that he marvelled at and was moved by the two canvases long before he absconded with them. As a result, he doesn't seem surprised that his life led him to that juncture, and to snatching Kysilkova's creations. A victim confronts a perpetrator: that's The Painter and the Thief's five-word summary, and it's 100-percent accurate. But such a brief description can't convey how fascinating, thoughtful, moving and astonishing this documentary is as it unfurls a tale so layered and wild that it can only be true — a story that stretches far beyond what anyone could feasibly anticipate of such an altercation and its aftermath, in fact. Nordland was arrested and charged for his crime, with Kysilkova initially making contact with him at his trial. From there, the skilled carpenter and heavily tattooed addict unexpectedly gained a friend in the woman whose works he took. Kysilkova first asked to paint Nordland as part of her attempts to understand him, and he then became her muse. As all relationships do, especially ones forged under such unusual circumstances, their connection evolved, adapted and changed from there. As Norwegian filmmaker Benjamin Ree (Magnus) pointed a camera in their direction for three years, the duo weathered their own ups, downs, twists and turns, as did their friendship. If Nordland's reply to Kysilkova feels disarmingly frank and unguarded, that's because it is. The same tone remains throughout The Painter and the Thief's entire duration. Absent the usual tropes and stylistic markers that true-crime documentaries are known for, the film eschews the standard mix of talking heads, re-enactments and explanatory narration in favour of truly observing and stepping inside its subjects' unique bond. The Painter and the Thief is available to stream via Docplay. Read our full review. BABY DONE A relic of a time when women were considered wives, mothers and little else, the public need to comment on whether someone has a baby or is planning to have a baby is flat-out garbage behaviour. In your twenties or thirties, and in a couple? Yet to procreate? If so, the world at large apparently thinks that it's completely acceptable to ask questions, make its judgement known and demand answers. Baby Done offers a great take on this kind of situation. Surrounded by proud new parents and parents-to-be at a baby shower, Zoe (Rose Matafeo) refuses to smile and nod along with all the polite cooing over infants — existing and yet to make their way into the world — and smug discussions about the joys of creating life. An arborist more interested in scaling trees at both the national and world championships than starting a family, she simply refuses to temper who she is to fit society's cookie-cutter expectations. Her partner Tim (the Harry Potter franchise's Matthew Lewis, worlds away from his time as Neville Longbottom) is on the same wavelength, and they visibly have more fun than everyone else at the party. With a title such as Baby Done, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise when this New Zealand comedy soon upsets Zoe and Tim's status quo. She discovers that she's expecting and, while he starts dutifully preparing to an almost unnervingly sensible extent, she also struggles to face the change that's coming their way. Comedies about the trials and tribulations of parenthood, and of the journey to become parents, are almost as common as people asking "when are you two having kids?" without prompting at parties. But this addition to the genre from director Curtis Vowell and screenwriter Sophie Henderson (both veterans of 2013 film Fantail) approaches a well-worn topic from a savvy angle. Zoe clearly isn't a stereotypical mother-to-be, and doesn't experience the stereotypical feelings women have been told they're supposed to feel about having children — and Baby Done leans into that fact. Also pivotal in her first big-screen lead role is comedian Matafeo. Indeed, it's easy to wonder whether the movie would've worked so engagingly and thoughtfully with someone else as its star. Brightly shot and breezily toned, there's still much about Baby Done that's familiar; however, charting one woman's pregnancy experience, and her backlash to the widely accepted notion that motherhood is the be all and end all of a woman's life, proves poignant and charming more often than not here. Baby Done is available to stream via Stan. Read our full review. COLLECTIVE We can only hope that one day, likely in a far distant future, documentaries will stop doubling as horror films. That time hasn't arrived yet — and as Collective demonstrates, cinema's factual genre can chill viewers to the bone more effectively than most jump- and bump-based fare. Nominated for Best Documentary Feature and Best International Feature at the 2021 Academy Awards (only the second time that's ever happened, after last year's Honeyland), this gripping and gut-wrenching Romanian doco starts with a terrible tragedy. On October 30, 2015, a fire broke out at a metal gig in Bucharest, at a club called Colectiv. Twenty-seven people died in the blaze, and 180 people were injured as they tried to escape via the site's lone exit; however, that's just the beginning of the movie's tale. In the four months afterwards, as burn victims were treated in the country's public hospitals, 37 more passed away. When journalist Cătălin Tolontan and his team at The Sports Gazette started investigating the fire's aftermath and the mounting casualty list, they uncovered not only widespread failures throughout Romania's health system, but also engrained corruption as well. This truly is nightmare fuel; if people can't trust hospitals to act in their patients' best interest after such a sizeable disaster, one of the fundamental tenets of modern society completely collapses. Early in Collective, director, writer, cinematographer and editor Alexander Nanau (Toto and His Sisters) shows the flames, as seen from inside the club. When the blaze sparks from the show's pyrotechnics, hardcore band Goodbye to Gravity has just finished singing about corruption. "Fuck all your wicked corruption! It's been there since our inception but we couldn't see," the group's singer growls — and no, you can't make this up. It's a difficult moment to watch, but this is a film filled with unflinching sights, and with a viscerally unsettling story that demands attention. Nanau occasionally spends time with the bereaved and angry parents of victims of the fire, even bookending the documentary with one man's distress over the "communication error" that contributed to his son's death. The filmmaker charts a photo shoot with Tedy Ursuleanu, a survivor visibly scarred by her ordeal, too. And yet, taking an observational approach free from narration and interviews, and with only the scantest use of text on-screen, Collective's filmmaker lets much of what's said rustle up the majority of the movie's ghastliest inclusions. Collective available to stream via Docplay. Read our full review. NOMADLAND Frances McDormand is a gift of an actor. Point a camera her way, and a performance so rich that it feels not just believable but tangible floats across the screen. That's true whether she's playing overt or understated characters, or balancing those two extremes. In Fargo, the first film that earned her an Oscar, McDormand is distinctive but grounded, spouting midwestern phrases like "you betcha" but inhabiting her part with texture and sincerity. In Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, her next Academy Award-winning role, she's an impassioned mother crusading for justice and vengeance, and she ripples with deep-seated sorrow mixed with anger so fiery that it may as well be burning away her insides. Now, in Nomadland, McDormand feels stripped bare and still a commanding force to be reckoned with. She's tasked with a plucky but struggling part — defiant and determined, too; knocked around by life's ups and downs, noticeably; and, crucially, cognisant that valuing the small pleasures is the hardest but most rewarding feat. It'll earned her another shiny Oscar just three years after her last, in fact. Along with the attention the movie received at the Golden Globes as well, this is highly deserved outcome, because hers is an exceptional performance and this was easily 2020's best film. Here, leading a cast that also includes real people experiencing the existence that's fictionalised within the narrative, she plays the widowed, van-dwelling Fern — a woman who takes to the road, and to the nomad life, after the small middle-America spot where she spent her married years turns into a ghost town when the local mine is shuttered due to the global financial crisis. A slab of on-screen text explains her predicament, with the film then jumping into the aftermath. Following her travels over the course of more than a year, this humanist drama serves up an observational portrait of those that society happily overlooks. It's both deeply intimate and almost disarmingly empathetic in the process, as every movie made by Chloe Zhao is. This is only the writer/director's third, slotting in after 2015's Songs My Brothers Taught Me and 2017's The Rider but before 2021's Marvel flick Eternals, but it's a feature of contemplative and authentic insights into the concepts of home, identity and community. Meticulously crafted, shot and performed, it truly sees everyone in its frames, be they fictional or real. Nomandland understands their plights, and ensures its audience understands them as well. It's exquisitely layered, because its protagonist, those around her and their lives earn the same term — and Zhao never forgets that, or lets her viewers either. Nomadland is available to stream via Disney+. Read our full review. FIRESTARTER — THE STORY OF BANGARRA More than three decades since it was first formed, Bangarra Dance Theatre is still going strong. In just the last ten years alone, the Sydney-based organisation has unleashed the beauty and potency of works such as Blak, Patyegarang, Lore, OUR land people stories, Bennelong and Dark Emu across Australia's stages, and repeatedly confronted the nation's colonial history head-on in the process. As an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts outfit, it can't avoid it. It similarly can't ignore the impact that the country's past has had upon Indigenous culture, and the trauma that's rippled across generations as a result. And so, as excellent new documentary Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra tells the company's tale, these struggles are firmly part of the narrative. Co-directors Wayne Blair (The Sapphires, Top End Wedding) and Nel Minchin (Matilda & Me, Making Muriel) know their power. Indeed, the two filmmakers are well aware that they can't step through Bangarra's history without placing the acclaimed dance theatre in its rightful social, political and cultural context. What audiences have seen on stage over the years is stunning, astonishing and important, of course, but all of those exceptional performances haven't ever existed in a vacuum. For those unacquainted with the details of Bangarra's origins, evolution, aims and achievements, Firestarter recounts them, starting with its leap out of the National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association and the Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre. Actually, it jumps back further, not only stepping through Bangarra's predecessors, but also charting how Stephen, David and Russell Page became its most famous names. Just as it's impossible to examine the dance company's accomplishments and influence without also interrogating and chronicling Australia's history, it's simply unthinkable to do so without focusing as heavily on the Page brothers as Blair and Minchin choose to. Stephen would become Bangarra's artistic director, a role he still holds. David was its music director, while Russell was one of its best dancers — and their path from growing up in Brisbane in the 60s, 70s and 80s to helping shape and guide an Aussie arts powerhouse is a pivotal component of Bangarra's overall journey thus far. If it sounds as if Firestarter has been set a hefty task — doing triple duty as a celebration, a record of Australia's past and a portrait of three siblings with dreams as big as their talents — that's because it has. But this dense and yet also deft documentary is up to the immense feat, and dances through its massive array of material, topics and themes as skilfully as any of Bangarra's performers ever have. Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra is available to stream via ABC iView. Read our full review. WAVES The sight of streaming sunlight, South Florida's scenery and a blissful young couple shouldn't hit like a gut punch, but in Waves, it does. When this magnificently moving film opens, it does so with high-schooler Tyler Williams (Kelvin Harrison Jr) and his girlfriend Alexis Lopez (Alexa Demie). They sing and drive with carefree exuberance — buoyed by both youth and first love — with their happiness not only captured by fluid, enticing camerawork that circles around and around, but mirrored by the use of Animal Collective's upbeat, energetic 'FloriDada' on the soundtrack. Waves continues its sinuous cinematography and alluring tunes as it follows Tyler through a snapshot of his teenage existence, too. Viewers meet his upper middle-class family, who dote on his every word. We witness his prowess on the school wrestling team, where he's a star. We see how infatuated he is with Alexis, and vice versa. But, as intoxicatingly sensory as all of this is — and as expertly calibrated by writer/director Trey Edward Shults to convey exactly how Tyler is feeling — its glow fades quickly when the agonised glimmer in Tyler's eye becomes evident. It's only there when he's alone, looking in the mirror, but it's a picture of heartbreak. As played with a complicated mix of charm, arrogance, sadness, anger and vulnerability by the excellent Harrison, Tyler navigates his seemingly content life with an outward smile, while balancing on a knife's edge. He doesn't completely know it, though, although he can clearly feel the pressure mounting. Forceful in reminding him that African Americans are "not afforded the luxury of being average", his father Ronald (Sterling K Brown) is well-intentioned, but also stern and domineering. He pushes Tyler to be better at every turn and, when they train together for the teen's wrestling matches, even gets competitive. Stepmother Catherine (Hamilton's Renée Elise Goldsberry) is far more gentle; however the focus placed on Tyler compared to his younger sister Emily (Taylor Russell) is always obvious in her household. And so, when an injury threatens to undo his sporting future and his romance with Alexis breaks down, Tyler makes a series of self-sabotaging decisions. One leads to tragedy — and the fact that this isn't a joyful movie becomes devastatingly apparent. Waves is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video and Binge. Read our full review. ASSASSINS On February 13, 2017, at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, a man was assassinated in broad daylight. While standing by the self check-in kiosks at around 9am, he was approached from behind by two women. After they each rubbed their hands across his face, he was dead within the hour. For a plethora of reasons, the attack garnered global news headlines. Such a brazen murder, carried out not only in public but also in full view of the Malaysian airport's security cameras, was always going to receive worldwide attention. The use of extremely deadly chemical weapon VX obviously demanded scrutiny — and so did the fact that the victim was Kim Jong-nam, the estranged elder half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. But, despite the onslaught of newsprint, pixels and airtime devoted to the incident when it happened, the full details behind it took time to unfurl. As Assassins explores, those facts are fascinating, gripping and distressing in equal measure. Indeed, if a Hollywood screenwriter had cooked up the story at the centre of Ryan White's (The Keepers) meticulously documentary, they would've been told that it's too far-fetched. Not that the world needs any additional reminders, but real life really is far stranger than fiction here. Across 104 minutes that relay an unmistakably and inescapably wild tale in an edge-of-the-seat yet never sensationalistic fashion, White asks the question that was on everyone's lips four years ago: why? That query has many layers. It starts with wondering why two women in their 20s — one from Indonesia, the other from Vietnam — with no clear political affiliations would kill an exiled North Korean who was once expected to lead his nation. From there, it expands to contemplate why Malaysian law enforcement officers and prosecutors were so content to believe that culprits Siti Aisyah and Doan Thi Huong acted without any involvement from North Korea, and why a number of the latter country's citizens were interviewed, but then released and allowed to return home without facing any legal repercussions. Aisyah and Huong certainly weren't afforded the same treatment. Charged with Kim Jong-nam's murder, they were put through a long trial, and faced the death penalty if convicted. The pair, who didn't know each other beforehand, pled their innocence from the outset. Both women were adamant that they had each been hired to make prank videos for a YouTube show and, as far as they knew, their efforts in Kuala Lumpur were part of their latest production. Assassins is available to stream via Docplay. Read our full review. RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON Featuring a vibrant animated spectacle that heroes vivid green and blue hues, a rousing central figure who is never a stock-standard Disney princess and lively voice work from an all-star cast, Raya and the Last Dragon boasts plenty of highlights. Directed by Don Hall (Big Hero 6) and Carlos López Estrada (Blindspotting), co-directed by Paul Briggs and John Ripa (both Disney art and animation department veterans), and penned by Qui Nguyen (Dispatches From Elsewhere) and Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians), the Mouse House's new all-ages-friendly release also embraces southeast Asian culture with the same warm hug that Moana gave Polynesia and Pixar's Coco sent Mexico's way — and it's always detailed, organic, inclusive and thoughtful, and never tokenistic. But perhaps its biggest strength, other than the pitch-perfect vocal stylings of Awkwafina as the playful, mystical half of the film's title, is its timing. Disney first announced the feature back in August 2019, so the company can't have known what the world would suffer through from early 2020 onwards, of course. But a hopeful movie about a planet ravaged by a destructive plague and blighted by tribalism — and a feature that champions the importance of banding together to make things right, too — really couldn't arrive at a more opportune moment. COVID-19 has no place in Raya and the Last Dragon; however, as the picture's introductory preamble explains, a virus-like wave of critters called the Druun has wreaked havoc. Five hundred years earlier, the world of Kumandra was filled with humans and dragons living together in harmony, until the sinister force hit. Now, only the realm's two-legged inhabitants remain — after their furry friends used their magic to create the dragon gem, which saved everyone except themselves. That's the only status quo that Raya (voiced by Star Wars' Kelly Marie Tran) has ever known. Her entire existence has also been lived out in a divided Kumandra, with different groups staking a claim to various areas. With her father Benja (Daniel Dae Kim, Always Be My Maybe), she hails from the most prosperous region, Heart, and the duo hold out hope that they can reunite the warring lands. Alas, when they bring together their fellow leaders for a peaceful summit, Raya's eagerness to trust Namaari (Gemma Chan, Captain Marvel), the daughter of a rival chief, ends with the Druun on the rampage once again. A movie about believing not just in yourself, but in others, Raya and the Last Dragon doesn't shy away from the reality that putting faith in anyone comes with the chance of peril and pain — especially in fraught times where the world has taken on an every-person-for-themselves mentality and folks are dying (or being turned to stone, which is the Druun's modus operandi). If the narrative hadn't been willing to make this plain again and again, including when it picks up six years later as Raya tries to reverse the devastation caused by Namaari's actions, Raya and the Last Dragon wouldn't feel as genuinely affecting Raya and the Last Dragon is available to stream via Disney+. Read our full review. MAX RICHTER'S SLEEP Since first opening its doors back in 1973, the Sydney Opera House has played host to a wealth of performances, spanning far further in genre than just the art form that gives the venue its name. But it was only during Vivid Live 2016 that the iconic locale serenaded visitors into an evening-long slumber, all as part of Max Richter's live recital of his eight-and-a-half hour work Sleep. Across 31 tracks comprised of 204 movements, the German-born British composer's concept album unfurls music based on the neuroscience of getting some shuteye. In its intonation, the ambitious yet soothing piece favours the range that can be heard in the womb for much of its duration. When performed for an audience, it is played overnight, with beds set up — and doing as the work's title suggests is highly encouraged. Attendees recline, listen and let Richter's blend of strings, synthesisers and soprano vocals lull them into the land of nod. If they'd prefer to stay awake, that's fine as well, but soaking in Sleep's ambient sounds while you're snatching 40 winks is all very much part of the experience. In its live version, Sleep has echoed through spaces in London, Berlin and Paris, too; however, it's the first openair performance in Los Angeles' Grand Park in 2018 that takes pride of place in the documentary Max Richter's Sleep. A filmmaker was always bound to be so fascinated with the concept that they'd turn their lens Richter's way, and that director is Natalie Johns (an Emmy nominee for Annie Lennox: Nostalgia Live in Concert), who endeavours to capture the experience for those who haven't had the pleasure themselves. The resulting film doesn't run for more than eight hours, or anywhere close — but those watching and listening will quickly wish that it did. As a feature, Max Richter's Sleep isn't designed to advertise its namesake. Rather, it documents, explores and tries to understand it. Still, the movie so easily draws viewers into the music, and so deeply, that making its audience want to snooze in public while Richter and his band plays is a guaranteed side effect. Max Richter's Sleep is available to stream via Docplay. Read our full review.
Fried chicken lovers: start drooling. KFC is set to unveil a brand new burger inspired by the flavours in Peking duck, but there's a catch: the only place you can get your hands on it will be at their new music festival on Cockatoo Island. The Colonel will throw the music festival in the iconic Sydney Harbour spot with an all-star local lineup on Sunday, March 13, and yes, all tickets include free KFC Peking Cluk burgers. You lucky ducks. The Peking Cluk burger has been created in collaboration with local TikTok sensation Dimsimlim and is made from Original Recipe fried chicken coated in a hoisin glaze sauce with a healthy topping of dry spring onions, cucumber and cabbage slaw. As for the headliners at the festival — it's Peking Duk, of course. The rowdy DJ duo are stepping up to help the Colonel as KFC's official burger spokespeople, and will be performing at the festival alongside beloved Yolngu rapper Baker Boy and Sydney favourite Thandi Phoenix. Attendees will be treated to Peking Duk's brand-new live show that they created over the last two years. The show has only been seen a few times at the likes of Field Day and features big party energy, remixes of previous material and plenty of synthesisers. "We've been in the bunker making the live set totally different, totally unique. It's going to be fun and it's going to be an experience that nobody's had before," Peking Duk's Reuben Styles told Concrete Playground. Adam Hyde of the duo put it more succinctly: "Get clucked, go cluck yourself, cluck off and have a clucking great time on Cockatoo Island with the boys." [caption id="attachment_753774" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cockatoo Island[/caption] Cockatoo Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has hosted iconic musicians including The Wailers, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Skrillex and Lorde. "We've never done Cockatoo Island and that's such an iconic spot for gigs. So many epic artists have come through and done shows there," said Styles. "We didn't expect our first time playing there to be a KFC collab, but god damn it's going to be so fun." The festival will mark one of very few gigs the pair have been able to play since the start of the pandemic. "Anytime a gig goes ahead now it feels like a huge relief that we actually get to put on a party and play a set for people," Styles continued. "It's so hard to pump people up about a gig when you know there's such a high chance it won't go ahead. Doing more intimate shows like the KFC one is so great for the interim because you can say, 'Hey, here's a show, it's going to go ahead, let's all get excited.'" Style and Hyde, alongside festival buddy Thandi Phoenix and a heap of Aussie musicians took a stand last month against the NSW Government's restrictions on live music and religious gatherings. The group of musicians labelled themselves Thrillsong after it was revealed that Hillsong hosted a large youth event with many similarities to a music festival during a time when festivals were unable to go ahead. "I think it was a great thing," Styles proclaims about Hillsong's gathering. "It shined a light on how stupid the government's rules were to allow religious events to go down but no any other form of musical events." If you want to catch Peking Duk's new set and get your hands on the Peking Cluk burger, tickets to KFC's Cockatoo Island music festival are available via Moshtix now for $50, but be quick as they're sure to be snatched up quickly. There's no word yet whether the Peking Cluk burger will be on offer more widely in KFC stores. [caption id="attachment_636228" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Baker Boy by Bec Taylor.[/caption] KFC's Cockatoo Island music festival will be on Sunday, March 13 featuring Peking Duk, Bakery Boy, Thandi Phoenix and plenty of burgers. Tickets are on sale now. Top image: Peking Duk at Sunset Piazza, DNSW
Get your shopping done under twinkling lights while surrounded by real (not plastic) Christmas trees. No, this isn't a festive dream — it's the reality of South Bank's annual Christmas markets. Whether you've been every year since you can remember, or you've never gone a-browsing at the inner-city spot, visiting The Collective Markets Christmas Edition is worth the trip. While the entirety of South Bank will be in a merry mood (including via a free and festive outdoor cinema program), nothing will steal the show from the most important part of the proceedings: the wares on offer at the rows of stalls. From 10am–9pm between Saturday, December 17–Thursday, December 22, you'll find handmade toys, jewellery and other trinkets just begging to be given as gifts, as well as tasty treats to add to your Christmas feast. Yep, everyone's a winner here.
If Luca Guadagnino wants to keep making movies with Timothée Chalamet after the swooning, moving delight that was Call Me By Your Name, film lovers and Chalamet stans everywhere will be more than happy. And with Bones and All, that's exactly what he's doing again next. The Italian filmmaker is also giving fans of his 2017 queer romance — a flick that nabbed Chalamet a Best Actor Oscar nomination — another repeat gift, too. Who doesn't want to see that picture's Michael Stuhlbarg give Timothée life advice again? This time, though, it's in far bloodier circumstances. Arriving five years after Call Me By Your Name, and set to hit cinemas Down Under in November, Bones and All also sees Chalamet and Guadagnino collaborate on a love story — but with an extra bite. Forget peaches, as both the first sneak peek and the newly dropped full trailer make plain. Here, Chalamet plays one half of a cannibal couple. As Lee, the Dune, The French Dispatch and Don't Look Up actor gets gory — including with Taylor Russell's (Waves) Maren. The hybrid horror, romance and coming-of-age tale follows the pair of cannibal lovers as they road trip across America, chasing and satisfying their desires, and also grappling with what's brought them to this juncture. In both trailers so far, the vibe is yearning, swooning again, but also unsettling. It skews darker and more violent this time around, sinking its teeth into its biting premise. And when Mark Rylance (The Phantom of the Open) pops up in the two sneak peeks, he has his finger to his lips in a telling gesture of warning. Bones and All marks Guadagnino's first feature since 2018's Suspiria remake — after a detour to television with HBO series We Are Who We Are — and sees the director bring Camille DeAngelis' novel of the same name to the screen. Also featured in the film: We Are Who We Are alums Chloë Sevigny and Francesca Scorsese (yes, the daughter of filmmaker Martin Scorsese), plus André Holland (Passing), Jake Horowitz (The Vast of Night), filmmaker David Gordon Green (Halloween Kills), and Jessica Harper from both the original Suspiria and Guadagnino's version. Check out the full trailer for Bones and All below: Bones and All releases in cinemas Down Under on November 24.
Some days you just want a quick, no-fuss dip close to home. Ithaca Pool in Paddington is the most convenient way to cool off, making it perfect for last-minute plans. This 25-metre outdoor pool has lap lanes for the serious swimmers, plus a recreational space for the casual splasher. Relax post-swim in the grassy park and shaded areas beside the pool, kicking back with an ice cream or cold drink from the cafe. Then again, it's so close to Caxton Street, you can just shower and head straight out to the bars.
Instead of glumly clicking through your friends’ Facebook photos of their amazing holidays as you sit at home (that they clearly put up just to make you feel bad), plan your own dream holiday, old-school style. The YOUniverse do-it-yourself kits allow you to customise your own vintage globe with different travel routes, photos, banners and travel stickers. All you need is a little old-fashioned imagination and you can plan journeys that defy logic and financial restraints. Make it your resolution to tick one off the list by 2013.
As soon as the mercury hits anything above 25 degrees, Queenslanders will drop everything to find the nearest body of water- working commitments be damned! On a bad day, said 'body of water' might look like a room temperature bath, or a partially deflated kiddie paddling pool. But on a good day? Well, it might look a bit like the Spring Hill Baths. Don't waste your time battling highway traffic to get to the beach- this heritage-listed pool is just a stone's throw from the CBD. With more aquatic group fitness classes than you can shake your goggles at, Spring Hill Baths is famed for being Brisbane's first in-ground pool. The brightly painted changing room doors, and traditional grandstand seating, gives this swimming spot a sweet, nostalgic touch. Plus, there is a dive-in cinema, for some seriously chilled summer viewing.
Gone are the days when seeing a theatre show always meant sitting in a seat, directing your eyes at the stage ahead and passively engaging with whatever erupts in front of you. That's still a mainstay of the industry, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it — a stunning production will always draw you in — but theatremakers are also embracing new formats, new ways to immerse audiences and interactivity. Take Adrift, for instance. Running at Metro Arts from Wednesday, November 9–Saturday, November 19, it delivers instructions to attendees via headset, plunging them into a mystery and a game as well. And, it's also a musing on nature and isolation, all in one creative package that also involves dolphins, whales, lighthouses, special effects including light design, and far from your usual time at the theatre. [caption id="attachment_756923" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jason Blight[/caption] Metro Arts Company in Residence Counterpilot is behind Adrift, as devised by director/co-writer Nathan Sibthorpe, lighting effects and technical designer Christine Felmingham, and sound designer and composer Mike Willmett — as well as co-production designer and technical designer John Felmingham, co-production designer Sarah Winter and co-writer Toby Martin. Running two sessions daily, at 6.30pm and 8.30pm, Tuesday–Saturday within its season dates, Adrift wants its audience to be part of the story — and to be deeply steeped in its sound design. It also weaves its tale in the face of a potential mass extinction event. Yes, you don't experience theatre like this every day. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Counterpilot (@counterpilot_)
Among the many dilapidated warehouses and factories, Milton has been building up quite the bevy of local craft beer brewers with several packed in around the glow of the giant XXXX factory. But if beer isn't quite your thing, lovers of spirits can now rejoice with the appearance of newly opened rum bar, The Malecón. Soon to be slinging drinks made from spirits produced on-site, the Cuban-inspired spot is a much-needed addition to Brisbane's spirit scene. For one special free event, much-loved Caribbean rum producer The House of Angostura is taking over the place with leading Brisbane-born barkeep Dan Gregory serving his award-winning cocktails throughout the evening. Gregory took home first place at the Australian final of the Angostura Global Cocktail Challenge in 2017 and has been the brains behind the drinks in popular hotspots like the Black Pearl, Eau de Vie and Brisbane's own Canvas Club. Making use of a variety of Angostura rum and bitters, Dan will be serving up classic rum-based cocktails alongside some experimental drinks that'll pack a few surprises. You could play it straight with a rum-spiked old fashioned, or switch it up with a yuzu mule — among others. Keeping the night lively, Afro Caribbean DJs Sabrosa Sound System will also be laying out a soundtrack of Latin, Caribbean and African beats that'll pair perfectly with a few rum-fuelled cocktails. The House of Angostura x The Malecon Takeover will run from 6pm–11pm on Sunday, June 3. Entry is free. For more information head to the website. Images: Grace Smith
For 17 years, iconic live music venue The Zoo has been owned and operated by the kind of figures the industry needs more of. That'd be ladies. With Pixie Weyand taking the reigns from long-time owner Joc Curran, the Ann Street haunt isn't going to stop showcasing the women who work in the music biz — and with Girls to the Front!, its not going to stop celebrating them on stage, either. Launched earlier in 2017, The Zoo's ongoing series does exactly what it promises, and it's certain to do it with enthusiasm, fun and an ace onslaught of sounds. For this instalment, join Montaigne, IVEY, Ella Fence, May Lyn and GNIGHTZ for an evening dedicated to the strong, talented females tearing up the Australian scene. Plus, there'll also be an art show on the night, extending the event's focus on ace ladies doing creative things. Image: Montaigne / Greg Holland Photography
Global retail site ASOS has announced that, as of 2019, it will not sell garments derived from animal products such as silk, cashmere, mohair and feathers. The news was revealed via an update to the brand's animal welfare policy, with the company stating "ASOS firmly believes it is not acceptable for animals to suffer in the name of fashion or cosmetics." With a growth last year of 30% in their sales across major markets, ASOS is quickly growing in popularity and its reach — started in the UK in 2000, it now spans across multiple regions with designated sites in Australia, USA, France, Germany and others, as well as shipping to 140 countries. It's massive, and chances are you've bought a dress or a coat or six versions of the same t-shirt all in different colours from the retailer. The news falls in alignment with changing attitudes and expectations towards animal welfare in regards to fashion production. ASOS' animal welfare policy also notes that "all animal materials used must be by-products of the meat industry. ASOS is committed to working with industry expert groups to support the ongoing research, development and implementation of animal welfare standards and transparency in the leather supply chain." Products made from mohair (which comes from angora goats), cashmere (from cashmere goats), silk (made by silkworms) and down (feathers closest to a birds skin) will be banned — as well as feathers themselves — adding to ASOS' existing ban on using fur and angora. Products that use teeth and bone, including mother-of-pearl, will also be halted. PETA has applauded the move and, as well as global brands like Gucci and Versace jumping aboard with banning fur, a number of local Australian brands are adding their voices too.
The black parade is coming back to Brisbane — finally. After their attempt to head to our shores in 2020 was thwarted due to the pandemic, and then their rescheduled 2022 dates as well, the reunited My Chemical Romance is making 2023 the year they hit the River City. The dates to get excited about: Monday, March 13–Tuesday, March 14. The third time is set to prove the charm for Gerard Way and co, and for music lovers eager to grab their eyeliner, don every black piece of clothing in their wardrobe, relive their angsty emo teenage years and let out three cheers. The new tour will mark more than a decade since MCR last came to Australia for the 2012 Big Day Out — and comes after the US group went their separate ways in 2013, then reformed in 2019. Fans will be pleased to know that MCR are headlining their own shows on this tour, too, rather than leading a festival bill as they were slated to do in 2020. And, they're playing two Brisbane gigs — both at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. Back in late 2019, when MCR announced that they were literally getting the band back together, they sold out their first reunion gig in Los Angeles quick smart — and tickets to their Australian gigs have already proven mighty popular. So, expect to have ample company lapping up 'I'm Not Okay', 'Helena', 'Teenagers', 'I Don't Love You', 'The Foundations of Decay' and more. Top image: My Chemical Romance performing by NBSTwo via Flickr.
Two decades after Hae Min Lee's murder, the Baltimore high school student's horrific plight continues to dominate the true crime landscape. After featuring on the first season of Sarah Koenig's grimly addictive podcast Serial, it's now the basis for a new documentary series, The Case Against Adnan Syed. The four-part HBO series picks up where everyone's 2014 obsession left off — the trailers promise to reveal 'a new chapter' — not only exploring 18-year-old Lee's death in 1999 and her ex-boyfriend Syed's conviction in 2000, but the latter's ongoing quest to have the extremely complex legal matter reassessed in the years since he was found guilty. Everything from Lee and Syed's relationship, to the original police investigation and trial, to the developments up until now feature, with the film gaining exclusive access to Syed, his family and his lawyers. While the show started airing on HBO in the US in March, Australians can now watch the series, too — it's after airing on SBS throughout April, the four episodes are now available on SBS On Demand. Check out the HBO trailers below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQaTa5eTxnk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA1qzo2WEew The series couldn't come at a more crucial time for Syed, who was convicted of first-degree murder, sentenced to life in prison, and has been fighting his case through the courts ever since. While he was granted a new trial in 2016, that ruling was subsequently appealed by the State of Maryland — only for the Court of Special Appeals to agree to vacate Syed's conviction and finally give him that retrial last March. Earlier this month in Maryland's Court of Appeals, that retrial request was denied, but Syed's attorney has committed to keep battling. Splashed across the small screen, it's certain to make for compelling viewing — but if you think you've spent too much time mulling it all over across the past five years, filmmaker Amy Berg has you beat. Unsurprisingly given how complicated the matter is, the director has been working on the project since 2015. And, with her excellent doco background — with Berg helming 2006's Oscar-nominated 2006 Deliver Us from Evil, about molestation in the Catholic Church; examining the West Memphis Three's quest for freedom in 2012's West of Memphis; and tackling the sexual abuse of teenagers in the film industry in 2014's An Open Secret — her new venture is certain to be thorough. As they did for West of Memphis, Nick Cave and Warren Ellis provide the score. The Case Against Adnan Syed is now streaming on SBS on Demand. Image: SBS. Updated: May 2, 2019.
Any high tea sitting is absolutely delightful. How could it not be? Sampling delicious petite desserts and sipping champagne and tea is a perfect way to indulge for a few hours. But, Customs House have managed to raise the bar. They do not aim for merely 'delightful', the team at Customs House offer a gorgeously decadent high tea that is fit for a Queen. Diners have a choice between enjoying their high tea in the elegant dining hall or venturing outside to the open area which offers a spectacular view of the Brisbane River and Story Bridge. Upon arrival, the attentive and very friendly staff offer a glass of sparkling (extra $5.00 per person) and fresh orange juice which allows diners to settle in for the hour and a half of pure indulgence. Soon afterwards, staff promptly bring out the sumptuous three-tiered stand. Keeping to tradition, the Customs House high tea includes one tier of delicious sandwiches, a middle tier of scones with strawberry jam and cream and a top tier filled with scrumptious petite desserts. The turkey and cranberry sandwiches go down an absolute treat with English Breakfast Tea, as do the scones and their tasty fresh cream. However, the stand out is the top tier. If you have a sweet tooth, be prepared as you may find the choice a little overwhelming. The range of desserts are both beautifully presented and mouth-wateringly delicious. A little carrot cake and of course a decadent chocolate cake with pop-rock icing prove to be favourites. The atmosphere of both the inside and outside dining areas is lively, yet elegant and refined. Happy diners fill both areas and there is an infectious buzz of excitement as people enjoy their luxurious tea parties with friends. High tea is offered in either a morning session (10-11.30 am) or in the afternoon (2-3.30pm). If you have a special dietary requirement do not fret as the team are more than happy to take this into consideration with gluten free and other options available.
Attention, Wes Anderson enthusiasts: The trailer for his latest film, The Grand Budapest Hotel, has just been released. This follow-up to the wildly popular Moonrise Kingdom is giving us another project to look forward to, with all the oddities that resonate with Anderson fans. The story follows Gustave H (Ralph Fiennes), a manager at the swanky Grand Budapest Hotel and his devoted lobby boy, Zero Moustafa. The suave Gustave is a hit with the mature lady guests, and when one of them dies, he is suspected of murder and theft. So he and his precious sidekick make a run for it, and the story unfolds into a whirlwind of adventure, mystery, romance and, of course, comedy that captivate us with Anderson's films. It looks like Anderson won't be abandoning his colourful, dreamy sets; dry, poker-faced humour; and eccentric characters anytime soon. The usual suspects in the cast include Willem Dafoe, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Jeff Goldblum, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman. Tilda Swinton, Jude Law and Saoirse Ronan are also thrown in, making The Grand Budapest Hotel one Anderson's most dynamically cast films yet. It is set to release in 2014. https://youtube.com/watch?v=1Fg5iWmQjwk Via The Verge.
Sweden has always been renowned for its ability to build and innovate. Vikings built incredible vessels to cross the North Sea, Ikea emerged as the home of furniture and now Swedish media company Meganews has built a print-on-demand magazine kiosk in Stockholm. So next time you find yourself walking through Sweden's capital and craving Time or Sweden's popular gossip magazine Se og Hör, you can just waltz up and receive a fresh addition. Filling less then 4 square metres, the kiosk currently stocks more then 200 assorted magazines and journals in pdf form. Publishers upload the latest issue to a remote server, meaning that purchasers can access the most current issue. All they need do is select the periodical they desire via touchscreen, pay by credit card and within two minutes a newsstand-quality colour version will be printed ready for fingers to flick through. The environmental benefits are significant. With issues printed on demand rather than printed and distributed en masse, it has the potential to save forests' worth of foliage. Other benefits of the machine include the lack of space it occupies, its ability to provide access where retail space is absent and (huzzah!) no creases or torn pages from casual shop browsers. Whilst currently only residing in Stockholm, it surely will not be long before cities across the world appreciate this innovation and become populated by the kiosks. In the meantime, feel free to fly to Sweden and give it a go. Via Gizmodo.
BLEACH* is officially back and it's a chance to see the Gold Coast in a whole new light. Now in its 14th year, the experimental arts festival returns from Thursday, July 31–Sunday, August 10. It's set to transform the Gold Coast into a major site of contemporary art, performance and music. Under the creative direction of Michael Zavros, this year's festival offers a curated mix of free and ticketed events across Kurrawa Park, Emerald Lakes, Home of the Arts (HOTA) and RACV Royal Pines Resort. The 2025 edition continues to champion the city's cultural identity through visual art, music, dance, theatre and large-scale installation by local and international creative talent. The festival opens at dawn with Patricia Piccinini's hot-air balloon sculptures "Skywhale" and "Skywhalepapa", taking flight above the Gold Coast skyline. Developed in partnership with the National Gallery of Australia, the project invites viewers to witness the spectacular 'Skywhales' at sunrise in a shared public ritual. Following the flight, families are invited to HOTA for a Story Hour with Patricia. Here, the artist will read from Every Heart Sings — her first children's book, published by the National Gallery. The reading extends the themes of the "Skywhale" project, reframing public sculpture as a springboard for intergenerational dialogue about the natural world. Also launching on the festival's opening day is the "Ladies Lounge", an ongoing installation by artist and curator Kirsha Kaechele. Previously set up at Tasmania's Museum of Old and New Art, the space welcomes women into a gold-embellished social salon that's part artwork, part performance. During BLEACH*, the lounge will host a rotating public program featuring poetry, talks, performances and DJs. Another major highlight is Jeff Koons: In Conversation, presented in collaboration with the American Friends of the National Gallery of Australia. The internationally renowned artist will appear on opening night with Alison Kubler, Editor-in-Chief of Vault magazine. And to round out the 11-day festival, visitors can also attend Cavalcade, BLEACH*'s grand finale dressage, opera and equestrian spectacular on the shores of Broadbeach — as well as a full lineup of local and international works across sound, art and food. Importantly, many of the events are completely free, making BLEACH* one of the most open and welcoming arts experiences in the country. It's a festival that encourages curiosity and is designed for visitors to explore, drop in, stay late, and come back again and again. Whether you're heading in for a headline performance or looking to experience something new on a weeknight, BLEACH* offers something for everyone. To explore the full program and plan your BLEACH* 2025 experience, visit the website.
Some of gothic horror's greatest masterpieces foresaw their longevity. Bram Stoker's Dracula will never die, and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein will never stop being brought to life, either. Shake & Stir Theatre Co took on the former back in 2015 and 2017, in a brand-new world-premiere stage production that sunk its fangs into the most famous vampire tale there is. Now, the South Brisbane-based theatre company is turning its attention to Victor Frankenstein and his creation. The new version of Frankenstein is also a debut, and will enjoy its first season at QPAC's Playhouse from Saturday, October 14–Saturday, October 28. The story remains the same as it has since 1818, of course, following a young scientist tormented by grief, a bold push to thwart mortality, plus the consequences sparked by his act of playing god. And, as always, it will cover the impact upon the being that's spliced together, jolted into existence, yearns to belong, but is swiftly and cruelly shunned. "Gothic fiction is a passion of the company, and Shelley's ground-breaking novel, credited for both its gothic roots and for pioneering the science fiction genre, presents an excitingly monstrous challenge in mounting it for the stage," said Shake & Stir Co-Artistic Director Nick Skubij, who is also directing Frankenstein. Audiences can expect an immersive performance that steps through Shelley's classic with Darcy Brown, Tony Cogin, Nick James, Jodie le Vesconte, Nelle Lee and Jeremiah Wray in the cast — and with a big emphasis on production design. Think: video and digital elements playing a hefty part, and meticulous sound design setting the mood. [caption id="attachment_632939" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shake & Stir's 'Dracula'.[/caption] Shake & Stir's Frankenstein follows not only Dracula, but also Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, A Christmas Carol, Macbeth, Othello, Animal Farm, The Twits, Fantastic Mr Fox and Romeo & Juliet among the company's looks backwards. In the past two years, the theatre group has brought Fourteen and Tae Tae in the Land of Yaaas! — both personal stories, with the first based on the memoir of the same name — to Brisbane's stages as well. The oft-adapted Frankenstein is no stranger to audiences, including earning a stunning Royal National Theatre iteration by Danny Boyle (Yesterday) starring Benedict Cumberbatch (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar) and Jonny Lee Miller (Guy Ritchie's The Covenant) in 2011 — with the two actors rotating roles between Victor and the creature each night — that's been playing cinemas worldwide ever since thanks to NT Live. With Shake & Stir's take, Skubij sees the timelessness of the work, plus the current parallels. "It's been fascinating to consider this incredible work dealing with themes of advancement, progress and pushing the limits of possibility alongside contemporary advances in AI technology today. The story could not be more relevant," he noted. "Like Victor Frankenstein's creation, AI is arguably neither good nor bad; it's how it's built and used that dictates its legacy." "Frankenstein's monster is just that: a living, breathing 'being' far superior in capabilities than any natural human could ever be. But what are the consequences of using science to play God?" Check out the trailer for Shake & Stir's Frankenstein below: Shake & Stir Theatre Co's Frankenstein will play QPAC's Playhouse, South Bank, Brisbane from Saturday, October 14–Saturday, October 28. Head to the venue's website for tickets and further information.
This enduring Brissie barbecue hotspot is a firm fave among locals and visitors alike, thanks to its rose gardens and prime river frontage. Take advantage of the beautiful Brisbane weather with a meandering bike ride from the city to New Farm Park via the river walk, before cooking up a storm at one of the barbecues. Invite your mates, pack an esky (yep, you can BYO drinks here), bring the Frisbee and settle in for the afternoon before the mozzies get the better of you at dusk. Image: Emily Davies
Since opening in mid-2019, Za Za Ta has taken its culinary cues from Israel. Executive chef Roy Ner was born there, after all, and has long enjoyed mixing his heritage into his cooking. A year latter, in a huge revamp of its menu, the Fortitude Valley restaurant is also finding inspiration in another source — in an entirely plant-based menu. Za Za Ta's bar and kitchen is now serving up a Tel Aviv-style vegetarian lineup — so your next meze bites and bigger meals won't feature any meat, but they will be big on wood-smoked charcoal flavours. From the small-plate selection, on offer is a mix of share-friendly dishes, such as hummus made with braised chickpeas and a 63-degree egg ($15), silverbeet and feta börek fingers ($17), whipped feta with spiced beetroot ($14). Or, if you're feeling particularly hungry, you can opt for the shish barak, aka Lebanese-style pumpkin dumplings ($24); or the Turkish-influenced lentil and mushroom manti dumplings ($23), too. The slow-cooked eggplant h'raime ($26) serves up a spicy Moroccan dish alongside a tomato salad, the cauliflower shawarma ($24) also features smoked labneh and quince, while the traditional Israeli date pudding ($9) is just one of the dessert options. And, for those who don't know where to start, there's a $59 chef's choice deal. Drinks are also be a big focus at Za Za Ta, with rum beverages and spice-infused cocktails that use fresh cold-pressed juices, whichever citrus fruit happen to be in season and Middle Eastern botanicals. There's also a wine list that leans Australian, French and Italian, with biodynamic, organic and skin contact vinos, too — plus a selection of craft beers. Updated August 12, 2020.
Settle into autumn with some of the latest fun-infused classes run by Brisbane's own, The Joynery. As a community-driven initiative, based on the sharing of skills and abilities, you'll be taught some life-enhancing lessons by the best in their field. As the nights become just that little bit crisper, it's very quickly becoming scone weather again. And if you thought the art of making these baked treats was strictly confined to the over 60s, then think again. Gillian from Gillian Bell Cake Girl will be providing a one-hour masterclass on the tips and tricks to baking the perfect scone even Lady Flo would be proud of. If the kitchen is a no-go-zone for you, perhaps The Joynery's bike mechanics workshop is more your scene. From those who shudder at the thought of changing a tyre, to lycra-laced bike junkies, Bike Mechanics: Repairs for the Non-Lycra Set is a workshop for anyone with a set of wheels. Led by mechanical engineer Evan Blair, this one-hour workshop will cover the anatomy of a bicycle and give an idea of all the areas of a bike that require attention. From confidence in the kitchen to scrubbing up on your bike know-how, The Joynery classes are the cheapest ticket in town to a more skilled you.
Pollution in big cities is a big problem, but thankfully there are people out there taking steps to make cities sustainable. Aluminium producer Alcoa has developed a building material which feeds on smog to clean itself and the surrounding air. Reynobond with Ecoclean is an aluminium panel coated with titanium dioxide which decomposes fumes and pollutants using sunlight as a catalyst. Only the smallest amount of rain is then required to wash away the now harmless particles. Pilot testing of the panels is taking place in Europe and North America. We all know trees have air-cleansing properties, but Alcoa claims that just under 1000 square metres of the panelling would be the equivalent to the power of 80 trees. And while the parts can be pricey, they will mean a reduction in maintenance costs for buildings. [Via Fast Company]
December might be all about festive viewing for some, but this year's merriest month is also delivering a new dose of TV medical nightmares. As promised since mid-2022 and feared since the first season in 2021 — if you're not fond of hospital horror stories, that is — Dr Death is returning with another true-crime tale about a sinister surgeon. The new doc in the spotlight: surgeon Paolo Macchiarini, who earned the nickname 'Miracle Man' for his innovative operations. But his charm starts to fade when investigative journalist Benita Alexander approaches him for a story — a tale that'll change her life forever, too. Once again, all of the details are drawn from reality. Once again, Dr Death is bound to prove disturbing whether you already know the ins and outs or you're set to discover them for the first time — as terrifying medical details, especially about deadly doctors, always do. The just-released trailer will get you feeling unsettled already, in fact, before the series drops all eight of its season-two episodes on Stan on Friday, December 22. Édgar Ramírez (Florida Man) plays Macchiarini, while Mandy Moore (This Is Us) steps into Alexander's shoes. Macchiarini's first reason for getting famous: leading the surgery for the world's first synthetic organ transplant. As for why else he's been in the news, that's what watching the series will tell you. When it hit streaming queues in mid-2021, Dr Death initially focused on Christopher Duntsch (Joshua Jackson, Fatal Attraction), a surgeon who was full of charm when he was trying to encourage folks with spinal pain and neck injuries into his operating theatre — or when he was attempting to convince hospitals, particularly in Texas, to hire him. But again and again, those surgeries ended horrendously. Actually, that's an understatement. Duntsch's story is done and dusted; however, he was just the first medical professional that the OG Dr Death — aka the Wondery podcast that shares the TV show's name — has explored. Since then, the audio series has released two further seasons, with its third batch of episodes now providing the basis for the second TV adaptation. Check out the trailer for Dr Death season two below: Season two of Dr Death will stream via Stan from Friday, December 22. Images: Scott McDermott/Peacock.
