Whodunnits — everyone's watching them, including everything from Death on the Nile and Only Murders in the Building to The Resort. But you don't just have to get sleuthing while sitting in a cinema, or on your couch. Fancy putting your skills to the test IRL? That's where Murder Mystery: Wedding Murder comes in. As the name makes plain, this murder-mystery game takes place at a wedding, when someone's happy day doesn't quite go as planned. And, it's all happening in the right setting — in High Church in Fortitude Valley, which dates back to the 1870s. Here's the story: an influential family is throwing a huge ceremony, because their sole heir is getting hitched. But then a body is found while guests are waiting for the bride to walk down the aisle. That's where you pop up to help work out what's happening and who's behind it — and ideally save the wedding in the process. Murder Mystery: Wedding Murder is taking over its Brunswick Street setting from Thursday, August 4–Friday, October 28, with sessions every Thursday and Friday night. You have two times to choose from, too, with the 90-minute experience kicking off at 5.30pm and 8pm. Tickets cost $58, or $53 each if you gather a gang with at least nine mates.
For a city known for its warm temperatures and near-constant sunshine, Brisbane is surprisingly lacking in the outdoor cinema department. When summer rolls around, our options for open-air movie-viewing aren't as plentiful as other parts of the country — but a new addition will help expand our slate of star-lit cinemas. Mt Coot-tha Botantic Gardens will play host to Sunset Cinema this coming March and April. In its first Queensland venture, the lineup includes 14 nights of outdoor movie-going from March 15 to April 7, kicking off with the Jessica Chastain-starring Molly's Game and ending with Jennifer Lawrence in Red Sparrow. The program's focus on formidable ladies doesn't end there, with Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Lady Bird, I, Tonya and The Post all on the bill as well. Other highlights range from an early screening of Early Man to superhero thrills with Black Panther and every cinema's retro go-to, aka Dirty Dancing. In addition to big-screen flicks at the base of Brissie's beloved mountain, Sunset Cinema will also feature a snack bar serving up popcorn and other movie treats, booze from 4 Pines and MadFish Wines, and a standout food selection. Or, pack your own picnic — it's part of the fun of seeing a film outside, after all — but leave any alcohol at home. No BYO is allowed. To celebrate the launch of the outdoor cinema's inaugural Brisbane season, we're giving a way one VIP package. The winner will receive Citroen Lawn Lounge Passes for themselves and three friends to attend any screening (subject to availability at the time of booking). The pass includes a reserved bean lounger — in a prime viewing position — dinner from The Dapper and Chic, a glass of MadFish wine or bottle of 4 Pines beer and popcorn. To enter, see details below. Sunset Cinema is screening at the Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens from March 15–April 7. Book now at sunsetcinema.com.au/brisbane SUNSET CINEMA 2018 LINEUP Thursday, 15 March - Molly's Game Friday, 16 March - The Breakfast Club Saturday, 17 March - I, Tonya Wednesday, 21 March - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Thursday, 22 March - Pitch Perfect 3 Friday, 23 March - Lady Bird Saturday, 24 March - The Post Wednesday, 28 March - Early Man Thursday, 29 March - Black Panther Tuesday, 3 April - The Greatest Showman Wednesday, 4 April - Dirty Dancing Thursday, 5 April - Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature Friday, 6 April - Game Night Saturday, 7 April - Red Sparrow [competition]658836[/competition]
Star Wars Christmas is here for 2024, and may the force be with you on May the fourth. If you're looking for a way to celebrate beyond viewing the many, many movies and TV shows in the space saga, and you're also fond of dancing like no one in the galaxy is watching, May the 4th — Star Wars Rave is your port of call. The cantina to head to in Brisbane: Wonderland, with the party kicking off at 7pm. On the right date to commemorate the huge sci-fi franchise on the dance floor, you'll get free glow sticks and lollipops as part of your entry fee — and you'll be able to drink Skywalker Spritzes, Jedi Juice and Darth Drank. This Saturday-night shindig follows in the stormtrooper boot-wearing footsteps of Shrek and Hello Kitty raves, because every pop culture favourite can be an excuse to make shapes in an adoring crowd if you want it to be. Dressing up is encouraged, obviously. Are jedi robes comfortable to dance in? Here's your chance to find out. The best outfit on the night will win a $100 voucher.
Last Easter, when social distancing and public gathering rules were in place across the country, KFC did everyone a solid by offering up free home delivery for the first time ever Down Under. While this year's four-day break will look quite different for much of the country — and hopefully for Brisbanites, with the city's current lockdown due to end at 5pm on Thursday, April 1 — the fried chicken chain is bringing back the deal anyway. Yes, joining the Easter Bunny this year to spice up this long weekend is another famous figure: The Colonel. So, it's time to round up your housemates again and tuck into those 11 secret herbs and spices. The limited-time offer is available nationwide and kicks off on Friday, April 2, then runs through until Monday, April 5. To get your hands on some finger lickin' good chook with no extra cost, head to Menulog's website or use the Menulog app. No promo code is needed this time — and there is no minimum spend either. And, while your food is on its way, you can meditate with KFChill, a wellness website that lets you unwind to the sound of chicken frying, gravy simmering or bacon sizzling away in a pan. Obviously, it'll make you hungry. KFC is offering free delivery across Australia on all orders via Menulog from Friday, April 2–Monday, April 5. To order, head to the Menulog website or app.
For 134 years, The Princess Theatre has sat in Woolloongabba — but on Friday, November 4, it's throwing its first birthday party. How does that maths work? Back in 2021, the venue reopened after a huge revamp by the team behind The Tivoli, and Brisbane concertgoers have loved it ever since. After a year of top-notch gigs in the impressive heritage-listed space, it's time to celebrate. How do you mark this type of unique occasion? The Princess Theatre is Queensland's oldest-standing theatre, after all. So, it's getting BUGS, Peach Fur and Jaguar Jonze to hit the stage — aka a homegrown lineup showcasing Sunshine State talent. That's just the first announcement, so watch this space for further acts. The QUIVR DJs will also hit the decks in the courtyard, and tickets to the whole get-together start at $39. The venue will also officially launch its line of Princess Theatre merchandise (including shirts and tote bags) on the night, as designed by local artist and Princess bartender Shani Finch. And, you'll be able to sip The Princess Theatre's new pale ale, which has been made in collaboration with Brisbane brewers Green Beacon, too. Images: James Griffin/Mitch Lowe/Zennieshia Butts/Lachlan Douglas.
A woman enters a theatre, damp from wild weather and flustered from running late. The man she sees is polite but clearly put out from waiting, as his complaints make clear. She is actress Vanda (Emmanuelle Seigner); he is playwright Thomas (Mathieu Amalric); their shared purpose, an audition. From their meeting, Roman Polanski's Venus in Fur lays bare their dramatic tryout. But is a budding stage star simply showing her wares to the person who could make her dreams come true, or are their respective gender positions — sexual, societal and otherwise — on trial? That question and the film's complicated power dynamic stems from a complex, comprehensive history, most plainly its adaptation of David Ives' Tony Award-winning production. Ives took inspiration from author Leopold von Sacher-Masoch's semiautobiographical novella, Venus In Furs, the 1870 work credited for coining the term masochism and making it stick. His book is the starting point for Thomas's material within the movie too, the characters attempting to interpret the text on stage in a feature based on a play that does the very same. The sensual themes of the source may shine through as the duelling duo of leads quite literally circle around each other, treading the boards, flitting through the aisles and weaving in and around the backstage ephemera; however, it is the second phase of its evolution that proves most influential to Polanski's film. Blatant describes the setting, and the structure as a dialogue-heavy two-hander more so. In the filmmaker's second effort in a row based on a stage property following 2011's Carnage, and third overall after 1994's Death and the Maiden, only a flurry of camera angles and flashes of visual trickery distinguish the tale as cinematic. Seigner and Amalric generate commandingly clashing energy worlds away from their last pairing in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, endeavouring to overcome the inherently staged nature of the content with their vivid verbal sparring. Fire burns between them in impassioned performances, but the spotlight truly belongs to the erratic wannabe turned formidable temptress, as the narrative demands. Whether the strength of her portrayal stems from a husband offering his wife an exceptional opportunity, or from her flowering under his loving gaze, the married team of Polanski and Seigner make a fine pair. By design, Amalric is cast into the shadows, a suitable everyman foil. In a work teeming with comedy, carnality and cleverness, what threatens to strip Venus in Fur of its potency is its repetitive persistence and overt theatricality. Though the point is entertainingly made, it is done so continually and without subtlety. Intrigue and inertia are the opposing results, contemplating the battle of the sexes in careening fashion yet cobbled by embrace of indulgence. https://youtube.com/watch?v=-gluI5-GLZLw
If there’s one local art festival worth getting on board with in Brisbane, it’s this one. The Brisbane Artist Run Initiatives Festival's founding premise alone should have every art appreciator's attention — it’s all about exchanging ideas, exploring arts practice and bringing together some of this city’s best artists with some equally as great creative spaces. Some of our favourite galleries who consistently dose up Brisbane with the best artistic goods — like The Hold Artspace, Jugglers and Boxcopy — will be playing host to the festival's events. As far as artists go, you can catch Frank and Mimi, the talented duo who long ago surpassed the label of simple sign-writers to become one of Brisbane’s most recognised creative teams, painting up Newstead Brewing Company from 5pm on Thursday, October 9. Live graffiti comp Scribble Slam will kick off at Kerbside on October 16, and Lost Movements IX will be rounding up the festival on October 18. There’s plenty more in store and worth checking out. Have a look at the full program.
As part of the flurry of streaming services always competing for our eyeballs, FanForce TV joined the online viewing fold during the COVID-19 pandemic as a pay-per-view platform. The service runs all year round, of course, but it goes the extra mile for both National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week, which is when it hosts the First Nations Film Festival (previously known as the Virtual Indigenous Film Festival) — yes, twice each year. In 2023, the fest enjoys its second run between Sunday, July 2–Monday, July 31, stretching the celebrations across almost an entire month — all solely online. The returning event will show six features that you can view whenever you like, plus three shorts, pairing the latter with a live discussion on one specific night. On the features bill: Ella, a powerful documentary about Ella Havelka, the first Indigenous dancer to be invited into the Australian Ballet in its half-century history; The Saltwater Story, following Bundjalung canoemaker Kyle Slabb taking a group of men to North Stradbroke Island by sea; and Homeland Story, which heads to the small Indigenous community of Donydji in northeast Arnhem Land. Or, there's also Etched in Bone, Angels Gather Here and Journey West. The first focuses on Washington DC's Smithsonian Institution returning stolen human bones, and the Aboriginal elder who crafts a ceremony to restore his ancestors' spirits afterwards; the second charts Jacki Trapman's trip to Brewarrina for her parents' 60th wedding anniversary; and the third sees a walk that hadn't happened for almost three decades reenacted. 2023's NAIDOC Week theme is 'for our elders, which drives this film fest's selections as well. Viewers can tune in on a film-by-film basis, or buy an all-access pass to tune into everything. And for the First Nations short film program, it livestreams at 8pm AEST on Wednesday, July 5, with actor, broadcaster, comedian and musician James Williams chatting with The Fred Hollows Foundation's Director of Social Justice and Regional Engagement Jaki Adams afterwards. Top image: The Australian Ballet Production Vitesse with Ella Havelka and Christopher Rogers-Wilson. © Jeff Busby
UPDATE: February 4, 2021: Burning is available to stream via SBS On Demand, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. A part-time deliveryman's worried face reflects the entire world's problems in Burning. Played by the quietly expressive Yoo Ah-in, Jongsu never seems as if he'll allow himself even a second's rest and relaxation. He looks stressed when he's walking the Seoul streets during his rounds. He appears anxious when he happens to run into his former neighbour, Haemi (Jun Jeong-seo), who he can't actually remember properly. Whether the pair is reconnecting intimately, Jongsu is feeding Haemi's cat while she travels to Africa, or he's visibly unimpressed when she returns with the cooly charming Ben (Steven Yeun) on her arm, he's never at peace. A silent stare and inner solace aren't the same thing, as Jongsu's complicated gaze makes so plain again and again. What some filmmakers can't convey with an enormous cast of actors, Lee Chang-dong achieves with the captivatingly melancholy Yoo. What some can't manage across several movies, the writer-director does in mere seconds here. Lee is no cinematic slouch — this is his sixth stint behind the camera, joining a spate of rightfully applauded tiles such as Peppermint Candy, Oasis, Secret Sunshine and Poetry — but there's a particular alchemy to Burning from its opening moments. A love triangle that's also a slow-burning thriller as well as a potent statement on class and gender divisions in modern South Korean society, the film captures a world so visually detailed and emotionally loaded that every frame entices and intrigues. It captures the world, not just a world — from pretty young women selling dreams via lottery tickets, to the chasm between the haves and the have nots, to the feeling that everything, everywhere is always ablaze. When Jongsu and Haemi cross paths, she sells him a dream, too — of being a couple, of a life beyond the abandoned Paju family farm he's just moved back to, and of a future that's not just one routine struggle after another. When she arrives back from her trip with the canny, confident Ben, the jealous Jongsu sees that fantasy slip away. Worse, he sees how starkly different everything is for someone of wealth, comfort and means. "There is no difference between playing and working," Ben offers without a blink, a statement that couldn't be more piercing to someone whose existence is all work and woe and inertia, and rarely any play. But, adapting a short story from Haruki Murakami's The Elephant Vanishes, Lee finds an especially stunning way to build and dissect the pair's rivalry. A ruminative mystery, a fine-tuned character study and an intricately observed examination of human relationships all at once, one of the joys of Burning is its wholesale aversion to simplicity. Here, as in reality, nothing is straightforward. Indeed, Lee takes life's enigmas and puzzles, thrusts them into view and forces the audience to ponder along with him. His film doesn't just ask how well you can really know someone, but whether you can ever actually know someone — and if, with Haemi, Jongsu even does. As it watches its increasingly paranoid protagonist yearn for his new love and stew over his competitor, this haunting, penetrating movie doesn't just wonder what a person is capable of, or what we're willing to embrace and ignore, but how we learn to reconcile the contradictions and ambiguities of human nature that we experience every single day. Lee has always favoured an observational, unobtrusive directorial style, allowing the camera to roam and linger when it needs to, and letting his actors express what they need to to get his stories across. He's also a deft hand at crafting strong but slippery scripts — narratives that say much but leave plenty unsaid, and leave ample room for interpretation. Burning fits the mould, although there is no mould when it comes to the filmmaker. Rather, Lee deploys the same general approach, applies it to a new tale and ensures that the result always feels fresh. The space that he carves out in Burning, and the freedom he gives his exceptional cast, is revelatory. In affording viewers the scope to glean their own insights, sift through their own complexities and come to their own conclusions, this 148-minute movie proves revelatory for everyone. Back to the stellar trio that Lee pushes front and centre, though — not just experienced South Korean star Yoo, but first-timer Jun and The Walking Dead's Yeun as well. Burning would be a lesser film without any of them, with the distance in Jun's performance (the sensation that there's always something just out of reach, specifically) so perfectly attuned to the movie's mood. If Yoo is the picture's face of anxiety, uncertainty and fragile masculinity, however, then the ever-impressive Yuen is its sly, murky, tantalisingly elusive core. How fitting it is that Burning, like Haemi, spends its time caught between the two — and utterly refuses to be pinned down by choice. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI9UYcEwUYA
UPDATE, November 6, 2020: A Cure for Wellness is available to stream via Netflix and Prime Video. When you're sitting through a bland attempt to remake a decades-old radio series, or a spate of diminishing sequels in an average-at-best franchise, you can forget that filmmakers don't just make movies — they also watch them and love them. With The Lone Ranger and the first three Pirates of the Caribbean flicks on his resume, it's rather easy to do just that where Gore Verbinski is concerned, but every now and then he does something to remind you. Back in 2011, the Oscar-winning animated western Rango did the trick, ensuring every viewer knew just how fond Verbinski is of the genre. Likewise, with A Cure for Wellness, his first horror film since The Ring, Verbinski wears his inspirations on his sleeve. And while it mightn't stand out as a landmark scary effort, it still makes for intriguingly creepy viewing. For the record, the veteran filmmaker appears to have seen and adored Rosemary's Baby, The Shining, Shutter Island and Crimson Peak, as well as countless '30s gothic fright fests, '70s Italian giallo films, '80s body horror flicks and everything Alfred Hitchcock ever made. Over the course of 146 minutes, A Cure for Wellness plays like the kind of feverish dream you might have after marathoning all of your favourite spooky movies, with your brain trying to mash everything into one over-the-top package. A labyrinthian sanitarium filled with complacent patients, eerie lullaby-like singing, ravenous eels no one else seems to see, and a history of unrest and incest: you can already spot how some of those filmic influences come into play, can't you? Along with a mysterious young woman (Mia Goth), this is what Wall Street up-and-comer Lockhart (Dane DeHaan) finds when he makes the trip to a wellness centre in the Swiss Alps looking for his company's CEO (Harry Groener). Lockhart thinks that he'll be in and out within 20 minutes, but after an accident he's stuck in plaster and unable to head home, which seems to suit the water therapy-loving doctor-in-charge (Jason Isaacs) quite nicely. There's no missing the fact that all of the folks seeking some rest and relaxation are high-flying business executives. Verbinski, who came up with the story with his Lone Ranger screenwriter Justin Haythe, isn't particularly subtle with some of the movie's ideas — and that's without even getting into a subplot involving pure bloodlines. But he's also largely unconcerned with splashing around in anything other than H20 galore, a mood of dread and tension, and gorgeously unsettling visuals in pale, icy shades. Diving deep into all three results in the cinematic equivalent of a gloriously macabre synchronised swimming routine; an intricately choreographed sight to behold that keeps the most interesting parts on the surface. And what a surface it is. Mastering a tone of unease, serving up a sleek, sinister feast for the eyes, and throwing in a wealth of affectionate nods to genre greats mostly keeps the feature afloat. Mostly. Unsurprisingly, A Cure for Wellness struggles with thin characterisations, and even more so when the predictable yet twist-heavy plot tries to wrap up its stretched-out antics. Still, if you've fallen down its well of unhinged delights you'll probably find them part and parcel of the fun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mcVodJmBlU
There's no shortage of markets happening around Brisbane — pick a day, pick a spot, and you'll likely find a bunch of stalls selling a range of wares, especially as Christmas creeps closer. One thing that you won't usually come across, however, is a market dedicated to authentic First Nations' arts, crafts and experiences, which is what the one-day-only Meeanjin Markets is offering. After first popping up in 2018, returning in 2019 and going digital in 2020, the city's first all-Indigenous market is back — and just in time for the gift-giving part of the year. Taking place at Reddacliff Place, the markets will highlight the work of local Queensland creators, while also celebrating the sights, sounds, creativity and flavours of the Australian bush. That means there'll be dancing, music and cooking demonstrations, too — as well as plenty to buy from 41 First Nations' businesses, 32 of which are run by Indigenous women. Drop by between 9am–9pm on Friday, November 19.
UPDATE, October 12, 2020: The Shape of Water is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, Amazon Video and iTunes. A secret lies inside every fairytale and monster fable, whispering to those who dare to enter. It's an obvious one, though it's not always fully appreciated. As we wade through narratives about dark forces and strange, enchanting creatures, it's not just their fantastical or fright-inducing aspects that enthrall us; it's also the fact that they beat with a warm human heart. Like Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and countless other storytellers before him, filmmaker Guillermo del Toro knows this — and he's eager to prove it every chance he gets. Since taking on the undead in his quietly unnerving debut Cronos more than two decades ago, the Mexican writer-director has approached his gothic tales with empathy and curiosity. His films might be filled with bugs, ghosts, vampires, beasts and kaiju, but at their core they ponder what it means to be alive. Accordingly, when Pan's Labyrinth follows a young girl as she plunges into a mysterious garden underworld, del Toro charts the relatable need to explore, connect and fight back in trying circumstances. Likewise, when The Shape of Water brings together a mute woman and a man-like amphibian against the backdrop of Cold War-era USA, he spins a story about the power of love and the resilience of outsiders searching for a place to belong. As often seen in the director's work, the enemy here isn't the monster, but rather the idea of judging something just because it's different. A moving horror-romance that splashes its devotion across every gorgeous teal and butterscotch-hued frame, The Shape of Water swims into the realm of Elisa Esposito (Sally Hawkins). When she's not working nights cleaning at a government facility with her chattering colleague Zelda (Octavia Spencer), she finds company with her lonely artist neighbour Giles (Richard Jenkins) and comfort in her daily routine. But things change when security operative Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon) marches into her life, along with the water-dwelling being (Doug Jones) he's brought back from the Amazon. While everyone else is fearful, cruel or primarily interested for scientific reasons (such as Dr. Robert Hoffstetler, played by Michael Stuhlbarg), Elisa finds a kindred soul in the captured creature. The idea of outcasts finding solace in each other's arms is hardly new, but while del Toro's movie seems to dive into busy waters, he's really wading through a stream all of his own. In the crowded field of monster flicks, The Shape of Water cherishes and celebrates its big-hearted heroine and her aquatic companion with love and care, ensuring every emotion they express also washes over the audience. Equally vivid and violent as it jumps between matters of the heart and moments of espionage, the film entrances with its sweet, soulful, delicate approach while never shying away from weighty themes of persecution or oppression (and at the same time, it remains remarkably light on its feet). In short, it's a whirlpool of intensely felt, vibrantly realised wonder — one that's both frothy on the surface, and dark and deep underneath. A sea of perfectly assembled elements, The Shape of Water truly feels like a film that no one else could have made. Working from a script co-written with Vanessa Taylor (Divergent), del Toro is operating at the top of his game, and his fingerprints can be seen in every exquisitely detailed image. With its stylistic odes to both creature features and the Golden Age of Hollywood, succumbing to the movie's seductive visual charms is easy. Falling for the sensitive way in which it handles its underwater lovers is as well. Assisting in that department, Hawkins and Jones couldn't be better, fashioning their performances out of glances, movements and the things that words just can't say. Often they're floating, either literally or emotionally. Thanks to the story's depths of affection and acceptance, so is the audience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQH3jqetJoY
UPDATE, December 22, 2023: Foe streams via Prime Video from Friday, January 5, 2024. Pondering the end of the earth also means pondering the end of people. When the planet that we live on withers to the point of becoming uninhabitable, humanity doesn't just suffer big-picture consequences as a species — existentially, the basic facets of being human are upended as well. So explores and interrogates Foe, the haunting third feature from Australian director Garth Davis (Lion, Mary Magdalene), as well as the latest adaptation of Canadian author Iain Reid's books after 2020 movie I'm Thinking of Ending Things. The pair teamed up to pen the script to a dystopian thriller that looks every inch the stark sci-fi part, using Victoria's Winton Wetlands as its shooting location to double for America's midwest circa 2065, and yet is always one thing above all else: like Killers of the Flower Moon, too, this is a relationship drama. In his third film to reach Australian cinemas in 2023, his second since earning an Oscar nomination for Aftersun and also one of two in a row made Down Under alongside Carmen, Paul Mescal plays half of Foe's key couple opposite his Irish compatriot (plus Atonement, Brooklyn, Lady Bird and Little Women Academy Award-nominee) Saoirse Ronan. The pair trade their natural lilts for American accents as Junior and Hen, holdout farmers in a world and at a time where there's little hope in the field, their actual fields or for the future. As a title card explains, days on the third rock from the sun are numbered. Also noted in that opening text is the setup moving forward, relocating the population to space stations. And, as Blade Runner did decades ago and The Creator — which is also set in 2065 — adopted just this year, simulated humans are also entwined in this new status quo. Junior and Hen's marriage is one of lived-in routine, concise exchanges and loaded looks — of resignation and malaise, in fact, with life's realities tampering down the high-school sweethearts' spirits mere years into their wedded bliss. He works at a poultry factory, she waits tables at a diner, and the bleak expanse surrounding their farmhouse sports rows of symbolism; Foe's central couple cling to the wish that the inherited land and their love alike hasn't turned fallow, no matter the signs otherwise. With such barrenness lingering, car lights outside their home one night and then a sharp knock at the door were always going to feel like more than just an ordinary visitor. The cause is anything but an average passerby: he's government consultant Terrance (Aaron Pierre, Old), who has come with conscription orders for the OuterMore project, which is building the off-world installation that earth's residents will soon need to live on. Like young men before him forced to wage war, Junior doesn't have a choice in the plans to send him to space. With Hen, he also has no say in the next two crucial pieces of information that the calm-yet-commanding Terrance imparts: only Junior is going, but a simulant will take his place, not only looking and sounding but behaving exactly like him, so that Hen isn't left alone. The pair are told that they have around two years to adjust to this news, and that Terrance will eventually come to live with them as that departure date shuffles closer. Swiftly, the dust storms outside have another threat as a source of swirling tension and visible upheaval. In an already-fraying marriage and with an increasingly slipping sense of control, neither Junior nor Hen is pleased about their twist of fate, understandably — but enjoying what they have takes on added urgency. Even if two of Ireland's best current actors can't share their native tones in Foe, they share the screen with shimmering potency, selling every iota of emotion felt by their characters. Whether only coming to fame in 2020 with Normal People or demanding attention since being a 13-year-old stealing scenes in a BAFTA Best Picture-winner — so, each breaking out in highly anticipated and widely applauded page-to-screen adaptations — Mescal and Ronan keep proving themselves spectacular acting talents, which isn't different here. Both are supremely skilled at being silently, subtly and naturalistically expressive, and so at conveying interiority. Under Davis' guidance, that means cycling through hurt, anger, uncertainty, yearning, surprise, betrayal, affection and hope as Junior and Hen grapple with the full spreadh of responses to their situation, and also navigate the remnants of their long-festering romance. Each giving deeply felt performances that could swell through several countryside abodes, they bring to mind another great on-screen coupling that also tore into marital melancholy: Kate Winslet (Ronan's co-star in Ammonite) and Leonardo DiCaprio (Killers of the Flower Moon) in 2008's Revolutionary Road. Pierre, too, more than holds up his role as the third point in Foe's acting triangle. Ahead of becoming the voice of Mufasa in upcoming The Lion King sequel Mufasa: The Lion King — which reunites him with filmmaker Barry Jenkins after The Underground Railroad — he finds the ideal balance of enigmatic and intimidating in a movie that's all about shifts big and small. As Pierre's star rises, which it is destined to and fast, this will remain one of his essential performances. Adding to the excellent work all-round is cinematographer Mátyás Erdély (The Nest), who sees the landscape as surreal, foreboding and dreamy all at once. While Foe's backdrop might look like Australia if you're aware that it is, but devoid any ochre dirt and standard outback sights, it also blazes as lonely terrain that's as thorny and knotty as its animal, plant and human occupants. It could seem ambitious, getting desolate yet heatedly psychological and emotional in Black Mirror-esque environmental sci-fi-meets-AI territory, but Davis and Reid know what Charlie Brooker always has as well: that tales about where the future leads, and the technology it inspires with it, are nothing if they're not actually about people. Although within Foe sits a question about whether accepting and embracing AI replacements for our nearest and dearest is ever possible, what it means to live and love, to work out who we are and want to be, and to grow and progress — with or without tech — is hardwired into this affecting film. This is a movie about how people change and evolve, especially within relationships; how that change and evolution both responds to the climes and occurs regardless of it; and how it can happen together or individually, complete with the heartbreak when the latter applies. Aptly, then, it's an evocative, stirring and exceptionally acted feature that morphs in hindsight the more that's revealed on-screen, poignantly so.
UPDATE, August 31, 2020: Cats is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. In case you don't already know, Cats is about moggies and mousers called Jellicle cats. If that means nothing to you, then you might want to keep it that way — unless you like overblown, nonsensical musicals that take place around a pile of trash, a sign if ever there was one. The word 'Jellicle' won't actually mean anything to you once you've seen Tom Hooper's adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's popular theatre production, either, but you will have heard the term more times than any human or feline should. Cats devotes its opening song-and-dance number, called 'Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats', to explaining what Jellicle means; however the track only really succeeds in being repetitive and silly. The tune is basically Cats' equivalent of 90s hit 'Blue', using the same lyrics over and over until nothing means anything and you're praying for it to finish. The film's busy, jerky, bewildering opening — staged to initiate the wide-eyed Victoria (ballet dancer Francesca Hayward) into the Jellicle cats — is indicative of what's to come. As the song drags on, it also inspires questions that'll keep popping up: 'why?', 'how?' and 'what the?'. Those unfamiliar with Cats, the musical that's been prowling the stage since 1981, will be hard-pressed to understand its long-running appeal. You'll equally wonder how anyone could think it should get the big-screen treatment. Just because special effects can now cover humans with CGI fur, it doesn't mean that it should be done. And that fur, plus the twitching whiskers and ears that go with it (and the human breasts but lack of genitals, too), appear nightmarish at worst and distracting at best. After Victoria is abandoned in a London alley, and after Rum Tum Tugger (Jason Derulo) and his purring crew meow the word Jellicle at her relentlessly, she still has much to learn. It's the night of the Jellicle ball, where the Jellicle cats compete — and when the Jellicle choice will be made. Whoever is deemed the ultimate Jellicle by matriarch Old Deuteronomy (Judi Dench) will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn. So, the lazy Jennyanydots (Rebel Wilson), debonair Bustopher Jones (James Corden) and their four-legged brethren all sing their cat-sized hearts out. Alas, master criminal Macavity (Idris Elba) is also scampering about, attempting to trick his way to glory. Let's address the obvious hairball: these felines want to howl and caterwaul so they can float into the sky, die, then be resurrected for the next of their nine lives. That's a ridiculous, overtly religious concept, and it always feels the case in Cats. More kitties scramble around, competing and introducing themselves via song, but they can't croon past the baffling premise. That doesn't stop them from trying, including magician cat Mr Mistoffelees (Laurie Davidson), outcast Grizabella (Jennifer Hudson), cat-burgling duo Mungojerrie (Danny Collins) and Rumpleteazer (Naoimh Morgan), and elder statesman Gus the Theatre Cat (Ian McKellen). Those eager for Taylor Swift's catty moment as the mischievous Bombalurina, who drugs her fellow critters with catnip, will be waiting a while — and for just one slinky number. Cats is a sung-through musical, barely uttering a word that isn't belted out, which doesn't improve the storyline either. Lloyd Webber based the stage version on TS Eliot's poetry collection Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats and, even with Hooper (Les Miserables) and Lee Hall (Rocketman) tackling the film's screenplay, it's just a bunch of kitty ditties flung together like a dog's breakfast. That might've been entertaining enough if the tunes had emotional heft, but they don't. Even famed ballad 'Memory' feels thin — and that's the cowering Hudson's only substantial contribution. New Swift and Lloyd Webber-penned track 'Beautiful Ghosts' is similarly forgettable, although it does provide a noticeably quieter pace amid all the unconvincing feline razzle-dazzle. Consequently, Cats is something you endure — like emptying a cat's litter tray — with Hooper's flick failing to sink in its claws in any meaningful manner. The performances reach pantomime levels, perhaps to help you forget that Elba, Dench and McKellen are prancing, crawling and licking milk from saucers. (Or, so you don't ask why some cats don suspenders, others are naked, and Old Deut resembles The Wizard of Oz's Cowardly Lion.) Even beneath the special effects, every aspect of the movie looks like it's taking place on a stage, which is hardly immersive. Worse, Hooper can't decide if he wants to zip around amongst the cats, peer too closely at their faces or watch their dancing from afar, making the film as disjointed in its cinematography as it is elsewhere. 2019 hasn't been kind to singing cats on-screen, but at least The Lion King's uncanny photo-realistic jungle beasts didn't seem like they were staging a cat version of that other terrible recent musical: The Greatest Showman. Real-life cute kitties deserve far better than this catastrophe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv-n0ZZHbSY
Imagine if you got to take photos of your musical icons for a living. Wouldn't that be the life? Yeah, well, Tony Mott does that every day, and there's plenty more to be jealous of. 450 album covers and more than 700 magazines are adorned with Tony's photos, and he has snapped everyone from the Rolling Stones to Nick Cave, Bob Dylan and Silverchair. The Sydney-based artist first picked up a camera during his teenage train spotting years, taking still black and white photos of trains as a hobby. He got his start as a professional photographer in the early 80s, following The Divinyls, with his first paid photograph used as a tour poster. His now epic collection of band portraits spans more than 30,000 photographs in total. Mott's impressive resume includes an extensive list of high-profile musicians, yet several touring gigs with the Rolling Stones remains the highlight of his career. He has also travelled with Silverchair, Fleetwood Mac, Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan, and that's only a name dropping a few! The exhibition A Retrospective of Work from the Last 30 Years by Tony Mott is full of familiar famous faces and magical music moments including images of Queen, Midnight Oil, Bob Dylan, Tina Turner, Elton John, Nick Cave, Powderfinger, Neil Finn, Ozzy Osbourne and Björk. Mott's book of the same name is also currently available via his website.
Strolling through stunning lights as far as the eye can see, moseying beneath a canopy of glowing multi-coloured trees, wandering between ribbons of flashing beams, enjoying the most-luminous two-kilometre stroll through nature that you can imagine: you'll be able to do all of this again when Lightscape returns to Brisbane in 2024. If you went to the 2023 version, this second Lightscape stint in the Queensland capital will also take place as part of Brisbane Festival 2024. For two years in a row, one dazzling event hosts another, then, with this year's iteration running from Thursday, August 29 and staying around for a few weeks post-fest until Saturday, October 12. Once more, the after-dark light festival is taking over the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens, beaming away from 5.45pm each night. Prepare to see the garden illuminated by immersive and large-scale installations scattered along the lengthy route, including sparkling trees, lit-up walkways and bursts of colour that look like fireworks. A big highlight: large-scale works like giant flowers and glowing tunnels, both of which will make you feel like you're being bathed in radiance. But don't go thinking that you'll just be repeating what you saw last year, because 2024's Lightscape in Brisbane has a few new additions courtesy of works by Queensland First Nations artists Paul Bong (aka Bindur Bullin) and Michelle Yeatman. The whole experience has also been reimagined, in fact. Also, pop-up food and drink stalls will be scattered throughout the walk. Lightscape first hit Australia in 2022 after initially taking over gardens across the United Kingdom and the United States. Developed by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in the UK, it's understandably proven a huge success — and more than two-million people wandered along its glowing trails in a single season overseas. "I am delighted to welcome a new version of last year's festival favourite, Lightscape, to once again delight and dazzle visitors to Brisbane's beautiful inner-city oasis," said Brisbane Festival Artistic Director Louise Bezzina. "This year's Brisbane Festival program encourages us to embrace frivolity and I cannot imagine a more fitting place to do so than among technicolour trees, fields of luminous blooms and ethereal soundtracks." [caption id="attachment_960564" align="alignnone" width="1920"] © Photography by Jake Davis[/caption] Lightscape will light up the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens from Thursday, August 29–Saturday, October 12, 2024. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the Lightscape website.
UPDATE, AUGUST 13, 2020: Eleven Rooftop Bar is temporarily closed, with Maya Mexican taking over the space on a pop-up basis. Eleven is a lucky number for some, and it might just prove a lucky place for many. Brisbane rooftop bar Eleven has a sky-high vantage point from the eleventh floor of 757 Ann Street, looking out over Newstead to the CBD. If surveying the city from up above isn't your thing, then devouring share plates with your mates probably is — while enjoying bottle service, and sitting in a semi-private booth. Owner Jason Coats has transformed the place with a laidback feel by day that transitions into a cultured party vibe by night. In order to achieve that, he has taken inspiration from a few overseas jaunts, such as rooftop bars in Istanbul, luxe party venues in Bali and spots in Ibiza. The result is a Mediterranean-inspired bar and restaurant that offers a modern European share plate menu and handcrafted cocktails. Images: Pandora Photography.
By now, you've probably mastered the art of pickling and tried your hand at bread baking. And sure, becoming a whiz in the kitchen is great and all, but sometimes it's important to treat yourself a little — even when you're spending so much time at home. Whether you've finally organised your bookshelf, reached that work deadline or just made it through the day, it's worth celebrating the small wins. So, next time you're in need of a little at-home indulgence, crack open a bottle of bubbly and order yourself a tray of some of the finest oysters around thanks to East 33's new next-day delivery service. A collective of Australia's major Sydney rock oyster farmers located along the NSW coast, East 33 usually supplies some of the country's — and the world's — top restaurants. But in light of the impact that COVID-19 and corresponding restrictions have had on pubs, restaurants and bars, East 33 has changed tact with its new service 33 Delivery, meaning you can have a fine dining experience from your couch. If you're an oyster fan, you already know that Sydney rocks are considered some of the best of the bivalves. And, for a limited time, East 33's dropping them to your door at reasonable prices. Do yourself, your partner or your housemates a favour and order some stat. You can either get them shucked or unshucked, with prices starting at $59 for a tray of two dozen. If you want to sample Sydney rocks from up and down the coastline, opt for the East 33 Tasting Kit ($69) which features eight from northern NSW, including Nambucca, Hastings River and Camden Haven; eight from the central coast regions of Port Stephens, Manning River and Wallis Lake; and eight from the south coast areas of Merimbula, Pambula and Lake Wapengo. Next-day delivery (except Sunday) is available a range of Brisbane suburbs for a flat rate of $10. To see all delivery locations, head to East 33's website. East 33's new next-day delivery service is available across a heap of Brisbane suburbs for a limited time only. For more information and to place your order, visit the company's website.
At Sokyo, the phrase "looks good enough to eat" earns a new spin. Here, the sushi, sashimi, king prawns in yuzu butter off the robata grill, tempura Moreton Bay bugs with grapefruit salad and plenty more almost look too artful, too eye-catching and too enticing to devour. For its first expansion out of Sydney, as well as its debut eatery in Queensland, this Japanese fine-diner has given its Brisbane location in the new Queen's Wharf precinct a specific gift: Executive Chef Alex Yu, brandishing his skills as a "sashimi florist" over the restaurant's aesthetically pleasing menu. Yu earned that nickname at Sokyo Sydney, where he worked for eight years from 2014 and became renowned for his fish platters featuring floral arrangements. In 2022, he moved to Yugen Melbourne to take on that restaurant's Head Chef position. Now, he has completed the east coast capital-city trifecta by coming to Brisbane to helm the new Sokyo. Sokyo's opening, launching when Queen's Wharf did at the end of August, brings a swag of good news to the River City. Brisbanites no longer need to visit Sydney to dine at the culinary standout, for starters. The second Sokyo is part of The Star Brisbane, just as the Harbour City's sits inside The Star Sydney. At The Star Gold Coast, Queensland already boasts fellow Japanese restaurant Kiyomi — a sibling eatery, if you like — but this is the first time that the Sokyo brand has set up shop elsewhere. If you haven't visited Sokyo down south, it heroes traditional cooking techniques and making dining a sumptuous feast for the senses. The restaurant's guiding principle: ritual meets art. The idea is to apply Japanese culinary practice to Australia, including using local produce — from Queensland, of course, at Sokyo Brisbane. In a space that seats 160, features both a sushi bar and a circular private dining room, and has Hassell to think for its scroll- and timber screen-heavy Japanese restaurant decor, patrons can enjoy a range of Sokyo's famous dishes that've made the jump from its OG location to Brissie. Two such highlights: spicy tuna with crispy rice, plus hiramasa kingfish with miso ceviche and crispy potato. Standouts from the rest of the menu include A5 wagyu with egg yolk, garlic chips and gold leaf; tempura snapper paired with a coriander salad; miso-glazed toothfish; and salmon belly aburi. Or, as long as you have at least one person for company, opt for the $160-per-person tasting menu. The multi-dish spread features four seafood plates, the choice to upgrade to a chef's selection of sushi or wagyu in wasabi sauce, plus mochi and strawberry milkshake ice cream, and a caramel macchiato. To wash them all down, sake, Japanese whisky, shochu cocktails, and tap and bottled beers from Japan take pride of place on the drinks list. You can also sip wine, champagne and non-alcoholic beverages. Find Sokyo at The Star Brisbane, Queen's Wharf, Level 2, 33 William Street, Brisbane CBD — open for dinner from 5–10pm Wednesday–Sunday. Head to the venue's website for more information.
If a tropical holiday gets you prawny for seafood, then push Prawn Star to the top of your culinary list when visiting Tropical North Queensland this summer. Serving fresh, locally sourced seafood right off the back of a repurposed fishing trawler, this fleet of four floating restaurants is an experience that reflects Cairns' laidback lifestyle. The succinct menu showcases the best seafood that Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef has to offer, and includes platters of prawns, bugs, crayfish and oysters that are best enjoyed with simple condiments or juicy chunks of fresh lime. Head to Prawn Star for lunch or dinner from 11am any day of the week and pair your seafood feast with its very own tap Prawn Beer or Prawn Cider available for $7 all day long.
The Mexican chain that brought us drone-delivered burritos is back with a new food delivery deal. Guzman y Gomez is offering $9.90 burritos and burrito bowls delivered to your door for a whole seven days. Unfortunately, not delivered by drones, though Available from today, Wednesday, April 1 through till Tuesday, April 7, the cheap eats are available from over 100 stores across Australia, including a heap in Queensland, Victoria and NSW. To find your closest, head on over to Menulog and input your address. The burritos feature a flour tortilla stuffed with rice, beans, pico de gallo, cheese and your choice of meat or veggies, such as spiced pulled pork, barramundi and slow-cooked beef. And the bowls, unsurprisingly, are pretty much the same without the tortilla. The catch is you do need to pay for a $5 delivery fee, but that's for the total order — so you could split it with your housemate or double-up and get a burrito for both lunch and dinner. To order your $9.90 burrito or burrito bowl head on over to Menulog.
The start of the medieval period might be referred to as the Dark Ages; however a few things still shone brightly. Gold, jewellery, seals, sculptures, stained glass and other such objects were symbols of prestige — and some have stood the test of time. In Medieval Power: Symbols & Splendour, more than 250 of these artefacts will make their world premiere. Iconic trinkets such as a famous Lewis chessman piece will line the shelves alongside tools of war, objects of religious significance and humble items from everyday life. Together, they offer a window into existence dating back to AD 400, as well as a glimpse at items that haven't been gazed upon for many, many centuries. Of course, in typical Queensland Museum style, trawling through a wealth of historical knickknacks is only the beginning of the fun. We're not saying that the bits and pieces on display won't dazzle you by themselves; we're just pointing out that attending one of the Friday evening After Dark events — which adds a program of live music, expert talks and films to the exhibition — will make your medieval experience truly sparkle.
If you're going to watch a horror movie this Halloween, you may as well do so while you're splashing around in a pool. That's what's on the bill at Brisbane's returning outdoor cinema pop-up, with Float-In Cinema back with a Halloween 2024 edition. Returning to W Brisbane, it's taking over the riverside hotel's WET Deck for three nights in October, pairing swim-in movies with food and cocktails. Screening across Monday, October 28–Wednesday, October 30, this excuse to see a horror-themed flick in a pool while downing drinks costs $130 per person, which includes a floating bed, a snack box, unlimited popcorn, and your choice of either a glass of bubbles or a cocktail upon arrival. You'll have to buy the rest of your beverages on top, but they will be delivered to you on floating trays. If you're keen, you might want to get in quick, as there are limited seats available per session — and this unique cinema always sells out. As for what you'll be watching this time, get ready to get spooked out by Hocus Pocus, the 2020 version of The Witches and the 90s big-screen take on The Addams Family. Arrivals are at 6pm each night, with the films starting at 7pm. Yes, you'll want to wear your togs, as you can hop into the water, not just float on top of it. The snack boxes include Moreton Bay bug rolls, truffle salami, house-marinated olives, grilled vegetables with pesto focaccia, chocolate truffles, passionfruit meringue tartlets and more. And the cinema's special cocktail is called Spooky Feels, costs $24, and features vodka, strawberry liqueur, grape spirit, lychee, cherry and soda.
For a city known for its warm temperatures and near-constant sunshine, Brisbane can be found surprisingly lacking in the outdoor cinema department. When summer rolls around, our options for open-air movie-viewing aren't as plentiful as other parts of the country — but a new addition will help expand our slate of star-lit cinemas. South Bank Parklands has Openair each October and November, New Farm Park has Moonlight Cinema every year from December, and now Mt Coot-tha Botantic Gardens will play host to Sunset Cinema this coming March and April. In its first Queensland venture, the lineup includes 14 nights of outdoor movie-going from March 15 to April 7, kicking off with the Jessica Chastain-starring Molly's Game and ending with Jennifer Lawrence in Red Sparrow. The program's focus on formidable ladies doesn't end there, with Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Lady Bird, I, Tonya and The Post all on the bill as well. So is Fifty Shades Freed, which we can't say fits into that category. Other highlights range from an early screening of Early Man from Wallace & Gromit creators Aardman Animations, to superhero thrills with Black Panther, to every cinema's retro go-to, aka Dirty Dancing. In addition to big-screen flicks at the base of Brissie's beloved mountain, Sunset Cinema will also feature a snack bar serving up popcorn and other movie treats, booze from 4 Pines and MadFish Wines, and a food selection that's still to be confirmed. Or, pack your own picnic — it's part of the fun of seeing a film outside, after all — but leave any alcohol at home. No BYO is allowed. Sunset Cinema runs from March 15 to April 7 at the Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens. To view the program — and to buy tickets from 10am on January 24 — visit sunsetcinema.com.au.
When the Mountain Goat Valley Crawl kicked off in 2016, it did so in simple but great style. Recognising that the key to many a good night out is a multi-venue itinerary, it made hopping between Fortitude Valley's finest hangouts a streamlined, well-organised yet still laidback experience — with brews aplenty and an ace live music soundtrack. Come 2022, the sprawling music and beer festival will still be going strong — even after the events of the past few years. On Saturday, February 12, attendees can jump between nine Valley spots to see a huge heap of interstate and local artists. The simultaneous sonic fun takes place at The Black Bear Lodge, The Brightside (both indoors and outdoors), Greaser, Kick Ons, O'Skulligans, Ric's Backyard, The Zoo and Suzie Wongs Good Time Bar. As always, the agenda includes running between each to sip frosty beverages and catch crackin' sets, with the entertainment once again sponsored by a brewery. The whole shindig kicks off at 6pm, so the only thing left for you to do is clear your calendar for an ace evening of tunes, brews and hopping around the Valley. Well, that and check out the 36-act lineup below: [caption id="attachment_789891" align="alignnone" width="1920"] katexjean[/caption] MOUNTAIN GOAT VALLEY CRAWL 2022 LINEUP: ARTISTS: Kwame (a-z) 1300 Adam Newling Bec Sandridge Flowertruck The Lazy Eyes Melaleuca Milan Ring Nyxen RAT!Hammock (a-z) 90Ivy Blue Velvet Bored Shorts The Buzzing Towers Cheap Date CityPiss Cloe Terare Elcid Flores Fomi Fraser Bell Girl and Girl Haliday Hollie Joy Isabel Wood Lucy Francesca Dron Melrose. Monet's Pond Passionfruit Band Radium Dolls Slowrip Square Stage Presence Straight Girls The Tinderboxers Tjaka Willis and the Lovely Ones VENUES: Black Bear Lodge The Brightside The Brightside — Outdoors Greaser O'Skulligans Ric's Backyard Suzie Wongs Good Time Bar Woolly Mammoth Mane Stage The Zoo The 2022 Mountain Goat Valley Crawl takes place from 6pm on Saturday, February 12. Entry is free, but you'll need to RSVP for free tickets online. Top image: Jared Hinz Photography.
Make October a month of wellness, as W Brisbane teams up with much-loved purveyors of all things healthy living, Cool 2Be Conscious. Held across three early morning Friday sessions, Conscious Collective runs on October 10, 17 and 24 from 6–8am, seeing locals and visitors alike guided through a revitalising experience that's both exclusive and approachable. Shaped as community-driven workshops, guests are directed through two hours of breathwork and meditation, ensuring a relaxing end to the week. Then, it's time to drift away in a restorative soundbath before rounding out the session with a rejuvenating ice plunge, making for an unmatched dopamine rush that leaves you feeling centred again. Taking over W Brisbane's WET Deck, the rooftop bar and pool give way to a mindful openair studio just before the weekend arrives, made even better with sweeping Brisbane River views. With the sun still coming up as you move through one soothing experience after another, expect this weekly ritual to deliver a major mind and body boost. Founded by Ryan Hubbard and Ru Mackenzie on the Gold Coast in 2020, Cool 2Be Conscious has become a big name in the breathwork scene, hosting massive gatherings designed to make health a collective experience. Yet for those seeking a more intimate experience, C2BC's W Brisbane collaboration might just be the perfect wellness alternative.
Every Friday and Saturday night, Morayfield plays host to BITE Markets, complete with quite the array of food and stalls. But if you head by on Friday, October 1 and Saturday, October 2, you'll find more than just the usual setup — and it'll be enough to get your furry, four-legged companion's tail wagging in delight. BITE Markets' Doggo Festival is dedicating two evenings to adorable canines, including pupper-friendly stalls, prizes for dressing up your dog — yes, there's even a fashion show — and the opportunity to pat oh-so-many pooches. If you have a barking bestie, you'll want to bring them along. If you don't, you can play every wannabe dog owner's favourite game: ogling all those fluffy cuties. For humans, the usual array of bites to eat will be on offer as well, and so will beer, wine, cider and mocktails to sip. And, there'll also be prizes for two-legged attendees, too, because your very good doggo isn't the only one deserving of attention.
Imagine that you had become an international superstar playing Harry Potter, then spent more than a decade as the beloved character in one of the biggest movie franchises there is. Once your wizarding time was over, you'd probably want to take on a whole range of weird, wonderful and vastly different projects. Daniel Radcliffe, the only person who fits the above description, certainly seems to be following that path — and his latest action-comedy might just be the wildest entry on his post-Boy Who Lived resume so far. Since the HP films wrapped up back in 2011, Radcliffe has played a man who wakes up with horns protruding from his head in the aptly titled Horns, as well as Victor Frankenstein's apprentice Igor in the terrible movie that's conveniently named Victor Frankenstein. He also transforms into a corpse in Swiss Army Man — a corpse whose farts make it skim across the ocean like a jet ski. And, in the first season of great TV sitcom Miracle Workers, he's an angel trying to save the world from a slacker God (Steve Buscemi). Next, though, Radcliffe is stepping into the shoes of a snarky video game developer — one who is forced into a real-life fight-to-the-death game. His ordeal is also being live-streamed as part of an illegal death-match fight club channel called Skizm. Oh, and he has guns bolted to his hands. That's the premise of Guns Akimbo, which seems to combine elements of Battle Royale, Man of Tai Chi, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Nerve into one clearly, gleefully over-the-top package. As seen in the movie's just-dropped new trailer, Radcliffe's character, Miles, has to try to survive when he's thrust into the city-wide game — and navigate a world where brutal gladiator-style fights have become mass entertainment. The film also stars Ready or Not's Samara Weaving and Flight of the Conchords' Rhys Darby, with New Zealand filmmaker Jason Lei Howden (Deathgasm) behind the lens. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOFatKD0Vzo&feature=emb_logo Guns Akimbo will start screening around Australia on February 28 at special event screenings.
UPDATE, January 7, 2022: Wrath of Man is available to stream via Binge, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Too many times in his now 23-year feature filmmaking career, Guy Ritchie has happily crammed a heap of his favourite things into a bag, shaken it about, spilled it out onto the screen and called it his next movie. The British director likes twisty crime capers, dialogue peppered with slang and wisecracks, and memorable character nicknames. He loves chopping his narratives up into parts, then piecing them back together in a non-linear fashion. And, he's rather fond of enlisting sizeable ensemble casts, then switching between their varying perspectives. He's keen on trying to keep his audiences guessing, too. That said, he also likes having someone explain the inner workings of a plan, then showing said scheme in action while those descriptive words echo above his needle drop-heavy soundtrack. If you've seen Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, Revolver, RocknRolla or The Gentlemen, you'll recognise all of the above. And, you'll know that in three of those films, Ritchie managed to point his lens at another of his favourite things as well. Lock Stock and Snatch didn't just make Ritchie a star, but also catapulted Jason Statham to fame. The pair found a groove that worked for them, and it changed their lives — until, with Revolver, it didn't. With revenge thriller Wrath of Man, Ritchie and Statham reunite after 16 years apart. During that stretch, the former subjected the world to his terrible Sherlock Holmes films, fared better with left-field additions to his resume like The Man From UNCLE and Aladdin, but didn't quite know what to do with King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. The latter has become an action go-to over the same time — with both forgettable and memorable flicks resulting, including three Fast and Furious movies and a stint scowling at Dwayne Johnson in the franchise's odd-couple spinoff Hobbs & Shaw. Accordingly, Ritchie and Statham reteam after heading in their own directions. Thankfully, they're not just interested in rehashing their shared past glories. From Wrath of Man's first moments, with its tense, droning score, its high-strung mood and its filming of an armoured van robbery from inside the vehicle, a relentlessly grim tone is established. When Statham shows up shortly afterwards, he's firmly in stoic mode, too. He does spout a few quippy lines, and Ritchie once again unfurls his narrative by jumping between different people, events and time periods, but Lock, Stock Again or Snatch Harder this isn't. Instead, Wrath of Man is a remake of 2004 French film Le Convoyeur. While walking in someone else's shoes turned out horrendously for Ritchie with the Madonna-starring Swept Away, that isn't the case here. Statham plays Patrick Hill, the newest employee at the Los Angeles-based cash truck company Fortico Securities. On his first day, his colleague Bullet (Holt McCallany, Mindhunter) dubs him H — "like the bomb, or Jesus H," he says — and the nickname quickly sticks. H joins the outfit a few months after the aforementioned holdup, with the memory of the two coworkers and civilian killed in the incident still fresh in everyone's minds. So, when gunmen interrupt his first post-training run with Bullet and Boy Sweat Dave (Josh Hartnett, Penny Dreadful), they're unsurprisingly jumpy; however, H deals with the situation with lethal efficiency. Cue glowing praise from Fortico's owner (Rob Delaney, Tom & Jerry), concern from his by-the-book manager (Eddie Marsan, Vice) and intrigue about his past from the rest of the team (such as Angel Has Fallen's Rocci Williams and Calm with Horses' Niamh Algar). Ritchie leaps both forwards and backwards from there, teasing out H's backstory and also exploring exactly what's brought him to his current gig. But this isn't just his tale, as seen via the time spent with Jackson (Jeffrey Donovan, Let Him Go), Jan (Scott Eastwood, The Outpost) and their fellow military veterans — plus glimpses of Agent King (Andy Garcia, Words on Bathroom Walls). The ominous mood remains steadfastly intact as Wrath of Man fleshes out the details, and composer Christopher Benstead (The Gentlemen) keeps working overtime with the nerve-rattling thrumming. Both could be accused of overplaying their hands, but they're effective. The same applies to Statham's no-nonsense tough guy routine, which never wavers, yet never becomes monotonous either. He exudes menace from the outset, as he typically does on-screen, but here it's of the baked-in variety. Wrath of Man isn't short on narrative twists, moving parts on justifications for H's behaviour, but there's an internalised sense of pain and anger in Statham's performance that never feels as if it's just going through the plot-dictated motions. Statham still glowers, throws around fists and shoots bullets like a man on a mission — and growls his lines like each word is a weapon, too — all of which happens often. But Wrath of Man is a streamlined rather than an indulgent action film. While it runs mere minutes shy of two hours, it doesn't pad out its frames with overblown and overly chaotic filler. As Godzilla vs Kong and Nobody also demonstrated recently, the power of cleanly shot and coherently staged action scenes really can't be underestimated. Viewers should be swept up in the action, rather than lost in it, which Ritchie, cinematographer Alan Stewart (Tom and Jerry) and editor James Hebert (Edge of Tomorrow) understand. Ritchie and co-screenwriters Marn Davies and Ivan Atkinson (The Gentlemen) also know the difference between a complicated storyline and a convoluted one. They wade into murky thematic territory, including exactly why folks might be driven to wage violent campaigns of vengeance or carry out intricate robberies, but don't ever expect to deliver easy answers. Wrath of Man doesn't come close to reaching the heights of fellow LA-set heist films Point Break and Heat, and it's also well aware of the crime and revenge genres' many conventions; however, it finds its niche. It also leaves its audience looking forward to the next collaboration between Ritchie and Statham — an as-yet-untitled spy film that's already been shot — rather than dreading that they'll simply stick to their decades-old greatest hits. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcOP5kQrABk
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. THE DUKE Back in 1962, in the first-ever Bond film Dr No, the suave, Scottish-accented, Sean Connery-starring version of 007 admires a painting in the eponymous evil villain's underwater lair. That picture: Francisco Goya's Portrait of the Duke of Wellington. The artwork itself is very much real, too, although the genuine article doesn't appear in the feature. Even if the filmmakers had wanted to use the actual piece, it was missing at the time. In fact, making a joke about that exact situation is why the portrait is even referenced in Dr No. That's quite the situation: the debut big-screen instalment in one of cinema's most famous and longest-running franchises, and a saga about super spies and formidable villains at that, including a gag about a real-life art heist. The truth behind the painting's disappearance is even more fantastical, however, as The Duke captures. The year prior to Bond's first martini, a mere 19 days after the early 19th-century Goya piece was put on display in the National Gallery in London, the portrait was stolen. Unsurprisingly, the pilfering earned plenty of attention — especially given that the government-owned institution had bought the picture for the hefty sum of £140,000, which'd likely be almost £3 million today. International master criminals were suspected. Years passed, two more 007 movies hit cinemas, and there was zero sign of the artwork or the culprit. And, that might've remained the case if eccentric Newcastle sexagenarian Kempton Bunton hadn't turned himself in in 1965, advising that he'd gotten light-fingered in protest at the obscene amount spent on Portrait of the Duke of Wellington using taxpayer funds — money that could've been better deployed to provide pensioners with TV licenses, a cause Bunton had openly campaigned for (and even been imprisoned over after refusing to pay his own television fee). First, the not-at-all-inconsequential detail that's incongruous with glueing your eyes to the small screen Down Under: the charge that many countries collect for watching the box. Australia and New Zealand both abolished it decades ago, but it remains compulsory in the UK to this day. As played by Jim Broadbent (Six Minutes to Midnight), Bunton is fiercely opposed to paying, much to the embarrassment of his wife Dorothy (Helen Mirren, Fast and Furious 9) whenever the license inspectors come calling. He's even in London with his son Jackie (Fionn Whitehead, Voyagers) to attempt to spread the word about his fight against the TV fee for pensioners when Goya's painting is taken — that, and to get the BBC to produce the television scripts he devotedly pens and sends in, but receives no interest back from the broadcaster. Even the Bond franchise couldn't have dreamed up these specifics. The Duke's true tale is far wilder than fiction, and also so strange that it can only spring from reality. Directed by Roger Michell (My Cousin Rachel, Blackbird) — marking the British filmmaker's last fictional feature before his 2021 passing — it delivers its story with some light tinkering here and there, but the whole episode still makes for charming viewing. Much of the minutiae is shared during Bunton's court case, which could've jumped out of a Frank Capra movie; that's the feel-good vibe the movie shoots for and easily hits. Such a move couldn't be more astute for a flick that surveys an incident from more than half a century ago, but reaches screens in a world where the chasm between the haves and the have-nots just keeps widening. Yes, it's basically a pensioner-and-painting version of Robin Hood. Read our full review. MORBIUS Every studio wants a Marvel Cinematic Universe to call its own, or an equivalent that similarly takes a big bite out of the box office — and that very quest explains why Morbius exists. On the page, the character also known as 'the Living Vampire' has been battling Spider-Man since 1971. On the screen, he's now the second of the web-slinger's foes after Venom to get his own feature. This long-delayed flick, which was originally due to release before Venom: Let There Be Carnage until the pandemic struck, is also the third film in what's been dubbed Sony's Spider-Man Universe. As that name makes plain, the company is spinning its own on-screen world around everyone's favourite friendly neighbourhood superhero, because that's what it owns the rights to, and has started out focusing on villainous folks. So far, the movie magic hasn't flowed. If that explanatory opening paragraph felt like something obligatory that you had to get through to set the scene, it's meant to. That's how Morbius feels as well. Actually, that's being kinder than this draining picture deserves given it only has one purpose: setting up more films to follow. Too many movies in too many comic book-inspired cinematic universes share the same fate, because this type of filmmaking has primarily become $20-per-ticket feature-length episodes on a big screen — but it's particularly blatant here. Before the MCU's success, the bulk of Morbius would've been a ten-minute introduction in a flick about supervillains, and its mid-credits teasers would've fuelled the first act. Now, flinging every bit of caped crusader-adjacent material into as large a number of cinematic outings as possible is the status quo, and this is one of the most bloodless examples yet. Jumping over to the SSU from the DCEU — that'd be the DC Extended Universe, the pictures based around Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Suicide Squad and the like (but not including Joker or The Batman) — Jared Leto plays Morbius' eponymous figure. A renowned scientist, Dr Michael Morbius has a keen interest in the red liquid pumping through humans' veins stemming from his own health issues. As seen in early scenes set during his childhood, young Michael (Charlie Shotwell, The Nest) was a sickly kid in a medical facility thanks to a rare disease that stops him from producing new blood. There, under the care of Dr Emil Nikols (Jared Harris, Foundation), he befriended another unwell boy (debutant Joseph Esson), showed his smarts and earned a prestigious scholarship. As an adult, he now refuses the Nobel Prize for creating artificial plasma, then tries to cure himself using genes from vampire bats. Morbius sports an awkward tone that filmmaker Daniel Espinosa (Life) can't overcome; its namesake may be a future big-screen baddie, but he's also meant to be this sympathetic flick's hero — and buying either is a stretch. In the overacting Leto's hands, he's too tedious to convince as a threat or someone to root for. He's too gleefully eccentric to resemble anything more than a skit at Leto's expense, too. Indeed, evoking any interest in Morbius' inner wrestling (because saving his own life with his experimental procedure comes at a bloodsucking cost) proves plodding. It does take a special set of skills to make such OTT displays so pedestrian at best, though, and that's a talent that Leto keeps showing to the misfortune of movie-goers. He offers more restraint here than in Suicide Squad (not to be confused with The Suicide Squad), The Little Things, House of Gucci or streaming series WeCrashed, but his post-Dallas Buyers Club Oscar-win resume remains dire — Blade Runner 2049 being the sole exception. Read our full review. SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 It was true in the 90s, and it remains that way now: when Jim Carrey lets loose, thrusting the entire might of his OTT comedic powers onto the silver screen, it's an unparalleled sight to behold. It doesn't always work, and he's a spectacular actor when putting in a toned-down or even serious performance — see: The Truman Show, The Majestic, I Love You Phillip Morris and his best work ever, the sublime Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind — but there's a reason that the Ace Venture flicks, The Mask and Dumb and Dumber were some of the biggest movies made three decades back. Carrey is now a rarity in cinemas, but one franchise has been reminding viewers what his full-throttle comic efforts look like. Sadly, he's also the best thing about the resulting films, even if they're hardly his finest work. That was accurate in 2020's Sonic the Hedgehog, and it's the same of sequel Sonic the Hedgehog 2 — which once again focuses on the speedy video game character but couldn't feel like more of a drag. The first Sonic movie established its namesake's life on earth, as well as his reason for being here. Accordingly, the blue-hued planet-hopping hedgehog (voiced by The Afterparty's Ben Schwartz) already made friends with small-town sheriff Tom Wachowski (James Marsden, The Stand). He already upended the Montana resident's life, too, including Tom's plans to move to San Francisco with his wife Maddie (Tika Sumpter, Mixed-ish). And, as well as eventually becoming a loveable member of the Wachowski family, Sonic also wreaked havoc with his rapid pace, and earned the wrath of the evil Dr Robotnik (Carrey, Kidding) in the process. More of the same occurs this time around, with Sonic the Hedgehog 2 taking a more-is-more approach. There's a wedding to ruin, magic gems to find and revenge on the part of Robotnik. He's teamed up with super-strong echidna Knuckles (voiced by The Harder They Fall's Idris Elba), in fact, while Sonic gets help from smart-but-shy fox Tails (voice-acting veteran Colleen O'Shaughnessey). Gone are the days when an animated critter's teeth caused internet mania. If that sentence makes sense to you, then you not only watched the first Sonic the Hedgehog — you also saw the chatter that erupted when its initial trailer dropped and the fast-running creature's humanised gnashers looked oh-so-disturbing. Cue a clean-up job that couldn't fix the abysmal movie itself, and an all-ages-friendly flick that still made such a ridiculous amount of money (almost $320 million worldwide) that this follow-up was inevitable. The fact that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 arrives a mere two years later does indeed smack of a rush job, and the end product feels that way from start to finish. That isn't the only task this swift second outing is keen to set up, with bringing in fellow Sega characters Knuckles and Tails the first step to making a Sonic Cinematic Universe. Yes, with Morbius reaching theatres on the exact same day as Sonic the Hedgehog 2, it's an ace time for sprawling start-up franchises sparked by a quest for cash rather than making great cinema — an ace time for the folks collecting the money, that is, but not for audiences. Both otherwise unrelated movies are flimsy, bland and woefully by-the-numbers, and seem to care little that they visibly look terrible thanks to unconvincing CGI. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 also falls victim to one of the worst traits seen in family-appropriate pictures: being happy to exist purely as a distraction. That means pointless needle drops that shoehorn in pop hits for no reason other than to give kids a recognisable soundtrack to grab their attention, and an exhausting need to whizz from scene to scene (and plot point to plot point) as if the film itself is suffering a sugar rush. Also covered: unnecessary pop-culture references, including inexplicably name-dropping Vin Diesel and The Rock, and also nodding to all things Indiana Jones. Read our full review. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on November 4, November 11, November 18 and November 25; December 2, December 9, December 16 and December 26; January 1, January 6, January 13, January 20 and January 27; February 3, February 10, February 17 and February 24; and March 3, March 10, March 17 and March 24. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Eternals, The Many Saints of Newark, Julia, No Time to Die, The Power of the Dog, Tick, Tick... Boom!, Zola, Last Night in Soho, Blue Bayou, The Rescue, Titane, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, Dune, Encanto, The Card Counter, The Lost Leonardo, The French Dispatch, Don't Look Up, Dear Evan Hansen, Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Lost Daughter, The Scary of Sixty-First, West Side Story, Licorice Pizza, The Matrix Resurrections, The Tragedy of Macbeth, The Worst Person in the World, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, House of Gucci, The King's Man, Red Rocket, Scream, The 355, Gold, King Richard, Limbo, Spencer, Nightmare Alley, Belle, Parallel Mothers, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Belfast, Here Out West, Jackass Forever, Benedetta, Drive My Car, Death on the Nile, C'mon C'mon, Flee, Uncharted, Quo Vadis, Aida?, Cyrano, Hive, Studio 666, The Batman, Blind Ambition, Bergman Island, Wash My Soul in the River's Flow, The Souvenir: Part II, Dog, Anonymous Club, X, River, Nowhere Special and RRR.
It doesn't snow in Brisbane. It doesn't really get all that cold in winter either. But, until the chilliest season on the annual calendar is over for this year, Brisbanites can still walk through snow, build a snowman and make snowballs — all by dropping by South Bank. No, the weather won't be extra frosty just at the inner-city riverside precinct. No, we're not living in a Hollywood disaster movie. Rather, Snow4Kids is returning for 2020. The idea is simple: this winter wonderland brings a heap of real snow to the South Bank Piazza, then lets anyone with a $20 ticket frolic through it, with the space open from Friday–Sunday weekly until August 30. This is a family-friendly event, as the name gives away. If you have littlies to bring along, that'll be welcome news. If you're an adult without any kids in tow, you're still able to head along — but the organisers ask that you be mindful of the fact that you'll have plenty of pint-sized company. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, there's no tobogganing this year. And, to keep everyone safe and socially distanced, you'll be allocated your own snow zone with your own small snow mountain. Heavy sanitising will also be happening all over the place, and numbers will be limited — so if you're keen to get snowy on your way home from work one Friday night, or across a weekend, you might want to nab a ticket sooner rather than later. Snow4Kids runs from Friday–Sunday weekly until Sunday, August 30 — open from Fridays from 3.30–7.30pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from 9.30am–6.30pm.
Great vintage stores are few and far between. It seems, these days, that to get anything amazing you need to be a part of a secret well-dressed group who know what op-shops haven't yet been raided and what vintage stores have the best of the best on offer. Luckily, there is one pop-up store that is guaranteed to house your next prized possession. Kijaro and Atomic Martini Vintage have joined forces to bring fashion lovers a world of vintage clothes, fabrics, jewellery, accessories and homewares. This team of vintage goddesses have found a plethora of goodies from the 1930s to 1980s. Opening night is on Thursday from 5pm-9pm. Arrive early as the saying “first in, best dressed” has never been more applicable. Pop into the pop-up shop and find a gorgeous piece that will make you the envy of your friends. When they ask where you found something so amazing you can say “it's vintage dahhhling”. That's reason enough to go, right? The store will be open on Friday 9am - 7pm, Saturday 9am -6pm and Sunday 10am -2pm.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING No one should need to cleanse their palates between Mad Max movies — well, maybe after Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, depending on your mileage with it — but if anyone does, George Miller shouldn't be one of them. The Australian auteur gifted the world the hit dystopian franchise, has helmed and penned each and every chapter, and made Mad Max: Fury Road an astonishing piece of cinema that's one of the very best in every filmic category that applies. Still, between that kinetic, frenetic, rightly Oscar-winning movie and upcoming prequel Furiosa, Miller has opted to swish around romantic fantasy Three Thousand Years of Longing. He does love heightened drama and also myths, including in the series he's synonymous with. He adores chronicling yearnings and hearts' desires, too, whether surveying vengeance and survival, the motivations behind farm animals gone a-wandering in Babe: Pig in the City, the dreams of dancing penguins in Happy Feet, or love, happiness and connection here. In other words, although adapted from AS Byatt's short story The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye, Three Thousand Years of Longing is unshakeably and inescapably a Miller movie — and it's as alive with his flair for the fantastical as most of his resume. It's a wonder for a range of reasons, one of which is simple: the last time that the writer/director made a movie that didn't connect to the Mad Max, Babe or Happy Feet franchises was three decades back. With that in mind, it comes as no surprise that this tale about a narratologist (Tilda Swinton, Memoria) and the Djinn (Idris Elba, Beast) she uncorks from a bottle, and the chats they have about their histories as the latter tries to ensure the former makes her three wishes to truly set him free, is told with playfulness, inventiveness, flamboyance and a deep heart. Much of Miller's filmography is, but there's a sense with Three Thousand Years of Longing that he's been released, too — even if he loves his usual confines, as audiences do as well. "My story is true," Swinton's Alithea Binnie announces at the get-go. "You're more likely to believe me, however, if I tell it as a fairy tale." Cue another Miller trademark, unpacking real emotions and woes within scenarios that are anything but standard — two people talking about their lives in a hotel is hardly fanciful, though. The tales that the Djinn relays, with debts clearly owed to One Thousand and One Nights, also dwell in the everyday; some just happened millennia ago. The Djinn loved the Queen of Sheba (model Aamito Lagum), but lost her to the envious King Solomon (Nicolas Mouawad, Mako). He then languished in the the Ottoman court, after young concubine Gulten (Ece Yüksel, Family Secrets) wished for the heart of Suleiman the Magnificent's (Lachy Hulme, Preacher) son Mustafa (singer Matteo Bocelli). And, in the 19th century, the Djinn fell for Zefir (Burcu Gölgedar, Between Two Dawns), the brilliantly smart but stifled wife of a Turkish merchant. What spirits the Djinn's time-hopping memories beyond the ordinary and into the metaphysical, and Alithea's narrative as well, is the figure first seen billowing out of blue-and-white glass, then filling an entire suite, then slipping into white towelling. Something magical happens when you pop on a hotel bathrobe — that space and that cosy clothing are instantly transporting — and while Alithea resists the very idea of making wishes, she gets swept along by her new companion anyway. As a scholar of stories and the meanings they hold, she knows the warnings surrounding uttering hopes and having them granted. She also says she's content with her intellectual, independent and isolated-by-choice life, travelling the world to conferences like the one that's brought her to Turkey and then to the Istanbul bazaar where she spies the Djinn's misshapen home, even if her own backstory speaks of pain and self-protective mechanisms. And yet, "I want our solitudes to be together", she eventually declares, and with exactly the titular emotion. Read our full review. ORPHAN: FIRST KILL What's more believable — and plot twists follow: a pre-teen playing a 33-year-old woman pretending to be a nine-year-old orphan, with a hormone disorder explaining the character's eerily youthful appearance; or an adult playing a 31-year-old woman pretending to be a lost child returned at age nine, again with that medical condition making everyone else oblivious? For viewers of 2009's Orphan and its 13-years-later follow-up Orphan: First Kill, which is a prequel, neither are particularly credible to witness. But the first film delivered its age trickery as an off-kilter final-act reveal, as paired with a phenomenal performance by then 12-year-old Isabelle Fuhrman in the pivotal role. Audiences bought the big shift — or remembered it, at least — because Fuhrman was so creepy and so committed to the bit, and because it suited the OTT horror-thriller. This time, that wild revelation is old news, but that doesn't stop Orphan: First Kill from leaning on the same two key pillars: an out-there turn of events and fervent portrayals. Fuhrman (The Novice) returns as Esther, the Estonian adult who posed as a parentless Russian girl in the initial feature. In Orphan: First Kill, she's introduced as Leena Klammer, the most dangerous resident at the Saarne Institute mental hospital. The prequel's first sighted kill comes early, as a means of escape. The second follows swiftly, because the film needs to get its central figure to the US. Fans of the previous picture will recall that Esther already had a troubled history when she was adopted and started wreaking the movie's main havoc, involving the family that brought her to America — and her time with that brood, aka wealthy Connecticut-based artist Allen Albright (Rossif Sutherland, Possessor), his gala-hosting wife Tricia (Julia Stiles, Hustlers) and their teen son Gunnar (Matthew Finlan, My Fake Boyfriend), is this flick's focus. Like their counterparts in Orphan, the Albrights have suffered a loss and are struggling to move on. When Leena poses as their missing daughter Esther, Allen especially seems like his old self again. As also happened in Orphan, however, the pigtail- and ribbon-wearing new addition to their home doesn't settle in smoothly. Orphan: First Kill repeats the original movie's greatest hits, including the arty doting dad, the wary brother, taunts labelling Esther a freak and a thorny relationship with her mum. Also covered: suspicious external parties, bathroom tantrums, swearing to get attention and spying on her parents having sex. And yes, anyone who has seen Orphan knows how this all turns out, and that it leads to the above again in Orphan, too. Thankfully, that's only part of Orphan: First Kill's narrative. Twists can be curious narrative tools; sometimes they're inspired, sometimes they're a crutch propping up a flimsy screenplay, and sometimes they seesaw between both. Orphan: First Kill tumbles gleefully into the latter category, thanks to a revelation midway that's patently ridiculous — although no more ridiculous than Orphan earning a follow-up in the first place — and also among the best things about the movie. It's a big risk, making a film that's initially so laughably formulaic that it just seems lazy, then letting a sudden switch completely change the game, the tone and the audience's perception of what's transpired so far. That proved a charm for the thoroughly unrelated Malignant in 2021, and it's a gamble that filmmaker William Brent Bell (The Boy and Brahms: The Boy II) and screenwriter David Coggeshall (Scream: The TV Series) take. Working with a story by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It) and Alex Mace (who earned the same credit on the original), it's one of their savviest choices. Read our full review. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on June 2, June 9, June 16, June 23 and June 30; and July 7, July 14, July 21 and July 28; and August 4, August 11, August 18 and August 25. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Mothering Sunday, Jurassic World Dominion, A Hero, Benediction, Lightyear, Men, Elvis, Lost Illusions, Nude Tuesday, Ali & Ava, Thor: Love and Thunder, Compartment No. 6, Sundown, The Gray Man, The Phantom of the Open, The Black Phone, Where the Crawdads Sing, Official Competition, The Forgiven, Full Time, Murder Party, Bullet Train, Nope, The Princess, 6 Festivals, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, Crimes of the Future, Bosch & Rockit, Fire of Love, Beast, Blaze and Hit the Road.
Brisbane's set to gain another big-name eatery, with the acclaimed Manjunath Mural set to open an upscale destination bar and restaurant within the new Brisbane Quarter development. Mural's earned his Singapore restaurant The Song Of India a Michelin star for the past two years, and it remains Southeast Asia's only Indian restaurant to be awarded the honour. Now, for his boundary-pushing Brisbane project, the chef's teaming up with Malt Dining's Nick Pinn and Sridhar Penumechu from Gold Coast restaurant Saffron to treat locals to a taste of his unique brand of 'Asian-Indian gastronomy'. The name of the restaurant's being kept under wraps for now, though it's slated to open by July this year. From a sprawling first-floor space overlooking the Brisbane River, he'll be plating up a fine dining offering that blends traditional Indian techniques with distinct Aussie flavours, to complement the in-house bar being imagined by Pinn. This part of the operation's set to feature a new-school riff on street food, alongside an extensive cocktail lineup, and a spirits offering focused on gin and exclusive American whisky blends. With this latest restaurant, Mural continues to push Indian food into the fine dining spotlight. "My dream is to share my style in presenting Indian cuisine in a way which is relevant to diners across the world, and that haute Indian cuisine will one day be as accepted as haute French dining," he explains. The restaurant will join the brand spanking new W Hotel and its signature restaurant Three Blue Ducks, both of which are set to open in April. The yet-to-be-named restaurant will open in July at Brisbane Quarter, 300 George Street, Brisbane. We'll keep you posted on any updates.
Brisbane's midweek public holiday is upon us. You'd prefer sitting in a cinema to walking around the Ekka; however, maybe your wallet doesn't want to play ball. Call Dendy Cinemas' latest special a case of great timing, then, with the chain offering up discount tickets that'll solve your problem. All day on Wednesday, August 13, you'll only pay $8 for your movie of choice at Portside. Or movies. With everything from Weapons, F1 and How to Train Your Dragon to Freakier Friday, Superman, The Fantastic Four: First Steps and The Friend screening, there's plenty to watch if you're keen to spend as much time in a darkened room as possible. The special isn't available for special events, previews, Dendy Arts sessions or film festivals, but you're certain to find something to watch regardless. A PSA: book online and there will be a fee; however, your basic ticket will still just be $8.
Brisbanites will have another excuse to hit the water this year when GoBoat splashes into the city. The Denmark-born company has been busy launching its eco-friendly picnic boats in cities all over Europe, as well as in Canberra, Melbourne and the Gold Coast — and, sometime in the near future, it'll make its Brissie debut, giving punters a fun new way to cruise along the river. Aimed at making the whole boating caper more accessible for everyday folk, the Scandinavian-designed vessels are slow-moving, a breeze to operate and don't require a boating licence, making for some fun, fuss-free sailing sessions. In a win for the planet, they also run on silent, pollution-free, electric engines, and are crafted from a mix of reclaimed timber and recycled PET bottles. Each of the contemporary GoBoats clocks in at 18-feet long, boasting a central picnic table with room for eight people (and all the necessary snacks and booze). And despite what you might be thinking, they're even affordable enough to fit your budget — simply BYO food and drinks, find enough eager sailors to jump aboard and a GoBoat session will you less than $13 per person, per hour. That's $99 hourly in total. Where GoBoat's Brisbane fleet will set sail from is yet to be revealed. The same applies to its launch date — but, after first floating the idea of moseying along the Brisbane River last year, it's hoping to be up and running soon. At its other sites, GoBoat's vessels are pet-friendly. Here's hoping that's the case in Brissie, too — surely you've got a very good boy who deserves a river jaunt. View this post on Instagram A post shared by GoBoat Brisbane (@goboatbrisbane) GoBoat will launch in Brisbane sometime in the future — we'll update you when an exact date is announced. Top image: GoBoat
This time back in 2020, no one even dreamed of the possibility of a new Borat movie. No one expected that they'd be watching it before the year was out, either. Also among the things that not a single soul could've guessed: that it'd be one of the most unflinching political movies of the year, that it'd win two Golden Globes (including Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy and Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy), and that it would score actor Maria Bakalova an Oscar nomination. Clearly, a lot has happened over the past year that zero folks among us anticipated. Here's something new for this year, too: a Borat special. Due to hit Amazon Prime Video on Tuesday, May 25, Borat Supplemental Reportings Retrieved From Floor of Stable Containing Editing Machine basically takes a heap of unused footage from Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan and turns it into a couple of a couple of different parts. It's the type of thing that might've once been relegated to DVD extras, and it's another chance to dive into Borat Sagdiyev's latest escapades. Once again, you'll find out what Sacha Baron Cohen's fictional Kazakh journalist makes of both COVID-19 and the 2020 US election, as last year's 14-years-later sequel to 2006 mockumentary Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan also covered. One part of the special, called Borat: VHS Cassette of Material Deemed "Sub-acceptable" By Kazakhstan Ministry of Censorship and Circumcision, will include unseen footage from Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, while the 40-minute Borat's American Lockdown will chart the character's five days spent living with conspiracy theorists. And then there's six Debunking Borat shorts, which get experts to dive into — and debunk, obviously — the ideas spouted by Borat's new roommates. If you haven't yet watched Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, it follows Borat as he travels to America again. Once more, he traverses the country, interviewing everyday people and exposing the abhorrent views that have become engrained in US society. Where its 2006 predecessor had everyone laughing along with it, though, there's also an uneasy and even angry undercurrent to this sequel that's reflective of these especially polarised times. Also a big part of the story: Borat's attempt to gift his 15-year-old daughter (instant scene-stealer Bakalova) to then-Vice President Mike Pence and ex-New York mayor Rudy Giuliani to help get Kazakhstan's own leader into then-President Donald Trump's good graces. Check out the trailer for Borat Supplemental Reportings below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctHMZ-MC4y4&feature=youtu.be Borat Supplemental Reportings Retrieved From Floor of Stable Containing Editing Machine will be available to stream via Amazon Prime Video from Tuesday, May 25.
Because you're reading this, we know you're not someone who received a pet for Christmas, only to decide it wasn't for you. We know you're one of the good folks. You're probably wishing that you did receive a loveable animal as a gift, even if you already have one — or several — that you adore. We understand your yearning, and so does the RSPCA. And, to find permanent homes for pups, cats, bunnies, guinea pigs and even pigs surrendered into its care from all over the country, it's lowering the adoption fee to $29 this weekend. The weekend-long initiative is called Clear the Shelters and will run from Friday, February 22 until Sunday, February 24. Although you can't put a price on the happiness a new four-legged friend will bring, it's hoped that the low adoption fee will encourage people who have been thinking about adding a pet to their fam (and have considered it thoroughly) to make the commitment this week. Last year, the RSPCA found new homes for 2792 pets Australia-wide. [caption id="attachment_708671" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Heidi is available for adoption in Sydney, Animal ID 345082.[/caption] This year, Clear the Shelters will run across Australia in all states and territories except NT and Tasmania. The adoption fees — which usually range from $20–600 — help cover some of the costs of vaccines, training, desexing and microchipping for the animal. Whether you're in NSW, Victoria, WA or Queensland, there are hundreds of animals that need a new home full of love and pats. There's more to pet adoption than overdosing on cuteness, of course, with making the commitment to care for an animal is serious business. Top image: Han is available for adoption in Sydney, Animal ID 441478.
Tina Fey hasn't starred in, created or executive produced a bad sitcom yet — and when the first season of Girls5eva dropped back in May, it continued that trend. In its own way, it's another workplace comedy like 30 Rock and Great News. And, albeit in a completely different manner to Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, it also follows a group of women trying to navigate new lives years after they were thrust together under extreme circumstances. The setup: more than two decades after they split up, the four remaining members of a late 90s girl group decide that it's time to get the bad back together. Now in their forties, they're all at different points in their lives, but rekindling their dreams is too enticing to ignore. Sara Bareilles (Broadway's Waitress), Busy Philipps (I Feel Pretty), Renée Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton) and the great Paula Pell (AP Bio) play Girls5eva's reunited members, Fey pops up as a fantasy version of Dolly Parton, and the comedic takes on 90s pop tunes are all both 100-percent spot on and so ridiculously catchy that they'll get lodged in your head for weeks. Also pitch-perfect: everything about this immensely funny take on stardom, fame and the way that women beyond their twenties are treated. In great news for everyone who has already streamed their way through the show's eight-episode first season and instantly found themselves wanting more — and for anyone who is yet to go through that process, too — Girls5eva has just been renewed for a second season. So, expect more earworm songs and jokes about the entertainment industry, although exactly when the next season will drop hasn't yet been revealed. Like its first season, Girls5eva's next batch of episodes will stream in Australia via Stan whenever they do release. For now, you can check out the trailer for the show's first season below: Exactly when the second season of Girls5eva will drop hasn't been announced, but the show's first season is available to stream now via Stan.
The days of the midnight Macca's run may be well and truly over, with news of Australia's first 24-hour health food cafe. Liquefy has long been a kingpin on the Brisbane health food scene, and now their Mount Gravatt outlet has extended its trading hours to serve up guilt-free pleasures around the clock. The idea behind Liquefy, started by lawyer and health enthusiast David Dowd, is to indulge Brisbane with food and drink that is as good on tastebuds as it is for the body, even when the sun goes down. They’ve got plenty of locations around the city — check them out here — though it’s only the new Mount Gravatt outlet that’s offering a 24/7 service. For now. So what’s on Liquify’s menu at three in the morning? A whole lot of guilt-free goods. Liquify prides itself on a menu that is 100 percent organic or biodynamic with no sugar, and everything, except the bread, is made on site. The cold pressed juices provide the nutrients of between 1-1.5 kilograms of fruit and vegetables, and their smoothies are blended on house-made almond milk and fresh-from-the-source Thai coconut water. So they're a tad healthier than a Hungry Jacks Frozen coke. Outside of Brisbane’s Paw Paw Cafe family and Paleo Cafe chains, there are few cafes under a health-food banner that can serve up dishes that are legitimately filling, or take less than half an hour for service. Liquefy shows off a hearty selection of dishes that can appease even the fussiest of eaters, and all their juices are conveniently bottled, cold and ready for the taking. You can grab midnight dry and activated kale and sweet potato chips, quinoa or cauliflower sushi or one of four wild foraged salads, and guzzle it down with a green smoothie. The menu is what health food devotees' dreams are made of. An online Liquefy store is currently in the works, and Dowd has leased further sites in Brisbane and the Gold Coast to expand his healthy business. Now only one question remains: who is sober enough for a kale smoothie run? Liquefy is at 24 Carrara Street, Mount Gravatt.
More than a few venues have popped up inside 179 Alfred Street, including La Costa restaurant and bar, rooftop bar Cielo and late-night watering hole The Parlour. Also on the premises: La Valle Wine Bar and Bottle Shop, if you're looking for somewhere to sip vino and grab a bottle to take home with you. Whether you're eager to spend some time onsite or you're just popping in for a drop to go, you'll choose from 200-plus bottles. For customers on the run, wine tastings might tempt you to hang around for a little longer. That's a standard part of the bottle-o experience, of course — but being able to choose between cheese platters ($14–28), duck paté with lavosh ($8), three types of bruschetta ($14) and four kinds of focaccia ($14) definitely isn't. Sit inside and peer at all the brands you'll suddenly want to drink, perch yourself by the window and look out onto the street or pull up a chair outside — the choice is yours. And if you're wondering what types of drops you'll be imbibing, La Valle stocks the likes of Payten & Jones, Athletes of Wine and Barbera d'Alba, although obviously the list goes on.
Shopping isn't always simple when you want to purchase goods that align with your ethics. However, the Handmade + Plant-Based Market focuses on designers and customers who prioritise treading lightly. Held from 10am–3pm on Sunday, August 24, this one-day event will transform the Old Museum in Bowen Hills. Teeming with quality pieces guided by sustainable and ethical practices, it's a stellar opportunity to support small local businesses. Spanning 60 independent makers and producers, expect mindfully made products, unique gifts and delicious handmade goodies. Crafted with intention, buying a few choice pieces might just enhance your slow living philosophy. The event will be spread across two studios — one filled with 100 percent plant-based and vegan products, and another with handmade products shaped by values just as much as aesthetics. Entry is $5, with kids under 12 free.
Before the pandemic hit, throwback tours were doing big Aussie business — nationwide shows that brought a heap of 90s and 00s musicians our way, let them belt out their biggest hits and doused everyone in as much nostalgia as possible, that is. And while life isn't quite back to normal yet, nature is healing in one key way, with Made in the 90s about to unleash an old-school lineup that'll get you chasing dreams. Responsible for one of the most iconic songs of the 90s, Coolio headlines this retro party, which hits Brisbane on Friday, April 1. Head along to Eatons Hill Hotel, prepare to feel like you've jumped back three decades and put that those memorised 'Gangsta's Paradise' lyrics to great use (because yes, if you were alive in the 90s, you know the words). Also on the bill are All-4-One ('I Swear', 'I Can Love You Like That'), Next ('Too Close', 'Wifey') and Renee Neufville, aka one half of Zhané ('Hey Mr. DJ', 'Groove Thang'). Been spendin' most of your life waiting for this? Of course you have.
Speedsters of Brisbane, it's time to don your best red cap, slide into a pair of overalls and jump behind the wheel. If you want to take part in Mushroom Racing, the outfit isn't optional — if that's not your style, you could pick a green hat or a dinosaur costume instead. Not content with zipping through the streets of Tokyo and causing quite a stir, a real-life version of Mario Kart made its way to our shores this year, starting in Melbourne and Sydney. If you're a Brisbanite eager to dress up as your favourite character, get cosy in a go-kart, race till your heart's content and collect stars to win prizes, don't worry — our fine city is next on the agenda. While Tokyo's MariCar lets racers zoom along the city's actual roadways — yes, really — that's not the case here. And, throwing shells or bananas at your opponents isn't be allowed either. Sure, that's all well and fun when you're mashing buttons and trying not to fall off the Rainbow Road while you're playing one of Nintendo's many console versions (or counting down the days until the first Mario Kart smartphone game is released), but it's definitely not cool in real life. Instead, you'll get your Mario Kart fix while you're speeding along a custom go-kart track. If you're keen, you can sign up to receive further information when it comes to hand, with Brisbane dates and a venue yet to be revealed. Organisers are calling it "the rally of a lifetime", and while that's definitely overstating the significance of driving around pretending you're Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Wario or whichever other character you like, you know you're eager to give the novelty a go. And, let's face it, it's not quite as ridiculous as human bowling. Mushroom Racing is coming to Brisbane at a yet-to-be-announced date in 2018. Tickets will be limited — register on the Mushroom Racing website for further updates.
There might be no such thing as a bad sausage, but that doesn't mean that all snags are created equal. Your regular ol' supermarket banger isn't quite the same as the gourmet butcher variety, and your tastebuds know it. Now, imagine adding a third category of sausage to your barbecue repertoire: the sausages that you make yourself. If it sounds good in theory but much too hard in reality, don't worry. There's a workshop for that, and courtesy of Work-Shop in fact. At Snags 101: The Art of Sausage Making, you'll learn how to really make your next sausage sizzle, well, sizzle, thanks to expert advice from smallgoods maker Anna Mortimer. Running on Thursday, August 23 from 6.30pm, the two-hour class will take you through the tools of the sausage-making trade, the different types of snags, and the steps needed to end up with the best kind of wurst — all using pork shoulder. You'll get to taste an array of sausage styles, drink beer while you do it, and take some recipes home with you, too, with participation costing $80 per person.
Brisbanites, it's time to go birdwatching — but not in the usual manner. You're looking for one type of winged creature. You're trying to spot the only six of them in the city, in fact. They're giant and perched atop Brissie landmarks, however, so they shouldn't be too difficult to locate. One of Brisbane Festival's literally big 2020 inclusions, Messengers of Brisbane is comprised of a half-dozen Gouldian finches, all towering over the likes of the Goodwill Bridge, the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Queensland Museum, South Bank, Brisbane Powerhouse and Brisbane City Hall. They're colourful, they can be seen whether you're walking, driving, cycling or on a CityCat, and they're another of the fest's arty pieces — like Hiromi Tango's Rainbow Circles (Healing Circles) and Brainbow Magic — that's designed to add some cheer to this year. Messengers of Brisbane is also the latest large-scale art work by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, who is known for placing oversized animals in iconic spots. If you've seen footage of his massive inflatable Rubber Duck sculpture, then you'll know why you should be getting excited. Messengers of Brisbane is on display until Saturday, September 26. Images: Atmosphere Photography.
Chef Matty Matheson is stepping out of the kitchen and onto the stage, heading Down Under for an expletive-laden speaking tour. Known for his hit TV shows Dead Set On Life and It's Suppertime — and his new New York Times best-selling book, Matty Matheson: A Cookbook — the culinary star and award-winning author will hit up The Triffid on Thursday, June 27. A colourful character famed for his larger-than-life personality, Matheson will be dishing up a his cooking (and life) tips, with an audience Q&A and a meet-and-greet session, too. He's set to serve his home truths on topics like addiction and mental health, the #MeToo movement and its impact on the food industry, and a few of his own life's ups and downs, as well as talking about his new web series, Just A Dash. Audiences will be treated to a true taste of this foodie legend, as Matheson tweaks each show to best represent himself, even down to the soundtrack plucked straight from his own playlists.
In Sydney, across Australia and around the globe, Maybe Sammy has earned quite the reputation. That's always going to be the case when the annual World's 50 Best Bars ranking shows a Harbour City watering hole plenty of love, including the venue in its list in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. For Brisbanites heading to Sydney, sips at Maybe Sammy should be on your agenda. What if you didn't need to venture south to enjoy its drinks, however? Enter: W Brisbane. Getting Brisbanites tasting top-notch cocktails from award-winning venues around the world has been this hotel's game at its Living Room Bar for a few years now. In the past, acclaimed Barcelona bar Paradiso — aka the best bar on the World's 50 Best Bars list for 2022 — has whipped up a special menu featuring the Spanish spot's globally famous beverages. Enlisting bartending talents closer to home, Matt Whiley from Sydney's Re (which placed 46th on the World's 50 Best Bars list in 2021) also created a Conscious Cocktails lineup, heroing a low-waste approach. Now comes the brand-new Bar Swap Series, making a habit out of bringing acclaimed bars to Brisbane on a regular basis. It all kicks off from 6pm on Thursday, February 27, 2025 with Maybe Sammy making the jump north. The venue's mixologist and Venue Manager Giorgio Gervasoni will be behind the bar, assisted by W Brisbane's own Francesco Squillacioti, the Bar Manager of Living Room Bar. Perhaps you'd like to try the Check In, a gin-based highball that's inspired by the Americano a twist. Or, the vodka-based, sour-flavoured, shaken Sauna Room might tempt your tastebuds. On the four-drink menu, another option features agave, kalamata olives distillate, seaweed dry vermouth, and capsicum vinegar, while there's also a blend of vodka, lacto-fermented strawberries, sencha tea and mango soda. Whatever tempts your tastebuds, walk-ins are welcome at the series' first one-night affair. Can't make it on the evening? W Brisbane is also adding the Maybe Sammy sips to its in-room menu from February, which is a great excuse for a staycation in the River City's CBD. There's no word yet which other bars from beyond Brisbane will feature in the Bar Swap Series in the future, but stellar cocktails from further afield joining the menu in the Queensland capital, even if only temporarily, is worth saying cheers to.
