We can all agree that it is torturous that Brisbane is slowly getting colder and colder as the doom season approaches, and one band who are set to tease us and return to our shores are the fittingly named, Wavves. The US group are here on a pit stop during their Groovin' The Moo festival slot to back up what was a whirlwind mini-tour last year at small, sold out venues. For what started as just vocalist Nathan Williams in his bedroom, Wavves have done exceptionally well over the last few years to have formed as a four-piece and to have garnered the following they have. If you can't put a finger on what they sing, perhaps 'King of the Beach' rings a bell? It was the 2010 summer indie anthem that was precariously released around our winter. They are equal parts surf, stoner and soft rock, with a little bit of punk and have just penned a follow-up to their 'King Of The Beach' debut, 'Life Sux'. In other words, they are the guys we could never hang out with. Good news though, you can hang out with their crew and admire their eclectic fashion sense (think: fluoro hawaiian shirts) and dream of the summer that is only a speck on the horizon. They also nearly started a riot last year while they were here, so if that is your sort of vibe, go knock 'em dead.
Frontmen rarely come as charismatic as Henry Wagons. A storytelling character and a half, the Melburnian native has returned from the dark desert highways of the US to bring Wagons' shiny new album to the townspeople. Seeing music as a joyous occasion rather than a moment to wallow in your sorrows, Wagons' shows are downright shindiggerous in their approach. "'Music is a public activity — the very birth of music was designed to be joined in on,'' Wagons told SMH. ''The first music was played at celebrations. The insular emo songwriter in the bedroom is this recent offshoot of what music is at its core. Music for me is for other people. I write it alone, but with the idea of playing it for other people.'' These "other people" make up the remaining five members of Wagons, one of Australia's best and most underrated live bands. Wagons have just released their latest single 'Beer Barrel Bar', taken from brand new, sixth studio album Acid Rain and Sugar Cane and nabbing a four-star rating from Rolling Stone. Landing feature album at 2ser and RTR, Wagons' new release heralds the end of a long period between drinks for the band — Henry Wagons released his own lovelorn ballad-filled solo album in 2013 and spent many months on the dusty highways of America touring his wares. With Mick Harvey (The Birthday Party/Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds) behind the mixing desk and Wagons himself bringing his US-inspired country stomping style to the plate, Acid Rain and Sugar Cane has quite the Nashville twang to it. Best enjoyed with a whiskey in hand and a soulmate far away, the LP is a natural evolution of Wagons' indie country blues into an Ameristralian tavern hootenanny. https://youtube.com/watch?v=WXoiX2bFPDY
Brisbane's Banksy? A street art scourge? A dedicated artist struggling to keep things together? Anthony Lister has been called all three — by the art world, news headlines and even himself. Banksy actually said that the Brissie-born talent appears to piss great art in his sleep, which is quite considerable praise. Galleries, celebrities and brands around the globe have clamoured for his work, though Lister's isn't your usual rise-to-fame story. His first big break came when the Brisbane City Council paid him to paint more than 100 of the city's electrical boxes, only to turn around and prosecute him for vandalism over his other pieces. Then there's his personal life, including a marriage and three kids — commitments that prove increasingly difficult to juggle given his dedication to his jet-setting career. From his sun-drenched childhood in '80s Brisbane suburbia, to life-changing teenage acid trips, to splattering colour all over the walls of his Sydney studio, Have You Seen the Listers? tells the artist's tale. It's a warts-and-all account that pulls absolutely zero punches, and a film that'd be nothing without Lister's deep, reflective candour. He doesn't just voice the documentary's narration, but he also provides much of its footage as well. While his art features prominently, it's accompanied by years of home videos chronicling Lister's everyday life. In fact, thanks to his obsession with filming his own actions, he gifted director Eddie Martin (All This Mayhem) with 12 terabytes of personal photos and recordings. Accordingly, Have You Seen the Listers? combines the artist's archives with his current antics, weaving them into a compelling and fascinating portrait. Viewers see Lister hanging around with his mates, falling for his high-school sweetheart and turning his hobby into his job. And they keep watching as he jumps between countries, tussles with the law on graffiti and drug charges, and proves a loving but often-absent partner and father. Along the way, Lister shares memories, thoughts and regrets, the kind that can only come with pain, trouble and hindsight. With his family situation deteriorating before the audience's eyes, he grapples with his passions and priorities, in what becomes an exploration of chasing a dream, finding success and then coming down the other side. As he did with the exceptional skating documentary All This Mayhem, Martin brings it all together in an insightful, involving and astute fashion. Collaborating with excellent first-time feature editor Johanna Scott, the filmmaker has cemented his status as one of Australia's best documentarians — not only thanks to the story he tells, or the fast and frenetic way it comes together, but also because of how authentic it all seems. Whether the film is throwing drug-addled montages at the screen, or capturing Lister with his kids, or just observing his feverish work, it feels like viewers are being given a direct line into the artist's mindset. There's an unmistakable air of reverence in Martin's approach, but what shines brightest is the movie's respect and empathy for the man at its centre — flaws, failings, frank admissions and all. Enter: the film's title. It springs from one of Lister's pieces, created as part of a moving tribute exhibition for his family, as seen late in the doco. It's also a question with both obvious and not-so-obvious answers. Everyone that's walked along a city street in Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne has spotted Lister's work. Thanks to his court cases, international acclaim and general appearances in the media, we've probably all glimpsed his face as well. But have we really seen his different sides, how they contribute to his art and how he's striving to balance everything in his life? Not in this manner. That's the power of Have You Seen the Listers? And like other movies that examine artistic figures, such as Cobain: Montage of Heck and fellow recent Aussie documentary Whitely, the film is at its best when it's unearthing its subject's multifaceted persona, impact and enigma. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPAOMjDvDJw
Defiant, powerful and passionate at every turn, Muru depicts a relentless police raid on New Zealand's Rūātoki community. Equally alive with anger, the Aotearoan action-thriller and drama shows law enforcement storming into the district to apprehend what's incorrectly deemed a terrorist cell, but is actually activist and artist Tāme Iti — playing himself — and his fellow Tūhoe people. If October 2007 springs to mind while watching, it's meant to. Written and directed by Poi E: The Story of Our Song and Mt Zion filmmaker Tearepa Kahi, this isn't a mere dramatisation of well-known events, however. There's a reason that Muru begins by stamping its purpose on the screen, and its whole rationale for existing: "this film is not a recreation… it is a response". That the feature's name is also taken from a Māori process of redressing transgressions is both telling and fitting as well. Kahi's film is indeed a reaction, a reply, a counter — and a way of processing past wrongs. In a fashion, it's Sir Isaac Newton's third law of motion turned into cinema, because a spate of instances across New Zealand over a century-plus has sparked this on-screen answer. Muru's script draws from 15 years back; also from the police shooting of Steven Wallace in Waitara in 2000 before that; and from the arrest of Rua Kēnana in Maungapōhatu even further ago, in 1916. While the movie finds inspiration in the screenplay Toa by Jason Nathan beyond those real-life events, it's always in dialogue with things that truly happened, and not just once, and not only recently. If every action causes an opposite reaction, Muru is Kahi's way of sifting through, rallying against and fighting back after too many occasions where the long arm of the NZ law, and of colonialism, has overreached. Played by Cliff Curtis (Reminiscence) with the brand of command that he's long been known for — and with the unshakeable presence that's served him through everything from The Piano, Once Were Warriors and Whale Rider through to The Dark Horse, Fear the Walking Dead and Doctor Sleep — Police Sergeant 'Taffy' Tawhara sits at the heart of Rūātoki's us-and-them divide. A local cop, he has the nation's laws to uphold, but he's also beholden to the community he hails from. His homecoming is recent, with his father (Tipene Ohlson) ailing and undergoing dialysis. So far, it has also been quiet. On the day that Muru begins, Taffy drives the school bus, takes the Aunties for medical checkups at the local mobile clinic and does what everyone in the valley does in their own manners: watches out for and tries to support 16-year-old Rusty (Poroaki Merritt-McDonald, Savage), the nephew of fellow officer Blake (Ria Te Uira Paki, The Dead Lands), who has the role of Rūātoki's resident wayward teen down pat. When Rusty smashes up shop windows that night, Taffy takes the call, then makes Iti's Camp Rama his second stop. A gathering of locals that champions survival skills and Tūhoe culture, it's designed to foster and reinforce the area's identity, which Taffy thinks Rusty can benefit from — even if that evening marks the sergeant's first attendance himself. But Camp Rama has also been under surveillance by the NZ police's special tactics group, with haughty leader Gallagher (Jay Ryan, The Furnace) and his quick-tempered second-in-command Kimiora (Manu Bennett, The Hobbit) deciding that Iti and his friends are a threat to national security. The highly armed tactical unit descends upon the community the next day, aided behind the scenes by colleagues Maria (Simone Kessell, Obi-Wan Kenobi) and Jarrod (Byron Coll, Nude Tuesday), overseen by an MP (Colin Moy, Guns Akimbo) determined to make a statement, and ignoring Taffy's pleas that their mission is mistaken. From the outset, Kahi flits between the two halves of Muru's narrative, letting their clash echo from the feature's frames. Daily life in the valley isn't idyllic, but everyone's wellbeing is a communal responsibility, as seen in the way that Blake pitches in to help with pāpā while Taffy is out driving, as well as the fondness shown for Rusty by school kids and elders alike. Among law enforcement, displaying force and strength rather than flexibility or care is the only focus — to explosive ends once the raid starts. His film isn't subtle, but Kahi proves both unflinching and perceptive in contrasting empathy with its utter absence. A case in point: the evocatively shot (by cinematographers Chris Mauger, Herb — Songs of Freedom, and Fred Renata, Dawn Raid) and tensely edited (by Hacksaw Ridge Oscar-winner John Gilbert) moments when the cops surround the school bus, tracking Rusty on his horse. The children see ninjas, the adults see life changing forever and the police simply see targets. If Muru didn't come layered with real-life context and a wealth of history, it'd still make for taut, intense and gripping viewing; as an action-thriller, it's sharp, tightly wound and skilfully executed, and teems with lively chases — by foot, car, horse and air alike — as well as loaded confrontations. Undercutting IRL trauma by boiling it down to a Hollywood formula isn't Kahi's intention, though, or the end result that pulsates across the screen. Muru is all the more riveting because it's so deeply felt, so steeped in generations of shattering violence, and so willing to ponder what compassion and justice truly mean. It also bubbles with the sensation that the movie wouldn't even need to exist in a better world, because the events that it's interrogating wouldn't have happened. This is a reckoning on several levels, including with that truth. As set against Rūātoki's scenic greenery, Muru is always a complicated picture, clearly — and that includes its choice to work in fiction instead of remaining glued to facts. Sometimes, though, spinning a story rather than sticking to actuality can be more potent, more emotionally authentic, and also brim with more feeling, as it instantly does here. Of course, there's no avoiding Iti, the feature's constant reminder that reality underscores even Muru's most imaginative narrative leaps. As himself, he's one part of a fine-tuned cast — weighty performances by Curtis, Merritt-McDonald, Ryan and Kessell stand out — but he's also Muru's beacon. Fury, understanding, hope, honouring the past, striving for a different future: in this dynamic film and in Iti's eyes, they all both ripple and linger.
A smokejumper stationed to a Montana watchtower, plagued by past traumas and forced to help a teenage boy evade hired killers, Those Who Wish Me Dead's Hannah Faber actually first debuted on the page. Watching Angelina Jolie bring the whisky-swilling, no-nonsense, one of the boys-type figure to the screen, it's easy to assume otherwise. The part doesn't quite feel as if it was written specifically for the smouldering movie star, though. Rather, it seems like the kind of role that might've been penned with Liam Neeson or Denzel Washington in mind — see: this year's The Marksman for the former, and 2004's Man on Fire for the latter — then flipped, gender-wise, to gift Jolie a new star vehicle. On the one hand, let's be thankful that that's not how this character came about. Kudos to author Michael Koryta, who also co-writes the screenplay here based on his 2016 novel, for conjuring up Hannah to begin with. But on the other hand, it's never a great sign when a female protagonist plays like a grab bag of stock-standard macho hero traits, just dressed up in a shapelier guise. It has been six years since Jolie has stepped into a mere mortal's shoes — since 2015's By the Sea, which she wrote and directed — and she leaves no doubt that Hannah is flesh and blood. There's still an iciness to the firefighter, and she still has the actor's cheekbones and pout, but Maleficent, she isn't. She's bruised, internally, by a fire that got away and left a body count. After hanging out with her colleagues, parachuting out of cars and brooding in her tower, she's soon physically in harm's way as well. As Those Who Wish Me Dead's plot gets her to this juncture, it also cuts back and forth between forensic accountant Owen Casserly (Jake Weber, Midway) and his son Connor (Finn Little, Angel of Mine), plus assassins Patrick and Jack (The Great's Nicholas Hoult and Game of Thrones' Aiden Gillen). Thanks to a treasure trove of incriminating evidence against important people that no one was ever supposed to find, these two duos are on a collision course. When they do cross paths — while Owen is trying to take Connor to stay with Ethan (Jon Bernthal, The Peanut Butter Falcon), his brother-in-law, a sheriff's deputy and one of Hannah's colleagues — it also nudges the boy into the smokejumper's orbit. As he demonstrated with his scripts for Sicario, Hell or High Water and Wind River, actor-turned-writer/director Taylor Sheridan (12 Strong) favours a patient approach. His narratives frequently boast an entire forest's worth of moving parts, and he's never in much of a rush to piece them all together. Accordingly, he takes his time bringing Hannah and Connor into each other's lives, and unfurls their ordeal from there with the same unhurried air. Those Who Wish Me Dead isn't interested in fleshing out its characters any more than the plot demands, however. The audience spends ample time with the film's central duo, yet can't claim to really get to know them. They're both haunted by what they've seen and lost, and neither is keen to spill too many words talking it through — but, although both Jolie and her young Australian co-star Little do exactly what they're asked, and even impart as much soulfulness as they each can on top, these characters could've been shaken out of any western-leaning, action-infused crime-thriller. They could equally walk right out of this flick and into the next formulaic entry in the genre. Also just as familiar: the cat-and-mouse games that ensue as Hannah and Connor try to reach the authorities, Patrick and Jack attempt to track their every move, and Ethan and his pregnant wife Allison (Medina Senghore, Happy!) become entangled in the drama. Naturally, an encroaching blaze fuels a significant part of the narrative — which proves inevitable from the very first frame, but does at least give Sheridan and cinematographer Ben Richardson (Mare of Easttown) a smokier visual palette. As its score keeps stressing, this is meant to be a tense film. It isn't; ticking boxes so dutifully is rarely suspenseful, as the otherwise vastly dissimilar Spiral: From the Book of Saw has also demonstrated recently. Still, Those Who Wish Me Dead does possess its own distinctive look. While texture and urgency are largely absent from the story, all those leaves and flames do their best to approximate the same sensations. Your eyes will register the difference, but your blood pressure will remain undisturbed. Occasionally — not enough, but occasionally nonetheless — Sheridan, Koryta and co-writer Charles Leavitt (Warcraft: The Beginning) don't make the obvious choice. When the feature allows Hannah and Connor's melancholy moods to linger, or does the same with a shot that doesn't immediately thrust the plot forward, it toys with being a more interesting film. The same applies to the way that it lets Allison play the hero, albeit after first putting her through a violent ordeal while she's literally barefoot and pregnant. Patrick and Jack are also curious inclusions. They're so one-note, it's hard to see what actors of Hoult and Gillen's calibre saw in the parts, but they'd also likely make a great double act in an In Bruges-esque Martin McDonagh flick. Jolie is tasked with anchoring this melange of elements, which she does; however, this isn't a feature that star power can bolster. Instead, Those Who Wish Me Dead is a generic movie that flirts with more, led by an impressive lead who's capable of more. It wants to burn bright, but usually only flickers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sV6VNNjBkcE
Let’s clear one thing up immediately: SPECTRE isn't nearly as bad as some critics are making out. We’re mercifully far from the nightmarish hellscape of Die Another Day or the '…...............huh?' of Quantum of Solace. It's just that SPECTRE isn’t quite Skyfall, either. Firstly, though, to the good bits. This film is stunning. Cinematographer and man with a Bond name Hoyte van Hoytema (Interstellar, Her) has crafted something magnificent here, framing every shot to perfection regardless of scale. Credit, too, to director Sam Mendes, who again proves that his dramatic background in no way hampers his ability to shoot thrilling action sequences. On that front, the film’s best is also its first: a five minute ‘uninterrupted’ tracking of Bond through the streets of Mexico during the Día de los Muertos festival. In fact, the whole first half hour of SPECTRE is so tight, its trajectory puts it on track to rival (or even surpass) its predecessor, however it's at that point where unfortunately the cracks also begin to appear. The overall viewing experience of SPECTRE might best be described as one of déjà vu. The story, to its benefit, draws heavily upon the three previous films as both an explanation for Bond’s increasingly tortured temperament and as a through-line tying the whole ‘Craig era’ together. Where things get problematic, though, is when near-identical scenes pop up from those earlier movies. Bond being fitted with an implanted tracking device in his right arm comes straight out of Casino Royale. Bond joining his beautiful French companion in a train's dining car while they discuss why he does what he does — that's Casino too. M having to the defend the 00 program from accusations of redundancy and outdatedness formed much of Judi Dench’s screen time in Skyfall, and the villain’s desert base in SPECTRE looks remarkably like the one from Quantum with a different coat of paint. Even the score by Thomas Newman feels overly familiar, with some sections essentially cut-and-paste jobs from the Skyfall soundtrack (Jellyfish to Hinx, for example). SPECTRE’s strongest scenes are its original ones, and with a reported budget of well over $200 million it’s a crime they weren’t all that way. On the performance front, Craig is reliably stony as Bond, although ‘franchise fatigue' has visibly set in. His dispassionate characterisation often slips into languor in SPECTRE, relinquishing only when opposite Léa Seydoux as his love interest Madeleine. Seydoux is the clear standout, imbuing Madeleine with every ounce of intelligence and mystery the script could provide. As the villain, Christoph Waltz receives a disappointing amount of screen time, and his character lacks much of the menace conveyed by Javier Bardem in Skyfall. Regulars M, Q and Moneypenny all hold their own (played again by Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw and Naomie Harris), while Andrew Scott of Sherlock fame puts in a nice turn as ‘C’ — the new head of MI5. Again, this is not a bad film. The confusing or absent motivations, plot holes and scene repetition notwithstanding, SPECTRE still offers up all the elements of a classic Bond. Its action scenes are gripping, its wit affords welcome chuckles and its opulence entices. Any film that came after Skyfall was always going to be like opening up birthday socks when you'd already unwrapped the new car: it was destined to disappoint. But if you can remind yourself that socks are still pretty neat too, especially $200 million dollar ones with gorgeous people, places and cars on them, then you’ll find more than enough to like about SPECTRE.
On the first Tuesday in November back in 2015, history was made. When Michelle Payne rode Prince of Penzance to victory at the Melbourne Cup, she became the first female jockey to win the race that stops the nation since it was first held back in 1861. That she beat 100-to-one odds made the story even sweeter. Payne's post-race statement, telling the world to "get stuffed if they think women aren't strong enough", rightfully became an empowering soundbite as well. Among not only track-goers and punters, but also folks who couldn't care less for the sport, hers instantly became a household name. Payne's win was a universal feel-good moment — a rare feat at an event and in an industry that are both saddled with multiple controversies. She didn't just fulfil her own wildest dreams, of course, with her victory having an aspirational effect. In addition to sending an uplifting message to girls, reminding them that they can do anything, the trailblazing achievement captured the broader public imagination. And, as usually happens whenever that's the case, cameras started rolling in response. While a schmaltzy Hollywood flick wouldn't have felt out of place, it was the wheels of the Australian cinema that started moving — helped by funding from several racing-affiliated bodies, plus a gambling agency. Whether made for television or playing in cinemas, a movie about Payne's success was always going to happen. Alas, while Ride Like a Girl is now racing across the big screen, it'd also suit a smaller canvas. The directorial debut of actor-turned-filmmaker Rachel Griffiths, it spins a well-known true tale in an overly familiar and straightforward fashion, including visually. Its aim: to simply warm hearts and spark cheers as it champions its real-life inspiration. If you've seen one rousing underdog movie, however — the kind where characters overcome rocky beginnings, suffer and toil, then follow their passions in a difficult field — then you've basically already seen this. Screenwriters Andrew Knight (Ali's Wedding) and Elise McCredie (Jack Irish) couldn't have come up with a more film-friendly story, not only spanning Payne's big moment but her background. Her family name was synonymous with horse racing long before she won the Melbourne Cup, with her father Paddy a veteran trainer, and eight of her nine older siblings all also working in the industry. But, despite her burning desire to race and her formidable work ethic, she was continually told that she'd never claim the sport's most glittering prize — or get the opportunity to try. Convincing her dad to support her dream was hard enough, let alone earning a decent run on the track or being treated fairly by her male colleagues. The fact she lost her mother as baby, the death of her sister during a race and her own bout of serious injuries all complicated matters, too. As nice as it might be to live a life that resembles a fantasy — or, not to downplay Payne's struggles, to navigate the kind of upward path that's usually the domain of crowd-pleasing fiction — where biopics are involved, it can make for flat viewing. Detail, texture and chaos all help a story resonate, as do intimate moments that feel inescapably specific to the real events at hand. Unsurprisingly, a broad overview doesn't have the same impact, especially one that seems as if it could apply to any number of similar tales. That's among Ride Like a Girl's chief troubles. Even when it serves up tidbits that could've only come from Payne's life, it takes such a light and breezy touch that it all still comes across as simplistic and routine. Indeed, if this was a book, it wouldn't be the mass of pages filled with meaty minutiae — it'd be the generic synopsis, designed to sweep readers in, on the back cover. Payne's feat will always echo throughout history, and so will the fortitude it took to get there, but Ride Like a Girl doesn't quite do her justice. That's not a criticism of Teresa Palmer, though, who puts in a performance not quite on par with her excellent work in Berlin Syndrome, but one filled with depths that the script doesn't match. As Payne's dad, a suitably stoic Sam Neill falls in step with with movie rather than his co-star; however the jockey's real-life brother Stevie, who plays himself, is an engaging delight. His casting feels real, a sensation that's missing from Ride Like a Girl elsewhere — for an inspiring true tale, it generally just feels manufactured. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLn7UOw-tF8
Add screaming to the ever-growing list of things that Sydney Sweeney can do spectacularly well. Indeed, thanks to Immaculate, which gets the Euphoria and The White Lotus star putting her pipes to stellar bellowing use, the horror genre has a brand-new queen; long may she reign if this is what audiences have to look forward to. This film about a nun who moves to a convent in the Italian countryside, then mysteriously becomes pregnant without having had sex, isn't just a job for Sweeney. She auditioned for the movie a decade back, it didn't come to fruition, but she strove to make it happen now. She stars. She produces. She enlisted Michael Mohan, who she worked with on Everything Sucks! and The Voyeurs, as its director. The passion that drove her quest to bring Immaculate to viewers is just as apparent in her formidable performance, too, including echoing with feeling — and blistering intensity— when she's shrieking. No one should just be realising now how versatile an actor that Sweeney is. Her portrayal of Sister Cecilia, who found her way to becoming a bride of Christ after a traumatic near-death incident in her younger years, is exactly what the film's title suggests: immaculate. It's also a showcase of a role that requires her to be sweet, dutiful, faithful, ferocious, indefatigable, vengeful and desperate to survive all in the same flick — and she kills it — but adaptability, resourcefulness and displaying a multitude of skills has been her on-screen wheelhouse beyond just one movie. Take Sweeney's last four cinema releases, for instance, all of which hail from 2023–24. Reality, Anyone But You, Madame Web and Immaculate couldn't be more dissimilar to each other, and neither could the actor's parts in them. Throw in her Saturday Night Live hosting stint, and she's firmly at the "is there anything that she isn't capable of?" stage of her career. When the virginal Sister Cecilia arrives in Europe from Detroit, it's on Father Sal Tedeschi's (Álvaro Morte, The Wheel of Time) behest after her home parish closed down. He's patronising in his attitude in-person, however. Before that, customs share the same demeanour when they stop her for not having a return ticket, commenting about whether she looks like a nun. Prior to that, though, Mohan opens Immaculate with another sister (Simona Tabasco, from season two of The White Lotus) having an unholy time of it at My Lady of Sorrows. She attempts to flee, which ends badly. Even her fellow devotees aren't a help. That something sinister awaits Cecilia is hardly a shock, then — and while the setup might seem like nunsploitation 101, or even just the basis of much in the sizeable religious-themed horror canon, Mohan and screenwriter Andrew Lobel (Mysteries Unknown) possess the same willingness to commit that their star beams with from within her tunic and wimple. Their novice's introduction to the abbey flutters through donning the requisite apparel, getting shown around, taking her vows, literally kissing the ring of the bishop overseeing the proceedings and endeavouring to settle into a life of piety where tending to older sisters entering their final days is the main task. In the also-twentysomething Sister Gwen (Benedetta Porcaroli, The Hummingbird), Cecilia finds a friend, luckily, as well as someone who isn't willing to meekly take whatever rules and restrictions are thrust her way. But any sense of routine is short-lived. Carrying a child wasn't Cecilia's plan, obviously. Neither was being grilled about it, then worshipped for it, then controlled because of it, all while sparking envy among some of her fellow nuns. Cecilia is as surprised as anyone, with that jolt evolving from astonishment to distress the more that her belly expands, the convent exerts its sway, and the expecting nun begins both investigating and fighting back. Awash in red hues — in blood, costuming and lighting alike — alongside darkness and shadows, while constantly subverting religious iconography and whipping up a claustrophobic air, Immaculate delivers not only bumps and jumps, but a deeply visceral viewing experience. No one is shy about brutal or gory body horror. Sudden cuts are no stranger, either, but do such a feverish job of plunging the audience into Cecilia's mindset that they prove far more than mere easy scares. Reteaming with familiar talents off-screen, too — such as cinematographer Elisha Christian (The Night House), editor Christian Masini and composer Will Bates (Dumb Money), all veterans of at least The Voyeurs — Mohan fashions the film around sharing his protagonist's inner state in every stylistic touch. With its church setting visibly opulent, yet winding through secret laboratories and dusty catacombs similarly in the plot, production designer Adam Reamer (another The Voyeurs alum, who also has Insidious: The Red Door on his resume) achieves the same feat: My Lady of Sorrows is meant to be the ultimate refuge for Cecilia, but it becomes creepier, more terrifying and more of a trap at every turn. When a movie is this detailed with its aesthetics, and so finely tuned to disturb, it keeps drawing out an instinctive response again and again. As it digs into the power that religion, especially Catholicism, can hold over its adherents — plus the treatment of women and their bodies, including the lack of agency, that theology can inspire — Immaculate also unsettles thematically. These trains of thought aren't new, of course. In the 60s and 70s, the likes of Rosemary's Baby, The Devils and The Exorcist were paving the way for Sweeney and Mohan's third collaboration. Giallo, Italy's brand of lush horror-thrillers that came to prominence at the same time, is clearly and expectedly an influence, and not just via Suspiria. More recently, 2021 nunsploitation Benedetta also says hello. Pivotally, this is a feature made with affection and respect for what precedes it, though, without trying to be anything's second coming. On the lengthy lineup of elements that work stunningly in Immaculate, such as its handling of suspense despite viewers knowing that something wicked is afoot from the get-go, its seductive atmosphere, its bold and wild leaps, and its willingness to get surreal, the film's lead casting is miraculous. It's no wonder that Mohan and Christian adore relaying this tale by staring at Sweeney, and by seeing Cecilia's reactions in her eyes — again, what a range that she can convey. She doesn't solely shine in big moments, of which there's plenty. The tiniest glimmer of fear can say everything when it's written across her peepers. The first burst of life-or-death resolve does the same. And there's nothing more haunting than Immaculate's last two minutes, which demonstrate that rich, raw and riveting performances aren't just a habit for Sweeney — they're a calling.
Religion is one of those topics that everyone seems to have an opinion on. It has the ability to divide people and ignite passion, so what better topic for The Great Debate than 'Reading the Bible is good for you...'. This thought provoking debate will see staunch feminist Germaine Greer, former Bishop of Edinburgh Richard Holloway and politician Bob Katter battle it out against the first Indigenous person to be appointed as a magistrate in our Sunshine State Jacqui Payne, journalist Benjamin Law and criminal defense investigator Rachel Sommerville. This lively and intellectual bunch are sure to raise many mind boggling issues regarding religion and whether or not reading the Bible is good for you. As each participant is from a unique background, many different perspectives regarding the topic will be explored. The Great Debate is part of the Brisbane Writers Festival and promises to be a memorable experience.
If you haven’t heard of Brisbane’s Shakewell Magazine yet, then you best be tuning in. They’re a new local print publication promoting our creative, street, urban and underground culture, and doing it with some serious style. And sure, a magazine like this tends to pop up once every month of two, fizzle out after a few editions, and become shelved amongst other literary flops, but there's high chances Shakewell may be the one that shoots off as a new culture staple. Why? Because they’re self-proclaimed incoherently immature, aggressively unfancy, foolishly honest and irrationally interesting. Now, with an already addictive website under the belt – check it – they’re about to launch their first tangible issue of Shakewell Magazine at Jamie’s Espresso. Expect cheap drinks, plenty of cheer, an unfathomably perfect music playlist, and even some give aways. They’ve wrangled the sponsorship of Doss Blockos, 7 Tate Crush City, STIL HORA and Phresh Ink, so expect this launch party to be oozing crafty art and many derivatives of 'cool'. The party kicks of this Friday at 6pm, and will probably last late into the eve. If you can’t make it, but still want to support this innovative venture, pre-order the first edition of Shakewell Magazine here, then laminate, because who know’s how much it’ll be worth 30 years from now.
If you live in Brisbane, you've heard all about the city's connections with Asia; we're the home of the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, which is currently gracing Queensland Art Gallery and the Gallery or Modern Art for the tenth time, and we've also hosted the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, after all. Since 2013, the BrisAsia Festival has been on that list as well, paying homage to the many cultures that originated from the continent. Timed around Lunar New Year — and running from Tuesday, February 1–Sunday, February 20 this year — the 2022 program features yet another mix of traditional and contemporary Asian arts, channelled into events across Brisbane. And while some of the unmistakable highlights will treat your stomach — a brand-new laneway tea festival in South Brisbane's Fish Lane, plus a Southside by Night event at Willawong that'll combine street food with a car meet (yes, think Fast and Furious vibes) — that's just the beginning of the fun. Overall, there's 50-plus events taking place in ten Brisbane suburbs, so you won't be lacking in things to do. The fest will sneakily start a few days early, on Friday, January 28 and Saturday, January 29, to celebrate Vietnamese Lunar New Year, before starting its music program at venues around town — QPAC's Melbourne Street Green, The Zoo and Queen Street Mall included — and hosting a big (and free) launch party at Fortitude Music Hall. Elsewhere, you can attend an Asian-pop celebration and get decked out in bright hues at the returning Holi – Festival of Colours — or scope out the new BrisAsia Fashion Festival, which'll focus on labels and designers with Asian, Indigenous and international heritages. Plus, Brissie's Asian Australian comedians will also take to the stage for a night of standup comedy, the Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens will host a night of love songs from around the globe in the lead up to Valentine's Day, and digital storytelling initiative Mother's Table will showcase local restaurant owners Maggie Nguyen, Mie Mie Wing Kee and Taro Akimoto chatting about their eateries and signature dishes. [caption id="attachment_798255" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kim Borg, Ozwide Photography[/caption]
For the third time around (but certainly not the last) is Stranded, a night of local and quality live music that will entertain you until late. Head along to the Valley to hear some of Brisbane’s finest – Ed Guglielmino and The Show, Monkey Island and Bottlecock will be your musical hosts for the evening. In what’s become an unfortunate rarity, you can also hear some of Brisbane’s beloved Vinyl DJs to help you rock and roll throughout the night. At 633 Ann (once referred to as the Mustang Bar) they’ve had a facelift but haven’t dialled down their love of live music. The drinks are cheap, the volume is loud and the game plans are set to party. This regular night of music is one to keep your eye on – a grouping of Brisbane’s best such as this doesn’t happen too often, particularly in such a renown venue. Tickets on the door.
Truffle butter, truffle eggs, truffle cheese, truffle fries — it seems adding the word truffle takes the words off the menu, lets them dance on your tastebuds, and has you salivating before you’ve even ordered. What if we told you you could indulge in seven whole courses of truffle-filled goodness? The good news is Lutece Bistro & Wine Bar are throwing a black truffle celebration with the real deal (no synthetic ‘truffle oil’ here that you might find at your local wannabe gastropub). Showing off the black winter truffle melanosporum from Manjimup, Western Australia, owner and chef Romain Bapst will treat guests to a delectable seven-course feast in true French style. Diners will be lucky enough to enjoy the distinct and full flavour of black truffle throughout the courses, starting with the duck foie gras and black truffle, and finishing with the chocolate gianduja. We attended the first dinner last night, and the second (and last) is on tomorrow night. Personal favourites were dishes three and five, the Glacier 51 sea bass and deep sea scallops, and the White Rocks milk-fed veal shoulder and fillet (pictured). The last dinner is on Friday, August 8, at 7pm. It is $160 per person with a glass of champagne on arrival, or $190 per person with matching wines. Nab your spot by contacting bookings@lutece.com.au or by calling (07) 3161 1858. Chocolate Gianduja at Lutece
Come to see Noises Off; stay to see Nothing On. That's the play-within-a-play bundle that Queensland Theatre's latest production offers when it takes to QPAC's Playhouse from June 3 to 25. QT's artistic director Sam Strong helms this adaptation of Michael Frayn's classic farce, which he wrote back in 1982. In fact, the story of how it came about is quite interesting in itself. While waiting in the wings watching something else that he had written, Frayn thought it was funnier when viewed from behind the stage, and the idea to write a play that took that perspective came to mind. So, to clarify, Noises Off was the end result, and Nothing On the farce that it all revolves around. Expect clumsy bombshells, troubled actresses, booze-loving septuagenarians and a haughty director, plus everything that can go wrong in the theatre, well, going wrong. Simon Burke, Ray Chong Nee, Libby Munro, Hugh Parker, James Saunders, Louise Siversen and Nicki Wendt star.
You can pick a Judd Apatow film from a mile off. Bromantic plot-lines, improvised dialogue and gross-out humour are his unmistakable calling cards, to say nothing of his vow to include at least one penis in every project. It’s just that, Trainwreck is also a Judd Apatow film, only you don’t realise it until his name appears in the final credits. From start to finish, it feels like an Amy Schumer film, and that’s a credit to both of them. If you don’t know who Amy Schumer is, you probably don’t have the internet. The current queen of comedy has had an amazing few years, including her own sketch show on Comedy Central, a sold-out stand up tour, countless guest spots and a hosting gig for the 2015 MTV Movie Awards. Trainwreck, which Schumer both wrote and stars in, is her first foray into film, and it’s a solid (if also circumspect) debut. Schumer plays Amy Townsend, a relentless party girl and writer for the trashy magazine S’nuff who's assigned to write a profile on celebrity sports surgeon Dr Aaron Conners (SNL’s Bill Hader). Amy soon finds herself in a serious, committed relationship with the doctor, one that flies in the face of her lifelong dedication to polyamory, making Trainwreck a traditional romcom with an entirely untraditional difference: a female lead playing the ‘guy role’ – drinking, swearing and laying waste to one sexual conquest after the next. To call it refreshing is a giant understatement. In the lead, Schumer falls short of an assured performance, but hits enough high notes to carry the film through its weaker moments. Her trademark honesty-bordering-on-overshare is evident throughout, proving endearing even when her character’s words and actions are anything but. Amy Townsend isn’t a particularly likeable person, but like her you do all the same. Opposite her, Hader is pleasantly reserved as the good doctor and greater man, whose goofy grin and sexual naiveté nicely round out the ‘opposites attract’ motif. But by far the most pleasant surprise is the performance by NBA superstar LeBron James as Aaron's former patient-cum-best friend. A few years back, Gary Oldman and Jimmy Kimmel teamed up for an amusing short called “Actors Against Acting Athletes”, in which Oldman railed against the influx of sportspeople in film – particularly basketball players. Cameos aside (e.g. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s turn in Flying High), it’s an entirely reasonable rant, especially since you’d be hard pressed to name many classics amongst Shaquille O’Neal’s twenty-three listed acting credits, let alone the twenty-six boasted by Dennis Rodman. James, however, is a terrific comic presence in Trainwreck, gleefully presenting himself as a Cleveland-obsessed romantic with a profound investment in Aaron’s love life and Scrooge-like stinginess, insisting on splitting every check despite his estimated net worth of $325 million. The scene between him and Aaron playing some casual one-on-one whilst discussing commitment and intimacy is arguably the finest in the film. There are many other cameos in Trainwreck. Some are clever (Daniel Radcliffe as himself in an art film called The Dogwalker, and WWE star John Cena as Schumer’s erstwhile boyfriend), but most are either unnecessary or downright bad (none more so than Matthew Broderick and Marv Albert in a bizarre intervention scene). Schumer’s the hottest ticket in town right now, so it’s understandable that Hollywood would be queuing up to get in on the action, but successful cameos require the deftest of touches to avoid completely breaking a film’s flow and reeking of ‘why not?’ stink – which wafts in more than a few times here. With a shorter run time and a tighter third act, Trainwreck might have proven itself a terrific romcom. As it stands it’s still a solid comedy that even boasts a few serious moments to tug at the heartstrings. Without question, Schumer’s only getting started, and we eagerly await the next instalment from this spectacularly funny comic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_KP9x80Z9Q
As its eponymous heroine (Daisy Ridley) lays prone in a pond, eyes closed, her hands clutching a wilting bouquet of flowers, Ophelia opens with a potential mic-drop moment. "You may think you know my story; many have told it," the film's narration accurately advises, which usually signals that a swift change of style, approach or pace will soon follow. Thankfully, while slick, over-amped, action-packed modernisations of classic tales have become common on cinema screens of late, this take on Hamlet instead opts to switch its perspective. Exploring the tragedies surrounding the famed, fictional, medieval-era Danish prince (George McKay), the movie doesn't ponder whether to be or not to be. Rather, it views its narrative through his paramour's eyes — with the gorgeously staged and shot feature brandishing noticeable differences as a result, but still looking and feeling as if William Shakespeare wouldn't be rolling in his grave. One of the playwright's most acclaimed and influential works (Star Wars, The Lion King and TV's Sons of Anarchy have all taken their cues from it), Hamlet has always proven a fascinating account of power, politics, love, lust, loyalty and vengeance. In Australian filmmaker Claire McCarthy's (The Waiting City) hands, that's also true, however its new feminist thrust is as intriguing as it is welcome. Adapting the novel by Lisa Klein, screenwriter Semi Chellas (Mad Men) contemplates not only the fate of feuding men, but of women forced to live with the consequences of male-dominated decisions. A delicate balancing act is at play; befitting today's times, Ophelia emerges from Hamlet's sidelines, tries to steer her own course and doesn't simply descend into jilted madness — although, as the Bard intended, her path remains forever tied to her beloved. Uttered firmly and passionately by Ridley, whose Star Wars pedigree ensures she knows a few things about those traits, Ophelia's scene-setting introductory narration characterises its protagonist as "a wilful girl". They're her own words, worn as a badge of honour, which the film then spends its time unpacking. As a slip of a pre-teen (Mia Quiney) who's a little too wily for her widower father Polonius (Dominic Mafham), yet isn't allowed to receive the same education as her brother Laertes (Tom Felton), Ophelia attracts the attention of Queen Gertrude (Naomi Watts). While Hamlet (played as a child by Jack Cunningham-Nuttall) is schooled abroad, Ophelia joins the court's ladies-in-waiting. When the prince returns home as a man, finding Ophelia similarly all grown up, sparks fly — but so does betrayal, death and something rotten in the state of Denmark, especially after the king is slain, leaving his brother Claudius (Clive Owen) to claim Hamlet's throne as well as his mother. McCarthy may buck the current stylistic trend when it comes to re-envisaging well-known, period-set stories (Robin Hood or King Arthur, this isn't, thankfully), but her interpretation still bears signs of its influences. With a focus on star-cross'd lovers, elements of Shakespeare's own Romeo and Juliet sneak in. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern earn a mention in the movie's dialogue, naturally, with the duo's own reimagined filmic excursion — comedy Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead — casting a small shadow. So too do a few of the Bard's recurrent motifs from his broader canon, including potions, twins and plays-within-plays. And yet, Ophelia is steadfastly its own piece, thanks to its evocative mood, sumptuous staging and intricate costuming in no small part. The tale's Elsinore castle setting appears both earthy and ethereal, continuing the lush aesthetics heralded in the movie's opening shot, which nods to Sir John Everett Millais's famed 1850s painting that's also named Ophelia. One particularly horrendous wig aside — a long, drab, floppy mess that does the otherwise adequate Owen no favours — this version of Ophelia also makes the most of many of its stars, as any iteration of this narrative by any name needs to. Playfulness permeates Chellas' reworked prose, alongside the source material's trademark wit, which rolls off of the actors' respective tongues. A sense of inner steeliness reverberates through the film's performances too, not only guiding Ridley's work, but evident in Watts' efforts in multiple roles. Indeed, when a new take on Shakespeare inspires the audience to luxuriate in its characters, their dialogue and the emotions they're conveying, it's nobly doing its job. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmelYOAFv20
There isn't much in life that beats curling up with a cup of tea and a good book. Although a great story is merely a download away, nothing beats a physical book that you can hold in your hands and immerse yourself in. Besides, who doesn't love that familiar scent whipped up by the pages of a fresh book? If you're a fellow literature lover head to Motto Pop-Up and Book Launch at the Institute of Modern Art. Surround yourself with the wonderful world of words as Berlin-based art-book merchants Motto launch Making Words. This anthology of writings focuses on the genres of science-fiction and art. Between the covers of Making Words you'll find essays by writers such as Adrian Martin, Amelia Barikin and Patrick Pound. Don't miss this chance to get your hot little hands on a thought provoking and irresistible read.
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance and the Camera d'Or at Cannes, Beasts of the Southern Wild is the impressive debut feature film from young director Benh Zeitlin. The film, which opens in cinemas from September 13, sees six-year-old Hushpuppy battle a hot-tempered father, melting ice-caps and monstrous creatures called the aurochs as she searches for her mother. Featuring moving performances from Dwight Henry as Wink and Quvenzhané Wallis as Hushpuppy, Beasts of the Southern Wild is a truly one-off fantasy drama that is at once magical and powerfully grounded. Concrete Playground has 10 double passes to giveaway to see Beasts of the Southern Wild. For a chance to win, make sure you're subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name and postal address to hello@concreteplayground.com.au
When I was in school, I was never allowed to go to a PCYC Bluelight Disco, as apparently the activities that went down were too scandalous and the music was too terrible for my parents to handle. Obviously it was all very upsetting and my life was ruined. Luckily I’m now old enough to make my own decisions about attending ‘Light’ themed bashes, although I have to say my taste has matured somewhat. Also lucky, is that the kids from Sceneless have run with the same idea and taken it to a place a million times better than the original. For the second year in a row, the Lightspace venue in Fortitude Valley will be home to the BLACKLIGHT warehouse party, with heaps of bands, light installations, DJs, and delish food and drink for everyone to consume. With bands including The Medics, Lunch Tapes, Pluto Jonze, Pigeon, and Boss Moxi, the night is going to go off! It will also be a jam-packed schedule so you’re getting plenty of bang for your buck. Ending the night will be the Cobra Kai DJs who are absolute pros at getting people moving. If you never got to corrupt yourself at a Bluelight Disco, like me, take back the night from your parents and get down at BLACKLIGHT this Friday.
Fortitude Valley loves a laneway, with plenty popping up — or being brought to life, more accurately — across the inner city spot in recent years. And those laneways love markets. In fact, the trio that is Winn Lane, Bakery Lane and California Lane has been hosting various markets under various names for quite some time. In 2020, those different events are joining forces, taking on one communal moniker and popping up on the first Saturday of each month. Running from 9am–2pm on September 5, October 3 and November 7, Valley Laneway Markets will sprawl across the three stretches of pavement with an array of plants, ceramics, art, handmade goods and vintage fashion. Because that just isn't enough space for this event, they'll actually take over the Brunswick Street Mall as well (which isn't a laneway, but it definitely is a thoroughfare). Browse through the stalls, pop into the permanent retailers, and grab a bite to eat and something caffeinated from one of the many cafes and eateries in the area — whichever you're doing, you'll have a heap of options to choose from. These markets also place a heavy focus on local talents, so when you're rifling through the racks, eyeing off some retro threads, and pondering picking up some jewellery or accessories, you'll be supporting Brissie's best. And, like everything this year, they'll be socially distanced. Top image: Valley Laneway Markets. Updated November 5.
Dutch Courage Officers' Mess might be known for slinging plenty of gin, but the Fortitude Valley bar also knows a few important boozy truths. Sometimes, your favourite watering hole is closed. Sometimes, you don't really feel like hitting the club. Sometimes, you just want to kick back on the couch with a cocktail (or several) in your hand. To help, the bar puts on regular masterclasses — teaching you the tricks of its trade and serving you up a few beverages in the process. And the April class sure does have a buzz about it. Yes, it's all about making espresso martinis. From 3.30–5pm on Saturday, April 13, you'll discover how to whip up a classic espresso martini, plus Dutch Courage's own variation: the Cradle Snatcher, which features butter vodka, agave and a Nutella stripe. Learn, make, drink — that's all on the agenda as part of your $39 ticket, as is an energetic start to your Saturday shenanigans. Bookings are essential.
There's no shortage of cheesy places in this food-loving town of ours, but King Street's Il Verde just might be Brisbane's cheese central. Serving up pasta from a wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano has helped put the Bowen Hills eatery on the culinary map — and it's doing just that on the most romantic night of the year. If you're going to celebrate one thing you love, aka your significant other, then you may as well celebrate something else you love, too. Take your favourite person, add your favourite meal — that's the general thinking. It all takes place from 5.30pm on Thursday, February 14, with bookings required. This super cheesy night includes pasta or gnocchi stirred up in a wheel of cheese, a bellini upon arrival, an entree, and raspberry panna cotta with dark chocolate sauce for dessert, and it'll set you back just $45 per person.
Yes, 2020 has felt like the longest year ever. But October and November are almost here, which means that it's almost Halloween and Dias de los Muertos time. So, at El Camino Cantina's Queensland locations, it's marking the occasion with a Day of the Dead and Halloween Fiesta. From Tuesday, October 20–Saturday, November 7, El Camino's Bowen Hills, Chermside, Sunshine Coast and Robina eateries will be getting in the celebratory mood in a number of ways. The tastiest: a two-hour food and drink package, which'll see you eat your way through tortilla chips and salsa, buffalo wings with blue cheese mayo and guacamole, chargrilled chicken fajitas, and churros with chocolate and caramel sauce. Costing $89 per person, it also includes margaritas both frozen and on the rocks, plus house beer and wine, and soft drinks. And, you'll get a gift bag, too. If you're more interested in inventive margarita flavours, a heap of new varieties will be on offer — in 15-ounce glasses for $20 and in 24-ounce glasses for $24. Sip your way through Devil Chilli (watermelon, chilli and chilli salt), Walking Dead (passionfruit), Ghost Drop (blueberry) and Poison Apple (sour apple) types at all stores, or grab a tasting paddle of four for $30. Also, depending on the day of the week, there'll be something else on the bill as well — new taco flavours on Tuesdays, super-spicy buffalo wings with limited-edition habanero and teriyaki sauces on Wednesdays, and $20 fajita and marg combos on Thursdays, for instance. On Saturdays at Bowen Hills and Sunshine Plaza, DJs will also spin tunes — including on Saturday, October 31, when you're encouraged to dress up, obviously. [caption id="attachment_784643" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Michael Gribbin[/caption] El Camino Cantina's Day of the Dead and Halloween Fiesta takes place from Tuesday, October 20–Saturday, November 7 at its Bowen Hills, Chermside, Sunshine Coast and Robina stores. Images: Michael Gribbin.
There is nothing illegitimate or false about a band that sings about hurricanes and heart attacks. In fact, it makes them that much cooler. And who makes natural disasters and cardiac arrests sound so rad? I'm talking about Faker, of course - the band that does a disappearing act every so often just so their comebacks and bigger and better than the last. The first such incident was way back in 1998 when they formed, and seven years later had a comeback with catchy-as-hell Hurricane. Once again, they would pull a runner on their fans, only to appear once again in 2007 with an attached hysteria that can only be described as ventricle imploding. This Heart Attack was everywhere, in our ears, on the TV and shoved down our throats, but oh how we loved them. It was after a whirlwind tour from 2007 ‘til early 2009 that Faker again said 'loljokes' to being a stable band, and shockingly went into hibernation once more. All the shenanigans aside, Faker are popping their head back into the music scene with their 3rd album, ‘Get Loved’, soon to drop. But first – they have released a prequel EP 'How Did We Not Get Loved?' and it's advised you see them play before they no doubt do a mad dash out of The Zoo this Saturday.
"The punchline is true about me...I did the dumb thing. But I did a lot of other things too." So says Anthony Weiner at the beginning of the documentary that bears his name. His statement is both an admission and a reminder, as presented with a level of candour that mightn't be expected from a former New York congressman. Of course, Weiner isn't any old politician ,and there's a reason that everyone knows who he is. You saw the scandals play out, giggling about someone with his particular surname getting caught texting dick pics. Now we get to see his side of the story. Indeed, we already know why filmmakers Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg were keen to peer beyond the international headlines and discover the man behind the very public mockery. What isn't always clear is just why Weiner himself agreed to be involved. Why did he agree to subject himself to a warts-and-all look at his notorious indiscretions and their impact upon his career and marriage. And why did he agree to give the film crew such extraordinarily intimate access? That's the first of many questions that springs from this astute and insightful film, and most of them don't have easy or obvious answers. In fact, when Kriegman is heard interrogating his subject about why he was allowed to chronicle the minutiae of his life, Weiner doesn't really have a response, other than later stating his desire to be seen as more than just a punchline. His loyal wife Huma Abedin, an advisor to Hillary Clinton, and an increasingly distressed figure in the feature, doesn't know what to say either. Still, as the tabloids, news reports and late-night comedians prove relentless in dissecting her decision to stand by her husband, her deteriorating facade speaks volumes. By honing in on Weiner's comeback mayoral bid, which is soon derailed when another explosive revelation rears its head, the documentary does a great many things. It acts as an all-too-familiar twist on the American dream, contemplating not just the path to success, but trying again after falling so far. It examines the difficulty of living a life of incessant scrutiny while trying to put your past behaviour behind you. It offers disarming images of a man watching his world fall down around him yet again. It points the finger at the way the media treats those in their orbit. And it provides an utterly fascinating look at the real inner-workings of a political campaign. Here, the truth is absolutely stranger than fiction — and more compelling, too. Kriegman and Steinberg present rather than judge, and flesh out rather than assume. The end result is patient and observational as it follows Weiner on the campaign trail, yet remains infused with the urgency of his rollercoaster existence. Whatever your thoughts on the man, we're guessing they won't be the same when the end credits roll.
You're never too old to run around searching for hidden chocolate, are you? Sure, as you grew from a child into a teenager and then an adult, your parents probably told you otherwise. Thankfully, the proprietors of Ric's, Brunswick and Ann and the RG certainly don't think so. This Sunday, the Valley Mall mainstays are throwing caution to the wind in their efforts to share the Easter fun — and the Easter eggs, too. Scattered across the three venues and their eight bars are all the tasty treats you can dream of. All you need to do is look. It's all part of the Valley's Biggest Easter Egg Hunt, which sounds a bit like an excuse for a party — but we're not complaining. Five different DJs will provide the soundtrack for the scavenger hunt, and you might just uncover a few other goodies in your quest. BYO basket and bunny ears.
One of the most iconic movie musicals ever made has been adapted into a lively theatre effort; however that's not the only reason to head to the new staging of Singin' in the Rain. Do it for Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. Their new Oscar-tipped film, La La Land, both pays tribute to and follows in the footsteps of the Gene Kelly-starring 1952 flick. Yes, that's a very, very good thing. For those who've somehow missed the '20s-set big screen classic during their lifetime, Singin' in the Rain charts a story of romance and stardom, as silent film star Don Lockwood tries to adjust to the age of talking pictures, and aspiring actress Kathy Selden tries to make her big break. It was actually crafted around a heap of existing songs, such the titular track, 'Make 'Em Laugh' and 'Good Morning'. All of that sings and dances its way onto the Lyric Theatre's stage, complete with the talented Grant Almirall, Rohan Browne, Gretel Scarlett and Jack Chambers among the cast — and 12,000 litres of water causing a splash. Actually, there's even a wet weather warning for anyone sitting in the front three rows, as well as a free poncho. Image: Jeff Busby.
For some reason I thought that Supanova would be akin to America's ComicCon. It's dressed up as a pop culture expo, but in layman's terms that means it's for geeks. That isn't a bad thing at all, because at least you won't feel socially awkward around all the jocks – they don't even know this place exists. The supa-star guests are Christopher Lloyd (Emmett from Back to the Future), Val Kilmer (holy shit, he's still alive?), Colin Morgan (Merlin off...erm, Merlin), Julie Benz (Dexter's Rita), amongst some others that I honestly don't even know of. Not to worry, Supanova 2011 is full of sweet activities that are sure to please sci-fi and fantasy lovers, especially the karaoke, something even I would get into just for shits and gigs. In all seriousness, if you are considering attending, you need to be weary of the Weapons Policy, y'all. You can't bring or use actual weapons, but on a positive note, you can watch the AWF wrestling, which is brutal. A favourite at Supanova is the meet and greet with the stars, and you even get to have a photo and get it signed with perhaps, Val Kilmer? C'mon, he was hot once! Get down to Supanova, you Casanova of “pop culture”.
Listening to live tunes is one of the Queensland Performing Art Centre's main drawcards, obviously. Sitting outside on QPAC's Melbourne Street Green and enjoying free live sets is part of its regular Green Jam sessions, too. But maybe you like your tunes a bit more experimental and improvised — or, you could have an instrument gathering dust at home that you'd like to play at the venue. Musos of Brisbane and music fans alike, meet The Jam Club. It happens on the second Wednesday of every month, and it's a big acoustic jam session. No matter whether you're a professional or you're just learning, you can bust out your skills and add to the soundtrack — all by heading along from 6–8pm. Yes, all skill levels are welcome. And, if you'd rather just listen to the sounds of fellow Brisbanites jamming away, that's definitely allowed as well. So, that's how you can spice up your midweek on Wednesday, September 8 — and again on October 13, November 10 and December 8 as well.
If you devoured Boy Swallows Universe when it hit Netflix, then got excited Love Stories coming to the stage — and if you're a big fan of Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller, too — then you'll want to make a date with the 2024 Brisbane Writers Festival. Two of the just-announced lineup's biggest names speak volumes about the event this year, with the program adoring and celebrating local talent, and also welcoming in international writers. Prepare to be busy, literature lovers: more than 150 live sessions are on the full bill. When BWF takes place from Thursday, May 30–Sunday, June 2 at the State Library of Queensland and other venues around Brisbane, Trent Dalton will dive into Lola in the Mirror. As for American author Michael Connelly, he has his crime sagas that started with The Black Echo and The Lincoln Lawyer to discuss — plus 2023's Resurrection Walk, which features both Bosch and Haller. From there, the usual applies at Brisbane's annual ode to storytelling and publishing: if it involves words, it's probably covered. BWF Artistic Director Jackie Ryan has dubbed 2024's festival an "intellectual all-you-can-eat". "Our slogan is 'have we got a story for you', and it's a promise we're keen to deliver on — whether your appetite is for culture, science, sport, literature, politics, espionage, music, health, comedy, romance, performance, crime, history, poetry, or a combination of the above," Ryan notes. [caption id="attachment_944973" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kat Westerman[/caption] Among the book-centric buffet, other highlights include keynote addresses by Melissa Lucashenko and Louise Doughty, Prima Facie's Suzie Miller talking about her hit play, Fourth Wing and Iron Flame's Rebecca Yarros taking her first trip Down Under, Naomi Novik chatting about her Scholomance series and Tokyo Vice writer Jake Adelstein digging into his experiences. Or, there's also the Booker Prize-shortlisted Paul Murray, fantasy author Samantha Shannon and The Dictionary People's Sarah Ogilvie — and the fact that Melanie Saward and Lenora Thaker are both guest curators. Bryan Brown, Kate Ceberano, Ed Le Brocq and Stuart Coupe are on the program as well, each with a new tome to discuss. Julia Baird, Chris Hammer, Daniel Browning, Jackie Huggins, William McInnes, Anna McGahan, Samuel Wagan-Watson, Matthew Condon, Anita Heiss and Hedley Thomas are also flying the flag for Australian, and sometimes Queensland, scribes. Brisbane writers are particularly well-represented, with more than 60 taking part. [caption id="attachment_944977" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sarah Hadley[/caption] If you want to hear Connelly examine his chosen genre with Doughty, Brown, Dann McDorman and Dinuka McKenzie, you're in luck there, too. Historical fiction is in the spotlight via Heather Morris, Mirandi Riwoe, Melissa Ashley and Christine Wells — and Sing Lit Station is bringing Singaporean authors Brisbane's way. A day celebrating YA fiction, exploring the response to the Matildas over the past year, the intersection of music and books, gothic fiction, short stories, the history of Aussie cinema, supernatural thrills, the murder-mystery genre, how to write about art: they all earn some attention, because that's how jam-packed the lineup is. And the week before the fest kicks off, Lessons in Chemistry author Bonnie Garmus will head to town, but her in-conversation sessions are already sold out. The 2024 Brisbane Writers Festival runs from Thursday, May 30–Sunday, June 2 at the State Library of Queensland and other venues around Brisbane. To check out the full program and purchase tickets, check out the festival's website. Brisbane Writers Festival images: Markus Ravik, CSquare Media, Geoff Lawrence, Bianca Holderness, Josef Ruckli and Morgan Roberts.
Backyard parties rule. Everyone is aware of this right? Sitting around for an indefinite amount of time boozing with your friends and listening to music is nothing short of awesome. Ric’s is well aware of this too and is recalibrating the idea of the classic backyard party by hosting their first inaugural Ric’s Big Backyard Festival this month. Instead of Sammy’s banged up iPod dock pumping the jams, there’s going to be 3 stages (one upstairs, one downstairs and one outside) with 21 bands playing throughout the day. The Backyard’s amazing lineup includes Dunedin-based noise punk trio Die! Die! Die!, Pangaea (playing their first gig in twelve years), and Sydney legends You Am I to finish off what is going to be an epic time. And just like the best backyard parties, tickets for the Big Backyard Festival are limited to keep up an intimate festival atmosphere and allow space for punters to move and breathe, so you gots to gets your tickets quick! Final lineup: YOU AM I PANGAEA DIE DIE DIE SIX FT HICK GUINEAFOWL BIG SCARY KING CANNONS THE CAIROS WE ALL WANT TO MOSMAN ALDER THE MERCY BEAT VIOLENT SOHO RAT V POSSUM RICHARD IN OUR MIND THE HONEY MONTH BEN SALTER INLAND SEA NUMBERS RADIO BABAGANOUJ VELOCIRAPTOR JUD CAMPBELL RESPECT DJ’S.
Directly underneath the ABC and near the giant Wheel of Brisbane, Champ Kitchen + Bar is a hideaway from the hustle and bustle of South Bank. In the background are the busy ABC journalists rushing in and out all day and in the foreground are tourists and Brisbanites standing under the Wheel of Brisbane, some waiting to climb on board and the others contemplating on whether its worth the $15. Then there is Champ Kitchen + Bar where you can escape for breakfast and lunch every day. For breakfast we suggest the crab omelette. It comes with Chinese sausage with red pepper, onion and Asian herb salad and a warm soy mirin drizzle ($17.50 each). Enjoy this with some Irish breakfast tea ($3.60 each). For lunch the smoked cured salmon with avocado, sea grapes with radish salad ($16 each) paired up with chocolate fondant, rhubarb and crème fraiche icecream ($15 each) is a strange but delicious combo. From Thursday - Saturday Champ also turns into the perfect evening bar.
Roll up, roll up, the big top is here — but when you step into Infamous' spiegeltent, you're not stepping into an ordinary circus. A blend of acrobatics, clowning, dancing, comedy, cabaret and burlesque, this is strictly an adults-only affair. Think performers getting a little risqué, acrobats with ripped abs and displays of raunchy dancing, as well as death-defying acts with a devilish dash and plenty of cheeky laughs. Yes, this is a show that comes with a word of warning, so prepare for a two-hour stint of naughtiness that ramps up the indulgence and the hedonism — and the sauciness as well. After packing out two seasons on the Gold Coast, Infamous hits Brisbane between Friday, October 12 and Sunday, November 18. You'll find its big top at Victoria Park, with performances running from Thursday to Sunday during its six-week stay — and with tickets ranging from $47.20 all the way up to $247.35 for the best seats in the house.
UPDATE, May 7, 2021: Us is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. With his Oscar-winning directorial debut Get Out, Jordan Peele gave the world a powerful metaphor for everyday, engrained oppression. In the sunken place, the film's black characters are sent falling down an endless rabbit hole while their lives are controlled by wealthy white folks. African Americans are forced to watch from a cavernous expanse of darkness, all as someone else pulls their strings. Robbed of agency, they become passengers in their own journey, rather than drivers of their fate. The movie's brilliant blend of scares and social satire gives more flesh to the scenario, but the mechanics are straightforward: one race is sent plummeting; the other climbs higher through their subjugation. Peele's concept isn't a one-time idea, as his sophomore film shows. Us doesn't feel like Get Out redux for even a split second, but it does give another clever and chilling dimension to the notion of flailing versus prospering — and another example of who's doing both. This time, the writer-director puts class under his magnifying glass, while still training his gaze firmly at his country. It's not by accident that the movie's title can be read as U.S., aka the United States. That's not supposed to escape anyone's attention. Perhaps the greatest trick that Peele pulls, however, is slicing into the horror of just peering in the mirror and thoroughly detesting what's looking back. After a quick glimpse at an ad for 80s charity campaign Hands Across America, Us' 1986-set prologue sends a young girl (Madison Curry) into an actual house of mirrors. "Find yourself" the funhouse at the Santa Cruz beachside amusement park promises. She does, although not in the usual way — and as flashbacks remembered by the adult Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong'o) reveal, she's left forever shaken by the process. In the present day, Adelaide returns to the Californian spot with her husband Gabe (Winston Duke) and children Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph) and Jason (Evan Alex). She's wary and worried as her family pals around on the beach with their better-off friends, the Tylers (Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker, Cali Sheldon and Noelle Sheldon). Later, Adelaide tries to explain her visible unease to Gabe, confessing that she has always felt as if her other self was coming for her. With the arrival of the Wilsons' doppelgängers on their driveway that night, her words are proven accurate. Decked out in matching red jumpsuits, wearing lone tan gloves and clutching golden scissors, the sinister doubles call themselves 'the tethered' — and they're here to cut that name to ribbons. What begins as a tense, terrifically staged home invasion soon becomes much more, as Adelaide and her loved ones face off against their murderous counterparts. The terror that follows boasts more angles than the reflective maze that starts this unnerving story. It also contains more twists and turns than the abandoned and unused tunnels buried beneath the U.S., as pointedly referenced in the film's opening title card. Finally, it features more meticulously deployed pop culture references and nods than might be expected in a movie that remains so thoughtfully distinctive. Us is a creeper in multiple senses of the word. It's disquieting from the outset (even more so when it spends its opening credits staring at caged rabbits), but Peele knows how to let that unease fester and grow. While the 'master of suspense' label was bestowed decades ago, the comedian-turned-filmmaker is just as devastating at cultivating distress as Hitchcock or any other iconic horror or thriller director. He's similarly adept at using every tool in his arsenal. After giving It Follows such a disconcerting look, cinematographer Mike Gioulakis does so again here, especially while shooting in domestic spaces. Aided by a few choice song selections that range from NWA to the Beach Boys, Get Out composer Michael Abels conjures up another needling score designed to set viewers on edge. But it's the way that Us' agitated, anxious mood refuses to dissipate that marks the movie as something special. The narrative and its ideas are undeniably creepy and, even when some aspects initially seem a tad too obvious, the film resonates long after viewing. Us' tone, images and sounds reach further, however, truly and deeply creeping under the audience's skin. The simple sight of four shadowy figures looming over a house in the dark of night instantly demonstrates how effective Us is in a visual sense. Choreographed movements of the balletic, stilted and frantic kind do as well. They also highlight Us' other key element, because central to the malaise is Peele's cast. Their characters might battle themselves, but the actors never do the same, always making their dual roles feel like individual creations. If Daniel Kaluuya can earn an Academy Award nomination for Get Out, there's no reason that Nyong'o can't achieve the feat for her twin parts as both a fraught, complex victim and a calm, unrelenting aggressor. Her performance as Red, Adelaide's mirror image, is as delightfully disconcerting and affecting as the doppelgänger's gravelly, haunted voice. From Duke's transformation from goofy dad to non-verbal brute, to Joseph's expressiveness as both a too-cool teen and a psychopathic killer, to a particularly flighty then unhinged turn from Moss, Nyong'o is also in great company. Of course, that's one of the movie's mischievous tricks: as it delves into the divide between 'us' and 'them', it puts everyone in the same unsettling situation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bavqDA_3vIo
If you're going to open a new burger joint in the meat-and-bread-loving haven that is Brisbane, you need to have a point of difference. Biggie's Burgers has a great name, sure, but they're also satisfying a definite culinary need: the Bulimba-based venture is a delivery-only burger joint. Getting your favourite piece of protein placed on a roll and driven to your door isn't that unusual — but only being able to get it that way is. Launching on Boxing Day, Biggie's Burgers will be serving up a hefty menu of gourmet New York-style burgers that can be ordered exclusively on UberEATS, and are then cooked fresh and ferried to wherever you happen to be. Their menu hasn't yet been revealed; however consider the knowledge that it'll include the Big Poppa Pork Belly — aka grilled Peruvian pork belly strips, mojo verde, white slaw, mustard, jalapeños, American cheddar and house-made pickles on a brioche bun — a mouthwatering sneak peek. And, in good news for those keen to get a taste as soon as they can, Biggie's is throwing a celebratory shindig to unveil their delicious fare to the world. If you're not still too full from Christmas lunch, head to Barcadia on Boxing Day for the first-ever Biggie's Burgers Pop-Up. It's a one-day-only affair, running from 9.30am to 10pm, and offering up just the kind of food you need when you're watching sport on the bar's television. For more information about Biggie's Burgers, keep an eye on their Facebook page.
If you're going to open a new burger joint in the meat-and-bread-loving haven that is Brisbane, you need to have a point of difference. Biggie's Burgers has a great name, sure, but they're also satisfying a definite culinary need: the Bulimba-based venture is a delivery-only burger joint. Getting your favourite piece of protein placed on a roll and driven to your door isn't that unusual — but only being able to get it that way is. If you want to feast on Biggie's Burgers range of gourmet New York-style burgers, you'll need to place your order UberEATS, then wait as they're cooked fresh and ferried to wherever you happen to be. As for what you'll be eating, prepare to start feeling hungry. The Bad Boy Brisket features 12-hour slow-cooked beef, house-made pickles and slaw on a brioche bun, and is known to sell out. Or, opt for the Big Poppa Pork Belly — aka grilled Peruvian pork belly strips, mojo verde, white slaw, mustard, jalapeños and American cheddar, also with house-made pickles on a brioche bun. Rounding out the selection are three other hefty offerings: the Brooklyn Beef 'N' Bacon with an Angus beef patty, the Deep South Grilled Chicken with cajun chook, and the super-sized Notorious B.I.G. with a whopping two slabs of meat. Sides-wise, customers can choose between the usual — aka a bowl of mixed chips, some coleslaw or chickpea, and avocado salad — or a couple extra-special additions. Who doesn't want to pair their juicy burg with puffy pork rinds, half a dozen dry rub wings or chilli cheese fries — all without leaving the comfort of home? Biggie's Burgers delivers from 11.30am to 10.30pm. For more information, head to UberEATS or check out their Facebook page.
If you like your pasta round and made from potatoes, then you're going to like Brisbane's latest cuisine-specific eatery. No, it's not an Italian joint. Not, it isn't dedicated to doughy noodles in all shapes and sizes. Instead, Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers is Australia's first dedicated gnoccheria. If that name sounds familiar, that's because you've likely come across Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers' busy stall everywhere from the Jan Powers Farmers Market in the CBD and Eat Street at Hamilton to the brand new Mount Gravatt Marketta or Night Quarter on the Gold Coast. They've now made the leap so many market-based Brissie businesses have in recent years by opening their own bricks-and-mortar establishment, and are serving their fresh, house-made potato parcels from Paddington's Given Terrace. What none of their predecessors offer, of course, is an impressive array of gnocchi in varieties such as pumpkin and ricotta, and with sauces including slow-cooked bolognese, wild mushroom and truffle, cherry tomato and black olive, and duck ragu. Everything is made from organic ingredients, and they all come with ciabatta and parmesan. Of course, if you want something other than the the Brothers' dish of choice, there's starters and desserts too. Grab deep-fried mince-stuffed olives, fresh mozzarella with tomato and basil, or thick cut potato chips with truffle salt — or an Italian fresh ricotta cannoli, house-made tiramisu and vanilla bean panna cotta. Opening on November 28 and making your gnocchi dreams come true Monday to Saturday from 4pm to 10pm, Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers is both a dine-in and takeaway affair, offering BYO in-house, with a liquor license to come. And, in the future, you'll be able to pick up a small range of Italian groceries on site as well. We recommend stopping by on an empty stomach. Find Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers at 210 Given Terrace, Paddington. Check out their website and Facebook page for more information. Image via cyclonebill.
Movie marathons – they seem like a good idea at the time until you get to the third movie (which is always the only one you wanted to see in the first place) and all you want to do is fall asleep but you can’t becuase you're in a dirty cinema seat and high on slurpies. Lucky for you, Cards 4 Sorrow have organised a cult movie line up and performance condensed into a more manageable slot. Catch Johnny Depp in Tim Burton’s 1990 cult classic Edward Scissorhands followed by an interactive screening of the 1975 freak favourite The Rocky Horror Picture Show. That’s right, INTERACTIVE screening. That means you get the original film brought to life through an accompanied lip-synched floorshow on the stage in front of the screen. Two shows in one! How economical. If you’re after another chance to see your old favourites on the silver screen and are keen on an interesting new take on a classic, then this is definitely the show for you. Become one with the movie and get ready to do the time warp… again.
For the second consecutive year, the Brisbane International Film Festival returns to GOMA for 11 nights of cinematic fun. That means plenty of movies, obviously — and, until March 22, 2020, it also means a new mixed-media exhibition called Setting the Stage. The idea behind this showcase is simple: while sets, props, costumes and the like all form an important part of theatre productions, they're just as crucial in other creative realms, such as film. The gallery isn't just honing its focus on two types of art, however, with the exhibition exploring work by artists who uses performative spaces and elements across cinema, video art, photography, painting and sculpture. Free to attend, standout pieces include Hetain Patel's Don't Look at the Finger, which tasks its characters with acting out a wedding ceremony in a distinctive fashion — and Sharif Waked's To be continued…, which favours an obvious minimalist approach. Or, you can check out Tracey Moffatt's short film Night Cries: A Rural Tragedy, which uses the stage in a purposeful way — and expands the multidisciplinary ethos of the exhibition by nodding to Albert Namatjira's watercolours as well. Image: Hetain Patel. United Kingdom. b.1980. Don't Look at the Finger (still) 2017. Courtesy: The artist / © Hetain Pate.
It seems to be a Brisbane condition to close down any establishment that actually has any value in the community – the Elizabeth Street Printery, The Monastery (kidding), The Troubadour, to name a few. Luckily enough, from the ashes of The Troub rises an establishment to breathe a little life back into ‘the scene’ – Black Bear Lodge. Their opening date was pushed back a couple of times, but now it’s for real – the Bears are open for business. To prove it, they’re holding a three-day celebration from Friday to Sunday. Feast your ears on Ben Salter (The Gin Club) and Kellie Lloyd & Tim Steward (Screamfeeder) on Friday, Dominic Miller (Rocketsmiths) and Andrew Morris (Wilson Pickers) on Saturday, and Timothy Carroll on Sunday. What’s the cost of a musical buffet like this? Absolutely nothing – Black Bear Lodge is a free entry establishment. Celebrate new beginnings in the Brisbane entertainment scene for cheaps – make sure you buy a drink to say thanks!
From the wild, WTF and wonderful finalists, the Art Gallery of New South Wales has announced their 204 Archibald Prize winner. Fiona Lowry has won the prestigious prize for her portrait of Penelope Seidler. Runner up was Mitch Cairns with his portrait of Red Richardson AM. The Wynne and Sulman Prizes have also been announced. Taking the Wynne for landscape or sculpture was Michael Johnson with his abstract Oceania High Low: And the Sulman (best subject painting, genre painting or mural project) landed on Andrew Sullivan's T-Rex: Check out our picks for weirdest and most wonderful Archibald finalist tales over here.
It's one of Brisbane's go-to waterside spots — for picnics, listening to live tunes and, sometimes, watching movies under the stars — and it's been keeping a picturesque patch of South Bank busy for a decade now. So, hitting the big one-oh milestone, River Quay Green is celebrating with a jam-packed weekend filled with excuses to head by (and to eat and drink while you're there, obviously). Across Saturday, November 27–Sunday, November 28, you have a few options. This is the type of party that lets you choose how you'd like to mark the occasion, because we all have our own speeds. If throwing down a rug is more your style, Otto Ristorante, Popolo Italian Kitchen, River Quay Fish and The Jetty South Bank are all doing both lavish and standard picnics — and Aquitaine Brasserie is also getting in on the former. That means that you can pick between prawns, oysters and prosecco, antipasto-heavy spreads, and Moreton Bay bug bao buns with roast beetroot and watermelon salad — and they're just some of the choices. Go for one of the long table picnics and you'll enjoy a stylish communal experience, while the standard option will require you to bring your own setup. And, if you'd prefer to dine at one of the aforementioned venues, they're all doing in-house specials as well. Otto is pairing negronis with pea and parmesan arancini, Popolo is putting on a six-course Italian feast and Aquitaine Brasserie is serving up a bottomless boozy lunch. There is a birthday to celebrate, after all.
It doesn't snow in Brisbane. It doesn't really get all that cold in winter, either. And, it obviously doesn't even resemble cooler weather at Christmas, given that summer is always in full swing. But, as all things festive take over the city for this year, Brisbanites can still walk through snow, build a snowman and make snowballs. Your destination: a pop-up Snow Village at Toombul. No, the weather won't be unseasonably frosty just in the northside suburb. No, we're not living in a Hollywood disaster movie. Rather, Snow4Kids is back with a new setup. The idea is simple: this merry wonderland will bring a heap of real snow to the Toombul Shopping Centre, then let anyone with a $22 ticket frolic through it — with the space first welcoming in patrons on Saturday, November 27, but open daily from 10am–5pm between Saturday, December 4–Sunday, January 9. This is a family-friendly event. In fact, it's a family-focused activity, so 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. Also: no snowball fights, although this pop-up does boast its own snowball arcade, complete with at targets, for you to throw them (you just can't hurl them at other people). Kids — not adults — can also take indoor snowboarding lessons for $30 each.
UPDATE, March 14, 2022: After a hiatus due to Brisbane's floods, the Feel Good Program for summer and autumn is back in action, and will now run through until Saturday, April 9 — other than aqua classes and kids' classes. Also, sessions originally scheduled for the Rainforest Green will now take place on the Little Stanley Street Lawns and at Flowstate. We all know that solid dose of 'the good feels' you get after you've done something nice for yourself/your body (like exercise). And from Monday, January 31–Saturday, April 9, you can expect those feelings to increase two-fold. Thanks to the return of Brisbane's Feel Good Program for the end of summer and beginning of autumn, the city will welcome a series of outdoor fitness classes — and, unlike that fancy new yoga studio in your neighbourhood that smells like acai berries and only serves charcoal tea, these classes are all entirely free. Ranging from sessions to get your blood pumping (Zumba) to classes to get your zen flowing freely (yoga, tai chi), the Feel Good Program is an initiative designed to suit any and all fitness levels. Classes are being held around South Bank Parklands this time around. BYO water bottle, towel and, where required, a yoga mat — the ones provided are subject to availability. Adapting to the times, you'll also need to check in when you attend. Classes happen every day except Fridays and Sundays, and they all run for between 30–45 minutes. Times vary depending on the day, but your options include getting started early with a 7am pilates session, throw in a 12.15pm cardio fusion class on your lunch break, or finish up with Bollywood dancing from 6.15pm. Whichever you choose, it'll have you embracing the warm outdoors and feeling good — check out the timetable online.
When you're Fortitude Valley's go-to gin joint, pouring juniper spirits day in, day out is always on the menu. But Dutch Courage Officers' Mess doesn't just like serving the good stuff — it also enjoys teaching everyone more about it so you can truly appreciate its spirit of choice. The venue is mighty fond of hosting boozy masterclasses, which cycle through different types of cocktails. But if you fancy knowing more gin in general, the Gin Discovery sessions are for you. If you've ever wondered what gin actually is, how it came out, what the difference is between various styles and why it's always paired with tonic, this is where you'll find out. You'll also sip gin while you're gaining all of this extra knowledge, because that's obviously a big part of the fun. The next sessions take place on Friday, January 21 and Friday, February 11, both kicking off at 5.30pm and lasting an hour — so they're an ideal after-work drinks idea when the working week is done. Your $49 ticket includes the class — which also covers making gin cocktails — plus a G&T upon arrival and a tasting flight that'll showcase four different gins, each with its own botanical emphasis.
If you're fond of spending your time browsing through stalls, looking at local wares and buying everything from arts and crafts to fashion and homewares, then you've probably made a visit to a BrisStyle market. The Brisbane group hosts several regular events around town, including the Brisbane Twilight Markets in King George Square and The Handmade Market outside the Queensland Museum. It doesn't usually focus primarily on greenery, though — which is one of the reasons that its upcoming Plant Market is so special. Here are two others: it's spring, so it's the ideal time for it; and it's happening in Roma Street Parkland. From 9am–2pm on Saturday, September 18, you'll want to head to Roma Street Parkland's celebration lawn to get shopping. Yes, you'll be looking for greenery while surrounded by greenery. As well as plants, there'll be gardening accessories and floral-themed homewares on offer, and you can book into a kokedama workshop, too. Or, if you fancy learning how to embroider a monster leaf — or paint a tropical plant pot — they're also part of the lineup of ticketed classes. Expect food trucks onsite as well, because we all know that trawling the markets is hungry and thirsty work. [caption id="attachment_784308" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Brisbane Marketing[/caption]
Everyone loves taking taking photos of their dog. Alongside your pet's cheery company and unconditional love, that's one of the big joys of having a four-legged friend in your life. And, over the past few years, we've all become pretty fond of those pop-up museums the Sugar Republic crew have been putting on — including its current multi-room wonder, The Selfie Lab, which is on display right now at Chermside. You've probably guessed where we're going, because Doggo Day at The Selfie Lab is all about bringing your pupper to wander through The Selfie Lab's 16 colourful and neon-lit themed rooms. These installations are all about the pics to begin with, so imagine how much better they'll look with Fido, Max or Champ in the frame. Here, you'll find rooms that take their cues from Palm Springs motels, 50s diners and 80s bedrooms, as well as a space that promises to take visitors to the moon. And, that's just a bit of the decor on offer. You and your pooch will want to head opposite Uniqlo on Westfield Chermside's second level — phone in-hand, of course, so you can keep snapping pics. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Selfie Lab (@selfielabofficial) Top image: @belindaboyceee
If you're looking for the shindig to end all shindigs this Halloween, don't just head to the Valley — hop aboard the Hogwarts Express. Or pretend to, complete with all the Harry Potter costumes such a journey needs. That's what's on the spooky agenda at Retro's, which is combining its end-of-October celebrations with plenty of love for a certain wizarding franchise. Of course, this Harry Potter Halloween party is a thoroughly grown-up affair. Really, it's just an excuse to help whittle down your costume options, and to add some nostalgia to your night. It all takes place from 7pm on Saturday, October 30, so you can also think of it as the warm-up to the actual date. Drinks-wise, if you want to pretend that your beverages are Butterbeer and boozy polyjuice potion, that's up to you. Otherwise, dance like it's the Yule Ball — or like the sorting hat has just popped you in Gryffindor or a Hufflepuff — and just generally magic the night away. Tickets cost $22.85, and arriving early is recommended.
Over-the-top food and drink mashups might be popping up on seemingly every menu these days, but one has been around for much, much longer. That'd be the humble shandy, which mixes beer with something that's definitely not beer — something lemon-flavoured, usually — and makes for perfect summer sipping. Why just knock back a brew when you can also be drinking mango juice, ginger beer and squash? That's the thinking behind The Bavarian's summer shandy series — although no, you won't be downing all of the above ingredients at the same time. Instead, those tipples and a heap of others are featured in nine different shandies, which'll set you back between $10–15 each, come in 500-millilitre steins and are available all summer long. On the menu: the Summer Mango, which combines Franziskaner Hefe Weissbier with mango juice; the Michelada, a blend of 4 Pines Kolsch, bloody mary spiced juice and lime juice (with a chilli-salt rim); the Nightcap, which pairs Hofbrau Dunkel with coffee liqueur; and the Snake Bite, a mix of Bulmers apple cider, 4 Pines Kolsch and Chambord. Butterscotch, apple rye spice, whiskey and ginger, and a tequila concoction are also available — the latter called the Largarita — because these shandies can also include liqueurs and spirits. You'll find The Bavarian at Eagle Street Pier, Chermside, The Barracks, Toowoomba, Sunshine Coast, Robina, Broadbeach, Coomera, Mackay and Rockhampton in Queensland.
Interactive detective game CluedUpp has taken over Australia's streets before — and if you like the idea of solving murders like you're in an episode of CSI, all while you run around town, then it's the pastime for you. Its next Brisbane event on Saturday, May 21 will bring the TV series to life throughout the city, and get you sleuthing while enjoying and outdoor adventure. Yes, it's like Cluedo come to life, too. Forget Colonel Mustard with the candlestick in the study — this event will bring you and your friends closer to reality and out onto the streets to solve the case. The game will kick off at a secret location, and you can choose to start whenever you like between 9am–2pm. Then, how long it takes depends on how good of a detective you are. The best news of all, however, is that the event is dog friendly — and there are prizes to be won by both human and canine detectives. All you need to play is some friends and your phone. Dressing up to fit the theme is encouraged, so you can really get yourself into character. A ticket will set you back $97 per team of six, but you only need two humans to play. With only limited team spots available, getting in quick for your chance to solve the mystery is recommended.
