In 2020, we all started paying extra attention to where we've been, in case venues we've visited were also attended by folks who've since tested positive to COVID-19. And with new local cases popping up again in Brisbane, checking the state's list of exposure sites is once again part of everyone's routines. Queensland Health maintains a register of places that positive COVID-19 cases have visited, and urges the state's residents to get tested and/or self-isolate if they've also been to them at specific times. Now, you can also see all of the venue alerts across the state via a handy interactive map. Called COVID-19 Near Me, the statewide map gives locations specific hues depending on the action visitors are being urged to comply with, making it easy to see whether or not you must get tested and self-isolate or just monitor for symptoms. For example, bright red-coloured venues are close contact locations and, therefore, visitors are to get tested immediately and self-isolate for 14 days, even if they receive a negative test. Darker red means that you need to get tested and isolate until you receive further advice, while orange indicates casual contacts, which requires getting a test and self-isolating until receiving a negative result. Purple is used when you need to get tested and monitor for symptoms, and blue shows lower-risk locations that require visitors to monitor for symptoms and then get tested should any appear. The map is not run by the government, but is instead powered by its official data. So, Queensland residents are urged to also check the official Queensland Health website if they have any concerns about venues they may have visited. At the time of writing, the map was last updated on Tuesday, September 28. You can check out all existing COVID-19 venue alerts at covid19nearme.com.au. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Queensland, head to the QLD COVID-19 hub and the Queensland Health website. Images: screenshots of COVID-19 Near Me on Tuesday, September 28.
Bluesfest has lifted the lid on its second artist announcement for 2018, adding 16 more names to the already hefty lineup. Heading this latest stampede is Senegalese artist Youssou N'dour, who will be bringing his 20-piece band to the five-day Easter long weekend festival just outside of Byron Bay. If the name isn't ringing any bells, you'll probably be familiar with this '90s classic. Other artists joining the lineup include greatest hit-bearers Jackson Browne and Seal, Bluesfest regular Michael Franti, and British band Gomez will return to the fest for their first tour in six years. They'll place alongside two huge headliners: Lionel Richie and Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant, who will play with his band The Sensational Space Shifters. Plant's performance at Blues will mark 50 years since he first performed with Led Zeppelin, so the gravity of the performance is sure to be pretty huge. Other acts taking to the stage Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm over the weekend include Aussies Tash Sultana and John Butler Trio, Swedish duo First Aid Kit and what will be a captivating set by José González. Bluesfest returnees Joe Louis Walker, Dumpstaphunk and Eric Gales are on there too. Anyway, here's the full lineup. Better start making Easter plans — and deciding what to eat — because tickets are already on sale. BLUESFEST 2018 LINEUP SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT Youssou N'dour Seal Michael Franti & Spearhead Jackson Browne Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit Gomez Rag 'n' Bone Man The Original Blues Brothers Band Jimmy Cliff The Wailers Benjamin Booker Hurray for the Riff Raff Canned Heat Walter Trout André Cymone The Teskey Brothers FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters Lionel Richie The John Butler Trio Tash Sultana The New Power Generation Chic Featuring Nile Rodgers First Aid Kit Jose Gonzalez Morcheeba Gov't Mule Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real The California Honeydrops Eric Gales Bobby Rush Dumpstaphunk Joe Louis Walker Rick Estrin & The Nightcats Bluesfest 2017 will run March 29 to April 2 at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Byron Bay. More details and ticket info here. Image: Andy Fraser.
If Emily had been made two or three decades earlier, it might've starred Frances O'Connor, rather than boast the Australian actor-turned-filmmaker as its writer and director. Back in the 90s and 00s, O'Connor played with literary classics in movies such as Mansfield Park and The Importance of Being Earnest, plus a TV version of Madame Bovary. Now, making an accomplished and emotive debut behind the lens, she explores how Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights might've come to be. Is a Kate Bush-inspiring piece of gothic romantic fiction of such passion and yearning — the only one from a writer lost to tuberculosis at the age of just 30 in 1848 — the result of a life touched by both? That's a question that this fictionalised biopic ponders. Emily begins with another query, however, although it's also basically the same question. "How did you write it?" Emily's (Emma Mackey, Death on the Nile) older sister Charlotte (Alexandra Dowling, The Musketeers) demands. "How did you write Wuthering Heights?" As one Brontë grills another, "I took my pen and put it to paper" is Emily's literal answer, offered as she reclines, pale and not long for this world, alongside printed versions of her now-iconic story. The response provided by the gorgeously shot, impressively acted and deeply moving Emily is far more complicated, but O'Connor's choice to open her movie with this scene and question is both clever and telling. One perspective on great artists, including of words, is to view their work as intertwined with their lives — aka this feature's preferred vantage. A key perspective of Emily, too, is not letting the small amount of detail known about the middle of literature's three Brontë sisters dictate how this story is told. That copy of Wuthering Heights by Emily's side? It bears her name, as does every iteration printed today, but her book wasn't first published under her real moniker — her pen name was Ellis Bell — until two years after her death. With Emily, O'Connor doesn't just pluck everything from her own imagination, but conceives of context for a novel that still haunts and entrances today. Before she's close to saying farewell, the film's namesake is a shy, sensitive but strong-minded young woman seen as the family black sheep — in her minister father Patrick's (Adrian Dunbar, Line of Duty) eyes, visibly, given that she always comes second to Charlotte and the younger Anne (Amelia Gething, The Spanish Princess), and also further afield. "They call you the strange one," Charlotte advises with exasperation at Emily's demeanour, her penchant for staying home and for fondness for roaming, rolling and falling in green among the wily, windy moors. There's no absence of kindness among the sisters, but Emily's keenest affinity springs with her scampish brother Branwell (Fionn Whitehead, Voyagers), an aspiring creative whose attachment to alcohol and opium impacts his dreams. Into this Yorkshire maelstrom arrives handsome curate William Weightman (Oliver Jackson-Cohen, The Lost Daughter), instantly winning over Charlotte and Anne with his lyrical sermons and his Valentine's wishes, and the village of Haworth as well, but initially leaving the guarded Emily sceptical. So, when Patrick decrees that William will help with Emily's French lessons, she's reluctant in general — including about their burgeoning connection. In a movie filled with standout scenes so potent that many other flicks would long to possess them, a debate in the Gallic tongue about blind faith proves one of Emily's most electrifying. That said, sparks don't merely fly in verbal discussions, as the frantic but careful attention given to the era's complicated disrobing demonstrates once Emily and William submit to their smouldering attraction. Teaming up with cinematographer Nanu Segal (A Spy Among Friends) and editor Sam Sneade (The Suspect) — and with strings-fuelled assistance from composer Abel Korzeniowski (The Courier) — O'Connor finds heat and solace against the picture's bucolic backdrop. At its lustiest, Emily never threatens Lady Chatterley's Lover, but it too is earthy, full-hearted and focused on a tactile romance. The impressionistic filmmaking itself evokes the whirlwind of sensations swirling and stirring inside its central figure, whether the movie is cutting to black, deploying handheld camerawork or energetically setting the pace through quick edits. Throw in that often-urgent score, as well as elemental sound design that whirrs with the wind but also knows how to punctuate its emotions with silence, and to watch Emily is to feel as feverish as O'Connor contends that Emily did, or might've, or could've. It isn't just a compliment to O'Connor to note that she pens and helms a feature she would've once fronted. Such is the now-director's standing as an actor — in a career that's also spanned Love and Other Catastrophes, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, The Hunter, The Conjuring 2, Cleverman and The End — that they're words of praise to Mackey as well. The Sex Education star ripples with intensity even in the stillest and quietest of moments, constantly conveying Emily's ever-churning thoughts and feelings in something as simple but loaded as a pensive gaze. Emily adores peering intently at her face and Mackey is up to the scrutiny, but one of her powerhouse scenes involves Emily donning a mask. Playing a storytelling game, and bringing to mind the origins of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein in the process, she spooks Charlotte, Anne, Branwell and William by claiming to be the spirit of the Brontës' dead mother. How symbolic this exchange is, too, laying bare the influence of grief upon the family and displaying what Emily is capable of when she doesn't have to worry about the face she's showing the world. How wonderful it'd be to see Mackey cast as Catherine in a future adaptation of Wuthering Heights as well, if another soon joins the many past takes — 1939's Oscar-nominee, 1992's Juliette Binoche-led flick and 2011's Andrea Arnold (Cow)-directed one, to name a few — on-screen. For now, though, if there's a misstep in Emily, it's the nods given to the Brontës' speculated sibling rivalry. All three sisters made their mark on the page, and on history — Charlotte is responsible for Jane Eyre, of course, and Anne for Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall — and having them in competition with each other feels reductive. Still, it never undoes the movie, and it does help answer the big early question slung Emily's way. How did she write Wuthering Heights? In a family of sharp, intelligent, talented women, by being utterly and unflinchingly herself.
It has been 13 years since Planet Earth, the 11-part documentary series that combined stunning high-definition images of this place we all call home with David Attenborough's inimitable narration. It has been three years since Planet Earth II, the show's six-part sequel, did the same too. A third program, Planet Earth III, is slated to join them in 2022 — but you don't need to wait that long for your next Attenborough-voiced nature doco fix. Four years in the making, Netflix's Our Planet will help fill the gap. Releasing in April, it isn't related to BBC's Planet shows — which also include The Blue Planet and Frozen Planet — but it does still feature Attenborough's informative tones. Across eight episodes, the iconic broadcaster and natural historian will talk viewers through the planet's remaining wilderness areas and their animal inhabitants. The series is made in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund, so expect to see plenty of astonishing and majestic critters. And we do mean plenty. Our Planet was filmed in 50 countries across all the continents of the world, heading everywhere from the remote Arctic wilderness to the South American jungles — and to sprawling African landscapes and the depths of the ocean, as well. In total, it took 600 crew members to shot the series, who helped capture a plethora of never-before-filmed sites over more than 3500 filming days. It's also filmed in ultra high-definition at 4K resolution, so should your TV support it, you'll be in for quite the detailed glimpse at the natural world. Check out the full trailer below: Our Planet starts streaming on Netflix on April 5. Image: (c) Ben Macdonald/Silverback Films.
Throw those GoPros, bubble bottles and novelty gumboots in your rucksack, Splendour in the Grass is returning to North Byron Parklands for another year of festival merriment. After a fake lineup posted was 'leaked' prior to the official triple j announcement to catfish all us suckers eagerly awaiting the list of acts that will be appearing, the details for Splendour 2016 are finally here. In what is the best news we've heard this year, The Strokes (The Strokes!!!) will be Splendouring for their only Australian show. It also seems the predictions for The Cure were incredibly, amazingly correct — meaning that we'll be seeing both The Strokes and The Cure this July. It's almost too much to handle. Joining them is one heck of a lineup that includes The Avalanches — who haven't played a gig (that wasn't a DJ set) in over ten years. Fingers crossed the show coincides with new music. Iceland's Sigur Rós and Irish artist James Vincent McMorrow will also being doing one-off Australian shows at the festival, Courtney Barnett will make her first appearance at Byron, while James Blake and At the Drive-In will return, as will locals Flume and Sticky Fingers. Anyway, we know what you're here for. We'll cut to the chase. SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS 2016 LINEUP The Strokes (only Aus show) The Cure Flume The Avalanches (only Aus show) James Blake At The Drive-In Violent Soho Hermitude Band of Horses Sigur Ros (only Aus show) Santigold Matt Corby Sticky Fingers Boy & Bear Courtney Barnett Jake Bugg The 1975 Leon Bridges Duke Dumont (DJ set) James Vincent McMorrow (only Aus show) The Kills The Preatures What So Not Years And Years Gang Of Youths Illy Peter, Bjorn & John Golden Features Crystal Fighters Ball Park Music Tegan & Sara DMA'S Jack Garratt Hayden James City Calm Down Snakehips Mark Lanegan Michael Kiwanuka Jagwar Ma King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard The Jungle Giants The Internet Motez Marlon Williams Lido Emma Louise Kim Churchill Nothing But Thieves Lapsley Kacy Hill Slumberjack Robert Forster (10 Years On) Beach Slang Urthboy Little May Boo Seeka Ganz Spring King Melbourne Ska Orchestra Fat White Family Total Giovanni Methyl Ethel Slum Sociable L D R U In Loving Memory of Szymon Blossoms High Tension Roland Tings Sampa The Great The Wild Feathers Harts Ngaiire montaigne Tired Lion Green Buzzard Jess Kent Gold Class Lucy Cliche Opiuo Mall grab Dom Dolla Paces Just A Gent Dro Carey Running Touch Wafia World Champion Suzi Zhen Remi Nicole Millar Dreller Feki Kllo Banoffee Plus... Moonbase Comander The Meeting Tree Twinsy Purple Sneaker Djs Human Movement Panete Swick Amateur Dance Ribongia Splendour will return to North Byron Parklands on Friday 22, Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 July. Onsite camping will once again be available from Wednesday, July 20. Image: Bianca Holderness.
The Daughter might be the latest local film to reach cinema screens, but it's no typical Aussie movie. Writer/director Simon Stone and the bulk of the film's cast — including Geoffrey Rush, Ewen Leslie, Anna Torv, Miranda Otto and Odessa Young — ensure that the feature's Aussie credentials remain intact, as does its New South Wales shoot. However the drama of family secrets and lies actually finds its basis in Henrik Ibsen's The Wild Duck. Accordingly, Stone transports a 19th century Norwegian classic to modern Australia, and not for the first time. As theatre fans will no doubt know, the stage wunderkind turned filmmaker earned rave reviews for his stripped-back take on the tale, which played in Sydney, Oslo, Vienna and London. Now, he endeavours to do so again with his film version. In fact, it seems like his involvement in The Daughter was meant to be, though the same could be said for rising talent Young as well. In the titular role of Hedvig, the Looking for Grace star plays her second complex, compelling teen character in as many movies, and holds her own against an accomplished cast. So what drew Stone and Young to the story, how did they approach its characters, and how did Stone craft more than just the usual Aussie movie? With The Daughter now screening in Australian cinemas, we spoke to the duo about the film. ON THE APPEAL OF HENRIK IBSEN'S THE WILD DUCK Simon: "I guess the beautiful thing about the story is that it's a whole heap of people who have made various mistakes in their life, and it is [about] the vulnerability and the attempt to do the right thing. I'm very attracted to stories where you can't find the villain. So I love constellations of characters with a tragedy that kind of evolves out of the mistakes that the people are making — it doesn't evolve out of being able to blame anyone, it is just people falling into the traps that fate has set them, kind of. And it's the random confluences, confluences of various different people's motivations that are in conflict with each other. That creates the tragedy. You know, if you can blame anything, you can just blame bad luck." Odessa: "I was really attracted to the story by the integrity with which Simon wrote the character, and the insight that he seemed to have on her teenage personality and emotions, and just the complexity with which he wrote the teenage character. Because, I mean, I've read a lot of teenage characters — as you can imagine being a teenager auditioning for roles — and it's so rare that you actually come across a character that isn't just used as a buffer for the adult characters to take anger out on. Or they're quite often used as scapegoats. It is a really interesting kind of thing when you read something that isn't like that — when it is actually creating some autonomy for the character. That's really what gripped me about the role in the first place." ON ADAPTING THE STORY FOR A SECOND TIME Simon: "I had a series of instincts about the way I thought that it should look, but those instincts changed as I changed, in my mind, what kind of genre of movie it should maybe be in order to be most successful. I mean, if it had been just an incredibly realistic portrait of these events happening to this family like it was in my stage play, in a kind of inner-city environment like it was set in in my version of the play, then I think it would've been inconceivable at certain points. People would've gone, 'Actually, if you're pretending that all of these coincidences just take place in Surry Hills in a casual week in the casual lives of these people, then I'm not going to buy that.' "So I started looking for a genre for the movie that was going to be take advantage of the kind of mythological nature of the story in Ibsen's original play. It was just about finding the right genre, the right kind of references for myself, because I'm in love with every single genre of cinema. I love everything, so it kind of could've been anything." ON THE COMPLEX CHARACTERS AT THE HEART OF THE FILM Simon: "I don't believe in that moral absoluteness. I don't actually think it exists in the real world. I think it is a storytelling motif that people invented to express the fighting within someone's own soul. I think the classic villains and the classic gods versus devils stories that have existed in all the mythology since the beginning of religions, and in spiritual storytelling since humans painted stories on caves with pictures, the source of that was actually an expression of human instinct. The instincts within a human person, and the personification of those people was the kind of way of literalising and turning that battle into a figurative battle of two sides of the human personality. And I think people have kind of forgotten that." Odessa: "Even after I got the role, it was really heavy for me. I didn't know whether I could do it. I didn't know if I had the skills and the knowledge to play a character like this — that was so far opposite to what I am. So much of my character development was Simon's direction. We created a very important, easy shorthand quite early on in the process where it was all about paring back my own experiences as a teenager, not letting them filter through into the character, and creating a new set of experiences that would influence Hedvig's decisions and decision-making and her actions." ON MAKING A MOVIE THAT'S MORE THAN JUST THE SUM OF ITS AUSTRALIAN PARTS Simon: "I wanted the film to reflect all of the Australian stories that are not the clichéd Australian stories. Australia seems to have this real love of the idea of white working class stories or Asian stories or indigenous stories. But [I like] the idea of melding of all of the influences, the idea of actually taking a Scandinavian story, making it a little bit Australian, keeping it a little bit Scandinavian, and letting it be universal. Getting rid of the notion of what is the Australian-ness of this project, other than that it is being made by a whole heap of Australians. "And so the source material is part of the canon that Australia is kind of stealing from everywhere in the world, always. Because other than the indigenous stories and the dreaming, there is no Australian canon. It is just a series of other people's work, other culture's work, that kind of magpie culture where we are of just pilfering and making a beautiful and mangled mess. That's the kind of aim of the movie. And its a celebration to a certain extent that maybe we can eventually stop needing to ask questions about Australian-ness at some point." The Daughter is currently screening in Australian cinemas. Read our full review.
Everyone likes shopping and hanging out by the water, which Portside's regular markets know and understand — especially when festive season is approaching. If you really like browsing and buying, taking in the riverside air, and having a reason to stop for a bite and a drink, you'll want to head to Hamilton on Saturday, December 7. From 3–7pm, you can shop, stroll, sip and purchase gifts, which sounds like a mighty fine weekend itinerary. A heap of stalls will be offering up everything from art and plants to ceramics and accessories — and more. If you've been to markets at the Gasworks or in Fish Lane, you'll have a firm idea of what you're in for, because The Market Folk is behind all of the above and is running this Portside event as well. To give your shopping a soundtrack, there's usually piano tunes echoing through the Hamilton precinct. And, if those hunger pangs strike — or you're just keen on having a drink — the precinct has plenty of eateries onsite. Images: Claudia Baxter.
Choosing a beer to drink should be simple. But even if you're determined to drink local and support Australian brewers, there are just so many beverages and brands to pick from. That's the dilemma everyone faces when they go to the bottle shop — so imagine how difficult it is to select the top brews at the Royal Queensland Food and Wine Show Beer Awards. The folks behind the annual accolades have managed to pick their preferred beverages for 2021, with the results announced on Wednesday, March 3. The awards span a heap of categories, with more than 480 individual beers submitted (and if you're now thinking that choosing the winners sounds like your dream job, that's understandable). Sydney Brewery earned the biggest gong of the awards, the Grand Champion Beer, for its pilsner — and that wasn't the only major field it topped. It was also named the best small/medium brewery and, in the minor categories, won for its lager. If you're a Sydneysider looking for some motivation to visit its Surry Hills site, you've just found it. Obviously, if there's a category for smaller brewers, there's one for larger outfits, which the Gold Coast's Black Hops Brewing won. And, there's also a best new brewery field, with Stomping Ground Brewing Co in Melbourne doing the honours. As for the champion brewpub, that went to Moffat Beach Brewing Co on the Sunshine Coast. [caption id="attachment_684633" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Sydney Brewery[/caption] Being held in the Sunshine State, the awards also anoint a best Queensland beer, with Aether Brewing's Hop Skip Jump IPA Draught getting the nod — and winning the strong beer field, too. Other breweries to pick up a trophy include Gypsy Fox Brewing Co from Grose Vale in New South Wales, which makes the best amber dark ale; Brisbane's All Inn Brewing Co, who do the best porter or stout; and fellow Brisbanite Felons Brewing Co, with its Dark Side Bourbon Barrel Stout claiming the hybrid beer field. For more information about the 2021 Royal Queensland Food and Wine Show Beer Awards winners, head to the show's website. Top image: Stomping Ground, David Hyde.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME In Spider-Man: No Way Home, everyone's favourite friendly neighbourhood web-slinger still does whatever a spider can. (Don't expect the catchy cartoon theme song, though.) To be precise, Spidey's latest outing — starring Tom Holland (Chaos Walking), as every live-action film in the ever-sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe that's featured the superhero has — sees him do whatever spider-men have for decades. The masked crusader shoots webs, flings them about New York and swings around the city. He helps people, battles crime, literally hangs out with his girlfriend MJ (Zendaya, Dune) and saves the world, too. As the movie's trailers revealed, Spider-Man also fights whoever his on-screen predecessors fought. The twist that isn't a twist because it's part of the flick's marketing: that villains from Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's stints as Spidey show up here. Those familiar faces, including Willem Dafoe (The Card Counter) as the Green Goblin, Alfred Molina (Promising Young Woman) as Doctor Octopus and Jamie Foxx (Soul) as Electro, aren't Peter Parker's initial problem, as viewers of 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming and 2019's Spider-Man: Far From Home will already know. No Way Home picks up immediately after the latter, after Spidey's secret identity has been blasted across the internet by online conspiracist J Jonah Jameson (JK Simmons, Ride the Eagle). The media swiftly make Peter "the most famous person in the world", the public get hostile and his college prospects — and MJ and Ned's (Jacob Batalon, Let It Snow) as well — take a hit. The only solution he can see: asking Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog) to cast a spell to make everyone forget who he is. With drastic magic comes drastic consequences, hence those recognisable nefarious folks who know Spidey — and definitely know that he's Peter Parker — yet don't recognise the MCU's version. Marvel's next flick after this one is Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, so the franchise is about to go big on alternate worlds, but No Way Home still doesn't actually jump into that domain first. It's a curious choice on the whole huge saga's part to take cues from the animated delight that is Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which relished having multiple spider-realms, got inventive with both its concept and visuals, won an Oscar and is easily the best spider-flick to-date, all without sitting within the MCU itself. Indeed, the live-action franchise's third stand-alone Spider-Man movie can't shake the feeling that it's playing catch-up. Directed by Jon Watts, as all three recent web-slinging films have been, No Way Home does more than give flesh, blood and spandex to an ace idea already brought to the screen a mere three years back. It also delivers the heftiest helping of fan service that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has ever dished up. The franchise has long enjoyed hitting all the obvious crowd-pleasing notes, but Martin Scorsese's 2019 comment that compared MCU fare to theme parks rings particularly true here — unsurprisingly given this Spider-Man outing wants to elicit the loudest of screams and shouts from its audience. Buy the ticket, take the cinematic ride, ooh and aah over every clear spin and foreseeable twirl: amid the stock-standard CGI-packed action scenes and triple-layered Spidey nods to iterations past, not all that long ago and present, that's what No Way Home seeks from its viewers. And, it takes the rollercoaster approach to evoking that reaction, rolling its story down the most glaring of tracks. Read our full review. THE LOST DAUGHTER Watching Olivia Colman play a complicated woman is like staring at the ocean: it's never the same twice, even just for a second; it couldn't be more unpredictable, no matter how comfortable it appears; and all that surface texture bobs, floats, swells, gleams and glides atop leagues of unseen complexity. That's always been true of the British actor's absolute best performances, which could fill any body of water with their power and resonance. It's there in her acidic work in The Favourite, which won her an Oscar, and also in The Crown's more reserved turn as a different English monarch. It flowed through the devastating Tyrannosaur, which perhaps first truly showed the world exactly what Colman could do — and has marked her Academy Award-nominated supporting part in The Father, plus TV standouts Peep Show, Broadchurch, The Night Manager and Fleabag. It's fitting, then, that The Lost Daughter tasks Colman with glaring at the sea, and doing so both intently and often. A necessity of the narrative, as penned on the page by My Brilliant Friend's Elena Ferrante and adapted for the screen by actor-turned-filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal, it's a touch that washes through the movie with extra force due to its star. Colman plays comparative literature professor Leda, who fills much of her time peering at the ocean as she summers on a Greek island — and also people-watching thanks to the loud, entitled Queens family that keep invading her chosen patch of sand. While both gazing at the waves and taking in the onshore domestic dramas, Leda sees her own ebbs, flows, thorns and flaws reflected back. Vacationing alone, Leda isn't on a getaway as much as she's escaping — not actively, but because that's her default mode. She's never willing to stray far from her work, shuffling through papers as she sunbathes and flirtatious young resort manager Will (Paul Mescal, Normal People) moves her lounger to keep her in the shade; however, as flashbacks show, the urge to flee all markers of apparent normalcy has long gushed in her veins. Leda tells anyone who asks that she has two daughters (Bianca is 25 and Martha is 23, she frequently offers), but they're heard via phone calls rather than seen as adults. She's prickly when mum-to-be Callie (Dagmara Domińczyk, Succession), of those noisy interlopers, asks if her extended group can take over Leda's beach umbrella. But in Nina (Dakota Johnson, The Nowhere Inn), the raven-haired mother of frequently screaming toddler Elena (debutant Athena Martin Anderson), she spies more of herself than she's been willing to confront for decades. The Lost Daughter's title references an incident one sunny day when Elena disappears as Callie, Nina and company — the latter's shady husband Toni (Oliver Jackson-Cohen, The Invisible Man) as well — idle by the water's edge. The Americans react with distress, but Leda calmly strides forth amid the chaos, all while battling memories of being a young mum (Jessie Buckley, I'm Thinking of Ending Things) searching for her own absent child. Indeed, loss and escape are serpentine concepts here, winding through Leda's past, her affinity for the clearly unhappy Nina and the second wave of mayhem that erupts when Elena's beloved doll also goes missing. The concept of trouble in paradise proves just as layered, infecting idylls scenic and, in pondering the supposed bliss that we're all told motherhood brings, societally enforced. Read our full review. THE SCARY OF SIXTY-FIRST When Succession roves over New York's skyline — in its opening credits, as set to that bewitching theme tune, or just during its episodes — it gleams with wealth and privilege. Depiction doesn't equal endorsement, however, with the stellar HBO satire sharply cutting into its chosen world at every chance it gets. As one of the show's supporting cast members, Dasha Nekrasova slides into that realm, too, but that's not her only dalliance with the city's architecture, power brokers and all that both represent. The Scary of Sixty-First, the Red Scare podcast host's feature directorial debut, also savages the rich and seemingly consequence-free. It clasps onto a real-life story that's made that case inherently, abhorrently and monstrously. There's no gentle way to put it, but the fact that Nekrasova plays a woman investigating if a bargain Upper East Side duplex was one of Jeffrey Epstein's "orgy flophouses" says much about this purposefully provocative conspiracy thriller horror-comedy. College pals Addie (Betsey Brown, Assholes) and Noelle (the film's co-screenwriter Madeline Quinn) can't believe their luck when they find the cheap property, even if it does visibly need a clean — and have mirrored ceilings, as well as some questionable lock choices — and even if they don't appear completely comfortable with committing to live together. But from night one, the literal nightmares begin. Soon they're spying blood stains, scratched walls and eerie tarot cards, and feeling unsettled in a variety of ways. Enter Nekrasova's stranger, who comes sporting a dark-web rabbit hole's worth of paranoia and bearing the Epstein news. Addie and Noelle take the revelation in vastly different fashions, with the former seeming possessed by one of Epstein's child victims, and the latter diving deep into potential theories with her unnamed new friend. Letting a headline-monopolising sex offender loom large over the plot is an instant attention-grabber — and, while The Scary of Sixty-First doesn't lunge straight down that path, it feels like Nekrasova and Quinn's starting point. Their movie smacks of conjuring up a controversial premise, then fitting parts around it; thankfully, they have more than one target in their sights, plenty to ponder, and Nekrasova's bold vision bringing it all together. From the outset, there's much to mine about the hellishness of finding somewhere to live in your twenties, and in NY especially. The things you'll settle for in that situation clearly also earns the feature's focus. The same rings true of post-college life and its intrinsic awkwardness in general — and being expected to act like a fully functioning adult, and make pivotal decisions, without yet amassing the experiences to match. By contemplating the hostile real-estate market and the ordeal that is trying to find your place in the world (emotionally, intellectually and physically), The Scary of Sixty-First immediately unpacks power, money and privilege. If Addie and Noelle could afford somewhere else or had other support at their disposal, there wouldn't even be a story. When Nekrasova appears and drops Epstein's name, that excavation digs down several levels. Again, there's no shortage of ideas, directions or tangents to explore, and the script explodes as many as possible. This is a movie about a dead billionaire paedophile, the wealth of theories that've sprung up around him and the 24-hour news cycle that's made his tale inescapable. It's also about how doomscrolling has become routine, the grim routes incessant web searches can take you down, the normalisation of true-crime obsession, the proliferation of conspiracy-driven rhetoric and relentless chaos as the natural state of the world. Read our full review. UNDINE For the second time in as many films, German writer/director Christian Petzold teams up with Paula Beer and Franz Rogowski, but you could never accuse the trio of doing the same thing twice. Back in 2018, they turned Transit into a war-torn romance that mused on conflict's lingering scars. With Undine, they reinvent a German myth about a water spirit who can only turn human via love, but has to kill her paramour if he's unfaithful. A familiar chemistry lingers, though, as it's meant to. Whenever directors and actors keep collaborating — especially when directors retain multiple actors across different movies — that's built into the fabric of the film. As viewers, we can't help recalling our knowledge of their shared history, as that's just how we respond to art, people and connections. A movie not only about romance, longing, obsession and their consequences, but about the impact of the past on the present, Undine provokes and rewards this reaction. In her 2020 Berlinale Silver Bear-winning role — taking home the prize for for Best Actress — Beer (Never Look Away) plays the film's titular character. Before the influence of folklore kicks in, this Undine is a historian who guides museum tours about Berlin's origins. When her boyfriend Johannes (Jacob Matschenz, Babylon Berlin) breaks up with her suddenly before work one day, however, she warns that she'll have to kill him. It sounds like a heat-of-the-moment threat, a plea to get him to change his mind and the kind of exaggeration that arises when romance ends in tears, but there's more to her words than mere histrionics. Indeed, even as a new love blossoms with industrial diver Christoph (Rogowski, Great Freedom), who she meets that very day at the same cafe where her relationship with Johannes ends — in a spectacular meet-cute involving an aquarium, fittingly — Undine's past isn't easily overcome. Petzold is no stranger to pondering the tides of history that just keep ebbing, flowing and swelling. His filmography is filled with contemplations of the subject, including in the Nina Hoss-starring Barbara and Phoenix, and also with Beer and Rogowski in Transit. In Undine, he's at his most haunting, with recognising the fluidity of life — and that it keeps repeating, alongside humanity's most inherent instincts — a key point of interest. While the movie never drops its shroud of mystery, Petzold is also at his most overt with another of his familiar fascinations: the way that love provides the trusty banks that both ordinary and seismic woes keep rushing across. That's literally Undine's tale, as drawn from fable. Without romance, she loses her place on dry land; as she notes in a lecture about the Berlin Palace, and about the evolution of the city over its lifespan, it's as if "progress were impossible". When he's enraptured with an actor or several, no one should want Petzold to move too far forward. Bathing in Beer and Rogowski's rich chemistry is an experience to linger in, and linger Undine does. Always a meticulous filmmaker, Petzold soaks in every second his two stars spend in each other's company, with the pair's magnetism so potent that it almost drips through the movie. He luxuriates in Beer's presence in general, too, letting her cast her spell over the audience as Undine does with Christoph — and once did with Johannes. She's one of cinematographer Hans Fromm's favourite points of focus, unsurprisingly. A Petzold regular, he gifts the film not just an enchanting and beguiling look to suit its mood, but the chance for viewers of this giddy fantasy to fall head over heels for its blend of the surreal, sweet, supernatural and soul-stirring. Undine is screening in Sydney and Melbourne. ONE SECOND Any new film by Zhang Yimou deserves eyeballs the world over, but One Second, the Raise the Red Lantern, Hero and House of Flying Daggers director's latest, hasn't charted the smoothest route to screens. Pre-dating the filmmaker's Cliff Walkers, which reached Australian cinemas earlier in 2021, it was originally scheduled to show at the 2019 Berlinale. But after the festival began, it was removed from the lineup — and while a "technical problem" was cited as the official reason, Chinese censorship was floated as the real cause. One Second eventually surfaced on home soil late in 2020, and elsewhere around the globe in the last few months of 2021. It's now an immensely timely movie, although purely by coincidence. Every great feature by a great director inherently pays tribute to the medium of film, so that's hardly new for Zhang — but celebrating the silver screen, and the pandemic-relevant yearning to bask in its glory when life conspires to get in the way, isn't just a side effect here. It's 1975 when One Second begins, and crowds are flocking to makeshift small-town picture palaces to see propaganda films. The specific movie drawing in the masses: 1964's Heroic Sons and Daughters, which prison-camp escapee Zhang Jiusheng (Zhang Yi, Cliff Walkers) is desperate to catch. Alas, after finding his way into one village through mountains of sand that wouldn't look out of place in Dune, the fugitive discovers that he's already missed the showing that the night. Worse still, the film's canisters are being packed onto a motorbike to be driven to their next destination. And, he isn't the only one keen to make the movie's acquaintance, with the orphaned Liu (Liu Haocun, another Cliff Walkers alum) swiftly stealing its sixth reel before it departs town. An unlikely pair seeking the same thing for different reasons — he's heard that his estranged daughter appears in newsreel footage in the feature, while she wants the celluloid to make a lamp for her younger brother — Zhang and Liu are soon following the rest of the film through the desert to its next stop. That's where Mr Movie (Fan Wei, Railway Heroes) awaits, courting profit and glory compared to Zhang's desperation to glimpse his family and Liu's resourcefulness (that said, sporting a mug calling himself the 'World's Greatest Projectionist', the man behind the travelling cinema that's screening Mao-approved fare to entertainment-starved locales does still love his a clear fondness for his job). But the reels don't return intact, sparking a homemade restoration campaign that needs the entire town's help. Yes, loving film is also a tactile experience here. Zhang has always been able to make any kind of movie he's put his mind to, and has the four-decade-long resume to prove it. With 2009's A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop, he even remade the Coen brothers' Blood Simple. One Second sees him masterfully blend film-adoring melodrama with a Cultural Revolution-era portrait that's laced with just the amount of commentary that managed to escape the censors. He revels in sight gags and chases that could've been lifted out of silent comedy greats from a century back as well, giving cinema yet another ode. The end result mightn't be Zhang's absolute best — his resume isn't short on highlights — but it easily ranks among his most endearing. One Second makes exceptional use of its dust-swept setting, too, and its trio of chalk-and-cheese main players; plus, in celebrating an artform that's both tangible and an illusion, Zhang still makes a clear statement. One Second is currently screening in Melbourne, and will release in Sydney and Brisbane on January 20, 2022. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on August 5, August 12, August 19 and August 26; September 2, September 9, September 16, September 23 and September 30; October 7, October 14, October 21 and October 28; November 4, November 11, November 18 and November 25; and December 2 and December 9. For Sydney specifically, you can take a look at out our rundown of new films that released in Sydney cinemas when they reopened on October 11, and what opened on October 14, October 21 and October 28 as well. And for Melbourne, you can check out our top picks from when outdoor cinemas reopened on October 22 — and from when indoor cinemas did the same on October 29. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Suicide Squad, Free Guy, Respect, The Night House, Candyman, Annette, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Streamline, Coming Home in the Dark, Pig, Big Deal, The Killing of Two Lovers, Nitram, Riders of Justice, The Alpinist, A Fire Inside, Lamb, The Last Duel, Malignant, The Harder They Fall, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Halloween Kills, Passing, Eternals, The Many Saints of Newark, Julia, No Time to Die, The Power of the Dog, Tick, Tick... Boom!, Zola, Last Night in Soho, Blue Bayou, The Rescue, Titane, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, Dune, Encanto, The Card Counter, The Lost Leonardo, The French Dispatch, Don't Look Up and Dear Evan Hansen.
Back in the '80s, Bruce Springsteen was onto something — and so was Courtney Cox. As immortalised in one memorable music video, the boss and the Friends star know the joys of dancing in the dark. So does No Lights No Lycra, Brisbane's weekly evening dedicated to getting your groove on without glaring brightness, staring revellers or shiny outfits. For $6 in pocket change, it's an open, accessible, friendly and non-judging space to make shapes and make your worries go away. Go along once, and we're betting you'll end up with a regular Tuesday night fixture in your diary.
During its debut Night Feast, Brisbane Powerhouse will be filled with people — and not just in the way you'd expect. Plenty of Brissie folks will flock to the riverside space for bites to eat, drinks to sip and fire pits to sit by, and they'll be joined by giant humanoids eager to explore our fantastic planet. Taking inspiration from the 1973 animated flick Fantastic Planet, this larger-than-life light installation from artist Amanda Parer will take over the New Farm venue with a towering spectacle of out-of-this-world sights. With the movie set in a world where such gargantuans roam the earth, rendering humanity as we know it savages, consider this bright, bold piece the next best thing to stepping into that realm. [caption id="attachment_890920" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Amanda Parer, Kanizaj for Klanglich[/caption] Operating 4.30–9.30pm from Wednesday–Sunday in its first two weeks — then starting at 2pm on Saturdays and Sundays from Saturday, March 18 — at the Powerhouse forecourt, Fantastic Planet will make its presence known next to the building's iconic facade. If you start thinking about how fragile and humble life is when faced with something so huge, that's the point. As for the rest of Night Feast, it pairs food from top Brissie chefs with roving performances and an impressive arts program — laser beams that look like intergalactic events included. [caption id="attachment_893196" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Markus Ravik[/caption] Top image: Lachlan Douglas.
In 2020, for only the third time in the event's history — and the first time since the Second World War — Brisbane's annual Ekka isn't going ahead in-person. But, that doesn't mean that it isn't going ahead at all. While the physical Ekka was cancelled for this year back when the city was going into COVID-19 lockdowns, and the annual public holiday has even been moved, the show will live on as an online event. So, your August plans can still involve showbags, baby animals, Bertie Beetles and strawberry sundaes. Ekka Online runs from Friday, August 7–Sunday, August 16 — and, in its virtual format, that means ten days of fun via digital means. Courtesy of ten online channels, you'll be able to watch streamed live music, peer at cute critters in the baby animal nursery, get to know Queensland's dog and cat community, and check out a heap of baking and cooking demonstrations. There'll also be fireworks on Thursday, August 6, to get things started, because it wouldn't be the Ekka without them. Of course, there's more going on than that — including when it comes to two Ekka staples. Sure, you can't crash dodgems and throw a ball in a clown's mouth for a prize this year; however you will be able to stock up on showbags and feast on ice cream. First, the showbags. Around 400 different types will be available during the first-ever virtual Ekka marketplace. The online buying frenzy will also include award-winning medal winners from the Royal Queensland Food and Wine Show (RQFWS) competitions, retailers who've been a part of the show for years, and local makers and creators. Now, the tasty part of proceedings: the strawberry sundaes. They'll be available physically, thanks to a number of drive-thru pop-ups at the Showgrounds, on King Street, and everywhere from Morayfield, Milton, Loganholme and Springfield to Skygate near the airport, Albany Creek and Chermside too. Check out the full list of venues and times online —and, as well as sundaes, the pop-ups will be selling dagwood dogs as well. Plus, if you're keen on more than a few of the iconic desserts — 20 or 100 of them, that you whip up yourself at home — you can buy DIY sundae-making kits, too. You'll receive all the ingredients that are used to assemble the sundaes at the Ekka, and you'll also be doing a good deed by supporting medical research via The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation for The Common Good. Ekka Online runs from Friday, August 7–Sunday, August 16. Updated August 7.
UPDATE, July 12, 2021: Due to Brisbane's recent COVID-19 situation, the Etsy Made Local Market has been postponed from Friday, July 16–Saturday, July 17, and will now take place in November. This article has been updated to reflect that change. Do you usually leave your gift purchasing until the last minute? Have you vowed to finally do better this year? Do you have a heap of friends and family members celebrating birthdays in at the end of 2021 — and zero idea of what you'll get them? Most years, Etsy arrives towards Christmas, lending a hand with your end-of-year shopping. This year, it's doing just that again, too. It wasn't originally, but then Brisbane's recent COVID-19 situation forced the market to move from July until November. That's great timing for the festive season, of course — and it's also ideal for getting a head start on other gifts, or just browsing and buying in general. Etsy Made Local is a grassroots initiative that celebrates crafters, collectors and artisans in local communities, and provides them with the opportunity to sell their creations both online and in a physical space. So, whether you're on the hunt for handmade wares or vintage goods, these guys have got you covered. The market will take place in the Exhibition Building at the Brisbane Showgrounds from Friday, November 12–Sunday, November 14, spreading across three days Because it focuses on the best local talent, every market is filled with different stallholders and unique creations. Supporting creative small businesses and scoring a killer gift for your loved ones is a win for everyone involved, so head along and get your shopping sorted. Entry costs $2 — and, this year, you'll need to check in using the Queensland Government's app upon arrival. Also, the whole thing will be cashless, so don't forget your cards.
When it comes to spotting the show's '80s movie references, watching an episode of Stranger Things is like taking a quiz. Which poster will we spy on someone's wall? Which films will get a nod? Which flicks will you feel a need to watch immediately afterwards? How much do the Duffer brothers, aka the folks behind the series, love Steven Spielberg and Stephen King? As well as proving a rather fun viewing experience for movie buffs, all of Stranger Things' nodding and winking also serves another purpose. If you've been paying close attention while you binged and re-binged on the first season, you probably know the program back-to-front. And, as a result, you're ready to enter the upside down of the trivia world — aka Man vs Bear's latest evening dedicated to the show. Head to Black Bear Lodge in Fortitude Valley from 7pm on December 29 to slay the demogorgons — i.e. your fellow competitors — with your knowledge of Hawkins' geography, the recipe for Eggos and #justiceforbarb. Given the festive timing, we think you should be allowed to answer each question using Christmas lights. Or via walkie talkie.
It's that time again: time for the Alliance Française French Film Festival to gift Australian movie-goers with its annual cinema showcase. 2022 marks the event's 33rd round of fests, so get ready to watch your way through more than 40 flicks that'll whisk you off to France while you're munching popcorn in your cinema seat. There's no shortage of highlights from this year's complete lineup — including the festival's opening night pick, the 19th-century Paris-set Lost Illusions — but Claire Denis' Fire is easily one of the most exciting films on the bill. It'll play AFFFF straight from the Berlinale, and marks the acclaimed French filmmaker's first release since 2018's exceptional High Life. It also stars her Let the Sunshine In lead Juliette Binoche, with the romantic drama pairing the latter up with French actor Vincent Lindon (Titane) for the first time. Also a standout: Happening, winner of the 2021 Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, which adapts Annie Ernaux's autobiographical novel about the rights of women in France in the 60s. It just nabbed filmmaker Audrey Diwan a BAFTA nomination for Best Director, and follows a bright young student who gets pregnant, then sees her options — for her future, and regarding what to do about her situation — quickly dwindle. When AFFFF heads to Brisbane's Palace Barracks and Palace James Street between Wednesday, March 16–Monday, April 18 (including its encore sessions), the exceptional Petite Maman also sits at the very top of the fest's must-see list. The latest film from Portrait of a Lady on Fire's Céline Sciamma, it already made a few Australian festival appearances in 2021, and channels the director's trademark sensitivity and empathy into a sci-fi-skewing tale of mothers and daughters that's instantly among Sciamma's best. Other top picks include the latest film in the OSS 117 spy spoof series, OSS 117: From Africa With Love, once again starring The Artist Oscar-winner Jean Dujardin; François Ozon's Everything Went Fine, which sees the Summer of 85 filmmaker tackle the right to die with dignity; Paris, 13th District, a love story from A Prophet and Rust and Bone's Jacques Audiard; and Murder Party, a murder-mystery with big Cluedo vibes. Or, there's also Anaïs in Love, a rom-com about a woman having an affair with a married man but then falling for his wife; bipoic Authentik, about French hip-hop duo Suprême NTM; World War II drama Farewell, Mr Haffmann, as based on the play; and friendship drama The Braves, about two twentysomething women following their dreams to become theatre actors. Plus, AFFFF's retro program is also a cinephile's delight, showcasing the work of actor and filmmaker Alain Delon — including via Purple Noon, which adapts Patricia Highsmith's novel The Talented Mr Ripley.
The Jungle Love Festival is a brand new music and arts festival, set to take place in November at the picturesque Moogerah Dam. Details are still being kept hush-hush at the moment, but anticipation is building steadily. To further stoke the fires of expectation, the team behind the festival are hosting a launch party at new West End venue, The Motor Room. There will be live art from Brisbane art collective, Lost Movements, a performance by Leanna Donovan aka Pent Upglamour and musical performances by Desmond Cheese (pictured) and HRBRT. Also, Stone and Wood Brewing will be on tap and the Bun Mobile will be parked right outside. Yum! Discounted festival tickets will be for sale at the event, so if you are interested in the idea of being the first to experience the newest festival in Queensland, make sure you are in attendance. Also, Trainspotters will be hosting the launch-party after party, so you can get all your pent up partying out in one night. Keep your eyes on the Jungle Love website for line-up announcements and ticket sales.
What's a Brisbanite to do when they want to go slipping and sliding in a big way? Head to Wet 'n' Wild on the coast? Fashion their own in the backyard? Reminisce about the demolished-but-not-forgotten Amazons? With previous attempts to bring this type of giant, watery, inflatable attraction to town falling short, they've been the options so far. That was before Slideapalooza was born. First slated for November 2017 but now taking place on January 13 to 14 and again on January 19 to 21, this slip 'n' slide to end all slip 'n' slides will roll out its plastic at Sirromet Winery. If you're thinking what we're thinking, yes that does mean alcohol is involved — plus food, because you'll need to keep your energy up if you're getting wet and watery, and non-boozy beverages as well. Now, the numbers game. There'll be over a kilometre of inflatable slides just for single sliders, including two super sky-high options to really get you soaring. And, there'll also be a six-lane behemoth for group sliding, which spans the length of a footy field. Tickets cost $59 for adults, with morning (9am to 11.30am), lunch (11.30am to 2pm) and afternoon (2pm to 4.30pm) sessions available on each day.
It's been more than a century since the first combination of gin, vermouth rosso and Campari was apparently mixed up in Florence, as dreamed up by Pascal-Olivier de Negroni. Cocktail lovers everywhere have been thankful ever since, and there's even an entire week — Negroni Week, obviously — to celebrate. In South Brisbane and West End, the bars and eateries of Fish Lane Arts Precinct are marking the occasion again in 2024 — in the only appropriate way, of course. From Monday, September 16–Sunday, September 22, the precinct's establishments are devoting the entire week to creative negronis, as well as negroni-worshipping events. Gelato Messina is even getting in on the action, too, with a negroni-inspired dessert flavour. Stop by Fish Lane on whichever day you like and you'll find classic negronis on the menu at Bar Brutus, Chu The Phat, La Lune Wine Co and Midtown. Fancy a Negroni Week special instead? At the likes of Hello Please, Julius Pizzeria, El Planta, Maeve Wine Bar, Kiki Kiosk, Southside and Next Episode, options include a strawberry negroni, smoked negroni, and martini and negroni hybrid. Or, try the Lecho de Muerte, the chilli-, orange- and davidson plum-heavy tipple that riffs on the Deathbed negroni. There's also the Umegroni, giving the negroni a Japanese twist. In addition to the negronis — oh-so-many negronis, as per above — three events are on the agenda throughout the week. On Wednesday, September 18 at Midtown Bar's $95-per-person Negroni Week dinner, Calabrian toast, pumpkin and parmesan arancini, a crispy prosciutto cup and a negroni tart will be paired with, what else?, negronis. And on the $85-a-head Fish Lane art and negroni trail on Saturday, September 21, you'll peer at public art while, yes, drinking negronis (although other cocktails will be available). Plus, from Friday, September 2o–Saturday, September 21, Bar Brutus is setting up a pop-up bar in Fish Lane's town square from 5pm daily.
There are those times that simply cry out for a glass of bubbly to lend a little class to the occasion: maybe you're celebrating big events, pulling out the stops for festivities or just raising a glass to the glorious sunny weather. To get you inspired for a summer of sparkle, we've paired a range of seasonally suitable activities with a fine Henkell Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine. From camping to croquet, cookouts to private cruises, we're here to help you and your pals take this summer to its finest, fizziest heights. Make the most of the great outdoors and Queensland warmth — here are five ways to enjoy the season with a glass of sparkles in hand. [caption id="attachment_688571" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paul Ewart.[/caption] PICTURESQUE GLAMPING Brisbane has a ton of glamping options within easy reach but far enough from the city hubbub. You can join the regular parties up at Glamping Maleny — they bring the open fire and activities like archery, quad biking and woodchopping, you BYO tipple. Or head to a beachside, tropical locale at Stradbroke Island's Minjerribah Camping. Its mini Adder Rock village of glamping tents, under the native tea trees and pandanus, features every amenity you'd need on a camping trip (and then some; hi, free wifi), plus water views. And naturally, there's nothing more 'glam' than a glass of sparkling to round it all off. Whether you've spent your day hiking, swimming or learning new outdoor skills, you deserve to feel fancy when you settle back around the campfire together. Roast some marshmallows and toast to living your best life. [caption id="attachment_593135" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Emily Davies.[/caption] SUNNY PICNICS Brisbane has a number of BYO parks, and this summer it's high time you got intimately acquainted. After all, who doesn't love a picnic? Spread out your blankets in New Farm Park, Celebration Lawn in Roma Street Parklands, The Green at South Bank or the aptly named Picnic Island, and enjoy the fresh air, nature and fizzy wine to your heart's content. You might catch some live music, but food, bevs and fine company are really the main event. Pack a picnic, fire up the park barbie or stop by one of the nearby delis to pick up gourmet goodies to complement a warm afternoon on the grass with a couple chilled bottles of Henken Blanc de Blancs. BACKYARD BARBIE There's not much else that says Aussie summer than chucking some fresh seafood on the barbie. Pair it with a glass of sparkling, and you'll really be in full swing. Luckily for u,s we're right near a scuttling crop of Moreton Bay bugs and plenty more delectable sea creatures ready for your summer cookout. The scrumptious soft-fleshed beasties can, of course, be thrown on the barbie, but you may also consider a New England-style boil — bugs or lobsters with corn, potato, sausage, lemon and lashings of butter — to feed a hungry crowd. CLASSY LAWN GAMES If you're after old-fashioned fun with some old-world class, rent the croquet grounds at McIlwraith Croquet Club for an afternoon. This Auchenflower institution, located in a beautiful wooden heritage building, is perfect for a sophisticated summer do. A sport where you can stroll and chat, drink-in-hand? Sign us up. Wearing your finest white linens and wide-brimmed hats (sun safety first, people), pop some bottles of Henkell Trocken on ice, and undertake the most leisurely and genteel of battles. Lay out the finger sandwiches, scones and fruitcake — or if that's just one step too far, fire up the barbie and slap a few snags on there. Either way, it'll all be simply marvellous. DAYS ON THE RIVER The riverboat party is a glorious way to see this city, bubbly in hand as you catch some respite from the heat thanks to that river breeze. Do it all yourself with Aquarius cruise charters; the whole boat is yours to decorate and fill to the gills with your heartiest crew. The boat will pick you up at Dockside in Kangaroo Point and whisk you away for a riverboat adventure. If you like, Aquarius can cater the whole affair, or you can BYO eats and stock the bar for a personalised cruise along the Brisbane River. If you're having too much maritime fun, you can also extend for an additional fee. Summer is here and it's time to pop the bubbly. Pick up a bottle of Henkell Blanc de Blancs or Henkell Trocken for your next sparkling occasion.
One of Brisbane's venues is going green this summer, celebrating a big pop-culture phenomenon that's still getting plenty of affection two decades after it first hit. Yes, after all this time, everyone still loves animated favourite Shrek. So, Kickons is hosting the ultimate Shrek party for adults: Shrek Rave. Rediscover why it really isn't easy being an ogre while listening to a Shrek DJ set, and joining in on a Smash Mouth sing-along. Still remember the words to the band's version of 'I'm a Believer'? Of course you do, and you have the song stuck in your head right now. Also part of the fun: Shrek-themed drink specials including Shrek Juice, Donkey Drank and Farquaad Fizz; free green glow sticks; an all-green dress code (obviously); a free green glitter bar; and a prize for best Shrek-inspired outfit. Here, all that glitters is indeed gold — and green — with the party happening from 9pm on Friday, December 9. Tickets cost $26.91 per person.
Turning the cute and cuddly into the rude and crude isn't a new concept. Everything from Greg the Bunny to Meet the Feebles to Ted has been there and done that with varying degrees of success, while the irreverent Who Framed Roger Rabbit bounced through somewhat similar terrain as well. It's not a lack of originality that proves The Happytime Murders' undoing, however. Rather, it's failing to realise that an amusing (albeit well-worn) premise still needs some fluff in its felt. He might come from a puppetry pedigree, but almost every single joke in Brian Henson's new film offers a variation on the same thing: what if puppets drank, did drugs, swore and had sex? Henson, son of The Muppets mastermind Jim Henson and director of both The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island, wasn't responsible for The Happytime Murders' script. That honour goes to Todd Berger (It's a Disaster, Cover Version), although there's little in the way that Henson executes the screenplay that extends past playing up the obvious. In fact, other than flesh-and-blood stars Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph and Elizabeth Banks, the movie's best touch actually springs from the writer's pen. In a film that endeavours to dive into nostalgic territory only to tear it apart in a sea of filthy fabric, having misbehaving puppets snort sugar as their substance of choice is a clever inclusion. Something sweet becomes something toxic, mirroring the picture's own gleeful approach. Made of blue material and sporting a gloomy attitude to match, Phil Philips (voiced by Bill Barretta) roams Los Angeles' streets as a wizened gumshoe. In short succession, two events change his life: he's hired by a seductive new client, and, working her case, he's found at the scene of a violent crime in a puppet porn shop. Before you can say "an octopus fondling cow udders" (something that happens in The Happytime Murders in graphic detail), another killing occurs, and Phil is teamed up with police detective Connie Edwards (McCarthy) to get to the bottom of it all. That the murder victims were all stars on 80s puppet TV show The Happytime Gang complicates matters, as does the fact that Phil was once the LAPD's first puppet cop (and Edwards' partner). While the puppet body count keeps climbing, little else in The Happytime Murders evolves across its mercifully brief running-time. From start to finish, it thinks that toys ejaculating silly string and having Basic Instinct moments is the height of humour. And let's be clear — we're not saying that puppets behaving badly can't be funny, just that it wears not just thin but threadbare here, and incredibly quickly. To give them credit, the filmmakers do try to branch beyond the Team America-style debauchery, setting their story in a world where the plush are treated like second-class citizens, dubbed 'felties' by their 'meat sack' oppressors and given no respect, in an attempt to parallel real-life racial discrimination. And yet, as well-meaning as that part of the story is, it's simply used to set up more debased jokes. It's also hardly unique, especially if the aforementioned Who Framed Roger Rabbit was one of your childhood favourites. Similarly working against the limp film is its unconvincing appearance, which never sells the idea that humans and talking pieces of cloth are actually interacting. There's an awkward, stilted feeling emanating from every scene, and it speaks volumes that the movie's most entertaining sequence involves Bridesmaids co-stars McCarthy and Rudolph and absolutely no characters fashioned from floppy material. Of course, a lot of hard work and skill went into making the furry figures come to life, as behind-the-scenes footage over the picture's closing credits shows. But, as the otherwise unseen green-suited puppeteers manoeuvre stitched-together toys, their efforts contribute to a stitched-together film that can't survive on a rote noir storyline, some human energy and too many gags about puppets gone wild. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ8R5xJeYfU
Sometimes, it's fun to hang out underground. And sometimes, it's just as fun to head on up to street level. Brooklyn Standard has fast become known for its cosy hiding spot underneath Eagle Lane, but it's about to bring the revelry up to the surface. Every fortnight between April and June, the bar is turning the end of the week into a laneway celebration. That's seven shindigs in three months, for those keeping count, so mark April 2 and 17; May 1, 15 and 29; and June 12 and 26 in your diaries. This being an outdoor event in Brisbane, food trucks are a given, with three different mobile eateries offering up their delicious meals at each event. There'll also be drinks from Young Henrys and The Brooklyn Brewery, and tunes spun by old school DJs. Now, that's how you make a Brooklyn Standard Laneway Party the hottest free ticket in town.
Once, dance and classical weren't music genres that you'd usually find swirling around in the same basket, unless you have a particular bent for the orchestral 'Sandstorm' covers found in the depths of YouTube. Since 2019 in Australia, however, Synthony has been here to prove that the disciplines go hand in hand — and it's returning for another tour in 2024. Initially founded in New Zealand, and now an annual highlight on Australia's gig calendar, the event gets a live orchestra joining forces with a selection of DJs and onstage performers to play the biggest dance tracks of the last 30 years. Think: tunes by Swedish House Mafia, Basement Jaxx, Fatboy Slim, Avicii, Fisher, Faithless, Disclosure, Eric Prydz, Flume, Calvin Harris, Wilkinson and the like, and as you've never heard them before. Wherever Synthony pops up, the venues that it temporarily call home take a few cues from the nightclub scene, with lights, lasers and mapped video all featured in the experience. And, as the orchestra busts out a selection of dance floor bangers note for note, vocalists also do their part — because this isn't just about instrumental versions of your favourite club tunes. The 2024 run first has a date with Brisbane on Friday, September 6, playing Fortitude Music Hall. On the lineup: the Australian Pops Orchestra conducted by Sarah-Grace Williams, as joined by Ilan Kidron from The Potbelleez, Masha Mnjoyan, Emily Williams, Greg Gould, Matty O, Nate Dousand and Mobin Master — plus Example.
It's a great time to be a horror film fan. Get Out won an Oscar earlier this year, scary franchises — such as Insidious, The Purge and Unfriended — keep piling up the sequels and movies like Truth or Dare and Upgrade hit the big screen almost every month. And, of course, this October has seen iconic slasher franchise Halloween return with its 11th instalment — and it's a welcome return to form. That's because the film's producer, Jason Blum, is experienced in this kind of stuff — in fact, he's the person to thank for the current big-screen scary movie revival. Since he worked on 2007's surprise found-footage hit Paranormal Activity, Blum's name has been attached to many of the genre's big hits, including everything that we've just mentioned. The Joel Edgerton-directed thriller The Gift is also on his resume, and not-so obvious efforts like TV series The Jinx, Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman and Whiplash (which, Blum jokes is the "Sundance version of a horror movie"). During a recent trip to Australia to promote Halloween's release, we chatted to the prolific producer about different types of horror, helping to bring the genre back to prominence and restoring the Halloween series to its former glory — and what he'd like to revive next as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL_I2vNwkXQ BRINGING BACK HALLOWEEN 40 YEARS AFTER THE ORIGINAL "The first movie was one of the great horror movies of all time, and there've been nine sequels — some better than others, none too great. We make movies in a very specific way at Blumhouse, and I wanted to see if our system would work on this intellectual property that's been around for so long, and produced one spectacular movie and nine less spectacular movies. I wanted to see if we could make something great, so that was kind of a challenge that I was excited about. And in terms of now, I think because the first movie was so good, there's just been a desire from fans to try to see another Halloween that is as good as that one. I don't think ours is better than the first movie — I think no one's going to beat John [Carpenter, the writer and director of 1978's Halloween]. But I think ours is definitely second, and that's obviously very satisfying to me." AND BRINGING BACK JOHN CARPENTER AND JAMIE LEE CURTIS "I didn't want to do the movie unless John would agree to executive produce it. That was the only requirement for me — that I wasn't going to go forward unless John agreed to do the movie. I really don't believe that you can make successful sequels to movies without the person who made the success in the first place involved. And I went to John, and we had a meeting, and I got him to say yes — he initially said no, for quite a while, but I'm very convincing and persuasive so I twisted his arm and got him to agree. When he came on board, we hired David [Gordon Green, Halloween 2018's director and co-writer] and Danny [McBride, Halloween 2018's co-writer]. And they came up with the idea for what the movie is, which is this continuation of the story from 40 years ago. Then David met with Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jamie also was kind of reticent to join us. But I think it was the combination of John being back, and of her really responding to David's take on the movie, and that her godson in Jake Gyllenhaal — and Jake had just done Stronger, which David had directed, and Jake gave it very very high marks. It was all those things that got Jamie involved in the movie." FINDING THE RIGHT APPROACH TO MAKING THE 11TH FILM IN THE FRANCHISE "The storytelling is a continuation to the first movie, but there's a lot of nods in the movie to the other nine movies. I think the trick with making a sequel is making it feel original and entertaining to fans who've never seen a Halloween movie before, but also having it share enough DNA with the first movie so there's a reason to call it Halloween, and so that fans who've seen all other ten movies are also satisfied. The way that we approached that was to get John and Jamie involved — Jamie not just as an actress, but as an executive producer. So getting them involved as creative sources in the mix — and then add the new generation, which is David and Danny, who are very super talented guys in their own right but have never done a Halloween movie before. I really thought that by mixing those four creative forces together, you really get the best of both worlds. And I really think that they achieved it, so I'm very proud of that." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHEl7Pji0f8 WHERE BLUM FINDS HIS SCARES "I like to define the work that Blumhouse Productions does through the lens of what scares us. Clearly, mostly that's horror movies, but that isn't all that scares us. There's nothing scarier, certainly to me, than the Klu Klux Klan, and that's what BlacKkKlansman is about. Sharp Objects is not horror, but it's a clearly super dark-themed subject matter about a psychotic, overbearing mother. And even Whiplash — to me, these movies squarely fit under the umbrella of what scares us. That's what I look for — first and foremost, things that are great, but I like them to fit under the moniker of what's scary to us, and what's scary to me." HIS PART IN RESTORING HORROR TO GREATER MAINSTREAM PROMINENCE "I think our approach to the way that we make these movies has resulted in horror being more in vogue. I think there are directors who would have never done horror movies, who are now looking at horror as a way to reach young people through movies in a movie theatre — and to get what they want to say out to younger audience. But I think the thing that did the most for it was kind of the Academy's recognition of Get Out. That changed people's idea of what horror can be currently. Horror goes in and out of fashion, and has since the beginning of cinema, but I think right now it's getting more and more in fashion — and if I think there's one biggest reason, I would say it is because of Get Out." "I think we kind of have a unique way that we approach filmmaking, and I think it pays off. I think that cynical people approach horror movies by reverse engineering — they think about what should the scares be, and then figure out the story after that. We do it the opposite way. I really impress upon the executives at the company and the filmmakers we work with to be storytellers first and scary movie makers second, and I think as a result of that the movies are much more scary." SO, DOES HE HAVE PLANS TO RESURRECT OTHER HORROR ICONS? "I'd love to resurrect Friday the 13th. I have a pretty specific idea about it, but I haven't tried yet. I'm waiting for Halloween to come out, but after Halloween comes out I'm going to talk to the rights holders of Friday the 13th and see if I can talk them into it." Halloween is in cinemas now. Read our full review here. Top image: Alex J. Berliner, ABImages.
Around 1400 kilometres north of Brisbane lies Crater Lakes National Park and, within it, you'll find Lake Eacham. This dreamy spot — formed by a volcanic crater — is encircled completely with rainforest. Spend your time in whatever way suits you, be it swimming, fishing, hiking, picnicking or jumping in a kayak (but note that motorboats aren't allowed). Both Lake Eacham and the forest in its vicinity are part of the World Heritage-listed Wet Tropics of Queensland, which means they're protected so tread with care. Image: Tourism and Events Queensland
With the sun usually shining and frozen, creamy treats available on almost every corner, it's never a bad time to be an ice cream lover in Brisbane. This March, however, dedicated fiends will find a concentrated dose waiting, thanks to the city's first day-long, dedicated ice cream extravaganza: the Brisbane Ice Cream Festival. On March 11, the festival will bring together more iced confections than you've probably ever seen in one spot. And, it has found the perfect location for such sweet, sweet shenanigans. When you're about to unleash an entire city's worth of ice cream upon the eager masses, you head to a place with a history of doing just that — the old Peters Ice Cream Factory in West End. Whatever kind of ice cream or gelato takes your fancy, you can bet that you'll find it here. That means coffee-flavoured popsicles from Queen of Pops, ice cream sandwiches courtesy of Boss Bites, fruity icy poles from Frozen Sunshine, and an ice cream burger made exclusively for the event by the Red Hook gang. Because Brisbanites like doughnuts just as much as they like ice cream, Minus 32 will be on hand to serve a fantasy-level combo of the two. And, while their very own store mightn't be up and running just yet (the current ETA is April), it wouldn't be an ice cream event without Gelato Messina stopping by — their menu is to be revealed. The Doughnut Bar's scrolled deliciousness, Cowch's decadent desserts, IcePhile's deep-fried morsels and J'adore Les Crepes bon batches of batter will be on the menu too, alongside offerings from Ice Cream Curls, Ruby the Little Red Ice Cream Van, Hett's n Ice Shaved Ice and more. There'll also be some savoury to go with all that sweetness — here's the lineup of vendors: Gelato Messina Ice Cream Curls Queen of Pops Minus 32 Frozen Sunshine Boss Bites Icephile J'adore Les Crepes La Macelleria The Doughnut Bar Mister Fitz Ruby Ice Cream Cowch CocoWhip Red Hook Hett's n Ice Nitrogenie Alfred & Constance pop-up bar King of Wings Rolls Pho Mi Micasa Two Teas Live music and boozy frozen beverages will also be on available, because it's a festival after all. Wear something stretchy, because it's going to be an over-indulging kind of day. It's also going to be quite the popular event, of course, with attendees required to register on the festival website to help cope with demand. There'll be three sessions throughout the day — 11am to 1pm, 1pm to 3pm, and 3pm to 5pm — with numbers capped at 1800 people for each. Registrations are free, and open at 10am on March 1.
Over the past decade, perhaps the greatest collective strength of the 18 (yes, 18) movies in the so-called Marvel Cinematic Universe has been their relative independence. From the very first Iron Man through to the most recent Black Panther, each film has (mostly) achieved an impressive balance of telling its own, distinct story while also servicing the ultimate end-game. Each new entry had enough in-jokes and easter eggs to satisfy the super-fans, but never so many that a newcomer couldn't enjoy the experience from an entirely cold start. The same cannot be said for Avengers: Infinity War, but then again, for directors Anthony and Joe Russo, that was never the intention. This isn't just the 19th film in the MCU, it's the culmination of the entire franchise; a sprawling, non-stop action movie purpose built, this time, for the fans. It's relentless, entertaining and more than a touch surprising. Unfortunately it's also starved of substance and likely to leave many feeling shortchanged. Ultimately, it all comes down to scale. Perhaps for the first time, this cinematic universe is truly universal in its scope. It moves from one galaxy to the next with bewildering speed, including planets so ancient and remote many of the characters have either never heard of them or dismissed their existence as the stuff of legend. And of those characters, where to even begin? In January of this year Chris Hemsworth, who plays Thor, casually dropped mention of an extraordinary 76 separate Marvel characters set to appear in Infinity War. Even if he was being slightly hyperbolic (one quickly loses count, so the number might actually be bang on), his comments nonetheless captures the magnitude of this gargantuan blockbuster. But like the pop culture references in the recent Ready Player One, many of these inclusions offer little substance beyond an excitable Pavlovian response triggered by recognition ("Heeey, it's Black Widow! Ooo it's…whatshisface!"). Even with the film's indulgent 156-minute run time, the decision to pack so many characters into a single film inherently means Infinity War must choose between cameo and character, with the former largely winning out. That means that many of the incredible cast members are saddled with just a handful of lines each, with perhaps the fewest coming from Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther (despite the fact that a significant section of the film taking place in his kingdom of Wakanda). Again though, the Russos have knowingly committed to the 'as read' nature of this film, opting instead to devote the lion's share of screen time and dialogue to the only real newcomer: the villain, Thanos (Josh Brolin). Thanos first appeared during the end credits of the original Avengers movie back in 2012. Since then he's been a constant (if fleeting) reference point for the coming storm that is Infinity War. He is nothing if not formidable – a softly-spoken juggernaut whose vision for a harmonious universe involves the mass genocide of precisely half its inhabitants. To achieve that he requires the fabled 'infinity stones', several of which are unfortunately located on earth in the hands (or foreheads) of various Avengers. He is a worthy antagonist for such an enormous project, and what really separates him from all the other Marvel villains is his capability; an indomitable strength that renders void the efforts of every other hero he encounters. Teamwork has always been the name of the game in the MCU, but even the combined efforts of the entire super-powered lineup seems destined to fall short. Of course Infinity War is actually just part one of two films, with the second instalment scheduled to drop in May 2019. Its ending, hence, leaves a lot to be resolved, and it's difficult not to assume much of that will centre upon some extensive Dr. Strange time reversal. There's a serious chance the series could be veering toward shark-jumping territory, so fingers crossed the Marvel boffins have something far grander and more unexpected planned. Until then, brush up on your backstories and strap in for one helluva ride. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwievZ1Tx-8
The World's 50 Best has just unveiled its long list, ranking the best restaurants in the world from 51 to 120 (expanding, for the first time, beyond 100). And there are quite a few dramatic changes. Melbourne's Attica — which was last year's top ranking Aussie restaurant at number 20 — has dropped 64 places, coming in at 84. Fellow Victorian Brae, which last year ranked 58, has this year missed out on the top 100, coming in at 101. The surprising changes don't seem to have just affected Australia's entries, either, with Eater noting that Thomas Keller's famed NY restaurant Per Se had dropped 35 places, down to 115 from last year's 81. This could mean, in seemingly sad news for Australia, that no national restaurants will feature in the top 50. But, hope is not completely lost. Seeing as it hasn't made an appearance in the long list, the 50 could, possibly, feature Sydney fine-diner Quay. This year will be the first time the restaurant, which has previously featured in the top 100 list nine years in a row between 2009 and 2017, has been reviewed by the World's 50 Best since its extensive renovations in 2018. [caption id="attachment_677791" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Quay by Nikki To[/caption] While the World's 50 Best is exceedingly popular, it's not without controversy. The awards have copped much criticism for prioritising "expensive European-esque tasting-menu restaurants run by men", as stated by Eater, and for its separate 'Best Female Chef' award. Famed chef Dominique Crenn, of the acclaimed Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, won the award in 2016 and has long been critical of the list's lack of diversity. Crenn slammed the female-specific award in an interview with the Washington Post, saying, "It's stupid. A chef is a chef." The late and great Anthony Bourdain also questioned the award's modern-day relevance — way back in 2013. https://twitter.com/Bourdain/status/319441022688051200 The World's 50 Best will be announced at a ceremony in Singapore next Tuesday, June 25. Get ready for some big changes here, too — this year, there will be an equal gender balance across the award's 1000-plus global voting panel for the first time. Plus, the awards have this year barred any former winners from being on the list, so there'll be no Eleven Madison Park nor Osteria Francescana. You can check out the full list of the World's 50 Best top 50–120 restaurants here. The top 50 will be announced on Tuesday, June 25. Top image: Attica
After spending most of his career dancing the tango with Simon Pegg, the loveable Nick Frost gets the chance to take the lead. It's a shame that the tune he's moving to is so embarrassingly out of key. A bland, salsa-themed rom-com without a single surprising bone in its silk-and-sequin-clad body, Cuban Fury is a comedy of the most risk averse and unimaginative kind. The premise goes like this: Bruce Garrett (Frost) is a former child salsa dancer, now lonely, overweight engineer, who spends his days being belittled by his womanising colleague Drew (Chris O'Dowd). But Bruce's passions are reignited by the arrival of his new boss, a beautiful American woman named Julia (Rashida Jones). She's way out of his league, physically speaking, but it turns out Julia loves salsa, which puts Brucey in with a chance. All he has to do is get his groove back. Frost is an endearing screen presence and ensures Bruce is easy to root for. He's also not a bad dancer, as it turns out. Sadly, natural comic charm and fancy footwork can only do so much when the script is as woeful as this. Working from an 'original idea' by Frost, Jon Brown has produced a screenplay that is predictable, cliched and strangely scarce in actual jokes; what few there come usually at the expense of either Bruce's weight, or the campy mannerisms of Bejan (Kayvan Novak), a flamboyantly gay man in Bruce's dance class. Such a cringingly one-dimensional representation is typical of all the supporting characters, which is an even bigger shame considering the genuinely high calibre of the cast. O'Dowd lands a handful of funny lines, but ultimately can't do much with such a stock-standard slime ball. The great Ian McShane, meanwhile, is left to slum it in his role as Bruce's grizzled former dance instructor Ron. Still, the most thankless part belong to Jones, whose talents as comic performer go unforgivably unexploited. Introduced via full body panning shot, it's immediately clear that Julia will be nothing more than the love interest; a pretty face for Bruce and Drew to dance-battle over. There's an unpleasant, all-too-common double standard at play in Cuban Fury's body and gender politics. Bruce finds his mojo and gets the girl in spite of his weight, yet Julia is only seen as an object of desire because she's physically attractive. That being said, it's hard to be seriously offended by a movie as generic and forgettable as this one. The highest praise Cuban Fury deserves is that will rightfully fade from the public consciousness as soon as it disappears from theatres, doing little likely long-term harm to the careers of anyone involved. https://youtube.com/watch?v=tpiyFHf7GKU
Perhaps you're the kind of person who wakes up with the sun, wanting to make the most of your day off. Or, perhaps you're the type that rolls out of bed mid-morning, pops on your sunnies, and makes a beeline to the best place serving food, coffee and booze. However you like to brunch, you know that there's a difference between an ordinary boozy brunch and treating yourself to a truly great one — especially when you have a hangover and you're not in a hurry for your meal to end. To help you on your quest to find the perfect boozy brunch spot in Brisbane, we've partnered with Grey Goose, the world's finest French vodka, give you seven places that let you order a pornstar martini with your brekky, or crumpets with your house punch. The choices are bountiful.
Meet Australian cinema's new heroine. Myrtle 'Tilly' Dunnage (Kate Winslet) wouldn't consider herself a star at anything other than making stunning dresses, nor does she try to conquer anything but her own doubts and cruel small-town gossip. However, she's the guiding force in a film that warmly embraces local flavour, deftly navigates everything from drama to mystery to comedy, and serves up an offbeat, engaging time at the movies. Tilly is the titular figure in The Dressmaker, which charts her homecoming to outback Australia after being driven away as a child. Scandal surrounds her return, linked to the death of a boy years ago. She can't remember all the details, yet is determined to do whatever it takes to put together the pieces. Her mother, 'Mad' Molly (Judy Davis), isn't much help, and most of the townsfolk barely offer a hello. Only the handsome, lovelorn Teddy McSwiney (Liam Hemsworth) and the secretly fashion-conscious Sergeant Farrat (Hugo Weaving) give Tilly a warm welcome, until the rest of her neighbours get wind of her winning ways with a sewing machine, that is. Soon, she's transforming the drab populace of housewives and shopkeepers' daughters with Parisian designs — but, as often proves the case in such insular, one-street communities, their newfound politeness can't always be trusted. If Tilly's scenario sounds like a bit of a mixed bag of figures and genres, that's because it is. The motley crew of characters she's surrounded by includes a stern schoolteacher (Kerry Fox), mean pharmacist (Barry Otto) and more, as played by a who's who of Australian actors (Sarah Snook, Gyton Grantley, Rebecca Gibney, Shane Jacobson, Alison Whyte, Shane Bourne and Sacha Horler among them). Her story flits between romance and revenge, laughs and long-held secrets, and standoffs and tears. Happy moments are followed by sad, with the film's tone veering in several directions. Thankfully, though, none of this mishmash of elements can be seen as a bad thing. Even when it threatens not to work, it still does — and in quite striking fashion. Skipping between seemingly mismatched parts is what The Dressmaker does best; this is a movie that introduces its lead with the words "I’m back, you bastards," then later has her stop a footy match by showing up in a jaw-dropping outfit, after all. There's always a bit of quirkiness, though not too much, to balance out the darker narrative threads, or some stunning sartorial sights to brighten up the frame, or a sympathetic exchange between Tilly, Teddy and/or Molly to temper the broader strokes of comedy. Accordingly, it's a fine return to film for writer/director Jocelyn Moorhouse — making her first feature since 1997’s A Thousand Acres — who brings Rosalie Ham’s 2000 novel of the same name to the screen with verve and then some. It's also a fine return to Australian shores for Winslet, who starred in the locally made Holy Smoke back in 1999, and hasn't lost her gift for our accent. That's not Winslet's only strength, nor the handsomely shot, 1951-set film's either. She perfects the mix of determined and vulnerable that Tilly radiates— though Davis, Weaving and Hemsworth do their parts, stealing scenes with one-liners, making a supporting player more than comic relief, and oozing allure and emotion respectively. Together, they make for a multifaceted bunch, as does The Dressmaker as a whole. And if the film encourages Australian audiences to see homegrown fare in a cinema — as it should — then it's a champion in its own right, alongside its shining protagonist.
Dust off your sombreros, amigos. The latest international excuse for a good time to reach our shores is Cinco de Mayo — a celebration of all things Mexican (which, if we’re being nit-picky, is really more of an Americanisation than anything but shh, let us party). In celebration, the folks at Corona and Beach Burrito Company Fitzroy are putting together a fiesta, complete with face painting by local street artists and the first ever Taco Time Trials Eating Contest. For the less competitively inclined but equally taco-happy, Cinco de Mayo falls conveniently on a Tuesday, and Beach Burrito Co’s regular $3 taco deal applies, so your pesos’ll stretch further. With what you’ve got left, you can sip salt-rimmed margaritas, down trays of tequila shots (not recommended) or share a bucket of ice-cold Coronas. And, of course, come prepared to smash and whack your way to glory, because they wouldn’t be doing Mexico right without pinatas.
UPDATE, July 20, 2020: The Lion King is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. Picture this: as gorgeously detailed nature documentary footage plays, an exceptional cast of big-name actors lend their voices to prowling lions. In addition to vocalising the animals' thoughts and feelings, the human-uttered dialogue gives the majestic big cats an epic story, charting the ups and downs of a young cub born to the king and queen of the pride. The tale that follows combines parts of Hamlet, Star Wars and Kimba the White Lion, complete with love, loss, courage, threats, rebellion and father-son issues. It features witty one-liners and catchy songs, plus antics involving hyenas, meerkats, warthogs, hornbills and mandrills. But, even as the famous tones, engaging emotional beats, amusing gags, rousing music and lively array of critters all work their magic, something seems a little out of place — namely, the rendering of all of the above with such lifelike visuals. That's The Lion King circa 2019 in a nutshell. Using technology that has only improved since he turned The Jungle Book into a naturalistic spectacle three years ago, filmmaker Jon Favreau remakes another of Disney's cartoon hits with this different kind of animated wizardry. Here, unlike in his adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's classic text, there's no visible trace of humanity — and that just might make all the difference. Such an absence is true to The Lion King's source material, obviously, but without a character such as Mowgli scampering around, this special effects onslaught lacks an anchor. The film couldn't look more realistic, and yet it never feels real. While audiences have long become accustomed to getting swept away by Hollywood's trickery — especially since digital capabilities began bringing extraordinary sights to the screen — The Lion King can't quite manage the feat. Narrative-wise, anyone familiar with the 1994 movie knows what's in store. This version might credit a different writer, with Jeff Nathanson (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) adapting the original screenplay by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts and Linda Woolverton, but it has really just been given a new coat of CGI paint. As initially presented to the animal kingdom in an awe-inspiring ceremony, young Simba (JD McCrary) is fated to follow in his father Mufasa's (James Earl Jones) regal paw prints, much to the dismay of the latter's scowling, scheming brother Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor). And so, a plot is hatched. Instead of preparing for his destiny with help from his mother (Alfre Woodard) and best friend Nala (Shahadi Wright Joseph as a cub, Beyonce once she's grown), Simba is tricked into becoming an outcast. He runs free with pint-sized pals Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen), and adopts their carefree attitude. As an adult lion (now voiced by Donald Glover), he's eventually forced to reassess his choices, as well as his role and place in the Pridelands. The cynical might say that this return to The Lion King lacks humanity behind-the-scenes, too, given all that the surefire box office hit represents. Disney keeps turning its animated back-catalogue into live-action fare — or photorealistic ones in this case — with a clear plan in mind: tap into nostalgia, then profit. Still, even knowing where it stands in the huge entertainment behemoth's filmmaking assembly line, the movie doesn't lack feeling. It's clearly the result of great affection and attention to detail, ensuring that its animals really do look like they're simply strutting through the savannah. Astutely chosen cast members such as the returning Jones, the melodic Glover, and the hilarious Eichner and Rogen all invest their four-legged alter-egos with resounding emotion. Coming back to the material that originally won him an Oscar, composer Hans Zimmer gives the story another stirring score, while Elton John and Tim Rice's reused tunes all hit the same stirring marks as they once again muse about love and life. Indeed, you can almost see the human fingerprints on the film, including in its gently moving tufts of lion fur, sweeping plains and flowering greenery — or the genuine love and care that went into them, to be more accurate. That said, viewers also bear witness as one of the most beloved movies of the past quarter-century is transformed into a very expensive and true-to-life cat video. That's no knock on feline clips or nature docos. Cooing over a cute mouser is one of life's simplest pleasures, and marvelling at the splendour of the natural world is one of its great privileges. But, watching The Lion King, it's impossible to get completely lost in any of these joys. Or, for that matter, to surrender to the slavishly faithful story or undeniably impressive visuals, which work well separately and yet don't convincingly fit together. Perhaps it isn't by accident that Timon and Pumbaa steal the show as they frolic through the film's frames, with an ad-libbing Eichner and Rogen proving the picture's standouts (sorry, Beyonce fans). It isn't new, but the wisecracking comic duo do espouse a fitting motto, and one that Disney probably hopes viewers truly take to heart this time around. It's possible to say "hakuna matata" to The Lion King redux, and feel the love for its highlights without falling tail over paws for the end product. Alas, it's harder to shake the sensation that it doesn't convincingly take its place in the cinematic circle of life. That opening, though, as recreated nearly frame-by-frame in all of its electrifying glory — it's a complete and utter wonder, albeit one that the rest of the movie can't manage to match. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TavVZMewpY
Back in 2000 and 2003, the world probably didn't need a couple of films based on Charlie's Angels, with Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu taking on the hit 1976–81 television series. Almost two decades later, the world doesn't really need a third Charlie's Angels movie about a private detective agency, its formidable ladies and their globe-trotting hijinks, either. But the franchise is back anyway — with a few new faces. Also called Charlie's Angels, the latest flick both revisits the franchise's familiar scenario with a fresh cast, and reportedly continues on from both the TV show and the the first two films. Star-wise, it features Kristen Stewart, Aladdin standout Naomi Scott and British up-and-comer Ella Balinska. Elsewhere, Elizabeth Banks sits in the director's chair, co-wrote the script and plays Bosley. Well, one of them — Patrick Stewart and Djimon Hounsou both pop up as Bosley, too. Like her Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson, Stewart has made some savvy film choices since farewelling the vampire romance saga, including Clouds of Sils Maria, Certain Women and Personal Shopper — and while this upbeat action flick about kick-ass ladies saving the world clearly shares little else in common with her recent dramatic roles, here's hoping it continues her good run. She certainly seems to be having plenty of fun in the two Charlie's Angels trailers so far, with the latest combining ample espionage antics with a shout-out to day drinking. Music fans can also look forward to the new movie's soundtrack, with Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus and Lana Del Rey all collaborating on the song 'Don't Call Me Angel' — and Grande featuring on four other tracks. The film's big collaborative tune is a bit of a throwback of its own, given that 2000's Charlie's Angels also featured a killer hit, aka Destiny's Child's 'Independent Women'. Catch the latest glimpse of the new Charlie's Angels in the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VTg3YWqHuQ&feature=youtu.be Charlie's Angels releases in Australian cinemas on November 14, 2019.
Every year, come Good Friday, two things happen in Shorncliffe. Firstly, the sea-faring vessels competing in the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race sail by. Secondly, Bluewater Festival holds a party to celebrate. Watching boats is on the agenda, however, given that the day starts with early morning yoga on the beach and ends with fireworks, there's more than that on offer. Catch some live tunes, enjoy the sight of dragon boats, peruse market stalls, grab a bite from gourmet food vendors or just find a spot of grass to relax. That's how you turn Good Friday into a great Friday.
One of the enduring joys of staring at a screen, big or small, is the nifty knack that movies and TV shows can have for delivering treasures viewers didn't know they needed. We should've realised we had to see Michelle Yeoh hop across dimensions to save the world before Everything Everywhere All At Once arrived, for instance. We should've gleaned that Timothée Chalamet would make a compelling cannibal prior to Bones and All, too. And, it should've been obvious that Adam Scott plunging into an office nightmare would be instantly addictive viewing, but it took Severance to make it plain. Now, Shrinking joins the list by giving the world what we've truly been lacking: a delightfully gruff Harrison Ford co-starring in a kind-hearted sitcom. Creating this therapist-focused series for Apple TV+ — with its first two episodes hitting on Friday, January 27, and the remainder of the ten-episode first season dropping week by week afterwards — Bill Lawrence, Brett Goldstein and Jason Segel didn't miss Shrinking's immediate potential, though. Lawrence and Goldstein add the show to their roster alongside Ted Lasso, which the former also co-created, and the latter stars in as the also wonderfully gruff Roy Kent to Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning effect. It too bathes in warmth amid chaos, all while understanding, exploring and accepting its characters as the flawed folks we all are. As for Segel, he's no stranger to playing the type of super-enthusiastic and super-earnest figure he inhabits again here, as seen in Freaks and Geeks and How I Met Your Mother. If Ted Lasso downplayed the soccer, instead emphasising the psychologist chats that were a pivotal part of season two, Shrinking would be the end result. Also, if Scrubs, another of Lawrence's sitcoms, followed doctors specialising in mental health rather than working in a hospital, Shrinking would also be the outcome. It's worth remembering that Scrubs featured a very funny and clever nod to Ford, which likely makes his casting here a dream come true for Lawrence. Round up all of these familiar elements, details brought over from elsewhere and past references, and Shrinking turns them into a series that's thoughtful, supremely entertaining, well-cast and well-crafted — and an engaging and easy watch. Ford is the biggest name among Shrinking's many recognisable faces, because a career forever tied to the Blade Runner, Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises will do that, but he's in supporting mode. Segel (Windfall) leads the show as Jimmy Laird, a therapist who is initially seen waking up his empty-nester neighbour Liz (Christa Miller, a Scrubs alum and also Lawrence's wife) in the deep of night while hanging out with sex workers and self-medicating around his backyard pool. She's not mad, however, because he's been like this for some time — and she's been helping keep his life running, primarily by being a surrogate parent for his teenage daughter Alice (Lukita Maxwell, Generation). A year back, Jimmy's wife Tia (Lilan Bowden, Murderville) passed away; saying that he's struggling to cope is an understatement. As overused and irritating as the dead-wife trope is — men can flounder all by themselves without a deceased spouse to blame — Shrinking thankfully unpacks the concept. It explores how Jimmy's all-or-nothing attitude has always been part of his persona, questions his idealised view of his marriage, and establishes that his faults weren't suddenly sparked by going through what nobody ever wants to. Co-scripting as well, Lawrence, Goldstein and Segel also ensure that Shrinking examines how loss affects more than just middle-aged white men unexpectedly without wives, courtesy of not just Alice but also Jimmy's colleague and Tia's best friend Gaby (Jessica Williams, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore). And, while never underplaying the existence-altering weight of grief, it spies how everyone is the sum of their best and worst experiences, including Jimmy and Gaby's boss Paul (Ford, The Call of the Wild), Liz, Jimmy's estranged pal Brian (Michael Urie, Younger) and Jimmy's patients. Shrinking isn't called Shrinking without capturing its therapists in action; add it to the pile of recent fare, such as The Patient and The Shrink Next Door, that jump on and off the couch. Shrinking's twist: after taking his Liz-interrupted evening as a wakeup call, and attempting to work through his mourning and be an attentive dad again, he decides to ignore ethics, get frank and shower his patients with tough truths. Tired of discussing their woes endlessly without seeing changes, and suffering from compassion fatigue, he makes drastic moves — threatening not to be Grace's (Heidi Gardner, Saturday Night Live) shrink any longer if she doesn't leave her abusive husband, for example, and taking new patient Sean (Luke Tennie, CSI: Vegas), a young war veteran with anger issues who'll soon be living in Jimmy's pool house, to box out his feelings in the ring. Both sweetness and melancholy linger in Shrinking as it finds as many ways as it can to layer in one of therapy's key takeaways: that working through everything that life throws your way, and also working on yourself in the process, is never simple. Talk reigns supreme, whether Jimmy is desperately trying to get back on Alice's good side, Alice is confiding in Paul instead, Paul makes what he says count, Gaby gets drawn deeper into Jimmy's dramas or Sean is endeavouring to move on from his military service while avoiding confronting its impact. An embracing, cosy, feel-good vibe radiates, too — in a series that's another hearty hug, as Ted Lasso is, but one that's sharper about the pain that everyone carries for their own multitude of reasons. Shrinking could've just gifted viewers Ford's second-ever regular small-screen role in his almost six-decade career — arriving swiftly after his first in Yellowstone prequel 1923, in fact — and been happy coasting on Ford's presence. He's unsurprisingly exceptional, and wanting more of his no-nonsense but soft-hearted veteran shrink if a second season eventuates springs exactly as expected going in. He's pitch-perfect as the show's resident grump, and at fleshing out the reasons why. He's fragile when diving into Paul's own troubles and regrets, warmly wise dispensing advice to Jimmy and Alice, and hilarious when he's getting blunt and also singing terrible tunes. And he's just one terrific component that makes Shrinking click, alongside knowing that being alive is constantly juggling an array of components and making the most of whatever you can. Check out the trailer for Shrinking below: Shrinking streams via Apple TV+ from Friday, January 27.
It's no secret that when it comes to cocktails, Melbourne can mix it with the best. In the past year alone, the Victorian capital has been named among Punch's top five global drinking destinations for 2023, Bar Liberty's Nick Tesar took out the title of Australia's Best Bartender and CBD bar Caretaker's Cottage nabbed a spot in the latest edition of The World's 50 Best Bars extended 51–100 list. So what more fitting place to host Australia's groundbreaking new immersive cocktail exhibition, Art of Mixology? Transforming Southbank's Kingpin into an interactive gallery space from Friday, March 3–Sunday, March 12, the showcase is set to serve up a heady fusion of art and drink design that'll shine a fresh light on the world of cocktail making. It's being brought to life with the help of award-winning production agency VANDAL and R L Foote Design Studio. [caption id="attachment_888883" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kingpin[/caption] Gracing the adults-only exhibition are works by six renowned local artists, who've each been commissioned to reimagine a different cocktail as a signature installation, complete with striking visuals, soundscapes and other interactive elements. Among them are interdisciplinary digital artist Mikaela Stafford (whose vibrant works have appeared at the Tate Modern), celebrated artist and food designer Ryan L Foote, and projections maestro and White Night regular Nick Azidis. [caption id="attachment_888877" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mikaela Stafford[/caption] Making your way through Art of Mixology, you'll encounter their creative interpretations of various Kingpin cocktails, resulting in everything from large-scale sculptures and visual illusions through to aromatic bubbles floating through the space. Highlighted drinks include a lychee rose martini, the Zombie and the elegant Butterfly Flower. The exhibition is designed to be explored as you would a giant interactive cocktail menu, pondering each concoction and its ingredients before settling on your chosen sip. Of course, along with the visuals and other sensory details, your tastebuds are in for a treat here — each of the six featured cocktails will be available for visitors to enjoy while they're soaking up the art. Tickets come in at $20, which includes your choice of one signature cocktail (or booze-free alternative). You can purchase more drinks while you're there, too. [caption id="attachment_888884" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kingpin[/caption] [caption id="attachment_888879" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kingpin's Butterfly Flower[/caption] Art of Mixology will run from Friday, March 3–Sunday, March 12 at Kingpin, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank. Tickets are $20, available online.
You know that feeling of unbridled joy and energy you get in the opening scene of The Lion King when you scream "Naaaants een-vwen-yaaaaaaa ma-ba-gee-chi-ba-va" (or some variation thereof) as baby Simba is hoisted up by Rafiki? That's why you should pay to see the Spice World: The Movie not only at the cinema, but at the drive-in. Even though you've seen it a million times, you have it on DVD and Blu-ray (for some reason), and on a USB drive that's permanently in the TV, you should still grab a car full of pals and buy a ticket. The sheer thrill that you'll feel when rows and rows of vehicles filled with adult women come alive with screams of "you gotta, you gotta, you gotta, you gotta SLAM SLAM SLAM SLAM" will be an experience like no other, even if you've been to other sing-a-long sessions of the film before. The joy of sharing, nostalgia, sing-screaming, choc tops and dressing up like it's 1997 are all rolled into one event for the 20th anniversary screening of Spice World. It all takes place at the Yatala Drive-In on April 21, so pick your best Spice Girl outfit and snap up a ticket while you can.
Vivid Sydney today let loose their second major program announcement with their plans for Vivid Creative Sydney 2011. Creative Sydney will run from 30 May to 12 June, with over 50 global and local creative leaders coming together to explore the power of creative industries to transform society. And like everything else under the Vivid banner, it aims to bring the best of the world's ideas to Sydney and inspire the hell out of you. This year Creative Sydney is expanding to include more free sessions and for the first time a presence at the Opera House. The program includes short and snappy show and tell presentations, in-depth conversation sessions, and creative futures, where artists and entrepreneurs present their vision of the ideas that will shape society in the future. Over the next week the full range of live music showcases, debates, film screenings and parties will be unveiled, but already the lineup of speakers looks pretty awesome. Key speakers include Matthew Stinchcomb, EU director of Etsy, and will mark Etsy's first official engagement with their third largest market, and Fabian Rigall, founder of Future Shorts and Secret Cinema. Also lined up are Murray Bell and Andrew Johnstone, the founders of the internationally successful Semi-Permanent conferences, swimwear brand We Are Handsome and Ben Briand, winner of the Cannes Young Director Award and Best Narrative Video at the 2010 Vimeo Awards. Registration for the events opens 9am on Monday 2 May, and it's recommended you get in quickly with over 15,000 people expected to attend.
Photographer, Martin Smith works on conveying intimate and soulful elements on life. He captures the little moments, and displays them in a way that makes them seem like they are the most important thing in the world. In his eyes, they probably are. His utilisation of text and collage in conjunction with photography helps give his work a layered effect, where thoughts and ideas can merge and help properly convey is detailed artistic vision. Memories lay upon memories, stories blend into other tales and as each work becomes unique it takes on its own emotional qualities; sadness, melancholy, happiness. Martin has had works displayed across Australia and was won numerous prizes. His latest collection, More Sex, Less Death, is showcasing at Ryan Renshaw Gallery. It will be on display until June, but don’t get lax; it is an exhibition that must be seen immediately.
Don't just grab a drink. If you're heading out for a sip with a date or mate, you want it to feel like an occasion, even if there's nothing particularly special to celebrate. Located inside the W Brisbane hotel, Living Room Bar understands that train of thought. Even better — it keeps trying to make knocking back cocktails within its walls stand out via creative collaborations and installations. In 2022, the venue teamed up with top Barcelona bar Paradiso, aka the third-best bar on the World's 50 Best Bars list for 2021, on a special menu featuring the Spanish spot's globally acclaimed beverages. Now, for at least six months across the second half of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, Living Room Bar is pairing its latest cocktail offering with an immersive light, sound and art setup. The watering hotel has dubbed its latest excuse to drop by Sensory Sips, with art and design studio Loose Collective taking care of everything that patrons see and hear. On offer: bespoke work all around the North Quay bar, including mesmerising lighting effects, audiovisual sculptures, motion graphics, and patterns projected across the floor, roof and even the bar itself. In one especially eye-catching piece called Light Lines, 400 lit-up vines made from medical-grade silicon look like they're floating. That's what Sensory Sips has opened with. The idea is for this dazzling setup to not just let cocktail lovers feel like they're escaping, but for it evolve over its stay, which started in August 2023 and will run until mid-February 2024 at the earliest. So, that means that Brisbanites have plenty of motivation to head along more than once — and ample time to do so. As for the drinks, the event's nine cocktails are made with Brown-Forman spirits, with each concoction designed to also engage the senses just like the installations around the bar (and given names such as The Hypnotist, The Heist and Mystique to match). Among the highlights, The Illusionist goes floral and colourful with gin, violet-flavoured liqueur, white chocolate bitters, hibiscus, coconut, lemon and butterfly pea ice — and, crafted to appear as if it is floating, The Magician combines whisky, Frangelico, cocoa nibs and bloody mary drops. If you opt for the Cirque Du Fizz, you'll be sharing your sips with at least one other person (minimum: two) while tasting vodka, butterscotch bitters, marmalade cordial, sage, lychee and Australian Daintree tea. Not hitting the hard stuff? The Ballerina is Sensory Sips' non-alcoholic option, as made with a lemon marmalade and hibiscus non-boozy wine, zero-alcohol dry gin, lemon and lychee foam. And, when it's served, it comes with a light projection showing stars. Sensory Sips at W Brisbane's Living Room Bar, 81 North Quay, Brisbane will run until at least mid-February 2024 — head to the venue's website for further details and bookings. Images: Markus Ravik.
"Write what you know" is common creative advice, and words of wisdom that Shake & Stir Theatre Co's Nelle Lee has clearly taken to heart with Tae Tae in the Land of Yaaas!. One of Brisbane Festival 2023's big world-premiere theatre shows, the brand-new production draws upon her sister Estee Lee's true tale — and, as well as scripting, Nelle also co-directs. Taking over QPAC's Cremorne Theatre from Friday, August 25–Sunday, September 17, Tae Tae in the Land of Yaaas! focuses on its eponymous character, who was paralysed in a car accident when she was six. Immediately afterwards, she struggles, but then receives a much-needed boost from a fairy godmother (played by Maxi Shield from RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under) in her search to keep discovering happiness. Shake & Stir Theatre Co wowed Bris Fest in 2022 with Fourteen, so the company is back with another personal, honest and heartfelt stage story for this year's event — and another must-see. Newcomer Maya Dove stars as the production's titular figure, in a tragi-comedy that throws together songs, dance, drag queens, glitter, a huge heart, colourful staging, camp and positive vibes, and a heaving sense of community. Images: Joel Devereux.
Whatever your pet pupper has planned for this Saturday, you'd best cancel it — your furry BFF is coming with you to the pub. Excuses to take the doggo out for a few drinks aren't lacking across Brisbane (The Brightside even has their own weekly shindig), but Archer's Brewsvegas event comes with a few inclusions that'll get your four-legged buddy yapping: a 100 percent dog-friendly beer and dog ice cream, too. Sounds like a Dog Day Afternoon, doesn't it? That's the plan from 1pm on March 10. And, because a pooch-and-pint party is even better when it's in an ace location, you'll have to wander through a bottle-o fridge to get there. As well as the aforementioned Archer Brewing 100% Dog Friendly Woof Ale and Hugo's Dog Ice Creamery's frosty treats, there'll also be a brand new dark beer — Archer's first, complete with a secret ingredient — for humans, pimp-your-own hot dogs, live music and heaps of stalls selling goodies for pups. And, while entry is free, proceeds from the pooch-friendly tipple will go to the dog rescue charity Herd2Homes.
Take your protein pills and put your helmet on. Picture yourself face to face with David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust 1972 bodysuits, Kansai Yamamoto’s trouser suits for the '73 Aladdin Sane tour, the Union Jack coat designed by Bowie and Alexander McQueen for the '97 Earthling album cover, props from Jim Henson's Labyrinth. We know, you're sweet to start freaking out. Opening next July, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) will play host to the acclaimed David Bowie is exhibition, celebrating the kickass career of the man himself. Created by London's Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), the exhibition is a Bowiephile's dream — an unprecedented collection of over 50 stage costumes alongside tour sets (including the designs for the '74 Diamond Dogs tour), handwritten set lists and lyric sheets, Bowie's own sketches, rare live and interview videos, musical scores and diary entries, photographs and album artwork. Basically, if you're a Bowie fan, this is next level squealworthy material. "The mystery of David Bowie as an enigma is so lovingly explored in this incredible immersive exhibition you’ll feel as if you’ve stepped inside the mind of this astonishing cultural and pop icon," says ACMI Director & CEO, Tony Sweeney. "Bowie is a figure whose social and creative influence and significance far exceeds his status as a pre-eminent rock performer and in David Bowie is, his incredible career is showcased in glorious detail." Presented exclusively in Australasia by ACMI as part of Melbourne Winter Masterpieces, the exhibition explores Bowie's influences and legacy in a lengthy narrative layout (tracing Ziggy Stardust through Berlin and Thin White Duke phases), delving into his career as a musician, of course, but also reminding fans of his top notch cult film career, stints as a writer and his lifelong ability as a stage performer. V&A curators and brains behind the whole Bowie show, Victoria Broackes and Geoffrey Marsh, handpicked over 300 objects and films for the exhibition — a research process we're pretty damn jealous of. "The exhibition looks in-depth at how Bowie’s music and radical individualism has both influenced and been influenced by wider movements in art, design, film and contemporary popular culture over an incredible 50-year career and demonstrates how Bowie has inspired others to challenge convention and pursue freedom of expression," they said. The exhibition comes to Australia under a furious amount of buzz — its world premiere this March in London became V&A's fastest selling exhibition ever, recording record numbers of over 311,000 visitors. As the exclusive venue for David Bowie is, ACMI have crafted a specially-curated program of talks, screenings, live performances and special events to pair with the Major Tom-a-thon. David Bowie is will open at ACMI on 16 July 2015 as part of the Victorian Government’s Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series. Tickets go on sale to the general public in November 2014. To register for exclusive pre-sale ticket opportunities, visit acmi.net.au/bowie.
Sometimes, it's easy to forget the holiday part of a national day off. Sure, you'll remember not to go to work — but will you really take advantage of the chance to go wherever you want? Enter the humble picnic — or the day trip getaway that everyone can enjoy, complete with tasty bites to eat and scenic surroundings. On January 26, Walkabout Creek at D'Aguilar National Park is the ideal spot for relaxing, dining and soaking up the country's flora and fauna. Plus, you can order a hamper for two in advance, and feast on shredded lamb wraps, lamingtons and pavlova.
From the ruthless world of magazine publishing to the blood and guts of an Aussie hens weekend gone supremely wrong: that's been Aisha Dee's journey of late. There's far more to the Gold Coast-born actor's career so far, of course, including coming to fame as a teenager back in 2008 courtesy of The Saddle Club, subsequent parts on Dead Gorgeous and Sweet/Vicious, and showing up in St Vincent-starring satire The Nowhere Inn. Still, on screens big and small alike, she's been garnering attention for navigating pressure-filled situations — and revelling in them. In Sissy, her latest role and her return to Australia after years working in the US, Dee is in positively savage territory. She plays the titular character, better known as @SincerelyCecilia on Instagram to the tune of 200,000-plus followers. Liking and subscribing is what her devotees do all day, responding to her calming and inspiring missives about being yourself and finding your bliss, and Cecilia's whole sense of self is built on that online adoration. Sissy is a comedy, too, with writer/director duo Hannah Barlow and Kane Senes having ample fun parodying the wellness and influencer industries. That said, when the movie's namesake attends a bachelorette shindig for her long-lost childhood BFF, old torments resurface and this proves firmly a horror flick as well. Dee wasn't initially approached to play Cecilia. When the script came her way, she was earmarked for Fran, fiancée to Emma, Cecilia's primary school bestie. But Dee felt an instant bond with Sissy's eponymous figure. She felt protective of her. "Honestly, I read the script and immediately I felt like I had to defend Cecilia," she tells Concrete Playground. "I cared so deeply for her. I really felt really connected to her and had a lot of empathy for what she was experiencing in the moment, and how easy it would be under those circumstances to kind of just slip and fall." Once you've seen Sissy, Dee's words obviously come with a caveat: clearly, she hasn't found herself in the exact same situation, behaving in the exact same way. But in a film that happily, smartly and entertainingly rips into a whole heap of targets — with humour and as a slasher flick alike — she makes Cecilia a compelling protagonist amid all the chaos. It's a bold performance, because The Bold Type isn't just an entry on Dee's resume. The international film festival circuit heartily agrees, with Sissy premiering at SXSW 2022, enjoying its Australian premiere in June at the Sydney Film Festival, and doing the rounds everywhere from Melbourne and Perth to South Korea and Scotland since. Dee hit the Harbour City midyear with the movie, which is now in cinemas across Australia — and chatted to us about social media, knowing that she had to play Cecilia, preparing for the part in hotel quarantine, making a different kind of Aussie movie and getting an opportunity she didn't think would happen. ON SOCIAL MEDIA'S PREVALENCE — AND SILLINESS "The film doesn't offer solutions, but I do think it poses questions and forces us, in a way that feels quite uncomfortable, to question our own relationship with social media and how we interact with it. I think it's hard to be a human in the world right now and not have some kind of relationship with social media, because it is such a prevalent part of our society now. Personally, I don't use social media in the same way [as Cecilia] — I wish I was better at it, it's not something that comes super naturally to me, to be posting on Instagram all the time. My relationship with social media has always been really about creating boundaries, because I find it a very triggering environment in terms of even just having the confidence to post something. I second-guess myself a lot, and I get very existential. Every time I post something, I'm like, 'well, what's the point? What is Instagram? What is a telephone?'. It's all pretty silly." ON NEEDING TO PLAY CECILIA "It was towards the end of 2020 — and, you know, we were all there for 2020. I had been in LA for most of that year, really only seeing a select few people and kind of feeling quite isolated socially, a bit awkward, and reexamining a lot of my relationships. And my manager sent me this script. Initially they wanted me for the role of Fran, and I could see that, because Fran felt really similar to a couple of characters I had played before. But literally, I couldn't shake the feeling that I felt like Cecilia was my little sister or my best friend, or just someone that I loved so deeply and cared so deeply for. It wasn't something that I planned or knew was going to happen when I read the script, but I felt like I had to honour it. I called my manager and I said 'please tell them that I really love the script, but I just don't feel connected to Fran as a character — but I feel really connected to Sissy, tell them that I love Sissy'. I said that knowing it was kind of presumptuous but not expecting them to ask to meet me at all, but they were really into the idea. I think they had had someone very different in mind — she was described as having blonde hair and being very petite and pale, and I am none of those things — but I just felt like something felt right. ON DRAWING ON 2020'S CHAOS FOR THE PART — HOTEL QUARANTINE AND ALL "There's the year of 2020 as a whole. But then, in order to get back home to Australia, I had to do two weeks of quarantine in hotel quarantine where you literally see no one. It is the most extreme version of isolation. I was on a really low floor in this big tall building, and every day at like 12pm, I would lose the sun. I would be out my window — like I needed the sun and I needed the fresh air, and I felt like I was going absolutely insane. So while I was in quarantine, I was actually sending Hannah and Kane, the writers and directors of the film, I was sending them videos as Cecilia. Just every morning I would wake up and do a different kind of like sermon or meditation or something, just because I did't really have anything to do. Getting out of quarantine, I definitely felt like Bambi on ice a little. I felt very awkward. I'm an awkward person to begin with, but having those two weeks alone in a room — it wasn't intentional but I do think it kind of leant itself to getting into some kind of headspace." ON RETURNING HOME TO MAKE A DIFFERENT KIND OF AUSSIE MOVIE "Something that jumped out to me when I was reading it was the way that there was this really heavy female gaze on the movie — which I think is rare for genre films to have such a strong female gaze. And beyond just Cecilia the character, you had a very small cast that consisted of an interracial lesbian couple, a gay man with disability and an Asian woman. And the only man that you really saw was a queer man." I loved this this. I just loved the world that I could see imagining it and reading it. It didn't feel like any other Aussie movie that I had seen. It really reflected the colourful, diverse, beautiful Australia that I know. I think unfortunately, up until kind of recently, Australian film and television really hasn't reflected that same colourful melting pot that like we all know actually exists here — so that was another big reason why I wanted to be a part of it." ON GETTING AN UNEXPECTED OPPORTUNITY "I definitely had hoped that I would be able to play a character like this. But, being realistic, opportunities like this don't come up every day for someone who looks like me, especially in the Australian film space. So I had always hoped that maybe I would be able to play a role like this, but the fact that the opportunity was actually presented to me is really, really, really cool. I guess it kind of was on my bucket list. But when I think about it, I don't know that I ever could've anticipated that this would be an opportunity that I would've had. And to me, it really meant nothing whether people were going to see it or they weren't, it didn't matter to me — because with independent film, you really are rolling the dice, chances are nobody's going to see it. The fact that like it's doing such big things is really cool. I think that honestly it's a testament to what can happen if the Australian film industry embraces diversity the way they should." Sissy released in Australian cinemas on November 3. Read our full review.
Piecing together Ron Howard's petrol-headed extravaganza Rush is a bit like piecing together one of the F1 racers that this film is so in love with. It begins as little more than a mishmash of scrap metal. A love interest here, a chiselled six-pack there, but nothing quite manages to gel together to create a cohesive whole. Once the various touchstones and expectations of the biopic genre have been ticked off, a more fully formed picture begins to take shape. When the film finally does take off, somewhere near the hour mark, it has all the power and explosive energy of a supercharged engine. Well, it almost does. For anyone with even a smidgen of gasoline running through their veins, the 1976 Formula One season is the stuff of sporting folklore. For the rest of us, Rush is your classic tale of warring rivals: McLaren's loveable British rogue, James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) versus Ferrari's reigning world champ, and the biggest "asshole" in racing (this is not my judgment, this is the film's recurring insult-of-choice), Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl). If the trailers are anything to go by, then Rush is targeting two groups of movie-goers: (1) those who like their movies filled with vintage cars whooshing across pretty landscapes and (2) those who like their movies filled with porny shots of a shirtless (and often pants-less) Hemsworth. While the film includes plenty of both, these are perhaps Rush's weakest points. The early race scenes look more like well-funded car ads then the work of the guy that made A Beautiful Mind, and Hemsworth, while perfectly adept at shouting expletives and glaring angrily, ain't no Marlon Brando. His attempts at bad boy charm are consistently wooden and occasionally quite laughable. Because Hollywood has inundated us with so many films about fast cars, filmmakers cannot simply show a couple shots of burning rubber and shifting gears and expect audiences to get a rise out of it. The stakes need to be higher. When Rush does set the bar higher, the film is quite irresistible. Once Howard shows us what makes these two racers click, we begin to care about them, with every race becoming a thrilling, heart-in-mouth experience. We feel their fear when the film puts us in the driver's seat and when the camera cuts to the reaction shots of loved ones. These shots do not simply instruct our emotions but actually reflect them. Much of this emotional engagement is thanks to Brühl's star-making turn as Lauda (for those playing spot the actor, he's the Nazi soldier in Inglourious Basterds). Apart from his uncanny resemblance to the real Lauda, the loveable German makes a delightful prick. His single-mindedness modulates from callous to hilarious to downright heartbreaking over the course of the film. And while Rush is, at times, a bit of a mixed bag, Brühl's engrossing performance provides the picture with the sort of poignancy that would put the kazillionaires at Marvel to shame. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZKqB987FpMI
There's nothing quite like seeing a film on the big screen — especially when it's a movie you downright adore. And when it's accompanied by trivia dedicated to the flick in question, plus themed food and drinks, then you know you're in for an ace viewing experience. That's the idea behind the Blue Room Cinebar's new Roll Credits Film Club, which is showering love upon a new film every fortnight. Every second Wednesday, attendees can demonstrate their extensive movie knowledge from 7pm, then settle in for the feature from 8.30pm. Tickets cost $18.50, plus the cost of whatever food and drink you're keen. These kind of nights are only as good as the films on offer, of course, and RCFC certainly delivers when it comes to the main event. On March 21, dive back into the neon-hued, synth-scored world of the Ryan Gosling-starring Drive, then prepare for pastel-toned, symmetrically-framed hotel hijinks with Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel on April 4. Head to the Blue Room website for future sessions.
Finding a moment or statement from The Princess to sum up The Princess is easy. Unlike the powerful documentary's subject in almost all aspects of her life from meeting the future King of England onwards, viewers have the luxury of choice. Working solely with archival materials, writer/director Ed Perkins (Tell Me Who I Am) doesn't lack in chances to demonstrate how distressing it was to be Diana, Princess of Wales — and the fact that his film can even exist also underscores that point. While both The Crown and Spencer have dramatised Diana's struggles with applauded results, The Princess tells the same tale as it was incessantly chronicled in the media between 1981–1997. The portrait that emanates from this collage of news footage, tabloid snaps and TV clips borders on dystopian. It's certainly disturbing. What kind tormented world gives rise to this type of treatment just because someone is famous? The one we all live in, sadly. Perkins begins The Princess with shaky visuals from late in August 1997, in Paris, when Diana and Dodi Fayed were fleeing the paparazzi on what would be the pair's last evening. The random voice behind the camera is excited at the crowds and commotion, not knowing how fatefully the night would end. That's telling, haunting and unsettling, and so is the clip that immediately follows. The filmmaker jumps back to 1981, to a then 19-year-old Diana being accosted as she steps into the street. Reporters demand answers on whether an engagement will be announced, as though extracting private details from a teenager because she's dating Prince Charles is a right. The Princess continues in the same fashion, with editors Jinx Godfrey (Chernobyl) and Daniel Lapira (The Boat) stitching together example after example of a woman forced to be a commodity and expected to be a spectacle, all to be devoured and consumed. Listing comparable moments within The Princess' riveting frames is easy; they snowball relentlessly into an avalanche. Indeed, after the film shows Charles and Diana's betrothal news and how it's received by the press and public, the media scrutiny directed Diana's way becomes the subject of a TV conversation. "I think it's going to be much easier. I think we're going to see a change in the attitude of the press. I think that now she's publicly one of the royal family, all this telephoto lens business will stop," a talking head from four decades back asserts — and it isn't merely the benefit of hindsight that makes that claim sound deeply preposterous. Later, Perkins features a soundbite from a paparazzo, which proves equally foolish, not to mention a cop-out. "All we do is take pictures. The decision to buy the pictures is taken by the picture editors of the world, and they buy the pictures so their readers can see them. So at the end of the day, the buck stops with the readers," the photographer contends. The Princess isn't here to simplistically and squarely blame the public, but it does let the material it assembles — and the fact that there's so much of it, and that nothing here is new or astonishing even for a second because it's already been seen before — speak for itself. What a story that all unfurls, and how, including pondering the line between mass fascination and being complicit. Perkins eschews contemporary interviews and any other method of providing recent context, and also makes plain what everyone watching already knows: that escaping Diana has been impossible for more than 40 years now, during her life and after her death a quarter-century ago as well, but it was always worse by several orders of magnitude for Diana herself. The expressions that flicker across her face over the years, evolving from shy and awkward to determined and anguished, don't just speak volumes but downright scream. In the audio samples overlaid on paparazzi shots and ceaseless news coverage, that's dissected, too, and rarely with kindness for the woman herself. Being sympathetic to royalty isn't a prerequisite for feeling perturbed by The Princess. Being a fan of The Crown or believing that Kristen Stewart deserved an Oscar for Spencer — which she did — isn't either. All that's required is empathy for anyone whose existence is stripped of choice, who is made to perform a certain role no matter what, who's saddled with onerous tasks that dismantle their agency and identity, and who gets torn to pieces whether they comply or rebel. That's a key reason why Diana's plight keeps resonating and always will. It's also why 'the People's Princess' label continues to echo. The latter was coined to describe her popularity and that feverish obsession, but it cannily cuts to the core of a heartbreaking truth: Diana attained a supposed fairytale but discovered that nothing in life is a dream, a realisation that couldn't be more relatable and universal. As well-established as the details are, the minutiae still spills out as The Princess progresses: the coupling primarily to provide an heir to the throne, the unsurprising distance in Diana and Charles' marriage, the persistent presence of Camilla Parker Bowles, several layers of envy, the 'Dianagate' tapes and the nation-stopping interviews all included (electricity surges during her 1995 tell-all chat with Martin Bashir, thanks to kettles boiling across Britain, are noted). Ignoring how the media kept shaping Diana's narrative would mean shutting your eyes and blocking your ears, even if the score by The Crown's Martin Phipps didn't maximise the tension. Ignoring the parallels rippling through the royal camp today, in the way that Meghan Markle has been treated by the media, is similarly out of the question. It isn't by accident that Perkins lingers on a young Prince Harry at his mother's funeral to wrap the movie up, after all. The Princess' approach isn't new, either. It's effective, though. And, as the same style proved in recent Australian docos The Final Quarter and Strong Female Lead — films that used archival footage to explore how perceptions are manufactured by the press as well — it's nothing short of damning about media practices and the audience hunger they think they're satisfying. Those two features explored how AFL star Adam Goodes was regarded in the twilight of his career, and how the fourth estate surveyed Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard while she was in the nation's top job. They dived into the self-fuelling cycle that stems from predatory coverage and the public's responses, one feeding the other and vice versa. Sound familiar? Watching both alongside The Princess would make for grim and harrowing viewing — essential viewing, too, particularly in a world that shows so few signs of changing.
The 2018 Alliance Française French Film Festival might be one year short of a major milestone, but the Gallic cinema showcase is still celebrating its 29th iteration in style. As always, that means a feast of films is on the agenda at the crowd-drawing and -pleasing annual event — 47 features, two documentaries and one televisions series, in fact. Touring the country from February 27, starting in Sydney before heading to Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart, Adelaide, Parramatta and Casula, this year's AFFFF will bookend its program with amusement. The festival kicks off with comedy C'est la vie! from The Intouchables duo Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache, before coming to a close with rom-com 50 Is the New 30. In-between, everything from acclaimed efforts to star-studded dramas to the latest work from master directors will grace cinema screens around Australia, celebrating the best in French film from the past 12 months. Sitting high amongst the highlights are the AIDS activism-focused BPM and the Juliette Binoche-starring Let the Sunshine In, which will both receive a nation-wide run after screening at last year's Melbourne International Film Festival. In the high-profile camp, they're joined by a Marion Cotillard double, with the acclaimed actress featuring in last year's Cannes opening night pick Ismael's Ghosts and comedy Rock'n Roll; romantic drama The Return of the Hero with Mélanie Laurent and The Artist Oscar-winner Jean Dujardin; Isabelle Huppert in coming-of-age effort Reinventing Marvin; and Gael Garcia Bernal in If You Saw His Heart. Or fans of prominent French filmmakers can get their fix courtesy of François Ozon's Double Lover and Xavier Beauvois' The Guardians, marking the latest flicks from the respective directors of Frantz and Of Gods and Men. The Artist's Michel Hazanavicius tackles an icon, turning the life of Jean-Luc Godard into Redoubtable, while Laurent Cantet jumps from 2008 Palme d'Or-winner The Class to thriller The Workshop. Elsewhere, actor-director Mathieu Amalric helms and features in Barbara, about an actress starring in a biopic about a famed chanteuse. AFFFF 2018 will also shine a spotlight on queer cinema for the first time, to celebrate marriage equality, and also include its usual selection of family-friendly fare for younger cinephiles. And, for those keen on catching some TV on the big screen, three episodes of Paris, Etc will whisk you away to the French capital, following the lives and loves of Parisian women.
