Since mid-October, New Zealanders have been able to visit some Australian states as part of a one-way travel bubble. In just a couple of months, Australians might also be able to hop across the Tasman, with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announcing that the NZ Cabinet had agreed to establishing a two-way bubble from early 2021. At a post-Cabinet press conference today, Monday, December 14, the NZ Prime Minister said the Cabinet had agreed "in principle" to a travel bubble with Australia in the first quarter of 2021, pending confirmation from the Australian Government and "no significant changes in the circumstances of either country". Over the weekend, a quarantine-free travel bubble free between New Zealand and the Cook Islands was announced, which is set to come into place before the bubble with Australia. The NZ Prime Minister revealed a starting date for both would announced in the New Year "once remaining details are locked down". At present, New Zealand travellers are allowed to visit all Australian states and territories, apart from WA, without quarantining on arrival — but, because the bubble is only one way at present, they must enter 14 days of managed isolation on return to NZ and pay for it. While the details are yet to be finalised, it's great news for those who've been dreaming of overseas holidays since the pandemic began. You can start slowing planning your first international jaunt, too — we've rounded up some of our favourite glamping sites, wineries, sights and restaurants in NZ over here. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. To find out more about the virus and travel restrictions in New Zealand, head over to the NZ Government's COVID-19 hub.
When the National Gallery of Victoria dedicates its blockbuster summer or winter exhibitions to big fashion names, one word usually applies no matter which designer is in the spotlight: stunning. It was true back in 2022 when the Melbourne venue turned its focus to Alexander McQueen, for instance, and also in 2021 when it did the same with Gabrielle Chanel. Expect the same across the summer of 2025–26 — it's Vivienne Westwood's time to shine, plus Rei Kawakubo from Comme des Garçons' moment as well. Displaying at NGV International across Sunday, December 7, 2025–Sunday, April 19, 2026, Westwood | Kawakubo is both an Australian and a world first, pairing pieces by both the British talent and the Japanese designer in one massive showcase. No matter which of the duo's works you're looking at, you'll be revelling in rule-breaking, status quo-subverting threads. Some helped define the fashion of the punk movement in the 70s. Others have earned the world's attention at the Met Gala. In-between, items donned by supermodels, seen in films and from collections worn by plenty of well-known names feature. [caption id="attachment_1011671" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rhianna wearing Comme des Garçons, Tokyo (fashion house), Rei Kawakubo (designer) at The Met Gala, 2017. Photo © Francois Durand via Getty Images.[/caption] In total, more than 140 designs are gracing the NGV. To assemble such a wide range, the gallery has sourced pieces from New York's Metropolitan Museum, The Victoria & Albert Museum, Palais Galliera and the Vivienne Westwood archive, plus its own collection. Over 40 works are new gifts to the gallery from Comme des Garçons especially for Westwood | Kawakubo, as chosen by Kawakubo. Among the full lineup of items: punk ensembles made famous by The Sex Pistols and Siousie Sioux, the wedding gown that Sarah Jessica Parker (And Just Like That...) wore in Sex and the City: The Movie and the tartan dress that Kate Moss stepped into in Westwood's Anglomania collection in the mid 90s — and also a version of Rihanna's petal-heavy 2017 Met Gala outfit, plus pieces from collections that Lady Gaga and Tracee Ellis Ross (Black Mirror) have sported. Westwood | Kawakubo spans from taffeta to tweed, vinyl and leather to silk, and corsetry to ruffles and knitwear, then — and much beyond. The exhibition is designed to step through Westwood and Kawakubo's careers across five thematic strands, including the former's punk-era work and the influence of the movement on the latter, their shared needs to rebel against the norm, how the two women have looked either forward or back in their pieces, eschewing objectification and using fashion to make a statement. [caption id="attachment_1011673" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Vivienne Westwood, London (fashion house), Vivienne Westwood (designer) Look 49, from the Anglomania collection, autumn–winter 1993–94. Le Cercle Républicain, Paris, March 1993. Photo © firstVIEW. Model: Kate Moss.[/caption] Top image: excerpt of Vivienne Westwood, London (fashion house), Vivienne Westwood (designer) Look 49, from the Anglomania collection, autumn–winter 1993–94. Le Cercle Républicain, Paris, March 1993. Photo © firstVIEW. Model: Kate Moss.
Over the past decade, Disney has made a hefty commitment to remaking its animated classics as live-action movies, as seen via the two Alice in Wonderland films, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Dumbo and Aladdin, to name a few. The next to get the same treatment is 101 Dalmatians, and the Mouse House is going with the same approach it used with the Maleficent flicks. Yes, there'll be spotted dogs in Cruella, but this Emma Stone-starring spinoff is all about its villainous namesake. Set to release in May — and currently slated for cinemas, rather than making the move to Disney+ like Mulan did last year — Cruella focuses on Estella de Vil before she becomes the puppy-kidnapping figure that everyone already knows. It's the 70s, she's in London, and she's an outcast and a grifter. Estella is also desperate to become a fashion designer, and draws the attention of industry veteran Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson, Last Christmas) as she attempts to make her way into haute couture's upper echelons. Obviously, Estella's relationship with the Baroness isn't going to end well. Even if you only have the faintest memories of 101 Dalmatians, Estella clearly has to morph into that tale's antagonist. And, based on both the first trailer for Cruella back in February and the just-released sneak peek now, she's going to do so in a movie that seems to have seen what Joker did — including the fact that it won Joaquin Phoenix an Oscar — and decided that's a good model to run with. As well as Stone, her two-tone hair and striking outfits — and Thompson, too — Cruella features Richard Jewell's Paul Walter Hauser, Outside the Wire's Emily Beacham, Yesterday's Joel Fry, The Good Place's Kirby Howell Baptiste and 1917's Mark Strong. The film marks a reunion between Hauser and director Craig Gillespie, after they worked together on I, Tonya, while the script is co-written by Isn't It Romantic's Dana Fox and The Great's Tony McNamara. If a live-action version of Cruella de Vil sounds familiar, that's because Disney has done it before. Back in 1996, Glenn Close took on the role in 101 Dalmatians, and then sported a heap of black and white again in 2000 sequel 102 Dalmatians. So, never one to leave its past works alone for too long, the Mouse House is following in its own footsteps in multiple ways with Cruella. Check out the latest trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40E7nrtAgdg Cruella releases in Australian and New Zealand cinemas on May 27. Top image: © 2021 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
UK singer-songwriter Olivia Dean will make her ARIA Awards debut in Sydney this November, performing live just one day before a special headline show. ARIA confirmed the news today, announcing that Dean will take the stage at the Hordern Pavilion on Wednesday, November 19. The London-born artist will stick around for a one-off Sydney gig the following evening, before returning in 2026 for a full arena tour. "I love Australia and I'm so excited to perform at the 2025 ARIA Awards," Dean said in a statement. "This will be my first time at the awards ceremony, it's going to be lots of fun!" The announcement follows the release of Dean's sophomore album The Art of Loving, which dropped last week and is already climbing the ARIA charts. Its third single, 'Man I Need,' is sitting at #2 on the Singles chart and is tipped to go Platinum within a fortnight. This year's ARIA Awards are shaping up to be a big one, with Ninajirachi, Dom Dolla and RÜFÜS DU SOL among the top nominees. The ceremony will stream live on Paramount+ and air on Channel 10. Check out the full list of ARIA Award nominees. Images: Getty
Have you ever looked at Sydney Tower, the Harbour City's tallest structure, and wondered what it'd look like with 40-kilometre-long laser beams shooting out of it? When Vivid Sydney arrives for 2024, you'll no longer need to just ponder that question. The answer comes via Global Rainbow, which will project a fan of light from the tower courtesy of US artist Yvette Mattern. Vivid always boasts light installations and openair art as one of its key pillars, but the annual festival just might outdo itself with this year's display in the heavens. Across 23 nights between Friday, May 24–Saturday, June 15, in what marks the event's 14th year, Vivid has a plethora of other ways to liven up the New South Wales capital on its just-revealed 2024 lineup. Whether you'd like to hear tunes by Air, Budjerah and Yasiin Bey, or see artwork by Archibald Prize winner Julia Gutman on the Sydney Opera House's sails, or feast your way through a night food market, you'll be catered for at the winter showcase of music, luminous sights, culinary events and conversation. The theme: humanity. "Humanity is at the core of everything we do, and this year Vivid Sydney is diving deep into what makes us uniquely human," said Vivid Sydney Festival Director Gill Minervini. "We have curated a diverse program that explores the human spirit, designed to foster connections, spark imagination and showcase the multitude of ways creativity enriches our lives. Everyone is invited to be part of this global event in the world's most beautiful city to connect, create and celebrate." The Vivid Light program doesn't just include lengthy lasers and Gutman's Echo, but also the return of Lightscape to the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney so you'll be able to mosey through lit-up leafiness again. Plus, Reg Mombassa is turning the Customs House facade into a tribute to Aussie road trips, while Guan Wei's works will deck out the Museum of Contemporary Art's exterior. Our Connected City will light up the Sydney Harbour Bridge, as well as The Rocks, Circular Quay, the Sydney Opera House and a range of buildings in the CBD. If you head to Barangaroo, you'll be able to see two dazzling displays. First, the Stargazer Lawn will welcome a circular projection of the brolga's mating dance called Nest from Leila Jeffreys and Melvin J Montalba. Also, Sinclair Park's Stateless will get 4000 solar-powered LED candles glowing amid the sandstone blocks at Barangaroo Reserve. Vivid Music, the fest's music festival within the broader festival, is anchored by a heap of must-see gigs at the Sydney Opera House — French favourites Air celebrating their 1998 debut album Moon Safari chief among them. After playing Vivid 2019, Underworld are back to bust out 'Born Slippy (Nuxx)' again at more Australian-exclusive shows. Arca, Sky Ferreira, Fever Ray, Snoh Aalegra, Devonté Hynes with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra: they're all on the bill, too, as are parties from House of Mince, Mad Racket and Astral People. Budjerah is one of the highlights on Tumbalong Nights' free lineup, which also features grentperez, Mallrat, sunwoojunga and Silica Gel. And Yasiin Bey, who was formerly known as Mos Def, has a two-night stint at Carriageworks, where he'll work through his tunes and influences. Other standouts on the music program include working the Machine Hall Precinct into the mix, which is where Deerhoof, Underscores, Jen Cloher, No Fixed Address and Ngulmiya will play — and where Trackwork, The Huxleys and CLUB 4A will throw shindigs. Mary's Underground will again host the Vivid Sydney Supper Club. Back at Carriageworks, the venue will welcome Tirzah, Yves Tumor, Electric Fields and X CLUB as well. At Vivid Food, Vivid Fire Kitchen will go all in on barbecue in its new location at The Goods Line. Vivid Residence and Vivid Chef Series will also be back, but with details still to be revealed. Kyiv Social's Plates with Purpose: A Taste of Ukraine is a ten-course degustation that will make you feel like you're sat at a Ukrainian family's table. And, don't miss the chance to hit up the VividPlace Food Trail, which'll turn Sydney Place and Bulletin Place's laneways into a night food market each night of Vivid. There's also Our Shared Humanity at Refettorio OzHarvest, with Christine Manfield, Darren Robertson, Mitch Orr and more whipping up three-course vegetarian menus using rescued produce — plus Aurorae at Bennelong Bar, Bennelong's pop-up snack and cocktail bar. Also, A Culinary Canvas by Danielle Alvarez celebrates women in the Australian food and wine scenes in Sydney Opera House's Yallamundi Rooms. [caption id="attachment_945243" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] If you're eager to dissect the current state of the world, that's where Vivid Ideas comes in — and, in 2024, After the Fact especially. It's a new nightly chat through the news cycle, with the panel of guests set to rotate, but keeping the topics up-to-the-minute the aim. Or, if you're keen to embrace Vivid's overarching theme, Golden Age of Humanity will feature Kylie Kwong, Kate McClymont and other influential Aussie introducing films that typify humanity to them over nine evenings. Plus, at AI Will Destroy Humanity: A Future Science Debate, what the future might hold for humankind gets a comic spin. Add in the participatory A THOUSAND WAYS: An Encounter by New York company 600 Highwaymen, the Kings Cross- and Darlinghurst-focused Sex Work: A legal and social history, and Say My Name: The Humanity of Names — which is all about monikers that are unfairly considered tricky — and there's much to get you thinking. Two other such chances: Window Dressing, with Liesel Badorrek getting audiences peering into folks' ordinary lives via eight windows in a Frank Gehry building on The Goods Line; and Shifting Perspectives, featuring dancers performing around 24 mirrored plinths. [caption id="attachment_945240" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shifting Perspectives, Saige Prime[/caption] Vivid Sydney runs from Friday, May 24–Saturday, June 15 at various locations around Sydney. Head to the festival website for further details and tickets. Top image: Destination NSW.
Hot on the heels of its Brisbane opening earlier this month, global hotel chain W Hotel has just announced that it'll be landing in Sydney's Darling Harbour in 2020. Set to become part of The Ribbon – a sleek new $730 million development designed by HASSEL architects and sitting on the former IMAX theatre site, which was demolished in late 2016 – W Sydney is promising, not just a hotel, but a luxury hideaway. As with every W Hotel, you can expect impeccably-designed futuristic spaces, eateries overseen by expert chefs, cocktails created by top-notch bartenders and collaborations with local artists, musicians and designers. One of W Sydney's drawcards — apart from its 593 rooms and suites spread across 25 storeys — will be a stunning pool deck, overlooking the water. Also in the plans are a signature spa, a ballroom and two bars, including a W Living Room with expansive glass walls and an extraordinary sound system. We don't know, quite yet, who'll be running the restaurant, but chances are it'll be some local legend, given that the Three Blue Ducks are in-house at W Brisbane. Sydney was previously home to a W Hotel on Woolloomooloo Wharf, but it was sold to the Taj Hotel Group in 2007, then again the Hind Group (the owners of Ovolo) in 2014. The new W Hotel is only one part of new The Ribbon development, which will also be home to serviced apartments, retail spaces and — potentially, most excitingly — a huge new IMAX theatre. W Sydney is slated to open in 2020 and will be Australia's third W Hotel, following Brisbane and Melbourne, which is also due to open in 2020. The brand is aiming to be 75-strong hotel worldwide within the next two years. W Hotel is a branch of Marriott International, the world's largest hotel group, which now owns 18 hotels across our nation.
There aren't many events where you can learn about crowdfunding, press freedom, investing, acting, pro surfing, science, the future, robotics, astronaut diets and New Zealand tourism all from the same lineup — and also about neuroscience, cyber intelligence, ethical leadership and sustainable food as well, and more. SXSW Sydney will present sessions on or featuring experts on them all when it returns for its third year. In its first lineup drop for 2025, the event has unveiled 40 of its speakers, also spanning topics such as quantum physics, the future of work and how the creative industries are evolving. GoFundMe CEO Tim Cadogan is one of the folks on the roster, taking to the stage between Monday, October 13–Sunday, October 19, 2025. So is former foreign correspondent Peter Greste, whose arrest and imprisonment in Egypt fuels new Australian film The Correspondent. Girls That Invest founder Simran Kaur, Crazy Rich Asians actor Remy Hii, former pro surfer and current World Surf League Commissioner Jessi Miley Dyer, Science Vs' Wendy Zukerman, Women's National Basketball League CEO Jennie Sager and Dr Karl Kruszelnicki are also among the initial names. There's not just more on the list now — ethical technologist Andi Mastrosavas, Silicon Valley Robotics' Andra Keay, neuroscientist Dr Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston, space nutrition expert Flávia Fayet-Moore, Black Excellence Fund co-founder Kyah Bell, Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive René de Monchy, actor Shuang Hu (Future Date), filmmaker Neil Sharma (Heartbreak High), screen producer Julie Eckersley (Erotic Stories) and The Conversation CEO Lisa Watts, for example — but more to follow. Among its 1600 sessions and events, 2025's SXSW Sydney will include over 400 conference sessions, alongside 150-plus professional development sessions. "You'll experience dynamic keynote sessions, powerhouse panel discussions and hands-on industry workshops that deliver practical skills you can apply immediately," said SXSW Sydney Head of Conference Fenella Kernebone about this first peek at 2025's program. [caption id="attachment_971190" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ian Laidlaw[/caption] "With a focus on innovation, leadership strategies and experience-driven learning, you'll gain fresh perspectives to help you implement meaningful change in your organisation. This first release of speakers is just the beginning — prepare to build an even more comprehensive toolkit as we announce many more industry leaders," Kernebone continued. After initially making leap to the Harbour City in 2023, then returning in 2024, this annual massive music, technology, screen and gaming festival will also boast more than 300 gigs, 95 film screenings and 150 games on its 2025 bill. Those program details haven't yet been revealed; however, once SXSW Sydney starts dropping announcements for the year, as it has now, they keep coming right up until the event takes place. [caption id="attachment_971189" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paul McMillan[/caption] Already in 2025, the fest has advised a number changes, all designed to give more people more reasons to head along. One: additional free programming. Another: more flexibility with ticketing. On the fest's Sunday date this year, for instance, Darling Harbour will become a hub of family-friendly entertainment. Fancy hitting up the Innovation Expo without bothering your wallet? That'll now be on offer on the Saturday. As for ticketing, the single-day conference pass will set you back $295 and get you access to more than 75 sessions. The full-week pass to the conference and festival starts at $495. Plus, for movie lovers who you just want to see one flick, you can now do so for $25. SXSW Sydney's festival wristbands are back, though, giving access to either the screen, music or games showcases. [caption id="attachment_953712" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jaimi Joy[/caption] [caption id="attachment_923316" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paul McMillan[/caption] [caption id="attachment_923287" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for SXSW Sydney[/caption] [caption id="attachment_923288" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for SXSW Sydney[/caption] [caption id="attachment_967878" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jaimi Joy[/caption] SXSW Sydney 2025 will run from Monday, October 13–Sunday, October 19 at various Sydney venues. Head to the SXSW Sydney website for further details. Top image: Nina Franova/Getty Images for SXSW Sydney.
Maybe it was a breakfast staple, sipped as a chaser after a couple of pieces of toast. Perhaps heading home from school, scooping as many spoonfuls as you could into a tall glass of milk and watching whatever was on the ABC was a dedicated part of your daily routine. Either way, if you grew up in Australia, odds are that Milo played a significant role in your childhood — cold, hot, stirred in, left sitting on top or however else you like. Milo makes everything better. Still indulging the odd glass, piled high with that delicious choc-malt powder, now you're an adult? Have a soft spot for a warm Milo on a freezing day? You're not alone. Come the end of July, here's another way to get your Milo fix: via the new, soon-to-release Milo KitKats. Yes, it's a case of one childhood fave joining forces with another — and trust KitKat, the brand known for oh-so-many wild and delightful flavours in Japan (cough drop KitKats, anyone?) to be behind it. The Milo KitKats will indeed combine the former's choc-malt goodness, via a fudge in fact, with the latter's wafers and chocolates. Three varieties are on their way, too: a regular four-finger KitKat filled with Milo, a KitKat Chunky filled with Milo (both retailing at $2 each), and a big KitKat block also packed with Milo ($5). If you can remember the old Milo chocolates that were sold up until the early 2000s — which were basically condensed bars of Milo covered in chocolate — then your tastebuds are probably already watering. For Milo and KitKat lovers that simply can't wait, you can pre-order the new collaboration online now, too. Obviously, you know what to drink with them: a regular ol' Milo, of course, with as much or as little of the good stuff as you prefer. KitKat's Milo bars will hit store shelves from late July, retailing at $2 per bar and $5 per block — or you can pre-order them online in advance.
The dusty expanse of a post-apocalyptic world. Life before everything changed forever. Bunker existence. Giant robotic suits. All of the above are set to feature in Fallout season two — as they did in the show's first season — and Prime Video has just dropped a series of first-look images to give viewers a glimpse at what's in store. After premiering in 2024 and becoming one of the platform's top-three most-watched shows ever, notching up more than 100-million viewers globally, the game-to-screen hit is returning for its second season in December 2025. There's no exact release date yet, and there isn't a trailer so far either, but you can get a peek via the new pictures from upcoming episodes. Yes, this is a blast — as was the news earlier in 2025 that Fallout has already been renewed for a third season. Clearly, if you bring a massively beloved video game to TV in the right way, as season one did, then viewers will come flocking. We all know that that worked for The Last of Us as well, with its second season already airing this year and a third also in the works. For season two of Fallout, audiences can look forward not only to picking up where season one's finale left off, but to venturing through the Mojave wasteland to New Vegas — and to more time spent with stars Ella Purnell (Yellowjackets), Walton Goggins (The White Lotus) and Aaron Moten (Emancipation) as Lucy, The Ghoul and Maximus, respectively. When it dropped its initial eight episodes in 2024, Fallout took its cues from the games that first debuted on computers back in 1997, with three released sequels, a fourth on the way and seven spinoffs all following. The live-action television iteration follows Lucy, a lifelong vault-dweller, who leaves her cosy underground digs to navigate the irradiated wasteland that earth has remained for two centuries after the nuclear apocalypse. Crossing her path: bounty hunter The Ghoul, who has ties to life before the devastation; and Maximus, an aspiring soldier with the Brotherhood of Steel, who don those huge mechanical outfits. In this nightmarish future, a hellscape filled with mutants, wild west vibes and plenty of violence awaits beyond the bunker that the optimistic Lucy, daughter of Hank (Kyle MacLachlan, Overcompensating), who oversees Vault 33, has always called home. Bringing the chaos to life is a behind-the-scenes team featuring Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, as well as Geneva Robertson-Dworet (Captain Marvel) and Graham Wagner (Silicon Valley) as writers and co-showrunners. And yes, Bethesda Game Studios has a hand in it as well. There's no trailer for Fallout season two yet, but you can check out the trailer for season one below: Fallout streams via Prime Video. Season two will arrive in December 2025 — we'll update you with an exact release date when one is announced. Read our review of season one, and our interview with Walton Goggins, Ella Purnell and Aaron Moten. Images: courtesy of Prime Video.
The Tinder trawl just got a little more rom-com; brand new dating app Happn aims to take your missed Meet Cutes and turn them into potential dates. Using the GPS function on your phone, Happn encourages you to "find the people you've crossed paths with" in an attempt at fast-tracked 'romance'. If you've ever wondered if the babe in the cereal aisle was giving you the eyeball, now you can check without risking an ego-shattering diss. Invented by three Frenchmen (growth hacker Fabien Cohen, entrepeneur Didier Rappaport and computer engineer Antony Cohen), Happn is generating serious buzz in Europe with its cut-to-the-chase hook up philosophy. While Tinder's flick left or right mechanism is undoubtedly based on looks, lack of Southern Cross tattoos and inclusion of Distracting Hot Friends in profile pics, Tinder also brings up shared interests (if you both like Game of Thrones on Facebook, it'll show up so there's something to talk about rather than "Sup, wanna bang?"). Happn leaves this behind in favour of distance to dates. If you're within 250 metres of each other, Happn uses your phone's GPS to flag your potential romance-o-meter. Of course, your mystery spunk has to have Happn installed on their phone too (so you might be waiting a while to hear from your eyelash-battering stranger if they ain't connected). The timeline shows you the profiles of all the people you’ve crossed paths with, in real-time. Every time you come across someone in real life, their profile appears on your app. Passing someone in the supermarket aisle just got a little more loaded. Happn's sole philosophy is based around celebrating coincedence, "boosting luck" and saving you from "missed connections." But although it sounds simultaneously romantic and an easy carnal escapade, the whole GPS situation is creeping some of us out. Importantly, your position on Happn isn't saved and remains completely invisible to other members — the coordinates of where you passed another Happn user is the only thing registered; the bus stop where That Guy hopped on, the record store where you noticed Her in the hip hop section, the park where your terrier 'accidentally' found itself off leash and headed toward a swoonworthy husky owner. But what of unwanted attention from creepos using technology to be predatory, like many, many creepos tend to do? "The app is designed to guarantee the safety of all users and the confidentiality of their data," say the Happn team. "You can decide at any given time that a profile doesn’t interest you anymore; you’ll never cross paths with each other on Happn again, and they’ll never know. Also, you can report any unwanted behaviour or block a profile by clicking on the little flag at the bottom of every profile." Avoid the creeps, follow up your Meet Cute and let us know where the reception's at. You can download Happn in the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Via Guardian.
Two comebacks are better than one, which is exactly what Tyla Dombroski and Trad Nathan have delivered at 711 Ann Street in Fortitude Valley. As The Zoo, that address was home to a legendary piece of the city's live music history for 32 years, until it closed its doors in July 2024. Thankfully, the team behind fellow venue Crowbar snapped up the lease — so as well as ensuring that tunes still echo from this beloved location, the Crowbar brand has made its Brisbane return. If you were heartbroken and couldn't imagine the city's music scene without one of its most-famous places when The Zoo bid farewell, that was understandable — its influence was that big. It was back in October 2024 that news arrived that Crowbar would be taking over, ensuring that the pivotal spot wouldn't be empty, or silent, for long. The reborn venue has been welcoming punters in since late last year, and currently boasts a pack slate of gigs for 2025 featuring everyone from The Runaways great Cherie Currie through to Guitar Wolf and Shihad. Dombroski and Nathan know what it's like to have to shut one of the city's favourite hangouts — and now they've saved the day at The Zoo. 2024 marked four years since Crowbar said goodbye in the River City, where it initially launched in 2012 before expanding to Sydney in 2018, due to the impact of the pandemic. Luckily that absence was relatively short-lived. "The Zoo has been an institution in Brisbane for over three decades. Crowbar intends to honour the amazing path laid before us and continue offering great events for years to come," said Nathan back when its return was announced. "As a former punter, band member, booker and promoter, playing The Zoo was a great achievement for aspiring bands — we're excited to be able to keep music within its walls." "We are so grateful to have the opportunity to work with the landlords, the Apostolos family, in maintaining the property as a live music venue. Our focus is to continue providing a great space for artists and music lovers, while working with industry and government to ensure the survival of grassroots venues across Australia," added Dombroski. In its new location, Crowbar Brisbane 2.0 includes an American-inspired, smashed burger-slinging menu from eatery Ultimate Pig, where fried chicken, barbecue and more are on offer — think: brisket-stacked burgs, buffalo wings, house-smoked pulled pork, mac 'n' cheese and loaded fries, for instance — plus a rebrand by Melbourne artist Callum Preston, who has also done the same for Crowbar Sydney. The Zoo's 32-year run saw it host gigs by local favourites such as Resin Dogs and Screamfeeder, Aussie greats like Nick Cave and Silverchair, and international acts including The Pixies and The Black Keys — and plenty more in-between. The team behind the venue closed it down due to "rising operational costs and decreasing returns". "Sadly, the financial reality of keeping music venues afloat in 2024 is all too stark. The Zoo reached its highest ticket sales in its 32-year history last year, yet this was still not enough to combat rising operational costs and decreasing returns," The Zoo crew advised when they broke the news. Find Crowbar Brisbane at 711 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley — open 11am–5pm and 7pm–12am Thursday and Sunday, and 11am–5pm and 7pm–3am Friday–Saturday. Head to the venue's website for tickets and more details.
When the first motion pictures flickered across the big screen 120-plus years ago, audiences were reportedly scared. The line between truth, embellishment and fiction has become muddled over time, but the idea viewers were astonished and startled when they watched the Lumière brothers' famous The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station makes one hell of an urban legend. That was back in 1896. As we know all these years later, cinema hasn't stopped causing bumps and jumps since. The world's first horror film is thought to have released the same year — Georges Méliès' three-minute short called The House of the Devil — and plenty of folks have taken his lead afterwards. Today, that means horror's on-screen cup truly runneth over. Thanks to streaming, a wealth of unnerving flicks linger at everyone's fingertips. If you prefer celebrating Halloween by dimming the lights, popping some corn and getting cosy on the couch for a marathon of unsettling movies, we've put together ten classic recommendations — from creepy vampire films that are almost a century old to more modern must-sees. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hQ40cI5C0E NEAR DARK Before she took Keanu Reeves surfing in Point Break, tasked Jeremy Renner with defusing bombs in The Hurt Locker and dramatised the international manhunt for Osama bin Laden in Zero Dark Thirty — and before she became the first woman to win the Best Director Oscar, too — Kathryn Bigelow sunk her teeth into the vampire genre. Near Dark, her 1987 sophomore film, takes elements of the western genre, throws in a clan of roving bloodsuckers and lets atmospheric horror thrills ensue. Bigelow's work has always been lean but weighty, and her dance with the fanged undead is no different. In fact, it's a flat-out vamp classic. Near Dark is available to stream on SBS On Demand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX5SG_2n4sM TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME As 2017's Twin Peaks revival proved, no one conjures up unsettling imagery quite like David Lynch. He's been thrusting eerie visuals out into the world since 1977's Eraserhead — but if you like your Lynchian unease with some damn fine coffee and a slice of cherry pie, there's nothing better than 1992's Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. Set in the lead-up to Laura Palmer's (Sheryl Lee) death, the prequel flick burrows deep into the sinister forces at play. It's a movie of sheer dread, even though viewers know what's going to happen. As only he can, Lynch steeps every frame in the pain, terror and suffering of his doomed protagonist, all while baking in his usual surrealist touches. No wonder it lingers long after watching, like the two seasons of Twin Peaks before it and the belated third season that followed 25 years later. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me is available to stream on Stan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyW5YXDcIGs THE EXORCIST Back in 1973, the horror genre was possessed — and it has never truly recovered. That's not a criticism; The Exorcist is a landmark piece of spine-tingling cinema, with William Friedkin's film leaving a heavy imprint on everything that's followed. It even became the first horror flick to score an Oscar nomination for Best Picture, a feat that's still much more rare than it should be. When a movie spends the bulk of its time with a 12-year-old girl (Linda Blair) whose body has been overtaken by a demon, as well as with the two priests (Max von Sydow and Jason Miller) trying to cast the devil out and save her soul, it's going to make an impact. The fact that the film was based on a William Peter Blatty novel inspired by real-life exorcisms also helped, as did Friedkin's handling of Blatty's script, which gives the supernatural details a raw, visceral feel. The Exorcist is available to stream on Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-daIHTY4NQ BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER How funky is your chicken? How loose is your goose? And, to keep the questions going, how well do you remember the original Buffy? Before Sarah Michelle Gellar stepped into her shoes in the cult TV show, everyone's favourite vampire slayer shouted the above cheers, took guidance from Donald Sutherland, battled Rutger Hauer and romanced Luke Perry in the 1992 big-screen comedy. The Joss Whedon-scripted flick still takes its premise seriously, but there's a looser vibe to the movie than the television series. And a thoroughly early 90s vibe, as well. While you're enjoying the undead-killing antics, keep an eye out for everyone from Hilary Swank to Thomas Jane and Ben Affleck among the cast, too. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is available to stream on Foxtel Now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmvQ_ii42mc HALLOWEEN This time last year, the latest Halloween film hit cinemas. In 2020 and 2021, sequels Halloween Kills and then Halloween Ends will reach the big-screen in late October. But, when it comes to the absolutely best franchise for this time of year, 2019 is unfortunately an anomaly. While Michael Myers isn't terrorising a theatre near you at this very moment, John Carpenter's original 1979 flick is always worth revisiting — in the slasher-thriller realm, it's an utter masterclass. From Jamie Lee Curtis' pitch-perfect performance as formidable babysitter Laurie Strode, to the pervasive air of unease looming over suburbia and Carpenter's own exceptionally unnerving score, the original Halloween is both supremely scary and sublime. Halloween is available to stream from the Apple Store. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJew_11l6n8 HOUSEBOUND Scaring cinemagoers while simultaneously making them laugh isn't as easy as it might sound. Plenty of films call themselves horror-comedies, but they're usually just comedies with horror theming — and they're about as sinister as clown without makeup. While 2014 New Zealand picture Housebound falls into the tried-and-tested sub-genre that is haunted house flicks, writer/director Gerard Johnstone finds the ideal balance between spooks and giggles, all by following a small-time criminal placed on house arrest. Kylie (Morgana O'Reilly) would rather be anywhere but stuck at home for eight months with her mother (Rima Te Wiata); however she soon discovers that they have company in a movie that serves up jumps and chuckles in tandem. Housebound is available to stream on SBS On Demand and Tubi. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NOipA99GxY NOSFERATU It's the best Dracula film that doesn't actually mention the word "Dracula". In fact, when FW Murnau adapted Bram Stoker's gothic classic in 1922 without getting permission to do so, a court ordered that the movie be destroyed. Thankfully, a few prints survived, which is how we can still soak in the wonders of Nosferatu. Even with a few changes (the famed bloodsucker is now called Count Orlock, for example) the story lures viewers in, but it's not just the plot that's captivating. As proves the case with all German Expressionist cinema from the 1920s, it's how the tale is told in a visual sense that makes an enormous impact. Also significant today, almost a century later, is how free Nosferatu is from everything that's since become a vampire cliche — with the film cutting to the heart of Stoker's disquieting narrative instead. Nosferatu is available to stream on Tubi. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyWuHv2-Abk TRAIN TO BUSAN Forget Snakes on a Plane — if you want to see what happens when something scary is let loose in a confined space, but you don't want to cringe the whole time, opt for zombies on a train instead. Yeon Sang-ho's instant classic doesn't use the obvious moniker; however this frenetic thrill ride definitely fits the description. It's far, far better than that simplistic outline might seem to suggest, though. As well as forcing a father (Gong Yoo) and daughter (Kim Su-an) to fend off the shuffling hordes while they're in mid-transit, and fleshing its protagonists out more than most zombie flicks manage, Train to Busan also paints a probing picture of modern-day South Korean society. It's part of a franchise, too, with animated prequel Seoul Station exploring another aspect of the outbreak, and a sequel is also in the works. Train to Busan is available to stream on Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWin2LZkvrA THE CRAFT Is a horror classic really a horror classic if it hasn't spawned a remake? In The Craft's case, no one will need to ponder this question for much longer. A new version is currently in the works, but that doesn't mean that the 90s original is going anywhere — and if you like your retro horror fun packaged with teen goth witches, then you'll always want to go back to where it all began. Starring Neve Campbell, Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk and Rachel True, the 1996 hit charts the fallout when a group of high-schoolers start messing around with the occult and using it to rule the school. It owes a significant debt to Heathers, just with added witches, but The Craft still casts its own enjoyable spell. The Craft is available to stream on on Google Play. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7hLdktC_jY THE STUFF If you ever come across a gooey substance on the ground, don't eat it. Things don't turn out well when this exact scenario happens in 1985 satirical horror/sci-fi The Stuff — especially after the titular substance is sold in supermarkets, marketed as being calorie-free and starts a huge food craze. Where it goes from there is best discovered by watching, but don't expect anything in the way of subtlety or realism. Larry Cohen sits in the director's chair, and this is the kind of playful horror fun that the prolific B-movie filmmaker was known for. Everyone needs their spooks with a dose of silliness now and then, after all. The Stuff is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
The quest of Neil Young to revive the magic that has been squeezed out of digital music has now been realised with the launch of his portal listening device and digital music service called Pono [meaning righteous in Hawaiian]. Young has been working on the service and music player for last several years, chasing the goal of restoring music to its original artistic quality – as it was in the studio. The 128GB triangular, touchscreen gadget named PonoPlayer makes use of zero-feedback circuitry, a minimum phase digital filter and a whole lot of other technical stuff to eliminate the “unnatural pre-ringing” that can often be heard on digital tracks. The PonoPlayer comes alongside the online music store PonoMusic.com , which will offer downloads of songs formatted from artist-approved master recordings. Young officially launched both products at the South by Southwest music conference in Austin, Texas with a Kickstarter campaign complete with video endorsements from a plethora of music stars and offering preorders of the PonoPlayer at a discounted price. Pledgers are given the option to purchase a special edition “Artist Signature Series” PonoPlayer with autographs from the likes of Young himself, Arcade Fire, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, as well as being pre-loaded with the artist’s all-time favorite two albums. Just don't ask Mr Young about what cut he gets, things will just get awkward.
When Tenacious D return to Australian and New Zealand stages in winter 2024, it won't just be a tribute — it'll be the real two-man comedy rock group, aka Jack Black and Kyle Gass, performing their first Down Under shows since 2013. The duo has announced July dates in seven cities, playing arenas as part of their The Spicy Meatball tour fresh from sellout gigs in the US, UK and Europe in 2023. In the 11 years since Tenacious D last took to the stage Down Under, plenty has happened, including for Black and Gass. Black's acting resume has added everything from Goosebumps and two Jumanji movies to Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, voice work on Rick and Morty and lending his vocals to Bowser in The Super Mario Bros Movie. Gass popped up in Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Hacks. And in 2018, the band released their fourth studio album Post-Apocalypto. [caption id="attachment_939746" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Now, the Grammy-winning pair, which first came together in the 90s as theatre students in Los Angeles, has locked in dates in Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide in Australia — plus Wellington and Auckland in Aotearoa. Expect tickets to go quickly if the overseas response is any guide. In London alone, Tenacious D's O2 show was all snapped up the week that it was announced. [caption id="attachment_939740" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Travis Shinn[/caption] From not just their latest record, but also Tenacious D's self-titled 2001 debut, 2006's The Pick of Destiny — the soundtrack to the film of the same name — and 2012's Rize of the Fenix, attendees will hear 'Wonderboy', 'Tribute', 'Kickapoo', 'Low Hangin' Fruit' and more get a spin. Also on the band's current setlist: 2023's 'Video Games', the group's first single in five years, and their cover of Chris Isaak's 'Wicked Game'. They've been busting out Thin Lizzy's 'Jailbreak', Gerry Rafferty's 'Baker Street' and Led Zeppelin's 'Good Times Bad Times', too — but not The Super Mario Bros Movie's 'Peaches'. Tenacious D The Spicy Meatball Australia and New Zealand Tour 2024 Dates: Sunday, July 14 — ICC Sydney Theatre, Sydney Tuesday, July 16 — Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Newcastle Thursday, July 18 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Saturday, July 20 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Monday, July 22 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide Wednesday, July 24 — TSB Arena, Wellington Friday, July 26 — Spark Arena, Auckland Tenacious D are touring Australia and New Zealand in July 2024, with ticket presales from 9am AEDT on Wednesday, February 7 and general sales from 12pm local time on Friday, February 9 — head to the tour website for further details. Top image: Sven Mandel via Wikimedia Commons.
No trip to Japan is complete without introducing your tastebuds to the country's creative array of KitKats, which span everything from pumpkin, wasabi and sake to cough drop-flavoured versions. If you're making the visit from the end of September 2019 onwards, your chocolate-eating quest will now double as a change to enjoy a spot of origami, too — and will be much more environmentally friendly as well. Nestlé Japan has announced that it's changing the packaging on local KitKat products, swapping from plastic to paper wrappers. At first, it'll make the change with the outer packaging on share packs, with five flavours (including regular, matcha and dark matcha) affected. By September 2020, the company plans to do the same for all of its large bags, before replacing all individual wrappers in 2021. With the switch to paper, Nestlé Japan is also making the obvious connection, including origami instructions on the new packaging. Now, when you've finished with your sweet treat, you can fashion the wrapper into a crane — and again a colourful keepsake. The move comes as part of Nestlé's worldwide efforts to ensure that 100-percent of its packaging is recyclable or re-usable by 2025, a plan that it announced last year. While KitKats are sold in more than 80 countries worldwide, just when the packaging might change elsewhere — and if it'll entice chocolate fiends to turn their used wrappers into origami — is yet to be revealed. Images: Nestlé Japan.
When a massive revamp was announced for Portside Wharf back in 2022, Brisbanites started looking forward to more dining options, new eateries and expanded outdoor seating. The makeover is still ongoing, but this refresh has been delivering since 2023. Seafood restaurant Fosh, pastry haven Rise Bakery, ice cream spot Rosé Gelateria, grilled-skewer chain Birds Nest Yakitori, gastropub Portside Social, sports bar The Ballpark Portside and the burger-slinging Dumbo have all opened their doors already. There's more still to come — and, among the Hamilton precinct's mainstays, Byblós Brisbane is also undergoing a huge revamp. By the time that October 2024 is out — bookings are currently open for Thursday, October 24, onwards — Portside's riverside Lebanese restaurant will look a whole lot different. Byblós launched its Hamilton digs 18 years ago. When it reopens, it'll do so with a new focus on contemporary Lebanese cuisine, plus a reimagined design. Indoors, expect an open dining and bar area, complete with dining booths and private nooks. If you're keen to eat and drink outside, you'll step through bi-fold glass sliding doors to the plant-filled waterside al fresco space, which is also being expanded and weather-proofed. Space Cubed Design Studio is on design duties, aiming to nod to Lebanese cuisine's past and present. "The rich history of Lebanese culture and cuisine underpins the interior aesthetic, strongly influenced by elements of the world-heritage site — the ancient city of Byblós," explains Space Cubed Design Studio Associate Interior Designer Jill Chilton, of decor that includes grain-patterned marble slabs on the new bar, stepped arches aplenty, and terracotta Tyrian purple tones. "Sand-like textural rendered walls mimic the qualities of the desert terrain, sculptural dining booths with their forms inspired by the Phoenician alphabet are centrally situated in the now voluminous dining space, among small and larger table settings, and the facade has been opened up to maximise views and connection to the waterfront." Patrons will tuck into a menu influenced by a 2023 research trip to Lebanon, plus a new drinks range featuring cocktails such as Lebanese Lemonade, a hefty array of spirits and a wine cellar filled with drops from around the world. When it opened in 2006, Byblós Brisbane marked the first eatery from brothers Adonis and Nehme Ghanem. The pair have since established Ghanem Group, which is also behind Brisbane's Bisou Bisou, Iris Rooftop, Blackbird Bar, Dining and Events, Boom Boom Room and Donna Chang, plus Byblós Melbourne and the Victorian capital's Le Bon Ton. Also on the way in the River City for Ghanem Group: Lúc Lắc at Queen's Wharf. Find Byblós Brisbane at Portside Wharf, 39 Hercules Street, Hamilton, open 11.30am–late Tuesday–Sunday — with bookings open from Thursday, October 24, 2024. Head to the venue's website for more details.
Make a comic-book blockbuster, then make a smaller-scale but still star-studded comedy: that's been Taika Waititi's formula of late. The first time that he jumped into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Thor: Ragnarok, he followed it up with Jojo Rabbit, an "anti-hate" comedy mocking Hitler that won the New Zealand filmmaker an Oscar. Now, after returning to the MCU with Thor: Love and Thunder, he's turning a true tale about American Samoa's soccer team into his next flick. If Next Goal Wins sounds familiar, there's a few reasons for that. Firstly, it's already the title of a documentary from 2014 about the national football squad and their efforts to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Also, Waititi's dramatised version of that story has been in the making for four years, both beginning and wrapping initial production pre-pandemic — before doing reshoots in 2021. And, of course, the details themselves might ring a bell if you're a fan of the world game and you remember the American Samoan team's big 2001 defeat. Playing Australia in a qualifying match two decades back, the squad lost 31–0. Cue the hiring of Dutch American coach Thomas Rongen, who Michael Fassbender (X-Men: Dark Phoenix) plays in Waititi's movie. As the just-dropped trailer for Next Goal Wins 2.0 shows, Rongen has just lost his job when he gets the new gig in the South Pacific. From there, Waititi and the film are in classic underdog sports-film territory, but stepping through events that genuinely happened. There's another important part of this story, too, with American Samoa squad member Jaiyah Saeluathe first non-binary player to compete in a FIFA World Cup qualifier. The doco made for rousing viewing, which the latest flick overtly aims to ape — mixed with the brand of comedy that Waititi has established in everything from Eagle vs Shark and Boy to What We Do in the Shadows to Hunt for the Wilderpeople before he hit the MCU. And yes, to answer the immediate question that any trailer for one of the writer/director's pictures inspires, Waititi does indeed pop up on-screen. Alongside the filmmaker and Fassbender, the latter of which hasn't made a movie since 2019, Next Goal Wins also stars Oscar Kightley (The Breaker Upperers), Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid's Tale), Will Arnett (Murderville), Uli Latukefu (Young Rock), Rhys Darby (Our Flag Means Death), David Fane (Duckrockers), Lehi Falepapalangi (Doogie Kamealoha, MD), Semu Filipo (The Justice of Bunny King), Rachel House (Heartbreak High), Angus Sampson (Bump), Beulah Koale (Dual) and more. Check out the trailer for Next Goal Wins below: Next Goal wins releases in cinemas Down Under on January 1, 2024.
It's the best way to feel like you're at one of the world's top music festivals without physically being there, and it's back for 2025: the Coachella livestream. When the world's eyes turn to the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California for six days each April, it isn't just folks on the ground that are paying attention. Courtesy of the fest's partnership with YouTube, everyone can stream along. Wondering when to watch? Enter this year's set times. For 2025, Coachella has made a change — or, another one, after revealing its lineup earlier than usual when it dropped in late 2024. With who'll be taking to the stage when, the festival is letting you plan ahead, unveiling both weekends' rosters at once rather than week by week. [caption id="attachment_980914" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raph_PH via Flickr[/caption] Accordingly, you can now plot out how to work in Lady Gaga, Green Day and Post Malone's headlining sets into your diary across Saturday, April 12–Monday, April 14 and Saturday, April 19–Monday, April 21 Down Under — and when you can catch Missy Elliott, Charli XCX, Megan Thee Stallion, Travis Scott, The Prodigy, Kraftwerk, Kneecap, Benson Boone, Basement Jaxx, The Go-Go's, Djo, Miike Snow, T-Pain, Jimmy Eat World, Beth Gibbons, Amyl and the Sniffers, and plenty more as well. The fest's set times have come with a few lineup amendments, however, with FKA twigs no longer playing the event on either weekend. Instead, Weezer has joined the bill for the first three-day run for 2025, while Ed Sheeran is doing the same the following week. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coachella (@coachella) Coachella was livestreaming its sets long before the pandemic — and while beaming festivals to the world is no longer such a novelty, the calibre of the event's lineup means that it's still a mighty fine way to spend a weekend or two. The festival also has a new Coachella livestream app for this year, which lets you see the full livestream schedule, set reminders for your favourites, then watch the highlights afterwards. [caption id="attachment_912640" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hunter Kahn via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] [caption id="attachment_975321" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Harley Weir[/caption] [caption id="attachment_994173" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raph_PH via Flickr[/caption] Coachella 2025 runs from Friday, April 11–Sunday, April 13 and Friday, April April 18–Sunday, April 20 — which is Saturday, April 12–Monday, April 14 and Saturday, April 19–Monday, April 21 Down Under — at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, and livestreams via YouTube across the same dates. Top image: Raph_PH via Flickr.
Every year, once gifts have been given, turkey and prawns devoured, drinks sipped and backyard games of cricket played, the festive season delivers another treat. Whatever you spend your Christmas Day doing, Boxing Day is just as exciting if you're a movie buff — or even simply eager to escape the weather, and your house, to relax in air-conditioning and watch the latest big-screen releases. 2020 might've seen cinemas Down Under spend months empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading; however, the country's picture palaces are well and truly back in business. And, they're screening a wide array of Boxing Day fare as always — so at least one thing about this chaotic year is proceeding as normal. If you're wondering not only what's screening, but what's worth your time, we've watched and reviewed the day's slate of new titles. It spans superheroes, sublime dramas, documentaries about spectacular desserts, animated sequels, spy films and more, so don't say you don't have anything to see. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSFpK34lfv0 NOMADLAND Frances McDormand is a gift of an actor. Point a camera her way, and a performance so rich that it feels not just believable but tangible floats across the screen. That's true whether she's playing overt or understated characters, or balancing those two extremes. In Fargo, the first film that earned her an Oscar, McDormand is distinctive but grounded, spouting midwestern phrases like "you betcha" but inhabiting her part with texture and sincerity. In Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, her next Academy Award-winning role, she's an impassioned mother crusading for justice and vengeance, and she ripples with deep-seated sorrow mixed with anger so fiery that it may as well be burning away her insides. Now, in Nomadland, McDormand feels stripped bare and still a commanding force to be reckoned with. She's tasked with a plucky but struggling part — defiant and determined, too; knocked around by life's ups and downs, noticeably; and, crucially, cognisant that valuing the small pleasures is the hardest but most rewarding feat. It'll earn her another Oscar nomination. It could see her nab a third shiny statuette just three years after her last. Both are highly deserved outcomes because hers is an exceptional performance, and this is 2020's best film. Here, leading a cast that also includes real people experiencing the existence that's fictionalised within the narrative, she plays the widowed, van-dwelling Fern — a woman who takes to the road, and to the nomad life, after the small middle-America spot where she spent her married years turns into a ghost town when the local mine is shuttered due to the global financial crisis. A slab of on-screen text explains her predicament, with the film then jumping into the aftermath. Following her travels over the course of more than a year, this humanist drama serves up an observational portrait of those that society happily overlooks. It's both deeply intimate and almost disarmingly empathetic in the process, as every movie made by Chloe Zhao is. This is only the writer/director's third, slotting in after 2015's Songs My Brothers Taught Me and 2017's The Rider but before 2021's Marvel flick Eternals, but it's a feature of contemplative and authentic insights into the concepts of home, identity and community. Meticulously crafted, shot and performed, it truly sees everyone in its frames, be they fictional or real. Nomandland understands their plights, and ensures its audience understands them as well. It's exquisitely layered, because its protagonist, those around her and their lives earn the same term — and Zhao never forgets that, or lets her viewers either. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dINWTUPkLqs WONDER WOMAN 1984 When it hit cinemas three years ago, the first movie about Princess Diana of Themyscira — also known as Diana Prince — stood out. Even though the DC Extended Universe started five years after the Marvel Cinematic Universe, DC bested its rival by focusing on a female character in its fourth film (for Marvel, it took 21 movies, only achieving the feat with 2019's Captain Marvel). DC didn't waste its opportunity, either. Wonder Woman isn't a mere cookie-cutter superhero flick, just focusing on a character of a different gender. It champions understanding and emotional intelligence, handles its engaging origin story with sincerity and warmth, and unfurls an adventure where both strength and vulnerability exist in tandem. It also relays a fulfilling tale; a sequel was inevitable, but the initial movie didn't just whet the audience's appetite for the next, plus all the other caped crusader films certain to follow. That second effort is now here but, sadly, it doesn't continue its predecessor's best achievements. No matter how much returning director Patty Jenkins and the powers-that-be behind the DCEU hope that Wonder Woman 1984's viewers sport an expression of wonder — and how much they believe that simply making a sequel to their 2017 blockbuster is enough to cause it — the movie doesn't earn much more than a resigned sigh. In Wonder Woman 1984, Diana (Gal Gadot, Justice League) tells everyone again and again that being truthful is far more important than anything else. That, and taking a more-is-more approach, are the feature's main driving forces. Jumping forward almost seven decades within the Wonder Woman films' timeline, Diana has taken up an anthropologist job at the Smithsonian, and turned swinging through malls on her Lasso of Truth to fight crime into her side hustle. But then insecure archaeologist Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig, Where'd You Go, Bernadette) starts working beside her, gets tasked with assessing a mysterious gem, and lets Donald Trump-esque infomercial salesman Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal, The Mandalorian) take the strange object home with him. It's no ordinary rock, however. It grants wishes, so Maxwell wants to take advantage of that power — and, unknowingly, both Diana and Barbara have already uttered their dreams aloud while holding the stone. These fantasies come at a cost, of course, even before Maxwell uses his to try to take over the world. Wonder Woman 1984 doesn't spin the most complicated story, but it's so repetitive and meandering across its 151-minute running time that it's needlessly bulky, muddled and weighed down. It also pushes Gadot to the side far too often; this sequel certainly knows how to trot out well-worn beats packaged as part-upbeat heroism, part-social satire, but it just doesn't realise where its true strengths reside often enough. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uan6MDxf3wU OTTOLENGHI AND THE CAKES OF VERSAILLES Marie Antoinette didn't actually say "let them eat cake", no matter how often the statement is misattributed to the 18th-century royal before her date with the guillotine. But New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art was surely hoping she would've approved of its hedonistic June 2018 food gala, which tied into the venue's Visitors to Versailles exhibition in the same year — and, in line with the place and period under the grill, put decadence on the menu. Overseeing the spread of desserts fit for a queen: renowned Israeli English chef and restaurateur Yotam Ottolenghi. He didn't make the Feast of Versailles' lavish cakes himself; instead, he trawled Instagram to source and select five pâtissiers known for delicious, innovative and aesthetically appealing wares. He found them, too, enlisting Dominique Ansel, the NYC-based French pastry chef who invented the cronut; Sam Bompas and Harry Parr, the London food artists known for their striking jellies and unique food events; architecturally trained Ukrainian Dinara Kasko, who approaches her desserts with the same design principles; Ghaya Oliveira, an award-winner and veteran at the Michelin-starred Restaurant Daniel; and Singapore's Janice Wong, who aims to turn chocolate into edible art. The exacting theme that views art and history through an untraditional lens, the melding of varying creative arenas, the roll call of significant names in their field, the theatricality on display, the iconic setting — if it all sounds a bit like a culinary version of The Met Gala, that was undoubtedly the intention, too. This was no ordinary serving of sugar. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that, as the venue's fashion-focused event did before it, Feast of Versailles has also earned the documentary treatment. Where The First Monday in May chronicled the preparations for 2015's Met Gala, Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles does the same with the quest to recreate the Palace of Versailles' gardens with chocolate and multi-coloured fondant, whip up a tiered mousse cake that resembles the French castle's sculptured detail, and pair them all with swan-topped pastries, wobbling palace-shaped jellies and a cocktail-filled whirlpool fountain. Viewers of cooking-focused reality television will know what's in store. That may not be the comparison one expects with a doco about a Met event, but it fits, with documentarian Laura Gabbert (City of Gold) taking a superficial and straightforward approach. That seems to be what happens in docos about Met events, and it's always noticeable. Accordingly, Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles is glossy, gleaming eye candy for those with a sweet tooth. It never feels like a full meal, though. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEUWGWMsMQk HOW TO BE A GOOD WIFE After starring in High Life, Who You Think I Am and The Truth, all in just the past two years, Juliette Binoche adds another eclectic role to a resume that has deserved that term for decades. How to Be a Good Wife takes its radiant star back to 1967, to Alsace in Eastern France, and to a school designed to mould bright-eyed teenage girls into dutiful and subservient future housewives. Binoche's casting is a sign, thankfully. The film starts out following her character, the prim and proper Paulette Van der Beck, as she runs Van der Beck's School of Housekeeping and Good Manners for her husband Robert (François Berléand, Someone, Somewhere). She preaches the seven pillars required to ensure all her pupils fit her ideal vision of womanhood, with her single sister-in-law Gilberte (Yolande Moreau, The Summer House) assisting as the facility's cook, and superstitious nun Marie-Thérèse (Noémie Lvovsky, The End of Love) helping keep the girls in check. Of course, with the school part of Robert's family for decades, it isn't actually Paulette's own picture of feminine perfection that she's espousing. She might not have realised that fact, however, if her current cohort of students — the site's smallest for years, arriving with the 60s in full swing and as protests are beginning to sweep the nation — weren't instantly bristling against the notion that their lives should be spent in service to men. An unexpected tragedy also complicates matters, with an uprising soon threatening not just France in general, but one of the places that has upheld and instilled the patriarchal status quo and the conservative stereotypes that go with it. As directed by Martin Provost (The Midwife), and co-written by the filmmaker with Séverine Werba (Spiral), How to Be a Good Wife flits between playfully satirical and earnestly rousing as it charts Paulette, Gilberte and their students' journey — and yes, the fact that two of the main characters have feminised versions of male names as their own is emblematic of the movie's knowing approach. Binoche is the lynchpin, stepping into Paulette's shoes with sincerity as well as winking, nudging spirit; she's well aware of exactly the kind of woman she's playing, and the attitudes she's parodying as well. But, while the talented actor is posed and poised in a purposeful and often amusing way, the film itself doesn't always strike the same balance. It's easy to smile and internally cheer along with How to Be a Good Wife (and to revel in its period costuming and decor, too), but it's also just as easy to see when and where it overplays its comedic hand. One such example: the film's out-of-left-field climax, which is both glorious and clunky all at once. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A49o54i3OGI END OF THE CENTURY Memories and dreams are our brain's version of time travel; escape into either, and you can relive the past and ponder a possible future without the need for a Delorean or a telephone booth. New York-based Argentinian poet Ocho (Juan Barberini, Penelope) experiences that sensation in End of the Century, a queer romance that takes Weekend's lusty meet-up, combines it with Call Me By Your Name and Monsoon's passion abroad, and turns it into an evocative contemplation of love, sex, connection, choices, and roads both taken and forsaken. After more than ten minutes of dialogue-free, naturalistically lensed footage, watching Ocho rove around Barcelona, check into his holiday rental, sun himself at the beach and notice Javi (Ramon Pujol, Gran Nord), the film jumps into a vacation romance. Ocho and Javi strike a chord quickly, both physically and emotionally, and get deep just as swiftly in their post-coital conversation. To Ocho, there's a familiarity about the situation, as there should be. First-time feature writer/director Lucio Castro then leaps back 20 years earlier — before Ocho was fresh into a break from his partner of two decades, and before Javi had a daughter with his husband of four years — with the two men also crossing paths at the prior time. From the outset, one certainty is apparent: End of the Century favours understatement. That's true in how it unfurls the different parts of its narrative, and how they connect together; in the movie's performances, including from the beguiling Barberini when he's alone and surveying Barcelona; and in the feature's choice to peer on at Ocho and Javi's multi-layered story, and find both intimacy and distance depending on whatever the mood and scene calls for. As a result, it's a film that can seem slight, but also heaves with feeling at every moment. Castro knows the difference between unnecessarily complicating a narrative, and mining a situation's inherent complexities. He puts that awareness to excellent use, and draws viewers further into the movie's tale as a result. And, he benefits from his excellent casting choices — because making a feature that's both stripped bare and has its own authentic twists requires much of the folks within its frames. There's a slipperiness to End of the Century, too, as Ocho's experiences play out in various time periods. As this tender movie moves seamlessly back and forward, the audience is so enraptured with Ocho that they take the emotional journey with him. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbZgLKjrdnA A CALL TO SPY "I want you in charge of recruiting some ladies," Vera Atkins (Stana Katic, Castle) is told in one of A Call to Spy's early scenes. The film's title makes it plain exactly what her colleague is referring to, and this specific piece of dialogue — and many more like it — demonstrates just how overtly the movie intends to proceed. This isn't a nuanced drama. It's inspired by true stories, but it rarely even flirts with the type of depth and detail that reality serves up. Still, by telling the tales of three women who became British spies in France during World War Two, all as part of Winston Churchill's ongoing effort to use unexpected means within the government's newly created Special Operations Executive to defeat the Nazi regime as it strengthened across Europe, it plunges into an important part of history. This chapter from the not-too-distant past springs from a familiar pile, after all. If you haven't heard of Atkins, Virginia Hall (played by Sarah Megan Thomas, who also penned the screenplay) and Noor Inayat Khan (The Wedding Guest), that's understandable; their lives, like those of many other women who've achieved commendable and crucial feats, haven't received the attention they should. That feeling ripples through A Call to Spy and, while it can't lift this Lydia Dean Pilcher (Radium Girls)-directed movie alone, it definitely leaves an imprint. Initially, Atkins is A Call to Spy's focal point. Charged with enlisting women who are "passionate about stopping Hitler" (another of the movie's needlessly clumsy lines), she finds several. Because she has a Jewish Romanian background, Atkins also receives more scrutiny within her own organisation than she should — an experience shared with Hall, who has a prosthetic leg; and Khan, who is of Indian Muslim heritage; and also heightened because of stereotypical opinions on gender anyway. Pilcher follows her three determined protagonists as they are initiated into their new roles, and into the field, while always viewing the many obstacles in their way. In the process, her film doesn't overcome the usual war-movie tropes that countless others have relied upon over the past 75 years, but it always endeavours to see them through Atkins, Hall and Khan's shared and individual ordeals. Even though it lacks in subtlety, A Call to Spy is nonetheless workmanlike that way, recognising that the stories it's relaying are important and moving enough, and that it can convey plenty by honing in on its characters' professional activities. It helps that Katic, Thomas and Khan all turn in involving performances, although Thomas wrote herself the best role. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V6EXulQHjA THE CROODS: A NEW AGE Cavemen (and women) were people, too, and there was more to their lives than simply dwelling inside rocky crevices. That's an overly simplistic summary of 2013's animated hit The Croods, of course. Intricacy wasn't a big part of this big-screen successor to The Flintstones, though, or its messages of togetherness, seeing past immediate perceptions and rising to face all challenges. The film took a family of neanderthals — including teenage daughter Eep (Emma Stone, Zombieland: Double Tap), her overprotective father Grug (Nicolas Cage, Color Out of Space), far more carefree mother Ugga (Catherine Keener, Kidding), siblings Sandy (debutant Kailey Crawford) and Thunk (Clark Duke, Veronica Mars), and grandmother (Cloris Leachman, Mad About You) — then disrupted their literally sheltered existence. Not only were the titular characters pushed out of their comfort zone, but they were thrust into the orbit of homosapien Guy (Ryan Reynolds, 6 Underground), who Eep quickly fell for with a teen's intensity. Everyone had to adjust, naturally, and an average all-ages friendly comedy ensued. So did big box office numbers, sparking sequel The Croods: A New Age, the return of its predecessor's high-profile voice cast, and a new storyline that stresses the same sentiments. This time around, in a film directed by feature first-timer Joel Crawford, (a storyboard artist on The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, Trolls and The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part), The Croods are well-acquainted with roaming the big, wide, wild and dangerous prehistoric world. But Eep and Guy start thinking about a different kind of life — one that doesn't involve sleeping on the family pile, for starters — so the still controlling Grug tries to find everyone a new permanent home. And he thinks he has done just that in the vast walled-in gardens inhabited by Phil (Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones) and Hope Betterman (Leslie Mann, Blockers) and their daughter Dawn (Kelly Marie Tran, Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker). Alas, this seeming paradise isn't everything that it appears. Once again, this franchise opts for narrative and thematic simplicity and even crudeness, and for a zippy pace and onslaught of colour and movement designed to excite younger viewers. Once more, it's a standard affair all-round, and delivers little other than Cage and Stone's to-type voice work for the adult members of the audience. It's entertaining to hear Cage's voice bellow from Grug, in the same way that it's entertaining to see and/or hear him to anything (like swear in Netflix's upcoming series), but it doesn't help an over-energetic, giddily lively rehash of a past hit exceed its basic template, or do more than merely hit its marks. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been throughout the year — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30; August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27; September 3, September 10, September 17 and September 24; October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22 and October 29; and November 5, November 12, November 19 and November 26; and December 3, December 10, and December 17. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves, The King of Staten Island, Babyteeth, Deerskin, Peninsula, Tenet, Les Misérables, The New Mutants, Bill & Ted Face the Music, The Translators, An American Pickle, The High Note, On the Rocks, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Antebellum, Miss Juneteenth, Savage, I Am Greta, Rebecca, Kajillionaire, Baby Done, Corpus Christi, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, The Craft: Legacy, Radioactive, Brazen Hussies, Freaky, Mank, Monsoon, Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt), American Utopia, Possessor, Misbehaviour, Happiest Season, The Prom, Sound of Metal, The Witches, The Midnight Sky and The Furnace.
More than once during Why Are You Like This, aspiring drag queen Austin (Wil King) attempts to shut out the world by scrolling through memes on his phone. Although the six-part ABC sitcom he's in isn't doesn't show him looking at any of the images that give the series its title, you can bet that he'd stumble across them. He'd have to. It's the internet — they're unavoidable. And, he'd likely do one of two things when he did find the memes on his screen: either flick past hundreds without giving a single thought to how they might relate his life, or keep viewing one after the other until he melts down because they hit a little too close to home. Irreverent and astute, honest yet hilarious, drawn from reality but also willing to poke as much fun as possible: that's Why Are You Like This' niche. Focusing on characters that can hardly be described likeable but are instantly recognisable, the series takes aim at the minutiae of 21st-century life. Witheringly funny, it knows that simply existing right now involves constantly being online, and also navigating the never-ending onslaught of expectations, information and opinions that comes with it. And, without flinching, it's also aware that just getting through the day in this non-stop environment can feel relentless and hellish. That's the situation that the show's three main figures, each in their early 20s, all find themselves facing in every one of Why Are You Like This' episodes. The days tick by, and the personal and professional problems just keep coming. It's a familiar laundry list, including getting fired, battling with colleagues, money troubles, hiding boyfriends, losing moon cups and trying to spark a workplace revolution but ending up getting other people sacked. So, yes, this trio is just like the rest of us — and they're just as glued to their phones while they're weathering everything from sudden social media backlash to dealing with frenemies. Penny (series co-creator Naomi Higgins, Utopia) wants to be an ally to everyone, a commitment that exhausts anyone who comes into her orbit. Her bestie Mia (Olivia Junkeer, Neighbours) matches that determination with both self-assurance and a self-serving mindset; if she's sticking up for anyone, it's always herself. Rounding out the trio is Penny's housemate Austin, the aforementioned fan of distracting memes. Alas, his glittery outfits, super-sized personality and blistering cynicism can't always hide his internal crumbling. Across the show's first season, these three friends keep trying to stand out in their own ways. They also routinely demonstrate both their best and worst traits in the process. In one episode, Penny goes overboard while trying to prove that she's Mia's closest friend. In another, Mia helps a new work colleague turn her cosplay hobby into cash — to take advantage of the sad men objectifying her — with creepy repercussions. And, when Austin gets tired of Penny's Marie Kondo obsession, it doesn't end well for her beloved belongings. The result: a must-see comedy that's as satirical as it is candid and relatable. Why Are You Like This knows that everyone and everything is awful at all times, leans in, and finds both the humour and the insight in that realisation. And, in terms of the series' style of comedy, the fact that Higgins created the show with lawyer and illustrator Humyara Mahbub and Aunty Donna's Mark Samual Bonanno says plenty. Indeed, like 2020's standout Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun, Why Are You Like This is ridiculously easy to binge in one sitting, then start re-binging again. Check out the trailer for Why Are You Like This below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw_iVa6bZgs Why Are You Like This is available to stream via ABC iView.
If the only thing that's been holding you back from packing up and making a home in the middle of nowhere has been the lack of electricity (and the desire to not live out of a tent), you might want to start plotting your escape. Architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) have designed a 3D-printed pod home that not only looks 100 percent epic, but can function entirely off the grid. The sustainable structure works in conjunction with a companion vehicle, which is also printed using 3D technology. Solar panels built into the pod's curved pavilion-stye roof powers it by night, and the vehicle generates its own power too through a hybrid electric system. The two share their power — get this — wirelessly through a closed-loop battery system to ensure you're not left in the dark when the sun doesn't peek out behind those clouds. The pod has been developed with the geniuses at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory as part of the Additive Manufacturing Integrated Energy (AMIE) project. The pod, which is largest of its kind at 11.6m long, 3.7m high and 3.7m wide, has been developed with the aim to illustrate "the potential of a clean energy future for a rapidly urbanising world by demonstrating the use of bidirectional wireless energy technology and high performance materials to achieve independence from the power grid at peak-demand times". 3D printing has given us everything from a chewable toothbrush, 60-second cupcakes, and titanium sculptures, but this has to be the most dream-worthy 3D printed possibility yet. Via Dezeen. Image: SOM.
Not all travel has to include wild adventuring. Sometimes, we want to go an easy holiday that doesn't include hours behind the wheel of a car or pushing our bodies to their limits. Instead, we can explore a new city (or our own) at whatever speed we like — staying in a luxurious hotel, taking things at a stroll and taking in the best of local culture. This is what a city break is all about. To help you find the perfect one, our team of editors has curated these travel packages. Whether you're on the lookout for a city staycation or vacation, find your favourite option and book it through Concrete Playground Trips now. [caption id="attachment_683983" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Western Australia[/caption] STAYCATION IN PERTH AND ITS SURROUNDS Perth, glorious Perth. It's hard not to fall in love with this city when visiting. In fact, the whole state is a treasure trove of bewitching riches. Head to Western Australia's capital to find a thriving city full of great food and culture, surrounded by gorgeous natural landscapes that every Australian must see. And our Perth travel deal will take you to the best bits. We'll put you up in the Adina Apartment Hotel at Perth Barrack Plaza — in the heart of the city — and let you explore the local area at your own pace. We've also organised a day trip to Rottnest Island (friendly quokkas, pristine white sand beaches and clear blue water await) and a tour around The Pinnacles. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_890077" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Devang Sahani (Unsplash)[/caption] A LUXE BEACHSIDE BREAK IN ADELAIDE Adelaide's beachside burb of Glenelg is seriously underrated. Found just a 20-minute drive from the city centre, this area is home to long beaches lined with great restaurants and boutique stores. It's so close to the city but boasts the laid-back culture and energy of the best Aussie coastal towns. Our Adelaide city break takes you to this part of South Australia, with the Stamford Grand Adelaide hosting you for three nights. During this time, guests can explore Glenelg at their own leisure — potentially catching a tram into the CBD, too. The highlight of this trip that takes it from great getaway to something seriously special is the four-hour wild dolphin swimming tour run by a team of marine biologists. Jump in the waters — they'll have wetsuits for you — and get right up and close with these ultra-curious ocean mammals. It's an unforgettable experience. BOOK IT NOW. THE ULTIMATE HOBART FOOD, WINE AND ADVENTURE HOLIDAY There is so much to see and do when visiting Hobart, but we have somehow managed to pack a heap of its top experiences into one exclusive five-day holiday. Our trip will have you gliding over Wineglass Bay in a scenic flight that drops you off on Maria Island where you'll go on a guided wildlife tour, then feast on a gourmet lunch. On another day, you'll visit the one and only MONA. Slowly explore the museum, get a private tour (with tastings) at the onsite winery and have a lazy long lunch with even more vino included. It's a truly epic way to see the iconic museum and its grounds. You'll also get a couple days to wander around Hobart, checking out galleries, boutique stores and a heap of the city's brilliant restaurants and bars. BOOK IT NOW. A LUXURIOUS SYDNEY STAY You can easily do Sydney on a budget and have a wicked time. But sometimes you really want to treat yourself. That's when you book our opulent Sydney getaway. For two nights, two guests will stay at the five-star Crown Towers Sydney. Enjoy unbeatable views across the bay, taking in all the sites from day to night — either from your room, the rooftop pool or one of the seriously impressive on-site restaurants. With this deal, you'll also get $100 credit to spend however you like within the Crown Towers Sydney. Did someone say, 'massage time'? BOOK IT NOW. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world. Top image: Steven Groeneveld (Unsplash)
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to anything, we're here to help. We've spent plenty of couch time watching our way through this month's latest batch — and, from the latest and greatest to old favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue from September's haul of newbies. BRAND NEW STUFF YOU CAN WATCH IN FULL HEARTBREAK HIGH Teen-focused dramas always reflect the generation they're made for, and returning Australian favourite Heartbreak High is no different. Today's high school-set shows often come with more than a few nods backwards as well, though. Just like Beverly Hills, 90210, Saved by the Bell and Gossip Girl before it — like Degrassi's multiple go-arounds across more than four decades now, including a new take that's set to land in 2023 — Heartbreak High 2.0 knows it has a history and doesn't dream of pretending otherwise. 90s worship is in fashion anyway, so all those Doc Martens, nose rings, baggy jeans, slip dresses and oversized band t-shirts not only could've adorned the initial show's cast. As this revival returns to what worked so well the first time around, takes a few cues from Euphoria, Sex Education and Never Have I Ever as well, and finds its own intensity, that blast-from-the-past aesthetic proves a natural fit. Sporting such decade-crossing attire is a fresh-faced — and fresh-to-the-franchise — cohort of Hartley High students. The years and teens have changed, but the location, like plenty of the outfits, remains the same. When the eight-episode new season begins, Amerie (Ayesha Madon, The Moth Effect) and Harper (Asher Yasbincek, How to Please a Woman) are life-long best friends, but their sudden rift after a drunken night at a music festival changes everything. Amerie doesn't know why Harper has suddenly shaved her head, let alone cut all ties with her. She's just as shocked when the mural they've graffitied in an unused school stairwell, chronicling who's dated, had a crush on and slept with who among the year 11s, is scandalously outed. And their classmates, including the non-binary Darren (screen first-timer James Majoos), their bestie Quinni (Chloe Hayden, Jeremy the Dud), heartthrob Dusty (Josh Heuston, Thor: Love and Thunder), his smug pal Spider (Bryn Chapman Parish, Mr Inbetween), mullet-wearing food delivery driver Ca$h (Will McDonald, Home and Away), and Bundjalung basketballer Malakai (Thomas, Troppo), all get drawn into the resulting (and immediately easy-to-binge) chaos. Heartbreak High streams via Netflix. Read our full review. WE'RE ALL GOING TO THE WORLD'S FAIR "Hey guys, Casey here. Welcome to my channel. Today I'm going to be taking the World's Fair Challenge." So says We're All Going to the World's Fair's protagonist (feature newcomer Anna Cobb) twice to start this absorbing horror film, to camera, in what makes a spectacular opening sequence. Next, an eerie wave of multicoloured light flashes across her face. Watching her response brings the also-excellent She Dies Tomorrow to mind, but Casey has her own viral phenomenon to deal with. She's doing what she says she will, aka viewing a strobing video, uttering a pivotal phrase and then smearing blood across her laptop screen — and she promises to document anything that changes afterwards, because others have made those kinds of reports. Written, directed and edited by fellow feature debutant Jane Schoenbrun, the instantly eerie and intriguing We're All Going to the World's Fair is that record. Schoenbrun's film is more than that, however. It also charts the connections that spring and splinter around Casey just by joining the online trend, where her videos spark others in return — and the spirals she goes down as she watches, which then sparks a response in her own way, too. A portrait of isolation and alienation as well, while chronicling the after effects of playing a virtual horror game, We're All Going to the World's Fair is also a picture of an always-recorded world. Take your lockdown mindset, your social-media scrolling, all that Zooming that defined the beginning of the pandemic and a gamer vibe, roll them all together, and that's still not quite this arresting movie — which keeps shifting and evolving just like Cobb's enigmatic and evocative performance. The entire flick earns that description and, not that it needs an established name's tick of approval, the fact that The Green Knight and A Ghost Story director David Lowery is an executive producer speaks volumes. We're All Going to the World's Fair streams via Shudder. RAMY In the dramedy that bears his name, Ramy Youssef (Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot) is a quintuple threat. He created Ramy, plays Ramy, executive produces, and also frequently writes and directs — and, in a show about a Queens-born first-generation American Muslim raised in New Jersey to Egyptian parents, as Youssef himself is, there's no doubting that the stories he's telling are personal. There's a difference between bringing your own exact existence to the screen and conveying the truth behind your experiences, however, with Ramy falling into the second category as it charts its eponymous figure's struggles as his faith conflicts with his lifestyle. Since its first season in 2019, the series has always been so deeply steeped in the lived reality of feeling torn between two cultures, and so specific in its details, too. And yet, it's also so universal and relatable in its emotions and insights. None of the above changes in season three, welcomely so, in what's one of Ramy's finest moments yet. In this ten-episode third run, the lives of Ramy and his loved ones are rarely blessed with fine moments — and Ramy Hassan, Youssef's on-screen alter-ego, keeps threatening his own heart, mind and soul with his choices. Season two ended with a short-lived marriage and the fallout still lingers, but Ramy has thrown himself into making his Uncle Naseem's (Laith Nakli, Ms Marvel) diamond business a success as a distraction. He has money, his own place and, soon, his own jewellery outfit, although that doesn't herald happiness. For his sister Dena (May Calamawy, Moon Knight), nor has striving hard to take the bar exam, especially when her parents Maysa (Hiam Abbass, Succession) and Farouk (Amr Waked, Wonder Woman 1984) are open about how differently they see her and her future to Ramy. As the elder Hassans also grapple with Farouk being out of work, plus decades of feeling like they're treading water, Ramy remains a stunningly perceptive and engaging exploration of the battle to remain true to oneself — and one's hopes, dreams and religion — while also proving a rich, poignant and devastatingly well-acted comedy. May more come. Ramy streams via Stan from Friday, September 30. DO REVENGE Sequels aren't the only way to get nostalgic, or to thrust a beloved old-school film — or several — into the now. A high school-set comedy about exactly what it's moniker describes, Do Revenge joins Heathers, The Craft, Jawbreaker and Jennifer's Body in charting teens chasing vengeance. Mean girls abound, too, and when 'Kids in America' starts playing, it's a Betty of a Clueless nod (and just one of many, including pastel uniforms that could've been pulled out of Cher Horowitz's computerised wardrobe). Casting Sarah Michelle Gellar as the principal and dropping 'Praise You'? The Cruel Intentions winks keep thrilling like a young Ryan Phillippe. The list goes on, to the never-grow-up delight of, well, everyone — because writer/director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Someone Great) and co-scribe Celeste Ballard (Space Jam: A New Legacy) clearly know and love the type of movie they're making as much as the rest of us. Unleashing more references than a school library doesn't always play well — in the latest Scream movie, it gets repetitive and fast; in whodunnit parody-slash-homage See How They Run, it's a touch too clever-clever — but Do Revenge radiates pure fun and affection. At its centre: queen bee Drea (Camila Mendes, Riverdale), who climbed her exclusive private school's social ladder, hid her modest background and dated the dream boy Max (Austin Abrams, Euphoria) until a sex scandal tarnishes her reputation. With newcomer Eleanor (Maya Hawke, Stranger Things), who also has her own grudge against one of their classmates, she hatches a Stranger on a Train-esque plan: they'll avenge each other's wrongs and bring down their respective tormentors. Robinson and Ballard have a ball getting savage yet sweet, as does a cast that also includes Game of Thrones' Sophie Turner, 13 Reasons Why's Alisha Boe and Ms Marvel's Rish Shah — and devilish twists come with the self-aware fandom. Do Revenge streams via Netflix. HOCUS POCUS 2 Twist the bones and bend the back, Hocus Pocus has returned for another horror-comedy attack — and there's no doubting that this 29-years-later sequel adores its predecessor. Disney loves reviving and extending its popular past hits, whether as new remakes, followups or ever-sprawling franchises. In the majority of cases, it's committed to sticking to the same already-winning formula, too. So, pushing the cackling Sanderson sisters to the fore again, Hocus Pocus 2 unsurprisingly doesn't overly mess with the tried-and-tested template. Once again starring Bette Midler (The Addams Family 2), Sarah Jessica Parker (And Just Like That...) and Kathy Najimy (Music), it's another family-friendly tale of Salem witches trying to eat children to remain alive and youthful forever. And, it doubles down on everything that the Mouse House thinks made the OG flick such a beloved 90s favourite to begin with — more songs, more OTT siblings, more teens trying to foil their plans to run amok, amok, amok and more Massachusetts-set mayhem, namely That means that Hocus Pocus 2 plays like a greatest-hits do-over as much as a second effort. New movie, same setup, a few fresh faces and an obvious yearning to keep the saga's black flame candle burning: that's director Anne Fletcher (Hot Pursuit) and screenwriter Jen D'Angelo's (Young Rock) film. After adding an origin story for Winnie (Midler), Mary (Najimy) and Sarah (Parker), as well as Billy Butcherson (Doug Jones, What We Do in the Shadows), they're all unleashed upon modern-day Salem by 16-year-old Becca (Whitney Peak, Gossip Girl), her best friend Izzy (Belissa Escobedo, Sex Appeal) and magic shop owner Gilbert (Sam Richardson, The Afterparty) — and nostalgically entertaining hijinks ensue. Hocus Pocus 2 isn't subtle or restrained, or keen to do much more than worship its predecessor, but spells do work more than once. Hocus Pocus 2 streams via Disney+ from Friday, September 30. BLONDE Usually when a film leaves you wondering how it might've turned out in other hands, that isn't a great sign — but Blonde, the years-in-the-making adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates' fictionalised Marilyn Monroe biography of the same name, demands a watch. It's a fascinating movie, including for what works astoundingly well and what definitely doesn't. In the first category: Ana de Armas (The Gray Man) as Norma Jeane Mortenson, the woman who'd become not just a star and a sensation during her life, but an icon across the six decades since. Also exceptional: the almost-uncanny recreations of oh-so-many images that captured Mortensen/Monroe, including a plethora that are iconic themselves. In the second camp, however, falls Blonde's decision to filter its central figure's story through her death, as though that was the most important thing about her — and that it was inevitable. No one ever wants to be defined by one thing. Monroe certainly didn't, as Blonde itself depicts. She fiercely yearned to be known as more than a sex symbol who drew crowds to cinemas and attracted intense media interest — but being objectified was a part of her Hollywood experience, including here from the moment that a first studio meeting ends horrifically. As written and directed by Australian filmmaker Andrew Dominik, in his latest feature to unpack larger-than-life true tales after Chopper and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Blonde reductively sees that awful treatment, her childhood struggles, her tumultuous marriages and romances, her miscarried or aborted pregnancies, and her late-career on-set antics as all leading to the conclusion that's long been a matter of history. Far more engrossing is the movie's efforts to unpack the truth and pain behind all of Monroe's career-defining images, and to plunge the audience into a fraught headspace with her — and that soulful and phenomenal lead performance. Blonde streams via Netflix. NEW AND RETURNING SHOWS TO CHECK OUT WEEK BY WEEK LOS ESPOOKYS In the US, it was one of the best new shows of 2019. In Australia, thanks to a hefty delay in bringing it to our screens, it earned that distinction in 2021. The one silver lining for the latter? The gap between Los Espookys' first season and its second has proven much shorter Down Under — but more of this Spanish-language HBO comedy was always going to be worth the wait. The premise is a gem; the cast is a delight; the cavalcade of horror references is so savvily worked in that it almost puts every other winking, nodding, nudging show or movie to shame; and there remains nothing else on television or streaming like it. Sharp, witty, absurd, affectionate, insightful, charming, oh-so-distinctive, perhaps the best unofficial (and unrelated) successor to The Mighty Boosh yet: that's Los Espookys again and again, even more so in season two, although it's also a must-see that's best experienced rather than described. The same rings true for the Los Espookys gang and their business: horror IRL. It genuinely is a business for genre devotee Renaldo (Bernardo Velasco, Museo) and his pals Andrés (Julio Torres, Shrill), Úrsula (Cassandra Ciangherotti, This Is Not a Comedy) and Tati (Ana Fabrega, Father of the Bride), turning a passion into a line of work with a steady-enough list of customers. In an always-unpredictable affair co-created by Torres, Fabrega and Our Flag Means Death's Fred Armisen, the group stages spooky setups for folks willing to pay — gloriously outlandish and OTT scenarios, always with a tactile and DIY feel, resulting in both impressive and hilarious outcomes. Those installations keep coming, and so does both personal and interpersonal chaos for the crew (plus Renaldo's parking valet uncle Tico, as played by Armisen), particularly after Tati can't quite adjust to marriage, Andrés navigates life beyond the luxury he grew up in, Renaldo keeps being haunted and Úrsula tries to fend off persistent TV offers. Los Espookys streams via Binge. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER Like knowing that House of the Dragon was coming, and winter as well, it's been impossible to avoid news about The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The stunning-looking series has been in the works for five years, and is already locked in for five seasons, all jumping back to Middle-earth's Second Age. That's a period of elves, men, dwarves and harfoots — precursors to hobbits — and of the lurking evil of Sauron, plus orcs, trolls and more. It's also when the titular jewellery is forged. On the page, it's largely been covered in an appendix to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings books, taking this new series into previously unseen on-screen territory. And, as The Rings of Power focuses on, it's where Galadriel and Elrond's tales truly kicked in, with Morfydd Clark (Saint Maud) taking over from Cate Blanchett and Robert Aramayo (The King's Man) doing the same for Hugo Weaving, with their characters thousands of years younger. The young Galadriel narrates The Rings of Power's explanatory introduction, setting the scene for the show's fight against Sauron — and slowly putting the pieces in place for the compilation of a fellowship to do so. She tells of the dark lord Morgoth and his defeat in wide-ranging wars. She notes that the elf Finrod (Will Fletcher, The Road Dance) was convinced that Sauron, Morgoth's apprentice, still lingered afterwards. And she advises that such a belief and the search to prove it right cost Finrod, her brother, his life. Alas, during relative peace, as Middle-earth has been under since Morgoth was vanquished, isn't a prime time to take up that fight. But she's still scouring far and wide for Sauron, even if High King Gil-galad of the Elves (Benjamin Walker, The Ice Road) wants to bathe her in glory for past victories instead. If that's the path she took, there wouldn't be much of a series — and that's just the start of a thrilling show that also spends time with the dwarves of Khazad-dum, fellow elf Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova, The Undoing) among the humans, and harfoot Nori Brandyfoot (Markella Kavanagh, True History of the Kelly Gang) and her fellow diminutive creatures. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power streams via Prime Video. Read our full review. ANDOR When it arrived in 2016 between Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens and Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi, Rogue One: A Star Wars sent a message in its own spy-slash-heist flick way: it wouldn't be slavishly beholden to the Star Wars franchise's established and beloved universe. It felt earthier and murkier, more urgent and complicated, and far more steeped in everyday reality — within its science-fiction confines, of course — and more concerned with the here and now of its specific narrative than the bigger saga picture. It was certainly and unshakeably bleaker, and felt like a departure from the usual template, as well as a welcome risk. The same proves true of impressive streaming prequel Andor, which slips into its namesake's routine five years prior. The Galactic Empire reigns supreme, the Rebel Alliance is still forming and, when the series opens, Cassian (the returning Diego Luna, If Beale Street Could Talk) is a wily thief living on the junkyard planet of Ferrix. A Blade Runner-esque sheen hovers over a different place, however: the industrial-heavy, corporate-controlled Morlana One, which couldn't be further under the boot of the Empire if it tried. As Monos-style flashbacks to Cassian's childhood aid in fleshing out, he's searching for his sister, but his latest investigatory trip results in a confrontation and the Preox-Morlana Authority on his trail. Back on Ferrix, he endeavours to hide with the help of his friend/presumed ex/mechanic/black-market dealer Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona, Morbius) and droid B2EMO (Dave Chapman, Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker), while keeping his latest antics a secret from his adoptive mother Maarva (Fiona Shaw, Killing Eve). But, even after being told to drop the case, persistent Imperial Deputy Inspector Syril Karn (Kyle Soller, Poldark) and higher-ranking officer Dedra Meero (Denise Gough, Under the Banner of Heaven) aren't willing to give up. Andor streams via Disney+. Read our full review. ATLANTA You can't escape yourself. As Atlanta sent Earnest 'Earn' Marks (Donald Glover, Guava Island), his cousin and rapper Alfred 'Paper Boi' Miles (Brian Tyree Henry, Bullet Train), their Nigerian American pal Darius (Lakeith Stanfield, Judas and the Black Messiah) and Earn's ex Vanessa (Zazie Beetz, also Bullet Train) around Europe in the show's third season earlier in 2022, that truth became inescapable, too. Hopping everywhere from Amsterdam to Paris and London, the group saw the daily reality of being Black Americans linger with them at every destination — and their personal ups and downs as well — no matter how wild, weird, bleak or hopeful the circumstances they were in. Arriving mere months later, season four kicks off by also exploring that point, including in a debut episode that sees Atlanta, the city, haunt the show's main players. They're back home and there's no way they couldn't know it, whether they're on scavenger hunts, stuck in carparks or being chased. Just a handful of episodes in, Atlanta's fourth season also examines another truth that's always sat at the core of the show: that for better and for worse, there's no place like home. That applies to the physical location, but also to the homes we make with other people — family, friends and everything in-between. Earn and Van gravitate closer together, but their relationship has always ebbed and flowed. Al keeps pondering what success really means, too. In the process, Glover's superbly smart, blistering and often-surreal unpacking of race relations lays bare the nation it usually calls home, as it did so incisively in its first two seasons, while never failing to challenge, surprise and swing big. That the show's final season also clearly muses on legacies obviously couldn't be more fitting; however it ends, no doubt in a thoroughly unpredictable and yet also ridiculously apt way, it'll always be a great on Glover, Henry, Stanfield and Beetz's resumes. Atlanta streams via SBS On Demand. THE PATIENT In one of 2022's new streaming standouts, Bad Sisters, Brian Gleeson tries to get to the bottom of a suspicious death. In another, The Patient, Domhnall Gleeson plays a serial killer. The two shows have more differences than commonalities, but it's clearly a great time for the Frank of Ireland-co-starring Gleeson brothers and twisty tales about crime. For Run's Domhnall, he co-leads a show about a murderer who enlists a therapist to try to stop his homicidal urges. Sam Fortner does indeed sit in Alan Strauss' (Steve Carell, Minions: The Rise of Gru) office and seek his help, but as well as hiding his eyes and face behind sunglasses, he keeps his real name, the bulk of his personal details and bloody pastime to himself. It's only after Strauss wakes up chained in Fortner's house that the latter feels comfortable enough to come clean and truly ask for assistance, albeit under terrifying circumstances for his captive. Domhnall Gleeson's on-screen resume isn't short on highlights, including Ex Machina and Brooklyn. Carell's has blatantly boasted many, spanning both comedies (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and The Office, obviously) and dramas (including his Oscar-nominated work in Foxcatcher). Accordingly, it should astonish no one that they're both instantly gripping in The Patient, as their characters bounce off of each other in inherently grim circumstances; however, they're each also in career-best form. The psychological-thriller series works as two commanding, textured and high-stakes character studies as Fortner demands Strauss' professional best, and ensures he isn't capable of refusing — and works through their respective baggage cat-and-mouse-style from there. In fact, it hits its marks so well that the show's concise format (each episode clocks in at between 20–25 minutes) keeps viewers wanting more. The Patient streams via Disney+. RICK AND MORTY The longer that Rick and Morty continues, the more it galaxy- and time-hopping mayhem it slings at the screen, aka whatever out-there sci-fi situations that creators Justin Roiland (Solar Opposites) and Dan Harmon (Community) can conjure up. But the more that this Back to the Future-inspired animated hit continues, too, the more that it proves a tragedy about choices made and not — and how even having all the science-fiction gadgetry in this and every other world and dimension can't make everything perfect always, because that's just not human (or alien, animal or Birdperson) nature. Season six of the series was always going to get contemplative given how the past season ended, of course, and because that's been baked into the show since day one. Still, the oft-quoted "wubba lubba dub dub" feels particularly weighty this time around, considering what it really means: "I am in great pain, please help me". Rick Sanchez (voiced by Roiland) has been saved, but that initially tears the Smith family apart — by now, they know (and we know) that Rick and his daughter Beth (Sarah Chalke, Firefly Lane), son-in-law Jerry (Chris Parnell, Archer), grandson Morty (also Roiland) and granddaughter Summer (Spencer Grammer, Tell Me a Story) aren't quite the versions of themselves they once were. Also part of the season's first few episodes: Beth getting close to Space Beth, also with consequences throughout her household; exploring what it means to offload parts of your life you're not happy with; and a good ol'-fashioned "yippee ki-yay!"-shouting Die Hard parody. In other words, it's all quintessential Rick and Morty, just getting deeper with each new run of episodes. Naturally, when Peter Dinklage (Cyrano) voices an alien equivalent of Hans Gruber, it's gold, and yet another classic Rick and Morty moment. Rick and Morty streams via Netflix. Need a few more streaming recommendations? Check out our picks from January, February, March, April, May, June, July and August this year. You can also check out our running list of standout must-stream 2022 shows so far as well — and our best 15 new shows from the first half of this year, top 15 returning shows and best 15 straight-to-streaming movies.
Star Wars did it. Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones, too. No blockbuster movie franchise stays away from cinemas for too long these days, so of course The Lord of the Rings is being taken back to the big screen — even though it has already spawned one huge hit trilogy, then followed it up with another. Expect more hobbits, elves and dwarves in more places — in multiple movies, in fact — given that The Lord of the Rings is also doing big things on the small screen of late. In 2022, the long-awaited The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power hit streaming, bringing Middle-earth to Prime Video across a stunning-looking series. Season two is in the works as well, with the show stepping back thousands of years into the JRR Tolkien-created fantasy realm's past. The new Lord of the Rings flicks are being made by Warner Bros Discovery, so it's unlikely that they'll tie into the TV show — but exactly what they'll cover, be it new tales or linking in with the OG three LoTR movies or The Hobbit films, is yet to be revealed. So far, Warner Bros has just advised that more features are on their way, announcing the news as part of the company's latest investor earnings call. Making more LoTR films involves coming to an agreement with Swedish gaming and media company Embracer Group, which owns the intellectual property rights to The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and other Middle-earth-related literary works. As part of the new movie arrangement, the upcoming flicks will be produced by Warner Bros-owned production company New Line Cinema, which was behind the first two trios of hobbit-filled features. "Following our recent acquisition of Middle-earth Enterprises, we're thrilled to embark on this new collaborative journey with New Line Cinema and Warner Bros Pictures, bringing the incomparable world of JRR Tolkien back to the big screen in new and exciting ways," said Lee Guinchard, CEO of Freemode — which is part of Embracer — in a statement. "We understand how cherished these works are and, working together with our partners at New Line Cinema and Warner Bros Pictures, we plan to honour the past, look to the future, and adhere to the strongest level of quality and production values." No further details, including regarding plots, characters, casting, directors or timing — including whether Oscar-winner Peter Jackson will be involved after helming all six past New Line features — has been announced as yet. But Warner Bros Pictures Group Co-Chairs and CEOs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy added that "for all the scope and detail lovingly packed into the two trilogies, the vast, complex and dazzling universe dreamed up by JRR Tolkien remains largely unexplored on film." "The opportunity to invite fans deeper into the cinematic world of Middle-earth is an honour," the pair continued. The first LoTR trilogy hit the big screen two decades ago, with The Fellowship of the Ring arriving in 2001, The Two Towers in 2002 and The Return of the King in 2003. They were followed by the three Hobbit movies a decade later, An Unexpected Journey debuting in 2012, The Desolation of Smaug in 2013 and The Battle of the Five Armies in 2014. Before the latest Lord of the Rings films come to a fruition, an anime will get there first. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is currently in production, and will spin a story set 183 years before the events of LoTR, focusing on the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan. Expect it in cinemas in April 2024. Obviously there's no trailer for the just-announced flicks as yet, but here are the trailers for The Fellowship of the Ring,The Two Towers and The Return of the King in the interim: The new Lord of the Rings movies don't yet have a release date — we'll update you with more information when it's announced.
International fast food giant KFC is inviting its diehard fans to take their gravy drinking habits to the next level, unveiling one of its wackiest, most unnecessary releases yet — a series of cocktail recipes crafted on its signature gravy. Yep, the same marketing team that last year gifted the world with fried chicken-scented bath bombs has found another way to infuse flavours of the deep frier where they probably shouldn't be infused. According to the Independent, KFC's taken cues from bone broth cocktails that have been creeping onto forward-thinking (read: paleo) drink lists around the world, working with cocktail pros to design three boozy sips that hero its legendary gravy. The lineup includes a meaty version of the classic bloody mary (complete with a popcorn chicken skewer as the suggested garnish), and The Southern Twist, featuring bourbon and a parsley brown sugar rim. Requiring a touch more flair is the Finger Lickin' Sour, made with mezcal, cherry liqueur, marmalade and egg white. Gravy so good you can drink it... #BlueMonday pic.twitter.com/G5C1IgfM0H — KFC UK & Ireland (@KFC_UKI) January 15, 2018 This is of course another elaborate publicity campaign by the brand, but one that admittedly sums up weird food trends pretty well. And the recipes are indeed available online, along with videos created by London-based ad agency Mother, just in case you feel like getting creative the next time you order KFC. Come to think of it, this would make one hell of a hair of the dog drink. Via the Independent. Image: YouTube.
Pizza Hut. The noble and long-serving ‘za provider who filled our tummies at last-day-of-school pizza lunch and, in our uni student years, staved off hunger and calcium deficiency with cheap Tuesday deals. That is until in 1983 when the Dominos chain hit our shores. Dominos grew in reach and popularity and brought the Hut to its knees (or at least, to mainly smaller takeaway-only venues, less all-you-can-eat restaurants). Sure, there's still a few floating around (lookin' at you Goulburn), but they're harder and harder to come by nowadays. Once a dignified, family-friendly palace of soft serve on-tap, mini marshmallows and slice after slice after slice, Pizza Hut is now reduced to stunt-like takeaway grotesquery such as the Four 'N Twenty Meat Pie crust and its ilk, cramming more and more fast food, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, cheeseburgers into the crust until it’s just a misshapen farce oozing with disappointment. There's not much scope for an in-house sit-down pig-out any more. Apparently someone else has also noticed the decline. Sydney-based photographer Ho Hai Tran has taken up the quest of documenting the last surviving original Pizza Hut buildings before they pass into irrelevance. Tran has travelled 14,000kms across Australia, New Zealand and the USA to try and capture the photos of the buildings, most of which have been converted for other uses. “Pizza Hut buildings might not seem like the most aesthetically compelling structures, but they do ooze a certain charm”, says Tran. His purpose in all of this is historical record-keeping and maybe making Gen Y-ers shed a little tear because our world is crumbling to pieces. He’s even launched a Kickstarter to help him on his way. The archive of photographs will eventually be compiled into a book which has, in our humble opinion, the greatest title ever: Pizza Hunt. And the special edition even comes in a pizza box. Ouch, right in the childhood. Help Ho Hai Tran on his quest to immortalise the ‘Hut through by chipping into the Kickstarter.
You demanded it, Australia. After apparently hypnotising the country with The Ghan, a three hour documentary about a train travelling from Adelaide to Darwin via Alice Springs, SBS Viceland has announced it'll be broadcasting the extended edition of the film, which clocks in at a whopping 17 hours. Take that, Return of the King director's cut! The initial three-hour cut — billed as Australia's first foray into 'slow TV' — was a massive surprise hit for the network, drawing an average of 583,000 viewers. That makes it Viceland's biggest hit of the past 12 months. The doco was also widely discussed on social media, with #TheGhan trending nationally last Sunday night. https://twitter.com/mel_laah/status/949940354588999681 https://twitter.com/sgbrens/status/949959735905722368 https://twitter.com/quinnal/status/949932847497846785 https://twitter.com/kplyley/status/949959657530916864 The extended version will air this Sunday, January 14 starting at the bright and early time of 2.40am. It'll feature the entire 2979 kilometres, minus the sections at night when the screen would just be black, which, even by slow TV standards, doesn't sound all that interesting. In the meantime, you can catch up with the (relatively) short version of The Ghan via SBS On Demand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiG3ipuB0Sw
Love dessert? Not so good at sports? Keen on using the former to help the latter? Well, it could actually happen. In the kind of culinary development that oh-so-many dreams are made of, an Italian cardiologist has invented an ice cream he claims will improve your sporting ability. So, who do you thank? Science, and Professor Valerio Sanguigni from the University of Rome Tor Vergata. He has crafted his own secret recipe for a gelato that has antioxidant properties. And, as anyone that has ever seen an ad for skin care products or trendy supermarket health foods knows, they're so good for you that television commercials won't stop shouting their praises. Sanguigni's three types of ice cream draw upon his own research into the area — into antioxidants, not ways to justify eating more frozen sweet treats (that's just an added bonus, though he is apparently a lifelong enthusiast). In tests, he gave chocolate, hazelnut and green tea-flavoured gelato to groups of volunteers, and then noticed that they subsequently pedalled faster on an exercise bike than those who ate ordinary ice cream. In short, their vascular function and physical performance improved. No word yet as to what Sanguigni's plans are for his sports-boosting dessert, though it sounds like the type of thing he'd want to start selling quick smart. So, just think: if you've ever wanted to be a little more active — and actually be good at shooting hoops, hitting balls or whatever other sport takes your fancy — gelato might help. With a Korean convenience store also selling ice cream as a hangover cure, it seems that your favourite chilled confectionery just might be the sweetest and tastiest super food of them all. Via Munchies.
The hues are rich, the vibe is moody and the aesthetic leans firmly minimalist: if you hadn't just stepped inside from West End's Montague Road, you could be forgiven for thinking you were in Tokyo. That's the atmosphere that +81 Aizome Bar is aiming for. Its main source of inspiration is Ginza in the Japanese capital, where there's no shortage of similar bars. +81 isn't just a watering hole, but also a restaurant; however, the tipples arrived before the full kappo-style eatery. Brisbanites can consider this a preview of the latter, right down to teaser dishes from the menu. That said, settling in at the intimate ten-seat Aizome Bar is an experience all of its own, and worth heading by for alone. Up and running since early December 2024 — operating from 5pm Tuesday–Saturday — Aizome Bar pours drinks from Mixologist Tony Huang. One way to feel like you're in Japan is to try something from the range of contemporary cocktails that are made using fresh fruit, but remain pared back like the bar itself, including skipping garnishes. There's also a selection 'neo cocktails' that take three–five days to craft, thanks to using freeze-integration techniques. And, in good news if you're not hitting the hard stuff, plenty of care has been devoted to alcohol-free options. Some of Huang's drinks skew classic and feature sake. Some make tea a key ingredient. If there's ice involved in your beverage of choice, it hails from Kanazawa in Japan. Patrons have Alexander Lotersztain to thank for the deep colours decking out the place — indigo features heavily — as well as the use of natural wood and leather accents.
The last time I saw so many polygons so ingeniously fitted together was when I handed in my year six major geometry project. Except that they only amalgamated in my imagination, rather than according to the laws of mathematics. Lord (and advanced engineering) only knows how Frank Gehry got this thing to stand up and stay standing, but done it he has. Behold, ye faithful readers, BioMuseo. Its 4,000 square metres of exhibition space tells the story of the Isthmus of Panama — the curvy wisp of land that separates the Pacific Ocean from the Atlantic and binds the mighty Americas as one (to the consternation of both North and South, more frequently than not). It’s also home to the tiny nation of Panama and the legendary Panama Canal. After a construction process that’s involved ten years and US$60 million plus, BioMuseo is soon expected to open its doors. The official ceremony date hasn’t yet been announced, but test visits are happening this month. Gehry’s mission was to design an icon that Panamanians could identify as their very own — in the way that Sydneysiders see the Opera House, Coffs Harbourians view the Big Banana and Goulburnians admire the Big Merino. The architect’s signature geometrical style blends with local aesthetics. Exhibition coordinator Darien Montanes describes BioMuseo as a “very loud and visible building, appropriate for Panama’s loud and visible culture”. Bright colours and the application of plaster to a concrete substrate reference native construction methods. Inside, an expansive central open-air atrium serves as the building’s heart. Eight Bruce Mau-designed galleries house permanent exhibitions, each worked out in conjunction with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. The interior design pursues an ongoing dialogue with each exhibition and the overarching story: how a 50km-wide strip of land that emerged 4.5 million years ago changed the world. Via designboom.
No need to dig for pocket change at this chocolate shop. All you need to surrender is a little piece of your generosity. Danish chocolatier Anthon Berg created his one-day pop-up sweet shop 'Generous Store' because he believes that "there is not enough generosity in people's lives". Adorned with numberless 'price tags' that specified good deeds, the store's chocolate boxes could be taken home for the cost of a promise. Shoppers had to promise to complete the good deed, sanctifying their pledge by sharing it on Facebook via the store's iPad. If they failed to hold up their end of the bargain, their Facebook friends would be aware to hold them accountable. Chocolates were exchanged for the promise to serve a loved one breakfast in bed, to speak nicely to one's mother, and to complete a variety of other deeds, proving that chocolates aren't the only thing that makes life sweet. https://youtube.com/watch?v=_cNfX3tJonw [via GOOD]
Finally, furious pub debates have some legs. After months of pitching, analysing and suspiciously eyeing off touring schedules, we can rest easy: the 2014 Splendour in the Grass first lineup announcement is out of its cage. After Outkast leaked their own headlining spot this week, attention turned to the remaining Maybe Pile - with every last artist from Massive Attack to Action Bronson pitched with smug confidence. So who's in? Confirmed as headliners after an awkward leaked post by the duo on the Splendour website, Outkast will be taking out the top spot on the first night. After a seven-year hiatus, Big Boi and Andre 3000 made a triumphant return to the stage recently at Coachella Music and Arts Festival in California. Cailfornian festival favourites Foster The People were a 'Pumped Up Kicks'-loving Splendour crowd favourite in 2011 and will return with more material this year. British trio London Grammar will bring their ethereal trip hop to Byron after their billing last year didn't work out due to timing. Two Door Cinema Club and Lily Allen will return to Australia for their first shows here in over a year. But one of the biggest surprises is the addition of Brooklyn's beloved Interpol, who no one really saw coming. After letting tour plans slip on triple j, Sky Ferreira can now officially confirm her spot on the lineup, returning quite soon after a recent Australian tour. Others who couldn't keep away include Danny Brown, Darkside, Parquet Courts and CHVRCHES, all of whom recently played killer shows around these parts. The Australian contingent (lead by deadset legends Hoodoo Gurus) sees Angus and Julia Stone and Spiderbait return to the stage, as well as RÜFÜS, Vance Joy, The Preatures, Sticky Fingers, The Jezabels, Ball Park Music, Courtney Barnett, DZ Deathrays, Violent Soho and more homegrown favourites sure to prompt All The Singalongs. There's a few wildcards sure to stir significant hype closer to the date, including Icelandic melodic folkster Ásgeir, New York punk rockers Skaters and returning eclectic folk-pop queen tUnE-yArDs. Splendour in the Grass 2014 will take place from Friday July 25 through to Sunday July 27, returning to the festival's new home of North Byron Parklands, Yelgun. Full lineup: Outkast (Only Aus Show) Two Door Cinema Club (Only Aus Show) Lily Allen Interpol (Only Aus Show) Foster The People Angus & Julia Stone City And Colour London Grammar Vance Joy Darkside (Only Aus Show) RÜFÜS Ben Howard Kelis Metronomy Hoodoo Gurus Chvrches (Only Aus Show) Grouplove The Jezabels Tune-Yards 360 Wild Beasts Danny Brown (Only Aus Show) Illy First Aid Kit Violent Soho Ásgeir Spiderbait The 1975 Ball Park Music Art Vs Science Buraka Som Sistema (Only Aus Show) The Preatures Parquet Courts (Only Aus Show) Sticky Fingers Peking Duk Sky Ferreira Future Islands Courtney Barnett Phantogram DZ Deathrays Skaters Gossling Jungle The Strypes Hot Dub Time Machine The Kite String Tangle Ry-X Mikhael Paskalev Wave Racer The Acid Saskwatch Kingswood Circa Waves Broods Dustin Tebbutt The Head And The Heart DMA'S Darren Middleton Little May Darlia D.D Dumbo Tkay Maidza The Creases The Wild Feathers Chrome Sparks Fractures Mas Ysa Nick Mulvey Triple J Unearthed Winners Plus DJs & Producers: Nina Las Vegas Yacht Club DJs Motez Touch Sensitive Indian Summer Wordlife L D R U & Yahtzel DJs Cosmos Midnight Sable Kilter Basenji KLP Fishing DJs Paces Charles Murdoch More information and tickets over here at the Splendour website.
When Freaks and Geeks first aired on Australian TV, it was one of those series that you had to actively search the television guide for. If you were devotedly scouring the listings at the time, then you already knew that the Paul Feig (Another Simple Favour)-created show was instantly among the coming-of-age greats, and also destined for a cult following. The past quarter century has proven that true of this glimpse at 80s-era suburban high-school life, but here's something that viewers back in the late-90s and early-00s couldn't have foreseen: a 14-hour marathon featuring all 18 episodes of the series screening at SXSW Sydney in 2025. Feig has already been announced as SXSW Sydney's Screen Festival keynote speaker and its first recipient of the new SXSW Sydney Screen Pioneer Award. When that was revealed, so was the news that the Harbour City fest would pair his visit, chat and accolade with a retrospective of his work this year. That lineup has now been unveiled, spanning three key titles from across the filmmaker's career, including that all-day stint with Freaks and Geeks. If you're keen to binge-watch the Jason Segel (Shrinking)-, Linda Cardellini (Nonnas)-, Seth Rogen (The Studio)-, Busy Phillips (Girls5eva)-, John Francis Daley (Game Night)- and Martin Starr (Tulsa King)-starring show on the big screen, that's on the agenda at the Ritz Cinema in Randwick on Saturday, October 18, kicking off at 9.30am. Or, a few days earlier, you can see the cinematic comedy sensation that is Bridesmaids, complete with Feig in attendance and taking part in a Q&A. If you have any burning questions about the Maya Rudolph (Loot)-, Kristen Wiig (Palm Royale)- and Rose Byrne (Physical)-led flick, Wednesday, October 15 is your chance to ask them. For the film's wedding-themed chaos, you'll also be heading to the Ritz Cinema. The third part of the retrospective program is a Sunday, October 19 session of The Heat, Feig's odd-couple buddy-cop comedy with Sandra Bullock (The Lost City) and Melissa McCarthy (Only Murders in the Building), also at the same venue. Beyond its tribute to the director, writer, producer and actor who also helmed Unaccompanied Minors, Spy, Ghostbusters, A Simple Favour, Last Christmas, The School for Good and Evil and Jackpot! — and co-starred in the OG Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and has The Housemaid with Sydney Sweeney (Echo Valley)-, Amanda Seyfried (Long Bright River) and Brandon Sklenar (Drop) on the way — SXSW Sydney's Screen Festival lineup already includes six other features. So, as announced earlier, you'll be able to catch By Design, $POSITIONS, Dead Lover, Zodiac Killer Project, The Last Sacrifice and Bokshi. Among that group, body-swap effort By Design features Juliette Lewis (The Thicket), Mamoudou Athie (Kinds of Kindness) and Robin Tunney (Dear Edward); horror-comedy Dead Lover is a SXSW Austin award-winner; Charlie Shackleton (The Afterlight) digs into a famed serial killer; and everything from comedy to folk horror features. [caption id="attachment_1010540" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Frank Micelotta[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1015902" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NBCU Photo Bank[/caption] SXSW Sydney 2025, including the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival, runs from Monday, October 13–Sunday, October 19 at various Sydney venues — with the Paul Feig retrospective showing from Wednesday, October 15–Sunday, October 19. Head to the SXSW Sydney website for further details and tickets.
A year after Queensland finally introduced a container refund scheme, and 16 months after scrapping disposable plastic bags, the Sunshine State is set to ramp up its war on waste once again. As part of the just-released Plastic Pollution Reduction Plan, the government is proposing a ban on single-use plastics — and while it's just an idea at this stage, legislation could be introduced as early as next year. In the crosshairs are plastic straws, cutlery, plates and stirrers, with the Qld Government also committing to investigate banning coffee cups, plastic cups and heavy-weight plastic shopping bags as well. Crucial to the plan is the existence of already-available alternatives — whether they're reusable, in the case of cutlery and plates, or 100-percent compostable, as seen with paper straws and stirrers. Before anything official is put in place, the state will undertake consultation with the community and various stakeholders, including people with disability. For the latter group, some alternative products to plastic — such as bamboo, paper and metal straws — aren't always a viable option. From 2020, the Qld Government will start by banning the products from their own events; however an exact timeline from there hasn't been revealed. Also on the state's agenda: developing facilities to process and repurpose plastic, mandating the use of recycled plastics, and expanding the Plastic Free Places program, which works with retailers, events and markets at the community level to wipe out single-use water bottles, straws, coffee cups and lids, takeaway containers, food ware (such as cutlery, plates and cups) and bags. In Noosa, more than 200 businesses have signed up to the scheme. While Qld's powers-that-be are calling their proposal an Australian first, they're not the only authority figures looking to tackle the growing waste problem. Similar laws are being drafted in South Australia, Hobart is progressing down the same track and, as a nation, Australia is working towards banning all non-recyclable packaging by 2025. That's on top of plenty of smaller-scale initiatives, not only including bag bans and container schemes, but the phasing out of single-use plastics in various guises at the company level, with McDonald's, IKEA, Coca-Cola Amatil and Qantas among those making steps in the plastic-free direction. You can read more about the Queensland Government's Plastic Reduction Plan over here.
Thailand's floating cinema blows its drive-in counterparts out of the water. Designed by Beijing-based architect Ole Scheeren, the Archipelago Cinema and Six Senses Resort hosted the final screenings of the Film on the Rocks Yao Noi Festival early last month. Moviegoers were transported by boat to their floating seats, which were situated on a raft-like apparatus in the Nae Pi Lae lagoon of Kudu Island. Opposite the seats, and nestled in between two looming rocks, was the full-sized, floating screen. Scheeren describes the atmosphere of his cinema as "a sense of temporality, randomness, almost like driftwood. Or maybe something more architectural: Modular pieces, loosely assembled, like a group of little islands that congregate to form an auditorium." All components of the floating cinema were composed of recycled materials gathered by local fisherman, who previously used it to build floating lobster farms. The cinema is indeed recyclable itself: after the festival, it is set to be dismantled and donated to the Yao Noi community for use as a playground and a floating stage. [via Architizer]
It’s a truly eye-popping spread of international art stars at the AGNSW’s summer blockbuster, Pop to Popism. Much of it will be familiar; you’ll see Warhol’s famous Marilyn series and Lichtenstein’s In the Car. But beyond the colourful brushstrokes of American artists picking apart consumer culture, you're bound to stumble across a few local and lesser known artists who were nowhere near the New York hotbed of creative activity. Though you might not find their works stamped on pencil cases and postcards in the gift shop, here’s a list of underrated artists you ought not to skip over. Alain Jacquet: Pop and the Dot Roy Lichtenstein spoke about breaking an image down into tiny abstract elements. But unlike his clean lines of handpainted dots, Alain Jacquet developed a more textured technique by allowing different coloured dots to bleed into each other. This French artist was part of a mini-movement at the tail-end of Pop Art. Like their American cousins, the European artists of the school of New Realism were interested in using the materials of everyday life and avoiding the traps of figurative painting. Jacquet’s reworking of Manet’s canonical Luncheon on the Grass deserves to be appreciated up close. Like a hazy summer dream, there is a real sense of warmth and vitality to his work. Annandale Imitation Realists: Pop and Protest In 1960s Sydney, the beginnings of a local Pop Art scene might be attributed to the Annandale Imitation Realists, a group describing themselves as a 'spoof art organisation'. Mike Brown, Colin Lancely and Tony Tuckson produced eclectic mixed media assemblages, drawing from a range of different sources. Breaking through the conservatism of public life, these edgy inner-westies were passionate crusaders for free expression. In fact, Brown was the only Australian artist to be successfully prosecuted for obscenity. While Warhol and Lichtenstein imitate the aesthetic of advertising, this group revelled in nonsensical statements, visceral messiness, and a disregard for authority. They represent an exotic and exuberant counterpoint to the Pop Art that was unfolding across the Pacific. Martha Rosler: Pop and Activism An overlooked figure in the male dominated world of pop art, Martha Rosler moves within the spectrum of social critique. Her incisive series House Beautiful: Bringing the War Home fuses together militancy and materialism. Using photomontage, she reconstructs advertisements aimed at housewives with scenes from the Vietnam War. It's a bizarre juxtaposition; the models are all smiles while soldiers and child casualties peep through windows. Like Richard Hamilton’s earlier and more famous collage, this is a satire of the modern home. But Rosler’s series feels a lot more pressing. She simultaneously tackles the outdated ideal of femininity and the ethics of a media saturated war. Vivienne Binns: Pop and Feminism With second wave feminism in full swing, Vivienne Binns shocked her Sydney audience by exhibiting paintings of vaginas in 1967. Becoming one of the first female artists to address sexuality, her intricate and brightly coloured works drew strong backlash. An abbreviation of vagina dentata, Vag Dens is one of the most significant paintings of this period. In terms of her style, it is as if Abstract Expressionism has entered the realm of '70s psychedelia and become infused with sexual empowerment. Still active today, Binns has a reputation as one of the most radical women on the Australian art scene. Martin Sharp and Tim Lewis: Pop and Deconstruction While you’re sure to see Martin Sharp’s shiny psychedelic posters of Bob Dylan and other famous faces, his collaborative works with Tim Lewis represent the point at which Pop Art began to turn in on itself. During the dying days of this global phenomenon, the Aussie duo was preoccupied with appropriating the big personalities of the movement. It's interesting to see the cartoonish and the cult of celebrity paired with aesthetic purists, like Mondrian, and tortured geniuses, like Van Gogh. Imposing the new faces of postmodernism onto the masters of modernism, they created playful works that prematurely historicise Pop Art with the kind of wry humour it probably deserves. Edward Ruscha: Pop and Language A mighty artist in his own right, Edward Ruscha is more of an associate than a proponent of Pop Art. Of course, one of the rivers running through this art movement is text: whether it be the onomatopoeic sound effects of Roy Lichtenstein, the capitalist slogans of Barbara Kruger, or the self-aware ramblings of Mike Brown. Though Ruscha's training was similarly grounded in commercial art, his word paintings are more visceral and experimental than his colleagues. For instance, he has been known to use odd materials like gunpowder and red wine in his work. Fascinated by "the raw power of things that made no sense," he combines the spoken sounds of language with the written word to create a kind of visual noise. Gilbert and George: Pop and Performance Although these cheeky Londoners have long been part of the Kaldor collection, it's interesting to see Gilbert and George reframed as a part of Pop to Popism. Beginning their career with a series of performances, they insisted that art is everything the artist does. By repeating the same set of activities every day, they turned their lives into a perpetual performance. Their later photo-based works have a strong graphic quality. Full of "words and turds", these brightly coloured self-portraits are highly stylised reflections of modern life. At the tail-end of the exhibition, it's hard not to love this pair of conservative rebels with their mix of English propriety and bodily glee. They might be thought of as the contemporary caretakers of Pop Art. Images: Martin Sharp, Alain Jacquet, Mike Brown, Martha Rosler, Vivienne Binns, Martin Sharp and Tim Lewis, Edward Ruscha, and Gilbert and George.
By the time that March 2025 is out, Australians will have a new streaming service vying for their eyeballs. As rumoured since 2024, confirmed the same year and given an exact launch date earlier this year, Warner Bros Discovery's Max platform is launching locally on Monday, March 31. As that date approaches, more details have arrived regarding what'll be on offer, as well as pricing and plans, if you're keen to sign up to the new Aussie home of HBO's shows. As already revealed, you'll want to subscribe if you're a The Last of Us fan — that's where you'll be watching the hit game-to-screen series' second season when it debuts on Monday, April 14. Max will also boast other HBO Originals, returning, new and old alike, such as The White Lotus; House of the Dragon, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and any other Game of Thrones spinoffs; Euphoria; upcoming IT prequel series Welcome to Derry; and everything from True Detective,The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, The Wire, Oz, Deadwood, Big Love, True Blood, Big Little Lies and Westworld through to Succession, The Larry Sanders Show, Sex and the City, Flight of the Conchords, Bored to Death, Girls, Veep, Barry and Enlightened. The platform's own Max Originals — so made for it, rather than for HBO — include And Just Like That...,, Peacemaker and The Pitt, while the Warner Bros television library also spans Friends, Rick and Morty, Gilmore Girls, Gossip Girl and more. Adventure Time, Looney Tunes and Scooby Doo are among the cartoon names hitting the service. Plus, content TV networks Discovery, Cartoon Network, TLC, Food Network, ID and HGTV are also on their way to the platform. If you're a film fan, get excited about access to recent cinema releases at home, as well as classic fare. Alongside boasting movies from Warner Bros Pictures from the past few years, such as Barbie, Wonka, Trap, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice and Twisters — and also big franchises like The Lord of the Rings, Dune, the DC Universe and Harry Potter — Max will screen blockbusters fast-tracked from their silver-screen dates. And, the service will feature a TCM hub, which is where all-time greats such as Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz, A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket and Rebel Without a Cause will be available. As for plans and pricing, there's three of the former — starting with a basic package that includes ads, then offering standard and premium options. The first spans full HD resolution and two devices streaming simultaneously, as does the second, with the latter also including 30 downloads to watch offline. Opt for premium and 4K resolution plus Dolby Atmos sound are featured, if they're available per title; four devices can stream simultaneously; and the downloads go up to 100. As a launch special until Wednesday, April 30, 2025, the basic with ads plan is available for $7.99 per month for the first 12 months or $79.99 for the first year (or $11.99 per month/$119.99 per year from Thursday, May 1, 2025). The standard plan special is $11.99 per month for the first 12 months or $119.99 for the first year ($15.99 per month/$159.99 per year afterwards), while premium is available for $17.99 per month for the first 12 months or $179.99 for the first year (or $21.99 per month/$219.99 per year afterwards). While the great streaming service rush, when new platforms seemed to appear every few weeks or so, is a few years in the past, HBO bringing Max to Australia remains huge news. At present, the US network's shows largely screen and stream to Aussie viewers via Binge and Foxtel. When the former launched, boasting HBO's catalogue was one of its big selling points. The deal between Binge, Foxtel and Warner Bros Discovery — which owns HBO — was extended in 2023, but it was reported at the time, accurately so it proves, that Max might debut in Australia from 2025. Max will be available direct to consumers via its website and app stores — you'll sign up for it by itself — for viewing via mobile, tablet, gaming consoles and connected TV, but it will still keep a connection with Foxtel. If you subscribe to the pay-TV service, you'll get access to the Max app without paying extra. Max launches in Australia on Monday, March 31, 2025 — head to the streaming service's website for more details.
When 2019 rolls to a close, more than 550 films will have screened in Australasian cinemas across the entire year. That's a huge amount of movies — enough to send you to your favourite picture palace almost twice a day. But unless watching films is your actual job, you probably don't have the time (or stamina, willpower or eagerness to basically live in a darkened room) to see anywhere near that many flicks. So, you prioritise. And, based on 2019's box office tallies, that means that most folks see all the big titles. This year, it seems that absolutely everyone caught a session of Avengers: Endgame, The Lion King, Captain Marvel, Joker and Aladdin. Plenty of cinemagoers spent some time with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, Yesterday and Alita: Battle Angel, too. Excellent movies such as Us and Hustlers also found a crowd. Terrible flicks like Men in Black: International and The Angry Birds Movie 2 did as well. And, although it actually first hit cinemas at the beginning of November 2018 (and ranked fourth in last year's box office), Bohemian Rhapsody still currently sits 15th in terms of ticket sales in 2019. While you were watching all of the above flicks (or watching Bohemian Rhapsody again, apparently), you might've missed some of 2019's smaller gems. They're the movies that weren't plastered all over billboards, didn't spend weeks and months on every screen around town, and you could've blinked and missed them. Thankfully, they all still exist — and we've compiled a rundown of the films that rank among the year's best, but you might not have seen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMs28A1s1OA BORDER Rarely has a movie felt as unique, engrossing and electrifying as Swedish film Border, the sophomore feature from Iranian-Danish writer/director Ali Abbasi. Based on a short story by Let the Right One In author John Ajvide Lindqvist, this constantly surprising horror- and fantasy-tinged drama sifts through the life of customs agent Tina (a phenomenal Eva Melander), who is especially suited to her job thanks to her special ability: due to a chromosome flaw, she can smell what people are feeling. When the mysterious Vore (Eero Milonoff) passes through her checkpoint, his scent sets her nostrils ablaze with curiousity. This isn't an unconventional meet-cute in a quirky rom-com, though. In a film that saunters into dark genre territory with a purpose, Border savvily draws on myth, sci-fi and body horror to explore societal limits, the concept of otherness and the search for identity that plagues us all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwJ5LDOl2Tc ACUTE MISFORTUNE If Adam Cullen had been any other artist and Erik Jensen any other journalist, Acute Misfortune may not exist. In 2008, the former invited the latter to stay with him, see him at his best and worst, and channel his life story into a biography — and, as dramatised by actor-turned-filmmaker Thomas M. Wright, the results are blistering. Just as Jensen didn't shy away from Cullen's erratic, frequently controversial nature, nor does this stunning drama, which could never be accused of being a straightforward biopic of the Archibald-winning painter. Aided by stellar performances by Daniel Henshall as Cullen and Toby Wallace as Jensen, as well as a script by co-written by the real-life Jensen, this is a warts-and-all portrait that lays bare not only its subject, but Australia's fascination with festering masculinity, and it's a lively and compelling watch from start to finish. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VTFLvLtdYw SKATE KITCHEN Crystal Moselle's first and second films shouldn't share as much in common as they do. With documentary The Wolfpack, the American filmmaker stepped inside a Manhattan apartment inhabited by a homeschooled family, who learned about the wider world by watching and re-enacting movies. With the fictional Skate Kitchen, she glides across New York's streets with the titular all-female skate crew — and it still feels like she's entering a rarely seen realm. That's partly this equally expressive and naturalistic drama's point, as it conveys through the story of 18-year-old Camille (Rachelle Vinberg), a Long Island teen who finds the part of herself she's been missing when she joins Skate Kitchen. A flame-haired Jaden Smith also pops up as one of the boys in the crew's orbit, but this film belongs to its fantastic real-life skater cast, and to the fiercely female perspective it champions. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amB2Ol6wihg HAIL SATAN? Hail Satan? isn't trying to recruit new members to the Satanic Temple, but that might happen anyway. Exploring satanism beyond the usual horror movie trappings, filmmaker Penny Lane crafts engaging and amusing documentary about a controversial group endeavouring to subvert the societal status quo in a broader sense. Yes, goat horns, fetish outfits and heavy metal all feature, but this is primarily a chronicle of concerned citizens speaking out against the the current political climate. They're fighting for true freedom of belief, which doesn't just mean enshrining discriminatory and oppressive conservative Christian values — a topic of particular relevance in Australia at present. They're also battling religious-motivated hate, championing equality and rallying against injustice in general, like any other social activist group. As seen in this sympathetic but illuminating film, that's the kind of satanic panic that many could get onboard with. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTh4uTFWPeg THE THIRD WIFE For her impressive directorial debut, Vietnamese-born filmmaker Ash Mayfair delves into her ancestry. The story: the arranged marriage of a 14-year-old girl to an already twice-wed wealthy landowner, with the late-19th century-set tale drawing its details from Mayfair's own family history. In rural Vietnam, and in the life and experiences of May (Nguyen Phuong Tra My), The Third Wife unpacks the minutiae of a patriarchal system that treats women like property — all as its protagonist is told she must bear her husband a son, and strives to find what little contentment she can in her new life. Favouring lush imagery over dialogue, this is a moving and ravishing film not only aesthetically, but in the simmering emotions clearly felt by May and the other languishing ladies around her. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TslErMXUBp4 HAPPY AS LAZZARO At first, Happy As Lazzaro seems straightforward — venturing to a traditional Italian estate, following the interplay between its tobacco farm workers and the arrogant aristocracy who decide their fates, and doing so in both a poetic and naturalistic manner. The film's eponymous figure, the kindly and caring Lazzaro (Adriano Tardiolo), stands out from his agitated rural brethren by virtue of his good-natured demeanour; however writer/director Alice Rohrwacher appears content to watch him navigate the sometimes ordinary, sometimes exaggerated struggles of feudal life. Then, in a twist that needs to be seen to be believed, this Cannes Best Screenplay winner changes. Making a connection with modern-day life, the wry film cements its status as a parable. Equally surreal and astute, the end product is one of the most distinctive films of this and many other years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zch4VPKGBwU ISLAND OF THE HUNGRY GHOSTS Despite its festive name, Christmas Island has been splashed across Australia's news headlines for all the wrong reasons. For much of the 21st century, it has been one of the places where those fleeing hostilities and seeking asylum have been housed — amid protests, controversies, closures and, this year, the re-opening of its Immigration Reception and Processing Centre. In a potent, haunting blend of fact and recreation that proves far more effective than a straightforward documentary, Australian filmmaker Gabrielle Brady ponders the impact of the site and its purpose on those who call it home. Trauma counsellor Poh Lin Lee draws the film's focus, with her discussions with detained refugees, her daily life, her family, the island's migrating crabs and its history all playing a part in this compassionate, deservedly acclaimed movie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwgUesU1pz4 UNDER THE SILVER LAKE After working horror fans into a frenzy with It Follows, David Robert Mitchell opted for a neo-noir black comedy for his next film. A thematic companion piece to similarly sprawling, spiralling, slacker-focused California-set fare such as Inherent Vice and The Big Lebowski, Under the Silver Lake hones in on aimless 33-year-old Sam (Andrew Garfield), who stumbles upon several mysteries. Murdered pets, his alluring new neighbour (Riley Keough), a missing billionaire and an underground zine series about local neighbourhood legends all rate a mention in this deliriously labyrinthine movie, as do Hollywood history and ominous conspiracies. Mitchell's technical game is pitch-perfect, as evidenced in both the film's vibrant images and intoxicating score, with every element inviting audiences along for a wild and rewarding ride. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLIQABWm2mg FINKE: THERE AND BACK The past few years have been memorable for Dylan River. The Alice Springs filmmaker directed Robbie Hood, the delightful SBS web series; was the cinematographer on rousing Adam Goodes documentary The Australian Dream; and worked as the second unit director on Sweet Country, which was helmed by his father Warwick Thornton. He also wrote, directed and shot Finke: There and Back. While the iconic Finke Desert Race is the kind of event that you're either into or you're not — it's a rough, tough, two-day off-terrain trek through central Australia's dust and dirt via motorbike and car, and it's been known to cause casualties — this insightful documentary is for everyone. Through intimate interviews and striking on-the-ground footage, River follows the competitors before and during the race, telling their tales while exploring a difficult feat from the inside. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=322NzXR3n4o LORDS OF CHAOS According to Euronymous (Rory Culkin), Norway is known for "seal clubbing and a very high suicide rate". If that sounds far from cheery, then this simultaneously dramatic and comic true crime tale won't be for you. Fictionalising a spate of murders and church burnings in the early 90s, Lords of Chaos spends time with the bleak-minded guitarist and his bandmates as they scream and thrash their way through the Norwegian black metal scene, shaping its early days as they go along. History dictates that this is an incredibly dark story, and director Jonas Åkerlund — an ex-Swedish black metal rocker himself — doesn't shy away from its violence. That said, he firmly recognises that he's following wannabe rebels looking for any cause they can find. Åkerlund also made the abysmal straight-to-Netflix John Wick clone Polar, but with Lords of Chaos, he tackles a grim story with both brutal style and weight.
The storied Mansfield Tavern has recently reopened following a major spruce-up, bringing this local icon up to standard with a refreshed bistro, beer garden and sports bar. Yet the other space looking better than ever is the pub's famed entertainment space — The Arena. This historic music venue has experienced its fair share of raucous nights over the last 50 years, with the likes of Midnight Oil, INXS and Joan Jett shaking the structure from wall to rafter. However, the much-loved spot has just revealed a modernised look, bringing about new entertainment possibilities beyond local and international rock gods. While sporting events have certainly played a role in The Arena's past — the venue has routinely been reconfigured for boxing bouts — guests can now expect a broader range of events on the schedule. For instance, local and touring comedians will now have a better space to get behind the mic, while family-friendly entertainers won't have a problem keeping kids enthralled. There are even more possibilities for live sports, with Muay Thai events bound to attract a crowd. "We are thrilled to be welcoming our community back to their new-look local!" said Venue Manager Claire Maskill. "We've completely spruced up the pub and the amazing entertainment venue, it feels like a whole new chapter." Making the most of its new vibe, the Mansfield Tavern hasn't wasted time locking in plenty of gigs to showcase the new-look music venue. Metalheads can catch the Necrosonic Festival on Saturday, August 23, featuring 30 bands across three stages, while former INXS frontman JD Fortune will also take to the stage, playing the band's biggest hits on Friday, October 31. The Arena at the Mansfield Tavern is now open. Head to the website for more information and upcoming events.
At Sokyo, the phrase "looks good enough to eat" earns a new spin. Here, the sushi, sashimi, king prawns in yuzu butter off the robata grill, tempura Moreton Bay bugs with grapefruit salad and plenty more almost look too artful, too eye-catching and too enticing to devour. For its first expansion out of Sydney, as well as its debut eatery in Queensland, this Japanese fine-diner has given its Brisbane location in the new Queen's Wharf precinct a specific gift: Executive Chef Alex Yu, brandishing his skills as a "sashimi florist" over the restaurant's aesthetically pleasing menu. Yu earned that nickname at Sokyo Sydney, where he worked for eight years from 2014 and became renowned for his fish platters featuring floral arrangements. In 2022, he moved to Yugen Melbourne to take on that restaurant's Head Chef position. Now, he has completed the east coast capital-city trifecta by coming to Brisbane to helm the new Sokyo. Sokyo's opening, launching when Queen's Wharf did at the end of August, brings a swag of good news to the River City. Brisbanites no longer need to visit Sydney to dine at the culinary standout, for starters. The second Sokyo is part of The Star Brisbane, just as the Harbour City's sits inside The Star Sydney. At The Star Gold Coast, Queensland already boasts fellow Japanese restaurant Kiyomi — a sibling eatery, if you like — but this is the first time that the Sokyo brand has set up shop elsewhere. If you haven't visited Sokyo down south, it heroes traditional cooking techniques and making dining a sumptuous feast for the senses. The restaurant's guiding principle: ritual meets art. The idea is to apply Japanese culinary practice to Australia, including using local produce — from Queensland, of course, at Sokyo Brisbane. In a space that seats 160, features both a sushi bar and a circular private dining room, and has Hassell to think for its scroll- and timber screen-heavy Japanese restaurant decor, patrons can enjoy a range of Sokyo's famous dishes that've made the jump from its OG location to Brissie. Two such highlights: spicy tuna with crispy rice, plus hiramasa kingfish with miso ceviche and crispy potato. Standouts from the rest of the menu include A5 wagyu with egg yolk, garlic chips and gold leaf; tempura snapper paired with a coriander salad; miso-glazed toothfish; and salmon belly aburi. Or, as long as you have at least one person for company, opt for the $160-per-person tasting menu. The multi-dish spread features four seafood plates, the choice to upgrade to a chef's selection of sushi or wagyu in wasabi sauce, plus mochi and strawberry milkshake ice cream, and a caramel macchiato. To wash them all down, sake, Japanese whisky, shochu cocktails, and tap and bottled beers from Japan take pride of place on the drinks list. You can also sip wine, champagne and non-alcoholic beverages. Find Sokyo at The Star Brisbane, Queen's Wharf, Level 2, 33 William Street, Brisbane CBD — open for dinner from 5–10pm Wednesday–Sunday. Head to the venue's website for more information.
Throwing an awesome barbecue doesn't have to involve making your own bunting and painstakingly pouring pomegranate jelly shots into hollowed-out strawberries. God (who looks like Bill Hunter if you're Australian) can see you when you do that, and he doesn't approve. But your mates won't think you're a wanker if you make a little effort. Here's what you need for a barbecue: food, a case or two, music, somewhere to sit, some ice, and good people. We can't help you with meeting good people and making them like you, although inviting them over to eat meat and drink beer probably won't hurt. 1. PLAYLIST & PEOPLE This is up to you, of course, but for a breezy arvo-into-evening sit-around, we suggest a vaguely chronological mix of soul and Motown, RSL bangers (we're talking Crowded House, 'Electric Blue', 'The Horses', 'Bette Davis Eyes', 'Dumb Things') and early-90s hip hop and RnB. Only invite people who enjoy all those things, don't invite anyone who hates 'Electric Blue', and there's your guestlist sorted. 2. DRINKS Beer: buy a case. Buy at least one. Buy two if you can afford it. What, are you worried you'll be stuck with a whole bunch of leftover beer? It's not a Christmas ham. People will (and should) BYO but you should always have communals they can get stuck into. And nobody's going to complain about free beer, but if you want to step it up a notch, use one of these apps to pick yourself a solid local craft beer. Wine: Non-beer-drinkers will usually BYO too, but you can now get an award-winning bottle of wine at ALDI Liquor for a fiver. Get two white, a rose and a red, just to be hospitable, and if you end up taking one to dinner at your in-laws', they won't be able to tell from the label that it cost less than a pub steak. As for ice: schlep to the servo and buy a bag. It's like $4. If you don't have a tub-type thingy and don't want to shell out for one, here is a short list of things into which you can place a sturdy garbage bag to create a reasonably capacious waterproof ice bucket: - A laundry basket - the carton the beer came in (or literally any other large cardboard box) - a milk crate - a small shelf turned on its side If you've got an old solid-metal bottle opener around, tie it to your table or BBQ stand with a piece of string. That way you'll always have one handy, it won't go walkabout in someone's pocket, and your dumbest/drunkest mate won't break a tooth trying to prove how hard he is. 3. MEAT Buy minute steaks, not rump. They're cheaper, thin enough to stuff into a white roll with sauce, and are much more friendly to plastic cutlery, paper plates, eating on laps and all of the above at once. Sausages are mandatory. Buy two kinds. Make one of those kinds the standard straight-sided fundraising democracy Saturday sport sausage-sizzle beef variety (get some from a good butcher if you're not wild about where the beef in the budget ones come from). Make the other a nice spicy Italian, fat pork ones, or vego ones if lots of your mates lean that way. 4. CONDIMENTS The most important sauces, of course, are the holy trinity of red, yellow and brown: tomato, barbecue and American yellow mustard in big squeezy bottles. Those are mandatory. Don't get fancy about it. Heinz and Masterfoods are your friends. Other than that, it's down to taste. A couple of hot sauces (chipotle, habanero or classic pepper), sriracha, a good brown'n'sticky like HP or A1, whole-egg mayo, onions, chutney, that Beaver brand hot dog mustard with the pickle chunks in it — line 'em up. 5.BREAD ROLLS Bags of them. Supermarket. Buy about one and a half per diner. 6. FOOD THAT IS NOT MEAT It exists! Barbecuing plant matter usually yields delicious results. Here's the best way to go about it: - Classic, cheap as heck, everyone loves corn, and all you need to put on it is butter. (Spicy mayo and grated cheese works too, though.) BBQ the cobs whole (you can even do them in the husk, if you rip out most of the silk and give them a soak in salted water beforehand so they steam themselves) and pile them up on a big plate. - Buy as much asparagus as you can afford. Snap off the woody ends, oil 'em up a bit, get some good char marks on there, chuck them in any dish that's longer than it is wide and squeeze a wedge of lemon over the top. Looks fancier than a mink bidet. - Baked potatoes. Wrap them in foil, stick them in the hottest corner of the BBQ (with the hood down, if you have a hood) and forget about them until it's time to do the steaks; they're done if they give when you poke them with the tongs. - The standard vego options at BBQs are portobello mushrooms and haloumi. Those are delicious things, but herbivores are usually pretty used to fending for themselves a little at social events – don't be shy about asking them if they'd like to bring something they're actually enthusiastic about. If you want to make a salad-y thing, here's the easiest one: cook a 500g packet of risoni or orzo, and dump in a whole jar of marinated feta (oil and all — break up the big bits) and a big bag of baby spinach and some chopped fresh parsley while the pasta's still warm. The oil from the feta will become your dressing, and you can add toasted nuts or chilli flakes or roasted veg if you want. For dessert? Fresh watermelon and pineapple, and/or Zooper Doopers. 7. AMBIANCE We've already talked music, and ruled out bunting. Fairy lights are your friend: string heaps of them above head height for a star-canopy effect, drape them randomly on a wall or fence, or twine them around the clothesline for that Strayan charm. (Bonus points if you can find the old-fashioned multicoloured, full-sized light globe style.) For daytime, shade is crucial, whether it's a covered area, an umbrella or a tarp strung up bivouac-style and if you're not blessed with a truck-sized vat of chemically-treated water in your backyard, a blow-up pool is just as much fun. Sturdy citronella candles are more practical than tea lights, smell like summer, and sometimes even keep mozzies away. (Keep a can of Pea Beu handy anyway.) All you need to do, really, is to let the booze flow, watch the evening roll in, and feel the serenity. And if it all devolves into a raucous game of Goon Of Fortune, at least your neighbours will know who the legends on your block really are. Image credits: Christopher Craig via photopin cc, Johan Larsson via photopin cc, Thomas Hawk via photopin cc, "Korb mit Brötchen" by 3268zauber CC, W i l l a r d via photopin cc, Joe Buckingham via photopin cc.
We've seen some pretty amazing accommodation locations in our time (caves, catacombs and ski jumps included), but none quite take the cake like atop one of the world's most recognisable and romanticised landmarks: the Eiffel Tower. Yep, the Eiffel Tower. This new accommodation option (way better than the Montmartre apartment you rented in 2014, sorry) comes from holiday rental website, HomeAway. They've created a casual luxury apartment up there that can fit you, five of your closest friends and only the one of the best views in the goddamn world. Airbnb, you've been one-upped. Of course, you can't actually book this on the site — you'll have to win your way in. In what promises to be the most epic of all Paris holidays, the winner and five friends will receive airfares from their nearest city to Paris and one night (as well as dinner and brekkie) in the luxury Eiffel Tower digs. They'll also chuck in another three nights accommodation in another HomeAway apartment so you don't have to fly to Paris just for one night — but, let's be honest, it's only going to be a letdown after your Tower stay. The trip must be taken from July 2-6, but unfortunately it's only open for US residents. Boo. The promotion follows a slew of similar competitions from Airbnb, the latest of which gave punters a chance to spend a night in a Parisian shark tank. So for our next holiday, accommodation booking companies, we'd like to request a bed in the Statue of Liberty's torch.
From high speed car chases across the post-apocalyptic outback to heartbreaking tales of love and loss, 2015 was a pretty great year for Australian cinema. Films like Mad Max and The Dressmaker hit it big at the box-office, while Holding the Man and Last Cab to Darwin had people reaching for their handkerchiefs. Throw in a couple of strong documentaries in the form of Gayby Baby and That Sugar Film, along with crowd-pleasing family fare like Oddball and Paper Planes, and it seems like local audiences are finally coming around to the idea that movies made in Australia can be every bit as good as those made overseas. Of course, in order to keep up that positive perception, the local film industry needs to keep making great films. Luckily, it looks like they're up to the challenge. We've already given you our list of our most anticipated international efforts, but now, here are the ten Australian films you need to see in 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSse2RIapEA THE DAUGHTER The debut film from theatre director Simon Stone (adapted from his own critically acclaimed stage play), The Daughter arrives in cinemas following great reviews at a number of local and international film festivals last year. A reworking of Henrik Ibsen's The Wild Duck, this nuanced family drama concerns a man, played by Paul Schneider, who returns to the small logging town where he grew up, only to uncover a secret that could tear the lives of his friends and family apart. With Geoffrey Rush, Ewen Leslie, Miranda Otto and Sam Neill, it might have the best cast of any Australian film this year. The Daughter is due in cinemas on March 17. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn2vfS6bbK0 SHERPA Anyone who saw Everest might think they have an idea of what it's like to climb the world's tallest mountain. But as this eye-opening documentary from filmmaker Jennifer Peedom reveals, you only know a fraction of the story. Sherpa shows the efforts of the native mountain guides, who risk life and limb in order to get foreign visitors to the summit. Over the course of a season, tension begins to brew between the locals, the tourists and the companies that facilitate the climbs, before finally boiling over in the wake of a deadly avalanche. A powerful, troubling film — it's of the best things we caught at last year's Sydney Film Festival, and an absolute must see in 2016. Sherpa is due in cinemas on March 24. DOWN UNDER A comedy about the Cronulla race riots? It's safe to say Down Under could either be brilliant or a total disaster. Director Abe Forsythe appears to be deliberately courting controversy — not that there's anything wrong with that, per se. With racism and Islamophobia still major issues in this country, a dark comedy that tears into good old Aussie jingoism could be exactly what the doctor ordered. Of course, satire is a tricky thing — and easy to muck up. Guess we'll just have to wait and see. Down Under is due in cinemas on August 4. 2:22 Between Predestination, The Infinite Man and the recent remake of Patrick, it's been a good few years for homegrown science fiction. Continuing this trend (we hope) is Paul Currie's 2:22, an American-Australian co-production in which a man is forced to relive the same day over and over, always ending when the clock hits — you guessed it — 2.22pm. Game of Thrones actor Michiel Huisman stars alongside Australia's own Teresa Palmer. Imagine Groundhog Day remade as a psychological thriller, and you'd be roughly on the right track. 2:22 is due in cinemas in 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-98kUEnkxHM DOWNRIVER Writer-director Grant Scicluna's feature film debut was one of the most buzzed about local films at last year's Melbourne Film Festival. Reef Ireland (Puberty Blues) plays James, a young man recently released from prison after serving time for his involvement in the drowning of a small boy. Looking for redemption, James sets out to recover the boy's body, only to find himself in danger when it becomes clear that his accomplices would rather the past remain buried. Downriver looks grim and compelling in equal measure, and could well mark the emergence of a promising new Australian film talent. Downriver is due in cinemas in 2016. THE FAMILY This upcoming documentary, from director Rosie Jones, promises to pull back the curtain on Australia's most notorious cult. For three decades between the 1960s and 1990s, Anne Hamilton-Byrne led a group of devoted followers as the head of a sect known as The Family. Controlling her disciples, including a host of "adopted" children, through a mix of physical abuse and mind-altering drugs, Hamilton-Byrne convinced cult members she was the reincarnation of Jesus, before their compound was eventually raided by police. It's a story made all the more troubling for having taken place in our own backyard. The Family is due in cinemas in 2016. GOLDSTONE Actor Aaron Pedersen and filmmaker Ivan Sen are reuniting for a sequel/spin-off to their masterful outback thriller Mystery Road. Pederson returns as Indigenous detective Jay Swan, who finds himself in the eponymous town of Goldstone while investigating a missing persons case, only to find himself caught up in a web of crime and corruption. He'll be joined in front of the camera by two-time Oscar nominee Jacki Weaver, veteran Indigenous actors David Gulpilil and Tom E. Lewis, and Hong Kong martial arts star Cheng Pei-pei. If it's half as good as Mystery Road it'll be a contender for best film of the year. Goldstone is due in cinemas in 2016. JASPER JONES The new film from Bran Nue Dae director Rachel Perkins, Jasper Jones is an adaptation of Craig Silvey's award winning novel, described by at least one reviewer as Australia's To Kill a Mockingbird. Set in the fictional WA town of Corrigan in the mid 1960s, the film tells the story of 13-year-old Charlie Bucktin who befriends the eponymous Jasper Jones, a half-white, half-indigenous boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Toni Collette, Hugo Weaving and Dan Wyllie are set to co-star, although it's the younger cast members who will ultimately make or break the film. Jasper Jones is due in cinemas in 2016. LION Adapted from Hobart man Saroo Brierley's best-selling memoir, Lion stars Dev Patel as a young man who was adopted by an Australian couple (Nicole Kidman and David Wenham) as a child, who travels to India to try and track down his biological family. Rooney Mara co-stars, along with a number of high-profile Indian actors, giving this cross-cultural drama a real shot at international success. The film marks director Garth Davis' first feature film, following on from strong work on Top of the Lake. Lion is due in cinemas in 2016. NEST We've got two words for anyone who thinks Australian films are serious and boring: giant bloody spiders. Okay, so that's technically three words, but you get what we're trying to say. A Chinese-Australian co-production directed by Kimble Rendall — the same guy behind the wonderfully schlocky sharks in a supermarket movie Bait — this 3D creature feature stars Kellan Lutz, Kelsey Grammar, Shane Jacobson and Li Bingbing as a group of scientists who become lost in a labyrinth full of enormous, man-eating funnel web spiders. Leave your scaredy-cat friends at home. Nest is due in cinemas in 2016.
Picking just one film that Quentin Tarantino will always be known for is impossible. Pulp Fiction might seem to be the obvious answer, but given that his resume spans Reservoir Dogs, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill and Inglourious Basterds as well, alongside Death Proof, Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, his career is filled with standout flicks. Only one looks set to score a Brad Pitt-starring follow-up with David Fincher directing, however — and with QT writing the script. As Variety and The Playlist are reporting, the tale of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood's Cliff Booth won't be over if this new film comes to fruition. Netflix are behind it, and the focus on Booth is why Pitt (Wolfs) is in the lead, returning to the role that won him an Oscar. There's no name for the movie yet, or much else in the way of details — including whether fellow Once Upon a Time in Hollywood stars Leonardo DiCaprio (Killers of the Flower Moon) and Margot Robbie (Barbie) will also feature or even briefly pop up. Whatever title it has and whoever else is in it, the picture will see Pitt working with two familiar filmmakers. For Tarantino, he also starred in Inglourious Basterds. For Fincher, he's led Seven, Fight Club and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. If you've been hanging out for a new movie from the latter director since 2023's The Killer, this might be it. If the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood-related film retains a look at Tinseltown and the entertainment industry, Fincher will add it alongside Mank on his resume. QT just keeps showing Once Upon a Time in Hollywood love, after releasing a novelisation based on the ten-time Academy Award-nominated as part of a two-title deal with publisher Harper Collins. The text not only retraced the tale seen on-screen, but added to it. And yes, Tarantino penned the book, which marked his first foray into printed fiction and saw him embrace his love of novels that relay the narrative of big-screen releases. It's been almost three decades since QT wrote a feature script that someone else directed, since the screenplay for 1996's From Dusk Till Dawn — which he also acted in, and Robert Rodriguez (Spy Kids: Armageddon) helmed. Tarantino is no stranger to Pitt starring in a flick that stems from his words, but with another filmmaker behind the camera, though, courtesy of 1993's Tony Scott (Unstoppable)-directed True Romance. Obviously there's no sneak peek yet for the new film, but you can check out Once Upon a Time in Hollywood's trailer below: Netflix's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood follow-up doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you with more details when they are announced. Read our review of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Via Variety / The Playlist.
It's been five years since Taylor Square's rainbow crossing was removed in the middle of the night, without a word of warning. But the future's looking a whole lot brighter, with the City of Sydney announcing the installation's return, just days out from the 40th anniversary of the first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. With the support of NSW Roads and the RMS, the colourful crossing is set to grace the corner of Bourke and Campbell streets, with construction due to kick off in October. Lord Mayor Clover Moore has applauded the move, calling it "a powerful acknowledgement of the importance of our LGBTQI community and history". The original rainbow crossing was installed in February 2013, but was removed two months later by the NSW Roads Minister amidst safety concerns. Residents have since spent years petitioning for it to be reinstated — this Change.org petition got over 16,000 signatures — so this is undoubtedly welcome news to the LGBTIQ+ community and commuters that pass through Taylor Square each day. The new installation, which will also incorporate a local street upgrade and coincide with "a trial to prioritise pedestrian movements ahead of vehicular movements", will be in place for six months, before a safety review is undertaken by the RMS. If it ticks all the boxes, this rainbow icon will be sticking around permanently.
A buttery pastry goes down a treat when paired with tasty coffee. Fortunately, a new spot just opened in Bowen Hills offers the best of both worlds. Launched by Dean Merlo, the brains behind long-standing Queensland roastery, Merlo Coffee, he's breaking into the artisan baking scene with the arrival of Milano Bakehouse right next door to its existing cafe. The move represents just the latest chapter in the Merlo family's culinary legacy, with the bakery named after the dynasty's Milanos. A silver-service restaurant, it proved a big hit with the upper crust of the 1960s from its home on Queen Street Mall. Guided by Dean's father, Gino, his reputation for warm service and impeccable standards saw visiting dignitaries like Queen Elizabeth II and Pope John Paul II swing by for a bite. While Milano Bakehouse probably won't be receiving such luminaries just yet, guests can expect the bakery to offer a similarly sophisticated European flair. Prepped with state-of-the-art equipment, the menu will include 30 pastries and 25 breads, inspired by French and Italian traditions. Plus, adding the bakery to the cafe setup makes it an even more alluring destination when seeking a different class of beans to sip. "We are also reimagining our menu offerings at our Bowen Hills Merlo cafe to include an authentic Italian touch — taking full advantage of the fresh artisan goods baked within the building, a process which patrons can see for themselves, first-hand from behind the glass, just next door to our popular cafe," says Dean. In the kitchen, Dean and his business partner James Wilkinson have assembled a dream team of baking talent. Leading the crew is French Head Baker, Thomas Meneau, who has the busy task of producing around a thousand baked goods day in and day out, including sourdough batard, baguettes and croissants. He's developed the menu alongside renowned Brisbane restaurateur and former Montrachet co-owner, Shannon Kellam. "Our team, led by Shannon — celebrated for his excellence, innovation, and mentorship in the fine-dining restaurant industry — has been working hard with the highest attention to detail to finesse our baking processes," says Dean, who quips that his mother has also helped with taste-testing. "[That's] the true Merlo way of hospitality — making sure that our family delivers the very best possible experience for our loyal, long-standing customers who we've been serving for generations." Milano Bakehouse opens on Saturday, July 5, at 10 Thompson Street, Bowen Hills. Head to the website for more information.
"Sadder than destitution, sadder than a beggar, is the man who eats alone in public," Jean Baudrillard famously wrote in his 1986 book, America. "Nothing more contradicts the laws of man or beast, for animals always do each the honour of sharing or disputing each other's food." Marina van Goor, the founder and designer of Eenmaal, a pop-up that made a lightning-quick, 48 hour appearance in Amsterdam last week, begs to differ. 'Here, you can dine in pleasant solitude,' she explains. 'Eenmaal is an exciting experiment for those who never go out dining alone, as well as an appealing opportunity for those who often eat alone at restaurants.' In fact, the only tables available at the restaurant were those for one. It was the first establishment of its kind in the world. Working in conjunction with Dutch branding agency, Vandejong, van Goor was hoping to lessen the negative stigma associated with spending time alone in public spaces. Even though we know that more and more people are now living on their own, many individuals still feel insecure about making a solo trip to a cinema, theatre or restaurant. The name Eenmaal translates (loosely) to 'One Meal' or 'One Time', with the sign pictured below reading, 'You come with one, You sit with one, You eat with one.' [via PSFK]
Rome is a must-visit city in your lifetime. You have ancient historic sites at every turn, iconic architecture, countless restaurants packed with some of the world's finest Italian fare, and bars pumping out spritzes and aperitivo experiences every day of the week. It is a magical place, a city bursting with culture and energy. If you travel to Rome on a budget, you can certainly go down the hostel route of accommodation and find no shortage of quality options. You can find charming smaller apartments a little further out as well. But there is a kind of luxury in Rome that should also be experienced. The city's spectacular collection of lavish hotels haven't been stripped of personality or colour or fallen victim of excessive modernisation. Instead, you'll be staying in historical buildings full of character and extravagant charm. Read on to find a handful of our favourites that you can book via Concrete Playground Trips right now. PARCO DEO PRINCIPI GRAND HOTEL Located by the stunning landscaped garden of Villa Borghese, this luxury hotel embraces the more is more design aesthetic. It's fabulously opulent with layer upon layer of jewel-toned interior styling and multi-textural decor. The drawing room is clad in antique wood panels, every room is decorated with traditional patterned drapes and you'll find a mix-match of colourful furniture and sculptures scattered throughout. Every corner is worthy of a photograph. BOOK IT NOW. TREE CHARME PARLIAMENT BOUTIQUE HOTEL This quaint, 14-room hotel is located right by the iconic Piazza Navona and Pantheon but is in a surprisingly quiet little street. You won't be disturbed by loud tourists while you slumber in one of the recently refurbished rooms. Expect a more modern affair when it comes to design and amenities as well as very personalised hospitality that you can only find in such a small hotel. BOOK IT NOW. ROME CAVALIERI Rome is a big and busy city, so sometimes it can be nice to stay a little further out. And Rome Cavalieri has got to be one of the greatest, set within 15-acres of parkland atop the city's highest hilltop. Look down upon St Peter's Dome and the sea of terracotta roofs from the restaurant, pool and luxe suites during your stay. Then jump in a cab or hit the public transport system to reach the centre of Rome within minutes. BOOK IT NOW. HOTEL LORD BYRON Art Deco design never looked so good. This 1930's villa has been finished with luxe mahogany, marble and rosewood features throughout, making for an altogether opulent affair. It's like the Great Gatsby has come to Rome. But it has also been kitted out with modern amenities, bringing it right up to 21st Century luxury hotel standards. BOOK IT NOW. HOTEL RAPHAEL-RELAIS & CHATEAUX We are obsessed with every part of this hotel. From the exterior covered in lush greenery to the ornately decorated rooms and incredible views from the rooftop, it's a stunning stay. Even if you aren't staying at Hotel Raphaël-Relais & Châteaux, be sure to book a table at the fine dining hotel restaurant so you can experience a small part of this hotel's luxury offerings. BOOK IT NOW. HOTEL ROME GARDEN From the outside, this accommodation looks like most hotels in Rome. It's in a charming old building that looks a lot like the rest. But the boutique hotel has a hidden garden set within old Roman ruins. It's an ancient oasis. Enjoy a buffet breakfast out here or a few spritzes during a balmy evening before retreating to one of the 34 rooms. BOOK IT NOW. HOTEL CESARI This boutique 51-room hotel expertly blends the historic with the contemporary. The old building has been totally transformed with a sleek updated fit-out. Design-wise, it's less maximalist than some of the other inclusions on this list, but it still holds onto all its old-world charm. Hotel Cesari is best experienced up on the rooftop terrace adorned with loungers, colourful umbrellas and fresh flowers aplenty. BOOK IT NOW. HOTEL ART In many ways, Hotel Art feels more like a quirky contemporary art gallery than luxury hotel. Set within an former boarding school, you will find traditional design elements paired with bold artworks and installations. Receptionists sit in large white glowing pods, furniture is all bespoke, and each of the 46 rooms have been uniquely decorated with specially commissioned artworks and colourful fixtures. It's a great alternative place to stay in Rome. BOOK IT NOW. THE WESTIN EXCELSIOR Opulence abounds in this grand classic hotel. Everything is luxurious, from the large bedrooms with high ceilings and views across the city, to the elegant ballrooms and restaurants filled with marble and ornate chandeliers. The spa is also a big win. Get indulgent massages, body treatments and facials or simply relax in the large indoor pool and sauna. You'll be paying a lot for the experience but it's worth it for an unforgettably luxurious stay. BOOK IT NOW. HOTEL FORUM The Forum is one of Rome's most popular sites and is close to many must-visit sites — The Coliseum, Trevi Fountain and so forth. That's why staying in this area is fantastic. You don't need to fuss with public transport or lengthier strolls during hot summer days. Step outside the Hotel Forum to immediately find Rome's best bits at your feet — or head up to the rooftop terrace to get unique views of these sites lit up at night. BOOK IT NOW. AMBASCIATORI PALACE You'll be sleeping in a newly renovated palace that was originally constructed in 1900. It doesn't get much more special than that. The team at Ambasciatori Palace also add glam bars and restaurants under the same roof as well as a state-of-the-art spa. It was recently taken over by InterContinental so you know the service will be perfectly polished and seamless. BOOK IT NOW. J.K. PLACE The old and new seamlessly combine within this luxury boutique hotel located in the heart of Rome. Enjoy the playful design features by the architect Michele Bönan — including colourful palettes, stately four-poster beds and common spaces decked out with Berber rugs, marble statues and a futuristic chandelier. The team will even rent you an e-bike during your stay and make up a unique picnic hamper to be enjoyed within one of the nearby parks. BOOK IT NOW. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world. Top images: Hotel Raphaël-Relais & Châteaux.
