Gaspar Noe is a filmmaker with vision — of that, there is little doubt. Whether his vision is something you would ever want to watch is where things get a little more complicated. An Argentinean expat living in France, he’s best known among cineastes for his 2002 film Irreversible, a non-linear crime thriller whose bold cinematography and ruminations on revenge are inevitably overshadowed by discussions of its most notorious sequence: a nine-minute rape scene shot in one unflinching take. Noe’s most recent film, Love, isn’t shy on graphic sexual content either, although thankfully this time it’s of the consensual variety. Debuting at this year’s Cannes Film Festival to a mixture of boos and rapturous applause, it’s a divisive picture that bares all from the very first frame, opening with a static shot of a man and a woman masturbating one another to orgasm. It’s the first of many long sequences of graphic non-simulated sex in the film — sex that Noe uses as emotional markers in his 130-minute portrait of a tumultuous young relationship gone bad. The story, such as it is, is told from the perspective of Murphy (Karl Glusman), a self-involved American film student living in Paris with his French girlfriend Omi (Klara Kristin) and their infant son. After a drug-fuelled New Year’s Eve, a groggy Murphy awakens to find a voice message on his phone from the concerned mother of Electra (Aomi Muyock), an ex-girlfriend who has gone missing, and for whom Murphy still harbours strong feelings. The rest of the film unfolds through a series of flashbacks, as Murphy reminisces about his tumultuous past with his former lover and the mistakes that tore them apart. Like all of its director’s films, Love is worth seeing for its formal elements alone. Long, gliding camera takes and blink-like edits capture the feeling of slipping into a memory, while Noe’s use of lighting and colour, although less overt than in Irreversible or his 2009 headtrip Enter the Void, remains as evocative as ever. The soundtrack is a deliciously eclectic grab-bag that makes use of everything from classical compositions to slow electric guitar jams to the iconic score from Assault from Precinct 13. The latter track pops up during a scene set in an underground sex club, and frankly, could hardly sound more at home. But most memorable of all is the film’s use of 3D — and we’re not just saying that because Noe includes a close-up of a penis ejaculating directly into the camera. A born provocateur, the director can’t help but indulge his juvenile side — yet for the most part he uses the added dimension in subtler and more imaginative ways. A heated argument at a rave is made all the more intense by strobe lights firing from the back of the frame. A lengthy threesome, meanwhile, is shot from high above, its participants seeming to plunge deeper into the bed as their lovemaking picks up steam. Indeed, it’s the sex scenes that are perhaps the most elegant and fully realised segments of the film. At one point, Murphy talks about wanting to make a movie that shows “sentimental sexuality” — and that’s clearly Noe’s intention as well. Over the film’s two-plus-hour runtime, Noe’s depiction of sex ranges from loving to spiteful, exciting to mundane, erotic to repulsive and joyful to just plain sad. And yes, at times he aims to titillate. Yet he never loses sight of the human feeling behind the sex. As a result, Love never feels pornographic in the way you might expect. But Love isn’t just about sex. It’s also about masculinity and misogyny — and it’s in the film’s handling of these prickly subjects that many viewers will (perhaps justifiably) take issue. It’s hard to think of a film with a less sympathetic protagonist than Murphy. He’s a selfish, whiny, insecure, arrogant, sexist, homophobic, slut-shaming loser who frankly made this writer embarrassed to be in the possession of a Y chromosome. But then again, that may very well be the point. Personally, we’d argue that Love condemns Murphy’s views and behaviour. The truth, though, is that you could just as reasonably claim that it endorses them. And perhaps more to the point, no matter which reading you subscribe to, it won’t make the dickhead’s company any less difficult to stand. Still, in a strange way, that’s actually another aspect that makes the movie worth watching. Like we said at the outset, Noe is a filmmaker with vision — and to be brutally honest, we’d rather watch a disastrous, offensive failure than something bland and middle of the road. See Love. See it in 3D. For the craft, and for the arguments you’ll have with people once it’s over.
What's creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky, has been around for 84 years now, and just keeps scampering around screens big and small like a mischievous severed limb? The Addams Family, of course. What's finally in the hands of Tim Burton, aka the director who could easily be one of the altogether-ooky crew's long-lost relatives, and has spent his entire career channelling their gothic aesthetic? Yep, that'd be The Addams Family again. It's time to get a witch's shawl on and a broomstick you can crawl on, because Netflix — and Burton — are gonna pay a call on popular culture's most famous supernatural brood. The show in question: Wednesday, starring Jenna Ortega as the titular figure. Indeed, it's turning out to be quite the year for the actor, especially when it comes to horror, with this new take on The Addams Family following her roles in Scream, Studio 666 and X already in 2022. Wednesday will clearly focus on its namesake, aka the Addams' eldest child, who plenty of teenage girls with long black hair have been compared to for decades. Wednesday is indeed a teen in the new series — a high schooler, in fact. As seen in the just-dropped first trailer for the show, she has been terrorising her way through schools, hopping through eight of them in five years. The sneak peek starts with the plait-wearing figure getting the boot from another, too, with some help from a couple of bags of piranhas, then ending up at Nevermore Academy. Her father Gomez (Luis Guzmán, Hightown) and mother Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones, Prodigal Son) met at Nevermore, and think that she'll love it — but clearly Wednesday's storyline isn't going to be that straightforward. While she's there, she'll have a monstrous killing spree to stop, and a supernatural mystery linked to her parents a quarter-century ago to solve. Sleuthing, high school antics and all things Addams Family: that's the spell that Wednesday plans to cast when it arrives this spring Down Under (Netflix hasn't announced an exact release date, but you could put money on it dropping in October for obvious reasons). The trailer looks like Burton is filtering his Frankenweenie, Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands vibes through Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children — so, it looks exactly like a Tim Burton-directed version of The Addams Family was always going to. Wednesday treads in huge footsteps, though, given that this isn't the first time that The Addams Family has made the leap from a beloved cartoon in The New Yorker to the screen. The 1960s TV series is a gem of the era, and 1991's live-action film The Addams Family and its 1993 sequel Addams Family Values are two of the best movies of that decade. (The less said about the recent animated flick and its own follow-up, however, the better.) Netflix's eight-part series also stars Isaac Ordonez (A Wrinkle in Time) as Pugsley and George Burcea (Comrade Detective) as Lurch, while Game of Thrones' Gwendoline Christie is also set to pop up. And, although exactly who she'll be playing hasn't been revealed, the 90s Wednesday Addams, aka Yellowjackets' Christina Ricci, is also on the cast list. Check out the first teaser trailer for Wednesday below: Wednesday will start streaming via Netflix sometime in spring Down Under — we'll update you with an exact release date when one is announced. Images: Matthias Clamer / Vlad Cioplea / Netflix © 2022.
Motherhood and a mental asylum, home maker and knife wielder. Caught somewhere between Oscar Wilde and Virginia Woolf, she is of one of Australia's most intriguing writers. Watch, wait and be transfixed as the curious world of Eve Langley steps out onto the Metro Arts stage. It seems that many creative corners of Brisbane this month are rife with expressions and questions on women in contemporary society, and this production promises to add to the heap. Written and performed by theatre magnate and Matilda Award winner Margi Brown Asher, this one women show crosses time to look at what it is to stand in the in-between. Eve is the story, part truth and part fiction, of a Langley's life and the pitfalls of being an artist, and a women, in the early and mid Twentieth Century. She is suspended between the parchment she writes on, the walls of her home and, more so than either of those, the wanderings of her own mind. Ash will step into Langley's shoes to bring to life this vivacious character and, in a world of wacky fashion statements and cyber punks, show us what going against the grain really looks like. Prepare to laugh and possibly prepare to cry. Get your tickets fast!
European cinema doesn't get much of a representation in Australia for most of the calendar year, at least until Europa! Europa rolls around. Returning this year for its fifth run, the festival will draw on the rich cinematic talent of continental Europe to create a lineup of 43 of the latest and greatest pictures from 22 countries and import them to screens around the country from Thursday, February 19 to early March. Leading this year's program is the opening night ANZ premiere of Norwegian director Mona Fastvold's The Testament of Ann Lee, starring Amada Seyfried in a Golden Globe-nominated performance as the founder of the devotional Christian sect known as the Shakers in the mid-18th century. "We couldn't be more excited to open our festival with this impressive feature from Mona Fastvold that is as propulsive and passionate as its subject", said Europa! Europa Artistic Director Spiro Economopoulos. "This film encapsulates what Europa is all about: bold filmmaking and epic storytelling that spotlights fascinating subjects and showcases European talent." Other major mentions on the program include Willem Dafoe starring in Miguel Angel Jimenez's The Birthday Party, a story of succession and authority set against an extravagant birthday party; a documentary covering the wartime experiences and recovery of a Ukrainian serviceman in Olivier Sarbil's Viktor and the Australian premiere of Wunderschöner, the sequel to German box office hit Wunderschön (2022) that continues to explore intimacy, beauty standards and self worth in the contemporary world. Beyond the lead films, there are literary adaptations, stories of European musicians, European-made animated films, LGBTQIA+ films, historical stories, documentaries and retrospectives in multiple languages. Browse the full program here. Spiro Economopoulos told Concrete Playground what he's most excited for audiences to discover with this year's festival, saying, "I am excited for audiences to encounter the full breadth of this year's program. Beyond The Testament of Ann Lee, there are bold debut features and new work from established directors, films shaped by moral tension and political pressure without easy answers. That conversation sits at the heart of Europa." "The festival offers an intimate way to experience contemporary European cinema, with real care given to direction, performance, and ideas," Economopoulos adds. "The scale allows audiences to sit close to the work and to each other. This year's lineup reflects how Europe thinks and feels right now, across themes of identity, power, love, and resistance. I hope people leave carrying images and questions for days after the credits roll." This year marks Europa! Europa's first national program, which had previously only run in Sydney and Melbourne. This year, from Thursday, February 19, the festival will run at Melbourne's Classic Cinemas and Lido Cinemas until Thursday, March 19 and Belgrave's Cameo Cinemas until Monday, March 2; Ritz Cinemas in Sydney until Thursday, March 19, Brisbane's Angelika Cinemas and Hobart's State Cinema until Sunday, March 1, State and Bridgeway Cinema in Auckland until Wednesday, March 4. For more information on Europa! Europa Film Festival, to browse the full program or get tickets, visit the website. Lead image: 'The Testament of Ann Lee' Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
Andreas Amador's life is a beach, playing in the sand...literally. Although for Amador, 'playing' in the sand proves to be a little more intense than it may sound. A working morning for Amador consists of meticulously carving enormous scaled designs into the sand - all under the time crunch of the ocean tide. Up before sunrise, Amador arrives at his local San Francisco, California beaches around low-tide, creating the biggest possible space for a beach canvas. He then executes his pre-conceived, generally abstract and organic, designs. The sand is contoured with rakes, giving it a multidimensional look that hopefully Amador can capture in a birds-eye photo before tide rushes in. He generally designates about two hours to the process, but there is always the risk of his work being washed away too quickly. Of course, all of his sand drawings are effervescent by nature, only adding to their beauty. Amador sells prints and postcards of his photographed works, and offers other art services as well. He leads team-building workshops, birthday celebrations, and personal transformation journeys; he also creates commissioned pieces, including sand-scrawled marriage proposals. Simon Beck is another artist with a similar technique; his medium, however, is snow. https://youtube.com/watch?v=mP0O4Yu0kYE [via Gizmodo]
One day a year, each and every year, American football attracts fans around the world who don't watch any NFL games at any other time. The reason: the Super Bowl. Maybe you just check it out for the half-time show. Perhaps you're just keen on the film and TV trailers that drop during the match. Either way, there's no avoiding Super Bowl Monday, as it is in Australia, when it rolls around. The 2024 Super Bowl is different. The Kansas City Chiefs are taking on the San Francisco 49ers. Usher is doing the mid-game performance. But plenty of people watching will be hoping to say "yeah!" to a different music superstar. Everyone knows that Taylor Swift is dating Travis Kelce, who plays for the Chiefs. In fact, the NFL has already confirmed that Swift is on the ground in Las Vegas for the match. Taylor Swift is here with Ice Spice and Blake Lively! #SBLVIII pic.twitter.com/0x4XIDRupW — NFL (@NFL) February 11, 2024 So, where can you watch in Australia? If you're streaming along from work or home, you have a few options. Via free-to-air TV, 7mate and 7plus are showing the game, which starts at 10.30am AEDT / 10am ACT / 9.30am AEST / 7.30am AWST, with coverage commencing half an hour earlier. Or, if you have Foxtel or Kayo, you can also stream the match there. The half-time show is expected to kick off at midday AEDT / 11.30am ADCT / 11am AEST / 9am AWST. [caption id="attachment_940494" align="alignnone" width="1920"] D.roller.saparena via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] While much of the focus has been on Swift, including if she'd make to Las Vegas after her Tokyo Eras gigs before heading to Australia for her Down Under tour leg, there's another reason for Aussies to be interested. Mitch Wishnowsky plays for the 49ers, and could become the first Australian to play in and win the Super Bowl if his team beats the Chiefs. Jesse Williams received a Super Bowl ring for the Seattle Seahawks in 2024, but didn't actually play in the match. The Chiefs also won 2023's Super Bowl, plus 2020's — against the the 49ers in the latter. [caption id="attachment_940492" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Accedie via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] The 2024 Super Bowl takes place from 10am AEDT / 10am ACT / 9am AEST / 7.30am AWST on Monday, February 12 in Australia. Watch along via 7mate and 7plus, Foxtel or Kayo. Top image: All-Pro Reels from District of Columbia via Wikimedia Commons.
Maybe Sammy is no stranger to winning an award. The Sydney bar has been named in the top 50 bars in the world every year since 2019 and took out the Best International Bar Team at the Tales of the Cocktail 2022 Spirited Awards. Now, all of those accolades have culminated in it taking out the top spot in the data-driven Top 500 Bars list for 2023. The international award compiles its list based on over 2000 sources, including hospitality experts, journalists, online reviews, search engine results and social media. It announced the list in Paris on the morning of Monday, November 13, Australian time, and the boundary-pushing Harbour City cocktail bar Maybe Sammy came out on top, being named the number-one bar in the world. [caption id="attachment_639976" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Black Pearl (#119)[/caption] Maybe Sammy was listed at number 17 in the 2022 list, jumping all the way to the top spot following another busy year for the inner-city haunt. Maybe Sammy Venue Manager Sarah Proietti and Bar Manager Hunter Gregory were in attendance to accept the award, with the venue beating out acclaimed bars around the world for the title. New York's Double Chicken Please, Barcelona's Paradiso, Paris' Little Red Door and Singapore's Jigger & Pony rounded out the top five, while 22 other Australian bars made the top 500. [caption id="attachment_707971" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Baxter Inn (#87), Leticia Almeida[/caption] The next highest spot on the list from Down Under was The Baxter Inn at 87, followed by Black Pearl at 119, Re- at 122, Cantina OK at 132 and Dean and Nancy on 22 at 134. The Gresham Bar was Brisbane's top-ranked venue, clocking in at number 475, while Adelaide's Maybe Mae snuck into the list at 485. "To be named number-one bar in the world by the Top 500 Bars feels very surreal," said Maybe Sammy co-founder Stefano Catino. "It's such an honour for our bar team to be recognised for the time and effort they put into making the experience at Maybe Sammy exceptional, and for that to be acknowledged on a global scale is so humbling." It follows a huge year for Maybe Sammy, which included the opening of the team's Paddington tequila bar El Primo Sanchez, a new Maybe Frank outpost at The Federal, and the launch of Maybe Cocktail Festival featuring guest bartenders from international cocktail bars — many of which also made the Top 500 Bars list. [caption id="attachment_795641" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Gresham (#475), Millie Tang[/caption] For the full Top 500 Bars list for 2023, head to the ranking's website.
"The mormons are coming", posters popping up in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane promised in the 2010s. If you start spotting something similar now, they might feature the words "the mormons are back" instead. After breaking records on its first Australian run, The Book of Mormon is returning Down Under, with the smash-hit musical's suitcases are packed for Sydney. Written by South Park and Team America's notoriously puerile creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, together with Robert Lopez of genius grown-up muppet show Avenue Q, The Book of Mormon is probably one of the most-lauded comedies ever to have centred on the Church of Latter Day Saints and African missions — and to approached both with Parker and Stone's usual humour. If it wasn't so smart and so funny, few would forgive it. But since it is, The Book of Morman has picked up nine Tonys, four Olivier Awards and a Grammy since it debuted in the US in 2011, when it was called "one of the most joyously acidic bundles Broadway has unwrapped in years". Australia's OG date with The Book of Mormon also earned accolades, including Best Musical and Best Direction of a Musical at the 2017 Helpmann Awards. When the show premiered in the Victorian capital in 2015, it enjoyed the highest-selling on-sale period for a show at Melbourne's Princess Theatre. When it first went to Sydney, it also set a record for the highest-grossing musical in the city's history. A decade ago, Parker and Stone's hilariously irreverent hit production spent a year in Melbourne, then did the same in Sydney, then made two trips to Brisbane — because one wasn't enough. This time, debuting from July 2025, The Book of Mormon is hitting Sydney's Capitol Theatre first up. Exact dates haven't yet been revealed, however, and neither has any planned stops in other Aussie cities. If missed it then or you're keen to see it again, you'll be plenty excited that you're getting a new chance to go learn all the idiosyncratic details of Mormonism, meet war criminal General Butt-Fucking Naked and know the true meaning of the hakuna matata-like saying 'Hasa Diga Eebowai'. The waitlist is open now for the Sydney season, with no word yet as to when tickets will go on sale — or about who'll be taking to the stage in the cast, either. The Book of Mormon will play Sydney's Capitol Theatre from July 2025 — we'll update you when exact dates are announced. To sign up for the ticket waitlist, head to the musical's website. Images: Paul Coltas, London Company.
IPAs, or India Pale Ales, have enjoyed a huge surge in popularity over the past couple of years. Lately, however, a new sub-style has spawned and enjoyed immense popularity — enter, the New England IPA. Named after a style that originated from the six northeastern USA states of New England, NEIPAs have a cloudy appearance and low carbonation, and feature jammy, juicy flavours of apricot, peach and pineapple alongside the heavy citrusy notes that IPA fans crave. More delicate flavours of hops are embraced here, too, rather than the piney, resiny bitterness favoured by their clear-bodied cousins. The beers characteristically pour a murky, mango colour reminiscent of cloudy fruit juice, and feature similar flavours in a beer context. Here follows this beer snob's top picks of the trending NEIPAs, that'll get your head into the clouds as the last warmth of autumn begins to fade. Jedi Juice is Hop Nation's brilliantly titled take on a beer it brewed for GABS (the Great Australian Beer Spectapular). It was originally a specialty brew, but enjoyed such popularity it was reignited as part of the Footscray brewery's core range. Jedi Juice features a gentle citrus aroma and the palate reveals juicy notes of passionfruit, pineapple, nectarine and grapefruit, with a smooth carbonation and a tangy kiss of bitter hops that punch through at the end. At 7.1 percent ABV, and with a white can packaging featuring a tattoo-sportin', blaster-totin' Princess Leia, the force is certainly strong with this one. Best consumed as fresh as possible. SHOPPING LIST Hop Nation Jedi Juice, 375ml can, $7.50 each (available from various stockists across the country) Sauce Brewing Co Bubble and Squeak, 500ml can, $10 each or $35 for four This beer is typically hazy, smooth and creamy with big citrus and tropical fruit notes (think mango and passionfruit) and a low bitterness. Rounding out at 6.5 percent ABV, it's a supremely well-balanced beer that offers new dynamics with each sip. Feral Brewing Co Biggie Juice, 330ml bottle, $7 each or $23 for four (available from various stockists across the country) This beer represents the popularity of NEIPAs in the mainstream beer scene. Under Amatil ownership, Feral is still brewing its Biggie Juice East Coast IPA. Sitting at six percent ABV, Biggie offers a rich bouquet of floral and tropical fruit aromas that follow through with a juicy punch onto the palate. The finish is smooth, with just a hint of bitterness, and a smooth carbonation that makes for an incredibly moreish drop. Hop Topics is our new bi-weekly beer column keeping you up-to-date with the latest beer trends happening around the country. Dominic Gruenewald is a Sydney based actor, writer and self-proclaimed beer snob. Between gigs, he has pulled pints at all the right venues and currently hosts Sydney's longest running beer appreciation society Alestars at the Taphouse, Darlinghurst.
With one year on the Brisbane art scene under wrap, Poly Gone Cowboy is kicking off 2015 with a brand new exhibition, Life, Death + In Between. Featuring the work of Queensland artists Elana Mullaly, Ken Smith and Philip Schouteten, Life, Death + In Between shows off principals of illustration and design, through three very different interpretations. Mullaly is a fine drawer of faces, animals and all things ethereal; Smith prefers the digital side of illustration; and Schouteten is a recognised graphic and brand designer. If you’ve never been to Poly Gone Cowboy, it’s a multi-use creative space located on the ground floor of an old Queenslander in the Valley. As well as a gallery, it’s also a screen printing studio, T-shirt label and artist-run project space. If that, along with the exhibition, doesn’t rustle up a little pride for the Brisbane art scene, then enjoy sporting that heart of ice. Opening night is on Friday, January 23, at 6pm.
Transport yourself to the Amalfi Coast at the riverfront Italian bar and restaurant Massimo. Indulge in house-made pasta, focaccia and freshly caught seafood while sipping on cocktails and taking in the stunning views of Story Bridge. Massimo originally opened in 2019 but was reborn in July 2022 after being forced to close for refurbishment following flooding in the area. The neutral hues of the past were replaced with vibrant orange and gold accents throughout — a nod to the unmistakable stylings of the Amalfi Coast. The venue retains its marble bar with casual seating at one end and luxe-curtained booths at the other, but they are now adorned with orange and white striped cushions to add to the coastal vibe. For those wanting a more intimate dining experience, the private dining room can accommodate up to 35 guests with views out to Brisbane River and Story Bridge. The menu mirrors the Italian theme with modern takes on classic dishes from the Amalfi Coast. Massimo takes the Italian philosophy of family meals and sharing to the next level with a range of sharing plates and platters for you and your dining companions. For antipasti, tuck into focaccia bread — choose between house, mortadella, stracciatella, pistachio — whipped ricotta dip and caprese di bufala for antipasti. If you're into your oysters, Massimo offers a mixed oyster plate with choices of natural (with lemon), mignonette, cetriolo (pickled cucumber) or lampone (raspberry vinegar pearls). For something a little different, opt for the bloody mary oyster shots — six freshly shucked oysters dropped into a shot of bloody mary — or oyster kilpatrick — six hot oysters with bacon, worcestershire, tomato and tabasco. Massimo doesn't scrimp on the antipasto dishes, either. For cold dishes, there's kingfish ceviche, beer tartare with raw quail egg yolk and truffle stracciatella and raw marron fresh from the tank with ceviche dressing. If you're in the mood for warm dishes, there are scallops topped with breadcrumbs, guanciale and chilli butter, chargrilled prawns in harissa sauce and stuffed three cheese zucchini flowers with fresh tomato salsa. If you don't want to share, there are a range of classic Italian pasta dishes — such as scallops risotto with 'nduja and ricotta or classic veal and pork meatballs. There's also fresh fish from the market or live from the in-restaurant tank and meat dishes, like the 150-day-aged 500gram rib eye on the bone. Finish your meal with a panna cotta (flavour of the day), limoncello semifredo or a classic tiramisu. There is a bottomless lunch package available on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays — diners can choose between the banquet menus (standard or signature) with an upgrade to premium wines and French bubbles.
For the past five years, gin lovers across the country have tripped over themselves to get their spirit-loving fingers on a bottle of Four Pillars' Bloody Shiraz Gin — and that's before they've even had a sip of alcohol. The limited edition shiraz-infused concoction really is that good, so we thought you'd like to know that the next batch goes on sale on Saturday, July 4. If you haven't come across the gin before, it's basically what it says on the label: gin infused with shiraz grapes. This gives the spirit a brilliant deep cerise colour and some sweet undertones (without a higher sugar content). That, along with its higher alcoholic content — 37.8 percent, compared to an average 25 percent in regular sloe gin — makes the Bloody Shiraz Gin a near-perfect specimen. It can be used to make a G&T or in cocktails where you'd usually use your regular gin, but, if you're feeling craft, the Four Pillars team suggests making a Bloody & Lemon (pour 45 millilitres of shiraz gin and 100 of lemon bitter or lemon tonic over ice and garnish with a wedge of ruby grapefruit) or a Bloody Spritz (pour 30 millilitres of shiraz gin and 30 of ruby grapefruit juice into a champagne flute and top with sparkling wine). Four Pillars created the game-changing gin back in 2015 when it came into a 250-kilogram load of shiraz grapes from the Yarra Valley. Experimenting, the Victorian distillers then steeped the grapes in their high-proof dry gin for eight weeks before pressing the fruit and blending it with the gin, and hoping like hell it would turn out well. It did. This year — after selling 50 percent of the company to beer behemoth Lion last March — Four Pillars has acquired more grapes from other Victorian wine regions to make more of the gin than ever before. The gin will go on sale on Saturday, July 4 at selected bottle shops, in the Four Pillars online store, at its Yarra Valley distillery and at the new Four Pillars Laboratory in Sydney (where the bar will also be serving it in cocktails). If you're lucky, you'll also be able to find it served at bars around the country. Godspeed. The 2020 Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin will go on sale around the country for on Saturday, July 4. Head to the Four Pillars website to buy a bottle.
Usually, hanging out in the Valley at 6am on a Sunday morning is a sign of a big night — and one that's still going. But X Cargo is giving Brisbanites another reason to head by just as day is breaking. Adding to the shipping container hangout's growing roster of regular events, the McLachlan Street spot is now home to a weekly Sunday Farmers Market. Kicking off on May 5, it'll keep going till midday (so if you can't give up your sleep-in, you can roll along before noon hits). Stock up on fresh food of the seafood, meats, cheese, baked goods and gourmet condiments variety, with nuts, seeds, spices and salts all on offer as well. Bringing your pet pupper with you? There'll also be dog food available to buy, and a dog wash in operation. X Cargo's bar and cafe also serves up breakfast and coffee, should you be feeling peckish and in need of a caffeinated buzz first thing. And, because it's the Valley, live music is also on the agenda. We suspect it won't start quite so early, however. Image: Dane Beesley.
Finding a moment or statement from The Princess to sum up The Princess is easy. Unlike the powerful documentary's subject in almost all aspects of her life from meeting the future King of England onwards, viewers have the luxury of choice. Working solely with archival materials, writer/director Ed Perkins (Tell Me Who I Am) doesn't lack in chances to demonstrate how distressing it was to be Diana, Princess of Wales — and the fact that his film can even exist also underscores that point. While both The Crown and Spencer have dramatised Diana's struggles with applauded results, The Princess tells the same tale as it was incessantly chronicled in the media between 1981–1997. The portrait that emanates from this collage of news footage, tabloid snaps and TV clips borders on dystopian. It's certainly disturbing. What kind tormented world gives rise to this type of treatment just because someone is famous? The one we all live in, sadly. Perkins begins The Princess with shaky visuals from late in August 1997, in Paris, when Diana and Dodi Fayed were fleeing the paparazzi on what would be the pair's last evening. The random voice behind the camera is excited at the crowds and commotion, not knowing how fatefully the night would end. That's telling, haunting and unsettling, and so is the clip that immediately follows. The filmmaker jumps back to 1981, to a then 19-year-old Diana being accosted as she steps into the street. Reporters demand answers on whether an engagement will be announced, as though extracting private details from a teenager because she's dating Prince Charles is a right. The Princess continues in the same fashion, with editors Jinx Godfrey (Chernobyl) and Daniel Lapira (The Boat) stitching together example after example of a woman forced to be a commodity and expected to be a spectacle, all to be devoured and consumed. Listing comparable moments within The Princess' riveting frames is easy; they snowball relentlessly into an avalanche. Indeed, after the film shows Charles and Diana's betrothal news and how it's received by the press and public, the media scrutiny directed Diana's way becomes the subject of a TV conversation. "I think it's going to be much easier. I think we're going to see a change in the attitude of the press. I think that now she's publicly one of the royal family, all this telephoto lens business will stop," a talking head from four decades back asserts — and it isn't merely the benefit of hindsight that makes that claim sound deeply preposterous. Later, Perkins features a soundbite from a paparazzo, which proves equally foolish, not to mention a cop-out. "All we do is take pictures. The decision to buy the pictures is taken by the picture editors of the world, and they buy the pictures so their readers can see them. So at the end of the day, the buck stops with the readers," the photographer contends. The Princess isn't here to simplistically and squarely blame the public, but it does let the material it assembles — and the fact that there's so much of it, and that nothing here is new or astonishing even for a second because it's already been seen before — speak for itself. What a story that all unfurls, and how, including pondering the line between mass fascination and being complicit. Perkins eschews contemporary interviews and any other method of providing recent context, and also makes plain what everyone watching already knows: that escaping Diana has been impossible for more than 40 years now, during her life and after her death a quarter-century ago as well, but it was always worse by several orders of magnitude for Diana herself. The expressions that flicker across her face over the years, evolving from shy and awkward to determined and anguished, don't just speak volumes but downright scream. In the audio samples overlaid on paparazzi shots and ceaseless news coverage, that's dissected, too, and rarely with kindness for the woman herself. Being sympathetic to royalty isn't a prerequisite for feeling perturbed by The Princess. Being a fan of The Crown or believing that Kristen Stewart deserved an Oscar for Spencer — which she did — isn't either. All that's required is empathy for anyone whose existence is stripped of choice, who is made to perform a certain role no matter what, who's saddled with onerous tasks that dismantle their agency and identity, and who gets torn to pieces whether they comply or rebel. That's a key reason why Diana's plight keeps resonating and always will. It's also why 'the People's Princess' label continues to echo. The latter was coined to describe her popularity and that feverish obsession, but it cannily cuts to the core of a heartbreaking truth: Diana attained a supposed fairytale but discovered that nothing in life is a dream, a realisation that couldn't be more relatable and universal. As well-established as the details are, the minutiae still spills out as The Princess progresses: the coupling primarily to provide an heir to the throne, the unsurprising distance in Diana and Charles' marriage, the persistent presence of Camilla Parker Bowles, several layers of envy, the 'Dianagate' tapes and the nation-stopping interviews all included (electricity surges during her 1995 tell-all chat with Martin Bashir, thanks to kettles boiling across Britain, are noted). Ignoring how the media kept shaping Diana's narrative would mean shutting your eyes and blocking your ears, even if the score by The Crown's Martin Phipps didn't maximise the tension. Ignoring the parallels rippling through the royal camp today, in the way that Meghan Markle has been treated by the media, is similarly out of the question. It isn't by accident that Perkins lingers on a young Prince Harry at his mother's funeral to wrap the movie up, after all. The Princess' approach isn't new, either. It's effective, though. And, as the same style proved in recent Australian docos The Final Quarter and Strong Female Lead — films that used archival footage to explore how perceptions are manufactured by the press as well — it's nothing short of damning about media practices and the audience hunger they think they're satisfying. Those two features explored how AFL star Adam Goodes was regarded in the twilight of his career, and how the fourth estate surveyed Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard while she was in the nation's top job. They dived into the self-fuelling cycle that stems from predatory coverage and the public's responses, one feeding the other and vice versa. Sound familiar? Watching both alongside The Princess would make for grim and harrowing viewing — essential viewing, too, particularly in a world that shows so few signs of changing.
Although universally acknowledged that pancakes are acceptable to eat at any time of day, you'd be hard pressed to find an upmarket eatery offering one of its signature dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Gauge is the exception. Head to this South Brisbane café — run by Jerome Batten, the mastermind behind Teneriffe institution Sourced Grocer — at any time of day to indulge in their black garlic bread with brown butter and burnt vanilla. It's equal parts sweet, savoury and delicious. Image: Gauge via Instagram.
The Terrace at Emporium is an impressive spot for a drink every day of the year. Being perched 21 storeys above South Bank will do that. Come Easter, it doesn't need to do much to get its patrons in a sweet mood, then — but the sky-high venue is pouring themed cocktails anyway through until Wednesday, April 30, 2025. Two seasonal tipples are on offer for those who like their Easter spirit with some actual spirits. The first is a banoffee cocktail made with spiced rum, caramelised banana, coffee caramel, chocolate and meringue, and will set you back $24. Also available: a $26 drink called the Sunny Side that's made with vanilla vodka and lime zest oleo, and features a mango yolk that looks incredibly realistic. Whether you're doing your Easter celebrating over lunch or after work — or before, during or shortly after the occasion itself — the cocktails are available every day of the week.
Every kid dreamed about stepping inside their favourite TV show or movie, whether you were an 80s child who wanted to dance magic, dance through Labyrinth, a 90s teen saying "as if!" to life outside of Clueless — or keen to stake vampires with Buffy — or a 00s Gossip Girl wannabe. Now that we're all adults, those kinds of fantasies keep becoming a reality, in a way, thanks to the seemingly non-stop array of immersive pop culture-themed installations and experiences that love popping up around Australia. So if you've recently been wishing that you could step into the twisted superhero realm shared by Gen V and The Boys, for instance, you'll soon be able to. Prime Video is taking Sydneysiders and everyone who happens to be in the Harbour City for the first-ever SXSW Sydney into the franchise's world from Tuesday, October 17–Saturday, October 21. How? Via Primeville, a small town-themed activation that's taking over Fratelli Fresh Darling and taking its cues from some of the streaming platform's popular shows — and one documentary. Primeville's spin on the Vought Cinematic Universe will involve a trip to Godolkin University, where you'll be shrinking down — well, pretending to — for games of Supe Shot. You can stay your regular size to give the prize wheel a spin to score freebies. If you're more fond of Reacher, there'll be a diner inspired by the series. For The Summer I Turned Pretty devotees, expect ice creams at Cousins Beach. And if you just like bites to eat themed around television shows, there'll be a milk bar serving up exactly that. In the town square: celebrating all things The Wiggles in the lead up to Hot Potato: The Story of the Wiggles debuting as part of the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival, before streaming via Prime Video from Tuesday, October 24. And yes, the Big Red Car will be in attendance, ready for plenty of snaps. If this all sounds a bit familiar, that's because Prime Video set up something similar at PAX Aus in Melbourne in 2022. In this case, the pop-ups aren't just open to SXSW Sydney badge holders, but to everyone. Entry is free, and you'll also score some Primeville dollars to go towards an ice cream, snack or drink. Primeville will pop up during SXSW Sydney at Fratelli Fresh Darling Harbour, 2/14 Darling Drive, Sydney from Tuesday, October 17–Saturday, October 21 — open from 12–6pm on the Tuesday and Saturday, and 12–8pm Wednesday–Friday.
The gin-making superstars at Four Pillars are at it again, this month unveiling their first new creation to hit shelves since 2016. The latest addition to the Yarra Valley distillery's much-lauded barrel-aged program is the Sherry Cask Gin, which has just spent over a year in former sherry barrels, to lend a rich, intense character to the final drop. It's rounded out with notes of crushed coriander, pine needles and star anise, and infused with a small amount of Amontillado sherry to give some length and sweetness. According to the experts who made it, this one works well neat, or with sherry and orange bitters in a classic Tuxedo cocktail. Also launching this month is the 2018 edition of Four Pillars' Chardonnay Barrel Gin, which used to go by the name of Barrel-Aged Gin. This time around, the spirit's enjoyed a full 12 months in chardonnay barrels, giving characters of ginger and spice, and an oak-driven sweetness. The Four Pillars team is recommending this one over ice, or with a sprig of rosemary and a drop of honey. Both gins are available online or at selected independent retailers.
The first time was the charm. The second time, too. And, there's no doubt that the third will be as well. However many seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under that Stan in Australia and TVNZ OnDemand in New Zealand want to put in our streaming queues, they're all certain to be fierce, fabulous, bright, bold and sassy — including the show's just-confirmed return in 2023. Yes, your viewing plans for next year got better, even if RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under doesn't have an exact season three airdate as yet. The Australian and New Zealand version if RuPaul's Drag Race debuted in 2021, then sashayed our way again in 2022. Keep it coming, obviously. Exactly who'll be donning eye-catching outfits, navigating dramas and vying for glory next hasn't been revealed yet either, but a new lineup of drag queens will endeavour to follow in Kita Mean and Spankie Jackzon's footsteps — after Mean took RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under's first season and Jackzon did the honours in season two. Whoever gets the gig, they'll be joined by RuPaul, of course — who takes on hosting duties again — with the judging panel also featuring Michelle Visage and Rhys Nicholson in the first two seasons. "I'm so excited for season three of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under! Australasian drag is spectacularly sickening, and I can't wait for a new cast of queens to flash their charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent," RuPaul said, announcing the third season. Fans already know the format, which features fashion challenges, workroom dramas and lip sync battles aplenty. If you're a newcomer to all things Drag Race, you'll watch the next batch of Australian and NZ competitors work through a series of contests to emerge victorious, and join the likes of Mean, Jackzon and US contenders Jinkx Monsoon, Sasha Velour and Sharon Needles in being crowned the series' winner. Before it made the leap Down Under in 2021, the US version of RuPaul's Drag Race had already been on the air for more than a decade, first premiering in 2009 — and wholeheartedly embracing its mission to unearth the next drag superstars ever since. The original US series aired its 14th season in 2022, so this is a program with proven longevity. It has also spun off international iterations before, including in the UK — where it's also hosted by RuPaul — plus in Thailand, Holland, Chile and Canada. There's no trailer for season three yet, of course, but you can watch the Drag Race Down Under season two trailer below: RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under will return for a third season in 2023 on Stan and TVNZ — we'll update you with an exact date when one is announced.
Who says the first words in the pilot episode of Twin Peaks? Which two actors from the first two seasons used to be married? How many David Lynch films has Kyle MacLachlan starred in? Which now sadly deceased music icon pops up in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me? Can you name two other musos who have — or will — feature in the Twin Peaks universe? If you can answer all of the above questions, head to Black Bear Lodge at 7pm on May 18 — your special skill is about to come in handy. With the long-awaited third season of Lynch's unique and influential TV show airing from May 22, Australian time, the Fortitude Valley bar is giving aficionados the chance to unleash their love and knowledge for prizes, glory and cherry pie (we hope). Man vs Bear will be asking the questions about damn fine coffee, the best diners in the region and how that gum you like is going to come back in style. Like the owls, all probably won't be as it seems, but if you want to find out then you'd best register early. Participation costs $5 plus booking fee per team member; however it's well and worth giving yourself as a present, Agent Cooper-style.
Cristiano, Neymar and Messi have been rendered as the futurist Incredibles in a new series of illustrations by up-and-coming artist Rafael Mayani. Bringing together twelve of the finest players in the FIFA 2014 World Cup, Mayani brought his playful style — often reserved for stunning, Disney and Nintendo characters — to slick renditions of Marco Reus, Andrea Pirlo, Didier Drogba and more WC favourites. Relatively unknown on the international circuit, Mexico City-based Mayani's talent for sketching footballers is evident in his sfumato charcoal Pele posted on his Facebook page: All twelve of the players feature on a limited edition poster available at Society 6. Devoid of sweat patches, day-old Cheezels and beer-stained couch groove, your World Cup addiction never looked so elegant. Marco Reus Didier Drogba Cristiano Ronaldo Iker Casillas Andrea Pirlo Leo Messi Via Fubiz.
Heading to an outdoor music festival normally means hoping for fine and sunny outdoor weather. At Snow Machine, you'll be praying for one thing: yes, snow. Because spending a day or several dancing to tunes in the open air isn't solely synonymous with summer, this event embraces its wintry setup, combining live music with a ski trip — as Japan first experienced in 2020, and New Zealand has been enjoying since 2022. The Japanese fest takes place for 2025 in March, but you'll want to mark September in your calendar if you're keen on the Aotearoa event. The hottest festival for the colder months is unleashing its avalanche of music and adventure at two mountain-topping NZ ski resorts between Tuesday, September 9–Sunday, September 14 this year. The snow-filled attraction has also just dropped its impressive lineup. On the Thursday night, Claptone and Hot Dub Time Machine will be headlining. On the Friday, Amyl and The Sniffers are playing an exclusive New Zealand show, with Mallrat also on the bill. Come Saturday, Netsky and Luude are doing the honours. Also helping to give Snow Machine's NZ winter wonderland a thumping soundtrack across the fest: Argonaut, Baby J, Ben Silver, Beverly Kills, Body Ocean, Boogs, Brian Fantana and Casey Leaver — plus Dannika Peach, Jimi The Kween, Lenni Vibe, Mell Hall, Montel2099, Odd Mob. And, then there's Bribera, Savage, Spacey Space, T-Rek and What So Not. As the hefty roster of talent demonstrates, attendees are in for a helluva few days, including hitting the slopes and partying at après ski events on both Coronet Peak and The Remarkables. How much dancing, skiing and sipping you want to do is up to you — as is how many other adventurous activities you'd like to add to your itinerary, such as heli-skiing, jet boating, bungy jumping, canyon swinging and skydiving. Snow Machine's official welcome party is also on the agenda again, taking place at AJ Hackett Bungy Kawarau Bridge. So is another annual highlight: the Polar Bare, which endeavours to set a world record for the most amount of people heading down the slopes their swimwear. Alongside the wintry backdrop and the fun that comes with it, one of the things that sets Snow Machine apart from other music fests is being able to book your entire getaway with your ticket. Packages span both five and seven nights of accommodation, and include a four-day festival ticket, plus multi-day ski pass. If you'd rather make your own way or pass on the skiing, there are ticket-only options — and VIP packages if you really want to do it in style. Snow Machine 2025 Lineup Amyl and The Sniffers Argonaut Baby J Ben Silver Beverly Kills Body Ocean Boogs Brian Fantana Casey Leaver Claptone Dannika Peach Hot Dub Time Machine Jimi The Kween Lenni Vibe Luude Mallrat Mell Hall Montel2099 Netsky Odd Mob Bribera Savage Spacey Space T-Rek What So Not Plus stage takeovers from: Poof Doof Ski Club Thicks as Thieves Revolver Sundays Electric Rush Snow Machine 2025 takes place from Tuesday, September 9–Sunday, September 14 in Queenstown, New Zealand. Presale tickets go on sale on from 1pm AEDT / 12pm AEST / 3pm NZDT on Monday, February 24, 2025, with general tickets available from 1pm AEDT / 12pm AEST / 3pm NZDT on Tuesday, February 25, 2025. For more information, visit the festival's website. Images: Han Lowther / Amee Freeman / Luke O'Keefe.
When Caper Byron Bay Food and Culture Festival debuted in 2022, Louis Tikaram from Stanley in Brisbane was on the lineup. In 2024, the chef from the standout Sunshine State restaurant has curated the program. He has ties to the area, growing up on a 110-acre farm in Mullumbimby before hopping from Sydney's Tetsuya's and Longrain to E.P & L.P. in Los Angeles and then the Queensland capital's go-to Cantonese fine-diner — and he's now doing his part for this culinary fest's second event. Caper returns with a few changes. The festival has expanded its lineup from a four-day weekend to a ten-day run, and also moved from spring to autumn, taking place from Friday, May 17–Sunday, May 26. But its focus remains on celebrating food and culture in its seaside New South Wales home and the surrounding region, whether you're keen to eat, drink, listen to live tunes, or enjoy a drag night and trivia show. "Being part of the first-ever Caper Festival as a guest chef back in 2022 was a blast, and now I'm stoked to come back home to Byron Shire and curate," said Tikaram, announcing the 2024 lineup. "With heaps of mates in the chef and supplier scene, and top-notch produce at our fingertips, we've got some cracking events lined up. Can't wait to get stuck in and show off what we've got cooking." Tikaram's program is filled with fellow culinary names, including when the opening party takes over Three Blue Ducks. On the bill just for that night alone: Dave Moyle from Salty Mangrove (who organised the first Caper), Jason Saxby from Raes on Wategos, Ben Devlin from Pipet, Matt Stone from You Beauty, Mindy Woods from Karkalla, Karl and Katrina Kanetani from Beach Byron Bay, Pepsi Nakbunchuay from Bang Bang, Robbie Oijvall from Lightyears, Bruno Conti from The Hut, Marcello Polifrone from Harvest and, of course, Darren Robertson from the host venue. At the other end of the fest, the closing-night event will see Tikaram, Hawaiian chef Kanetani, Ross Magnaye from Serai Kitchen in Melbourne and Jedd Rifai from North Byron Hotel hone in on Hawaiian buffet-style snacks. In-between, long lunches, a yakitori party and a five-course smoke-fuelled feast are all among the fellow Caper highlights. Some meals will get you eating seaside. Other events are serving up an Italian-inspired aperitivo hour or a gin garden party. With Tikaram doing the honours again, you can also tuck into east-meets-west canapés at Byron Chinese restaurant Hutong Harry's. Whatever you're heading to, the North Byron Hotel is the fest's official watering hole, hosting tunes, cooking demonstrations, and cheese and wine tastings. If you've got a ticket to the fest, you'll score a drink coupon for a complimentary beverage, too. Caper Byron Bay Food and Culture Festival runs from Friday, May 17–Sunday, May 26, 2024 at various locations around Byron Bay and the Northern Rivers region. For more information, head to the festival's website. Images: Jess Kearney / Ella Dice.
Thinking about Japan's greatest animation studio, and one of the men who helped it earn that status, has been a bittersweet experience of late. Both Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki may have made their final films; however, we'll always have their bustling back catalogue of beautiful, handcrafted fables. That's what the Gallery of Modern Art is focusing on: the good times and great works gone by, including movies about flying pigs, a goldfish princess and a warrior raised by wolves. As part of GOMA's Cult Japan film lineup at the Australian Cinematheque, they're mounting a Miyazaki retrospective that steps through his output from his first-ever feature, 1979's Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, to his last, 2013's The Wind Rises. In between, expect all the cinema delights you love, and all the ones you might not yet have caught up with, too. The wondrous worlds of Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle are certain highlights, and you owe it to yourself to meet the cute and charming My Neighbour Totoro, journey through Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and subscribe to Kiki’s Delivery Service, if you haven't done so already. Most are being shown on 35mm, a rare treat in this day and age of digital projection. Yes, when it comes to movie magic, this program really does have it all.
When Greta Gerwig's Margot Robbie-starring Barbie takes audiences on an opening tour of Barbie Land, it makes one thing supremely clear: Barbie can be anything. The famous doll can be President, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, a diplomat and a Supreme Court justice. It can be a mermaid, doctor, lawyer and Pulitzer-winner, too. Off-screen, Barbie the movie can be one helluva pink-hued pioneer in smashing records as well — including by reaching $1 billion at the box office globally. It took just 17 days from release for Barbie to notch up that figure, Variety reports. In the process, it earned that massive stack of cash faster than any other movie from Warner Bros, beating Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2's 19-day feat. Raking in all those takings from all those cinemagoers basking in Barbie's joys is all well and ace, but making Lady Bird and Little Women filmmaker Gerwig the first solo female director to hit the billion-dollar mark is a stunning achievement — the kind that really deserves a giant blowout party with all the Barbies, planned choreography and a bespoke song. [caption id="attachment_907779" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Caroline McCredie[/caption] Barbie is only the second film this year to crack a billion at the worldwide box office, after The Super Mario Bros Movie. Since the pandemic hit, only Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way of Water, Jurassic World Dominion and Spider-Man: No Way Home have also brought in that much money. Wondering where Barbie's Barbenheimer buddy sits? Christopher Nolan's vastly dissimilar atomic-bomb thriller Oppenheimer has hit half a billion at the time of writing. The Robbie- and Ryan Gosling (The Gray Man)-led film has beaten Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Fast X, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, The Little Mermaid, Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' respective 2023 takings too — all of which sit alongside it, Mario and Oppenheimer in the global top ten right now. On the list of highest-grossing films of all time, only Frozen, Frozen II and Captain Marvel place higher with a female director at the helm — but all three were co-helmed with male filmmakers. Back when Barbie reach the half-billion mark on July 28, Warner Bros Pictures President of Domestic Distribution Jeff Goldstein and President of International Distribution Andrew Cripps said that "the extraordinary Greta Gerwig and her marvellous cast and crew have delivered an event for every kind of moviegoer everywhere in the world and, as critical praise continues to mount, what is quickly proving to be one of the best-reviewed movies of the year." "We couldn't be more thrilled or proud of these phenomenal results, and congratulate the filmmakers, cast and our colleagues at Mattel on this spectacular run, which — like Barbie herself — continues to defy all expectations." In Australia, Barbie made history almost instantly. The film notched up the biggest opening at the Australian box office for 2023 so far, raking in $21.5 million including preview screenings, over its first weekend — and earned the biggest opening weekend ever for a film directed by a female filmmaker. Alongside Oppenheimer, it also saw the Aussie box office score its biggest-ever Saturday and Sunday takings. And, it's likely to soon surpass The Super Mario Bros Movie as the highest-grossing film of 2023 in Australia so far. Yes, Barbie definitely can do anything. Check out the trailer below: Barbie is showing in Australian and New Zealand cinemas now. Read our review. Via Variety.
In 2010, The Pineapple Lounge was born. If you've been to the Woodford Folk Festival since then, you're probably familiar with the hangout space. A typical festival bar, it is not. Indeed, since first offering punters something other than a tent with plastic chairs, the Lounge has gone from strength to strength, with a weekly live performance in Brisbane and an accompanying live-streamed online broadcast. No wonder the folks behind the fun are ending the year with a bang, and with a party at The Triffid. With 2DOGS, Golden Sound, Sye McRitchie, Jackie Marshall, Sian Evans and Jeunae Rogers on the bill, you'll be celebrating more than Christmas.
The days of the midnight Macca's run may be well and truly over, with news of Australia's first 24-hour health food cafe. Liquefy has long been a kingpin on the Brisbane health food scene, and now their Mount Gravatt outlet has extended its trading hours to serve up guilt-free pleasures around the clock. The idea behind Liquefy, started by lawyer and health enthusiast David Dowd, is to indulge Brisbane with food and drink that is as good on tastebuds as it is for the body, even when the sun goes down. They’ve got plenty of locations around the city — check them out here — though it’s only the new Mount Gravatt outlet that’s offering a 24/7 service. For now. So what’s on Liquify’s menu at three in the morning? A whole lot of guilt-free goods. Liquify prides itself on a menu that is 100 percent organic or biodynamic with no sugar, and everything, except the bread, is made on site. The cold pressed juices provide the nutrients of between 1-1.5 kilograms of fruit and vegetables, and their smoothies are blended on house-made almond milk and fresh-from-the-source Thai coconut water. So they're a tad healthier than a Hungry Jacks Frozen coke. Outside of Brisbane’s Paw Paw Cafe family and Paleo Cafe chains, there are few cafes under a health-food banner that can serve up dishes that are legitimately filling, or take less than half an hour for service. Liquefy shows off a hearty selection of dishes that can appease even the fussiest of eaters, and all their juices are conveniently bottled, cold and ready for the taking. You can grab midnight dry and activated kale and sweet potato chips, quinoa or cauliflower sushi or one of four wild foraged salads, and guzzle it down with a green smoothie. The menu is what health food devotees' dreams are made of. An online Liquefy store is currently in the works, and Dowd has leased further sites in Brisbane and the Gold Coast to expand his healthy business. Now only one question remains: who is sober enough for a kale smoothie run? Liquefy is at 24 Carrara Street, Mount Gravatt.
'Success' in the music world isn't the easiest word to define (being only slightly less tricky than 'indie rock'), but it's hard to think of a description that Bloc Party would fall outside the parameters of. They've released four commercially successful albums (the most recent being last year's assertive Four), they defy decades with a unique blend of razor-edged sonics and catchy pop hooks, and they're still really cool. This March the East London art rock quartet are hitting Future Music Festival (where they sit directly opposite Steve Aoki near the top of the impressive line-up), and have just announced a string of satellite shows too. It'll be the band's first appearance following a hiatus in 2009 when singer/guitarist Kele Okereke moved to Berlin to focus on his solo work. Four marks a return to the sound that first shot Bloc Party to fame nearly ten years ago, which means angular guitars on top of anthems on top of anthems. https://youtube.com/watch?v=p1CSMdDIRGg
Some films were always going to grace screens, and The Dry was one of them, all thanks to the huge on-the-page success of Jane Harper's beloved novel of the same name. That 2021 big-screen release's sequel, which is now called Force of Nature: The Dry 2, is another. The first movie was such a hit — notching up more than $20 million in Australian ticket sales, and coming in sixth at the Aussie box office two years back after Hollywood franchise titles Spider-Man: No Way Home, No Time to Die, Godzilla vs Kong, Peter Rabbit 2 and Fast and Furious 9 — that greenlighting this sequel must've been the easiest decision ever. In 2022, news arrived that The Dry would indeed score a big-screen follow-up, as based on Harper's second novel Force of Nature. Then it was revealed that the film would release in 2023, instantly becoming one of this year's most-anticipated flicks. Now, Roadshow Films — which is behind the movie, and will distribute it in Australia and New Zealand — has unveiled an exact release date. Mark August 24 in your diary: that's when you have a return movie date with Eric Bana (Dirty John) as Detective Aaron Falk. Actually, given that timing, you might just be able to see the film at the 2023 Sydney Film Festival or Melbourne International Film Festival. This chapter is set in Victoria, so it'd make a nice opening- or closing-night pick at MIFF in particular. In Force of Nature: The Dry 2, the focus is on a corporate hiking retreat attended by five women, after which only four return. So, alongside fellow federal agent Carmen Cooper (Jacqueline McKenzie, Ruby's Choice), Falk heads deep into Victoria's mountain ranges to try to find the missing hiker — who also happens to be a whistle-blowing informant — alive. [caption id="attachment_787502" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Dry[/caption] As The Dry was, Force of Nature is written and directed by Robert Connolly (Blueback). Again, it boasts quite the pair when it comes to Aussie crime cinema — with Connolly the producer of one of the best local crime movies ever made, aka 1998's unnerving The Boys, and Bana famously the star of the similarly excellent Chopper. "Adapting Jane Harper's remarkable Force of Nature for the cinema has been an exciting adventure, a rare privilege to be able to revisit the world of detective Aaron Falk and to work again with Eric, an extraordinary supporting cast and a wonderful team of creatives and crew," said Connolly. "Jane's novels evoke the often-terrifying beauty of the natural world, and in this sequel to The Dry we take audiences into a new landscape to solve entwining crimes in the remote Australian wilderness." [caption id="attachment_796115" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Dry[/caption] Also featuring in Force of Nature, which has a powerhouse Aussie cast like its predecessor: Anna Torv (The Last of Us) as missing hiker Alice Russell, plus Deborra-Lee Furness (Jindabyne), Robin McLeavy (Homeland), Sisi Stringer (Mortal Kombat) and Lucy Ansell (Utopia). Richard Roxburgh (Elvis), Tony Briggs (Preppers) and Kenneth Radley (The Power of the Dog) pop up, too, while Jeremy Lindsay-Taylor (Heartbreak High) is back in the role of Erik Falk. Although there are now two images from the film to check out — see the header picture at the very top of this article, then the first among the text — it's still too early for even a teaser clip. Until one arrives, revisit the trailer for The Dry below: Force of Nature will release in Australian and New Zealand cinemas on August 24, 2023. Read our full review of The Dry. Force of Nature images: Narelle Portanier.
Who doesn't love a barbecue? Whether you're a low-and-slow convert or you're fine with throwing snags on the barbie, it's one of Australia's favourite styles of food preparation. And, in Brisbane across the weekend of Saturday, June 26–Sunday, June 27, there's even a festival to prove it. For those two days, Brisbane Showgrounds will be engulfed in the kind of smoky, spicy taste sensations that can only come from taking your time to lock in as much goodness as possible — and with every other type of barbecuing you can imagine, too. Following on from sold-out fests in previous years, 2021's Brisbane BBQ Festival will once again see a convoy of food trucks and stalls converge upon Bowen Hills to prove their culinary patience. Many of them will be starting up their ovens long before their doors open, and you'll get to devour the long-simmering rewards. Between sampling from the likes of Black Iron Smokers, The BBQ Roadshow and Ze German Sausage, you'll also watch teams of professionals battle it out to be crowned the barbecue champions. Or, sip frosty bevs at pop-up bars, listen to live tunes, and browse the marketplace for barbecue-related products to help you whip up a storm at home. Also, it's best to take some very obvious but important advice: arrive hungry. [caption id="attachment_786631" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Erik Mclean[/caption]
Dispelling the old thought that art and science cannot mix, The Creators Project showcases the talent of those who have simultaneously mastered both fields. The Creators Project is a product of a partnership between Intel and Vice, and has been held in various locations throughout the United States, as well as in the UK, France, China, South Korea, and Brazil. Held in San Francisco, California last weekend, the event featured both established and new artists who use technology to create their art. “The countries we travel to in our global event series are all comprised of innovative communities at the forefront of the marriage of art and technology," said David Haroldsen, Intel's Creative Director for the project. “Many of our creators are based out of these countries which has in turn helped us further expand, enabling us to form relationships with more and more forthcoming artists in the art and tech communities.” According to Haroldsen, the goal of the The Creators Project is to find the world's most innovative tech artists and provide them with the resources necessary to give their work exposure. Hosi Simon, GM of Vice, said: "We discuss the artists’ dreams and ambitions in great detail, and find ways of how The Creators Project can help them reach their goals. We want to create long-term partnerships and collaborations." The event featured an incredible range of unique pieces. One installation piece titled 'Six Forty by Four Eighty', by Zigelbaum + Coelho2, allowed event goers to interact with giant pixels. The pixels could be controlled via remote, or cloned by holding a hand over a particular pixel and then tapping another. 'The Treachery of Sanctuary' by Chris Milk similarly allowed for interaction by using Kinect sensors to transform participating people into birds on the projection screen. Other works included a giant, LED-lit cube which featured a light show, a giant wall of Instagram photos shared by attendees, and more. [via Mashable]
Since the Middle East conflict sent global oil prices into chaos, fuelling up at the petrol pump has caused plenty of pain. Now, travellers can expect plane tickets to rise, too, with Qantas today announcing it is increasing fares and adjusting capacity to mitigate its significantly higher-than-expected fuel costs. According to the latest Qantas Group Market Update, the airline previously estimated fuel costs to reach $2.5 billion in the second half of the financial year. However, with considerable uncertainty around supply for the foreseeable future, this estimate has risen by about $800 million to $3.3 billion. At the same time, Qantas and its low-cost subsidiary Jetstar will reduce domestic capacity by about five percent for the fourth quarter of 2026. With fuel price volatility and global economic conditions behind the capacity cut, Qantas Group says it "retains optionality to take further actions to mitigate fuel cost increases over time." "The Group is working closely with the Government and jet fuel suppliers who continue to provide confidence in fuel supply for the remainder of April and well into May. We are closely monitoring the situation given the ongoing uncertainty in global fuel supply chains," says the market report. Signifying this downturn in domestic capacity, Qantas has already cancelled its services to and from Mount Gambier, in regional South Australia. With flights between Mount Gambier and Adelaide halted from Monday, May 18, Qantas said the flights were no longer viable, with some operating at less than 20 percent capacity. Meanwhile, the airline says it's offering additional support to customers navigating network changes across the Middle East, including more flexibility to move flights or receive a refund. "Qantas continues to see strong demand for international travel to Europe as customers seek alternative routes. In response, the Group has redeployed capacity from the US and its domestic network to increase flights to Paris and Rome." Head to the website for more information. Like what you see? Subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter to get stories just like these straight to your inbox.
This pristine expanse of beaches, national parks and picturesque villages on the New South Wales Central Coast make for one excellent trip, whether you're just driving up from Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne. On top of all the nature, there's a growing foodie scene, driven by down-to-earth experts wanting to do their thing without the burden of city rent prices. Ever sipped on a Six String brew? You've already begun your acquaintance with the Central Coast's creations. Now it's time to go deeper with a visit to Patonga, Pearl Beach and Killcare — and, lucky for you, we've partnered with Destination NSW to uncover some the area's dining gems, top-notch activities and luxe waterside accommodation, too. Please stay up to date with the latest NSW Government health advice regarding COVID-19. [caption id="attachment_697582" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Boathouse Hotel Patonga[/caption] EAT In the teeny-tiny, 200-person settlement of Patonga is where you'll find seafood feasts at The Boathouse Hotel Patonga. Nab a spot in its sunny courtyard or inside the restaurant's luxury yacht-like interior, either way you'll have expansive water views. The seafood platter of tiger prawns, oysters, baked scallops, battered fish and salt and pepper squid is a must. Otherwise, you can opt for the likes of burgers, steak, pasta, pizza and a bunch of share-style plates. If you'd rather take your feed even closer to the water, you can grab fish and chips from the takeaway shop next door. For your next meal, make your way to Pearl Beach. It's the first town east of Patonga — a swathe of national park cuts between the two — with Pearl facing Broken Bay. For a fine diner, head to the aptly named Pearls on the Beach, headed up by chef Scott Fox and his partner Melissa for the past 20 years. Housed in a beach cottage just a few steps from the sand, the restaurant is clean and uncluttered, with pastel colours and white tablecloths. The menu is seasonal, but you can expect dishes like marlin carpaccio served with a burnt shallot, jalapeño and coriander salsa, blood orange marmalade and cashew cream; carrot katsu topped with gochujang ketchup, wasabi mayo, wakame oil and pickled shitake; and pomegranate-glazed quail served with beetroot labneh and pickled radicchio. If you're after something more casual, drop into Pearl Beach General Store and Cafe for hearty, healthy breakfasts and laidback lunches. Travelling north from Pearl Beach, the national park withdraws west to make room for the bigger, more connected towns of Umina, Ettalong and Woy Woy. Located on the redeveloped Ettalong Beach foreshore, The BOX on the Water is one of the go-to spots around. The sleek building capitalises on its absolute waterfront position, with floor-to-ceiling windows that disappear during warm weather. Here, you'll find an assortment of share-style plates, with an emphasis on seafood — think chilli garlic prawns, lemon zest-dusted baby squid, barramundi with a side of coastal greens and seafood paella. Now, we're going to jump across Brisbane Water to Killcare, one of the southernmost villages on the Bouddi Peninsula. It's here that boutique hotel Bells at Killcare stretches across 8.5 acres of gardens, housing its rebooted restaurant Wild Flower Bar & Dining. Famed chef Sean Connolly is behind the menu, which makes as much use of the 500-square-metre kitchen garden as possible. Tuck into whole-grilled fish, rigatoni with king prawns, eggplant moussaka, seafood bouillabaisse or Berkshire pork chop with salsa verde. Or, go for the $120 chef's tasting menu, with the option to add paired wines, too. Drive over the hill and you're back beside still water in Hardys Bay. Here you'll find fun-loving Southeast Asian eatery The Lucky Bee, located right on the water, as well as The Fat Goose Bakery, Deli and Cafe, which dishes up a mean bacon and egg roll, plus pastries and other breakfast fare. [caption id="attachment_789513" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Distillery Botanica, Destination NSW[/caption] DRINK Your first port of call for a drink should be the award-winning Distillery Botanica in Erina for an afternoon G&T. The stunning garden distillery is from Philip Moore who just so happens to be the man behind Mr Black cold drip coffee liqueur — which you can sample and purchase here, too. The distillery's gins are made using botanicals grown in the garden, including murraya, jasmine, orange blossom and coriander. You can either stop in for a gin tasting, or head to the on-site Bar Botanica for a gin-based drink. If you need a pick-me-up after you imbibe, it also does a great cup of joe. Or, you can grab an ice cream from the Mr Goaty gelato bar, also located within the gardens. Just down the road, old mates Chris Benson and Adam Klasterka have been revolutionising the Central Coast's craft beer scene with their Six String Brewing Company. According to the guys, when they first started back in 2012, people on the Central Coast only wanted to drink Carlton Dry. And that wasn't the only challenge — the duo grappled with three years worth of red tape before setting up for good at the current site. Fast forward to 2020 and their brewery and taproom is buzzing almost anytime of day. Plus, the venue's small kitchen is whipping up southern US-style snacks like buffalo wings, nachos, brisket and burgers. On weekends, live music is a nice addition to the good brews and grub. If you're after a refreshing spritz or bottle of minimum-intervention vino, Young Barons in Woy Woy is sure to satisfy. And, while you're sipping away, it'd be remiss not to try some of its freshly made pasta. [caption id="attachment_790154" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bouddi National Park, Destination NSW[/caption] DO Between all that feasting and carousing, you might want to consider doing some moving. If you're keen to give surfing a crack, then book a lesson with the Central Coast Surf Academy at one of NSW's top surfing beaches, Umina. While dragging your board through the whitewash, instructor Peter Hayes will give plenty of tips for novices and intermediate surfers alike. On land, there are walks and bike rides aplenty. For the best trails in Bouddi National Park, visit our guide over here. Meanwhile, Ettalong's shared path gives you 7.5-kilometres of waterfront bike riding, walking or running. Or, if you don't mind sharing the road with traffic (and tackling a few hills), the epic, 14-kilometre Putt Putt to Putty ride carries you from Wagstaffe's Mulhall Street Wharf all the way to Ettalong Wharf. Alternatively, should your ultimate weekender mean laying horizontal and doing absolutely nothing, check into the Central Coast Day Spa at Bells. Don a bathrobe and sip on complimentary tea before being led into a candle-lit room. There's a range of spa treatments available, but we recommend you book in for the signature Kodo massage, which comes with Australian essential oils and a smoking ceremony. It's inspired by Indigenous techniques and based on rhythms aimed at balancing the body and the mind, too. If you can muster enough energy for a post-massage wander in Killcare, the handful of shops are worth exploring. Among them are the Central Coast's only Aboriginal art gallery, Bouddi Gallery. Most of the paintings, jewellery, carvings, ceramics, weaving and glassware you see come from non-profit, Aboriginal-owned art centres in the Kimberley, Central and Western deserts, Tiwi Islands and Arnhem Land. [caption id="attachment_789509" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bells at Killcare, Destination NSW[/caption] STAY If you want to kick back in quiet, Patonga is your best bet — and you'll want to check into the aforementioned The Boathouse Hotel Patonga. After a massive revamp, the hotel's accommodation now includes three one-to-three bedroom apartments, each with waterfront balcony views. The trio of rooms sit on the structure's upper level, and also feature separate living and dining areas, marble bathrooms, and either a kitchenette or kitchen. Unsurprisingly, each room is coastal-themed, complete with timber and terrazzo flooring, nautical-inspired fabrics, handmade shell mirrors, and rope and cane pieces. And, should you need to swim immediately, Patonga Beach is across the road. Be warned, though, a night here will set you back a cool $550–1200. Pearl Beach is pretty relaxed, too. Protected by the National Trust, it's reached its maximum capacity, at 600 dwellings. So, while other parts of the Central Coast battle with sprawl, this village, with its sheltered beach and ocean pool, is sitting pretty. Plus, it offers a heap of quaint accommodation options, including this secluded retreat, nestled among the trees and perched just a quick hop from Pearl Beach and a contemporary six-person beach cottage rocking a bright and elegant coastal style, with a primo outdoor entertaining area and a pool to yourself. Or, you could stay right above the water at the luxurious two-level Seabreeze apartment, offering breathtaking panoramic views. If you want to be able to access more northern parts of the coast — and their dining and drinking gems — Killcare is where you want to be. As already mentioned, Bells at Killcare is a bit of an institution and is definitely worth staying at if you have a spare $504 (minimum) lying around. Inspired by the chic designs of The Hamptons, Bells offers a range of accommodation options, from king suits to villas and one- and two-bedroom cottages. Whichever you choose, expect it to be decked out with Ralph Lauren-style furnishings, swish bathrooms and luxe linens. If you'd rather be a bit closer to the beach, both The Nest and Beachviews sleep up to eight people and offer sweeping ocean views. Now that interstate border restrictions have started to ease, start planning a trip to this stunning stretch of NSW coastline. For more details, visit Destination NSW's website. Top image: Pearl Beach, Destination NSW FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
You'd think the frozen winters and polar nights where the sun doesn't rise might act as a buzzkill, but Finland once again ranks as the world's happiest country. Topping the United Nations' World Happiness Report 2026, it's actually the ninth consecutive time the Nordic nation has confirmed its contented status. So, what makes the average Finn so happy? According to the report, it might have something to do with how the country's people remain as close to nature as ever, not to their screens. With this in mind, Visit Finland is celebrating their latest joyful milestone by inviting six pairs from around the world to indulge in a free seven-day digital detox. Named the 'Chill Like a Finn Challenge,' selected winners will travel to Finland's Lakeland — a picture-perfect region teeming with almost 200,000 lakes, vast forests and peaceful cottage life. What's more, the itinerary is designed to help people master the art of relaxation, rather than spending their holiday plugged in and always on the move. "In Finland, we don't really chase happiness — we tend to find it in small, ordinary moments," says Heli Jimenez, Senior Director, International Marketing at Visit Finland. "When life feels overwhelming, sometimes the best way to feel better is simply to slow down, step outside and chill a little — like a Finn." That means you'll be encouraged to seek out a more balanced way of life, where spending time in nature takes precedence over staying online. Over the course of a week-long experience, you'll take refreshing lake swims, cleanse mind and body in traditional saunas and relish seasonal food and good company — all with barely a device in sight. Keen to apply? Applications for the Chill Like a Finn challenge are now open until 7.59am AEDT on Monday, March 30. Just complete Visit Finland's social media challenge, then submit your application form on the website. With participants chosen in April 2026, this summertime escape will have you appreciating what makes Finland so happy. Applications for Visit Finland's Chill Like a Finn challenge are now open until 7.59am AEDT on Monday, March 30. Head to the website for more information. Like what you see? Subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter to get stories just like these straight to your inbox. Images: Visit Finland.
The sun is forever shining and those with hayfever are starting to sneeze, which means ones thing: spring is well and truly upon us. We at Concrete Playground thought it necessary to find the best garden eateries in Brisbane for you to enjoy these endlessly sunny days. From business lunches in the heart of the CBD, to weekend drinks, or garden spots that will have you shedding the winter woollies and basking in the warmth of spring, we hope you enjoy these dining delights. Java Coast Café Located on George Street in the CBD, this little oasis provides diners with a much needed break from the hustle and bustle of the city. Boasting a scrumptious array of lunch time turkish melts Java Coast Café is a cosy nook filled with yummy treats. Be sure to try the salmon, cream cheese and capers turkish melt – delicious! Don't be fooled by the unassuming entrance, the pebbled pathway down the side of the cafe leads to an expansive courtyard with towering palms and Buddha statues. The outside eating area is cool in the hot weather and is a popular choice for businessmen and women taking time out to grab a bite to eat. Unwind and recover your Zen in this relaxed cafe. 340 George Street, Brisbane CBD; 07 3211 3040; www.javacoastcafe.com.au Gillian's Garden Café Gillian's Garden Café is one of Brisbane's best kept secrets. Nestled inside the Cottage Garden Nursery in East Brisbane, this little gem is a green thumb's paradise. The combination of fresh ingredients, quality homemade meals and quirky décor is unbeatable. Although the cafe is open for breakfast and lunch, for something a little bit special, head to Gillian's Garden Café for a tasty morning tea. The variety of loose leaf teas and fresh cakes surrounded by healthy plants is a great way to start the day. 99 Stanley Street East Brisbane; 07 3391 1001; www.gilliansgardencafe.com.au Lock 'n' Load Bistro If you're after a drink on a lazy Sunday with friends, you can't go past Lock 'n' Load. A laid back vibe and a tranquil garden setting make this place a welcome weekend escape. The courtyard is filled with leafy trees and a cool ambience thanks to the eclectic music that plays unobtrusively. Lock 'n' Load provides an extensive cocktail menu filled with intriguing drinks. A Concrete Playground recommendation is the Jungle Juice, a delicious blend of Jagermesiter, Malibu, lime, mint, pineapple and ginger beer. What better way to see the week out than enjoying a drink in a secluded leafy haven? 142 Boundary Street West End; 07 3844 0142; www.locknloadbistro.com.au Sassafras Sassafras offers hearty meals such as their vegetarian big breakfast - a plate filled with organic scrambled tofu, toasted turkish bread, relish, tomato, avocado, homemade baked beans and mushrooms. This café is another example of those little wonders that appears larger on the inside than it looks from the outside. Inside the converted Queenslander you can take your pick from rooms with rustic furniture and splashes of colour or enjoy the fresh air in the outdoor seating area. As the weather warms up, Sassafras's outside dining area is pleasant and the tropical garden provides a private oasis. Their sharing platters are perfect to be enjoyed with a group of friends. 88 Latrobe Terrace Paddington; 07 3369 0600; www.sassafrasfoods.com.au The Corner Store Café The Corner Store Café in Toowong incorporates a classic country veggie patch into their dining area. Cheerful sunflowers, fresh herbs and vegetables and scrumptious food, such as their wide variety of homemade cakes and cookies make for a joyful experience. The menu is child friendly with breakfast, lunch and dessert options for littlies. For a lip-smacking lunch, try the lentil burger. For all of those who would love their own veggie patch but lack the time or skill, The Corner Store Café will provide a homely substitute. 113 Sylvan Road Toowong; 3870 2223; www.cornerstorecafe.com
The past year has seen the film industry embrace streaming in a far bigger way than anyone could've imagined just 12 months ago. If you'd told even the most avid of movie buffs that a heap of cinema chains would be setting up their online viewing services, and that film festivals would be delivering their programs online, you might've been accused of wishful thinking. But, that's now the world we find ourselves in, and Event Cinemas is the latest Australian outfit to join the digital realm. It isn't turning its back on bricks-and-mortar picture palaces, of course. Neither did Sydney's Golden Age, or the teams behind the city's Ritz and Melbourne's Lido, Classic and Cameo cinemas when they did the same thing. Rather, the Aussie chain and its predecessors are all giving viewers more options, while also adapting to current movie-watching behaviour. Called Cinebuzz On Demand, Event Cinemas' service operates on a pay-per-view basis. So, it's more like YouTube Movies or Google Play than Netflix or Stan. You simply pick what you'd like to watch from its 1000-plus launch library, then pay accordingly per title — with prices starting at $4.99 per film. You won't find brand new, just-released blockbusters on the platform, or even the same movies that you can see if you head to one of Event Cinemas' physical locations and sit in a theatre. That said, the current catalogue does include plenty of flicks that have been brightening up the big screen over the past six months or so, such as Tenet, An American Pickle, The Personal History of David Copperfield, Wonder Woman 1984, Bill & Ted Face the Music, Antebellum and Baby Done. If you're particularly keen on comedies, horror movies, superhero flicks or Aussie titles, Cinebuzz On Demand lets users search by genre and theme. Or, you can simply browse through the entire library from A to Z. The service takes its name from Event Cinema's existing loyalty program, with members also earning points for their online rentals. And, viewing-wise, Cinebuzz On Demand is available on iPhones, iPads and Apple TV, plus Android and Chromecast, and on Windows and Mac devices as well. Cinebuzz On Demand is available via the service's website, with titles available to watch on a pay-per-view basis.
As it turns out, that whole vinyl revival thing — it wasn't a fad. On the eve of another Record Store Day (RSD) — when music lovers pay tribute to independent record stores everywhere — physical music sales keep going up and up, with a recent ARIA report revealing sales increased 11 percent in 2025. While people continue to love vinyl, CDs are also booming, with a 30 percent increase in sales demonstrating strong demand for formats people can collect and connect with. Whether you're a lifelong crate-digger or just starting your journey, RSD is the prime time to get involved in the community. That's because the calendar is stacked with live in-stores, artist appearances and special events spanning both city and regional communities nationwide. Taking place on Saturday, April 18, it's time to leave the digital world behind and embrace Australia's thriving local music ecosystem, flush with incredible in-person experiences. In New South Wales, hip-hop duo Hermitude will visit eight record stores in 24 hours to celebrate the release of their new LP, with both live performances and raffles for limited-edition lathe-cut vinyl. Joining them at Bondi Records is Sydney dream pop trio Egoism, with the band heading to TITLE for a second set. Meanwhile, egg-punks (think heavy Devo influences) Media Puzzle take their DIY sound to Badlands Vinyl in Tweed Heads to support their RSD release, New Racehorse. The celebration continues across Victoria, with Queenie — the self-described trash queen alter ego of Melbourne's Eloise Thetford — taking over Desert Highways and Rocksteady Records with Nat Pavlovic, Merpire and more. At Soundmerch, you'll catch live sets from Public Figures, Owelu Dreamhouse, The Antics, The Gnomes and more. Then, from 3pm, Sensible J and Immy Owusu light up Bar Open. Of course, Northside Records is going large, with performances from Kee'ahn, Mokomokai and Steppers, alongside an exclusive Baker Boy signing. Further afield, Tassie's Suffragette Records will host an intimate performance from Naomi Keyte, performing songs from her album Milk, Paper, Gold. At the same time, Adelaide's My Dead Grandpa will have live DJs spinning tunes all day, and Clarity Records has over 2000 secondhand titles ready to fly out the door. Then, in Brisbane, Woolloongabba's vinyl-cafe hub, Echo and Bounce, hosts Das Druid and Bradley Zero. With loads more RSD events happening, check out your nearest spots to celebrate local tunes and help keep physical media alive. "At its heart, Record Store Day Australia is about championing our local music ecosystem, supporting independent stores, labels, and artists, while helping them reach new audiences," says Record Store Day Australia director Sarah Guppy. "We want to see the event continue to grow each year, and strengthen the role these stores play in their communities, ensuring they remain vital cultural spaces for years to come." Record Store Day Australia is happening at independent record stores across the country on Saturday, April 18. Head to the website for more information. Like what you see? Subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter to get stories just like these straight to your inbox. Images: Supplied.
It's safe to say that as we enter the final month of summer, it's still boiling out there and we could all use a little something to help us through the hot summer days. So why not cool things down (like, -196°C down) with the help of Suntory -196? And if anyone knows how to keep it cool, it's Suntory -196, thanks to their patented Freeze Crush Infuse Technology. This involves flash-freezing whole fruit at -196 degrees Celsius before crushing and infusing it with shochu and vodka, enhancing the flavour profile and providing an extra burst of fruity intensity. See out summer with Suntory and be in the running to win one of 80 Suntory -196 prize packs. While temperatures are still scorching, cool down with -196's refreshing, fruit-flavoured drinks and exclusive, never-seen-before merch created in partnership with Japanese artist Kentaro Yoshida. Lucky winners will score a Suntory -196 Double Lemon four-pack, plus a limited-edition Kentaro Yoshida x Minus -196 A2 screenprint and embroidered cap. The brand new merch designs a one-time-only run of Yoshida's ongoing partnership with Suntory -196 and can't be purchased anywhere else. Thirsty? Enter your details below to go in the running. [competition]988725[/competition] If you can't wait that long for a refreshing tipple, you can head to your nearest store to get your hands on a limited-edition Variety Pack featuring all the classic Suntory -196 flavours — Double Lemon, Double Grape and Double Peach — in a handy 10-pack. The perfect shareable option for you and your mates this summer. Check out Kenny Yoshida's work for an idea of the aesthetics in store, and what you've got to look for next time you're in the bottle shop. Enter now to beat the heat with Suntory -196 or head in store to pick up a Variety Pack now. The competition is for Australian residents aged 18 years and over; T&Cs apply. Images: Supplied.
There are two major joys to a good whodunnit: the puzzle and the journey. Whichever intriguing narrative is being thrust their way, audiences want to sleuth along with the characters, piecing clues together in their heads. They want to enjoy each and every one of the story's many ins, outs, twists and turns as all the details unravel, too. The greats of the genre, both on the page and the screen, understand this. It's what made Agatha Christie the queen of suspense, and what kept viewers glued to the screen during 2019's stellar mystery flick Knives Out. The makers of The Translators get this concept as well, and embrace it heartily. In fact, writer/director Régis Roinsard (Populaire) and his co-scribes Romain Compingt and Daniel Presley go a little heavy on convoluted minutiae and attempts to keep everyone guessing, but still mostly serve up an entertaining thriller. The Translators' premise is killer — in a film that doesn't shy away from a body count, but is actually more concerned with stolen pages from the yet-to-be-released last book in the bestselling The Man Who Did Not Want to Die series. The latest novel has only been seen by its secretive author, who refuses to reveal his identity to the world; arrogant French publisher Eric Angstrom (Lambert Wilson, The Odyssey), who made his entire fortune by releasing the first two hit instalments; and the nine translators the latter has assembled to prepare the text in multiple languages for a simultaneous worldwide debut. The enlisted team of experts are only being given 20 pages at a time, however, and they're all living and working in a lavish, highly secure, internet-free and heavily guarded underground bunker beneath a remote chateau for the duration of their two-month contract. Accordingly, when Angstrom receives an email threatening to leak the new book unless a huge ransom is paid, he's both perplexed and angry. Fleshing out its main players isn't high among The Translators' priorities, with Angstrom a cookie-cutter publishing sleaze and his sequestered translators all fitting clearcut types. The Lisbeth Salander-esque Portuguese twenty-something Telma (Maria Leite) arouses immediate suspicion, for example, while Italian Dario (Riccardo Scarmarcio, John Wick: Chapter 2) is dashing and enigmatic, German Ingrid (Anna-Maria Sturm) is a stickler for procedure and Chinese employee Chen (Frédéric Chau) always takes a practical approach. The film attempts to be a tad more furtive about Katerina (Olga Kurylenko, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote), a Russian who purposely dresses to resemble the fated heroine in the book the group is working on, and Englishman Alex (Alex Lawther, The End of the F***ing World), who is noticeably young — but casting choices, with the two ranking among the film's most recognisable faces, already tell the audience that these characters will stand out. Including beleaguered mother Helene (Sidse Babett Knudsen, In Fabric), stuttering Spaniard Javier (Edouardo Noriega) and cynical Greek Konstantinos (Manolis Mavromatakis), The Translators treats everyone on-screen like pawns, all in service of its twisty mystery. That's standard for the genre, though — if you're going to quickly strip a group of suspects down to their underlying motives in intriguingly heightened circumstances, it often helps if there's not too much padding on top. And while that whole tactic is glaringly apparent here, The Translators endeavours to keep proceedings humming along by zipping between new developments at a frantic pace. The movie takes time to establish its concept, naturally, and to explain everything that's relevant about the locked-in situation its titular figures find themselves in (complete with tours of gleaming subterranean pools and bowling alleys). After the groundwork has been laid, it then hurtles forward like someone furiously thumbing through an airport novel. At times, it gets a little too carried away with the exaggerated drip-fed clues, surprise reveals and reversals, but this is still a slick, swift-moving affair that ticks all the whodunnit basics. Sometimes, and usually entertainingly so, it navigates through plenty of heist flick staples as well. As a result, The Translators is understandably a story and style-driven film rather than an actor showpiece; however Roinsard has amassed a considerable group of talent. Ensuring that a mystery's characters demand the audience's attention, even if they're little more than archetypes, is another crucial aspect of the genre — and, thanks to the convincingly slimy Wilson, the slippery Lawther and the melodramatic Kurylenko especially, that's achieved. Also generally hitting the spot while remaining as overt as possible: the movie's contemplation of art versus commerce, and of literary fandom. Nothing new is spouted or revealed, particularly given the obsessiveness that some books garner in real life, but tussling with these ideas gives the feature a bit of extra bite nonetheless. That doesn't make The Translators an overly memorable whodunnit, but that's the thing with page-turners and their filmic equivalent — if you enjoy the game and the ride enough once, it doesn't matter if you won't be clamouring for a second helping. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THXebxAFCzY
As far as food in Brisbane goes, you could say that Mexican, American and gyoza are among the buzz-trends of the moment. These are undoubtedly fantastic additions to what Brisbane has to offer, but it can be all too easy to overlook the classics during such a surge of the new and exciting. The Continental Cafe in New Farm has been giving Brisbane a taste of Europe for close to two decades, and it's not stopping any time soon. Inside you’ll find a warm, cosy dining room being tended by excellent waitstaff. Don’t be afraid to ask for a recommendation when it comes to food and wine; they're more than happy to help and they know their stuff. The food selection includes a collection of 'Continental Classics', along with seasonal specials. The focus is on simple, honest dishes, brilliantly executed. With generous servings and bold flavours, this is true comfort food. If there is one menu item that you absolutely must not miss, it's the twice-baked goat's cheese souffle ($21.90). Rest assured the calories are absolutely worth it. Fluffy on the inside, crisp on top, and swimming in a thick cheese sauce, it's the ultimate death-by-cheese experience. You might want to balance the cheesiness out with a fresh and tasty serve of bruschetta ($13.50). The roast veal ($28.90) is a decadent, heaped serving of perfectly cooked meat, buttery smoked potato mash, sauteed mushrooms and deeply flavoursome gravy. It's a dish you could almost climb into — the perfect winter warmer for a chilly night. The seafood risotto ($27.50) consists of a rich, tomato-based sauce thickened with cream; it is bursting with fish, squid, and mussels. For dessert, your eyes won't want to wander past their classic creme brulee: creamy vanilla custard with a perfectly caramelised top ($12). The Continental Cafe is a New Farm institution and holds its own against other restaurants both new and old. With beautiful food, excellent service and a welcoming atmosphere, it’s a great destination for a date, a casual dinner with friends, or a function.
UPDATE, May 1, 2021: I Am Greta is available to stream via Stan, Docplay, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. If a single image can sum up the current crucial battle against climate change, it's a picture — any picture — of Greta Thunberg. Since deciding to skip school to protest outside Sweden's parliament back in August 2018, the braid-wearing teen has become the face of a movement. She isn't the first person to sound an alarm about the dire state of the planet, to vehemently speak truth to power or to gain widespread attention, but her determined, no-nonsense approach really isn't easily forgotten. Sometimes, it's directed at ordinary Stockholm residents going about their days while she strikes. As she has garnered increasing attention, Thunberg has trained her stare on crowded United Nations' conferences, too, and at attendees with the capacity but not necessarily the inclination to make a difference. She has also met face to face with world leaders, but she knows that politicians usually only share her gaze for a photo opportunity. Demonstrating patiently, speaking passionately, shaking hands for the cameras: all of these moments are captured by documentary I Am Greta, which surveys Thunberg's ascension from everyday Swedish 15-year-old to one of the best-known figures fighting to save the earth. The film acts as a chronicle, starting with her activism on her home soil, following her efforts as she's thrust to fame, and culminating in her trip across the Atlantic Ocean via yacht to present at 2019's UN Climate Action Summit, where she gave her iconic "how dare you" speech. But as the title indicates, this doco is just as concerned with Thunberg's home life as her public impact. Accordingly, while filmmaker Nathan Grossman has an array of recognisable footage at his disposal in this slickly packaged affair — packed protests, widely seen speeches, British parliament addresses, meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron — he interweaves it with quieter, intimate and unguarded moments. Including material preceding her present status as a household name, I Am Greta watches Thunberg prepare for big events, spend time with her beloved dogs and horses, eat meals with her family, and get escorted around the world by bus, train and boat by her father Svante. These snippets help paint a picture of the teenager behind the activism, and much of it is highly relatable. She adores her pets, finding their presence soothing. She obsesses over every detail of every speech, even when her dad is reminding her to rest and eat. She happily calls herself a nerd, explains the helpful side of her Asperger syndrome diagnosis ("it might be good if everyone had a tiny bit of Asperger's, at least about the climate," she shares), talks through details of past episodes of selective mutism and notes that being bullied isn't a new part of her life. Viewers looking for something more revealing in Thunberg's daily existence will be disappointed, as will anyone eager to discover details that haven't been covered in many a profile, or keen for in-depth facts and figures. But by purposefully and repeatedly stressing that its subject is simply a young woman who feels passionate about doing everything she can to raise awareness about climate change, and to motivate the world's powers-that-be to act before it's too late, I Am Greta makes an immensely potent statement. It's one that Thunberg has vocalised on many occasions with words as direct as her glare, and it resonates just as strongly here. It shouldn't take a teen skipping school and inspiring millions more around the world to follow in her footsteps to get people talking, thinking and enacting solutions to counteract the earth's warming. Thunberg shouldn't need to be a leader in this space. At the beginning of the film, during her time spent sitting outside Swedish parliament, she acknowledges that she likely knows far more about climate change than the overwhelming bulk of Sweden's politicians — and that firmly shouldn't be the case. Also cutting through astutely is Thunberg's continued recognition of how, as her fame increases, the global response by naysayers encapsulates so much about the status quo and the lack of government action. She calls out politicians who chat and get snapped in pictures but do nothing to follow through, with Grossman letting viewers see the pageantry alongside Thunberg's perceptive observations. She reads trolling comments, too — and I Am Greta says plenty when it shows figures such as Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison either attacking Thunberg, childishly insulting her, discounting her message or saying that the planet's younger generations should stick to studying instead of fighting for their futures. It isn't ever explicitly said, but I Am Greta also makes another pivotal point, and it applies not only to its central figure but to the rousing film itself. In addition to emphasising that the steadfast eco-warrior is a teen tackling a topic that so many of her elders have happily ignored for decades, this documentary understands that its audience already knows how they feel about Thunberg. It also recognises that its viewers are just as aware of which side they fall on when it comes to combating climate change. As a result, this movie isn't going to convert skeptics and Thunberg's critics, or alter her fans' thinking, and it isn't trying to. It'd rather show the work to effect change in action, and let that speak volumes. Indeed, what echoes here is that simply doing the right thing — doing something, in fact — is essential regardless of any obstacles and opposition, whether urged by Al Gore, David Attenborough, Aussie doco 2040, your best mate, your neighbour, a stranger or Thunberg. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mwk10YGPFiM
Is there anything more intimate than wandering around someone's home when they're not there, gently rifling through their things, and — literally or not, your choice — spending a few minutes standing in their shoes? Yes, but there's still an intoxicating sense of closeness that comes with the territory; moseying curiously in another's house without their company, after they've entrusted their most personal space to you alone, will understandably do that. In Mothering Sunday, Jane Fairchild (Odessa Young, The Staircase) finds herself in this very situation. She's naked, and as comfortable as she's ever been anywhere. After her lover Paul Sheringham (Josh O'Connor, Emma) leaves her in a state of postcoital bliss, she makes the most of his family's large abode in the English countryside, the paintings and books that fill its walls and shelves, and the pie and beer tempting her tastebuds in the kitchen. The result: some of this 1920s-set British drama's most evocative and remarkable moments. Jane is used to such lofty spaces, but rarely as a carefree resident. She's an aspiring writer, an orphan and the help; he's firmly from money. She works as a maid for the Sheringhams' neighbours, the also-wealthy Godfrey (Colin Firth, Operation Mincemeat) and Clarrie Niven (Olivia Colman, Heartstopper), and she's ventured next door while everyone except Paul is out. This rare day off is the occasion that gives the stately but still highly moving film its name as well — Mother's Day, but initially designed to honour mother churches, aka where one was baptised — and the well-to-do crowd are all lunching to celebrate Paul's impending nuptials to fiancée Emma Hobday (Emma D'Arcy, Misbehaviour). He made excuses to arrive late, though, in order to steal some time with Jane, as they've both been doing for years. Of course, he can't completely shirk his own party. Mothering Sunday does more than luxuriate in Jane's languid stroll around a sprawling manor, or the happiness that precedes it — much, much more — but these scenes stand out for a reason. They're a showcase for Australian actor Young, who has graduated from playing troubled daughters (see: 2015's The Daughter and the unrelated Looking for Grace) to searching young women cementing their place in the world (see also: 2020's Shirley). With her quietly potent and radiant help, they say oh-so-much about Jane that wouldn't have sported the same power if conveyed via dialogue. They're also exactly the kind of sequences that screenwriter Alice Birch (Lady Macbeth) knows well, although she isn't merely repeating herself. Helping pen the page-to-screen adaptations of Sally Rooney's Normal People and Conversations with Friends, she's inherently at home revealing everything she can about her characters just by observing what they do when no one's watching. The broader story in Mothering Sunday also springs from a book, this time from Graham Swift's 2016 novel, with French filmmaker Eva Husson (Girls of the Sun) making her English-language debut in the director's chair. Swift didn't choose an annual occasion at random, with the day cloaked in sadness in the Sheringham and Niven households — and across Britain — in the shadow of the First World War and all the young men lost to the conflict. Indeed, marking Paul's engagement is the best way to spend the date because his brothers, and the Nivens' boys too, will never have the same chance. The need to don a stiff upper lip, to keep calm and carry on, and to embody every other grin-and-bear-it cliche about English stoicism is deeply rooted in grief here, and more will come in this touching feature before the sunny March day that sits at its centre is over. In lesser hands than Swift's, Husson's and Birch's, Jane might've been a peripheral player — or one part in a straightforward upstairs-downstairs setup that could've stepped directly out of Downton Abbey. Thankfully, that isn't Mothering Sunday either as a book or a movie. While class clashes are inescapable within the film's frames, it's how the eponymous date shapes Jane, and how moments both big and small change anyone, that dwells at its core. The picture also flits forward to its protagonist as a writer, where she's drawn back to that past idyll and heartbreak while navigating a relationship with Oxford philosopher Donald (Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù, Gangs of London). And, it jumps further into the future still, where the even-older Jane (Glenda Jackson, making her first movie since 1990's King of the Wind) has spent decades reflecting on that one Mothering Sunday, plus the other joys and losses life has brought her way, in her head, heart and through her work. It's easy to think you know what to expect with Mothering Sunday. Within its 104-minute running time, its pace is as leisurely as British dramas come. Whether roving around the Sheringhams' mansion, the garden party or less lavish places, Jamie Ramsay's (Moffie) cinematography is the epitome of handsome. Also, reteaming The Crown's O'Connor and Colman signals its emphasis on performances (Young and Firth pair up again, too, but the film actually pre-dates their work on HBO miniseries The Staircase). And yet, Mothering Sunday is also never that formulaic, and it isn't merely the movie that could've been constructed simply by connecting the obvious dots. Husson's and Birch's touches give it a gloriously sensual feel, and not only in the lingering sex scenes, their thrusting bodies and even the stains that a tumble in the sheets can cause. Clearly, the two women who've turned Mothering Sunday into a yearning, sultry and textured splash of celluloid have taken the narrative's message to heart: that leaping in, lapping up whatever delights come your way, and also facing the pain if and when it comes, is always better than holding back to avoid the scantest trace of woe. There's nothing overtly forceful about Young and O'Connor's performances, but the same can be said of the wonderful duo, who could fuel several movies with their chemistry alone. That Firth and Colman don't have quite the same presence fits with their characters, though, who nonetheless prove an affecting portrait of post-war mourning. And while there's little that's left unsaid in Morgan Kibby's emotive score, her third for Husson — or in three-time Oscar-winner Sandy Powell's (The Young Victoria, The Aviator, Shakespeare in Love) eye-catching, period-appropriate costuming, either — that too couldn't be more apt, with the film revelling in what it can when it can.
Australia's first Angelika Film Centre. Italian bar and eatery Sasso, Chinese Peruvian joint Casa Chow, Palm Springs-inspired gin-pouring garden bar Purple Palm, and European-influenced wine bar and wine shop South City Wine. Two holes in the wall, one a La Macelleria gelateria and the other taqueria Los Felix. They're just some of the reasons to drop by South City Square in Woolloongabba — and now, if you have a hankering for Japanese rice bowls, so is Uncle Don. The chain already boasts eateries in Paddington and West End slinging donburi and, with its newest location, it has brought 20-plus variations of the dish to its biggest venue yet. You'll find Uncle Don catering to up to 100 guests in the Logan Road precinct, complete with both indoor and outdoor seating — to begin with, for lunch Wednesday–Friday and also on Sundays, and for dinner Wednesday–Sunday, but seven-day trading is on the way. On the menu, Uncle Don splits its donburi offering into seven sections: seafood, chicken, beef, pork, vegetable, curry and keto. Within each, a heap of choices await. So if you're having a hard time picking between salmon sashimi and baked salmon, grilled eel, chicken katsu, karaage and egg, grilled duck, wagyu steak, crispy pork, shiitake mushroom and scrambled egg curry varieties, for instance, that's understandable. Among the starters, lotus root chips with miso pumpkin dip, a tower of eggplant chips, pork gyoza, parmesan chicken karaage and pork katsu sandos are all options. And for dessert, there's also a don — a matcha tiramisu don, which is made with mascarpone ice cream, honeycomb, biscuits and matcha syrup. Uncle Don hails from Sunshine Coast-based hospitality group Eastern Culinary Collective, which also includes Nonda in Newstead, plus Soka and Choo Choo Sushi in Maroochydore, and Jango Korean BBQ in Kawana in its stable. South City Square is also set to welcome two-level brewpub The Wright House, which was initially slated for a 2023 launch, but is now due to open in 2024. Find Uncle Don's Woolloongabba outpost at South City Square, 148 Logan Road, Woolloongabba — opening from 11.30am–2.30pm Wednesday–Friday and also on Sundays for lunch, and 5–9pm Wednesday–Sunday for dinner, with seven-day trading coming soon. Head to the chain's website for further details.
Even if politics isn't your favourite topic, there's been no avoiding a certain name since the mid 2010s, ever since Donald Trump announced that he was running for US President. Over that time, he's been voted into America's top office, then voted out. Saying that he didn't take the latter well is an understatement. He got kicked off Twitter, too, and announced another bid for the gig in 2024. Much, much, much more has happened, of course — and much, much, much more again — but everyone has seen the constant stream of headlines already. One person who's been forced to observe all of the above from a unique position is Mary Trump, the former US President's only niece, as well as an outspoken critic of him and their family. You might've heard of or read the trained clinical psychologist's 2020 book Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man, which explores the obvious. Now, in winter 2023, you can see Mary chat about her thoughts and clearly chaotic life live onstage in Australia. That tome sold almost a million copies in a single day. Plus, with the next US elections two years away, that T word — Trump — isn't fading from view anytime soon. Accordingly, Mary will head to Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney to talk about it with Ray Martin, dishing the details from her firsthand experiences. [caption id="attachment_880176" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matt Wade Photography via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Attendees can expect to hear about her uncle's impact upon the world's health and economic security, plus society in general. And, about the ideas and American history — the American Civil War, slavery and the Founding Fathers all included — that've helped lead to his position of influence. Mary will also give an insider's view into how the US works, the rise of the MAGA movement and what a future with Donald Trump in power, or even out of it, could hold. Taking to the stage at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Melbourne's Hamer Hall and Sydney's State Theatre, she'll add insights into her childhood and family dynamic in detail as well. Clearly, this won't be the kind of in-conversation session that anyone gets to see everyday. And, if you're a US politics junkie, it'd make quite the double — albeit spaced out by a few months — with Barack Obama's 2023 Aussie speaking tour. MARY TRUMP: LIVE ON STAGE — AUSTRALIAN 2023 TOUR: Saturday, June 17: Great Hall, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Brisbane Tuesday, June 20: Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne Thursday, June 22: State Theatre, Sydney Mary Trump's Australian speaking tour will take place in June 2023. To join the waitlist for tickets — which will go on sale in February — head to the tour's website.
When your first year featured Nelly, Ne-Yo, Ja Rule, Bow Wow and Xzibit, and your second had T-Pain, Ashanti, The Game and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, what comes next? For Juicy Festival, it's now time for Ludacris, Keyshia Cole, SWV and Blackstreet. The nostalgic R&B and hip hop fest has locked in its return Down Under in January 2025, again starting in New Zealand with gigs in Christchurch, Wellington, Tauranga and Auckland. After that, it'll head across the ditch for its Australian shows in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Queensland. And, as always, it hasn't skimped on the lineup. After making an appearance at Usher's 2024 Super Bowl halftime show — and spending two decades as part of the Fast and Furious franchise — Ludacris leads the Juicy Festival bill. Expect to hear everything from 'What's Your Fantasy' and 'Area Codes' to 'Runaway Love' and 'Rollout'. Keyshia Cole's 'Love', girl group SWV's 'Right Here' and Blackstreet's 'No Diggity' are all set to be fest highlights, on a lineup that'll also see Akon, Tyga, Omarion, Fat Joe and Jacquees take to the stage. "This year's lineup is packed with artists responsible for some of R&B and hip hop's biggest hits of the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s, and we're excited to see the crowd respond to the high energy of our artists," said festival promoter Matthew Spratt. "Every year we are excited to bring another line-up to Australia, and we believe we've come up with a high-calibre group of artists that people will be excited to see," added his colleague Glenn Meikle. "We've locked in some of the biggest names in R&B and hip hop from the 1990s and 2000s era, and they're just as excited about coming to Australia as we are to be hosting them," finished Spratt. When Juicy Fest debuted in January 2023, it attracted more than 100,000 attendees. The event hasn't announced 2025 venues so far, or exactly where in Queensland it'll be heading to, but tickets go on sale from Thursday, May 2. Juicy Fest 2025 Dates: Wednesday, January 8 — Christchurch, venue TBC Friday, January 10 — Wellington, venue TBC Saturday, January 11 — Auckland, venue TBC Sunday, January 12 — Tauranga, venue TBC Wednesday, January 15 – Perth, venue TBC Friday, January 17 – Melbourne, venue TBC Saturday, January 18 – Sydney, venue TBC Sunday, January 19 - Queensland, venue TBC Juicy Fest 2025 Lineup: Ludacris Akon Tyga Keyshia Cole Omarion Fat Joe SWV Blackstreet Jacquees Juicy Fest will tour Australia and New Zealand in January 2025, with tickets pre-registrations available from 6pm local time on Wednesday, May 1 — and tickets on sale from 6pm local time on Thursday, May 2. Head to the festival's website to register for pre-sale access.
Forget cat videos. Okay, don't forget them — they're cute, addictive and a great way to procrastinate — but they're not the only cute representation of animals that you should be placing in front of your eyes. Made with watercolours and pencils rather than cameras and pixels, Spectrum has plenty, thanks to Gold Coast artist Anika Kirk. Kirk's critter-centric pieces sometimes combine the real and the surreal into one package: life-like sketches of expressive faces, but wearing human clothes, for example. At other times, they make you stare into a deer's face, or appreciate the glory of a cockatoo. Peering at decorative landscapes and looking at a skull with flowers are also part of her portfolio. Expect all of that and more as she takes over the Southside Tea Room with a one-night-only exhibition of her latest and greatest, spanning installations, canvases, drawings and more. Taking place from 6pm on February 10, the collection is certain to brighten up your Friday night. Plus, given the venue, more than a few drinks will also be in order. Image: Anika Kirk.
Mecca, aka the Melbourne-born beauty and cosmetics chain that has won fans the country over since it launched in the 90s, has been opening stores around Australia for the last 20 years. And it's currently hosting a huge online sale with 50 percent off a heap of products. That's good news for everyone, including your bank balance. If you haven't jumped on the Mecca bandwagon yet, then prepare to nab all those prestigious international brands you can't get elsewhere — as well as its own line of products. It's a makeup mecca, and more than a 100 different products are currently on sale. You can nab half-price Urban Decay highlighter, Nars eyeshadow, Too Faced concealer and Bare Minerals products — just to name a few of the items on sale. If this is the excuse you needed to boost your makeup bag, the sale runs online — on both Mecca Australia and Mecca NZ websites — from 7am on Tuesday, June 30 until 6.59am on Tuesday, July 14 (or till stocks last).
Love is a powerful word, and Harry Harlow unleashed its power onto the scientific community in 1958 when he wrote a paper referencing that love was essential to human development. This was revolutionary in science at the time. Harlow learnt this through the experiments he undertook with baby rhesus monkeys. Harlow’s research was the scientific basis for the understanding of child abuse, neglect, depression and healthy approaches to child rearing. In his experiments, Harlow went into some dark places to explore the other side of love and the cruelty that can be unleashed. This was in part due to the workings of Harlow’s mind, as he explored emotions, grief, pain, insecurities and ethics through his work. The Harry Harlow Project is the first work written by James Saunders and was created in collaboration with director, Brian Lipson, Kelly Ryall (Sound Design) and Martyn Coutts (Video Design) to form a mixed media theatre piece, featuring James Saunders as Harry Harlow. The production has toured widely to a range of festivals and theatres across the country, and has been widely acclaimed as a beautifully, fascinating theatre work.
Wellington is best known for its creative and culinary prowess, but the city's outdoor environment deserves its own accolades. Nestled between the Cook Strait and bush-covered hills clad in the protected Town Belt, this wilder-than-you-think spot boasts idyllic vistas every way you look — and alluring natural spots in spades. Indeed, there's no shortage of native bush or beach in this harbour city, but you don't need to be a hardcore outdoors-type to get amongst it. Thanks to Wellington's stunning geography, all the greenery and fresh air you could ever want is super close to its CBD restaurants, nightlife and galleries. For those who like to balance their busy urban breaks with sojourns in the countryside, book your flights ASAP, as you can get the best of both worlds. Pack your finest activewear and prepare to embark on a holiday where it's easy to walk off the after-effects of all that strong local beer, those delicious cocktails and that six-course wine-matched degustation. BAYS AND BEACHES Wellington city was built teetering on a waterfront that's sheltered by the surrounding harbour. This means there are a lot of beaches to choose from — some rugged and some peaceful wee spots with pontoons within paddling distance. Oriental Bay is a perennial favourite with Wellington office workers, thanks to its location just ten minutes from the CBD and its golden sand that's ideal for enjoying a cheeky yuzu olive oil gelato from Gelissimo. If you fancy going a bit more rugged, Island Bay or Lyall Bay are not far from the city and ideal for surfing. Don't forget to bring your wetsuit. [caption id="attachment_636628" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Kristina D.C. Hoeppner via Flickr[/caption] STREET ART AND SCULPTURE Get your exercise plus a dose of culture. Wellington's cosy city streets are freckled with beautiful street art and public sculpture, ranging from literary to graffiti and everything in between. Look out for Charlotte Hawley's cosy mural down Egmont Street, Xoe Hall's trio of Bowies in Hannahs Laneway and BMD's anti-shark finning wall opposite Te Papa. If you wander from one end of the waterfront to the other, you'll hit an array of ocean-inspired sculptures, as well as the official Wellington Writers Walk, where excerpts from works by the city's greatest writers and poets are immortalised in concrete and set against a marine backdrop. Dreamy. [caption id="attachment_636684" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Capture Studios[/caption] TOWN BELT About 170 years ago, some savvy folk decided central Wellington ought to be surrounded by a band of wilderness, and the city's Town Belt was born. Arching around the CBD in a horseshoe shape, it's been miraculously preserved as Wellington has gone from a tiny colonial outpost to a bustling capital. The belt offers walking options spanning relaxed ambles to more lengthy day-walks, with plenty of brilliant views and spots for a picnic. There's also a 360-degree view of the town from the top of Mount Victoria, which only takes about half an hour to summit starting from the Courtenay Place nightlife district. [caption id="attachment_636635" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Phillip Capper via Flickr[/caption] MATIU / SOMES ISLAND Encircled by Wellington's waterfront and a delightful 20-minute ferry trip from the city is Matiu / Somes Island, a nature reserve with a fascinating history. Originally named by legendary Maori explorer Kupe after his daughter, Matiu was a refuge in times of war. After a few stints as a quarantine zone, the area is now conservation land and pest free, which means plenty of NZ's beautiful and sometimes bizarre native birds can be spotted. Pack a picnic and make a day of it. [caption id="attachment_636638" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Croc Bikes[/caption] BIKING Wellington is beginning to gain a bit of a rep as a mountain biking destination. With so many great tracks covering the bush-clad hills that surround the city, even office workers mountain bike to work. How's that for lifestyle? If the hundreds of kilometres of mountain biking tracks in the Wellington region don't tempt you, there are some lower-key biking experiences in the city. Hiring a Crocodile Bike is a classic Wellington activity: you can grab a two- or four-person bike and cycle around the bays for a few hours. Or head to Switched On Bikes a rent an e-bike; these babies have redefined pedal power, so you can cruise the city's hills without breaking a sweat. Maybe you've been to Auckland, maybe you've gone to the snow in Queensland, but now it's time to set your sights on Wellington. The harbourside city may be compact, but that only makes for excellent walkability from its excellent restaurants, cafes and bars to its cultural hot spots and around the great outdoors. Use our planning guide to book your trip, then sort out your Wellington hit list with our food and drink, culture and outdoor guides. Top image: Simeon W via Flickr.
Some of the most wonderful sentences ever written include two glorious words: Nicolas Cage. Usually when the actor's name comes up, it's because he has a new film in the works — or sometimes a TV show — that makes another weird, wild and wonderful addition to an on-screen resume like no other. Already in 2023, he's added his first-ever western to the list. And, he's playing Dracula in Renfield, which might be the only time ever the iconic star has ever sucked. We could keep naming past highlights, such as stepping into his own shoes in 2022's The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent and crooning Elvis songs for David Lynch's Wild at Heart, or we could jump straight into the next instant must-see project that might feature the one and only Cage: The Surfer. Just announced at this year's Cannes Film Festival, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter, this sadly isn't the only Point Break remake that needs to be made. Like that flick, however — the Keanu Reeves-starring 90s original, not the terrible 2015 do-over — The Surfer has an Aussie connection. Cage looks set to play an Australian expat returning home from America and getting in a beach battle with a local gang of wave riders. An Aussie-set surfing thriller starring Cage? Sold. [caption id="attachment_901586" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Moritz Barcelona via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Cage's titular character makes the trip Down Under after years in the US, only to get humiliated by other surfers in front of his teenage son. Cue a turf war, plus Cage's protagonist refusing to leave the beach. Cue the stakes escalating and the movie's namesake having his sanity tested, too. The film is set to shoot in Australia from September 2023, with director Lorcan Finnegan (Vivarium) helming, working with a script by screenwriter Thomas Martin. There's no word yet who might co-star with Cage, but you'd expect every Australian actor ever to be lining up to be involved. [caption id="attachment_901587" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Guillaume Paumier via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Fresh from directing The Dry, Blueback and the upcoming Force of Nature: The Dry 2, Robert Connolly is one of The Surfer's producers, boosting its Aussie ties. Given that Cage's character will have been in America for years, that might help the movie get around needing him to bust out an Aussie accent — but who doesn't want to see the man who has proven a comedic genius for the Coen brothers, dabbled with Marvel in two different ways despite never appearing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, wordlessly fought demonic animatronics, swapped faces with John Travolta, gotten speedy before the Fast and Furious saga existed, taken to the skies with criminals and acted opposite himself in Adaptation give it a try anyway? There's no release date for The Surfer yet, either, or trailer obviously, but checking out Cage's exceptional work in Mandy is always recommended while you're waiting for his next films: The Surfer doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when more details are announced. Via The Hollywood Reporter. Top image: Gerald Geronimo via Wikimedia Commons.
