There's a big, white container coming to South Bank. But, like most shipping containers in the city, it's not being used to transport furniture. And the word 'séance' will be written on the side in black. It's kind of ominous. Séance is actually a new installation where participants take a seat inside the tiny space, put on a headset and place their hands flat on the table in front of them. The lights go out and the container enters complete darkness. For the next 20 minutes, participants are fed 'suggestible information' through their headsets. You're probably thinking that there's something dark or supernatural about the whole thing — and going by the name, we don't blame you. But the installation's organiser assures us that 'séance' is simply a French word meaning 'session' or 'sitting'. And so Séance is a sensory experience that looks at the psychology of a group sitting together. Despite not being a horror or supernatural-themed piece, it's a scary indicator of how easy it is for confusion, information overload and the people siting right next to us to affect our judgment. Artists David Rosenberg and Glen Neath (who have collaborated in other sensory deprivation projects before) are the creative masterminds behind the project, which has been described as 'disorienting' and 'deeply unsettling'. It's not recommended for the claustrophobic or the easily frightened. The spooky installation visited Sydney and Melbourne late last year, and is now descending on the Treasury Brisbane Arcadia, South Bank, from September 8–29 this year as part of the 2018 Brisbane Festival. Séance is open daily, and runs three times an hour. Tickets cost $20 each and you can purchase them through the website.
What do films about bickering neighbours, wannabe heavy metal bands and a boy wandering through the forest all have in common? They're on this year's Scandinavian Film Festival bill. While the annual event always surveys the cinema output of a variety of countries — Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, namely — it also dives into movies on a range of topics. Case in point: one title explores the college exploits of a teenager with supernatural abilities, but it's definitely not the kind of movie that you're thinking of, and another tracks youths trying to survive a mass shooting. They're some of the highlights of the 2018 fest, which tours Australia between July 10 and August — and if you'd like to hear more, keep reading. The full lineup includes everything from border patrol officers and Saint Bernards to icy westerns and an extremely different take on capitalism-drive class clashes. From all of the above and more, here are our six must-sees. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJghTR5y9U0 UNDER THE TREE It sounds like a storyline on any routine soap opera: two neighbouring families get into a turf war over the most ordinary of issues. And yes, as the title suggests, it's a tree. Overhanging branches aren't the only things casting a shadow over these particular lives, however, as marital woes, Ikea, family pets and more become involved in this bleak but hilarious study of bad behaviour. One side acts, the other retaliates, and the film's various spats escalate, although the emotions at the movie's core always remain believable and relatable. As well as featuring a number of impressive performances by Icelandic talents, especially from veteran Edda Björgvinsdóttir, Under the Tree represents another winning effort from writer/director Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson. Like his earlier feature Either Way, which was remade as Prince Avalanche, don't be surprised if this gets the English-language treatment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi2N-DFfe7Q THELMA The best super-powered film of the past year doesn't involve Wonder Woman, Black Panther or any other Marvel or DC characters. We're not saying that the big end of town hasn't turned out some great caped crusader flicks (and some terrible ones, too) over the last 12 months or so, but Thelma plays with extraordinary abilities in a completely different manner. The latest work from Oslo, August 31st and Louder Than Bombs' filmmaker Joachim Trier, it's a thriller about a college freshman (Eili Harboe) who copes with her new Oslo surroundings — and adjusts to her new bond with fellow student Anja (Kaya Wilkins) — in ways that surprise, astonish and truly cut to the heart of being a confused, anxious soul in a troubling world. Part sci-fi, part horror, part coming-of-age effort, the end result is a piercing exploration of identity that looks as impressive as it feels. HEAVY TRIP They're the world's first symphonic, post-apocalyptic, reindeer-grinding, Christ-abusing, extreme war pagan, Fennoscandian metal group, as they describe themselves, but these four Finnish villagers don't quite know how to chase their dreams. After 12 years of rehearsing in a slaughterhouse basement, the twenty-somethings finally record their own song — and after accidentally drenching a Norwegian festival promoter with a barrel of blood, Turo (Johannes Holopainen) starts telling everyone that they've scored a huge first gig. What happens next both follows the expected path and throws in plenty of unexpected incidents, altercations and antics, with the comedy caper including everything from a love triangle to grave-robbing to sailing on a viking ship. Still, even when it veers into silly territory, Heavy Trip remains inventive, heartfelt and very amusing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2WRsAyC-K4 VALLEY OF SHADOWS The gothic horror tradition is alive and well in moody, brooding Norwegian effort Valley of Shadows, which proves as haunting and gorgeously gloomy as its title suggests. The film might send a youngster trampling through creepy surroundings, but it carves its own path away from the current Stranger Things-inspired trend and its various offshoots. In fact, anything that seems familiar in the narrative is soon eclipsed by this confident and unnerving movie's commanding tone, as well as its eye-catching 35mm-shot images. Story-wise, the debut by writer/director Jonas Matzow Gulbrandsen follows a six-year-old's (Adam Ekeli) foray into a nearby forest in search of his runaway dog, and the folklore-like events that eventuate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0RaGwzqLBE WINTER BROTHERS Danish drama Winter Brothers has won multiple awards for its cinematography, and it's immediately easy to see why — shot on 16mm film and casting its lens over snowy landscapes, remote homes, dark mines and the general inner workings of industrial settings, it's never less than striking to look at. As a study of masculinity left to fester in an isolated environment, it's also an emotionally powerful piece, winning Best Picture at the Danish Academy Awards for its troubles. Examining the lives of two miner siblings (Elliott Crosset Hove and Simon Sears) as they engage in a spat with their neighbours (yes, that seems to be a theme this festival) and make moonshine, this tense, textured movie knows exactly how it wants its viewers to feel. Helping perfect the ideal unsettling mood is a score that knows when to drone with ominous purpose, and knows when silence says everything it needs to. U — JULY 22 There's nothing new about recreating a harrowing real-life event from the perspective of those who were there, and giving audiences an on-the-ground view of their horrifying experiences. There's nothing new about adopting that approach when it comes to mass shootings either, or just generally unravelling a tense and terrifying situation in a single shot. Still, Norwegian effort U — July 22 finds the best way to plunge viewers into the thick of one of the most traumatic incidents in the country's history. On the eponymous date in 2011, a right-wing extremist gunned down 69 of the 500 attendees at a youth summer camp on the island of Utøya, with filmmaker Erik Poppe following one 19-year-old's efforts to survive. Lead actress Andrea Berntzen is fantastic as the desperate young woman searching for her sister, and for a way to make it out alive, in a feature that's never easy to watch but remains heartbreakingly engrossing — and important — from start to finish. The Scandinavian Film Festival tours the country between July 10 and August 5, screening at Sydney's Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona and Palace Central from July 10–29; Melbourne's Palace Cinema Como, Palace Brighton Bay and Palace Westgarth from July 12–29; and Brisbane's Palace Barracks from July 19 to August 5. For the full program, visit the festival website.
The occasions may change, but whatever the date or festivities, the Brightside has partying Brisbanites covered. On April 16, they're throwing an Easter Sunday shindig the only way the know how: with a few bevs and live tunes. It's the music that's the main attraction at this ticketed gig, with Deez Nuts, Rare Words, ENDLESS and Valhalla Mist on the bill. That means things will be getting heavy with punk, rock and hardcore. After a couple of days of light relaxation and overindulgence, perhaps that's just what you'll be in the mood for.
2022's best new TV shows spanned everything from mind-benders like Severance to culinary must-sees such as The Bear, plus the best Star Wars series yet in Andor and Irish black-comedy murder-mystery Bad Sisters. Also among them: feminism, penises and 70s porn for women in Minx. The Los Angeles-set HBO comedy jumped back five decades to follow an aspiring magazine editor as she finally scored her dream job — but for a pornography publisher. What's a Vassar graduate and country club regular to do? If she's Minx's Joyce Prigger, she eventually embraces the opportunity, sees a chance to give women something they've been missing and start a conversation about female desire, and turns the whole enterprise into something special. That's the tale that the series' first season charted, as starring Ophelia Lovibond (Trying) and Jake Johnson (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse), created by Ellen Rapoport (Clifford the Big Red Dog) and executive produced by Paul Feig (Last Christmas). What's a pioneering, uproar-causing fictional magazine to do after it's already caused a stir? That's where season two comes in. From Friday, July 21, Minx will return to Stan for a second run, with the earnest Joyce and enterprising Bottom Dollar Publications proprietor Doug Renetti (Johnson) dealing with the mag's success, and how that affects their lives. Also impacted, because this is a workplace comedy as well: Bottom Dollar's former model Bambi (Jessica Lowe, Miracle Workers), Doug's ex-secretary Tina (Idara Victor, Shameless), photographer Richie (Oscar Montoya, Final Space) and Joyce's sister Shelly (Lennon Parham, Veep). As the trailer for season two shows, Joyce, Doug and the crew are back in business; the rest of the media is interested in Minx's rise; and Joyce gets the chance to ask a crowded room if any man knows where the clitoris is. Expansion plans, male strippers, padding junk in the name of stagecraft, Minx billboards: they all pop up as well. Getting Minx back on-screen has been quite the tale itself, after the show was renewed for season two back in May 2022 following season one, then cancelled by HBO Max in December during production. Thankfully, US network Starz then stepped in to save the day, picking up the second season. Check out the trailer Minx season two below: Minx season two will start streaming via Stan from Friday, July 21.
When it comes to succulent pieces of poultry, Australia boasts plenty, but you know what they say: you can't get too much of a good thing. Trying to help make that case is newcomer 4Fingers, the Singaporean fried chicken favourite that's just brought their crispy chook to our shores. Setting up their first two stores in Melbourne's Bourke Street and at Brisbane's new food precinct at Westfield Chermside (and another set to open on Albert Street in Brisbane soon), 4Fingers is all about farm-to-fork free-range chicken served up in their signature crispy style. It's hand-brushed and prepared to order in wingettes, drumettes and legs. Sure, that's what other greasy chook place offers, but why mess with a winning formula? If you're eager for something different, it's 4Fingers' extra bits and pieces that might motivate you to hop on in. Fancy a katsu sandwich with daily-fermented kimchi coleslaw, crispy chicken chops or chicken, garlic and button mushrooms on an artisanal charcoal bun? You do now. Wings and legs with rice, a selection of seafood and three types of salad are also on the menu. 4Fingers is now open at 189-191 Bourke Street, Melbourne and at Westside Chermside, corner Gympie and Hamilton Streets, Chermside in Brisbane. Another store is set to open at 108 Albert Street, Brisbane soon. For more information, keep an eye on their website and Facebook page. Updates: July 3, 2017.
Films about terminal illness can be a tricky proposition. There’s only so much drama that can be wrung from the mundane inevitability of death, a process that, by its very nature, is so horribly undramatic. Too often do filmmakers and actors make the mistake of overcompensating, wallowing in misery or resorting to cheap emotional manipulation. It’s for its avoidance of these pitfalls, as much as anything else, that Still Alice deserves your attention. Adapted from the novel by neuroscientist turned author Lisa Genova, Still Alice tells the story of Columbia linguistics professor Alice Howland (Julianne Moore). In one of the first scenes we see her, she’s giving a lecture in Los Angeles, when suddenly she finds herself unable to recall a specific word. At first she dismisses the lapse as one of those inevitable side-effects of turning 50. When she gets lost on her regular morning jog, however, she realises something more serious is amiss. A visit to her doctor brings a devastating diagnosis: early onset Alzheimer’s, a disease without a cure. In the film’s lead role, Moore is simply magnificent — she’s already taken home the Golden Globe, and seems a lock to win the Oscar. Alice deals with her condition proactively — at one point she even visits a nursing home, under the guise of finding a room for an elderly parent. Inevitably, however, the illness takes its toll. Slowly, we watch her go from an articulate, passionate, independent woman to a shell of her former self. It’s a heartbreaking transition, and Moore captures every moment — with honesty, nuance and whatever small measure of dignity she can muster. So too do we witness the effect the disease has on the afflicted person’s family. Alec Baldwin gives a terrifically understated performance as Alice’s husband, John, a New York intellectual suddenly confronted with a future he may not be able to accept. Even more impressive is Kristen Stewart as Lydia, the youngest of John and Alice’s adult children. Although she's (rightfully) bemoaned for her wooden performances in the Twilight movies — frankly, no one could make that dialogue sound good — it’s abundantly clear that Stewart has talent. Here, both the actress and her character exhibit a maturity far beyond their years. Credit must also go to the movie's married co-directors, Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer. They’re the perfect fit for the project, having experienced similar medical hardship themselves. Glatzer lives with ALS and is unable to speak, communicating with actors on set via an iPad. It’s their sensitive, compassionate storytelling — channeled by their cast — that ensures Still Alice sticks in your memory even after Alice forgets.
To someone who hasn't spent a heap of time in Brisbane, explaining the allure of the Ekka's famous strawberry sundaes isn't easy. Yes, strawberry ice cream exists year-round in the River City. Yes, anyone can scoop their own onto a cone and top it with a strawberry and some cream whenever they want. But for decades, the pink-hued sweet treats served up at the Royal Queensland Show have been as much of a drawcard as carnival rides, sideshow games, fairy floss and Bertie Beetles — perhaps even more so. The Sunshine State's southeastern corner doesn't just love Ekka strawberry sundaes. It's obsessed with them, as evidenced by the array of other folks who've whipped up their own versions over the years — some also in dessert form, some even boozy. In the latter category in 2023: Ekka Strawberry Sundae Gin from local distillery Granddad Jack's. Yes, this tipple's appeal is all there in its name. Here's how it works: the Gold Coast-born purveyor of spirits, which also has an outpost in Brisbane, has taken fresh strawberries, then macerated them. They're then combined with strawberry jam, vanilla beans, vapour-infused dehydrated strawberries, strawberry cheesecake bars and juniper berries. The end result, when the hard stuff is ready to drink: a liquid strawberry sundae with a kick (and with 40-percent alcohol by volume) that smells jammy and sweet, and feels creamy on the palate. Granddad Jack's recommends sipping the gin with tonic plus a citrus garnish, or in a punch. Whichever you opt for, you'll get the full strawberry sundae experience — those strawberry cheesecake bars are designed to bring a waffle cone flavour, too. This is a limited-edition drop, so much so that the first batch sold out on its first weekend. Granddad Jack's hustled to put together another batch in time for the Ekka's arrival, and the public holiday, which you can purchase now for $95 a bottle. Granddad Jack's Ekka Strawberry Sundae Gin is available to purchase online while stocks last via the distillery's website.
A dark Shakespearean crime drama, 2010's Animal Kingdom was one of the most resounding Australian films in years. Not only did it launch the international careers of Ben Mendelsohn and Jacki Weaver, it also heralded the arrival of writer-director David Michôd, a filmmaker whose tightly controlled aesthetic suggested even greater things to come. His sophomore effort is The Rover, a barebones narrative that mirrors his debut in both its technical precision and its nihilistic tone. What's missing, however, is a similarly compelling set of characters. Without them, a pervasive sense of bleakness soon swallows the movie whole. Based on an idea by Michôd and actor Joel Edgerton, the film takes place across desolate stretches of the outback, a decade after Western society has collapsed. While drinking alone in a gloomy roadside bar, a heavily bearded Guy Pearce sees three gun-toting criminals steal his car. The rest of the movie follows his efforts to get the car back. Michôd would have known from the very first word that comparisons to Mad Max were inevitable. Despite this, The Rover is not an action flick. Methodically paced and dripping with menace, the film actually has more in common with something like Ted Kotcheff's Wake in Fright, which likewise capitalised on the intensity of its outback setting. Meticulous technique — including razor-sharp editing, oppressive sound design, a brooding score and dispassionate cinematography — sets audience members on edge. The violence, when it comes, is sudden, shocking and unglamorous. Yet beneath the craft, the film feels decidedly hollow. Pearce is a great actor, but there's only so much variance he can bring to such a single-minded protagonist. Robert Pattinson, meanwhile, gives a woefully misjudged performance as Pearce's unlikely travelling companion, the slow-witted brother of one of the thieves Pearce is trying to track down. His constant twitching and incomprehensible Southern drawl seem like the efforts of an actor trying desperately to play against type. Good on him for trying, but the fact is it just doesn't work. So the film descends into meaninglessness and futility. Michôd's future world is bereft of human compassion — grandmothers pimp their grandkids, people hunt dogs for food, and our protagonist commits murder without a moment's hesitation. By the time the movie ends, you're left broken and exhausted. And while it takes a lot of skill to achieve that, it never really feels like it was worth it.
Anything the Gold Coast can do, Brisbane can do too, right? Well, maybe not when it comes to beaches — but as far as evening market get-togethers are concerned, we can give it a good try. That's exactly what the Mt Gravatt Marketta is doing. A sibling shindig to the beloved Miami Marketta, it's bringing food from Good Food Catering Co, The Frying Piggy Food Truck, Little Havana Food Truck, Barbecue Mafia, Heven-yah Gelato, Little Wahaca, Samba Catering Co and more to Mt Gravatt Showgrounds every Saturday evening from 4-10pm. Plus drinks and music, of course. And, it's not just the GC that the new event is trying to emulate — it's also a popular hangout on the other side of the river. If wandering around a market, filling your stomach at food stalls, listening to live tunes and grabbing a few beverages sounds a little like Eat Street, that's because it's supposed to.
The year is 2028, and Detroit crime is out of control. At least, that's what we're told. The city, frankly, has never looked better. But trust us: lots of crime. Omnipresent corporation OmniCorp is trying to get its new robot cops approved for use in the US, but Washington won't allow machines to have control over life and death. Enter noted human Alex Murphy, An Honest Detroit Cop who, thanks to a pesky explosion, is now in desperate need of a robotic suit that will keep him alive and also help fight crime. The two were meant to be together! If you haven't seen the original 1987 RoboCop, then fix that right now. It combines the two best things about 1980s cinema: a dystopian science fiction setting and a cop taking out drug dealers and other corrupt cops. But it's remembered as a classic, however, because of how sharply it satirises American culture. It may look like a dumb action film, but it's clever as hell. This 2014 remake is, at least, clever enough to aim for the same target. It opens with a right-wing talk show pundit and a futuristic — but all too familiar — Middle East war on terror. Rather than simply imitating classic scenes from the original, this new film sets out to do its own thing, to update the references, and that attempt is admirable. The problem is that this satire — which we'll come back to — is hung upon a fairly piecemeal story. There's little that propels it forward, and we're never left wondering how things could possibly turn out for our heroes. The mysteries are barely concealed; the nefarious plots, basic; the villains, flagged in the opening scenes. Minutes after the film is over, you'll be left with a few key images, but no idea what actually happened. Joel Kinnaman plays Murphy/RoboCop, and does a decent job with it. Murphy's hardly the most compelling character, but the struggle to maintain his humanity is handled with more care than most films of this ilk would bother with. The rest of the cast is more recognisable, filling out supporting roles with the likes of Samuel L Jackson, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Abbie Cornish, Jackie Earle Haley, Michael K Williams, Jennifer Ehle and Jay Baruchel. The satire, though welcome, ultimately fails. Samuel L Jackson's talk show host gives the feeling that they reverse-engineered a conservative pundit based on Stephen Colbert's famous parody, and his appearances consistently bring the film to a screeching halt. Not only could these scenes be lifted out without any noticeable change to the story, but the film would actually flow better without this particular social commentary. And maybe that's the most trenchant point of all. https://youtube.com/watch?v=xPLSpmAtc1Q
UPDATE, March 4, 2021: Moonlight is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. "At some point, you gotta decide for yourself who you're going to be. Can't let nobody make that decision for you," Miami drug dealer Juan (Mahershala Ali) tells nine-year-old Little (Alex Hibbert). They're warm words of wisdom offered by someone who wouldn't be seen as a substitute father figure in most movies — and given to a shy, bullied boy desperately in need of a guiding hand. Their connection, defying expectations and complicated by Little's crack-addicted mother Paula (Naomie Harris), forms much of Moonlight's first chapter, but their interactions will influence the entire film. As the story progresses, Little grows into awkward teenager Chiron (played by Ashton Sanders), a young man who still struggles with who he is and how he feels. Then, finally, he transforms into the hardened, Atlanta-based Black (Trevante Rhodes), styling himself in Juan's image. He'll keep trying to forge his identity, while grappling with the different visions of masculinity around him, as well as his own sexuality. As he comes of age, he'll also be shaped by his mother's troubles, the nurturing presence of Juan's girlfriend Teresa (Janelle Monáe), and his friendship with his classmate Kevin (played by Jaden Piner, Jharrel Jerome and André Holland over the years). Written and directed by Barry Jenkins from an unstaged play by Tarell Alvin McCraney, Moonlight is a film of moments and mindsets, one that values sensations and textures more than any other storytelling tool. Jenkins constructs the emotions and experiences of his protagonist from the people, places, dreams and encounters that define him at any given point, plus his ongoing quest to find a persona, a companion, and a space that provides comfort and solace. Narrative-wise, it might sound slight. Thematically, visually and in its performances, Moonlight is a powerhouse. Stressing how things left unseen and unsaid are as crucial as sights glimpsed and words uttered, every frame, look and line of dialogue proves a piece of the puzzle that is Chiron in his various guises. Often, Jenkins and his college roommate turned cinematographer James Laxton make the audience stare into the eyes of their leads, conveying a pain and a yearning that borders on contagious. More frequently, the filmmaking team adopts their character's perspective, gazing into a world teeming with uncertainty. Subjectivity reigns, such as when the dialogue and imagery fall out of synch during moments of distress, or when a painful memory is cast in heightened, almost neon hues. Even when the film peers in from the outside, the little things still matter, be it green blades of grass spied up close, a hand grasping at sand during an intimate exchange, or a man removing the armour-like grill from his teeth. Jenkins seamlessly brings all of the above together, creating a cinematic symphony of the patterns and rhythms that come with deciding who you're going to be. However, he also crafts a sensitive stage for his three lead actors to infuse their protagonist with heart and soul, as a poor, black, queer boy becomes a man. Though matched in every scene by exceptional co-stars — including the charismatic, stereotype-defying work of Ali, as well as the quiet tenderness of Holland — the main trio are never anything less than devastating.
It's blast from the past time, again — and time to spend a couple of nights journeying back a few decades just by hitting the dance floor. Whether you lived through the 90s rave scene, spent every weekend enjoying club life in the 00s or just wish you were old enough to have ticked both boxes, Ministry of Sound will take you there when its huge Testament parties return for 2025. Ministry of Sound itself was around through both eras, so you couldn't be in better hands to get retro via old-school 90s and 00s bangers. The Testament events also toured Australia in 2023 and 2024, and will return for another year — including for two nights in Brisbane on Friday, April 4 and Friday, April 11. Each evening is devoted to either the 90s or the 00s, so you'll need to attend both if you want to make shapes to tunes from both decades. But it's a choose-your-own-adventure type of affair, which means that fans of late 20th-century beats can hit up the session dedicated to 90s house, rave, trance and garage tracks if that's all that you're keen on, while lovers of 00s electro and breaks get their own shindig. The DJ lineup is headlined by international acts such as Paul Oakenfold, Roger Sanchez, Felix Da Housecat, Graeme Park, Krafty Kuts, Plump DJs, Smokin Jo and Utah Saints. Australia's own John Course, Sgt Slick, Minx and Mark Dynamix are also on the bill, alongside over 60 other names across the tour. Your destination: Superordinary, with the 00s night taking over on the first week and the 90s evening on the second.
Have you ever fallen asleep while reading a classic text, and dreamt of something much more lively? One assumes Seth Grahame-Smith has, given that his main claim to fame is taking iconic characters and mashing them up with the undead. Having already seen an Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter adaptation, a big screen take on his 2009 novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies seemed like only a matter of time. Unfortunately, the film follows in the footsteps of its presidential predecessor, failing to provide either laughs or gory thrills. To be fair, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies makes a much more convincing attempt than Grahame-Smith's take on honest Abe. You can see how writer-director Burr Steers (Charlie St. Cloud) is trying to splice together his seemingly conflicting components. Sadly, you can see the gaps as well. It's not the concept that the film struggles with, but the tone and the requisite balance, never managing to be as funny or as ridiculous as its director so desperately desires. The film concerns the Bennet sisters, trained zombie killers on the lookout for suitable husbands. Second sibling Lizzie (Lily James) is less than enthused about matrimony, despite the pleading of her father (Charles Dance) that she think about her future, and the machinations of her mother (Sally Phillips) to see her daughters married off to wealthy men. As her sister Jane (Bella Heathcote) courts wealthy new neighbour Mr Bingley (Douglas Booth), Lizzie can't help noticing the stern but somewhat mysterious Colonel Darcy (Sam Riley). He's not the only potential suitor in her midst however, with her pompous cousin Parson Collins (Matt Smith) and debonair soldier Mr Wickham (Jack Huston) also making their interest clear. If the above description emphasises the romantic aspects of the story, it's simply taking its cues from the film. Think of it as Pride and Prejudice with a few zombies thrown in as a gimmick; a way to differentiate the movie from the numerous other big screen versions of the tale. Those familiar with Austen's prose might raise a smile as Lizzie's headstrong ways find a perfect outlet in combat, and will likely enjoy scenes of banter paired with physical duels. As a matter of fact, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies offers a surprisingly serviceable interpretation of its original source material. Those after literal brains, however, will find very little in the blood and gore department. What Steers fails to realise is that there's more to a zombie flick than talking about them, training montages, and throwing in a few shots of decaying faces now and then. Given the charm James shows as a feisty heroine fending off flesh-eating foes, it's disappointing she's not given more opportunities for action. Along with the rest of the cast, she does her best to act like she's in the kind of movie Pride and Prejudice and Zombies should be, rather than the one it actually is.
As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to grow, so does the smallest of its superheroes: Ant-Man, the former thief born Scott Lang, who can shrink down to an insect's size when wearing the right technologically enhanced suit. Charmingly goofy and also plain-old charming because he's played by Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door), this petty criminal-turned-caped crusader scampers through his third self-titled film in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania — and the franchise-within-a-franchise ramps up its ambition as more flicks arrive. Ant-Man can expand as well as contract, of course, but that isn't new. What's different, and about as welcome as a sting on bare legs at a picnic, is that the Ant-Man movies are no longer happy being largely standalone jaunts. This threequel has a key series-building task first, foremost and at a giant cost: kicking off the MCU's phase five. The perhaps unofficial job, too: bringing more than a zap of Star Wars into this other Disney-owned behemoth. It's lucky that the Mouse House does have both Marvel and Lucasfilm in its stable, otherwise the latter might be all abuzz about the former's latest release. Anyone who fears that too many blockbusters are becoming too similar won't feel fortunate while watching the new Honey, I Shrunk the Superhero, however, which doesn't ever saddle a character with saying "help me Ant-Man, you're my only hope", but still includes a scene that basically does the exact same thing. That moment is surrounded by shots of zap-heavy fighting in the corridors of an existence-threatening villain's stronghold that could easily be a Death Star, as even the most casual of visitors to a galaxy far, far away will spot. That said, Ant-Man's current escapades aren't happening in the space above, but in the minuscule realm that exists between atoms. At least it isn't called Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantum Battles. Imagining a world — this very world — where Disney eventually decides to mashup two of its biggest screen properties, and the box office's heftiest hits, is easier than an ant spiriting away strewn food crumbs. It's also a cinch to see Quantumania's similarities to all things Star Wars as the first step in that direction, in fact. Filmmaker Peyton Reed, who directed 2015's Ant-Man and 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp as well, did add two episodes of The Mandalorian to his resume in-between that last flick and Quantumania. But such a blockbuster team-up isn't where this MCU chapter itself heads in its dragging 125-minute running time. Instead, it has the rest of Marvel's phase five to set up, plus a nemesis that'll linger into phase six — so much so that it feels much less interested in Ant-Man than a movie called Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania really should be. That's it's hardly fussed at all about The Wasp, aka Scott's significant other and world-saving partner Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly, Crisis), should come as no surprise, then. In the 31st MCU film's opening beats, Ant-Man is indeed the star of the show. He's a celebrity basking in the fame of being among the Avengers and dealing with Thanos, and he's written a memoir about it — a book, Look Out for the Little Guy, that'll genuinely exist IRL come September. But the bliss of Scott's success gets cut down when he learns that his now 18-year-old daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton, Freaky) has been secretly tinkering with Hope and her ant-obsessed physicist father Hank Pym (Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method). The trio's project: sending signals down to the quantum realm. Hank's wife and Hope's mother Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer, French Exit) is also unimpressed, given that rescuing her from that microscopic place, where she spent 30 years, was no minor part of the plot of the last Ant-Man entry. Viewers should savour the precious time outside the quantum realm in Quantumania; there isn't much of it. No sooner are the Lang/van Dyne/Pym swarm talking about Cassie, Hope and Hank's experiments than they're all transported to said subatomic space, with working out how to get home far from their only worry. Janet had led the others to believe that all she found when she was gone was nothing upon nothing, but entire civilisations and species, akin to Star Wars' different planets, people and critters with a dash of Dune's and Mad Max: Fury Road's landscapes and themes, lurk below. So does the banished, trapped and genocidal Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors, The Harder They Fall), the time-hopping, world-destroying new adversary who likes annihilating things just because he can — and he desperately and nefariously wants out as well. Various past MCU stars have decried the green-screen acting that's burrowed into CGI-heavy pictures, including Oscar-winners — not for Marvel movies — Christian Bale and Anthony Hopkins. Their complaints haunt Quantumania, a film where almost everything around its cast is special effects, and little that cinematographer Bill Pope (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) could do could salvage the feature's murkiness. Marvel's reliance upon pixels can look stunning, as seen in the first Black Panther, but the quantum realm's got nothing on Wakanda's blandest detail. Any sense of visual marvel has been not only shrunk but dulled. Any sense of anything but dutiful interest shares the same fate. So does the personality that was so crucial to the first Ant-Man, with any signs that Reed once helmed Down with Love and Bring It On absent, and screenwriter Jeff Loveness (Rick and Morty) unsuccessfully attempting to balance comedy with a drudging innerspace-opera epic. Marvel has an offbeat problem: maintaining its sillier, more playful side, which is its better side, has proven a struggle in the Thor franchise and the Guardians of the Galaxy flicks (the third of which immediately follows Quantumania, and looks to be nodding to The Fast and The Furious), too. Although Bill Murray cameos, The Good Place's William Jackson Harper reads minds and Rudd tries his hardest whenever the film dares focus on him, the third Ant-Man is as by-the-numbers and tonally flat as the MCU has ever been. Alongside ditching the upbeat vibes, plus all that open and derivative riffing on another screen saga, the scale-tinkering fight scenes that have been prior highlights make scant impression against surreal backdrops where getting larger and smaller barely seems to matter. Leaning heavily upon the likeable main quintet and a colony of smart ants is Reed and company's solution, but they're all squandered. The formidable Majors lives up to his name, though — one that perfectly fits the pint-sized titular character's big bad, and the figure who'll loom over seven more pictures in two years before 2025's Avengers: The Kang Dynasty arrives. The MCU is going massive on Kang, patently; if only it'd kept the Ant-Man pictures small.
Once the weather gets warmer, things get weirder at Brisbane Powerhouse. It's all in the name of art, comedy, theatre, circus, music, burlesque and other kinds of creative, performative fun, of course. In fact, it's all in the name of turning the iconic venue into Wonderland. Not just a wonderland, the Wonderland — the Powerhouse's annual end-of-year shindig, which runs from November 24 to December 11. If you look hard enough, you might just spy a white rabbit, a mad hatter and a girl called Alice. And, even if you don't, you'll find 31 shows in 14 days, which is more than enough to make you look on in wonder.
If you're craving decadence after a day on the water, Tamarind Restaurant will put a fresh wind in your sails. The multi-award-winning restaurant combines Australian cuisine, local produce and exceptional service for dinner between Tuesday–Saturday. Start with the kangaroo fillet tataki with pepper berry, bush plum and betel spice and follow it up with the slow-braised duck curry loaded with lychee, caramel pumpkin and spiced peanuts or paperbark-roasted salmon with local reef fish ravioli, fried soft-shell crab and lemon verbena emulsion. If making decisions is something you like to leave behind while on holidays, opt for the five-course tasting menu to take the work out of it.
Summer has finally rolled around, and what better time to catch up with your mates than when the sun is shining, the wine is flowing and the silly season is in full swing? If you've been so focused on getting through the year (ditto) and you haven't made a booking yet, we've thrown together a list of excellent catch-up ideas to (not) plan, with help from our mates at Jacob's Creek. Don't miss out on the friends-mas party everyone forgot to organise with one of these ideas. AGNES, FORTITUDE VALLEY If you're looking to impress some out-of-towners or perhaps a new boo with the very best of Brisbane, you must put Agnes on the list. Touted as one of the best new openings in Brisbane in 2020, it's a little bit fancy, a little bit intimate and very suitable for a rendezvous with your favourite humans. The menu is centred around one thing: fire. This means every single dish on the menu has been cooked over woodfire. What better way to prove to your interstate besties that Brisbane really does measure up in the fine dining department? [caption id="attachment_697318" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Grace Smith[/caption] PIG 'N' WHISTLE, FORTITUDE VALLEY There's nothing better than a cheek Sunday sesh during summer. Throw in a stunning Brit-style pub, a glass of vino (or two) and all your best mates, and you're onto a winner. You can't beat Pig 'N' Whistle for a relaxed-yet-classy pub atmosphere, especially the heritage-listed Fortitude Valley location. If the crew is hungry, there are plenty of classic British dishes on the menu, as well as contemporary Australian pub grub. LEFTY'S MUSIC HALL, PETRIE TERRACE Aah, Lefty's. We've all had a night out to remember at this Brisbane institution. So, it was a sad shock when we learned the old-time music hall and its prized whisky sours were going to be leaving us for good last year. Luckily for you and your mates, the hospitality gods have spoken and Lefty's is back up and running again. That's one major win for 2020, and one you should celebrate with a beverage with your besties. [caption id="attachment_593141" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Emily Davies[/caption] RIVERSIDE GREEN, SOUTH BANK South Bank may feel like a bit of a tourist location to some locals, but we want you to put that idea aside for just a moment. Riverside Green and River Quay Green are two of the most idyllic spots to experience our beautiful river city and, on a summer evening, there's no place that gets a better breeze this side of the Gold Coast. Settle in for a takeaway picnic from one of the nearby eateries, including the likes of Burger Urge, Brooklyn Depot and Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers. The best part is that you're permitted to drink alcohol at Riverside Green between 10am and 8pm. So, grab a bottle of Jacob's Creek Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir and toast some bubbles to getting through 2020. SAME SAME, FORTITUDE VALLEY Do you love Southeast Asian cuisine? Same. One of the brand new restaurants to grace the beautiful Calile Hotel development is here to treat you and your friends to the fresh, fiery and flavoursome tastes of Thailand. If you're heading in with a group of seven or more, we recommend ordering the banquet menu. At just $65 per head, you'll receive seven dishes, from a betel leaf, sticky pork and prawn entree to a coconut panna cotta, watermelon sorbet and peanut dessert. After dinner, head upstairs to Los, the stunning bar serving tasty cocktails. It's the perfect place for you and your mates to shoot the breeze. PASTA CLUB, WEST END When everyone in your group is hankering for big bowls of pasta, Pasta Club in West End is your go-to. By the team that brought you the super popular CJ's Pasta, this Boundary Street joint is all about heroing local, seasonal produce. As a result, the menu changes daily, which means you can't scope out the menu in advance (though you may get sneak peeks on its Instagram). But, in better news, it's BYO. Just grab a bottle of Jacob's Creek — we recommend the Jacob's Creek Double Barrel Shiraz — and tuck into some pasta with your crew. TETTO ROOFTOP BAR, EVERTON PARK We may not have been able to enjoy a lavish European holiday this year, but Tetto Rooftop Bar is bringing the best of the Italian Riviera straight to you instead. Located above Corbett & Claude in Everton Plaza's Park Lane precinct, Tetto is a lovely spot to meet with friends over the summer. Combine a striped umbrella, bougainvillea bushes, a cool tipple, a glorious view and all your best mates and you've got the recipe for a Positano-inspired good time. Our sneaky tip? Head in between 4–6pm from Monday to Thursday to watch the sun set with a glass of $5 house beer, wine or sparkling in hand. Reconnect with your friends and family this summer with a bottle of Jacob's Creek. Discover the Jacob's Creek range and purchase a bottle today from all good liquor retailers. Top image: Lefty's Music Hall. Please drink responsibly.
For more than a year now, we've all been paying extra attention to maps — but not just to show us how to get from one place to another. Thanks to all manner of handy online diagrams, we've been using maps to see which venues have been visited by COVID-19 cases, and also to work out how far we can travel during lockdowns. Now, with vaccinations an important focus at this stage of the pandemic, there's also a particularly nifty interactive map that'll help you work out where to get the jab. If you're familiar with COVID-19 Near Me, the statewide map that draws upon Queensland's Government's register of locations that positive COVID-19 cases have visited, then you already know where to head for this new map. It's actually an added function on the existing website, which now comes with two options at the top: exposure sites and vaccination clinics. Like the exposure venues part of the map, the statewide diagram gives locations specific hues depending on how the clinics operate. A grey dot is used if the clinic doesn't take online bookings, a purple dot indicates that it's an AstraZeneca clinic and a blue dot shows a Pfizer clinic. This map isn't run by the Queensland Government — it's just powered by its official data. So, Queensland residents are urged to also check the official Queensland Health website as well. At the time of writing, the map was last updated on Sunday, August 8. At present, all adults in Australia can opt for the AstraZeneca vaccine as long as you give a doctor your informed consent before you go ahead. Since Thursday, June 17, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation has recommended the use of AstraZeneca vaccine in people aged over 60 only due to the risk of rare blood clotting disorders that've been linked to the vaccine when given to younger folks. That change followed an early recommendation back in April, which noted the AstraZeneca vaccine wasn't preferred for anyone under 50. But since late June, as announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, anyone of any age, including those under 60, can still get the AZ jab — after making an informed decision by talking to a doctor. For people under 40 who'd prefer the Pfizer vaccine, you need to fall into a specific group to access it at present, as the nation's vaccination rollout hasn't yet opened up the Pfizer jab to that age group. That means that adults aged up to 39 aren't yet eligible to get the Pfizer vaccination unless you're of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent; work in quarantine, border or healthcare roles; work or live in an aged care or disability facility; work in a critical and high-risk job such as defence, fire, police, emergency services and meat processing; have an underlying medical condition or significant disability; are pregnant; or participate in the NDIS, or care for someone who does. You can check out all existing COVID-19 vaccination clinics at covid19nearme.com.au. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Queensland, head to the QLD COVID-19 hub and the Queensland Health website. Images: COVID-19 Near Me as of Monday, August 9.
If you've never hallucinated a coyote, or simply really really like hot chilli, then get to Kettle and Tin for their annual Chilli Cook Off. If Kettle and Tin's last five cook-offs proved anything, it's that this festival isn't one for the timid of stomachs. Things will really heat up on March 18, when some of Brisbane's best chefs compete to win the event's coveted trophy. The competitors don't mess around, the chilli proves off-the-scale delish and everything from the food to the drinks bites hard. Admission is $20, and includes live music, one free beer and all the chilli you can eat. Our tip: if you're not a fan of spice, BYO milk. The Chilli Cook Off begins at 10am and is expected to run long into the evening, with a zombie dress-up comp, plenty of craft brews and a Bloody Mary bar all part of the fun. If you think you can handle the heat, pack your chilli spoon and head along.
It has been three years since one of Brisbane's busiest foodie laneways decided to start celebrating its awesomeness — and, for the fourth time, Fish Lane Festival is back. Come midday on Saturday, May 11, the stretch of road will enter party mode for ten hours of fun of the eating, drinking, dancing and just generally hanging out kind. Indeed, prepare to make both a day and a night of it. There'll certainly be plenty of spaces tempting you to stay for as long as possible, with the 2019 fest spanning all the way up to Hope Street. On the agenda are multiple stages of local live music and DJs — with a new one added this year — plus multiple pop-up bars serving up boozy tipples. Food-wise, everywhere from The Fox to Grassfed to 31 Degrees to Gelato Messina is adding their tasty fare to the spread, and Chu the Phat, Five Sisters, Billykart, Ol' School, Birds Nest and Julius Pizzeria as well. Delicious delights on offer include karaage hot dogs, steamed duck buns, cheeseburgers and last year's huge hit, vegan nuggets. For dessert, think honey puffs, salted caramel brownies and Messina's gelato s'mores. The music lineup is yet to be announced, but, even with all of the above, entry is free. Updated March 21.
If you're in Sydney's CBD and can hear helicopters overhead, that's because Barack Obama is in town. According to 7 News, the former president of the United States touched down at Sydney Airport around 1pm and has since made his way — as part of a motorcade — up Oxford Street and into the CBD. .@barackobama at @SydneyAirport. The former U.S. President will be speaking at the @ArtGalleryofNSW tonight. https://t.co/0rfycPrrqA #7News pic.twitter.com/FJgJVxgpi3 — 7 News Sydney (@7NewsSydney) March 23, 2018 Obama is in Sydney for an exclusive private event hosted by the New Zealand United States Council at the Art Gallery of NSW tonight, Friday, March 23. He comes via Auckland, where he spoke last night. At the moment, it doesn't look like there will be any road closures or changes to traffic. Unfortunately the talk is not open to the public, but if you head to the AGNSW, you might be able to get an IRL sighting of the former president. Although you may not be able to get very close — security will be understandably tight.
Yatala Drive-In was the first picture palace in southeast Queensland to reopen when COVID-19 lockdowns started easing, and has been screening films to movie buffs for a few months now. In late August and early September, it's also set to become one of the most magical places in Queensland — with all eight movies in the Harry Potter franchise lighting up the venue's screen over four spectacular Saturdays. Split into four parts — so you won't need a time turner to stay awake — the Potterfest marathon kicks off at 7pm on Saturday, August 22 with Harry, Hermione, Ron's first two years at Hogwarts. Then, head back at the same time on Saturday, August 29 for the next two years. The following weekend, on Saturday, September 5, the marathon will pick back up again — with the battle against You Know Who beginning in earnest. And, on Saturday, September 12, it'll wrap things up with the search for the deathly hallows. Tickets to the flicks are going for $49 per night per carload of up to six people — so, yes, you will need to buy individual passes to each double-feature session — which means you can pick and choose. Love Goblet of Fire? Watch it in your car. Not a big fan of the Half-Blood Prince? Skip it and do something else that night instead instead. Spaces are limited — so if you're keen, getting in early is recommended. Yatala Drive-In's Potterfest Harry Potter marathon is happening every Saturday night at 7pm between Saturday, August 22–Saturday, September 12..
If one person's trash is another man's treasure, then a trunk full of junk may as well be a treasure chest. Suitcase Rummage gets that when it comes to shopping, secondhand reaps the best bang for your buck. For years, it has been hosting regular events around town — and, although the past few years have been a bit chaotic, it's still going strong in 2022. Next unpacking its bags from 12pm on Sunday, July 2 and Sunday, July 17 at Brisbane Square, Suitcase Rummage will feature a crowd of open suitcases filled with the type of clothes, knick-knacks and craft you probably don't need but definitely deserve. If you can't make it now, try again on the first and third Sundays of each month. And, if you've got a pile of unwanted bits and pieces that someone else could love, you could always take your own suitcase along. Those who wanting to sell their wares must register — and it'll cost $33 for a 'stall'. You can bring up to three suitcases, so you can lug in all those shoes you've been promising to wear but certainly will not. [caption id="attachment_760661" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Suitcase Rummage[/caption] Top image: Yan Chen via Suitcase Rummage. Updated June 29.
"Your nose like a delicious slope of cream / And your ears like cream flaps / And your teeth like hard shiny pegs of cream." Le Diner en Blanc — like Howard Moon's poem — will have you in all white. But sorry, Booshers: the eighth edition of this Brisbane event is just for the sophisticated. Now on five continents, the Diner en Blanc began in Paris three decades ago thanks to François Pasquier and friends. This year, around 3000 of Brisbane's creme de la creme will once again dress in all-white on Saturday, November 23, with the event held at a predictably stunning location that remains secret until the very last moment (over the last few years, the beautiful banks of the Brisbane River at Portside, Roma St. Parklands, the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, the Exhibition Grounds and New Farm Park provided welcoming venues). Following an evening of elegance, fine dining and live music, the foodies then pack up their crystal, dinnerware, tables, chairs and litter. Like ghosts (white 'n' all), they leave behind no sign of their rendezvous (but don't get any ideas, a white sheet thrown over your figure will not do for an outfit). Le Diner en Blanc guests must either be invited by a member from the previous year, or get on the waiting list for a ticket — with the latter open for registrations now. Here's what happened in 2014: Image: Mish Photography.
With summer just around the corner, many Brisbanites are looking for ways to adopt healthier eating habits hoping to shed those kilos that always magically appear over the cooler months. Usually one might want to focus on carbohydrate intake and counting calories to accomplish this, but if you eat la manière française*, you may not have to worry about these things. Instead, you can focus on enjoying your food and savouring the flavour until you feel full. *To eat the ‘French way’ is to eat what you wish, but in moderation. Here are Concrete Playground’s top 5 spots for embracing the French eating style. C'est Bon At C'est Bon you literally feel like you are dining in Paris. The ambiance, the decor, the size of the restaurant, not to mention the sublime service just makes dining here parfait! The head chef, the hostess, and the wait staff are all French, so you feel like you are in good hands. They serve escargot (6 servings for $17 and 12 servings for $34) as an entree and the souffle au chocolat ($16) is served nice and hot. For the main we recommend the canard à l’orange ($37), crispy organic free range duck, twice cooked in the oven, served with an orange and Grand Marnier sauce with creamy sweet potatoes and braised red cabbage. C'est Bon does lunch on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and dinner on Tuesday to Saturday. 609 Stanley St, Woolloongabba; 07 3891 2008; www.cestbon.com.au/brisbane Le Bon Choix Located on the corner of Eagle and Queen Streets, Le Bon Choix is the perfect place for a lunch out of the office. The staff here are French and friendly and patrons are always greeted with a bright smile and a cheerful “bonjour!” There is a pyramid of macarons with flavours ranging from coffee, blueberry, orange, lemon, strawberry, pistachio and chocolate. Lunch choices are aplenty with baguettes, quiches, and sinful pastries on offer. For dessert there are beautifully decorated cakes such as the Miroula ($7 each). Patrons can take a seat or make their colleagues jealous by taking their meal back to the office. 379 Queen Street, Brisbane; 07 3229 9260; www.lebonchoixbakery.com.au French Martini Tucked away along Little Stanley Street in South Bank, this restaurant has many dishes to cater to your three course meal. For example, for the starter course you can have the Camembert Rôti au Pistou et Pain Grille ($15), a toasted baguette with camembert baked in the oven with pesto or you can have a nice Soup du Jour ($9). Then you can have the fillet de poisson du jour sauce au beurre blanc ($21; the fish of the day served with a white wine and butter sauce) with a glass of Pinot Blanc ($12 glass or $59 bottle). Their crème brulee ($10) is a good choice for dessert. As for seating options you can either sit inside beside the bar or outside on Little Stanley Street. Little Stanley Street, South Bank, Brisbane. 07 3844 5541 www.frenchmartini.com.au Piaf Bistro Situated on a corner in Southbank, Piaf Bistro is good spot to escape the business of Grey Street at any time of the day. This cafe has its own bar with an extensive wine list, where you can order a Petit Chablis wine ($12 glass or $55 a bottle) or a Bordeaux ($12 glass or $55 a bottle). As for seating options and overall dining experience, you can either choose to sit at the bar and socialise with your friends over some wine, share a meal inside or get some fresh air outside. Open from 7am until late, seven days a week, Piaf Cafe does breakfast, lunch and dinner. 5/182 Grey Street, Southbank; 07 3846 5026; www.piafbistro.com.au French Twist Located down a small alley on Melbourne Street in South Brisbane, French Twist is a great cafe to grab a coffee and a French treat. The decor is gorgeous as is the artistic way in which they present their baked goods. You can spend all day looking at the bread in the front window. Sit and enjoy a light snack like toast with ham and mustard, or the granola with yoghurt and berries. 104 Melbourne St, South Brisbane; 07 3217 2366
Trust Good Food Month to combine two of Brisbane's favourite things: degustation dinners and Luke Nguyen. And with the celebrity chef's celebrated Queensland signature restaurant Fat Noodle the city's pride and joy, there's only one place this alchemy can happen. You'll not only eat ten courses that showcase Nguyen's acclaimed cooking skills — you'll also watch him make them. And, afterwards, he'll join you for more chats at the dinner table. With all that on offer, $79 actually seems a small price to pay.
Calling all dumpling fiends: among the many highlights on the BrisAsia 2024 lineup, a festival devoted to these tasty parcels is up there with the best of them. On Sunday, February 4, the Southside Dumpling Festival will take over both its namesake restaurant and Fish Lane Town Square. Obviously, you already know what's on the menu. Southside's Sous Chef Benny Lam is taking attendees on a tour of delicious dumplings, har gow, gyoza and dim sums. Pop-up kitchens will also be part of the fest, which is slinging tickets for $25, as will live performances. Here's how it works: when you arrive, you'll receive a tasting steamer, which will be filled with three of the eatery's signature dumplings. Contained inside: prawn and truffle har gow; chicken siu mai with shiitake mushroom and black garlic; and peking duck and bamboo shoot dumplings with smoked hoi sin. You can then also pick what you like to purchase, with options including lobster and chive har gow with smoked salmon caviar, plus wagyu xiao long bao with madeira and pickled ginger — and, although it isn't a dumpling variation, truffle prawn toast. While the day runs from 10am–4pm, entry is timed, starting at 10am, 12pm and 2pm. But, once you're there, you can stay as long as your stomach demands. If you have vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free dietary requirements, let the organisers know when you're booking.
If the way that cinema depicts cancer was plotted out on a scale, Babyteeth and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl could easily demonstrate its extremes. One sees its protagonist as a person first and a patient last; the other uses terminal illness as a catalyst for other people's sorrows and struggles (the "dying girl" part of its moniker, right there at the end, is oh-so-telling about how it regards someone with cancer as little but an afterthought). Nowhere Special thankfully sits at the Babyteeth end of the spectrum. That said, its premise screams weepie, and being moved by its story happens easily. But there's an enormous difference between earning that response through an intimate and delicate story about a person's plight — and, here, their quest to provide for the person dearest to them after they're gone — and merely treating their life-and-death tussle as easy grist for the tear-jerking mill. Nowhere Special follows a 35-year-old single father in Belfast, John (James Norton, Little Women), who needs to find an adoptive family for his four-year-old boy (first-timer Daniel Lamont). His cancer has progressed, and now the doting dad and window cleaner's days are numbered, so he's determined to save his son Michael from more sorrow than his absence will naturally bring — in a situation that's pure emotion-courting fodder, but never manipulatively treated as such. Indeed, writer/director Uberto Pasolini opts for understatement and realism, including over overtly endeavouring to incite the kind of non-stop waterworks that most movies with this premise would eagerly turn on. The filmmaker's last feature, 2013's Still Life, was also just as beautifully measured and tender without mawkishness. Although the gap between his two latest pictures is sizeable time-wise, Pasolini hasn't lost his touch for making sensitive and affecting cinema. Suffering an illness that's turned fatal, and possessing little energy to get through everything that comes with being a single father, John's own fate isn't his primary concern. Nowhere Special takes time to dwell in the routine that marks its protagonist's remaining days — washing panes of glass, making the most of the time he has left with Michael, trying to secure his son new parents, feeling exhausted by all of it but still soldiering on while he can — which seems both mundane and extraordinary in tandem. The always-unspoken fact that life goes on even when it doesn't lingers throughout the film, as stark as a freshly cleaned, newly gleaming window, and contributes to the prevailing bittersweet mood. That's Nowhere Special's baseline. As it charts John's efforts to get Michael the best future he possibly can without himself in it, it soaks in the ups and downs of the pair's life together, recognising that it's both ordinary and remarkable — because all lives are. The search at hand is a difficult one, even when pursued with the best of intentions — by John and with the help of social worker Shona (Eileen O'Higgins, Misbehaviour). Unsurprisingly, finding the right people, or person, to entrust your child to forever is a heartbreaking job, and the weight of what John grapples with never fades from the film's emotional landscape. Features that treat ailing characters so considerately may be uncommon, and they are; however, pictures that willingly face the complicated questions, worries and fears that come with knowing your existence is about to end are rarer still. It might come as little surprise that Pasolini found his tale in reality, reportedly after reading a newspaper article about a man in the same circumstances as John, but how gracefully, attentively and still unflinchingly Nowhere Special fleshes out its story never fails to astonish. Both visually and in his storytelling, Pasolini's approach is to dwell on small moments, as well as times shared in passing that might be forgotten by many but mean the world to John. See: the type of mirrored behaviour that a young son adopts from his dad, the sight of them walking around in matching baseball caps, and the joy that Michael gets from washing his toy truck — doing what his dad does in a way that he can, and showing how he idolises his father without needing to voice it. There's an unfussy, unsentimental but always empathetic feel to the Northern Ireland-set movie, and every shot, including in John's mission to relish every second that remains, and with his interviews with prospective new parents both doting and disastrous. While a lesser movie would've used the latter for comedic purposes, that's never part of Nowhere Special's remit. With windows such a key focus — being cleaned and peering into homes that might become Michael's — it's also little wonder that viewing Nowhere Special resembles gazing into a slice of life that isn't just poignant but cherished. Perhaps better known for his television work to-date courtesy of Black Mirror, McMafia, Grantchester and Happy Valley, Norton offers a glimpse into John's soul via his exceptional performance, which conveys a world of devotion and sorrow even when he isn't saying anything. In fact, Pasolini uses dialogue sparingly between his two main characters, knowing that this father-son duo don't always require words to express what they mean, and also recognising that finding the right thing to utter is arduous on both sides. With the also-magnificent Lamont, Norton inhabits scenes of comfortable and treasured silence. Also made plain as a result: that Michael's young mind will only keep the haziest of memories from these times, so it's the loving mood that truly matters above all else. Nowhere Special is easy to sum up: in contrast to its name, it's something outstanding. Its potency also springs from the lens it turns on the kind of character that's infrequently given such thoughtful attention, with or without terminal cancer. Every dollar counts for John, but it's clear that he spends what he has on Michael — as seen in the kid's new clothes and bedding — rather than himself. He's had his own experiences in the social-services system, which beats at the heart of his quest to lock in his son's future. He's been robbed of most of life's opportunities, and he's devoted to ensuring the same doesn't happen for his boy. He's also still wounded by Michael's mother leaving without providing any contact details in her absence, and he's as doting a dad that anyone could ask for. Thanks to both Pasolini and Norton, John is a fleshed-out portrait of someone on the margins, even before his illness factors in. Feeling for his plight isn't just a case of heartstring-tugging; here, it comes as naturally as breathing.
Anyone who has spent time in an outback Australian pub will recognise The Royal Hotel's namesake watering hole, even if they've never seen this particular bar before. The filming location itself doesn't matter. Neither do the IRL details of the actual establishment that stands in for the movie's fictional boozer. What scorches itself into memory like the blistering sun beating down on the middle-of-nowhere saloon's surroundings, then, is the look and the feel of this quintessentially Aussie beer haven. From the dim lighting inside and weather-beaten facade outside to the almost exclusively male swarm of barflies that can't wait to getting sipping come quittin' time, this feature's setting could be any tavern. It could be all of them. That fact is meant to linger as filmmaker Kitty Green crafts another masterclass in tension, microagressions and the ever-looming threats that women live with daily — swapping The Assistant's Hollywood backdrop and Harvey Weinstein shadow for a remote mining town and toxic testosterone-fuelled treatment of female bartenders. Making her second fictional feature after that 2019 standout, and her fourth film overall thanks to 2013 documentary Ukraine Is Not a Brothel and 2017's Casting JonBenet before that, Green has kept as much as she's substituted between her two most recent movies. Julia Garner stars in both, albeit without breaking out an Inventing Anna-style drawl in either — although comically parroting the Aussie accent does earn a brief workout. Green's focus remains living while female. Her preferred tone is still as unsettling as any scary movie. The Royal Hotel is another of her horror films, but an inescapable villain here, as it was in The Assistant, is a world that makes existing as a woman this innately unnerving. This taut and deeply intelligent picture's sources of anxiety and danger aren't simply society; however, what it means to weather the constant possibility of peril for nothing more than your sex chromosomes is this flick's far-as-the-eye-can-see burnt earth. Backpacking Down Under by partying their way through Sydney, Hanna (Garner, Ozark) and Liv (Jessica Henwick, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery) swap boat shindigs on the harbour for a rust-hued expanse for one reason: money. With their cash drying up, the only option available to make more is a gig where the local pool is equally dusty. "Will there be kangaroos?" is their main initial question. If this pair have seen Wake in Fright, it hasn't left an imprint. They'll soon be living in their own version. Dirt, dirt and more dirt greets them fresh off the bus, then no-nonsense pub cook Carol (Ursula Yovich, Irreverent) and gruff drunk owner Billy (Hugo Weaving, Love Me), then a trial-by-fire night behind the taps to send off English tourists Jules (Alex Malone, Colin From Accounts) and Cassie (Kate Cheel, The Commons), who they're replacing. The Royal Hotel as the picture's prime locale might double for every typically Aussie watering hole, but both the setting and The Royal Hotel as a film take their cues from one specific pub. Western Australia's Denver City Hotel was immortalised in Hotel Coolgardie, the fly-on-the-wall documentary about two Finnish women who worked behind its bar and experienced the very worst of Australian drinking culture — and seeing that movie inspired writer/director Green to dive into this aggressively misogynistic world. "Fresh meat" adorns the boozer's chalkboard after Hanna and Liv arrive. Billy has barely spoken multiple sentences to them before he's dropping "cunt" with belittling force. Sexist jokes from the sozzled and arrogant customers rain down among eerie stares, brazen pick-up attempts, predatory demands and arguments between blokes over which woman they're claiming as theirs, like The Royal Hotel's latest faces have no say in it. To most of the pub's patrons, they don't. The comments, jibes and advances come from a cross-section of culprits, with Green and co-writer Oscar Redding (Van Diemen's Land) purposeful in showing that there's not only one kind of stereotypical guy whipping up discomfit. Toby Wallace's (Babyteeth) Matty knows how to charm, and how to rile up the male crowd by making women the butt of the gag. While James Frecheville (The Dry) plays the quieter, protective Teeth, those traits don't buff away his edges. With Daniel Henshall's (Mystery Road: Origin) Dolly, menace doesn't need words — and sinister entitlement drips from almost everything that he says or, to be precise, orders. There isn't just one way that women can be made to feel uneasy in male-heavy environments where they're expected to be at every guy's beck and call, and in general, as The Royal Hotel meticulously demonstrates. There definitely isn't a lone version of this gut-wrenching nightmare, nor a single way of coping when every waking minute is an exercise in monitoring your behaviour to get a job done, and just exist, without attracting the wrong attention. It's there in Hanna and Liv's varying reactions to the pub's clientele and their manners, or lack thereof; the difference between Hanna's distress and Jules and Cassie's carefree approach; and the range of factors that get Matty, Teeth, Dolly, Billy and company inciting alarm: the array of ways that Green's exceptional cast pack The Royal Hotel's powderkeg, that is. Only two things spark a straightforward read in Green's feature. The first is the eponymous everypub where nothing regal has ever graced its peeling walls and sticky floors. The second is the dread that pours out faster than visiting bartenders can pull pints. Actually, there's a third, because Kylie Minogue bopping through the soundtrack is a glorious choice. The uncertainty of this jittery environment otherwise — that someone can seem like a friend in one light and a sleaze in another, or a perturbed reaction can feel wholly justified by one of the bar's visiting women and overkill to another, for instance — only heightens the film's agitated mood. There's no one better at conveying this storm than Green, or at ripping it from reality and into her films. To watch Hanna especially is to achingly apprehend when and how often you've stood in her shoes. Green should keep Garner standing before her lens in as many movies as possible. With The Assistant and now The Royal Hotel, they're a dream team. Garner's flawless knack for conveying how life in Green's chosen scenarios is an incessant navigation and negotiation is as finely tuned as the director's; it's what made her so outstanding at playing Anna Delvey as well. As Green's now four-time cinematographer Michael Latham roves over blazing landscapes and gets claustrophobic in the tavern's dank indoors, and as composer Jed Palmer (back from Ukraine Is Not a Brothel) sets his score to faintly but still formidably jarring, that sense of steering your way through fraught terrain while trying to secure your survival proves as familiar as the outback venue at the centre of it all. With episodes of TV series Servant on her resume, Green can embrace horror traditionally, but the terrors that she digs into on the big screen aren't just frightening tales — they're piercing reflections of too much that's easy to recognise.
Looks like a few Black Keys-lovin' Bluesfest ticketholders will be reconsidering their Easter long weekend plans, The Black Keys have cancelled all Asia Pacific shows due to injury. Drummer Patrick Carney has sustained a serious shoulder injury, so the duo have cancelled all forthcoming concerts in Australia, New Zealand and Japan, part of their Turn Blue world tour, cancelled up until April 23. "We are very sorry to have to cancel our upcoming performances through April 23," the band said in an official statement. "Patrick sustained a dislocated and broken shoulder in January that required surgery. Working with the doctors, surgeons and physiotherapists since January, we had expected Patrick to be ready to return to touring in April. The recovery process and physical therapy has taken longer than anticipated and unfortunately Patrick is still unable to perform and needs additional time to heal. We thank all of our fans for their ongoing support and we look forward to getting back on the road as soon as possible.” "We were incredibly excited about the shows that were about to happen but there is no way around cancelling the tour with the extent of Pat’s injury," said Brian Taranto from Love Police Touring. "You just can’t have The Black Keys with no drums. We sincerely apologise for the hassle this cancellation will cause fans.” The cancellation isn't good news for Bluesfest in particular, coming just weeks after headliner Lenny Kravitz also pulled out of Bluesfest and his Australian shows due to conflicting touring commitments. All tickets (outside of Bluesfest Byron Bay) will be refunded — wherever you bought them from. Rescheduling ain't happening. For Bluesfest refund policies, visit bluesfest.com.au. CANCELLED TOUR DATES April 2 Riverstage - Brisbane, Australia April 3 Bluesfest - Byron Bay, Australia April 5 Rolling Green - Rochford Wines Yarra Valley, Australia April 7 Margaret Court Arena - Melbourne, Australia April 10 Qantas Credit Union Arena - Sydney, Australia April 11 Rolling Green - Bimbadgen Winery Hunter Valley, Australia April 14 Red Hill Auditorium - Perth, Australia April 16 Entertainment Centre Theatre - Adelaide, Australia April 18 Horncastle Arena - Christchurch, New Zealand April 19 Vector Arena - Auckland, New Zealand April 22 Studio Coast - Tokyo, Japan April 23 Studio Coast - Tokyo, Japan
Fancy yourself a thriller fan? Mesmerised by mysteries? Do you spend your time reading page-turners and trying to piece together the culprit — or, when your head isn't buried in a book, daydreaming about solving real-life cases in stately mansions? If so, Playing Agatha Christie is the Brisbane Writers Festival 2015 event for you. Though a chat about the famous author with psychological crime fiction writer Sophie Hannah — who offered her own entry into the Hercule Poirot cannon in 2014 — already sounds like fun, that's not all this evening promises. At Brisbane's oldest surviving residence, you're encouraged to don pearls, feathers, monocles and moustaches to really get into the good ol' fashioned whodunit spirit. Image via Kgbo.
Lurking behind every 18th birthday, beyond the alcohol legally drunk and nightclubs gleefully danced through, is an unspoken truth: life only gets more chaotic from here. That realisation doesn't usually spring during the celebrations, toasts and happy speeches of the big day itself — or necessarily within weeks, months or even a few years afterwards, either — however, it's inescapable nonetheless. In To Chiara, it blazes brightly for the movie's eponymous teenager (Swamy Rotolo). It shatters her sense of normality, too. But she isn't the one hitting the milestone that every adolescent yearns for. Instead, the party that helps start this Italian drama is actually for the 15-year-old's elder sister Giulia (Grecia Rotolo), with the pair's friends and relatives alike marking the occasion as countless other families have: with dinner, festivities and delighted emotions. As captured with a raw, fluid and naturalistic style like everything that both precedes it and follows, Giulia's birthday is a portrait of exuberance — until, for Chiara, it isn't. She plays up a garden-variety case of sibling rivalry, including during a performative dance contest. She revels in still being her doting dad Claudio's (Claudio Rotolo) favourite. And she thinks nothing of sneaking outside to have a smoke, only slightly worrying if her father will find out. But it's there, cigarette in hand, that Chiara watches her uncles get into a verbal scuffle outside. Then, in the aftermath, she spies her doting dad rushing off to deal with the fallout. Also, later that evening, perturbed by the feeling that something isn't quite right, it's Chiara who witnesses the family car explode outside their home, and spots Claudio fleeing under the cloak of darkness. The newest neo-realist film by Italian American writer/director Jonas Carpignano, To Chiara is also his third set in the Calabrian region, in the small coastal town of Gioia Tauro. It's the latest entry in a series that explores the area's mix of residents, segueing from refugees from North Africa in 2015's Mediterranea to the Romani community in 2017's A Ciambra, and now to the 'Ndrangheta. Call the latter the mafia, call them an organised crime syndicate, call them just part of living Southern Italy — whichever you pick, Chiara has always just considered them her loved ones without knowing it. Learning how her dad pays the bills and why he's now a fugitive, gleaning that her mother (Carmela Fumo) must be aware, trying to uncover where Giulia stands, attempting to cope with everything she thought she knew crumbling in an instant: that's what this gripping and moving film has in store for its young, headstrong, understandably destabilised protagonist from here. From the moment that Chiara begins to make her big discovery — piecing together the details stubbornly, despite being warned that her questions won't have welcome answers — it's easy to recognise why such a tale fascinates Carpignano. It's the story that sits in the shadows of other gangster flicks and shows, because so many are also about the bonds of blood; in decades gone by, it could've been Mary Corleone facing the same situation in The Godfather franchise or Meadow Soprano doing the same in The Sopranos. To Chiara also unfurls the ultimate tale of innocence lost, forever fracturing the bubble of an idyll that Chiara has spent her life inhabiting without ever realising, and causing her to now see the parent she has always adored in a completely different light. Nothing signals leaving childhood behind, no matter your age, more than having the entire foundation for your existence shift, after all. As gleams fiercely in its phenomenal lead's eyes, nothing is more devastating, either. Working with cinematographer Tim Curtin, as he did in A Ciambra — actors from which also pop up here, too, when Chiara starts expressing her shock via destructive outlets — Carpignano rarely ventures far from his protagonist. While film doesn't merely play out in close-ups, it'd be something else entirely without the deep and intimate gaze it holds with the teen, and the way it lets audiences stare into her soul as a result. Sometimes gliding, sometimes jittery, the handheld camerawork matches Chiara's inner state. Whether she's demanding answers from Giulia or following secrets into hidden spaces, every visual touch is aligned with her energy and her emotions, in fact. The score by Dan Romer (Dear Evan Hansen) and Benh Zeitlin (Carpignano's Mediterranea, and also his own Beasts of the Southern Wild) vibrates on the same wavelength as well, but To Chiara is always a movie about perception — and how it observes its titular figure, and also mirrors how she discerns the world around her, is oh-so-crucial to the feature's stunning impact. And, from its heady early moments to its poignant ending, this is indeed a stunning film. It's also a picture anchored by a remarkable lead performance — a jewel among a glimmering cast, all nonprofessional actors, as Carpignano has drawn upon for this entire trio of movies. As their names make plain, the talents behind To Chiara's main characters are all related, and all let that inherent comfort with each other calm and complicate their on-screen dynamic. Swamy Rotolo is nothing short of revelatory, though. Playing someone who once felt like she was sliding smoothly through the world, only to find that her fortunate status quo is slick not from luck, love or joy but the spoils of the criminal underworld, she's sincerely dogged and desperately uncertain at once. She sports the invincibility of youth, and also the pain when that facade fractures. That she often looks and feels like she could've stepped out of another female coming-of-age gem, Mustang, is the highest of compliments. Just as convincing: the slow-burning feature's delicate balancing act, with To Chiara careful not to judge or champion anyone's choices, or the path that's led some Gioia Tauro locals to the 'Ndrangheta, or to make its namesake a hero or a victim. Weighing up the two sides of the equation — the privilege and prejudices that Chiara didn't openly know she had and their sources, plus the stakes, costs and future ramifications of living a life tainted by crime — is the movie's central figure's task, which she navigates through emotional outbursts, tense glimpses inside her town's underbelly, on-the-ground forays into her father's reality and legally mandated foster-care arrangements alike. Accordingly and fittingly, when another 18th birthday party rolls around to bookend the deserving Cannes Film Festival 2021 Best European Film-winner, the idea that adulthood is chaos takes on a different tone. To Chiara never shakes that notion or tries to dispel it, but instead grapples and lives with it, and makes for potent and resonant viewing in the process.
Picture this: you're having a lazy evening at home in front of Netflix, and you promise yourself you'll power through just one — and only one — more episode before tapping out for the night. How many times have you broken that promise? Let's face it, you'd probably prefer not to count. And if you're like us, you probably also reach for the Ben & Jerry's for a quick sugar fix to keep you going. Convenient it may be, but healthy? Not so much. Next time you're planning a lazy night in, level up your snack game with something more wholesome (and equally delicious). We've teamed up with Yumi's to compile a collection of quick, easy and delicious alternatives to your favourite couch-time snacks. Here's what to dig into next time you're doing Netflix and chow. INSTEAD OF CHARCUTERIE...ASSEMBLE A GRAZING PLATTER Look, there's nothing wrong with a well-prepared charcuterie board — piles of delicious deli meats, indulgent cheeses, pâté and preserves, salty crackers, and the odd smattering of fruit. Add some variety with crunchy crudites — and, of course, dip. Yumi's have a huge range of dips that are all dairy and gluten free, and packed with real ingredients. We love the classic sweet potato and cashew dip, while the classic hommus is also excellent — variations like the rocket and almond pesto are also winners. They're great paired with fresh veggies (think carrots and cucumber), but perhaps even better with Yumi's selection of preservative-free and ready-to-eat falafel or veggie bites. We recommend zapping them in the microwave for a minute. INSTEAD OF ICE CREAM...MAKE SORBET Real talk: telling yourself that you're having just one more scoop of ice cream is the same as telling yourself you'll only watch one more episode before heading to bed. Before you know it, it's an ungodly hour and you're staring at the bottom of an empty tub. Lessen the lactose by making a swap for an easy, refreshing homemade sorbet — no churning required. You'll need to dice and prefreeze your favourite fruit — mango, cherries, pineapple or banana always work a treat, while store-bought, prefrozen berries are great for a quick win. Then, pop a cup (or two) in a blender with three to four tablespoons of sugar or maple syrup, and blitz until smooth. You can balance out the sweetness with a hint of lemon or lime juice, too. [caption id="attachment_815090" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Margarita Zueva (Unspalsh)[/caption] INSTEAD OF PIZZA...MAKE BRUSCHETTA An evening on the couch with a juicy series lined up and a big, cheesy pizza — is there a better way to Netflix? Perhaps not — but there are healthier ways (that also don't rely on Uber Eats). Making your own pie is simple as can be, especially with so many types of premade bases available in just about any supermarket, including ones that cater for just about every dietary requirement. Crank up the oven and lather your base with tomato paste (you can even make your own, should you wish), cheese and your choice of toppings. Feel like something more refreshing? It's hard to go wrong when you make your own bruschetta. Pick up a crusty baguette, whack it under the grill, give it a rub with some olive oil, garlic and salt, and then load it up with fresh diced veggies, herbs or deli meats. It's an easy — and delicious — way to make sure you get in your five a day. [caption id="attachment_815095" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Charles Deluvio (Unsplash)[/caption] INSTEAD OF SALTY CHIPS...MAKE VEGGIE CHIPS Love the salty crunch of potato chips? Us too — so we also know how hard it is to know when to stop. For a healthier alternative, leave the prepackaged morsels in the supermarket aisle and pick up some sweet potato or kale instead. It couldn't be more simple to get snacking, either. Just slice up your veg, toss it in some olive oil and pop it in the oven until crispy. Kale is full of good things, from beta-carotene to help eyesight, and Vitamins C, K and E. As for sweet potato, it's loaded with antioxidants, fibre and Vitamin A — it's also lower GI than a regular potato. Want some extra flavour? Kale chips are even better when tossed in a bit of za'atar, while sweet potato and paprika is a spicy match made in heaven. Dip liberally in some hummus and you've got yourself a serious snack. [caption id="attachment_815092" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anshu A (Unsplash)[/caption] INSTEAD OF BIKKIES...MAKE OATMEAL COOKIES We stan a Tim Tam as much as the next sweet tooth. And don't get us started on our ongoing love affair with an Iced Vovo. But of course, they're not the healthiest treats to snack on. If you too have trouble keeping your mitts out of the bikkie tin, try your hand at making your own oatmeal cookies. They're surprisingly easy to put together and will easily satisfying any sweet cravings. The benefits of trading sugar for oatmeal are plentiful — oats are higher in fibre, can stabilise blood sugars and are loaded with vitamins and antioxidants. There's also the added benefit of the warm aroma of freshly baked goods waiting through your house. [caption id="attachment_815093" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Abbie Whiddett (Unsplash)[/caption] INSTEAD OF CAKE...MAKE CACAO BALLS There's a better way to get your gooey chocolate fix. Enter date and cacao balls. They're ridiculously easy to make, and they last longer than cake does, too (though if they disappear from the fridge quickly, we won't blame you). There are a heap of health benefits, too — dates are high in antioxidants and fibre, and can also improve bone health, while cacao has been shown to help lower blood pressure and improve blood flow. For more wholesome snacking, check out the full range of Yumi's falafels, veggie bites and dips.
Did the title of this Brisbane Writers Festival session make you think? Good. It should. Writing While Female tackles a topic that really shouldn't still be an issue, with writers Candice Fox, Kylie Kaden, Anita Heiss and Natasha Lester sharing their experiences. They know more than a thing or two about it, with outback thrillers, friendship-focused mysteries, indigenous non-fiction and tales of fleeing to the seaside among the group's output. Even if you haven't read any of their work, you'll want to hear their thoughts about this important subject. This event is one of our five picks for Brisbane Writers Festival. Check out the whole list.
Diehard fans of The Simpsons will remember season three, episode ten — the one in which bartender Moe steals Homer's secret, cough medicine-filled cocktail recipe and starts selling it at his bar as the 'Flaming Moe'. If a cough syrup-induced haze has always sounded like your kind of fun (or you're just a huge Simpsons fan) you're in luck. This classic episode will come to life this April when the Flaming Moe's Pop-up Bar opens its doors in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. It'll be an immersive experience with 'Moe' behind the bar slinging bottomless cocktails and all of the show's best characters in attendance, too. We doubt the bar's namesake cocktail will actually contain the grape-flavoured, children's cough medicine depicted in the show, but no information on the recipe has been revealed just yet. If its purist Simpsons, the drink will at least include some unholy combination of tequila, peppermint schnapps and creme de menthe — all lit on fire for good measure. For beer drinkers, Duff-inspired brew will be on tap as well. And, to round out the night, there will also be Simpsons trivia, with themed prizes up for grabs. Dates are not yet announced and details are slim, but we do know that the pop-up will open for just one day in each city. You can sign up for pre-release tickets here, which you best do because space will surely be limited.
It's no secret that Australians are always up for a bit of magical fun and frivolity, with Harry Potter-themed events and pop-ups a pretty regular occurrence these days, like the muggle that transfigured a Great Hall for brunch, a huge Harry Potter store, two-day movie marathons and boozy Wizard's Cauldron potions classes. Next on your Hogwarts timetable is the Wizard's Beer Festival, where you'll sip brews in a wizarding wonderland, while making your way between wand-making classes, DJs and tarot card readers. There's no word yet on exactly what beers you'll be drinking — local numbers? international favourites? alcoholic butterbeer? — but your ticket does include a 12-ounce (355-millilitre) brew on entry, and five tokens you can use on beers and the aforementioned activities. Previously slated to run in March and November 2020, you can now mark the date down in your calendar as Sunday, February 7, 2021, when the magical beer fest will apparate into a soon-to-be-announced Brisbane location. Folks in costumes pretending to be Hermione, Dumbledore and others isn't really our idea of a magical HP experience, but perhaps a few boozy butterbeers will get you in the right mood. Ticket prices start from $55 and can be purchased here. Updated November 2, 2020. Top image: Wizard's Brunch.
For a place named after somewhere hellish or hidden, Netherworld is all rather inviting. Shelves of board games. Rows of arcade games. A wall of old-school consoles with retro televisions to match. Daytona given pride of place. The sound of The Simpsons' theme filtering through the playing space. Brisbane's first arcade game bar is sure to become your new favourite hangout. From the moment you walk into Netherworld, you'll notice a laidback vibe — and games a plenty, unsurprisingly, all urging you to leave your workweek woes at the door. If you like hitting flippers, smashing buttons and passing go, all while eating juicy burgers and downing homemade sodas, you'll like it here. Trust us.
Usually when a festival dedicated to espresso martinis pops up, it takes over one place. Such boozy fests only tend to run for a day or so, or a weekend, too. But one of Australia's big hospitality chains is ditching both of those norms, because this drink needs a whole week and more than 200 pubs countrywide to truly get buzzing. Who needs sleep when there's caffeinated cocktails to sip and celebrate? The event: ALH Hotels' Espresso Martini Festival, which'll take over venues in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory from Monday, March 13–Sunday, March 19. If you're wondering why, the reason is the same that most food- or drink-themed fests pop up. Yes, there's an occasion dedicated to the beverage in question, with World Espresso Martini Day upon us on Wednesday, March 15. For the week around the espresso martini-fuelled date, ALH Hotels will pour Grey Goose espresso martinis no matter what time you drop by. Fancy a pick-me-up over lunch? After-work bevvies with your colleagues? A cruisy weekend session giving you some extra perk? They're all options — just don't expect to be tired afterwards. Among the venues taking part in NSW, Sydneysiders can hit up the Summer Hill Hotel, Kirribilli Hotel, New Brighton Hotel, The Ranch and Harlequin Inn. Victoria's list spans Young and Jacksons, Moreland Hotel, Elsternwick Hotel, The Croxton and Balaclava Hotel, too. In Queensland, options include Breakfast Creek Hotel, Brunswick Hotel, Oxford 152, Indooroopilly Hotel, Stones Corner Hotel and the RE in Brisbane, plus spots both up and down the coast. The full list also features pubs in SA such as the Watermark Glenelg, Royal Oak and Esplanade Hotel; venues in WA, complete with Hyde Park, the Belgian Beer Cafe and the Albion Hotel; and four places in the NT. [caption id="attachment_870392" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Breakfast Creek Hotel, Andrew S (Flickr)[/caption] ALH Hotels' Espresso Martini Festival runs from Monday, March 13–Sunday, March 19 at venues around the country — head to the pub chain's website for the full list and further details.
A taste of the Middle East has arrived at King Street, with The Pine Kitchen the latest eatery to join the ever-growing Bowen Hills food hub. Expect Lebanese dishes alongside meals influenced by other countries in the region, but also prepare for an Australian twist. Indeed, while plenty of places throw the term 'fusion' around, The Pine Kitchen's menu is working hard to make it stick. Take dessert: combining two beloved treats — meringue and Turkish delight — the concoction of meringue topped with spiced crème fraîche and Turkish delight pieces is a combo we're happy to indulge (fusion or otherwise). Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the share plate-heavy range also features shakshuka, falafel burgers, spiced lamb kofta, and cardamom and beetroot-marinated wagyu beef rump. Doubling as a coffee spot too, they're serving up cups of coffee, tea and rosewater hot chocolates within their open, airy, greenery-filled confines — think white walls, timber furnishings, and plants across the walls and ceiling. For those keeping track, King Street's bustling lineup of restaurants already includes Sushi & Nori, Il Verde, Super Combo and The Lamb Shop. That's Japanese, Italian, burgers, souvas and now Lebanese cuisine all catered for, plus Vietnamese fare as well when Melbourne's Banoi opens its first Brisbane joint in May. The Pine Kitchen is now open on King Street, Bowen Hills. For more information, head to their Facebook page.
This year hasn't been great for anyone; however, if you're a Parks and Recreation fan, a few tiny slivers of happiness have poked through. First, the Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman-hosted crafting series Making It finally hit screens Down Under. Then, the entire Parks and Rec main cast reunited for a one-off, COVID-19-related new episode. And now, Making It is returning for a second season. Premiering in the US in 2018 but only airing its first season on Australian screens via Foxtel earlier in 2020, Making It sees Poehler and Offerman them step into the competitive reality TV show realm. That domain isn't for everyone, but even if you usually completely abhor the genre, its manufactured dramas and its saturation across the small screen, you'll be smiling heartily at Poehler and Offerman's kind-hearted, extremely likeable and all-round nice show. Focusing on DIY crafting, and celebrating both great craftsmanship and genuine camaraderie, it's basically Project Runway — but hosted by Leslie Knope and Ron Swanson. With Poehler and Offerman leading the charge, it's warm-natured, filled with crafting puns and other gags, and showcases folks trying to do their best, helping each other and enjoying themselves. Basically, it's the feel-good, light-hearted viewing we could all use at the moment. And, when there's a stereotypical moment of heightened tension, it's because Making It is overtly making fun of reality TV's usual theatrics. When you're not watching Poehler and Offerman hang out in a tiny house — yes, really — viewers can soak in the talents of contestants who happen to be handy with a glue gun, great at woodworking, skilled at working with felt and other such crafty endeavours. The competitors complete two tasks per episode, with one person sent home at the end of each episode. The last person standing at the end of the season is crowned the show's 'Master Maker' and wins $100,000. If you watched the first batch of episodes and instantly wanted more, Making It's eight-episode second season will start streaming via Binge from Friday, July 31, with new episodes dropping weekly — and, like season one, this is a case of better late than never. Expect the show's contestants whip up everything from mailboxes and costumes to holiday wreaths and pet homes, and to laugh quite often at Poehler and Offerman's jokes. While the star duo do the hosting — and do it well, naturally, even picking up an Emmy nomination for their efforts — the judging falls to Etsy trend expert Dayna Isom Johnson and window-dresser and fashion commentator Simon Doonan. Check out the second season trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhWFiFfrbY0 Making It's second season will be available to stream via Binge from Friday, July 31, with new episodes dropping weekly. Top image: Making It.
The Scandinavian crime fixation currently sweeping non-Nordic nations shows no signs of abating, every piece with big screen potential — TV series, book or otherwise — seemingly earning a filmed adaptation. Jussi Adler-Olsen's Department Q series provides the latest instance, a four-instalment-to-date police procedural setting a duo of detectives in search of answers to dead cases. The Keeper of Lost Causes is the first feature to result. All the usual elements exist in director Mikkel Nørgaard and writer Nikolaj Arcel's version of the novel. (They're both veterans of the burgeoning genre with resumes that encompass television's Borgen and the Swedish-language The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as evidence.) An odd couple, an against-the-odds task, brooding backstories, a pretty prey and a cat-and-mouse game with the perpetrator furnish a feature that stays within the confines of the expected — except for one significant deviation. As well as tracking the law enforcement quest to uncover the truth, the film gifts viewers with the victim's perspective, her tale told as a parallel to the investigation. So it is that the taciturn Carl Mørck (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) and lively Assad (Fares Fares) trawl through discarded clues about the disappearance of personable young politician Merete Lynggaard (Sonja Richter), long considered a suicidal jumper who consigned herself to a watery end five years prior. The inter-spliced chronicle of Merete's plight provides a different account, one that the police must piece together as they delve deeper into her mystery. Though the choice to reveal what would've otherwise been a considerable source of dramatic tension is questionable (albeit, a decision that remains faithful to the book), The Keeper of Lost Causes evokes the requisite ominous atmosphere through its appearance and performances. The customary grey aesthetic colours every scene to cement the creepy mood, just as the main pairing fittingly bristles with discomfort even as Mørck and Assad work towards an accord. Cinematographer Eric Kress impresses in the film's shadowy imagery, a feat also achieved by Kaas and Fares. Adopting a chalk and cheese approach to their portrayals, the two actors bounce off each other with an earned rapport that makes their standard contrasting characters all the more interesting. Indeed, as beholden to formula and the familiar as The Keeper of Lost Causes is, Nørgaard endeavours to invest intrigue into the assembly of predictability the movie becomes. Where it all threatens to come undone is in the feature's inability to overcome its overt status as a set-up for further films. In an episodic manner obviously better served on television, The Keeper of Lost Causes wallows in the establishment more than the outcome. What eventuates is an entertaining enough initial chapter in a what will hopefully evolve into a more satisfying saga. https://youtube.com/watch?v=68sO1s9Hy70
Enough of the Dan Brown franchise. It was fun while the going was good, but, please…no more. The original film, The Da Vinci Code, ended up being surprisingly watchable, with director Ron Howard combining rollicking pace and genuine intrigue to keep audiences' hearts pumping from go to woe. Even the sequel, Angels and Demons, proved solid enough, albeit a film distinguishable from its predecessor more by scale than originality. By Inferno, however, it's more than clear that the well has truly run dry. Again we find our hero Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) in Italy, accompanied by a much younger female companion (Felicity Jones). Together they solve riddles and anagrams as they scramble from monument to monument, whilst dodging assassins from a mysterious organisation and passing implausibly through both heavy security and lines of queueing tourists. It's Dante this time, not Da Vinci, but the rest feels far, far too familiar. Even the film's ticking time bomb is again an actual time bomb, with only its contents (a world-destroying virus instead of anti-matter) being the point of differentiation. Hanks, fresh off his fantastic work in Sully, oscillates between looking bored, tired and confused – and not just because the script calls for it. The rest of the cast, meanwhile, seems far too blasé for a group possessed of the knowledge that the end of the world may be just a few short hours away. So are there any redeeming features? No, not really, although the film does raise one interesting idea: international audio guides for tourists narrated by Academy Award winner Tom Hanks. The only moments of note in the movie are those where, once again, Hanks's character offers clumsily inserted pieces of historical trivia into the narrative. They're crow-barred in, but remain undeniably interesting, and when coupled with Hanks' avuncular tone you can't help but indulge in the ad hoc history lessons. If Ron Howard needs a new project, we'd suggest just strapping a go-pro to his favourite leading man and letting him roam wild in the galleries and gardens of the world's grandest estates, pointing out tidbits and factoids as they arise. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH2BD49sEZI
Mix a long weekend with a lunar eclipse and Easter with the Beach Burrito Company, and what do you get? Their first-ever Full Moon Party, as well as more fun that you can shake a glow stick at. You'll be able to shake glow sticks aplenty, actually, though that's only the beginning of the shenanigans. You'll also be able to shake your booty on the black light dance floor, and show off your fluoro face as painted by the folks at Lusid Art. So don your best and brightest outfits and head on down to Fortitude Valley's best Mexican joint for more than just a tasty meal (although they're on offer too, of course). There'll be live fluoro art by Buttons to keep things glowing, beats by Finehouse and Friends to keep the party pumping, and cheeky Tiki cocktail jugs keep everyone happy. So, that's your Saturday night sorted.
The rooftop bar Up on Constance is the perfect place to cosy up to a slow-roasted whole lamb or pig and watch the sun set (vegetarians need not apply). A $55 ticket buys you a cocktail on arrival and a set menu from around Europe, including delights from Italy, Spain and France, depending on the week you go. And as you finish your meal, watch as the bar fills up and kicks on into one of Brisbane's funkiest venues. Go straight from plate to party, exactly as it should be.
It's the stuff beer lovers' dreams are made of. In fact, it's the kind of event that really does seem too good to be true — that is, ten whole days of celebrations dedicated to the amber liquid we all know and love. Stop pinching yourself: Brewsvegas is real. So real, in fact, that it'll be taking over the town from March 11 to 20 for a third year of grassroots, community-minded, beverage-based fun. Whatever your preferred beer is — and whoever your favourite brewer may be — you'll find them both here as part of the action. After a massive launch party gets the shenanigans started, it's time for everything from bar hops to river cruises, table tennis tournaments to pinball wizardry, and cocktail making comps and dessert drinks too. Working your way around the world in 18 beers, having a pint to raise money for animals in need, enjoying a live music Sunday sesh, and shining the spotlight on female brewers are also on the lineup — but here are our top five picks of the sudsy showcase. There's plenty on offer that you'll be saying cheers to. Top image: Dollar Photo Club.
Few films feel as tailor-made for their audience as Josh Boone's adaptation of The Fault in Our Stars. Based on the enormously popular young adult novel by John Green, about two teen cancer patients who fall hopelessly in love, it's a story designed to play the heartstrings like a fiddle, extracting sighs and sobs from willing viewers with surgical precision. It's melodramatic, sure, but you'd be hard-pressed to deny its effectiveness. And thanks to a fantastic lead performance from Shailene Woodley, the sentiment never feels insincere. Woodley plays Hazel Lancaster, a sarcastic 16-year-old with terminal tumours in her lungs. Hazel has more or less come to terms with the nature of her illness, but at the behest of her worried parents (Laura Dern and Sam Trammell) agrees to attend a patient's support group. It's there that she meets Augustus Waters (Ansel Elgort), an impossibly charming cancer survivor himself, who soon sets about sweeping her off her feet. Despite Hazel's assertion that hers is not your typical cancer narrative, The Fault in Our Stars very much follows a formula. Viewers are promised tragedy, and then lulled into hoping that that tragedy might be averted. Peaks of joy are followed by valleys of strategically excavated sorrow, timed to cause maximum devastation. Thankfully, Hazel is an endearing enough character that you don't really mind the film manipulating you. Pithy voiceover helps us get to know her as a funny, strong-willed young woman who makes the best of an awful situation. Woodley's performance is impeccable, capturing both the giddy excitement of young love and the sobering adult reality of death. Her co-star falters with some of the heavier material but is still immensely likeable as Augustus. Admittedly, the young man isn't the most plausible of characters — no teenager is this articulate, no matter how much they'd like to believe otherwise. A lot of his dialogue is meant to sound wonderfully deep and inspiring but is just as likely to cause cringes in anyone over the age of about 17. Nuggets of teen philosophy notwithstanding, the interactions between the characters generally feel authentic, with plenty of humorous banter to put the romance — and the heartache — into relief. It's thanks to Boone and company's balancing of the three that The Fault in Our Stars is a success. https://youtube.com/watch?v=9ItBvH5J6ss
Good news for Twilight fans and those waiting for the whole thing to come to an end; Breaking Dawn Part Two, starring Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner and Kristen Stewart, is out this week and will bring the Twilight saga to a startling conclusion. After being brought back from the brink of death by Edward after a traumatic birth, Bella begins her new afterlife as a vampire, and mother to dhampir, half vampire, half human child, Renesmee. But, when Denali coven member Irina misidentifies Renesmee as an immortal child to the venomous Vulturi, she sets in motion events that’ll see them set out to destroy the Cullens for their betrayal. Breaking Dawn Part Two, the fifth installment in the saga, brings an end to the Twilight series, one that fans have been waiting for for years. Whether you think the books and films to be absolute trash or absolute masterpieces there is no denying their success, something that is sure to continue in this shocking finale.
Whenever you're in a traditional art gallery, reaching for your camera can result in serious pangs of guilt. You know it's wrong, but you just want to take a little memento home with you. Next thing you know, the security guard is hauling you out the door by the collar and your photograph appears in the gallery blacklist. Well, it's not always that bad. But Canadian artists Brad Blucher and Kyle Clements aren't fans of the taboo against taking photos of artworks. Their project Take a Picture seeks to change the way audiences interact with art. Blank canvases on the surface, the artworks use a series of LED lights to create simple images invisible to the human eye. The paintings can only be unlocked for the viewer when photographed by a digital camera device. The artists explain that the series "explores the relationship between the ubiquity of digital cameras and social media, which encourages all aspects of daily life to be documented and shared, and the culture of art museums and galleries, which strictly prohibits photographing works of art." https://youtube.com/watch?v=810DLIu0uBg [Via PSFK]
Get ready to rumble and rock out, because both are on the agenda at Rumble Rock 2016 (if you hadn't guessed). You'll watch wrestling. You'll hear bands play. You'll have a ripper time. The Australian Wrestling Alliance will jump into the ring and take care of the former, while Hits, Velociraptor, The Way We Were and Shutup Shutup Shutup will hop up on stage and crank out the latter. And, in case that's not enough entertainment for one evening, the NRL Grand Final will also be broadcast on the big screen.
