If you're in Melbourne or Brisbane and Uluru has always been on your travel bucket list, getting to the world-famous large sandstone formation in Australia's Red Centre just got easier. Back in late 2023, Virgin announced that it was starting direct flights from the two cities to the Northern Territory landmark in June 2024 — and now those routes are taking off, complete with a sale slinging cheap fares to celebrate. People make their way Down Under from around the globe to see Uluru. Last year, it was even named one of the best places in the world to visit by The New York Times. For folks keen to head there from the Victorian capital, flights begin on Thursday, June 6, 2024. And for Queenslanders, you can take the trip from Friday, June 7, 2024. The new direct routes mark Virgin's first-ever legs to Uluru from Melbourne and Brisbane. The airline is flying between Melbourne and Uluru four times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. The carrier is zipping between Brisbane and Uluru three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Virgin has partnered with the Northern Territory Government and Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia — which runs Ayers Rock Resort — on the new services to get more people to the middle of the country. And it's aiming to send quite a few more tourists in that direction, with 62,000-plus seats a year on offer thanks to the two new legs. "To see Virgin Australia planes touching down in Uluṟu again is a huge thrill — this is a landmark moment that underscores the boundless appeal of the Red Centre," said Matt Cameron-Smith, CEO of Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia. "We're excited to have even more visitors experience the wonders of Uluṟu, along with culturally immersive experiences like Sunrise Journeys and Wintjiri Wiru, through Virgin Australia's extensive network." If you're eager to book ASAP and score a bargain, Virgin's new flight sale is running until 11.59pm AEST on Saturday, June 8, 2024. Fares start at $119 one-way in economy, with dates varying across July–December 2024. For accommodation, Ayers Rock Resort is doing $230-per-night three-night stays as well. [caption id="attachment_905928" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Salty Travellers[/caption] [caption id="attachment_905930" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism NT and Sean Scott[/caption] Virgin's Melbourne–Uluru services commence on Thursday, June 6, 2024, and its Brisbane–Uluru services start on Friday, June 7, 2024. The airline's current sale on flights to Uluru is slinging fares from $119 until 11.59pm AEST on Saturday, June 8, 2024 — head to the Virgin website for more details.
Chances are, you've walked past a Jimmy Rod's Barbershop once or twice. There are ten in Brisbane alone, including this one in Broadway Mall, Westfield Chermside and the original in Oxley, which Jimmy Rod first opened in 2003. It's hard to pinpoint this success to one element. Of course, the stores have that sleek industrial feel, and the barbers know their craft well. But you can't ignore the little details like tasty snacks, complimentary coffee and beer, and a Playstation 4 to play while you wait. It's also pretty affordable for a traditional barbershop with men's cuts starting from $36.50 and beard trims from just $11.50. Meanwhile, cut-throat shaves start at $47.50 and the shop sells a broad range of aftercare products from Uppercut Deluxe, American Crew and Kingbrown Pomade. Hot tip: try to nab a midweek appointment as prices jump up on weekends.
Starting any business is a risky venture, and establishing a hospo business — let alone one that endures and succeeds in the industry — can be an especially challenging endeavour. But don't let that scare you off — there's lots of help at hand, from the community of your team and other business-owners to tech-driven business solutions like Square, who have helped countless companies expand. If you're keen to get your idea off the ground but can't wrap your mind around how and where to start, we've partnered with Square to uncover some advice for new business-owners from the teams behind two longstanding Aussie venues, Melbourne's American Doughnut Kitchen and Sydney's Terminus Hotel. Respect for Legacy and History One of the city's oldest pubs, the Terminus Hotel in Pyrmont dates back to the 1840s and was recently revived by David Mathlin and Binu Katari in 2018. Meanwhile, American Doughnut Kitchen (ADK) has been a fixture of Melbourne's Queen Victoria Market since 1950, slinging fluffy, jam-filled doughnuts for almost seventy-five years. Belinda Donaghey now co-owns ADK's two outlets with Justin Donaghey, after her grandfather Arnold Bridges took over the business 30 years ago. [caption id="attachment_772352" align="alignnone" width="1920"] American Doughnut Kitchen[/caption] When asked about the one thing they would have wanted to know before starting their respective businesses, both Belinda Donaghey and David Mathlin underscored the significance of asking questions about the establishment's history. "As the third generation to be running the business, I wish I had asked my grandfather many questions before he passed," said Donaghey. "Looking back now, I wish I'd asked him about his vision, the challenges he overcame, his approach to business, and so much more." Technology and Simple Systems After stepping in full-time management of the business in 2020 and then ownership in 2023, Donaghey attributes the success of the business to "our strong, established team, our loyal customer base, and the technology that supported our new way of working." She continued, "Just before the pandemic, I introduced EFTPOS through Square Terminals, which turned out to be a critical move as we rapidly shifted to cashless transactions. Card payments quickly became the norm, with cash usage dropping to as low as 10%." Mathlin's saving grace when they first opened the refurbished Terminus Hotel was "training before opening, and a great team." Similarly, Donaghey's advice for what new businesses should focus on before they open is "Systems, and comprehensive training of the team on how to use the systems." She adds, "Keep it simple. There is beauty in simplicity and it is easier to scale when the foundations are strong and simplified." When asked what she would have done differently if opening her business today, Donaghey shared, "We would have invested earlier in software, technology and equipment that was perhaps a little bigger than we needed at the time, so we had space to grow into them without having to change too often as the business needs grew." She adds, "We have done that now, but it took a long time to step into that space and embrace new ways of thinking and working because there was a lot of history of doing things a certain way that didn't involve technology." Community Support Donaghey and Mathlin both emphasised the integral role that the community plays in shaping and growing a business. Mathlin's thoughts on what most new businesses overlook is that "They forget to put the community and customers first." When asked to recall the moment he knew his business was working, Mathlin's response again focused on the people, "We saw good reviews and saw people having a great time at functions." [caption id="attachment_978216" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leigh Griffiths[/caption] Donaghey shared a similar sentiment, "By the time I started working in the business full-time, we were already well-established, with over 60 years behind us. The true test came during the pandemic, when we realised just how special our business was because of the people who continued to support us." She continued, "The messages we received during that time were incredibly heartwarming. Customers shared beautiful memories and it was clear we were bringing joy to people who were isolated from family and friends and disconnected from the world." ADK's success is reflected in their popularity, which is still going strong. "Our weekend queues have become famous — not because our team is slow, but because our popularity has grown so much that people are willing to give us their most precious resource: time. They happily stand in line to get their bag of joy: our hot jam doughnuts. Our business model works. It's simple, it brings people joy, and it's the perfect snack to enjoy while exploring the market." Find out how Square can kickstart your business at squareup.com.
Warehouse parties are great. Secret Mexican holiday-inspired, neon-drenched, immersive warehouse experiences are even better. Curated by a group of Mexican visionaries and artists, Day of the Dead 3.1. promises to be one heck of a Burning Man-channeling spectacle you'll want to lock down tickets for — on sale this Saturday, August 15 at 12.30pm. And with the demand already high, this event is expected to sell out within hours, so your crew had better be ready. For hundreds of years, El Dia de los Muertos has been one of the biggest parties in Mexico honouring the dead. The 4000 year-old tradition's history can be traced back to Mexico's indigenous beliefs of the afterlife — that death is only the beginning. Now it's Australia's turn to delve into the underworld, as The Day of the Dead finds its way to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane this spring, in secret locations within each city. Expect interactive art installations, light projections, extravagant costumes, murals created by renowned street artists and an exclusive lineup of local and international DJs and musicians — including one big ol' festival favourite headliner. The lineup will be released closer to the day, so stay tuned. Pop-ups by a handpicked bunch of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane's go-to local Mexican eateries, like Playa Takeria, have been selected to create Dia de los Muertos menus. Plus, there'll be Mexican cervezas and tequila/mezcal cocktails to provide you with enough sustenance to dance the night away. With instructions being sent to ticket holders just one week before the event, this is secret warehouse party business at it's best. Each city's locations are more closely guarded than an abuela's special mole sauce ingredient and will only be released one day before the party. Get ready to nab a ticket and start preparing your best Dia de los Muertos outfit. Day of the Dead will visit Sydney on October 24, then Melbourne on October 31 before ending in Brisbane on November 7. Tickets are $75 and go on sale here on Saturday 15 August at 12.30pm and are expected to sell out super fast. Don't stall on this one, it'll be the death of you.
Sydney Festival has revealed its massive 2017 program, with a renewed focus on dance and theatre along with bold new works from Australian artists. Running from January 7-29, the lineup is comprised of 150 events, almost half of which are free. From sensory installations to shows in Parramatta Lebanese restaurants and performances by iconic musicians, your dose of summertime culture is basically sorted. Most visually, the city will also play host to a number of major installations, including The Beach by Snarkitecture at Barangaroo — a ball pit made up of 1.1 million recyclable polyethylene balls that you can jump into — and House of Mirrors in Hyde Park, which comes from Hobart's Dark MOFO (and most recently Brisbane), and and is more or less what it sounds like. Treading the boards at this year's festival are some of the country's most celebrated stage companies, including Brisbane's La Boite Theatre Company — who'll present the four-time Helpmann nominated play Prize Fighter — and Australia's longest running Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander theatre company, who've teamed with writer-performer Katie Beckett on her play Which Way Home. They'll be joined by an impressive international contingent, including the London-based Complicite company, whose play The Encounter arrives direct from Broadway; Pushkin Theatre Moscow, whose co-production of Shakespeare's Measure for Measure with the UK's Cheek by Jowl also stands out as another surefire festival highlight. Immersing you further in this year's festivities are a number of works that play upon the senses. Cat Jones' Scent of Sydney is a free immersive exhibition based on — you guessed it — smell, while Imagined Touch, by deafblind artists Heather Lawson and Michelle Stevens, lets audiences experience the world without vision or sound. Musical highlights include live performances from PJ Harvey and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, as well as an Opera House performance of 1967 Music in the Key of Yes, a concert of remembrance on the 50 year anniversary of the Indigenous rights referendum. You'll also be able to catch free tunes every night at the Meriton Festival Village in Hyde Park. Sydney Festival also revealed its complete program for Western Sydney last night, which includes an interactive 'Circus City' and the first posthumous exhibition of works by Myuran Sukumaran. Sydney Festival will run from January 7-29, 2017. For more information visit sydneyfestival.org.au. Image: The Beach, Snarkitecture. Shot by Noah Kalina.
The best thing about film festivals? The surprises. And boy oh boy does the 2017 Russian Resurrection Film Festival have a great one. The touring fest has plenty of ace picks, including a drama set inside the Bolshoi Theatre, aptly called The Bolshoi; Attraction, the first Russian flick about aliens landing in Moscow; and the innovative Tolstoy adaptation that is Anna Karenina: Vronsky's Story. It also has the 1989 action flick Tango & Cash starring none other than Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell. Why is this big hair-loving, US-made buddy cop movie on the bill? Because it was primarily directed by Russian filmmaker Andrei Konchalovsky, who collaborated with the great Andrei Tarkovsky early in his career, and then spent a big chunk of the '80s and '90s working in America. It's the kind of nostalgic selection that is best appreciated with retro fun in mind (and a few beverages in hand). It's not quite so-bad-it's-good, but it is something that has to be seen to be believed. In more serious offerings, Arrhythmia explores the erratic pulse of a complicated marriage, Spacewalkers jumps into the Cold War space race, and the comedic The Kitchen: Final Battle pits chefs against each other. Catch them and more at Event Myer Centre from November 1 to 8.
"Darling it's better down where it's wetter" isn't just a line The Little Mermaid fans have had stuck in their head for the last two decades. Come the beginning of 2019, it's also the first thing likely to pop into the minds of anyone heading to one particular Norwegian restaurant. Set to open in the coastal village of Båly in the country's south, Under will plunge hungry patrons into watery surroundings, offering more than just the usual scenic vistas. At this eatery, diners will be tucking into their dishes underwater. To be specific, they'll be feasting on seafood under the sea — if you're going to open a space underneath the ocean, you have to serve up the fish, which is just what head chef Nicolai Ellitsgaard will be doing. Visitors will descend down three colour-coded levels to sip sparkling tipples in a champagne bar that boasts views of the shoreline, before enjoying meals in the completely submerged dining room. The latter sits five metres below the water's surface, and is surrounded by panoramic acrylic windows for quite the aquatic view. For those wondering about pressure and safety, metre-thick concrete walls will keep everyone nice and dry, in a structure designed by architecture firm Snøhetta. Describing the space as "a sunken periscope", the building will be constructed not only to wow those stepping foot inside, but to fit in with its surroundings. The grey exterior colour scheme will blend in with the rocky coastline, and coarse surfacing will encourage molluscs to cling on. Indeed, over time it's hoped that Under will become an artificial mussel reef. As well as offering a memorable place to eat, the project also aims to champion biodiversity, functioning as a research centre for marine life. This will include informational plaques educating visitors about the area, helping to expand not only the list of places you've tucked into a meal, but your knowledge. Start planning your 2019 Scandinavian trip now. Images: Snohetta.
Of all the new TV shows that are heading to streaming in 2023, only one has a groove and a meaning. Well, only one is based on a movie with a theme song that claims that, at least. And yes, you now have that tune stuck in your head — because 'Grease', the track, is that much of a catchy and persistent earworm. The entire Grease soundtrack is, and perhaps the tunes that come with Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies will be as well. This new prequel series steps back into the 70s-made, 50s-set musical rom-com's world, giving its titular girl gang an origin story. Based on both the initial teaser and the just-dropped full trailer, Rise of the Pink Ladies is hopelessly devoted to taking that task seriously. Here, in a ten-episode series set to stream via Paramount+ in Australia from Friday, April 7 — with New Zealand airing details yet to be revealed — it's the 1954–55 school year. It's also when the eponymous young women are given words of warning about appropriate behaviour. "Ladies, you must be careful with whom you associate," Assistant Principal McGee (Jackie Hoffman, Only Murders in the Building) tells them in the first trailer. "A girl's reputation is all that she has." Welcome back to Rydell High, clearly, but before Danny (John Travolta) and Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) walked its halls. If the OG Grease and its tale about an Australian transfer student falling in love with an American high schooler in California is the one that you want — always — then you'll know that this franchise hasn't ever just been about the hit 1978 movie anyway. Before it became a silver-screen classic, it was a popular stage musical. After the first film's success, it spawned a 1982 Michelle Pfeiffer-starring sequel, too. Pink jackets, T-Birds, dance scenes (including while wearing mechanics' overalls), a new take on a familiar track advising that Grease is indeed the word: they're all included in show's two sneak peeks so far. Cast-wise, Marisa Davila (Love and Baseball), first-timer Cheyenne Isabel Wells, Ari Notartomaso (Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin) and Tricia Fukuhara (Loot) play the four teens who start the Pink Ladies, and are joined on-screen by Shanel Bailey (The Good Fight), Madison Thompson (Emergency), Johnathan Nieves (Penny Dreadful: City of Angels), Jason Schmidt (FBI: Most Wanted) and Maxwell Whittington-Cooper (The Photograph). This isn't the last time that all things Grease will pop up again, either — not including the stage musical and OG movie's enduring popularity, of course — with a Danny and Sandy-focused prequel flick Summer Lovin' also in the works. Check out the full trailer for Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies below: Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies starts streaming via Paramount+ in Australia on Friday, April 7. New Zealand release details haven't yet been revealed — we'll update you when further information comes to hand.
Car sharing service Uber has been making waves of late, but their latest offering is unreservedly tidal. Ahead of the US premiere of Transformers: Age of Extinction on June 27, Uber is giving app users in three American cities the opportunity to ride with Optimus Prime. Though we are unsure whether this Optimus is the talking type, from the image posted by Uber it seems to be the real deal. With an initial roll out yesterday in Dallas, Optimus will soon continue onto Phoenix before a final tour of Los Angeles this weekend. Uber users just open their app and select the ‘Autobots’ option to try their luck at summoning this legendary leader for a 15-minute joyride with the machine of your childhood dreams. This brings to mind local Sydney legend Zac Mihajlovic's recent Batmobile endeavour, in which Sydneysiders can buy joyrides in the Dark Knight's highly coveted date-impressing vehicle. Uber announced their Transformers fantasy come true to users via their blog yesterday, opening with "Get ready for the ride of your life." Hardly an understatement, but it sadly looks as though this ride won’t quite make it to Australian shores for the meantime. As Sam once courageously said to Optimus, "No sacrifice, no victory." Autobots, roll out. Via Mashable and USA Today.
This summer, the National Gallery of Australia comes to life with a major exhibition on two greats of the modern art movement. Matisse & Picasso presents an Australian-first gathering of the iconic works of Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, with the pair's intense friendship and rivalry considered a defining factor behind contemporary art's development during the 20th century. The pair first met in 1906 when Picasso was essentially unknown to the art world, but Matisse was already considered one of the avant-garde's most prominent artists. Staying close throughout their lifetimes, they looked to each other's work, responding and challenging their peer to stay on the cutting-edge. As Picasso explained to one of his biographers Pierre Daix, "No one has ever looked at Matisse's painting more carefully than I; and no one has looked at mine more carefully than he." Running until April 13, 2020, Matisse & Picasso showcases more than 200 paintings, sculptures, prints and costumes. Across many of their most famous works, Matisse & Picasso makes the artists' intrinsic connection clear. The exhibition has been designed so instead of walking from start to finish, you'll be wandering back and forth between the artworks as the similarities emerge. To give you a head start before your visit to the NGA, we've picked out six artworks that you can't miss at Matisse & Picasso. [caption id="attachment_756083" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Woman by the Sea', Pablo Picasso (1922). Bequest of Putnam Dana McMillan, Minneapolis Institute of Art. Copyright Succession Picasso/Copyright Agency.[/caption] PABLO PICASSO: WOMAN BY THE SEA (1922) Following the First World War, both Picasso and Matisse demonstrated a deep fascination with classical Greek art and stories. A distinct departure from the Cubist aesthetic that he's best known for, 'Woman by the Sea' is one of many paintings with dreamy human figures set against plain landscapes that Picasso would go on to produce. Taking inspiration from the ancient statue known as Venus de Milo and a sculpture of the Greek goddess Hera that he saw in Naples, for this work, Picasso translates the relaxed posture and flowing dress of the marble structure into a two-dimensional format. [caption id="attachment_756086" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Woman by a Window', Henry Matisse (1920–22). Gift of Ferdinand Howald, Columbus Museum of Arts, Columbus. Copyright Succession H Matisse/Copyright Agnecy.[/caption] HENRI MATISSE: WOMAN BY A WINDOW (c. 1920-22) As you look over the art of Matisse, one of the most common motifs that repeatedly appears is his use of open windows. Following the end of the war, a despondent Matisse retreated to southern France where he found inspiration within the soft colour palette and charming interiors of the region. Turning his hotel rooms into art studios, these intimate quarters provided him with a new creative drive that became emblematic of his art. "[Matisse] was inspired by the southern light and painted a series of light-filled hotel rooms facing the sea," explains NGA's Curator of International Painting & Sculpture Simeran Maxwell. "When Picasso paid homage to Matisse after his death, he used this distinctive device in his own paintings." [caption id="attachment_756092" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Reading', Pablo Picasso (1932). Musée Picasso, Paris. Copyright Succession Picasso/Copyright Agency. Photo: RMN Grand Palais[/caption] PABLO PICASSO: READING (1932) Throughout Matisse and Picasso's lengthy careers, the various women in their lives often became the subjects of their artworks. Reading features one of Picasso's most adored muses, Marie-Thérèse Walter, whose face and figure was interpreted in a variety of ways through dozens of paintings and sculptures. Reading also demonstrates a significant change in artistic direction for the Spanish artist, showcasing his newfound interest in bold colours and patterning — a style that Matisse had been using to great effect within his artwork. [caption id="attachment_756096" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Seated odalisque', Henry Marisse (1926). Gift of Adele R Levy Fund Inc 1962, The Metropolitan Museum of Arts, New York. Copyright Succession H Matisse/Copyright Agency.[/caption] HENRI MATISSE: SEATED ODALISQUE (1926) Following trips to Morocco in 1912 and 1913, Matisse became fascinated by the bright clothing, distinct architecture and the daily life of the locals, which was so foreign to him having only experienced life in France. One way that the North African experience influenced his artwork was the inclusion of models dressed as odalisques — members of harems — alongside vibrant textiles that he had collected during his visit. For this work, Matisse "uses an appliquéd wall hanging as a backdrop for model Henriette Darricarrère dressed in Moroccan pantaloons and a sheer blouse," explains Maxmwell. [caption id="attachment_756102" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'The studio', Pablo Picasso (1955). Presented by Gustav and Elly Kahnweiler 1974. Accessioned 1994, Tate. Copyright Succession Picasso/Copyright Agency.[/caption] PABLO PICASSO: THE STUDIO (1955) Over two weeks in 1955, Picasso painted 11 canvases of the studio in his Cannes villa known as La Californie. While the idea of the artist within the studio was something that Picasso explored many times during his career, this series stands out as the structure of the building is the central focus of the work. With the studio one of the subjects that often appeared in Matisse's work, it's been suggested that Picasso created this series in direct response to his contemporary's death the previous year. As Maxwell describes it, "One of Matisse's longstanding subjects was an interior scene with a view through a window. Here Picasso adopts this idea, as homage to his late rival." [caption id="attachment_756101" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Annelies', Henri Matisse. Purchased 1981, National Gallery of Australia. Copyright Succession H Matisse/Copyright Agency.[/caption] HENRI MATISSE: ANNELIES (1946) Matisse was best known for his colourful paintings and sculptures. But he often expressed the belief that drawing was the most intimate way to translate a subject onto the page. In 1946, he met Dutch model and artist Annelies Nelck, who would spend six years living with Matisse and posing for his artwork. "He would repeatedly draw the model from all possible angles with a deliberate, confident and clean series of lines," explains Maxwell. "When viewed in order, it would appear as if Matisse had been circling his model as he worked." Matisse described this process of repetitive and intensive creative process as "a cinema film of a series of visions". Matisse & Picasso is on display at the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra until April 13, 2020. Tickets and exhibition information are available on the NGA website. Top images: Installation view of Matisse & Picasso, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, © Succession Picasso/Copyright Agency 2019, © Succession H. Matisse/Copyright Agency 2019.
Pirates of Australia: prepare to panic and startle the parrot perched on your rough, sea dog shoulder. The Pirate Bay, the worst enabler of petty criminality in Australia (probably), will be blocked in the next 15 days. According to ABC News, in a case before the Federal Court of Australia, Foxtel and Village Roadshow have asked for five major torrent sites, including The Pirate Bay, to be blocked by major internet service providers. Other sites include Torrentz, TorrentHound, IsoHunt and SolarMovie. It'll be up to the ISPs to decide how to do the blocking. In what is presumably favourable news for piraters, the ISPs haven't been granted a rolling injunction, which means new sites can't be added to the block list as they spring up. This means mirroring can (and most probably will) spring up, making the whole legal exercise a little redundant. One commenter on the ABC post offered their experience of similar legal orders in the UK. What the lack of rolling injunction means is that if a site like TorrentHound (which doesn't actually exist anymore), closes down and restarts under a different name, they will have to go back to court to shut it down. It's been noted (again and again, mind you) that VPNs are an easy and cheap way around the blocks, but Graham Burke — co-chief executive of Village Roadshow, who, as well as being one of the copyright-holding applicants, have also proposed a plan to fine illegal downloaders — told the ABC he doesn't think they are a significant issue. "The experience overseas is not many people use VPNs because they cost money as well," he told ABC News. Sure thing. While the outcome of this court case doesn't worry most people — and there's nothing in the act that mentions any fines or penalties for people who try to access the blocked sites — the precedent has been set, so it'll be easier in future to litigate. In a live Facebook video chat, ABC journalists Will Ockenden and Jake Sturmer note that piracy rates have dropped since sites like Presto, Netflix and Stan have become widely available in Australia, so it's possible a solution is out there. What did they expect, though? Australia was colonised by a steady stream of low-key crims from the start. If they could have downloaded bread in the 1700s, you know the convicts would have been racing home every Monday to download the latest tastiest loaf from HBO. Via ABC News.
Over the past few years, as the music world has lost many an icon, we've all developed a routine. When terrible news arrives, Spotify and YouTube get quite the workout as well all immerse ourselves in tunes and videos. Sound familiar? For Brisbanites looking to extend their cathartic listening and viewing to a public place, that's where Kristian Fletcher's tribute nights come in. With the passing of Dolores O'Riordan, he's heading to the New Globe Theatre and cranking out The Cranberries' tracks on their big screen. Yes, you do have to let it linger as the Irish band's songs well and truly get in your head from 6.30pm on January 25. Entry is free, the bar will be open, and the lineup includes back-to-back music videos followed by a recording of The Cranberries in concert.
Ever been so caught up in work, sleep or staring blankly into space that you've missed a huge piece of breaking news, only to discover something big has happened when you later log onto Facebook and notice everyone's changed their profile picture and talking about something you definitely do not understand? Those are the times you wish a mate had just sent you a little nudge to say that, "hey, X world event is happening right now — you probs need to know about it" or "X is doing a free gig tonight" to save you looking like a fool at the water cooler the next morning at work. Well, ABC News is now that friend. All you have to do is start up a convo with them on Facebook Messenger and they'll keep you updated on the latest news through some sneaky text messages. It's called ABC News on Facebook Messenger (fitting, really), and it's the broadcaster's newest way to deliver personalised news to its audience on mobile. All you have to do is find ABC News on Messenger (you can just search for them) and start up a conversation. Then, they'll send you the latest news updates through short, snappy messages in a conversational format — just like a really, really informed friend. It's very similar to the Quartz's news service, which does basically the same thing but through their own dedicated app. The best thing about having a personal convo with the ABC — the news is put together by their digital editorial team and the service is powered by a third-party bot Chatfuel — is that you can choose what news you want to get notified about. If you want a summary of what's happened while you've been sleeping, you can choose to get one sent to you as your alarm goes off. Or, perhaps you just want to get alerts when the really big stuff happens? You can opt in for the too. You can also choose alerts for sport teams you follow, long-form news or stories that involve puppies. You can also just start up the convo at any time to see what's happening. The service was rolled out yesterday after a successful trial. You can find out more and sign up here.
When you're going through the motions of your morning skincare routine — likely a little bleary-eyed as you've only just woken up and haven't had a coffee yet — it can be easy to forget how much work, passion and science have gone into that substance you're smearing all over your money-maker. Clarins is setting out to change that. The plant-based French beauty brand has designed an interactive virtual laboratory, which will be popping up on a screen near you from 5pm on Wednesday, May 4. The digital space offers visitors the chance to delve into the history of Clarins, learn all about the research that backs its products — including the pioneering Double Serum, which contains a whopping 21 plant extracts — and play games for the chance to win luxe skincare-centric prizes. Up for grabs is a year's worth of Clarins skincare (to keep you looking fresh and your skin glowy), a 75ml Double Serum for 30 winners as well as samples galore so you can quickly add a dose of plant-based science to your skin routine. With a prize pool worth over $110,000, it's the perfect chance to join the fun. Hurry along, the virtual laboratory's doors are only open for a limited time (that is, until the prizes run out or Tuesday, May 17). The Clarins virtual laboratory pop-up is free to visit and will be open from 5pm, Wednesday, May 4, until prizes run out or Tuesday, May 17. Happen to find yourself in Sydney? Head to the Clarins Herbarium on Pitt Street for an IRL beauty experience.
For Queenslanders, Bundaberg Rum is the nectar of the gods. To its most devoted admirers, it is known as 'sugarcane champagne', a colloquial fan term that Bundy has now officially co-signed in a new 'sparkling' beverage the distillery is releasing in partnership with Uber Eats. The creation is called Maison de Bundy's Blanc de Cane, a faux-pretentious riff on champagne house nomenclature, and is an alcoholic ginger beer made with white Queensland cane spirit and Bundaberg Ginger Beer. Not to be confused with the Dark 'n' Stormy, this drop doesn't actually contain rum per se — rather, white cane spirit is the base spirit used to make rum. The resulting beverage is super sweet, extremely easy to drink (4% ABV) and is best served cold on ice with a squeeze of lime. The good news for rum fans and Bundy collectors: They're giving the stuff away for free. This Friday, June 10 and Saturday, June 11 at Leonards and Dawn in Brisbane, The Civic Hotel in Sydney and The Sporting Globe in Melbourne (the Richmond location), you can turn up, show bar staff the Uber Eats app on your phone along with proof of ID and you'll get a free 640ml bottle. The bad news? Maison de Bundy's Blanc de Cane comes in an extremely limited run of one thousand bottles so you'll want to set your alarm. It will be available in the aforementioned venues from 5pm on Friday until they're all gone. There are people out there who will line up for these like BTS fans lining up for concert tickets. One thousand Maison de Bundy's Blanc de Cane will be available across selected Australian venues. Just show your Uber Eats app and proof of ID to claim a 640ml bottle this Friday, June 10 and Saturday, June 11.
Bill Murray. Zombies. As movie-goers learned ten years ago, it's a winning combination. But Zombieland is no longer the only way to see the beloved film star enter the realm of the shuffling undead. Thanks to upcoming comedy The Dead Don't Die, Murray dwells in a world of re-animated corpses once more — and it's now his job to fight them. The latest flick from filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, this zom-com spends time with a trio of small-town cops (Murray, Adam Driver and Chloë Sevigny), who discover that their new case has quite the twist. As the movie's first trailer tells us, "in this peaceful town, on these quiet streets, something terrifying, something horrifying is coming". Yes, that something is zombies, the undead or ghouls, as Driver's character explains. Cue plenty of comic battles against brain-munching foes, as well as plenty of appearances by famous folks — including Tilda Swinton, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover, Caleb Landry Jones, Rosie Perez, Sara Driver, Selena Gomez and Carol Kane, plus Iggy Pop, RZA and Tom Waits. Murray (Coffee and Cigarettes, Broken Flowers), Driver (Paterson), Swinton (Only Lovers Left Alive) and Buscemi (Mystery Train) have all worked with Jarmusch before, as has the movie's trio of musicians, but don't go expecting something familiar here. As all of the above flicks have shown, and Night on Earth, Dead Man, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai and documentary Gimme Danger too, the writer/director has never been fond of making the same film twice. The Dead Don't Die will hit Aussie cinemas on October 24. But if you're in Sydney, you can catch it at this year's Sydney Film Festival, where it will screen over three sessions on June 14, 15 and 16. There are still tickets available to them, so we recommend booking them in now. In the interim, prepare for a wacky yet deadpan addition to the zombie fold, complete with Murray hanging out in a cemetery and Swinton playing a sword-wielding mortician. Check out the deadly trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs5ZOcU6Bnw The Dead Don't Die will hit Australian cinemas on October 24, 2019. It will also screen at Sydney Film Festival on June 14, 15 and 16. You can get those tickets here. Updated: May 20, 2019.
UPDATE, Friday, January 12, 2024: Killers of the Flower Moon streams via Apple TV+ from Friday, January 12, and via Google Play, YouTube Movies and Prime Video. Death comes to Killers of the Flower Moon quickly. Death comes to Killers of the Flower Moon often. While Martin Scorsese will later briefly fill the film's frames with a fiery orange vision — with what almost appears to be a lake of flames deep in oil country, as dotted with silhouettes of men — death blazes through his 26th feature from the moment that the picture starts rolling. Adapted from journalist David Grann's 2017 non-fiction novel Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, with the filmmaker himself and Dune's Eric Roth penning the screenplay, this is a masterpiece of a movie about a heartbreakingly horrible spate of deaths sparked by pure and unapologetic greed and persecution a century back. Scorsese's two favourite actors in Leonardo DiCaprio (Don't Look Up) and Robert De Niro (Amsterdam) are its stars, alongside hopefully his next go-to in Lily Gladstone (Reservation Dogs), but murder and genocide are as much at its centre — all in a tale that's devastatingly true. As Mollie Kyle, a member of the Osage Nation in Grey Horse, Oklahoma, incomparable Certain Women standout Gladstone talks through some of the movie's homicides early. Before her character meets DiCaprio's World War I veteran Ernest Burkhart — nephew to De Niro's cattle rancher and self-proclaimed 'king of the Osage' William King Hale — she notes that several Indigenous Americans that have been killed, with Mollie mentioning a mere few to meet untimely ends. There's nothing easy about this list, nor is there meant to be. Some are found dead, others seen laid out for their eternal rest, and each one delivers a difficult image. But a gun fired at a young mother pushing a pram inspires a shock befitting a horror film. The genre fits here, in its way, as do many others: American crime saga, aka the realm that Scorsese has virtually made his own, as well as romance, relationship drama, western, true crime and crime procedural. Although this chapter of history has hardly been splashed across the screen with frequency, its new place among the iconic director's filmography helps him to continue making a statement that he's been beaming at audiences for most of his filmmaking life. The specifics differ from flick to flick, but Scorsese keeps surveying the appallingly corrupt and violent deeds done in the pursuit of power, wealth and influence. He constantly peers into humanity's souls, seeing some of its worst impulses staring back. Indeed, there's no doubting that Killers of the Flower Moon hails from the same person as Goodfellas, Casino and Gangs of New York, or The Wolf of Wall Street and The Irishman, too. It also easily belongs on a filmography with entries as varied as Raging Bull, The Age of Innocence, Kundun, The Departed and Shutter Island. Between them, DiCaprio and De Niro have starred in most of those movies. Now, they combine for the first time in a Scorsese feature to basically rekindle their This Boy's Life dynamic from three decades back, all while plumbing the depths of money-coveting men chasing land rights, aka Osage headrights, through a cruel, brutal and disarmingly patient plan. "The finest, the wealthiest and the most beautiful people on god's earth" is how Hale describes the Osage Nation to Ernest when the latter is freshly back on US soil, off the train in Fairfax and getting reacquainted with his uncle. Those riches stem from being pushed out of Kansas, resettled, then striking black gold in a stroke of good fortune that brings more misfortune. Hale wants a piece and more, and gets seemingly every other white man in Oklahoma joining his pursuit. In an extraordinary performance, De Niro gives Hale quietly formidable potency — the kind that doesn't need raised voices or a weapon to command a room, evoke unease and enforce his might. Scorsese lets the outwardly supportive, not-so-privately manipulative town anchor become the open villain almost instantly. Killers of the Flower Moon isn't a whodunnit, but rather a living-with-knowing-who's-doing-it film. It tells its atrocity-filled tale about evil in plain sight carefully, exactingly and unhurriedly — earning each and every one of its 206 minutes — with narrative inevitably breeding suspense and emotional tension. Sporting an injured gut from combat, Ernest turns to chauffeuring to make a living under Hale's wing. When he begins driving the graceful and stately Mollie, his uncle has already laid out his scheme to get Osage property and wealth gushing their family's way. Still, everything about Ernest and Mollie's romance is genuine. DiCaprio and Gladstone are exquisite, including when their characters are flirting over cab rides and storm-backdropped sips of whiskey, resting their foreheads together in a gesture that gets them saying everything without saying anything, and stealing other silently happy moments. But the bodies keep mounting, with many of Mollie's nearest and dearest — such as her sisters Minnie (Jillian Dion, Alaska Daily), Anna (Cara Jade Myers, Rutherford Falls) and Reta (Janae Collins, Reservation Dogs), plus their mother Lizzie Q (Tantoo Cardinal, Three Pines) — in Hale's way. While the gangster-film label mightn't fit Killers of the Flower Moon as neatly as Mean Streets and company, this is still a gangster film. Scorsese is in his element, not that he's ever been out of it on any feature that isn't a gangster flick — but that's never the only place that he wants to be. As cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto (Barbie) lenses both the eye-catching landscape and dark interiors, editor Thelma Schoonmaker (who has done his splicing since Raging Bull) gives the movie its meticulous pacing and the now-late Robbie Robertson (who starred in Scorsese music documentary The Last Waltz as part of The Band) imparts a slinkily propulsive beat amid a pitch-perfectly anxious score, this is also a movie of blistering anger and interrogation. As the saga of Ernest, Mollie, Hale and pervasive death always thrums at its core, so does a reckoning. Killers of the Flower Moon carves into the injustices of America's past, plus their impact upon the present, to stress the blood and bones that the US was built upon. It sees how much about today ties back to its tragedy of oppression and slaughter, how distressingly familiar this situation is around the world and, in a stunner of a coda, how such realities are regularly exploited rather than addressed. Bold and brilliant, epic yet intimate, ambitious and absorbing, as meaningful as it is monumental, a quintessential Martin Scorsese movie: every single one applies to Killers of the Flower Moon. It's also rich and riveting in each touch and instant, from building its lived-in portrait of the 1920s midwest to the magnificent cast that also spans Jesse Plemons (Love & Death) as a federal investigator — even if the Birth of the FBI part of the feature's source material is scaled down — and both John Lithgow (Sharper) and Brendan Fraser (The Whale) as lawyers. Three and a half hours almost doesn't seem long enough to spend revelling in this superbly complicated film, or to confront the many difficult truths explored. It definitely isn't long enough with its three outstanding key players, who each turn in shattering portrayals whether playing it slick, nervy or soulful. Killers of the Flower Moon is steeped in so much heartwrenching death, and unforgettably so, yet it could't have been better brought to on-screen life.
The past year and a half hasn't delivered many reasons to laugh. It hasn't seen many big-name international comedians hit our stages to try to get us giggling and guffawing, either. And, if you wanted to end 2021 by chucking at Bill Bailey, that isn't going to happen either. Back in May, the British favourite announced that he was bringing his En Route to Normal tour to our shores this October and November, which would've marked three years since he last had the country in stitches back in 2018. But those plans have just changed due to Australia's COVID-19 restrictions, so you'll need to wait until September, October and November 2022 instead. Known for everything from Have I Got News for You and QI to Spaced, Hot Fuzz and Skins — and Black Books, obviously — Bailey will be pondering some of life's big questions during his delayed En Route to Normal sets. And, while the pandemic is certain to get a mention, he actually named the show before lockdowns, social distancing and always knowing how many active cases are in your state became our current definition of normal. Bailey will still kick off the tour in Queensland, before making his way — and taking his distinctive locks — to Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Plus, in some states, he won't just be sticking to capital cities. Tickets for 2021 dates will be transferred over to their new 2022 equivalents. [caption id="attachment_812863" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andy Hollingworth[/caption] BILL BAILEY EN ROUTE TO NORMAL TOUR 2022: September 22 — Empire Theatre , Toowoomba September 24 — The Events Centre, Caloundra September 25, 27–28 — QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane September 30 — Star Theatre, Gold Coast October 3–4 — Riverside Theatre, Perth October 6 — Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, Mandurah October 9 — Wrest Point Entertainment Centre, Hobart October 10 — Princess Theatre, Launceston October 12–13 — Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide October 15 — Costa Hall, Geelong October 17–18 — Wollongong Town Hall, Wollongong October 20–22 — Palais Theatre, Melbourne October 26–28 — State Theatre, Sydney October 30–31 — Civic Theatre, Newcastle November 1 — Coliseum Theatre, Sydney November 3 — Civic Hall, Ballarat November 4 — Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo November 5 — Royal Theatre, Canberra Bill Bailey's En Route to Normal tour will make its way around the country between September–November 2022. For further information and tickets, head to the tour website. Top image: Brian Marks via Wikimedia Commons.
What's better than a film festival that brings the best and brightest new Japanese movies to Australian cinemas each year? One that also returns a few months later with a solely digital lineup that you can check out from your couch. Yes, after the IRL Japanese Film Festival last hit locations around the country in late 2021, it's now time for the Japanese Film Festival Online for 2022, aka your next excuse to indulge in your Japan obsession without hopping on a plane. This year's online program spans 17 films over two weeks, screening from Monday, February 14–Sunday, February 27. That gives you plenty of choices, plus ample time to catch comedies, mysteries, dramas, documentaries and more — some from the past year or two, others dating back to 2008. And, in particularly exceptional news, they're all streaming for free. Highlights include the food focused Mio's Cookbook and The God of Ramen, with the former offering up a period drama about a young chef and the latter honing in on famed Tokyo figure Kazuo Yamagishi; mystery Masked Ward, which unleashes its thrills and twists in a hospital; It's A Summer Film, about a high schooler obsessed with old samurai flicks; and comedy Happy Flight, as set during an emergency flight from Tokyo to Honolulu. While you won't pay a thing to watch, you do still need to register via the fest's website.
From moonlit rooftops to moody underground dens, Brisbane almost has it all when it comes to bars. But this hasn't stopped a horde of new and inventive ones from opening this year. A adults-only arcade bar pairing vintage prizes with alcoholic bubble teas, a specialty gin bar in a food truck bark and the city's only inner-city microdistillery with over 100 rums. This year's newbies are nothing if not diverse. At Concrete Playground we encourage exploration and showcase innovation in our city every day, so we thought it fitting to reward those most talented whippersnappers pushing Brisbane to be a better, braver city. So, these six new bars were nominated for Best New Bar in Concrete Playground's Best of 2018 Awards. You can check out all the winners here.
The second season of House of the Dragon might've come to an end, but HBO has plenty more must-sees on the way to fill your viewing schedule until its third round of Targaryen feuds arrives. The Last of Us season two, The White Lotus season three, fellow Game of Thrones prequel A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, IT prequel series Welcome to Derry: they're just some of the shows that'll have you hearing the US network's famous static-filled intro again. Can't wait for another wander through a world infected with Cordyceps? To see a seemingly idyllic holiday prove anything but again? For more time in Westeros? To be creeped out by an evil clown once more, too? Sadly, none of the above series are due to premiere imminently — they're all set for 2025 — but HBO has dropped a new trailer with footage from all of them. The American station does this periodically — back in December 2023, it also unveiled a glimpse at its 2024–25 slate — but this one includes the first new scenes from some of its keenly anticipated hits. With The Last of Us, not just Pedro Pascal (Drive-Away Dolls) and Bella Ramsey (Catherine Called Birdy) but also new cast member Catherine O'Hara (Argylle) make an appearance, for instance. And with The White Lotus — which stars Walton Goggins (Fallout), Carrie Coon (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire), Jason Isaacs (The Crowded Room), Michelle Monaghan (MaXXXine), Leslie Bibb (Palm Royale) and Parker Posey (Mr & Mrs Smith) — in its third season — "what happens in Thailand stays in Thailand", viewers are told. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms comes to the screen from George RR Martin's novella series Tales of Dunk and Egg, and has been talked about for a few years. The story follows knight Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire Egg as they wander Westeros a century before the events of GoT, when the Targaryens remain on the Iron Throne and everyone still remembers dragons. As for Welcome to Derry, it returns to Stephen King's go-to Maine town, stepping through the locale's scares before the terror that viewers have already seen. HBO's new trailer also spans 2024 releases The Penguin, Dune: Prophecy, The Franchise and documentary Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos, alongside the third seasons of Industry and The Sex Lives of College Girls, plus the fourth of My Brilliant Friend. From its 2025 slate, look out for more And Just Like That... and The Gilded Age as well, plus newcomers The Pitt with ER veteran Noah Wylie and Duster with Lost's Josh Holloway. Watch HBO's latest 2024–25 roundup trailer below: The Last of Us season two doesn't yet have a release date, other than sometime in 2025. When it returns, it'll stream via Binge in Australia and on Neon in New Zealand. Read our review of the first season. Images: HBO.
This weekend the world was brought to a standstill by a horrific attack on a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Fifty people were tragically killed and another 53 injured in the shooting. Vigils have sprung up the world over, with everywhere from New York to Paris to Tel Aviv paying their respects to the victims and the LGBTQI community. Last night, Australia held its own countrywide tribute. Vigils were held in Sydney's inner-west suburb of Newtown and the rainbow corner of Gertrude and Smith Streets in Melbourne, and landmarks were lit up in all our capital cities. Below, we've collected some of the best photos of Australian landmarks lit up in support of the victims and LGBTQI pride. SYDNEY We offer our condolences to those affected by the Orlando attack. The Sydney Harbour Bridge now has rainbow colours. pic.twitter.com/rNOpLIClq5 — Sydney Water (@SydneyWaterNews) June 13, 2016 We grieve and stand with you #Orlando pic.twitter.com/7jXxdekv0T — Mike Baird (@mikebairdMP) June 13, 2016 Here's our pink Sydney Town Hall as it gets darker #Orlando pic.twitter.com/7kKOueTQ0E — Clover Moore (@CloverMoore) June 13, 2016 MELBOURNE As a mark of respect for those touched by the attack in Orlando. Town Hall is lit in the rainbow #LoveIsLove. pic.twitter.com/awcHsgdFVr — City of Melbourne (@cityofmelbourne) June 13, 2016 In honour of the #Orlando victims & LGBTI people everywhere, our Spire will be lit in rainbow colours tonight. pic.twitter.com/y7cV2EIaah — Arts Centre Melb (@artscentremelb) June 13, 2016 BRISBANE Bloody sensational work Brissy, what a joint. Wonderful people and wonderful sentiment. #LoveWinspic.twitter.com/IN43f4gEXb — Dan Anstey (@Dan_Anstey) June 13, 2016 ADELAIDE A photo posted by Cetina Illies ♏️ GypsyAtHeart (@missci17) on Jun 13, 2016 at 6:58am PDT Top image: Sydney Water News via Twitter.
Aaron Hobson has taken some breathtaking landscape photographs of remote locations scattered across the globe, and all without leaving the comfort of his own computer screen. From the haunting energy of undisturbed forests in France to roads that wrap around mountainous Spain, Hobson has captured each of these picturesque moments using Google Street View. Hobson says that he began using Google Street View to discover possible shooting locations for a film, but soon found himself clicking away for miles along deserted roads, all for his own pleasure. He also says that he uses Google Street View in High Definition, so that the photographs only require a few minutes of editing before they are put on show. His work has garnered so much attention that last week his website buckled under the pressure of 50,000 views in one day. This isn't the first time that Google Street View has been used to create an artistic work. Last week we featured the remarkable Address is Approximate, a stop motion animation film by Tom Jenkins. This film uses a clever combination of Google Street View and everyday objects to create a quirky sense of travel and distance. The use of Google Street View by these online explorers proves that the world is now literally in the palm of our hands. [via Mashable]
Uber's really gunning on the whole transportable goods monopoly, huh. Transport's youngest taxi-threatening empire moved to explore the billion-dollar food delivery market, after the recent Messina delivery hootenanny (which didn't actually work for hundred of new Uber — Newber? — users). But that type of gimmicky PR stunt is going one step further into an actual delivery service: lunch delivered by taxi driver, in under ten minutes. UberFresh is the idea, with the plan to make Uber drivers into the ultimate vehicular-based slashie: equal parts taxi driver and delivery person. Planning to take you "happy to hungry in under ten minutes", the service is capitalising on that bout of hanger that sets in when your delivery snail takes an age to show up. But you can't just order any ol' extravagant, slow-cooked short rib for lunch and expect it to show up in ten. UberFresh works on a limited menu, daily specials restricted to sandwiches, salads or soups from local businesses (with a little side cookie thrown in). You'll have to meet the driver on the street to pick up your lunch, but you just skipped a 20-minute lunch line, so hush. The UberFresh program is currently only available in Santa Monica and on weekdays until September 5. Plans to bring the service to Australia or New Zealand haven't yet been announced, but with the rising rates of Uber users (and the anger at Cabcharge's sneaky extra fees) rising, shouldn't be too long before your lunch is just ten minutes away. Delivery.com and Seamless probably need new pants. Via Grub Street.
When Milky Lane opened in Bondi back in 2016, it immediately generated a cult following. Thanks to its calorific concoctions, casual any-night-of-the-week vibe and celebrity endorsements, the venue has become a go-to for many Sydneysiders when an indulgent meal is a must. The chain made the jump to the Gold Coast in 2018 but, for Brisbanites, the slog down south can be long and painful (albeit worthwhile once the mega shake and burger-induced coma hits). Thankfully, there's now a solution a lot closer to home, with the team is opening a new venue at Gasworks Newstead on Wednesday, September 11. The formula has remained pretty much the same across Milky Lane's six stores so far, with five in Sydney and one in Queensland to date. On the menu: artery-clogging burgers, loaded fries and shakes. Hey, if it ain't broke. Graffiti typically lines the walls, transforming the burg joint into the sort of place that instantly makes you feel cool by association. And as for culinary favourites, there's the fried chicken Chic Kanye burger, the bacon-stuffed Kevin Bacon burg, mac 'n' cheese croquettes, deep-fried Golden Gaytimes and Kit Kat Choc Fudge Booze Shake cocktails, among others. The venue is sizeable, too, seating 200 burger fiends both inside and out. It's also mighty close to the other burg, shake and dessert-swilling eatery in the area, Betty's Burgers — but we all know how much Brissie loves meat between two pieces of bread, hefty piles of fries, milky drinks and over-the-top sweet treats. Milky Lane Brisbane opens at Gasworks, 76 Skyring Terrace, Newstead, at midday on Wednesday, September 11. For further details, visit the chain's website — or keep an eye on the store's Facebook page. Images: Milky Lane Bondi by Bodhi Liggett.
By now, you've probably mastered the art of pickling and tried your hand at bread baking. And sure, becoming a whiz in the kitchen is great and all, but sometimes it's important to treat yourself a little — even when you're spending so much time at home. Whether you've finally organised your bookshelf, reached that work deadline or just made it through the day, it's worth celebrating the small wins. So, next time you're in need of a little at-home indulgence, crack open a bottle of bubbly and order yourself a tray of some of the finest oysters around thanks to East 33's new next-day delivery service. A collective of Australia's major Sydney rock oyster farmers located along the NSW coast, East 33 usually supplies some of the country's — and the world's — top restaurants. But in light of the impact that COVID-19 and corresponding restrictions have had on pubs, restaurants and bars, East 33 has changed tact with its new service 33 Delivery, meaning you can have a fine dining experience from your couch. If you're an oyster fan, you already know that Sydney rocks are considered some of the best of the bivalves. And, for a limited time, East 33's dropping them to your door at reasonable prices. Do yourself, your partner or your housemates a favour and order some stat. You can either get them shucked or unshucked, with prices starting at $59 for a tray of two dozen. If you want to sample Sydney rocks from up and down the coastline, opt for the East 33 Tasting Kit ($69) which features eight from northern NSW, including Nambucca, Hastings River and Camden Haven; eight from the central coast regions of Port Stephens, Manning River and Wallis Lake; and eight from the south coast areas of Merimbula, Pambula and Lake Wapengo. Next-day delivery (except Sunday) is available a range of Brisbane suburbs for a flat rate of $10. To see all delivery locations, head to East 33's website. East 33's new next-day delivery service is available across a heap of Brisbane suburbs for a limited time only. For more information and to place your order, visit the company's website.
Haunting strains of bluegrass music flow through Belgium's tear-jerking entry to last year's Academy Awards. Such mournful melodies are a fitting accompaniment to the story, about two musicians whose marriage begins to crumble after their daughter succumbs to terminal cancer. Despite the miserable subject matter, writer-director Felix Van Groeningen eschews unchecked histrionics for honest, bittersweet emotion. Actors Johan Heldenbergh and Veerle Baetens have devastating chemistry as shell-shocked parents Didier and Elise. A banjo-playing cowboy and a music-loving tattoo-artist respectively, they're a free-spirited pair brought crashing down to earth by six-year-old Maybelle's unexpected diagnosis. The best moments in the movie are undoubtedly the songs; a mix of classics and original compositions performed in key scenes by Didier, Elise and their band. In these moments in particular, Van Groeningen finds his harmony between beauty, sorrow and joy. Read our full review here. The Broken Circle Breakdown is in cinemas on Thursday, May 15, and thanks to Entertainment One, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=raaHRyBtIEo
When Portside Wharf announced that big changes were in the works back in late 2022, complete with exciting new eateries on the way, the riverside precinct wasn't kidding around. Also last year, the restaurateur behind Opa Bar + Mezze, Massimo Restaurant, Yamas Greek + Drink and George's Paragon revealed plans to open a seafood venue, Fosh, at the Hamilton spot this coming March. And, from April, the waterside space will now welcome the Gold Coast's Rise Bakery as well. Rise Bakery first launched at Sanctuary Cove back in 2022, with its French-style pastries quickly proving a hit on the coast. So, French-born chef pâtissier Adrien Marcinowski and fellow chef Maxime Bournazel are doing what plenty of popular eateries on the Glitter Strip have in the past: capitalising upon that success by expanding up to Brisbane. This will be the first Brissie outpost for the company, which means bringing its croissants and other pastries to the River City. Customers can expect pains au chocolat and artisan bread as well, all served up in a space that'll span across 75 square meters indoors and an extra 80 square metres over an al fresco terrace — to make the most of the waterfront location. Even better: Rise Bakery's Portside venue will feature a champagne bar for sips over croissants and cakes. "Enjoying a freshly made pâtisserie with champagne is something everyone should experience," said Bournazel, announcing the bakery's Brisbane move. "Rise Bakery was born out of our desire to recreate an authentic experience of visiting pâtisseries and boulangeries with loved ones, just like we did growing up in France, from design and atmosphere to taste," Bournazel continued. "We have been fortunate to be able to do this with Rise Bakery on the Gold Coast and look forward to offering the same experience to Brisbane customers at Portside Wharf." Marcinowski and Bournazel were drawn to Portside because it reminded them of the French Riviera, and Rise's new location will feature design nods in the same direction. The interior will go big on white and soft pink hues, plus gold accents — both indoors and out. Drinks-wise, as well as champagne, Portside visitors will be able to sip Tavalon's tea, as well as locally roasted caffeinated brews from Bear Bones Coffee. Find Rise Bakery at Portside Wharf, 39 Hercules Street, Hamilton, from sometime in April 2023 — we'll update you with an exact launch date when one is announced.
In March this year, Lin-Manuel Miranda's game-changing musical Hamilton made its way to Australia. Yes, finally. Until then, local fans had to be content with obsessing over the 11-time Tony-winning show from afar — or, since mid-2020, enjoying the filmed version of its Broadway production. But thankfully that all changed when the blockbuster production hit the Sydney Lyric Theatre, where it has been unfurling its tale of 18th-century American politics for a few months now. That's obviously a great situation for Sydneysiders, and for anyone willing to make the trip to the New South Wales capital for a night of rousing theatre. If you're in those two categories, you can currently be in the room where it happens. But if you're a Melburnian, it looks like even better news is coming. Sometime in 2022 — perhaps as early as March — Melbourne residents might get their shot to see Hamilton on home turf. Although an official announcement hasn't yet been made, the production is expected to make its way to Victoria next year, The Age is reporting. If it does debut in March as suggested, it'll do so a year after it premiered in Sydney, with Her Majesty's Theatre its likely home in Melbourne. It's anticipated that official word will come soon — possibly by the end of this month, in fact. If you're up to date on the Australian theatre scene's recent announcements, though, you might've anticipated this news. Other big musicals, such as The Book of Mormons, have toured the country after their big local premiere seasons. Also, earlier this week, it was announced that the Mary Poppins musical would float into the Sydney Lyric Theatre from May next year — and obviously the venue can't host two shows at once. Haven't become a Hamilton obsessive yet? Not quite sure why it has been one of the most-talked about theatre shows of the past six years? The critically acclaimed hip hop musical, for which Miranda wrote the music, lyrics and the book, is about the life of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, as well as inclusion and politics in current-day America. As well as its swag of Tony Awards, which includes Best Musical, it has nabbed a Grammy Award and even a Pulitzer Prize. This won't be Miranda's first musical to come to Melbourne, with his take on the classic 2000s film Bring It On: The Musical hitting the city in 2018. In the meantime, Melburnians can watch the filmed version of Hamilton with the original Broadway cast on Disney+ — and yes, it's as phenomenal as you've heard. Sydneysiders, if you haven't yet booked yourself in to see the musical, you might want to get in quickly. And Brisbanites, start crossing your fingers that Hamilton plans a move up north after its Melbourne season. Hamilton is expected to stage a Melbourne season in 2022. We'll update you with further details if and when they're announced — and you can keep an eye on the musical's website in the interim. Via: The Age. Images: Hamilton, Broadway. Photos by Joan Marcus.
Whether or not you believe that time is a flat circle — and everything we've ever done or will do, we're gonna do over and over and over and over again, too — watching new True Detective episodes is about to become a reality again. January 2024 will mark ten years since the HBO series first started, and five years since it dropped its third season. So, there's clearly no better point for True Detective: Night Country to arrive. This six-episode fourth season will focus on a new cop duo: detectives Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster, The Mauritanian) and Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis, Catch the Fair One). In the show's two trailers so far, this pair isn't happy to be working together; however, they've got an icy mystery to solve. Set in Alaska, True Detective: Night Country follows the aftermath when eight men working at the Tsalal Arctic Research Station in Ennis disappear. Cue calling in the police, and also ample complications, with Danvers and Navarro endeavouring to ascertain what has happened and why. When it hits Down Under on Monday, January 15 — via Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand — True Detective: Night Country will also feature Finn Bennett (Hope Gap), Fiona Shaw (Andor), Christopher Eccleston (Dodger), Isabella Star LaBlanc (Long Slow Exhale) and John Hawkes (Too Old to Die Young) in front of the camera. Behind the lens, every one of the series' six new episodes is written and directed by Tigers Are Not Afraid filmmaker Issa López, with Moonlight's Barry Jenkins an executive producer. Each season of True Detective tells its own tale, so there's no need to catch up on past chapters if you watched the Matthew McConaughey (The Gentlemen)- and Woody Harrelson (White House Plumbers)-led first season in 2014 — as everyone did — but didn't keep up from there. Taylor Kitsch (Painkiller), Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin) and Rachel McAdams (Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret) starred in season two, while Mahershala Ali (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) and Stephen Dorff (The Righteous Gemstones) took over in season three. Check out the two teaser trailers so far for True Detective: Night Country below: True Detective: Night Country will stream in Australia Monday, January 15, 2024 via Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand.
Transport yourself to the Amalfi Coast at the riverfront Italian bar and restaurant Massimo. Indulge in house-made pasta, focaccia and freshly caught seafood while sipping on cocktails and taking in the stunning views of Story Bridge. Massimo originally opened in 2019 but was reborn in July 2022 after being forced to close for refurbishment following flooding in the area. The neutral hues of the past were replaced with vibrant orange and gold accents throughout — a nod to the unmistakable stylings of the Amalfi Coast. The venue retains its marble bar with casual seating at one end and luxe-curtained booths at the other, but they are now adorned with orange and white striped cushions to add to the coastal vibe. For those wanting a more intimate dining experience, the private dining room can accommodate up to 35 guests with views out to Brisbane River and Story Bridge. The menu mirrors the Italian theme with modern takes on classic dishes from the Amalfi Coast. Massimo takes the Italian philosophy of family meals and sharing to the next level with a range of sharing plates and platters for you and your dining companions. For antipasti, tuck into focaccia bread — choose between house, mortadella, stracciatella, pistachio — whipped ricotta dip and caprese di bufala for antipasti. If you're into your oysters, Massimo offers a mixed oyster plate with choices of natural (with lemon), mignonette, cetriolo (pickled cucumber) or lampone (raspberry vinegar pearls). For something a little different, opt for the bloody mary oyster shots — six freshly shucked oysters dropped into a shot of bloody mary — or oyster kilpatrick — six hot oysters with bacon, worcestershire, tomato and tabasco. Massimo doesn't scrimp on the antipasto dishes, either. For cold dishes, there's kingfish ceviche, beer tartare with raw quail egg yolk and truffle stracciatella and raw marron fresh from the tank with ceviche dressing. If you're in the mood for warm dishes, there are scallops topped with breadcrumbs, guanciale and chilli butter, chargrilled prawns in harissa sauce and stuffed three cheese zucchini flowers with fresh tomato salsa. If you don't want to share, there are a range of classic Italian pasta dishes — such as scallops risotto with 'nduja and ricotta or classic veal and pork meatballs. There's also fresh fish from the market or live from the in-restaurant tank and meat dishes, like the 150-day-aged 500gram rib eye on the bone. Finish your meal with a panna cotta (flavour of the day), limoncello semifredo or a classic tiramisu. There is a bottomless lunch package available on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays — diners can choose between the banquet menus (standard or signature) with an upgrade to premium wines and French bubbles.
When SXSW Sydney first started revealing details of its 2025 lineup, it promised more free programming on this year's bill. If you're keen to head along to the event's third year — after making its Harbour City debut in 2023, then returning in 2024 — without spending a cent, you'll want to make a date with Tumbalong Park, then. Again, the spot is playing host to the fest's budget-friendly activities, including everything from live music to movies, as well as DJ sets, talks, fashion showcases, pop-ups and more. Free sessions have always been a component of SXSW Sydney, but adding more was never not going to be a welcome move. Accordingly, after outlining that there'd be a significant expansion of its free programming, the festival has upped its Tumbalong Park lineup to 85-plus hours of events. At SXSW Sydney Unlocked, as the hub has been dubbed, there'll be more than 200 options to engage in the fest between Monday, October 13–Sunday, October 19. This part of the lineup runs every day, but will feature extended hours from Thursday–Sunday. Weekday lunch breaks are a particular focus, spanning programming from 12–1.30pm Monday–Friday, as are happy-hour sessions from 4.30pm Tuesday–Friday. So, SXSW Sydney clearly wants the city to join in whenever suits everyone's daily schedules — and via everything from guest appearances to surprise hosts, too. Highlights include the return of FOMA: Fabrics of Modern Australia on the runway; gigs by Indonesian hip hop stars Tenxi, Filipino folk-pop singer Angela Ken, J-Pop boy band Psychic Fever and Chinese Tencent singer Tia Ray; and Blak to the Future: A Celebration of First Nations Creatives' celebration of Indigenous filmmaking. Or, hit up twilight gigs in the Seymour Centre courtyard, get line-dancing lessons and see a range of country talent — Max Jackson, The Washboard Union, Lewis Love and Big Wheels — at Tumbalong Honky Tonk, and explore the Australian Space Agency's space-themed hub. There's also Small Fry Rock for families, with Grinspoon's Phil Jamieson and Little Birdy's Katy Steele taking to the stage. The Rubens are set to celebrate ten years of 'Hoops', while K-pop is also getting a moment. On the Saturday, if you fancy attending the Games Showcase and Innovation Expo without bothering your wallet, that's also on the agenda. Images: Jess Gleeson, Paul McMillan and Ben Gibson.
Suncorp Stadium will always be home to one of the Matilda's most epic matches, after the Australian national women's soccer team defeated France in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup semi-finals at the Milton venue. For the squad's next game, they're off to Sydney for a semi-final clash with England to hopefully earn a berth in this year's ultimate decider — but if you're keen to watch all the action in a crowd here in Brisbane again, Sam Kerr and company are also taking over Riverstage. Add the riverside amphitheatre within the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens to your out-of-home viewing options at 8pm on Wednesday, August 16, with the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council opening up the spot as a live screening site for the night. Riverstage joins King George Square and South Bank, in what's set to be a busy Ekka public holiday around the River City even if you're not hitting Brisbane Showground for a strawberry sundae. BREAKING: We're helping open the Riverstage so more Queenslanders can cheer on the @TheMatildas in their historic semi-final match against England tomorrow night. Thank you to the Brisbane City Council for their partnership in this. pic.twitter.com/2onGa8YLIt — Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) August 15, 2023 "The Matildas have captured the hearts of Australia and I know all of Queensland is behind them as they head into Wednesday's semi-final. Almost half of the Matilda's side are from Queensland, so it's no wonder we are all getting behind them," said Acting Premier Steven Miles. "We want as many people as possible to cheer on the Tillies, which is why the Lord Mayor and I worked together to open up Riverstage as a screening location." [caption id="attachment_913019" align="alignnone" width="1920"] LittleBlinky via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] "I'm so excited we've been able to work with Deputy Premier Steven Miles to open the Riverstage as an official live site for tomorrow's World Cup semi-final. This will be the biggest game of football in Australia's history," added Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner. "Brisbane residents deserve to have every opportunity to come together and experience the incredible spectacle of our Matildas taking on England. Between the Riverstage, King George Square and the expanded South Bank fan festival, residents will be able to pick whatever venue works best for them to watch the action live and cheer on our incredible Tillies." View this post on Instagram A post shared by CommBank Matildas (@matildas) In total, Brisbane's live sites will be able to welcome in 23,000 soccer fans cheering on Kerr, Caitlin Foord, Ellie Carpenter, Katrina Gorry, Hayley Raso and the rest of the team — and hoping that Mackenzie Arnold doesn't have quite the tense end to the game after the last match's penalty kicks. Riverstage can accommodate 9000 people, while 2000 folks can crowd into King George Square. The existing South Bank Women's World Cup hub at the Riverside Green and South Bank Piazza can fit 5000 people — and the Rainforest Green (1500 football fans), Cultural Forecourt (2,000 viewers), Flowstate Precinct (1500 folks) and River Quay Green (2000 people) will also be used. Will this match beat the last one to become the nation's biggest TV sports event in a decade again? That looks as certain as Brisbane going all in for all things green and gold. The Matildas take on England at 8pm on Wednesday, August 16, with the match playing on the big screen at Brisbane Riverstage — and in King George Square, and also around South Bank. The FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 runs from Thursday, July 20–Sunday, August 20 across Australia and New Zealand, with tickets available from the FIFA website. Top image: LittleBlinky via Wikimedia Commons.
Something delightful is happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are starting to reopen — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney and Brisbane (and, until the newly reinstated stay-at-home orders, Melbourne as well). During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made over the past three months, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gnTuWEKSXw BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC When it comes to goofy and sweet movie concepts handled with sincerity, the Bill & Ted franchise has always proven most triumphant. In 1989's Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, the big-screen comedy series introduced the world to Californian high schoolers Bill S Preston, Esq (Alex Winter) and Ted 'Theodore' Logan (Keanu Reeves), who are apparently destined to write the rock song that unites the universe — if they can first pass their history exam by travelling back in time in a phone booth to recruit famed past figures like Beethoven and Socrates to help, that is. The idea that Bill & Ted's affable, air guitar-playing slackers would become the world's salvation was a joke that the film itself was in on, and the movie struck the right balance of silliness, earnestness and affection as a result. So, the end product was joyous. And, it inspired two follow-ups: 1991's even loopier but still entertaining Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, and now Bill & Ted Face the Music's affectionate dose of warm-hearted lunacy almost three decades later. Bill (Winter) and Ted (Reeves) are back, obviously. They're older, definitely not wiser, and yet again take a few leaps through time. The fate of life as everyone knows it is still at stake. And, as always, the loveable pair's motto — "be excellent to each other" — is pivotal. Combine all of the above with marital malaise, chip-off-the-old-block daughters Theadora (Ready or Not's Samara Weaving) and Wilhelmina (Atypical's Brigette Lundy-Paine), multiple Bills and Teds, and a 77-minute deadline to write the tune the changes the future, and Face the Music saunters casually forward with a purposeful sense of familiarity. Thankfully, though, this film isn't merely trying to relive past glories. In fact, the very notion that some dreams don't come true sits at the core of this tender and loving movie. Naturally, it's a delight to see Winter and Reeves reprise their roles. They step back into Bill and Ted's shoes with ease, expertly conveying the characters' lingering immaturity, middle-aged malaise and ever-present kindness. They're also clearly having a blast as different versions of the duo, and their enthusiasm is infectious. But when Face the Music finds a plethora of ways to illustrate the merits of their characters' optimistic and warm mindset, it's at its best. Far from bogus, the heartfelt happiness it brings is 100-percent excellent. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO2rvCCVQLQ ADAM From its opening frames, Moroccan drama Adam is both tender and determined, with neither trait subsiding for a moment. Its focus: the unmarried but visibly pregnant Samia (Nisrin Erradi), who tries to find both work and a place to stay in Casablanca as the birth of her baby approaches. Met with the type of attitudes she's already running from, and demonstrating her society's overall disdain for births outside of wedlock, she's turned away at every single door — including, at first, by baker and bereaved single mother Abla (Lubna Azabal). But when the latter spies Samia sleeping on the street across from her home and shop that same evening, she gives her a bed for the night. It's just a once-off, Abla insists; however after Samia hits it off with Abla's pre-teen daughter Warda (Douae Belkhaouda), shows that she's experienced at making pastries (popular ones, too, as the store's customers attest) and starts to share her story with her initially begrudging host, that arrangement is extended. If the above narrative sounds simple, that's because it is, with first-time feature filmmaker Maryam Touzani never resorting to needlessly complicating matters. There's enough that's complex about both Abla and Samia's situations as it is, including the way that they're treated by the world simply for existing and cycling through the usual life events that women face, that Adam really doesn't require any big twists or turns to heighten its emotional impact. A fine-tuned, observational, always heartfelt script, also by Touzani, helps considerably, as does the movie's naturalistic visual style — which suits a drama that makes clear the high stakes in play for its two characters, as well as the huge choices they're confronted with for their children, but allows its plot to unfurl in a low-key way. One playing resourceful but uncertain, the other stern and wounded, both Catch the Wind's Erradi and Mary Magdalene's Azabal turn in stellar performances, too. The film could easily watch the ebbs and flows of their relationship for far longer than its 98-minute running time, in fact. As a result of all of the above, add Adam to the ever-growing collection of features that thoughtfully, carefully and unwaveringly unpack the plights endured by women around the world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgA8DMzjzlk SLIM & I As documentary Slim & I conveys more than once, there's little in this life that's ever been more Australian than Slim Dusty. But, as the film's title also informs viewers, this survey of more than a half-century of Aussie country music stardom isn't just about the man known for 'A Pub with No Beer', 'Duncan' and 'G'day G'day', among other tracks. For all of those years, and spanning more than 100 albums and oh-so-much time on the road playing the country's outback towns, Joy McKean was by Slim's side — as a performer in her own right on tour with him at first, then as his wife, musical partner and driving force, as well as the person responsible for penning most of his tunes. Joy won the first ever Golden Guitar award for writing Slim's 'Lights on the Hill', and her lyrical impact has inspired as many Aussie performers as her husband. Indeed, to make that point plain, Slim & I assembles a lineup of talking heads that spans Paul Kelly, Keith Urban, Missy Higgins, Troy Cassar-Daley, Kasey Chambers and Bill Chambers. As directed by Red Dog and The Go-Betweens: Right Here filmmaker Kriv Stenders — blending the unshakeable Australiana of the former with the music acumen of the latter — this affectionate doco also ensures that Joy herself does plenty of talking. Looking back on her life at the age of 90, she's sprightly, no-nonsense and generous as she chats through her and Slim's intertwined story, including the struggles as well as the highlights, and spanning both professional and personal details. An impressive treasure trove of archival footage is splashed across the screen to help, meaning that there's always a new and interesting piece of material to catch the audience's attention. It's all set to the obvious soundtrack, and the result is as loving, engaging, informative and well put-together as you'd expect from an endearing portrait of Aussie icons. While there's much about this celebratory effort that lingers, however, seeing Slim and Joy's commitment to taking their music to the country in action leaves a firm impression. It's never difficult to understand why this movie was screaming to be made, and why Joy deserves as much public acclaim as her husband, but watching the adoring response from the remote Indigenous communities they visited again and again isn't easily forgotten. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6fssT03sSw BECKY If, in Becky, its eponymous 13-year-old protagonist was to exclaim "keep the change, ya filthy animal" — or, to be precise, to play a videotape of a movie where a gangster utters those words — it wouldn't be surprising for a second. That doesn't happen but it easily could've, given that Becky (Ready Player One's Lulu Wilson) is charged with fending off the villains who've encroached upon her family's lake house. That said, she isn't home alone. Her widower father Jeff (Joel McHale) is onsite as well and, much to Becky's displeasure, he has invited along his new girlfriend Kayla (The Handmaid's Tale's Amanda Brugel) and her young son Ty (Random Acts of Violence's Isaiah Rockcliffe). Alas, after a knock at the door, a group of Nazi prison escapees led by the tattooed and menacing Dominick (Kevin James) also make their presence known. Searching for a hidden key on the secluded property, they quickly take Jeff, Kayla and Ty hostage, leaving Becky to fight back. Like Kevin McCallister, Becky is eager to use every means at her disposal to mess with these interlopers — in a far more brutal and bloody fashion than this film's obvious predecessor, though. No one will be screening Becky to families at Christmas for decades and decades, that's for certain. Making their third feature after 2014's Cooties and 2017's Bushwick, filmmakers Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion don't ever pretend that they're in new territory here. Instead, they take their given concept, soak it in violence and embrace as much nasty carnage as they can fit in. The end result is repetitive, but it's also filled with a host of gorily entertaining and nicely choreographed B-movie moments. And although enlisting James to play wildly against type is blatantly supposed to be the big casting drawcard, it's Wilson who steals every scene as the calculating, clever, fierce and often fearsome teenage girl who won't let anyone — the dad she's initially angsty at, the future stepmother she doesn't want to give a chance or the very unpleasant men with equally unpleasant plans who spoil her weekend — get in her way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bovE44LgBv0 AFTER WE COLLIDED The worst movie of 2019 now has a sequel, and it's on track to claim that exact same title in 2020. Originally penned as Harry Styles fan fiction, the After series takes a leaf out of Twilight and 50 Shades of Grey's books by holding up a thoroughly toxic relationship as the ultimate in epic romances — this time focusing on the on-again, off-again exploits of two college students. In After, Tessa Young (Josephine Langford, the Wolf Creek TV series) and Hardin Scott (Hero Tiffin Fiennes, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) met, opposites attracted and a hot-and-heavy affair kicked off, although the rebellious Hardin sought after the virginal Tessa with shady intentions. Accordingly, when After We Collided meets back up with the duo, they're no longer seeing each other. But the brooding Hardin is still unhealthily obsessed, and the supposedly smart and conscientious but actually overtly insecure Tessa can't help but make reigniting their bond the latest entry on her lengthy (and expanding) list of bad decisions. This time around, the plot uses Tessa's new internship as its reason for a fresh spate of terrible dialogue, as well as its source of drama. It's in publishing, in case 50 Shades didn't already spring to mind, and it's one of those fantasy jobs where the lowest person in the company's hierarchy gets their own office to sit around and read manuscripts in all day. Shameless and steamy wish fulfilment is exactly this franchise's aim, of course — but the big dream that author and After We Collided co-screenwriter Anna Todd pushes is constantly insulting, with the series repeatedly telling its audience that being loved by a moody, erratic bad boy, and taking the breakups, fights and stalking with the gifts and shower sex, is the ultimate fate. This sequel also throws a romantic rival into the mix, courtesy of Tessa's straight-laced colleague Trevor Matthews (Dylan Sprouse, twin brother of Riverdale's Cole Sprouse), and where that narrative strand goes proves as predictable as everything else in the film. Although he has Cruel Intentions on his resume, director Roger Kumble only adds superficial gloss and no signs of interest or excitement; however given that two more After books exist — After We Fell and After Ever Happy — it's highly likely two more movies will, too. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas, check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23, July 30, August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27 — and our full reviews of The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves, The King of Staten Island, Babyteeth, Deerskin, Peninsula, Tenet, Les Misérables and The New Mutants.
Ice cream-loving Brisbanites, start screaming — and not just for any old frozen confection. Gelato Messina has finally come to our fair city, with their first permanent Brisbane venture officially open. Remember that feeling you had as a kid when Christmas finally rolled around? Excitement, enthusiasm and an inability to decide just what you should do first? That's what walking into 109 Melbourne Street feels like. A red display case filled with 42 flavours of Messina's finest, all chilled to -14 degrees, is the first thing you see when you enter their largest store in Australia, sparking one immediate thought: it's okay to want to try everything. You're only human, after all. The ace thing Messina newcomers mightn't know is that taste-testing is heartily encouraged. In fact, you can sample as many flavours as your stomach demands. With vegan and dairy-free sorbet, a couple of yoghurt-based options, the permanent signature gelato varieties and five specials always on offer, there's certainly plenty to choose from. Salted caramel and white chocolate is Messina's best-seller around the country, should you need a recommendation. Anyone after something different might want to opt for the pandan and coconut sorbet, which is made from a green leaf used in Asian cooking — or the kind of choc mint you've never had before, which is actually made from the pressed herb and tastes nothing like you think it will. Like the rest of its stores, Messina brings in its house-made flavour bases from the company's Sydney headquarters, then makes ice cream magic on-site. Watching new batches being churned is quite something, and will make you even hungrier. And, if finding out just how your favourite sweet treat is made sounds like your kind of thing, you're in luck, with Messina's gelato classes heading to Brisbane by June, if not earlier. Yep, that's why their West End digs has its own classroom. Those eager to attend will not only get a glimpse behind the scenes, but will also learn how Messina's chefs whip up such frosty delights — and taste plenty of gelato. Always be tasting gelato, folks. That's great advice to live by. The larger Gelato Appreciation Class will shower around 20 people at a time with oh-so-much ice cream, while the smaller Hands On Class walks ten eager people through the process of pasteurising, plating, and other gelato tricks and tips. If you've ever wondered how their eye-catching mushroom cakes are made, for example, prepare to find out. Messina also plans to bring their Creative Department to Brisbane later in the year — that is, their regular seven-course degustation dinners that will expand your idea of just what ice cream can be. Think garlic gelato, just as one example, plus all kinds of savoury and sweet pairings. While their specials seem experimental — as seen in the appropriately named QUEENSLANDAARRR!!!, which combines ginger gelato with pineapple cake and Bundaberg rum caramel, for instance — their Creative Department offerings are something else. Design-wise, the Melbourne Street shop also boasts bench seating and bean bags, because everyone wants to chill over chilled desserts. It's also the first of Messina's 16 stores in Sydney, Melbourne, Coolangatta, Brisbane and Las Vegas to carve their name into the wooden wall. Yep, they've arrived in Brissie alright, and they're making it clear.
If you've ever been to Brisbane's Night Noodle Markets, you'll know that waiting can be an inescapable part of the experience. You usually need to wait in line to pick up your food, and to find somewhere to sit and eat. All that hawker-style food attracts plenty of Brisbanites, after all — and yes, the wait is always worth it. In 2021, you'll be waiting in another manner, too, because this year's event is taking place later in the year. Initially, it was due to kick off on Wednesday, July 21 — and move to the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens — but, after announcing its full vendor and food lineup, the event had to scrap its winter plans. The reason: Greater Sydney's ongoing lockdown and the border and quarantine restrictions stemming from it, because many of the Night Noodle Markets' vendors are based in New South Wales. Thankfully, the event's organisers are now hopeful about spring — so you can mark Wednesday, September 22–Sunday, October 3 in your diary. It'll be warmer, you'll want to spend more time outdoors, and the Botanic Gardens' many blooms will be blossoming, if you need a few more reasons to embrace the new time slot. Accordingly, get ready to eat a heap of foods on sticks and tuck into mango sorbet crepes, just at a later date. All of the already-announced vendors and dishes will remain on the menu, too, so you can look forward to the same culinary lineup. In total, 17 stallholders were headed our way, including returning favourites such as Hoy Pinoy, Bao Brothers, Bangkok Street Food, Donburi Station and Gelato Messina. All other Good Food Month events have been going ahead as planned in July, so your stomach won't completely miss out this month. The 2021 Brisbane Night Noodle Markets will now take place from Wednesday, September 22–Sunday, October 3 at the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens. For further details, head to the event's website.
We love wine and we know you do too, and the quality and variety of wine being produced locally in Australia has, arguably, never been at a higher level. Now there's a new way to get your hands on delicious, drinkable, interesting drops made in our myriad wine regions — and you'll be buying direct from the source. iHeartWine is a new first-of-its-kind marketplace that connects winemakers and grape growers directly with the wine-loving public, which means you can shop bottles from Australia's best independent and boutique wineries without the markup you pay from a retailer, while putting the lion share of every sale directly back into the producer. Win-win. This idea for iHeartWine, which exists as an app, was conceived by wine writer and aficionado, Marc Malouf, as a way to support winemakers amid the knock-on effects of COVID and the tourism industry essentially bottoming out. Marc explains: "Hard working wineries who would usually be thriving from tourism, are struggling. Less people are able to visit, taste and buy wines from family-run wine producers … 2021 is set to be an abundant year for grape production and smaller winemakers need a channel to get their wine out there." The curation of the producers and winemakers included in iHeartWine's shop is very much informed by quality stuff that you can't just pluck off the shelves of your local bottle-o. "Every winery on iHeartWine makes wines from a place of truth, passion and obsession," says Marc Malouf. "These are the wineries and winemakers we should be paying attention to and celebrating... but they often suffer from the same fundamental flaw — they are somewhat invisible to wine drinkers. Unless you stumble across a wine on a restaurant list, or take a wrong turn on a trip through a wine region, chances are you will never come across these hidden gems and I think it's time we changed this." And as you load up your cart, you can feel good knowing that most of what you spend is going straight back to the producers. All wine sold on iHeartWine comes directly from the wineries themselves, which means the winery earns 90% from every bottle. We'll drink to that. The iHeartWine app is available for download here.
Take a burlesque troupe, add a member of Resin Dogs, and then combine their styles of music and movement. The end result is Drop It: Hip Hop Burlesque, with The Velvet Kittens and DeeJaye Katch joining forces to create a blend of burlesque and beats. If you think they don't quite sound like they go together, that's okay — in fact, that's partly the point. And yet it's a great melding of smooth tunes and record scratches, collaboration and defiance, and harmony and conflict, all in one rhythmically entertaining, utterly toe-tapping package. This event is part of Wonderland 2016.
From unflinching violence to unbridled sexual passion, some of the most important films in history are the ones that dared to push the boundaries. Doubling down on last year's lineup of controversial cult classics, World Movies presents More Films That Shocked the World from Monday, March 17. This five-day selection of taboo-shattering cinema consists entirely of Australian television premieres. Each one of these films has been the subject of censorship in this country, and when you see them, you'll understand why. It's a program designed to challenge your expectations as well as your limitations, not to mention, at times, your stomach. Prepare yourself people; these films are not for the faint of heart. https://youtube.com/watch?v=vUd_6FF4AtM PINK FLAMINGOS (1972) The film that launched both director John Waters and LGBTQ icon Divine to the far-reaching fringes of the American cultural underground, Pink Flamingos was marketed as an exercise in bad taste; rarely has an ad pitch been so accurate. A pitch-black gross-out comedy, the film tells the story of an overweight transvestite (Divine) with a mentally disabled family who goes to increasingly depraved and then violent ends to defend her title of 'filthiest person alive'. Scenes of coprophagia, cannibalism, bestiality and anal acrobatics earned the ire of Australian censors while at same time helping the film become one of the most notorious midnight movies ever made. Monday, 17 March, 9.30pm https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZkCTSn8gcL4 I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE (1978) Surely the nastiest pick in the week-long program, this hideously violent rape-revenge tale contains some of the most brutal scenes of sexual brutality that have ever been put to film. Director Meir Zarchi initially self-released the movie after no other distributor would do so. Once it received wider play, critic Roger Ebert labelled it "a vile bag of garbage", a pan that probably ended up helping the film at the box office. Many have debated over the years whether the film is a celebration or an indictment of the sexual violence it depicts. Now, if you dare, you can make up your mind for yourself. Tuesday, March 18, 9.30pm https://youtube.com/watch?v=IU3P6WXzvXU HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER (1986) Based loosely on the crimes of Henry Lee Lucas, this grim, ultra-low-budget serial killer film spent more than four years on the shelf after being completed, as the producers were faced both by a hostile ratings board and the challenge of marketing what they had made. Eventually released in 1990, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is not a particularly gory film yet remains disturbing to this day because of the casual and highly realistic fashion in which the protagonist commits his crimes. By being purposely unentertaining, Henry takes the glamour out of a genre that has fascinated us for decades, raising some pretty prescient questions about our obsession with serial murder. Wednesday, March 19, 9.30pm https://youtube.com/watch?v=g3hSsK61NsE EMMANUELLE (1974) Released at a time when pornography was flirting with the mainstream, this soft-core sexual odyssey follows the affairs of a young French woman living with her husband in Bangkok, and was sold as a classy alternative to the likes of Deep Throat and The Devil in Miss Jones. Although not well received by critics, the film was a massive hit in both Europe and the US, spawning six sequels and literally dozens of spinoffs, including eight made-for-TV movies set in space. Classy indeed. Thursday, March 20, 9.30pm https://youtube.com/watch?v=lj0BnsF1FXs CALIGULA (1979) A fitting way to end a week brimming with cinematic depravity. The disastrous story behind this porn-filled epic is more entertaining than the movie itself. A lavish biopic about an insane Roman emperor, the film was plagued by delays and ran horrendously over budget — and that was before producer and Penthouse founder Bob Guccione wrestled control away from director Tinto Brass and decided to shoot several unsimulated sex scenes to be included in the final cut. A perfect example of a production gone to hell, if you ever wanted to see Helen Mirren, Peter O'Toole and full penetration in the same movie, then Caligula should be right up your alley. Friday, March 21, 9.30pm
Perhaps nourished by the torrential rain Sydney has been experiencing, a Lego forest recently sprouted in Martin Place. Featuring big-kid versions of the tiny plastic trees and flower sets we played with as kids, the installation marks the first activity of this year's Lego Festival of Play. 15 of the large-scale tree and flower models dotted the concrete, creating bright splashes of color in our currently dreary grey city. Onlookers didn't let the weather get them down, grabbing umbrellas and rain boots to take a stroll through this whimsical forest. After all, you're never too old, and it's never too rainy, to get out there and play. The Lego forest will soon be on the move, to other to-be-disclosed locations throughout Australia.
It's undeniably tough for a hotel to cater their rooms to every guest that will ever stay in them, but this problem can be far more real for the intrepid traveller with a disability. The latest design of hotel room from new collaboration AllGo, however, seeks to change this fact by creating an adaptable room that makes rooms more accessible than ever before, all while channelling the contemporary aesthetic guests have come to expect from upmarket hotel experiences. The AllGo project is the brainchild of international architecture studio Ryder and contemporary bathroom design firm Motionspot. The idea came from the need to "create a concept that redefines the design of hotel bedrooms and bathrooms so they deliver the individual access requirements of guests without compromising on the aesthetics of the environment," according to Motionspot founder Ed Warner. Each room, according to the design, will incorporate features like handrails with braille printed on them, retractable wall panels that can fold away and act as furniture, wheelchair-friendly flooring, and motorised tracks to assist in access and egress to the bed. The best part is, however, that these features can be easily added and removed before the guest even arrives. The AllGo concept took out the top gong at the lauded Celia Thomas Prize late last year. The prize awards £20,000 (nearly AU$34,000) to the design that best creates a hotel experience for people with disabilities, and that can best "challenge the perception of hotel facilities set aside for disabled people, which can often be viewed as joyless, poorly designed and over-medicalised," according to the Royal Institute of British Architects. Gold medal-winning Paralympian, member of British parliament and bad-ass Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson was one of the driving factors in having the Celia Thomas Prize created. "Great architecture is about spaces that make you feel better and which make you want to return," she said, and the AllGo design strives to achieve that goal for everyone. Motionspot and Ryder will use their winnings to have a pilot program for the design up and running within the year. Via PSFK.
Last-minute shopping, over-indulging at celebratory shindigs and pretending not to be annoyed about receiving another pair of socks: they're all a part of every Christmas. For kids and adults alike, so is many a seasonal-themed movie. If it has Santa or Christmas in the title, it's optimal viewing at this time of year. The folks at South Bank certainly think so, and have thrown together their yearly Christmas Cinema Series brimming with merriment as part of the precinct's seasonal festivities. But these free films aren't just for families. Any yuletide movie held under Brisbane's starry skies and by the water at River Quay Green at this summery time of the season is perfect for, well, everyone. Pack a picnic and enjoy double features every night from Monday, December 18–Saturday, December 23. The familiar but still festive and fun lineup includes Elf, A Christmas Carol, Elliott: The Littlest Reindeer, Arthur Christmas and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation — as well as The Holiday, Happiest Season and 8-Bit Christmas. Among a varied lineup catering for all ages, there's also The Grinch, Home Alone 2, Batman Returns and Gremlins. Attending is free, and the family-friendly flicks screen at 6pm, with each evening's second session showing at 8pm.
Fancy spending your next coastal getaway in Queensland's far north, splashing in the tree-lined waters of Palm Cove? If so, you'll be swimming in the best beach in the world. That's the verdict of Condé Nast Traveller, which has picked the Sunshine State locale near Cairns as the top patch of sand globally. While plenty of folks Down Under happily trade our own beaches for Hawaii's when it comes to enjoying a tropical holiday, Palm Cove pipped Honopu Beach in Kauai, which came in second. In fact, half of the top ten on the list of 34 beaches hails from Australia and New Zealand. Wategos Beach in Byron Bay took out fourth, Mona Vale Beach in Sydney sits at sixth, Noosa Beach in Queensland ranked eighth and Awaroa in Abel Tasman National Park in Aotearoa came in at ninth. Elsewhere in the top ten, Brekon in Shetland, Scotland placed third; Ora Beach, Maluku, Indonesia sits in fifth spot; Dune du Pilat, France ranked seventh; and Die Plaat, Walker Bay Nature Reserve, South Africa notched up tenth. [caption id="attachment_944619" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Palm Cove[/caption] Palm Cove was chosen for being a quieter spot that's "usually free of crowds", although that might change after topping this ranking. "The combination of leaning palm trees on powdery sand makes Palm Cove Beach the epitome of a tropical paradise," said Condé Nast Traveller, also pointing out its proximity to the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef, as well as being able to see dolphins and whales from the Palm Cove jetty. Queensland's tourism bodies are already hoping for an influx of visitors thanks to the attention. "The Condé Nast Traveller selection of Palm Cove as the first in this curated list will bring international travellers to its coconut palm-fringed shore to dine in beachfront restaurants and cafes and relax at stunning resorts," said Tourism Tropical North Queensland Chief Executive Officer Mark Olsen. [caption id="attachment_944618" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Palm Cove[/caption] In total, seven Down Under beaches made the cut, with Western Australian beaches getting some love, too. Turquoise Bay in Exmouth placed 22nd and Gantheaume Point in Broome came in at 25. All Australian and NZ destinations included on the list were in the top 25. Palm Cove being named the world's best beach comes shortly after Sydney's Manly Beach was picked as the seventh best beach in the world for 2024 by Tripadvisor, and Victoria's Squeaky Beach was chosen as Australia's best beach for this year by beach expert Brad Farmer AM. Queensland keeps scoring attention as well, with Brisbane named one of the best places to go in 2024 by The New York Times, travel guide Frommer's also selecting the city as one of 2024's best spots to visit, TIME putting it on its world's greatest places list for 2023 and the World's Best 50 Hotels picking The Calile as its only Australian and Oceanic entry in its inaugural countdown in 2023. [caption id="attachment_944621" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Palm Cove, Emma Shaw[/caption] Condé Nast Traveller's Top 34 Beaches: Palm Cove, Queensland, Australia Honopu Beach, Kauai, Hawaii Brekon, Shetland, Scotland Wategos Beach, New South Wales, Australia Ora Beach, Maluku, Indonesia Mona Vale Beach, New South Wales, Australia Dune du Pilat, France Noosa Beach, Queensland, Australia Awaroa, Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand Die Plaat, Walker Bay Nature Reserve, South Africa Grand Anse, Grenada Keem Bay, Achill Island, Ireland Fakarava, French Polynesia Marathonisi, Zakynthos, Greece Praia do Sancho, Brazil Chesterman Beach, Vancouver Island, Canada Anse Source d'Argent, Seychelles Seagrass Bay, Laucala Island, Fiji Hidden Beach, Palawan, Philippines Ile aux Cerfs, Mauritius Tortuga Bay, Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos Turquoise Bay, Western Australia, Australia Pink Sand Beach, Barbuda Playa Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica Gantheaume Point, Western Australia, Australia Dolfynstrand, Namibia Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach, North Carolina Rauðasandur Beach, Iceland Jibei Island beach, Taiwan Uig Sands, Isle of Lewis, Scotland Benguerra Island, Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique Al Mughsail, Salalah, Oman Playa Paraiso, Cayo Largo del Sur, Cuba Luskentyre, Outer Hebrides [caption id="attachment_651421" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mona Vale Beach[/caption] [caption id="attachment_944620" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Palm Cove[/caption] [caption id="attachment_835908" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Noosa[/caption] [caption id="attachment_791437" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Awaroa, Kiwi Canary[/caption] [caption id="attachment_844181" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Turquoise Bay, Tourism Western Australia[/caption] [caption id="attachment_897204" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gantheaume Point, Tourism Western Australia[/caption] For more information about Condé Nast Traveller's best beaches, head to the publication's website.
What happens when you take the site of an old Fortitude Valley nightclub that's been shut for eight years, deck it out with vinyl and boomboxes, and dedicate it to retro vibes? Brisbanites are about to find out. With a name like Superfly Disco, the new venue sliding into Alhambra Lounge's old space on McLachlan Street was always going to feel like a throwback — and that's entirely the point. Get ready to hit the dance floor from Friday, October 7 — and to strut around a Saturday Night Fever-style light-up dance floor like you've travelled back five decades, too. Forget DeLoreans; making a night of it at Superfly Disco will send you back in time, although disco classics will pump through the speakers alongside recent party hits. Whatever the venue's disc jockeys happen to be spinning at any given time, they'll be doing so from a DJ car, another piece of Superfly Disco's retro look and mood. The space has been completely gutted from its Alhambra days, and given an entirely new fitout — including raising the floor by an inch and a half to accommodate the lights underneath. Yes, when you're not hanging out in private booths, you should be dancing here — and feeling the city breakin' and everybody shakin', and obviously thinking about other Bee Gees disco tracks. Unsurprisingly, the team behind Superfly Disco see a big future in functions and parties, and the venue's opening is timed just before festive season. [caption id="attachment_869149" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Drunken Monkey Group's Harlen Pointing and Adam Barton at Suzie Wong's Good Time Bar.[/caption] That crew? The Drunken Monkey Group team, adding another venue to its portfolio alongside Brooklyn Standard, Fat Angel Sports Bar and Suzie Wong's Good Time Bar. Suzie Wong's venue manager Michael Pattison will become the general manager role across the group's Valley sites, while Kyle Weir, who owns fellow nightclub Queens, will oversee DJ bookings. Drinks-wise, cocktails will be the tipples of choice, with the beverage menu yet to be revealed. Wearing flares and platform shoes: totally optional, but it'd fit the atmosphere. [caption id="attachment_869150" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Drunken Monkey Group's Manny Sakellarakis at Brooklyn Standard.[/caption] Find Superfly Disco at 12 McLachlan Street, Fortitude Valley, from Friday, October 7.
The Nanna-esque trade of crafting has taken to Brisbane like a plague. With events like Suitcase Rummage, BrisStyle Markets and The Finders Keepers on every other week it’s hard to deny that inner urge to do as the Nannas do. Who wouldn't want to be at home sewing, stitching, gluing and crafting all day? The Brisbane City Council has introduced a new program for the vast majority of Brisbane who are diggin’ on the DIY vibe - and those who are yet to get in on it. Saviours of The Lost Arts and Craft Fair is hosting markets, workshops, demonstrations and industry talks over twelve days across a few niche venues across Brisbane (including the Bleeding Heart Gallery). There’s origami making, stencil printing, softie sewing, jewelry making - even a crafties party! Go on! Get those creative juices flowing! Nanna would be so proud.
With all this time spent at home, you might as well make it interesting. Maybe throw in some problem-solving, clue-cracking and a spot of mystery? If any of the above takes your fancy, strap yourself in for the latest at-home escape room experience from the masters of intrigue at Ukiyo. The Brunswick-based escape room studio has been delivering locals their lockdown puzzle fix via a series of interactive online experiences. And the next one unfolds over four brain-teasing days, kicking off next Wednesday, September 16. Dubbed Bird Cage, this new virtual game takes its cues from the likes of Stranger Things, The Ring and Slender Man, serving up an Aussie twist on the retro sci-fi thriller. The story's set deep in the outback, pulling players into a paranormal mystery involving a creepy scientific institute, its prized specimen and a very unwanted escape. Delve into this immersive head-scratcher solo, or with your housemates, cracking clues and solving puzzles as the game unfolds. All you'll need to play is a computer with internet access, though there's also a Stranger Things-inspired pillow fortress competition to enter if you fancy a shot at winning a $200 Ukiyo voucher. Tickets for Bird Cage are just $5 per person, or you can nab a household ticket for $15 (for three or more players).
A month after Queensland last relaxed its COVID-19 restrictions, the state will move to its next phase of post-lockdown conditions, with stage three due to come into effect a week earlier than initially expected. And if you're keen to gather in large groups — both at home and out of the house — it's welcome news. In fact, you'll be able to do so in considerable numbers from this weekend. Today, Tuesday, June 30, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Deputy Premier and Health Minister Steven Miles mapped out just what's on the cards for Queenslanders when stage three hits at 12 noon on Friday, July 3, with a significant amount of changes kicking into gear. The list is lengthy, with all of the following permitted again: Up to 100 people in homes and non-commercial venues. Weddings and funerals with up to 100 people. Resuming all competition and contact sports, with COVID-Safe plans in place. Reopening indoor sports facilities, with one person per four square metres off the field of play. Reopening of outdoor sports facilities, with 1.5-metre social distancing off the field of play. Removing fixed caps on the number of people allowed in museums, libraries, art galleries and historic sites — and moving to the one-person-per-four-square-metres rule. Removing fixed caps on the number of people allowed in businesses — including shops, cafes, restaurants and bars — and moving to the one-person-per-four-square-metres rule. For smaller venues below 200 square metres, removing fixed caps on the number of people allowed in businesses even further — by moving to the one-person-per-two-square-metres rule, up to a maximum of 50 people. Allowing nightclubs, food courts, casinos and gaming venues to reopen with COVID-Safe plans in place, while adhering to either the one-person-per-four-square-metres (for venues over 200 square metres) or one-person-per-two-square-metres (for venues under 200 square metres) rules. Allowing non-therapeutic massage parlours, saunas and bathhouses to reopen with COVID-Safe Plans in place, while adhering to either the one-person-per-four-square-metres (for venues over 200 square metres) or one-person-per-two-square-metres (for venues under 200 square metres) rules. Allowing office workers to return to their place of work, while adhering to either the one-person-per-four-square-metres (for businesses over 200 square metres) or one-person-per-two-square-metres (for businesses under 200 square metres) rules. Allowing sporting venues to fill either to 50-percent capacity, or allow 25,000 spectators to attend — whichever is lesser. The reopening of concert venues, theatres and auditoriums with COVID-Safe Plans, either at 50-percent capacity or under the one-person-per-four-square-metres rule — whichever is greater. Allowing events up to 500 people without any additional approval, if following a COVID-Safe Event Checklist. Allowing events between 500–10,000 with an approved COVID-Safe Event Plan. Allowing events over 10,000 with an approved COVID-Safe Event Plan as well as approval from the Queensland Chief Health Officer. Here's the full rundown of all stages of Queensland's eased restrictions since mid-May: In short, that means that house parties are back on, hospitality venues can increase their capacity, concert venues can reopen and you'll be able to buy a beer at the bar. Nightclubs are also back in business, and stadium patronage will increase again as well. In not-so-welcome news for everyone enjoying working from home, however, it also means that hitting the keyboard from your couch — and while wearing your comfy clothes — may stop being a reality. Announcing not only the eased restrictions, but the reopening of the Queensland border to all Aussie states and territories except Victoria, Premier Palaszczuk noted that the changes — and moving forward the stage three start date — are "all due to the tremendous work of Queenslanders". As at today, Tuesday, June 30, the state only has two active coronavirus cases. The government also advised that it will review Queensland COVID-19 transmission levels with a view to moving from the one-person-per-four-square-metres rule to the one-person-per-two-square-metres more widely — "when circumstances allow". As always, standard social distancing and hygiene practises remain in effect — including washing your hands, cough and sneeze hygiene, staying 1.5-metres from other people, and staying home and getting tested if you're sick. To find out more about Queensland's COVID-19 restrictions, and the status of the coronavirus in the state, visit Queensland's online COVID-19 hub. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Top image: Atlanta Bell.
First, Boiler Room announced the news that Brisbane had been waiting for: its debut date in the Queensland capital, arriving 14 years after the London-born club culture-loving outfit first popped up. Now, the event has unveiled the next crucial piece of information, aka who'll be hitting the decks at Brisbane Showgrounds this spring. If nothing says warm weather to you quite like dancing in a crowd, here's something for your calendar — with STÜM, Spray, Y U QT, Dr Dubplate and Juicy Romance all on the lineup. They'll be joined by Soju Gang, Neesha Alexander, Scalymoth and Rominndahouse from 2–10pm on Saturday, November 16, 2024. Boiler Room is no stranger to Australia thanks to past stops in Sydney and Melbourne, but hasn't made its way to the River City until now. The word that you're looking for? Finally. The Brisbane date sits between Boiler Room's return to Melbourne in late October and its latest Sydney gig in early December. Both have already sold out. [caption id="attachment_971379" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] It's been a big few weeks for festival announcements, no matter what type of music you're into. In a year that's been tough for the industry (see: the lack of Splendour in the Grass, Groovin the Moo, Spilt Milk and Harvest Rock, for instance), Wildlands, Good Things and Bluesfest have all dropped lineups recently, as have Meredith, Always Live, Lost Paradise and Beyond The Valley Down south at Boiler Room, Melbourne punters have 2lubly, CRUSH3d, Crybaby, DJ Heartstring, Foura, OK Williams and Samba Boys to look forward to. Sydneysiders will be making shapes to Anna Lunoe, Arthi, Bad Boombox, Club Angel, Dr Rubinstein, FUKHED, I. Jordan, IMOGEN, Mincy, Mischluft, Moktar, Nina Las Vegas and Skin On Skin. Boiler Room Brisbane 2024 Lineup: STÜM Spray Y U QT Dr Dubplate Juicy Romance Soju Gang Neesha Alexander Scalymoth Rominndahouse Boiler Room will make its Brisbane debut at Brisbane Showgrounds, 600 Gregory Terrace, Bowen Hills, on Saturday, November 16, 2024 — with tickets on sale from 5pm on Thursday, September 5, 2024. Head to the event's website for more details.
This post is sponsored by our partners, lastminute.com.au. It's hard to fathom how to tackle our nation's biggest state. Flights to Perth are easy enough, but what to do from there? The seemingly uncharted wilderness is huge and menacing, and you don't even remember how to apply mosquito repellant, let alone set up a tent. Don't worry, we've got you covered. Whether you're going for just the weekend or the better part of a month, here's the low-down on everything from swimming with whale sharks to kicking back in a brewery. If you're spending the weekend If you're only around for a couple of days it's going be hard to get too far out of Perth. This is by no means a bad thing though! For great cafes and kindred spirits, check out Leederville, Subiaco or Northbridge, and if ever in doubt, make a beeline straight to Fremantle. While there, you can catch the Fremantle Dockers play a game on home soil, and follow it up with a trip to the Little Creatures Brewery. After you've eased your way into the local custom, your next stop is the beaches. Just a short drive west of the CBD, Cottesloe is one of the best beaches in the entire country — why not take advantage with some swimming or paddle boarding? Once you've lounged around there for awhile, it'll be time to stretch your legs out to Rottnest Island. Bikes are your best bet for getting around, and if you've still got some energy by the end of it all, take advantage of that clear water with some snorkelling. Extending it to a week If you've seen all Perth has to offer and you're curious about the rest, the first pitstop is Exmouth. This place is so surreal you will think the two-hour flight from the city has transported you to an alternate dimension. Fittingly, your first task is to swim with some whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef. This World Heritage Listed marine park stretches over 300 kilometres and is home to more than 500 species of fish, as well as turtles, dugongs, dolphins and humpback whales — most of which you are welcome to swim with. Who knew the sea could be so much better than Seaworld? After Exmouth, we recommend hiring a car and driving to Monkey Mia. It'll take ten hours and there is the option to fly, but again, the coasts of WA are a destination in themselves. The coast at Monkey Mia is particularly excellent because it has the added benefit of being populated by dolphins. Each morning, hundreds of bottlenose dolphins come right up to the shoreline and say hi, and you'll definitely want to be there when they do. Alternatively, if sealife just ain't your thing, head to the Pinnacles — one of the many geographical wonders WA is naturally blessed with. In for the long haul All this is only brushing the surface. If you really want to have the full WA experience, jump in for more than a week. When a state is the size of Queensland and New South Wales combined, you need a bit of time to get your head around it. You'll also need some extra time to venture up to Broome. Here, you'll find a beautiful little community and an endless summer, but more importantly, camel rides on the beach. If that's not dramatic enough, check out the Kimberley — Baz Luhrmann's inspiration for Australia. Get grubby in the outback with a day trip to Karijini National Park, Koolpin Gorge or the Bungle Bungle Range, then balance it out the next day with a sojourn to Margaret River. Known best for its wineries, this south-west gem will have you eating and drinking all day with some of Australia's premier winemakers, and expending your leftover energy with leisurely bike rides. Last, but certainly not least, make time for the sightseeing. Whether it be an amazing natural sediment formation such as Wave Rock, or a city that's a spectacle in itself. The town of Esperance will take you straight along WA’s South Coast Highway — the perfect position for spotting whales and wildflowers, and an opportune place to pop off to the beach and rest your muscles in the sparkling water. This is a holiday after all. Book your next WA escape now at lastminute.com.au.
