The Mighty Boosh, Flight of the Conchords, Monty Python and Hi-5 are just some of the comedic outfits that Aunty Donna has been compared to. Even if you're not a fan of any or all of the first three names on that list, the inclusion of an Australian children's musical band is certain to have aroused a sliver of interest. Our advice: don't waste your time wondering about the how and why, particularly when you can simply witness the comic trio's brand new show at Brisbane Comedy Festival and find out for yourself. You might've already helped ratchet up the 7 million hits their YouTube channel has received; however their subversive, hyperactive, witty and fast off-screen antics are the kind of thing that you have to see with your own eyes in person.
Jurassic Park told us that life finds a way, and that line has been quoted many times ever since. But sometimes life gets in the way. You mean to get around to doing something, but you get busy, or it slips your mind, or it falls further down your to-do list. If getting vaccinated against COVID-19 falls into that category for you, the Queensland Government has announced a weekend of walk-in Pfizer jabs on Saturday, September 18 and Sunday, September 19. Across those two days, you can stroll on in to any of Queensland Health's 38 vaccination hubs that'll be open around the state and get vaxxed — and you won't need to have a booking. So, if you haven't gotten around to navigating the online booking system yet, you don't need to — at least for one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Anyone aged 12 or over can walk in and get vaccinated, because Queensland has now also opened up the Pfizer vax to anyone in that age group. Everyone aged 12 years and over can walk-in to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at QLD Health vaccination locations this weekend🙌 No appointment needed! 📍To find your closest walk-in vaccination location, visit 👉 www. https://t.co/VJI6JEVg2f pic.twitter.com/oLvSOeEED3 — Queensland Health (@qldhealthnews) September 16, 2021 If you're wondering where to head, Brisbane's sites include the Brisbane Entertainment Centre at Boondall, Doomben Racecourse, Queensland Children's Hospital, Rocklea Showgrounds, Royal Brisbane Women's Hospital, and the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. You'll need to be onsite at least one hour before your clinic of choice closes for the day, and getting the jab is subject to availability. But, if there isn't a shot for you that day, you'll be able to book an appointment for another day that suits you. If you already have an appointment at a Queensland Health vax hub for this weekend, you can still keep it — that won't be affected by the walk-in weekend. Either way, getting vaxxed will help the country increase its vaccination rate, with more restrictions likely to ease for fully vaxxed Aussies once the nation hits both the 70-percent and 80-percent vaccination thresholds. Obviously, if you have any questions or concerns about the COVID-19 jab, you should seek advice from your GP or a healthcare professional. For further information about Australia's COVID-19 vaccine rollout, head to the Australian Government Department of Health website. For more details specific to Queensland, visit the Queensland Health website.
Alas! There’s been a murder at Brewsvegas. Was it the brewer? Or perhaps the waitress? Join Embassy Bar on this murder mystery adventure to figure out who did it where and when. Chomp down on substantial canapes while enjoying six of the bar’s finest brews.
Forget everything that you once knew about the Embassy and replace it with chic but rustic decor, 100 craft beers to swoon over and a ridiculously mouth-watering American-style menu, created through the vision of brothers Demetri and Alex Conias. Formerly known for night club-style debauchery, the new Embassy is aimed at a more corporate clientele. The fit-out looks brilliant, with exposed brick and dim light fittings giving the space an organic and cosy feel. The beverage of choice is beer, with 16 taps, a hand pump that is constantly rotated and the aforementioned 100 bottled beers (as well as ciders) to choose from. Beers you may find on tap include well-loved brewers such as Holgate, Stone and Wood and Little Creatures. Chef Rob Campbell is responsible for the very reasonably priced food menu (nothing over $20) that includes mouth-watering bar treats such as jalapeno poppers and buffalo wings. For a larger meal you can enjoy macaroni with three cheeses, Byron Bay beef brisket or swordfish skewers, to name a few.
Do you spend your working hours wishing you were far, far away from your desk? Does fantasising about your next holiday get you through the week? Don't worry, we've all been there. And while we can't all always make our far-flung dreams a reality, Brisbanites can head on down to Blackbird every Friday afternoon to keep the jet-setting pretence going. Faking it till you make it overseas is part of the fun of Jet Set Fridays, which occur weekly but celebrate a different destination each month. During March, Japan is in the spotlight — which means themed cocktails, oyster shooters, Asahi and Nikka boilermakers, prawn and scallop dumplings, Japanese drummers and plenty of cherry blossoms. Oh, and sipping Chita Suntory Highballs while overlooking the river. Image: Blackbird Bar & Restaurant.
If you live in the Brisbane City Council, Logan, Moreton Bay, Ipswich, Redlands, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Noosa, Somerset, Lockyer Valley and Scenic Rim Local Government Areas, it has been some time since you've been able to flash your smile at people outside of your own home. Since the end of June, in an effort to stop the region's recent COVID-19 cases from spreading, wearing masks has been compulsory across the region — but that mandate is relaxing slightly from 4pm on Friday, August 20. Masks were compulsory under lockdown conditions, obviously, and that requirement remained in place when Brisbane's latest lockdown ended. Come Friday, though, the rules are changing. The big shift: if you're outdoors, you'll only need to mask up if you can't socially distance. Announcing the change — which will be accompanied by relaxed rules regarding gatherings and venues — Queensland's Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said "face masks have played a big part in our ability to contain the latest clusters. A mask is a simple weapon against a complex virus." She continued: "you must wear it indoors — places like shopping centres, supermarkets, retail outlets, hospitals and aged care facilities — or if you are outside and unable to physically distance." So, you'll now only be required to cover your face in indoor spaces, while waiting for or using public transport or ride share services, at schools, and if you're outdoors and can't socially distance. Also, Queensland has a standing mask mandate for flights, airports and stadiums, so you'll always need to mask up there. And, you'll still always need to carry a mask with you. Indoor and outdoor events and stadiums can have 75% ticketed and allocated seating capacity. People in these local government areas must still carry a mask at all times and wear it when you are indoors, or when you are outside and unable to physically distance. — Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) August 18, 2021 At this stage, the new mask rules will apply until 4pm on Friday, August 27. Queensland currently has 97 active COVID-19 cases, with zero new locally acquired cases reported in the past 24 hours. As always, the usual requests regarding social distancing, hygiene and getting tested if you're feeling even the slightest possible COVID-19 symptoms also still apply — as they have since March last year. Southeast Queensland's COVID-19 restrictions will relax further from 4pm on Friday, August 20, including regarding masks. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Queensland, head to the QLD COVID-19 hub and the Queensland Health website.
Do you have eyes? Do you have eyes for what looks good? Are you the kind of person who knows their way around a camera, and how to use it well? Live in Sydney and love it with a passion? Then we might have an opportunity to tweak your interest. Concrete Playground and Olympus have teamed up to offer you the chance to score a particularly excellent PEN E-P1 camera with 17mm kit (valued at $599), and at the very same time land the chance to become a Concrete Playground photographic contributor. Our photographers document Sydney's cultural life minus the boring social snaps - we don't care what you're wearing, only that you're having a good time. Now we have a brand new galleries section, we're looking for someone with an incredible eye to help us share those moments that make this city the ever-changing, never-boring place it is to be. If you think you're the right person for the gig, shoot us an email over to hello@concreteplayground.com.au with a photo you've taken that you think captures something special about Sydney. We'll upload the best snaps to an album on our Facebook page, and invite people to vote for the picture they like best. If your photo gets the most 'likes', the camera and a place in the Concrete Playground family shall be yours. Entries close May 13, 2011 at 5pm.
Ahoy there! September 19 is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, a holiday conceived by mateys John Bauer and Mark Summers of Oregon, USA in the mid-'90s. After a plug from American columnist Dave Barry in 2002, a joke between friends grew into an international phenomenon, where ‘arrr’ becomes a universally understood term for a day. In Australia, Talk Like a Pirate Day takes a charitable turn. Talklikeapirateday.org raises a fine loot and then gives it to Childhood Cancer Support, assisting the families of little pirates going through cancer treatment. Share your spoils, mateys! Here are our recommendations for how Brisbane pirates can spend International Talk Like a Pirate Day next Thursday. In the words of Bauer and Summers, “Silliness is the holiday’s best selling point”. So strap on your peg leg and eye patch, switch your Facebook language to Pirate, and off we go! START THE DAY Avast! Didn’t your mother ever tell you that brunch is the most important meal of the day? A good pirate kicks off a long day of mischief with something from Chester Street Bakery & Bar. With its shiny blue wood-fire oven and an all day brunch menu, this is the place pillage some pancakes and throw back some grog. Jug of Bloody Mary? Aye aye! MID MORNING Every pirate needs to be able to sniff out treasure and practice makes perfect. Have your mateys hide your treasure of choice around New Farm Park and hunt it down. Try not to scare too many children. If your treasure hunt works up an appetite, sit down with your crew for a picnic. Ye could even try some of the recipes from the Bake Like a Pirate guide on talklikeapirateday.org. Treasure hunt doesn’t float your boat? Perhaps ye need to get your sea legs back. Catch the City Cat to South Bank – the trip’s not quite long enough to risk scurvy, but just enough to avoid being labeled a blasted landlubber. Smartly now, lass or laddie! Once you’ve reached the hallowed shores of South Bank, pay a visit to the Maritime Museum. There ye can gaze upon some seafarin’ history, including photographs (look out for your pirate ancestors), artwork, and maritime artefacts. MIDDAY If your last few expeditions have yielded plentiful booty, maybe it’s time to spoil your pirate self with a scenic lunch cruise on the Kookaburra Queen. She’s been the grand wench of the Brisbane River for more than 25 years and is a true icon of this great city. Commandeering is not encouraged. If your sea legs have failed and some solid ground is sought, make for either the South Bank Surf Club or Merthyr Bowls club, depending on where ye olde compass points you. At both places you can feast on oysters and fish and chips with a water view worthy of pirate kings. AFTERNOON After lunch it must be high time to walk the plank… straight into the sea monster-free waters of Streets Beach at South Bank. With its tranquil blue waters, white sandy shores and lush surrounds, you’ll feel like you’ve woken up on a deserted tropical island. For the active pirate types, set towards the river once more for kayaking at Riverlife at the bottom of the Kangaroo Point Cliffs. There be no need to abseil (unless that’s the sort of thing that blows your hornpipe) – just follow the walkway along the river. The kayaking tours take you past landmarks like the Botanical Gardens and the Story Bridge. Now there’s a beauty! DINNER A real pirate needs real meaty sustenance – arrr! And what be better after a long day of (nonviolent) pillaging than roast pork carved from the whole pig at Alfred and Constance? Your dinner will be complete with a tropical cocktail from the upstairs Tiki bar, where a model of the famous historical beacon of piracy - Jack Sparrow - shall greet ye. NIGHT CAP The best pirates never have an early night, not when there’s rum to be drunk. Get your crew to prohibition-style hideaway The Walrus Club in Auchenflower. There, ye can soak up the subterranean ambience, enjoy a Cuban cigar and choose from over 300 rum varieties to finish Talk Like a Pirate Day 2013 the way it should be. Arrr!
Each year, we all anticipate the arrival of December 25. Because of the day off, that includes the promise of an afternoon spent dozing in a hammock — and for dessert fiends, it also includes Gelato Messina's annual Christmas cake. We hope you like a certain quintessential Australian dish, because that's what is on the gelato chain's menu again. Yes, Messina is bringing back its version of the trifle. The Christmas Coma will return for its fourth year running — and this time it's particularly decadent. In fact, it's a gelato rocky road trifle, and it comes in a pack with a dulce de leche sourdough panettone, as made in collaboration with Sonoma Bakery. First, the epic ice cream creation. In 2020, the Christmas Coma will once again feature layer upon layer of everything that is good about Christmas — but instead of being soggy and slightly regrettable, this one will have you licking the glass bowl. So what's in it? Well, Messina is going with layers of cherry flummery, rocky road crunch, coconut cream, chocolate mud cake and milk chocolate gelato, then topping it with caramelised peanuts and glace cherries. Plus, it'll come with some Messina brandy custard to douse all over the mess. And, it all serves 20–30 (or less if you really commit). With the 750-gram sourdough panettone, you'll be getting a spiced brioche whipped up by Sonoma's executive pastry chef Alejandro Luna and his team. It takes 36 hours to make, and it's stuffed with Messina's dulce de leche and chocolate, plus Italian dried fruits, nuts and spices. All of the above comes in a Christmas Coma mega pack, which costs $200 and can be pre-ordered from a yet-to-be-revealed date in the week commencing Monday, November 9. Sign up to Messina's VIP list, and you'll get access to a 24-hour pre-sale window before pre-orders open to everyone, too. You'll then be able to pick up your Christmas Coma between Friday, December 18 and Thursday, December 24, all within regular store opening hours — and from all Gelato Messina stores across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane except The Star. It comes in a Messina cooler bag and, if you keep it in there all sealed up, can survive for up to one hour. In each of the last few years, the trifle sold out super fast, so we suggest you don't wait on this one. The Christmas Coma will be available to order from sometime during the week commencing Monday, November 9. Keep an eye on the Messina website for further details — or sign up to Messina's VIP list to get access to a 24-hour pre-sale window before pre-orders open to everyone.
Twenty-five years ago, a TV sitcom about six New Yorkers made audiences a promise: that it'd be there for us. And, as well as making stars out of Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer, the hit series has done just that. Sure, Friends wrapped up its ten-season run in 2004, but the show has lived on — on streaming platforms, by sending an orange couch around Australia and by screening anniversary marathons in cinemas. In news that was bound to happen someday — no pop culture entity truly comes to an end in these reboot, remake, revival and spinoff-heavy times — it looks like Friends is going to live on in a much more literal sense, too. The Hollywood Reporter reveals that a deal is in the works to bring back the show for a reunion special on HBO's new streaming platform HBO Max. Naturally, if it happens, all of the gang will be involved. Almost certainly set to be called 'The One with a Reunion', the special will be unscripted — which means that Aniston and company aren't likely to actually step back into Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey, Phoebe and Ross's shoes; rather, they'll chat about their experiences on the show. Still, they'll all be on-screen at the same time celebrating the series that so many folks love, which is probably enough for fans. And, really, who knows what could spring from there. We're purely speculating, but if other big 90s sitcoms like Will & Grace, Mad About You and apparently Frasier can make a proper comeback, then surely everyone's favourite Central Perk regulars can as well. Friends creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman are also slated to join the reunion special, if it comes to fruition. If you're wondering when it could happen, THR notes that it'll largely depend on the relevant parties' schedules — although HBO Max is due to launch in the US in May 2020, so perhaps it'll be sooner rather than later. For folks Down Under, there doesn't seem to be a current plan to bring the streaming platform to our shores. Instead, the company appears to be continuing to focus on its existing arrangements with local channels and streamers for the time being. Via The Hollywood Reporter.
If movies were an assessable component in the American SATs, one might easily expect to find a question like: Ralph Fiennes is to comedy as Tyler Perry is to...? (a) Costumes (b) Makeup (c) Playing multiple characters (d) Films accessible to white people. After all, this was the chap with the burned face from The English Patient, the Voldemort with the no face from Harry Potter and the Naziest bloody Nazi in Schindler's List. Excluding, for argument's sake, that 'incident on the plane', to think upon Fiennes was to consider class, panache and gravitas. Certainly, the next Bill Murray he was not. There's no doubt Fiennes is now experiencing something of a cinematic resurgence, particularly given his run as the newly minted 'M' in the Bond franchise, yet few could ever have expected that this Lazarus-esque revival would've seen him not just turn his mind to comedy but excel in it. Yes, that was a long-winded prelude to reviewing Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel, but in this — now his eighth feature film — it's the first time the director has centred everything on just one character, and, thankfully, his leading man delivers something extraordinary. Fiennes is, quite simply, perfect. Playing the inimitable Monsieur Gustave H (the eponymous hotel's storied concierge), he's every bit the quirky protagonist an Anderson film requires but brings to the role an added layer of, well, Fiennes. Monsieur Gustave is, as one of the film's narrators observes, a man of a forgotten age. He's the manifestation of the Grand Budapest itself: elegant, refined, admired yet on the cusp of being left behind in a world scrambling over itself to modernise just as soon as anybody can arrange it. Filmed in three separate aspect ratios to reflect the three distinct decades in which this story takes place, The Grand Budapest Hotel is, typically, steeped in playful innocence yet forever flirting with a darkness just beneath the surface. It's been a growing trend for Anderson, whose last film, Moonrise Kingdom, was a decidedly black comedy grounded in his otherwise traditional quirkiness. Grand Budapest takes it even further: fingers are severed, cats are lobbed out of windows and prison guards are dispatched with bloody abandon. That all such moments elicit more laughter than horror is a testament to Anderson's unique style and direction. Naturally, The Grand Budapest Hotel is also brimming with cameos from Anderson faithfuls and newcomers alike. Murray, Wilson, Swinton, Schwartzman, Norton, Goldblum, Dafoe and Brody all have their go again, whilst Saoirse Ronan, Harvey Keitel and Jude Law gain entry into the team. There is a caper-based plot focused upon the contested inheritance of a priceless painting, but The Grand Budapest Hotel begins and ends as a character study, and it's in that study that the unbridled joy of watching this film is to be found. https://youtube.com/watch?v=1Fg5iWmQjwk
UPDATE, January 25, 2022 — Top End Wedding is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. If Top End Wedding turns Miranda Tapsell into a huge movie star, then the Australian romantic comedy will have done its job. A shining light on local screens since first appearing in The Sapphires in 2012, she's not only the lead in this likeable film, but a co-writer with Joshua Tyler — and she's glowing across both roles. In fact, Tapsell is one of the key elements keeping the amiable movie bubbling, even when it favours well-worn rom-com cliches and tropes. Earlier this year, she was fierce and frank with Nakkiah Lui in their one-episode takeover of Get Krack!n. Now, she's a delight as an overworked Adelaide lawyer who's not only heading home to Darwin to get hitched, but trying to find her runaway mother before the ceremony. It's a familiar setup, in general terms: nuptials beckon, and so does both personal and professional chaos. Lauren (Tapsell) has been at her demanding boss' (Kerry Fox) beck and call for years, striving to secure a promotion. Then her boyfriend Ned (Gwilym Lee) asks for her hand in marriage on the same day that her work wish comes true. Complicating factors include Ned's newly unemployed status, although he doesn't tell Lauren, and the fact that she's only been given ten days to throw the wedding and return to the grind. Landing in the Northern Territory only adds to the couple's woes, especially with Lauren's mum Daffy (Ursula Yovich) gone AWOL, and her dad Trevor (Huw Higginson) spending his time bawling and listening to love ballads in a cupboard. Although there's no shortage of pals (Shari Sebbens, Elaine Crombie and Dalara Williams) on hand to help with the lightning-fast preparations, Lauren won't tie the knot without her mother present. Tracking Daffy down is a task that's easier said than done, sending Top End Wedding's lovebirds on a tour of the NT. While Australian cinema is guilty of using the country's landscape as an additional character to the point of overkill, director Wayne Blair (The Sapphires) and cinematographer Eric Murray Lui (TV's Rosehaven and Black Comedy) make vibrant use of their locations — indeed, their film is as much of a love letter to the region as it is to its leading lady. Of course, one influences the other. Tapsell is a local, and whether wandering through Kakadu National Park or journeying over to the Tiwi Islands, the movie always feels authentic. Crucially, Top End Wedding also overflows with warmth, which assists the film's template-like narrative considerably. It's glaringly easy to see where the story is heading, and more than a few developments strain the bounds of logic. But two details stand out amongst the hen's night shenanigans, anarchic road trips, convenient miscommunications and multiple layers of family mess. Firstly, there's a difference between lazily adhering to genre conventions and deploying them affectionately, with Tapsell and Tyler's script largely falling into the second category. Secondly, the power and tenderness that emanates from the movie's Tiwi Islands-set third act can't be underestimated. A big-screen sight that's even more rare than an Indigenous Aussie rom-com, the film gives the area a huge hug — embracing and including the local community, highlighting the importance of place to Australia's first peoples and culture, and showcasing this underseen part of the country. The feel-good vibe extends to the movie's performances, with Blair's cast all bouncing along. Like the other rom-com reaching cinemas this week, Long Shot, Top End Wedding also owes a debt to the chemistry between its main couple. When contrivance creeps in (such as detouring for a romantic break when it's already been established that everyone is racing against the clock), Tapsell and Lee surge through. Lee has been having just as a great a year as Tapsell, thanks to his bewigged role as Brian May in multiple Oscar-winner Bohemian Rhapsody, and the two actors make an engaging pair. In Top End Wedding, they help charisma, energy and a fond atmosphere mostly overcome familiarity. When the film finds its broad, joyous sweet spot, especially in its back half, it works a charm. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoDBvGF9pPU
Almost a decade has passed since pop-up Star Wars weddings arrived in Brisbane. The next River City trend for couples looking for something other than the standard big matrimonial to-do: Vegas-inspired nuptials without the plane fare. That's Wham Bam Thank You Sam's remit, with the new Windsor space betting on both theming and intimacy. Here, you can say "I do" — then "thank you, thank you very much" if you're really channelling Elvis — with just 12 of your nearest and dearest on hand to celebrate. Whether you've already gotten hitched yourself or you know someone who has, you'll be well aware that weddings can be chaotic, even though the act of two people committing to each other should be simple. Wham Bam Thankyou Sam founders Kady Capewell and Amey Rosenthal are all about scaling tying the knot back stress-wise, while still making the occasion one to remember. And, in the process, they've set up Brisbane's first-ever Vegas-leaning pop-up micro-wedding spot. "Kady and I have worked together for years. One night she sent me a message, completely out of the blue, suggesting the idea of Wham Bam Thankyou Sam. Over a cocktail, we nutted it all out on the back of a napkin," explains Rosenthal. "We loved the building and its beautiful characteristics, so we've really drawn on that to create a space that's truly one of a kind." Open since July, Wham Bam Thankyou Sam won't be sticking with its Vegas decor forever, however. Hopefully that's how long the folks that get married inside the Lutwyche Road site's walls stay together — but, if you're getting betrothed come March 2024, something different will surround you. The space will get a revamp every eight months, in fact, although its whole affordable and easier wedding idea will always owe a debt to Vegas. "Creativity is at the heart of who Kady and I are. We love bringing new, unconventional ideas to life — so why not update and change the space to reflect that? It caters to couples who want to do things differently and have a wedding that is totally unique," notes Rosenthal. "No matter what the theme is, we can promise it'll be something that hasn't been seen before. One thing that won't change, though, is the quality. The fitout, along with our furniture, are completely custom made. So while the theme is temporary, the space still invokes a sense of permanency." Right now, nuptials in the 45-square-foot venue involve retro decor — think: neon and rock and roll influences — with prices starting from $1900. Opt for 'The Quickie' and you'll be in and wed in 30 minutes. With 'The Hour of Power', you obviously get an hour, as well as charcuterie, a bar cart and a personalised photobooth. And with the 'Whole Lotta Lovin' package, that's here bouquets and canapes come in. Dalton Catering provides the food, and your chosen package includes getting your marriage licence filed, but any photography and videography is on you. Also, that 12-person guest limit is strict, and so is the time limit. Want your pet to be involved in the ceremony? In glorious news, Wham Bam Thankyou Sam is also pet-friendly. If you're not planning to get married until between March and October 2024 and you're wondering what the next theme is, Capewell and Rosenthal will switch from Vegas to 'wham bam soft deco'. And, if getting hitched isn't in your immediate future but you're keen to party in the space, Wham Bam Thankyou Sam will host whatever kind of small shindig you like — up to 18 people if you're doing private dining. Find Wham Bam Thank You Sam at 384 Lutwyche Road, Windsor until March 2024 — and head to the venue's website for bookings.
The fact that it took 50 years to bring Misbehaviour's true tale to the screen is nothing less than remarkable. Following the protests staged by the women's liberation movement at the 1970 Miss World Pageant in London, it harks back to a noteworthy and important chapter of history — so much so that you would've expected filmmakers to have been clamouring to give it the cinematic treatment. A plethora of compelling topics are baked into this story, after all, including calling out the gross sexism inherent in objectifying women and ascribing their worth according to their looks, questioning society's narrow view of beauty and making plain the racial prejudice that's also frequently in play. But you don't need a movie about all of the above to tell you the obvious, and also the probable reason that a film about this incident hasn't existed until now. Much may have changed in the past half-century, but the feminist quest for recognition, fairness and equality in every way isn't over yet. Indeed, it's galling how many of Misbehaviour's observations about the way women are treated — and how women of colour fare on top of that — continue to ring true in 2020. Also rather telling: that, of the two big controversies that surrounded the pageant that year, this is the one that has finally reached movie-watching audiences. Again, Misbehaviour focuses on crucial events. It's a tale that should be told, about a battle that isn't over yet, and focusing on women who helped kickstart the progress that has been made over the last five decades. Still, the uproar that arose afterwards in response to the pageant's winner also speaks volumes. The result was questioned, for reasons this review won't give away even though it's a simple matter of record, and the extent of the narrow-minded attitudes cultivated and encouraged by such exercises in objectification couldn't have been more blatant. This film comes to a conclusion before then, however, simplifying what deserves to be a complex and multifaceted examination of the entire affair. Audiences might've endured a hefty wait to see the 1970 situation get any big-screen attention, but they don't have to wonder why Misbehaviour favours the approach its does for very long. Director Philippa Lowthorpe (Swallows and Amazons) and screenwriters Rebecca Frayn (The Lady) and Gaby Chiappe (Their Finest) are eager to pay tribute to pioneering feminists, but they're also very keen to make a feel-good, cheer-inducing movie that fits a clear formula. So it is that a seemly mismatched group comes together, united by the shared goal of improving how women are regarded by society, and decides to target the giant, glitzy and televised spectacle that is the Miss World Pageant — which 100 million people will watch. The two main instigators, aspiring history academic Sally Alexander (Keira Knightley, Official Secrets) and graffiti-spraying anarchist Jo Robinson (Jessie Buckley, I'm Thinking of Ending Things), are initially worlds apart, but squaring off against a common enemy has a way of bringing people together. Making a TV appearance after the protestors make their plans publicly known, Sally stresses one huge point: they're not rallying against the Miss World contestants themselves, but at the institution they're interacting with. Misbehaviour takes that view too, splitting its time — not in equal portions, though — between Sally, Jo and their pals, and also the women vying for the sash and crown. Jennifer Hosten (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Farming), aka Miss Grenada, receives the lion's share of attention among the contenders. That said, Swedish favourite Maj Johansson (Clara Rosager, The Rain), US entrant Sandra Wolsfeld (Suki Waterhouse, The Broken Hearts Gallery) and 'Miss Africa South' Pearl Jansen (Loreece Harrison, Black Mirror) — a late addition after a journalist constantly questions why South Africa's competitor is always white — also get their moments. The film spends time with pageant founder Eric Morley (Rhys Ifans, Berlin Station) and the year's host Bob Hope (Greg Kinnear, Strange But True) as well, serving up two prime examples of the kinds of attitudes that Sally and Jo are trying to tackle. The result is exactly the type of rousing, overt and easy movie that Lowthorpe and her colleagues set out to make — a film that ticks all the boxes it has placed on its own checklist, but doesn't do anything more. That makes Misbehaviour spirited, heavy-handed and well-intended in tandem, and also immensely straightforward. Anyone familiar with the likes of Calendar Girls, The Full Monty and Swimming with Men will able able to spot the template at work, for instance, even though the narrative specifics vary significantly. Misbehaviour has the same shine and energy, too, and the same crowd-pleasing nature. Its recognisable cast all do what's asked of them as well, as seen in Knightley and Buckley's fight against the patriarchy, Mbatha-Raw's quiet determination to give women of colour more prominence, Ifans and Kinnear playing the slimy villainous roles, and Keeley Hawes (Rebecca) and Lesley Manville (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil) as the latter pair's other halves. In other words, being caught up in Misbehaviour's plot, purpose and impressively staged climax is almost a foregone conclusion. Being happy that it's hitting screens and telling this tale at all after all of these years is as well. But so is knowing that this is the most standard and clearcut rendering of this story possible — and noticing that, even as it completely avoids one big part of the pageant's aftermath, the film always keeps viewers well aware that there are other tales related to these events it could and definitely should be exploring and unpacking in more detail. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp3WjuJJYB8
Get your shopping done under twinkling lights while surrounded by real (not plastic) Christmas trees. No, this isn't a festive dream — it's the reality of the annual South Bank Christmas Gift Market. Whether you've been every year since you can remember, or you've never gone a-browsing at the inner-city spot, it's worth the trip. Nightly carols will help add to the mood, although they can't steal the show from the most important part of the proceedings: the wares on offer at the rows of stalls. From 3pm daily between Friday, December 14 and Sunday, December 23, you'll find handmade toys, jewellery and other trinkets just begging to be given as gifts, as well as tasty treats to add to your Christmas feast. Yep, everyone's a winner here.
It’s hard to believe that the Beach Boys have spent half a century as part of musical culture. Their legacy as one of the most loved and influential bands of all time is a testament to their songwriting craft and love of catchy music. To celebrate their 50th Anniversary, the Beach Boys are touring international and they have one stop in Brisbane at the Entertainment Centre. Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston and David Marks have reunited for the first time in over two decades to perform hits from their prodigious back catalogue. Songs such as ‘Good Vibrations’, ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’ and ‘Barbara Ann’ captured the hearts and ears of earlier generations, be sure to hear them live now as this is shaping up to be a historic tour.
We thought it was pretty cool when we found out you can rent a cave off Airbnb. We got pretty excited when 'Van Gogh' put up his room for rent in Chicago, and we were a little horrified (and, y'know, curious) to know that beds were up for grabs in the Catacombs. But Airbnb have taken their farfetched ideas on where to spend a night to a whole new terrifying level — they're holding a competition to win a night's sleep surrounded by sharks. Blending two things that most of us don't ever want to associate with each other — sharks and sleep — Airbnb are offering three lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you look at it) winners and their guests the chance to spend the night in the Aquarium de Paris. They will sleep in a suspended circular room inside the tank, meaning they will be literally surrounded by 35 circling sharks all night long. Who even needs nightmares? Naturally, the listing for the night at the aquarium has a few house rules. Guests are advised to refrain from taking selfies, avoid seeing Jaws in the nights prior to the visit and to "keep heads and feet in the bedroom at all times". The Airbnb host is freediver and underwater photographer Fred Buyle (we checked out his profile, and he seems legit). He'll introduce the guests to their neighbours for the night, take them on a tour of the aquarium and even get in the tank and "dance" with the sharks. The best news about all of this is that Airbnb will fly the winners to Paris from anywhere in the world. To enter, you've just got to tell Airbnb a little about yourself, where you live and why you belong with the sharks for a night in 550 words of less. Enter here by 11.59pm CET on April 3. Let's hope your Airbnb reviews are good ones.
Josh Niland has achieved a lot. He's opened many of Australia's top restaurants, written two acclaimed books (and just dropped a third), challenged how we see seafood in the kitchen and been named in the world's top 100 best chefs. Now, he's taking his success to the world, opening his first international restaurant at The Singapore Edition hotel. Niland's new opening will be the signature restaurant at the soon-to-open 204-room hotel, Edition's first foray into Southeast Asia. At the core of its offerings will be the chef's distinct passion for sustainable seafood — but, unlike Niland's Sydney openings, the hotel venue will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. After initially making a splash with Saint Peter, Josh and his partner Julie Niland have taken the Sydney culinary scene by storm with a series of openings including Fish Butchery, Charcoal Fish and Petermen. The duo are also revamping The Grand National Hotel, moving Saint Peter from Oxford Street into the pub. Niland's Singapore outpost will be one of five restaurants and bars that are set to open inside The Singapore Edition. The lavish accommodation is located in the downtown Orchard district and also promises to offer a rooftop pool, a spa and a fitness centre. [caption id="attachment_910017" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Petermen[/caption] The menu will be a la carte, featuring fish cut to order including rib on the bone, crown roasts and cutlets. As with all of Niland's operations, the restaurant will work with world-class ethical producers and suppliers — and minimising waste will be a top priority, with the menus at the restaurant and lobby bar working in unison to ensure all produce is used to its fullest. The Singapore restaurant doesn't have an exact open date quite yet, but it's expected to swing open its doors in November of this year. [caption id="attachment_771911" align="alignnone" width="1920"] by Rob Palmer, from Josh Niland's The Whole Fish Cookbook[/caption] If you want to get a taste of this world-class sustainable seafood operation without venturing over to Singapore, you have a few options. Book a table at the intimate Saint Peter for the classic Niland experience, or head to Charcoal Fish for a more casual takeaway-style offering. And, you can venture over to St Leonards for his newest offering Petermen, which just launched a weekly pescetarian-friendly Sunday roast. [caption id="attachment_826817" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Saint Peter[/caption] Josh Niland's new Singapore venue will open at The Singapore Edition, 38 Cuscaden Road, Singapore — it's expected to launch in November 2023. Top image: Alan Benson.
UPDATE: OCTOBER 3, 2020 — Due to worldwide cinema closures and other concerns around COVID-19, No Time to Die will no longer release on Thursday, November 12. Instead, it will now release on Thursday, April 1, 2021. This article has been updated to reflect that change. 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. Shaken (not stirred) martinis are back on the menu, and so are suave secret agents, sinister plots to destroy the world and big-screen espionage thrills. Yes, it's James Bond time again, with No Time to Die finally set to reach cinemas in 2021 — and dropping a brand new trailer to tease the British spy's 25th official cinematic outing. On offer, as fans initially glimpsed in the first sneak peek in 2019, are all the franchise staples. World-in-peril action, savvy ladies, plenty of gadgets, eye-popping stunts and spectacles, an Aston Martin — they're all accounted for. And, because no Bond movie would be complete without a formidable villain, No Time to Die serves up two: an unhinged, mask-wearing new adversary called Safin (Bohemian Rhapsody Oscar-winner Rami Malek), plus imprisoned ex-opponent Blofeld (Christoph Waltz). Daniel Craig returns as 007, marking not only his fifth stint as the spy since 2006's Casino Royale, but his last — and he has company in the 00 stakes. Following the events of 2015's Spectre, Bond has left active service and started a new life in Jamaica, causing MI6 to recruit someone else to cover his turf. That'd be new agent Nomi (Captain Marvel's Lashana Lynch), and you can obviously expect the pair to cross paths. Bond being Bond, he was never going to be able to escape his line of work easily, after all. Here, he's brought back in by CIA agent Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) to help with a mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist. Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga (True Detective, Maniac) and penned by a team that includes Fukunaga, The Report director Scott Z Burns and Fleabag's Phoebe Waller-Bridge, this Bond instalment also brings back all the usual Bond offsiders. Ralph Fiennes returns as M, alongside Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny, Ben Whishaw as Q and Rory Kinnear as MI6 head Bill Tanner. Lea Seydoux is back as psychiatrist Dr Madeleine Swan, too — and, reuniting with Craig after co-starring in the fabulously entertaining Knives Out last year, Ana de Armas also joins the cast. Of course, as Bond aficionados won't have forgotten, No Time to Die has had to overcome a few setbacks off-screen on its path to cinemas. Originally it was due to release in April this year, but became one of the first films to delay its opening date due to COVID-19. It was then slated to hit the big screen in November, but has now been postponed until April 2021. Watch the new No Time to Die trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw2FOYjCz38 No Time to Die will no longer hit Australian cinemas on November 12, 2020, with its release date postponed until April 1, 2021. Top image: James Bond (Daniel Craig) and Paloma (Ana de Armas) in No Time to Die, an EON Productions and Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios film. Credit: Nicola Dove. © 2020 DANJAQ, LLC AND MGM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Trade in the eggs and bunnies this Easter Sunday for an afternoon of beer and beats at the Elephant Hotel's annual block party. Last year their lineup included Delta Riggs and Strewth, and this lineup betters that with some of Brisbane and Queensland's biggest music names. High-flying garage rockers Millions will be joined by Morning Harvey, Bassethounds, Dinosaur Dreams and Big Bag Echo. Before, in-between and after these live sets, James Wright, Brisbane Society of Sound, Pool Boys and Akimbo will be DJing at the Elephant decks. Entry is free, the dress code is relaxed and all will take place in the Elephant Hotel's massive backyard, so bring a crowd of friends along for some holiday celebrating. The party kicks of at 3pm. That's more than enough time to squeeze in Easter lunch with the family, and don't forget the Monday is a public holiday. Make this an Easter to remember at The Elephant Hotel.
In 1961, on an assignment from the New Yorker, superstar academic Hannah Arendt travelled to her native Germany to cover the trial of Adolf Eichmann, 'architect of the Holocaust'. Instead of being struck by his coldness or inhumanity at the trial, Arendt found Eichmann an "unimpressive" and "unremarkable" figure who presented himself a bureaucrat who merely followed orders. Her reaction was not the one she expected, nor one many people wanted to hear, but her bafflement went on to inform a work which helped readers understand how an almost unfathomably dark chapter in human history had unfolded. The main focus of the biopic Hannah Arendt is the fallout after that article (which was expanded into a book) was published. Many thought it a betrayal of her own Jewish heritage or a slanderous, self-serving provocation. The university where she once received gooey-eyed affection from her adoring students asks her to justify her continued employment there and social schisms spring up as former friends and allies turn against her. Directed in solid, determinedly no-frills style by Margarethe Von Trotta, Hannah Arendt is a reminder that a work which is now almost universally accepted as a key insight into the horrors of the Holocaust and the operation of a genocidal machine was considered incendiary and worse at the time of publication. Read our full review of Hannah Arendt here. Hannah Arendt is in cinemas on Thursday, March 13, and thanks to Curious Distribution, 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=WTQNWgZVctM
"For never was a story of more woe," said William Shakespeare of Romeo & Juliet. To be accurate, he had the iconic play announce that itself in its second-last line. In the four centuries since the famed tale was first penned, never was there a tragic romance that's better known, either. Few works have been adapted and performed as much as this story of the warring Montague and Capulet families, and the heartbreak that ensues when their children fall in love — but Benjamin Millepied's Romeo & Juliet suite still stands out. Australian audiences will be able to discover why for themselves when winter hits in 2024, when the world-famous choreographer's take on Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers will make its Aussie debut. Playing exclusively at the Sydney Opera House from Wednesday, June 5–Sunday, June 9, the ballet will fill the Joan Sutherland Theatre and other spaces with a mix of dance, theatre and cinema that defies genres, as well as a modernisation of the narrative that sees love first, not gender. Three versions comprise the suite, each with a different couple. On the production's first night and its Saturday matinee, an all-male pairing will bring Romeo & Juliet to life. On the second evening and the Saturday night, two female dancers will play the lead parts. And on the Friday and Sunday, a male-female duo will take to the stage. Millepied's Romeo & Juliet hails from the LA Dance Project, which he co-founded and acts as its Artistic Director. The company's ensemble will perform on the opera house's stage and also throughout the building, which is then broadcast live back to the audience inside the Joan Sutherland Theatre. So, the Romeo & Juliet suite plays with form, too — and even if you think you've seen every iteration of R&J before, this one is unique. Bringing the ballet Down Under for the first time marks Millepied's latest project in Australia. His last: making his film directorial debut with Carmen, which starred Melissa Barrera (Scream) and Paul Mescal (All of Us Strangers), reimagined Prosper Mérimée's novella and Georges Bizet's opera, and shot in the outback New South Wales town of Broken Hill. The dancer, choreographer and filmmaker's resume before that spans joining the New York Ballet as a teen, choreographing and co-starring in Black Swan, a stint as Paris Opera Ballet's Director of Dance and creating the sandwalk for Denis Villeneuve's versions of Dune. "I am deeply proud of LA Dance Project, the artistic journey I've embarked on over the past decade alongside my dedicated partner Lucinda Lent and our exceptional team. The opportunity for our company to grace the stage of the Sydney Opera House is a dream realised," said Millepied, announcing the Romeo & Juliet suite's Australian debut. "This moment holds profound significance, not only because the Sydney Opera House is an emblem of global culture, but also because Australia and its people hold a unique space in my heart. Sydney, I eagerly anticipate our reunion!" The Romeo & Juliet suite will take over the Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House from Wednesday, June 5–Sunday, June 9, 2024. For more information and tickets, head to the venue's website — with presales from 9am on Tuesday, February 6 and general sales from 9am on Friday, February 9. Read our interview with Benjamin Millepied about Carmen. Images: Julien Benhamou, Paul Bourdrel and Josh Rose.
When Jurassic Park opened in 1993, Steven Spielberg presented us with dinosaurs of such terrifying and spectacular realism, they've not been bested in the more than two decades since. So too the giant, wreathing CGI tornados of 1996's Twister, upon which Spielberg acted as executive producer. Special effects have come a long way since then, and one unfortunate corollary has been the proliferation of movies based on them rather than bolstered by them. Consider the latest offering: Into The Storm — another 'nature attacks humans' film where the only twist is it wasn't directed by Roland Emmerich. Here, a series of twisters are on a collision course with a small American town, imperilling not only its inhabitants but also the storm chasers determined to film from within the eye of the tornado. Some kids get stuck in a mill, more get trapped in their school and… that's it. There's the plot. Storm come. Storm big. Storm destroy. Most annoying of all, this is another addition to the found footage genre of film — an entirely unnecessary device that's almost always ignored as soon it becomes too difficult to explain how or why someone was filming every single moment (in this case, a dramatic shot of 747s swirling around inside a giant tornado was not, presumably, filmed by a pigeon with a Go-Pro). Found footage also has a knack for making even decent actors look rubbish, as is the case here with Richard Armitage, aka The Hobbit's Thorin Oakenshield. His dialogue, whether scripted or improvised, seems horrifically forced throughout, representing a sort of poor-man's Frank Underwood narration. There is one drawcard here, and it's the weather. The menacing skies are spectacular and the force of the winds is well captured in the action sequences, yet it's nothing we'd not already seen all the way back in 1996. So, if it's a twister film you desire, save your money and revisit the only one actually worthy of the name. https://youtube.com/watch?v=A_kj8EKhV3w
Back in the 2000s, if you weren't listing to Interpol and Bloc Party, were you really in the 2000s? No, no you weren't. The former arrived out of Manhattan in the late 90s, then helped define the city's turn-of-the-century indie music scene with The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio and The National. Hailing from Britain and also coming together just before Y2K, the latter initially scored some hefty approval in 2003 via Franz Ferdinand's lead singer Alex Kaprano. From those beginnings, both bands became indie rock greats. Next, they're heading to Australia to remind music lovers why. Busting out everything from 'Slow Hands' to 'She's Hearing Voices', the two groups will share the same bill on a co-headlining tour of the country's east coast in November, including a show at Brisbane's Riverstage on Wednesday, November 22. For Interpol, it'll be their first visit Down Under since 2019, plus their debut chance to play 2022 album The Other Side of Make-Believe in Australia. Tracks from past records such as Turn on the Bright Lights, Antics and El Pintor will also feature. Bloc Party are making the trip after last rocking Aussie stages in 2018, and will perform songs from Silent Alarm, A Weekend in the City, Intimacy and 2022 LP Alpha Games. Bloc Party images: James Kellegher. Interpol image: Ebru Yildiz.
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to anything, we're here to help. We've spent plenty of couch time watching our way through this month's latest batch — and, from the latest and greatest through to old and recent favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue from May's haul. Brand-New Stuff You Can Watch From Start to Finish Now Hacks Sometimes you need to wait for the things you love. In Hacks, that's true off- and on-screen. It's been two years since the HBO comedy last dropped new episodes, after its first season was one of the best new shows of 2021 and its second one of the best returning series of 2022 — a delay first sparked by star Jean Smart (Babylon) requiring heart surgery, and then by 2023's Hollywood strikes. But this Emmy- and Golden Globe-winner returns better than ever in season three as it charts Smart's Deborah Vance finally getting a shot at a job that she's been waiting her entire career for. After scoring a huge hit with her recent comedy special, which was a product of hiring twentysomething writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder, Julia), the Las Vegas mainstay has a new chance at nabbing a late-night hosting gig. (Yes, fictional takes on after-dark talk shows are having a moment, thanks to Late Night with the Devil and now this.) At times, some in Deborah's orbit might be tempted to borrow the Australian horror movie's title to describe to assisting her pitch for a post-primetime chair. That'd be a harsh comment, but savage humour has always been part of this showbiz comedy about people who tell jokes for a living. While Deborah gets roasted in this season, spikiness is Hacks' long-established baseline — and also the armour with which its behind-the-mic lead protects herself from life's and the industry's pain, disappointments and unfairness. Barbs can also be Deborah's love language, as seen in her banter with Ava. When season two ended, their tumultuous professional relationship had come to an end again via Deborah, who let her writer go to find bigger opportunities. A year has now passed when season three kicks off. Ava is a staff writer on a Last Week Tonight with John Oliver-type series in Los Angeles and thriving, but she's also not over being fired. Back in Vanceland , everything is gleaming — but Deborah isn't prepared for being a phenomenon. She wants it. She's worked for years for it. It's taken until her 70s to get it. But her presence alone being cause for frenzy, rather than the scrapping she's done to stay in the spotlight, isn't an easy adjustment. Hacks streams via Stan. Read our full review. Bodkin When podcasting grasped onto IRL mysteries and the world listened, it started a 21st-century circle of true crime obsessions. First, the audio format dived into the genre. Next, screens big and small gave it renewed attention, not that either ever shirked reality's bleakest details. Now, movies and TV shows are known to spin stories around folks investigating such cases to make podcasts, turning detective as they press record. And, as Only Murders in the Building did, sometimes there's also a podcast venturing behind the scenes of a fictional affair about podcasters sleuthing a case. While Bodkin mightn't come with an accompanying digital audio series stepping into its minutiae, it does take its fellow murder-mystery comedy's lead otherwise. Swaps are made — West Cork is in, New York is out; deaths pile up in an Irish village, not an apartment building; three chalk-and-cheese neighbours give way to a trio of mismatched journalists — but the shared format is as plain to see as blood splatter. Call that part of the 21st-century circle of true crime obsessions, too, as one hit inspires more. Bodkin is easy to get hooked on as well, even if it's not as guaranteed to return for additional seasons. Siobhán Cullen (The Dry), Will Forte (Strays) and Robyn Cara (Mixtape) give this seven-part series its investigating threesome: Irishwoman-in-London Dove Maloney, a hard-nosed reporter who just lost a source on a big story; American Gilbert Power, who capitalised upon his wife's cancer for his first podcast hit; and enthusiastic researcher Emmy Sizergh, who wants to be Dove and, much to her idol's dismay, is fine with following Gilbert's lead to get there. They're thrown together in the show's titular town not by Dove's choice, but because she's bundled off by her editor. Gilbert and Emmy are well-aware that she's not there willingly — Dove isn't the type to hide her disdain for anything, be it her latest assignment, Gilbert's medium of choice and his approach, and Emmy's eagerness. Bodkin beckons courtesy of a cold case from a quarter-century back when the village gathered for its then-annual Samhain festival (an influence upon Halloween). Three people disappeared, which Gilbert is certain is a killer hook for the next big hit he desperately needs for the sake of both his reputation and his finances; however, Dove is adamant that there's much more going on than the narrative that Gilbert has already decided to tell. Bodkin streams via Netflix. Read our full review. Outer Range It was true of season one of Outer Range and it doesn't stop proving the case in season two: thinking about Twin Peaks, Yellowstone, Lost, The X-Files, The Twilight Zone and primetime melodramas while you're watching this sci-fi western series is unavoidable. In its second go-around, throw in Dark, too, and also True Detective. Here, an eerie void on a Wyoming cattle ranch sends people hurtling through time, rather than a cave beneath a nuclear power plant — and that concept, time, is dubbed a river instead of a flat circle. The idea behind Outer Range, as conjured up creator Brian Watkins for its debut season in 2022, has always been intriguing: what if a tunnel of blackness topped by a mist of floating energy suddenly opened up in the earth? Also, where would this otherworldly chasm lead? What would be the consequences of taking a tumble into its inky expanse? What does it mean? It isn't literally a mystery box Dark Matter-style, but it also still is in everything but shape — while contemplating what effect such a phenomena has on a rancher family that's worked the land that the ethereal cavern appears on for generations, as well as upon the broader small-town community of Wabang. Getting trippy came with the territory in season one, in an entrancing blend of the out-there and the earthy. Season two doubles down, dives in deeper and gallops across its chosen soil — a mix of the surreal and the soapy as well — with even more gusto. Just like with a vacuum that materialises on an otherwise ordinary-seeming paddock, no one should be leaping into Outer Range's second season unprepared. This isn't a series to jump into with no prior knowledge, or to just pick up along the way. It isn't simply the premise that Outer Range takes its time to reveal in all of its intricacy, a process that remains ongoing in season two; the characters, including Abbott patriarch Royal (Josh Brolin, Dune: Part Two), his wife Cecilia (Lili Taylor, Manhunt), their sons Perry (Tom Pelphrey, Love & Death) and Rhett (Lewis Pullman, Lessons in Chemistry), and stranger-in-their-midst Autumn (Imogen Poots, The Teacher), receive the same treatment. Outer Range streams via Prime Video. Read our full review. Jim Henson Idea Man Making a documentary about Jim Henson can't be a difficult task. He's the man who created The Muppets, co-created Sesame Street, co-helmed The Dark Crystal and directed Labyrinth — and stepping through all four, complete with footage from them and behind-the-scenes clips as well, could fuel several portraits of the iconic puppeteer. Jim Henson Idea Man features plenty from that key Henson quartet, all teeming with insights. When viewers aren't getting a peek at The Muppet Show being made, they're exploring the technical trickery behind Kermit singing 'Rainbow Connection' in the swamp in The Muppet Movie. Or, if you're not hearing about how the Bert and Ernie dynamic was fuelled by Henson and Frank Oz's real-life personalities, you're being taken through the first version of The Dark Crystal where little was in any known language, then hearing from Jennifer Connelly (Dark Matter) about the picture that made "dance, magic dance" one of the most-famous lines from a movie song. Ron Howard (Thirteen Lives) has a dream job, then. He also makes the most of everything that a tribute to Henson needs. But, affectionate as it was always going to be — Henson is that rightly beloved, and always will be — his doco also dives deeper. Talking heads, including Oz (Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker), other colleagues and Henson's four surviving children, are on hand to chat through the man behind the on-screen magic amid the treasure trove of material. Again, this Cannes-premiering documentary is a tribute and an authorised one, but it also examines the impact of its subject's devotion to his work on his marriage, as well as on his wife and fellow puppeteer Jane's career. Howard and screenwriter Mark Monroe (The Beach Boys) are loving but clear-eyed in their approach — and wide-spanning in their range for anyone who hasn't delved into much of Henson's work beyond The Muppets, Sesame Street, The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. As it hops through a birth-to-death timeline, the attention given to Henson's experimental films is essential and a delight. For 1965's Time Piece, he was nominated for an Academy Award, with the short held up here as a key to understanding the inner Henson beyond his public persona. Getting viewers discovering or rediscovering that piece, and what it conveys about its creator, is high among Jim Henson Idea Man's many gifts. Jim Henson Idea Man streams via Disney+. Eric In the space of a mere two days to close out May, two tales of two puppeteers have popped up on streaming. Eric is pure fiction, but it's impossible not to think about Jim Henson while watching it, regardless of whether you also have a small-screen date with Jim Henson Idea Man. Creator and writer Abi Morgan — who has previously penned the likes of Shame, The Iron Lady, The Invisible Woman, Suffragette, River and The Split — puts a Henson-esque figure with his own hit TV show for kids at the core of her six-part miniseries. Played by Benedict Cumberbatch (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar) in a performance that's bound to receive awards attention, Vincent Anderson even physically resembles the man behind The Muppets and Sesame Street, but he definitely isn't Henson. Firstly, Anderson is an abusive alcoholic. Secondly, his nine-year-old son Edgar (debutant Ivan Morris Howe) goes missing one morning on his walk to school. And thirdly, the eponymous Eric is a seven-foot-tall monster muppet who his boy scribbled to life on the page and then starts following Vincent as his mental health struggles after Edgar disappears. As a series, the 1985-set Eric is ambitious — and, as well as exceptionally acted, also instantly involving and deeply layered as it ponders how a sunny world can turn unkind, cruel and corrupt. It's an ordinary day when Edgar trundles out his New York City door alone, and routine even in the fact that Vincent and his wife Cassie (Gaby Hoffmann, C'mon C'mon) have been fighting. But soon the Anderson family is plunged into crisis. As he frays visibly, Vincent still can't tear himself away from work, becoming obsessed with turning Eric into his show's newest character. Cassie is certain that reward money from her husband's rich parents, who he's estranged from, will help rustle up information on her son's whereabouts. At the NYPD, detective Michael Ledroit (McKinley Belcher III, One Piece) is working the case while handling his own baggage. He's still trying to find another missing kid from 11 months ago, too, but with far less support because that child is Black. Ledroit is also a closeted gay Black man in a workplace and at a time that's hardly welcoming, with a dying partner at home. Eric streams via Netflix. Read our full review. The Veil It's simple to glean how and why Elisabeth Moss (Next Goal Wins) was cast as The Veil's Imogen Salter, the MI6 agent whose speciality is complex undercover gigs, even if the part in this six-episode miniseries initially seems like the opposite of her recent work. In The Handmaid's Tale, Shining Girls and The Invisible Man, trauma and abuse came her characters' ways — but the flipside, of course, is persisting, enduring and fighting back. The inner steeliness that it takes to survive dystopian subjugation, domestic violence and an assault isn't far removed from the outward resolve that Imogen wears like a second skin. The more that The Veil goes on, the more that the show and Moss unpack why its key intelligence agent sports such armour, plus the emotional underpinning that's definitely familiar territory for the actor. The role by the end of the series screams her name, in fact, but the cool, calm, collected and ass-kicking Imogen does as well. Watching Moss as a top-of-her-game spy who puts everyone in their place is the kind of idea that should always get an immediate green light. The Veil is gripping from start to finish, and also a better show because it has Moss at its centre. Imogen isn't her character's real name, a detail that's par for the course in espionage antics and also symbolic of someone trying to construct a new facade atop pain that won't fade. Her latest gig puts Adilah El Idrissi (Yumna Marwan, The Stranger's Case) in her sights, a woman who similarly mightn't be who she says she is. At a snowy refugee camp (Australian Wakefield actor Dan Wyllie plays its man in charge) on the border of Turkey and Syria, the latter is attacked for her purported ties to ISIS — not just as an operative but as a mastermind, which she denies. Working with French DGES agent Malik Amar (Dali Benssalah, Street Flow 2) and American CIA agent Max Peterson (Josh Charles, The Power), Imogen's task is to obtain the truth out of Adilah, who says that she just wants to get back to her young daughter. It's also plain to see why creator and writer Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders, SAS Rogue Heroes), plus directors Daina Reid (a Shining Girls and The Handmaid's Tale alum) and Damon Thomas (The Big Cigar), put Moss and the also-excellent Marwan together for much of the series. The Veil streams via Disney+. The Idea of You He's just a boy, standing in front of a girl, asking her to love him. The Idea of You doesn't use specific those words, aka a gender-flipped version of the Notting Hill quote that became entrenched in popular consciousness a quarter century ago, but it follows the same broad tale and conveys that exact sentiment. He is Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine, Mary & George), the twentysomething pop idol who fronts British boy band August Moon. She is divorcee Solène Marchand (Anne Hathaway, Armageddon Time), an art dealer hitting her 40s who's a mother to teenage Izzy (Ella Rubin, Masters of the Air). And as they meet-cute — not at a bookstore but at Coachella, where Solène is escorting her daughter and her friends to see August Moon, including a VIP meet-and-greet with Hayes and his bandmates backstage — there's no avoiding thinking about Hugh Grant (Unfrosted) and Julia Roberts (Leave the World Behind). Thanks to the internet, although author Robinne Lee has rebuffed the idea that she wrote the novel The Idea of You as fan fiction, there's no escaping Harry Styles popping into your head, either. Actor-turned-writer Lee (Kaleidoscope) knows a thing or two about fanfic: she featured in the movie adaptations of the Fifty Shades books. But the potential Styles of it all doesn't matter when the style of the tale, especially on-screen, is a rom-com about a woman being seen at a time in her life when traditionally the opposite happens. There shouldn't be an air of wish fulfilment to this story in a perfect world, or a race to join the dots to connect it to a celebrity and make that the crux of the narrative's importance. Writer/director Michael Showalter (Spoiler Alert) and co-screenwriter Jennifer Westfeldt (The First Lady), both of whom are actors themselves, thankfully don't opt for that path. Instead, while the movie's characters could've used more flesh in the script and cliches remain apparent, The Idea of You gets layered performances out of Hathaway and Galitzine to make its setup feel emotionally authentic. The details: that cute meeting, her reluctance, his perseverance, chasing their hearts on August Moon's tour of Europe, then navigating the reality behind the fantasy. The Idea of You streams via Prime Video. The Tattooist of Auschwitz How do you bring a tale of the holocaust's horrors and the human spirit's tenacity to the screen when it's as complicated as The Tattooist of Auschwitz? Many of complexities surrounding Heather Morris' book aren't on the page, but rather in the story's dialogue between truth and fiction — with the narrative based on a real-life concentration camp survivor's recollections, but questions raised about inaccuracies in the text's account. As a six-part miniseries, The Tattooist of Auschwitz confronts the queries surrounding its contents, which reached shelves in 2018, by constantly noting how unreliable that memories can be. Each episode opens with "based on the memories of holocaust survivor Lali Sokolov" before sections of the phrase fades, leaving just "the memories of Lali Sokolov" lingering. Backtracking as the elderly Lali (Harvey Keitel, Paradox Effect) recounts his time at Auschwitz to probe how true the specifics are, offer different versions, revise the minutiae and sway the perspective is also an element of the show, as are other figures — such as Stefan Baretzki (Jonas Nay, Concordia), an SS officer overseeing the younger Lali (Jonah Hauer-King, The Little Mermaid) — appearing like ghosts to put forward another viewpoint. Screenwriters Jacquelin Perske (Fires), Gabbie Asher (Sanctuary) and Evan Placey (Soulmates) — and also director Tali Shalom-Ezer (The Psychologist), who helms the entire miniseries — frame The Tattooist of Auschwitz as a portrait of a man looking back at his life and an examination of the fact that every recounting is always guided by storytelling choices. It's a canny move, recognising that Lali's experiences as a Slovakian Jewish prisoner during World War II can only be filtered through his eyes, especially as gutwrenching horror surrounds him but love still springs. Being enlisted with the titular job, which brings a sliver of benefits and freedoms within the camp; falling for fellow detainee Gita (Anna Próchniak, Unmoored) while he's inking; the fraught nature of their fight to be together in such grim circumstances; the reality of death everywhere around them; his relationship with the volatile Baretzki: as Lali at age 87 chats through it with aspiring writer Morris (Melanie Lynskey, Yellowjackets), that this is his journey and that his recounting isn't infallible remain constantly in mind. Keitel is particularly excellent, but the most haunting element of the compelling series, unsurprisingly, is the moments that it spends with the dead — moments where there's no possibility of different perceptions — who stare straight to camera when they pass. The Tattooist of Auschwitz streams via Stan. New and Returning Shows to Check Out Week by Week Colin From Accounts When Colin From Accounts arrived for its first season in 2022 with a nipple flash, a dog and strangers committing to take care of a cute injured pooch together, it also began with a "will they, won't they?" story. Ashley (Harriet Dyer, The Invisible Man) and Gordon (Patrick Brammall, Evil) crossed paths in the street in Sydney when she gave him a random peek, then he was distracted behind the wheel. Thanks to the titular pet, the pair were soon intricately involved in each other's lives — and a delightful small-screen Aussie rom-com was the end result as they endeavoured to work out what that actually meant. In season two, which picks up after the duo gave Colin From Accounts to new owners and then immediately regretted the decision, a couple of things are different from the outset: Gordon and Ashley are on a quest to get their pup back and they'll stop at almost nothing for their family to be reunited, and this award-winning series is now in "should've they or should've they not?" territory about its central romance. Falling in love is easy. Being in the honeymoon period, whether or not you've actually tied the knot — Colin From Accounts' protagonists haven't — is clearcut, too. Taking a relationship further means peeling away the rosy and glowing surface, however, which is where the series follows its medical student and microbrewery owner in its second season. Accordingly, through surprising news, meeting family members, historical baggage and more, Ashley and Gordon are still trying to navigate the reality of intertwining their lives, and also who they are as a couple. Creators, writers and stars Dyer and Brammall keep performing their parts to perfection; given they're married IRL and no strangers to working together (see: No Activity), the chemistry and naturalism isn't hard to maintain, but they're not just playing themselves. They're also particularly gifted with dialogue, ensuring that everything that the show's characters are saying — be it amusing, heartfelt, acerbic, insightful or all of the above — always feels authentic. Colin From Accounts streams via Binge. Read our full review. Dark Matter When an Australian actor makes it big, it can feel as if there's more than one of them. Joel Edgerton, who has been on local screens for almost three decades and made the leap to Hollywood with the Australian-shot Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones, is such a talent. He's usually everywhere and in almost everything (such as The Stranger, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Thirteen Lives, Master Gardener, I'm a Virgo, The Boys in the Boat and Bluey in just the past two years), and viewers would follow him anywhere. Dark Matter wasn't written to capitalise upon that idea. Rather, it hails from the page of Blake Crouch's 2016 novel, with the author also creating the new nine-part sci-fi series that it's based on. But the show's lead casting leans into the notion that you can never have too much Edgerton by multiplying him in the multiverse. For the characters in Dark Matter, however, the fact that there's more than a single Jason Dessen causes considerable issues. The series' protagonist is a former experimental physics genius-turned-professor in Chicago. He's married to artist-turned-gallerist Daniela (Jennifer Connelly, Bad Behaviour), a father to teenager Charlie (Oakes Fegley, The Fabelmans) and the best friend of award-winning college pal Ryan Holder (Jimmi Simpson, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia). And, he's been happy living the quiet family life, although pangs of envy quietly arise when he's celebrating Ryan's prestigious new accolade. Then, when another Jason pops up to pull off a kidnapping and doppelgänger plot, he's soon navigating a cross between Sliding Doors and Everything Everywhere All At Once. Everything is a multiverse tale of late, but Dark Matter is also a soul-searching "what if?" drama, exploring the human need to wonder what might've been if just one choice — sometimes big, sometimes small — had veered in a different direction. While a box is pivotal mode of transport like this is Doctor Who, as are all manner of worlds to visit, this is high-concept sci-fi at its most grounded. Neither version of Jason wants to hop through parallel worlds in the name of adventure or exploration — they're simply chasing their idea of everyday perfection. Dark Matter streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review. Excellent Recent Films You Might've Missed on the Big Screen Anatomy of a Fall A calypso instrumental cover of 50 Cent's 'P.I.M.P.' isn't the only thing that Anatomy of a Fall's audience won't be able to dislodge from their heads after watching 2023's deserving Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or-winner. A film that's thorny, knotty and defiantly unwilling to give any easy answers, this legal, psychological and emotional thriller about a woman on trial for her husband's death is unshakeable in as many ways as someone can have doubts about another person: so, a myriad. The scenario conjured up by writer/director Justine Triet (Sibyl) is haunting, asking not only if her protagonist committed murder, as the on-screen investigation and courtroom proceedings interrogate, but digging into what it means to be forced to choose between whether someone did the worst or is innocent — or if either matters. While the Gallic legal system provides the backdrop for much of the movie, the real person doing the real picking isn't there in a professional capacity, or on a jury. Rather, it's the 11-year-old boy who loved his dad, finds him lying in the snow with a head injury outside their French Alps home on an otherwise ordinary day, then becomes the key witness in his mum's case. Also impossible to forget: the performances that are so crucial in telling this tale of marital and parental bonds, especially from one of German's current best actors and the up-and-coming French talent playing her son. With her similarly astonishing portrayal in The Zone of Interest, Toni Erdmann and I'm Your Man's Sandra Hüller is two for two in movies that initially debuted globally in 2023; here, she steps into the icy and complicated Sandra Voyter's shoes with the same kind of surgical precision that Triet applies to unpacking the character's home life. As Daniel, who couldn't be more conflicted about the nightmare situation he's been thrust into, Milo Machado Graner (Alex Hugo) is a revelation — frequently via his expressive face and posture alone. If Scenes From a Marriage met Kramer vs Kramer, plus 1959's Anatomy of a Murder that patently influences Anatomy of a Fall's name, this would be the gripping end result — as fittingly written by Triet with her IRL partner Arthur Harari (Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle). Anatomy of a Fall streams via Stan. Read our full review. May December A line about not having enough hot dogs might be one of its first, but the Julianne Moore (Sharper)-, Natalie Portman (Thor: Love and Thunder)- and Charles Melton (Riverdale)-starring May December is a movie of mirrors and butterflies. In the literal sense, director Todd Haynes wastes few chances to put either in his frames. The Velvet Goldmine, Carol and Dark Waters filmmaker doesn't shy away from symbolism, knowing two truths that stare back at his audience from his latest masterpiece: that what we see when we peer at ourselves in a looking glass isn't what the rest of the world observes, and that life's journey is always one of transformation. Inspired by the real-life Mary Kay Letourneau scandal, May December probes both of these facts as intently as anyone scrutinising their own reflection. Haynes asks viewers to do the same. Unpacking appearance and perception, and also their construction and performance, gazes from this potently thorny — and downright potent — film. That not all metamorphoses end with a beautiful flutter flickers through just as strongly. May December's basis springs from events that received ample press attention in the 90s: schoolteacher Letourneau's sexual relationship with her sixth-grade student Vili Fualaau. She was 34, he was 12. First-time screenwriter Samy Burch changes names and details in her Oscar-nominated script — for Best Original Screenplay, which is somehow the film's only nod by the Academy — but there's no doubting that it takes its cues from this case of grooming, which saw Letourneau arrested, give birth to the couple's two daughters in prison, then the pair eventually marry. 2000 TV movie All-American Girl: The Mary Kay Letourneau Story used the recreation route; however, that was never going to be a Haynes-helmed feature's approach. The comic mention of hot dogs isn't indicative of May December's overall vibe, either: this a savvily piercing film that sees the agonising impact upon the situation's victim, the story its perpetrator has spun around herself, and the relentless, ravenous way that people's lives and tragedies are consumed by the media and public. May December streams via Binge and Prime Video. Read our full review. Need a few more streaming recommendations? Check out our picks from January, February, March and April this year, and also from January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December 2023. You can also check out our running list of standout must-stream shows from last year as well — and our best 15 new shows of 2023, 15 newcomers you might've missed, top 15 returning shows of the year, 15 best films, 15 top movies you likely didn't see, 15 best straight-to-streaming flicks and 30 movies worth catching up on over the summer. Top image: Christine Tamalet / FX.
If you live, work or study right in the heart of Brisbane's CBD, getting active probably involves hitting the gym, heading for a stroll or run by the river, moseying over to South Bank or enjoying the city's free exercise classes. Fancy breaking up your day with a lunchtime game of basketball? Ending the nine-to-five grind with a nostalgic stint of handball? Giving pickleball a try in your spare time? You'll soon be able to — and for free — thanks to a new addition to the Turbot Street Underpass. That patch of pavement is about to become home to the Brisbane CBD's first-ever sports court — a free facility that'll be open to everyone. The site will be fenced in, in the shade and, thanks to its location, a mere one-minute walk from King George Square — and obviously just a stone's thrown from Roma Street Parkland as well. While basketball, handball and pickleball instantly spring to mind, the new addition to the corner of Turbot and Roma streets — taking over a space that's been used for parking over the years — will be a multi-court space for a number of ball sports. When you need a rest, or if you're just keen to watch on, there'll be bleacher-style seating. The site is being landscaped, too, and surrounded with outdoor artworks. And, for quenching your thirst after working up a sweat, there'll be a drinking fountain. "Through creative planning, we're transforming a pretty ordinary-looking space underneath a road overpass into a fantastic sports court," said Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, announcing the court. "If successful, this model of using planning outcomes to transform nearby underutilised and unattractive spaces into urban sports courts or other kinds of public spaces could be used at other locations across Brisbane." Brisbane City Council has approved the court as an extension to Mirvac's Heritage Lanes precinct at 80 Ann Street, which features 35 levels of office space, plus cafes and eateries on the ground level. [caption id="attachment_896718" align="alignnone" width="1920"] John Robert McPherson via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] The new sports court at the Turbot Street underpass is due to open by the end of 2023 — we'll update you with an exact date when one is announced.
What would you do if you were a little less freaked out by consequences? Would you talk to more new people, fear a bit less, dance a little more like FKA Twigs, quit your desk job and start that business you've always wanted to give a red hot go? Some sparkling young Australians are already flinging their inhibitions into a ziplock bag and seizing this little ol' life with both hands. Concrete Playground has teamed up with the Jameson crew to give you a sneak peek into the lives of bold characters who took a big chance on themselves. They've gone out on a limb and rewritten their path, encapsulating 'Sine Metu', the Jameson family motto which translates to 'without fear' — getting outside your comfort zone and trying something new. After all, we only get one shot at this. Take notes. Dreaming big is easy. Following through on that dream — that's where the hard work begins. Junky Comics' owner Vlada Edirippulige knows this, but a year after opening her own store, she wouldn't have it any other way. Also known as illustrator Junky and as a member of local band Major Leagues, her commitment to boosting Brisbane's arts scene shows just what can happen when you embody 'Sine Metu', set your mind to something and throw caution to the wind. We had a chat to Vlada about how taking a big chance has paid off in a big way. You can read the interview over here. Want to experience a little bit of 'Sine Metu' yourself? Vlada's being a total legend and helping us give away $1000 worth of rare comic books from her own Junky Comics collection, so you can see for yourself what happens when bold humans take big creative chances with big payoffs. This whopping prize includes the complete Walking Dead series 1-23, Hip Hop Family Tree by Ed Piskor, the complete Scott Pilgrim colour hardcover series and The Complete Wimmen's Comix. Enter here to win. And enjoy Jameson responsibly, folks.
A few decades ago, marijuana becoming legal in parts of the western world while cigarettes were banned in public venues would have seemed unthinkable. Now, who knows what the future holds for drugs? In this panel discussion, psychoactive medicines are unpacked by Australian experts. Professor Iain McGregor and Dr Samuel Banister work in the field of medicinal cannabis and will be drawing on the findings of their investigations into the changing stance of big pharma. The pair will be joined by Dr Margaret Ross, who is currently running the country's first clinical trial using psilocybin (found in magic mushrooms) and has views that challenge conventional medical perspectives. Chairing the session is journalist and drug advocate Jenny Valentish, so prepare to have your horizons widened.
Just in time for your summer binge sessions, streaming platform Stan has revealed their next huge addition: a hefty lineup of films and TV shows from The Walt Disney Company. From Friday, December 14, the Australian service will welcome the wonderful world of Disney to its selection. And, that doesn't just mean Disney's own animated and live-action efforts, but movies and series from Disney-owned companies Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm, too. Whether you want to enjoy gorgeous animated stories, jump into the Marvel Cinematic Universe or head to a galaxy far, far away, the Disney range will bring a heap of your favourites to Stan — think all three Toy Story flicks, the live-action likes of Maleficent and Cinderella, this year's big superhero hits Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War, and both Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi and Solo: A Star Wars Story. Want to catch up on the original The Lion King before the new version comes out next year? Fancy watching all three Thor films? They're also on the lineup. Other Disney and Pixar titles heading Stan's way include Wall-E, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, Cars, Cars 2, Monsters Inc., Monsters University, The Incredibles and Big Hero 6 — and, if you just can't let it go, Frozen as well. From Marvel's slate, the three Iron Man movies, the first two Captain America films and the initial Ant-Man are all on the bill, and the first two Avengers flicks alongside Infinity War. For younger viewers, animated shows including Tangled: The Series, Star Wars Rebels and Duck Tales will also hit Stan's queue. That's your holiday viewing sorted — and while you can reasonably expect that this big batch of Disney content will be available for a while, it's likely a short-to-medium term arrangement, given that Disney is launching its own streaming platform in 2019. Stan's Disney lineup will be available from Friday, December 14.
"Space movie mashup" isn't the best name for a film, but in Passengers' case, it would've fit. So would've the much too wordy "intergalactic love story with a predictable twist". Let's try a third one on for size: "attractive actors find a way to pair up…as they're hurtling towards another galaxy". The formula is simple, with Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence the good-looking talent in question, a spaceship heading to a new planet their setting, and both sparks and conflict flying. Here's how Passengers starts out: mechanical engineer Jim Preston (Pratt) wakes up on board the starship Avalon, only to discover that he hasn't quite reached his destination yet. Thanks to a hibernation pod malfunction, he's up and moving 90 years too early — and, among the 5000 folks snoozing on board, he's the only living soul wandering the vessel's many decks, rooms, basketball court, dance floor and pool with an intergalactic view. Android bartender Arthur (Michael Sheen) pours a mean drink but is no substitute for real human company, and soon loneliness and despair begin to set in. Much to Jim's relief, pretty young writer Aurora Lane (Lawrence) eventually joins him; however their romantic bliss isn't exactly what it seems. With The Imitation Game's Morten Tyldum directing a script that was actually written a decade ago by Doctor Strange scribe Jon Spaihts, what follows is as standard as it sounds, even with the aforementioned twist. Indeed, while Passengers' big plot development isn't divulged in the film's trailers, it's not at all difficult to guess. Moreover, while the eventual revelation drives much of the movie's drama, it's really just a way to bring the two characters together, tear them apart, and leave the audience waiting for a reunion. The end result is an interstellar effort that veers into creepy territory; a film that recognises the moral dilemma at its core, but doesn't take more than a cursory moment or two to really explore it. The same can be said for its broader existential leanings, both when Jim is alone and when Aurora awakens. You won't find Moon's musings on isolation, Solaris' pondering of love and loss, or Sunshine's psychological complexity here. Still, it's hard not to make the comparison — and before long you may find yourself wishing you were watching one of those films instead. Passengers does its best to coast through the cinematic realm fuelled by star power and shiny surfaces, boasting enough of both to keep your eyes engaged, but not your heart or mind. Pratt and Lawrence are in fine, charismatic form, even if they never particularly sell their rapport. Sheen, meanwhile, is sadly underused as the only other actor with a significant speaking role. All in all, the movie may look the space-bound part, but it ends up feeling far too generic.
You swing by Starbucks before work, longing for a latte or flat white to bring you to life before a morning full of meetings. The barista hands over your cup of energy for the day and with a smile on your face you continue your journey to the office. You finally lift the cup to take a sip, and much to your dismay instead of enjoying the first taste of caffeine your tongue is brutally scalded by the piping hot liquid. You now have a temporary lisp and food is tasteless for the next three days. Not anymore — Coffee Joulies have come to the rescue of burnt tongues everywhere. The coffee-bean sized capsules are made of a thermodynamic, non-toxic material surrounded by stainless steel and are designed to cool hot beverages three times faster than normal and maintain a "perfect" drinking temperature for twice as long. How does it work? The Joulies are made to melt at about 60 degrees Fahrenheit (coffee is typically brewed at 90, give or take), and as they melt they absorb that extra heat from the drink. When the drink starts to cool down, the Joulies release that heat and begin to re-solidify. They may be called Coffee Joulies but they work for any hot drink, tea, hot chocolate, you name it.
A Secret Service agent-turned-bodyguard falls for the superstar singer he's been hired to protect. It's pegged as one of cinema's most iconic love stories, with Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner first tugging at our heartstrings back in 1992. And now, The Bodyguard is set to come alive for the Australian stage, with producers David Ian, Michael Harrison and John Frost today announcing they'll be bringing their award-winning musical show Down Under next year. Set to kick off in Sydney in April 2017, this local production of The Bodyguard — which follows the just-as-awesome news that Moulin Rouge! will finally be made into a stage show — comes off the back of a wildly successful and star-studded run in London theatres, and record-breaking UK tour, which commenced in February this year. Based on the eponymous Warner Bros. film and adapted for the stage by Academy Award winner Alexander Dinelaris, The Bodyguard musical features all those epic Houston tracks that audiences fell in love with the first time around. According to co-producer Frost, the emotionally-charged storyline, along with those "soaring ballads" — like 'Queen of The Night', 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' and the legendary 'I Will Always Love You' (you know the ones) — were simply destined for the stage. The album is still the biggest selling movie soundtrack of all time. Yep. Still. The Bodyguard The Musical will come to Australia in 2017, and will start its national tour in Sydney. More details, including tour dates and additional cities, will be released soon. If you're a keen bean, a waitlist for priority tickets is now open at thebodyguardmusical.com.au.
Technology just keeps getting smaller and smaller. UK game developer David Braben has created the prototype for a mini computer, so tiny and efficiently manufactured that it could be provided to school kids for free. It's called the Raspberry Pi USB computer, and it functions as a real PC, with USB and HDMI ports meaning you can hook it up to a keyboard and television screen in no time. The Raspberry Pi Foundation exists to promote the study of computer science and related topics, especially at school level, and to put the fun back into learning computing. "We plan to develop, manufacture and distribute an ultra-low-cost computer, for use in teaching computer programming to children. We expect this computer to have many other applications both in the developed and the developing world," reads a description of the Pi project on the foundation Web site. https://youtube.com/watch?v=pQ7N4rycsy4 [Via Mashable]
When Brisbane's annual four-day weekend rolls around, there's time enough to a little bit of everything. Fancy sleeping in and getting comfy on the couch? Sure, devote 24 hours to that. Keen to roam far and wide, getting a big dose of nature? Again, slot it in the calendar. Want to hang out by the river, drinking brews, listening to live tunes and playing games on the grass? Slot that in for Saturday, March 30–Sunday, March 31, too. The place to head: CBD riverside precinct Howard Smith Wharves, which is hosting Easter Extravaganza on the Main Lawn. For two days, Brisbanites can kick back by the water, have a bite to eat, get sipping and celebrate all things Easter on the spot's patch of turf. On Saturday, you'll want to head from 12pm till late. On Sunday, the fun runs from 10.30am, also till late. Whichever suits, there'll be gelato, gourmet sandwiches and a sausage sizzle to tuck into, plus cocktails, wine and Felons' beers. For kids, there's also an Easter egg hunt at 10.30am on the Sunday, with 10,000-plus chocolate orbs waiting to be found. Entry is free all weekend, but you'll be paying for whatever you eat and drink.
For the past 11 years, Australians that are fond of a tipple have been familiar with one particular figure: two standard drinks per day. Equating to 14 drinks per week, that's the maximum number of standard beverages that Aussies were told they should consume to minimise the risk of health repercussions from their boozing, as per the National Health and Medical Research Council's (NHMRC) guidelines on the subject. But that amount has just been revised as part of the first revamp of those recommendations since 2009. Now, as initially flagged this time last year but officially confirmed today, Tuesday, December 8, by the NHMRC, only ten drinks per week is recommended. Staying within that number will "reduce the risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury" in healthy men and women, the organisation advised. And if you're wondering how many of those ten tipples you should have in one sitting, the NHMRC says you shouldn't exceed four standard drinks on any single day. If you need a reminder, a standard drink is defined as ten grams of pure alcohol, no matter what type of beverage you're sipping. That's around 285 millilitres of full-strength beer or a can of mid-strength beer — and 100 millilitres of wine or a single shot of spirits. Sticking within the new guidelines — which aren't rules or laws, but recommendations — means that you'll have "less than a one in 100 chance of dying from an alcohol-related condition", Australia's Acting Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly says. "Every year there are more than 4000 alcohol-related deaths in Australia, and more than 70,000 hospital admissions. Alcohol is linked to more than 40 medical conditions, including many cancers," he explains. Just how many bevvies you should have a week and a day comprises the first guideline. You'll already be well aware of the other two. They recommend that children and people under 18 years of age should not drink alcohol — which has been legislated, of course — and that women who are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding shouldn't either. The change to the number of standard drinks recommended per week came about after a wide-ranging analysis and review by the NHMRC — into "health effects of drinking alcohol, modelling, data on Australian drinking patterns and best practice guideline development processes", the statement about the change advises. An Alcohol Working Committee was formed, featuring independent health experts such as doctors, medical and public health professionals, researchers and consumer representatives, to guide the development of the new guidelines. And then the NHMRC Council, which includes the Chief Medical Officers of the Commonwealth and each state and territory, endorsed the new guidelines. Alcohol industry body Alcohol Beverages Australia has already voiced its unhappiness about the new recommendation, while the Cancer Council has come out in support of the changes — with the latter noting that three percent of cancers diagnosed in Australia are caused by alcohol. For more information about Australia's new guidelines for reducing the health risks from drinking alcohol, head to the National Health and Medical Research Council website.
To understand why Brisbane-based, extreme acrobatics circus troupe Circa has gained such a dedicated global following, look no further than their new show Humans. After world premiering at this year's Sydney Festival, it's swinging into town to show why the company keeps earning rave reviews. Here, Circa's award-winning director Yaron Lifschitz fuses jaw-dropping acrobatics with contemporary dance and theatre in a joyous celebration of what it means to be human. See amazing poses like the one above, as performers explore the physical limits of their bodies and push themselves to the extreme, as they question how much we can take as humans.
By this stage, most of us have come to terms with the fact that jetting off to USA or Europe is a seriously long slog, made worse by unavoidable (sometimes long, always painful) stopovers. But that European or American trip could soon become a whole lot more bearable, with Qantas not only working towards launching direct flights between the east coast and both London and New York by 2022, but beginning to run trial journeys this year. In October, November and December, the airline will pilot three ultra long-haul research flights, using new Boeing 787-9s. The aircraft will simulate two routes that are at the heart of Qantas' proposed new non-stop plan, which is called Project Sunrise, flying from New York and London to Sydney. That New York trip will mark the first world's first flight by a commercial airline direct from the Big Apple to Sydney, while the London jaunt will be the second time such a journey has been made. The last time the latter happened was back in 1989, when Qantas made the trek on a Boeing 747-400 with just 23 people on board. Don't go packing your bags, though — the aim is to gather data about inflight passenger and crew health and wellbeing, with only around 40 people making the trip. They'll be comprised of crew and Qantas employees, and they'll be fitted with wearable technology devices to monitor their monitor sleep patterns, food and beverage consumption, physical movement and use of the entertainment system during the flights. The results will then be assessed by scientists and medical experts from the Charles Perkins Centre. Pilots will also take part, working with Monash University researchers to record their melatonin levels before, during and after the flights, as well as their brain wave patterns and alertness — to help ascertain the best work and rest pattern when they're commanding those long-haul services. While spending nearly a day on one single plane is better than jumping on and off different vessels multiple times, it's not without its physical, mental and emotional toll — as anyone who has made the trip with Qantas from Perth to London knows, which is what makes this testing so important. Announcing the trial, Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce explained that, "for customers, the key will be minimising jet lag and creating an environment where they are looking forward to a restful, enjoyable flight. For crew, it's about using scientific research to determine the best opportunities to promote alertness when they are on duty and maximise rest during their down time." Back in 2017, Qantas first revealed that it was exploring non-stop routes from Sydney — routes that would eclipse those direct flights between Perth and London, which launched in March 2018. Since then, the airline has been pursuing the idea enthusiastically, putting out a call for aircraft that can handle the trip and widening their plan to include departures to and from Brisbane as well. In numbers, the planes will need to be able to handle more than 19 hours in the air (around 20 hours and 20 minutes between Sydney and London, and 18-hours and seven minutes from Sydney to New York). The airline has done its homework, analysing a decade's worth of wind and weather data to confirm the lengthy routes are actually possible. Now it just needs the aircraft, with Airbus and Boeing both pitching vessels (A350 and 777X) that are capable of doing the job. Qantas is expected to announce their decision, including whether the whole project will progress to making commercial flights, by the end of December 2019. Right now, the world's longest direct flight clocks in at over 19 hours, with Singapore Airlines flying 15,322-kilometres along its Singapore-to-New York route. Previously, the journey from Doha and Auckland earned that honour, taking around 18 hours to travel 14,529 kilometres.
If spending a day listening to Porter Robinson, Gang of Youths, Peking Duk, Hockey Dad and Alex Lahey at This That was on your agenda for this spring, the festival comes bearing bad news — again. After cancelling its 2022 end-of-year events, the Newcastle and Brisbane fest has now done the same for 2023. "It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce This That Sandstone Point (Qld) and Newcastle (NSW) festivals will no longer be going ahead," the festival team announced in a statement on its website and social media. "This difficult decision was reached due to the challenging economic conditions we have been working within this past year, and the many factors that have been impacted by this. It has left us feeling that the This That experience you have come to know and love, and that we pride ourselves on offering, would only be dampened if we were to forge ahead," the This That crew continued. View this post on Instagram A post shared by THIS THAT (@thisxxthat) This That's November dates — on Saturday, November 4 at Sandstone Point Hotel in Sandstone Point and Saturday, November 11 at Wickham Park in Newcastle — were set to mark the coastal festival's return for the first time since early 2022. When the event pulled the plug last year, it was "due to a combination of issues", organisers advised; however, it promised that it'd be back in 2023. Also on the first This That 2023 lineup announcement: Slumberjack, Set Mo and The Presets doing a DJ set, plus Lola Scott, Trophy Eyes, Dear Seattle, Chillinit, Hooligan Hefs, Jesswar, Sophiya, Godlands, Kinder, Alice Ivy and more. [caption id="attachment_910563" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Zagexma via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Some of the acts on this year's now-shuttered bill were also on the roster last year's scrapped, such as The Presets, Winston Surfshirt, Chillinit, Hockey Dad and Jesswar. Ticketholders for 2023 will be contacted by Oztix about refunds, which will be returned to the card that tickets were purchased with automatically. This That will no longer return in November 2023 at Sandstone Point in Queensland and Newcastle in New South Wales. For more information about the festival's cancellation, head to the event's website. Images: Jordan Munns / Mitch Lowe.
Nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, family drama The Past is writer-director Asghar Farhadi's first film since 2011 release A Separation, one of the most critically lauded films of the past decade. It begins with Ahmad (Ali Mosaffa) arriving in Paris from Tehran to finalise divorce proceedings with Marie (Berenice Bejo). He wanted her to book him a hotel — she hasn't, the first crack in the veneer of politeness. Temporarily back at his former home after a four-year absence, he finds Marie is now living with Samir (Tahar Rahim). The home is a mess of wet paint and half-finished renovations, as though in the process of removing any trace of Ahmad's time there. Ahmad has to share a room with Samir's eight-year-old son, Fouad (Elyes Aguis), who is acting out because of his confusion about the divorce. Ahmad snipes at Marie about this arrangement and the ensuing bickering bothers Samir, who senses there is something too familiar about their disagreements, that the feuds have the tone of a couple with unfinished business. Meanwhile, Ahmad's teenage daughter, Lucie (Pauline Burlet), has become unhappy and is often absent from home, largely because of the circumstances of Samir's split with his wife and his new relationship with her mother, as well as her own guilt at a train of events she believes she has set in motion. The Past starts off being about the final dissolution of Ahmad and Marie's relationship and the messy, unsatisfying experience of formally ending their marriage, but the story soon spirals off into something else entirely. Just when one strand seems to have exhausted itself, another complication arises, adding to the tragic mess these characters find themselves in. Yet while it is a film of revelations, there is never hint of melodrama and the story unfolds with complete, compelling realism. The small details are incredibly well-observed: one scene where Samir asks Lucie to pass him a kettle and she holds it so he has to scald his hands on the hot surface speaks volumes of their relationship, as does his almost comically stoic refusal to acknowledge what is happening. Another scene places Ahmad and Samir at a table together and watches as their silence and awkward refusal to engage with each other grows into something almost painful. Berenice Bejo won the Best Actress award at Cannes for her committed performance here, but The Past is a true ensemble piece with Burlet exceptional as the shell-shocked, troubled Lucie and Rahim having some brilliant moments as his Samir develops from being a sullen figure annoyed by the arrival of his lover's ex-husband into something much more layered and complex. A film that is rarely less than compelling for its entire running time, The Past gets even better in its wrenching unforgettable final scene, which is all the more emotionally powerful for unfolding at a glacial pace. Acting as both a haunting coda to proceedings and shedding new light on the motivations of its characters, it is an overwhelming last gasp of a truly great film. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Z2-_lt4kwXE
In these tumultuous modern times — these times of Pottermore, Fantastic Beasts spinoffs and The Cursed Child — it's comforting to be able to take it back to basics. Basics, here, meaning the score of the Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone film played live by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. That's right — just like their counterparts in Sydney, the QSO are taking us back to 2001 when the first of the eight Harry Potter films came out. It made us cringe (the acting — so bad but so good), marvel at how not hot Neville Longbottom was (boy, would we learn) and — most importantly — float away on a magical adventure thanks to the incredible score by John Williams. In two sessions taking place next April 1st (and no, this isn't an April Fool's joke), you'll be able relive the magic all over again when the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre screens the film scored by a real, live orchestra. Maybe they'll release live owls! Maybe not because that would be chaos. Maybe they'll release live rats? Actually, absolutely not — we all know rats are secretly fat old criminals hiding from magical law enforcement and waiting for the Dark Lord to rise again (lookin' at you, Pettigrew). As you might imagine, tickets are selling like pumpkin pasties; in fact the first concert was more popular than butterbeer, leading to the lightning-fast announcement of the afternoon session. So, you'd best get in quick or spend eternity griping about it like some Moaning Myrtle-type character. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone will screen at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre at 1.30pm and 7.30pm on April 1, 2017. Grab tickets here.
January 2014 will see Sarah Blasko embark on a short but surely sweet Heavenly Sounds tour, with the singer-songwriter choosing a restrained program of just four shows in four churches across Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide. The tour will be the final round of performances celebrating her ARIA-nominated fourth studio album, I Awake. Loyal fans might have already witnessed the ideal pairing of the singer's ethereal tones and cathedral acoustics back in 2011, when her collaborative side project Seeker Lover Keeper (with Sally Seltmann and Holly Throsby) launched Heavenly Sounds. Now’s your chance to settle back amongst the stained glass and enjoy a night of pure Blasko. "These will be my last shows for I Awake, and really, what better place is there to sing (apart from the shower of course) than a beautiful church?" says Blasko. "I'll be playing songs from all four albums and it's likely to be the most intimate show of mine you'll see for some time."
Christmas is coming up and there’s only one way to bypass the mad Queen Street Mall rushes and giving all your hard earned cash to Mr David Jones — shop local. Karen White Gallery and New Farm Cinemas are hosting the Artisan Market at the Movies, and it’s just in the nick of time for all your Chrissie shopping needs. On the market will be a everything from jewellery to locally made fashion, art and food, all crafted by the hands of indie makers, small business owners and local artisans of our Brisbane community. There will also be food and drinks for sale, plus live music, and the biggest bonus of all — air con. The markets kick off at 11am, and will round up around 6pm. Take a Christmas list, a wad of cash, and your festive spirit, because this might just be your one-stop shop for everything that needs to go under this year’s tree.
When The Incredibles first leapt onto cinema screens 14 years ago, it earned its title several times over. Exploring the exploits of a super-enhanced family trying to live a normal life, the movie served up an all-ages superhero story with smarts and heart. Moreover, the savvy Pixar flick successfully predicted two things. Back in 2004, when no one had even heard of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man was played by Tobey Maguire and Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy hadn't yet made its mark, The Incredibles pre-empted society's current love of caped crusaders. Indeed, that film began at a time where spandex-clad folks like Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson), Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) and Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) are constantly seen, heard and talked about. But it also foresaw the flipside to this obsession, recognising that the public's love of costumed crime-fighters has its limits. In the world of the movie, everyone listing 'saving the world' as their occupation was banned when the world had had enough. If you've been caught up in superhero fever over the past decade, only to catch a case of superhero fatigue as more and more comic book heroes soar across our screens, you can surely recognise all of the above. In fact, blending fantastical elements with relatable components was one of The Incredibles' greatest super powers. Caped crusaders are just like us, the picture made clear – attempting to juggle their personal and professional lives, battling to achieve their dreams, and fighting for their place. And while long-awaited sequel Incredibles 2 repeats the same basic premise, the franchise's canny ability to combine cartoon antics with cutting societal commentary ensures this is no mere rehash. Picking up where the first film left off, Incredibles 2 sees its central family — Mr. Incredible aka Bob Parr, Elastigirl aka Helen, and kids Violet (Sarah Vowell), Dash (Huck Milner) and Jack-Jack (Eli Fucile) — trying to fend off burrowing, bank-robbing villain The Underminer, then coping with the aftermath. No one is happy about their efforts, and the fact that people with enhanced abilities are still illegal means a life without crime-fighting awaits. Enter telecommunications company head Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk) and his sister Evelyn (Catherine Keener), with a plan to restore the heroes to their former glory. With Elastigirl leading the charge, the siblings have masterminded a rebranding campaign designed to make super folk popular again. And, thanks to body cameras and media appearances, this revolution will be televised. Drama comes in the form of an incredibly apt nemesis: Screenslaver, who interrupts Elastigirl's broadcasts with mind-controlling signals and raves about humanity's reliance on screens. Accordingly, Incredibles 2 slings statements about today's social media saturation, the valuing of appearances, and the fact that we live in a society where someone is always watching — for better or worse. It's a movie about the power of perception, one that rallies against making, filming or viewing something simply because you can. They're all observations that apply to the picture's specific story, to the broader superhero realm, and just to life in general. Plus, thanks to a subplot following Bob's attempts to hold the fort at home while Helen is off championing the caped crusader cause, the film also has plenty to say about gender equality and the role of women. Still, none of this would mean anything if returning writer-director Brad Bird didn't pair his story with engaging action, a playful tone and genuine emotion. Although not for people who are sensitive to flashing lights, an early strobe-lit confrontation ranks among the most inventive scenes in a superhero flick — animated or live-action — while an altercation between Jack-Jack and a racoon is just as memorable. Filled with both zippy battles and quiet character moments, Incredibles 2 mostly gets the balance right, even if it does feel a little padded towards the end. Interestingly, Bird (whose CV also includes The Iron Giant, Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol and Tomorrowland) is the only person in Pixar history to assume total control for scripting and helming any of the company's features without any co-writers or co-directors. The result is not only one of Pixar's original standout movies, but its best sequel in nearly a decade. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5qOzqD9Rms
A glorious handful of Australia's most celebrated restaurants will be waking up with a big ol' smile this morning, finding a spot amongst the mightily prestigious World's Best Restaurants list overnight. Sydney's Sepia and Quay nabbed a highly coveted spot on the list, as well as Victoria's Brae, with the top 51-100 announced separately for the first time ever. Judged by international critics and industry heavyweights, the World's Best Restaurants is a worldwide poll holding some pretty heavy weight. Sydney's longtime culinary leader Quay came in at 58, while super Sydney hotspot Sepia (who was just voted by Australia's top chefs and restaurateurs as Best Restaurant in Australia in the Australian Financial Review Top 100 Restaurants) came in at 84. Dan Hunter's Birregurra restaurant Brae in Victoria came in at 87, a win for the non-CBD-dwelling establishment. The top 50 has yet to be announced, in fact, it's a first that the World's Best list organisers have revealed the 51-100 list already. The top 50 will be announced in London next Monday, at a super fancy awards ceremony with probably insane function food. Who's up for the top spots? Last year's list saw Copenhagen's Noma take out the top spot, followed by El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain and Massimo Bottura's Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy. There are high hopes for Ben Shewry's Attica, which came in at second in the AFR Top 100 and hit number 32 in the World's Best list last year — the only Australian restaurant in the Top 50. The Top 50 World's Best Restaurants will be announced next Monday, June 1. For this year's 51-100 list, head over here. Via Good Food.
We've all been there at one time or another — in front of that iconic view, the one we've seen a thousand times or more in encyclopaedias, atlases, on the back of postcards, on the television and in our wildest dreams. When it happens, you feel a flutter in your heart and you remember what it felt like to make mud pies as a child; you're elated, carefree and enraptured, all for the most fleeting moment. That's when it happens. You reach into your pocket/handbag/knapsack and pull out your camera. You must remember this moment (that feeling!) forever and ever. The flash goes off once, twice, three times. No, no, that one's blurry. Delete. Take it again! You stand over there. Jump on the count of three! Yes, all of you! At once! OK, here we go one, two... Corinne Vionnet, in an astute observation into the perception of the 'tourist' experience, has made some amazing art out of that moment - that second of pure happiness that is superseded by crazed, paparazzi style photography, leading the sanest of us into a blinding, bulb flashing fury. Sourcing images of some of the world's most iconic sights from the internet, Vionnet's project Photo Opportunities layers hundreds of such images upon each other to create haunting landscapes of profoundly significant earthly wonders. Drawing on the abject, the images appear almost painted, begging questions about reality of experience and perception and our collective cultural consciousness.
Last week, Robert Pattinson popped up on our screens in the trailer for upcoming Netflix movie The Devil All the Time. At present, he's also starring in cinemas in Tenet, which is finally earning a release. And, right this instant, he's stepping into a very well-known character's shoes (and cape and mask) — as seen in the just-dropped first trailer for The Batman. Yes, as well as featuring in a Christopher Nolan-helmed movie, Pattinson is playing a character that Nolan helped bring back to cinemas 15 years ago. This time around, Cloverfield, Let Me In, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes filmmaker Matt Reeves is in the director's chair, overseeing a new take on Batman that actually stands completely apart from the most recent Ben Affleck-starring DC Extended Universe version of the character. Basically, what DC Films and Warner Bros. Pictures did with Joker in 2019 — serving up a grimmer, grittier iteration of the infamous figure that has absolutely nothing to do with the rightfully hated Jared Leto version — they're doing for Batman now, too. Also following the same playbook: enlisting a top-notch star in the lead role. Remember, it was only earlier this year that Joaquin Phoenix won an Oscar for playing the clown prince of crime. The Batman isn't slated to hit cinemas until more than 12 months away — at the end of September 2021 in Australia — however, as this first sneak peek shows, it's shaping up to be a suitably dark and brooding affair. And, as well as Pattison as the titular character and his alter-ego Bruce Wayne, it stars Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as the Riddler, Colin Farrell as the Penguin, Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Gordon and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth. For those keeping count, Pattinson is the third actor to play the Dark Knight on the big screen in the 21st century, after Christian Bale and Ben Affleck. He also joins a long list of actors who've donned the outfit, including Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer and George Clooney. Check out The Batman trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLOp_6uPccQ The Batman is currently due to release in Australian cinemas on September 30, 2021.
If you happen to be in Thailand in February and you spy Harry Potter's Jason Isaacs, Mission: Impossible's Michelle Monaghan, The League's Leslie Bibb and all-round icon Parker Posey, congrats: you will have spotted some of the cast of The White Lotus season three in the country to film the hit HBO show's next batch of episodes. The best new series on TV in 2021, and one of the best returning series of 2022 as well, The White Lotus is heading to the Asian nation after spending season one unleashing ultra-lavish hell in Hawaii and season two getting scathing in Sicily. Season three's location isn't new news, but the fact that Isaacs (The Crowded Room), Monaghan (The Family Plan), Bibb (God's Favourite Idiot), Posey (Beau Is Afraid), Dom Hetrakul (The Family) and Tayme Thapthimthong (Thai Cave Rescue) will be experiencing a chaotic getaway — or somehow involved with a White Lotus hotel — is a fresh development. [caption id="attachment_934932" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Crowded Room[/caption] The Mike White (Brad's Status)-created, -written and -directed series will also bring back a familiar face from its first season, as it did in season two. As fans of the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning drama know, sadly Jennifer Coolidge (We Have a Ghost) won't be returning, unless the anthology series tells a prequel in the future, gets the undead involved or makes heavy use of flashbacks. Someone she spent a heap of screen time with in The White Lotus' debut season is popping up again, however: Natasha Rothwell (Wonka) as Belinda Lindsey, the spa manager who had been hoping to get Coolidge's Tanya McQuoid to invest in her dream business. Rothwell, Isaacs and company will obviously have more company, but that's the full list of cast members that've been revealed for now. No storyline details have been unveiled, and neither has a premiere date — but you'll be waiting till 2025 to see what happens in The White Lotus realm next. [caption id="attachment_934934" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Beau Is Afraid[/caption] The show will shoot its third season in Koh Samui, Phuket and Bangkok, with HBO partnering with the Tourism Authority of Thailand "to support the filming and promotion of the third installment", the US network advised. Yes, expect everyone you know to want to vacation in Thailand as a result. Thapanee Kiatphaibool, the country's Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, certainly does. "Thailand has long been considered one of the world's favourite filming locations. The White Lotus project will certainly strengthen the kingdom's status as a preferred filming destination and a beacon of experience-based tourism, inspiring even more visitors to amazing Thailand," Kiatphaibool said in a statement. Based on past seasons, the nation will backdrop a searing — and supremely entertaining — takedown of one percent, their lavish getaways, their deep-seated problems, and the gross inequality between the haves and have nots. And, it'll spark sleuthing, given that someone winding up dead has been part of all prior seasons as well. HBO announced that it was bringing The White Lotus back for a third go-around mere episodes into season two. Originally, the show was meant to be a one-and-done miniseries, but it was that excellent (and that popular) that it's now running with the anthology setup. White has hinted at focusing on "death and Eastern religion and spirituality" in season three. "It feels like it could be a rich tapestry to do another round at White Lotus," he said in a clip at the end of season two's finale. There's obviously no trailer yet for The White Lotus' third season, but you can check out the trailers for seasons one and two below: The White Lotus' third season will arrive sometime in 2025, but doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when one is announced. The first and second seasons of The White Lotus are available to stream via Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand. Read our full reviews of season one and two. The White Lotus images: Fabio Lovino and Mario Perez / HBO.
2022 marks four years since The Westin opened in Mary Street in the CBD, finally filling the giant hole in the ground that sat in the middle of the city for years in the process. The first location in Queensland for the Marriott-owned international brand, the decadent resort-style hotel arrived with all the usual features — 298 rooms and suites with views, onsite eateries and bars, and a spa — but it's Nautilus Pool Bar that's one of its biggest drawcards. The swim-up spot is the first in Brisbane, and still the only bar in the city like it. Obviously, that's wonderful news for guests keen to splash around in the 300-square-metre swimming pool, grab a beverage and gaze out over views over the city skyline. Thanks to the hotel's new summer-long beach club, it's also ace news for Brisbanites in general. This isn't the first time that Nautilus Pool Bar has held public sessions, but this seasonal stint comes with an Amalfi theme, seafood towers, spritzes galore and DJs spinning tunes on the deck. Dubbed Nautilus Beach Club, it kicks off on Friday, December 16, and will run 11am–7pm Friday–Sunday until Sunday, March 5. Attendees have a couple of options for Mediterranean-influenced lounging by the pool, with a $29 ticket including access, a towel to use while you're there and your first spritz. If you and a date or mate are feeling like treating yo'selves, there's also a cabana experience for $239 for two, which gives you your own cabana to hang out in, a seafood platter and a bottle of rosé. On the menu in general: oysters, prawn cocktails, Moreton Bay bug rolls, kingfish ceviche, and both antipasto and seafood platters. The drinks lineup features spritzes made with limoncello, Campari, Aperol and Malfy gin, and there's also two Riot Wine Co vinos on tap. Those live DJ sets run from 3.30–6.30pm, with DJ Vicki Lee doing the honours on Fridays, and DJ Gloria Ansell taking to the decks on Saturdays and Sundays. And the pool itself? It's heated to 28 degrees, perfect for comfortable swims during Brisbane's sultry summer. Nautilus Beach Club runs 11am–7pm Friday–Sunday from Friday, December 16– Sunday, March 5 at The Westin Brisbane at 111 Mary Street, Brisbane. Head to the Nautilus Pool Bar website for further details and tickets.
With restaurant doors closed to dine-ins and weekend getaways on hold, lots of Victorian producers are living life on the back foot right now. But of course, there's always room in your life for some locally made or -grown goodies, pandemic or otherwise. And now, you can find countless ways to support our homegrown heroes from the comfort of your couch, with the Victorian Government's new Click for Vic campaign. This new website's all about celebrating Victorian businesses and encouraging users to continue shopping local via a curation of online stores. Scroll through to find a handy edit of local booze brands, coffee merchants, fashion retailers, makers and creatives, food producers and more. You can hone in on giftwares to find that special pressie, take a virtual shopping tour of your favourite weekend destination, or browse a selection of eateries offering takeaway and pick-up fare. [caption id="attachment_775941" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Maha on Providoor[/caption] Click for Vic's also partnered up with a handful of other specialised sites to help keep Melburnians connected to their local producers, all of which can be accessed here as well. The Regional Pantry's online store is stocked with a range of goodies from all Yarra Valley producers, while High Country At Home showcases products from across the High Country region, along with expert-led virtual experiences like gin appreciation sessions and cooking classes. Co-Lab Pantry is slinging ready-made meals and pantry staples from a lineup of much-loved Melbourne venues, and over at Providoor, you can order chef-prepared dishes from favourites like Supernormal and Bomba, designed to finish and devour at home. Plus, you'll find a sprawling selection of homewares, gifts, fresh produce, booze and more, to browse and buy online from the Victorian Country Market website. Set up like a virtual marketplace, this one's easy to shop by category or region, with a broad lineup of offerings promising hours of retail therapy. Shop a huge range of local wares by heading to the Click for Vic website. Top images: Co-Lab Pantry
