There’s nothing worse then spending a heap of hard earned dollar on a really nice shirt, then having it shrink in the wash 24 hours later. Well, working in thw sweatshop that made the shirt would probably be quite a bit worse, but lets live in the here and now. Outside of Sizzler, quality should always trump quantity in terms of what we own, eat and wear, and through artistic collaboration, Llewellyn Millhouse and Sarah Poulgrain explore this balance in their latest exhibition. Feel the Quality explores the potential for forms, objects and narratives to last and act as portals into social and cultural context. From mundane signs, behaviours and everyday products, both artists bring critical attention to their significance and meaning, in turn questioning whether they hold any value at all? Chances are, nope. Feel the Quality runs from September 10-27 at Metro Arts Gallery, with an artist talk on the 17th of September at 6pm.
James Street scored a new go-to, and also gifted Brisbane a new must-try Japanese fine-diner, when Sushi Room opened its doors in The Calile Hotel earlier in 2022. No one needs an extra excuse to drop by, especially if you love the titular dish — and caviar rolls and wasabi cocktails — but here's one anyway: a new weekend pairing of vinyl and sushi sets. On Friday and Saturday nights from Friday, November 18, the Fortitude Valley spot is welcoming DJs behind the decks to spin disco and funk tunes, and also serving up set menus. The vibe: pure Tokyo, all in a place that's designed to be immersive, sensory and theatrical anyway, with a must-try menu to match. Don't expect the kind of beats you can just hear anywhere — with the tunes kicking off at 5.30pm and running till late. As for the set menus, you have two options, all showcasing Head Chef Shimpei Raikuni's wares. The $65 lunch set includes six pieces of nigiri, three of sashimi, a choice of fish or steak, miso and salad. So, you get a chef's selection of fresh sashimi and nigiri, then a main of your choice. Opt for the $140 version and you'll get the more complete Sushi Room dining experience, which means a sashimi platter, a tempura platter and a nigiri platter — then a choice of fish or steak, plus dessert.
Not all gin and tonics are created equal, and at Paddington's new spirit-swilling hangout, that couldn't be more accurate. The boozy offshoot of Chinese eatery Sichuan Bang Bang, Bang Bang Bar lets thirsty patrons build their own G&Ts. Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, you can create whatever blend of juniper booze, bitter bubbles and garnish you like in this one. Choosing from breakfast, pink and shiraz gins, flavoured and standard tonics, and colourful embellishments like rose and peppercorns is only part of Bang Bang Bar's selection, however. In addition, the revamped space on Given Terrace serves up eight different cocktails, many referencing its moniker — like the Bang Fashioned (with rosemary-infused bourbon, grapefruit, bitters and sugar) and the Bangbang Bubble Club (with Calvados, Grand Marnier, Benedectine Dom, Campari and French Champagne). Food-wise, one-handed Sichuan bites stem from its food-focused neighbour, alongside ten types of pizza — a nod to the previous inhabitants of the already-open bar's spot. When Sichuan Bang Bang first came to Paddo, it was with Pizzeria Violetta. The latter's five bianche-based, five rosse-based slices are now available for BBB's customers. And, despite sharing its name with the Roadhouse from Twin Peaks, Bang Bang's connection with David Lynch's ace television series is merely coincidental. Rather, Sichuan Bang Bang owner Renata Roberts wanted a space to showcase Australian gin distilleries she discovered on travels through Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania — though the venue's darkly painted ceiling and use of red velvet still sound suitably Lynchian. Find Bang Bang Bar at 167 Given Terrace, Paddington from 5pm daily. For more information, head to the Sichuan Bang Bang website or Facebook page.
Winter means spending more time indoors — and you want those interiors to look as great as possible. Art and design lovers, that's where the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art's Winter Design Market comes in. Browse, buy and then prepare to get cosy. Find jewellery, ceramics, textiles, homewares and clothing and more on offer, with the market taking over the GOMA forecourt from 9am–4pm on Saturday, July 26–Sunday, July 27, 2025. There'll be more than 80 stalls selling wares — and don't go giving the venue's official store a miss while you're there, either. Take the time to peruse the GOMA collection of books and art, and thank us for the tip later. As well as shopping for cute design wares — and meeting the makers behind them — while you're in the vicinity, you'll be able to wander through the galleries, too, with Wonderstruck on display, complete with Yayoi Kusama's The Obliteration Room. Keen to see a film for free? The Spectacles of Wonder screening program at the Australian Cinematheque has you covered. And although GOMA will host another design market once the silly season rolls around, getting your gift shopping out of the way now will make you feel like Christmas has come early. Or, just treat yo'self — no excuse necessary. Top images: B Wagner and K Bennett.
With hundreds of events on its hefty annual lineup, Brisbane Festival is never short on highlights — but if it's dazzling colour that you're after, keep an eye out for Japanese Australian artist Hiromi Tango's regular contributions to the program. In 2018, she teamed up with Craig Walsh on A Force. In 2020, she brought both Rainbow Circles (Healing Circles) and Brainbow Magic the River City's way. In 2023, it's now time for Hiromi Hotel: YU KA 夢花 — and to get floral. Taking its cues from a poem by fourth-century BCE Chinese philosopher Zhuang Zi, and from the use of the peony in Buddhist imagery as well, Tango's new installation features giant flowers towering over South Bank in a rainbow of hues. You'll find the peonies at Bris Fest's festival garden, adding brightness to 186 Little Stanley Street — to see for free from Friday, September 1–Saturday, September 23, as open from 5–11pm Tuesday–Thursday, 4pm–12am Fridays, 12pm–12am Saturdays and 12–11pm on Sundays. That's just one part of the Hiromi Hotel experience, however. At Brisbane Quarter over in the CBD and at Brisbane Airport, pop-up installations are also part of the fun. The BQ event runs for an extra week, until Saturday, September 30, taking over the venue's podium 1. A number of Brisbane Quarter's bars and eateries are also getting in on the action via themed dishes. Fancy a Citrus Smile or Drink of Flower cocktail? Chinese doughnuts stuffed with prawns? Hiromi Hotel's vibrant palette and blooms, but edible and drinkable? Then head to W Brisbane's Living Room Bar, Brisbane Phoenix, Phat Boy, Tenya, Persone and more. Drink images: Claudia Baxter.
When the Godzilla franchise first started rampaging through Japanese cinemas almost 70 years ago, it was in response to World War II and the horrific display of nuclear might that it unleashed. That saga and its prehistoric reptilian monster have notched up 38 movies now, and long may it continue stomping out of its homeland (the American flicks, which are set to return in 2024, have been hit-and-miss). In such creature-feature company, the films of Makoto Shinkai may not seem like they belong. So far, the writer/director behind global hits Your Name and Weathering with You, plus The Place Promised in Our Early Days, 5 Centimetres per Second, Children Who Chase Lost Voices and The Garden of Words before that, sadly hasn't applied his talents to good ol' Zilly, either. But Japan's animators have been musing on and reflecting upon destruction and devastation for decades, too — stunningly and heartbreakingly so. In Studio Ghibli's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Grave of the Fireflies and The Wind Rises — in Howl's Moving Castle, Porco Rosso and From Up on Poppy Hill as well — conflict lingers in a variety of ways. In 2016's gorgeous and affecting In this Corner of the World, war is utterly inescapable. And in Shinkai's recent work, it's another catastrophe that casts a shadow: the Great East Japan Earthquake and the resulting Fukushima nuclear disaster. He's made his past three movies, including his latest beautiful and heartfelt effort Suzume, with that incident clearly in mind. Indeed, although it hops all over Japan, acting like a travelogue in magnificently realistic animated form, this new tale about a teenage girl, matters of the heart and the earth, supernatural forces and endeavouring to cancel the apocalypse firmly has its soul in the part of Honshu that forever changed in March 2011. Suzume meets its namesake (Nanoka Hara, Guilty Flag) on Kyushu, Japan's third-largest island, where she has lived with her aunt Tamaki (Eri Fukatsu, Survival Family) for 12 years. More than that, it meets its titular high schooler as she meets Souta (SixTONES singer Hokuto Matsumura), who catches her eye against the gleaming sea and sky as she's cycling to class. He's searching for ruins, and she knows just the local place — an abandoned onsen, which she beats him to. There, Suzume discovers a door standing mysteriously within a pool of water, then opens said entryway to see a shimmering sight on the other side. That's an ordinary act with extraordinary consequences, because Shinkai adores exactly that blend and clash. To him, that's where magic springs, although never while spiriting away life's troubles and sorrows. Every single door everywhere is a portal, of course, but this pivotal one takes the definition literally. Suzume can't walk through the opening; instead, she's left peering at the enticing evening-hued realm lurking within its frame. That said, she does unwittingly unleash a monster that Souta and his family have spent generations trying to contain. The worm lives up to its moniker, sprawling high into and across the sky, and sending its red tendrils far and wide. As his grandfather was, plus a long line of other relatives before that, Souta is a closer, which means he's tasked with shutting the doors that pop up at Japan's abandoned places — including a school and an amusement park — to keep the worm away and humanity safe. Sometimes, he needs a keystone to do so; however, the one in Suzume's hometown turns into a cat when she picks it up. Also transforming, but not by choice: Souta himself, who swiftly takes the form of a three-legged yellow chair that his new pal has owned and loved since she was a pre-schooler. What's a girl, a walking-and-talking seat and a tiny white kitty — Daijin, aka that metamorphosed keystone, which can also speak (as voiced by newcomer Ann Yamane) — to do? The latter cutely but quickly scampers, unsurprisingly attracting ample social-media attention, while Suzume and Souta follow as fast as they can. Most road trips don't involve attempting to save the planet, but Suzume's is as scenic as any cross-country jaunt by ferry, scooter, van, train and car thanks to one of Shinkai's ever-reliable hallmarks: his breathtaking visuals. Whether or not any member of the film's audience has been to Japan themselves, watching this spectacular affair feels like stepping right into Miyazaki, Shikoku, Kobe, Tokyo and more. Once again, as he did with Your Name and Weathering with You as well, Shinkai brings the Japanese capital to the screen with detail so gloriously lifelike that it makes for simply exquisite animation. That gift is shared with everywhere that Suzume, Souta and Daijin visit, mesmerisingly so. It's both a fitting and knowing touch to get Suzume's heroine residing in the city that shares its name with Studio Ghibli great Hayao Miyazaki. By the watching world, Shinkai has been anointed the Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro filmmaker's successor frequently since Your Name proved such a delight and smash — and so stirring, melancholy and dazzling — and, while thoroughly earning those comparisons yet another time, he leans in. Whisper of the Heart, which is similarly about a teen chasing a cat, gets a direct (and lovely) shoutout. Nods to Kiki's Delivery Service also ripple, again thanks to the crucial adorable feline. As its characters tumble through episodic adventures sparked by that fateful first door, Suzume adds references elsewhere, starting with Alice in Wonderland. It's easy to see the thematic trilogy it's happily forming with Shinkai's last two movies, too. There's a mythic air and a determination to make something meaningful and with a message that's oh-so Ghibli always, though; like the animation house, Shinkai crafts films as devoted to getting viewers marvelling at the planet, life on it and the relationships forged as they are committed to entrancing the eyes with their radiant sights. Already the fourth-grossing Japanese film of all time globally — Your Name is third, and Weathering with You ninth — Suzume is vivid in every moment. Aided by its music from Shinkai regulars Radwimps and composer Kazuma Jinnouchi (Star Wars: Visions), it's rousing in all the fashions that a feature can be, in fact. Its guiding light makes cosmic romances, fantastical voyages and supernatural disaster flicks as well, plus contemplations of growing up and taking care of nature, and ensures that they swell and swirl with all the emotions that they demand. In a national cinema industry so well-known for confronting the country's past that it turned part of it into a giant stalking lizard, Shinkai keeps finding bewitching and sensitive methods to achieve that feat, and wonderfully. Here, as Suzume battles her own hulking force, she faces life-changing heartache that no one can ever truly get over, still learns how to go on but never lets her history slip away. It's no surprise that Suzume is as sweet and swoonworthy as Shinkai's work comes, and as earnest, intricate, intelligent, involving and enchanting.
Brisbanites, the last long weekend of the year before Christmas is upon us, and there are plenty of ways to spend it. But only one will have you dancing to an impressive lineup of bands at Kings Beach Amphitheatre — soaking in the spring weather, enjoying the beachside spot, and catching everyone from The Presets and Baker Boy to Client Liaison, Ben Lee and Art vs Science. That event? The returning Caloundra Music Festival, which marks its 15th year in 2022. The all-ages fest runs from Friday, September 30–Sunday, October 2, which is perfect if you've actually given yourself a four-day long weekend (with Monday to recover), are keen to head along after work to get your break started with live tunes, or even just have a day or two to fill. Also taking to the stage: Missy Higgins, Skunkhour, The Black Seeds and The Waifs, all from a wide-ranging bill that spans a diverse range of genres — and up-and-comers alongside veteran talents. The list goes on, too. Camping facilities are available at Caloundra State Primary School, if you're coming along from Brisbane and don't want to make the trip up and back multiple times. And, because it's a family-friendly affair, there's also a zone for kids — if that helps make your festival experience easier. CALOUNDRA MUSIC FESTIVAL 2022 LINEUP: Adam-James Alys Ffion Andy V Art vs Science Asher Beau Aspy Jones August River Band Baker Boy Bearfoot Ben Lee Bobby Longstaff Bradamon Burger Joint Caitlyn Shadbolt & Melanie Dyer Client Liaison Coterie Darcy Kate DÉ SAINT. Dorah Jacson Drop Legs DUB ZOO East Coast Alien Felicity Lawless Felivand Flag Duty Fools Frank and Louis Hallie Harry James Angus Hayden Hack Hellhound Brown Hope D Horns of Leroy featuring Thando Hot Potato Band In2natioN James Desbrow Jason Daniels JaZZella JC and the Tree Katie Who Lachy Doley and The Horns of Conviction Lamkin Lane Lucy Gallant Mason Hope and The Teachers Mayah Missy Higgins Monique Clare Nanas Pie Pat Tierney Ruby Jo Skillz FJ Skunkhour SoLar Sugarbag Blonde Sunny Coast Rude Boys T H U M P Tanya George The Black Seeds The Fins The Holy Rollercoasters The Moonsets The Moving Stills The Presets The Regime The Rolling Stones Revue The Waifs Those Folk Transvaal Diamond Syndicate Ukulele Death Squad Vaudeville Smash
The world reigning Queen of Burlesque is coming to Brisbane with many treats by way of historical satires in an unmissable, joyous romp. Herstory is a fun, skilled and sexy hour; from Marie Antoinette and Lady Diana, to Marlene Dietrich and the Virgin Queen, Imogen Kelly revels in her iconic storytelling. Dance, aerials, magic, interactive projections, puppetry and short films will provide a night’s worth of ravishing entertainment. Imogen is an Australian who has made a name for herself through striptease identified performance. She took out her international title at the Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas in 2012, which is but one of her many accomplishments. She is a trail blazer in her art and a world renowned comedian, performance artist and character actor. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see her in her element in a show that she has taken to the world.
There's always some sort of party going at Welcome to Bowen Hills, and that's been the case ever since it first opened its doors a few years back. One type of shindig is always cuter than the rest, though — because when there's dogs involved, everything instantly gets more adorable. Pooches are always welcome at the venue, but Dog's Day Out is throwing the spotlight their way — and, ideally, will see the place swarmed by pups. If you have your own dog at home, it now has weekend plans. If you don't but you wish you did, prepare to pat plenty of others people's pets from 1pm on Saturday, May 14. The site's food trucks and bars won't just be catering to humans, either. And, there'll also be market stalls filled with goodies for you to buy for your pup. In the past, Welcome to Bowen Hills has hosted best-dressed dog competition, although it isn't officially on the agenda this time. That said, if your pupper has great style, it'll get Brisbanits saying "awwwwwww" anyway.
Thirsty? If you're not now, you will be once you've read this. That's the only appropriate reaction to a festival of beer, after all. Just think of all the amber liquids and foamy goodness. Okay, enough drooling; here are the important details that every ale-lover needs. When Beer Fest on the Grass returns for its whopping 11th year from 11am on Saturday, August 10, 2024, more than 250 beers and ciders will be on offer. To line your stomach, there'll also be a range of international food trucks. Basically, if there's a beer heaven, this is it. Yes, Eatons Hill Hotel has been hosting this tipple-fuelled shindig for over a decade — and will once again celebrate drinking, eating and enjoying a day in Brisbane's glorious outdoors. If you're serious about your beverages, you'll want to taste, sip, sample and chat to folks from a huge selection of breweries. Beyond beer and cider, ginger beers, wine, spirits and non-boozy tipples will available. And, if you're serious about fun, you'll want to gather some mates and take part in the event's other fun activities — in previous years, there's been an inflatable beer obstacle course, a keg-stacking comp and a life-sized game of foosball. Tickets are on sale now, with second-release entry starting at $23.80. Top image: Brisbane Beer Fest.
Cult favourite Aussie basics label Bassike is hosting a big online warehouse sale this month, selling its items from both its past season collections and its archive at significant discounts off the regular price — with pieces starting at $30. Both men's and women's fashion will be up for grabs for five days from 8am on Thursday, July 9 till midnight on Monday, July 13. Expect to find everything from swimwear and footwear to accessories, denim, cotton jersey pieces and lots of quality basics. If you're struggling with the winter cold, you'll (thankfully) be able to find warm clothing here, too. While exact prices have not yet been announced, previously physical warehouse sales have seen denim from $90, tees from $30 and jackets for $120 — no, these aren't basement bargains, but they are reasonable prices for these fine organic pieces. Spend more than $100, and you'll score free shipping, too. Bassike's online warehouse sale will run from 8am on Thursday, July 9 till midnight on Monday, July 13.
If popular culture-inspired tights, skater dresses, catsuits, shorties and gymwear are your kinds of threads, then you're probably a fan of BlackMilk Clothing. The Brisbane fashion label has been improving wardrobe options for years now, including via its super-popular Star Wars, Harry Potter and Stranger Things lines. Before the pandemic, it was also well-known for its sample sales; however, they unsurprisingly went on hold for a few years. After making a comeback in 2022, this chance to pick up discounted BlackMilk items returns for 2023 from 7am–1pm on Saturday, April 29. First, make some room in your cupboard. Then, head over to The Joinery in West End for this hefty sale. Previously sold-out pieces, limited-edition styles and one-off designs will all be up for grabs, plus other samples in all sizes. Whether you like BlackMilk's colour choices, designer fabrics, hand-drawn prints or those licensed pop-culture collabs, there'll be plenty to choose from. Given BlackMilk's following, expect to have company while you shop. Actually, the fact that nothing will cost over $35 is also certain to draw a crowd. The sale runs on a first in, best dressed basis, so arriving early is highly recommended.
Giant fluorescent orange fluffy birds, 30 ft high dogs shooting lasers from their eyes, costumes made entirely of marijuana leaves and onstage fake fellatio on a man wearing a Bill Clinton mask. Whatever you think of pop's favourite shock poppet, Miley Cyrus' Bangerz tour has been one of the global Tickets To Have. Now the Wrecking Baller is bringing Bangerz to Australia this October. Kicking off in Melbourne on Friday, October 10 at Rod Laver Arena, Cyrus will embark upon a five-date tour of epic visual proportions. Incapable of being able to stop, Cyrus will then head to Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth for what will most likely be Australia's most 'grammed tour since Beyonce's recent run. Tickets are going for $99.90 to $149.90, plus booking fees. Dainty Group presale tickets kicks off at 10am local time on Friday, June 20. General public tickets via Ticketek go on sale Monday, June 23 at 10am. Miley Cyrus Bangerz tour dates: Melbourne - Rod Laver Arena, Friday, October 10 Brisbane - Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Wednesday, October 15 Sydney - Allphones Arena, Friday, October 17 Adelaide - Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Monday, October 20 Perth - Perth Arena, Thursday, October 23
Activewear fans, we've got some big news: P.E. Nation is bringing back its warehouse sample sale — but, this year, it's all online. The athleisure experts hosted their first ever sample sale in 2016 (and everything sold out in the first day) but, luckily, you don't have to worry about being crushed in a throng this year. You just need to have your mouse at the ready. Whether you're stocking up your own balcony-gym wardrobe (or WFH outfit, if we're totally honest) or doing a solid for sporty loved ones, you'll find an extensive array of swim, activewear, accessories, sweaters and jackets available from 12pm on Thursday, April 16 — and all for 60 percent off. There'll be accessories from $40, tops and bottoms from $60, outerwear from $140 and snow (for those future holidays) from $230. Remember the age-old advice of when it comes to sample sales, you need to get in quick. Given the following the label has amassed since General Pants Co. design director Pip Edwards and former senior Sass & Bide designer Claire Tregoning joined forces, its functional, fashionable bits and pieces are bound to be popular. So, keep an eye on the website. P.E. Nation's Online Warehouse Sale goes live on Thursday, April 16. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
Dust off your lederhosen or dirndl — Oktoberfest is returning to the Brisbane Showgrounds. Now in its 12th year, the festival will extend over two weekends: October 11–13 and 18–20. Australia's largest German culture festival spans traditional live music tents, Munich-style biergartens and carnival rides. An all-day lineup of live music — including Oompah band Münchner Buam, Heidi the Yodeller and Alpenrosen Dance Group — will keep visitors entertained while they eat, drink and celebrate all things Bavaria. A handful of stalls peddling Christmas merch, traditional clothing and toys will also be on-site. There'll be plenty of food stalls offering hearty German cuisine when hunger strikes, including gravy-doused schnitties, candied apples, pork knuckle and sauerkraut. On Saturdays, you can also add a Bavarian brekkie and beer combo to your ticket, which includes two veal sausages served with sweet mustard, a giant soft pretzel and a weissbier (wheat beer). On the topic of beer, the festival likes to keep things traditional: all beer served on-site has been brewed specifically for the event, following the Bavarian Purity Law, and all brews are served in steins. Not a big beer-lover? There'll be classic German wines and non-alcoholic drinks available, too.
You sure couldn't accuse Sydney restaurant Bill & Toni's of expanding too quickly. After all, it's only now — with more than 50 years under its belt — that the Darlinghurst institution is preparing to add three more venues to the family, including one in both Victoria and Queensland. So, why now? Well, the venue has a new owner, Chris Montel, who, since taking over last year, has swiftly made plans to launch three more outposts by the end of 2018. Surfers Paradise and Melbourne's Lygon Street will each get their slice of Bill & Toni's in the coming months, followed by a venue in Montel's own stomping ground of Cronulla later in the year. The aim for each, according to Montel, is to recreate the vibe and offering of the original — everything from the retro-leaning decor to the memorabilia lining the walls will be reimagined for the new spaces. The loveable old-school diner has cemented its status as a cult favourite of Sydney's Italian dining scene with its generous fare, pinball machines and the complimentary orange cordial that makes its way onto most of the tables. But, arguably, its charm lies in the fact that it's been around forever, and we're not quite convinced that will resonate with new cities and communities — especially Lygon Street, which is full of long-running old-school Italian joints already. While details for the Cronulla restaurant are still vague, the planned interstate outposts will be a little smaller, each boasting just one level and room for about 150 people, though they'll be dishing up the same short and snappy menu Darlinghurst folks have been loving for years. Time will tell if those hefty serves of crisp chicken schnitzel and spaghetti bolognese will win over a few new lifelong fans. Bill & Toni's will open on the Gold Coast, Melbourne and Cronulla in Sydney's south this year. We'll let you know opening dates and exact locations of the three new venues as they drop. Until then, you can visit the OG Bill & Toni's at 72–74 Stanley Street, Darlinghurst. Images: Kimberley Low.
Had the eponymous smoking man not been killed by a rocket in season nine of X- Files, what type of cancer would he most likely have died of? Cue ominous music. Southside Tearoom are hosting the trivia night we've been waiting for since 2002 - X-Files Trivia. We shouldn't give you a hand, but if one of the questions is who wrote the theme song - it's from Flume's back catalogue. And few people know David Duchovny had a brief stint hosting children's tv show What's in the Box before starring in to Californication. Some of those answers may be incorrect - you've been warned. Don't be that awkward team without a witty trivia name - putting together the first letters of all your names to create an inaudible term just won't cut it. Scully & the Mike Wazowskis, The 202's (number of x files episodes) and Leonard and the Nimoys are all names you’re free to steal from the Concrete Playground creative Lab. X-Files Trivia will be on the 11th of April, kicking off at 7pm. Book now, organise your car pool, rewatch every series backwards incase their are any satanic backmasked messages you've missed out on, and don’t be afraid - do you understand?
From Thursday, February 15 at QPAC's Lyric Theatre in Brisbane, expect three words to echo with enthusiasm: "be our guest". The venue is the latest home to the Australian season of Disney's Beauty and the Beast musical, which has arrived Down Under as a newly reimagined and redesigned production. Playing until mid-May, this huge show brings a tale as old as time to the Queensland capital after its Aussie-premiere run in Sydney — and marks the latest in a growing line of Disney hits to come our way. Frozen the Musical did the rounds in recent years, as did the musical version of Mary Poppins. This version of Beauty and the Beast first made its way to the stage in the UK in 2021, and reworks the original show that premiered in the US in the 90s — adapting Disney's hit 1991 animated movie musical, of course. Fans can expect the same Oscar-winning and Tony-nominated score courtesy of composer Alan Menken and lyricist Tim Rice, including all the beloved tunes such as 'Be Our Guest' and 'Beauty and the Beast'. It also comes with new dance arrangements by David Chase, and with original choreographer Matt West revisiting his work. Cast-wise, the production features all-Australian talent, including Brisbanites Shubshri Kandiah as Belle and Jackson Head as Gaston, the Gold Coast's Jayde Westaby as Mrs Potts, Melbourne's Gareth Jacobs as Cogsworth, plus Brendan Xavier as Beast and Rohan Browne as Lumiere. Images: Daniel Boud.
Back at the start of 2022, Kevin Docherty and Sebastiaan de Kort gave Brisbane a 90-seat venue for meals and drinks that heroes seasonal Australian produce by revamping Paddington's Nota — turning the whole setup into a neighbourhood go-to. But why just have one such joint to your name when you can have two? That mightn't have been the motivation behind Allonda in Newstead, but it's the result all the same with this Brisbane restaurant that also opened in 2022. Tucked down a laneway space off Longland Street, Allonda also seats 90. Its menu favours modern European-style, designed-to-share dishes as well. It's firmly a sibling venue to Nota, and the pair of restaurants will celebrate each other (there's even a Nota sour made with Frangelico and hazelnut on Allonda's cocktail menu). But as well as sitting on the other side of the CBD, this relative newcomer is carving out its own look and feel. Think: modern and casual compared to Nota's rustic heritage decor. Think: neutral colours, stone, polished concrete aplenty and textured finishes, also. That's what patrons will find when tucking into a bite in the main dining room or knocking back beverages at the bar — or, you can go al fresco in the laneway. A big point of difference stems from Allonda's mezzanine level that can be used for private functions, and its raw seafood and burrata bar. For those keen on the ocean's finest, the raw options are sourced locally, while cheese fiends will find different flavour pairings tempting tastebuds. If you only try one dish, make it the signature risotto all'onda, aka the eatery's namesake option. It's a Venetian risotto that chases the perfect combination — not too dry or too brothy — with Docherty and de Kort taking inspiration from that pursuit of balance, which all risottos need in their blend of butter, parmesan, stock and temperature, for the restaurant's overall philosophy. Other standout menu items include the chargrilled octopus that sits atop a tangy onion and pickled walnut puree and the 500-gram sirloin steak from Riverine served with a black garlic puree, celeriac remoulade and decadent cognac mustsrd. Or, there's chicken liver parfait with onion jam, tempura fish sandos, and Eton mess and caramelised white chocolate mousse among the desserts. The group's sommelier Yanika Sittisuntorn is overseeing an evolving 90-bottle wine list, including focusing on lesser-known and experimental varieties — just as at Nota. There's also a special cocktail menu designed by bar manager Ben Horswell, featuring espresso martinis with toasted marshmallows, a yuzu, gin and wasabi number named The Serpent and a mango margarita for those feeling a little fruity.
Maybe you don't ever manage to find the time to celebrate International Lobster Day each September. Perhaps you're just keen on an indulgent October and November feast. Or, you could simply want to treat yo'self to lobster whenever and wherever you can. Whichever one of these categories fits, you've got a date with Kangaroo Point's One Fish Two Fish from Sunday, October 1–Thursday, November 30. The Main Street eatery is celebrating all things lobster, clearly — and, yes, by serving up the obvious. And, it's doing so across two whole months. No wonder that it's calling the event House of Lobster. Make plans to dine in and you can tuck into a $120 three-course feast, which starts with lobster-filled jacket potatoes or grilled lobster in lemon butter sauce — your choice. From there, there's two options to pick from for mains and dessert. So, you can go for barbecued half lobster with sea urchin butter and Japanese noodles or the lobster mornay with salad — and then either raspberry sorbet or deep-fried vanilla ice cream. Booking quickly is recommended, with seats available for dinner Wednesdays–Thursdays and lunch Fridays–Sundays. Updated Thursday, November 2.
Food. Drinks. Tickets. Parking. Wherever you're heading after work or on a weekend, they're all essential inclusions in your budget — but no one likes forking out a fortune just for the convenience of leaving their car somewhere nearby for a few hours. If you think your money could be better spent elsewhere, and you're planning on spending time in the Brisbane CBD at night or on a weekend this August, then you might want to drive your vehicle to a Wilson Parking site. You'll need to book in advance online or via the app, and then you can nab an off-peak spot for a flat rate of just $5. The deal applies to more than 550 night and weekend car parking bays across 11 Brisbane CBD car park locations — including the Riverside Centre, Eagle Street Pier, Central Plaza 2 ad Brisbane Quarter, as well as sites at 42 and 123 Albert Street, 10 Eagle Street, 12 Creek Street, 340 and 363 Adelaide Street, and 119 Charlotte Street. Wilson Parking's $5 night and weekend deal is available until Monday, August 31.
When it comes to street art exhibitions, it really doesn't get any bigger than this. A retrospective of Banksy's is making its way back to Australia, featuring 80 of the artist's off-street masterpieces. Opening on Friday, September 13 at Moore Park's Entertainment Quarter, The Art of Banksy is a massive collection of pieces by the art world's chief enigma — including the darkly satirical, overtly political work that has turned the stencil-loving artist into such an infamous icon. Endeavouring to take audiences on a journey through Banksy's output and mindset, the exhibition includes the well-known Flower Thrower, Rude Copper and Girl with Balloon (a version of which was shredded after sale in a highly publicised prank late last year). [caption id="attachment_592447" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: Olga Rozenbajgier[/caption] If it sounds epic, that's because it is. The art featured has been sourced from over 40 different private collectors around the world, and comprises the world's largest showcase of Banksy pieces. As curated by the artist's former manager Steve Lazarides, the exhibition is also a little controversial. While every piece is original, unique and authentic, The Art of Banksy proudly boasts that the entire show is 100 percent unauthorised. No, Banksy hasn't signed off on the event. This isn't the first time the huge exhibition has head Down Under, either. It was on show in Melbourne back in 2016, too — and you can check out our full gallery from that exhibition here. The Art of Banksy will run from Friday, September 13 at the Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park, Sydney. Tickets go on sale from 4pm on Friday, August 2. Images: The Art of Banksy, Melbourne, 2016 by Olga Rozenbajgier
Since February, Brisbane Powerhouse has been home to the River City's latest festival: ΩHM (pronounced "ohm"). Filled with music and art, it's all about pushing the boundaries while celebrating sound, tunes and performance — a "festival of other music" is what the New Farm venue has badged it, too, and fittingly. Thanks to a program curated by Room40's Lawrence English alongside Brisbane Powerhouse Arts Program Director Brad Spolding, ΩHM hasn't been lacking in highlights; however, its triple bill on Friday, March 31 with Robin Fox, Yann Novak and mHz promises something truly special. Audiovisual artist Fox, Los Angeles-based composer Novak and Iranian sound artist mHz are teaming up for a night showcasing three stunning large-scale audiovisual creations. [caption id="attachment_880278" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yann Novak[/caption] Accordingly, the evening will host the Australian premiere of Fox's Triptych straight from UNSOUND KRAKOW, featuring three RGB laser projectors working in synchronicity. If you've seen his past works — Night Sky for Brisbane Festival, Aqua Luma for Mona Foma 2021, BEACON for Mona Foma 2022 and MONOCHORD for Rising Festival 2022, for instance — you'll know you're in for something special. As for Novak, he'll be using sound and light to explore how both can focus one's awareness on their experiences, as informed by his partial colour blindness and dyslexia. And, the New Zealand-based mHz will take inspiration from material and architecture to hone in on sound and light production. [caption id="attachment_895200" align="alignnone" width="1920"] mHz[/caption] Top image: Robin Fox, Single Origin, Diego Figueroa.
It has been an immensely tough few weeks for southeast Queensland's Binna Burra Lodge, with the beloved Gold Coast hinterland site devastated by bushfires at the beginning of September. While the heritage-listed venue is currently planning its reconstruction process, including when it'll welcome patrons back through the doors, the iconic spot has announced a piece of good news — a new climbing attraction that'll open in 2020. While a specific launch date is yet to be revealed — unsurprisingly, given that the 86-year-old site is in rebuild and fundraising mode — Binna Burra Lodge will become home to Australia's first commercial via ferrata. The Italian term translates to "iron path", and is used to describe cliff-face climbing routes that use steel cables, fixed metal rungs, bridges and ladders to let folks of all skill levels to make the journey. Receiving $1.48 million in funding from the Queensland Government, the via ferrata will open up a section of cliff that's usually only accessible to highly experienced rock climbers (and even then, only by using special equipment). When it launches, anyone will be able to scale the track safely, enjoying its adventurous thrills and impressive views, with 30 people at a time able to use the system. Binna Burra Lodge expects that its new addition will be popular, anticipating that more than 50,000 Australian and international visitors will flock to the region as a result. The via ferrata will join the site's range of existing outdoor activities, which — when the venue becomes operational again — include bushwalking, abseiling, flying fox, archery, camping and trekking through the hinterland. [caption id="attachment_742692" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Binna Burra Lodge's sky lodges, before September's bushfires. Via Binna Burra Lodge.[/caption] Via ferratas are common in Europe, especially through the Alps — and particularly in the Dolomites in Italy, as well as throughout Austria, Germany and Switzerland. If you're wondering how they work, they typically rely upon a length of steel rope, which is affixed to the rock at certain intervals. Climbers then attach themselves to the cable, while also stepping on metal pegs and rungs, and using ladders and bridges, to make their way through the course. Binna Burra Lodge's via ferrata is expected to open in 2020. For more information, visit the site's website. To donate to the venue's reconstruction fundraising campaign, visit the GoFundMe page. Top image: Binna Burra Lodge.
When you're deciding how to spend your next brunch — and where to spend it, more importantly — perhaps it's a case of what you'd like to drink. Tired of mimosas? Fancy something stronger with your first Sunday meal? Or, maybe you just really love gin. West End gin joint Covent Garden is getting into boozy bottomless brunch game, with gin tap cocktails flowing freely. You can drink as much of the monthly cocktail special as you like, or you can tuck into a few Pimm's cups (and then a few more). Pimm's is based on gin, after all. For $49 per person, you'll also sip red or white wine sangria, and munch on a shareboard spread — choosing between charcuterie, remoulade, chutney and mustard, or feta, pickled vegetables and baba ghanoush. Both come with that breakfast and brunch staple, too, aka bread. The food and drink feast goes down between 11am–3pm each week and, while bookings aren't essential, it's recommended that you secure your spot in advance anyway. There'll also be live music from 2pm. Updated December 24.
UPDATE, APRIL 4: Disney has announced a new release date for Mulan, with the film now hitting cinemas on July 23, 2020. UPDATE, MARCH 13: Due to concerns around the coronavirus, Disney has announced that Mulan will no longer release on its initially scheduled date of Thursday, March 26, 2020. At present, a new release date has not been announced — we'll update you when one has been revealed. 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. In Chinese history, the legend of Hua Mulan dates back to the sixth century. At the movies, the formidable female warrior first fought her way across the big screen in a 1927 silent film. The character is no stranger to the page, stage or cinema, but many folks know the tale thanks to Disney's 1998 animated musical. Now, as it has done with everything from Alice in Wonderland to The Jungle Book to Aladdin, the Mouse House is turning the story into its latest live-action remake. Once again, Mulan (played by Chinese American actor Liu Yifei) will evolve from dutiful daughter to kick-ass combatant, all to protect her family in a time of war. She's originally due to be married off to a husband chosen by a matchmaker, until the Emperor of China issues a decree stating that one man per household must serve the Imperial Army as it endeavours to fend off northern invaders. To save her ailing ex-soldier father from having to fight, Mulan disguises herself as a man, takes on the name Hua Jun and becomes an icon. Forget rousing tunes and talking dragons voiced by Eddie Murphy — this time, the tale hits the screen without the singing and smart-talking sidekicks, but with plenty of sword-swinging, arrow-flinging antics. In New Zealand director Niki Caro's (Whale Rider, The Zookeeper's Wife) hands, this version of the story goes heavy on the action and empowerment, as seen in the spectacularly choreographed scenes in the just-released first trailer. As well as Liu (whose resume includes The Forbidden Kingdom and The Assassins), the new Mulan features Jet Li as the Chinese Emperor, Gong Li as a witch, Donnie Yen as the protagonist's mentor, Jason Scott Lee as a villainous army leader, and Yoson An (The Meg, Mortal Engines) as her fellow fighter and love interest. The film hits cinemas next year — check out the teaser below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01ON04GCwKs After being delayed from its original release date of March 28, 2020, Mulan will now open in Australian cinemas on July 23, 2020.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER What do you call a movie filled with giant screaming goats, magic weapons vying for attention like romantic rivals, a naked Chris Hemsworth and a phenomenally creepy Christian Bale? Oh, and with no fewer than four Guns N' Roses needle drops, 80s nostalgia in droves, and a case of tonal whiplash as big as the God of Thunder's biceps? You call it Thor: Love and Thunder, and also a mixed bag. The fourth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to focus on the now 29-title saga's favourite space Viking, and the second Thor flick directed by Taika Waititi after Thor: Ragnarok, it welcomely boasts the New Zealand filmmaker's playful and irreverent sense of humour — and the dead-serious days of the series-within-a-series' first two outings, 2011's Thor and 2013's Thor: The Dark World, have definitely been banished. But Love and Thunder is equally mischievous and jumbled. It's chaotic in both fun and messy ways. Out in the cosmos, no one can swim, but movies about galaxy-saving superheroes can tread water. Thor Odinson (Hemsworth, Spiderhead) has been doing a bit of that himself — not literally, but emotionally and professionally. Narrated in a storybook fashion by rock alien Korg (also Waititi, Lightyear), Love and Thunder first fills in the gaps since the last time the Asgardian deity graced screens in Avengers: Endgame. Ditching his dad bod for his ultra-buff god bod earns a mention. So does biding his time with the Guardians of the Galaxy crew (with Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper and company popping up briefly). Then, a distress call from an old friend gives Thor a new purpose. Fellow warrior Sif (Jaimie Alexander, Last Seen Alive) has been fighting galactic killer Gorr the God Butcher (Bale, Ford v Ferrari), who's on a mission to do exactly what his name promises due to a crisis of faith — which puts not only Thor himself but also New Asgard, the Norwegian village populated by survivors from his home planet, at grave risk. In MCU movies before Ragnarok, many of which Thor has smouldered and smiled his way through, he would've attacked the problem — this time literally — with enchanted hammer mjolnir. It's been in pieces since the last standalone Thor film. Courtesy of the god's ex, it doesn't stay that way for long. Love and Thunder nabs itself two Thors for the price of one, after Dr Jane Foster (Natalie Portman, Vox Lux) hears mjolnir a-calling following a stage-IV cancer diagnosis. Soon, the astrophysicist is also the Mighty Thor, brandishing the mallet, wearing armour and sporting flowing blonde locks. When the OG Thor finds out, he's overcome with post-breakup awkwardness, but there's still a god killer to stop and also kidnapped kids to rescue. Cue a couple of Thors, plus Korg and New Asgard king Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson, Passing), trying to prevent the worst from happening. Love and Thunder is a film where those yelling oversized goats pull a boat into the heavens; where Hemsworth is gloriously in the goofiest mode he has, aka the best mode; and where Russell Crowe (Unhinged) plays a tutu-wearing, lightning bolt-flinging Zeus with the worst on-screen accent this side of House of Gucci (Greek instead of Italian, though). The movie is rarely more than a few seconds from a one-liner or a silly throwaway gag, and it loves colour more than a rainbow does — except when it doesn't, including in the desert-set opening that introduces Gorr and his god-slaying necrosword, and when it follows him into an eerie shadow realm. Love and Thunder also adds Bale, an actor forever linked with helping bring superheroes back to the blockbuster realm via Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, to the ranks of terrific caped crusader foes. This Thor flick contains plenty, clearly; however, for everything that works, something else doesn't. Read our full review. COMPARTMENT NO 6 Handheld camerawork can be a gimmick. It can be distracting, too. When imagery seems restless for no particular reason other than making the audience restless, it drags down entire films. But at its best, roving, jittery and jumpy frames provide one of the clearest windows there is into the souls that inhabit the silver screen in 90-minute blocks or so, and also prove a wonderful way of conveying how they feel in the world. That's how Compartment No. 6's cinematography plays, and it couldn't be a more crucial move; this is a deeply thoughtful movie about two people who are genuinely restless themselves, after all. Finnish director Juho Kuosmanen (The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki) wants what all of the most perceptive filmmakers do — to ensure his viewers feel like they know his characters as well as they know themselves — and in his latest cinematic delight, he knows how to get it. How Kuosmanen evokes that sense of intimacy and understanding visually is just one of Compartment No. 6's highlights, but it's worthy of a train full of praise. With the helmer's returning director of photography Jani-Petteri Passi behind the lens, the film gets close to Finnish student Laura (Seidi Haarla, Force of Habit) and Russian miner Ljoha (Yuriy Borisov, The Red Ghost). It peers intently but unobtrusively their way, like an attentive lifelong friend. It jostles gently with the locomotive that the movie's central pair meets on, and where they spend the bulk of their time together. It ebbs and flows like it's breathing with them. It rarely ventures far from their faces in such cramped, stark, 90s-era Russian surroundings, lingering with them, carefully observing them, and genuinely spying how they react and cope in big and small moments alike. Pivotally — and at every moment as well — it truly sees its key duo. With their almost-matching names, Laura and Ljoha meet on a train ride charting the lengthy expanse from Moscow to Murmansk. She's taking the journey to see the Kanozero petroglyphs, ancient rock drawings that date back the 2nd and 3rd millennium BC, and were only discovered in 1997; he's heading up for work. Laura is also meant to be travelling with Irina (Dinara Drukarova, The Bureau), her Russian girlfriend, but the latter opted out suddenly after an intellectual-filled house party where mocking the former for her accent — and claiming she's just a lodger — threw a pall of awkwardness over their relationship. Making the jaunt solo is still sitting uneasily with Laura, though. Calls along the way, answered with busy indifference, don't help. And neither does finding herself sharing compartment number six, obviously, with the tough- and rough-around-the edges Ljoha. It's been 71 years now since Alfred Hitchcock gave cinema the noir thriller Strangers on a Train. It's been 27 years since Richard Linklater also had two unacquainted folks meeting while riding the rails in Before Sunrise, which started a terrific romance trilogy starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. Accordingly, the idea behind Compartment No. 6 is instantly familiar. Here, two strangers meet on a train, a connection sparks and drama ensues. Kuosmanen, who nabbed an award at Cannes for The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki and then earned the 2021 competition Grand Prix, which comes second only to the prestigious Palme d'Or, for this, is clearly working with a well-used setup. But even though this isn't a movie that's big on surprises, it's still a stellar film. It's also a reminder that a feature that's personal and raw, also attuned to all the tiny details of life in its performances, mood and style, and firmly character-driven, can make even the most recognisable narrative feel new. Read our full review. SUNDOWN In Sundown's holiday porn-style opening scenes, a clearly wealthy British family enjoys the most indulgent kind of Acapulco getaway that anyone possibly can. Beneath the blazing blue Mexican sky, at a resort that visibly costs a pretty penny, Alice Bennett (Charlotte Gainsbourg, The Snowman), her brother Neil (Tim Roth, Bergman Island), and her teenage children Alexa (Albertine Kotting McMillan, A Very British Scandal) and Colin (Samuel Bottomley, Everybody's Talking About Jamie) swim and lounge and sip, with margaritas, massages and moneyed bliss flowing freely. For many, it'd be a dream vacation. For Alice and her kids, it's routine, but they're still enjoying themselves. The look on Neil's passive face says everything, however. It's the picture of apathy — even though, as the film soon shows, he flat-out refuses to be anywhere else. The last time that a Michel Franco-written and -directed movie reached screens, it came courtesy of the Mexican filmmaker's savage class warfare drama New Order, which didn't hold back in ripping into the vast chasm between the ridiculously rich and everyone else. Sundown is equally as brutal, but it isn't quite Franco's take on The White Lotus or Nine Perfect Strangers, either. Rather, it's primarily a slippery and sinewy character study about a man with everything as well as nothing. Much happens within the feature's brief 82-minute running time. Slowly, enough is unveiled about the Bennett family's background, and why their extravagant jaunt abroad couldn't be a more ordinary event in their lavish lives. Still, that indifferent expression adorning Neil's dial rarely falters, whether grief, violence, trauma, lust, love, wins or losses cast a shadow over or brighten up his poolside and seaside stints knocking back drinks in the sunshine. For anyone else, the first interruption that comes the Bennetts' way would change this trip forever; indeed, for Alice, Alexa and Colin, it does instantly. Thanks to one sudden phone call, Alice learns that her mother is gravely ill. Via another while the quartet is hightailing it to the airport, she discovers that the worst has occurred. Viewers can be forgiven for initially thinking that Neil is her cruelly uncaring husband in these moments — Franco doesn't spell out their relationship until later, and Neil doesn't act for a second like someone who might and then does lose his mum. Before boarding the plane home, he shows the faintest glimmer of emotion when he announces that he's forgotten his passport, though. That said, he isn't agitated about delaying his journey back, but about the possibility that his relatives mightn't jet off and leave him alone. Sundown is often a restrained film, intentionally so. It doles out the reasons behind Neil's behaviour, and even basic explanatory information, as miserly as its protagonist cracks a smile. The movie itself is eventually a tad more forthcoming than Neil, but it remains firmly steeped in Franco's usual mindset: life happens, contentedly and grimly alike, and we're all just weathering it. Neither the highs nor lows appear to bother Neil, who holes up at the first hotel his cab driver takes him to, then starts making excuses and simply ignoring Alice's worried calls and texts. He navigates an affair with the younger Berenice (Iazua Larios, Ricochet) as well, and carries on like he doesn't have a care in the world. His sister returns, frantic and angry, but even then he's nonplussed. The same proves true, too, when a gangland execution bloodies his leisurely days by the beach, and also when violence cuts far closer to home. Read our full review. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on April 7, April 14, April 21 and April 28; and May 5, May 12, May 19 and May 26; and June 2, June 9, June 16, June 23 and June 30. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Fantastic Beasts and the Secrets of Dumbledore, Ambulance, Memoria, The Lost City, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Happening, The Good Boss, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, The Northman, Ithaka, After Yang, Downton Abbey: A New Era, Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, Petite Maman, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Firestarter, Operation Mincemeat, To Chiara, This Much I Know to Be True, The Innocents, Top Gun: Maverick, The Bob's Burgers Movie, Ablaze, Hatching, Mothering Sunday, Jurassic World Dominion, A Hero, Benediction, Lightyear, Men, Elvis, Lost Illusions, Nude Tuesday and Ali & Ava.
This summer, the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre is hosting a sales event of most peculiar stock. Strange things they are, full of pages, rampant with words and with covers of the most beautiful colours. You can't charge them, they don't run out of battery, their brightness is unalterable, and they won't smash when you drop them. After being forced to shake up its usual schedule over the past few years due to the pandemic, Lifeline Bookfest is coming back for another round of vintage bargains between Saturday, January 14–Sunday, January 22, 2023. It's where you'll find everything from Australian Women's Weekly cookbooks to a bit of cheeky erotica, as well as games, DVDs and puzzles. If you've been before, you'll know there are warehouse quantities of books for sale – your grade five diary is probably hidden under a copy of Shantaram, and you'll come across at least three copies of Cooking with Days of Our Lives. In fact, over this year's nine-day summer run, more than one million items will be up for grabs. Prices range from $2.50 to the big bucks, and you'll have plenty to choose from. Whenever Bookfest hits Brisbane, it always brings hundreds of crates of reading materials with it. You'll still want to bring a trolley and your glasses, obviously, and to clear some space on your shelves at home. And, you'll want to bring your cards, because this Bookfest is cashless. Also, you'll need your own bags, as books won't be wrapped for you this time around. Head along from 7.30am–6pm on Saturday, January 14; 8.30am–6pm between Sunday, January 15–Thursday, January 19; 8.30am–9pm on Friday, January 20; and 8.30am–6pm between Saturday, January 21–Sunday, January 22. Images: Bookfest.
If you're a dinosaur fan in Sydney, life keeps finding a way to indulge your interest in prehistoric creatures. Sydney's latest: Jurassic World: The Exhibition, which roars into town with life-sized, lifelike critters, as well as a celebration of 30 years since the first Jurassic Park movie initially rampaged across the big screen. A showcase with the same name displayed in Melbourne back in 2016, but this Harbour City visit comes after stops everywhere from London, San Diego, Paris and Madrid to Seoul, Shanghai and Toronto — running from Friday, September 22, 2023–Sunday, February 18, 2024. Expect to feel like you've been transported to Isla Nublar, complete with a walk through the big-screen saga's famed gates. From there, you'll walk through themed environments featuring dinos, including a brachiosaurus, velociraptors — yes, get ready to say "clever girl" — and a Tyrannosaurus rex. Also linking in with the animated Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous series, there'll be baby dinos, including the show's Bumpy. Sydneysiders and visitors to the New South Wales capital can get roaming, and staring at animatronic dinos, at the 3000-square-metre SuperLuna Pavilion at Sydney Showground in Sydney Olympic Park. Now, all that's left is to decide which Jurassic franchise character you want to emulate (the best choices: Laura Dern's palaeobotanist Ellie Sattler, Sam Neill's palaeontologist Alan Grant and Jeff Goldblum's mathematician Ian Malcolm, of course). And no, when Michael Crichton penned Jurassic Park in 1990, then Steven Spielberg turned it into a 1993 film, they wouldn't have expected that this'd be the result three decades — and five more movies — later.
When Christmas Eve hits, most of us are already feeling the festive spirit. If you work in retail or hospitality, however, you might have to press pause on your merriment until your shift is over. Even worse — while the majority of folks are getting into the swing of seasonal celebrations, those left serving food and drinks, manning store counters and just working in general aren't being compensated more than their usual rates. Following in the footsteps South Australia and the Northern Territory, the Queensland Government is proposing a solution: turning Christfmas Eve into a public holiday. Well, turning part of December 24 into a public holiday, at least. Their plan would see penalty rates come into effect once 6pm hits, meaning anyone left working when it's literally the evening before Christmas would be paid accordingly. If that's you, don't go spending that potential extra cash just yet. At the moment, the idea is open for public consultation to weigh up the broader benefits and costs, with Queenslanders able to submit their thoughts on the move until 4pm on Monday, September 2. If the part-day public holiday receives community support, it could even apply this Christmas. Affected workers would receive penalty rates of up to 250 percent of their normal wages, as well as the option not to work, where reasonable. For further information about the proposed Christmas Eve public holiday, or to submit your feedback, visit the Queensland Government Industrial Relations website.
Not all that long ago, rooftop bars were rare in Brisbane. What a difference a few years makes. Iris Rooftop is the latest to join the city's sky-high heights, towering over Brunswick Street in Fortitude Valley. And if you haven't had an excuse to stop by yet, you might want to add it to your Sunday itinerary quick smart. You can obviously drop by any other day you like, of course, but the last day of the weekend is when you'll find Sky-High Sundays in full swing. From 2pm, Iris is pairing its usual menu — think soda cocktails and Mediterranean-inspired dishes — with R&B tunes. As you peer over the city, stand by Iris' lit-up bar and tap your toes, you'll be able to tuck into cantabrian anchovies with tomato migas bread and crème fraiche — and sip margarita, cosmopolitan, watermelon daiquiri and amaretto sour sodas. Entry is free, but you'll need your wallet for whatever tempts your tastebuds.
They're the scenes every dog owner pictures when they leave their beloved pooch home alone. Maybe their loyal canine sits by the door, pining for human company. Maybe the crafty critter jumps on the furniture and makes a mess. Maybe it does a bit of both. With an excellent understanding of the bond between people and their furry companions, The Secret Life of Pets turns these imaginings into an animated adventure. If Toy Story swapped kids' playthings for the dogs, cats, birds and bunnies (and assorted other animals) that people of all ages adore, this highly entertaining movie would be the end result. Terrier Max (voiced by Louis C.K.) is the apple of his owner Katie's (Ellie Kemper) eye. Or least he is, until she brings him home a shaggy rescue mutt as a brother. Not only is Duke (Eric Stonestreet) bigger, he's determined to take Max's bed, his food bowl, and – the smaller dog worries – his place in Katie's heart. Before long, the tussle between the unhappy new housemates spills onto the streets during their daily walk, with the duo soon finding themselves scooped up by dog-catchers. Enter former magician's rabbit Snowball (Kevin Hart) and his motley crew of discarded beasts, who not only prove skilled at escaping to their secret underground lair, but are also plotting to overthrow humanity. There's knowing humour in everything Despicable Me director Chris Renaud and his co-helmer Yarrow Cheney assemble in this jovial animal jaunt, with the script from fellow Despicable alums revelling in anarchic but endearing comedy that trickles down to the smallest details. And it really is the little things that help The Secret Life of Pets showcase its modest charms, as demonstrated by the supporting characters. Both nodding to and twisting stereotypical traits and behaviours, the film features everything from a hamster (voiced by Renaud) who can't find his way out of a building's vents, to a pampered Pomeranian (Jenny Slate) who turns feisty when she discovers that Max is in trouble. More quirky creatures pop up, sporting recognisable celebrity tones, including Lake Bell as a cat, Hannibal Buress as a dachshund and Albert Brooks as a grumpy hawk. Each inspires a few funny sequences and sight gags, in a film that's otherwise content with the usual pop-friendly soundtrack, pop culture references and riffs on other movies. Indeed, with an action-packed homewards trek that's reminiscent of Finding Dory, and a wiener-oriented musical number that's better than anything in Sausage Party, much about The Secret Life of Pets feels familiar. There are no Zootopia-like musings about diversity and acceptance here — but there is a whole lot of awww-inducing love. Such fuzzy feelings will no doubt help viewers in overlooking the film's flaws. This is a movie that's as swift as a dog chasing a ball, as light as a budgie fluttering around an apartment, and as cute as an over-fed cat lounging in the sun. And, for its brief 87 minutes, that's mostly enough. Just make sure you leave time to visit a pet store after the movie, or scurry home to hug the four-legged friends you already have.
When Milky Lane opened in Bondi back in 2016, it immediately generated a cult following. Thanks to its calorific concoctions, casual any-night-of-the-week vibe and celebrity endorsements, the venue has become a go-to for many Sydneysiders when an indulgent meal is a must. The chain made the jump to the Gold Coast in 2018, but for non-locals, the slog down south can be long and painful (albeit worthwhile once the mega shake and burger-induced coma hits). So it might be welcome news that there will soon be a solution a little closer to home for those who live in Brisbane — the team is opening a new venue at Gasworks Newstead in late-June. The formula has remained pretty much the same across Milky Lane's six stores so far, with five in Sydney and one in Queensland to date. On the menu: artery-clogging burgers, loaded fries and shakes. Hey, if it ain't broke. Graffiti typically lines the walls, transforming the burg joint into the sort of place that instantly makes you feel cool by association. And as for culinary favourites, there's the fried chicken Chic Kanye burger, the bacon-stuffed Kevin Bacon burg, mac 'n' cheese croquettes, deep-fried Golden Gaytimes and Kit Kat Choc Fudge Booze Shake cocktails, among others. An exact opening date hasn't been revealed, but the venue will be sizeable, seating 200 burger fiends both inside and out. It'll also be mighty close to the other burg, shake and dessert-swilling eatery in the area, Betty's Burgers — but we all know how much Brissie loves meat between two pieces of bread, hefty piles of fries, milky drinks and over-the-top sweet treats. Milky Lane Brisbane opens at Gasworks, 76 Skyring Terrace, Newstead, in late-June. For further details, visit the chain's website — or keep an eye on the Surfers Paradise store's Facebook page. Images: Milky Lane Bondi by Bodhi Liggett.
UPDATE, December 2, 2020: Disobedience is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. There's a moment in every Sebastian Lelio film that cuts to the core of the writer-director's protagonists; that lets audiences peer into their hearts and souls. As seen in Gloria and A Fantastic Woman, it's usually a contemplative pause amidst a hectic frenzy — one heightened not only by the filmmaker's empathetic gaze, but by the stellar talent he's always pointing his lens towards. In Disobedience, this moment comes early. Photographer Ronit Krushka (Rachel Weisz) segues from busy days taking pictures to frantic nights finding comfort in bars, clearly masking her true feelings behind a carefully controlled facade. And so she sits for mere seconds, catching her breath, her eyes darting around as she looks towards the camera, and her hands ripping at her shirt with frustration and yearning. If Ronit is inwardly restless just going about her regular New York routine, then she's almost jumping out of her skin when she's called back to North London upon the death of her rabbi father. The Orthodox Jewish community she once belonged to is barely cordial, with the traditional greeting "may you have a long life" cutting like a weapon. But childhood friends Dovid (Alessandro Nivola) and Esti (Rachel McAdams), now married and still devout, welcome Ronit into their home, black sheep though she may be. Grief about her dad and guilt over their estrangement aren't the primary source of Ronit's distress, however. Nor is the rebellious, defiant reputation she's instantly given upon her homecoming. Rather, it's the torrid relationship that Ronit shared with Esti when they were teenagers — and the rekindled feelings sparked by her return. Adapted by Lelio and co-writer Rebecca Lenkiewicz (Ida) from Naomi Alderman's 2006 novel of the same name, Disobedience isn't a film about romance with religious tension layered on top, or one about religion with romance thrown in. Matters of affection and matters of theology are both involved, but characterising this complex, nuanced and soulful movie as one or the other does it a disservice. This is a story that recognises the many competing factors that shape a person's identity and choices, as well as the ongoing tussle between being true to oneself and meeting the expectations of others. Accordingly, desire, duty and faith intertwine in a picture that charts the influence each has had upon each member of its central love triangle. And make no mistake: while the film follows its two female protagonists as they try to follow their hearts amidst oppressive circumstances, Disobedience is a love triangle as much as it's a lesbian love story. The sensitivity Lelio brings to the forbidden romance is also applied to Dovid, a rabbi-in-training who embodies the fundamentalist principles blocking Ronit and Esti's bliss, yet proves just as torn about what's right. A lesser film would paint him as the villain, but that's the kind of easy depiction Disobedience shies away from at every turn. Although the movie delves into a cloistered world that's set in its ways and unwilling to change, nothing about its characters, their emotions or their struggles is anywhere near as straightforward or clear cut. There's a reason that Lelio favours shades of grey, visually, after all. Weisz, McAdams and Nivola are similarly multifaceted — so much so that, in the ultimate compliment to each actor, their respective characters feel as though they could walk right off the screen. The blend of steeliness and vulnerability Weisz brings to the bulk of her work courses through Ronit's veins, with the star also one of the movie's producers. Nivola plays Dovid as decent but conflicted, weathering every narrative beat with quiet poignancy. But it's McAdams who is in rarely-seen form. Earlier this year, she stole the show while showcasing her comedic chops in the vastly dissimilar Game Night. Now, she dons a kosher wig to lay bare the devastating pain of a woman torn between her head and her heart. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnCLTbLKfv4
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odM92ap8_c0 GODZILLA VS KONG Given that neither of Godzilla vs Kong's towering titans are truly terrors, and therefore neither should really emerge victorious over the other, getting them to face off seems pointless. "They're both big, so they can't get along" is the simplistic concept. This isn't a new train of thought, or new to the American-made Monsterverse that's been nudging the beasts closer together for seven years. Thankfully, in the hands of You're Next and The Guest director Adam Wingard, Godzilla vs Kong has as much in common with its superior Japanese predecessors as it does with 2019's terrible Godzilla: King of the Monsters. The follow-up to 2017's Kong: Skull Island, too, this new battle of the behemoths doesn't remake the duo's first screen showdown in 1962's King Kong vs Godzilla. And, sadly, it hasn't ditched the current Hollywood flicks' love of unexciting human characters. But it crucially recognises that watching its titular creatures go claw-to-paw should be entertaining. It should be a spectacle, in fact. The film also realises that if you're not going to make a movie about this pair with much in the way of substance, then you should go all out on the action and fantasy fronts. In other words, Godzilla vs Kong feels like the product of a filmmaker who loves the Japanese Godzilla flicks and Kong's maiden appearance, knows he can't do them justice thematically, but is determined to get what he can right. Wingard is still saddled with a flimsy script with a tin ear for dialogue by screenwriters Eric Pearson (Thor: Ragnarok) and Max Borenstein (Kong: Skull Island), but his massive monster melees are a delight. Also welcome: Godzilla vs Kong's eagerness to lean into its genre. When it surrenders to its pixels, and to a tale that involves a journey to the centre of the earth, subterranean asteroids, altercations with giant flying lizards and an underground tunnel from Florida to Hong Kong, it's equal parts loopy and fun. That trip to the planet's interior is guided by Kong. Now kept in a dome that simulates the jungle, the jumbo primate is under the watch of researcher Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall, Tales from the Loop), and bonds with Jia (newcomer Kaylee Hottle), the orphan also in the doctor's care. But, after Godzilla surfaces for the first time in three years to attack tech corporation Apex's Miami base, CEO Walter Simmons (Demián Bichir, Chaos Walking) enlists geologist Nathan Lind (Alexander Skarsgård, The Stand) on a mission. Testing the latter's hollow earth theory, they plan to track down an energy source that could be linked to both Zilly and Kong's existence — if Kong will lead them there. In a plot inclusion that'd do Scooby Doo proud, teenager Madison Russell (Millie Bobby Brown, returning from King of the Monsters) and her classmate Josh Valentine (Julian Dennison, Hunt for the Wilderpeople) are certain that Apex is up to no good and — with podcaster Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry, Superintelligence) — start meddling. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yJ4r7ON974 THE PAINTER AND THE THIEF Asked why he broke into Oslo's Gallery Nobel in 2015 and stole two large oil paintings in broad daylight, Karl-Bertil Nordland gives perhaps the most honest answer anyone could: "because they were beautiful". He isn't responding to the police or providing an excuse during his court appearance, but speaking to Czech artist Barbora Kysilkova, who wanted answers about the theft of her work. Captured on camera, the pilfering of Kysilkova's Swan Song and Chloe & Emma initially appeared to be a professional job. As the two pieces were removed from their frames in such an exacting manner, it was presumed that experts were behind the crime. But Nordland and his accomplice didn't plan their brazen heist, or have a background in purloining art. Thanks to the effect of illicit substances, Nordland can't even remember much about it, let alone recall what happened to the stolen works that Kysilkova desperately wants back. That said, as the thief tells the painter when she first talks with him, he does know that he walked past Gallery Nobel often. He's aware that he saw her photorealistic pieces — the first of a dead swan lying in reeds, the second of two girls sat side by side on a couch — many times, too. And, he's candid about the fact that he marvelled at and was moved by the two canvases long before he absconded with them. As a result, he doesn't seem surprised that his life led him to that juncture, and to snatching Kysilkova's creations. A victim confronts a perpetrator: that's The Painter and the Thief's five-word summary, and it's 100-percent accurate. But such a brief description can't convey how fascinating, thoughtful, moving and astonishing this documentary is as it unfurls a tale so layered and wild that it can only be true — a story that stretches far beyond what anyone could feasibly anticipate of such an altercation and its aftermath, in fact. Nordland was arrested and charged for his crime, with Kysilkova initially making contact with him at his trial. From there, the skilled carpenter and heavily tattooed addict unexpectedly gained a friend in the woman whose works he took. Kysilkova first asked to paint Nordland as part of her attempts to understand him, and he then became her muse. As all relationships do, especially ones forged under such unusual circumstances, their connection evolved, adapted and changed from there. As Norwegian filmmaker Benjamin Ree (Magnus) pointed a camera in their direction for three years, the duo weathered their own ups, downs, twists and turns, as did their friendship. If Nordland's reply to Kysilkova feels disarmingly frank and unguarded, that's because it is. The same tone remains throughout The Painter and the Thief's entire duration. Absent the usual tropes and stylistic markers that true-crime documentaries are known for, the film eschews the standard mix of talking heads, re-enactments and explanatory narration in favour of truly observing and stepping inside its subjects' unique bond. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCw90xLvYPw THE LAST VERMEER Dutch artists Johannes Vermeer and Han van Meegeren picked up their brushes more than two centuries apart. Mention the latter, though, and you need to mention the former. Just why that's the case makes for a fascinating tale, as The Last Vermeer tells — one filled with twists, subterfuge, investigations, a trial and post-World War II efforts to punish anyone who conspired with the Nazis. Directed by producer turned first-time helmer Dan Friedkin (All the Money in the World, The Mule), and adapted from Jonathan Lopez's 2008 book The Man Who Made Vermeers, The Last Vermeer relays the Hollywood version of the story, of course. Big speeches and massaged details consequently abound. Attention-grabbing performances jump across this cinematic canvas, too, with Guy Pearce (Bloodshot) resembling Geoffrey Rush as van Meegeren and Claes Bang (Dracula) adding his third recent art-centric feature to his resume after The Square and The Burnt Orange Heresy. There's enough here to keep viewers interested, as there should be given the real-life basis, cast and handsome staging, but this is the type of film that's nicer to look at than to dive into. Its subject: art forgery, a topic that leaves an imprint beyond the movie's narrative. The Last Vermeer doesn't steal from elsewhere, but it also sinks into a well-populated list of other dramas about art and the war (see also: The Monuments Men and Woman in Gold ) far too easily and generically than a feature about this specific tale should. Bang plays Dutch Jewish officer Captain Joseph Piller, who is tasked with hunting down artworks illegally sold to the Nazis during the war and bringing everyone responsible to justice. That leads him to Christ and the Adulteress, a piece credited to Vermeer but found after his death — and to van Meegeren, the man who is suspected of selling it to key Nazi figure Hermann Göring in the world's biggest art sale at the time. Turning on the rakish charisma even when he's being interrogated by Piller and his offsider (Roland Møller, The Commuter), van Meegeren denies the accusation. Piller isn't convinced, but then police detective Alex De Klerks (August Diehl, A Hidden Life) tries to take over the case. Soon, van Meegeren has been secreted away, is painting while in hiding and, when eventually charged and brought to court, offers an astonishing theory. Also arising in The Last Vermeer: an exploration of the costs of and sacrifices involved in surviving wartime, although Friedkin and screenwriters John Orloff (Anonymous), Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby (The Expanse) happily stick to the surface as they do elsewhere. As a mystery, the film suitably zigs and zags. As a courtroom drama, it boasts stirring moments. But, as well as wasting Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread) in a thankless part, The Last Vermeer is never more than passable. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GjskJIRyRA GOLDEN VOICES The year is 1990, the USSR has collapsed, and Victor (Vladimir Friedman, The Operative) and Raya Frenkel (Mariya Belkina, Into the Night) are among the hordes of Russia's Jewish citizens that decide to move to Israel in search of a fresh start. But relocating costs them their prolific and busy careers as dubbing artists, with the married pair spending the decades prior recording Russian dialogue tracks for every type of film imaginable — to the point of becoming minor celebrities, including among Israel's ex-pat community once they emigrate. For Victor, the lack of work in the same field is crushing. He delivers pamphlets instead, determined to finance their new life, but yearns to get behind a microphone. Willing to try a gig that puts her voice to use in a different way, Raya takes a job at an erotic phone line, although she tells Victor that she's selling perfume from a call centre. Films about relationships disrupted by sizeable changes and duos forced out of their comfort zones aren't rare. Nor are movies about late-in-life shifts and new developments, and the impact on seemingly solid nuptials. And yet, as directed, written and edited by Evgeny Ruman (The Damned), and co-scripted and shot by Ziv Berkovich (A Simple Wedding), the warm and engaging Golden Voices finds its own niche again and again. There's a thoughtfulness to Golden Voices that underscores almost every choice, including in the film's narrative. Features that wear their overwhelming affection for cinema on their sleeves aren't uncommon either (filmmakers love the medium they work with, obviously, and like to show it). Still, Victor's passion for the big screen and its wonders is steeped in his inability to explore the world physically under Soviet rule, with movies opening a door that he couldn't otherwise pass through. Similarly, the unexpected freedom that Raya finds in her new job is anchored by the same truth. Being able to genuinely be herself behind a veil of anonymity is a new experience, which she relishes, as she does the attention sent her way by a doting customer. These characters are truly approaching their lives afresh — sometimes by choice, sometimes not so — and Ruman and Berkovich find multiple ways to convey this in their screenplay. Also helping: the film's lived-in sense of Israel's expat Soviet Jewish community, Berkovich's eye for composition, the visual period detail and the nuanced yet potent performances by Friedman and Belkina. A sense of neatness can creep into Golden Voices at times, but never encroaches upon the work of its likeable and expressive leads. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVBKyLqsS5k PETER RABBIT 2: THE RUNAWAY Before a single Peter Rabbit movie had hopped into cinemas, the Paddington films got there first — and twice. The English franchise about everyone's favourite marmalade-eating bear has left big paw prints for its bunny-focused counterpart to follow in, too, but neither 2018's Peter Rabbit nor its new sequel Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway comes remotely close to filling them. While impressive photorealistic CGI brings the jacket-wearing Peter and his also partially clothed fellow animals to life, and such special effects wizardry blends seamlessly with the live-action settings and cast members as well, this series is cartoonish and anarchic from its first moments. Anyone who grew up reading Beatrix Potter's books, which date back nearly 120 years, will notice the distinct, stark and unwelcome change of tone. The farmland setting and all those cute rabbits look just as they should, but this is a family-friendly franchise that turned sticking a carrot down a man's pants into one of its big gags the first time around. Accordingly, expecting anything gentle and measured in The Runaway — and anything other than more of the same, just laced with some snarky commentary that acknowledges the criticisms directed the initial movie's way — is as foolish as most of Peter's chaotic adventures. Once again voiced by James Corden — as the all-knowing computer in Superintelligence was last year as well — Peter thinks of himself as a plucky rebel. After his long-time human surrogate mother Bea (Rose Byrne, Irresistible) marries his former nemesis Thomas (Domhnall Gleeson, Run), he tries not to cause trouble around the farm, but it seems that he's always seen in that light no matter what he does. As Bea's books about Peter, his sisters Flopsy (Margot Robbie, Dreamland), Mopsy (Elizabeth Debicki, Tenet) and Cottontail (Aimee Horne, Psychotown), and cousin Benjamin (Colin Moody, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries) attract the attention of a big-city publisher (David Oyelowo, Chaos Walking), Peter gets fed up with his bad reputation. And when he crosses paths with town-dwelling bunny Barnabus (Lennie James, Fear of the Walking Dead), he thinks he's found someone who likes him as he is. From here, returning director and co-writer Will Gluck (Annie) unleashes a heist film that's also a musing on identity, and both elements feel not just broad, messy and distractingly energetic, but also routine. Byrne, Gleeson and Oyelowo bring what they can to their flesh-and-blood roles; however, the overall movie is as about as charming as rabbit droppings. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on January 1, January 7, January 14, January 21 and January 28; February 4, February 11, February 18 and February 25; and March 4, March 11 and March 18. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman, The Dry, Promising Young Woman, Summerland, Ammonite, The Dig, The White Tiger, Only the Animals, Malcolm & Marie, News of the World, High Ground, Earwig and the Witch, The Nest, Assassins, Synchronic, Another Round, Minari, Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra, The Truffle Hunters, The Little Things, Chaos Walking, Raya and the Last Dragon, Max Richter's Sleep, Judas and the Black Messiah, Girls Can't Surf, French Exit and Saint Maud.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE People have orgasms every day, but for decades spent closing her eyes and thinking of England in a sexually perfunctory marriage, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande's lead character wasn't among them. Forget la petite mort, the French term for climaxing; Nancy Stokes' (Emma Thompson, Cruella) big wrestling match with mortality, the one we all undertake, has long been devoid of erotic pleasure. Moments that feel like a little death? Unheard of. That's where this wonderfully candid, intimate, generous and joyous sex comedy starts, although not literally. Flashbacks to Nancy enduring getting it over with beneath her now-deceased spouse, missionary style, aren't Australian filmmaker Sophie Hyde (Animals) or British comedian-turned-screenwriter Katy Brand's (Glued) concern. Instead, their film begins with the religious education teacher waiting in a hotel room, about to take the biggest gamble of her life: meeting the eponymous sex worker (Daryl McCormack, Peaky Blinders). For anyone well-versed in Thompson's prolific on-screen history, and of Brand's work before the camera as well, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande inspires an easy wish: if only Nancy had a different job. Back in 2010, the pair co-starred in Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang, a title that'd also fit their latest collaboration if its protagonist cared for kids rather than taught them. Jokes aside, the instantly charming Leo is used to hearing that sentiment about his own professional choices. Indeed, Nancy expresses it during their pre- and post-coital discussions, enquiring about the events that might've led him to his career. "Maybe you're an orphan!" she says. "Perhaps you grew up in care, and you've got very low self-esteem," she offers. "You could have been trafficked against your will — you can't tell just by looking at somebody!" she continues. There are plenty of "if only" thoughts and feelings pulsating through Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, a film where its namesake's tongue couldn't be more important — yes, in that way, and also because talk is as crucial as sex here. If only Nancy hadn't spent half of her existence in a pleasure-free marriage. If only a lifetime of being middle class and socially conservative, and of internalising Britain's stereotypical 'keep calm and carry on' mentality, hadn't left her adrift from her desires. If only being a woman in her mid-50s wasn't seen as a libidinous void by society at large, a mindset that's as much a part of Nancy as the wrinkles and ageing body parts she can barely look at in the mirror. If only prioritising her sensual needs wasn't virtually taboo, too, especially in her mind — even after, two years since being widowed, she's booked an expensive rendezvous with Leo. Good Luck to You, Leo Grande unpacks those if onlys — not the Nanny McPhee one, obviously, but the idea that Nancy's life is immovably stuck in the same rut it has always been. As played by Thompson at the height of her acting powers, at her absolute splintery, finicky yet vulnerable best even with Last Christmas, Years and Years, Late Night and The Children Act on her recent resume, she's nervous, anxious, uncertain and always on the cusp of cancelling, including once Leo strolls into the room, beams his easy magnetism her way and starts talking about what she wants like it's the most natural thing in the world. Slipping into the sheets and knowing what excites you is the most natural thing in the world, of course, but not to Nancy. As her four appointments with Leo progress, she comes up with a lineup of carnal acts she'd like to experience — and she may as well be reading from her grocery list. But getting her to shed her inhibitions is as much his focus as shedding her clothes, and the twentysomething won't let Nancy keep getting in the way of herself. Read our full review. CRIMES OF THE FUTURE It takes a brave filmmaker to see cancer and climate change, and think of art, evolution and eroticism in a possible future. It takes a bold director to have a character proclaim that "surgery is the new sex", too. David Cronenberg has always been that kind of visionary, even before doing all of the above in his sublime latest release — and having the Scanners, Videodrome and The Fly helmer back on his body-horror bent for the first time in more than two decades is exactly the wild and weird dream that cinephiles want it to be. The Canadian auteur makes his first movie at all since 2014's Maps to the Stars, in fact, and this tale of pleasure and pain is as Cronenbergian as anything can be. He borrows Crimes of the Future's title from his second-ever feature dating back 50-plus years, brings all of his corporeal fascinations to the fore, and moulds a viscerally and cerebrally mesmerising film that it feels like he's always been working towards. Long live the new flesh, again. Long live the old Cronenberg as well. In this portrait of a potential time to come, the human body has undergone two significant changes. Three, perhaps, as glimpsed in a disquieting opening where an eight-year-old called Brecken (debutant Sotiris Siozos) snacks on a plastic bin, and is then murdered by his mother Djuna (Lihi Kornowski, Ballistic). That incident isn't unimportant, but Crimes of the Future has other departures from today's status quo to carve into — and they're equally absorbing. Physical agony has disappeared, creating a trade in "desktop surgery" as performance art. Also, a condition dubbed Accelerated Evolution Syndrome causes some folks, such as artist Saul Tenser (Viggo Mortensen, Thirteen Lives), to grow abnormal organs. These tumours are removed and tattooed in avant-garde shows by his doctor/lover Caprice (Léa Seydoux, No Time to Die), then catalogued by the National Organ Register's Wippit (Don McKellar, reteaming with Cronenberg after eXistenZ) and Timlin (Kristen Stewart, Spencer). When Crimes of the Future stages one of Saul and Caprice's gigs, it drips not with blood but spectacle and seduction. Indeed, it's no wonder that a curious Timlin utters that catchy observation about medical slicing and intimate arousal shortly afterwards. Alluring, eerie, grotesque and enthralling — and the epitome of the feature's sparse yet entrancing look and mood in the process — it's a powerhouse of a scene, with a self-autopsy pod at its centre. Saul lies still, Caprice uses an eXistenZ-esque fleshy video-game controller to get the contraption cutting, and an enraptured audience hang on every incision. Saul and Caprice do, too, although their visibly aroused reactions have nothing on their time later in the suite alone. (Cronenberg does love eschewing traditional ideas about what titillates; see also: his 1996 film Crash, about characters excited by car crashes. It's a clear precursor to this, and the movie that purred so that 2021 Palme d'Or winner Titane, by filmmaker Julia Ducournau, could rev.) Crimes of the Future's scalpel-equipped coffin is just one of Saul and Caprice's Lifeform Ware gadgets; if eXistenZ, Naked Lunch and Dead Ringers procreated, these are the devices the three flicks would spawn. HR Giger could've conjured them up as well, and thinking of the biomechanical artist's contribution to Alien, which saw him share an Oscar for visual effects, is as natural as feeling spellbound and perturbed by Cronenberg's movie in unison. This is a grimy world where a bed covered with skin and tentacles floats in Saul's home, calibrated to cater to his "designer cancer"-riddled body's needs as it slumbers — and where a chair that looks like a skeleton reassembled as furniture contorts Saul as he's eating, something he is having increasing trouble with otherwise. In other words, it's a world where the old flesh isn't doing what it always has, new flesh is sprouting in a changing and devastated reality, and technology fills in the gaps as it is always designed to. Read our full review. BOSCH & ROCKIT Remember the name Rasmus King. Based on 2022's slate of Australian films and television shows, that shouldn't be hard. The Byron Bay-born newcomer hadn't graced a screen, large or small, before this year — and now he has no fewer than four projects pushing him into the spotlight before 2023 arrives. Most, including surfing TV drama Barons, capitalise upon the fact that he's a pro on the waves IRL. Two, 6 Festivals and the upcoming sci-fi featurette What If The Future Never Happened?, get his long blonde locks whipping through the Australian music scene. The latter is based on Daniel Johns' teenage years, actually, and has King playing that pivotal part. If he's half as impressive in the role as he is in father-son drama Bosch & Rockit, Silverchair fans will have plenty to look to forward to. When writer/director Tyler Atkins opens his debut feature, it's in the late 90s, along Australia's east coast, and with King as eager surfer Rockit — son to weed farmer Bosch (Luke Hemsworth, Westworld). Sometimes, the titular pair hit the surf together, which sees Rockit's eyes light up; however, Bosch is usually happy tending to his illicit business, making questionable decisions, and coping with splitting from his son's mother Elizabeth (Leeanna Walsman, Eden) with the help of other women. Then a couple of unfortunate twists of fate upend Rockit's existence, all stemming from his father. Begrudgingly, Bosch is pushed into stepping outside his drug-growing comfort zone by an old friend-turned-cop (Michael Sheasby, The Nightingale) and his corrupt partner (Martin Sacks, Buckley's Chance). When a bushfire sweeps through the region shortly afterwards, he's forced to go on the run to stay alive. Bosch & Rockit approaches Bosch's absconding from Rockit's perspective, adopting the line that the former gives his boy: that they're going to Byron for an extended holiday. Atkins doesn't feed the same idea to its audience, but ensures that viewers understand why a bright-eyed teenager would take his dad at his word — not just because he doesn't know what Bosch does for a living, which he doesn't; or he's naïve, which he is; but also because he's eager to hang onto his biggest dream. There's sorrow in King's spirited performance, with Rockit more affected by his parents' split, bullying at school and the isolation that comes with finding solace in the sea, usually alone, than Bosch has the shrewdness to spot. There's earnestness as well, because what struggling kid who's desperate for the kind of love that genuine attention signifies, as Rockit visibly is, won't blindly believe whatever fantasy their dad or mum sells them for as long as possible? King does a magnetic job of conveying Rockit's inner turmoil, and expressing his uncertainty, too. There's an effortlessness to his portrayal, whether Rockit is lapping up Bosch's presence like a plant swaying towards the sunlight, listlessly left to his own devices when his dad decides he'd rather chase Byron local Deb (Isabel Lucas, That's Not Me), or finding a kindred spirit in Ash (Savannah La Rain, Surviving Summer), another restless and yearning teen vacationing under less-than-ideal circumstances and feeling like she's alone in the world. Avoiding formulaic plotting isn't Bosch & Rockit's strong suit, however, as the film makes plain at every turn. That's evident in both of its namesakes' trajectories, for starters — with Bosch a small-time crim falling afoul of the wrong people, with help from bad luck, then trying to start anew; and Rockit an innocent kid stuck with subpar parents, forced to grow up faster than he should, but hanging onto whatever he can. Read our full review. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on May 5, May 12, May 19 and May 26; June 2, June 9, June 16, June 23 and June 30; and July 7, July 14, July 21 and July 28, and August 4 and August 11. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Petite Maman, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Firestarter, Operation Mincemeat, To Chiara, This Much I Know to Be True, The Innocents, Top Gun: Maverick, The Bob's Burgers Movie, Ablaze, Hatching, Mothering Sunday, Jurassic World Dominion, A Hero, Benediction, Lightyear, Men, Elvis, Lost Illusions, Nude Tuesday, Ali & Ava, Thor: Love and Thunder, Compartment No. 6, Sundown, The Gray Man, The Phantom of the Open, The Black Phone, Where the Crawdads Sing, Official Competition, The Forgiven, Full Time, Murder Party, Bullet Train, Nope, The Princess and 6 Festivals.
Some events feel like they've always been part of Brisbane's cultural scene, and Stones Corner Festival is one of them — even though it'll only host its eighth fest when it returns in 2023. That's the sign of something special, with this free street party swiftly becoming one of the city's must-attend festivals. It was sorely missed during pandemic shutdowns as well, but made a glorious comeback in 2022. This year, when Sunday, April 30 hits, Stones Corner Festival will once again unleash a day of food and music on the inner east, too. And when that happens, the event is going big. On the lineup: Art vs Science, local legends Resin Dogs and the retro stylings of Yacht Rock Revival. They'll be joined by Good Will Remedy, Jem Cassar-Daley, John Hanley & The Hurricanes, Dusty and Andy Martin. That's who you'll be listening to — or dancing in the street to, to be more accurate — however, the music bill is only part of the Stones Corner Festival fun. You can also expect more than 20 craft breweries pouring beers, including Your Mates Brewing Co, 4 Pines, Slipstream, Balter, Eumundi, Brookvale Union, Stone & Wood and Green Beacon. Burleigh Brewing, Newstead Brewing, Young Henrys, Heads of Noosa and Better Beer will be on hand as well, so you'll have sipping options. Eating-wise, a heap of food trucks will pop up to keep your stomach lined, including with burgers, paella, tacos and pizza. And as for what else awaits on the corner of Logan and Old Cleveland roads — and during the Labour Day long weekend, handily — there'll also be market stalls via The Market Folks. If you're planning a big one, that public holiday the next day is oh so convenient. Also, entry remains free, but giving a gold coin donation to the MND and Me Foundation is recommended. STONES CORNER FESTIVAL 2023 LINEUP: Art vs Science Resin Dogs Yacht Rock Revival Good Will Remedy Jem Cassar-Daley John Hanley & The Hurricanes Dusty Andy Martin Stones Corner Festival 2023 takes place from 12–10pm on Sunday, April 30 on Logan Road, Stones Corner. For more information, head to the festival's website.
UPDATE, October 2, 2020: Official Secrets is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. When Keira Knightley came to fame kicking a soccer ball in Bend It Like Beckham, her steely determination played a considerable part. The English actor does purposeful and plucky with aplomb — earning Oscar nominations in Pride & Prejudice and The Imitation Game — and they're traits that keep serving her well nearly two decades after her big break. In fact, they're perfect for her latest role. Stepping into Katharine Gun's shoes in Official Secrets, Knightley is the epitome of dedicated and purposeful, as a British security services agent-turned-whistleblower needs to be. That focus keeps shining, too, as her version of Gun weathers the personal, professional and legal repercussions for her actions in trying to thwart the 2003 invasion of Iraq, including breaching the United Kingdom's Official Secrets Act. Yes, there's no doubting where Official Secrets found its title. Even if you weren't across this fairly recent incident, there's no guessing where the film is headed, either. But, working in the same tense mode as he did with 2015's Eye in the Sky, director/co-writer Gavin Hood still treats Gun's rousing true tale like a thriller with good reason — the ins and outs are stirring and gripping. His clear-eyed procedural also proves riveting because it remains immensely relevant, as do the reasons behind Gun's leak of classified documents to start with. While it was once rightfully considered scandalous, politicians, governments and leaders routinely lying to the public has become a regular part of life today; but daring to speak truth to power — and to force those in power to speak the truth — is still rare. It's an ordinary day for Gun when, during her usual translation and analysis duties for British intelligence, she receives an extraordinary email. Sent from a National Security Agency chief, the communication requests help gathering information about United Nations diplomats, in the hope of convincing the seven non-permanent members of the UN Security Council to vote for military action. Her superiors say that nothing is amiss, but using blackmail to send the world to war doesn't sit well with Gun. Once she sends the document to a friend, who then passes it on to a journalist, it doesn't sit well with Observer reporter Martin Bright (Matt Smith) either. After his front-page story hits newsstands, global outrage naturally follows. So does a spiteful investigation by Britain's powers-that-be, who'd rather attack Gun than admit any wrongdoing. As pieced together with workmanlike precision by Hood, who clearly understands the significance of the story, Gun's plight has many moving parts. Her Turkish husband Yasar (Adam Bakri) is seeking asylum in England, something that's unsurprisingly used against her. After she enlists a veteran human rights lawyer (Ralph Fiennes), she's told that she's not allowed to discuss her work with anyone, including legal counsel, or she'll face further charges. When Bright convinces his pro-war Observer editors to run with the story, an innocent internal error gets conspiracy theorists on the attack as well. Gun is an average Brit calling out wrongdoing in her workplace — wrongdoing with worldwide consequences — and she faces her government's wrath for doing so, but she's steadfast in standing by her actions. Gun is tenacious, courageous and committed — and yet, crucially, she's just a regular person. That's another reason that Official Secrets resonates so strongly. The film's subject is employed by British security services to gather intelligence, so on paper she's a spy, but she's really just someone sitting behind a computer, doing her job, and daring to challenge the status quo when it conflicts with her sense of right and wrong. Indeed, for all of Knightley's skill at playing insistent, dogged and earnest, she also captures this truth, as does Hood's polished yet never slick direction (a Bourne or Bond-style flick, this isn't). Official Secrets lurks in nondescript offices and watches everyday folks go about their work, while managing a delicate balancing act in the process, ensuring that Gun is a flesh-and-blood figure rather than a simplified martyr. This is also a movie with a clear outcome in mind and an overt emotional path, although that comes both with the territory and with telling this tale today. Many of the film's supporting players are tasked with underscoring the story's importance — Smith, Fiennes, Matthew Goodes and Rhys Ifans as other journalists, and Jeremy Northam as the public prosecutor eager to put Gun in her place — however Knightley utters the line that couldn't sum up Official Secrets better. Her character is yelling at the TV while watching the news and, yes, it feels relatable as it sounds. "Just because you're the Prime Minister, it doesn't mean you get to make up your own facts," she notes as Tony Blair talks about Iraq. Try not to injure yourself nodding forcefully in agreement. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IVuxnXFrl8
Whether they riff on fairy bread or come packed with pretzels, plenty of Gelato Messina's popular desserts turn other foods into a frosty sweet treat. For the chain's next endeavour, it's taking that process a step further. This time, it's transforming a heap of its gelato flavours into a variety of different chocolates. Nine different types of blocks, bars and other bites are on the menu thanks to Messina's latest special — which means that they'll only be available to order on a set day, as always happens with the brand's limited-edition wares. And, they're being sold pick 'n' mix-style. So, you can choose as many as you like, with discount codes on offer if you're nabbing three, six or nine. Some of these chocolates will sound familiar, as Messina first broke out a few of them for Father's Day. Back then, it was the first time that Messina had ever made chocolate bars and blocks itself, with the team at its Rosebery headquarters doing the honours. Clearly, it went well. Loved Messina's recent cone-ception cookie pies? That's where one of these choccies takes its cues, combining sable biscuit, waffle cone spread and cone crunch, then covering it all in caramelised white chocolate. There's neapolitan chocolate blocks, too — and yes, they're made with milk chocolate, white chocolate that features Heilala vanilla, and strawberry chocolate infused with freeze dried strawberries. Or, you can opt for fairy bread white chocolate blocks that come mixed with dehydrated toast crumbs and sprinkled with 100s and 1000s, clusters of potato chips and salted peanuts coated in white chocolate, candied pistachios covered in strawberry chocolate, and Messina's own version of chocolate honeycomb. Plus, the range also includes roasted hazelnuts coated in milk chocolate and wafer flakes, pretzel crunch covered in milk chocolate and choc-covered house-made nougat as well. However many of these choccies you now need to add to your snack rotation, you'll want to place your order at 9am AEDT on Wednesday, October 13. They'll then be shipped within five working days. Gelato Messina's pick 'n' mix chocolate range will be available to order from 9am AEDT on Wednesday, October 13.
UPDATE, September 17, 2020: Crazy Rich Asians is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. It's a throwaway joke in a film filled with smarter, funnier dialogue. Still, when Crazy Rich Asians compares its own plot to The Bachelor, the line sticks. The movie doesn't involve women competing for a man on television, thankfully. There's no cheesy host talking the audience through proceedings either, and the flick, while fictional, doesn't feel as fake and contrived as reality TV. But the big-screen adaptation of Kevin Kwan's best-selling novel does willingly, gleefully champion a world of indulgence — a world where romance has to shine twice as bright against the glittering trappings of wealth. And, just like The Bachelor, the film remains both fluffy and breezy and over-the-top and melodramatic at the same time. Of course, there's more than a little winking and nodding evident when Crazy Rich Asians connects its opulent, soap opera-like theatrics to a popular televised dating contest. Director John M. Chu (Now You See Me 2) and his screenwriters Peter Chiarelli (The Proposal) and Adele Lim (TV's Dynasty) know exactly what they're doing, and they're not backing away from it. Combining a wealth of elements within its light and luxe confines, Crazy Rich Asians is many things, including extravagant, irreverent and entertaining. It's a rom-com about love and money, a comedy about class and culture clashes, and a modern-day fairytale about an ordinary girl falling for Singapore's equivalent of royalty — and, wholly in the service of its story, it refuses to dial down any of its excess. Indeed, there's a straightforward reason that the movie bathes in ultra-rich glitz and glamour to an almost ostentatious degree: it's giving audiences the same experience as the film's protagonist. One day, Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) is a New York economics professor from a working-class, single-parent household, and simply thinking about finally meeting her boyfriend Nick's (Henry Golding) parents. The next, she's flying first class to Asia, finding out that her beloved is well and truly loaded, and discovering the kind of life such a vast fortune can buy. Like falling down a rabbit hole, she's in unfamiliar, fantastical territory. Expecting to attend a low-key family dinner, she finds herself at a decadent blowout filled with folks wearing evening gowns. Heading to a bachelorette party for one of Nick's pals, she's helicoptered to a private resort. Even when she's just hanging out with her college buddy Peik Lin (Awkwafina), she's sitting in a gold-adorned mansion. What follows is a whirlwind introduction to the filthily, ridiculously rich, and it has consequences within the narrative. Rachel is understandably overwhelmed, Nick's mother Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh) is vocal about her disapproval, and Nick is caught in the middle. Accordingly, as Crazy Rich Asians tracks the chaos that ensues — and the battle between romance, finances and family — the film is devoted to plunging viewers into the lavish lifestyle at its centre in order to align them with its protagonist. Every filmmaking choice ramps up the indulgence, be it in the onslaught of colour, the lingering shots of sumptuous parties and homes, or the upbeat editing. Chu also uses his aesthetics to heighten the story's rampant fantasy, linking the movie not just with The Bachelor, but with fairytales like Cinderella. You can't make a film called Crazy Rich Asians without stressing every part of the title, after all. That doesn't just encompass the mania and the wealth, but also the pictures' dedication to representation. Among its many guises, the movie not only presents a rare and refreshing celebration of Asian culture in general, but puts stellar Asian talent front and centre on the cinema screen. Wu is spot-on as the relatable heroine, Yeoh is at her icy best, Ken Jeong and Awkwafina reliably steal scenes, and even Australian TV favourite Ronnie Chieng makes a brief appearance. The very existence of this cast really can't be downplayed — you have to go back to 1993's The Joy Luck Club and 2001's Memoirs of a Geisha to find other Hollywood films starring so many actors of Asian descent. Blend all of the above, and a few things happen. Much of Crazy Rich Asians glimmers with emotion, exuberance and cultural specificity, engagingly and enjoyably so. That said, some parts — its largely by-the-numbers narrative, and the fact that it presents rather than probes its excess-laden surroundings — also prove a little too neat and easy. The end result is a shiny piece of big-screen jewellery filled with gems, and while not every aspect sparkles as much as the next, the overall package still looks and works a treat. Or, to use a different analogy, the film is like the abundance of delicious-looking food that graces its frames: a huge, elaborate banquet that doesn't quite perfect every dish, but nonetheless satisfies the appetite — not to mention sating cravings for something with a bit more flavour than the usual fare. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14ZHRBfpeNg
Queensland is home to 349 different species of butterflies — and until Sunday, July 7, 2024, you can see most of them at Queensland Museum. The fluttering insects aren't alone at South Bank. Their company? An exhibition featuring more than 1700 specimens of creepy crawlies. Drawn from the venue's extension collection, this showcase is all about appreciating beetles, moths, ants, flies, mosquitos, cicadas, crickets, mantids, wasps, bees and more in a new light. You'll be bugged in the best kind of way while exploring Insect Agency, which is free, brand new and developed by QM, and running in tandem with the Entomological Society of Queensland's centenary celebrations. The exhibition is split into themes, covering insect bodies, the fact that there's more insects on earth than any other type of creature and special abilities specific to insects. Expect to learn plenty of interesting tidbits while you peer at insects great and small. Did you know that Australia is home to almost 500 species of dung beetles? Or that there's a Dracula ant that can snap its jaw shut at 320 kilometres per hour? You do now. From December, you can pair these minibeasts with dinosaurs, albeit of the Lego variety, all thanks to Jurassic World by Brickman — although that part requires a paid ticket. Images: Papilio ulysses (Ulysses butterfly), Megachile macularis (a leafcutter bee) and Onthophagus dandalu (dung beetle), Queensland Museum.
Marco Pierre White is a star of kitchens and screens alike. He was the first British chef — and the youngest chef at the time — to be awarded three Michelin stars. He's popped up on everything from Hell's Kitchen to MasterChef, including in Australia. Back in 2019, he was one of Melbourne Good Food Month's huge headliners. He's also the culinary force behind cookbook White Heat, the 1990 tome that played up his "bad boy" image. He's been dubbed "the first celebrity chef" as well. And, he's trained fellow famed food figures such as Mario Batali, Heston Blumenthal, Gordon Ramsay and Curtis Stone. That's a brief run through White's resume, but you're best to hear the full details — and the ups and downs that've come with being White — from the chef himself. So, in May, the culinary whiz is touring Australia's east coast capitals with his first-ever live theatre show. Heading to the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Tuesday, May 23, White's Out of the Kitchen gigs will chat through his beginnings, his training and his stardom, plus the kind of success that led to his "enfant terrible" label. That means hearing about his arrival in London with just "£7.36, a box of books and a bag of clothes", and his tutelage under Albert and Michael Roux at renowned French fine-diner Le Gavroche. And, there's nabbing those three Michelin stars at the age of 33, of course.
We all know that solid dose of 'the good feels' you get after you've done something nice for yourself/your body (like exercise). And from Monday, October 3–Saturday, December 3, you can expect those feelings to increase two-fold. Thanks to the return of Brisbane's Feel Good Program for spring, the city will welcome a series of outdoor fitness classes — and, unlike that fancy new yoga studio in your neighbourhood that smells like acai berries and only serves charcoal tea, these classes are all entirely free. Ranging from sessions to get your blood pumping (Zumba) to classes to get your zen flowing freely (yoga, tai chi), the Feel Good Program is an initiative designed to suit any and all fitness levels. Classes are being held around South Bank Parklands this time around. BYO water bottle, towel and, where required, a yoga mat — the ones provided are subject to availability. Classes happen every day except Fridays and Sundays, and they all run for between 30–45 minutes. Times vary depending on the day, but your options include getting started early with a 7am pilates session, splashing in the pool at 9.15am or 9.30am, or finishing up with hula fit or hip hop yoga from 6.15pm. Two different mindfulness options are also part of the spring calendar, giving you a Monday midday mindfulness break at 12.30pm, and diving into mindful art at 10.30am on Saturdays. Whichever you choose, it'll have you embracing the warm outdoors and feeling good — check out the timetable online.
Port Douglas is a favourite for folks travelling to Tropical North Queensland. If you want to find out what all the fuss is about, take a scenic one-hour drive north of Cairns and stay at Niramaya Villas and Spa to experience Port Douglas for yourself. This luxury accommodation features a number of rooms that vary in size from couple-friendly one-bedroom villas to much larger options that can cater to groups of ten. Regardless of the size you need, the soaring ceilings will make you feel like rainforest royalty. Throughout the property, you'll have access to a fully equipped gym, day spa, tennis court, bike hire, saunas, pools and a restaurant and bar to keep you refreshed.
Think you've done every kidult activity there is in Brisbane? Think again. There's always more board game battles to have while drinking brews, and The Mill on Constance is giving its latest quite the build up. You don't call a day of placing coloured counters into a blue frame the Connect 4 World Championships unless you're serious about the pastime in question, after all. Go for it, then go for one more on September 2, with registration commencing at 2.30pm and the competition getting started at 3pm. Participants pay a $5 entry fee for a winner-takes-all contest, then show just how they can drop red and black circles with the best of them. And you thought a childhood spent getting overly enthusiastic about board games wouldn't come in handy. To help keep the fun flowing, 4 Pines will be keeping the numeral-themed antics going by providing taps filled with beer. Sure, it's not red cordial, but it'll do the trick. Image: Matěj Baťha.
UPDATE, October 7, 2020: The Death of Stalin is available to stream via Stan, Google Play and YouTube Movies. "I can't remember who's dead and who isn't," remarks a Soviet minister in The Death of Stalin, in what's actually one of the movie's tamer jokes. Guards tell each other to ignore a noise from the leader's office, because even acknowledging it would likely get them killed. Lackeys remark that all the best doctors are either in the gulag or dead. Generals enter the room asking "what's a war hero got to do to get some lubrication around here?" The list goes on. If you're going to make fun of the titular event and its aftermath, then there's no point being coy about it. And given that Veep, In the Loop and The Thick of It satirist Armando Iannucci is behind this fiercely, blackly funny film, viewers can be assured that it doesn't hold back. It's Moscow, circa 1953. Joseph Stalin (Adrian McLoughlin) falls to the floor, and Russia's Politburo don't quite know what to do. Not that deputy Georgy Malenkov (Jeffrey Tambor), party head Nikita Khrushchev (Steve Buscemi), foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov (Michael Palin) or secret police chief Lavrentiy Beria (Simon Russell Beale) can admit it, either publicly or privately. After three decades of Stalinist rule by fear, intimidation and executing anyone who expresses even the slightest opposition, the country's top brass are only certain of two things. Firstly, they can't trust anyone at all, not even each other. And secondly, if they show any sign of weakness or disloyalty, they'll end up stabbed in the back and six feet under themselves. Hell, the latter will probably happen anyway. So begins The Death of Stalin, a movie that takes inspiration from history, is filmed with the fitting slickness of propaganda, and really couldn't be more timely. It's a political farce about tyrannical leaders, slippery cronies and a nation in turmoil. It's also a portrait of a government wedded to its own version of the truth at any cost, and acting absolutely mercilessly in dispensing with anyone who disagrees. Finally, it's a flick about blustering men pretending they're stronger and bolder than they are, while whipping up paranoid hysteria to hide their failings. This should all sound familiar, and there's plenty more modern-day parallels where they came from. Yes, Iannucci is at it again in his usual uproarious fashion, slinging gags like weapons and flinging devastating one-liners like Molotov cocktails. (If you're wondering, the bomb did indeed get its name from Palin's character). Tackling Stalin's murderous regime, corrupt wheeling and dealing, and crafty offsiders, the filmmaker keeps one eye on the past and the other on contemporary times. Whether he's sticking with fiction or twisting days of old, the British writer-director has always had a knack for mirroring reality. That mightn't appear particularly hard given that Iannucci routinely turns the halls of power into caustic comedies, but no one manages the feat quite like him. He says "fuckety bye" to good taste and a rousing hello to savage parodies that simply wouldn't be as funny if they didn't seem both outlandish and accurate. Provocative, perceptive writing may be a sizeable part of The Death of Stalin's charm, but the film's cast do just as much heavy lifting. In particular, Buscemi's Khrushchev ranks among Iannucci's best characters — think The Thick of It's Malcolm Tucker in a literal life-or-death scenario, with equally oily schemes and rapid-fire insults. That said, the movie is an ensemble affair, including a hilarious Rupert Friend and a stern Andrea Riseborough as Stalin's children, plus Jason Isaacs as a gloriously puffed-up military head. As characters bicker over Stalin's body and banter about allegiance to the state, the corresponding performances prove a masterclass in devilishly, hysterically bleak comedy. If it all seems as brilliant as it does absurd, then this is your kind of film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KWg2nTYmk8
Five years ago, a new addition to St Lucia asked Brisbanites a crucial question: why did the fried chicken fan cross Hawken Drive? The answer: to eat all the greasy chook they could handle at poultry buffet restaurant KaiKai Chicken. Since then, the eatery has helped solve another crucial query faced by hungry chook fiends, aka whether to have one finger lickin' good piece, several, or more than anyone should actually admit to. It serves up an endless array of poultry in a dozen different flavours, plus all-you-can-eat fries, rice, other sides and desserts to round out the meal. A la carte orders are also available, but who wants that when there's bottomless fried chicken at arms reach? To indulge in all of the above, likely while wearing your stretchiest outfit, you've needed to head to Brissie's inner west — but now, thanks to the chain's second venue, you can also venture south. Now open and serving customers, KaiKai has launched its second yellow-hued store in Springwood, complete with its beloved all-you-can-eat fried chicken buffet. That means that you currently have twice as many spots to hit up for the chain's affordable — albeit hardly healthy — $24.95 bottomless package, which includes those 12 flavours of chicken, six types of loaded fries, steamed rice, mashed potatoes and gravy, bread rolls, and cinnamon jelly doughnut sandwiches for dessert. Also on the menu at the new Kaikai spot: a $75 option that also includes a 90-minute alcohol package spanning bottled beers, mimosas and soju jugs. If it sounds too good to be true, we're here to tell you that it's a clucking reality — as it has been in St Lucia for half a decade now. That said, visits to Kaikai do have a time limit. Just like sipping that aforementioned bottomless booze, flocking customers are asked to get their chicken fix within 90 minutes due to the demand — and, let's be honest, after an hour and a half of seeing how much chook you can feast upon, you're probably be ready to fly the coop anyway. [caption id="attachment_640449" align="alignnone" width="1620"] Atlanta Bell[/caption]
With international travel banned indefinitely and many Australian states and territories closing their borders, travel is in no one's immediate plans — and the airline industry is responding accordingly. In late March, Qantas and Jetstar suspended all international flights and cut domestic flights by 60 percent, temporarily stepping down two-thirds of their 30,000-person staff in the process. Virgin Australia also suspended all international flights from March 30 — and cut domestic flights by 50 percent — but is now reducing its local capacity even further. From yesterday, Friday, April 10, Virgin Australia has suspended all domestic passenger flights except for a return service between Melbourne and Sydney, running once daily except Saturdays. In a statement on the airline's website, the group said "Demand for travel has continued to decline with border restrictions and the need for people to stay home due to social distancing measures." https://www.facebook.com/virginaustralia/photos/a.10151888728861990/10156927916476990/?type=3&theater Tasmania, WA, SA, NT and Queensland have all closed their borders to non-essential travel and require interstate visitors to quarantine for 14 days. And, as of yesterday, Queenslanders are required to obtain a permit to cross back over the border from interstate, too. These measures are similar to those currently in place for Australians returning from overseas, which mandates compulsory 14-day isolation periods for all international travellers Qantas and Jetstar haven't yet announced further cuts to their domestic flights, and all three airlines currently working with the government to help bring stranded Australians home. Qantas is helping bring Aussies back from Peru, Argentina and South Africa, while Virgin Australia is running flights to Los Angeles and Hong Kong. If you have ticket for travel up to June 30, 2020, Virgin Australian will let you change your booking or cancel and request a travel credit with no change and cancellation fees. You can find out more about this on its website. For more information about Virgin Australia's reductions, visit its website. For further details about Qantas and Jetstar's plans, visit the company's website.
Not content with terrifying southeast Queenslanders with their unsettling shipping container installations just once, the folks at Realscape Productions keep bringing back their disquieting Darkfield experiences again and again. The next chance to set your nerves on edge? It arrives at South Bank's Maritime Museum in the lead up to Halloween. The event inducing chills? Well, the fact that it's called Flight says plenty. This immersive favourite involves stepping inside a 40-foot steel box, sitting in pitch darkness and listening to a particularly heightened soundscape while the production plays with your sense of reality. For those who aren't fond of flying or don't cope well with the possibility of things going awry in the air, you might want to stay away. If your stomach can handle all of the above, step onboard. You won't actually be jetting anywhere, of course; however you will be strapping yourself into a section of a real commercial airliner, then pondering the many possible outcomes if the cabin suddenly happened to lose pressure. Created by Glen Neath and David Rosenberg, Flight draws upon the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics while taking attendees on a multi-sensory journey. If you're keen, Flight's latest run spans Thursday, October 3—Sunday, December 8, 2024 at the Brisbane venue. Buckle up, and prepare to have your head completely messed with — unless you're claustrophobic, pregnant, or suffer heart or back conditions, in which case you'll have to firmly stay on the ground. Images: Mihaela Bodlovic / Realscape Productions.
