Just a few short months ago, your 2020 plans likely included a range of trips, adventures and new experiences, such as heading overseas, seeing different sights and making this year your best one yet. That's not how things are turning out for anyone due to COVID-19; however, thanks to virtual tours and travel live-streams, you can still pretend. Thanks to Airbnb's Online Experiences feature, too, you can also get a taste of places and activities far, far away from your own lounge room. The sharing platform has launched the new addition to its online offering, teaming up with hosts around the world — who'll hold everything from magic lessons and coffee tastings to dance sessions and sketch classes from more than 30 different countries via Zoom. Highlights include meditating with a Buddhist monk, taking pastry lessons from a Swedish baker and learning how to make pasta with an Italian nonna — plus, mixing up cocktails — and sangria — with drag queens and going on a plague tour of Prague. If you're always been curious about the dogs of Chernobyl, aka the descendants of canines that were abandoned after the 1986 nuclear disaster, you can make a virtual visit. If rescue goats are more your style, you can head to an animal sanctuary in the Catskills Mountains as well. And if you'd prefer to meet some penguins in South Africa or meditate with sheep in Scotland, you can do that too. With the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics postponed until 2021, Airbnb has also launched a range of virtual experiences with some of the world's best athletes. Do sprint sessions with Bahamian sprinter Andretti Bain, learn to hammer throw with American athlete Gwen Barry and chat to Paralympic swimmer and triathlete David Hill about prosthetics and how he completes everyday tasks without a forearm. At present, more than 50 Online Experiences are available, with thousands more set to join its virtual portal in the coming months. Session dates, times and costs vary — and, in some cases, you can request specific dates for your own private group experience. For more information about Airbnb's Online Experiences — or to book one in — visit the sharing platform's website. 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. Updated July 29, 2020.
Doing the environment a solid, British MPs have called for a compulsory fee on disposable takeaway coffee cups. Proposed by the UK parliament's Environmental Audit Committee, the suggested 'latte levy' would charge customers an extra 25 pence, as part of a bid to reduce waste and encourage caffeine fiends to switch to reusable containers. More than 2.5 billion cups are used in the UK every year, with half a million becoming litter each and every day. While they're difficult and expensive to recycle thanks to the plastic lining, it's not impossible. With less than one percent of cups being recycled, at present most are incinerated, exported or end up in landfill. "The UK's coffee shop market is expanding rapidly, so we need to kickstart a revolution in recycling," said committee chair Mary Creagh. "We're calling for action to reduce the number of single use cups, promote reusable cups over disposable cups and to recycle all coffee cups by 2023." Fees collected would be invested into recycling facilities, and as the recycling rate for coffee cups improves, it's anticipated that the charge could be lowered. The proposal also suggests increasing the price of the cups for producers, if they're made from materials that are hard to recycle; improving labelling so that customers know if their one-off cup will be recycled by the store, stating "not widely recycled" and "recyclable in store only"; and banning disposable cups outright if the 2023 target isn't reached. In Australia, the move towards reusable cups is growing. A Sydney cafe stopped using single-use cups last August, while two Melbourne cafes gave away free coffee to anyone with their own container. Throw in creatives making adorable ceramic keep cups and the company recycling coffee waste into environmentally friendly cups, and there's a definite push to minimise waste in the local coffee scene, where an estimated one billion disposable cups are used annually.
Standing atop Yosemite National Park's El Capitan after scaling it alone and without ropes, harnesses or any other safety equipment, Alex Honnold cut a surprisingly subdued figure. As the Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo captured, he was obviously ecstatic, but he isn't the type to leap and scream with excitement. So, he smiled blissfully. He also advised the cameras that he was "so delighted". In the opening moments of new doco The Alpinist, however, he is effusive — as enthusiastic as the no-nonsense climbing superstar gets, that is. In a historical clip, he's asked who he's excited about in his very specific extreme sports world. His answer: "this kid Marc-André Leclerc." Zipping from the Canadian Rockies to Patagonia, with ample craggy pitstops in-between, The Alpinist tells Leclerc's tale, explaining why someone of Honnold's fame and acclaim sings his praises. Using the Free Solo subject as an entry point is a smart choice by filmmakers Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen — industry veterans themselves, with 2014's Valley Uprising on their shared resume and 2017's The Dawn Wall on Mortimer's — but their climber of focus here would demand attention even without the high-profile endorsement. Indeed, dizzying early shots of him in action almost say all that's needed about his approach to great heights, and his near-preternatural skill in the field. Scaling hard, immovable rock faces is one thing, but Leclerc is seen here clambering up alpine surfaces, conquering glistening yet precarious sheets of ice and snow. Any shot that features the Canadian twenty-something mountaineering is nothing short of breathtaking. Describing it as 'clambering up' does him a disservice, actually, and downplays The Alpinist's stunning footage as well. Leclerc is just that graceful and intuitive as he reaches higher, seemingly always knowing exactly where to place his hands, feet and axe, all while heading upwards in frighteningly dangerous situations. As Mortimer notes, narrating the documentary and almost-indulgently inserting himself into the story, alpine free soloing is another level of climbing. No shortage of talking-head interviewees also stress this reality. Protective equipment is still absent, but all that ice and snow could melt or fall at any second. In fact, the routes that the obsessive Leclerc finds in his climbs will no longer exist again, and mightn't just moments after he's made his ascent. Simply charting Leclerc's impressive feats could've been The Alpinist sole remit; Mortimer and Rosen certainly wanted that and, again, the film's hypnotic, vertigo-inducing imagery is just that extraordinary. Some shots peer at the mountains in all their towering glory, letting viewers spot the tiny speck moving amid their majesty in their own time, before zooming in to get a closer look at Leclerc. Other nerve-shattering scenes intimately capture every careful choice, every movement of his limbs and every decision about what to hold on to, inescapably aware that these are sheer life-or-death moments. But The Alpinist isn't the movie its makers initially dreamed of, because Leclerc isn't Honnold or The Dawn Wall's Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson. While affable when posed in front of the camera, he's also silently begrudging, because he'd visibly rather just be doing what he loves in total anonymity instead of talking about it, having it filmed and earning the world's eyes. Climbing documentaries frequently unfurl in layers, pairing character studies, astonishing feats and the history of the field, as The Alpinist does. But films about this risky pastime often need to grapple with their own existence and ethics, too, and the difficulties and complexities faced when making such features. Where Free Solo mused on how the act of filming might influence Honnold as he attempted his rocky quest, either putting him in more peril or encouraging him to do that himself because he was being watched, The Alpinist ponders how recording Leclerc's climbs impacts his mental experience. As touched upon again and again, including by the man himself, Leclerc sees alpinism as a transcendent mindset. It's where he's at his most free, where his body and mind work as one, and where he's firmly in the moment. He doesn't feel that with lenses pointed his way and camera crews right there with him, unsurprisingly. So, partway through the documentary's filming, he starts ducking the directors' calls and just mountaineering for himself again. Eventually, after months of chasing — and after Mortimer and Rosen's vocal frustration at learning about Leclerc's latest alpine achievements via other climbers' social media feeds — they all agree that he'll do his thing alone first, then he'll repeat it for the cameras. The footage is no less phenomenal as a result, and the tension no less gripping. This is an affectionate movie, complete with Leclerc's mother Michelle Kuipers looking back on his childhood and free-spirited teen years, and his girlfriend and fellow climber Brette Harrington also sharing her thoughts, but it also values immersing its audience in the vivid experiences at its centre. Sweaty palms are a side effect, as they are with all the best climbing docos — which is where this film easily fits. With his mop of shaggy hair, a mountain of enthusiasm even his camera shyness can't hide, a wide grin and a complete commitment to climbing (with Harrington, he spent years living in stairwells and tents because this type of life can take you everywhere and anywhere), Leclerc is still a dream doco subject. Although that description clearly didn't apply logistically while The Alpinist was in production, his love of reaching great heights radiates across the screen. Existing fans will already know where the film has to finish, and know why it can only have a celebratory tone, but that doesn't diminish the movie's thrills, joys, goosebumps, insights and intrigue. Similarly, it doesn't temper its interrogation of alpine climbing's frozen beauty versus its inherent dangers, or its thoughtful and compelling portrait of a person eagerly embracing both extremes.
Back to the Future Part II promised us many things. Hoverboards, video calls, instant pizza, the Chicago Cubs winning the world series, Jaws 19 — the list goes on, but only some of these have actually come true to date. While the rest of us have been wishing we could jump in flying cars, however, one researcher has taken inspiration from Marty McFly's self-lacing shoes. In the spirit of tech-infused wearables, Associate Professor Jayan Thomas from the University of Central Florida has developed solar-powered textiles that can be turned into clothing. "If you can develop self-charging clothes or textiles, you can realize those cinematic fantasies – that's the cool thing," said Thomas. That's not the only impressive part of his research, though. Not only can the copper ribbon filaments at the centre of his breakthrough capable of harvesting and storing energy from the sun, but they might then be able to be used to power other electronic devices, such as mobile phones. Imagine never having to worry about your smartphone's battery levels while you're out of the house, no matter how much time you spend snapping photos and posting them to Instagram. Imagine being able to charge your laptop, tablet or e-reader just by sticking it in your bag. Imagine being free from portable chargers, cables and taunting on-screen power indicators. We're not quite at that stage yet, but that's one of the uses Thomas envisages for his new technology, alongside electric cars. It's enough to make you exclaim "great Scott!" several times over. Via Tech Times.
Say hello to my little friend, Australia. Academy Award winning Director Oliver Stone, the maestro behind such influential films as Scarface, Midnight Express, Platoon, Wall Street, Natural Born Killers, JFK, Nixon, and The Doors, is coming to Australia, appearing exclusively at Vivid Sydney. The highly respected director will join the Vivid Ideas Game-Changer talks series (already featuring street art icon Shepard Fairey), and join the Semi Permanent lineup while he's at it. Not one to veer away from controversial subjects, Stone will be joining equally no-bullshit Australian legend Margaret Pomeranz AM on stage at City Recital Hall on Sunday, May 28 for a rare, behind-the-scenes insight into Stone's career and his polarising films. "Interviewing Oliver Stone?" says Pomeranz. "One of the most significant filmmakers of the past 40 years to trawl through our political and cultural history! It's intimidating, exciting and absolutely unmissable. If I weren't on the stage with him I would be in the audience." Stone will also be speaking 'in conversation' at Semi Permanent at Carriageworks on Friday, May 26 — you'll need a full-day festival pass for that. "Semi Permanent is excited to welcome iconic filmmaker and storyteller Oliver Stone to our extraordinary line up for 2017 in Sydney," said Semi Permanent founder and director Murray Bell said. "The Academy Award winning writer and director is one of the most prolific of our time, making films that profoundly capture pivotal moments in our recent history – a lifetime spent creating entertaining and provocative works." Semi Permanent's 2017 event will take over Carriageworks from Thursday, May 25 to Saturday, May 27 and features a cast of players so influential in the modern design game that while this event's in motion, the world will become a very desolate and tacky place. Speakers include Museum of Contemporary Art Australia director Elizabeth Ann Macgregor, Katherine Keating publisher VICE Impact, Nike design director Meirion Pritchard and Nike EMEA brand director Gary Horton, Jacqueline Bourke from Getty Images, animation studio Moth Collective, Design Studio's Paul Stafford, Frog Design and Australian designers David Caon, Henry Wilson and architect Kelvin Ho. In the meantime, we'll be playing Smokey Robinson all day: Oliver Stone will appear at Semi Permanent at Carriageworks on Friday, May 26 and The Vivid Ideas Game-Changer talk will be held on Sunday, May 28 at City Recital Hall. Tickets are on sale now at vividsydney.com and semipermanent.com. Image: Getty Images.
There's plenty of people who go around collecting art and putting it in their house. But how about turning your home itself into an artwork? That's exactly what Aussie-born, New York-based artist Ian Strange will be doing this weekend in Richmond. For this Saturday and Sunday only, he's projecting a site-specific illumination onto a family home on Clifton Street. Passersby will see a huge red dot covering the doorway, framed by concentric circles: a bit like an interpretation of the eye of a dartboard. Titled OPEN HOME, the work aims to explore ideas of suburban isolation. On one hand, the home appears as a shelter — on the other, it is vulnerable and at risk of demolition. The piece is one of many by Strange investigating the meaning and architecture of the buildings in which we live. While creating the illumination on Monday, October 2, Strange documented the process in detail. The result is a collection of photographs titled Twenty-Five, which will be on display in the home's front bedroom, next to another series called Forty-Eight. Meanwhile, spread across the other bedrooms, bathroom and living room, you'll find Shadows, a group of photographs and videos that Strange created in Western Australia during 2015 and 2016. The former explore changes to post-war red-brick dwellings, while the latter document Strange at work in the light of dawn. Rounding out the exhibition are two sculptures. Elliot Terrace (2013) features a cut from a New Jersey home that's since been demolished, while Framework (Kenyon 3) (2017) is from a series of site-specific installations that explore the role of frameworks and architectural drawings in the creation and imagining of homes. OPEN HOME is located at 25 Clifton Street, Richmond and will be open from 10am – 6pm on Saturday, October 7 and Sunday, October 8. For more info on the series, visit ianstrange.com.
It's one of the most recognisable spots in Melbourne — and, until December this year at least, Federation Square has been granted temporary heritage protection. If the interim move is extended, it also could thwart one of the city's most controversial new projects: Apple's plans to build its first Australian flagship store. Courtesy of an interim protection order issued on August 21, no work can take place on the site until December 21 without Heritage Victoria's approval. Given that construction on the Apple store wasn't slated to start until next year, the move won't have a significant impact at present. That said, The Age reports that the order is being taken as a sign that permanent heritage protection could be sought for the inner-city space, despite the fact that it's only 16 years old. Giving Fed Square ongoing heritage status would obviously have wider-reaching consequences — including when it comes to pulling down existing buildings. After being announced late last year, Apple's proposed Fed Square store has received considerable community backlash, with new designs revealed in July in response. The opposition to the store isn't just about how it looks, though, but the fact that it'll tear down and replace the existing Yarra Building, and also displace the Koorie Heritage Trust in the process. Contentiously, it'll also see public land sold off to a commercial retailer. Regardless of how Fed Square's permanent heritage status pans out — and if indeed it has any impact upon the Apple store — the current temporary order could slightly stall the other big change taking place in the vicinity, the Metro Tunnel. Fed Square's visitor centre is set to be demolished to build an entry to the tunnel, with work due to begin next month. To proceed according to schedule, contractor Cross Yarra Partnership will need to apply for a permit or exemption to go ahead — something it is expected to do this week, according to the Herald Sun. Via The Age / Herald Sun.
Gender bias is, unfortunately, a thing that people identifying as women (i.e. 50 percent of the population) deal with on a regular basis. A lot of the time it's so culturally ingrained, it goes mostly unnoticed — so one of the ways gender equality activists and groups often raise awareness about the issue is by pointing out the small, every day inequalities and making the population think about them. Like when you're standing at the traffic lights waiting for the little man to turn green. But if you're in Melbourne today — look up. For International Women's Day, ten of the CBD's pedestrian crossing traffic lights will not depict the standard male sign, but a female one. The project — which will see ten pedestrian crossing lights around the Swanston and Flinders intersection change from male to female representation — has been led (and funded) by local business and community non-profit organisation the Committee for Melbourne. "The idea is to install traffic lights with female representation, as well as male representation, to help reduce unconscious bias," committee chief executive Martine Letts told ABC News. Though a small change — and one that is largely symbolic, particularly on International Women's Day — the symbols are supposed to be a meaningful way to give women more ownership over public space. The aim of the committee, says Letts, is to get one-to-one male and female representation. Of course, not all female-identifying people wear skirts or necessarily feel represented by what is a traditional sign used to symbolise the split between male and female. Nonetheless, seeing a little green woman as you cross Flinders Street is a bit of a novelty — and one that could stick around for a while. The project is apparently supported by the Victorian Government and will remain in place for a 12-month trial. Via ABC News. Image: Committee for Melbourne/Twitter.
Legendary 1960s pop group, The Hollies, sport a very different look these days. Gone are the charming matching suits, black ties and suave hair dos - now it's all about black on black, with a flare of white to tease the eye. But if one thing hasn't changed about one of the most commercially successful acts to emerge from the British Invasion, it's their music. Best known for classics such as, 'He Ain't Heavy, He's my Brother', 'The Air that I Breathe' and 'Long Cool Woman', The Hollies are a band that through hook-happy material and infectious melodic cheer, have produced 19 studio albums, 30 charting singles and a committed fan-base to match. To this day, five decades after their first live gig, these life-filled musicians are continuing to record and perform. The Hollies will be playing for one night only at QPAC, so be sure to check out these legendary rockers while they are still going strong. The Hollies' Classic 'Long Cool Woman'
Sydney-born artist, Angelica Mesiti's, short film, Rapture, encapsulates the emotional thrill of music festivals and compares it to something not often associated with such events – religious worship. Bringing together the fresh, bright eyed faces of music festival goers, Mesiti's 10-minute film delves into the complex states of longing, belonging and personal spirituality. Shot in slow motion, the scenes of sweat drenched faces, showers of water and sunlight gliding over young limbs, powerfully compare to a collection of youths immersed in religious fervour and spiritual transport. Kids lost in worship to the just out of reach rock 'gods' on stage expose a highly emotional fever building and releasing through the crowd, creating a collective state of ecstasy. Having taken out the $20,000 Blake Price for Religious Art in 2009, Rapture is a complex cinematic experience that reveals a rare emotional state captured elegantly by film.
Since their establishment in 1999, Holgate Brewhouse have pumped out an incredible range of internationally recognised, delicious beers – 999 to be exact. From German to Vienna lagers, chocolate porter to American Indian ales, they've seen, tasted and brewed it all. Now, to celebrate the milestone of their 1000th beer, Holgate Brewhouse have cooked up something extra special - The Millennium Falcon Emperial IPA. Brewed with all pale malt to allow the hops to drive the ship, this beer contains an unprecedented quantity of Millennium, Falconers Flight and Galaxy hops. Furthermore, the bitterness of the Millenium Falcun Emperial IPA is pushed to a big chewy 100 IBUs – in lay-man's terms, it's more bitter than Luke was when he found out this. Archive Beer Boutique will be hosting a night of celebration, entertainment and most importantly drinking to celebrate the launch of this much anticipated beer. Don't forget to come in your favourite Star Wars Costume to really get into spirit – you're never to old to sport a Jedi robe.
We named Bleeding Heart City Markets one of the top ten markets Brisbane has to offer and now it's your chance to check it out. Situated smack bang in the middle of our city in a beautiful heritage listed building, the markets offer a treasure trove of delightful treats and are held on the first Friday of every month. Be sure to get down to the markets on Friday between 10 – 4pm to snag a bargain and avoid the disappointment of missing out. The markets offer arts, crafts, one-off prints, clothing, home wares and jewellery amongst other goodies so you're sure to find something special. After perusing the shops and meeting the clever creators of the hand made goodies, you can grab a bite to eat at the Bleeding Heart cafe or wander through the art gallery. The gallery displays thought provoking pieces from artists across Australia. The Wise Foundation created Bleeding Heart which has undertaken numerous endeavours to support disadvantaged groups and individuals. They have helped countless charity foundations both nationally and internationally and aim to be the social heart of Brisbane. So why not head down to the markets, grab a coffee and support this wonderful business.
The Good Ship could easily be one of the greatest pride and joys of the Brisbane music scene. In their three years together, this eight-piece have toured Australia, gigged at some of our largest music festivals, and produced a big bundle of much loved jaunty blues ballads. Having released two highly successful albums and a number of singles, The Good Ship have decided to change course and move their work from the studio to the stage. Expanded from the band’s song of the same name, their latest work, The Seven Seas, tells of a boy looking to exact revenge upon the sea for the deaths of his father and brother by conquering her in all her might through musical performance. Typical of the band's musical approach, this 60 minute stage show encompasses an upbeat and jaunty feel, hiding a dark and morbid sentiment. Jump on board and discover this ship's salty, sweaty and shamelessly strange crew and their unique genre of musical performance. Check out The Good Ship's 'The Seven Seas'
Every generation has at least one definitive teen movie. You've seen them. You grew up rewatching them. You may have them committed to memory. The Breakfast Club, Heathers, Clueless, Mean Girls, Easy A: these are the films weaved through many an adolescent experience. The list goes on — and there's always a new contender lurking around the corner. Circa 2015, that'd be The DUFF. For those unfamiliar with the term, it stands for designated ugly fat friend — or the pal in each clique that makes the rest look better, and that interested parties can approach for all the goss. Everyone has one, the movie tells us. If you don't know who fits the mould in your group, it might just be you. That's what overalls-wearing, horror flick-loving Bianca (Mae Whitman) discovers when her football jock neighbour, Wesley (Robbie Amell), explains why everyone in the school always asks her about her life-long best friends (Skyler Samuels and Bianca A. Santos). This isn't welcome news, unsurprisingly. To shake the label — and to try to win the heart of the guy (Nick Eversman) she likes — Bianca enlists Wesley's help on a mission of reinvention. Yep, that's deja vu you're feeling, courtesy of a storyline so well worn it should be threadbare by now. Over the course of decades of delving into high school angst and antics, the teen movie genre has assembled a long lineup of cliches, with that wealth of history clearly on display here. Add equal parts makeover fantasy and trawling through social hierarchies, plus the usual schoolyard cruelty led by a mean queen bee (Bella Thorne), and garnish with an ample helping of current lingo and issues (here, text speak and social media horrors such as viral videos). It's a popular recipe, making The DUFF just like all other teen fare — even if it is actually based on a novel of the same name. And yet, within a film that sets its protagonist up to shatter stereotypes but does so little of that kind of subversion itself, there's fun to be had — and not just in the fond memories it conjures for even average movies gone by, like the very similar She's All That. Much of it comes from Whitman, a likeable lead rising above the sometimes-silly flow of the story, and willing to go along with the ample physical comedy required. For fans of Arrested Development, her casting may seem like an extension of the series' long-running joke about her character's blandness, but in The DUFF she's anything but. Indeed, she doesn't really fit the film's title, either; unattractive, she's not. Of course, nestled in first-time filmmaker Ari Sandel's upbeat effort are those other components as commonplace as a prom showdown (also present): the message of acceptance, and the reminder that, deep down, nobody's perfect. That's just the standard topping sprinkled over this by-the-book story, but it's also a fitting reminder for avid teen movie aficionados. In a genre often as formulaic as its typical narratives, they can't all stand out, but they might each have their modest merits.
Whip out the suspenders and grab the beer stein from the pool room, Oktoberfest is here! It's the time of year again where we can shamelessly wear long socks, slap our knees and drink to our heart's content, Oktoberfest. Like previous years, the RNA will be hosting this three day long festival of beer guzzling, pretzel eating and dancing. Opening at 4pm Friday, and 11am Saturday and Sunday, this will sure to be days and nights of German appreciation. The RNA will be constructing a traditional Bavarian village atmosphere, with Heidi the yodeller, a petting zoo for the kids and a Schunkel dance floor - just follow the others. The Germans bought many wonderful things into our world. Pretzels, Volkswagens and coffee filters, all of which have made life just that little bit easier for us. But in this time of exam stress, work pressure and hot weather lets all give a big 'danke' for whomever came up with the idea of Oktoberfest.
This year's Brisbane Film Festival provides a showcase of some of the world's finest, funniest and frightening films. From thrilling psychological thrillers to dark black comedies, there's sure to be a flick for even the pickiest of movie goers. And to help you narrow things down, we've handpicked ten of the best films showing at this year's festival. Sightseers The premise and execution of Sightseers is what might have happened if Edgar Wright had been given the film rights to Bonny and Clyde. This Brit-com contains everything great and loved about British humour. The story is centered around a rather odd couple. Chris (Steve Oram) takes his girlfriend Tina (Alice Lowe) around the British towns of rural England for inspiration for a book he's writing. However their circumstances take unusual turns until things go horribly wrong. This film is charming and hilarious with its quick-wit humour and original concept. It truly cements Ben Whately as a director to keep our eyes on. Compliance This tightly scripted psychological thriller was described by the Huffington Post as possibly “the most disturbing movie ever made." Set in a simple fast food restaurant, a prank caller convinces the restaurant manager to interrogate an innocent young employee, leaving no-one unharmed. This sickening narrative quickly transcends from its fast-food setting into something much darker, and far more haunting. Given this story is based on true events, it is sure to be one of the most unsettling and provocative films at this year's festival. The Man with the Iron Fists Decapitations, Quentin Tarantino, Russel Crowe, and a healthy dose of kung fu – what more could anyone really want from a movie? This great action movie's abundance of fight scenes, complex characters and violence and gore are second only after the film's overall construction and cinematography. From start to finish, the film's breathtaking shots and astounding art style will have you blown away. Berberian Sound Studio It seems that this year's festival is providing a showcase largely dominated by dark, psychological thrillers – and Berberian Sound Studio is no exception. This masterpiece of claustrophobic, psychological horror unfolds entirely within a British sound engineer's studio. Hired to soundtrack a grisly '70s D-grade Italian horror film, the sound engineer finds his life beginning to interfere with the film, and vice versa. While the performances by Cosimo Fusco and Toby Jones are spectacular, it's really the direction and the sound that are the film's main attractions. God Bless America On a mission to rid society of its most repellent citizens, a terminally ill man makes an unlikely accomplice in 16-year-old Roxy. This dark black comedy, made on a small budget, will probably make you side with Frank (Joel Murray), gawking at the awkward stupidity of the Americans portrayed in this movie. The script and Murray's brilliant portrayal as a principled, moral character who has his suicide interrupted by one terrible reality TV show too many make for a unique, absurd but nonetheless engaging and funny film. Along the way he teams up with a psychotic schoolgirl - he's rebelling violently about what society has become, she's rebelling against what society is. Robot & Frank This heartwarming sci-fi comedy follows an elderly ex-jewel thief, Frank, and his butler robot as they grow to be companions and accomplices. The film was a crowd favourite at this year's Sundance Film Festival, where it nabbed the Alfred P. Sloan Prize. The script and plot have been criticised, purely for being a little too 'sappy', but combined with the film's fantastic performances, beautiful cinematography and heartwarming portrayal, this film is something quite more than a hit-and-miss heartwarming comedy. Maniac It's a little unsettling to see Frodo yielding a knife and violently scalping young girls as Elijah Wood truly puts his heart into this role as a disturbed killer. A remake of the the 1980s classic horror film, Maniac follows Elijah Wood's character, Frank, who was tormented by his mother when he was very young. As a result of this, he grew up to be a shy, sick man who murders women, scalps them, and displays their hair on mannequins around his apartment. He ends up falling in love with a woman named Anna (Nora Arnezeder), who at a glance, seems to tame Frank's murderous ambitions, leading to a very interesting climax. This movie isn't simply a horror film, nor a slasher, rather a well crafted, disturbing combination of the two. Inbred From the Walking Dead to the the chain of Resident Evil movies, it seems that Hollywood just won't stop pushing the zombie craze. Rest assure however, as there are some directors out there who are going out on a limb to create something so much more than the typical apocalyptic, blood and gore film. Inbred is one such movie that has manipulated the overused zombie plot to create a far more interesting cinematic experience to feast on. Of course there are the unsuspected victims and an innocent looking small country town, however the cinematic role of zombies has been replaced by something far more scary and real – inbred people. This movie is hard to label as horror given its absurdity, however it makes for a entertaining and engaging piece of cinema. Death Rides a Horse This 1967 Italian western is a real treat for movie goers at this year's festival. This oft-overlooked classic from the Spaghetti Western era follows Bill as he embarks on an adventure to avenge the death of this family by four bandits. Along the way he meets Ryan, an ex-con who wants the money the robbers owe him. Together they form an unholy alliance - a dynamic duo combining raw, untamed youth and the experience only a master gun-fighter can offer in the Wild West. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly If you have never seen this timeless classic, then now is your chance to experience what Quentin Tarantino described as “the greatest achievement in the history of cinema.” Rated an almost unheard of 9.0 on IMDB, and listed number five on their Top 250 films of all time, this sprawling western epic lives up to all of its hype and credit. The film follows professional gunslinger Blondie - The Good - hit man Angel eyes - The Bad - and wanted outlaw Tuco - The Ugly - as they search for $200,000 in stolen gold. This is one of those films that only gets better after every viewing. There isn't a wasted scene in this bold, engaging classic and is easily one of the best western films of all time.
We've all heard the jokes about how many folks it takes to change a lightbulb, but here's a new situation to ponder: how many people are needed to turn your overhead light fixtures into a gorgeous mini hanging garden? The answer involves designer Richard Clarkson, possibly someone to help you install a new light (depending on how handy you are), and your plant-loving self. Clarkson has come up with the ultimate way to add a dash of greenery to any room courtesy of Globe, the terrarium lamp. It's as simple as it sounds, involving a suspended handblown glass ball with an intergraded LED light source. And, it's as visually spectacular too, coming complete with a thin power cord that makes the orb look like it's floating, as well as a dimmer letting you control the level of brightness surrounding your new ball of nature. The Globe comes in two sizes — diameters of 12" and 8" — and Clarkson's website also includes instructions about the best types of plants, how to layer everything in the best way, and watering recommendations. While they were designed as a hanging terrarium, with the shape of the glass magnifying the greenery inside to provide a new viewing perspective, they can also be filled with water. Prices range from US$210 - $460, and they ship internationally. Via: inhabitat. Images: Richard Clarkson Studio.
If you're an ice cream fiend and you live in Brisbane, a category that likely covers almost every resident of the Queensland capital, you will have noticed the River City's Ben & Jerry's-shaped hole — until now. While the dessert chain has its own Scoop Shops on the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast, Brisbanites have only been able to head to Hoyts Sunnybank or whichever supermarkets and convenience stores stock the American brand to get their fix. But to the delight of your tastebuds, that's finally changing. The place to hit up: 153 Stanley Street Plaza, South Bank. Brisbane doesn't have a real beach to plonk a Scoop Shop beside like our neighbours up and down the coast, but we do have this watery precinct and its man-made versions. The new store will officially launch across the weekend of Saturday, December 17–Sunday, December 18, complete with an extra incentive: free ice cream. That giveaway involves handing out vouchers from 10am–10pm on Sunday, December 18 — and you'll have to spot a few folks roaming around in cow suits on the day to nab one. After that, you can exchange it for a free kids' scoop in a cone. And, you'll have a year to redeem your freebie if you can somehow hold off your ice cream cravings for that long. There's also an Instagram competition happening on the same day, giving away a full year's worth of free ice cream. To be in the running for that, you need to follow and comment on @BenandJerrySouthBrisbane's latest Instagram post, and tag three friends. While it has clearly taken a while for Ben & Jerry's to open its own standalone outpost in Brisbane, the chain is now thrilled to be here — as thrilled as your tastebuds, in fact. "We are situated in the perfect location, just around the corner from Brisbane's city oasis Streets Beach, and are so excited to bring some joy to local residents and visitors seeking their ice cream fix and refreshment after a hot day," said Sam Mackaness, the manager of Ben & Jerry's South Brisbane Scoop Shop. "At Ben & Jerry's, we are committed to giving back to the communities we serve around the world, and these free scoops are just the beginning for Brisbane. Find Ben & Jerry's South Brisbane Scoop Shop at 153 Stanley Street Plaza, South Bank — and head by from 10am–10pm on Sunday, December 18 to score a voucher for a free scoop.
La Boite's newest performance, A Tribute of Sorts, delves into the magical world of creative minds and their ability to blur one's image of reality. Centred around the awkward interactions of teenagers Ivan and Juniper, this highly visual and compelling theatre piece follows the duo's recollections of past dark and unfortunate events. Described as a “story about storytelling” A Tribute of Sorts combines old world stage magic, illusion and technical trickery to create an open-ended show with a meaning uniquely pieced together by each audience member. With dark pasts combined with the youthful charms of the characters, the ludicriousy of the show only becomes more outrageous as the night progresses. Like most La Boite performances, this show is a must see theatre piece. It is showing for less than a month with tickets starting from $20. Come lose yourself in the peculiar and often comical recollections of Ivan and Juniper.
If you weren't able to see Bleeding Knees Club earlier this year at their free gig at Ric's then you truly missed out. Despair not, now is your chance to see these young princes of indie punk in the flesh. Bleeding Knees Club will be returning to Brisbane for one show only at The Zoo this Saturday. If you have not been following the Bleeding Knees Club then here is your chance to jump on the bandwagon. Hailing from the Gold Coast, friends Alex Wall and Jordan Malane formed their band as “a joke”, but quickly gained a hectic and rampant reputation. Having already signed record deals in the UK, US and here in Australia, they've gained fanatic fans world-wide and a name for themselves as true teenage brat punkers. In a world where punk is too often associated with London Tower's Donny Tourette, let's be thankful that bands such as Bleeding Knees Club are emerging and dominating the Australian and international music scene. Check out Bleeding Knees Club's 'Teenage Girls'
West End has long been a buzzing cultural and artistic hub in Brisbane. From the ever pumping Hi-fi, to the regular cultural festivals and markets, this small, life-filled suburb has provided a grounds for many of Brisbane's finest artists to sprout. Now, community minded DIY arts and music space, The Waiting Room, celebrates one year of providing a place for such budding Brisbane artists to host their musical, art and performance pieces. The Waiting Room will be kicking up their heels with three nights of local music performances from an array of artists including four-piece girl band Go Violets, self proclaimed 'Space Garage Pilots' Tiny Migrants, and drone-folk locals Rational Academy. It's been a rampant ride for The Waiting Room, but in one year they've well and truly cemented themselves into the Brisbane music and arts scene - that's more than enough reason for a three day long, musical celebration.
Queensland might be home to a gorgeous holiday spot called Rainbow Beach, but patches of sand all along New South Wales are taking on bright hues on Sunday, February 27. Expect to see rainbow-hued clothing and flags, plus fluoro zinc aplenty, all thanks to a one-day Rainbow Beaches celebration. The event comes courtesy of Lifesavers with Pride, who are getting a heap of surf clubs in Sydney and further north — up to Byron Bay, Brunswick and Yamba — decked out to showcase pride and diversity during the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. So, if you can't make it to Mardi Gras itself, or you're keen on a dip as well, you can still get into the spirit of the occasion with your next stint of sun, surf and sand. The festivities at each surf club vary — but expect rainbow attire among beach patrollers, nippers and swimming clubs, and on their equipment and sun protection. The 2022 event follows a successful first run in 2021, and will hit up Bronte, Tamarama, Bondi, Cronulla, Maroubra, Dee Why, Bigola, Avalon and Queenscliff in Sydney — as well as Coogee, which is already home to its own rainbow walkway. And, Rainbow Beaches will also take over those aforementioned regional locations if you're either heading north from the NSW capital or south from Brisbane. [caption id="attachment_800676" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Coogee Rainbow Walkway[/caption] "Surf life-saving has evolved to become far more diverse and inclusive since it was formed over 100 years ago to make our beaches safer. The more diverse, inclusive and welcoming we are as a community, the stronger and more effective our movement can be," said LWP's Ivan Power, who developed the Rainbow Beaches initiative with LWP Chair Gary Driscoll. "Surf life-saving clubs are part of communities right around our country whose culture has changed substantially in recent years, reflecting the communities and members they serve. We are so pleased to be working with Mardi Gras to empower our members and clubs to show the progressive and inclusive nature of our communities and our movement," Power continued. Now you know the brightest spots to have a splash on Sunday — and you can take a few cues from the theme yourself by busting out your most colourful rainbow-toned swimmers for the occasion. Rainbow Beaches takes place on Sunday, February 27 from 8am at Bronte, Tamarama, Coogee, Bondi, Cronulla, Maroubra, Dee Why, Bigola, Avalon and Queenscliff in Sydney, as well as in Byron Bay, Brunswick and Yamba. For more information, head to the Lifesavers with Pride website.
This true story of an Icelandic grandmother who, with the help of a Casio keyboard and cassette recorder, became an underground music sensation, is one of the must see films at this year's Brisbane International Film Festival. Aged 70, Sigridur Níelsdóttir revolutionised her life, and in turn the face of Icleandic underground music and senior citizens, when she decided she wanted to make music. With home-made sounds such as pet noises, kitchen percussion and her own keyboard, Níelsdóttir ended up creating catchy and wholly original tunes. The result – 59 albums and over 700 tunes that were actually distributed and sold far beyond that of her friends and family. Having spent 8 years with Níelsdóttir to create this documentary, the film makers do an extremely sensitive and thorough job of creating a heartwarming expedition into this grandmother's life. This story, which is just as peculiar and life filled as Níelsdóttir's music, is unveiled in animations, old photographs and her own words. Having passed away in 2011, this is documentary is a moving tribute to one woman's imaginative spirit - don't miss it. Grandma Lo-Fi
In the last few years, Ball Park Music have been rocking the national band circuit with rave reviews showing that this band is truly a force to be reckoned with. From their debut hit 'Ifly' to their recent number 'Surrender', Ball Park have pumped out some steller dance tunes as well as some more deeper, mellow tracks. Having performed at The Hifi, Big Day Out and Splendour in the Grass, Ball Park Music are a much loved credit to the Brisbane music scene. Starting as just a few students and a uni based band, they have grown to become one of the biggest names on Triple J and Australian music today; the evidence is in the massive crowds that they attract to every one of their performances. Ball Park Music will be playing at the Tivoli for one night and will be supported by Loon Lake, the band that gave us Triple J favourite 'Cherry Lips.' Be sure to catch Ball Park Music while they're home, because it won't be too long before they make us proud and hit the big time. Ball Park Music's 'Surrender'
Having taken Broadway by storm, and selling out shows across Australia, A Chorus Line is this year's must see musical. Described by the New York Observer as a show that provides “thrills from the opening number to the glittering finale,” this dazzling performance combines captivating song, stunning dance and riveting drama to tell a story of hope and struggle in the world of Broadway entertainment. This classic, nine-time Tony award winning Broadway musical has been brought to life for a 'new generation' by director Michael Bennett. Starring international choreographer and Dancing with the Stars judge, Josh Horner, as well as an array of talented Australian and international performers, A Chorus Line is a flawless, life-filled musical with a delicious combination of great characters and musical numbers. A Chorus Line truly is the hottest ticket in town, so grab seats while they are still available.
A brand new restaurant has cropped up in inner west Sydney that looks poised to take the Australian food scene by storm. Nestled in the heart of Camperdown, the menu at The Corner is jam packed with fashionable dining options, from lentil and eggplant salad to roast Moroccan chicken breast, tomato and bocconcini Caprese salad to...Wait a minute, are those McNuggets? Yes, Sydney's hottest new eatery turned out to be a Maccas in disguise. Described by the fast food giant as a 'learning lab', the site will be used to trial a bunch of new menu options, presumably in a bid to combat their flagging sales. Which is all very well and good, but come on. Brioche McMuffins? Pulled pork Quarter Pounders? What kind of twisted bait and switch is the Hamburglar trying to pull? Of course, the reality is that a bit of sneaky rebranding is de rigueur for companies like these. McDonald's isn't the first chain to try and capture a trendier market share, and it certainly won't be the last. Here are four other examples of mass producing omnicorps attempting to cash in on foodie culture. YOUR FAVOURITE CORNER COFFEE JOINT TURNED OUT TO BE A STARBUCKS No self-respecting coffee lover would ever be caught dead in Starbucks. That is, unless they didn’t know it was a Starbucks. In an attempt to raise sales in the wake of the global recession, the massive coffee chain started to revamp a number of its US and European locations in 2010, removing all traces of the company name save for a nauseating caveat that the 'new' stores were 'inspired by Starbucks'. The good news is that Australia's coffee snobbery has already killed close to three quarters of the Starbucks locations down under, so our chances of being hoodwinked are fairly slim. That is, unless they just said they were closing all those stores. Maybe it was just a trick. Maybe they never left at all. BURGER KING TRIED OUT 'SODA PAIRINGS' It's common knowledge that certain wines go better with certain foods. All Burger King tried to do was apply that same basic principal to soft drink in 2014. Taped half-heartedly to the side of a soda fountain, their pairings seem somewhat arbitrary to me, but then again I'm no sommelier. After a hearty Angus Burger and onion rings, who's to say that a 'crisp, clear bodied' Sprite doesn’t sit better on the palate than a Diet Coke? Honestly, this feeble attempt at classing up the joint isn't so much insidious as it is really, really lame. That being said, nothing goes well with Dr. Pepper. YOUR AVERAGE BP SERVO SANDWICH WENT ALL 'ARTISAN' When they're not too busy pumping oil into the ocean, it turns out BP make freshly baked artisan bread. And brew 100 percent organic coffee. And build rescue shelters for injured puppies. Okay fine, so I made up that last one. But the other two are apparently staples of Jack & Co., self-described as "the freshest convenience stores in the world". The original store was fused to a BP service station in 2012, but recent openings in Taree, NSW have evolved into their own faux-gourmet, corporate guilt-alleviating entities. YOUR KFC ZINGER COMBO WILL HAVE CRAFT BEER FOR THE DRINK Face it: if Mickey D is targeting hipsters, this lot were never far behind. Kudos to the Colonel for at least having the giblets to keep the initials — not that KFC actually stands for anything anymore. In any case, Parramattans will soon be able to get beer and cider with their original recipe, when 'KFC Urban' is granted a liquor licence later in 2015. Like McDonald's, KFC has been falling behind in the fast food arms race, losing younger customers to chains like Nandos and Grill’d. Rather than serving up a kale burger, their solution is apparently to just get everybody sloshed. Frankly, I have absolutely no problem with that. Images: The Corner, Fast Company, Imgur, Jack & Co., KFC.
Our Melbourne comrades are doing it especially tough right now, currently pushing through the fourth long week of their current stage four lockdown. But if you know a southerner who could use a distraction from their 8pm curfew and five-kilometre travel restrictions, you can now send them a little sweet relief courtesy of Uber Eats. This week, the delivery service is allowing interstate mates to send Victorian friends free dessert or ice cream, via its new #lockdownlove offer. From today, Monday, August 31, to Friday, September 4, you can surprise your Melbourne mate with a free Uber Eats dessert delivery, up to the value of $20 (including delivery fee). There are 1000 of the freebies available each night, starting from 8pm. To share the love, simply plug your friend's address into the app, order from one of their local dessert venues and enter that day's promo code (it's 'mondaylove' for Monday, 'tuesdaylove' for Tuesday and so on). Once you've ordered, you can click 'Share This Delivery' at the top of the app and your pal will be able to track their sweet treat on the move. Brighten their day with some Pidapipo gelato, send some Greek doughnuts from Lukumades, or maybe treat them to a wedge of cheesecake courtesy of the iconic Brunetti. If you're a sweet-toothed Melburnian who could do with some free dessert, we just send this article to an interstate friend — as a very unsubtle hint. [caption id="attachment_687498" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Doughnuts by Shortstop[/caption] Top image: Lukumades
As the NSW bushfire tragedy continues, a number of articles have appeared discussing the various ways a home may be fireproofed. There are miraculous treatments such as this fire-retardant gel, but how do you build for the bush? It's certainly possible. Incredibly, in the 1970s Sydney architect Glenn Murcutt designed a house so safe that its owner moved many actual drums of petrol from the garage into it before a bushfire surrounded the property. In the States an extremely old, fire-safe construction method is currently trending: the rural Japanese tradition of shou-sugi-ban. Roughly translated as 'burnt cedar board', shou-sugi-ban supposedly dates back to the 1700s, when it was used primarily to safeguard against fire and to preserve the wood against rot. So how does shou-sugi-ban work? The reasoning goes, if wood has already been charcoaled, it's unlikely to catch fire a second time. Similar in principle to the weathering of steel, where oxidisation creates a protective barrier, wood is first scorched with a controlled method of burning then brushed with a stiff broom to remove excess soot. Next it's washed and dried, and finally treated with an oil like Penofin Verde. It just happens to look fantastic, with many shades and finishes achievable, depending on how long the wood is burned. Usually a paint or a stain is required to darken wood to an attractive chocolate hue with rustic texture, and both methods are subject to fading and degradation. But not shou-sugi-ban. Apart from providing resistance to flames, the charred wood also repels insects and rot. This makes it durable and long-lasting. A standard cedar might decay after five years, whereas the owner of a low-maintenance shou-sugi-ban wall or fence could expect 30 years without decay, which is a pretty dramatic difference. For this reason, as well as its visual attractiveness, lately it's appearing in many restaurants around the Bay Area in California. Companies like Shou-Sugi-Ban in the UK and Delta Millworks in Austin, Texas (a land where it is said that cowboys mingle with punks) have mastered how to artfully scorch reclaimed wood for beautiful and practical built spaces. We hope to see more of it popping up on our shores. Via PSFK
Seems a little coincidental that The Herd is heading to The Zoo doesn't it? Whoever teamed the Aussie hip hop act with the Brisbane venue must have enjoyed a bit of a chuckle to themselves. The cleverly named pairing is taking place as a part of the band's 'The sum of it all' tour. It's been ten long years since The Herd made their musical debut with their triple j featured hit 'Scallops.' Since then the Sydney act has impacted the Australian music industry and shaped the sound of modern Australian hip hop. Not one to shy away from controversial topics and speaking their mind, The Herd's lyrics are widely admired for their stance against authority. Throughout their ten years performing, the band has bravely critiqued the Australian government, the media - particularly talk back radio and Australia's involvement within the Iraq war. The Herd's live show is just as unconventional and unique as their lyrics. Consisting of two MCs, two singers, a bass, piano accordion, clarinet, an acoustic guitar, an electric guitar, and laptops, seeing The Herd live is to bare witness to a dynamic and fiery performance. In celebration of the group's first single 'Sum of it all' from their soon to be released album, The Herd will be touring Australia. Some shows have already sold out so get in quick to avoid disappointment. for their culturally diverse music and expression of modern day hip hop. The witty lyrics cleverly questions authority, First single ‘The Sum of it All’ drops in March from their fifth album, due August 2011. If you’ve seen them live, you’ll also be familiar with their ability to laugh at themselves and bring the crowd together as one. Witness the heart of Elefant Traks live on stage this Autumn.
In a stark change from last year, 2021 is shaping up to be quite the magical time for Australian musical theatre fans. The country is finally getting a shot to see Hamilton right now, everyone will be able to swoon over Moulin Rouge! from August and making a date with one of popular culture's most famous masked men, The Phantom of the Opera, is on the cards from September. And, as just announced, Cinderella will be riding a pumpkin carriage into Sydney when November hits, too. First premiering back on Broadway in 2013, this version of the beloved fairy tale features music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, a couple of the best-known names in musical theatre history. The pair actually wrote their songs for a 1957 television production, which starred a pre-Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music Julie Andrews. (If you've seen the 1997 TV movie with Brandy and Whitney Houston — which remade that original small-screen flick — then you've already seen a version based on Rodgers and Hammerstein's original efforts.) Now, the Broadway production is finally making the jump Down Under, debuting locally at Sydney's Capitol Theatre at a yet-to-be-revealed date in November, as presented by Opera Australia and the Gordon Frost Organisation. The two organisations recently teamed up on The King and I, another Rodgers and Hammerstein hit, but this time they're all about glass slippers and masked balls. Whether Cinderella will make its way to other Aussie cities hasn't yet been announced either. Don't expect the exact same story you're used to, though — as you read as a kid, and saw in Disney's classic animated film and its live-action remake. Here, Cinderella is a contemporary figure, but living in a fairytale setting. She's still transformed from a chambermaid into a princess; however, the tale has been given a firmly modern spin. Just who'll be starring in the show when it makes its way to Sydney hasn't yet been revealed, but they'll be working with a production penned by playwright Douglas Carter Beane (Xanadu, Sister Act) based on Hammerstein's work — which was, of course, adapted from the fairy tale about a young woman dreaming of a better life. The Broadway production was nominated for eight Tony Awards and won one, for Best Costume Design. In the US, Carly Rae Jepsen played Ella for a stint, while The Nanny's Fran Drescher also took on the role of Madame, Ella's stepmother, for a period. If you're wondering how the musical works its magic, check out a clip from the original Broadway show below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wypPkiBW1Z4 Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella will hit the stage at the Sydney's Capitol Theatre in November 2021, with exact dates yet to be announced. Tickets will go on sale on April 30, with pre-sales from April 26 — for further details, or to join the waitlist, head to the musical's website. Top image: Original Broadway production of Cinderella by Carol Rosegg.
Everyone has a New York bucket list, filled with must-visit places throughout the busy city. And, we're betting that The Metropolitan Museum of Art features on most of them. Founded in 1870, presenting over 5,000 years of art from around the world and considered one of the top museums in the world, it's a iconic site for many reasons, including the pieces within its walls, its exhibitions and its annual gala. Another reason The Met is a favourite for visitors? For the past 50 years, a pay-as-you-wish scheme operates regarding the entry price. The suggested admission for adults is $25, but walking through the door for free is perfectly acceptable. That'll change on March 1, but it'll only impact folks who aren't New York State residents or students from New Jersey and Connecticut. In short, if you're from anywhere else in the world and you're keen to wander through The Met, you'll now pay the $25 fee. The mandatory full-priced admission tickets will be honoured for three days at the museum's three locations, however, so out-of-towners can make the most of their money. The news comes after The Met welcomed over seven million visitors in 2017, and put on 60 exhibitions. In a statement on the museum's website, Met president Daniel Weiss said the change was needed "in order to sustain its mission for future generations and to remain an accessible source of inspiration to all." It's expected that mandatory admissions will affect around 31 percent of their annual visitors. Image: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Not once, not twice, but at least 17 times, Robert Pattinson (The Batman) dies in Mickey 17. In the just-dropped full trailer for the new science-fiction film, his character is not too happy about it, either. But when you've signed up to be an 'expendable', as Mickey has in this adaptation of Edward Ashton's book Mickey 7, you've agreed to kick the bucket over and over and over for a living. On the page, the lead character is the seventh version — thank human printing — working as part of an effort to to colonise an ice world and soon finding himself trying to fend off the eighth. Mickey 17 has clearly upped that to the 17th version of its lead character. And, with Korean director Bong Joon-ho writing and directing, making his long-awaited first feature since Parasite, it's leaning heavily on comedy as well. Mickey 17 has been in the works for years, even dropping an initial teaser trailer at the end of 2022. Back then, the flick was targeting a March 2024 release date; however, that changed early this year, with the movie now hitting cinemas in January 2025. Thanks to everything that the last few years have served up, 2019, when the Palme d'Or-, Sydney Film Festival Prize- and Oscar-winning Parasite released, seems like a lifetime ago. So, waiting for anything since that innocent pre-pandemic time feels like waiting forever. But a new Bong movie has always been worth it so far, as his impressive cinematic resume attests. He's also the filmmaker behind stunning crime procedural Memories of Murder, creature feature The Host, dystopian thriller Snowpiercer and the offbeat Okja, after all. Mickey 17 looks set to mark the filmmaker's third movie mostly in English after Snowpiercer and Okja, with Pattinson leading a cast that also includes Steven Yeun (Beef), Naomi Ackie (Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody), Toni Collette (Mafia Mamma) and Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things). Science-fiction fans will spot that the premise alone gives off big Moon, Sunshine and Voyagers vibes — and brings High Life, RPatz's last exceptional sci-fi flick, to mind. That said, Bong isn't a filmmaker to follow in anyone else's footsteps. How he makes this concept his own already looks like a treat to see based on the two sneak peeks so far. Mickey 17 is a return for Pattinson, too, given that he hasn't been seen on-screen since his debut turn as Bruce Wayne — although he could be heard in the English-language version of Hayao Miyazaki's The Boy and the Heron, adding a movie by another iconic director to his filmography. Check out the full trailer for Mickey 17 below: Mickey 17 releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, January 30, 2025.
If you didn't end April or start May binging Heartstopper, then you probably weren't anywhere near your streaming queue or social media. As charming as romantic comedies, LGBTQIA+-championing tales, British series and coming-of-age stories can get, this webcomic-to-page-to-screen delight dropped all eight of its first-season episodes at once, became an instant Netflix hit and started many an obsession — regardless of whether you currently are or ever have been a queer teen trying to be true to yourself, navigating high school and riding the emotional rollercoaster that is falling in love. The great news: if you haven't seen it already, season one is obviously still there and waiting. The even better news: Netflix has just renewed the series for two more seasons. So, sometime in the future — with no dates given as yet — Heartstopper will be making tickers miss a beat again, and twice, with the graphic novel's author and illustrator Alice Oseman also returning as the show's writer (and creator, obviously). It's easy to see why more Heartstopper is on its way — and not just because its narrative has continued past where season one stopped on both the web and in print. The series hit the Netflix top-ten list in 54 countries, wowed audiences and earned the social-media attention to prove it, and has already made stars out of its delightful cast. ✌️ more seasons of Heartstopper! 🍂🍂https://t.co/u65kBHzJ9p pic.twitter.com/s6NKkU9Hl3 — Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) May 20, 2022 Story-wise, Heartstopper heads to Truham Grammar School, where Charlie Spring (first-timer Joe Locke) is in year ten. He finds himself seated in his form class next to year 11 rugby player Nick Nelson (Kit Connor, Little Joe) at the start of a new term, and sparks fly swiftly and overwhelmingly — at least on Charlie's part — with a crush and then a life-changing love story both blossoming. While director Euros Lyn (Dream Horse) gives Heartstopper's first season a dreamy look and feel — with emotionally astute showers of colour, too — teen romance is always complicated. Actually, teen life in general is. Also popping up here, with their own ups and downs: Charlie's self-hating secret boyfriend Ben Hope (Sebastian Croft, Doom Patrol); his disapproving, high-drama best friend Tao (fellow debutant William Gao); their recently out trans pal Elle (Yasmin Finney); her lesbian school friends Tara (Corinna Brown, Daphne) and Darcy (Kizzy Edgell); and the quietly happy-go-lucky Isaac (Tobie Donovan). Oh, and Oscar-winner Olivia Colman (The Lost Daughter) as Nick's mum. The end result isn't afraid of teen tropes or rom-com cliches, such as grand gestures in the pouring rain, blissful montages and the stress of text messages — but it also isn't willing to deliver anything other than a thoughtful and tender account of high schoolers being and finding themselves, even amid unavoidable teen angst and taunting. There's currently four volumes, spanning five chapters, of Heartstopper on the page — and a fifth volume set to arrive in February 2023 — so fingers crossed there'll be even more seasons of the Netflix series in our futures. Check out the trailer for Heartstopper season one below: Exactly when Heartstopper will return for season two and three hasn't yet been revealed — we'll update you when dates are announced. The first season of Heartstopper is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review. Images: Rob Youngson/Netflix.
Student theatre is an untapped resource for thrilling, vibrant and diverse theatrical entertainment. You would be surprised how much effort goes into such productions — the end result is often something immensely impressive. All around the country, Australian universities are playing host to incredible theatre, and now, The Festival of Australian Student Theatre (FAST) is celebrating the best and brightest over a weekend of performance and discussion. Participating institutions have included some of the best universities in the country, and some of FAST's participants have gone on to take part in international events as well. FAST is being run in association with La Boite and QUT Creative Industries, seeking to "bring together the nation's student theatre companies and showcase the incredible talent emerging through these companies". Be sure to check out the festival program for a list of shows and times.
After the work-week marathon, holing up at home all weekend can be mighty tempting. And while technology has gifted us with the amazing ability to get both food and entertainment without changing out of our PJs, it's no replacement for sunshine and socialising. So once a month, swap the hermit life for an outside hangout. The Sound Society is an initiative that fills two of Brisbane's most beautiful parks with music across one weekend each month. It all kicks off at South Bank Parklands this Saturday with an artist performing at 2pm and another at 4.45pm. The tunes will continue to roll out monthly — running from 2–7pm — so expect to see a range of acts, including folk-blues artist Hailey Calvert, indie-folk bad My Nightingale and the melodic sounds of Fresco Kyoto, take the stage at Rainforest Green. There'll be food stalls converging, too, with options including hot dogs, wings and doughnuts. If a slow Sunday morning is more your style, meander down to Roma Street Parkland between 9am and noon — picnic blanket in hand. The vibe is more soulful here, with jazz artists including Tenille West Quartet and the Chris Poulsen Quartet scheduled to perform one Sunday each month on the Banyan Lawn. Food vendors will be available here, too — cheese toasties, coffee and cakes will be on offer to sort out your brunch sustenance. Embrace the outdoors this winter. The Netflix marathon can wait for nighttime.
Let the games begin — again. Following a three-year wait since its award-winning first season, and after teasing the show's 2024 return since January, Squid Game will start playing again on Boxing Day. If you usually spend the day after Christmas shopping, at the cinema or recovering from your food coma by trying to play backyard cricket, you now have other plans if you want to catch the next instalment of the South Korean thriller ASAP. Netflix has not only advised when its huge 2021 hit — one of the best new TV programs of that year, in fact — will finally make a comeback, but has also announced that there's even more in store. After Squid Game season two arrives on Thursday, December 26, 2024, Squid Game season three will drop sometime in 2025. There's no exact date for the latter as yet, but it will be the final season, closing out the Squid Game story. The streaming platform revealed both pieces of news with a date announcement teaser that features a running track, competitors in recognisable green tracksuits, and also-familiar folks in red watching on alongside the masked Front Man — and with a letter from series director, writer and executive producer Hwang Dong-hyuk. "I am beyond excited to be writing this letter to announce the date for season two and share the news of season three, the final season," said Hwang. "Seong Gi-hun, who vowed revenge at the end of season one, returns and joins the game again. Will he succeed in getting his revenge? Front Man doesn't seem to be an easy opponent this time, either. The fierce clash between their two worlds will continue into the series finale with season three, which will be brought to you next year." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Netflix US (@netflix) So, yes, season one's protagonist Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae, The Acolyte) is back. So is his nemesis (Lee Byung-hun, The Magnificent Seven). If you're wondering what else is in store after the hefty gap — Squid Game was such a huge smash in it first season that Netflix confirmed at the beginning of 2022 that more was on the way, and also released a teaser trailer for it the same year, before announcing its new cast members in 2023 — a few further details were dropped earlier in the year. That's when Netflix previously unveiled a brief snippet of Squid Game season two, arriving in a broader trailer for Netflix's slate for the year — as it releases every 12 months. In the footage, Seong Gi-hun answers a phone call while at the airport sporting his newly crimson locks. He's soon told "you're going to regret the choice you've made". Cue his statement of vengeance; Squid Game meets John Wick, anyone? Wi Ha-joon (Little Women) is back as detective Hwang Jun-ho, as is Gong Yoo (Train to Busan) as the man in the suit who got Gi-hun into the game in the first place. A show about a deadly competition that has folks battling for ridiculous riches comes with a hefty bodycount, which means that new faces were always going to be essential in Squid Game season two — so that's where Yim Si-wan (Emergency Declaration), Kang Ha-neul (Insider), Park Sung-hoon (The Glory) and Yang Dong-geun (Yaksha: Ruthless Operations) all come in. If you somehow missed all things Squid Game when it premiered, even after it became bigger than everything from Stranger Things to Bridgerton, the Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning series serves up a puzzle-like storyline and unflinching savagery, which unsurprisingly makes quite the combination. It also steps into societal divides within South Korea, a topic that wasn't invented by Parasite, Bong Joon-ho's excellent Oscar-winning 2019 thriller, but has been given a boost after that stellar flick's success. Accordingly, it's easy to see thematic and narrative parallels between Parasite and Squid Game, although Netflix's highly addictive series goes with a Battle Royale and Hunger Games-style setup. Here, 456 competitors are selected to work their way through six seemingly easy children's games. They're all given numbers and green tracksuits, they're competing for 45.6 billion won, and it turns out that they've also all made their way to the contest after being singled out for having enormous debts. Netflix turned the show's whole premise into an IRL competition series as well, which debuted in 2023 — without any murders, of course. Squid Game: The Challenge has already been picked up for a second season. Check out Netflix's season two date announcement clip for Squid Game season below: Squid Game season two will stream via Netflix from Thursday, December 26, 2024. Season three will arrive in 2025 — we'll update you when an exact release date for it is announced. Images: Netflix.
Out in the California High Desert last month, people saw a mysterious apparition: a transparent log cabin named Lucid Stead, the latest installation by artist Phillip K Smith III. At first glance the structure doesn't look real. Is it a mirage, a vision, a portal to another world? The structure's Pre-Romanesque stripes are no hallucination: Smith achieved the optical illusion of transparency by inlaying lengths of mirror between the splintery old wood planks of a 70-year-old homesteader shack in Joshua Tree national park. When the artwork was unveiled, he was surprised by an influx over two days of 400 visitors who'd gotten word of the magical cabin. Search #lucidstead on Instagram and you'll see many photographic perspectives on what they saw. (And riddle me this: how come we can't see any trace of a photographer reflected in these images? Witchcraft.) Like Lucy Humphrey's Horizon in this year's Sculpture by the Sea, here is an artwork that uses its surrounding environment to fill its own canvas, seamlessly melding the natural and manmade. Smith likes to make artworks that appear to breathe and move, blurring the border between geometric rigidity and the organic; he says he is attracted to the idea of "something that you cannot hold on to... That slips between your fingers." As the day progresses, Lucid Stead's appearance changes completely, reflecting the different colours of dawn to dusk. After-hours, it takes on a new role, generating its own light rather than merely reflecting it; the windows become vivid, floating blocks of coloured LED illumination. In the pictures below you'll notice the LEDs brighten the surrounding shrubbery in an unearthly rainbow, not unlike the surrealist nighttime photography of Gregory Crewdson. These colours change, controlled by an Arduino computer system, in a continuous flow that's all part of making the viewer look twice. Smith explains: "The color of the door and window openings are set at a pace of change where one might question whether they are actually changing colors." Check out the video below to see a before-and-after view of the shack, and to hear Lucid Stead's creator talk about his interest in the basic elements of light and change. Images by Stephen King for Royale Projects. Story via Colossal.
As well as creating some of popular culture's most beloved characters of the past three decades, JK Rowling's Harry Potter franchise has also conjured up a whole heap of astonishing critters. The Boy Who Lived himself studied them at Hogwarts, all thanks to textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them — and, to the joy of Potter-loving muggles everywhere, Rowling turned that tome into an actual text in 2001. Plus, as every Wizarding World fan knows, that book followed the original Harry Potter novels in making the leap from the page to the screen. So far, two movies have hit cinemas, charting the exploits of the text's author Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) just as dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) rises to prominence. While neither the first 2016 film nor its 2018 sequel Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald quite live up to the HP movies, three more are still planned from 2021 onwards. Can't wait that long until your next Fantastic Beasts fix? Particularly fond of the creatures that fly, scamper and scurry through the Wizarding World? Then you'll be waving your wands in excitement about the huge new Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature, which'll display items from Rowling's fictional universe alongside real-life creatures, specimens and artefacts. Premiering at London's Natural History Museum sometime this autumn — spring in the northern hemisphere — for a seven-month season before embarking on an international tour, the showcase will combine critters from the natural world, the mythical world and the Wizarding World. Visitors will see legendary beasts placed alongside specimens and historic objects, while also venturing through digital installations and other elements from the Fantastic Beasts flicks. Unsurprisingly, there'll also be a huge focus on Scamander, the Wizarding World's famed magizoologist. [caption id="attachment_757302" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Jeff Spicer[/caption] While the full range of exhibits hasn't been revealed, you can expect to peer at a tiger, a Galápagos marine iguana and a giant oarfish (the planet's longest bony fish) alongside an Erumpent horn and the dragon skull from Professor Lupin's classroom. You'll also be able to compare the camouflage tactics of a jaguar to those of the Demiguise. Here's hoping a super-cute Niffler features in some shape or form, too. Just where Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature will head after its London run hasn't been announced yet either, but start yelling "accio exhibition" while you cross your fingers for a stop Down Under. A collaboration between the Natural History Museum, the BBC and Warner Bros, a Fantastic Beasts documentary is also headed to screens to tie in with the exhibition. Called Fantastic Beasts: A Natural History and presented by Stephen Fry, it'll delve into the origins and stories of mythical creatures and fantastical beasts, examining their history and making connections to animals roaming the planet today. In the UK, it's set to air at a yet-to-be-revealed date later this year — with international airings also yet to be announced. Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature will display at London's Natural History Museum from sometime this autumn — spring in the northern hemisphere — with tickets on sale from Thursday, January 16. Details of the exhibition's international tour are yet to be revealed.
When Marco Pierre White hits Australia in May, he'll treat food fans to his first-ever live theatre show. He does love notching up firsts, after all. He was the first British chef to be awarded three Michelin stars. When that happened when he was 33, he was the youngest chef to do so, too. And, amid all the chatter his work and life has earned — in no small part thanks to his cookbook White Heat, the 1990 tome that played up his "bad boy" image — he's been dubbed "the first celebrity chef" as well. White won't just be taking to the stage on his 2023 Aussie tour, however. In what definitely isn't a first, he's heading to the kitchen — this time for a four-course dinner on the Gold Coast. If you'd like to tuck into a meal co-curated by the chef, mark Saturday, May 27 in your diary and make a date with HOTA, Home of the Arts. Also overseeing the one-night-only affair: Palette Executive Chef Dayan Hartill-Law, with the dinner taking place at HOTA's onsite restaurant. They'll whip up a menu that's guided by locally sourced ingredients, and paired with top-notch wine. And, in addition to getting to eat the end results, patrons will also see White in action in the kitchen — and hear from him, too, via a 15–20-minute Q&A session. Unsurprisingly, this hot ticket is has limited seats, with only 80 folks able to attend. If you're keen, you'll need to register at the HOTA website for your chance to go along. Exactly what's on White and Hartill-Law's menu hasn't yet been revealed, but this is a rare chance to enjoy the former's cuisine right here in southeast Queensland. White has popped up on everything from Hell's Kitchen to MasterChef, including in Australia. He's trained fellow famed food figures such as Mario Batali, Heston Blumenthal, Gordon Ramsay and Curtis Stone. That's not bad for someone who arrived in London with just "£7.36, a box of books and a bag of clothes", as White describes, before his tutelage under Albert and Michael Roux at renowned French fine-diner Le Gavroche. [caption id="attachment_812565" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Palette[/caption] HOTA, Home of the Arts' Palette x Marco Pierre White dinner takes place on Saturday, May 27. To register for your chance to head along, hit up the HOTA website.
What type of coffee aroma would characterise the feet of your ideal partner? Arabica or Robusta? Single origin or a blend? The Ministry of Supply's new ATLAS socks promise to replace the smell of sticky, sweaty feet with the more alluring scent of roasted beans. They've been made possible by a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign, which raised a whopping US$200,000, not only through their novel appeal but also through a reward of two pairs of socks for every $28 pledged. The Ministry of Supply team developed the technology through a deep and prolonged study of the human foot. First, they figured out which areas are most liable to the reception of pressure, and therefore to the production of sweat and heat. Then they designed an accordingly padded and ventilated sock, using wicking to maximise aeration potential. The coffee, collected from various cafes and eateries, is infused into the material. Its job is to draw in and capture the nasty molecules that create antisocial smells. Voila, feet so sweet you can leave your socks on for a week. Well, that's the story according to Forbes writer Natalie Robehmed, who claims she wore a pair for five days straight without frightening anyone away. [via Springwise]
Christmas is almost upon us, and if you're not sure how best to celebrate this year, fear not. We've got you covered with a few drink recipes to add a little extra cheer to your Christmas festivities. Whether it's bubbles, whisky or fine wine, we've teamed up with our friends over at Pernod Ricard, purveyors of celebratory drinks like Mumm, Chivas, St Hugo and Jacob's Creek, to bring you five drink recipes guaranteed to make your silly season all the merrier this year. Whether you're a Champagne sipper or whisky swirler, put these tipples on your menu this festive season. [caption id="attachment_586726" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Steven Woodburn.[/caption] MUMM 75 A delicate, well-balanced drink, the Mumm 75 is sophisticated but accessible — perfect for impressing (and easily whipping up) for a casual barbecue or sunny garden party. — 15ml Beefeater Gin — 15ml elderflower liqueur — 15ml lemon juice — 80ml of Mumm Champagne Add everything but the Champagne to your cocktail shaker, shake vigorously and double strain into a coupe glass. Top up the glass with Mumm and serve garnished with a thin slice of lemon. ST HUGO CABERNET SAUVIGNON This bold cab sav is an excellent red to add to your holiday dining table this year. Truly indicative of the Coonawarra region, this wine offers a rich bouquet of fruity aromas — think blackberries, dark cherries and a hint of star anise. These aromas give way to a full body, showcasing oaky, vanilla notes with a touch of roasted chestnut. The finish is rich in tannins with a faint, delicate acid line to balance it out. It's the perfect accompaniment to a roast Christmas lunch. The versatility of the wine also makes it a great gift, and with a personalised gift wrapper and calligrapher at selected Dan Murphy's stores, you can easily grab a special bottle or two for the epicure in your life while shopping for the rest of the Christmas meal. CHIVAS REGAL 18-YEAR-OLD SOUR This is already a fine, rich drop of expertly blended whisky, with a velvet, smooth profile featuring notes of dark chocolate, toffee and hints of dried fruit. It's also a top-notch base for a whisky sour. — 2 parts Chivas 18-Year-Old — 1 part freshly squeezed lemon juice — 1 part sugar syrup — 1 egg white First add the Chivas to your shaker, then add the lemon juice and sugar syrup, and shake. Next, add the egg white and shake to emulsify. Add ice and shake vigorously again; double strain over ice and garnish with a maraschino cherry and slice of orange. Add a dash of bitters to top it off. LE PETIT ROSÉ FROSÉ What's become the drink of the summer (perhaps after the spritz — more on that below), frosé is dead easy to make —and with the bright, fresh berry and mild citrus notes of Jacob's Creek Le Petit Rosé, you have the perfect wine to use as the base for this summer sipper. — 90ml Jacob's Creek Le Petit Rosé — 30ml Absolut vodka — a splash of grenadine — 3 cups of ice Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender, and blend on high to achieve a smooth consistency. Garnish with a strawberry or a scattering of edible flowers for total summer vibes. JACOB'S CREEK PROSECCO SPRITZ The prosecco spritz is an ideal drop for an Aussie Christmas — or really any summer's day. Light bodied, but full of flavour, this refreshing drink is sure to be a hit with wine lovers, cocktail drinkers and hosts who don't have time to mix up spritzes for the group. The fresh, bone-dry base of Jacob's Creek prosecco is blended with bitter orange notes and gives way to a clean fruity flavour. Best served over ice with a generous slice of blood orange to heighten the citrus notes and herbaceous aromas, the drink makes a great aperitif or accompaniment to any summer seafood dish. Start planning your festive menus — Christmas will be here before you know it. Purchase any two eligible Pernod products from a Cellarbrations, The Bottle O, IGA Liquor or Big Bargain Bottleshop, and go in the draw to win a $500 travel voucher. There's one voucher to win every day till Christmas. And really, what could be better for the holiday spirit than winning an actual holiday?
First came Princess Diana, then Elvis, then Marilyn Monroe. That's not how it happened in reality, of course, but it's how 2022's big biopics are shaping up Down Under. This year has already seen both Spencer and Elvis sashay onto local screens — and, because star-studded movies about stars are a film buff's best friend, or so studios seem to think, Netflix's Blonde will follow come September. Here's hoping that the long-awaited feature — which started shooting back in 2019, but was delayed due to the pandemic — completes a trifecta of excellent recent films about icons, too. It has just as wild, chaotic and tragic a story to tell, and someone just as famous at its centre. This take on Monroe's life is based on the 2000 novel of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates, so it'll spin a piece of biographical fiction; however, looking at the just-dropped full Blonde trailer, there's plenty that sticks with the facts in the movie's frames. Dresses, moments, that titular hair, the husbands, the fame, the scrutiny: they're all a part of this haunting sneak peek at the film, which sees Ana de Armas hopping from Knives Out, No Time to Die and The Gray Man into her biggest role yet. The trailer features her voiceover throughout, explaining the toll that all that success had. "I can't face doing another scene with Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn doesn't exist. When I come out of my dressing room, I'm Norma Jeane," she says. "Marilyn Monroe only exists on the screen," she continues — and that's clearly set to be a constant point throughout the movie. Blonde will peer back at the days when she was only known as Norma Jeane, explore her rise to stardom, and look at her romances as well, all to unpack the gap between who she was in private and the persona that the public demanded. Blonde hits Netflix on Wednesday, September 28, with Australian filmmaker Andrew Dominik both writing and directing, and the cast also featuring Bobby Cannavale (Nine Perfect Strangers), Adrien Brody (Succession), Julianne Nicholson (Mare of Easttown), Xavier Samuel (Elvis) and Evan Williams (Westworld). Of course, de Armas isn't the first actor to step into the icon's shoes — and twirling frocks and diamonds, too — or to do so in an adaptation of Oates' book. Aussie actor Poppy Montgomery (Christmas on the Farm) did the same back in 2001, in a made-for-TV version also called Blonde. Elsewhere, Michelle Williams (Venom: Let There Be Carnage) did the honours in the unrelated 2011 movie My Week with Marilyn, and earned an Oscar nomination in the process, while Mira Sorvino (Shining Vale) and Ashley Judd (Berlin Station) shared the part — one as Marilyn, the other as Norma — in 1996 TV effort Norma Jean & Marilyn. Check out the trailer for Blonde below: Blonde will be available to stream via Netflix Down Under on Wednesday, September 28. Images: 2022 © Netflix.
There is a newly found appreciation for street art emerging in Brisbane. Art centric events like Lost Movements and RAW have helped foster the street art community and it is now growing legs of its own; becoming more determined to show Brisbane why street art is the next big thing in town. Kerbside has jumped on the street art wagon and has played host to Scribble Slam – a 90 minute live art battle between two established artists. Each artist gets one blank canvas each, black, white and two colours of choice. Every Scribble Slam has a different theme, meaning that each artwork produced is unplanned and entirely unique. This week, Scribble Slam features two interesting contestants. Blu Art Xinja takes on Michael Fitzhywel. This is sure to be a great mix of styles and ideas. Head on over to Kerbside to get your fix of street art this week.
Only one show on TV starts in a haunted house, then jumps to an asylum for the criminally insane, then follows a coven of descendants of the Salem witch trials. And, from there, it also steps inside a travelling freak show, explores the twisted history of an LA hotel, gets caught up in a small-town cult, sees the Antichrist unleash the apocalypse and sets a serial killer upon an 80s-era summer camp as well. That series: American Horror Story. Every season, it tells a different story, anthology-style. The creepy details change, as do the narratives and characters, but the eeriness remains. Also staying the same: many of the faces seen in American Horror Story's tales, including Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Lily Rabe, Frances Conroy, Kathy Bates, Jessica Lange, Emma Roberts and Lady Gaga. The show is the brainchild of writer/producer/director Ryan Murphy (Glee, Pose) and, yes, it definitely takes audiences on a wild ride each and every season.
Described as a 'modern cowboy of the creative revolution', Mr Lentz creates objects and fashion accessories from wood and upcycled materials, which he finds in junk yards. 'My aim has always been to find beauty and share it with others,' he explains on his site. Mr Lentz works with leather, and dabbles in photography, but his current project is the creation of rings, necklaces and brass knuckles made of wood and grass. Fashioned from sustainably harvested walnut, each ring plays host to a live micro-environment - a teeny tiny patch of growing grass or moss. For those who don't go for green, Mr Lentz has created a limited edition series of brass knuckles made from deer antlers. According to his site, 'they're a force to be reckoned with', designed 'for the rebel livin' life on the edge'. The antler tips are gathered from the forest floor, after the deer have gone through their annual shedding process. Mr Lentz says that he decided to make environmentally-inspired jewellery after a solitary walk through a foggy, overgrown redwood forest. 'This walk lasted days, meandering through river valleys and steep, dense hillside. The redwood forest did not once fail to impress and inspire me, and so what once was a trail of footsteps is now a journey into the handmade world of eco-friendly and sustainable jewellery'. [via Inhabitat]
Brisbane loves an arts festival, and it has the jam-packed events calendar to prove it. Some take over the entire city in a huge way, like Brisbane Festival. Others showcase performances beyond the city's mainstream, as seen at Fringe Brisbane. One, aka Anywhere Festival, hosts shows anywhere and everywhere it possibly can. MELT celebrates queer culture, and Wynnum Fringe lives up to its name — giving Brisbane's bayside its own fringe festival. That latter fest is upon us for another year, and it just keeps getting bigger. First staged in 2020 as a three day event, then returning in 2021 for six days, the festival is back for a third go in the seaside suburb. This time, it has almost three weeks of arts and culture on the lineup, running from Wednesday, November 16–Sunday, December 4. At Wynnum Fringe 2022, you'll find everything from cabaret and comedy to music and dance on the bill, and even a ferris wheel. The event is aiming to entice 35,000 folks along across its 19-day run, so you'll also find ample company at a range of venues. Highlights include the first-ever Wynnum Fringe Comedy Gala, with Mel Buttle, Damien Power, Luke Heggie and Chris Ryan taking to the microphone; more laughs from Dave Hughes, Akmal Saleh and Cal Wilson; and Marcia Hines getting her disco on in Velvet Rewired. There's also opening ceremony yana marumba (Walk Good) as part of the First Nations programming, Dolly Diamond's variety show High T and a one-night-only gig by Diesel, as well as an all-ages amateur dance eisteddfod led by Common People Dance Project, Head First Acrobats' circus performances GODZ and Crème de la crème, Dane Simpson's Didgeridoozy and a local Battle of the Bands. The 2022 festival also boasts a new garden hub at George Clayton Park, which is where Wynnum Fringe's spiegeltent will sit — and a ferris wheel, food trucks, pop-up daily gigs and roving entertainment. For drinks, the new fest base includes a cocktail-slinging container bar, too, complete with rooftop seating. Throw in a fancy dress parade for dogs — and program themes that change weekly, starting with an Indigenous focus, then taking on Euro vibes, then going all in on local talent — and there's no shortage of things to see and do. The aim, as with all Fringe fests, is to showcase a heap of talent and entertain the area. "I am hugely proud of how Wynnum Fringe has grown from a three-day event in 2020 — developed as an economic and artistic response to COVID — to this year, welcoming more than 35,000 people over 19 days and celebrating the best in contemporary, independent and alternative arts and entertainment," said festival founder and director Tom Oliver. Wynnum Fringe 2022 runs from Wednesday, November 16–Sunday, December 4. Head to the festival's website for the full program.
When a big musical hits Australia, there are often two reasons to get excited: the fact that a new stage show is heading Down Under, and possibly getting to see it without breaking the bank. That budget-friendly option frequently comes courtesy of TodayTix, which loves slinging cheap seats via a ticket lottery. And, as has happened with Hamilton, Moulin Rouge! and Mary Poppins, it's rolling one out for Tina — The Tina Turner Musical. This is simply your best chance to see the show for less than the price of a dinner, with tickets costing just $35. To take part in the lottery, you will need to download the TodayTix app — which is available for iOS and Android — and submit your entry each week for the next week's performances. The lottery will go live at 12.01am every Friday morning, and is already up and running for its first week. Then, the winners are drawn after 1pm on the following Thursday. If your name is selected, you'll have an hour to claim your tickets from when you receive the good news. If you need a reminder, you can also sign up for lottery alerts via TodayTix, too. After premiering in London back in 2018, this stage ode to the music icon that's had Aussies dancing to 'Nutbush City Limits' for decades is making its way to Sydney from Thursday, May 4. No, it isn't taking to the stage in a church house, gin house, school house or outhouse — or on highway number 19, either. But Tina — The Tina Turner Musical will obviously have Theatre Royal Sydney enjoying Turner's greatest hits in one massive show. The list of musical numbers includes 'Nutbush City Limits', naturally, as well as everything from 'River Deep, Mountain High' and 'Proud Mary' through to 'Private Dancer' and 'What's Love Got to Do with It?'. Tina — The Tina Turner Musical makes its trip Down Under courtesy of TEG DAINTY, Stage Entertainment and Tali Pelman, in association with Tina Turner herself. Announcing the news, the singer said that "Australia has always shared abundant love with me, going back to my early concerts in the late 70s through the uplifting partnership with the National Rugby League. It is very special for me that we will be reunited." "The joy, passion and message of resilience in my musical is so important now as ever. Thank you from the bottom my heart for welcoming me with open arms once again," Turner continued. Penned by Tony Award-nominee and Pulitzer Prize-winner Katori Hall, plus Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins, and directed by fellow Tony-nominee Phyllida Lloyd, Tina — The Tina Turner Musical clearly has quite the story to tell. The show steps through Turner's life and fame, including growing up in Nutbush, Tennessee, the hard work that led to her career, all of those aforementioned hits, her 12 Grammy Awards, her volatile time with Ike Turner and her huge solo success. There's no word yet as to whether Tina — The Tina Turner Musical will head to other Australian cities, but cross your fingers while you're doing the Nutbush, obviously. Tina — The Tina Turner Musical will open its Australian-premiere season at Theatre Royal Sydney from Thursday, May 4. To enter the TodayTix $35 lottery, download the company's iOS or Android app, and head to the company's website for more information — and to set up an alert. Images: Manuel Harlan.
The best thing about humour is how it is most effective when spread around. With that idea in mind, the Melbourne International Comedy is hitting the road and is bringing a car-load of the funniest comedians to Brisbane to share the laughs. Loretta Maine (UK - pictured), Asher Treleaven, Nazeem Hussain, Tom Deacon (UK), and Tommy Little were all highlight performers this year, so it is safe to say that you be splitting your sides with merriment when this bunch of outrageous individuals hit The Powerhouse this week. They say it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile, so give your muscles a rest at let loose with some of the best jokes told this year! Sound good? Pop on over to The Powerhouse website for ticket information and session times.
It's a tough break being an artist these days. Turning creative ideals into tangible art is a dream that for most is hard enough before getting money, exposure and galleries involved. Becoming an artist is a dream that for most is a long, hard, exhausting journey. That's why, every now and then, we need to step back and appreciate how difficult it must be to flourish as an artist. Cameron Eaton, successful Brisbane draftsman has taken a break from his day job to create art inspired by the built environment. By day he's at the helm of Eaton Industrial Imaging producing 3D CAD modelling for the construction industry. By night he creates inspiring art for the community to enjoy. ‘Sum Random’ is his first solo exhibition and as the title suggests the series is symbolic for Eaton's beginning of a new journey as an artist. Someone fresh, unknown and ambitious. Next time you pass by Lust for Life Tattoo be sure to check out Sum Random and enjoy the creative work of a local Brisbane artist.
