War on Waste, the ABC documentary series presented by The Chaser's Craig Reucassel, brought some shocking statistics into lounge rooms all over the country earlier this year. 1.6-million viewers discovered that Aussies use more than ten million plastic bags per day and chuck out 3.3 million tonnes of food waste per year. The good news is that the show seems to have triggered some action. In mid-July, Woolworths and Coles announced that, over the next twelve months, they'll be phasing out plastic bags. And, a few days ago, the City of Sydney pledged funding for the Responsible Cafes campaign, which is helping local cafes to get rid of disposable cups. Meanwhile, the City of Melbourne is running a project that transforms cigarette butts into plastic products. Every week, the council collects more than 200,000 butts from 367 dedicated bins across Melbourne. "[It's] litter that may otherwise end up being washed down drains and into the Yarra River," said Lord Mayor Robert Doyle AC. Unfortunately, cigarette butts are not biodegradable and take ages to break down. So, in collaboration with Enviropoles (who does the collecting) and TerraCycle (who does the recycling), the City is ensuring the butts are turned into usable items, including plastic furniture and shipping pallets. Funding comes from the Victorian Government, via the Litter Hotspots program. "[So far], we have collected 1.2-million butts from around Melbourne's universities and hospitals and busy CBD locations that can be repurposed," Lord Mayor Doyle said. To draw attention to the project, there's a Perspex box filled with cigarette butts in Queensbridge Square, on the banks of the Yarra. The initiative follows the lead of Vancouver, Canada, and New Orleans in the US. "Cities around the world are looking for new ways to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill," said Councillor Cathy Oke, Chair of the City of Melbourne's Environment portfolio. Photo via City of Melbourne.
Us Brisbane-dwellers do love our bottomless food. And now, thanks to the Salisbury Hotel, we can add bottomless southern-syle fried chook to our weekday must-eat lists. Head on down to the family and dog-friendly pub on Thursdays, from 6–8pm, and you'll be settling in for two hours of all-you-can-eat succulent, fried chicken — for just $20. The pub's also went under a spiffy renovation recently. So, you can check out the new lounge, gaming room, events space and spacious beer garden — which is where you'll most likely be spending most of your time sinking brews and tucking into your bucketloads of chook. Your fried feed also comes with sides, so, you'll also be tucking into slaw and mash, plus covering everything with gravy. To feast on all-you-can-eat fried chook you must book, which you can do here.
By now, it's pretty common knowledge that businesses around Australia have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Depending on what state the business is in, it's weathered multiple lockdowns, seating restrictions and ongoing financial uncertainty. And, through the hardest times, we've also seen resilience and adaptability from small business owners to meet these newfound challenges. Many businesses across the nation have changed the way they operate in order to stay afloat. And, so, in partnership with Square, we've spoken with five business owners across the country to find out how they adapted, what they changed, and what new elements they'll keep in the future. All these small businesses rely on business tools provided by Square, which helps the businesses with contactless payment systems, online stores and delivery services. So you can continue supporting your local with all the convenience you've come to expect from online shopping. THE BLOW DRY BAR THAT TURNED TO ONLINE COMMUNITY BUILDING The hair salon that keeps Melburnians looking photo-ready with exquisite blow drys and dry styles has seen its doors temporarily shut twice this year due to lockdown. The BLOW first closed its doors for seven weeks from March 17, and then again in July, which has meant Founder Phoebe Simmonds has looked to other opportunities to keep going. "We're focusing our efforts on community building activities, as well as expanding a new concept — The BLOW On-The-Go at Sephora Sydney," says Simmonds. For the hair salon, this time has been an opportunity to really connect with its customers online by sharing customers' stories via Facebook. Its Sydney pop-up offers a speedy dry styling service, which has an online booking system supported by Square. "Though we can't currently provide hair styling services or events in Melbourne, we can lean into our network of femme and fierce leaders to share stories of how they're conquering isolation with confidence," she says. "Our community has responded really well, and we love being able to maintain a connection with them. I've learnt a whole new level of resilience, creativity and flexibility. Owning a successful business now comes down to being able to manage ambiguity with grace, grit and a tonne of openness and positivity." THE COFFEE ROASTER AND CAFE THAT TURNED TO GROCERY BOXES AND TAKEAWAY MEALS Melbourne's beloved cafe and coffee roaster in the heart of Collingwood is usually known for its hustle and bustle, so when restrictions set in, Proud Mary had to pivot straight away. "We've completely changed our focus from bustling, noisy and vibrant dining in, to developing the best convenient and fast takeaway offering we can," says General Manager Tom Gunn. "We've pivoted to three different operational styles. Never let a good crisis go to waste, as they say. When we closed the cafe, we started doing delivery of grocery boxes and pre-prepared meals. The community has been fantastic; we've got to know so many more people who are more of the grab-and-go crowd, which we might've missed out on if things had remained normal this year." Gunn and his team has used the lockdown as a chance to develop the cafe's menus, ideas and processes. He says Proud Mary will continue its digital offering into the future, too. THE SPAGHETTI RESTAURANT THAT PIVOTED TO ONLINE STORE During Sydney's lockdown, Mark and Vinny's — the restaurant and bar in Surry Hills known for its spaghetti and spritzes — had to immediately adjust to manage the new dine-in restrictions. "We decided to try our hand at takeout as a matter of survival," says co-owner Vince Pizzinga. "One of the most successful initiatives was creating our own online store using Square, which was hugely helpful in allowing our customers to order directly with us." This was a game-changer for the business as it avoided the crippling fees of popular delivery services, which could exceed 30 percent. Now, post-lockdown, the venue is keeping up the online takeout service to complement the in-house dining, which helps the bottom line given its reduced seating restrictions. "This experience has forced me to take a closer look at how we operate and find ways to be more resourceful and pragmatic," he says. [caption id="attachment_780766" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shaelah Ariotti[/caption] THE PLANT NURSERY THAT CHANGED ITS STOCK TO SUIT THE MARKET Bespoke plant store The Borrowed Nursery, in the sunny Gold Coast, saw a shift in customer behaviour as soon as lockdown hit. "We lost our venue and plant hire aspects of the business straight away," says owner Lauren Lance. "But we also saw immediate growth in the retail element, so we focused on stocking more items and different item lines, for example home entertaining items and serving ware. "There has been a huge growth in indoor plants with people spending more time inside; they're wanting to make their interiors into an oasis." Being in the lucky state of Queensland, the business hasn't seen a huge downturn during lockdown or endured a second, however, Lance say she's continuing to be adaptable: "Move quickly, read the situation and focus on what works," she says. THE FRIED CHICKEN BAR THAT TEMPORARILY CUT ITS HOURS AND MENU In Fortitude Valley, shipping container-turned-eatery The Lucky Egg had to plan its survival strategy early, as lockdown meant it wouldn't be seeing its usual late-night fried chicken-loving customers. "At the beginning of the lockdown, we closed Lucky Egg for a few weeks while we came to grips with the situation and developed a plan," says Founder Jesse Barbera. "We reopened offering delivery and pick-up with reduced trading hours, and cut back our menu to focus on our most popular products," she says. "Being in the Valley, a good share of our revenue comes from late-night trade on weekends, which we knew we wouldn't get, so we had to slim down as much as possible." Luckily, it did, and now, post-lockdown, the venue has reopened with limited capacity — and making use of its outdoor space — as it slowly returns to normal trading hours. The business has its full menu back, and is even looking to expand its offering. "We've learnt not to take anything for granted," says Barbera. "We've also learnt that our hard work has paid off, and the loyal customers we have are worth their weight in gold." Find out how Square is supporting small businesses with the tools they need to grow, here. Top image: Vince Pizzinga, co-owner of Mark and Vinny's.
Winner of Best Innovation in Theatre and Best Performance at the Melbourne Fringe Festival, Show Me Yours, I’ll Show You Mine is a dissection of the life of a sex-worker – love, family, intimacy. In an interview, Not-Nick reveals the intimate details of his life to Tim, who in turn ends up revealing pieces of himself. Described as an ‘alluring study of integrity and play acting, made volatile by the rules of theatre’ – Show Me Yours is an engaging piece of theatre that makes its mark by exploring a topic that has been largely hidden in the shadows. The work is performed by Tim Spencer (also the writer) and Charles Purcell. It is showing at La Boite theatre as part of the second wave of their Indie showcase. Be sure to check this production out while you can. The likes of this wont be seen again in Brisbane for a long time.
If you're feeling a little more adventurous this New Years Eve, hop over the Tasman to New Zealand for the Rhythm and Vines festival. Stretching over the last three days of December, Rhythm and Vines helps you welcome the new year with one of the biggest line-ups to grace the festival circuit in 2011, as well as Concrete Playground's own Pool Party. This instalment is headlined by Australia's biggest drum and bass export, Pendulum, whilst Calvin Harris brings his incredibly infectious sound to eager audiences. For the old-school demographic, DJ Grandmaster Flash will provide a great history lesson in hip-hop with his set. Don't miss out on an opportunity to see this undisputed legend working in an element that he was primarily responsible for. More bass will be provided by Skream and Benga, two dubstep pioneers who have developed a distinct, global sound from their modest beginnings in English warehouses. Other festival favourites such as Erick Morillo, Tiga and Architecture in Helsinki will also be in attendance. Accomodation ranges from rental houses to motel rooms to camping spots, so there's plenty of options to help mould your perfect festival bender experience. Courtesy of our friends at Stolen Rum, Concrete Playground has a double-pass three-day Club Stolen VIP Package up for grabs. What does the VIP Package offer? It will include an exclusive area with an uninterrupted view of the main stage, treated to delicious Stolen Rum cocktails throughout the night. Importantly, you'll also get access to toilets with actual flushes, and anybody who has been to a festival will know that this is truly a Godsend. To win this double VIP pass to Rhythm and Vines, make sure you are subscribed to Concrete Playground then email hello@concreteplayground.com.au (for Australia) or auckland@concreteplayground.co.nz (for New Zealand) by 5pm on Thursday 15 December, 2011. The winner will be notified by email soon after, and will be responsible for own transport and accommodation arrangements.
First Melbourne hosted Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck, then Sydney got the upper hand by coaxing Rene Redzepi to bring his world-renowned restaurant Noma to Barangaroo for a few months. Now Melbourne has one-upped Australia's biggest city to take back the culinary crown, nabbing the rights to host next year's World's 50 Best Restaurants awards. The announcement was made by the World's 50 Best Restaurants group editor William Drew ahead the 2016 awards, which are being held in New York tomorrow night. It's a pretty big deal for little ol' Melbourne (and Tourism Australia) as it's only the second time the awards will be held outside of London. "After hosting 14 successful editions of The World's 50 Best Restaurants awards in London, we feel the time is right to make the event truly global," said Drew in a press release. "2017 in Australia will be the second time we have held the awards outside of London, following New York this year. There's so much international interest in Australia as a food destination, it's exciting for us to have the opportunity to take the events program to this unique country." Well, shucks. If you're not familiar with the awards, they're the ranking that everyone uses when talking about the best restaurants in the world. Last year Spain's El Celler de Can Roca was awarded the number one spot, while Noma has been a former list-topper multiple times. 2015 gave special mention to Melbourne's Attica and Brae, as well as Sydney's Quay and Sepia, which probably has a lot to do with why they've decided to come Down Under in 2017.
Summer is here and oh don't we know it, Brisbane. The days are longer, the sun scorches all it touches and the humidity hangs heavy in the air. Whether you seek the arctic embrace of the air-conditioned indoors, want to splash around in your new swimmers or prefer to stay hydrated with a glass of ice-cold craft beer, there are plenty of ways to beat the heat in the city this summer. STREETS BEACH AND SOUTH BANK SURF CLUB The white sands, turquoise waters and shady palms of the Streets Beach at South Bank Parklands create the River City's most iconic watering hole. The artificial beach is patrolled by lifeguards six days a week and is free to the public. After taking a dip at the beach, dive into a meal at the South Bank Surf Club and continue to enjoy amazing views of the city. While you can't surf at Streets Beach, the South Bank Surf Club is making waves on the Brisbane casual dining scene serving a menu that defies traditional surf club fare. Think fresh seasonal seafood, BBQ pork ribs, grass-fed Cape Grim scotch fillet, creme brulee, and not a schnitty in sight. 30a Stanley Plaza Parklands, South Brisbane LA MACELLERIA GELATERIA A scoop (or two) of cold, creamy and utterly delicious gelato from La Macelleria will have you mistaking Teneriffe for the cobblestone streets of Rome. Cup or cone? Gelato, sorbet or granita? The choices are tough. Arguably the best gelato in Brisbane, it boasts classic flavours like pistachio, espresso and hazelnut scooped alongside special creations whipped up by the two boys from Bologna. Just one lick and you'll be screaming amore. 29 Florence Street, Teneriffe SOLEIL POOL BAR Soleil Pool Bar might just be the hottest new spot to stay cool around town this summer. The digs previously known as Bacchus Pool Bar have been renovated, revamped and relaunched to celebrate the sun that shines brightly over the River City. An extensive cocktail list will be guaranteed to quench your thirst as you lounge by the pool and listen to the sounds of summer. Corner of Grey and Glenelg Streets, South Brisbane SPRING HILL BATHS Don your cossie in the vivaciously coloured Victorian changing cubicles and make a splash at Brisbane's heritage-listed Spring Hill Baths. Holding the title as the oldest surviving swimming baths in the Southern Hemisphere, the 23.43 metre aqua-blue pool and wooden grandstand seating exude old world charm. The baths are suitable for all swimmers from those learning to swim to those staying fit or just trying to keep cool. 14 Torrington Street, Spring Hill NEW FARM CINEMAS Air-conditioning — check. Entertainment – check. Ice cream – check. The New Farm Cinemas are the perfect place to escape the sweltering sun on a hot summer's day. Chill out in comfort at the recently renovated, retro-style cinemas and catch the latest blockbusters or a flashback film. The Purple Bar and Lounge serve light snacks and beverages to be enjoyed in front of the big screen, and Scoop Café and Gelato Bar stock goodies from neighbourhood favourites Dello Mano and La Macelleria. 701 Brunswick Street, New Farm WOOLLY MAMMOTH ALEHOUSE Boasting Queensland's largest selection of craft beer, the Woolly Mammoth Alehouse in Fortitude Valley is the place to stay hydrated this summer. With a beastly 23 beers on tap (rotating small-release batches), a decent cocktail list and wines by the glass or bottle, a summer's afternoon is likely to melt away faster than the ice age. A plentiful share menu will whet your appetite while you stay entertained with indoor bocce, giant Jenga, shuffleboard and live music across three distinct spaces within the beer hall. 633 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley QPAC Queensland Performing Arts Centre is a haven on a hot day (or night), as ice-cold air-conditioning meets live entertainment. Their December lineup includes smash-hit musical Les Miserables as well as the Queensland Ballet's performance of The Nutcracker. Grey Street, South Brisbane BRISBANE CITY COUNCIL POOLS With 20 council pools splashed across the city, there is no shortage of H2O to dive into. Depending on your 'hood you'll find facilities that cater for learn to swim, stroke development, water polo, aqua aerobics and cooling off. Some pools offer slides and play equipment, barbecues and kiosks. Grab your cap, goggles and Speedos, and head down to your local pool. We've rounded up our favourite outdoor swimming pools across the city here. Locations across Brisbane QAGOMA The Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art are wonderfully airconditioned spaces that offer Brisbanites the chance to engage with Australian and international exhibitions. Both galleries hang a combination of permanent and visiting exhibitions, many of which can be enjoyed for free. And if art ain't your thing, maybe science is. Try the Sciencentre at the Queensland Museum — it's also air conditioned. Stanley Place, South Bank ACAI BOWL CRAWL Whats cooler than being cool? Acai. That little purple berry is right on trend as a #superfood of the moment. We've compiled a list of our favourites to get you through the hot days. But hey, if clean eating is not your game, the infamous CP Milkshake Crawl should be added to your foodie bucket list asap to get you milk drunk on a lazy day.
When the UNESCO's World Heritage Committee sends some attention Australia's way, it often comes bearing good news. Back in 2019, it added the stunning Budj Bim Cultural Landscape to the World Heritage List, for instance. The body has also given Kakadu National Park, K'gari, the Tasmanian wilderness, the Greater Blue Mountains area, the Sydney Opera House, and the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens the same status, too — and, among 20 Aussie places that've earned a spot on the list, the Great Barrier Reef as well. At the moment, the organisation has turned its focus to the Great Barrier Reef again. This time, though, it's doing something other than highlighting its splendours. In a new report by the offshoot of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, the WHC has recommended that the coral reef system off the coast of Queensland should be added to the list of world heritage sites that are in danger. Explaining its rationale, the WHC said that "the long-term outlook for the ecosystem of the property has further deteriorated from poor to very poor" since 2015, and that it has "suffered significantly from coral bleaching events in 2016, 2017 and most recently in 2020, as a result of global warming." It noted that in the past five years, "both the current condition and the long-term outlook for the property have deteriorated. Therefore, there is no possible doubt that the property is facing ascertained danger." The Australian and Queensland governments have a Great Barrier Reef policy — the Reef 2050 Plan — which outlines how they're working to protect and manage the reef until the middle of this century. But the WHC noted that so far "progress has been insufficient in meeting key targets." It also stated that the plan "requires stronger and clearer commitments, in particular towards urgently countering the effects of climate change, but also towards accelerating water quality improvement and land management measures. The widespread effects of the consecutive coral bleaching events further add to the significant concerns regarding the future of the property." [caption id="attachment_796501" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] The Guardian reports that if the recommendation to place the Great Barrier Reef on the in danger list goes ahead, Australia will be a pioneer in all the wrong ways — because it'll mark the first time that a natural world heritage site has been classed as "in danger" primarily due to climate change. UNESCO has asked Australia to work with the WHC to "address the threat posed to the property by climate change and determine a pathway for accelerated actions in other areas affecting the conservation of the property"; however, Federal Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley has said that the country will challenge the draft reef recommendation. "I agree that global climate change is the single biggest threat to the world's reefs but it is wrong, in our view, to single out the best managed reef in the world for an 'in danger' listing," the Minister said in a statement. To read the full UNESCO World Heritage Committee report head to the UNESCO website.
The year: 1943. The place: America. The sport: baseball. Misty faces: apparently not allowed. Yes, there's no crying in baseball, again — and yes, after proving a hit on the big screen back in 1992, A League of Their Own is back as an eight-part streaming remake with those firm thoughts about waterworks still intact. That said, in both versions, there definitely are tears in the sport. Someone proclaims there shouldn't be, although Tom Hanks doesn't do the honours the time around. And, when it arrives in Prime Video's series, which is streaming its first season in full from Friday, August 12, that line isn't code for the entire perspective that A League of Their Own is rallying against: that the bat-swinging pastime isn't for women anyway. The new A League of Their Own's characters are still forced to deal with that abhorrent view, however. The same storyline, and the same societal journey — starting with horrified newspaper editorials about the masculinisation of women, then building to excited crowds embracing the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League — slides through the show's frames, too. Indeed, much is familiar, including a small-town star catcher chasing her lifelong dream while her husband serves in the Second World War, a ragtag group of other women living their fantasies as well, a world that sees them as a joke and a male manager who used to be a major star but is only in this gig to restart his own career. But Broad City's Abbi Jacobson, who leads, co-writes and co-created this A League of Their Own, helps ensure that the series broadens its playing field. Bringing the show to fruition with Mozart in the Jungle's Will Graham, she anchors a do-over that covers a far wider range of bases. In the original Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Madonna and Rosie O'Donnell-starring film — which did initially spark a short-lived TV spinoff in 1993, continuing the movie's story but without its best-known stars — a pivotal moment happens early. Alas, it lasts mere seconds and doesn't go anywhere. At the Chicago AAGPBL tryouts, a Black woman (DeLisa Chinn-Tyler) tosses back an overthrown ball, and it's clear that she isn't permitted to be a part of this realm. A League of Their Own circa 2022 takes this idea and keeps lobbing it, dedicating half of its time to Max Chapman (Chanté Adams, Voyagers). While an immensely talented pitcher, she isn't allowed to audition, let alone play, due to her race. Back home in Rockford, she can't get a game either because she's a woman, even when she takes a job at the town screw factory in the hopes of joining the company team. Max's attempts to even get on the mound, a quest that's supported by her comic book-loving best friend Clance Morgan (Gbemisola Ikumelo, The Power) but frowned upon by her salon-owning mother Toni (Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Better Call Saul), are as much a focus as the Rockford Peaches' on- and off-field exploits. That's the team that the anxious Carson Shaw (Jacobson) is recruited to alongside lifelong pals Greta Gill (D'Arcy Carden, The Good Place) and Jo De Luca (Melanie Field, The Alienist) — plus everyone from non-nonsense pitcher Lupe Garcia (Roberta Colindrez, Vida) and the similarly dedicated Jess McCready (Kelly McCormack, George & Tammy) through to fellow teammates Esti González (Priscilla Delgado, Julieta), Maybelle Fox (Molly Ephraim, Perry Mason) and Shirley Cohen (Kate Berlant, Search Party). Just as in the OG movie, the Peaches' path to baseball success is bumpy. A chaperone (Dale Dickey, Palm Springs) oversees their every move, enforcing rules about drinking, dating and not wearing pants in public — and manager Dove Porter (Nick Offerman, The Resort) mightn't be the drunk that the film's equivalent was, but he also doesn't take the team seriously. Deportment lessons and makeovers are more important to the higher-ups than gameplay, and the whole league just a way for a candy bar mogul (Kevin Dunn, King Richard) to sell tickets to his baseball field while male baseballers are off at war. That's A League of Their Own's overall framework, which tweaks specific character beats but sticks to the same general match plan as its predecessor. Fleshing out the details couldn't be more important, thankfully, including exploring the reality of being a queer woman in the era. Again, that's a glaring omission in the 1992 feature — a beloved sports comedy by director Penny Marshall (Big) that's warm, spirited and charming, yet only nods to queer players via subtext. The new series is determined to redress that gap, exploring same-sex relationships across both Carson and Max's halves of the show, and painting a clear portrait of how fraught life was at the time if you were anything other than a straight, white, married and stereotypically feminine homemaker. Being more inclusive and honest can't lift a remake all on its own; however, it gives this batch of A League of Their Own characters more depth and emotional resonance. In all of its guises, this has always been a story about finding and owning your own park, and surveying the wide array of obstacles in these women's ways — not just sexism, but racism and homophobia as well — is crucial in providing the full picture. Making A League of Their Own today but keeping 1990s or 1940s sensibilities would've been pointless, of course. In what proves a worthy extra innings, there's never any doubt that the new series is firmly a 2022 creation, as echos through in its dialogue. Rather than feeling anachronistic, even in big speeches that encourage the team to make things epic, it helps build the sense that Carson, Max, their respective pals and their individual plights weren't ever allowed to fit in neatly at the time. It also befits a show that reconsiders as much as it remakes its source material, and that has more than a little in common with another unrelated streaming effort about women finding themselves while navigating a traditionally male-dominated sport: the cancelled-too-soon wrestling-focused Netflix gem GLOW. A League of Their Own's gorgeous ladies of baseball span an impressive cast — so much so that the series deserves a second season to bring them all back. Jacobson's first starring role after Broad City isn't a stretch, but her brand of awkwardness and uncertainty also wasn't a twenty-first century invention, something else this show implicitly acknowledges. A separate program could've been made around Adams and the scene-stealing Ikumelo, even without the A League of Their Own brand attached. And Carden continues to improve everything she's in, including when it's already excellent (see also: The Good Place, naturally, and also Barry and her one-episode part in Killing It). Colindrez, McCormack, Dickey, Berlant: they hit it out of the park, too. Being glad that A League of Their Own has a heartfelt show of its own with them in it, and roving fresh eyes over the past, is as easy as cheering for a home run. Check out the trailer for A League of Their Own below: A League of Their Own streams via Prime Video from Friday, August 12.
New year, new plans to eat healthier. Yes, we all know how resolutions go. And if you're kicking things off by ditching meat — altogether, or just by trying to work more plant-based options into your meals — but you don't want to cook each and every dish that you tuck into, Deliveroo has announced a handy special to start 2022. Until Monday, January 31, the delivery service is offering Australians free delivery from more than 1500 local restaurants, but only if you're ordering plant-based fare. Looking for an excuse to munch on a fried cauliflower burger from Mary's, one of Zeus Street Greek's pitas with plant-based lamb, Katsu King's vegan katsu curries or a classic vegan burg from Betty's Burgers? We've just found it. Other eateries involved include Huxtaburger, MadMex, Fishbowl, Grease Monkey and Grill'd, plus Oriental Teahouse, Royal Stacks, Grassfed, I Love Pizza and Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers. Obviously, the list goes on. Odds are that if you can think of a dish that doesn't include meat, it's part of the deal somewhere around the country. Of course, whichever plant-based dish you choose, you'll still need to pay for whatever you'd like to eat; however, you won't have to fork out more on top to get it brought to your door. Deliveroo is calling the special 'veganuary' — and, as you usually do, you'll need to place your order via the Deliveroo app. Deliveroo's free delivery on plant-based dishes on offer until Monday, January 31 Australia-wide via the Deliveroo app.
In one of the standout movies of 2014 — in 2015 Down Under, based on when it hit cinemas locally beyond film festivals — an escapable supernatural force just kept coming. Once it had you in its sights, this presence wasn't just creepy and unsettling; it was single-minded and unrelenting. The flick: It Follows. The ominous evil: the eponymous 'it', which latched onto the sexually active, passing from person to person when they slipped between the sheets. A decade later, it's about to have company in sequel They Follow. US distributor and studio Neon has announced that It Follows is scoring a follow-up, and that two key figures are returning as well: filmmaker David Robert Mitchell and star Maika Monroe. As The Hollywood Reporter and Variety report, the pair are reteaming for a second stint of sex bringing about death thanks to one helluva cursed chain of events. View this post on Instagram A post shared by NEON (@neonrated) In the first movie, The Guest and The Bling Ring's Monroe played 19-year-old Jay Height, who got intimate with her boyfriend, found herself saddled with more than morning-after regret, then enlisted her sister, friends and neighbours to try to fight back. While Monroe will reprise her role, nothing has been revealed regarding They Follow's storyline, or anything else but Mitchell's involvement, apart from the tagline: "it's everywhere". Exactly when you'll be watching They Follow hasn't been announced, either, other than that it's coming soon. Fingers crossed that Disasterpiece (Bodies Bodies Bodies, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On) will be back on score duties, after doing such a fantastic job on the first film. After It Follows, which debuted at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, Monroe's career has taken her to The 5th Wave, Independence Day: Resurgence, Greta and Honey Boy — and the episodic The Stranger as well. Writer/director Mitchell made his second movie with It Follows, with 2010's The Myth of the American Sleepover already on his resume first, then helmed 2018's also-excellent Under the Silver Lake. There's no trailer yet for They Follow, obviously, but you can check out the trailer for It Follows below: They Follow doesn't yet have a release date, but we'll update you when it does. Via The Hollywood Reporter / Variety.
Move aside turmeric, matcha and beetroot — the next controversial coffee trend to look out for involves an unassuming little veggie called broccoli. Yep, the green stuff could soon star on coffee menus across the country, thanks to an innovative broccoli powder created by teams at Hort Innovation and the CSIRO. The product is crafted from those imperfect-looking vegetables that would otherwise be binned, and is designed to help everyday Aussies infuse more nutrients into their diets. Packed full of fibre, protein and phytochemicals, the 100 percent broccoli powder also sounds like a pretty nifty way to sneak some greens onto your kids plates. As well as being used as a key ingredient for a range of packaged snacks unveiled during last year's National Science Week, the powder also looks set to elbow its way onto the Australian coffee scene. It was recently trialled at Mornington's Commonfolk — a sustainability focused coffee roaster and cafe that's aiming towards a zero-waste existence — though, with mixed response from customers. Image credit: CSIRO
The phrase "stand and deliver" gets stuck in your head quickly while watching The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin, thanks to both its theme tune and its dialogue. That's to be expected with a show about a real-life highwayman — albeit a highly fictionalised version, and a series that's definitely a comedy. Those pivotal three words also apply to Apple TV+'s approach to the program's future. After the initial season tickled funny bones with The Mighty Boosh's Noel Fielding in the titular role, the streaming platform has announced that it's standing up and delivering a second season. Take a historical figure, but someone from several centuries back who isn't a worldwide household name. Use them as the basis for a comedy series that doesn't promise to stick to the facts for a second. And, enlist famous hilarity-inspiring folks to tell the tale. The above description summed up Our Flag Means Death, which has sadly departed the streaming seas after being cancelled following a two-season run. Now, since March 2024, it also fits The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin. Where Our Flag Means Death's Stede Bonnet was an 18th-century pirate, The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin's namesake stuck to land in the same era as a highwayman. You can look up how his story turned out, or you can enjoy how the series gives it the absurdist comic treatment as it follows Turpin and his gang of fellow rogues — across its already-available first season and, although no release date has been revealed so far, soon also in its second. Working in plenty of dick jokes — well, it is the show's main character's moniker — is high on The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin's agenda. So is Fielding in his usual comic mode, as seen on The Great British Bake Off and Never Mind the Buzzcocks as well. Turpin's quest: to evade the corrupt Jonathan Wilde (Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey: A New Era), who fancies himself as a thief-taker, and just generally stay alive. And if you're wondering what kind of antics that inspires, Fielding is also one of the series' writers, so anything and everything can and does happen. Wild costume changes were always going to be a given. So was Fielding playing charming but chaotic. "I know what you're thinking: who is this guy with the incredible cheek bones? Where does he get his hair done? One day, I'll be the most-famous highway man in all of England," Turpin tells a crowd to start of the show's season-one trailer — only for it to be revealed that he's standing on a gallows, about to be hanged. Joining Fielding in the cast: Ellie White (Wonka), Marc Wootton (High & Dry), Duayne Boachie (You Don't Know Me), Tamsin Greig (Sexy Beast), Asim Chaudhry (Barbie), Dolly Wells (The Outlaws) and Joe Wilkinson (Sex Education) — and also Noel's brother Michael (also The Mighty Boosh) and his Never Mind the Buzzcocks host Greg Davies (The Cleaner). There's obviously no trailer for season two of The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin yet, but check out the trailer for season one below: The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin streams via Apple TV+ We'll update you with a release date for season two when one is announced. Read our review of season one.
When all else fails, escape into cinema: that's the movie-lover's mantra. There's nothing quite like staring at the silver screen in a cavernous theatre, soaking in its shimmering sights with nothing else but darkness around you and communing with the artform as it flickers by at 24 frames per second. And, that's a truth that remained intact in 2021, even with temporary pandemic-induced cinema closures once again part of our reality for another year. As anyone who yearned to watch a film somewhere other than their own couch knows — to revel in the escape that only these celluloid dreams bring, too — absence definitely makes the heart grow fonder. Whether picture palaces near you were up and running or affected by lockdowns, they still screened a wealth of fantastic movies in 2021. They showed terrible ones as well, but that always comes with the territory. We watched and reviewed them all each week no matter what, exceptional and terrible alike, and somehow managed to whittle all the standout flicks down to this: our picks for the year's 12 absolute best movies. 2021 might've been another swirl of chaos in general, but movie magic always delivers. THE POWER OF THE DOG Don't call it a comeback: Jane Campion's films have been absent from cinemas for 12 years but, due to miniseries Top of the Lake, she hasn't been biding her time in that gap. And don't call it simply returning to familiar territory, even if the New Zealand director's new movie features an ivory-tinkling woman caught between cruel and sensitive men, as her Cannes Palme d'Or-winner The Piano did three decades ago. Campion isn't rallying after a dip, just as she isn't repeating herself. She's never helmed anything less than stellar, and she's immensely capable of unearthing rich new pastures in well-ploughed terrain. With The Power of the Dog, Campion is at the height of her skills trotting into her latest mesmerising musing on strength, desire and isolation — this time via a venomous western that's as perilously bewitching as its mountainous backdrop. That setting is Montana, circa 1925. Campion's homeland stands in for America nearly a century ago, making a magnificent sight — with cinematographer Ari Wegner (Zola, True History of the Kelly Gang) perceptively spying danger in its craggy peaks and dusty plains even before the film introduces Rose and Peter Gordon (On Becoming a God in Central Florida's Kirsten Dunst and 2067's Kodi Smit-McPhee). When the widowed innkeeper and her teenage son serve rancher brothers Phil and George Burbank (Spider-Man: No Way Home's Benedict Cumberbatch a career-best, awards-worthy, downright phenomenal turn, plus Antlers' Jesse Plemons) during a cattle-run stop, the encounter seesaws from callousness to kindness, a dynamic that continues after Rose marries George and decamps to the Burbank mansion against that stunning backdrop. Brutal to the lanky, lisping Peter from the outset, Phil responds to the nuptials with malice. He isn't fond of change, and won't accommodate anything that fails his bristling definition of masculinity and power, either. Read our full review. FIRST COW Gone are the days when every image that flickered across the screen did so within an almost square-shaped frame. So, when a director today fits their visuals into a much tighter space than the now-expansive norm, it's an intentional choice. They're not just nodding to the past, even if their film takes place in times gone by. With First Cow, for instance, Kelly Reichardt unfurls a story set in 19th-century America, but she's also honing her audience's focus. The Certain Women filmmaker wants those guiding their eyeballs towards this exquisite movie to truly survey everything that it peers at, to see its central characters — chef Otis 'Cookie' Figowitz (John Magaro, Overlord) and Chinese entrepreneur King-Lu (Orion Lee, Zack Snyder's Justice League) — and to realise that neither are ever afforded such attention by the others in their fictional midst. There's much to take in throughout this magnificently told tale, which heads to Oregon as most of Reichardt's movies have. In its own quiet, closely observed, deeply affectionate and warm-hearted fashion, First Cow is a heist movie, although the filmmaker's gentle and insightful spin on the usually slick and twist-filled genre bucks every convention there is. It first meets Cookie as he's searching for food, and meets King-Lu when Cookie helps him evade a group of Russians. The seeds of friendship are sown and, when the duo next crosses paths, they spend an alcohol-addled night sharing their respective ideas for the future. Those ambitious visions get a helping hand after the Chief Factor (Toby Jones, Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom) ships in the region's highly coveted first cow, with Cookie and King-Lu secretly milking the animal in the dark of night, then using the stolen liquid to make highly sought-after — and highly profitable — oily cakes. Read our full review. LICORICE PIZZA A Star Is Born has already graced the titles of four different films, and Licorice Pizza isn't one of them. Paul Thomas Anderson's ninth feature, and his loosest since Boogie Nights — his lightest since ever, too — does boast a memorable Bradley Cooper performance, though. That said, this 70s- and San Fernando Valley-set delight isn't quite about seeking fame, then navigating its joys and pitfalls, although child actors and Hollywood's ups and downs all figure into the narrative. Licorice Pizza definitely births two new on-screen talents, however, both putting in two of 2021's best performances and two of the finest-ever movie debuts. That's evident from the film's very first sublimely grainy 35-millimetre-shot moments, as Alana Haim of Haim (who PTA has directed several music videos for) and Cooper Hoffman (son of the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman, a PTA regular) do little more than chat, stroll and charm. The radiant Haim plays Alana Kane, a Valley dweller of 25 or 28 (her story changes) working as a photographer's assistant, which brings her to a Tarzana high school on yearbook picture day. Enter the smoothly assured Hoffman as 15-year-old Gary Valentine, who is instantly smitten and tries to wrangle a date. From there, Licorice Pizza charts the pair's friendship as it circles and swirls, and as they often sprint towards each other — chronicling everything else going on in the San Fernando Valley, where PTA himself grew up, too. The result is a shaggy slice-of-life film that Anderson has penned partly based on stories shared by Gary Goetzman, an ex-child talent turned frequent producer of Tom Hanks movies. Spanning everything from waterbed sales to high-tension truck drives — and child-acting stardom, gasoline shortages and mayoral campaigns as well — Anderson lets Licorice Pizza saunter along leisurely like it's just stepped out of the 70s itself, and coats it in that anything-can-happen vibe that only comes with youth. Read our full review. PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN Promising Young Woman would've made an excellent episode or season of Veronica Mars. That's meant as the highest compliment to both the bubblegum-hued take on the rape-revenge genre and the cult-status private detective series. Writer/director Emerald Fennell clearly isn't blind to the parallels between the two, even casting Veronica Mars stars Max Greenfield (New Girl) and Chris Lowell (GLOW) in her feature debut. Don't go thinking the Killing Eve season two showrunner and The Crown actor is simply following in other footsteps, though. At every moment, the brilliant and blistering Promising Young Woman vibrates with too much anger, energy and insight to merely be a copycat of something else. It's a film made with the savviest of choices, and provocative and downright fearless ones as well, in everything from its soundtrack to its weaponised pastel, peppy and popping Instagram-friendly imagery. Played by Carey Mulligan, and drawing upon her near-peerless ability to express complex internalised turmoil, Cassie Thomas is inebriated and alone at a nightclub when she's introduced. Three men discuss women over beverages by the bar, and notice Cassie while talking, with one commenting, "they put themselves in danger, girls like that". No woman brings sexual assault upon themselves, with this whole intelligent and astute revenge-thriller rebuffing the bro-ish bar guy's early observation in every way possible, and meting out punishment to those who think similarly. Cassie won't stand for such attitudes and, as she embarks upon a vigilante quest, the movie takes her to bold places. Boasting a relentlessness that mirrors the persistence of grief and pain after trauma, Promising Young Woman never lets its protagonist's rage subside, proving furious from start to finish — and sharing that feeling even in the film's most overt setups and obvious scenes (which are also some of its most entertaining) is a foregone conclusion. Read our full review. ANNETTE Dreamy and dazzling from its first moments, rock opera Annette bursts onto the screen with a question: "so may we start?". "Please do", fans of Holy Motors director Leos Carax should think to themselves, and devotees of Ron and Russell Mael as well — and yes the later, aka art-pop duo Sparks, are clearly having a moment in 2021 (see: The Sparks Brothers below). All three appear on-screen in Annette's opening, joined by Adam Driver (Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker), Marion Cotillard (We'll End Up Together) and Simon Helberg (The Big Bang Theory). In a glorious, song-fuelled, sing-and-walk scene, no one is playing a character yet, but they're all still playing a part. They're setting the vibe in a sensational way, and the tune is pure Sparks, with the pair both composing the movie's music and writing the feature itself with Carax. The tone bubbles with the duo's avant-garde sensibilities, too, and the whole song echoes with the promise of remarkable things to come. Nine years ago, Carax gave the world a once-in-a-lifetime gem. Annette is a different film to Holy Motors, obviously, but it gleams just as brightly and with the same beguiling, inimitable, all-encompassing allure. There's an ethereal, otherworldly quality to Carax's work — of heightening reality to truly understand how people feel and act, and of experimenting with artforms to interrogate them — and that sensation seeps through every second of his gleefully melodramatic musical, which deservedly won him the Cannes Film Festival's Best Director award. Everything about Annette has been turned up several notches on every setting, from its lush and lavish imagery to its cascade of toe-tapping, sung-through tunes that keep propelling the narrative forward. Every detail of that story has been amplified, too, as this tragic fairy tale follows standup comedian Henry McHenry (Driver), opera star Ann Defrasnoux's (Cotillard), their mismatched but passionate and all-consuming love, and their titular daughter — with the latter played by a marionette. Read our full review. NITRAM It's terrifying to contemplate something so gut-wrenchingly abominable as the bodies-in-barrels murders, which director Justin Kurzel and screenwriter Shaun Grant depicted in 2011's Snowtown, and to face the fact that people rather than evil were behind them. Nitram courts and provokes the same response. Exploring the events preceding the Port Arthur massacre, where 35 people were murdered and 23 others wounded in Tasmania in 1996, it focuses on something equally as ghastly, and similarly refuses to see the perpetrator as just a monster or a Hollywood horror movie-style foe. It too is difficult, distressing, disquieting and disturbing, understandably. In their third collaboration — with 2019's blazing True History of the Kelly Gang in the middle — Kurzel and Grant create another tricky masterpiece, in fact. That Nitram is about a person is one key reason for its brilliance. The film's core off-screen duo don't excuse their protagonist. They don't justify the unjustifiable, explain it, exploit it or provide neat answers to a near-unfathomable crime. Rather, they're careful in depicting the lone gunman responsible for Australia's worst single-shooter mass killing, right down to refusing to name him. In an exacting movie in every way possible, they also benefit from exceptional performances by Caleb Landry Jones (Finch) as the film's namesake, Judy Davis (Mystery Road) as his wearied mother, Anthony LaPaglia (Below) as his father and Essie Davis (The Justice of Bunny King) as his lottery heiress friend. Read our full review. THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD Sometimes, a performance just flat-out shakes and startles you — in a good way, that is. In her 2021 Cannes Film Festival Best Actress-winning role, Norwegian actor Renate Reinsve (Phoenix) turns in that type of complex, layered, no-holds-barred and relatable portrayal. She's magnificent, and thoroughly deserves all of the shiny trophies sent her way. She plays Julie, a young Oslo resident who doesn't ever earn The Worst Person in the World's title, but nonetheless pinballs through the mess of her millennial life. Across 12 chapters, plus a prologue and epilogue, almost everything about the character's existence changes within the mere four years that the movie focuses on: dreams, goals, studies, careers, loved ones, boyfriends (including Bergman Island's Anders Danielsen Lie), apartments, friends and her perception of herself. That aforementioned moniker stems from a comment that Julie spits her own way, actually, because she's often aware of her own chaos. Writer/director Joachim Trier (Thelma) is just as cognisant of how romantic dramedies like this tend to turn out, which both feeds and enables Reinsve's astonishing performance — because this isn't the usual cliche-riddled affair. Every rise and fall that comes Julie's way transcends tropes to contemplate what growing up, being an adult and forging a life is really like, including at both the sunniest and the most heartbreaking extremes. As a character study, The Worst Person in the World is a masterpiece. As a snapshot of an age and life stage, it's just as canny, insightful and excellent. Read our full review. TITANE Eye roll-inducingly terrible bumper stickers be damned; no one honks if they're horny in Titane. Revving when aroused is more this petrol-doused body-horror film's style, spanning characters both flesh and chrome. When she's seen writhing in fishnets atop a flame-adorned vintage Cadillac, the stony-gazed Alexia (debutant Agathe Rousselle) is working. She's titillating a Fast and Furious-style car crowd with her sexed-up display, but the car model still seems to hum with every gyration. After wrapping up, murdering a grab-happy fan with the metal chopstick keeping her hair up and then showering off the gooey, gory evidence, she's soon purring rhythmically inside that gleaming vehicle. Yes, in a plot detail that spilled the instant Titane premiered at this year's Cannes Film Festival, where it won the prestigious Palme d'Or, this is the French car sex flick. How does someone fornicate with an automobile? In her sophomore effort after the also-phenomenal teen cannibal film Raw, writer/director Julia Ducournau isn't too interested in those specifics. Instead, she's more concerned with shrewdly linking mechanophilia with agency and control, particularly over one's feelings and body. Her narrative starts its drive in Alexia's childhood, then speeds forward to her time as a fugitive posing as a fire chief's (Vincent Lindon, At War) long-missing son — and proves not just the French car sex film, nor merely a car sex movie about a woman partly forged from titanium (and with a penchant for piercing her way through those who block her road), but a ferocious and unflinching thriller that's also beautiful, tender and compassionate. If Ducournau had made her script out of metal, she'd be moulding it in its molten form. If her feature was a car instead, it'd be that libidinous, fire-emblazoned Cadillac, which arrives with a bang, lures Alexia in and then lets loose. Read our full review. THE SPARKS BROTHERS "All I do now is dick around" is an exquisite song lyric and, in Sparks' 2006 single 'Dick Around', it's sung with the operatic enthusiasm it demands. It's also a line that resounds with both humour and truth when uttered by Russell Mael, who, with elder brother Ron, has been crafting art-pop ditties as irreverent and melodic as this wonderful track since 1969. Sparks haven't been dicking around over that lengthy period. They currently have 25 albums to their name, and they've taken on almost every genre of music there is in their highly acerbic fashion. That said, their tunes are clearly the biggest labour of love possible, especially as the enigmatic duo has always lingered outside the mainstream. They're the band that all your favourite bands, actors and comedians can't get enough of, but they're hardly a household name — and yet, decade after decade, the Maels have kept playing around to make the smart, hilarious and offbeat songs they obviously personally adore. Everyone else should love Sparks' idiosyncratic earworms as well — and, even for those who've never heard of the band before, that's the outcome after watching The Sparks Brothers. Edgar Wright, one of the group's unabashed super fans, has turned his overflowing affection into an exceptional documentary. It's the Shaun of the Dead, Baby Driver and Last Night in Soho director's first factual effort, and it's even more charming and delightful than the films he's best known for. That said, it'd be hard to mess up a movie about Sparks, purely given how much material there is to work with. Russell and Ron, the former sporting shaggier hair and the latter donning a pencil-thin moustache rather than the Charlie Chaplin-style top lip he's brandished for much of his career, are also heavenly interviewees. That's the thing about these now-septuagenarian siblings, every Sparks tune they've ever blasted out into the world, and this comprehensive yet always accessible film that's instantly one of 2021's best: they're all joyously, fabulously, eccentrically fun to an infectious and buoyant degree. Read our full review. THE LOST DAUGHTER Watching Olivia Colman play a complicated woman is like staring at the ocean: it's never the same twice, it couldn't be more unpredictable, and all that surface texture bobs, floats, swells, gleams and glides atop leagues of unseen complexity. It's fitting, then, that The Lost Daughter tasks The Favourite Oscar-winner with glaring at the sea, and doing so both intently and often. A necessity of the narrative, as penned on the page by My Brilliant Friend's Elena Ferrante and adapted for the screen by actor-turned-filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal, it's a touch that washes through the movie with extra force due to its star. Colman plays literature professor Leda, who fills much of her time peering at the water as she summers on a Greek island — and getting caught up in the lives of Nina (Dakota Johnson, The Nowhere Inn) and her frequently screaming toddler. While both gazing at the waves and taking in the onshore domestic dramas, Leda sees her own ebbs, flows, thorns and flaws reflected back. The idea that bringing life into the world isn't the existence-defining triumph of femininity it's sugar-coated as doesn't simply sit at the heart of Ferrante's novel and Gyllenhaal's debut stint behind the lens; from the instant that Colman is seen collapsing on the pebble-strewn shoreline in the picture's opening, it laps over The Lost Daughter's every moment. As seen in its present-day storyline and its flashbacks to the past (with I'm Thinking of Ending Things' Jessie Buckley as Leda), its protagonist is a woman haunted by everything having kids has brought, as well as guilt-stricken by all that's followed — and this bold and affecting movie confronts that rocky truth. For any director, this is audacious and intricate terrain, but Gyllenhaal proves as exceptional and daring a filmmaker as she is a performer. Read our full review. BAD LUCK BANGING OR LOONY PORN Banging is the certainly word for it; when Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn begins, it's with high school teacher Emi (Katia Pascariu, Beyond the Hills) and her camera-wielding husband Eugen (first-timer Stefan Steel) having loud, enthusiastic, pink wig-wearing sex — and filming it. Romanian writer/ director Radu Jude (I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians) shows the explicit three-minute snippet of footage as others will see it, because others will indeed see it: the students at Emi's school, their parents and her fellow teachers among them. All genitalia and thrusting and lustful talk (and shouted queries through the door from whoever is looking after the couple's child), this graphic opening also makes a firm statement. So many people within the film's frames will take issue with it as vocally as Emi and her partner are enjoying themselves — and they're unmistakably enjoying themselves — but Jude definitely isn't one of them. What follows is a razor-sharp satire of a world that's so indifferent to so much, but so unaccepting of carnality. The film wields that notion as a weapon, all as Emi and Bucharest's other residents also navigate the pandemic. In the cinema verite-style first section, Emi rushes around the city on foot, learning of the sex tape backlash while surrounded by everyday hostilities and vulgarities. Next, Jude unleashes scathing and playful cine-essay snippets about Romania's past, the planet's present, human behaviour, and how porn is used as both a scapegoat and anaesthetic. Then, Emi is interrogated by parents and teachers, their judgement and hypocrisy on full display — in the climax to an already brilliant, biting and bleakly hilarious achievement. Read our full review. DUNE A spice-war space opera about feuding houses on far-flung planets, Dune has long been a pop-culture building block. Before Frank Herbert's 1965 novel was adapted into a wrongly reviled David Lynch-directed film — a gloriously 80s epic led by Kyle MacLachlan and laced with surreal touches — it unmistakably inspired Star Wars, and also cast a shadow over Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Game of Thrones has since taken cues from it. The Riddick franchise owes it a debt, too. The list goes on and, thanks to the new version bringing its sandy deserts to cinemas, will only keep growing. As he did with Blade Runner 2049, writer/director Denis Villeneuve has once again grasped something already enormously influential, peered at it with astute eyes and built it anew — and created an instant sci-fi classic. This time, Villeneuve isn't asking viewers to ponder whether androids dream of electric sheep, but if humanity can ever overcome one of our worst urges and all that it brings. With an exceptional cast that spans Timothée Chalamet (The French Dispatch), Oscar Isaac (The Card Counter), Rebecca Ferguson (Reminiscence), Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Josh Brolin (Avengers: Endgame), Javier Bardem (Everybody Knows), Zendaya (Spider-Man: No Way Home) and more, Dune tells of birthrights, prophesied messiahs, secret sisterhood sects that underpin the galaxy and phallic-looking giant sandworms, and of the primal lust for power that's as old as time — and, in Herbert's story, echoes well into the future's future. Its unpacking of dominance and command piles on colonial oppression, authoritarianism, greed, ecological calamity and religious fervour, like it is building a sandcastle out of power's nastiest ramifications. And, amid that weightiness — plus those spectacularly shot visuals and Hans Zimmer's throbbing score — it's also a tale of a moody teen with mind-control abilities struggling with what's expected versus what's right. Read our full review. These are our 12 favourite films of 2021 — but the year was filled with plenty of other excellent movies. We've also put together lists of the best films hardly anyone saw this year, the best straight-to-streaming movies and the other standouts from 2021 that you should catch up on over summer. Don't say you don't have anything to watch.
Catharsis is crucial in filmmaking, as Jon Favreau clearly knows. The writer, director and star emerges from big-budget cinema to return to the smaller side of Hollywood, seemingly purging his demons and addressing his disappointments in the process. Favreau started his stint behind the lens with Made, and last helmed the underwhelming Cowboys & Aliens, but is best known for Iron Man and Iron Man 2. This journey informs Chef, complete with commentary on the perils of fame, the difficulties of criticism in the digital age, and the creative corruption that comes with working for the big end of town. The parallels are easy and obvious. In Chef, Carl Casper (Favreau) has toiled from humble beginnings to become Los Angeles' premier culinary artist, but a decade working for a profit-focused restaurateur (Dustin Hoffman) sees his menus branded safe, not daring. A scathing review by a prominent food blogger (Oliver Platt) calls out his creative malaise, swirling into a storm of negative press and social media that ushers him out of a job. At first, Carl resists the encouragement of his ex-wife (Sofia Vergara) to start his own food van. Soon, he's rediscovering his passion for cooking and reconnecting with his ten-year-old son, Percy (Emjay Anthony), in a road trip across the continent. With the heavy-handed correlations between Favreau's own fortunes and his on-screen alter ego evident, Chef is the filmmaker's opportunity to assemble something reduced in stature but substantial in content. Every aspect of the film reinforces the connection, not just in the narrative that shouts its thematic similarity, the informal aesthetic that rallies against special effects-driven efforts or the indulgent running time, but also in the brief appearances from fellow Marvel alumni Robert Downey Jr and Scarlett Johansson, worlds away from their franchise outings. Though the statement of Chef could have easily overpowered any involvement with the characters, Favreau fleshes out Casper's relationship with the idolising Percy in the film's strongest emotional arc. Understated performances also sell the fictional scenario beyond its autobiographical subtext, with the filmmaker leisurely affable in a rare lead role, and youngster Anthony empathetic but not overly sentimental. Laidback turns from Bobby Cannavale and John Leguizamo round out the likeable cast. As blunt and predictable as it always is, Favreau's offering proves appetising in the undemanding manner of the food trucks it covets — and repeatedly invites the comparison. Fine ingredients abound, including finessed visuals of enticing meals on par with the best food-centric efforts; however, poise and polish are swapped for a handmade feel and celebratory outcome. Gourmet filmmaking this isn't, but nor is it a fast food confection. Instead, the therapeutic and thoughtful Chef serves up palatable passion that's pleasantly rough around the edges. https://youtube.com/watch?v=PZ6e51-ie7w
It's time to hit the galleries, as The National has returned. Having launched in 2017, the massive biennial showcase of contemporary Australian art exhibition is again happening across Carriageworks, the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and the Art Gallery of NSW. This year, the program features works from 65 emerging, mid-career and established artists in three incredibly thought-provoking and impressive exhibitions. The showcase brings together artists from all over the country, with fresh perspectives on Australia that span culture, gender and place. Expect installations, performances, sculptures, videos, paintings and drawings that examine what it means to be Australian. Here are ten highlights that you can't miss. [caption id="attachment_714608" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Zan Wimberley.[/caption] GHOST LINE BY TOM MÙLLER, CARRIAGEWORKS When you're checking out the exhibition at Carriageworks, be sure to stand outside at 11am and 4pm, when Ghost Line is activated. The installation transports viewers back in time to the days when Carriageworks was the Eveleigh Railway Workshops. The entire laneway is flooded with smoke, to the point where your view of your surroundings is completely obscured. Suddenly, it really seems as if a steam train is about to pull in, making a grand return to the old tracks that still line the path. It's a surprisingly simple yet disorienting experience, making this site-specific performance a must-see. Ghost Line is activated at 11am and 4pm every day. [caption id="attachment_714595" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Zan Wimberley.[/caption] (DIS)ORDER BY EUGENIA RASKOPOULOS, CARRIAGEWORKS Eugenia Raskopoulos' (dis)order takes on many layers. Part projected performance and part installation, the artwork instantly draws the viewer into the scene. On a life-like projection, Raskopoulos hovers over a tower of domestic appliances, then throws them one at a time onto (what seems like) a growing pile of broken junk. Of course, this pile is not growing, but, you cannot help but cringe with each perfectly timed crash. On the wall opposite, a neon sign blinks between 'order' and 'disorder', showing the thin line between those two states. The overall effect is an immersive, timely and defiant feminist performance that will keep you watching for far too long. [caption id="attachment_714751" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Zan Wimberley.[/caption] SONG FOR VON GUÉRARD BY MARK SHORTER, CARRIAGEWORKS Hidden at the back down several pitch black corridors, Song For von Guérard is easy to miss — and, depending on how easily you're disturbed, you may wish you had. Mark Shorter's piece is inspired by the 1863 Australian landscape painting by Austrian painter Eugene von Guérard titled North-east view from the northern top of Mount Kosciusko. It's a comment on how modern Australian identity has been defined by exaggerated European ideas of our country. Traverse the cave-like rooms and you'll stumble into a dimly illuminated space where a replica of the painting spans an entire wall. But watch out, on performance days those dark chambers will be haunted by Shorter's time-travelling persona called Schleimgurgeln — he takes the disturbing form of a naked man covered in feathers with boiled eggs for eyes. The character will hold a lit match over the piece, physically destroying the colonial European gaze of Guérard's painting. It's strange, it's creepy and it challenges old notions of Australian identity. Performance times are noon–6pm on March 31; April 6, 20, 27; May 4, 18, 25; and June 1, 15, 22. [caption id="attachment_714637" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo by Jacquie Manning. Image courtesy of the artist and Mimili Maku Arts.[/caption] KAMANTAKU TJUKURPA WIYA BY KUNMANARA (MUMU MIKE) WILLIAMS, MCA Kamantaku Tjukurpa wiya is the last in a three-year series of paintings, all created on repurposed canvas mailbags. While this is the artist's largest work, its message is bigger still. A comment on the conflict between Commonwealth and Anangu law, the painting is an urgent demand for recognition of the enduring culture, languages, power and humanity of Tjukurpa — the religion, law and moral systems of the Anangu people. It's a politically charged work, centring on an outline of Australia that isn't restricted by state or territory. The words written in Pitjantjatjara need no translation — instead, these words call for respect of the language and for the true owners of the land. [caption id="attachment_714636" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo Jacquie Manning. Image courtesy of the artist and the MCA.[/caption] THE AUSTRALIAN UGLINESS BY EUGENIA LIM, MCA Remove your shoes and enter the domed 'fishbowl', in which a lineup of yellow bean bags imitate a mini-cinema. Lim's three-channel video installation The Australian Ugliness is a reinterpretation of Neptune's Fishbowl restaurant in South Yarra, designed by architect Robin Boyd. The film moves through 30 architectural sites in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and regional locations — these include the Sydney Opera House, the Sirius Building, the Melbourne Recital Centre and the Australian Islamic Centre. Apart from the buildings, the film's central figure is the gold-suited 'ambassador' of Lim's previous works Yellow Peril (2015) and The People's Currency (2017). In her work, Lim uses architecture to convey messages on gentrification and a loss of heritage, posing the question "who holds the right to design our spaces?" Her film calls on viewers to questions what architecture says about our culture and to learn to embody the spaces we inhabit. [caption id="attachment_714583" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo by Jacquie Manning. Image courtesy of the artist and the MCA.[/caption] FORT THUNDER BY LUCAS ABELA, MCA Fort Thunder: An Electro-Acoustic Playground is just what it sounds like. Artist Lucas Abela encourages participants to interact and quite literally play in his installation, which is a synthesiser that generates electronic noises as you touch it. These impromptu performances follow the artist's mantra that experiential music is meant to be played more than it is observed. The 'instrument' is best played with three points of contact, but is otherwise dependent on participants' creativity. Don't expect a trance-style sound to be emitted, either — it's more akin to an amplified rock 'n' roll guitar riff. This one is a loud and intense experience, but it's also a whole lot of fun. [caption id="attachment_712623" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Boud[/caption] LICK LICK BLINK BY WILLOH S. WEILAND, MCA Willoh S. Weiland's striking new work combines film, performance and breast-shaped gelato. Lick Lick Blink is a ten-minute cinema experience, that only one person can view at a time. The work is inspired by the #MeToo movement and examines how female images are consumed in film. Expect the screen to be solely occupied by women — a rarity in mainstream cinema. And, to take this experience to a more immersive level, Gelato Messina has created a range of breast-shaped, nipple-topped, milk-flavoured ice cream cones for participants to eat while figuratively devouring the female images on screen. The chocolate coating comes in a variety of shades, which is a reflection of the female diversity that is all too often absent in film. It's truly a trip to the movies like no other — make sure to check the performance schedule so you don't miss out on this one. Lick Lick Blink screenings are free, but booking is required in-person on the day at the MCA information desk (level one). For the full performance schedule, head online. [caption id="attachment_714586" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo by Jacquie Manning. Image courtesy of the artists and the MCA.[/caption] HEALA BY HANNAH BRONTË, MCA Hannah Brontë's powerful audio video installation Heala combines hip-hop with themes of trauma, Country and the womb. Brontë describes the installation as "swimming in one's grief, right down to the depths of it...[and] washing off our own trauma stories". The orange drapes are meant to replicate the light and feeling of being back in the womb, while a music video of sorts is projected in the centre. The work speaks to female trauma and empowerment within the First Nations communities and beyond. Her work examines traditions of First Nations women to tell a rhythmic story of what overcoming trauma can look like, and is a powerful reminder of female strength and resilience in the face of pain and loss. [caption id="attachment_714613" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Robert Andrew, Transitional text — Buru (2016).[/caption] A CONNECTIVE REVEAL BY ROBERT ANDREW, AGNSW This transient work changes throughout the exhibition's four months. The two soil pillars of A Connective Reveal each have a string attached, which is gradually pulling the pillars to pieces. As each layer is revealed, more and more soil falls to the ground around the work. The pillars speak to the ever-changing nature of First Nations cultures and identities, and challenge the assumptions that this culture is 'bound to the past'. Like the artwork, the First Nations past, present and future is in a constant state of motion. At the same time, the wall across from these pillars holds another artwork that gradually reveals the 'bleeding' Gadigal word buduwa — a term which refers to 'warming one's hands by the fire and then gently squeezing the fingers of another person'. The word marks a cultural refusal to be marginalised, stereotyped or ignored. As this piece develops slowly over time, it's best to view it several times throughout the exhibition months. The image above is of one of Andrew's previous works. [caption id="attachment_714770" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo by Mim Stirling. Image courtesy of the artist.[/caption] IRHAL (EXPEL), HOPE AND THE SORROW OF DISPLACEMENT BY RUSHDI ANWAR, AGNSW Rushdi Anwar's striking work speaks directly to his experience as a Kurdish refugee, having fled his hometown after a chemical massacre in 1988. Burnt chairs are piled unstably high, giving the sense that they could topple at any moment. The wreckage is a tribute to the ruin of displacement and a home denied. At the same time, the installation offers a message of hope, as the continually rising chairs resist their destruction — a show of strength and resilience. Anwar's installation is set against the only other artwork in the room, a series of collage prints by Eliza Hutchison, titled The difference between the eternal and the infinite. Her fractured images carry a pulse nearing chaos, creating a disorientation that then turns to confrontation in Anwar's work. Together, the two works create a dialogue about the precarious state of the modern world. The National runs from March 29–July 21 at the AGNSW and from March 29–June 23 at Carriageworks and the MCA. Top image: Mark Shorter, Song for von Guérard at Carriagworks. Photo by Zan Wimberley.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week announced "Australians have earned an early mark" for the work they'd done containing COVID-19 and the announcement of some eased restrictions would take place on Friday, May 8. That day has come and we now know a little more about what Australia's road to recovery will look like. After a national cabinet meeting today, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said "we're fighting this virus and we're winning", and he then outlined a three-step roadmap to a COVIDSafe Australia, with all three steps expected to be rolled out by July, 2020. Step one will "enable greater connection with friends and family", with the following allowed: Up to five visitors in your home, ten in businesses and public places Libraries, community centres, playgrounds and boot camps open Local and regional travel Shops, restaurants and cafes allowed to open, with a maximum of ten people at a time and one person per four square metres Step two, Morrison says, "will allow larger size gatherings up to 20 people, including for venues such as cinemas and galleries", ending with: "you'll be pleased to know, barre classes open once again." Gatherings of up to 20 people Gyms, beauty therapists, cinemas, theatres, amusement parks, galleries and museums open Caravan and camping grounds open Some interstate travel Step three, which will depend on the success of the previous steps, includes: Gatherings up to 100 people Nightclubs, food courts, saunas and bathhouses open All interstate travel Consider cross-Tasman, Pacific Island travel Those dreaming of an overseas jaunt will have noticed the roadmap does not include mention of international travel, except for to New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. On travel to other countries, the Prime Minister has said, "there's nothing on our radar which would see us opening up international travel in the foreseeable future." On the other three steps, the Prime Minister said the intention is by July "we will have moved through the three steps", but movement from one step to the next will depend on three criteria: testing, tracing and trapping. If all goes to plan, it's expected the country will move to the next step every three weeks. But, he has also warned that as restrictions are eased, "there will be outbreaks, there will be more cases, there will be set-backs". As has been the case throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the roadmap is a guideline and it's now up to the individual states and territory leaders to implement the steps — and amend the state laws — as they see fit. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has already announced that no restrictions will be eased before Mother's Day and Queensland will ease some public gathering restrictions from this Sunday. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has said no changes will be made until Monday. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Image: Kimberley Low
UPDATE: FRIDAY, JUNE 1 — To celebrate the release of the new batch of Bloody Shiraz Gin, Four Pillars will be giving keen drinkers a free taste of the stuff this Saturday, June 2 at bottle shops around the country. This includes the Oak Barrel, P&V Merchants and Paddington Cellars in Sydney; Mr West, Carwyn Cellars and Blackhearts & Sparrows in Melbourne; and The Cru and The Wine Emporium in Brisbane. See the full list (and tasting times) here. For the past three years, gin lovers across the country have tripped over themselves to get their spirit-loving fingers on a bottle of Four Pillars' Bloody Shiraz Gin — and that's before they've even had a sip of alcohol. The limited edition shiraz-infused concoction really is that good, so we thought you'd like to know that the next batch goes on sale this Friday, June 1. If you haven't come across the gin before, it's basically what it says on the label: gin infused with shiraz grapes. This gives the spirit a brilliant deep cerise colour and some sweet undertones (without a higher sugar content). That, along with its higher alcoholic content — 37.8 percent, compared to an average 25 percent in regular sloe gin — makes the Bloody Shiraz Gin a near-perfect specimen. Four Pillars created the game-changing gin back in 2015 when it came into a 250-kilogram load of shiraz grapes from the Yarra Valley. Experimenting, the Victorian distillers then steeped the grapes in their high-proof dry gin for eight weeks before pressing the fruit and blending it with the gin, and hoping like hell it would turn out well. It did. The last few batches have sold out really quick, so this year the distillery has acquired more shiraz to make more of the gin than ever before. Still, you'll need to move fast. The gin will go on sale for $85 this Friday, June 1 at selected bottle shops and online at fourpillarsgin.com.au. Godspeed.
When you hear about a company called Briefs, many connotations and guesses about what it could possibly be about spring to mind. For example: maybe it’s an underwear company, or perhaps they write official documents that ‘brief’ their superiors. One guess that I certainly didn’t have is that they are a male troupe of performers that put on a half circus, half burlesque show. However here we are, and that is what Briefs is. Touring Brisbane again after both an overseas jaunt in the United Kingdom and an award winning turn at the Melbourne Fringe Festival, the boys have whipped up a new show, Circus, that comes with plenty of festive cheer. Renown for their cheeky performances that include both the aforementioned circus and burlesque, they are also fused with plenty of crass humour and a lot of bared flesh. Their shenanigans are so naughty in fact that they even recommend the audience be 18 years and over, making this a circus that I would like to see more and more. Included in their troupe is the Las Vegas 2011 King of Burlesque, Mark Winmill so you can be guaranteed that the show will include all the dancing and stripping talent you desire. However be warned, the last two seasons of Briefs sold out in Brisbane, so if what you’re craving is an adults-only show of contorted (but sexy) man flesh then you should act fast.
Topology is a contemporary chamber ensemble. This means that rather than the standard chamber ensemble, they have a contemporary twist, often playing the work of contemporary composers, then adding a saxophone and piano to the traditional strings. They’re a bit different to your traditional chamber music makers, but still pretty conventional when compared with… The Kransky Sisters, who are a weird but wonderful ensemble of quirky musical sounds, and even quirkier personalities. Now, put these two groups together and what do you get? A musical encounter, that's what. This meshing of musical minds happened by accident when Topology’s Robert Davidson was cycling through Esk in rural Queensland and he fell of his bicycle right in front of the Kransky sisters’ house. The generous Kransky's set him up on the couch with a crochet blanket, a lamington, and soon after Robert and tuba player Dawn Kransky were playing duets together. This will be a night of hilarity as the two musical ensembles vie for centre stage, each with their own brand of musical genius. Eventually though, they will succumb and realise that the magic that Dawn and Robert created on the couch in Esk can be found once again if the two groups play in harmony. This they do, and we are all the better for it!
They can't all be great. They can't all be good. They can't all even be watchable. Every year, cinemas and streaming queues fill up with new movies — and every year, that includes a whole heap of excellent films. But, as the annual Golden Raspberry Awards also recognise, it also spans awful flicks as well. While the Oscars and Golden Globes shower love on the best and brightest movies of the past year each time that they roll around, the Razzies do the opposite, handing nominations and gongs to the films it considers the worst of the annual bunch. 2023's accolades mark the awards' 43rd and they're aiming big, with high-profile titles such as Blonde, Morbius, Elvis and Disney's live-action Pinocchio among the contenders. Of course, just as naming ace flicks is subjective, so is shaming terrible ones. Expect Elvis to notch up Academy Award nods, too, for instance. But the Razzies has given Baz Luhrmann's film two nominations, and both for Tom Hanks: for Worst Supporting Actor and Worst Screen Couple with his latex makeup. Hanks isn't just one of the world's favourite actors, but one of the Razzies' this year, also picking up a Worst Actor nomination for playing Gepetto in Disney's Pinocchio. That film received six nods in total, coming third to Marilyn Monroe biopic Blonde with eight and Machine Gun Kelly's stoner comedy Good Mourning with seven. Also among the nominees: Pete Davidson twice, for Marmaduke and Good Mourning; the Firestarter remake's Ryan Kiera Armstrong for Worst Actress; filmmaker Judd Apatow for the pandemic-set supposed comedy The Bubble; and the two 365 Days sequels. And yes, it's morbin' time at the Razzies, with the Jared Leto-starring supervillain flick ranking fourth nominations-wise with five: for Leto for Worst Actor, Worst Picture, Worst Supporting Actress (for Adria Arjona), Worst Director (Daniel Espinosa) and Worst Screenplay. The 43rd Annual Razzie Award winners will be announced on Sunday, March 12, Australian and New Zealand time. Check out the full list of nominees below: GOLDEN RASPBERRY NOMINEES 2022: WORST PICTURE Blonde Disney's Pinocchio Good Mourning The King's Daughter Morbius WORST ACTOR Colson Baker (aka Machine Gun Kelly), Good Mourning Pete Davidson (voice only), Marmaduke Tom Hanks (as Gepetto), Disney's Pinocchio Jared Leto, Morbius Sylvester Stallone, Samaritan WORST ACTRESS Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Firestarter Bryce Dallas Howard, Jurassic Park Dominion Diane Keaton, Mack & Rita Kaya Scodelario, The King's Daughter Alicia Silverstone, The Requin WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR Pete Davidson (cameo role), Good Mourning Tom Hanks, Elvis Xavier Samuel, Blonde Mod Sun, Good Mourning Evan Williams, Blonde WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Adria Arjona, Morbius Lorraine Bracco (voice only), Disney's Pinocchio Penelope Cruz, The 355 Bingbing Fan, The 355 and The King's Daughter Mira Sorvino, Lamborghini: The Man Behind the Legend WORST SCREEN COMBO Colson Baker (aka Machine Gun Kelly) and Mod Sun, Good Mourning Both real life characters in the fallacious White House bedroom scene, Blonde Tom Hanks and his latex-laden face (and ludicrous Aaccent), Elvis Andrew Dominik and his issues with women, Blonde The two 365 Days sequels (both released in 2022) WORST DIRECTOR Judd Apatow, The Bubble Colson Baker (aka Machine Gun Kelly) and Mod Sun, Good Mourning Andrew Dominik, Blonde Daniel Espinosa, Morbius Robert Zemeckis, Disney's Pinocchio WORST REMAKE, RIPOFF or SEQUEL Blonde Both 365 Days sequels: 365 Days: This Day and The Next 365 Days Disney's Pinocchio Firestarter Jurassic World Dominion WORST SCREENPLAY Blonde Disney's Pinocchio Good Mourning Jurassic World Dominion Morbius
It's hard to get a true snapshot of a place you're holidaying in when you don't have a friend who lives there to show you around. The Margaret River region presents its own unique set of challenges — with over 150 wineries and six days' worth of stunning coastal walking track, you're just not going to get to do it all are you? We've teamed up with Pullman Hotels and Resorts to bring you a guide to Margaret River that you can do in a few days, and that should leave you feeling like you really got to know the area. (If you ever decide to leave, that is. You do realise it's a food and wine mecca with a boho beach vibe that's long been punching above its weight in the culturescape, right?) Putting our heads together with Pullman Bunker Bay ambassador Shane Hilder — a creative consultant, entrepreneur and passionate amateur photographer who shot the most stunning images in this article — we've curated a list of ten must-dos that will expose you to Margaret River's many strengths. They range from a brewery in a dairy farm to a beach beloved for its stingrays, because the southwest of this country has no room for ordinary, apparently. Check out the rest of our Explore More content series to hone your itinerary for some of Australia's best holiday destinations. FOOD & DRINK [caption id="attachment_643873" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Larry Cherubino winery[/caption] MARGARET RIVER WINERIES You didn't come all this way, to one of Australia's premier wine-growing regions, not to taste a truckload of wine. Plenty of tour operators offer group trips that will help you blitz a selection of the area's more than 150 cellar doors. Alternatively, sort your own car or bike and follow an itinerary of your own invention. Taking responsible service of alcohol to heart, several of the wineries also have strong food offerings that will more than line your stomach. Cullen Wines and Vasse Felix (the region's first winery, dating back 50 years) are two estates with excellent restaurants, while Woodlands Wines has some of the best reds in the region. Don't miss: The brand spanking new cellar door at Larry Cherubino. The former head winemaker at Houghton, Larry started producing wines under his own label in 2005 and has just opened a cellar door in Wilyabrup. METRICUP'S BEER FARM Right in the midst of Margaret River's zoned agricultural area is this brewery, recently converted from a working dairy farm, and with cows still roaming its fields. The Beer Farm's old creamy is now an entrance, and the roundhouse where the cows were milked is the brewhouse, but you'll spend most of your time in the old hay shed — which has been transformed into a bar filled with handmade wood benches, chesterfield couches and floor-to-ceiling murals. An atmosphere of casual fun pervades the whole space (pinball machines, lawn games and footy posts help kick that along), and you can get a good feed from the on-site food truck. Don't miss: Their lovely cloudy cider, made from local Manjimup apples. THE GOOSE BEACH BAR & KITCHEN The main attraction of The Goose is its position at the start of the Busselton Jetty — the longest timber piled jetty in the southern hemisphere. The views from here out over the waters of Geographe Bay will make you Zen out so deeply you could forget to eat. Though, don't — it's all local southwest produce here, whipped into comforting cafe classics. Start your day with eggs any which way, the house granola with coconut yoghurt, or a more adventurous salmon pastrami and 63-degree egg on rye. Don't miss: Walking off a meal on Busselton Jetty — it stretches nearly 2 kilometres into the ocean, with an underwater observatory at the end. MARGARET RIVER FARMERS MARKETS Is there anything more pleasing than a farmers market in an actual farming area? Everything is so damn fresh, it's practically still growing, and the people manning the stall are the actual growers. On every Saturday morning at the Margaret River Education Campus, this farmers market has been running for more than 13 years. It's where residents do their weekly shop, producers test out their new creations, and visitors go to try out everything from regional honey and olive oil to kimchi and kombucha. It's only about 50 stalls, but the good vibes are disproportionately huge. Don't miss: Having a coffee by local roastery Yahava and a plate of Má Là dumplings — made in the northern Chinese style but stuffed with the produce of Australia's southwest. WELLBEING & LEISURE [caption id="attachment_643870" align="aligncenter" width="1980"] by Shane Hilder[/caption] HAMELIN BAY Two words: Friendly. Stingrays. These guys just love swimming around the jetty here and don't care if you hop in the water with them. While patting and feeding of the rays isn't strictly encouraged, people often do it anyway, so just use your common sense and be respectful. Otherwise, Hamelin Bay is great for swimming, walks or just some solid lolling around. The beach is open to the northwest, so skip it if it's a windy day and opt for somewhere more secluded. There's a reason 11 vessels have been shipwrecked here over the centuries. Don't miss: On the plus side, that's 11 sites to explore if you've got a snorkel or scuba gear. [caption id="attachment_643871" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] by Shane Hilder[/caption] CANAL ROCKS While you're in Margaret River, you've got to do a section of the Cape to Cape Track — the 140 kilometre coastal path from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin that take about six days to walk in whole. A good segment to pick is around Yallingup, as it means you can take in the Canal Rocks. Waves have eroded a narrow path through the rocks in this headland over time, and watching the waters roar through it now is transfixing viewing. Unlike many other coastal spots, this one is great when the seas are rough, as the force of the waves is accentuated. There's a boardwalk over the rocks so you can get up close. You can swim around here too, but — need it be said — use caution. Don't miss: Watching the sunset from here over the Indian Ocean. If you're used to east-coast sunrises, you've been missing out on a world of colour. MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAIL Margaret River is betting that interest in mountain biking will continue to boom — it's apparently planning 500 kilometres in new trails in the coming years. There's already plenty there, winding through the region's famous jarrah and karri forests, with options for riders of all levels. Beginners can try the 10 Mile Brook track, following the Margaret River for some 15–20 kilometres, with an option to detour to the Colonial Brewery for lunch. Advanced riders might be more drawn to the Creek Trails, which include some sharp descents and what Margaret River Tourism terms the "flowy magic dirt" of Goobers Pool. Check their website for more tracks. Don't miss: Fat biking on the beach with The Margaret River Adventure Co. The oversized tyres mean your bike won't sink into the sand and it's actually fun. [caption id="attachment_643648" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] by Shane Hilder[/caption] BUNKER BAY One of the many excellent beaches along the southwest coast, Bunker Bay has the advantage of being relatively sheltered from the winds of the Indian Ocean. You'll only ever be facing smallish waves, which makes it a great spot for swimming and snorkelling. Fishing is also permitted in this area. Pullman ambassador Shane Hilder also rates this area for its photographic opportunities, especially the "forever-changing" characteristics of its afternoon versus morning light. Don't miss: A post-swim meal at Pullman Bunker Bay's restaurant The Other Side of the Moon (the name comes from a nearby surf break), which focuses on local ingredients like Manjimup truffle, Cape Naturaliste beef, and line-caught fish. ART & DESIGN RED CLOUD ART SPACE Opened in 2012 in Yallingup, Red Cloud Art Space is a gallery with two artists' studios attached. It's also the place you're most likely to find non-wine gifts for friends and family back home, as it brings a contemporary, minimal and accessible style to the Margaret River scene. Works on sale here range from WA artist Lisa Payton's abstracted and textural mixed-media canvases capturing the ocean hitting rocks (which hit around the $1000 mark) to individually handcrafted ceramic flowers by Perth's Bronwen Holding (which start at just $3). Don't forget to poke your head into the studios and watch the resident artists at work. Don't miss: Quarterly event Kaleidoscope. There's live music and drinks alongside displays of the latest work by Red Cloud artists, and your donation at the door goes to a chosen charity. MARGARET RIVER GALLERY If your budget stretches slightly higher, or you just want to get a look at some of the best contemporary art in the state, head to Margaret River Gallery. Located on Charles West Avenue in Margaret River town proper, this light and bright gallery focuses on works by leading WA practitioners and emerging artists, but it also catches some interstate names in its net. Look out for objects by local studio Melting Pot Glass, the oceanscape photography of Tony Warrilow, and poetic, migration-themed small sculptures by Lesley Whitham. Don't miss: The great jewellery selection by WA artists — clever, contemporary and not-too-exxy designs that make a great treat for someone (especially yourself). Explore more with Pullman. Book your next hotel stay with Pullman and enjoy a great breakfast for just $1.
How do you react when part of Brisbane is officially named a suburb? In Teneriffe, you throw a party, which is what locals did back in 2010. It's now 2023 and that shindig is now attracting 45,000 people a year — and, still going strong, the Teneriffe Festival is returning for another year with GANGgajang and Odette among its live music lineup. 2023's event will boast another wide-ranging day of fun, aka the kind of shindig that previous attendees have come to expect. When 10am–9pm rolls around on Saturday, May 27, there'll be tunes, food, markets and more, all helping locals and visitors alike make the most of the bustling locale. This is all familiar news, because the fest had already announced its date for this year; however, now the event has also revealed its roster of onstage talent. There's still a secret headliner to be unveiled, but the bill so far also includes Flowertruck, Felivand, The Moving Stills, Betty Taylor and Dizzy Days, with the crew from The Triffid — they are right there in the neighbourhood — doing the curating. Also hitting Teneriffe Festival's two stages: Kurilpa Reach, Doggie Heaven, Tjaka, Radium Dolls and Ghost Mutt, as well as Neish, Smallest Horse, Melody Graves and The Hokum Redemption and Dave & The Mudcrabs. Between stints of dancing in the street — including the return of the fest's a jazz-fuelled, wine-pouring riverside garden — Brisbanites will be able to sample the area's bars and restaurants, find a feast of from a food truck, hit up a pop-up beer garden overseen by Stone & Wood, then walk around bespoke market stalls. Tickets are now on sale, with an extra incentive: a free drink. Be one of the first 200 people to purchase and you'll score a voucher for a free glass of wine in that aforementioned waterfront spot. TENERIFFE FESTIVAL 2023 LINEUP: GANGgajang Odette Tijuana Cartel Flowertruck Felivand The Moving Stills Betty Taylor Dizzy Days Kurilpa Reach Doggie Heaven Tjaka Radium Dolls Ghost Mutt Neish Smallest Horse Melody Graves and The Hokum Redemption Dave & The Mudcrabs Teneriffe Festival 2023 takes place from 10am–9pm on Saturday, May 27 on Vernon Terrace, Teneriffe, with tickets on sale now.
Whip out those dancing shoes and get ready for a DJ dance revelry because it’s time again for another triple j par-tay! In celebration of crazy party themes, breakfast radio and live music, triple j’s party hosts Tom and Alex are throwing a party palazzo at Brisbane's favourite student club night Lambda Lambda Lambda. So what is the theme of this party? Well, it’s quite simple really. After asking the people of Australia for suggestions on what the party theme should be, it was decided to dedicate the entire night to the vigorous celebration of Brisbane’s own 21-year-old Steph and her odometer clicking over 3000km after only three weeks of owning it. If that doesn’t make you feel like bustin’ a move, not to worry, there are plenty of other things to shout about. Like Brisbane's own Evil Eddie and Last Dinosaurs making an appearance, Alex Dyson challenging Nina Las Vegas to a DJ battle, and you will also spot international comedy celeb’ Arj Barker attending the festivities to entertain and do what ever the hell he wants. Best part about this party is it’s free before 10pm. Oh, and don’t forget, Lambda’s premium in house service of pouring beverages into etch-a-sketch cups. See you there!
Good news, everyone: TV networks and streaming services keep thawing out Futurama. The small screen's powers that be love pressing defrost on the animated sci-fi series, and viewers should love watching the always-funny results. Not once but twice in the past quarter-century, Matt Groening's other big sitcom has been cancelled then respawned years later, with Disney-owned platform Hulu the latest doing the reviving. It was true back in 2007 when the show was first reanimated, and it's true again from Monday, July 24 on Disney+: whenever Futurama flies across the screen after a stint in stasis, it feels like no time has passed. Groening first spread his talents beyond The Simpsons back in 1999, riffing on Y2K excitement and apprehension, and also leaping forward in time. Futurama's 20th-century pizza delivery guy Philip J Fry (voiced by Billy West, Spitting Image) didn't welcome the 21st century, however; he stumbled into a cryogenic chamber, then awoke 1000 years later to greet the 31st. After tracking down Professor Hubert J Farnsworth (also voiced by West), his only living relative, he was soon in the delivery game again — but for intergalactic cargo company Planet Express, in a show that that satirises every vision of the future previously committed to fiction, and with one-eyed ship captain Turanga Leela (Katey Sagal, Dead to Me) and shiny-metal-assed robot Bender Bending Rodríguez (John DiMaggio, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts) by his side. Futurama's initial run lasted four seasons, four years and 78 episodes. Before every pop culture title imaginable started coming back from the dead, this one reappeared in 2007 as a direct-to-DVD movie, followed by three more, which were then turned into episodes for the show's fifth season. Alas, another trio of seasons later, Futurama said goodbye again. Thankfully, when a series not only peers at and parodies the next millennia, but takes an anything-goes approach that's brought everything from robot Santas and soap operas to human-hating alien news anchors and talking celebrity heads in jars, there's always room for a new spin — with Hulu committing to 20 new episodes, calling this comeback season 11. Getting the Planet Express soaring yet again does pose one difficulty from the outset: how do you undo a perfect finale? When the prior season ended in 2013, it wrapped up Fry and Leela's on-again, off-again romance in a smart, sweet and widely loved bow. The new instalments pick up exactly where that swansong left off, then unleash a "massive disruption in the flow of time" to move everyone to 3023, then restore the usual status quo. So, Fry, Leela, Bender, the Professor, Jamaican accountant Hermes Conrad (Phil LaMarr, Craig of the Creek), Martian intern Amy Wong (Lauren Tom, Dragons: The Nine Realms) and lobster-esque alien doctor Zoidberg (also West) resume their workplace sitcom antics, although Fry gives himself a time-wasting goal first: trying to watch every show that's ever been made. The latest season's opening instalment dives into the streaming era, and digs in. "It feels like we got rebooted," Hermes notes, with the show itself unfurling a flurry of jokes about the topic. The timing is likely purely coincidental and the statement unintentional but, amid the gags about extreme binge-watching and having more TV than anyone could view in several lifetimes available at the press of a button, comes commentary on television talents being replaced by machines. Skewered with clear purpose in later episodes: the bitcoin mining rush, NFTs, plus ever-expanding corporations that exploit their workers (and listen in on people's houses) yet still seem to control everything. Futurama has always excelled not just at the specific, but the general. Sometimes, the show's laughs are intricately linked to events and trends; sometimes, it chuckles at life's recurring patterns. The new season's second episode does the latter astutely well, while also nodding to season four's opening instalment. Twenty years back in 2003 when Futurama's 55th chapter overall aired, Amy's boyfriend Kif Kroker (Maurice LaMarche, Rick and Morty), the amphibious 4th Lieutenant to self-obsessed starship captain Zapp Brannigan (West again), got pregnant and gave birth. Amy wasn't ready for motherhood, but didn't need to be, because Kif's tadpole-style spawn required two decades in a swamp to mature. The show's writers now make good on that promise, all while finding multiple ways to spoof attitudes to parenting. Robot Santa (also DiMaggio), Zapp, Kif, scheming company owner Mom (Tress MacNeille, The Simpsons), the pet-like Nibbler (Frank Welker, Animaniacs), melodramatic acting robot Calculon (also LaMarche): to the delight of long-running fans, they're all back. So are newsreaders Morbo and Linda van Schoonhoven (LaMarche and MacNeille), Planet Express janitor Scruffy (David Herman, The Bob's Burgers Movie), the head of Richard Nixon (West), the Professor's clone Cubert (Kath Soucie, Rugrats), Hypnotoad and more. Indeed, Futurama circa 2023 doesn't just feel like it never left, but acts like it, jam-packing in scene-stealing supporting characters, whip-smart and gleefully silly jokes alike, and zany setups. A Dune sendup? Shooting lasers in the Old West? Waging war on Christmas? That all happens, too. "We're back, baby" isn't merely something that the ever-sidesplitting Bender says, clearly. Perhaps the greatest compliment that can be directed at the new Futurama is that this new run slides in so easily with past episodes, and so comfortably, that future binges will feel seamless. Not every comeback manages such a feat. Some, like David Lynch's phenomenal Twin Peaks revival, actively and gloriously don't want to. This one joins Party Down and That '90s Show in 2023 as returns that hit the bullseye, getting the rest of the dominoes falling like a house of cards — checkmate! Time may make fools of us all, and milk, but it's been keeping Futurama in vintage form. Check out the trailer for Futurama's new season below: Futurama season 11 streams via Disney+ Down Under from Monday, July 24.
Back in 2023, word arrived that two nostalgic favourite flicks from decades back were getting sequels: Beetlejuice and Freaky Friday. If there's a way for Hollywood to revive a beloved hit, it always will — whether or not Tinseltown executives have had a disagreement with their past, received a fortune cookie predicting the future, felt an earthquake shudder and then woke up years earlier. So, in 2024, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will hit cinemas. Then, in 2025, so will the as-yet-unnamed follow-up to 2003's mother-daughter body-swapping comedy. Just like the second Beetlejuice, the new Freaky Friday will feature familiar faces — and yes, that means reuniting Everything Everywhere All At Once Oscar-winner Jamie Lee Curtis with Lindsay Lohan (Irish Wish) two decades later. Production has just begun, with the pair back as Tess and Anna Coleman. Also returning: Mark Harmon (NCIS), Chad Michael Murray (Sullivan's Crossing), Christina Vidal Mitchell (The Terminal List), Haley Hudson (Queen Gorya), Lucille Soong (Raya and the Last Dragon), Stephen Tobolowsky (Hacks) and Rosalind Chao (3 Body Problem). Drinking, dancing, getting angry that your mum won't let you go to your band's big audition, eating those enchanted cookies — perhaps that'll all get worked in again, too. This time, Anna has a daughter herself and is about to gain a stepdaughter, with Disney teasing "a multigenerational twist". Will there be multiple swaps? Will kids be trading places with their grandmother? Other than the fact that two families merging will be at the heart of the tale and that more hijinks are in store, nothing else plot-wise has been revealed. On-screen, the returning gang will have Julia Butters (The Fabelmans), Sophia Hammons (The Absence of Eden), Manny Jacinto (The Acolyte) and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Never Have I Ever) for company. Behind the lens, Nisha Ganatra (The High Note, Late Night) is directing, with Curtis and Lohan among the executive producers. @disneystudiosThe band's back together and coming to theaters in 2025 🤘. The sequel to Freaky Friday is now in production!♬ original sound - Disney Studios The first Curtis and Lohan team-up didn't start the Freaky Friday franchise. Instead, it began with the 1972 book by Mary Rodgers, then the 1976 Jodie Foster (True Detective: Night Country)-starring first movie adaptation, and also a 1995 remake with Gaby Hoffman (Eric). After 2003's beloved Curtis- and Lohan-led take, horror flick Freaky gave the idea a spin in 2020. There's no footage yet from the Freaky Friday sequel, but check out the trailers for the 70s and 00s iterations below: The Freaky Friday sequel doesn't yet have an exact release date, but will hit cinemas in 2025 — we'll keep you updated when more details are announced. Top image: photo by Andrew Eccles. © 2024 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The very beginning of Nick Broomfield's new Whitney Houston documentary features voiceover from one of the singer's friends talking about how she died. We all know the story: one of the most talented voices of our time succumbed to substance abuse and drowned in a bathtub. But her friend posits that while drugs were involved, perhaps they weren't the root cause. Perhaps Whitney Houston died of a broken heart, she says. This sad idea settles over the rest of the film like a cloud, as Broomfield recounts the story of a supremely talented yet obviously troubled young woman surrounded by people unable or unwilling to get her the help that she needed. The Whitney we first see is so young that it's difficult for us to believe she'll become the woman in the bathtub. She's bubbly and bright, singing in her gospel choir at church (led by her mother, gospel singer Cissy Houston). That trademark smile is instantly recognisable. She's just a kid with a huge voice, and she's happy. But that huge voice soon proves to be both a blessing and a curse. Signed at the age of 19, Whitney was thrown into the deep end of an industry that had its own plans for her, moulded into a pop princess by a team of men who worked at Arista Records. Interviewing some of them in the present day, it seems the muscle memory of their puppeteering is still fresh. Her old management team still talks about her like an object rather than a person, and there's little doubt that their level of control over Whitney contributed negatively towards her mental and physical health. You're left feeling sad and frustrated, wanting to call these men into account. Why didn't they help her? Whitney: Can I Be Me uses a large amount of footage from the singer's 1999 world tour, some of which is absolutely staggering. At this point in her life her voice was still in prime condition – the effort she puts into every single song leaves her drenched in sweat; her calling card "I Will Always Love You" works the audience up into a frenzy; while her ability to "caress notes", as the Arista representatives say, is unrivalled. In a time where there was no Beyoncé and certainly no Janelle Monae or Nicki Minaj, Whitney's music was a carefully crafted brand of pop, and was often sent back to the studio for being "too black-sounding". The movie's title becomes a sad realisation that hits you mid-way through. As much as this is a story about Whitney losing her life, it's also about her losing herself. The sweetest parts of the film come from home video footage of Whitney just sitting around eating takeaway and watching movies, or acting out silly scenes with her husband Bobby Brown. In these moments, we're reassured that she has friends and family who love her. And yet ultimately, these relationships all fall apart. Even Robyn, her childhood friend who stuck with her for years, eventually fades away. A lot is made in the film about Robyn and Whitney's relationship, and whether it was more than just a friendship. But regardless of whether Whitney was gay, or bisexual, we get the feeling Robyn is one of the pillars in her life. That they parted ways mid-tour seems to just weaken Whitney's grip on her voice, her health, and her increasingly unhappy marriage. The footage of her being interviewed by Diane Sawyer in 2002 about her addictions is especially moving. When asked what her biggest devil was, she replies that it is herself. Whitney: Can I Be Me paints a tragic portrait of a woman who didn't have the right people around her, nor the drive to get herself the help she required. To add to the grey cloud, Whitney's daughter Bobbi Kristina lost her life in 2015 in eerily similar circumstances. Sadly, the film feels more like a story about this pattern of unhappiness than it does a celebration of the singer's talent – a shame for a woman who had so much. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G2fY0xci_c
Australia's music festival scene hasn't had a great run in 2024, with everything from Splendour in the Grass and Groovin the Moo to Harvest Rock and Spilt Milk cancelling — but two end-of-year staples are returning to celebrate 2024 turning into 2025 with live tunes. Victoria's Beyond The Valley and New South Wales' Lost Paradise also have something else in common: plenty of the same acts on their respective lineups. Beyond The Valley dropped its roster for this year first, and now it's Lost Paradise's turn a day later, with Fisher, Tinashe, Royel Otis among the big names doing double duty. Accordingly, if you're looking to travel to a regional spot for a huge music fest on and around New Year's Eve, you have choices. [caption id="attachment_965689" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Jess Bowen[/caption] After initially locking in its Saturday, December 28, 2024–Wednesday, January 1, 2025 dates back in July, Lost Paradise has unveiled a lineup filled with must-see names, all headed to the Glenworth Valley on the New South Wales Central Coast an hour out of Sydney. Flight Facilities doing their Decades mix is another massive highlight. So are Marlon Hoffstadt, Sammy Virji, SG Lewis, Confidence Man, DJ Boring and Kita Alexander, across a multi-day fest that features live music and DJ sets spanning both international and Australian talents, and regularly sells out — 2023's fest did. Tunes are just one part of the Lost Paradise experience. Art, culture, wellness, and food and drink also get a look in, with the 2024 event also spanning Dr Karl getting chatting, yoga and healing arts, craft sessions, workshops and more. So, you can not only farewell one year and see in the next with a party, but by relaxing, feasting and learning something. Making 2024's Lost Paradise extra special: the fact that this year marks ten years for the fest, which has become a go-to way to wrap up one year and embrace the next since 2014 — including if you're keen to camp for its duration. Just as in 2023, this year's Lost Paradise is also opting to steer away from a traditional first-, second- and third-release ticket strategy. Instead, ticket prices gently increase in accordance with demand, while maintaining fair market pricing. It's also committing to sustainability by using almost 100-percent recyclable materials in its decor and staging — and art — while implementing recycling across the site, waste sorting and a pledge for attendees that requires ticketholders to acknowledge their own environmental responsibility. Lost Paradise 2024 Lineup: Arcadia: Fisher Tinashe Royel Otis Caribou Flight Facilities (Decades set) AJ Tracey Confidence Man Teenage Dads The Rions Glass Beams Pretty Girl (live) Neil Frances Flowdan & Neffa-T Lola Young Telenova Kita Alexander Rum Jungle Nick Ward Don West Radio Free Alice Total Tommy Djanaba Casual Fan Surely Shirley Civic Video Micra Krystal Rivvers Micah Jey Green Hand Band Triple J Unearthed winner Lost Disco & Paradise Club: Marlon Hoffstadt Sammy Virji Denis Sulta KI/KI DJ BORING Sg Lewis Tinlicker (DJ set) Interplanetary Criminal Girls Don't Sync Oden & Fatzo (live) Malugi CC:Disco! Sally C Fish56octagon Chloé Caillet Jennifer Cardini Moxie Little Fritter Sarah Story Dameeeela James Pepper Caleb Jackson Elijah Something Who Is Arcadia B2b Half Cut Lost Soundsystem Conspiracy Crew Entity Uncle Ru Disco Dora Chloe Harry Hooper Mash Gabriella Spritz Sasha Milani B2b Fuchsia Sim Select Tokyo Sexwale Dayzzi B2b Daug Cozi Oscill8 Oliiv + more to be announced Shambhala Fields: Dr Karl Aretha Brown You Wouldn't (with Will Gibbs and Pat Clifton) Cooper Chapman Plastic Free Mermaid Emmanuel Asante Rache Moore Gwyn Williams Damon Gameau First Nations Culture with Uncle Phil + more to be announced [caption id="attachment_965685" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Jordan K Munns[/caption] [caption id="attachment_965687" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Byravyna[/caption] [caption id="attachment_965688" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Byravyna[/caption] Lost Paradise returns to Glenworth Valley, New South Wales from Saturday, December 28, 2024–Wednesday, January 1, 2025. To sign up for presale tickets, head to the festival's website — with presales starting on Tuesday, August 27 and general sales on Wednesday, August 28. Images: Jess Bowen, Jordan K Munns, Byravyna and Amar Gera.
Robert Vagg, Cameron Hawes and Glen Schenau might be known in some circles as some of Brisbane's most accomplished musicians. Members of notable bands such as Wonderfuls, I Heart Hiroshima and Per Purpose respectively, each of the trio are capable of conveying thought into music on a whim, creating striking soundscapes with haunting lyrics to match. All three musicians have contributed work to a brand new exhibit at A-CH Gallery, in a series entitled, 'Decesead Estate'. The exhibition brings together the work of each artist, drawing on themes of isolation, living on the fringe of society and primitive expression, while blending humour with dark textures and illustration with paint. If you are a fan of the musical works of these artists, you might find yourself enjoying their foray into art. Like much of their musical output, 'Deceased Estate' is an enthralling foray into the minds of Brisbane's best musical voices. Abrasive and confronting, yet enticing and remarkable - worth a look while it's on.
Already home to grapevines as far as the eye can see, a restaurant with views over Moreton Bay, a nine-hole modified form of golf and regular concerts, Mount Cotton's Sirromet Winery has added another attraction to its expansive 560-acre grounds: onsite glamping. Dubbed 'Sanctuary by Sirromet' and launching on June 1, the new accommodation option lets wine-loving campers spend a night or several in one of 18 luxe tents. It's also the first vineyard glamping experience in Queensland. Visitors can get cosy in one of 15 couples' abodes, two family tents and one specifically designed as a bridal suite, with each featuring king beds, indoor day chairs, outdoor tables and seating, bathrooms with a shower and toilet, and reverse cycle air-conditioning to cope with southeast Queensland's usually-warm weather. Every safari-style tent also includes a breakfast hamper filled with croissants, bagels, smoked salmon and coffee — and, naturally, a mini-bar filled with Sirromet wine. And while you'll be able to connect to the outside world via free wifi, what you won't find is a television. Instead, everyone is encouraged to soak up the scenic surroundings. Or drink wine. Or both. Let's face it, you don't go glamping at a winery without hitting the vino and revelling in nature. Wallabies are known to graze around the tents, so you might have company. For those more keen on drinking side of things, you can enjoy the daily tastings and tours, grab a snack up on the Tuscan Terrace and stock up on supplies to take home from the cellar door. Unsurprisingly, you can expect to drop a few dollars on the experience, with tents at Sanctuary starting at $280 per night — with a two-night minimum. Eventually, 54 tents will be littered across 20 acres, with the winery spending more than $10 million on its new addition. Find Sanctuary by Sirromet at 850 Mount Cotton Road, Mount Cotton, or head to sanctuarybysirromet.com for bookings and further details.
Missoni, Desert Designs, Stella McCartney; not all of us can blow our allowance on these high fashion must-haves. But over the years, Target have made things a little easier with affordable capsule collections aplenty — and today they've announced their next big pull. Bringing things home with one of the industry's most sought after young guns, Target have announced a one-off women’s capsule collection by celebrated Australian designer Dion Lee . Available from July 2, 2015, the limited edition collection marks the latest 'Designer for Target' range; launching in 35 selected stores nationally and online — probably a better option if you're not one to wear mouthguards into stores (things can get hair-pully at these instore launches). Constantly pinned as a 'one-to-watch' young Australian designer, Lee's collections are sought after by cocktail dress-lovers and sharp jacket fiends alike. Lee's 35-piece Target collection marks his very first performance-wear range, with day-to-night clothing, loungewear, performance wear and accessories ranging between $25 and $119. Wanting to harness the brand's rapid expansion into this new performance-wear realm, Lee saw the pair-up as a no-brainer. "As our international business continues to grow, we were excited about the opportunity to create a collection that will give more women across Australia access to the Dion Lee brand,” says Lee. “The Dion Lee for Target collection is designed to reflect the lifestyle of the contemporary woman, mixing elements of tailoring, lounge and active wear, to create the ultimate modern wardrobe." “The active Australian lifestyle inspired me to create a range of stylish and effortless clothing for women to wear every day," says Lee. "The collection features signature tailored detailing, laser cut and technical fabrications, and a first- ever performance capsule... Even though the designs can be technical, I think style and function remain paramount." Dion Lee for Target will launch nationally and online on July 2.
Something delightful is happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made over the past three months, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufBK5XheeCU THE BEE GEES: HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART It starts with the disco beats of 'Stayin' Alive' echoing through the cinema. Although he doesn't ever phrase it quite so bluntly, it ends with surviving Gibb brother Barry wistfully and wishfully applying that song's title to his siblings and fellow Bee Gees members Robin and Maurice. In-between, career-spanning documentary The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart steps through all of the band's ups and downs — from the group's humble beginnings when its members were growing up during the British-born trio's childhood stint in Brisbane, to the rollercoaster ride that saw them top the music world several times but also endure time both apart and off the charts. As tales of fame, fortune and trying to survive go, this one has everything, including brotherly rivalries, tabloid-fodder weddings, shock splits and comebacks, and drugs and the stereotypical celebrity lifestyle. It also spans a public call for their music, and the disco genre they were virtually synonymous with in the late 70s thanks to the mega-hit Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, to be literally blasted into smithereens. Through candid recent chats with Barry, as well as the use of archival interviews with Robin and Maurice before their deaths, director Frank Marshall (Arachnophobia, Alive) details it all. From early success 'Spicks and Specks' (aka the song now used as a theme tune for the TV quiz show of the same name) through to the post-Saturday Night Fever single 'Tragedy' — and yes, featuring the track that gives the movie its title as well — How Can You Mend a Broken Heart surveys the band's enormous contribution to music, of course. Getting a Bee Gees' song stuck in your head, or several, is part of the experience of watching. So is instantly imagining how tunes such as Diana Ross' 'Chain Reaction' and Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers' 'Islands in the Stream' would've sounded if the Gibbs had sung as well as penned them in their second life as hit songwriters for other acts. But, whether you've cut a rug to 'You Should Be Dancing' before or you've only ever paid attention to their music in passing, what resonates in this thorough documentary is its candour and its detail, especially when it is focusing on Barry, Robin and Maurice's brotherly relationship and their artistry. Less successful are the intertwined interviews with other musicians, including Noel Gallagher noting that working with family can be a blessing and a curse and Chris Martin spouting mumbo jumbo about how tracks just come to musos out of the air, which always feel like superfluous padding in a fascinating and involving doco that definitely doesn't need it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFOrGkAvjAE SOUND OF METAL When Sound of Metal begins just as its title intimates, it does so with the banging and clashing of drummer Ruben Stone (Riz Ahmed, Venom) as his arms flail above his chosen instrument. He's playing a gig with his girlfriend and bandmate Lou (Olivia Cooke, Ready Player One), and he's caught up in the rattling and clattering as her guttural voice and thrashing guitar offers the pitch-perfect accompaniment. But for viewers listening along, it doesn't quite echo the way it should. For the bleached-blonde, tattooed, shirtless and sweaty Ruben, that's the case, too. Sound of Metal's expert and exacting sound design mimics his experience, as his hearing fades rapidly and traumatically over the course of a few short days — a scenario that no one wants, let alone a musician with more that a few magazine covers to his band's name, who motors between shows in the cosy Airstream he lives in with his other half and is about to embark upon a new tour. That's not all the film is about, though. Ruben's ability to listen to the world around him begins to dip out quickly and early, leaving him struggling; however, it's how he grapples with the abrupt change, and with being forced to sit with his own company without a constant onslaught of aural interruptions distracting him from his thoughts, that the movie is most interested in. With apologies to cinema's blockbusters (which usually monopolise the sound categories come Oscars time), no other feature this year mixes its acoustics together in as stunning and stirring a fashion, and also bakes every single noise heard into its script, and its protagonist's journey, as well. As Ruben takes up residence at a rural community for addicts who are deaf, it expresses Ruben's distress at his situation as immersively as possible; 'intense' is the word for Sound of Metal, but it's also a term that doesn't completely do the movie justice. Making his feature directing debut, and co-writing another screenplay with filmmaker Derek Cianfrance as he did with 2012's The Place Beyond the Pines, Darius Marder turns his picture into a masterful exploration and skilled evocation of the kind of anxiety that's drummed deep into a person's darkest recesses. Viewers don't just hear what Ruben hears, but also feel what he feels as he rages and rallies against a twist of fate that he so vehemently doesn't want yet has to live with. While the film specifically depicts hearing loss, it's so detailed and empathetic in conveying Ruben's shock, denial, anger and hard-fought process of adjustment that it also proves an astute rendering of illness and impairment in general. That's Ahmed's recent niche, as also seen in this year's Berlinale-premiering Mogul Mowgli, and his powerfully physicalised performance shows the fight and fortitude required for Ruben to learn to cope. Sound of Metal is screening in select cinemas in Sydney, and is also available to stream via Amazon Prime Video. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ0jBNa6JUQ THE PROM A word of warning to filmmakers eager to make the next big on-screen musical: cast James Corden at your peril. It may now seem like a lifetime ago that Cats proved a gobsmacking catastrophe, but that 2019 movie's horrors are impossible to shake — and while Corden's latest, The Prom, thankfully doesn't resort to repeating the word 'jellicle' over and over again to try to convince the world that it means something, it still follows in the feline-focused flick's paw prints as this year's all-singing, all-dancing misfire. The two films' common star is grating and relies upon gratuitous overacting in both features. He's hardly alone in bombing and flailing, though. In The Prom's case, a 2018 Broadway success with an important message about acceptance and being true to one's self has been transformed into an over-long star vehicle, as well as a movie that can't see past its sequin-studded pageantry and smug attitude to actually practise what it preaches. Its continually, needlessly and irritatingly circling cinematography captures its struggles perfectly, because The Prom is too caught up in shiny things, recognisable faces and disposable songs to let everything that should matter, including its main statement, have any real impact. Miscast from the get-go, Corden plays Barry, a Broadway veteran playing second fiddle to multi-Tony-winning drama diva Dee Dee (Meryl Streep, Little Women) in Eleanor!, a new production about former US First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Initially, the pair is on top of the world after the show's opening night — but then the reviews start piling in and piling on. Distraught from the critical savaging as they drown their sorrows with perennial chorus girl Angie (Nicole Kidman, The Undoing) and Juilliard-trained actor-turned-sitcom lead-turned bartender Trent (Andrew Rannells, The Boys in the Band), they concoct a plan to get back in the showbiz industry's good graces. Scrolling through Twitter, Angie spies a news story about Indiana teenager Emma (feature debutant Jo Ellen Pellman), whose high school has just completely cancelled the prom because she wanted to bring her girlfriend. As quick as a burst of confetti, Barry, Dee Dee, Trent and Angie are on a Godspell tour bus to America's midwest to rally against this injustice and whip themselves up some flattering publicity. In the screenplay written by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin, both of whom worked on the original stage production, this is all meant to be a joke: that fading, has-been and never-were celebrities shallowly and calculatingly try to use one young woman's horrific plight for their own gain, that is. But The Prom likes the gag so much that it misguidedly decides that favouring stars over substance is the best approach in general. The Prom is screening in select cinemas, and will also be available to stream via Netflix from Friday, December 11. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykWO1FhqTfo THE TROUBLE WITH BEING BORN For decades across the page and screen, science fiction has pondered just where artificial intelligence might take humanity, in ways both positive and negative. The field of science has as well, making some of those possibilities a reality already — however, as The Trouble with Being Born makes clear, we shouldn't just be wondering what AI can do for us, but also what it will and does reflect about our nature. This Berlinale-premiering feature from Austrian director Sandra Wollner asks a plethora of questions, all of them difficult and provocative, about the role of robots in our future. It explores the possibility of becoming dependent on android substitutes for human contact, including in acceptable and abhorrent situations, and examines the emotional toll for both sides of the relationship. With a steely look that's purposefully disconcerting, an opening scene that aims to assault and disrupt the audience's senses to leave them interrogating and intricately observing everything in front of them, and a willingness to pose a severe worst-case scenario (by implication, rather than gratuitous detail), The Trouble with Being Born aims to make its audience uncomfortable while probing these thorny ideas. That it initially focuses on a ten-year-old android girl called Eli who is deployed by her flesh-and-blood owner as a stand-in for his runaway daughter speaks volumes. In Australia, The Trouble with Being Born will always be marked by controversy. It's the movie that the Melbourne International Film Festival scheduled for its 2020 online-only event, then pulled from its lineup after a backlash caused by an article in The Age, which quoted concerns by forensic psychologists specialising in child abuse cases who had either not watched the film in full or at all. But Wollner's feature has taken great pains to approach its subject carefully and sensitively — its child star, Lena Watson, goes by a pseudonym, and is disguised in the movie by under a silicone face mask and via CGI — and to engage viewers in an unnerving but intelligent series of questions about its topic and scenarios. While it rarely makes for straightforward viewing, it's also one of the year's essential films. It is cinema's place to challenge, and to examine aspects of life that are tough and unpleasant; making her second full-length movie after 2016's The Impossible Picture, Wollner accepts and embraces that task. She explores identity and memory as well, and the role in the latter in shaping the former. And, she adds a film both distinctive and important to the growing list of works (see also: AI, Her, Ex Machina, Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049) that ponder what the creation and use of AI says about humanity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi2MK9K1hxc THE GODFATHER CODA: THE DEATH OF MICHAEL CORLEONE The Godfather saga might eventually gain a new chapter. In this time of constant remakes, reimaginings and decades-later sequels, absolutely nothing can be discounted, after all. But The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone isn't a new addition to the gangster epic. Rather, it's a recut version of 1990's The Godfather Part III, aka the least acclaimed movie in the Francis Ford Coppola-directed trilogy. As his multiple versions of Apocalypse Now have shown over the years, the filmmaker has a penchant for tinkering with his past work. We've all looked back and wished we could do something over gain, so he's doing just that (last year, he not only released another new version of his Vietnam War masterpiece, but of The Cotton Club as well). Here, by renaming the revised third Godfather movie Coda, he's repositioning as well as re-editing, though. Coppola is telling the world that he sees this feature less as a second sequel and more as an epilogue to the first two exceptional Godfather movies — a message that might seen a bit cheeky, especially given how much this new iteration has in common structurally with the first film, but encourages viewers to give The Death of Michael Corleone more distance from its two Oscar Best Picture-winning predecessors than its has otherwise been afforded. Both upon its release three decades ago and again now, Coppola's third Godfather film doesn't match his first two. It suffers from Robert Duvall's absence, after the studio wouldn't pay him what he asked for to return a third time — and also from Sofia Coppola's inexperienced presence, with the On the Rocks director co-starring as Mary Corleone, daughter to Al Pacino's titular Michael, after Winona Ryder dropped out just before shooting started. But it's still an interesting, ambitious and mostly engaging movie, endeavouring to chart the struggle its eponymous figure endures as he tries to divest himself from illicit dealings and go legit. If you've ever heard the oft-quoted line "just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in", you'll know that achieving this plan isn't easy. Also on the elder Coppola and writer Mario Puzo's minds here: how that back-and-forth struggle between the life one knows and the better future they've been striving for ripples down through later generations, as seen through the inclusion of Andy Garcia as Michael's hotheaded nephew. The changes made to turn The Godfather Part III into The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone are minor, other than the astute moving of one pivotal scene from partway through to the film's beginnings; however, as intended, it welcomely forces a revisit and re-evaluation with fresh eyes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47ooNWugxRE OLIVER SACKS: HIS OWN LIFE Three decades ago, one of neurologist and writer Oliver Sacks' books was turned into a film. Drawn from his time in the late 60s treating patients with encephalitis lethargica — people catatonic thanks to a pandemic that spread around the world between 1915–26, and still hospitalised across all those intervening years — Awakenings brought an astonishing true tale to the screen, with Robin Williams playing Sacks' on-screen surrogate and Robert De Niro co-starring as one of the afflicted. The work that led to the text, and the fact that it was adapted into a movie, are both significant achievements. But Sacks' life was filled with many remarkable acts, deeds and successes. He passed away in 2015 aged 82; however, documentary Oliver Sacks: His Own Life assembles a wealth of footage shot as he was facing his end and looking back on his ups and downs. Days after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer earlier that year, he penned an article for The New York Times, called My Own Life, about learning the news — and that same year he published an autobiography, On the Move: A Life — so sharing his thoughts to camera, and stepping through the ebbs and flows of his life that brought him to that junction, was a natural extension of a reflective process he was already going through. There's much to look back on; Sacks might've dedicated his medical career to getting inside the minds of others, and to advancing the understanding of many conditions that affect the brain, but his own life could inspire a comparable wealth of material. Consequently, filmmaker Ric Burns (Made for Each Other: A History of the Bond Between Humans and Dogs) has the job of synthesising the abundance of incidents and details from his subject's eight-decade existence into a thorough and accessible 111-minute film — a considerable feat, but one he masters. Whether you're familiar with Sachs and have read his popular books, you only know him via Awakenings or you're a complete newcomer to his tale, His Own Life unfurls not just the requisite biographical data, but a true sense of spending time in Sachs' inimitable, always-curious, incessantly-thoughtful company. That, and his outlook as he was forced to face the end of his days, are the gifts this doco gives audiences. Sachs' friends and colleagues all pop up as talking heads, offering their recollections and thoughts as well, with Burns structuring his picture in a straightforward fashion — but there's nothing standard about the man at the touching movie's centre, or everything that comprised his life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv99TgifpH0 A CHRISTMAS GIFT FROM BOB The true tale behind 2016's A Street Cat Named Bob and now this year's A Christmas Gift From Bob is undeniably heartwarming, especially for anyone who has welcomed a pet — and a friendly feline at that — into their lives and been forever altered for the better. Homeless and struggling to kick a heroin habit, James Bowen finds the companionship and purpose he needs in a ginger kitty that wanders off the streets and into his flat. A firm bond is forged, and much changes for both the two-and four-legged sides of the relationship. That's the story that the first movie charted. This sequel now picks up after Bowen has become a literary success from turning his kinship with Bob into a bestselling book, although he's still busking, selling The Big Issue and working hard to get by. The struggle with both movies, however, is just how sappy and soppy everything feels at every single moment. It really shouldn't take much to be moved by Bowen and Bob's tale, but these films push the sentiment so forcefully, completely failing to trust that viewers will connect with the story without an overdose of mawkishness. It was true of A Street Cat Named Bob, and it still rings accurate in A Christmas Gift From Bob — which, as the moniker makes plain, is set during the festive season for an extra stint of heartstring-pulling. Life may have improved for Bowen (Luke Treadaway, Unbroken) thanks to Bob, but it doesn't take much to put the pair in a precarious situation. A Christmas Gift From Bob's big dramas come in the form of animal control, who threaten to take the cute cat away after they see him out with his owner in the chilly winter weather. That this happens just as Bob needs veterinary attention adds another layer, as does the easily spiral Bowen navigates due to living on a financial knife's edge. In a nicely drawn performance, Treadaway gives his role more depth than either director Charles Martin Smith or writer Garry Jenkins ask for. Alas, that the former's resume also spans Air Bud, Dolphin Tale and its sequel, and the slushy A Dog's Way Home, is telling — as is the fact that the latter returns after penning the lacklustre first Bob film. There's no point in A Christmas Gift From Bob where it isn't advising its audience how to feel via its dialogue, warm colour scheme and sugarcoating in general. There are zero moments that recognise that Bowen's plight doesn't need to be brought to the screen in such an overt and schmaltzy manner, either, and that both his experiences with Bob and in general are inherently affecting. And, even if you're the biggest feline fancier there is, not even a famous cat (playing himself no less) can patch over the movie's troubles, although its makers clearly think otherwise. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fla02yFATuY HOW DO YOU KNOW CHRIS? The sounds of You Am I's 'Berlin Chair' fill its opening moments. An Ivy and the Big Apples-era Spiderbait t-shirt is given by one person to another. The Sydney Olympics are mentioned, too. Accordingly, if Australian film How Do You Know Chris? didn't inform its audience that it was set in 2000, they'd be able to hazard a very firm guess anyway. Spilling out a plethora of details, then asking viewers to piece them together: that's this Melbourne-shot and -set drama's approach. Its characters are in the same situation, after the eponymous Chris (Luke Cook, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) invites a disparate group of people to his apartment for a party. He gives them all different reasons for the shindig, including telling his boss Shane (Stephen Carracher, The Doctor Blake Mysteries) that it's costumed. He hires a waiter to serve beverages, to keep everyone socially lubricated. But, making them wait, drink, chat, get to know each other if they don't and work through long-held grudges if they're already acquainted — with commerce student Emi (Tatiana Quaresma, another The Doctor Blake Mysteries alumnus) falling into the first category, and high school classmates Justin (Jacob Machin, The Twilight Zone), Claire (Ellen Grimshaw, Bloom) and Blucker (Dan Haberfield, Wrong Kind of Black) in the second — Luke then takes his time to show up himself. Other guests are present, such as couple Ray (Lee Mason, Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears) and Dot (Lynn Gilmartin, The Very Excellent Mr Dundee), plus the kohl-eyed Christal (Rachel Kim Cross, Mr Inbetween) — all with different connections to the chameleonic Luke, which get teased out over the course of the film. As a result, first-time feature director Ashley Harris and screenwriter Zachary Perez (a fellow debutant) ask a considerable amount of their cast, with the party attendees' awkward chatter and the general uncertainty they feel about the event driving the majority of the movie. As for why everyone is there, that's a tense puzzle for How Do You Know Chris?'s on-screen figures, but not its viewers. While there's weightiness to the idea of someone taking stock of their existence by inviting key people who've made a mark on their life to the one gathering, and to the big reveal when Luke's guests discover the purpose of the shindig, the movie nonetheless feels overstretched. Still, for its first two-thirds, this low-budget Aussie effort makes the most of its main players, the suspense they're saddled with and the movie's apartment-set cinematography. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-0bUxBs8lE THE WAR WITH GRANDPA There is very little that's impressive about The War with Grandpa, which is based on Robert Kimmel Smith's children's novel of the same name, other than its ability to repeatedly remind viewers that its adult leads have been in much, much better movies. The film not only nods to the Robert De Niro-starring Taxi Driver, but reunites him with his The Deer Hunter costar Christopher Walken. It has Uma Thurman playing the nagging mother of a black bob-wearing teenager called Mia (Decker, not Wallace, but the elbowing in Pulp Fiction's direction can't be accidental). These inclusions are meant to satiate adult audience members either watching along with their children, or just watching in general. Really, though, they just stress that this'll never rank among the standouts on De Niro, Walken or Thurman's resumes. It's unfair to compare The War with Grandpa with any of their career highlights, of course, but aside from its recognisable cast, this family-friendly comedy about a kid who overreacts when his grandfather moves in and takes over his bedroom doesn't boast anything other than overplayed and overly formulaic inanity. It's supposed to garner laughs from all ages; however, older viewers are unlikely to even crack a smile and kids 100-percent deserve more. After widower Ed (De Niro) has trouble with a supermarket self-checkout, accidentally becomes a shoplifter and causes a scene, his daughter Sally (Thurman) decides that it's time for him to live with her family instead of on his own. But her son Peter (Oakes Fegley, The Goldfinch) has to relocate to the attic to accommodate the household's new member and, really just because the movie's premise wouldn't work otherwise, he's brattishly unhappy about the change to the point of acting out. He declares war, in fact, even going as far as penning a letter announcing his plans — and soon grandpa and grandson are both engaged in a battle of escalating pranks over turf. While De Niro has plenty of forgettable features to his name (see also: this year's The Comeback Trail), he's also taken enough roles that just require him to be silly that his casting in films like this is no longer anywhere near funny. And director Tim Hill has a long history working on SpongeBob SquarePants, including helming this year's entertaining The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, so it is easy to see why he was drawn to the project — this storyline would've likely worked well in an animated format, set under the sea, and with that zany critter facing off against a nemesis — but there's not even the slightest trace of engaging goofiness here. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30; August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27; September 3, September 10, September 17 and September 24; October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22 and October 29; and November 5, November 12, November 19 and November 26. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves, The King of Staten Island, Babyteeth, Deerskin, Peninsula, Tenet, Les Misérables, The New Mutants, Bill & Ted Face the Music, The Translators, An American Pickle, The High Note, On the Rocks, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Antebellum, Miss Juneteenth, Savage, I Am Greta, Rebecca, Kajillionaire, Baby Done, Corpus Christi, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, The Craft: Legacy, Radioactive, Brazen Hussies, Freaky, Mank, Monsoon, Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt), American Utopia, Possessor, Misbehaviour and Happiest Season. Images: The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart courtesy of Ed Caraeff/Getty Images/HBO; The Prom via Melinda Sue Gordon/Netflix.
First birthdays are not all pleasant. Banal observations like "I can't believe it's only been a year!" fly out of people's mouths as unwelcomely as the projectile vomit now covering your brand new button-up (thanks, birthday boy). But upon hearing that Spotify Australia turned one today, we couldn't help but join the chorus of disbelief. It's only been a year? Really? It's hard to remember life before Spotify. The days of trying to 'unmax out' your maxed-out credit card before clicking 'purchase'. Of artists watching through tears as their life's work is torrented to the masses. A year later, it's hard to imagine anything other than clicking that little green button to soak our ears in unlimited, legal music juice. We might not yet have struck the perfect balance between access for audiences versus payment for artists, but it feels like we're getting closer. So for that we'd like to say 'Happy Birthday, Spotify'. Now today, just like the last occasion on which you celebrated a first birthday, is all about gushing and goggling over pretty pictures. And, proud mother that she is, Spotify Australia has shared this super-amazing infographic which you just have to see. The stats are pretty friggen incredible — Australian Spotify users have streamed a mammoth 42.5 million hours of music and have created over 14 million playlists over the past 12 months. (That's over 4000 years of music — which, if played in order, would take about 50 generations to finish. We're talking 6013, guys.) Of those 14 million playlists, over 240,000 playlists have been created about love, romance and/or sex; 150,000 for exercise; and 65,000 for getting through the work day. Also, a whopping 230,000 were created for travel. So if you've ever wanted to scream, "I get it, arts student, your European experience makes you singularly unique", you at least have proof that their playlist probably wasn't. American duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Icelandic indie-pop-folksters Of Monsters and Men dominated our listening habits, taking out Most Streamed Artist and Most Streamed Track/Album respectively. We can now also confirm that Australians like Flume. A lot. Not only was he the most streamed local artist, but he took out three of the top five local tracks of 2012/13. This had little to do with the Spotify habits of Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who eschewed the young producer for the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Midnight Oil. We can't confirm if Julia actually enjoys Midnight Oil or is just playlisting them for the unity of the federal front bench.
Australia has hosted some seriously heavy-hitting theatre shows of late. This year, we put on productions of internationally acclaimed musicals Book of Mormon, Chicago, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Saturday Night Fever — and next year is shaping up to be even more impressive. We have five more award-winning productions landing on our shores in 2020 — including a childhood favourite reimagined and one on a floating stage — though not all of them will make the rounds through Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. So, if you can score tickets before they sell out, each and every one is worth travelling interstate for. HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD, PRINCESS THEATRE, MELBOURNE To say that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has been a success so far would be an understatement. Everyone's scrambling for tickets to the show at Melbourne's Princess Theatre, which has resulted in the season being extended for a second time — right up until May 17, 2020. And, if you haven't yet seen it, another round of tickets will go on sale at 11am on Thursday, July 18 (yes, this week). So, with all this hype, what exactly is The Cursed Child about? Well, it picks up 19 years after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and that abominably cheery epilogue on Platform 9 3/4. Harry is now an overworked Ministry of Magic employee, and the play focuses on both him and his youngest son Albus Severus Potter as they grapple with the past and future. The production is presented in two parts, so you'll have to book into two performances — there's the option to do so either on the same day (matinee and evening) or on consecutive evenings. Each part runs for about two and a half hours. If you've waited this long, the next round of ticket sales could very well be the last, so head to the website and prep yourself to book — interstate flights can come later. When? Until March 2020 [caption id="attachment_729348" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Handa Opera's 2012 'La Traviata' by Lightbox Photography[/caption] LA TRAVIATA, HANDA OPERA ON SYDNEY HARBOUR, SYDNEY Opera on a regular stage is one thing, but opera performed on a floating openair theatre atop Sydney Harbour, under the stars? Well, that's some unforgettable stuff. Especially when it's Giuseppe Verdi's famed classic La Traviata that's being given the overwater treatment — it tells the famously heartbreaking tale of a free-spirited Parisian courtesan and her tragic love affair with a nobleman. The glamorous three-act show is the latest production announced as part of Opera Australia's Handa Opera series, set to return to this unique stage in March and April 2020. Handa Opera has pulled over 400,000 guests since debuting with La Traviata back in 2012 — and its mix of drinking and dining options, breathtaking views and nightly fireworks making it one of Sydney's must-try cultural offerings. It's also considered one of the world's best openair opera venues. Tickets go on sale from the Opera Australia Box Office this Tuesday, July 16, so grab a couple and start planning your trip to Sydney. When? March–April 2020 [caption id="attachment_726234" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shrek the Musical by Helen Maybanks[/caption] SHREK THE MUSICAL, THE LYRIC THEATRE, BRISBANE Fancy reliving your childhood film favourites on the stage? That seems to be the current trend. Next up, Shrek the Musical is bringing its all-singing, all-dancing version of the animated movie franchise to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Expect plenty of green when this Tony and Grammy award-nominated stage show finally makes its way to our shores, after first premiering on Broadway back in 2008. While Australian cast details haven't been revealed, Shrek lovers can expect a whopping 19 songs, an obvious colour scheme and plenty of other fairy tale references. The musical will first hit Sydney in January, but we're especially excited to see it round out its Aussie reign at Brisbane's Lyric Theatre. Those 2020 dates haven't been announced just yet, but you can join the waitlist here. We reckon its the perfect excuse for a Brisbane weekender. When? 2020 [caption id="attachment_672845" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Waitress by Joan Marcus[/caption] WAITRESS, SYDNEY LYRIC THEATRE, SYDNEY Perhaps in an effort to rival Melbourne's theatre scene — which nabbed the Australian 2019 premiere of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child — Sydney has clearly upped its commitment to theatre this year. Another we're especially excited about is Waitress. It first hit Broadway in 2016 and has gone on to gain stellar reviews, numerous Tony nominations and sold-out shows night after night. Based on the 2007 movie of the same name, Waitress tells the story of Jenna, a waitress and expert pie maker who dreams of a way out of her small town and loveless marriage. Waitress won't be here until 2020 and tickets are not yet on sale, but you can get on the waitlist over here. As of now it's only coming to Sydney, but interstate patrons won't regret flying in for this one. When? 2020 HAMILTON, SYDNEY LYRIC THEATRE, SYDNEY It's won 11 Tony Awards and is one of the Obamas' favourite musical, and now Lin-Manuel Miranda's game-changing musical Hamilton is finally coming to Australia. The critically acclaimed hip hop musical, for which Miranda wrote the music, lyrics and the book, is about the life of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, as well as inclusion and politics in current-day America. As well as its many Tony Awards, which include Best Musical, it has nabbed a Grammy Award and even a Pulitzer Prize. Hamilton will make its Australian premiere at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in March 2021. Which is a little further away than the others, but it's still worth planning for. You can sign-up for pre-sale tickets now. There's no word yet on whether it'll head to other Aussie cities later on — so, if you don't want to risk it, those located interstate should to start planning a trip ASAP — we think it'll be more than worth it. When? 2021 Top image: Handa Opera by Hamilton Lund; Hamilton by Joan Marcus.
Brad Pitt almost unrecognisable as Henry Spencer from Eraserhead. Ryan Gosling as The Invisible Man. Viola Davis as Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. If this has you intrigued, you're going to love the video exhibition that the New York Times Magazine has put together, directed by Alex Prager. In part an homage to the greatest villains from film and a showcase of some of the most talented actors we see on our screens today, each vignette is a carefully crafted moment exploring the darker side of these wicked characters. No actor speaks in the vignettes, but repetitive, spine-tingling music plays, reflected in the sinister, depraved look in each character's eyes. The camera creeps up Kirsten Dunst's body as she holds a green apple close to her lips; Glenn Close is a mysterious, almost ghostly version of Theda Bara, the silent film star. If you're a budding movie director, this could well serve as inspiration for your next horror short... See the exhibition, A Touch of Evil, here and the mood board that inspired it.
We last saw Bob Evans (aka Kevin Mitchell) in Brisbane when he cruised through town to support his Double Life EP last year. He played some captivating shows on that tour, performing solo acoustic sets that showcased his natural musical ability and confidence on stage. In the lead-up to the release of his fourth studio album, Familiar Stranger, Mr Evans is touring the country again, this time with his full live band in tow. Making stops all across the country, the former frontman of alt-rock heroes Jebediah is bringing his (comparatively tamer) alt-country leanings to stages nationally. Familiar Stranger reportedly sees Mr Evans shifting away from the acoustic sound of previous recordings, with a "progressive pop sound from an artist brimming with new-found inspiration". This can only mean exciting things from a man with an immense back catalogue of material and legions of fans across the country. Bob Evans will be supported by Tigertown and Davey Lane.
Never believe someone who tells you that salted caramel is overrated. They probably just haven't tried the right one. And if any version of the sweet-but-salty treat is going to convert the salted caramel agnostic, it's Pepe Saya's — because Australia's famous cultured butter maker has branched out into desserts. Pepe Saya already does pancake packs, brown butter chocolate-chip cookie dough, scone packs and more, of course, but now it has added buttery salted caramel bon bons to its range. The added bonus with these: you can can pop them in your pocket or bag, then get snacking whenever the urge strikes. If you're wondering why Pepe Saya decided to move into caramels — and yes, the easy answer is 'why not? — it's calling its version an Australian homage to the caramel au beurre salé. It has company, too, with the mouth-watering squares made by hand by Adora Handmade Chocolates in Marrickville, and not only using Pepe Saya's cultured butter but also Olsson's sea salt. Even better: the bon bons come in two varieties. Stick with the OG buttery salted caramel version and you'll obviously taste all the requisite flavours (that'd be butter, salt and caramel), or opt for the chocolate buttery salted caramels for something even more decadent. That said, if your tastebuds are now well and truly tempted, you'll want to get in quickly. While the caramels have been added to Pepe Saya's lineup on an ongoing basis, they're being made in limited-edition batches — and only 250 boxes are available each week. You can nab them online from Pepe Saya's website and Olsson's website, with ten in a box. The original version costs $19.95, while the chocolate variety costs $24.95. Announcing the bon bons, Pepe Saya co-founder and buttermaker Pierre Issa said that "any butter or salt company worth their weight should have a salted caramel. Caramelising our butter brings out the true flavour of cultured butter, perfectly rounded with sea salt. It quite literally melts in your mouth with more and more flavour appearing as it dissolves." "I've always dreamt of being able to carry a little taste of Pepe Saya butter around in my pocket to share with people, and now I can, with a pocket full of these bon bons," Issa continued. The caramels also come in quite the eye-catching packaging, as designed by Aussie artist Michael Whooley. Inspired by the butteries that Issa and fellow co-founder Melissa Altman have been to overseas, it features a cat to pay tribute to felines who call butteries home around the globe. Pepe Saya's new range of caramels are available online from Pepe Saya's website and Olsson's website, with ten in a box. The original version costs $19.95, while the chocolate variety costs $24.95 Images: Rob Locke.
Last year was hot. We sweltered through Australia's warmest summer on record, a hotter-than-standard autumn, a warmer-than-usual winter and a spicy spring as well. To the surprise of no one, the next few months look set to continue the trend. This week, BOM released its climate outlook for the March to May period, revealing that most of the country is in for warmer days and stickier nights than we usually see at this time of year. Yep, the soupy weather is set to continue. In fact, across the majority of Australia, there's a 60–80 percent chance autumn temperatures will be a whole lot warmer than the median. To give an idea of exactly what that all means, the average daily maximum temperature for March sits at around 23.9 degrees in Melbourne, 24.8 in Sydney and 28 in Brisbane. In May, it's around 16.7 degrees for Melbourne, with 19.5 for Sydney and 23.2 for Brisbane. The BOM is forecasting that we'll see warmer than that across the three months. Unfortunately for farmers, parts of Queensland are looking to struggle through drier-than-average autumns, too. Elsewhere, it's likely rainfall will be relatively average. While recent heavy rainfall across NSW and southeast Qld has helped ease the dry in some areas (and increase Sydney's water storage by a whopping 30 percent), BOM is saying some regions require "several months of above average rainfall" to bring them out of drought — which doesn't look likely to happen this autumn. The recent spate of heavy rain has also helped — thankfully — to ease some of the catastrophic bushfires that have been burning across the country, with the NSW RFS today announcing that for the first time this season all bush and grass fires in NSW are now contained. While that is unquestionably great news, it might not be the case for long, with BOM saying the warmer-than-average days and nights predicted over the next four months will increase the chance of heatwaves and elevate bushfire risk. Image: Kenny Lover by Julia Sansone
What's big, spiky and attracts tourists from all over? Whether you grew up in the shadow of one of south-east Queensland's great tourist attractions, made the trek to the Sunshine Coast to marvel an oversized fake fruit, or always thought you'd snap a pic next to the pineapple to end all pineapples, you know the answer. Soon, however, you might be able to do more than just visit, take photos, browse the markets, meet some monkeys and eat the sweet, juicy food in question — you might be able to sleep there. Yes, glamping could be coming to the one and only Big Pineapple. If that's not news that'll make you hightail it to Nambour, then we don't know what is. With the iconic site under new ownership, the folks in charge are thinking big — well, bigger than the previous owners did, including the people responsible for building such a massive monument to a particular tropical fruit. Among the additions mooted for the 165-hectare site: a family fun park, an RV park, walking trails, outdoor sport and recreation facilities, and fancy, fancy tents so that you can stay the night. The plans are designed to help bring the Big Pineapple back to its former glory, with the 16-metre-high attraction's tourist trade not quite at previous booming levels. Since opening in 1971, the heritage-listed fruit tower has seen a few changes, opening and closing over the years, undergoing several revamps, and introducing the annual Big Pineapple Music Festival in 2013. "What we want to do is make a food-based and eco-tourism-based destination that incorporates the existing big pineapple, but adds other things ... and has outlets for local produce," co-owner Peter Kendall told ABC Sunshine Coast. "There's rainforest on the land that would lend itself to eco-walks [and] we've talked about things like zip lining." Existing favourites, such as the animal hospital and train, will be retained. And, for anyone who feels strongly about just what the Big Pineapple should add to the site, an open day will be held on February 18 for interested parties to offer their input into the new proposals. Via: ABC Sunshine Coast. Image: Holiday Point.
When you knock off after a long work week and need of a cruisy spot to help get you into weekend mode, look no further than Boundary Street Night Markets in West End. Zip there after work and wander around a veritable bazaar of stalls and traders. And if you're hungry, you're certainly in the right place. The market boasts treats and delights from all over the world — Turkey, Romania, Sri Lanka, Korea and Japan, just to name a few places. Definitely save room for dessert, too, with I Should Coco serving up vegan soft serve, and Organic Frog on doughnut duty. Formerly located on the corner of Boundary Street, you can now find the markets up the road, on the corner of Russell and Boundary Street every Friday and Saturday night from 4pm to 10pm.
We were greeted on the morning of day one with blue skies (and barrels) that would see the ultimate start to our Splendour experience. However, it wasn't always going to be that smooth, as a shock hail storm struck as we were walking in, and this would be the last time we saw any grass at Splendour. No doubt this provided a huge spike in gumboot sales for the northern New South Wales retail sector and it remains the best $50 spent for me, essentially providing a $15-$20 per day accommodation for my feet. The blue skies would return no sooner than 30 minutes later, but the mud had taken over the grass. Thanks to Virgin Mobile, we were provided with the best possible experience to witness one of Australia's top three-day festivals. There was no doubt a number of personal highlights, including Miike Snow, Tame Impala, Azelia Banks, The Gossip and Yuksek, but the main aspect that impressed me, and essentially was the reason why we were there, was seeing what a brand can do to to enhance the experience for festival attendees, management and artists alike, while ultimately delivering value back to its coffers. Below is a summary of the highlights from our Virgin experience of Splendour in the Grass. Looking at things from a festival organiser's point of view, Virgin's sponsorship made the ultimate festival wishlists come true, from Live Streaming, Mobile Applications, through to customer benefits such as the Posh Pits and Wristband technology. Live Stream We were taken on a tour of the backstage area where the Live Stream was conducted like a broadcast that you would expect to see at a major sporting event. With a cost that runs into six figures, you can see why sponsors play a pivotal role in a Festival's product mix. Watch the rest of the Live Streaming here, including artist interviews and live performances. The results of this year's live streaming proved to be the second largest in Australia's history. Some key numbers from the livestream include: 457,000 live views20 different cameras used to capture the action 405 minutes of live music being recorded 3500 frames of high definition digital festival footage being captured 4kms of cable being run 4 separate crews recording 2 live stages 8 interviews in the Virgin Mobile interview area back stage 37 crew members working a total of 1940 hours Mobile Application Mobile Applications at Festivals have become somewhat of the norm these days, especially the bigger, multi-day events. However, a good one is hard to come by, and most of them tend to get too confusing to use. However, the SITG app, in cahoots with Virgin Mobile, was the first one I relied heavily on at an event, providing the much needed planner functionality and the basic map (for the first day). The torch application was also handy at times. There were a couple of flaws, namely, the push notification didn't show the name of the acts playing. Channel V Recovery Party After Day One, we, along with Virgin Mobile customers, were invited to the exclusive Channel V Recovery Party at The Beach Hotel. This included (and was a compulsory part of our Virgin experience) beers from 9:30am and/or Not So Virgin Bloody Marys. It also provided us with a sneak peek at Billy Corgan, which caused a buzz amongst the lucky few that were gracing the famous beer garden. This was once again another great activation and provided the necessary motivation for us to kick day two off. Posh Pits What looked more like a Mosh Pit when we first turned up (due to the hail storm), the value of the Posh Pit was realised as the mud slowly took over the festival. Exclusive to Virgin Mobile customers, we continued to find ourselves turning up back at the Posh Pit due to the lack of queues for the toilets. Star Treatment Stop Probably the least valuable activation (but a nice touch all the same) was the Star Treatment Stop in Broadwater, approximately an hour away from Byron. It provided an excellent bump of excitement as we neared the festival. Coffee, some lollies and great chat with Virgin Angels were included too. However, not sure being man-handled was what we were expecting, although it is clear that this didn't matter in the photo above. Sponsored post
The life and times of 20th century music and cultural icon, Bob Marley, are explored through the deeply raw and poignant documentary, Marley. Kevin Macdonald directed the film in an attempt to allow audiences to get to know the man behind the myth a little better. The two and a half hour documentary features never before seen footage and photos from Marley's early life and final years; from his years as a mixed-race farm boy, Marley's time on the streets in Kingston's Trenchtown, his worldwide fame, through to his cancer diagnosis and slow subsequent demise. Marley reinforces the cultural significance of this Jamaican hero, who still resonates in music lovers' hearts all over the world almost 30 years after his death. Commentary is provided by the family members and friends who knew him best, and the film includes concert footage of four previously unseen songs. All of this is woven together in a seamless stream of revelations to sate the appetites of even the most ardent, die-hard Marley fans. Macdonald and Marley's children and grandchildren also wished to preserve Marley's legacy through the documentary and highlight his driven and ambitious work ethic, whilst quelling the notion that his marijuana smoking led him to lead a slow-paced or lazy lifestyle. The film powerfully captures the quirkiness of the Marley clan as well as providing a musical journey that outlines the development of the sub-culture of reggae and the instrumental role Marley had in this. Concrete Playground has ten double passes to giveaway to see Marley. To go in the running to win tickets, make sure you're subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name and postal address to us at hello@concreteplayground.com.au
Urban dwellers are usually more accustomed to seeing copious amounts of neutral tones around our cities than bright splashes of colour. It's argued that colour makes people feel happier, so wouldn't it be nice if our city looked like one big rainbow, or perhaps an array of different shades of blue or pink? Many charming little towns throughout the world have put this idea into practice, painting their buildings in bold and bright colours. The bursts of colour add an artistic ambiance to older buildings and bring a source of life to cities during the colder months, and become popular tourist destinations in the summer. Here is a collection of the best examples of places around the globe where colour reigns supreme. La Boca, Argentina Jodhpur, India Bo-Kaap, South Africa Guanajuato, Mexico San Francisco, USA Willemstad, Netherlands Antilles St John's, Canada Riomaggiore, Italy Wroclaw, Poland Salvador, Brazil Jaipur, India [via Environmental Graffiti]
Until 10pm every weekday — and 11pm on Friday and Saturday — practice your golf swing at Victoria Park's Driving Range. Nestled just on the edge of Fortitude Valley in Herston, the driving range boasts 300 metres of open space across 61 hitting bays and ten grass greens. Plus you can hit the range to relax or vent some frustration, rain or shine. While you're there, you can putt around the sand traps and other obstacles on the 19-hole mini golf course, too. And once you've got your hole-in-one, go celebrate in the comfy bar and bistro. Wood-fired pizzas are their speciality, and pair well with one of their cocktail jugs.
After a night of festivities there's nothing worse than waking up to an abode with chip-trodden carpet, questionable wall smears and a never-ending sea of empties ultimately destined to inhabit your (and your neighbour's) rubbish bins for the weeks following. Such a scene is what initiated Morning-After Maids, a new Auckland startup set to take the hassle out of the weekend clean-up by delivering "an exceptional 'post-party' cleaning service". As well as the lesson in hygiene, the maids will go the extra mile by cooking up a quintessential fresh breakfast too. They have two menus available: one clean and one greasy. The blessed hangover angels also offer fast food runs, coffee, chocolate milk and all those little extras you always wish you'd thought of stocking up on the night before (blue Powerade, fried chicken, Panadol, etc.). The service is only available in Auckland at the moment, and seems like a more niche version of Airtasker or Sydney's Whizz. Their prices seem ridiculously cheap, with two cleaners costing just $30 per hour along with a mileage fee. Do note that you'll have to shell out $10 extra for every pile of vomit they have to deal with, and if you need an emergency clean up, it'll be $50 on top of other cleaning charges. Also, their price list mentions they can provide puppy cuddles free of charge. Puppies.
First, the glorious news: since Thursday, August 5, all has been right in Melbourne's cinema scene again. For the first time 2019, the Melbourne International Film Festival has been taking over the city's picture palaces, filling them with the best movies it can find and letting film lovers live their most joyous lives. Yes, it's as wonderful as it sounds. Now, the sad news for Melburnians: come Sunday, August 21, this year's in-person MIFF comes to an end. Thankfully, MIFF Play, the festival's online platform, is sticking around for another week. That's a wonderful development for cinephiles located well beyond Melbourne, too, with the digital program showing nationally. Finding something to stream is never difficult these days, but until Sunday, August 28, your usual queue can wait. It'll still be there when you're doing MIFFing on your couch — after popping your own popcorn, pouring a glass of wine, and politely asking your partner or housemate to turn their phone off, to complete the cinema-at-home experience. But when that date rolls by, MIFF Play's impressive lineup won't still be there at the touch of a button. It's the MIFF you can hit up when you can't be at MIFF, and these are our ten must-see picks. Happy watching. HIT THE ROAD How fitting it is that a film about family — about the ties that bind, and when those links are threatened not by choice but via unwanted circumstances — hails from an impressive lineage itself. How apt it is that Hit the Road explores the extent that ordinary Iranians find themselves going to escape the nation's oppressive authorities, too, given that the filmmaker behind it is Panah Panahi, son of acclaimed auteur Jafar Panahi. The latter's run-ins with the country's regime have been well-documented. The elder Panahi, director of Closed Curtain, Tehran Taxi and more, has been both imprisoned and banned from making movies over the past two decades, and was detained again in July 2022 for enquiring about the legal situation surrounding There Is No Evil helmer Mohammad Rasoulof. None of that directly comes through in Hit the Road's story, not for a moment, but the younger Panahi's directorial debut is firmly made with a clear shadow lingering over it. As penned by the fledgling filmmaker as well, Hit the Road's narrative is simple and also devastatingly layered; in its frames, two starkly different views of life in Iran are apparent. What frames they are, as lensed by Ballad of a White Cow cinematographer Amin Jafari — with every sequence a stunner, but three in particular, late in the piece and involving fraught exchanges, nighttime stories and heartbreaking goodbyes, among the most mesmerising images committed to celluloid in recent years. Those pictures tell of a mother (Pantea Panahiha, Rhino), a father (Mohammad Hassan Madjooni, Pig), their adult son (first-timer Amin Simiar) and their six-year-old boy (scene-stealer Rayan Sarlak, Gol be khodi), all unnamed, who say they're en route to take their eldest to get married. But the journey is a tense one, even as the youngest among them chatters, sings, does ordinary childhood things and finds magic in his cross-country road trip, all with zero knowledge of what eats at the rest of his family. WE WERE ONCE KIDS A wide array of movies first hit silver screens in 1995, as they have every year since the advent of the medium. It was the year of Clueless, Before Sunrise, Billy Madison, Empire Records and Casper — and of Casino, Apollo 13, Babe, Showgirls and Seven, too. But only one is the subject of excellent documentary We Were Once Kids, which sees Australian filmmaker Eddie Martin (All This Mayhem, Have You Seen the Listers?) peer back at perhaps the most controversial movie of the 90s. That's the era's judgement, as archival news clips make plain from the outset. When Larry Clark's Kids reached cinemas, the mainstream press was scandalised at its portrait of New York City, the teens who live in it, and the drugs, sex, parties and violence that's shown to be an everyday part of their lives. Even if any of that was actually shocking, it'd have nothing on the tale around the tale — one about a tight-knit group of friends growing up in poverty, meeting Clark and a then 19-year-old Harmony Korine, finding their existence turned into a movie, and getting little more than some screentime and $1000 to show for it. Hamilton Chango Harris is one such Kids alum, aka a skater who temporarily became a movie star. He and his pals enjoyed Clark and screenwriter Korine's attention, and the break from their routines — with skating and partying already a break from their troubles, including parents struggling with addiction, at home. Harris is We Were Once Kids' key subject, but Martin understandably focuses on Justin Pierce and Harold Hunter, who had the biggest hopes for post-Kids fame but tragically aren't here now to tell their own stories. This is a gripping and damning doco about filmmakers who catapulted to success on the back of exploiting the working class, and about the complete lack of care they had for the lives they co-opted and the fallout. One story, from Harris, Pierce and Hunter's friend Highlyann Krasnow, says oh-so-much. She opted out of featuring in Kids when she saw how Clark and Spring Breakers' Korine had sexualised their group. That didn't change the film at all; instead, Chloë Sevigny (Russian Doll) and Rosario Dawson (DMZ) were cast, and are now household names. YUNI Again and again in Yuni, a heartbreaking clash echoes. Its sounds stem from schoolyard gossip, superstitious tut-tutting, ultra-conservative demands and reminders that its titular character shouldn't steal anything purple that she sees. In the third feature from Indonesian filmmaker Kamila Andini (The Seen and Unseen), Yuni (Arawinda Kirana, Angkringan) is a 16-year-old in a Muslim society where agreeing to an arranged marriage is the only thing truly expected of her. When the movie begins, a proposal from construction worker Iman (Muhammad Khan, Memories of My Body) already lingers. After she declines, her classmates chatter. Then another offer comes from the much-older Mang Dodi (first-timer Toto ST Radik), who is looking for a second wife. Yuni knows the accepted myth that any woman who refuses more than two proposals will never wed, but she's also keen to make her own choices. She has a crush on teacher Mr Damar (Dimas Aditya, Satan's Slaves), and spends time with the younger and infatuated Yoga (Kevin Ardilova, Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash). She's also the smartest student at her school, with dreams of attending university. Andini's film is full of specifics, diving into the minutiae of Yuni's life — surveying Indonesian society and its customs, the roles thrust upon women from their teenage years, and enormous gap between the path that she's supposed to follow and the yearnings of her heart. This is a movie where scenes of its protagonist hanging out with her friends, whether kicking back on the grass talking about boys or dressing up with her beautician pal Suci (Asmara Abigail, Satan's Slaves 2: Communion), could be scenes from almost any teenage girl's life. Of course, then the reality sinks in, whether in discussions about husbands, babies and virginity tests, or in the teary worries about horrific power imbalances. The ability of poetry to capture everything that can't be easily uttered otherwise also floats through Andini's deeply moving picture, so it should come as no surprise that Yuni is both naturalistic and lyrical. It's precise and universal, follows an easily foreseeable path and yet proves full of surprises, and is astutely directed as well — and Kirana is a star. MASS Two couples, one church, six years of baggage and two absent children. That's one of the equations at the heart of Mass. Here's another: four phenomenal performances, one smart and affecting script that tackles a difficult subject in a candid and thoughtful way, and one powerful directorial debut by actor-turned-filmmaker Fran Kranz. Best known for on-screen roles in Dollhouse, The Cabin in the Woods, Homecoming and Julia, the latter guides gripping portrayals out of Reed Birney (Home Before Dark), Ann Dowd (The Handmaid's Tale), Jason Isaacs (Operation Mincemeat) and Martha Plimpton (Generation) — and crafts a harrowing yet cathartic drama out of the aftermath of a far-too-familiar tragedy, too. The reason that Richard (Birney), Linda (Dowd), Jay (Isaacs) and Gail (Plimpton) are in the back room at a place of worship, discussing their kids with heartbreak etched across their faces? Richard and Linda's son Hayden was a school shooter, killing Jay and Gail's son Evan in his spree, then turning the gun on himself. What can anyone say in that situation? Kranz, who both writes and directs, keeps his screenplay simple — but as loaded with emotion as the scenario obviously requires. He keeps his filmmaking flourishes just as restrained as well; that's a craft in itself, but the cast rather than the technique is the focus here. At first, they utter loaded lines with weighty awkwardness, aka the kind that fills and silences a room. Then, each in their own way, they unleash the hurt, anger, regret, sorrow, misery and more that's festering inside their characters, and that no amount of talking can ever completely capture. Mass is a musing on that very fact, too: that even the most spirited of dialogues, slinging about both carefully chosen and heatedly spur-of-the-money words, can't fix, explain or do justice to the pain that Richard, Linda, Jay and Gail are going through. The end result would make an exceptional, albeit unshakeably distressing, double with We Need to Talk About Kevin, The Fallout or Vox Lux, or even Elephant or Polytechnique as well. LEONOR WILL NEVER DIE To create is to become immortal. Write something that's hopefully committed to print or pixels forever, or direct a film that'll ideally keep reaching eyeballs in some format year after year, and a part of you — the part you've invested in time, sweat, tears and creativity — lives on eternally. That notion haunts playful and perceptive Filipino genre-bender Leonor Will Never Die, which understands the power that making a movie has both for the talents involved and the audiences watching. The eponymous Leonor Reyes (Sheila Francisco, Gulong) is an action-film director, albeit one whose heyday is behind her. She stopped stepping behind the camera after a tragedy, and her family has suffered in the aftermath. With her husband Valentin (Alan Bautista) gone and her favourite son Ronwaldo (Rocky Salumbides and Anthony Falcon) dead, only her other offspring, the concerned, discontent and constantly critical Rudie (Bong Cabrera), remains at her side. But Leonor still types away her ideas, and fantasises about how they'd turn out — including when she's knocked unconscious in an accident, only to wake up inside one of her scripts. To create something, such as a film, its screenplay or both, is also to become a deity in a way. That concept also lingers over Leonor Will Never Die, too, because we're all gods over our own existences. When first-timer feature writer/director Martika Ramirez Escobar has her protagonist thrust into a space that should only dwell in the character's head and pages, this constantly twisting feature ponders agency, control and the power of our choices — and, often, the lack thereof. It explores escapism and wish fulfilment as well, all while proving an inventive and pulpy action flick itself, a thoughtful family melodrama, a rumination on life and regrets, a musing about grief and, frequently, an absurd comedy. Case in point re the latter: Leonor, the cinema-obsessed filmmaker, is knocked into her coma by a falling TV. Once you've seen the film, you'll realise that that sounds like something she'd dream up herself. THE HUMANS If you're the kind of cinephile who likes to theme their viewing around the relevant time of year — holiday-related, primarily — then you're clearly always spoiled for choice. Christmas movies, horror flicks at Halloween, Easter-relevant films: you can build a binge session out of all of them (several in fact, depending on the occasion). The same applies to Thanksgiving, all courtesy of the US, and The Humans is the latest addition to the November-appropriate list. But while it ticks a few easy boxes, including bringing a family together to celebrate the date, steeping their get-together in awkwardness, and having big revelations spill out over the course of the gathering, this A24-distributed release is far creepier and more haunting than your usual movie about America's turkey-eating time of year. Based on Stephen Karam's Tony-winning play, and adapted and directed for the screen by Karam himself, it's downright unsettling, in fact, and for a few reasons. There's the tension zipping back and forth between everyone in attendance, of course; the bleak, claustrophobic, rundown setting, in a New York apartment close to ground zero; and the strange sounds emanating from other units. As a result, seasonal cheer is few and far between in this corner of Manhattan, where the Blake family congregates in Brigid (Beanie Feldstein, Booksmart) and her boyfriend Richard's (Steven Yeun, Nope) new abode. Also making an appearance: parents Deirdre (Jayne Houdyshell, Only Murders in the Building) and Erik (Richard Jenkins, Nightmare Alley), Brigid's older sister Aimee (Amy Schumer, Life & Beth), and their grandmother Momo (June Squibb, Palmer), who has dementia. No one is happy, and everyone seems to have something that needs airing — but there's always the feeling that, in any other location, this might've truly been a joyful affair. Discussions about dreams and nightmares prove revealing, but The Humans points out the thin line between both, whether we're slumbering or waking, several times over in its talky frames. MILLIE LIES LOW A scene-stealer in 2018's The Breaker Upperers, Ana Scotney now leads the show in Millie Lies Low. She's just as magnetic. The New Zealand actor plays the film's eponymous Wellington university student, who has a panic attack aboard a plane bound for New York — where a prestigious architecture internship awaits — and has to disembark before her flight leaves. A new ticket costs $2000, which she doesn't have. And, trying to rustle up cash from her best friend and classmate (Jillian Nguyen, Hungry Ghosts), mother (Rachel House, Cousins) and even a quick-loan business (run by Cohen Holloway, The Power of the Dog) still leaves her empty-handed. Millie's solution: faking it till she makes it, searching for ways to stump up the funds while hiding out in her hometown, telling everyone she's actually already in the Big Apple and posting faux Instagram snaps MacGyvered out of whatever she can find (big sacks of flour standing in for snow, for instance) to sell the ruse. There's a caper vibe to Millie's efforts skulking around Wellington while endeavouring to finance her ticket to her dreams — and to the picture of her supposedly perfect existence that she's trying to push upon herself as much as her loved ones. Making her feature debut, director and co-writer Michelle Savill has imposter syndrome and the shame spiral it sparks firmly in her sights, and finds much to mine in both an insightful and darkly comedic manner. As she follows her protagonist between episodic efforts to print the legend — or post it one Insta picture at a time — her keenly observed film also treads in Frances Ha's footsteps. Both movies examine the self-destructive life choices of a twentysomething with a clear idea of what she wants everyone to think of her, but far less of a grasp on who she really is and what she genuinely needs. While some framing and music choices make that connection obvious, the astute delight that is Millie Lies Low is never a Wellington-set copy. WE ARE STILL HERE It begins with stunning animation, shimmering with the rich blue hues of the sea. From there, everything from lush greenery to dusty outback appears in its frames. The past returns to the screen, and a vision of the present finds a place as well — and crossing the ditch between Australia and New Zealand, and venturing further into the South Pacific, is baked into the movie's very concept. That film is We Are Still Here, which makes an enormous statement with its title, responding to 250 years of colonialism. Of course, filmmakers in the region have been surveying this history since the birth of the medium, because the topic is inescapable. Combining eight different takes from ten Indigenous filmmakers instantly makes We Are Still Here stand out, however — and this Pacific First Nations collaboration, which opened Sydney Film Festival before coming to MIFF, isn't short on talent, or impact. Australian filmmakers Beck Cole (Here I Am), Danielle MacLean (Carry the Flag), Tracey Rigney (A Chance Affair) and Dena Curtis (Back to Nature) add their parts, as do New Zealand directors Tim Worrall (Head High), Richard Curtis (Nanakia), Renae Maihi (Waru), Miki Magasiva (The Panthers), Chantelle Burgoyn (short Tatau) and Mario Gaoa (Teine Sa). Some of their chapters explore heated discussions about whether to fight back, others find understanding in unlikely places, and another heads into the First World War. The same passion — the same determined survey of what it means to live in countries forever changed by James Cook's landing — beats within each, whether peering at the animated stars, trying to survive in the trenches or pondering what might come is earning attention. Understandably, it makes for not just potent but sincere, weighty and moving viewing. PIGGY Hell is other people in Spanish horror film Piggy, an observation that's been made countless times on-screen. Hell is also today's always-online world, another familiar statement. Still, a movie doesn't need to trade in completely new observations to stand out — which this bullying-revenge film definitely does in a plethora of ways. Sadly, its title stems from the taunt slung in its protagonist's direction much too often. A resident of a small, sleepy Spanish village close to the Portuguese border, Sara (Laura Galán, Unknown Origins) is called other names, too, none of them kind. She's also almost drowned by her tormentors during a trip to the local pool, where they're as cruel as anyone can be about her body. That experience comes with consequences, however, when a kidnapper strikes. Sara is a witness, the three mean girls that've made her life miserable go missing, and the right next step isn't straightforward. Galán is astonishing in Piggy, reteaming with writer/director Carlota Pereda after also starring in her 2018 Goya Award-winning short of the same. This full-length expansion is a vicious marvel, too — and it isn't afraid to get brutal either thematically or physically, or to plaster gory sights across its imagery. Indeed here, seeing a murdered corpse weighted down at the bottom of a public pool isn't a pretty vision, unsurprisingly. That said, it also pales in comparison to the nastiness continually thrust Sara's way, and to everything the film sinks a knife into about being a woman today in the process. Piggy is also astonishingly stylish, using its Academy-ratio frames to ramp up the sense of claustrophobia to an immersive degree. Pereda has enjoyed stints behind the lens since 2008, spanning television, shorts and features, but this immediate must-see deserves to put her on the path to a great genre career. LOVE AND OTHER CATASTROPHES There's no doubting that MIFF loves Melbourne. In the festival's 70th year, it's celebrating that fact in a huge way, too, courtesy of a Melbourne on Film program strand. That's the part of this year's overall festival lineup that surveys the way that the Victorian capital has been seen on the big screen over the years, complete with 25 examples — spanning everything from The Story of the Kelly Gang, aka the world's first full-length film, through to the original Mad Max. One absolute must-see, in general and as part of this MIFF showcase, hails from the 90s. The tale it tells couldn't be more relatable, even if you weren't a uni student navigating all of life's chaos three decades back. Indeed, if you only watch one movie from MIFF's Melbourne love-in, Love and Other Catastrophes is that pick — as well as a stellar 1996 debut by writer/director Emma-Kate Croghan, who was only 23 when she made this micro-budget gem. The focus: two film students, Mia (Frances O'Connor, The End) and Alice (Alice Garner, Jindabyne), who've just moved into a new place. They're in need of another housemate, and — as the title makes plain — they do indeed have love and other catastrophes to weather. For starters, while Mia's girlfriend Danni (Radha Mitchell, Girl at the Window) is keen to join them, that'd take their relationship to another level. Then there's Alice's romantic woes, involving both the resident university ladies' man Ari (Matthew Dyktynski, Offspring) and the quiet, besotted Michael (Matt Day, The Unusual Suspects). Yes, as well as being an astute and amusing rom-com, Love and Other Catastrophes is also a who's who of Aussie talent — and the picture that helped put O'Connor and Mitchell on the road to everything from AI: Artificial Intelligence and The Conjuring 2 to Pitch Black and Man on Fire. MIFF Play, the 2022 Melbourne International Film Festival's digital fest, runs from Thursday, August 11–Sunday, August 29. For further details, visit the MIFF Play website.
If you have never been to the Grand Central Hotel on a Thursday or Saturday night then you have been missing something special. Live music, cheap drinks, finger food (!!!), free entry and a great atmosphere, all nestled underneath Central Station. It is the saving grace of the dreadfully drear CBD music scene. To celebrate a great year of great tunes, the team behind Off The Rails/Trainspotters are putting on a couple of shows to celebrate the Yuletide season, suitably named, Black Christmas (Thursday) and White Christmas (Saturday). Each night will feature a massive bill of bands from Brisbane and beyond, with performances from - The Clits, The Quest For Glory, Mega Ogre, POLICE FORCE, Babaganoüj, Johnny and The Fembots, Teen Sensations, Tempura Nights. See? Massive. Each night will also be themed on naughty or nice. Prefer a lump of coal over a candy cane? Thursday might be your night. Enjoy a good bit of festive cheer? Saturday is the night for you. Pick a night (or head to both) and enjoy some of the best music around. Santa couldn’t give a gift as good as this.
Ever-changing COVID-19 rules and requirements were a part of ordinary life last year — and, in Brisbane, in 2021 so far too. But after a hectic January that saw the Greater Brisbane region go into lockdown for three days, then emerge to other restrictions including mandatory mask-wearing, life in the Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, Moreton and Redlands local government areas will return to the conditions that were in place in December 2020. This morning, on Thursday, January 21, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed that the current restrictions that have been in place since January 11 will end as planned at 1am on Friday, January 22. As the state's Chief Health Office Jeannette Young advised at the same press conference, Queensland has now reached 14 days since the last case linked to the most recent cluster, giving the authorities confidence that the present rules can be lifted. https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1352029301105852417 The Premier called the announcement "absolutely tremendous news", and detailed exactly what'll be back on the cards. Because the state is reverting to December's status quo, it should all sound familiar — and yes, you'll be able to spend more time in more places with more people. Gatherings at home will go back up to 50 people, and to 100 people outdoors in public. And, weddings can have 200 attendees, as can funerals. Hospitality and entertainment venues including restaurants, cafes, pubs, clubs, bars, museums and galleries will be able to have one person per two square metres. You'll also be able to stand while you're eating and drinking, too. Indoor events can welcome in 500 attendees, and seated, ticketed venues such as cinemas and theatres can go back up to 100-percent capacity. Outdoor events can have 1500 folks head along, while openair outdoor stadiums can return to full capacity as well. Also, dancing indoors and outdoors will be back again, with the one person per two-square-metres rule in place there as well. https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1352037124481011714 After more than two weeks of donning face coverings, Brisbanites will no longer have to wear masks in most situations, either — except in airports and on planes, as required by the Federal Government. That said, it's still recommended that folks wear masks if they can't social distance. The news comes as Queensland reported one new overseas-acquired case in the past 24, and zero new local cases. As always, the usual hygiene and social-distancing advice applies — including frequent hand-washing, maintaining a 1.5-metre distance from other people and getting tested if you have even the slightest of COVID-19 symptoms. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Queensland, head to the QLD COVID-19 hub and the Queensland Health website. Top image: Atlanta Bell.
For the two past pandemic-affected years, the Melbourne International Film Festival has beamed its lineup to movie lovers online rather than in cinemas. Turning 70 in 2022, however, it's returning to where it has always belonged. After expanding its audience and going national with its virtual programs, MIFF isn't ditching its digital screenings — but once again showing hundreds of the latest and greatest titles in international cinema in Melbourne picture palaces is firmly the star of this year's show. That's the first piece of great news for Melbourne movie buffs. The second: while MIFF will grace the screens at a heap of inner-city favourites between Thursday, August 4–Sunday, August 21 — such as ACMI, The Capitol, Forum Melbourne, Hoyts Melbourne Central, IMAX, Kino Cinema and Cinema Nova — it'll also show in suburban Melbourne cinemas The Astor, Lido, Pentridge and Sun Theatre from Friday, August 12–Sunday, August 21, too. Throw in the online component as well, which runs from Thursday, August 11–Sunday, August 28, and that's almost an entire month of MIFFing to look forward to. Also among the ace announcements: the first 33 films that cinephiles can put on their must-see lists, whether on screens big or small. That includes homegrown titles to both open and close MIFF 2022, with the fest launching with the world premiere of coming-of-age feature Of an Age by director Goran Stolevski — then wrapping up with the Aussie premiere of documentary Clean, about Melbourne 'trauma cleaner' Sandra Pankhurst. Other highlights span 2022 Berlinale Golden Bear-winner Alcarràs; Australian docu-drama The Plains, which hones in on daily life and picked up an award in Rotterdam; Dual, the Aaron Paul (Westworld) and Karen Gillan (Avengers: Endgame)-starring latest by The Art of Self-Defense's Riley Stearns; and Aubrey Plaza (Best Sellers) slipping into the thriller genre in Emily the Criminal. Or, there's horror-comedy Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon from A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night's Ana Lily Amirpour, which focuses on a telekinetic young woman; Where Is Anne Frank, the first feature film in eight years by Waltz with Bashir director Ari Folman; and doco Jane by Charlotte, with actor Charlotte Gainsbourg (Nymphomaniac) exploring the life of her iconic mother Jane Birkin. It wouldn't be a MIFF without a film by South Korean filmmaker Hong Sang-soo (The Woman Who Ran, On the Beach at Night Alone), which is where the Berlinale Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize-winning The Novelist's Film comes in. And, other standouts include New York-focused music documentary Meet Me in the Bathroom, about the 00s music scene; fellow doco Fire of Love, a Sundance-winner that surveys the lives of volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft; and Reflection, about a man's experiences in post-Maidan Ukraine. Thanks to the MIFF Premiere Fund, which helps financially support local flicks, the Australian contingent also covers ten more titles so far. Among the must-sees: Greenhouse by Joost, a documentary about zero-waste pioneer Joost Bakker and chefs Matt Stone and Jo Barrett making a self-sufficient, eco-friendly residence; the Western Australian-shot Sweet As, starring Tasma Walton (How to Please a Woman), Mark Coles Smith (Occupation: Rainfall) and Shantae Barnes-Cowan (Firebite); and the film student-focused Petrol, from Strange Colours' director Alena Lodkina. Plus, there's Under Cover, a Margot Robbie (The Suicide Squad)-narrated doco that focuses on women aged over 55 facing homelessness — and Moja Vesna, a drama about the impact of grief upon a Melbourne immigrant family that first premiered in Berlin. The list goes on — and, it'll only grow, with the entire program will be revealed on Tuesday, July 12. That's when exactly what'll screen in MIFF's new competition, which'll boast a $140,000 Best Film Award, will also be unveiled. In the interim, start steeling yourself for almost a month spent in darkened rooms, basking in the glow of the silver screen, committing the fest's ads to memory, and doing the usual dash up and down Swanson Street. Or, for checking out the program in Melbourne's suburbs — or online nationally. The 2022 Melbourne International Film Festival runs from Thursday, August 4–Sunday, August 28 at a variety of venues around Melbourne and Victoria, and online. For further details, including the full program from Tuesday, July 12, visit the MIFF website.
When it comes to design, there's minimalism and there's 'WTF-that-thing-defies-physics', and this is definitely the latter. Designer Peter Bristol's Cut Chair looks like an ordinary white chair that somebody sliced big diagonal chunks out of across the legs and back, leaving the seat seemingly unconnected to the front legs. Also, is it just us or is it weirdly cute that he made the cut parts red so it looks like the chair's bleeding? It probably would have been tempting to leave people scratching their heads, but Bristol decided to reveal the secret behind the illusion on his website — the answer lies underneath the rug that the chair's sitting on, and it's surprisingly simple. The rug conceals a metal plate that the legs are all welded to, cantilevering the chair so you can sit on it. And if big grey shaggy rugs aren't your style, the rug part is customisable — it basically just has to cover the plate to complete the illusion. The chair is available for purchase, but it'll set you back US$4000 — although if you had the money, seeing people's confused expressions when you offer them a seat would be priceless. Via Fast Company.
