That blank space in your calendar that you were hoping to fill with Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour? It's now taken care of. Australian Swifties, yes, your wildest dreams have finally come true. It definitely won't be a cruel summer for fans of the global music star Down Under, after the singer-songwriter announced five Aussie shows for February — although you'll have to be in Melbourne or Sydney to head along. Swift will play two gigs at the MCG in Melbourne across Friday, February 16–Saturday, February 17, then head north to hit the stage across three dates at Sydney's Accor Stadium from Friday, February 23–Sunday, February 25. At all shows, she'll also have company: Sabrina Carpenter in support. [caption id="attachment_906253" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ronald Woan via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] The Eras Tour kicked off in March in the US, where it's still playing. As well as revealing Aussie dates, Swift locked in international stops in Mexico, Argentina and Brazil in 2023 — and in Japan, Singapore, France, Sweden, Portugal, Spain, the UK, Ireland, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Poland and Australia until August 2024. The tour sees the Swift work through her entire career so far, playing tracks from each of her studio albums in a three-hour, 44-song, ten-act spectacular. 'Fearless', 'Enchanted', 'We Are Never Getting Back Together', 'Shake It Off', 'Bad Blood', 'Look What You Made Me Do', 'You Need to Calm Down' — expect them all to get a run, plus tunes from albums Folklore, Evermore and Midnights as well. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) This'll be Swift's first tour Down Under since 2018, when she brought her Reputation shows to not only Sydney and Melbourne, but Brisbane and Perth, too. In the US, it's been breaking ticketing and venue records — expect tickets to get snapped up quickly Down Under as well. [caption id="attachment_906254" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ronald Woan via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR AUSTRALIAN DATES 2024: Friday, February 16–Saturday, February 17 — Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Friday, February 23–Sunday, February 25 — Accor Stadium, Sydney Taylor Swift will bring The Eras Tour to Australia in February 2024. Tickets for the Melbourne shows go on sale at 10am AEST on Friday, June 30, with the Sydney shows on sale at 2pm AEST on Friday, June 30. The American Express VIP Package pre-sale runs for 48 hours from Monday, June 26 — from 10am in Sydney and 2pm in Melbourne — and the Frontier Members pre-sale runs 24 hours from Wednesday, June 28, again from 10am in Sydney and 2pm in Melbourne, or until all pre-sale tickets have been snapped up in both instances. Head to the tour website for further details. Top image: Ronald Woan via Wikimedia Commons.
Brisbane's luxe accommodation scene has yet another new addition: The Westin Brisbane, the first location in Queensland for the Marriott-owned international brand. Years in the works, and transforming the literal hole in the ground that has long been a blight on Mary Street, the decadent resort-style hotel doesn't just offer another indulgent place to stay — it also features a swim-up bar. The in-water boozy spot is the first in Brisbane, giving The Westin quite the point of difference at a time when new hotels like The Calile, W Hotel Brisbane, the Ovolo Inchcolm Hotel in Spring Hill, the Novotel in South Bank, the new Emporium and the revamped Ovolo in Fortitude Valley have been opening with astonishing frequency. From Thursday, November 8, folks can splash their way up to Nautilus in the 300-square-metre swimming pool, grab a beverage and gaze out over views over the city skyline. The three-tiered bar will initially open to hotel guests only, but will host weekly ticketed Sunday hangouts for the general public from December. Other Westin dining highlights include Eden's Table, the hotel's 150-capacity signature restaurant that'll serve up bottomless bubbly brunches each week, as well as degustation dinners and whiskey pairing nights. Then there's the jazz bar next to the hotel lobby named The Charles' (yes, with an apostrophe on the end) after two Brisbane-born pilots. It'll sling coffee by day and cocktails and tapas by evening. For Brisbanites looking for a staycation, the Westin boasts 299 rooms and suites, all with a stellar vantage across the CBD. And for those staying and chilling poolside, you'll be able to while away the day in a cabana or on a sun lounge, or otherwise take yoga and pilates classes on the deck. If you forget to pack your gym gear, you can just borrow some from the fitness studio. The Westin Brisbane is also home to its first 'Heavenly Spa by Westin' in Australia. It's a super-lush day spa that overlooks the pool, and also features five treatment rooms and hushed relaxation pods. Find The Westin Brisbane at 111 Mary Street, Brisbane from Thursday, November 8.
The line between visual and performing arts isn’t just blurring; it has well and truly blurred. One inspires the other and back again, as live works inform the efforts of artists and vice versa. It is in this space that Performance Now explores what has become an intriguing and established continuum of creativity. If you’ve ever wondered how the transitory nature of live performance is captured and transformed into new works that still manage to contain the power and content of the original, then this exhibition adds further fuel to your ponderings. Compiling the output of artists such as Marina Abramovic, William Kentridge, Clifford Owens, Santiago Sierra, Marvin Gaye Chetwynd, and Jerome Bel, the collection of pieces show how the visual realm can be enlivened by performance. The exhibition also aims to demonstrate the impact on an individual level in its array of objects, installations, video and photography.
For 50 years, Australia's contribution to music, theatre, opera, circus and dance has been catalogued and preserved, and sometimes exhibited, all thanks to the Australian Performing Arts Collection. At Arts Centre Melbourne, more than 850,000 objects sit within this repository, the nation's largest dedicated to hitting a stage. That's a collection worth putting on display permanently, even if every single item obviously can't always be in the spotlight. From December 2025, the new Australian Museum of Performing Arts at Hamer Hall will do just that — aka showcase the country's performing arts legacy, successes and history for the public to enjoy. The new museum is launching in two phases in the Victorian capital: the first, arriving before this year is out, will span nearly 500 square metres, all devoted to performing arts exhibitions; then the second, which doesn't have a launch date as yet, will expand the space to around 800 square metres. AMPA will both put its own items on display and host touring international showcases. Which exhibition it'll open with in December is set to be revealed in September. The Australian Performing Arts Collection truly is a treasure trove, featuring costumes and objects from the likes of Kylie Minogue, Hugh Jackman, Nick Cave, Peter Allen and Chrissy Amphlett, plus dames Nellie Melba, Joan Sutherland and Olivia Newton-John. The Australian Ballet, Circus Oz, Melbourne Theatre Company and Opera Australia are among the Aussie arts institutions also featured. Again, while exactly what will be on display come December 2025 hasn't been revealed, the collection includes items such as Minogue's gold hot pants from the 'Spinning Around' music video, threads worn by Jackman in The Boy From Oz, Cave's visual journal aka the Handmade Book, maracas shaken by Allen, a tunic worn by Amphlett and the leather jacket of AC/DC lead singer Bon Scott. In addition, it boasts a Jean-Philippe Worth cloak donned by Melba in Lohengrin more than a century ago, a costume worn by Sutherland in 1972's Lucrezia Borgia for the Vancouver Opera, Helen Reddy's Grammy Award for 'I Am Woman', a set model for the Priscilla, Queen of the Desert stage musical — and much more. [caption id="attachment_1003659" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Corset worn by Kylie Minogue, Intimate and Live tour, 1998. Designed by William Baker. Gift of Kylie Minogue, Cultural Gifts Program, 2004. Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne. Photo: Narelle Wilson Photography.[/caption] Historically – and until AMPA opens — the collection's pieces are usually seen in Hamer Hall and the Theatres Building's foyer displays at Arts Centre Melbourne, the Australian Music Vault, on behind-the-scenes Collection Store Tours at Hamer Hall, and if they're on loan to other institutions. "I'm so pleased to be bringing to life the long-held vision to make the riches of the Australian Performing Arts Collection more accessible to the Victorian community through new and expanded spaces," said Arts Centre Melbourne CEO Karen Quinlan. "Through treasured objects, iconic performers and a rich theatrical legacy, AMPA will enable us to share with the world the incredible performing arts history and stories of the stages of Australia and beyond." [caption id="attachment_1003660" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photograph of band Divinyls performing at Subiaco Oval on Australian Made Tour, 1987. Photograph by Bob King. Gift of The Age, 1995. Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1003661" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Costume worn by Hugh Jackman in The Boy from Oz, 2006. Designed by Roger Kirk. Gift of BFO Arena Pty Ltd, 2009. Donated in memory of Ben Gannon. Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne. Photo: Narelle Wilson Photography.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1003662" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Set model bus for Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Australian production, 2006. Designed by Brian Thomson. Gift of Brian Thomson, Cultural Gifts Program, 2015. Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne. Photo: Narelle Wilson Photography.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1003663" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shoes worn by Dame Nellie Melba. Gift of Pamela, Lady Vestey, 1977. Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne. Photo: Narelle Wilson Photography.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1003664" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photograph of Dale Woodbridge-Brown, TWENTYSIXTEEN, Circus Oz, 2016. Photograph by Rob Blackburn. Gift of Circus Oz, 2023. Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne.[/caption] The Australian Museum of Performing Arts will open at Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Road, Southbank, in December 2025. Head to the venue's website for more details. Renders: Scharp.
UPDATE, August 26, 2020: Bumblebee is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. According to journalist and author Christopher Booker, there are seven basic story archetypes. According to the writers of the Michael Bay Transformers movies, there are none. Thank goodness, then, for screenwriter Christina Hodson, whose new film Bumblebee manages to be both a Transformers spinoff and a coherent story at the same time. This is, put simply, a franchise reborn. Rebooted. Resurrected. It dispenses with all the bombast of the Bay cacophony machine – the inexplicable explosions, one-dimensional characters and hyper-sexualised teenagers – in favour of a small scale story about a teen girl and her first car. Yes, a girl, and instead of miniature ripped shorts and extreme push-up bras, this one's prone to wearing grubby overalls, Smiths tour t-shirts and a spanner in her back pocket. Even better, her characterisation doesn't feel contrived: her late father was a grease monkey and fixing cars was their special father/daughter thing. Now that he's gone, it's all she has left. Played by Hailee Steinfeld, Charlie is an instantly appealing lead to get behind. She loves her family but feels detached and alone because of her reluctance to move on and accept the new man in her mother's life. She's independent, but not wealthy enough to forge a new life for herself. She's pretty, but not in the 'rich girl' way like the cruel queen bee from across town who torments her at every opportunity. When Charlie eventually finds Bumblebee, an injured alien robot hiding on earth disguised as an old yellow VW beetle, the instant bond they form is as touching as it is (strangely) believable. Together they will help each other find what they're looking for, with their bond far more integral to the story than the intergalatic robot war that provides the film its backdrop. Does that mean Transformers fans will feel shortchanged? Absolutely not. The opposite, in fact, because everything about Bumblebee treats its mechanical stars with the love and respect of someone who grew up watching the cartoons in the 80s (the film itself is set in 1987). The robot design and colour palette is admirably faithful to the source material, the voice work is spot on, and *that* sound effect (aka the transformation garble) is used with gleeful abandon. Even better, the action is entirely comprehensible, even at its most frenetic. Take nothing away from the Bay-era special effects – they were utterly groundbreaking. But there was just so much of it going on at all times that keeping track of who was fighting what became an exercise in nausea. In Bumblebee it's rare to see more than two transformers on screen at any one time, and the agile direction by Travis Knight allows you to enjoy every punch, blast and transformation. In the scenes involving the other human characters, principally John Cena's robot-hunting soldier Agent Burns, the story does tend to lose its momentum, flicking between goofy comedy and comic-book villainy without ever properly nailing either. Thankfully, though, the focus remains squarely on Charlie and 'Bee' for the majority of Bumblebee, and it's a better film for it. A delight in its own right, Bumblebee is also the perfect pivot point for a welcome franchise reset. On that front, the future looks bright. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcwmDAYt22k
Music lovers of Brisbane, and festival fans as well, we foresee a trip to the Gold Coast in your near future. That's where The Grass Is Greener is returning this year, with the music, food and arts fest heading to Doug Jennings Park on Saturday, October 22 with an impressive lineup. Leading the bill: Ty Dolla $ign, YG, Zhu and Pnau. The event is particularly pumped to have not one but two of the biggest names in hip hop gracing its stages, as well as one of EDM's global stars and some homegrown heroes. And, it's betting that you'll be just as thrilled to check them out live. Of course you will. Onefour, Boo Seeka, Sidepiece and Alok also have spots on the lineup — and yes, the list goes on. [caption id="attachment_856350" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Curdin Photo[/caption] Queenslanders should already be familiar with the fest, which made its debut back in 2016 up in Cairns. This year, it's hitting up not only the state's far north and the Gold Coast — spreading the love from one end of the Sunshine State to the other — but also branching out further for the first time ever. Each 2022 stop will boast multiple — and themed — stages, other eye-catching activations, and VIP packages if you're feeling flush with cash. [caption id="attachment_856348" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mitch Lowe[/caption] THE GRASS IS GREENER 2022 LINEUP: Alok Aluna Boo Seeka Brux Crush3ed Gaudion Little Fritter Market Memories Maya Jane Coles Noah Devego Onefour Pedro Pnau Shimmy Disco Sidepiece Sticky Fingers SVLT TDJ Ty Dolla $ign Volaris Wongo YG Zero Zhu (DJ set) Top image: Mitch Lowe.
There's never a bad time to bust out the lyrics to 'Footloose', the Kenny Loggins-sung, Oscar-nominated theme to the film of the same name that helped Kevin Bacon dance to fame four decades back. Still, although the track doesn't get a spin in X, Pearl or MaXXXine, its opening line feels particularly relevant to the trilogy, which Bacon has now joined. Since coming up with the idea for three horror movies inspired by pornographic film classifications in the US in 2019, writer/director Ti West (The House of the Devil, The Innkeepers, The Sacrament) has been working so hard to bring a unique slasher saga to the big screen. Working so hard to chase a dream and do more than punch a card has also throbbed within every instalment. Before it had Bacon (Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F) as a sleazy private detective and Australia's own Elizabeth Debicki (The Crown) as a film director, the franchise first had X initially mark the spot in 2022, with the New Zealand-shot feature kicking it back to 1979, to a Texas farmhouse where a porn production featuring an aspiring adult-film actor turns bloody. The talent: Maxine Minx, a force of nature in the movie played by Mia Goth, the X series' own force of nature. Fresh from stealing scenes in Emma, and with standout roles in Nymphomaniac: Vol II, A Cure for Wellness, Suspiria and High Life also on her resume, Goth cemented herself as the consummate horror star in two X roles. She captured Maxine's lust for a life worthy of her ambitions and desires, shooting her shot in the X-rated game, and for survival. She also made the elderly Pearl, one of the remote property's owners, an unforgettable adversary. When X reached audiences, splashing around gore like it truly was a 70s horror flick — and styled playfully to look the part, as if it'd just been unearthed in a dusty barn or basement — good news already beckoned when the film hit the spot with viewers. West and Goth had shot a sequel immediately after the first film, stepping back to 1918 when Pearl was a young woman with her own hopes for the future that spanned far beyond rural life. This time, as the movie's eponymous figure covets chorus-girl gigs and also gracing the pictures, West also took cues 50s-era musicals and melodramas. He didn't hold back in getting bloody, though, and nor did Goth for even a second. Again, viewers lapping up Pearl knew that more was coming. MaXXXine brings the trilogy to a close by once more exploring the pursuit of a Hollywood-tinted dream, also paying tribute to everything that gives movies that I-want-to-be-in-them sheen and equally championing a woman who isn't going to settle for anything less than her fantasies by choice. It's now 1985, Maxine has made it in porn, but she wants to move out of skin flicks and go legit, winning a role in — what else? — a horror sequel. The timing steeps the picture in the backlash against supposedly inappropriate pop-culture wares, while also setting it against the Night Stalker killings, all as someone begins taking a literal stab at Tinseltown's starlets and others in Maxine's orbit. [caption id="attachment_965315" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Stewart Cook/Getty Images for A24[/caption] West and Goth's three films haven't ever lacked name power. West has been a genre favourite ever since 2009's The House of the Devil, which also gave a slasher a satanic panic spin. Goth's stature was rising already in 2022, and fast. Jenna Ortega (Scream VI) and Scott Mescudi (Silent Night) were among X's other actors, while Pearl precedes the next Superman — playing the Man of Steel, too — on David Corenswet's (We Own This City) resume. But it's the 80s in MaXXXine, so everything is bigger, including the film's array of familiar faces. Cue not just Bacon and Debicki cutting loose in the franchise, but also Giancarlo Esposito (The Boys), Lily Collins (Emily in Paris), Bobby Cannavale (Bupkis), Michelle Monaghan (The Family Plan) and Halsey (Americana). With Bacon, who visibly relishes getting shady as questionable detective John Labat, MaXXXine's love of the 80s and its cinema couldn't be paired with a better icon from the period. With The Night Manager, Widows and Tenet's Debicki as Elizabeth Bender, the female filmmaker helming The Puritan 2 — Maxine's hopeful big Hollywood break — the movie earns another opportunity to explore the expectations enforced upon women and the battle to buck them. Ahead of MaXXXine reaching cinemas Down Under on Thursday, July 11, 2024, we chatted with Bacon and Debicki about joining the trilogy, covering Debicki's admiration for Goth, the full-circle feel for Bacon and another way that the feature wears its love for cinema on its frames: multiple scenes set on the Universal backlot on the Bates Motel set from Psycho. On Sliding Into a Franchise with Such Commanding Performances by Mia Goth at Its Centre Maxine Minx will not accept a life that she does not deserve in MaXXXine. That isn't just an observation — it's a mantra. If it was revealed that Goth had been uttering the same words IRL but about starring roles, in fact, it wouldn't come as a surprise. In the saga's latest chapter, nothing is going to get in Maxine's way, not a serial killer, not a private detective rifling through her past, not the weight of expectation when it comes to her first chance in Hollywood. How does acting against a performance like that help Goth's co-stars? Debicki, who also shares Everest on her filmography with Goth, has nothing but praise. "I think she's phenomenal and she's quite mesmerising. She's really a unique creature. She occupies a very interesting energy field. And I felt that when I watched the two films. I've been a fan of hers for a long time because I think what she's been doing in this genre is really kind of radical — she's amazing to watch on screen," Debicki explains. "So it was really just delightful for me, because the first thing I shot was the golf cart monologue and I spent maybe eight hours talking. We were just going round and round in a golf cart, and I was just chewing her ear off, and she was a very good sport about it." "But she exudes Maxine energy. There's no other way to put it. And so because she's the centre of the film and we all come in and out and shoot however many days, she's the vibration — in a way — that you meet, and each character meets and reflects off. I don't know how else to put it. She's the thing we all orbit around. So she really has to hold that space, and she does it amazingly well." Debicki knows Bender's perspective on Maxine, too, as any actor playing a part should of their on-screen alter ego. "I found her kind of maddening, as in the character. She's so on another stratosphere that as Liz Bender, I want rip her down to earth and get her to react the way I want her to. But also, you know that Liz Bender knows her value is that she's kind of on another planet." Seeing MaXXXine's finished product only cemented Debicki's appreciation, however. "I just think she's amazing in this film. And I felt that watching it too — a mesmeric performance that really holds you for the whole thing. I'm a big fan." On Throwing It Back to Footloose-Style Pop-Culture Backlashes, Getting a Start in Horror and All Things 80s From the instant that X started flickering, West's commitment to revelling in the film's period setting was as clear as the determination in Goth's eyes that she, like Maxine, wasn't going to let anything that she wanted pass her by. The years changed, but that era-appropriate dedication didn't fade in Pearl. MaXXXine makes it three for three, while expanding the movies beyond the farm that was so pivotal to the initial two instalments. That sense of immersion isn't just about aesthetics, either. It must've felt that way on paper, and it definitely plays like it on-screen: casting Bacon is a stroke of genius, especially in a feature arriving 40 years on from Footloose that places him in another picture where music and entertainment is considered evil by some. He's also in an 80s-set slasher film after the OG Friday the 13th, an 80s slasher film, was one of his early on-screen credits. Ask Bacon if being in MaXXXine feels a bit like a full-circle moment and of course he sees it, too. "You know, it really does. It's also 40 years since Beverly Hills Cop, and I'm in the new Beverly Hills Cop. And MaXXXine takes place in 85, which is a year hence from when both of those movies came out," he tells Concrete Playground. "I think it really hit me — there's a scene out on Hollywood Boulevard at night. And I walked up there and I saw all the period cars, and I saw that the sets were dressed and the stores, things that were all super, super authentic, and the way that people were dressed. And I went 'wow, this is really like time traveling'." On the Layers of Mythology, Horror Love and Film History That Come with Shooting on the Bates Motel Set Still on blasts from the past, MaXXXine nods back further than the 80s (or even the 70s, when mentions of X's events pop up). Not once but twice while she's on the Universal lot making The Puritan 2, including with Bender and then Labat for company, Maxine walks in the footsteps of Marion Crane. As immortalised by Janet Leigh — mother of Jamie Lee Curtis, for more horror ties — the character's mid-shower fate in one of Alfred Hitchcock's masterpieces gave cinema the definitive slasher sequence. West doesn't dare attempt to recreate the scene, even if the 1998 remake with Anne Heche (All Rise) did, but love for Psycho is splattered on welcomely and gloriously thick. Accordingly, MaXXXine is well-aware of film history, and strengthens its homage to filmmaking at every possible point, with working in the set to one of the earliest slasher flicks while making a slasher flick one such tactic. Yes, that adds another layer to the picture's cinema worship — and swirls in more meta hijinks for Bacon, more eeriness for Debicki and more fun for both. "I think that the two times that we shot on the lot, for me, were very meta in a way. Not even just the Bates Motel horror movie part, but just the whole making of films and running through the flats, and going in and out of these fake buildings — it was great. That was some of the most fun I've had making a movie in a really long time," Bacon advises. "And certainly to end up with that chase scene at the Bates Motel, to walk up those steps and, you know, knock on that door — great, great moment for me." "The same for me," Debicki adds. "There's a very specific — I'm very esoteric today — but there's a very specific energy off that set. I think it's what you bring. It's a pretty creepy place. Would you agree, Kevin? Like it's got a super creepy, it's a creepy vibe." "It does," Bacon concurs. "So you feel it," continues Debicki. "It's something about how it's sort of exactly how you remember in the film, but really kind of dilapidated. Some of the crew were going in and out of the actual rooms in the motel, and someone was like 'come and look at this'. And I was like 'I am not'. Because actually it feels super weird to me." "So I loved it. It really helped me, again, to have that scene where we drive up and we land in this place that's steeped in this mythology. It's just really fun, actually, to have that. And it really helped me. If we'd been shooting off a mockup of that set, it wouldn't be the same performance, I don't think, from either of us." MaXXXine opens in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, July 11, 2024. Read our review.
If you've ever stopped by Doughcraft in Albion, where it slings pistachio praline croissants, truffle danishes, lemon meringue croissant tarts, chocolate and raspberry brioche, Vegemite sticks and more, and wished that you could add a cocktail over charcuterie to your visit, the bakery chain has you covered at its new CBD outpost. The European-style venture is indeed a chain now, with its second location now open in Mary Street. Its second eatery is a panini-and-vino kind of place, too. It's been two years since Doughcraft initially opened its debut location, joining Craft'd Grounds' inner-north dining precinct. Because there's no such thing as too much of its pastries and bread, hitting Brisbane's inner city has now followed. The menu is different. This venue isn't just a bakery and deli, but a wine bar as well. And while it only operates on weekdays, it stays open till 7pm from Thursday–Friday for after-work sips. Whether you sit by the window overlooking the street for a stint of people-watching, or you choose to get comfortable beneath the interior art — murals that take their cues from Keith Haring, plus a framed gallery that features pieces by Brisbane artists, with the work showcased set to rotate — you can feast your way through Doughcraft's French- and Italian-leaning bites. If you'll follow Doughcraft's croissants anywhere, the same delights made with Normandy butter remain one of the venue's pride and joys. Expect to be tempted, by the croissants and other pastries. A wall of baked goods accompanies the counter, for snacking while you're settling in and for taking some sourdough home with you alike. The all-day panini range features seven options, including a classic ham, cheese and mustard combination — and the vegetarian-friendly eggplant, artichoke, capsicum and feta. From the selection of boards, meat-only, cheese-only, a mix of of both, and olive and bread varieties are available, or you can make your own vegetarian or vegan styles. Beverage-wise, morning patrons can begin with coffee. If you're after a cocktail, they're only on offer from 3pm Thursday–Friday. Three types of sparkling, five rosés, seven whites and nine red wines are on the vino list — plus a port — with some by the glass and others by the bottle. And those cocktails include three types of negroni, a trio of spritzes, a margarita, a mojito and a cosmopolitan. Find Doughcraft at 181 Mary Street, Brisbane — open from 7am–3pm Monday–Wednesday and 7am–7pm Thursday–Friday. Head to the bakery's website for further details.
If you love a TV show, you usually want more of it. The entire history of television is based on that fact. But with some series, you can eagerly devour every single episode and then hope that there's never another one ever. One such program: Dr Death. When it hit streaming queues in mid-2021, it instantly gave viewers their latest true-crime fix — and what a true-crime tale it told. Its focus: Christopher Duntsch (Joshua Jackson, Little Fires Everywhere), a surgeon who was full of charm when he was trying to encourage folks with spinal pain and neck injuries into his operating theatre — or when he was attempting to convince hospitals, particularly in Texas, to hire him. But again and again, those surgeries ended horrendously. Actually, that's an understatement. The result was pure nightmare fuel — and it's for that reason, and not anything else to do the gripping series, that you might've wished that Dr Death would end there. That isn't set to be the case, however, with a second season now on its way. Duntsch's story is done and dusted, but he was just the first medical professional that the OG Dr Death — aka the Wondery podcast that shares the TV show's name — has focused on. Since then, the audio series has released two further seasons, with its third batch of episodes now providing the basis for the second TV adaptation. The new doc in the spotlight: surgeon Paolo Macchiarini, who earned the nickname 'Miracle Man' for his innovative operations. But his charm starts to fade when investigative journalist Benita Alexander approaches him for a story — a tale that'll change her life forever, too. Once again, all the details are drawn from reality. Once again, Dr Death is bound to prove disturbing whether you already know the ins and outs or you're set to discover them for the first time — as horror medical stories always do. Casting details haven't yet been revealed, and neither has a release date. In Australia, the new season is headed to Stan when it does arrive. In New Zealand, TVNZ On Demand streams the series. A trailer for season two of Dr Death hasn't been released yet either, obviously, but you can check out the trailer for season one below: Dr Death streams via Stan in Australia and TVNZ On Demand in New Zealand — we'll update you with a release date for season two when one is announced. Images: Scott McDermott/Peacock.
Think you know everything there is to know about Brisbane? Think again. In a year that's seeing us all stay close to home — exploring our city rather than venturing too far — there's plenty more to learn, including at the Museum of Brisbane's new major exhibition: The Storytellers. On display now — and free to enter — this sprawling showcase examines the city's history, myths and tales. But, it doesn't do so in a standard, straightforward way. Rather than just displaying historical objects and artworks, this interactive and immersive exhibition has enlisted nine Brissie storytellers to help spin both written and narrated accounts of Brisbane's past. Doing the honours: Victoria Carless, Simon Cleary, Matthew Condon, Trent Dalton, Nick Earls, Benjamin Law, Hugh Lunn, Kate Morton and Ellen van Neerven, aka a lineup of names that'll be familiar to anyone who loves both Brisbane and words. One huge highlight, other than tales about everything from Boggo Road Gaol to Kangaroo Point's link with kangaroos, is the showcase's distinctive storybook aesthetic. Keep an eye out for walking tours of the city, workshops on creative writing and other storytelling-focused events as well. Expect this huge celebration of all things Brissie to stick around for a while, too — at least until the end of the year. [caption id="attachment_777680" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Toby Scott[/caption] The Storytellers is on display at the Museum of Brisbane — with free entry from 10am–5pm Saturday–Thursday and 10am–7pm on Fridays. Images: Toby Scott.
If Game of Thrones has taught us anything, it's that no one is ever happy. After all, this is a world where weddings end in slaughter, kings are poisoned mid-feast, queens casually mention that they wiped out your entire family, killing a zombie leader still can't save a girl from dragon fire, and finally finding love usually comes with betrayal — and the discovery of new relatives. But if every fictional Stark, Lannister and Targaryen has seemed less than chipper across the hugely popular HBO show's eight seasons, they've got nothing on a group of disgruntled fans who absolutely hate the last batch of episodes. These GoT watchers don't just dislike the five episodes of season eight so far. Rather, these folks despise them so much that they're demanding for all of them to be remade. The idea of agreeing to disagree, realising that wrapping up nearly ten years of storytelling was never going to please everyone, recognising that endings are always tricky or just accepting that a few disappointing episodes of your favourite show won't spark a white walker-filled apocalypse is clearly lost on some. The uproar spiked after GoT's latest instalment, the carnage- and dragon-heavy The Bells, which is also the series' second-last episode ever. Plenty of viewers have plenty of opinions about the show's narrative arc, its soaring body count, character development and how the expected showdown between Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) turned out, sparking a Change.org petition to "remake Game of Thrones season eight with competent writers". The petition was actually launched after the preceding episode, but took off in the past week. Thanks to darkly lit battle sequences and a quick glimpse of a modern-day takeaway coffee cup, GoT gripes have been coming in thick and fast this year. At the time of writing, more than 900,000 people have signed up — because "there is so much awful crap going on in the world, people like me need to escape into things like Star Wars and Game of Thrones," explains the petition's originator, Dylan. The main source of misdirected ire are showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who were tasked with conjuring up the show's storylines when it overtook George RR Martin's books. And if you're wondering about the Star Wars reference, that's the pair's next gig, overseeing a new trilogy that'll launch after this year's Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker. There's even a second petition now, directed towards Disney, asking for Benioff and Weiss to be pre-emptively removed from the space opera franchise. Online tantrums and outlandish fan service demands like this aren't new, as the backlash to the female-led Ghostbusters and to most women characters in big-name series have shown. Unsurprisingly, both Game of Thrones and Star Wars have specifically been plagued by the latter kind of ridiculous complaints. DC Comics fans also tried to shut down Rotten Tomatoes when they didn't like Suicide Squad reviews, too — before said fans had even seen the film themselves. There are countless more examples, but just because these entitlement-fuelled hissy fits are popping up regularly, doesn't mean they should be considered normal behaviour. Unless Game of Thrones ends with a dragon on the throne, it's never going to make everyone happy. Okay, that idea won't thrill a lot of people either. But not only whining loudly and incessantly because a movie or TV show doesn't meet your specific personal hopes, dreams and expectations, but insisting that it be remade to suit you, is as silly as GoT wrapping up with a resurrected Ned Stark (Sean Bean) as king or everyone learning that they're just a figment of the Three-Eyed Raven's imagination. Game of Thrones' final episode arrives on Monday, May 20, Australian and New Zealand time. Images: Helen Sloan/HBO.
First, the sad news: Melbourne Queer Film Festival doesn't run year-round. That makes its in-person festivals all the more special, of course, but hitting a Melbourne cinema isn't the only way to get your MQFF fix in 2022 — including if you live beyond the Victorian capital. Spreading its program of LGBTQIA+ movies as far and wide as it can, MQFF also has an online component this year called MQFF+. Streaming from Monday, November 21–Sunday, November 27, it features 25 films that you can watch from home. Yes, that's more than half of the physical lineup, complete with many of the fest's big highlights. On the bill: the Brazilian titles that both launched and wrapped up the fest in-person, aka opening night's Private Desert, about a genderfluid blue-collar worker in an online relationship who goes missing; and closing night's Uýra: The Rising Forest, focusing on trans-indigenous artist Uýra. Or, among other highlights, movie lovers can check out Blitzed!, about the eponymous London nightclub, with Boy George, Princess Julia and Spandau Ballet sharing their memories; Black as U R, a documentary about the lack of attention paid to the black queer community; Youtopia, exploring the inadvertent formation of a hipster cult; and My Emptiness and I hones in on a young trans call-centre worker. Films are available individually, or with three- and five-movie passes — with the latter giving cinephiles a discount.
For some of Australia's major film festivals, this year hasn't turned out quite as they'd hoped. Sydney Film Festival was forced to postpone its event until November due to Sydney's lockdown, while the Melbourne International Film Festival had to ditch its in-cinema plans and run as a solely online fest for the second year running. But when the end of October rolls around, the Brisbane International Film Festival will be hoping to roll out its red carpet — and to screen a sizeable lineup of movies to Brisbanites on the city's big screens. This year's BIFF is set to take over New Farm Cinemas, The Elizabeth Picture Theatre, Reading Newmarket, Dendy Coorparoo, Palace James Street and GOMA's Australian Cinémathèque, all between Thursday, October 21–Sunday, October 31. And, the 11-day event will launch with one of the best Australian films of the year, with the Leah Purcell-starring and -directed The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson kicking off this year's festival. The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson was initially meant to do the same honours at MIFF, until that fest jumped online. Now, it leads a BIFF program that's also just announced three of its other big highlights. So, as well as looking forward to the Aussie drama — which sees Purcell continue to interrogate Henry Lawson's iconic story after previously bringing her version to the stage and page — Brisbane cinephiles will be able to see The Worst Person in the World, the Norwegian comedy-drama that picked the Best Actress prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival, and Compartment Number 6, a Russian flick about strangers meeting on a train that nabbed two awards at Cannes. And, there's also Petite Maman, the eagerly anticipated new film from Portrait of a Lady on Fire's Céline Sciamma. The rest of the fest's lineup will be announced on Friday, October 1, and will mark the first program under BIFF's new setup. The festival has been through more than a few iterations over the years, after it was unceremoniously cancelled after its 2013 fest in favour of the short-lived Brisbane Asia Pacific Film Festival, then revived by Palace Cinemas in 2017, and then run by the Gallery of Modern Art from 2018–20. Now, it sits under Film Fantastic, who also organise the Gold Coast Film Festival, with the organisation winning a three-year tender for the 2021–23 events. Under Film Fantastic CEO Josh Martin and BIFF Program Manager Sasha Close, BIFF 2021 will screen a range of both Queensland and Australian premieres, and a lineup that Close says "has been carefully curated by the programming team and is diverse, fresh and entertaining." The 2021 Brisbane International Film Festival will run between Thursday, October 21–Sunday, October 31. Check out the event's just-announced titles by heading to the festival website — and we'll bring you details of its full program on Friday, October 1.
Here's the headlines: Drake has announced Australian and New Zealand gigs for 2025; it'll be his first trip this way since 2017; and you're now going to have 'Hotline Bling', 'Too Good', 'Passionfruit', 'Nice for What', 'In My Feelings', 'One Dance' and 'Laugh Now Cry Later' stuck in your head again. The Canadian artist is bringing his Anita Max Win tour Down Under, locking in seven shows in four cities. Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland, this is what's next. The five-time Grammy-winner will head this way in February and March, kicking off on Sunday, February 9–Monday, February 10 at Rod Laver Arena in the Victorian capital. The following week, it's the Harbour City's turn at Qudos Bank Arena across Sunday, February 16–Monday, February 17. After that, Drake will play the Brisbane Entertainment Centre and Spark Arena in Auckland on Friday, February 28–Saturday, March 1. The Degrassi: The Next Generation star last took to the stage in this neck of the woods on his Boy Meets World tour, and eight years will have passed between those shows and his 2025 visit. The platinum-selling singer is fresh off his 2023–24 It's All A Blur Tour, which saw him chalk up over 80 soldout shows in North America. On that last visit, Drake had four studio albums to his name: 2010's Thank Me Later, 2011's Take Care, 2013's Nothing Was the Same and 2016's Views. He's doubled that since, so expect tunes from 2018's Scorpion, 2021's Certified Lover Boy, 2022's Honestly, Nevermind and 2023's For All the Dogs, too. The Anita Max Win tour's announcement isn't new news if you've been paying attention to Drake's social media, where he's been teasing details — but now consider it all officially locked in. And yes, there's plenty of space between his 2025 Aussie and NZ shows — a great sign if you're worried about a huge demand for tickets, because there's room for more concerts to be announced. Drake's 'Anita Max Win' Tour 2025 Australian and New Zealand Dates Sunday, February 9–Monday, February 10 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Sunday, February 16–Monday, February 17 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Monday, February 24 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Friday, February 28–Saturday, March 1 — Spark Arena, Auckland Drake is touring Australia and New Zealand in February 2025, with various ticket presales from Tuesday, December 2, 2024 at various times — and general sales from 12pm local time on Friday, December 6, 2024. Head to the tour website for more details. Images: The Come Up Show via Flickr.
I know what you're probably thinking. At Concrete Playground, we're very transparent about the awesome work we do with brands. So it might be reasonable to conclude that I'm going to fill the next 600 words or so with unadulterated praise about Milklab's new oat milk. But you'd be wrong. The first time I, a stubbornly exclusive drinker of full-fat dairy milk, tried oat milk, I made a face that made my walking buddy think I'd stepped in a big pile of dog shit. My next thought: immediate regret. You see, I'd challenged myself to make the switch to oat milk. I discovered while reading up about it, of the various plant-based milks that are now widely available in cafes, oat is supposed to be the closest in taste and creaminess to dairy. So, I thought, why not give it a go? I decided to commit to the oat for a whole week and document my experiences. But, after my first sip, I was immediately overcome with regret. A whole week on this was all of a sudden starting to look like it could be a long one. Was I going to make it? Was I going to cave? Or was I — perhaps unthinkably — actually going to enjoy it? Here's what happened. THE TASTE My first sip of an oat milk coffee was definitely a bit of a shock. For the uninitiated (as I was just a couple of weeks ago), there's a sweet, nutty, almost malty taste — as well as an undeniably oat-y one — that I knew was going to take a bit of getting used to. I don't take any sugar in my coffee, either, so I realised from that first sip that some adjustment (mainly of my own expectations) was going to be required. One almost immediate effect the sweetness did have was that it forced me to slow down, and to savour every sip. There was also a surprising richness to the milk that meant each sip just went that little bit further. I also tried different types of oat milk coffee: hot and cold, frothy and flat. I was surprised by the full flavour and roundness in the latte — especially an oat cap (more on that below). Meanwhile, the iced oat lattes I had were also very, very drinkable. Not only did these not leave me feeling bloated like a dairy version would, but it seems that not heating the milk neutralised some of the immediate nuttiness and sweetness. And while I could tell it wasn't dairy, it tasted pretty close to it. THE MOUTHFEEL This was, to be honest, the part that I was probably the most nervous about. One of the main reasons that I have stubbornly insisted on full-fat dairy milk is because I've found the alternatives either too watery for my liking, or far too overpowering in taste. The warm internal hug that a perfectly made latte with full-fat dairy milk provides is hard to replicate with the alternatives. One drink, though, changed my mind from the first sip: the oat cappuccino. While I am firmly of the belief that cappuccinos should remain in the 90s alongside sundried tomatoes and focaccia, the full velvety goodness of an oat cap was, to quote Jessica Simpson, irresistible. This is likely because oat milk stretches similarly to dairy, effectively resulting in a smaller margin of error on the part of the espresso puller and also creating that fuller mouthfeel. Another thing it took drinking oat to realise — especially on days I drank both oat and dairy to compare a little more directly — is the film that dairy can leave around the mouth, which is honestly... not okay. There was no such residue with oat, hot or cold. THE EFFECT Remember that warm internal hug I mentioned earlier? As pretty much any drinker of dairy milk can vouch for, it's not uncommon for your stomach to start to play dubstep after, or even during, that milk-induced inside-out embrace. Mercifully, no such beats were created after an oat beverage. Another thing I found interesting was that the post-caffeine crash I would usually experience — especially following my afternoon brew — did not come when I'd had my oat drink. This is surprising given that oat has less protein and more sugar than full-fat dairy, but what is undeniable is that an oatey boy seemed to keep me going for longer. The same can be said for the fullness factor. While its bloat factor means that dairy usually fills me more quickly, the fullness seems to be both more subtle and more sustained with oat. [caption id="attachment_824628" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rachel McDermott (Unsplash)[/caption] THE VERDICT Full disclosure: I'm writing this while drinking a full-fat dairy latte. But I'm not enjoying it as much as what I might have done a couple of weeks ago. I actually came to not only enjoy the taste of oat milk, but also crave it. Am I converted? Truth be told, I'll still be ordering dairy when the mood hits. But what I have discovered is that there is another option that does the job just as well — and, in some cases, even better. For more information on Milklab's new oat range, head to the website.
It doesn't matter what the weather holds for Suzie Sakamoto: with her husband and son missing when Apple TV+'s Sunny begins, the series' titular term can't apply to her days. An American in Kyoto (Rashida Jones, Silo), she's filled with grief over the potential loss of her Japanese family, anxiously awaiting any news that her spouse Masa (Hidetoshi Nishijima, Drive My Car) and their boy Zen (debutant Fares Belkheir) might've survived a plane crash. She'd prefer to do nothing except sit at home in case word comes; however, that's not considered to be mourning in the right way according to custom and also isn't appeasing her mother-in-law (Judy Ongg, Kaseifu no Mitazono). When Suzie soon has a robot for company, an unexpected gift from Masa, dwelling in her sorrow doesn't appear to be what he'd want in his absence, either. In this ten-part series, which adapts Colin O'Sullivan's 2018 novel The Dark Manual for the small screen and starts streaming from Wednesday, July 10, 2024, the technology that's quickly immersed in Suzie's existence is a homebot. The artificial-intelligence domestic helpers are everywhere in this near-future vision of Japan, aiding their humans with chores, organising tasks and plenty more — everywhere other than the Sakamoto house with its firmly anti-robot perspective, that is. Amid asking why her husband has not only sent the eponymous Sunny her way, but also why it's customised specifically to her, questions unsurprisingly spring about his true line of work. Has Suzie been married to a secret roboticist, rather than someone who designs refrigerators? What link does his job have with his disappearance? How does someone cope in such an already-traumatic situation when the person that they're possibly grieving mightn't be who they've said they are? Often with a science fiction twist, Apple TV+ can't get enough of mysteries. Approaching five years since the platform launched in late 2019, that truth is as engrained as the service's fondness for big-name talent, including across Severance, The Big Door Prize, Hello Tomorrow!, Silo, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Constellation, Sugar and Dark Matter. Thankfully, there's no content-factory feel to this lineup of shows, or to the streamer's catalogue in general, which is one of the best on offer in the online fight for eyeballs. Sunny's closest equivalent hails from beyond the brand, bringing Charlie Brooker's Channel 4-started, now Netflix-made Black Mirror to mind, but even then it's far more interested in its characters than their relationship to technology. That said, that people and how they use tech remain the real enemy, not gadgets and advancements themselves, hums at the core of both series. Indeed, Sunny proposes a radical path forward for Suzie, especially at a time IRL when generative AI has been making its presence known, and rarely for the better. Creator, showrunner and executive producer Katie Robbins (The Affair) takes her human protagonist down a route where the program's namesake, which matches a WALL-E vibe and emoji-leaning face with the cheerful voice of Barry, I Love That for You, Quarantine and Emma Approved's Joanna Sotomura, is perhaps the only thing that can be trusted. There's no shortage of other flesh-and-blood characters around Suzie, with some kindly and others patently nefarious. Bartender Mixxy (singer/songwriter Annie the Clumsy, Miss Osaka) falls into the first category. The platinum-blonde Hime (You, 9 Border), who seems to have a history with Masa, sits in the second camp. But with her world constantly being turned upside down and her usual confidante in Masa gone, technophobe Suzie might only be able to put her faith in the machine that's now ceaselessly by her side. A show such as Sunny, which is a comedy, drama, thriller and slice of dystopia all in one — alongside an odd-couple buddy pairing, plus a series with multiple puzzles, a stack of technology-driven and existential questions, and a probing of the human condition — needs two things beyond its compelling narrative. If viewers couldn't feel the confidence infused in this delicate mix of components, the show would crumble like circuitry haphazardly jammed together. If audiences couldn't sense the ambition to do far more than join dots as well, Sunny would similarly fail to compute. Not just thanks to its penchant for cliffhangers, this is a mystery with more always on the way, and one that adores teasing out its intricacies in a lived-in world that no other series can call home. That's assurance. That's initiative. Diving in is like strolling through Tokyo: there's always a new lane to mosey down, whether in the pursuit of solving the storyline or unpacking Suzie. The Dark Manual of O'Sullivan's moniker pops up as a hacker guide to customising homebots. Here, the plot also thickens. Still, as the yakuza feature, flashbacks tease out Suzie and Masa's meet-cute, the latter's time as a hikikomori — the portion of the Japanese population who choose to actively withdraw from society — is weaved in and surveillance is ever-present, Sunny never lets the avalanche of developments and threads that keep fuelling its tale become its sole or even main attraction. As penned by a seven-strong writing team led by Robbins with backgrounds on Bunheads, The Staircase, Apples Never Fall, Hit-Monkey, Tiny Beautiful Things and more, this is gripping and addictive viewing. It's a show to sleuth along with. Its retrofuturistic look and Saul Bass-esque opening credits are worth returning for again and again. Nonetheless, Sunny wouldn't connect if didn't value the personal and the human angle of being cast adrift from everything that you relied upon with no certainty about where to turn. Aided by being played by Jones, who so expertly married optimism and cynicism as Parks and Recreation's Ann Perkins — as she had to as the midpoint between Leslie Knope and Chris Traeger versus Ron Swanson and April Ludgate — Suzie is a character of unflagging determination crashing against mourning and anguish. She yearns with hope, as everyone does, for a lost loved one to re-emerge. She couches everything, including that longing, in sarcasm. That she journeyed to Japan to escape past woes, her lack of friends beyond her family and her alienation by refusing to learn the language all help construct a complex portrait. Also assisting: even simple moments, like swigging wine on the toilet. It isn't a secret that bounding through chaos is more relatable when the external tangle that greets a character reflects their inner jumble, as Jones anchors at the heart of her performance. The Boston Public, The Office, Celeste & Jesse Forever, Angie Tribeca and On the Rocks star in never-better territory, in fact, as she must've spotted the potential for; she's also among Sunny's executive producers. New TV arrivals of mid-2024 are now two for two when robot companions are involved. Fantasmas is the other. They're also two for two in world-building and production design that plunges viewers into screen spaces that resemble nothing else, which is no small feat for Sunny with Japan as its setting. Another commonality: not merely making audiences grateful that the non-stop flow of new streaming series can keep delivering programs this unique, but sparking a hunger for more to come. That's the sunny side of more TV begetting more TV and then more still, because a heaving crowd is always made up of individuals. Few new streaming arrivals of late are as distinctive as Fantasmas and Sunny, though. Check out the trailer for Sunny below: Sunny streams via Apple TV+ from Wednesday, July 10, 2024.
Pink hues, beach-themed decor, a roller rink, desserts served in toy convertibles: you'll find them all at the Malibu Barbie Cafe. After popping up across the US — with New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, Miami, Austin and Houston all welcoming the venue — this ode to Barbiecore has made its Australian debut. Come on Aussies, let's go party in Melbourne. Being a Barbie girl in a Barbie world wasn't just a 2023 trend, back when Greta Gerwig's (Little Women) Margot Robbie (Asteroid City)-starring — and Oscar-nominated — film became one of the biggest and pinkest movies to ever hit cinemas. The 2025 way to get your fix Down Under has arrived, and it's hanging around until summer 2026. Hitting up the Malibu Barbie Cafe at The Social Quarter at Chadstone Shopping Centre in the Victorian capital means not only enjoying ice cream floats dished up in a pink Barbie car, but also frequenting the Ken Kabana bar for fairy floss-topped cocktails and putting your skates on. Initially announced in mid-June and open since Friday, June 27, this is the cafe's debut stop beyond America. It's also Melbourne's second temporary big-name pop culture-themed addition this winter, after Melbourne Museum's Star Wars Galactic Cafe opened its doors in early June. Kicking it back to the 1970s, when Malibu Barbie initially debuted, is on the agenda, too. When you're hitting the rink, so is skating surrounded by artwork of palm trees. A life-sized Barbie box? An installation that celebrates how Barbie as a brand has changed over the years? That's all on offer at the Malibu Barbie Cafe as well, alongside merchandise that you won't find anywhere else. Ken's job isn't just beach here, given that his name adorns the cocktail-slinging upstairs bar in the two-storey site. On the drinks menu: that gin and lemonade concoction with spun sugar on top; themed takes on mojitos, margaritas, cosmopolitans, espresso martinis and old fashioneds; and more. If you're keen on a booze-free version, some of the tipples are available as mocktails. There's also a snack range, including fries with pink mayo, prawn cocktails, sushi and baked brie. Downstairs, Malibu Barbie Cafe's menu is an all-ages-friendly affair, with that ice cream float just one option. Sticking with sweets means choosing from doughnuts, pink cookies, cupcakes, ice cream sundaes, fruit and marshmallows. If you can't decide, the dessert sampler dishes up a mix of picks on a Barbie boat for between four and eight people. Savoury dishes span the same small bites as at the Ken Kabana, plus burgers, poke, garlic prawn linguine, beer-battered fish tacos, club sandwiches, grilled cheese, mac 'n' cheese and salads. Or, tuck into avocado toast, açai bowls, bacon and eggs, parfait or pancakes from the all-day brunch selection. Then, to drink, milkshakes, pink lemonade and pink lattes are among the options. If you're thinking "come on Barbie, let's go party", party packages are indeed a feature — including three-hour adults-only private-dining experiences from 6.30pm Thursday–Sunday. Find Mattel's Malibu Barbie Cafe at The Social Quarter at Chadstone Shopping Centre, 1341 Dandenong Road, Malvern East, Melbourne, until summer 2026 — open from 10am–6pm Monday–Wednesday, 10am–10pm Thursday–Friday, 9am–10pm Saturday and 9am–8pm Sunday. Head to the cafe's website for more details.
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.
For 14 hours in October, Sydney became home to a very nice and very large statue of Borat. This month, the city has welcomed another supersized and temporary piece of pop culture-themed art — this time celebrating a local star. Until Tuesday, November 17, an 18-storey-high portrait of Nicole Kidman is soaring above Darlinghurst. And yes, like the sculpture of a certain fictional Kazakh journalist, it's designed to promote a new addition to your streaming queue. For the past three weeks, Binge has been dropping new episodes of HBO's twisty new six-part thriller mini-series The Undoing, with three more episodes left to air across the rest of November. In the whodunnit drama, Kidman stars as successful therapist, Grace Fraser, who lives a life of considerable luxury in New York. But when someone linked to her son's ultra-wealthy private school turns up dead, Grace's seemingly perfect existence starts to collapse — as does her marriage to charming paediatric oncologist Jonathan (Hugh Grant). Clearly, the new sky-high artwork is simply a very large advertisement for The Undoing. And we do mean large, given that it measures 18.4 metres wide and 36.8 metres high — covering nearly 680 square metres in total. That said, it's all hand-painted, with artists Hamish McBride, Laura Paige, Kailin Hegel, Jacqui Butterworth, Aly Barnard, Matt Mcenally, Meg Hardie, Meg Hales, Michael Iglesias, Nancy Ji and Tia Madden working on the portrait across 400 hours over 15 days (and using around 200 litres of paint in the process). The aforementioned creatives all hail from Apparition Media, which is also responsible for the huge mural of AFL star Adam Goodes in Surry Hills. Apparition Media's giant likeness of Kidman is just one half of an overall project, as another painting will replace it from Wednesday, November 18. Yes, you could say that the initial portrait will come undone — but just what the second picture will depict is yet to be revealed. After Monday, November 23, the wall will be painted for a third time, reverting it back to its original state. If you're wondering whether that's a sign of what's to come in The Undoing — which also features Donald Sutherland, A Quiet Place's Noah Jupe and Edgar Ramirez; is based on Jean Hanff Korelitz's novel You Should Have Known and directed by The Night Manager's Susanne Bier; and was adapted by well-known TV writer David E Kelley (Big Little Lies, LA Law, Ally McBeal, The Practice) — you'll obviously need to watch the series to find out. Check out the trailer for The Undoing below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wdlvSoWR6w The 18-storey-high portrait of Nicole Kidman will adorn the side of 227 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, until Tuesday, November 17. It'll then be replaced by a second yet-to-be-revealed painting from Wednesday, November 18–Monday, November 23. The first three episodes of The Undoing are available to stream via Binge, with new episodes added weekly on Mondays. Images: Chris Pavlich
Brisbane-dwellers would have to have been living under a rock to have not heard about 21st Century: Art in the First Decade, an exhibition of contemporary art that has been showing at GoMA since 16 December. The exhibition is coming into its final week, after a roller-coaster ride of flood-endurance followed by record attendance numbers. If you have been meaning to see the 21st Century exhibition but have yet to follow through, this is your final call. The exhibition occupies the entirety of the GoMA space, delivering pieces across a wide variety of mediums, including Jana Sterbak’s video installation From Here to There, a 6-channel video work following film from the perspective of a dog as it journeys through an icy Canadian winter, and Tobias Putrih’s Connection installation, a giant archway constructed out of cardboard boxes. Much of the work is participatory, including Carsten Holler’s Left/Right Slide (yes, you can slide down it), Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Room and Martin Creed’s Work No. 956, which is a room filled to the brim with giant purple balloons (yes, you can walk through it). This exhibition has been a favourite with the crowds because it is fun, accessible, and, at times, mind-boggling. Get yourself to GoMA before it finishes on 26 April.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. COUSINS Early in Cousins, lawyer Makareta (Briar Grace Smith, The Strength of Water) walks Wellington's streets, chatting to her cousin Missy (Rachel House, Baby Done) by phone about the latest threat to appropriate their family's land to build a highway. As they talk, a woman with a shrub-like bob of hair and a well-worn green coat almost crosses Makareta's path — and, unbeknownst to her, it's her long-lost cousin, Mata (Tanea Heke, Waru), that she's spent most of her years desperately looking for. In another movie, this near miss would be cutesy, convenient, and spark an onslaught of superficial wisdom about opportunities, coincidences and connections. Cousins isn't that film, thankfully. Here, Makareta and Mata come oh-so-close to finding each other because that's what life entails for a Māori woman who was taken from her family as a child. Stolen away by her white father, left with an uncaring guardian and schooled in a grim home for desolate children, Mata has spent too long at arm's reach from her nearest and dearest, as the film's fractured timeline loops back to explain. She's never all that far away physically — indeed, when she's allowed to stay with her relatives during one youthful summer, a much-younger Makareta (Mihi Te Rauhi Daniels) is shocked to learn that her cousin has been living locally — but by being stripped of her culture, her ties to the past and even the name her mother gave her, Mata may as well have been sent to the other side of the world. Based on Patricia Grace's 1992 book of the same name — and brought to the screen with exceptional performances, including from House, both Keyahne Patrick Williams and Hariata Moriarty (Savage) as younger versions of Missy, and Te Ao Marama Baker, Te Raukura Gray and Ana Scotney (The Breaker Upperers) as Mata at various ages — Cousins explores how Mata's removal from her family leaves a permanent mark. Following her years in institutionalised care and the abhorrent way she's treated by her guardian (Sylvia Rands, Top of the Lake) as well, it's a story and film about colonial trauma, systemic racism and the ills of history that have affected too many First Nations people in too much of the world, and it's a heartbreakingly moving and compelling piece of cinema. Co-directing as well as acting, Grace-Smith teams up with fellow Māori woman and Waru collaborator Ainsley Gardiner to tell a tale that's intimate, impassioned and unflinchingly brought to the screen. Cousins dives headfirst into the pain that removing Indigenous people from their land and culture sparks, and doesn't ever downplay how that hurt, loss, isolation and alienation causes ripples that never subside. And yet, with its calm gaze, as well as its penchant for lingering over brief but vibrant pops of colour and greenery, this is also a movie about fighting for what matters, valuing what you can when you can, and remaining both adaptable and resilient out of both necessity and unyielding fortitude. JOSEE, THE TIGER AND THE FISH With its eye-catching pastel hues and soul-stirring affinity for water, it'd be easy to accuse Josee, the Tiger and the Fish of following in Weathering With You, Children of the Sea and Ride Your Wave's footsteps — or in Ponyo's as well. But this charming and moving Japanese delight finds its origins in a 2003 live-action film of the same name, which itself was adapted from author Seiko Tanabe's short story. The new Josee, the Tiger and the Fish still slides in seamlessly beside its aforementioned anime peers, though. That isn't a criticism by any means. These movies aren't otherwise overtly connected, but Japan's affection for gorgeously animated tales of the heart, of hope and of H2O keeps giving rise to features that may as well be different volumes in a beloved series. Present here, too, is a clear sense of melodrama as two twentysomethings literally collide — physically, more than once, in fact — and try to work out what their futures might hold. Tsuneo (Taishi Nakagawa, Samurai Marathon) has always dreamed of becoming a marine biologist, while Josee (Kaya Kiyohara, Wish) has rarely been given room to think of anything other than the present. Once the pair's paths intertwine, though, they begin to find themselves in far more similar circumstances than either could ever have foretold. The meet-cute here is really a crash-cute: thanks to Josee's hurtling wheelchair and its speedy decline down a hilly Osaka street, she goes flying into his arms. Her grandmother (Chiemi Matsutera) invites him home, and then to join them for a meal — and while Josee is unhappy about the arrangement to the point of being outwardly rude, Tsuneo soon finds himself with a job offer to be her part-time caregiver. He also works in the local dive shop, as part of his studies and quest to earn a scholarship to Mexico. But even with his friend and coworker Mai (Yume Miyamoto, The Misfit of Demon King Academy) pining for him quietly, he's drawn to the impudent Josee. The film strands its titular character in her wheelchair, in peril and in need of help more than once, but Tsuneo is adamant that she needn't ignore her dreams or resign herself to escaping the world around her. Directing his first feature after credits on TV series such as Negima! Magister Negi Magi and Noragami, filmmaker Kôtarô Tamura tells not only a love story, but a tale about embracing life's chaos. His film celebrates the importance of understanding perspectives other than your own, and of fighting for your own choices. Add it to the list of sweet, charming, empathetic and heartwarming anime doing the same — although not one of them simply wades in familiar waters. HEROIC LOSERS Thanks to the vagaries of fate — and, of late, the havoc that the pandemic has played on cinema releases — films with similar elements sometimes brighten up the big screen at the same time. Heroic Losers is one of two movies debuting in Australian cinemas this week that unites a group of small-town locals around a shared cause (the other: Dream Horse; see below). It's also one of two features out this week that pits ordinary hardworking folks against the overwhelming forces making their lives more difficult (the second: Percy vs Goliath; again, see below). Heroic Losers also boasts much in common with the treasure trove of heist flicks that have come before it. Writer/director Sebastian Borensztein (Chinese Take-Out) even includes clips of 1966's How to Steal a Million, and has the 55-year-old classic influence some of its characters' antics, too. But, premiering in Argentina almost two years ago before hopping its way around the festival circuit, including at Australia's Spanish Film Festival, this affable movie ranks among the best kind of formulaic fare. It makes you remember what you love about the genres it warmly falls into, as well as the pictures it fondly recalls — and it never leaves its viewers merely ticking through all of its standard-issue inclusions, then wishing they were watching one of those other pictures instead. The ever-reliable, always charming Ricardo Darín (Everybody Knows) plays Fermín Perlassi, a retired ex-footballer who wants to reopen a grain storage cooperative that stumbled in his small-town home of Villa Alsina a decade earlier. It's 2001, and he manages to encourage his pals and locals to support his dream. Alas, just days after Fermín deposits their life savings — and is manipulated into putting them into an account, rather than in a safe deposit box —Argentina's financial crisis sees the country's banks and their funds all frozen. This isn't the last crisis involving their money, but the group comes up with a plan. Again, as mentioned above, How to Steal a Million helps. So does the eagerness of Fermín and his gang — including Verónica Llinás (So Long Enthusiasm) as his wife, Darín's own son Chino (The Queen of Spain) as his son, and Luis Brandoni (You Only Live Once), Rita Cortese (Wild Tales) and Marco Antonio Caponi (Nobody's Watching) as well — to take their destinies into their own hands. Unravelling their heist antics, Borensztein helms a lively and likeable film that pairs its affection for their efforts with a matching affinity for the characters themselves. It all turns out as anyone can predict, but the good-natured journey is rarely anything less than pleasant. DELIVER US FROM EVIL Whether he's on screenwriting duties or he's behind the camera, a film that involves Hong Won-chan is always worthy of attention. The South Korean filmmaker penned the scripts for Na Hong-jin's gripping The Chaser and The Yellow Sea, then made his directorial debut with the entertainingly savage Office — and now, both as a writer and a helmer, he's added engaging action-packed gangster thriller Deliver Us From Evil to his growing resume. A big box office hit on home turf, this kinetic, frenetic and exceptionally choreographed affair charts the failed last hurrah of cop-turned-hitman In-nam (Hwang Jung-min, The Wailing). In Tokyo, he pulls off his final job without a hitch, but it turns out that his yakuza target has an unhinged brother that his bosses forgot to mention. And, as well as being unhappy about this turn of events to the point of seeking bloody and ruthless revenge, said sibling Ray (Lee Jung-jae, The Housemaid) shares a past with In-nam. That's enough to derail the latter's plans to live the good life in Panama for the rest of his days; however, it's not the only drama that pushes him off course. In Bangkok, his ex-girlfriend has been killed in a bungled kidnapping and extortion scheme, but her nine-year-old daughter Yoo-min (Park So-yi, Pawn) still needs rescuing. Deliver Us From Evil isn't short on plot, but it isn't needlessly overcomplicated or convoluted, either. As a storyteller, Hong has always been efficient above all else. Indeed, when multiple storylines weave through his scripts — as they usually do — they're always unfurled with exactly the flair and detail each needs and deserves. Here, he threads together In-nam's search for Yoo-min and his attempts to evade Ray, and does so with the same precision his two main characters show in their gruesome work. In this 108-minute movie, not a scene or second is wasted, in fact. While much of the minutiae, narrative-wise, hardly reshapes Hong's chosen genre, he firmly knows the difference between blandly sticking to a formula and deploying familiar elements in their best and most spirited forms. His keen eye for dynamic, slick but never mindlessly over-the-top action helps, including in frenzied chase scenes and brutal fist-to-fist battles. His willingness to let the camera linger upon its person of focus a beat longer than usual — whether In-nam, Ray or the transgender Korean woman, Yui (Park Jeong-min, Time to Hunt), In-nam teams up with to locate Yoo-min — also gives the movie its own pace. And, in its casting, Deliver Us From Evil is first-rate. Lee gets the more cartoonish role, but no scene featuring his menace, Hwang's blend of determination and desperation, or both, could ever wear out its welcome. DREAM HORSE Life-changing conversations can happen in bars — as Jan Vokes well and truly knows. Played in Dream Horse by Toni Collette (I'm Thinking of Ending Things), the Welsh supermarket employee and pub barmaid overheard Howard Davies (Damian Lewis, Billions) chatting about his past success as a racehorse owner. In his beer-fuelled boasting, he doesn't discuss how it almost left him bankrupt and divorced, but Jan is still inspired to both follow his lead and enlist his help. Having bred whippets and racing pigeons before, and won prizes for doing so, she decides she'll turn her attention to horses. Husband Brian (Owen Teale, Game of Thrones) isn't initially convinced, but soon she's studying guides, finding a mare and then a stallion, and convincing her friends and neighbours to put away a tenner a week to pay for this little endeavour. The syndicate's focus: a foal they name Dream Alliance, who spends his early days being raised on the Vokes' allotment, and eventually ends up with racing hotshot Philip Hobbs (Nicholas Farrell, The Nevers) as its trainer. Dream Horse wouldn't exist if success didn't follow, and it leaves no doubt that that's the case; however, director Euros Lyn (The Library Suicides) and screenwriter Neil McKay (Mad Money) chart lows as well as highs, and always ensure their characters are their primary focus. Dream Alliance was always going to gallop into cinemas, of course — and not just via 2015 documentary Dark Horse: The Incredible True Story of Dream Alliance. His is a story too crowd-pleasing for filmmakers to ignore, especially given the UK's penchant for against-the-odds tales about motley crews of struggling salt-of-the-earth characters who band together over an unusual but swiftly shared interest that ends up revitalising their lives in more ways than one. That's the template Dream Horse plays to, even though it's based on a true tale and an actual horse. The Full Monty, Calendar Girls and similar feel-good flicks provide as much inspiration here as the actual real-life details, in fact. Accordingly, this is a movie that's easy to get caught up in. It's almost impossible not to, really. That said, it's also a film that wears its warmth, sentimentality and shameless heartstring-pulling as a badge of honour. As a result, it's also impossible to ignore the buttons the movie keeps gleefully pushing, and the parts of the tale that must've been smoothed out to elicit the desired cheer-inducing response — even around Collette's committed performance. But this happily mawkish feature and its characters are all doing it for the "hwyl", a Welsh term that means "emotional motivation and energy", and neither is willing to let that mission dwindle even for a second. PERCY VS GOLIATH Not once but twice in Percy vs Goliath, snippets of news footage utter the three words that no one needs to speak aloud. Given its title, no one needs to spell out that seed-saving Saskatchewan farmer Percy Schmeiser (Christopher Walken, Wild Mountain Thyme) is locked in a David vs Goliath battle with agriculture and agrochemical behemoth Monsanto. By the time the biblical face-off is first mentioned in this underdog drama, it's well and truly clear that this is the case — whether or not you're familiar with the real-life story, or you've seen the 2009 documentary Percy Schmeiser — David Versus Monsanto. But actor-turned-director Clark Johnson (Juanita) and screenwriters Garfield Lindsay Miller (The Devil You Know) and Hilary Pryor (Moosemeat & Marmalade) go there anyway. They make a plethora of choices that are just as blatant and unnecessary, and it robs their film of its potency. Unexpectedly accused of stealing Monsanto's Roundup-resistant canola seeds, and determined to do whatever it takes to demonstrate his innocence and fight for the rights of his fellow farmers, Schmeiser's tale is rousing enough without needing to resort to obvious cliches. Undoubtedly, his quest was described in such terms by media at the time, and definitely would've been since as well, but Percy vs Goliath's viewers don't need to be spoon-fed so forcefully to understand why his battle matters. Thankfully, this by-the-numbers movie has Walken at its centre, which is usually a smart choice. The veteran actor might've been poorly served by his past two big-screen roles — his Irish accent in Wild Mountain Thyme is awful, and the less said about the never-funny all-ages exploits in War with Grandpa, the better — but he's reliably compelling here as Schmeiser. His character's troubles begin when he's sent a letter demanding $15,000 in payment for his supposed unlicensed use of Monsanto's patented technology. Schmeiser's wife (Roberta Maxwell, Hungry Hearts) is initially sceptical about enlisting legal help, his son (Luke Kirby, The Marvellous Mrs Maisel) is steadfastly against it and even their chosen lawyer (Zach Braff, The Comeback Trail) recommends settling; however, this farmer doesn't take kindly to being told he's a thief when he isn't, or being bullied by the big end of his industry. He initially isn't too fond of the environmental activist (Christina Ricci, Around the Block) who pops up to crowdfund for his cause, either, but sometimes he needs her bigger-picture thinking. Yes, everything in Percy vs Goliath unravels as expected, and Johnson, Miller and Pryor's choices emphasis that unmissable truth. The film didn't need to be as routine and drama-free as it is, but Walken gives it far more spirit than it possesses otherwise. THE MEDDLER In The Meddler, it doesn't take long for German Cabrera to admit the obvious: he has an addiction. By day, the Guatemala City resident works as a mechanic, a trade he's keen to teach to his four sons. By night, he leaves his family at home while he trawls the streets until dawn, doggedly searching for whichever splashes of blood, crime and drama that he can capture with his always-recording camera. Cabrera is compelled to document the city's chaos so that he can expose it, he explains. As the block of text that opens the film notes, 2100 homicides were reported in Guatemala City in 2013, making it the 12th most violent place in the world. Cabrera records everything that he can — nightly fights, drunken behaviour, medical emergencies and dead bodies alike — with TV networks airing his footage, and even eventually dedicating an entire segment called The Night Watcher to his visuals. He's proud about the fact that he doesn't get paid for his efforts. As The Meddler watches him as he watches on, he seems to enjoy what he's seeing, too. In fact, Cabrera takes his role as a self-appointed observer to heart, simply standing by camera in-hand while scenes and events scream for someone's intervention, and often just recording anyone who happens to stumble into his view. Directed by feature first-timers Alex Roberts and Daniel Leclair, The Meddler has charged itself with a complicated task — because its subject and his actions and motivations are equally complex. When the documentary spends time driving around with Cabrera, peers at him while he's on the road and hears him talk about his desires to better the city, it purposefully brings Taxi Driver to mind. When it spies his eagerness to voyeuristically seek out and shoot Guatemala City's nocturnal chaos night after night, it summons up Nightcrawler as well. Neither comparison paints Cabrera in a favourable light, or a straightforward one. The Meddler thrusts him to the fore and its filmmakers don't interject in his monologues, question his statements or try to explain his choices; however, the doco's aesthetic and editing choices don't wholly land on his side, either. Indeed, this is a knotty character study that appreciates Cabrera's stated quest, and also acknowledges all of the thorniness that comes packaged with him and his after-dark hustle. When the film uses his footage, it's chilling and unsettling. When it forces viewers to contemplate his presence in the night and accompanying penchant for sensationalistic imagery, it's just as eerie. GREAT WHITE When a giant shark chomps its way through the cinematic ocean, audiences are meant to side with its scared human prey. But some creature features give viewers multiple reasons to do the opposite — and to find their own way to liven up a dull and formulaic movie. Perhaps the film's non-fish characters are woefully one-note or unlikeable, or both. Maybe the script is so simplistic, even in a well-worn genre, that a shark munching random keys on a typewriter probably could've written something better. Or, it could be that every plot development, performance, visual, and score choice is so overwhelmingly predictable that tension is as rare as a vegan great white. Actually, there's no maybes about any of the last three statements when it comes to horror's latest shark-centric outing, which turns Queensland's waters into a buffet for a ravenous critter. Great White marks the feature debut of director Martin Wilson, and only the second movie script for screenwriter Michael Boughen (Dying Breed); however, that its producers have 2010 Aussie shark film The Reef and its now-in-production sequel The Reef: Stalked on their resumes — plus homegrown 2007 crocodile flick Black Water and its 2020 sequel Black Water: Abyss — will surprise absolutely no one. Great White's setup will be familiar to anyone who has even heard of a shark movie before, let alone watched one. The twist: despite reassurances by marine biologist-turned-seaplane pilot Charlie (Aaron Jakubenko, Tidelands) that the time just isn't right for teeth-gnashing ocean predators to fill their empty stomachs, climate change seems to have changed the titular species' habits. So, on a lucrative charter gig that'll help keep his business financially afloat, Charlie, his girlfriend Kaz (Katrina Bowden, 30 Rock), their cook Benny (Te Kohe Tuhaka, Love and Monsters), and their paying customers Joji (Tim Kano, Neighbours) and Michelle (Kimie Tsukakoshi, The Family Law) find themselves under threat. They've headed to a remote island of personal significance to Michelle, and Joji is clashing with Benny before they even spot the resident great white's last victim. To ramp up the stakes, Kaz is telling Charlie that she's pregnant, too. Quickly, the quintet become the creature's next targets, including while cast adrift in a life raft that could use Life of Pi's Richard Parker for company. Just as speedily, Great White's audience will wish that something — anything — that hasn't previously graced Jaws, The Shallows, 47 Metres Down or even The Meg's frames would happen in this thrill-free bob into been-there, done-that waters. SPIRIT UNTAMED The first time that a Kiger Mustang named Spirit cantered across the silver screen, it was in 2002's Oscar-nominated Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. Back then, the film marked just the sixth theatrical feature that Dreamworks Animation had brought to cinemas — following Antz, The Prince of Egypt, The Road to El Dorado, Chicken Run and Shrek — and if anything stood out, it was the movie's hand-drawn animation. Almost two decades later, Spirit Untamed returns the energetic and determined horse back to theatres. The movie he's in still looks gorgeous, even if computers have replaced pencils in bringing him to life. That said, this isn't actually the franchise's second step, with Netflix series Spirit Riding Free also telling the apple-loving animal's story across 78 episodes since 2017. In both look and feel, Spirit Untamed has more in common with its streaming counterpart than its big-screen predecessor, unsurprisingly. It's happy to primarily court the show's young audience, too. Indeed, while voice work by Jake Gyllenhaal (Spider-Man: Far From Home), Julianne Moore (Lisey's Story), Walton Goggins (Fatman), Andre Braugher (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and Eiza González (Godzilla vs Kong) is designed to appeal to adults, there's little else but scant traces of nostalgia and pastel-hued imagery to keep anyone past their teens interested. Her vocals stem from a different actor — with Isabela Merced (Dora and the Lost City of Gold) doing the honours — but Fortuna Esperanza "Lucky" Prescott still sits at the heart of Spirit Untamed. Like Spirit Riding Free, the new film tells of Lucky's arrival in the frontier town of Miradero, her connection with Spirit and her efforts to save him from wranglers (led by Goggins). Also covered: her budding friendship with fellow horse-lovers Pru (voiced here by Little's Marsai Martin) and Abigail (Mckenna Grace, Annabelle Comes Home). They're the pals she needs when Spirit and his wild companions are snatched up by the nefarious rustlers, who plan to ship the horses off and sell them. Together, the pre-teen trio then sets off across the dangerous plains, determined to save the galloping animals and do the right thing. There's an obvious but still welcome and powerful message in Lucky's story, as she ignores her worried dad's (Gyllenhaal) warnings and her doting aunt's (Moore) fussing, choosing to follow her own heart and path instead. (Her father frets because her mother, voiced by González, worked as a horse-riding stunt performer and died during a show.) Similarly pleasing, even if the movie basically just remakes the TV show's first episode: that this all-ages wild west tale heroes women, although it pales in comparison to the recent Calamity, a Childhood of Martha Jane Cannary. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on January 1, January 7, January 14, January 21 and January 28; February 4, February 11, February 18 and February 25; March 4, March 11, March 18 and March 25; and April 1, April 8, April 15, April 22 and April 29; May 6, May 13, May 20 and May 27; and June 3. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman, The Dry, Promising Young Woman, Summerland, Ammonite, The Dig, The White Tiger, Only the Animals, Malcolm & Marie, News of the World, High Ground, Earwig and the Witch, The Nest, Assassins, Synchronic, Another Round, Minari, Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra, The Truffle Hunters, The Little Things, Chaos Walking, Raya and the Last Dragon, Max Richter's Sleep, Judas and the Black Messiah, Girls Can't Surf, French Exit, Saint Maud, Godzilla vs Kong, The Painter and the Thief, Nobody, The Father, Willy's Wonderland, Collective, Voyagers, Gunda, Supernova, The Dissident, The United States vs Billie Holiday, First Cow, Wrath of Man, Locked Down, The Perfect Candidate, Those Who Wish Me Dead, Spiral: From the Book of Saw, Ema, A Quiet Place Part II, Cruella, My Name Is Gulpilil, Lapsis and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.
When you think of luxury shopping in Brisbane, the CBD's Queen Street Mall probably comes to mind. Now, there's even more reason to mark the CBD as your go-to destination for designer labels with Brisbane's very first Christian Louboutin store now open. The brand-new Louboutin store is located at Shop 15, 215 Queen Street with a stunning collection of shoes and leather goods for folk across the gender spectrum. Alongside the brand's iconic styles, you'll also find the latest designs from the Fall/Winter 21 collection. Plus, there'll be three styles to swoon over that are exclusive to the Brisbane shop. The store itself takes cues from Louboutin's eclectic aesthetic. The white wood walls that hug the interior are an homage to his beloved Egyptian houseboat and provide a sense of serenity within. But don't expect a neutral pallet to reign supreme here. Oh no. The centre consoles are awash in deep blue tones that contrast against the iconic and dramatic Louboutin red carpet. Brisbane's first Christian Louboutin boutique is open now. For more information and to check out the incredible designs, call the store on 07 3707 5777.
Although Stones Corner isn’t the most bustling urban hub in Brisbane, I can’t deny the attachment I’ve made to the area in recent months. Maybe it’s because it’s home to my drycleaner, my seamstress and the studio where I got my first tattoo, or maybe it’s because the area’s potential seems to be becoming more and more tangible as some great cafés start to move in. Somewhere along the main strip and beneath the tattoo studio, you’ll find That Monkey Espresso, a charming addition to the developing precinct. You won’t find them on Facebook, in the phone book or on a business card, but that’s the way the team at That Monkey like it. “We do what we do and we do it well,” says Savannah, the café’s head lady and delightful barista. And she’s not wrong. Not only did she whip up a perfect flat white, I managed to score it for two bucks during their daily happy hour! Like any typical espresso bar, That Monkey specialises in hot drinks, cold drinks, toast and treats, but unlike many, these guys can boast a good brew every time. Take a seat outside, utilise their free Wi-Fi and watch this space. My bet is Stones Corner will be a little more than just a ‘corner’ in the months to come.
In every generation, there might be a chosen one — vampire slayer, that is — but in the Australian outback, there's now Indigenous bloodhunters. That's the premise behind one of the most promising new local shows of the year, Firebite, which brings undead battles to the South Australian desert with a huge list of top-notch Aussie talent. You know you're watching an Aussie vampire series — or even simply viewing the just-dropped trailer for it — when the words "take that you bloodsucking bastards" are uttered. That's just one of the highlights of Firebite's first sneak peek, though. Also worth getting excited about: the stacked cast, which includes Rob Collins (The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson) and Shantae Barnes-Cowan (Total Control) as the show's Indigenous Australian vampire killers, plus Callan Mulvey (Shadow in the Cloud) as the king vamp of the last undead colony in SA, and also Yael Stone (Orange is the New Black) as well. Behind the lens, Firebite hails from one of Australia's finest filmmakers — Samson and Delilah, Sweet Country and The Beach director Warwick Thornton, who returns to the small screen after helming and starring in the latter, and also working on the second season of Mystery Road. Fellow Aussie directors Brendan Fletcher (Mad Bastards) and Tony Krawitz (The Tall Man, Dead Europe) are also involved, giving the Firebite three exceptional local helmers in one show. The trailer serves up more than a bit of a Mad Max vibe, but with vampires and Indigenous Aussies fighting back — and how it'll unfurl will be revealed come Thursday, December 16. The show is headed to AMC+, the new streaming bundle that just launched Down Under in November, and will drop new episodes every week. And yes, it's going to be a big few months for watching Australia's parched landscape on the screen, following the Jamie Dornan-starring mystery series The Tourist and the Zac Efron-led thriller flick Gold. But again, because it can't be celebrated enough, this is the only Aussie Indigenous vampire horror-fantasy show you'll be adding to your streaming queue. Check out the Firebite trailer below: Firebite starts streaming via AMC+ on Thursday, December 16. Images: Ian Routledge/AMC+.
SXSW Sydney is still three months away (yes, we're counting), but the first-ever South by Southwest to be held outside of the US just keeps getting bigger and bigger. So far, the conference-slash-festival has dropped an initial round of speakers, a batch of music highlights and must-attend parties, and details of its gaming strand. Now, it has unveiled more fascinating folks who'll be chatting behind a microphone. The SXSW Sydney Screen Festival hasn't yet revealed what it'll be showing; however, SXSW's Sydney debut has just added a stellar session on First Nations storytelling with three impressive filmmakers on the bill. Leah Purcell (The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson), Kodie Bedford (Mystery Road: Origin) and Jub Clerc (Sweet As) will all take to the stage at The Next Gen Blak Storytellers, which is about Indigenous talents telling 'modern' Blak stories. On moderating duties: Brooke Boney. Also familiar from plenty of screens is Osher Günsberg, who'll be on the SXSW Sydney bill recording an episode of his podcast Better Than Yesterday with a yet-to-be-announced special guest. Hailing from behind the scenes, Gone Girl, The Nightingale, The Dry, Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers producer Bruna Papandrea joins the lineup as a featured speaker, as does Binge's Executive Director Alison Hurbert-Burns. And, the SXSW Sessions lineup now includes Silverchair's Ben Gillies talking about creating music videos with AI, plus other talks on video-game collecting at the National Film and Sound Archive, plus death and dying in video games. Another of SXSW Sydney's new high-profile names: Layne Beachley, with the seven-time World Surfing Champion discussing facing retirement at 36 and reinventing herself afterwards. Fellow just-announced speakers include Indonesian Minister for Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, plus Expedia Group Chief Technology Officer and President Rathi Murthy. Also joining the program: connecting our minds to hands-free digital devices, e-waste, AI in the workforce, Aussie startups, NFTs, the future of news media, protecting the oceans, swiping right, sessions on lab-grown meat and more. Obviously, all of the above names and sessions — plus others already announced — are still just the beginning of what's promising to be SXSW's massive Sydney arrival. The entire event will happen within a walkable precinct in the Sydney CBD, Haymarket, Darling Harbour, Ultimo, Chippendale and more, with the fest's footprint operating as a huge hub. SXSW will also be packed with festivals within the bigger fest, exhibitions, talks, networking opportunities and streetside activations popping up everywhere. So far, venues named include Powerhouse Museum, ICC Sydney, UTS, Central Park Mall, the Goods Line Walk, The Abercrombie and Lansdowne Hotel. Attendees can hit up the SXSW Sydney Conference, which is where those keynotes, presentations, panels, workshops and mentor sessions come in — more than 400 of them. And, there's the SXSW Sydney Technology & Innovation Exhibitions, which is all about innovative and emerging tech and entertainment companies from across the Asia-Pacific region. Plus, at the Startup Village, up-and-comers from all industries and sectors will have space to meet, present and chat. SXSW's arts fests will span the SXSW Sydney 2023 Music Festival, which will be focused on live music venues in central Sydney — and the aforementioned SXSW Sydney Gaming Festival, complete with more than 100 local and international independent games to play at venues (alongside demonstrations, launches performances, exhibitions and social gatherings). Movie and TV lovers, get excited — because the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival isn't just a film fest. There'll be flicks to see, including at red-carpet premieres; episodic content; and digital, XR and social content. Expect Q&As and panel discussions with the folks behind them as well. SXSW Sydney will run from Sunday, October 15–Sunday, October 22 at various Sydney venues — head to the festival's website for further details. If you're keen to make the most of Australia's first SXSW, take advantage of our special reader offer. Purchase your SXSW Sydney 2023 Official Badge via Concrete Playground Trips and you'll score a $150 credit to use on your choice of Sydney accommodation. Book now via the website.
Just in case social media didn't already provide us with sufficient scope to project our mood at unwitting strangers, three German artists have provided another, even more public avenue through the 'Public Face'. Their interactive art installation reflects the mood of the city in which it stands with a giant electric emoticon. Hidden cameras at ground level capture the facial expressions of passers-by to measure the general vibe at any given time, and relay it back to the emoticon tower. So long as there are no manic-depressives in the crowd or cause for any emotion beyond happy, sad, or indifferent, the giant smiley will provide an accurate public vibe-o-meter, constantly updating itself to match the collective mood. There are unverified rumours that the Public Face will do the rounds in a variety of cities across the globe in 2012, but this may not be good news for everyone. The smiley's stint atop a lighthouse on Bavaria's Lindau Island last year revealed that the town could do with a little more cheer, where the giant face spent a lot of time being indifferent and was rather reluctant to flash any pearly whites. How to bring the mood of a city down even lower? Show the people how depressed they already are. The Public Face is a quirky piece of interactive art, taking a playful spin on the distillation of emotion that occurs when relationships go digital. [Via Archetizer]
If you haven't already heard the good word, World Pasta Day is just around the corner. Yep, Friday, October 25 gives you a whole day to celebrate the delicious Italian noodle dish in all its glory. So, you'll want to be tucking into as many bowls as possible. Luckily, The Royal Nundah is serving up bottomless pasta on the day, so you can do just that. This World Pasta Day, the pub's kitchen is giving you the chance to eat your weight in cheesy, creamy and tomatoey goodness. For $25 per person, you'll be feasting on bowls and bowls (and bowls) of unlimited pasta over the course of an hour and a half. There'll be two sessions to choose from — 12–1.30pm or 2–3.30pm — and you can work your way through four different dishes while you're there. Bookings are essential and we recommended claiming your spot ASAP as these are set to fill up fast. To nab your spot, head here.
For anyone born after 1978, it's impossible to imagine a world without Jamie Lee Curtis playing Laurie Strode, grappling with the ultimate movie boogeyman and being one of the OG final girls. Forty-four years ago, the then film first-timer slipped into the role and battle of a lifetime, taking on Michael Myers in John Carpenter's initial, iconic and now-highly influential October 31-set slasher Halloween. The picture, and the part, both launched and defined Curtis' career — and she's returned as the Haddonfield, Illinois babysitter-turned-survivor six more times since. Curtis' on-screen resume doesn't lack in other highlights, of course. Reteaming with Carpenter in The Fog, riding the scream queen wave in Prom Night, winning a BAFTA Award for 80s comedy Trading Places and scoring another nomination for A Fish Called Wanda: she'd managed all that before the 90s even hit. Since then, Curtis has tangoed into action-hero territory in True Lies, dispensed motherly advice in the My Girl movies, swapped bodies with Lindsay Lohan in Freaky Friday, joined Veronica Mars on the big screen, gotten her murder-mystery on in Knives Out and sported hot dog fingers in Everything Everywhere All At Once. Laurie Strode and Laurie Strode only, she definitely isn't. Still, Curtis and Laurie will always be synonymous. When you keep stepping into a character's shoes for four-plus decades — and when that character is one of the most famous there is in horror movie history, too — that's going to happen. Now, however, the unthinkable is also occurring. Curtis will always be Laurie, but she's also saying goodbye to the constant target of Michael Myers' slash-happy rampages. Yes, Halloween Ends has the perfect moniker for that turn of events. The 13th entry in the Halloween franchise, Halloween Ends is also the third in a trilogy that started in 2018, brought Curtis back to the fold after a 16-year gap and has clearly been working towards closure ever since. Indeed, in this iteration — as directed and co-written by David Gordon Green (Stronger, The Righteous Gemstones), and produced by Jason Blum — Laurie has weathered the pain of being Michael Myers' prey, and worn that survivor's PTSD as firmly as her silver hair. She's prepared to face him down again. She's tried and thought she's won, only for the mask-wearing murderer to re-emerge. She's lost friends and family to the monster, and seen how deeply Michael's mayhem has affected her home town. In other words, she's been as fascinating a horror-film final girl as any movie, franchise, actor or audience can hope for, and she's earned her farewell. With Halloween Ends releasing in cinemas Down Under on October 13, we chatted with Curtis about the series, her legendary character, and what it's meant to earn a part as a teenager and leave it half a lifetime later — plus being not just the final girl, but the final woman. ON THE HALLOWEEN FRANCHISE'S MASSIVE SUCCESS — AND HUMBLE BEGINNINGS "No one knew. If anyone knew, we'd be in Vegas today and we'd be betting money on something because we'd have some prescient idea of knowing about the future. No one knew anything about anything. We were young filmmakers. The oldest person was 30. We were a crew of about 15 people. It was made in 17 days, shot fast and furiously, and it turned into something quite magical. But that's the art of the movies. That's what happens once in a while. I did a movie this year called Everything Everywhere All At Once, which was the same thing. A group of people getting together, 38 days in an abandoned office building in Simi Valley, California — and what came out was this phenomenon, this beautiful movie. No, nobody had any idea." ON RETURNING TO LAURIE FOR THIS TRILOGY AFTER A 16-YEAR GAP "Honestly, the last thing I ever thought I'd do was another Halloween movie. And the phone rang, and it was Jake Gyllenhaal. I was in my house up in the mountains, and Jake said 'my friend David Gordon Green would like to talk to you about a Halloween movie'. And I said 'okay'. He called me, and what drew me back was that David had written a script about really what happens to somebody 40 years after that level of violence and trauma happens to them, and I felt it was very realistic. It was everything I'd hoped H20 could've been, and wasn't. For me it just was truth. It felt like it was truthful. It felt like it honoured victims. It gave a truth to really what happens. How many times do we see a disaster happen, all the news cameras, everybody's camping out on people's lawns — coverage, coverage, coverage, coverage — and then they go away? Then what remains are all these people whose lives have been ruined, and we never see a story about what happens to them ever. I felt like that was what David wrote — a story about what really happens to people who suffer that level of violence." ON EVOLVING FROM FINAL GIRL TO FINAL WOMAN "I represent something as Laurie Strode, the survivor of Michael Myers, for all these years. I take it very seriously. I commit to it. It's very important. She's, by the way, not only the final girl, not only the final mother, not only the final grandmother — ultimately, as you said, she's the final woman. This is a woman in full possession of her own life, and facing fear head on in that a way that I think people admire and respect, and people have certainly loved Laurie over the years for that fortitude. And I owe them. The gravity of the way I approach this work is due to them. If I was sitting here joking with you about how fun it was, and how I'm friends with the guy who's in the mask, and it's all light and easy, then what the fuck am I doing? Then why am I here? It has to be with this level of gravity and respect for Laurie Strode, who is a real person to many, many, many, many, many people. And I am Laurie Strode." ON MAKING A NEW HALLOWEEN TRILOGY WITH SOMETHING TO SAY "It wasn't a trilogy to begin with. We didn't start it out a trilogy. That I found out after the fact. But more importantly, I think also what this movie really explores is how we victim-shame, how we start to blame the actual victims of the crime because of the communal experience. The town is without resources to process their grief and who do they turn it against? Laurie Strode. Look at how we do this all day long. Look at how we use social media. Look at Twitter. Look at these portals of hatred and vile antagonism that we use in the spirit of free speech and all of the rest of it. It's terrible. The movie explores that in a very big way." ON FAREWELLING LAURIE — AND WHAT IT'D TAKE TO COME BACK "I think it'd be hard to come back now. I can't imagine a world where a filmmaker is going to come up with a scenario that explores Laurie Strode's journey and her conflict with Michael Myers in any better way than David Gordon Green has done with these three films. But I never say never, because there are great filmmakers today, and who knows? Maybe Guillermo del Toro will come up with a plan for it, or a filmmaker who's brand new will come up with some breathtaking story that can figure out a way to weave a version of Laurie's story. Who knows? But from my practical standpoint — I'm a very practical person — I can't imagine it. It's been a very emotional trip, this tour of talking and meeting fans, and really talking about the import of Laurie Strode on their lives. I have tried to receive it all, and it's a lot. It's just a lot. It's going to be hard. But I also am very joyful. I have a lot of creativity because of Laurie Strode. I now have all sorts of creative stuff I get to do. So it's not that I'm never going to get to act again — quite the opposite, I get to do that more now than I ever got to before. I get to produce things in a way I never did before. I get to direct things in a way I never did before, all because of this 2018 trilogy. So I'm sad to say goodbye to fans, for sure. But I'm happy for the opportunities that Laurie has given me, absolutely." Halloween Ends releases in Australian cinemas on October 13. Read our full review.
A coffee roaster opening its own cafe is the caffeinated equivalent of a beloved movie or TV character scoring their own spinoff. This version sparks a different kind of buzz, though. Australian favourite Single O is no stranger to slinging its own brews, thanks to cafes in both Sydney and Tokyo — but finally launching in Brisbane is a new and welcome leap. If you're a fan of the 20-year-old brand, then you might be familiar with its self-serve tap system in its cafes elsewhere. In more excellent news, that's now in place in the River City as well. Single O is currently pouring — and getting customers to — on Austin Street in Newstead, where it opened at the end of August. Since 2019, coffee lovers nabbing their caffeinated brews from Single O's Surry Hills cafe in Sydney have been getting their cuppas themselves — basically, it's the coffee you make when you're not actually making the coffee — which Brisbanites can also enjoy at the first coffee-on-tap setup in the Sunshine State. The filter brews on offer will rotate through single-origin batch options. Crucially, Single O's beloved oat iced latte has earned the tap treatment, too. Also among the standout sips made on La Marzocco machines, then drunk from Malcolm Greenwood's ceramic cups: Single O's Reservoir signature blend for espresso fiends, which customers can pair with either dairy or plant milks. With local gelato makers Allora Black, the roaster has also brought its Affogato Project to town. The Brisbane version starts with coffee-infused-gelato — favouring Kenyan and Costa Rican beans — then pours on a shot of the same brew. Teaming up with Newmarket's Allora Black is just one of Single O's local collaborations. Working with Agnes Bakery is another, in an excellent development for pastry fiends. Plates come from Noosa's Kim Wallace Ceramics, while Brisbane-born artist Gemma O'Brien has given the Austin Street spot its bespoke artwork, including her first-ever hometown large-scale mural. For bites to pair with your caffeine fix, Single O owner Dion Cohen has tapped into nostalgia. Sandwiches and toasties might sound rather standard, but Cohen has taken cues from his time spent as the chef at Single O's OG location in 2003. From Surry Hills, banana bread with espresso butter makes the jump north, as has the brunch favourite that is the Avo Show (yes, it's avocado on toast, but Single O's eye-catching version). While you're eating and drinking, you'll be sat in space that heroes eco-conscious practices both in making its coffee and in decking out its cafes. Design-wise, think: raw materials aplenty, and Defy Design whipping up bar tops and stools made from recycled plastic. The venue is also Single O's new distribution and training facility for its wholesalers, aka the places you've been drinking its coffee at before now. "We've been working behind the scenes with some of Queensland's best cafes and hospitality partners from Gold Coast and Brisbane for over ten years, including places like Bread Social, Paddock Bakery, Gramps Cafe and Told You So, to name a few," explains General Manager Mike Brabant. "Brisbane particularly is a place that's changing everyday with amazing hospo venues opening and more people moving to Queensland each year. The food culture is becoming one of the best in the country, and opening our humble Newstead coffee bar, which is connected to our coffee training and distribution space where we service our local cafe clients from, is big for us." "It gives us a touchpoint for our cafe friends, and a chance to serve the local community, sharing the Single O spirit of having fun, honouring quality and brewing up differently." Find Single O's Newstead coffee bar at 16 Austin Street, Newstead QLD — operating from 6.30am–1.30pm Monday–Friday and 7am–1.30pm on Saturdays — with Sunday trading coming soon.
You know what they say: when one door closes, another one opens. So, anyone mourning the loss of Caxton Street's short-lived, M*A*S*H-inspired Ginger's Diner best look on the bright side, because a new New Orleans-style cocktail and oyster bar is coming in its place. Called Seymour's Cocktails and Oysters, the new spot hails from the same folks behind Ginger's, but they're giving the space a different twist. It'll be a cafe by day, drinking spot by night, serving up the titular booze and seafood from a brass-topped bar. And, as Ginger's did before it, it'll benefit from not only sitting next door to the ever-popular Lefty's Old Time Music Hall, but also from belonging to the same stable of venues as its neighbour, the Hope and Anchor just up the road, and Sonny's House of Blues, Gordita, Peasant and Los Villanos as well. Are you thinking what we're thinking? Yep, you could go on a pretty tasty bar and restaurant crawl within that group of venues, with Seymour's shaping up to be the perfect finishing spot. Find Seymour's Cocktails and Oysters at 15 Caxton Street, Petrie Terrace in the near future. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for more information. Via The Courier-Mail.
Winter means spending more time indoors — and you want those interiors to look as great as possible. Art and design lovers, that's where the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art's Winter Design Market comes in. Browse, buy and then prepare to get cosy. Find jewellery, ceramics, textiles, homewares and clothing and more on offer, with the market taking over the GOMA forecourt from 9am–4pm on Saturday, July 26–Sunday, July 27, 2025. There'll be more than 80 stalls selling wares — and don't go giving the venue's official store a miss while you're there, either. Take the time to peruse the GOMA collection of books and art, and thank us for the tip later. As well as shopping for cute design wares — and meeting the makers behind them — while you're in the vicinity, you'll be able to wander through the galleries, too, with Wonderstruck on display, complete with Yayoi Kusama's The Obliteration Room. Keen to see a film for free? The Spectacles of Wonder screening program at the Australian Cinematheque has you covered. And although GOMA will host another design market once the silly season rolls around, getting your gift shopping out of the way now will make you feel like Christmas has come early. Or, just treat yo'self — no excuse necessary. Top images: B Wagner and K Bennett.
For wannabe wizards and witches, the most magical place in Australia right now is located in Victoria. After boasting the country's only run of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, then playing host to a natural history exhibition based on the Fantastic Beasts films, the state is now temporarily home to a new Harry Potter-themed experience. This time, you can walk around an illuminated woodland filled with nods to the Wizarding World, with Harry Potter — A Forbidden Forest Experience finally arriving Down Under. Accio joy, clearly. Think: Lightscape, which is returning to Melbourne in 2024, but all about the world that's sprung up around the Boy Who Lived on the page, screen and stage. So, with Harry Potter — A Forbidden Forest Experience taking over The Briars Community Forest in Mount Martha until mid-July, attendees can enjoy a nighttime stroll an hour out of Melbourne. Entering the Forbidden Forest is clearly the big attraction, as lit up with dazzling lights, all while also spying creatures from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movies. A hippogriff features, as do nifflers and unicorns. You also have the chance to pose for a photo mid-wand duel, and to summon up a patronus spell as well. Accordingly, visitors here aren't surrounded by all things Wizarding World after dark in a forest; they can be join in like every aspiring Hogwarts student has always wanted to. Sounds and special effects also help bring the experience to life, as aided by award-winning behind-the-scenes folks. Expect to spend around 90 minutes being immersed in the all-ages event — plus however long you need at the onsite shop afterwards buying merchandise. That's part of the village at the end of the trail, where you'll also be able to grab a bite and something to drink. Wands crossed for butterbeer, obviously. Harry Potter — A Forbidden Forest Experience has hit Australia after seasons in the UK, Europe, the US and Singapore, with Warner Bros behind it just like the films and upcoming Harry Potter TV series.
If you're a fan of whatever huge HBO hit happens to be airing at any given time, Monday public holidays Down Under are an extra-special joy. They mean watching whichever series is currently showing at the earliest moment possible, and also not having to spend your workday avoiding spoilers. Tuning in to see Succession on Easter Monday wasn't just a normal viewing experience, however. So, if you're now wondering what happens after the award-winning show's monumental third episode in its fourth and final season, HBO has dropped a midseason trailer to tease the series' endgame. This sneak peek comes with the biggest of spoiler alerts, obviously. If you aren't up to date on Succession, you shouldn't even be reading this article. But if you're dying to know where the Roy family saga goes from here, you'll obsess over all two minutes and 13 seconds of this glimpse at the show's last-ever seven episodes. "I just didn't see it coming," says Roman (Kieran Culkin, No Sudden Move) to start off the clip. He isn't alone, although Shiv (Sarah Snook, Pieces of a Woman) is swiftly chatting about "coronation demolition derby". Trust cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun, Zola) to pop up, try to stay relevant as he always does, and stress that he's sad — yes, while also attempting to secure his position in the family. Everyone has an opinion on how to handle things, including Waystar Royco's CFO Karl (David Rasche, Swallow) and general counsel Gerri (J Smith-Cameron, Fleishman Is in Trouble) — and, of course, executive and Shiv's estranged husband Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen, Operation Mincemeat). Plenty of stern words are spoken, complete with how "the naysayers might frame it". And the deal to sell the firm to Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård, The Northman) looks shaky. Kendall (Jeremy Strong, Armageddon Time) is floating in a body of water again, while Connor's (Alan Ruck, The Dropout) bid to become the US President sees him polling well in Alaska — and laughing at the suggestion that he should do what's right for the good of the republic. As for the rest, as always in this high-stakes drama about who'll take over business titan Logan Roy's (Brian Cox, Remember Me) multinational corporation, it's best discovered by watching. "Let the games begin!", as Kendall announces. Check out Succession season four's midseason trailer below: Succession streams via Foxtel, Binge and Foxtel On Demand in Australia and Neon in New Zealand. Check out our review of season four. Images: David Russell/Macall B Polay, HBO.
A bunch of bright-eyed and fresh-faced graduating students from the Queensland College of Art have been working tirelessly of late, all in preparation for an upcoming collaborative exhibition. The exhibition will explore the metaphorical connotations of the archaic term ‘tenterhooks’, whilst creating a debate between traditional and contemporary art practices. Tensions between established art frameworks and the risqué will be questioned in this show, which will include two-dimensional drawings, prints, photography and paintings, as well as video, installations and performance art. Tenterhooks will showcase work from eighteen emerging Brisbane artists: Kim Anderson, Nicola Campbell, Charlie Donaldson, Caitlin Franzmann, Ben Havenaar, Ben Higgins, Brianna Hopper, Alicia Lane, Tor Maclean, Angelica Roache-Wilson, Karl Shoobridge, Melanie Simpson, Kylie Spear, Maya Walker, Greta Waring, James Warren, Jennie Wright and Yasmin Zuvuya. This is a great opportunity to experience the cutting edge of the Brisbane emerging visual art scene, and to support the city’s forthcoming artists.
Food trucks tick all the right boxes when it comes to those late night what to eat dilemmas. They're cheap, fulfilling, fast and guaranteed to be made fresh on the spot, so it comes as no surprise that they've been steadily growing in popularity on the streets of Brisbane. The Bun Mobile's legendary steamed buns are something you would've heard about if you've been following the local food truck scene from the beginning. Tracking down their distinctive red and blue coloured trucks proves to be a bit of an adventure in itself; their location every night is shrouded in mystery, so diners have to look them up on Facebook or their website to check where they'll be parking on their chosen day. The family-run business, who have a background in international fine dining, cook up a variety of fillings for their pillowy buns — Louisiana chicken, twice-cooked pork, wagyu beef and a variety of specials — and all for under $10 a pop too. Thankfully, graphic designer and photographer Erika Budiman has done a service for us all in getting hold of The Bun Mobile's recipe for their sous vide pork belly as part of her new recipe book, Food Truck Feasts, a culmination of her year long quest exploring Australia's multicultural food scene. Now that's a job we want. Get ready for the inevitable blissful food coma. SOUS VIDE PORK BELLY You'll need a slow cooker to create this dish. A food vacuum sealer is also helpful, although standard zip-lock bags are also sufficient. Serves 4-6 4-6kg pork belly (we prefer skin on because it enhances the flavour) 2 tablespoons kosher salt (you can use regular salt if necessary) 4 cups water 200ml stock from sous vide pork 100ml dark soy 100ml usukchi shoyu* 100ml mirin 4 star anise 1 teaspoon (heaped) five spice powder 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped steamed bun creamy coleslaw butter lettuce fried shallots sliced green onions To prepare the pork combine the salt and water in a large container to make a brine mixture. Mix until the salt has completely dissolved. Place pork in the brine mixture, Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours. Remove the pork from the liquid and pat dry. Place the pork into a zip-lock bad and seal, ready to sous vide. Heat the water (enough to cover the zip-lock bag) in a large pot or in a kettle to 63°C (test using a thermometer) and then pour the water into the slow cooker. Submerge the zip-lock bag with pork inside. Slow cook the pork for 24 hours. Remove the pork and rest it. To prepare the braising liquid combine the stock, dark soy, usukchi shoyu, mirin, star anise, five spice powder and ginger in a medium-size pot. Slice the pork and place it in the braising liquid. Gently simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Serve the pork belly in a steamed bun, with creamy coleslaw, butter lettuce, fried shallots and sliced green onions. *Usukchi shoyu is a lighter, saltier soy sauce, available from most Asian supermarkets. Via Food Truck Feasts, published by Explore Australia Publishing, RRP $34.95, www.exploreaustralia.net.au.
To really get a feel for a country, you have to experience its cuisine. And that doesn't just mean eating in nice restaurants—it means learning about the history, stories, sources, recipes and love that goes into creating dishes that have endured for centuries. If you're seeking inspiration for experiences like that, we've teamed up with Intrepid Travel and picked out eight of the best culinary holidays Asia has to offer. You get the best of both worlds: sightsee like a tourist but live and eat like a local. South Korea When thinking of South Korea, do you think of fried chicken, bibimbap, Korean barbecue and, of course, kimchi? You can get the chance to explore all these tasty treats on an eight-day loop of the country. Start in Seoul with a trip to Gwangjang Market (as seen on Netflix's Street Food) before attending a kimchi-making session in Jeonju. Other highlights include a dive into the burgeoning microbrewery scene, a home-cooked meal in Busan and a celebratory barbecue experience back in Seoul. South Korea's rich and diverse food scene offers much to explore, and this tour is an ideal taster of what the country has to offer. Sri Lanka The beautiful island nation of Sri Lanka is known for both its culture and its food, and you can experience the best of both on this twelve-day tour. Be part of the action at the famous Negombo fish market, tuck into traditional curries and dosas cooked by Tamil families and enjoy a local snack of buffalo curd and treacle. While the food isn't to be missed, there's much to do besides. Lion Rock is a picturesque climb with ancient frescoes, and the journey from Kandy to Bandarawela is a breathtaking scenic train ride. For the grand finish, you'll hit Colombo, the country's capital, where you can take in the city buzz and enjoy a meal celebrating the area's Dutch heritage. Thailand You probably enjoy a pad Thai now and again, and there's a decent chance you can whip up a fairly decent Thai curry (if armed with a jar of paste and a tin of coconut milk), but have you ever experienced a khan tok dinner? A Northern Thailand speciality, this eleven-dish meal has long been a traditional welcome, and the opportunity to prepare, cook and eat this customary feast is arguably the highlight of Intrepid's eight-day excursion to Thailand. Elsewhere, there are trips to Chiang Mai temples, an overnight train ride across the country, and a visit to Tha Kha Floating Market. You'll be blown away by the vibrancy and beauty at every turn. India Far too often, we make the mistake of thinking of Indian food as one single cuisine while, in reality, it's one of the most rich and varied food cultures on the planet. That's why you need half a month for a trip stretching all the way from Delhi to Goa. The itinerary reads like a spice lover's dream. You'll hit the 'Lane of Parathas' in Delhi, a chaat crawl in Agra, Rajasthani desserts in Jaipur, thali in Udaipur, a street crawl in Mumbai, and a cooking class in Goa. That's without even mentioning the Taj Mahal, Sikh temples and the Bollywood movie experience that will punctuate your time away from everyday life. [caption id="attachment_970029" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Yana Tatevosian via iStock[/caption] Georgia Located on the edge of Asia on the banks of the Black Sea is the gateway to Europe: Georgia. Australia may be pretty good for overseas cuisine these days, but you'd struggle on these shores to find dishes like nigvziani badrijani (eggplant and walnuts), zhizhig galnash (noodles and lamb) or khinkali (traditional Georgian dumplings). All these dishes and more are available on this circuit of the country, starting in the capital, Tbilisi, and also taking in Telavi, the Pankisi Valley and Gudauri. And it's not just food. There's also the opportunity to hike up to Gergeti Trinity Church and catch a glimpse of Mt Kazbegi, a glacier that stands over 5,000m tall. Vietnam Banh mi, pho and bao are high-street staples here in Australia, but there's nothing like the real thing. You'll get to sample the genuine article on this tour of Vietnam, which also includes a cooking class in Hoi An that's preceded by a trip to the local market to find ingredients. There's also plenty of travelling and a bunch to see as part of this itinerary. There are two overnight train journeys, boat cruises, picturesque drives and even a sightseeing trip aboard a motorbike. This holiday comes to an end in Ho Chi Minh City, where you can soak up the atmosphere of the busy markets and marvel at the incredible produce on offer. Japan The Land of the Rising Sun has something for everyone, from skiing and sightseeing to cherry blossoms and huge city metropolises. But what we're talking about here is food and, more accurately, damn good food. Sushi is obviously a must, and in this Tokyo tour you'll be schooled in the art of sushi — which includes its history, how to choose the best cuts and, of course, how to prepare it. Additionally, there's a home cooking class in Kanazawa on the north coast, a visit to a green tea farm in Uji, a sake tasting in Kyoto, and more besides. Cambodia This diverse southeast Asian country has a rich heritage and vibrant food culture. This organised trip will show you the best this gem of a country has to offer. You'll see where reportedly the world's finest pepper is grown and taste pepper ice cream. You'll get to experience a traditional Khmer cookery class in Phnom Penh. You'll even get the chance to make cocktails in Siem Reap using local fruits and herbs. There's also plenty of opportunity for sightseeing, and you'll come away from your trip feeling like you've got to know Cambodia and perhaps even planning your next trip back. Get out, explore, dive into adventure and find your WOW with Intrepid Travel. Find out more on the website.
Juliette Binoche stars as an actress adapting to the expectations of her age, Kristen Stewart argues the merits of mainstream entertainment, and Chloë Grace Moretz arrives as the next big thing. In Clouds of Sils Maria, art may appear to imitate life — and it does, and it knows it — but there's more to Olivier Assayas' film than that. Much more. Binoche plays Maria Enders, a screen veteran who first came to fame in the play Maloja Snake by Wilhelm Melchior. Twenty years later, she's poised to pay tribute to the writer and director at an event in Zurich; however, mid trip, news arrives of his death. Supported by her assistant, Valentine (Stewart), she reluctantly agrees to participate in a new staging of Melchior's production, co-starring rising starlet Jo-Ann Ellis (Moretz). Once Maria was the hot young ingénue of the piece; now she's the obsessed older woman. The film may spend much of its time in the titular region — one known, yes, for cloud formations that weave through the mountains like a serpent — yet where Clouds of Sils Maria clearly resides is in the space between then and now in the abstract sense. The past and the present clash furiously before Maria's eyes, as she copes not only with her friend's passing but with saying goodbye to her youth. In scenes between Binoche and Stewart, this couldn't be more apparent, even though the latter is her employee rather than her rival. As Valentine helps Maria run her lines, as they argue over whether Maria should do the play, and as they debate the state of modern filmmaking, they're discussing the gap between the old and the new over and over again. Their interplay also mirrors the tension at the heart of Maloja Snake in its power struggles, its flitting between closeness and distance, and its undercurrent of yearning. Clouds of Sils Maria is a conversation-heavy movie, and not all of that conversation works, particularly anything that stems from the play (the dissections of the material within the material are much more effective). Instead, it is savvy casting that helps Assayas' point come across, and not just in reflecting Binoche, Stewart and Moretz's off-screen realities, but in their talents. The savviest stroke of casting, and the film's best performance, belongs to Stewart. She won a César Award for her role — and became the first American actress to do so in the process. It's not that the Twilight star is a revelation, more that her skills are just so perfectly suited to the part. When the camera isn't focusing on the film's three leading ladies, it has plenty of location eye candy to rove over, and rove it does. Assayas creeps and sweeps through the setting just like the clouds lingering above, the frame — and the feature — always seeming like it is floating. Perhaps that's why Clouds of Sils Maria feels like it washes over the viewer, instead of just being watched. As it uses nature to comment on authenticity and well-known stars to comment on celebrity, perhaps that's why it also feels immersive yet just out of reach, as well.
UPDATE, January 21, 2022: Synchronic is available to stream via Netflix, Binge, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead aren't currently household names. If they keep writing and directing mind-bending sci-fi like Synchronic, though, they will be. The pair actually appear destined to become better known via Marvel, as they're slated to helm one of the MCU's many upcoming Disney+ TV series, the Oscar Isaac-starring Moon Knight — but they've already worked their way up from the US$20,000 budget of their 2012 debut Resolution to making movies with Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan. Here, with Marvel's own Falcon and Fifty Shades of Grey's leading man, they play with time, relativity, fate and brain-altering substances. They ponder the shadows that the past leaves on the present, the way that progressing through life can feel far more like a stumble than following a clear path, and how confronting loss and death can reframe your perspective on living, too. Those temporal jumps and existential themes aren't new, of course, and neither is the film's steely look and feel, and its willingness to get dark. But that's the thing about Benson and Moorhead: few filmmakers can twist familiar parts into such a distinctive, smart and engaging package in the same way, and with each and every one of their movies. Synchronic shares its title with a designer drug. In the film's vision of New Orleans, the hallucinogen can be bought in stores — and plenty of people are doing just that. Shift after shift, paramedics Steve Denube (Mackie) and Dennis Dannelly (Dornan) find themselves cleaning up the aftermath, as users of the synthetic substance keep overdosing, dying in unusual ways and getting injured in strange mishaps. And, these aren't your usual drug-fuelled incidents. One, involving a snakebite, happens in a hotel without even the slightest sign of slithering reptiles on the loose. That's enough to arouse the world-wearied Steve and Dennis' interest, and to give them something to talk about other than the former's attachment-free life and the latter's marriage. Then Dennis' teenage daughter Brianna (Ally Ioannides, Into the Badlands) goes missing, and the two EMTs are instantly keen to investigate any links that the popular pill might have to her disappearance. In a film that initially drips with tension, dread and intensity, Benson and Moorhead don't take too long to reveal how synchronic works, but it's still something that's best discovered by watching. They don't ever simply tell the audience what's going on, though. As all good films that tinker with time should — and as some not-so-great ones, like Australian rom-com Long Story Short, try to yet flounder — Synchronic doesn't merely show the effects, either, but instead uses every tool at its disposal to take viewers on the same journey. Indeed, much of the movie hinges upon how Steve feels when he pops a pill. While the character could just explain that aloud, that'd be the least interesting option and the film's directors know it. So, whether peering up at the sky, toying with slow motion and perspective, tilting angles, completely flipping the picture or using long takes, the feature gets subjective with its cinematography, which is lensed by Moorhead. One dazzling and dramatic shot at a time, it plunges everyone watching into Steve's head as he first experiments with synchronic's capabilities, then endeavours to use them to bring Brianna home. There's more to Steve's story than possibly being a hero, and that's one of Synchronic's superpowers. Although surreal imagery, a trippy narrative and an off-kilter atmosphere all sit in the movie's toolkit, it's how Benson and Moorhead ground all of the above in genuine emotions that makes this a science fiction film with both brains and a pulse. Easy sentiment and schmaltz have no place here, but anchoring the film's musings on life certainly does. After all, there's little point in pondering 'what if?' scenarios, which is sci-fi's entire remit, if those trains of thought don't also interrogate and explore the human condition. Consequently, although it initially seems as if the script makes a few easy moves regarding Steve's background and current experience, there's insight in those choices. There's cold, hard truth, too, which Synchronic happily faces — because how we're each shaped by trauma is life's number one story. This isn't Benson and Moorhead's first dance with this subject, as anyone who has seen Resolution, 2014's horror-romance Spring and 2017's excellent cult thriller The Endless will spot. That said, even when the premise of their features explicitly calls for repetition — always cleverly and playfully — the pair doesn't just retread their previous footsteps. With each addition to their shared resume, the filmmaking duo demonstrates an uncanny knack for using genre confines and deploying recognisable tropes to excavate pain and tragedy. When viewed as a whole, their career to-date provides an impressive and perceptive snapshot of dealing with life's difficulties, in fact. Each of Benson and Moorhead's four films so far are strikingly shot and astutely written, and rank among the best horror and sci-fi efforts of the past decade, but they're also as thoughtful and resonant as they are intelligent and ambitious — and that's an irresistible combination. Synchronic does occasionally falter. Mackie gets the better part and has far more of an impact than Dornan, for instance. But the lived-in camaraderie between their characters — who've been partners so long that they speak in shorthand — always feels real, and Dornan is still worlds away from the woeful Wild Mountain Thyme, his previous big-screen role. The film's ending doesn't completely fall into place, too, but even that feels like a minor issue. When a movie takes you on the kind of ride that Synchronic does, in such a stunning, sharp and thrilling fashion, and with such depth at is core, its tiny imperfections fade from memory quickly. Or, as Benson and Moorhead might posit, they help make everything that's exceptional shine even brighter, stand out even more and cut even deeper. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87RIVAc6MJU&feature=youtu.be
Laughing in a doubled-over, can't breathe, feels-like-you-have-a-stitch kind of way isn't a planned thing. It happens spontaneously. It happens without warning. It happens at times and from sources you mightn't expect. That's what Brisbane Comedy Festival's After Hours component is all about — making the humorous magic happen in a different fashion, away from the usual routines, well-oiled jokes and hilarious shows that unleash the same comic gems night after night. Taking over the Brisbane Powerhouse Turbine Studio on Friday and Saturday evenings throughout the fest, this always-changing late-night show is a chance for everyone involved to get loose. As for who that might be each evening, well, that's part of the surprise. This is one of our top picks for this year's Brisbane Comedy Festival. Read the whole list. Image: Studio Impressions/Brisbane Powerhouse.
If your idea of a stellar Sunday includes a Cantonese banquet and cracking river views, then Howard Smith Wharves go-to Stanley has you covered. One of the precinct's top spots, it's now in the yum cha game every weekend, serving up everything from XO seafood dumplings and crispy prawn rolls to spicy chicken feet and barbecue char siu puffs. Stanley's Yum Cha and Champagne Sundays take place on Sundays, obviously, with sittings between 11.30am–3pm. For $58 per person, you'll also tuck into prawn har gow, scallop siu mai, duck and mushroom dumplings and more. Plus, for those feeling particularly indulgent, there's a $137 option, too, which includes two hours of bottomless champagne. And, you can pick and choose other add-ons for an extra cost, should you be hankering for peking duck pancakes, steamed coral trout or five-spice roast duck.
One day a year, the whole world celebrates romance. Do you know who loves you every day of the year? Your favourite barking cutie. That's the great thing about a pet pooch. Well, one of the great things. No matter what date it is, it adores you. Don't have your own four-legged bestie, but are keen to change that situation? Just eager to snuggle up to a woofer while you're at the shops? If you'd like to add some doggo devotion to this love-obsessed week, then Indooroopilly Shopping Centre's puppy kissing booth should be your first stop. Until the big day itself — Thursday, February 14, of course — Indro is welcoming RSPCA rescue dogs to the third floor, ready for you to pat, cuddle and perhaps even take home. They'll be onsite from 10am–2pm each day, and they're available for adoption. You can also spread the love even further by making a donation to the animal welfare outfit while you're there.
The 2014 Big Day Out lineup has been revealed, and it... sort of lived up to all those weeks of hype. Organisers spoke of their excitement at landing three "white whales", and the top of the ticket is pretty monumental. Pearl Jam is a classic choice for BDO headliner, Arcade Fire a welcome return visitor to the main stage, Blur a seriously impressive 'get' — and Snoop's good-natured, laaiiiiidbaaack style will be a nice counterpoint to the snarling grunge and indie-rock mania. And lucky Regine and that chick from The Lumineers — they'll have the backstage ladies loos virtually all to themselves! Here's the line-up in full: Pearl Jam Arcade Fire Snoop Dogg aka Snoop Lion Major Lazer Steve Angello Flume The Lumineers Tame Impala Dillon Francis Mac Miller Ghost Grouplove Flosstradamus Portugal. The Man Toro Y Moi DIIV The Naked And Famous Big Gigantic PEZ Mudhoney Cosmic Psychos Northlane The 1975 Loon Lake Kingswood Bo Ningen The Algorithm DZ Deathrays Peking Duk Ben Morris Rüfüs Gold Coast tickets are on sale on August 7; Sydney August 8; Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide on August 9 and Auckland on August 12 from the Big Day Out website.
After introducing its cookie pies to the world last month, followed by serving up an OTT red velvet one, Gelato Messina is bringing the decadent dessert back for a third round with the OG chocolate chip flavour. Hang on, a cookie pie? Yes, it's a pie, but a pie made of cookie dough. And it serves two–six people — or just you. You bake it yourself, too, so you get to enjoy that oh-so-amazing smell of freshly baked cookies wafting through your kitchen. These pies are now available for preorder — so if you missed out last time, here's your chance to get yourself a piece of the pie. On its own, the indulgent choc chip pie will cost $20. But to sweeten the deal, the cult ice creamery has created a few bundle options, should you want some of its famed gelato atop it. For $28, you'll get the pie and a 500-millilitre tub, while with a one-litre tub or a 1.5-litre tub, it'll cost $34 and $39 respectively. The catch? You'll have to peel yourself off the couch and head to your local Messina store to get one. You can place your preorder now via Bopple, with pick up times available between Thursday, May 14 and Sunday, May 17. You can preorder a Messina cookie pie via Bopple to pick up from all NSW, Vic and Queensland Gelato Messina stores (except The Star) from May 14–17.
The laneways of Melbourne have been the unofficial training ground and creative home for Australian street art, in all its variety and forms. Over the years, as street art has changed and evolved, it has moved beyond the laneways and in with some unlikely bedfellows — galleries, governments and businesses. A recent example of this is the collaboration between one of Melbourne's most prominent and talented street artist, Drab, and product design company Buzz Products. Drab's street art has not only graced the walls of Melbourne's laneways but also been part of exhibtions and festivals in Melbourne, Sydney and New Zealand. He also worked with locals kids in Woorabinda Queensland to paint murals as part of the Indigenous Hip Hop Project. However, this recent collaboration with Buzz Products has really expanded his artistic repertoire. Literally. The exterior of the Buzz Products has been transformed from a boring blank wall into Australia's largest paste up street art. Using 56 sheets of paper, 40 litres of glue and taking two days to complete, this piece of street of art is 27 metres long by 8 metres high. It gives the urban landscape a much needed lift, and the good residents of Abbotsford in Melbourne something to gawk at on their trainride home.
The long weekend is here and we're fully embracing all the Easter treats, but if you're looking to fill yourself up with something other than sweets, here's an extensive list of all the bars, cafes and restaurant that'll be open this long weekend. There is something for everybody on this list, too — hunt down the all-day vegetarian menu at Grown, sip gin cocktails at Covent Garden or head for a standout coffee at Miss Jones. RESTAURANTS Stokehouse Q Fri, Sun: 11am–10pm, Mon: 12pm-10pm Kai Kai Chicken Fri, Sat: 6pm–9:30pm. 1889 Enoteca Sat: 6pm–12am, Sun: 12pm–2:30pm Riverland Sat: 11am-3am, Sun: 11am–1am, Mon: 11am–12am At Sixes and Sevens Sat, Sun, Mon: 11am-12am Ambrosia & Co Fri, Sat, Sun: 7am-9pm BARS Little Big House Fri: 12pm-10pm, Sat: 11am-2am, Sun: 11am–12am, Mon: 11am–12am Covent Garden West End Sat, Sun, Mon: 11am–10pm Sasquatch Bar Sat: 11:30am-10pm, Sun: 3pm-10pm The Junk Bar Sat, Sun: 2pm-12am Prohibition Brisbane Fri: 12am-3am, Sat: 8pm–3am, Sun: 9pm-3am Eleven Rooftop Bar Sat, Sun: 12pm-10pm Beyond the Pale Sat: 6:30am-midnight, Sun: 6:30am-10:30pm Sixteen Antlers Sat: 2pm-12am Ric's Bar Sat: 5pm-10pm, Sun: 5pm–10pm CAFES Grown Fri: 8am-12pm, Sat: 7:30am-2:30pm, 5:30pm-9pm, Sun: 7:30am-2:30pm Miss Jones Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon: 7am-2:30pm The Smug Fig Fri: 7am-12pm Piggy Back Cafe Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon: 7am-2pm Paw Paw Cafe Fri: 8am-3pm, Sat, Sun: 8am-3pm, 5:30pm-10pm, Mon: 8am-3pm Foxy Bean Fri, Sun, Mon: 7am-2pm, Sat: 7am-10pm Station 82 Fri, Sat, Mon: 6am-3pm
With events across the country cancelled and postponed in a bid to slow the spread of COVID-19, the live music industry is being hit hard. According to Aussie website I Lost My Gig, the industry has had a lost income of about $340 million so far. To help some of those affected, some of the country's best musical talents have been coming together for a weekly two-day music festival and fundraising event series every weekend — that's all online. In past weeks, the festival has seen the likes of Julia Jacklin, Marlon Williams, Hermitude, Vera Blue, Asta and Stella Donnelly. So, order a disco ball and make a flower crown for your cat, because it's time to party in your apartment. This week's lineup is yet to be announced, but expect it to be announced on Isol-Aid's Instagram soon. https://www.instagram.com/p/CCKEmcRByKp/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link While watching, viewers are encouraged to donate to a fundraiser set up by Support Act, which is raising money for musicians and music workers who've lost income during the COVID-19 pandemic and to help "keep our music industry alive". You can also support the individual artists by buying merch and music from their Bandcamp pages, as well as get your hands on some Isol-Aid merch. Isol-Aid runs from 12pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Tune in via isolaidfestival.com. Top image: Bec Taylor
If eating your way through plenty of creative and tasty desserts is your current pandemic coping strategy, Gelato Messina has been more than willing to help over the past few months. This year alone, it has released cookie pies in choc chip, red velvet, choc-hazelnut, and peanut butter and jelly varieties; 40 of its best flavours; and full tubs of Iced VoVo gelato. Messina's own take on the classic Viennetta ice cream cake and a gelato based on Italy's famed cremino dessert. Oh, and it even whipped up a batch of sticky lamington-scroll hybrids as well. For Messina's next tastebud-tempter, it's doing what it has always done best: turning one of your favourite non-ice cream foods into gelato, then giving it a twist. This time around, that means a new take on its beloved cereal-inspired 'Just Like a Chocolate Milkshake' flavour. It still features Coco Pops, obviously, but this batch is all about white chocolate. Naturally, it's called 'Just Like a White Chocolate Milkshake'. It's made with Messina jersey milk and white chocolate Coco Pops, with the latter soaked in the former to get things rolling. From there, the cereal and milk are churned into fresh gelato, which is then layered with clusters of more white chocolate Coco Pops. As well as milk, cereal and white chocolate, you can expect to taste caramel and marshmallow notes, too. Messina's special desserts and flavours are always a limited affair, with this one on offer for a week from Tuesday, September 1. You can pick it up in-store or get it delivered via Deliveroo. [caption id="attachment_741473" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Katrina James[/caption] If you're in Melbourne, remember that you can only venture to shops within five kilometres of your house — and only once a day — to get essentials, including food. Gelato Messina's 'Just Like a White Chocolate Milkshake' flavour will be available for a week from Tuesday, September 1, in-store and via Deliveroo — keep an eye on the Messina website for further details.
Stay tuned. More info coming soon. Image: Kgbo via Wikimedia Commons.
If you've ever walked down Edward Street from the Queen Street Mall to the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens, or vice versa, then you've walked past the site of the River City's next exciting opening. But, no matter how many times you've passed by, we're guessing that you wouldn't have ever picked that you'd be able to tuck into a modern-Asian meal where Longwang is setting up shop, let alone hit up a rooftop bar or cocktail lounge there. No one tends to look at a void between two commercial towers and think "great place for an eatery", but Michael Tassis from hospitality company Tassis Group did. So, what was once a gap beside 144 Edward Street is about to become home to his Brisbane newcomer, effective Friday, April 26. While it only measures three metres wide, the two-and-a-half-storey spot stretches back 30 metres and can welcome in up to 175 guests for functions. How does a restaurant, even one as slender as this, take over a former alleyway? Thanks to custom-built digs, with Clui Design helping out. While there's a formal dining room, as well as the sky-high bar and venue for cocktails, being flexible is key — including in its function spaces. The idea is that patrons will have a different experience onsite each time that they stop by. One constant is the culinary guidance of Executive Chef and partner Jason Margaritis (ex- sAme sAme and Donna Chang in Brisbane, and Spice Temple Melbourne and Sydney). His contemporary take on Asian cuisine, inspired by more than 15 years working with the style, heroes seafood, plus a mix of traditional flavours with modern techniques. Think: a live seafood tank with local mud crabs and Tasmanian rock lobsters, whole fried baby barramundi paired with dry red curry snake beans and bug tail kung pao. Dishes that don't involve the ocean's finest will include braised lamb shoulder Massaman curry, as well as pork belly wok-tossed with sichuan pepper, black bean and chilli. Or, opt for a half chicken from the charcoal grill, as coated in tamarind-heavy satay sauce. "The opportunity to develop a menu from the ground up was an exciting feat. I've drawn from my love of Chinese and east Asian cuisines to create a temple of tastiness that encapsulates the best elements of Asian-style banquet dining," said Margaritis. Taking care of the wine list to match is Tassis Group Beverage Director and sommelier Ron Almera, who is curating a mix of old- and new-world wines — all specifically to go perfectly with Asian flavours. And as for the cocktails, you'll be able to ask for them to be mixed up to suit your tastebuds whether you're hitting the rooftop or the lounge. While the "long" part of the restaurant's moniker might sound apt given the site's narrow dimensions, the name actually hails from Chinese mythology. Also known as the Dragon King or Dragon God, Longwang commands the seas, so the title reflects the menu's focus. The venue joins the Tassis portfolio alongside Yamas Greek + Drink and Rich & Rare in West End, Opa Bar + Mezze and Massimo Restaurant on Eagle Street in the CBD, and Fosh Bar & Restaurant at Portside Wharf in Hamilton. Fatcow is on its way to James Street in Fortitude Valley this year, too, while Kangaroo Point's new green bridge will welcome Tassis' Stilts and Mulga Bill's. Longwang opens at 144 Edward Street, Brisbane on Friday, April 26, operating from 11am–late daily. Head to the restaurant's website for further details. Images: Markus Ravik.
