Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TG-Mxzl88Q LOCKED DOWN Sparked by the pandemic, lockdown films aren't just an exercise in adapting to stay-at-home conditions — or a way to keep actors, directors and other industry professionals busy and working at a challenging time. The genre also provides a window into how the creatives behind its flicks view everyday life and ordinary people. Arising from a global event that's placed many of the planet's inhabitants in similar circumstances, these features tell us which stories filmmakers deem worth telling, which visions of normality they choose to focus on and who they think is living an average life. With Malcolm & Marie, a hotshot young director and an ex-addict were the only options offered. In Language Lessons, which premiered at this year's virtual Berlin Film Festival, a wealthy widower and a Spanish teacher were the movie's two choices. Now Locked Down directs its attention towards a CEO and a courier, the latter of which stresses that he's only in the gig because his criminal record has robbed him of other opportunities. Yes, these films and their characters speak volumes about how Hollywood perceives its paying customers. That's not the only thing that Locked Down says. Directed by Doug Liman (Chaos Walking) and scripted by Steven Knight (Locke), this romantic comedy-meets-heist flick is verbose to a farcical degree — awkwardly rather than purposefully. The repetitive and grating misfire is primarily comprised of monologues, Zoom calls and bickering between its central couple. Well-off Londoners Linda (Anne Hathaway, The Witches) and Paxton (Chiwetel Ejiofor, The Old Guard) are weeks into 2020's first lockdown, and their ten-year relationship has become a casualty. Whether chatting to each other or virtually with others, both commit a torrent of words to the subject. Linda has decided they're done, which Paxton has trouble accepting. She's also unhappy with her high-flying job, especially after she's forced to fire an entire team online, but gets scolded by her boss (Ben Stiller, Brad's Status) for not telling her now-sacked colleagues they're still like family. Tired of driving a van, Paxton is willing to do whatever his employer (Ben Kingsley, Life) needs to climb his way up the ladder. That said, he's still tied to the road, with the ex-rebel's decision to sell his beloved motorbike — a symbol of his wilder youth, and its fun, freedom and risks — hitting hard. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GC--RZ3jOo THE PERFECT CANDIDATE With 2012's Wadjda, Haifaa al-Mansour became the first female filmmaker from Saudi Arabia to make a full-length movie. Fittingly, she achieved the feat via a powerful tale about a girl breaking boundaries — by fighting to ride a bicycle in the street, an activity that's by no means routine in the Middle Eastern country. A hopeful yet truthful film that depicts the present-day reality for Saudi women, while also remaining committed to dreaming of a different future, al-Mansour's directorial debut marked the first-ever feature shot entirely in her homeland, too. Accordingly, she smashed barriers in multiple ways, including both on- and off-screen. Nine years later, she demonstrates the same spirit again with The Perfect Candidate. After exploring another female trailblazer in 2017 biopic Mary Shelley, then pondering the beauty standards imposed upon women in 2018 rom-com Nappily Ever After, al-Mansour delivers the ideal companion piece to her applauded first picture — this time focusing on a young Saudi doctor who tackles her town's misogynistic and patronising attitudes by running for local council. No matter the day or situation, the ambitious Maryam (debutant Mila al-Zahrani) is repeatedly reminded that women aren't considered equal in her community. In one of The Perfect Candidate's early scenes, an elderly male patient writhes in agony, but is more upset about the fact that she'll be treating him — until Maryam's condescending boss proclaims that male nurses can easily step in and do the job for her. When her recently widowed musician father Abdulaziz (Khalid Abdulraheem) goes away on tour, she attempts to fly to Dubai for a medical conference and subsequent job interview that would see her move to Riyadh. Alas, she's stopped from departing because her dad hasn't updated her travel permit, and she can't leave unless he rectifies the paperwork. A male cousin (Ahmad Alsulaimy) in a role of authority within the government might be able to assist, but even the bonds of blood aren't enough to get her through the door to his office. He's interviewing and approving candidates for the municipal election, so Maryam puts her name forward just to progress past his secretary. That still doesn't help her make her flight, but it does send her in a different direction. While already struggling to convince her employers to pave the road to the town's emergency medical clinic, she decides to run to fix that specific problem — and the more backlash she receives for putting herself in contention, the more determined she is to campaign for change. The Perfect Candidate is currently screening at Sydney's Randwick Ritz cinema, and will play at ACMI in Melbourne from May 13–25. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv72JDeSaXY DE GAULLE Paris' international airport is named after him, so even if you know nothing else about Charles de Gaulle, you know that his chapter in French history turns out well enough to be immortalised in one of the country's most pivotal sites. The new biopic that also shares his name endeavours to help explain why by focusing on a specific period during the Second World War — the few weeks in June 1940 when France's powers-that-be were contemplating kowtowing to Germany rather than continuing to lose men in their battles against the Nazis. As Prime Minister Paul Reynaud (Olivier Gourmet, The Midwife) attempts to decide how to proceed, de Gaulle (Lambert Wilson, The Translators) ranks among the government's key voices. But support for capitulating to their enemy keeps growing stronger, including via Philippe Pétain (Philippe Laudenbach, Ad Vitam), who would become the Chief of State of Vichy France shortly afterwards. Trying to thwart his nation's submission to and collaboration with the Germans, the movie's eponymous figure heads to London to meet with Winston Churchill (Tim Hudson, A Very English Scandal). Swiftly, and while causing ire at home, he becomes a driving force behind the Free France movement — which would lead the resistance against occupation during the remainder of the war. De Gaulle's audience doesn't need to have an intimate awareness of France's involvement in WWII before they start watching this sombre drama, with writer/director Gabriel Le Bomin (Our Patriots) and his co-scribe Valérie Ranson-Enguiale (who also co-wrote his 2008 short film L'occupant) routinely demonstrating their fondness for using dialogue to deliver exposition. Indeed, much of the feature is dedicated to talk describing the situation — as intertwined with glimpses of de Gaulle's home life, and of the efforts of his wife Yvonne (Isabelle Carré, Moving On), elder children Elisabeth (Lucie Rouxel, Rascal) and Philippe (Félix Back, Black Tide), and younger daughter Anne (debutant Clémence Hitten), who has Down Syndrome, to flee France as the Nazis invade. The end result, while never short on intrigue, always seems more interested in explaining history than depicting it. The ceaselessly worshipping tone doesn't help flesh out the movie's subject as a person, either; again, viewers already know that he's worthy of celebration going in. And, while De Gaulle's urgent efforts to save his country and his family's quest to escape should be tense and suspenseful, much of the feature feels like a by-the-numbers mashup of Second World War film tropes. Wilson's performance is solid, and the period detail catches the eye, but De Gaulle is never more than standard. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXn0ryXxfak JUNE AGAIN The third film about dementia to reach Australian cinemas in little over a month, June Again starts as The Father did: with its elderly protagonist losing time, and her sense of her place within it, as moments, days and life in general all seem to rush by. The titular June (Noni Hazlehurst, Long Story Short) barely greets her daughter Ginny (Claudia Karvan, Bump) or grandson Piers (Otis Dhanji, Aquaman) when they visit the aged care centre she has lived in for five years, rarely passes her doctor's (Wayne Blair, Rams) cognitive tests and constantly feels disoriented due to vascular dementia that's been caused by a series of strokes. But, one otherwise ordinary morning, she wakes up lucid, annoyed, and wondering where she is and why. So, as Supernova did, this Aussie feature then follows June's quest to make the most of the time she has left as herself. Here, however, that involves trying to set right the many wrong choices she thinks her adult children have made, and also attempting to snatch a last grasp at happiness. Dramas ensue, with Ginny thrilled to have her mum back as she once was, but frustrated with her meddling — and her sibling Devon (Stephen Curry, Mr Love) mainly falling into the latter category. But June's window of clarity doesn't simply allow her to be herself again; it lets her address her mistakes, follow paths not taken, and try to become the woman that life and raising a family never her let her be. For 23 years on Play School, Hazlehurst helped guide young minds and teach pre-schoolers about the world that they were only just beginning to explore. Accordingly, there's a feeling of synergy about her role in June Again. Playing a woman slipping out of a world that she's navigated for a lifetime, she tackles a condition unlikely to have been directly experienced by many of the viewers who grew up peering through square, diamond, round and arched windows with her — and looking at rocket and flower clocks, too — but might now be touching those that watched with them. And, alongside fellow familiar faces Karvan and Curry, Hazlehurst is one of the best things about June Again. First-time feature writer/director JJ Winlove keeps things comfortable and predictable in his warm-hearted narrative and warm-hued stylistic choices, but every scene, emotional moment, and insight into life, love, loss, ageing, forgetting and farewelling those dearest to us is improved by his all-star cast. That's never more accurate than when Hazlehurst is cherishing June's renewed lease on life, reminding viewers how delightful she always is on-screen, and selling the film's sentimental but heartfelt message about the importance of chasing what you love in the time you're given. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=civOp5c5GM0 FATALE Only 14 women have ever won more than one Academy Award for Best Actress, and Hilary Swank is one of them. When she earned the Oscars double for 1999's Boys Don't Cry and 2004's Million Dollar Baby, she beat both Meryl Streep and now three-time recipient Frances McDormand to the feat — but her career hasn't brought the coveted accolade her way again since. Fatale isn't going to change that recent trend. It hasn't earned Swank a Razzie either, but she could've easily been in the running. Playing a Los Angeles cop who has a one-night stand in Las Vegas with an ex-college basketball star turned high-profile player manager, then starts stalking her way through his life while also trying to intimidate her politician ex-husband into giving her back access to her young daughter, she has one mode here: stern-faced yet unbalanced. Even when her character, Detective Valerie Quinlan, is first seen flirting, Swank plays her as if something isn't quite right. That's accurate, plot-wise, but it robs Fatale of any semblance of tension it might've possessed. The film is meant to be an adultery-focused thriller in the Fatal Attraction mould — with even its title blatantly nodding that way — but it just ends up recycling tired, simplistic, overused cliches about unhinged women into a monotonous and unnecessarily convoluted package. Valerie and Derrick (Michael Ealy, Westworld) hit it off at a Vegas bar, then get physical; however, the next morning, he heads home to his wife Tracie (Damaris Lewis, BlacKkKlansman), who he actually suspects of being unfaithful herself. Before Derrick can meaningfully process either his infidelity or his fears about his crumbling marriage, his swanky home is broken into one night — and, because director Deon Taylor (Black and Blue) and screenwriter David Loughery (The Intruder) are content to hit every expected beat there is (and because they've seen every 80s and 90s erotic thriller ever made, too), Valerie is the investigating officer. Despite being woefully predictable from the outset, Fatale doesn't dare have fun with its cookie-cutter narrative. It doesn't evoke thrills, bring anything more than surface style or prove particularly sexy, and it never gets its audience invested in its obvious twists, one-note characters or rote dialogue. And, although having its badge-toting stalker use excessive force and exploit her power to target a person of colour could've been a choice that said something about America's current reckoning with law enforcement, race and police brutality, Fatale doesn't even contemplate anything other than clunky formula. 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. 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 and Wrath of Man.
Holidays are all about getting out of town, forgetting your worries and exploring somewhere new. Well, usually. With so many luxe places to head to in our very own city, your next relaxing break needn't involve cutting into your precious annual leave or trying to get your bearings in an unfamiliar location. Instead, it's staycation time. Designer hotels have been popping up all around Australia with frequency over the past few years, and Brissie is leading the charge. Whether you fancy glorious river views, sky-high pools, vacationing like a rock star or indulging in a bit of old-school glam, there's a place for you. Your first post-lockdown escape awaits. From pristine beaches and bountiful wine regions to alpine hideaways and bustling country towns, Australia has a wealth of places to explore at any time of year. We've partnered with Tourism Australia to help you plan your road trips, weekend detours and summer getaways so that when you're ready to hit the road you can Holiday Here This Year. While regional holidays within Queensland are now permitted, some of the places mentioned below may still be closed due to COVID-19 restrictions. Please check websites before making any plans. [caption id="attachment_694714" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Sean Fennessy[/caption] THE CALILE, FORTITUDE VALLEY Filled with designer stores, bustling bars and restaurants, and a veteran of the city's arthouse cinema scene, James Street has always radiated a holiday vibe. And the stretch of road that borders Fortitude Valley and New Farm has an excellent place to stay: The Calile. Opening late in 2018, the 175-room spot isn't the first hotel on the street, but it is the first to call itself a resort — and it takes that term seriously. A stunning pool takes centre stage, enticing you to splash the day away. When you're not in the water, cabanas and sun lounges will call your name, and there's an outdoor deck where you can nab something to eat. You can also enjoy a Greek feast at Hellenika restaurant, or hang out in the lobby bar. Back in your room, you'll find a focus on all things natural, including oak furniture, cork floors and sisal matting in the bathrooms, day beds for afternoon naps, linen robes and a minibar stocked from local suppliers. Find The Calile Hotel at 48 James Street, Fortitude Valley. Make a reservation here. EMPORIUM, SOUTH BANK Up until a few years ago, if you were looking for the Emporium, you'd need to head to Fortitude Valley. But, after a bout of musical chairs among the city's accommodation providers, the hotel can now be found at South Bank. The brand sold off one site and built another — and if it's killer views over the river that you're after, then the new location well and truly delivers. Don't worry, it delivers plenty more, too. The 21-storey structure includes 143 rooms all decked out in the expected luxurious fashion, including marble and bronze finishings, mirrored TVs and in-suite wine fridges — and beloved French joint Belle Époque has even made the move, too, setting up shop downstairs. That said, this place is all about the rooftop. If you're feeling flush, you can stay in a poolside cabana suite, which'll place you mere footsteps away from the hotel's top-level 23-metre infinity pool. And, you'll be as close as you possibly can be to The Terrace, Emporium's sky-high all-day bar and eatery. Find Emporium Hotel South Bank at 267 Grey Street, South Brisbane. Make a reservation here. OVOLO THE VALLEY, FORTITUDE VALLEY Back at the Fortitude Valley space formerly known as the Emporium, another hotelier has settled in. In late 2018, Hong Kong-based chain Ovolo made the place its own, giving the 103-room site a huge $55 million facelift — and just casually taking inspiration from David Bowie in decking out its two ultra-luxe suites. Of course, everything is glam at Ovolo the Valley. If you spend a night or several in one of the Rockstar suites, 1970s-esque velvet lounges and a gold bar await. Elsewhere, think rich hues, an overall design that finds its cues in the Valley's streets and laneways, and the eclectic furniture choices that Ovolo regulars have come to expect. The brand's usual inclusions are also on the menu, such as a free minibar with every room (including a lolly bag full of treats), free breakfast with every stay, free wifi, free laundry and free happy hour drinks each day. When you're not enjoying all of the above, head up — that's where you'll find the rooftop swimming pool, gym and sauna. Find Ovolo The Valley at 1000 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley. Make a reservation here. THE WESTIN, CBD Brisbanites can be excused for feeling a sigh of relief about The Westin. Now that it exists, the huge hole in the ground that blighted Mary and Margaret Streets for years and years is finally gone. And it's a case of good things coming to those who wait, with the hotel giving the city its very first swim-up bar. The kind of attraction that you'd usually find on an island, by the coast or just somewhere other than an inner city street, the Nautilus is located in the middle of Westin's 300-square-metre swimming pool — and features views over the city, too. Sounds like the only excuse we all need for a staycation in one of the hotel's 299 rooms and suites. Although cabanas, deckside yoga classes, an onsite jazz bar and a 150-person restaurant all help as well. Find The Westin Brisbane at 111 Mary Street, Brisbane. Make a reservation here. [caption id="attachment_702993" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Marriott International Hotel[/caption] W BRISBANE, CBD In 2018, the W Hotel chain made its return to Australia in a big way. Showing just how much of a designer hotel hotspot Brisbane has become, the brand opened its new digs smack bang in the middle of the city. If you're going to make a comeback, you may as well do it with a 312-room structure by the river along North Quay. It's the chain's only site in the country at present (though Sydney and Melbourne outposts are imminent). The views are a huge drawcard, obviously, but this spot has plenty of other tricks up its sleeve. When guests aren't chilling in the decadent pool, which immediately catches the eye with its geometric, black-and-white design, they can grab a beverage at the adjacent waterside bar or have a meal at Queensland's first Three Blue Ducks restaurant. Or, slipping back upstairs and into the ten-gallon drum baths in each room is also an option. And as a bonus, there's also in-suite cocktail stations, so prepare to get mixing and drinking. Find W Brisbane at 81 North Quay, Brisbane. Make a reservation here. OVOLO INCHCOLM, SPRING HILL Ovolo didn't just take over one existing Brisbane hotel and completely revamp it. Making sure its presence is felt in the city, it did just that to two. And, when it renovated and reimagined the nearly 100-year-old Inchcolm in Spring Hill, it unleashed a striking facelift that combines the old and the new. There's no doubting the site's heritage, which is clearly evident from its exterior, but the fresh interior decor goes retro in a raft of different ways. Sit on green velvet couches, sip martinis like you're in 20s-era Paris — and eat free Fantales. Order your drinks from a bar decked out with David Bowie- and Prince-themed crockery, tap your toes to 80s tracks like 'Footloose' and grab a bite from the menu. Up in your room, you'll find spacious suites filled with mod cons, including an Alexa to help you out. Plus, there's Ovolo's free minibar. Find Ovolo Inchcolm at 73 Wickham Terrace, Spring Hill. Make a reservation here. THE JOHNSON, SPRING HILL It's been a couple of years since Art Series Hotels made its first foray into Brisbane, and its Spring Hill site lives up to the brand's concept. Every room in the 83-suite property nods to the space's namesake: Sydney-born abstract artist Michael Johnson, whose original paintings and prints grace The Johnson's walls. In a former life, the site was once home to the Department of Transport, although no trace of that bureaucratic past remains. This is a sleek, minimalistic abode that finds its style in the hefty array of art; however, the hotel's pared-back approach doesn't clash with its classy feel. Or with the resort-style 50-metre pool, deck bar and downstairs restaurant, or balcony views over one of the inner city's quietest, leafiest suburbs. Find The Johnson at 477 Boundary Street, Spring Hill. Make a reservation here. THE FANTAUZZO, BRISBANE If you love the idea of The Johnson, chances are this will pique your interest, too. The Fantauzzo is Brisbane's second Art Series Hotel and pays tribute to the world-renowned Australian painter and photographer Vincent Fantauzzo, who has won the Archibald People's Choice Award a whopping four times (among many other accolades). Built into the cliff bordering the CBD and Fortitude Valley, the $100 million site boasts one mighty fine view of the city and the Brisbane river, plus custom furniture, a dark-toned interior decor and six new original artworks by Fantauzzo — plus, 500 others. The pool, overlooking the river, is a definite highlight. But if you manage to tear yourself away from the water, you're super close to the excellent Howard Smith Wharves precinct, which is home to a brewery, overwater bar and slick Greek restaurant. Find The Fantauzzo at Howard Smith Wharves, 5 Boundary Street, Brisbane. Make a reservation here. ALEX PERRY HOTEL, FORTITUDE VALLEY Alex Perry Hotel puts its designer credentials right there in its name. This Fortitude Valley space is decked out with all of the fashion designer's touches. Think rich, dark colours contrasting with gleaming white and natural tones, plus natural light aplenty. And, the rooms are all apartment-style, which always helps in making you feel at home. It might be located in a busy area for boutique accommodation, near both The Calile and Ovolo the Valley, but there's one thing that helps Alex Perry Hotel stand out: its rooftop space. There's a pool, naturally; however, sitting on the astroturf and admiring the sunset is one of the best ways to soak in this gorgeous city. Find the Alex Perry Hotel at 959 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley. Make a reservation here. FV BY PEPPERS, FORTITUDE VALLEY You can't miss this triangular-shaped structure in Fortitude Valley that purposefully takes inspiration from New York's famous Flatiron Building. Of course, you're not supposed to miss it. But marvelling at its exterior is just the start — although one of its unmistakable highlights is definitely located outside, and up high as well. Lofty pools with a view are on-trend at the moment, but we're not complaining. Here, said splash-friendly spot is U-shaped, and it looks out over the city skyline. You can also book private spa lounges should be you staycationing with a group, and then catch a flick on the outdoor deck. Or, find your bliss in the yoga studio. Find FV by Peppers at 191 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley. Make a reservation here. Whether you're planning to travel for a couple of nights or a couple of weeks, Holiday Here This Year and you'll be supporting Australian businesses while you explore the best of our country's diverse landscapes and attractions. Top image: The Calile by Sean Fennessy.
A tribute to Los Angeles in film. Dreaming about somewhere over the rainbow and defying gravity with Wicked stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo singing the house down. 2025 ceremony host — and four-time Oscar-viewer — Conan O'Brien making a The Substance-inspired entrance, then regaling the crowd and the watching world with a genuinely funny opening monologue. A Real Pain winner Kieran Culkin telling Jeremy Strong how phenomenal he was in The Apprentice when collecting the first award of the night. Parks and Recreation favourite Nick Offerman announcing the presenters. That's how the 97th Academy Awards began. As they went on, this year's Oscars made dreams come true for the folks behind some of the best movies of the past 12 months. Flow, Wicked, Anora, Conclave, The Substance, Emilia Pérez, No Other Land, Dune: Part Two, The Brutalist, I'm Still Here: with A Real Pain, they're now all Academy Award-winners. Accordingly, 2025 is the year that an independent, dialogue-free film about animals — a movie that marked the first-ever Latvian title nominated for an Oscar, and to make good on that nod — won Best Animated Feature, and Flow couldn't be a more-worthy victor. Wicked costume designer Paul Tazewell made history as well, his award for the stage-to-screen musical making him the first Black man to ever take out the category. Best Supporting Actress Zoe Saldaña is the first American of Dominican origin to collect an Oscar statuette, too. I'm Still Here's Best International Feature prize makes it the first Brazilian flick to win that field. For Anora, Tangerine, The Florida Project and Red Rocket's Sean Baker, one of American cinema's great champions of otherwise untold tales, now has multiple Academy Awards — including for directing, writing and editing. Adrien Brody is now a two-time Best Actor winner, nabbing his second trophy 22 years after his first, again for grappling with the horrors of the Holocaust. By the numbers, this was a night of sharing the love, however. Best Picture's Anora wasn't the only film to get a shoutout more than once, even if it was the big winner with five awards. Also victorious multiple times: The Brutalist, Wicked, Dune: Part Two and Emilia Pérez. And, from the Best Picture nominees, only A Complete Unknown and Nickel Boys went home empty-handed — although both deserved better. Among the ceremony's fun, the 2025 Oscars also delivered an ode from Morgan Freeman to the late, great Gene Hackman to start the in-memorium segment, worked in a Bond song-and-dance spectacle, nodded to Kill Bill, honoured Quincy Jones and saw Mick Jagger receive a standing ovation for presenting the award for Best Original Song. When Quentin Tarantino announced Best Director, he was rewarded with thanks from Baker, noting that Anora wouldn't exist if QT hadn't first cast Mikey Madison in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The Oscars featured a pitch for a building dedicated to watching streaming movies on the big screen as well, and a Dune and Dune: Part Two sandworm playing various musical instruments. If you needed a reminder of who was hosting, O'Brien wasn't afraid to skew silly, clearly — and savage in some of his jokes, including about standing up to Russians. Wondering what and who won what, and the films and talents that were also contending, at this year's Academy Awards? Check out the full list below — and if you're curious, you can also see what we predicted would and should win, plus our full list of where most of this year's nominees are screening or streaming in Australia right now. Oscar Winners and Nominees 2025 Best Motion Picture Anora — WINNER The Brutalist A Complete Unknown Conclave Dune: Part Two Emilia Pérez I'm Still Here Nickel Boys The Substance Wicked Best Director Anora, Sean Baker — WINNER The Brutalist, Brady Corbet A Complete Unknown, James Mangold Emilia Pérez, Jacques Audiard The Substance, Coralie Fargeat Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role Cynthia Erivo, Wicked Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez Mikey Madison, Anora — WINNER Demi Moore, The Substance Fernanda Torres, I'm Still Here Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Adrien Brody, The Brutalist — WINNER Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown Colman Domingo, Sing Sing Ralph Fiennes, Conclave Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown Ariana Grande, Wicked Felicity Jones, The Brutalist Isabella Rossellini, Conclave Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez — WINNER Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Yura Borisov, Anora Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain — WINNER Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown Guy Pearce, The Brutalist Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice Best Original Screenplay Anora, Sean Baker — WINNER The Brutalist, Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold A Real Pain, Jesse Eisenberg September 5, Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum and Alex David The Substance, Coralie Fargeat Best Adapted Screenplay A Complete Unknown, James Mangold and Jay Cocks Conclave, Peter Straughan — WINNER Emilia Pérez, Jacques Audiard in collaboration with Thomas Bidegain, Léa Mysius and Nicolas Livecchi Nickel Boys, RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes Sing Sing, Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin and John 'Divine G' Whitfield Best International Feature Film I'm Still Here — WINNER The Girl with the Needle Emilia Pérez The Seed of the Sacred Fig Flow Best Animated Feature Flow — WINNER Inside Out 2 Memoir of a Snail Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl The Wild Robot Best Documentary Feature Black Box Diaries No Other Land — WINNER Porcelain War Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat Sugarcane Best Original Score The Brutalist, Daniel Blumberg — WINNER Conclave, Volker Bertelmann Emilia Pérez, Clément Ducol and Camille Wicked, John Powell and Stephen Schwartz The Wild Robot, Kris Bowers Best Original Song 'El Mal', Emilia Pérez, Clément Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard — WINNER 'The Journey', The Six Triple Eight, Diane Warren 'Like A Bird', Sing Sing, Abraham Alexander and Adrian Quesada 'Mi Camino', Emilia Pérez, Camille and Clément Ducol 'Never Too Late', Elton John: Never Too Late, Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Andrew Watt and Bernie Taupin Best Cinematography The Brutalist, Lol Crawley — WINNER Dune: Part Two, Greig Fraser Emilia Pérez, Paul Guilhaume Maria, Ed Lachman Nosferatu, Jarin Blaschke Best Film Editing Anora, Sean Baker — WINNER The Brutalist, David Jancso Conclave, Nick Emerson Emilia Pérez, Juliette Welfling Wicked, Myron Kerstein Best Production Design The Brutalist, Judy Becker, Patricia Cuccia Conclave, Suzie Davies, Cynthia Sleiter Dune: Part Two, Patrice Vermette, Shane Vieau Nosferatu, Craig Lathrop, Beatrice Brentnerová Wicked, Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales — WINNER Best Visual Effects Alien: Romulus, Eric Barba, Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser, Daniel Macarin and Shane Mahan Better Man, Luke Millar, David Clayton, Keith Herft and Peter Stubbs Dune: Part Two, Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Rhys Salcombe and Gerd Nefzer — WINNER Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Erik Winquist, Stephen Unterfranz, Paul Story and Rodney Burke Wicked, Pablo Helman, Jonathan Fawkner, David Shirk and Paul Corbould Best Costume Design A Complete Unknown, Arianne Phillips Conclave, Lisy Christl Gladiator II, Janty Yates and Dave Crossman Nosferatu, Linda Muir Wicked, Paul Tazewell — WINNER Best Makeup and Hairstyling A Different Man, Mike Marino, David Presto and Crystal Jurado Emilia Pérez, Julia Floch Carbonel, Emmanuel Janvier and Jean-Christophe Spadaccini Nosferatu, David White, Traci Loader and Suzanne StokesMunton The Substance, Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon and Marilyne Scarselli — WINNER Wicked, Frances Hannon, Laura Blount and Sarah Nuth Best Sound A Complete Unknown, Tod A Maitland, Donald Sylvester, Ted Caplan, Paul Massey and David Giammarco Dune: Part Two, Gareth John, Richard King, Ron Bartlett and Doug Hemphill — WINNER Emilia Pérez, Erwan Kerzanet, Aymeric Devoldère, Maxence Dussère, Cyril Holtz and Niels Barletta Wicked, Simon Hayes, Nancy Nugent Title, Jack Dolman, Andy Nelson and John Marquis The Wild Robot, Randy Thom, Brian Chumney, Gary A Rizzo and Leff Lefferts Best Documentary Short Subject Death by Numbers I Am Ready, Warden Incident Instruments of a Beating Heart The Only Girl in the Orchestra — WINNER Best Animated Short Film Beautiful Men In the Shadow of the Cypress — WINNER Magic Candies Wander to Wonder Yuck! Best Live-Action Short Film A Lien Anuja I'm Not a Robot — WINNER The Last Ranger The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent The 2025 Oscars were announced on Monday, March 3, Australian and New Zealand time. For further details, head to the awards' website.
"We are nothing without stories, so we invite you to believe in this one." So goes The Wonder's opening narration, as voiced by Niamh Algar (Wrath of Man) and aimed by filmmaker Sebastián Lelio in two directions. For the Chilean writer/director's latest rich and resonant feature about his favourite topic, aka formidable women — see also: Gloria, its English-language remake Gloria Bell, Oscar-winner A Fantastic Woman and Disobedience — he asks his audience to buy into a tale that genuinely is a tale. In bringing Emma Donoghue's (Room) book to the screen, he even shows the thoroughly modern-day studio and its sets where the movie was shot. But trusting in a story is also a task that's given The Wonder's protagonist, Florence Pugh's nurse Lib Wright, who is en route via ship to an Irish Midlands village when this magnetic, haunting and captivating 19th century-set picture initially sees her. For the second time in as many movies — and in as many months Down Under as well — Pugh's gotta have faith. Playing George Michael would be anachronistic in The Wonder, just as it would've been in Don't Worry Darling's gleaming 1950s-esque supposed suburban dream, but that sentiment is what keeps being asked of the British actor, including in what's also her second fearless performance in consecutive flicks. Here, it's 1862, and 11-year-old Anna O'Donnell (Kíla Lord Cassidy, Viewpoint) has seemingly subsisted for four months now without eating. Ireland's 1840s famine still casts shadows across the land and its survivors, but this beatific child says she's simply feeding on manna from heaven. Lib's well-paid job is to watch the healthy-seeming girl in her family home, where her mother (A Discovery of Witches' Elaine Cassidy, Kila's actual mum) and father (Caolan Byrne, Nowhere Special) dote, to confirm that she isn't secretly sneaking bites to eat. Lib is to keep look on in shifts, sharing the gig with a nun (Josie Walker, This Is Going to Hurt). She's also expected to verify a perspective that's already beaming around town, including among the men who hired her, such as the village doctor (Toby Jones, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain) and resident priest (Ciarán Hinds, Belfast). The prevailing notion: that Anna is a miracle, with religious tourism already starting to swell around that idea, and anyone doubting the claim — or pointing out that it could threaten the girl's life and end in tragedy — deemed blasphemous. But arriving with experience with Florence Nightingale in the Crimean War behind her, the level-leaded, no-nonsense and also in-mourning Lib isn't one for automatic piety. A local-turned-London journalist (Tom Burke, The Souvenir) keeps asking her for inside information, sharing her determination to eschew unthinking devotion and discover the truth, but the nurse's duty is to Anna's wellbeing no matter the personal cost. Lelio's opening gambit, the filmmaking version of showing how the sausage is made, isn't merely a piece of gimmickry. It stresses the power of storytelling and the bargain anyone strikes, The Wonder's viewers alike, when we agree to let tales sweep us away — and it couldn't better set the mood for a movie that ruminates thoughtfully and with complexity on the subject. Is life cheapened, threatened or diminished by losing yourself to fiction over fact? In an age of fake news, as Lelio's movie screens in, clearly it can be. Is there far too much at stake when faith and opinion is allowed to trump science, as the world has seen in these pandemic-affected, climate change-ravaged times? The answer there is yes again. Can spinning a narrative be a coping mechanism, a mask for dark woes, and a way to make trauma more bearable and existence itself more hopeful, though? That's another query at the heart of Alice Birch's (Mothering Sunday) script. And, is there a place for genuine make-believe to entertain, sooth and make our days brighter, as literature and cinema endeavours? Naturally, there is. Keeping that tale-spinning interrogation going — adding to its layers, too — The Wonder takes cues from the 19th-century 'fasting girls' phenomenon. Some children did indeed claim not to need earthly nourishment as the angel-faced Anna does, and so Donoghue's novel, Birch's screenplay and Lelio's direction now use that chapter of history to muse on far more. All three are well-experienced at using fiction to speak to humanity's needs, wants and deepest yearnings, and their efforts simmer with raw potency when combined. The Wonder is patient and pensive, and also a film of immediate weight and emotion. Birch's winning ways with adaptations, and with dialogue loaded with feelings, continue after the also Pugh-starring Lady Macbeth, plus dual Sally Rooney-based TV series Normal People and Conversations with Friends. When Lady Macbeth cemented Pugh as an on-screen force to be reckoned with only six years ago, it also established the confidence, passion and vigour that's been an essential element of her work since. Those traits shine through again here in a complicated and commanding portrayal, as they have in a stellar list of parts in-between. Once again, Pugh plays challenging with aplomb, as she did so masterfully in The Little Drummer Girl and Little Women. Once more, she wrestles with grief and pain so grippingly that it seems real, as seen in Midsommar. One of the joys of watching Pugh is tracing the lines connecting each entry on her ever-growing resume, and witnessing how an instantly assured and powerful talent keeps building and growing. Another is knowing that nothing — not Marvel movies like Black Widow or wrestling dramedy biopics such as Fighting with My Family, either — ever gets anything but her very best. Even so, seeing her search so unflinchingly for the truth in The Wonder is high among her career standouts. This is an exquisitely led picture, and cast all-round, including the younger Cassidy as the girl finding meaning, having it ascribed to her and navigating life's burdens through her own story. As it follows Lib attempting to unravel Anna's mysteries, The Wonder is also strikingly shot and staged, looking and feeling earthy, aching, haunting and sumptuous. Indeed, Oscar-nominated Australian cinematographer Ari Wegner serves up painterly lensing of both sweeping landscapes and mesmerisingly lit interiors, doing so again after the also-phenomenal The Power of the Dog. As for Lelio, he keeps showing his knack for making every moment land with movie after movie, and his deft touch with his leads. When he ends The Wonder as it begins, back on that film set after a deeply felt emotional crescendo, he also brings another reminder: that being transported by spellbinding tales like this is fleeting but unforgettable. The Wonder screens in Australian cinemas from November 3, and streams via Netflix from November 16.
No matter how much we might want to, we can't all attend every music festival ever. And when one of those events is the huge behemoth that is Coachella, we definitely can't all nab highly sought-after, quickly selling-out tickets each and every year — or, indeed, even any year — either. But, thanks to Indio, California's huge annual drawcard, we can stay home and live our best Coachella lives by livestreaming along. The fest has been teaming up with YouTube to beam its tunes to the world for 11 years now — and it has just locked in plans to keep doing so until 2026. YouTube and Goldenvoice, the company behind Coachella, have announced the multi-year renewal of their partnership, which includes behind-the-scenes content on YouTube Shorts, playlist integrations within YouTube and YouTube Music, YouTube Shopping exclusive merchandise drops, exclusive content for YouTube Premium subscribers, live chats, and onsite activations with YouTube creators and artists — and, of course, that crucial and supremely popular livestream. Make a standing couch date each April, then, if trips to the US to head along in-person aren't in your future. "Our partnership with YouTube brings Coachella to everyone around the world," said Paul Tollett, Goldenvoice's President, in a statement announcing the news. "The 2023 lineup sees performers from Brazil, France, Iceland, India, Jamaica, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Spain, and beyond, and bringing international fans closer to their hometown artists is important to our team." 2023's fest announced its lineup earlier in January, and will be headlined by Bad Bunny, BLACKPINK and Frank Ocean. Also on the bill: everyone from Calvin Harris, Gorillaz, The Chemical Brothers, ROSALÍA and Blondie through to The Kid LAROI, Björk, Fisher, Charlie XCX, Porter Robinson and Idris Elba. Coachella will unleash that impressive collection of talent over the weekends of April 14–16 and April 21–23, which is Saturday, April 15–Monday, April 17 and Saturday, April 22–Monday, April 24 Down Under. While livestreaming is no longer a novelty in these pandemic times, given the calibre of the fest's lineup, it's still a mighty fine way to join in. Wondering who else is on the bill? Here you go: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coachella (@coachella) Coachella 2023 runs from April 14–16 and April 21–23 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. It'll stream via YouTube from Saturday, April 15–Monday, April 17 and Saturday, April 22–Monday, April 24 Down Under.
Ever had that feeling of rustling around in a cupboard on the hunt for a beach towel, only to uncover something that looks suspiciously like a bath mat? Or maybe you're flush with beach towels but just feel like a fancy new one this summer. Whether you're in need of a new towel, are looking to buy one as a Christmas gift or have seen lots of snazzy ones at the beach and simply want to see what's out there, our list will help you out. From geometric shapes, to luxurious linen, towel with hoods and those roundies everyone seems to have nowadays, here's our favourite Australian and New Zealand-made towels and where to get 'em. CLASSIC TOWEL, VERTTY Nope, that's not an artfully folded stack of towels. That's Vertty's reinvention of the humble beach towel into a geometric design object. Not only does their unique design show that you can think outside the box (or, er, rectangle) for even the most everyday beach object, they've incorporated other handy design features like a waterproof pocket, and quick-drying, lighter weight fabric. Plus, it comes in a range of eye-popping colours to make sure summer is just the way you like it. Check out their matching geometric swimwear, too. $79. THE AZTEC ROUNDIE, THE BEACH PEOPLE Round towels. They're a thing. According to The Beach People, they dreamt-up "the original roundie" in the lush Northern Rivers region of NSW. That was back in 2013, and their first collection sold out in weeks. Current towels on offer include this hand-drawn black and white design, as well as other spiffy prints like The Paradis. Others have jumped on the round towel bandwagon — including Basil Bangs, whose round 'Love Rugs' also feature a waterproof pocket and fold down into a carry case with built-in shoulder strap. $110. LUXE TOWEL WATEGOS, SUNNY LIFE It's no secret, we love Sunny Life's beach towels just as much as we love their umbrellas. And for tropical colours that pop on an unmissable beach towel, it's hard to go past this velour-finished number. You'll never lose sight of your spot on a packed summer beach again. Pair it with one of their beach pillows and we reckon you're onto a winning combination. Or, if you're looking for something floating to stretch out on, these guys also do some pretty mean inflatables. Luxe lie-on floating cactus, anyone? $69.95. STONE PRINT TOWEL, MÖVE Here's an unusual one for you. Möve's towels feature lifelike digital prints, like this stone design. They also have one with a print of weathered wooden boards, rippled water, and even landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Brandenburg Gate. Those ones are a bit cheesy, but the pebble print is mint. Although it might look like you're lying on stones, you'll be a lot comfier — the 100 percent cotton velour towel has a snuggly weight and is soft and absorbent. Their bath towels are worth checking out while you're there, too – they even have a line of towels inspired by architecture, namely the drawings of renaissance master builder Andrea Palladio. Möve ships their towels worldwide. EUR €39.90. LINEN LAGUNA, COAST NEW ZEALAND Step aside, Turkish towels, because we just discovered linen towels — and can't get enough of them. Well, maybe we won't do away with them entirely, but linen is pretty great. Incredibly fast drying, versatile and lightweight in your beach bag, we reckon they might be the next big thing. This towel from Coast New Zealand is available in a range of fetching stripes, and comes all the way from an 100-year-old family mill in Lithuania. There are also these guys in the US who make a plainer linen towel which comes with a compression strap, or the House of Baltic Linen closer to home. NZD $149. THE ECLIPSE LINEN THROW, KATE & KATE This is one hella pretty linen towel. Yes, we're still on about how great linen towels are — and, yep, this throw counts as a towel. Its name is a nod to this multi-functional rectangle's nature. When you're not using it on the sand, it's equally as useful as a lightweight blanket, picnic rug, shawl, tablecloth, throw for your sun-drenched daybed… you get the drift. Designed to fade, they come in a stack of designs including a couple with some pretty nice bronze and metallic details. $159. MARINE TIGER HIDE BEACH TOWEL, MASLIN & CO Well, this was the first time we've come across a beach towel that folds out into the shape of a tiger hide (don't worry, it's 100 percent cotton). Manufactured by Maslin & Co, who take their name from Australia's first nude beach, these guys say they're inspired by nature, the surreal, and beach vagabond culture. You can choose which one's your jam from their collection of different-coloured animal-shaped towels. Plus, they come with either a classic leather short or longer cross-body strap holder, so it's easy to carry your new towel with you wherever you wander. $195-250. EXTRA LARGE RAINBOW POM POM TURKISH TOWEL, I LOVE LINEN Somewhere along the line we're sure our grandmas had a towel like this, brought out for summer beach picnics or to dry off after running through the sprinklers on the lawn. Now our retro towel memories have come back to life (albeit with a little upgrade) thanks to the clever people at I Love Linen. Designed in Melbourne, their towels are hand-woven in Turkey's central region, famous for the quality of its textiles. Retro pom poms, 100 percent cotton, and that distinctive Turkish towel edging. It's comfy, super-absorbent and big enough to be a picnic rug as well as a beach towel. $89.95. SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS TOWEL FOR TWO, PENDLETON A towel wide enough for two — now that's the recipe for a comfy beach session. Whether you've got a beach buddy or just want the extra room to stretch out yourself, this luxurious 100 percent combed cotton number from Pendleton has you sorted. Based in the States' beautiful Pacific Northwest, as well as making a range of other spa and beach towels (and their iconic woollen blankets) the sixth-generation family-owned business has a focus on social responsibility — community, country and planet. USD $79.50. HOODED TOWEL, TURKISH MURKISH A towel and hooded wrap? Why didn't we think of that before? This handy number brings the best of Turkish towels and beachwear together in a classic striped print. Each batch of towels are dyed and loomed by artisans in Turkey. The end product? A modern shape you can wear as well as lie on, served up in a fast-drying blend of bamboo and Buldan cotton from the inner Aegean region of southwest Turkey. $99.95. Top image: The Beach People.
In 2022, The Kid LAROI embarked upon his debut headline Australian tour, selling out arenas across the nation and adding more dates to meet demand. Two years later, the Aussie star otherwise known as Charlton Kenneth Jeffrey Howard is returning to local stages again in November 2024. Initially announced in 2023 and due to happen in February 2024, then postponed to October due to trying to confirm a "really big surprise and special guest" and "a bunch of other logistical stuff", The Kid LAROI's The First Time Australian tour is back on. When he hits Brisbane on Thursday, November 14, he'll have Migos frontman Quavo and Sydney's ONEFOUR in support. The Kid LAROI has made some changes to the tour itinerary, which is in support of his debut studio album The First Time. This was meant to be his first-ever Aussie stadium tour; however, in the Queensland capital he's playing Brisbane Entertainment Centre. The First Time might've been a new 2023 arrival, but The Kid LAROI has been releasing music since 2018 — solo, and also teaming up with everyone from Juice WRLD and ONEFOUR to Justin Bieber. Accordingly, fans can look forward to hearing 'Stay', 'Without You', 'Thousand Miles', 'Love Again', 'Girls' and more come spring.
Australia's theatre scene didn't have much to smile about in 2020; however, now that 2021 has rolled around, some venues around the country are kicking back into gear with a little help from their friends. Well, with Friends! The Musical Parody to be specific — with the comedic, song-filled satire of everyone's favourite 90s sitcom touring the country. Initially, the show was due to hit local theatres in August and September last year. Then, when the pandemic struck, the musical rescheduled to November and December instead. But it seems that 2020 wasn't anyone's year — and it didn't include anyone's favourite day, week or month, for that matter — so the production has now shifted its entire run to 2021. Scheduled to hit Brisbane from Wednesday, August 18–Saturday, August 28 before also being there for audiences in Perth, Adelaide and Sydney, Friends! The Musical Parody will spend time with Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Monica, Joey and Phoebe, of course. Here, they're hanging out at their beloved Central Perk — and sitting on an orange couch, no doubt — when a runaway bride shakes up their day. Call it 'The One with the Loving, Laugh-Filled Lampoon', or 'The One That Both Makes Good-Natured Fun of and Celebrates an Iconic Sitcom'. Yes, no one told you that being obsessed with the Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer-starring show about six New Yorkers would turn out this way — with on-stage skits and gags, recreations of some of the series' best-known moments, and songs with titles such as 'How you Doin?' and 'We'll Always Be There For You'. That said, no one told us that being a Friends aficionado would continue to serve up so many chances to indulge our fandom 16 years after it finished airing, including via the upcoming reunion special that's gathering the TV series' main cast back together. Updated August 16.
You've probably heard of Oedipus, the fellow from Greek mythology who killed his father and married his mother. He's been the butt of many jokes for centuries, and even has a psychological complex named after him. But, what if he lived today? And what if he was your next-door neighbour? What would he do, and how would you react? Playwright Daniel Evans has wondered just that, and then turned his train of thought into a striking new work. He even won the 2014-15 Queensland Premier’s Drama Award for his efforts, and now you can judge his updated take on this classic tragedy for yourself. Oedipus Doesn't Live Here Anymore follows the famed figure through the sleepy cul-de-sacs of modern Australia. One of the most infamous families in folklore becomes the most gossiped about family on the block, and audiences will be forced to reconsider not just the tale at the heart of it all but how today's communities tackle topics everyone would rather not talk about.
A few years back, prior to starting Concrete Playground, I worked at a creative agency in New York. The oversized SoHo loft it was housed in was an exciting place to find yourself working each day, and things got fun when I was transferred to work on the Converse account. One of the first big projects I was a part of in 2007-08 was a campaign called '3 Artists, 1 Song', created to celebrate the brand's centenary around the world. Pharrell Williams worked with his band, N.E.R.D, as well as The Strokes' Julian Casablancas and Santogold, on a brief to make a song as a group of artists. 'My Drive Thru' was the result. More than four years on and the project is still going strong. LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy was the person whose involvement was most coveted (on our end at least) on the original project, and now he has teamed up with Gorillaz and Andre 3000 from Outkast to create 'DoYaThing'. It's a good track, and it's free. You can get the download here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=yNeF30RverQ
The Ironmen of Cooking are here. Here. Reppin' Australia's '90s love for the glorious, glorious competitive Japanese cooking show, two of the original Iron Chefs have landed in Melbourne for an epic cooking battle, one the public can eat for a cheeky $380 per person. Could be a publicity stunt for Iron Chef Australia, which was cancelled at the end of its first season in 2010. Could be (is) a KIRIN thing. Could just be a hair-brained jaunt from the Japanese TV crew. Either way, Kitchen Stadium has been left behind for Melbourne's RACV City Club this week. Over two nights on February 14 and 15, the mighty Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai (reppin' all things French cuisine, winner of 70 ICs) and Iron Chef Masahiko Kobe (the Don of Italian Iron Chef cooking, but winner of only 16 ICs) will take the stage with the son of Iron Chef Kenichi Chen (the once-master of IC Chinese cooking and winner of 66 ICs), banding together to cook up one monster of an Iron Chef feast. The theme ingredient? Australian local produce. Yep, it's more vague than river eel, summer corn or Alaskan king crab, but they're keeping it geographically-themed. Held over two sittings, the Iron Chefs will be chopping, mincing and frying up seven courses. According to Good Food, the menu's main focus will be pretty seafood heavy — spanner crab, ocean trout — alongside local duck. Paired with sake and Aussie wines by executive sommelier Masahiko Iga, the seven-course dinner is already well sold out — even with that $380pp price tag. It's not clear whether the legendary commentator Yukio Hattori (or his straight-up boss Canadian dub counterpart Scott Morris) will be in attendance to point out every last heroic detail, or whether the immortal, ever-dramatic host Takeshi Kaga will be there to kick off the proceedings. If you're wondering whether your face will end up on Japanese TV, it probably will — the Iron Chefs have brought an entire Japanese media entourage with them, as the battle will be televised. While tickets for the event have indeed sold out, you can peruse this list of every last Iron Chef ingredient ever featured or watch this SEA CUCUMBER BATTLE: Via Malay Mail and Good Food.
Cafes are no longer just serving great coffee. They're serving great locally roasted coffee in many forms (from cold drip to batch and single origin espresso), great fare that caters to all dietaries. They also boast interesting decors and are passionate about sustainability and the ethical sourcing of ingredients. And our favourite cafes of the year do an impressive job at covering it all. From gluten-free doughnuts and perfectly flaky croissants flown in from France to vegan eateries and all-day spot serving V60s through to raspberry mojitos, these six cafes are doing it all. At Concrete Playground we encourage exploration and showcase innovation in our city every day, so we thought it fitting to reward those most talented whippersnappers pushing Brisbane to be a better, braver city. And so, these six new cafes, opened in 2018, were nominated for Best New Cafe in Concrete Playground's Best of 2018 Awards. You can check out all the winners over here.
When Kirra Beach Hotel reopened in November 2023, a Gold Coast favourite made a comeback in a brand-new guise. And when the similarly named Kirra Beach House also launched in Coolangatta's Kirra Point Precinct in December the same year, the site welcomed a fresh spot to enjoy a bite and sip. Both are about dining and drinking beachside with ocean views and cruisy vibes; however, only one will let you and 19 mates hang out in a cabana on its northward terrace. Kirra Beach House is perched on the precinct's second level. Here, patrons can find a 1200-square-metre venue by SITE Hospitality's Dave Galvin (Kōst, Mozza Mozza) — and a spot that boasts a number of spaces within its one big space. There's a wine bar, two cocktail bars (one, Preston's, is for intimate soirées), indoor spots to drink, outdoor places to settle in, a seafood barbecue area, and room for events such as weddings and shindigs. The views at Kirra Beach House naturally feature the sea and sky — so, plenty of blue — from almost everywhere within its walls. Obviously, when you're out on the terrace cocktail bar, seeing the beach is a given (also expect to spy Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise's skylines). While you're soaking in the vistas, you can listen to DJs and acoustic tunes, and get comfortable in those three 20-person cabanas. Head around to the western terrace and a kitchen, bar and asado barbecue await, as well as foliage as a backdrop. The Mediterranean-skewing food menu by Kōst Executive Chef Sebbie Kenyon includes seafood platters both raw and cooked, plus steaks, burgers, flatbreads and pizzas. Patrons can enjoy kingfish ceviche in a citrus dressing, smoked ham hock croquettes, fried fish burgs with pickled zucchini, and burrata featuring yellow peach, aged balsamic and smoked salt. The tempura bug roll comes on a milk bun and is paired with smoked cocktail sauce — and those platters feature everything from the kingfish ceviche, bug tails and rock oysters to spanner crab remoulade and king prawns. As for the cocktails, they fittingly take their cues from holidays, with a Bahamas champagne piña colada and a Cancun spicy watermelon margarita among the options. Also on offer: house-made spritzes and Aussie wines.
If you didn't see The Fall Guy, Twisters, Deadpool & Wolverine, Challengers, Inside Out 2, The Wild Robot, The Substance, Kneecap, It Ends with Us or Despicable Me 4 on the big screen already in 2024, here's the perfect way to catch up with them: under the stars, while sprawled out on a picnic blanket or sat on a bean bed, at the latest season of Moonlight Cinema. And if watching Christmas films is one of your festive traditions, here's a scenic way to do that, too, with this annual opportunity to enjoy a movie outside packing its just-dropped first lineup for this year with seasonal flicks. As it does every summer, Moonlight Cinema is returning for another run of films in the open air, locking in its dates, venues and first program details for its 2024–25 stints in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth. While the outdoor picture palace is synonymous with the warmest season of the year, it kicks off at the end of spring in most cities, and runs through to the end of the first month of autumn in some as well. The projector will start rolling in Brisbane first, with the River City's season taking place across Thursday, November 21–Sunday, February 16 in Roma Street Parklands. Next up is Sydney, in Centennial Parklands from Friday, November 22–Sunday, March 30. Then comes Adelaide and Melbourne a week later, the former from Thursday, November 28–Sunday, February 16, 2024 in Botanic Park and the latter across Friday, November 29–Sunday, March 30 in Royal Botanic Gardens. Perth movie lovers can get their fix in Kings Park and Botanic Garden from Thursday, December 5–Sunday, March 30. Lineup specifics always vary per location, so not all of the aforementioned titles — or the ones below — show in every city. But the program still gives patrons a mix of recent, new and classic fare wherever they're sitting on the grass while soaking in the evening, the fresh air and a movie. Among the brand-new titles, Gladiator II and Wicked are also on the bill, as are advanced screenings of the Hugh Grant (Unfrosted)-starring horror film Heretic and Robbie Williams biopic Better Man. When Paddington in Peru gets the same treatment, you'll want marmalade sandwiches in your picnic basket. The OG version of Mean Girls will grace Moonlight Cinema's screens, too, as will 2023's smash-hit Barbie. And for a merry time at the movies — a jolly one as well — the roster of Christmas fare spans the new Red One, as well as classics Elf, Love Actually, The Holiday, The Muppet Christmas Carol, Home Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and How The Grinch Stole Christmas. If you're wondering what else Moonlight will show across its full season, it now drops its program month by month, so watch this space for more announcements. As always, the films and the setting are just two parts of the cinema's experience. Also on offer: the returning Aperol spritz bar. Nosh-wise, the event will again let you BYO movie snacks and drinks (no alcohol in Brisbane, though), but the unorganised can enjoy a plethora of bites to eat onsite while reclining on bean beds. There'll also be two VIP sections for an extra-luxe openair movie experience, a platinum package with waiter service in Sydney and Melbourne only, and a beauty cart handing out samples. Plus, dogs are welcome at all sites except Perth — there's even special doggo bean beds. Moonlight Cinema 2024–25 Dates Brisbane: Thursday, November 21, 2024–Sunday, February 16, 2025 in Roma Street Parklands Sydney: Friday, November 22, 2024–Sunday, March 30, 2025 in Centennial Parklands Adelaide: Thursday, November 28, 2024–Sunday, February 16, 2025, 2024 in Botanic Park Melbourne: Friday, November 29, 2024–Sunday, March 30, 2025 in Royal Botanic Gardens Perth: Thursday, December 5, 2024–Sunday, March 30, 2025 in Kings Park and Botanic Garden Moonlight Cinema kicks off in November 2024, running through until March 2025. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the cinema's website — and we'll update you with further program details when they're announced.
Two months, five new Wes Anderson films: that's the maths Down Under in 2023. Asteroid City reached cinemas in August, and September will bring not one, two or three but four brand-new shorts directed by the symmetry-adoring director. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar had already been announced, and it now has fellow Roald Dahl-based company. Netflix is bringing the 39-minute The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar to streaming on Wednesday, September 27, following its recent world-premiere slot out of competition at the Venice Film Festival. So, viewers at home get to see the flick in mere weeks after its big-screen debut. The day after it arrives, The Swan will also drop on Netflix on Thursday, September 28. Next comes The Ratcatcher on Friday, September 29. And, Poison will wrap up this Anderson-meets-Dahl frenzy on Saturday, September 30. All four shorts not only stem from Dahl's pen originally, but cycle through a few core cast members — all of which play multiple roles. Stepping in front of the camera for Anderson: Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), Dev Patel (The Green Knight), Ben Kingsley (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Richard Ayoade (The Souvenir: Part II) and Rupert Friend (Asteroid City). In glorious news for The Grand Budapest Hotel fans, Ralph Fiennes (The Menu) also reteams with the director. Fingers crossed for more line readings that are so completely perfect that they're unforgettable. Now, the stories. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar comes from one of the seven tales in Dahl's 1977 book The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More, telling of a wealthy man who is so fond of wagering that he comes up with a crafty plan. After discovering a guru who can see without using his eyes, he decides to learn to the same to cheat while having a bet. Running for 17 minutes, The Swan also takes inspiration from a tale in the same book, this time about a small and smart boy being bullied. Clocking in at 17 minutes as well, The Ratcatcher adapts a lesser-known story of the same name — not from the same text this time — which is unsurprisingly about a rodent exterminator. And, running for the same duration, Poison dates back to 1950, focusing on a man finding a venomous snake. In 1958, the same tale was adapted for TV by none other than Alfred Hitchcock, in an episode of anthology series Alfred Hitchcock Presents. All up, that's 90 minutes of new Anderson work that'll be ready to stream by the time that September is out. If you watch them all together rather than day by day, it's basically an anthology feature. There's no trailer yet for The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, The Swan, The Ratcatcher or Poison, but you can enjoy the Asteroid City and The Grand Budapest Hotel clips instead in the interim: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar will be available to stream via Netflix from Wednesday, September 27. The Swan arrives on Thursday, September 28, then The Ratcatcher on Friday, September 29 and Poison on Saturday, September 30. Images: courtesy of Netflix.
Record Store Day might only come once a year, but each month, Brisbane gets into the spirit of the occasion. A treasure trove of vinyl descends upon a specific spot in this fair city of ours, showering music fiends in the stuff collectors' dreams are made of. Brisbane Record Fair is the type of event that gives aficionados reason to salivate, deliberate, negotiate, and then spend, spend, spend — after rifling through crates and crates of rare material, obviously. And from Saturday, November 13, it'll pop up in a brand new place. Thousands of items will be for sale as usual, with Brisbane Record Fair now making its home at Coorparoo Square. Expect a smorgasbord of sounds — offering up music of all types — when you head along from 8.30am–3pm. Vinyl-wise, whether you're after a decades-old gem or something newer on an LP or a 45, chances are you'll find it here. Sellers come from far and wide to share their wares, including private collectors parting with their sonic pearls. And no matter the time of year, a selection from their stash would make a perfect present — whether for someone else, or for yourself.
If you're planning to head to Cunnamulla, you don't have to leave your favourite set of clubs behind. The Cunnamulla Golf Club offers 18 challenging holes that ensure you practice your game overlooking the great outback expanse. However, don't expect the Augusta National when you arrive. This remote golf course is landscaped using dirt fairways and sandy 'greens', meaning you might have to give your swing some extra oomph. Sections of the course are lined with river gums and coolabah trees, so keep an eye out for local wildlife using the course as a thoroughfare from the nearby Warrego River.
It's happening again: in response to a new community case of COVID-19 in Brisbane, other states are changing their health advice and border requirements. So, if you're a Brisbanite planning to head south soon, you're located elsewhere and you'll soon be travelling to the Sunshine State, or you've recently journeyed from the latter to another state, you might have some new rules to adhere to. New South Wales has issued two pieces of health advice. The first from NSW Health says that anyone who is in the state and has been in Brisbane or the Moreton Bay area since Saturday, March 20 should abide by the requirements outlined by Queensland Health regarding venues visited. It also advises that anyone who falls into that category and went to Mamma's Italian Restaurant in Redcliffe from 12.30–3.10pm on Sunday, March 21 must get tested immediately and go into isolation for 14 days. As noted in the second alert, NSW Health now requires anyone who has been in Brisbane City Council or Moreton Bay Regional Council areas in the past fortnight and enters NSW from 12.01 am today, Saturday, March 27, to fill out a passenger declaration form — which includes confirmation of whether you've visited any venues of high concern. And if you have been in a venue of high concern as listed by Queensland Health, you should not enter NSW at all. https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1375392223844429825 Victoria has mandated that anyone who has entered the state from Brisbane and Moreton Bay since Friday, March 12 needs to immediately self-isolate, get tested within 72 hours and stay isolated until they receive a negative result. It's imposing this rule strictly, with Brisbanites who'd travelled to Geelong for the Brisbane Lions versus Geelong AFL match on Friday, March 26 asked to leave the ground when the new requirement came into effect. Brisbane and Moreton Bay have also been designated an orange zone under Victoria's traffic light travel permit system. That means that if you're entering Victoria from the area, you have to apply for the appropriate permit. And you won't be given one if you have COVID-19 symptoms. Upon arrival in Victoria, you'll also have to self-isolate immediately, get a coronavirus test within 72 hours of arriving and stay in isolation until you return a negative result. https://twitter.com/VicGovDH/status/1375358820634013696 How long these new border requirements will apply hasn't been revealed. Other states have similar rules in place, with Western Australia mandating that anyone who has arrived in WA from Queensland since Saturday, March 20 and visited any of the affected locations during the relevant times must get tested immediately for COVID-19 and self-quarantine. The ACT requires 14-days of quarantine for arrivals from Greater Brisbane since Saturday, March 20 who visited any of the close contact exposure sites, and testing and self-isolating until receiving a negative result if you've arrived in the same period but haven't been to any of the places listed. Tasmania won't allow entry from folks who've been to sites in Brisbane now deemed high risk, and everyone else who has arrived from Brisbane and Moreton Bay since Monday, March 8 is asked to monitor for symptoms. The Northern Territory requires anyone who has been to a high-risk venue to get tested within 72 hours and isolate until receiving a negative result, while South Australia is yet to update its travel advice. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
What is the one thing better than something excellent? Two excellent things merged into something incredible. That is the beauty of the mash-up, providing the best of both worlds inside a brand new world. We should all say a deafening thank you to all those inspired enough to say 'por qué no las dos' when confronted by the dilemma of choice, who create something ingenious for us all to enjoy. Now, inspired by Red Bull Flying Bach's (think Bach meets breakdancing) forthcoming tour of Australia, we've gathered the top ten mash-ups of anything ever for you. Some you may be pretty familiar with; others may blow your mind. BRUNCH When someone suggests brunch, I get exactly this excited. While this list is not hierarchical, brunch is the greatest mash-up ever. Combining the best elements of breakfast (the food) and the temporal qualities of lunch (that it isn't early), there is no greater meal in culinary history. Brinner deserves an honourable mention here, but given brunch's ability to cure any hangover and save your Sunday, it has to win, hands down. Whoever decided to put the likes of pancakes, bacon and a cheeky bowl of Coco Pops on the menu after a much-deserved sleep-in deserves all of the Nobel prizes. https://youtube.com/watch?v=yfG94k41MrI GIRL TALK When most people think of a mash-up, their brain takes them to the musical kind. In fact googling 'mash-up' returns page after page of remixes. Some are awful, others aren't too bad, and then there are those that excel, and they are made by artists such as Girl Talk. Having sampled songs for over a decade, Girl Talk (otherwise known as Gregg Michael Gillis) knows what he is doing, seamlessly blending around a dozen songs per track into his own musical masterpiece. While hip-hop in the 1970s brought sampling to the fore, artists such as Girl Talk really laid the foundation for the modern mash-up, allowing songs that shouldn't belong together to fuse perfectly into songs such as this. RED BULL FLYING BACH This is a serious clash of cultures, a performance where Bach meets breakdancing and produces brilliance that "turns the international classical world upside down". It is really no surprise it has been so successful; it features music from arguably the greatest composer of all time (who happens to be German) expressed physically by four-times breakdancing world champions Flying Steps (also German). No coincidence, just a collaboration that shatters the suggestion that breakdancing and Bach don't blend and thrusts the cohesion of the classic and the contemporary into the present. The best part? It's coming to Australia, visiting Sydney September 10-12, Brisbane on September 24-26 before heading south to run in Melbourne from October 1-4, so grab your tickets now. SLAMBALL In a nutshell, Slamball is basketball that includes full contact and, most importantly, TRAMAMPOLINES! That's right, while the court remains much the same dimensions as a regular basketball court and retains a hoop at either end, there are also four trampolines at either end of the court for players to gain as much air as possible to dunk spectacularly. Dunking (or 'slamming' in Slamball) is pretty crucial as it scores three points compared to your usual two for non-dunks inside the arc. (You still get three-points shooting from deep as per normal basketball.) I don't know about you but I'm asking my local council to install some trampolines at my local court. Check out some Slamball highlights here. GLAMPING For those not in the know, glamping is glamour camping. It's just like camping, only comfortable, warm and something you want to do regularly. Still trying to paint a picture in your mind? Just imagine that you are in your bed, only the roof is now a nice canvas and you can hear the soothing sounds of nature right on your doorstep. Glamping has taken off in the last few years across the nation as it's removed almost all of the reasons that people use to avoid camping. It's basically an alfresco hotel and no matter where you are there's bound to be a five-star tent pitched nearby. HIP HOP SHAKESPEARE Bach is just a baby compared to old man Will. Joining Red Bull Flying Bach in the classic-meets-contemporary mash-ups are hip hop 'ad-rap-tations' of Shakespeare's classics. It's a perfect fit. After all, Shakespeare was the original lyricist and excellent at smack-talking: "A knave; a rascal; an eater of broken meats; a base, proud, shallow, beggarly, three-suited, hundred-pound, filthy, worsted-stocking knave; a lily-liver'd, action-taking, whoreson, glass-gazing, superserviceable, finical rogue; 1090 one-trunk-inheriting slave; one that wouldst be a bawd in way of good service, and art nothing but the composition of a knave, beggar, coward, pander, and the son and heir of a mongrel bitch; one whom I will beat into clamorous whining, if thou deny the least syllable of thy addition." Building on this wit and transforming it into modern urban classics are troupes such as the Q Brothers, whose Othello: The Remix is about an artist who rises out of the ghetto and wins the respect of the music industry, only be taken down by hip hop purist Iago. SWISS ARMY KNIFE The ultimate mash-up, the Swiss Army Knife is a must-have for general life. Need a knife? Done. Need a screwdriver? Done. Need a corkscrew? Done. Need a warm hug at night? I'm sure it can find a way to do that too, because they can do just about anything. If you don't have one and are now scrambling out the door to buy one (which you can do once you've finished reading this article all the way to the end), then spend the extra cash on a good one that will last as it could end up saving your life. TURDUCKEN A turducken is a deboned chicken stuffed inside a deboned duck, which is then stuffed inside a deboned turkey, which is then stuffed in the oven, cooked and then stuffed into your mouth with absolutely no regrets. Whether you know it as a turducken or a chuckey, this is something that you must try if you enjoy these three birds. Apologies to our vegetarian friends out there, but this really is delicious. If you're really into your meats, you can also wrap bacon around your turducken, but have 000 pre-dialled into your phone just in case you pop. CHESS BOXING If you laughed at the concept of chess boxing, then I don't blame you. It may sound absurd, but once you actually watch a match, you realise the mental and physical strength needed to take part and find yourself having a lot of respect for those who can cop a barrage of punches and then sit down and play chess so well. They do this for 11 alternating rounds of chess then boxing, for a total of six chess rounds and five in the ring. Victory either comes in the form of a knockout or checkmate. (PS Okay, after watching more matches this sport is ridiculous. The players wear headphones while playing the chess rounds in order to not hear the live chess commentary. I find this sport dreadful and yet feel weirdly compelled to play.) THE MEAN GIRLS OF EUROPEAN HISTORY Finally, we have arguably the greatest (and possibly only) Tumblr mashing up the classic Lindsay Lohan film Mean Girls with European history to create The Mean Girls of European History. Words are useless here, just visit the blog and soak in all of it's uncannily appropriate use of Mean Girls quotes and accept that it may have won the internet.
There's a time for coffee and there's a time for cocktails — and, sometimes, there's a time in the day when you want both. Australia's caffeinated booze expert Mr Black ticks both boxes with the release of its new bottled beverage: a pre-batched coffee negroni. The company's first bottled cocktail, the coffee negroni is made with Mr Black coffee liqueur, Campari, sweet vermouth and Moore's dry gin, which is produced at the same distillery as Mr Black, Distillery Botanica. Each bottle is going for $49 and can be used to make five cocktails (yes, that's a very reasonably $9.80 a drink). To make said cocktail, you just need to pour 100 millilitres of the sweet stuff into a glass over ice and garnish with a citrus twist — if you want to get a little fancy. No stirring (or shaking) required. It's the second new product the Mr Black team has released during lockdown, with the company launching a hand sanitiser in late March. As well as selling thousands (and thousands) of bottles to the public, the team donated hundreds to front-line medical workers, not-for-profits, testing clinics and medical centres. It's not the only distillery to launch its own hand sanitiser during COVID-19, either, with Queensland icon Bundaberg and Sydney rum distillery Brix, among others, also jumping on the trend. To get your hands on a bottle of coffee negroni, which, knowing Mr Black's track record, will sell out fast, head over to the Mr Black website. It's currently offering free shopping on all orders over $80. Mr Black's coffee negroni is on sale now for $49.
Game, set, match, music: the 2024 Australian Open might be jam-packed with Grand Slam tennis action, but it's also serving up a few aces for fans of live tunes. In 2023, the annual Melbourne sports event launched the AO Finals Festival, which gets a heap of talents taking to the stage. Unsurprisingly proving a hit, the fest returns this year. Attendees will be treated to a program of live acts on three of the event's final four days, all in John Cain Arena. 2024's AO Finals Fest will start on Thursday, January 25, on AO Pride Day. Then, it's back for both the women's final on Saturday, January 27 and the men's equivalent on Sunday, January 28. A stellar lineup awaits, including Tash Sultana, Peach PRC and Yaeji on the Thursday; DMA's, Ruel and The Jungle Giants on the Saturday; and Groove Armada, Rudimental and Sunshine & Disco Faith Choir on the Sunday. Just like in 2023, the stacked bill doesn't come as too much of a surprise, given that it has again been curated with help from the respected music heads at Untitled Group — the brains behind Pitch Music & Arts, For The Love, Grapevine Gathering and more. Expect plenty of company, with the 2023 event selling out. Accordingly, 2024's AO Finals Festival has moved venues, shifting to John Cain Arena to take advantage of its 10,000-person capacity. Tickets can be bought individually per day, or matchgoers can upgrade their tennis tickets to head to the festival. As always, there'll be scores of food and drink pop-ups scattered throughout Melbourne Park, as well as big screens showing all the on-court action. AO FINALS FESTIVAL 2024 LINEUP: Thursday, January 25: AO Pride Day Tash Sultana Peach PRC Yaeji Anesu Djanaba DJ Luv You Saturday, January 27: Women's final DMA's Ruel The Jungle Giants Tia Gostelow Mell Hall Sunday, January 28: Men's final Groove Armada Rudimental Sunshine & Disco Faith Choir Latifa Tee Cooper Smith Images: Ash Caygill.
Chances are if you’ve ever had your luggage lost at the airport, you understand the value of a suitcase and all it can hold. Suitcase Rummage, a monthly market held in the city, is further testament to the precious contents that can be stored within a travel case. Unlike your average Brisbane markets, Suitcase Rummage is free of marquee tents selling glazed bowls and pungent homemade candles. Instead, it’s a laidback event packed to the suitcase brim with an eclectic mix of vintage clothes, artwork, bric-a-brac, handmade goods, second hand books and records. On the first Sunday of every month, Reddacliff Place plays host to Suitcase Rummages’ scattered cases, market enthusiasts browsing for a bargain and a live band playing music from the sixties and seventies. Preloved clothes and shoes are a particular specialty of the markets, so it’s best to get their early to nab yourself something precious. If you have a few bits and bobs that you would like to stow in a suitcase and sell to the highest bidder, you can register to take part in the next Suitcase Rummage on their website.
It's happening again: Dune, the sci-fi epic with a tumultuous on-screen history, is stuck in another cinematic sandstorm. There's always a feeling of déjà vu around Dune chaos, after David Lynch's 80s version became one of the most unfairly maligned sci-fi films ever crafted, and Alejandro Jodorowsky's take sadly didn't make it to screens (see: excellent documentary Jodorowsky's Dune). For filmmaker Denis Villeneuve's (Blade Runner 2049) two-part vision of Frank Herbert's 1965 book, off-screen events keep stopping it from reaching picture palaces when planned — initially COVID-19, and the latest setback coming during the writers' and actors' strikes. Pop culture's spiciest sci-fi saga went through this before a few years back, with Dune: Part One delayed considerably in the pandemic's early days, jumping from Boxing Day 2020 to early December 2021. Now, as expected since SAG-AFTRA joined the WGA on strike in mid-July, Dune: Part Two is pushing back its release date from November 2023 to March 2024. The film's Twitter account (now X) now states "only in theatres March 15", which is the US date. Because films open on a Thursday Down Under, Dune: Part Two should now release in Australia and New Zealand on March 14. Variety reports that Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will also move release dates from mid-March to mid-April 2024 — and shifts back are also still being considered for Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom and The Colour Purple. Already, Force of Nature: The Dry 2 has been delayed, with no new date announced as yet; and so have Kraven the Hunter, the sequel to Ghostbusters: Afterlife, tennis flick Challengers, the Ethan Coen (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs) solo-directed Drive-Away Dolls and Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, all either to 2024 or with no date confirmed so far. Villeneuve's first Dune scored ten Oscar nominations and six wins, but only told part of the novel's story. Cue Dune: Part Two to keep the tale going when it now hits the silver screen next year. As seen in not one but two trailers so far, war has arrived on the franchise's spice-laden planet, and Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet, Bones and All) and the Fremen are ready to fight. The former doesn't just want to face off against the folks who destroyed his family, but for the sandy celestial body, with Zendaya's (Euphoria) Chani at his side. The first film had Paul head to Arrakis because his dad Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac, Moon Knight) had just been given stewardship of the planet and its abundance of 'the spice' — aka the most valuable substance in the universe — and then get caught up in a bitter battle with malicious forces over the substance. It also saw Paul meet the population of people known as the Fremen, including Chani, plus Javier Bardem's (Lyle, Lyle Crocodile) Stilgar, which is who he and his mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson, Silo) are with in Dune: Part Two. Expansive desert landscape, golden and orange hues (again, Villeneuve helmed Blade Runner 2049), sandworms, the director's reliable eye for a spectacle and Hans Zimmer's (The Son) latest likely Oscar-winning score: they've all shown up in the new film's two glimpses so far. So have some of the franchise's new players, with Austin Butler ditching his Elvis locks as Feyd Rautha Harkonnen, the nephew of Stellan Skarsgard's (Andor) Baron Harkonnen. Christopher Walken (Severance) and Florence Pugh (The Wonder) also join the saga as Emperor Shaddam IV and his daughter Princess Irulen. From the first film, Josh Brolin (Outer Range), Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), Stephen McKinley Henderson (Beau Is Afraid) and Charlotte Rampling (Benedetta) return, while Léa Seydoux (Crimes of the Future) is another fresh addition to the cast. Off-screen, Villeneuve has brought back not just Zimmer, but Oscar-winning Australian director of photography Greig Fraser (The Batman), Oscar-winning production designer Patrice Vermett (Vice), Oscar-winning editor Joe Walker (The Unforgivable), Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Paul Lambert (First Man) and Oscar-nominated costume designer Jacqueline West (Song to Song). Hollywood's actors are on strike to fight against diminishing residual payments for performers, and to establish firm rules about the future use of artificial intelligence in the industry, among other improvements to working conditions. When they took action in mid-July, SAG-AFTRA's members joined their counterparts in the Writers Guild of America, who've been striking since May. Check out the latest Dune: Part Two trailer below: Dune: Part Two will now release in cinemas Down Under on March 14, 2024. Via Variety / The Hollywood Reporter.
Before the pandemic, when a new-release movie started playing in cinemas, audiences couldn't watch it on streaming, video on demand, DVD or blu-ray for a few months. But with the past few years forcing film industry to make quite a few changes — widespread movie theatre closures and plenty of people staying home in iso will do that — that's no longer always the case. Maybe you've been under the weather. Perhaps you haven't had time to make it to your local cinema lately. Given the hefty amount of films now releasing each week, maybe you simply missed something. Film distributors have been fast-tracking some of their new releases from cinemas to streaming recently — movies that might still be playing in theatres in some parts of the country, too. In preparation for your next couch session, here are nine that you can watch right now at home. THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN In The Banshees of Inisherin, the rolling hills and clifftop fields look like they could stretch on forever, even on a fictional small island perched off the Irish mainland. For years, conversation between Padraic Súilleabháin (Colin Farrell, After Yang) and Colm Doherty (Brendan Gleeson, The Tragedy of Macbeth) has been similarly sprawling — and leisurely, too — especially during the pair's daily sojourn to the village pub for chats over pints. But when the latter calls time on their camaraderie suddenly, his demeanour turns brusque and his explanation, only given after much pestering, is curt. Uttered beneath a stern, no-nonsense stare by Gleeson to his In Bruges co-star Farrell, both reuniting with that darkly comic gem's writer/director Martin McDonagh for another black, contemplative and cracking comedy, Colm is as blunt as can be: "I just don't like you no more." In the elder character's defence, he wanted to ghost his pal without hurtful words. Making an Irish exit from a lifelong friendship is a wee bit difficult on a tiny isle, though, as Colm quickly realises. It's even trickier when the mate he's trying to put behind him is understandably upset and confused, there's been no signs of feud or fray beforehand, and anything beyond the norm echoes through the town faster than a folk ballad. So springs McDonagh's smallest-scale and tightest feature since initially leaping from the stage to the screen, and a wonderful companion piece to that first effort. Following the hitman-focused In Bruges, he's gone broader with Seven Psychopaths, then guided Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell to Oscars with Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, but he's at his best when his lens is trained at Farrell and Gleeson as they bicker in close confines. The Banshees of Inisherin is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies and Prime Video. Read our full review. THE FABELMANS "Movies are dreams that you never forget," says Mitzi Fabelman (Michelle Williams, Venom: Let There Be Carnage) early in Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans. Have truer words ever been spoken in any of the director's flicks? Uttered to her eight-year-old son Sammy (feature debutant Mateo Zoryon Francis-DeFord), Mitzi's statement lingers, providing the film's beating heart even when the coming-of-age tale it spins isn't always idyllic. Individual pictures can come and go, of course. Only some — only some on the Jaws, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park and West Side Story filmmaker's own resume, in fact — truly stand the test of time. But as former concert pianist Mitzi understands, and imparts to her wide-eyed on-screen Spielberg boyhood surrogate, movies as an art form are a dream that keeps shining in our heads. We return to theatres again and again for more. We glue our eyes to films at home, too. We lap up the worlds they visit, stories they relay and fantasies they inspire, and we also add our own. To everyone that's ever stared at the silver screen in awe, The Fabelmans pays tribute far more than it basks in the glow of its director. Because everyone is crafting cinematic memoirs of late, Spielberg adds this tender yet clear-eyed look at his childhood to a growing list of self-reflective flicks; however, he's as fascinated with cinema as a dream-sparking and -making force as is he with fictionalising his own tale. Slot The Fabelmans in alongside James Gray's Armageddon Time, Kenneth Branagh's Belfast, Paul Thomas Anderson's Licorice Pizza and Alejandro González Iñárritu's Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths from the past year or so, then, but don't merely consider it Spielberg jumping on a trend. Focusing on Sammy's film fixation, including as a teen (played by Gabriel LaBelle, The Predator) and as his fragile family hops around the US following his computer-engineer dad Burt's (Paul Dano, The Batman) work, this is a heartfelt, perceptive and potent movie about how movies act as a mirror — a vividly shot and engagingly performed one, too, complete with a pitch-perfect late cameo — whether we're watching or creating them. The Fabelmans is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON Every couple has in-jokes, a valuable currency in all relationships, but only Jenny Slate and Dean Fleischer-Camp have turned a cute private gag into Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. The Parks and Recreation actor and the Fraud director are no longer together romantically, marrying and divorcing in the 13 years since they first gave the world the cutest talking shell anyone could've imagined; however, they've now reteamed professionally for an adorable film based on their 2010, 2011 and 2014 shorts. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On also gave rise to two best-selling children's picture books, unsurprisingly, following a familiar internet-stardom path from online sensation to print and now the big screen. Neither Slate and Fleischer-Camp's faded love nor their joint project's history are ignored by their footwear-sporting seashell's cinematic debut, either; in fact, acknowledging both, whether subtly or overtly, is one of the things that makes this sweet, endearing, happily silly, often hilarious and deeply insightful movie such an all-round gem. That inside jest? A voice put on by Slate, which became the one-inch-high anthropomorphic Marcel's charming vocals. In Marcel the Shell with Shoes On's three initial mockumentary clips, the tiny critter chats to an unseen filmmaker chronicling his life, with earnestness dripping from every word. ("My name is Marcel and I'm partially a shell, as you can see on my body, but I also have shoes and a face. So I like that about myself, and I like myself and I have a lot of other great qualities as well," he advises in his self-introduction.) The same approach, tone and voice sits at the heart of Marcel the Shell with Shoes On's feature-length leap, of course, but so does a touching meditation upon loss, change and valuing what's truly important. Fleischer-Camp plays the movie's documentarian, mostly off-camera, who meets Marcel and his grandmother Connie (voiced by Isabella Rossellini, Julia) after moving into an Airbnb following a relationship breakup — and, yes, their work together becomes a viral phenomenon. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. BABYLON Exclaiming "I'm already a star. You don't become a star: you either are one or you aren't. I am!" to get into the hottest party in Los Angeles, aspiring 1920s actor Nellie LaRoy (Margot Robbie, Amsterdam) has ambition. Gracing the same Golden Age soirée after ending his latest marriage with an overplayed joke that could've sprung from Inglourious Basterds, veteran leading man Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt, Bullet Train) wouldn't have gotten where he is without the same drive and determination. And, helping the shindig be the only place to be, including wrangling an elephant for the night's entertainment (a pachyderm that empties its bowels on everyone pushing it up a hill no less), Manny Torres (Diego Calva, Narcos: Mexico) has the eagerness to do something — anything — in show business. Meet Babylon's zeal-dripping on-screen threesome, a trio matched only in their quest to rocket sky-high as the man conjuring them up: jazz-loving, La La Land Oscar-winning, Tinseltown-adoring writer/director Damien Chazelle. As Babylon unfurls across its hefty 189-minute running time, it takes a colossal heap of ambition — perhaps as immense as the pile of cocaine that Nellie gravitates towards inside the party — to make it or even fake it in the film industry. For his fifth feature, and first since 2018's First Man, Chazelle waves around his own as enthusiastically as he possibly can. Even just considering his hefty list of conspicuous influences makes that clear, with the filmmaker unshackling his inner Baz Luhrmann, Martin Scorsese, Paul Thomas Anderson and David Lynch, to name a mere few overt nods. The Great Gatsby, Goodfellas, The Wolf of Wall Street, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Mulholland Drive: swirl them together with Kenneth Anger's 1959 publication Hollywood Babylon, plus everything from Sunset Boulevard to Hail, Caesar!, and that's just the beginning of Chazelle's plans. The end result also makes for a relentless and ravenous movie that's always a lot, not just in length, but is dazzling (and also very funny) when it clicks. Babylon is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies and Prime Video. Read our full review. TRIANGLE OF SADNESS Ruben Östlund isn't interested in keeping his viewers comfortable, no matter how cushy their cinema chair. To watch the Swedish filmmaker's features is to feel yourself reacting — emotionally, always, and sometimes physically as well. It was true of 2014's phenomenal Force Majeure, aka as clever and cringe-inducing a portrait of marriage and masculinity as the 21st century has provided. With dropped jaws over a divisive piece of art within a divisive piece of art, it was true of 2018's The Square, the writer/director's first Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or-winner, too. And, earning him that same prestigious prize again in 2022, it's also wholly accurate of Triangle of Sadness. Make a movie with a shape in its title, score one of the biggest filmmaking awards there is: that's been a nifty formula for Östlund of late. But even if he directs a flick called something like Hexagonal Dreaming soon, or anything else with a geometrical bent, and it too nabs that Cannes gong, beating Triangle of Sadness' vomit sequence is highly unlikely. To remind audiences that responding to films and life alike is an involuntary reflex, Östlund shows plenty of his characters doing just that — to existence, and to a choppy luxury cruise. It makes for simply unforgettable cinema, but it's also just one part of Triangle of Sadness and its sublimely shot unpacking of wealth, privilege and social hierarchies. Appearing to be coasting through perfection is an ongoing quest for Carl (Harris Dickinson, See How They Run) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean, Black Lightning), well-known models-slash-influencers, and the movie's focal point. When they take to the sea among the uber rich, they're still working the requisite angles (and snapping everything for Instagram from every angle). But then, under the captain's (Woody Harrelson, Venom: Let There Be Carnage) watch, being stranded on an island becomes their fate — and the way that Östlund satirically carves into the resulting chaos is equally hilarious and and astute, even when his film is both obvious and hardly subtle. Triangle of Sadness is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. M3GAN Book in a date with 2 M3GAN 2 Furious now: even if it doesn't take that name, which it won't, a sequel to 2023's first guaranteed horror hit will come. Said follow-up also won't be called M3GAN 2: Electric Boogaloo, but that title would fit based on the first flick's TikTok-worthy dance sequence alone. Meme-starting fancy footwork is just one of the titular doll's skills. Earnestly singing 'Titanium' like this is Pitch Perfect, tickling the ivories with 80s classic 'Toy Soldiers', making these moments some of M3GAN's funniest: they're feats the robot achieves like it's designed to, too. Although unafraid to take wild tonal swings, and mining the established comedy-horror talents of New Zealand filmmaker Gerard Johnstone (Housebound) and screenwriter Akela Cooper (Malignant) as well, this killer-plaything flick does feel highly programmed itself, however. It's winking, knowing, silly, satirical, slick and highly engineered all at once, overtly pushing buttons and demanding a response — and, thankfully, mostly earning it. Those Child's Play-meets-Annabelle-meets-The Terminator-meets-HAL 9000 thoughts that M3GAN's basic concept instantly brings to mind? They all prove true. The eponymous droid — a Model 3 Generative Android, to be specific — is a four-foot-tall artificially intelligent doll that takes the task of protecting pre-teen Cady (Violet McGraw, Black Widow) from emotional and physical harm deadly seriously, creeping out and/or causing carnage against everyone who gets in its way. Those Frankenstein-esque sparks, exploring what happens when humanity (or Girls and Get Out's Allison Williams here, as Cady's roboticist aunt Gemma) plays god by creating life? They're just as evident, as relevant to the digital age Ex Machina-style. M3GAN is more formulaic than it should be, though, and also never as thoughtful as it wants to be, but prolific horror figures Jason Blum and James Wan produce a film that's almost always entertaining. M3GAN is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. MAGIC MIKE'S LAST DANCE Ted Lasso fans, rejoice — the Magic Mike franchise is taking its lead from the hit sitcom now. Swap soccer for stripping, obviously. From there, the sports-themed favourite and Magic Mike's Last Dance both transport their namesakes to London, then give them jobs under wealthy women managing publicly beloved assets after bitter marriage breakdowns, all as those ladies try to spite their exes while also finding themselves and sorting out their lives. In the third film in the Channing Tatum (Bullet Train)-starring series, there's a team to oversee featuring players from around the globe, too, plus a gruff butler doing his best not-AI Roy Kent impression. And, it all climaxes with a showcase event demanding dedicated training. That said, only this exceptionally choreographed but never earth-shattering flick fills its final quarter with wall-to-wall gyrating, including a male-revue number soundtracked by 1998 Dandy Warhols' single 'Boys Better' that has to be seen to be believed. New Magic Mike movie splashing glistening chiselled abs across the screen, same Magic Mike, though. Tatum and filmmaker Steven Soderbergh (Kimi) — the prolific creative force who helmed, shot and spliced the first instalment; then just lensed and cut the second with his regular assistant Gregory Jacobs (Wind Chill) directing; and now returns to his trio of OG roles (still credited as Peter Andrews for his cinematography and Mary Ann Bernard for his editing) — have Mike Lane living his own Groundhog Day in a way. The more things change, the more that plenty stays the same for the saga's hero. This series started out not just putting its star's ripped physique and knack for erotic dancing to eye-catching use, but drawing upon his own story thanks to Tatum's past onstage Florida. He isn't currently getting by stripping while striving to follow his passion, of course. Before Magic Mike was scorching the screen, he'd already made it big. But these films, all three of which are penned by Reid Carolin (Dog), understand that Tatum's reality isn't the way that this tale usually goes. Magic Mike's Last Dance is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. THE LOST KING When King Richard III was killed in battle in the 15th century, did anyone wonder about a public holiday? Given the era and its working conditions, likely not. There's also the hardly minor fact that the monarch was slain by the forces of Henry Tudor, who promptly became England's ruler, so downing tools for a day of mourning probably wasn't a priority. The world has a frame of reference for grieving a British sovereign, though, and recently. When Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022, pomp and ceremony reigned supreme. Dramatising the discovery of Richard III's remains, The Lost King wasn't made with the queen's passing in mind. Actually, it world-premiered a day afterwards. But the Stephen Frears (Victoria & Abdul)-directed, Steve Coogan- and Jeff Pope (Philomena)-scripted drama benefits from audiences knowing what's done now when whoever wears the crown is farewelled. The Lost King isn't about chasing a parade, pageantry, and a day off work for the masses in Britain and further afield. Charting the true tale of Richard III's location and exhumation 527 years after he breathed his last breath, it follows a quest for recognition and respect. When the film opens, Philippa Langley (Sally Hawkins, The Phantom of the Open) wants it for herself, as a woman over 40 overlooked for a promotion at work in favour of a younger, less-experienced colleague — and as someone with a medical condition, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, who's too easily dismissed due to her health. She's also newly separated from her husband John (Coogan, This Time with Alan Partridge), adding to her unappreciated feelings. It's no wonder that Richard III's plight catches her interest thanks to a production of Shakespeare's Richard III, aka one of the reasons that the king was long seen as a hunchbacked villain. More surprising: that the film about all of this, while engaging enough and featuring stellar work by Hawkins, doesn't seem to trust that its real-life story can hold its own. The Lost King is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. A MAN CALLED OTTO In reality, cantankerous curmudgeons don't routinely possess hearts of gold. Genuine intentions don't always gleam behind petty folks with grudges spouting insults, either. Movies like A Man Called Otto keep claiming otherwise, though, because cinema is an empathy machine — and placing viewers in the shoes of characters different to them, whether in background, behaviour, situation or temperament, remains key among its functions. Tom Hanks, the silver screen's beloved everyman of more than four decades, knows this. Veteran filmmaker Marc Forster does as well. After getting villainous in Elvis and sweet with Christopher Robin, respectively, the actor and director join forces for a feature advocating for understanding, kindness and acceptance. Behind that cranky nitpicker, local annoyance or rude aggressor might just lurk a story worth appreciating and a person worth knowing, it sentimentally posits. This Americanisation of A Man Called Ove, Fredrik Backman's Swedish 2012 novel that first hit the screen in its native language in 2015, did indeed come about exactly as expected. Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson saw the Oscar-nominated OG movie, contacted its producer Fredrik Wikström Nicastro (Borg vs McEnroe), then went about making a US-set, Hanks-starring iteration. Wilson is now also one of A Man Called Otto's producers. Truman Hanks, Tom's youngest son with Wilson, co-stars as the young Otto (nabbing just his second on-screen credit after popping up in his dad's News of the World). This flick's smooth path to cinemas and the easy family ties behind it speak volumes about the film that results; despite focusing on a man repeatedly trying to take his own life, attempts at which are constantly interrupted by his rule-breaking neighbours, openly and breezily warming hearts and pleasing crowds is this remake's aim. A Man Called Otto is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Looking for more at-home viewing options? Take a look at our monthly streaming recommendations across new straight-to-digital films and TV shows — and fast-tracked highlights from January and February, too. You can also peruse our best new films, new TV shows, returning TV shows and straight-to-streaming movies, plus movies you might've missed and television standouts of 2022 you mightn't have gotten to.
Each year when winter hits Melbourne, there is an energy to the city as it comes to life with the annual festival of music, arts and performance, RISING. Running from Wednesday, June 4 to Sunday, June 15, RISING's exciting lineup fills the streets, galleries and hidden corners with 65 events featuring work from over 300 boundary-pushing artists. The exhibits and installations happen nonstop throughout each day, but once night falls, Melbourne is truly invigorated, with a whole new side of the city to uncover. Whether you're a local or just visiting, the festival is an invitation to get out, stay up late, and explore Melbourne at its most vibrant and delightfully unpredictable. Planning a trip? Here's our pick of unmissable experiences to make your Melbourne sojourn an unforgettable one. 'Intangible #form' at The Capitol If you're looking for something fun (and free) to do after dark, Shohei Fujimoto's immersive installation, Intangible #form, at The Capitol is a standout in this year's RISING lineup. Entering the space feels like stepping into a sci-fi dream, with glowing red laser beams shifting and responding to your movements, pulling you into an almost hypnotic state. Open from 4.30pm to 10.30pm daily during the festival, it's one you can't miss. Reed House A good RISING itinerary deserves meals as memorable as the art you'll see. Reed House delivers just that. This Lonsdale Street restaurant sits within a landmark heritage building in the heart of the city, and features a humble menu inspired by British brasseries, which is exactly what you want on a cool Melbourne night. It's the perfect spot to fuel up before a night of performances, or to debrief on your day's discoveries over dinner and drinks. 'Kill Me' — Marina Otero RISING consistently delivers performances that push boundaries, and this year is no exception. This year's must-see is Kill Me, a provocative new performance by Argentine choreographer Marina Otero that (literally) bares all. It's exactly the kind of thoughtful, unapologetic work RISING champions, guaranteed to keep you talking long after the show ends. Night Trade A festival favourite during past years, RISING's Night Trade transforms Melbourne's Howey Place and surrounding laneways into a nocturnal playground. Wander around to discover a mix of music, art, and food, including late-night bites and micro cocktail bars, and experience performance art from artists like Saeborg and Nyege Nyege up close and personal. There's plenty to see — all for free — and it's all set against the backdrop of Melbourne's famous laneways. Apollo Inn Tucked discreetly off Flinders Lane and by the team behind famed restaurant Gimlet, Apollo Inn captures Melbourne's late-night charm with cocktails to match. Dimly lit and always (quietly) buzzing, it's the kind of place you want to end up after an evening of exhibition-hopping, to plan tomorrow's adventures or just soak in the city's after-hours energy. [caption id="attachment_1000969" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Eugene Hyland[/caption] 'Swingers: The Art of Mini Golf' For a little extra rebelliousness, head to the Flinders Street Station Ballroom for Swingers: The Art of Mini Golf – a one-of-a-kind playable art exhibition. This nine-hole mini-golf course is no ordinary game, because each hole is an artwork created by female artists, including Miranda July, Kaylene Whiskey, and Saeborg. The concept is a nod to the rule-breaking 19th century women who invented the game after being refused access to the real course. Open from Wednesday, June 4 to Sunday, August 31, go for a late-night slot and experience the surreal, interactive installations that challenge traditional notions of mini golf. 'Frida Kahlo: In her own Image' at Bendigo Art Gallery If you're keen to keep the cultural exploration going after RISING, you can take a short road trip out of town to Bendigo for Frida Kahlo: In her own image, exclusive to the Bendigo Art Gallery, and make a day of it by exploring the township. Just two hours away from Melbourne CBD, the exhibition offers an intimate look at the iconic Mexican artist's revolutionary life and art. It's the perfect complement to Melbourne's RISING, rounding out your weekend of new experiences. So pick your favourite spots, embrace after-dark adventures, and discover why a winter in Melbourne is genuinely unforgettable. Head to visitmelbourne.com.au to discover more of what makes Melbourne every bit different. Images courtesy of Melbourne. Every bit different. By Jacque Kennedy
When Netflix decided to give The Addams Family a new take, it was a lightbulb moment. More than two decades after the last live-action version of the beloved creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky characters hit screens, the Jenna Ortega (Scream VI)-led revamp Wednesday proved a smash. No one likely stuck a lightbulb in their mouth when they came up with the idea to revive the franchise, and we're hoping that no one did to celebrate the show's success, either; however, the streaming platform's next series linked to the horror-loving crew could feature exactly that. After dropping its first season in late 2022, then notching up more viewers, memes and mimicked dance moves than the Addams crew have pieces of black clothing, Wednesday was officially renewed for a second season at the beginning of 2023. That's still on the way, with no ETA as yet after Hollywood's strike-filled year, but Netflix is already thinking about giving the show an Uncle Fester-focused spinoff. Bloomberg reports that while production on Wednesday season two hasn't begun, the streaming service is eager to keep all things Addams Family on-screen via multiple shows. The Uncle Fester series has been put forward as the first. Presumably, that'd mean Fred Armisen (I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson) reprising his role — unless it's an Uncle Fester origin story. There's nothing locked in, so no casting details, no storyline and no timeline for the show to hit your streaming queue so far, but we all know how much pop culture's powers that be — aka studios and streamers — love franchises. The Addams Family realm has always been beloved by audiences — the Christina Ricci-led 90s films have been favourites for decades for good reason, plus the 1960s TV show and 1930s The New Yorker comics before that — so Netflix wanting more is far from unexpected. Indeed, if you were channelling your inner Wednesday, as we all should, you wouldn't raise an eyebrow in astonishment. Wednesday's first season broke the Netflix record for most hours viewed in a single week, then did so again — earning 341.23-million hours viewed in its first week, then 411.29-million hours viewed in its second. There's no trailer for the Uncle Fester spinoff yet, of course, but you can check out Wednesday season one's sneak peek below: Wednesday streams via Netflix, with season one available now and season two arriving at a yet-to-be-announced date. We'll update you with further details about season two and the Uncle Fester spinoff when they're revealed. Read our full review of Wednesday season one. Via Bloomberg. Images: Courtesy of Netflix © 2022.
Hosting season has arrived. Gather your mates for one last hurrah that will impress with minimal effort — because who needs more to do at this time of the year? We've partnered with the legends at The Kraken Black Spiced Rum to put together some easy ideas for your next summer sesh, from simple snacks and refreshments to tips on keeping cool in the heat. Whether you're just venturing into the world of hosting or are after some fresh ideas to spruce up your skills, you'll be primed to start throwing some dates in the group chat. SIP Nothing says summer quite like sipping a cold one in the backyard. In addition to the usual sessionable favourites, you can't go wrong with some convenient canned tipple, so you're not running around topping up drinks or whipping up cocktail concoctions. The Kraken has released a new canned cocktail perfect for sipping on balmy afternoons. Featuring its signature spiced rum, the Kraken Caribbean Punch delivers a tropical hit of pineapple, mango and coconut. For a fruity, icy twist, add the premixed drink to a frozen fruit slushie of mango and coconut water or pineapple and mint. Other classic options by Kraken include the Black Spiced Rum and Cola, Black Spiced Rum and Dry Ginger Ale and Black Mojito mixes. EAT Equally important is the spread. Cater to a wide range of preferences with snacks that guests can tailor to their tastes. A taco bar, salad station or charcuterie board allow even the pickiest of eaters to put together a combination of bites they'll enjoy. Add an elevated twist by including refreshing summer salads like watermelon and haloumi or spicy marinated cucumber, or a baguette board with tinned fish, dips and pickles. All of these nibbles can be prepared well in advance. Plus, you won't face complaints when they're served at room temperature. For more substantial fare that's still low effort, you can't go wrong with a rotisserie chook from your local chicken shop, which you can pair with salads, wraps or a baguette, or even a pizza kit from Hank's Hot Box that's delivered straight to your door. If you'd prefer to flex your grilling skills, keep it simple by purchasing pre-marinated cuts from the butcher or supermarket. Skewers are always great for variety and easy munching that'll cook in a flash. And don't underestimate the importance of a strong sauce. In a previous interview, Chin Chin's Executive Chef Benjamin Cooper shared his advice for pared-back hosting: "Less is more. Focus on simply cooked proteins or veg and spend your time on a wicked sauce or dressing." Not only will this save you on prep time, but it also means that you'll be able to enjoy your event. COOL DOWN It's all well and good to prepare an impressive feed, but the last thing your guests will want to do is eat if all they're feeling is the sweltering summer heat. When in doubt, look to the freezer. Stash cut fruit in the freezer for chilled nibbles — grapes work exceptionally well — and use them instead of ice cubes to cool drinks without watering them down. Cups can also be stored in the freezer or fridge for refreshing sips. Grab a facial spray, like Mario Badescu's Aloe, Cucumber and Green Tea, and keep it in the fridge or on ice for a fresh twist that serves the dual function of calming redness and making your skin glow. Don't underestimate the power of a hand fan. Leave these scattered around for guests to use at their leisure — you can even include markers and stickers so friends can decorate their own to take home. PLAY Your friends won't have any trouble keeping themselves entertained, but it's helpful to have some activities on hand for any awkward lulls in conversation, especially when you're mixing different groups of mates. Don't want the activities to be a huge focus? Go laidback with a small paint-and-sip station with watercolours and drawing pads or small canvases and easels. Otherwise, you can pick up some tapered candles and coloured tealights (like these IKEA options) for dinner candles that your guests can paint and take home. There's no shortage of zany games on TikTok, like Fear Pong. Set up a game of giant Tic Tac Toe with some strips of tape and different coloured cups, or get your hands on giant Jenga, bocce or cornhole from Sunnylife, Rebel Sport, Kmart or Big W. If you're keen to get even more active (and have ample space), go for a casual game of backyard cricket or table tennis. And when all else fails, you can't go wrong with a deck of cards or a round of UNO. GROOVE Don't overlook the power of a well-curated playlist, particularly when you've a crowd of different groups and ages. You could stick to a theme and build around it, whether it's this vibrant indie mix from Spotify, classic disco, chill hip hop or new jazz. Or, mix it up with a variety of tunes and genres. Our Editorial Director's advice for pleasing a diverse audience? "The safest bet is to have a list of certified classics, recent bangers and cheesy guilty pleasures with a few surprise or little-known tracks mixed in that could get people talking." Either way, the key is to make sure the music isn't so loud or distracting that it overwhelms conversation. Even if you love deep house, it's hard to carry a convo over those throbbing beats — remember that you can always build up to firing up a dance floor later in the night. The refreshing Caribbean Punch from The Kraken Black Spiced Rum is now available at your local bottle shop or online from Kraken's website.
It was back in 2021 that the Gold Coast gained another impressive attraction: the largest public gallery outside a capital city in Australia. When HOTA, Home of the Arts opened its new six-level space dedicated to creativity, it became a new hub for southeast Queensland's art lovers — and, in 2023, it's now celebrating two years of lining its walls with stunning artworks. With Pop Masters: Art from the Mugrabi Collection, New York currently on display, showcasing work by iconic artists Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, HOTA is marking its birthday by inviting everyone in. Sure, you've got until Sunday, June 4 to take a gander anyway; however, head by between Saturday, April 29–Sunday, May 14 and a ticket will only cost you $15. Even better: on Monday, May 8, entry is free. That said, expect those tickets to get snapped up ASAP. Either way, you'll need to book online to either enter for nothing or score a discount. Pop Masters pairs the three artists' pieces for a world-first celebration of pop art masters, including featuring 40-plus works never before seen Down Under. The exhibition is wholly drawn from the private collection of prominent art collector Jose Mugrabi, surveying the 60s, 70s and 80s art scene through the output of these legends of the pop art and street art movements. There are more than ten pieces by Warhol, acting as the showcase's introduction, with 1964's Sixteen Jackies and 1982's Cross among them. As for Haring, one of his earliest-ever works from 1979 features alongside others such as Untitled (Dancing Dogs), while the range of Basquiat pieces includes 1981's New York, New York and — fittingly — a Warhol-Basquiat collaboration. Although art by the three icons provides Pop Masters with its huge drawcard, the exhibition also seeks to celebrate the ongoing legacy of pop art alongside its origins. That means that you can peer at pieces by Katherine Bernhardt, Kwesi Botchway, George Condo, Damien Hirst, KAWS, Barbara Kruger, Joel Mesler, Richard Prince, Tom Sachs, Julian Schnabel, Mickalene Thomas and Tom Wesselmann — such as KAWS' 2.8-metre-tall 2018 sculpture What Party, plus Barbara Kruger's If it sees, blind it, from a section of her 2009 installation Between being born and dying in New York's Lever House.
You might think that there's not much exciting about a fridge magnet. I mean, who is really thrilled by a piece of plastic that announces "I Love NYC" or is shaped like your pet dog? The designers at Kudu saw artistic potential in the common fridge magnet, however. They pushed the design of the magnet one step (or, rather, a few metres) farther and created magnetic panels to cover your entire refrigerator. Kudu's fridge panels create a bold kitchen statement, an easy way to spice up an otherwise lack-luster space. And the best part? They're simple to remove or to switch out. Swap your fridge panels to fit a party theme, a holiday, or perhaps your mood. Choose from a collection of themes, spanning from animals, to a sexy shirtless man, to designer illustrations; then, simply measure your fridge and order online. Kudu is willing to help you measure your fridge, and will even custom design a panel for you or your business, upon request. [via Notcot]
When is a dance film more than just a dance film? When it brings a celebrated real-life performance to the cinema, fills its frames with dream-like visuals, and dives into the indigenous Australian experience. That's the case with Spear, which — its sublime showcase of fancy footwork and smooth moves aside — bears little other resemblance to the bulk of the dance film genre. Saturday Night Fever, Footloose and Step Up, this is not. Indeed, in an effort concerned with origins and evolution, understanding the movie's own leap from dance piece to film is pivotal. Spear blossoms out of a Bangarra Dance Theatre presentation first staged in 2000, and marks the feature filmmaking debut of Stephen Page, the company's artistic head. His close connection with the material is evident from the outset, and not just because his son, Hunter Page-Lochard, plays the lead character and his brother, David Page composed the accompanying music. Prior to this, Page's only credits are on a segment of The Turning and choreography work on Bran Nue Dae and The Sapphires. Nonetheless, his expressive offering demonstrates what all directors hope for: the strong imprint of a distinctive guiding hand. Given that the production relies upon imagery and movement much more than words and narrative, the importance of Page's task cannot be underestimated. In fact, as Spear cycles between rocky seaside cliffs, dusty outback plains and gritty urban locations, the feature's primary aim isn't to tell a story, but to convey a feeling and channel a sense of spirituality. Enter Djali (Page-Lochard), an Aboriginal youth trying to understand his heritage, and the audience's on-screen surrogate. As the film takes him through the past and present experiences of his people, sometimes accompanied by an Old Man (Demala Wunungmurra) or interacting with Suicide Man (Aaron Pedersen), its rhythmic sights and sounds wash over him — and over the watching viewer, too. Think of Spear as a series of exquisite dance routines, each fusing the traditional and the contemporary, and representing a plethora of issues: discrimination, marginalisation, violence, homelessness, abuse, and forced assimilation among them. Think of it as a process of layering, as well. Each individual section proves an intricate, intimate and distinctive creation in its own right, as well as a crucial piece of a bigger thematic and artistic puzzle. If it sounds unique, that's because it is. In fact, with its combination of exceptional physical feats, evocative presentation and somewhat abstract content, Spear is unlike any film most audiences will have seen. It's a stunning achievement, as well as a memorable one. The end result doesn't simply engage the brain but assaults the senses — so much so that it almost feels as though the movie could dance from the screen back into reality at any moment. To celebrate Black History Month, Spear screens at QPAC's Cremorne Theatre at 6.30pm on Thursday, July 5 — with tickets just $5, and a Q&A session held after the film.
The fine fictional detectives of Brooklyn's 99th precinct have long held a soft spot in sitcom viewers' hearts, but that hasn't always proven the case for TV's powers that be. After airing on America's Fox network for five seasons between 2013–2018, the show was cancelled in May last year — only to be picked up for a sixth season by rival US channel NBC just 31 hours later. That 18-episode sixth season is currently on the air, screening on SBS Viceland in Australia. Yes, fans of comedic cops, Die Hard gags and 'title of your sex tape' jokes can't utter "noice" fast or often enough. But in even better news, NBC has just renewed Brooklyn Nine-Nine for a seventh season, which'll likely run across late 2019 and early 2020. That means there's no need to worry about the show's fate for a whole year. As Jake Peralta would say: cool cool cool. Breaking out a celebratory yoghurt, Terry Jeffords-style, is definitely in order. If you're more like Captain Raymond Holt, perhaps you'd like to treat yourself to a trip to a barrel museum. Or you could channel your inner Gina Linetti and dance about your happy feelings. However you choose to mark the news, it's worth it — while the series has a devoted following, its future has rarely been secure, with the possibility of cancellation usually hanging over its previous seasons. The Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast — including Andy Samberg, Stephanie Beatriz, Terry Crews, Melissa Fumero, Joe Lo Truglio, Andre Braugher, Dirk Blocker and Joel McKinnon Miller — were all suitably thrilled, as the video below shows. In fact, the renewal even prompted Braugher to tweet for only the second time, which sounds like a classic Captain Holt move. https://twitter.com/nbcbrooklyn99/status/1100902305858117637 And if you're particularly fond of sitcoms created by Mike Schur, who also gave the world Parks & Recreation, then prepare to go to your good place. Fellow NBC show The Good Place, which screens on Netflix in Australia, was already renewed at the end of 2018. Its fourth season is due later this year. Via Variety.
Close out the summer with a wild and wacky bang at Mona's annual festival of boundary-defying culture, music and art. The iconoclastic Hobart gallery, performance space, and purveyor of beer and wine, is known for subverting expectations so you can expect an eccentric and unforgettable few days down south at Mona Foma. Now in its 16th year, the 2024 incarnation of the festival runs from Thursday, February 15 to Sunday, February 25 in nipaluna/Hobart and from Thursday, February 29 to Saturday, March 2 in Launceston. There are morning meditations with cross-cultural musical collaborations and captivating art exhibits for those after a more reflective experience. On the flip side of fun, there are gigs galore and late-night bashes for those keen for a boogie. The program features everything from Taiwanese artist Yahon Chang painting with a human-sized brush and Emeka Ogboh's gin-centred exhibit to musical headliners Queens of the Stone Age, Courtney Barnett, Paul Kelly and cult favourites TISM in a rare live show. Check out our picks of the program below to kick-start your festival planning or get you inspired to book your Tassie getaway. Mona Sessions If you can only make it to one event, the quintessential Mona Foma experience can be found at the Mona Sessions. On the evenings of Friday, February 23 to Sunday, February 25, you can enjoy live music from international artists on the sprawling museum lawns. Suitable for all ages, Mona Sessions features performances by Scottish space-rock stalwarts Mogwai; Kutcha Edwards and The Australian Art Orchestra; Japanese punk-pop band Shonen Knife; Canadian quartet Holy Fuck; French-Korean siblings (both under the age of 15) Isaac et Nora; and Lonnie Holley with Moor Mother and Irreversible Entanglements. [caption id="attachment_939340" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Amniote Editions[/caption] Faux Mo Keep the grooves flowing after the Mona Sessions at Faux Mo. The Granada Tavern opposite Mona will become abuzz with late-night beats and boogies from 10.30pm until 2am on Friday, February 23 and Saturday, February 24, with a more chill afternoon sesh on Sunday, February 25. Catch sets from POOKIE, Soju Gang and m8riarchy, along with melodic beats by Mama Snake from Denmark, Afrobeats by Nigerian-born Emeka Ogboh, and mellow house by Kiwi brothers Chaos in the CBD. [caption id="attachment_939338" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Amber Haines[/caption] Wayfinder Queensland dance collective Dancenorth is known for compelling performances which weave together contemporary dance and powerful storytelling. Wayfinder is no exception. Viewers will be immersed in Dancenorth's spellbinding choreography, set to a score by Grammy award-nominated Hiatus Kaiyote with a stage and costumes designed by visual artist Hiromi Tango. The performance will only run for three nights from Thursday, February 22 to Saturday, February 24, so be sure to book in quick. [caption id="attachment_829589" align="alignnone" width="1920"] MONA and Jesse Hunniford[/caption] Boats (a gin and art experiment) Multifaceted artist Emeka Ogboh will not only be spinning a DJ set at Faux Mo, but has also developed an immersive exhibit. Boats explores themes of migration and belonging through a bespoke gin blended by the Nigerian-born creative. Festival-goers can sample the gin and snacks accompanied by a sound installation at Detached. If that's not enough, Ogboh is collaborating with Mona's executive chef to incorporate the gin and West African flavours at various Mona restaurants during the festival. [caption id="attachment_939336" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Courtesy of Filastine & Nova[/caption] Arka Kinari It wouldn't be Mona Foma without show-stopping, thought-provoking works — and what's a bigger statement than a 70-tonne sailing ship moored at the waterfront to spread awareness about climate change? The boat, named Arka Kinari, is musical duo and married couple Filastine and Nova's home, creative work, transport and travelling stage. The pair are inviting visitors aboard to learn about the ship's sustainable resources — which include water desalination, solar power, wind travel and waste management — and will also be performing their music against a backdrop of cinematic visuals on the deck of the ship. Don't miss it. [caption id="attachment_939339" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gabriel Comerford[/caption] Dekoor In Launceston, gym and rave bros collide at the adults-only Dekoor. Local Tasmanian artists ROOKE will put on an exciting dance, theatre and circus performance in a working gym, where audience members can wander through the space throughout the show. For some added fun, consent tokens will be available if you're open to being touched, carried or led away by performers. These tokens can of course be removed or passed on if you change your mind during the event. After the show, stick around for a party with DJs and performances across three levels of the gym until 1am. The Shruti Sessions Journey across musical borders at The Shruti Sessions, where musicians from Hindustani and Rajasthani backgrounds collaborate and experiment with Australian instrumentalists. Experience something new at each performance, whether you drop in for a Morning Meditation or catch the action at the Mona Sessions. Performers include notable tabla player Bobby Singh, percussionist Benjamin Walsh, OAM recipient and saxophonist Sandy Evans, sarangi player Asin Khan Langa and renowned slide guitarist Debashish Bhattacharya. [caption id="attachment_831323" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jason Charles Hill via Tourism Tasmania[/caption] The Gorge How about a lazy day of lounging and swims followed by an evening concert at the spectacular Cataract Gorge? And what's more, this live show — featuring the elusive TISM, Mulga Bore Hard Rock, FFLORA x Grace Chia and Cash Savage and The Last Drinks — is completely free. If you'd like to level up your experience, you can opt for the Peacock Pass which grants you access to the Peacock Bar, a private entrance and a viewing area with seating. Find out more and book your tickets at the Mona Foma website.
In an attempt to contain COVID-19, the Australian government has announced the mass closure of indoor venues — a move that comes after stacks of events across the country have been axed, restrictions have been placed on non-essential outdoor and indoor events, international travel has effectively been suspended, domestic travel is strongly recommended against and large cultural institutions are temporarily shutting. It's all part of the government's efforts to encourage social distancing and, unsurprisingly, there's been a spike in the number of people now spending more time at home. As a result, bars, cafes and restaurants are now required to shut their doors to dine-in customers — so they're adapting by beefing up their takeaway options, launching new delivery meals and even creating boozy care packages. That means that you can put down that fifth can of Aldi tuna and pick up the phone, knowing you'll be doing a local business a solid while also getting to eating a tasty, fancy, succulent meal. Here, we'll keep you updated on all the restaurant-quality eats you can order takeaway, or have delivered to your doorstep. PICK UP AND DELIVERY [caption id="attachment_756558" align="alignnone" width="1920"] BrewDog DogTap[/caption] Alchemy (CBD) Eagle Street's Alchemy has implemented an 'Alchemy to You' takeaway and office delivery service, with menu items that include jumbo quail with Asian salad ($15), lemon pepper chicken ($20), and the restaurant's lasagne with pork and veal mince sauce ($26). It's also selling grocery items via 'Alchemy Gourmet Grocery' — check out the full list of available supplies online, place your order and then pick it up in-store 24 hours later. Ballistic Beer Co (Salisbury, West End and Springfield) For folks who live within five kilometres of Ballistic Beer Co's Salisbury and Springfield breweries, the booze-loving outfit will deliver its beverages to your home for orders over $70. At all three of its venues, takeaway options are also available. Billykart (West End) Billykart's West End restaurant is doing takeaway orders, with its full menu available by calling the eatery. It has also launched a reduced 'Billykart at Home' range via UberEats. BrewDog DogTap Brisbane (Murarrie) Perched next to the Brisbane river, BrewDog's first Australian base is scrapping all person-to-person contact — but still selling takeaway brews, wine and food via drive-through. On the menu: burgers and fries (from $19.50), pizzas (from $18) and craft beers (from $4), with orders taken via BrewDog's BrewDog HopDrop app for iOS and Android. Fancy dropping by in your boat? You can even pull up at the jetty and get your order brought to your vessel. Beer is currently available for delivery, too, and food delivery via Deliveroo and UberEats will start on Thursday, March 26. E'cco Bistro (Newstead) E'cco Bistro has launched a new takeaway menu, allowing customers to enjoy its a la carte dishes — such as parmesan and fior di latte arancini ($10 for four), gorgonzola potato gnocchi ($25) and 12-hour braised beef cheek with sautéed mushrooms and truffled mashed potatoes ($25) — at home. Call the restaurant to order, with meals available Wednesday–Saturday from 12–3pm and 5.30–8.30pm. You can either opt to collect it yourself — and call E'cco again when you get there so they can bring it out to your car — or make a delivery order via Deliveroo, with UberEats orders launching soon. Florence Cafe (Camp Hill) and Felix for Goodness (CBD) The folks at these two cafes are adapting their menu, offering takeaways and deliveries with a 'build your own menu' approach. Order via 11am, and it'll be available the same day — to pick up between 12–2pm and for delivery between 4–6pm. Gusto da Gianni (Hamilton) You can't enjoy the riverside view, but you can still tuck into Gusto da Gianni's Italian eats. The Portside restaurant has made its entire menu available for takeaway, and for delivery via UberEats and Deliveroo. Jumbo Thai (CBD) Edward Street's Jumbo Thai has started a new delivery and takeaway offering, spanning bao, curries, stir fries, noodles and rice. Paw Paw Asian Kitchen (Balmoral) Expanding its existing takeaway option, Balmoral's Paw Paw Asian Kitchen is now providing patrons with a drive-through service as well. Place your order in advance as usual, then pull up outside the Riding Road restaurant, give them a call and a staff member will bring your food out to your car. You can also order Paw Paw's dishes for delivery, too. Phat Boy (CBD) Brisbane Quarter's resident Thai joint is doing takeaways as well as deliveries — via UberEats and Deliveroo — for lunch Monday–Friday and dinner Monday –Saturday. Proof BBQ & Booze (Windsor) Get barbecued meats delivered to direct your door thanks to Proof BBQ & Booze's takeaway menu — or head by to pick up beef brisket, southern fried chicken, pulled pork, whole blackened fish and smoked hot links by the pound or half-pound. Semi-Pro Brewing Co (East Brisbane) With its taproom closed, Semi-Pro Brewing Co is doing takeaways and deliveries instead. From Wednesday–Sunday, you can stop by to pick up brews. And, if you'd like beer brought to your home without leaving your house, it's offering same-day delivery for full and half cartons. PICK UP [caption id="attachment_624544" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Il Molo[/caption] Belle Epoque (South Bank) Emporium's Belle Epoque has launched a pre-packaged 'grab and go' range, which spans both sweet and savoury goodies — including beef lasagne, Thai red chicken curry, cream of pumpkin soup, beef cheek ragu and Moroccan lamb tagine for $9.90 each; and its usual array of coffee, birthday cakes, tarts and other patisserie items. You can also order via phone, then pull up in the Emporium Hotel South Bank driveway and have your order brought to your car. Burleigh Pavilion (Burleigh Heads) For Brisbanites who find themselves a little further south, Burleigh Pavilion has launched a new takeaway menu. You can't order drinks, but you can nab items from its usual seafood, grills, burger and pizza range, as well as from its selection of sides, share plates and salads. Gerard's Bistro (Fortitude Valley) Significant changes are in effect over at Gerard's Bistro, with the Fortitude Valley restaurant merging with sibling venue Gerard's Bar for the time being. Together in their combined site, they're also offering a takeaway menu — including whole and half charcoal chickens ($25/15), cheese manoushe ($13) and fattoush salad ($10). Il Molo (Bulimba) Eastsiders can check out Il Molo's new takeaway menu, with offers a range of Italian-style fare — including arancini with pumpkin, sage and goats cheese ($15 for three), classic carbonara ($26) and five types of pizza ($20–27). Montrachet (Bowen Hills) From Monday, March 23, King Street's French fine diner is offering a selection of dishes in semi-prepared takeaway packs that can be collected from its Bowen Hills digs. Tuck into duck and cognac parfait ($15), French onion soup ($12), pressed pork belly ($30), opera cake with sauce anglaise ($10.50) and more. Orders must be made before 7pm for collection the next day. Naim (Paddington) Paddington's go-to for Middle Eastern cuisine has opened its whole menu up for takeaway orders, which can be booked by phone or via Facebook and Instagram DM, then picked up in-store. It is also doing 'Family Meal Kits', with options for two or four people ranging from $35–75. Newstead Brewing Co (Newstead and Milton) No matter which Newstead Brewing Co you're closest to — its original Newstead digs or its second site at Milton — you can take advantage of its new click and collect option. It applies across both brews and food, pairing four-packs from the brewery's core range with one of its pizzas. Just order online, include your beer and pizza preference in the notes, then pick it up 30 minutes later — with orders available from 12–8pm daily. Perch'd (Coorparoo) Nestled inside a cute old Queenslander in a leafy Coorparoo street, Perch'd has made its whole menu available for takeaway — with orders available from 4pm Wednesday–Friday and from 12pm on weekends. Ristorante Tartufo (Fortitude Valley) If your tastebuds are hankering for a hearty Italian meal, Fortitude Valley's Tartufo is now offering full takeaway service. Its classic-style pastas, risottos and pizzas are all available to order, as are its entrees, mains and desserts. Same Same (Fortitude Valley) Contact-free takeaway is now available at Same Same, available from 5.30pm Monday–Sunday and 12–3pm Friday–Sunday. Favourites such as the Longtime chicken burger ($5.50), red curry of Angus beef cheek ($30) and banana flower salad with grilled chicken and coconut ($23) are on the Fortitude Valley eatery's menu. Sono (Hamilton) Portside's Sono is known for its luxe Japanese spread — think sashimi platters, soft shell crab with shiso salsa and black cod saiko yaki — which you can now order for takeaway by calling the venue. Tetto Rooftop Bar, Comuna Cantina and Corbett & Claude (Everton Park) This Everton Park trio are offering drive-through takeaway orders. Order online or via phone, then have your meal brought to your car when you arrive to pick it up. Three Blue Ducks (CBD) W Brisbane's resident restaurant is now doing takeaway lunch and dinner, with its full menu available for pick up — for lunch on weekends, and for dinner from seven days a week. Have you come across one we've missed? Let us know at hello@concreteplayground.com Top image: Burleigh Pavilion
It's omurice time. Some dishes are as straightforward as they sound, and this one — aka omelette rice — is among them. It's an omelette made with fried rice, then typically topped with sauce. Clearly it's an easy concept to get around. And Motokichi Yukimura from Kichi Kichi Omurice in Kyoto keeps visiting Down Under to whip it up. Not all iterations of this western-influenced Japanese eggs-plus-rice staple are made equal, which is why Kichi Kichi Omurice's version might be on your travel bucket list. Chef Motokichi Yukimura's viral-famous take on the dish has made him an internet star — the term "Japan's most-famous omurice chef" has been used — and seen his eatery become a tourist destination. Sometimes, however, he brings his omurice to Australia, as he's set to again in March 2025. If you'd like the Kichi Kichi Omurice experience without the airfares, you can make that a reality in Brisbane. And if this sounds familiar, that's because Yukimura headed this way twice in 2024. He's again visiting Harajuku Gyoza to show why the dish he's been making for over 45 years is such a smash. The chef is doing 'meet and eat' events, cooking everyone who attends his specialty — and putting on a show, complete with his Kichi Kichi Omurice song and dance. Queensland capital residents are headed to Harajuku Gyoza South Brisbane across Sunday, March 23–Tuesday, March 25. Tickets cost $170 per person, with sittings for both lunch and dinner. That price covers tucking into Yukimura's omurice, as made at your table, plus a range of Harajuku Gyoza signature dishes — and meeting the chef. Alongside removing the need to book a flight to Japan, this is an easier way to enjoy the Kichi Kichi experience for another reason. As of January 2024, the Kyoto eatery is no longer doing bookings in advance. Now, diners are only able to make reservations on the same day they're eating, and need a password that's placed on the restaurant's door each morning to lock in their seating.
If we had kept going with the stone age, bronze age, iron age system, we would be probably be somewhere in the plastic one, so it is little wonder that so many artists are passing over paintbrushes and kilns to experiment with the possibilities of inflation. In a case of perfect irony, plastic might just be the most digestible of contemporary art ingredients. At home and abroad artists are taking full advantage of your inner child that knows all good parties need a jumping castle and dreams of seeing Woody Woodpecker at the Thanksgiving Parade in NYC (remember Mr Pitt?). Or, if you were a serious eight-year-old, the arguments for making art with a human-made material that is choking the planet practically write themselves. Inspired by the current Mobile M+: Inflation! exhibition in Hong Kong, here is a mini-retrospective of our favourite inflatables. Inflatable Guantanamo Bay prison cell, 2008 Starting at the serious end of the scale, let's go back to 2008 when Bush and Cheney were still kicking around the White House and Phillip Toledano released his online installation, America the Giftstop. "We buy souvenirs at the end of a trip, to remind ourselves of the experience. What do we have to remind ourselves of the events of the last eight years?" Toledano said. An artist and photographer, Toledano's satirical selection of souvenirs from the War on Terror included this life-sized inflatable Guantanamo bay bouncy prison cell. You can imagine his satisfaction in creating a hard-hitting piece of art that is ostensibly a bouncing castle, but then again, that is probably the point. Complex Pile, 2007 Statement on art? A screw-you to exhibition organisers? Paul McCarthy's idea of a gag? Or, a case of beauty where you least expect it? The house-sized inflatable dog turd that caught everyone's attention in Hong Kong is testament to the permission new materials give the artist. This work is currently showing as 'Complex Pile', but certain corners of the internet remember when it had a four letter name. This is not a one-off for McCarthy, whose other inflatable works include a disembodied head of George W. Bush and pigs mid-coitus. Jumping Castle War Memorial, 2010 Aussie artists have also been dragging out the old air-pump. Remember Brook Andrews' Biennale offering a few years ago? Paying tribute to the humble jumping castle, this highly politicised artwork broke the hearts of Sydney’s children by reversing the age restriction to 16+ and popping in a sneaky nod to the old habits of the British Museum — Aboriginal heads — in the turrets. Jumping Castle War Memorial poses some harrowing questions: who would jump on a war memorial? Who can resist a jumping castle? And, where should the memorial end? Baby Ruth, 1966 Forget your definition of art, or decent human beings; Andy Warhol had a knack for picking trends. So, here is our nod to the father of Pop Art and his inflatable Baby Ruth bars. These bad boys also served as his wedding present to the bride and groom of Mod Wedding, part of his 1966 multimedia event Exploding Plastic Inevitable. Subway Sea Monster (The Lochness), 2008 Gorilla art and inflatables seem like a natural match, but the logistics must be alluding some of the smaller-scale art makers out there. NYC street artist Joshua Allen Harris has come up with his own solution: building sculptures with everyday plastics, like garbage bags, and then taping them to subway vents. Like Marilyn before them, Harris's pieces blow up as trains pass below them. Cool, huh? In an added bonus Harris also has a conscience and has used the attention payed to his Polar Bear piece to raise support for the fight against global warming. Rubber Duck, 2007 This international bath time adventurer had its first outing in 2007 and shows no signs of stopping, unless you count this pancake performance in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour. Artist Florentijn Hofman describes his Rubber Duck as an exercise in ice breaking, a destroyer of barriers that knows no discrimination. He could be right: it is extremely accessible, and how much hate mongering could you do with a six-storey, bright yellow duck bobbing behind you? Hofman's Rubber Duck in happier times.
Over a decade into its story, Eat Street Northshore has risen to become one of Brisbane's choice food and entertainment destinations, featuring a huge variety of eclectic bites and drinks from amongst its jumble of colourful shipping containers. Now this bustling waterfront precinct is ready to reveal its latest summer event series, headlined by a Tivo summer spritz pop-up bar. Taking over The Trawler Deck — the venue's outdoor dining area, complete with a 30-tonne vintage prawn trawler — guests are invited to score an exclusive sneak peek. Featuring standout Mojo Tivo citrus spritzes and a seafood feast from local gourmet fish and chips purveyors, The Salty Sailor, this supremely bright and fresh combo will go down a treat alongside the sun-soaked vistas. Keen to head along? Eat Street Northshore is hosting a special launch party giveaway, with a lucky winner scoring two VIP tickets, a bottle of Tivo Lemon Spritz and a premium seafood platter for two from The Salty Sailor. With the winner announced at 12pm on Thursday, January 15, there's still time to enter. For those who don't score the prize, there's no need to stress. You're still welcome to check out the Tivo pop-up, open from Saturday, January 17–Sunday, January 18, and from Friday, January 23–Sunday, January 25. With the wider Eat Street Northshore experience home to live music across four stages and 60 culinary vendors, schedule in a sun-drenched session with friends or plan that overdue date night.
You can't re-do Christopher Walken. But Flight Facilities have given it red hot go. The Aussie producer duo have thrown down a brand new video for single 'Down to Earth' from their 2014 critically acclaimed debut album, recruiting none other than Sam Rockwell to Walken the Dinosaur through a tired ol' diner. From the disco ball-flanked kitchen to Rockwell's vicious thumb grooving, Flight Facilities latest video presents the ultimate happy place for jaded, Hawaiian shirt-wearing folk. Rockwell falls asleep at a diner and goes on an epic danceology quest through the kitchen and out to the carpark and back. The whole thing was directed by Rhett Wade Ferrell, who lent his mad skills to FF for 'Sunshine' with Reggie Watts and breakthrough, 15 million views single 'Crave You' with Giselle. Rockwell's strong moves were choreographed by the legendary Vincent Paterson, who's worked with the top tier likes of Michael Jackson and Madonna. "I really, really liked the song, and it was an honour to work with legendary choreographer Vincent Paterson," says Rockwell. "I’m the kinda guy that likes to shake my tail feather, and so it was a great opportunity to get some new moves, especially to such a sweet beat.” Here's Flight Facilities' 'Down to Earth' video. See if you can spot the FF cameo. And here's Christopher Walken in Fatboy Slim's 'Weapon of Choice', because.
Whether or not you've ever splashed in its wave-filled waters or taken a selfie around its edge, where the pool borders the ocean — or even if you've simply seen images of it everywhere, including sometimes featuring Margot Robbie in Barbie mode — feeling the urge to plunge into Bondi Icebergs is a side effect of watching Ian Darling's The Pool. The yearning to take a dip in your nearest body of water also strikes. Equally radiating from the screen as the Sydney landmark receives a cinematic tribute: the sensation that just by viewing the latest documentary from the filmmaker behind The Final Quarter and Paul Kelly — Stories of Me, you've enjoyed the next best thing to hopping in. Everyone knows Bondi Icebergs, thanks to about as many photographs as there are grains of sand on Bondi Beach, or perhaps more. It's the most-snapped pool in the world, in fact, The Pool notes. Darling's film explores its allure beyond its scenic aesthetic, even if the movie is stunningly gorgeous to look at (how could it not be?) and perfectly set to a 60s-inspired soundtrack. This is a doco about community, and about why one has formed around the haven of blue at the southern end of Bondi Beach that's been welcoming in swimmers for almost a century. Some come to Icebergs to relax. Others come to train and compete. Some head along with friends and/or family. Others arrive solo, knowing that their fellow swimmers are their friends and family. Some do indeed fill their Instagram feeds with photos, and The Pool sees them. But the film spends its time largely observing the immense cross-section of folks who frequent Bondi Icebergs, from daily devotees to casual weekenders, newcomers to veterans, young to old, and lifeguards and swimming coaches to baristas as well, as they congregate, revel in the spectacular tidal pool's gifts no matter the weather and discover a place to belong in the process. That's how Darling overcame what might've been a challenge for other filmmakers: diving beneath the surface of a place that is so instantly recognisable, and for good reason. It's also how he's made a movie that is meditative to watch, mirroring what many of its interviewees say about the body of water. And, it's why The Pool has been getting the love flowing from audiences around the country — not just in Sydney, where it fittingly world-premiered at the 2024 Sydney Film Festival; which "was actually quite emotional, because three of the key characters had died in only the month or two beforehand, and this was the first time that a lot of the audience had seen them again," Darling tells Concrete Playground; not only among swimmers as well. "We've been doing a lot of the film festivals, and so just meeting people all over — after launching at Sydney Film Festival, we went over to CinefestOZ in Margaret River, and then Byron, Sunshine Coast, Adelaide Film Festival. Then we've been doing a few pre-cinema release screenings up at Noosa when the triathlon was on, and Brisbane and Gold Coast," the director notes when we chat in the lead up to the film's release nationwide. "What I'm especially pleased about is that we weren't sure whether it was such a Sydney-centric film that it wasn't going to speak to other audiences, but it it's been wonderful seeing that there are so many common themes in it that it's speaking to people not only all across Australia, but to swimmers and non-swimmers. Which I was surprised about. Coming out of COVID, people are still hurting and yearning for a community, and really putting a greater value on any community they're a part of. And so it's had a much more emotional response than we than we expected." "I was especially pleased at the screening over at the Orpheum, where a number of people came up — and a couple of ladies who were very emotional said 'we don't swim, but we're part of a book club. And we feel that you've spoken the same language in terms of what we do in our book club. And we value it even more, it's about community and it's about a shared language'," Darling continues. "I was asking them exactly what they mean. She said 'well, we talk about a book and we could see here people were just talking about swimming'. And the penny dropped, and it made me realise that's so much about what we look for in a community — whether it's a film festival where we're all talking the same language, or a book club, or even at a pool. It never ceases to amaze me how long people can talk about swimming. But it is a shared language, and everyone comes from all different walks of life and they have this common link." Where inspiration strikes as a filmmaker, the 'I need to make a movie about this' moment with Bondi Icebergs, his own first experience with the pool, choosing interviewees, finding the doco's ebb and flow, the importance of community, what Bondi Icebergs both says about and means to Sydney: we also spoke with Darling about all of the above. On Darling's First Bondi Icebergs Moment "I came up from Melbourne in the early 90s, and my wife and I were swimming in the middle of winter at the beach, and suddenly realised how many people were swimming — and coming from Melbourne, I'd never swim in winter. And I was thinking 'how long does this happen?'. I saw this building down the end — and I wasn't familiar with the Icebergs. And I always was intrigued by it. I actually thought that it was more of a private club. Actually, for the whole of that decade, I never went to it. When someone told me that it was a public pool in the early 2000s, I remember walking in and it just blew me away. I suddenly actually did feel like I was in a 60s film, and it was one of the most-beautiful places and pools I'd ever swum in. There are so many pools I've swum in and I don't have any recall, but I remember walking in and just feeling like I was in this time warp, and it was a very positive experience." On When the 'I Need to Make a Film About This' Moment Came with The Pool "I think it was post-lockdown, and I think when we have something taken away from us — we're social creatures and we all realised that that we do need a sense of community. Also having come out of The Final Quarter and The Department on child protection, I wanted to give myself permission to actually make a happy film and a feel-good film, and a film where people could just meditate and contemplate their own life. I was sitting down at Icebergs with a friend of mine, Marg Simpson-Lee, who's a swimmer. And I was saying 'I'm really looking for something which is a connected story about a community that is uplifting'. And she said 'well, what about here?'. And so it was right under my nose. The more I thought about it, I thought 'actually, it is going to give me a platform to tell these stories about community and connection'. So it was as simple as that. I wasn't sure what it meant. And it took us a while to get a sense of how to make it and why we, in the end, decided to make the pool the central character, and let all the other characters, almost like 30 sets of arms and legs, give us context of to what was in there. But I think I was ready myself as well — I think we often wear the hair shirt as documentary filmmakers, and I had to give myself permission to say 'actually, it's okay to make a film where we just actually sit back and think and observe and hopefully feel happy at the end of it'. So that was the the intent." On Digging Into What Makes the Most-Photographed Pool in the World Special Beyond Its Aesthetics "It's a good question, because I think with the notion of it being the most-photographed pool in the world, with that comes all the connotations of Instagram and body image, and all of that. And we almost wanted the film to be the antithesis of that. One of the things we weren't sure of was how people would feel when we were down there with cameras, because people are perhaps at their most vulnerable when they're just in their swimmers. And we were very aware and respectful of it. So we had signs up everywhere, and we made sure, our producers went around, that anyone who didn't want to be in the film could come and tell us, and we'd make sure that they weren't and absolutely honour that. On the first morning, about three people came up and I thought 'wow, this is going to be challenging over the course of the year'. And then over the the whole year, I think only one or two other people came up and said that they didn't want to be in it. So we gained the trust, but it also made me realise that the people down there were actually very comfortable in their own skin, and all different body shapes and all different, all different types. I think that is very different from the notion of it being the most-photographed pool in the world. It was a very grounded experience, and the pool jumps out as something very beautiful — but I think whenever we were there on weekends, we'd see people doing selfies and everything, and we wanted to reflect that in the film but also highlight that it wasn't the story we were telling." On the Process of Choosing Interviewees From the Bondi Icebergs Community "On the website, we did 100 full-length interviews — because we never wanted to make the film about the history of the club, but we thought 'well, let's grab a time capsule of history and get the full stories'. And from that, we got a lot of clues. It was almost like an audition. A lot of the characters jumped out, and the stories. We didn't want to make it a character-based film. We said 'let's make the pool the central character, but let's define them by themes'. So what we saw was the characters were around things like friendship and routine — there are a couple of friends that get there at 13 minutes to seven every morning, and that's a very important thing about commitment. And then there are stories around mental health and physical sickness and endurance, and volunteering and perseverance and fear. A number of the characters were fearful of the water and learning to swim. So it was more 'how do we represent all those themes?' rather than characters. And so the two went sort of hand in hand. We had so many people that unfortunately we couldn't fit in, more because they told the same story rather than not having a great story. And I think that was the thing, as I was saying before, very few people didn't want to be in it but we I think we upset a number of people who desperately wanted to be in it but didn't make the final cut." On the Film's Crew Swimming at Bondi Icebergs Themselves for 99 Days of the 100 Day-Shoot "I think it was an important part. So the only day we didn't swim was the one when the huge storms were there. And I think people at the start of any film are wary when these outsiders come in, and we just we started very gently, but right from the start, we got in. And we started in May when the water was getting really cold. I think that helped with the locals, when they saw that we were prepared to get in the cold water and that we actually swam ourselves, and that we could speak the same language. I've never really asked them, but I know we were always observed — and I think just in a quiet sort of way that that enabled us to get even closer to everyone. But also, I thought if we're making a film at a place like this, if we don't actually get in and enjoy ourselves — because when we were at the homeless shelter, that was a three-year film shoot and that was all hours of the night. And when we were there at three o'clock in the morning, I was thinking 'hmm, we're certainly earning our stripes as documentary filmmakers here'. So unashamedly, we thought if we're doing a fun film, let's enjoy it." On Making a Meditative Film to Match the Mindset That Bondi Icebergs Can Inspire "I think we had two intents. One, sometimes we'd jump into a scene of a storm or the word of the coach and everything — it's quite bracing when you jump in the cold water. But also, the meditative nature we thought was really important. I think we've forgotten sometimes just to sit when we're on top of a mountain, just to look out and not look at our phone. And I thought it's really important for us just to have a feeling of what it's like just to sit and look at the waves, and that it's actually okay to sort of — bored is not the word I'd want to use in a film, but it's actually okay to do nothing. So we have an unusually long opening-credit sequence, but we wanted to play the whole of the Cream song 'I Feel Free' and just get people into the rhythm. Sometimes, I certainly know at the theatre when I'm there, sometimes I go 'wow, ten minutes has gone and I haven't been concentrating'. It can take us a while to get into it, so we thought let's just try and set up the rhythm of the film so that audiences give themselves permission just to sit and get into that meditative state. It felt like it was in sync with the intent of when you're swimming, because we wanted to make it immersive. But also I think sometimes it is good to let audiences — and a number of them have said during those meditative sort of scenes, the swimming or a storm or the purple tumble turns scene, that that's where they're actually thinking about their own place in a community. Or they're yearning for it. And so people have been doing a lot of self-reflection during the film as well, and that's really pleasing, because that was the intent as well." On What Darling Learned About the Importance of Community From Making The Pool "I think it really is that sense that we all need to be a part of a community and we all need to find people that share a common language — and, as I say, it means we can talk for hours about swimming or films or whatever. That, as a community, we deeply have this yearning to connect. And when it's taken away from us, we really miss it. If we haven't got it, we're yearning for it. It's such an important part of — at a pool, our physical health, but I think the most important thing is around our mental health. And as time goes on, we've got to ensure that cinemas remain open as a shared experience and that pools remain open. So many pools are closing, and we're going to do a bit of a campaign to try to get every mayor and council to come to watch the film, and actually see the importance that a local pool has on a community. As I say, so much of it is just around that connection, a meeting point, the importance of being with others. And I think that was very much the intent of the film, just to show how we do have to keep working hard at creating these gathering points, because the health of the community is very much dependent on them." On What Bondi Icebergs Means to Sydney — and Says About It "It says 'look at me', which is one of the things that, coming from Melbourne, where there are different seasons and everything, Sydney seems to have one season and it's sort of saying 'look at me' — which can be positive, but also I can be cynical about it. So that's on the surface, but I think it also says 'have a look below the surface and you'll find something that's far more profound and grounded — and if you are looking for a community, you'll find people with a common language there;. At the outset, it's a shining beacon and a tourist destination. The amount of times we've heard people go 'oh, I've had that swim. It's been on my bucket list'. People like to go to Bondi Beach. They'd like to go to the Opera House. In Queensland they love to go to the Gold Coast or the Barrier Reef. As a destination for Australians, but also as tourists, I think it's very much an important part of — unashamedly Australia has a strong beach culture, and I think it reflects that as a piece of beach history." On Where Inspiration Strikes for a Filmmaker with Documentaries About Everything From Bondi Icebergs, Adam Goodes and Paul Kelly to Capitalism and the Welfare of Homeless Youth on His Resume "Because I've had so many films that have fallen over, answering this way, typically the films that have fallen over are ones where I haven't had a strong-enough contact or connection with the subject matter. I'm a pretty slow filmmaker, most of the film shoots have been at least a year, and we take a long time in the edit suite. And I think to go on that long journey, I have to have a real interest in it. So with this one, The Pool, swimming's my main physical activity. I'm not a member of Icebergs, but I like cold-water swimming, so that gave me clues. With Adam Goodes, I'm a huge AFL fan and I go out every week — and we were thinking before he retired, actually, because he was one of my favourite all-time footballers, of making a film on him in his twilight years. So it ended up being a very different one, but having been so aware of it and been in the crowds when he was being booed, and being there when he was celebrated, suddenly he retired and I thought 'wow, are we going to' — I was just confused — 'are we going to let history be rewritten?'. So it took a few years but it just never left me, I think because I'd had such an intimate relationship with watching him as a player. I hadn't met him at all until we spoke about the film, but he was certainly present. [caption id="attachment_715066" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 29th September 2012, The Age Sport, Picture by Wayne Taylor[/caption] And then with Paul Kelly, I grew up in Melbourne — and in the 80s, just the Melbourne band scene was just extraordinary, and Paul Kelly spoke to me like no other sort of musician had. And again, I hadn't met him until we sought his approval, but he was my favourite musician — which can be dangerous, making films about your hero, as such. Then with the homeless, I'd spent a lot of time volunteering at this homeless shelter in Sydney and really got to know a number of the street kids, and just saw that homelessness was totally off the agenda, and felt it was really important to bring it back and try and put it into every home. We got a lot of philanthropic funding to present a report to the government. It's those sort of things, where I've had a connection and felt that I was in a place to be able to tell a story." The Pool opened in Australian cinemas on Thursday, November 7, 2024.
If battling zombies in your lounge room through a games console no longer cuts it, an augmented audio running game called Zombies, Run! might be the answer. London-based games and app developers, Six to Start, have combined mobile GPS technology with augmented audio technology to create a game whose story unravels in the outside world. The game's storyline may be based on an old cliché - a player runs from zombies in a post-apocalyptic world - but its method of delivery is certainly new. Players are presented with location-specific challenges in their mission to rebuild civilisation, completing the game by listening to atmospheric audio commands on their headphones and finishing a series of runs in which they collect medicine, ammo, batteries and spare parts. Adrian Hon, CEO and co-founder of Six To Start, told PSFK: "The idea is that we want to make running – and exercise in general – more fun and more captivating through game-play and story." The game for iPhone, iPod and Android devices has over 30 unique missions to be completed and most recently featured on Kickstarter. It can be pre-ordered online at their site.
Shen Yun presents traditional Chinese culture as it is intended to be—a brilliant blend of beauty, energy and grace. The world’s top classical Chinese dancers, original live music by the Shen Yun Orchestra, animated backdrops and exquisite costumes all work together to take you on a journey to an enchanted realm. See ancient legends of virtue brought to life alongside modern tales of courage. Hear soaring songs by masterful vocalists that will move and inspire. Experience a sense of beauty and enchantment like no other with this unique, thrilling, and unforgettable show for all ages. “It was an extraordinary experience for us and the children... the level of skill, but also the power of the narratives were startling.” – Cate Blanchett
Feel like your interior space needs a 2023 refresh, but don't want to spend thousands on a couple of exxy cushions? We get it. Luckily the cost-effective homewares market is just getting better and better these days — and of course, a huge player is everyone's fave Aussie department store, Kmart. Well, take an extended lunch break or block out some time in the diary for online shopping — we mean, a 'meeting' — because today, Thursday, February 2, Kmart has just unveiled its latest home-focused lineup. Expect it to fly off the shelves. With prices starting at $3.50 — for dinnerware, should your kitchen need a revamp — the February Living Range goes heavy on colourful hues, natural materials and vintage inspiration. There are three main themes: timeless, natural and urban. The first two themes skew soft, gently preparing us for autumn with shearling fabrics, hygge-friendly throws and rugs, curved shapes and delicate glassware. The latter theme, which is still designed to mix and match with the rest of the range, is where bold silhouettes and gleaming surfaces come in. We also have it on good authority that deep purples and red wine tones are going to be big this year. Covering items for the dining room, bathroom, bedroom and living room as well, Kmart's current drop includes some 70s-inspired picks like a cream cloud chair (available online only), an arched bedside table and some funky vases and candles — all of which you'll probably see on TikTok in about six minutes flat. And it being Kmart there are all the classic beachy and boho tones that have become synonymous with the brand: think rattan baskets, chambray throws and fringed ottomans. Our top picks? The new coloured and curved water glasses are guaranteed to go viral — especially starting at just $14 for a set of four — while the coupe glasses are screaming cocktails in the sunshine to us. Scatter them along a long table for your next dinner party, amid your new pastel $5 candles and scallop-edged placemats. Oh and you can probably cater the party using Kmart's new outrageously affordable pizza oven and LED-screen air fryer (complete with a dehydrator for DIY cocktail garnishing). For the bathroom, make sure you grab the plush towels that are in our eyes a total dupe for Missoni — except they're only $13 each. But be warned — you only have a short period to get your mitts on your favourite pieces. The February Living Range is on sale online and in-store from Thursday, February 2 until Wednesday, February 22. This drop also includes a newly increased DIY line of decorative pieces like wallpaper, adhesive tiles, window dressings and door handles, for refreshing tired existing spaces around the house. Kmart's February Living range is on sale online and in-store from Thursday, February 2 until Wednesday, February 22.
When it comes to dazzling scenery, Tropical North Queensland is a technicolour dreamscape. Lakes are emerald green, and billabongs are turquoise blue, while the nearby rainforest canopies are dotted with brightly coloured birds and butterflies. Up north, the warm summer rains give way to heavenly autumn vegetation, with a dizzying array of tropical plants unfurling. The idea that the outback can only be beige and dusty is simply untrue in the tropics. So, read on to discover our picks for you to enjoy the bright green autumn scenes in the Tropical North Queensland outback this year.
A great bar isn't just about the tap count, but that figure can be a sign of a more-the-merrier situation for beer lovers. When the number is hefty, usually so are your drinks choices, including trying tipples that you mightn't have had a chance to otherwise. So when a 120-tap bar awaits, it really is a case of imagining the possibilities. The Great Australasian Beer Spectapular, aka GABS, loves getting creative with beers — and loves letting attendees at its annual festivals sip and sample over 100 different varieties each year. In 2025, when the fest returns to Melbourne in April, then to Brisbane and Sydney in May, it'll set up that 120-tap bar, all in a straight line. Exactly 100 of those taps will pour beers, and the weirder and wilder the flavours, the better. The other 20 will feature spirits, cocktails and other beverages. For many of the brews on offer at GABS, this is either the first time or the only place that you can taste them. It's too early for details on specific beers as yet, but sushi beer, cookie stouts and lollipop sours have featured in the past. Think of a foodstuff — peanut butter, coffee, earl grey tea, chicken salt, pizza, fairy floss, bubblegum, doughnuts, red frogs and sour gummy bears, for instance — and there's likely been a brew made to taste exactly the same at GABS. This year, GABS is doing two-day visits to its three Aussie stops. Across Friday, April 4–Saturday, April 5, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre will be saying cheers. Then, from Friday, May 23–Saturday, May 24, it'll be time to clink cups at Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, before ICC Sydney hosts the last event of the tour on Friday, May 30–Saturday, May 31. If you're a newcomer to GABS, it started off as a Melbourne-only celebration of ales, lagers, ciders and more. Then it began spreading along Australia's east coast capitals, as well as to New Zealand. The event surveys both Australian and New Zealand breweries, plus sometimes some guests from further afield — Schlenkerla and Weihenstephan, both from Germany, are the first names on the list in 2025 — with more than 60 normally showcasing their wares annually. Also on the bill: other tipples, including non-alcoholic beers, seltzers, whiskey, gin, cocktails and wines. GABS is known for dishing up a hefty lineup of activities to accompanying all that sipping, too, which usually spans a silent disco, roaming bands, circus and sideshow performers, games and panels with industry leaders, plus local food trucks and vendors to line your stomach. And you might just find a ferris wheel or a mullet bar — yes, dispensing the haircuts — as well, as they've popped up in the past. Great Australasian Beer Spectapular 2025 Friday, April 4–Saturday, April 5 — Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Melbourne Friday, May 23–Saturday, May 24 — Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Brisbane Friday, May 30–Saturday, May 31 — ICC Sydney, Sydney GABS will take place across Australia's east coast throughout April and May 2025 — head to the event's website for further details.
If you're a dedicated cheese fiend who eats, breathes and adores all things dairy, then you don't need an excuse to add it to any occasion. Of course, you'll always appreciate all the help you can get. Taking a Sunday staple, swapping out baked goods for cheese and adding plenty of wine — yes, that fits. Every Sunday from 11am–3pm, Salt Meats Cheese at South Bank is serving up High Cheese. You'll find both savoury and sweet morsels on the menu, all boasting the common ingredient. That's just one of the great things about cheese: it tastes amazing slathered over crackers, and just as great when its part of a cheesecake. [caption id="attachment_758018" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Salt Meats Cheese[/caption] The feast itself will set you back $39 per person; however if you'd like to add some booze, that'll cost extra. For $19 each, you'll sip your way through two glasses of vino — and for $39 on top of your High Cheese fee, you'll swill free-flowing wine for two hours. Updated January 17.
Peering at art isn't just an indoor activity confined to galleries and museums. It's something that you can do across Brisbane's streets, too, if you know where to look. That's what Brisbane City Council's Outdoor Gallery offers the city's art lovers, first popping up in 2016 and filling locations around the CBD with eye-catching work ever since — in spots as varied as Howard Smith Wharves and Fish Lane. Exactly what graces the Outdoor Gallery changes regularly — and from Monday, June 19–Monday, October 2, First Nations art is in the spotlight. So is the Brisbane River, with Reflections: A Reflection of Brisbane's Waterways enlisting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists to muse on the H2O around us. Both emerging and early-career creatives are in focus, showing new and existing works across large-scale banners, installations and projections lighting up the nights. Ten artists have works on display: Lewis James, Ben Barker, Dean Tyson, Tai Bobongie and Taliah Saylor, plus Kylie Hill, Nicole Williams, Paula Dewis, Brett Leavy and Luke Mallie. As for where else to visit, hitting up a laneway — including Eagle Lane, Irish Lane, Edison Lane, Giffin Lane and Hutton Lane — is recommended. Or, you can head to Ann, Queen and Elizabeth streets, or the King George Square car park.
If you've been to Fortitude Valley in the past few years, you've probably noticed a couple of particularly tall buildings shooting up on Alfred Street, around the northern end of Brunswick Street. You can't really miss them — they're part of the $600 million FV precinct. The Valley House and Flatiron, which houses the FV by Peppers hotel, are already operating; however now they have company. Not only has the new FV No. 1 joined the fold, but it has also thrown open the doors on an all-day eatery dubbed Foresters Restaurant and Bar. First announced in May, Foresters is overseen by Peter Popow, with the chef whipping up breakfast, lunch and dinner options that showcase pub staples such as parmigiana, pizzas, burgers and steaks. From a menu with a strong local focus — sourcing its ingredients from local farmers and producers — highlights include smashed avocado on a quinoa loaf, topped with beetroot hummus, dukkha and cashew cream; chicken parmigiana with prosciutto and fior di latte; and house-made damper, which uses milk stout from Sea Legs Brewing Co. in Kangaroo Point. For dessert, you can't go past a classic: pavlova. Drinks are a feature, obviously, complete with a separate cocktail lounge nestled around the corner from the main restaurant. There's a separate bar menu, too — but tipples such as the 'Bush Fire Negroni' (made with Mt Uncle 'Bushfire' smoked gin) are the main attraction. Decor-wise, the 150-seater heroes neutral tones and a laidback feel, with tables for two and leather banquettes that can fit in six all scattered beneath exposed brick walls. The latter makes the most of the building's existing façade, because this is a site with a hefty history. Built in 1889, it was originally known as Foresters' Hall, as referenced in the restaurant's name. Back then, the structure housed a community meeting place, until it became Fortitude Valley's first cinema in 1910. Signature Hospitality Group and developers of the FV precinct, Gurner, are taking charge at Foresters Restaurant and Bar, while Signature will go it alone on the site's other new spot — a rooftop bar called Altitude. Set to open at the end of July, it'll sit on the sixth floor of the building, welcoming patrons into its 250-square-metre space from midday daily. As well as views, it'll sling cocktails, a hefty beverage list and a small range of bar snacks, and host DJs on the dance floor underneath its retractable roof. In total, once it's all open, the FV's dining options will sprawl over 1000 square-metres. Find Foresters Restaurant and Bar at FV No. 1, 209 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley — open Sunday–Thursday from 6.30am–10pm, and Friday–Saturday from 6.30am–midnight.
If, like most Australian kids, you once dreamed of spending your school holidays at one of the Gold Coast's theme parks, then you probably hoped that you'd be making your way to Sea World. Historically Dreamworld has been home to plenty of rides, while Movie World has its whole 'Hollywood on the Gold Coast' theme going for it — but Sea World is the one with an onsite resort. In the near future, that might change, with slumbering at Dreamworld after a long day spent riding rollercoasters now on the cards. Ardent Leisure, the theme park's parent company, has announced plans to turn part of the land next to the Coomera spot into a new $75 million Dreamworld Resort, which is set to include a hotel and a tourist park. For those keen to bunk down for the night, there'll be options. The resort's four-star hotel is slated to include 250 rooms, and there'll be 40 bungalows as well. Making the trip to the Goldie via caravan? There'll also be 100 powered sites in the adjacent tourist park. Guests will have access to restaurants, swimming pools, a gym and conference facilities, too. Ardent Leisure also plans to include accommodation and theme park package deals, including exclusive offers to access both Dreamworld and White Water World during your stay. Just what that might look like hasn't been revealed — and, before you start making holiday plans, neither has a timeframe for the hotel and resort's opening. [caption id="attachment_810953" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Saberwyn via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] At present, Ardent Leisure has entered into an agreement with accommodation developer Evolution Group to fund and build the resort and tourist park — although it is non-binding, and also subject to a number of preconditions being met. Planning approvals also need to be secured; however, it's hoped that if the resort comes to fruition, it'll help Dreamworld, White Water World and the Coomera region to recover from the economic impact of the pandemic. For more information about Ardent Leisure's plans for Dreamworld Resort, head to the company's website. For further details about Dreamworld, visit the theme park's website.
What would the global culinary scene of the last 20 years be without René Redzepi? Whether or not you've had the good fortune to dine at Noma since 2003 — including at its pop-ups in Sydney, Kyoto, Tokyo and Tulum — the mind behind the three-Michelin-starred Copenhagen eatery has helped shape the restaurant industry in the 21st century. For more than half of that time, the Danish kitchen wiz has also been cooking up a television docuseries that asks similar questions, but about the ingredients that we consume. What would the world be without chilli? What is the impact of our appetite for tuna? How has salt helped shape our history? Bananas, pigs, rice, coffee, corn: in Apple TV+'s Omnivore, they're all also in the spotlight. It was over a decade ago, when Noma was firmly established as a sensation — it's been voted the planet's best by The World's 50 Best Restaurants five times, from 2010–12, and also in 2014 and 2021 — that Redzepi came up with the idea for the series that debuts on streaming on Friday, July 19, 2024. As happens with renowned chefs, TV offers were coming his way, but never for the type of project that'd see him happily spend time away from his celebrated fine-diner. Taking inspiration from natural history documentaries, especially David Attenborough-fronted greats such as Planet Earth, gave rise to a show that treats the nutritional staples that fuel humanity with the same care and reverence. [caption id="attachment_966274" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Ditte Isager[/caption] With Redzepi leading the way within the series and Australian ex-Noma Chief Operating Officer Ben Liebmann an executive producer — the latter alongside Anthony Bourdain: Explore Parts Unknown alum Matt Goulding — Omnivore's first season whittles down its key ingredients to the eight mentioned above. "It was a giant process," Redzepi advises Concrete Playground in an interview with both him and Liebmann. More than 120 choices were under consideration, but that's one of the program's delicate balancing acts. Another is in the buffet of stories and details that it dishes up about each type of food, telling viewers the origins and history of every ingredient, stepping through the impact and importance at both a mass and a personal level, unpacking the relationship between the item in question and the climate, and recognising that none of it exists in a vacuum without having ripples around the planet. Just like off-screen, of course, Redzepi knows how to create a winning recipe. As it travels the globe, pairing meticulous footage of each ingredient's life cycle with portraits of folks whose existence revolves around them, this isn't a talking heads-led show. It observes. It appreciates. Redzepi is also heard more than he's seen. It's his second television project in as many months, however, as everyone who watches The Bear — so, everyone — will know. Given how long that Omnivore has been simmering, that timing is purely coincidental. Also, even being in The Bear briefly took some convincing. "It's a nice to have, not a need to have, for me," he shares. "I only did it because they really asked me to. I know them very well. We've known them long before The Bear was a thing, and they were in Copenhagen and they shot all these scenes, and they said 'hey, can we please have you there?'," Redzepi tells us. "And I wasn't going to be in the show. I said 'I don't know how to act. Don't ask me this.' But then they they thought it would be a great idea, and I did it. And then many people mentioned it, even though I just look at the guy for a second. I guess it's a good thing for Omnivore that that happened, and perhaps they were right in saying 'no, no, you should be briefly in there." [caption id="attachment_966275" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Ditte Isager[/caption] 2024 isn't just a big year for Redzepi in the TV realm. Before 2025 hits, he'll bid farewell to Noma 2.0 — the restaurant's guise since 2017, after it reemerged following its closure in 2016 — and say hello Noma 3.0, a test kitchen and food laboratory in its latest reinvention. Working on Omnivore has helped cement the new direction for Noma, Redzepi explains in our chat. He also credits Liebmann, whose stint at Noma from 2015–22 sits alongside working on television franchises such as MasterChef, Grand Designs and Idol, with to ensuring that it came to fruition. Ahead of Omnivore dropping its first season in full, ready for a binge that'll make you hungry for chilli, tuna, salt, bananas, bacon, rice, coffee and corn — perhaps not all at once — we spoke with Redzepi and Liebmann about what gets them excited about new projects beyond Noma, the original idea for the series, taking inspiration from Planet Earth, coming up with the right recipe for the show, picking which foods to focus on and Noma's future. Always wanted to know Redzepi's can't-live-without ingredient, too? We discussed that as well. On What Gets Redzepi and Liebmann Excited About New Projects Beyond Noma René: "I think when you get to be part of something groundbreaking, which I think Omnivore is. Being a part of a groundbreaking project with a network that believes in you, working with some of the best people on a project on a subject that I genuinely believe in, that also teaches me so much about a world that I've been in for the past 30 years — that is inspiring. And that really gets me excited when the scope is so amazing, like with Omnivore. That really does inspire me to do something like this." Ben: "I think I've heard René talk about over the years, just that simple idea of stepping outside of one's comfort zone. An opportunity, in this instance, in terms of using media and storytelling to perhaps reach a broader audience, a broader community, than we would otherwise be able to in person — about sharing knowledge, sharing hope, sharing inspiration. And with a series like this, hopefully creating a conversation and potentially hopefully creating a movement around it. I think that's still that power of media and, in this instance, what makes the project so exciting." On What Inspired Omnivore a Decade Ago — and the Original Vision René: "I can't remember if it's like 11–12 years ago or whatever, but it's a while back, and it was at a time when Noma was getting to be known around the world. We had rocket fuel on, and when that happens, you very quickly get offered TV. And I was. I was supposed to be judges in competition shows or travel. I think there was a show called Fire and Ice, and I had to travel around Scandinavia with a celebrity and teach them how to cook and stuff, and show them where to eat. And I guess it was never enticing enough for me to step out of my work. I was also very happy doing that. But it did make me think 'iIf I was ever to do this, what would I do?'. And that's when Omnivore started as a seed: a show that would have the same respect, dedication, care and sophistication towards what we eat as you would see in the great nature documentaries like Planet Earth. If we can show a beetle with so much attention and care, why can't we do that with rice? And thus inspiring people to be more inspired about what they eat and how they eat, and make them more curious about this wonderful world of food — make them hopefully realise that food is the most amazing thing on earth, besides basic nutrition. It's who we are. It's what made us. It was always the genesis of the idea. And when Ben came aboard, that's when we finally could put the pieces together. Because if I would have run it, it would never have happened because I would have tried to run it like you built a menu. It's like 'okay, we have this idea, in seven months it should be on camera, right? It should be on TV?'. That's how I would have thought about it." Ben: "I think from my side, when René originally shared the concept for it, it for me was just so intriguing. It was such a simple but yet powerful idea. And I think what intrigued me was that it had not been done before, which was in itself a very Noma thing of trying to do things that hadn't been done before. Certainly standing on the shoulders of giants in terms of programs that had inspired us in the years before, but trying to elevate, let's call it, food media. Although in some ways this isn't food media. It's this extraordinary kind of combination of food and natural history, but I think it was that amazing challenge and opportunity to try to create something. And then to build a team, an amazing team, from René and Matt, our partners at Fifth Season and obviously in Apple, somebody who believed in this idea and wanted to help it, help us realise that, was where it all began." On the Excitement, Challenges and Daunting Feeling That Comes with Taking Inspiration From David Attenborough, But with Food René: "By no means are we comparing ourselves to his productions at all. We're just inspired by him and his productions. And yes, it is super daunting. I mean, it's the first time for me. I've never done anything like this. When we do menus at Noma, I've reached a point now where when we set it up, the finals tasting, the entire team is there, the test kitchen team is there, and I think to myself 'we nailed it. I know guests will like this'. I know where on the menu they'll be surprised and be like 'oh, my god, I can't believe this'. You get a sense of that and a feel for that, and it's been a while since I had this feeling that 'okay, I have no clue if people are going to like this'. We are putting it out into the world — there might be 50 people that watch it, you being one of them, and we have no clue if people are going to like it and accept it and be inspired. They might hate it. No, they won't." Ben: "It'll certainly start a conversation. It's interesting you ask about that. I mean, 20–30 years ago, somebody also asked that question of — and we're using the old vernacular here, it was prime-time television — but would audiences sit and watch the migration of the dolphin or the mating of the polar bear on prime-time television? Because there had been nothing like that before. And it showed that audiences are looking for things that inspire them and give them hope and make them think, and start conversations. We're certainly not comparing ourselves to the Planet Earths, but we certainly took inspiration from those. Again, it was that thought of 'could we create this catalyst or this movement around food, and just give people the tools and the information to maybe have them think a little more about where their food comes from, and the impact that it has on culture and community and the planet', etcetera." On Balancing Each Ingredient's History, Impact, Influence, Relationship to the Climate and More René: "It's super hard. That was actually a challenge from the beginning to set the focus right, and to tell eight different stories that somehow still have the ethos and our beliefs in it that food is amazing and everything and the most important thing. But at the same time, to say it with different tonalities and different energies — it was really, really hard. And then also not to step into the realm of over-explaining — let the people that are actually being filmed explain, let the visuals talk, not step into the camera saying 'hey, we're going to show you this' and have 15 talking heads explaining everything — but, in that sense, being a little more adventurous. It is always a challenge to do that when you talk about food, the environment, where things come from, where they belong. It's a delicate balance always, without a shadow of doubt. And we threaded very carefully and hopefully we didn't do anything wrong, but I feel like we've really taken great care and attention to actually thread it carefully, and showcase our ideas and the places on earth with a lot of respect and care. Then ultimately, of course, we want to do that without it all telling the viewer what to do or how to do it. That it's an inspiration for people, that we respect you no matter what you choose to do. We all want the same thing: happiness and a good life. We have very different ways, each of us individually, to actually get there, but we believe in a lot of things when it comes to food — and we want to inspire you to try to see some of that, and see if you can grab some of it and implement it in your daily life. On Choosing the First Season's Eight Ingredients René: "It was a giant process of choosing these eight ingredients. We probably boiled it down from 120 or something like that, and I think we have at least season two also well-researched — of course, we don't know if we're doing season two yet, it depends on if people like season one. The process was long and it was hard. We had to do a lot of research before we actually chose. And then, of course, it's between me and Matt and all the other stakeholders in the show. Ben was heavily involved in that, but there was also other people here at the restaurant, like Devin, that works on the show as well from Noma. We had Fifth Season, the producers at Apple, everyone had an opinion actually. It was like the UN Peace Corps. And we made it happen and we ultimately ended up choosing eight ingredients that — we could have chosen eight world-altering staples, put wheat in there and the potato and so on and so forth, but we felt it would be a little too one note to have too much of that in there. We needed something that was also just about love, like the chilli story is for instance. So it was a long process. It takes a lot of research. And then once you have that, you also have a framework for each of the ingredients to actually start from, that you can explain to the director and to everyone that's involved, and then they go do their thing." On Omnivore Arriving Just as Redzepi Is Preparing to Say Goodbye to Noma 2.0 René: Actually, Omnivore has helped crystallise so many of the thoughts for the new Noma 3.0. When we go into that, we have a desire that we'd spend our team, our network, our 21 years of expertise, all the labs we have, to actually broaden our approach and work with new collaborators, start new projects that impact food in a bigger way than just cooking every night for 50 people. And in that sense, figuring out how to focus, how to bring the scope, how to have a larger scope, Omnivore helped crystallise a lot of the projects that we're going to initiate in Noma 3.0. I feel like I should also say that in Noma 3.0, we will still pop up as a restaurant now and then. When the body of work is ready and we need someone to test it on, then we'll come back and work so hard every minute to be the best of the best of the best. But Omnivore has helped crystalise some of the projects, which actually has been an amazing thing for that reason. And surprising, I would also say, that an added bonus was all that we've learned, all the meaning that we saw and all the interesting people you get to encounter, that they help guide you towards your next path. It's fantastic." On Redzepi and Liebmann's All-Time Favourite Ingredients, If They Could Only Choose One René: "Ben Liebmann, it's easy for me. You will let me know what you think, Ben." Ben: "Well, given that it's 7am here and I'm already on my second cup of coffee, it's probably coffee for me." René: "I was sure is was going to be coffee for you. For me, it's without a doubt chocolate. I cannot live without chocolate. That's for real. There's a little chocolate store in Mexico City called La Rifa. It's the best chocolate for me that exists, and I eat a block of that every day. I just can't be without chocolate." Omnivore streams via Apple TV+ from Friday, July 19, 2024.
If your idea of a stellar Sunday includes a Cantonese banquet and cracking river views, then Howard Smith Wharves go-to Stanley has long had you covered. One of the precinct's top spots, it's been in the yum cha game every weekend for a few years. But what if you're keen to feast your way through small plates every other day of the week? Your daily yum cha cravings can now be satisfied at the waterside spot, with Stanley serving up its yum cha lunches daily. So, if the hankering for XO seafood dumplings, Moreton Bay bug spring rolls, salt and pepper chicken wings and steamed barbecue pork buns with chilli jam strikes Monday–Saturday, your tastebuds won't be disappointed. The yum cha menu is on offer from 12–4pm Monday–Saturday and 11.30am–4pm Sunday, with the a la carte range also including oysters with rice wine vinaigrette, cumin-spiced lamb ribs, Chongqing quail eggs, duck and vermicelli spring rolls, prawn and coriander toast, scallop siu mai and more. You can pair your dishes with peking duck pancakes as well, or other substantial options such as lobster, stir-fried black angus, steamed coral trout and kung pao cauliflower. Dessert spans custard steamed buns; a mango tart with yuzu cream; fried choux pastry with star anise sugar and passionfruit; and a baby pineapple with vanilla gelato, plus lime sago and tropical ice. And if you're celebrating in the middle of the day, two-hour champagne packages are also available. Stanley opened at Howard Smith Wharves in 2019, with the Hong Kong-inspired Cantonese venue one of the four initial tenants first revealed for the precinct back in 2017, alongside Greek restaurant Greca, octagonal overwater bar Mr Percival's and Japanese joint Yoko Dining. Head Chef Louis Tikaram's authentic, often seafood-heavy dishes are served up in the two-storey, heritage-listed, 1930s-era former water police building in the riverside spot, which features three bars, can cater for 220 guests and includes seating on a deck by the river. Decor-wise, Stanley pays tribute to traditional Chinese design with a handcrafted rattan ceiling and bamboo fretwork lining its walls. It also features antique pieces sourced from Europe and Hong Kong, parquetry inlay floors and a centrepiece circular bar on the upper level. Find Stanley at Howard Smith Wharves, 5 Boundary Street, Brisbane — with yum cha lunches on offer from 12–4pm Monday–Saturday and 11.30am–4pm Sunday. Head to the restaurant's website for bookings and other details. Top image: Sun Box Studios.
