Think of a way to group movies together — any way you like — and there's probably a film festival doing just that. Some celebrate features from a particular country or part of the world, and others revel in the weird and wonderful side of filmmaking. There's even film fests for dog flicks, and retrospectives focusing on filmmakers and genres have become as common as popcorn. But Brisbane's latest cinematic celebration, the Brisbane Only Rotoscoped Lightning Film Festival, just might've found itself a unique niche. Its focus: movies that feature hand-drawn lightning effects. Those distinctive visual touches have graced everything from David Lynch's OG big-screen adaptation of Dune through to the early-90s all-ages delights that are The Addams Family and Addams Family Values — which are on BORLFF's lineup, naturally. The fest will make its debut from Friday, July 29–Sunday, August 7, screening at New Farm Cinemas. And yes, that acronym does sound like the noise you might make when you see hand-drawn lightning effects and are so excited that you just have to exclaim something — anything — out loud. In total, 11 films will screen over the fest's ten-day run, with Lynch's Dune opening the program. While the recent Timothée Chalamet version is spectacular, that original, lightning effects and all, is also its own kind of cinematic treasure. Also on the bill: John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China, because every film fest needs a bit of Kurt Russell; martial arts comedy The Last Dragon; 1950s sci-fi wonder Fantastic Planet; early Marvel adaptation Howard the Duck; and the one and only Hellraiser. There's also Lifeforce, from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre director Tobe Hooper; Invasion of Astro-Monster, because every film fest needs a Godzilla flick as well; and 1993's Super Mario Bros, complete with Dennis Hopper as King Koopa. BORLFF stems from Netherworld, Two Bit Movie Club — the regular cult and classic movie event that often screens at the arcade bar — and New Farm Cinemas. It'll also feature an art show, via Feature Presentation, showcasing new interpretations of movie posters for the fest's films. They'll display at New Farm Cinemas during the festival, and you'll be able to buy prints of them, too. And yes, thanks to its Addams Family pinball machine, New Farm Cinemas is clearly the ideal venue for a fest like this. The Brisbane Only Rotoscoped Lightning Film Festival runs from Friday, July 29–Sunday, August 7 at New Farm Cinemas. For more information, head to the festival's website.
Whether you've had a good year or an average one, end your year with a bang — or with loud, live music to be exact. While 2018 doesn't wrap up just yet, 4ZZZ is throwing a final 2018 shindig before the holidays hit, with its last party taking over The Bearded Lady on Saturday, December 22. From 8pm onwards, The Stress of Leisure, Bad Bangers, and Adele Pickvance and The Chandeliers will take to the stage. That means plenty of tracks from local talents. It also means a crowd of folks fond of Brisbane's favourite alternative radio station, all celebrating another 12 months of excellent tunes. Even better — entry costs $5 for Zed members and $10 for everyone else, meaning that you can save your cash for the important things in life. A few beverages, Christmas presents for your loved ones or treating yourself to more live music in the new year are all great candidates. Image: Bad Bangers.
Thanks to airport reads and movies based on them, everyone has heard of The Da Vinci Code. Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Atlanticus is the true stunner, though. The 12-volume set is filled with the artist and inventor's drawings and writings, detailing his thoughts and featuring his sketches on a wide array of topics. It dates back to the 15th and 16th centuries. It's priceless. Original pages from it are also on their way to Australia. From Saturday, March 16, Australia's first permanent digital-only art gallery The Lume will exhibit Leonardo da Vinci — 500 Years of Genius, the Melbourne venue's major 2024 exhibition. In its immersive fashion — because creating walkthrough art experiences is its approach — the site is paying tribute to the Italian Renaissance master. Most of the showcase will involve towering versions of artworks such as the Mona Lisa on the walls, plus pieces from his contemporaries as well; however, Codex Atlanticus will be a big feature, too. This is the first time that sheets from Codex Atlanticus will be on display in Australia. Since 1637, it has called Milan's Biblioteca Ambrosiana home. It's thanks to a relationship between the latter and Grande Experiences, which is behind The Lume and also Rome's Museo Leonardo da Vinci, that some of its pages can head this way. The Codex Atlanticus features entries from da Vinci from between 1478–1519, dating up to the year of his death. In his handwriting — in Italian, of course — and as sketched by his fingers, everything from flying machines and architecture to engineering and hydraulic systems are covered. [caption id="attachment_943630" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Biblioteca Ambrosiana[/caption] "These pages from the Codex Atlanticus represent not just a collection of sketches and writings but a gateway into the brilliance of Leonardo da Vinci's mind," said The Lume founder Bruce Peterson. "Their arrival in Australia is profound, allowing visitors to explore Leonardo in a once-in-a-generation opportunity." Leonardo da Vinci — 500 Years of Genius is clearly more than the world's most-famous enigmatic smile beaming down, then. The gallery is calling it its "most ambitious, immersive and breathtaking yet", which is quite the claim for a collection that follows a van Gogh celebration, a focus on Monet and his peers and the First Nations-centric Connection. The Last Supper will also enjoy the spotlight in a big way, while the Mona Lisa will link in with the segment of the exhibition that's all about French optical engineer Pascal Cotte, who invented a multispectral camera and has peeled back the artwork's layers using his research. Accordingly, get excited about Mona Lisa Revealed, which will include an exact 360-degree replica — the only one in the world — as created thanks to Cotte's 240,000,000-pixel multispectral camera. Also among Leonardo da Vinci — 500 Years of Genius' highlights: 50 of da Vinci's "machine inventions", which will be on loan from the Museo Leonardo da Vinci in Rome. This part of the exhibition will hero recreations made in Italy from the artist and inventor's sketches, and also using the materials and techniques he would've at the time. The exhibition will step through da Vinci's life, as well, including journeying through Florence's streets, Venice's canals and Milan — as brought to attendees via sight, sound, scent, touch and taste. That said, Leonardo da Vinci — 500 Years of Genius isn't solely about its namesake's well-known works, with the 3000-square-metre multi-sensory gallery also exploring his inspirations and those creating their own masterpieces at the same time. Botticelli's The Birth of Venus, Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling and works by Caravaggio will feature, for instance. In Queensland, at HOTA, Home of the Arts, Grande Experiences's Italian Renaissance Alive will also take a broader look at the period — but anyone wanting a glimpse of Codex Atlanticus will need to head to Melbourne. Leonardo da Vinci — 500 Years of Genius opens at The Lume, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, 5 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf, Melbourne, from Saturday, March 16, 2024 — head to the venue's website for tickets and further information.
If you woke up this morning and got yourself a hankering for one of the best TV shows ever made, here's some good news: a big-screen prequel to The Sopranos is on its way. Fourteen years after HBO's hit mobster drama cut to black, creator David Chase has penned The Many Saints of Newark, which jumps back to Tony Soprano's formative years in the 60s and 70s. And, because family was always a huge part of the influential drama, the film's central role is played by Michael Gandolfini (The Deuce, Cherry) — son of the late, great James Gandolfini. The Many Saints of Newark hops into Soprano's story when he's a teen in the titular New Jersey city — a place under the sway of the DiMeo crime family, struggling with race relations and about to be caught up in the race riots of 1967. Young Anthony plans to go to college, but he also has a strong relationship with his uncle Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola, The Art of Self-Defense). Fans of The Sopranos will recognise the name, with Dickie the father of series regular Christopher Moltisanti. As the just-dropped first trailer for The Many Saints of Newark shows, Anthony's connection to his uncle will have a huge impact on his life — and on his path to becoming the ziti-loving, panic attack-suffering, hot-tempered mob boss that The Sopranos followed for six seasons between 1999–2007. Leaving a significant imprint on the film: the casting of the younger Gandolfini. Even from just this initial sneak peek, it's impossible to imagine this movie being made without him stepping into his dad's shoes. Whether director Alan Taylor, a veteran of The Sopranos, gives Journey's 'Don't Stop Believing' a whirl in the feature is yet to be seen. It doesn't pop up in the trailer, though. Of course, when the film releases in cinemas in September, The Sopranos aficionados can definitely look forward to spending time with a few familiar characters other than Young Anthony — including Corey Stoll (The Report) as Uncle Junior, Vera Farmiga (The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It) as Anthony's mother Livia, and Billy Magnussen (Made for Love) and John Magaro (First Cow) as his future righthand men Paulie Walnuts and Silvio Dante. Leslie Odom Jr (One Night in Miami) and Jon Bernthal (Those Who Wish Me Dead) also co-star, while seeing Ray Liotta (Marriage Story) jump back into the gangster genre immediately conjures up memories of Goodfellas — the Martin Scorsese classic that also charted the rise of a young man within the mob. Check out the trailer below: The Many Saints of Newark releases in Australian cinemas on September 23.
Size matters. So too, does timing. It's safe to say that in the wake of the sprawling Avengers: Infinity War, Ant-Man and The Wasp is precisely the kind of modest, self-contained movie the team at Marvel needed to make. Set shortly before The Avengers' dust-up with Thanos, the film acknowledges its place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe yet cleverly distances itself from intergalactic conflict by instead focusing on three very intimate human stories. The first concerns Scott Lang, aka Ant-Man, played again by the seemingly ageless Paul Rudd. Thanks to his exploits in Captain America: Civil War, he now finds himself subject to house arrest and attempts to while away his two-year sentence by both establishing a security consultancy company and creatively entertaining his young daughter. The second picks up with Lang's two (now former) partners: Hope van Dyne aka The Wasp (Evangeline Lily) and her father Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) as they attempt to rescue Hope's long-lost mother from the mind-boggling Quantum Realm. The third follows a pair of villains: superhuman Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and black marketeer Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins), each of whom seeks to steal Pym's quantum tech for themselves. That's the sum of it. There are no aliens here, no space ships or wormholes. There aren't even many lives at stake. Instead, Ant-Man and The Wasp mostly concerns itself with the preservation and/or restoration of fading relationships. The small-scale (no pun intended) storytelling proves a welcome reprieve from the MCU's growing complexity, while the filmmakers also smartly retain the innovative action and laugh out loud comedy from their character's first big screen outing. The danger for this franchise was always going to be the Honey I Shrunk The Superhero dynamic getting old. Thankfully, the creative minds behind Ant-Man and The Wasp continue to deliver the unexpected in almost every major sequence, tinkering with the size of everything from cars to buildings to Pez dispensers. As Lang, Rudd very much holds court again, his disarming awkwardness acting as the perfect foil for the more stern performances of Lily and Douglas. Not every joke lands, and a few of the one-liners seem crowbarred in, but the tone remains impressively consistent throughout, almost to the point of feeling like a straight-up comedy (thanks in no small way to another scene-stealing turn from Michael Pena). Goggins, too, is as reliable as ever as the Southern Gentleman rogue, while John-Kamen's Ghost offers the film its necessary dramatic streak without ever descending into two-dimensional villainy. Later appearances by some other big names (whose identity we'll preserve for the sake of surprise) lend additional gravitas to an already impressive cast, and even Stan Lee's inevitable cameo brings a laugh instead of the usual eye roll. Unsurprisingly, Ant-Man and The Wasp also addresses the shocking finale to Infinity War, although it does so in a neatly inconclusive way, allowing for much speculation and very little certainty. In all, it's a well calculated step by Marvel and a timely reminder that superhero movies can tell compelling human stories without resorting to world-ending CGI chaos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_rTIAOohas
Usually when Cirque du Soleil hits cities around the world, it has audiences rolling up to its big top to see stunning acrobatic feats. But with the Montreal-based circus company's latest show, which also marks a pioneering display for the organisation, viewers will be hitting up arenas instead — because CRYSTAL takes place on ice. Cirque du Soleil's first-ever ice show, CRYSTAL still features all the trapeze, juggling, aerial acrobatics and more that fans have seen and loved across the company's past 41 productions — seven traditional circus acts, in fact, including banquine and hand balancing — but then adds a frosty surface rather than its usual stage setup. And, it includes figure skating and extreme skating into the spectacle as well, two disciplines that've never been featured in a Cirque du Soleil production before now. Even better: CRYSTAL will make its debut Down Under in 2023, kicking off in — when else? — winter. The show will start unleashing its frosty wonders in New Zealand, starting in Christchurch and then heading to Auckland, before making its way to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth in Australia. This'll mark Cirque du Soleil's first visit since KURIOS: Cabinet of Curiosities in 2019 and 2020, although that production's run was interrupted by the pandemic. Also part of CRYSTAL, and another Cirque du Soleil first: remastered pop songs, including Beyoncé's 'Halo', U2's 'Beautiful Day', Nina Simone's 'Sinnerman' and Sia's 'Chandelier', in the company's only touring show so far to use such tracks. CRYSTAL has been doing the rounds worldwide since 2017, with more than 1.8-million people in 115 cities in 12 countries checking it out over the past five years. The all-ages show takes its name from the production's protagonist, who acts as the audience's guide as she follows her destiny to become herself. CIRQUE DU SOLEIL'S CRYSTAL — AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND TOUR 2023: Friday, June 16–Sunday, June 18 — Christchurch Arena Tuesday, July 4–Sunday, July 9 — Spark Arena, Auckland Friday, July 21–Sunday, July 23 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre Thursday, August 3–Sunday, August 6 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Thursday, August 17–Sunday, August 20 — John Cain Arena, Melbourne Thursday, August 31–Sunday, September 3 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre Friday, September 15—Sunday, September 17 — RAC Arena, Perth Cirque du Soleil's Crystal will tour New Zealand in June–July 2023, and Australia in July–September 2023. For more information, or to buy tickets from 12pm on Wednesday, November 16 — with various presales beforehand — head to the show's website. Images: Matt Baker / Olivier Brajon.
Who says the weekend is the only time to do activities other than sitting at a desk? Not us. Don't underestimate the twilight hours of your weekdays — there's so much happening each night of the week so you should have no trouble making plans that aren't emailing clients outside of work hours. From gallery nights to boozy craft sessions to night markets, you can go out straight from work every night of the week if you so wish. So why not engage with something tangible, and see what your city has to offer after dark? In partnership with Hahn, we've compiled a list for when you've got restless feet and a soul hungry for some culture. [caption id="attachment_663766" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Art Gallery of NSW.[/caption] SNEAK INTO AN ART GALLERY AT NIGHT No longer do you need to contend with the Saturday morning crowds at your local art gallery, as more are staying open for longer hours and — in news particularly good for you — at night. After-dark sessions at galleries like the NGV in Melbourne or the MCA in Sydney are increasingly popular and have a different vibe to your headache-inducing Saturday morning experiences. There's a bar-like buzz, more like-minded people, little to no children running around, and often DJs and beers on offer. So why wouldn't you get your art fix at night? Saturday morning gallery drinking does tend to be frowned upon, after all. Where? In Melbourne, Buxton Contemporary is open late on Thursdays and often has free opening parties for exhibitions, and the NGV has a constant stream of special events on in the evenings, such as its Friday Nights series. Sydney side, both the Art Gallery of NSW and the MCA are open until 10pm and 9pm (respectively) on Wednesdays, with the latter holding its ARTBAR event on the last Friday night of each month. In Queensland, GOMA stays open late on Fridays when there's a big exhibition on, and the Institute of Modern Art holds a party on the first Thursday of every month. [caption id="attachment_610655" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Triffid.[/caption] SEE SOME FREE LIVE MUSIC If you're already headed somewhere for a pub feed, consider sticking around and letting some live music warm the cockles of your heart, too; 'Wonderwall' covers are few and far between now, and you can rest assured you'll probably find someone on the mic with some actual talent. There's a bounty of venues that provide free live music in all the major cities, and the only tricky bit is picking which one you want to give a crack. Getting a nice folky soundtrack to your parma and pint has never been so easy and you'll find yourself even praising the ukulele player because you're feeling so cosy and cultured. Where? To get you started, try The Yarra Hotel in Abbotsford in Melbourne, Different Drummer in Sydney's Glebe or The Triffid in Newstead, Brisbane. [caption id="attachment_653238" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Boud.[/caption] MAKE YOUR OWN MEAL AT A NIGHT MARKET Why have one thing for dinner when you can have five things instead? Albeit generally smaller bites, the best bit about night markets is that you can roll your way around having a very intense snacktime and, before you know it, all your little bites transform into one big meal and you're full. Nothing says 'culture' like a bellyful of hot sugary doughnut washed down with a few beers. Where? Hawker 88 Night Market at Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne, Sydney's Chinatown Night Markets, and the Boundary Street Night Market in Brisbane. [caption id="attachment_571310" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Cork and Chroma.[/caption] BYO BEERS TO A PAINTING CLASS If you thought art was not for the likes of you to create, think again. Some of our best work comes out when we've had a drink or two, so consider combining both and giving a BYO painting session a go. An art class is long a very fruitful passage to creating mini masterpieces, and one where you can bring your own bottles of plonk to inspire greatness out of your paintbrush is very civilised indeed. But don't worry — there are instructions and an artist will take you through the actual painting class so it isn't all left up to your novice hands. You just have to organise what you'll be drinking. Where? Cork & Chroma has studios in Collingwood in Melbourne, Surry Hills in Sydney and South Brisbane. [caption id="attachment_529488" align="alignnone" width="1280"] The Astor by Charlie Kinross Photography.[/caption] WATCH A CLASSIC FILM Heading out after work to watch the latest blockbuster like Crazy Rich Asians is all well and good (because it's a cracker), but sometimes you want to put aside the Hollywood hits for something more subtle. At those times, try watching a classic film at one of the many cinemas that show them on the reg. Melbourne's Astor Theatre and Sydney's Golden Age are both famous for hosting throwback sessions of classic films and often marathons, too. Use those few precious hours after work to invest in your cultural movie capital by making yourself watch Ben-Hur — because when else are you going to do it? Reality TV be damned — these will make for much better chat around the coffee machine at work the next day. Where? The Astor Theatre in Melbourne, Golden Age Cinema and Bar in Sydney, or Metro Arts in Brisbane. Start planning your mid-week itinerary so you can fit some culture — and a Hahn or two — in before the weekend. Top image: MCA Artbar by Leslie Liu.
The 21st-century has not been kind to the vampire. Between Stephenie Meyer's sparkling high schoolers, the leather-clad killers of the Underworld series and whatever the hell those things in I Am Legend were meant to be, the once noble creatures of the night have been reduced by pop-culture to cringeworthy caricatures. Bela Lugosi must be turning in his grave. Enter Jim Jarmusch, director of Dead Man, Ghost Dog and Broken Flowers, to name just a few. One of the enduring figures of the American indie film movement, Jarmusch has made a career out of minimally plotted, post-modern genre subversions, and his latest work is no exception. Mixing traditional vampire mythology with the director's distinctively aloof brand of cool, Only Lovers Left Alive is a handsome, compelling, meditative take on the lives of the eternal undead. An appropriately gaunt and pasty Tom Hiddleston plays Adam, a centuries-old bloodsucker living on the outskirts of Detroit. A reclusive figure, Adam's only human contacts are a crooked hospital doctor (Jeffrey Wright) who provides him with fresh batches of O-negative, and a wide-eyed rock 'n' roll fan (Anton Yelchin) from whom the vampire buys vintage guitars. Aside from his music, the one thing Adam cares about is his wife, Eve (Tilda Swinton), with whom he is reunited not long after the movie begins. For a while, the immortal lovers live in peace, only to find their solitary existence shattered by the arrival of Eve's impulsive younger sister (Mia Wasikowska). Like many of Jarmusch's films, Only Lovers moves along at a languid pace, with large stretches of the movie unfolding in which very little actually happens. Nevertheless, viewers willing to give the film their patience will be rewarded by its rich, intoxicating atmosphere. Synonymous both with rock 'n' roll and America's crumbling economy, Detroit's empty streets and abandoned buildings are the perfect stalking ground for Jarmusch's silent camera, which finds an eerie kind of beauty in moonlit vistas of urban decay. Electronic guitar chords flow despondently across the soundtrack, ringing in perfect harmony with the images projected on the screen. The protagonists are drawn with fascinating detail. Late-night musings, on music, art, science and the various historical figures that Adam and Eve once knew, are underlined by a sardonic sense of humour, informed by centuries of bitterness and disappointment. Detached from the world around them, there's an air of tortured disinterest to the duo, like ageing rock stars, or unkillable hipsters (and isn't that a terrifying concept?) Emphasising mood over story, Only Lovers Left Alive is the cinematic equivalent of one of Adam's melancholic rock songs. It washes over you, absorbing through your skin. Jarmusch has brought dignity back to the vampire, in his own unmistakable style. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ycOKvWrwYFo
If movies were an assessable component in the American SATs, one might easily expect to find a question like: Ralph Fiennes is to comedy as Tyler Perry is to...? (a) Costumes (b) Makeup (c) Playing multiple characters (d) Films accessible to white people. After all, this was the chap with the burned face from The English Patient, the Voldemort with the no face from Harry Potter and the Naziest bloody Nazi in Schindler's List. Excluding, for argument's sake, that 'incident on the plane', to think upon Fiennes was to consider class, panache and gravitas. Certainly, the next Bill Murray he was not. There's no doubt Fiennes is now experiencing something of a cinematic resurgence, particularly given his run as the newly minted 'M' in the Bond franchise, yet few could ever have expected that this Lazarus-esque revival would've seen him not just turn his mind to comedy but excel in it. Yes, that was a long-winded prelude to reviewing Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel, but in this — now his eighth feature film — it's the first time the director has centred everything on just one character, and, thankfully, his leading man delivers something extraordinary. Fiennes is, quite simply, perfect. Playing the inimitable Monsieur Gustave H (the eponymous hotel's storied concierge), he's every bit the quirky protagonist an Anderson film requires but brings to the role an added layer of, well, Fiennes. Monsieur Gustave is, as one of the film's narrators observes, a man of a forgotten age. He's the manifestation of the Grand Budapest itself: elegant, refined, admired yet on the cusp of being left behind in a world scrambling over itself to modernise just as soon as anybody can arrange it. Filmed in three separate aspect ratios to reflect the three distinct decades in which this story takes place, The Grand Budapest Hotel is, typically, steeped in playful innocence yet forever flirting with a darkness just beneath the surface. It's been a growing trend for Anderson, whose last film, Moonrise Kingdom, was a decidedly black comedy grounded in his otherwise traditional quirkiness. Grand Budapest takes it even further: fingers are severed, cats are lobbed out of windows and prison guards are dispatched with bloody abandon. That all such moments elicit more laughter than horror is a testament to Anderson's unique style and direction. Naturally, The Grand Budapest Hotel is also brimming with cameos from Anderson faithfuls and newcomers alike. Murray, Wilson, Swinton, Schwartzman, Norton, Goldblum, Dafoe and Brody all have their go again, whilst Saoirse Ronan, Harvey Keitel and Jude Law gain entry into the team. There is a caper-based plot focused upon the contested inheritance of a priceless painting, but The Grand Budapest Hotel begins and ends as a character study, and it's in that study that the unbridled joy of watching this film is to be found. https://youtube.com/watch?v=1Fg5iWmQjwk
Even without sourcing and quoting an exact number, it's obvious that an immense amount of people owe their lives to Marie and Pierre Curie's research on radioactivity. Without their work — Marie's passion project, which she reluctantly agreed to collaborate on with Pierre after they first crossed paths in Paris — cancer treatment would've likely been vastly different over the past century. The results for scores of cancer patients would've been as well. But the pair's discovery of two new elements, radium and polonium, also led to disturbing side effects and cataclysmic events that changed the course of history in other ways. Radioactive touches upon both, from life-saving oncology usage and the ability to conduct x-rays on World War I battlefields to the bombing of Hiroshima and Chernobyl's nuclear reactor meltdown. It might seem strange for a biopic about Marie to leap forward at different moments, jumping to years and decades past her death in 1934, all to show how the physicist and chemist's work made and continues to make a colossal impact upon the world. But that's the most interesting thing about Radioactive: its willingness to contemplate both the significant benefits and proven dangers of Marie (Rosamund Pike, an Oscar-nominee for Gone Girl) and Pierre's (Sam Riley, Rebecca) pioneering discoveries. The latter is tasked with vocalising this battle in his acceptance speech for their shared 1903 Nobel Prize in physics, acknowledging the struggle but opining that "mankind will derive more good than harm". The film doesn't simply take him at his word, however. It shows his radiation sickness, and Marie's. It touches upon the backlash when news of radioactivity's health effects started becoming widely known. And those aforementioned flash-forwards to both positive and negative applications of the Curies' research keep the same conversation going, because Radioactive doesn't try to offer a right or wrong answer. Instead, as directed by Marjane Satrapi (The Voices), Radioactive recognises how the efforts of an astonishing woman have led to a complex array of outcomes. The movie doesn't weigh up saving the cancer-afflicted against deaths contributed to nuclear atrocities, but shows how they're both consequences of her work — and that, even though she died before some of the events mentioned above, Marie grappled with the pros and cons of her discoveries herself. This is such a crucial part of this adaptation of Lauren Redniss' graphic novel about the Curies, in fact, that it stands out in multiple ways. Curie deserves all the praise and acclaim that have been showered upon her, and this is an affectionate film, but Radioactive isn't a glossy exercise in hero worship. That said, the movie's complications and probing stem primarily from its unconventional line of thinking; take out the clips in a 50s hospital, in Japan, in the Ukraine and at a nuclear bomb test in Nevada in 1961, and a far less thoughtful feature would result. After an opening glimpse of an elderly Marie collapsing in her Paris laboratory, Radioactive heads back to 1893, where she's one of few female scientists in the French city. Expectedly given the era, she's reviled by her male peers and the decision-making powers-that-be — but a goateed Pierre has already heard of her when they meet-cute in the streets over a microbiology book. Marie is adamant that she be judged on her own merits, and that of her work, so she's resistant to his early professional advances. But the fact that she's kicked out of her existing lab space on the day she initially makes her future husband's acquaintance sets obvious wheels in motion. Being seen as an equal is a fight she'll keep waging, even after not one but two Nobel Prizes come her way. Pierre never regards her otherwise, but altering the scientific establishment and society in general's minds is a far tougher job. By design, it's dismaying how familiar Marie's treatment feels; her work has changed the world, but engraining gender equality as a given sadly doesn't rank among her achievements. The same can be said about the race-based attacks she's forced to weather, with her Polish background used as an insult to a chilling degree in early 20th-century Europe. Satrapi has brought similar themes and experiences to the screen before, as evidenced in 2007's Persepolis. Based on her own autobiographical comics about growing up in Iran and Austria both during and after the Islamic Revolution, it unsurprisingly felt far more urgent and personal — two traits that Radioactive lacks. From fast-paced montages of Marie and Pierre's scientific experimentation to snippets of their home life as their family expands with their fame, the process of detailing the Curies' lives largely takes on a routine air, with much of Jack Thorne's (Dirt Music, Enola Holmes, The Secret Garden) script reading from the biopic playbook. Thankfully, Radioactive looks as textured as its best moments feel, and sometimes as bold as well. That it springs from an illustrated text, and that Satrapi has experience in the medium herself, comes across in stylised frames shot by cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle (The Undoing) that could've leapt from a page. The film also benefits from not only Pike as Marie, but Anya Taylor-Joy (Emma) as the adult version of her eldest daughter Irène, another Nobel Prize-winner. There's a spiky determination to both — a willingness to forge on with doing the right thing despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles — that effortlessly links their performances. Of course, Radioactive also asks Pike to spend its first half asserting that Marie will never be defined by a man, then to spend its second struggling when Pierre is killed. That plays a little too neatly, but it's actually in tune with the many contrasts that sit at the film's core; something can be two things at once, after all, as Radioactive's rumination upon the Curies' discoveries firmly shows. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtVe_8CS6vU
They're doing more than just jamming: actors Kingsley Ben-Adir, Lashana Lynch and James Norton, plus writer/director Reinaldo Marcus Green, that is. Teaming up for Bob Marley: One Love, the first major biopic about its namesake — and a film driven by Marley's family, with wife Rita producing with children Ziggy and Cedella, plus their sibling Stephen the music supervisor — this quartet knows that their task is formidable and important. Anyone wondering whether the feature's focal point, a Jamaican icon and the initial person that anyone instantly thinks of when reggae is mentioned, could be loved is pondering a pointless question. Ben-Adir, who stars as Bob fresh from playing one of Barbie's Kens — and steps into another real-life figure's shoes again after giving One Night in Miami its Malcolm X and TV's The Comey Rule its Barack Obama — is among Marley's fans. He has company on the movie; of course, everyone should be. "He was an artist first, and one of the great, great songwriters. I don't know if there's anyone who can write songs [like him]. Like, he's top five, but my number one," he tells Concrete Playground. So for him, his job "was always about trying to understand him as an artist, and as a father, as a man," Ben-Adir explains. "Here's a musician who dedicated his life to writing songs that we now all get to enjoy. Understanding what that meant, to play the guitar and to write that many songs, that many albums, in that ten-year period, it was just incredible." Bob Marley: One Love arrives after documentaries have already had the sun shining on Marley's impact and legacy. A birth-to-death filmic biography isn't its aim or approach, then. The man, the music, the message: that's the movie's trinity as it hones in Bob in the late 70s, specifically around the making and touring of his 1977 album Exodus. The record was named the best album of the 20th century by TIME magazine; however, it's not just its contents but the political context in Jamaica that brought it to fruition that speaks volumes about the man behind it. "That was a period of time of musical genius, musical creation. Bob created Exodus, which was one of the greatest albums of the 20th century — and after the assassination attempt on his life in 1976, [and the] political turmoil in Jamaica, it was just such a rich period of time," says Green. The filmmaker both directs and co-writes, in his first feature since fellow biopic King Richard. "And also, he had made several albums that we can pull from. The backbone of the story is the music. So it felt such like a rich period of time in Bob's life, before he obviously gets sick — it just felt like a really prime time in his life that that captured the essence of who the man was," Green continues. [caption id="attachment_940714" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Antony Jones/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures[/caption] This isn't just a story of one person, either. Turning in the picture's other powerful main performance, Captain Marvel, No Time to Die and The Woman King's Lynch is Rita to Ben-Adir's Bob. It's as much her tale as well. "Frankly, if her voice wasn't as present as it is in the movie, if she wasn't as dynamic a character as she is in the movie, I wouldn't have taken the role," Lynch advises Concrete Playground. "Because I knew from afar before I had the role who she is, what she represents, how respected she is in Jamaica, in Ghana, in different countries over the world — that if it wasn't going to be that, then I don't have any business lending my voice to that." As for Happy Valley, Nowhere Special and Little Women star Norton, another veteran of playing real-life figures after Mr Jones and Rogue Agent, he brings influential record producer and Island Records founder Chris Blackwell to the screen. "It is daunting," he advises. "Especially if they're alive, because you know they're going to watch it — well, they might watch it one day — and there's only one person who's going to give you the full appraisal of your work: it's the person who you just played." With Bob Marley: One Love releasing in cinemas Down Under on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, we also chatted with Ben-Adir, Green, Lynch and Norton about the importance of finding the right person to play Bob, plus making a Bob Marley movie with his family so heavily involved — as well as why a Bob Marley biopic hasn't reached screens before and learning about the singer while working on the film. On Finding the Right Actor to Play Bob Marley — and Being That Actor Reinaldo: "We looked at thousands of tapes from everywhere, everywhere we could find. It's just hard. It's Bob Marley. You're looking for a needle in the haystack — and we're talking really good actors — that it just was really hard to find it. So when I saw Kingsley's tape, it was the first time that I thought it was possible. He had a look. He had an enigma. He had a vulnerability. He had a charisma. And his tape, it was pulling me closer to him. I was leaning in in a way that I hadn't leaned into any of the other tapes, and so I knew that there was a baseline. Obviously I wanted to meet him immediately. I didn't know Kingsley or Kingsley's work — or I didn't remember 'oh, that was the guy that played that'. And so it was interesting to find it and say 'oh, okay, he was a chameleon in those movies, he was able to disappear'. And there was something quite special about that. There was obviously a level of intelligence that I was looking for, somebody that was going to put in the work and be able to make an interpretation of Bob, rather than mimic Bob. So the tape gave me so much excitement that it was possible to even attempt to make a movie about Bob, and from that moment we went on the journey of discovering who the man was." Kingsley: "When the audition came through, I was told that as soon as you get the tape to us, the family will see it within 24 hours. So that's a good motivation to get your shit together and prepare something meaningful or worth sharing. That's what I always do when there's a big audition or interesting audition or something that feels substantial, you just take three to four days — you just need a bit of time to wrap your head around, in this case, Bob. I spent some time really watching him and watching him in concert and listening to some of his interviews. And yeah, I guess when I got the call saying that Ziggy had approved and wanted me to fly over and meet him, it was a pretty special feeling. I didn't have the job, but I was going over to meet Bob's child, which is really surreal." On Making a Movie About Bob Marley with the Help of Bob Marley's Family Kingsley: "Ziggy remembers a lot about him. He was in Zimbabwe with his dad. He was in Jamaica. What was so amazing was that the process of building the character was with Bob's friends and family. So I read all the books, but after a while you just go 'don't need those, I can just call people who knew Bob — I can just call people who were there in London with Bob, I can call people who are on stage with him'. It's really incredible, looking back. It was work, there was a lot to find out and there was a lot of work to do, but I loved working with Ziggy. All throughout the prep, we would message and talk, and then he was there with us every day on set, which was just game-changing. Neville Garrick [Bob Marley's art director] and Ziggy were with us every day from the beginning. And I mean, there wasn't a morning where Ziggy wasn't on set first. He was always there. Any questions? Anytime. And so my process was really our process — it was really a communal thing." Lashana: "You read everything. You read her book — thank god she wrote one. You watch everything. And then you hope that it makes sense. And it did, to a certain extent, until I called for some time with her. Then after I met her, I thought I could just throw away all the information, to be honest. It's really helpful to have facts, but it's more the types of beings that Mrs Marley and that Bob are and were at the time for everybody, is so intricate and so beautiful, that it requires a tapping in of their level of spirituality in order for me to even portray any of her. There needs to be a spiritual connection there. So I ensured that the energy was right, and whenever I didn't feel like I was approaching her well, I had to just take a beat with myself and remember who she is and what she deserves. And thankfully, this production knew that we had the children's support and guidance throughout the shoot. That helped us really get to those sweet spots in the movie." Reinaldo: "It was quite special obviously to meet Ziggy for the first time, and to understand why they were making this movie — and why me, and just try to try to get an understanding of that. Ziggy had seen a short film of mine called Stone Cars. It wasn't even the King Richard Oscar [attention] — he was talking about my short film, which I shot in South Africa, and I thought that was really interesting because I shot that film with no money, with no lights, all natural light. And it was raw, and I think that's what he was after. He was after something raw. He was after something pure. And once I knew that, I knew that he wanted to make something quite special. So that was just a connection. It was an immediate connection, somebody's valuing your short film work as a filmmaker. Since then I had learned a lot, so I was like 'okay, I can take what I learned from my short films and bring that to that'. I can bring that kind of energy. I can bring a City of God energy to this film in a way that maybe we hadn't seen on the screen, or I was hoping that that what we were trying to achieve was something different — not necessarily a musical biopic; a movie like City of God or Black Orpheus, something that felt organic and pure and raw. We were aligned right away when it came to that, to the visuals in the film, and what I wanted to look and feel like. I'm very grateful to him for that, and that was the start to a three-year-long journey." On the Process of Stepping Into Such Influential Figures' Shoes Kingsley: "What was really exciting about it originally, he's an icon and a hero and everyone knows Bob, and there's a huge pressure around that and the family are involved, but really when I started working, it was about understanding the musician — and understanding the meaning of his songs, and understanding what it was that Bob was trying to do. And my mind was just blown. I'd spend a few days on an album, then I'd move on to another one, then I'd get stuck on a song, then I'd be on that song for four weeks. And Cedella, Bob's daughter, sent me some files that only the family have. There were a number of interviews that are not available on YouTube or anywhere. I was listening to them and transcribing them all the way through, even when we were shooting. It was just amazing to get to listen to Bob talk over a 12-year-period so extensively about his religious beliefs, about writing, about life, about everything." Lashana: "I wanted to make sure that she was authentically portrayed, and that she was given the light and the flowers that she deserves — and that her spirit and her energy was in the film. So it was important for me to be able to rest firm in that at the beginning, and then be able to impart, I guess, the wisdom and the information that I gained from meeting her into the script and onto set. I think that the most-daunting thing at the very beginning was the fact that I have a responsibility to Jamaica. I represent Jamaica to the fullest. I'm of Jamaican heritage. My parents were born there. And also this is one of the queens of our country. So I knew that the responsibility was going to be big and that this had to be right. Once I saw how weighty that responsibility was, I just threw it away and decided to just focus on Mrs Marley, because she's who has the voice here and she's who people are going to remember — whether they're learning more about her because they know her already, or they don't know her and they're learning her for the first time. I wanted her portrayal to be balanced." James: "Chris Blackwell was a legend in his own right. In terms of music producers through the ages, there's no one really like him. As people have said, he's more one to introduce reggae to the world than anyone. And if you look at his roster of talent that he's represented and careers that he's launched, his taste is immaculate and he's clearly brilliant at his job. Also, the way that he kind of cross-pollinated, the way that he brought Junior Marvin into The Wailers because he knew the sound it would bring, which is nodded to in the movie — the guy's a genius. I think most music producers would say that there's only been one Chris Blackwell and there only will be one. So it was a responsibility to get him right. It was a pleasure and a privilege to learn about him. It was a privilege to meet him in Jamaica when we premiered the film, and I got to shake his hand — and I think he was approving of my portrayal. He didn't seem too upset, which is which is a relief." On Why a Bob Marley Biopic Hasn't Reached Screens Before Reinaldo: "I think time. Time wasn't right. I know they tried to make it for 30 years. Neville Garrick, who was our consulting producer on the film, told me I think he had tried to make it for 25 years. I had heard names like Oliver Stone and Scorsese, and many, many directors at some point, because everybody loves Bob. I just think time wasn't on their side. Time was on my side. It was the family's time. I think it was hopefully finding the right filmmaker. I think there's a time for everything and for whatever reason, this was our time. And we had to run with it. And also part of it was discovering who was going to play Bob. I think for so long it was trying to find who could carry the weight, who could carry that burden in in a lot of ways. Fortunately for us, it was Kingsley." On Learning More About Bob Marley by Making the Film James: "I was a fan, but like a lot of people, my life as a fan was limited to legend. I think probably when I was a teenager I was given or I brought that compilation, and I gorged on it. It became really, genuinely an important part of my teenage years and my 20s. He provided an apt soundtrack to those periods: the upbeat, celebratory moments; the crashes; the lower, more-pensive moments with 'Redemption Song' or whatever it might be. So I listened to his music and I didn't really know much about the context. And this is why I think this film for me and for hopefully the audience is going to be so important, because you realise that his message is so much bigger than his music. As there's a line in the film, the message and the music can't be separated. But it's been a real journey, a real revelation to me, to understand more about the man and where that message came from — and the fact that it came from struggle. Reinaldo: "I was definitely a fan. Grew up with the music in my household. My dad named me Reinaldo Marcus Green after Marcus Garvey [the Jamaican political activist], who Bob had studied, and so there were all these kismet signs that I was somehow supposed to be the person that helped bring this story to life. And I resisted it like I resist everything. 'Why me? It's too much. It's too hard. This is crazy. This is Bob Marley!'. But it was something about Bob in particular. He's a superhero. He's really unlike any other musician. He's like Peter Parker — he's a common man who then puts on a cape at night and rescues us with his music. It's a fantasy, and it's amazing when you see somebody that has that ability to transform our lives with his music. I mean, it's very rare to get that. You see the face, you see the image on the T-shirts and it's like 'who is that? Who is that man?'. I think we always we always feel that. He's a revolutionary, his spirit, what he was singing for. So going on that discovery was amazing. I only knew the tunes, right? Very rarely do you dissect lyrics. And that was the quest for me in this film, was really trying to understand where the music was coming from. I wasn't so well-versed in Jamaican politics, what was happening at that time, what was really going on — and Jamaica's rich history, and colonialism, and what was happening in politics. And so it was a great way for me to rediscover that period of time and do it through his music. I was hoping that we can weave the film in a way that the music comes out in a very organic way in the film that feels part of the fabric of how we made the movie; it's the DNA, it's the backbone, but it's not a musical." Bob Marley: One Love releases in cinemas Down Under on Wednesday, February 14, 2024. Read our review.
Earlier this year, the onsite restaurant at Brisbane's Ovolo The Valley announced a considerable change, with Tel Aviv-inspired eatery Za Za Ta Bar and Kitchen switching to an entirely vegetarian menu. But it isn't the only venue at the chain that's making the shift — with the hotel group's full suite of bars and restaurants at its Australian and Hong Kong sites all adopting a completely plant-based range for the next 12 months. Ovolo is calling the move its 'year of the veg', and it came into effect from Thursday, October 1. As well as Za Za Ta, the change also covers Mister Percy at Sydney's Ovolo 1888 Darling Harbour, plus Monster Kitchen and Bar at Ovolo Nishi in Canberra. And, Ovolo Woolloomooloo's Alibi Bar and Kitchen, too, although it already served up a wholly plant-based menu before this announcement. In Brisbane, diners can keep tucking veggie-heavy Middle Eastern fare, such as hummus made with braised chickpeas and a 63-degree egg; shish barak, aka Lebanese-style pumpkin dumplings; and cauliflower shawarma with smoked labneh and quince. For Sydneysiders, Mister Percy is now dishing up a vegetarian Italian menu, including pastas, pizzas and antipasti. Dig into a bowl of pappardelle and wild mushroom ragout, for example, or opt for a potato, mozzarella, taleggio, rosemary and truffle paste pizza. And, in Canberra, Monster Kitchen and Bar has a new executive chef as well. Paul Wilson's revamped menu will feature fermented and pickled foods quite heavily, and the restaurant will also start its own kitchen garden to grow its own produce. For more information about Ovolo Hotels, its restaurants and their plant-based menus for the next 12 months, visit the chain's website.
You love movies, but you're tired of watching the same old film fare. You want to venture outside of your viewing comfort zone, and out of your home as well. That's where underground film festivals come in, sampling the weird and wonderful delights never to grace mainstream cinemas. In Brisbane, that's BUFF, the city's only festival championing the overlooked and the under-seen. Since 2010, founder Nina Riddel has celebrated the eclectic and the experimental with the city's film fans, and her 2016 picks continue the trend. The highest-profile movie of the bunch is Sebastian Silva's excellent Nasty Baby starring Kristen Wiig and TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe; however there's something for all offbeat tastes at BUFF. Moving yet again — this time from January to February on the calendar, and to New Farm Cinemas, too — the festival opens with an effort about trying to create a follow-up to a Joe Swanberg film, and then keeps the movies about movies theme going with a documentary look at outsider artist and filmmaker Giuseppe Andrews. Want more? There's Applesauce' combo of radio talkback and severed limbs, A Feast of Man's cannibal dinner party and 600 Miles' drug-trafficking drama . That's your weekend viewing sorted.
Don't you hate when there's an imminent party in your city, that you may not have been informed about? Yo Gabba Gabba are bringing their There's A Party In My City! tour to Brisbane for two matinee shows tomorrow! The troupe, led by human DJ Lance Rock and flanked by his 5 furry monster pals, are all over kids' television at the moment. The show you see on TV is a mixture of live-action and cartoon sequences, with some hilarious, borderline insane, collaborations with celebrities and musicians, including Jack Black, The Shins, Elijah Wood, Hot Hot Heat and MGMT, just to name a few. Even our x&y bar in the Valley has a little nod to the zany show, with a stuffed Brobee doll sitting proudly on the main bar. But what is it about this children's show that draws viewers of all ages? Yo Gabba Gabba's creators, Scott Shultz and Christian Jacobs (of Aquabats fame) have made this quirky schmozzle into an indie favourite because they felt a mutual disappointment in today's kids' programs, and knew they wanted a show that was both educational and entertaining. They draw inspiration from current indie acts, their own kids and the old-school shows we all grew up watching. On this tour, DJ Lance Rock and his crew are supported by Little Red and Art Vs. Science. And here you were thinking it was just for the little people you know. You can take them along, AND enjoy yourself too, unlike those boring On Ice shows! I dare you to try not to smile when you hear 'There's a Party in My Tummy'. You will be seriously impressed and immediately in love, I can almost guarantee it.
There's the naturalism you know, and then there's the immersive, mythic, sensorial and heady naturalism of Abdellatif Kechiche's Blue Is the Warmest Colour (known in its native France as Adele: Chapters 1 & 2). The director boldly sticks his camera in the face of actor Adele Exarchopoulos and lets it linger there for three hours, watching intensely as the ingenue lives and loses her first love, while several years roll by. It's an extreme viewing experience that garnered high praise in Europe and won the most prestigious independent film award on the planet, the Palme d'Or. Yet as much as a Cannes-adored French coming-of-age movie (based on a graphic novel, by author Julia Maroh) appeals to my personal proclivities, I found Blue Is the Warmest Colour to be more of an interesting film than a great one. By far its biggest charm lies in the understated yet giving and uninhibited performances of its leads, Exarchopoulos as Adele and Lea Seydoux as her worldlier girlfriend, Emma. We see Adele as a whole person discovering the world, not just her sexuality. She waxes lyrical about her favourite classic novel, joins in song at a political demonstration, fools around with a sweet boy who only makes her depressed, and eats spag bol with her mouth open at an incommunicative family dinner table. She's from a plain, working-class household, and her world opens up when she meets art student Emma, who floors her from across the street with her blue-streaked hair and white-hot insouciance. Their love is explosive, total and immensely physical. But first loves don't often last, and that's probably a good thing. Captured in extreme close-up, Blue Is the Warmest Colour lets you feel the beauty and the pain of it, really feel it, for a few blessed minutes. However, not all of the three hours' worth of scenes deserve to be there, and Kechiche's execution seems haphazard and uncompromising. Since Cannes, there's been growing criticism of the hetero director's imaginings of a lesbian romance, and the camera's gaze does seem to cross a line from luscious into lascivious at times. Eschewing the usual press tour conventions, Exarchopoulos and Seydoux have been pretty frank in interviews about what it was like to work with the director — "horrible", uncomfortable, possibly exploitative and endlessly drawn out past schedule. It especially matters as the movie includes a hardcore seven-minute sex scene that took apparently ten days to shoot. The actors say they're happy with the results, but it doesn't seem like a methodology we should accept. Fortunately, Blue Is the Warmest Colour's Palme d'Or, for the first time in history, was jointly awarded to the director and the film's two stars. Their idiosyncratic performances are very worth seeing. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Y2OLRrocn3s
Watching a man painstakingly recreate an oil painting doesn't exactly sound like the basis for a winning documentary. Yet in the hands of popular TV double act Penn and Teller, that's exactly what it turns out to be. Told in clear, accessible terms that laymen can understand, Tim's Vermeer is a lively, intriguing look at the line between artist and inventor, one that challenges the very notion that the distinction should be made at all. Johannes Vermeer was a 17th-century Dutch artist, best known these days for Girl with a Pearl Earring. His paintings have been lauded for their photorealistic look. Various theories exist as to how he was able to achieve such detail, one of which suggests that he made use of optical aids — mirrors, curved lens and so on. One subscriber to this theory is San Antonian inventor Tim Jenison. Despite having no artistic training, Jenison believes that by following what he thinks were the Dutchman's methods, he'll be able to produce similar results. An unassuming project about an unassuming man, this film is an ode to quiet determination. Jenison pours years into his hobby, teaching himself the skills to build a life-size replica of Vermeer's studio, and even finagling a private viewing in Buckingham Palace of the piece he wishes to recreate. His painting technique, which involves matching colour to an image reflected in an elevated mirror, is rather difficult to do justice in writing. Rest assured though that it's fascinating to behold. Penn provides the narration — his verbosity and humour helping viewers follow the science behind the art. Teller, meanwhile, does solid work in the director's chair, keeping the movie moving at a reasonably rapid pace. If the film has an issue, it's that it leaves little room for viewpoints other than its own. Apparently the optics theory is quite controversial in the art world, but everyone in the movie dismisses the sceptics out of hand. Then again, it's rather hard not to be convinced by Jenison's hypothesis, particularly when you see what he's able to put on the canvas. Whether or not his was the same technique that Vermeer used, the final product is certainly remarkable. At the end of the day, that may be more important. This film doesn't work because you care about Vermeer. It works because you care about Tim. https://youtube.com/watch?v=cxVxti5Fnf8
We've passed the winter solstice and the temptation to hibernate is growing ever stronger — so, you probably need a little something extra to tempt you off the couch. Handily, online reservation platform The Fork has a winning idea up its sleeve: it's offering a huge six weeks of dining specials nationwide. Kicking off on Monday, July 1, The Fork Festival will see over 250 top restaurants across the country offering sit-down meals for half the usual price. Yep, 50 percent off your total food bill, folks — think of it as the proverbial carrot luring you out of the house. To snag a half-price meal, you just need to make a reservation through The Fork website or app at one of the participating eateries for any service (breakfast, lunch or dinner) during the six weeks. [caption id="attachment_574140" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Comuna Cantina[/caption] There are some great venues coming to the party, too. In Sydney, you'll find discounted eats at the likes of Pilu at Freshwater, Queen Chow Manly, Potts Point wine bar Monopole, Din Tai Fung (Chatswood, Central Park, Miranda), waterside spot Berowra Waters Inn, Fratelli Fresh (Alexandria and Crows Nest) and Surry Hills' Caffe Bartolo. Melbourne spots include Prahran's Casa NOM, Burma Lane in the CBD, South Yarra's Abacus and Pretty Boy Italian Steakhouse. Brisbane folk can score discounts at the likes of Comuna Cantina, River Quay Fish and The French Bistrot, and Perth diners should put Angove Kitchen & Espresso Bar, Prince Lane and Street Eats Eatery on their radar. You might want to revisit an old favourite or you could get a little adventurous and road-test somewhere new. Either way, there's ample time to squeeze in a fair few discount feasts before the festival wraps up on August 11. The Fork Festival runs from July 1–August 11. The full list of participating restaurants will be released on the website on June 30. Top image: Caffe Bartolo by Kitti Gould; Casa Nom by Griffin Simm.
Game of Thrones fans might be waiting at least another year before the hit HBO show returns for its eighth and final season, but here's something that should help fill the void: an actual GoT-themed hotel, made almost entirely from ice and snow. Lapland Hotels SnowVillage is an annual pop-up hotel that opens in Kittilä, Finland each December, crafted by professional ice sculptors using around 20 million kilos of snow and 350,000 kilos of natural ice. Covering about 20,000 square metres, it's impressive at the best of times, though as Condé Nast Traveler reports, the owners have this year teamed up with HBO Nordic to give the hotel an extra memorable twist. A wintery homage to Game of Thrones, SnowVillage's latest iteration features its own 'Hall of Faces', a dragon-shaped ice slide, an Ice Mountain-guarded Ice Throne and ten impressive hotel suites with their own unique sculptures carved into the walls. In stark contrast to our current Aussie summer temperatures, the hotel's interiors only reach about minus-five degrees celsius, though you'll get a cosy sleeping bag to help see you comfortably through the night. Of course, if you're not quite sold on the idea of such a chilly sleepover, SnowVillage also has plenty to tempt day-trippers. You can chow down on a feed of local delicacies (reindeer included) in the ice restaurant, warm up with some themed drinks at onsite drinking spot Ice Bar, take in some scenery on a husky safari, or unleash some creativity of your own at one of the ice sculpture workshops. If you're heading to Finland in the next few months, entry to the SnowVillage costs €15 ($23 AUD), with rooms starting at €165 ($253 AUD). It's open daily until April 8, 2018. Via Condé Nast Traveler.
The fact that Australia is hosting the 2023 Women's World Cup is mighty sweet news. That matches are happening right here in Brisbane? That's even sweeter. The Matildas winning the whole thing would be the sweetest outcome of all — but, whatever happens on the turf, Emporium Hotel South Bank has a few sweet tricks of its own. The towering hotel and its bars and eateries love celebrating an occasion, so of course the whole lot is going all-in for this football extravaganza. You've got two places to head to until Sunday, August 20: up to the The Terrace 21 storeys up for drinks, and to French patisserie Belle Epoque downstairs for dessert. First, the tipples. There, two options are on offer, too — one inspired by the Matildas, the other by their initial adversaries in Ireland, with both costing $26. Grab a limited-edition Matilda cocktail and you'll be sipping Aussie rum, passionfruit, vanilla and saffron in a coconut-dipped glass. Or, with the Cold Irish Coffee, you'll enjoy Jameson whisky with Mr Black coffee liqueur, plus honey, muscovado sugar, filtered coffee and cream. Now, dessert time. Belle Epoque's Executive Pastry Chef Charith Arachchige has created a macadamia chocolate caramel tart that looks like a soccer ball. The $12 treat features a chocolate ball shell, grass made out of green fondant, and salted caramel and milk chocolate cremeux as a filling. Whoever ends up winning the Women's World Cup, your tastebuds will clearly emerge victorious as well.
Anything can be festive with the right theming, and that includes doughnuts. Accordingly, it should come as zero surprise that Krispy Kreme will soon release a line of Christmas goods, aka doughnuts iced in red, green and white. What you might not be expecting, however, is the new range of doughnut-inspired Christmas biscuits for dogs that it has just dropped first. You know the thinking behind this new canine snack: anything humans can eat, dogs think they can munch on as well. Of course, as every responsible pet parent knows, that isn't the case. But this festive season, that's where Krispy Kreme's latest limited-edition range of 'doggie doughnuts' comes in. The company has dipped their paws in this territory before, back in 2021. This time, the round dog bikkies are all about the jolliest part of the year. Even better: they're decked out exactly as the Christmas range of doughnuts for humans will be when they arrive, so you and your pupper can go all matchy matchy with your snacks. Krispy Kreme's new dog treats sure do look like the real thing anyway, and once again hail from a collaboration with Coolum-based pet treats business Huds and Toke. They come in four packs for $10.95, with each biscuit featuring different decorating — so there's a Christmas tree-inspired bikkie, one that's meant to look like a Christmas pudding, another that's inspired by Santa's belly (including a blet) and a white, sprinkle-topped number simply dubbed 'festive ring'. The biscuits aren't made from doughnuts or chocolate, of course; instead, they use a hard-baked cookie base that uses peanut butter, carob and other canine-friendly ingredients. The bikkies are also meant to be good for chewing and for teeth cleaning — so they'll get your four-legged friend's tail wagging and help take care of their dental health. And yes, a big caveat: they are just for pets. So, just like how Fido or Rover can't have your doughnut, you can't have their version either. Find them now at Krispy Kreme stores around the country, including via drive-thru and click-and-collect. Krispy Kreme's Christmas doggie doughnuts are now available from the chain's stores — including via drive-thru and click-and-collect for a limited time.
Teenagers are savage in The Boogeyman, specifically to Yellowjackets standout Sophie Thatcher, but none of them literally take a bite. Grief helps usher a stalking dark force to a distraught family's door; however, that malevolent presence obviously doesn't share The Babadook's moniker. What can and can't be seen haunts this dimly lit film, and yet this isn't Bird Box, which co-star Vivien Lyra Blair also appeared in. And a distressed man visits a psychiatrist to talk about his own losses, especially the otherworldly monster who he claims preyed upon his children, just as in Stephen King's 1973 short story also called The Boogeyman — but while this The Boogeyman is based on that The Boogeyman, which then made it into the author's 1978 Night Shift collection that gave rise to a packed closet full of fellow movie adaptations including Children of the Corn, Graveyard Shift and The Lawnmower Man, this flick uses the horror maestro's words as a mere beginning. On the page and the screen alike, Lester Billings (David Dastmalchian, Boston Strangler) seeks therapist Will Harper's (Chris Messina, Air) assistance, reclining on his couch to relay a tragic tale. As the new patient talks, he isn't just shaken and shellshocked — he's a shadow of a person. He's perturbed by what loiters where light doesn't reach, in fact, and by what he's certain has been lurking in his own home. Here, he couldn't be more adamant that "the thing that comes for your kids when you're not paying attention" did come for his. And, the film Lester has chosen his audience carefully, because Will's wife recently died in a car accident, leaving his daughters Sadie (Thatcher) and Sawyer (Blair) still struggling to cope. On the day of this fateful session, the two girls have just returned to school for the first time, only for Sadie to sneak back when her so-called friends cruelly can't manage any sympathy. Whether you call it the boogeyman, boogie monster or bogeyman IRL, the titular creature doesn't need naming; everyone knows the concept. Movie buffs definitely do, thanks to 1980's The Boogeyman, and its sequels in 1983 and 1994 — plus the unrelated 2005 release Boogeyman, as well as its own 2007 and 2008 follow-ups. None of those past pictures have anything to do with King, making this one, which arrives 50 years after his unnerving prose first hit print, the only one to do the honours. Its main figures are just as familiar with the mythic entity with a penchant for petrifying young souls in the black of night from beneath their beds and in their cupboards, but purely as fiction, with ten-year-old Sawyer unable to sleep without lights on, her wardrobe checked and under her mattress given a thorough once-over. Indeed, early in The Boogeyman, Will asks Sawyer how she manages to slumber each night beneath such a glow. While her answer is standard for any precocious kid, the question itself hangs heavily in the air. Her bedroom twinkles from several sources of light — one of which is a giant lit-up globe that she sleeps with, and can also handily roll along bright corridors when the need arises, which it will — but the scene is noticeably far from radiant. It's a sight that says plenty about The Boogeyman, albeit unintentionally. The studio debut of Host and Dashcam director Rob Savage, the film is so concerned with evoking an unsettling mood in its look, tone and emotions first and foremost that it doesn't flinch for a second when what a character is saying contrasts so glaringly with what's being shown. Scary movies are about feeling, of course. At the core of the horror genre is the need to work through the things that go bump and jump in the evening, usually in our hearts and minds, and springing from existential woes about mortality — plus the chilling sensation that can't be shaken when what gets our hairs standing on end isn't at all logical. Accordingly, while the way that The Boogeyman handles Sawyer's bedroom doesn't prove so bright in multiple senses, Savage is a convincingly atmospheric filmmaker here (a trait he also demonstrated with his 2020 breakout Host, only for it to vanish without a trace in 2021's awful and obnoxious Dashcam). With cinematographer Eli Born (Hellraiser) consistently infusing every room with bleakness, Savage knows how to let dread and terror permeate. That's what navigating mourning is like, after all, as sits at the core of the emotionally astute script by A Quiet Place and 65's Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, alongside Black Swan and The Skeleton Twins' Mark Heyman. A feature can be as layered as strings upon strings of fairy lights and equally as conventional as a regular incandescent bulb, though. The Boogeyman, with its generic title, swings between both extremes. It understands how unshakeable the pain of losing someone is, and how bereavement seeps into every space it can. As Smile did in 2022, it also appreciates hurt and torment as a contagion as it spills from one household to the next. The Boogeyman is well-versed in the mechanics of jump scares, but those jolts also become routine quickly. Its high school bullies can't hold a candle to Carrie, it haunted houses aren't on The Shining's level and there's a touch of Stranger Things to its glimpses of its long-limbed, sharp-clawed namesake. And, yes, Thatcher brings Yellowjackets to mind, the whole premise gets The Babadook bubbling up, and the family-in-peril setup brings up Bird Box alongside Beck and Woods' A Quiet Place. Whether The Boogeyman is resonating with earned and earnest emotion or leaning overtly into genre tropes, it's a smartly hushed affair with expert sound design; in life's worst moments, sometimes only whispers echo no matter how loudly you want to scream. Savage's intriguing- and involving-enough mixed bag is also a better film thanks to its three key cast members, even working with thinly written characters. As her breakout TV role has already demonstrated, Thatcher is a talent on the rise. She's particularly skilled at portraying complicated teens forced to weather unspeakable horrors, then find a way to persevere. Although her panicked face fills the screen often, Blair's Sawyer is never just an alarmed avatar for the audience or a reminder of their own childhood fears, while the always-watchable Messina makes a shrink dad with trouble processing his own trauma feel believable.
For most, thinking about surrealism means imagining melted clocks, sky-high elephants, cloud-filled eyes and giant apples. Thanks to Salvador Dalí and René Magritte, they're some of the art movement's most-enduring images. While Australia is no stranger to exhibitions about the former, the Art Gallery of New South Wales is currently hosting the nation's first-ever retrospective dedicated to the latter, complete with some of the Belgian artist's best-known pieces. Magritte opened on Saturday, October 26, 2024 as part of the 2024–25 Sydney International Art Series, and runs until Sunday, February 9, 2025 as a Harbour City exclusive. If you're keen to peruse this stunning collection of the surrealist's work, you'll need to see it in the New South Wales capital. More than 100 pieces feature, with 80-plus of them paintings — and if you need proof of why he's considered one of the most-influential figures in 20th-century surrealism, it's all over AGNSW's walls. Stare at The False Mirror at Magritte, for instance, and you'll see an instantly recognisable masterwork that's as dreamy as art gets — all while the masterpiece of a painting from 1929 peers right back. One of Magritte's most-famous creations, it features a massive eye looking at the viewer, while also filled with a cloudy blue sky. It's an unforgettable work, and it's one of the stars of AGNSW's exhibition. Another striking painting that can be gazed upon currently in Sydney: Golconda, Magritte's 1953 work that brings two other pieces of popular culture to mind. Just try not to think about Mary Poppins and The Weather Girls' song 'It's Raining Men' while you feast your eyes on the sight of bowler hat-wearing men streaming down from the heavens. Then there's 1952's The Listening Room (La Chambre d'Écoute), which shows an oversized apple, its green flesh filling an entire room. Fruit might be a regular still-life subject, but there's nothing standard about Magritte's use of apples throughout his art. Like bowler hats, they're among his favourite motifs. Archival materials, photographs and films also feature, in a showcase that's filled with the expected highlights — 1928's The Lovers, 1933's The Human Condition, 1947's The Liberator, 1951's The Kiss and 1954's The Dominion of Light among them — but also probes deeper than the works that everyone immediately knows by sight. Visitors embark on a chronological journey through Magritte's career, starting with his avant-garde early efforts in the 20s, then covering four decades from there. "Many years in the making and drawing upon our unsurpassed international network of collaborative partners, Magritte considers the towering artist's innovative contributions to the broader surrealism movement, while also highlighting the uniqueness and individuality of his artistic vision," explained Art Gallery of New South Wales Director Dr Michael Brand, when Magritte opened in October. "Fundamental to this exhibition is our anticipation to share not only the well-known paintings you would expect to see in a Magritte retrospective but also to shine a light on some surprising aspects of his artistic output, particularly from the period when the artist, working from occupied Belgium during and immediately after the Second World War, created some of the most intriguing and subversive paintings of his career," Brand continued. "Magritte was ahead of his time. He saw himself as a 'painter of ideas' and his legacy extends far beyond the world of art. Today we find his work echoed in diverse creative fields, from fiction and philosophy to cinema and advertising. We can imagine his delight at the ways in which his images continue to circulate and take on new meanings in the 21st century," added Nicholas Chambers, the exhibition's curator as well as Art Gallery of New South Wales' Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary International Art. [caption id="attachment_959955" align="alignnone" width="1920"] René Magritte 'Golconda (Golconde)' 1953, oil on canvas, 80 x 100.3 cm, The Menil Collection, Houston, V 414 © Copyright Agency, Sydney 2024, photo: Paul Hester.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_959956" align="alignnone" width="1920"] René Magritte 'The listening room (La chambre d'écoute)' 1952, oil on canvas, 45.2 x 55.2 cm, The Menil Collection, Houston, gift of Fariha Friedrich, 1991-53 DJ © Copyright Agency, Sydney 2024, photo: Adam Baker.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_959954" align="alignnone" width="1920"] René Magritte 'The false mirror (Le faux miroir)' 1929, oil on canvas, 54 x 80.9 cm, Museum of Modern Art, New York, 133.1936 © Copyright Agency, Sydney 2024, photo © The Museum of Modern Art, New York/Scala, Florence 2024.[/caption] Magritte is on display at Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery Road, Sydney, until Sunday, February 9, 2025. Head to the gallery website for tickets and further details. Installation images: installation of the Magritte exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, 26 October 2024 – 9 February 2025, artworks © Copyright Agency, Sydney 2024, photo © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Mim Stirling.
It was the decade that gave us Magic Eye pictures, the Macarena, Pokemon and Tamagotchi, too. We're talking, of course, about the 90s. The decade might've come to an end exactly 20 years ago now, but it's easy to get nostalgic about — especially in a hectic year where we're all thinking about how simple life once was. The easiest way to indulge that nostalgia? You can pop on a flannelette shirt or some Hypercolour if you like, or you can head back in time via your viewing choices. Press play on one of the big hits of the decade, and you'll be transported back to a period when a group of mates sat on an orange coffee shop couch, and when the Dude also abided. To help plan out your ultimate retro watch list, we've teamed up with streaming service Binge to highlight five beloved TV shows and movies that'll take you back to the 90s faster than a DeLorean — including via a 14-day free trial for new customers.
On the first floor of the eye-catching 400 George St building, Public restaurant and bar is an obvious choice for post-five drinks. However, it is not the bevvies and bar snacks alone (though impressive) that have earned Public an AGFG Chef Hat Award in their first year of business. Another Brisbane establishment to base their menu on the idea of shared plates, Public's food is not as rustic (nor as haphazard) as some of the food found at your typical tapas place. Though the dishes are simple (sometimes deceptively so), they are also delicate and finessed. Options like salt 'n' vinegar French fries; Texas brisket and flour tortillas with chilli sauce; saltbush lamb, caramelised onion and beans; and scallop, pumpkin and smoked Wagyu may sound heavy, but they are unexpectedly light and refreshing to taste. The pork belly, red lentils and apple is a particularly nice surprise. The KFD (Kentucky Fried Duck), however, is exactly what you hope it will be — salty, crunchy, rich meaty goodness. If variety is not your priority and you would rather something a bit more substantial, then try one of the 'Big Plates', like the masterstock chicken with noodle salad and masterstock jus. Of course, the greater portion sizes are commensurate with the heftier prices. In line with the communal eating theme, the desserts too are easily shared, and with only three on the menu (alongside a cheese plate) there is no difficulty in sampling them all. Our pick is the cinnamon pudding with charcoal ice-cream. By day Public is sunlit via the glass wall that takes up one entire side of the restaurant. At night, however, the space is incredibly dim. This is fine if you want a bit of mood lighting, but it does seem to make it a tad tricky for staff to see whether there is any food left in your bowl. Perhaps this economical use of electric lighting contributes to 400 George's 5 Star NABERS Energy rating. It is not only for the sunlight for which you should consider a daytime visit to Public. A couple of months ago the restaurant began opening for breakfast — a logical development given their popularity and location. Duck egg, truffle and toast certainly doesn't sound like a bad way to start the day.
Even when you're holidaying in a place that's known for its sun, surf and sand, sometimes you just want to splash around while peering down on the world. The Gold Coast is as famed for its sky-high stays as it is its beaches, so finding a towering hotel to spend a few nights in isn't hard. But if you're looking for somewhere brand new with a rooftop infinity pool boasting views out over Southport, there's only one place to book into. TRYP by Wyndham Southport Gold Coast marks the chain's first-ever outpost in Queensland and only the second Wyndham Hotels & Resorts site in Australia, after it made its Aussie debut in Adelaide. The brand also boasts venues in the US, China, the Philippines, Germany, Greece, Portugal, Brazil and Paraguay, among other spots around the globe, but joins the list of hotel names making the leap Down Under. Come 2025, Australia's first Mondrian will sit at the other end of the Gold Coast, in Burleigh Heads, for instance. St Regis has also locked in its initial Aussie appearance on the Goldie, but in 2027, with Budds Beach its destination At TRYP by Wyndham Southport Gold Coast, guests can turn an apartment in the 4.5-star hotel into their temporary home away from home, staying in of the 225 self-contained one-, two- or three-bedroom spaces. Whichever you pick, you'll have your own fully equipped kitchen, a dining table for meals if you're eating in, plus a king-sized bed. And as for gazing beyond the four walls around you, you'll get either waterway or hinterland views, including from balconies with floor-to-ceiling windows. Open since Wednesday, December 4, 2024 — just in time for summer holidays — the hotel is part of Southport's $3.8-billion Imperial Square development. But there's plenty onsite at TRYP by Wyndham Southport Gold Coast to keep you on the premises, such as an Italian and Mediterranean restaurant serving up dishes, alongside that rooftop swimming spot. Amore Ristorante started welcoming in diners back in mid-November in advance of the broader hotel's launch, and can cater to 100 people. Serving up breakfast, lunch and dinner daily under Executive Chef Robert McWhinnie, the restaurant's menu spans Tweed River oysters and crab mousse-stuffed blossoms for starters, wagyu beef bolognese among the house-made pasta options, plus wild-caught seafood and boneless chicken with lemon cashew cream for something more substantial. For dessert, chocolate cannoli and tiramisu made with Lavazza coffee are two tastebud-tempting choices. To wash all of the above down with, the drinks list features both a range of cocktails and Italian and local wines. While heading up top for a dip is already a drawcard — and you'll see both the ocean and the city as you swim — a luxe day spa is also on the way. So, when you're not taking a splash, you'll be able to hit the steam room or sauna. A fitness centre is onsite, too. When the Imperial Square precinct is finished, it'll be big — so sizeable, in fact, that it'll feature the tallest towers on the Gold Coast. Find TRYP by Wyndham Southport Gold Coast at 59 Meron Street, Southport, Queensland — and head to the chain's website for booking and further details.
For residents of the Greater Brisbane area, plus folks who spent some of your Christmas and New Year break in the region, 2021 has gotten off to a hectic start. The city's Grand Chancellor hotel cluster sparked six COVID-19 cases — all of the new, more contagious B117 coronavirus strain — resulting in a three-day lockdown, increased local restrictions, and changes in domestic border rules between states as well. The cluster also saw Prime Minister Scott Morrison declare Greater Brisbane a COVID-19 hotspot at the commonwealth level — a decision that came out of the first Australian national cabinet meeting for 2021, and covered the Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, Moreton and Redlands local government areas. Now, just over a week later — and 14 days since local transmission is thought to have occurred — Australia's Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly has announced that the hotspot status has been revoked. That new status became effective at 12.01am today, Sunday, January 17. "This hotspot was declared out of an abundance of caution because we saw for the first time a case of this new more transmissible strain in the community," said Kelly. "Like so many instances throughout the pandemic, we've now seen another success story in our response." When Greater Brisbane was deemed a federal-level hotspot, every state and territory across Australia implemented border restrictions with the area — and in some cases, the entire State of Queensland. As the situation has settled, those rules have been changing again. In New South Wales, folks who had been in the Greater Brisbane area since January 2 were required to isolate during the Queensland region's lockdown. Now, however, there are no restrictions in place. Victoria closed its borders to Greater Brisbane, and implemented a new traffic light-style system to cope with domestic outbreaks and corresponding restrictions on entering the state in general. Greater Brisbane was initially classed as a 'red zone', which meant anyone who had been in the area couldn't head to Victoria. As at 6pm on Saturday, January 16, it became an 'orange zone' instead — so entry is now allowed after applying for a permit, then self-quarantining, getting a coronavirus test within 72 hours of arrival and remaining in isolation until a negative test result is received. https://twitter.com/VicGovDHHS/status/1350229906488102913 Tasmania declared the Greater Brisbane region a high-risk area. Anyone who had arrived in Tasmania after spending time in Greater Brisbane since January 2 had to immediately self-isolate, while anyone who had been in the area and wants to travel to Tassie isn't allowed to enter without an exemption. That's still the case, although the rules will be reviewed and updated on Monday, January 18. In the Northern Territory, a hotspot declaration meant that anyone entering the NT from Greater Brisbane area had to go into quarantine for two weeks. That declaration was revoked on Monday, January 11. South Australia brought in a quarantine requirement, too, requiring arrivals from Greater Brisbane to to isolate for two weeks. That was revoked at 12.01am on Sunday, January 17, although anyone entering SA from the area must now have a COVID-19 test on day one, five and 12 of their trip to the state. The Australian Capital Territory required anyone who had been in the Greater Brisbane area since January 2 to go into isolation for 14 days from when they were last in the area; however, that was revoked at 2pm on Monday, January 11. Over in Western Australia, a hard border has been brought back in with all of Queensland, with WA closing to anyone who has been in the Sunshine State since January 2. That's still in effect — so anyone who receives an exemption to still enter WA has to go into quarantine for 14 days, and undertake COVID-19 testing within 48 hours of arrival and again on day 11 of their quarantine. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Australia, visit the Australian Government Department of Health website.
Blessed be your streaming queue one last time, or at least until a TV version of The Testaments arrives. The Handmaid's Tale is finishing in 2025, concluding with the page-to-screen hit's sixth season. As both the first teaser trailer and the just-dropped full sneak peek at the award-winning series' last run illustrate, June (Elisabeth Moss, The Veil) is again up for a fight. Since 2017, watching The Handmaid's Tale has meant wishing for one thing: the end of Gilead, the totalitarian, male-dominated society that rules the show's dystopian version of the United States. In the award-winning series adapted from Margaret Atwood's 1985 book, that outcome is finally coming in a way, at least for viewers for now. When June says that "this is the beginning of the end" in the new trailer, ideally she means for the way of life that she's been forced to endure — but whatever happens, this specific Gilead story will wrap up. "Now it's time for them to be afraid of us," June also states. For the show's protagonist and her fellow red-wearing women, revolution is coming. Rallying against the oppressive status quo however possible has sat at the heart of this series since day one — and in its last season, June is back waging war. As the initial teaser trailer for season six had June note, outlining the ways that the regime has tried to push her and her fellow women down, including via their restrictive attire, "the dress became a uniform — and we became an army". If you haven't read The Testaments, and therefore have no idea where Atwood has guided her franchise on the page from here, it's set 15 years after the events of its predecessor and also includes familiar characters. How that'll play into the end of The Handmaid's Tale on-screen obviously hasn't been revealed. Season six's plot will chart June's battle to take down Gilead, though, plus Luke (O-T Fagbenle, No Good Deed) and Moira (Samira Wiley, Breaking News in Yuba County) joining the resistance, Serena's (Yvonne Strahovski, Teacup) efforts to change Gilead, tests for Nick (Max Minghella, Maximum Truth), and reckonings for Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford, The Madness) and Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd, The Friend). The sixth season of The Handmaid's Tale debuts on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. Down Under, it streams via SBS On Demand and Neon. Praise be for what looks like one helluva last hurrah for the show. Madeline Brewer (Space Oddity), Amanda Brugel (Dark Matter), Sam Jaeger (Wolf Man) and Ever Carradine (The Neighbourhood) also all return among the cast, with Josh Charles (Moss' The Veil co-star) a new addition. Check out the full trailer for The Handmaid's Tale season six below: The Handmaid's Tale season six debuts on Tuesday, April 8, streaming Down Under via SBS On Demand and Neon.
Unlimited seafood is something worth clearing an afternoon for. Unlimited mussels — well, that's something worth a road trip as well. On Sunday, July 29, prepare to head on down to the Miami Marketta on the Gold Coast, because that's where you'll find as many molluscs as you can devour over the course of four hours. A Festival of Mussels will unleash a horde of new season blue-lipped mussels from 1-5pm, with everything included in the $30 online / $35 on-the-day ticket price. There'll also be an oyster bar, although you'll have to pay extra if you're keen on slurping down some shucked seafood. And, if you don't want anything from the ocean for some reason, woodfired pizza and a selection of desserts will also be on offer. Because it is a festival, there'll also be live music to get everyone in the mussel-eating mood. But, let's face it: if you're heading to an event serving up all-you-can mussels, you're all ready primed. And hungry, of course.
In Footloose, Kevin Bacon danced to overcome his anger. In Hot Rod, Andy Samberg did as well. In First Things First, performer and choreographer Joseph Simons dances for a different reason. He's remembering the first time he did certain things, such as going to school, riding a bike and kissing somebody. Actually, he's also exploring the idea of getting used to all of those things — the moment in time when something new and exciting becomes something that you've done before. And, while he's unleashing his blend of virtuosic dance and physical theatre at this year's MELT Festival, he's giving audiences their own initial encounter. That'd be the first time they see his astounding performance.
The latest addition to Northshore Hamilton is here for a good time — a saucy time, too — but not for a long time. Putting a patch of riverside space to use before it starts to become the Olympic Media Village for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games, The Pink Flamingo Spiegeland has opened its doors for a seven-year stay on Bincote Street. Get ready for spicy cabarets by the river, plus drinks, all in a custom-designed 400-seat pavilion. If you're a fan of risqué performances, then you might've enjoyed a show over beverages in The Pink Flamingo Spiegeclub in Broadbeach since 2019. Now, since Saturday, December 16, it's the River City's turn without hitting the highway. And if you're wondering what a spiegelclub is, it takes cues from both spiegeltents and cabaret clubs, combining the vibe of both. Fans of burlesque, comedy and cabaret — and acrobatics and drag, too — can soak in a production at a purpose-built site that unsurprisingly follows the Gold Coast venue's lead when it comes to its favourite colour: pink, of course, as befitting its name. Hosting eight performances a week, The Pink Flamingo Spiegeland pairs its performances with food and cocktails. And as for what you'll be watching, Suavé, La Teaze and Ripped are the resident productions. All three shows now playing Brisbane have previously graced the stage on the Goldie — and yes, Ripped is a male revue if you're keen on a Magic Mike-esque experience. "After the enormous success of the Gold Coast, we knew an expansion was always on the cards," said The Pink Flamingo Spiegelclub co-director Tony Rigas. "Why should Brisbane wait for festivals to experience a glitter-bomb of shows, kaleidoscopes of colour on stage, and limit-pushing performances of a world standard? The city shouldn't, and that's why we are so thrilled to open The Pink Flamingo Spiegeland," added Sue Porrett, who is also behind the venture with Rigas and Peter Snee. 2023 has been big year for changes in Hamilton, and for new arrivals to the suburb from the Gold Coast. One of the Glitter Strip's beloved gelaterias expand to Portside, as did a bakery as well. In general, Portside has been undergoing a $20-million makeover, while Bird's Nest Yakitori also set up shop. Plus, Sunset Cinema made its Northshore debut, locking in its return in 2024, too. And, a 1.2-kilometre expansion that'll turn Northshore Hamilton into Brisbane's next South Bank is in the works. Find The Pink Flamingo Spiegeland at Northshore Hamilton, 98 Bincote Street, Hamilton — head to the venue's website for further details and tickets.
When Good Chef Bad Chef and Richo's Bar Snacks chef Adrian Richardson, ex-Cha Cha Char restaurateur Chris Higgins and lawyer Liam McMahon teamed up on BŌS, a 120-seater restaurant that adores meat so much that it has its own 'Cleaver Club', it promised Brisbane more than just a meal. The Queen Street spot opened in late 2022, with a sibling bar always in the works as well. Now, just as spring approaches in the River City, cocktail spot The Aviary Terrace Bar is pouring. Like BŌS, you'll find this watering hole opposite Customs House, in Otto Ristorante's old Dexus Tower digs — but making the most of an 800-square-metre al fresco space. Before, after or instead of a hearty lunch or dinner, Brisbanites can hit up The Aviary Terrace Bar for drinks and bites, with the doors open from Thursday, August 24. The venue will sling sips three days a week to begin with, from Thursday–Saturday, with Sunday trading due to kick in sometime late in September. To get there, patrons are advised to either take the lift from the complex's Queen Street entrance, or use the escalator from Adelaide Street. Either way, a sunny openair hangout with Brisbane River, Story Bridge and city views awaits. Higgins has dubbed the two ventures "a new dining and cocktail destination", "a hub for everything from corporate lunches and dinners through to celebratory events and social catchups" and "a must-visit precinct for Brisbane's birds of play to spread their wings". The decor matches the relaxed mood he's aiming for, including a colour palette heroing salmon and deep green tones, plus seven booths to get cosy in. Patrons will also find a curated range of tipples, including cocktails, craft beer, wine and champagne — complete with bottle service to the bar's booths — and light snacks. The libations span options with bird-themed names, such as the Ibis (vodka, blanc vermouth, manzanilla, olive brine and tonic water), the White Heron (agave, rum, coconut water, lime juice, pink grapefruit juice and fresh mint) and the Green Catbird (gin, lemon juice, basil liqueur and basil leaves). And among the bites: wagyu beef croquettes, oysters, prawn and bug rolls, eggplant crisps, Korean fried chicken, garlic prawn toasties, pork dumplings and cheeseburger spring rolls. Also, in the coming months, parties will pop up to make the most of the enviable location. If you're keen on pairing a trip here with a stint at BŌS as well, the latter clearly goes heavy on steak — it takes its name from the Latin word for beef, after all — with steak tartare, six cuts from the grill, and three giant 1.2–2.23-kilogram options to share all on offer. That said, diners can also choose from oysters, prawn cocktails, chargrilled Fremantle octopus, Tasmanian rock lobster, pork rib eye and duck breast with black garlic as part of BŌS' embrace of different types of proteins. Find The Aviary Terrace Bar on level four, 480 Queen Street, Brisbane — open 3pm–12am Thursday–Friday and 12pm–12am Saturday, with Sunday trading coming in late September.
When Enoggera Terrace's old Skate Arena reopened as Red Hill Cinemas late last year, it gave Brisbane a blast from the past — and the new picture palace isn't done feeling nostalgic just yet. From February, the site is going retro with a regular lineup of throwback favourites. It all starts with The Princess Bride on Friday, February 7 — a pick that's hardly inconceivable. On Valentine's Day, revisiting Dirty Dancing is in order, while other 80s-era highlights include Labyrinth, E.T. the Extra Terrestrial, The Breakfast Club and Footloose. If you haven't seen Kevin Bacon defy a dancing ban and punch-dance out his anger in the latter, then you have a big gap in your movie viewing. Some sessions will feature karaoke beforehand, and others encourage dressing up — and, when Grease hits the screen on Friday, February 28, it's part of a sing-along session on one of those summer nights. Pulp Fiction and A Clockwork Orange are also on the bill, with the current lineup spanning through until Friday, April 3. Most sessions run on Friday nights, but if you're eager to revisit E.T., you'd best block out the afternoon of Sunday, March 1.
He might hail from the UK, but internationally renowned artist Bruce Munro is leaving quite the impression Down Under. He's the creative mind behind Uluru's stunning Field of Light installation – which has pulled over 450,000 visitors and been extended three times since launching in mid-2016 – and, more recently, he illuminated Albany's tree-lined Avenue of Honour for ANZAC-inspired work Field of Light: Avenue of Honour. Now, the artist has taken on the Top End for Bruce Munro: Tropical Light, his third Australian installation and first-ever city-wide exhibition, which opened in Darwin last week. Free to visit and running until April 2020, the Northern Territory installation features eight large-scale illuminated sculptural works, inspired by Munro's own travels across the region. Peppered through the CBD and Darwin's waterfront precincts, they make up a self-guided 2.5-kilometre sculpture trail audiences can enjoy at their leisure. Bruce Munro, Pukul Lima Expect to find plenty of pieces referencing the Top End's vivid sunsets and native creatures, along with many an ode to Mother Nature, all showcasing Munro's strong affinity for light. There's Light Shower, Wave Lagoon Canopies, which features 3000 drops of light; the spherical Green Flash in the Old Town Hall Ruins; and Time and Again, Palm Tree Grove — a waterfront piece made up of 37 radiant, stainless steel lilies. Munro's sculpture trail is accompanied by works from five local artists, including acclaimed aerial photographer Paul Arnold and a series of solar jellyfish lights by Bev Garside. Bruce Munro: Tropical Light runs until April 30, 2020, across Darwin. It's illuminate from 7–10.30pm every night.
If sitting on the couch is a regular part of your viewing schedule, we now know which big-name films you'll be streaming in 2022. Get ready for eagerly awaited whodunnit sequels, all-star action flicks, Jamie Foxx fighting vampires, futuristic Korean sci-fi and Jennifer Lopez as an assassin — and, because the list of brand-new movies that Netflix will add to its platform this year tallies up at a whopping 86 titles, to see plenty more where they're all about to spring from. As it did for 2021, Netflix has just unveiled its full slate of new films for 2022. It's a something-for-everyone kind of lineup, which the streaming service's catalogue always is, but the rundown of newcomers is also stacked with highlights. One instant standout: Knives Out 2, Rian Johnson's follow-up to his glorious Daniel Craig-starring whodunnit from 2019. Yes, the now-former 007 is back as Detective Benoit Blanc, this time in Greece, and interrogating suspects played by a cast that includes Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr and Kate Hudson. Netflix subscribers can also look forward to The Gray Man, which sees Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans team up in a thriller about CIA mercenaries; Day Shift, where the aforementioned Foxx plays a seemingly ordinary dad whose pool-cleaning job is a front for staking the undead; JUNG-E, the latest dystopian vision out of Korea from Train to Busan, Peninsula and Hellbound's Yeon Sang-ho; and Lopez's maternal John Wick-esque stint in The Mother, where she's a killer forced to come out of hiding to protect her daughter. [caption id="attachment_841834" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Helen Sloan/Netflix © 2022[/caption] Or, there's also Blonde, a fictional portrait of Marilyn Monroe featuring No Time to Die's Ana de Armas as the real-life figure; acting-focused comedy The Bubble, with writer/director Judd Apatow amassing one of his usual all-star casts; the Jason Momoa-led Slumberland, about a space between dreams and nightmares; and Wendell & Wild, with Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key voicing a stop-motion animation. Fresh from Nightmare Alley, Guillermo del Toro has a stop-motion animation musical version of Pinocchio in the works as well — and, for something completely different, Adam Sandler turns astronaut in Spaceman, from Chernobyl director Johan Renck. Also, White Noise reunites filmmaker Noah Baumbach with both Marriage Story's Adam Driver and Frances Ha's Greta Gerwig in an adaptation of Don DeLillo's book of the same name, while a new take on Roald Dahl's Matilda features Emma Thompson and Lashana Lynch, and springs from Tim Minchin's musical. And, Last Christmas' Paul Feig helms a fairytale fantasy starring Charlize Theron and Kerry Washington with School for Good and Evil. Because we're into February already, some of the flicks on Netflix's list already have release dates, if you're the type who likes plugging things into your calendar. They span films such as The Adam Project, a time-travel effort with Ryan Reynolds and Mark Ruffalo that hits on March 11; Against the Ice, which sends Game of Thrones' Nikolaj Coster-Waldau to Greenland from March 2; Choose or Die, the April 15-releasing horror flick about a curse includes Robert Englund (aka the OG Freddie Kruger) among its cast; and Senior Year, which drops on May 13, features Rebel Wilson and Alicia Silverstone, and follows a cheerleader who awakens after a 20-year coma. There's also a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre arriving on February 18, too. Among the movies that don't yet have set dates, Enola Holmes 2 will get Millie Bobby Brown to do more sleuthing, Interceptor sees Chris Hemsworth dealing with a nuclear missile attack, a new adaptation of Lady Chatterley's Lover stars The Crown's Emma Corrin, and Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello is the executive music producer on Metal Lords, about two kids starting a metal band. Plus, Dev Patel stars in and directs Monkey Man, Dakota Johnson leads a new version of Jane Austen's Persuasion, and Richard Linklater's Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood heads back to the summer of 1969. Netflix usually gives some of its new films cinema runs, as it did with the likes of The Harder They Fall, Passing, Red Notice, The Power of the Dog and Don't Look Up in 2021. So, while we see oh-so-much couch time in your future, you may be able to watch some of these flicks on the big screen as well. Check out Netflix's trailer for its 2022 films below: New movies will hit Netflix every week throughout 2022 — head to the streaming platform for its current catalogue. Top image: Courtesy of Netflix © 2022.
Seeing a novel come to life is something that happens everyday. Experiencing a beloved story materialise in front of your eyes while you're inside an artwork — that isn't, as great as stage and screen adaptations can often be. Welcome to Angel's Place, and to Carpentaria: A Performance, which just might change the way you think about re-creations of literary material. Taking place at Brisbane Writers Festival, The former comes courtesy of a monument by Aboriginal artist Gordon Hookey, which becomes an immersive stage for the performance. The latter is inspired by Alexis Wright's novel, which tells of the fictional Queensland town of Desperance, a clash between indigenous and white communities, and the aftermath. If you're eager to find out more, the Miles Franklin Award-winning Wright will also be participating in an in-conversation session. Image: Mick Richards.
Pare back the impressive special effects and constant wisecracking in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and you soon come to realise...there's not a great deal of story to speak of. After a lifetime of searching, Peter Quill aka Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) finally finds himself face to face with his estranged father, Ego (Kurt Russell), from whom he quickly learns the truth about both the power and importance of his lineage. The question, though, is what's driving Ego's sudden appearance in Quill's life after such a long absence? Beyond that, there's actually very little going on in the film, aside from an entirely superfluous secondary plot involving a genetically-engineered race of conceited aliens (led by a gilded Elizabeth Debicki) who are hell-bent on killing the Guardians over a tiny spat from the opening scene. In the absence of plot, then, what drives this film and keeps it (for the most part) engaging are the relationships. For Quill, that means both a developing closeness with his father and an ongoing attempt to progress what he terms his 'unspoken thing' with the green-skinned warrior Gamora (Zoe Saldana). Gamora, in turn, is preoccupied with the increasingly complex and fractious relationship she has with her vengeful sister Nebula (Karen Gillan) – by far the movie's most compelling and nuanced dynamic. Close behind that comes the foul-mouthed Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), whose proclivity for sabotaging friendships and avoiding emotional closeness comes under the microscope in a surprisingly tender way. Less moving, but always entertaining, are the two remaining Guardians: Drax, the forever-literal powerhouse (Dave Bautista) and Groot, the tree creature turned sapling (voiced by Vin Diesel). Groot proved a fan favourite in the first Guardians film, so naturally he has a bigger role here. With those enlarged Disney ™ eyes and a propensity for dancing at inopportune moments, Groot represents at once the film's most consistent comedic device and tweaker of heart strings. To say his merchandise will sell well after the film's release might prove the single largest understatement of 2017. Of course, a review of a Guardians movie wouldn't be complete without mentioning its soundtrack. As in the first film, here we find a compilation of '80s tracks that well and truly earns the 'Awesome Mix Tape' tag. 'Mr. Blue Sky' by ELO, 'The Chain' by Fleetwood Mac and 'Surrender' by Cheap Trick are just some of the album's top-to-bottom highlights, used throughout the movie with such design that it's almost a character unto itself. Then there's Cat Stevens' 'Father and Son'. Already one of last century's most moving ballads, its deployment in the final stages of the film hits you in the feels so hard that you stand zero chance of wrenching your tear ducts shut in time. Admittedly, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 feels less innovative than its predecessor, with writer-director James Gunn mostly expanding upon existing plot lines, jokes and action sequences rather than inventing new ones. Still, it's an enjoyable ride, and there's clearly more to come (be sure to stay through to the end of the credits through which you'll catch a full five additional scenes and teasers). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hdv_6gl4gk
A weekend at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre is the ultimate way to start the summer. One stage, two nights, three days: that's the setup when the regional Victorian town that gives both the venue and Meredith Music Festival its name welcomes the warm weather. For more than three decades now, this event has become a tradition — and it'll be back in 2024 to do it all again. When Meredith returns across Friday, December 6–Sunday, December 8, it'll celebrate its 32nd festival. Who'll be helping, aka the lineup, hasn't yet been revealed. But something just as important is on the cards already: the ticket ballot opening as at Wednesday, July 17. Book that long weekend now, pop your name in the running, then cross your fingers that you'll be spending three days at The Sup. Meredith has long stopped being the kind of festival where attendance is dictated by whoever is taking to the stage. Whatever the bill holds, it's a must-attend event anyway. So, now's your chance to attempt to nab your ticket. To obtain a pass to the beloved three-day BYO camping festival, you've got until 10.32pm AEST on Monday, August 12 to enter the ballot. And as for the lineup, anything could happen. 2023's festival featured Kraftwerk, as well as Caroline Polachek, Alvvays, Alex G, Eris Drew & Octo Octa, Flowdan, Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, Sneaky Sound System, No Fixed Address and Souls of Mischief — and more. In 2022, Meredith's first festival since 2019 due to the pandemic, Caribou, Yothu Yindi and Courtney Barnett led the roster. The full lineup is usually announced in mid-August. We'll update you when details drop. Meredith Music Festival will return to Meredith from Friday, December 6–Sunday, December 8, 2024. To put your name in the ballot to get your hands on tickets, head to the festival's website before 10.32pm AEST on Monday, August 12. Images: Chip Mooney, Ben Fletcher, Chelsea King and Steve Benn.
Overwater dining, meals and sips with a waterside view, taking dinner and drinks up a few levels: around Brisbane, none of these are new experiences. That said, grabbing a bite or a beverage at a restaurant that's not only perched over the water — ten metres above the Brisbane River, in fact — but is also part of one of the city's bridges is something that the Queensland capital has never seen before. Meet Stilts, which is now open on the Kangaroo Point Bridge. The modern-Australian eatery is not just Brisbane's first-ever restaurant on a bridge, but also Queensland's first of its kind — even if it's the second that hospitality company Tassis Group has launched with ties to the River city's newest river crossing. Mulga Bill's Kitchen & Bar, which is sat at the foot of the structure on the Alice Street side, opened before it. Where that venue is a casual all-day diner, Stilts is all about an elevated experience (including literally) in unique surroundings. "Stilts is more than just a restaurant — it's a destination in itself, where guests can experience firsthand the things that make our city so unique. I wanted to create a place where every last detail celebrated the spirit of our community, from the people, culture and lifestyle to our access to some absolutely incredible produce," said Tassis Group's Michael Tassis. "Not only is it raised to capture the stunning views, it's designed to share with loved ones, create memories, and to enjoy the best produce and talent Queensland has to offer." If the 100-seater restaurant's design looks familiar, that's because it takes inspiration from a Sunshine State staple: Queenslander homes. Of course, most such structures around Brisbane don't boast a 180-degree vantage peering out over the Story Bridge, Kangaroo Point Cliffs and Brisbane City Botanical Gardens, including through floor-to-ceiling windows. Also key elements of Stilts: an alfresco balcony, a casual bar area and an indoor dining room that allows ample light in, as well as a 12-person private dining room. Under Head Chef Dan Hernandez (formerly of fellow Tassis venture Fosh, and also ex-Restaurant Dan Arnold and Agnes), the Queensland-focused menu starts with beef tartare in cannelloni shells and potato pavé, serves up caviar three ways — in blinis and beef tartlets among them — and then spans everything from Australian wagyu dumplings and Moreton Bay bug linguine to pistachio gelato and yuzu curd. If you're keen on a surf-and-turf option, Stilts' version features 28-day aged sirloin and swordfish steak, and will set you back $135. Diners can also treat themselves to angus and wagyu steaks from the grill, charcoal or miso-yuzo glazed lobster, and a wagyu tasting experience with three cuts of meat. For those feeling spoiled for choice, three different banquets will make your picks for you, ranging from $155–240 in price — the latter with the three caviar options. Drinks-wise, more than 180 drops are on the wine list, alongside beer, spirits and non-boozy sips. As well as Mulga Bill's, Stilts joins Tassis Group's growing lineup of Brisbane restaurants; see also: Opa Bar + Mezze, Yamas Greek + Drink, Massimo Restaurant and Bar, Longwang, Fatcow on James St, Fosh Portside, Rich & Rare, Pompette and Dark Shepherd. Find Stilts Dining at 147E Alice Street, Brisbane CBD, on the Kangaroo Point Green Bridge — open from 11am–9.30am Sunday–Thursday and 11am–10pm Friday–Saturday. Head to the venue's website for more details. Images: Allo Creative / Markus Ravik / Brisbane City Council.
With 35 hours worth of footage uploaded to YouTube every single minute, it's easy to get lost wading through all of the new content. Instead of wasting your time searching through crappy homemade videos, check out this list of 10 channels actually worth watching. 1. Vlogbrothers, Crash Course, and Sci Show Created by brothers John and Hank Green in 2007, Vlogbrothers was initially used as a way for the two to stay in touch. Today, it has become popular enough to have acquired its own fandom and spin-offs and is definitely worth catching up on. Check out the Green's other channels as well: Crash Course, which features the brothers' entertaining lectures on history and biology, and Sci Show, Hank's show on anything and everything scientific. 2. Ill Doctrine Jay Smooth takes a creative turn from his New York WBAI's Underground Radio show to discuss all aspects of modern culture on his YouTube channel. His thoughts on politics, race relations and music are incorporated with his great sense of humour. 3. BriTANick Comedy Two announcers from Cartoon Network, Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher, got their start with this YouTube sketch comedy channel. Irreverent and hysterical, their video spoofs poke fun at everything from cooking shows to Shakespeare. 4. TED Education The TED media empire originated as a not-for-profit conference to discuss technology, design, and education. Today, their YouTube channel offers tonnes of different lectures and lessons, covering diverse educational topics and incorporating animation. 5. My Drunk Kitchen For those of us who have drunkenly stumbled into the kitchen after a night out to cook a very necessary bowl of mac 'n' cheese, there is My Drunk Kitchen, Hannah Hart's show dedicated to making sure "you don't puke your guts out". Be thoroughly entertained by Hart's drunken, yet somehow charming, kitchen antics. 6. College Humor 240 Jake and Amir videos, the College Humor Originals series and Hardly Working series are filled with enough crazy stupid shenanigans to keep you laughing for hours. 7. Julia Nunes For Julia Nunes, YouTube has been the vehicle to musical fame, but also the means to entertain us with her goofy ukulele covers of the likes of Justin Bieber. 8. Smart Girls at the Party Amy Poehler proves that smart girls can have a good time too by interviewing a different woman on every episode. These young women share their hobbies with Poehler and show the YouTube world that internet intelligence does exist. 9. Wheezy Waiter Craig Benzine's outlandish videos feature amazing production quality and not a whole lot of rhyme and reason. Posted almost every weekday, these quirky videos are ever-random and always entertaining. 10. Belated Media Dedicated to providing high-quality film reviews, Michael Barryte's channel features a green screen which allows Barryte to comment on the film as it happens. His reviews are carefully thought-out and well broken-down for his audience. [via Flavorwire]
Until October 2023, the world's largest-ever known land animal has taken up residence in Brisbane. It's a dinosaur, of course. It's the Patagotitan, and it reached 37 metres in length when it was living and breathing. Thanks to the Dinosaurs of Patagonia exhibition, it's on display at Queensland Museum; however, that isn't he South Bank site's only dance with ancient creatures. Opening on Friday, June 16 and sticking around permanently, Dinosaurs Unearthed: Explore Prehistoric Queensland gives dino fans something else to roar about: a free showcase focused on the critters that once roamed the Sunshine State. On offer are fossils discovered locally, meteorites, life-sized 3D prints of dinosaurs and megafauna, and dino projections, as paired with an immersive soundscape. Among more than 50 full-scale reconstructions — which might just make you feel like you've stepped into David Attenborough's Prehistoric Planet — replicas of the Australovenator and Megalania are certain highlights. The former is Queensland's velociraptor equivalent, while the latter is the seven-metre-long creature that was the world's largest land lizard. Also hefty: the 100-plus fossils and meteorites that are part of Dinosaurs Unearthed, including some of Queensland Museum's most prized and precious specimens. And, the gallery is filled with Traditional Owner stories and artefacts, too, celebrating thousands of generations of cultural connections. Drawing upon new research by the venue's palaeontologists, and also using intricate illustrations and interactive touchscreens, the new dinosaur showcase covers 250 million years of history — starting in the Triassic period, which dates back 252 million years; welcoming attendees to the Jurassic period (201–145 million years ago); and also covering the Cretaceous (145–66 million years ago), Paleogene (66–23 million years ago), Neogene (23–2.38 million years ago) and Quarternary periods (from 2.3 million years ago to now). "Visitors will discover fascinating insights into Australia's iconic dinosaurs and megafauna, including our very own Muttaburrasaurus, the state fossil emblem," said Queensland Museum Network CEO Dr Jim Thompson, launching Dinosaurs Unearthed. "What I love about Dinosaurs Unearthed is that the gallery is divided into many different levels and the idea is that whoever you are, whatever age you are or whatever interest level you have – you will get something out of the gallery – which is quite unique," added Queensland Museum Network Acting Principal Scientist and Curator of Geosciences Dr Scott Hocknull. "We've created an experience that has changed the way people interact with a gallery. Our fossils and artworks are not just static dioramas but tell stories about our past. What's better is that you can take some of these creatures' home with you in augmented reality and bring them to life again in your living room," Dr Hocknull continued. "Within every aspect of Dinosaurs Unearthed, we are creating an opportunity to not only see our most valuable fossil and meteorite treasures, but also understand what I call paleo tech — the application of new technologies in palaeontology and how we use this here at Queensland Museum Network." "Our research is ongoing, and there are opportunities for the gallery to grow and evolve as our research continues. There are species within the gallery that are still yet to have a formal scientific species description, so watch this space." Dinosaurs Unearthed: Explore Prehistoric Queensland opens on Friday, June 16 at Queensland Museum, Corner of Grey and Melbourne Streets, South Bank, South Brisbane.
In 2010, director Matthew Vaughn gave us his tongue-in-cheek take on the superhero genre with the hyperactive action-comedy, Kick-Ass. Five years later, he turns his attention to the spy movie, with similarly electrifying results. Adapted, as was Kick-Ass, from a graphic novel by Mark Millar, Kingsman: The Secret Service is popcorn entertainment at its finest: funny, exciting and immaculately paced, never once bogged down by grit or self-importance. Colin Firth crackles as Agent Harry Hart, a gentleman spy for a privately run espionage agency operating “at the highest levels of discretion”. After the death of a colleague, Hart finds himself on the trail of nefarious billionaire Richmond Valentine (a lisping Samuel L. Jackson), whose plan to save the planet may come at the expense of the people living on it. At the same time, Hart also finds himself mentoring teenaged hoodlum Eggsy (Taron Egerton), in whose defiant eyes he sees a glimmer of Kingsman potential. Vaughn shoots the film with the giddiness of a 12-year-old, one who just stepped out of his very first spy movie with dreams of saving the world. The antithesis of the Craig-era Bond flicks, Kingsman never tries to justify its own absurdity, but rather rockets along with such irreverent energy that you can’t help but get caught up in all the fun. Explosions of over-the-top violence dominate the second half, although it’s all far too cartoonish to cause any serious offence. The action is propelled by a rousing orchestral score, courtesy of regular Vaughn collaborators Matthew Margeson and Henry Jackman. The movie’s cast is excellent across the board. Firth could play a suit-clad toff in his sleep, but he also makes for a surprisingly convincing action hero — and listening to him drop F-bombs while dispatching thugs with his umbrella is a singular pleasure no other film can provide. Jackson is a job as the villain of the piece, while young Egerton has the makings of a star. Mark Strong and Michael Caine round out the ranks of the secret service, although it’s a shame that the latter isn’t given a little bit more to do. After a January packed with high-minded Oscar films, Kingsman: The Secret Service is a much needed blast of fresh air. If you’re looking for a fun night out at the movies, don’t hesitate to pick up a ticket.
When Yellowjackets begins, it's with an instantly intriguing mystery, a killer cast — led by the always-watchable Melanie Lynskey (Mrs America), Juliette Lewis (Breaking News in Yuba County) and Christina Ricci (The Matrix Resurrections) — and a deep valley overflowing with trauma. Streaming via Paramount+ in Australia and Neon in New Zealand, it starts with eerie forests, bright-eyed 90s teens with their whole lives ahead of them, devastating plane crashes and what looks like cannibalism, too, plus the unhappy adult lives endured by the tragedy's survivors 25 years later. In their high-school prime, Shauna (Lynskey, and also The Kid Detective's Sophie Nélisse as a teenager), Natalie (Lewis, plus The Tomorrow Man's Sophie Thatcher) and Taissa (Billions' Tawny Cypress, and also Scream's Jasmin Savoy Brown) were key players on the titular high-achieving New Jersey soccer team, while Misty (Ricci, as well as Shameless' Samantha Hanratty) was the squad's frequently bullied student manager. Then, en route to a big match in Seattle on a private plane in 1996, they entered Lost territory. That accident saw everyone who walked away from the accident stranded in the wilderness — and those who then made it through that ordeal stuck out there for 19 months, living their worst Alive-meets-Lord of the Flies lives. As established in a stellar first episode that's directed with the utmost precision by Destroyer filmmaker Karyn Kusama, Yellowjackets isn't simply interested in inherently disturbing events that'd change anyone forever, however. There's a reason that it flits between two time periods from the outset, rather than laying its dramas out in a linear fashion and teasing out how things end up. From the get-go, creators and showrunners Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson (Dispatches From Elsewhere) ensure that all that time in the woods, cabin and all, is tough, rough, savage and creepy, and that its complications and swerves into the supernatural only grow. That said, their immediately addictive series is just as obsessed with the transformation that springs after such an experience. As struggles arise in both the 90s and now — including weird symbols in both, and deaths, plus blackmail plots in the present — Yellowjackets examines how, after falling from the sky, learning to cope in such remote surroundings and plummeting into a horror movie, anyone manages to go on. As set to a top-notch 90s soundtrack, it also faces the fact that for some, normality won't just come calling nicely afterwards. Actually, for everyone, each and every second spent back in civilisation will always be coloured by that time in the wild. A series about misfortune weathered, paths taken, necessities accepted, friendships twisted and grief endured, as well as the reverberations that linger from all of the above, Yellowjackets boasts a searingly smart and savvy concept, which lets tragedy echo as all tragedies do — because facing an ordeal isn't just about the terrifying experience right there in the moment. Back in 1996, when an at-any-cost survivalist mindset begins to fester amid an embrace of woodland spirituality, grappling with the crash, teammates who don't make it, being cut off from normal teen life, and finding food and shelter is all immensely difficult. In 2021, the adult Shauna is an unhappy housewife embarking upon an affair, Natalie has just come out of rehab for the umpteenth time to shattering news, Taissa is running for state senate and having problems with her wife and son, and Misty is a nurse but still nobody's favourite, and little feels easier. It's no wonder that the show became a chilling, perceptive, resonant and potent must-see from its very first episode back in November, and that it only grew bolder and stronger as its ten-episode first season kept going. It quickly proved one of 2021's best new series, and is the absolute standout drama of the past few months as well. If you already watched it week-by-week, it was appointment viewing, aka the kind of show you plan your nights around and couldn't stop theorising about in the week afterwards (and the type that gets its pitch-perfect opening-credits track lodged in your head non-stop, too). If you're new to all things Yellowjackets and you're planning to check it out now, it'll make one helluva binge. And, in news just as exceptional as the series itself, it's returning for a second season. Given that Yellowjackets' first run of episodes kept deepening its mysteries moment by moment, persistently embraced every up and down thrown its complex characters' ways, never took the easy or obvious route, and found the ideal balance between survivalist horror, coming-of-age antics and midlife malaise, its new batch really can't come sooner. Check out Yellowjackets' first-season trailer below: The first season of Yellowjackets is available to stream via Paramount+ in Australia and Neon in New Zealand. Season two doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when it does. Images: Kailey Schwerman/Showtime.
Flanked by industrial neighbours, Rogue Bistro might just be one of Brisbane's best-hidden treasures. Serving breakfast and lunch on weekends, and dinner Tuesday-Saturday nights, Rogue adds an appreciated dynamic to the Brisbane food scene: fine dining without the fuss. The staff are genuine, welcoming and enormously attentive to their guests needs. The decor has an understated elegance (even in the bathroom), and a canopy of fairy lights adds a welcome sparkle to the neighbourhood. And don't get me started on the food. A sincere passion for the trade shines through in every meal plated by the kitchen. A recent menu change merely reinforces the chef's talents for combining flavours and techniques to create memorable food experiences. The drinks menu lists well-crafted cocktails next to a range of beers, ciders, wines and non-alcoholic refreshments to keep all thirsts at bay as you try to answer the night's most pertinent question: what to eat. The dinner menu is a cruel friend, tempting you to order every item listed. To combat food envy that so often accompanies a meal, 'The Ark' ($45pp) gives you the chance to choose three animals and three sides to share between two. This is an excellent opportunity to discover the depth of the menu and delight your tastebuds to no end. Pig, bird and sheep proved to be a winning combination when accompanied by honey-roasted carrots with labna and the braised beetroot salad with candied walnuts and gorgonzola. Although you'll think you are extraordinarily full after dinner (which you will be), there is always room for dessert. The menu is short but sweet, with only four options to choose from. The staff highly recommend the cherry ripe chocolate fondant ($13), but the lemon tart ($13) was the winner at our table. The balance of the citrus curd, raspberry puree and the playful vanilla floss melt into one delightful spoonful after another. For those lacking a sweet tooth, cheese for two ($18) with quince and dried fruits should certainly satisfy. However, dinner is not the only thing Rogue gets right. Weekend brunch comes in many shapes and sizes, as can be seen across their Facebook page. Highlights include pancakes with salted caramel and fruits ($16); the spiced mince pot with poached eggs, avocado salsa and creme fraiche ($19); and avocado on toast with chorizo, sweet corn salsa, goats curd and almond dukkah.
When Parrtjima — A Festival in Light announced its 2025 program, the numbers were impressive, with the event's tenth edition featuring works by 20-plus First Nations artists, plus more than 100 performers and special guests. But nothing sells this Australian celebration of Indigenous arts more than the spectacular end results each year, when the fest lights up the Northern Territory. For 2025, that time is now, and it's once again a dazzling sight to behold. Parrtjima — A Festival in Light has so firmly established itself as a highlight of Alice Springs, the Red Centre and Australia's cultural scene that it's hard to imagine a time before it. Getting a 2.5-kilometre stretch of 300-million-year-old MacDonnell Ranges glowing every evening is the reliable star of the show; however, that's just the beginning. Heading along this year also means being welcomed by The Gateway at Parrtjima's entrance, for instance, where towering poles by artists from Antulye, Irlpme, and Mparntwe groups are greeting guests. Also, Balanggarra and Yolŋu artist Molly Hunt's Three Generations of Station Women is an animated comic strip that honours Aboriginal stockwomen, with actor Mark Coles Smith (Apple Cider Vinegar) on soundtrack duties. Then there's Bobby West Tjupurrula's Hypnotic Reverberations, creating a moving dreamscape out of beams of light, mist and reflections on a shallow pool. From Lyall Giles, Transforming Light & Country isn't just about sand dune patterns — it gets festivalgoers playing with them, using drums to create rings of light. 2025's Parrtjima kicked off on Friday, April 4, and runs until Sunday, April 13. The MacDonnell Ranges Light Show is among past favourites on the bill, again pairing its eye-catching display with classical music and Arrernte language. Another: Grounded, asking attendees to look down instead of up. A festival of lights in the NT was always going to incorporate the red earth, too, which is where large-scale projections turn the soil into a canvas. This year's version features six artworks. Budgerigar Dreaming Ngatijirri Jukurrpa is also back, using shapes from Wirliyajarrayi artist Myra Nungarrayi Herbert Patrick's paintings in neon-hued abstract bird sculptures — and so is Johnny Young and David Wallace's four-metre-tall The Language of Stockmen. While the fest's first weekend has been and gone, the program still has the Darwin Symphony Orchestra to come, in what'll be Parrtjima's first-ever orchestral performance. Gigs by Dem Mob, Dobby, Desert Divas and Warren H Williams & Western Wind are also part of the upcoming lineup, as is the festival's debut comedy night, with Andy Saunders and Sean Choolburra sparking laughs. Parrtjima – A Festival in Light runs until Sunday, April 13, 2025, at venues around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. For more information, visit the festival website. Images: Parrtjima – A Festival in Light / Che-Chorley. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Greta Gerwig dances out her angst to David Bowie. Annette Bening learns the difference between Black Flag and Talking Heads. Throw in Elle Fanning reading Judy Blume, and 20th Century Women is filled with fantastic actresses not only interacting with cultural touchstones, but playing characters trying to make sense of their life through art. Inspired by writer-director Mike Mills' own formative years, you could say that that's what he's doing too. A tale of a 15-year-old boy coming of age surrounded by influential females, Mills has called the movie a love letter to the women that raised him. We'll call it a soulful window into three ladies coping with the paths walked, rather than the ones not taken. The year is 1979, the place is Santa Barbara, and that teenage boy in the centre, Jamie (Lucas Jade Zumann), doesn't think he needs help growing up — but his single mother Dorothea (Bening) disagrees. Worried about the lack of male guidance in his life, and unable to get him to bond with their handyman lodger (Billy Crudup), she enlists fellow tenant Abbie (Gerwig) and Jamie's best pal Julie (Fanning) to shape the boy's blossoming persona. What follows is less a straightforward narrative and more a series of episodes as several months pass. Jamie embraces his skateboard-riding rebellious side, follows Abbie into punk as she deals with her own maternal issues, and grapples with his crush on the more sexually experienced Julie. This isn't the first movie that the music video director and graphic designer turned feature filmmaker has fashioned from his own experiences. His previous effort, Beginners, won Christopher Plummer an Oscar for a part inspired by Mills' father. 20th Century Women oozes a similar lived-in insight. While the drama depicted mightn't appear to be anything special, his characters and the way they face their situations most definitely are. Mills' Academy Award-nominated screenplay overflows with such authenticity, sensitivity and genuine emotion that it seems like Dorothea, Abbie and company have simply walked out of his memories and onto the screen. Of course, there's another factor at play here: when you want to make a film about remarkable women, you need a remarkable cast. 20th Century Women's lineup is phenomenal — and not just because Gerwig gets another Bowie moment after Frances Ha. She's more assured here than in her work with Noah Baumbach, but still astutely reflects the uncertainty that comes with trying to make your way in the world. But as good as Gerwig, Fanning, Crudup and newcomer Zumann may be, they all stand in the shadow of Bening. Make no mistake: the movie belongs to her as much as it does Mills. That's not to say that 20th Century Women doesn't look and feel every inch like a Mills movie. Switching between narrators, offering up postcard-like summaries of the past, favouring artful montages, and demonstrating an affectionate eye for messy detail, the film couldn't have been made by anybody else. But it also wouldn't work as perfectly with anyone other than Bening. She owns Dorothea's past disappointments, yet ensures she still embraces whatever the future brings — and takes her cues from Mills' mother to the point that she even wears her jewellery. Bening clearly loves her character, as does her director and the entire cast of characters. As, indeed, will you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDa48CnquLU
It's been a year filled with drinking at home, rather than out on the town, yet Melbourne's bar scene has continued to shine. Luke Whearty's famed local cocktail haunt Byrdi has just been named among The World's 50 Best Bars' extended 51-100 list for 2021, ranked the 56th top bar on the planet. It was the only Aussie venue to make this year's secondary lineup, which was revealed overnight. The 51-100 list comes one week ahead of the release of The World's 50 Best Bars main award list, which is set to happen at a ceremony in London on December 6. The annual ranking list is a huge deal among the international bar industry, voted by a panel of over 600 drinks experts, including bartenders, writers, consultants and mixology specialists. The 2021 51-100 list was heavy on entrants from the States, with seven USA bars including New York newcomer Double Chicken Please and LA's Thunderbolt. Five London bars also ranked among the secondary list and Nairobi's Hero Bar became the first-ever African bar outside of South Africa to make the cut. [caption id="attachment_748363" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Byrdi, by Kate Shanasy[/caption] Last year, on its debut entry, Byrdi came in 80th on the extended list, ranking close to fellow Melbourne bars The Everleigh (73), Above Board (84) and Black Pearl (98). Sydneysiders Maybe Sammy, Cantina OK! and Bulletin Place all placed among 2020's top 50, which means we could see plenty more Aussie representation among next week's top 50 lineup reveal. Byrdi was launched in 2019 by Whearty and co-founder Aki Nishikura, who were also behind Singapore's multi award-winning — and World's 50 Best Bars regular — Operation Dagger. You'll find the Melbourne favourite nestled within the CBD's Ella precinct, whipping up some truly exceptional, innovative drinks. Byrdi was one of the many bars sating cravings for well-crafted cocktails during lockdown this year and last, with lots of punters making use of its home-delivery service. Stay tuned and we'll share the winners of the World's 50 Best Bars 2021 list when they're revealed next week. For the full 51-100 list of the World's 50 Best Bars 2021 (and past years' lists), see the website. The top 50 rankings will be revealed from 8.15pm GMT on December 6, via Facebook and YouTube. Top Image: Byrdi cocktail, by Kate Shanasy
Russia’s nomination to the 2014 Foreign Language Oscar race is every bit as slow and imposing as its title would suggest. Ostensibly named for the enormous blue whales whose bones scatter the shoreline of the small coastal town of Pribrezhny, the name Leviathan more readily refers to the unfeeling, unyielding behemoth of the Russian bureaucracy that devours everything in its path. Acclaimed director Andrey Zvyagintsev does a masterful job capturing the misery of life under such a corrupt and broken system. Of course, whether that’s something you actually want to watch is a different question entirely. Don’t get us wrong: there’s plenty to appreciate about Zvyagintsev’s latest feature. Chief among them would be the raw, brutish performance of Aleksey Serebryakov. A mainstay of the Russian screen industry, Serebryakov plays Kolya, a quick-tempered auto mechanic who runs afoul of Pribrezhny’s mayor (played by Roman Madyanov), who wants to seize the valuable headland currently occupied by Kolya’s house. In order to fight back, Kolya calls on Dimitriy (Vladimir Vdovichenkov), a friend from his days in the army and now a high-powered lawyer in Moscow. Through Kolya’s struggle, Zvyagintsev presents viewers with a scathing critique of contemporary Russian society — a grim, vodka-soaked landscape of dodgy politicians with little concern for the citizens who put them in office. It’s compelling for a time, in a depressing sort of way, watching the poor, emasculated Kolya gain inches only to be set back miles. Those hoping that the prevalence of religious imagery might signal a David and Goliath ending are likely to leave the cinema disappointed. The hopelessness of Kolya's situation is reflected in the work of cinematographer Mikhail Krichman, who favours wide lenses, static camera work and a colour palette overpowered by greys. Unfortunately, as Leviathan plods past the two hour mark, you too may begin to feel overpowered. For all his insight, Zvyagintsev isn’t trading in a particularly nuanced brand of bleakness, his message driven home with all the dull, repetitive pounding of a sledgehammer, or waves crashing endlessly on the shore. Leviathan is arduous by design. But that’s little conciliation when you’re struggling to sit through it.
