Earlier this year, we wrote about how Elon Musk's high-speed vacuum tube transport system could be a reality by 2018. Well, because it's Elon Musk, the whole thing looks like it's actually running on schedule — and potentially coming to Australia. What, here? Where everything comes last? Yep. According to The Australian, Los Angeles-based firm Hyperloop One — who Musk has given the task of bringing this thing to life — are looking for a place to test the technology, and they have the Sydney to Melbourne corridor firmly on their radar. "We're very keen to explore the potential for doing proof of operations in Australia and the reason for that is there's a clear long-term need for ultra-fast transport on the Australian east coast," Hyperloop One's vice president of global business development Alan James told The Australian. "So we would be looking, either in NSW or Victoria, or possibly in ACT, to develop the first section of that route, to prove the operation of Hyperloop, to get regulatory approval." Described by Musk as a "cross between a Concorde and a railgun and an air hockey table" the proposed Hyperloop system — which is almost cartoonish in design — would consist of a long route of elevated vacuum-sealed steel tubes, through which pressurised capsules ride cushions of air at speeds of up to 1220 kilometres per hour. Hyperloop One claims it can have you travelling from inner-city Melbourne to inner-city Sydney in only 55 minutes. 55 minutes. (Do you hear that? It's the sound of Tiger and Jetstar quaking in their boots.) To drive between Melbourne and Sydney would set you back about nine hours; currently, to get the train, it takes 11.5 hours. Australia — and particularly the Sydney-Melbourne corridor — is the perfect candidate for high speed rail transport because the track could slip nicely along the Hume Highway. There has, of course, been much talk and debate over a high-speed rail system connecting the two cities, but so far no government has been willing to commit to the project. The Hyperloop One team seem to have made rapid progress since they started testing in LA last year. They recently revealed the first prototype will be up and running in the Nevada desert early in 2017 before (potentially, hopefully) kicking off the large scale trial in Australia in 2018. Can it be the future already? For too long we've been at the mercy of Tiger's delays, expensive terrible airport coffee and the drive down the Hume with only Maccas to break up the monotony. We, for one, welcome Musk and his terrifying pneumatic tubes. Via The Australian.
Food is food and booze is booze, but both of these glorious gifts from the heavens are always made better if the surrounds are designed to punch you in the face with panache, and then gently guide you through your experience in a habitat of nice things. Last night, the Eat Drink Design Awards took place in Melbourne to celebrate the very best of hospitality interiors from Australia and New Zealand. Top gong for Best Café Design went to Higher Ground in Melbourne, with design team DesignOffice being lauded by judges for "considerable restraint in defining the space, creating a host of experiences at different levels" where "each occupant is rewarded with a different voyeuristic perspective on the gathered crowd." The Best Bar Design went to Adelaide this year, with bin-alley turned log cabin booze vendor Pink Moon Saloon taking out the top prize. Judges praised the bar for being completely sustainable, which can be taken down and returned to its former function at any time, and by the fact the design by Sans-Arc Studio "taps into that deep Australian memory of long-forgotten cubby houses and sheds." Heston Blumenthal's first permanent digs in Australia, Dinner by Heston in Melbourne, clinched the award for Best Restaurant Design, with the judges frothing on the feeling that "you are somewhere special, and special things are about to happen." Praise went to designers Bates Smart for "eschewing the brittle formality that can accompany the high-end gastronomic experience," and instead aiming for something that is "equal parts theatrical and delightful." Best Retail Design went to Lune Croissanterie in Fitzroy, crafter by the team from Studio Esteta, and Pink Moon Saloon took out their second gold in the Best Identity Design Category. Sydneysiders featured heavily in the shortlists, but didn't take any top awards this year. Il Bacaro in Melbourne was also inducted into the Hall of Fame, with the team from Chris Connell Design taking their place among the antipodean design legends. Have a squiz at the sexiest places to eat and drink.
The Amazing Type-Writer iOS app from Doormouse Manufacturing gives typing on the iPhone a vintage feel by re-creating the look and sound of typing on an antique typewriter. Keeping true to the old-school aesthetic, users can't backspace and some of the more modern symbols, such as the @ sign, won't function. This might be a little frustrating for some, but now you know how your older relatives felt when they had to send out birthday invitations to all their buddies. You'll just have to type over your mistakes and pray that it's legible. This ability to type over existing writing also means you can make tonnes of different patterns and scribbles. According to Doormouse Mfg, the app has "combined the latest in mobile pneumatic tubes technology with the highest-quality digital micro-swingarms available." This means that you'll be able to shift the carrier all over the screen and mark your letter however you like. After you've finished your masterpiece you can save it to your own camera roll, e-mail it, or post it in a public gallery. Perhaps best of all, you can select other people's pieces from this gallery and re-interpret or ruin their works however you like. This gives you the potential to post your own questions or thoughts, and see how many people will respond to it. This app will be perfect for pensioners who miss the good old days, overly-ambitious hipster poets, or people who want to send creepy letters to their ex-girlfriends. Two dollars won't get you much nowadays, but it will buy you the endless joy of having your own nifty little typewriter in your pocket. A limited amount of these are available through iTunes.
It's the beloved series that's been on the air for more than a decade, and finally made the leap Down Under this year. That'd be RuPaul's Drag Race, which first premiered in the US in 2009, wholeheartedly embraced its mission to unearth the next drag superstars, and debuted its Australian and New Zealand version earlier in 2021. And, in spectacularly great news for fans of local drag talent — and of the show's namesake — RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under is coming back for a second Aussie and NZ season in 2022. The original US series aired its thirteenth season this year, so this is a program with proven longevity. It has also spun off international iterations before, including in the UK — where it's also hosted by RuPaul — plus in Thailand, Holland, Chile and Canada. So, revving up the engines for another spin Down Under shouldn't come as a big surprise. And yes, RuPaul will be back on hosting duties again. After Kita Mean took out this year's first season of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under, exactly who'll be donning eye-catching outfits, navigating dramas and vying for glory next year hasn't been revealed — because casting is now open until Tuesday, October 5. Obviously, exactly when the second season will air on Stan in Australia and TVNZ OnDemand in New Zealand in 2022 hasn't been announced yet either. Neither has the lineup of celebrity guests, after 2021 saw Kylie Minogue, Dannii Minogue and Taika Waititi all pop up. Fans already know the format, which features fashion challenges, workroom dramas and lip sync battles aplenty. If you're still a newcomer to all things Drag Race, you'll watch the next batch of Australian and NZ competitors work through a series of contests to emerge victorious, and join the likes of Mean and US contenders Jinkx Monsoon, Sasha Velour and Sharon Needles in being crowned the series' winner. Check out RuPaul's announcement video for Drag Race Down Under season two below: RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under will return for a second season in 2022 on Stan and TVNZ. Top image: RuPaul's Drag Race.
Remember when discovering new music meant listening to mix tapes? Like, actual cassettes? And how you couldn’t even find out the name of the song you liked most because WebFerret didn’t account for the fact that you had misheard the lyrics? A lot of romanticism surrounds the idea of obsolete technology, but you have to admit that the idea of merely pressing a button on your iPhone to figure out what you’re listening to is an attractive proposition. Rdio recently threw parties in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne to celebrate the unlimited social music service coming to our shores. Spotify has been a lot slower to sort itself out, despite declaring it would reveal Australian launch plans in late March. In the meantime, here are eight cool music discovery apps you can access right now. 1. RDIO Rdio has been the redeemer, saviour and friend of everyone who can’t access Spotify, Pandora or Grooveshark because of annoying “Not Available in Your Country” screens. If you already know what you’re looking for simply search by name, add it to your collection or add it to a playlist. If the artist isn’t too touchy about the idea of free music you can also sync songs and albums to your iPhone and listen to them even when, God forbid, you’re without Internet. Rdio also lets you “follow” users whose tastes you admire and pick their brains/music collections. Free, also available on Android. 2. TUNEIN RADIO There’s a reason smartphones don’t come with a built-in radio, and that reason is TuneIn. With over 50,000 stations and 120,000 shows for you to choose from, TuneIn allows you to search both local FM and overseas stations as far away as Antarctica (at the moment the South Pole is all about folk music). The app will also scan your music library and make radio station recommendations accordingly, and tracks your data usage so you can monitor your addiction to Radio Kishi Wada closely. Free, also available on Android. 3. SHAZAM ENCORE Simply press a button, hold your iPhone up to a source of music and the 9th most downloaded app of all time tells you what’s playing. iTunes recommends you use it during American Idol to get the song lists, but other options include discovering new music in Shazam Friends & Charts, finding more tracks by tagged artists and using it in conjunction with TuneIn Radio. $6.49, also available on Android. 4. SOUNDHOUND Got an extra dollar and a knack for emitting continuous droning sounds? Upgrade to SoundHound and you can identify songs by humming them. $7.49, also available on Android. 5. SONGKICK Let it scan your music library and reveal the touring dates of all your favourite artists, or plug in your geographical region and scroll through a calendar of all the live shows in your city. There’s nothing like seeing a live gig to get you amped about a new band. Free. 6. DISCOVR MUSIC If you’ve always wanted to be one of those people who discovers cool new bands but just really can’t be bothered, Discovr is for you. Just type in the name of any artist you like and the app will give you a whole bunch of similar ones in the form of a nice-looking web. Double-click to find out more about a particular artist, or keep expanding your web until Neon Indian connects with The Electric Prunes. $1.99, also available on Android. 7. POCKET HIPSTER It’s probably no longer cool since everyone found out about it, but it’s still hilarious. If you’ve ever had a friend who raked through your music collection before mocking it and making suggestions about how to make it cooler, you’ll have some idea of how it works. Bonus points for spot-on animations, snarky quips and the way it lets you pretend their suggestions aren’t cool at all before sneaking over to iTunes to download them. Free. 8. CHOMPIN Browse through genres and listen to suggestions, and “chomp” things you like. Chomping a track saves it to your phone so you can listen to it whenever, and lets you tell your friends when you’ve found something worthy — sort of like Pocket Hipster in reverse. Free, also available on Android.
"Darling it's better down where it's wetter" isn't just a line The Little Mermaid fans have had stuck in their head for the last two decades. Come April 2019, it's also the first thing likely to pop into the minds of anyone heading to one particular Norwegian restaurant. Set to open in the coastal village of Båly in the country's south, Under will plunge hungry patrons into watery surroundings, offering more than just the usual scenic vistas. At this eatery, diners will be tucking into their dishes underwater. To be specific, they'll be feasting on seafood under the sea — if you're going to open a space underneath the ocean, you have to serve up the fish, which is just what head chef Nicolai Ellitsgaard will be doing. If that sounds like your idea of a memorable meal, Under is now taking bookings from April 2019 onwards. Visitors will descend down three colour-coded levels to sip sparkling tipples in a champagne bar that boasts views of the shoreline, before enjoying their dinner in the completely submerged dining room. The latter sits five metres below the water's surface, and is surrounded by panoramic acrylic windows for quite the aquatic view. For those wondering about pressure and safety, metre-thick concrete walls will keep everyone nice and dry, in a structure designed by architecture firm Snøhetta. Describing the space as "a sunken periscope", the building is being constructed not only to wow those stepping foot inside, but to fit in with its surroundings. The grey exterior colour scheme is designed to blend in with the rocky coastline, with coarse surfacing that encourages molluscs to cling on. Indeed, over time it's hoped that Under will become an artificial mussel reef. As well as offering quite the place to eat, the project also aims to champion biodiversity, functioning as a research centre for marine life. This will include informational plaques educating visitors about the area, helping to expand not only the list of places you've tucked into a meal, but your knowledge. Start planning your 2019 Scandinavian trip now. Images: Snohetta.
In recent years, there's been an interesting shift in the way Australians approach leisure and travel. There was a time when an ideal weekend involved throwing back espresso martinis, racking up a $200 Uber bill, and waking up with a vague recollection of last night's bad decisions. Now? Our collective vibe (and level of disposable income) has changed. People are drinking less, going out less, and prioritising feeling good on Monday morning over how late they can stay out. In 2024, Forbes reported a study that found Gen Z, in particular, are drinking 12.8 fewer alcoholic drinks a month compared to before COVID-19. This coincides with the increasing popularity of run clubs, bath houses, #GutHealth and holistic wellness both online and IRL. But it's not just about cutting back on booze, it's about chasing something that actually makes you feel good. Enter the rise of micro wellness escapes: short, intentional trips that are designed to leave you recharged instead of wrecked. Instead of saving for one big, long-haul, blowout trip, more and more people are leaning into weekends spent off-grid, ice baths instead of beach clubs, and yoga in the hinterland rather than sunrise shots in Bali. If that sounds like your kind of reset, here are five wellness retreats worth checking out. Eden Health Retreat Currumbin Valley QLD If you've ever wished you could disappear off the grid for a few days, Eden Health Retreat makes that dream a reality. Tucked away in Queensland's Currumbin Valley, it's a place where your phone gets zero reception, the Wi-Fi doesn't exist, and your only connection is with nature, your body, and that book you finally have time to read. This isn't the kind of place you go to lie by the pool with a cocktail. The days here are structured but flexible, with daily classes or workshops ranging from yoga, Pilates and sound healing to rainforest meditations, cold plunges and sauna. You can book in for massages or sweat it out in the state-of-the-art gym, and still have time for long walks through the forest tracks that wrap around the retreat. The food is nutritionally balanced, seasonal, and designed by their team of award-winning chefs and nutritionists. They provide three totally gluten-free meals per day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) served in the beautiful dining room overlooking the valley. They even have a custom-built demonstration kitchen where you can learn how to cook for yourself. You won't go hungry, and you'll leave with a new standard for what healthy eating can taste like. Eden is immersive. It's a chance to disappear from real life, breathe deeply, and actually hear yourself think again. If you're in need of a full system reset, this is your best bet. Book Eden Health Retreat Gaia Retreat & Spa Brooklet NSW Not everyone wants a retreat where they have to ditch their vices entirely. Gaia, set in Byron Bay's lush hinterland, caters to that. Here, you can have your organic, locally sourced meals and grounding meditations, but you can also enjoy a glass of wine with dinner. You can go full wellness mode, or you can simply read a book on the balcony, get a massage, and forget reality. Gaia's experience is built around balance. There are daily yoga classes, as well as opt-in opt-out spa treatments and holistic wellness therapies like art therapy, astrology, kinesiology and energetic healing. But you can pick and choose your own pace, jumping into everything, or doing absolutely nothing and just floating through the weekend. Food here is a highlight. Fresh, organic produce from the onsite gardens and local farmers is served across three daily meals by Gaia's award-winning chefs. Yes, there's a wine list. And no, you don't need to feel bad about indulging. It's part of the wellness equation. Gaia offers you space to relax without rules. Whether you're escaping the city, celebrating something, or just need a reset, this is luxury wellness without the rigidity. Book Gaia Retreat The Brooklet Brooklet NSW Some places make a point of saying, "We're not a retreat," and The Brooklet is one of them. Nestled in Byron Bay's rolling hills, it's set on 125-acres with 6 luxury Villas for those who want a break from life without the structure of a traditional wellness retreat. Instead of a rigid schedule, you get a stunning space where you can take things at your own pace. It's self-guided, self-paced, and all about reconnecting with nature. There's an infinity mineral pool overlooking the hills, a sauna, hot tub, tennis court, private yoga sessions and spaces designed purely for chilling out: think warm timber tones, neutral palettes, and interiors that instantly make you feel calm. It's like staying at a ridiculously aesthetic countryside Airbnb, but one that also happens to be built for wellness. If you choose a retreat package, your stay will include three meals per day and a non-alcoholic beverage package. Or you can head to nearby cafes and farm-to-table eateries. The space also includes a communal kitchen, where guests can make their own pizzas and eat at the huge family-style communal table. The Brooklet is for those who don't want to be told what to do with their downtime. Just beautiful space, plenty of nature, and all the facilities you need to tune back in. Book The Brooklet Elysia Wellness Retreat Pokolbin NSW If you're after a full-body-and-mind transformation, Elysia is the place. Located in the Hunter Valley in NSW, it's a wellness retreat in the most literal sense of the title. Structured, intentional, and designed to help you completely reset your mind and body with long term habits. Elysia offers three to seven day packages. Each stay includes guided fitness, mindfulness and wellness sessions, ranging from group yoga and tai chi to educational seminars, spa therapies, and one-on-one health consultations. There's a schedule to follow, but it's flexible and designed to empower you with tools to take home. The food is designed to detox, nourish and energise, but it's never boring. Clean, wholesome meals are served communally to encourage mindful eating, and you're given a break from red meat, alcohol, caffeine, sugar and saturated fat. It's a retreat that feeds your body and your social spirit. Elysia is perfect if you're looking for a retreat that's equal parts educational and experiential. Book Elysia Wellness Retreat Billabong Retreat Maraylya NSW Only 45 minutes from Sydney, Billabong Retreat is one of the most accessible wellness getaways around, designed for those who want to unplug without going too far. It's less about luxury and more about getting back to basics, with a philosophy around reconnection with nature, mindfulness, and slowing down. Everything here is simple but thoughtful. Treehouse-style cabins overlook a serene billabong and there's a general sense of "let's just breathe for a minute" energy about the place. The daily program centres around yoga, meditation and mindfulness, with classes that suit all levels. You can book extra spa treatments, take a dip in the mineral pool, or simply sit with a cup of tea and look out over the trees. The food is like a warm, plant-based hug. Each stay includes all food, drinks and snacks, which are all locally sourced and served in a communal buffet style that encourages genuine connection. It's healthy, hearty and made with love. Book Billabong Retreat In 2025, wellness retreats are no longer for the ultra-spiritual or ultra-rich. Now, they're for anyone who just wants to feel better. As the world speeds up, the real luxury is being able to check out of the chaos and check in with yourself.
There may or may not be a new mixtape from the Avalanches. This past weekend, the Australian band tweeted this mysterious message to fans, with a link to a mix titled 'A Sleepy Bedtime Mix for Young Ones'. The link is hosted by new mixtape site, Pinchy & Friends, created by Tom Kuntz, who directed the video for the Avalanches' 'Frontier Psychiatrist'. Reps from Modular, the Avalanches' label, claim to have no knowledge of a mixtape. The Avalanches have gonna a little MIA as of late; a "taking a break" message appears on their site, and the band has thanked fans for their patience via Facebook. The mysterious mixtape is posted under the name of Charles Bukowski's character Henry Chinaski, and is currently available for free download here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=eS3AZ12xf6s
Since 2016, the British royal family's ups and downs haven't just played out across newspaper headlines. They've also fuelled Netflix's hit drama The Crown. If you're fond of the streaming platform, regal intrigue and combining the two, then you're obviously a fan of the series — and you can now lock Wednesday, November 9 in your diary for your next date with the show. If this sounds familiar, that's because it was announced a year back that viewer would need to wait until November 2022 to watch season five of the series; however, Netflix has now revealed the exact premiere date. In focus in this batch of episodes: the royal family in the early to mid-1990s, including the breakdown of Prince Charles and Princess Diana's marriage. As the series is known to, it's shaking up its cast with this leap forward. After starting out with Claire Foy (The Electrical Life of Louis Wain) as Queen Elizabeth II, Matt Smith (House of the Dragon) as Prince Philip and Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret (Pieces of a Woman) in its first two seasons, which aired in 2016 and 2017, the series returned in 2019 with Olivia Colman (Heartstopper), Tobias Menzies (This Way Up) and Helena Bonham Carter (Enola Holmes) in those roles. Plus, it added Josh O'Connor (Mothering Sunday) as Prince Charles — and, in season four in 2020, Emma Corrin (Misbehaviour) and The X-Files icon Gillian Anderson joined the cast as Lady Diana Spencer and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, respectively. When season five premieres in a few months, Downton Abbey, Maleficent and Paddington star Imelda Staunton will don the titular headwear, while Game of Thrones and Tales from the Loop's Jonathan Pryce will step into Prince Philip's shoes — and Princess Margaret will be played by Staunton's Maleficent co-star and Phantom Thread Oscar-nominee Lesley Manville. Also, Australian Tenet, The Burnt Orange Heresy and Widows star Elizabeth Debicki plays Princess Diana, with The Wire and The Pursuit of Love's Dominic West as Prince Charles. Netflix also dropped its first sneak peek at The Crown's fifth season as part of Tudum: A Netflix Global Fan Event — the streaming platform's big unveiling of everything set to hit your queue in coming months. The first teaser does indeed focus on Charles and Diana, and the tension between them as their separation is announced. Season five will arrive two months after Queen Elizabeth II's death in early September, and following a pause in the show's production afterwards. News around the show's fifth and sixth seasons, which'll follow the monarch into the 2000s, has changed a few times over the past few years. At the beginning of 2020, Netflix announced that it would end the royal drama after its fifth season. Then, the streaming platform had a change of heart, revealing it would continue the series for a sixth season after all. The first teaser for The Crown's fifth season is only available as part of Tudum: A Netflix Global Fan Event, at around 20 minutes in — you can check it out below: The Crown's fifth season will hit Netflix on Wednesday, November 9. Images: Keith Bernstein / Alex Bailey / Netflix
There's no shortage of highlights along Tassie's eastern shores, with Freycinet National Park's Wineglass Bay an alluring attraction. However, just a short drive up the coast, the charming community of Bicheno awaits, renowned for its scenic natural landmarks and vibrant culinary scene. Returning on Saturday, November 15, the Bicheno Food & Wine Festival is where visitors can experience the community's mouthwatering bites and sips in one spot. Featuring 30 stallholders showcasing Tasmania's finest flavours and makers, expect a coastal celebration of stellar seafood, local wine and live music. The lineup for the 2025 edition is soon to be revealed, but previous instalments have included a who's who of local epicureans. Think award-winning drinks from Bicheno Beer Co., Maclean Bay Wines and Ironhouse Tasmania, alongside non-stop gourmet cuisine from Formosa Bites, Salsa Sol and Fried & Loaded. Set against a picturesque seascape, the Bicheno Food & Wine Festival is also stacked with live music and entertainment. Throughout the day, local bands and singer-songwriters will take to the stage. Meanwhile, roving buskers also provide an easy-breezy soundtrack for visitors dining on the freshest east coast produce.
After Christmas 2020 saw Australians explore their own backyards, 2021's festive season will welcome the return of a familiar end-of-year tradition. If your summer break usually involves venturing overseas, that'll be back on the cards again as the nation reopens to international travel from November. And if you're still eager to enjoy the sunny, beachy weather, you'll be able to head to Fiji. On Monday, October 11, Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama announced that the Pacific nation will reopen its borders to Australian tourists, with quarantine-free visits restarting from Thursday, November 11. Australia is on a list of travel partner countries — which also includes New Zealand, the US, the UK, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Qatar, Germany, Spain, France, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Japan, and most Pacific Island countries and territories — that are being prioritised by Fiji due to their widespread vaccination status. There will still be protocols in place, however, so that's something you'll need to factor into your plans if you can now see a tropical holiday in your future. Firstly, there'll be a no jab, no fly policy, so you'll have to be double vaccinated with the Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca or Johnson and Johnson vaccines. You'll also need to test negative to COVID-19 within three days of departure — and, you'll have to download the country's Care Fiji app to your phone when you arrive. After that, tourists will also need to spend their first two days in Fiji in their hotels. You'll be free to use the facilities and amenities, but you won't be able to mosey any further until you take another COVID-19 test 48 hours after arrival. Once that comes back negative, you'll then be able to visit spots deemed 'safe-travel areas'. While exactly where these regions will cover is still being worked out, the Fiji Prime Minister advised that "they will be large enough for tourists to enjoy the best of Fiji, but restrictive enough to protect areas with low vaccination coverage." The two-day hotel period is expected to relax as more Fijians become double vaccinated. In response to Fiji's announcement, Virgin Australia was quick to reveal that it'll restart its flights to Nadi from Thursday, December 16. It'll fly return from Sydney up to twice daily, return from Melbourne once a day and return from Brisbane three times a week — and, it's doing a sale on fares from $289 one-way. Virgin's Fiji flights will mark its first relaunched international routes, ahead of restarting its services from Australia to New Zealand and Bali sometime in 2022. For more information about Fiji's reopening plan, head to the Fiji Government's website. For further details about Virgin Australia's Fiji flight sale, head to the airline's website.
Sometimes, enjoying the music festival experience involves gumboots, picking the best outfit with the most pockets and dancing in huge crowds. At other times, it spans making shapes at home while pretending you're at the real thing. Yes, the latter became familiar during the pandemic, but it's also been a way to live the Coachella life without heading to Indio, California for more than a decade now. And, for the 2023 fest, that means hitting up the YouTube livestream once again. This year, for the first time ever, the entire event is being beamed to the world — all six stages on all six days across two hefty weekends. Sure, you can still wish that you were at the Empire Polo Club across April 14–16 and April 21–23. Yes, there's nothing quite like being there in person. But if you're all about seeing the fest's impressive lineup — seeing as much of it as possible, too — without the plane ticket, make a date with your couch. 2023's bill is worth getting excited about, with Bad Bunny headlining the Friday nights, BLACKPINK doing the Saturday nights and Frank Ocean on Sunday nights. Down Under, you'll be tuning in on Saturday, Sunday and Monday to catch each, so mark your diaries now — actually, go one better with exact times too, now that Coachella has also announced its schedule for the first weekend. Also among the highlights on the Friday bill (so, Saturday in Australia and NZ) alongside Bad Bunny: The Chemical Brothers, Gorillaz, Blondie, Kaytranada, Pusha T, Idris Elba and last-minute addition blink-182, with the newly reunited group's classic lineup breaking out their live set before heading our way in 2024 on their latest live tour. On the Saturday lineup (so, Sunday Down Under) with BLACKPINK: Calvin Harris, The Kid LAROI, ROSALÍA, Charlie XCX, boygenius, The Breeders and Underworld — and more, obviously. And, come Sunday (yes, Monday Down Under), Frank Ocean will be joined by Björk, Fisher, Porter Robinson, Gordo and Weyes Blood, with the list going on there as well. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coachella (@coachella) Coachella has been teaming up with YouTube for 11 years now. Earlier in 2023, the fest announced that it has locked in that arrangement till 2026. In-between this year's sets, YouTube will fill its feeds with more on-the-ground coverage, so you'll be able to scope out the art and installations around the fest, head behind the scenes, see how the acts get partying before the hit the stage and more. Bookmark Coachella's YouTube channel ASAP — or hit it up below: Coachella runs from April 14–16 and April 21–23 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. To watch the livestream, head to YouTube from 9am AEST on Saturday, April 15 Down Under.
Just as Hobart's winter arts fest Dark Mofo kicks off its final weekend of this year's iteration, MONA has announced that it will move the festival's summertime counterpart, Mona Foma, to Launceston. MONA shared its plans to move the festival back in July last year, when it announced it will build a huge new five-star hotel alongside the Berriedale gallery. The gallery then called on the Tasmanian Government to help fund the move — and that funding has just come through. It's pledged a hefty $1.75 million for each of the next three years to help MONA hold the festival in Launceston, rather than its usual home of Hobart. The move's been prompted by the success of Mona Foma 2018, which saw part of the program hosted in the Launceston, including a free block party at QVMAG enjoyed by a huge 5000 people. It seems that, having changed the cultural landscape in Hobart, MONA founder David Walsh and Mona Foma curator Brian Ritchie have their sights set on doing the same in the state's second biggest city. This will no doubt bring in lots of tourism dollars for the government and local businesses, too. "We weren't interested in putting together a watered-down Mona Foma," explained MONA co-CEO Mark Wilsdon. "This funding means we'll be able to do it, and do it properly. It will help us create a world-famous cultural event, industry and legacy in northern Tasmania, as Mona Foma did for Hobart when we launched in 2009." From its new home, the January festival will continue its celebration of creativity in all forms, through an eclectic program of art and music that's not afraid to get a little weird. The Mona Foma 2019 dates are set to be announced this August, with the lineup dropping shortly after. We'll keep you posted on that front.
If bliss to you means peering at infinite reflections in lit-up mirror rooms, wading through brightly coloured ball pits and having pillow fights — plus hanging out in digital forests, watching tales told via shadows and hopping over musical tiles, too — then prepare to beam with joy when Dopamine Land arrives Down Under. The latest multi-sensory experience that's hitting Australia, it's being pitched as an interactive museum. Inside, you'll find themed spaces that you can mosey through, engage with their contents and, ideally, bask in nothing but pure happiness. With a name like Dopamine Land, it's immediately clear that contentment, glee, merriment and exuberance is the aim of the game here. So is evoking those feel-good sensations through nostalgia, because this is another kidulting activity — it's all-ages-friendly as well — and it's making its Aussie debut in Brisbane from Tuesday, May 28, 2024. Brisbanites, and anyone keen for a Sunshine State trip to revel in more than the sun's glow, can look forward to wandering around Dopamine Land at Uptown in the River City's Queen Street Mall. Locals know that the site was previously the Myer Centre — and, decades back, was home to a dragon-themed rollercoaster. So, it's a fitting venue to get everyone channeling their inner child, unleashing their imagination and, yes, hitting each other with cushions. Heading this way direct from London, the experience combines optical illusions, engaging soundscapes and more across its ten themed rooms. The ball pit is self-explanatory, but also takes its cues from Miami in the 80s, complete with a pina colada scent, an electro soundtrack and LED lights that pulse to mirror waves. The pillow-fight space also doesn't need much explaining; however, the decor is inspired by marshmallows and boxes of lollies, Mexican wrestling is also an influence and you can win the pillow-fighting championship. Fancy seeing stories play out via shadows? There's a room for that featuring a big top-style roof. If you try your hand at the musical tiles — well, your feet, to be more accurate — you'll create a melody as you jump around, with the lights changing as you go as well. And if getting as serene as possible is your aim, head to the Keep Calm Forest, which artificially recreates a woodland via LED trees, mirrors and sounds to match. There's even a room dedicated to the autonomous sensory meridian response, or ASMR, which goes big on projections and animations by Australian digital artist Cassie Troughton. As is always the case with these kinds of pop-ups — Fever, the company bringing Dopamine Land to Australia, has also been behind The Art of Banksy: Without Limits, The NBA Exhibition, Dinos Alive: An Immersive Experience and Unko Museum: The Kawaii Poop Experience — there'll be ample opportunities to take photos. Accordingly, you know what you'll be seeing on your social-media feeds. There's no word yet whether Dopamine Land will head to other Australian cities beyond Brisbane, but expect it to be popular either way. Find Dopamine Land at Uptown, Queen Street Mall, Brisbane from Tuesday, May 28, 2024, with tickets on sale from 7pm on Thursday, April 11. For more information, or to join the ticket waitlist, head to the experience website.
Before goals are scored at the Gabba, beers start flowing. And after the last passes have been thrown at Suncorp Stadium, brews are well and truly needed. If you're a sports fan, you know that every game, set and match goes better with a drink in hand. Sipping on a beer and watching folks kick, hit or throw a ball, really is an ideal pairing. But if you aren't able to see it IRL — maybe your match of choice is in another country/city or you haven't managed to nab tickets in time — don't stress. Head to a pub and watch all your sporting shenanigans on the big screen. With help from our friends at Heineken, we've found seven Brisbane pubs that'll take care of your thirst before, during or after the game.
Here's a night out to take a chance on in 2023: the return of MAMMA MIA! The Musical. My my, how can you resist seeing this Greek-set onstage party on its latest tour of Australia, whether you're a musical fan, an ABBA devotee or perennially keen to indulge in 70s nostalgia. The stage show's comeback was first announced in 2022 and locked in for a Sydney stop, but now it has just added Brisbane and Melbourne dates as well. By now, the hit production is well-known around the world, including from previous Aussie runs. It has spawned not one but two movies, too. And, its tale of a young bride-to-be's quest to find her father before her wedding will liven up Sydney Lyric from May, QPAC's Lyric Theatre in Brisbane from August and the Princess Theatre in Melbourne from October. Here we go again with one of the biggest jukebox musical hits of the past quarter-century, as seen by over 65 million people worldwide so far. This restaging of the popular 2017 production will unfurl its romantic chaos — and 22 ABBA tracks — with Elise McCann playing Donna Sheridan, after she played Ali in the 2009 season. Sarah Krndija (9 to 5 The Musical, Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical and Friends! The Musical Parody) steps into Sophie's shoes, while Martin Crewes (Handa's The Phantom of the Opera on Sydney Harbour), Drew Livingston (War Horse) and Tim Wright (New Amsterdam) play her three potential dads. The story, as theatre audiences have enjoyed since 1999, follows 20-year-old Sophie, who is about to marry her fiancé Sky on the fictional Greek island of Kalokairi. It's her dream for her dad to walk her down the aisle, but courtesy of her mother Donna's old diary, she learns that her father could be one of three men: Sam Carmichael, Bill Austin or Harry Bright. [caption id="attachment_890628" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sam Bisso[/caption] Calling all dancing queens, obviously — with that track, the titular number, and everything from 'Money, Money, Money', 'Thank You for the Music', 'Super Trouper' and 'The Name of the Game' to 'SOS', 'Does Your Mother Know', 'Waterloo' and 'Knowing Me, Knowing You' featuring (and 'Take a Chance on Me', 'The Winner Takes It All' and, of course, 'I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do', too). The new Australian run hails from producers Michael Coppel, Louise Withers and Linda Bewick, plus Helpmann Award-winning director Gary Young, choreographer Tom Hodgson and musical supervisor Stephen Amos. MAMMA MIA! THE MUSICAL 2023 DATES: From Wednesday, May 24 — Sydney Lyric Theatre, Sydney From Sunday, August 6 — QPAC Lyric Theatre, Brisbane From Wednesday, October 4 — Princess Theatre, Melbourne MAMMA MIA! The Musical tours Australia from May 2023. For further details or to buy tickets, head to the production's website. Images: James D Morgan.
Buckets of sunshine, adrenaline-inducing thrills in the heart of the city, plus dreamy white-sand islands and lush rainforests on its doorstep... Brisbane and its surrounds are a wonderland for outdoor adventurers. There's the iconic Brisbane River where you can captain your own eco-friendly boat or abseil down 230 million-year-old rock formations at sunset. Or, further afield you can find the epic sand islands of Bribie, Moreton and North Stradbroke/Minjerribah, hugged by crystal clear waters, covered in national park and packed with wildlife — from green sea turtles and dolphins to wallabies and koalas. Then there's the Lamington National Park that provides nature lovers and enthusiastic hikers with magnificent waterfalls or the chance to kick back in a spa overlooking ancient rainforest. Read on for seven unmissable outdoor adventures in and around Brisbane for your next adventure. [caption id="attachment_856015" align="alignnone" width="1920"] River to Bay Tour at Moreton Island. Image courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland.[/caption] TAKE A RIVER TO BAY TOUR Just east of Brisbane you can find islands galore to explore. The easiest way to experience them? Book in a day trip with River to Bay. For snorkelling among tropical fish and green sea turtles at the picturesque Tangalooma Wrecks, spotting koalas among tall trees and wandering around the haunted ruins of Queensland's first penal colony, take the Moreton Island Bay Tour. Alternatively, go for incredible swimming beaches, spectacular scenery and boutique cafes in a historical village on the Stradbroke Island Tour. Another tempting option is the Champagne and Oyster Tour, which involves sipping bubbly and sampling oysters fresh from the ocean while watching the sun set. GO ABSEILING WITH RIVERLIFE For an adrenalin rush, go abseiling with Riverlife. On the Day Abseil, you'll complete a 90-minute ascent and descent of the 20-metre high Brisbane Kangaroo Point Cliffs. They're heritage-listed formations of 230 million-year-old volcanic rock which flank the Brisbane River, just a stone's throw from the CBD. Once you make it to the top, you'll be rewarded with panoramic views of Brisbane City and its surrounding waterways. For an even more magical experience, book a Twilight Abseil Tour. And if you're a nervous abseiler, don't worry. Riverlife is all about helping you overcoming your fears. [caption id="attachment_807856" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Go Boat Brisbane. Image by Lean Timms.[/caption] JUMP ON A GO BOAT One of the newest additions to the adventure scene is Go Boat. Founded in Copenhagen in 2014, it was launched in Brisbane to make the most of the city's glorious weather and winding river. For up to three dreamy hours, you'll captain a blissfully silent electric boat made of recycled PET bottles transformed into fibreglass. Pack a cheeseboard, a bottle of bubbly and up to seven mates, and see Brisbane from a whole new perspective on the water. Pets are welcome. By the way, there's no need for a boating licence, as the Go Boat crew will show you what to do before waving you off on your adventure. [caption id="attachment_856018" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hot Air Ballooning Brisbane. Image by Sam Lindsay/Tourism and Events Queensland.[/caption] GO HOT AIR BALLOONING WITH FLOATING IMAGES Once you've seen Brisbane from the water, the next logical step is to see it from the sky. You can do just that with Floating Images. Their sunrise flight takes you up where the air is clear for 60 glorious minutes. Prepare for incredible views of the Brisbane city skyline, backdropped by the Great Diving Range, the Scenic Rim and the countryside of Somerset. Afterwards, you'll be treated to a breakfast fit for royalty at a local restaurant. Chief pilot Graeme has flown air balloons for three decades on three continents, so you can relax knowing you're in safe hands. TAKE AN ADVENTURE TOUR WITH G'DAY Another spot on the must-see list for visitors to Brisbane is Bribie Island, the fourth largest sand island in the world. It, in itself, is an outdoor adventurer's kingdom packed with national parks, wild surf beaches, idyllic coves for swimming and the Pumicestone Passage, a protected marine park home to dolphins, turtles and dugongs. To get amongst it, take a tour with G'Day Adventure Tours. Their frolics range from the three-hour 4WD beach and bunker tour to the two-day, one-night Camping Adventure, which sees you kayaking through Norfolk lagoon, swimming in Mermaid lagoon, toasting marshmallows around a campfire and meeting wallabies. [caption id="attachment_856009" align="alignnone" width="1920"] O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat. Image courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland.[/caption] RETREAT INTO THE RAINFOREST AT O'REILLY'S Another of Brisbane's drawcards is its proximity to lush ancient rainforests. One way to immerse yourself is a visit to O'Reilly's, an eco-retreat overlooking the World Heritage-listed Lamington National Park. Visitors have been escaping here for nearly 100 years. There's a bunch of activities to try, including an adventure trek to the Thunder and Lightning Falls, indulgent treatments in the Lost World Day Spa, a glow worm experience and e-bike tours. To fit them all in you'll want to stay overnight, either at the campground with your own tent or go a little more luxe with a variety of studios and villas. [caption id="attachment_856007" align="alignnone" width="1920"] North Gorge Walk at North Stradbroke Island. Image courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland.[/caption] VISIT NORTH STRADBROKE ISLAND / MINJERRIBAH If beaches are your thing, then you'll want to put North Stradbroke Island/Minjerribah on your itinerary. It's the world's second largest sand island, which means there are beaches for surfers, swimmers and sun-soakers of all kinds. For stunning views (especially at sunset) hit Flinders Beach (Point Lookout). For a long seaside walk try a stretch of sand across the 33km-long Main Beach. For amazing surfing (not for beginners) get some epic swell off Frenchmans Beach or Cylinder Beach. For solitude make your way to Toompany Beach and for laidback swimming in gentle crystal-clear waters visit Amity Beach. And, since you can't pack all that paradise into one day, you should definitely stay for a night (or three). Ready to plan a trip to Brisbane and its surrounds? Learn more at the Visit Brisbane website.
Perhaps you’ve already bought a virtual coffee to help out people in Christchurch, donated some artwork to raise money for Japan, and you still want to give... then why not offer your spare room? Sparkrelief is a brilliantly simple idea, that meets a serious need. Basically, it’s couchsurfing for people affected by disasters, directly connecting those in need of a place to stay, with those offering one. As highlighted by founder Eli Hayes, there is a difference between staying in temporary emergency accommodation, and staying in someone’s home: “when you go into someone’s house and they take you in and start cooking you breakfast in the morning ... you have that community back again.” Recently launched, the website is focussing on finding housing for those displaced by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, but intends to continue on a permanent basis acting as a source of information and temporary housing for those affected by disasters. With thirteen major earthquakes every year, Sparkrelief can expect to be kept busy. [via Mashable]
If your "new year, new you" thinking has already started as 2024 approaches, you might be justifying your end-of-year excesses during the festive season by making a health kick one of your New Year's resolutions. IKEA wants to assist. Sure, walking around its stores is already a workout, but the Swedish retailer is going a step further by releasing its first-ever fitness range — on Monday, January 1, 2024, of course. So, gyms aren't for you, but you'd like to get active and you need some equipment to help? The DAJLIEN collection features exercise mats, ring dumbbells, step-up boards and more. Indeed, the whole aim of the range is making working out accessible for wherever suits you to get sweaty — and making it a part of your everyday routine. The collection's moniker is the Swedish word for daily, in case you need a reminder that fitness should be more than a now-and-then thing. IKEA designed the limited-edition range by exploring how folks workout at home, even doing visits in New York, Chicago, London and Shanghai. Factoring into the end products: issues surrounding space, time, motivation and exercise gear not fitting in with home decor. Some items also double as storage, and others are meant to be both practical and stylish. When the collection drops in-store and online, prices will span from $6–149, with hand towels the cheapest items and a bench with storage that can also work as a coffee table the most expensive. You can also pick up belt bags, massage balls, bath ponchos, air purifiers, slippers, blankets, trolleys and valet stands, with the range's colour scheme including dark and light green, yellow and white — plus bamboo. If some of the above items don't sound like they'll help you when you're actually exercising, that's because the recovery process and just stress relief in general are also covered by the DAJLIEN collection. "Not everyone feels safe or comfortable going to a gym, and at home we often deal with small space and time constraints. DAJLIEN was born from the desire to find smart solutions that address these limitations, and help people create a convenient and motivating place for exercise," explained IKEA Designer Sarah Fager. "We wanted to create smart, beautiful products to inspire and redefine training as a fun, easy and natural everyday activity." "DAJLIEN is all about supporting movement and helping people live more active lives at home. We have designed a collection that helps bridge the gap between home and active life, that recognises that training can take many shapes and forms — and that you don't need a lot of space to do a simple workout,"added fellow IKEA Designer Akanksha Deo. IKEA's DAJLIEN collection goes on sale across Australia, in stores and online, from Monday, January 1, 2024 — until stocks last. Head to the IKEA website for further details.
Into every generation, a slayer is born — and into What We Do in the Shadows, too. The TV series based on Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi's 2014 vampire sharehouse mockumentary of the same name has spent two seasons so far pondering the dynamics of its Staten Island household; however, it has also slowly started to explore an existential threat to its bloodsucking protagonists: a vampire killer in their midst. That's where the US television show's third season promises to pick up, all while still mining its concept for as many laughs as possible. So, Nandor (Kayvan Novak, Four Lions), Laszlo (Matt Berry, Toast of London) and Nadja (Natasia Demetriou, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga) once again navigate the usual undead housemate tussles, including with energy vampire Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch, The Office). And, they endeavour to live with the knowledge that Nandor's familiar Guillermo (Harvey Guillen, Werewolves Within) has a very particular family history. Also part of this upcoming season: power struggles within the key group of vampires, after they've ascended to the head of the Vampiric Council. Another promising batch of episodes in a fantastically funny horror-comedy sitcom will hopefully be the result — based on the just-dropped full trailer for the third season and an earlier teaser trailer, at least. When the original film hit cinemas, viewers instantly yearned for more, which this American spinoff has been delivering in just as smart, silly and hilarious a fashion as its big-screen predecessor. Thankfully, spending time in this supernatural realm isn't going to end any time soon, either — with US network FX, which screens the show in America, announcing that What We Do in the Shadows has been renewed for a fourth season before its third even airs. What We Do in the Shadows is the second TV series in this specific on-screen universe, after the New Zealand-made Wellington Paranormal — which follows the movie's cops (Mike Minogue and Karen O'Leary) as they keep investigating the supernatural. It proved a hit as well, and has already returned for both a second and third season. Back with the vamps, What We Do in the Shadows' new episodes are due to start streaming in Australia via Binge from Friday, September 3 — which is at the same time as the US. Check out the full season three trailer below: It's a game of...throne. Watch the official Season 3 trailer for #ShadowsFX, returning Thursday, Sept. 2nd on FX. Next Day #FXonHulu pic.twitter.com/cRRJLEXaLq — What We Do In The Shadows (@theshadowsfx) August 13, 2021 What We Do in the Shadows' third season starts streaming in Australia via Binge from Friday, September 3.
It just might be Australia's brightest festival, and it's returning to light up Alice Springs once again. That'd be Parrtjima - A Festival In Light, which will deliver its latest annual program in 2022 — between Friday, April 8–Sunday, April 17. It's been a chaotic few years for the radiant fest, after its 2020 event was postponed to September due to COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions — and after moving to an autumn time slot back in 2019, too. But, following a few years of change and adaptability, Parrtjima will finally mark two consecutive stints in its April dates, after 2021's festival lit up the Red Centre over six months ago. While it's too early to announce the event's lineup just yet, visitors can once again expect a big — and free — ten-day public celebration of Indigenous arts, culture, music and storytelling, including an eye-catching array of light installations. That'll all take over Alice Springs CBD's Alice Springs Todd Mall, as well as tourism and conservation facility Alice Springs Desert Park Precinct just out of town — and yes, the event will dazzle, like it usually does. [caption id="attachment_801811" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Greg McAdam[/caption] If you haven't yet made the trip and you're wondering what could be in store, this year's Parrtjima included various luminous pieces, such as a 20-metre-long entranceway made out of light tubes of different lengths, an animated sequence of curated artworks projected onto the sands of Alice Springs Desert Park and a train of five illuminated camels. One thing that'll definitely be on the bill in 2022: the festival's main annual attraction, aka a huge artwork that transforms a 2.5-kilometre stretch of the majestic, 300-million-year-old MacDonnell Ranges, showering it with light each night of the festival. Registrations for the 2022 fest have just opened, if you'd like to nab an early spot in line for tickets when they go on sale. Of course, Parrtjima is just one of Northern Territory's two glowing attractions in 2022, with Australia's Red Centre lighting up in multiple ways. The festival is a nice supplement to Bruce Munro's Field of Light installation, which — after multiple extensions — is now on display indefinitely. If you're keen to start making Parrtjima plans, remember to check out the Northern Territory's COVID-19 border restrictions first. Parrtjima – A Festival in Light runs from April 8–17, 2022 around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. For more information, visit the festival website. Top image: Greg McAdam.
Japan has a knack for turning something simple into an elite experience and its snack game is no exception. Whether you've experienced the joys of a Tokyo konbini (convenience store) for yourself or you've only seen the hauls all over social media, the sheer volume of unique and delicious treats can be mind-boggling. So, in partnership with Suntory -196, we've hand-picked our ultimate favourites — from a satisfying savoury bite to the sweet candies to stash in your desk drawer — and found the top spots around Australia to get your hands on them. Happy snacking. [caption id="attachment_820994" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sandoitchi, Leigh Griffiths[/caption] Sandos Grab-and-go food chains have never really taken off in Australia like they have in other parts of the world so actively seeking out a convenience store sandwich when in Tokyo can be a hard concept to grasp. But one bite of a tamago sando (Japanese egg sandwich) will smash through any preconceptions. Made with fluffy crustless milk bread (shokupan) and a rich, buttery egg filling, these decadent bites are beautiful in their simplicity and can be found in pretty much every one of the 50,000 konbini across Japan. Back in Australia, we'd recommend sticking to the dedicated cafes like Saint Dreux in Melbourne CBD which coats an egg slab with a nori (seaweed) sheet and panko breadcrumbs; Supernova, in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley, truffle-laced version served with a curry dipping sauce; or new-kid-on-the-Darlo-block Punpun in Sydney where the chefs steam the eggs into a custard-like consistency before slathering them with chive mayo. Once you've tried the cult classic, venture out to the other iterations, like the pork katsu sando or the fruit sando, stuffed with seasonal fruit and whipped cream — both are done to perfection by the legends at Sydney favourite Sandoitchi. Suntory -196 Japan may be nicknamed the Land of the Rising Sun but the major cities really come alive at night. From walking down neon-lit streets to chatting with locals at intimate vinyl bars and belting out your best rendition of 'My Heart Will Go On' at a karaoke joint, many of the iconic experiences travellers seek out in Japan happen after dark. And many of them happen with a Strong Zero in hand — the cult Japanese premixed drink, made with a blend of shochu, vodka and soda, available in 7-Elevens, Lawsons and Family Marts across the nation. When you're looking to capture a little of that Japanese spirit (both literally and figuratively) ahead of your next night out, pop to your local bottle-o to grab some Suntory -196s, brought to Australia by Suntory in honour of their number one premix in Japan. There are now three exceptional flavours to try — the zesty yet crisp OG Double Lemon; the sweet 'n' sour Double Grape and the oh-so-juicy Double Peach (Double Peach was released just last year and we can't wait to see what new stuff they've got in store for 2025). All three are made using Suntory's patented Freeze Crush Infusion Technology, which involves the flash freezing of real fruit at -196 degrees Celsius before crushing and infusing the fruits into spirits to intensify the flavour profile for double the fruity hit. Can't decide which one to go for? Opt for a variety ten-pack from all major bottle shops, including Dan Murphy's, and slowly sip your way through to find your favourite. Melonpan What happens when two classic comfort foods — bread and cookies — join forces? It creates the ultimate little snack to satisfy those 3pm sugar cravings. Featuring fluffy sweetbread covered by a crunchy cookie crust, melonpan is a slightly sturdier version of the famous Hong Kong pineapple bun and is named for its resemblance to rockmelon. Sydney's Azuki Bakery (Newtown and Wolli Creek) has gained a following for its melonpan — while you're there, grab the best-selling curry pan, a savoury doughnut filled with beef curry. In Melbourne, head to Japanese-inspired bakery and cafe Fuumi Fuumi in South Yarra for its flavoured versions (think matcha, strawberry or chocolate) straight from the oven. Brisbane's well-loved French patisserie Le Boulangerie Amour Fou, with locations in Sunnybank, Indooroopilly, Woollongabba and more, offers its own take on the treat in mocha and mango flavours. Kororo Gummy Candy File this one under 'there's nothing quite like it'. These colourful little gummies are popular across Japan as much for the affordability and novelty as they are for the actual taste — a pack will usually only set you back the equivalent of about AUD$1 and they somewhat resemble a grape, right down to the wrinkly skin that you can (but don't need to) peel off. Inside, the gummy is soft, chewy and bursting with flavour. The most popular flavours are grape, muscat (green) grape and white peach. Owing to these little gems going viral on TikTok a while ago, most Japanese grocery stores in Australia now stock these so check out Maruyu and Amami Mart in Sydney and Fuji Mart in Brisbane and Melbourne. Mochi This traditional rice cake snack comes in so many forms it could have its own article — you can get them stuffed with sweet fillings like red bean paste, fresh cream and fruit or tiny scoops of ice cream; in soup; toasted into a waffle; or transformed into a chewy doughnut. They're so popular that they're not very hard to find in Australia anymore — even the major supermarkets sell them — but quality can vary wildly. Seek out authentic, freshly made mochi at Torori Warabi Mochi in Haymarket, Sydney, in classic flavours like matcha, hojicha and Hokkaido milk. A Melbourne store is due to open later this year. In Brisbane, Sonder Dessert in Sunnybank has been the go-to for years, serving its version coated in roasted soy bean powder with a brown sugar dipping sauce. [caption id="attachment_988373" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 15cenchi[/caption] Japanese Cheesecake Many nations lay claim to having the best cheesecake. There's the New York-style version (uncooked cream cheese with a crumbled cookie base) and the bittersweet yet creamy burnt Basque-style option. But the Japanese version, a soufflé-esque concoction that is wobbly and oh-so-light, must not be overlooked. Uncle Tetsu takes the (literal) cake for bringing this masterpiece to the Aussie masses with stores in Sydney and Melbourne, and both cities now boast cult-favourite LeTAO, too. Meanwhile, Mountain River Patisserie in Runcorn has a good take on the treat for Brisbanites. If you're a ride-or-die basque cheesecake fan, make tracks to Sydney's lockdown darling, 15 cenchi, for the ultimate hybrid. Named for the '15 centimetres of happiness' it promises customers, 15cenchi offers Japanese-style basque desserts in innovative flavours like salted grapefruit and lychee or yuzu. Kit Kats Japanese Kit Kats have been the hot-ticket Japan souvenir for years. Every colleague that has ever been to Tokyo has returned to work with a stash of them. It's a small win for mandatory office days but the bad news? They almost always opt for the same flavours: matcha and strawberry. They're both delicious but it's a true shame when you learn there are over 300 flavours in the range in Japan — you could be treating your palette to a seasonal chocolate smorgasbord with flavours like wasabi, sakura, salt lychee and sweet potato. The next time you're at your local Japanese grocery store, keep an eye out and see what's available. Onigiri Considering how popular premade sushi rolls are here, it's a little surprising that onigiri hasn't had the same impact on Aussie lunchtime culture — until now. Otherwise known as Japanese rice balls, onigiri features steamed rice formed into a triangle and wrapped in a nori sheet. Just like its Japanese counterpart, 7-Eleven Australia has started stocking these portable snacks in three classic flavours: cooked spicy tuna, sweet chilli salmon and chicken teriyaki. If you want to try more unique takes, opt for one of the many hole-in-the-wall joints that have popped up recently. In Sydney, we're big fans of the one stuffed with an onsen egg at Mogu Mogu, the chashu (braised pork belly) and chilli from Parami (a collab with the iconic Chaco Ramen) and the plum kombu from Domo39. In Melbourne, West Melbourne's 279 offers traditional fillings like takana (mustard greens) or cured cod roe while Tokyo Lamington in Carlton gets a bit more experimental with the likes of miso eggplant, bacon and egg or chicken curry. Finally, Brisbane joined the trend a few months ago with the arrival of Shiro where onigiri comes packed with miso pork or salted seaweed. Babystar Crispy Ramen If Mamee Monster Noodle Snacks were a lunchbox staple for you growing up, it's time to graduate to Baby Star Ramen. This raw noodle snack has been around since the 1950s and is so well-loved it even has its own theme park, Oyatsu Town, in Tsu City, Japan. Available in flavours like tonkotsu, garlic, chicken or yakisoba, these noodle strands are salty, crunchy and incredibly moreish — don't be surprised if you finish the entire bag in just a few minutes. You can find them at most Japanese grocery stores around Australia and via JFC Online. Level up your next summer snack sesh by pairing Suntory -196 with any of these top-tier Japanese snacks. Head to Dan Murphy's to pick up a limited-edition 'Suntory -196 Variety Pack' featuring all three epic flavours: Double Lemon, Double Grape and Double Peach.
Something delightful is happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are starting to reopen — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney and Brisbane (and, until the newly reinstated stay-at-home orders, Melbourne as well). During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made over the past three months, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLNXHJB5Mto BABYTEETH Usually, cancer movies aren't just terrible and generic — they're insulting. Too often focusing on pretty young things succumbing slowly to the insidious disease, they generally tug at the heartstrings with shameless abandon, treating their protagonists and their plights as a mechanism to wring weepy tears out of the audience. The Fault in Our Stars did it. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl did too, and even won awards at Sundance for its efforts. So when a film also hones in on a cancer-afflicted teenager yet refuses to trot out the same old tropes and cliches, it firmly stands out. Based on the play of the same name, Babyteeth is that movie, and it could never be mistaken for the usual illness drama. As directed by feature first-timer Shannon Murphy, this lively, vibrant, insightful and genuinely moving Australian film truly sees its main character, Milla (Little Women's Eliza Scanlen), as a person first and foremost. She's not a mere tool used to evoke easy emotion. She isn't a secondary figure primarily deployed to explain someone else's troubles, either. Rather, she's a passionate Sydney high schooler who unexpectedly falls for drug dealer Moses (Acute Misfortune's Toby Wallace) as her already-struggling parents watch on. Also starring Essie Davis and Ben Mendelsohn as Milla's mother and father, this is a raw, sensitive, astute and arresting addition to a genre that rarely (if ever) earns any of those terms. It's also visually striking and, unsurprisingly given the cast, boasts fantastic performances — and it's one of the best Aussie movies that'll hit cinemas in 2020. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wplr6eN2ajQ THE BURNT ORANGE HERESY In The Burnt Orange Heresy, Mick Jagger plays a rich, ruthless art collector who visibly enjoys toying with everyone in his orbit. This isn't the Rolling Stone's first acting role, with the superstar musician famously playing Ned Kelly in the 1970 film of the same name, and popping up in the likes of Freejack and The Man from Elysian Fields over the years — but in this Italy-set art-centric thriller, he's worth the price of admission. He's clearly having fun with his wily character and Cockney drawl, even though he's just a supporting player. As a reclusive artist who lives on the collector's sprawling Lake Como property, Donald Sutherland falls into the same category, too. Alas, thanks to a by-the-numbers narrative, the slow-burning, handsomely shot film itself can't quite match them. When Jagger's shrewd Joseph Cassidy invites art critic James Figueras (Claes Bang) to his estate, the latter isn't sure why — so he takes American tourist Berenice (Elizabeth Debicki) along for the trip. Upon their arrival, the new lovers become immersed in a plot to unearth the latest paintings by Sutherland's art legend, although that's just the tip of the subterfuge and duplicity surrounding Figueras. The second feature by Italian director Giuseppe Capotondi, The Burnt Orange Heresy doesn't lack in plot, themes or attempts to ape Patricia Highsmith's best tales, but its twists prove as routine as its insights into authenticity and forgery on multiple levels. And, while excellent when he last dallied with art in The Square, and in this year's Dracula as well, Bang is never commanding as his co-stars — including Widows' Debicki, who overcomes an underwritten role in her tender scenes with Sutherland. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4MRcUzmFv8 CALM WITH HORSES Living in a sleepy rural Irish town, Douglas (Cosmo Jarvis) has tied his fortunes to the region's crime heavies, working as an enforcer for the Devers family. The former boxer largely pals around with young up-and-comer Dympna (Barry Keoghan), but when the latter is instructed to jump by his menacing uncles (Ned Dennehy and David Wilmot) — and, specifically, to rough up an old man who has committed a heinous act against one of their own — Douglas must also do what he's told. But this is a task that tests his loyalty, even with his violent history. Complicating matters are Douglas' ex Ursula (Niamh Algar) and their autistic five-year-old son Jack (Kiljan Moroney), who want to move to Cork — and away from Douglas and his brutal cronies — so that Jack can attend a better school. Best known until now for Lady Macbeth, Farming and Peaky Blinders, Jarvis is exceptional in Calm with Horses, a downbeat crime film that doubles as a tense and probing character study. This is a social realist-leaning (and sometimes blackly comic) look at life on the margins, a sharp exploration of toxic masculinity and a potent quest for redemption, too, and Jarvis' quiet, internalised but powerful performance couldn't be more pivotal. In fact, it's a career-best portrayal amongst a top-notch ensemble cast (including Dunkirk's Keoghan). Also crucial: the emotive, immersive stylistic approach favoured by filmmaker Nick Rowland, who makes his feature helming debut. As the movie charts Douglas' gradual awakening to the consequences of his chosen path, the first-time director conveys the character's inner conflict through juxtaposed colours, the noticeable jumping between closed-in interiors and wide-open landscapes, and a pulsating soundtrack by Benjamin John Power — and, yes, with tender scenes involving Douglas, Jack, Ursula and gentle equines as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mrkt44f83k THE VIGIL If something goes bump in the night, it causes jumps or both, then it's in Blumhouse Productions' wheelhouse. A hefty list of recent films have demonstrated that fact — including the Paranormal Activity, Insidious, Sinister, Ouija and Happy Death Day franchises, as well as the relaunched Halloween series — and, in case audiences needed another reminder, now The Vigil is here to do the same. The differentiating factor here is the focus on the Orthodox Jewish faith, including one of its rituals. Fresh from stepping out of a support-group meeting for Hasidic New Yorkers who are slowly encroaching upon a more secular worldview, Yakov Ronen (Dave Davis) is enlisted to spend a night working as a 'shomer' in a crumbling Borough Park home. His task: to watch over the body of recently deceased holocaust-survivor Mr Litvak (Ronald Cohen) until dawn. From the moment that Yakov steps inside the Litvaks' townhouse at his friend Reb Shulem's (Menashe Lustig) urging — and the moment he meets the eerie Mrs Litvak (Lynn Cohen), spies her husband's corpse under a sheet and notices the unmistakably moody lighting — The Vigil is content to lurk in standard jump-scare territory. It feigns at delving deeper, including into Orthodox culture and the weight left by the atrocities of the Second World War, but this is primarily an exercise in evoking dread and suspense in the usual haunted house-focused horror movie mould. First-time feature writer/director Keith Thomas still conjures up a creepy atmosphere and crafts a number of spine-tingling, anxiety-inducing visuals. As the increasingly perturbed protagonist, Davis (Greyhound, Logan) deftly navigates all of the above, too. But, even with its tense score always going for broke, the film always feels like it is simply dressing up well-worn genre elements in different packaging. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4aM_3JJ_Us HOUSE OF CARDIN He trained as a tailor before the Second World War, then worked for the Red Cross during the conflict. Afterwards, he made costumes for the 1946 big-screen version of Beauty and the Beast, became the head of Christian Dior's atelier, then launched his own fashion house in 1950. From there, he pioneered an avant-garde, boundary-breaking style that's marked by its constant evolution as much as its love for geometric designs. The man in question: Italian-born, French-raised and -based designer Pierre Cardin, the subject of P. David Ebersole and Todd Hughes' (Mansfield 66/67) energetic, affectionate and informative — albeit slickly formulaic — documentary House of Cardin. Unlike its eponymous figure or recent fellow fashion doco Halston, this film doesn't aim to push any limits or stand out — in its form or function, that is. Instead, it sticks to the oft-used template (think: talking-head interviews with other famous faces, enticing shots of eye-catching designs, archival footage aplenty and an overt score) to celebrate the now 98-year-old Cardin. The movie's straightforward approach and structure is always obvious; however it also helps push Cardin, his work and his jam-packed life story front and centre. And in a documentary that benefits from its subject's sometimes-abrupt recollections about his experiences and career, as well as ample examples of the designer's dazzling pieces — both of which sprawl in a plethora of directions — that ultimately proves a savvy and engaging choice. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas, check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9 and July 16 — and our full reviews of The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves and The King of Staten Island. Top images: The Burnt Orange Heresy © joseharo.
In 2021, déjà vu and heading to the movies keep going hand in hand. Many of the big-name big-screen releases showing in cinemas this year were due to release last year, which means we've been hearing about them for a while — so, if you feel like first saw the trailer for sci-fi epic Dune quite some time ago, for instance, there's a very good reason for that. More than ten months after that first glimpse dropped, another trailer has just arrived. Unsurprisingly, it's sandy. And, once again, it teases a movie that's set to combine a beloved science fiction title, a star-studded cast and a Hans Zimmer score. Pairing up all three worked rather spectacularly in Blade Runner 2049, and now filmmaker Denis Villeneuve is hoping that it'll just turn out just as swimmingly with his Timothée Chalamet-, Oscar Isaac- and Zendaya-led version of Dune. In the latest adaptation of Frank Herbert's 1965 novel, Chalamet (Little Women) plays Paul Atreides — son of Duke Leto Atreides (Isaac, Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker), who has just been given stewardship of the planet Arrakis. In this futuristic tale, Arrakis is the source of 'the spice', the most valuable substance in the universe. It's also home to a population of people known as the Fremen, as well as to giant sandworms, and it's known for being dangerous partly due to the latter. And, once Paul, Leto and Paul's mother Lady Jessica (Doctor Sleep's Rebecca Ferguson) move to the planet, it's the subject of a bitter battle with malicious forces over the spice trade. If all of the above sounds more than a bit familiar, that's because David Lynch brought Dune to the screen back in 1984, with his Kyle MacLachlan-starring movie becoming one one of the most unfairly maligned sci-fi films ever made. Fellow director Alejandro Jodorowsky also tried to make his own version — a feat that wasn't successful, sadly, but was explored in the excellent documentary Jodorowsky's Dune. Just how Villeneuve's take will fare is still yet to be seen, obviously, with the film initially due to hit cinemas Down Under on Boxing Day 2020, but now slated to release on October 21, 2021. But the French Canadian director has an impressive resume — see: Arrival, Sicario, Enemy, Prisoners and Incendies, just to name a few titles on his resume — and with Dune, he's clearly reaching for epic territory. Like the first trailer, the latest glimpse at the film makes that case quite heartily. As well as serving up plenty of Call Me By Your Name's Chalamet as the film's brooding hero, the sneak peek features sandy expanses aplenty, weighty chats with Isaac, and many a confrontation. And, a stellar cast that also includes Josh Brolin (Avengers: Endgame), Stellan Skarsgård (Chernobyl), Dave Bautista (Army of the Dead), Charlotte Rampling (Red Sparrow), Jason Momoa (Aquaman) and Javier Bardem (Everybody Knows), all getting caught up in a spice war. Check out the latest trailer below: Dune will release in Australian cinemas on October 21, 2021. Top image: Chiabella James. Copyright: © 2020 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Whenever a beloved sitcom comes to an end — as Brooklyn Nine-Nine will when it finishes up this year — it leaves a hole in your viewing schedule, and in your TV-loving heart. You can keep binging your favourites all over again, of course, and as many times as you like. But, although one-off specials, starry reunions and movie spinoffs keep happening more and more, you'll always be sad that you can't just look forward to a big batch of new episodes. The one silver lining: when the likes of Parks and Recreation and 30 Rock finished up their runs, the creatives behind them stayed in the sitcom game. Indeed, that's why B99 exists, and how The Good Place and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt came to our screens, too. And, over the past month or so, new shows from the key folks behind all of these series have just reached Stan. When it comes to Girls5eva, a word of warning: the hit song that brought titular fictional late 90s/early 00s girl group to fame is such an earworm, you'll be singing it to yourself for weeks after you binge through the sitcom that bears their name. That's to be expected given that Jeff Richmond, the composer behind 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's equally catchy and comedic tunes, is one of the talents behind it. Tina Fey and Robert Carlock produce the series, too, so you what type of humour you're in for. Starring Sara Bareilles (Broadway's Waitress), Busy Philipps (I Feel Pretty), Renée Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton) and the great Paula Pell (AP Bio), Girls5eva follows four of the band's members two decades after their heyday. Their initial success didn't last, and life has left the now-fortysomething women at different junctures. Then a rapper samples their hit, they're asked to reunite for a one-night backing spot on The Tonight Show — and they then contemplate getting back together to give music another shot. As well as being exceptionally well-cast and immensely funny, the series is also bitingly perceptive about stardom, the entertainment industry and the way that women beyond their twenties are treated. Also, when Fey inevitably pops up, she does so as a dream version of Dolly Parton — and it's as glorious as it sounds. Check out the Girls5eva trailer below: Also now streaming its first season in full on Stan: Rutherford Falls. Michael Schur co-wrote and produced The Office, then did the same on Parks and Recreation and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, both of which he co-created as well. And, he gave the world The Good Place — which makes him one of the best in the business when it comes to kind-hearted, smart and savvy small-screen laughs. His new show continues the streak. Co-created with star Ed Helms and showrunner Sierra Teller Ornelas (Superstore), it boasts his usual charm and intelligence, too. And, as with every program he's had a hand in, it also boasts a top-notch lineup of on-screen talent. Plus, Rutherford Falls is immensely easy to binge in just one sitting, because each one of its ten first-season episodes leave you wanting more. The setup: in the place that gives the sitcom its name, Nathan Rutherford (Helms, Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun) runs the local history museum. One of his descendants founded the town, and he couldn't be more proud of that fact. He's also very protective of the towering statue of said ancestor, even though it sits in the middle of a road and causes accidents. So, when the mayor (Dana L.Wilson, Perry Mason) decides to move the traffic hazard, Nathan and his overzealous intern Bobbie (Jesse Leigh, Heathers) spring into action. Nathan's best friend Reagan Wells (Jana Schmieding, Blast) helps; however, the Minishonka Nation woman begins to realise just how her pal's family have shaped the fate of her Native American community. Also featuring a scene-stealing Michael Greyeyes (I Know This Much Is True) as the enterprising head of the Minishonka Nation casino, Rutherford Falls pairs witty laughs with warmth and sincerity, especially when it comes to exploring the treatment of First Nations peoples in America today. Check out the Rutherford Falls trailer below: The first seasons of Girls5eva and Rutherford Falls are available to stream via Stan.
Something delightful is happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are starting to reopen — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney and Brisbane (and, until the newly reinstated stay-at-home orders, Melbourne as well). During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made over the past three months, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIZS6AT98FI LA BELLE ÉPOQUE Amelie wasn't the first whimsical and nostalgic French romantic-comedy to grace the silver screen, but its success and enduring presence in pop culture has inspired a plethora of light, quirky Gallic fare over the past two decades. And, on paper at least, La Belle Époque initially seems to be one of them. Starring veteran actor Daniel Auteuil (Hidden, The Closet) as sixty-something illustrator Vincent Drumond — whose career is crumbling, and marriage to the feisty Marianne (Fanny Ardant) looks close to ending, too — this Nicolas Bedos-written and -directed film bets big on an offbeat premise. Here, thanks to a company called Time Travellers, anyone can pay to pretend that they're living in their chosen time and place for a night or longer. Think of it like Westworld, but with each elaborately engineered experience created afresh each time, specifically tailored to the customer, boasting no limits on the kind of setting that participants can choose and using actors rather than robots. Vincent doesn't own a mobile phone, yearns for bookshops and record stores long gone, and is generally averse to technology and change, so he's not usually someone who'd jump at the Time Travellers experience. But when he's given access to the service as a gift just as Marianne kicks him out, he not only embraces the concept, but asks to recreate the fateful 1974 day at Lyon's La Belle Époque cafe when the pair first met. A family friend, the company's owner Antoine (We'll End Up Together filmmaker Guillaume Canet) spares no effort, even enlisting his on-again, off-again girlfriend Margot (Doria Tillier) to play the young Marianne. For Vincent, everything that follows provides a chance to not only linger in happier memories, or realise why he fell in love in the first place, but learn how he wants to move forward. For viewers, a charming, gorgeously staged high-concept rom-com also eventuates. Bedos crafts this thoughtful and effervescent movie as meticulously and vividly as Time Travellers does its intricate blasts from the past, and with just as much appreciation for the way that some moments in life leave an imprint. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRvHl1dThlg PENINSULA If, prior to 2016, you'd ever wondered what might happen should zombies overtake South Korea, Train to Busan and Seoul Station arrived to answer that question. The first was a live-action thriller that tasked a locomotive full of living, breathing humans with battling the shuffling undead in one of the genre's best and most action-packed outings, while the second served up an animated prequel that detailed the start of the epidemic in another city. Now lands Peninsula, in case if you've since spent the past four years pondering what could occur next. Once again directed by Yeon Sang-ho, as all films in the franchise have been, it leaps forward to the present day to explore the plight of the apocalypse's survivors — including those initially lucky enough to flee via boat to Hong Kong, such as army Captain Jung-seok (Gang Dong-won) and his brother-in-law Chul-min (Kim Do-yoon); and folks like mother Min-jung (Lee Jung-hyun) and her daughters Joon (Lee Re) and Yu-jin (Lee Ye-won), who weren't as fortunate. All of the aforementioned characters cross paths when Jung-seok and Chul-min are recruited by Hong Kong heavies to head back to the abandoned and quarantined Incheon, where a truck filled with cash awaits. Zombies don't care about money, of course, so the city's valuables are there for he taking. But Incheon isn't completely empty, with Min-jung and her children spending years evading flesh-munchers and escaping a brutal rogue militia group that call themselves Unit 631. If Train to Busan took a Snakes on a Plane-esque idea, changed it to zombies on a train and made a top-notch movie in the process, Peninsula opts for decidedly dystopian Mad Max-meets-Fast and Furious-meets-World War Z heist flick setup — and, while it doesn't quiet reach its predecessor's heights or add anything new to the heaving undead genre, it is thoroughly entertaining. Cuts to an English-language talk show that explains what's going on are both needlessly exposition-heavy and cringe-inducing, but the film's grounded performances, ample array of fantastic setpieces and swift editing by Parasite Oscar-nominee Yang Jin-mo are always riveting. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2RqzDC6gF4 MADE IN ITALY In Made in Italy, Liam Neeson and his real-life son Micheál Richardson (Vox Lux, Cold Pursuit) recreate their relationship on-screen. In another case of art imitating life, they also play a parent-offspring pair still struggling to cope with the loss of the former's wife and the latter's mother after a tragic accident — with Neeson's partner and Richardson's mum, aka actor Natasha Richardson, passing away following a skiing incident in 2009. But, while this romantic drama's stars might've enjoyed a leisurely trip abroad to relive a situation that's close to their hearts in an immensely scenic location, and get paid for it, Made in Italy isn't a personal or even a sensitive and moving film. If only it was. The feature directorial debut of actor-turned-filmmaker James D'Arcy (Dunkirk, The Snowman), if only it offered anything other than a bland, by-the-numbers tale about two men blighted by grief, forced to confront their issues and pain, and eventually learning how to move on. Neeson plays Robert, a famous artist who is barely a part of his curator son Jack's (Richardson) life. They're brought together out of necessity, after Jack's soon-to-be ex-wife threatens to sell the gallery he has devoted his career to, leaving him in need of cash — and fast. His solution: to fix up and sell the Italian villa that he inherited from his mum, although his dad also owns half of the property. Cue family dysfunction unfurling in gorgeous surroundings, a stock-standard romance between Jack and a local chef (Valeria Bilello), and a very forgettable appearance by the great Lindsay Duncan (The Leftovers, Sherlock, Le Week-End) as a matter-of-fact real estate agent. As nice as it is to see Neeson apply his very particular set of skills to something other than the routine action flicks that he's been adding to his resume of late (see: not only the Taken franchise, obviously, but also Non-Stop, Run All Night, A Walk Among the Tombstones and The Commuter), here he's in bland and limp as well as unengagingly generic territory. The Italian countryside does look mighty spectacular, naturally, but that really shouldn't be the movie's main and most substantial drawcard. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSO1uGvgFeQ FORCE OF NATURE Rarely has a movie ever been in need of killer crocodiles or alligators — or snapping sharks swept up into the air by a tornado, for that matter — than Force of Nature. Either would've vastly improved a film that thinks it's a grim, suspenseful action-thriller, instead skews oh-so-cheesy and ludicrous, and is never self-aware enough to make fun of or even acknowledge its preposterousness. The concept: as a Category 5 storm bears down on Puerto Rico, ex-New York detective Cardillo (Emile Hirsch) and his new partner Jess (Stephanie Cayo) are trying to escort the stubborn residents of one of the island's apartment blocks to safety, all as a merciless killer and art thief (David Zayas) storms the building with his armed henchmen looking to pilfer already-stolen paintings worth hundreds of millions of dollars. If that's not enough, one of the tower's remaining inhabitants (Lovecraft Country's William Catlett) owns a very hungry and savage big cat, while gruff but ailing former cop Ray (Mel Gibson) is simply refusing to leave his flat, despite his doctor daughter Troy's (Kate Bosworth) pleas. You could excise several plot elements from Cory M Miller's convoluted debut feature script, and Force of Nature would've still been over-the-top, such is the over-stuffed and frequently plain silly storyline. But director Michael Polish (Big Sur, The Astronaut Farmer) lets the ridiculousness pile up, and without presenting a single part of it with winks and nudges. Again, an attacking jungle beast is involved. So are the Holocaust and art dating back to World War II, a tragic backstory for the now world-wearied and even suicidal Cardillo, and a fledgling romance with Troy. Not that they're given much chance to bring their A-game or utter anything but wince-worthy dialogue, but the cast deliver tension-free performances, and the movie's many shootouts and fist-fights prove dully shot and formulaic. That the tone-deaf film also pits its supposedly heroic white characters against villainous people of colour — and places a Nazi German in the middle, because of course it does — speaks plenty about this terrible mess of a feature. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas, check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23, July 30 and August 6 — and our full reviews of The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves, The King of Staten Island, Babyteeth and Deerskin.
Picture a traditional Chinese landscape painting and you'll probably visualise a mountain with a pagoda half-shrouded in mist. Knowing this, and hoping to make an unequivocal comment on China's pollution problem, photographer Yao Lu has pulled a neat piece of visual trickery: in New Landscapes he creates idyllic vistas that at first appear to depict nature in all its glory but which are actually composed of landfill trash. After arranging the piles of waste into something resembling organic forms and photographing them disguised under construction netting, Yao Lu used editing techniques to insert the conventional artistic elements of trees, pagodas and the red seal. The result raises the question: is this where China's natural world is headed? The works are on show at Bruce Silverstein Gallery in New York. Via PSFK.
Half-priced airfares have been quite the topic of conversation over the past 24 hours, with the Australian Government announcing a scheme that'll see the country's airlines sell 800,000 flights at the discount rate. That starts in April — but if you're keen on getting away before then, Virgin is doing a flash sale that'll also slash fares by half. Hang on, Virgin? Yes. The same airline that, less than 12 months ago, entered voluntary administration. It has since been sold to US private investment firm Bain Capital, launched a comeback sale in early July and its voluntary administration officially ended on Tuesday, November 17. With so many folks talking about the government's half-price fares, Virgin is capitalising upon the chatter; however, it's only putting this current set of cheap tickets on sale for two hours — from 5–7pm AEDT today, Friday, March 12. These fares don't form part of 800,000, and you'll need to be keen to travel in the next fortnight, with the flights covering trips between Monday, March 15–Sunday, March 28. The discounted economy flights include seat selection and checked baggage. All Virgin-operated routes nationally form part of the sale, with some of the specials on offer including Sydney to Byron Bay for $55, Sydney to the Gold Coast for the same price, Melbourne to Launceston from $64, Brisbane to the Whitsunday Coast from $78 and Melbourne to the Gold Coast from $88 (and vice versa in all cases, naturally). As we are still in the middle of a pandemic, flying is little different to normal. Virgin has introduced a range of safety measures, including hand sanitisation stations, contactless check-in and face masks provided to all passengers. Wearing masks on flights also became mandatory in Australia in January. Virgin's half-price flash sale runs from 5–7pm AEDT today, Friday, March 12 — or until sold out. Find out more about current interstate border restrictions over here.
Have you launched a hospitality business that deserves some love? Think you could be Australia's next great business success story? Been in business for five years or less? Keep reading because you could be in with a chance to win a business-changing worthy prize. Here at Concrete Playground, we love championing the hospitality businesses that keep the country fed and entertained. We also understand that times are tough right now. That's why, in partnership with Square, Concrete Playground is giving away a marketing package worth $20,000. If you've been in business for five years or less, the Boost Your Business competition aims to shine a light on your brand. By entering the competition, you could be in with a chance to win a native editorial feature on Concrete Playground and get your business in front of our dedicated readers, as well as inclusion in Concrete Playground's hospitality directory. You'll also receive a social media push as we promote your business across various channels and help you reach engaged audiences with an eDM inclusion. Intrigued? Simply tell us in 25 words or less why your hospitality business is Australia's next great success story. For the full details, see the comp form below. T&Cs apply. [competition]1022571[/competition]
The world's most famous and adored graffiti exponent, Banksy, has brought his style to America, beginning a month-long 'residency' on the streets of New York City. The British-based artist announced his 'Better Out Than In' exhibition on his website two weeks ago, and his attempt to host an entire show on the city's streets started on Tuesday, October 1. His appearance in the city that never sleeps has created quite a stir. He appears to be creating a new work each day, opening with 'Manhattan', a stencil of two young children disregarding a sign declaring 'graffiti is a crime' and following up with the above artwork, titled 'Westside', written in his New York accent. The titles clearly hint at the location of the works and, combined with Twitter, allow his fans to track them down before they are vandalised or whitewashed (as was the case with 'Manhattan'). Perhaps most enjoyable for those able to visit the works is the availability of an audio guide. Each stencil is accompanied by a toll free number to call that provides a description of the work. In true Banksy fashion, it does not take itself too seriously, with one informing us that graffiti is "from the latin graffito, which means graffiti with an o". You can keep track of the exhibition on his website or Instagram throughout October and enjoy Banksy's brilliance. Alternatively, fly to New York and take them in first hand. We certainly would if we had the cash. Via Fast Co.Create.
Under normal circumstances, when a new-release movie starts playing in cinemas, audiences can't watch it on streaming, video on demand, DVD or blu-ray for a few months. But with the pandemic forcing film industry to make quite a few changes over the past year — widespread movie theatre closures will do that — that's no longer always the case. Perhaps you haven't had time to make it to your local cinema lately. Given the hefty amount of films now releasing each week, maybe you missed something. Film distributors have been fast-tracking some of their recent releases from cinemas to streaming lately — movies that might still be playing in theatres in some parts of the country, too. In preparation for your next couch session, here's eight you can watch right now at home. NOBODY As both a comedian and a dramatic actor, Bob Odenkirk has earned a lifetime's worth of well-deserved praise. Writing for Saturday Night Live and starring in Mr Show with Bob and David each sit on his resume, as does his pivotal part in Breaking Bad and lead role in the exceptional Better Call Saul. But in Nobody, Odenkirk highlights a facet of his work that's easy to overlook. Jumping into a new genre, he makes viewers realise a truth that cuts to the heart of his talents. Every actor wants to be the person that can't be replaced, and to turn in the type of performances that no one can emulate; however, only the very best, including Odenkirk, manage exactly that. A movie so forged from the John Wick mould that it's penned by the same screenwriter — and boasts the first film's co-director David Leitch (Atomic Blonde) as a producer, too — Nobody could've featured any existing action go-to. It could've been an easy knockoff of well-known hit, joining the swathe of direct-to-video and -streaming titles that use that very template. It could've given Bruce Willis his next role to sleepwalk through, added yet another Taken-style thriller to Liam Neeson's resume or proven one of Nicolas Cage's more straightforward vehicles of late. Thankfully, though, Nobody is all about the ever-watchable Odenkirk and his peerless and compelling ability to play slippery characters. When Nobody begins, Hutch Mansell's (Odenkirk) life has become such a routine that his weeks all unfurl in the same fashion. Plodding through a sexless marriage to real estate agent Becca (Connie Nielsen, Wonder Woman 1984), and barely paid any notice by his teenage son Blake (Gage Munroe, Guest of Honour) and younger daughter Abby (debutant Paisley Cadorath), he catches public transport to his manufacturing company job every weekday, always puts the bins out too late for the garbage truck on Tuesday mornings, and usually earns little more than polite smiles from his family while he's cooking them breakfast that they fail to eat. Then, the Mansells' suburban home is randomly burgled. Hutch confronts the thieves in the act, has a chance to swing a golf club their way, yet holds back. But when Abby notices that her beloved cat bracelet is missing in the aftermath, he decides to take action — a choice that leads him to an unrelated bus filled with obnoxious guys hassling a female passenger, and eventually sees unhinged Russian mobster Yulian Kuznetsov (Aleksey Serebryakov, Leviathan) threatening everything that Hutch holds dear. Nobody is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. WRATH OF MAN With revenge thriller Wrath of Man, filmmaker Guy Ritchie (The Gentlemen) and actor Jason Statham (The Meg) reunite. The pair both came to fame with Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, repeated the feat with Snatch, then unsuccessfully tried again with Revolver, but they've spend the past 16 years heading in their own directions. During that stretch, the former subjected the world to his terrible Sherlock Holmes films, fared better with left-field additions to his resume like The Man From UNCLE and Aladdin, but didn't quite know what to do with King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. The latter has become an action go-to over the same time — with both forgettable and memorable flicks resulting, including three Fast and Furious movies and a stint scowling at Dwayne Johnson in the franchise's odd-couple spinoff Hobbs & Shaw. Thankfully, now that they're collaborating again, they're not just interested in rehashing their shared past glories. From Wrath of Man's first moments, with its tense, droning score, its high-strung mood and its filming of an armoured van robbery from inside the vehicle, a relentlessly grim tone is established. When Statham shows up shortly afterwards, he's firmly in stoic mode, too. He does spout a few quippy lines, and Ritchie once again unfurls his narrative by jumping between different people, events and time periods, but Lock, Stock Again or Snatch Harder this isn't. Instead, Wrath of Man is a remake of 2004 French film Le Convoyeur. While walking in someone else's shoes turned out horrendously for Ritchie with the Madonna-starring Swept Away, that isn't the case with this efficient, effective and engaging crime-fuelled effort, which finds its niche — and it's a new one for its central duo, at least together. Statham plays Patrick Hill, the newest employee at the Los Angeles-based cash truck company Fortico Securities. On his first day, his colleague Bullet (Holt McCallany, Mindhunter) dubs him H — "like the bomb, or Jesus H," he says — and the nickname quickly sticks. H joins the outfit a few months after the aforementioned holdup, with the memory of the two coworkers and civilian killed in the incident still fresh in everyone's minds. So, when gunmen interrupt his first post-training run with Bullet and Boy Sweat Dave (Josh Hartnett, Penny Dreadful), they're unsurprisingly jumpy; however, H deals with the situation with lethal efficiency. Cue glowing praise from Fortico's owner (Rob Delaney, Tom & Jerry), concern from his by-the-book manager (Eddie Marsan, Vice) and intrigue about his past from the rest of the team (such as Angel Has Fallen's Rocci Williams and Calm with Horses' Niamh Algar). Wrath of Man is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. SPIRAL: FROM THE BOOK OF SAW With Spiral: From the Book of Saw, what came first: the decision to call its protagonist Ezekiel, or the casting of Samuel L Jackson as said character's father? Either way, the film's creative team must've felt mighty pleased with themselves; getting the Pulp Fiction actor to utter the name that's been synonymous with his bible-quoting, Quentin Tarantino-penned monologue for more than a quarter-century doesn't happen by accident. What now four-time franchise director Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II, Saw III and Saw IV) and Jigsaw screenwriters Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger mightn't have realised, though, is just how clumsily this choice comes across. The Saw series has made almost a billion dollars at the worldwide box office, but now it's resorting to winking and nodding to one of its latest stars' past movies. Perhaps Bousman and company didn't notice because almost everything about Spiral feels that forced, awkward, clunky and badly thought-out. Jackson and Chris Rock might gift the long-running franchise a couple of high-profile new faces; however, this ostensible reboot is exactly as derivative as you'd expect of the ninth instalment in a 17-year-old shock- and gore-driven saga. Focusing on a wisecracking, gung-ho, about-to-be-divorced police detective known for exposing his dirty colleagues, Spiral tries to coil the series in a different direction, at least superficially — and pretends to have meaty matters on its mind. Ezekiel 'Zeke' Banks (Rock, The Witches) has been crusading for honesty, integrity, fairness and honour in law enforcement for years. Starting back when his now-retired dad Marcus (Jackson, Death to 2020) was the precinct's chief, he's been vilified by his peers for his efforts. When a killer appears to be targeting rotten cops, too, Zeke is desperate to lead the case. Initially, he just wants to avenge the death of the first victim, one of the only co-workers he called a friend, but he's soon trying to track down a murderer that seems to be following in franchise villain Jigsaw's footsteps. A lone wolf-type not by choice but necessity, Banks also happens to be saddled with a rookie partner (Max Minghella, The Handmaid's Tale) as he attempts to stop the bodies from piling up. Spiral: From the Book of Saw is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. THE UNITED STATES VS BILLIE HOLIDAY More than 80 years after it was first sung and heard, Billie Holiday's 'Strange Fruit' still isn't easily forgotten. Drawn from a poem penned to protest lynchings, it's meant to shock and haunt. It's designed to galvanise and mobilise, too, as drawing attention to the extrajudicial killings of Black Americans should. Indeed, so vivid is the song in its language — "Black bodies swingin' in the southern breeze" describes the third line — US authorities demanded that Holiday stop performing it. She refused repeatedly, so there were repercussions. Concerned that the track would spark change, inspire Holiday's fans to fight for civil rights and justice, and perhaps motivate riots against against oppression and discrimination as well, the US Treasury Department's Federal Bureau of Narcotics went after the musician for her drug use. If it couldn't get her to cease crooning the controversial tune via other means, such as overt warnings and a prominent police presence at her shows, it'd do whatever it could to keep her from reaching the stage night after night. With Andra Day (Marshall) turning in an intense, impassioned, career-defining portrayal as its eponymous figure (and in her first lead film role, too), so tells The United States vs Billie Holiday, the latest Oscar-nominated biopic to step through its namesake's life. Back in 1972, Lady Sings the Blues loosely adapted Holiday's autobiography of the same name, enlisting Diana Ross to play the singer — but, in taking inspiration instead from Johann Hari's non-fiction book Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs, this latest big-screen vision of the music icon's story adopts its own angle. Holiday's troubled childhood and youth has its part in this tale, which is scripted for the screen by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks. Her addiction, and the personal woes that she tried to blot out, clearly don't escape filmmaker Lee Daniels' (The Butler) attention, either. But The United States vs Billie Holiday also falls in alongside Seberg, MLK/FBI and Judas and the Black Messiah in interrogating bleak truths about mid-20th century America. In a film that manages to be both rousing and standard, that includes surveying the misplaced priorities of its government during multiple administrations, and the blatant determination shown by an array of agencies under various presidents to undermine, persecute and silence those considered a supposedly un-American threat to the status quo. The United States vs Billie Holiday is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies and Amazon Video. Read our full review. THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD A smokejumper stationed to a Montana watchtower, plagued by past traumas and forced to help a teenage boy evade hired killers, Those Who Wish Me Dead's Hannah Faber actually first debuted on the page. Watching Angelina Jolie bring the whisky-swilling, no-nonsense, one of the boys-type figure to the screen, it's easy to assume otherwise. The part doesn't quite feel as if it was written specifically for the smouldering movie star, though. Rather, it seems like the kind of role that might've been penned with Liam Neeson or Denzel Washington in mind — see: this year's The Marksman for the former, and 2004's Man on Fire for the latter — then flipped, gender-wise, to gift Jolie a new star vehicle. On the one hand, let's be thankful that that's not how this character came about. Kudos to author Michael Koryta, who also co-writes the screenplay here based on his 2016 novel, for conjuring up Hannah to begin with. But on the other hand, it's never a great sign when a female protagonist plays like a grab bag of stock-standard macho hero traits, just dressed up in a shapelier guise. It has been six years since Jolie has stepped into a mere mortal's shoes — since 2015's By the Sea, which she wrote and directed — and she leaves no doubt that Hannah is flesh and blood. There's still an iciness to the firefighter, and she still has the actor's cheekbones and pout, but Maleficent, she isn't. She's bruised, internally, by a fire that got away and left a body count. After hanging out with her colleagues, parachuting out of cars and brooding in her tower, she's soon physically in harm's way as well. As Those Who Wish Me Dead's plot gets her to this juncture, it also cuts back and forth between forensic accountant Owen Casserly (Jake Weber, Midway) and his son Connor (Finn Little, Angel of Mine), plus assassins Patrick and Jack (The Great's Nicholas Hoult and Game of Thrones' Aiden Gillen). Thanks to a treasure trove of incriminating evidence against important people that no one was ever supposed to find, these two duos are on a collision course. When they do cross paths — while Owen is trying to take Connor to stay with Ethan (Jon Bernthal, The Peanut Butter Falcon), his brother-in-law, a sheriff's deputy and one of Hannah's colleagues — it also nudges the boy into the smokejumper's orbit. Those Who Wish Me Dead is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. LOCKED DOWN Sparked by the pandemic, lockdown films aren't just an exercise in adapting to stay-at-home conditions — or a way to keep actors, directors and other industry professionals busy and working at a challenging time. The genre also provides a window into how the creatives behind its flicks view everyday life and ordinary people. Arising from a global event that's placed many of the planet's inhabitants in similar circumstances, these features tell us which stories filmmakers deem worth telling, which visions of normality they choose to focus on and who they think is living an average life. With Malcolm & Marie, a hotshot young director and an ex-addict were the only options offered. In Language Lessons, which premiered at this year's virtual Berlin Film Festival, a wealthy widower and a Spanish teacher were the movie's two choices. Now Locked Down directs its attention towards a CEO and a courier, the latter of which stresses that he's only in the gig because his criminal record has robbed him of other opportunities. Yes, these films and their characters speak volumes about how Hollywood perceives its paying customers. That's not the only thing that Locked Down says. Directed by Doug Liman (Chaos Walking) and scripted by Steven Knight (Locke), this romantic comedy-meets-heist flick is verbose to a farcical degree — awkwardly rather than purposefully. The repetitive and grating misfire is primarily comprised of monologues, Zoom calls and bickering between its central couple. Well-off Londoners Linda (Anne Hathaway, The Witches) and Paxton (Chiwetel Ejiofor, The Old Guard) are weeks into 2020's first lockdown, and their ten-year relationship has become a casualty. Whether chatting to each other or virtually with others, both commit a torrent of words to the subject. Linda has decided they're done, which Paxton has trouble accepting. She's also unhappy with her high-flying job, especially after she's forced to fire an entire team online, but gets scolded by her boss (Ben Stiller, Brad's Status) for not telling her now-sacked colleagues they're still like family. Tired of driving a van, Paxton is willing to do whatever his employer (Ben Kingsley, Life) needs to climb his way up the ladder. That said, he's still tied to the road, with the ex-rebel's decision to sell his beloved motorbike — a symbol of his wilder youth, and its fun, freedom and risks — hitting hard. Locked Down is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. GREAT WHITE When a giant shark chomps its way through the cinematic ocean, audiences are meant to side with its scared human prey. But some creature features give viewers multiple reasons to do the opposite — and to find their own way to liven up a dull and formulaic movie. Perhaps the film's non-fish characters are woefully one-note or unlikeable, or both. Maybe the script is so simplistic, even in a well-worn genre, that a shark munching random keys on a typewriter probably could've written something better. Or, it could be that every plot development, performance, visual, and score choice is so overwhelmingly predictable that tension is as rare as a vegan great white. Actually, there's no maybes about any of the last three statements when it comes to horror's latest shark-centric outing, which turns Queensland's waters into a buffet for a ravenous critter. Great White marks the feature debut of director Martin Wilson, and only the second movie script for screenwriter Michael Boughen (Dying Breed); however, that its producers have 2010 Aussie shark film The Reef and its now-in-production sequel The Reef: Stalked on their resumes — plus homegrown 2007 crocodile flick Black Water and its 2020 sequel Black Water: Abyss — will surprise absolutely no one. Great White's setup will be familiar to anyone who has even heard of a shark movie before, let alone watched one. The twist: despite reassurances by marine biologist-turned-seaplane pilot Charlie (Aaron Jakubenko, Tidelands) that the time just isn't right for teeth-gnashing ocean predators to fill their empty stomachs, climate change seems to have changed the titular species' habits. So, on a lucrative charter gig that'll help keep his business financially afloat, Charlie, his girlfriend Kaz (Katrina Bowden, 30 Rock), their cook Benny (Te Kohe Tuhaka, Love and Monsters), and their paying customers Joji (Tim Kano, Neighbours) and Michelle (Kimie Tsukakoshi, The Family Law) find themselves under threat. They've headed to a remote island of personal significance to Michelle, and Joji is clashing with Benny before they even spot the resident great white's last victim. To ramp up the stakes, Kaz is telling Charlie that she's pregnant, too. Quickly, the quintet become the creature's next targets, including while cast adrift in a life raft that could use Life of Pi's Richard Parker for company. Just as speedily, Great White's audience will wish that something — anything — that hasn't previously graced Jaws, The Shallows, 47 Metres Down or even The Meg's frames would happen in this thrill-free bob into been-there, done-that waters. Great White is available to stream via iTunes. THE UNHOLY The Exorcist was not an easy movie to make, as exceptional documentary Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist made clear. But over the past four decades, the horror masterpiece has proven a very easy film to emulate again and again — or, to try to ape in anything that pairs religion and scares, at least. Copying it is nowhere near the same as matching it, of course. That's especially the case when most one-note flicks that attempt the feat simply think that crosses, creepy females and stilted, unnatural body movements are all that it takes. The Unholy is the latest example, to uninspired, unengaging, unoriginal, unconvincing and thoroughly unsurprising results. Adapted from the 1983 James Herbert novel Shrine by seasoned screenwriter turned first-time feature director Evan Spiliotopoulos (Charlie's Angels, Beauty and the Beast, The Huntsman: Winter's War), the movie's premise has promise: what if a site of a supposed vision of the Virgin Mary and subsequent claimed miracles, such as Lourdes in France and Fatima in Portugal, was targeted by a sinister spirit instead? But, despite also boasting the always-charismatic Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead) as its lead, all that eventuates here is a dull, derivative and not even remotely unsettling shocker of a horror flick. The fact that The Evil Dead and Drag Me to Hell's Sam Raimi is one of its producers delivers The Unholy's biggest scare. Looking constantly perplexed but still proving one of the best things about the film, Morgan plays disgraced journalist Gerry Fenn. After losing his fame and acclaim when he was caught fabricating stories, he now makes $150 per assignment chasing the slightest of flimsy supernatural leads. His current line of work brings him to the small Massachusetts town inhabited by Father Hagan (William Sadler, Bill & Ted Face the Music) and his niece Alice (Cricket Brown, Dukeland), the latter of whom is deaf. Thanks to a barren tree, a creepy doll, an eerie chapter of history and a strange run-in with Gerry, however, she can soon suddenly hear and speak. She says that can see the Virgin Mary, too. Swiftly, word about her story catches the church, media and public's attention. Even if Spiliotopoulos had kept the novel's title, it'd remain obvious that all isn't what it seems — the film starts nearly two centuries ago with a woman being burned alive at the aforementioned tree, so nothing here is subtle. But instead of pairing an exploration of the dangers of having faith without question with demonic bumps and jumps, The Unholy embraces cliches with the same passion that satan stereotypically has for fire. The cheap-looking visuals, Cary Elwes' (Black Christmas) wavering accent and the bored look on co-star Katie Aselton's (Synchronic) face hardly help, either. The Unholy is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies and Amazon Video. Looking for more at-home viewing options? Here's our list of movies fast-tracked from cinemas to streaming back in May — and you can also check out our monthly streaming recommendations across new straight-to-digital films and TV shows.
Fashion zombies of the '90s, your favourite mood readers have had a big ol' 2014 update. Mood rings have become the latest focus of a new startup out of Finland, who've taken your shitty piece of faux emotion-reading tin and turned it into a piece of wearable tech that can actually tell you how you're feeling. Finnish techheads Moodmetric unveiled a brand new smart ring at the Slush startup conference in Helsinki, Finland last week, one that can apparently actually use a biometric sensor to report on those pesky feelings of yours — rather than waiting for your $2 Reject Shop toy to turn blue. Always blue. Proposed to launch commercially in 2015 after an upcoming crowdfunding campaign, Moodmetric's ring is the smallest wearable technology in the world for measuring emotions. Apparently the device works using a biometric sensor to measure the small changes in your skin generated by your nervous system, which can measure your "emotional voltage". Then, your little wearable buddy sends the data to your smartphone app and diarises your moods for the day. International Business Times compared the Moodmetric ring to current developments like the Smarty Ring, Ringly or MOTA, but noted this new ring isn't just a notification extension of your smartphone inbox — it reads you. "It's possible for people to analyse their emotional levels throughout the day and learn when they're the most stressed, what makes them calm down and what times of the day are significant in terms if emotional intensity," Moodmetric COO Niina Venho told the IBT. "By naming those feelings Moodmetric allows people to get to know themselves better." One step further than the ol' teenage jewellery box edition, the Moodmetric ring has teamed up with your 'Dear Diary' time to help you track your emotional ups and downs and to calm your mind at certain "emotional load peaks" of the day. A ring that helps us de-stress? Proposal accepted. Via IBT and Dazed.
Has every famous actor ever popped up in a Marvel movie at one point or another? With Captain America: Brave New World marking the saga's 35th film — and with entry 36 on its way via Thunderbolts*, then flick 37 courtesy of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, all before July 2025 is out — it can feel that way. So when the comic-book company-turned-cinema powerhouse announces the cast for one of its Avengers movies, there's plenty of talent to call upon. The ensemble for Avengers: Doomsday has just been revealed, and it's a stacked bunch. Set to be the 38th Marvel Cinematic Universe entry, Avengers: Doomsday will hit the big screen in autumn 2026 — Thursday, April 30 Down Under — which means that it's still over a year away. But expect Robert Downey Jr (The Sympathizer) rejoining the franchise, a few folks who've been in past Avengers films, recent additions to the fold and familiar X-Men faces, and more. [caption id="attachment_866265" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo by Jasin Boland. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.[/caption] At San Diego Comic-Con 2024, Marvel advised Downey Jr's return, fresh from him becoming an Oscar-winner thanks to Oppenheimer. Although the last time that he was in an Avengers picture, he played Tony Stark aka Iron Man — a role he portrayed in ten MCU movies — this time he's stepping into Victor von Doom's shoes. That, fans already knew before the rest of the Avengers: Doomsday cast was unveiled. It's a big list from there, starting with Chris Hemsworth (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga) and Tom Hiddleston (Loki), alongside Anthony Mackie (Twisted Metal), Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice), Paul Rudd (Only Murders in the Building), Letitia Wright (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) and Winston Duke (The Fall Guy) among those with Avengers experience. [caption id="attachment_877485" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.[/caption] Get ready to see a number of faces a couple of times over the next year, given that Wyatt Russell (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters), Florence Pugh (We Live in Time), David Harbour (A Working Man), Hannah John-Kamen (Breaking Point) and Lewis Pullman (Salem's Lot) will hop from Thunderbolts* to Doomsday. Pedro Pascal (Gladiator II), Vanessa Kirby (Napoleon), Joseph Quinn (A Quiet Place: Day One) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear) will do the same from The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Simu Liu (Last Breath) returns from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Danny Ramirez from Captain America: Brave New World and Tenoch Huerta Mejia from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Channing Tatum (Blink Twice) was in Deadpool and Wolverine, and will keep adding to his MCU resume. As Beast from the X-Men movies, Kelsey Grammer (Paper Empire) joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in The Marvels, while Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: Picard) brought Professor Charles Xavier to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness — and they're back again now. [caption id="attachment_973924" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2024 MARVEL.[/caption] Ian McKellen (The Critic), Alan Cumming (Drive Back Home), Rebecca Romijn (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds), James Marsden (Paradise): they're on the list of X-Men stars — actors bring Marvel comics to the screen before the MCU even existed, but in films that were their own franchise until now — that are also part of Doomsday. Now that Disney owns Fox, which previously was behind the Deadpool, X-Men and Fantastic Four flicks, it's bringing characters from all of the above into its ever-sprawling screen saga. So, that's Thor, Loki, Captain America, Bucky Barnes, Ant-Man, Shuri, M'Baku, John Walker, Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Ghost, Robert Reynolds, Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, Ben Grimm, Shang-Chi, Joaquin Torres, Namor, Gambit, Beast, Professor X, Magneto, Nightcrawler, Mystique and Cyclops covered. After helming Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, filmmakers Anthony and Joe Russo (The Electric State) are back as well, directing not just Avengers: Doomsday but also 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars. Check out the Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement video below: Avengers: Doomsday releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, April 30, 2026. Top images: photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney // Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios / © 2025 MARVEL. // Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 MARVEL.
Say goodbye to your childhood. Then, say hello to a beloved favourite slicing and dicing on the big screen. As announced back in 2022, the usually adorable literary critter that is Winnie-the-Pooh has been given the horror-movie treatment, in what's instantly one of the most intriguing flicks of the past few years. And, in great/cursed news for Australians, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey is hitting cinemas Down Under in 2023. This isn't the AA Milne creation that you grew up with. Instead, it's a slasher film about the Hundred Acre Woods' famous inhabitant and his pals. And, if cuddling up with your significant other while watching a horror movie is your idea of a prime Valentine's Day date, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey will bow locally on Tuesday, February 14, hosting sneak-peek sessions before a four-day season between Thursday, February 16–Sunday, February 19. Take every horror movie staple, every expected line and all the usual eerie settings, then throw in a favourite figure that's stopped being friendly and turned savage instead: yes, that's what's in Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey's pot. And yes, based on the trailer, it looks as creepy as the whole concept sounds. "Oh bother!" is definitely the mood, after Christopher Robin returns to the Hundred Acre Wood as an adult, years after leaving his pals Winnie, Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, Kanga and Roo behind. All that time alone hasn't turned out well for those animals, and there's about to be a body count to prove it. No, the idea that Pooh might turn murderous hasn't ever crossed anyone's minds before this film. Gracing pages for almost a century — plus screens big and small for decades — Winnie-the-Pooh has done many things in his time, but getting grisly hasn't been one of them. Ever since Milne first conjured up the honey-loving, walking-and-talking teddy bear back in the 1920s, Pooh has enjoyed plenty of adventures involving his human and animal friends, and tried to eat as much of his favourite foodstuff as possible. We've all seen the cartoons and toys, and also watched films such as Goodbye Christopher Robin and Christopher Robin in recent years. To director Rhys Waterfield, however, Pooh is no longer cute and cuddly, even if he's a honey-fiending teddy bear who normally doesn't wear pants (although he appears to here). And if you're wondering about the tone of Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, other than horror, the filmmaker's other upcoming titles include Firenado, Sky Monster and Rise of the Loch Ness. Clearly, Pooh breaking bad all falls into B-movie territory, which the premise makes plain as well. The setup: after seeing their food supplies dwindle as Christopher grew up, Pooh and Piglet have spent years feeling hungry. They've turned feral, in fact, even eating Eeyore to survive. So when Christopher returns, it sets the pair on a rampage, which leads to them a rural cabin where a group of university students are holidaying. From that summary, it's obvious what'll happen from there. The trailer cements that fact, and throws in more horror tropes than you could fit in a pot of honey in the process. Now all that's left is to see the end result in Aussie cinemas, with Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey also hitting screens overseas around the same time. Wondering why something that's usually so sweet and innocent is being given the creepy, bloody, eerie horror treatment — turning Winnie-the-Pooh into a killer, no less? It's because the character has just entered the public domain in America. Disney no longer holds the copyright, and no one can now hold the exclusive intellectual property rights over the character, opening the door for wild interpretations like this slasher flick. Check out the Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey trailer below: Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey will screen in Australian cinemas on Tuesday, February 14, then from Thursday, February 16–Sunday, February 19. Images: Jagged Edge Productions.
In news that'll come as little surprise given Melbourne's status as Australia's coffee heartland — and its predilection for complete coffee snobbery, too — a barista from the Victorian capital has taken out top honours at the Australian Specialty Coffee Association (ASCA) National Coffee Championships. Anthony Douglas of Axil Coffee Roasters has nabbed the title of Australia's National Barista Champion for 2022. Douglas beat out scores of other Aussie hopefuls in the annual competition, which was held at North Melbourne's Meat Market last month. His winning offering on the day consisted of an espresso, a milk-based coffee and his own coffee-based signature drink — a concoction featuring pomegranate and feijoa syrup, a juniper reduction, barhee dates and honey. Your morning latte's got nothing on that bad boy. [caption id="attachment_869967" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anthony Douglas[/caption] The newly crowned coffee king will now go on to represent Australia at the World Barista Championship, which is happening at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from September 27–30. It's been seven years since Australia last claimed glory in the international competition, when Ona Coffee's Sasa Sestic was named World Barista Champion in 2015. Douglas has been in the coffee industry for 12 years, and names two-time National Barista Champion Dave Makin as his boss and mentor. Catch the World Barista Championship at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from September 27–30. Axil has a swag of cafe locations across Melbourne — find your local by jumping to the website. Top Image: Fahmi Fakhrudin via Unsplash
If you ever managed to wrangle a trip to Disneyland back when international travel was a thing, chances are you're well acquainted with Dole Whip. The pineapple-flavoured dairy-free soft serve has long been a staple treat for visitors to the famed theme parks, with the dessert becoming as much a symbol of Disneyland as Mickey Mouse's ears and that wild Space Mountain ride. But, this August, you won't need a plane ticket or a Disneyland pass to get your mitts on one of these classic creations — because Dole Whip is headed to the Redcliffe Markets. The much-loved soft serve is making its first-ever Brisbane appearance, too, thanks to Aloha Twist. The latter is slinging the sweet treat officially from Sunday, August 29 — but if you happened to venture north for a spot of browsing and buying over the past weekend, you might've spotted its blue van onsite on Sunday, August 22. Pineapple is the OG and best-known Dole Whip flavour, first launched by the Dole Food company back in Hawaii in the 80s. And, it's the main variety that Aloha Twist is focusing on. That said, you'll also be able to tuck into mango, raspberry, strawberry, watermelon, cherry, orange, lemon and lime flavours, too, with the pineapple version always on offer and the rest of the range on rotation. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aloha Twist (@alohatwist) Head along to the official launch and you might also nab a voucher for a free Dole Whip, if you need any extra motivation to give it a try. And, if it all sounds a bit familiar, that's because Dole Whip food trucks hit up the Sydney Royal Easter Show earlier in the year and proved rather popular; however, this is Brisbane's first taste of the beloved dessert. Find Aloha Twist at the Redcliffe Markets, Redcliffe Parade, Redcliffe, from Sunday, August 29.
Six years after launching its first-ever store in Sydney, salad chain Fishbowl is finally making the move north. From Saturday, July 16, Brisbanites will be able to head to Newstead to tuck into the brand's Japanese-inspired bowls, with its debut Queensland outpost opening up at Gasworks. For newcomers to Fishbowl, the chain heroes fast but healthy vegetable-filled bowls, all revolving around its range of house favourites. So, you can enjoy its original salmon sashimi number, its coconut chicken bowl and a warm 12-hour braised brisket option — among other varieties — but personalise it by choosing from brown rice, sushi rice, glass noodles, mixed cabbage, mixed leaves and soba noodles as bases. Down south, where Fishbowl operates 22 stores in Sydney and five in Melbourne, the company serves up more than 10,000 bowls of its most popular dish — The OG, that salmon sashimi bowl with kale, savoy, beets, shallots, edamame, red onion, roasted sesame dressing, seaweed salad, tobiko and crispy shallots — every week. Since first making its name in Bondi in 2016, back when founders Nathan Dalah, Nic Pestalozzi and Casper Ettelson were all uni students, the brand has clearly expanded its footprint considerably. But it's not just about tucking into bowls; Fishbowl has also set up run clubs and created its own surf team, and also opened smoothie and salad bar Side Room, seafood eatery Fish Shop and takeaway joint FSH MKT. For Brisbanites keen to give Fishbowl a try, it's celebrating its Queensland launch with free bowls for its first 100 Newstead customers on opening day. There'll also be free seltzers, live tunes and giveaways — if you need something to tempt more than your tastebuds. Find Fishbowl at Gasworks, 76 Skyring Terrace, Newstead from Saturday, July 16. Images: Nikki To.
Travelling overseas ranks right up there on everyone's bucket list, but the actual travelling part is far from fun. No one loves spending more than a couple of hours on a plane, and no one loves taking multiple flights to get to their destination either. But if you could choose between hopping over to your destination in one leg, or getting a break from being cramped and uncomfortable in the air, which would you opt for? Thanks to advances in aircraft development, ensuring that today's planes are more fuel-efficient over hefty distances, airlines are increasingly making non-stop long-range flights a reality. After Qantas introduced its 17-hour-plus Perth-to-London route earlier this year, Singapore Airlines will be unleashing the world's longest non-stop commercial flight later in 2018: from Singapore to New York over 19 hours. First announced by the airline in 2015, the route will be made possible thanks to the new Ultra Long Range version of the Airbus A350 XWB aircraft, which completed its first successful test flight in April. The planes can travel up to 16,000 kilometres (or 8,700 nautical miles) without refuelling — or, for over 20 hours non-stop — which makes the 15,322-kilometre trip between Singapore and New York possible. It's not the first time that the airline has flown direct to the US, with Singapore-to-Newark, New Jersey flights in operation until 2013. The world's current longest route without stopovers runs from Doha to Auckland in around 18 hours, travelling 14,529 kilometres on a Boeing 777-200LR, followed by the Perth-to-London leg. Qantas is keen to beat both the current and the impending record-holders, though, announcing plans last year to fly direct from Australia's east coast to both London and New York by 2022 — once either Airbus and Boeing make a plane that can handle the 20-hour and 20-minute, 16,983-kilometre stint between Sydney and London.
The Hunter Valley is that perfect spot to chill out with some friends, have a romantic weekend away with your special someone (alternatively, your mum) or go and have a staring competition with a cow. Most Sydneysiders have lost count of the number of times they’ve headed north, like some kind of stocking-up-the-cellar and stuffing-their-faces-full-of-cheese migration, but for Melburnians it remains a largely undiscovered playground for big kids. Here's our take on the perfect Spring weekend away in the Hunter. Hit the Wineries Take a leisurely drive up north and don’t waste any time hitting up the wineries. Getting a few photos with the wildlife and vines along the way is a must. Make sure you stop by the tourism centre to pick up an all-important map of the wineries. You'll be surprised by how many (and spread out they all are). More so without the map (and you'll keep on seeing the same fence again and again). If you're a chardonnay lover, there's no escaping Scarborough. Seriously. They know what they're doing. You'll find it hard to leave without a case. Just remember that boot space is at a premium, and you may have to con a friend into scooching their stuff over just a little bit. The cellar-door-only White Label Chardonnay (the Yellow is also good stuff) would be easy to write an essay on, but also worth your quaffing is the dessert wine and pinot noir. Tyrells, just past the Hunter Valley Gardens, is worth stopping by, not only because of the cute little rustic shack (which the good man used to live in — not quite as comfortable as where you're hopefully spending the night), but also because of the vino. And for those who get splitting headaches the day after a long drinking session, you need to check out Tamburlaine. Yup, it's the organic stuff. This means: no headaches (or not as bad) because there's none of the naughty stuff in it. The Christmas pudding sticky is a must for any sweet-tooths out there (and makes fab Christmas pressies, too). For the sparkling lover, Peterson House will be your next destination. They have the oh-so-easy-to-drink Blush bubbles (perfect for when the girls get together), or ones with a bit more oomph like the Museum. From bubbles to balloons If you can still stand after these tastings and the bubbles haven't gotten to your head, it's time for a hot air balloon! This isn’t just for the kiddies, it's the most gentle and relaxing thrill you can get that's legal. Sunset is the perfect time for it (and remember to take some of the wine you just bought and some smelly cheeses and lavosh from the Smelly Cheese shop — they do good cheese boards here too.) One place that does ballooning is Balloon Aloft, but there's plenty of options. Apart from the noise when the gas gets released, it's like you’re floating on a marshmallow. Can't get much more romantic than that (unless the marshmallow is being toasted on a fire). If you've taken it easy on the wine tastings, another afternoon plan could be a horse ride with the kangaroos. You'll score a large dose of fresh air and most are pretty gentle rides (unless you get a particularly spirited horse who doesn't like following trails much. There's always one). Lie Down in the Valley By this point, your eyes will most likely be ready to shut (either from the wine, or the activities), so it's worth hitting the bed, pronto. You could try out a suite at the Chateau Elan at The Vintage, if spas and golf are your thing. Or for views over the Brokenback mountain range, you could try Talga Estate — a good option for a big bunch of friends. The barbecue on the verandah is perfect for your own cook-up. If you're not quite sure what you're after, Hunter Valley Resort is worth checking out. It's got a wine school, horse and carriage tours, a wine theatre, vineyard tours and a whole lot more. We figure that if you're surrounded by wine, like you are at the Hunter, you might as well know a thing or two about it. You’ll find out the correct way to swirl the wine in your glass, really give it a good looking at, create air while sipping it and feeling it in your mouth. Or you could just drink it. The Quest Singleton is near the local shopping area, and if you're already feeling a bit wine and cheesed out — you can hit the gym. Yep, there are a lot of options. Sunny Side Up Hopefully hangover free, the next morning you’ll be needing a big breakfast. There are options in all of the hotels, or you could try out Cafe Enzo for a meal next to a fountain, and then look at the antiques next door. They usually have awesome vintage cheese knives — as well as a whole lot of random goodness, and very expensive antique engagement rings. Hint hint. Botanica and Esca are fancier options for a brunch or lunch or any time really. At Esca you can arrive by helicopter if that's the way you roll. Just remember to pack oversized sunnies and a designer bag to make this really work. Make sure you try the white or red wine tasting plate, which comes with a trio of smaller meals. Or you could make a picnic and find a scenic spot to park your bottom for the day. Last-minute leisure Before you head home, remember to stock up on wine (if you've finished it all off by now), cheese, chocolates and some more fresh air. And if you’ve got time, go for a spa treatment. The Hunter is all about spoiling yourself, inside and out. Even if you spend Monday rubbing your cheese belly or feeling slightly pickled. Just make sure you pack a friend who is a good ol' responsible driver, and you'll be just fine. Regional NSW is on sale now at Lastminute.com.au. You can check out The Hunter options on sale here.
Perched way up north in the state's far reaches, Cairns is known for many things, such as its beaches, sultry weather, close proximity to the Great Barrier Reef and the nearby Daintree National Park. Among fans of spirits, at least, it should also be known for Wolf Lane and its Tropical Gin. The former was only founded in 2019, but it has been making a splash in the past year thanks to the latter. Like botanicals? If you like gin, then of course you do — and this one features 13, including coriander seed, cardamom, finger lime, lavender and mint. It's recommended for summer, but every Queenslander knows that the weather is always sunny and summery (and perfect for gin) in this neck of the woods. For anyone making the trip north, Wolf Lane's Abbott Street distillery also doubles as a bar and cellar door. Contact them in advance to arrange a tour, which are available daily. You can also just drop by for a few drinks on Friday and Saturday afternoons from 4pm — the bar doesn't take bookings.
Travelling across Japan via train is a bucket list experience: everyone wants to do it, and for good reason. There's nothing like taking in the country via locomotive, but if you haven't hit their railways yet, you might want to update your plans. You might want to start saving too. The Train Suite Shiki-shima is the type of train that would make all other vehicles quiver with jealousy if we were living in a certain popular children's cartoon series or a car-focused Pixar franchise. Forget whatever glamorous locomotive setups you've seen in old movies — they've got nothing on this. It was designed by man also responsible for luxury cars such as the Ferrari Enzo, the Porsche AG and the Maserati Quattroporte, after all. Venturing between Tokyo and Hokkaido, the ten-car train can accommodate 24 passengers in its 17 opulent suites, with some rooms decked out with baths and fireplaces. Other features include front and rear glass-walled observatory cars, a lounge with a piano, and a dining room. In the latter, the seasonal ingredients cooked up — from a menu by a Michelin-starred chef — change according to the region the train is passing through. In good news, the Shiki-shima is has been riding the rails since May 1, with one-, two- and three-night journeys available. In not-so-good news, due to demand, applications have already closed for trips up until March 2018. When bookings are accepted again, they'll set you back between 450,000 and 1,050,000 yen — or between AU$5,500 and $13,000 — but doesn't it just look and sound worth it? Via Travel and Leisure. Images: Train Suite Shiki-shima
"I've had an incredible life," says David Bowie in Moonage Daydream. "I'd love to do it again." Alas, even for a music icon who always seemed beamed in from the future, another world or both — his casting in 1976 sci-fi masterpiece The Man Who Fell to Earth was perfection, as was the movie's title — that isn't possible. For viewers, however, reliving that spellbinding, shapeshifting, stratosphere-blasting existence is as easy as watching Brett Morgen's documentary. The Cobain: Montage of Heck filmmaker calls it "an experience", and that's exactly what the mind-blowingly immersive and spectacular blend of sound and vision delivers. It doesn't sound difficult, making a movie about someone as visionary as Bowie. There's so much to his life, so many decades of music and live performances to draw upon, and such a wealth of other touchstones — his acting, art, reinventions, alter egos ("I collect personalities," Bowie notes in the film) — to layer in. But Moonage Daydream isn't a Bowie biopic and was never going to be. That simply isn't Morgen's style; instead, he's all about digging into what makes his subjects tick, delight and surprise, then conveying that in a manner that so deeply captures their essence it feels like no other picture about them could've existed. In Moonage Daydream, that means using Bowie himself as the kaleidoscopic feature's narrator via soundbites and interviews from across his entire career. It means not only weaving archival materials spanning half a century-plus into an ever-twisting and spinning collage, but recutting famous footage, such as revered concert film Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, from the original camera reels to unveil something new. It also means being driven by a playlist that covers Bowie's whole discography, and speaks to doco's exploration of chaos, fragmentation and transience, plus their constant relevance to his work. It truly does mean a big-screen spectacular, as the man recently voted the most influential British artist of the last 50 years deserves. "I don't know why they stopped at 50 years. Who's topping him, and why not century?" says Morgen, in Australia for this year's Melbourne International Film Festival back in August, chatting to Concrete Playground the morning after Bowie topped that British arts industry poll. "I would go a little further and say perhaps the greatest artist globally of the past 50 years," Morgen advises, before stepping through why Bowie remains such an enduring cultural presence, how Moonage Daydream came together, getting approval to make the first authorised film after Bowie's death and what he learned from living the Bowie dream. ON BOWIE'S EVERLASTING INFLUENCE "I think to reframe that question is: why does he continue to have so much influence and resonance? Because David meant something in 72 when Ziggy [Stardust, the seminal album] came out that was specific to that moment in time — and until the internet came about in the early 90s, as there were less sources for media and to find subcultures and tribes, Bowie united a lot of likeminded individuals and nurtured them. Moving forward, what's amazing is that each generation seems to discover and embrace Bowie, and they seem to discover him on their own. Sometimes you hear 'oh my dad played him' or whatever, but most of the time, talking to fans, they all arrive at Bowie on their own around the time they're sort of entering puberty. He becomes a kind of rite of passage — this sounds a bit cliched and we have other sources now to reference, but perhaps musically he captured that sense of alienation and confusion, and some of those feelings that we all experience at 12, 13 or 14 as we're all trying to feel our way throughout this world. Bowie, one of the reasons that he is one of the few artists of that era to continue to resonate with young audiences has to do with the fact that Bowie was so far ahead of his time that we might now just be entering the age of Bowie. David used to say in 1971 that he was writing for the 21st century in the 1970s. David's stock and trade was chaos and fragmentation — those were, as he would say, the throughline for his art. If we think of it, the world has only become more fragmented and more chaotic, and Bowie was writing the soundtrack for that world. Great artists have an ability to hear and see what is happening all around us but most of us can't see or hear yet, and Bowie had that gift for several decades. I had shown the film to Bono, who sent me an email the day after he saw it saying that he saw a lot of similarity in my style with Moonage and [U2's] Zoo TV. I went back and looked at Zoo TV, their 91 tour, and at the time the Zoo TV tour was presented as something futuristic and sci-fi — the internet, I don't even think it had started yet, but when you look at Zoo TV, it looks like something you would do when you were doing a tour today. And what I said to Bono was that 'I think like David, you weren't a futurist; you weren't writing about the future, you were writing about the present, just none of the rest of us were able to access it yet'. I think that has a lot to do with why certain artists are able to resonate across time, and David had that gift." ON HOW THE FIRST AUTHORISED BOWIE FILM AFTER HIS DEATH CAME TOGETHER "I had been doing theatrical documentaries for 23 years, and so the way I was able to get approval was most likely my previous endeavours, Cobain: Montage of Heck and The Kid Stays in the Picture, resonated with the estate. Where do you start a film or how do you construct a film that's designed to be an experience? It wasn't easy. It was slightly torturous. I made a decision from the get-go that I had no interest in producing a biography — that my interest was purely in sound and vision, and that I had no interest in trying to define or explain Bowie. That, I thought would be a fool's interest. So I just kind of embraced that, and it was a bit like trying to find your way out of a maze in the dark. I stumbled, I ran into walls, I cried, I felt Jack Torrence in The Shining: all work and no play make Jack a dull boy. [caption id="attachment_869789" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Liam Arthur[/caption] There was a point — I didn't have a producer, I didn't have a staff, I was making a David Bowie film for IMAX by myself, it was like an arts and crafts project. And it was weird, it was not a traditional approach. I don't mean in terms of the methodology — I just mean the actual genre that I was trying to explore is not a genre that exists. So about six months into the cutting, no one had seen a frame, I didn't even have an assistant editor in the building, and I needed a change of scenery. I was going to take my media to a place I had rented out of town, and before I left I called my wife who's my executive producer, partner and brilliant filmmaker Debra Eisenstadt, and said, 'listen I need you to come and look at what I have'. She said, 'do you want me to take notes?'. And I go, 'no no, I don't want notes, I just want you to tell me if it's a film'. She goes, 'what do you mean, if it's going to work?'. And I go, 'no no, I mean like does it actually make sense shot to shot? Am I insane, you know? Like, literally is it in English or have I lost my fucking mind?'. She came into my office. I pressed play, and I was sitting behind her. She couldn't see me — I was shaking, I was so uncomfortable because I thought I was about to get exposed, and I thought when she would turn to me and with deep concern in her eyes going 'what have you done?'. And she looked at the film and turned back and said 'it's a diamond in the raw — a diamond in the raw'. She goes, 'keep going', and that was wildly important in the genesis of the film. So it really wasn't until the film was at rough cut stage that anybody including the financiers saw a frame it. ON STARTING MOONAGE DAYDREAM AS A CASUAL FAN, BUT ENDING IT A DEVOTEE "I was a casual fan at best. I think that when I was 12 or 13, Hunky Dory was one of my favourite albums. I probably stopped listening on an active basis when I got to college. I liked Bowie, but I never read a book about him, never did any sort of deep dive, but had obvious tremendous respect and admiration. Rediscovering him at 47 was as illuminating and inspiring as discovering him at 12 or 13. Most people gravitate towards Bowie's 70s catalogue — and for those who are well-versed in the 70s catalogue, I am thrilled to report that his later period work beginning with Outside, to me, is as revelatory and inspiring as any of his earlier endeavours. He's just one of a kind. Oh my god, if I ended the project a casual fan — I am, I believe, as hardcore as it gets right now. After spending years living and breathing David Bowie, you would think I'd had enough. But yesterday I was driving around Melbourne with my 14-year-old son, and he's like, 'dad, really, we're going to listen to Bowie? You haven't had enough?'. And I was like, 'no, I haven't.' I'm very blessed that I didn't enter the film from this vantage point because it would've, I think, felt too much of a burden given my reverence and appreciation I currently hold for David." [caption id="attachment_869788" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Olivier Borde[/caption] ON LEARNING FROM BOWIE TO APPRECIATE EVERY MOMENT "Everything that's embedded into the film was revelatory for me, and it has to do with his philosophy and approach to his day-to-day living. His appreciation for life and for challenging oneself to make the most out of each and every moment — that was something that I did not anticipate unearthing in my journey with David Bowie." Moonage Daydream screens in cinemas Down Under from September 15. Read our full review.
Movie buffs, the day you've been waiting for is here. No, it's not Sydney Film Festival time just yet, but the fest has just unleashed their complete lineup — that is, the 244 films from 60 countries, including 25 world premieres and 139 Australian premieres, that you'll be feasting your eyes on come June 8 to 19. If you've been keeping up with the international film scene, you might've spotted that SFF's program launch falls on the same day the Cannes Film Festival kicks off. That timing isn't just a stroke of luck. With nine films heading to Sydney straight from the prestigious event — Xavier Dolan's sixth feature It's Only the End of the World, Pedro Almodóvar's eagerly awaited Julieta and Steven Spielberg's motion-captured take on The BFG among them — it's also a sign of things to come. "It's always incredibly difficult to secure films from Cannes before Cannes has even started," notes Festival Director Nashen Moodley. "We've done really well this year, so alongside collecting the best of cinema from over the last year, we have some of the very latest films that are going to cause a big buzz in Cannes." Partially Sydney-shot psychological drama Apprentice falls into that category, as does Brazilian offering Aquarius and Indian true-crime thriller Raman Raghav 2.0. Alongside Dolan's star-studded effort, they're also among the twelve films vying for SFF's official prize of $63,000 — as are Kelly Reichardt's Sundance hit Certain Women, innovative docu-drama hybrid Notes on Blindness, fictionalised historical tale The Childhood of a Leader, Portuguese love story Letters from War, and opening night's Goldstone. The latter was first announced last month, but should still rank highly on every cinephile's must-see list. Moodley describes Ivan Sen's Mystery Road follow-up as a "statement of intent" for this year's festival — his fifth at the helm, and the fifth to commence with locally made or focused content. "It is important that we highlight the cinema of this country," he explains. "And for me, it is a wonderful thing to open the festival with a world premiere of a great Australian film." On the Aussie-made front, Down Under is certain to raise a few eyebrows when it makes its first appearance at SFF, given that it turns the aftermath of the 2005 Cronulla riots into a black comedy. In fact, having a sense of healthy humour is almost a pre-requisite for festival-goers. Daniel Radcliffe plays a farting corpse in Swiss Army Man, Alexander Skarsgård and Michael Peña team up for buddy-cop satire War on Everyone, Tom Hiddleston climbs the darkly dystopian High-Rise, and the watery Chevalier offers up the latest Greek new wave absurdity. They're joined by the high-profile likes of Richard Linklater's '80s-set Everybody Wants Some!!, Michael Shannon playing rock 'n' roll royalty in Elvis & Nixon, Danish filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg going back to his Dogme 95 roots with The Commune, and actor-turned-director Diego Luna taking Danny Glover and Maya Rudolph on a Mexican road trip in Mr. Pig. A number of notable documentaries also feature, including Gimme Danger, Jim Jarmusch's love letter to Iggy Pop; Kiki, winner of Berlinale's Teddy Award for its look at New York's competitive voguing scene; Kate Plays Christine, which takes the meta approach to a real life prime-time suicide; and internet exploration Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World, as directed and narrated by none other than Werner Herzog. A timely spotlight on ten emerging European female filmmakers, showcases of modern Korean and Irish cinema, the previously revealed Scorsese retrospective and a virtual reality program in the SFF Hub help round out the lineup, alongside the return of regular sections Box Set, Sounds on Screen and Freak Me Out. And while no one wants to think about the end of the festival just yet, penciling closing night into your calendar right now is a wise move. Who doesn't want to wrap up 12 days of film fun with Love & Friendship, particularly if you're a Jane Austen, Whit Stillman, Kate Beckinsale or Chloe Sevigny fan? The 2016 Sydney Film Festival runs from June 8 to 19. To check out the complete program and book tickets, visit the festival website.
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to watching anything, we're here to help. From the latest and greatest to old favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue from November. NEW STUFF TO WATCH NOW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7QpnvmMmag&feature=emb_logo PALM SPRINGS It wasn't the first movie to play with temporal trickery; however, Groundhog Day has a lot to answer for. Films about folks stuck in a loop, repeating the same day or events over and over, now almost comprise their own genre — but, wearing its allegiance to the aforementioned Bill Murray-starring comedy on its sleeves, Palm Springs is one of the best of them. Here, Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Andy Samberg plays Nyles, who has ventured to the titular location with his girlfriend Misty (Meredith Hagner, Brightburn) to attend a friend's nuptials. He gets drunk, makes a speech and a scene, befriends fellow wedding guest Sarah (Cristin Milioti, Modern Love) and disappears into a cave, warning the latter not to follow. When dawn breaks, it's the same day again. Then variations on the same events happen once more, and they just keep repeating over and over. Also featuring an initially intense JK Simmons (21 Bridges) as another ceremony attendee, Palm Springs has a wealth of fun with its concept, and becomes one of the year's most enjoyable movies in the process. Produced by Samberg alongside his Lonely Island colleagues Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, directed by feature first-timer Max Barbakow and written by Lodge 49's Andy Siara, it also finds its own way to grapple with the time-loop genre's usual elements — the repetition that feels like being stuck in purgatory, and the existential malaise that comes with it — in a smart and funny rom-com that boasts particularly great performances from Samberg and Milioti. Palm Springs is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv-Mb4vTxj0 WE ARE WHO WE ARE Two on-screen tales about American teenagers in Italy. Two floppy-haired male leads oozing with uncertainty and yearning. One filmmaker. After Call Me By Your Name, Luca Guadagnino returns to familiar territory with HBO miniseries We Are Who We Are — and if its star Jack Dylan Grazer reminds you of the now ultra-famous Timothée Chalamet, that's completely unsurprising; in 2018's Beautiful Boy (not directed by Guadagnino), the former even played a younger version of the latter's character. But don't go mistaking Guadagnino's eight-part TV show for a mere or lazy rehash of the director's past work. Following two neighbouring 14-year-olds who live on a US army base with their enlisted parents, including Grazer's newly arrived loner, We Are Who We Are once again taps into universal themes about finding one's own identity and place in the world, and navigating affairs of the heart as well, but it definitely has its own story to tell. Also starring first-timer Jordan Kristine Seamón, plus Chloë Sevigny (Queen & Slim), Alice Braga (The New Mutants), Scott Mescudi (aka Bill & Ted Face the Music's Kid Cudi), Francesca Scorsese (daughter of iconic filmmaker Martin Scorsese) and Tom Mercier (Synonyms), this patient yet involving series once again boasts Guadagnino's eye for gorgeous and revealing imagery, though, with every intoxicating shot (and every camera angle and placement used for each shot) luring viewers in. We Are Who We Are is available to stream via SBS On Demand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BVoYKwTc4E AUNTY DONNA'S BIG OL' HOUSE OF FUN 2019's I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson was the best sketch comedy of that year. In 2020, the equivalent title goes to Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun. If you're familiar with Australian comedy troupe Aunty Donna, then you'll know what to expect. Writers and performers Mark Samual Bonanno, Broden Kelly and Zachary Ruane, director and writer Sam Lingham, filmmaker Max Miller and composer Tom Armstrong have been treating audiences to absurdist gags, satire, wordplay and songs since forming in 2011 — but now the group has channelled all of its silliness and surreal gags, and its astute ability to make fun of daily life in a smart yet ridiculous way, into a six-part Netflix series. Bonanno, Kelly and Ruane star as themselves, and housemates. Each episode revolves around a theme, starting with the search for a fourth member of their household when they decide to turf their annoying talking dishwasher (voiced by Flight of the Conchords' Kristen Schaal). There's nothing too over-the-top for Aunty Donna, or too trivial, including treasure hunts, an out-there recreation of Ellen DeGeneres' talk show, a pitch-perfect takedown of trendy barber shops to a parody of male posturing when the guys turn their house into a bar. And there's little on offer in the extremely binge-able show that doesn't deliver just the dose of side-splitting absurdity that this hectic year needs. Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5FXjdKxgrA LEAP OF FAITH: WILLIAM FRIEDKIN ON THE EXORCIST First, a word to the wise: if you haven't already seen The Exorcist, you'll want to give it a whirl before checking out this new Shudder documentary. And even if you've watched the iconic horror movie so many times that you've memorised every crucifix and spinning head, revisiting it is never a bad idea; this in-depth examination of the 1973 hit by the filmmaker behind it will certainly make you want to as soon as possible. Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist is as straightforward as its title intimates. For the movie's 104-minute running time, the director also responsible for The French Connection, Sorcerer and Killer Joe chats through the feature he's best known for, explaining both behind-the-scenes and on-screen details. Expect an insight into the battles to even get The Exorcist to the screen, anecdotes about the quest to find the exact right stars for this unsettling tale of demon possession and insider recollections about the now-85-year-old Friedkin's wide-ranging career in general. Indeed, it's impressive just how wide a range of topics and themes this doco covers, proving absolute catnip for cinephiles. Leap of Faith's own filmmaker Alexandre O Philippe is known for diving deep into great screen works, as seen in 78/52 (about Psycho) and Memory: The Origins of Alien (about, well, Alien), after all. Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist is available to stream via Shudder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEv0xy7p5Rg GANGS OF LONDON When crime kingpin Finn Wallace (Colm Meaney, Seberg) is killed unexpectedly after a 20-year reign over London's illicit dealings, the city's underworld is forced to react. The first order of business: find out who ordered the assassination, which is Finn's brooding, grieving and quick-to-react son Sean's (Joe Cole, One of These Days) only priority, and one he's determined to pursue at any cost. At first, it seems as if Gangs of London's nine-episode debut season is simply charting familiar territory — because many a movie and TV show about mobsters has focused on shock hits, succession scrambles and bloody fights over turf. But this British series has a particular strength that none of its genre compatriots can boast, aka filmmaker Gareth Evans. He's the director behind The Raid and its 2014 sequel The Raid 2: Berandal. If you've seen those two movies, that should be all you need to know. Here, Evans' penchant for balletic brutality and exquisitely shot and choreographed action scenes is on full display once again. He doesn't just rely upon intense, ultra-violent fights to keep viewers interested in this contemporary-set gang epic, though, plotting out an intricate world filled with meaningful, memorable and menacing characters (and just as impressive performances). Gangs of London's first season is available to stream via Stan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDrieqwSdgI THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT In much of The Queen's Gambit, Beth Harmon sits at a chessboard. As a child (Isla Johnston), she demands that orphanage janitor Mr Shaibel (Bill Camp, The Outsider) teach her the game. As a teenager (Anya Taylor-Joy, Radioactive), she earns a reputation as a chess prodigy. As her confidence and fame grows, she demonstrates her prowess at tournaments around America and the globe, while also spending her spare time hunched over knights, rooks, bishops and pawns studying moves and tactics. None of the above sounds like innately thrilling television unless you're a chess grandmaster, but this seven-part miniseries proves that you should never judge a show by its brief description. Based on the novel of the same name by Walter Tevis, written and directed by Oscar-nominee Scott Frank (Out of Sight, Logan), and dripping with lavish 50s and 60s decor and costuming to reflect its period setting, The Queen's Gambit doesn't expect that all its viewers will be chess aficionados; however, it's made with a canny awareness that anything can be tense, suspenseful and involving — and that every different type of game there is says much about its players and devotees. The series doesn't lack in creative and inventive ways to depict chess on-screen. It knows when to hang on every single move of a pivotal game, and when to focus on the bigger story surrounding a particular match or Beth path through the chess world in general. And it's especially astute at illustrating how a pastime based on precision and strategy offers an orphaned girl a way to control one lone aspect of her tumultuous and constantly changing life. The Queen's Gambit is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4X9fQsiAOQ FIREBALL: VISITORS FROM DARKER WORLDS Werner Herzog could make a documentary about absolutely any topic and, as long as the great filmmaker narrated it himself in his inimitable tones and with his lyrical, observational prose, it'd be worth checking out. As his on-screen acting roles in the likes of Jack Reacher, Parks and Recreation and The Mandalorian have shown, listening to his voice is one of life's purest joys — and, in Fireball: Visitors From Darker Worlds, he spends his time talking about a riveting topic. Reuniting with University of Cambridge professor Clive Oppenheimer, who he worked with on the volcano-focused Into the Inferno, Herzog turns his attention to meteors. As well as searching for sites where they've fallen from the sky and made a literal impact, his new doco surveys experts from around the world, explores meteors in both ancient and recent times, and looks at the subject from a scientific, historical, archaeological and anthropological basis as well. From the Norwegian jazz musician who collects micrometeorites to the way that rocks descending from the heavens have played a part in Indigenous Australian culture, Fireball: Visitors From Darker Worlds is never anything less than fascinating. And, it also sees Herzog describe one part of the globe as "so godforsaken it makes you want to cry", which just might be one of his best turns of phrase yet. Fireball: Visitors From Darker Worlds is available to stream via Apple TV+. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYY0QJhlXjc HIS HOUSE Stories about fleeing persecution are innately horrifying, but His House makes viewers confront the scenario in a visceral and purposefully confronting way. That's what happens when you pair an unsettling real-world situation that's distressingly common with the horror genre — using the latter to augment and emphasise the terror of the former, as His House does commandingly. The first feature from writer/director Remi Weekes, this British-set movie follows Bol (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, the aforementioned Gangs of London) and Rial (Wunmi Mosaku, Lovecraft Country) from war-torn South Sudan, across the Mediterranean by boat, into detention in the UK and finally to a home on the edge of London. They're thrilled to have made the journey safely, albeit at a significant personal cost that neither can shake, and they're initially excited to have a place to call their own. But, after their case worker Mark (Matt Smith, Official Secrets) gives them the keys, the couple's new abode turns into a nightmare. It doesn't help that Bol is certain that they need to farewell everything about their own culture to show the government that they deserve to stay, while Rial is rightly resistant to that idea. The pair are quite literally haunted, though, as Weekes manifests in eerie detail in a movie that cleverly and compellingly (and creepily, too) interrogates the refugee experience. His House is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfiH_526qhY THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE ON THE RUN Never let anyone tell you that SpongeBob SquarePants is just for kids. The long-running show about the absorbent, yellow and porous sea critter has always proved otherwise, but his big-screen adventures wholeheartedly make the case — because when you have Keanu Reeves playing a talking sage tumbleweed that's also a sage that dispenses wisdom, that pitch-perfect piece of casting is 100-percent aimed at adults. Yes, that's something that happens in The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, and more often than you might expect. Yes, it's delightful. There are more surreal and absurd gags where that came from, too, which has always been SpongeBob's appeal for older viewers. Story-wise, the movie — SpongeBob's third, after 2004's The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie and 2015's The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water — sees everyone's favourite Bikini Bottom resident leave his pineapple under the sea in search of his kidnapped pet snail Gary, with the vain King Poseidon (as voiced by What We Do in the Shadows star and Sponge Out of Water alum Matt Berry) the culprit. It's silly, it's sweet, it's chaotic and, although the flashbacks to SpongeBob's childhood are just a blatant way to promote a new TV spinoff, it's supremely entertaining. The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run is available to stream via Netflix. CULT CLASSICS TO REVISIT AND REDISCOVER https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0xENt3xZqA THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR Add this show about a west Philadelphia teen's life-changing move to Los Angeles to the list of classic series making a comeback in 2020. The Will Smith-starring sitcom hasn't returned in the proper sense. It is actually getting a reboot, in a darker, more dramatic form, because everything old is new again, but that was just announced a few months back and hasn't arrived just yet. Still, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air's surviving original cast members have all come together for a brand new reunion special — which Stan now has available to stream alongside each and every one of the 148 episodes that initially aired between 1990–96. Accordingly, if you'd like to while away more than a few hours, days and weeks seeing where Smith's on-screen career kicked off, laughing at The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air's fish-out-of-water premise and feeling mighty nostalgic for times gone by, now you can. You'll obviously be treated to a hefty array of 90s fashions, because that comes with the territory. And, you'll be certain to get the series' famed theme tune stuck in your head (if you haven't already while reading this paragraph, that is). Every season of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air is available to stream via Stan. Top images: The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, Paramount Animation; The Queen's Gambit, Phil Bray/Netflix; His House, Aidan Monaghan/Netflix.
Nineties kids, Disney fans and everyone who's ever cried over a lion cub that just couldn't wait to be king, it's time to climb onto a rock and yell your lungs out. The circle of life has struck again, and The Lion King is back. It's in live-action form this time around, and the first teaser trailer for the new movie has just dropped. Releasing in mid-2019, the film will once again tell the tale of Simba, who's set to take over the pride from his father Mufasa, only for his malicious uncle Scar to get in the way. You know where it goes from there — and while you're watching extremely life-like lions prowl around Africa, you'll be hearing the voices of Donald Glover as Simba, none other than Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as his childhood pal Nala, and James Earl Jones as his dad. Yes, the latter is reprising his role from the original film. Other big names attached include Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, John Oliver as Zazu, and Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen as Timon and Pumbaa. Elton John is back working on the soundtrack with Tim Rice, as they both did on the first film. They'll reportedly have some help from Beyoncé, naturally, while The Jungle Book's Jon Favreau is in the director's chair for the entire production. If you're anxious about how it might turn out, it's worth taking Timon and Pumbaa's advice at this early stage — although this initial look should help get rid of your worries for the rest of your days. The Lion King hits Australian cinemas on July 18, 2019. Feel the love for the first trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJbI5f3z3Po&feature=youtu.be
Where else but Sydney Film Festival could host the world premiere of The Pool? The documentary hails from Ian Darling, the Australian director behind The Final Quarter, and sports another supremely Sydney-centric focus: Bondi Icebergs. Think of a pool in the Harbour City, and this frequently photographed place for a dip likely springs to mind. So, Darling has spent a year charting its ins and outs to create this cinematic portrait, which will debut at SFF in 2024. The Pool is one of 17 titles that've been announced by the festival team ahead of dropping the event's full 71st-annual program in early May. Movie lovers will be watching the hundreds of flicks that make the final cut to kick off winter, from Wednesday, June 5–Sunday, June 16 — and including The Pool on its lineup likely marks the first time that anyone wished that the film fest took place in summer instead. When you're not exploring a Sydney icon at a Sydney icon — because both Bondi Icebergs and SFF are that pivotal to the New South Wales capital — you can watch your way through a carefully curated roster of flicks overseen by long-running Sydney Film Festival Director Nashen Moodley. As announced back in January, 2024's event will also boast the world's largest cash prize for Indigenous filmmaking, aka the new $35,000 First Nations Award. One title that'll be competing for the gong in its inaugural year is The Mountain, the directorial debut of New Zealand actor Rachel House, with the Heartbreak High and Hunt for the Wilderpeople star following three kids who set off on an adventure (yes, their destination is right there in the title). Also on the bill so far: horror classic Hellraiser, but not as audiences know it. The movie remains unchanged, but this is a Hear My Eyes screening, which means that it comes with a brand-new live score. Hieroglyphic Being aka Jamal Moss is doing all-new tunes, while visual artist Robin Fox will add a live laser performance — and the event hits Sydney after also being a part of Melbourne's RISING Festival. Suspended Time, the latest from French director Olivier Assayas (Irma Vep), is another big highlight. The drama is about a filmmaker and his brother in COVID-19 lockdown in their childhood home, is drawn from Assayas' own experiences and, although actors play the characters, features the director reading narration that's based on his own diary. Or, there's documentary The Contestant, about an IRL person on a Japanese television show who wasn't aware that his months spent naked in a room were being broadcast. From there, cinephiles can also start looking forward to Frederick Wiseman's (City Hall) Menus-Plaisirs — Les Troisgros, which brings his observational gaze to three-Michelin-star French restaurant; COPA '71, about the 1971 Women's World Cup; Green Border, with Mr Jones' Agnieszka Holland honing in on the refugee experience on the Belarus–Poland border; and In Vitro, an Aussie sci-fi thriller about a couple doing biotech experiments. Keen to see a restaurant-set dramedy starring Rooney Mara (Women Talking) and directed by Alonso Ruizpalacios (A Cop Movie). La Cocina has you covered. Interested in the newest film out of Bhutan by Pawo Choyning Dorji, whose Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom was nominated for an Oscar? That's where The Monk and the Gun comes in. If you're eager for a movie from Norway that features conversations about getting intimate — and dreams about David Bowie — then Sex is the answer. And, for those who've ever wondered about the hippos in Pablo Escobar's illegally imported private zoo, check out Pepe. For now, the list wraps up with Hungarian culture-war satire Explanation for Everything, Korean family drama House of the Seasons and the Kenya-set The Battle for Laikipia — plus The Rye Horn, which is about a midwife and won Best Film at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. "This first look at the 2024 program delves into the profound and the peculiar, from remarkable true stories to works of fiction and ingenious hybrid films that land somewhere in between," said Moodley. "This selection, though diverse in setting and scope, reveals some common themes: resilience foremost amongst them. These films offer a taste of a Festival program rich with discovery and insight, poised to captivate and inspire." Sydney Film Festival 2024 takes place from Wednesday, June 5–Sunday, June 16 at various cinemas and venues around Sydney. For more information, head to the festival's website — and check back here on Wednesday, May 8 for the full 2024 lineup.
This article is sponsored by our partners, lastminute.com.au. The Barossa Valley may produce a wide selection of mighty fine drops, but it's also one of the world's friendliest wine regions in the world. Wine makers will happily stop for a chat to let you in on a few of their techniques; cellar door staff don't mind helping you to distinguish your chocolate tones from your blackberry ones; and there's every chance your bed and breakfast hosts will feel like a homely aunt and uncle. What's more, the area is really accessible. Though it seems a world away, it's less than an hour's drive from Adelaide. And, to make it even easier, many of its 80 cellar doors and 150 wineries are grouped in clusters. So, in the absence of a designated driver, you can walk or cycle from one to the other without too much effort. The wine, of course, is the main attraction of the area. But the Barossa also has a range of other events and festivals. Here are five that are well worth the road trip. Barossa Film Festival For three days each spring, the Valley's wine cellars, brewery lawns and bars are transformed into mini cinemas. But don't expect your everyday blockbusters and rom coms. The Barossa Film Festival focuses on unconventional flicks: the too-often ignored yet totally brilliant creations of independent, underground and emerging filmmakers. And they're all screened free of charge. If you haven't booked your flight/train/camel yet, you'd better do so quick smart. November 28-30, Various venues in the Barossa Valley, FREE. Barossa Gourmet Weekend Held smack-bang in the middle of winter, the Barossa Gourmet Weekend is one sure-fire way to get through the colder months. Every third weekend in August, the valley is overtaken with all manner of food and wine adventures: from cooking lessons and wine masterclasses to long lunches and even longer dinners. As the weather's still nice and sunny, you'll have a while to wait for the program. Details are to be announced in mid-June. August 14-16, Various locations in the Barossa Valley, TBA. Barossa Vintage Festival Of all the wine festivals in Australia, Barossa Vintage is the biggest and longest-running. The event was first held in 1947 to celebrate the end of the grape harvest as well as the end of WWII. Since then it's become tradition; it's been around for nearly six decades. The next incarnation is promising all kinds of surprises, following the appointment of new festival manager Andrew Dundon. Adelaide Fringe-goers should know him well: he's been taking care of artists and venues there since 2011. Look out for the program announcement on December 9. April 15-19, Tanunda, FREE. Shakespeare in the Vines Quirky Melbourne theatre company Essential Theatre takes the bard on the road every year. Their tour of Australia's most beautiful gardens and wineries includes the Barossa Valley's Seppeltsfield Road, where Shakespeare in the Vines occurs on the Saturday of the Australia Day long weekend. Macbeth will be the next work to get the outdoor treatment in 2015, on January 24, 2015. Tickets are always limited to 400, so it's a good idea to book well in advance. January 24, Seppeltsfield Road, TBA. SALA Festival Even though SALA (South Australian Living Artists) Festival is a state-wide event, it takes on an especially vibrant presence in the Barossa. Sculptures, paintings, mosaics and installations are scattered around the area's rolling hills and vineyards; and there's plenty of opportunities to kick back at a gig with a nice drop of wine. SALA runs throughout August every year, so if you make it along to Barossa Gourmet Weekend, be sure to leave yourself a day or two to take in the culture. August 1-24, Various locations across South Australia, TBA. Now you've got your itinerary, book your getaway to the Barossa Valley now with lastminute.com.au.
Hollywood director James Cameron has successfully completed a solo mini-submarine dive in a vertical ‘torpedo’ of his own design. For the past seven years, Cameron, who is better known for creating the epic blockbusters Avatar and Titanic, has been working in secret with a team in Australia to design and build a 12-tonne, 12 metre-long sub called ‘Deepsea Challenger’. The National Geographic Society, who sponsored the expedition, reported Cameron’s record-breaking descent to the deepest point in the ocean - over 10 kilometres down into the Mariana Trench, southwest of the Pacific island Guam. He returned to the surface after less than three hours under water. The director has been fascinated by oceanography since he was young, and he undertook 33 deep-sea dives to the wreck of the Titanic during the making of his 1997 film. Cameron planned to film what he could see during his solo dive to later share with the world in 3D. In preparation for the expedition, Cameron had researched submersible technology to find the best possible way to explore the seabed, and had practiced yoga in order to endure the mission in the one-person vessel. Swiss engineer Jacques Piccard and US navy captain Don Welsh are the only two other men to have reached the same depth, in the same place, in 1960. Their visibility was poor due to the amount of sand kicked from the ocean floor.
Gone are the days when it was safe to assume that a long-running music festival would definitely return each year, as Groovin the Moo and Splendour in the Grass' recent fortunes have underscored. As a result, when a fest announces that it's coming back, it's big news. Good Things is the latest to confirm a spot on 2025's calendar, and also its dates. Once again, the event will be starting off summer. As it has in past years, Good Things will hit up all three of its stops — Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane — across one huge weekend. There's no venues locked in so far, after the festival took over took over Flemington Racecourse, Centennial Park and Brisbane Showgrounds in 2024; however, you can mark Friday, December 5 in your diaries for the Victorian capital, then Saturday, December 6 in the Harbour City and Sunday, December 7 in the Sunshine State. As for who'll be on the bill, that hasn't been revealed as yet either, and neither has a timeline for future announcements. 2022's lineup dropped in June, while 2023's and 2024's each arrived in August, so expect to know sometime in winter if that pattern holds. Last year, Korn, Violent Femmes and Billy Corgan were on headlining duty, with Electric Callboy, Mastodon, The Gaslight Anthem, L7, Kerry King, Jet, The Living End, The Butterfly Effect and Killing Heidi among their company. 2023's fest featured Devo, Limp Bizkit, Corey Taylor, Pennywise, Bullet for My Valentine, Taking Back Sunday, I Prevail, Enter Shikari, Pvris, Behemoth, Sepultura, Spiderbait, Frenzal Rhomb, Jebediah and Eskimo Joe, among other acts. In 2022, the reunited TISM, Bring Me the Horizon, The Amity Affliction, NOFX and Millencolin led the roster. Good Things 2025 Dates Friday, December 5 — Melbourne Saturday, December 6 — Sydney Sunday, December 7 — Brisbane Good Things will hit the Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane in December 2025. We'll update you when the lineup is announced and tickets go on sale — head to the festival website for more information and to sign up for the event's mailing list in the interim. Images: Kane Hibberd.
