Staying on a private island seems like something reserved for Beyonce, Jay Z and Blue somewhere in the Caribbean (and most definitely with some kind of a yacht). Because where do mere mortals even access entire islands, anyway? And do you have to be a millionaire to access one? These are all questions people who haven't had the pleasure of erasing all unwanted human contact from their lives for a period of time ask. All we know is that, in the words of Liz Lemon, we want to go to there. Enter Satellite Island. Just off the coast of Tasmania, the small 30-hectare piece of land in the D'Entrecasteaux Channel is every bit the idyllic alpine Tasmanian dream getaway you could hope for. And when you visit, it's totally, 100% only inhabited by you. The island has been owned by the Alstergren family for a few generations, but when Will and Kate inherited it six years ago, they decided to open it to the public for the first time. Which is great news for everyone else, because it's crazy beautiful. Sea cliffs drop down into that clear, fresh Tassie water, blue gums cover the landscape and you can see across to Bruny Island. Just take a look at where you could be sleeping. The island is yours to explore, with walking tracks, kayaks and fishing rods available for use. You can walk around the island in an hour and a half, so do that. Plus, Bruny Island is only a five minute boat ride away, so duck over there for all your cheese, wine and oyster supplies and come back and eat them on the deck as the sun goes down. Oof. Satellite Island is accessible from the Satellite Island private jetty at Middleton, about a 40 minute drive from Hobart. The manager will meet you to take you to the island. For more information, visit their website. Images thanks to Elise Hassey.
We're pretty lucky on the east coast of Australia because the big vacay destinations are only a few hours away by plane. But Australia is a lot bigger than just the eastern seaboard. While the west side of Australia is so far-flung it's practically an international flight to get there, Perth has a vibrant bar and foodie scene that could rival any eastern capital. Still need some convincing to book that four-hour-plus Jetstar flight? In partnership with the Hahn Brewers, we've put together a list of ten very persuasive reasons why you should visit Perth. Spoiler alert: they're all bars. You're welcome. HULA BULA BAR If anyone claims they wouldn't love to sip on a drink while surrounded by kitschy jungle paraphernalia, they are lying. In Perth, you can have that experience at Hula Bula Bar while working your way through their entire menu. But remember, the jungle vibes are for show only – don't think you can get away with rocking shorts and thongs. 12 Victoria Avenue, Perth. GREENHOUSE For a genuinely unique west coast experience, head straight to Greenhouse. The restaurant-bar hybrid is encased in a façade of greenery courtesy of Melburnian Joost Bakker and his sustainable approach to hospitality. The green rectangle (nestled in amongst sterile corporate blocks) offers a quiet place for a beer, and has an extensive menu made with ingredients from their rooftop garden. 100 St Georges Terrace, Perth. EZRA POUND If you're after a lush courtyard and chill atmosphere where you can grab a drink, Ezra Pound is your new stomping ground. The sweet little bar on Williams Street in Northbridge serves up classic bar snacks (courtesy of No Mafia, an Italian eatery next door — expect a lot of quality olives and cheese) and has a Saturday night happy hour. What more does anyone need in life? Williams Lane, 189 Williams Street, Northbridge. CHOO CHOO'S Choo Choo's on St Georges Terrace is the kind of place where letting your hair down is mandatory. Seriously, it's pretty chill so leave your suit and tie at home and be yourself. The menu is extensive and changed on the reg, so head to Choo Choo's with no preconceived notions beyond max chillaxing. Industrial fittings, hip murals and a small, clicky (in a good way) bar crew will make you wish this was your regular. 125 St Georges Terrace, Perth. [caption id="attachment_589771" align="alignnone" width="1280"] @breaking_bias via Instagram[/caption] BOBÈCHE If your tastes run to the dramatic, check out Bobèche on St Georges Terrace. The dark, moody basement is named after a performing street clown from the '20s who would distract the crowd and sneak kisses from the gathered ladies. Modern day Bobèche has his own charms – beer, teapot cocktails, complimentary popcorn and an indulgent bar menu. We recommend the pulled venison croquettes with wild citrus. Basement 131 St Georges Terrace, Perth. WOLF LANE Wolf Lane is considered one of Perth's most popular small bars. The interior decorations alone are worth a trip. The industrial space has been decked out with mismatched velvet lounge chairs, leather ottomans and Persian rugs with trippy vintage suitcases on the ceiling and fairytale murals throughout. It's a real Alice in Wonderland atmosphere. Once you've settled in, grab a beer and build your own gourmet cheese board from the cheese, cured meats and dips available. Rear 321 Murray Street, Perth. MECHANICS' INSTITUTE Mechanics' Institute in Northbridge is a great all-rounder bar, perfect for a big night out on the weekend, after work drinks or a burger the next day for lunch. They've got the look nailed, with a slick industrial shine throughout the whole bar and (the pièce de résistance) a sweet, sprawling rooftop bar. Rear 222 William Street, Northbridge. LOT TWENTY Lot Twenty appreciate the good things in life — and they serve them in bulk. By good things, we mean oysters, doughnuts, booze, cheese, coffee and a large outdoor terrace. The menu at Lot 20 is amazing; after chowing down on roasted mushrooms served with pistachio puree, slow-cooked egg, truffle oil or house-cured coffee and maple bacon with cornbread, you'll never be able to go back to a standard cheeseburger (and nor should you). 198-206 William Street, Perth. ENRIQUE'S SCHOOL FOR TO BULLFIGHTING If you're in Highgate, Enrique's is perfect spot to drop by for a beverage and a bite. The warm and inviting restaurant bar serves up authentic Spanish cuisine, served up in the share style (tapas for a little, raciones for a lot) and always attracts a great weekend crowd. They have a damn fine happy hour every day from 5-6pm. 484 Beaufort Street, Highgate. PETITION BEER CORNER Petition is a beer corner, wine bar and kitchen all in one. So no matter what drink you're into, there's something here for you. We recommend you head to the beer corner and get the bartenders to pick you some for a tasting. The taps are constantly rotating (there's 18 of them), and they serve international beer as well as local suppliers alongside tasty bar snacks. Sign up to Hahn Brewers and use your weekend to take a trip to Perth.
Are you a night owl and a bookworm? Do you run out of reading material when everyone else is sleeping, and just can't wait to find another novel to devour? And, are you an honest sort who would happily pay a fair price for a secondhand text, even if no one is watching? If you answered yes to all of the above, then Logical Unsanity's 24 Hour Book Shed in Bardon is about to become your favourite place. Yes, it's open all day, every day — and all evening too. Yes, it's frequently unmanned, leaving eager readers to browse towers of tomes until they see fit. And yes, you determine the cost of your stack of pre-loved literary finds, leaving your payment in an honesty box. Think of it as a library where you get to keep the printed treasures you seek, while contributing to the store's survival. Prices are written inside the covers of each book, but they're just a suggestion. Along with your nominated amount of cash, you can also leave selections from your own shelves for other literary buffs to discover. If you're after something closer to a more traditional shop, a bookstore and art gallery also operates in the same space at selected times — and if perusing market-style is more your thing, you can find Logical Unsanity at the Boundary Street Markets in West End on weekends as well. After shopping whenever it suits you and paying whatever you like, though, you probably won't want to go back to the typical book-buying experience. Find the Logical Unsanity 24 Hour Book Shed at 3 Morgan Terrace, Bardon. Visit their website or Facebook page for more information. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
From naturally-occurring wonders to marvels of architecture and design, this great nation of ours has no shortage of photo-friendly locations. Year after year, tourists and locals alike flock to Australia's most famous destinations, looking to capture that picture-perfect shot. Now, with just a few weeks left in the year, Traveller have revealed a list of the most snapped places in Australia. And while none of the locations are particularly surprising, they do serve as a reminder of just how goddamn crazy beautiful this country is. 5. MELBOURNE CRICKET GROUND (MCG) A photo posted by artinayar (@artinayar) on Aug 16, 2015 at 1:03am PDT The most iconic sporting ground in Australia, when you consider how many people are regularly packed into the MCG throughout the year, its inclusion on the list makes a lot of sense. That said, we can't help but wonder if it would have appeared even higher if Instagram had waited until after the Boxing Day Test to release their rankings. 4. BONDI BEACH A photo posted by Adam Bull (@bulladam) on Dec 3, 2015 at 3:12pm PST Synonymous with Australian beach culture, Bondi offers Instagrammers the perfect opportunity to casually show off their tans against a backdrop of crystal waters and sandy shores. With an oceanside cinema, food pop-ups and a brand new dining precinct on the way, we don't expect to see Bondi drop off this list anytime soon. 3. SURFERS PARADISE BEACH A photo posted by Sharon Lewin | Australia (@thenomadictraveller) on Dec 1, 2015 at 12:52pm PST Pipping their NSW rivals to the proverbial post, Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast beat out Bondi as Australia's most Instagrammed beach. And with photos like these, it's rather hard to argue. Paradise indeed. 2. DARLING HARBOUR, SYDNEY A photo posted by Nimesh Yadav (@nimeshnimze) on Dec 3, 2015 at 5:37pm PST A bustling harbourside hub smack bang in the centre of Sydney, Darling Harbour has long been one of the city's biggest tourist destinations – and that was before they opened up their giant new urban playground. Just make sure you don't get your eye taken out by an errant selfie-stick. 1. SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE A photo posted by Tom Rex Jessett | Australia (@trex.photography) on Dec 1, 2015 at 1:01pm PST What a shocker! To the surprise of absolutely no one, the top spot on the most Instagrammed list goes to the most famous landmark in the country. From the dazzling displays seen during Vivid Sydney to the sobering site of the sails lit up in the colours of the French flag, the Sydney Opera House remains the number one place in Australia that inspires visitors to whip out their camera phones. And frankly, it's hard to imagine that changing any time soon. Via Traveller. Top image: Alan Lam via Flickr
The Negroni: traditionally equal parts Campari, sweet vermouth and gin. Around 100 years old, this bittersweet, boozy dark horse of a drink has rampaged back onto drinks menus worldwide over the last decade. It may be a cocktail of acquired taste, but it's been acquired by the masses, securing its place as a facet of any good cocktail list. This beloved beverage even has a whole week dedicated to it, celebrated in Negroni-loving cocktail bars around the globe each year since 2011. But where did this conspicuous drink pop up from? We've been asking ourselves that exact question. In honour of Negroni Week 2016, we've hit the books to put together a brief history on where the drink came from and how trends have brought it back into the spotlight. This is the boozy version of Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time for all you imbibers out there. [caption id="attachment_573530" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Flickr.[/caption] STATE OF ORIGIN Like many cocktail histories, this one is filled with myths and legends — always a fun start. A few books have even been published on the topic, including British bartender Gary Regan's The Negroni: Drinking to La Dolce Vita and Italian bartender Luca Picchi's Sulle Tracce del Conte: La Vera Storia del Cocktail Negroni. They've each traced the drink back to Florence in 1919, at a neat little place called Bar Casoni — the site still exists, but now houses the Caffè Giacosa pastry shop. According to dependable folklore of the day, the cocktail was born when one Count Camillo Negroni demanded a much stronger version of the Americano — an easy drinking cocktail of Campari, sweet vermouth, and club soda. There is evidence that the Count had recently spent some years abroad in the US, with some saying he was a bit of a rodeo clown, while others document his profession as a cowboy in the Wild West. Either way, he was reported to be a BAMF. Regan's book does admit some grey area, though, and this story isn't agreed upon exclusively. An individual named Noel Negroni disputes the above version, claiming that his relative, General Pascal Olivier Count de Negroni, is actually the man who came up with the recipe. Whatever the case, we like the idea of any Count being involved in the creation of a classic. FROM BLACK HOLE OBSCURITY TO A COCKTAIL FOR THE CLASSY So how did such a hard man's drink become a classy night time affair? Even as recently as the '90s, the Negroni had remained a quiet backgrounder that was only ordered by the very few in the know. While the exact moment that the drink went from obscurity to a cocktail list staple is unknown, there are a few contributing factors. The slow rise in worldwide Negroni interest has been suggested by many, including Conde Naste Traveller, as partly due to the resurgence in the popularity of gin and bitters around the globe. Even on a local scale, small-batch producers of gin (Distillery Botanica, Archie Rose, Poor Toms, Four Pillars, Young Henry's Noble Cut Gin among them), have helped the recent gin obsession in Australia, which ran hand-in-hand with the trend toward 'keeping it local'. On the bitters side, Angostura started this push, Australian Bitters joined the party, and many bars now make their own. With two-thirds of the cocktail's ingredients riding a popularity wave worldwide, the next step — a full-fledged menu invasion by Negroni — was a simple one. When the 'new age' Negroni was reintroduced to world by Campari in 2011, patrons were used to seeing gin and bitters in their drinks and their taste buds were more than ready for it. [caption id="attachment_573513" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Heartbreaker, Melbourne.[/caption] THE BIG BANG OF NEGRONIS The rise of the Negroni took place nearly a century after the drink was christened. Italian liquor company Campari pulled the pieces of the puzzle together in 2011, declaring it 'The Year of the Negroni' and widely distributing the recipe. Their celebration included the creation of the world's largest Negroni at the annual Tales of the Cocktail festival in New Orleans. The year-long focus rooted the drink in the minds of bartenders and, subsequently, drinkers everywhere. While the inaugural Negroni Week included only 100 Stateside bars, the 2015 Negroni Week expanded to 3500 venues across 42 countries — including Australia. The drink itself has evolved in the last few years — from barrel aged and Negroni on tap to entire bars dedicated to the stuff, but the photogenic cocktail doesn't seem to be fading from menus anytime soon. From Italy to Australia, bartenders are coming up with new and better ways to serve you this classic. You can get a salted caramel and coffee Negroni, a Negroni made with juniper or burnt orange, and even a "cheeky" Negroni that uses an Aperol and Lillet Blanc reinvention. We'll leave you with this apropos statement by Orson Wells about Negronis, as quoted in the The Coshocton Tribune, which we think best sums up the drink: "The bitters are excellent for your liver, the gin is bad for you. They balance each other." We'll cheers to that. Negroni Week 2016 runs from June 6 – 12. Check out our list of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane's best Negronis to get you ready for a week's worth of goodness. Via Conde Naste Traveller and Town&Country.
UPDATE: JUNE 22, 2020 — Sephora has extended its sale for five days. It'll now end on Sunday, June 28. Sephora, aka the French-based perfume and cosmetics chain that has won fans the world over, has been opening stores around Australia for the last few years. And whether you're keen to head into your closest shop, or you're quite happy browsing and buying beauty products online, it's currently hosting a huge sale with prices up to 50 percent off. That's good news for everyone, including your bank balance. If you haven't jumped on the Sephora bandwagon yet, then prepare to nab all those prestige international brands you can't get elsewhere. In-person and virtually, it's a beauty product wonderland, with more than 1500 different lines on offer. The exact discount varies from product to product, but you can expect 30 percent off Fenty matte lipsticks, 50 percent off Marc Jacobs foundation, 30 percent off Tarte lipgloss sets and hefty savings on Sephora's own branded lines, too — just to name a few of the items on sale. If this is the excuse you needed to boost your makeup bag, the sale runs until Sunday, June 28.
2022 isn't even five months in yet, but the year's slate of festivals is already shaping up to be a winner. We've just danced our way through all the summer fests, of course, and welcomely so. But there's plenty more where they came from across the rest of the year — including the long-awaited return of Listen Out in September and October. Fuzzy's national electronic-meets-hip hop festival will make a huge comeback for its first gigs since 2019 — for obvious reasons, as we all know and have lived through for the past couple of years. And, it's marking its return with a hefty lineup led by Young Thug, Polo G, Disclosure and The Jungle Giants, as well as everyone from BARKAA and Electric Fields to BBNO$ and Tove Lo. Listen Out tours nationally to four of Australia's capitals, kicking off on September 23 and hitting Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Brisbane over two weekends. Also hitting the road, albeit just with one stop: Listen In, a condensed version of the fest with a smaller lineup that'll solely play Adelaide. Whichever iteration is coming to your city, add Listen Out and Listen In to your ever-growing 2022 festival calendar, with Splendour in the Grass and Spilt Milk also among the big-name fests finally set to return in the coming months. LISTEN OUT 2022 DATES: Friday, September 23 at Catani Gardens, St Kilda, Melbourne Sunday, September 25 at Western Parklands, HBF Arena, Joondalup, Perth Saturday, October 1 at Centennial Park, Sydney Sunday, October 2 at Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane LISTEN OUT 2022 LINEUP: 24kGOLDN AJ Tracey Anti Up [presented by Chris Lake and Chris Lorenzo] BARKAA BBNO$ Blanke Bru-C Central Cee Culture Shock Dameeeela Disclosure Doechii Electric Fields James Hype The Jungle Giants Kito Louis The Child LP Giobbi Meduza Memphis LK Miiesha Nia Archives Pirra Polo G Pretty Girl Qrion Stace Cadet and KLP Tove Lo Young Thug LISTEN IN 2022 DATES: Monday, October 3 at Ellis Park, Adelaide LISTEN IN 2022 LINEUP: Adelaide: 24kGOLDN BARKAA BBNO$ Bru-C Central Cee Chris Lake Culture Shock Disclosure James Hype Kito Louis The Child LP Giobbi Meduza Polo G Stace Cadet and KLP Young Thug NZ: TBC Listen Out and Listen In's 2022 season tours Australia in September and October 2022. For more information, or to buy tickets from 12/1pm (times vary depending on the city) on Wednesday, April 27, head to the festival website.
It takes 50 minutes to cook the 1.2-kilogram tomahawk cut of angus beef that's on the menu at Black Hide Steak and Seafood. When it's ready to serve, the $240 dish caters for up to three people. It's a big meal, with a big price, available in a big new location for The Gambaro Group's upmarket steak brand. Black Hide by Gambaro at the Treasury is no more, with the chain moving its Brisbane CBD restaurant into the Queen's Wharf precinct. This is a change of space by necessity, of course, and one that's impacted the other restaurants and bars in the Sunshine State capital's old casino as well. Fat Noodle has moved, too, as has LiveWire, with the latter changing its focus to late-night entertainment and live music. Black Hide announced back in May that it would have a new home in The Star Brisbane, then opened its doors on Wednesday, September 11 as part of The Terrace, on the same level as the landing for the new Neville Bonner Bridge. Black Hide is The Terrace's largest restaurant, catering to more than 250 guests. The Gambaro team has embraced the opportunity to scale up, as well as the chance to ensure that seafood is a key focus alongside steak. That menu shift seems fitting given the restaurant's prime waterside location, with river views while you eat as much as a highlight as the range of wagyu cuts and multiple lobster dishes — whether or not you're sat on the balcony. While the food remains a drawcard — oysters, caviar and caviar oysters are among the starters; tuna tartare and miso-glazed beef skewers are snack choices; Black Hide's signature meatballs and kingfish crudo feature on the entree lineup; mains include grilled Moreton Bay bugs and chargrilled squid; and dessert picks span sundaes, lemon meringue, and coconut tapioca, ginger and avocado sorbet — the new site is also a cocktail lounge. A shorter small-plate menu is available to pair with drinks, and the bar operates from open till close, even when the restaurant isn't serving lunch or dinner. It was back in 2018 that Black Hide set up shop at the Treasury, expanding from Caxton Street in Petrie Terrace, where Gambaros has long been synonymous. The eatery made the Queen Street side of the casino its home, delivering river views, a bar overlooking Reddacliff Place and a six-room setup that makes the most of the heritage building's features — including a ten-person private dining space filled with timber, brass and marble. At its new digs, the same team remains on staff, with new additions given that the restaurant is bigger. Meals are whipped up in the open kitchen, letting guests view the culinary magic as its taking place. "We are thrilled to be establishing a fresh-look dining presence at The Star Brisbane while paying homage to familiar favourites," said The Gambaro Group Director John Gambaro. "Our team is dedicated to delivering exceptional food, service, and atmosphere, and we look forward to welcoming guests to experience what Black Hide Steak and Seafood by Gambaro has to offer." Find Black Hide Steak and Seafood at The Star Brisbane, Queen's Wharf, 33 William Street, Brisbane CBD — open 11.30am–midnight Tuesday–Thursday, 11.30am–1am Friday–Saturday and 11.30am–10pm Sunday. The restaurant serves from 11.30am–2.30pm Tuesday–Saturday for lunch; 5.30–9.30pm Tuesday–Wednesday, 5.30–9.45pm Thursday and 5.30–10.45pm Friday–Saturday for dinner; and 11.30am–8pm on Sunday for lunch and dinner. Head to the venue's website for more information.
There's a good reason that nearly every tour of Europe stops in Dubrovnik — the city is bloody beautiful. Inside the medieval walls of the Old Town, you almost feel as though you're wandering through a movie set (albeit a sweaty one with a lot of stairs). You can (and should) do the main attractions anyone who's been on a eight-day sailing tour of Croatia can tell you to do — walk around the city walls, have a drink on the cliffs outside the city walls at Buza bar I or II, do a Game of Thrones tour — but there's plenty of ways to do Dubrovnik your own way. We've compiled a list of the best ways to spend your time in the seaside Croatian city to make sure your visit is an unforgettable one. If you've been thinking about booking that European holiday, do it now. Swapping your Australian winter for a European summer is a great way to make your 2017 something to look forward to. In partnership with Topdeck, here is the first instalment of our Less Obvious city guides. Episode two: Dubrovnik. DRINK DINGAC AT D'VINO Unlike France or Italy, you never really hear anyone going on about Croatia's wine — but you should. This little country produces some killer drops, most notably on the Pelješac Peninsula, which just about an hour and a half north of Dubrovnik. Ask anyone who knows even the tiniest bit about wine, and they'll tell you to try some Dingač. Repeatedly. Dingač is the wine region, but generally they're talking about the much-lauded red wine variety Plavac Mali. Best place to try some of the stuff is at D'Vino in the Old Town. You can sit on the stairs, order a cheese platter and try the wine with a Dingač tasting paddle. SWIM IN A HUGE CLEAR BLUE LAKE For this one you'll have to take the ferry over to the island of Mjlet, which takes about an hour and a half. We promise it will take to you the most godly, most serene of waters. A huge chunk of Mljet is taken up by a national park, which includes two lakes. Veliko and Malo Jezero (literally meaning Large and Small Lake) both have incredibly clear blue water which you will definitely want to float around in until infinity. To get there, get the ferry to Polače (not Sobra — it's a big island), buy a ticket to enter the national park, grab a map and hike over to the lake. Once you've made it, you'll probably want to jump into the ridiculously blue water ASAP. Then you can wander around the lake, stopping at suitable nooks to rest under shade and take a dip wherever you please. This one is a day trip, as there's only one ferry (the Nona Ana) in the morning, and one in the afternoon. The timetable is here, but you can only buy tickets at the dock, so best to get there at least half an hour before the ferry departs to do so. SHOOT HOOPS WITH A VIEW OF THE OLD CITY Why pay to walk the city walls when you can shoot hoops from practically the same vantage point? Anyone can wander into this rooftop court — although it's oddly shaped and not at all a regulation-sized basketball court, so you won't be able to hold official competitions. There is, however, a sorta hidden entrance to the Gornji Ugao Tower, a restored medieval fort inside the city walls from the 15th century. EAT CROATIAN BARBECUE ON A ROOFTOP TERRACE If this place existed in Australia, it would get mad hype. It's not trendy by any means, but it's got all the makings of an inner city success: a rooftop, a barbecue and wine by the carafe. They cook basically everything on the charcoal grill here, which (happily for your nose) is located on the open air rooftop terrace overlooking the city you will be dining in. You can't go wrong with seafood, but it's worth trying their ćevapi, which is a minced meat morsel not unlike kofta. There's some epic queues at dinnertime, so it's best to get there really early or really late. Also, the best bit: it's called Lady Pi-Pi because there's a sculpture of a boss lady peeing out the front. See above. [caption id="attachment_590356" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: Peter Northall.[/caption] LEARN SOME VITAL LOCAL HISTORY AT THE WAR PHOTO MUSUEM Your lack of knowledge about Yugoslav history will probably never be more apparent than when you visit Dubrovnik. The city still lives with a vivid memory of the Yugoslav People's Army's two-month siege on the city — it only happened in 1991. The best place to get a sense of what happened is to visit War Photo Limited. Their permanent collection includes images of Dubrovnik under siege as well as iconic work from photojournalists covering the breakdown of Yugoslavia and the wars in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo. EAT A BREAKFAST BUREK ON THE ROCKS Look, not all burek were created equal — but pretty much all were created insanely delicious and that's all we need to know. Basically every second person is walking around Dubrovnik eating a burek out of a paper bag, and you should definitely be one of them. Best is the breakfast burek (which is only differentiated from lunch and dinner burek by time of day, not contents) because you get to eat cheese encased in pastry and it's a legitimate breakfast. Buy one (or two) from literally anywhere and walk it out of Ploče Gate and down some stone stairs to eat it on the rocks as the sun comes up. TAKE A DIP AT DANCE While our idea of a beach is one with sand, Croatians apply the definition to basically any bit of coastline you can hop into the water from. Dubrovnik's 'beaches' therefore aren't necessarily known as being amazing, but when the temperature rises and the Old Town becomes a hot, sweaty mess, you'll definitely want to find one. Avoid Banje Beach (it's overcrowded and run by a beach club meaning you have to pay for a chair), and head out of Pile gate to fine Danče beach. It's quiet, traversed mostly by locals and has rocks and slabs of concrete so you can lie down and soak up the Croatian sun. Visit Europe (including Dubrovnik) with a Topdeck trip and make 2017 a year to remember. Book early (that means now) and save up to $999. Top Image: Juan Carlos De Martin via Flickr.
Picture this: a cosy, wooden structure somewhere remote, away from the hustle and bustle — and far, far away from mobile phone coverage — of your everyday life, perhaps with a fireplace and/or some kind of heated outdoor bathing fixture. You know the kind of place we're talking about. In fact, you're fantasising about it right now, aren't you? Take a coffee break and take a scroll through some of the world's most dreamy winter cabins that you can actually stay in. We've teamed up with NESCAFÉ to help you take the desk break you, as a hardworking human being, deserve. So start planning your worldwide cold weather escape — we promise none of them were featured in a Joss Whedon-written, Chris Hemsworth-starring horror movie. [caption id="attachment_580297" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Justin Muir[/caption] FOSSICKERS HUT, MARLBOROUGH, NEW ZEALAND Want to go off the grid? Well you've found your place. Fossickers Cottage is located just an hour from Nelson in NZ's Marlborough region, but it feels at least nine hours away from any kind of civilisation. The stunning early settler-style hut is the perfect perch in the middle of the bush right next to the amazingly clear water of the Wakamarina River. Along with a cosy kitchen room and bedroom (with a loft up top for a few extra mates), there's also a fire-heated outdoor bath. It doesn't get much better than that. LAKE O'HARA LODGE, CANADIAN ROCKIES, CANADA If you're looking for an old-school cabin that really does feel like it's in a movie (but sans scares), then Lake O'Hara Lodge is the place to be. This is the type of cabin that Parks and Recreation's Ron Swanson would be proud of — well, aside from the fact that it's in the Canadian Rockies. Constructed in 1926, it's the perfect spot for skiing in winter, hiking in summer, and enjoying the serenity of British Columbia's Yoho National Park all year round. Their one-bedroom lakeshore cabins are of the 'no muss, no fuss' variety, boasting little more than a queen bed for sleeping, a day bed for relaxing, and a deck for looking out at the world. It's just what you need after a long day revelling in the splendour of the site's surroundings. UFOGEL, NUSSDORF, AUSTRIA Whichever way you look at it, there's nowhere quite like Austria's unique Ufogel cabin. You can take that literally, given the mountain hideaway's inimitable design, or you can see it as a statement on the once-in-a-lifetime experience you're bound to have in the one-of-a-kind structure in the village of Nussdorf. Inside, expect wood as far as the eye can see; the entire compact building is completely made of it. Bring a few mates — the place can sleep up to five — and don't waste your time wondering about the name. It's a blend of UFO and vogel, the German term for bird, as inspired by the structure's distinctive appearance. CHALET JEJALP, MORZINE, FRANCE Who hasn't fantasised about a snowy sojourn holed up in a chalet? If you like wintry sports, it's the ideal break: you'd hit the slopes when the sun is shining, and then enjoy the facilities inside looking out over the frosty valley of an evening. Chalet Jejalp is the exact place you want to get snowed in; the house includes a double-height glass wine cellar, bar, pool table, gym, sunken jacuzzi, sauna, cinema room, and on-site chef and chauffeur. Yep, this is the kind of place you need to win the lotto to stay in — but you know it'd be totally worth it. MOONBAH HUT, NEAR JINDABYNE, AUSTRALIA If you stay local, prepare to do some driving to get your Aussie cabin fix. But if you're willing to commit, the rewards really are stunning. Moonbah Hut is located on private frontage on the Moonbah River, the Snowy Mountains' cleanest, most unspoilt home for trout. Give your fishing muscle a flex from your front doorstep, while keeping an eye out for wildlife, from wombats to deer to brumbies. Or bunker down inside, with a huge, stone open fireplace for company. Previous guests have taken the experience next level and invited personal chefs along for an evening. Spanish chef Miguel Maestre is among those to have done the honours. LION SANDS GAME RESERVE, SABI SANDS, SOUTH AFRICA Cabins come in all shapes, sizes and heights — and suited to all climates, too. Your idea of a winter cabin might involve snuggling up by the fire; however if you head to Lion Sands Game Reserve in South Africa, it could involve hanging out in a treehouse, spotting wild animals and gazing at the stars as you nod off to sleep. Constructed out of wood and glass, their Kingston treehouse is designed to welcome visitors all-year-round, so there's no need to worry about any inclement weather. And if that's not enough to tempt you, how about this: it comes complete with a wooden drawbridge. Yes, really. EAGLE BRAE LOG CABINS, SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS, SCOTLAND That ideal image of a wood log cabin you've been dreaming about? Well, that's what you'll find at Eagle Brae. Their seven two-storey open-plan dwellings have been hand-built using massive western redcedar logs sourced from the forests of Canada. And although it's cold, the cabins feature log-burning stoves to keep you warm. Indeed, if there's ever been a place tailor-made for staying indoors and snuggling up, this is it — though there's plenty to see outside, of course. That's where you'll find out just how the Scottish Highlands got their name, spot plenty of wildlife, and maybe even go salmon fishing as well. AZUR LUXURY LODGE, QUEENSTOWN, NEW ZEALAND Talk about a room with a view — and a bed and a bath too. If it's a private villa with stunning lake and mountain sights available from every available floor-to-ceiling window that you're after, then Azur Luxury Lodge has you covered. So it's not exactly a 'cabin', but when you're hanging out by the fire with a glass of wine, you're not going to concerned with specifics. Plus, for those who just can't unplug from the outside world completely, the Queenstown resort offers the best of both worlds, with all the mod cons like Wi-Fi in the middle of a gorgeous natural setting. BODRIFTY ROUNDHOUSE, CORNWALL, ENGLAND Centuries ago, in Celtic villages in the Iron Age, chiefs slept in thatched roundhouses. Seeing one is quite a sight, particularly since there's only a handful of replicas littered throughout the world — but spending a night in one? Well, that's something else. At Bodrifty in Cornwall, you can do just that. As well as marvelling at the experimental architecture, you can set up camp inside and stoke the open firebowl as well. And while it might appear as though you're stepping back in time, expect a touch of luxury when it comes to sleeping, as visitors will relish the modern comfort of a four-poster bed. POST RANCH INN, BIG SUR, USA Perched atop the cliffs of Big Sur in California, Post Ranch Inn provides several riffs on the cabin experience. Everyone wants a bit of rustic charm — and you'll get that here in a variety of accommodation types, including circular houses inspired by redwood trees and stand-alone treehouses. Choose from mountain or ocean views, and enjoy a dip in two infinity pools, a spot of fine dining and everything from yoga to nature walks while you're there. Okay, so this one's a modern interpretation of a cabin — but hey, who doesn't want to try that at least once? Words by Sarah Ward with Jasmine Crittenden. Top image: Justin Muir.
It's the news Australian film and television fans have been dreading ever since they signed for a geododging service and a Netflix account. The streaming media behemoth might've taken your cash and looked the other way for years — even when they launched here in 2015 — but now that they're operating in 190 countries around the globe, it seems like they're gearing up to stop users accessing overseas libraries. In a post that appeared on the Netflix blog overnight, Vice President of Content Delivery Architecture David Fullagar advised, "Those using proxies and unblockers will only be able to access the service in the country where they currently are." Exactly how they'll shut out everyone using VPNs, proxy servers and smart DNS services hasn't been disclosed, though the statement does mention that "technology continues to evolve and we are evolving with it." So, if your account is almost permanently logged into the US service, your viewing options could be about to take a bit of hit. While Netflix-produced fare like House of Cards, Master of None, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, BoJack Horseman, Jessica Jones, Making a Murderer and A Very Murray Christmas are available everywhere, the American library currently has almost three times the number of titles than its Australian counterpart. Plus, plenty of content varies between the two; local comedy is quite popular on the Aussie version — or Netflix sure hopes it will be, seeing that their library is packed with it — for example. If you're a bit puzzled by this turn of events, particularly given that Netflix only recently trumpeted their plans to make sure everyone who subscribes to the service can access the same content regardless of the country they're in, that's understandable. They haven't really changed their tune — it's safe to assume that they're working towards that goal, which involves complex rights negotiations in each territory, by first locking down any loopholes that currently allow customers to circumvent geographic restrictions. Of course, just what will eventuate in the long- and short-term is anyone's guess, because Netflix has promised to stamp out geododgers before and then promptly done nothing about it. All Aussie customers can really do for now is watch this space — and maybe start thinking about signing up to Stan or Presto. Via The Sydney Morning Herald.
We don't know if you've noticed this, but Australians seem to really enjoy their cooking shows. Whether we're having an anxiety attack over a stubborn souffle on MasterChef, or scoffing about menu use of Comic Sans on The Hotplate, we're a nation who likes their telly cooked to perfection, ideally served by a photogenic or crazy, crazy chef. Luckily for us, the cordon bleu team at SBS have taken note of our gluttonous viewing habits, and are gearing up to launch Australia's first ever free-to-air food channel. We're already drooling. "The channel will take one of our strongest and well-known genres to new heights," said SBS managing director Michael Ebeid. "We know how much audiences love to be taken on a journey of culinary and cultural discovery with our food shows every Thursday night. This new channel is an opportunity to extend that offering with a world of food programming available all day, every day, for free." The new channel will launch in November on SBS 3, and will become the network's fourth free-to-air channel behind SBS, SBS 2 and NITV. According to their website, the lineup will include a mix of "food, cooking and travel programs inspired by food handpicked from around the world, alongside some of the networks much-loved, locally made shows." Key to the new channel's success is a licensing deal SBS has inked with American company Scripps Networks Interactive, whose portfolio includes high profile media and lifestyle brands such as Food Network, Cooking Channel, Asian Food Channel, HGTV, DIY Network, Fine Living Network, Travel Channel and Great American Country. The current lineup of culinary programming on SBS includes Nigella Express, Luke Nguyen's France and Kriol Kitchen. More information about SBS's new food channel, including a name, launch date and programming schedule, is expected to be announced in the coming weeks. Image: Luke Nguyen. UPDATE OCTOBER 22, 2015: SBS's new 24-hour food channel is called Food Network and will launch on November 17. Programming will include Destination Flavour, Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook, the Luke Nguyen series, several of celebrity chef Curtis Stone's shows like Kitchen Inferno and Surfing the Menu, Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals, Giada at Home, Reza: Spice Prince of Vietnam, Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, Diners, Drive Ins & Dives, Chopped by Ted Allen and more. The channel will air 24 hours a day and also through SBS On Demand. For more info, head to SBS's website.
Every decade or thereabouts, change comes to Montrachet. Back in 2017, more than ten years into its life, the French fine-diner made a massive move from the Given Terrace location in Paddington that it had always called home over to Bowen Hills' King Street. Now, with the restaurant over 20 years old, it's undergone a new switch. After going into administration in the middle of 2024, Montrachet is back open under a new owner. French chef Clément Chauvin has taken over the acclaimed eatery, which was previously part of chef Shannon Kellam's hospitality empire. Welcoming patrons through the doors since Tuesday, October 1, 2024, the new Montrachet mixes fresh touches with classics on its menu — and in general. Diners can still say bonjour to double-crab soufflé, escargot, bouillabaisse, steak frites and crème brûlée, should you already know your favourite Montrachet dish. Clément's additions, however, include spring lamb two ways, beef wellington with red wine jus, and roasted pumpkin and mushroom pie featuring a sage and brown butter crumble on top. For dessert, there's also now a passionfruit soufflé paired with a chilli explosion and coconut sorbet as the sweet signature option. The menu also spans a range of multi-course feasts for the table, whether you're after two plates, three or a six-round degustation. On Saturdays for lunch, there's also a surprise five-course option created by the restaurant's kitchen team. Among the single dishes, other highlights include steak tartare, dry-aged roasted duck with orange duck jus, upside-down caramelised apple tart and dark chocolate mousse-filled cigars. Chauvin is already behind fellow French restaurant Les Bistronomes in Canberra, running the award-winning eatery as its sole owner and Executive Chef since 2019. Now, the figure that started his career aged 15 — complete with stints at Gordon Ramsay's Claridge's in London, plus Sydney's Restaurant Balzac and Bistro Paris — takes on an adored slice of Brisbane's dining scene. Find Montrachet at 1/30 King Street, Bowen Hills — open for lunch Thursday–Saturday and dinner Tuesday–Saturday. Head to the restaurant's website for more details.
Break out your finest white, military-style outfit, slap on your coolest aviator shades, round up your wingman and prepare to take the highway to the danger zone. Or to Cobbler, actually. The West End hangout has unveiled their new summer cocktail offerings, and they're guaranteed to take your breath away. That's a fitting response to a selection of beverages inspired by a certain 1986 action film, as fans of one of Tom Cruise's most iconic efforts — and avid watchers of Archer — will know. Whether you like your drinks barrel-aged and old fashioned, full of fizz or boasting some blended goodness, you find a Top Gun tipple to suit. Yes, the Danger Zone (with cherries, Monkey Shoulder whisky, Crème De Menthe liquor, lemon juice and tarragon syrup) is on the menu, and the Great Balls of Fire (strawberries, Espolon Blanco tequila, watermelon riesling, white grapefruit juice, and almond and earl grey syrup) as well. So is the Maverick (Glen Grant 10 soft whisky, Rosso Antico, burnt orange and rhubarb syrup, and Black Mission fig bitters), the Goose (tequila, Lillet Rose, tarragon syrup and plum bitters) and the Iceman (Wyboroba vodka, sage-infused sake, lemon myrtle agave and Peychaud’s bitters) — because everyone wants to knock back a drink named after Cruise, Anthony Edwards and Val Kilmer's characters, don't they? We'd keep running through the lineup of themed cocktails, but given that there's 25 in total, that'd take quite a while. Instead, we recommend feeling the need for speed and heading to Cobbler asap. Warning: once you start working your way through the complete list of beverages — and you will want to work your way through the complete list of beverages, trust us — you'll be singing 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling' to someone else in the bar in no time. Check out Cobbler's new summer cocktail menu at 7 Browning Street, West End. Visit their website or Facebook page for more information.
The Victorian government have officially begun their push to become the first state in the country to legalise medicinal marijuana. Delivering on a pledge made during the last election, the Andrews government yesterday tabled a report in parliament by the Victorian Law Reform Commission. Among its recommendations: a licensing scheme allowing for the production of medicinal cannabis, for the purposes of treating serious illnesses including cancer, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and HIV/AIDs. "During the election we committed to legalising medicinal cannabis for use in exceptional circumstances, and we’re delivering on our promise," said premier Daniel Andrews in a statement that accompanied the announcement. "I’ve seen first-hand how medicinal cannabis can change people’s lives. This landmark reform means Victorian families will no longer have to decide between breaking the law and watching their child suffer." Now before you start celebrating too hard, we should make clear that this isn't the same as legalising pot for everyone. Under the report's recommendations, licensed cultivators will be able to produce legal cannabis products, including oils, sprays and capsules, which will be available at pharmacies to patients who have received authorisation from a specialist doctors. Smokable marijuana will also remain illegal — so keep your homemade bongs in your sock drawers for the time being. Still, progress is progress — and this is especially great news for people suffering from the kinds of chronic pain and illness that marijuana use can help alleviate. Assuming he can get a tick of approval from the federal government, Andrews expects to make medical cannabis available by early 2017, with children suffering from severe epilepsy expected to be the first to benefit. Via The Age. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
If you can find us an activity more decadently wintry than slipping into a steaming bath of natural mineral water in the middle of the wilderness, we'll eat our collective hats. You might usually associate the likes of Iceland, the French Alps or New Zealand with thermal baths, but the good news is that there stacks of stunning natural hot springs in Australia. We are lucky to have our fair share of stunning bush hot pools where you can indulge in some serious mineral water therapy. Plus, we've got some serious mountaintops complete with supersized hot tubs, so why go overseas? PENINSULA HOT SPRINGS, VICTORIA This is where Victorians escape to for thermal relief. The drive down the Mornington Peninsula to the Peninsula Hot Springs retreat is basically a Melburnian pilgrimage — especially as it underwent a $13 million upgrade in 2018. It has cold plunge pools, hot spring pools and an impressive outdoor Bath House Amphitheatre in a remote and picturesque hilltop location. There's also a hamam, an underground sauna, cave pool and the pool at the top of the hill which affords 360-degree views of the area. Plus, a cafe, a cultural meeting space designed in collaboration with local Indigenous Elders, and a multipurpose wellness centre for classes and talks. For the full experience, book in for one of the spa's treatments, from 60-minute bioactive facials to 180-minute packages with organic mineral mud wraps, relaxing massages, hair and scalp treatments and breakfast or lunch in the cafe. Where? 140 Springs Lane, Fingal, Victoria. How much? $35–55 entry to the Bath House. YARRANGOBILLY CAVES THERMAL POOL, NSW It's not hard to see why this thermal pool in the Kosciuszko National Park is a local favourite. Quiet, secluded, with heaps to explore in the surroundings, it's the perfect destination for a crisp winter weekend. Filled with water from a natural hot spring, the 20-metre pool remains at a perfect 27 degrees all year round. Get there via a short (but steep!) 700-metre walk from the nearby car park, or wind your way along the three-kilometre River Walk. If the temps aren't too frosty, have a post-swim feed in the adjacent picnic area before exploring the surrounding caves. Where? 50 Yarrangobilly Caves Road, Yarrangobilly, NSW. How much? $4 per car (national park entry fee). [caption id="attachment_724325" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] LIGHTNING RIDGE ARTESIAN BORE BATHS, LIGHTNING RIDGE, NSW Located just outside the opal-mining town of Lightning Ridge, these delightful baths are surrounded by remote bushland and gloriously removed from all signs of civilisation. Open 24 hours a day (except from 10am–noon each weekday for cleaning), you can soak in the hot waters at sunrise, sunset, or any other time your little heart desires. Night swims are particularly recommended as you can float in the 40-degree water while taking in the stunning expanse of the starry rural sky. A popular meeting place for Lightning Ridge residents, the baths are also a great place to get a feel for local life. Best of all? It won't cost you a thing. Where? Pandora Street, Lightning Ridge, NSW. How much? Free! HEPBURN BATHHOUSE, VICTORIA Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa, about two hours northwest of Melbourne, is another achievable day trip for Melburnians. The bathhouse, built back in 1895, is the oldest in the whole country and is continually warmed to 34 degrees. Take your pick of communal swimming experiences, from a magnesium pool to an outdoor creek pool. Plus, there's a pavilion cafe that has been serving up goodies to visitors since 1908 (go for the Devonshire Tea) and a day spa with private mineral baths, massage options and steam therapies. Once you've bathed, try drinking the waters: various springs are dotted around Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve. You can also extend your stay by booking into one of the ten luxury villas overlooking surrounding bushland. Where? Mineral Springs Reserve Road, Hepburn Springs, Victoria. How much? $45–55 adult entry to the Bathhouse. WITJIRA-DALHOUSIE SPRINGS, SA The most remote point on this list is Witjira-Dalhousie Springs — a cluster of around 60 natural hot springs located on the edge of the Simpson Desert, in northern South Australia, about 250 kilometres southeast of Alice Springs. It's certainly worth seeking out if you're driving towards the Red Centre. The Great Artesian Basin groundwater below is more than one million years old, and temperatures in the natural springs ranges from 38–43 degrees, so don't say in for too long at a time — you might find yourself a little dizzy and pruney if you do. Witjira-Dalhousie has cultural significance to the local Indigenous peoples and is associated with Dreamtime stories of the area. Due to its historical importance, the site is included on the Australian National Heritage List. Where? Witjira National Park, South Australia. How much? Free. Top image: Destination NSW.
After five days of furious face-melting solos, indulgently excessive jam sessions and an unprecedented quota of covers, Bluesfest raised a plastic cup to a well-attended, well-enjoyed and well-rained on festival for 2015. Returning to the Tyagarah Tea Farm over the Easter long weekend, Bluesfest once again solidified its well-worn spot in the Australian festival game as one of the tightest productions on the calendar. It goes without saying, this isn't festival director Peter Noble's first time at the rodeo. Everything just works. After three major headliners pulled out early in the game (The Black Keys, Lenny Kravitz and Ben Howard), expectations for this year's Byron Bay blues and roots festival were a little all over the shop. But at the end of the day, most muddy Bluesfesters probably forgot they were playing in the first place; memories erased by the sheer rhythmic speed of Rodrigo y Gabriela, the old-soul might and power of Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard, and the somewhat random but nonetheless straight-up high-fiveworthy inclusion of Jurassic 5. Honestly, it probably took every Bluefest-attending journo every inch of self control not to use the phrase "rain didn't dampen spirits" in any post-festival write-up for this year's event. Boy, did we want to. Bluesfest 2015 welcomed its usual onslaught of autumn rain, creating bonafide mud swamps in the middle of the festival by Sunday. But this didn't stop the punters; Beth Hart enthusiasts braving the rain for one of the best Led Zeppelin covers ever burled, and Xavier Rudd's heaving tent of fans happily squidging through marshes of sludge for the set. If anything, the rain made legendary Spanish-style supergroup The Gipsy Kings' huge singalong rendition of 'Bamboleo' even more magic. Blending older legendary artists with new hotshots seemed to underpin the entire Bluesfest program this year — undeniably evident in the wide-ranging audience demographic too. Unsung soul hero Charles Bradley energetically howled and sexy-danced through his soulful set despite being 66 years old, while 31-year-old bright young hypecard Gary Clark Jr proved his reputation as one of the globe's best guitar players. If Bluesfest continues along this old/new programming balance, they're in for immeasurable years of new and returning ticket buyers. Bluesfest ain't goin' nowhere. And one last thing. After relentless discussion and noob shaming, we counted no less than six inappropriate headdresses at Bluesfest. Yeah next time, maybe not guys. Images: Andy Fraser. Words: Shannon Connellan.
The National Gallery of Victoria is wrapping up this wild year in style, hosting the blockbuster second edition of its much-hyped NGV Triennial. Taking over the gallery from Saturday, December 19, the exhibition looks set to be the biggest art event to hit the city in three years, featuring works from over 100 artists, representing 30 different countries. Among them, you can expect a diverse response to this year's themes of illumination, reflection, conservation and speculation. With a lineup like this — and many months of missed art appreciation to make up for — it's hard to know where to even start. You'll wander through the halls and discover a large-scale, neck-tilting celebration of light and movement; a layered, shimmering sphere of used lenses; and even a giant octopus crafted from hand-felted cigarette butts; and a life-size, mirror-polished stainless steel sculpture based on an 18th-century porcelain figurine. The exhibition is huge, we've offered up a sneak peek here, but, if you'd like to delve deeper, we've also pulled out five must-see artworks over here. Start plotting your art gallery debut now. The NGV Triennial 2020 will be on show at NGV International from Saturday, December 19 until Sunday, April 18, 2021. For more info and to see the full program, visit the NGV website.
What would you do if you were a little less freaked out by consequences? Would you talk to more new people, fear a bit less, dance a little more like FKA Twigs, quit your desk job and start that no-guarantees creative career you've always had in the back of your mind? Some sparkling young Australians are already flinging their inhibitions into a ziplock bag and seizing this little ol' life with both hands. Concrete Playground has teamed up with the Jameson crew to give you a sneak peek into the lives of bold characters who took a big chance on themselves. They've gone out on a limb and rewritten their path, encapsulating 'Sine Metu', the Jameson family motto which translates to 'without fear' — getting outside your comfort zone and trying something new. After all, we only get one shot at this. Take notes. Who doesn't want to watch movies all day, and get paid for the privilege? That's not all Kate Jinx does as the director of programming at Sydney's Golden Age Cinema and Bar; however finding challenging features you wouldn't see elsewhere and championing under-appreciated classics really is how she has made a living since the boutique theatrette opened in September 2013. It's what Kate herself calls "a ridiculous job", and given that she previously studied graphic design then lectured in the field, worked for record labels as well as triple j and FBi Radio, it almost didn't happen. Of course, you don't give up the great gig of designing album covers, start chatting about movies on the radio, and then score the dream position of programming an indie cinema without channelling a little Sine Metu. LISTEN TO YOUR INNER CHILD, EVEN IF SHE'S SKIPPING SCHOOL "What do you want to be when you grow up?" is a question all kids are asked, but when Kate was a child, it was a fondness for skipping school that provided her with the best answer. Whenever she could, she would miss class to indulge in her cinema obsession — aka watch Bill Collins' midday film on TV. "I was always coming down with something so that I could stay home and watch a movie," she says. Kate didn't quite take heed of her younger self straight away, though — and, let's face it, who really thinks they're going to be able to make watching movies their actual job? Instead, she leapt into graphic design, worked for triple- j and forged the kind of career others might be envious of, until she recognised that something was missing. MAKE YOUR OWN OPPORTUNITIES — AND ANSWER THE PHONE WHEN IT RINGS Kate realised that graphic design was work for her, and that her out-of-hours film pursuits were her real passion. hosting a movie-focused show on Sydney's FBi Radio — initially called Too Much, and then Picture Show — was filling up all of her free moments, while her designer peers were spending "all their time reading about it [graphic design] and researching, and going to conferences, and talking to other designers about what they were doing and the best new typeface. "Every hour I wasn't being a designer at triple j, I was putting into this radio show that I wasn't being paid for. And who knew if there was anyone apart from my dad listening to it? But I just found myself always doing those other things, and eventually I decided to transition into doing that full time." Changing course from the career you went to university for — particularly when you've been enjoying more than a small amount of success in your chosen field — is a big, bold, bad-ass move. Not only did Kate put her nose to the grindstone and turn her FBi Radio experience into a regular gig — something that would see her interviewing everyone from Miranda July to Steven Soderbergh — but she paved the way for more opportunities to come — everything from film criticism, to DJing to working on her PhD on archival cinema. Indeed, it was Kate's pursuit of film not just as a hobby but as a full-time profession, that lead her to Golden Age. "It was through doing that radio show that I got into film curation," Kate recalls. "I just got a phone call out of the blue one day asking if I wanted to curate a cinema that was about to open. And you know, I thought it was a prank call at first. It's not every day that you get a call like that." REMEMBER, IT'S CALLED DIY CULTURE FOR A REASON Kate's determination to chase her dreams was less of a choice and more a culmination of a life spent challenging the norm and going after whatever she set her mind upon.. In fact, that's just how she has handles everything. If she wants to make something happen, it's under way. Anyone that has glimpsed over her Golden Age programming choices over the years — including showing Aussie punk flick Dogs in Space on the venue's opening weekend, and hosting Sydney's only screenings of Iranian feminist vampire western A Girl Who Walks Home Alone At Night — can see how that attitude influences her professionally. "I was so inspired by DIY culture," says Kate. "I wanted to be a writer, so I made zines. And then I wanted to be involved in music, so I put on a night and DJ-ed and learnt to DJ. It was just that sort of idea of just going after what you want. And trying really hard not to feel like an imposter or feel too scared to voice your opinion if it's a bit different." With an approach like that, it's little wonder that Kate has scored not just her fantasy job, but everyone else's (if you're not jealous of how she spends her days, then we think you're fibbing). That's what a DIY ethos and a willingness to stray away from the safe path can achieve, as Kate has demonstrated in everything from selling her own zines in record stores, to putting on film-based performances, to screening Ukrainian sign-language drama The Tribe, a movie that Golden Age's audiences both loved and were left speechless by. She may have had "about four careers" by now, as she freely acknowledges, but they've all lead her to doing what she loves. In fact, the only fear she has about her decisions to date is of "one day not having a job that I love this much." [embed]https://vimeo.com/161925203[/embed] Want to experience a little bit of 'Sine Metu' yourself? Thanks to Jameson and The Rewriters, one extremely fortunate Concrete Playground reader (and their even more fortunate mate) will get the chance to 'fear less' and go on a big ol' adventure to Ireland. In addition to two return flights departing from your choice of Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, this epic giveaway comes with five night's accommodation and $500 spending money you can use to paint the Emerald Isle red. ENTER HERE. For more about how 'Sine Metu' influenced John Jameson's journey visit Jameson's website.
When your last festival screened 48 films to 168,000 people around Australia, what comes next? It's a problem many events wish they had, however, in their 28th year, the Alliance Française French Film Festival is on the case. With the massive celebration of Gallic cinema continuing to draw huge crowds, the beloved annual festival is offering up more of the same. The lineup has changed, of course, but the eclectic nature audiences have come to expect of the event is back. Kicking off on March 7 in Sydney before touring to Melbourne, Canberra, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart, Parramatta and Casula until April 9, the 2017 program begins and ends with a bang — or, with two very different journeys. In pole position at the start of the fest sits The Odyssey, an adventure-filled biopic focused on famous oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, and co-starring Audrey Tautou as Cousteau's wife Simone. Then, after running through the bulk of its 45-film selection, the fest comes to a close with maternal comedy A Bun in the Oven, featuring The Bélier Family's Karin Viard as an unexpectedly expectant 49-year old. In between, the AFFFF delivers on two fronts: stars and a vibrant array of big screen stories. There's plenty of both. The former includes 2017 Oscar-nominees Isabelle Huppert and Natalie Portman, with Huppert showing up twice — playing a woman with a secret past in the rom-com Souvenir, and a philosophy professor in Things to Come — and Portman joining forces with Lily-Rose Depp (yes, Johnny's daughter) in Planetarium. Depp also stars with French singer-actress Soko in The Dancer, while Marion Cotillard does double duty too in romance From the Land of the Moon and the Xavier Dolan-directed family drama It's Only the End of the World. Inglourious Basterds actress Mélanie Laurent co-directs environmental doco Tomorrow, the great Gérard Depardieu takes a road trip in Saint Amour, and one of the last roles played by Amour's Emmanuelle Riva, as an elderly aunt in Lost in Paris, also features. Elsewhere, the 2017 fest tells the tale of the first popular Afro-Cuban artist of the French stage in Monsieur Chocolate starring The Intouchables' Omar Sy opposite James Thierrée (aka Charlie Chaplin's grandson), examines the real-life circumstances surrounding a pregnant nun in The Innocents, dives into coming-of-age affections with Being 17 and gets ghostly with the haunting Daguerrotype. Or, viewers can catch Juliette Binoche at her most slapstick in farcical detective effort Slack Bay, and enjoy the kind of moral dilemmas the Dardenne brothers explore so well in The Unknown Girl. Looking back as well as forwards, a two-movie retrospective steps into the court of Versailles courtesy of the Marie Antoinette-centric Farewell, My Queen and music drama Mozart's Sister. Plus, if all of the above isn't enough for the most eager film buffs, dedicated cinephiles can take A Journey Through French Cinema for 191 minutes of movie history. The Alliance Française French Film Festival tours Australia from March 7, screening at Sydney's Chauvel Cinema, Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona and Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace from March 7 to 30; Melbourne's Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Kino Cinemas and The Astor Theatre from March 8 to 30, and Brisbane's Palace Barracks and Palace Centro from March 16 to April 9. For more information, visit the festival website.
Fans of Robert Mapplethorpe will no doubt have already snapped up tickets to the new survey exhibition of his work at AGNSW. Showcasing an impressive selection of portraits, figure studies, floral still lifes and erotic imagery reflecting his participation in both New York's uptown art clique and underground gay scene, The Perfect Medium will grant fans an intimate, comprehensive insight into Mapplethorpe's distinctive artistic methods and private world. As one of the most compelling, boundary-pushing late 20th century American artists, Mapplethorpe's photography shaped an era, in part thanks to his portraits of the cultural idols of the 1970s and 80s (think Debbie Harry, Philip Glass and Mapplethorpe's longtime muse Patti Smith). AGNSW director Dr. Michael Brand says that Mapplethorpe played an influential role in establishing photography as a valid form of contemporary art: "whether he was photographing a figure, a flower or a fetish, Mapplethorpe's subjects were unified by an enduring and unflinching quest for beauty." Compulsory viewing for anyone interested in photography and the 1970s/80s New York art scene. Images from left: Robert Mapplethorpe Two men dancing 1984; Kathy Acker 1983. Promised Gift of The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation to The J Paul Getty Trust and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art © Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Used by permission.
Within a concave of urban luxury, on a street that emits the same, sits a restaurant that skips the thrills and provides food unrateable by Michelin stars. It combines class with culinary perfection, simplicity with authenticity and uses the finest picked ingredients, sourced from local producers to create meals that exceed perfection to something rather enigmatic. Vintaged Bar + Grill, on the sixth floor of The Hilton, is by no means fit only for the rich and famous – it's a gift for any palate. There's a certain authentic awareness that goes into every meal at Vintaged. Components aren't put on a plate for mere presentation or to show off, that yes, this kitchen can afford truffles – deep thought goes into the marriage of flavours, textures and aromas. And not in cheap Heston Blumenthal methods like so many contemporary chefs are attempting to pull off today. The food is rich in its raw components, and most dishes have an organic, homely feel. The beauty of Vintaged Bar + Grill is that it has its thumb in every meal and course. Lunch is extra special here, with a hint of extra class and a menu that throws away the BLT, instead offering ravioli, burrata, 250-gram beef rumps and meals you won't fathom deserving. Dinner surpasses each sitting before it, with a menu as perfectly curated and tasteful as the culinary passion expelled throughout the Vintaged restaurant. It includes grilled prawns with Spanish onion salsa, pork cutlets with sautéed brussels sprouts and grass-fed Tasmanian eye fillets. Vintaged Bar + Grill is a jack of all trades, though don't let any aspect of this idiom diminish its flaw-free name. It caters to high tea, hosts birthday parties and runs special events and functions — all to a glamorous backdrop of mood lighting and contemporary furnishings. While the setting screams ritz, the food declares otherwise, showcasing what homegrown excellence tastes like – humble, hearty and just perfect.
It's Australia's longest and biggest international film festival, spanning 18 days and 358 titles, and it's quite the cinephile endurance test. Yes, we're talking about the annual Melbourne International Film Festival — the place where scampering rodents, a deadly game of picking family favourites, making fun of Jared Leto and giant faces pasted across historic French buildings all came together. David Lynch waxing lyrical about a tortoise, teenage terrorists roaming around a department store and not your usual type of superhero flick all made an appearance too. They're just some of the standout moments from this year's program, the ones that stuck with our film critics Sarah Ward and Tom Clift after they stepped out of the festival's cinemas (and, most likely, just before they stepped into another one). Thanks to bleak Russian dramas, mind-bending time loop trickery and harrowing real-life retellings, there's more where they came from — including our rundown of the best, strangest and most surprising movies of MIFF 2017. (And if you're wondering why Call Me By Your Name, Good Time, Ali's Wedding, A Fantastic Woman, Brigsby Bear and The Square didn't make our MIFF picks, that's because we saw and loved them at the Sydney Film Festival. These are ten newbies.) BEST https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQFdGfwChtw THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER Greek weird wave pioneer Yorgos Lanthimos follows up his first English-language feature The Lobster with this equally bizarre offering — an uneasy, unpredictable, darkly funny moral thriller that will make viewers laugh and then feel awful for doing so. Colin Farrell stars as a cardiologist with skeletons in his closet, who is forced to make an impossible decision after his family finds itself plagued by a mysterious affliction. Make no mistake: the stilted line delivery, not just from Farrell but also Nicole Kidman as his wife, is very much by design. Lanthimos' films are designed to make you feel unsettled, and none have done it better than this one. — Tom Clift https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9chFxUNB7o NOCTURAMA If consumerism and nihilism often sit side by side, then so do anarchy and apathy — in Nocturama's view of the world, at least. Indeed, if writer/director Bertrand Bonello achieves one thing with his mesmerising and provocative film, it's forcing the viewer to question, well, everything. With a simply stunning command of his visceral visuals and unnerving mood, he charts the actions of seemingly ordinary Parisian students who care about everything and nothing, who want to improve the world around them and see it all burn, and who are driven to act in a devastating way and then happily frolic through their department store hideaway. Here, painstaking tracking shots through the streets, the most unexpected use of 'Whip My Hair' you're ever likely to come across and a calculated kick of a final act all come together to make for a movie that won't be forgotten easily. — Sarah Ward https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KLLkj84GAo LUCKY As well as being the best thing to reach screens this year, Twin Peaks has gifted viewers with the joys of plenty of Harry Dean Stanton and David Lynch. Don't worry, there's more where that came from, and it's just as wonderful. The veterans — one a 91-year-old actor with 199 credits on his resume, the other the inimitable filmmaker who has directed him five times — join forces again in Lucky, which thrusts the former to the fore as a small-town loner forced to face his mortality. The landscape of Stanton's face pairs perfectly with the arid dessert surroundings, while his specific brand of cantankerous charm finds its match in Lynch (who acts, rather than directs) as his monologue-spouting, tortoise-loving pal. — SW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLegoO4NdD8 LOVELESS Dissecting a society infected by oppressive politics, Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev captures modern life in his homeland in bleak slices, whether exploring brothers reunited with their absent father in The Return, a woman forced to do whatever it takes for family in Elena, or a family taking on a corrupt mayor in Leviathan. Stark and stunning from start to finish, Loveless is no different. Here, a squabbling couple on the brink of divorce discover that their largely neglected 12-year-old son has gone missing — and there's no one like Zvyagintsev at taking an already tense and heartbreaking situation into formally composed, emotionally brutal, absolutely astonishing territory. — SW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFVDyWBBiuA LET THE SUNSHINE IN Love and loneliness are two sides of the same coin in Claire Denis' light but insightful Let the Sunshine In, which finds empathetic comedy in the romantic escapades of Juliette Binoche's newly divorced 50-something artist. A sophisticated and seductive look at the ups and downs of dating and desire it may be, but as the film flits through a series of affairs, it's never afraid to reveal both the disarming delights and devastating lows of putting yourself out there. Laughs follow, and so does a smart, spirited and soulful exploration of affection and intimacy — as driven by Binoche's enigmatic candour — that cuts deep. — SW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvWwnZeUHeI ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL You wouldn't have thought that a film set in the shadow of the global recession would make you root for a bank. And yet, that's exactly what viewers will find themselves doing during Abacus: Small Enough to Jail. The latest film from Hoop Dreams director Steve James, this compelling documentary follows the legal struggles of the only financial institution to be charged by the US Government in the wake of the GFC. But it wasn't a giant multinational. Rather, New York prosecutors went after, a small, family-owned bank with deep connections to the Chinese immigrant community. Abacus interrogates questions of responsibility, scapegoating and prejudice, while doubling as a thrilling courtroom drama. — TC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fybwL9tY9qY FACES PLACES If everyone in the world looked at strangers in the same manner as Belgian-born filmmaker and French New Wave icon Agnes Varda, we'd be living in a much, much happier and kinder society. The almost 90-year-old's empathy, enthusiasm and understanding drives Faces Places in two ways: in the photographs that she takes with street artist JR, and in the film that chronicles their snapping — which is then followed by printing out giant versions of their pics, and plastering them on the walls of rustic, historic buildings. In fact, her attitude towers over the film in the same way her artworks loom over villagers below, and the impact is just as enchanting. Accordingly, love, life, creativity, connection, accepting others and acknowledging that nothing is permanent are all a part of this charming documentary. Oh, and goats as well. — SW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw1NwnFXaVk THAT'S NOT ME Some of the best comedies find their laughs from relatable drama. And, while we all haven't watched our twin sister live out our wildest dreams of becoming a successful actor (and date Jared Leto), we have seen hopes and wishes fall by the wayside, taken leaps of faith that haven't paid out, and had to redefine our idea of a happy ending. That's the tale of low-budget Aussie comedy That's Not Me, the first feature from writer/director Gregory Erdstein and writer/star Alice Foulcher, and an earnest, astute, insightful and thoroughly amusing exploration of making it, faking it and the fact that life usually exists somewhere in between. — SW THE WEIRDEST https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-EMPii8TCQ RAT FILM There are few movies out there like Rat Film. Plenty of other animals have clucked, purred, barked, splashed and scurried their way through cute critter-focused documentaries, but not in this fashion. Trust us. Taking on the creatures humanity usually kills rather than celebrates, director Theo Anthony wanders from filming a rat trapped in his own rubbish bin, to exploring society's ways of dealing with rodents, to stepping from their prevalence on Baltimore's streets to a whole host of class, racial and economic divisions — and throwing more than a few existential musings in as well. It sometimes comes across as disjointed, but it's never less than fascinating and illuminating, complete with Werner Herzog-like observations as narration. — SW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXB0DK3upGY THE ENDLESS On paper, The Endless might sound like the sum of its intriguing but far from unusual parts, with creepy cults, temporal trickery and sibling struggles all fairly common film fodder. On the screen, however, the latest film from director/actor duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead proves anything but standard. In fact, it's the kind of sci-fi/horror flick that will floor you with its ingenuity, make you want to watch it again immediately afterwards, and inspire you to check out the filmmaker's first effort, Resolution. Imaginative, enthralling, astute with its aesthetics and atmosphere, and insightful in contemplating both human and supernatural drama, this account of two brothers returning to the close-knit camp they used to call home is the whole weird and wonderful package. — SW THE MOST UNEXPECTED https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc7m7lpSbkE DEATH IN THE TERMINAL On October 18, 2015, a gun-toting terrorist stepped inside a bus terminal in the Southern Israeli city of Beersheba. 18 minutes later, three people were dead as the authorities reacted, people on the ground turned into an angry mob and blood soon smeared white surfaces. Watching these events unfold through security video and mobile phone footage is as unsettling as it sounds, with to-camera chats from people who were there helping to fill in the gaps. Directors Tali Shemesh and Asaf Sudry immerse viewers in a situation that's both horrifying and harrowing — not to mention confrontingly revealing about human nature in times of extreme crisis, as well as in the current international political climate. — SW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H8AK4FtLQ8 JUPITER'S MOON Religious allegory meets arthouse flick meets action movie meets cry for compassion in Jupiter's Moon, a strange, vaguely satirical, occasionally stunning film about a Syrian refugee who is shot by a twitchy border cop only to discover he can fly. Hungarian director Kornél Mundruczó has crafted an incredible-looking piece of work, full of breathtaking long takes that recall Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men (as does some of the subject matter). Not everything about the movie is a success — it's fairly heavy-handed, and runs more than a smidge too long. But went it works, it soars. — TC By Sarah Ward and Tom Clift.
We thought it was Photoshopped. Twitter thought it was Photoshopped. The whole damn town thought, nay, could this be true? Hath Cadbury gone truly mad? Creating what could potentially be the most horrific melding of worldly flavours imaginable this side of ox tongue gelato (it's a thing)? Alas, it's true. Cadbury Australia have created a Dairy Milk chocolate variation, which adds a little caramel and a whole lot of Vegemite. That's right. Vegemite. BuzzFeed confirmed the terrible union this afternoon after noticing a sneaky snap on a Reddit feed in April. Cadbury itself confirmed the fusion on Twitter with this dramatic video. Behold. The Vegemite chocolate will be unleashed on the Australian public from June 1 (or sooner, as the Cadbury has mysteriously hinted in the video). Expect "Dairy Milk milk chocolate with smooth flowing caramel and VEGEMITE." Why Cadbury? Why? Was Pineapple Snack not enough tomfoolery for an age? Ah. We'll probably try it. Via BuzzFeed. Image: Reddit.
Ah, the tinnie. The refuge of the second-rate beer, right? Wrong. With improved technology obliterating the old argument that cans damage the taste of beer, more and more craft brewers are moving to the once humble can. Sometimes favoured for their retro feel, cans actually boast both a lower carbon footprint and longer shelf life than their bottled counterparts, making it likely their booming popularity will only continue rising. For many craft beer makers, the tinnie is actually an essential part of their craft; the makers of acclaimed Heady Topper urge their customers not to pour their beer into a glass, lest it lose the carefully cultivated hop aromas the can preserves. Here are ten of the best canned wonders. JAMES SQUIRE ONE FIFTY LASHES PALE ALE Named after a convict rapscallion who is believed to have created Australia’s first commercial brewery, Sydney-based James Squire produces a distinctly Australian range which has become synonymous with local craft beers. Newly available in cans, this is an approachable variety which makes an inspired addition to your next beach hang or spring picnic. With a light citrus burst and faint notes of passionfruit hitting the palate first, and the malted wheat giving it a silky smooth finish, it’s an ideal session beer. MOUNTAIN GOAT SUMMER ALE One of the first Australian craft beer makers to stock their product in cans, Victorian microbrewers Mountain Goat initially thought of doing a limited one-off run of these tinnies, but were soon overwhelmed with the response and turned it into a permanent fixture. A gold-hued ale perfect for sneaking into your picnic baskets, this offers inviting citrus and tropical aromas. With no hint of acidity, it’s an easy drinking delight and an ideal choice for the newer craft beer drinker or seasoned hop head alike. BREWDOG PUNK IPA Back in 2007, James Watt and Martin Dickie were two 24-year-olds with “scary bank loans” and a passion project selling their craft beer out of the back of a battered van. Today, they are the kingpins of a Scottish craft beer success story, overseeing more than 350 employees pumping out their abrasively flavoured brews to great acclaim. The Punk Indian Pale Ale is a must, a great introduction to their in-your-face style. Also look out for the mightily bitter Jackhammer, which is about as subtle as its name. HEADY TOPPER Ranked number 2 among all the world’s beers on the encyclopaedic Beer Advocate, Heady Topper is less a beer than a phenomenon. Initially considered unlikely to have widespread appeal, Heady Topper actually became so popular that the Vermont brewery which made it regularly had people cuing for hours and had to limit hordes of customers to one case each. It’s a complex beer with notes ranging from grapefruit to pine and spice and just about the quintessential craft beer tinnie. Image: Carter Brown. SIERRA NEVADA PALE ALE With its instantly recognisable pastoral artwork, Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale has long been warmly regarded as one of the classic craft beers. The pioneering brewery now produces over 50 varieties, but the pale ale accounts for more than half their sales. Famously using only whole cone hops, they have a commitment to quality ingredients that has produced a consistently good and almost universally liked beer. Heavy on the hops, it’s a beer that pairs well with some spicy Mexican. YO-HO TOKYO BLACK PORTER Japan is a relatively new player in the world of craft beers, having effectively legislated against microbreweries until the mid '90s. Now some 200 microbreweries have moved into a once stagnant market. One of the first breweries to spring up when the laws changed were Yoho, who have since been named Japan’s best craft beer brewery. Based in the snowy mountains of Nagano, they produce a nice variety of beers, including this rich black number which draws you in with its treacly aroma, roasty character and a head like foamy coffee. YOUNG HENRYS REAL ALE While the range of craft beers available in cans was quite limited just a few years ago, today there’s an abundance of options and this is a great example of a local take on the traditional British bitter. Made with both Australian and British malts, it’s light but flavoursome and took Young Henrys all the way from their inner west base to the International Real Ale Festival, where this bad boy picked up a gold medal. EVIL TWIN HIPSTER ALE An American Pale ale hailing from (where else?) Brooklyn, Evil Twin market this colourfully packaged beer as a homage to anyone who “feel(s) excluded because you’re hip but your city is not”. Even for those in a cutting-edge hip city, this is a very drinkable ale with some complexity to keep you interested. The colour is like a light honey, and you’ll get notes of everything from biscuits, toffee and caramel to more zesty citrus. FERAL BREWING HOP HOG IPA Credit Feral Brewing company with putting beer on the map in the fabled Swan Valley wine district. This is their most famous product, an American-style Indian pale ale with hops added both during the boil and late in the fermenting. It’s proven a hit both with the craft beer-loving public and the critics who raved about its balance and drinkability and made it the number 1 pick in their Australia’s Best Beers annual roundup. SIX STRING DARK RED IPA Like many craft brewers, Six String began as a couple of friends with a love of beer and a desire to make something better than the mass-marketed product. After lengthy battles with bureaucratic red tape, Chris Benson and Adam Klasterka were able to enlist the support of their community and set up a boutique brewery in the Central Coast. Their beers proved worth the wait. Among their staples is a dark red IPA. It’s full-bodied, really dark and really good. Top illustration by Barry Patenaude.
Great films, good food and ace company. Now, there's your recipe for an excellent night out. Throw in a couple of rounds of trivia questions, and you've cracked New Farm Cinemas' formula come Australia Day eve. Come ready to watch homegrown movies, eat iconic snacks and answer locally-focused trivia, as there'll be plenty of each. Program-wise, there's a flick to suit all tastes: amusing, thanks to The Castle, unnerving, courtesy of Wolf Creek, and retro, via the original Crocodile Dundee. Guest trivia master Daniel McConnell will wear more than his undies to preside over proceedings, and the candy bar will serve up the taste sensations that are Golden Gaytimes, Bubble O' Bills, Tim Tams, lamingtons and meat pies.
Whether you come home to a lush oasis of greenery or have killed so many plants that the High Plant Council would jail you for life without parole, gardeners run the gamut of experience. And just like caring for plants, buying them is a skill in itself. As you master the art of keeping hardier plants alive (hello, devil's ivy), you may feel the challenging trumpet of an orchid or banana plant and sweep the city in a hunt for green babies to add to your growing family. Eschew Bunnings with a firm hand and head on down to the best Brisbane nurseries and plant shops for solid advice, rare finds and an abundance of crazy plant-lovin' folk. THE SOUL PANTRY, STAFFORD Plants, classes and a cafe. That's the garden shop trifecta, and it's exactly what The Soul Pantry offers. A visit to the Stafford spot will help you deck your halls with plenty of greenery, make sure you really know what you're doing, and keep your hunger and thirst at bay. As well as a range of indoor beauties — plus pots to put them in — you'll also find flowers of both the fresh and dried variety (for those who love nature, but know that keeping something alive is beyond their capabilities). Workshop-wise, you can learn about everything from table styling and terrariums to making succulent living wreaths at this Brisbane plant shop. OXLEY NURSERY, OXLEY Oxley Nursery is more like the nurseries your parents dragged you to as a child — a huge, rambling, humid place that sells everything you could ever want. As well as a wide range of cacti, succulents, palms, and endless fiddle leaf figs, you'll also find carnivorous plants, blooming aloes, man-sized lobster claws (Heliconias), Teddy Bear magnolias, Casuarina glauca (a Cousin It-like plant), pencil pines and voodoo lilies — basically, if you can imagine it, this Brisbane nursery has probably got it in stock. The family-run spot also dabbles in landscape and garden design, so when you visit you'll always find advice and garden gravel aplenty. MAPPINS NURSERY + AQUARIUM, WEST END Nestled among a row of warehouses in West End, Mappins is the kind of place you might simply walk right past you didn't know it was there. The low-key Brisbane nursery specialises in imposing cacti and lush indoor plants, as well as all your potential aquarium needs. Inside, you'll find fluffy maidenhair ferns, long and lush devil's ivy, rigid philodendrons and monstera, as well as all the other darlings of the indoor plant world. The staff are passionate, knowledgeable and will make sure you leave knowing just how to keep your new green babies thrivin'. Plus, it's just over the way from the West End Markets, and the perfect chaser to a Saturday morning spent eating lángos and petting other people's dogs. No matter how experienced your green thumb may be, this is one of the best places to buy plants in Brisbane. ALL THE GREEN THINGS, HIGHGATE HILL Plants aren't the only attraction at All the Green Things, although it does stock a sizeable range of gorgeous houseplants. While you're wandering around the Brisbane nursery's Vulture Street spot, perusing the shelves and looking at everything from hardy favourites to rare varieties, you may also spy the shop's resident dog, Ruby. In fact, if you're as fond of four-legged friends as you are plants, you'll be able to stock up on pet-friendly greenery. Animal-shaped and -adorned planters and pots are also a highlight, which'll help you combine your love of both — or make you feel better if the leafy new addition to your home is the closest you're going to get to expanding to your household at the moment. CITY FARM NURSERY, WINDSOR Fancy something green, alive and edible? Then you'll want to make a visit to City Farm Nursery. Given that this Brisbane nursery is part of Northey Street City Farm, aka Windsor's permaculture haven, the focus on plants that produce vegetables, fruit, herbs and bush tucker shouldn't come as a surprise. Consider it a two-for-one type of scenario: pick up some greenery to brighten up your balcony, and score yourself a treasure trove of ingredients that you can use in the kitchen at the same time. From cucumber, cherry tomato and beetroot seedlings right through to fruit trees, you'll find plenty here that'll make you hungry. You will also find other plants, particularly succulents; however if you've always wanted to use your green thumb to be a little more self-sufficient, this is your spot. BROOKFIELD GARDENS, BROOKFIELD One of Brisbane's long-term greenery go-tos, Brookfield Gardens may have changed its name from Brookfield Garden Centre, but it's still the same beloved spot that's been around for more than a decade. It's also well worth making the trip out to the western suburbs to visit. Outside in the nursery, a host of outdoor plants await. Back inside in the greenhouse, it's time to feast your eyes on indoor plants. If that's not enough, you can also mosey around areas specifically dedicated to pots, homewares, and edible flowers and herbs. And, while you're out at this Brisbane nursery and plant shop, you can also grab a plant-focused breakfast or lunch from onsite bistro Wild Canary. SATURDAY FRESH MARKET, ROCKLEA The weekend markets at Rocklea are for serious plant buyers. We recommend you squad up with your green thumb friends, make a dedicated trip to the Saturday Fresh Market between 6am–12pm and back that car straight up to the loading zone. The plants on sale are cheap as chips, often half the price of your average Brisbane nursery (though it's not the place to hunt for weird or exotic species, as sellers will offer everything else in bulk). However, it's the perfect spot to pick up big indoor and outdoor plants, pots of colour, natives and smaller succulents and cacti. Remember to take cash (as well as coins for entry and parking, $6 per car and $2 per person) and be strategic: do a sweep of the plant sellers before settling on purchases and going back, otherwise you might be disappointed to find a better deal elsewhere. If you're looking for a bargain, it's the best place to buy plants in Brisbane.
Eleven years ago, Taika Waititi was a writer for hire, working on an adaptation of a beloved New Zealand book. Today, he's about to leap into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the director of the forthcoming Thor: Ragnarok. Progressing from the former to the latter hasn't been easy; however as Waititi's career has continually proven, he likes to stray off the beaten path. Indeed, before he embraces the superhero realm, he's bringing a dose of adventurous anarchy to cinema screens courtesy of his fourth feature, Hunt for the Wilderpeople. After exploring unconventional family dynamics with Eagle vs Shark, Boy and What We Do in the Shadows, Waititi ponders similar territory again. But this time, he's telling the tale of city kid Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison), his cranky foster uncle Hec (Sam Neill), and their attempts to escape an over-enthusiastic child services officer (Rachel House) by trampling through the New Zealand wilderness. And, he's actually returning to that project he started scripting more than a decade ago. Expect plenty of humour and heart, Terminator references, a dog named Tupac and Rhys Darby as an eccentric conspiracy theorist — all in a movie that has "synthesizers and a score from the '80s, and car chases and flipped police cars and all that stupid stuff," as Waititi puts it. There's a reason Hunt for the Wilderpeople has become New Zealand's biggest homegrown box office success of all time (knocking the filmmaker's own Boy off the top spot, actually). With the film's Australian release under way, we spoke with Waititi about great buddy comedies, getting annoyed at New Zealand's landscape and not being able to connect with bank robbers, and about the movie of the moment, of course. ON WHAT ATTRACTED HIM TO THE WILDERPEOPLE "I think it was just that I loved the idea of this character being on the run, sort of like Thelma and Louise or The Fugitive or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. All those kind of buddy flicks that, even films like Up, have two mismatched characters who are thrown together and stuck together. It's always been a winning combination in cinema. Paper Moon, 48 Hours, the list goes on. So I love that style and I thought it'd be a cool thing to see." ON WORKING WITH NEW ZEALAND'S UNPREDICTABLE WILDERNESS "We were shooting on locations, and we didn't really have much of an idea where we were going to shoot things, and what the weather was going to be like. We ended up in a whole lot of really remote places in New Zealand. At one of them ... we had a huge dump of snow. We had to kind of regroup that morning as the snow was falling on us, and we were like an hour from the main road, we had just driven deep inland. It was too expensive and it would lose the whole day moving everyone out of there. So we just basically decided to shoot and to set a part of the film in the snow. And that's when we got that cool 780-degree shot that turns around and around — we shot that, and spent a few hours shooting that ... While we were doing that, I was trying to figure out what we were going to do for the rest of the day. Now the film has this whole breadth of seasonal change through it. And it makes it even more epic, the fact that it has snow and it spans months and months." ON CELEBRATING THE FILM'S NEW ZEALAND HERITAGE "I'm very proud of where I come from, and I think [New Zealand's] a very beautiful place. Sometimes we take it for granted, how beautiful the land is. I think we get pissed off with it. It's like 'god you can't look anywhere without seeing some beautiful landscape'. And you forget that no one in the world has seen stuff like that. I think that's it's not often nowadays that we make films that celebrate what New Zealand looks like or like, the culture, the people, and how crazy we are. I wanted to do that. I wanted to use so much of that in there. So many parts of the film are inspired by '80s New Zealand films and Australian films. We used to make so many car chase films with people trying to drive from one end of the country to the other, and we stopped doing all that stuff. I think we started taking ourselves too seriously, and I don't do that." ON MAKING FILMS ABOUT UNCONVENTIONAL FAMILIES "Well, my family is crazy. I'm from a very crazy family — but I actually think every family is crazy. I think every single person has some insane part to their family. Every family, there's a criminal somewhere in there, there's a crazy person, there's someone who has just found religion, there's someone who's just left religion, there's someone who's been divorced, there's someone who has just fallen in love. Families are just really messed up, and they're a macro representation of earth, really. All parts of humanity all crammed into a couple of households. And it is the one thing I've found that everyone relates to the most: family dynamics. I don't relate to bank robbers. I've seen a lot of those films, and I get really bored. I don't care about the stakes, and I don't care about what they're trying to do, and I don't care about bank robbery, so I lose interest. But if you set it around a bank robber who's trying to get together with his ex-wife, at least there's something to hold on to there." ON JUMPING FROM INDIE FILMS TO DIRECTING MARVEL'S FORTHCOMING THOR MOVIE "There's not a huge difference really, to be honest. There's just a little bit more time, and you get a few more opportunities to do things that, in the normal indie world, you'd have to find cheaper ways of doing or you'd just have to have a character talk about rather than actually showing something blow up. So parts of your imagination, you actually get to shoot — and that's quite cool. It also could be dangerous to give people that much freedom, creatively. But it is very similar to the indie world in terms of it is still a bunch of people wanting to make a really good story and to make a good film." Hunt for the Wilderpeople opens in Australian cinemas on May 26.
Over the past twelve months, Concrete Playground's film critics have watched a truly obscene number of movies. Blockbusters, indie titles and arthouse flicks from around the globe, if it's been projected onto a screen anywhere in this country we've gobbled it up – along with approximately ten truckloads full of popcorn. And while there are certain films we'd much rather forget (looking at you Fantastic Four), there have also been plenty of great ones. Presented in alphabetical order, here are our ten favourite movies of the year. AMY Amy, by director Asif Kapadia, is an overwhelmingly tragic and absorbing portrait of the life (and death) of famed jazz singer Amy Winehouse; a documentary steeped in disquiet because, just as it was with Kapadia's previous film Senna, you know it ends in a crash. With its remarkable catalogue of personal videos, voicemails and recording sessions, Kapadia has crafted an extraordinarily moving tribute to a prodigious talent whose life seemed somehow unavoidably foredoomed. - Tom Glasson Read our full review. BIRDMAN Filmed like a play but choreographed like a dance, Alejandro G. Iñárritu's Birdman is a cinematic ballet, one where the way the story is presented is just as critical as the story itself. Narratively, its chronicle of redemption is a simple one, but like all good tales the simplicity of plot is offset by characters possessed of deep complexity. This is a film that almost commands repeat viewings, if only to marvel at its mechanics – and yet Birdman offers so much more than form. Darkly comedic, intellectually challenging and emotionally confronting, it’s a tantalisingly original piece of cinema that rightfully garnered multiple Oscars, including the top gong, at this year's Academy Awards. - TG Read our full review. EDEN If you're thinking about French electronic music, then you're probably thinking about Daft Punk. Writer-director Mia Hansen-Løve understands this, and doesn't shy away from their success in her portrait of the scene during the early 1990s. In fact, they're the counterpoint to the struggles endured by Eden's main character, Paul (Félix de Givry), as he chases the same dream over the course of two decades. Suffice it to say, he doesn't quite enjoy the same trajectory as his helmet-wearing friends. The film does, however, offer an astute account of trying and not quite succeeding that's equally hopeful and realistic. - Sarah Ward Read our full review. EX MACHINA Before Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleeson found themselves on opposite sides of the good-versus-evil divide in Star Wars: Episode VII, they battled over something else in the sci-fi realm. In Ex Machina, artificial intelligence and a humanoid robot named Ava (Alicia Vikander) spark a clash between Isaac's tech company CEO and Gleeson's computer programmer, after the former invites the latter to help test his newest creation. One of the best modern appropriations of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein ever made, Alex Garland's directorial debut is precise and probing in its themes, visuals and mood. - SW Read our full review. INSIDE OUT Pixar gets back to the top of their game with this wonderfully inventive tale set inside the human mind. Like all the studio's best movies, Inside Out can be enjoyed by just about anyone, with plenty of cerebral grown-up gags mixed in with the animated slapstick. It also features some of the most gorgeous visuals they've ever put up on the screen. But it's the film's emotional intelligence that earns it a spot in the Pixar pantheon alongside Up and Toy Story 3. Not content simply to make us cry, director Pete Docter instead examines why we cry, delivering a poignant life lesson that applies no matter how old you may be. - Tom Clift Read our full review. LOVE It's two and a half hours long, full of graphic sex and the whole thing is shot in 3D. In case you couldn't guess, Gaspar Noe's Love won't appeal to every taste. But even those who hate it would be hard pressed to deny that it's one of the most daring movies released in quite some time. Say what you will about his apparent predilections, but Noe is clearly a master of his craft. And if nothing else, Love is worth seeing just so you can argue about it. Is it a scathing critique of misogyny and male insecurity, or is it guilty of those very issues itself? Ultimately, you need to see it to decide. - TC Read our full review. MACBETH Few filmmakers can take something as distinctive as Shakespeare and turn it into a creation that feels wholly like their own. Justin Kurzel might follow in the footsteps of fellow Australian Baz Luhrmann in achieving this feat, although his Macbeth has little else in common with everyone's favourite version of Romeo + Juliet. In the Snowtown helmer's hands, the tale of an ambitious soldier willing to do whatever it takes to become king is stripped down to its most bleak and brutal elements. Yes, it rages with sound and fury. Yes, it's moody and brooding, both in emotion and in its aesthetic. Yes, Michael Fassbender steals the show in the title role, though Marion Cotillard threatens to do the same in every scene she's in. - SW Read our full review. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD In an era when most blockbusters follow the same predictable path, Mad Max: Fury Road charts a course in a very different direction. A barebones narrative forms the basis for the film, essentially a two-hour car chase through a bizarre desert wasteland, where warlords rule with an iron fist and flamethrowers double as guitars. Director George Miller makes fantastic use of practical effects, crafting action that is both bombastic and possesses a genuine sense of danger – something that films loaded with CGI often struggle to achieve. And that's to say nothing of the movies' unexpected feminist streak, with Charlize Theron's Imperator Furiosa stealing the whole film right out from under Max's feet. - TC Read our full review. SICARIO Since the beginning of the Mexican Drug War in 2006, it’s estimated more than 100,000 people have been killed in cartel-related violence. Sicario (Spanish for ‘hitman’) is a gritty, confronting and appropriately brutal examination of the US’s complicated and often deleterious engagement with this conflict. While its doleful theme of ‘this is just how things are’ doesn't deliver anything particularly new on the topic, Sicario showcases two powerhouse performances from its leads — Emily Blunt and Benicio del Toro — and delivers a relentlessly tense, immaculately constructed piece of cinema from start to finish. - TG Read our full review. THE LOBSTER If you were going to get turned into an animal, which one would you choose? This line of thought pops up in The Lobster, although it's actually one of the least interesting things about the English-language debut of Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos. The writer-director behind Dogtooth and Alps, Lanthimos uses a light sci-fi premise and a high-profile cast to ponder society's obsession with pairing people off, maintaining monogamous relationships and adhering to an amorous status quo. The result is a savagely funny yet heartbreakingly tender film that also features what might be the most memorable use of Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue's 'Where the Wild Roses Grow' we've ever seen. - SW Read our full review. Honourable Mentions: A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night, Magic Mike XXL, Mommy, Tehran Taxi.
Sleeping under the stars on holiday is a romantic notion of old, taking us back to the days of our ancestors and bringing us closer to nature — that is, until nature finds its way into your campsite and rummages through all of your Tim Tams. Hotels and resorts around the world are finding creative ways to bring the open-air to you in style, allowing guests to embrace their surroundings in pure luxury. If you love glamping, you're going to go nuts for these five-starry retreats. [caption id="attachment_582573" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Atelier für Sonderaufgaben.[/caption] THE ONLY STAR IS YOU WHERE IN THE WORLD: Swiss Alps, Switzerland WHAT IT WILL COST: $310AUD per night Making headlines for the last couple of weeks, this brand new hotel in the Swiss Alps lets travellers experience a roofless, door-less and even wall-less night's stay — the luxury double bed is all that makes up this hotel 'room'. Be prepared to really immerse yourself in your surroundings, since the great outdoors will act as your bathroom and shower. This project comes as the antithesis to Null Stern Hotels' 2008 project, Zero Star Hotel, which was built in a nuclear bunker. THE LOISABA STARBEDS WHERE IN THE WORLD: Loisaba Conservancy, Kenya WHAT IT WILL COST: $300AUD per night Among Loisaba Conservancy's 56,000 acres of wildlife lies their Starbeds — handcrafted, four-poster beds which are wheeled onto raised wooden platforms. These are built into the rock face and offer unrestricted views of the African night sky, as well as the illusion of being suspended in mid-air. The communal area includes brass-fitted bathrooms, wooden decks and dining rooms, all overlooking the Kiboko Waterhole which is frequented by hippos and other wildlife. AMANGIRI WHERE IN THE WORLD: Canyon Point, Utah WHAT IT WILL COST: $3000AUD per night Open-air hotels don't get more glamorous, or pricier, than Amangiri. The 600-acres of protected desert is approximately two hours from the Grand Canyon. The resort is built into the rock-face for maximum exclusivity, with each suite offering indoor and outdoor sleeping arrangements. Travelling with friends? The four-bedroom mesa home includes a 15-metre private pool, fireplace, underfloor heating and personal bar, and will cost you a cool $12K per night. CABRIOLET ROOM WHERE IN THE WORLD: L'Albereta Resort, Italy WHAT IT WILL COST: $550 AUD per night If you're looking for romantic star gazing, nothing beats the Cabriolet room at L'Albereta, where a push of a button reveals a retractable roof and the gorgeous Italian night sky beyond. The plush canopy bed is only out-luxed by the marble-clad bathroom, which includes a hydro-massage tub. The views aren't limited to the stars, either — the balcony faces the resort's vineyards, as well as Lake Iseo. VIEW WITH A ROOM WHERE IN THE WORLD: Bangkok, Thailand WHAT IT WILL COST: $285 per night Bangkok Tree House is an eco-conscious, 12-room boutique located on the island of Bang Krachao, just outside the smog of Bangkok. The hotel takes us back to the basics, allowing visitors to sleep in a seven-metre-high, bamboo floored treehouse which is open to both the sky and surrounding mangroves. The showers are heated by the sun, and free homemade fruit ice cream is available 24/7. In this case, living out your childhood will also do some good — the hotel removes one kilogram of rubbish from the nearby Chao Phraya River with every booking made, having removed over 3000 kilograms of trash to date.
Need a bit of a break and love your music? Sure you could leave it all behind and head up to Splendour, if you were lucky enough to get tickets. You didn't? Why not look a little further afield for your music festival fix? Festival season is about to kick into action in the Northern Hemisphere. With a plane ticket in your hand, you need never quit the dancefloor. Take a coffee break and take a scroll through some of the world's most incredible music festivals. We've teamed up with NESCAFÉ to help you take the desk break you, as a hardworking human being, deserve. They're events we'd nab an airfare for just for the festival itself — from big name-driven classics like Glastonbury to boutique gatherings in extraordinary settings, like Japan's mountaintop festival The Labyrinth. The lineups are a bonus. [caption id="attachment_569154" align="alignnone" width="1280"] littlebreadtoast.[/caption] PRIMAVERA SOUND, BARCELONA, SPAIN If you were championing Courtney Barnett before anyone else was listening and spend more than your fair share of hours searching YouTube for undiscovered artists, you'll love Primavera Sound. Just a few of the acts to have made their Spanish festival debut here are LCD Soundsystem, Franz Ferdinand, Wilco, Arcade Fire and Bon Iver. Primavera is all about giving stages to indie and alternative music. When the show's over, hang around for a few days at least to explore Barcelona's winding alleyways, sparkling coastline and late, late (lockout free!) nightlife. This year, Primavera's scheduled for June 1-5. [caption id="attachment_569179" align="alignnone" width="1280"] The Labyrinth.[/caption] THE LABYRINTH, JAPAN Lovers of mountains and electronica, add this one to your bucket list. Held among the spectacular peaks of Japan's Niigata Prefecture, The Labyrinth is famous for its amazing surroundings, as well as its hours and hours of uninterrupted music. DJ sets run back-to-back, so you'll have to bring a deckchair to catch your breath. Acts to have made previous lineups include Peter van Hoesen, Donato Dozzy, Svreca and Petar Dundov. The only catch is that only 5 percent of tickets are sold outside Japan, so you need to get smart to get hold of one. Labyrinth 2016 is yet to be announced, but you can expect it to happen in September. [caption id="attachment_569170" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Love International.[/caption] LOVE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL, CROATIA Started in 2006 as Garden Festival, this event has morphed into the Love International Festival. Lesser known than many listings here, it's a week-long, boutique affair, set in a magical garden in Tisno, Croatia, right on the edge of the Adriatic Sea. In fact, there's even a private beach, so you can cool off after sweating it out on the dancefloor. You have a choice of six stages, including one on the sand, one in an olive grove and two on wooden boats. The program is mainly electronica, with a smattering of live acts. Get to Love International 2016 between June 29 and July 5. [caption id="attachment_569144" align="alignnone" width="1280"] SXSW.[/caption] SXSW (SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST), AUSTIN Back when Bob Hawke was Prime Minister and shoulder pads were boss (we're talking 1986), a bunch of music-loving folks in Austin, Texas, got together to talk about the future. What bothered them most was that so many stupendously talented local musicians were struggling to attract interstate — let alone international — attention. So, they decided that if Austin couldn't get to the world, they'd bring the world to Austin. And in 1987, the first ever South by Southwest Festival was held. 29 years on, the event is one of the planet's most influential tastemaking music happenings, featuring more than 2000 acts, 200+ workshops and over 100 stages. The 30th edition is programmed for 10-19 March, 2017. INTO THE VALLEY, SWEDEN Sweden's Into the Valley might be the only festival in the world held in a limestone quarry, which was formed by a meteorite. Not only does such a setting make for infinite Instagramming opportunities, it's also means cracking acoustics. The organisers get the best out of both, with a solid house and electronic lineup booming through super powerful sound systems, as well as fantastical light shows. Plus, there's a brilliant, turquoise swimming hole. Into the Valley takes place in Rättvik, 280 kilometres north of Stockholm. This year, it'll be on July 29-31. [caption id="attachment_569150" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Douglas Mason/Jazz Fest.[/caption] NEW ORLEANS JAZZ AND HERITAGE FESTIVAL, LOUISIANA Jazz makes up just one chunk of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (aka Jazz Fest). You can also count on blues, soul, R&B, rock, Latin, rap, country and bluegrass. Take 2016's program, for example — it's spearheaded by Stevie Wonder, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Neil Young and Snoop Dogg. Running for eight days, the extravaganza takes over New Orleans' every nook and cranny. To keep you fuelled up between sets, there are more than 70 food stalls, serving up soulful nosh — from crab po' boys and boiled crawfish to fried green tomatoes and oyster patties. 2016's Jazz Fest is running April 22 - May 1. [caption id="attachment_569167" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Meadows in the Mountains.[/caption] MEADOWS IN THE MOUNTAINS, BULGARIA If smaller crowds are more your thing, book a ticket to Bulgaria's Meadows in the Mountains. Set high in the Rhodopes Mountains, this four-day festival offers a blend of live acts and DJs — and loads of time to settle into a hammock and relax. There's also a dedicated 'healing field', where you can partake in yoga lessons, meditation sessions, tantra workshops, cacao ceremonies, sound baths and wholesome food. Stay in a genuine Bulgarian rustic mountain hut or a teepee or carry your own tent with you. Meadows in the Mountains 2016 is on June 10-13. [caption id="attachment_569168" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Nat Urazmetova.[/caption] GLASTONBURY, UK Should Byron Bay's Bluesfest fail to deliver your annual quota of mud, you can always try again at Glastonbury. Held every June on a farm in Somerset, this legendary event often cops a good ol' British deluge — but that only doubles the fun. What's more, if you've just hit sunny Primavera, it's a refreshing sequel. Glastonbury's lineup is always littered with massive names — this year, Muse, Adele, Coldplay, Disclosure, PJ Harvey make up just a sprinkling of them. Needless to say, the tough bit is getting your mitts on a ticket — they sell out faster than Usain Bolt can smash 100 metres. Glastonbury 2016 is coming up June 22-26. [caption id="attachment_569176" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Matias Garabedian.[/caption] MONTREAL JAZZ FESTIVAL, CANADA After Glastonbury and a couple of days at Love International, jump the Atlantic for a change of scene. Like New Orleans Jazz Fest, the Montreal Jazz Festival isn't only about jazz, but also covers its close musical relatives. 2016 headliners include Rufus Wainwright, Ben Harper and Noel Gallagher, alongside jazz stars like Wynton Marsalis, Chick Corea and Christian McBride. All in all, you can prepare to see 3000 musicians, representing more than 30 nations, across 650 shows (of which 450 are outdoors and free!). The 35th Montreal Jazz Festival is on June 29 - July 9 2016. [caption id="attachment_568795" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Geoff Stearns.[/caption] BURNING MAN, NEVADA Each year, as the Northern Hemisphere's summer draws to a close, tens and thousands of people gather in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada, to take part in Burning Man. It's the only festival on this list to create itself as it happens. In other words, all attendees are participants — rather than followers of a neatly organised, timetabled plan. Over the course of seven days, they build art installations, themed camps, mutant vehicles and performances, thereby creating a temporal and ever-changing metropolis named Black Rock City, which vanishes when the event finishes. If you're travelling solo, you can hook up with others by volunteering. Burning Man 2016 is on August 28 - September 5 (and you'd better go soon before Silicon Valley suits eat it up. Top image: The Labyrinth.
Hito Steyerl is a leading figure in the critical articulation of how the internet, digital technologies and images are transforming life, work and politics. That is, she gets how Buzzfeed, cats and Buzzfeed articles on cats are manipulating the paces and practices of everyday people, and why it matters. The Institute of Modern Art is showcasing the first survey in Australia of this ground-breaking, Berlin-based artist, writer and filmmaker with the exhibition Too Much World. Running from December 13 to March 22, this exhibition features six of Steyerl’s works from the past decade, including art film Liquidity Inc. Her other video installations will comprise self-reflective combinations of technologies and environments, with the masterful use of montage, art and documentary practice making these videos just as visually truthful as they are revealing. Hito Steyerl is one of the most critically acclaimed artist working in the field of video and digital innovation today. Too Much World should not be missed.
We owe more than a tip of our sombreros to the 2 million square kilometres that make up the nation of Mexico. Just try imagining your youth — or your next beachside holiday — without tequila or the mighty margarita. Then there’s the less obvious stuff. Unless you were listening hard during history lessons, it might have slipped under your radar that Mexico's ancient civilisations played a major role in bringing us chewing gum and chocolate. And since then, we’ve been kindly introduced to Frida Kahlo, Gael Garcia Bernal, Guillermo del Toro and Rodrigo y Gabriela. Here are ten excellent things to thank Mexico for. CHOCOLATE From the ancient evidence uncovered so far, cocoa seeds were first turned into drinkable chocolate by people of the Mokaya cultures, who lived in modern-day Mexico between 1900 and 650 BC. In Chiapas, which lies on the Pacific coast, archaeologists have found vessels containing cocoa residue dating back to 1900 BC. What’s more, it appears that cocoa was used not only for its sweet warmth but also for its intoxicating potential. Even back then, the sugars of the seeds were fermented and turned into alcohol. MODERN CHEWING GUM Humans have been chewing bits and pieces of sticky stuff for thousands of years. But gum, as we know it today, was born in the 1860s, when General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, a former Mexican President, took a substance named chicle to New York. The Aztecs had used it, for both chewing and pasting, and Santa Anna wanted to show it to his secretary, Thomas Adams. Thomas decided chicle was best cut into strips, packeted and sold as Adams New York Chewing Gum. Later on, he joined forces with William Wrigley Jr. NACHOS Nachos were created by accident in Piedras Negras — right near Mexico’s border with Eagle Pass, Texas. On an unknown date in 1943, a bunch of American ladies popped into an eatery there. Tired after a day of shopping, they were ready for a feast. The chef-owner, Ignacio Anaya, was about to shut up shop, so he put together a quick snack with what he had left, which happened to be tortillas, cheese and jalapenos. When the customers asked for the dish’s name, Mr Anaya answered "Nacho’s especiales", nacho being a shortened version of his first name. COLOUR TELEVISION Like that of film, the evolution of colour television involved a number of crucial steps, which happened neck-and-neck in various parts of the world. Guillermo Gonzalez Camarena, a Mexican engineer, was awarded one of the most important relevant patents in 1942 for his invention of the chromoscopic adaptor, which could be attached to a black-and-white television. On August 31, 1946, Camarena facilitated his first colour transmission from his laboratory in Mexico City. CORONA It’s now 90 years since the first bottle of Corona was brewed. Now present in 186 countries, Corona is the number one Mexican beer in the world and still to this day every bottle of Corona is brewed in Mexico. It’s become synonymous with sun, surf and relaxation. Usually enjoyed pulled out of an icy bucket, with a wedge of lime in the top and with good mates in tow, it's your little gustatory holiday to the Mexican coast. CINCO DE MAYO This whizz-bang celebration, which happens mainly in the US and Mexico but has been adopted around the world, is held on May 5 every year. In case you’re wondering, Cinco de Mayo is Spanish for fifth of May. Wherever the party occurs, folk dancing, patriotic songs and feasting take over the streets. For school kids in Mexico, it’s a major score, because all the teachers take a day off. Cinco de Mayo is in honour of Mexico’s victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla, on May 5, 1862. It’s not to be confused with Mexican Independence Day, which is celebrated on September 16. RODRIGO Y GABRIELA Since meeting and falling in love at Mexico City’s Casa de Cultura (House of Culture) back in the late ‘80s — when they were just 15 years old — Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero have become international guitar legends. They bring classical virtuosity to a bunch of genres, from flamenco to rock to heavy metal. After moving to Dublin in 1999 and busking about the place, in 2004 they released their debut album, Rodrigo y Gabriela, which smashed its way straight to the top of the Irish charts. These days, they’re no longer dating, but their musical partnership remains in fine form. FRIDA KAHLO Fierce feminist painter Frida Kahlo is undoubtedly one of Mexico’s major contributions to 20th century art. Her bright colours and striking imagery combine Mexican and Indigenous traditions with surrealist influences; Andre Breton, the French writer and poet, described her work as “a ribbon around a bomb”. At the age of 18, she was injured in a horrific bus crash, which left her in immense, recurring pain for the rest of her life — a significant influence on her intense art works. GUILLERMO DEL TORO This film director, screenwriter, producer and novelist has brought us a plethora of darkly beautiful movies, including the gothic horror creations The Devil’s Backbone (2001) and Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) and unusual blockbusters Hellboy (2004) and Pacific Rim (2013). Del Toro was born into a Catholic family in Guadalajara, Mexico, and his obsession with filmmaking began when he was just eight. One of his earliest shorts featured a serial killer potato that wanted to take over the world. GAEL GARCIA BERNAL Born in 1978 in the same town as Guillermo del Toro — Guadalajara — Gael Garcia Bernal was a bit of a hit on Mexican TV as a teenager. At 19, he made tracks to London, where he became the first Mexican to study at the Central School of Speech and Drama. Fast forward to 2000 and he (along with Birdman director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu) caught our attention in Amores Perros, followed closely by Alfonso Cuaron's Y Tu Mama Tambien and Pedro Almodovar's Bad Education. Since then, he’s appeared in Babel, The Science of Sleep, Blindness, No and Rosewater, among numerous other films, while taking on a stack of other projects, from directing documentaries for Amnesty International to founding his own film company, Canana Productions.
Conversations surrounding the best artists on the international rap scene today inevitably include mention of Danny Brown. The Detroit-born rapper's incendiary performances and the berserk originality of his songs have shellshocked his fans and rap enthusiasts alike. Now, this innovative and ever-surprising artist returns to Australian shores for a teeny two-stop tour. Brown made waves in 2010 with the release of his debut album The Hybrid, before gaining massive recognition a year later for his second album XXX. In 2013, he released his most recent album Old, which spawned the birth of three singles 'Dip', '25 Bucks' with Purity Ring and 'Smokin & Drinkin'. Brown hit our shores last year for an exclusive, sideshow-free Splendour in the Grass appearance, and hits Perth's Origin NYE 2014 and Sydney's Field Day 2015 on this visit. Danny Brown will be playing at Brisbane’s The Hifi on the January 3 and The Corner Hotel, Melbourne January 4 and 5. Don't miss the mad and talented antics of this contemporary hip hop great.
Beloved Aussie rockers Tame Impala are suing their ex-record label Modular for over half-a-million in unpaid overseas royalties. A month ago, Kevin Parker hinted in a Reddit AMA that the band was feuding with Modular and, until recently, hadn’t received a single dollar from overseas royalties. “I may never get that money,” he lamented “Someone high up spent the money before it got to me." If we're reading between the lines, this means that if you supported Tame Impala outside of Australia, your money actually went to line the pockets of Modular label founder Stephen Pavlovic. And a lot of you did. According to The Australian, Parker’s new label BMG is suing Pavlovic for $US450,000 (AUD$588,150). That’s a lot of dough. Modular is also being accused of ignoring a 'cease and desist' letter regarding their distribution of Tama Impala material. Modular's not exactly rolling in it right now. The Music reports that most of Modular’s big names (including Pond, Architecture in Helsinki and Wolfmother) have moved on to other labels and distribution channels. At the end of the day, this isn't the first time an artist has chased their own unpaid royalties. In his AMA, Parker went on to explain (in a frankly chill way for someone who has been duped out of hundreds of thousands of dollars) that basically, the music industry is fukt. Let's be honest, when you pay money for an album instead of downloading it illegally for free — a decision usually made out of respect for the artist — the majority of that money is likely finding its way into the wallet of a third party. Parker cut right through the bullshit, saying "As far as I'm concerned the best thing you can do for an artist is LISTEN to the music...fall in love with it.......talk about it.........get it however you can get it....Let the corporations pay for [it]”. Right on, brother. Pavlovic is yet to comment on the situation and is unlikely to soon, considering the legal battle ahead. Via Tone Deaf and The Australian. Image: End of the Road.
Asylum seekers, detained boats and detention centres are frequent news fodder; however, amid all the headlines, one thing is often missing: the views of refugees themselves. What pushes people to leave home? What do they leave behind? What do they fear? Why did they choose this path? And what does it take to turn someone into a 'boat person'? They're just some of the questions filmmakers Jessie Taylor and Ali Reza Sadiqi asked when they decided to delve into the issue. In 2009, they travelled across Indonesia to meet with 250 people looking for a better life, with Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea the end result of their interviews. They're also the questions you can find answers to at Meaningful Movies, Amnesty International's free monthly evening of cinema and conversation. Watching the documentary is just the beginning, with Rebecca Lim from Brisbane-based asylum seeker support agency the Romero Centre also on hand to chat through the topic. This isn't just a night of film watching — this is movie-going that matters.
We're only just now wrapping things up for this summer, but already the NGV has us anticipating the next one with its most ambitious exhibition yet. Descending on the gallery this December, and then every three years after that, the NGV Triennial series will present a smorgasbord of art and design, plucked from all corners of the globe and representing established artists, emerging talent, and plenty else in between. Each blockbuster lineup will highlight the ever-blurring lines between art, fashion, architecture, design, and performance. Kicking off with a bang, plans for this year's inaugural event are nothing short of grand, with the NGV announcing the free exhibition will take over all four levels of the gallery and host exciting works by over 60 artists and designers. But where it's really upping the ante is in the audience experience, with visitors invited to present their own ideas through cross-platform content, and the exhibition's participatory works designed to engage like never before. Legendary Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, best known for her obsessive patterning and vibrant representations of the infinite, will invite glimpses into the artist's mind with a work titled Flower obsession. Created especially for the NGV Triennial, the interactive exhibition will have visitors unleashing some creativity of their own, as they help plaster a furnished space with an array of colourful flower stickers and three-dimensional blooms. Kusuma joins other international names like Germany's Timo Nasseri and Canada's Sascha Braunig, alongside an Aussie billing that includes the likes of Ben Quilty, Louisa Bufardeci, and Tom Crago. There'll be an installation from Chinese haute couture fashion guru Guo Pei, designer of Rihanna's canary-yellow Met Ball gown, and an epic display of 100 oversized human skulls created by Australian artist Ron Mueck. Chemist and odour theorist Sissel Tolaas will create the 'scent of Melbourne' exclusively for the Triennial. And Alexandra Kehayoglou will be creating one of her monumentally-sized, lushly illustrated carpets, spanning over eight-metres-long. UPDATE JANUARY 19, 2018: From January 19–28, the gallery will stay open from 6pm till midnight with DJs, dance tours, talks and a pop-up Japanese restaurant as part of its ten-day Triennial Extra program. Image: NGV/Sean Fennessey.
It's the film festival that gives German cinema fans a showcase of the European nation's latest and greatest movies without leaving Australia. It's a way to catch up on highlights from the Berlin International Film Festival from Down Under, too. And, it's where German-language flicks from beyond the obvious nation equally get their time to shine. Here's another description that fits: it's also where one of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's masterpieces is almost always on the bill. The event in question is the German Film Festival, which has a huge 2025 in store even just by the numbers. Making its way around Australia between Wednesday, April 30–Wednesday, May 28, this year's fest has 29 days of movies on offer across eight legs in nine places and 23 cinemas. Cinephiles in Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Ballarat, Byron Bay and Ballina, get excited: 20 features, plus 14-part miniseries Berlin Alexanderplatz, are on their way across the festival's tour. Not every title is playing at every location, including the literally biggest of them all for 2025. Fassbinder's addition to this year's program only has dates with Sydney and Melbourne, playing on the silver screen across three weekends — but if you're a movie lover in either city, clearing your diary to see the page-to-screen great that is Berlin Alexanderplatz couldn't be more highly recommended. The German Film Festival's opening-night pick is showing at all legs of the event, however, with romantic comedy Long Story Short kicking off the celebration of cinema — and giving Australia the chance to see one of Germany's recent box-office smashes. Other highlights across the complete program include six flicks that first played at this year's Berlinale, spanning closing night's Mother's Baby, the Nina Hoss (Tár)-starring Cicadas and conspiracy thriller Hysteria, alongside Hildegard Knef-focused documentary I Want It All, comedy of manners What Marielle Knows and the family-friendly Circusboy. That strand of movies also demonstrates the fest's fondness for variety, and for veering from the amusing to the thrilling and the dramatic. Or, attendees can catch Anatomy of a Fall Oscar-nominee Sandra Hüller in heist comedy Two to One, which is based on real-life events in 1990; Lars Eidinger (Babylon Berlin) as an orchestra conductor in Dying; Sam Riley (Widow Clicquot) in biopic John Cranko, about the choreographer; the literary loving The Door-to-Door Bookstore, as fittingly based on the novel; or Winners, which picked up the 2024 German Film Award for Best Children's Film. With Fassbinder, Hoss, Hüller and Eidinger, 2025's GFF is packed with well-known names. Another comes courtesy of doco Riefenstahl. About Leni, the controversial director that shares its moniker, the movie stems from unparalleled access to her private estate as it unpacks the legacy of the helmer of Nazi propaganda film Triumph of the Will, and the fact that her work contradicts her denial of close ties to the party. German Film Festival 2025 Dates Wednesday, April 30–Wednesday, May 21 — Palace Electric, Canberra Thursday, May 1–Wednesday, May 21 — Palace Norton Street, Chauvel Cinema, Palace Central and Palace Moore Park, Sydney Friday, May 2–Wednesday, May 21 — Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, The Kino, The Astor Theatre, Pentridge Cinema and Palace Penny Lane, Melbourne Friday, May 2–Wednesday, May 21 — Palace Regent Ballarat, Ballarat Wednesday, May 7–Wednesday, May 28 — Palace James St and Palace Barracks, Brisbane Wednesday, May 7–Wednesday, May 28 — Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas and Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas, Adelaide Thursday, May 8–Wednesday, May 28 — Luna Leederville, Luna on SX and Palace Raine Square, Perth Thursday, May 8–Wednesday, May 28 — Palace Byron Bay and Ballina Fair Cinemas, Byron Bay and Ballina The 2025 German Film Festival tours Australia from the end of April and throughout May. For more information, visit the festival website.
Desperately need to be snapped from that mid-summer stupor? A few rounds of beverages at Blackbird's outdoor terrace bar should do the trick nicely. Here, you'll sneak a peek at the setting sun while enjoying views across the river to the Story Bridge. There's an impressive selection of oysters and caviar on offer for a truly decadent sundowner session — because nothing screams 'Queensland summer' quite like champagne and seafood on the waterfront. But despite this, most people flock to Blackbird Bar & Grill for the steaks — all served with coleslaw and beef fat vinaigrette. On the menu's cheaper side, enjoy a Beef City premium Angus cross 200-gram tenderloin or a King River wagyu 350-gram rump. The opposite end of the scale offers up a 2GR 200-gram wagyu sirloin or a Grasslands Angus 400g rib eye on the bone. If you don't fancy a steak, try the smoked duck breast and confit leg with baby turnips and puffed wild rice or the coal-roasted market fish with seaweed butter and dill. If you're a vegetarian, it's got you covered too, with a bean sprout, almond and fregola risotto and starters such as baby beetroot, blue pumpkin and steamed broccolini. Their oyster menu is also impressive, while the caviar options include salmon, oscietra and ale blue scampi.
The process of getting takeout is about to become even easier, thanks to a brand new online service that lets you order using emojis. New York-based startup company Fooji works in partnership with local restaurants on a weekly rotating menu, and lets hungry customers place their order via twitter. Yes friends, the future has arrived...and it's really, really lazy. The way the service works almost literally couldn't be simpler, which is probably a big part of the appeal. When you sign up for an account, you list your address and billing information. Then, whenever you're feeling peckish, you just head on over to the Fooji homepage for that week's menu, which corresponds different dishes to different emojis – emojis you then tweet to @gofooji. Typical options include pizza, chicken wings, noodles, curries, sandwiches, pasta and sushi. Or if you're feeling adventurous, just tweet a knife and fork and the Fooji team will order for you. The service costs users a flat US$15 per meal, which includes delivery and tip. They're currently only operating in NYC and San Francisco, although their website mentions the possibility of expanding further down the line. There's also no way to customise your order or stray from the menu – tweeting a burger emoji plus an ice-cream emoji won't get you a dessert burger, no matter how delicious that may sound. It's also a bit rough for people with dietary requirements or food allergies, although don't forget you can still just pick up the phone and call the restaurant yourself. Fooji are currently pursuing a patent for their idea, although they may get some competition from Dominos, who actually rolled out a similar service back in May. That being said, Fooji probably has the edge in that the end result doesn't involve you having to actually consume a Dominos pizza. Yeah, that's definitely a plus. Via PSFK.
It's going to be a battle of bird and Budapest this year at the Academy Awards; the nominations for 2015 have been unveiled this morning. However, the nominations have been met with fierce criticism for a lack of diversity. The big guns at the front of the game: Richard Linklater's Boyhood nabbed six noms as did Clint Eastwood's American Sniper, but right out in front Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Birdman each clocked up nine nominations each. Everyone's talking about the snub to Selma; the Martin Luther King Jr.-focused film missed out on nominations for lead actor David Oyelowo and director Ava DuVernay. Bradley Cooper's nomination for Best Actor in Clint Eastwood's American Sniper was another surprise, a nomination omitted from the Golden Globes. There's a few more Easter eggs in there; Jennifer Anniston missed out on a Best Actress nomination for Cake, the spot instead going to Two Days, One Night's Marion Cotillard. Guardians of the Galaxy is nominated for Best Makeup Design (#iamgroot). Christopher Nolan's Interstellar (one of 2014's most talked-about films that was tipped to possibly miss out) nabbed five nominations including Best Original Score. And Studio Ghibli's The Tale of Princess Kaguya nabbed a Best Animation nom, despite terrible box office figures and the closure of Ghibli's feature film department. And The Lonely Island's Andy Samberg was nominated for Best Original Song for The Lego Movie's Everything is Awesome'. So there's that. There's significant debate over the diversity of the Oscar nominations this year, observations that the Academy have been taking great pains to change over the years. It's been brought up by social media that all 20 of the nominated actors are white, leading to the trending Twitter hashtag #OscarsSoWhite. The Selma snubs have been constantly referenced. The dominance of white Academy voters was also pinpointed by this infographic; 94 percent of voters are white and 77 percent of these are male — black and latino voters made up just 2 percent each. Needless to say, debates are swirling webwide. All will be analysed, prodded, celebrated and scorned on February 22. AND THE NOMINEES ARE: Best Picture American Sniper Birdman Boyhood The Grand Budapest Hotel The Imitation Game Selma The Theory of Everything Whiplash Best Actor Steve Carell, Foxcatcher Bradley Cooper, American Sniper Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game Michael Keaton, Birdman Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything Best Actress Marion Cotillard, Two Days, One Night Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything Julianne Moore, Still Alice Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl Reese Witherspoon, Wild Best Supporting Actor Robert Duvall, The Judge Ethan Hawke, Boyhood Edward Norton, Birdman Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher J. K. Simmons, Whiplash Best Supporting Actress Patricia Arquette, Boyhood Laura Dern, Wild Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game Emma Stone, Birdman Meryl Streep, Into the Woods Best Cinematography Birdman The Grand Budapest Hotel Ida Mr. Turner Unbroken Best Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman Richard Linklater, Boyhood Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game Best Original Screenplay Boyhood Birdman Foxcatcher The Grand Budapest Hotel Nightcrawler Best Adapted Screenplay American Sniper The Imitation Game Inherent Vice The Theory of Everything Whiplash Best Foreign Language Film Ida, Poland Leviathan, Russia Tangerines, Estonia Timbuktu, Mauritania Wild Tales, Argentina Best Makeup and Hairstyling Foxcatcher The Grand Budapest Hotel Guardians of the Galaxy Best Original Score The Grand Budapest Hotel The Imitation Game Interstellar Mr. Turner The Theory of Everything Best Costume Design The Grand Budapest Hotel Inherent Vice Into the Woods Maleficent Mr. Turner Best Documentary Feature Citizenfour Finding Vivian Maier Last Days in Vietnam Salt of the Earth Virunga Best Documentary Short Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1 Joanna Our Curse The Reaper White Earth Best Film Editing American Sniper Boyhood The Grand Budapest Hotel The Imitation Game Whiplash Best Animated Feature Big Hero 6 The Boxtrolls How to Train Your Dragon 2 Song of the Sea The Tale of Princess Kaguya Best Original Song “Lost Stars,” Begin Again “Grateful,” Beyond the Lights “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me “Everything is Awesome,” The Lego Movie “Glory,” Selma Best Production Design The Grand Budapest Hotel The Imitation Game Interstellar Into the Woods Mr. Turner Best Animated Short Film The Bigger Picture The Dam Keeper Feast Me and My Moulton A Single Life Best Live-Action Short Film Aya Boogaloo and Graham Butter Lamp Paraveneh The Phone Call Best Sound Editing American Sniper Birdman The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Interstellar Unbroken Best Sound Mixing American Sniper Birdman Interstellar Unbroken Whiplash Best Visual Effects Captain America: The Winter Soldier Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Guardians of the Galaxy Interstellar X-Men: Days of Future Past
We seriously hope you manage to sneak in a holiday in 2017, because boutique hotel curator Mr & Mrs Smith has compiled the votes from over 25,000 of its luxury-loving users and decided on the world's best accommodation options. These sensational hotels are not only in our most famous cities, but also in areas of remote paradise across the world. In partnership with Mr & Mrs Smith, here are 12 truly incredible, highly individual accommodation options. You'll find treehouses, old relics-turned-hotels and two boutique hotels on Aussie turf (oi, oi, oi!). BEST SMITH HOTEL: HALCYON HOUSE, AUSTRALIA Australia's very own Halcyon House has taken out the top spot in the awards, ushering visitors in with its coastal charm. Luxuriously sited on New South Wales' Cabarita Beach, the hotel opened in 2015 and has already made a name for itself simply by having rooms with stunning decor. Each is decked out in vibrant patterns, often featuring flashes of blue to honour the ocean. Restored vintage bicycles are available to hire, or guests can enjoy a calm afternoon playing croquet, unwinding on candy-striped day beds by the pool, or heading to the hotel's acclaimed restaurant and bar, Paper Daisy, for some "Australian coastal cooking". COOLEST CREATIVE HUB: FOGO ISLAND INN, CANADA Spectacularly perched on a cliff edge (we wouldn't expect anything less from a hotel in Canada), Fogo Island Inn is turning heads. If a wood-fired sauna, rooftop hot tub, art gallery and pastries delivered to your door every morning sounds enticing, then this inn is for you. Managing to pull off grandeur while exercising sustainability, there are rainwater catchment systems and renewable solar and wood-burning energy sources embedded in the inn. The 29 suites are classically and calmingly minimalistic, consisting of white walls, floors and bathrooms that are livened with colourful homewares and furniture made by local designers. BEST DRESSED HOTEL: PALAZZO MARGHERITA, ITALY Dense with soul, grace and opulence, Palazzo Margherita sits in the Italian town of Bernalda, at the arch of Italy's foot. It's fit for a king, and coincidentally restored by film royalty. Director of The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola, sought to refurbish what was a decaying 19th century relic and turn it into a hotel. All nine suites in the palazzo are individually characterised, some with peachy walls and gold framing, others looking onto roof murals reminiscent of Catholic churches. Guests have the option to unwind at the warmly hued family bar, or the cinecitta bar where the walls are lined with glossy photos of Italian celebrities. For explorers, this accommodation could not be more perfectly placed. The Basilicata region is flush with ruins, including those of Metaponto and Policoro, as well as the cave dwellings of Matera. The deserted town of Craco is within reach, too. WORLD'S SEXIEST BEDROOM: KEEMALA, THAILAND You may find it hard to put your phone down and resist the urge to post on Instagram seventeen times a day at Keemala. It's Avatar meets a five-star resort. The pool villas, harnessed in generous, luscious rainforest, may send your followers into an envious spiral. Rooms are encased in woven wood cocoons and beds are gloriously draped with lavish curtains that you can close and shut off from the world. The resort offers an hourly shuttle to Kamala beach, a spa and fitness centre holding yoga and Muay Thai boxing classes, as well as tai chi on the beach. The pool bar whips up innovative cocktails such as a lemongrass-infused Tom Yum cocktail and bittersweet Martinis paired with raw cacao. Intimate dining options can also be arranged, in the resort's plentiful gardens, or on a rocky outcrop. BEST DATE-NIGHT BAR: THE LONDON EDITION, ENGLAND Behind a neoclassical, royal exterior lies the splendour of The London Edition. It's part of the larger group of boutique 'Edition' hotels headed by the Marriott International, which are also opening locations in Abu Dhabi, Reykjavik and Barcelona. At the masterfully designed London Edition though, guests are welcomed by an extravagant lobby made up of ceiling motifs and classic green velour couches, while the rooms mix old and new to create an aesthetically wonderful atmosphere. The rooms are made of entirely timber walls, with refreshingly white bathrooms to contrast. Visitors often flock to the hotel's dining room, Berners Tavern, which is superbly and absolutely packed with 19th Century gilt-framed paintings. Serving high-end comfort food, the tavern is not only popular among guests, but those outside of The London Edition, too. BEST GOURMET GETAWAY: THE OLD CLARE HOTEL, AUSTRALIA The Old Clare occupies the previous headquarters of the old Carlton & United Breweries in Chippendale. It's made up of 62 rooms, which still have their heritage ceilings and panelling. Modern in some places and retro in others, the hotel exudes personality in every crevice. The Old Clare also plays the proud host to two of Sydney's coolest dining institutions — Kensington Street Social, which has a menu that gives a contemporary tip of the to British cuisine, and the refined and brilliantly designed Automata. Both are gloriously sophisticated in their own right. Head to the other end of the hotel (the top) and you'll find a rooftop pool that coolly overlooks Chippendale. MOST SPOILING SPA: AMANEMU, JAPAN You may fall over looking at the entrance pavilion at Amanemu — it's a beautiful, Japanese building enhanced by stunning backdrop of Ago Bay. Fortunately, this spa hotel is built around natural hot springs that are incorporated into treatments and the suites themselves. The rooms are perfectly geometric, drawing on Japanese minimalism to calm patrons even further. Blonde timber is lit by generous rays of sunshine that arrive through the many windows of each room every morning. Step outside and you're treated to an incredible scene of trees and the hotel's spa terrace. If you seek healing and a pure escape, put Amanemu on your list. POOL WITH A VIEW: GRAND HOTEL TREMEZZO, ITALY This place is the epitome of la dolce vita. The Grand Hotel Tremezzo is one of the monstrosities gracing Italy's even grander Lake Como. The exterior of the hotel features what we call 'lakeception' — a pool situated on an actual lake. Behind that you'll find guests rejuvenating on sun lounges shielded by white umbrellas, before trickling back through the hotel, through regal red painted walls and embellished columns. Rooms are furnished with gold, paint-framed mirrors and plush furniture resembling that of Italian royalty. Imaginably, the rooms host ridiculous window views of Lake Como's emerald waters and the mesmerisingly large mountains that protect them. Waterside bars and in-house Italian dining top off the stay — anything more you want to ask for? ABOVE AND BEYOND: AWASI, CHILE Among pristine, untouched Patagonia are 14 luxury cabins unlike anything else out there. The Awasi resort champions its surroundings, fitting into vistas of lakes, snow-tipped mountains and forests as seamlessly as a Patagonian puma hiding in the hills. Each cabin is topped off with a hot tub, where guests can admire their unbelievable surroundings. Visitors are also well attended to, with a private guide assigned to customise their experience. That could involve running away to off-the-beat hiking trails that lead to the best wildlife viewing spots the area has to offer. Seclusion and serenity unite at Awasi to deliver an unforgettable Chilean experience. BEST FAMILY HOTEL: TREEHOTEL, SWEDEN If Tarzan opened a luxury group of treehouses, it would translate to Sweden's Treehotel complex. There's something addictively adventurous about hanging among the trees, even when you're an adult. And before you think you'll be doing it tough, know that the cleverly designed pods that clutch the forest trees are filled with stunning Scandinavian-styled interiors. You'll have to monkey down the trees to cook though. There's a restaurant, bar and shared kitchen area, as well as shared bathrooms with a sauna and whirlpool plunge bath. Alongside that is an open-air hot tub, ziplines and an abundance of forest to look at. Each room is accessible by either a ladder or stairs. HOTTEST HOTEL SOUNDTRACK: FAZENDA NOVA, PORTUGAL Fazenda Nova is the love child of London born Hallie and Tim Robinson, who holidayed in Portugal for three years before opening their own accommodation. The pair renovated a 19th-century farmhouse to create a stunning retreat, surrounded by almond, pomegranate and olive orchards. Fazenda Nova encompasses the exuberance Portugal is renowned for, but the Robinsons have slotted in international influences into the grounds including Balinese teak furniture and Moroccan doors that the pair collected during their travels. The restaurant, A Cozihna, preaches the glory of Portuguese cuisine, which is often shadowed by Spanish cuisine (note — the two are exceedingly different). Menu options rotate daily, but often honour local seafood, and dishes are made from the hotel's own produce. LOCAL HOTEL HERO: 11 HOWARD, NEW YORK The romantic 11 Howard hotel proudly resides in Lower Manhattan. You may recognise the 150-foot mural that graces the side of the building from Instagram, where it is shared endlessly. Made up of minimally beautiful rooms, it's not hard to assume that guests struggle to check out of here. Danish design rules the decor; rooms are made up of light oak floors, blush pinks and soft greys to create a calm ambiance. Le Coucou (the hotel's restaurant) is something out of a fairytale, partly evoked by the forest painted walls that surround diners. It's a NYC hotspot, not that we'd expect anything less from acclaimed chef Daniel Rose, who set up La Bourse et La Vie in Paris. After indulging there, trickle over to the hotel's bar, The Blond. By 9pm, the sensual space transforms into a nightclub. There's a strict guest list from Thursday to Saturday, but as a hotel patron you don't need to fret. You'll get in easily.
Australian bars, restaurants, cafes, lounges and eateries are rolling around in international applause this week, with 15 of our best venues making the first round selection at the seventh annual Restaurant and Bar Design Awards. Six spots in Sydney along with five in Melbourne and two each in Adelaide and the Gold Coast made the shortlist, amongst 241 finalists from 70 different countries. Based in the UK, the Restaurant and Bar Design Awards advertise themselves as "the world's only event dedicated exclusively to the design of food and drink spaces." Prizes are handed out in over 30 different categories including Best Bar and Best Restaurant, while they also give out more narrow awards for things like lighting scheme and use of colour. This year’s jury is comprised of 23 industry leaders and includes designers, chefs and restaurant critics. Naturally, the shortlist includes a pretty swish bunch of names. Competing in the Best Australia and Pacific Restaurant category are ACME, Bondi’s Best, Coogee Pavilion and Kazbah Souk in Sydney, Parwana Kutchi Deli and Sean’s Kitchen in Adelaide, and Kiyomi and Vivo Cucina on the Gold Coast. In the Best Australia and Pacific Bar category, Archie Rose Distilling Co. and Stillery in Sydney will compete with Greene Street Juice Co. and George Hotel Bar in Melbourne. Also in Melbourne, Bond Lounge has been included in the Best UK and International Nightclub section, along with Raw Trader and The Kettle Black, shortlisted for Best UK and International Cafe. Last year saw the gong for Best Australia and Pacific Restaurant go to South Australia’s Penfolds Magill Estate Restaurant, while Best Australia and Pacific Bar was given to Howler in Melbourne. This year’s winners will be announced in an awards ceremony in London on October 1. Via Architecture & Design.
Many a poor traveller has ventured to Germany in hope of culinary enlightenment, only to binge on pretzels and bratwurst, thinking that was it. Don't be like those suckas. German cuisine is more than just carbs and cream — it's carbs and cream cooked and combined better than anywhere else in the world. Ignore the recent meat vs. health studies, forget about your fat RDI and jump on the nearest jumbo to Frankfurt and chow down. MAULTASCHEN Imagine a thick pasta skin that's filled with a smoked meat and then fried in butter — kind of ravioli on steroids — and you've got maultaschen. It's a German specialty that tends to be a menu staple in most southern restaurants. The only thing better than how tasty these pockets of flavour are, is the story behind them. The common folklore is that during Lent, when Catholics and other Christians were encouraged to refrain from eating meat, German monks would make the maultaschen. They figured the meat was concealed under the pasta dough and what they couldn't see, neither could God. Where to find it: Some of the best (and most famous) maultaschen in Germany can be found Zum Hasenwirt, a small restaurant in Stuttgart. [caption id="attachment_556573" align="alignnone" width="1280"] conticium via Flickr[/caption] DAMPFNUDEL Dampfnudel is a southern German specialty that you might be hard pressed finding in the big cities. That means your best chances of nabbing one of these fluffy, sweet buns is trekking to some of Germany's quaint little villages. Dampfnudel is a like a sweet unfilled Chinese bun, about the size of a fist, that's steamed in sugared milk and fried in butter to give it a crispy bottom. It's most often served with berries, vanilla sauce and jams. Where to find it: Dampfnudeln-Uli is a Bavarian restaurant in Regensburg that specialises in this sweet buns and have done so for over 70 years. [caption id="attachment_556577" align="alignnone" width="1280"] stu_spivack via Flickr[/caption] SPÄTZLE Spätzle is to the Germans what pasta is to the Italians. Made with eggs and flour and boiled till it firms up, the almost rubbery pasta-like pieces are eaten as is, or fried up in oil or butter. Its texture is similar to that of gnocchi, though its taste is rather bland — so it's best partnered with meat and gravy. It's one of those foods you'll have a little gag over eating the first time, then wake up in cold sweats craving a week later. Where to find it: You'll find the best spätzle in small, German villages as it one of those foods that Oma makes best. But if you're in Berlin, check out Repke Spätzlerei. They're pros at the stuff. [caption id="attachment_556580" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Benjamin Vander Steen via Flickr[/caption] SCHWARZWÄLDER KIRSCHTORTE That's black forest cake to you. We're not talking The Cheesecake Shop variety (no offence) or your lazy one-tiered Coles attempt either (offence intended). Germany pulls out all the stops to make the chocolate cake thick and dense, the cream is fresh from the cow and the cherries just-picked from tree (FYI: cherries grow in Germany like eucalyptus leaves grow in Australia). As such, this cake is quite seasonal, and is best purchased and eaten in the German summer, aka cherry season. Where to find it: If you're going to eat this cake, do it properly at at one of the few cafes that holds the original recipe. We recommend Cafe Schäefer in Triberg, a town in Baden-Württemberg, which is actually located in the literal Black Forest. [caption id="attachment_556612" align="alignnone" width="1280"] jay.tong via Flickr[/caption] SCHWEINSHAXE This is what German dreams are made of. Succulent, slow-roasted porn knuckle with a thick, crispy, drool-inducing layer of crackling around the lot. Done well, the meat should fall of the bone once its crackling cloak has been consumed, and it's best served with something simple like a bread roll to soak up the juices. This is a Bavarian specialty, and makes a popular appearance at Oktoberfest. Where to find it: Munich is home of the schweinshaxe, and is best eaten after consuming two litres of beer at Oktoberfest. For that reason, do yourself a favour and have your first schweinshaxe at one of the many beer tents at Munich's Oktoberfest. [caption id="attachment_550692" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Jeremy Keith via Flickr[/caption] FLÄDLE SUPPE On paper, flädle suppe sounds like an absolute nightmare: chopped up pancakes in a beef broth. But somehow — for some absurd reason that only the Germans know — it works. The flädle are plain crepe-style pancakes, tightly wrapped and cut into thin ribbons, while the suppe is the soupy broth. This dish is traditionally served as the first course of a wedding, but as it's so tasty and has quite a German fan-base, it's moved past special occasions and onto mainstream menus. Where to find it: This soup is prevalent in both southern Germany and Austria, so if you're looking for the perfect taste, hover around the border. We suggest Weinstube zur Traube in Stuttgart. [caption id="attachment_552489" align="alignnone" width="1280"] cyclonebill via Flickr[/caption] FLEISCHKÄSE This is one of those nasty, kebab-equivalent foods that for some reason most Germans eat sober, but probably shouldn't. It doesn't take a fool to realise fleischkäse is processed to the nines, as it resembles something that makes spam look like a free-range chicken leg. And for that reason — and probably that reason alone — it's delicious (in a salty, fatty, indigestion-y kind of way). It tastes like hot dog meat, but is served as a thick slice on a bread roll with ketchup and mustard. Try it the day before you leave Germany so you have a geographical barrier between yourself and any more of them. Where to find it: In Germany, a carvery or snack bar is called an Imbiss. Most hot ones will serve fleischkäse mit brötchen (with a bread roll). [caption id="attachment_552488" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Oliver Hallmann via Flickr[/caption] WILDSCHWEIN Game in Germany tends to hit dinner plates towards the beginning of winter, when it's hunting season. Wild boar (a nice way of saying feral pigs), deer, rabbit and pheasant all become a staple for those who can both afford and stomach it. Wildschwein (the aforementioned wild boar) is probably the gateway meat into eating German game. While it tastes like normal pork meat, it's also a lot richer, leaner and has that earthy taste that's common with wild animals. It's the most free-range form of meat you can eat — so regardless of your squirms, give it a shot. Where to find it: Naturally, the culinary crux of Germany, Munich, homes many great traditional German restaurants that specialise in traditional hunting dishes. Restaurant Johannas at Hotel Neumayr is our hot pick. They serve wildschwein year-round, as well as deer, rabbit and pheasant seasonally. [caption id="attachment_550695" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Katrin Morenz via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] MARMORKUCHEN We know what you're thinking. That marmorkuchen is just a rainbow cake without the strawberry bit. Wrong. It's the softest, sweetest, most delicious cake this side of Europe — and lucky children all over Germany get to eat it everyday. Paired perfectly with a tea or coffee, marmorkuchen is kind of a like a butter-heavy tea cake that has the sweet tang of chocolate and, if you're lucky, an aftertaste of rum. It literally translates to marble cake, which every Aussie is probably already well familiar with. But it's different in Germany. It's better. But don't ask questions — just try for yourself. Where to find it: Naturally, Germany homes some of the best bakeries in the world, and it's in these you'll find the best marmorkuchen. If you're in Berlin, Konditorei Buchwald makes undoubtedly one of the best — and have done for over 160 years. [caption id="attachment_550693" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Oliver Hallmann via Flickr[/caption] RINDERROULADE Rinderroulade just screams German farming food. Normally served with potatoes and cabbage, the actual roulade is a thin piece of beef steak that's spread with hot mustard, bacon and pickles, then rolled up and cooked in a thick beef sauce. It's kind of like a really intense burger, minus the bread and cheese. The roulade is cooked in the sauce for a good hour or so to get that melt-in-your-mouth texture. Fillings for rinderroulade are endless, ranging from Asian to Mediterranean varieties, but if you're chasing the best, stick to the original German mustard filling. Where to find it: You'll find this meal at most traditional German restaurants. In Berlin, Kurhaus Korsakow is one of the most authentic, non-touristy German restaurants in trendy Friedrichshain, and happens do do a killer roulade. Top image: Dollar Photo Club
Since their inception in late 2012, Seattle-based electronic duo Odesza have stunning the been consistently pumping out smooth-listening, R&B infused melodies. They've mastered the art of shimmery, emotion-laden beats, with loveable vocal riffs that are just easy to dance to as they are to kick back and laze a day away with. They're the power couple of the electro-synth world, and they're about to hit Australian shores to trance our capital cities with their addictive sounds. In the two years they've been together, Odesza racked up two full length albums, an EP and a few remixes under their belts. Their first album Summer's Gone stood out in a crowd of competing electro albums for showing off not just beats, but startlingly dreamy songs. From the album, songs 'How Did I Get Here' and 'iPlayYouListen' instantly leapt to #1 on the Hype Machine Chart, and with their success came a flock of pilgrims ready to pay homage to new greats on the international electronic music scene. Their brand new album In Return reaps a number of catchy, soulful tunes, namely 'Say My Name' and 'Bloom', which have been flacked with positive reviews from avid listeners and reviewers alike. To celebrate a new album, and the ever-growing attention swamping these electro-savants, Odesza will be making their way around the country for a series of beats-heavy gigs. Supported by Charles Murdoch.
Legendary underground LA hip hop group Jurassic 5 will take you back to the concrete streets at the Tivoli this April, playing a huge sideshow for this year's Bluesfest. This charismatic six-piece formed in the '90s, comprising the remnants of Unity Committee and Rebels of Rhythm. Since breaking up in 2007 due to creative differences, the crew's notoriety has grown rather than dissipated. Having recently reunited, these old-school revivalists are back to flaunt their soulful beats and social commentary. Punching into the mainstream was never a priority for the J5 crew. In saying that, 2014's sold-out world tour thrust the group into the limelight, revamping their global profile and earning legions of new fans. There is an enduring quality to their music; eloquent and intelligent hip hop with real heart. With one of the most energetic live shows around, J5 ought to pull on your nostalgic heartstrings with Bluesfest sideshow.
A theatre show that encourages smartphone use? Yes, you read that correctly. Delving into our internet-obsessed environment — think Facebook, Tinder and catfishing — Click Cafe doesn't just approve of your device addiction; it works it into the performance. Keep your mobile on and your eyes glued to the screen as you create an avatar, explore your online identity, and experience an interactive performance that unravels one-on-one. And that's as much as we can tell you, because everything else about the production is a highly guarded secret, including the actual, offline location of the show.
With Motherland, Katherine Lyall-Watson and Caroline Dunphy explored the stories of three women yearning for their homelands, and won a spate of awards for their efforts. Reuniting for Hanako: Desire and Other Secret Weapons, the duo tells another cross-cultural tale. Set in an imagined future, the production throws together traditional Japanese and contemporary urban culture — plus music, anime and fashion, too — to follow the adventures of a young girl as she embarks upon a tentative journey. As for what comes next, well, you'll just have to get yourself along to Brisbane Festival to find out.
Bunnings Warehouse is supercharging its usual sausage sizzle, to support a few Aussie communities that are doing it pretty tough. On Friday, January 24, all of the hardware giant's stores will host a special pre-weekend edition of their legendary snag sessions, raising coin for those impacted by drought and the current bushfires. All of the day's sausage profits will go to the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund. This is the second sizzling fundraiser day that Bunnings has hosted since the bushfire crisis began late last year — a similar nation-wide fundraiser in November raised over $600,000 for non-profit Givit to purchase essential items for communities affected by the bushfires. So, on Friday, grab a snag in bread and show those in need some love — the sausage sizzles will run from 9am–4pm across all Bunnings Warehouses in Queensland (and the country). If you can't make it, you can chuck a few dollars into its collection tin over here. For updates and advice on Queensland bushfires, head to the RFS Queensland website.
It's telling that Knight of Cups features many a dive into a pool, seaside stroll and wave crashing against the beach. The latest movie from The Tree of Life and To the Wonder's Terrence Malick is awash in recognisable elements and seems as familiar as water. It's also as malleable as the wet substance that covers the bulk of the earth and comprises most of the human body — and as invigorating. Of course, places and people are the film's primary concerns, particularly Los Angeles and a screenwriter by the name of Rick (Christian Bale). In the city known for the emptiness beneath its allure — indeed, David Lynch (in Inland Empire) and David Cronenberg (in Maps to the Stars) have already plumbed its depths — he's a man plunged into a crisis, making a mess of his successful life as he searches for meaning. Rick drifts through his days, unhappy with his choices but uncertain about how to change them. His problems are many, and not just linked to his failed marriage to Nancy (Cate Blanchett), or spate of flings (with Imogen Poots, Freida Pinto, Teresa Palmer, Natalie Portman and Isabel Lucas) afterwards. Tragedy haunts his family, straining his relationships with his brother (Wes Bentley) and father (Brian Dennehy). Though his career is beginning to take off, thrusting him into a glamorous world, it lacks fulfilment past the glitz and partying. As a result, Rick is both wading and paddling feverishly, and so is the film. Malick uses him not just as a protagonist, but as a buoy in a feature that lurches restlessly from place to place and person to person. Sometimes the movie stalks him as he floats through apartments and buildings, around sets and shindigs, and on walks over rugged terrain and by the ocean. Sometimes it adopts his perspective as it dashes around in fragments of his existence. That means that often, when you dip your toes in the feature, you get what you're expecting: a commonly told tale of mid-life malaise, Malick's roaming visuals and whispered layers of philosophical narration, and a focus on contemplation among them. Just as frequently, though, you get a burst that takes you by surprise: in dropping out of one tarot card-named chapter and into the next, in the symphony of classical music sounds and sun-dappled sights, and in the movie's dissection of hedonism, for example. Even when the surface appears still, something is always bubbling up below. Consider Knight of Cups, then, an ideal balance between relaxing and refreshing, and meditative and stimulating. Of course, with Malick at the helm, the film's reflective questioning becomes a gliding kaleidoscope of wide-angle images strikingly shot by Oscar-winning Gravity and Birdman cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, and a montage-heavy mood piece as much as a movie. Conversation rarely lasts beyond a single line, and the all-star cast — which includes brief appearances by everyone from Antonio Banderas to Jason Clarke and Nick Offerman to Fabio — exist more than they perform. And yet, as Knight of Cups ebbs and flows over the course of its fluid 118 minutes, there's no mistaking its emotional and sensory impact. Plus, if you're going to jump in a seemingly familiar body of water filled with hypnotic experiences and hidden depths, you want Malick as your guide. With him in charge, you haven't really swum there and splashed through this before.
