What would your last meal be? Many of us don't get to choose, but if you're a famous criminal on Death Row, you actually have to pick your final foods. Luckily, for most law-abiding citizens, you won't have to make that selection. But what did Ted Bundy choose? What about John Wayne Gacy — aka Killer Clown? Brisbane's Transcontinental Hotel want to take Henry Hargreaves' idea of photographing Death Row prisoners' last meals and actually let you taste them, with an upcoming dinner this September. It's a risky concept, one that was recently slammed in London. At the Last Meal Conviction Dinner on September 17, The Trans and Rocks Brewing are teaming up to offer morsels tinged with all things morbid. You'll drink craft beer while choosing to eat one of the last meals actually ordered by infamous criminals, photographed here by Hargreaves for the bittersweet No Seconds series. First, there's the Ted Bundy, featuring medium-rare steak, eggs over easy, toast with butter and hash browns. Or, perhaps you'd prefer the spread favoured by John Wayne Gacy, which includes the odd pairings of fried chicken, fries, fried shrimp and strawberries. Last but not least, you can feast on Jeffery Dillingham's ultimate request of a triple cheeseburger without mayo, eggs, fries, lasagne, garlic bread, macaroni and cheese, cinnamon rolls and nacho cheese. These men committed terrible crimes, and paid the price for their actions, but choosing their final food wasn't one of them. Tickets cost $45, which includes your choice of last meal plus one pot and three ponys of Rocks beer — aka the ideal amount of alcohol to help assuage any inner ickiness you're feeling. For those happy to embrace the serial killer thrills, dressing up is encouraged, and there'll even be prizes on offer for the best costume. The Last Meal Conviction Dinner takes place at the Trans on September 17. For more information, or to book tickets, visit their website. Images: Henry Hargreaves.
You know how they say that good things come in pairs? Someone said that, sure. Well, if you live near East Brisbane and like sweet treats of the frosty variety, then you're about to double your sweet tooth satisfaction. The suburb might still be in the thick of Mister Fitz fever, however ice cream sandwiches are no longer the only frozen dessert available on Lytton Road. Located a mere two blocks away from the popular, just-opened, Doughnut Time-adjacent parlour, Yum Gelato is giving the inner-eastern area what it needs: Italian-style cold confectionery in mouthwatering flavours such as chocolate peanut butter and brownie batter, obviously. And sorbets, milkshakes and cakes, too. And yes, squeezing your favourite scoops between a couple of cookies is an option here as well. The hole-in-the-wall-style establishment is an offshoot of the Coolum hotspot of the same name, so if you've enjoyed a tasty waffle cone while walking along one of the Sunshine Coast's best beaches, then you know what you're in for. Well, maybe. Given that the new Brissie store is run by pastry chef Nicholas Waring, expect a few surprises among its ever-growing gelato lineup. Find Yum Gelato at 11/17 Lytton Road, East Brisbane. Check out their Facebook page for more information.
Another day, another new food truck tempting our tastebuds, wallets and waistlines. This time, it's The Doughnut Bar, the latest venture from the folks behind the Chocolate Komberry Co. No longer are those dessert wizards content with just serving up a storm of their signature Cookie Monster ice cream and Snickers cruffins (yes, that's a cross between a croissant and a muffin). Now, they're also turning their talents to all things round, doughy and delicious. And we really do mean delicious, to judge an artisanal doughnut by its photo. When there are gourmet flavours such as white chocolate and Oreo and Pop-Tart on offer, we think that's a safe call. Their hand-dipped, naturally-flavoured offerings are made from a recipe that took 12 months to perfect, if you need any further evidence. The Doughnut Bar makes its debut on Brisbane's market circuit this weekend, but its first official stop is actually right in the heart of the city. The soon to be famous red and white kombi van will be popping up in the Wintergarden food court from midday on Wednesday to give everyone their first taste of their sweet creations. If you had plans for lunchtime, well, you might want to make room for pastry. Keep up to date on The Doughnut Bar's whereabouts via their Facebook page.
It's not every day that a city gets a new film festival — and yet, in just the last year, Brisbane has opened its doors to two. When the death of the long-running Brisbane International Film Festival saw the Brisbane Asia Pacific Film Festival pop up as a replacement, it also inspired the Queensland Film Festival. In fact, QFF aims to help fill the void left by BIFF's cancellation, and to showcase the kind of international movie gems that no longer make it to Brisbane. The festival's full inaugural program is filled with films that will never, ever show in a multiplex near you. That includes documentaries about land-locked fisherman to comedies about submission and domination. You know the types of flicks we're talking about. Festival co-directors Dr Huw Walmsley-Evans and John Edmond are starting small, with 12 features, two shorts and three free discussion panels — including four Australian premieres — largely concentrated over a three-day period in one venue. Of course, it's quality, not quantity that matters. Given the movies on offer from July 24 to 26 at New Farm Cinemas, there's plenty of the former. Academy Award nominee and Cesar winner Timbuktu opens the festival, kicking things off with a powerful portrait of life under jihadist rule. At the other end of the spectrum, both in terms of QFF's schedule and in tone, the previously announced The Forbidden Room brings everything to a close with a delightfully unhinged love letter to the very medium of film. In between, Brisbane cinephiles can feast on features such as The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears, a freak-out horror movie that ravishes the senses and then some in its Australian premiere. There's also the Viggo Mortensen-starring colonialist Argentinian western Jauja, minimalist gem The Strange Little Cat, blockbuster French TV miniseries P’tit Quinquin, and a restoration of the landmark The Colour of Pomegranates. For movie fans that just can't wait for QFF to get started, a free screening of the otherworldly The Vanquishing of the Witch Baba Yaga precedes the festival. And for those keen on chatting and contemplating as well as watching, two discussions about film criticism talk the talk about analysing movies. Yes, it sounds like a film festival all right, as well as an ideal way to spend a cold July weekend. That's when BIFF once used to run, those with long memories might recall. Hopefully QFF can follow in its footsteps for years to come. The Queensland Film Festival runs from July 24 to 26 at New Farm Cinemas. Check out the festival website for more details.
Forget saving up and forking out for a Rocky Mountains Scenic Tour — Brisbane's just created the next best thing. Steam Train Blues is a seven-hour trip that takes passengers from Roma Street to the Glass House Mountains, and throws a hell of a blues bash along the way. This isn't some Rosewood to Ipswich sleeper we're talking here; rather, a stunningly restored steam train. It will be chugging passengers along to the sounds of Brisbane’s best blues musicians — Dick and Lolo, Moondogs Blues, Jimmy Watts, Jimi Davis and Ben Eaton — on the way to the Glass House Mountains and homeward bound. Passengers will be greeted with a drink on arrival, and nibbles and other drinks will be available throughout the journey. It's a roughly 80-minute trip to the Glass House Mountains, and the party doesn't stop there. Guests will stroll a few metres to the Glass House Mountains Tavern and be met with finger food and the award-winning blues sounds of Mojo Webb. The journey kicks off at 2.15pm, and you're promised home at 9.04pm on the dot. Tickets are $137.50, and Go Cards will not be accepted.
FOMO — Australia's clash-free, one-day summer festival — is back for a fourth year. This year, it's making its return to Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide, and bringing the full festival to Melbourne for the first time ever. Leading the program is famed American-Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj, who released her high-energy, highly acclaimed fourth album Queen just last month — which features everyone from The Weeknd to Ariana Grande, Eminem and Lil Wayne. Hot on her heels is Mississippi's Rae Sremmurd, the hip-hop trio best-known for its chart-topping hit 'Black Beatles' made in collaboration with Gucci Mane. Meanwhile, Florida's Lil Pump is heading Down Under for the first time, bringing hits 'Gucci Gang', 'Esskeetit' and songs from his yet-to-be released album Harvard Dropout, and electro music producer Mura Masa will break up the hip hop and rap with his disco tunes. Also on the schedule is Kali Uchis, making her Australian debut and performing hits off her widely acclaimed album Isolation, along with the mononymous avant-garde Sophie, Australia's own Anna Lunoe, and Dutch experimental artist San Holo, among others. FOMO will kick off on Brisbane's Riverstage on Saturday, January 5, before moving to Parramatta Park in Sydney, on Saturday, January 12, and then to Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse on Sunday, January 13. Pre-sales start at 10am local time on Wednesday, September 5 and general sales at 10am local time on Thursday, September 6. $1 from every sale is going to refugee charity Asylum Seeker Resource Centre and, if you can't afford your ticket in one fell swoop, you can opt for a payment plan, which lets you pay it off via monthly instalments. Only available for festivalgoers in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne. Here's the full lineup. FOMO 2019 LINEUP Nicki Minaj Rae Sremmurd Lil Pump Mura Masa Kali Uchis San Holo Anna Lunoe Sophie Cosha Carmouflage Rose Just A Gent MIMI triple j Unearthed winners FOMO 2019 DATES Saturday, January 5 — Riverstage, Brisbane Sunday, January 6 — Elder Park, Adelaide Saturday, January 12 — Parramatta Park, Sydney Sunday, January 13 — Festival Hall, Melbourne FOMO will take place in January 2019. Tickets go on sale this week. For more info, visit fomofestival.com.au. FOMO image: Mitch Lowe
Road trips are an idealised summertime activity, but when the heats eases in Autumn there's really no better time to be in the car for extended periods of time. If you do it right, you come away with good friends and esoteric stories which will never be understood properly by people who weren't there. But it's equally possible for road trips to turn hellish and monotonous. That's not what you want - that's not what anybody wants. So we have compiled a list of tips to help you on your way and make sure you have the kind of road trip which will remind you of the wind and sunshine in your hair, shared memories and in-jokes. WHEELS So this seems a superfluous point, but if you're going to go on a road trip you need a car, and if you don't have one then you've got yourself a problem. Once you've got the car, make sure it's one that everybody knows how to drive. Nobody likes being the only manual driver in a car full of stricken automatic-only drivers. You should also do all the practical things like get the oil, tyres and water checked before you leave, and make sure you've got back-ups in case of emergency, especially if you're trying to look like you know your stuff about cars. Bigger cars are better for road trips, especially if you've got friends with ample hips or ridiculously long legs. And for the love of God, make sure the car has air con. A GREAT DESTINATION Jumping in a car and heading nowhere might sound very Kerouac-esque for an hour or so, but in the end you're going to want to be heading somewhere. Holiday houses and camping grounds are all good, although there's a high likelihood a music festival might be your destination this autumn. If that's the case, be patient and anticipate that you will have to wait in a queue for six hours on a backed up country road and be forced to pee in the bushes in direct view of many headlights. MAPS Getting lost is not half the fun. The person who says it is needs to be ejected immediately from the vehicle. You probably have a GPS, but bear in mind that the GPS is not infallible. You need a map. A map in this instance is defined as a proper map you purchase from anywhere good maps are sold, not scrawled notes copied from Google Maps your barely literate friend drew on the back of a phone bill. CREW Be wise and consider precisely which of your friends and loved ones you're going to enjoy being in a cramped, confined space with for potentially several days. It's also a good idea to make sure there's not going to be anybody overly-familiar with their sense of personal space, particularly if they have personal hygiene issues. There's nothing more awkward than finding yourself on a road trip with a couple who have recently broken up and still have unresolved issues. CONVERSATION Once you've exhausted your witty high school stories, politics, childhood traumas and the ever-fascinating subject of who's having sex with whom, complex philosophical questions are always a good bet. Questions such as 'which of your legs could you do without' and 'would you rather punch Kyle Sandilands or Miranda Devine in the face' are good starting points. MONEY Money is a general necessity in all areas of life, but when we say 'money' here we mean the multi-coloured pieces of paper marked with numbers the ATM is wont to dispense. This is crucial because ATMs can be scarce in the bush, and on a road trip sharing is of the utmost importance. SNACKS It's a given that everyone is obliged to bring a lot of sugar on a road trip. Minties, Snakes and all things that once delighted you in children's birthday party bags are right and necessary when on the road. Hot chips with tomato sauce sold by old ladies with facial hair in country towns are also awesome. It's uncanny how the shops saying 'Best Pies in Grafton' actually do sell the best pies in Grafton. MUSIC If you've got one of those whatsits that plug your iPod into the car's stereo system, you're sweet. If you don't have one of those, however, you're going to want a couple of good mixtapes, or, more accurately, mix CDs. '60s pop songs, '80s power ballads and '90s rap should all be considered in the choice of music. You want to have songs that are going to remind you of the trip for years to come, an underlying theme for your future reminiscing, if you will. RIDICULOUS APPAREL Questionable fashion choices are a mandatory on the road. Nothing makes you feel more alive than climbing out of the car at a truckstop wearing something outrageously fluoro and swaggering inside to get yourself a rainbow Paddlepop. Furthermore, there is no more appropriate occasion for a man to sport short shorts. Stupid sunglasses and hats are fun, but bear in mind they might enrage Mick Taylor-types on the roads. SUNSCREEN Often overlooked in the relative shelter of a moving car, sunscreen is necessary for anybody with an arm in close proximity to a window. You don't want to get sunburnt, and unevenly sunburnt at that, while sitting in the car. More to the point, nothing will ruin your holiday more than being so sunburnt you have to wear shapeless kaftans with long sleeves and not being able to sleep at night because it hurts so bad.
One of Australia's most redeeming qualities is its ability to give good afternoon sun. There's something about its familiar glow that almost demands casual drinks – whether it's cracking open a cold beer after a day out in the sun, heading to the pub after a long day of work, or deciding on a whim that your backyard is perfect for a friendly barbecue. We love afternoon sessions, and we've partnered with Heineken 3 to put together a list of five places where you can grab an afternoon bev. [caption id="attachment_591023" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: @thefoxhotel via Instagram.[/caption] THE FOX Maybe you want to sip a few drinks in the main bar on Melbourne Street. Perhaps you're keen on consuming your beverages after walking up several flights of stairs. The great thing about The Fox is that it offers both, in one massive venue. Think of it as a choose-your-own-adventure kind of space, where there's no chance of selecting the wrong option. You won't just want to spend an afternoon here, you'll want to spend several. [caption id="attachment_591016" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: @riverbarkitchen via Instagram.[/caption] RIVERBAR AND KITCHEN River view: check. Stocked bar: check. Huge menu: check. Whichever way you look at it, Riverbar lives up to its name. In fact, when it comes to inner city bars with a view, it doesn't get much better than this Eagle Street Pier favourite. Staring at the water is one sure-fire way to while away an afternoon, and drinking one of their ice-cold beverages is too. DARLING & CO Darling & Co is perfect for a long lunch, or an after work drink, or a Sunday afternoon drink, or any kind of drink. That's because there's always sunshine, whether it's in the dog-friendly garden or in the terrace. There are cosy booths, and communal dining table inside that seats 300 diners. It's the type of establishment you can head to for breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks or coffee, and you likely won't want to leave in between. SANTA MONICA Loud and proud in prime position on Ann and Edward Streets (and conveniently opposite Central Station), you really can't miss pizza and burger joint Santa Monica. The hardest decisions you'll have to make here is whether you get a beer straight away, or after your perfectly crispy pizza. Do you sit at a booth, or stand at one of the tables in the middle of the venue? Santa Monica is perfect for after work drinks just as much as it is for a fun work lunch. THE STOCK EXCHANGE ROOFTOP A great secret marketing campaign and sneaky renovation turned the Stock Exchange from drab to a fab. In the city centre, the rooftop now attracts a more corporate crowd and the makeover puts the whole venue a league above where it was previously. The large, square space is filled with wooden tables, hanging plants and fairy lights, giving it a casual beer garden atmosphere perfect for an after-work Heineken 3. Enjoy your summer afternoons with the new low-carb Heineken 3 – we're helping you make the most of them.
West End's massive West Village precinct continues to get bigger and bigger. The project — which is still in development — has held everything from ice cream festivals to weekend providore markets since it was approved in 2016, but this October, the $800 million project will unveil some new additions. From October, the former Peters Ice Cream Factory site will be home to The Garden Pantry and The Common. The former is a casual dining precinct that'll feature multiple eateries, plus indoor and outdoor seating. As for the latter, it's a 24-hour public space brimming with grass, trees, plants, a water installation and a field of lights. In short, the inner-city development is gaining a heap of new dining options and a lush place to hang out. The Garden Pantry's restaurant lineup will include Cheeky Poke Bar, Mr. Bunz and Salt Meats Cheese as its first tenants. That means that West Enders can expect Hawaiian-inspired bowls, pan-Asian baos and Italian, well, everything. And, it's all coming from tried-and-tested sources, with each of the three headline eateries setting up its second Brisbane locations. Because making food is as fun as eating it, West Village will also be the site of SMC's first Brisbane cooking school, which'll open its doors in the site's Factory Lane. Joining the restaurant's usual array of cheese wheel pasta dishes, all-you-can-eat pizza nights and plentiful cocktails, the cooking school will host hands-on classes on how to make gnocchi, other pastas and desserts, including gluten-free options. Unsurprisingly, in terms of decor, the new spaces will play up the garden theme — both in The Garden Pantry space, which will be decked out tropical-style, and in The Commons' greenery-filled garden area. Later this year, West Village will open Factory Lane, and add a new arts and events studio called The Bromley Room #2. The Common and The Garden Pantry and its restaurants are set to open in October at West Village, which is located at 97 Boundary Street, West End. We'll keep you updated on any new developments.
If you're serious about your caffeinated beverages and you live in Brisbane's inner west, then prepare to add a Toowong stopover to your morning routine. Josie North isn't just Sherwood Road's newest cafe. It's a coffee lover's haven. Given that owner Matt Roggenkamp will be familiar to anyone who's frequented Kenmore roasters The Single Guys, the eatery's brew-centric focus is hardly surprising. You'll find coffee from Sydney's Reuben Hills and Melbourne's Seven Seeds and Small Batch on Josie's maiden menu, and no doubt smell their heavenly aromas wafting down the streets as well. Brissie blends may also pop up over time. Taking up residence next to Genkotsu Ramen in Clements Arcade, Josie hasn't forgotten the food side of the cafe equation, with a seasonal selection of brekkie and lunch options on offer. Not only does the eatery's range of meals suit its daytime opening hours, but it also capitalises upon Roggenkamp's days as a Single Guys chef. Yep, he's really putting his experience to work — and your coffee-craving, brunch-devouring tastebuds will thank him for it. Find Josie North at in Clements Arcade at 51 Sherwood Road, Toowong, or check out their Facebook page for more information.
With his darkly funny scripts, quirky set-pieces and kitsch cinematography, director Taika Waititi is a little like a Kiwi Wes Anderson. Following on from the success of his vampire mockumentary hit What We Do In The Shadows, Waititi's new film Hunt for the Wilderpeople offers up another feel good alternative to just about everything else that's out there. Put simply, it's fantastic. Set in the dense bushland of New Zealand's east coast, the film tells the story of Ricky Baker, a troublesome ten year old orphan who, after years of delinquency, is on his last chance before being institutionalised. That last chance comes in the form of country couple Bella (Rima Te Wiata) and Hec (Sam Neill). Bella is an unflappably positive soul, the kind of no-nonsense straight talker you can't help but love from the moment you meet her, and her approach to Ricky is enough to quickly convince him to cease his nightly attempts at escape. Hec, by contrast, is the definition of loner. Bearded and bedraggled, he's an old-school bushman whose tolerance for companionship begins and ends with his wife and their scrappy old dog. The story takes a turn, however, when Hec and Ricky find themselves stranded in the bush and unable to return until Hec's fractured leg can heal. Worse still, to the outside world, it's assumed Hec has actually kidnapped Ricky, resulting in both police and rescue teams being brought in to hunt down the perceived paedophile. So begins a touching and terrifically funny odd couple on the run story that lovingly and faithfully harks back to various NZ comedies of the 80s. As Ricky, newcomer Julian Dennison puts in an accomplished and confident performance, imbuing his character with a lovely sensitivity masked by a veneer of wannabe gangsterism. Neill, likewise, is fantastic as the crotchety old Hec, pacing his inevitable softening towards Ricky with just the right amount of snarl and sneer. The other key performance of note comes from Rachel House as Ricky's dedicated child services appointee Paula. Playing it like a hard-edged cop from a film noir, Paula considers herself a relentless pursuer akin to the Terminator, and her verbal battles with Ricky offer up an almost unceasing stream of laugh-out-loud moments. Offbeat, intimate and impressively affecting despite its farcical nature, Hunt for the Wilderpeople is one the year's strongest films to date. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8Xvsjy57X0
In January next year Noma will open in Sydney for ten weeks. For that time it will likely be the only restaurant in Sydney entirely inspired by Australia’s native ingredients, landscape and climate. When he was here in 2010, Noma’s visionary chef Rene Redzepi said this: "I think this is the essence of great cuisine. I think that in any city they should have all the ethnic and multicultural cuisines, but I think that it's a poor culture if it doesn't have its own true, unique expression that can only be represented right there at the place." He was making a comparison between the restaurant food he’d eaten in Sydney and Melbourne and the indigenous feast he'd had in the Flinders Ranges. Redzepi was surprised that, given the incredible variety of native produce we have, no one outside of indigenous communities (and a tiny pocket of restaurants) were using them. A lot has changed since then. "After listening to Rene Redzepi's keynote address at the Sydney Opera House, I was completely inspired and left that night on a mission to track down Australian native produce which I could weave into my Cantonese cooking," says Kylie Kwong, owner and head-chef at Billy Kwong — the only restaurant in the world making traditional Cantonese food with Australian ingredients. At the moment, their latest menu includes wallaby cakes with Kakadu plum, crispy saltbush parcels and stir-fried spanner crab with a trio of native greens. Elsewhere, Adelaide's Orana has a dish of emu, plum pine and mountain pepper, while at Attica in Melbourne you'll find salted red kangaroo with pepperberries and bunya bunya, a starchy Queensland nut roughly comparable to a chestnut. With the exception of the above restaurants and a handful of others though, the use of native ingredients is rarely more than an occasional flourish — a few wattle seeds here and there, a lemon myrtle infusion or maybe a sight of warrigal greens. Finding a native vegetable, fruit or meat is an extreme rarity. You get the impression that Australia's portfolio of native ingredients is simply a short list of easily substitutable herbs and greens. [caption id="attachment_552283" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Billy Kwong[/caption] REVOLUTIONISING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH NATIVE FOODS John Newton's been researching native ingredients for his book The Oldest Foods on Earth. The history of native Australian food, with recipes. Australia has around 6000 unique edible plants and, in South East Queensland alone, there are more than 1500 different fruiting trees, he says. "We have the most fantastic native game birds. I've tasted the magpie goose — I love duck, and it's ten times better than duck. There's the bustard, there's scrub turkey, which tastes like pheasant. Beautiful." Even if only a tenth of our native ingredients tasted any good, it would be more than enough to completely revolutionise a green grocer’s shelves or an entire restaurant menu. But that particular revolution will have to wait, as there's not nearly enough farms or even knowledge of how to farm the vast majority of those ingredients. A lot of that information was lost after Europeans first arrived and started terraforming Australia for the production of beef, wheat and wool. [caption id="attachment_552284" align="alignnone" width="960"] Quay[/caption] FARMING NATIVE FOODS Picture this: you're an enterprising land owner who wants to start a farm. Given the resources and knowledge out there, you're more likely to start growing blueberries, cabbage or some common vegetable, rather than spend several years fiddling with native ingredients that have little to no backlog of info on how to actually cultivate or propagate them. Well, this has been the life of Mike and Gayle Quarmby. The owners of native food farming and distribution initiative Outback Pride have dedicated the best part of two decades to figuring out how to grow various native ingredients on a commercial scale. "We've done an enormous amount of research, development and horticultural work to actually domesticate these native food plants to get them to perform in a sustainable way," says Mike Quarmby. When they started, the majority of native produce farming consisted of simple wild harvesting, now their business is the biggest general supplier in the native food industry. Their clients include some of Australia's most innovative restaurants, chefs and grocers — and in January they'll be supplying almost their entire range of 65 ingredients to Noma Australia. [caption id="attachment_552289" align="alignnone" width="960"] Scallops with beach succulents at Orana.[/caption] SO, WHY THE STIGMA? It’s been a tough slog for the Quarmbys to get here. Aside from their trials in horticultural adventure, Quarmby says the duo has had to battle against an entrenched negativity against indigenous produce. "Australians have an inferiority complex about everything and anything related to food. ‘If it comes from overseas it must be good’. That has had a major effect,” he says. When we talked to John Newton about this, he mentioned the experience of three of Australia's early native produce pioneers: Jean-Paul Bruneteau and his restaurant Rowntrees, and Jennice and Raymond Kersh with Edna's Table. Interestingly, this first wave of restaurateurs made a big noise about using Australian native ingredients. Newton, who was working as a food critic in the '80s when the restaurants were operating, says the restauranteurs regularly faced criticism from customers solely due to the fact that they sold indigenous ingredients. "I don't know why. You could explore that in terms of racism all that you like," he says. But Newton says the worst thing to happen to the industry was a TV show called Bush Tucker Man. "Every time he puts something in his mouth he screws up. He hated it." Quarmby gave a similar review: "All due respects to Les Hidden, but he gave the impression that you only ate bush tucker if you were starving, and it tasted like shit." Quarmby says Redzepi has proven so influential because, as a Dane, he didn't come to Australia attached to any cultural prejudice or inferiority complex around Australian ingredients and the idea of a national cuisine. And now, despite a rough past, both Quarmby and his competitors in the native food industry are witnessing rapid growth. "We can't believe the number of new restaurants — we have nine exclusive distributors around Australia and our phone is running hot. They're saying things like 'this is the easiest thing we've sold all our lives'." WHERE TO EAT NATIVE INGREDIENTS Orana 1/285 Rundle Street, Adelaide, South Australia Attica 74 Glen Eira Road, Ripponlea, Victoria Vue de Monde 55, Rialto Towers, 525 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria Billy Kwong 1/28 Macleay Street, Elizabeth Bay, NSW Quay Upper Level, Overseas Passenger Terminal, George & Argyle Streets, The Rocks, NSW Bennelong Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney, NSW Top image: Salt cured red kangaroo with bunya bunya at Attica.
Long-deprived vegetarians, today's your day to high five a stranger, hug a disinterested cat, throw flowers from your shitty morning bus, dance merrily to your 9am. Today, IKEA Australia announced the launch of its long-awaited veggie Swedish meatball, consisting only of vegetables. AW. YEH. That's right, vegetarians can now partake in the glorious Swedishery that is IKEA's famed meatballs. The new ball is called GRÖNSAKSBULLAR, which sounds like a demon the Charmed sisters once battled — but this long-awaited IKEA newcomer deserves one mighty title. The new veggie balls will be rolled out (heh) in Australian IKEA store restaurants from April 27. Carnivores, if you're freaking out, don't think for a second the original meaty meaty meatballs are going anywhere. The veggie orbs of goodness will set you back $8.99 for a serving size of 10 and $3.69 for the kids’ serving size of five (plus you'll probably be able to take frozen balls home with you). “Our iconic IKEA meatballs are much loved in Australia — last year Aussies enjoyed nearly 8.5 million of them," said IKEA Australia food manager Simone Fowler. "The new veggie balls are a healthy, more sustainable option and form part of a move to decrease the impact of our food offering on the environment. Producing this meat free product will help cut our carbon emissions by half.” Overall, IKEA's aiming for a more sustainable food offering, acknowledging the lower environmental impact veggie-only balls have in comparison to their ambiguous meatballs. As Fowler said, the newbies will lower IKEA's carbon footprint too. It's part of their new campaign to promote for more environmentally-friendly, healthy and more ethically-produced food products — called the 'IKEA People and Planet Positive Strategy'. So IKEA's not only producing sweet veggie balls, but taking a long hard look at all their instore food. Meat-eating haters gonna hate. This is a victorious day for IKEA-lovin' veggos who've watched their buds enjoy dollar hot dogs and sweet, sweet meatballs on every furniture run.
If you're a fan of Better Call Saul, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Dead to Me or The Good Place, you've probably spent plenty of time in front of your TV screen over the past six months. But, even when we're all staying inside revisiting our favourite shows, 2020's television and streaming viewing isn't just about the programs you already love. If you're always eager to add some fresh favourites to your pile, the year so far has well and truly delivered. They're the new series that, in years to come, will sit atop your rewatch list. From ominous and ambitious science-fiction thrillers and contemplative slow-TV documentaries to comic takes on history and bold reworkings of literary classics, 2020's batch of new shows has proven a varied bunch — and an excellent one as well. It's enough to make you hole up in your living room and never want to leave. Or, to spend the year's colder months catching up. With the year at its halfway point, here are our picks of 2020's best TV and streaming series that you owe it to yourself to seek out now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODYjA9H4qcw NORMAL PEOPLE When Sally Rooney's Normal People first hit bookshelves in 2018, it thrust readers into a disarmingly relatable love story, following the amorous ups and downs of an on-again, off-again couple from Sligo, Ireland. Teenagers Marianne and Connell have known each other for years, as tends to happen in small towns. And although she's aloof, intense and considered an acerbic loner, while he's outgoing and popular, a torrid and tumultuous secret romance blooms. That's just the beginning of the Irish author's novel, and of the both tender and perceptive TV series that brings the book to the screen. As it dives deep into a complex chronicle of first love, it not only charts Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones, Cold Feet) and Connell's (newcomer Paul Mescal) feelings for each other, but details the recognisable and realistic minutiae of being a high schooler and then a uni student. This is first and foremost a romance, and a passionate and intimate one at that; however the series can't tell this complicated couple's story without touching upon everything else that pops up along the way. Normal People is available to stream via Stan. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1htuNZp82Ck&feature=youtu.be TALES FROM THE LOOP If Black Mirror set all of its bleak futuristic tales in one small town, followed interconnected characters and sported a low-fi, retro sheen, the result would be Tales From the Loop. This patient, beautiful, poignant and incredibly moving sci-fi series is actually based on a series of paintings by Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag — and even if you didn't already know that fact while you were watching, you'd notice the show's distinctive aesthetic. The title refers to a mysterious underground machine, called The Loop, that's designed to explore and unravel the mysteries of the universe. For the folks living above it, their lives soon take strange turns. Anchoring jumps and pauses in time, body swaps, giant robots and more in everyday situations and emotions (such as being envious of a friend, falling in love, betraying your nearest and dearest, and trying to connect with your parents), Tales From the Loop is as perceptive as it is immersive and engaging. And, its eight episodes are helmed by an exceptional array of fantastic filmmakers, including Never Let Me Go's Mark Romanek, WALL-E's Andrew Stanton, The House of the Devil's Ti West and actor-turned-director Jodie Foster. Tales From the Loop is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8klax373ds DEVS Radiating unease from its very first moments, yet sporting both a mood and a futuristic look that prove simultaneously unsettlingly and alluring, Devs is unmistakably the work of author-turned-filmmaker Alex Garland. His first jump to the small screen, it instantly slots in nicely beside Ex Machina and Annihilation on his resume — and it's just as intriguing and involving as each of those excellent movies. The setting: Amaya, a US technology company that's massive in size yet secretive in its focus. When Sergei (Karl Glusman) is promoted to its coveted, extra clandestine Devs division, his girlfriend and fellow Amaya employee Lily (Sonoya Mizuno is thrilled for him. But when Sergei doesn't come home from his first day, Lily starts looking for answers — including from the company's guru-like leader Forest (a long-haired, very un-Ron Swanson-like Nick Offerman). Devs is available to stream via Foxtel Now and Binge. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5vLgpdXz0g THE GREAT It takes its title from its central figure, Russian empress Catherine the Great. It's filled with lavish period-appropriate costumes, wigs, sets and decor. And, it explores an immensely famous time during the 18th century that had a significant impact upon the world. Normally, that'd all smack of a certain kind of drama; however The Great is firmly a comedy as well. As starring Elle Fanning as the eponymous ruler, Nicholas Hoult as her husband Peter III and Bohemian Rhapsody's Gwilym Lee as a fellow member of the royal court, that means witty, laugh-out-loud lines, an irreverent and often cheeky mood, and having ample fun with real-life details — much in the way that Oscar-winner The Favourite did with British royalty on the big screen. Of course, the comparison couldn't be more fitting, with that film's BAFTA-winning screenwriter, Australian Tony McNamara, using his savagely hilarious satirical skills to pen The Great as well. The Great is available to stream via Stan. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaMIcuVH83M&feature=emb_logo THE BEACH Whenever Warwick Thornton makes a new project, it demands attention — and the Indigenous Australian filmmaker has never made anything quite like The Beach. The director of Samson & Delilah and Sweet Country turns the camera on himself, chronicling his quest to escape his busy life for an extended soul-searching getaway. With only chickens and wildlife for company, Thornton bunkers down in an electricity-free tin shed in Jilirr, on the Dampier Peninsula on the northwest coast of Western Australia. He fishes, cooks, chats to the chooks, wanders along the shoreline and reflects upon everything that's led him to this point, with this six-part documentary series capturing the ups, downs, sublime sights and epiphany-inspiring moments. Unfurling quietly and patiently in the slow-TV tradition, Thornton's internal journey of discovery makes for both moving and absorbing viewing. Indeed, combined with stunning cinematography (as shot by Thornton's son and Robbie Hood director Dylan River), it just might be the best piece of Australian television you see this year. The Beach is available to stream via SBS On Demand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TA3B8Z5lcQ DISPATCHES FROM ELSEWHERE It has been a few years since Jason Segel was seen on-screen with any frequency; however the Freaks and Geeks, How I Met Your Mother and The Muppets star returns in a big way with Dispatches from Elsewhere. As well as leading the cast, he created, co-wrote and co-directed the intriguing and enigmatic puzzle-like drama series, which is based on the documentary The Institute and tracks a group of strangers who find themselves drawn to a strange, game-like mystery. IT worker Peter (Segel), the lively Simone (Eve Lindley), the overly cautious and paranoid Fredwynn (Andre Benjamin), and the upbeat Janice (Sally Field) all don't know what they're getting themselves in for when they start spotting flyers around town about offbeat topics (communicating with dolphins and trialling human force fields, for example), then each individually call the number printed on them. And, for maximum immersion and enjoyment — and to go on the ten-part show's weird and wonderful ride with its characters — audiences should approach it with as little prior knowledge of any details other than the above as well. Dispatches from Elsewhere is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDKYJwih5-Q BREEDERS Catastrophe, that great, smart, acerbically funny British comedy about a couple's experiences with parenthood, attempts to navigate life's all-round chaos and just general effort to try to stay together, sadly finished up its four-season run last year. Let worthy successor Breeders fill the gap — with Martin Freeman starring as exasperated dad Paul, Daisy Haggard (Back to Life) playing his partner Ally, and The Thick of It's Chris Addison and Simon Blackwell on directing and writing duties. Basically, if the aforementioned political satire featured parents swearing profusely at their kids instead of government staffers unleashing at their colleagues, this is how it would turn out. The show is partially based on Freeman's own experiences, too, and stems from the Sherlock, The Office and The Hobbit actor's idea. Breeders is available to stream via Foxtel Now and Binge. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zVhRId0BTw UNORTHODOX Deborah Feldman's best-selling 2012 autobiography Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots makes the leap to Netflix as a four-part mini-series. And, as the book's title makes plain, both explore her decision to leave her ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Williamsburg, New York, flee her arranged marriage and everyone she's ever known, and escape to Berlin to start a brand new life. Names and details have been changed, as tends to be the case with dramas based on real-life stories; however Unorthodox still follows the same overall path. In a tense but instantly commanding opening to the show's first episode, 19-year-old Esther 'Esty' Shapiro (Shira Haas) slips out of the apartment she shares with her husband Yanky (Amit Rahav), picks up a passport from her piano teacher and nervously heads to the airport. The end result proves a unique and intriguing coming-of-age tale, a thoughtful thriller, and an eye-opening but always careful and respectful look at a culture that's rarely depicted on-screen in such depth. Israeli actress Haas (The Zookeeper's Wife, Foxtrot, Mary Magdalene) turns in a nuanced, weighty and gripping performance as Esty, too — which is absolutely pivotal in making Unorthodox so compelling to watch. Unorthodox is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyxdf2TvcJE STATELESS A flight attendant (Yvonne Strahovski) unhappy with her life, trying to find solace in a cult-like dance school run by a creepy duo (Cate Blanchett and Dominic West), and eventually making a drastic decision. An Afghan refugee Ameer (Fayssal Bazzi) attempting to escape to Australia with his wife and daughters in search of a better life. A struggling father (Jai Courtney) in a remote town who takes a job at the local detention facility because it pays well. A bureaucrat (Asher Keddie) brought in to manage said location when it attracts negative media attention. They're the four characters at the heart of six-part Australian mini-series Stateless — a show that doesn't just feel as if it is ripped from the headlines but, in one specific instance, is 100-percent drawn from real-life events. This is bold, topical television filled with fantastic performances, although that's to be expected given the cast. Stateless is available to stream via ABC iView. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMUPp_hNMlM THE EDDY A fantastic cast, a Parisian setting and oh-so-much jazz. As executive produced and partly directed by Whiplash and La La Land filmmaker Damien Chazelle, that's what's on offer in eight-part drama The Eddy. The title refers to the French club run by former pianist Elliot (Andre Holland) and his business partner Farid (Tahar Rahim), with every episode following the daily life of a different person — including Elliot's rebellious teenage daughter Julie (Amandla Stenberg), as well as Maja (Joanna Kulig), the lead singer of the venue's resident jazz band. Like almost everything that Chazelle touches, other than First Man, jazz features heavily. That's really just a given with his work by now. But whether you're as fond of the style of music as he clearly is, you could take or leave it, or you're just keen on virtually visiting Europe, The Eddy unfurls a moody and engrossing tale that benefits from its excellent on-screen talent. The Eddy is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMaPCYRPhY0 MYTHIC QUEST: RAVEN'S BANQUET For the past 15 years, Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton have co-written and co-starred in one of the best shows on TV: the so-ridiculous-its-hilarious It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Hopefully, that'll never change — Sunny just aired its 14th season last year — but McElhenney and Day have also just launched a new sitcom. Trading a sleazy Philly bar for a video game development studio, Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet sees McElhenney play a gaming visionary who's having trouble with the latest expansion pack of his big online role-playing hit. Big troubles, actually. A workplace comedy, Mythic Quest takes some time to find its feet, but it's worth sticking with. It also stars Community's Danny Pudi, Oscar-winner F. Murray Abraham and Australian Content actress (and #Flipgirl) Charlotte Nicdao. And if you're a fan, you'll be pleased to know that Apple renewed it for a second season before the first even premiered. Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet is available to stream via Apple TV+. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVQ9-XH3hc8 DRACULA After giving Sherlock Holmes plenty of twists in Sherlock, writers Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss have decided that another famous character could use a once-over — and not just any old figure, either. Bram Stoker's Dracula has been adapted for the screen so many times, the bloodsucker actually holds the record, but this version isn't like any other. Starring The Square's Claes Bang as the undead count, the BBC and Netflix three-part series has plenty of tricks up its sleeves. So many, in fact, that we won't say too much in order to preserve the mystery. In a smart, lush, gleefully theatrical and cleverly scripted affair that blends gothic horror with sly amusement, the basic framework of the 123-year-old story remains — spanning both Romania and Britain, and following his altercations with lawyer Jonathan Harker, his lust for Lucy Westenra and his run-ins with Van Helsing — but not as you'd ever expect. Bang is fantastic, but keep a particular eye out for Dolly Wells (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) as a pivotal nun. Dracula is available to stream via Netflix. Looking for more viewing highlights? Check out our list of film and TV streaming recommendations, which is updated monthly.
You've gotta hand it to Doughnut Time. Brisbane's number one source of iced, filled orbs of deliciousness is as addicted to opening up new stores as the city's residents are to eating their sweet treats — so much so that they're about to unleash yet another shop upon the hungry masses whether we want it or not. From September 12, the space at 142 Albert Street will become Doughnut Time's latest inner-city outlet. Yes, you've grabbed a Ferrero No Share (with dark chocolate glaze, roasted hazelnuts and a Ferrero Rocher) or a Sia Later (a red velvet doughnut with vegan butter cream frosting and freeze-dried raspberries) from the same vicinity before. In fact, the fresh addition to the doughy pastry empire is right next door to Topshop — the site of their first-ever Brisbane CBD store. Right. Next. Door. This is getting out of hand. Okay, okay, so the Topshop store is no longer listed on their website, which could explain why they're opening up so close by. However given that Doughnut Time sets up new shops as fast as they bake their titular treats, nothing would surprise us anymore. A new Everton Park setup started serving just last week, after all. If Brisbane hasn't reached peak doughnut yet, we're just about to. Manly, Perth and Tokyo — you're next. Of course, you don't open 24 stores around the country in 18 months by holding back. Given that Doughnut Time is blissfully ignoring the fact that there might be a limit to how many doughnuts we can eat, and how often, it's little wonder that they're leaning in to the pastry frenzy and handing out freebies from 4-6pm on September 12. They've even created a new doughnut limited edition Albert Street doughnut named 'In The Air Tonight', complete with purple signature glaze, Oreo pieces and squares of Dairy Milk Chocolate, to mark the occasion. Fine, we'll admit it: we're growing increasingly wary of doughnut overload, but we're still tempted. Find Doughnut Time's new CBD store at 142 Albert Street, Brisbane from September 12 — and stop by for a free doughnut between 4-6pm that afternoon. For more information, keep an eye on Doughnut Time's website and Facebook page.
Ice cream lovers of Brisbane — whatever you have planned from around 5pm on Wednesday, March 29, you'd best cancel it and prepare to spend the evening worshipping your dessert of choice. The day everyone fond of a frosty sweet treat has been waiting for will finally arrive when Gelato Messina throw open the doors to their first Brisbane store. Turning South Brisbane's Melbourne Street into the city's new gelato go-to, Messina will reveal their largest site in the country — and in true ice cream royalty style, they're also unleashing a brand new flavour to celebrate. Behold the appropriately named QUEENSLANDAARRR!!!, which earns its extra letters and flurry of exclamation marks by combining ginger gelato with pineapple cake and Bundaberg rum caramel. It'll be available in all stores around the country for one week from March 28, and in Brisbane from March 29. Messina's swish Brissie digs will be their second spot in Queensland, with Coolangatta lucky enough to get the jump on their creamy chilled confection back in February 2015. Because all good things come to those who wait, the new store won't just serve up varieties such as tiramisu, Bounty, coffee made with real espresso, roasted figs in marsala and milk chocolate with choc peanut fudge, but will also offer three-hour gelato appreciation classes that are basically ice cream degustation sessions. If you've feasted on Messina at their Milton Markets or Brisbane Ice Cream Festival pop-ups recently, you'll be clearing your calendar and breaking out your stretchiest outfits. Find Gelato Messina at Shop 1, 109 Melbourne Street, South Brisbane from around 5pm on Wednesday, March 29. Keep an eye on their website for more information.
There's no one right way to experience SXSW, whether you're attending the Austin or Sydney version, but one of the event's huge highlights is its high-profile list of folks who get talking. As 2023's debut festival Down Under demonstrated, this is the kind of event where you could be listening to Chance The Rapper one moment, then Black Mirror's Charlie Brooker the next. In 2024, it's also the type of festival where The Kid LAROI, human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson, author Johann Hari, Lucy Lawless, Grace Tame, Suzie Miller and Stephen Page are getting chatting. This year's lineup features more than 1000 speakers, 60-plus tech exhibitors, over 200 artists, 120-plus games and more than 75 screenings across Monday, October 14–Sunday, October 20 dates. Other standouts from the conference part of the program include Nick Kyrgios, Noémie Fox, Chad Lawson and Molly Taylor. Fancy hearing about heading into space? That's where Australian astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg comes in. On the music side of the bill, not only is The Kid LAROI the keynote speaker, but the 'Stay', 'Without You', 'Thousand Miles', 'Love Again' and 'Girls' talent is introducing a First Nations showcase. Stepping from Heartbreak High to SXSW Sydney Music Festival, Ayesha Madon is also one of that strand's highlights. SAHXL, Nick Ward, BALTHVS, Total Tommy, brothers J-MILLA & Yung Milla, Joel Sunny, Ena Mori, Smol fish, HighSchool, Maina Doe, 404: you'll be able to see them as well. Screen-wise, once opening night's Y2K kicks off the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival, the program features everything from headliners Saturday Night, Smile 2, Nightbitch, The Front Room and Pavements to Slice of Life: The American Dream. In Former Pizza Huts from Barbecue and We Don't Deserve Dogs' Matthew Salleh and Rose Tucker — and Warwick Thornton (Samson & Delilah, Sweet Country, The New Boy), The Babadook composer Jed Kurzel and Barbie executive producer Josey McNamara among the talks. At Tumbalong Park, SXSW Sydney's festival hub is back 60-plus hours of free entertainment, too. Keen to feel like you're stepping inside some of your favourite TV shows? So is Prime Video's Primeville pop-up from Tuesday, October 15–Sunday, October 20 at Fratelli Fresh Darling Harbour. That's barely scratching the surface of 2024's SXSW Sydney characteristically jam-packed lineup. If you can't find something exciting to do, see, watch, learn from or dance to every single day of the fest, you clearly haven't looked at the program. [caption id="attachment_970635" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ian Laidlaw[/caption] Top images: Jordan Kirk, Ian Laidlaw and Jaimi Joy.
Calling an event WTF isn't something anyone should take lightly. In the case of Brisbane Powerhouse's biannual contemporary performance showcase, the acronym fits in two ways; however the World Theatre Festival is doing everything it can to live up to the other meaning of its moniker. That means a lineup bustling with the kinds of shows you're unlikely to see elsewhere. Maybe they're simply that new. Perhaps they haven't previously graced Australian stages. Sometimes, they're just so intent on challenging traditional definitions of theatre that there's really nothing else like them. Across a twelve-event program spanning February 18 to 27, that's what you'll find at WTF 2016. An attempt to be a better person, Cambodian rock and Maori myths feature among the schedule — and if you need help picking the best things to head along to, we've put together our list of the five we think are absolute must-sees.
It has been a chaotic year for the Oscars, but Maya Rudolph perhaps summed it up best straight out of the gate. One of the first presenters on stage at today's ceremony — alongside none other than Amy Poehler and Tina Fey — she reminded audiences that "there is no host tonight, there will not be a popular film category and Mexico is not paying for the wall". If you've missed the off-screen antics over the past year, there's been plenty, including the introduction and swift axing of a new field, Kevin Hart's short-lived run as host and a similarly brief decision to announce some awards during ad breaks. Thankfully, the show itself delivered a few highlights to almost wipe those mishaps out of everyone's memories. Almost. The aforementioned trio of funny ladies killed it, naturally, as did Melissa McCarthy paying comic tribute to The Favourite. Alfonso Cuarón, a frequent visitor to the winner's podium, wryly noted that he grew up watching "foreign-language films like Citizen Kane and Jaws". Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper belted out 'Shallow' and brought the house to its feet. And Samuel L. Jackson's reaction when announcing Spike Lee's Best Adapted Screenplay win for BlacKkKlansman was one for the ages. Stats-wise, history was made in a variety of ways. Spike 'Spikey Poo' Lee's gong was his first competitive trophy, and came nearly three decades after his first screenwriting nomination for Do the Right Thing. Green Book's Mahershala Ali became the first African-American actor to win two Oscars in the same category. The Marvel Cinematic Universe picked up its first Academy Awards, thanks to Black Panther — and ushered in the first wins by first black women in two fields, Costume Design and Production Design. And, with three-time recipient Roma, Cuarón became the first dual awardee for director and cinematographer in the same year for the same movie. That's the ceremony done and dusted. Now, if you haven't already, it's time to enjoy all the flicks that just received shiny accolades. From more than one music-filled drama, to an acerbic take on royal history, to an eye-popping animation, here are all of the winners you should add to your viewing list. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp_i7cnOgbQ ROMA Won: Best Director (Alfonso Cuarón), Foreign-Language Film, Cinematography (Alfonso Cuarón) What our critic said: "For all of the highlights on [Alfonso Cuarón's] resume, Roma sees the director enter another realm. Acting as his own cinematographer, he peers so attentively at his hometown, the era of his upbringing, and at [his protagonist] Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio), that he could be conjuring memories onto the screen." — Sarah Ward Where to watch it: On Netflix. Read the full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph9_oITIefE BLACK PANTHER Won: Best Costume Design (Ruth E. Carter), Production Design (Hannah Beachler and Jay Hart), Score (Ludwig Goransson) What our critic said: "In a picture positively teeming with highlights, Black Panther's greatest quality is its all-round embrace of African culture. In every aspect of its look, sound and feel, this chapter is like nothing else in the Marvel universe, and that's clearly by design. Twice during the film, outsiders enter Wakanda and try not to let their jaws drop to the floor — and it's easy to understand their reactions." — Sarah Ward Where to watch it: On Stan. Plus, it's available to rent or buy on iTunes, Google Play and DVD. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2G8SetsNM4 THE FAVOURITE Won: Best Actress in a Lead Role (Olivia Colman) What our critic said: "The savage dialogue, each line wittier, bleaker and yet still funnier than the next. The gleeful abandon of polite, ordinary behaviour. The acerbic insights that prove equal parts perceptive and awkward. Thanks to all three — plus an utter disdain for meeting anyone's expectations — being an actor in [Yorgos] Lanthimos' films seems like one of the best jobs in the world." — Sarah Ward Where to watch it: In cinemas. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywkF1lj5wyI A STAR IS BORN Won: Best Original Song ('Shallow' — music and lyric by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt) What our critic said: "With [Lady] Gaga leading the charge this time around, it's easy to see why A Star Is Born keeps glowing. A crash course in the highs and lows of the American dream, it's a fantasy where wishes come true, but where everything has a cost. It's also an underdog story, a star-crossed romance, an account of trying to make it in entertainment, a drama about substance abuse and a warning about fame's many ills." — Sarah Ward Where to watch it: It's available to rent or buy on iTunes, Google Play and DVD. Read the full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27zlBpzdOZg BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY Won: Best Actor in a Lead Role (Rami Malek), Film Editing (John Ottman), Sound Editing (John Warhurst and Nina Hartstone), Sound Mixing (Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin and John Casali) What our critic said: "Bohemian Rhapsody is a greatest hits movie. It's the neat, easily digestible version of Queen's career, and of Mercury's professional and personal ups and downs along with them... You know what you're getting when you listen to a greatest hits album, and it's exactly what's on offer with this formulaic biopic — but it's still largely enjoyable." — Sarah Ward Where to watch it: In some cinemas. Plus, it's available to rent or buy on iTunes, Google Play and DVD. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8qbq6Z6HYk IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK Won: Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Regina King) What our critic said: Two years after directing Moonlight to an Oscars Best Picture win, Barry Jenkins' follow-up is another heart-swelling, swoon-inducing, all-round astonishing look at romance and race relations, this time set in Harlem in the 70s. From the emotive use of colour splashed across the screen, to the exceptional performances that say so much even when they're saying little, to Jenkins' piercing handling of James Baldwin's novel of the same name, this is a perfect film. — Sarah Ward Where to watch it: In cinemas. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XhsuT0xctI FREE SOLO Won: Best Documentary What our critic said: "As well as chronicling an awe-inspiring story, every frame of Free Solo offers a palpable, visceral reminder of life's enormous risks and immense rewards — and to the filmmakers' credit, you're all but certain to feel the impact in your constantly sweaty palms." — Sarah Ward Where to watch it: In cinemas and on the National Geographic channel on Foxtel on Sunday, March 10. Read our full review — and our interview with climber and Free Solo's subject Alex Honnold. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbfIIGRfRJg SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE Won: Best Animated Feature Film What our critic said: "Who knew that a character who's been seen on screen over and over again for decades — and one who sports a 56-year history on the page as well — could seem so vibrant, thrilling and fresh? That's not a knock on the various live-action iterations, which have each boasted their own appeal, even if some fare better than others. But in embracing the entire big, bustling and diverse spider-world, Into the Spider-Verse genuinely feels new.." — Sarah Ward Where to watch it: In selected cinemas (but the run is almost over). Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpxJIWz8MNQ BLACKKKLANSMAN Won: Best Adapted Screenplay (Charlie Wachtel & David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee) What our critic said: "No one makes a seething big-screen statement about bigotry in the US like Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X and Chi-Raq director Spike Lee. You could call his latest joint many things, and they all fit: a crusading comedy laced with searing commentary, a tale so enraging and ridiculous that it can only be true, and a savage political polemic, for starters." — Sarah Ward Where to watch it: It's available to rent or buy on iTunes, Google Play and DVD. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSoRx87OO6k FIRST MAN Won: Best Visual Effects (Paul Lambert, Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles and J.D. Schwalm) What our critic said: "First Man is, despite its scale and subject matter, an intimate character portrait rather than a history lesson. It eschews the traditional pomp and grandeur of NASA control room scenes for dimly lit kitchens and moonlit walks, yet remains every bit the space odyssey such a tale commands." — Tom Glasson Where to watch it: It's available to rent or buy on iTunes, Google Play and DVD. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c18JX_RS-Xo GREEN BOOK Won: Best Picture, Actor in a Supporting Role (Mahershala Ali), Original Screenplay (Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly) What our critic said: "[Viggo] Mortensen and [Mahershala] Ali truly make the best of the material at their disposal. More than that, they exceed it — as you'd expect from both... With likely two-time Best Supporting Actor winner Ali, there's soulful elegance, resounding dignity and quiet vulnerability to his portrayal of Shirley, giving the man what he deserves even if the film around him doesn't." — Sarah Ward Where to watch it: In cinemas. Read our full review. Top image: Black Panther.
'The mormons are coming', posters popping up all around Brisbane promised in 2018. In 2018, until May, the mormons finally arrived. Brisbanites waited for years for The Book of Mormon to come to town, but it seems that we want more. While the musical's first Queensland run didn't end that long ago, a return season has been announced for 2020. If you haven't nabbed tickets to the current slate of shows, don't worry — Trey Parker and Matt Stone's hit musical will bring its hilariously irreverent self back to QPAC's Lyric Theatre from January 3, 2020. The production spent a year in Melbourne, then did the same in Sydney, and initially slated three months for Brisbane; however it clearly wasn't long enough. Tickets for the 2020 season are now on sale and, given that The Book of Mormon has been enjoying sell-outs everywhere it has played, it's certain to prove a hot ticket — again. In Sydney, it set a record for the highest grossing musical in the city's history, and did the same at Melbourne's Princess Theatre. Written by South Park and Team America's notoriously puerile creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, together with Robert Lopez of genius grown-up muppet show Avenue Q, The Book of Mormon is probably one of the most lauded comedies ever to have centred on the Church of Latter Day Saints, African missions, AIDS, bum jokes and super ironic racism. If it wasn't so smart and so funny, few would forgive it. But since it is, The Book of Morman has picked up nine Tonys, four Olivier Awards and a Grammy since it debuted in 2011, and has been called "one of the most joyously acidic bundles Broadway has unwrapped in years". If you've been envious of the throngs seeing the musical in New York, Chicago, London, elsewhere in Australia or in Brisbane at the moment, then you'll be plenty excited that you'll now get another chance to go learn all the idiosyncratic details of Mormonism, meet war criminal General Butt-Fucking Naked and know the true meaning of the hakuna matata-like saying 'Hasa Diga Eebowai'. The Book of Mormon plays QPAC's Lyric Theatre from January 3, 2020. Tickets for the return season are now on sale from BookOfMormonMusical.com.au. Image: Ryan Bondy, Zahra Newman, Nyk Bielak and company in The Book of Mormon, AUS 1411. (c) Jeff Busby.
If there's one thing Good Food Month boasts in abundance, it's degustation dinners. Don't discount Darling & Co's take on the trend, though. Yes, you'll get five small courses — but you won't get anything that could be an entree or a savoury main meal. You did indeed read that correctly — the glorious treat we all wish we could eat all day long is the only thing you'll find on this menu. It's an entire dessert degustation. Pastry pro Nicholas Waring will showcase dishes using fresh, seasonal fruit, Maleny Dairies products and premium chocolate. For $59 (or $89 with matched wines) you'll indulge in the lifelong dream of only having dessert for dinner.
UPDATE, January 22, 2021: Get Out is available to stream via Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. When a movie starts with a character walking nervously along a dark street, we all know what's going to happen next. Decades of horror films have taught us that nothing good can occur here. And, in Get Out, the situation plays out exactly as we've been conditioned to expect. The scared person is abducted by a masked attacker and dragged into a car. Crucially though, the victim isn't an attractive young woman, but rather a black man (Lakeith Stanfield) getting snatched up in the kind of picket-fenced suburbia most white folks could stroll through without fear. If you've ever seen his work with Keegan-Michael Key across the five seasons of their sketch comedy show Key and Peele, writer-director Jordan Peele's fondness for dissecting matters of race won't come as much of a surprise. While his first stint as a filmmaker doesn't feature white zombies refusing to eat people of colour, the underlying idea that African Americans are treated differently still sticks. Here, as in his comedy, he presents a scenario that quickly goes from amusing to uncomfortable to downright unnerving. Following Get Out's sinister opening scene, the film's focus switches to Brooklyn photographer Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), who's about to head to his girlfriend Rose's (Allison Williams) family home in the country. He's meeting her parents for the first time, and he's understandably anxious. When he asks "do they know I'm black?", she assures him that it doesn't matter because her dad would've voted for Obama a third time if he could've. Chris has clearly heard similar sentiments before, and knows it's going to be awkward anyway. "I don't wanna get chased off the lawn with a shotgun," he jokes. After they arrive, Rose's father (Bradley Whitford) keeps dropping "my man" into daggy attempts at conversation. Her mother (Catherine Keener) is polite to Chris, but noticeably stern with their black servants (Betty Gabriel and Marcus Henderson). Then there's Rose's younger brother Jeremy (Caleb Landry Jones) who makes uncomfortable comments about Chris' physique. To say that things don't feel quite right is a horror movie understatement right up there with Rosemary finding her new neighbours a bit odd in Rosemary's Baby. But again, Chris has seen this type of behaviour before. He's not thrilled, but he's not astonished either. Like all sinister storylines, the events that unfold are best discovered with as little prior knowledge as possible. It's not hard to pick up on the cleverly deployed horror tropes as they appear: the isolated location, hitting a deer on the way there, and the vocal warnings from Chris' pal Rod (LilRel Howery) back home. Likewise, you won't be able to miss the way that race keeps seeping into every conversation, shaping the way the movie unfolds. Peele's mastery of his spook-inducing genre is evident from the outset, but it's how he uses his classic setup to subvert the expected cliches and unleash a barrage of scathing social commentary that proves downright genius. What's so great about Get Out is how it defies easy categorisation. It's smart and oh-so-timely in the way that it highlights what it's like to be black in "post-racial" America. It's also genuinely unsettling and tense in an edge-of-your-seat manner, and never stops making viewers question what it is they're seeing. Last but not least, it's frequently hilarious, which given the director's background shouldn't come as a surprise. Add all of that together, and you're gifted one of the most assured, astute, entertaining and intelligent horror movies to creep out cinemas in years.
Can you do the polka? Do you know how to swing? Or are Bollywood and Bhangra moves more your style? Perhaps you're mighty fine at bouncing along to reggae, or maybe you can boot scoot, salsa or jive. Whatever style of fancy footwork you favour, the name of Brisbane Festival's pop-up inner-city dance floor says it all: You Should Be Dancing. Over eight nights at Queens Park outside of the Treasury Casino, you'll have the chance to learn the requisite steps, watch the experts do their thing and kick up your own heels. Now that's what we call a party. Image: Gregory Lorenzutti.
After announcing its return back in June, the resurrected Brisbane International Film festival has revealed its 2017 program, the fest's first in four years. Filling the major film festival space left by the now-shuttered Brisbane Asia Pacific Film Festival — which initially replaced BIFF back in 2014 — the revived BIFF will bring 51 features, nine shorts and three other compilation screenings to Palace Cinemas' two Brisbane sites between August 17 and September 3. The returning 16-day event, funded by Screen Queensland and run by Palace, kicks off its new beginning with the biggest film on the international festival circuit so far this year: Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or winner The Square. And while the fest starts global, it ends local. Aussie documentary The Go-Betweens: Right Here closes out the program with a loving tribute to a Brissie band so iconic, the city named a bridge after them. In between, cinephiles can expect two world premieres, one international premiere, six Australian premieres and a range of noteworthy picks from other international and local festivals. Broken Ghost, the latest film by Aussie Summer Coda director Richard Gray, will make its worldwide debut, as will Australian-made, French and Cambodian-shot documentary Life Is a Very Strange Thing. In the Aussie premiere camp sits three titles from BIFF's four-feature Baltic spotlight, plus Kazakh film Returnee, Vietnam's The Way Station and doco The Last Dali Lama? Elsewhere, viewers can work through Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev's body of work, including this year's Cannes jury prize winner Loveless. Also on the bill are showcase sessions of highly anticipated titles, such Berlinale and Sydney Film Festival winner On Body and Soul, the late Abbas Kiarostami's final effort 24 Frames and legendary director Agnès Varda's Faces Places. Helping round out the 2017 selection are the high-profile likes of Ryan Gosling and Michael Fassbender in the partly SXSW-set Song to Song, adorable claymation My Life as a Zucchini, rap drama Patti Cake$ starring Australian Danielle Macdonald, British farce The Party and Todd Haynes' Wonderstruck, to name a few. Throw in Aussie efforts Ali's Wedding, Australia Day and That's Not Me, gorgeous Studio Ghibli-like Japanese animation In This Corner of the World, Takashi Miike's 100th film Blade of the Immortal, and New Zealand documentary My Year With Helen — and yep, BIFF is back. The 2017 Brisbane International Film Festival takes place from August 17 to September 3 at Palace Barracks and Palace Centro. For more information and to buy tickets, head to their website.
Brisbane Writers Festival slots into the State Library of Queensland like a book being put back in its place on a shelf, however, the city's biggest, most central repository of the written word isn't the only place to have some fest fun. Yep, BWF in the 'Burbs is exactly what it sounds like. From Indooroopilly to Carina and Wynnum to Michelton, a selection of festival guests will grace suburban libraries to tell the stories behind writing stories. Speakers include journalist Caroline Overton and Irish author Michael Collins — and they're just two of the 14 talented folks popping up around town. This event is one of our five picks for Brisbane Writers Festival. Check out the whole list.
Your mates at Concrete Playground know how much you guys love Nutella. Sydney lost its collective shit (and rightfully so) over those damn Tella Ball milkshakes, and Melbourne eats so much of the stuff they caused a temporary nation-wide shortage. As addictions go, we suppose it could be worse. Point is, when we heard there was going to be a toaster-shaped Nutella food truck rolling around the country, we figured you'd want to hear about it. Especially since all the goodies on board will be free. The food truck menu has been devised by Alistair Fogg, the man behind Sydney's Nighthawk Diner. Think stewed winter berries with Nutella and toasted coconut, raisin toast with Nutella and berries, and a crepe stack with Nutella and crispy bacon. It's only one item per customer per day, unfortunately. Let's just say at this stage, we're not ruling out the possibility of trailing the truck from town to town like the insatiable groupies we so clearly are. The road trip begins in Sydney's Wynyard Park on Wednesday, June 15. Other stops in the Harbour City include Centenary Park (June 16), Sydney Uni (June 17) and Glebe Markets (June 18), before the long haul down the Hume Highway via Lithgow (June 19), Goulburn (June 20), Wagga Wagga (June 21), Albury (June 22), Bendigo (June 23) and Ballarat (June 24). In Melbourne they'll hit St Kilda (June 25-26) and Southbank (June 27), before wrapping up their journey in Geelong (June 28). As for Brisbane, we've got our fingers crossed you might be added to the itinerary. If not, we'll send you a Nutella-smeared postcard. Find the complete list of dates, times and locations for the Nutella Road Trip at the official Facebook page.
This year's Oscars belonged to one man, much like the last year in cinema has. It doesn't happen all that often, but the best film of the past twelve months dominated the Academy Awards — as did the filmmaker behind it. By winning Best Picture, Bong Joon-ho's Parasite became the first movie in a language other than English to do so. Let that sink in: it's the first film to score the top prize in the Oscars' 92-year run. By winning four trophies, all of which went to Bong thanks to his work as the movie's director, co-writer and co-producer, Parasite also became this year's most awarded feature. Given that before 2020, a South Korean film had never even been nominated for an Oscar — not even in the Best International Feature category — Bong well and truly made history. What a delight it was to see him so overwhelmed by the recognition, whether paying tribute to Martin Scorsese, a filmmaker he himself studied in film school, or thanking Quentin Tarantino for championing his movies from the get-go. How relatable it was, too, to hear Bong reveal his post-Oscars plans several times: "I will drink until the next morning". Still, while Parasite deservedly came out on top, 2020's ceremony spread the love across a heap of worthy films. A whopping 14 features won gongs, ranging from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Judy and Rocketman's respective renderings of showbiz history to Taika Waititi's 'anti-hate' comedy Jojo Rabbit — with the latter making him the first Maori person to win an Oscar. Among the other highlights: Janelle Monae and Billy Porter wowing everyone with a lively song-and-dance number right out of the gate, Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig demonstrating that they would've killed it if they'd emceed the host-less ceremony, and Chris Rock mentioning how vaginas are missing from the director's nominees this year. Among the oddities: Eminem taking to the stage to sing his 2003 Oscar-winner 'Lose Yourself' for some unknown reason. That's the ceremony done and dusted. Now, if you haven't already, it's time to enjoy all the flicks that just received shiny accolades. From the second movie to nab an actor a prize for playing the Joker, to two Netflix films you can stream right now, here are all of the winners that you should add to your viewing list. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_0KJAzyUJc PARASITE Won: Best Picture (Kwak Sin-ae and Bong Joon-ho, producers), Best Director (Bong Joon-ho), Best Original Screenplay (Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won), Best International Feature Film Our thoughts: "Bong Joon-ho has crafted a bleak, twisty blend of black tragi-comedy, pulsating thrills and socially relevant horror — a movie that's such a phenomenal example of all that cinema can and should be that you'll want to high-five the filmmaker after watching it... This isn't just a killer picture on all of the standard levels, however. Contemplating society's growing class collisions and inequities, Parasite also makes a killer statement." Where to watch it: In cinemas, still — and it's also available to rent or buy on DVD. Read the full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsL_spv4yEw ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD Won: Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Brad Pitt), Best Production Design (production design: Barbara Ling; set decoration: Nancy Haigh) Our thoughts: "Incessantly keen to splash his affection for celluloid history across the screen as always, Quentin Tarantino is in his element recreating Hollywood's golden days, its big names and LA's gleaming sights, and nodding to westerns once again. But, befitting a flick about weathering seismic personal, cultural and societal shifts, Once Upon a Time In Hollywood is a glorious character piece first and foremost." Where to watch it: Available to rent or buy on iTunes, YouTube, Google Play and DVD. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwRL0u87nbc 1917 Won: Best Cinematography (Roger Deakins), Best Sound Mixing (Mark Taylor and Stuart Wilson), Best Visual Effects (Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler and Dominic Tuohy) Our thoughts: "The storytelling gimmickry is obvious, jamming in chaos and peril across a wealth of scenarios, but the overall impact is inescapably immense and heartbreakingly intense. What Dunkirk did for a pivotal World War II event, 1917 does just as commandingly for an entire earlier war." Where to watch it: In cinemas. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C61wB6DTwiA JUDY Won: Best Actress in a Leading Role (Renee Zellweger) Our thoughts: "Stepping into a famous figure's shoes might be one of acting's most difficult feats, especially when that person is cinema royalty, but Renee Zellweger doesn't ever feel like she's just impersonating Judy Garland. Rather, she wears Garland's ruby slippers as if they're her own — and they fit perfectly." Where to watch it: Available to rent or buy on iTunes, YouTube, Google Play and DVD. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr-Lg-_KFHU JOKER Won: Best Actor in a Leading Role (Joaquin Phoenix), Best Original Score (Hildur Guðnadóttir) Our thoughts: "Joker is unflinchingly bold and brilliant in one inescapable fashion, as it was bound to be when it cast its lead. All skin, bone and sinew as he cavorts, frolics and chortles, Joaquin Phoenix is in stunning, mesmerising, awards-worthy form yet again. His raspy cackle isn't easily forgotten; neither is his off-kilter demeanour." Where to watch it: Available to rent or buy on YouTube, Google Play and DVD. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHi-a1n8t7M MARRIAGE STORY Won: Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Laura Dern) Our thoughts: "While Marriage Story does indeed tell the tale of a marriage, this devastatingly astute and empathetic drama does so within a portrait of the relationship's dying days and its rocky aftermath... In his ever-perceptive way, Noah Baumbach hones in on figures whose lives are a shambles, then watches as they natter their way forward — revealing their fragile core while revelling in the minutiae of their existence." Where to watch it: On Netflix. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MCOpNti_pQ LITTLE WOMEN Won: Best Costume Design (Jacqueline Durran) Our thoughts: "Greta Gerwig works wonders with her script and her actors — tasks that might seem easy, but still bear her fingerprints — however she also directs a visually sumptuous film. Little Women sparkles with warmth and charm, not only when dresses catch alight and catastrophic haircuts inspire laughs, but across tender and heartbreaking moments." Where to watch it: In cinemas. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m36QeKOJ2Fc AMERICAN FACTORY Won: Best Documentary Our thoughts: The first film produced for Netflix by Barack and Michelle Obama, fly-on-the-wall documentary American Factory tackles a subject of paramount importance — not just to the former President and First Lady's own country, but worldwide. Across three years, directors Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert chronicled the operations of a Chinese-owned plant in Ohio, crafting an eye-opening portrait of the human impact of the global economy. Where to watch it: On Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl9JS8-gnWQ TOY STORY 4 Won: Best Animated Feature Film Our thoughts: "Reflective, sweet, sensitive and virtually guaranteed to wring a response out of even the most cynical of viewers, Toy Story 4 is a classic Pixar piece... At its best, this saga is as imaginative, amusing and fun as it is thoughtful, with bright, bouncy animation to match — and, returning to the heights of the first film, the franchise is at its best again here." Where to watch it: Available to rent or buy on iTunes, YouTube, Google Play and DVD. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTm5DWgL-MU ROCKETMAN Won: Best Original Song ("(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again — music by Elton John, lyrics by Bernie Taupin) Our thoughts: "There's a vibrant spark to Rocketman as it charts Reginald Dwight's transformation into Elton Hercules John. A glorious tone, too, which couldn't work better. Showing how fantastical the ups and downs of fame, fortune and rock stardom can be by sashaying through a sea of surreality, the result is a winning marriage of form and feeling." Where to watch it: Available to rent or buy on iTunes, YouTube, Google Play and DVD. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tL4McUzXfFI JOJO RABBIT Won: Best Adapted Screenplay (Taika Waititi) Our thoughts: "Waititi's irreverent, irrepressible sense of humour is usually a delight (see: his aforementioned films, plus What We Do in the Shadows and Thor Ragnarok), but Jojo Rabbit is at its best when it actually dials back the gags, mockery and pointed current-day parallels, and instead hones in on its central trio in less overt moments." Where to watch it: In cinemas. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3h9Z89U9ZA FORD V FERRARI Won: Best Film Editing (Andrew Buckland and Michael McCusker), Best Sound Editing (Donald Sylvester) Our thoughts: A car-racing film that branches beyond speeding vehicles driving in circles around a track, Ford v Ferrari is more than just a dramatised account of two automotive companies battling it out in a prestigious race, too. With particular thanks to Christian Bale's performance as British driver and engineer Ken Miles, this is a celebration of smarts, hard work and ingenuity — and one that's engaging, thrilling and superb on a technical level as well. Where to watch it: In cinemas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjOdDd4NEeg BOMBSHELL Won: Best Makeup and Hairstyling (Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan and Vivian Baker) Our thoughts: "Bombshell is the slick, shiny version of a ripped-from-the-headlines story, which earned global attention when it broke back in 2016. Airbrushed to buffer away blemishes and avoid tricky spots, it's watered down to deliver an easy, glossy, simplified narrative. " Where to watch it: In cinemas. Read our full review. Top image: Parasite.
You can tell a whole lot about this globe of ours from the movies. You probably shouldn't, though — or you shouldn't take it too seriously, at least. The Feed's Marc Fennell both does and doesn't — sure, he's written an armchair guide to Earth as projected on cinema screens, but he's obviously done so with a sense of humour. Questions such as "which nation is best equipped to survive an apocalypse?" and "which fictional country links Predator, Commando and Die Hard?" give that away, and we expect that hearing Fennell offer up the answers will be just as amusing. This event is one of our five picks for Brisbane Writers Festival. Check out the whole list. Image: SBS.
Feel a hankering for some chortles at this year's Brisbane Comedy Festival, but don't have the funds to fork out for any of the event's international acts? Trying to squeeze in as many laughs as possible into your life in general? Keen to finish your working week with some laughs? All of the above situations are catered for at BCF's Knockoff. It's similar to Brisbane Powerhouse's old free comedy nights, but happening during the comedy fest — and it's perfect for kicking off the weekend in the funniest way possible. This free Friday night comedy show runs from 6pm each week between May 6–27, and will play host to some of the biggest up-and-comers in comedy (so, down the line, you can say you saw them when they were starting out). Exactly who you'll be laughing at hasn't yet been revealed, but you will be laughing. Just head on down to the New Farm spot and prepare to get your funny bone tickled.
Okay, so this July-wide eating extravaganza has been officially dubbed Good Food Month, but we think it could count as Good Wine Month too. There's more than a little grape-centric goodness on offer, including a booze-soaked chat about making Plonk, the Australian comedy television series all about wine. Join Yalumba winemaker and storyteller Jane Ferrari as she tells the tales of making the television program, and serves up her preferred tipples as well. Don't worry, something to eat is also part of the equation, with $65 per person getting you a winning food and drink combo.
Good Food Month isn't just about sit-down meals and special events — it's also about jumping between happening joints and grabbing a few drinks. Enter Bar Hop. Yes, the name says just about everything. Every evening in July, you can stop by Bucci Restaurant, Kerbside, Public Bar and Restaurant and Canvas for a $20 cocktail and a perfectly matched bar snack — or, as the title suggests, hop between all four. And if you're wondering what's on offer, that'd be Tanqueray gin concoctions, the perfect, light libation for a multi-venue escapade.
Whether or not you were one of the Rubenthusiasts who voted 'Hoops' into the number one spot of triple j's Hottest 100, Australia has spoken on another Hottest 100. The GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers of the Year have been voted, counted and announced — and Stone & Wood's Pacific Ale is right where it should be: bang on the top. The poll began in 2008 as a little spot of merriment for the staff and crew frequenting Melbourne and Sydney's go-to craft beer pub The Local Taphouse. What does GABS stand for? The 'Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular', one heck of a craft beer event first held at the Taphouse(s) in 2011. Now voted by thousands of craft beer lovers, the other Hottest 100 sees punters vote for their five favourite Australian craft beers and await the countdown on Australia Day at The Local Taphouses, official events around the country, live podcasts and on social media. So here it is, the punter-voted GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers of 2015. Head for your nearest craft beer pub — in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane — or your nearest craft beer bottle shop — in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane — to take a six-pack home (or fill up your growler). GABS HOTTEST 100 AUSSIE CRAFT BEERS OF 2015 1 ‘Pacific Ale’ Australian-style Pale Ale (Stone & Wood, NSW) 2 ‘Hop Hog’ American-style IPA (Feral, WA) 3 ‘IIPA’ Double American-style IPA (Pirate Life, SA) NEW 4 ‘Pale Ale’ American-style Pale Ale (Pirate Life, SA) NEW 5 ‘Pale Ale’ American-style Pale Ale (Little Creatures, WA) 6 ‘150 Lashes’ Australian-style Pale Ale (James Squire, NSW) 7 ‘Pale Ale’ American-style Pale Ale (4 Pines, NSW) 8 ‘Kolsch’ (4 Pines, NSW) 9 ‘Former Tenant’ American-style IPA (Modus Operandi, NSW) 10 ‘Karma Citra’ Black IPA (Feral, WA) GABS (2011) 11 ‘Throwback’ Specialty IPA (Pirate Life, SA) NEW 12 ‘Hop Thief 7’ American-style Pale Ale (James Squire, NSW) NEW 13 ‘Taco Beer’ Specialty Beer (Two Birds, VIC) GABS (2013) 14 ‘Milk and Two Sugars’ Sweet Stout (BrewCult, VIC) NEW / GABS (2015) 15 ‘Beechworth Pale Ale’ American-style Pale Ale (Bridge Road, VIC) 16 ‘Golden Stout Time’ Sweet Stout (Big Shed, SA) NEW / GABS (2015) 17 ‘War Hog’ American-style IPA (Feral, WA) NEW 18 ‘Pale Ale’ Australian-style Pale Ale (Coopers, SA) 19 ‘Summer Ale’ Australian-style Pale Ale (Mountain Goat, VIC) 20 ‘Steam Ale’ Australian-style Pale Ale (Mountain Goat, VIC) 21 ‘Dark Ale’ Dark Mild (White Rabbit, VIC) 22 ‘Ramjet 2014/15 (Whisky Aged)’ Russian Imperial Stout (Boatrocker, VIC) NEW 23 ‘Three Sheets’ Australian-style Pale Ale (Lord Nelson Hotel, NSW) 24 ‘Red’ American-style Amber Ale (Nail, WA) 25 ‘India Red Ale’ American-style IPA (Prancing Pony, SA) 26 ‘777’ Double American-style IPA (Riverside, NSW) 27 Noisy Minor ‘Admiral Ackbar’ American-style Amber Ale (Fortitude, QLD) 28 ‘The Chancer’ Blonde/Golden Ale (James Squire, NSW) 29 ‘Cloud Catcher’ Australian-style Pale Ale (Stone & Wood, NSW) 30 ‘Newtowner’ Australian-style Pale Ale (Young Henry’s, NSW) 31 Noisy Minor ‘ANZUS’ American-style IPA (Fortitude, QLD) 32 ‘Fat Yak’ American-style Pale Ale (Matilda Bay, VIC) 33 ‘Bright Ale’ Blonde/Golden Ale (Little Creatures, WA) 34 ‘Small Ale’ Specialty IPA (Colonial, WA) 35 ‘Indian Summer Pale Ale’ Australian-style Pale Ale (4 Pines, NSW) NEW 36 ‘Hangman’ American-style Pale Ale (Rocks, NSW) 37 ‘Copy Cat’ American-style IPA (Mash, WA) 38 ‘XPA (Extra Pale Ale)’ American-style Pale Ale (Wolf of the Willows, VIC) 39 ‘Vale Ale’ Australian-style Pale Ale (Vale, SA) 40 ‘Dog Days’ American Wheat (Little Creatures, WA) NEW 41 ‘Imperial West Coast Red Rye IPA’ Specialty IPA (4 Pines, NSW) NEW 42 ‘Praline’ Belgian Specialty Ale (La Sirène, VIC) GABS (2014) 43 ‘Return of the Dread’ Foreign Extra Stout (Little Creatures, WA) NEW 44 ‘Roger Ramjet 2015 (Bourbon Aged)’ Russian Imperial Stout (Boatrocker, VIC) NEW 45 ‘IPA’ American-style IPA (Hawkers, VIC) NEW 46 ‘Tusk 2015’ American-style IPA (Feral, WA) NEW 47 ‘IPA’ American-style IPA (Little Creatures, WA) 48 ‘Australian Pale Ale’ (4 Pines, NSW) NEW 49 ‘Fred’ American-style IPA (Murray’s, NSW) 50 ‘Growler’ American-style Brown Ale (2 Brothers, VIC) 51 ‘Fancy Pants’ American-style Amber Ale (Mountain Goat, VIC) 52 ‘Windjammer’ American-style IPA (Green Beacon, QLD) 53 ‘Pale Ale’ American-style Pale Ale (Hawkers, VIC) NEW 54 ‘Watermelon Warhead’ Berliner Weisse (Feral, WA) GABS (2012) 55 ‘Californicator’ American-style IPA (Big Shed, SA) NEW 56 ‘Pale Ale’ Australian-style Pale Ale (Kosciuszko, NSW) 57 ‘Citrus IPA’ Specialty IPA (4 Pines, NSW) NEW 58 ‘Golden Ale’ Blonde/Golden Ale (Two Birds, VIC) 59 ‘Temptress’ Porter (Holgate, VIC) 60 ‘Pale Ale’ American-style Pale Ale (Hawthorn, VIC) 61 ‘Calypso’ American-style Pale Ale (Odyssey, VIC) 62 ‘Two to The Valley’ American-style IPA (Newstead, QLD) 63 ‘F-Yeah’ American-style Pale Ale (Big Shed, SA) 64 ‘Kung Foo’ Pale Lager (2 Brothers, VIC) 65 ‘Garden Ale’ Australian-style Pale Ale (Stone & Wood, NSW) 66 ‘Pale Ale’ Belgian Pale Ale (White Rabbit, VIC) 67 ‘Sunset Ale’ American-style Amber Ale (Two Birds, VIC) 68 ‘Dark Red IPA’ Specialty IPA (Six String, NSW) 69 ‘Atomic Pale Ale’ American-style Pale Ale (Gage Roads, WA) 70 ‘Angry Man Pale Ale’ American-style Pale Ale (Murray’s, NSW) 71 ‘Winston’ American-style Pale Ale (Shenanigans, NSW) 72 ‘Hopsmith’ American-style IPA (Akasha, NSW) NEW 73 ‘Clout Stout 2015’ Russian Imperial Stout (Nail, WA) NEW 74 ‘Grizz’ American-style Amber Ale (2 Brothers, VIC) 75 ‘#010 West Coast IPA’ American-style IPA (Exit, VIC) NEW 76 ‘Draught’ Kölsch (Colonial, WA) 77 ‘IPA’ American-style IPA (Mornington Peninsula, VIC) 78 ‘ESB’ Extra Special Bitter (4 Pines, NSW) 79 ‘Yenda Pale Ale’ Australian-style Pale Ale (Australian Beer Co, NSW) 80 ‘Rogers’ American-style Amber Ale (Little Creatures, WA) 81 ‘Splice of Heaven’ Specialty IPA (Moon Dog, VIC) NEW 82 ‘West Coast IPA’ American-style IPA (Batch, NSW) 83 ‘Vanilla Milk Stout’ Sweet Stout (Thirsty Crow, NSW) 84 ‘Barrel Breed Barley Wine’ UK-style Barleywine (Mountain Goat, VIC) NEW 85 ‘Bling’ American-style IPA (Bridge Road, VIC) 86 ‘The Fox’ Vienna-style Lager (Rabbit & Spaghetti, SA) NEW 87 ‘Session Ale’ Australian-style Pale Ale (Mismatch, SA) 88 ‘Crankshaft’ American-style IPA (BentSpoke, ACT) 89 ‘Pale Ale’ American-style Pale Ale (Mornington Peninsula, VIC) 90 ‘28’ American-style Pale Ale (Burleigh, QLD) 91 ‘3 Quarter Time’ Australian-style Pale Ale (Newstead, QLD) 92 ‘White Ale’ Witbier (White Rabbit, VIC) 93 ‘Sly Fox’ American-style Pale Ale (Feral, WA) 94 ‘ESB’ Extra Special Bitter (Hargreaves Hill, VIC) 95 ‘55’ American-style Pale Ale (3 Ravens, VIC) 96 ‘Metamorphosis’ American-style IPA (KAIJU!, VIC) 97 ‘Sparkling Ale’ Australian-style Pale Ale (Coopers, SA) 98 ‘Zoo Feeder’ American-style IPA (Modus Operandi, NSW) 99 ‘Hopped Out Red’ American-style Amber Ale (KAIJU!, VIC) 100 ‘Hazelnut Brown’ UK-style Brown Ale (Bad Shepherd, VIC) NEW NEW – First released in 2015 GABS– A ‘Festival Beer’ made especially for a previous GABS festival Head to the GABS website for more info.
Behold, the event that'll separate the pinball wizards from the pinball muggles, and those talented as mashing buttons from the folks that are happy when they get flipping lucky. That's what happens when Netherworld closes its doors to everyone except the devoted few — those eager to play pinball for 18 hours straight. No wonder they've called the arcade marathon Death by Pinball. No sleep till pinball also would've worked. Those brave enough to attend will battle it out in matches over many rounds, fit in a few fun games from the bar's array of machines in between, and get a prize if they survive the night.
Roll up, roll up, Brisbane Festival is in town. For one glorious month of the year, the city overflows with a feast of theatre, music and other creative events to become an arts and culture wonderland. In 2015, the annual hive of activity buzzes from September 5–26, and stretches along the river and across the suburbs to encompass almost anywhere you can think of. Want to gaze at the sky to watch fireworks from wherever you can find the best vantage point? Or watch a film in your own backyard? Or see art made by those on the margins? Or go along to a free lunchtime concert at City Hall? Well, you can — and that's only the beginning of the BrisFest experience. In fact, being spoiled for choice for things to do is a problem no one should complain about. To help whittle down your options, here's our pick of the ten festival events we think you should be flocking to.
Dark and debaucherous banquets from Bompas and Parr, immersive art sleepovers at Cradle Mountain and all the demon purging and ceremonial death dances you could want in a festival. Dark Mofo has announced its 2015 program. Centred around the winter solstice and running June 12-22, MONA's annual June festival celebrates the Neolithic-started tradition over ten days of weird and wonderful art, performance, music and happenings around Hobart. Last year's festival attracted more than 130,000 Mofos, and with this year's lineup, they're looking at a lot more pilgrims. Coinciding with MONA's huge Marina Abramovic retrospective Private Archaeology, this year's Dark Mofo is deeper, creepier and darker than ever before — with art, food, music and performance pioneered by 250 artists from around the world. For one of the biggest events of the festival, the brave and adventurous at heart will want to lock in June 15-17 for a two-night immersive art experience sleepover within Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. That's right. Immersive art sleepover. It's called Wild At Heart and is curated by the Unconscious Collective (Motel Dreaming). British jellymongers and universally applauded food artists Bompas and Parr are hosting a full-on, debaucherous banquet. Huge. And Melbourne contemporary artist Ash Keating will open an exhibition called Remote Nature Response as part of the whole WAH shebang. Music-wise, Dark Mofo is as brooding and gloomy as ever at Hobart's historic Odeon Theatre, with already-leaked, heartbreaking headliners Antony and the Johnsons leading the charge with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. British art-pop collective The Irrepressibles are also locked in, alongside Arkansas experts in doom metal Pallbearer. Seattle's 'horror-country' rocker King Dude will be there, as well as German industrial dance outfit Oake. There's plenty of Australians in the bunch too, from The Drones' brooding folkster Gareth Liddiard to Melbourne's '60s-inspired crooner Brous and performance vocalist Kusum Normoyle, modern day Divinyls-like Sydneysiders The Preatures, Hobart's eclectic pop group Tiger Choir and Melburnian chillwave must-see Klo. Also hailing from Melbourne, gloomy electronica artist Jake Blood and frenetic rock outfit My Disco. Then there’s Japan's electro-conducting EYE, who will be premiering new work CIRCOM, especially for Dark Mofo, presented by Red Bull Music Academy. Immersive art and experimental theatre fans, you'rve got plenty to look forward to. Dark Mofo set to unveil a brand new festival precinct dubbed 'Dark Park' at Hobart's Macquarie Point. Huge public artworks will invade the park, from a high-octane Fire Organ by German chemo-acoustic engineer Bastiaan Maris with producer Duckpond, to a Night Ship cruising around the river, and a full-body sonic massage immersion of Bass Bath by Melbourne’s Byron J. Scullin in collaboration with Supple Fox. Virginia Woolf’s Orlando will be performed by Victoria’s THE RABBLE theatre company at the Theatre Royal (Australia’s oldest theatre) and you'll find a dark take on Roald Dahl's The Witches at Salamanca Arts Centre’s Peacock Theatre. Plus, you won't want to miss Dark Mofo's new late-night ceremonial death dance Blacklist curated by Supple Fox. We don't even know what that means. Those keen to lose themself in a dark, dark cinema have plenty of Nordic dark folkloric films to sink their teeth into. North Hobart’s century-old State Cinema is presenting a super niche series featuring A Second Chance, A Spell to Ward off the Darkness, Down Terrace, A Field in England, Partisan, Severed Ways: The Norse Discovery of America, Valhalla Rising and more, curated Nick Batzias and James Hewison. Dark Mofo Films will also see the red carpet world premiere of Tasmanian-filmed Foxtel adult drama series The Kettering Incident at the Odeon. Last but not least, we feast. Dark Mofo's annual bacchinalian food festival returns to Princes Wharf Shed 1 — the ever-anticipated Winter Feast. Guest chefs Jake Kellie, Martin Boetz, Sean Moran, Mike McEnearney and O Tama Carey and the Mona Source restaurant team head five nights of feasting and performance, culminating in a Balinese ogoh-ogoh parade to purge all those demons and burn all those fears. Really. Then there's the annual Nude Solstice Swim — nothing like an early morning swim in Tasmanian water to cure your Mofo hangover. Dark Mofo runs June 12-22 in various locations across Hobart, Tasmania. Tickets are on sale from 10am Monday, April 20 from here. Registration for tickets for Antony and the Johnsons with the TSO over here. Images: Beth Evans, Matt Glastonbury.
How do you like waffles? Drizzled with syrup? Slathered in cream and ice cream? With fried chicken? All pretty standard answers, really, but here's something that you probably haven't paired with your breakfast batter. How about waffles with beer? Everyone has their own threshold when it comes to unlikely food and drink pairings, however, if you're a mildly adventurous eater, then A Crafty Waffle is the event for you. Cancel your dinner plans on March 16, because you'll be matching lattice treats with different brews to create a sweet and savoury bonanza — you'll even come up with your own combos, too.
Last year, everyone’s favourite musicians turned bar proprietors looked back to 2003 for their end of year celebration. Never doing the same thing twice, this year they’re advancing onwards and then some. For New Year’s Eve, the Southside Tea Room is going forward – not back – to the future. Great Scott! That should be Nu Year’s Eve, actually, befitting the ultramodern theme. No one knows what the year 3015 holds, but the Morningside establishment is going to give it their best guess. Everyone’s favourite sci-fi pop culture obsessions will be a major influence, and one thing is certain: Beyoncé, a future Master of the Universe, will feature on the playlist. Think alien babes, space cuties and more — possibly including foil, that shiny staple of all things forward-looking. It wouldn’t be a Southside party without prizes for the best costumes, delicious snacks, cheap drinks, themed cocktails, giveaways, and bodacious party tunes for this most excellent adventure. There’s also a pre-paid $70 food and drink package for those thinking about the not-too-distant future of their bank account.
Have you found yourself standing in the Australian breeze lately and thought, "Do I feel in this breeze a touch of whimsy; whimsy and the slight lilt of literary references spoken in Glaswegian accents?" You have? Sure sign that Belle and Sebastian are on their way. After four years the ever-enduring Glaswegian collective, who have long held the title of indie-pop royalty, have released their ninth studio album just in time for an Australian tour. Belle and Sebastian are never a band to ignore their roots, so longtime fans can look forward to performances that celebrate everything from indie-pop classics from early albums Tigermilk and If You're Feeling Sinister to their newest dance-y ventures 'The Party Line' and 'Enter Sylvia Plath' off the new album Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance. Supported by Twerps. We caught up with Stuart Murdoch for a chat about B&S's stylistic changes, having cocktails created in one’s honour and putting politics in pop. Check out the interview right here.
The legendary, controversial performance artist who does 'nothing' is finally making her way to Australia, set to perform a brand new artwork. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the beloved and equally criticised 67-year-old artist, Marina Abramovic, has been invited by arts heavyweight John Kaldor to Sydney to perform a yet-to-be-revealed, shiny new work in June 2015. Famous (and the topic of furious debate) for her iconic 2010 work at NYC's Museum of Modern Art, The Artist is Present, Abramovic's work was last seen in Australia for Kaldor Public Art Project's applauded group exhibition 13 Rooms at Pier 2/3 — the work, Luminosity, which saw a naked artist wall-mounted on a bicycle seat for long periods of time (and didn't star Abramovic herself). For her mysterious new Sydney work, Abramovic will use the Pier 2/3 space herself, in one of the most squealworthy announcements for performance art lovers this side of the equator. But this isn't the first time Abramovic has been to Australia; before presenting Gold found by the artists with partner in crime Ulay at the 1979 Biennale of Sydney, the artist spent a cheeky five months with an Aboriginal community in central Australia in the '80s (and raised a baby kangaroo and cuddled this sheep). According to Fairfax Media, there's also a whole Abramovic exhibition planned for David Walsh's Museum of Old and New Art next year — quite honestly, why she hasn't made MONA's acquaintance baffles us. To be fair, she's been pretty busy doing zilch for a total of 512 Hours at London's Serpentine Gallery, hangin' with Jay-Z and backing a new online school for girls with Sia, Pussy Riot, Kim Gordon, Yayoi Kusama and Yoko Ono. The artist is busy. Via SMH. Images: Complex.
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 — As MoMA at NGV gets closer to wrapping up, the NGV has announced that it will extend opening hours so you have a few more chances to see the exhibition (if not for the first, for the second or third time). The gallery will move its regular 10am opening time up to 8.30am from September 22 until October 7, and, in the final week, it will stay open until 10pm from Thursday, October 4 until Sunday, October 7. The exhibition will also be extended for an extra day, and will now close on Monday, October 8. Not going overseas this winter? Luckily, you'll still have the chance to take a bite out of some Big Apple arts and culture, as the National Gallery of Victoria plays host to an exclusive exhibition showcasing works from New York's prestigious Museum of Modern Art. Set to run until October 7, MoMA at NGV: 130 Years of Modern and Contemporary Art will feature over 200 modern and contemporary masterpieces, many on their first ever visit to Australia. Taking over the entire ground floor of NGV International, it's certifiably huge. The exhibition will present pieces from all six of MoMA's curatorial departments, meaning the works will span Photography, Film, Architecture and Design, Painting and Sculpture, Drawings and Prints, and Media and Performance Art. You'll catch works from all of the big names of the 19th and 20th century art world, including Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Henri Matisse, Frida Kahlo, Jackson Pollock, Georgia O'Keeffe, Diane Arbus and Andy Warhol. Capturing the spirit of more recent times, will be pieces from the likes of Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman, Kara Walker, Olafur Eliasson, Rineke Dijkstra and Camille Henrot. Examining over 130 years of innovation, MoMA at NGV sets out to explore all the major art movements, with the exhibition spread across eight themed sections. Here are a few of the big-name works on display. Needless to say, the partnership with MoMa is a pretty huge coup for both the NGV and Australian art lovers. "The collaboration with the National Gallery of Victoria provides a unique opportunity to see extremely important works from nearly every area of our collection in an exhibition that simultaneously explores The Museum of Modern Art's history as well as the history of modern and contemporary art in general," said MoMA Director Glenn D. Lowry. As an added bonus, NGV members who are hitting New York while the exhibition is running will score free admission to MoMA, and vice versa.
There's a big, white container coming to Reddacliff Place. But, like most shipping containers in the city, it's not being used to transport furniture. And the word 'séance' will be written on the side in black. It's kind of ominous. Séance is actually an installation where participants take a seat inside the tiny space, put on a headset and place their hands flat on the table in front of them. The lights go out and the container enters complete darkness. For the next 20 minutes, participants are fed 'suggestible information' through their headsets. You're probably thinking that there's something dark or supernatural about the whole thing — and going by the name, we don't blame you. But the installation's organiser assures us that 'séance' is simply a French word meaning 'session' or 'sitting'. And so Séance is a sensory experience that looks at the psychology of a group sitting together. Despite not being a horror or supernatural-themed piece, it's a scary indicator of how easy it is for confusion, information overload and the people siting right next to us to affect our judgment. Artists David Rosenberg and Glen Neath (who have collaborated in other sensory deprivation projects before) are the creative masterminds behind the project, which has been described as 'disorienting' and 'deeply unsettling'. It's not recommended for the claustrophobic or the easily frightened. The spooky installation first visited Brisbane last year, and now it's back. Head along from Thursday, September 19 to Sunday, October 6, with tickets on sale now.
You don't need to be Liza Minnelli to think that life is a cabaret, particularly if you're in Brisbane this June. Yes, it's Queensland Cabaret Festival time again, which means that spending your nights watching talented singers tell stories through song is well and truly on the menu. For its third year running, the Brisbane Powerhouse-based festival is back with another jam-packed program of music-fuelled fun, spanning new takes on old classics, repeat tributes to lost icons, and everything from ukuleles to comedic musical therapy in between. In fact, if one of the fest's 13 shows doesn't inspire a prolonged bout of humming, clapping and toe tapping, then you're not looking hard enough. We've picked our five favourites to get you started.
Not content with operating two of the city's favourite bars, plus a Spanish eatery, Brisbane restaurateur Jamie Webb is adding another venue to the mix. This time, he's heading down to Paddington's Given Terrace to add a new watering hole with a nautical-themed twist. The new pub's name, The Hope & Anchor, certainly gives the focus away — and expect more maritime, beachy and other watery-related wares once it opens its doors in October. Its location, taking over the space formerly inhabited by The Shingle Inn and The Lark before that, also gives an indication of the kind of relaxed inner-city oasis vibe that might be in store. A cellar bar is currently mooted as part of the site's renovations, which is all happening now. Expect a courtyard, too — aka the potentially perfect spot to spend a warm, sunny Brisbane afternoon feasting on bar food and a few crisp lagers. Given that Webb already has Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall on Petrie Terrace, Sonny’s House of Blues in the CBD and Gordita in Fortitude Valley on his books, there shouldn't be much doubt that his magic touch will work again. And if there's anything that stretch of Paddington needs, it's a laidback hangout to balance out the many restaurants and cafes closer to the city. Find The Hope & Anchor at 267 Given Terrace, Paddington from October. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
A preservative-laden candy made with rubbish meat and flavours that read like weather reports. That was the old style of jerky, and Darrell Beveridge, father of the Darling Jerky Co, says it's met its end. He's one of the new breed of dried meat revolutionaries, wrenching jerky away from its image as a cheap convenience store snack. “The old world of jerky doesn't understand," he says. "For them it was something eaten by real rough truck drivers from the service station.” Another comrade-in-arms, Brent Griffin of Griffin Jerky, has a nostalgic connection to jerky from his youth. "It was something we'd all do and feel bad about it,” he says. "I started making my own because a lot of that stuff is garbage.” He tells me this while we gnaw away on a stick of his own product, which I've just bought from behind the bar of Sydney's Arcadia Liquors, the kind of bar that's the 'service station' of new-wave, natural, handcrafted and excitingly flavoured jerky. Both Darrell and Brent want to bring their meat to Sydney's jerky virgins. One part of that is making a product that doesn’t ‘feel’ like jerky, the other part is simply making a bloody good product. DARRELL BEVERIDGE'S GUIDE TO RECOGNISING BLOODY GOOD JERKY First rule: “It has to be pasture-raised, roaming free range cattle”. Second rule: "Contemporary flavours and quality ingredients." Here's how to judge. Appearance: Every piece should look different he says, “If something looks like a Roll-Up, it's probably processed. It should look like a piece of meat shrunken down.” Texture: "You want it to almost chew like a steak. You want it to bend but not break.” It shouldn’t tear like crepe paper, having to fight a little to tear it apart is normal. If you need to gnaw for several minutes just to get a bite sized chunk, it’s too dry or too old. Taste: A good stick of jerky should have three stages of flavour. There’s the initial flavour Darrell calls the seasoning or bite that should come without any chewing. Next is the follow-through, a juicy release of flavour as the jerky softens. Last is the aftertaste. "It’s not like a chip," Darrell says; you should be able to savour it. A NEW WORLD OF FLAVOUR Darrell said when he first started making jerky at home five years ago, all the old companies were selling the same thing. “Flavour wise there was really a lot of boring flavours. It was really just original and hot," he says. "Pepper was the big spice. There was a lot of room to try different types.” Now Darrell’s making a 'pickleburger' flavour, which is as complex and layered as it is accurately burgery. He’s also experimenting with flavours like mee goreng, tobacco and ghost chilli. Brent’s main line includes chipotle adobo and a rich 'Srirachuan' (sriracha + Szechuan) flavour. In October he did a collaboration with Young Henrys where he made a real ale and toasted coriander seed batch. Another collaboration with Kakawa ended up with chocolate coated jerky. “The idea is grosser than what it’s like," he says. "It sold out really quick.” Now he’s working on a vegetarian variety. I asked him about it but it’s top secret until he nuts it out. BAKKWA, MOO DAD DEAW AND OTHER KINDS OF JERKY TO TRY Currently they’re both exclusively using pasture-raised grass fed beef but having tried and enjoyed jerkies from Thailand, China and South Africa, I asked Brent and Darrell whether they have any plans to make other varieties of jerky with different meat. Brent told me he’s experimented with pork and lamb, but nothing’s been put into production. Darrell, on the other hand, is too focused on perfection for any diversification. I decided to explore Sydney to see what else I could find. That’s how I met Jack Zhang. Jack’s the everything behind Singapore Famous BBQ Pork, a time-displaced storefront in Sydney's Chinatown. It would be barely noticeable besides the fact that it hasn’t changed in over 25 years. Jack started there as a jerky apprentice some two decades ago. Now the master makes fresh bakkwa and Singaporean-style jerky. Bakkwa is a sweeter and softer variety of preserved meat that’s air dried and then grilled over a charcoals. Jack dries and grills his bakkwa daily, but that's pretty much all he would tell me about what goes into the process (he thinks others might copy his business model). Then there's moo dad deaw, a Thai-style sun-dried pork. Chinatown's Do Dee Paidang make it in house along with a similar beef style. Unfortunately they’re not allowed to sun-dry it traditionally because some bureaucratic food prudes might complain, but that doesn’t stop it from having a delicious smack of spice. Often confused for jerky is biltong, which Stanley Street Butchery has been making since 1974. Biltong, unlike Jerky is cured in vinegar for several hours before being dried. Stanley Street serve theirs traditionally — fresher, fattier and thicker, all the better. Meanwhile, in good news for pescetarians, new Enmore bar The Gretz is doing a rotating menu of house-made jerky, starting with salmon. In Brisbane, your jerky go-to is Gypsies Wagon, who are known for their legendary Argentinian gaucho jerky. In Melbourne, head up to the bar at fancy Vue de Monde for ocean trout jerky (dine in the restaurant and you'll be treated to emu). For more down-to-earth jerky, there's the Meatball and Wine Bar's $9.50 Wagyu beef servings, which come in flavours such as Samboy (salt and vinegar) and Ninja (teriyaki). BACK TO THE REVOLUTION Despite eating enough jerky to devolve my throat into a desiccated husk, I found myself thinking back to Darrell and Brent’s revolution. How strange the two of them started at almost the same time with such similar ideas. "It's funny that we wound up both doing the same thing," Darrell says. "I mentioned it to a friend and she called it the great jerk off of 2014." You'd think they'd be fierce competitors, but they're not; they both just love jerky too much. "The longer both of us exist the better."
It’s film festival time in Brisbane, and yes, a busy calendar of cultural-orientated movie offerings means that could be true on any given weekend; however the period spanning November 19 to 29 stands out. It belongs to the city’s major cinema celebration — and while the Brisbane International Film Festival is no more, the replacement that is the Brisbane Asia Pacific Film Festival has been trying to pick up some of the slack since 2014, at least when it comes to movies from its area of interest. In its second year, the 11-day event presents an 83-feature program from a lineup of 102 films in total, complete with 33 Australian premieres and 23 Queensland premieres. Highlighting the movie-making prowess of the Asia Pacific region is its focus, covering 42 countries and showcasing 34 movies that have earned nominations at the forthcoming Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Indeed, from festival circuit hits to retrospective screenings of restored classics feature — and including a program of virtual reality shorts, too — BAPFF's 2015 selection serves up a bustling bunch of screen fare for cinema fans. As always, the most difficult part isn't rushing between the event's five venues (Palace Barracks, GOMA, New Farm Cinemas, Griffith Film School and The Courier-Mail Piazza), or fighting film festival fatigue when you're in the thick of BAPFF craziness, but trying to pick which flicks to see. To assist, here's our rundown of the ten that make our must-see list. THE IDOL When it comes to reality TV, almost every corner of the globe has become addicted to live singing contests and other televised talent quests. In the Middle East, Arab Idol has captured the hearts and minds of the viewing audience, and turned ordinary folks into stars and winners in the process. When the 2013 season of the show aired its final stages, Palestinian filmmaker Hany Abu-Assad (Omar) watched as Gazan wedding singer Mohammad Assaf emerged victorious. His rags-to-riches true tale fascinated the director so much that he turned it into his next film — and BAPFF have taken his lead, selecting The Idol as its feel-good opening night movie. SHERPA Forget Everest — Sherpa is the mountainous movie that will get everyone talking. In 2014, Australian director and mountaineer Jennifer Peedom embarked on a quest to film Phurba Tashi Sherpa’s potentially world record-breaking trek to the summit of the world's highest peak, but Mother Nature had other plans. Tragedy struck on April 18, which remains the blackest day in Everest’s history. The documentary Peedom crafted —— not so much benefiting from being in the right place at the right time, but reacting thoughtfully to such a catastrophic situation — is stunning in its high-altitude visuals, moving in its emotions, and eye-opening in exposing the reality of its titular subjects. It's also the kind of gripping effort that must be seen on the largest screen possible. RIGHT NOW, WRONG THEN In just two festivals, BAPFF has started a pleasing precedent. Each year, the latest film by South Korean auteur Hong Sang-soo clearly features at the top of their wish list — and the festival has delivered yet again, this time bringing Locarno Golden Leopard winner Right Now, Wrong Then to Brisbane for its Australian premiere. As is often the case in the filmmaker's efforts, matters of the heart inspire a narrative of chance meetings, what-if type questioning, clever character studies and circular comedy. Given that Hill of Freedom was a highlight of BAPFF 2014, hopes are high for the feature Indiewire has likened to Groundhog Day. Our tip, and a good rule for watching all Hong Sang-soo offerings: make soju part of your movie-going plans for this session. MUSTANG When France selected Mustang as its entry into the foreign-language film category at the 2015 Oscars, the film world took note. The first feature by Deniz Gamze Erguven pipped Cannes Palme d'Or winner Dheepan for the spot; however there's no doubt that the contemplative coming-of-age effort deserves being thrust into prominence. Five sisters monopolise the movie's attention, each aged from pre-teen upwards, and all required to adhere to the strict regime forced upon them by their male relatives. As Mustang unravels their efforts to subvert such control, it recalls the haunting look and feel of The Virgin Suicides and the distress of Miss Violence, yet makes its look at sisterhood, self-preservation and its specific cultural situation very much its own. SPEAR An Australian dance movie that uses its fancy footwork to step through the plight of the indigenous populace, Spear is a striking cinematic achievement. First-time feature helmer, Bran Nue Dae and The Sapphires choreographer, and Bangarra Dance Theatre artistic director Stephen Page turns the company's performance work of the same name into a big-screen spectacle unlike anything crafted locally, or anywhere else for that matter. Mood, music and movement are pivotal, as a teenage boy wanders from the outback to the city to try to reconcile his ancient culture in a modern world. His journey is just as transporting for those watching as it is for those within the movie, as well as anchoring one of the most powerful pieces of Australian film perhaps ever made. THE ASSASSIN After wowing audiences at the Sydney Film Festival and the Melbourne International Film Festival, it is Brisbane's turn to become immersed in the wonder of Hou Hsiao-hsien's The Assassin. The wuxia — or martial arts — effort ushers its genre into glacially paced, stylistically controlled territory as it tells the tale of a girl taken from her family at the age of ten, trained to kill, and then tasked with slaying the cousin she was once marked to marry. Every frame of the feature looks like a painting, which could be one of the reasons the filmmaker took out the best director award at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Swordplay has rarely looked as graceful and hypnotic, nor been littered throughout such a serene movie. A typical action flick, this isn't. TAKLUB BAPFF ventures from one Cannes Film Festival best director winner to another, courtesy of Brilliante Mendoza's latest feature. The Filipino filmmaker won the coveted prize for 2009's Kinatay, and then returned to the Croisette with this year's Taklub, which follows three survivors of 2013's devastating Typhoon Haiyan. Though his movie provides a fictional account, shooting against the real-life backdrop of the destroyed city of Tacloban promises a mesmerising documentary-like sheen to his tragic drama. If you haven't yet discovered why Mendoza is one of the region's most exciting film talents, then this is the movie to help you fix that gap in your cinematic appreciation. ATOMIC HEART Iranian road movies seem to be having their moment, as Tehran Taxi (another 2015 BAPFF feature) and Tales have already demonstrated. Atomic Heart takes the concept, drives away into the night with it and refuses to stick to a standard streetscape. Here, two 20-something girls interact with a mysterious stranger on the way home from a party — and get more than they bargained for, of course. In the hands of director Ali Ahmadzadeh, their voyage promises to take a turn into the surreal, absurd and satirical; however given its country of origin, the film isn't without its lashings of cultural commentary as well. AMONG THE BELIEVERS In Among the Believers, the cry "won't somebody think of the children" threatens to become a haunting plea. The lauded documentary steps behind the veil of Islamic fundamentalism to expose perhaps its most concerning attack: on the hearts and minds of the youths poised to become its next generation of followers. Filmmakers Hemal Trivedi and Mohammed Ali Naqvi are given unprecedented access to the Red Mosque, aka the most prominent educational institution in Islamabad, or ground zero for indoctrinating kids into extremist beliefs. While it seems like every movie these days is likened to a horror film, this might just live up to the frightening comparison. A TOUCH OF ZEN Before Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon brought all things wuxia to the world, A Touch of Zen defined the genre. That director King Hu's three-hour epic received the Technical Grand Prize at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival is significant, and warranted by the artistically imaginative sights it serves up. Charting the intersection of a scholar, a fugitive and a corrupt eunuch, the feature flirts with Buddhism, as its title makes clear, while taking a meditative approach to its choreographed fights. It's the martial arts film all cinephiles must see — and if you're going to pick one film from BAPFF's modest retrospective lineup, this should be it. The 2015 Brisbane Asia Pacific Film Festival runs from November 19 – 29. For more information, visit the festival website.
For more than a decade, French cuisine-loving Brisbanites made a beeline to Paddington for soufflés, steak frites and Friday night five-course degustations. Now, feasting on Gallic gastronomy at Montrachet means heading to the other side of town — and enjoying their new boulangerie. Montrachet said au revoir to Given Terrace and bonjour Bowen Hills' King Street at the beginning of December; however moving to the city's new foodie precinct wasn't enough for the award-winning restaurant. In a case of marching onwards and upwards, their bigger digs on the corner of King and Machinery streets now includes an all-day takeaway patisserie pumping out baked goods that'll make you think you're in provincial France. Opening its doors on December 16, the boulangerie boasts an array of freshly baked baguettes and artisan pastries through its village-style entryway, as initially overseen by Lyonnaise baker Patrick Delbar. The third-generation pastry whiz left France for the first time to share his skills and secrets with the Montrachet team, and while he isn't staying for good, you'll be able to taste the end results in their croissants, sourdough loaves, eclairs and more. Open from 6.30am to 2.30pm from Tuesday to Friday, and from 6.30am to midday on Saturdays, the bread and dessert haven joins a huge dining room and an in-house wine cellar among the highlights of Montrachet's new 240-square-metre site. And, it means that you can devour one of their tasty treats even when you're not feeling cashed up enough for the full restaurant experience. Très bon. Find Montrachet's at King Street, Bowen Hills. Head to their website and Facebook page for further information.
If you like reading, writing, talking or slinging about language in some other form, then you probably already have the 2016 Brisbane Writers Festival scheduled in your diary. Prepare for words, glorious words from September 7 to 11. When it comes to events celebrating the written craft in Brissie, only the annual Lifeline Bookfest comes close to this feast of everything from prose to poetry to penning tell-all novels. Here, the pen is definitely mightier than the sword — and much more interesting too, given the array of topics touched upon at BWF 2016. And given that choosing between dissecting crime fiction, exploring the art of reading, learning how to write your own cookbook and diving into supernatural stories can be difficult, here's our five top picks from the hefty letter-focused fest program.
The Alliance Francaise French Film Festival is back for its 26th year and with 49 feature films to be screened at cinemas across eight cities, you'd best prepare yourself for everything from the flirting, whimsy, mishaps and misunderstandings that come with French comedy to the passion, ennui, coming-of-age rebellion, thrilling crime and non-conformist romance that come with French drama. Highlights include: gala opening night feature Gemma Bovery, an endearing comedy starring Gemma Arterton that drops the characters of Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary into a small Normandy town; the Saint Laurent biopic exploring the inspirations and struggles of the acclaimed designer Yves Saint Laurent at the height of his career; and Samba, starring Charlotte Gainsbourg and star of The Intouchables Omar Sy in a cross-cultural romance that looks at the hardships faced by French immigrants. See more of our highlights in this list of top five films to see at the French Film Festival. The Alliance Francaise French Film Festival is on around Australia in March. Catch it in Sydney from March 3-22, Melbourne from March 4-22 and Brisbane from March 13 – April 1. Thanks to the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival, we have ten double passes to give away in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The passes are valid for one festival session of your choice (excluding opening/closing nights, special events and public holidays). To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter and then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au
There's a great anecdote behind Big Poppa's. It's three guys sitting around, eating cheese and drinking wine while listening to hip hop and deciding that their current activity was a) costing them too much money — they were literally spending thousands of dollars on cheese — and b) a great concept for a restaurant. And so, Big Poppa's was born from Lewis Jaffrey, ex-operations manager at The Baxter Inn, Frankie's and Shady Pines, and Jared Merlino, owner of The Lobo Plantation and Kittyhawk. It's a two-floor ode to Biggie Smalls that plays hip hop until 3am, and serves cheese, wine and Italian food until the doors close. The restaurant is upstairs, the bar is downstairs — it has bare brick walls, candles, dark blue leather booths and the face of Biggie Smalls is tiled on the floor. It's an unpretentious space, and it's worth the wait for a table. We've partnered with KitchenAid to celebrate the launch of the KitchenAid Mini, and we asked two chefs from two of our favourite restaurants to throw a Mini Dinner party (and create a Mini Moment) for their friends. Liam O'Driscoll, head chef at Big Poppa's, former Sydney hip hop DJ (although he probably won't enjoy us calling him that) obliged. He cooked us up a three-course dinner of the simple, rustic Italian food he serves at Big Poppa's, and told us what he loves about cooking at home. He reveals his menu in advance — it's so beautifully Italian I have to research it so I know what we'll be eating. There's salsa salmoriglio, parmigiana-reggiano, pangrattato, flat iron tagliata and potato al forno. This appears on the table as globe artichokes, pasta sprinkled with cheese, a thinly sliced flat iron steak, potato with rosemary butter and a simple semifreddo nougat dessert. [caption id="attachment_592755" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Flat iron tagliata with confit garlic and rosemary butter, and potato al forno.[/caption] O'Driscoll adores Italian food. "I love pasta," he says specifically, "if I was on a desert island and there was one food I could take, it would be pasta." With Italian food, he explains, less is more — it's about the quality of the produce over anything else. "It's not like French food where there are so many ingredients and complicated techniques to learn. Some Italian dishes only have three to four ingredients, so the produce is left to stand for itself." Big Poppa's isn't fine dining, it's casual dining. Produce is sourced from quality suppliers, and the food is presented in its simplest state. Despite having a background in fine dining (he just came from Pendolino in the Strand Arcade), this is how O'Driscoll chooses to cook. The preparation at his dinner party is simple, as is the service. Food is served in the pan, and friends help themselves to steak and potatoes. [caption id="attachment_592851" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Torrone Semifreddo, dulce latte.[/caption] "One of the beauties of cooking is being able to share food with the people you love," he says. "There's a communal feeling in everyone being able to dig into a dish that's on the table, as opposed to everyone having their own particular meal". Liam pulls his tub of semifreddo straight from the freezer and starts to scoop it out and serve. "When you're home cooking you just slap it on a plate," he says. "If this was a nice restaurant, I'd shape it into something. But this is rustic cooking — everyone agrees that they would like it better like this." What he says doesn't really have an impact until the next morning, when I'm sitting in a café and I look down at my breakfast. It's piece of toast that's been delicately scattered with edible flowers. While beautiful, they don't really add anything to the dish in terms of taste. "It's not about it being pretty," I remember Driscoll said. "It's about what it is." Images: Samantha Hawker.
