After the country clocked up its third-warmest year on record in 2018, the heat has continued well into 2019, with the mercury hitting high-40s across the country and some towns reaching record-breaking temperatures. The spicy weather is thanks to a mass of hot air hanging around Australia's Red Centre, which is looking particularly scarlet at the moment: https://twitter.com/BOM_au/status/1084218154782478337 As the mass of hot air has moved east, northern SA has copped the brunt of the heat, with Port Augusta hitting a top temperature of 48.9C — the highest ever recorded in the South Australian mid-north, according to the Guardian — and Adelaide is experiencing a solid few days in the 40s. In Sydney, which is currently experiencing its worst period of heat since 2011, NSW Health officials have issued a warning for high levels of ozone gas across the city's west, due to a combination of heat and sunlight, which can cause chest pain, coughing and airway inflammation. Authorities are suggesting western Sydneysiders stay indoors during the hottest times of day and in the evening, avoid physical activity and stay well hydrated. Sydney is expected to remain in the mid-to-high 30s until Sunday, which will hit an estimated max of 25 with 50 percent chance of showers. Melbourne's north has also copped a substantial chunk of heat, with most of the region sitting in the high-40s. The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting some cities will hit, and get close to, record-breaking temperatures today. In the city, it's a bit cooler, with the metropolitan area sitting in the high-20s and low-30s until Saturday, when it will drop to an estimated 22 with 80 percent chance of showers. https://twitter.com/BOM_Vic/status/1085302493981085696 Brisbane's city has avoided the majority of the heatwave, sitting fairly consistently in the low-to-mid 30s. Some parts of Queensland's southwest will cop a scorching, however, as the mass of hot air moves further east, with many towns in the region expected to sit in the mid-40s for the next few days. Wherever you're spending this week, air-conditioning is your friend. If you don't have air-con, check out our ten sustainable hacks for staying cool over here. Image: Bondi Beach by Paros Huckstepp.
UPDATE, APRIL 4: Due to concerns around the coronavirus, Sony has announced that Morbius will no longer release on its initially scheduled date of Thursday, July 30, 2020, with the film now hitting cinemas on March 18, 2021. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. When Venom took a Spider-Man villain, gave the character its own film and made a colossal amount of money — ranking seventh at the global box office for 2018 — other movies in the same vein were always going to eventuate. Next up is Morbius, which repeats the first two parts of the above equation in the hope that the third part (aka piles and piles of cinema-goers' cash) will also follow. With Joker this week scoring 11 Oscar nominations, the most of any film this year, it's a good time to be in the comic book villain movie game. Former Suicide Squad Joker and Dallas Buyers Club Oscar-winner Jared Leto leads the charge in Morbius, playing a figure also known as the "Living Vampire". The backstory: suffering from a rare blood condition and dedicating his life to trying to save others from the same disease, Dr Michael Morbius (Leto) subjects himself to an experiment in an attempt to find a cure — and ends up with vampire-like superhuman abilities. Made by Sony, the studio that owns the rights to Spider-Man and its associated characters — unlike the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's figures, who are owned by Disney — Morbius forms the second film in its own Marvel Universe after Venom. Yep, there are now two big-screen superhero realms stemming from the company's comics. And, as the just-dropped trailer for Morbius shows, they're actually connected. Thanks to a piece of graffiti, it looks as though Morbius takes place after 2019's Spider-Man: Far From Home, and a well-known face from Spider-Man: Homecoming shows up here as well. Just how else the film will tie into Sony's Marvel Universe or the MCU is yet to be seen; however, given that the Tom Hardy-starring Venom 2 also hits cinemas in 2020, it's safe to expect that there'll be some links between those two flicks at the very least. As well as bringing Leto back into the comic book movie fold after Joaquin Phoenix stepped into the Joker's shoes, Morbius also features Adria Arjona (6 Underground), Tyrese Gibson (the Fast & Furious franchise), Jared Harris (Chernobyl) and Matt Smith (The Crown) — with Life director Daniel Espinosa behind the camera. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uezFNUDKXhk&feature=youtu.be After being delayed from its original release date of July 30, 2020, Morbius will now open in Australian cinemas on March 18, 2021.
It's set in Canada. It pays tribute to iconic Iranian filmmaking. It took home Cannes Directors' Fortnight's inaugural Audience Award. It's now the recipient of the Melbourne International Film Festival's Bright Horizons accolade, too. The movie to put on your must-see list if you haven't already caught it at MIFF 2024: Matthew Rankin's Universal Language, the picture chosen by the event's 2024 jury as the pick of the fest's competition titles. It was back in 2022 that the Victorian film festival, which is Australia's oldest, revealed that it was introducing a prize for standout new filmmaking talents. The Bright Horizons Award heroes both first-time and sophomore directors — and gives each year's winner a cool $140,000 for their troubles. Nabbed by Afrofuturist musical Neptune Frost in its initial year and Senegalese-French love story Banel & Adama in 2023, that hefty amount of prize money makes the gong one of the richest film fest awards in the world. Debuting at Cannes, and also set to make its North American premiere on home soil at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, Universal Language explores a vision of Winnipeg that resembles Iran in the 80s — and where Farsi as well as French are the official tongues. Alongside helming his second feature after 2019's The Twentieth Century, Rankin also appears in one of the movie's stories, as he spins absurdist tales about two kids on an adventure started by a random banknote, an unhappy teacher and a filmmaker. "Our task as jury was joyful, invigorating and inspiring. It was also incredibly arduous, heartbreaking and some might even say cruel, because how could anyone choose a favourite or pick a winner from such an incredible lineup of films, all worthy of accolades in their own ways, all testaments to the fact that the future of cinema is bright indeed?" said 2024's MIFF Bright Horizons jury, which was led by Australian filmmaker Ivan Sen (Limbo). "One movie represented all of the facets of the Bright Horizons Award: a film whose cultural specificity transcends borders; whose cinematic playfulness is matched equally by its sensitivity; and whose very form is in conversation with cinema past, present and future. This is why the Bright Horizons Award goes to Universal Language by Matthew Rankin," continued the group's statement, with director David Lowery (Peter Pan & Wendy), producer Yulia Evina Bhara (Tiger Stripes), costume designer Deborah L Scott (Avatar: The Way of Water) and actor Jillian Nguyen (White Fever) joining Sen. The quintet also gave a Special Jury Award to Flow, an animation about animals on a boat, when selecting Universal Language from a packed pool of contenders. Other films in the running included Janet Planet, the debut movie from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Annie Baker; Inside, a prison drama with Guy Pearce (The Clearing), Cosmo Jarvis (Shōgun) and Toby Wallace (The Bikeriders) that's directed by Charles Williams, who won the 2018 short film Palme d'Or for All These Creatures; and The Village Next to Paradise, the first-ever Somali film play Cannes. Also since 2022, MIFF's lineup of prizes spans the Blackmagic Design Australian Innovation Award as well, which recognises an outstanding Australian creative from one of the festival's movies. 2024's recipient to the tune of $70,000: Jaydon Martin for Flathead. "We were captivated and affected by Jaydon Martin's visually arresting and very moving portrait of individuals often forgotten about in society — in this case, the real people of small town Bundaberg," advised the jury. "Flathead's seamless merging of realities and fiction, both so raw yet so cinematic, had a profound effect on our jury. We hope all of you have a chance to watch this brilliant, sensitive examination of survival, of humanity and of mortality, which will stay with you for days to come." In 2023, MIFF launched its First Nations Film Creative Award, which is now named the Uncle Jack Charles Award — with April Phillips winning for XR piece kajoo yannaga (come on let's walk together) in 2024. As chosen by festival attendees having their say as they're spending all of their spare time in a cinema, 2024's MIFF Audience Award went to two Australian movies: documentaries Voice and Left Write Hook, with the first about seeking support across the country for the Indigenous Voice referendum, and the second stepping into a boxing and creative writing program for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. The 2024 Melbourne International Film Festival runs from Thursday, August 8–Sunday, August 25. For more information, visit the MIFF website.
When the time came for Hannah Gadsby to follow up international smash-hit show Nanette, that seemed a rather difficult task. After all, the one-performer stand-up show copped serious praise on its 18-month travels across Australia and the UK, even scooping the top honours at both the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe — and spawning its very own Netflix special. But, then Douglas was born, with the beloved Aussie comedian returning to the stand-up stage with a performance named after a pet pooch. While Nanette pulled apart the concept of comedy itself, dishing up an insight into Gadsby's past, Douglas took comedy fans on a "tour from the dog park to the renaissance and back". It toured stages across Australia and New Zealand in late 2019 and early 2020, and then hit Netflix in 2020 as well. After that came Body of Work — first as a live show again, and now as a Netflix special, too. Gadsby and the streaming platform have announced that they're reteaming for a multi-title deal that includes bringing that last comedy set to the service, and also producing a new multi-comic special featuring gender-diverse performers. I am pretty excited to be filming my new 'feel-good show', Body of Work, at the Sydney Opera House...yep…I'm back at the scene of the Nanette 'crime'. The shebang of it all will premiere on @netflix....at some point… in the future, I suppose. pic.twitter.com/P53tDfqoqC — Hannah Gadsby (@Hannahgadsby) September 26, 2022 With Body of Work, it'll be filmed live at the Sydney Opera House — this week, in fact, ready for a 2023 release. Exactly when it'll drop next year hasn't yet been revealed, however, but add it to your future must-stream list. As for the special, Gadsby offered a few thoughts with the announcement. "In an effort to further open a door that I had to fight to get through myself, I will curate and host a line-up show on Netflix featuring six new, gender-diverse comedians," Gadsby advised in a statement. "In a notoriously transphobic industry, I am looking to broaden the scope of opportunities for genderqueer performers from around the globe, as well as expand the diversity of offerings to audiences on one of comedy's biggest platforms. Coupled with a mentorship initiative for these up-and-coming comics, the program aims to foster the professional development of a demographic that is still struggling to have their voices heard," the Aussie comic continued. "Recorded in a single run in the UK in 2023, this will be a chance for the world to hear these voices for the first, but definitely not the last, time." It's clearly too early for sneak peeks at all of the above — Body of Work hasn't been filmed for Netflix yet at the time of writing, and the multi-comic special won't be recorded until 2023 — but you can check out trailers for Nanette and Douglas in the interim below: Hannah Gadsby's 'Body of Work' Netflix special will drop sometime in 2023 — we'll update you with an exact release date when one is announced.
The cliche saying that the greatest things come in the smallest packages isn't always proven true, but it seems to be the case for a new musical development in nanotechnology, the Nano Guitar. Researchers at Cornell University, Dustin W Carr and Professor Harold G Craighead launched the project in order to show skeptics how advanced and precise (and cool) nanotechnology is. The microscopic instrument is made of crystalline silicon and is 10,000 nanometres long, which is about the size of a single human red blood cell or one-twentieth the size of the width of a strand of hair. Can it be played like a full-sized guitar? Well, its six strings are each only 100 atoms wide, so tiny that they can only be plucked by sending miniature lasers through an atomic force microscope to produce one of the highest pitches to ever be recorded. The sound is a 40 megahertz signal 130,000 times higher than that of a regular guitar, unable to be picked up by the even most sensitive microphones. The Nano Guitar has sparked new discoveries in nanotechnology, including a new method of manipulating laser beams to aid in fibre optic communications. Big things do come in small packages.
Every date on the calendar is now an occasion. On May 8, Mates Day is one of them. It's a time to check in with your pals — and, in 2024, it's also time to share a free scoop of a limited-edition Gelato Messina flavour with them. Yes, you do make friends with ice cream. Messina is celebrating Mates Day with a new gelato variety that might get you thinking back to school lunches with your mates growing up. Called Oh Snap!, it's inspired by the tuckshop staple that is the vanilla slice, featuring vanilla custard gelato, passionfruit puree and caramelised puff pastry pieces. The reason for the moniker: this giveaway, which runs from 12pm until stocks last today, Wednesday, May 8, is in conjunction with Snapchat. In fact, to claim your free scoop at any Gelato Messina store around the country, you'll need to show that you have the Snapchat app on your phone. (The only exception: for kids under 13, who can just get a free scoop anyway.) Here's how it works: hit up your nearest Messina, join what's certain to be a line, hope that you get to the counter while there's still Oh Snap! gelato left, then make sure that Snapchat is on your device. That's all there is to it. Obviously, bringing your mates with you so that they can get free ice cream, too — there's only one scoop available per person — is recommended. In Sydney, at Gelato Messina's Surry Hills store, you'll be scoring dessert from an outpost that's been given a yellow makeover — complete with experiences that might be of a pic, plus merchandise — also from midday. The Crown Street venue will also have more supplies of Oh Snap! than other shops, but it's still a while-stocks-last affair. Messina currently has 19 stores in New South Wales, five in Victoria and three in Queensland, plus two in the Australian Capital Territory, and one apiece in South Australia and Western Australia. Gelato Messina's Mate's Day Snapchat scoop giveaway runs from 12pm until stocks last on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, at all of the chain's stores around Australia. Head to the brand's website for more details.
A decade has sashayed away since Bianca Del Rio won the sixth season of RuPaul's Drag Race. After emerging victorious over Australia's own runner-up Courtney Act, the drag queen and comedian has been conquering Down Under stages ever since. Among multiple tours over the past ten years, the fabulously quick-witted talent last brought her Hurricane Bianca whirlwind this way in 2022 — and she'll next break out her devilish snark and timing in 2025. "I'm coming out of my crypt and hitting the road again to remind everyone that I'm still DEAD INSIDE!" said Del Rio about her latest world tour, which has dates in Canada, the US, Britain, Ireland, Europe and Latin America across the rest of 2024. It began this year in San Diego, spending from February–May packing out theatres across North America. "If you enjoy irreverent humour, like sparkly costumes and are NOT easily offended … this is the show for you!" Del Rio continued. The global favourite keeps building upon her massive past decade or so, with the dimple-cheeked performer doing everything from tours upon tours to hitting the West End stage in the musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie and also popping up in the film version as well. Then there's 2016 comedy Hurricane Bianca and its 2018 sequel Hurricane Bianca: From Russia with Hate, plenty more appearances on various Drag Race seasons and specials, web specials, music videos and even an episode of Celebrity Family Feud. Accordingly, you know what to start watching in preparation for Del Rio's Dead Inside gigs in Australia and Aotearoa from January — although, as you'll know if you've seen her live before, there's nothing like seeing her in the flesh. [caption id="attachment_965670" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Ronn via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Del Rio's 2025 visit will break out the cutting insults — plus her larger-than-life persona in general — in Brisbane first, beginning the tour with two nights at Fortitude Music Hall. After that, one-night stops are on the agenda at Melbourne's Comedy Theatre, Astor Theatre in Perth, Sydney's State Theatre and Llewellyn Theatre in Canberra. In NZ, Del Rio will hit the stage at Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre in Auckland, Wellington's Opera House and James Hay Theatre in Christchurch. Bianca Del Rio's Dead Inside Tour 2025 Dates: Tuesday, January 28–Wednesday, January 29 — Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane Friday, January 31 — Comedy Theatre, Melbourne Wednesday, February 5 — Astor Theatre, Perth Saturday, February 8 — State Theatre, Sydney Tuesday, February 11 — Llewellyn Theatre, Canberra Thursday, February 13 — Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Auckland Saturday, February 15 — Opera House, Wellington Monday, February 17 — James Hay Theatre, Christchurch Bianca Del Rio's Dead Inside! tour heads around Australia and New Zealand in January and February 2025. For more information or to buy tickets from 9am on Friday, July 19, 2024, head to the tour website.
All of the taste, none of the seed storage proteins: if you need to eat a gluten free diet, that's all you ever want. And, if you've been craving a few of your favourite biscuits but usually have to steer clear because they don't fit the bill, Arnott's has released new versions of a few well-known varieties. The big one: the Scotch Finger. Last year, the much-loved Australian biscuit maker released the recipe for its original version, but this is obviously even better if you can't consume gluten. The new variety is made with a gluten free flour blend, which uses locally sourced maize, tapioca, rice, sorghum and soy. This one apparently has a sweet base as well, and you can expect both buttery and vanilla tastes. And yes, it still snaps in half — which is perfect for sharing, or for just treating yourself to two smaller pieces instead of eating one big one. That's not the only Arnott's biscuit that's getting a gluten free version, with both Tiny Teddy and Choc Ripple bikkies also receiving the same treatment. For the former, you'll be able to tuck into small, bear-shapped biscuits peppered with chocolate chips. With the latter, expect the usual cocoa flavour, and the same crunchiness. The gluten free range hits stores today, Monday, July 19, and you'll only be able to grab them from Woolworths supermarkets. You'll pay RRP$4.70 per pack, and all three new bikkies have been developed with Coeliac Australia. Arnott's gluten free Scotch Finger, Tiny Teddy and Choc Ripple biscuits will be available from Woolworths supermarkets from Monday, July 19.
The Moon Dog crew doesn't really do understated. Its brewery bars are not only large in size but usually have a theme and playful food and drink lineup. Moon Dog Wild West out in Footscray even has a free-to-ride bucking bull and is made for big group parties. And now, the team is going even bigger with Doglands — its 1200-person island themed bar within the revamped Marvel Stadium Concourse, which is slated to open in October this year. The original plans included an indoor volcano and hidden karaoke room, but these have sadly been left out to accommodate more punters. However, it will still have a palm tree-lined boardwalk that snakes around the entire venue, plus a live music stage and jungle-themed terrace restaurant. The team will serve classic pub food, Moon Dog beers and seltzers, wine, spirits, cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks in the main venue. Vacay-inspired specials like a Jungle Spritz with Campari, dark rum and pineapple, and a Volcano Bowl Negroni will bring even more playful energy to the Doglands adventureland experience. And those who head over to The Jungle Room will find a slightly elevated dining experience with Med-inspired food and drinks. More details on exactly what's on offer here are yet to be announced, but we'll be sure to share more once it's all finalised. Moon Dog's Doglands will open in October 2024, and can be found at 685 La Trobe Street, Docklands. For more information, you can check out the venue's website.
UPDATE: APRIL 4, 2019 — Unfortunately all tickets to Rone's Empire sold out extremely fast so, unless you are one of the ticketholders, you won't be able to see it IRL. But you can still look at the pictures here. Melbourne's acclaimed street artist Rone has launched his latest beauty-meets-decay installation — and this time, it's taken over a deserted art deco mansion in Victoria's Dandenong Ranges. Empire has transformed the 1930s estate into an exhibition combining art, vision, sound, light and VR (as well as scent and botanical design) to take visitors on an immersive multi-sensory experience. Empire is set in the 'decaying glory' of the Burnham Beeches mansion, which is now owned by the Vue Group but has been vacant for over 20 years. The exhibition spans 12 (previously empty) rooms over multiple storeys and centres around a series of the artist's signature 'Jane Doe' monochrome portraits — the muse for which is actress Lily Sullivan (Mental, Picnic at Hanging Rock). Apart from the murals, the art deco-era furnishings are courtesy of interior stylist Carly Spooner (Fitzroy's The Establishment Studios), who also worked on Rone's The Omega Project. The rooms have been furnished with over 500 antique pieces, including a moss-covered grand piano — which was left exposed in the open garden for several weeks to attain an aged effect. The four seasons play a major role in Empire, and this varying atmosphere was accomplished by a team of specialists. These include seasonal botanical installations by design studio Loose Leaf, scent design by Kat Snowden and lighting design by John McKissock. These go alongside a multi-channel sound work by composer Nick Batterham, who recorded ambient audio in the estate's gardens across different seasons. Expect a hauntingly beautiful vibe of an era gone by, as Rone seeks to create an ambiguous storyline that can be felt by each guest individually. Rone takes personal inspiration for the space from the Mark Romanek-directed music video for the Johnny Cash cover of Hurt (originally by Nine Inch Nails) — which should give a sense of what you're in for. The mansion began as the family home to wealthy industrialist Alfred Nicholas, before becoming a research facility, then a children's hospital, luxury hotel and finally falling into disrepair in the late 1990s. It was bought, along with the estate, by Shannon Bennett's Vue Group in 2010 — while the mansion has remained deserted, the group has opened a cafe and bakery on the property. The project took one year to complete and is Rone's largest yet. It's a follow up of sorts to the artist's 2017 installation The Omega Project, in which he similarly created an exhibition in a condemned family home in the inner north just before it was demolished. Empire by Rone will be on display from March 6 until April 22 at Burnham Beeches, 1 Sherbrooke Road, Sherbrooke. All tickets are unfortunately sold out.
Everyone loves travelling overseas. No one loves the actual travel part. From airport queues to uncomfortable plane seats to lost baggage, getting from A to B is the ordeal you have to endure before the fun begins. Enter Elon Musk, and a plan to change that. In Adelaide for the International Astronautical Conference, the South African entrepreneur advised that he foresees next-generation spacecraft not only ferrying people beyond the earth, but across it as well. With his SpaceX company currently readying a rocket-powered trip around the moon in 2018, and preparing to head to Mars in 2022 and 2024, he wants to be able to use the same types of vessels to journey between continents. It all hinges upon the BFR — or "Big Fucking Rocket" — that's currently in development, and is being designed for multiple uses. Musk said that he envisions the system taking both crew and cargo into space, and then helping folks hop around the globe at 27,000 kilometres per hour. In an Instagram post after his speech, he explained that it would take 30 minutes to fly to most places and 60 minutes at most — all for the same full-fare price as current economy airline tickets. https://www.instagram.com/p/BZnVfWxgdLe/?hl=en&taken-by=elonmusk As futuristic as it might sound now, if anyone can make it a reality, it's probably Musk. He has already promised to revolutionise journeying between cities and across continents thanks to his Hyperloop system, a high-speed vacuum transport setup that'll never stop sounding like a sci-fi movie come to life. And, in preparation for SpaceX's rocket jaunts, he has also sent a zero gravity espresso machine to space. Travel and caffeine go hand-in-hand, after all. Via the ABC / Dezeen. Image: SpaceX.
A film festival dedicated to American films? Bear with us here. Sure, Hollywood pumps out most of the movies that reach our screens, but don't expect to see superheroes battling for supremacy, transforming robotic cars saving the world or an endless parade of sequels at Essential Independents: American Cinema, Now. Instead, the brand new event is dedicated to the types of US flicks that don't usually make it to our shores. Here, smaller titles and character-driven fare share the spotlight with experimental efforts, intriguing docos and the kind of classics that you won't find on every retro lineup. Think revisionist westerns featuring gun-slinging gals and explorations of important American artists, plus the chance to see early work by the Coen brothers, Kathryn Bigelow, Richard Linklater and Sofia Coppola in a cinema. It's a real celebration of the other side of American filmmaking, and the source of the usual festival dilemma: choosing what to see. If you're having a tough time picking the best of the bunch, we're here to help. Here's our five top films you won't want to miss. THE FITS Fleet footwork might feature prominently, but The Fits isn't just another dance movie. And, while it chronicles an 11-year-old girl's attempt to find her way in the world, it isn't the usual coming-of-age effort either. Instead, the striking debut from emerging talent Anna Rose Holmer blends both — as well as an intimate look at housing estate living, an understanding of the struggles of being a tomboy approaching womanhood, and an enigmatic mystery — into one unique package. If the sensitive story at the centre of the film doesn't win you over, then Holmer's fluid yet fresh style of filmmaking will. THE KEEPING ROOM Since first coming into prominence in low-key sci-fi effort Another Earth, Brit Marling has proven one of the American indie scene's most intriguing figures. Audiences either love her or don't quite know what to make of her — but whether she's co-writing and starring in Sound of My Voice and The East, or featuring in I, Origins, she's always interesting. The Keeping Room provides her latest fascinating role, this time pairing up with Pitch Perfect 2's Hailee Steinfeld and rising star Muna Otaru. Together, they explore the plight of women left behind during the American civil war, and offer up a female-centric take on one of the most masculine of movie genres. (T)ERROR True crime fans, rejoice. And then prepare to be thrilled, shocked and even a little horrified. (T)ERROR is the first documentary to thrust audiences right into the thick of the action, with filmmakers Lyric R. Cabral and David Felix Sutcliffe on the ground with the FBI during an active counterterrorism operation. Yes, it's as tense as it sounds — but it is also equally revelatory. The informant at the centre doesn't just let viewers in on secret phone calls and meetings, but exposes the murky procedures followed and questionable decisions made in the name of security. SIXTY SIX Making an animated movie is a massive task; however it doesn't normally take 13 years. But that's how long Lewis Klahr spent crafting Sixty Six — and evidence of his hard work is obvious in every image. Using bits and pieces from '50s and '60s comic books, advertising and pulp novels to tell stories steeped in Greek mythology, the end result looks like an art film in every sense of the word. Unravelling over 12 episodes, it's a true collage of sound and vision, a portrait of a time period and a bit of a road trip. It's the kind of experimental feature that really doesn't come around very often. RIVER OF GRASS Before Kelly Reichardt explored the companionship only a pet can bring in Wendy and Lucy, delved into the western genre in Meek's Cutoff and contemplated eco-activism in Night Moves — and brought Michelle Williams, Laura Dern and Kristen Stewart together for her recent Sundance hit Certain Women, too — she spun a story of social isolation and disconnection in the Florida suburbs. More than two decades later, her debut feature River of Glass has been gloriously restored for all the world to see. If you only see one retrospective title at this year's festival, make it this one. Essential Independents: American Cinema, Now runs from May 17 to June 8, and will visit Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Adelaide. For the full program, visit the festival website.
Talk about stating the obvious: "this is a multi-year journey you're about to embark on," Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo, Dark Waters) tells Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black) in the new She-Hulk: Attorney at Law trailer. He's teaching her the ways of being green and huge, and possessing super strength — and, in the kind of winking, nudging tone that the new Disney+ series looks set to revel in, he's clearly not only talking about the on-screen journey, but the experience of keeping up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe for those watching along. This far in — 14 years since the first Iron Man reached screens, with 28 other movies releasing since, and the slate of streaming series only growing — being a fan of the MCU is a big commitment. After a few gaps during the first year of the pandemic, there's always something new Marvel-related to watch on screens big and small, or so it seems. In 2022 so far, Moon Knight, Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, Ms Marvel and Thor: Love and Thunder have all already arrived, for instance. Hitting Disney+ from Wednesday, August 17, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is the next title on the way — and, yes, the idea is all there in its name. Walters is a lawyer newly specialising in superhuman law. After an experiment by Banner, she's soon turning green when she's scared and angry. And as both the initial and the new trailers for the about-to-release MCU show point out, with the latest dropping during this year's San Diego Comic-Con, things get chaotic from there. If your memory of TV extends back to the late 90s and early 00s, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law should give you big Ally McBeal vibes — but with superheroes instead of Calista Flockhart and dancing babies. Walters' work life, her efforts to balance being an attorney and being She-Hulk, her dating experiences: they're all covered, as is sitting around chatting about everything with her best pal (Ginger Gonzaga, Kidding) over drinks. The latest trailer also takes a few cues from The Boys, diving headfirst into the fallout when "more and more eccentric superhumans are coming out of the woodwork", as Walters is told. That's why she's enlisted to head up the legal division — her boss wants the She-Hulk to be the face of it, he explains. As it explores what it's like to be a single thirtysomething attorney who is also a green six-foot-seven-inch hulk — you know, that old chestnut — the show's nine-episode first season will also feature familiar MCU faces in the form of Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) as Wong and Tim Roth (Sundown) as Emil Blonsky/the Abomination. Rounding out the cast is a heap of recent sitcom standouts: Josh Segarra (The Other Two), Jameela Jamil (The Good Place), Jon Bass (Miracle Workers) and Renée Elise Goldsberry (Girls5eva). And, behind the lens, Kat Coiro (Marry Me) and Anu Valia (And Just Like That...) share directing duties across the season, with Jessica Gao (Rick and Morty) as head writer. Check out the latest She-Hulk: Attorney at Law trailer below: She-Hulk: Attorney at Law will start streaming via Disney+ from Wednesday, August 17. Images: courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.
Fresh flowers. Just-baked cakes. The air just after a storm. Newly brewed coffee. They're all distinctive scents that not only smell nice, but conjure up warm and fuzzy feelings. And if you find that the odour of cracking open a new computer or gadget from a certain popular brand evokes the same kind of reaction, then you're going to want to order a Mac-scented candle. Replicating the smell of a brand new Mac, the hand-poured candles clearly answer an the age-old question: "what do you get the Apple fan who has everything?". They're made from 100% soy wax, cost US$24, and also conjure notes of mint, peach, basil, lavender, mandarin and sage. We have to say, if that's what you're sniffing out when you open your new laptop, you must have super olfactory capabilities. Sure, it sounds like something out of a Seinfeld episode, were the hit sitcom still airing — or a gag one of the many modern-oriented Twitter parody accounts of the show might come up with; however it really isn't a joke. Mac accessories company Twelve South has added the item to their store, alongside their usual lineup of docks, stands, covers, shelves, bass boosters, plug converters and keyboard extenders (you know, the standard computer, tablet and phone gizmos). One US Mac hosting solution outfit put the candles to the test, and decreed that they do indeed emit the apparently much-sought-after "new Mac smell". There must be a fair number of folks looking to fill their home with that particular scent, because the range has already sold out. Don't worry, Mac sniffers: more will be in stock at the end of the month. Via Fast Company.
Beloved local spirits producer Four Pillars is known for innovation. Its inventive collaborations and tasty creations like the rare dry and bloody shiraz gin ranges have earned it the title of World's Best Gin for two years running now. The distillery is now looking to elevate your sunny days with an esky in hand with a new range of ready-to-drink gin and tonic cans. In an effort to take the RTD game to the next level, Four Pillars is squeezing all the goodness of its rare dry gin into a convenient can. The RTD is made using a special rare dry gin that is hyper-concentrated using twice as many botanicals as its bottled gin. The Melbourne distiller also created its own tonic for the cans in order to get the mix just right and ensure the flavour is just as good as a G&T you'd make using a bottle of Four Pillars. "We set out to make a gin and tonic, not a tonic and gin, so the ratios were really important," distiller Cam Mackenzie said. With summer on its way and restrictions beginning to roll back for states that have been in lockdown over winter, Four Pillars has launched the cans just in time for all your future picnics and trips to the beach. Each 250-millilitre can will be 5.1-percent alcohol and will come in four-packs for $27.99. If you want to get your hands on some, you can expect to see them begin to pop up throughout October and they'll be available from Four Pillars' Healesville and Surry Hills outposts, plus all the classic bottle shops you'd expect like Dan Murphy's, BWS, Liquorland, and independent sellers. Head to the Four Pillars website to read more about the new G&T RTDs. Images: Benito Martin
Campus diners aren't what they used to be — at least not if Residence at the Potter has anything to say about it. Located at The University of Melbourne's Potter Museum, Residence is a flexible, ever-evolving hospitality space designed to welcome everyone from students and faculty during the day to in-the-know foodies looking for a late supper. By day, the airy 60-seat space trades as a relaxed, sun-washed cafe serving up coffee and daily-baked treats — come nightfall, it transforms into a quietly elegant full-service restaurant. You can expect a strong focus on local and seasonal produce, thoughtful cooking, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere whenever you go. [caption id="attachment_1009817" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hayden Dib[/caption] Residence's after-dark offer operates on a rotating chef-in-residence model, whereby a different head chef will be appointed every 12 months to oversee a new concept. The inaugural iteration is Cherrywood, helmed by Robbie Noble (ex-Vue de Monde), whose seasonally rotating menu is an ode to the nostalgic flavours he grew up with in the north of England, confidently delivered with refined technique and locally sourced produce. Behind it all is a dream team of Melbourne hospo heavyweights. Co-founders Nathen Doyle and Cameron Earl's (pictured below) collective CV includes stints at Heartattack and Vine, Sunhands, Carlton Wine Room, Embla and ST. ALi. They've enlisted a cadre of collaborators to help bring Residence to life, including Harrison Maw (ex-Embla) for wine list advisory, Jasper Avent (ex-Embla, Town Mouse, Daylesford's Lake House) as Executive Chef and award-winning Collingwood-based collective Studio Co & Co for the venue's design. Campus cafeterias truly never looked (or tasted) this good. [caption id="attachment_1009815" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hayden Dib[/caption]
He has serenaded Laura Dern with an Elvis song, swooned over Cher, swapped faces with John Travolta, voiced a version of Spider-Man and won an Oscar for playing an alcoholic. He's appeared on-screen as brothers, professed his love for milking alpacas and fought ninjas from outer space, too. We're talking about Nicolas Cage, of course, and the list of amazing inclusions on his resume just goes on. Indeed, he's about to step into Joe Exotic's shoes — and, via a new Netflix series, teach the world about the history of swear words as well. Nicolas Cage's History of Swear Words is a very real series that definitely exists, and will hit the streaming platform on Tuesday, January 5. So yes, if you were hoping that 2021 would be better than 2020, we can think of one very good reason why that's likely to prove the case. The concept behind the show is extremely self-explanatory, so Netflix hasn't released too many details — but Cage will definitely be having fun with the concept, as the just-released trailer for the series makes clear. Paintbrush in hand, he's at his OTT best as he waxes lyrical about one particular word. You don't get the actor to take on this particular task and then ask him to dial it back, of course. In fact, the whole program looks set to have fun with Cage, with a painting of a peach appearing behind him in the first moments of the trailer — something Face/Off fans will particularly appreciate. As for whatever else is in store, consider that 2021's first big gift. Happy new year indeed. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4argVWl8AAE Nicolas Cage's History of Swear Words hits Netflix on Tuesday, January 5.
For some, the arrival of children in their lives is the time they transition into maturity. This is not the article for those people. Free-jumping on trampolines, swinging through trees, glow-in-the-dark mini golf, zipping down huge waterslides — these are activities for kids and kidults alike. With that in mind, there's no reason why your next family outing shouldn't be one that delights your entire multigenerational crew — mums, dads and sprogs included. We've teamed up with Holden Equinox, the SUV for parents with nothing to prove, to point you towards these excursions in Melbourne. These are destinations where you'll come together to make memories, make Instagram Stories, make a fool of yourself (in a good way) — and all while making your kids' day. FUNFIELDS Breakneck speeds, hair-raising twists and turns, stomach-churning drops – you'll be pushing the kids out of the way to experience all you can at Funfields. While the site boasts three of the longest and tallest Proslide water slides in the world, little ones are also catered for with an excellent paddling pool and water-play area. All up, there are more than 20 attractions, including a go-kart track, toboggan slide and several rides of varied intensity. Admission ain't cheap – $160 for a family of four with two school-aged kids – but it's small change for hours of thrilling, childhood-reliving fun. 2365 Plenty Road, Whittlesea SLIDES PLAYCENTRE Yes, it boasts a tip-top toddler area with scooters, toy cars, cubby houses and a jumping castle, but Slides' centrepiece is actually a towering three-lane slide — which, at eight metres, is Australia's highest. It's all part of the multipurpose Eastern Indoor Sports Centre, where there are also indoor sports pitches if soccer or futsal is your thing, a well-maintained kids' party and cafe area, and some hidden play zones out back that boast a flying fox, spinning platforms and more climbable objects. The best bit? Parents play free. 1642 Ferntree Gully Rd, Knoxfield ARTVO This place is custom-made for the Insta-everything generations. An optical-illusionary experience that adds quirk to the traditional art museum, ArtVo has 11 themed zones and 100 large-scale illustrations that allow families to inject themselves into all manner of adventurous scenes, famous drawings and locations. Snigger as a loved one oozes vulnerability in King Kong's palm or under the paw of a giant cat. 26 Star Crescent, Docklands BOUNCE Kids bouncing off the walls at home? You too? Time, then, to hit the place where the name says it all. Boasting venues in Blackburn North, Glen Iris and Essendon Fields, Bounce is a buzzing indoor playground of interconnected trampolines and aerial assaults. Try your hand at slam dunking, wall running and dodgeball, or kick back in the cafe and observe others' skills. Bonus: your energy-sapped kids will almost always go to bed that night without complaint. Hangar 4, 236 Wirraway Road, Essendon Fields; 22 Joseph Street, Blackburn North; 2 Weir Street, Glen Iris SCIENCEWORKS There's something for everyone at this culturally rich – and hip-pocket friendly – Spotswood institution. Scienceworks is perfect for budding — or big — mad professors, astronauts or sports nuts, or anyone who's simply curious as to what makes the world tick (and spin). You can lose yourself in the sights of the Planetarium and Lightning Room, and test those hammies racing the kids – and a digitised Cathy Freeman – on the 10-metre dual-lane running track. Nice outdoor cafe, too. 2 Booker Street, Spotswood GLOWGOLF DOCKLANDS Mini golf — the casual and quirky offshoot of the grand, slow-moving parent game — now comes with an extra layer of flair in the form of an 18-hole, glow-in-the-dark course, aptly called GlowGolf. Putt your way through a bunch of UV-lit, sound-effects-enhanced Aussie icons, including a rainforest, the outback, an outdoor dunny and even a Kingswood ute. Set to open early in 2018 is the Le Bar Europeen, self-touted as Victoria's smallest bar, with standing room for six to eight people. NW F05 Star Crescent, Docklands TREES ADVENTURE Ever wanted to swing through the trees like Tarzan? Set among the breathtaking greenery of the Glen Harrow Heritage Gardens in the Dandenong Ranges, Trees Adventure gets you most of the way there. The site is home to a series of obstacle courses, zip-lines and aerial challenges that cater to all ages and abilities. Two-hour sessions (adults $48, children $25-$38, including training) allow safety-harnessed thrillseekers to tackle nine courses ranging from two to 25 metres high, all the while soundtracked by bellbirds and kookaburras. Old Monbulk Road, Belgrave PLAYTIME Adults and arcade centres: it conjures up analogies of, well, kids and candy stores. Jam-packed with 100-plus classic and new-age video games and a spellbinding laser-tag arena, Playtime draws big and little kids aplenty. There are venues at Crown, Highpoint and Eastland, the latter boasting several "Cryptology Escape Rooms" that lock behind you upon entry. It's a great chance to team up with your kids to piece together the clues and puzzles that reopen the door within your allotted hour. Crown Entertainment Complex, 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank; Highpoint Shopping Centre, 200 Rosamond Road, Maribyrnong; Shop MM12 Eastland Shopping Centre, 175 Maroondah Highway, Ringwood Drive your family on adventures in and outside of town in the Holden Equinox, the SUV for parents with nothing to prove. Find out more on the Holden website.
From 2025, what will Burleigh Heads have in common with Los Angeles, New York, Cannes, Bordeaux, Ibiza, Singapore, Seoul and Hong Kong? As Miami, Doha and Mexico City boast, too, it'll become home to a Mondrian hotel. Alongside fellow upcoming openings in Tulum and Dubai, the LA-born chain is launching its first-ever Australian outpost, heading to a breezy patch of the Gold Coast. For vacationers, the brand's debut Aussie site will feature 208 hotel rooms — some suites, some studios, some two- and three-bedroom beach houses. Also available for travellers: the venue's Sky House at its apex. Mondrian Gold Coast will also include residential apartments, however, if you're cashed up and looking for luxe new digs. Mondrian calls its hotels creative hives — and values its guests not just swanning in and feeling like they could be anywhere in the world, but becoming immersed in their surroundings. The 24-floor Burleigh Heads address will boast views that do plenty of heavy lifting in that regard; if you're not peering at the pine tree-lined beach, you'll have hinterland vistas. "Australia has long been a strategic focus for Mondrian's growth, and the Gold Coast was a focal point thanks to its phenomenal natural setting, rich cultural landscape and vibrant social scene," said Mondrian Hotels & Residences's Brand Chief Operating Officer Chadi Farhat. "Over the last couple of years, we have seen a rising demand for lifestyle brands, where locals and international guests are looking for authentic, creative and immersive experiences — all the hallmarks of the Mondrian brand. It felt a natural choice to bring Mondrian to the Gold Coast and we believe it will resonate strongly with the local market and lend something entirely new to the hospitality space," Farhat continued. Art, architecture, design and culture are also at the forefront of the chain's approach, with Mondrian Gold Coast skewing sleek courtesy of Australian architects Fraser & Partners and Studio Carter — the latter taking cues from the sand and pandanus shrubs for the hotel's textures and tones. Architecture and design practice Alexander &Co joins in with the as-yet-unnamed ground-floor restaurant, which will be just one of the location's spots to eat. Here, think: a space that sprawls both inside and out, complete with a sunny terrace. Up on the third floor, visitors will be able to eat with a vantage over the ocean, or enjoy kicking back at the hotel's pool club. While there's no menu details as yet, local produce will take the spotlight on the menus across the site. And for relaxing, the hotel will also feature a wellness space and sp. For partying, there'll be an events space as well. Find Mondrian Gold Coast at Burleigh Heads, Queensland, from sometime in 2025 — and head to the hotel's website for more information.
Waking up and hearing the rain cascade over your roof, drizzle down your windows and water your plants sounds like heaven to most of us. To the cyclists among us, on the other hand, maybe not so much. Riding in the rain isn't the most desirable (or safe) way of getting to work, but for some it's the only way. So various bike umbrellas have been developed over the years (including this shocker), but here's one that might actually work. LEAFXPRO is a brand new leaf-style umbrella for your bike, looking for funding on Kickstarter. Designed with aerodynamics and ergonomics in mind, the windscreen-shaped umbrella hopes to keep you nice and dry on your way to work.You can even pick the colour from 'storm colours' to 'advanced colours'. Yep, deep breaths. The LEAFXPRO aerodynamics work to pull the water away from your body as you ride, and can be installed on any bike. We're a little worried about the visibility factor with that frontal shield, but we'd have to take it for a test run to make the call. And from the looks of the promo video, you'll need to unclip from the umbrella when you're locking up your bike — so you might get pretty wet anyway. Available for pre-order on Kickstarter, the umbrellas are going for about £99 — about $195AUD, pretty steep stuff when you add shipping. But with the amount you're likely to drop on Uber every time in rains, it might pay for itself. Maybe. Via Cycling Weekly.
While he may not have donned one of these to wander down the street in Arles, Vincent Van Gogh is the creative trigger behind designers Viktor & Rolf's newest collection. Throwing back to their Dutch roots, the Amsterdam-based designers' 'Van Gogh Girls' collection makes haute couture of the post-impressionist master's work — and it's just so pretty. Making its debut in Paris this week at Viktor & Rolf's Spring 2015 haute couture show, the collection is a flurry of straw headresses, open lace structures and structured babydoll dresses, embellished with both 3D flowers and printed batik-dyed patterns inspired by the flowers of Van Gogh. Van Gogh's little straw hat — or the hats of his country-dwelling sitters — has never looked so Bjork. Viktor & Rolf's designs have been considered artworks in themselves, as Fast Company points out, three of the 'works' have been bought by art collector Han Nefkens for Rotterdam's Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen — which makes it one of the most epic realisations of Van Gogh's work as high fashion; a level above Rodarte's Sunflowers-inspired ready-to-wear range for Target in 2011. Via Fast Company.
Does your breakfast involve a slice of toast slathered with Vegemite, plus a serving of baked beans? Have you ever had a cheeky mouthful of both at the same time and found the combination to your liking? Is a tin of Vegemite-flavoured baked beans now your fantasy idea of brekkie heaven? If you've answered yes to these questions, prepare to have your tastebuds well and truly tempted. Because simply scraping Vegemite across bread is boring, it seems, the yeasty Australian staple has worked its way into plenty of other food items — such chocolate, milk shakes, icy poles, ice creams, burgers, popcorn, booze and pizza, just to name a few examples. So, SPC's decision to add Vegemite to baked beans isn't all that surprising. And, like all culinary mashups that call upon the famed spread, you'll either be ridiculously excited or so put off that you may never eat baked beans or Vegemite ever again. Inspired? Gross? Only you know the answer — because the response is different for all of us. And yes, you and your stomach are definitely allowed to feel confused about the whole concept. View this post on Instagram A post shared by SPC (@spcgloballtd) Wondering how it tastes? SPC's Baked Beans & Vegemite still has a cheesy tomato sauce, but with Vegemite added. So, the whole combo is Vegemite, cheese, tomato and baked beans. For some, that'll make it better. For others, it'll make it worse. If you're nonetheless keen, the new product is being sold in two ways — as single 425-gram tins of SPC Baked Beans & Vegemite in Rich Tomato (RRP$1.70) and in four-packs of 220-gram tins (RRP $5.00). Breakfast, brunch or whatever meal you feel like pairing baked beans and Vegemite for will never look the same. SPC's Baked Beans & Vegemite tins are available in supermarkets now.
In time to come, we may well look back on the 21st century as the 'Age of the Bicycle'. We've run music festivals on pedal power, attempted to crowdfund the world's first flying bicycle, designed fashion for two-wheeling commuters, built cycle super highways and proposed the construction of sky-high bike paths. Nearly every week, it seems, someone, somewhere finds a way to extend the scope, relevance and fun factor of the humble bicycle. Now, a maverick composer by the name of Johnny Random has demonstrated its capacity as a musical instrument. Actually, not just an instrument, but an entire orchestra. He's written and recorded a song titled 'Bespoken' in which every single sound is generated via bicycle parts. As difficult as it is to believe when you hear it, no traditional instruments, synthesisers, samplers or drum machines are used. Instead, the spokes are tuned to various pitches, then plucked, picked and bowed to create melody, with other components employed percussively. "I remember my first time riding a bicycle," Johnny Random says. "It felt like freedom. I associate the sounds of a bike with this feeling. As a composer, I wanted to capture this through music, specifically by using the sounds of bikes and their components ... Through music, I want to change the way that people perceive their surroundings and I hope that this will inspire others to look at every day objects with more curiosity and wonder". Via PSFK.
Instead of Gen V, you could call this spinoff The Boys Jnr and it'd fit in an array of ways. The superheroes are younger, with the series' eight-episode first season focusing on students attending Godolkin University, rather than adults who've been there, done that and are weathering the brutalities of life as grown caped crusaders. The minutiae of Gen V's characters' lives is firmly teen-centric as a result, including dates and crushes, dorms and lectures, making new friends and peer pressure, and the like. Obviously, their worries largely aren't of the world-weary, years-of-existential-malaise kind, but span making friends, scoring the right classes, wanting to be popular, breaking curfew, navigating social media, body image, sex positivity, morning-after regrets, dealing with overbearing parents and plotting out the future. There's nothing smaller about the hefty, hearty, utterly gleeful splashes of gore and violence, however — the eager amounts of guts and penises, too — in the latest show inspired by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's comic book. Streaming from Friday, September 29, Prime Video's next dive into this satirical superhero world is The Boys but in college, the same chaos, carnage and characteristic raucousness all included. Slotting into the Vought Cinematic Universe after the OG series (which has dropped three seasons, with a fourth on the way) and the animated The Boys Presents: Diabolical, Gen V stems from the 'We Gotta Go Now' storyline, sporting youthful leads but zero tone and vibe changes. So springs an OTT coming-of-age tale that's gruesome, irreverent, subversive, funny and, yes, filled with bodily fluids. Set at the same time that The Boys' fourth season will take place when it hits — its episodes have been filmed, but no release date has been locked in yet due to Hollywood's 2023 strikes — Gen V follows the blood-bending Marie Moreau (Jaz Sinclair, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) as she scores a university place that could change everything that she knows. Stuck under the cloud of a past tragedy until now, her scholarship to the Vought-approved God U is the ticket to her dreams, with becoming the first Black woman in The Seven her ultimate aim. Her approach going in: putting her head down, working hard and securing a path beyond the facility that's been her home for much too long. She's warned what will occur if she doesn't succeed, with more time spent institutionalised the only other option that superhero organisation Vought foresees. Before Marie arrives at God U, Gen V begins with her backstory, plus with the reason that doing her best is so important. The show's developers Craig Rosenberg, Evan Goldberg and Eric Kripke, all The Boys alumni, also establish that their adolescent angle is as essential as caped crusaders and diving back into havoc caused by the corrupt mega-corporation that is Vought. When a young woman has Marie's distinctive powers, how do they manifest? When she reaches puberty and gets her first period. In opening moments set eight years earlier, just as A-Train (Jesse T Usher, Smile) is welcomed into Vought's top-tier superhero crew, there's a body count, emotional scars that Marie will never get over, and also an ultraviolet start to the series' exploration of compound V-dosed kids who were given the drug by their mums and dads to turn them into something special, only to be forced to live with the consequences. Accordingly, college's everyday trials and tribulations were never going to be the only challenges in store once Gen V steps foot on campus, and Marie with it; more follow. Academic disappointment comes early, when hotshot Crimefighting Department head Professor Rich Brinkerhoff (Clancy Brown, Ahsoka) won't let her into her dream course, but that soon seems like a minor woe. As Marie rooms with Emma Meyer (Lizze Broadway, Based on a True Story), who can scale down her size, fitting in doesn't come easily. And when she meets the resident cool clique, including literally hot number one-ranked pupil Luke 'Golden Boy' Riordan (Patrick Schwarzenegger, The Staircase), his persuasive girlfriend Cate Dunlap (Maddie Phillips, Teenage Bounty Hunters), the magnetic Andre Anderson (Chance Perdomo, also Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) and the gender-shifting Jordan Li (Never Have I Ever's London Thor and Shining Vale's Derek Luh), she swiftly discovers that everything at her new school isn't what it seems. There will be blood by the bucketload — even if Marie's powers weren't tied to it, this is a VCU entry — plus secrets, lies, class clashes and life-and-death stakes. And, in a show that also gives its characters a mystery to chase, there's also a creepy underground facility known as The Woods that Marie, Emma and their pals keep being drawn to. Gen V delivers a savvy balance of wild fun and perceptive smarts as well, in a series that plays like The Boys mixed with The Sex Lives of College Girls, Scooby Doo, Wednesday and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Like the latter pair, it's highly cognisant that growing up is weird and hellish. It similarly knows how to use fantasy and horror — here, being a caped crusader at a sinister uni that specifically trains them, rather than the ultimate goth girl or vanquishing the undead while living on a hellmouth — to explore the many struggles that accompany facing maturity. While a few key cameos pop up from its predecessor, Gen V's is 100-percent focused on the franchise's newbies, their supe and uni experiences, and the shady happenings around them — which is a pivotal move. Indeed, that's what makes it a perfect The Boys spinoff, and never an easy facsimile, lazy wannabe or unsubtle reminder of what else exists in the broader saga. Gen V dwells in the same realm with the same atmosphere and same bite, but always dons its own personality, is committed to telling its own characters' tales and proves genuinely keen to broaden the Vought Cinematic Universe. Tearing into what's become the biggest type of on-screen stories right now is still the same mission, complete with blatant Marvel digs, yet it's done in a story that puts the ups and downs of being a teen in this situation first and foremost. It's no wonder, then, that Gen V is as entertaining as The Boys to watch. It's also no surprise that Marie and her classmates easily earn the same investment as Billy Butcher (Karl Urban, Thor: Ragnarok), Hughie (Jack Quaid, Oppenheimer), Frenchie (Tomer Capone, One on One), Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara, Bullet Train) Mother's Milk's (Laz Alonso, Wrath of Man), Starlight (Erin Moriarty, Captain Fantastic), Maeve (Dominique McElligott, The Last Tycoon) and company. Alongside confidence, strewn-around viscera and its sense of humour, casting remains one of this core franchise's talents, especially with Sinclair, Broadway, Perdomo, Thor and Luh. And any X-Men or The New Mutants comparisons? Just as The Boys knowingly smashed through its Avengers and Justice League commonalities, so does this new sharp, cynical and imaginative chip off the old block. Check out the trailer for Gen V below: Gen V streams via Prime Video from Friday, September 29.
As warmer weather starts to make its presence known, including an unseasonably hot September patch in Sydney and Brisbane, we're all clamouring for our favourite cooling devices. Fans, air conditioners, pools, any patch of water you can find, frozen drinks, boozy icy poles, all the ice cream you can handle: if it can combat the heat, even for a brief instant, it's a spring and summer staple. Imagine, however, just slapping on a temperature-regulating smartwatch rather than camping out under your aircon or getting comfy in a paddling pool with an esky filled with cold beverages. Or, in addition to all of the above. That's the idea behind the Aircon Watch, a device two years in the making. It claims to offer a reprieve from feeling too warm — or, in winter, too cold — by sending hot or cool signals to the wearer's brain through its special pulsating wrist strap. If you're a little skeptical, that's understandable, though the folks behind the watch point to the instant cooling effect that running an ice cube over your wrist can have — as well as a 2012 research study by Stanford University, which used a cooling glove to indicate that heat exchange can occur through the extremities. And if you think it sounds like a winning idea, you're not alone. Currently running a Kickstarter campaign, the Aircon Watch has already reached its funding goal more than 26 times over. At the time of writing, it's still accepting backers for 18 more days, with the watches expected to start shipping in December. Image: Aircon Watch.
When 2019's The Farewell won Awkwafina a Golden Globe for Best Actress — Musical or Comedy, it did so for a nuanced and affecting performance that dwelled in the space between putting on a happy face for the world and confronting what you're truly feeling inside. Following a China-born, New York-raised woman upon her return home to see her dying grandmother, the film used its semi-autobiographical scenario as fuel for an incisive and thoughtful character study. Writer/director Lulu Wang's feature spread further, however, as a broader portrait about the ties and lies that bind families, plus the societal and cultural surroundings that enforce expectations and dictate choices. Adapting Janice YK Lee's 2016 novel The Expatriates, Wang's first major stint behind the lens since The Farewell starts streaming via Prime Video from Friday, January 26. Dubbed Expats as a miniseries, the six-parter marks a shift in location to Hong Kong and a splinter in focus to three protagonists, but its guiding force — with Wang creating the show, executive producing, helming all six episodes and writing two — is still plunging deep into bonds of blood, deceptions amid close relationships, grappling with grief and tragedy, and being caught between how one is meant to carry on and inescapable inner emotions. It too sees not only people but also its chosen place. It's a haunting series and, albeit not literally in the horror sense, a series about women haunted. As Margaret Woo, an American landscape architect who has relocated to Hong Kong for her husband Clarke's (Brian Tee, Chicago Med) job, Nicole Kidman (Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom) is in familiar territory. In Big Little Lies, The Undoing and Nine Perfect Strangers, all fellow small-screen efforts that she also executive produced, she similarly played characters tormented: by a horrific husband, a murder case and loss, respectively. She's well-experienced at stepping into the shoes of women bearing anguish and heartbreak while living privileged existences as well, and at sporting the masks demanded when there's a status quo to uphold. But Kidman isn't one to turn in the same traumatised performance again and again, even if she's repeatedly drawn to such roles. Here, Margaret's seesawing between relentlessly soldiering on and being unable to flee her desperation says everything about someone who is rarely able to admit the truth of her feelings even to herself. The year is 2014, and the Woos aren't new Hong Kong arrivals — but their past 12 months have been under a shadow ever since their youngest son Gus (debutant Connor James) went missing. No one is coping, including elder children Daisy (Tiana Gowen, True Love Blooms) and Philip (Bodhi del Rosario, 9-1-1). But while Margaret refuses to give up hope of finding her three-year-old boy, there are still lives to lead and, to help start Expats, a 50th birthday party for Clarke to host. In the lift at The Peak, the towering symbol of wealth inhabited by plenty who give the show its title, she's also insistent that her friend, downstairs neighbour and fellow American Hilary Starr (Sarayu Blue, A Million Miles Away) attend the shindig. The frostiness that fills the elevator also stems from Gus' disappearance, and accusations made against Hilary's recovering-alcoholic husband David (Jack Huston, Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches). Unpacking Hilary's plight provides the second of Expat's interconnected character studies, as the successful businesswoman treads water in a marriage where going through the motions is among the few shared traits remaining. Despite their quest to start a family, she's started secretly taking birth control again. Hilary and David do still boast something else in common, though: an inability to shake their hurt at each other over secrets, reactions and never believing that they're on the same page. Frequently dressed in tan- and beige-hued jumpsuits, Blue plays her part with no less potency than Kidman, but with softer edges. At her extremes, Hilary is deliberate rather than steely and quietly fragile instead of achingly frenzied. Completing Expats' triangle is Mercy (Ji-young Yoo, The Sky Is Everywhere), a Korean American in her twenties working gig-economy jobs, residing in far-more-ordinary digs and happiest about Hong Kong's distance from her mother. With the friends that she's collected in her time in the city, she flits in and out. On her catering assignments, she weaves around well-to-do crowds. She feels like an outsider in multiple ways, and is also convinced that she's cursed. It's Mercy's narration that kicks off the series, talking about the people who unwittingly spark life-changing tragedies, plus the world's quick-to-forget attitudes towards their guilt and agony — voiceover that not only assists in connecting the narrative's web-like strands, but expresses vulnerability and pain that Yoo's shattering performance is always endeavouring to plaster over with anything that the character can even fleetingly grasp onto. Every city is home to a mourning mother with other kids to try to put on a brave face for, women stuck in fraying marriages and restless young souls keen to discover who they want to be. Every place has an expat community of folks who've relocated for love, employment and fresh chances, some or none of which might've worked out nicely. Every town includes those who can't move away even after they've weathered the worst that their life has thrown at them in their adopted spot. Every locale is inhabited by some who don't feel like they quite belong, but are also certain that they'd feel the same even if they retraced their steps. As probingly and naturalistically lensed by Wang's returning The Farewell cinematographer Anna Franquesa-Solano, and as purposefully set in a year where protests took to the streets against China's role in the special administrative region's elections, Hong Kong isn't just any city to Expats, however. Wang also spends time with two Filipino women who work as live-in helpers away from their own families, the Woos' nanny Essie (Ruby Ruiz, In His Mother's Eyes) and the Starrs' housekeeper Puri (first-timer Amelyn Pardenilla). They're regular presences in Expats' first four episodes, then get pushed to the fore in its movie-length fifth episode, alongside local students (including Sparks' Bonde Sham as Charly) among the Umbrella Movement who are fighting for better futures. The series sees their hopes, wants, dreams and disappointments, too. It stares unflinchingly at the chasm between their Hong Kong and the one navigated by wealthy transplants. Crucially, this drama puts comfortable existences, woes and all, into stark context. A different series could've been made with Essie, Puri, Charly and company firmly at the centre — but in this tale of three Americans adrift with their sorrows, where and the reality that surrounds them is equally as important as how and why. Check out the trailer for Expats below: Expats streams via Prime Video from Friday, January 26.
As state and international borders have been closed for much of the year, many of us are taking the opportunity to explore our own backyards. We were all spoilt for choice when the borders were open and often forgot to appreciate what was in our own cities or states. Now, Ovolo Hotels is helping you level up your staycation with its new range of activity add-ons that'll have you enjoying your city from atop the Harbour Bridge, in a boat or from the comfort of a massage table. Ovolo has two hotels in Sydney (Woolloomooloo and Darling Harbour) and Brisbane (Inchcolm and The Valley), one in Melbourne (Laneways) and one in Canberra (Nishi), with each one offering different staycay option. In Sydney, you can choose between a Tesla hire with a chauffeur, a Harbour Bridgeclimb, boat and walking tours, eight-course degustations and in-room massages. Canberra is offering electric scooters and picnic hampers, Brisbanites can experience a wine blending workshop and, as restrictions lift, Melburnians will be able to go on a tour of the cities secret bars (with cocktails included). [caption id="attachment_787765" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bridge Climb[/caption] You can build the staycay packages as you like, picking the room — Ovolo Nishi's Meandering Atrium with a giant bathtub, perhaps, or a Rockstar Suite at the Ovolo The Valley with a cocktail bar and king-sized bed — and adding on the activities that interest you most. Ovolo hotels are also pet friendly, so you can bring your fur-baby with you on your staycation. After all, your dog could use a break just as much as you — they live a busy life. Each hotel also comes with complimentary breakfast, sundowner drinks, in-room mini bar and 24-hour gym access. Ovolo Hotels is now offering Staycay Your Way packages at all its Australian hotels. A two-night minimum stay is requires and you can book over here. Top image: Ovolo Nishi
America's Southern cuisine is the stuff of legend. After all, who hasn't devoured Southern fried chicken, dreamed of a crawfish boil or salivated over a decadent mac and cheese? Whether you want to sample the authentic version of familiar favourites or enliven your palate with new, never-before-tried flavours, we've partnered with Travel South USA to uncover a mix of the region's must-visit establishments and must-try dishes. From Memphis-style barbecue to a comforting porridge that's a specialty of the region, here's our guide on where to go and what to eat. Gumbo at Mr B's Bistro, Restaurant Rebirth: Louisiana Countless dishes in the South have reached legendary status both within the US and abroad — among which gumbo stands out as a must-try. Not only is gumbo Louisiana's official state dish, the flavours and ingredients are an iconic example of the state's cuisine, reflecting its cultural history and blending together French, Spanish, African and Caribbean flavours. It's a stew that has infinite iterations; it can feature seafood such as shrimp and crab, meats like duck, chicken or sausage, and although there is a traditional style to making gumbo, each bowl is unique to its maker with variations in seasonings, proteins and thickness, making it a dish to try at many different restaurants. Head to Mr B's Bistro for a gumbo that the locals love, made with fresh regional products, or Restaurant Rebirth for a Creole Cajun gumbo that's made with farm-to-table ingredients. West Indies Salad at Wentzell's Oyster House of Mobile: Mobile, Alabama The southern border of Alabama just happens to be the Gulf — which means one sure thing: mouth-watering, fresh seafood. A must-try dish of the state is the distinctive West Indies salad, which notably is made with ice cubes and ensures the salad tastes exactly as it should — fresh and light. The salad is a pride of Mobile, where it has been served since the 1940s, and calls for fresh crab meat, making it a local specialty that you'd be hard pressed to find anywhere else. Hot Brown at Brown Hotel: Louisville, Kentucky The South is often synonymous with comfort food and Kentucky's Hot Brown is one of the finest on offer. The open-faced sandwich is a Kentucky culinary classic, originating in the 1920s at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, where it has stood the test of time and continues to be a menu favourite a century later. It features layers of turkey and bacon on thick slices of bread smothered in a decadent Mornay sauce, before being baked to perfection. Barbecue at Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous: Tennessee Barbecuing in the South isn't just one or two dishes, it's a tradition with countless regional variations and quirks. So much so, neatly demarcating the different styles of barbecue from region to region is a tall order, but there are four major variants that come up again and again — of which Tennessee's Memphis-style barbecue is one. The Tennesseean variant often sees pork selected as the meat of choice, with a focus on ribs and shoulders. Memphis is brimming with barbecue joints featuring everything from hole-in-the-wall hidden gems to world-class dining experiences. Once you step into Tennessee, it will quickly become apparent why Memphis-style barbecue has ascended to one of the greats; it's a state where barbecue culture thrives with incredible, smoky morsels always just around the corner. Elsewhere in the state, there are tomato and vinegar-based sauces in the mountains, while Nashville blends all of the state's traditions into one big culinary melting pot. [caption id="attachment_990176" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Austin Walsh[/caption] Burnt Ends at Arthur Bryant's: Kansas City, Missouri When in Missouri, do as the Missourians do and try Kansas City-style barbecue, another one of the four major styles of 'cue in America. In Kansas City the local specialty is burnt ends, and for fans of tender, slow-cooked brisket, these bite-sized meaty morsels are a must. Served sans sauce typically as a side dish or part of a wider barbecue plate, they're the perfect crispy platform for the smoke to shine and take centre stage. Head to the longstanding restaurant Arthur Bryant's, where burnt ends originated, to try this local favourite for yourself — but get in early because they sell out on the regular. Of course, the dish is now a staple of the state so there are plenty of other restaurants to try your luck at and sample these delectable bites. Shrimp and Grits at Slightly North of Broad: Charleston, South Carolina Grits are one of the great culinary staples of the South — and they pair perfectly with the abundance of fresh seafood throughout the region. Head to the culinary hub of Charleston to sample a bowl of the most refined version of this uniquely creamy style of porridge made with maize. Look out specifically for shrimp and grits which may have originated in the South, but has since found favour through the country. Helmed by chef Frank Lee, who has long been a proponent of South Carolinian cuisine, Slightly North of Broad (affectionately known as SNOB by locals) is an excellent stop to try this quintessential recipe of the region. '1010 Cut' at 1010 Bridge Restaurant: Charleston, West Virginia West Virginia is unique for its cultural heritage which spans both the South and Appalachia. Combining the best of both worlds is 1010 Bridge Restaurant in West Virginia's capital city, Charleston. The cosy restaurant offers a menu that reflects Appalachian roots matched with low country influence, owned and operated by chef Paul Smith, a winner of the prestigious James Beard Award. On the menu, you'll find a wide variety of meticulously crafted dishes including lamb loin, gourmet seafood and the iconic '1010 Cut' dish of cast iron-seared steak and lobster mac and cheese. Steak at Doe's Eat Place: Greenville, Mississippi If you're making a stop in Mississippi on an empty stomach, chart a course to Doe's Eat Place for your next feast and to experience Southern hospitality firsthand. Stop by for generously-sized steaks, tamales and a welcoming, no-frills atmosphere. With a storied history as a family-run establishment, there's a sense of tradition and community that you'll immediately feel from when you first step foot through the restaurant's door all the way until you roll out of your seat and back to your car. Fresh Seafood at Salt Box Seafood Joint: Durham, North Carolina The menu changes with the seasons at North Carolina's Salt Box Seafood Joint. Owned and operated by chef Rickey Moore, a James Beard Foundation Award winner, the Durham restaurant celebrates local, fresh seafood with dishes that prove why the South's seafood is so remarkable. The one constant on the menu is the oysters, which are also found in many restaurants around the state, since North Carolina is home to a sustainable oyster farming industry. Find your next adventure in the South. Discover more unforgettable destinations and start planning your trip with Travel South USA.
When M Night Shyamalan earned global attention and two Oscar nominations back in 1999 for The Sixth Sense, it was with a film about a boy who sees dead people. After ten more features that include highs (the trilogy that is Unbreakable, Split and Glass) and lows (Lady in the Water and The Happening), in 2019 he turned his attention to a TV tale of a nanny who revives a dead baby. Or did he? That's how Apple TV+'s Servant commenced its first instantly eerie, anxious and dread-filled season, a storyline it has followed in its second season in 2021, third in 2022, and now fourth and final batch of episodes currently streaming. But as with all Shyamalan works, this meticulously made series bubbles with the clear feeling that all isn't as it seems. The director's Knock at the Cabin, another highlight to his name, isn't his only project worth spending time with in 2023. It isn't the only intriguing use of former Harry Potter star Rupert Grint on his resume, either, in a part that's the actor's best post-Wizarding World role. With Servant's latest go-around, Shyamalan is in producer mode, after popping in and out as a helmer across past ten-episode seasons. He's also still in his adored thriller territory, still paying homage to Alfred Hitchcock and still playing with twists, this time in a show that resembles a dark take on Mary Poppins. What happens if a caregiver sweeps in exactly when needed and changes a family's life, but she's a teenager rather than a woman, disquieting instead of comforting, and accompanied by strange events, forceful cults and unsettlingly conspiracies rather than sweet songs, breezy winds and spoonfuls of sugar? That's Servant's basic premise. Set in Shyamalan's beloved Philadelphia, the puzzle-box series spends most of its time in a lavish brownstone inhabited by TV news reporter Dorothy Turner (Lauren Ambrose, The X-Files) and her celebrity-chef husband Sean (Toby Kebbell, Bloodshot). Living well-to-do lives, the wealthy pair appear the picture of happiness, complete with a newborn son to fulfil their perfect family portrait. But as 18-year-old nanny Leanne Grayson (Nell Tiger Free, Too Old to Die Young) quickly learned in Servant's first season, there's nothing normal about baby Jericho. After the tot tragically passed away, he's been replaced by a lookalike doll to calm the otherwise-catatonic Dorothy's grief. Leanne's job: selling that well-meaning deception. Just as Knock at the Cabin unveils its first big twist early, so did Servant when it began. Before its debut episode was over, writer/producer Tony Basgallop (Berlin Station) revealed that the reborn doll filling Jericho's place has come alive after Leanne's arrival. So arises questions that are still being explored and mysteries that keep deepening in season four, including the young nanny's role in it all and the true meaning of her ties to the Turners. As the increasingly suspicious Dorothy, more-accepting Sean and Dorothy's recovering-alcoholic brother Julian (Grint, Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities) start discovering early, Leanne springs from an unconventional background with heavy religious ties — from a disturbing group intent on bringing her back and willing to stop at nothing to do so — and her happiness appears closely linked to the state of affairs in her new household. As Servant's seasons have inched by, Basgallop, Shyamalan and an impressive array of filmmakers — Raw and Titane's Julia Ducournau, Casting JonBenét and The Assistant's Kitty Green, Goodnight Mommy and The Lodge's Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, Holiday's Isabella Eklöf and Predators' Nimród Antal among them, plus Shyamalan's daughter Ishana — have kept the series focused on grief, belief and how they each feed into each other. Whatever the reason behind Jericho's comeback, having faith in him being back has kept Dorothy and the Turners' townhouse functioning. Sean and Julian are willing to accept the unusual turn of events to maintain a facade of normality, but have the family unwittingly made a bargain with severe consequences? Since Leanne crossed their doorstep, decay has also blighted their home. Jericho returned, but Sean's taste and smell disappeared, splinters started showing up everywhere and that gorgeous home began to crumble. Termites, maggots, bed bugs: they've all plagued Servant's covetable abode, which sprawls up and down but also ripples with a claustrophobic air. Cinematographer Mike Gioulakis — a veteran of Shyamalan's Old, Jordan Peele's Us and 2014 horror hit It Follows — winds through its main setting's halls, floors, nooks and crannies like he's creeping through a festering haunted house. His lensing is ghostly in its movements, elegantly but emphatically disrupting the sense of balance visually in every way it can. Sometimes, it pivots suddenly. Sometimes, it peers on from afar when a moment screams for a closeup, and vice versa. Often, it flits from focused to unfocused — and, in telling its off-kilter tale, the show's framing has little use for symmetry. Servant isn't just impeccably shot — see: season four's debut episode, an unease-dripping spin on The Birds that sees Leanne swarmed in the street by cult members — but also unnervingly scored. The childlike plinking of the opening theme, with composer Trevor Gureckis (Voyagers) doing the honours, is unshakeably haunting from the get-go. In its music box-esque notes, bursts of playfulness and innocence echo, and also the feeling of sweetness turned sour. That's the mood lingering in the latest deliberately paced, insidiously atmospheric episodes, as Dorothy returns home after season three's big finale and fall, Sean attempts to balance his TV success with his family commitments, and Leanne and Julian become the de facto parents of the house. Leanne demands domestic bliss, but Dorothy is more certain than ever that the Turners would be far better off without the teen, even hiring nurses Bev (Denny Dillon, The Outsider) and Bobbie (Barbara Kingsley, The Flight Attendant) as a buffer. In Servant's last hurrah, there's still no such thing as a cosy status quo — and doesn't the series have the spellbinding performances to show it. Alongside a never-better Grint at his most gruff, begrudging and scattered, Kebbell is mesmerising as a man pinballing back and forth between work and home, Dorothy and Leanne, and what he knows and believes. That said, as Dorothy and Leanne keep doing battle as rival matriarchs — including with a Misery-style situation thanks to Dorothy's injuries, with the nanny segueing from Mary Poppins to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest's Nurse Ratched as well — Ambrose and Free are nothing short of phenomenal. However Shyamalan and Basgallop wrap up this discomforting tale, and whether or not they stick the landing, Servant has gifted viewers four seasons of spectacular duelling caregivers and gripping domestic tension, and one of streaming's horror greats. Check out the trailer for Servant season four below: Servant streams via Apple TV+.
Funlab (Holey Moley, Hijinx Hotel and Strike Bowling) has a thing for competitive socialising, now operating over 50 game bars across Australia. And one of its most popular sites — Holey Moley on Little Bourke Street — is undergoing a huge expansion. Come Friday, October 11, the Funlab crew will unveil the new-look mini golf space, which has been decked out with new automated scoring and live leaderboards, bonus points scoring games, and a heap of other updated technologies. The main Caddyshack bar is also being expanded to accommodate guests visiting the new downstairs venue Holey Moley Funhouse. Here, putters will be invited to put down their clubs and participate in nine different challenge games — similar to those seen at the team's OTT Hijinx Hotel. These will include a ball pit, throwing challenges, an egg and spoon race full of obstacles, quick-fire memory games, and putt putt pong (we're not entirely sure what this is). Like the downstairs mini gold bar, these games can all be played with a drink in hand — or at least the drinks can be put down for a few moments while you compete with your mates at each different gaming area. Holey Moley Funhouse will also similarly embrace nostalgic 80s and 90s vibes but feel more like a carnival than a mini-golf course. "Holey Moley Funhouse combines two of our guests' favourite experiences; Hijinx Hotel challenge rooms and the competitive and nostalgic fun of Holey Moley. We think we've not only created the latest and greatest new Funlab concept, but also Melbourne's most playful new bar!", shares Funlab CEO Michael Schreiber. Holey Moley Funhouse will open on Friday, October 11, and can be found at 590 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne. For more information, you can visit the venue's website.
It's been almost two years since Stranger Things last graced our streaming queues, and left everyone wondering what might've become of Hawkins' beloved police chief Jim Hopper (David Harbour, Hellboy). Just when the Netflix series is set to return for its fourth season hasn't yet been announced, but the platform knows that its viewers are all waiting eagerly — and, to keep us occupied, it has started teasing new glimpses at the long-awaited next batch of episodes. The platform initially provided a sneak peek at Stranger Things season four back at the beginning of 2020, which now seems like a lifetime ago. Given that things didn't seem to end too well for Hopper at the end of the show's third season — all thanks to the mind flayer, the Russian lab below Starcourt Mall and that pesky gate to the Upside Down — that initial glimpse picked up after the third season's Russian-set post-script. That said, while it did resolve the big cliffhanger, it also only ran for 50 seconds. This time around, the two new (and also brief) clips look backwards — and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown, Godzilla vs Kong) is the focus. Both sneak peeks take place in Hawkins Laboratory, with the first peering at security camera footage, and the second listening on as Dr Martin Brenner (Matthew Modine, Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal) performs tests on kids with special abilities. The latter video then works its way down a corridor to a door marked with the number 11, and then shows a quick look at Eleven's face. So, it seems that as well as hopping over to Russia, Stranger Things is headed to the past. It's worth remembering that, when the platform announced the show's renewal for a fourth season back in 2019, it did so with the catchphrase "we're not in Hawkins anymore". We'll have to wait to see what that all means for its cast of characters — including not only Hopper and Eleven, the latter of which was last seen leaving town with Joyce (Winona Ryder, The Plot Against America), Will (Noah Schnapp, Hubie Halloween) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton, The New Mutants), but also for Mike (Finn Wolfhard, The Goldfinch), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo, The Angry Birds Movie 2), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin, Concrete Cowboy), Max (Sadie Sink, The Last Castle), Steve (Joe Keery, Spree) and Nancy (Natalia Dyer, Things Seen & Heard). Check out the two new Stranger Things season four teasers below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRIpYFIlg5U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILwLN6hV-X8 Stranger Things season four doesn't currently have a release date — we'll update you when Netflix announces its plans. Top image: Stranger Things season three.
Brad Pitt (Babylon) and Angelina Jolie's (Eternals) time as pop culture's only Mr and Mrs Smith in something called Mr & Mrs Smith is going the way of their IRL relationship, all thanks to a new TV spin on the 2005 movie. Now, it's Donald Glover (Atlanta) and Maya Erskine's (PEN15) turn to combine espionage and matrimony, with the upcoming eight-part Prime Video streaming series just unveiling its debut teaser trailer. Almost two decades back, an action-comedy cast Brangelina as a bored married duo who didn't know that they were actually both assassins, let alone that they'd each been tasked with killing the other. While Pitt and Jolie's off-screen relationship afterwards was more memorable than the flick itself in general, the concept struck enough of a chord to be brought back for another whirl. So, in 2024, Mr & Mrs Smith is now taking the path from the big to the small screen that everything from Dead Ringers and Irma Vep to A League of Their Own and Interview with the Vampire also has of late. There's a twist, however, with Glover and Erskine playing strangers who have to pretend to be wed as part of their job. So, that's how one becomes John Smith and the other takes on the identity of Jane Smith — and how the two embark upon a high-risk spy life together. The tradeoff for faking a romance: the lucrative gig, money, travelling the world, a dream Manhattan brownstone and, in this take on the premise, these strangers actually falling for each other. Pretending to be a couple but seeing sparks fly is one of Hollywood's current obsessions, with rom-com Anyone But You taking the idea to the big screen — without espionage or anything to do with Mr & Mrs Smith, though. Adding another TV show to his resume, Glover co-created the new Mr & Mrs Smith with Francesca Sloane (also Atlanta), with the end result set to drop in full on Friday, February 2, 2024. If you have vague memories of Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) being involved, she was initially slated to play Jane until Erskine took over her role. The series does feature a heap of other well-known names, with Alexander Skarsgård (Infinity Pool), Sarah Paulson (The Bear), Eiza González (Ambulance), Michaela Coel (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) and Paul Dano (Dumb Money) all popping up — and Sharon Horgan (Bad Sisters), Ron Perlman (Poker Face), Billy Campbell (Troll), Úrsula Corberó (Money Heist), John Turturro (Severance), Parker Posey (Beau Is Afraid) and Wagner Moura (The Gray Man) as well. Check out the first teaser trailer for the Mr & Mrs Smith TV series below: Mr & Mrs Smith will stream via Prime Video from Friday, February 2, 2024.
When New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the two-way trans-Tasman bubble back in April — allowing Australians to travel to NZ without quarantining upon arrival — she noted that it could and would be paused if and when outbreaks occur. Accordingly, with Melbourne identifying five locally acquired COVID-19 cases so far this week, and implementing restrictions and an indoor mask mandate in response, the NZ Government has advised that it's stopping its arrangement with Victoria for the time being. Today, Tuesday, May 25, the NZ Government announced that the quarantine-free travel between NZ and NSW is being suspended, effective from 11.59pm NZ time. "Officials have assessed that the most cautious option is to pause the travel bubble with Victoria as there are still several unknowns with the outbreak," it said in a statement. Initially, the pause will be in place for 72 hours, beginning at 7.59pm NZT today — which is 5.59pm AEST. The aim: to give Victorian authorities time to investigate the five cases, which appear closely linked to the last local case of COVID-19 in Melbourne, from earlier in May, according to the genome sequencing results so far. Whether you're a Melburnian on holiday in NZ or a New Zealander who has recently returned from across the ditch, anyone now in NZ who has been at one of the exposures sites in Melbourne is required to isolate, then call NZ's Healthline on 0800 358 5453 to obtain advice about getting tested for COVID-19. And, if you're currently in Australia and you've been to one of the venues identified, you should not travel to NZ. https://twitter.com/covid19nz/status/1397046204396019719 This isn't the first time that the trans-Tasman bubble has been paused, with NZ suspending flights from Western Australia at the beginning of May in response to Perth's recent cases — and doing the same with New South Wales this month as well. In both cases, flights with NZ were given the all-clear to resume within days. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Victoria, head over to the Department of Health website. To find out more about the virus and travel restrictions in New Zealand, visit to the NZ Government's COVID-19 hub.
Imagine flying to a mysterious and remote spot in the middle of the ocean, and not only enjoying the incredibly scenic surroundings, but also getting to live out your wildest dreams. From the late 70s until the mid 80s, that was the premise of TV series Fantasy Island — and while the fantasies came with a price, the show definitely didn't fall into the horror genre. Thanks to prolific producer Jason Blum, now that premise comes with bumps, jumps, thrills and scares. Already remade for television in the late 90s, Fantasy Island is getting another do-over — for the big screen, and as a horror movie. The setup is the same, with folks zipping into an idyllic locale ready to live out their fantasy of choice. The cost, though, now lingers firmly in nightmarish territory. Yes, it's basically a case of turning everyone's mum's advice — "be careful what you wish for" — into a scary movie set in luxurious surroundings. And, yes, it jumps on the eerie island trend that Netflix series The I-Land also leaned into a few months back. The original series was famous for the character of Mr. Roarke (Ricardo Montalban), who was in charge of making guests's dreams come true — as well as his diminutive assistant Tattoo (Hervé Villechaize). Based on the just-released trailer for the remake, it seems that only Roarke has made the leap to the movie. Here, he's played by Michael Peña (Ant-Man and the Wasp). Cast-wise, Fantasy Island circa 2020 also features Maggie Q (Designated Survivor), Lucy Hale (Pretty Little Liars), Austin Stowell (12 Strong), Portia Doubleday (Mr Robot), Jimmy O. Yang (Crazy Rich Asians), Ryan Hansen (Veronica Mars) and Michael Rooker (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2) — and behind the camera, Jeff Wadlow (Kick-Ass 2) is in the director's chair. The filmmaker has played in high-concept horror territory before with 2018's Truth or Dare, although that didn't turn out so well. If you're a fan of unsettling flicks with a clear-cut gimmick, cross your fingers that history doesn't repeat itself. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QVk_lcMyx4&feature=youtu.be Fantasy Island releases in Australian cinemas on February 13, 2020.
End times really are upon us — end times for Good Omens, that is. The beloved series about an angel and a demon teaming up to stop the apocalypse has locked in a third season; however, this'll finish its on-screen story, with Prime Video revealing that the Michael Sheen (Best Interests)- and David Tennant (Ahsoka)-led show will return for one final run. "I'm so happy finally to be able to finish the story Terry and I plotted in 1989 and in 2006. Terry was determined that if we made Good Omens for television, we could take the story all the way to the end," said Neil Gaiman, with the series based the 1990 novel Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch that he wrote with fellow fantasy author Terry Pratchett. "Season one was all about averting armageddon, dangerous prophecies and the end of the world. Season two was sweet and gentle, although it may have ended less joyfully than a certain angel and demon might have hoped." "Now in season three, we will deal once more with the end of the world. The plans for armageddon are going wrong. Only Crowley and Aziraphale working together can hope to put it right. And they aren't talking," Gaiman continued. Exactly when the series will stream its final season hasn't been revealed as yet, but filming is set to start in Scotland soon, Prime Video advised. So, that should mean that fans won't be in for a four-year wait to see Sheen as the angel Aziraphale and Tennant as the demon Crowley again, as happened between season one and season two. Who else will return among the cast also hasn't been announced — but Jon Hamm (Fargo), Doon Mackichan (Toast of Tinseltown), Gloria Obianyo (Dune), Miranda Richardson (Rams), Maggie Service (Life) and Nina Sosanya (His Dark Materials) have been key parts of the show since season one. Neil Gaiman is back as executive producer, writer and co-showrunner, helping guide yet another season that expands past its source material. "Good Omens has checked every box for a clever, witty and funny comedy that not only made it a success on Prime Video, but also made 'goodness' watchable and fun thanks to Neil and Terry's immense creativity. The final season is sure to be packed with the same dynamic energy that our global customers have come to enjoy," said Vernon Sanders, Amazon MGM Studios' Head of Television. "We're delighted to see Crowley and Aziraphale returning after breaking our hearts in season two. Seeing award-winning duo David and Michael reunited will be such a joy. We only wish Terry was here to enjoy the ride with us," added Rob Wilkins, Good Omens' executive producer. There's no sneak peek at Good Omens season three yet, but you can check out the trailer for season two below: Good Omens doesn't yet have a release date for season three, but streams via Prime Video. Read our review of season two.
This November, there's only one piece of advice worth listening to — and you can get it right from the source. Back in 1995, TLC memorably told us all not to go chasing waterfalls, and to just stick to the rivers and the lakes that we're used to. Thanks to their slot on the 2022 Fridayz Live tour, they'll be singing those words of wisdom all over again. This year's throwback R&B bill has been renamed from RNB Fridays, but it don't want no scrubs, either — and, as well as one of the biggest girl groups of the 90s, it's bringing a heap of other nostalgic names to Australian stages. Shaggy will get boombastic, Craig David will croon about his weekly routine and Ashanti will rock wit u. Also on the lineup: Akon, Macklemore, Jay Sean and Dru Hill. Kicking off at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on Friday, November 4, then heading to Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane before finishing up at Giants Stadium in Sydney on Saturday, November 12, the Fridayz Live gigs will feature Lumidee and Havana Brown as well, with Yo! Mafia on DJ duties. Playing host: Abbie Chatfield and Fatman Scoop. [caption id="attachment_863975" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Arturo Lorde[/caption] From remaining TLC members T-Boz and Chilli, who also played this year's Glastonbury back in June, expect to hear everything everything from 'Creep' through to 'Unpretty'. From the rest of the bill, 'Thrift Shop, 'Same Love', 'I Wanna Love You', 'Don't Matter', 'Walking Away', 'What's Your Flava', 'Baby', 'Foolish', 'It Wasn't Me', 'In the Summertime', 'Ride It' and more will get a whirl. By now, with Splendour in the Grass going ahead this year, Falls Festival locked in for a summer return and a heap of huge tours heading Down Under before 2022 is out, it's clear that live music is back. But when the big retro gigs start happening again, you know that the touring music circuit is returning to pre-pandemic normality. FRIDAYZ LIVE 2022 LINEUP Macklemore TLC Akon Craig David Ashanti Shaggy Jay Sean Dru Hill Lumidee Havana Brown Yo! Mafia Hosted by Abbie Chatfield and Fatman Scoop FRIDAYZ LIVE 2022 DATES Friday, November 4 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Saturday, November 5 — HBF Park, Perth Sunday, November 6 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre Friday, November 11 — Brisbane Showgrounds Saturday, November 12 — Giants Stadium, Sydney Fridayz Live's 2022 tour will head around the country in November in New South Wales in October. Telstra Plus ticket pre-sales start at 10am local time on Monday, August 8, then Frontier Members pre-sales at 1pm on Wednesday, August 11 — with general sales from 11am on Friday, August 12. For more information, head to the tour website.
In 2019, just one Australian bar made it into the World's 50 Best Bars list: Maybe Sammy. This year, not only has the innovative bar in The Rocks made the list again, it has jumped 32 places to number 11 — and it's joined by two more Sydney spots. Laneway mezcal bar — and one of Concrete Playground's favourite openings of 2019 — Cantina OK! came in at number 28, while Bulletin Place, which has made the list many times during its eight-year life, came in 39. If you've been looking for an excuse to spend a night drinking cocktails in the city, this is it. With many Sydneysiders WFH during the pandemic, CBD bars have done it tough, with some venues reporting drops in revenue of 40 percent and more. Now, it's more important than ever to go out and support them (in a COVID-safe way, of course). For those yet to be acquainted with Maybe Sammy, its luxurious styling nods to old-school Vegas glamour, all blush pink velvet banquettes and lush indoor greenery, while the list of theatrical signature drinks pays homage to the classics. Cocktails are served with the likes of scent-filled pillows, hand cream and rosemary bubbles. The latter, comes atop the much-Instagrammed Dunes cocktail, pictured below, which is a delicate balance of gin, fino sherry, watermelon and agave. [caption id="attachment_788842" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dunes cocktail at Maybe Sammy by DS Oficina[/caption] While Sydney cleaned up in the top 50, only Melbourne venues (from Australia) featured in the 51–100 list, which was announced late last week. Fitzroy bar The Everleigh snagged the 73 spot, while newer CBD haunt Byrdi came in at 80. Petite Collingwood bar Above Board followed not too far behind at number 84 and the long-running Black Pearl — which has scooped a spot in the Top 50 list numerous times throughout the award's 12-year history — was voted in at 98. The annual World's 50 Best Bars awards are voted on by over 540 bar industry experts from around the world, including bartenders, consultants, drinks writers and cocktail specialists. You can check out the full lineup of the World's 50 Best Bars 2020 here, and see 51–100 here. Top image: Cantina OK! by Kimberley Low
Every December, the Geminids meteor shower lights up our skies. Considered to be the most spectacular meteor shower of the year, it's caused by a stream of debris, left by an asteroid dubbed the 3200 Phaethon, burning up in Earth's atmosphere. The shower is expected to be visible from around 11pm in Sydney, midnight in Melbourne and 9pm in Brisbane on Friday, December 14 through to the early morning on Saturday, December 15. The best time to catch an eyeful will be after midnight, when the moon has set and its light will not interfere. At that time, you could catch as many as 120 meteors every 60 minutes — each moving at about 125,500 kilometres per hour. To catch the spectacular shower, get as far away from bright lights as possible — this could be a good excuse to head out of the city to a clear-skied camping spot — and pray for no clouds. If there are, NASA will be live streaming from its Marshall Space Flight Center via its Facebook page. The shower's name comes from the constellation from which they appear to come, Gemini. So that's what you'll be looking for in the sky. To locate Gemini, we recommend downloading the Sky Map app — it's the easiest way to navigate the night sky (and is a lot of fun to use even on a non-meteor shower night). If you're more into specifics, Time and Date also has a table that shows the direction and altitude of the Geminids. The Geminids meteor shower will take place during the night on Friday, December 14. Image: NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center, Jeff Dai. Updated: December 14, 2018.
Having already been more successful in one career than most of us will, let's face it, ever be at any, Tavi Gevinson is about to extend her foray into a second: acting. The 17-year-old Rookie editor-in-chief is set to make her Broadway stage debut later this year in Kenneth Lonergan's comedy-drama This Is Our Youth alongside Michael Cera and Kieran Culkin. Cera and Culkin have played the same roles in a previous production, which played at the Sydney Opera House in 2012, when audiences flocked to see whether Cera could break the George Michael mould (a goal he finally achieved slapping Rihanna's bottom in This Is the End). The play falls firmly into the 'bored, disaffected New York youth' genre, elevated by its Reagan-era setting and a caper with cocaine and toy collection. After writing it in 1996, Lonergan went on to script Gangs of New York. Gevinson will play the character of Jessica Goldman — appropriately enough, a 17-year-old student of fashion. She's a character full of nervousness but also curiosity and hunger for experience. "I guess Jessica is often played by people who are older and have more distance from that time," Gevinson told the Chicago Tribune. "But I am living it. I really am cocksure of all my opinions, and I really do feel anxious when challenged. My issue, I think, will be having to zoom out of what I actually am experiencing." Everything Happens So Much http://t.co/ccZDEmufQf — Tavi Gevinson (@tavitulle) April 9, 2014 This production of the play will be directed by Anna D. Shapiro, the Tony Award winner who directed the super-famous August: Osage County for Steppenwolf Theatre Company. It will make its premiere at Steppenwolf's Chicago theatre before moving to Broadway in September. Gevinson, who also had a role in the 2013 film Enough Said, will miss her last couple of weeks of high school in order to appear in the play. A genius move if ever there was one.
Every last trilby-wearing tween celebrity, former President's daughter and your smug, smug US-based friends will be rubbing their paws together after this afternoon's Coachella festival lineup announcement. Running over two weekends from April 12–21, the Californian festival has delivered their usual jaw-dropper of a lineup — including Australia's own Tame Impala headlining both Saturdays. Kevin Parker and his touring bandmates have big-name company, of course. Childish Gambino hasn't rescheduled his cancelled 2018 Australian dates yet, but he will be leading the charge on Coachella's two Fridays sessions. As for the Sunday shows, Ariana Grande doing the honours. Elsewhere, a bonafide metric fucktonne of squealworthy acts fill out the rest of the bill — Janelle Monae, Solange, Weezer, Aphex Twin, Khalid, Diplo, CHVRCHES, Jaden Smith, Idris Elba and Aussies Rüfüs Du Sol, to name a few. Anyway, let's be honest, you haven't truly read any of those words — you'll be wanting this: Coachella runs over two weekends, from April 12-14 and 19-21 in Indio, California. Tickets go on sale at 11am PST on Friday, January 4. For more info, visit coachella.com.
Think there's just one Hottest 100 in January? Think again. The second important countdown of the month actually goes rather well with the music poll that just proclaimed The Wiggles' cover of Tame Impala's 'Elephant' as the nation's best track of 2021. In fact, while you were listening to the hottest songs of the past year, you might've been sipping some of these other winners. That'd be the great brews in the spotlight on the GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers list, which does for yeasty tipples what Triple J's poll does for bangers. And, just like its music counterpart, a worthy victor has come out on top. That'd be Bentspoke Brewing Co, with the Canberra brewery taking out the top spot with its Crankshaft American IPA for the second year in a row. In doing so, it bested 2017 and 2018 winner Balter Brewing Company, which came in second with its Balter XPA; Your Mates Brewing Co, which took third spot with its Larry pale ale; and Stone & Wood's Pacific Ale, the winner of the 2011, 2015, 2016 and 2019 polls, and 2020's second-place getter, which nabbed fourth position this year. As it did in 2020, Bentspoke had five beers in the 2021 top 100 list in total, which is clearly something to toast to — also coming in 12th for its Barley Griffin Australian Pale Ale, 41st for its Sprocket American IPA, 45th for its Cluster 8 Imperial IPA and 91st for its Red Nut Red IPA. Run by GABS — or the annual festival also known as the 'Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular' — the countdown is a people's-choice poll decided by booze-lovers around the country. Now in its 14th year, it saw a huge 2238 beers nominated this time around, hailing from 281 breweries. Still playing the numbers game, 58 beermakers nabbed a spot on the 2021 list — and, states-wise, Queensland emerged victorious with 30 brews on the full rundown of 100 beers, followed by Victoria with 22, New South Wales with 20, the Australian Capital Territory with 12, and South Australia and Western Australia with eight apiece. 2021 was also a big year for new brews, with 37 beers making their GABS Hottest 100 debut. And, low- and no-alcohol tipples also made a splash, including Heaps Normal's Quiet XPA debuting at 20 and Sobah Beverages' zero-alcohol Pepperberry IPA taking 69th place. If you're thinking "less background, more beer", here's what you've been waiting for: the rundown of the best beverages from the past year that just keep tempting tastebuds. Black Hops, Better Beer, Capital (with two showings), Ballistic and Young Henrys round out the top ten, while Coopers, Bridge Road, Pirate Life, Gage Roads, Kaiju!, Heads of Noosa, Brick Lane, Moon Dog, 4 Pines, Philter, Stomping Ground, Grifter, Hawke's and Mountain Goat and are among the other brands featured. Working your way through the whole 100 isn't just a great way to show your appreciation for locally made brews, either — consider it research for the 2022 countdown. GABS HOTTEST 100 AUSSIE CRAFT BEERS OF 2021: BentSpoke Brewing Co — Crankshaft IPA Balter Brewing — Balter XPA Your Mates Brewing Co — Larry Stone & Wood Brewing Co — Pacific Ale Black Hops Brewery — G.O.A.T. Better Beer — Better Beer Zero Carb Capital Brewing Co — Capital XPA Ballistic Beer Co — Hawaiian Haze Capital Brewing Co — Coast Ale Young Henrys — Newtowner Coopers Brewery — Original Pale Ale BentSpoke Brewing Co — Barley Griffin Balter Brewing — Balter Hazy Bridge Road Brewers — Beechworth Pale Ale Beerfarm — Royal Haze Pirate Life Brewing — South Coast Pale Ale Gage Roads Brewing Co — Single Fin KAIJU! Beer — KRUSH! Tropical Pale Ale Black Hops Brewery — East Coast Haze Heaps Normal — Quiet XPA Heads Of Noosa Brewing Co — Japanese Lager Brick Lane Brewing Co — One Love Pale Ale Little Creatures — Little Creatures Pale Ale Moon Dog Craft Brewery — Old Mate Philter Brewing — Philter XPA Mountain Goat Beer — GOAT Very Enjoyable Beer Feral Brewing Co — Biggie Juice Brookvale Union — Ginger Beer 4 Pines Brewing Co — 4 Pines Pacific Ale Big Shed Brewing Concern — Boozy Fruit Hawke's Brewing — Hawke's Patio Pale Bright Brewery — Alpine Lager Grifter Brewing Co — Pale Blackflag Brewing — Rage Juicy Pale Green Beacon Brewing Co — Wayfarer Stomping Ground Brewing Co — Gipps St Pale Ale Akasha Brewing Co — Hopsmith IPA Dainton Beer — Blood Orange NEIPA Revel Brewing Co — Strawberries & Cream Sour Ale Coopers Brewery — Sparkling Ale BentSpoke Brewing Co — Sprocket Capital Brewing Co — Hang Loose Juice Blood Orange NEIPA Coopers Brewery — Coopers XPA Your Mates Brewing Co — Sally BentSpoke Brewing Co — Cluster 8 Black Hops Brewery — Neverland Balter Brewing — Eazy Hazy Ballistic Beer Co — Hawaiian Haze IPA Capital Brewing Co West Coast NEIPA — Mountain Culture Collab Coopers Brewery — Coopers Pacific Pale Ale Bodriggy Brewing Co — Speccy Juice Colonial Brewing Co — Colonial Pale Ale Grifter Brewing Co — Serpents Kiss Sunday Road Brewing — Cryotherapy Deeds Brewing — Juice Train 10 Toes Brewery — Pipeline Pale Burleigh Brewing Co — Bighead No-carb Lager Hop Nation Brewing Co — J-Juice Range Brewing Co — Lights + Music Black Hops Brewery — Hop Swap Black Hops Brewery — Black Hops Pale Ale Your Mates Brewing Co — Macca Balter Brewing — Captain Sensible Capital Brewing Co — Trail Pale Ale Hawke's Brewing — Hawke's Lager Burleigh Brewing Co — Twisted Palm One Drop Brewing Co — Double Vanilla Custard Pancake Imperial Nitro Thickshake IPA Cronulla Beer Co — Next Level XPA Sobah Beverages — Pepperberry IPA Jetty Road Brewery — Jetty Road Pale Ale Brouhaha Brewery — Strawberry Rhubarb Sour Stone & Wood Brewing Co — Cloud Catcher Blackman's Brewery — Juicy Banger 4 Pines Brewing Co — 4 Pines Pale Ale Brick Lane Brewing Co — Sidewinder Hazy Pale Hop Nation Brewing Co — Rattenhund Sunday Road Brewing — Enigma Ale Otherside Brewing Co — Anthem IPA Bad Shepherd Brewing Co — Peanut Butter Porter Ballistic Beer Co — Mexican Hot Chocolate Stout Black Hops Brewery — Hornet Little Creatures — Pacific Ale Your Mates Brewing Co — Eddie Dainton Beer — Jungle Juice Bodriggy Brewing Co — Utropia Pale Ale Young Henrys — The Unifier Hawkers Beer — West Coast IPA Mismatch Brewing Co — Mismatch Session Ale Gage Roads Brewing Co — Side Track All Day XPA Little Bang Brewing Co — Face Inverter BentSpoke Brewing Co — Red Nut Tumut River Brewing Co — Ginja Ninja Eumundi Brewery — Eumundi Alcoholic Ginger Beer Deeds Brewing — Once More Into the Fray Akasha Brewing Co — Mosaic IPA Ballistic Beer Co — Low Ha Capital Brewing Co — Rock Hopper IPA Wayward Brewing Co — Raspberry Berliner Weisse Willie The Boatman — Nectar Of The Hops Balter Brewing — CryoHaze For more information about the GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers of 2021, head to the GABS website.
UPDATE, March 25, 2022: The Worst Person in the World is currently screening in Australian cinemas, and is also available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. When Frances Ha splashed a gorgeous portrait of quarter-life malaise across the screen nearly a decade back — proving neither the first nor last film to do so, of course — its titular New Yorker was frequently running. As played by Greta Gerwig, she sprinted and stumbled to David Bowie's intoxicating 'Modern Love' and just in general, while navigating the constantly-in-motion reality of being in her 20s. It takes place in a different city, another country and on the other side of the globe, but The Worst Person in the World's eponymous figure (Renate Reinsve, Phoenix) is often racing, too. (Sometimes, in the movie's most stylised touch, she's even flitting around while the whole world stops around her.) Norwegian writer/director Joachim Trier (Thelma) firmly understands the easy shorthand of watching someone rush — around Oslo here, but also through life overall — especially while they're grappling with a blatant case arrested development. Capturing the relentlessly on-the-go sensation that comes with adulthood, as well as the inertia of feeling like you're never quite getting anywhere that you're meant to be, these running scenes paint a wonderfully evocative and relatable image. Those are apt terms for The Worst Person in the World overall, actually, which meets Julie as she's pinballing through the shambles of her millennial life. She doesn't ever truly earn the film's title, or come close, but she still coins the description and spits it her own way — making the type of self-deprecating, comically self-aware comment we all do when we're trying to own our own chaos because anything else would be a lie. The Worst Person in the World's moniker feels so telling because it's uttered by Julie herself, conveying how we're all our own harshest critics. In her existence, even within the mere four years that the film focuses on, mess is a constant. Indeed, across the movie's 12 chapters, plus its prologue and epilogue, almost everything about Julie's life changes and evolves. That includes not just dreams, goals, fields of study and careers, but also loved ones, boyfriends, apartments, friends and ideas of what the future should look like — and, crucially, also Julie's perception of herself. As the ever-observant Trier and his regular co-screenwriter Eskil Vogt track their protagonist through these ups and downs, using whatever means they can to put his audience in her mindset — freezing time around her among them — The Worst Person in the World also proves a raw ode to self-acceptance, and to forgiving yourself for not having it all together. They're the broad strokes of this wonderfully perceptive film; the specifics are just as insightful and recognisable. Julie jumps from medicine to psychology to photography, and between relationships — with 44-year-old comic book artist Aksel (Anders Danielsen Lie, Bergman Island), who's soon thinking about all the serious things in life; and then with the far more carefree Eivind (Herbert Nordrum, ZombieLars), who she meets after crashing a wedding. Expressing not only how Julie changes with each shift in focus, job and partner, but how she copes with that change within herself, is another of The Worst Person in the World's sharp touches. At one point, on a getaway with friends more than a decade older than her, Julie is laden with broad and trite generalisations about being her age — which Trier humorously and knowingly counters frame by frame with lived-in minutiae. A place, a person, the chaos that is being an adult (and, with the latter, the truth rather than the stereotypes): across three thematically connected films, spanning 2006's Reprise, 2011's Oslo, August 31st and now The Worst Person in the World, that's been Trier's formula. Calling it a pattern or recipe does the trio an injustice, though, because each feature is as individual as any person. Here, Trier is clearly aware of how romantic dramedies like this typically turn out, and ensures that his movie never simply parrots the obvious — unless it's unpacking the chasm between the standard big-screen story we've all seen too many times and the tangled reality. This isn't the usual cliche-riddled affair, and that commitment to transcend tropes, and to truly contemplate what growing up, being an adult and forging a life is really like (including at both the sunniest and the most heartbreaking extremes), both feeds and enables Reinsve's astonishing work. Sometimes, a performance just flat-out shakes and startles you — and Reinsve's falls into that category. That's meant in the greatest of ways; she won the 2021 Cannes Film Festival Best Actress award for her efforts, and turns in a complex, layered and no-holds-barred portrayal that's one of the finest of the year. She could've waltzed into the film straight out of any twentysomething's circle of friends. She plays her part with exactly that air, and she's magnificent. In a movie that proves a discerning and disarming character study above all else, and a masterpiece of one, her performance soars with heart and soul when Julie is at her best, sparkles with chemistry with both Danielsen Lie and Nordrum — both of whom are terrific, too — and seethes with both pain and growth in the character's hardest moments. It shouldn't come as a surprise given how much bobbing around it does — between chapters and the parts of Julie's life they cover, between all the things earning her attention at any given moment, and within Reinsve's multifaceted performance — but The Worst Person in the World is also a tonal rollercoaster. Again, that's a positive thing. As a snapshot of an age and life stage, Trier helms a film that's canny and incisive, also perfects the sensation of constantly zipping onwards even when it seems as if you're stuck, and knows how to find both joy and darkness in tandem. That kind of duality also graces the screen visually, in a feature that can be both slick and naturalistic, which is another deft touch. There's an enormous difference between telling viewers what it's like to be Julie and showing them — and The Worst Person in the World makes sure its audience not only feels it, but feels like they're running through it with Julie as well.
Macquarie Park will be the site of a huge $2.2 billion residential development — but it's not the high-price high-rise apartment complex that you might have come to expect from Sydney. This new development, which will be partially government funded, will provide a 3000 new homes to Sydneysiders — about 950 of which will provide social housing. A further 128 will be classed as affordable. As part of its Communities Plus project, the NSW Government this week announced the successful tenderers for the Ivanhoe Estate development as the Aspire consortium, which is made up of Mission Australia and developers Frasers Property Australia and Citta Property Group. The consortium will work with the government to develop housing that is affordable and sustainable for those who need it most. "The redevelopment will provide $120 million towards social and community infrastructure and $21 million towards social housing programs within the Ivanhoe estate," said Premier Gladys Berejiklian. "This will see services including tailored and personal plans to connect social housing tenants with education, training and employment." On top of the housing will be a stack of community facilities, including a high school, two childcare centres, an aged care centre, playgrounds, green spaces, gardens and a basketball court. Some commercial interests will be getting a look-in too, with retail shops, a supermarket and cafes all in the plans. Social housing residents will be able to access on-site Mission Australia offices, which will offer social services, including personalised support for tenants and community programs. "Everyone deserves a safe place to call home and everyone who lives in the Ivanhoe community will have the opportunity to fulfil their potential and connect with people in the neighbourhood, as well as having easy access to education, transport, jobs and services in the area," said Mission Australia CEO, Catherine Yeomans. Apart from bringing together people of varied social-economic backgrounds, the development has some pretty weighty sustainability goals. The aim is a six-star Green Star Communities Rating and overall carbon neutrality. To that end, water will be caught and reused, recycled materials will form part of construction, roofs will be green and a photovoltaic system will power a whopping 1.5 megawatts. Ivanhoe Estate — which is located close to Macquarie University and the train station — is part of the government's $22 billion Communities Plus project. Construction is set to start later this year, with the project to be delivered in stages of the next ten to 12 years. It's the first site to be developed; developments in Waterloo, Arncliffe, Telopea and Riverwood are set to follow.
After announcing they'll be playing sets at six European festivals this summer — their first live shows since 2012 — Radiohead have added a string of headline shows to their year, carving out a very neat 2016 world tour. So neat in fact, that's it's a little on the sparse side. That is to say that there are no Australian or New Zealand dates listed on their 2016 schedule as of yet (even after we checked and refreshed the page nine times). Instead, the band will do a series of May dates in Amsterdam, Paris and London, before heading to Barcelona's Primavera Sound, Iceland's Secret Solstice, Switzerland's Openair St Gallen and Lisbon's Nos Alive festivals. They'll then move onto New York, LA, Japan, Berlin for Lollapalooza and Mexico City. And although their website says these are "all the headline shows that the band will play in 2016", we're not taking that as an absolute, and will continue to cross our hopeful little fingers that a Australasian date or two gets added to the list. Not to be too forthcoming, but November would be perfect. No pressure. Radiohead have yet to announce a new album, but you can view all their 2016 tour dates at their website, W.A.S.T.E.
Australia is in for a big hot summer of music tours — a hefty end of spring, too — with everyone from Post Malone and The Weeknd to Taylor Swift and The Chemical Brothers on their way Down Under. Also on the list: Foo Fighters, who have a date with a heap of Aussie stadiums, and are about to release more tickets. It's times like these that you can add catching the Dave Grohl-fronted band to your calendar, with the group embarking on their first headline tour of Australia since 2018. It's also their first visit Down Under since drummer Taylor Hawkins passed away in March 2022. Foo Fighters were last in Australia that same month and year, playing a huge Geelong show to help launch Victoria's post-COVID-19 lockdowns live music program. The band unsurprisingly took a break from touring after Hawkins' death, only returning to live gigs earlier in 2023. On this tour, they're playing Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, with additional tickets becoming available due to changed production information — so, it's likely that the band's setup won't take up as much space as initially thought — and going on sale at 3pm AEDT on Friday, October 13. [caption id="attachment_903613" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Scarlet Page[/caption] Picking up the sticks: ex-The Vandals, Devo, Guns N' Roses and A Perfect Circle drummer Josh Freese, taking on the likely-daunting task of being the touring drummer in a band led by Nirvana drummer Grohl. Freese's stint with the band was announced in May, ahead of their first tour dates. When they hit our shores, the new-look Foo Fighters will weave in tunes from their new record But Here We Are, which released in June. Of course, all the hits from across their career will get a whirl, with their current setlist including everything from 'This Is a Call', 'Big Me' and 'Monkey Wrench' through to 'Learn to Fly', 'The Pretender' and 'Best of You'. And, yes, 'Everlong', because it wouldn't be a Foo Fighters show without it. [caption id="attachment_903618" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jo via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] 'I'll Stick Around', which is also on the list, isn't just a song title from the group's first album. Given that their new tour comes 28 years after that debut release in 1995, it perfectly sums up Foo Fighters' longevity. Over the years, they've made it Down Under a heap of times, released 11 studio albums including the just-dropped But Here We Are, and made 2022 horror movie Studio 666. When they take to the stage again in Australia, they'll do so with Queensland punk act The Chats in support on a stack of dates, Manchester's Hot Milk also playing with them on the east coast, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers doing Melbourne and Body Type in Adelaide. FOO FIGHTERS AUSTRALIAN 2023 TOUR DATES: Wednesday, November 29 — HBF Park, Perth, with The Chats and Teenage Jones Saturday, December 2 — Coopers Stadium, Adelaide, with The Chats and Body Type Monday, December 4 — AAMI Park, Melbourne, with Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers and Hot Milk Saturday, December 9 — Accor Stadium, Sydney, with The Chats and Hot Milk Tuesday, December 12 — Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, with The Chats and Hot Milk Foo Fighters are touring Australia in November and December 2023, with additional tickets going on sale at 3pm AEDT on Friday, October 13. Head to the tour website for further details. Top image: Mr Rossi vi Wikimedia Commons.
Call it Red Light, Green Light. Call it Statues. Call it Grandmother's Footsteps. Whichever name you prefer, how good are you at playing the game that gets folks a-sneaking, ideally without being caught? Now, how would you fare trying to creep forward while avoiding being spotted when Young-hee is lurking? Squid Game fans, if you visit Luna Park Sydney, you'll be able to find out. Opening timed to Squid Game season two's arrival on Netflix on Boxing Day 2025, Squid Game: The Experience will get everyone playing Red Light, Green Light with Young-hee in Luna Park's big top — and also busting out their marbles skills, then walking over the glass bridge. Get your green tracksuit ready. Front Man is there to dare you to take the Squid Game challenges IRL, which obviously doesn't involve notching up a body count like in the series — and isn't televised like reality competition show Squid Game: The Challenge. Some games are inspired by the Netflix program. Others are brand new. Players can take part individually, or in groups of up to 25. As you work through the challenges, which get harder as you go along, you'll earn points. Another difference from the series: if you get eliminated from a game, you'll still be able to take part in the challenges that follow. And yes, Young-hee has popped up Down Under before, with a 4.5-metre, three-tonne recreation of Squid Game's eerie animatronic figure with laser eyes making its presence known also in Sydney back in 2021. [caption id="attachment_975032" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Netflix[/caption] Updated Friday, May 23, 2025.
When Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox, Kin) and Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio, Dumb Money) first sit face to face in the debut episode of Daredevil: Born Again's initial season, they do something that neither has ever been fond of with the other: agree. Daredevil and Kingpin are no more, they both confirm, under threats going both ways should that statement ever stop proving accurate on either's part. Murdock has his legal career to focus on. Fisk is running for mayor of New York City. Murdock will hold Fisk to account, though, if he's anything but above board in his new role running the Big Apple — and Fisk, campaigning with a strong anti-vigilante message, will respond if Murdock slips into Daredevil's red costume again. Murdock and Fisk are back. With the characters dating back more than half a century, so is one of the comic-book realm's greatest rivalries. It's been a decade since the first streaming series to follow their battle on the small screen premiered and also seven years since it wrapped up, with Netflix's Daredevil spanning three seasons from 2015–2018. While that show wasn't part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, its successor definitely is. Joining Disney+'s small-screen catalogue after WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, two seasons of Loki, Hawkeye, Moon Knight, Ms Marvel, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Secret Invasion, Echo and Agatha All Along, Daredevil: Born Again is a new beginning for its namesake and his nemesis, then, but it also honours its television past. Grey areas not only come with the territory in this fierce feud — they aptly apply to its latest TV date. Consider this a fresh start, yes, as well as a sequel. The MCU has been working towards bringing Daredevil and Kingpin's friction into the fold for a few years now, officially announcing Daredevil: Born Again in 2022 much to the delight of fans, then beginning to put that plan into action elsewhere across the franchise. So, viewers have already seen Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Fisk in Hawkeye, and both in Echo. As those appearances have been popping up and piling up, giving the pair their own series again has journeyed along a winding path due to a creative overhaul partway through. Consider Daredevil: Born Again a show with history, too, in multiple ways in front of and behind the camera. Boasting a connection with Marvel's small-screen tales at Netflix courtesy of The Punisher (which sat alongside not just Daredevil, but Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and The Defenders), screenwriter and TV producer Dario Scardapane joined Daredevil: Born Again during that shake-up, taking over the reins as showrunner. One of his key tasks: finding the right balance between continuing the story of the Netflix show and taking this new chapter for Murdock and Fisk in its own direction. He was certain that moving forward couldn't mean never looking backwards. He also felt strongly that two more beloved characters needed to be a part of the series. Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll, Queen of the Ring) and Franklin 'Foggy' Nelson (Elden Henson, Killers of the Flower Moon) weren't originally featured in Daredevil: Born Again — and if that seems unthinkable, that was also the case for the Trauma, The Bridge and Jack Ryan alum now calling the shots. [caption id="attachment_994610" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Disney[/caption] Scardapane said he wouldn't take the gig without Karen and Foggy, in fact. "I'm a true Italian in form. I have a tendency to make bold statements that may or may not be 100-percent accurate," he tells Concrete Playground. "The thing is, when I went in and talked to them, those two characters had been missing from the original, the first iteration. And unfortunately, in having them referenced but not seeing them, there was something missing in terms of that bridge between seasons. And then I also think that one of the most-interesting characters in the Marvel world, that has not been given as much room to just rock, is Karen Page. I just think that's a fantastic character. I'm super interested in the relationship she has with Matt Murdock. I'm interested in that family of three that you see, and when there's a loss in the family, what happens. So it was, yeah, it was a little extreme to say 'I'm not going to take it unless I get to do this', but it seemed that it was absolutely integral to telling the tale and bringing us into this new version." "And we wanted to do it," notes Sana Amanat, one of Daredevil: Born Again's executive producer — and not only an MCU veteran thanks to Ms Marvel, but a comic-book editor who co-created Kamala Khan on the page. "I think we realised it as we were watching the material. We're like 'this feels like there's something missing'. The heart of the show was missing, and we were all just very simpatico," she advises. "Dario has this phrase, he says 'yes, and' a lot, which I love — because it makes for such a rich collaboration. We wanted the same thing for this project — very much so," Amanat continues. Adds Scardapane: "and it was funny, I think I wasn't there, but I think probably in that, when you had the opportunity to kind of stop, slow down and take a look, it must have felt like 'oh, somebody's missing'. Like there's an X-factor there." As Daredevil: Born Again's nine-episode first season keeps establishing, Daredevil's past ties couldn't remain more crucial to the series, even in a narrative that sees Murdock confront a new future — and, in what proves an engrossing character study not just of its eponymous figure but of his main adversary, in a show that faces the similarities between Daredevil and Kingpin, and how those commonalities drive their obsessions with each other regardless of whether either will admit it. We also chatted with Scardapane and Amanat about that dynamic, as well as how crucial Cox and D'Onofrio are individually and together, knowing what to build upon from Netflix's Daredevil, how working on The Punisher and Ms Marvel helped them prepare for Daredevil: Born Again, and more. On Finding the Right Balance Between Continuing the Story of the Netflix Show and Shaking Things Up Sana: "I think it was quite important, first of all, for us to pay respect to the material that was there before. We really believed in it and we really loved it. The challenge for us was making sure that it was familiar, yet it was charting a new course. We didn't want people to feel like they needed to watch everything — they needed to be able to step in at the first episode and know everything that you needed to know. And I have to say, really a lot of credit to obviously Dario and our writing team, and Justin and Aaron [directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, who also worked on Moon Knight and Loki], who told us everything you needed to know in those first 15 to 20 minutes. I think also visually, stylistically, again there is a lot of references pulled from the old show, but we tried to do something new and fresh also to make sure that New York felt real, and that there was also stylistic pops that took into account his sensory experience — Matt Murdock as someone who is blind with heightened senses. So that combination, I think, really made it feel like a Daredevil that was in its new course and new chapter, and hopefully it feels exciting and thrilling and bold for folks coming in. We hope that you guys really see the love that we put into it." Dario: "And then when I came in and saw what they had, it was like 'this stuff is really, really, really cool'." Sana: "Yeah." Dario: "But it needs a bridge. It needs something that takes you from the past, from the end of the Netflix show, into what we're doing now. And that was really a large portion of the job, in terms of giving audiences, — and fans like myself of the old show — a touchstone, and then taking them somewhere new." On How Crucial Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio Are — Not Just as Daredevil and Kingpin Individually, But in Bringing That Rivalry to the Screen Together Sana: "They're so absolutely pivotal. I feel like they are these mythological figures. They are larger than life. When you see them step on set as Daredevil and as Kingpin, you see the presence that Charlie and Vincent have and what they bring to these roles. So there's no other question for me — I mean, those are those characters. And that diner scene in itself, at the opening of 101, said everything that you needed to know about the entire series, about their prowess as actors — and through Dario's incredible writing, and Justin and Aaron's great, great directing. It's just an amazing combination." Dario: "And you were right when you say that the two of them together are more than the sum of their parts." Sana: "Yeah." Dario: "And that's what's so fun about working with and writing for two characters that have such a rich history. There's the history that the characters in the comic book have. Then there's the history that that Charlie and Vincent have, having done this now for about ten years. So when you get in a room to do a scene or write a scene for them, you have the weight and the joy of all that history, and these two actors who know it so well." Sana: "Yeah, it feels like the years of storytelling is building to an intense character drama about these two characters — and honestly, how similar they are. They might be different, but they're pretty similar, too." On Daredevil: Born Again Being a Character Study That Highlights the Commonalities Between Daredevil and Kingpin — and Why That Makes Them So Obsessed with Each Other Dario: "They're both carrying duality. That's what's funny. You have a character or person that is Matt Murdock and Daredevil. You have a person that is Kingpin and Fisk. And those are constantly interacting and constantly bouncing into each other, and bringing out the worst in each other at times. And this whole saga, for lack of a better word, this is what it's all about: this dance, this fight between Kingpin and Daredevil. What are the ripple effects it has into the world? What are what these two people's obsessive need to bang heads? What does it mean for everybody and everything in a city around them?" Sana and Dario, in unison: "It's hard to come to terms with your violent nature." Sana: "Truly, they both have a very complicated and similar relationship to violence, and that is something that is really intriguing to show." On Deciding Which Elements to Continue From the Netflix Series — and Where to Stand Apart Dario: "It's really funny — that's a great question, and there's kind of a litmus test for all of it. There's so many people. We're all bringing everything we can to being custodians of this character. When something's right, you literally feel it. And when something's off, you feel it. So in the same way, if I write something for Vincent that just doesn't feel right, he's like: 'hold on, try this'. And when we build a storyline that just doesn't feel on-story — we discarded a few for season two that just didn't feel like what we wanted to do. And the thing is, is that we've taken almost everything that was started over the course of those three seasons, because there's so much in those three seasons, and we've just put it into a context of seven, eight years later and a bigger conflict because Fisk is now, he's the system." Sana: "There's also just us as fans being like 'oh my god, we love this from the old show." Dario: "Gotta do it. Gotta do it." Sana: "We've got to do it. So that's our litmus test. Like Bullseye — you know, we love Bullseye." Dario: "You were like, very early on 'so, we've got to do a oner'. I was like 'yes, we do'. There was no, especially with the two of us, there's very little like 'oh, no, that's not the show'." Sana: "100 percent. We're usually on the same page, which is awesome." Dario: "Yeah." On What Scardapane Learned From Making The Punisher and Amanat From Ms Marvel That Helped with Daredevil: Born Again Dario: "Now wouldn't that be a team-up." Sana: "Oh my god, that'd be awesome. It's like The Last of Us — but yeah." Dario: "You go first." [caption id="attachment_994625" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Disney[/caption] Sana: "What did I draw on for this? I mean, ultimately the biggest thing for me — obviously the joy of filmmaking and creating and storytelling is just unmatched, and for me, I've been lucky enough to do it at Marvel for so long. It is about the people that you work with, making sure that they feel heard, that they feel like they're bringing their best — and that we're all creating the same thing together, we're all collectively building just this beautiful tapestry of a very hopefully powerful story. And to me that's the same in any genre that you work on. And if you're lucky enough to work with such great collaborators who can help you bring this vision to life, my job really is to help draw the best out of everyone we're working with to be able to tell the best story that we possibly can. And that is the delight, the delight of my job." [caption id="attachment_994626" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Disney[/caption] Dario: "The takeaway from The Punisher for me, really — and I will say I had two, for lack of a better word, two great teachers on that job in Jon Bernthal and Steve Lightfoot — was you're writing something that is incredibly dark, incredibly gritty and incredibly violent, but you're always trying to find the humanity inside it. And you're always — when you watch some of Steve's writing, and when you watch some of Jon, what he does with the character — you're always trying to find the heart. And I definitely brought that as best I can to Daredevil. In and amongst all the punching and broken bones and mayhem, you want to find the heart and soul of these characters. You want to really feel." Daredevil: Born Again streams via Disney+. Daredevil: Born Again stills: Giovanni Rufino, courtesy of Marvel Television. © 2024 MARVEL.
For an art gallery that has garnered recognition by showing the remnants of a suicide bomber made from dark chocolate and X-rays of people having sex, it seems unsurprising that the first art and music festival from Hobart's Museum of New and Old Art would be entirely unconventional and a bit of an enigma. Dark MOFO is an 11-day celebration of art in its many splendid forms. You could describe it as a world-class music festival featuring such local and international superstars as The Presets, Martha Wainwright, You Am I and The Drones. But Dark MOFO is much, much more than your garden-variety music festival; MONA is offering a full-on assault of the senses with a smorgasbord of concerts and performances, interactive artworks and giant installations popping-up all over Hobart. There is Canyons and visual artist Daniel Boyd's audiovisual extravaganza 100 Million Nights, a curated film festival at the State Cinema, the new MONA exhibition Red Queen and even a massed nude swim on the night of the Winter Solstice. According to creative director Leigh Carmichael, these performances and artworks will celebrate the very thing Hobart is most reviled for: the cold and dark. Oh and did we mention that MONA is offering $100,000 worth of free flights? In order to attract interstate visitors, MONA have promised to pay for roughly 600 return flights to Hobart, ensuring that this groundbreaking new festival can be enjoyed by art enthusiasts across the country. Dark MOFO will run from June 13-23, with new exhibitions, performances, locations and general mayhem being announced almost weekly from the Dark MOFO website. Check it out to find out more about the festival and apply for your own free return flight to Hobart.
