Less than a week after Victoria wound back some COVID-19 gathering, entertainment, travel and hospitality restrictions, including allowing restaurants, cafes, pubs and clubs to reopen, the state has today, Saturday, June 6, announced that zero new cases were recorded overnight — the first time it has done so since the pandemic was declared. Since COVID-19 was first reported in Australia at the end of January, 7251 cases have been recorded across the country (as at 3pm on Friday, June 5), bringing with it 102 deaths and a drastic change to life as we know it. As the coronavirus has spread, travel has been banned and restrictions on everyday movement have been implemented, good news has been few and far between of late, which makes the zero new cases figure in Victoria a welcome development indeed. In a tweet this morning, Victoria Health Minister Jenny Mikakos announced that no new cases had been confirmed since yesterday, which the state has "been able to achieve through Victorians doing an incredible job keeping themselves and each other safe". While that's a positive outcome, she also said it was important to remember that "the public health advice is that the risk is not over yet so it's up to all of us to keep it up". https://twitter.com/JennyMikakos/status/1269044352371712000 Today's zero new cases places Victoria's total at 1681, which includes 1586 people who have recovered from the coronavirus, as per the state's last reported numbers on Friday, June 5. So far, Victoria has conducted more than 542,000 tests for COVID-19 since the beginning of 2020. While restrictions have been easing in the state, the Victorian Government has continued to stress the need for the strict enforcement of social distancing and isolation rules, with the government last weekend announcing the extension of its COVID-19 State of Emergency until at least midnight on Sunday, June 21. Announcing the extension, Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton noted that the continued restrictions are needed to continue to keep slowing the spread of COVID-19. "Victorians have done a great job sticking to the coronavirus restrictions – their actions have saved countless lives," he said. "We know restrictions can be frustrating, but they are working. It's vital we continue to follow these directions to keep our community transmission numbers low and protect more Victorians." To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Victoria and how to protect yourself, head to the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services website. Top image: Julia Sansone
You can see Oprah, and you can see Oprah, and you can see Oprah: Oprah Winfrey has announced a December 2025 trip Down Under, including bringing her latest in-conversation events to Melbourne. At Plenary, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Thursday, December 11, you'll be able to see the famed talk-show host get chatting — in an intimate session rather than on TV, where The Oprah Winfrey Show ran for 25 years. This is Winfrey's first jaunt this way in a decade — and that tour sold out, so expect this one to be popular as well. Authenticity and resilience will be among the topics of conversation, in what's designed to be an inspirational natter. [caption id="attachment_1015691" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Disney/Eric McCandless[/caption] "One of the things I have always enjoyed is sitting down for real, honest, enlightening conversations, and this experience is all about that," said Winfrey, announcing the tour. "The energy, warmth and spirit I feel in Australia and New Zealand have stayed with me, and returning will be an opportunity to reconnect, reflect, and be reinspired — together. I look forward to sharing stories, ideas, and meaningful connection about what's possible in our lives moving forward."
Founded in 2013 by distiller Philip Moore and coffee enthusiast Tom Baker, Mr Black has become a go-to for Australians looking to create bar-quality espresso martinis at home. Now, the distiller and coffee roaster is making things even easier by launching a new range of espresso martinis in ready-to-drink cans. These canned cocktails have been three years in the making, with Mr Black trialing 156 different recipes, two production methods and three canning technologies to create their newest product. Each can contains arabica coffee, Australian distilled vodka and Mr Black coffee liqueur, and is charged with nitrogen in order to give you the frothy head of a real espresso martini. All you need to do is shake, pour and maybe add a couple of coffee beans to the top if you're really trying to enjoy the full espresso martini experience. Canned and bottled cocktails have become an increasingly common trend in the past couple years, with many local bars also getting on board during Australia's lockdowns. Mr Black joins the likes of Kahlua, Lexington Hill and Curatif in offering canned espresso martinis, distinguishing itself with the fan-favourite taste of the brand's coffee liquor. The on-the-go cocktails have been launched just in time for warmer weather and the rolling back of restrictions in many states, allowing espresso martini fans the opportunity to bring the caffeinated cocktail with them on a picnic, to a dinner party or away on a trip without needing to pack several bottles of spirits. You can find Mr Black's canned espresso martinis online, as well as in Liquorland, First Choice, Vintage Cellars and independent liquor stores. The cans come in a four pack of 200-millilitre cans which will set you back $34.99; however, if you purchase via the Mr Black website, you can can nab ten percent off your order by using the discount code MRB10 at checkout. For more information about Mr Black's espresso martini cans, and to nab ten percent off your order by using the discount code MRB10 at checkout, head to the Mr Black website. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
Travellers are already obsessed with Japan's wild natural landscapes and hyper-organised cities bursting with a delightfully diverse culture. You've also got ancient temples, onsen baths and picturesque towns scattered about the islands. But cover all of this in snow, and see it become something far more magical. And, yes, cold. But magical, nonetheless. In the colder months, Japan comes alive with a range of activities like skiing, snowboarding and a vibrant selection of seasonal festivals. There is a rich winter culture in Japan that is seemingly underrated — read on to see why we are obsessed with Japan when it's doused in snow. [caption id="attachment_878150" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sam Lee (Unsplash)[/caption] WINTER WONDERLAND VILLAGES Head to remote mountain villages to find Japan's own version of hygge. The steep pitched roofs of alpine homes are covered in snow and surrounded by frosted trees. Deep blankets of white consume the streets and cover frozen lakes, too. Yep, it's a lot of snow. The two most famous villages to visit — Shirakawa-go and Gokayama — are both UNESCO World Heritage sites. You'll want longer than a day trip to experience them, so stay in one of the farmhouses that have been converted into small family-run bed and breakfasts to experience rural Japanese culture authentically. Take your time exploring these winter oases, getting to know the people who call them home. [caption id="attachment_878141" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Japan National Tourism Organisation[/caption] SKIING AND SNOWBOARDING With all the snow and countless mountain ranges, it's no surprise that Japan is one of the world's biggest skiing and snowboarding destinations. There are over 500 ski resorts here, and they've even hosted two Winter Olympics. If you're into winter sports, then heading to Japan in winter is a no-brainer. On the main island, visit Hakuba Valley to find a series of connected resorts. The northern island is also incredibly popular for its very reliable snowfall. Rusutsu, Niseko and Furano are some of the most popular in this region. But, if we're being honest, just about any ski spot in Japan will be spectacular. Editor's tip: book the ultimate Japan ski tour (including lift passes, transfers and all your accommodation for seven nights) around the Hakuba Valley here. [caption id="attachment_878154" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Diaz (Unsplash)[/caption] ONSEN HOPPING There's no need to run all the way to Iceland to soak in hot natural springs. Japan, a collection of volcanic islands, is full of this naturally heated water that bubbles up to the surface. It's great for your skin and your soul. And, yeah, you can visit these all year round — but nothing beats a winter onsen. Just think: vistas of Japan's snow-covered countryside while you soak your troubles away. It's an experience like no other. And, when you're searching for onsens, be sure to check out the other nature parks nearby. See snow monkeys bathing in hot springs at the Jigokudani Monkey Park, feed foxes at Zao Fox Village and watch cranes dance in the fields within the Kushiro Marsh. [caption id="attachment_878166" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alva Pratt (Unsplash)[/caption] SEASONAL FOOD AND DRINK While you're soaking in onsens, hanging out at ski resorts and wandering rugged-up around the country's towns and cities, few things will heat you up like a shot of sake. It's like a delicious instant heat pack for your insides. And hot sake is popular for that very reason. Head to an izakaya or two during your stay and drink a few tipples. We all know the cuisine in Japan is next level, and there are dishes that are traditionally made for winter. First off, there's oden. It's a one-pot dish of various savoury goodies simmered in a soy sauce and dashi kelp broth. You can get this anywhere, even convenience stores. Nabe is also a must-try. It's a classic hot-pot dish that's similar to Korean and Chinese hot pots — just with quintessential Japanese flavours. Get cosy around these brothy bowls on a cold winter evening with your mates. [caption id="attachment_878147" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Japan National Tourism Organisation[/caption] WINTER FESTIVALS We all know that Japan uniquely blends its traditional customs with its modern culture and technology. And we believe the best way to experience this phenomenon is by hitting up some local festivals. The spring cherry blossom festival is the best known, but Japan has its own winter celebrations that rival those throughout other times of the year. Christmas and New Year's Eve are big in Japan, but are very family oriented. If you're visiting with mates, or don't know any locals, we recommend you hit up Japan during the Sapporo Snow Festival from February 4–11. The city of Sapporo is taken over by snow and ice sculptures, with live music, street food and carnivals rides too. Be sure to check out the nearby Otaru Snow Light Path Festival and Tokyo's Winter Illuminations as well. [caption id="attachment_878169" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alessio Roversi (Unsplash)[/caption] SUMO WRESTLING When you have mates visiting from overseas, it's not abnormal to take them to an AFL or NRL match. The same can be said for sumo wrestling in Japan. Not only is the sport so much fun to watch, it's also one of the best places to do some people watching. A wide cross-section of Japanese people will attend these games, having a big day of drinking, eating and cheering on the athletes. Winter is one of the best times to do some athletic spectating here, too. There are a few big tournaments in January and February, with Tokyo being the best place to see them. Just make sure you plan ahead and book tickets early. Make a proper day of it: tickets usually give you access to the arena for the entire day, so take your time learning all the intricacies of the sport with a few drinks in hand. [caption id="attachment_878170" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jezeal Melgoza (Unsplash)[/caption] SUPER SALES A lot of people come to Japan for the shopping. It's a thing. The city is full of unique fashion stores and all the best tech companies selling the latest devices. But you'd be a fool to come to Japan for shopping any other time than the start of the year — as bargains abound in the major cities. It's also when you'll find fukubukuro (literally 'lucky bag'). These Japanese New Year treats are put together by store owners, and hold a bunch of mystery items that are usually worth a lot more than the price you pay for the bag. It's a lucky dip and hugely popular — people go nuts for them. While visiting Japan in winter, be sure to nab a couple and see what you find. Feeling inspired to book a Japanese getaway? Through Concrete Playground Trips, our new travel booking platform, can you purchase holidays specially curated by our writers and editors. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips at destinations all over the world — check it out. Top images: Japan National Tourism Organisation
It's hard to imagine sharing anything else with a complete stranger on public transport than the very seat you both happen to sit on. But the Bibliotaxi project based in Sao Paulo, Brazil, makes sharing things on public transport sound not half-bad. The concept behind Bibliotaxi or 'library in a car' was developed by Instituto Mobilidade Verde, or Green Mobility Institute, and combines their causes of sustainability and mobility. The project also aims to encourage 'sharing' in the city of Vila Madalena. Taxi passengers who enter a Bibliotaxi are free to leisurely peruse the books inside the taxi and even borrow (and return) the books if it becomes too hard to part with once their destination is reached. What a great way to revive books. Perhaps the awkward taxi conversation may become more interesting and informed in Sao Paulo, now that there is a library at the passenger's disposal. [Via PSFK]
No matter how you feel about Game of Thrones' polarising eighth and final season, the epic HBO show will always hold a soft spot in many pop culture fans' hearts. It'll also always adorn a lengthy tapestry that's currently on display in Northern Ireland. In fact, the detailed piece of fabric has embroidered all of the show's ups and downs onto a massive, 90-metre-long artwork. Simply called the Game of Thrones Tapestry, the piece was inspired by the famous 11th-century Bayeux Tapestry — and while it has called the Ulster Museum in Belfast home since mid 2017, it'll head to Normandy to be displayed alongside its counterpart from September this year. Originally, the cloth reached more than 80 metres in length; however it has recently increased in size for a very important and obvious reason: to add the events of GoT's last season. Along the fabric's huge expanse, dragons, battles and blood sit side-by-side with well-known characters and lines of dialogue. Yes, "winter is coming" is one of them. If you've ever wanted to see Jon Snow in stitchery, the Iron Throne get a linen makeover, revisit Ned Stark's demise in cotton or get a completely different look at all of the series' standouts scenes, this is your chance. Daenerys' fiery rebirth, the Red wedding, the Night King's frosty reign, Hodor's touching end, the Battle of the Bastards and plenty of other deaths, fights, frays and phrases all feature, with the show's first first seven seasons all averaging around 10–13 metres of coverage each. [caption id="attachment_729913" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Ulster Museum, Belfast[/caption] If you can't make it to either Northern Ireland or France to see the intricate piece with your own eyes, you can peruse an online version — although, at the time of writing, it hasn't been updated to include the eighth season as yet. Designed by hand, employing a machine to do much of the weaving, and then embroidered by a team of 30 stitchers, the tapestry doesn't just celebrate the show that kept people talking. In addition, it uses fabric from Ferguson's Irish Linen, it commemorates one of the last surviving linen mills in Northern Ireland. Much of the series was filmed in the area, and a new museum will also pop up there soon — which is great to know if you're not ready to say goodbye to GoT just yet, can't wait for George RR Martin's long-awaited next book to finally drop, and are biding your time until the TV spinoffs and prequels come to fruition. The Game of Thrones Tapestry is on display at the Ulster Museum in Belfast until July 28, 2019, before moving to the Hôtel du Doyen in Bayeux, Normandy, France from September 2019. Images: Game of Thrones Tapestry.
After making the move west from Melbourne Zoo in February, Werribee Open Range Zoo's herd of nine Asian elephants is ready to welcome visitors into its world-class new digs. The state-of-the-art Elephant Trail spans an impressive 21 hectares — that's the size of the entire Melbourne Zoo complex — giving these gentle giants more space than ever before to roam the landscape, and still leaving plenty of room for human visitors to join them, too. The new trail seamlessly connects the six different habitats and two mega pools in the $88-million precinct. The trail includes plenty of designated open space, too, giving visitors the chance to have an up-close encounter with these magnificent creatures. You can also take a look inside the Elephant Barn, where experienced keepers train the herd and keep them in tip-top shape. The trail also swings past two massive swimming pools — a choice spot for the elephants when they're keen to cool off or indulge in an invigorating mud bath. Just how massive exactly are these pools? They hold 150 million litres of water — which is roughly enough to fill Flinders Street Station — that's pumped in through a 2.5-kilometre pipeline connected to the Werribee Recycled Water Plant. Getting a good wash behind the ears has probably never felt so good. If you're keen to learn more about the elephants and how they live, the zoo is also holding regular talks giving you the opportunity to do just that. There are five that take place each day, held in various locations throughout the habitat. With the trail taking about an hour to explore on foot, there's also a brand-new cafe perfectly positioned along the route. Here, you can sip coffee and munch on a cake while watching these magnificent creatures go about their day. Two months after they made the nearly 40-km trek from their former home at Melbourne Zoo — following a rigorous two-year training program to prepare them for the journey — the elephants have settled into their new surroundings over the last few weeks. Now, human visitors are invited to say hello to some of the biggest and friendliest land animals on the planet. The Elephant Trail is open daily from 9am–5pm at Werribee Open Range Zoo. Head to the zoo's website for more information.
Love heading to a scenic spot to dance to live tunes? Adore sipping wine, too? Music and vino festival Grapevine Gathering understands. That pairing is this annual event's entire setup, with the fest bringing a heap of bands to vineyards around Australia each year. And for 2023, it has just locked in its October dates and venues. If you live in Queensland or South Australia, get ready to experience Grapevine Gathering on your home turf for a second time. After debuting in both states in 2022, the festival will return to Sirromet Wines at Mount Cotton and Serafino Wines in McLaren Vale. On a five-state tour, the rest of fest will also once again hit up Western Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. Its destinations: Sandalford Wines in Swan Valley, Rochford Estate in the Yarra Valley and Hope Estate in the Hunter Valley, respectively. Victoria will play host to the first gig of the tour on Saturday, October 7, with Grapevine Gathering then pinballing up to Queensland on Sunday, October 8. The next weekend, it heads west on Saturday, October 14, then does NSW on Saturday, October 21 and SA on Sunday, October 22. At the moment, it's too early for the event's lineup, so watch this space. 2022's fests featured The Kooks, Peking Duk, The Veronicas, Ball Park Music, Confidence Man, Jack River and more. Before that, Two Door Cinema Club, Flight Facilities, The Wombats and Tkay Maidza have also graced Grapevine Gathering's stages. Naturally, sipping wine is a huge part of the attraction. As always, attendees will have access to a heap of vino given the fest's locations, as well as an array of yet-to-be-announced food options. GRAPEVINE GATHERING 2023 DATES: Saturday, October 7 — Rochford Estate, Victoria Sunday, October 8 — Sirromet Wines, Queensland Saturday, October 14 — Sandalford Wines, Western Australia Saturday, October 21 — Hope Estate, New South Wales Sunday, October 22 — Serafino Wines, South Australia Grapevine Gathering will tour Australia in October 2023. The lineup hasn't been announced yet, but we'll update you when it is. In the interim, you can head to the festival's website to register for further details when it hits. Images: Jordan Munns / Jess Gleeson.
Party with petunias and watch a circus amongst the cleomes at Tesselaar's Kabloom Festival of Flowers — where millions of blooms will serve as a backdrop for daily circus performances, photoshoots for social media influencers and lunchtime picnics. Running from Saturday, March 23–Sunday, April 21, the Dandenong Ranges festival will feature acres of colourful flowers and whimsical performances by Circus Oz. The main circus will run each day for the duration of the festival, featuring magical woodland creatures and awe-inspiring stunts. Throughout the day, the fairies and sprites will have a variety of other acts, including tightrope walking over flowers, juggling, hula hooping and contortion. Other festival attractions include food and market stalls — yes, including a flower market — for the adults. There are also a variety of activities for children's entertainment, including circus and drumming workshops, face painting, interactive storytelling sessions and garden games. On Easter long weekend, there will also be an Easter rabbit hunt where you search the fields for rabbits instead of eggs, and go in the running to win some prizes. Visitors can also take a tractor train tour of the farm to view the flowers and learn more about how they are planted and cared for. Some activities require prior registration. Tickets start at $23.50 for adults, $19.50 for concessions, and children under 16 can enter the event for free. You can also bring your pooch along with you as long as you keep them on a lead. Water bowls will be dotted around the grounds to keep them happy and hydrated.
For over 20 years, the waterfront Steampacket Gardens has played host to a combined creative and gourmet market on the first Sunday of every month. Head to the shores of Eastern Beach for top-quality local produce, as well as beautiful art and handcrafts by makers from the region. There's also live music and delicious, ready-to-eat food, so be sure to make a morning out of it. It's all for a good cause, too: proceeds from the market go to the Geelong Central Rotary Club, and supports its community initiatives.
In 2025, G Flip has a new album on the way. Come 2026, they'll be backing up their latest record with a five-city tour of Australia. When the drummer, singer and songwriter takes to the stage in Brisbane to kick off their next run of homegrown dates, it will be eight years to the month since Georgia Flipo first uploaded 'About You' to Triple J Unearthed — a move that's sparked a helluva career so far for the Aussie talent. G Flip has locked in gigs not only at Brisbane's Riverstage on Friday, February 27, but also at Hordern Pavilion in Sydney on Tuesday, March 3; Melbourne's Margaret Court Arena on Saturday, March 7; Adelaide Entertainment Centre Theatre come Thursday, March 12; and Fremantle Arts Centre on Saturday, March 14. If you've spotted the fact that these dates are nicely spread out, that's likely because the ARIA Award-winner's 2023 solo Australian tour played to sellout crowds, adding extra shows due to demand. [caption id="attachment_1013155" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Amy Martin Photography via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] For company this time, G Flip will have Toronto's The Beaches and Heartbreak High star Ayesha Madon in support at all gigs. "I am so excited to be coming home to play some shows with my mates The Beaches and Ayesha Madon! The Dream Ride tour is going to a bloody good time, can't wait to see you there!" said the 'Drink Too Much', 'Hyperfine', 'Gay 4 Me', 'The Worst Person Alive' and 'Good Enough' performer, announcing the tour. [caption id="attachment_1013154" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anne Sophie Bine[/caption] Dream Ride, the album, releases on Friday, September 5, 2025 — and features already-released singles 'Disco Cowgirl', 'Big Ol' Hammer' and 'In Another Life'. Get ready for an 80s-inspired sound, and for G Flip playing almost every instrument on the record. Their second album Drummer dropped in 2023, and earned G Flip ARIAs for Song of the Year for 'The Worst Person Alive', Best Video for 'Good Enough' and Best Australian Live Act for the corresponding tour. Before that, their studio debut About Us released in 2019. While G Flip last took their own headline tour around the country in 2023, they were busy everywhere from Field Day and Great Southern Nights to One Night Stand and Spilt Milk's House Party series in 2024. [caption id="attachment_967435" align="alignnone" width="1917"] F Fawkes via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] G Flip Dream Ride Tour with The Beaches and Ayesha Madon Australian 2026 Dates Friday, February 27 — Riverstage, Brisbane Tuesday, March 3 — Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Saturday, March 7 — Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne Thursday, March 12 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre Theatre, Adelaide Saturday, March 14 — Fremantle Arts Centre, Perth [caption id="attachment_966668" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Callum Walker Hutchinson[/caption] G Flip is touring Australia with The Beaches and Ayesha Madon in February and March 2026, with ticket presales from 12pm local time on Thursday, July 17, 2025 and general sales from 1pm local time on Monday, July 21, 2025. Head to the tour website for more details. Top image: Matt Jelonek/Getty Images.
Steamy, sunny days are still upon us, making afternoons around the pool an enduringly high priority — and a surefire reason to leave the office inappropriately early. While swimming a few laps satisfies the large majority of water babies, there are those of us yearning for the playful days of yesteryear; when fighting your siblings on the back of inflatable dragons was the ultimate, when diving for sunken rings was the best of times, when blow-up alligator time had to be shared out and rostered by your tired-but-practical Aunty Jane. But pool toy companies haven't forgotten you. There's a huge market for pool toys to suit all ages, with plenty of stylish, weird and genius inflatable ideas on offer. From floating poker and ping pong tables to giant floating birds and watermelons, these are our favourite inflatables to make any pool party that little more Instagrammable — and your summer that extra bit more nostalgic. THE GIANT FLAMINGO/SWAN One of the most Instagrammable pool accessories around: the giant swan (or pink flamingo, if you're feeling more flamboyant). According to the Giant Swan website, the swans are "popular in fashion shoots", so for $99 you can nab your very own oversized aquabird and get yourself a perpetually summery profile picture. POOL SHOOTBALL If you like shooting hoops but find the asphalt a little too steamy in summer, this genius little game brings the court to the water. For just $40 with free shipping, this one's perfect for pool parties or sorting out sibling rivalries. AQUA ZORBS With the increasing popularity of Zorb Bumper Soccer and Human Zorb Bowling, Aqua Zorb water walkers could be of the most epic additions to home pool toy collection. One of the more exxy pool toys on the market, the Zorbs are $595 each — and obviously you're going to need two for battle reasons. One for the truly dedicated pool fiends. FLOATING POKER TABLE Now here's a truly grown-up pool toy. Bestway are responsible for the world's first pool poker set, complete with inflatable poker table, chairs, cards, chips and most importantly, drink holders. It's just $39.95 for the set, however a day of poker in the pool may end up costing you more. THE LAKE TRAMPOLINE You're going to need a bigger pool for this one, preferably lake-sized. Remember all those hours you spent as a youngster doing precarious trick jumps from your trampoline into your pool? Now your adult self can get some solid (and somewhat safer) air jumping off a giant lake trampoline, priced from a rather steep $1800 to $3700. With a price tag like that, might be worth getting your crew to chip in. MOTORISED BUMPER BOATS Yep, motorised bumper boats. Longtime aquatic toymakers Hammacher Schlemmer have created these floating vehicles for long afternoons spent crashing into your loved ones at four kilometres per hour. For $100 each, these bumper boats can also be used to ferry your summer snacks from one end of the pool to the other, or could be used as a flimsy excuse for a jetski in a lake situation. FLOATING POOL PING PONG Never chase ping pong balls around your garage again. Yours for around $60-90, depending where you buy it, this floating ping pong table is as summery an activity you can get. You're going to want to take this to the shallow end though; treading water and playing ping pong sounds like one hell of an exercise. AQUAGLIDE REVOLUTION If you're looking to make other people jealous (or highly confused) of your toys, this'll do the trick. Priced at $4500, the six-foot-high Aquaglide Revolution has it all: slides on one side, some form of extreme seesaw on the other, climbing walls aplenty. The Revolution allows up to ten people on board at once, and will have you outrageously exhausted and immeasurably happy by the end of the day. URBAN OUTFITTERS POOL FLOATS Another much more realistic and adorable option to brighten up any pool party. From watermelons, Monaco bars, snakes, suns, smiley faces to floating beer pong, American retail giants Urban Outfitters have a variety of novelty pool inflatables on offer for just $25 to $50 each. By Tommy Codling and Shannon Connellan.
Wubba lubba dub dub, Rick and Morty fans — the beloved animated series returns for its sixth season in early September, and is bound to serve up another schwifty dose of chaotic intergalactic mayhem. Been wondering what happened since season five's big ending? Can't wait for new episodes, which arrive Down Under via Netflix on Monday, September 5? The Back to the Future-inspired hit has also made the leap into real life, with #wormageddon scenes popping up around the world. What's #wormageddon? It's what Adult Swim, the US network behind Rick and Morty, is calling "an immersive adventure" — and it's setting up IRL Rick and Morty moments in places as varied as Mexico City, Malibu, The Netherlands, Brazil, Toronto, Cape Town and Sydney. Yes, Australia is getting in on the action, with a #wormageddon scene arriving on the Bennelong Lawn in The Royal Botanic Gardens in the Harbour City from today, Tuesday, August 30. In Sydney's pop-up, Birdperson faces #wormageddon — aka a mysterious alien worm that wants to take over earth. That's what happens in the show's narrative after the destruction of the Citadel of Ricks at the end of season five, and where season six will pick up. Australia is no stranger to pop culture-themed installations, especially lately. Everything from House of the Dragon, The Gray Man and Everything Everywhere All At Once through to Squid Game, Stranger Things and Borat has done the same, resulting in everything from dragon eggs and the Iron Throne to multidimensional laundromats and otherworldly rifts appearing on Aussie shores. Usually, they only last a day or a weekend, though, but #wormageddon is hanging around Sydney until Thursday, September 8 — on display from 7.30am–5.30pm daily. In total, 14 custom #wormageddon scenes are setting up shop on six continents, all bridging the gap between the end of the last season and the start of season six, and sending fans on a global treasure hunt to find each scene. Sydney's Birdperson-versus-worm installation marks the ninth so far, with exactly where the remaining five will surface yet to be revealed. That's the way the news goes — and if you're keen to find out more about the #wormageddon storyline, Adult Swim has dropped a few online shorts, too. You can check them out below, along with the trailer for Rick and Morty's sixth season. Rick and Morty's sixth season will premiere globally on Monday, September 5 Down Under. The series streams via Netflix in Australia and New Zealand. Top image: Adult Swim.
The Act of Killing screened last week as part of the official competition at the Sydney Film Festival. And the consensus of nearly everybody who has seen it has been that it's one of the most compelling, original and affecting documentaries they have ever seen. More to the point, in the two and a half hours you sit in company with it in the dark of the cinema, The Act of Killing rips up your idea of what a documentary is supposed to be. Principally, The Act of Killing, directed by American filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer, traces the aftershocks of the coup that brought President Suharto to power in Indonesia. The government was overthrown by the military in 1965 and the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) eradicated, alongside anybody accused of being a communist, including union members, 'leftists', intellectuals and the ethnic Chinese. "I started this project working in a community of survivors," Oppenheimer explains when he sat down with us earlier this week. "Trying to make a film about the horrors that had happened but also about the regime of fear and impunity and corruption under which they're still living. And every time we'd film together we'd be stopped by the military. But living in the same village as the survivors were the perpetrators. And they were boasting to me. I would meet them in the street, they would invite me in for tea, and they would boast about what they had done. That was the crack in the facade of normalcy. And I came to understand very quickly that the big story here is not what happened in 1965. This is about what's happening now." https://youtube.com/watch?v=zJ5_JAgoZ5Q Your friend, the war criminal The film's central focus is Anwar Congo, a self-styled gangster who made his money during the '60s as a ticket scalper at the local cinema in North Sumatra's capital city, Medan. When the coup began, the army used paramilitaries and gangsters like Anwar to carry out the massacre of what is estimated to be around 1 million people. With Anwar and his friends, Oppenheimer saw an "opportunity to document the nature of impunity honestly. It's a situation where the killers have won, they've been celebrated by the whole world, and therefore they're open about it. As opposed to what we normally see: killers either deny what they've done, or apologise for it." To try to understand the function of the men's boasting, he asked them to re-create scenes about the killings in whatever way they wished, and the men — fans of American films and culture — took to screenwriting and acting. "The film is my way of understanding a whole regime of impunity, the imagination of the impunity, the way they, like all of us, use storytelling to create their reality," says Oppenheimer. "And as part of that they use storytelling to escape from their most bitter truths." Turning Documentary On Its Head Documentary has a unique kind of power, if not exactly to reveal the invisible than to speak of things we prefer to ignore. And as media proliferate, diverge and splinter, non-fiction films seem to be finding a fresh voice. It isn't that documentary has ever really inhabited a magical land of objectivity and absolute 'truth'. The difference is that fact and fiction are increasingly hazy in our minds, and just about everything we once thought of as 'non-fiction' — politics, sport, celebrity, advertising — involves a certain amount of wavering between the real and the unreal. And waver between the real and unreal is precisely what The Act of Killing does, unfolding in a space that's both horrifyingly straightforward and technicolour phantasmagoria. The film flits between frank accounts of the men explaining and demonstrating how they killed their victims and surreal images from their re-creations — a line of women dancing in the mouth of a giant fish, Anwar's head decapitated but still speaking, a man in drag smoking a cigarette singing about taking his girlfriend to the movies. Many of the most powerful scenes in the film fit somewhere in between reality and fiction. "There were these moments of pure poetry that weren't scenes," says Oppenheimer. "They're observational scenes in a way — about how we're lost in our fantasies. They're documentary scenes, in a surreal space. So the film obtains a density and a richness because we have a sense that there are all these stories that are untold. There's a plot behind these scenes, but we don't know what it is and it doesn't matter." We Tell Ourselves Stories in Order to Live Legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog, who happens to be executive producer of The Act of Killing alongside Errol Morris, declared in 1999 that simply holding up a camera and capturing what's around you isn't sufficient in documentary filmmaking. "There are deeper strata of truth in cinema," he said, "And there is such a thing as poetic, ecstatic truth. It is mysterious and elusive, and can be reached only through fabrication and imagination and stylisation." That is precisely what The Act of Killing does. By asking Anwar and his friends to re-create scenes of the massacres, the filmmakers expose the unacknowledged complexity of the Indonesian genocide. "I think Anwar's trying to escape from his pain," says Oppenheimer, referring to many of the scenes where Anwar and his friends portray themselves as heroes for massacring thousands of people. "Every time he does it he re-avoids the moral meaning of the killing, and reifies his denial. It's a way of escaping the reality of what he's done, or so he thinks. But it also becomes the prism through which he recognises what he's done." What the film uncovers is that the stories told by the perpetrators are a product of something far more profound than simple cruelty. "Yes, those stories are instruments of fear and they keep everybody else afraid, but paradoxically they're not symptoms of the remorselessness of the perpetrators. On the contrary, they're symptoms of their humanity. The celebration of genocide can simply be a symptom of a stridency you adopt because you don't believe your own justification. And if there's a thread defining the film's development, it's Anwar's subtext — it's the look on his face showing he never seems to believe the things he's saying." What The Act of Killing does is take the storytelling process, and instead of using it as the Indonesian elite does — to keep people afraid — the film uses storytelling as an instrument of moral understanding. "Our entire world is made up of second-hand, third-rate stories. And I think we have no choice, since that's what our world is made of, but to recover these stupid stories for something humane. So the film is a kind of recycling, a kind of bricolage of shit, trying to make something beautiful out of the shit." When Art Makes A Difference The Act of Killing has received international acclaim since its premiere last September, but more importantly it has caused an upheaval in Indonesia. "It's screening every day," explains Oppenheimer. "As of March it had screened over 500 times. The Indonesian media is now publishing serious investigative reports about the genocide, whereas for forty-seven years they'd been silent about it. It's caused a sea change in how the country sees its past. It's come to the country like the child in The Emperor's New Clothes pointing to the king and saying "the king is naked". And everyone knew it. Maybe they didn't know the details. But now that it's been said so powerfully — and by the perpetrators themselves — there's no going back. The government has chosen to ignore it for the moment, although some army groups and some paramilitary generals have been threatening people screening the film, and threatening me. But it is making a real difference. "Werner [Herzog] said to me when I was talking about this to him over dinner, 'Josh, art doesn't make a difference.' And he looked at me for a long time and I felt rather deflated. And he smiled and then he said 'until it does'." The Act of Killing will get a limited Australian cinema release through Madman Entertainment on October 3, 2013.
Thinking of downsizing? Are you aware that you could be part of a movement? The tiny house movement, to be exact. Unenthused by mortgages, mopping and mountains of stuff, more and more people are shifting into Snugglepot-sized spaces. We're about to take a journey through some of the teeniest-tiniest houses in the whole world. Not only do they make you wish you could climb into a J.R.R. Tolkien novel, they're also the environment's new best friend. OTIS (Optimal Travelling Independent Space) Move over, Winnebago. This pod-on-wheels is the creation of a bunch of American REED (Renewable Energy and Ecological Design) students from Green Mountain College, Vermont. Not only is it mobile and ridiculously cute, it's also self-sufficient. A 300-watt solar powered system delivers electricity, a rain collection facility supplies water and the toilet is of the composting variety. Nearly all the construction materials are recycled. At just 2.4 x 3.6m, the OTIS can be easily towed via trailer. The Tiny Project American web designer Alek Lisefski and his partner Anjali were tired of paying through-the-roof rent. At the same time, though, they wanted a place to call home. So Lisefski took matters into his own hands by designing and building a portable miniature house. It's known as The Tiny Project and its motto is "Less House. More Life". Built-in, foldable furniture maximises the 2.4 x 6m of interior floor space. An elevated loft serves as a bedroom and there's even a 2.2 square metre outdoor verandah. "While living in such a small house, my space, and in turn each area of my life, will be simpler, less chaotic, and free from all but what is essential," Lisefski told Gizmag. APH80 Rome might not have been built in a day, but the APH80 can be. Created by Spanish design studio ABATON, it's an impeccably designed, portable micro-home. A double bedroom, lounge-kitchen and bedroom make up its 27 square metres, with a 3.5m gabled roof providing an airy, spacious feel. Sustainably sourced timber is used throughout. If there's no water between your place and Spain, have your very own APH80 delivered for US$42,000. Chico Tiny House A husband and wife team based in Chico, California, designed this 11.1 square metre home. On their Facebook page, Palm to Palm, they describe themselves as "dreamers ... who are holding the vision of bringing a community based sustainable into existence, one alternative dwelling at a time". They built the Chico Tiny House on a tight budget without any construction experience. Now, aspiring micro-dwelling owners are begging for a copy of the plans, soon to be made open source. The sustainable design includes south-facing windows, polyiso insulation, solar-powered hot water and a green house, where grey water can be recycled. The Hobbit Hutch No tiny house list would be complete without the mention of at least one gypsy caravan. This Texas-based, 5.2 square metre Hobbit Hutch features all the mod cons, including a faux wood stove, air-conditioning, coffee machine, chandelier, foldable dining table and bed. There's also a 1.8 square metre verandah. The owners — writers and artists by the names of James and Sidney Mangum — have plans to build an outdoor toilet and shower, to be stored inside a plywood cube and surrounded with curtains for privacy.
Santa is arriving early at The Vic Hotel, as the much–loved pub hosts a Christmas feast on Friday, July 25. Steeped in history, but with a modern touch, the timeless pub offers the perfect setting for a cosy Christmas in July dinner. The three-course menu thoughtfully combines classic Christmas flavours with a fresh, Aussie twist. Enjoy scallops with coriander, hazelnut butter and pangrattato for an entree. For mains, guests can expect hearty classics, including a turkey ballotine with cranberries, brioche stuffing, root vegetables and gravy, or twice-cooked pork belly, potato gratin, pickled kohlrabi and apple cider jus. Don't forget to leave room for dessert — it's an Aussie classic. We're talking an old-school pav with passionfruit, strawberries, blueberries and cream. But that's not all. On the day, the pub will also be hosting an ugly Christmas sweater competition. So, make sure you dress up in the ugliest sweater you can find. You'll get bonus points if it's got an extra Christmassy touch. Prizes for the ugliest, most creative and most festive sweaters will be announced at 7pm in the main bar. With limited seating, tickets for Christmas in July at The Vic Hotel are expected to sell fast. Visit the venue's website to reserve a spot. Images: Supplied.
If you want to catch a bus, train, tram or ferry in Sydney, the Opal card has been the main way to pay for your trip for a while now. But that's about to change — for some commuters, at least. After News Corp reported the impending demise of Australia's transport ticketing cards back in January, Transport for NSW has announced that, from today, contactless card payments — and devices that have the service enabled — will be available on ferries and light rail services. Yep, you can leave your Opal in your wallet/on your desk/down the side of the couch — with this new technology, you can just tap your card or device (Visa, Mastercard and American Express are all accepted) right onto the regular Opal scanners. Doing this will charge you for an Adult Opal single trip ticket — so if you have a concession, you might want to stick with a regular Opal card for now. Plus, using your card won't cap your fare when you travel multiple times in a day or week. Nonetheless, it's a welcome leap in technology — and one that was always going to happen at some point soon. Moving away from dedicated transport cards — or adding other payment options — will make things easier for tourists and travellers (and people who, god forbid, leave their Opal at home), who shouldn't have to buy a new piece of plastic just to catch a bus or train (or pay extra for a paper ticket if they don't) when they're visiting. However, if we're moving towards a contactless future, ensuring the new system remains accessible for anyone that doesn't have a smartphone, smartwatch or bank card remains a concern. So what about the other cities? Melburnians can expect to scan on with a credit or debit card in trials due to start this year, focusing on Routes 11, 86 or 96, according to The Sunday Herald Sun. And in Brisbane, The Sunday Mail reports that a trial will commence either later in 2018 or sometime in early 2019, starting with the Airtrain.
Brunswick is known for many things — it's one of the city's best spots for paste-ups and yarn bombs, it's the place to go if you're after personally tailored jeans on the cheap or a trolley full of second-hand swag, and it's pretty much the only Melbourne suburb where you can still get a fully-fledged house with a backyard for under $180 per room. But as of last month, it has one more jewel in its tatty second-hand crown — it has the world's best pizza. Last month Johnny Di Francesco, pizza chef and owner of Lygon Street's 400 Gradi, took out the top honours at the Campionato Mondiale della Pizza (World Pizza Championships) in Italy. It was a strange victory. But, much like the fact a Tasmanian single malt took out the title at the World Whiskey Awards just a month earlier, it proved Australians are a worldly bunch — currently beating everyone at their own game. Now you get to reap all the benefits! In light of his unprecedented win, Di Francesco is hosting a pizza-making masterclass at his award-winning restaurant on Saturday, May 17. In what will be a regular affair — scheduled for the third Saturday of every month — Johnny will be going back to the basics teaching novice pizza-chefs how to make the perfect margherita pizza. Di Francesco is a big advocate of pizza napoletana, so the end result will look nothing like the kind you might find at Pizza Hut or Dominos. Chewy, foldable and made with traditional ingredients, the pizzas at 400 Gradi are the real deal and this masterclass will give you a special insight into tricks of the trade. Learn how to make the perfect dough, how to cook the most delectable napoletana sauce, and how to sneak some bocconcini while your world-class teacher isn't looking. For more advanced (or adventurous) students, 400 Gradi also offers pizza acrobatics classes on the second Saturday of every month taught by Australian champion Daniele Caputo. Because be honest, you've always wanted to be able to spin the dough on your finger like you're the Magic Johnston of the pizza world. Frankly, if you knew it was possible to be a champion in pizza acrobatics you probably would have given up your job years ago. Don't worry, it's not too late. All classes are $70 per person and come with a complementary glass of Italian wine (and some hard-earned pizza). To book a place call 400 Gradi on (03) 9380 2320.
When the warm weather rolls around each year, Melburnians usually have multiple reasons to head to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. For those feeling festive, it's where Carols by Candlelight is held. And for anyone keen on catching orchestral shows under the evening sky, it's where the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has held its free summer series for decades. Come 2021, the iconic venue will also play host to a new event: Live at the Bowl. It's a response to this past chaotic year, with holding a COVID-safe summer festival its number-one aim. Well, that and giving the city's residents something fun to add to their calendars after 2020's struggles. The lineup won't be announced until early December; however, Live at the Bowl will run from January–March and feature more than 40 performances. It'll be a socially distanced affair, obviously, which the renders of the event illustrate — including separate platforms that split the audience up into groups, as festivals overseas have already been using. [caption id="attachment_789597" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Render of Live at the Bowl[/caption] Live at the Bowl won't be the only Melbourne event tempting you out of the house this summer, of course. It's one of several to receive funding as part of a newly announced $17.2 million Victorian Government package — to "enable Victorians to reconnect with the cultural experiences they love in new and unique ways, while creating jobs for thousands of Victorians across the creative and event industries", according to a statement from Minister for Creative Industries Danny Pearson. Accordingly, Melburnians can also look forward to the Melbourne Museum Summer Plaza series, which'll feature open-air experiences performances, movies, food and drinks; dining and music in the NGV Garden to coincide with the free NGV Triennial; and outdoor experiences at State Library Victoria, Melbourne Recital Centre, ACMI and Federation Square. Sixteen individual Victorian arts companies and festivals will also receive funding to present outdoor programs across summer, including the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Midsumma, Shepparton Arts Festival and Creative Clunes. Live at the Bowl will run from January–March 2021 at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, with the program releasing in early December — we'll update you with further details when they're announced.
Melbourne's wintry temperatures are in full force right now, but we know one place where you can revel in some balmy summer heat whenever you feel like it. What's more, it's thought to have a whole swag of benefits for your body, not just your mood. Nestled within Swanston Street's Century Building, Pure Wellness Studio is thought to be the CBD's first dedicated infrared sauna studio. These aren't your standard saunas, either — rather, state-of-the-art Sunlighten pods that use direct infrared heat to penetrate deep into your body's tissues, unlocking a range of health benefits in the process. Infrared therapy offers the same kind of warmth you get from natural sunlight, only minus those damaging UV rays. It's also a much more bearable heat than the kind you get from regular saunas, meaning you can comfortably kick back in that little room for up to 45 minutes — none of that getting instantly hot and bothered, and looking for an immediate escape. The increasingly popular therapy is earning a big name for its detoxification powers — able to remove up to more than six times as many toxins from the body as a regular sauna — as well as its effectiveness at burning calories. It's also thought to be great for boosting collagen production, reducing inflammation, and improving blood flow and circulation. Pure Wellness boasts three different styles of infrared sauna rooms, including one with a cushy bed that envelops you with full surround heat while you're lying down, relaxed to the max. Prices start from $55 for a 45-minute session, with membership options available. For those looking to treat those muscles even further, the studio also offers relaxation, deep-tissue and hot stone massages, and a menu of facial treatments. You can even combine therapies for an indulgent two-, three- or four-hour pamper session. Find Pure Wellness Studio at Suite 604, Level 6, 125 Swanston Street, Melbourne. It's open from 3–7pm Tuesday, 10am–7pm Wednesday to Friday, and 10am–5pm Saturday.
When New Zealand comedy Nude Tuesday hits screens Down Under this winter, it'll be business time. Despite what star Jemaine Clement has sung in Flight of the Conchords, however, few folks on-screen will still be wearing their socks. Birthday suits are the preferred attire here, as made plain in the new movie's name. It does follow an unhappy couple who are gifted a trip to a remote couples' retreat to help save their marriage — a spot where getting in the buff often is recommended — after all. Playing that duo: fellow NZ treasure Jackie van Beek, who co-starred with Clement in What We Do in the Shadows, and Australian The Tourist actor Damon Herriman. And no, the latter isn't portraying Charles Manson, as he did in both Mindhunter and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Laura and Bruno, the pair's characters, find scenic sights awaiting at their mountainside getaway — and also Clement as Bjorg Rassmussen. Laughter workshops, tantric dance, sexual liberation and emotional animals all pop up, too, as does baring all to truly work out how they are. See: the just-dropped and very funny trailer. All that flesh, and that cast, is one reason that Nude Tuesday stands out. The other: it's entirely spoken in a made-up language. The cast improvised gibberish as they filmed, and British comedian and writer Julia Davis (Camping) then came up with the subtitles for the movie afterwards. There was a script behind the narrative, though — penned by van Beek, who also co-wrote and co-directed fellow NZ comedy The Breaker Upperers. Here, van Beek came up with the story with filmmaker Armağan Ballantyne (The Strength of Water), who is on helming duties. New Zealanders will be able to see how it all turns out in cinemas on June 16, while Nude Tuesday hits Australian cinemas on June 23 — and will also stream in the latter via Stan from July 7. In Australia, multiple versions of the movie will make their way to streaming, including one subtitled by Aussie comedians Celia Pacquola and Ronny Chieng. Check out the Nude Tuesday trailer below: Nude Tuesday opens in New Zealand cinemas on June 16, in Australian cinemas on June 23, and will stream via Stan in Australia from July 7.
Ever considered a quick jaunt to Sydney to experience Vivid? Now's the time to take the plunge. The epic light festival is back for its tenth birthday, and there's more to see and do this year than ever. With so much to fit in, it's often hard to know where to start and how to get off the well-beaten track. As always, there are the big lights dotting the harbour, but there are also heaps of hidden gems worth seeking out — down alleyways, against the water and even up in the air. With the help of our mates at Samsung, we've pulled together a list of some of the best works tucked away in and around The Rocks and Circular Quay. And once you find them, it'd be remiss not to snap a shot or two so you can take them home with you — especially if you have Samsung's new Galaxy S9 and S9+ phones, which allow you to take beautiful photos in the dark with its Super Low Light camera. Check out our Galaxy S9+ snaps taken by photographer Cole Bennetts, take note of his tips and make tracks to these hidden Vivid gems. CHRYSALIS — REIBY PLACE Just as a caterpillar in a cocoon needs the right conditions to emerge, so too does the butterfly within each of the illuminated shells in Chrysalis. The sound of the audience approaching causes the butterflies to stir, and as people get closer and their collective noise grows louder, the butterflies awaken. Finally, they spread their wings within their five neon homes and flit and flutter with the crowd's presence. Cole's tip: Avoid contributing to a newsfeed clogged with identical Vivid snaps by changing your perspective. Get down low or shoot from up high to make the picture more interesting. OASIS — ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN Oasis is a shimmering, bioluminescent-inspired sea of light. Set in a corner of the Botanic Garden devoted to "lonely, frightened, lost and abused children who never knew the joy of a loving family", the work is dedicated to Australia's forgotten children — those raised in orphanages, children's homes and institutions. Playing on the relationship between light and water, courage and vulnerability, the seemingly floating lights move with nature but are always steadied by their underlying strength, returning them to their upright position. PARROT PARTY — ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN Is it a flock of birds in the gardens? Or a clandestine party among the flora? Well, it's a bit of both, actually. The festive Parrot Party in the Botanic Garden bursts with colour and sound, that grows brighter and more jovial as people join in. Perched in a pavilion, the birds' song is modulated by the crowds who come and go. Made up of Kiwi kea parrots and Australian rainbow lorikeets — a nod to the close relationship between our two countries — the flock's song grows louder as the crowd draws in, bursting with a display of sweet calls and chatter. Cole's tip: Vivid has excitement at every turn. You don't want to miss the money shot, so keep your S9 at the ready. When you stumble across a hidden gem worth snapping, double-tap the power button to bring up the camera quickly. 555 NANOMETERS — KENDALL LANE Hanging above a historic laneway in The Rocks, 555 Nanometers' sheets of green light and integrated soundscape also draw people in with the sound and sights of Australian flora and fauna. Follow the noise of cicadas calling into the night, pulling you toward this canopy of light. The name of the installation is a reference to its yellow-green hue that specifically sits at colour spectrum 555 nanometers. The human eye is most sensitive to the colour and feels most at ease when looking at it. As you look up at the illuminated perforated sheets, you'll find yourself reminded of looking at light streaming through leaves on a bright summer's day. FUGU — THE ROCKS If watching David Attenborough's Blue Planet has taught us anything, it is that the goings-on in our oceans are both compelling and crucially important. Artists Amigo and Amigo depict this in their installation Fugu. It's a kinetic light sculpture in the form of a pufferfish, a peculiar critter that changes form for protection against predators. As audiences surround the spiky creature it comes to life, expanding, contracting and pulsating in glowing multi-colour. The piece represents the fragility of life under the surface and highlights the importance of conservation. As you explore and uncover the hidden gems of Vivid, get the best snap on the new Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+, designed especially for low light. Images: Cole Bennetts.
If you only know two things about South Korea's film and television industry, then you likely know that it's been responsible for Parasite and Squid Game over the past couple of years. The nation's big- and small-screen output spans much further than that, of course — and, since 2010, Australia has boasted a film festival dedicated to its cinematic prowess. That'd be the Korean Film Festival in Australia, which started out as a Sydney-only event, expanded to Melbourne in its second year, then hit Brisbane in its third outing. Since then, it has made its way to other cities, too, with the just-announced 2022 lineup heading to Canberra as well. Across August and September — starting in Sydney from Thursday, August 18–Tuesday, August 23 at Event Cinemas George Street, and then hitting Melbourne's ACMI from Thursday, September 1–Monday, September 5; Canberra's Palace Electric from Thursday, September 1–Saturday, September 3; and Brisbane's Elizabeth Picture Theatre from Thursday, September 8–Sunday, September 11 — KOFFIA will screen 13 impressive titles that showcase Korean filmmaking's finest. And while that lineup mightn't be huge numbers-wise, it's still filled with massive names, including two of the biggest movies from any country currently doing the rounds of the international and Australian festival circuits. If you haven't caught up with it at Sydney Film Festival, or don't have it on your Melbourne International Film Festival schedule, make a date with Broker, the latest release from acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda. The 2018 Shoplifters Palme d'Or-winner has made a movie in Korea — his first Korean-language film, in fact, and it's still exploring the director's favourite topics. That'd be the ties that bind and the connections of family, following two people who illegally take an abandoned infant from a 'baby box facility'. In another drawcard, Broker stars Parasite's Song Kang-ho, who won Cannes' Best Actor Award for his efforts. Also a must-see: Decision to Leave, a noir romance that saw Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook win Cannes' Best Director gong. Anything that the Stoker and Oldboy director helms is worth a look, but the fact that it has been six years since his movie — 2016's The Handmaiden — makes his latest even more exciting. The rest of the KOFFIA lineup spans opening-night pick Special Delivery, a crime-action film from Park Dae-min that stars Parasite's Park So-dam; mystery Hommage, which again features a Parasite alum — this time Lee Jeong-eun — and charts the searching for missing footage from one of the first feature films directed by a South Korean woman; and In Our Prime, with Oldboy's Choi Min-sik as a North Korean defector and mathematical genius working as a school security guard. Or, there's The Roundup with Train to Busan's Don Lee as a cop chasing a killer; the 80s-set Escape from Mogadishu; and Spiritwalker, about a man who loses his memory and wakes up in a different body every 12 hours — and the list goes on. KOREAN FILM FESTIVAL IN AUSTRALIA 2022 DATES: Thursday, August 18–Tuesday, August 23: Event Cinema George Street, Sydney Thursday, September 1–Monday, September 5: ACMI, Melbourne Thursday, September 1–Saturday, September 3: Palace Electric, Canberra Thursday, September 8–Sunday, September 11: Elizabeth Picture Theatre, Brisbane The Korean Film Festival in Australia runs across August and September, touring to Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the KOFFIA website.
Cosmo's Midnight is the playful moniker for the much-adored Sydney-based production duo made up of twins Cosmo and Patrick Liney. The pair have been writing and producing feel-good jams since 2012, with their ever-evolving sound and clear natural talent seeing them only continue to rise in popularity across the globe. For the uninitiated, their songs are eclectic and yet instantly recognisable: dance tracks heavy on the instrumentals, floaty lyrics and sky-high vibes. After a 2022 chock-full of buzzing festival crowds and tours here and abroad, Cosmo's Midnight are getting ready to take to the For The Love stage on the Gold Coast (Saturday, February 25) followed by legs in Wollongong (Sunday, February 26), Melbourne (Saturday, March 4) and Perth (Sunday, March 5) — along with a stacked lineup. Joining them are legendary pop and dance icons Charli XCX and Duke Dumont, plus Budjerah, Sonny Fodera and Snakehips to name a few. Ahead of their tour with For The Love (curated by renowned party-throwers from Untitled Group), we caught up with Cosmo and Patrick to chat about their summer highs, creative influences and how they're feeling ahead of the waterside gigs. First up, how are you both? Enjoying summer? You've spent the warmer months hitting festival stages here and abroad — there must be some exhaustion in there! "Doing very well, it's nice to finally have a summer where we aren't dodging flood waters. After pretty extensive touring for the last half of 2022, it's been so good to recoup and hit the beach in between writing sessions. We're currently writing some of the best music we've ever put together and can't wait to show some of the stuff Pat and I have been working on." On and off the stage, what have been your summer highs? "Hitting Hobbiton in New Zealand was a massive highlight, we've been massive fans of LOTR and Tolkien as a whole our entire lives. It was so magical walking through the set and having the opportunity to get turpsed at The Green Dragon, the pub from The Shire. Also just touring with our band is so fun, they've been good mates of ours since before we started doing shows together and we spent one torrential day in Auckland go-karting in inch-deep water. No one else was on the track so the people running it just let us have free reign, trying to destroy each other and doing our best to recreate Tokyo Drift." Amazing! What's it like touring with your sibling? "It's really easy despite the fact we have little sibling tiffs every now and then — they're always quickly resolved and never spiral into something sinister. Luckily we both enjoy the same general things outside of music, so there's no massive vote required to figure out what the band is going to do when we're not on stage." You both exude such a positive energy when performing, how does it feel to be on stage? "We both love performing, as far as music goes it's the biggest payoff of writing and developing a live show. Seeing how people respond to your music is the truest review you can get in this age of music streaming, where it's hard to tell what people think immediately — where we more so just watch the play counts rack up." For The Love is about to kick off its run of music events to see out Australia's summer, how are you both feeling ahead of taking the stage? "Really excited, we're keen to debut some new music and renditions of old songs to up the ante even further. It's been a while since we've hit a national tour in Australia so it will be great to see some familiar spaces and faces!" How do you prep for a gig? Any non-negotiables in the lead up? "Always rehearse really close to show day. Despite all the touring we did last year, we made sure to go through everything again with the band before we hit a tour. We all got so familiar with our live set last year after touring through Europe, UK, USA that I think we got a bit cocky and thought it might be okay to skip it... luckily we decided against it. Always gotta break out the WD-40 even when nothing sounds rusty." Whose set on the For The Love lineup are you most excited to catch? "I'm so excited to see Charli perform, we've been big fans of hers throughout her career and the ebbs and flows she's had as she explores different genres and styles. Unfortunately we've never caught her live, so it's going to be a massive highlight to see her at FTL — I hope we get to meet her!" I have everything crossed for you! Do you have a favourite track to perform? "It changes as time goes on but currently we have a really fun extended version of CUDI that is just so satisfying and exciting to play. I feel like if your song doesn't give you tingles when you're performing it, you've got to work on it until it does and we've reached that sweet spot with CUDI." You've got a unique and recognisable sound — inherently upbeat with a little eighties-disco edge. What are you influenced by creatively? "You're entirely right, we do listen to a lot of disco for inspiration. Before every new musical endeavour we do a massive amount of listening to kind of figure out the palette and sound for our next project. These last two years, we've extended our listening into more recent decades like the nineties and two-thousands to see both how the natural progression of disco leaned to house and pop — and what we can take from those eras that is so timeless and exciting." I've had a good old internet dig, and gleaned that your third album is well on its way to ears — how are you feeling about it? What can we expect from Cosmo's Midnight in the near-ish future? "Solid investigative work you've done there! It's well on the way, some would even say its getting wrapped up soon! We're feeling really excited and confident for the new project, it's some of the most upbeat and fluid writing we've done to date and we're really looking forward to dripping them out so everyone can get across them all." Are you taking any time off after the For The Love run? "We're going to take some time off to plan the rest of the year music and touring-wise. We're also going to use some downtime to work on other artists' projects, maybe do some writing camps and holidaying! It's always a good time mid-year to see what is happening up in the northern hemisphere." And finally, what are your three favourite places to eat and drink in Sydney? "Shameless plugs for friends: I love visiting my mates over at Baba's Place in Marrickville for a bite to eat! Then Naija Jollof has really good West African food just up the street from me, which is really hearty and spicy. Cafe Nho in Marrickville has the coffee with the closest taste to that in Vietnam, if you've travelled there and miss the coffee I'd strongly recommend trying it out!" Cosmo's Midnight are set to take the For The Love stage on the Gold Coast (Saturday, February 25) and in Wollongong (Sunday, February 26), Melbourne (Saturday, March 4) and Perth (Sunday, March 5). For more info and to nab your tickets, head to the website.
Need a new lunchtime ritual? Spice Temple Melbourne might have the perfect option, putting a special spin on yum cha traditions at its refined Southbank digs. Drawing on Hong Kong's storied dim sum culture, the long-standing Crown Melbourne favourite adds its own rendition, with bold spices and vibrant ingredients brought together from China's diverse provinces, from Sichuan to Xinjiang. Executive Chef Andy Evans leads this assortment of elegant miniature servings, now available every day from 12–2.30pm. Designed for sharing, this generous spread fuses considered technique and Spice Temple flair, where the spirit of yum cha combines with communal dishes made for tight-knit gatherings. Celebrating texture, tradition and flavour, the menu is one hit after the next. Ease into the feast with cold cuts and salads like hiramasa yellowtail kingfish and bang bang Hazeldene's chicken. Then delve into six elevated dumpling options, spanning golden wagyu bao and prawn wontons dressed in aged black vinegar. Alongside a pair of pickle options, a selection of hot entrees is bound to entice. Fried silken tofu, crispy eggplant, and fried Corner Inlet calamari, finished with typhoon shelter-style dry dressing, are just some of the highlights. Whether you're heading along for a sharp workday luncheon or a weekend feast, expect to depart Spice Temple stuffed. And while this yum cha experience might not be exactly traditional, it hasn't overlooked the fundamental role top-quality tea plays in the ritual. There are eight to explore on the menu, with herbaceous options like chamomile and yuzu or classic peppermint delivering an intense finish. Remember, yum cha means drink tea, so don't skip a fresh brew. However, if you're keen to level up your lunchtime session, Spice Temple also has a stellar wine list designed to complement Chinese flavours, with 100 bottles to consider. Plus, there's a concise cocktail list, with 12 creative drinks themed around the Chinese zodiac. With 2025 being the year of the snake, now is the ideal opportunity to sample the matching cocktail, featuring an effervescent blend of house-infused Skyy pear vodka, yuzu, agave and ginger beer. Spice Temple's daily yum cha experience is available now from 12–2.30pm at 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank. Head to the website for more information.
In the era of stacked work calendars and social plans that feel like a game of Tetris, there's nothing better than a free weekend, an open road, and somewhere great booked on the other end. It's easy to wish away the kilometres and think the fun only starts once you get there, but we're firm believers that with a little bit of planning (and the right wheels), your next road trip can feel just as special as the getaway itself. So, to mark the release of BYD's SEALION 7, a premium electric SUV with luxury features baked in, we've pulled together a few simple hacks to help you make the most of the journey. Whether you're heading along the coast outside Sydney, inland into regional NSW, or somewhere in between, here's how to do it right. Plan Pit Stops Around Scenic EV Charging Spots If you're driving an EV, planning your route around convenient charging stops is a no-brainer. But it doesn't have to mean stopping somewhere dull. The trick is picking places you'd actually want to spend an hour or two. If you're going north from Sydney, Hunter Valley Gardens in Pokolbin makes an ideal stop. Stretch your legs in the gorgeous gardens or sample local wines while your car charges at the EV stations nearby. Heading south? Pull into Bowral to grab a coffee, stretch your legs, and maybe even pick up a treat for the weekend. Your car can recharge while you do the same. Bring The Comforts of Home with V2L Tech Why settle for convenience store snacks and lukewarm drinks when you can bring all your favourite treats with you? The SEALION 7's Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) technology lets you power anything from your mini fridge (hello, ice-cold bevs) to a sandwich press for on-road toasties or even a set of fairy lights to set the mood. Turns out a picnic doesn't need a table when you've got your whole car and all the comforts of home to play with. Tee Off at a Golf Club with Charging Stations If golf is your thing, it'd be rude not to make it part of the road trip plan. Luckily, some of the best golf courses around NSW are also great stopovers for EV drivers. Try Riverside Oaks in Cattai, a proper championship course with a bushland backdrop, Pacific Dunes in Port Stephens, or Cypress Lakes Resort Golf & Country Club in the Hunter Valley, where you can squeeze in nine holes while your car gets a top-up at the EV charging stations. Bonus: all courses are close enough to the city for a doable day trip. Treat Yourself at EV-Friendly Restaurants We're all for a cheeky roadtrip Macca's stop, but if you've got time and are near a charger, why not go for a proper meal? Thirroul's BÓVEDA does excellent Mexican and sits just a short stroll from local charging stations. Or if you're heading further north, Rick Stein at Bannisters in Port Stephens is a seafood classic worth timing your charge stop around. Settle in for a Luxe Movie Night at a Charging Stop If you've been staring at freeway lines for hours, sometimes you just need to stop and chill. The SEALION 7's 15.6-inch rotating infotainment screen, heated seats and ambient lighting are basically begging to be turned into a portable cosy cinema. Park up in Berry, Kiama or any of NSW's many scenic charging spots, throw on a movie and settle in. Who said charging breaks had to be boring? It turns out the road trip itself can be the best part of the holiday, especially when you've got the right setup. From golf clubs and dining spots and roadside cinemas, a bit of planning and modern convenience at its finest can help you make the most of the ride. With a driving range of up to 482 kilometres (which, for context, is over two weeks' worth of driving for the average Aussie) and going from 0 to 100 kilometres per hour in just four and a half seconds, the SEALION 7 is built for weekend adventures. All that's left to do is choose a route. The all-electric BYD SEALION 7 provides power, performance and planet-friendly driving. With cutting-edge EV tech, a spacious interior and the ultra-safe Blade Battery, it's ready for school runs, road trips and everything in between. Want to see how it feels behind the wheel? Book a test drive to take the SEALION 7 for a spin on the BYD website. By Jacque Kennedy
Are Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally comedy's funniest couple? Both together and apart, their resumes make a strong case for it. Here's another way to make that call: catching them live onstage together in Australia in their first-ever shared in-conversation session. It's a one-night-only date for the Parks and Recreation co-stars, happening to close out Vivid Sydney 2025. If you're as obsessed with one of the best American sitcoms of the 21st century as everyone should be, you will have spotted a trend at Vivid in the past two years. At 2024's festival, Amy Poehler was on the lineup, also getting chatting. Fingers crossed for Adam Scott or Rob Lowe in 2026. Yes, you should get the bacon and whisky ready for Offerman and Mullally. You should also prepare your ears for some high-pitched laughter. Making your own canoe? If you can, that's an appropriate way to celebrate, too. Taking place on Saturday, June 14, 2025 at the International Convention Centre Sydney, Offerman and Mullally's exclusive Vivid show is called Unscripted & Unfiltered with Nick Offerman & Megan Mullally, and falls into the Harbour City event's Global Storyteller series — which is also bringing Martha Stewart to the New South Wales capital in 2025, was why Poehler was on 2024's lineup, and has also seen The White Lotus' Jennifer Coolidge and Mike White, filmmakers Baz Luhrmann (Elvis) and Spike Lee (Da 5 Bloods), and Australia singer Troye Sivan get talking in past years. Parks and Recreation's on-screen Ron and Tammy Swanson were meant to tour to Australia together in 2016, but Mullally had to drop out due to a scheduling conflict, so Offerman came solo. When they finally make the trip by each other's side, the husband-and-wife duo have everything from their multi-hyphenate individual careers to collaborating as creative and real-life partners to dig into, alongside their LGBTQIA+ and environmental activism. Top image: Emily Schur.
The best way to really explore a place? Taste it. We're all about food tourism and farmgate experiences in 2023, so it's delightful (and delicious) that our glorious Sunshine State is serving up a jam-packed season of delectable festivals. If you nab tickets to any of these stand-out events, you'll be well placed to eat and drink more fresh and local fare than you've done in your life. Next year's lineup will have you encounter celebrity chefs, salt-of-the-earth farmers and artisan crafters of all things gourmet and gorgeous. It will have you spend sunny days (yes, even in winter — it's Queensland) at markets and masterclasses, tours and guided tastings, feasting on farmland and sampling frothy bevs by the salty sea. You'll see the source of every bite, discover the land, sea and people behind the flavours and, of course, just consume everything the Sunshine State has to offer. Together with Queensland, we've found the intel on five fantastic foodie experiences that you'll want to get yourself to. So, pack your stretchy pants and loosen your belt, and head to Queensland for a gourmet adventure. EAT LOCAL MONTH, SCENIC RIM BRISBANE This festival is a guaranteed locavore's delight, placed in the aptly-named Scenic Rim, just a short drive from Brisbane or the Gold Coast. Running annually, Eat Local Month offers a slew of foodie and farming activities — including free and family-friendly events and the Winter Harvest Festival. The lush area is home to renowned cooks, distillers, growers, brewers, makers of all things delicious — such as award-winning camel milk gelato — and some pretty famous carrots (the region is actually known as Australia's Carrot Capital). Eat Local Month is a month of tastings, food trucks, tours, meet-the-maker events and the best chefs from Queensland and beyond coming to work their magic with the local abundance. Kids can learn about cheesemaking and gardening, all while you sip locally made liqueurs and spirits, wines from just over the hill and beers brewed just around the corner. If you're a foodie who cares about fresh produce, provenance and artisan makers, come feast on the Scenic Rim. Eat Local Month, Saturday, June 2023 THE CURATED PLATE, SUNSHINE COAST This delicious festival debuted in 2019 before being rudely interrupted by a certain pandemic. In 2022, it was offered in a smaller 'side-plate' format, but it's returning with a bang in 2023 with the full The Curated Plate festival from Friday, July 28 till Sunday, August 6. Over 10 days, you will have the chance to encounter the varied flavours of Queensland and immerse yourself in the region — this is as farm-to-table (and still-to-bottle) as it gets. You'll get the chance to meet the growers and artisans on their home turf — the Sunshine Coast — as they show off the best of the local food scene alongside guest chefs. Previous events have included fermentation and bush tucker classes, long lunches and degustations as well as boat trips and farm-gate experiences. Whatever the 2023 line-up holds, it's a food tourism extravaganza no gourmand can afford to miss. The Curated Plate, Friday, July 28 till Sunday, August 6, 2023 TASTE BUNDABERG FESTIVAL, BUNDABERG Go troppo for 10 days of pure Bundy flavour. This region is about way more than just its iconic brands (although you'll find those here, too). From Friday, August 4 until Sunday, August 13, discover the best of the locale at Taste Bundaberg with everything from farm tours and feasts to markets, masterclasses, music and maker-led events. In previous years, there's been in-orchard dining, sun-soaked long-table lunches, celebrity chef demonstrations, guided cheese-tasting, cocktail making and gourmet picnics where you can sample the produce from the land beneath your very feet. With glorious weather, there's a full program of indoor and outdoor activities for foodies and families to take advantage of. Taste Bundaberg, Friday, August 4 till Sunday, August 13, 2023 CRAFTED BEER & CIDER FESTIVAL, BROADBEACH Sprawling across Broadbeach's Kurrawa Park, the Crafted Beer & Cider Festival welcomes the best local breweries and bigger names from around the country. You're in for two expertly curated days of ice-cold frothies and foodie delights beside the beach. Last time, there was nearly 60 breweries and over 400 beers. Sound overwhelming? Don't worry, the full list and tap map are released ahead of time so you can plot your golden haze of a journey along the rows of beers, ciders, seltzers, ginger beers and more (there's vinos, spirits and cocktails too). You can expect a few festival exclusives, specialty beers and non-alc options as well — plus live music to feed your ears and food trucks for your bellies. Vendors are still TBC, but you can expect all you need for a day of beer and sunshine. For tunes, a full spectrum of musicians will take to the stage, from established acts (2022 saw British India headlining) to emerging artists. Crafted Beer & Cider Festival, Saturday, September 9 till Sunday, September 10, 2023 MORETON BAY FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL, MORETON BAY BRISBANE Showcasing the culinary delights and fine fresh foods of southeast Queensland, the Moreton Bay Food and Wine Festival is taking over Woody Point's Apex Park for the first weekend in August, 2023. The celebration is part of the epic six-week Tastes of Moreton Bay Festival. In 2022, more than 20,000 people rocked up for the weekend, and you can be sure that eager, hungry crowds will once again converge beside the glittering waters of Moreton Bay to savour fine foods. A smorgasbord of foodie experiences will roll out over one long weekend — everything from maker's markets, performances and masterclasses to classic games of beer pong and spectacular fireworks. Sip cocktails by the water or watch as celeb chefs take to the stage to demonstrate their recipes demonstrations that make the most of the fine foods from the land, sea and artisans in this prodigious pocket of the Sunshine State. Moreton Bay Food and Wine Festival, Friday, August 4 till Sunday, August 6, 2023 To explore more of the food and wine events taking over Queensland in 2023, head to the website.
Believe it or not, it's been 14 years since Stephenie Meyer's vampire romance saga first hit the big screen — and since tweens across the globe collectively fell in love with Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, too. The pair's careers have rocketed since, with KStew hopping between everything from Clouds of Sils Maria and Personal Shopper to Charlie's Angels and Spencer, and RPatz going from The Rover and Good Time to Tenet and The Batman. They'll always have that undead franchise on their resumes, though. Forgotten what the five vamp films are like? Love them and want to see them on a big screen again? Just adore movie marathons in general? Whatever reason you have, the Twilight Saga Five-Movie Marathon wants you to sink your fans in. Stewart, Pattinson, Taylor Lautner and all-star supporting cast that spans Dakota Fanning, Anna Kendrick, Michael Sheen and Bryce Dallas Howard will all feature at Cinema Nova as the five blockbusters hit the silver screen once more. The lengthy journey of glorious supernatural light-erotica will kick off at 8.45pm on Saturday, July 30, and then again at 8.30pm and 9pm on Saturday, October 15 — all as Bella lands in Forks, Washington in the original Twilight film. From there, it's all love triangles, revengeful vampires, and half-human babies as New Moon, Eclipse and the two-part Breaking Dawn features run back-to-back. Tickets cost $45, and expect company — these sessions are proving popular. Also, you'll score breakfast in-between the two-part finale. Updated August 3.
Asking someone out is hard. Sometimes it can take weeks (perhaps even months) to tuck your sweaty hands behind your back, make your best attempt at flirting and pop the question. But contrary to popular belief, that's not the toughest part — figuring out where to go is. If it's something new, chances are you don't want to drop a load of cash just yet. Not that it gets any easier if you've been together a long time, either — new haunts are hard to come by when you're five years in and trying to balance both romance and a budget. To help you out, we've partnered with Melbourne's ridesharing platform DiDi to find five fresh spots that'll have you and your date seeing stars in your eyes — and not because of the menu prices. Just like you, DiDi is committed to keeping costs down, too, so what you save on transport, you can spend on dates, dinners and good ol' debauchery. Stop fearing your wallet, pick one of these affordable spots and get ready to have fun night.
Maybe viewing old episodes of Aerobics Oz Style helped you stay active during 2020's first long lockdown. Perhaps you've been obsessed with the now-iconic Key & Peele aerobics meltdown sketch for years, as everyone should be. Or, you might've watched the excellent Kirsten Dunst-starring On Becoming a God in Central Florida and got bitten by the water aerobics bug. Whichever fits — or even if none of the above applies to you — leotards, exercise and all things 80s haven't been far from our screens in recent years. And, they'll feature again in a big way in Apple TV+'s new ten-part dark comedy series Physical. Set in the decade that's always going to be synonymous with leg warmers, Physical sees Rose Byrne make the leap from hanging out with talking CGI rabbits in terrible book-to-screen adaptations to getting hooked on aerobics. She plays Sheila Rubin, a San Diego housewife with a husband that's running for California's state assembly. While playing her dutiful part as expected, she struggles with her self-image. Then, the only form of exercise that TV shows and movies seem to think that anyone did back in the 80s suddenly enters her life. Cue a journey that brings Sheila success, and turns her into a lifestyle guru. Obviously, she won't be posting about her daily life on social media — but this show is set in the peak VHS era, so expect videotapes to play a part in the story. Physical is set to start streaming on Friday, June 18, and will drop its first three episodes in one hit before releasing the rest weekly afterwards. Naturally, big hair and spandex abound in the just-dropped, supremely 80s trailer for the series. Alongside Byrne, the show stars Rory Scovel (I Feel Pretty), Dierdre Friel (Second Act), Della Saba (Ralph Breaks the Internet), Lou Taylor Pucci (American Horror Story), Paul Sparks (The Lovebirds) and Ashley Liao (Fuller House). Desperate Housewives and Suburgatory's Annie Weisman created, wrote and executive produced Physical, and serves as its showrunner, while I, Tonya's Craig Gillespie, Dead to Me's Liza Johnson and Love Life's Stephanie Laing all enjoy stints in the director's chair. Check out the teaser trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQaHAy7r660 Physical starts streaming via Apple TV+ on Friday, June 18.
Villeneuve, Denis Villeneuve: that's who is next helming cinema's biggest spy franchise, with the filmmaker locked in to direct the 26th Bond movie. The film doesn't yet have a title. If you're wondering who'll be drinking shaken — not stirred — martinis as 007, that hasn't been announced yet, either. But putting Villeneuve in the director's chair is an impressive development, especially given his recent track record. Since 2017, taking on big-name sagas has been Villeneuve's remit. It has worked spectacularly well so far. Accordingly, after Blade Runner 2049, then Dune and Dune: Part Two — plus the upcoming Dune: Messiah — he'll move into Bond's espionage realm. [caption id="attachment_763765" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nicola Dove © 2019 DANJAQ, LLC AND MGM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.[/caption] "Some of my earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007. I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since Dr No with Sean Connery. I'm a die-hard Bond fan.To me, he's sacred territory. I intend to honour the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come. This is a massive responsibility, but also incredibly exciting for me and a huge honour," said Villeneuve in a statement "Denis Villeneuve has been in love with James Bond movies since he was a little boy. It was always his dream to make this movie, and now it's ours, too. We are lucky to be in the hands of this extraordinary filmmaker," added producers Amy Pascal (Challengers) and David Heyman (Wonka). Amazon MGM Studios is behind the new take on the British agent. Villeneuve is also one of the film's executive producers, as is Tanya Lapointe — with the latter also working with the former on his Dune flicks. Everything from there, including the movie's plot and cast, is still to be revealed. If you want to start wondering whether the Sicario and Arrival filmmaker might enlist his Dune lead Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown) as 007, that's up to you. Speculation about who'll next portray the character has been swirling since Daniel Craig (Queer) left the part following No Time to Die. There's no shortage of names being floated for the role by the internet, including Aaron Taylor-Johnson (28 Years Later), Aaron Pierre (Rebel Ridge), Theo James (The Monkey), Henry Cavill (Argylle), James Norton (Playing Nice) and Jack Lowden (Slow Horses) — and anyone else you can think of. Whoever gets the part, they'll be in excellent past company. Sean Connery smouldering his way through everything from Dr No to Diamonds Are Forever, Roger Moore stepping into 007's shoes between Live and Let Die and A View to A Kill, Timothy Dalton's two-film run in The Living Daylights and Licence To Kill, Pierce Brosnan's stint as the secret agent between GoldenEye and Die Another Day, Daniel Craig's contributions from Casino Royale onwards, Aussie actor George Lazenby's one-movie appearance as James in On Her Majesty's Secret Service: that's the Bond lineup since 1962. There's no sneak peek yet at the 26th Bond film, obviously, but check out the trailer for No Time to Die below: There's no word yet when the 26th Bond film will release, or its title — we'll update you when more details are revealed. Denis Villeneuve images: Raph_PH via Flickr.
Foggy skies are causing plenty of drama in Melbourne — and around the country — today, especially for those travelling to or from the airport. As The Age reports, the heavy haze has disrupted flights going in and out of Melbourne Airport and has caused delays of up to two hours. Virgin has already cancelled one flight from Sydney to Melbourne this morning, with more Tiger and Jetstar flights on the same route also set to experience delays. Two of Jetstar's return flights to the Gold Coast have also been cancelled, along with eight Qantas flights scheduled to fly out of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. But a spokesman from the airport told Fairfax that skies were set to clear by later this morning, saying "we are also hearing predictions that the fog will lift earlier than expected". Even if you're not travelling to the airport, it goes without saying that you should take caution on and near the road this morning as visibility is low. The Bureau of Meteorology has tweeted about the 'pea soup', suggesting northerly winds will help push it away in the next few hours, giving Melbourne clear, sunny skies for the rest of the day. For the 4th day in a row #Melbourne has woken up to a thick blanket of fog, will clear later this morning - unlikely to see another pea souper around the city tomorrow, as northerly winds pick uphttps://t.co/POnouPMIRA pic.twitter.com/c0SECqDebB — Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) April 22, 2018 Via The Age. Image: Bureau of Meteorology via Twitter.
Netflix's algorithm has clearly figured out one of the most obvious and basic facts about humankind there is: we all really love dogs. That was obviously the idea behind the streaming platform's 2018 canine-centric documentary series — and the show sent viewers so barking mad with affection that it's coming back for another season. Called Dogs, the thoroughly feel-good series follows different puppers in different places around the world, as well as the two-legged folks who care for, groom, dress and even fish with them. Of course, the adorable balls of fluff are the real drawcards. The six-episode first season dedicated its frames to canines in Syria, Japan, Costa Rica, Italy and the US, each with their own stories to tell. The show's return was announced back in 2019, and was hardly unexpected. If something is a hit — and Dogs was, naturally — Netflix is never quick to say goodbye. Been spending the last two years wondering when a new batch of cute little woofers would grace your screen? Thankfully, that wait is about to come to an end. On Wednesday, July 7, the streaming platform will drop the show's second four-episode season — which shouldn't be confused with Dog TV, the new streaming service that's all about content especially for pooches. Netflix has also just released a trailer for Dogs, too, so prepare to meet four new canines who make their human companions' lives better with every bark. This time, viewers will be spending time with a lively four-legged university mascot, as well as the just-as-endearing dogs adored by an astronaut, a priest and a military contractor. Check out the season two trailer below: Dogs' second season will be available to stream on Wednesday, July 7 via Netflix. Images: Netflix.
Drink Local, Think Global. A brewer's motto for the modern day. More than ever, people are concerned about local producers, more in touch with local brands and looking to make that personal connection to a product they use. Craft beer is also becoming more and more prominent in the lives of clued-up drinkers. Along with dedicated beer halls, bars with extensive craft beer lists and an all-round desire to learn more, Australia even has its very own craft beer publication based in Sydney. Big and smaller brands alike are turning their attention to local producers and locally grown ingredients to create their products. Even Cascade Brewery, Australia's oldest brewery based in South Hobart, is changing things up. We chat to Cascade's brand manager, Louise Thiele, about local produce, Tasmania and a good stout. Cascade has recently moved towards a more local focus. Can you tell us a little bit about this? One of the priorities for us with Cascade is that if you've got Australia's oldest brewery in Tasmania, why wouldn’t you use what Tasmania has to offer to make the beers? We have an amazing region for ingredients, which is known across the country. It just made sense to us. All the beers are brewed here at the brewery and we think it is really nice to be able to give back to the state. Some of our workers have been here for 40 years and it's their pride and joy. It is about employing local people across the local business and giving back to Tasmania. Where exactly are your local ingredients coming from? One of the local products we use are the hops from Derwent Valley, 45 minutes away from the brewery. We are now using only Tasmanian hops, not mainland hops. We have some great relationships with the producers and we think it's important to foster those relationships. Across the portfolio, we use a wide range of hops depending on the style. The team at Cascade are also not far off commissioning a new water filtration plant. This should enable us to supply filtered mountain water for brewing. We're currently using some mountain water in the maltings. We also use some filtered mountain water for cleaning and the pasteuriser systems in the brewery. Most of the water used currently in production is filtered local mains water. Can you tell us about the new brews, and what we can expect from the classic brews? I think the key for us is to reinforce that Pale Ale hasn't changed. It is a fantastic recipe. Pale Ale is the oldest brewed beer and, while over the years there have been very slight changes, it is a classic brew that is loved by the locals and those on the mainland. The Premium Lager was previously made using imported hops so we've changed that recipe to include Tasmanian hops instead. The feedback says that consumers are really liking the new lager. The Bright Ale is new altogether, so a completely new recipe has been created there. It is really giving consumers something easier to drink, but craft enough to give nice aroma and mouth feel. We think this will be a favourite. Which elements of the heritage are still important in moving forward? We are Australia's oldest brewery and we haven't always embraced that. We have often just played to the fun aspect of beer, which doesn't do our history justice. Consumers want credibility and authenticity, and, with Australia's oldest brewery, we think we are nailing that. The new bottles are about reflecting the history of the brewery and taking inspiration from the museum bottles we've been looking through. Interestingly there are so many trends where companies are looking for provenance. Similarly, we are looking for authenticity and provenance whilst using Tasmania's quality produce. Craft beer is certainly on the rise, where do you think Cascade sits in relation to those smaller craft breweries? We are smaller than James Squire, so we see ourselves as entry into craft. If a consumer is drinking a standard beer, Cascade gives them the ability to explore craft but still with an easy drinking style. Once consumers like the Pale Ale, for example, they are more likely to try the others. In terms of other small craft breweries, we think it's really healthy to have smaller breweries out there. The more beer being produced the better. It gets people to talking about and exploring beer. So what is your favourite beer from the Cascade range? The Bright Ale. It has a lovely floral aroma and a really nice mouth feel. It feels like you're drinking a full-bodied beer but it’s only 4.2% alcohol. It's interesting, has notes of passionfruit and is a beautiful beer. But, I also love the Stout — especially with chocolate.
Gin dreams are made of this: a sprawling distillery that doubles as an indoor/outdoor gin garden, lets spirits aficionados sip plenty of gin (obviously), and also serves up snacks made with spent gin botanicals. That's all on the menu at Four Pillars' redeveloped Healesville base, which has finally relaunched to the gin-adoring public following a hefty $7 million makeover. Gin fiends of Australia have been singing the brand's praises for almost a decade, with the beloved distillery setting up shop in 2013, then opening up its Healesville digs to the public in 2015 — and the latter's revamp will only evoke more cheers. Announced back in early 2021, and up and running since Tuesday, April 26, Healesville 2.0 aims to be a gin lover's heaven. In fact, if this doesn't entice juniper spirits-lovers to the Yarra Valley to enjoy Four Pillars' tipples, nothing will. Sitting directly adjacent to the company's original home on Lilydale Road, the new 1000-square-metre space helps turn the brand's headquarters into a gin destination, and has almost tripled the area available to visitors. As well as the aforementioned Jude's Gin Garden — which overlooks leafy trees and has sliding floor-to-ceiling windows to let the outside in (when the weather permits) — there's multiple new event and function rooms, a dedicated Four Pillars Gin Shop, and a gleaming new copper bar. On the menu: a changing array that spans tasting paddles, gin classics and familiar cocktails, plus a snack range designed by Made From Gin's Matt Wilkinson with Caro Gray. Think: duck liver pate with Bloody Shiraz Gin jelly; bagels with olive leaf gin-cured salmon; plus gin-laced potato, zucchini and dill croquettes — all using those spent gin botanicals. Still on food, the Four Pillars Tuck Shop will open later in 2022, too, serving up more substantial dishes on weekends and public holidays. Of course, a visit to this gin-swilling spot is always going to be about the spirit in question — and here it's piped into the main bar using featured copper, all so that Four Pillars can reduce its glass waste. Tonic is largely being served from kegs as well for the same reason, at a site that goes big on solar and recycling to lower the venue's carbon and environmental impact. That shouldn't come as a surprise, with Four Pillars announcing earlier in April that it has now gone carbon-neutral. Tubing is also a big design feature, with 1650 metres of raw copper tubing used to enclose the entire site — the OG building and the new base — in a veil. As well as looking stunning, it's designed to work as a natural heat exchange to reduce energy consumption. Melbourne's sustainability-led Breathe Architecture led the revamped spot's design, which also heroes recycled and upcycled concrete and bricks, plus pineapple 'leather' upholstery. The furniture has been sourced locally, and local natives and botanicals play a big part in the landscaping both indoors and out. And yes, many will end up in Four Pillars' gins in the future. It's expected that the redevelopment will see between 150,000–200,000 visitors a year head to the Healesville facility — and, because updating the production side of things was also part of the makeover, it'll now allow Four Pillars to produce more than one million bottles of gin a year as well. To the delight of your tastebuds, that means more of its award-winning range — which includes barrel-aged, bloody shiraz, rare dry, yuzu, Christmas, overproof, olive leaf and summer-inspired gins. And yes, Healesville 2.0's launch helps cap off a huge few years for the gin company. It was named the world's best gin producer for two years running, sold half of its business to beer behemoth Lion and opened a Sydney bar in the middle of the pandemic — and now, of course, this. Four Pillars' revamped distillery is now open at 2 Lilydale Road, Healesville — operating from 10.30am–5.30pm Sunday–Thursday and 10.30am–9pm Friday–Saturday. Images: Anson Smart.
There’s something about Naples and the number three. The soft cool stripes of Neapolitan ice cream come in three. Naples itself is the third largest city in Italy. And now, to bring it all home to Melbourne, the newest and third addition to Johnny Di Francesco's wood-fired pizza franchise is 400 Gradi Essendon. The man himself trained in Naples, which has undoubtedly allowed him to go on to make that award-winning margherita. Perhaps that’s why he went for the restaurant trifecta, adding the Keilor Road restaurant to his Brunswick East and Crown outposts. It seemed only right then, that we gave the ‘third food degree’ to 400 Gradi Essendon with a close interrogation on taste. Every course was under scrutiny. Yet tortuous, it was not. Begin with the antipasti of chickpea battered oysters, fennel and chives ($4.50 each), and follow with the calamari fritti, watercress and almond aioli ($22). You’ll want to order to share with the chums you’ve carpooled there with — streets have limited parking, not to mention you’re environmentally conscious — so relax back into your seat and take in the shades of moss green and deep wooden browns. While waiting for your main, sample a glass of vini bianchi. The Monte Tondo Soave ($12) comes from Veneto in northern Italy; it’s close to chardonnay and finishes light and clean. The crowd will also be treating themselves to post-work aperitifs. It’s a fancy casual affair, with dates and families scattered about. The whole venue seats over 200, while upstairs can cater for private crowds, making it an ideal choice for hosting after-work socials. It would be remiss not to have your secondi feature their wood-fired pizza. It’s what they’re internationally renowned for, after all. By all means, try that world number one margherita, but the ortolano — an eggplant and zucchini-topped vegetarian number ($24) — is moreish and chewy, and comes topped with enough cheese to get bones smiling. Follow with forkfuls of buttery sage, leek and pumpkin ravioli ($24). No scrupulous sampling would be complete without dessert, and their margherita gelato is an experimental must. The lads will tell you it comes infused with basil and sundried tomatoes. Close those astonished mouths, for they’re jesting — and, really, the recipe is a secret (although we did manage to confirm textures of sponge). Those who prefer less savoury inspired temptations can opt for the fig and mascarpone. There are plans to open a gelato store, Zero Gradi, in Carlton sometime soon, but you should still try and sample as many tastes as possible here first. Finish your night with a shot of limoncello ($12), as recommended from your hosts. It’s creamy, it’s smooth — and to refuse would go against what Italian hospitality is all about.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. TITANE Eye roll-inducingly terrible bumper stickers be damned; no one honks if they're horny in Titane. Revving when aroused is more this petrol-doused body-horror film's style, spanning characters both flesh and chrome. When she's seen writhing in fishnets atop a flame-adorned vintage Cadillac, the stony-gazed Alexia (debutant Agathe Rousselle) is working. She's titillating a Fast and Furious-style car crowd with her sexed-up display, but the car model still seems to hum with every gyration. After wrapping up, murdering a grab-happy fan with the metal chopstick keeping her hair up and then showering off the gooey, gory evidence, she's soon purring rhythmically inside that gleaming vehicle. Yes, in a plot detail that spilled the instant Titane premiered at this year's Cannes Film Festival, where it won the prestigious Palme d'Or, this is the French car sex flick. How does someone fornicate with an automobile? Not inside or on the waxed hood, but copulating with the vehicle itself? That's one of this pumping piston of a movie's least interesting questions, although Titane does go there. In her sophomore effort after the also-phenomenal teen cannibal film Raw, writer/director Julia Ducournau isn't too interested in those specifics. She splashes the bouncy sex scene across the screen with lights flashing, human and motor pulsating as one, and pleasure seeping like exhaust fumes, but it's hardly the picture's only point of interest. Titane isn't the first feature to flirt with carnality and cars — Ridley Scott's The Counsellor had a gas-fuelled rendezvous less than a decade ago; Crash, from body-horror godfather David Cronenberg, is also steeped in automotive eroticism. But Ducournau's addition to the parking lot shrewdly links mechanophilia with agency and control, particularly over one's feelings and body. First, before cylinders start lustily thrusting, Titane finds the initial growls of Alexia's four-wheeled fascination via a quick race through her childhood. As a seven-year-old (fellow first-timer Adèle Guigue), she enjoys audibly rumbling along with the engine. She also likes kicking the chair in front of her, exasperating her dad (French filmmaker Bertrand Bonello, director of Nocturama and Zombi Child) into an accident. For her troubles, she gets a plate of the titular element inserted in her cracked skull. That steely stare matches the alloy in her head even then. From the outset, Ducournau pairs blood and metal, reshaping her central figure while laying bare her vulnerabilities. She kicks her film into a gear it'll keep shifting into again and again, too, because this is a movie about modifications: physically, emotionally and while trying to claim one's own sense of self. Titane isn't just the French car sex film, clearly. It isn't merely a car sex movie about a woman partly forged from titanium, and with a penchant for piercing her way through those who block her road. Nor is it simply the French car pregnancy flick, with Alexia and the Caddy's tryst bearing fruit — a condition she tries to conceal, especially after more deaths lead her to Vincent (Vincent Lindon, At War), a fire chief who takes her in as his long-missing son. If Ducournau had made her script out of metal, she'd be moulding it in its molten form. She'd be letting it bubble; key to Titane's blistering appeal is its eagerness to let things boil, then brim over, because the feelings and ideas it works with are that scorching. If her feature was a car instead, it'd be that libidinous, fire-emblazoned Cadillac, which arrives with a bang, lures Alexia in and then lets loose. Read our full review. VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE What's more ludicrous in Venom: Let There Be Carnage: an alien invasion of one man's body that turns into a parasite-host odd-couple show, or a prologue that thinks Woody Harrelson could've been a 90s teen? Kudos to this sequel to 2018's Venom for starting how it means to go on, at least. With its opening, set in 1996 in a home for unwanted children, the film doubles down on silliness, overblown theatrics and packaging itself as a cartoonish lark. The goofiness of the original box-office hit was among its best traits, and worked because that ridiculousness rattled against the movie's gritty superhero setup. Venom adopted all the stylistic markers that've become the serious-minded caped-crusader formula, then let Tom Hardy bounce around like he was in a comedy. But this time, everyone's gone more than a little vaudeville, as has the movie — and the outcome is right there in the title. Carnage isn't just an apt term to describe the film, which has actor-turned-director Andy Serkis (Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle) behind the lens; it's also the name of its second symbiote, aka a flesh-munching extra-terrestrial who inhabits a bag of bones, then brings out its basest urges. Mercifully, Let There Be Carnage isn't big on rehashing the mechanics established in the initial flick, but Venom fits the bill, too, after the creature took up residence inside San Francisco journalist Eddie Brock (Hardy, Capone), then unleashed the franchise's one-body, two-personality double act. Carnage, the red-hued parasite, is the spawn of Venom, albeit bursting forth from condemned serial killer Cletus Kasady (Harrelson, Zombieland: Double Tap) after a scuffle with Brock. And yes, this is the kind of feature that has the scenery-chewing Harrelson proclaim its subtitle with glee. He bellows "let there be carnage!" with winking jokiness, but resembles a ringmaster announcing the next act in a big top. Scripted by returning scribe Kelly Marcel, who also mined Fifty Shades of Grey for all the humour she could — and using a story co-credited to Hardy, who clearly has an attachment to his Marvel-but-not-Marvel Cinematic Universe character — Let There Be Carnage isn't burdened with much plot. After getting murderous following his separation from girlfriend Frances Barrison (Naomie Harris, No Time to Die) in their youth, Kasady will only tell his tale to Brock before he's executed. The latter goes awry due to Carnage's arrival, and a deal. The new symbiote will reunite Kasady with Barrison, whose ability to manipulate sound has seen her locked in an asylum, if the sadistic criminal assists his havoc-wreaking passenger to dispense with Brock and Venom. Cue the obvious — yes, carnage — and an inevitable showdown. Harrelson wasn't an adolescent in the 90s, but his performance nods to that decade, back when his resume spanned White Men Can't Jump, Natural Born Killers, The People vs Larry Flynt, EDtv and the like. That isn't a compliment; he's simply summoning-slash-parodying that heyday, and he's in a film that wishes it released then. Indeed, Let There Be Carnage could've been the hit of 1993, 1999 or any other year before Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy reshaped the genre, the MCU turned it into one of the predominant forms of big-screen entertainment (and now small screen, too), and superhero flicks began arriving every few weeks. Really, Harrelson's work here feels like a chaotic distraction rather than a throwback nudge, because there's only one great thing about Let There Be Carnage: Tom Hardy arguing with himself Read our full review. BAD LUCK BANGING OR LOONY PORN Banging is the certainly word for it; when Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn begins, it's with high school teacher Emi (Katia Pascariu, Beyond the Hills) and her camera-wielding husband Eugen (first-timer Stefan Steel) having loud, enthusiastic, pink wig-wearing sex — and filming it. Romanian writer/ director Radu Jude (I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians) shows the explicit three-minute snippet of footage as others will see it, because others will indeed see it: the students at Emi's school, their parents and her fellow teachers among them. All genitalia and thrusting and lustful talk (and shouted queries through the door from whoever is looking after the couple's child), this graphic opening also makes a bold and firm statement. So many people within the film's frames will take issue with it as vocally as Emi and her partner are enjoying themselves — and they're unmistakably enjoying themselves — but Jude definitely isn't one of them. 2021's Berlinale Golden Bear-winner, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn also starts with a gleeful provocation — not just to those seeing Emi and Eugen's home video within the movie, but to Jude's viewers. It's a jolting opening that's exactingly orchestrated to make audiences react, then unpack their own instant reflexes in tandem with the rude on-screen posse that may as well be waving pitchforks. The underlying question: to those who object, what makes this raunchy romp between two consenting adults so shocking? Worse exists on the internet en masse all the time, so is it its unexpected arrival? Within the picture, is it the fact that Emi is a teacher, a woman or that she's unapologetic, too? Both queries speak to ideas long internalised about what we see where, who we allow to do what, and the power that comes from enforcing arbitrary and hypocritical judgements about supposed immorality and obscenity. Indeed, loving, animated, costumed and sex toy-aided intercourse between a married couple in the privacy of their own home is the nicest thing that graces Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn — until the feature's glorious climax, that is. What follows the intimate clip is a razor-sharp satire of a world that's so indifferent to so much ghastliness and so often, yet remains so unaccepting of carnality and so quick to use it as a reason to unbridle our worst sniping impulses. The film wields that notion as a weapon, all as Emi and Bucharest's other residents also navigate the pandemic. Jude could've set his scorching feature at any time, but overtly drawing attention to the daily behaviour that's been accepted while the globe battles a decimating virus — and the fact that some here would rather fixate on a different and trivial kind of viral spread — makes a blunt but perceptive point. Accordingly, in the cinema verite-style first section, Emi rushes around the city on foot, going about an ordinary day that morphs into anything but. Actually, given that she learns of the sex tape backlash while surrounded by everyday hostilities and vulgarities, this chapter reinforces an ugly truth: that the performatively horrified responses from the parents of Emi's students are all too routine. Then, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn's second act unleashes scathing and playful cine-essay snippets about the country's past, the planet's present, human behaviour — often at its most atrocious — and how porn is used as both a scapegoat and an anaesthetic. Lastly, a mask-wearing Emi is interrogated and publicly humiliated by parents and teachers, their punitive savagery and blatant sanctimoniousness on full display. Read our full review. THE UNFORGIVABLE There's a sense of symmetry to the fact that Netflix drama The Unforgivable marks Sandra Bullock's first movie in three years — since she last graced the big screen in Ocean's 8 and also starred in the streaming platform's hit Bird Box, both in 2018. After winning her Best Actress Oscar back in 2009 for The Blind Side, Bullock has appeared on-screen sparingly, featuring in just seven films over that period; however, when she puts in a phenomenal performance, she's as excellent as ever. In The Unforgivable, she does haunted, dead-eyed and determined like it's second nature, playing against-type as a woman just released from prison after a 20-year stint for murder. That said, she's also one of the best things about a movie that's almost everything else enough — serviceable-enough, watchable-enough, engaging-enough, compelling-enough — as it tracks an overstuffed redemption quest. Bullock's Ruth Slater has had two decades to stew on the incident that sent her to prison: the killing of a sheriff (W Earl Brown, No Man of God) who was trying to evict her and her then five-year-old sister Katie (Neli Kastrinos, Yellowjackets) from their family's farmhouse following their father's suicide. Upon getting out, she's warned by her parole officer (Rob Morgan, The United States vs Billie Holiday) about the difficulties of reintegrating back into normality, but finding her sibling (Aisling Franciosi, The Nightingale) is the sole thing on her mind. That's complicated by Katherine's lack of memory of anything before her adoption, and her protective new parents (Succession's Linda Emond and The Comey Rule's Richard Thomas). And, while there's enough meat in that family reunion saga for the film's plot, that's only one of its threads. Screenwriters Peter Craig (Bad Boys for Life), Hillary Seitz (Eagle Eye) and Courtenay Miles (Mindhunter) have adapted The Unforgivable from three-part 2009 UK TV series Unforgiven; hence the jam-packed storyline that feels as if it's unwilling to trust that just one or two of its subplots could garner an emotional response. Also included: the stigma of life as a convicted cop-killer, a label that follows Ruth's every move; the sheriff's now-grown sons (Wonder Wheel's Tom Guiry and Dickinson's Will Pullen) and their revenge plans; a tentative connection with a colleague (Jon Bernthal, The Many Saints of Newark) at the fish factory where she works nights; the couple of well-off lawyers (The Suicide Squad's Viola Davis and Godfather of Harlem's Vincent D'Onofrio) who now live in the Snohomish County home that started all her trouble; and a secret that Ruth's been carrying for years. Davis is sorely underused, but also exceptional in her few scenes, carving out as much space as she can in a film that always seems hurried. There should be urgency to The Unforgivable, of course, given Ruth's desperate focus on reconnecting with her sister, but there's a sensation of rushing rather than immediacy. Still, thanks to her two biggest female names — with one yearning yet closed off, and the other segueing from affronted to understanding, Bullock and Davis' scenes together are repeated highlights — filmmaker Nora Fingscheidt (System Crasher) ensures that neither tension nor intensity is lacking in her English-language debut. With cinematographer Guillermo Navarro (Dolittle), she also smartly mines the parallels between Seattle's grey climes and the many shades in Ruth's restarted life, but The Unforgivable still never manages to quite match its best elements. BEST SELLERS Best Sellers is the latest case of casting-by-internet, or so it seems, at least: pairing up Aubrey Plaza and Michael Caine smacks of a feverish film Twitter dream. They both turn in fine performances, too, with the former coming off career-best work in Black Bear to play independent publishing house editorial director Lucy Stanbridge, and the latter getting a meatier role than his last Christopher Nolan-directed bit-part (that'd be Tenet) as cantankerous writer Harris Shaw. Lucy needs a big bestseller to save the business, which she took over from her father. Harris has been typing out manuscripts for the five decades since his sole success, which made the elder Stanbridge, but hasn't submitted the one he's under contract for to the company. Enter Lucy's solution to her pressing problem, and one that the reclusive Harris only goes along with because he's short on cash. Knowing how Best Sellers will turn out is as easy as knowing which marks the always-likeable Plaza and Caine usually hit. Indeed, it's knowing why their team-up instantly sounds like a winner on paper — she's acerbic, albeit in a slightly lighter mode than seen in her breakthrough Parks and Recreation role, while he relishes being a curmudgeonly, outdated drunk who yells "bullshite!" so much that it's soon a viral catchphrase. There's plenty to like about their scenes together, especially when sweetness seeps into the surrogate grandfather-granddaughter bond that develops while Lucy and Harris are on tour spruiking his new book anywhere and everywhere they can. In their solo moments, they both find rich notes of yearning and melancholy in their unlikely duo, too, cementing the film's tender but comic look at odd-couple kindred spirits. Nevertheless, while boasting its own shelf of charms, Best Sellers is more standard than stellar. Mostly, actor-turned-directing first-timer Lina Roessler and screenwriter Anthony Grieco, a fellow thespian-turned-debutant, remain happy doing the minimum — which is understandable when you have Plaza and Caine leading the show, but keeps the film from cutting as deeply as it could. There's hints of savvy savageness in Harris' rallying against the literary world, the commerce of publishing and everything that comes with being a celebrity, although it always sticks to the expected. The same applies in Lucy's willingness to rethink the usual relationship between art and money in order to get the new book, The Future Is X-Rated, to strike a chord with readers as the pair make dive bars their offices on their cross-country road trip. A movie can be nice and neat at once, and for one to be a pro while the other proves a con — and this is one of those movies. Even though it could've been so much more, Roessler's feature is an easy, undemanding and cosy watch, and its soft hues ensure that feeling remains as plain as an all-caps book cover. Best Sellers is also far too eager to stick to cliches, including that aforementioned gentle visual approach, which feels bluntly tailored to the weekday matinee crowd. Time might be against them — he's 88 now, and made it sound as if he might be done with acting while doing real-life promotional duties for Best Sellers, although he then walked that back — but here's hoping that Plaza and Caine get a second on-screen chance. Their first collaboration definitely whets the appetite for more; in fact, that's the firmest imprint it leaves. STRAY In gorgeous and glorious 2016 documentary Kedi, Istanbul's stray cats received their moment in the cinematic spotlight, and also expressed much about the Turkish city and its human inhabitants in the process. The result was perfect — purrfect, even — regardless of whether you're normally a feline fan. Indeed, it's the defining movie about mousers, and also about their relationship with both places and people (even trying to put the likes of Garfield, Cats, A Street Cat Named Bob and its sequel A Christmas Gift from Bob, some of cinema's other go-to kitties, in the same company is thoroughly pointless). With Stray, it's now their canine counterparts' time to shine, so animal-adoring film lovers can spread their love between cats and dogs equally. Where Kedi elicited purrs of elation, this dog-centric delight is a piece of tail-waggingly tender and thoughtful cinema, too. Istanbul isn't just an arbitrary choice of setting for this compassionate film; it has a 'no kill, no capture' law when it comes to the dogs roaming its streets, which is why there's more than 100,000 of them scampering around. That leaves documentarian Elizabeth Lo spoiled for choice, but she only spends time with a few of those woofers. They span street veterans Zeytin and Nazar, both of whom prowl the pavement as comfortably as they would someone's home, as well as puppy Kartal. As they sniff and scurry their way through their days, Lo stitches together a perceptive and textured portrait of their lives, of the city around them, and of the people who help and are helped by them — and, just like in Kedi (which she wasn't affiliated with at all), there's plenty of two-legged Istanbulites who prove forever changed by these canines' presence. Here, there's a group of young street-dwelling Syrian refugees that are especially touched by Zeytin, Nazar and Kartal as well. Making her first full-length film after a background in doco shorts, the director/cinematographer/editor lets her four-legged subjects be the stars, even though humans are an inescapable part of their existence. Lo is also happy to let her audience observe her furry heroes. More than that, she frequently places the camera at canine height so that viewers feel as if they're seeing the world through a dog's eyes, or getting as close as they can (far closer than simply watching your own pet on a home video, for instance). Forget saccharine Hollywood flicks that use that idea as a gimmick (see: A Dog's Purpose and A Dog's Journey — or, better yet, don't see them because they're terrible). In Stray, immersion and insight are the key aims. And, they're feats that the soulful and contemplative movie repeatedly, patiently and ruminatively delivers. The result is a doggie treat of a crisply lensed doco, and one of the biggest joys of both Kedi and Stray alike is the sensory experience that comes with their on-the-ground approach. Neither movie merely wants to just show audiences how their chosen animals live, but to convey as much detail as possible — which is where that canny camerawork, and also the feature's naturalistic soundscape, barks loudest. Some elements of Stray do strive a little too hard to resonate, though, such as its philosophical quotes about dogs and composer Ali Helnwein's score. But just as it's impossible to begrudge a pooch for being too energetic, it's difficult to fault a film this shrewd, earnest and heartfelt about the crucial role that canines inhabit in human civilisation, the many ways we benefit, and the sheer magic of a pure pupper-people connection. CRY MACHO Clint Eastwood has already had his animal phase, thanks to 1978's Every Which Way but Loose and 1980's Any Which Way You Can. At the age of 91, he's already had almost every phase in his career he's going to both in front of and behind the lens. Still, with Cry Macho, he takes the road already well-travelled by seemingly every other on-screen action star and tough guy. Eastwood has been far more than that across his filmography, but he's now buddying up with a child as everyone from Arnold Schwarzenegger and Vin Diesel to Dwayne Johnson and Liam Neeson have before him. Indeed, Cry Macho overtly resembles one of the latter's most recent movies, The Marksman, which only hit cinemas earlier in 2021. It stemmed from a former Eastwood collaborator, in fact, and felt like it should've starred him — which leaves his latest following in its footsteps. They aren't impressive footsteps to retread, although Eastwood and screenwriter Nick Schenk (a veteran of the actor/director's Gran Torino and The Mule) help imbue their feature with more depth than its predecessor. Their approach is straightforward and easy, yet it works, in no small part because seeing Eastwood stride across the frame always brings his wealth of prior roles to mind. Cry Macho leans into and toys with that past. That's an apt move in another way, given that this film could've been made with this star/helmer in the 80s, but he passed on it. Schwarzenegger also cycled in and out of the project a decade ago, but it seems this movie needed to wait for Eastwood. The throwback vibe it sports — that comes as much from it being penned by N Richard Nash in the 70s, rejected as a screenplay, then turned into a novel, as from being set in 1979 and 1980. A rodeo star whose life changed via injury (his own) and tragedy (losing his wife and son), Mike Milo (Eastwood) is content enough with his quiet twilight years. Alas, his old boss Howard (country singer Dwight Yoakam) now says that the cowboy owes him a favour. The rancher's teenage son Rafo (Eduardo Minett, La rosa de Guadalupe) apparently needs rescuing from his mother (Fernanda Urrejola, Party of Five), and Mike is the man reluctantly tasked with travelling to Mexico City to carry out the job. Unsurprisingly, the situation isn't as clearcut as Howard contends, with corrupt Federales, car thieves and other unhappy strangers on their path all muddying the road home even further. But a forced stopover in a small town, where cantina owner Marta (Natalia Traven, Soulmates) becomes the new female influence in their lives, helps forge a rapport. There's also a rooster called Macho, which is Rafo's best friend and his source of income via cockfighting — and the reason that Eastwood growls out the line "if a guy wants to name his cock Macho, that's fine with me". Mike doesn't take to the fowl at first but, of course, his way with animals is one of his defining traits. Cry Macho's chief struggle — its balance of what gleams and what's trite — shines through in this rooster relationship. There's something moving in the bond that obviously forms between Mike and Macho, as it does between Mike and Rafo, but it's also happy to be overly mawkish. The film looks the sun-drenched western part, and Eastwood plays his own part with grizzled grace; however, those uneasy balancing acts just keep popping up. Here, reflecting on what it really means to be macho and a hero goes hand in hand with writing off sexually confident women and having the movie's two primary female characters basically throw themselves at Eastwood, for instance. PALAZZO DI COZZO If Franco Cozzo was to spruik Palazzo Di Cozzo the same way he's promoted his baroque furniture business over the decades, he'd likely repeat one phrase: "grand documentary, grand documentary, grand documentary." He'd do so because that's what he's known for, and because his ads peppered with "grand sale, grand sale, grand sale" are a part of Melbourne's history, even inspiring a single that hit the charts. On the city's TV screens, Cozzo has been the face of his eponymous homewares store, so much so that he's a local celebrity. His lively exclamations fill much of this doco, too, through archival clips, observational footage of him at work and a to-camera interview. In the latter chat, he sits on one of the ornate chairs he's made a fortune selling, and answers interview questions like he's holding court — and for Melburnians familiar with his name and citywide fame, and for the uninitiated elsewhere, Palazzo Di Cozzo explains both the reason he's regarded as such a prominent personality. Written and directed by feature-length first-timer Madeleine Martiniello (The Unmissables), the result is a film about the hardworking jump its subject took from arriving in Australia from Sicily in 1956 to becoming part of the cultural fabric of his new home. Speaking about the mural painted of Cozzo in Footscray, graffiti artist Heesco notes that his tale is "the migrant dream"; however, while this affectionate film happily stresses that point, it also blissfully takes the easiest route. As a straightforward chronicle that covers the basics — who Cozzo is, what he's done, and also where, when, why and how — Palazzo Di Cozzo ticks the expected boxes in an informative and engaging-enough fashion. It tracks his story from making the move to Melbourne by boat and starting out as a door-to-door salesman, through to his 70s and 80s heyday, his frequent media presence, and his standing today. It lets his personality lead the way, too. And, the film also spends some of its early moments chatting to people who've decked out their houses with his wares, or watched their parents to do the same, to underscore what the rococo aesthetic has meant to Italian expats as an opulent slice of home. But even when one interviewee is in tears recounting how hard her mum and dad must've worked to spend $17,000 on Cozzo furniture in the 70s, there's always a sense that Palazzo Di Cozzo isn't scratching as deep as it should. The documentary doesn't avoid moments that Cozzo would rather forget, and even shows him getting irate when questioning heads in a direction he doesn't like; however, it also indulges rather than interrogates the persona that's leapt up around him over the years. Cue too many instances of people parroting his style of English back to him, and indulging a cartoonish stereotype — and very little effort to understand why that's the image Cozzo chose, what his popularity for playing that part says about Australia and its attitudes towards migrants, and also what the nostalgia afforded his way now says as well. Palazzo Di Cozzo is now screening in Sydney and Melbourne after opening in Brisbane earlier in the year when New South Wales and Victoria were in lockdown. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 1, July 8, July 15, July 22 and July 29; August 5, August 12, August 19 and August 26; September 2, September 9, September 16, September 23 and September 30; October 7, October 14, October 21 and October 28; and November 4, November 11 and November 18. For Sydney specifically, you can take a look at out our rundown of new films that released in Sydney cinemas when they reopened on October 11, and what opened on October 14, October 21 and October 28 as well. And for Melbourne, you can check out our top picks from when outdoor cinemas reopened on October 22 — and from when indoor cinemas did the same on October 29. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Herself, Little Joe, Black Widow, The Sparks Brothers, Nine Days, Gunpowder Milkshake, Space Jam: A New Legacy, Old, Jungle Cruise, The Suicide Squad, Free Guy, Respect, The Night House, Candyman, Annette, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Streamline, Coming Home in the Dark, Pig, Big Deal, The Killing of Two Lovers, Nitram, Riders of Justice, The Alpinist, A Fire Inside, Lamb, The Last Duel, Malignant, The Harder They Fall, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Halloween Kills, Passing, Eternals, The Many Saints of Newark, Julia, No Time to Die, The Power of the Dog, Tick, Tick... Boom!, Zola, Last Night in Soho, Blue Bayou and The Rescue.
UPDATE Wednesday, June 2: One word: cheese. Maker & Monger is selling the stuff to-go during lockdown, delivering cheese in both 150-gram and 250-gram wedges, along with four of its cult-favourite cheese toasties, which you can finish off at home (so they're extra hot, not soggy). Order delivery over here. Already the stuff of sweet, cheesy dreams, Prahran's go-to dairy destination Maker & Monger has taken things to the next level. From humble beginnings as a Euro-style artisan food cart, launched by renowned cheesemonger Anthony Femia in 2015, this operation has just moved into a new, bigger, permanent store at the Prahran Market. And it's a deadset cheese wonderland. Having made a name for its silky Swiss raclette and all-American cheese toasties, Maker & Monger is celebrating its roomier digs with an expanded specialty offering, complete with dine-in menu, a booze list and a monster, seven-metre-long cheese cabinet. The brass- and marble-clad space sits just around the corner from Femia's former site, with a look and feel that's largely inspired by the cheese heartland of the Swiss Alps. Here, a custom-built maturation room acts like a natural cave, used to house and mature a curation of boutique cheeses from both near and far. You'll spy dreamy dairy creations from across France, Switzerland and England, and exclusive batches from some of Victoria's own micro-dairies — all available to take home cut-to-order, as well as starring throughout the food menu. Meanwhile, fresh iterations of mozzarella, burrata and ricotta are whipped up on-site in collaboration with That's Amore. The kitchen's celebrating this bespoke cheese selection alongside produce fresh from the adjoining market, with a series of daily menus. Breakfast might mean bites like a labneh-topped bruschetta, or perhaps the new cuban toastie featuring free-range Berkshire pork shoulder, ham off the bone and melted Marcel Petite comté. Come afternoon, it's all about the aperitivo offering, pairing cheesy delights with a range of natural wine, vermouth and, down the track, sake. If you're looking to expand your cheese knowledge, the store will also host regular masterclasses and wine events, including a monthly Italian feast helmed by Femia's mother Maria.
For Melburnians the word addict isn't too far removed from how we feel about our morning coffee and side of bacon. So it makes sense in our caffeine-filled brains that the newest cafe in Fitzroy would call themselves Addict Food & Coffee. They're just speaking the truth, right? Ain't nothing wrong with that. But word on the street is their name isn't talking about us, it's talking about them — and by them, we mean partners Greg Brassil and Joe Ventura. After two years of searching, they found a perfect location for their new venture, on the corner of Johnston and Gore Streets in Fitzroy. Apart from a killer name and a good location, what do these guys have going for them? Well two ex-St Ali chefs — Mark Boyd and Steve Hogan — for one, and a focus on coffee that includes Padre beans for filter and espresso, as well as a few rotating grinds. Seems like a recipe for goodness in our books. When it comes to the food, a crowd favourite is the potato hash and mushroom duxelles with roasted field mushrooms, a poached egg and caramelised onions, plated up like a fine dining entree ($17). Other dishes see the corn fritters fried crisp and served with kasundi, haloumi (thank the lord), poached eggs, and a salad of coriander and mizuna ($17). For something on the sweeter and lighter side, the fruit bread with apricot, almond, and pistachio butter is a good place to start, while the porridge is served with bananas, walnuts and butterscotch sauce. Thank us later. Your coffee addiction won't be judged here. We promise.
Start practising your royal wave: it's time to bid farewell to The Crown. Netflix's hit regal drama is wrapping up with its upcoming sixth season, which now has both a release date and a first teaser trailer. If you're wondering when to get watching, you have two dates to put in your calendar. The Crown's final season is being split into two parts, with both arriving before 2023 is out. The first four episodes will stream from Tuesday, November 16, and then the second from Saturday, December 16. As well as saying goodbye to the series overall, viewers will also be moving on from The Crown's time in the 20th century in this sixth and final season. Although the just-dropped initial sneak peek is all about the past, permanence and legacy — Claire Foy (Women Talking) and Olivia Colman's (Heartstopper) versions of Queen Elizabeth II both feature, in fact — the hit show will embrace the 21st century in its latest run. Accordingly, The Crown will cover the early days of Prince William and Kate Middleton's relationship, and focus on the man currently second in line to the throne after Queen Elizabeth II's passing in 2022. Screen debutant Ed McVey takes on the role of Prince William, while newcomer Meg Bellamy is slipping into Middleton's shoes. The show's sixth season will follow the IRL pair's first meeting at university in St Andrew's, starting the story that's played out in plenty of headlines and a ridiculous amount of worldwide media coverage since 2001. While everything that's popped up in the series draws its details from history — dramatised history, of course, but still history — this next instalment is bound to feel even more familiar. Getting closer to our current time will do that. When The Crown began, it kicked off with Queen Elizabeth II's life from her marriage to Prince Philip back in 1947. The first season made its way to the mid-50s, the second season leapt into the 60s, and season three spanned all the way up to the late 70s. In season four, the royal family hit the 80s, while season five covered the 90s. Just like in season five, Downton Abbey, Maleficent and Paddington star Imelda Staunton dons the titular headwear in season six, while Game of Thrones and Tales from the Loop's Jonathan Pryce wears Prince Philip's shoes — and Princess Margaret is played by Staunton's Maleficent co-star and Phantom Thread Oscar-nominee Lesley Manville. Also, Australian Tenet, The Burnt Orange Heresy and Widows star Elizabeth Debicki returns as Princess Diana, with The Wire and The Pursuit of Love's Dominic West as Prince Charles. News around the show's fifth and sixth seasons has changed a few times over the past few years. At the beginning of 2020, Netflix announced that it would end the royal drama after its fifth season. Then, the streaming platform had a change of heart, revealing it would continue the series for a sixth season after all. Check out the first teaser trailer for The Crown season six below: The Crown's sixth season will hit Netflix in two parts, with the first four episodes streaming from Tuesday, November 16, and then the second from Saturday, December 16. Images: Alex Bailey / Keith Bernstein / Netflix.
It's the American cable TV network everyone knows by name in Australia, even though it doesn't air here. We all know its famed television static intro clip, too. That'd be HBO, which keeps carving out a place in TV lovers' hearts because it just keeps delivering must-see television programs. We've all just finished streaming our way through The White Lotus, after all — and next comes Scenes From a Marriage. As its name makes plain, Scenes From a Marriage steps inside a relationship, and finds that it's hardly a picture of domestic bliss. It stars two supremely watchable leads: Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain. The former was last seen on our screens saving the galaxy and fighting evil in Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker, and will also show up in Dune when it finally hits cinemas. The latter last popped up in IT: Chapter Two and the straight-to-digital Ava. And if pairing them up sounds familiar, that's because they've already navigated a complex and fraying marriage in 2014's A Most Violent Year. Given that their last collaboration turned out phenomenally, seeing Isaac and Chastain team up again looks to be a treat. And if you know your classic Swedish TV, you'll know they're following in footsteps other than their own, too. If that doesn't apply to you, this miniseries is adapted from an iconic work by one of the best Swedish filmmakers ever — the late, great Ingmar Bergman. Chastain plays Mira, a tech executive who is unhappy in her marriage to Isaac's Jonathan. He's keen to save their relationship, but marital troubles are never that straight forward — as this series promises to explore through the couple's private conversations. HBO is positioning its version of Scenes From a Marriage as a "re-imagining", which means that it shouldn't fastidiously stick to the original's beats, and it'll also jump to contemporary times. It'll still explore love, hatred, desire, monogamy, marriage and divorce, though. As the just-dropped full trailer shows, it's obviously going to get emotional. Writer/director Hagai Levi (In Treatment, The Affair) does the honours behind the lens — and you'll be able to watch and stream the full series via Foxtel in Australia from Monday, September 13, with new episodes airing weekly And yes, thanks to not just The White Lotus, but to everything from Watchmen, Chernobyl and The Undoing to I Know This Much Is True and Mare of Easttown, HBO has had a particularly great run with its miniseries recently. Obviously, that's yet another reason to be excited about Scenes From a Marriage, too. Check out the trailer below: Scenes From a Marriage will screen on and stream via Foxtel in Australia from Monday, September 13.
It's barely a week old, but already Northcote's sweetest new addition is a resounding hit, proving a sell-out success on its opening weekend. Café and dessert bar Black Waffle launched on January 21 to epic queues, with scores of punters keen to snap up one of the 5000 free scoops of artisan gelato on offer. The High Street hotspot closed out the day having mowed through about 250 kilograms of house-made gelato, sold out of its signature activated charcoal-infused waffle cones, and donated all profits from its other products to charity. Back in action and fully restocked a few days later, Black Waffle is en route to becoming a firm neighbourhood favourite, pulling Northside sweet tooths in droves. Here, the hot-ticket order is one of those striking waffle cones, crowned with a scoop of creamy gelato, in flavours like lychee, fig and honey, or Ferrero Rocher. That said, the onsite kitchen is churning out plenty of other goodies too — swing by for a Proud Mary coffee, a fresh pastry, or perhaps something even more decadent, in the form of a loaded waffle, or gelato-filled croissant. Get your Black Waffle gelato fix on the daily, at 262 High Street, Northcote. Open Monday to Thursday 9am–10pm, Friday to Sunday 9am–11.30pm.
When the director and lead of one of 2021's best Norwegian films — and best movies from anywhere that year — joined forces again, of course the Scandinavian Film Festival needed to get the resulting picture on its program. Accordingly, Sentimental Value from The Worst Person in the World filmmaker Joachim Trier, once more starring Renate Reinsve (Presumed Innocent), is one of the big highlights at 2025's Australian showcase of cinema from the Nordic region. Stellan Skarsgård (Andor) and Elle Fanning (A Complete Unknown) also feature, and the results won this year's Cannes Grand Prix (the award below the Palme d'Or). At the Scandinavian Film Festival, Sentimental Value is getting the centrepiece treatment. Movies from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland are always in the drawcard at this Aussie fest — so a Norwegian spy drama to kick things off in 2025, then an Icelandic black comedy to wrap things up, are both on the itinerary. This year's national tour will hit Melbourne across Friday, July 11–Sunday, August 3 at Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Palace Penny Lane, The Kino, Pentridge Cinema and The Astor Theatre. Launching the fest: Number 24, the latest from The Burning Sea and The Quake director John Andreas Andersen, recounting a true espionage tale from World War II. The aptly named Grand Finale comes in at the other end, spinning a Reykjavik-set story about a struggling chamber orchestra's efforts to endure. Alongside Sentimental Value, Quisling: The Final Days is another of the festival's big-name titles, this time from The King's Choice and Utoya: July 22's Erik Poppe, with the trial of its controversial namesake head of state the film's focus. Cannes favourites, blasts from the past, laughter-inducing fare: they're all on the lineup, then. Add watching Björk's daughter in her first feature role, multiple dates with Danish actor Trine Dyrholm (The Girl with the Needle) and celebrating the 25th anniversary of a Swedish romantic-comedy to the list, too. The first comes courtesy of The Mountain, a coming-of-age and road-trip flick starring Ísadóra Bjarkardóttir Barney. Dyrholm pops up in both the healthcare-centric Second Victims and the David Dencik (Other People's Money)-co-starring Beginnings. And Jalla! Jalla! is marking its quarter-century milestone. Audiences keen to spend Australia's winter feasting their eyes on colder climes from the other side of the world can also look forward to the Faroe Islands-set The Last Paradise on Earth and heading into an Icelandic seafood restaurant with Odd Fish. Nikolaj Lie Kaas (Riders of Justice) leads Way Home, about a Danish father endeavouring to save his loved ones. With heist effort The Quiet Ones, Denmark's biggest-ever robbery makes its way to the screen. Finnish relationship dramedy Sudden Bursts of Emotions, the nation's great Heikki Kinnunen playing 'The Grump' in Long Good Thursday, three siblings returning to the house they grew up in in Everything Must Go, the couch-surfing antics of Live a Little, the beer-brewing sisters of 100 Litres of Gold, My Father's Daughter's focus on a Sámi teenager: add them to your Scandinavian Film Festival list as well.
Truffle hunts, hot spas, roaring fires, incredible sunsets and pinot noir — there are so many reasons to take a winter weekender that aren't skiing. And, although Australia is synonymous with sun and surf, we're not short on mountain villages, cool climate wine regions and indulgent retreats. If you're ready to embrace the cold (but not so ready to throw your body into the snow) here are ten getaways to try — from hiking around the Blue Mountains to visiting the mineral springs capital of Australia and visiting the Adelaide Hills, where you can count on days filled with excellent wine, long lunches and vineyard strolls. [caption id="attachment_685963" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lowe Wines, Destination NSW[/caption] WINE TASTE YOUR WAY AROUND MUDGEE, NEW SOUTH WALES This pretty country town, which lies a three-and-a-half-hour drive northwest of Sydney, is home to experimental wines, friendly cafes and cosy stays. Head to Huntington Estate for big reds, Lowe Wines for spectacular views and Heslop Wines for small-batch drops in a 100-year-old cottage. The best spot for a long lunch is Pipeclay Pumphouse at the Robert Stein Vineyard & Winery. But, if you're looking for casual cafe fare, there's Alby & Esthers or Artisan on Lewis, where you'll eat surrounded by local artworks. When the time comes to rest your weary head, check into Perry Street Hotel, which is built within the converted 19th-century Mechanics Institute building that takes its design cues from Berlin, or sink into luxury at Sierra Escape, a luxe glamping retreat just outside of town, with phenomenal rural views, fire pits and outdoor baths. [caption id="attachment_726006" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Evans Lookout Blackheath, Destination NSW[/caption] HIKE AND CAFE HOP IN BLACKHEATH, NEW SOUTH WALES Get stuck into some invigorating mountain air, epic views and decadent dishes in Blackheath. This 5000-person village is in the Blue Mountains, one hour-and-forty-five minutes' drive west of Sydney. At 1000 metres above sea level, it occasionally gets snow, so pack your parka. Start by heading to Evans Lookout, where you'll find spectacular vistas and the starting point for a three-kilometre clifftop walk to Govetts Leap. Then it's time to eat. You'll find Campos coffee, an extensive tea menu and tasty brekkies at Anonymous Cafe, plus Asian-inspired hatted fare at Fumo Restaurant. If you're looking for a luxe sleepover, check into Parklands, where you'll wake up to 28 acres of landscaped gardens. For more local tips, see our weekender's guide to the Upper Blue Mountains. [caption id="attachment_669808" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hepburn Bathhouse, Visit Victoria[/caption] SOAK IN MINERAL HOT SPRINGS IN DAYLESFORD, VICTORIA Swap skis for springs in Daylesford. Found a 90 minutes' drive northwest of Melbourne, in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range, this 2500-person town is home to the biggest concentration of mineral springs in Australia. That means there are plenty of places to kick back in a piping hot, nutrient rich bath and soak your winter worries away. Get started at the Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa, where Victorians have been blissing out since 1895, or the Japanese-inspired Shizuka Ryokan. Other adventures to add to your itinerary include hot chocolate at The Chocolate Mill, mulled cider beside the fire at Daylesford Cider Company, a multi-course feast at Lake House and a stay at Clifftop at Hepburn. [caption id="attachment_692634" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Keppel Lookout, Visit Victoria[/caption] WANDER THROUGH ELEVATED VILLAGES IN MOUNT DANDENONG, VICTORIA Dead keen to getaway, but not so keen on a long drive? Make Mount Dandenong — just one hour's drive east of Melbourne — your destination. You'll be out of the big smoke before you know it — and wandering through mountaintop villages, magical forests and frost-kissed gardens. To reset as quickly as possible, head to the Japanese Mountain Retreat in Montrose, for hot springs and spa treatments. When you're brave enough to face the great outdoors, make tracks to Olinda's RJ Hamer Arboretum, where there are more than 150 types of trees, or the Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden. Meanwhile, there's a cracking Devonshire tea — beside a crackling fire — to be enjoyed on at Ripe Cafe, Sassafras, and craft brews galore at Oscar's Alehouse, Belgrave. Still more time to kill? Get more ideas over here. [caption id="attachment_619823" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Fortitude Brewing Co.[/caption] SAMPLE LOTS OF CRAFT BREWS IN MOUNT TAMBORINE, QUEENSLAND Queensland is best known as a destination to escape winter, but the state isn't all tropical climes. And, among its most scenic cool spots is Mount Tamborine, in the Gold Coast hinterland, around an hour's drive south of Brisbane. Launch into your weekend with a wine tasting at Cedar Creek Estate Vineyard & Winery or a beer sampling at Fortitude Brewing Co, before tucking into a comfort food feast at Three Little Pigs Bar and Bistro. In between eating and drinking, you'll be journeying through ancient rainforest, getting to know glow worms and snuggling up in a cottage or chalet. [caption id="attachment_726033" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ridgemill Estate[/caption] STROLL THROUGH IDYLLIC COUNTRYSIDE, WINE IN-HAND, IN STANTHORPE, QUEENSLAND If your favourite winter warm-up is a good glass of red, then you ought to head to Stanthorpe. This riverside town — located three hours' drive southwest of Brisbane — is in the heart of Queensland's Granite Belt, an area of the Great Dividing Range known for its idyllic countryside, striking granite formations and wines. Visit Ridgemill Estate for shiraz, Whiskey Gully for malbec and Colombard, and Savina Lane for single vineyard drops, plus the occasional snowfall. Cheery cabins and cottages abound. [caption id="attachment_619495" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dark Mofo's Winter Feast, shot by Rémi Chauvin.[/caption] IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE DARK ARTS IN HOBART, TASMANIA Ever since Dark Mofo — MONA's annual festival of darkness, death and change — launched in 2013, Hobart has been a firm favourite for winter weekenders. If you're in town in June, you should definitely immerse yourself in some dark arts. If not — or in addition — there are stacks more adventures to be had, from whisky tasting at Lark Distillery to lunch by the water at Aloft Restaurant to local art, objects and food at the Salamanca Market. Hobart's watery surrounds are magical in winter, so try to sleep with views — both The Henry Jones Art Hotel and MONA Pavilions have them. [caption id="attachment_717921" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Grindelwald Swiss Village.[/caption] TAKE A PRETEND TRIP TO SWITZERLAND IN TAMAR VALLEY, TASMANIA Take a mini-trip to Switzerland in Tasmania's Tamar Valley. Just 15 minutes' north of Launceston, you'll find Grindelwald, a village modelled on a Swiss one, complete with gable roofs, paddle boats and an 18-hole mini-golf course. Beyond that, Tamar Valley is a world of winding rivers, green valleys and rolling farmlands that produce a cornucopia of cheese, truffles, walnuts, cherries, ciders and beers. There are also plenty of wineries to hit up here, too. Don't miss brekkie surrounded by wetlands at Stonesthrow, dinner at Stillwater Restaurant or an evening in front of your own sandstone fireplace at the Red Feather Inn. [caption id="attachment_726040" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Karrawatta Wines[/caption] MEANDER THROUGH THE VINEYARDS IN ADELAIDE HILLS, SOUTH AUSTRALIA Every year, the Adelaide Hills welcomes winter with lazy lunches, wine-inspired events and festivals, including Winter Reds: a celebration of red wine, open fires and rustic fare, happening from July 26–28, 2019. Meanwhile, in Hahndorf, Australia's oldest surviving German settlement, you can do winter as the Deutsche do: with baked goodies, chocolates and craft beer. Other spots to visit include the quirky Uraidla Hotel, built in the 19th century; Karrawatta Wines, where wine tasting takes place beside an outdoor (or indoor) fire; and Hardy's Verandah Restaurant, for hearty fare with panoramic views. [caption id="attachment_726046" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Truffle Kerfuffle, Jessica Wyld Photography[/caption] GO TRUFFLE HUNTING (WITH ADORABLE DOGS) IN MARGARET RIVER, WESTERN AUSTRALIA Like Queensland, Western Australia is famous for its warm retreats. But, stick to the southern part of the state, and you'll discover charming wintry destinations a-plenty. For lovers of wine and good food, the Margaret River is the place to go. You'll avoid summer crowds, while making the most of winter festivals, like Truffle Kerfuffle, from June 21–23; Cabin Fever Festival, going down from July 19–28; and CinefestOZ, from August 28–September 1. Plus, even when there are no special events happening, there are bucketloads of drops to drink and, on the coast, whales to watch. Top images: Hepburn Bathhouse; Truffle Kerfuffle by Jessica Wyld Photography; Sierra Escape.
If your favourite Nutella recipe is to take a household tablespoon and dig straight in, then we don't blame you. The delicious hazelnut spread makes eating chocolate for breakfast an entirely acceptable concept. In fact, Nutella is so fondly-held across the globe that it's prompted its own dedicated festival, a toaster-shaped food truck and an honourary burger from the golden arches. Melbourne's obsession with the stuff even caused a country-wide shortage a few years ago. Nutella lovers now have 185 new ways to enjoy the spread as the brand launches its very own recipe book. The hardback, titled 'Delicious Creations with Nutella', showcases a selection of recipes for every occasion, covering everyday breakfast and afternoon options to celebratory moments like Christmas and Valentine's Day. The recipes inside were inspired by the creations of Aussie and Kiwi home cooks who have been making and sharing their ideas over the past 12 months. Within the book's 185 pages you can find simple no-frills recipes slathering the chocolatey spread on white bread through to more elaborate creations like three-layer cheesecakes, mille-feuille with chantilly mousse and choux pastries. So how do you get your hands on one? Just 2000 copies of 'Delicious Creations with Nutella' are up for grabs between Australian and New Zealand. Until June 28, those who buy a specially-marked jar of Nutella and then enter online will be in the running to score their own copy. Nutella is also bringing the recipes to life in a series of cooking classes around Australia. Cooking schools hosting classes in May and June include Sydney's VIVE Cooking School, Brisbane's Lumiere, Perth's The Little Italian School and Adelaide Chocolate School. For more information about 'Delicious Creations with Nutella' and the brand's series of cooking classes, visit, nutella.com.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vdaJcoKk0s PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN Promising Young Woman would've made an excellent episode or season of Veronica Mars. That's meant as the highest compliment to both the bubblegum-hued take on the rape-revenge genre and the cult-status private detective series. Writer/director Emerald Fennell clearly isn't blind to the parallels between the two, even casting Veronica Mars stars Max Greenfield (New Girl) and Chris Lowell (GLOW) in her feature debut. Don't go thinking the Killing Eve season two showrunner and The Crown actor is simply following in other footsteps, though. At every moment, the brilliant and blistering Promising Young Woman vibrates with too much anger, energy and insight to merely be a copycat of something else. It's a film made with the savviest of choices, and provocative and downright fearless ones as well, in everything from its soundtrack to its weaponised pastel, peppy and popping Instagram-friendly imagery. You don't include Italian quartet Archimia's orchestral version of Britney Spears' 'Toxic', Paris Hilton's 'Stars Are Blind' and an abundance of vibrant surface sheen in a movie about a woman waging war on the culture of sexual assault without trying to make a statement — and Fennell succeeds again and again. She has also made the smart decision to cast Carey Mulligan, and to draw upon the acclaimed actor's near-peerless ability to express complex internalised turmoil. Mulligan's fierce lead performance scorches, sears and resounds with such burning truth, and so does the feature she's in as a result. When Mulligan's character, Cassie Thomas, is introduced, she's inebriated and alone at a nightclub, her clothing riding up as she slouches in her seat. Three men discuss women over beverages by the bar, and notice Cassie while talking, with one commenting, "they put themselves in danger, girls like that". No woman brings sexual assault upon themselves, with this whole intelligent and astute revenge-thriller rebuffing the bro-ish bar guy's early observation in every way possible, and meting out punishment to those who think similarly. As viewers see in the film's opening sequence, Cassie is offered help by one of the chatting guys, Jerry (The OC's Adam Brody), who is concerned she could be taken advantage of by men who aren't as nice as him — but then takes her home, makes sexual advances, and learns that the medical school dropout-turned-coffee shop employee he's trying to bed has a lesson for him. Colour-coded names and tallies scrawled in a notebook illustrate this isn't a first for Cassie. The script drip-feeds details about its protagonist's motivations for her ritualistic actions; however, the specifics aren't hard to guess. Cassie's central vigilante quest is forced to adapt after she hears news about someone from her past, and the movie takes her to bold places, boasting a relentlessness that mirrors the persistence of grief and pain after trauma. Promising Young Woman never lets its protagonist's rage subside, proving furious from start to finish — and sharing that feeling even in the film's most overt setups and obvious scenes (which are also some of its most entertaining) is a foregone conclusion. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4gSLP9Smlg SUMMERLAND Opening in the mid-70s, Summerland begins with Alice Lamb (Penelope Wilton, Downton Abbey) tapping away at her typewriter and scaring away the children who come knocking at her door. Rewind to the 40s, and the younger Alice (Gemma Arterton, Their Finest) does much the same. She's been labelled a witch by the kids in her seaside village, and she's hardly happy when the pre-teen Frank (Lucas Bond, The Alienist: Angel of Darkness) arrives on her doorstep as part of a government program to evacuate the next generation from London. In fact, Alice demands that he be rehoused instead of interrupting her work; however, she's told that'll take a week. Moving to the big screen after stage success as a playwright and theatre director (and making short film Leading Lady Parts, also starring Arterton), debut feature filmmaker Jessica Swale penned the original script, so Summerland isn't based on an existing text or property — but everyone watching knows Alice and Frank have ample time to overcome their initial animosity, and that that's exactly what'll happen. Indeed, exploring an unexpected connection between a misanthrope and the young boy placed in her care, tackling multiple types of trauma, and espousing the enduring need for hope, this primarily World War II-set drama proves standard, straightforward and predictable in many ways. And yet, it also demonstrates that a feature can be neat, obvious, heartfelt and rivetingly acted all at once. When it spins a story about a woman given a new lease on life via an unanticipated bond that's thrust upon her, Summerland rarely flirts with surprise, let alone delivers many. Again and again, Swale's screenplay makes easily anticipated choices, and yet it also tells a resonant tale in the process. The film feels as if it has been built around Arterton, and it's definitely better for it. Thanks to her lived-in performance, Alice is able to navigate a formulaic emotional journey and still staunchly feel like her own person at the same time. Other than Arterton's memorable efforts, Summerland also benefits from two specific aspects: the backstory behind Alice's demeanour, and the way it unpacks her outsider status. Inescapably, the movie includes an almost-cringeworthy, far-too-convenient twist — but when it leaps back to the 20s, to Alice's immediate attraction to and subsequent time with Vera (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Misbehaviour) during her university studies, it doesn't just add a love story to the narrative. In its flashbacks and the shadow they leave on Alice's WWII-era life, the film also invests depth and emotion that isn't as strong otherwise, unleashes unexpected elements that aren't evident elsewhere, and offers a quiet yet potent undercurrent of subversion as well. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxGXbsiDhw0 SPREAD YOUR WINGS Whether they're about people helping other creatures find a way back home, spin stories about connections between different species that change everyone involved, or combine the two in one setup, films about humanity's bond with cute critters comprise a hefty genre. French family-friendly drama Spread Your Wings doesn't just belong in this category, but heartily embraces everything that audiences have come to expect from features that fit the above description — and it also shows how charming movies about humans and animals can be when done simply but well. Sharing a storyline similar to 1996 American film Fly Away Home, but actually based on the real-life exploits of meteorologist Christian Moullec, the latest effort from filmmaker Nicolas Vanier (Belle & Sebastian, School of Life) follows a scientist who is certain that he can save an endangered species of wild geese by teaching them a new migration route, even if his superiors scoff at his idea. With the flying waterfowl's usual path filled with hazards, such as airports, powerlines and light pollution, Christian (Jean-Paul Rouve, I Wish Someone Were Waiting for Me Somewhere) plots an alternate course, raises a new gaggle of goslings from birth, then plans to take to the skies in a homemade ultra-light aircraft to show them the way. Working with a screenplay written by Moullec and Matthieu Petit, then adapted by Vanier and Lilou Fogli (Blind Date), Spread Your Wings recognises the strength of its story. Crucially, while it tells Moullec's tale via fiction rather than as a documentary, it doesn't overcomplicate or overdramatise the narrative. Sent to stay with him for three weeks, Christian's teenage son Thomas (Louis Vazquez, In Her Hands) becomes as engaged in the project as his dad, even taking the lead when authorities in Norway try to scupper their flight — and while everything in the plot charts the expected course, including Thomas' involvement and the firm bond he forges not only with all the geese in his care, but with one white waterfowl from a different species, Spread Your Wings always feels as if it's telling a timeless story, rather than a cliched and well-worn one. The lively efforts of Rouve and a tender performance from Vazquez helps immensely, as does the scenic cinematography, which heads above the earth as much as it can. Vanier is obviously well aware that he's soaring into busy territory, and opts for a classic approach — which pleasingly works for viewers of all ages. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6iXpyVQf5Q&feature=youtu.be BUDDY GAMES When Adam Sandler factored into Oscar consideration for his phenomenal performance in Uncut Gems this time last year, he said that if he didn't receive a nomination from the Academy, he'd make a movie that was downright terrible on purpose. He doesn't star in Buddy Games, and this flat-out awful comedy actually premiered six months before Uncut Gems did (yes, even though it is just reaching Australian cinemas now); however, it's the kind of film one would imagine that Sandler was talking about. Directed, co-written by and starring Transformers: The Last Knight actor Josh Duhamel, this oppressively unfunny flick feels like the product of a bet to turn Jackass into fiction, to make it as awful and obnoxious as possible, and to give Duhamel both a cruisy filmmaking credit and the easiest on-screen role of his career. The premise: for years, a group of male friends have gathered together over a boozy summer weekend to compete in challenges, obstacle courses and games, with bragging rights the ultimate prize. Then one of their get-togethers goes wrong, the tournaments are shuttered and everyone loses touch. Jump to five years later, when ringleader Bobfather (played by Duhamel, of course) is convinced to restart the festivities by his struggling pal Shelly (Dan Bakkedahl, Space Force) — and, at the urging of the rest of the gang (Entourage's Kevin Dillon, Psych's James Roday Rodriguez, CHiPS' Dax Shepard and The Wrong Missy's Nick Swardson), to put up $150,000 for the winner. Duhamel and his fellow first-time feature screenwriters Bob Schwartz and Jude Weng must find testicle jokes and cocktails made with semen hilarious, because that's comedic level that Buddy Games operates on. Also covered: men strapping slabs of meat to their head, then trying not to get attacked by a wild reptile; and a chauvinist contest to see who can pick up a woman at a bar, dance with them and land a kiss, all after just taking laxatives and straining to avoid defecating. While meant to garner laughs, the film simply serves up sad middle-aged men trying to assert their masculinity and hold onto their youth in a puerile way — and says plenty about the folks who thought it was a movie worth making. Unsurprisingly given the alpha male traits aggressively on display, women barely feature, and are either stunning but still one of the guys when they do (with The Predator's Olivia Munn the only female cast member with any real screen-time) or painted as the object of no one's real affection. Homophobic references abound, too, and the fact that one of the group is secretly gay (his only character trait) is as cliched and flimsily thought-out as it sounds. Not even the cast appears particularly committed to their parts, other than Duhamel, obviously, and an over-acting Bakkedahl. Adam Sandler didn't end up getting an Oscar nomination for Uncut Gems — but whatever he thinks will be his absolute worst film is bound to be better better than Buddy Games. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been throughout the year — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30; August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27; September 3, September 10, September 17 and September 24; October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22 and October 29; and November 5, November 12, November 19 and November 26; and December 3, December 10, December 17, December 26 and January 1. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves, The King of Staten Island, Babyteeth, Deerskin, Peninsula, Tenet, Les Misérables, The New Mutants, Bill & Ted Face the Music, The Translators, An American Pickle, The High Note, On the Rocks, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Antebellum, Miss Juneteenth, Savage, I Am Greta, Rebecca, Kajillionaire, Baby Done, Corpus Christi, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, The Craft: Legacy, Radioactive, Brazen Hussies, Freaky, Mank, Monsoon, Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt), American Utopia, Possessor, Misbehaviour, Happiest Season, The Prom, Sound of Metal, The Witches, The Midnight Sky, The Furnace, Wonder Woman 1984, Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles, Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman and The Dry.
When you're looking for a change of pace, Queensland's outback reaches might just be the perfect place to take some time out and get into the wild. But where should you start exploring the seemingly endless expanse of red dirt and rolling hills? Located about 800 kilometres west of Brisbane, the charming community of Cunnamulla fits the bill. Boundless opportunities await for you and your travelling buddies to embrace this rural heartbeat of Australia, thanks to its enchanting river systems, soaring sand dunes and historic outback stations. Meanwhile, Cunnamulla also has just enough creature comforts to ensure a relaxing stay. In partnership with Wild Turkey, we've picked out seven ways to experience this fascinating rural region. [caption id="attachment_841312" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] VISIT A TRADITIONAL OUTBACK STATION AND EXPERIENCE LIFE ON THE LAND Whether you're a city slicker or certified survivalist, enjoying life on an outback station is an unforgettable experience. Fortunately, the areas surrounding Cunnamulla are home to a number of historic farmlands that welcome visitors for outdoor adventures and backcountry camping. One such example is Franc Villers Station, which features serene unpowered camping sites alongside a picturesque dam. Here, you're welcome to fish, swim or just relax in the country air. Meanwhile, Nulla Station offers camping along the Warrego River right beside a wildlife reserve, with a network of tributaries and rocky outcrops offering self-guided explorations. [caption id="attachment_841313" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] KAYAK, FISH OR SWIM IN THE MIGHTY WARREGO RIVER The Warrego River gives life to this dusty part of the country, stretching for more than 1000 kilometres and supporting the region's remarkable flora and fauna. Running through central northern New South Wales and southwest Queensland, this alluring intermittent river system is best experienced up close — and Cunnamulla is one of the best spots from which to do just that. Bringing along a kayak or canoe ensures you catch a glimpse of the shifting landscape, which traverses through wide-open plains and dense timber forests. The Warrego is also great for fishing, with freshwater species like silver perch and Murray cod known to inhabit the biodiverse waterways. [caption id="attachment_844554" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Elliott Kramer[/caption] GO SANDBOARDING ON NATURAL RED SANDHILLS Cunnamulla might be 850 kilometres from the nearest beach, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy some of the country's best sandboarding adventures in the heart of the outback. While the climb to the top of these natural lofty dunes is a little tough, your efforts will be well rewarded with a thrilling ride down the slopes. A selection of local tour companies transport travellers to and from the nearby sand dunes, and also provide all the gear you need to surf these granular waves. Plus, the dunes offer awesome views of the surrounding landscape, ensuring you can fully appreciate the scale of the outback. TEE OFF AT THE CUNNAMULLA GOLF CLUB If you're planning to head to Cunnamulla, you don't have to leave your favourite set of clubs behind. The Cunnamulla Golf Club offers 18 challenging holes that ensure you practice your game overlooking the great outback expanse. However, don't expect the Augusta National when you arrive. This remote golf course is landscaped using dirt fairways and sandy 'greens', meaning you might have to give your swing some extra oomph. Sections of the course are lined with river gums and coolabah trees, so keep an eye out for local wildlife using the course as a thoroughfare from the nearby Warrego River. [caption id="attachment_844043" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mark Gillow (Flickr)[/caption] TAKE A STROLL AND GO WILDLIFE SPOTTING AT THE CUNNAMULLA BUSHLANDS The Cunnamulla Bushlands are perfect for a relaxed wander that puts you amongst the region's incredible natural beauty. This site is divided into ten ecological sections, with a charming one-kilometre walk that ensures you experience each one. Right at the end, you're rewarded with a peaceful place to sit in the wetlands. Here, striking native animals also run wild. You won't have any problem finding kangaroos with Cunnamulla recognised as having one of the largest populations in Queensland. Plus, the area is also known as a great place to see emus taking a stroll. [caption id="attachment_841311" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] TAKE IN HISTORY AND CULTURE ON THE CUNNAMULLA HERITAGE TRAIL Cunnamulla and the surrounding Shire of Paroo are steeped in history with the land occupied by the Gunya people long before the township's foundation. Nowadays, you can explore this history through the Cunnamulla Heritage Trail, which documents tales about the characters and buildings that forged this captivating outback community. There's great insight into the town's folklore throughout the trail. For instance, the Robber's Tree was climbed by wannabe bandit Joseph Wells as he tried to escape the police after he attempted to pillage the Queensland National Bank in 1880. Meanwhile, the towering bronze figure of the Cunnamulla Fella captures the spirit of 1950s bush characters recounted in Slim Dusty's namesake tune. [caption id="attachment_841310" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] CAMP OUT AT CHARLOTTE PLAINS STATION AND COOL OFF IN ITS ARTESIAN SPRINGS Cunnamulla offers visitors a range of comfortable accommodation options. But if you're looking for a unique outback stay, resting up at Charlotte Plains Station will deliver something special. Spanning a mind-boggling 70,000 acres, this massive property offers endless ways to reconnect with nature. While hundreds of working sheep and cattle are dotted across the farm, parts of the property have been transformed into idyllic countryside retreats, with powered camping sites, bungalows and more. With guests invited to shear sheep, search for stunning wildlife and bathe overlooking an ancient bore, this outback experience is like no other. Top image: Tourism and Events Queensland
When Scrubs first aired across 2001–2010, the prognosis for a patient would sometimes look bleak, only for their fortunes to thankfully change for the better. Now that it's officially returning for a new batch of episodes, the same is true of the show itself. In America's 2025–26 TV season, Sacred Heart Hospital will be back on our screens — complete with a few very familiar faces. Word of Scrubs being revived has been floating around for a few years, with another run for the hit sitcom locked in late in 2024. A full new season has just been ordered, however, and Zach Braff (Bad Monkey), Donald Faison (Home Delivery) and Sarah Chalke (Rick and Morty) are all confirmed to be making comebacks, Variety reports. There's no exact date for the series' 2025–26 return as yet, or word of where you'll be able to watch it Down Under. Still, who has two thumbs and is excited about one of the most-entertaining network comedies of the 00s hitting screens again — and about JD, Elliot and Turk all being a part of it? Anyone who has ever watched Scrubs' initial nine seasons. Braff, Faison and Chalke aren't just returning on-screen, but will each be executive producers on the new series. In front of the camera, it's also expected that more OG cast members will join them. Getting the gang back together shouldn't come as a surprise if you've also caught other shows created by Bill Lawrence, including Ted Lasso and Shrinking in recent years. Found families are a regular part of his work. They're also something that he cherishes off-screen, he shared with Concrete Playground in a 2024 interview about season two of Shrinking. "I still spend time with the cast and crew of Scrubs, not because we're working together, but because I sincerely love them," Lawrence told us at the time. It seems that JD and Turk will be at the centre of the plot when Scrubs pops up on-screen again, as will Sacred Heart. The two long-time pals are set to be back working together for the first time in some time, bromance still intact, while the hospital will also welcome new characters. There's obviously no trailer for the new Scrubs yet, but you can check out clips from past seasons above and below: Scrubs is set to return in America's 2025–2026 TV season — we'll update you with further information, including where to watch it Down Under, when more details are announced. Via Variety. Top image: NBC/Getty Images.
