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.
If you've ever seen Patricia Piccinini's Skywhale in full flight — or you've been lucky enough to catch a glimpse of its recent companion, Skywhalepapa — you won't have forgotten it. As these billowing balloons float across the sky, they bring the acclaimed artist's otherworldly creatures, and her fascination with the weird, the wonderful, and the lines between reality and science fiction, into the biggest arena there is. If you've been to one of her indoor exhibitions, you will have experienced the same feelings of awe, curiosity and intrigue, too. That's what her work conjures up with its hyper-real yet exaggerated forms that straddle the gap between art and science. Piccinini's latest such example: A Miracle Constantly Repeated, which was originally announced as part of this year's brand-new Rising Festival. The Melbourne arts event was impacted by Victoria's late-May lockdown; however, fans of Piccinini's inimitable art can now check out her current exhibition until Sunday, January 16, 2022. As announced today, Thursday, July 29, Rising has extended A Miracle Constantly Repeated's season for obvious reasons (since the exhibition opened, Melbourne has been through not just one lockdown, but two). When it has been able to welcome in punters so far, the Piccinini showcase has proven popular, attracting close to 20,000 visitors already. It's easy to see why folks have been flocking to the artist's latest creation. All of her signature touches are evident in its rooms of twisted flowers and eccentric bodies — and, whenever you walk through the former, it really does feel like stepping onto another planet. A Miracle Constantly Repeated also marks the Melbourne creative's first hometown show in almost two decades. And, it sprawls across the usually closed Flinders Street Station Ballroom. The venue hasn't been open to the public in more than 30 years, in fact. Now, both the ballroom and nine other surrounding rooms play host to Piccinini's pieces. This overall exhibition is designed to showcase the site, too, with the artist responding to the space as an organic environment. Accordingly, expect to see her critters placed amongst peeling paint and sat next to left-behind filing cabinets. [caption id="attachment_821137" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Patricia Piccinini[/caption] Announcing the extension — a welcome kind of extension for once, given how often that term applies to lockdowns and restrictions of late — Rising Co-Artistic Director Hannah Fox said that "in an era marked by cancellations, shortened seasons and sudden ends, we are so delighted by the degree to which audiences have embraced this stunning exhibition by one of Australia's foremost artists." She continued: "that we are able to extend the season for A Miracle Constantly Repeated, ensuring more people get to experience this incredible space, while continuing to draw visitors back to the CBD as the city continues to recover and rebuild, is all the more gratifying." Tickets to visit the exhibition from Wednesday, September 1 onwards will go on sale at 10am on Friday, July 30 — and attendees can also listen to a personal tour from Piccinini, via an audio guide, as they wander through the space. Patricia Piccinini's A Miracle Constantly Repeated is on display at Flinders Street Station Ballroom, Melbourne, until Sunday, January 16, 2022. Tickets for dates from Wednesday, September 1 onwards will go on sale at 10am on Friday, July 30. Images: Eugene Hyland.
Combining luxury camping with wine, vineyard glamping is the trend that no one can say a bad word about. Well, if they have, we haven't heard it — especially considering there are sites all over the country, from Bendigo to Mount Cotton just outside of Brisbane to a luxury pod-based version in South Australia's McLaren Vale. And now the Mornington Peninsula is set to score its own permanent winery glamping ground. Mornington Peninsula Glamping first popped up last year at Rosebud's Blue Range Estate Wines — memorable not only because it overlooks the vineyard, but because it also has views out over Port Phillip Bay. The outdoor accommodation will reopen for the warmer months on October 4 — but, this time, the tents will be permanent and able to be booked all year-round. The tents in question measure five-by-five metres and are all decked out with a queen-sized bed with 1000-thread-count sheets, two armchairs and a coffee table, plus solar power to keep your devices juiced. You'll also find an esky, a fan and mosquito spray in your tent, along with magazines and board games to keep you entertained. There will be ten tents on-site when it reopens in October; however, that should have increased to 20 by February next year. [caption id="attachment_740062" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Christian Melone on the glamping site.[/caption] You'll have to bring your own food and drinks — and there are barbecues and a cooking area to do some cooking — but antipasto boards and, of course, wine can be purchased on-site. Mornington Peninsula Glamping is the brainchild of Christian Melone, whose family own and run the vineyard, with his grandparents establishing the site back in the 80s. Unfortunately the winery's cellar door and restaurant are currently closed for renovations, but hopefully will be back up and running come summer. Find Mornington Peninsula Glamping at Blue Range Estate Wines, 155 Gardens Road, Rosebud, Victoria.
Plenty can happen in six years. Since the last time that Hans Zimmer performed in Australia, his score for Dune won him his second Academy Award and his work on Dune: Part Two earned him his fifth Grammy, for instance. Over that period, the iconic composer has also given everything from No Time to Die, Wonder Woman 1984, Top Gun: Maverick and The Creator to Prehistoric Planet and Planet Earth III their tunes. One of the biggest names in big-screen music, he's clearly been busy — but he's not too busy to add a three-city Aussie tour to his 2025 calendar. Zimmer will head Down Under for the first time since 2019, again taking to the stage in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. If you've seen him live before, you'll know that this is quite the sonic experience, especially for movie lovers. And if you haven't caught him yet, you'll want to fix that at his April gigs at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney and Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena. [caption id="attachment_990222" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lee Kirby[/caption] For more than four decades now, Zimmer has given screens big and small a distinctive sound. The German composer helped put the bounce in The Lion King's score and the droning in Inception's memorable tunes, and has loaned his talents to everything from Thelma & Louise to Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy to Blade Runner 2049. It's an impressive list that just keeps going and growing — see: above — and it sounds even more impressive when played live and accompanied by an orchestra. The latest trip Down Under for the man who has worked his music magic on a wealth of titles — Hidden Figures, The Boss Baby, Dunkirk, Widows, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, The Lion King remake and The Crown are just a few more of his recent-ish credits — comes not only after his 2019 visit, but after he toured his Hans Zimmer Revealed concert series in 2017, including to Australia. His 2025 shows see the return of his Hans Zimmer Live gigs, complete with a 19-piece live band and full orchestra, as well as a huge stage production that features a luminous light show and other eye-catching visuals. [caption id="attachment_990219" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Suzanne Teresa[/caption] While the Oscar, Golden Globe, Grammy and Tony-winner obviously isn't going to perform every single one of his iconic film scores, expect to hear plenty of your favourites from a newly arranged lineup of tunes that includes Dune, Gladiator, Interstellar, The Dark Knight, The Lion King, The Last Samurai and Pirates of the Caribbean. Onstage, Zimmer will have Australian singer Lisa Gerrard for company, with some of the songs that she co-penned with him featuring in the set — so, tracks from Mission: Impossible, King Arthur, Black Hawk Down, Tears of the Sun and more. "I'm thrilled to return to Australia with my wonderful band and excited to share this phenomenal show. I love this feeling of uniting my family of extraordinary musicians with you, the audience. Just an unbelievable family of talents that — to me — makes them the best supergroup of musicians in the world," said Zimmer, announcing his new Aussie tour. "But nothing would have meaning without the good grace and support of you, the other part of the family — the audience. Ultimately, the music connects us all, and I promise you this: we will always play our best, straight from the heart." [caption id="attachment_990220" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Suzanne Teresa[/caption] Hans Zimmer Live Australian 2025 Dates Thursday, April 24 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre Saturday, April 26 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Tuesday, April 29 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne [caption id="attachment_724856" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Frank Embacher Photography[/caption] Hans Zimmer Live is touring Australia's east coast in April 2025. For more information, and for tickets — with presales from 11am local time on Tuesday, February 11 and general sales from 12pm local time on Wednesday, February 12 — head to the event's website. Top image: Suzanne Teresa.
Shusai Mijo is a little oasis of luxury on the much-loved Johnston Street strip‚ best known for its underground arts scene, small bars, cheap eats and smattering of local designer shops. Here, it almost seems strange to find a high-end omakase restaurant where you fork out $250 for an extravagant degustation. But it is a sign of the area's gentrification with plenty of locals now on the hunt for fine-dining haunts. And those folks are in for a real treat. Chef Jun Oya (ex-Warabi) is running the show with Sous Chef Takuro Abe (ex-Warabi) for a different kind of omakase experience than you might be used to. At Shusai Mijo, Oya is championing a Kappo-style omakase which includes more cooked dishes than you'll find at other Melbourne omakase spots. The menu changes seasonally, mostly depending on what fish is available both from Australia and Japan, but it does tend to follow a particular pattern of courses. A somewhat complex appetiser starts off the proceedings — we had the mixed seafood dish made with pufferfish, scallops, snow crab and tiny firefly squid. There's a lot going on here, but the delicate combination of flavours is handled with a master's touch. This is reflected throughout Oya's menu, where you won't be hit in the face with big flavours, but instead invited to explore a more understated and subtle cooking style where the top-grade seafood is the champion of each dish. Everything else is but a stellar support act. The second course is a seamed dish, followed by some sashimi, then a deep-fried dish, two separate rounds of sushi, a grilled plate and finally a dessert. Some of these courses include one large plate of food, while others include a selection of smaller one-bite options. Each is sublime — especially the melt-in-your-mouth wagyu nigiri that's cooked with hot coals right in front of you. When it comes to drinks, Matthew Ng (also ex-Warabi) has curated a tight but truly impressive list of wines and sakes from all over, many of which won't be found anywhere else in Melbourne. Whether you're drinking wine, sake, cocktails or beers, he'll pair them up with whatever creation is being plated up next. The trio of Warabi alums struck out on their own and have created a damn good fine-diner in Fitzroy. If you're in the area and can afford such a luxurious experience, do check to see if they can fit you at the eight-seater omakase bar. You'll find Shusai Mijo at 256 Johnston Street, Fitzroy, open 6–10pm from Tuesday to Saturday. For more information, head to the restaurant's website.
Is it a balloon? Is it a giant beach ball? No, it's (This is) Air, the National Gallery of Victoria's 2023 Architecture Commission. Thanks to the St Kilda Road arts institution's annual commitment to livening up its garden by celebrating design, a towering sphere is making Melbourne home until June 2024. This isn't just any old 14-metre-tall globe: as everyone can see while in its presence, it breathes, inhaling and exhaling to draw attention to air. When the NGV International hosts this yearly architecture commission, almost anything can grace the venue's grounds. In the past, that's meant a colourful mini Parthenon, a bright pink pool to wade through, a bamboo garden with its own deck and a pink carwash, all memorable. Among a series of pieces all literally designed to stand out, (This is) Air might just have them beat. A lofty sphere that expands with air, then releases it — doing so all day from Thursday, November 23 — isn't easily forgotten. One of (This is) Air's aims: to make the invisible substance that's there in its name visible. Australian architect Nic Brunsdon has joined forces with ENESS — the art and technology company behind public artworks such as Sky Castle, Airship Orchestra, Cupid's Koi Garden, Lost Dogs' Disco and more — on the work that promised to make quite the sight when it was announced back in July, and proves the case now that it has been installed. No one in the vicinity will be able to miss it, either, thanks to that 14-metre height when it's fully inflated. To get to that measurement, it uses air as a building material. And when it breathes out, it does so by releasing gusts, forming different cloud-like shapes, then filling back to capacity again. Brunsdon and ENESS also want everyone taking in (This is) Air to think about humanity's need for and relationship to air. While you're peering at the commission, you'll see air in action and notice how essential it is. Also highlighted: how dependent we all are upon the element, how finite it is and how its quality is being impacted. As (This is) Air gets viewers pondering, it's also designed to be uplifting. As is always the case with the NGV's yearly commission, it'll provide a place for accompanying performances and other public programs in the NGV Garden, too.
If you thought yoga retreats were all silence and brown rice, Yoga Cucina invites you to reconsider. Initiated by a trio of yoga instructors — and wine drinkers — it's a brand new kind of yoga-inspired getaway. Gear up to spend a weekend practising your salutes to the sun and downward dogs, in between sampling several drops, feasting on Italian fare, playing darts and swimming beneath waterfalls. "We want it to be an adventure, rather than a retreat," says Aly Clarke, who's organised the project alongside friends Rebecca Lockyer and Claire Blackwood. "It's not about people dressing in white and wearing patchouli." The idea came about at 1am, over a year ago. "We'd been to yoga together and were starving," Aly says. "Claire's husband, Marco [Gobbo] and his best friend Luca [Faccin] are both chefs, so they cooked up some risotto. There we were, eating and drinking wine and rum, and playing poker. We started thinking, other people must want to do this." And so, Yoga Cucina was born. The first adventure will be held over three nights, from September 29 to October 2 in The Pill Factory, a 19th century sandstone building in NSW's Southern Highlands. Think Chesterfields, open fireplaces and secretive nooks. "On the first night, we'll meet for a pre-dinner drink, then sit down to a big, family feast," Aly explains. Marco and Luca, who are both Michelin star trained, will be taking care of that. Come morning, you'll wake up to a two-hour yoga session, soundtracked by hip hop, before partaking in a barbecue lunch. Then it'll be off to a local national park for swimming under waterfalls and back to The Pill Factory for a pasta-making class, followed by another epic dinner and an evening in the games room, playing pool, darts and board games. Days two and three offer similar eclecticism, including a meeting with a monk at nearby Sunnataram Theravada Buddhist Monastery. A weekend at the retreat will set you back $880-935 per person, which includes all activities and brunch, dinner and snacks. Space is strictly limited to 26 and there are rooms for singles, doubles and groups. "The building is really big, so there's heaps of space for people to spread out and do whatever they want, Aly says. "We want them to feel free to do as little — or as much — as they'd like." After the first adventure is completed, the Yoga Cucina team will look further afield. When we chatted with them, they were scoping out venues in Tasmania. The first Yoga Cucina adventure will take place from September 29 to October 2 at The Pill Factory in NSW's Southern Highlands. For more information and to book, visit yogacucina.com. Image: Leeroy Te Hira.
When the end of January rolls around in Australia, folks get a-counting. The nation loves working through the top 100 tunes of the past year thanks to Triple J's huge annual music poll, and has for decades. And, it loves celebrating the brews everyone is likely sipping while listening to that countdown, too — aka the yearly GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers list. This yeasty ranking does for beer what the other Hottest 100 does for bangers, and it has just anointed its best tipple from 2022's brews. Coming out on top is Mountain Culture's Status Quo pale ale, with the New South Wales brewery from the Blue Mountains giving the GABS countdown a new winner for the first time in a few years. In both 2020 and 2021, Canberra's Bentspoke Brewing Co did the honours with its Crankshaft American IPA. In 2022, that brew came in third instead Mountain Culture also bested 2017 and 2018 winner Balter Brewing Company, which notched up second position with its Balter XPA. And, it beat out Stone & Wood's Pacific Ale, the winner of the 2011, 2015, 2016 and 2019 polls, and 2020's second-place getter, which nabbed fourth position this year — as it did in 2021. Your Mates Brewing Co came in fifth with its Larry pale ale, while Better Beer's zero carb variety sits in sixth. Rounding out the top ten are Young Henrys' Newtowner pale ale in seventh, Coopers' original pale ale in eighth, Bridge Road Brewers' Beechworth pale ale in ninth and Black Hops Brewery's GOAT hazy IPA in tenth. Mountain Culture, which is run by husband-and-wife team DJ & Harriet McCready, also placed 15th and 31st with other tipples — and clearly had ample company. 2022's hottest 100 was whittled down from 311 vote-receiving breweries and 2140 of their beers, with more than 60,000 folks having their say about Australia's best craft beers. As a result, the top ten was the most closely contested in GABS history, and a record-equalling 58 breweries made the full list of 100 brews. That includes 28 beers from NSW, 26 from Queensland and 18 from Victoria, plus 11 from Western Australia, nine from the ACT and eight from South Australia. Run by GABS — or the annual festival also known as the Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular, which returns for 2023 this May and June — the countdown is a people's-choice poll decided by booze lovers around the country. If you're thinking "less background, more beer", here's what you've been waiting for: the rundown of the best beverages from the past year that just keep tempting tastebuds. Working your way through the whole 100 isn't just a great way to show your appreciation for locally made brews, either — consider it research for the 2023 countdown. GABS HOTTEST 100 AUSSIE CRAFT BEERS OF 2022: 1. Mountain Culture — Status Quo Hazy Pale Ale 2. Balter Brewing Balter — XPA Pale Ale 3. BentSpoke Brewing Co — Crankshaft American IPA 4. Stone & Wood Brewing Co — Pacific Ale Australian Pale Ale 5. Your Mates Brewing Co — Larry Australian Pale Ale 6. Better Beer — Better Beer Zero Carb Australian Pilsner 7. Young Henrys — Newtowner Australian Pale Ale 8. Coopers Brewery — Original Pale Ale Australian Pale Ale 9. Bridge Road Brewers — Beechworth Pale Ale American Pale Ale 10. Black Hops Brewery — G.O.A.T. New England IPA 11. Gage Roads Brewing Co — Single Fin Australian Pale Ale 12. Capital Brewing Co — Capital XPA Pale Ale 13. Pirate Life Brewing — South Coast Pale Ale American Pale Ale 14. Revel Brewing Co — Strawberries & Cream Sour Ale Kettle Sour 15. Mountain Culture — Cult IPA New England IPA 16. Brookvale Union — Ginger Beer 17. Philter Brewing — Philter XPA Australian Pale Ale 18. Beerfarm Royal — Haze Hazy IPA 19. Balter Brewing — Hazy IPA 20. Black Hops Brewery — East Coast Haze Hazy Pale Ale 21. Balter Brewing — Eazy Hazy Hazy Pale Ale 22. Little Creatures — Little Creatures Pale Ale American Pale Ale 23. Heads Of Noosa Brewing Co — Japanese Style Lager 24. BentSpoke Brewing Co — Barley Griffin Australian Pale Ale 25. 4 Pines Brewing Co — 4 Pines Pacific Ale Australian Pale Ale 26. Coopers Brewery — Sparkling Ale Australian Pale Ale 27. Hawke's Brewing — Hawke's Patio Pale American Pale Ale 28. Brick Lane Brewing Co — One Love Pale Ale American Pale Ale 29. Grifter Brewing Co — Pale Australian Pale Ale 30. Modus Brewing — Modus Cerveza Lager 31. Mountain Goat Beer — GOAT Very Enjoyable Beer Lager 32. Better Beer — Better Beer Ginger Beer 33. Heaps Normal — Quiet XPA Pale Ale 34. Capital Brewing Co — Coast Ale California Common 35. Blackflag Brewing — Rage Juicy Pale Pale Ale 36. Mountain Culture — Be Kind Rewind New England IPA 37. Matso's Broome Brewery — Matso's Ginger Beer 38. Your Mates Brewing Co — Tilly Ginger Beer 39. Coopers Brewery — Coopers XPA American Pale Ale 40. Balter Brewing — Bucket Full Of Nothin' Hazy IIPA 41. CBCo Brewing — Pale Ale American Pale Ale 42. Capital Brewing Co — Hang Loose Juice Blood Orange NEIPA New England IPA 43. 10 Toes Brewery — Pipeline Pale Australian Pale Ale 44. Balter Brewing — Captain Sensible American Pale Ale 45. Ballistic Beer Co — Hawaiian Haze Hazy Pale Ale 46. Bright Brewery — Alpine Lager Lager 47. KAIJU! Beer — KAIJU! KRUSH Australian Pale Ale 48. Grifter Brewing Co — Serpents Kiss Fruit Beer 49. Feral Brewing Co — Biggie Juice New England IPA 50. White Rabbit — White Rabbit Dark Ale 51. Big Shed Brewing Concern — Boozy Fruit New England IPA 52. Green Beacon Brewing Co — Wayfarer Tropical Pale Ale Australian Pale Ale 53. Range Brewing Co — Disco Hazy Pale Ale 54. Stomping Ground Brewing Co — Gipps St Pale Ale American Pale Ale 55. Young Henrys — Hazy Pale Ale 56. Willie The Boatman — Albo Australian Pale Ale 57. Burleigh Brewing Co — Twisted Palm Australian Pale Ale 58. Hawke's Brewing — Hawke's Lager Australian Pilsner 59. Akasha Brewing Co — Super Chill Australian Pale Ale 60. Dainton Beer — Equalizer Hazy Pale Ale 61. 4 Pines Brewing Co — 4 Pines Pale Ale American Pale Ale 62. Kosciuszko Brewing Co — Kosciuszko Pale Ale American Pale Ale 63. Black Hops Brewery — Black Hops Pale Ale Australian Pale Ale 64. Brouhaha Brewery — Strawberry Rhubarb Sour Kettle Sour 65. Moon Dog Craft Brewery ‚ Old Mate American Pale Ale 66. Blackman's Brewery — Juicy Banger Lager 67. Capital Brewing Co — Trail Pale Ale American Pale Ale 68. Hop Nation Brewing Co — J-Juice New England IPA 69. Blackflag Brewing — Astro Punk XPA Pale Ale 70. Gage Roads Brewing Co — Side Track All Day XPA Pale Ale 71. Your Mates Brewing Co — Sally American IPA 72. Bodriggy Brewing Co — Speccy Juice Session IPA 73. Burleigh Brewing Co — Bighead No-carb Lager Lager 74. Coopers Brewery — Coopers Pacific Pale Ale Australian Pale Ale 75. Eumundi Brewery — Eumundi Alcoholic Ginger Beer 76. Rocky Ridge Brewing Co — Jindong Juicy Hazy Pale Ale 77. Young Henrys — Natural Lager Lager 78. Dainton Beer — Blood Orange NEIPA New England IPA 79. Hop Nation Brewing Co — Rattenhund Pilsner 80. Capital Brewing Co — Rock Hopper IPA American IPA 81. Little Creatures — Pacific Ale Australian Pale Ale 82. Diablo Co — Diablo Ginger Beer 83. Stone & Wood Brewing Co — Cloud Catcher Australian Pale Ale 84. BentSpoke Brewing Co — Sprocket American IPA 85. Gage Roads Brewing Co — Hazy As Hazy Pale Ale 86. Wayward Brewing Co — Raspberry Berliner Weisse Berliner Weisse 87. Young Henrys — Motorcycle Oil Porter 88. Mismatch Brewing Co — Session Ale Session IPA 89. Little Creatures — Rogers Amber Ale 90. One Drop Brewing Co — Double Vanilla Custard Pancake Imperial Nitro Thickshake IPA Milkshake IPA 91. 4 Pines Brewing Co — Hazy Pale Ale 92. Balter Brewing — Balter IPA American IPA 93. Coopers Brewery — Best Extra Stout 94. Hawkers Beer — West Coast IPA American IPA 95. Gage Roads Brewing Co — Pipe Dreams Coastal Lager Australian Pilsner 96. Range Brewing Co — Lights + Music TIPA 97. Dainton Beer — Jungle Juice Hazy IPA 98. Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel — Three Sheets Australian Pale Ale 99. Bad Shepherd Brewing Co — Peanut Butter Porter Porter 100. One Drop Brewing Co — We Jammin' Sour For more information about the GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers of 2022, head to the GABS website.
HER is here. The HQ Group (the hospitality crew behind Arbory and Arbory Afloat) has set up residence at 270 Lonsdale Street to introduce five storeys of drinking, dining and deftly-designed good times to the neighbourhood. On the ground level is HER Bar, where you're invited to disappear into the gorgeously sleek fit-out at any time, day or night. Yes, this is a bar that also does breakfast. The morning menu is short but clever, offering wholesome options like granola with poached stone fruit or avocado cashew cream and broad bean pesto on sourdough, alongside the less virtuous poached lobster omelette with soft herbs and gruyère. And the breakfast service at HER comes with its own drinks menu. This is a bar, after all. Try an Aperol Sour on tap or the signature HER French 75 made with MGC gin, HER Marionette blood orange and hibiscus. But dinner is when you can really pull the ripcord. The menu, designed by Arbory's Executive Chef, Nick Bennett and Head Chef, Josh Rudd, is described as "French-inspired" and it sure stands pretty true as a tribute to Parisian bistro culture. Escargots à la Bourguignonne and sourdough, a great-looking duck frites with aged duck breast, herb jus and fries, and a cheeseburger with raclette, pickles, Dijon mayonnaise and Julienne Fries give you a sample of the snack-or-stay-all-night approach to the food. As Nick Bennett explains it: "The food at HER BAR is simple and accessible — European fare with a French lean but delivered with a modern lens... The menu is made to snack, share or settle in for the long haul, at any time of the day." The drinks program brings a similar mix of classic meets contemporary, with an any-time-of-the-day cocktail list curated by HQ Group's General Manager, Tom Byrne, and wine program from Marcus Ellis (formerly of Melbourne Wine Room and Mr Wolf) that mixes French and Italian makers with an eclectic lineup of local Australian wines. Big night out, working lunch or buzzy breakfast? HER Bar is hoping to help you do it all. HER Bar is open for business at 270 Lonsdale Street in Melbourne's CBD. You'll find HER Bar on the ground floor of HER.
Keen for an escape? The Kittawa Lodge strikes the ideal combination of rugged, remote bliss and immense luxury. Set on 96 pristine acres amid King Island – perched in the choppy waters between Tasmania and the Victorian mainland – this dramatic retreat offers a premium stay amongst the windswept dunes, perfect for when you need to add some more tranquility to your life. This lavish off-grid accommodation is stepping things up throughout winter with the return of its acclaimed Guest Chef Series. Making the trip to King Island are renowned culinary talents, Rosheen Kaul (Etta) and Stephen Nairn (Omnia, Yugen Dining, Yugen Tea Bar). Expect a three-night foodie retreat, as these experiences blend luxury, adventure and world-class dining in the heart of Tasmania's wild beauty. With a maximum of eight guests taking part at a time, this is your chance to indulge in ultra-exclusive dining in absolute peace. Featuring a menu designed by Kaul and Nairn, breakfasts, gourmet picnics and intimate dinners will spotlight local produce alongside Tasmanian wine pairings, signature snacks and curated cocktails. As the former Head Chef of Etta, not to mention an award-winning writer and food personality, Kaul has long been an influential name on the Australian culinary scene. Celebrating her Asian heritage through Australia's seasonal produce, her first cookbook, Chinese-ish, took home a prestigious James Beard Media Award. Meanwhile, Scottish-born Nairn is the current CEO and Culinary Director of LK Hospitality, where he plies his experience gathered in respected European kitchens and New York City's three Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park. The return of the Guest Chef Series arrives on the back of a new launch – the Kittawa Retreat – representing a significant expansion to the Lodge's accommodation offering. Designed for shared trips without compromising privacy, this new two-bedroom stay is ideal for families, friend groups or even couples that want a little more space to spread out. Luxe inside and out, amenities include an open-air hot tub with panoramic ocean views and a private cellar stocked with top-quality tipples. Guests can also book bespoke experiences, from guided yoga to private four-course dinners. "Our vision for Kittawa Retreat was to create an experience that feels both deeply personal and uniquely Tasmanian. Every detail, from the curated artwork to the plush, layered interiors, has been designed to immerse guests in comfort, beauty, and the raw natural splendour of King Island," says Kittawa Lodge owners Aaron Suine and Nick Stead. If you decide to make the trip to King Island, there's no shortage of optional extras, like 60-minute in-lodge treatments and guided meditation sessions. If it's more adventure you seek, you can book in for a guided expedition to the south of the island or even rent an AWD vehicle to curate your own remote escape. The Kittawa Lodge Guest Chef Series runs across various dates from Wednesday, May 28–Tuesday, August 5. Head to the website for more information. Images: Oscar Sloane / Gareth Sobey.
Equal parts gin, vermouth rosso and Campari, the classic negroni cocktail is easy to make and its simple recipe means it's a popular go-to for aperitivo hour. When you're looking to shake things up, there are a number of cocktails created through the decades that take the classic Italian drink and give it a distinctive flavour transformation, from coffee combinations to bubbly versions that might appeal to your espresso martini and Aperol spritz loving friends. Together with Campari, we've picked out five easy-to-master cocktails that riff on a negroni — so you can introduce your favourite bittersweet cocktail to your pals, no matter the occasion. Once you've found your preferred tipple, head to the Campari website to download two recipe books that feature ten classic negroni recipes and 50 twists by leading Australian bartenders. Melburnians who are living with stage four restrictions are encouraged to bookmark this page for when you're ready to receive visitors once again. Until then, explore the recipes below and those in the Negroni Cocktail Book for inspiration. OLD PAL Is there a more fitting cocktail to serve to your besties? Aside from its endearing name, Old Pal is an elegant beverage that was invented in the 1930s and is traditionally served in a coupette glass. When you're having a couple of whiskey drinking mates over for dinner, this alternative drink brings in that full-bodied flavour profile into the mix. 30ml Campari 30ml Wild Turkey Rye Whiskey 30ml Cinzano Extra-Dry Lemon or orange Pour all the ingredients into a mixing glass. Add ice and stir for a few seconds to reach the desired dilution. Strain into a stemmed glass. Twist a peel of lemon to release the essential oils around the glass rim. If you prefer a rounder, smoother flavour, use an orange in place of the lemon. COFFEE NEGRONI When your preferred pep-me-up cocktail is an espresso martini, this coffee-flavoured negroni will give you a hint of the same smooth taste, but without having to faff with espresso coffee. The youngest member of the negroni family is easy to make and you only need four ingredients to get the party started. 30ml Campari 30ml London dry gin 15ml Cinzano Rosso 15ml coffee liqueur Pour all ingredients into a rocks glass over plenty of ice and stir to mix. Garnish with an orange wedge and three coffee beans. Don't have coffee liqueur? Amero or hazelnut liqueur are good substitutes. CARDINALE When you're looking to show off your skills, there's a negroni-style cocktail that has the elegance of a martini. The Cardinale is usually served chilled in a coupette, or another stemmed glass, for slow sipping over good conversation. Its name comes from the colour of the gowns worn by Catholic bishops, and you can punch it up in strength with two parts gin for a robust nightcap. 30ml Campari 30ml London dry gin 30ml Cinzano Extra-Dry Pour Campari, gin and Cinzano into a mixing glass. Add ice and stir for few seconds to reach the desired dilution. Strain in a coupette or stemmed glass. Express the essential oils of a lemon and use as garnish (optional). MILANO-TORINO A key ingredient of any classic negroni is Campari, and another is vermouth. This 1860s-born drink honours the birthplaces of both Campari (Milan) and Vermouth (Turin) in its name, which you might know better as a Mi-To. 45ml Campari 45ml Cinzano Rosso Pour both ingredients into a rocks glass over plenty of ice. The trick is to use large ice cubes that don't dilute the drink too quickly. Once mixed, garnish with orange or lemon peel. If you want to stick to a traditional style, opt for a coupette glass and serve chilled, without ice in the glass. NEGRONI SBAGLIATO One for the Aperol spritz fans. In 1972, at Bar Basso in Milan, bartender Mirko Stocchetto accidentally poured prosecco into a negroni, instead of gin. We can barely believe it either, but the bubbly creation has since become the bar's bestseller and a celebratory one at that. The Italian word 'sbagliato' translates to 'mistaken' and its honest name is a reminder that accidents can lead to beautiful things. 30ml Campari 30ml Cinzano Rosso 75ml prosecco Pour all three ingredients into a rocks glass over plenty of ice. Stir to mix. Garnish with a wedge of orange. Serve in a wine glass, which is how Stocchetto would have wanted it. Negroni Week runs from September 14–20. Download the free Negroni Cocktail Book for 60 different negroni recipes to try at home. Remember to Drinkwise.
It's impossible to be tense when there are cute puppies around, which is as good a motto as any to live by. Are you the kind of person who gets stressed going about your regular routine, even if there's a public holiday the next day? Here's something that'll help: for one day only in Melbourne, you can add spending time with tiny guide dogs to your agenda. Guide Dogs Victoria has dubbed its pop-up a pup-up, and sipping a cuppa while patting labrador puppies is the aim of the morning. You'll need to make a date with Studley Grounds Cafe in Kew on Wednesday, April 24, however, and be around from 10.30am–12pm. If anything is worth rearranging your coffee break for to head somewhere other than your local, it's this. Tickets cost $30 for adults and are available online in advance. Expect to have company — who wouldn't want to add some adorable Guide Dogs pups, as well as ambassador Guide Dogs, to an otherwise ordinary Wednesday? The one-day-only, one-session-only event is in honour of International Guide Dog Day, and your attendance will help the cause, with all proceeds going to Guide Dogs Victoria's support programs. Alongside the puppy meet-and-greet session — cuddles included — there'll be a photo booth for snaps, a chance to watch the pups in training and a competition that'll let you aim to name a Guide Dog. The occasion will also be reflected in the decor and the menu items on offer. And, this isn't just about getting everyone saying "awwwww" to pooches. To inform attendees about the importance of the Guide Dogs program, there's also a panel and discussion on the itinerary. Find the Guide Dogs Victoria pop-up puppy cafe at Studley Grounds Cafe, 121 Studley Park Road, Kew on Wednesday, April 24, 2024 — running from 10.30am–12pm. For tickets, head to the event's website.
Lorde is back. After five years away from music and touring, the New Zealand pop sensation has returned with the first taste of her next album and dates for a massive tour of Australia and New Zealand. The tour will run from Saturday, February 26 through until Saturday, March 19. Australians are scoring four dates across Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, while New Zealanders can choose from six shows. Accompanying the tour news is an announcement that Lorde's third studio album Solar Power will be unveiled to the world on Friday, August 20. The album comes five years after her critically acclaimed sophomore release Melodrama and is "a celebration of the natural world, an attempt at immortalising the deep, transcendent feelings I have when I'm outdoors," Lorde says. The Australian and New Zealand tour will begin at Christchurch's Electric Avenue on Saturday, February 26. From there the 'Royals' singer will make her way around New Zealand throughout late February and early March, and arrive in Australia on Thursday, March 10 for a show at the Brisbane Riverstage. Australia's east coast will be treated to two more shows at Melbourne's Sidney Myer Music Bowl and the ICC's Aware Super Theatre in Sydney before the tour wraps up at Perth's Belvoir Amphitheatre on Saturday, March 19. The last time either country was treated to Lorde's live show was her headline set at Splendour in the Grass 2018, a full circle moment for the singer as she returned to the stage of one of her first ever performances as a last-minute replacement for Frank Ocean back in 2013. A year prior, in 2017, Lorde also toured some of Australia's largest and most iconic outdoor venues including the Sydney Opera House Forecourt. Tickets to The Solar Power Tour are sure to be snatched up quickly and there are a few ways to get your hands on them if you're looking to belt out all the words to 'Ribs' or 'Green Light' early next year. Telstra customers will receive first dibs as part of a Telstra Plus pre-sale on Monday, June 28. If you sign up to be a Frontier Member you'll receive pre-sale access on Wednesday, June 30, before general public ticket sales begin on Monday, July 5 at noon. Head to the Frontier website for all the details. Lorde The Solar Power Tour Saturday, February 26 – Electric Avenue, Christchurch Saturday, February 27 – Neudorf Vineyards, Upper Moutere Tuesday, March 1 – Days Bay, Lower Hutt Wednesday, March 2 – Black Barn Vineyards, Havelock North Friday, March 4 – TSB Bowl of Brooklands, New Plymouth Saturday, March 5 – Outer Fields Western Springs, Auckland Thursday, March 10– Riverstage, Brisbane Saturday, March 12 – Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne Tuesday, March 15 – Aware Super Theatre, Sydney Saturday, March 19 – Belvoir Amphitheatre, Perth Lorde's The Solar Power Tour will take place between Saturday, February 26 and Saturday, March 19. Head to the Frontier website for all info on tickets. Top image: The Come Up Show
The end of the year is hurtling closer, which means it's almost time for the fleeting annual lotus flower season to kick off once again. And, for the Blue Lotus Water Garden to throw open its gates and show off its brand new blooms. Open to the public only from December 27 until April 22, the lush landscaped grounds boast a collection of ponds, lakes and lagoons, which all come alive for these few months of the year, jam-packed with thousands of flowering lotus and waterlilies. You can wander the gardens through the lotus-filled waterways and flower beds in full-boom, with over three kilometres of pathways to explore. See the stunning 500-metre-long Monet lake, carpeted with over 70 varieties of water lily — including a collection of the artist's original flowers — then wander over the Japanese Pond's red bridge to catch a glimpse of flowers spawned from one of the world's oldest known lotus blooms. There's even an onsite cafe and ice cream cafe to fuel your flower-filled adventures. Blue Lotus Water Garden is open from 10am–5pm, daily.
Just a few weeks after Sydney copped that 'vote no' skywriting, it appears the campaign against marriage equality has again taken to the skies, with at least three potential anti-same-sex marriage messages scrawled above Melbourne this afternoon. This time around, whoever's in charge has opted simply for the word 'NO', written in huge block letters. While it was confirmed that the Sydney Skywriting Company — the only one of its kind in city — is owned by active members of the Australian Christian Lobby, it's unclear whether yes campaigners are up against a similar situation in Melbourne. And, admittedly, the 'no' could be directed towards homophobic protestors or people who don't like puppies. Well, we can hope. Whatever its intentions, 'no' seems like a bad vibe to place in the sky. In a counter move to Sydney's 'Vote No' skywriting, marriage equality supporters banded together to raise funds for a huge rainbow flag to be pulled by helicopter above Bondi Beach on October 1. Melbourne, take note.
When Baz Luhrmann decided to bring The Great Gatsby to the screen, he enlisted 2010s Sydney to double for 1920s Long Island and New York. Now, a decade after the Australian director's Oscar-winning movie hit cinemas, Sydney Opera House is following in the filmmaker's footsteps, turning itself into a The Great Gatsby-themed pop-up club while hosting a The Great Gatsby-inspired cabaret variety show. From Saturday, December 16, 2023–Sunday, February 25, 2024, GATSBY at The Green Light will take over the Sydney Opera House's Studio with an array of excuses to pretend that it's a century ago — and that you're on the other side of the globe. The GATSBY part of the big summer event's moniker refers to the entertainment, while The Green Light is the temporarily rebadged venue where what's being dubbed a "theatrical experience" will take place. First, the show: taking its cues from F Scott Fitzgerald's text, which will also date back a century when 2025 hits, GATSBY gives the classic text the aerial, burlesque, dance and circus treatment. As performers show off their skills, live vocals will accompany their efforts, all on a glittering stage. Then, the club: The Green Light will also owe a debt to prohibition-era speakeasies, and will feature cabaret tables for attendees to sit at while watching the performances. Canapé and cocktail packages will be on offer, with themed drinks including the Green Light gimlet, the Blind Tiger martini and the Reggio manhattan. GATSBY at The Green Light hails from director Craig Ilott, who adds the event to his resume alongside Smoke & Mirrors, La Clique Royale at Edinburgh Festival's The Famous Spiegeltent, and also American Idiot, Amadeus and Velvet Rewired at Sydney Opera House. With GATSBY co-producer Stuart Couzens, he was also involved in L'Hôtel, the dinner theatre experience which turned the exact same space into a French hotel with cabaret, circus and burlesque. "Our treatment of GATSBY has been akin to that of a concept album; riffing on the essence of a familiar text through a new form to create an evocative experience," said Ilott, announcing GATSBY at The Green Light. "We've taken elements entrenched in the 1920s — the vaudeville, the fashion, the hospitality — and remixed them with a bold 2020s beat, with the aim of creating an evening that feels both contemporary and captivating." [caption id="attachment_681696" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hamilton Lund[/caption] [caption id="attachment_857577" align="alignnone" width="1920"] L'Hotel, Claudio Raschella[/caption] [caption id="attachment_857579" align="alignnone" width="1920"] L'Hotel, Claudio Raschella[/caption] GATSBY at The Green Light will take over the Sydney Opera House's Studio from Saturday, December 16, 2023–Sunday, February 25, 2024, with ticket pre sales from 8am on Wednesday, August 30 and general sales from 9am on Friday, September 1. Head to the Sydney Opera House website for more information. Top image: Tom Oldham.
Search for Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, The Jungle Book, Mulan and Cinderella on Disney+ and you don't just get one option. Thanks to the Mouse House's devotion to remaking its animated hits in live-action, viewers can watch versions brought to life with actors, too. Come April, search for Peter Pan and the same will apply, courtesy of the Jude Law (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore)-starring Peter Pan & Wendy. The first of Disney's do-overs for 2023, arriving before The Little Mermaid, this one is heading straight to streaming. There, it'll join Lady and the Tramp and Pinocchio, too, with both also bypassed cinemas. And, this take on JM Barrie's classic hails from a filmmaker with experience bringing animated fare to live with flesh and blood, with David Lowery also behind the gorgeous Pete's Dragon. Based on the just-dropped trailer, Peter Pan & Wendy's storyline goes heavy on the latter, as she meets that other titular figure, tiny fairy Tinker Bell and the Lost Boys. With her brothers, she's spirited off to Neverland, where Captain Hook awaits — listing off her full name like she's in trouble, in fact. Cast-wise, Ever Anderson — daughter of actor Milla Jovovich and filmmaker Paul WS Anderson, and also seen in the pair's Resident Evil: The Final Chapter — plays Wendy, while Alexander Molony (The Reluctant Landlord) gets flying as Peter. They're joined by Yara Shahidi (Grown-ish) as Tinker Bell, Joshua Pickering (A Discovery of Witches) and Jacobi Jupe (Cupid) as John and Michael Darling, and everyone from Molly Parker (Pieces of a Woman) and Alan Tudyk (Strange World) to Jim Gaffigan (Hotel Transylvania 4: Transformania). With Lowery coming to Peter Pan & Wendy fresh from The Green Knight, the first trailer for the former shares the latter's love of lush greenery — and memorable villains. Indeed, don't go expecting a dashing, debonair version of Law as Captain Hook. Lowery's version of Peter Pan aims to take cues from both the novel and Disney's animated adaptation. "We wanted to invigorate our retelling with emotional sincerity, an open heart, and a grand yearning for adventure. Hundreds of incredible artists spent many years bringing this film to the screen; I'm excited for audiences to see their work, to go on this ride, and to rediscover an evergreen tale from a new perspective," the filmmaker said. Check out the Peter Pan & Wendy trailer below: Peter Pan & Wendy will be available to stream via Disney+ from Friday, April 28.
Touchwood: usually a word you hear when you want to avoid bad luck. Now, it's something you'll find yourself hearing in relation to Richmond, cafes, or awesome green juices. In a collaboration between two groups of Melbourne's young gun hospitality entrepreneurs, the team behind Tall Timber and Station Street Trading Co. has joined forces with the gents from Pillar of Salt and the recently-opened Barry. Seems like a recipe for cafe success. From the moment you walk in, this cafe feels a little different. Its size will almost stop you in your tracks. Setting up shop in the old Blueprint furniture showroom, it has beautiful archways, high ceilings and huge glass windows at the front. The 120 seater also has a stunning courtyard out the back, just waiting for summer. The fit-out has been done by Therefore Studio and is heavy on woods, white walls, greenery and hanging lights. The menu, designed by chef Tristan White (ex-Red Door and Ladro), is aiming to please with familiar brunch and lunch favourites, which have been given a little extra love. The avocado toast, served with beetroot relish, burnt lime, pickled red onion, coriander, mixed seeds and sumac salt ($15) is good. Really good. For a serious flavour explosion try the fresh tequila and citrus cured salmon with poached eggs, smashed peas, dill, lemon creme fraiche, sauteed endive and sourdough ($17.50). If sweetness is more your thing, head straight for the peanut butter and jelly wholemeal waffles served with poached raspberries, whipped peanut butter ricotta and peanut brittle ($16). Wholemeal makes it healthy, right? Lunch items see anything from the quinoa and pomegranate salad with mint, coriander, rocket, citrus and harissa ($13.50) to the pulled pork tacos, shredded cabbage, coriander, fennel, and apple compote ($18.50). The drinks list is just as good. Coffee by 5 Senses done on a shiny Synesso machine. Cold drop, pour over and single origin are also all up for grabs. Tea is by Collingwood's Storm in a Teacup and the juices are fresh and filled to the brim with goodness. The Green Juice, a mix of cucumber, kale, celery, apple, lime and parsley ($8) will make any juice lover transcend to their happy place. Try your luck at Touchwood. Pun intended.
Summer has had a blistering start, with the country yesterday clocking its hottest ever day on record. Australia's average maximum temperature soared to a whopping 40.9 degrees, barrelling past the previous record of 40.3 set back on January 7, 2013. But, things are looking much more bearable for December 25, as Christmas Day promises some balmy mid-20 conditions for Australia's barbecuing, beach-going and festive-feasting adventures. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, Melbourne's the big day is set to hit a maximum of 28 degrees, with partly cloudy skies and only a ten-percent chance of any rain. It'll not only be cracking beach weather, but a welcome change of pace, after this coming Friday's expected top of 43. It's also a jump above Melbourne's December average, which clocks in at 24.2 degrees. [caption id="attachment_651722" align="alignnone" width="1920"] St Kilda Beach by Josie Withers for Visit Victoria[/caption] Sydney is on track to enjoy similar conditions, with an overall maximum of 27 degrees and a 40-percent chance of showers on the cards for Christmas Day. However, if you're venturing west, you'll probably want to line up a swim (or air-conditioning) of some sort, as Penrith hits an expected top of 32 degrees. It comes after NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian declared a seven-day State of Emergency on December 19, handing over executive powers to the RFS Commissioner, because of predicted worsening bushfire conditions. It's the second State of Emergency declared this fire season, too, which has been particularly devastating, with 768 homes lost and more than 2.7 million hectares burnt at last count. Those travelling over the festive period are being told to prepare for possible road closures, diversions and delays as a result. And before you head out of town, it's suggested you check Fires Near Me and heed any instructions and warnings. Further north in Brisbane, things are looking especially balmy with a sweaty forecast max of 33 degrees. It's just another in a long string of mid-30 days the city's been through this month, though Christmas Day is bucking the trend with a forecast 40-percent chance of rain. You might want to have a contingency plan for that outdoor barbie. [caption id="attachment_703464" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bunya River Crossing[/caption] Perth's set to unwrap a sticky top of 36 degrees for Christmas, way beyond the average December maximum of 29.1. With zero chance of rain forecast, it'll likely be the hottest day locals will have had all week, rounding out a string of high-20s and low-30s. Darwin is in for a similarly steamy maximum of 35 degrees with the added bonus of potential thunderstorms — pretty much the exact conditions it'll see every day in the lead-up. Meanwhile, Adelaide folk will be ringing in Christmas Day with a festive top of 32 degrees and Canberra is wrapping up a week of low-40s and mid-30s with a partly cloudy 33. As usual, Tasmania's playing things a little cooler, with Hobart in for a partly cloudy, potentially drizzly maximum of 23 degrees.
Melbourne's normally buzzy CBD has turned all but silent through the pandemic, as work-from-home orders emptied office buildings and hospitality venues closed their doors. But now, with newly eased restrictions kicking life back into gear, we're about to see a suite of efforts aimed at returning the city to its former glorious self. And one of these initiatives involves a healthy dose of flower power, as a series of large-scale, all-local floral installations injects central Melbourne with some much-needed life and vibrancy. Urban Blooms will see 18 giant floral works installed in laneways, streets and public spaces across the city, where they'll feature boldly for two weeks, starting from Saturday, November 14. The project's been born of the $100 million Melbourne City Recovery Fund, as a collaboration between the City of Melbourne and the Victorian Government. [caption id="attachment_752632" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Botanics of Melbourne by Parker Blain[/caption] Local florists from the likes of Cecilia Fox, Botanics of Melbourne, Casa Verde and Fitzroy's Flowers Vasette have been commissioned to design these blooming works of art, creating a living gallery trail through the city. Prominent spots including Hosier Lane, Degraves Street, the Arts Centre and Flinders Street Station will play host to the flower bombs, each installation crafted using locally grown plants, and displaying information about the work and the designer. There'll even be a code to scan suggesting nearby cafes and stores to visit. Of course, these are COVID-19 times, so social distancing markers will also be a feature, along with marshals to monitor visitor numbers. After the installation program wraps up on Friday, November 27, the displays will score a second life, reworked into small bouquets for local community groups. The Urban Blooms project will feature at sites across the City of Melbourne, from November 14–27. Check out the map of locations and plan your visit over at the website.
Can logic and science co-exist with the metaphysical and supernatural? "I think that's what I'm exploring in all of my work," says Robert Eggers. A decade on from making his first feature, and marking himself as one of horror's spectacular new voices at the time, the acclaimed writer/director has the filmography — The Witch, The Lighthouse, The Northman and now Nosferatu — to prove it, of course. "And I think that the difficulty with this stuff is if you believe it, it's true. So I think that's why I explore it in the safety of cinema rather than diving into the deep end and ending up in the madhouse." Whenever Nosferatu sinks its teeth into the silver screen, be it in FW Murnau's 1922 original, or when the inimitable Werner Herzog (The Fire Within: A Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft) followed in his compatriot's footsteps with 1979's Nosferatu the Vampyre, or now that Eggers has crafted his own take, it unfurls a tale of gothic obsession. Fixation and passion also sits at the heart of how this icon of horror cinema keeps flickering through picture palaces. It all started with an unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula, which is why the narrative is so similar but the names have been changed. When Herzog gave it a spin, it was because he considered the first movie to be "the greatest German film". Eggers himself has been drawn to Nosferatu since childhood, even directing an iteration of it as a play in high school. (He also appreciates that for the generation that grew up with SpongeBob SquarePants, so kids from 1999 onwards, that might now be commonplace given that discovering Nosferatu can spring via the animated show.) As Dracula clearly is as well, Nosferatu is easy to be passionate about. The OG film is a masterpiece — of silent cinema, of German Expressionism, of horror and just in general. Count Orlok, as initially played by Max Schreck, is a hauntingly unforgettable screen presence. There's no missing the fervour that Eggers has for all things Nosferatu in his movie, or how lovingly that he regards the original. But while there's a packed coffin full of nods backwards in his feature, an Eggers film always feels distinctively like an Eggers film. He's been embracing period-set horror from the get-go anyway, and he repeatedly demonstrates again and again that he's only ever interested in realising his own meticulous — and stunning — celluloid visions. Willem Dafoe (Saturday Night), a veteran of The Lighthouse and The Northman before becoming Nosferatu's Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz, knows all about Eggers' way of working. Asked to describe the director's work, the actor who earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for portraying Schreck in 2000's Shadow of the Vampire — a riff on the making of Murnau's Nosferatu — notes that the filmmakers' oeuvre is "contact with stories from another time that have a relevance to now. Beautiful shots. Very detailed, not-conventional cutting. Great art direction. Great shooting. Hopefully good actors. That's kind of the checklist." Dafoe continues: "obviously I've worked with Robert three times and I want to work with him some more. I enjoy it so much, because for an actor it's a dream. He gives you fun things to do, and you're sent to a world that is so rich that it's far easier to pretend and entertain a new set of conditions, thoughts, feelings. And for me, as an actor that's always what I'm interested in — to make contact with stuff that's beyond my experience." There's absolutely no 'hopefully' about Nosferatu's excellent cast. After playing Pennywise in IT and IT: Chapter Two, Bill Skarsgård (Boy Kills World) is Eggers' Orlok — and he's a force to behold. The object of his obsession: Lily-Rose Depp (The Idol ) in a physically committed and entrancing performance as Ellen Hutter, who is newly married to real-estate agent Thomas (Nicholas Hoult, Renfield). The latter is dispatched from the couple's home in Wisborg to Transylvania to assist Orlok with purchasing a property. As Ellen remains in Germany — and as her connection to Orlok begins to fester and torment — she stays with Thomas' old pal Friedrich Harding (Aaron Taylor-Johnson, The Fall Guy), his pregnant wife Anna (Emma Corrin, A Murder at the End of the World) and their children. Taylor-Johnson couldn't have been more eager to be involved. "Sometimes I feel like when you get a filmmaker like Robert — firstly I admired his work and was like 'I'll do anything to be a Robert Eggers movie'. And then all of a sudden, you get this this invitation, this letter and a call saying he's doing something and would like you to be a part of it. You can't quite believe that's happening. You can go 'great, I don't even need to read a script — whatever you want me to do'," he advises. Corrin shares enthusiasm for the experience, and for jumping into horror. "I guess it's fun because it's a unique set of challenges. I've certainly found it interesting, how you craft a scene — I think it's a very specific way that you obviously approach shooting scenes to make them have that suspense, and especially if there's a jump-scare onboard." For them specifically, however, a particular gauntlet awaited: rats. "I remember reading that in the script early on, and texting Rob and being like 'hey, man, wondering if the rats are going to be CGI or are they going to be real? Just curious'. He was like 'definitely real, no CGI'. And yeah, it was intense. I had about 20–30 rats on me. I was also topless, which was interesting. It was bleak, if I'm honest. I tried to be quite brave about it." Why Nosferatu fascinates Eggers, what excited Dafoe about collaborating with the filmmaker, digging into tested beliefs and internal conflict, acting opposite Depp's can't-look-away portrayal: all of that also spanned Concrete Playground's chat with Eggers, Dafoe, Corrin and Taylor-Johnson. So did Count Orlok's look, Dafoe's own history with Nosferatu, Eggers' exacting way of working, giving a century-old film a modern lens and more. On Why Nosferatu Has Fascinated Eggers Since Childhood, Including Turning It Into a Play When He Was a Teenager Robert: "It's very hard to say. I think certainly the Murnau film had a major impact on me, and initially it was Max Schreck's performance and just the power of the simple fairy-tale adaptation that Murnau made of the Dracula story. But as I have grown older and learn more about the occult, and vampire folklore from Eastern Europe — and hysteria and 19th-century medicine — the more that I found that it was a story that I was able to really embrace and put many of my interests in, and to use the framework to explore the things that were exciting to me creatively." On What Excites Dafoe About Working with Eggers After Collaborating on The Lighthouse, The Northman and Now Nosferatu Willem: "Just the personal nature of what he does. The detailed nature of what he does. The kind of investment. It's not work, you know. He's playing to his pleasure and his interests. And then I just like being around him. He inspires me, gives fun things to do. I get a little self-conscious — he's sitting right here. Number one, obviously I'm all in. But check the boxes. He's everywhere on the set. The thing that's really impressive, and I know other people that do this, but it's really impressive that on the set there's such detail, that nothing is there for decoration. It's all function. It's all functional. It has a place. It has a history. And when you can feel the origins of things and where they're placed in the world, that really gives you a reality that's easy to enter. It's a reality that you're not covering anything — you're living in it. And it's very easy with a little willfulness to say that our world drops away and you're in that world. It's an exercise in pretending, and he makes it very simple by giving you a very rich world to exist in." On What Corrin Was Keen to Dig Into in the Film, Including Tested Beliefs and Internal Conflict Emma: "I think Anna has an interesting journey, because she is constantly fighting between her love of Ellen and her own beliefs. And there's a lot of conflict between those two things, because she's very devoutly religious and doesn't believe in a spiritual world — especially a spiritual world based on the occult and folklore — and obviously all of everything Ellen's experiencing points to the existence of that world, which would remove the very foundation of her worldview, everything about how she's been raised, and all of her beliefs. And yet she really loves her friend and wants to be there for her. So I think that experience of Anna, of being with Ellen in such close proximity and witnessing this, it gets to the point where she can't — I think for both Anna Friedrich, actually, they can't not see it anymore. It becomes so obvious what's happening, and then it's so confronting. And you see all of their own beliefs and whatever sort of falling away before their eyes, which is a very scary and vulnerable place for them to be in, especially with kids. I think that I, as an actor, I guess I enjoy complexity and internal conflict in a person. It's very interesting to portray." On How You React When Such a Physical Performance, as Lily-Rose Depp Turns in as Ellen, Sits at the Heart of a Film Emma: "You can't help have a really quite visceral reaction to watching someone who, as you say, who's doing such a committed physical piece of acting. It constantly, I think, blew our minds how she was contorting her body, and the choreography and the stamina that she needed to have as a performer to do that take after take after take — and offer so much. It was incredible. It was a real gift to act opposite because we didn't have to — there no acting required. It was very easy to imagine what these two people, how they would react to what they were seeing." Aaron: "It's definitely extraordinary. I feel very privileged to have been in the room witnessing a performance like that, that felt very raw and with no vanity, and it just felt it was disturbing in real life — and I knew it was going to be shocking on film." On Finding the Right Aesthetic for Bill Skarsgård as Nosferatu's Count Orlok Robert: "Bill is playing a folk vampire. He's an animated corpse, and not Frank Langella in a tuxedo. And that was very enjoyable to create. The look of a dead Transylvanian nobleman, we have certain nods, certain details that remind the audience of Max Schreck, because we have to also be respectful of that. But it was really nice. And while the look was completed by myself and David White [who also worked on The Northman], the prosthetics designer, we also had a Transylvanian folklore expert, Florin Lazarescu [Aferim!], who reminded me 'you know, Robert, a lot of times they talk about the strigoi being a red face'. And so if you'll notice, there are moments when you can see blood pooling under the skin after he's been feeding and stuff like that, which are some fun details." On Returning to the World of Nosferatu After Being Nominated for an Oscar for Max Schreck in Shadow of the Vampire Willem: "They're so different, the films, the intentions, what kinds of films they are. That was very important to me. First of all, I love the Murnau film. I had known it before working on Shadow of the Vampire. Shadow of the Vampire was basically a comic performance. And it leaned heavily on the Murnau because, basically, to find the character I copied a lot of what I saw in the Murnau. That was the starting point. So it was a great lesson in working with a mask, because I had extreme makeup, and that's the first time that it really — maybe not the first time, but it reminded me that if you look different, you move different, you start to feel different and you really have a possibility that becomes a trigger for pretending that's very potent. And you can even do things that you couldn't imagine before because you're drawing on something that's intuitive. It's not shaped, it's not indicated, it's not something you control, it's in your imagination. So that was very important. So then when Rob talks about doing Nosferatu, of course he's not talking to me about playing Nosferatu, but he tells me about this fantastic character that I always felt like is the role he would play if he were in the cast of this movie. So I've been working with him before, knowing his interests and having him give me all this rich material to research, to prepare for the role, that was the connection. It all connected to that other experience, but at the same time, you can't force a relationship between those two films because they're so different and when you finish one, you make room for the next." On the Meticulous Detail and Structure — and No Room for Improvisation — That Comes with Working with Eggers Emma: "I think we were lucky because our characters aren't explored very much in the original. But Rob definitely brought them to life in a certain way — in a very particular way — that was important for this film, because they represent this beacon of light against this darkness that envelops everyone. And in that way, we had a bit of carte blanche, I suppose. But then Rob is so specific in the way he creates characters and the backstory — he's very meticulously thought-out back story for everyone, which I think I find really helpful. I don't know if I'm a big fan of freedom. I think I like specific notes and specific ideas." Aaron: "Structure." Emma: "Yeah, structure." Aaron: "Honestly, I agree. He was so thought-out on everything. I mean, the only thing I probably could have brought was that I was allowed to like [ask] 'can I have mutton chops and some a great big moustache'. And I think that was it. That was allowed." Emma: "Was that you?" Aaron: "Well I wanted some kind of facial hair. I think he wanted something distinctive because they'd already started working with Nic, and he wanted me to have a big twizzly moustache, so that grew and grew. I think there's a little bit of conversation about that. I wanted to improv and he was like 'absolutely not'. So I was like 'okay, well I'll just do what you say'." On How Eggers' Nosferatu Brings a Modern Lens to a Century-Old Classic Aaron: "This story is 100 years old, but yet it's still very relevant today. And I think originally that movie came out, came off the back of the Spanish flu, and it became this metaphorical piece of art reflecting, mirroring reality. And being that we've just come through a global pandemic and we've all been through this feeling of this wave of fear that comes through a city and disrupts everybody in such a panic and a way, it felt very much — I remember reading it and being 'whoa, this seems like, it feels like this'. And then Robert goes 'well, that's originally what it was for 1921'. But then at the fundamental core of it, there's a theme throughout that's about love and battling with your demons, and having shame with this deepest, deepest darkest secret that you've carried from a childhood into your adult life — and how it's going to affect your relationship, and all this sort of stuff. So it's very powerful. I think for our characters, when you're saying this modern element, it's like it was the missing piece to the puzzle. So the original one, our characters aren't involved in that, and so Robert created this next three-dimensional world — this family that lives in Wisborg, and Ellen is staying in this household that is very much this beacon of light, and they're a loving family. They've got children. They've got everything that Nicholas' character aspires to be. And so it's just Robert building upon that world and making it more contemporary, and making it more relatable. They're a very grounded family and arguably they are far more loving than you probably would find in that kind of period. They're very passionate. There's a lot of eroticism throughout the movie, and Emma's character is pregnant with their third child. It's interesting." On the Allure of Period-Set Horror for Eggers Robert: "I just enjoy learning about the past. That's how I like to understand who we are and where we're going — by where we came from. It's what has always excited me, even as a kid. And if I wasn't a filmmaker, maybe I would be an archaeologist. This is just what I enjoy, but also, for making these genre films, I think it's easier to tell — like if you're talking about witches and vampires and things like that, it's easier to make them scary if you are in a period where everybody believed in them, more or less. And obviously in this film, in Wisborg, that's not quite the case, but you get my point." On Dafoe's Experience Working with the Rest of the Cast Willem: "I enjoyed it so much because they're so turned on. Sometimes with older actors, they're comparing their experience that they're having to something in the past. While I find younger actors — now, keep in mind someone like Nic and Aaron, actually many of the actors, are very experienced, so let's not get crazy here; they aren't so young and inexperienced, to tell you the truth — but there's just an excitement. There was an excitement that you could feel for them working with Rob. You're just there. You don't make those distinctions. You're playing characters. You're all on the same footing. You're all trying to fold into the story and help each other, and disappear into the story. So I was looking today, we were shooting pictures, and it's a very special group to a person. Really, there's not a stinker in the group. So the simple answer is: I was very happy to work with this cast, because seldom do you have a cast that's so uniformly strong, not only in performing, but also I remember we took portraits in the costumes and everybody had a look that was very believable and very credible. There was no flourish. The look was very rooted. Robert cast them very well, not only for their look, but also for their talent." Nosferatu releases in cinemas Down Under on Wednesday, January 1, 2025. Images: © 2024 FOCUS FEATURES LLC.
Hurdle Creek is typically known for its gins, such as the Powder Monkey Navy Strength Gin. It's a distinctive rye character crafted from triticale, malt and barley, and loaded with locally sourced botanicals, including pink peppercorns, cinnamon and eucalyptus leaves picked from the ribbon gum outside their Milawa-based stillhouse. But we'd predict most bougie dinner party guests would welcome its local take on the iconic French aniseed aperitif, pastis. Traditionally made with the root of liquorice, star anise and oh-la-la botanicals, Hurdle Creek has adapted the classic spirit starting with its own grain spirit, and have given it a true Australian character with the addition of native aniseed myrtle and mintbush. The cellar door is open on the Milawa property every day except Wednesday.
Fancy soaking in Sydney's expansive coastal surroundings while putting one foot in front of the other? Then head to the city's newest attraction. Stretching between the two titular beaches, the just-launched Bondi to Manly Walk spans 80 kilometres along the east coast and harbour foreshore — connecting the existing tracks in the area into one epic, super-scenic seaside trek. First announced in November 2018 and now open for Sydneysiders to stroll along, B2MW meanders past all of the expected highlights; think secluded coves, spectacular views, bushland, clifftops, and landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. As the name makes plain, it starts and ends at Bondi and Manly beaches, but there's plenty to see in-between. You'll also wander everywhere from the Hornby Lighthouse and Mrs Macquarie's Chair to the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney and Curlew Camp. Specifically winding through Bondi, Watsons Bay, Rose Bay, Darling Point and Kirribilli, past Taronga Zoo, over to Spit Bridge, then through Manly Wharf to Manly Beach, the track combines a host of already-popular trails. Stroll along the South Head Heritage Trail, Green Point Walking Track, Hermitage Foreshore Track, Bradleys Head Walk and Georges Heights Walk, then head through the Manly Scenic Walkway, North Head Sanctuary, Australian Memorial Walk and Fairfax Track. Emphasising the people of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the land through which the B2MW travels, the trail also journeys past significant Indigenous sites such as an Aboriginal People's midden between Fisher Bay and Sandy Bay, Aboriginal engravings at Grotto Point, and the ancestral reburial site and rock art at Reef Beach. Plus, while you're moseying, you'll follow 350 Aboriginal Whale Symbol signs along the mega trail's lengthy expanse — with an app also available to help you plan and track your walk. Sixty kilometres of the massive track runs over public land, including bushwalking paths, while the other 20 kilometres takes walkers along footpaths — with the trek coming about after considerable co-operation between the relevant local, state and federal government bodies. And if you're wondering how long it takes, suggested itineraries split the walk into four, five and seven-day routes, although you can obviously make the journey however you see fit. The Bondi to Manly Walk is now open. For more information, visit the walk's website. Images: Destination NSW.
For most Melburnians, much of the past 18 months has been lived in a bit of a bubble thanks to multiple stints of lockdown — including the current seven-day return to stay-at-home restrictions, which once again limits movement to within a five-kilometre radius of home. And, as a result, we've all become very good at mapping out where we can go for our daily grocery shopping and two hours of exercise. Hospitality ordering platform Mr Yum has taken the headache out of plotting your next at-home restaurant fix, too, with its handy feature: a directory listing all the eateries offering takeaway and delivery within five-kilometre radius of you. Any venue can sign up to be included in the online directory for free, regardless of whether it uses Mr Yum or another platform like UberEats or Deliveroo. And with hundreds of spots already listed, you've got a seriously comprehensive list of food options to browse, all gathered neatly in the one place and ready for some pre-dinner menu surfing. Tonka's modern Indian fare, by Tim Grey Plug in your address over on the directory's home page to access a hefty list of cafes, restaurants and bars located within five kilometres of your house, each with a quick link to its ordering system and menus. You can scroll through to see who's offering pickup, delivery, or both, and which venues are currently open or closed. No more chucking individual restaurant names into Google Maps to figure out which kitchen's serving spicy pork ramen within range. The directory has just about every kind of food craving sorted, with cafe favourites like Proud Mary and Sensory Lab listed alongside dinnertime go-tos including Tonka and Fancy Hank's. You'll even find drinking destinations like Beer Deluxe and Collingwood brewery Molly Rose, slinging a mix of food and booze. The Mr Yum's five-kilometre directory list is available to browse online. Top image: Rock Sugar.
If you had plans to see Childish Gambino in Australia and New Zealand in 2025, you were likely paying close attention when he announced in early October that he was cancelling the remainder of his North American tour, and also his UK and European dates. A trip Down Under was meant to follow, and wasn't scrapped at the time; however, it's officially no longer going ahead. There'll be no summertime magic after all, then, after the musician that you also know as Donald Glover first announced four Australian shows for 2025, then expanded his local dates before general ticket sales even started. For the rapper, hip hop talent and Mr & Mrs Smith actor, this was set to be his first trip to these shores since 2019. Dates at Auckland's Spark Arena in January, then at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena, Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena and RAC Arena in Perth are all now cancelled. When Gambino's shows elsewhere were scraped, he advised on social media that he'd been "to the hospital in Houston to make sure of an ailment that had become apparent" after a show in New Orleans. "After being assessed, it became clear I would not perform that night, and after more tests, I could not perform the rest of the US tour in the time asked. As of now I have surgery scheduled and need time out to heal," the statement continued. "My path to recovery is something I need to confront seriously. With that said, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the remainder of the North American tour and the UK and European dates. Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase." [caption id="attachment_955315" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eli Watson via Flickr.[/caption] This situation might sound familiar. When Gambino last headed this way — complete with a headline spot at Splendour in the Grass — it was after initially announcing a 2018 Australian tour, then cancelling it due to an ongoing injury. Before that, he performed at Falls Festival in 2016. Gambino mightn't have been on Aussie stages for a spell — and still won't be anytime soon — but Glover had the final two seasons of Atlanta, both in 2022, reach screens since he was last Down Under. Voice work on Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, producing TV series Swarm, the aforementioned Mr & Mrs Smith: they've all joined his resume as well. He'll also be heard as Simba again in Mufasa: The Lion King, the prequel to 2019's photorealistic version of The Lion King, before 2024 is out. [caption id="attachment_955317" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eli Watson via Flickr.[/caption] Childish Gambino 'The New World' Tour 2025 Australia and New Zealand Dates Tuesday, January 28 — Spark Arena, Auckland — CANCELLED Saturday, February 1 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane — CANCELLED Tuesday, February 4–Wednesday, February 5 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney — CANCELLED Friday, February 7–Saturday, February 8 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne — CANCELLED Tuesday, February 11 — RAC Arena, Perth — CANCELLED Childish Gambino is no longer touring Australia and New Zealand in January and February 2025. Head to the tour website for further details. Top image: The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas via Flickr.
Australian craft breweries are doing it tough these days, fighting against huge companies for tap space in bars and pubs. But it is heartwarming to see a small family-owned Western Australian brewery like Rocky Ridge Brewing go from strength to strength, opening a huge new taphouse right in the heart of Brunswick East on Friday, September 13. The 130-seat venue was previously home to Thunder Road Brewing, which sadly closed down in February this year, and not much has changed. The main tables are still surrounded by towering steel brewing containers and the airstream food truck still sits out front. You will notice a few differences, including a totally remodelled front bar that holds 32 regularly rotating taps and plenty of canned beers, as well as CDMX's residency in the airstream (at least for the first six months). Rocky Ridge is known for creating a huge range of beers, from easy-drinking lagers and IPAs to your more unusual stouts and sours. They'll all be on show at the new Brunswick East taphouse, alongside some old and new Thunder Road Brewing creations — as the team plans to keep the old brand alive. Cocktails from Idle Hands Drinks Co. in Perth will also feature for those wanting a rest from the hopsy bevs. You'll find Rocky Ridge Brewery at 130 Barkly Street, Brunswick East, open from Friday–Sunday. For more information, check out the brewery's website.
If you're a Brisbanite with a fondness for trivia — and a head full of otherwise pointless tidbits just waiting to be scribbled down quickly — then you've likely been to one of Man vs Bear's events. Usually, its slate is filled with both general and themed trivia evenings at plenty of pubs and bars around town; however, when COVID-19 restrictions hit, it took its questions online for everyone everywhere to enjoy. Meet Isolation Trivia. No, all the questions won't just be about staying indoors — but because that's what we're all now doing, these trivia nights will be live-streamed. Man vs Bear and Not On Your Rider's Aimon Clark will play quizmaster, you'll jot down your answers at home and everyone can compare scores virtually — and battle for trivia supremacy. Isolation Trivia will be popping up regularly, with the next trivia nights live-streaming on Tuesday, September 22 and Friday, September 25 — at 6.30pm AEST. To play along, head to the event's Facebook page. Top image: Not On Your Rider
When it comes to history's legendary painters, Claude Monet's name stands out above most. Now, for the first time ever, Australian audiences are invited to experience the painting that the entire Impressionist movement was named after as the National Gallery of Australia exhibits Monet's world-famous masterpiece, Impression, sunrise. As well as a striking collection of other Monet paintings, the exhibition features works by an array of artists who inspired or followed Monet into leaving behind the studio and painting 'en plein air'. From JMW Turner to James McNeill Whistler and Eugène Boudin, other contemporaries of Monet featured at the NGA include Alfred Sisley and Berthe Morisot, one of the few female painters among the Parisian Impressionists. With their visible brush strokes and incredible depictions of light and its subtle changes, many of these works have been gathered from the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris, which almost never loans its collection. Running until Sunday September 1, Monet: Impression Sunrise is undoubtedly worth taking a wintertime road trip to Canberra for, so grab your pals and hit the road. [caption id="attachment_697155" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Claude Monet, Impression, sunrise (1872), courtesy of the Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris and Christian Baraja SLB.[/caption] IMPRESSION, SUNRISE The masterpiece after which the Impressionist art movement was named, Impression, sunrise was finished in 1872 and showcases the early techniques of Monet who was in the midst of his creative development. Painted while he was looking out across the harbour in Le Havre from his hotel window, the piece is not particularly symbolic of Monet's later work, but still features some instantly recognisable attributes, such as how the water, sky and reflections all melt together. When it was displayed at an exhibition in Paris in 1874, art critic Louis Leroy famously borrowed the term "Impressionist" from the work's title for his review. And while it wasn't meant to be a compliment, the name stuck. [caption id="attachment_725378" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Waterlilies (1914–17), courtesy of the NGA.[/caption] WATERLILIES During the last 30 years of Monet's life, the 'Water Lilies' series became his obsession. Monumental in its scope, the series includes 250 works that capture Monet's beloved garden at his home in Giverny, France. The later years of Monet's life were perhaps his most prolific, but there could have been even more in the 'Water Lilies' series — in 1908 as he prepared for a new exhibition in Paris, Monet decided that 15 of the paintings failed to meet his expectations and chopped them in half. However, the many works that we still do have elegantly present the light and shadow that bounced across Monet's garden. [caption id="attachment_725140" align="alignnone" width="1920"] On the beach at Trouville (1870), courtesy of the Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris.[/caption] ON THE BEACH AT TROUVILLE Created during the summer of 1870, this work is one of five beach scenes that Monet painted during his stay at a popular beachside resort. Overlooking the English Channel, this work captures what is most likely Monet's wife Camille, while in the background scores of families from French high-society enjoy the bustling holiday destination. With grains of sand found still embedded in the paint, some of the paintings in this series are considered to be incomplete sketches for a larger body of work, while others were later finished to Monet's almost impossibly high standards. [caption id="attachment_725470" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Haystacks, midday (1890), courtesy of the NGA.[/caption] HAYSTACKS, MIDDAY Widely regarded by critics as possibly his most stunning series, Monet produced around 30 paintings between 1888 and 1891 showing haystacks at various times of the day and in different weather conditions. Considered by the artist himself to be some of the most challenging paintings he ever produced, these works depict a great sense of optimism as the verdant countryside was seen as a great hope compared to the failing French economy of the era. As with sand from the beaches of Normandy in his coastal paintings, you can still see fragments of grass hidden within the paint throughout the Haystacks series. One painting from 'Haystacks' recently sold for almost $160 million, which shows some people clearly can't get enough of its beauty. [caption id="attachment_725377" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Train in the snow, locomotive (1875), courtesy of the Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris.[/caption] TRAIN IN THE SNOW, LOCOMOTIVE This artwork was painted during Monet's time living in the small village of Argenteuil, which would soon rapidly grow in size as a new train line direct to Paris brought great interest to the area. Having stood out in the cold for hours for this work, Monet was well known to brave just about any weather condition to capture the perfect moment. Many of his later works featured aspects of technology, with modern bridges, trains and city life becoming common subjects. But, this earlier artwork from 1875 was created before Monet became increasingly experimental and as he sought to find a way to avoid the prevailing Western painterly perspective. Monet: Impression Sunrise is running until September 1 at the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Head to the website to purchase tickets and for more information.
In this or any other galaxy far, far away, now and a long time ago alike, this is a first: an exhibition displaying the largest collection of life-sized Lego Star Wars models ever assembled, and ranking as the biggest touring Lego showcase ever. Lego Star Wars: The Exhibition was initially announced in 2024, and now unveils the scenes crafted from its eight-million-plus plastic bricks at Melbourne Museum on the best day for it: May the fourth. The force is strong with this one — the Lego-building force, that is, in this world-premiering exhibition featuring Lego models based on the George Lucas-created space saga. Locations, characters, duels: they're all included, such as the Millennium Falcon, Emperor Palpatine's throne flanked by two Royal Guards, a stormtrooper helmet, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader facing off, and the Mandalorian and Moff Gideon doing the same. Lego Star Wars: The Exhibition hails from Ryan McNaught aka Brickman, who has indeed been spending time turning plastic rectangles, squares and other shapes into a recreation of the smash-hit franchise that's been soaring across screens big and small — and beyond — for almost five decades now. To build, the showcase took more than 25,000 hours at McNaught's headquarters in Tullamarine. As it constructs an immersive experience and follows in the footsteps of the Jurassic World series, which has also received the Lego treatment from Brickman, Lego Star Wars: The Exhibition has plenty of material to draw upon. On-screen, so far it spans the initial film trilogy that released from 1977–83, then the prequels from 1999–2005, then the sequels — including The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker — from 2015–2019. Rogue One, Solo, The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, Skeleton Crew: the list goes on across cinemas and TV, including the wealth of animated efforts in the saga. This is not just the first Lego showcase dedicated to Star Wars, but the only Lego showcase devoted to it. Another drawcard: being able to build your own Lego brick lightsaber, then giving it a swing in augmented reality. If you're keen to check it out and you don't live in Melbourne, you'll need to head to the Victorian capital to wander through Lego Star Wars: The Exhibition. Alongside the hosting the world-premiere season, which runs until Monday, January 26, 2026, the stint at Melbourne Museum is an Australian exclusive. "Building the Star Wars galaxy from Lego bricks has been a dream project, and I couldn't be prouder of what we've created. Lego Star Wars: The Exhibition takes some of the most-iconic moments from the beloved saga and reimagines them at a scale that's never been done before. The detail, the size and the sheer number of bricks used to make this exhibition is something truly special. Whether you're a lifelong Star Wars fan or just love to build, it's an experience that everyone can enjoy," said McNaught. "This world-first exhibition unites two of the most-iconic and -imaginative forces in global culture ‚ right here in Melbourne. Lego Star Wars: The Exhibition boldly blends creativity, storytelling and interactivity into an adventure for curious minds of all ages," added Museums Victoria Chief Executive Officer and Director Lynley Crosswell. Lego Star Wars: The Exhibition runs from Sunday, May 4, 2025–Monday, January 26, 2026 at Melbourne Museum, 11 Nicholson Street, Carlton. Head to the exhibition's website for tickets and more details. Exhibition images: Eugene Hyland, Museums Victoria / The Brickman.
When Japan reopened its borders to international tourists late in 2022, it was the news that plenty of travellers had been waiting for, helping us all live out our Tokyo-touring dreams once more. The list of sights to see in both the country and its capital is hefty, especially with a Super Nintendo theme park launching during the pandemic, plus Studio Ghibli's long-awaited park also debuting last November. But the latest must-visit Tokyo spot won't even have you leaving the airport. That airport: Haneda, one of two servicing Tokyo, and the more central of the pair. On Tuesday, January 31, it's officially opening the new Haneda Airport Garden complex, which features with a few sizeable drawcards — 24-hour hot springs with views of Mount Fuji (on a clear day) chief among them. Located 12 floors up and spanning over 2000 square metres, rooftop facility Spa Izumi at Haneda is your new go-to for soaking before or after a flight. The onsen overlooks the Tamagawa River, as the entire Haneda Airport Garden does, and operates 24 hours a day. Using privately sourced water, it comes complete with four areas that span openair and indoor baths — a carbonated water bath, ice plunge pool and jet bath included — plus dry, steam and hot-stone saunas, as well as shower, powder and dressing-room facilities. Even better: while Haneda Airport Garden's official opening date arrives at the end of January, Spa Izumi and the hub's two hotels started welcoming in guests back in December 2022. Looking for a place to stay before or after your travels, too? Hotel Villa Fontaine Grand features a whopping 1557 rooms, while the smaller Hotel Villa Fontaine Premier boasts 160. The former offers guests 12 different types of spaces, while the latter has six varieties. Crucially, visitors looking to take advantage of the hot springs won't need to be hotel guests. So, if you're only at the airport to head home or on a layover between flights, you can still make time for a dip before hopping on the plane — no overnight stay at one of the Villa Fontaine hotels needed. You will need to pay an admission fee, however. The full new complex also includes around 60 shops and 30 restaurants — those usual airport staples — and a bus terminal for easy access to Osaka, Yamagata and more. And, there's an event hall and conference rooms. Plus, handily, Haneda Airport Garden connects through to terminal 3, which is where Qantas flies into and out of. Unsurprisingly, this is now Japan's largest airport hotel — so expect to have ample company while you're there. Haneda Airport Garden will officially open at Tokyo's Haneda Airport from Tuesday, January 31, with Hotel Villa Fontaine Grand, Hotel Villa Fontaine Premier and Spa Izumi already operating. For more information, head to the Haneda Airport Garden website. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Saying that you'll get your chocolate fix at Burch & Purchese is an understatement. In all likelihood, you'll emerge in a full-blown sugar stupor. We're not sure why Darren Purchese's sweet treats have that effect on us, but it's probably because everything looks so damn good. From the choc-raspberry wagon wheels to the chocolate-coated ice cream sandwiches to the famous chocolate, coffee and mascarpone tube dessert — it's hard to refuse anything they're making. Place an order for a birthday cake or take away an individual one to eat on the run. Look out for their special Easter, Christmas and Valentine's treats too.
