Fancy reliving your childhood film favourites on the stage? That seems to be the current trend. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is doing big business in Melbourne, the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory musical has been taking its golden tickets around the country, and now Shrek the Musical is bringing its all-singing, all-dancing version of the animated movie franchise to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Expect plenty of green when this Tony and Grammy award-nominated stage show finally makes its way to our shores, after first premiering on Broadway back in 2008. Since then, everyone's favourite ogre has sung his way through theatres in the UK, Asia Europe, Canada, Latin and South America, Israel and Scandinavia. Although exact dates haven't been revealed, the character originally voiced by Mike Myers will bound across the Sydney Lyric Theatre at The Star from early January 2020, then hit up Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne and the Lyric Theatre, Brisbane. You know the story, of course — unless you somehow managed to miss the original 2001 Oscar-winning film, its sequels in 2004, 2007 and 2010, and the heap of spin-offs, shorts, TV specials and series that all followed. Based on the 1990 picture book Shrek!, the tale follows the reclusive but kindly titular figure who endeavours to rescue the feisty Princess Fiona from the the fairy tale-hating Lord Farquaad, all while trekking along with a talking Donkey sidekick. Australian cast details haven't been revealed, but Shrek lovers can expect a whopping 19 songs, an obvious colour scheme and plenty of other fairy tale references. Check out the trailer for the production's UK run below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2VQ2pfXbyI Shrek the Musical will tour Australia from 2020, starting with a Sydney season at the Sydney Lyric Theatre, The Star from January. Complete dates — including for the show's seasons at Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne and the Lyric Theatre, Brisbane — are yet to be announced. Sydney tickets go on sale on Friday, July 5, with pre-sales from Monday, July 1. Head to ShrekTheMusical.com.au to join the waitlist, and for further details. Image: Helen Maybanks.
Music is about more than just a great tune — it also has the power to inform and inspire action. That's the idea behind the Environmental Music Prize — a $20,000 prize launched in 2022 awarded to artists exploring ideas around sustainability and conservation in their music. With voting open until Sunday, December 14, the public is invited to have their say on the tracks that get them reflecting on the importance of nature. Just choose three choice tunes and share them with your pals to help spread the word about music that speaks to the kind of world we want to live in. [caption id="attachment_1052482" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Debbie Hickey/Getty Images[/caption] "Music reminds us of what's at stake, but it also gives us hope," says Prize Founder Edwina Floch. "These songs capture the beauty of nature, the spirit of Country and the resilience of communities rising to protect it. Together, they form a powerful soundtrack for now." With the 30 finalist songs now revealed, each is jam-packed with lyrical meaning and taken to even greater heights with evocative music videos. Think King Stingray's Through the Trees, Angie McMahon's Mother Nature or DOBBY's Dirrpi Yuin Patjulinya, alongside dozens more. "Music connects where other messages can't," explains Floch. "By voting and sharing these songs, fans can help amplify the voices of artists shaping a more sustainable culture, because change begins in the stories we tell and the songs we sing." With this year's prize announced on Wednesday, December 17, the highest voted artist will join much-loved past winners like King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard and Xavier Rudd. Both donated the money to grassroots conservation initiatives, giving even more meaning to their songwriting prowess. Voting for the 2025 Environmental Music Prize closes on Sunday, December 14. Head to the website for more information.
When your relationship kicks off with a flashed nipple and an injured dog, it clearly doesn't start smoothly. When Colin From Accounts returns for its second season, the romance between Ashley (Harriet Dyer, The Invisible Man) and Gordon (Patrick Brammall, Evil) is set to continue as it began. The titular canine is still a key part of their connection — and they're trying to get him back — but so is couple banter about each others' past, and just the general kind of chaos that rom-coms can bring. It was back in 2022 that Colin From Accounts won audiences over as quickly as a cute pooch, and became one of that year's best new TV shows. When it debuted, Colin From Accounts had everyone bingeing their way through a tale of an awkward but memorable meet-cute, which began when a medical student and a microbrewery owner crossed paths in Sydney, then went from strangers to pet co-owners almost instantly. The series starts dropping its second season from Thursday, May 30 — but this time, however, it will be releasing its episodes weekly on Binge instead of in one batch. If you're new to Colin From Accounts, which won Best Narrative Comedy Series at the 2024 AACTAs and a trio of Logies — Most Outstanding Comedy Program, Most Outstanding Actor and Most Outstanding Actress — in 2023, it's the latest collaboration between real-life couple and No Activity stars Dyer and Brammall. Story-wise, the first season of Colin From Accounts charted what happened after Gordon was distracted by Ashley one otherwise ordinary morning, then accidentally hit a stray dog with his car. The pair took the pooch to receive veterinary treatment, then committed to look after him — and, yes, named him Colin From Accounts — causing their lives to intertwine. In season two, Ashley and Gordon are now living together, which brings its own mess — including the quest to get Colin From Accounts back from his new owners. A heap of fresh faces are joining the series for its second date, such as Celeste Barber (Wellmania), Virginia Gay (Mother and Son), Justin Rosniak (Wolf Like Me), Lynne Porteous (Frayed), John Howard (Bump) and Aunty Donna's Broden Kelly (Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe). Check out the trailer for season two of Colin From Accounts below: Colin From Accounts season two will stream via Binge from Thursday, May 30, 2024. Read our review of season one. Images: Lisa Tomasetti.
Those lucky enough to have roamed the streets of Florence might just have come across Vivoli Gelato, a family-run coffee shop and ice-cream parlour that has stood the test of time since the 1930s. While the gelato is stellar, this bustling spot is best known for its square-cut affogato, with around 350 sold day in and day out. Now you can experience this renowned affogato without travelling to Italy, as ST. ALi has teamed up with Piccolina to serve its own version inspired by the original. With the collaboration recently extended to Friday, August 22, this square-cut affogato stays true to the classic recipe while adding a little of its own imagination. Featuring a careful balance of sweet, bitter, hot and cold notes, gelato is packed into a chilled cup before a neat square is carved into the centre. Then, a hot shot of freshly brewed ST. ALi espresso is poured into the middle, creating an eye-opening beverage. In fact, this might just be the first square-cut affogato sold in Australia. Going the extra mile, each location selling this tasty collab uses La Pavoni's timeless manual lever espresso machines to achieve a deep and clean espresso shot. Plus, you're welcome to choose any Piccolina gelato flavour to be flooded with coffee. Get one for $10 at ST. ALi South Melbourne and all Piccolina stores — or start booking your airfare to Italy.
Michel Gondry, the famed creator of dreamlike spectacles such as Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep and critically-acclaimed music videos for the likes of Bjork, The White Stripes and The Rolling Stones is about to make his mark on Melbourne. On Saturday November 9, ACMI is hosting Release Your Inner Gondry: an all-day collaborative workshop guiding you through each of the production steps for a music video — from conception to final cut. In a day full of creativity and imagination, this intensive workshop will feature hands-on animation and cardboard constructions, channeling Gondry's uniquely vivid approach to filmmaking. By the end of it, you may just end up something to that trademark Gondry standard. Don't worry if it doesn't turn out as amazing as this or this though.
In contrast to its unassuming grey concrete facade, Amann Patisserie in Carlton North delights with its French flair, flaky pastries and seasonal fresh ingredients. With a passionate and dedicated team committed to technical excellence and quality, this pint-sized patisserie has earned its reputation as one of the best in town. Yohann and Alizée, the couple behind Amann Patisserie, first met while working at a patisserie in Brisbane. However, Yohann's journey begins in the home of pastry, France, where he trained and worked in patisseries in Brittany and Paris, which explains his devotion to the skill and craft of baking. Yohann's pastries are deeply rooted in French tradition, relying on recipes and techniques that have been developed over decades by renowned French chefs. His impeccable French technique is showcased in Amann's range of staples that are served each day — plain, almond, chocolate and ham and cheese croissants, kouign amann, pain suisse, and a signature maple bacon danish. When Alizée and Yohann opened up their tiny storefront, they had no idea just how quickly their business would grow. What started as just the two of them trading three days a week has now grown into a daily operation with a whole team, regular opening hours and outdoor seating. Amann's seasonal specials feature innovative Australian produce and influences. For example, summer specials may include kiwi berry flans, cherry pastries or mango and pandan numbers. They make an effort to listen to their customers — if they love a special, it may earn a spot on the permanent menu, if they don't, it won't make it to next week. By adhering to its ethos of keeping it simple yet doing it well, Amann Patisserie has garnered a loyal following of devoted customers. Looking forward, Alizée and Yohann are focused on continuing to grow their business by streamlining operations, expanding their offering, and building the brand beyond their little pastry window. Images: Supplied.
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. CYRANO Love can spring quickly, igniting sparks instantly. Or, it can build gradually and gracefully, including over a lifetime. It can be swift and bold like a lightning strike, too, or it can linger, evolve and swell like a gentle breeze. In the sumptuous confines of Cyrano, all of the above happens. The latest adaptation of Edmond Rostand's 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac, this time as a musical via playwright Erica Schmidt's own song-filled on-stage version, lends its attention to two men who've fallen for the plucky Roxanne (Haley Bennett, Hillbilly Elegy) in opposite ways. Charming soldier Christian de Neuvillette (Kelvin Harrison Jr, The Trial of the Chicago 7) gets the fast-and-infatuated experience, while the movie's namesake (Peter Dinklage, I Care a Lot), a poet also handy in battle, has ached for his childhood pal for as long as he can remember. Roxanne's two suitors make a chalk-and-cheese pair, with their contrasting approaches to matters of the heart — specifically, to winning her heart and helping ensure that she doesn't have to marry the rich and ruthless De Guiche (Ben Mendelsohn, The Outsider) to secure her future — driving much of Cyrano's drama. Also present and accounted for, as all takes on the tale have included (see also: 80s rom-com Roxanne with Steve Martin, the Gérard Depardieu-starring Cyrano de Bergerac, 90s rom-com The Truth About Cats & Dogs with Uma Thurman and Janeane Garofalo, plus recent Netflix teen flicks Sierra Burgess Is a Loser and The Half of It): insecurities about appearance, a way with words and a ghostwriting gambit. Short in stature given Dinklage's casting, Cyrano can't even dream that Roxanne could love him. But he wants her to be happy above all else and knows that she's smitten with Christian, so he secretly lends his romantic rival his letter-penning abilities to help woo her by lyrical prose. This Cyrano may have a different reason for not believing that Roxanne could reciprocate his feelings, even as she gets giddy over the correspondence he scripts for Christian — traditionally, a large nose gets in his way — but his slow-and-steady affection is especially apt in this particular film. The latest period piece from Joe Wright, it slips into the British director's resume alongside Pride & Prejudice, Atonement and Anna Karenina, and initially seems as standard a silver-screen staging of Cyrano as a musical as he could reliably muster. But all three of those aforementioned movies are stunning in their own ways, especially the gutsy Anna Karenina. Unsurprisingly, his newest feature is as well. Doing his best work since that Tolstoy adaptation, and clearly back in his comfort zone after Pan, Darkest Hour and The Woman in the Window, Wright lets Cyrano take its time to bloom and blossom. And, when it flowers partway through, it makes viewers realise that it's been a gorgeous gem of a film all along. Like on-screen love story, like surrounding flick, basically. That said, the routine air that initially seems to float through Cyrano's first act can't have been by design. Rather, the film winds up to its full heart-wrenching powers so patiently that it appears a tad too expected while its various pieces are being put into place — a fact hardly helped by how often this exact narrative or variations of it have made it to screens — until it's just simply and unshakeably wonderful. Wright doesn't change anything in his approach, helming a handsome, detail-laden, rhythmic piece of cinema from the outset, but the emotions that truly make the movie sing strengthen minute by minute. And yes, when it all clicks in just so, it's with its three main players literally crooning, conveying so much about their huge, swirling, all-encompassing feelings that normal dialogue couldn't have done justice to. Read our full review. HIVE 2021 swarmed with historic achievements for women in film, including Nomadland's Chloë Zhao becoming the first woman of colour and only second woman ever to win the Oscar for Best Director, that category's nomination of two female filmmakers for the first time in its then 93-year history and the Cannes Film Festival awarding the Palme d'Or to a woman — Titane's Julia Ducournau — for only the second time. But before all of that, Kosovo-born writer/director Blerta Basholli achieved something at the Sundance Film Festival that'd never been done either: winning the US fest's World Cinema Dramatic Competition Grand Jury Prize, Audience Award and Best Director gong for Hive. It was a well-deserved feat for a movie that'd stick in memory even without such an achievement, and it's easy to see why Sundance's jurors and viewers responded with such a show of support. A powerhouse of a true tale that's brought to the screen with a devastatingly potent lead performance, Hive is simply unshakeable. In Basholli's first feature, to peer at star Yllka Gashi (Kukumi) is to look deep into a battler's eyes. Hive directs its attention her way frequently. The also-Kosovan actor plays Fahrije Hoti, a woman who has never been allowed to stop fighting, although the men in her patriarchal village would prefer she'd keep quiet. They wish she'd just attend to her duties as a mother and do what's expected. They think she should be a silent, compliant wife, although there's a significant problem with that idea. With her husband missing for years due to the Kosovo War, she can't be a meekly obedient spouse even if that was in her nature — which it isn't — because the man she loves is gone, no sign of him either dead or alive has been recovered, and she's trapped in limbo as she waits, tries to keep caring for her family and endeavours to go on. Those dismissive, misogynistic attitudes flung at Fahrije by her community join the litany of roadblocks that she's forced to rally against with every word, thought and breath she has. In her husband's absence, her father-in-law Haxhi (Çun Lajçi, Zana) is eager to maintain the status quo, but Fahrije has been trying to make ends meet anyway, all in a town — and amidst a male-dominated culture — that couldn't be more unsympathetic to her plight. She isn't alone, however, with many of the locale's other women also widowed due to the conflict, and similarly expected to survive without upsetting traditional gender roles. So, with the beehives that she dutifully attends to unable to keep providing enough income to pay her bills, the enterprising Fahrije and her friend Nazmije (Kumrije Hoxha, The Marriage) decide to start a female-run co-operative to make and sell ajvar, a pepper relish. A picture of stinging resilience, unflappable fortitude and baked-in sorrow, Gashi is phenomenal as Fahrije. Not only does Hive keep gazing her way but, thanks to the raw compulsion of her performance, viewers eagerly do the same. The skill required to play stoic but also persistent, passionate and simmering with internalised pain can't be underestimated, and watching Gashi navigate that balance like it's the only thing she knows — because, for Fahrije after her husband's disappearance, it now is — is affecting on a gutwrenching level. Lived-in fury and resolve buzzes through every facet of her portrayal, all as the woman whose shoes she's walking in weathers derision, violence and attempted sexual assault for daring to dream of attempting to support herself. It comes as no surprise that various film festival prizes have been sent Gashi's way among Hive's collection of accolades, with ample merit. Read our full review. STUDIO 666 As the drummer for Nirvana and the frontman for Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl doesn't have many mixed bags on his resume. The music superstar has been in the spotlight for three-plus decades now, and boasts success after success to his name, complete with a list of awards and hits bound to make almost everyone else in the industry envious. But all their lives, Grohl and his fellow Foos must've dreamt of being horror movie stars — and the result, the pandemic-shot Studio 666, shouldn't entice any of them to quit their day jobs. A haunted-house horror-comedy, this rockstar lark is gonzo, gory and extremely goofy. It's a clear bit of fun for everyone involved, and it's made with overflowing love for the genre it slips into and parodies. But it's an indulgent and stretched exercise in famous folks following their whims at times like these, too. Achievement unlocked: there's Grohl's mixed bag. Studio 666's setup revolves around Grohl, drummer Taylor Hawkins, guitarists Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear, bassist Nate Mendel and keyboardist Rami Jaffee packing their bags for a live-in recording session at an Encino mansion. As the movie's 1993-set prologue shows, their temporary new home has a dark past, after the last group that inhabited the spot met bloody ends; however, ignorance is bliss for the Foo Fighters. Actually, an obligation to deliver their tenth album to their overbearing manager (Jeff Garlin, Curb Your Enthusiasm) inspires the move, as does the band's creative lull in conjuring up the record otherwise. Grohl instantly falls for the sound of the space as well, to an unhinged degree, and his bandmates begrudgingly agree to the month-long stay to make musical magic happen. Recording an album doesn't usually spark The Evil Dead-style murderous mayhem, cursed book and all, but that's Studio 666's gambit. Its Californian abode isn't just stalked by a grisly ghoul with a love of gut-rumbling tracks — it possesses Grohl with the need to craft a killer song, length be damned, and with satanic bloodlust, cannibal cravings and prima-donna rocker behaviour. Is he monstrous about doing whatever it takes to get the tune because he's bedevilled by the house's resident evil, he's on a power trip or both? That's one of the film's big gags, and also a hefty splatter of the kind of sense of humour it's working with. Winking, nudging, satirising, and sending up fame, egos and the all-devouring nature of entertainment stardom: they're all on the movie's menu, alongside as much gleefully cheap-looking viscera as any feature can manage to splash around. Amid the deaths by cymbal, barbecued faces and projectile-vomited guts — no, what's left of the Foos at the film's end won't be getting their bond back — there's zero doubt that Grohl and company are enjoying themselves. Actors, they aren't, but playfulness has always been part of Foo Fighters' mood. When the band began in 1994, initially as a one-man project by Grohl after Kurt Cobain's suicide the same year, it was instantly perkier and sillier than Nirvana. For the 'Big Me' music video from the group's self-titled first album, they shot an unforgettable Mentos ad parody in Sydney. With the 'Learn to Fly' clip in 1999, they satirised airline flicks — Airplane!, which was already a send-up, plus disaster fare Airport 1975 and Airport '77 — aided by Tenacious D's Jack Black and Kyle Gass. Getting so delightedly bloody might be new, but refusing to take themselves seriously definitely isn't. Read our full review. PREPARATIONS TO BE TOGETHER FOR AN UNKNOWN PERIOD OF TIME Will they or won't they? Do they or don't they? Every time that romance and relationships are portrayed on-screen, at least one of these questions always echoes. In the entrancingly moody and astute Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time, it's the latter. Whether Hungarian neurosurgeon Márta Vizy (Natasa Stork, Jupiter's Moon) and fellow doctor János (Viktor Bodó, Overnight) will end the film in each other's company still remains a pivotal part of the plot, but if there's ever been anything between them — or if it's all simply in Márta's head — is the far more pressing concern. She's a woman smitten, so much so that she's returned home from a prestigious job in the US just for him. But his behaviour could be called vague, rude or flat-out ghosting, if he even remembers that they've crossed paths before — and, if they ever actually have. Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time first introduces Márta as she's unloading her János-sparked romantic woes upon her therapist. What could've been a standard rom-com or romantic drama setup soon twists into something far more alluring and intriguing, however. Indeed, as writer/director Lili Horvát (The Wednesday Child) ponders the role of memory in affairs of the heart, her film just keeps inspiring more trains of thought. How can we ever know how someone else really feels about us? How long will any romantic emotions last, and can they last? Is it ever truly possible to trust whoever our hearts fall or, or our hearts to begin with? And, can we genuinely believe those intense memories of love that implant themselves inside our brains, refuse to leave and inspire life-changing decisions — or is love too subjective, no matter how deep, real, shared and strong that it feels? These queries all spring from Márta's homecoming, after she meets János at a conference in New Jersey, then pledges to do so again a month later on a Budapest bridge. She shows, but he doesn't. Worse: when she tracks him down at his work afterwards, he says that he doesn't know her. While tinkering with memory is a familiar film and TV concept — see: everything from Memento and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to Mulholland Drive and Severance — Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time is interested in the emotional fallout from János' claims to have zero knowledge of Márta first and foremost. Confused, unsettled and still wholeheartedly infatuated, she just can't bring herself to return stateside, and also can't get János out of her mind in general. Scripted with empathy and precision by Horvát, and also shot and styled like a waking dream, Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time isn't easily forgotten either, siding its viewers with Márta over János. This is a haunting and beautifully acted psychological drama that lays bare just how all-encompassing, obsessive, intoxicating and mind-melting love can feel, all as it plays with recollection and its ability to shape our perspectives. The tone is loaded but uncanny — sweet but uncertain, too — and Horvát has fun getting both emotional and cerebral while having her characters cut open brains. The latter happens literally and yes, there aren't many movies quite like this one. Cinema doesn't boast too many performances like the exceptional Stork's, either, which draws viewers into every feeling, question, and pang of both intense affection and shattering uncertainty that flows through Márta. Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time screens in Melbourne from February 24, and opens in Sydney and Brisbane from March 17. FORTUNE FAVORS LADY NIKUKO Japanese animation has given cinema-goers a wealth of gifts, Studio Ghibli's enchanting on-screen magic across nearly four decades sitting atop the pile, and the heartwrenching Your Name and Weathering with You ranking high among them as well. But films that serve up gorgeous snapshots of coastal living and cuisine are finding their own anime niche, too, with Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko following Ride Your Wave — and proving as much of a delight. It isn't quite another romantic tale about matters of the heart, hope and H2O, as Josee, the Tiger and the Fish also was, but only because it focuses on an 11-year-old and her mother. The same swells of emotion still wash through, all in an eye-catchingly animated story set in a northern Japanese harbour town — complete with cooking up a storm, and making illustrated dishes spark hunger pangs. The film's title refers to the outgoing, happy-go-lucky, houseboat-dwelling Nikuko (voiced by Shinobu Ôtake, Shadowfall), who works as a bar waitress in the sleepy locale she now calls home, and is also never without a smile. But as Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko's introductory sequence explains — adopting a more stylised, less naturalistic type of imagery than the bulk of the movie in the process — her bad romantic luck, including the debts she's amassed from her past loves, has played a large part in her current fate. She still works hard six days a week, never complains, and is instantly recognisable around the village. The whip-smart, serious and introverted Kikuko (model and flutist Cocomi), Nikuko's daughter, doesn't share the same attitude, however, and wants nothing more than to blend in where her single mother stands out. Based on the 2011 novel of the same name by Kanako Nishi, Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko keeps its dramas grounded, as Kikuko navigates the usual struggles of school — being forced to pick which classmates to spend lunchtime with, for instance — and the standard preteen experience that is pushing away from your parents. Indeed, no one is spirited away, tasked with saving the world or left communing with water in a grief-stricken state here, but that doesn't make this slow-building film any less resonant. As well as being deeply instep with the woes of adolescence, and of the complexities of mother-daughter relationships, this affecting slice-of-life feature also laps up simply stepping into its characters' lives and their surroundings. Where watching Weathering with You felt like taking a walk through Tokyo, for example, viewing Fortune Favours Lady Nikuko whisks the audience away to its peaceful seaside setting. Filmmaker Ayumu Watanabe also directed 2019's Children of the Sea, another recent Japanese gem and fellow Studio 4°C release that proved sweet and smart, and similarly looked a treat — and he's as skilled at immersing viewers into heartfelt stories rendered through animation as his internationally better-known compatriots. There's also a sense of calm to his films that's both soothing and bewitching, as vibrant as they always look. In fact, the only misstep that Watanabe and screenwriter Satomi Ohshima (Our 30 Minute Sessions) make with Fortune Favours Lady Nikuko stems from the easy jokes made about the movie's namesake's size, which visibly contrasts with her reed-thin daughter but didn't need to also be the butt of several verbal gags. The tone is still loving, and one of the feature's big thematic threads does involve seeing past the obvious — especially given two people who are painted as such opposites sit at its centre — but it's still a rare grey cloud in an otherwise warm anime sky. 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 October 7, October 14, October 21 and October 28; November 4, November 11, November 18 and November 25; December 2, December 9, December 16 and December 26; January 1, January 6, January 13, January 20 and January 27; and February 3, February 10 and February 17. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as 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, The Rescue, Titane, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, Dune, Encanto, The Card Counter, The Lost Leonardo, The French Dispatch, Don't Look Up, Dear Evan Hansen, Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Lost Daughter, The Scary of Sixty-First, West Side Story, Licorice Pizza, The Matrix Resurrections, The Tragedy of Macbeth, The Worst Person in the World, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, House of Gucci, The King's Man, Red Rocket, Scream, The 355, Gold, King Richard, Limbo, Spencer, Nightmare Alley, Belle, Parallel Mothers, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Belfast, Here Out West, Jackass Forever, Benedetta, Drive My Car, Death on the Nile, C'mon C'mon, Flee, Uncharted and Quo Vadis, Aida?.
It's that time again for 2024: time for Australia's Red Centre to glow with other hues, including across ranges dating back 300 million years, thanks to giant puppets and on the ochre earth. Every April, Parrtjima — A Festival in Light returns to the Northern Territory with art, music, talks and an all-round celebration of First Nations culture. This year's event is on now, kicking off on Friday, April 12 and running till Sunday, April 21 — and if you're not there or on your way, this is what you're missing out on. When Arelhe Urrperle strolls along, people take notice. A six-metre-tall puppet that weighs 600 kilograms wandering around draws attention. Seeing it mosey through Alice Springs Desert Park, sharing Arrernte stories and language, is a main attraction at 2024's Parrtjima — A Festival in Light, in fact — and just one of the highlights of this Indigenous arts festival. Erth, which has also brought dinosaurs and sharks to life around the country in the past — and held prehistoric picnics featuring puppets — is behind Arelhe Urrperle. In New South Wales, Marri Dyin, which also reaches six metres in height, has taken a stroll at Vivid Sydney 2018 and 2019, plus at the Nights on Crown Festival in Wollongong in 2019. Arelhe Urrperle is specific to the Red Centre, however, with Erth's puppeteers training local Indigenous performers to operate the roving puppet for Parrtjima's 2024 run. Representing Arelhe matriarchs, Arelhe Urrperle is one of this year's signature installations — and a new addition to Parrtjima for 2024. Fancy feasting your eyes on illuminated cars that form a collage of work celebrating Eastern, Western and Central language groups? Walking through an immersive passageway that pays tribute to late Arrernte leader Dr MK Turner? Thanks to fellow installations Arrernte and Honouring, they're also on the festival's program right now. One of the Northern Territory's annual highlights — and one of its dazzling sights, alongside natural features Uluru, the Tjoritja gorges and Kings Canyon, plus nightly light show Wintjiri Wiru, as well as Bruce Munro's Field of Light and Light Towers — this arts, culture and storytelling event takes place against the MacDonnell Ranges. 2024 marks the ninth Parrtjima, with its lineup focusing on the importance of interconnectedness across First Nations culture for this year. That's partly happening through two things that are always on the bill: two of the festival's regular annual attractions, aka a huge artwork that transforms a 2.5-kilometre stretch of the majestic ranges, showering it with light each night of the festival; and Grounded, the installation projected over the red dirt at tourism and conservation facility Alice Springs Desert Park. The Ranges Light Show has taken over additional projection space in 2024, while Grounded has become more interactive. Over its opening weekend, the program also included a three-night marketplace for the first time in the fest's history. The Northern Territory Indigenous Business Network (NTIBN) Buy Blak Market featured both food and other products from local Aboriginal businesses. On the music roster across the entire event, Troy Cassar-Daley, Shellie Morris, Miiesha and Mulga Bore Hard Rock are taking to the stage. Cassar-Daley and Morris are also on the talks lineup, alongside Floyd Doyle and Dr Josie Douglas. Parrtjima – A Festival in Light runs from Friday, April 12–Sunday, April 21, 2024, at venues around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. For more information, visit the festival website. Images: Parrtjima – A Festival in Light. 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.
Maybe you're the kind of film lover who wouldn't dream of navigating Oscar season without seeing every movie that you possibly can as the accolades approach. Perhaps you wait to find out who wins big before deciding what to watch that you haven't caught already. Either way, the 2024 Academy Awards have now happened, taking place on Monday, March 11, Down Under — and a new batch of pictures, and the folks behind them, now have Hollywood's most-coveted cinema trophy to their names. We've been along for the ride since these pictures hit the big and small screen. So, if you need the full rundown, we have the list of winners, the nominees before that, our picks for who we predicted would and should win, exactly where you can see 2024's nominees in Australia and a drinking game designed to go with with this year's ceremony. Now, we also have all the details on nine films that have just been anointed Oscar-winners at the 96th Academy Awards that you can check out right now. Watch them. Rewatch them. Either way, you're in for some stellar viewing. And if you're wondering where The Boy and the Heron and Godzilla Minus One are — aka two of the very best recipients of the night — they sadly aren't currently in cinemas or streaming Down Under, but keep an eye out for them when they hit digital. Oppenheimer Cast Cillian Murphy and a filmmaker falls in love. Danny Boyle did with 28 Days Later and Sunshine, then Christopher Nolan followed with Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Inception and Dunkirk. There's an arresting, haunting, seeps-under-your-skin soulfulness about the Irish actor, never more so than when he was wandering solo through the empty zombie-ravaged streets in his big-screen big break, then hurtling towards the sun in an underrated sci-fi gem, both for Boyle, and now playing "the father of atomic bomb" in Nolan's epic biopic Oppenheimer. Flirting with the end of the world, or just one person's end, clearly suits Murphy. Here he is in a mind-blower as the destroyer of worlds — almost, perhaps actually — and so much of this can't-look-away three-hour stunner dwells in his expressive eyes. As J Robert Oppenheimer, those peepers see purpose and possibility. They spot quantum mechanics' promise, and the whole universe lurking within that branch of physics. They ultimately spy the consequences, too, of bringing the Manhattan Project successfully to fruition during World War II. Dr Strangelove's full title could never apply to Oppenheimer, nor to its eponymous figure; neither learn to stop worrying and love the bomb. The theoretical physicist responsible for the creation of nuclear weapons did enjoy building it in Nolan's account, Murphy's telltale eyes gleaming as Oppy watches research become reality — but then darkening as he gleans what that reality means. Directing, writing and adapting the 2005 biography American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J Sherwin, Nolan charts the before and after. He probes the fission and fusion of the situation in intercut parts, the first in colour, the second in black and white. In the former, all paths lead to the history-changing Trinity test on July 16, 1945 in the New Mexico desert. In the latter, a mushroom cloud balloons through Oppenheimer's life as he perceives what the gadget, as it's called in its development stages, has unleashed. Oscars: Won: Best Picture, Best Director (Christopher Nolan), Best Actor (Cillian Murphy), Best Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr), Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score Nominations: Best Supporting Actress (Emily Blunt), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Production Design, Best Sound Where to watch: Streaming via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Poor Things Richly striking feats of cinema by Yorgos Lanthimos aren't scarce. Sublime performances by Emma Stone are hardly infrequent. Screen takes on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein couldn't be more constant. For Lanthimos, see: Dogtooth and Alps in the Greek Weird Wave filmmaker's native language, plus The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer and The Favourite since he started helming movies in English. With Stone, examples abound in her Best Actress Oscar for La La Land, supporting nominations before and after for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) and Lanthimos' aforementioned regal satire, and twin 2024 Golden Globe nods for their latest collaboration as well as TV's The Curse. And as for the best gothic-horror story there is, not to mention one of the most influential sci-fi stories ever, the evidence is everywhere from traditional adaptations to debts owed as widely as The Rocky Horror Show and M3GAN. Combining the three results in a rarity, however: a jewel of a pastel-, jewel- and bodily fluid-toned feminist Frankenstein-esque fairy tale that's a stunning creation, as zapped to life with Lanthimos' inimitable flair, a mischievous air, Stone at her most extraordinary and empowerment blazing like a lightning bolt. With cascading black hair, an inquisitive stare, incessant frankness and jolting physical mannerisms, Poor Things' star is Bella Baxter in this adaptation of Alasdair Grey's award-winning 1992 novel by Australian screenwriter Tony McNamara (The Great). Among the reasons that the movie and its lead portrayal are so singular: as a character with a woman's body revived with a baby's brain, Stone plays someone from infancy to adulthood, all with the astonishingly exact mindset and mannerisms to match, and while making every move, choice and feeling as organic as birth, living and death. In this fantastical steampunk vision of Victorian-era Europe, London-based Scottish doctor Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe, Asteroid City) is Bella's maker. Even if she didn't call him God, he's been playing it. But curiosity, the quest for agency and independence, horniness and a lust for adventure all beckon his creation on a radical, rebellious, gorgeously rendered, gloriously funny and generously insightful odyssey. So, Godwin tries to marry Bella off to medical student Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef, Ramy), only for her to discover masturbation and sex, and run off to the continent with caddish lawyer Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law). Oscars: Won: Best Actress (Emma Stone), Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Yorgos Lanthimos), Best Supporting Actor (Mark Ruffalo), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score Where to watch: In Australian cinemas, and streaming via Disney+, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Anatomy of a Fall A calypso instrumental cover of 50 Cent's 'P.I.M.P.' isn't the only thing that Anatomy of a Fall's audience won't be able to dislodge from their heads after watching 2023's deserving Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or-winner. A film that's thorny, knotty and defiantly unwilling to give any easy answers, this legal, psychological and emotional thriller about a woman on trial for her husband's death is unshakeable in as many ways as someone can have doubts about another person: so, a myriad. The scenario conjured up by writer/director Justine Triet (Sibyl) is haunting, asking not only if her protagonist committed murder, as the on-screen investigation and courtroom proceedings interrogate, but digging into what it means to be forced to choose between whether someone did the worst or is innocent — or if either matters. While the Gallic legal system provides the backdrop for much of the movie, the real person doing the real picking isn't there in a professional capacity, or on a jury. Rather, it's the 11-year-old boy who loved his dad, finds him lying in the snow with a head injury outside their French Alps home on an otherwise ordinary day, then becomes the key witness in his mum's case. Also impossible to forget: the performances that are so crucial in telling this tale of marital and parental bonds, especially from one of German's current best actors and the up-and-coming French talent playing her son. With her similarly astonishing portrayal in The Zone of Interest, Toni Erdmann and I'm Your Man's Sandra Hüller is two for two in movies that initially debuted in 2023; here, she steps into the icy and complicated Sandra Voyter's shoes with the same kind of surgical precision that Triet applies to unpacking the character's home life. As Daniel, who couldn't be more conflicted about the nightmare situation he's been thrust into, Milo Machado Graner (Alex Hugo) is a revelation — frequently via his expressive face and posture alone. If Scenes From a Marriage met Kramer vs Kramer, plus 1959's Anatomy of a Murder that patently influences Anatomy of a Fall's name, this would be the gripping end result — as fittingly written by Triet with her IRL partner Arthur Harari (Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle). Oscars: Won: Best Original Screenplay Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Justine Triet), Best Actress (Sandra Hüller), Best Film Editing Where to watch: In Australian cinemas. Read our full review. The Holdovers Melancholy, cantankerousness, angst, hurt and snow: all five blanket Barton Academy in Alexander Payne's The Holdovers. It's Christmas in the New England-set latest film from the Election, About Schmidt and Nebraska director, but festive cheer is in short supply among the students and staff that give the movie its moniker. The five pupils all want to be anywhere but stuck at their exclusive boarding school over the yuletide break, with going home off the cards for an array of reasons. Then four get their wish, leaving just Angus Tully (debutant Dominic Sessa), who thought he'd be holidaying in Saint Kitts until his mother told him not to come so that she could have more time alone with his new stepdad. His sole company among the faculty: curmudgeonly classics professor Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti, Billions), who's being punished for failing the son of a wealthy donor, but would be hanging around campus anyway; plus grieving head cook Mary Lamb (Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Only Murders in the Building), who is weathering her first Christmas after losing her son — a Barton alum — in the Vietnam War. The year is 1970 in Payne's long-awaited return behind the lens after 2017's Downsizing, as the film reinforces from its opening seconds with retro studio credits. The Holdovers continues that period-appropriate look in every frame afterwards — with kudos to cinematographer Eigil Bryld (No Hard Feelings), who perfects not only the hues and grain but the light and softness in his imagery — and matches it with the same mood and air, as if it's a lost feature unearthed from the era. Cat Stevens on the soundtrack, a focus on character and emotional truths, zero ties to franchises, a thoughtful story given room to breathe and build: that's this moving and funny dramedy. Christmas flicks regularly come trimmed with empty, easy nostalgia, but The Holdovers earns its wistfulness from a filmmaker who's no stranger to making movies that feel like throwbacks to the decade when he was a teen. Oscars: Won: Best Supporting Actress (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) Nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor (Paul Giamatti), Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing Where to watch: In Australian cinemas, and streaming via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. American Fiction Here's Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison's (Jeffrey Wright, Rustin) predicament when American Fiction begins: on the page, his talents aren't selling books. Praise comes the Los Angeles-based professor's way for his novels, but not sales, nor attendees when he's part of writers' festival panels. And even then, publishers aren't fond of his latest manuscript. Sick of hearing that his work isn't "Black enough", and also incensed over the attention that fellow scribe Sintara Golden (Issa Rae, Barbie) is receiving for her book We's Lives in Da Ghetto, he gets a-typing, pumping out the kind of text that he vehemently hates — but 100-percent fits the stereotype of what the world keeps telling him that Black literature should be. It attracts interest, even more so when Monk takes his agent Arthur's (John Ortiz, Better Things) advice and adopts a new persona to go with it. Soon fugitive convict Stagg R Leigh and his book Fuck are a huge hit that no one can get enough of. Because of the story spun around who wrote the bestseller, too, the FBI even wants to know the author's whereabouts. Deservedly nominated for five 2024 Oscars — including for Best Picture, Best Actor for Wright and Best Supporting Actor for Sterling K Brown (Biosphere) as Monk's brother Clifford — American Fiction itself hails from the page, with filmmaker Cord Jefferson adapting Percival Everett's 2001 novel Erasure. Wright is indeed exceptional in this savvy satire of authenticity, US race relations and class chasms, and earns his awards contention for his reactions alone. Seeing how Monk adjusts himself to a world that keeps proving anything but his dream is an utter acting masterclass, in big and small moments alike. As the film dives into the character's personal chaos, that's where Brown's also-fantastic, often-tender performance comes in, plus Leslie Uggams (Extrapolations) as Monk's mother and Tracee Ellis Ross (Candy Cane Lane) as his sister, and also Erika Alexander (Run the World) as a neighbour who is a fan of his — not just Stagg R Leigh's — work. Don't discount how excellent American Fiction is beyond its literary hoax setup, in fact; as a character study, it's equally astute. Oscars: Won: Best Adapted Screenplay Nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor (Jeffrey Wright), Best Supporting Actor (Sterling K Brown), Best Original Score Where to watch: Streaming via Prime Video. Read our full review. The Zone of Interest Quotes and observations about evil being mundane, as well as the result when people look the other way, will never stop being relevant. A gripping, unsettling masterpiece, The Zone of Interest is a window into why. The first film by Sexy Beast, Birth and Under the Skin director Jonathan Glazer in more than a decade, the Holocaust-set feature peers on as the unthinkable happens literally just over the fence, but a family goes about its ordinary life. If it seems abhorrent that anything can occur in the shadow of any concentration camp or site of World War II atrocities, that's part of the movie's point. It dwells in the Interessengebiet, the 40-square-kilometre-plus titular area that comprised and surrounded the Auschwitz complex, to interrogate how banal genocide was to those in power; commandant Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel, Babylon Berlin), even gloats that his name will be remembered and celebrated for its connection to mass extermination. Höss was a real person, and the real Nazi SS officer overseeing Auschwitz from 1940–43. His wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall) and five children are similarly drawn from truth. But The Zone of Interest finds its way to the screen via Martin Amis' fiction novel of the same name, then hones its interest down from the book's three narrators to the Höss family; a biopic, it isn't, even as it switches its character monikers back to reflect actuality. This is a work of deep probing and contemplation — a piece that demands that its viewers confront the daily reality witnessed and face how the lives of those in power, and benefiting from it, thrived with death not only as a neighbour but an enabler. Camp prisoners tend the Höss' garden. Ashes are strewn over the soil for horticultural effect. Being turned into the same is a threat used to keep the household's staff in line. All three of these details, as with almost everything in the feature, are presented with as matter-of-fact an air as cinema is capable of. Oscars: Won: Best International Feature, Best Sound Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Jonathan Glazer), Best Adapted Screenplay Where to watch: In Australian cinemas. Read our full review. 20 Days in Mariupol Incompatible with life. No one should ever want to hear those three devastating words. No one who is told one of the most distressing phrases there is ever has them uttered their way in positive circumstances, either. Accordingly, when they're spoken by a doctor in 20 Days in Mariupol, they're deeply shattering. So is everything in this on-the-ground portrait of the first 20 days in the Ukrainian port city as Russia began its invasion, with the bleak reality of living in a war zone documented in harrowing detail. Located less than 60 kilometres from the border, Mariupol quickly segues from ordinary life to an apocalyptic scene — and this film refuses to look away. Much of its time is spent in and around hospitals, which see an influx of patients injured and killed by the combat, and also become targets as well. Many of in 20 Days in Mariupol's faces are the afflicted, the medics tending to them in horrendous circumstances, and the loves ones that are understandably inconsolable. Too many of the carnage's victims are children and babies, with their parents crushed and heartbroken in the aftermath; sometimes, they're pregnant women. Directed by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Mstyslav Chernov, and narrated by him with the grimness and soberness that can be this movie's only tone, 20 Days in Mariupol even existing is an achievement. What it depicts — what it immerses viewers in with urgency, from shelled hospitals, basements-turned-bomb shelters and more of the city destroyed day after day to families torn apart, looting, struggling to find food and bodies of the dead taken to mass graves — needs to be viewed as widely as possible, and constantly. His footage has also featured in news reports, but it can and must never be forgotten. Doctors mid-surgery demand that Chernov's camera is pointed their way, and that he shows the world the travesties taking place. The Ukrainian reporter, who has also covered Donbas, flight MH17, Syria and the Battle of Mosul for the Associated Press, does exactly that. He's doing more than ensuring that everyone bears witness, though; he makes certain that there's no way to watch 20 Days in Mariupol, which shows the vast civilian impact and casualties, and see anything but ordinary people suffering, or to feel anything other than shock, anger and horror. Oscars: Won: Best Documentary Feature Where to watch: Streaming via DocPlay. Barbie No one plays with a Barbie too hard when the Mattel product is fresh out of the box. As that new doll smell lingers, and the toy's synthetic limbs gleam and locks glisten, so does a child's sense of wonder. The more that the world-famous mass-produced figurine is trotted through DreamHouses, slipped into convertibles and decked out in different outfits, though — then given non-standard makeovers — the more that playing with the plastic fashion model becomes fantastical. Like globally beloved item, like live-action movie bearing its name. Barbie, the film, starts with glowing aesthetic perfection. It's almost instantly a pink-hued paradise for the eyes, and it's also a cleverly funny flick from its 2001: A Space Odyssey-riffing outset. The longer that it continues, however, the harder and wilder that Lady Bird and Little Women director Greta Gerwig goes, as does her Babylon and Amsterdam star lead-slash-producer Margot Robbie as Barbie. In Barbie's Barbie Land, life is utopian. Robbie's Stereotypical Barbie and her fellow dolls (including The Gray Man's Ryan Gosling as Stereotypical Ken) genuinely believe that their rosy beachside suburban excellence is infectious, too. And, they're certain that this female-championing realm — and the Barbies being female champions of all skills, talents and appearances — has changed the real world inhabited by humans. But there's a Weird Barbie living in a misshapen abode. While she isn't Barbie's villain, not for a second, her nonconformist look and attitude says everything about Barbie at its most delightful. Sporting cropped hair, a scribbled-on face and legs akimbo, she's brought to life by Saturday Night Live great Kate McKinnon having a blast, and explained as the outcome of a kid somewhere playing too eagerly. Meet Gerwig's spirit animal; when she lets Weird Barbie's vibe rain down like a shower of glitter, covering everything and everyone in sight both in Barbie Land and in reality, the always-intelligent, amusing and dazzling Barbie is at its brightest and most brilliant. Oscars: Won: Best Original Song ('What Was I Made For?', Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell) Nominations: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Ryan Gosling), Best Supporting Actress (America Ferrera), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Song ('I'm Just Ken', Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt), Best Costume Design, Best Production Design Where to watch: Streaming via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar After stepping into a play as a live production in a TV show in Asteroid City, and also flicking through a magazine's various articles in The French Dispatch before that, Wes Anderson gets an author sharing his writing in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. The 39-minute short film features Ralph Fiennes (The Menu) as Roald Dahl, who did indeed pen the tale that gives this suitably symmetrically shot affair its name — the book it's in, too — with the account that he's spilling one of several in a film that enthusiastically makes Anderson's love of layers known in its playful structure as much as its faux set. So, Dahl chats. The eponymous Henry Sugar (Benedict Cumberbatch, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) does as well. And, Dr Chatterjee (Dev Patel, The Green Knight) and his patient Imdad Khan (Ben Kingsley, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) also have a natter. The stories within stories within stories (within stories) share the fact that Khan has learned to see without his eyes, Chatterjee couldn't be more fascinated and Sugar wants to learn the trick for himself — to help with his gambling pastime. In his three decades as a filmmaker, Anderson has only ever made both features and shorts with one of two people responsible for their ideas: himself, sometimes with Owen Wilson (Haunted Mansion), Noah Baumbach (White Noise), Jason Schwartzman (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) and/or Roman Coppola (Mozart in the Jungle) contributing; and Dahl. With the latter, first came Anderson's magnificent stop-motion Fantastic Mr Fox adaptation — and now The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar sits among a series of four new shorts, all of which released in September 2023, that are based on the author's work. This is still a dream match, with the director's beloved jewel and pastel colours, dollhouse-esque visuals, moving sets, love of centred framing and dialogue rhythm all proving a treat in this account of personal and spiritual growth. The cast is as divine on-screen as it sounds on paper, too, especially Cumberbatch and Patel. The next in the set, the 17-minute The Swan, pushes Rupert Friend (High Desert) to the fore in a darker tale about a bully. With The Ratcatcher and Poison, too, the only quibble is with the decision to release all four shorts separately, rather than package them together as an anthology film. Oscars: Won: Best Live-Action Short Where to watch: Streaming via Netflix. Read our full review. Looking for more Oscar-nominees to watch? You can also check out our full rundown of where almost all of this year's contenders are screening or streaming in Australia.
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations — giving you a little inspiration for your next trip. In this instalment, we take you to Samabe Bali Suites & Villas in Nusa Dua. We've also teamed up with this luxe spot to offer readers a 40% discount on their stay when they book through Concrete Playground Trips. We've even included a bunch of extra travel experiences, helping you really elevate your Bali holiday game. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? Even though Bali's Nusa Dua can get busy — people flock here for the famous long white sandy beaches — this clifftop accommodation feels far away from the crowds and gives visitors access to quieter shores. The uninterrupted sea views, all-inclusive elements and ultra-luxurious villas also make this a standout place to stay. THE ROOMS As it says in the name, there are two kinds of accommodations here: suites and villas. Each of the large suites can sleep 4–5 people and most come with their own private plunge pool looking out over the beach. Expect to also find large dining and living rooms, bathrooms with free-standing tubs and queen- or king-sized beds. Then, there are the villas. These bad boys are huge and incredibly opulent. They come with much larger living and dining spaces, pools (either overlooking the courtyard or ocean) and lush gardens. All rooms are traditionally Balinese in design but have all the most modern amenities and plush furnishings. FOOD AND DRINK Samabe Bali Suites & Villas has four restaurants and bars on the premises and also offers a series of bespoke romantic dining experiences. First off, the Rempah-Rempah Restaurant is where you head for an extravagant buffet breakfast every morning (included in the price of your stay). You'll be offered classic brekkie options alongside lavish inclusions like seared wagyu beef, foie gras and all kinds of seafood. Japanese and Korean breakfast set menus are also available for those wanting to change things up. The Te.Ja.Co Lounge and Bar is where most people grab their complimentary afternoon tea and pre-dinner drinks. The Ring of Fire Pool Bar is what you'd expect from most lavish poolside drinking dens. Tuck into a bunch of light bites as you make your way down the long list of fun cocktails, beers and wines. The team isn't reinventing the wheel here — just doing the classics well. Lastly, there's the Crystal Blue Ocean Grill. This openair thatched-roof style dining spot overlooks the Indian Ocean and the main pool area. It's pretty big on the surf and turf life — tuck into all manners of freshly caught seafood or get your steak on with a bunch of different cuts available. [caption id="attachment_896022" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sven Piek (Unsplash)[/caption] THE LOCAL AREA If you're seeking sun and sandy shores, then Bali's Nusa Dua is the place to be. The main strip in town is filled with sun-soaked bars and restaurants as well as a bunch of boutique stores and market stalls. But the biggest drawcard of this area is the beaches. They are next-level gorgeous. And plentiful. Either rent out a sun lounger at the beach (located at the foot of the resort's cliff) and spend your days dipping in and out of the clear blue waters and chilling with a good book or go on an adventure with heaps of water sports available to travellers. And if you're looking to take your Bali holiday to the next level, check out these nine local trips and tours that you can book through Concrete Playground Trips. THE EXTRAS Samabe Bali Suites & Villas has extras galore. You can engage full luxury holiday mode by getting your own personal butler for your entire stay. Or, try booking one of its special romantic experiences (honeymooners are clearly the target audience for these). There are also a bunch of signature activities — think Balinese cooking classes, catamaran picnics, camel rides, outdoor theatre nights and private yoga classes. And if you book our four-night stay at Samabe Bali Suites & Villas, you'll get access to a heap of extras. This includes a unique Indonesian Rijstafel dinner, two in-room massages, complimentary fruit and face masks by the pool, daily beach yoga and a heap of all-inclusive offerings. Plus, the whole trip is 40% off. That means you save over $2500. If you're seeking to extend your summer by going on a luxury island getaway, be sure to check out this exclusive deal. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world.
If you were to round up three friends, hit up a chain of bars that are also mini-golf joints, play a couple of games and earn a $20,000 cash prize for your efforts, how would you react? Exclaiming "holy moly" might be the tamest response. You'll probably say those words — well, Holey Moley, to be specific — at least once just by signing up for this putting contest, however. Meet the Holey Moley Open, as hosted by the venues that first launched in Brisbane in 2016. At seven Queensland locations, nine spots in New South Wales, seven more in Victoria, four in Western Australia, and one apiece in South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory, Holey Moley welcomes in mini-golf lovers to get tap, tap, tapping their way through pop culture-themed courses — including over cocktails if that's what takes your fancy. That's been the setup for almost a decade now. With the Holey Moley Open, the same is still on the agenda, but in a tournament that'll whittle down the contenders to 25 teams in each state, and then send one from each to hit the national finals. Here's how it works: first, you need a team of four, and also you all need to be over the age of 18. Then, you're required to register online between Saturday, February 1–Wednesday, February 12, 2025. The Holey Moley crew will select the best entries for the state finals, which'll take place at the OG Holey Moley in Fortitude Valley in Brisbane, Alexandria in Sydney, Crown Casino in Melbourne, Northbridge in Perth, and at the Adelaide and Canberra venues on Tuesday, February 25. If you win on home soil by achieving the lowest combined score, you're then off to Darlinghurst, Sydney on Tuesday, March 11 to vie for the $20,000. And yes, your flights and accommodation there from outside of the Harbour City will be covered by Holey Moley. Seasoned Holey Moley patrons knows that hitting the greens here means playing your way around everything from windmills and clowns to whatever other theming that the venues have dreamed up — usually inspired by movies and TV shows. At the grand final, there'll also be a string quartet providing tunes, champagne to drink, caddies helping the players, live commentary, and a food spread featuring mud cake, sausage rolls and party pies. If you want in on the fun without entering the contest, that's also on option across February — including a nine-hole round for $10 all month with the code TEEOFF. To enter the Holey Moley Open, register a team of four between Saturday, February 1–Wednesday, February 12, 2025 — with state finals set to be held on Tuesday, February 25 and the grand final taking place in Darlinghurst, Sydney on Tuesday, March 11. Head to the event's website for more details.
As this southside takeaway joint proclaims on its website: "burgers fix everything". While we know that's hyperbole, it certainly can't hurt to try it. Chapel Street's Hello Sam serves up all the classics (try the Simply Sam with beef, lettuce, tomato, onion and Hello Sam sauce, $11.50 or add American cheese for $2) as well as options for those who like things a little spicy — including the Spicy Sam has chilli-basted beef, jalapeños and chipotle mayo, and is topped with a jalapeño popper ($15.50). For those on a plant-based diet, feast your eyes on the Sloppy Joe, which is as hearty of a dish as it sounds. A vegan brioche bun comes filled with vegan beef, vegan cheese and chilli mince — to really give it some meat (so to say) — along with lettuce for a hint of freshness and then jalapeños and Sriracha mayo for a bit of a kick. All for $17. Plus, the venue is now serving a range of vegan loaded fries options, including a vegan HSP and chilli fries if you feel like going all out. Elsewhere on the menu, you'll find a couple of meaty salads, southern and Korean fried chicken pieces and handmade choc tops.
If all goes to plan, October could be one of the last month's Melbourne spends in lockdown. And how better to celebrate the imminent end of stay-at-home orders than with a big ol' living room boogie? Fittingly enough, fan-favourite Mr McClelland's Finishing School will help you do just that as part of this year's lockdown-friendly Melbourne Fringe program. Broadcasting to a screen and speaker system near you from 9pm on Friday, October 15, the virtual dance party will see DJ Andrew McClelland working his usual magic, guiding you all through a foot-stomping, groove-inducing mix of indie, pop, soul and rock tunes. Live and loud from his own lounge room, mind you. Clear out the coffee table, put on your dancing shoes and get ready to sweat out your lockdown frustrations to hard-hitting songs from across the decades. Best of all, it's an affordable night spent cutting shapes, with tickets to the Zoom event priced at an easy $10.50. [caption id="attachment_827773" align="alignnone" width="1920"] By Duncan Jacob[/caption]
Prepare yourself for a night of whimsy, wonder and a weird, scaly, hermaphroditic fish man named Old Gregg. Noel Fielding, the androgynous co-lead of the surreal British comedy series The Mighty Boosh, is bringing his live show, An Evening with Noel Fielding, to a capital city near you. Combining stand-up comedy with animation and original music, as well as special appearances from some of Fielding's most beloved and baffling characters, including Fantasy Man and The Moon, the April 2015 show marks Fielding's first time in Australia since his sold-out tour in 2012. This time he'll also be joined by his younger brother Michael, best known for his recurring role on The Mighty Boosh as Naboo the Enigma, an alien shaman from the planet Xooberon. Fielding previously played the part of Richmond in The IT Crowd, appeared as a team captain on the music comedy panel show Never Mind the Buzzcocks, and helped create the comedy sketch program Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy. He is also a member of the band Loose Tapestries along with Kasabian guitarist Sergio Pizzorno, whose music will be featured in the tour. Tickets to An Evening with Noel Fielding go on sale at 9am on Wednesday, December 17. The show begins in Auckland on Monday, April 6, following by Wellington on Friday, April 10, and Christchurch on Sunday April 12. Fielding then crosses the ditch, first to Melbourne on Wednesday April 15, then Adelaide on Friday April 17 and Canberra on Monday April 20. He'll be at the State Theatre in Sydney on Wednesday April 22, before finishing up with Perth on Friday April 24 and Brisbane on Monday April 27. For more information, head to the promoter website.
In the beautiful chaos of Prahran Market, a familiar name is carving out a new chapter. G. McBean Family Butcher, formerly known as Gary's Meats, has not just expanded its space but also its legacy, reopening at the very spot where the founder originally set up shop back in 1984. Gary McBean, the man behind the cleaver, is not just a butcher; he's a craftsman with a story that begins when he was just a nine-year-old kid watching and working with his father, Ken, also a butcher. Gary would go on to climb the ranks from a young apprentice to the owner of his dad's shop on Bridge Road, before planting his own flag at Prahran Market. Fast forward to today, and he's flipping the script yet again, rebranding to G. McBean Family Butcher and passing the baton to his daughter, Ash, who seems to have inherited the family passion. The new space, a brainchild of designer Wendy Bergman (Orrong Hotel, Chancery Lane, Studio Amaro), promises more than your standard butcher experience. Think dark green tiles, brass trims and marble floors. As for the meat, it's the kind of fare you'd expect from five generations of butchers who supply some of the city's top dining spots, including Attica — there's just more space for them to do their thing now. It's not just meat, though. From dry-aged and smoked delights to in-house sandwiches that can compete with Melbourne's best cafes and delis, there's a lot going on. Sustainability is also front of mind, with branded jars filled with take-home meals that can be returned for reuse, to a nose-to-tail approach ensuring as much of the animal is used as possible, giving customers a range of options including bone broths, stocks and lard. Kangaroo, wallaby, deer and crocodile are also available, if you're game. And for those who fancy themselves with a cleaver, Gary's not just selling meat; he's sharing his craft. Regular masterclasses and steak nights are on the cards, where you can learn to break down a cow, pig or lamb, or pick your own steak cut and have it prepared for you to eat — cooked directly by the big man himself. Find G. McBean Family Butcher at Prahran Market, Stall 501 Commercial Rd, South Yarra. It's open 7am–5pm Tuesday and Thursday–Saturday, and 10am–3pm Sunday. Learn more at the butcher's website.
Carlton, coffee and cocktails. A fearsome combo that viral cafe Good Measure nails. During the daylight hours, this Lygon Street space plays host to those in search of the precious bean juice, but when the sun sets, it trades coffee for cocktails. The best news? There's no "best time" to see it firsthand, with both faces being equally strong. If you visit during the day, be prepared to face a line. Many patrons are likely to be lining up for one particular specialty treat: Mont Blanc. This coffee is filtered, iced, served in a tumbler, and a far cry from Melbourne's typically bougie coffee until it gets its ceiling of fresh cream and a dusting of orange zest and nutmeg on top. Grab that and a pastry, a spiced, sweet cinnamon babka, a slice of cheesecake or a thick sando to go. When darkness descends, the warm timber interiors trade sunlight for lamplight and flick into bar mode, with as many delicious menu entries as there are during the day. Instead of Mont Blanc, you could grab an Irish Coffee with Archie Rose Double Malt, ice-filter coffee, black sugar, cream and tonka bean. Not a coffee fan? Explore the seasonal cocktail menu instead, the range of sake or a simple glass of Guinness. The menu still includes sandwiches, but there are also bar snacks aplenty, including the extremely popular crispy chicken skins with chilli crisp mayo, kimchi fries with cheese sauce and chicken tenders with house ranch.
For 2021, New Year's camping festival Beyond the Valley is doing things a little differently — namely, packing its bags and heading for the big smoke, in order to host a special spin-off edition in the heart of the city. Dubbed Beyond The City, the two-day event will descend on Sidney Myer Music Bowl and Kings Domain Parklands to wrap up the year in style on December 30 and 31. While the full lineup is yet to be revealed, organisers Beyond The Valley and Untitled Group are set to deliver two jam-packed days of live music and other festivities to ring in 2022 with a bang. There'll be three different stage areas showing off the team's world-class production elements, and with dancing given the green light, you'll be able to cut shapes well into the night. What's more, the festival has teamed up with First Nations mentorship organisation AIME, with $1 from every ticket sold going to support the group's important community work. Details on tickets are yet to be revealed, but we'll bring you all the information as it becomes available.
The ethically-focused Earthly Pleasures Cafe makes its home in a beautiful old stone building set among lush green gardens in Belgrave, located in the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges. We don't like to overdo it with the word picturesque, but this historic 1930s building and surrounds certainly warrants its use. The cafe prides itself on making everything from scratch, so you know all the sauces, chutneys and sweets have been made in house using fresh seasonal produce. And, the coffee in the cups is roasted by Fitzroy-based Industry Beans. If you feel like you need to get out of your usual environment to really get your work hat firmly on, why not head out of town a little? Take your laptop outside, make full use of the free wifi, and feel utterly refreshed (yet somehow also very productive). Homemade sweets, beer and wine are available and the 8.30am–5pm opening hours step things up a notch to "I'll stay here all day" levels.
For 13 years, marking International Women's Day with talks, panels, workshops and performances about gender, equality and justice has been as easy as attending All About Women. The annual festival arrives each March with a packed lineup — and it's the kind of event where riot grrrl pioneers Bikini Kill can be on the same bill as child actor-turned-I'm Glad My Mom Died author Jennette McCurdy, as happened in 2023; and where Yellowface author Rebecca F Kuang and Roman Empire scholar Mary Beard can also headline the program, as 2024 delivered. In 2025, Kate Berlant and Gina Chick are two of All About Women's big names — and two of the festival's first-announced talents. The full lineup won't release until January, but the event has dropped a few details in advance. Also included now: the fact that the Feminist Roast will return when the fest runs across Saturday, March 8–Sunday, March 9. Berlant is making her first trip Down Under, with the comedian and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Don't Worry Darling and A League of Their Own actor set to debut a new stand-up show. Alone Australia's first-season winner Chick is on the bill fresh from releasing her memoir We Are the Stars in October, and will chat about following your own path, grief and resourcefulness. Overseeing the program this time: the Sydney Opera House Talks & Ideas team, as led by Chip Rolley, alongside 10 News First's Narelda Jacobs and actor and writer Michelle Law. Their festival will open with the Feminist Roast, complete with past All About Women co-curator Nakkiah Lui, All I Ever Wanted Was to Be Hot debut author Lucinda 'Froomes' Price, comedian Steph Tisdell and Aunty Donna collaborator Michelle Brasier taking part. More international and Australian artists, thinkers and storytellers will join the lineup when the full details are unveiled — and there'll be room for plenty given that Sydney Opera House's key feminist festival is back to a two-day run, after expanding to the same length in 2022 and then to three in 2023, before returning to a one-day stint in 2024. "Everyone is in for a treat with never-before-seen comedy from Kate Berlant, an opportunity to plant our bare feet firmly on the ground and find peace of mind with Gina Chick, and the return of crowd favourite Feminist Roast — where much-loved comedians and writers celebrate, and take the piss out of, the movement we love. There's plenty more to come in the new year too, including enriching and challenging events spearheaded by our formidable co-curators," said Rolley. "There is so much power in women and non-binary folks coming together to talk about the issues we are facing, whether that's in our workplaces and homes, throughout our country or the world," added Jacobs. "The events I've co-curated are inspired by hot topics that dominate conversations with the women in my life — from the transformations women undergo at pivotal points in their lives, to the ways modern culture rejigs and repeats old stereotypes. We'll be having some cracker discussions that I'm sure will continue beyond the steps of the Opera House!" noted Law. All About Women 2025 will take place on Saturday, March 8–Sunday, March 9 at the Sydney Opera House. The full program will release in January 2025 — check back here then for further details. Tickets for the just-announced first sessions go on sale at 9am on Thursday, November 28, with pre sales from 9am on Tuesday, November 26, 2024. Head to the event's website for more details. All About Women images: Jaimi Joy, Jacquie Manning and Prudence Upton.
UPDATE April 28, 2023: Moonage Daydream is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video Ground control to major masterpiece: Moonage Daydream, Brett Morgen's kaleidoscopic collage-style documentary about the one and only David Bowie, really makes the grade. Its protein pills? A dazzling dream of archival materials, each piece as essential and energising as the next, woven into an electrifying experience that eclipses the standard music doco format. Its helmet? The soothing-yet-mischievous tones of Ziggy Stardust/Aladdin Sane/The Thin White Duke/Jareth the Goblin King himself, the only protective presence a film about Bowie could and should ever need and want. The songs that bop through viewers heads? An immense playlist covering the obvious — early hit 'Space Oddity', the hooky glam-rock titular track, Berlin-penned anthem 'Heroes', the seductive 80s sounds of 'Let's Dance' and the Pet Shop Boys-remixed 90s industrial gem 'Hallo Spaceboy', to name a few — as well as deeper cuts. The end result? Floating through a cinematic reverie in a most spectacular way. When Bowie came to fame in the 60s, then kept reinventing himself from the 70s until his gone-too-soon death in 2016, the stars did look very different — he did, constantly. How do you capture that persistent shapeshifting, gender-bending, personal and creative experimentation, and all-round boundary-pushing in a single feature? How do you distill a chameleonic icon and musical pioneer into any one piece of art, even a movie that cherishes each of its 135 minutes? In the first film officially sanctioned by Bowie's family and estate, Morgen knows what everyone that's fallen under the legend's spell knows: that the man born David Jones, who'd be 75 as this doco hits screens if he was still alive, can, must and always has spoken for himself. The task, then, is the same as the director had with the also-excellent Cobain: Montage of Heck and Jane Goodall-focused Jane: getting to the essence of his subject and conveying what made him such a wonder by using the figure himself as a template. Nothing about Bowie earns an easy description. Nothing about Bowie, other than his stardom, brilliance and impact, sat or even stood still for too long. Driven by themes and moods rather than a linear birth-to-death chronology, Moonage Daydream leaps forward with that same drive to ch-ch-change, the same yearning to keep playing and unpacking, and the same quest for artistry as well. Taking its aesthetic approach from its centre of attention means peppering in psychedelic pops, bursts of colour, neon hues, and mirrored and tiled images — because it really means making a movie that washes over all who behold its dance, magic, dance. That's the reaction that Bowie always sparked, enchanting and entrancing for more than half a century. In successfully aping that feat, Morgen's film is as immersive as an art installation. Exhibition David Bowie Is has already toured the world, including a 2015 stint Down Under in Melbourne; Moonage Daydream sits partway between that and a Bowie concert. This gift of sound and vision is as glorious as that gig-meets-art concept sounds — and yes, live footage beams and gleams throughout the documentary. Among the snippets of interviews, smattering of music videos, melange of clips from cinema touchstones that reverberate on Bowie's wavelength in one way or another, and scenes from his own acting career on-screen and onstage, how could it not? During his five years, fittingly, spent making Moonage Daydream, Morgen had access to the original concert masters, from which he spliced together his own mixes using alternative angles. Zooming back to the androgynous space-alien Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars tour is exhilarating, including when the feature's eponymous song explodes. Jumps to the 90s, to the Outside and Earthling tours, resonate with awe of a more grounded but no less vibrant kind. The Serious Moonlight segments, hailing from the 80s and all about pale suits and glistening blonde hair, see Bowie relaxing into entertainer mode — and, amid discussions about his wariness about making upbeat tunes, mastering that like everything else. When Bowie takes to the stage in Moonage Daydream, it plays as a concert film, in fact, even if there's always a new vintage chat with the man himself, compilation of movie images or video from one of his singles to swiftly follow in this musical mashup. The entire viewing experience is designed to feel like an event and a show; seeing it on the biggest possible screen, and sitting close enough to it so that all that's in front of you is that Bowie-adorned screen, is heartily recommended. Enlisting Bowie's longtime producer Tony Visconti, Moonage Daydream has the sound, not just the soundtrack, to both match and evoke that like-you're-there sensation. (Or, to make its audience feel like Bowie's here in the cinema in front of you.) Those tunes have also been remastered, aided by audio engineer Paul Massey (an Oscar-winner for Bohemian Rhapsody), and they're given the thunderous volume they deserve. Mesmerising fans comes easily in this Bowie mosaic's frames and tunes, with the doco edited as well as written and directed by Morgen; freak out in a Moonage Daydream indeed. For the casually interested, the film uses its style as part of its substance, and as an immersion technique — a tactic that Baz Luhrmann's Elvis also used in a just-as-vivid and expressively stitched-together manner. Understanding by feeling: that's the 2022 wave of modern music icon love for viewers to fall for, although Moonage Daydream and Elvis are clearly different features. The pair's subjects can be heroes, and that's a fact, and their directors want viewers to absorb why beyond merely being told. Among the time-defying jumps backwards and forwards throughout his life — channelling his always-futuristic air — Bowie's narration isn't about singing his own praises, instead flowing with insights into his processes, loves and challenges, and why he kept seeking the new and the bold. Hearing it as the movie's music and visuals work their magic is as revelatory as it's meant to be. Get your 'lectric eye on this and you'll slide through a multi-sensory ode — a multimedia extravaganza — that also includes looks at the Starman's paintings, which he was cautious about unveiling to the world; hops from the Brixton of his birth to his Los Angeles stint, and to his Berlin period and his tours through Asia; and buzzes with delighted-to-the-point-of-anxiety 70s-era crowds. Naturally, a refusal to be easily pinned down, to stop pushing itself and stop transforming also echoes, again paralleling Bowie himself. Morgen teases one song then layers in another, or sets up a segue but veers elsewhere: he is the propulsive documentary's DJ and he loves being playful. Every choice and surprise chimes with the utter Bowieness of it all, and how indefinable Bowie was and still is. Moonage Daydream is noticeably light on his last few decades, and on the reasons he stopped unleashing his inimitable presence upon stages, but perhaps that's another movie's job; this one is wondrous and wonderful anyway.
No one loves choosing between two of their favourite foods. Also, everyone likes pies. They're two of the truths behind Banjo's Bakery Cafe's range of culinary hybrids, and it has just come up with another: the spaghetti bolognese pie. After introducing Australian tastebuds to the lasagne pie and the double cheeseburger pie — plus Tasmanian scallop pies, bangers and mash pies, and chicken parmigiana pies, too — the Banjo's team has launched another Frankenstein's monster of a snack. Pastry is a feature, as usual. This time, though, it encases angel hair spaghetti and meaty bolognese sauce, and is then topped with melted cheese and parsley. Yes, they're exactly what they sound like. Yes, your tastebuds now want to devour them ASAP. Yes, being unable to think of anything else until you eat one of these creations is completely understandable. The aim: to satisfy your cravings when you just can't bring yourself to pick between a pie and some spag bog, obviously. If you're a little indecisive when it comes to choosing what to eat in general, you're probably already a big fan of food mashups that find ways to combine two popular dishes — so this is an easy must-try. The spaghetti bolognese pies have joined Banjo's signature range, alongside the aforementioned other creative varieties — but only for a limited time. They'll be available from the company's stores from today, Wednesday, June 8, as well as via online click-and-collect orders and delivery services. In NSW, you'll need to head north to Glendale to get your fix. In Victoria, stores are located in Mornington, Traralgon and Mildura. Queenslanders can pick from ten spots, including Darra, Cleveland, Park Ridge and Redcliffe, while pie-loving SA residents can hit up Glenelg — and there's 27 stores in Tasmania. Banjo's Bakery Cafe's spaghetti bolognese pie is on the menu at the chain's stores nationally from Wednesday, June 8. To find your nearest location, visit the company's website.
The summer of 2021–22 is shaping up to be the summer of travel, as Australia's borders start to reopen. That'll apply internationally, much to the delight of everyone who has long been dreaming of an overseas holiday — and it'll also kick in domestically, too, as Aussie states and territories begin to reopen up to each other. Queensland has recently announced when it'll welcome in residents from other parts of the country — specifically states who've just weathered big outbreaks and lockdowns, such as New South Wales and Victoria. And, for the past week, those latter two states have been revealing their plans with each other. The big news: from Monday, November 1, double-jabbed folks from both NSW and Victoria can travel between the two states without quarantining. On Thursday, October 21, NSW Health advised that the current public health orders requiring 14 days quarantine for Victorian arrivals are still in place, but will lift when next month hits — just for the double-vaxxed. If you haven't had both jabs and you've been in Victoria from that date onwards, you won't actually be permitted to enter NSW for a holiday or recreation at all. That announcement follows Victoria's similar revelation last week, on Friday, October 15, that it was changing its border permit system for double-vaccinated NSW residents. All Aussies need a permit to enter Victoria under its traffic light-style setup; however, since 11.59pm on Tuesday, October 19, those hailing from places deemed 'red zones' in NSW — including folks who aren't Victorian residents — have been able to head to the southern state without quarantining. [caption id="attachment_776506" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mulwala Bridge by Yun Huang Yong via Flickr.[/caption] In Victoria, you do still need to get a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of your arrival if you're coming in from a NSW red zone — and, after entering the state, you need to get tested again within 72 hours, and isolate until that comes back negative. If you aren't double-jabbed and you're heading to Victoria from a NSW red zone, you also have to do 14 days quarantine in addition to those tests. Those arriving from NSW orange zones who are double-vaxxed don't need to do any of the testing. NSW hasn't yet revealed if there'll be testing requirements for those heading north, with more detail expected before Monday, November 1 hits. Still, whether you're a Victorian eager to visit Sydney or a NSW resident keen for a trip to Melbourne — for a holiday, to see loved ones, or for any other reason — you can now start planning. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Victoria, head over to the Victorian Government's website.
Melburnian pooches are in for the ultimate dog treat next month, when an experiential playground for pups arrives in the inner north. If you thought your very good boy or girl was spoiled before, just you wait until they find themselves living it up at Scratch Patch — the activity-filled pop-up dog park of their twitchiest doggy dreams. The brainchild of locally-based ethical pet food company Scratch, Scratch Patch is set to take over Edinburgh Gardens from Saturday, March 5–Sunday, March 27. And oh boy, is it a mood. The playground will be filled with fun obstacles and activities for the four-legged crowd, from high jump and agility poles to ball pits and totem tennis. A dog-friendly pop-up pool is sure to get a workout, too. If your pup is more of a book worm type, we're sure they'll be pretty stoked with a visit to the on-site stick library. No word yet on whether there'll be ruff fines for any late returns. Meanwhile, a tuck shop will be slinging an array of healthy Scratch pet food and treats, because all that excitement is bound to get the appetite going. And, since no pet parent can call themselves such without a camera roll full of adorable snaps to prove it, there'll be photo ops galore. Make sure Boswell is looking the goods, because there'll be a bunch of installations and activations designed for taking pawsome pics in front of. Each activity zone will be limited to five pups at a time, though there'll also always be a team of behaviour specialists on hand to facilitate harmonious playtime for all. Scratch customers and City of Yarra residents can enjoy Scratch Patch for free, with a $10 cover charge for everyone else. As you can imagine, bookings are required — you'd better snap up a play slot for Luna so she doesn't get left out and have to hear about it from all her mates forevermore. Find Scratch Patch at Edinburgh Gardens, Alfred Crescent, Fitzroy North, from March 5–27. It'll open daily from 8am–8pm.
If you're itching to escape the city, look no further than the spectacular walks found in alpine Victoria. To inspire you to explore more natural wonders this summer, we've partnered with Victoria's High Country to showcase some of the top hikes around the expansive region. Whether you're looking for a guided multi-day adventure or a leisurely stroll, these treks offer the perfect opportunity to reconnect with nature. There are incredible towns to explore along the way with award-winning wineries, paddock-to-plate dining and serene lodgings to ensure the active part of your trip is peppered with experiences where relaxation is at the core. So pack the car, lace up your walking boots and swap the city for mountainous peaks, glorious falls and rugged backcountry. MOUNT BEAUTY GORGE WALK If you head to Victoria's High Country on a particularly warm day, plan a stop at the Mount Beauty Gorge Walk. It has a relatively easy 2.8-kilometre track (or 5.6-kilometre round trip) that leads you through stunning vistas. More importantly, the eponymous gorge is perfect for a mid-walk splash. Cross the swing bridge that spans the West Kiewa River and you'll find the natural swimming hole another 100-metres up river where you can wade or swim through to a rock-walled canyon. Time your visit for a sunny day to make the most of the tranquil spot — and the perfect place to cool off. [caption id="attachment_837272" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rob Blackburn/Visit Victoria[/caption] BENALLA STREET ART TRAIL Benalla is regarded as the gateway to the High Country — and it has a creative side that street art enthusiasts will love. If you aren't so much an outdoors type, ditch the mountainside trails and take part in a dynamic Benalla Street Art self-guided tour instead. On it, you'll explore the charming town's backstreets adorned with works from some of the best Australian street artists and muralists in the game. Tucked around almost every corner, there are huge works by the likes of Georgia Hill, Adnate and Rone. PARADISE FALLS Paradise Falls is a befitting name for this serene backcountry setting, situated deep within Alpine National Park. There are two ways to access the falls. The first offers a more challenging adventure where you will depart the tiny village of Cheshunt and reach the falls by completing the 6.6-kilometre McMillians Track Trailhead. The less taxing alternative is via the 500-metre Paradise Falls Waking Track, which takes you to the viewing platform just a few minutes' walk from the car park. The falls are at their most impressive in spring and early summer, so plan accordingly. MOUNT PILOT LOOKOUT WALK Another stroll belonging in the easy category is the Mount Pilot Lookout Walk, located a short drive from the historic town of Beechworth. Although the walk to the peak is just over 500-metres from the car park, the 360-degree views from the top will have you thinking otherwise. On a clear day you are treated to sweeping views over the Chiltern-Mount Pilot National Park and the sight of Mount Buffalo to the south. If you're willing to start your day early, the exceptional views makes for a spectacular sunrise. HOME & AWAY TRAIL Don't get caught out thinking a visit to Falls Creek is only worth it when snow's on the mountains. One fine summertime attraction is the Home & Away Trail: a moderate level, six-kilometre roam through the High Plains leading you right up to the Summit chair and views of rugged, rocky and beautiful wilderness. On the descent, you'll pass by craggy plateaus surrounded by bushland and wildlife. For keen hikers willing to make a two-kilometre detour, the Frying Pan Spur offers sweeping views of the Kiewa Valley and nearby mountains. [caption id="attachment_837277" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rob Blackburn/Visit Victoria[/caption] KEPPEL LOOKOUT Marysville is known as one of the most gorgeous pit stops in Murrindindi — and visitors can experience its beauty from a lofty perspective at the scenic Keppel Lookout. Accessed via an 11-kilometre loop, the lookout rewards hikers with unmatched panoramas over the town, its lush surrounds and the distant peaks of the Cathedral Ranges. It can also be accessed by car if you are not up for the hike. There are plenty of other vantage points along the trail, too. The Oxley and De La Rue lookouts are stellar stops along the ridge, and you can also check out the roaring Steavenson Falls. 3 PEAKS HIKE Multi-day adventures through the Victorian alps don't come much better than the 3 Peaks Hike. Intended for hikers with tip-top fitness, the three-day tour sees walkers climb to the top of Mount Stirling and Mount Feathertop before culminating in the state's highest peak, Mount Bogong. Simply put, this trek is an outdoor enthusiast's dream journey, and you'll also get to rest up in comfortable overnight accommodation in Mansfield and Mount Beauty. With meals provided, all you have to focus on is taking in all the epic scenery and reaching the end of this epic 45-kilometre journey. MOUNT GRANYA WALKING TRACK Situated along the northern border of Victoria, Mount Granya State Park is renowned for its steep forested slopes and vibrant wildflowers. The Mount Granya Walking Track is the ideal half-day journey to experience the area by leading visitors to many of the park's most striking landscapes. The 10.4-kilometre track starts at Cotton Tree Campground before taking you to your first stop, Scout Hut — a log cabin built in 1937. Onwards towards the summit, the Granya Falls are an ideal place to take a brief respite. Then, after enjoying the views from the peak, you can mosey down to Georges Creek Lookout for even more views. AN EVENING AT CRAIG'S There aren't many landmarks in Victoria's High Country more famous than Craig's Hut. Perched atop Mount Stirling, this historic hut is known around the globe as the setting from iconic Australian film The Man From Snowy River. Visiting this attraction with the An Evening at Craig's experience means you won't have to beat around the bush to get there. Departing from luxe Mansfield accomodation BullerRoo — at which two nights' accommodation is included as part of the Evening at Craig's Hut experience — you'll ascend on a guided hike through an alpine ash forest to reach your stunning dining destination. After exploring the dramatic plateau, you'll sit down to a gourmet dinner at dusk. Then, it's back to BullerRoo for nightcaps by the fire. KING VALLEY GOURMET WALKING TOUR Situated in the foothills of the Alpine National Park, King Valley is abundant with remarkable hiking experiences and wine- and food-fuelled adventures. A guided seven-day pilgrimage, the King Valley and Victorian High Country Gourmet Walking Tour invites you to discover the region's top walks and foodie experiences. The cost of $3660 per person includes six nights in four-star accomodation on the edge of Milawa overlooking the surrounding vineyards; four guided walks through the stunning countryside; a day filled with wine and food; guided tours of the local towns, including Gold Rush era gems such as Beechworth and Yackandandah; and a private cooking classes to learn about the King Valley's celebrated Italian cuisine and heritage. Swap home for Victoria's High Country and tap into your adventurous side this summer. To discover more epic walks and outdoor adventures, check out the Victoria's High Country website. Top image: Keppel Lookout, Rob Blackburn/Visit Victoria
Why drink at just one watering hole, when you can head to two, three, six or 11? That's always been the motivation behind everyone's favourite boozy journey, aka a pub crawl. And, it's exactly the same type of thinking behind the long-running Urban Wine Walk. Back for its next Melbourne wander this autumn, it's the bar-hopping excuse every vino-lover needs — if you need an excuse, that is. From midday until 4pm on Saturday, May 27, you can saunter around Collingwood — jumping between the likes of Hotel Collingwood, Molly Rose Brewing, Bad Frankie, Paradise Alley and more — sampling wines and having a mighty fine time. [caption id="attachment_891867" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Molly Rose Brewing, Collingwood[/caption] As for the tipples offered at each of the nine venues, they'll be curated by a heap of top local wineries such as Little Brunswick Wine Co, Pacha Mama, Philip Lobley Wine and Vallee du Venom, so prepare to get sipping. Tickets will set you back $75 and you'll get to choose which venue you kick off from, though spots are limited. Guests will enjoy a stack of wine tastings, a tasting glass to keep and a $10 voucher to spend on food, plus $25 redeemable for take-home wine purchases on the day.
Pop on your helmet and cycle down to Cinema Nova, the purple home of Melbourne's greenest film festival. Returning for its fifth straight year, the Transitions Film Festival once again boasts a stellar lineup of sustainability-themed documentaries, tackling everything from climate change to activist octogenarians. The festival begins on February 18 with Catching the Sun, a doco about the race to lead the world in renewable energies. Other standout films include Poverty Inc. — about the damaging side effects of the humanitarian aid cycle — and The Price We Pay, about the methods used by big businesses to avoid paying their fair share of taxes. Those after something a little more optimistic can check out Two Raging Grannies, about a pair of senior citizens who set out to fix the global economy, or Capital C: The Crowdfunding Revolution, which explores how crowdfunding platforms are empowering an entire generation of artists. As per usual, festival-goers who present their bike helmets at the box office will be entitled to discount tickets. For the full Transitions Film Festival program visit transitionsfilmfestival.com.
The year was 1992. Aladdin, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Batman Returns, Lethal Weapon 3 and A Few Good Men ruled the international box office. Slipping into a habit and sliding in next on the list, becoming the sixth-biggest hit of the year: Sister Act. The film about singing nuns spawned a sequel, with word of a third movie floating around for years since — and, as everything from Mean Girls and Muriel's Wedding to Groundhog Day and Beetlejuice has also done, it inspired a stage musical as well. The theatre take on the Whoopi Goldberg (The Color Purple)-led film franchise debuted in California in 2006, then hit West End in 2009 and Broadway in 2011. Now, from November 2024, it's finally Melbourne's turn. Sister Act: A Divine Musical Comedy will hit the Regent Theatre from Sunday, November 3. [caption id="attachment_939236" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sister Act UK & Ireland Touring Production 2023/24, photography Mark Senior[/caption] The first movie was filled with songs like 'Rescue Me', 'My Guy' and 'I Will Follow Him', making its soundtrack a smash as well, so the film was always primed to tread the boards. The Sister Act musical features original tunes, with Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid) doing the honours. Among the show's rewards so far: five Tony Award nominations and six Olivier Award nominations. Story-wise, the production follows Deloris, who witnesses a murder and has to go into protective custody. Her hideout: a convent. It's there that the nightclub singer finds a struggling choir, which she begins to help. For the Australian run — which is answering prayers in Sydney, too — Casey Donovan (& Juliet) is leading the cast, while Genevieve Lemon (Billy Elliot) co-stars as Mother Superior. Top images: Benny Capp.
Instagram favourites The Inspired Unemployed are pretty used to bringing Aussies joy via their side-splitting satirical videos. From lockdown habits and fitness instructors to tradies and bouncers — Jack Steele and Matt Ford will take aspects of stereotypical Aussie culture, then flip the script to poke a bit of fun. Now, the self-dubbed battlers are looking to bring Australians a new kind of happiness ahead of summer — with a beer launched in collaboration with Victorian favourite, Torquay Beverage Company. Better Beer is a zero-carb, zero-sugar lager that clocks in at 87 calories per can, which Ford quips is "healthier than broccoli". Explaining the decision to make Better Beer zero-carb, Steele says: "As loose as we can be at times, we're actually pretty healthy people. So we decided, let's make a beer that's healthier and still tastes great, one that doesn't make you feel heavy in the morning and rough around the edges." "We've had a lot of opportunities to do bigger stuff and beer was on our mind for a while," Steele explains to Concrete Playground. "But the thing is — when we start something, we don't want to start it and go half-hearted. We either make it the best thing ever or don't do it at all." On social media, the pair of mates are all about hyperboles. But, that's far from the case in this instance — Better Beer is the product of 12 months of work, which included an (unintended) four-month stint in New Zealand and COVID-friendly collaboration sessions with their business partner in crime, Torquay Beverage Company founder Nick Cogger. "I couldn't tell you how many hours we've spent on Zoom," Steele says. Cogger is a long-time partner of The Inspired Unemployed, commissioning them back in late 2019 when the pair had just 12,000 followers. "Nick was actually one of the first people to ever give us a job in this industry," Ford says. "He was one of the first people to reach out, he gave us a job to go to a music festival and..." "...get drunk!" Steele jokes. The pair initially called Cogger for advice on the beer brand, before deciding to create Better Beer together. "And then next thing you know, here we are talking to you." As for the taste, the boys have reportedly heard it described as "smooth like Michael Jackson" and "the breakfast of champions". "All our mates have tasted it and they love it. Obviously, they're our mates, so you'd think they'd have to say that — but it was a genuine reaction!" Ford says. If you're after a cold one, Better Beer will be available at your local Dan Murphy's, BWS and independent bottleshops from Friday, November 12. You can keep up to date with Better Beer, including limited-edition merch drops, via the website. New Better Beer products are also expected to drop in March 2022.
Extended non-stop flights that almost take an entire day. Airlines specifically for arts, snow sports and craft beer. One brand that specifically focuses on millennial passengers. Planes free of single-use plastic. Air travel is an ever-changing realm, but the industry's latest development might just be its most curious — although it relates to a matter that everyone has an opinion on. The subject of countless stand-up routines, a topic of conversation any time flights come up and a part of the journey plenty of folks dread, airline food is hardly anyone's favourite meal. But United Airlines is testing that idea by releasing its own cookbook inspired by the dishes that it serves up in the air. With coconut soup with sambal oelek chicken just one of the 40 meals featured, the carrier hasn't published a collection of recipes dedicated to economy fare. Rather, the United Polaris Cookbook is based on its business and first-class offerings. The cookbook has been created in collaboration with the airline's executive chefs, as well as those from the Trotter Project — a non-profit organisation started by chef Charlie Trotter to provide opportunities to wannabe culinary stars who mightn't have the means to pursue cooking as a career otherwise. For those eager to fly high in the kitchen, the cookbook is on sale now for US$29.99. Whether the end results really do taste like airline food or something much more gourmet, whipping a few dishes up yourself is certainly cheaper than a business-class ticket.
Across a period of ten years from 2008–2018, British filmmaker Steve McQueen made four features — and every single one has proved essential viewing. It started with Hunger, with Michael Fassbender stepping into the shoes of Bobby Sands, the IRA member who famously went on a hunger strike while imprisoned in Northern Ireland. Then came Shame, with Fassbender playing a sex addict and Carey Mulligan co-starring as his sister. Nine-time Oscar nominee 12 Years a Slave followed, featuring powerful performances by Chiwetel Ejiofor and Academy Award-winner Lupita Nyong'o (and yes, Fassbender, too). And, last up, the Fassbender-free Widows delivered one of the flat-out best heist movies ever made. Across a five-day period this December, McQueen's next five movies will arrive — and you'll be able to stream them all via Binge. They're part of the Small Axe anthology series, with every feature directed by McQueen and co-written by him as well. The entire quintet also explores the lives of London's West Indian community between the 60s and the 80s, telling tales of race, discrimination and resistance (and beauty, love, friendship, family, music and food), too. First up, dropping on Saturday, December 19, is Mangrove. It opened this year's London Film Festival, focuses on the owner of a Caribbean restaurant of the same name in Notting Hill, and follows his and the surrounding community's response to continued police raids — and stars Lost in Space's Shaun Parkes and Black Panther's Letitia Wright. Then, on Sunday, December 20, you'll be able to watch Lovers Rock — which spins a fictional tale of love at a Blues party in 1980. And, on Monday, December 21, you can check out the John Boyega (Star Wars)-starring Red, White and Blue, about a young forensic scientist who witnesses his father's assault by two policemen, then decides to join the force himself. On Tuesday, December 22, it's time for Alex Wheatle, a biopic about the titular award-winning writer. Then, wrapping it all up on Wednesday, December 23, Education delves into unofficial segregation policies in schools. Check out the Small Axe trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcqItifbNUA&feature=youtu.be Small Axe starts streaming via Binge from Saturday, December 19 — with a new film available each day for five days. Top image: BBC.
In a year already filled with huge tour news Down Under, Abel 'The Weeknd' Tesfaye dropping plans to hit both Australia and New Zealand before 2023 is out is up there with the biggest — and concertgoers clearly agree. The Canadian singer-songwriter and The Idol star only announced his Aussie and Aotearoa dates on Tuesday, August 22, and general tickets aren't due to go on sale until Friday, September 1, but he's already doubled the number of shows that he'll be playing in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland. This arena spectacular will now play two nights apiece in each of the four cities across November and December, with the second dates immediately after the first in every spot. The extra gigs will join a tour that's been notching up soldout shows far and wide. In the UK, The Weekend saw 160,000 folks head to London Stadium across two nights, smashing the venue's attendance record. And in Milan, he became the first artist to sell out the Ippodromo La Maura for two nights. Those feats are just the beginning. In Paris, he scored Stade de France's biggest sales this year — and in Nice, the 70,000 tickets sold across his two shows are the most in the city's history. Will his Down Under dates add to his record-breaking run? Australia in particular has been loving the return of huge international tours. See: the Taylor Swift frenzy. And, if more shows are already being added to the 'Starboy', 'I Feel It Coming', 'Can't Feel My Face', 'The Hills' and 'Blinding Lights' artist's visit before the general on-sale date, fans are obviously mighty excited. The reason for the extra Aussie and Aotearoa gigs is the massive demand during the Vodafone pre-sale. And the reason for the whole tour, other than just because, is to celebrate The Weeknd's 2020 record After Hours and its 2022 followup Dawn FM. Obviously, he'll be playing tracks from 2013's Kiss Land, 2015's Beauty Behind the Madness and 2016's Starboy as well. In support across The Weeknd's four Down Under shows: Mike Dean and Chxrry22. The tour will help a good cause, too, other than your need to see The Weeknd live. The artist has been contributing funds for his shows to the United Nations World Food Programme's XO Humanitarian Fund, as one of the organisation's Goodwill Ambassador, raising over $1 million from his Europe run alone. THE WEEKND'S 'AFTER HOURS TIL DAWN TOUR' 2023: Monday, November 20–Tuesday, November 21 — Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Friday, November 24–Saturday, November 25 — Accor Stadium, Sydney Friday, December 1–Saturday, December 2 — Marvel Stadium, Melbourne Thursday, December 7–Friday, December 8 — Eden Park, Auckland The Weeknd is touring Australia and New Zealand in November and December 2023. For more information, and for pre-sale tickets for the second shows on Thursday, August 31, then general tickets from Friday, September 1 — all at staggered times depending on the city — head to the tour website.
They're small, they're located off the beaten path and they're nestled among nature — and they're your next reason to make your way to Byron Bay. You probably don't need an excuse to head to the popular New South Wales town now that the country is opening back up, but Unyoked's new tiny cabins in the surrounding hinterland are as good a motivating factor as anything else, especially if you're keen to end 2020 or start 2021 with a stint of seclusion. If your idea of a perfect escape is a remote cabin, surrounded by wilderness with no Wi-Fi, this news may just have you hitting 'book' straight away. The Aussie startup already has a number of compact cabins located around NSW, Victoria and Queensland, but it has just launched its first two in NSW's Northern Rivers region — about an hour out of Byron Bay, at the end of a valley and surrounded by citrus trees (and plenty of quiet, obviously). Like its other properties, newcomers Ashi and Pana have been placed in secret patches of wilderness on private properties, in the middle of nowhere. Ashi is located next to a creek, and both tiny houses boast their own outdoor bath. So, yes, they're perfect for summer stays. [caption id="attachment_794493" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] trentandjessie[/caption] The exact locations are still under wraps as Unyoked aims to make sure your stay is a bit of an adventure, by only revealing the address for your chosen house two days before you're due to set off. It has revealed that it's upping its food game, though — with Unyoked launching packages called 'Food Sorted' to help take care of your sustenance needs while you're switching off. A collaboration with Ragazzi Pasta and Wine and Fabricca, they're available for Sydneysiders to pick up before they head to their chosen cabin, and include Ragazzia pastas, toasted sandwiches, a range of meats and cheeses, and pre-prepared restaurant-style desserts in jars. Everything is designed to be cooked over the fire or in the tiny house, too. [caption id="attachment_794498" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Kitti Gould[/caption] If you're wondering about Unyoked's story in general, it was founded and is run by twins Cam and Chris Grant, with the company's off-the-grid cabins bring you the convenience and comfort of four solid walls — alongside the adventure, spontaneity and closeness-to-nature of camping. With the help of Fresh Prince, the brothers have designed and built Unyoked's houses, and they're all sustainable and solar-powered. Bookings for the two new spots are already open, so we suggest you hover over the website if you're keen to book one in. Once you've booked on in, all you need to do is jump in your car, disconnect and recharge. The two new Unyoked cabins are located across in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, and are available to book via unyoked.co. Looking for more off-the-grid escapes? Check out our favourites in NSW, Victoria and Queensland. Top images: trentandjessie,
Home to the oldest vines in Australia, the Barossa Valley is renowned worldwide for its bold and beautiful wines. In particular, it's the rich jammy reds with complexity, texture and tannin structure that have contributed heavily to this reputation. It's in this region that Krondorf Wines lives, the estate making shapes to become the next go-to premium wine producer — a fact exemplified deliciously with the release of its 2023 five-bottle collection. The Krondorf story actually begins in 1847. The hamlet was founded by a collection of people from Silesia — what is now Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic — and among them notable wine families that regularly show up on standout wine lists and bottle shop shelves across the world: Henschke, Lehmann and Nitschke. The intrepid group named their newfound home Krondorf, meaning 'crown village' in German. Today the custodians of the Krondorf legacy, under the watchful eye of chief winemaker Nick Badrice, are realising the potential of their vines with consistently award-winning drops. The ripe bottles here showcase the best of the Barossa style, perfectly illustrated in the five-strong 2023 collection. Crafted with the traditional minimalistic approach, the 2023 release includes an ultra-expressive grenache, an intense but structured cab sav and a rich and robust shiraz. The standout of the collection is the winery's newest Icon wine: the aptly named King's Mantle Shiraz. It's described as having a luscious palate, evocative of juicy black forest fruits and plums, with an earthy liquorice undertone and velvety tannins — you're going to pay a pretty penny to taste it at $150 a bottle. If you're in the area, carve out some time to visit the cellar door and wine bar. With pouring beginning in 2021, the spot's housed inside a converted heritage-listed flour mill from the 1800s. You can taste your way through the whole range — including the 2023 collection — with a bespoke wine flight or set tasting that can be happily tailored to personal taste. For those that like nibbles with their tipples, the cellar door slings artisan pizzas as well as cheese and charcuterie boards (with the option to add on Maggie Beer's premium nosh and other local produce, too). Krondorf Winery's 2023 collection is a true celebration of the winery's history and dedication to producing wines that speak to the wonders of the locale. If you're heading to this bucolic South Australian region, the cellar door is a must-visit. But if you can't make it, we suggest you peruse the 2023 collection online, choose your libation and have it sent direct — truly stellar sipping guaranteed. Concrete Playground travelled to the Barossa Valley as a guest of Krondorf Wines. Book your Krondorf cellar door tasting experience here. The cellar door is open Monday – Saturday, 12–7pm and Sunday from 12–5pm.
Quentin Tarantino loves movies. He adores directing them, and has nine impressive flicks to his name spanning three decades to prove it. He's oh-so-fond of dropping references, nods and winks to other films in his films, as anyone who has ever seen even just one already knows. Sometimes, such as in Inglourious Basterds and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, he builds the business of making movies or screening them — or both — into his plots as well. He'll chat about them at length, too, and he turned his last flick into a book that spends plenty of time delving into film and TV history. So naturally he's about to do what every film lover seems to do at some point. Yes, he's making a podcast about movies. While sitting the Reservoir Dogs, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill and The Hateful Eight filmmaker behind a microphone and just letting him wax lyrical about cinema would've attracted listeners anyway, Tarantino's new podcast does have a specific angle. Famously, he was once a video store clerk — so he's diving back into those days. That's why you'll be listening to The Video Archives Podcast, which is named after the Californian shop that Tarantino worked at in the 80s. And, staying true to that concept, he'll be discussing films that he watches on the old store's actual VHS tapes. Because Tarantino is Tarantino, he acquired the joint's tapes back in 1995, and also rebuilt the Video Archives store in his home. Now, alongside his co-host Roger Avary — who also used to work at The Video Archives, where the pair met; also then became a director, making Killing Zoe and The Rules of Attraction among other movies; and collaborated on the Oscar-winning Pulp Fiction screenplay — he'll be pulling tapes off his own shelves, watching them and getting nattering. As outlined in the podcast's just-dropped trailer, the pair will chat about movies such as John Carpenter's Dark Star, Bond film Moonraker, Mexican supernatural flick Demonoid: Messenger of Death and horror-comedy Piranha — aka titles they recommended and rented out all those years back. They'll be joined by announcer Gala Avary, Roger's daughter, and also "expose listeners to movies they didn't know they'd love, give awards to their favourites and rate the quality of the video transfer", according to the podcast's announcement. The Video Archives Podcast is set to start dropping episodes on Tuesday, July 19, and will arrive via SiriusXM's Stitcher. And yes, of course Tarantino has something to say about it already. "We never imagined that 30 years after we worked together behind the counter at Video Archives, we would be together again doing the exact same thing we did back then: talking passionately about movies on VHS," Tarantino and Avary advised in a joint statement. "Watching movies was what originally brought us together and made us friends, and it's our love of movies that still brings us together today. So we surrounded ourselves with the original Video Archives collection, where we both worked before we became celebrated filmmakers, and time-traveled ourselves back to the golden age of VHS. We LOVE to discuss movies, and we want to welcome you into The Video Archives Podcast to hang with us and Archives' new employee Gala, and discover the hidden VHS gems on our shelves." For more information about The Video Archives Podcast, which'll start dropping episodes from Tuesday, July 19, head to Stitcher. Top image: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
When the middle of August arrives, the best show on television for the past seven years — other than the one-season return of Twin Peaks — will finish up. That isn't new news, but it's still monumental, especially given that Better Call Saul is the spinoff to an also-phenomenal series. Alas, unlike when Breaking Bad wrapped, there's no future immediately in sight for this excellent franchise. Perhaps that's fitting; everything has to an end, including the canny and resourceful run of an Albuquerque-based lawyer born Jimmy McGill, nicknamed 'Slippin' Jimmy' during his early con-artist days, known as Saul Goodman when he leans into shady criminal law with well-oiled charm, and rebadged Gene Takavic when he flees for a Cinnabon-serving new Nebraskan life. Even before Better Call Saul had a final air date — the last episode streams via Stan in Australia and Neon in New Zealand on Tuesday, August 16 — viewers knew what was coming. The series is TV's great tragedy precisely because we were always well aware what its prequel segments, which comprise the bulk of the show, eventuate in. The audience knows who Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk, Nobody) is when he's a charismatic but shifty defence attorney aiding Walter White (Bryan Cranston, Your Honor) and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul, Westworld). We know what all his choices then lead to, too. Thanks to Breaking Bad and its gripping New Mexico-set crime-drama antics, we've already seen it. Better Call Saul's sixth season reckons with that knowledge. It interrogates it, toys with it and expands upon it as well. But in the first trailer for the show's swan song, which has been broken into two parts — the first started in April, the second returned in July — fellow Breaking Bad favourite-turned-Better Call Saul key player Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks, The Comey Rule) might've said it best. "Whatever happens next, it's not gonna go down the way you think it is," the ex-cop advised. The episode we've all been waiting for did finally arrive, bringing back Walter and Jesse as was announced back in April, and it was a treat. There's always been much more to this spectacular spinoff then waiting for its predecessor's protagonists to show up, joining the obvious dots and revelling in past glories, though. First, the overall setup: since 2015, Better Call Saul has stepped back into its namesake's pre-drug lawyer days, when legitimately embracing the law was his aim. His complex relationship with his successful older brother Chuck (Michael McKean, Breeders) guided early seasons, as did his plan to work his way through the firm, the Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabian, Gordita Chronicles)-led HHM, that Chuck co-owns. Thanks to those early aspirations, the friendship-turned-romance with fellow legal up-and-comer Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn, Veep) has been the show's bedrock. Blossoming interactions with Mike, then a parking attendant at the Albuquerque courthouse, also laid the groundwork for the working arrangement already seen in Breaking Bad. So did the the ambitions of budding drug kingpin Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito, The Boys), as complicated by two Salamanca family figures: smart and savvy footsoldier Nacho Varga (Michael Mando, Spider-Man: Homecoming), and Hector Salamanca's (Mark Margolis, Snowpiercer) alluringly crafty nephew Lalo (Tony Dalton, Hawkeye). Now, the big return: in a Better Call Saul episode fittingly called 'Breaking Bad', aka the sixth season's 11th and antepenultimate instalment, Saul's first meeting with Walter and Jesse is revisited. Observant fans already knew that the names Nacho and Lalo were mentioned in that scene in Breaking Bad itself, in a season two episode fittingly called 'Better Call Saul', despite neither character appearing in that series. Here, in new footage shot with Cranston and Paul, it all takes on greater resonance — but this franchise has never been about mere and easy nostalgia, not for a single second. Better Call Saul brings back the Walter-and-Jesse banter, as they argue in their RV meth lab. It has Jesse call his partner a "dick", but not "bitch". Crucially, it muses on and builds upon what the entire series always has: the decisions that shape, transform and define paths, and reveal the inescapable and inevitable, no matter how much anyone and everyone might want otherwise. Of course, every single moment that's been brought to the screen in sunny colour in Better Call Saul so far — which is how its pre-Breaking Bad sequences appear — desperately makes its audience wish that everything that's destined to occur, and is already known, just won't. Saul Goodman's name has always been ironic, but getting viewers crossing their fingers that things really will prove "s'all good, man" is this show's masterstroke. That said, as the series morphs from a prequel to a sequel in its last episodes, expecting Saul and Kim to live happily ever after feels like a fool's fantasy. Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul creator Vince Gilligan has many skills, and chronicling life's bleak and heartbreaking realities via meticulous and twisty character studies has always been one of them in these two extraordinary series. Also always high on Gilligan's list: giving everyone involved with both shows the roles of their lifetimes. That's why Cranston and Paul's returns were so eagerly anticipated, and why seeing Odenkirk slip back into Saul's shoes — and Jimmy's first, and Gene's as well in Better Call Saul's black-and-white follow-up scenes — has been so magnificent to watch. Getting caught up in Nacho and Lalo's stories, hoping Mike's path might take an unexpected detour, hanging on every hint of what might come for Kim: that's all as much a stroke of brilliant casting as outstanding writing, too. This series can astonish and delight like little else, including in its tightly plotted and never-predictable narrative, its sublimely cinematic imagery and its many, many marvellous performances alike. TV won't be the same without Saul Goodman, if this is the end of his road. TV has been all the better for Better Call Saul's presence, and it has six outstanding seasons to show for it. The series has always been the perfect capper to Breaking Bad — a devotee's dream in every way, including in its surprises and departures as much as its knowing nods — and, when the still-entertaining El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie arrived in 2019, it's little wonder that it felt somewhat slight and superfluous in comparison. However Better Call Saul ends, likely not as anyone thinks as Mike warned, the series has dived deep into the choices and costs that've pushed and plagued everyone in its frames, and simultaneously surveyed how everyday tragedies do and can play out. Gilligan has cooked that up twice now, and given television an astounding high. (Fingers crossed for a Kim Wexler spinoff, obviously.) Check out the trailer for the second half of Better Call Saul's sixth and final season below: Better Call Saul streams via Stan in Australia and Neon in New Zealand, with the final episode set to air on Tuesday, August 16. Read our review of the first half of Better Call Saul's sixth season. Images: Greg Lewis/AMC/Sony Pictures Television.
When you scroll through Netflix's menu, everything from Stranger Things to Bridgerton might catch your eye. Over on Disney+, you could make a beeline to The Mandalorian and WandaVision, while Amazon Prime Video may pique your interest if you're keen on The Boys or Tales From the Loop. But, if you're fond of homegrown films and television programs, you might've noticed that the huge range of streaming platforms on offer Down Under don't typically fund, create and make available all that much new Australian content. The current situation is somewhat better than it was. When Netflix officially launched in Australia back in 2015, its buffet of streaming movies and TV shows noticeably lacked new original local content (indeed, it took more than two years for the popular platform to finally announce that it was making its first Aussie series, Tidelands). It still doesn't overflow with Aussie fare, although it did give Aunty Donna its own delightful comedy. Fellow streamer Stan has been beefing up its catalogue with Aussie movies and shows, though, with the likes of No Activity, Wolf Creek, Bloom, Bump, After the Night, A Sunburnt Christmas, Relic and True History of the Kelly Gang among the local titles joining its ranks. If a group of Australian creatives has anything to do with it, however, there'll be much more local content added to streaming platforms in the future. High Ground's Simon Baker, Hungry Ghosts' Bryan Brown and Justine Clarke, and Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt)'s Marta Dusseldorp are all part of the Make It Australian campaign, which is lobbying the Australian Government to implement quotas. The proposal: that all streaming services operating in Australia that have at least 500,000 subscribers are required to spend 20 percent of their local revenue on new Aussie dramas, documentaries and content for children. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BVoYKwTc4E If the idea sounds familiar, that's because it has been under consideration before, and for some time — with a green paper on the topic published in late 2020, and a consultation period currently open — but nothing has come to fruition as yet. This time around, the group behind the move put forward their case at Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday, March 16, particularly noting the importance of Australian audiences being able to watch local stories as streaming platforms grow in popularity. Similar quotas are in place regarding Australian programming on both commercial free-to-air television and pay TV — although requirements were altered in 2020 due to the pandemic. And if you're thinking that the Aussie screen industry seems to be in good shape at the moment considering that a huge number of Hollywood titles are being filmed here at present — including everything from Marvel's Thor: Love and Thunder to Nicole Kidman-starring TV series Nine Perfect Strangers, plus new movies directed by Ron Howard and starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts soon to shoot — the current situation isn't the norm. Big productions have been coming to our shores during the pandemic given that Australia's COVID-19 case numbers are low, protocols are in place and it's safe to film here as a result, but that isn't guaranteed to continue once life returns to normal in the US. For more information about the Make It Australian campaign, head to its website. For more information about the media reform green paper, head to the Australian Government website.
There are many, many reasons to be excited that summer is just around the corner. Two big ones: beachside hang-outs and pool parties. So, if you've started thinking about swimwear, we have something relevant to your interests — renowned boho label Tigerlily Swimwear is holding a massive four-day warehouse sale, so get ready for some unprecedented bikini bargains. The Aussie brand has been around for just shy of 20 years and is still creating timeless prints and flattering shapes — and getting it 70 percent off makes it even better. This is Tigerlily's biggest ever warehouse sale with prices starting from just $30. Tigerlily collections from previous seasons will be on offer for you and your Vitamin-D-deficient body. And, it isn't just swimwear — playsuits, dresses, shorts, kaftans and other clothing will also be reduced to help you get your summer wardrobe sorted. The Tigerlily warehouse sale will take place at Functions on Chapel from November 1–4, running from 8am–7pm on Thursday and 8am–5pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
When Melbourne's latest round of restrictions eased this week, allowing hospitality and retail to reopen, much of the city was focused on finally being able to 'get on the beers'. But it seems a stack of locals had another important task at the top of their post-lockdown to-do lists: a midnight shopping session at Kmart. In fact, both 'get on the beers' and 'Kmart' were trending on Twitter just moments after the announcement. The resulting crowds that swarmed the retail giant's late-night stores for their 11.59pm opening on Tuesday night were so hectic that Kmart has gone and launched a new booking system. Yep — you can now secure a timeslot to go shopping. https://twitter.com/RustyLoL/status/1320590087445385216 Scores of eager punters hit the town late Tuesday night keen to make the most of freshly lifted restrictions by heading for a feed, a drink, or a shop. And Kmart proved an especially popular choice, with Kmart Group Managing Director Ian Bailey telling 3AW that a whopping 10,000 people passed through the chain's five local late-night stores before 6am. Of course, not everyone was enamoured by the shopping frenzy, with Kmart Australia's Facebook page copping plenty of less-than-impressed responses. Some comments labelled the company 'socially irresponsible' for allowing such huge crowds to gather, while others questioned why so many people had been so desperate to go shopping at the crack of midnight. Now, Kmart's hoping to manage the masses of shopping fiends with a new booking system via SocialQ. Rolling out across the group's busiest metropolitan Melbourne stores, the new setup is designed to save customers from lengthy queues, while limiting the number of people in store at any one time. Shoppers can now head to the website, click on their chosen store and book a preferred timeslot to visit. A booking confirmation is sent via SMS, which you'll then have to flash when you arrive in-store. While it's not compulsory, Kmart is recommending people book ahead in order to avoid wait times, improve social distancing and ensure a speedy shopping experience. Kmart's new booking system is now operating for select metro Melbourne stores. Head here to see the list of participating outlets and book a timeslot.
Take the rocky road down to the Yarra Valley and get ready to stuff your face. Yes, the fiends behind last year's month-long sugar extravaganza are taking your tastebuds on a trip all over again, with sweet, nutty, marshmallowy rocky road in the spotlight. By the way, to any dentists who are reading, go ahead and put down a deposit on that beach house you were looking at. We have a feeling your financial situation is going to be juuuuuuuuust fine. The Rocky Road Festival of Flavours will run through the entire month of May. That's 31 days, which means 31 different flavours. And it doesn't just stop at blocks and bars, either, even when a 100-kilogram, eight-metre long rocky road block is part of the fun. There'll also be rocky road hot chocolate, rocky road ice cream and rocky road waffles too. The Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery will also be hosting Rock Around the Block tasting sessions three times a day, which can be booked via their website.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas — or, at least, it is inside two particular rooms of the DoubleTree Hilton Melbourne, which have been transformed into twinkling festive wonderlands in honour of the impending Yuletide season. For the second year, a couple of the hotel's Flinders Street Station View Rooms have been decked out in full Christmas regalia, available to book for festive stays right up until Tuesday, January 10. In the White Christmas room, you can escape to the northern hemisphere as you snuggle up with plush sheepskin slippers and throws courtesy of UGG Express. You'll find a frosted Christmas tree dripping with lights, plus candy cane and gingerbread decorations aplenty. An even wilder time awaits guests in the red, green and gold Santa's Workshop room, where the dazzling Christmas lights are out in force. A giant wreath and Christmas tree are brimming with baubles and globes, while the words 'HO HO HO' are splashed in neon across one wall. You'll spy classic decorations and toys all around the space, and you'll have reindeer slippers and sheepskin rugs to keep you cosy on your Christmas adventure. Guests staying in the DoubleTree's Christmas rooms will also enjoy the hotel brand's signature warm cookies on arrival, plus specialty hot chocolate and marshmallows, and complimentary breakfast for two at the onsite restaurant. Find DoubleTree by Hilton Melbourne at 270 Flinders Street, Melbourne. Book your stay online, using the promo code "PR40EB", or call the hotel on (03) 9654 6888. The Christmas rooms are available up until Tuesday, January 10.
Here's one for the money: a huge Elvis Presley showcase, filled with around 300 artifacts owned by the King of Rock 'n' Roll himself, all on display in Australia. Come autumn 2022, you'll want to step into your blue suede shoes and take a trip to the Bendigo Art Gallery, which'll fill its walls and halls with Elvis' clothes, vehicles and other personal items. All those jumpsuits he was so famous for wearing? A selection will be on display. The only car from his movies that was actually his? That red convertible 1960 MG, from the film Blue Hawaii, is visiting Australia for the first time. The Bendigo Art Gallery will also showing some tender love to Elvis' military uniforms, first job application and wedding tuxedo — plus Priscilla Presley's wedding dress. Plenty of the items heading to regional Victoria rarely travel beyond Graceland — so yes, calling the exhibition is Elvis: Direct from Graceland is apt. It'll serve up this hunk of burning Elvis love between Saturday, March 19–Sunday, July 17 in an Australian exclusive, as curated in collaboration with the Graceland archives. "It is a great honour to work alongside the creative team at the Bendigo Art Gallery to bring this unprecedented, detailed and comprehensive look into Elvis' life and career to Australia," said Angie Marchese, Vice President Archives and Exhibits at Elvis Presley Enterprises. "While Elvis was never able to visit Australia himself, it brings us great pride at Graceland to know that his legacy and music lives on there. We look forward to sharing a glimpse into Elvis' life with the fans in Australia," Marchese continued. [caption id="attachment_829957" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Elvis Presley strolls the grounds of his Graceland estate, 1957. Photo by Michael Ochs. © EPE. Graceland and its marks are trademarks of EPE. All Rights Reserved. Elvis Presley™ © 2021 ABG EPE IP LLC.[/caption] Other featured objects include Elvis' 1976 Red Bicentennial Custom Harley Davidson, his first grade crayon box from school and other garments from his personal wardrobe — if you're wondering what else will get the exhibition shaking, rattling and rolling. Costumes from his film career, movie scripts, jewellery worn by him and even vintage Elvis-branded merchandise will all be on display as well. Elvis: Direct from Graceland will step through all the key periods in the rock 'n' roll icon's life, from his early Mississippi days through to his Vegas years — and also peer beyond the pompadour and sequins, exploring his interest in books, karate and horses, and all things Graceland. It's Bendigo Art Gallery's latest huge exhibition to focus on style icons, after previously showcasing Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, Balenciaga and Mary Quant. When it comes to celebrating high-profile figures, it seems the venue can't help falling in love. Elvis: Direct From Graceland displays at the Bendigo Art Gallery from Saturday, March 19–Sunday, July 17, 2022. For further information or to buy tickets, head to the gallery's website. Top image: Elvis Presley in the 1968 NBC television special, Singer Presents... Elvis, later known as the 'Comeback Special'. Photograph: Fathom Events/CinEvents. © EPE. Graceland and its marks are trademarks of EPE. All Rights Reserved. Elvis Presley™ © 2021 ABG EPE IP LLC.
While so many small restaurants and bars are doing it tough these days, plenty of the big restaurant groups are only getting bigger. Lucas Restaurants (Chin Chin, Hawker Hall, Kisumé, Grill Americano, Society, Yakimono, Baby Pizza) is one of these beasts — and it's just announced plans to launch two new venues in the CBD. Set to open at 435 Bourke Street within a new $1 billion commercial office tower by developer Cbus Property, Chris Lucas and his team will not only run the sites but also heavily influence the space's design, which, as a restaurateur, is surely one of the perks of joining a venture while the venue is still under construction. About his new venture, Lucas said: "Melbourne is my home and city that I have dedicated my working life to and is also one of the world's great food cities. "Developments such as 435 Bourke Street give me a rare creative licence and a blank canvas to see how our restaurants can help transform our city and position it as a city of the future for both hospitality and work." At the time of publishing, the only details we have received about these two venues are that one will be a "new-style Chinese" restaurant, and the other a "sophisticated Mediterranean" diner. There's also no clear opening date, but the development in which they sit is slated to open sometime in 2026. [caption id="attachment_921103" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yakimono[/caption] The two new Lucas Restaurants venues will be found at 435 Bourke Street, Melbourne, and are slated to open in 2026 . We'll be sure to keep you updated with more details as we find out more.
Clearing out your wardrobe, sifting through your old clothing and making a pile to give to a new home rank among life's necessary but often overlooked tasks. It's also an easy process to get just partway through — pulling unloved shirts off their hangers and bagging up a heap of your old outfits to donate to charity, but then letting said bag sit in your hallway for months and months. Sound familiar? If you have the enthusiasm to gift your pre-loved clothing to a new home, but never quite get around to dropping off your old pieces for whatever reason, then you might be interested in The Iconic's new donation scheme. Called Giving Made Easy, it's an extension of the online retailer's free returns mechanism. Just print out a pre-paid shipping label from the company's website, pop it on a box or satchel filled with clothes that you're never going to wear again, then take it to an Australia Post box or office. Obviously, it still involves you actually moving your pile of unwanted clothes out of your house — but even if you never manage to make it to a Salvation Army or St Vincent's store or bin, you're never too far away from a post box. Once posted, your old threads will be sent to the Salvos to sell in their 330 shops across the country, which raise money to assist folks dealing with homelessness, addiction, domestic violence and emergency situations. To nab a label, you will need to have an active account with The Iconic. Once you've done that and printed out the label, you can stick it on any box or satchel you choose. And if you're a customer with one of the company's delivery satchels in your possession after your last order, you can also use that to send in your pre-loved pieces. The initiative is part of The Iconic's efforts to help reduce textile waste, with around 6000 kilograms of fabric and clothing ending up in Aussie landfill every ten minutes. As always when you're donating pre-worn clothes, pieces will need to be in good condition. If you'd happily give it to a friend as it is, then it's okay to give it to the Salvos. The charity is accepting dresses, tops, t-shirts, singlets, skirts, pants, shorts, jeans, coats, jackets, jumpsuits, playsuits, sweats, hoodies, jumpers, cardigans, suits, blazers, shirts, polos and activewear, as well as footwear and shoes. Used underwear, socks and hosiery won't be taken, nor anything that's damaged. To find out more about The Iconic's Giving Made Easy scheme — or to download a pre-paid shipping label — visit the online retailer's website. Top image: The Iconic.
Kicking off a new side hustle or small biz idea can be a challenging quest, but with the right connections and resources it doesn't have to be. In partnership with Fiverr, we're spotlighting budding entrepreneurs who are getting their businesses off the ground in style. Ask most beer drinkers what they love about their favourite brew, and few would say it's the complex molecular structure that gets them craving a cold one. But Daniel Rojas, Gina Pacheco and Shivam Tandon aren't your run-of-the-mill beer enthusiasts. While the trio of chemical engineers are, like the rest of us, partial to knocking back a few brews at their local, they took things up a notch by making their own tipples. Together, they created The Zythologist, a new, science-based Aussie brewery founded at Monash University, where the three met. "We just love to learn how things work. We also love beer," Rojas told Concrete Playground. "For us, it's about understanding what's happening at a molecular level, [along with] how to bring [out] flavours and unique aromas." So, how do three chemical engineers end up making A-class brews? The three co-founders set out to understand the science of brewing and got hooked on the challenging process of making beer. It began with Rojas and Pacheco, who founded Monash Brewlab, Australia's first student-led nano-brewery, with Tandon joining shortly after. It has since become an educational lab, where students can apply the scientific principles learned in lectures and tutorials to create a product loved by uni students the world over: beer. Riding on the success of the uni-based brewery, the trio launched a commercial spin-off. Initially, they created Scholars Ink (a nod to the mates' tertiary achievements), which produced two debut brews — a mango lassi sour and a sessionable 4.2-percent dark ale. Both sold out in less than two months. Fast-forward to 2021 and they now have The Zythologist — and it's got big plans. [caption id="attachment_818393" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Melanie Desa[/caption] Not prepared to rest on their laurels, Rojas, Pacheco and Tandon brought The Zythologist back to where it all began. Their entrepreneurial idea was validated through the Monash University's central startup hub, The Generator, where they won a $5000 grant from Fiverr to help evolve their unique business proposition. For the uninitiated, Fiverr is a freelance marketplace that connects small business owners — or anyone with a burgeoning side hustle — with freelancers across a range of disciplines, including social media marketing, SEO services, illustration, and video and animation. Its easy-to-use design and global database of freelance experts makes it simple-as to get started and give your side hustle a leg up. So, what does all this have to do with The Zythologist? Well, first on the three mates' to-do list is to put some of that cash towards rebranding from Scholars Ink to the new-and-improved The Zythologist — with the help of Fiverr freelancers, naturally. "'Zythologist' comes from [the term] 'zythology', which is the study of beer and brewing, Rojas told CP. "We want to create this persona of The Zythologist [as] the connoisseur of everything related to beer." It goes without saying that their plans for The Zythologist don't stop at a new brand identity and shiny website. Rojas says he and his co-founders are keen to leverage their expertise to launch a consultancy and analytics service, while also making new brews and ensuring their product and production processes are kinder to the planet. The ultimate goal? To move the brewing industry in a more sustainable and efficient direction, with better beer across the board as a result. [caption id="attachment_818388" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Melanie Desa[/caption] If you weren't lucky enough to snap up a six-pack of the trio's maiden brews, don't worry — there are more on the boil (yes, pun intended). First up, The Zythologist is working on a big, dessert-like imperial pastry stout, brewed in collaboration with Burnley Brewing. And, not ones to do things by halves, Rojas, Pacheco and Tandon are also working on a non-alcoholic beer to tap into the growing no- and low- alcohol trend. "The science behind brewing can be quite complex, and every time you add another ingredient or treat it differently, the dimensions increase by an order of magnitude," Rojas told CP. "For non-alcoholic [beer], I think it's even more difficult, because what we want to do is emulate the [same] sensation you would have from a normal beer. Accomplishing that — and having [an ABV of] less than 0.5 percent, which is the threshold for a non-alcoholic beer — is actually quite hard." While Rojas, Pacheco and Tandon will likely dabble in more traditional brews like pale ales and IPAs eventually, it's pretty clear that these three mates are enjoying pushing the boundaries and making unconventional brews. As for the rest of us, there's really no better motivation to crack a cold one — alcoholic or otherwise — than knowing it's for science. Bottoms up. Have your own booming side hustle — or need a hand getting it off the ground? Check out the Fiverr website and connect with freelancers around the world, all just a click away. Lead image: Shivam Tandon, Gina Pacheco and Daniel Rojas. All photography by Melanie Desa.
It's worryingly easy to lapse into the 'same old' routine that you're used to: work, gym, the new season of Orange Is the New Black, bed. It's much harder to find the motivation to go out and actually do something, especially when it's still a bit cold. But, Melbourne's cogs don't stop turning as soon as the sun does its yearly strop off to the other side of the world. In fact, there's much to discover in the city that doesn't involve your comfy status quo of pad thai on the couch. So, along with our mates at Mitsubishi, and in celebration of their new Eclipse Cross, we thought we'd gently remind you of that. Check out our ideas for making some local discoveries every day this week. From getting some science in you to scoffing down a hectic milkshake to seeing some art at the cornucopia that is the NGV, there are plenty of ways you can have a city-themed adventure and still make it back home in time to smash out a Netflix episode before bed. It's the best of both worlds, no? MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3: LIVE PODCASTING Learn about the stuff you should know at this one-off live podcast recording. The guys behind the popular Stuff You Should Know podcast, Chuck Bryant and Josh Clark, are in town today doing a special one-off live recording. The podcast is a general knowledge affair from the duo who used to work at HowStuffWorks.com, so you can rest assured they really do know stuff about stuff. Having toured around the US, Canada and Europe with the podcast, it's Australia's turn now, with only one show in Melbourne. Expect a none-too-serious night of interesting facts and humour and to leave with a slightly broadened general knowledge about anything from Spam to zoot suits. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4: DRAWING THE HUMAN FORM Test your life drawing skills at an after-work art session. Work-Shop runs myriad classes and short courses, and its life drawing for beginners is a solid option for those who feel they might have an arty bone in their bodies somewhere but have never really found it. At this small group class centred around a live nude model, you'll be given one-on-one guidance on how to draw the human form — and then left alone and given space to spread your arty wings. All materials are included (plus some wine) so all you need to bring is your most creative self. [caption id="attachment_663227" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shanasy.[/caption] WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5: A VERY AUSTRALIAN CURRY Prove your love of vegemite by ordering a curry made with the stuff at Sunda. Modern Southeast Asian restaurant/bar Sunda is tucked down the CBD treasure trove of eateries that is Punch Lane and is housed in a former car park, so that's already full marks for discovery vibes here. Combining Indonesian, Malaysian and Vietnamese flavours with modern Australian, and featuring native plants and flora, this fusion approach is perhaps seen to no greater degree than in the fact that there's vegemite on the menu. Mix things up a little for your palate by ordering the roti served with vegemite curry dipping sauce. A slightly different native ingredient than you probably had in mind, it certainly jazzes up your staid vegemite toast cafe order. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6: RETRO BURGERS AND MILKSHAKES Head to Bentleigh's old school milk bar for a burger and a lamington shake. Lactose-intolerant people, look away now — unless you're up for a real challenge (digesting about a pint of Golden Gaytime-flavoured milkshake). The shakes don't muck around at Good Times Milk Bar in Bentleigh, and neither does the rest of the menu. The old school, pastel vibes at Good Times do just what the label says — you won't see a single bad time once you've decided on what you want from the bonanza of burgers and shakes. Discover a belly full of burger and milk, and more importantly, comfort. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7: AVANT-GARDE AUSTRALIAN ART Catch the NGV's new parallel retrospective of Baldessin and Whiteley. The NGV is hosting a retrospective of two iconic 20th-century Australian artists: George Baldessin and Brett Whiteley. Combining the work of the two for Baldessin/Whiteley: Parallel Visions, the exhibition will look at the similarities between the men —who both died tragically early. Baldessin and Whiteley created avant-garde works that played with surrealism, incorporating hints of pop culture. Along with some of their most famous works (such as Baldessin's MM of Rue St Denis series and Whiteley's The American Dream), there'll be some pieces on show that have never been seen before, too. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8: A NIGHT OF FOOD AND STARS Spend a night stargazing at Scienceworks' AstroLight Festival. Scienceworks is probably number one on your list if you want to discover things, with it being chockablock full of cool facts and interactive displays about science, technology, health and just general stuff. The museum is also hosting the AstroLight Festival tonight, perfect for the astronomers among us (or just those chillers who like to look at stars). Throughout the evening, scientists, astronomers and artists will present talks, performances and optics activities — and of course, stargazing if the weather is good. A bar, cafe and food trucks will cater your night sky discovery journey, as well. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9: VEGAN HOT SPOTS Go on a vegan walking trail through Fitzroy. Weekend days are often put aside for doing wholesome activities that make your body feel nice after your Friday night hijinks, and with the Cruelty Free Shop's Vegan Day Out happening this weekend, your wholesome plans will be highly achievable. Bargains and discounts abound during this roaming day out, where you'll be guided by a map laying out where exactly the best vegan specials are. Grab a map from your closest Cruelty Free Shop, and go on a stroll to discover meal deals, free tastings, discounted groceries and even wine samplings around town. Where to next? Make the most of every week with Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross and navigate to your next destination here. Top image: Kate Shanasy.
They first toured Australia in 1982. They've returned plenty of times since, including on the Big Day Out and Vivid lineups. When they were last here in 2020, the pandemic got in the way, causing them to cut short their plans — and now New Order have locked in their latest visit Down Under five years later. "It's an honour to be coming back to perform in one of our favourite places. We sadly had to cancel a Melbourne show in March 2020, as a consequence of COVID and are so happy we can come back to play again," said the Manchester-formed band, announcing their next Aussie dates. "We've always loved playing in Australia and are excited to be returning for a run of very special shows in 2025. Good things come to those who wait!" [caption id="attachment_976837" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Erin Mc via Flickr[/caption] 'Blue Monday', 'Temptation', 'Bizarre Love Triangle' — more than four decades after forming, the group will play them all on a four-city Australian tour that starts at Perth's RAC Arena, then plays the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne and Riverstage in Brisbane, before hitting the Sydney Opera House Forecourt for two nights, all in March 2025. Peter Hook, Stephen Morris and Bernard Sumner started New Order out of Joy Division, following the tragic death of the latter's lead singer Ian Curtis, and helped pioneer the synth-pop sound that not only helped define the 80s but has been influential ever since. If you've seen the films Control and 24 Hour Party People, you've seen part of New Order's story on-screen. And if you've caught them live before, you'll know that they're always a must-see. In Sydney, the group join Sydney Opera House's March run of forecourt concerts, which also includes Fontaines DC and PJ Harvey. "The incomparable New Order on the forecourt will be one of *those* Opera House moments to remember forever (and my 16 year-old self with his hopelessly worn-out tape of Substance can't quite believe it). Fontaines DC's moment is right now, and it's an honour to host one of the world's most fiercest live bands on the Forecourt for their massive Australian return," said Sydney Opera House Head of Contemporary Music Ben Marshall. [caption id="attachment_976838" align="alignnone" width="1920"] RL GNZLZ via Flickr[/caption] New Order Australian Tour 2025 Wednesday, March 5 — RAC Arena, Perth Saturday, March 8 — Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne Tuesday, March 11 — Riverstage, Brisbane Friday, March 14–Saturday, March 15 — Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Sydney New Order are touring Australia in March 2025, with tickets on sale from 10am local time on Thursday, October 31, 2024. Head to the tour website for further details. Top image: RL GNZLZ via Flickr.
This year's Night Noodle Markets are getting a shake-up, with the food festival reimagined in a new At Home format that's set to bring all the usual flavour and fun straight to your house. Every night from Tuesday, June 1–Wednesday, June 30, the revamped event will see a lineup of eight Asian-inspired eateries offering their cult dishes — and some new hits — for home delivery. At a pop-up kitchen in the CBD, festival favourites including Puffle, Wonderbao and Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart will be cooking up their finest eats and sending them to your door, so you can recreate the Night Noodle Market magic at home. You'll be able to pick and mix food from multiple menus in the one order, with everything delivered via Doordash. Choose from the likes of Hoy Pinoy's glazed pork belly and chicken skewers, Mi Goreng-crumbed chicken ribs from Indomie and Kariton Sorbetes' boozy trifle. There'll be two weekly rotating banquets, too — a vegetarian feed for two named 'Broc 'n Roll' and the 'I Love You Soy Much' date-night feast. Night Noodle Markets At Home will service a range of inner suburbs — check here to see if yours is one of them. [caption id="attachment_745518" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Puffle is making an appearance as part of the Night Noodle Markets At Home.[/caption]
At Belle's Hot Chicken, Christian Robertson and Morgan McGlone have made a hero of natural wine, just as much as of their beloved spicy fried chook. But that less-is-more, organic-focused philosophy that's so big in the wine world, had yet to sneak its way into the rest of the pair's booze program. That is, until now. Dreamed up on a recent jaunt to Japan, McGlone and Robertson's latest venture is Kyoto Protocol — a pop-up cocktail bar concept named after the city where their idea was hatched. "It's built on the idea that we could have a natural wine approach to a cocktail program," explains Belles Beverage Director Robertson. Debuting at this year's Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, the bar puts a fresh spin on the whole cocktail caper, showcasing four of what the boys call "lo-fi" drinks. They're easy to make, easy to enjoy and crafted on organic ingredients, with no unnatural additives and minimal garnishes. Operating out of a repurposed shipping container at MFWF's House of Food and Wine, Kyoto Protocol will be slinging all four concoctions from March 9 to 11. Clocking in at an easy $12 a pop, you'll find creations such as the Basic B, which blends vodka, organic yuzu from NSW, Japanese yuzu soda, cold-pressed watermelon and a cucumber syrup. Another, dubbed the Hentai, mixes peach bitters, Hennessy and a peach iced tea, made to a recipe McGlone picked up over in Nashville. Backing the stronger stuff, there'll be a hefty selection of natural wine, as the boys raid their extensive, long-built cellar collection. Expect a good 100 bottles featured across the weekend, with plenty of hard-to-find options and a solid range on offer by the glass. "They're bottles that people don't get the opportunity to taste very often," hints Robertson. Sticking with the natural approach, the bar will be using only 100 percent wheat straws and biodegradable cups. What's more, all those used cups will be collected and displayed throughout the pop-up, to help keep customers mindful about another important impact of their boozing. The final haul of waste will be recycled and repurposed into something useful — think, a park bench, rail sleepers, or plastic bricks — by the legends at Closed Loop. Kyoto Protocol will be popping up alongside a slew of food stalls and masterclasses from some of Australia's — and the world's — best chefs. You'll be able to down the lo-fi cocktails alongside eats by Belles, Sundae School, Mamasita and more. Day passes to the House of Food and Wine start from $65 and can be purchased here. Find Kyoto Protocol at Melbourne Food and Wine Festival's House of Food and Wine at The Coopers Malthouse Theatre, Southbank, from March 9–11, 2019. Images: Parker Blain and Daniel Mahon.
Romance prospects looking a little slim this Valentine's Day? Fear not — your mates at Abbotsford's Moon Dog have the perfect solution, involving some very good boys and plenty of furry (and perhaps a little slobbery) kisses. This February 14, the Abbotsford brewery is serving up a big dose of puppy love with its dog-filled Valentine's Day bash, complete with an adorable doggy kissing booth. It'll be manned by some of Moon Dog's favourite four-legged friends, offering smooches from 4–6pm. Who even needs love when doggy snogs are on the cards? Fittingly, this paw party also coincides with the launch of the latest drop from Moon Dog's Doggo Mates beer series: the big, hazy Leon's New England IPA. Rock up from 4pm and you can be one of the first to sample it fresh from the tap. And, of course, if you've got a pooch of your own, they're welcome to come along and join in the loved-up, Valentine's Day fun. CORRECTION: FEBRUARY 10, 2020 — This article previously stated that Valentine's Day at The Dog would be happening at Moon Dog World in Preston, this is incorrect. The event is happening at Moon Dog's OG Abbotsford Brewery. The article has been updated to correct this. Images: Kate Shanasy
